August 28th.—Heavy rain nearly all night, which considerably injured our sap to the right of the brigade mess, in consequence of it leaking; the rain ceasing at daylight, we set to work, and in a few hours got if cleared out, and had our people at work again. A good deal of fever prevalent, and great mortality among the children, who faded away rapidly from want of proper food. A smart cannonade at daylight from the enemy, who fired heavilywith two guns on Mr. Gubbins's house; fortunately no casualties occurred. Last night, three men deserted to the enemy from Mr. Gubbins's post. One, a chuprassee of Mr. G.'s, took with him 400 rupees (40l.) belonging to different people; four servants belonging to officers also deserted.
Lieutenant Bonham fired his mortar, equipped as a howitzer, fourteen times during the day, against the new battery erected against Mr. Gubbins's post, and with considerable success, having struck it ten times; but their battery was of great strength, and required a good deal more battering to do it much mischief. We waited with impatience for the enemy's miners to break through our gallery, and were obliged to stop our own men, as the enemy left off work immediately they heard our people's pickaxe.
This night we learnt, by a letter from General Havelock, dated Cawnpore, the 24th instant, that we had no hope of being relieved for another twenty-five days.