in the ranks, and were invalided home.

_June 23_.--On reaching Umballah, we found the station all but deserted,
nearly all the European troops having been sent on to join the Delhi
force. The church had been placed in a state of defence, all its walls
loopholed, and around it had been constructed a work consisting of a
wall and parapet, with towers of brickwork armed with field-pieces _en
barbette_ at the angles.

In it were quartered some of the 1st Bengal Fusiliers, lately brought
down from Dagshai. About ninety of these marched with us to Delhi. Here
also we were joined by four officers of the (late) 57th Native Infantry,
who had received orders to join our wing, eventually to fill up
vacancies in the native corps on reaching the scene of operations. With
these we were in all twenty-four officers--rather a strong complement
even for a whole regiment.

The concluding days of the march were trying in the extreme. Weary and
footsore, and often parched with thirst, we tramped along the hot and
dusty roads, often for miles up to our ankles in deep sand. We were so
tired and overcome with want of rest that many of us actually fell fast
asleep along the road, and would be rudely awakened by falling against
others who were in the same plight as ourselves. At midnight we rested,
when coffee and refreshment were served out to the officers and men. The
halt sounded every hour, and for five minutes we threw ourselves down on
the hard ground or on the hot sand and at once fell asleep, waking up
somewhat restored to continue our toilsome journey.

From Jugraon onward we had rather long marches, and it was considered
advisable to convey the men part of the way in hackeries; the