the Northern Parts of British India. 285 
A few days ayo the ice was half an inch thick: it is now 
more. The natives coming from Bengal cannot kee 
themselves warm. Cold unhinges them completely. We 
have a good deal of hunting and shooting, which warms 
us. We now and then enjoy tiger shooting. Three im- 
mense animals have already been destroyed in the course of 
as many wecks. I inclose four hairs of a tiger’s whiskers. 
 ] never till Jately had an opportunity of ascertaining the 
truth of the porcupines shooting their prickles or quills. 
Being one moon-light night with a party in search of por- 
cupines with dogs, we had not been long out ere we de- 
seried a hole inhabited by these quadrupeds. A dog was 
immediately put to it. The animal had not gone in many 
-paces, when he howled and retreated with several quills in 
his body. One in particular was driven an inch into his 
right leg. The porcupine on the approach of the dog 
drew itself into the shape of a ball like a hedge-hog, and 
eesee forward with all its strength threw its quills into the 
og*. 
“ Jt bas certainly been generally found much more difficult 
to guard against the sensation of great cold, than of great 
heat. It is singular, but nevertheless true, that in the hot 
season here, though the winds be scorchingly hot, the 
bungalows may be made even too cool, by tallies, to sit in. 
These tallies are made of kus, which is a hight brown root, 
dug out of the earth, about a foot and a half long and a 
foot broad. This is split, and put into a frame made of 
bamboos, so as to fit the doors, and constantly watered. 
The wind driving furiously against these tallies, produces a 
most refreshing cool breeze. Jooaga is another root of 
which tallies are made. It is of a lively-coloured green. 
When made into tallies, and watered, it diffuses a pleasing 
scent through the bungalow, besides being a relief to the 
eye; which all must own to be gratifying, when they are 
* There are several species of the porcupine, This was no doubt the 
Hystrix Indica; the body of which is about two feet long, and in height 
abouf two feet and a half. It is covered with spinz or prickles, some of 
them nine or ten inches long, and about a quarter of an inch thick; which 
the animal can erect or let down at pleasure. When irritated he beats the 
ground with his hinder feet, shakes his tail, and rattles his quills. All au- 
thors before Count Buffon assert that the porcupine, when irritated, darts 
his quills to a considerable distance against the enemy, and that he will thus 
kill very large animals. This the Count thinks a mistake, as he had re- 
eatedly irritated him without producing any other effect than that of some 
oose quills being shaken off. But this letter seems decisive against the 
Count, and in favour of the old naturalists.. Buffon’s experiments were 
made on the Jtalian porcupine, with smaller but shorter bristles than the 
Jadian porcupine, 
told 
