wounded
actually came into camp to be attended to by our surgeons.

"On the 5th of April the 1st Brigade remained all day in camp, the
2nd Brigade going on seven or eight miles farther. Early on the
morning of the 7th, a party went down the river to make a bridge. A
heavy fire was opened upon them, and the whole of the 2nd Brigade
and the 15th Sikhs from the 1st Brigade went out in support.

"While the 11th Bengal Lancers were searching for a ford, they came
under a heavy fire from a village at the foot of a knoll, 600 yards
from the river. A mountain battery quickly silenced this fire, and
two squadrons of Bengal Lancers and one of the Guides, crossing the
ford, pursued the enemy five or six miles, and cut off about a
hundred of them. Opposite the village they discovered another ford,
where two could pass at once and, the next day, the rest of the
brigade followed them. The people of the Swat Valley speedily
accommodated themselves to the situation, and brought in sheep,
fowls, and other things for sale.

"On the 9th, headquarters joined the 2nd Brigade at Chakdara, and
the 3rd Brigade encamped on the south side of the river. On the
11th the headquarters and the 2nd Brigade arrived at the Panjkora
River. A bridge had to be built across this but, on the 13th, just
as it was finished, a flood came down and washed it away.

"A party were sent across at daybreak to burn the villages; which
had, during the night, been firing on the advance guard of the 2nd
Brigade. They accomplished their work but, while engaged upon it,
were attacked by a very large force. The carrying away of the
bridge rendered the position extremely dangerous, and the force was
ordered, by signal, to fall back upon the river; while the Brigade
covered their retreat from the opposite bank. The retreating column
was sorely pressed, although the Maxim guns and the mountain
battery opened fire upon the enemy. Colonel Battye was mortally
wounded, and so hotly did the Afridis follow up their attack that a
company of the Guides fixed bayonets, and charged them.

"As, however, the enemy still persisted in their attack, the force
set to work to entrench themselves. This they managed to do, with
the aid of a Maxim gun of the 11th; which had crossed one of the
branches of the river, and got into a position flanking the
entrenchments. All night the enemy kept up a heavy fire. In the
morning the force were still unable to pass. However, during the
day the 4th