f the morning. A squadron of Bengal
cavalry were to move independently, and to cut off any of the enemy
who might escape from the frontal attack.

"The turning party arrived after a march of eighteen hours, through
a terribly rough country. The main body, unfortunately,
miscalculated their distance and, instead of halting in the gorge
leading to the village, in which it was known that pickets had been
placed, they came suddenly upon the enemy's outposts. These fired a
volley, killing the colonel and some of the men. The surprise,
therefore, as a surprise failed; but an attack was made in the
morning, the village taken, and the turning party extricated from
its dangerous position. That is a good example of the difficulty of
attacking a hill fort.

"Another instance is the attack upon Nilt fort. The place was one
of great natural strength; the fort, which was a large one, faced
the junction of three precipitous cliffs, several hundred feet
high, where a great ravine runs into the Hunza river. Owing to the
nature of the ground, the fort could not be seen till the force was
within three hundred yards of it; and fire could not be properly
opened upon it until within two hundred and fifty yards.

"The walls of the fort were of solid stone, cemented by mud, and
strengthened by strong timbers. They were fourteen feet in height,
and eight feet in thickness; and were surmounted by flanking towers
and battlements, which afforded the defenders a perfect cover. In
front of the main gate was a loopholed wall, completely hiding the
gateway; and in front of this again was a very deep ditch, filled
with abattis; while a broad band of abattis filled the space
between the ditch, and a precipitous spur from the adjacent
mountain. This spur was, unfortunately, inaccessible for guns and,
though our infantry mounted it, their fire had no effect upon the
enemy, sheltered as they were behind their battlements.

"It was therefore necessary to make a direct attack, and storm the
fort on a front of only sixty yards. After a vain attempt to make
some impression on the forts with mountain guns, the order was
given to advance; and the Ghoorkhas, two hundred strong, and a
company of sappers dashed forward into the ravine facing the west
wall. A few of them managed to force their way into a weak point of
the abattis, under a heavy fire from the fort; and worked round to
a gateway. This was soon hacked down, and then they burst into the
courtyard.