LAHORE DIVISION.
109
were also plentiful. Cultivation was rare, and even where it existed there were often no habi-
tations, the ground being cultivated by wandering tribes, who only remain in the neighbourhood
of their crops during the rainy season. A few cows were occasionally seen grazing, but animal
life was scarce. Even vultures and birds and beasts of prey seemed to shun these desert regions,
for the dead. bodies of camels left by corps that had preceded us remained for days untouched.
It was at first intended that the regiment should halt one day at Dera Bughti and one at
Lehri, but at the former place orders were left not to halt till arrival at Mittri; here a halt of
one day was made, and was much needed and gladly welcomed by everyone. The regiment
reached Dadur on December 19th and halted there till the 26th, when it marched through
the Bolan Pass, reaching Sir-i-ab on December 31st. This part of the march was very trying
from being an ascent a great part of the way over gravel and stones. Water, it is true, with
the exception of at Dasht-be-doulat, was good and more plentiful than in the early part of the
march, but in some places no supplies of any kind were procurable, and even forage and food for
camels had to be carried with us. The climate became much colder as we ascended, and at
Dasht-be-doulat we were -glad to pitch the camp under the shelter of some hills to protect us
from the cold cutting wind. On the long marches the baggage and followers did not come in
till late at night, when the sick suffered greatly from want of food, which there was no time to
cook, and at Dasht-be-doulat their poultices could not be changed for want of water to prepare
them with. Some of the encamping grounds were in the stony beds of rivers, where the ground
was very rough and uncomfortable for the men to lie on.
XIV. Hospital. —On the march to Mooltan the usual hospital tent, consisting of two lascar
pals, was used and found sufficient ; at Mooltan two more lascar pals, making four in all, were
supplied. Each of these was capable of containing 12 sick, being according to the sanctioned
scale calculated at 10 per cent. of strength. At Rajanpore the sick were put into one of the empty
barracks of the Punjab Infantry, which afforded them great comfort and protection from the
cold at night. At first dandies for 10 per cent. of sick were authorised and indented for, but
although the full complement of kahars was supplied at Mooltan, only 14 dandies could be had.
These were very uncomfortable for the sick and quite unfit for the conveyance of serious cases
or fractures of the leg, and both the durrees and ironwork were very bad and constantly break-
ing. By demi-official letter No. 77 of November 7th, the following amended scale of sick
carriage was sanctioned for native cavalry :—
Hospital.
6 Camel kajawahs,
6 Doolies,
12 Looshai doolies,
and dandies for the remainder to make up 10 per cent. Indents on the above scale were sent
in, but not complied with. Only 9 more dandies were procured at Mithankote, 1 dooly at Dera
Bughti, and 2 doolies at Dadur. On leaving Mooltan in the absence of any instructions, and
the Deputy Surgeon-General of the Field Force not having arrived, considerable uncertainty
was felt as to what medical stores, books, stationery, &c., could be taken with the regiment;
it was presumed, however, that the usual returns would require to be sent in, and that books
required for reference, such as quarterly sheets of circulars, &c., would be needed. Quarter-
master-General's circular of September 26th allowed 1 mule for medical stores for every 250
men ; this would have given at most 2 mules, or their equivalent 1 camel, for a native cavalry
regiment, and was evidently insufficient as the two camel-trunks with which every cavalry
hospital is supplied are themselves a full camel-load and would not hold all that it was consider-
ed necessary to take. Quartermaster-General's circular was afterwards modified so as to allow
carriages for medical stores as per regulations for service, but this did not afford much assistance
as on referring to G. O. G. G. 948 of 17th September 1875, the hospital equipment on field
service is to be determined according to the nature of the service. What was done was to send
back to the depôt at Meean Meer all instruments, books, records and medicines that were not
considered absolutely necessary, and for the remainder the Commissariat Officer took upon
himself the responsibility of supplying 2 camels and 1 banghywalla. By demi-official letter
No. 96 of November 8th, 1878, the following amended scale for conveyance of medical stores
and camp furniture was sanctioned :-
For a regiment of native cavalry
—
lbs. lbs.
Camel.
Mule.
Equipment . .
.
. 265
Hospital furniture .
. . 211
476 =
1
1
this, with 1 banghywalla, is probably sufficient, but it must be remembered that blankets for
5 per cent. of strength have to be carried and in a cold climate are much needed, and that unless
a table and chair can be included in the modest 80 lbs. of baggage of the medical officer, he
must do all his office work without them. The full hospital establishment was allowed to
accompny the regim ent, and was certainly needed. The hospital dresser died just after the close
of the year (January 7th, 1879) and could not be replaced, and one or two hospital cooks were
much required as the sick suffered greatly on long marches from having to go for long intervals
without food.
c1