672 
SHORT DESCRIPTION OE SMALL STONE-WALL FORT THROWN 
UP FOR TWO 7-PR. R.M.L. JOINTED GUNS OF N°- 1 
BATTERY, 8 th BRIGADE, (MOUNTAIN BATTERY) AT CAMP 
THULL, DURING THE AFGHAN WAR OF 1879-80. 
LIEUT. T. V. W. PHILLIPS, R.A. 
The Fort was built on a naturally prominent position at the N.W. 
corner of Camp Thull, on bard rocky ground, with a thin layer of soil 
over the rock, and large boulders dispersed about here and there. The 
walls consisted of large stones laid close together, and the interstices 
filled up with mud and small stones; these stones were obtained from 
other parts of the camp, the ground being too hard to cut a ditch 
and build up the parapet in the usual way. 
The accompanying compass sketch was done with a pocket prismatic 
compass, the contours being put in by means of a plummet attached 
to a protractor. At first sight it may appear that the battery, being 
considerably lower at the N.N.E. corner, could be easily enfiladed from 
that quarter. This, however, was not the case, as the ground over which 
an enemy could have approached from that direction was so very much 
below the battery that the low parapet formed a traverse of itself. 
Still, if it had been intended for defence against an enemy possessed 
of good shooting weapons at long ranges, it would have been necessary 
to build up the parapet wall higher, and fill in that corner up to a level, 
or nearly so, with the other end of the battery, to have prevented being 
enfiladed from a distance. 
As regards the camp itself and its approaches, the guns were in a 
most commanding position, the only hill that overlooked it being con¬ 
siderably out of range of the enemy's rifle fire, and the crest of which 
was occupied from retreat to daylight by a strong picket. 
A small proportion of ammunition was kept ready in leather boxes 
in rear of each gun ; the remainder being kept at the foot of the hill 
from where it could be brought up under cover at the shortest notice; 
though we slept several nights in the battery, ready for rumoured 
attacks just before daybreak, I do not think it had an opportunity of 
proving itself useful under fire, except for sheltering the sentry from 
occasional pot shots during the night. 
The rough pen and ink sketch is intended to represent the fort as it 
appeared from the N.W., or as one approached Thull along the road 
from Kurrum. 
