le or no shelter against the
heat of the sun. The interior was as filthy and disgusting as it is
possible to conceive. Into a space of about thirty feet by twelve, were
crowded from seventy to a hundred patients, who were disabled by wounds
of every description, their sufferings being aggravated tenfold, by the
intolerable heat and stench of the place. They were attended by two
elderly men and a youth about fifteen years of age, who were busily
engaged dressing their wounds, whilst a Faquir was performing certain
charms, by which he pretended he could restore them to health. Pitiable
and disgusting as the scene was I could not help laughing at the
mummeries of the fellow. He first placed some cow dung in the hand of
the sufferer, and holding it in his, saturated it with water and
compelled the patient to smell it. He then wound up the ceremony by
repeating some prayers over the fumes of a charcoal pan, the patient
repeating after him certain responses which he directed him to make.
This done, he covered him up with an old blanket, and ordered him to lay
quiet for several hours, when the cure would be complete. Having of
course received a consideration for all this trouble, he left his
patients to the progress of the charm, and the discovery, when too late,
that they had been grossly duped.

Happening to have a quantity of apples with me which I had just plucked
from one of the orchards in the vicinity, I offered them to the
sufferers in the hope that they would in some degree refresh them. They
accepted them with eagerness which induced some sepoys who were with me
to follow my example. The Affghans indignantly refused to receive
anything at their hands, and so great was their hatred of the native
troops, that they actually spat upon the men who showed them this
kindness.

Early in August we resumed our march towards Cabul, leaving the whole of
our sick and wounded in garrison at Ghuznee. It was reported that Dost
Mahommed intended to dispute every inch of ground to the capital, but
these valiant resolutions were abandoned as soon as formed. The only
indication of a preconcerted plan of defence which we met with on the
route, was a battery of sixteen field pieces which we found planted on
an eminence commanding the entrance to a formidable pass about midway
between Ghuznee and Cabul, but which had been deserted by the enemy as
soon as our advanced columns made their appearance. A party of the Horse
Artillery having be