PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
183
crossing several streams for about 7 miles, when we came across a broad swi
ft-running river.
Continuing along its banks for about a mile, we crossed it and found our camp, Shorzwara, on the
other bank. Plenty of pig, fish ; no village near. A little atta was obtained. 3rd.—Halted.
4th.—We started at 5 A.M., along a stony uneven road for about 4 miles, then along, a sandy plain.
At about the 7th mile we left the large village of Loni on our right, and 6we continued over a
sandy wooded plain, finishing up with some uneven ground. About 17 miles from camp we came
across two small, dirty, brackish pools of water, the only water on the road. Camp Trickerin,
2 miles further on, over rocky ground, in a hollow ; no water could be found at first, but after search-
ing for some time some fairly-good, saltish water was found round a rock. 5th.—Road similar to
yesterday's, stony and very trying ; day very hot ; salt water passed frequently on the road.
Camp 17 miles, Chammalong, on the far bank of a kind of lake ; water fair ; wood in plenty ; no
supplies. 6th.—Starting at 5 A.M. over stony ground, ridge after ridge, across valley after valley ;
no water; very hot. Camp Balla-Khana, distance 14 very liberal miles, on the banks of a small
stream, in a hollow. Water fair, cool, but leaving a sense of thirst behind. 7th.—Started at 1
A.M. ; a mile from camp entered the Hun Pass ; road very irregular ; a gradual ascent; not much
to be seen owing to the darkness. About 4 miles in the pass is a level piece of high ground, with
water near Balla Dakha. Here Colonel Fellowes died two days after. The road from this ascend-
ed over a ridge, then by a zig-zag road descended into a nullah, along which we travelled. About
17 miles from our last camp the road enters what appears to be a great split in a rock ; it is about
20 feet wide at the bottom and 200 feet high, the sides being perpendicular ; this narrow part is
about 250 yards long. Camp Hun is at the entrance to the Thull-Chotiali hills, and is near a most
beautiful spring of the clearest and best water any one could wish to drink; ; here we all made
up for many a thirst ; distance 19 miles.—8th April. Continuing along a rocky bed for some
distance we entered the Logari Barhkhan plain. About half-way a village and a stream of
good water was passed ; plenty of cultivation, the first we had seen since leaving the beauti-
ful Boni valley. Inhabitants Biluchis. The camp at Barlikban is in the middle of a plain,
round a fort built on a mound. Water plentiful and good ; supplies of milk, eggs, &c., to be
obtained. The place appears to me to be a damp, malarious spot. Water only about 3 feet from
the surface, and directly the sun went down a sickening kind of smell seemed to rise. It will
greatly astonish me if the sickness of this place does not exceed that of Quetta. Here the
Thull-Chotiali field force broke up, and we all returned to India by different routes. The
32nd took the lower road through the Chacher Pass to Rajanpur, but as we marched at
night I cannot say much about the place, except that there were 7 marches, road very
uneven, rocky and very unpleasant for marching in the dark. We never passed a village,
we never saw a piece of cultivation and we never tasted a drop of drinkable water in the Pass.
The heat in those little tents during the day was very great. We reached Rajanpur on
the 18th April, and remained in the lines there until the 25th, when we started at 3 A.m. for
Mithankot, 12 miles. We went on board a steamer, and remained there all day, and at 5 P.M.
Started for Jahirpur, distance 13 miles, getting into camp at 11 P.M. We halted all the next
day. Starting at 3 A.M. on the 27th we reached Khanpur railway station about 8 A.M. . At
7-30 we left by train for Mooltan. Here we were halted and sent into lines until a clean bill
of health could be sent from Jhelum. On the 19th May, the last of the regiment left Mooltan,
and we arrived at Jhelum on the morning of the 20th May 1879. On the 20th November we
were strong, 8 officers and 577 men. On the 18th April we marched into Rajanpur with
6 officers and 367 men
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment :—
Present
. . . . . . . . . . . 6 7 4 . 4 4
Absent
. . . . . . . . . . . 31.24
Total . . 7 0 5 . 6 8
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
P E R C E N T . O F S T R E N G T H P E R A N N U M
From
To
Admi
ssi ons. Deaths.
Admi
ssions. Deaths. Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters marching to
Quetta.
1st Jan. 1878 22nd Jan. 1878 667.28 56 ... 23.57 133.15 ... 3.51
11
at Quetta . 24th „ „ 20th Nov. „ 638.36 1,782
8 51.30 338.60 1.51 8.03
„ on field service 21st Nov. „ 31st Dec. „ 558.92 214 10 71.50 340.87 15.84 12.8
Depôt, Quetta . . . Ditto „ Ditto
, , 78.33 17
4 49.61 188.57 44.32 63.38
,, Jhelum . . . 1st Jan. „ Ditto
,, 45.70 28
1
.63 61.27 2.18 1.38
TOTAL . .
...
...
674.44 2,097 23 54.39 310.92 3.41 8.06
Number of deaths in hospital 23 ; out of hospital 2 ; total
25 ; per cent. of total strength . 3.54
„ invalided . . . . . . . .
7; ,,
,,
99
„ sent on sick leave
0; „
,,
0
,, of days spent in hospital 19,853; per admission . 9.4; per man of total strength . 2 8 . 1 3
,,
on sick leave 0; per man
0; „
,,
0.00
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . 28.13