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 by Dost Mahomed’s son and was taken after three hours’ hand to hand fighting. Dost Mahomed’s son was taken prisoner. The gates were blown up with gunpowder, and they found twelve months’ provision there, because the natives supposed it to be quite impregnable ; and in the bazaar here at this moment they refuse to believe it is taken; they say it is our policy to say so. We had only eighteen men killed and 200 wounded. The attack was made in the night; but the besieged fought well, and seven or eight hundred were killed. Ghuznee is only seventy miles from Cabul, and there seems no doubt that Dost Mahomed has fled from there; so that war is warred and done, and we expect you to send us word that you are exceedingly satisfied with our manner of doing things.

August 20.

I am going to put this up. Those creatures at Bombay are sending off the steamer four days earlier than they notified; the consequence is that I am in a perfect frenzy of writing, because there are two months’ letters to answer and there is a fancy fair coming on. Though I am not doing any work myself—for I have taken to the