140 A VORACIOUS CALF. 



mains of which he produced. On learning 

 what had occurred I certainly was in a fury, 

 and informed the Moonshee that I should get 

 him dismissed from his situation. The poor 

 fellow, however, assured me that he would 

 procm^e me another hoondee from the Sahokar, 

 within three days, in exchange for the half- 

 masticated remnants that were retm-ned to him ; 

 and as my ire subsided, I overlooked the 

 offence, considering that the Meer was himself 

 most of any one to blame for allowing such 

 laxity of practice in all departments of his 

 Government. The Moonshee, moreover, kept 

 his word, and Sawun Mull, the Sahokar, very 

 honourably sent me a fresh hoondee, so I was 

 no loser by the accident. I was told, however, 

 that it was not the first occurrence of the kind, 

 and that on one occasion a packet containing 

 a cashmere shawl was swallowed by the same 

 devouring monster, not a vestige of the shawl, 

 however, remaining in proof of the assertion. I 

 confess, however, that /could hardly stvallow this, 

 though the calf had the credit of having done 

 so by the packet. The Dawk in Sindli travels 

 faster than the generality of Dawks in India, 

 but the deputy postmasters at stations are very 



