The Chitral campaign : a narrative of events in Chitral, Swat, and Bajour . nced eastwardsfrom there through Yaofistan. The next day, April 14th, it was found that theroad in front had been cut, so a long march of overtwenty miles v/as made over the tops of the hills toKila Drasan. The fort there was found to be empty,and the village deserted. The manoeuvre proved avery successful one. The enemy had expected thatthe force would take the same route through Karaghthat Ross had taken, and were completely discom-fited by this unexpected detour. At Drasan, Phula, a sepoy of the Kashmir Riflescame i


The Chitral campaign : a narrative of events in Chitral, Swat, and Bajour . nced eastwardsfrom there through Yaofistan. The next day, April 14th, it was found that theroad in front had been cut, so a long march of overtwenty miles v/as made over the tops of the hills toKila Drasan. The fort there was found to be empty,and the village deserted. The manoeuvre proved avery successful one. The enemy had expected thatthe force would take the same route through Karaghthat Ross had taken, and were completely discom-fited by this unexpected detour. At Drasan, Phula, a sepoy of the Kashmir Riflescame into camp, dressed like a Chitrali. He hadbeen helped by a villager to make his escape afterthe treacherous capture of Reshun, and had beenin hiding ever since. He said that between 2,000and 3,000 men had fled up the Murikho valley afterthe defeat at Nisa Gol, and that Mahomed Isa hadgone on to Chitral with only fifty or sixty bridge over the river at Drasan was foundto be broken down. It was patched up sufficientlyfor the men to cross, the animals having to MM ^k THE HUNZA LEVIES 145 Khusht was reached the following night, after a longtrying march in pouring rain. The day after the march was continued to Lun, andthe following day to Barnas. This last was a shortbut very fatiguing march, which took ten hours todo. The road was broken down in several places,and so much delay was caused that the camp wasnot reached until past nine oclock, when it wasquite dark. The river, which was in flood, had tobe forded close to the camp. It was about four feetdeep and very cold, and the, men could only getover by going across in batches of ten or twelveat a time, and holding each other up. Many ofthe baggage coolies must have been swept awayand drowned had it not been for the ready resourceand pluck of the levies. They formed up in a linejust below the ford, and whenever a coolie waswashed off his feet thev waited till the streamcarried him down to them, and catching hold of hi


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidchitralcampa, bookyear1895