THE BAGGAGE. 109 



They all received a month's pay in advance, with a 

 thick, coarse, country blanket, and as they mustered 

 in front of the bungalow, I thought I had never 

 seen a more likely-looking set of fellows for the 

 work. Our next step was to procure a couple of 

 " purwanahs," or letters of authority — one from the 

 civil powers, and the other from the Teeree rajah — 

 without which we might have been subject to much 

 inconvenience in procuring supplies. The vakeel 

 of the rajah also sent us one of his peons to enforce 

 every assistance, and he proved a very useful fellow 

 in coercing the Brahmin and Rajpoot mookias, or 

 head men of villages, who, for the most part, are 

 an apathetic set of scoundrels, that do as little as 

 they can to assist travellers. 



Our baggage consisted of a good-sized routee, or 

 hill tent, which, slung on the portable bridge, was 

 easily carried by four men, two small scouting tents, 

 somewhat resembling the tentes (Tahri of the French 

 chasseurs, but larger and more commodious, 

 although each was a light load for one coolie ; three 

 painted canvas packages, containing bedding, 

 blankets, etc. ; and twenty-six kiltas, sixteen of 



