OPERATIONS OP THE IRRAWADY COLUMN, UPPER BURMAH. 385 
alight fell into the fort; precautions against fire were increased. 
During last night the enemy unmasked a strong stockade about 200 
yards from the post near Scintong. We at once constructed emplace¬ 
ment for the machine gun to fire at it. 
February 18th. —To-day the North-Eastern Column heliograph was 
seen “ tempestuously at play ” on hills some 20 miles off. We tried 
to reply with looking-glass. This morning I constructed a gun out of 
bamboo, bound at muzzle and breech with wire, then covered with 
splints of wood, and the whole bound round with cord, length of bore 
two feet, calibre, three inches. The shells, six inches long of bamboo, 
cut off at the joint, filled with 1 oz. powder, stopped with mud, and 
10-second Bickford fuze stuck in it. We fired five rounds from it 
with 1\ oz. R.L.G. charge. The fuze was lit, shell rammed home, and 
gun fired by a train immediately; shells went about 300 yards and 
burst, two of them in the air. The Kachins evidently impressed. 
We observed them digging what appeared to be a sap, protected by 
breastworks, some 180 yards off; shot two of them while at work. 
February 19th .—Enemy fired all night as usual; two bullets came 
through the shelter in which we messed. About 4 p.m. we heard 
firing, and saw the North-Eastern Column skirmishing down the side 
of the opposite hill, and pitch their camp about six miles off. They 
signalled that they would start at 7 a.m., and told us that if Scintong 
fired on them while they attacked Sadon we were to attack Scintong. 
February 20th .—While going rounds at night we heard shots, and 
saw, to our great delight, a blaze of musketry from the North-Eastern 
camp and knew that the Kachins had “ drawn ” them. At 7 a.m. the 
North-Eastern Column advanced, and began to shell Sadon at about 
2000 yards. They continued shelling from 10 till 11 o^clock, and their 
infantry halted about a mile below Sadon. The garrison got tired of 
waiting so Lieutenant Harrison and I with 20 Ghoorkas, 20 3rd 
Burmab, and 20 Sappers sallied out against Scintong. Here we had 
about 40 minutes sharp fighting, and fouud the place heavily stockaded 
from house to house, but the Kachins did not make a very determined 
stand, and we fought our way through the village, the Sappers cutting 
down barricade after barricade made of spiked fences set double about 
three feet apart, and rows and rows of pangies in front, with earthworks 
behind; our loss five wounded. We saw four Kachin bodies, but 
must have wounded many more. In the meantime the North-Eastern 
Column had succeeded in frightening the Kachins out of Sadon by 
their long range fire, and when the infantry entered the village they 
found line after line of almost impassable stockades, heavily pangied 
and spiked. If they had come on and kept the guns up their sleeve 
till the road was blocked by stockades and they could not pass them, 
and then opened fire with the guns, they would have had fighting to 
their hearts^ content. But Kachins will not stand long range artillery 
fire, rifle fire they do not mind a bit ; so the North-Eastern Column 
marched in unopposed, though the Kachins made for their rear-guard 
and wounded two severely and three slightly, and captured one fol¬ 
lower. The North-Eastern Column consisted of 253 rifles and two 
