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34 vailed in its most vulnerable parts. The besieging force before Delhi could do little more than hold its own. The small band of heroes defending the Residency at Lucknow was closely invested and sore beset; while, harassed by sickness amongst his troops and by losses in the field. Havelock had been compelled to abandon for the moment all hope of relieving the place. Communications throughout the country were interrupted. The action of the responsible authorities, at one time vacillating and at another distinguished by attempts to preserve some show of authority, was more or less futile. Agra was invested by mutineers from Nímach. Allahábád was in danger. Cawnpur was lost and regained by turns. And in the North-West Provinces generally there was little else to record than local risings, murders of refugees^, and general disorder. In Bengal Proper, the Province of Behar was chiefly infected. Its districts were overrun by the rebel landholder, Koer Singh; while some of its principal towns were the scenes of massacre and plunder, only relieved by glorious achievements of British courage.

Three Sepoy regiments, for instance, quartered at Dinápur, a place situated about 220 miles from Calcutta, mutinied and surrounded the civil station of Arrah, to the south-west of it. For a whole week (July, 1857) Arrah was held by two civilians, Messrs. Wake and Boyle, with a small band of Sikhs and English refugees. Besieged in an open bungalow, they fought against upwards of 3000 rebels, until on August 2nd,