The Baluch tribes had shown themselves uniformly hostile towards us during the whole course of the expedition to Afghanistan. They had attacked our convoys, murdered officers, and cut up camp followers with impunity, and apparently with the full approval of their chiefs. General Willshire, on the return march of the Bombay column, was instructed to inflict condign punishment on the Khans of Khelat. These, on the other hand, determined to make a sturdy resistance. On approaching Khelat the General found the Baluchis massed on the heights surrounding the city, and he at once took measures to attack them. Whilst the Bombay artillery shelled the heights, three columns of infantry, each consisting of but four weak companies, pushed up the three principal spurs, the remainder of the force, under the General's own personal command, being held in reserve. The Bombay artillery always held the reputation of being second to none, and the accuracy of their fire not only silenced the few Baluch guns which were posted on the heights, but compelled the enemy to seek shelter behind the walls of the fortress before the advancing columns had come to close quarters. The General, seeing the enemy streaming towards the walls, endeavoured to forestall them, and it became a race as to who should reach the open gateway first. Although in this we were beaten by a short head, yet we were so close in rear of the Baluchis that they were unable to make any very well-organized stand: our men were close at their heels. The gates were blown in, and British private, well supported by the Bengal sepoy, pressed into the place. If we compare the numbers present at Khelat with those which assisted at the storming of Ghuznee, and then study the two casualty lists, it will at once be seen that, although the name of Khelat may not be so familiar as that of Ghuznee, the feat of General Willshire's army is in no way inferior to that which gained for Sir John Keane the title of Baron Keane of Ghuznee. CASUALTIES AT THE STORMING OF KHELAT. +------------------------+-----------+-----------+ | |_Officers._| _Men._ | | _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | K. | W. | K. | W. | +------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+ |Royal Artillery | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | |The Queen's | 1 | 5 | 2 | 42 | |Leicesters | - | 1 | 6 | 32 | |2nd Q.O. L.I. | - | 2 | 2 | 17 | |Bombay Saps. and Miners | - | - | 2 | 6 | +------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+ KAHUN, 1840. _105th Mahratta Light Infantry._ In the month of March, 1841, the Governor of Bombay issued the following Order in Council: