SPORT IN THE JUNGLES OF N. INDIA 153 



Chittagong and the contrast was as sharply marked as it 

 was delightful. Within two days of my arrival I went out 

 to camp. Even moving one's paraphernalia and camp 

 equipage was, I discovered, a very different business up here. 

 Coolies, both men and women, I had used for transport 

 purposes, also bullock carts, mules, and pack-ponies, boats 

 and elephants. But I had never yet made acquaintance 

 with the idiosyncrasies of the camel as a baggage animal. 

 And he is infinitely the worst of the lot. With a new set of 

 servants for the most part and a hastily improvised camp 

 equipage I was not looking for much comfort until I joined 

 as a guest the Conservator's camp several marches away ; 

 and I did not get it. The first march out of headquarters 

 was one of twelve miles. I was riding, so ordered all the men 

 and camels to start off in the morning, intending to set out 



myself in the afternoon. I remember that ride as if it was 

 yesterday. The first part was glorious. Well, as I sub- 

 sequently became acquainted with that road, running 

 through the heart of the beautiful Siwaliks, those first 

 impressions of it never faded. But it is not of its beauty 

 that I propose to write. I had not gone four miles before 

 I met most of the camels in charge of a couple of camel 

 men, but no sign of the servants. The camel men who 

 were from the Punjab either could not or would not 

 understand my questions, so I went on. I soon after 

 saw a porcupine which scurried across the road in front 

 of me. He is fairly plentiful in the Siwaliks and damages 

 trees by gnawing round the bark at the base thus girdling 

 the tree and killing it. The khair tree is a special favourite 

 in these regions. The porcupine is a comic little beggar 

 to watch as, with all his quills up, he hurries away 



