lock at Mangalwár, a village five miles from the Ganges, in the province of Oudh. To reach Lakhnao there still remained forty miles to traverse. Before describing the further progress of the leaguer of the Residency it is necessary that I should return to Kánhpur, and narrate how it was that Havelock had been able to push on so far, and yet failed to accomplish the entire journey.
Neill, I have said, had joined Havelock, with a few troops, on the 20th of July. Five days later Havelock crossed the Ganges with the intention of endeavouring to relieve the Residency. In the interval between the two dates he had despatched Major Stephenson to destroy Bithor, evacuated by Náná Sáhib and his troops. Stephenson burned down the palace, blew up the magazine, and brought back to Kánhpur twenty cannon abandoned by the Náná. Simultaneously Havelock had designed, armed, and nearly finished at Kánhpur a fortified work commanding the river, large enough to accommodate the 300 men, all he could spare to hold the place in his absence. The command of these he intrusted to Neill. He had begun, on the 21st, his preparations for crossing the river; had sent over his guns on that day, the infantry on the succeeding days. On the 25th he crossed himself, and moved that day to Mangalwár, five miles. There he halted to complete his arrangements for the carriage of his ammunition and supplies. These were completed by the 28th, and he made his first move forward the following morning.
For the purpose which he had in view his force was small indeed. It was composed of less than 1500 men, of whom barely 1200 were Europeans. His cavalry consisted of sixty volunteers and mounted soldiers, his artillery of ten small field-pieces, his infantry of portions
