a miserable state of depression and
demoralization they were in.

[Illustration: Map: SKETCH OF THE ROUTE TAKEN ON THE MARCH FROM KABUL
TO KANDAHAR. AUGUST. 1880.]

I halted the column for two hours outside the south wall of the city,
where it was sheltered from the enemy's fire, Ayub Khan's position
being within long range directly north of Kandahar. While the men
rested and breakfasted, and the baggage animals were being unloaded,
fed, and watered, I went into the citadel to talk matters over with
General Primrose and Colonel St. John, and inquire whether there was
sufficient accommodation for the sick men of my force, numbering 940,
who needed to be taken into hospital. The thermometer now registered
105 deg. Fahr. in tents during the day, but the nights were still bitterly
cold, and the sudden changes of temperature were extremely trying to
people in bad health.

On the advice of Lieutenant-Colonel Chapman, whose intimate
acquaintance with the neighbourhood of Kandahar, gained while serving
on Sir Donald Stewart's staff, was now most valuable to me, I
determined to take up a position to the west of the city, with my
right on the cantonment and my left touching Old Kandahar. This
enabled me to cover the city, gave me command of a good supply of
water, and placed me within striking distance of Ayub Khan's camp.

At 10 a.m. the first and third brigades moved off and occupied Piquet
Hill, Karez Hill, and the north-east spur of the hill above Old
Kandahar. A few shots were fired at the advance guard from distant
orchards, and the ground proved to be within range of some of the
enemy's Field-pieces on the Baba Wali Kotal, but it was a case of
Hobson's choice, as water was not to be found anywhere else at a
come-at-able distance.

Large numbers of men were to be seen crowning the Baba Wali Kotal, and
constructing shelter-trenches along the crest of the low black ridge,
which jutted out in a south-easterly direction from the more lofty
range on which the kotal is situated. Piquets were immediately sent to
occupy the northern spur of the Kohkeran Hill commanding the road to
Gundigan, the village of Abbasabad, the Karez Hill, the village of
Chihal Dukhtaran, the greater and lesser Piquet Hills, and the village
of Kalachi, all of which were found to be deserted.

From a cursory examination of the ground, I satisfied myself that any
attempt to carry the Baba Wali Kotal by direct attack must result in
very severe loss, a