out half a dozen Tibetans who had remained in hiding in the monastery
and village opened fire on it. The Gurkha rearguard had a troublesome
task in clearing these men out, and lost one man killed.

In this affair at Naini our casualties were six killed and nine wounded,
including Major Lye, 23rd Pioneers, who received a severe sword-cut in
the hand.

The General's camp was pitched about a mile from the mission post, well
out of range of the jong, though our troops whilst crossing the river
came under fire from some of the bigger jingals. The next day was one of
rest, which the troops badly needed after their long march from Chumbi.
The Tibetans in the jong also refrained from firing. On the 29th the
General began the operations intended to culminate in the capture of the
jong. His objective was Tsechen Monastery, on the extreme left. But
before the monastery could be attacked, some twelve fortified villages
between it and the river had to be cleared. It proved a difficult task,
not so much on account of the resistance offered by the enemy--for after
a few idle shots the Tibetans quickly retired on the monastery--as
because of the nature of the ground that had to be traversed. The whole
country was a network of deep irrigation channels and water-cuts, in the
fording and crossing of which the troops got wet to the skin. However,
by four in the afternoon all the villages had been cleared, and the
Fusiliers were lying in a long grove under the right front of the
monastery.

It was then discovered that not only was Tsechen very strongly held, but
that masses of the enemy were lying behind the rocks on the top of the
ridge, on the summit of which there was a ruined tower, also held by
fifty or sixty men. The General sent two companies of Gurkhas to scale
the ridge from the left, whilst the 40th Pathans were ordered to make a
direct assault on the monastery. A hundred mounted infantry made their
way to the rear to cut off the retreat of the enemy. Fuller and Marindin
with their guns covered the advance of the infantry. Four Maxims were
also brought into action. Our guns made splendid practice on the top of
the ridge, and time and again we could see the enemy bolting from cover.
But with magnificent bravery they would return to oppose the advance of
the Gurkhas creeping round their flank. The guns had presently to cease
fire to enable the Gurkhas to get nearer. A series of desperate little
fights then took place on the top of