With Kelly to Chitral - William George Laurence Beynon
[Illustration: Chitral Bridge and Fort.]
WITH KELLY TO CHITRAL
By
LIEUTENANT W.G.L. BEYNON, D.S.O.
1st BATTALLION 3rd GOORKA RIFLES
STAFF OFFICER TO COLONEL KELLY'S RELIEF FORCE
1896
GILGIT,
_21st October 1895_
MY DEAR MOTHER,
Before you read this short history of a few brief weeks, I must warn you
that it is no record of exciting adventure or heroic deeds, but simply
an account of the daily life of British officers and Indian troops on a
frontier expedition.
How we lived and marched, what we ate and drank, our small jokes and
trials, our marches through snow or rain, hot valleys or pleasant
fields, in short, all that contributed to fill the twenty-four hours of
the day is what I have to tell.
I write it for you, and that it may please you is all I ask.--Your son,
W.B.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTORY
CHAPTER II - THE MARCH BEGINS
CHAPTER III - THE SHANDUR PASS
CHAPTER IV - FROM LASPUR TO GASHT
CHAPTER V - CHOKALWAT
CHAPTER VI - THE RECONNAISSANCE FROM MASTUJ
CHAPTER VII - THE FIGHT AT NISA GOL
CHAPTER VIII - THE MARCH RESUMED THROUGH KILLA DRASAN
CHAPTER IX - NEARING CHITRAL
CHAPTER X - WE REACH THE GOAL
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
_Those marked with a * are from Sketches by the Author_.
*CHITRAL BRIDGE AND FORT
NIZAM-UL-MULK, MEHTER OF CHITRAL
*A "PARI" ON THE ROAD TO GUPIS
*THE SHANDUR PASS
*RECONNAISSANCE SKETCH OF THE POSITION AT CHOKALWAT
*MASTUJ FORT
LOOKING UP THE NISA GOL NULLAH
*RECONNAISSANCE SKETCH OF THE POSITION AT NISA GOL
MAP SHOWING ROUTE OF COLONEL KELLY'S FORCES
* * * * *
*** Thanks are due to the Publishers of Mr. Thomson's _The Chitral
Campaign_ for the loan of two blocks illustrating "Chokalwat" and "Nisa
Gol" from Lieut. Beynon's sketches.
[Illustration: MAP OF NORTH WEST FRONTIER OF INDIA*]
WITH KELLY TO CHITRAL
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
"Would you like to go up to Gilgit?"
"Rather."
I was down in the military offices at Simla, hunting for a book and some
maps, when I was asked the above question. No idea of Gilgit had before
entered my head, but with the question came the answer, and I have since
wondered why I never before thought of applying for the billet.
This was at the end of June 1894, and on the 24th August I was crossing
the Burzil pass into the Gilgit district. As day broke on the 31st
August, I dropped down several thousand feet from Doyen to Ramghat in
the Indus valley, and it suddenly struck me I must have come down too
low, and got into Dante's Inferno. As I passed under the crossbeam of
the suspension bridge, I looked to find the motto, "All hope relinquish,
ye who enter here." It wasn't there, but instead there was a sentry on
the bridge, who, on being questioned, assured me that though there was
not much to choose in the matter of temperature between the two places,
I was still on the surface of the earth. He seemed an authority on the
subject, so I felt happier, and accepted the cup of tea offered me by
the commander of the guard.
Two hours later I was in Bunji, where I found I was to stay, and two
days after that, an officer on his way down to Kashmir passed through,
and almost the first question he asked me was, why on earth I had come
up to Gilgit. "Gilgit's played out," said he. Well, I had been asked
that question several times on my march up, so I may as well explain
that there are officially two chief causes which send men up to
Gilgit--one is debts, and the other, the Intelligence Branch. These, I
say, are the official reasons, but the real reason is the chance of a
"frontier row." In Simla they call them military expeditions. This
accounts for the last part of that young officer's speech. There seemed
no chance of a row to him, so he was going to other fields, and wondered
at my coming up. At first, the result seemed to bear him out, as within
two months he was on the war-path in Waziristan, while I was still
kicking my heels at Bunji; but luck changed later, and I laughed last.
Well, to continue, my official reason for coming to Gilgit being the
Intelligence Branch, I was ordered up to Chitral early in November for
some survey work, and thus obtained the knowledge of the route and
country that was to stand me in such good stead later on. I finished my
work in Chitral in ten days, starting back for Gilgit on the 1st
December, arriving there on the 19th. I spent Christmas in Gilgit, and
started on the 2nd January 1895 for Hunza, where I expected to remain
for the rest of the winter.
News of the murder of Nizam-ul-mulk, Mehter of Chitral, reached Gilgit
on the 7th January, and Dr. Robertson, Political Agent at Gilgit, at
once made preparations for a visit to Chitral.
Captain Townshend, who was at Gupis with Gough of the 2nd Gurkhas,
received orders to march with two hundred and fifty rifles of the 4th
Kashmir Infantry. The first detachment started under Gough, the second
following under Townshend The British Agent, Captain Campbell, and
Surgeon Captain Whitchurch, joined the second party at Ghizr, and they
all crossed the pass together. At Mastuj they picked up the remainder of
the 14th Sikhs, under Harley, who had not gone down to Gurdon at
Chitral, and then started for Chitral, arriving there on the 31st
January. Lieutenant Moberly went from Gilgit with a detachment of the
4th Kashmir Infantry and took command of Mastuj. Gough returning to
Ghizr, Baird took over command of Gupis, which was garrisoned by the 6th
Kashmir Infantry, and I was brought down from Hunza to take over Baird's
billet as staff officer. Shortly after, Fowler, R.E., was ordered to
Chitral with his Bengal Sappers, and Edwardes, 2nd Bombay Infantry, to
the same place, to take command of the Hunza Nagar Levies, which were
now called out. Baird was next ordered up to Chitral and relieved by
Stewart, R.A. On 21st February, Ross and Jones and the detachment of
14th Sikhs left Gilgit _en route_ for Mastuj. The Hunza and Nagar Levies
came in to Gilgit on the 7th March. I issued Snider carbines and twenty
rounds ammunition to each man, and they left the next day. These Levies
were splendid men, hardy, thick-set mountaineers, incapable of fatigue;
and, as a distinguishing badge, each man was provided with a strip of
red cloth which they wore in their caps, but which, we afterwards found
by practical experience at Nisa Gol, was inadequate.
[Illustration: Nizam-ul-Mulk, Mehter of Chitral.]
As news from Chitral had ceased for some days, Captain Stewart,
Assistant British Agent in Gilgit, determined to call up the 32nd
Pioneers, who were working on the Chilas road, so as to be ready for an
advance in case any forward movement was necessary. In consequence of
this order, Colonel Kelly marched into Gilgit on the 20th March with two
hundred men, Borradaile following on the 22nd with a like party.
On the 21st we heard from Mastuj that Ross's party of 14th Sikhs had
been cut up, Ross himself and some forty-six Sepoys being killed, Jones
and fourteen men alone managing to cut their way back; he and nine of
the survivors being wounded. There was no news of Edwardes and Fowler.
This news upset the apple-cart, and telegrams began to fly around, with
the result that Colonel Kelly was put in command of the troops in the
Gilgit district, with full civil powers on his line of operations. This
telegram arrived on the evening of the 22nd. The day before, Colonel
Kelly had offered me the position of staff officer to the force, and I
naturally jumped at the chance. Dew of the Guides, who was on the
sick-list, was sufficiently well to take over my work, so there was no
difficulty on that score; and as I had long had my kit ready for any
emergency, I merely bundled my remaining possessions into boxes, which I
locked up and left to look after themselves till my return.
Here I may as well describe what the force consisted of. First, there
were four hundred men of the 32nd Pioneers, commanded by Borradaile,
Colonel Kelly having taken command of the column. Bar these two, we were
all subalterns. Peterson was the senior, and commanded the second
detachment, as we were marching to Ghizr in two parties. Then there was
Bethune the adjutant, and Cobbe, and Browning-Smith the doctor--these
were all 32nd Pioneers. Captain de Vismes, 10th Bombay Infantry, came
along with us as far as Gupis, where he relieved Stewart, R.A., who, of
course, was in command of the two guns of No. 1 Kashmir Mountain
Battery. Stewart is an Irishman and the most bloodthirsty individual I
have come across. He used to complain bitterly because the Chitralis
wouldn't give us a fight every day. Then there was Luard, the Agency
Surgeon; we used to chaff him considerably during the march to Gupis, as
he turned up in a Norfolk jacket and a celluloid collar. I think he had
sent his kit on to Gupis; at any rate, after that place he dressed in
Khaki uniform like the rest of us. These were all who started from
Gilgit, so I'll introduce the others as we pick them up.
CHAPTER II
THE MARCH BEGINS
Colonel Kelly assumed command on the 22nd March, and the next morning
the first detachment of two hundred Pioneers, under Borradaile, marched
off. The local Bible, commonly known as the Gazetteer, states that it
never rains in Gilgit; this being so, it naturally started to rain on
the morning of the 23rd, and kept it up for two days. We were marching
without tents, so the first night the men had to run up their waterproof
sheets into shelters.
Colonel Kelly, Luard, and myself started about 2 P.M. to catch up the
troops, who had started about 9 A.M. Luard had a beast of a pulling
pony, and as his double bridle hadn't got a curb chain, it was about as
much use as a headache, so I suggested he should let the pony rip, and
promised to bury his remains if he came a cropper. He took my advice and
ripped; you couldn't see his pony's heels for dust as he disappeared
across the plain. We found him all right in camp when we got there.
The men were already in camp, and pretty comfortable, in spite of the
rain. Colonel Kelly had a small tent, and the rest of us turned into
convenient cow-sheds. We were not troubled with much baggage, bedding,
greatcoats, and a change of clothing; the men had poshteens (sheepskin
coats), and everybody pleased themselves in the matter of boots, most of
us preferring chuplies--a native kind of sandal with a leather sock, a
very good article in snow, as you can put on any number of socks without
stopping the circulation of blood in your feet. Officers and men were
all provided with goggles, and very necessary they were.
We had a very jolly mess. The force being so small, the 32nd Pioneers
kindly asked the remaining officers to mess with them, every man of
course providing his own plate, knife, fork, and spoon, the cooking pots
being collected for the general good. We had breakfast before starting,
the hour for marching being 7 A.M. as a rule. The Pioneers had some
most excellent bacon; good eggs and bacon will carry a man through a
long day most successfully. I remember that when that bacon gave out,
there was more mourning than over all the first-born of Egypt. Mutton we
never ran out of; like the poor, it was always with us.
We got into camp as a rule some time in the afternoon, and then indulged
in tea and chupatties; whisky was precious, and kept for dinner, which
took place at dusk. Sometimes, when we got into camp late, dinner and
tea were merged into one; however, it made no odds, we were always ready
to eat when anything eatable came along. The mess provided some camp
tables, and most of us managed to bring a camp stool, so we were in the
height of luxury. After dinner a pipe or two, and then we turned in; we
generally managed to get some grass to put under our blankets, but if we
didn't, I don't think it made much difference; we were all young, and
used to sleeping out on the hillside after game, frequently above the
snow line, so it was no new experience. If it rained or was cold, we
generally managed to get into a hut; these are remarkably strongly
built, good stone walls, and thick, flat, wooden roofs with a mud
covering, a hole in the middle of the floor for the fire, and a hole in
the roof for the smoke--at least that was what we supposed was the idea,
but the smoke generally preferred to remain inside.
There were also other discomforts of a minor nature. For instance, the
cows and goats used to take it as a personal matter if you objected to
their sharing the room with you; they were big enough, however, to catch
and turn out, but there were other occupants of a more agile nature,
armies of them, whom it was hopeless to try and eject; we suffered so
much from their pleasing attentions that we generally preferred to sleep
outside, weather permitting.
Our second march was to a village called Suigal in the Punyal district,
governed by Raja Akbar Khan, a jolly old chap who came out to meet us on
the road; he lives in a castle on the left bank of the river, which is
here crossed by one of the highest and longest rope bridges in the
country. In spite of his size, he is a very good polo player, as are all
his family, some of whom were shut up in the Chitral Fort with Dr.
Robertson. He now offered his services and those of his people to
Government, which Colonel Kelly accepted, and the old man retired very
pleased, to rejoin us later on. At Suigal we managed to get all the
troops under shelter, as it was still raining, and it was now the second
day that they had been wet through.
The next day the rain had luckily stopped, and towards noon the sun came
out, and everybody's dampened spirits cheered up. We marched that day to
Hoopar Pari, making a double march instead of halting at Gurkuch. Pari
means a cliff--and the camping ground is a horrid little place shut in
by high cliffs close to the bed of the river. There is no village near.
It is a desolate place at the best of times, and when there is any wind
blowing, it is like camping in a draught-pipe.
From Hoopar Pari we marched to Gupis. Gupis is a fort built by the
Kashmir troops last year, on the most scientific principle, the only
drawback being that it is commanded on all sides, and would be perfectly
untenable if attacked by three men and a boy armed with accurate
long-range rifles. Here we picked up Stewart, who was turning catherine
wheels at the thought of taking his beloved guns into action. He
expressed a desire to try a few shells on the neighbouring villages, to
practise his men in ranging; but as there were objections to this plan,
the idea was allowed to drop. At Gupis we made a raid on the stores in
the officers' quarters and pretty well cleared them out. De Vismes, who
took command, had to get a fresh supply up from Gilgit.
[Illustration: A "Pari" on the road to Gupis.]
We had a merry dinner that night, provided, I think, by Stewart, who
used to get up at intervals and dance a jig at the idea of seeing his
guns the next morning--they were coming on with the second detachment
under Peterson. From Gupis I sent my pony back to Gilgit, as it was
useless taking it any farther, as we doubted being able to take animals
over the pass, which eventually proved to be impossible. From Gupis
onwards we had to be content with the usual hill track of these
countries, good enough for a country pony, but still nothing to be proud
of; here we discarded our Government mules, and took coolie transport
instead. The march from Gupis to Dahimal is a long, trying one, up and
down all the way. Cobbe, who was on rearguard, didn't get in till long
after dark.
The village of Dahimal lies on the opposite bank of the river, so we did
not cross, but bivouacked on the right bank, where there was some scrub
jungle that provided us with wood. The Pioneers had brought four ducks;
they were carried in a basket along with the mess-stores.
Browning-Smith, who ran the messing, got quite pally with these ducks,
and as soon as they were let out of their basket, he used to call them,
and off they would waddle after him in search of a convenient puddle. I
forget when those ducks were eaten, but I don't remember them at Ghizr,
and am sure they didn't cross the pass.
Our next march was a short one to Pingal, only about nine miles. Here we
were met by Mihrbhan Shah, the Hakim or governor of the upper part of
the valley. Mihrbhan Shah is a bit of an authority in the murder line,
having been employed by the late lamented Nizam-ul-mulk as chief
murderer. Mihrbhan Shah is particularly proud of one of his little jobs,
which he flatters himself he accomplished in a very neat and artistic
manner. I forget the details, but it resulted in the death of five men.
I asked him in to afternoon tea, Shah Mirza acting as interpreter. We
had a long chat, from which I gained some very useful details about the
state of the parties in Chitral, who was likely to help, and who wasn't,
also a description of the road to Killa Drasan, which I did not know.
This latter information seemed so important that I reported it that
night to Colonel Kelly, and it was then and there decided to march _via_
Killa Drasan instead of by the usual road through Buni.
I don't, think I have mentioned Shah Mirza before, so I will introduce
him now, as he was one of our most useful allies, and is now one of my
greatest friends. He belongs to the Punyal family, and is Wazir or
governor of Sai and Gor. He lives at Damot, a village in the Sai valley,
opposite Bunji, and it was during my stay there that I first got to know
him. He has an interesting history, and, among other adventures, has
travelled through the Pamirs and Chitral in disguise. He was our chief
interpreter, and he, or one of his followers, of whom he had five,
always kept near us. His followers were enlisted Levies, and one of them
had formerly been my shikaree; in fact, he only left me as he was
called out as a levy.
It is the custom of the country for the headmen of districts to come and
pay their respects to any Sahib who may travel through their country,
and the proper etiquette is to supply your visitors with tea and
sweetmeats--biscuits will do just as well, and they like plenty of
sugar. They then pay you the most barefaced compliments, and make the
startling assertion that you are their father and mother; upon which you
reply that all you have is at their disposal. If they have any
petition,--and they generally have,--they insinuate it gently in the
general conversation, so you have to be looking out for traps of this
sort. When you have suffered sufficient evil for the day, you mildly
suggest that they are probably fatigued, and would like to rest. They
take the hint, and the remainder of the biscuits, and depart. We used to
have lots of these visits, which went by the name of "political teas."
Mihrbhan Shah proved very useful to us, I fancy he knew he would get
small mercy if he fell into the hands of the opposition, and therefore
did all he could to place our force between them and himself. Both at
Pingal and our next halting place, Cheshi, he managed to billet all our
small force in the villages, and no doubt our men were very thankful as
we were getting pretty high up, and the nights were decidedly cold.
Although it was a friendly district, we had regular pickets and
sentries, and a British officer on duty to see everything was correct.
CHAPTER III
THE SHANDUR PASS
Shortly after leaving Pingal, the character of the country changed
considerably, and instead of a continual alternation of cliff and river
bed, the valley became more open and level; we were, in fact, nearing
the upper end of the valley. Beyond Cheshi the road leads up a bluff and
down the other side on to the bed of the Pandur Lake. This lake had, at
the beginning of 1894, been a sheet of water some four and a half miles
long, but, the dam at its end having given way in July, it had drained
off rapidly; and when I had crossed it in November of the same year, the
mud of its bed was only just becoming firm and was cracked and fissured
in every direction. It was now covered with a sheet of snow, through
which the river twined dark and muddy.
We had now reached the snow line, and our green goggles were taken into
use. The march of our column churned the snow and mud into a greasy
slime, and the going was very tiring. However, we came in sight of the
Ghizr post by 2 P.M., and Gough, of the 2nd Gurkhas, who was in command,
came out to meet us. From him we learned that none of his messengers
that had been sent to Mastuj with letters had returned, and it was now
some ten days since the last communication had reached him; so it became
evident that the enemy were between Laspur and Mastuj. We knew that they
had not crossed the pass, or we should have seen them before this, so we
were pretty hopeful of a fight soon after crossing the pass, and we were
not disappointed. At Ghizr we also found Oldham, a Sapper subaltern, who
had preceded us by a few days. He had with him a party of Kashmir
Sappers and Miners, who were now armed with Snider carbines. The post,
which consisted of a block of isolated houses, had been fortified and
surrounded with a thorn zareba, and was only sufficiently large for the
garrison of Kashmir troops then holding it, so our men were billeted in
the neighbouring houses, one of which we turned into a mess and quarters
for ourselves.
We halted on the 30th March, in order to allow the second detachment of
the Pioneers and the guns to come up, as from here Colonel Kelly
intended to march in one column. Here also we picked up the Hunza and
Nagar Levies, numbering a hundred men, under their own leaders. They
were posted in the village of Teru, some four miles up the valley, and
from there could give timely warning if any hostile force crossed the
pass. Wazir Humayun led the Hunza crowd, and Wazir Taifu the Nagar. I
got to know Humayun very well indeed, and a right good sort he is. He
had formerly lived for some five years in Chitral, when Raja Safdar Ali
Khan of Hunza had made things too hot for him, but when Safdar Ali fled
when we took the country in 1891-92, he was reinstated. Wazir Taifu I
did not get to know so well, as the Nagar Levies were left behind at
Mastuj, when we went on from there to Chitral. The second detachment
under Peterson, and the guns with Stewart, got into camp some time
after midday on the 31st March.
In the meantime, every available coolie and pony had been collected, and
we calculated on being able to start the next morning, with ten days'
rations for the whole force. By 6 A.M. on the 1st April the troops had
fallen in and were ready to start, and a nice handy little lot we had.
Four hundred Pioneers, two mountain guns, forty Kashmir Sappers and a
hundred Levies. Then the coolies were told to load up, and the trouble
began. It now appeared that some hundred coolies and ponies from Yasin
had bolted during the night. We had put too much faith in Mihrbhan
Shah's influence, and all those villagers who were not directly under
his government had gone. Those hundred coolies meant the transport of
our supplies, and without them we should only have the food actually
carried in the men's haversacks. We had cut down our baggage to the
vanishing point, and the men were carrying all they could, and we did
not dare leave our reserve ammunition behind.
The column had just moved off when this state of things became known and
was reported to me. Colonel Kelly was at the head of the column, so I
snatched the nearest pony, tumbled its load on to the ground, and went
scrambling through the snow after the troops. Of course there was
nothing to be done except halt the column until the coolies could be
collared and brought back, so Stewart, who had a battery pony with him,
was sent off down the road after the absconding coolies. They must have
started the evening before, as he only caught a few of them up fifteen
miles back, and had great difficulty in bringing them along with him. We
met him as we were returning to Ghizr at seven o'clock that evening.
Stewart had scarcely gone ten minutes before some fifty coolies were
found hiding in a village; they were soon driven out and made to lift
their loads. This gave us some six days' rations, and with it we moved
off, our great object being to get across the pass and open
communications with Mastuj. After that we could see about getting on to
Chitral. Our transport consisted of country ponies and coolies, and I
remained behind to see the last off and rearguard moving before I
started myself.
About two miles from Ghizr post there was a steep ascent where the road
twisted and curled among a mass of debris fallen from the cliffs above,
and in one place the ponies had to be helped through a narrow passage
between two fallen boulders. About midday I caught up the tail of the
troops, who were already past the village of Teru, the highest inhabited
spot in the valley; there are only a few houses, and these are scattered
about in clumps a few hundred yards apart. Passing on, I caught up the
battery, and reached the leading infantry, when suddenly the word to
halt was passed down the long line.