1 POSITION OF THE ENEMY. 393
2 distance of a mile and a half, reached our posi-
3 tion, a rising ground in front of a village sur-
4 rounded by a quantity of brushwood as an
5 abattis, and to which our troops could fall back
6 if necessary. The intervening ground was
7 considerably exposed, and shot after shot was
8 sent at our party as we crossed it, but happily
9 without doing any injury.
10 “The enemy, protected by some low stunted
11 trees, were about 350 or 400 yards in advance
12 of the rising ground on which Mackeson’s
13 embankment of stones had been thrown up,
14 and also occupied’ the heights of a range of
15 hills that nearly faced it; but, being a long
16 distance off, their firing was not very destruc-
17 tive, though occasionally some of their balls
18 told, whilst that from the former was most
19 deadly. Another-of their parties, and most
20 probably some of the garrison from Ali Masjid,
21 as they were dressed in a red uniform, lined
22 the crest of a ridye below our left flank and
23 from thence annoyed our people a good deal.
24 A shell was sent at these fellows, and ,luckily
25 pitched and exploded amongst- them; the -
26 s3