Excitement therefore was at its highest, when on the 20th of
October a pilot came on board at the mouth of the Hooghly, and they
learned that the assault had been made on the 14th of September;
and that, after desperate fighting extending over a week, the city
had been captured, the puppet Emperor made prisoner, and the rebels
driven with tremendous loss across the bridge of boats over the
Jumma.

The satisfaction with which the news was received, in spite of the
disappointment that they had arrived too late to share in the
victory, was damped by the news of the heavy losses sustained in
the assault; and especially that of that most gallant soldier,
General Nicholson.

Nor were their hopes that they might take part in the relief of
Lucknow realised, for they learned that on the 25th of September
the place had been relieved by Havelock and Outram. Here, however,
there was still a prospect that they might take a share in the
serious fighting; as the losses of the relieving column had been so
heavy, and the force of mutineers so large, that it had been found
impracticable to carry off the garrison as intended, and the
relieving forces were now themselves besieged. There was, however,
no fear felt for their safety. If the scanty original garrison had
defied all the efforts of the mutineers, no one doubted that, now
that their force was trebled, they would succeed in defending
themselves until an army sufficiently strong to bring them off
could be assembled.

Not a day was lost at Calcutta. General Sir Colin Campbell, who was
now in supreme command, was collecting a force at Cawnpore. There