warfare, and sworn to destroy them.

Jellalabad was the winter residence of the rulers of Cabul, and inferior
only to that city and Candahar. The walls were, however, in a state
which might have justified despair as to the possibility of defending
them. They were also far too extensive for our small force, embracing a
circumference of upwards of 2300 yards. There was no parapet, except
for a few hundred yards. In many places the walls were not more than
two feet high, while rubbish had accumulated to such an extent that
there were roads over them into the country.

The population within was disaffected, and without were ruined forts,
walls, mosques, tombs, and gardens, from which a fire could be opened at
20 or 30 yards. Captains Broadfoot and Havelock and Colonel Dennie
assured the General that the works might be restored by adequate
exertions, and it was therefore resolved to occupy the town.

The brigade was scarcely within the walls, when the plain was darkened
by masses of the enemy. They had expected that the British troops would
continue their progress towards India, and looked for a rich harvest of
plunder of their baggage between Jellalabad and Peshawur. It was
determined to read them a salutary lesson, and Colonel Monteith was
ordered to drive them away. He issued from the gate on the morning of
the 14th of November, with horse, foot, and artillery, 1100 in number,
of whom 300 were Europeans, and fell on the enemy with such vigour and
skill, that the masses broke up and fled, leaving 200 dead on the field.
At noon not an Afghan remained, and all molestation ceased for fourteen
days. On the 15th, the work of clearing away the ruins and restoring
the fortifications was commenced, under the direction of Captain
Broadfoot. The day was spent by him in superintending the work, the
evening was devoted to his plans and calculations. Working parties were
told off, who laboured from dawn to dusk--officers and men worked with
emulation; and in a few weeks the ramparts were ready to receive the
guns, and everything around the town that could afford cover to the
enemy was, as far as possible, cleared away. The chief cause of anxiety
to Sir Robert Sale was the deficiency of ammunition, which a single
prolonged engagement would go nigh to exhaust. The men were therefore
ordered not to expend a single shot uselessly.

On the 29th of November, large bodies of Afghans poured down upon the
plains from the surroun