longer than that I suppose, if their services are required.  The Queen’s, and the 4th Light Dragoons, are to return to Bombay as soon as the necessary arrangements for their transportation thither &c. are completed.  We march from this to-morrow for the banks of the river, about twelve miles, and shall probably remain there for three weeks or so, until the shipping is got ready in Bombay, when we shall drop down the Indus in boats, and embark from Curachee for the Presidencies:  would it were for England.  Most of our married officers have obtained leave to precede the regiment, and are off in a day or two.

I hope to see Lieutenant-Colonel Fane when we arrive at Bombay.  His father, Sir H. Fane, has publicly and officially resigned the commander-in-chief-ship in favour of Sir Jasper Nicolls.  Sir Henry has been dangerously unwell at Bombay; but report says he is now getting better.  He intends sailing as soon as possible, I believe, and so will most likely be gone before we arrive there.  Sir J. Keane has also resigned, and is to be succeded by Sir Thomas M’Mahon.  It is not quite certain that we shall go to Bombay, as some say that we shall land at Cambay, and go up to Deesa, and others that we shall return to Belgaum.  Last night we received Bombay papers, giving an account of the taking of Kelat.  They have buttered us up pretty well, and seem to think it a much more gallant affair than that of Ghuzni—­in this last particular they are only doing us justice.

Dec. 30th, Camp, Taggur Bundur; Banks of the Indus.—­We arrived here the day before yesterday, and are likely to remain, I believe, a fortnight or so.  We muster rather small, as most of the married officers are off to-day and yesterday.  As to my wounds, I have only one hole still open—­namely, the one through which the bullet took its final departure, and that, I think, will be closed in a day or two.  I am sorry to say that since arriving here I have caught a “cruel cold,” from which I am suffering severely at present.

By-the-bye, there are a few incidents connected with the taking of Kelat which I forgot to mention in my letter to my father.  Mehrab Khan, the chief of Kelat, managed to send away all his harem and family on the morning of the fight, directly we were seen approaching, but his other chiefs were not so fortunate, and the greater part of them deliberately cut the throats of all the females belonging to their establishments, including wives, mothers, and daughters, as soon as we established ourselves within the town, rather than suffer them to fall into the hands of us infidels.  I forgot, I think, also, to mention that I managed to procure rather a handsome Koran, which was found in the citadel, and also an excellent Damascus blade, both of which I intend giving to my father, and a few articles of native costume, which would go far to make up a neat fancy dress, but it is not quite complete.  A great number of handsome articles were stolen by the camp followers and other rascals,