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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
Eight miles brought us to the village of Salmara; again it was necessary 
to provide the troops with grain from the stores at the place—the tired-out 
deputy of the commissariat with his helpless horde of bullocks was nowhere; 
indeed, the followers of this department of the army had to do without rest 
or food during this part of the campaign, uninterrupted and sleepless 
vigilance being necessary to keep together and drive on, the herds of bullocks, 
whose pace was tediously slow and whose propensities were all to straying 
away and grazing. 
At Salmara we lost the services of the only medical officer attached to 
the 44th Native Infantry, the Artillery, and Sappers. This officer had 
previously suffered from the sun, and it was now necessary to relieve him 
from the work and exposure incident to a campaign; this left the whole 
medical duty to one assistant-surgeon, Dr Caird, and as the force was 
divided, there was one portion without any medical assistance whatever, 
but the matter weighed lightly on us, as all our healths were excellent, and 
the prospect of active service left little thought of anxiety on our minds. 
The only provisions we found it possible to purchase at these villages in 
Assam were fowls, and these were sold exceedingly cheap. The people 
presented a contented appearance, and their houses were well built and 
snugly enclosed by palings of split bamboo. 
Erom Salmara we had a march of twelve miles to Bijnee, over the same 
kind of country as before; the old bed of the river Aye had about 2| feet 
of sluggish running water in it—the elephants forded, the men crossed on 
rafts which had previously been prepared for the purpose. The new bed of 
the Aye, two miles further on, was filled by a rapid clear stream of water, 
six feet deep, the passage of which detained us somewhat. 
On approaching Bijnee we caught sight of the tents of the 44th, and 
after crossing another stream, joined the advanced force, and for the first 
time had our camp in Bhootan territory. 
Bijnee—on a tributary of the Monass which runs three miles to the east— 
is a town of about one hundred houses, and boasts an old fort; it is owned 
by a Banee, who possesses land on both sides of the boundary line. All the 
inhabitants who can, build an upper storey to their homesteads, in which 
they live above the wet and miasma of the rainy season. Wild animals of 
the larger kind, such as elephants, rhinoceros, buffalo, and tiger abound 
in the swamps around, their tracks are over the whole country; we heard 
tigers growl repeatedly, and saw several herds of buffalo, but unfortunately 
at the season of the year we were there the jungle was too dense and high 
for success in sport; Captain Shuldam, however, killed two buffalo here. 
It may be as well to mention how the guns and ammunition of the 
artillery were carried. The two guns (12-pr. howitzers) of 3 cwt. were slung 
on either side of an elephant, on whose back was placed a cradle made for the 
purpose; the gun carriages were packed on another elephant, and the 
two-pair wheels slung on either side of the same animal. The ammunition 
—100 rounds per gun, together with the box of implements—went upon 
five other elephants, packed in the common small magazine boxes, which 
hold eight rounds in each, forming loads too cumbrous and heavy for 
carriage by mules, coolies, or by any ordinary method when travelling 
difficult mountain paths; one other elephant carried the forge, materials, 
and tools, the supply of which was of the scantiest kind. The elephants 
