occupying the southern extremity of a low range of difficult hills intersected by ravines, which extend nearly to that village, I made my arrangements accordingly that evening, and communicated them to the commanders of the several divisions; but, to insure correct information as to the nature of the country, which I believed to be excessively difficult and ill-adapted to the advance of a regular army, I determined upon moving on this village (Chillianwallah) to reconnoitre.
"On the morning of the 13th the force advanced. I made a considerable détour to my right, partly in order to distract the enemy's attention, but principally to get as clear as I could of the jungle, on which it would appear that the enemy mainly relied.
"We approached this village about twelve o'clock, and I found on a mound close to it a strong picket of the enemy's cavalry and infantry, which we at once dispersed, obtaining from the mound a very extended view of the country before us, and the enemy drawn out in battle array; he having, either during the night or that morning, moved out of his several positions, and occupied the ground in our front, which, though not a dense, was a difficult jungle; his right in advance of Futteh Shah-ke-Chuck, and his left on the furrowed hills before described.
"The day being so far advanced. I decided upon taking up a position in rear of the village, in order to reconnoitre my front, finding that I could not turn the enemy's flanks, which rested upon a dense jungle extending nearly to Hailah, which I had previously occupied for some time, and the neighbourhood of which I knew, and upon the raviny hills near Russool, without detaching a force to a distance; this I considered both inexpedient and dangerous.
"The Engineer department had been ordered to examine the country before us; and the Quartermaster-General was in the act of taking up ground for the encampment, when the enemy advanced some Horse Artillery, and opened a fire on the skirmishers in front of the village. I imme-
