AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 229 



their neighbours, probably twenty to thirty thousand 

 men, if not to oppose the advance, certainly to harass, 

 or to entirely cut off the return of the troops through 

 a most difficult unknown country. 



Except during the Mutiny year '57, and those 

 immediately succeeding it, when all the excitable 

 youth of the border were enrolled under the British 

 flag, and were doing good service in the North- West 

 Provinces, raiding of villages and harassing of police- 

 posts continued at intervals till 1863. During the 

 winter of that year, when Sir Neville Chamberlain, 

 with 5000 men, found himself compelled to stand at 

 bay in the Umbeyla Pass against the only formidable 

 combination of the tribes there has yet been on the 

 border, the Mohmunds invaded the low country in 

 great strength, and endeavoured to besiege the forts 

 of Michni and Shubkudr. A portion of the reinforce- 

 ments marching to Umbeyla were diverted to these 

 forts, and the Mohmunds were driven with loss into 

 their hills again, the loss on our side being little more 

 than that of Lieutenant Bishop, who was shot while 

 leading a cavalry charge over rough ground. The then 

 Commissioner of Peshawar, Major James, next took 

 matters in hand. His personal influence on the bor- 

 der was very great. He had just returned from fur- 

 lough, and hurrying up to Umbeyla, sent for several 

 of the border chiefs opposed to us with whom he was 

 personally acquainted, and on their arrival broke up 

 this most powerful confederacy by a little ruse that 



