ed their wild country, with its tremendous gorges and passes.
A large proportion of them were furnished with Martini and
Lee-Metford rifles, and many of the others carried Sniders.

To operate against such formidable enemies, possessing almost
impregnable positions, a large force was needed; and time was
required to collect the troops. Still more, an enormous train of
baggage animals would be required, and a vast amount of stores of
all kinds.

It was clear that the time that would be occupied in the
preparations of the campaign would be very considerable; but, while
these were being made, it was determined that the expedition from
Peshawar should move, at once, into the Mohmund country, and finish
with that tribe before the main operation began; and that the
Malakand division, and the Mohmund field force should carry out the
work of punishment, in the stretch of country lying between Lalpura
and the Swat River.

It was known that Chakdara was holding out, but that it was hardly
pressed, and the first step was to relieve the garrison. Colonel
Meiklejohn pushed forward, with a comparatively small force, and
arrived at the Malakand on the 1st of August. The reinforcement that
had reached that garrison had enabled them to take the offensive,
and orders were issued for a strong cavalry reconnaissance to the
Amandara valley, five miles away. They found the enemy in such force
that the cavalry were obliged to retire, and they effected their
retreat with great difficulty, under a very heavy fire. As the path
was narrow, cavalry could only proceed in single file, exposed the
while to the fire of the enemy.

Sir Bindon Blood arrived, that evening, to take the command. The
main body were to move down the road; while a force under Colonel
Goldney advanced up the hill to the right, and turned the enemy's
flank. Colonel Goldney's attack was perfectly successful. The enemy
were taken completely unawares, and entirely routed. The march of
the main column, therefore, met with no opposition for some
distance; then the enemy opened fire, from among the rocks on the
hills.

A party of the Guides and the 45th Sikhs were ordered to take the
position, at the point of the bayonet. The enemy, however, stuck to
their position until they were bayoneted, or driven over the rocks.
The 34th and 55th Sikhs stormed some sangars on the left and,
pushing their way pluckily up the steep slopes, slowly gained the
heights, step by step and, in spi