266 
NAGA CAMPAIGN, 1879-80. 
siderably, no harm was done, and the shells burst; about two yards of 
the wall was knocked away, but the enemy threw in thick bullet-proof 
boards, of which they kept a very liberal supply under their works. 
Shrapnel with percussion fuze was then employed, which, bursting on 
impact with the planks, stopped the enemy's fire from this part of the 
work. An opening was then made in a more central position, but the 
wall being of loose construction came down and made a wide opening; 
from this the lower right flank and the right and left flanks of an upper 
work could be seen. The same projectile was used, viz., double shell, 
until an opening was made, and then shrapnel with occasional case, 
when the men shewed themselves, building up the chasm with boards. 
The 44th A.L.I. stormed three times in a most gallant manner, but 
being only able to advance two or three abreast, were driven back by 
the enemy, protected from the gun by the tongue of land already 
mentioned. Their fire at such close quarters, from as many as they 
could use out of the 400 guns in their possession, with clouds of spears 
and rocks, was naturally very destructive, and we soon had to mourn 
the loss of two officers mortally, one severely, and one slightly wounded; 
22 men killed, and 27 wounded; something like 25 per cent, of the 
whole party. 
In the last assault, the storming party being checked, the enemy 
began to line the walls from which the gun had driven them, but the 
“lie down" having been sounded by the gun detachment bugler, a 
few shell, with percussion fuze, fired two feet above the heads of our 
men, drove the enemy back, and they were able to retire without 
further loss. 
The enemy being hemmed in by our troops in the jungle, fought 
with great desperation, though, at the beginning of the fight, they 
had tried to retreat until driven back by the fire of a party of our 
men who occupied a “ sunga," which they had captured in rear of 
Khonoma. A few more rounds were fired, but darkness came on, and 
the “ assembly " having sounded, we occupied ourselves in fortifying 
our position (the enemy, some 3000 strong, being within 50 yds.) and 
burying the dead; the troops suffered greatly during the night from 
the cold and want of food and water. 
The enemy evacuated in the night, and the whole range of their 
positions were occupied by us at daybreak; wall within wall lined with 
loopholes, and the flanks protected by cliffs, rendering a turning 
movement impossible. The Naga's tried to draw the fire of the guns 
from certain places by planting spears, so as to shew just above the 
wall, but without success. 
A large quantity of shell fragments and shrapnel bullets were found 
inside the works; but the Nagas had removed their dead in the night. 
The traces of blood make it appear probable that their loss must have 
been severe, although the full effect of the shrapnel must have been 
modified by large piles of rice lying about. Some chatties* on the 
terre-plein of their works were riddled with bullet holes, and thick 
wooden troughs, used for pounding the unhusked rice, were stretched 
* Ear them vessels. 
