The history of General Sir Charles Napier's administration of Scinde, and campaign in the Cutchee Hills . bring forward his forces, because a greatand decisive stroke was contemplated. The road to Shore,running through the defiles of Lotee, was long, rugged anddifficult—in the night-time peculiarly so—but the marchwas so well combined that the confederates would havebeen surprised in their camp, but for one of those minorinsubordinations which no commander can guard against,which so often mar the finest combinations, and renderwar the property of fortune. The movement was to havebeen in darkne
The history of General Sir Charles Napier's administration of Scinde, and campaign in the Cutchee Hills . bring forward his forces, because a greatand decisive stroke was contemplated. The road to Shore,running through the defiles of Lotee, was long, rugged anddifficult—in the night-time peculiarly so—but the marchwas so well combined that the confederates would havebeen surprised in their camp, but for one of those minorinsubordinations which no commander can guard against,which so often mar the finest combinations, and renderwar the property of fortune. The movement was to havebeen in darkness and silence, the orders to that effect wereperemptory; but some camp-followers lighted afire, Bejasvidettes saw it, and that chief instantly fled from his posi-tion. Hence, after being twenty-two hours on horsebackwithout taking food, Sir C. Napier pitched his camp in theafternoon of the 20th at Shore, a baffled general for themoment; but a quantity of grain and a hundred and fiftycamel-loads of baggage were captured at Shore, and thelast was given as a prize to the soldiers. Hindoo merchants. ADMINISTRATION OF SCINDE. 219 had come from the Mazarees of Rojan with this grain, on CHAP. , hut they lost life and goods together, for they 1845>and their followers fought bravely and were killed. Thesecaptures showed that the tribes were moving as a people,not as warriors, and that finally the English operationswould inevitably circumvent and destroy them. On the 21st Ali Moorad arrived with his wild warriors,stout and brave men; and the same day a hill chief, AliShere Khosa, came in and made salaam. He was quite ayouth and disliked the robber life; but his lands beingsurrounded by those of the other chiefs, he had no freeaction until that moment. Sir C. Napier gave him agovernment employment, observing, that to punish therobbers was only half his object, to reclaim them was hisaim; and despite of the universal impression to the con-trary he judged that he could
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