COLONEL ERASERS CAMP. 253 



reminded one of a French /aire part. None of these 

 ladies had the least pretension to good looks, and their 

 lips and teeth were disfigured and stained black by the 

 horrible habit of chewing betel-nut, in which all native 

 women indulge. 



We sent back our Kashmir servants to-day, and had 

 quite an affecting parting from them. Khaira and the 

 bheestie were almost reduced to tears. The former has 

 lately constituted himself my palette boy, and takes 

 a personal interest in my sketches, frequently giving 

 me the benefit of his advice and criticism. He is going 

 straight back to the Kashmir he so often talks about, but 

 to which he now shows a strange reluctance to return. 

 The "man of the world" stays with us, and says in a 

 resigned voice " He fears he will suffer much from the heat." 



January 21st. — Colonel Fraser is making a short tour 

 of inspection through the State, and has asked us to 

 accompany him. His tents were sent on yesterday to a 

 place about fourteen miles from here, and at seven 

 o'clock this morning we started to ride to the camp. We 

 arrived about ten, and found it very different from our 

 own little Kashmir encampment. Besides a large dining- 

 tent, and another larger one for a drawing-room, sach 

 of us had a tent twenty feet square, as comfortably 

 furnished as a bedroom at home. Colonel Fraser has 

 also a durbar and office-tent, and there are many more 



