Page:Viscount Hardinge and the Advance of the British Dominions into the Punjab.djvu/123

Rh to reach the opposite shore. The river seemed alive with a struggling mass of men. The artillery, now brought down to the water's edge, completed the slaughter. Few escaped; none, it may be said, surrendered. The Sikhs met their fate with that resignation which distinguishes their race.

It may be asked why such indiscriminate destruction was dealt out to so gallant a foe. The men's passions were roused. They were not forgetful of the treatment their officers and comrades had met with from the Khálsa army. The battlefield of Firozshah disclosed horrible mutilations amongst the British officers and men who had fallen into the enemy's hands. The men vowed vengeance, and inflicted it. Moreover, had not the Khálsa army been annihilated at Sobráon, they would have rallied again and protracted a contest north of the river, which it was desirable on the grounds of humanity should, if possible, be brought to a close.

Passing through the Sikh camp on our return we saw Sir R. Dick, a Peninsular veteran, lying on the ground mortally wounded; a little further on Havelock (of Lucknow) was standing over his favourite Arab, which had just been shot under him; Brigadier Taylor, too, had fallen, and others whose services could ill be spared. The total number of killed amounted to 320, of wounded to 2063. The lowest estimate of the Sikh loss is 8000. The trophies of the victory comprised 67 pieces of artillery and 200 camel-swivels. Prince Waldemar and his aides-de-camp