1 ORDER OF GENERAL AVITABILE, 535
2 these murderous weapons was spoken of as
3 being quite fiendish. A large booty and a
4 vast number of camels fell into the enemy’s
5 hands, and were forthwith transferred to their
6 strongholds. The conduct of the Sikh. troops
7 on this occasion gave so much offence to
8 General Avitabile, that he, in his capacity of
9 Governor, denied them admittance into the
10 town of Peshawr, and ordered any of them
11 that should be seen in it to be severely beaten
12 with a slipper, the most derogatory punish-
13 ment that can be inflicted on a native.*
14 “ After this defeat, it was necessary for the
15 returning army to remain at Peshawr until
16 Colonel Wheeler, who, with the 48th Native
17 Infantry, had been sent for from Jalalabad,
18 * The Sikhs, whose dread of the Khaibaris was always
19 great, were terrified at the slaughter-of the Najibs; no
20 less than 10,000 of the regular Sikh troops were employed
21 to occupy the heights between Ali Masjid and Jamrud,
22 a distance of oily five miles, to keep open the Pass during
23 the advance of Sir G. Pollock, in 1842. The Najibs were
24 principally Hindoos, and both they and the Sikhs wanted
25 the fitness of the Mahomedan contingent, which, as had
26 been anticipated, was not now forthcoming for such service.