THE EOYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
155 
The strength of the position,, against any other attack than that carried 
out, was very great. The works had been placed in the most advantageous 
positions, and General Tytler had reason to feel satisfied with success 
having been so easily bought. An advance in any other way must have 
cost a serious loss of men. The left column camped on the hill around the 
forts they had taken, while the remainder returned to camp. 
I will now enter more minutely into a description of the stockading, 
which, on close inspection, was found not to be of so insurmountable a kind 
as a distant view would have led one to anticipate. Throughout, there 
were few places which were not open to escalade, for the face of the work, 
however high, always presented irregularities to admit a man placing his 
feet, and getting a hold with his hands. The Top Port had, actually, 
hanging down its sides, ropes, of thin strips of bamboo, to assist the ascent 
of our men ; and, even with their boots on, several English officers scrambled 
up without the assistance of these strips of bamboo, and yet the face of this 
fort was perpendicular. 
The stockading at Tassagong is best explained by the accompanying 
Eig. 3, which shews that two lines of fire were obtained, the garrison 
using the lower portion under the thatched banquette as quarters to 
live and sleep in, placing a strong mat¬ 
ting where the rear uprights are placed. R 3 
The timber used was all cut by the lg ' 
Bhooteas* swords, and their woodcraft 
made one long for such men as pioneers 
in our own army. There were, in Tassa¬ 
gong, distinct lines of defence, three in 
number, each one of which could be 
cut off by closing strongly-made doors; 
loopholes bore from the upper into the 
lower of these works, so that the capture 
of a portion of Tassagong would not 
necessitate the fall of the whole village. 
The ladders leading to the upper line of 
loopholes were all made alike of squared 
posts of timber, with deep holes cut in at 
distances of a foot apart. Meat (of the 
buffalo), and meal were in abundance, also great numbers of the wooden 
bamboo platters and dishes for eating from, but all the flags but one had 
been removed by the Bhooteas before they fled. In Tassagong was placed a 
catapult over the only portion of the ground in front not visible from the 
work ; a cleft in the hill-side running down the steep face at the spot. The 
level ground immediately in front of portions of the work was covered with 
innumerable pieces of sharp-pointed bamboo, stuck firmly into the ground 
and slanting outwards ; these would seriously retard the advance of an 
enemy with naked feet. These “ panjees/’ as they were called in the 
vernacular, were greatly in vogue among the Cossiahs, a mountain tribe on 
the Eastern bank of the Brahmapootra whom I before mentioned as having 
given occasion for an expedition being sent against them in 1863-4. 
Prom Tassagong, the ascent to the Top Port was enfiladed by the fire from 
the Gorge Port and Ravine Stockade, and, in addition, strong breastworks of 
timber crossed the path at two different points* 
