With Kelly to ChitralBeynon, William George Laurence, Sir
History
With Kelly to Chitral
Beynon, William George Laurence, Sir
India -- History -- Chitral Campaign, 1895
The bridge would not be ready for some two hours at earliest, so
Colonel Kelly sent me on to reconnoitre the Goland Gol, which we
expected the enemy to hold. I kicked my pony into a gallop and hurried
forward.
About a quarter of a mile farther on, I saw one of the road-bearing
beams of the destroyed bridge which had stranded on the opposite bank,
and sent back a note describing where it could be found.
Another quarter of a mile brought me up to the Punyal Levies, who were
already reconnoitring the spurs where the army were supposed to be; but
after a careful look through my glasses, we came to the conclusion that
there was no enemy, and again advanced. We reached the Goland Gol, which
is a narrow nullah running up into the hills on the left bank of the
river, the sides being impracticable for several miles, and down the
centre of which rushes a mountain torrent, the road to Chitral crossing
this latter, just before it flows into the Yarkhun river, by means of a
bridge. This bridge we found destroyed, but I sent half the Levies
across by fording the stream a hundred yards higher up, and made them
occupy the ridge on the far side, and put the remainder on to repair
the bridge. I also gave my pony and a note to one of the levies, whom I
sent back with a report to Colonel Kelly, who, on receiving it, had work
on the other bridge knocked off, as it was no longer wanted.
We hunted for the beams of the Goland Gol bridge, which we found jammed
in the stream a short way down, only one out of the four being smashed,
and soon had them back in their places. Then we laid a roadway of boards
from a hut near, and filled up the holes with branches, and had the
bridge ready before the advance guard arrived. I sent back word, and
then crossed the stream and joined the remainder of the Levies on the
farther side. Here I found several sangars which covered the approaches
to the bridge, and soon had them down, and then went on to the village
of Khogazi, which was about a mile ahead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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