252 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



in camp on active (and very active) service was 

 never tried before." 



On the 28th he hears that " Havelock has re- 

 treated, leaving Lucknow still unrelieved. I can- 

 not understand this, but we have not sufficient 

 information to enable us to judge. After all, 

 Nicholson is the general after my heart." 



Towards the end of August the sickness in camp 

 had greatly increased, and on the last day of the 

 month 2368 men were in hospital. " Nothing is 

 going on here of public importance," writes Hodson 

 on September 3, " and everything is stagnant save 

 the hand of the destroying angel of sickness : we 

 have at this moment 2500 in hospital, of whom 

 1100 are Europeans, out of a total of 5000 men 

 (Europeans), and yet our general waits for this and 

 that arrival, forgetful that each succeeding day 

 diminishes his force by more than the strength 

 of the expected driblets. He talks now of awaiting 

 the arrival of three weak regiments of Gulab 

 Singh's force under Richard Lawrence, who are 

 marching from Umbala. Before they arrive, if 

 the general really does wait for them, we shall have 

 an equivalent to their numbers sickened and dying 

 from the delay in this plague spot. 'Delhi in 

 September' is proverbial, and this year we seem 

 likely to realise its full horrors. The train will be 

 here to-morrow or next day, and I hope our general 

 will not lose a day after that." 



On September 4 the long train of heavy guns 

 and mortars drawn by elephants, followed by miles 

 of bullock -carts laden with shot, shells, and am- 

 munition of all kinds, was escorted safely into camp 

 by Bourchier's battery and two squadrons of the 



