Sunday, August 16th. The first news we heard was, that a letter had been brought in from the relieving force; but, to our disappointment, it proved to be an old one--the man having been imprisoned. After his release he had returned to Cawnpore to get further news, but found, with the exception of a small force entrenched on this side, that they had re-crossed the river--the Nana having collected a fresh force. He also said that numbers of troops were on their way up the country, and that when a sufficient party had arrived--which would be about the 20th--General H---- would again advance. In the afternoon a shrapnell burst in Mrs. F----'s verandah, close to her present bedroom; some of the pieces passed over her and Mrs. B----, going through the venetians, and setting fire to the chicks; she was brought out and placed in Mrs. B----'s room with the new baby. I fought against sleeping in the dining-room, as I thought it dangerous; but, being in the minority, I was obliged to give in. Monday, August 17th. We passed the night without an accident, though the roof was hit by round shots. Mrs. F----'s little boy Bobby very ill; he looks a perfect skeleton: as for Mrs. D----'s youngest boy, you can count his bones; they are only just covered with skin. It is a terrible time for poor children; they pine for fresh air. Tuesday, August 18th. We were awoke by an explosion of one of the enemy's mines in the Sikh Square; no one knew they were mining there: it buried six half-caste drummers and a Sepoy, and blew two officers into the Square, who escaped with slight bruises. This made a great breach in our defences, and the enemy might have come in easily if they had only had a little pluck. Three of the leaders tried to induce a party to make a rush, but failed; and, two of them being shot, the affair ended. There was a great firing of round shot and shell, but only one of our men was killed and none wounded. Bobby had been very ill all night, and Miss S---- sitting up with him; so, at 5, I got up and relieved her, and after breakfast I had to complete my wash of clothes. No news of our reinforcements! During the day a sortie was made, and young J----'s house was blown up: they found eleven men in it, whom they bayonetted; they also blew up a lot of houses in the neighbourhood. A shell had gone through the roof of one of them, and underneath there was a large pool of blood. Two of the enemy's mines were destroyed with their own powder, and one by pouring a quantity of water down it; so they are paid off for the morning. At sunset Mrs. F---- was brought out on her bed into the verandah for air. At night, as we were all sitting under the portico, we heard a peculiar cry, three times repeated, and thought it might be a signal; sure enough it was. Then there was a cry at once, "Stand to your arms!" followed immediately by a great discharge of musketry and great guns. All the posts had been warned to be on the alert, but the attack did not last long.