424 THE DIARY OP THE 10th FIELD BATTERY R.A. 
The battery was complimented in brigade orders by General Wode- 
house “ on the hard work and excellent driving which enabled them 
to bring their guns to a position it was considered impossible for them 
to reach.” General Sir Bindon Blood also wired to the Inspector General 
of Artillery in very commendatory terms of the officer commanding 
the battery and the excellent way in which the men had worked. 
The battery remained at Panjkora for ten days, the horses profiting 
much by the rest. The wagons moved on to Serai. Unfortunately, 
two men were drowned whilst bathing in the river. Experiments 
were made for taking the guns and carriages across the narrow sus¬ 
pension bridge, by slinging them on short wooden axletrees between 
two wheels, but the road along the far bank was impassable. 
On the 28th September the 2nd and 3rd Brigades went on into the 
Bajour country, the intention being for them to go through the Moli- 
mand country to Peshawur. 
14th September .—The guns marched back to Serai where a post on 
the line of communications had been formed, and where the wagons 
were. The bad place on the causeway had been built up, and there 
was no serious obstacle on the road except the narrowness of it which 
necessitated careful driving. After halting there one day, the guns 
were again sent forward to Panjkora owing to the rising of the 
Mamunds and the fighting resulting from their attack on the 2nd 
(General Jeffreys^) Brigade. The practicability of a ford having been 
established, on the 30th September the battery was ordered on to the 
Mamund Yalley. 
30th September .—The wagons came on from Serai and joined the 
guns. The battery forded the Panjkora River. The ford was deep 
and strong, eight horses were hooked into each carriage and the car- 
touches and cartridges were sent by the gunners round by the bridge. 
The battery remained in camp at Kotkai, near the junction of the 
Jandol and Panjkora rivers, two days. The road on was reconnoitred. 
3rd October .—Four guns and two waggons marched to Jhar (10 
miles). It had been found best to leave the road for the greater part 
of the way and march in the sand or river bed. The remaining guns 
and wagons were left at Kotkai under the Captain. 
4th October .—The four guns and two wagons marched to Mayat 
Killa (10 miles) in the Mamund Yalley. It was fully expected that 
there would be a big fight at the upper end of the Mamund Yalley 
against the villages of Agra and Gut, and a careful reconnaisance of 
position foPfield guns was made on the 5th and 6th under cover of 
the cavalry of strong foraging parties, which had slight skirmishes 
with the enemy both days. But the Politicals reported a tendency on 
the part of the Mamunds to come to terms, which they finally did, and 
terms being made no further fighting took place. 
On October 6th a report was current in camp that 1000 Afghans 
had crossed the border into the head of the Mamund Yalley, and a 
night attack was expected. During the afternoon, a large earth tra¬ 
verse with sacks of earth along the top was erected by the men 
between the gun park and the horses, but the attack never came. 
