, when everything should have been ready for a start,
confusion reigned supreme in this all-important department. Large
numbers of camels, mules, and bullocks arrived daily, picked up at
exorbitant prices from anyone who would supply them; but most of these
animals were quite unfit to enter upon the hard work of a campaign,
and with a totally inexperienced and quite insufficient staff of
officers to supervise them, it was evident that the majority must
succumb at an early date.

Hardly had I realized these shortcomings in the constitution and
equipment of my column than I received intelligence which led me to
believe that the Afghans would hold the Peiwar Kotal (the pass leading
into Afghanistan over the range of mountains bounding the Kuram
valley) in great strength, and were determined to oppose our advance
at this point. Under these circumstances I felt myself justified in
representing to the powers at Simla that I considered the number of
troops at my disposal inadequate for the task they were expected to
perform, which representation resulted in the 23rd Pioneers, whose
transfer to the Khyber column had been under consideration, being left
with me, and the 72nd Highlanders, a battery of Field Artillery, and
the 28th Punjab Infantry, being sent to Kohat. Of these, however, I
was allowed to take on with me only one wing of the 72nd, half the
battery, and the 28th Punjab Infantry; and the last-named regiment I
could hardly consider as part of my force, for when we should arrive
at Thal, our furthest frontier post, it would have to be dropped,
with a wing of the 5th Punjab Cavalry and No. 2 Mountain Battery, to
garrison that place.

This small reinforcement was not given to me without considerable
demur on the part of the military authorities, who had made up
their minds that the Kuram column would meet with slight, if any,
opposition, and that the chief stand would be made in the Khyber. Lord
Lytton, however, supported my appeal, as did Sir Neville Chamberlain,
who was then acting as Military Member of Council, and who had
personal knowledge of the great natural strength of the Peiwar Kotal
position.

I next turned my attention to the transport, and endeavoured by all
the means I could think of to render it more efficient. A certain
portion of it I placed in regimental charge; I had the men instructed
in loading and unloading, and I took great care that the animals were
not overladen.

Happily, I had a very able