ACTION AT KHUSHAB. 439 arm ammunition and a large quantity of shot and shell, he commenced the march back towards Bushire. The returning army carried with it large stores of flour, rice and gram, which had heen collected by the Persians. The march towards the shore commenced on the night of the 7th of February, and at midnight an attack was made upon the rear-guard by the Eelkhani's horse, while detachments of Persians threatened the line of march on every side. Under these circumstances the troops were ordered to halt, and were drawn up so as to protect the baggage, and to present a front to the Persian irre- gular cavalry, from what direction soever it might attack. Four of the Persian guns opened a heavy fire upon the column ; but the British troops were ordered to lie down under arms till daybreak, and the shot passed over their heads without doing any harm. It appears that the Persian leaders had recovered from the alarm into which they had been thrown by the news of the approach of General Outram, and had even resolved to attack him in his camp on the night of the 7th, when the noise caused by the explosion of their own magazines announced to them his departure. They had then hastened to overtake him, and had tried to excite a panic amongst his troops. When day broke on the 8th of February, the Persian force, numbering nearly seven thousand men, was dis- covered to be drawn up in order of battle to the north- east of the English position. The British cavalry and artillery were at once moved forward to the attack, supported by two-thirds of the infantry in two lines ; the remainder of the infantry being left to protect the baggage. The fire of the artillery did great execution, and seemed completely to disconcert the Persians. The
