THE MALAKAND AND BUNERWAI, EXPEDITIONS. 563 
General Sir Bindon Blood also telegraphed a very complimentary 
message to the Inspector-General of Artillery in India: — 
Telegram. 
G.O.C. M.F.F. to I.G.A., Simla. 
“ I should like to invite your special attention to the achievements of 
Major Anderson and the 10th Field Battery. They did excellently at 
Landakai after overcoming obstacles which I confess at first sight 
made me doubt their success. Since then they have shown the most 
gratifying energy, resource and esprit de corps , in getting to the front 
in spite of every difficulty. They are now at Panjkora Bridge whence 
I am compelled to recall them, much to my regret, owing to difficulties 
about feeding their walers. I hope you will be able to keep them 
with me in further operations. Their presence with my force has been 
of the greatest value.” 
For about a month the Battery remained at Panjkora Bridge and 
the monotony of the situation was only relieved by mahseer fishing, 
which was obtainable on the spot and was distinctly good. Unfortu¬ 
nately two men lost their lives by drowing whilst bathing here. At 
the end of September, after the severe handling experienced by 
Brigadier-General Jeffrey’s Brigade in the Mamund Valley, it was 
decided to take up the Battery to the Mamund Valley to assist in the 
punitive measures there. Accordingly the Panjkora river, which had 
been gradually falling, was forded, 2 guns and 4 wagons were left just 
over the ford, and 4 guns and 2 wagons went on and in 3 marches 
reached Inayat Killa, but to the regret of all, there was to be no more 
fighting there—peace was concluded—and so, after waiting about for 
some days for the submission of the various clans, the whole force re¬ 
turned, and recrossing the Malakand on 27th October, encamped at 
Jalala, to await developments. At Jalala a serious epidemic of in¬ 
fluenza broke out among the horses, as many as 70 being on the sick 
list in one day. The division shifted camp to the banks of the Swat 
Canal, near Hoti Mardan, and here (there being an excellent water 
supply and much less dust) the horses more or less recovered, but 
very few escaped without suffering in condition. Christmas was spent 
in camp by most, but a few lucky ones managed to get away to Rawal 
Pindi for the festive season—26 miles by road and 3j^ hours rail, 
only separating the two places. 
On the 2nd January, 1898, the force became the Buner Field Force, 
the Bunerwals being the only tribe left to be dealt with, and everyone 
was delighted at the prospect of some more fighting, after the monoto¬ 
nous inactivity of the previous tw^o months. Three marches took the 
force to the foot of the Tangi Pass into Buner, reached on the 6th 
January. The enemy could be seen in force on the crest of the pass. 
On the 7th January the Battery moved out at the head of the 
column and advanced about 1000 yards nearer the pass and immediate¬ 
ly came into action to cover the advance and very steep climb of the 
infantry. The Battery was in action for 4 hours and 50 minutes, and 
expended 476 rounds of Shrapnel. The fire was kept up over the 
