68 SAMBHALPUR BISON NEPAL 



I had taken the precaution to write that when 

 I was on a shooting expedition my ambition was 

 to be, not a member of the Government of India, but 

 a plain shikari. I said that all I wanted was a 

 very small tent, the plainest possible food, and that 

 I never drank anything but a little weak brandy- 

 and-water. I found a bandobast prepared con- 

 sisting of thirty-three elephants, fourteen camels, 

 and numberless bullock waggons of every sort and 

 kind. The dining- tent would have done well for 

 the presentation of prizes at athletic sports one 

 tent was big enough for six, and mine big enough 

 for three. The whole thing made me feel very 

 miserable and, I fear, excessively irritable; the 

 food and drink arrangements might have been 

 run by the Savoy. 



The result of all this was that we frequently 

 did not get our dinner till well into the night; 

 that on more than one occasion we parted company 

 with half our transport, and that it was impossible 

 ever to start either early or even punctually. 



One of our difficulties was everyone's entire 

 ignorance of the localities in which we were 

 supposed to shoot. 



I think after this I need hardly add that we had 

 very poor sport. What made it all especially an- 

 noying was that we were in close touch with 

 tigers the whole time. I have little hesitation 

 in saying that had I been alone, I should have 

 brought back more than one tiger skin. 



On the other hand, there were redeeming 

 features about the expedition. The country to 

 me was of immense interest. The people especially 

 attracted me; but what appealed to me most I 



