374 



FALL OF GHUZNEE. 



extreme left of the artillery line was too great a range, and with 

 the exception of one gun, all the shells fell short. In the mtlee, the 

 Zuburjur 48-pounder, was dismounted, and carried with it a consider- 

 able portion of the wall of the citadel where it is built upon a scarp 

 in the east face. After some further firing, the troops were with- 

 drawn almost without range, but sheltered by gardens and broken 

 ground. From 9 a. m. the engineers with an escort reconnoi- 

 tred the place, and having ascertained that the only practicable point 

 of attack with our means was the Cabul gate, we were moved 

 off, and marched to the new ground in the evening. Owing to the 

 difficulty of crossing a river and several cuts which intercepted the 

 way, and formed the worst road for camels and guns I have yet seen, 

 much of the baggage was not up till twelve next (i. e. this) morning. 



One European was killed, accompanying the escort. Graves severely, 

 and Von Homrig slightly wounded, a golundauz lost his leg, and a 

 few others were wounded. Their gun practise in the fortress improved 

 much towards the end, and against the reconnoitring party, was said 

 to be good. 



22nd. — The ground we now occupy is the mouth of the valley, 

 up which the Cabul road runs : our camp stretches obliquely across 

 this ; the Shah's camp taking a curve and resting by its left on the 

 river. On our (i. e. the sappers) right, is a range of hills, from 

 the extremity of which the town is commanded ; between us and the 

 range in question, the 4 th brigade is stationed, and on the other 

 side, the remainder of the infantry. We are it seems within reach 

 of the long gun, which has been remounted, and occasionally directs 

 its energies against the Shah's camp. The night was quiet, the 

 troops completely knocked up by the fatigues of the day, the dis- 

 tance we came (to the right) was certainly six miles, and that by 

 which the infantry moved to the left, was still more. 



The gardens between us and the town are occupied by the enemy, 

 but the village of Zenrot on the ridge, is not. Large numbers of 

 cavalry are seen on the other boundary range of the valley, opposite 

 our encampment, certainly 2,000 ; this is probably the other son of 

 Dost Mahommud, who left the fort with the Gilzee cavalry on the 

 night of our march to Ghuznee, for the purpose of attacking our 

 baggage ; they were easily driven from the ridge, which is now occu- 

 pied by our horse. 



23rd. — Ghuznee was taken this morning by a coup-de-main, 

 the whole affair was over in half an hour from the time the gate 



