ACCOUNT OF AN EXPEDITION UP THE BOLAN PASS TO 
KHELAT TERRITORY, WITH MAJOR SANDEMAN, POLI¬ 
TICAL AGENT. 
CAPTAIN H. G. YOUNG, K.A., 
(Commandant No. n Mountain Battery, Bombay Presidency .) 
Affairs in Beluchistan and Kutchee being in a very unsettled state, 
owing to tbe differences between the Khan of Khelat and his chiefs, and 
grevions complaints having been made by merchants of numerous raids 
on their caravans of camels in passing up and down the Bolan Pass, 
a force was directed to proceed under one of our Political Agents 
(Major Sandeman) to afford protection to these merchants, and to open 
the Bolan Pass once more to traffic. I propose to give a narrative of 
this expedition; and in order to give an idea of the ground moved 
over, it will be remembered that Jacobabad is our military frontier 
station of Upper Sind, separated from the Beluch Hills and Bolan Pass 
by the barren plains of Kutchee, as also that the Bolan Pass is the 
recognised camel route to Khelat, Quetta, and Candahar. It will appear 
strange that the command of the escort or force should not have been 
given to a field officer. A rumour was spread that orders had been 
given that no officer senior to Major Sandeman was to go; but this 
was officially contradicted. As it was, the command of the force de¬ 
volved on a Captain of the 30th N.I., and I found myself the second in 
command. The following force, consisting of some 900 men of the 
three branches of the service, comprising the escort, assembled on the 
3rd April, 1876, at Jacobabad :— 
One squadron of Punjaub cavalry, some 200 strong, commanded 
(unaided) by a Captain. 
Two squadrons of the 3rd Regt. Sind Horse, some 350 strong, com¬ 
manded by a Captain, with a junior Captain and four Lieutenants. 
One wing of the 4th Punjaub Sikhs, 150 strong, commanded 
(unaided) by a Captain. 
One wing of the 30th Regt. N.I., commanded by a Captain (who 
also commanded the force) and a Lieutenant. 
One half-battery of the Jacobabad Mountain Train, commanded by a 
Captain (unaided), consisting of 2 smooth-bore 4-f-in. howitzers, 
2 native officers, and 50 native gunners and muleteers, with 
43 mules. 
One medical officer in charge of the escort. 
In the above remarks regarding the officers being “ unaided/ ; I 
[vql. IX.] 66 
