AFTER Cawnpore was retaken on July 16th, it was decided that Lucknow must not be abandoned to a similar fate. On September 15th, Sir James Outram reached the town and broke through the seige, but he found the sick and wounded there too many for evacuation, so he remained with the defenders instead.
A second relief mission, led by Sir Colin Campbell and guided by Thomas Kavanagh, a civilian who had slipped out disguised as a sepoy, arrived on November 14th.* Five days of fierce fighting ensued. ‘Remember Cawnpore!’ Campbell’s 93rd Highlanders cried to one another, as twenty-four Victoria Crosses were won in as many hours, including one for able seaman William Hall, the first black recipient.* At last, the Residency was successfully evacuated to nearby Alambagh, on November 19th.
‘Although English officialism’ wrote Samuel Smiles ‘may often drift stupidly into gigantic blunders, the men of the nation generally contrive to work their way out of them with a heroism almost approaching the sublime.’*
Thomas Henry Kavanagh (1821-1882) was an Irishman, employed by the Bengal Civil Service. Only five civilians have been awarded the VC, the last of them in 1879.
See William Hall VC.
See ‘Self-Help’ Chapter 8, by Scottish motivational writer Samuel Smiles. ‘Officialism’ is a handy but now largely obsolete Victorian term for excessive bureaucracy, red tape.
Précis
In September, the first of two relief attempts ended when Sir James Outram reached the Residency but could not evacuate it, as too many people were sick or wounded. A second effort led by Sir Colin Campbell met with fierce resistance, and twenty-four VCs were won in one day’s fighting, but at last the siege ended on November 19th. (59 / 60 words)
In September, the first of two relief attempts ended when Sir James Outram reached the Residency but could not evacuate it, as too many people were sick or wounded. A second effort led by Sir Colin Campbell met with fierce resistance, and twenty-four VCs were won in one day’s fighting, but at last the siege ended on November 19th.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, despite, may, ought, since, unless, who.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Fate. Flee. Last.
2 Evacuate. Include. Pass.
3 Down. Garrison. Unenviable.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
tts (5+4)
teats. tits. totes. tots. touts.
toots. tootsie. tuts. tutus.
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