75 



The most ridiculous instance of this impatience of camels I have 

 ever seen, was at an inspection of that well known regiment Ross' 

 Camel corps, by a, General on whom I was in attendance as a Staff 

 officer. 



The corps consisting, if I remember right, of four troops of one 

 hundred men each, two of British soldiers picked, I believe, prin- 

 cipally from the Rifle Brigade and two of Seikhs, the most warlike 

 race in India, was a sight to gladden the eye of any man proud of 

 being a soldier. They were drawn up in column and dismounted, 

 with their four hundred camels also in column of troops seated, each 

 animal with its driver, about one hundred yards to a flank. 



The ordinary Infantry inspection being over, the men were 

 ordered to file to their camels, which up to this time had been sitting 

 most demurely and to all appearance quite unconscious of what was 

 to take place ; as the men approached, each camel pricked up its 

 head in great excitement, and looked most ludicrously like a gigan- 

 tic turkey. 



The men having taken post and " Prepare to mount" being 

 ordered, the anxiety of the animals increased fifty-fold, and almost 

 every one of the four hundred commenced that wonderful and hor- 

 rible turkey-like gobble, all camels delight in, the uproar increased 

 at the word " Mount" and continued until the Commandant on 

 seeing every man in his place, ordered the " Rise" when in a second 

 every animal returned to its normal state of quiet. 



Although these are merely notes on Natural History, I trust that 

 I may be excused, remarking that the corps I saw that morning 

 came nearer to my beau ideal for soldiers on service than any I 

 have seen before or since. 



I cannot pass over a remarkable instance which occurred that 

 morning, of what every sportsman must have observed in one way or 

 another ; color in dress of men, animals and ground almost per- 

 fectly corresponding with each other. 



The time was during the mutiny, and the Division was in the 

 field ; the " camels" had just joined our force from, I think, Agra, 

 but for some reason, now forgotten, had been halted some miles 



