72 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



story of Cawnpore to the outside world. The boat's 

 rudder was shot away, and without oars steering 

 was impossible; but by noon it had drifted out of 

 range of the Nana's guns. Infantrymen followed it 

 along the bank, firing whenever it swung within 

 range. At night it stranded on a sand-bank, and a 

 burning boat was sent down, which however missed 

 its mark. Then flights of arrows tipped with red-hot 

 charcoal were tried, and the British were obliged to 

 throw overboard the now burning thatched top 

 which alone had protected them from the sun's 

 fearful intensity. The following day was spent 

 in desperate efforts to dislodge the boat from the 

 sand-bars on which it continually became wedged ; 

 a heavy fire was still kept up from the bank, both 

 Major Vibart and Captain Moore, who had been 

 the executive officer and the leading figure for 

 bravery during the siege, being wounded while at 

 work in the water. At sunset a boat containing 

 sixty armed rebels approached, but with extraor- 

 dinary spirit the British rushed upon them and 

 completely routed the entire band, leaving few 

 alive to escape. On the following day Lieutenants 

 Thomson and Delafosse, with Sergeant Grady and 

 eleven privates, waded ashore to drive back the 

 rebels who were firing from the bank. When they 

 returned to the river the boat had disappeared. It 



