Memoirs of the Extraordinary Military Career of John Shipp: Late a Lieut. in His Majesty's 87th RegimentShipp, John
History
Memoirs of the Extraordinary Military Career of John Shipp: Late a Lieut. in His Majesty's 87th Regiment
Shipp, John
India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947 -- Biography; Shipp, John, 1784-1834
At last we moved off, the young stranger shaking me heartily by the
hand, and saying, "I love a brave soldier; and the white men are all
brave." This young man, it appeared, was the adjutant of the corps of
which Khissna Rhannah, who fell under my fortunate sabre, was colonel.
Our first march was tolerably easy, as it lay under a winding hill; and
we reached nearly the top of the pass, and encamped. On the following
morning we dispatched our things very early, to prevent them falling
into the hands of the people, should they attempt to prove
treacherous--which was not at all improbable--after we had descended the
ghauts. When under the base of the hill, the road, which had been before
wide and tolerably good, narrowed off, and we soon found ourselves
sinking down between two enormous hills. The road was scarcely wide
enough, in some places, to admit an elephant, with his load, to pass. On
each side of this terrific hill were huge rocks and stones piled up for
our destruction. Some, of enormous size, the least touch would have
precipitated upon our heads, and they seemed to have been rolled to the
brink for that purpose. There were stockades upon stockades, all looking
on and commanding this little and narrow excavated pathway. Had we once
entered, as I have before mentioned was suggested by some rash-brained
young officers, not a soul could have escaped destruction. I should
think that, in the middle of this ghaut, the perpendicular rock on each
side must have been five hundred feet high; and therefore, had there
been no other weapons of destruction than the ponderous masses of rock
and stone which they could have hurled upon us, our annihilation must
have been inevitable, for escape was impossible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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