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surrounded by a wide and deep fosse. Mr. Benett has recorded that Ranki is " the traditional seat of the Government of R^ja Bharthari, elder brother ofBikram^jit. This unfortunate prince was cheated by his brother out of a magic fish, the digestion of which gave the knowledge of all things that occurred in the three worlds. He dissembled his disappointment and retired to the distant solitudes of Oudh,wherehe founded the city of Ranki. The present inhabitants say that Ranki is the Bhar name for a wine-seller. Two or three hundred rupees expended in excavations on this spot would amply repay the outlay in the acquisition of antiquities which would now be The siege and capture of Rampur in 1858 were described as invaluable. follows
" The column under the orders of the Brigadier, consisted of the 1st Troop of royal horse artillery, a company of foot artillery with siege guns, a party of the 79th Highlanders, ,the Beluch Battalion, 9th Punjab Infantry, and the 1st Sikh Cavalry and Dehli Pioneers, and immediately in its line of march to join the head-quarters division, under the Commanderin-Chief, lay the important position of Rampur, which consisted of a fort surrounded on three sides by a very strong intrenchment, constructed, The fortifications consisted of across the neck of a bend of the river Sai. a line of six bastions, connected by curtains, of a total length of 700 yards, behind which was a kind of citadel the whole being surrounded by a dense jungle, which concealed a village protected by a small mud fort. The approach to the place was difiicult, on account of the jungle being thick and swampy and, in one place, it became necessary to construct a causeway before the troops could advance. The force arrived before the place at 10 A. M. on the 3rd of November, at which time the strength of the enemy consisted of about 4,000 men, most of them sepoys of the late l7th, 28th, and 32nd Native Infantry, many of them still wearing the uniform of the Government, and carrying its arms. Soon after 10 o'clock the heavy guns were put in position, and, under cover of their fire, a wing of the 9th Punjab Infantry, under Captain Thelwall, advanced towards the works on the face next the river. Here they were received by a heavy but Captain Thelwall, believing he should achieve a great fire of grape success by a rapid movement, instead of waiting for his supports, gave the word to his Sikhs to charge, and in a minute those hardy soldiers dashed into the intrenchment, through the embrasures, capturing two guns, which they immediately turned against the fiying enemy. The sepoys rallied, and seeing that their assailants were but few in number, made a vigorous attempt to drive them out, but two companies of the 79th, with four companies of the Beluches, came opportunely to the assistance of their comrades, and the attack was repulsed but the rebels fought with great bravery, and disputed the advance inch by inch.
"
A series of hand-to-hand fights ensued, and in the midst of the struggle, a
mine containing 8,000 lbs. of powder, said to be the principal magazine, blew up, and hurled many of the combatants into the air. Colonel Farquhar, in command of the Beluch battalion, was shot through the knee while bringing up the support, and his leg had to be amputated. The fight continued with unflinching determination on both sides until 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when the enemy, having made one last and fruitless effort to expel the large
