1 130 SIEGE OF MUNKERA. A. D. 1821.
2 in the midst of a desert, was now the only stronghold
3 remaining-. It was situated amongst sftud hills, in which
4 there was a difficulty of supplying a besieging army with
5 fresh water. A division was advanced for the investment
6 of this place on the 18th, and Beeldars were set to dig
7 wells, and seek every where for water, the troops being
8 supplied in the first instance, at great expense and trouble
9 by land conveyance of this necessary from Moujgurh, on
10 camels, ponies, or bullocks. By the 25th November,
11 wells sufficient having been sunk, a further division was
12 advanced to complete the investment of the place, and
13 RuNJEET Singh moved there himself soon after, with
14 his head-quarters, to superintend the conduct of the
15 siege. Each Jageerdar as usual was allowed to conduct
16 his own approaches, and an active rivalry and spirit of
17 competition was kept up amongst them by RuNJEET
18 Singh. Between the 26th November, and the 6th and
19 7th of December, the besieger's works were carried close
20 to the ditch of the place, but not without suffering from
21 the continual fire of the besieged. The Nuwab Hafiz
22 Ahmed, conceiving that enough now had been done for
23 his honor, proposed terms, and stipulated for the surrender
24 of Munkera, under condition of his being allowed to
25 march out with his arms and personal property, and of
26 receiving the town of Dera-Ismaeel-Khan, with a suit-
27 able Jageer. Runjeet Singh granted the terms, and
28 desired to be put in possession of one of the gates of
29 the fort. Solemn pledges were exchanged, and rich
30 dresses sent to the Nuwab, and every means taken to
31 allay his suspicions. On the 14th December 1821, he
32 admitted a Sikh detachment, and surrendered the gates
33 to it; and on the 18th, he came out with 300 followers,
34 and encamped at a spot assigned to him within the Sikh