136 Life and Times of " The Druid." 



of that river, and immediately opposite the 

 town of Ramnugger, his enemy, Shere Singh, 

 was posted with 30,000 men and 32 pieces of 

 cannon. Rising in the fastnesses of Thibet, 

 the Chenab pursues a course of 540 miles. 

 It is the largest of the five rivers which 

 intersect the Punjab and give it its name, 

 and, though deep and rapid in some places, 

 the channel between an island and its left 

 bank, on which our troops were stationed, is 

 a mere sandy water-course, about thirty yards 

 wide. This island was held by 4,000 Sikhs, 

 with six guns. At two o'clock on the morn- 

 ing of the 22nd, a strong force of our cavalry 

 and infantry were ordered to parade, and then 

 march forward noiselessly to Ramnugger, 

 from whence the Sikh detachment, who had 

 unaccountably learnt this movement, at once 

 retired. On reaching the left bank the Royal 

 Horse Artillery were ordered to the front, 

 and promptly opened fire on the Sikhs in 

 the island. The heavy guns of the enemy 

 soon proved too much for the English six- 

 pounders, and orders were given to retreat. 

 At this critical moment it was found that one 

 of the guns had sunk so deep into the sand 



