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it needs not, therefore, that I should make further comment on it. Poor Bartley is dead now, and although he was beloved and revered as a father, by the whole regiment, none of them can regret him more than I do. Poor Robinson, who attended me so constantly and kindly, and who, with God's assistance, was the principal cause of my recovery, is also now no more. He was a very old assistant surgeon, and was appointed shortly after my illness, as full surgeon of the 9th, and died while with that corps at Chinsurah, of cholera.

When I began to get out a little, I experienced the utmost kindness from the officers; they all seemed like a set of brothers; a more pleasant or united corps it never has been my luck to fall in with. They have lately distinguished themselves very much in China, and with such a commanding officer, and such a feeling as there was throughout the regiment, it never could be otherwise.

I remained at Hazareebaug about a month, when being convalescent, and anxious to join my own regiment, I took leave of my kind friends, and having bought a palanquin, and laid a dâk, started on my journey one evening, and arrived at Dinapore on the second day afterwards. This dak travelling is very easy, and, when the journey is not long, not unpleasant, although some people

DAK TRAVELLING.

61

exclaim bitterly against it. It must certainly be exceedingly disagreeable to those who cannot sleep in a palanquin, and this is a general complaint; while on the contrary, I have always found it exceedingly difficult to keep awake. When about to make a journey of this kind, application is made to the post-master of the station, whence it is intended to depart. This must be done some days before the intended journey, as he has to send letters to the head men at all the stages on the route, to warn them to have in readiness eight bearers for the palanquin, one or two torch bearers, and as many banghy burdars as are ordered. These banghy burdars carry two petarrahs* in slings, at each end of a bamboo, and run along-side the palkee. Of course, their number is determined by the quantity of baggage to be carried. People seldom take more than a few clothes, and plates, and dishes, with eatables sufficient for the journey. Two are, therefore, the usual number accompanying each palanquin. When the dâk is properly managed, they time the progress of the traveller so exactly, that the bearers are always found waiting at the appointed places; and they relieve the old bearers, and trot away with the palanquin with scarcely any delay. When a stage is completed, the relieved

* Small boxes.

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DAK TRAVELLING.

The

bearers expect a small present for themselves, in addition to the expenses of the dak, which must always be paid beforehand to the post-master. The amount of buxees is determined by the manner in which they have carried the traveller on their stage. They generally get eight annas,* four annas, or nothing, according to their pace. set of eight bearers, which is the regular number, continually relieve each other on the road, as only four at once carry the palanquin. The usual rate of this mode of travelling is three and a half miles an hour, day and night, and costs about eighteenpence a mile.

On arrival at Dinapore, I was very kindly received by all the officers of my regiment, who, from the accounts they had heard of my illness, never expected to see me there. I was still very weak, and the commanding officer kindly informed me, that I need not do duty until I had recovered my strength. I dined at the mess the day I arrived, and as I was still quite bald, my head having been shaved during my illness, I have no doubt I was the most singular looking recruit that had joined the regiment for some time.

* An anna is of the value of three-halfpence English money,

DINAPORE.

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CHAPTER IV.

Sporting at Dinapore-Snipe shooting-Tiger huntingIndigo planters at Tirhoot-Anecdote of a lion-A tiger hunter in an unpleasant situation-Jungle fowl-Runaway elephants-Jungle bees-Catching wild elephants— Sagacity of elephants-Hog hunting-A pig-sticking griff-Bobbery pack-Treatment of dogs and horsesSyces and grass-cutters-Horse-dealers-Races-Sailing on the Ganges-Anecdotes-Sporting griffs, &c.

DINAPORE is a very bad station, very hot, and but little shooting in the vicinity. There is a jheel, however, on the opposite side of the river in which I have bagged a good many snipe. In case any of my readers should ever be stationed there, I should recommend them to cross the river opposite the church, and after passing a nullah* which lies about a mile inland to continue their route straightforward for about five miles, when they will find another nullah, with rushes on each side. Let them turn up the left bank of this, and shooting their way about three miles, cross the nullah, which is not, in some * A small river.

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places, more than three or four feet deep, and shoot back on the opposite side. It is not a first rate snipe jheel, but a good shot may make a very fair bag during this walk-from fifteen to sixteen brace. Beyond this nullah again, about a mile, there are some small jheels, which generally are full of snipe; but they are not extensive. They may be shot over in about two hours. I used generally to leave them alone until I had beaten both sides of the nullah, and then adjourned thither to finish my day, and these jheels being the haunt of all the snipes which are driven from the first place, they were then very plentiful. But although Dinapore has no good shooting close at hand, it is a station most favourably situated for the tiger shooter, being not more than ninety or a hundred miles from the Terai, where the best tiger shooting in India is to be had. It is of no use to go out after tigers until, the hot weather having commenced, most of the jheels and ponds of water left by the rains are dried up.

Tigers are naturally of a hot constitution, and the quantity of flesh which they devour makes them more susceptible of thirst than most other animals. While these pools and jheels are full, therefore, the tigers are dispersed all over the country; but when they become dried up, it is only necessary to beat the jungle in the vicinity of nullahs, or