men, however, receive their full ration of 1 lb meat; 1 lb. bread, or biscuit, rice, or flour; 4 ozs. sugar; tea, oz.; salt, oz.; potatoes or vegetables, 10 ozs.; rum, I dram; and the natives, attah, 2 lbs.; dhall, lb.; ghee, lb.; salt, oz.: while our horses are allowed, grain, 8 lbs., grass, 12 lbs.; and our mules, grain, 4 lbs., grass, 8 lbs. The commissariat arrangements work so well that these supplies are always ready for issue when the brigades arrive, and no man is kept waiting a moment for his daily ration. The length of our column is necessarily great, and yesterday it was computed to be six miles from van to rear.

CHAPTER V.

ON THE LINE OF MARCH WITH THE RELIEVING COLUMN.

Ghuzni, Aug. 15.

My last letter to you from our camp at Hissarak, in the Logar Valley, gave you, I believe, full details of the magnificent force now under General Roberts' command, and I can now supplement my account by telling you how admirably our hopes have been fulfilled as regards the marching powers of our men. Leaving Cabul on the 7th, our marches were through a smiling and fertile country, via Zargun Shahr, Hissarak, Shekhabad, Hyder Khel, Haftasia, and Shashgao. We crossed without difficulty the steep mountain ridge which closes in the southern end of the Logar Valley by the Zamburra Pass and the Wardek defile. Here the road becomes difficult, and we had some little delay with our mountain batteries; but fortunately we have no wheeled carriages, and all obstacles were surmounted. In specifying our force of mountain batteries, I omitted to tell you that we are fortunate in possessing in 6-8 some of the new 7-pounder 'jointed guns,' due to the invention of Colonel C. B. Le Mesurier, R.A. The ordinary mountain gun, you are no doubt aware, was limited in its weight to 200 lbs., and this limit enabled it to be carried by one mule; but Colonel Le Mesurier conceived the happy idea of increasing the length and weight of the weapon, by making the muzzle and brecch in two portions, to screw together by means of what is

called 'a trunnion hoop.' Each of these portions weighs about 200 lbs., and the gun can therefore be carried by a couple of mules.

General Roberts has impressed upon all ranks the necessity for strict rule and obedience on the line of march, and at every halt a careful inspection of men, horses, mules, and cattle, is made. Sore backs, footsores, galls, and accidents, are at once reported, and all ranks are divided into squads for greater convenience in issuing supplies and detecting casualties. The wisdom of choosing the Logar Valley route has been fully justified by our present rapid and successful advance, for had we marched by the Maidan and Argandab road we should have found great difficulties in obtaining supplies. Fortunate for us the autumn crops in the valley have been unusually fine, and the Indian corn especially, being well grown, has supplied us with plenty of green forage. As we have with us 8307 animals of all kinds, you can imagine what an important element is forage and grain. The ordinary rate of marching in Europe is allowed to be not more than two and a quarter miles an hour-this, of course, to include short halts at the end of each hour-but, from the calculations I have made, I see that our average has been within a fraction of three miles an hour, which, considering the heat, is, to say the least, wonderful. For a division of all arms, again, it is laid down that twelve or fifteen miles a-day is a fair march; but we have exceeded this, as our average has been sixteen miles a-day. As Sir Frederick's division numbers 274 British officers, 2562 British troops, 7157 native troops, in all 9993 men, the daily supply in round numbers, on our full rations, comes to no less than 70 country sheep, 900 4 lb. loaves,

L

or 25 cwt. of biscuit, besides rice, sugar, tea, salt, and vegetables. These commissariat difficulties, however, have been gallantly overcome by the energy of our supply officers and the exertions of the native Gomastahs, or commissariat agents, sent on from village to village by the Ameer. In case of accident, however, and to insure men and animals not missing their rations, each man and each animal has always carried one day's supply. These rations are consumed during the day, and replaced at every evening's halt. But we are not, of course, dependent upon the villages for our supplies, as we carry with us plenty of cases of cooked corned beef, 28 tins in a box, weighing 1 lb. 10 ozs. each, plain boiled beef in boxes of 12 tins of 4 lbs. each, preserved potatoes in boxes of two tins, 56 lbs. each, compressed vegetables, in boxes of three tins, 16 lbs. each, and rock cocoa in boxes of 56 lbs.

Nothing can exceed the beauty of the Logar Valley, and many were the artistic sketches made by our fellows at our various halts. The views on either side of the Logar River were charmingly varied. The moisture of the climate and the nature of the soil concur in preserving a perpetual verdure most refreshing to the eye, after the dusty and parched regions we had quitted. Even at the hottest period of the day, and when the sun poured down with so fierce a light that it seemed as if its scorching influence were sufficient to dry up every blade of grass, the whole earth seemed covered with a rich carpet; while the moment the sun sets a refreshing coolness fills the air, and our eyes revel upon the richest luxuriance. The diversity occasioned by the wood, sometimes in small clumps, sometimes spreading to groves, and at others thickening into forests, and at all

times profusely scattered, takes away all monotony from the scene. The banks of the Logar are in some places so high, especially at some of the sharper angles of the stream, that they assume the character of promontories, and most of these are wooded to the top. Nothing, I repeat, can exceed the beauty of the foliage which waves over this favoured valley; the bamboo, flinging its long branches down with willow-like grace, the varied species of palms rising in regal majesty above, and the fine feathery foliage of both, relieved by the bright masses of the neem, the peepul, and a host of others, many bearing flowers of a thousand dyes. The magnolia is common in the valley, and amidst a vast number of the acacia tribe there is one of peculiar beauty called the Cabool. It is covered with a flower tufted like a ball of a golden colour, which gives out so delicious a perfume, that one will scent a whole garden. Here and there the summits of the more striking elevations are crowned by mosques or tombs of some Afghan hero. Most of these buildings have the round flattened dome usual with Mussulman temples, while the stairs, which are very handsome, are not unfrequently strewn from top to bottom with fresh flowers of the most beautiful description. Long garlands of the Afghan jessamine, a large, white, double blossom, with a rich but heavy perfume, or of a large scarlet or yellow flower, hang over the rails, as these followers of Mahomet have so far adopted the custom of their heathen neighbours as to spread flowers upon the tombs of their departed friends.

At five o'clock on the morning of the 10th I accompanied General Roberts, with his escort of 50 Lancers, in advance of the cavalry brigade, from Zargun Shahr