THE KOYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
141 
demons of the mountains to annihilate the cursed invaders. Magnificent 
timber grew around the plateau, and the background of densely wooded 
mountains formed a lovely picture. 
We found but one man, with his wife and two children, in the place, and 
a number of pigs and pigeons; by a round-about system we heard news, the 
system was this :■—the Bhootea, a fat gross man, told the Bhootea who had 
been caught at Dootma, he again spoke in Assammee to one of Mr Metcalf's 
officers, who in turn communicated the matter to Mr Metcalf in Bengalee. 
Expecting an advance of British troops in this direction, 400 Bhooteas 
had assembled to stop our entering the pass here. They had remained full of 
determination for a month, and then as their provisions fell short they retired 
inland. The pass into the interior led to Lotko and Loormaghat—the 
former a simple halting place, the latter a guard-house at the only practicable 
crossing over the Guddada; even here the passage of the river was said to 
be a most dangerous matter, and on each bank stood a guard-house, the 
possession of which would necessarily command the road on either side. 
About 60 Bhooteas were said to be still ready to resist us. Bephoo or 
Zephoo was reported to be a very healthy situation; inside the stockade were 
three large wooden double-storied houses raised about 10 feet above the level 
of the ground; outside the stockade were two other huts, and the ashes of 
another lately burnt down. This post did not command the pass, as it might 
be passed on either side at night, or even in day time, it being some distance 
from the entrance. The stockading was 12 to 15 feet high, strongly built, 
but open, allowing a complete view of the interior, and, I should fancy, was 
quite untenable ; at night a few matchlock men from the neighbouring forest, 
not 80 yds. off, could commit great havoc among the garrison; these, not 
knowing the strength of the assailants, would not dare to leave the protection 
of the stockade, and if they did, would on any future occasion be open to a 
similar annoyance. 
The following morning early, a reconnoitring party of 300 men pushed up 
the pass towards Lotko and Loormaghat, the first six or seven miles the pass 
was comparatively open, the hills on either side rising to about 500 feet, all 
thickly wooded, a stream of water was the only road, which, with the stones and 
boulders, soon destroyed our boots; the soles of mine came off before we 
got far, and, like the rest of the troops, I suffered terribly, my feet becoming 
cut and bruised. Bellowing some lately made footprints, we came upon a 
little hut which had only been just left, a wooden platter still containing 
food for the day before. 
Keeping to the left, where the ravine divided into two channels, we pushed 
on, the pass becoming more and more confined, and at length so much so, 
that the cliffs fairly overhung the path, rising 300 to 500 feet perpendi¬ 
cularly over head. Had our advance been disputed here by a dozen old 
women throwing down stones and rocks, we should have had difficulty in 
passing: one hundred men could hold this ground against ten thousand. 
There being however no sign of an enemy, we advanced, the scenery being 
grand in the extreme; the path at times was lost in the dry bed of a torrent, 
up the huge water-worn rocks of which we had to clamber, occasionally 
requiring the use of both hands. At the head of the torrent bed a good open 
road, zigzagging up a steep hill, commenced, and here Colonel Bichardson 
halted us, he having seen the utter impracticability of ever forming a frontier 
[vol. v.] 19 
