staff and field officers’ horses, so, of course, ours were quite left out of the question.  Guns, powder, and shot were in great requisition; and, luckily, hares and Khorassan partridges were tolerably abundant.  At times, even our guides confessed themselves at fault, so difficult was it to make our way through such a country.  However, one thing was greatly in our favour—­we had a splendid, bracing climate the whole way, the nights and mornings being “rayther” too cold, the thermometer ranging at that time between 20 and 30 degrees.  The poor Sepoys and camp-followers, however, suffered severely.  We experienced scarcely the slightest annoyance from the inhabitants although we passed through the most disaffected part of the country—­viz., the Ghiljee country, and latterly through the heart of the Kauker country, whose chief, Hadjee Khan Kauker, is a prisoner at Cabool, as I told you in my former letter.

At length, on the 31st of October, we reached Quettah, where we were delighted to find a few Parsee merchants, who had come up from Bombay, and from whom we were enabled to get a few European comforts, in the shape of brandy, gin, wine, tea, pickles, &c., which we had long been without; even milk and butter were luxuries to us.

General Willshire now ordered the 31st Bengal Native Infantry, which had been left here in our march up, together with H.M. 17th, and a small detail of Artillery, to proceed to Kelat, under Colonel Baumgardt, our Brigadier.  The 31st were to garrison it; and the 17th were sent because Mehrab Khan, the Kelat chief, had declared that “he would not surrender to any but European troops, and see the Sepoys d—­d first, if they came alone.”  However, no resistance was expected, as Mehrab had been offered very liberal terms, which he had apparently accepted.  The rest of the force was to go down by the Bolan Pass, and wait at Bukkur, or somewhere in Upper Sinde, till joined by the 17th.  However, the next day a new order came out, and the Queen’s, together with a stronger detail of Artillery, were ordered to reinforce the detachment to Kelat.

Well; we marched on the 5th of November; and the next day, after we had readied our ground, when we had just sat down to breakfast, great was our surprise to see General Willshire himself ride into camp with a few of his staff.  All we could learn on the subject was, that on that morning, which was the day fixed for the rest of the division to begin their march down the Bolan Pass, and just as they were about to start, the General sent for his Adjutant and Quarter-master-general, and, taking them and his Aides with him, started for our camp.  Things now looked a little more warlike; still we experienced no annoyance during the whole march; few of us but thought that on our approach Mehrab Khan would give in.