animals in
bad condition at the outset. Mules and camels died daily, reducing our
all too small numbers to such an extent that it was with considerable
difficulty the convoy was at last despatched.

From the first I foresaw that want of transport would be our greatest
difficulty, and so it proved; very few supplies could be obtained in
the vicinity of Kuram; the troops at Kohat had been drawing on the
adjacent districts ever since October, so that the purchasing
agents had every day to go further away to procure necessaries, and
consequently an increased number of animals were required for their
conveyance. My Commissary-General reported to me that only a few days'
provisions for the troops remained in hand, and that it was impossible
to lay in any reserve unless more transport could be provided. About
this reserve I was very anxious, for the roads might soon become
temporarily impassable from the rising of the rivers after the heavy
rain to be expected about Christmas. Contractors were despatched
to all parts of the country to procure camels, and I suggested to
Government that pack-bullocks should be bought at Mirzapur, and railed
up country, which suggestion being acted upon, the danger of the
troops having to go hungry was warded off.

The treacherous soldiers of the 29th Punjab Infantry had now to be
dealt with--a necessary, but most unpleasant, duty. A perusal of the
proceedings of the Court of Inquiry satisfied me that the two men who
discharged their rifles during the night-march, the Jemadar of their
company who failed to report their criminal action, and the eighteen
who deserted their colours during the engagement, should all be tried
by Court-Martial.

The prisoners were found guilty. The sepoy who fired the first shot
was sentenced to death, and the one who discharged the second to
two years' imprisonment with hard labour; the court, recognizing a
possibility that the latter, being a young soldier, might have loaded
and fired without intending treachery, gave him the benefit of the
doubt. The Jemadar was awarded seven years' transportation, and the
eighteen deserters terms varying from ten years to one year.

It was with deep regret that I confirmed these several sentences, but
it was necessary that a deterrent example should be made. Treachery
was altogether too grave a crime to be lightly dealt with, and
desertions amongst the Pathans were becoming of much too frequent
occurrence, particularly as the