DEPARTURE FROM KOTREE. 99 



that we were obliged to leave some of our bag- 

 gage to follow on camels. In fact there was 

 barely room on deck for the passengers to lie 

 down at night, but as the weather was bitterly 

 cold, the crowded state of the boat was of com- 

 paratively little importance. 



We quitted Kotree on the morning of the 

 29th December, having dropped some of our 

 passengers at Hyderabad. The Jlielum steamer 

 with troops was half a day's steaming ahead, 

 and the Frere^ with the Fusiliers, started just 

 after the Nimrod ; we soon, however, outstripj^ed 

 the larger vessel, which had a flat in tow. The 

 mouth of the Fullailee, in which the glorious 

 battle of Meeanee was fought, was pointed out 

 as we steamed raj)idly along, passing numerous 

 boats of great size, laden with Government 

 stores and mess supplies, that were slowly 

 making their way against the stream, whilst 

 others heavily laden with grain or other goods 

 for exportation were dropping down the river. 

 The form of these vessels has probably not un- 

 dergone nmch change since the days of Near- 

 chus, and most unwieldy affairs do they appear. 

 The boat in common use for transport on the 

 Lower Indus, says Captain Postans, is the 



