Sutlej. When the retreat began, the British artillery ammunition was exhausted, and that of the infantry very nearly so. The British cavalry and horse artillery were actually moving to seek the shelter of the intrenched camp at Ferozepore; the Sikhs supposed it was a movement to seize the fords of the river, and cut off their retreat, and hence came the panic which gave the battle to the British at a moment when all hope seemed lost.
For some time following this battle there were no active hostilities, but the interval was occupied by the British in bringing up all available forces till their strength exceeded thirty thousand, with abundant supplies of ammunition and stores. Late in January, 1846, occurred the battle of Aliwal, and on the 10th of February, the battle of Sobraon, where the Sikhs had an intrenched camp of thirty thousand men with one hundred and seventy guns. The camp was on both sides of the river, and connected by a bridge. The British attacked the camp on the south side, and were desperately resisted by the Sikhs, who inflicted a loss of nearly three thousand men on their assailants. The battle resulted in a British victory, and a loss to the Sikhs of ten thousand men and sixty-seven pieces of artillery, mostly of heavy calibre. The principal loss to the Sikhs was made during an attempt to retreat over the bridge, which was choked with people under the fire of the British guns. The river had risen seven inches during the night preceding the battle, and while it was easily fordable before the rising, thousands were drowned in the attempt to cross it when swollen.
The battle of Sobraon was followed by an appeal on the part of the Sikhs for peace, which was granted after the customary negotiations. By the treaty the whole of the territory between the rivers Beas and Sutlej was given up to the British, and the Sikhs paid a crore and a half of rupees (£1,500,000) as an indemnity for the expenses of
