It was too late then to go round the position; that had to be left for another day; indeed, it was quite dark when we returned to Head-Quarters, established by our Chief in the open, his soldierly instincts prompting him to remain with his troops.

[Footnote 1:  Shah Najaf is the tomb of Ghazi-ud-din Haidar, first King of Oudh, built by himself.  It derives its name from Najaf, the hill on which is built the tomb of Ali, the son-in-law of Mahomed, and of which tomb this is said to be a copy.]

[Footnote 2:  The Kadam Rasul, or Prophet’s footprint, a Mahomedan place of worship, which contained a stone bearing the impress of the foot of the Prophet, brought from Arabia by a pilgrim.  During the Mutiny the holy stone was carried off.]

[Footnote 3:  Lieutenant Salmon, R.N. (now Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon, K.C.B.), climbed up a tree overhanging this wall, in order to see what was going on behind it; he succeeded in obtaining useful information, but on being perceived, was fired at and badly wounded.  He received the V.C.]

[Footnote 4:  Marked D on the map.]

[Footnote 5:  Now Major-General Keen, C.B.  It was an extremely responsible charge for so young an officer with such a small party, as it was very isolated and exposed to attack.]

[Footnote 6:  Now Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley, K.P., Commander-in-Chief.]

[Footnote 7:  Called the Pearl Palace from the fancied resemblance of one of its domes (since destroyed) to the curve of a pearl.]

[Footnote 8:  A slab let into the south-west corner of the wall marks the spot.]

[Footnote 9:  Now General Sir William Olpherts, V.C., K.C.B.]

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXV. 1857

Sir Colin’s wise decision—­Robert Napier —­Impressions on visiting the Residency—­Henry Lawrence —­Lawrence as Statesman and Ruler —­Lawrence’s friendliness for Natives—­A hazardous duty

The night of the 17th passed off quietly.  Before daybreak the next morning the troops were under arms.  Thousands of the enemy had collected in the Kaisarbagh, and for the protection of the mess-house, the Tara Koti, about 200 yards to the south-west, was seized and held, as from this position a flanking fire could be brought to bear upon any enemy advancing from the Kaisarbagh.

The most difficult part of Sir Colin’s task had yet to be accomplished—­the bringing away of the women and children, and the sick and wounded, from the Residency—­and the question of how this could best be done was one which caused the Commander-in-Chief much anxious thought.  Many, amongst whom were Outram and Hope Grant, pressed him to attack the Kaisarbagh and capture the city in the first instance; but 45 officers and 496 men out of our small force had been killed or wounded; Sir Colin, therefore, decided that it would be to the last degree imprudent to attempt such an undertaking with his reduced numbers, and became more than ever determined to confine his operations to the relief of the garrison.