MOUNTAIN GUNS TOR INDIAN FRONTIER SERVICE. 
35 
standards on the neighbouring heights. These heights had been 
numbered from right to left,, looking from onr position at c 3 and their 
distance carefully ascertained. 
At daybreak on the 6th December the field force descended into the 
Bori Valley, and soon reached the nearest villages, which had in the 
meantime been shelled by the four 9-prs. on the ridge at c. The range 
was 2000 yds., and common shell with percussion fuzes were used. 
The Jawakis, finding the villages too hot for them, soon retired to 
the crests of the rocky spurs (1, 2, 3), whence they opened fire, under 
the impression that they were out of our reach, and that their position 
was unassailable. The fallacy of this idea was soon made apparent 
when we opened on them with shrapnel at ranges varying from 1800 
to 2400 yds. The artillery fire was very quick and effective, and 
enabled our skirmishers, who had advanced with admirable caution as 
far as the villages, to make their rush across the open space to the foot 
of the hills without suffering much loss. Here, owing to the steepness 
of the spurs, the infantry were completely defiladed from the enemy^s 
fire, and were thus enabled to take breath before the final scramble. 
Thus Nos. 2 and 3 spurs were crowned with very trifling loss on our 
side, and the enemy 5 s position on No 1 was no longer tenable, as it 
was commanded and taken in reverse by No. 2. From our position 
at c, on the Shergadra Ridge, we could see the Jawakis bolting in con¬ 
siderable numbers ; but of course we were obliged to discontinue the 
shrapnel fire out of regard for our own infantry, and had to content 
ourselves with dropping a common shell among them occasionally. 
In this way we made some very fair practice up to 3000 yds., beyond 
which it was no use firing, as we could not judge of the effect produced. 
Meanwhile the sappers were busily engaged in blowing up the towers 
in the valley. These towers were from 30 to 40 ft. high, the lower 
half being solid, and further strengthened by heavy beams imbedded 
in the masonry. The door was about 15 ft. from the ground, and was 
reached by means of a moveable ladder. 
In order to demolish these towers completely it was necessary to 
dig a deep hole in the centre of the solid basement. The charge 
varied from 70 to 100 lbs. of powder, according to the size of the tower, 
and was ignited with Bickford 5 s fuze. 
On this occasion (6th December) three towers were blown up, and as 
the explosions occurred almost simultaneously, the effect was very 
pretty, and could be seen to the best advantage by the late owners, 
who were perched on the neighbouring heights. The General now 
gave the order for our troops to retire, having previously signalled to 
us to keep up a heavy fire during the operation. 
Directly the retirement began, the Jawakis came on with renewed 
ardour, and though there was not much difficulty in keeping them at a 
distance as long as our infantry held the ridges, there can be little 
doubt that our loss would have been severe but for the rapid and deadly 
fire of the 9-pr. guns, which was brought to bear upon the crests of 
Nos. 2 and 3 spurs as soon as their evacuation by our infantry rendered 
it safe for us to shell them. 
The expenditure of ammunition on this occasion was very con- 
