BOLAN PASS EXPEDITION, 
521 
Report of the March from Hagee-ka-Shur to Kirta of the Jacobabad Mountain Train , 
on Escort with Major Sandeman, on Special Duty. 
Name of 
halting 
place. 
Remarks on road :— 
Made or unmade, cart or cattle, 
good or had, &c. 
Remarks on camping ground 
High or low, open or con¬ 
fined, clean or dirty. 
Supplies, water, forage, 
&c. 
Remarks as to 
time and place 
of appearance 
of cholera, fe¬ 
ver, or any 
other disease. 
Apr. 
11th. 
Pir, 
(mouth 
of the 
Bolan 
Pass.) 
P.M. 
11.0 
A.M. 
7.45 
mis. 
22 
Apr. 
12th. 
Kirta. 
P.M. 
11.0 
A.M. 
6.45 
19 
Apr. 
13th. 
to 
17th. 
^ Halted 
at 
Kirta. 
No road, camel track, which on leaving 
camping ground at Hagee-ka-Shur 
leads through several miles of thick 
jungle. It is here narrow and winding. 
At 1 mile cross bed of the Moolawah, 
100 yds. wide, hard bottom, descent 
very steep. Further bank easy. At 
3 miles cross the bed of the Naree, 
similar in size and character to former, 
but an easy descent. Beyond the jungle 
is a bare open plain. At 12 miles the 
route enters the low range that divides 
the Dudur valley from Cutchee. The 
14th mile is very difficult, and quite 
impracticable for artillery other than 
mountain. Beyond it is easy marching, 
the northern slopes being gentle and 
regular. The 13th and 14th miles are 
a defile, but the heights (low) can be 
crowned. From foot of the hills to 
Dadur is4miles. We advanced 2 miles, 
and turned half-left (N.W.) Easy 
marching to bed of Bolan river—dry, 
and shallow, and stony—which is several 
hundred yards wide. Beyondis camping 
ground. Guns carried on mules’ backs. 
The mouth of the Bolan Pass is about 
1 mile N.W. of the camping ground at 
Pir. The pass is the channel of the Bolan 
river, at the entrance about f mile wide, 
leads at first nearly S.W., average width 
from 300 to 400 yds., and tolerably 
straight. The enclosing hills are sand¬ 
stone ridges, varying in height from 
200 to 400 ft., difficult, but not abso¬ 
lutely impossible to crown and turn. 
At 7 miles (6 from mouth) is a spot called 
Kokan Dilani, where there is a good 
open space. It is 11 miles from Dadur. 
The marching is altogether over loose 
shingle, and the track crosses the river 
frequently. It was about 2 ft. deep 
and from 10 to 12 yds. wide. At Kokan 
Dilani the pass turns sharp to right (N.) 
and becomes a defile for about 2 miles. 
Width at first 100 yds., narrowing to 
40. Cliffs of sandstone on either side 
that seem quite inaccessible. The 
stream is repeatedly crossed. Beyond 
this the pass expands again to 400 yds., 
and the path ascends a narrow stony 
plateau, then along a narrow valley 
| mile wide, between high and sharp 
ridges. At 13 miles the track turns 
suddenly to left, over a low ridge, out 
of the 'Bolan valley, open but very 
stony. Several difficult nullahs, almost 
impracticable for artillery other than 
mountain. Guns carried on mules’ 
backs. At about 16 miles from Pir, 
the Kirta valley opens out and the track 
divides, the left branch being the 
main Kafila road to Bibinani, and the 
right leads to the Kirta valley. The 
latter leads near a low range, in which 
is a hollow containing warm springs. 
This place is called Surmab, and 17^mis. 
from Pir. Kirta is beyond the termina¬ 
tion of this range, on the right bank of 
the stream. It was formerly a flour¬ 
ishing village, but is now ruined and 
deserted. 
Camping ground on right bank 
of southerly branch of Bolan 
river. It was quite dry, the 
water being led off for irriga¬ 
tion. No village, two large 
tombs, a few huts, and a walled 
garden. Yery stony and in¬ 
convenient. Water from two 
irrigation streams to W. 
Dadur is a walled town, not so 
large as Bagh. The valley is 
cultivated and dotted with 
hamlets and walled gardens. 
Supplies and forage plentiful. 
Firewood scanty. 
Pir is not generally made a halt¬ 
ing place, as there is good 
ground for camping near the 
town of Dadur. 
Note —The route followed on 
this occasion is rarely made 
use of except by single travel¬ 
lers. It is the most direct, as 
by it Dadur is only 20 miles 
from Hagee-ka-Shur. Kafilas 
go from the latter place to 
Millri, 12 miles, and on to 
Dadur, 18 miles, total 30 miles. 
This is an easy route. 
On arriving at the defile before 
mentioned, we found it choked 
with baggage camels, and 
our march was consequently 
lengthened by fully an hour. 
The force was camped on some 
rather high ground N. of the 
village. The river ran to the 
E. This spot is narrow and 
inconvenient. There is a 
considerable extent of good 
f ound opposite to Gurwah. 
ear the encamping ground 
the river is a running stream 
of good size, but a mile higher 
up there is no water. No 
supplies are procurable. The 
river water is clear and spark¬ 
ling, but disliked by the na¬ 
tives. Grass is found near 
the stream, but it is as a rule 
very coarse. Some is also 
procurable on the hills. For¬ 
age for camels is abundant. 
Firewood very scarce. 
More than 40 
admissions to 
hospital from 
cholera on the 
11th Apr., very 
many cases oc¬ 
curring during 
the march. A 
severe dust 
storm, which 
lasted till the 
end of the 
day following, 
greatly dis¬ 
comforted the 
troops, and es¬ 
pecially the 
sick. Type of 
cholera in se¬ 
veral cases still 
very virulent. 
About 15 cholera 
admissions to 
hospital on the 
12th Apr. Few¬ 
er cases on the 
march, but se¬ 
veral termi¬ 
nated fatally. 
Infantry some¬ 
what distress¬ 
ed, having to 
march in the 
teeth of a strong 
wind over a sto¬ 
ny track, and 
being in want 
of rest after 
the three last 
marches. 
On the 13th Apr. 
about 10 cho¬ 
lera admissions 
and still some 
deaths. 
On the 14th, 
15th, and 16th 
April only a 
few admissions 
from cholera. 
Type very much 
less virulent. 
On the 17th Apr. 
a few admis¬ 
sions from cho¬ 
lera. Type 
decidedly less 
virulent, and 
very few fatal 
cases. 
Note .—The a- 
bove sanitary 
remarks in¬ 
clude the en¬ 
tire force. 
67 
