Sunday, June 3^rd 1900

After an interval of nine months, I now take up my pen just to write a few lines to finish the book up. We left Kuldanna about the 30^th October and went to Abbottabad on exercises instead of proceeding to England where I though I should be by this time, but it was not my luck, although I think I am much better off here than in South Africa where our 1^st battalion is. The march to Abbottabad was on the whole an easy one, distance about 30 miles and through some splendid mountain scenery. We stopped there about a week doing mountain warfare against the Gurkhars. We arrived in West Ridge, Rawal Pindi about the 15^th November.

Christmas passed over very quiet, doing field days and spring drills. The battalion went out under canvass for a week or more in March. I stopped behind and done duty at the depot. I was warned for orderly corporal of the attached section when the S L I went to Gharial last May, Four corporals of ours went to Upper Topa and the remainder came down here to Church Lines for duty. We have had very mild weather up to the present but it is beginning to get warm now in the afternoon, going to about 103 in the shade, although it is very cool at night. I think I will now close this little history of myself, hoping I shall soon be in England.

I remain, your obedient servant,

No 2284

A/c W G Skinner,

G Coy, 3^rd Rifle Brigade, Rawal Pindi, India.