1 BATTLE OF NAOSHEUERA. 197
2 zais, and other neighbouring tribes, the pea-
3 Santry of the country, who came down in niasses
4 to oppose the Sikhs, and attacked them with
5 such boldness that for a time they were vic-
6 torious, and the Sikhs were seen retreating
7 before them; but Ranject Singh rallied his
8 troops, and sent General Ventura with a large
9 party of infantry to their support; which led to
10 the enemy being defeated with great slaughter.
11 The French officers had not at that time been
12 long in the Maharaja’s service. General
13 Allard was watching Azim Khan with the
14 cavalry on the right bank, who retreated before
15 him almost without fighting.*
16 To-day we received news from Jalalabad
17 that near Soorkhab the snow was so heavy
18 that a party of merchants who were on their
19 way from Peshawr to Kabul, and took shelter
20 under a loose ledge of rock, were buried under
21 * “One mound in particular was the subject of severe
22 fighting. Three times did the Sikhs gain its vantage
23 ground, and three times were they driven back. The
24 Maharaja at length advanced in person at the head of his
25 guards, and drove the Afghans from their position; the
26 day was then his own.”—Barr’s Journal, p. 209.