1 10G SECRET HISTORY OF THE LAHORE DURBAR.
2 lery, heavy and light. But all this was to no purpose. The
3 troops who were sent, either from their own reluctance to engage
4 in such work, or their dread of giving offence to the great hody
5 of the Khalsa, or from dread of the daring garrison, could not
6 be prevailed on to exert themselves for the reduction of the
7 place. A new relief of troops was thus found necessary ; and
8 now the two oldest battalions, formerly belonging to Dehan
9 Sing, and subsequently to Heera Sing, with five hundred ca-
10 valry and six horse artillery guns, were immediately despatched
11 from Lahore. On the morning of the third day they arrived
12 before Seealkote in the midst of heavy rain. This however did
13 not prevent them immediately commencing operations for the
14 reduction of the place. About mid-day the weather clearing
15 up, the fort and town were closely invested ; and about three
16 o'clock in the afternoon a general assault was made on the lat-
17 ter. It was successful, and an hour before sunset the town of
18 Seealkote was fully in possession of the enemy. But it was not
19 taken without a gallant resistance on the part of the garrison,
20 evidenced by the loss of the besiegers, about two hundred and
21 fifty killed and three hundred wounded. The fort yet remained
22 to be taken, and throughout the night a heavy cannonade
23 upon it was kept up, so that by morning two breaches were in a
24 forward state. A mine had also been commenced and had made
25 considerable progress. About noon, however, the besieged
26 princes finding themselves unequal to the defence, and their
27 families being much annoyed by the shot and shells of the be-
28 siegers, offered to give up the place on condition of their being-
29 allowed with all their troops and personal property to march
30 out unmolested. This was agreed to by the besiegers, and
31 after dark the fort was evacuated, and Rajah Goolaub Sing's
32 troops took formal possession. A battalion of half-irregular
33 matchlock men, who had mutinied for an increase of pay
34 while at Peshawur, and thence marched to Lahore, and were
35 sent back with promises of compliances with their demands,