the perils it had escaped and surveyed the successes it had won. It had crushed the rebellion in Lombardy, driven back the Piedmontese into their own territory, and planted the Austrian flag again in triumph over the city of Milan, which had been for centuries a fief of the House of Hapsburg. Compelled in self-defence to bombard his own capital, the Emperor had found his troops as loyal as they were brave, and the cannon of Windischgrätz and Jellachich had effectually silenced the voice of insurrection. In Hungary the Imperial troops were uniformly

successful, and there was every reason to expect a victorious issue in the campaign. But beyond all this, fresh and healthy blood had been poured into the veins of the monarchy by the elevation to the throne of a young Emperor, whose disposition and capacity promised the happiest results for the kingdom; and he was surrounded by Ministers in every respect equal to the occasion-men who were determined to pursue a course of constitutional policy, and abandon the Metternich system of despotism and exclusion.

tary streams the theatre of actual conflict. The Sikhs are the bravest enemies whom we have yet encountered in India, and they fight with the desperation of men inspired almost equally by military ardour and religious fanaticism. They are, in fact, a religious sect, tracing their descent from a Gooroo or priest named Nânuk, who formed a kind of eclectic system of faith out of the mazes of Brahminism, Buddhism, and Mahommedanism, and founded a new school of disciples in the Punjab. The most celebrated of his succeswas Govind, who became Gooroo of the Sikhs at the end of nine generations from Nânuk, and was assassinated in the year 1708. He first taught his followers how to become a military and political power, but they were still known as the "Khalsa" or church, by which term they arrogated to themselves the exclusive title of the faithful.

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great loss on the side of the conqueror. He placed the city under the rule of a governor, who was killed in a tumultuous affray soon after the death of Runjeet Singh. His son, Moolraj, succeeded him, and he was the dewan or governor of Mooltan at the time when we occupied Lahore. Negotiations between him and the durbar at Lahore had been going on for some time previous to the month of April in the present year, the object of which seems to have been to change the mode of government at Mooltan, and either induce or compel Moolraj to resign his authority. The intention was to substitute Sirdar Khan Singh as governor; and it was believed at Lahore that Moolraj acquiesced in this arrangement. Accordingly, Mr. Vans Agnew, a Bengal civil servant and assistant to the Resident at Lahore, and Lieutenant Anderson, of the Bombay Fusiliers, were deputed to proceed with the new governor, Sirdar Khan, and install him in his new authority. They were accompanied by a very small escort, and arrived at Mooltan on the 17th of April. The town was formally transferred by Moolraj to Sirdar Khan Singh, and the object of the mission seemed to be entirely accomplished, when, from some unexplained cause, whether the result of deep-laid treachery or a sudden impulse, both the Englishmen were attacked on the 18th, and desperately wounded. They were carried to a small fort outside the town, accompanied by Khan Singh, and a fire was opened upon their place of refuge from Mooltan, but the distance prevented the guns from having much effect. Three days afterwards the Mooltan troops

attacked the fort, and the Sikh garrison within immediately opened the gates and let in the assailants. Lieutenant Anderson was then in a dying state, but Mr. Agnew was able to defend himself for a short time. They were, however, both overpowered and murdered, and there is little doubt that Moolraj himself is responsible for this coldblooded treachery, although he has always pretended that the attack was without his sanction or privity. Immediately on intelligence of the assassination reaching Lahore, a body of 3000 Sikhs, horse and foot, was ordered to march to Mooltan, under the command of Raja Shere Singh. It happened that at this juncture Lieutenant Edwardes was engaged upon the Indus with a very small force, settling the country and collecting the land-tax due to Moolraj. He occupied the town of Leiah, on the left bank of the Indus, and when he heard of the affair at Mooltan, he crossed the river into the Deerajat, whence he wrote to the Khan of Bhawulpore (which lies to the S.S.E. of Mooltan) to make a demonstration which should prevent Moolraj from executing any design against him (Lieutenant Edwardes), or against Colonel Cortlandt, who commanded the garrison of Dhera Ismael Khan; and the Khan lost no time in preparing to act. A party of 300 horse had been left by Lieutenant Edwardes to complete the collection of the revenue at Leiah, where they were attacked, on the 18th of May, by 400 Mooltan horse, with ten zumbooruks (light field-guns), who were completely defeated, with the loss of their guns. Meanwhile, Colonel Cortlandt, with his force, amounting to about 4000 men,

quitted Dhera Ismael Khan, and proceeded to the southward, by the base of the mountains, being joined on his way by a Belooche chief named Melah Khan, with 100 of his tribe, who were sent to take the fortress of Sunghur,-a place to the west of the Indus,-which surrendered after six hours' fighting, the garrison retreating upon Mooltan.

Lieutenant Edwardes now effected a junction with Colonel Cortlandt, and on the 20th of May a second engagement took place with the enemy, who were defeated with great slaughter, and lost two guns and five swivel pieces. The force of the revolted Sikhs at this time in the field consisted of about 3000 men and eight guns; while that of Edwardes and Cortlandt comprised three mixed Sikh regiments, 1500 Irregular Horse, eight guns, and 20 swivel pieces. Their levies fought bravely, and showed no disposition to fraternize with the rebels. A small body of Beloochees, also, under one of their chiefs, joined the English party, and behaved exceedingly well.

The smallness of the body serving under the command of the two British officers rendered it important that they should be reinforced by the troops sent by our ally, the Khan of Bhawulpore; and to effect this object, Lieutenant Edwardes and Colonel Cortlandt crossed the Indus on the 10th and 11th of June. Moolraj, however, determined, if possible, to prevent this junction; and he accordingly passed the Chenab on the 14th, leaving a strong detachment on the other bank, which marched to Khan Ghur, but crossed the following day, in consequence of the

advance of our force, Lieutenant Edwardes having, with his cavalry, reached Khan Ghur on the very day the Mooltanees quitted it. On the 16th he was joined by the guns and infantry under Colonel Cortlandt, and their camp was formed about a mile from the Chenab, the enemy being encamped on the opposite side. In the mean time, the Bhawulpore troops had arrived within twelve miles of the enemy, and Lieutenant Edwardes, being unable to procure boats to cross the river, on the bank along which those troops were marching, retired to Gungawallah, opposite to which place the Bhawulpore force was encamped, about three miles from the ghat. During the night about 3000 of his new levies joined the Khan's camp, while the enemy was stationed at Bugurarah, only four miles distant. Early on the 18th of June, Lieutenant Edwardes crossed the Chenab at Noonaree, about five miles from Soojabad, with the remainder of his force, leaving the horses and artillery to follow; and the Mooltan troops, who had marched up from Bugurarah, immediately attacked him, before Colonel Cortlandt had time to join him with his guns. The action commenced soon after sunrise and lasted for nine hours. The result might have been doubtful had not two of Cortlandt's regiments come up at a critical moment with six guns, and after an obstinate conflict the enemy gave way and fled, leaving behind them six guns, and all their baggage and stores.

Moolraj now fell back upon Mooltan, and was followed by the British and their allies, who were strengthened on the 28th of June by the accession of a body of 4000

soldiers under the command of Sheikh Emaum-ood-deen. This brought up our numbers to about 18,000 men.

On the 1st of July, Moolraj marched out of the town of Mooltan and entrenched his force behind a strong breastwork near the village of Sadoosam. Our columns soon came up, and a severe engagement of six hours' duration took place, which terminated in the complete defeat of the insurgents, who fled in disorder into the town. The loss on our side in this action consisted of eighteen killed and seventy wounded.

It was, however, impossible for Lieutenant Edwardes, with the inadequate force and material which he possessed, to undertake the siege of such a fortress as Mooltan, and he applied to Sir Frederick Currie, the British Resident at Lahore, for a reinforcement and some heavy artillery. In the mean time he encamped his troops in the vicinity of the place, and kept a close watch upon the movements of the enemy; until, on the 18th of August, General Whish arrived from Lahore, with H. M. 10th regiment, a troop of horse artillery, the 7th irregular horse, and the 8th and 52nd N. I. He assumed the command of the besieging forces, and was on the following day joined by a column from Ferozepore, consisting of H. M. 32nd foot, a battering train of 30 heavy guns, a troop of horse artillery, the 11th regular and the 11th irregular cavalry, and the 49th, 51st, and 72nd N. I. By means of this addition the force assembled round the walls of Mooltan amounted to about 28,000 men, of whom 6000 were British.

But disturbances now arose in another quarter. Early in Sep