It had scarcely any Sappers and Miners, and the engineer department could boast of only a few scaling-ladders, with a miserable supply of intrenching and other tools, and small stores indispensable to the proper execution of siege work. The number both of the artillery and engineer officers was small and disproportionate; nor were the heavy battering-trains adequate to the work in hand. Through these deficiencies the sieges of this war were prosecuted occasionally at a heavy cost of life and limb, and were sometimes absolute failures. The army, moreover, had no equipment of pontoons, or of other means for the military passage of rivers. Hence the troops, in pursuing the enemy, were often delayed by the numerous small streams which intersect part of the Deccan, and the Mahrattas were allowed to escape when their ruin seemed inevitable.[1]
On the 16th of October, 1817, the Governor-General commenced his march from Cawnpore; and having joined the central division of the Bengal army at Secundra, crossed the Jumna on the 26th near Calpy, and reached his destined position on the Scind, on the 6th of November. It being necessary that a part of the forces should traverse the territories of Scindia, Lord Hastings considered it essential that, when leaving the dominions of that chief behind him, his consent should be extorted to such a treaty as might withdraw from him the means of hostile interposition in the approaching conflict. Colonel Close, the Resident at Gwalior, where Scindia now held his court, was therefore instructed to demand that he should place his troops entirely at the disposal of the Governor-General; that he should furnish a contingent of 5,000 horse, and supply funds out of which they might be supported; finally, that he should provisionally deliver up the forts of Hindia and Asseerghur, on which, to save his honour, his flag would continue to fly. There was even to be a
- ↑ Macfarlane's "British India;" Blacker, "Operations of the Army in the Mahratta War;" and Lake, "Journals of Sieges," during the same period.
