IV 
GOVERNMENT EXPLORATIONS 
81 
infantry,- — in all an escort of twenty-five men. Although 
we were ready to start the survey by 1st January, the Bulh&r 
tribes were in such a disturbed state that M , finding it 
necessary to utilise whatever troops came to hand, was obliged, 
in his official capacity in charge of Bulhar, to ask me to remain, 
and give him the benefit of the services of my escort till the 
tribes should become more settled. 
The Shirdone feud had broken out again, and some of the 
Boho having managed to get into Bulhar to buy food, the Ba- 
Gadabursi were reported to be coming in from Eil Sheikh to 
attack Bulhar. M sent out notice that if they did come 
in they would be fired at. One morning, while at breakfast, 
we received news that the Ba-Gadabursi were actually in sight, 
and advancing to the attack. I jumped on my pony and rode 
out alone into the plain to reconnoitre ; and seeing that this was 
true, cantered into Bulhdr again, and on my way to M J s 
quarters I called to the daffedar to turn out my fifteen mounted 
men. When M and I came out again, both mounted, 
we found my police ready and in the saddle, attired rather 
curiously, for most of the men had only found time to put on 
their turbans, and had their cartridge-belts strapped over what- 
ever clothes they had worn when lounging about inside their 
huts. 
As soon as we had got beyond Bulhar we saw the Ba- 
Gadabursi advancing slowly over the plain, about seven 
hundred yards away, and reining in we fired a couple of rounds 
from the saddle, and returned the carbines to their buckets, 
then, drawing swords, advanced at a gallop. The Ba-Gadabursi, 
of whom there were over a hundred mounted and about ten 
on foot, bolted at the first shots, and the horsemen were soon 
lost to sight in the haze of the Maritime Plain, while the men 
on foot, seeing themselves abandoned, tried to hide in the grass, 
but were all caught by my men and brought in as prisoners, 
one being slightly wounded by a sword-point through the arm. 
With the men were brought in seventeen spears and some 
shields, which M gave to the prisoners when he released 
them next day. 
The Ba-Gadabursi were quiet for a week after this ; and 
then, on another morning, a runner came to report that they 
were again coming in force, this time on foot. Our ponies 
had all been knocked up by scouting for hill-raiders in the 
Selei direction on the previous day, so we called our available 
Gr 
