1 THE WAR WITH THE BRITISH. 179
2 laub Sing' was yet at Lahore, when on the morning of the
3 10th February 1846, the Seik army was assailed in its works
4 on the left bank of the Sutlej, and after a desperate resistance,
5 driven across the stream with great slaughter. The troops had
6 resolved on one last struggle, even though they had in reality
7 little hope of success, and now that struggle had resulted in
8 their defeat and repulse, they lost all heart for further efforts.
9 The British army, victors in the battle of Subraon, immediate-
10 ly crossed the Sutlej, and advanced directly upon Lahore,
11 not a shot being fired in opposition to their triumphant pro-
12 gress.
13 Meantime at Lahore, the Punches who had taken charge
14 of Goolaub Sing, had almost by force installed him as Wuzeer,
15 he day by day promising at such a time to proceed to the
16 Sutlej and take command of the army. These Punches
17 were engaged also in bandying abuse with the Ranee and her
18 advisers, Mungela, the slave-girl and others, whom they
19 accused of treachery and wickedness of all kinds. Thus
20 matters stood at the capital, when the news of the battle of
21 Subraon arrived there, closely followed by intelligence of the
22 advance of the British into the country. On this the Ranee
23 called a council of the Sirdars and Punches, &c, who were on
24 the spot, and intimated to the assembly, that with the consent
25 of the army and on receiving a written assurance of its readi-
26 ness to obey all her orders, she would depute Rajah Goolaub
27 Sing to meet the Governor-General, and offer the submission
28 of her son the Maharajh and herself, as the only means
29 of averting the entire subjugation of the country. The pro-
30 mise was readily given, and the next day Goolaub Sing
31 marched for Kussoor, where the British camp now lay. Here
32 he had an interview with the British Chief, and in a few
33 days afterwards the young Maharajh Dulleep Sing was brought
34 from Lahore and instructed to make a formal submission