342 THE GARRISON TAKE TO BOATS. Chapter VI. 1857. July. Their pros pects deteric. rate. BOOK VIII. thrown upon the survivors, and they were now fairly worn out by fatigue and watching. They could still have repelled a direct attack, but when they witnessed a second attempt to mine their position, despair of a successful defence began to steal over their minds. It would have been strange had it been otherwise. It was evident that after the firing of the second mine two breaches would be available for the assault, and the garrison were were not sufficiently strong in numbers to defend more than one. The case was desperate. Effective defence had become impossible. Possibility of evasion. The garrison attempt it. But there remained to the garrison still one chance of escape. The rainy season had set in, and under its influence there had been a considerable rise in the waters of the Ganges. Three large boats had been kept safely moored under the fort walls. It might be possible, starting at night, to descend the rapidly flowing river to a point where they would be far from the reach of the murderous sepoys. Such a course, at all events, offered, or seemed to offer, a better chance of escape than a continuance of the defence of the fort with numbers diminished and ammunition all but exhausted. So thought, after due consideration, Colonel Smith and the garrison. They resolved then to evacuate the fort and steal away in the boats. in the boats. On the night of the 3rd of July the attempt was made. The ladies and children were divided into three parties and at midnight were stowed away in the boats. Meanwhile the pickets and sentries still remained at They Chapter VI. 1857. July 3. their posts. But as soon as the non-combatants BOOK VIII. had been embarked they were called in. first spiked the guns, destroyed the small amount of ammunition that remained, and then made their way to the boats. It was 2 o'clock in the morning before they had all embarked. The order was then given to let go. The boats started in good order, but the clearness of the night betrayed their movements to the sepoys. These at once guessed the truth. Raising the cry that Favourable the Franks were running away, they fired wildly ment of the at the boats, and then followed, still discharging their pieces, along the bank. But Fortune for the moment favoured our countrymen. The banks were unfavourable for running and the current was strong. The hostile missives all fell short. I have already stated that the boats were three in number. They had been apportioned respectively to the commands of Colonel Smith, Colonel Goldie, and Major Robertson. But Colonel commence enterprize. abandoned. Goldie's boat was soon found to be too unwieldy and was abandoned, its occupants being removed One boat is to Colonel Smith's boat. The delay caused by the transhipment enabled the sepoys to bring down one of their guns to bear on the boats, but the balls still fell short. At length the fugitives resumed their journey and reached without accident the village of Singhirámpúr. Here they stopped to repair the rudder of Colonel Smith's boat. But the villagers turned out, opened fire upon it, and killed one of the two boatmen. The Attack by the villagers. villagers still continuing to turn out, five of our Chapter VI. 1857. July. Major Ro bertson's boat BOOK VIII. officers* jumped into the water, waded to land and charged and drove back the enemy, numbering now about three hundred, killing some of their leaders. They then returned to the boat, the rudder of which had been repaired. They had scarcely gone a few yards, however, before Major Robertson's boat grounded on a soft sandbank. Notwithstanding every effort, and that the fugitives jumped into the water to push her off, she remained there immovable. Colonel Smith's boat, meanwhile, had gone down with the stream. takes the ground. The rebels approach in two boats, and attack Major Robertson's boat. The grounded boat had been in the helpless position above recorded about half an hour when its occupants descried two boats coming towards them down the stream apparently empty. These boats approached to within twenty yards of them, when suddenly they became alive with armed sepoys. These opened upon our countrymen a murderous and continued fire. Before the fugitives had time to recover from their surprise, many of them, including Major Robertson, had been wounded, and some sepoys had already boarded the boat. Major Robertson, despite his wound, still retained his cool courage. He implored the ladies to throw themselves into the water and trust to the current rather than to the sepoys. Many of them did so. But the sepoys * These were, Major Munro, his tribute of regret to the Lieutenants Eckford, Sweeten- untimely end of the lastham, and Henderson of the named officer, who to the 10th Native Infantry, and form of an Antinous united Captain Edmund Vibart, 2nd the noblest and most manly Cavalry. The writer gladly sentiments and a ripe and takes this opportunity to offer brilliant intellect. were upon them. Some of the men aiding the ladies, some alone, succeeded in swimming down the stream. But many of these were drowned ; many were killed. The rest were taken prisoners and carried to the Nawáb.* 66 BOOK VIII. Chapter VI. 1857. July. Smith's boat Meanwhile, Colonel Smith's boat had been Colonel carried down by the stream. Its occupants received authentic intelligence of the fate of their friends from Mr. Jones, who, after having defended himself as long as defence was possible, and received a bullet-wound in the right shoulder, had struck out into the stream. Mr. Jones states in his narrative that on board that boat he found everything in confusion," some having been killed, some wounded by the villagers of Singhirámpúr. Shortly afterwards Mr. Fisher was picked up. The boat continued to drop down without pursuit, molestation, or intercourse with the natives, till on the evening of the following day it reached a village opposite Kúsúmkhor, in the Oudh territories. Here the villagers offered reaches a the fugitives assistance and protection. These friendly at first feared treachery, but becoming convinced of the friendly intentions of the peasants, they put to shore for the night, and were refreshed by a Amongst those who suc- Major Robertson, by means ceeded in swimming to the of an oar, succeeded in reachother boat were Mr. Jones, ing the village of Kalhúr. whose narrative I have mainly Here the villagers sheltered followed; Mr. Fisher, the them. Mr. Churcher remained chaplain, whose gallantry had here tending Major Robertson endeared him to everyone, and for two months. The latter who, on this occasion sup- then died. Ultimately Mr. ported his wife and child till Churcher succeeded in reach. they died in his arms. Mr. ing Kánhpúr, then occupied David Churcher, supporting by the British. village. BOOK VIII. meal consisting of unleavened bread and buffalo Chapter VI. 1857. July. The fugi their way, one of their number excepted. milk. Well would it have been if our countrymen had remained with these kind-hearted villagers. One tives pursue of them, Mr. Jones, whose wound had become most painful, decided on doing so. The others all set out that night. They set out to meet their death. The precise form in which that death was meted out to them may not be certainly known. Some believe that the boat was stopped near Kánhpúr, its occupants dragged out, and there murdered. There is, on the other hand, some ground for believing that as the boat passed Fate of the Bithúr,* the stronghold of Náná Sáhib, it was fired upon by the sepoys, and all on board were killed. This, however, is certain, that they all met their death at or near Kánhpúr, on the order of Náná Dhúndú Pant. remainder. The gains of the Nawáb. Thus had the Nawáb, Tafúzal Húsén Kháng triumphed at Farakhábád. He inaugurated his accession by the slaughter of some forty Europeans taken in various parts of the district. The prisoners brought back from Major Robertson's boat were kept for about a fortnight in confinement, and then murdered, under most atrocious circumstances. But the blood thus spilt failed to cement his throne. It failed to win for him the "The boat left. I heard board were killed."-Mr. nothing more of it for several Jones's Narrative. Mr. Jones days till their Mánjí (boat- himself succeeded in joining man) who took her down Mr. Probyn, and ultimate. returned and gave out that ly in accompanying him to Nana Sahib had fired upon Kánhpúr. them at Bithúr, and all on |