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386 tachment of the Haidarábád contingent, directed by Captains Orr and Keatinge. The fort of Chandérí, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, lies about seventy miles to the east of Gunah. The town and the fort have alike been famous since the time of Akbar. Against it Stuart marched from Gunah, and, on the 5th of March, reached Khukwásá, six miles from it, that distance being represented by a dense jungle. This jungle Stuart forced not without resistance — though a resistance neither so fierce nor so effective as the nature of the ground made possible — and encamped to the west of the fort. The next few days he spent in clearing the surrounding country and in placing his guns in position. On the 13th his batteries opened fire, and on the 16th effected a breach in the defences. On that date the bulk of the 86th was still twenty-eight miles from him. Stuart sent to the commanding officer an express informing him of the situation. The express reached the 86th just as they had completed a march of thirteen miles. Nevertheless they at once set out again, and, marching quickly, reached Stuart by ten o'clock on the 16th. Early the next morning Stuart stormed the fort of Chandérí, with the loss of twenty-nine men, two of whom were officers. He then pressed on to join Sir Hugh Rose before Jhánsí.

Sir Hugh had reached Chanchanpur, fourteen miles from Jhánsí, when he received a despatch from the Commander-in-Chief directing him to march against the fort of Charkhárí, some eighty miles from the spot where he stood. The Agent to the Governor-General, Sir Robert Hamilton, who accompanied Sir Hugh, received from Lord Canning a despatch couched in similar terms. To obey would be to commit an act of folly scarcely conceivable, for Jhánsí was the objective point of the campaign — the seat of the rebellion — the stronghold of one of