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arduous and trying nature. As stated, this wing left Mithaukote two days before head
- q u a r t e r s , o n t h e 1 9 t h N o v e m b e r , i n c h a r g e o f a l a r g e c o n v o y o f r e s e r v e a m m u n i t i o n , a r r i v e d a t
Dadur on 4th December, having had only one halt at Dehra Bugtee on 25th November. As
s t a t e d , i t wa s d e t a i n e d a t S i r i Bo l a n f o r s i x d a y s o wi n g t o l o s s o f c a me l s , a n d r e a c h e d Qu e t t a
on 18th December. Halted there three days, reached Abdulla Killa at mouth of Khojack Pass on
28th December, and made over the ammunition to General Biddulph, and rejoined head-quarters
on 30th December. The camels of the convoy alone, excl usi ve of those of the wing and those
carrying a month's provisions, were 520 in number. To load these camels in the morning with
the ammunition boxes was 2½ hours' hard work for the sipahis, the wing being 240 strong. The
camp and baggage had then to be laden. The camels marched very slowly and were constantly
falling down, and loads had to be changed. The work on the march was very severe, and then
on arrival at camp there was two hours' hard work to be done—unloading and stacking the boxes.
To give an idea of what the men of this wing underwent on these long, hot marches in
Beloochistan, I may give a short account of two clays' march. The half battalion with the convoy
started from Soor-i-Soon for Lehri, a march of 26 miles, at 8 P.M. on the 30th November, and
marched all night and next day, and the last camel was not unladen until 3 P.M. on the even
-ing of 1st December. The wing again started at 7 P.M. 2nd December, for a 30-mile
march, and the last camel was not unladen till 4-30 P.M., 3rd December. How work like this,
with unvaried rations and execrable water, with an average of about three nights in bed, must tell
on men was plainly shewn in their sick list as will be noted. The wretched kahars had a hard
time. There were no camel kajawahs to assist them as the wing left before we got them, and
the resources at Surgeon Cadge's disposal were taxed to the utmost. Colonel Barton, who com
-manded the wing, bore warm testimony to Surgeon Cadge's untiring energy and exertions. He
was always one of the last into camp, staying behind to encourage and get along the flagging
doolee bearers. I have gone very fully into all these marches, as I feel it due to the men to
spew clearly through what they have gone—most trying desert marches, absence of various
articles of food to them almost necessaries, heavy duty, and cold such as they had never ima-
gined, and at times very bad water. Yet their cheerfulness was very remarkable. There was
no grumbling; the men's great wish was to meet the enemy ; and the willing readiness with
which they set to any kind of work that was to be done, and there moral e under the very trying
circumstances of the march to Kandahar, made one proud of serving with our native troops.
XIV. Hospital.—The carriage first sanctioned. for native corps was dandies only ; but
as it was evident, that serious cases and fractures could not possibly be carried in these dandies,
the following carriage was sanctioned and obtained by this regiment :—
1 Large dool ee per company
8 Dool ees wi th 48 kahars.
2 .Looshai dool ees
16 Looshai dool ees wi th 64 kahars.
10 Pai rs kaj awahs and camel s for same.
This provided carriage for 44 sick, but the strength of the regiment being 660, carriage for
22 more was required so as to make up the carriage to 66, the 10 per cent, of strength re
- q u i r e d b y G o v e r n m e n t ; 2 2 o r d i n a r y d a n d i e s w e r e p r o v i d e d f o r t h i s p u r p o s e , w i t h 4 k a h a r s e a c h ,
i.e. , 2 2 d a n d i e s wi t h 4 b e a r e r s e a c h == 8 8 b e a r e r s . He n c e t h e t o t a l n u mb e r o f b e a r e r s r e q u i r e d
was 200. In the original equipment to carry the 66 dandies, 264 bearers were required; hence
the same number of sick was carried with 64 less bearers, of course a great saving and the
carriage infinitely superior. The kajawahs were made on the couch plan and worked very
well, but the wood was brittle pine. They were invaluable on the long sandy marches, as in
the deep hot sand the kahars feet broke into great deep cracks, and many were disabled. At
first one or two of the camels were restive and gave two men nasty falls out of the kajawahs,
but afterwards they went perfectly quietly. Attention must be paid to various little points,
such as seeing the patients well seated before the camel is allowed to rise, that the string of
kajawah camels is not too long as of course they require more leaders than baggage camels,
that the same camels who are accustomed to the kajawahs are sent for this work every day, etc.
I am not aware that any other regiment received this kajawah equipment on the march up.
Of the " durree dandies," as they are called, I have nothing good whatever to say. They are
utterly unsuited to the carriage of sick, the sling invariably turning sideways once or twice
each march and "spilling" out the patient, who to be secure must either cling tightly to
the pole over his head, or have a man to walk beside him. and hold him in. Mules were
sanctioned to carry the hospital stores, but there is no box in the hospital equipment .which
could be put on mules. Three camels were afterwards allowed. The hospital arrangements
were very satisfactory. The doolies were invaluable and I believe saved many lives, especially
in acute lung affections, raising them off the ground at night, while the curtains protected
them from the wind in the cold of the early morning, when the tents were down, and the
camels being laden, and during the cold marches.
XV. Sickness. mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment :— Sickness, mortal i ty and
i nval i di ng.
Present
. . . .629.3
Absent
7 5 . 1
Total . .707.4