132

THE NEEMUCH BRIGADE ARRIVES.

were daily becoming less numerous, the attacks milder, and less frequently fatal; and with improving health came a very perceptible improvement in the effectiveness of the force. On the whole, the prospect was brighter, or, as perhaps should be more correctly said, less dark and hopeless than it had been a month before.

The actual force in camp at this time may be set down, in round numbers, at 5600 of all arms; of these some 3500 were Europeans, and about 2100 natives; but then of the former more than 800, and of the latter about 300, were in hospital, so that there remained fit for duty not more than 2700 Europeans and 1800 natives. But a few days would see them strengthened by the Moveable Column, which, having done its work in the Punjab, was hastening down to take its share in the crowning assault.

In the city, on the other hand, confusion was becoming worse confounded. In the end of July arrived the Neemuch Brigade, with the Kotah Contingent, and some of the Gwalior Artillery. In one sense, the arrival of this force was inopportune to the rebels themselves. Nothing could have promised better than the arrangement effected by that mistress of intrigue, the Begum Zeenat Mahal, which was to secure the succession of her son Mirza Jumma Bukht to the empire, with the promise of the appointment of " Commander-in-Chief" and "Governor-General of India" to General Mohamed Bukht Khan, if only he would take the British batteries. But with the Neemuch Brigade there appeared

PREPARATIONS FOR THE BUKRA EED.

133

on the stage a new candidate for favour and power. General Ghaus Khan had his "following" and his rival claims. The 31st of July was to have seen an overpowering attack of the combined brigades, but between the feud of the rival generals and a heavy downfall of rain the assault was abandoned. But the 1st of August was the Bukra Eed, and they were resolved to signalise this high Mohammedan festival with the utter extermination of " the unbelievers." Their fanaticism was at its height. The Jumma Musjid resounded with prayers louder and wilder than ever; the Koran witnessed oaths sterner and more bloody; the battle-cry which had led on the Moslem bands in desolating fury over the fields of Spain in the thirteenth century,

"Glory for all, but heaven for those who bleed,"

could scarcely have called forth a fiercer spirit than that which seemed to inflame the minds of the fanatics of Delhi, in anticipation of that great day's achievement. All the rivalry between the different brigades, all jealousy of Generals Ghaus Khan, the Neemuch champion, and Bukhtawur Khan of Rohilcund, which had paralysed all efforts during the preceding month, seemed to be for the time suspended. A royal salute announced the day, and put the camp on the alert. But it was not till about sunset that the advance was made. The plan of attack was indeed most formidable; each brigade in its turn was to hurl itself on our batteries, and to be relieved every four hours. The day was far

134

THE CELEBRATION OF THE BUKRA EED.

advanced when out the rebels turned in full force, and the city gates were closed behind them. They commenced by an attack on Metcalfe's House, on our extreme left, and soon spread along our whole front. It was a desperate struggle; through the whole night they kept pouring up fresh bodies as one after another they were repulsed from our batteries. Not a man of ours advanced from under cover; from behind the breastworks our picquets and supports plied them incessantly with musketry, while our field-pieces played grape and round-shot through their ranks. The day dawned, and the fight still went on; and it was past noon, when, finding how little they had gained, their zeal began to flag; down poured the rain, and still more damped their ardour; the coveted martyrdom was too wholesale to please them; and in spite of prayers and oaths, they gave up the attack and returned to the city!

Never, perhaps, was seen such a Bukra Eed in the city of the Great Mogul. Not a cow was killed within the walls; even Mohammedan faith was compelled to yield this point to Hindoo veneration. The King himself did not take his wonted place at the head of the gorgeous procession, which, in Moslem fanaticism, was accustomed year by year to thread the streets of the city on its way to the Jumma Musjid. His presence might have been offensive to his Hindoo soldiery; so he remained shut up within the walls of his own palace, and performed his devotions in private, sacrificing, so report has it,* with his own hands, a camel instead of a cow!

*ROTTON'S Siege, p. 176.

TIDINGS OF THE ADVANCE ON LUCKNOW.

135

This day, too, the intelligence from below was far from cheering to the rebel cause. A large body of fugitive sepoys from Cawnpore arrived in the city, and brought authentic intelligence of Neil's retribution there, and glowing exaggerations of the force Havelock commanded, consisting of "demons" in petticoats (Highlanders), and broad-shouldered "fiends," who could carry the heaviest cannon on their backs (the Naval Brigade).

Reports, too, came of the advance on Lucknow, and the heart of the Poorbeah turned towards his own bustee (village), and applications for leave to visit their own homes poured in fast to the palace. The sepoys were put off with excuses and promises: if they would only wait and carry the English batteries, they should then have all arrears of pay, and go off to the rescue of their bhaibunds.

On the 2d of August, a large body, some 10,000 in number, had gone out with the view to repair the bridges on the canal which we had destroyed in our rear, especially that at Bussaye; this they rebuilt, but two days after the water rose and washed it all away. On the 3d another advance was made on Aleepore, but the rain fell so heavily that they abandoned it, and on their return made an attack on our batteries, where they were repulsed with very heavy loss. Our men were kept well in hand and suffered little (about twenty would cover our loss); but among them a brave and excellent officer (one of the old officers of the Punjab Irregular Force), who had distinguished himself in

136

MAGAZINE IN THE CITY BLOWN UP.

many a border fight-Capt. Eaton Travers, of Coke's Rifles.

On the 6th, a joint attack of the Neemuch and Nusserabad brigades, under Generals Sirdhara Singh and Buldee Singh, was made on our right batteries with like success, the loss on our side being very slight the force on that day, however, had to lament the loss of Lieutenant J. H. Browne (33d N. I.), attached to the Kumaon battalion of Goorkhas, who was killed; and Captain Kennion (Artillery), Lieutenant Somerville and Lieutenant Temple, wounded.

The 7th was memorable for the explosion of a powder-magazine in the city. The old magazine-the scene of Willoughby's heroism on the 11th of Maywas considered to be dangerously near our batteries, for shell would occasionally find their way into it; so the rebels had established a working magazine on the other side of the city, far beyond our range: it was this which, with fifty maunds of gunpowder, blew up and destroyed five hundred workmen. It was at once considered the act of an incendiary, and, by a device of Hodson's suspicion rested on Ahsan- Oollah, one of the King's most trusted advisers. An instant rush was made upon his house, which was quickly plundered and gutted. Two days after, suspicion pointed more correctly, and our friendly moulvie, Rujjub-Ali, had a price set upon his head, and was obliged to escape for his life, after having been for three months the invaluable medium of all city news in the

* HODSON'S Twelve Years, &c., p. 261.