1 188 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES.
2 Phoola Sing with his small band of Akalees, when taken
3 into the service of the Maharajh, contributed largely on
4 more than one occasion to win victory to his cause. It was
5 an Akalee and one of the picked men of Phoola Sing's band,
6 that, without orders, first mounted the half-formed breach at
7 Moultan, in 1818, with about forty of his comrades at his
8 back, and by this desperate assault made way for the entrance
9 of the whole besieging army, which otherwise might have
10 lain before the place for many days longer. It has been
11 commonly said that this Akalee, whose name was Jussa Sing,
12 was drugged with opium ; but this is a mistake, as it is well known
13 this man was a fanatic of such pretensions to sanctity that,
14 contrary to usual practice, he strictly denied himself the use
15 of bhang or sookah, the only intoxication drug in use among the
16 Akalees. So pious was he reported to be among his comrades,
17 that he was commonly known as Maullah Sing, — the maullah
18 being the beads which the Seiks use in prayer. However, it
19 was to the desperate bravary of this man and his followers
20 that Runjeet owed the early and easy captive of Moultan,
21 his troops being so much annoyed by the fire from the fort
22 that they had been compelled to keep close in their entrench-
23 ments, where but for this exploit of Jussa or Maullah Sing,
24 Akalee, they might have lain inactive for some time longer.
25 This achievement, however cost the lives of Jussa Sing and
26 thirty-four of his forty followers, who were found, on the
27 capture of the place, lying dead or mortally wounded within the
28 walls.
29 In 1819, Phoola Sing signalised his courage at the capture
30 of Cashmere, on which occasion Runjeet rewarded his bravery
31 with many gifts and favours, and raised him to the rank of a
32 sirdar. He was now a constant attendant on Runjeet' s person,
33 and accompanied him in all his campaigns against the AfF-
34 ghans, &c, contributing, not a little to their successful
35 results. In 1823, a battle was fought at Teree on the northern