198 GANJAM. 



house at Rhumba had passed very liber- 

 ally permitted the district officers and 

 even travellers to make use of it; and 

 whenever there was work to be done in 

 that neighbourhood, or the offices were 

 closed during holidays, a visit to the 

 Chilka Lake was a favourite resource. 



The grounds round the house in- 

 cluded about a hundred acres, much 

 overgrown with underwood, and here a 

 few spotted deer sometimes harboured. 

 At night bears often passed near the 

 house, and probably other wild crea- 

 tures also. 



One morning, while we were at 

 Rhumba, the wing of a regiment on 

 the march arrived, and the four officers 

 who accompanied it became our guests 

 for that and the following day. It was 



