CHITRAL AND THE N.W. FRONTIER CAMPAIGN. 472 Held by a garrison of about 300 menandarmed with Maxim guns, there was no fear that the fort could hold out for some time to come. General Meiklejohnfor the present devoted his attention to holding the Malakand Pass, which he felt sure would be attacked again as soon as darkness fell. Heevacuated theNorthCamp, concentrating his brigade, about 2,800 strong, at the Crater Camp and preparing the lines of the surrounding ridges for defence. A small detachment ofcavalry was sent off to Chakdara, and by a plucky ride got through the enemy's so heavily,that the generalresolved to call out a reinforcement of ioo fresh men from the fort. Lieutenant Rawlins,withan escort of threemen, slipped through theenemy,and,after a skirmish on the way, reached the fort and brought the reinforcements back. Towards morning the enemy's fire gradually slackened, andbefore the sun rose theyhad retreated,carryingoff all their wounded and most of their dead. But forty dead bodies were found in the lines, and many of these were recognised as men who used to come daily to the camp, selling firewood,milk, IN VIEW OF K0HAT.

eggs, and other produce. The losses of the garrison were heavy. A British officer and a non-commissioned officer had been killed, and five British officers wounded (two of them mortally). Of the native troops twenty-one were killedand thirty-one wounded, so that the total of the casualties amounted to fifty-nine. The tribesmen capturedand carried away about 10,000rounds of ammunition,a very serious loss to the garrison and a substantial gain for the insurrection.

A reconnaissance sent out towards Chakdara in the morning of the 27th ascertained that there was an army of some thousands of the tribesmen in the Swat Valley, and that they were blockading the fort at Chakdara bridge.

lines. At the same time the General sent oft urgent requests for reinforcements. The first of these, the Guides' Infantry, arrived early in the evening, after a forced march of thirty-two miles.

About half-past eight in the evening the second battle began,but the tribesmen who had suffered severely in their first attempt did not press the attack so vigorously. Their solitarysuccess during the night was the forcing back of an advanced post. They burned the abandoned huts of the North Camp after looting them. At dawn a vigorous counter-attack by the 24th Punjaubis under Lieutenant Climo drove the enemy down the slopes towards Khar. They lest ninety dead on the hillside. Costello was