Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/406

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382
OUR ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY.

from their stockade in front of Muckwanpoor, with a determination to gain the village, and recover all the ridge of the hill. Four more companies of the 87th and the 2nd battalion 12th Native Infantry advanced from the main body of the English, while the Goorkhas reinforced their columns of attack; and artillery being at length brought up on both sides, a serious and general action ensued, which was hotly contested till the British bayonet was brought into play, when the enemy broke and fled beyond a deep hollow, which separated the ridge from Muckwanpoor. There, however, and in a neighbouring jungle, they maintained themselves for some hours, keeping up an incessant cannonade and fusilade, till a fresh Sepoy battalion being brought up, Major Nation put himself at its head, dashed across the hollow, charged with the bayonet, and captured the nearest of the guns. The Goorkhas then retreated into their fort and stockades, with the loss of eight hundred men; ours, in killed and wounded, rather exceeding two hundred.

The battle of Muckwanpoor threw the Court of Catmandoo into a state of consternation; and the two defeats they had recently experienced from General Ochterlony having convinced the Goorkhas of the folly of contending with British troops when properly led, they made overtures for a fresh negotiation. In this all the points in dispute were yielded, and a definitive treaty was concluded in March, 1816, by which the Company retained all the territory in Nepaul that was occupied by their troops, including the valley of the Raptee, Hureehurpoor, &c. In addition to this, the Rajah had to write a submissive letter to the Governor-General, while the Goorkha negotiator had to present the ratified treaty on his knees at General Ochterlony's durbar, in presence of all the vakeels in camp. The Rajah further bound himself never to disturb the Company's frontiers, or the territories of any of its allies; never to advance any claim to the territories which had