With Kelly to Chitral | Page 9

at that time of year is impassable. From this stream to
Langar, the camping ground on the eastern side of the Shandur Pass, is
some four miles, the valley being open and fairly level, but covered
with thick dwarf willow on the banks of the stream flowing down the
centre which confines the road to the western side of the valley. The
main body of the party I could see about one and a half miles ahead;
they had already crossed the stream. That was about 4 P.M., and the
rearguard did not get into camp till 11 P.M., and even then the guns had
to be left about a mile from camp.
At Langar there is only one little wretched hut about six feet square,
which was used as a shelter by the officers and one or two sick men,

the remainder huddling round fires in the snow. Luckily, as I have
already said, there was a plentiful supply of wood to be had for the
cutting. Many of the men, I hear, were too tired to cook their food, but
simply lay down exhausted near the fires, the officers getting
something to eat about midnight. Very little sleep was there for either
officers or men that night, most of them passed it huddled up round the
fires, or stamping up and down to keep warm.
Early the next morning the Pioneers and Levies started to cross the pass,
while the remainder brought the guns into camp, which work, I believe,
took the best part of the day.
On leaving the camping ground, the track leads sharply to the right,
following the course of the Shandur stream, which is now merely a
rushing brook. The ascent is fairly precipitous for about a mile, and is
followed by a very gradual ascent,--so gradual, in fact, that it is difficult
to say when the top of the pass is actually reached. This slope
constitutes the pass, and is some five miles long, and twelve thousand
three hundred and twenty feet above the sea; absolutely bare of trees,
and with two fair-sized lakes upon its surface, it is easy to imagine the
deadly cold winds that sweep across it. The lakes were now frozen over,
and the valley was one even sheet of spotless snow lying dazzling
under the sun. It is this combination of sun and snow which causes so
much discomfort and snow blindness; I had before crossed this same
pass in December on a cloudy day, and although the whole of it was
covered with freshly fallen snow, I did not even find it necessary to
wear the goggles I had in my pocket ready for use.
[Illustration: The Shandur Pass.]
The distance from Langar on the east to the village of Laspur on the
west of the pass is not more than ten miles, yet Borradaile's party,
leaving Langar at daybreak, did not reach Laspur till seven o'clock at
night.
Strange as it may seem, the men suffered greatly from thirst, and from
some mistaken idea of becoming violently ill if they did so, they
refused to eat the snow through which they were floundering. Towards

evening, as they reached the western end of the pass, three men,
evidently an outpost of the enemy, were seen to bolt from behind some
rocks and make good their escape, in spite of an attempt by the Levies
to catch them.
The descent from the pass to the village of Laspur is some two miles
long, and down a steep and rather narrow ravine. The Hunza Levies
covered the spurs on each side, while the Pioneers descended down the
centre. So sudden and unexpected was their arrival that the inhabitants
were caught in the village, and naturally expressed their extreme
delight at this unexpected visit--so polite of them, wasn't it? They also
said that they would be glad to help us in any way we desired. They
were taken at their word, and sent back next day to bring on the guns,
while that night they were politely requested to clear out of some of
their houses, which were quickly put into a state of defence and
occupied by our troops. Supplies were also required of the village.
The next day was spent by the detachment in completing the defences,
and collecting supplies and coolies. Towards evening a report was
brought in that the enemy had collected to the number of about a
hundred some three miles away. So Borradaile took out some of the
men to reconnoitre. Some men were seen in the distance, but these the
Levies declared to be only villagers, and as it was getting dusk, the
party returned to camp, only then learning that a levy had been taken
prisoner. The man had gone some distance ahead of