the Envoy, by earnest intreaty, prevailed on the General to send a body of troops against them. The Affghans made an obstinate resistance, and at first repulsed their assailants; but, by some skilful movements of the artillery and cavalry, they were finally driven from the position. Our soldiers, however, under existing circumstances, could never hold any ground which they had gained, but were obliged to return to the cantonment, while the enemy, having rallied, pressed closely behind them.
On the 15th Major Pottinger arrived from Charekur, in the mountain territory of Kohistan, north of Cabul, which he had defended at the head of 800 Goorkhas. He and some other officers had occupied a small adjacent fort, when they were invited to a conference; and Captain Rattray, being inveigled to a little distance, was suddenly shot dead, while the Major with difficulty escaped. A vast number of insurgents then assembled, who were at first repulsed with great slaughter; but their force increasing, and the post being untenable, the troops withdrew to Charekur. Here they maintained themselves twenty-five days, amid continued assaults from an overwhelming body, and the most severe sufferings from want of water. No resource then appeared but to cut their way to Cabul, amid incessant hardships and attacks. All the troops either perished or were dispersed, and only the Major and Lieutenant Haughton, badly wounded, passing during the night through the city, succeeded in reaching the cantonment.
A proposition was now started, and even urged by the Envoy, that the force should quit the cantonment for the Bala Hissar, where the whole would be united in a much more defensible position. The military authorities, however, decided that this plan, including an extensive conveyance of stores, could not be accomplished without ruinous loss. The measure of retreat was then agitated, but the Envoy still urged a delay of eight or ten days, in the hope of some favourable occurrence. On the 22nd,
