THE DIARY OF THE 10m FIELD BATTERY R.A. 
421 
The Dargai Fort was so crammed with transport, and so dirty, and 
the prospect of heat so bad (a regiment of Sikhs had lost eighteen men 
from heat apoplexy here two days before) that considering the tele¬ 
gram the Major determined to push on over the Malakand. The 
horses were again watered, and at 11 a.m. under a burning sun the 
battery started, followed by three tongas with sick. A short trot along 
the level and then the ascent commenced up the graded road made dur¬ 
ing the Chitral Campaign in 1895. The road is uniformly ascending and 
rises some 1,500 feet in six miles, above and below are precipitous 
slopes, and there is absolutely no shade. It was deep in dust and the 
battery marched with 20 to 30 yards distance between carriages. The 
heat was very bad and before reaching the top both men and horses 
were feeling it much. Three horses fell in their tracks dying almost 
at once and had to be thrown down the Khud. On reaching the pass, 
the road was found blocked with transport, and progress was very 
slow- Fifteen men had to be left in the hospital in the Fort suffering 
from the effects of the heat; two of them died next day. The descent 
to Khar is about four miles. A few dead bodies were to be seen on 
the road sides, the result of the fighting a few days before. Two 
more horses died just before getting in and one just after being un¬ 
hooked and one more that night. Khar was reached about 3 p.m. 
There was good shade for the men to rest under with a stream flowing 
through it. Five other men were rather bad from tbe heat. For 
the night the men bivouacked around the guns prepared for action. 
No. 7 M. B. R.A. was on the left, and the 35th Sikhs were also there 
and picquetted the rear and flanks. 
During the four days since the battery left Rawal Pindi, the com¬ 
missariat had managed a daily supply of block ice, and it was un¬ 
doubtedly due to this and the hard work of the surgeon and assistant 
surgeon that more cases of heat apoplexy were not fatal. 
7th August .—The night's rest was disturbed by heavy rain at 2 a.m. 
for about two hours. At 7.30 a.m. the battery moved to Amandara 
(three miles). Many horses were still much done up. Three men 
left sick at the Malakand rejoined. 
8th August .—The battery remained at Amandara. Eight more 
men rejoined from the Malakand. The next few days were spent 
quietly in camp at Amandara. The weather, however, was somewhat 
trying, extreme heat and pouring rain alternating. There was a 
plentiful supply of green jo war crop in the neighbourhood and the 
gunners and syces used to be sent out to cut and bring it in. There 
was also plenty of bhoosa. Doors from the ruined villages placed on tent 
pegs were used to make harness stands to keep it out of the mud. 
One morning too on a foraging party, some outriders of the battery 
brought in about twenty donkeys and twenty head of cattle. On the 
12th August the country was declared friendly and forced requisition 
of forage stopped. 
On the 12th August nineteen men and twelve horses joined from 
the 50th Field Battery. 
On the 13th August, orders were issued for a forward move on 
38 
