72 
BOLAN PASS EXPEDITION (PART II.) 
a rapid current. The encamping ground is on the left bank of the 
river—open ground, without a tree or house, and of course no 
supplies. During this march we descended 600 ft. more. On reaching 
camp, one of our officers went fly fishing, and caught several mahseer 
(Indian trout), running up to a pound; he also shot some wild duck 
and chikor (Indian partridge). This pass is quite a toy one compared 
with the Bolan, which is much broader and grander than the Moola. 
In the evening a thunder storm broke over the camp, accompanied with 
light rain. The lightning was very brilliant, and the peals of thunder 
among the hills grand. The river rose 3 ft., but the water ran off 
in a few hours. Sky clear at 11 p.m. 
%th November , 1876.—At 6 a.m. commenced our march to Goorumabad; 
distance 11 miles. Arrived at 11 a.m., having halted on the road half-an- 
hour. The first 8 miles of the route lay along either bank of the river, 
over which we repeatedly crossed, and though the current was running 
strong, owing to the recent rain, we rarely found over 2 ft. of 
water at the fords. The remaining 3 miles of the road passed 
through a dense jungle, bushes and stunted trees being numerous. 
The camp was pitched on a piece of jungle ground (that had been 
cleared) above the left bank of the river. There is a small village, 
about a mile from the encamping ground, that afforded us a little milk 
but no other supplies. Forage and firewood are, however, plentiful. 
During this march the pass opened out to fully 500 yds., but the route 
we traversed was impassable for other than mountain guns. Field and 
horse artillery should always march up the Bolan Pass. The battery 
sustained a great loss during this march. My Subedar (senior native 
officer) died in a litter just before entering camp. He was attacked 
with disease of the kidneys just before our march from Khelat, and 
having only a native apothecary with a hospital void of medicines, but 
little could be done for the patient. He had served the Government 
46 years, and fought on our side in the Indian mutiny and Persian 
war, both of which decorations were in his possession. Though 
70 vears of age, he cheerfully joined this expedition in hopes of more 
fighting; and I cannot resist the temptation of pa;, ’ .g a tribute to a 
loyal servant of our Government, and to one who as a man and an officer 
had earned my respect and esteem. Being a Hindoo by religion, his 
remains were burnt by the men of the battery. During the night, very- 
heavy rain fell and soaked all the tents; consequently on the 9 th November 
1876, we could not strike them till 12.30 p.m., when we commenced 
our march to Pusht Khana ; distance 8 miles. Halted a quarter-of-an* 
hour On the road and arrived at 3.20 p.m. During this march we 
descended 550 ft. The road as usual traversed either bank of the river, 
over which we frequently crossed. The encamping ground was an open 
spot; no village nor any supplies. 
10^ November , 1876.—At 6 a.m. commenced our march to Nur; dis¬ 
tance 12 miles. Halted on the road half-an-hour and arrived at 11 p.m., 
having descended 900 ft. The road lay all the way along the river bed, 
and the loose shingle and boulders made it very heavy marching. We 
crossed the river more than twenty times, and in some places the water 
