party as it advanced, wounding one British, one Native
officer[4] and nine men.

As the Afghans seemed inclined to press Gordon, two guns were brought
into action, and, to cover his retirement, I sent out the 5th Gurkhas,
under Lieutenant-Colonel Fitz-Hugh, who skilfully effected this object
with the loss of only one Gurkha wounded.

Gordon brought me back the valuable piece of information that no
further advance in that direction was possible, save in single
file--valuable because, had I attempted a front attack, the sacrifice
of life must have been enormous, even if the attack had proved
successful, the possibility of which I still greatly doubt.

Our tents not having arrived, the force prepared to bivouac; but our
position proving untenable, from being within range of the Afghan
shells, we moved a mile to the rear. Strong piquets were posted on
the neighbouring heights, and the night passed without further
interruption.

We halted the two following days. Men and cattle were exhausted from
their fatiguing marches, and supplies had to be brought up before
we could advance further; besides, I required time to look about
me before making up my mind how the Peiwar Kotal could most
advantageously be attacked.

It was, indeed, a formidable position--a great deal more formidable
than I had expected--on the summit of a mountain rising abruptly 2,000
feet above us, and only approachable by a narrow, steep, and rugged
path, flanked on either side by precipitous spurs jutting out like
huge bastions, from which an overwhelming fire could be brought to
bear on the assailants. The mountain on the enemy's right did not look
much more promising for moving troops, and I could only hope that a
way might be found on their left by which their flank could be turned.
The country, however, in that direction was screened from view by
spurs covered with dense forests of deodar.

I confess to a feeling very nearly akin to despair when I gazed at
the apparently impregnable position towering above us, occupied, as I
could discern through my telescope, by crowds of soldiers and a large
number of guns.

My Chief Engineer, Colonel Perkins,[5] made a reconnaissance, which
only too surely confirmed Gordon's opinion; and he further ascertained
that a deep ravine lay between the ground occupied by our piquets on
the north and the kotal, so that an attack on the enemy's immediate
left seemed as hopeless as on his right, or to his front.

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