118 RKST-HOUSE EXPERIENCE. 



sitting- down to dinner, and 1 seldom sjjent a pleasanter 

 evening. Indeed, one frequently meets exceedingly 

 agreeable peof)le belonging to the Survey or Revenue 

 Department, who ti'avel in their own conveyance, 

 accompanied by a number of carts laden with their 

 tents, baggage, and pi'ovisions ; these generally make 

 short marches, according to the requirements of the 

 service, and having a numerous staff of servants, they 

 understand making themselves very comfortable, 

 l)esides often enjoying the pleasure of sport provided 

 for them by planters of the district. Throughout this 

 account of my journey in India, I have abstained from 

 entering upon the subject of shikarring, for which there 

 is unlimited scope, as so many interesting volumes 

 liave been penned on the subject by more competent 

 hands, that there is hardly I'oom for the adventures of 

 an ordinary shot. 



Hitherto I had not missed much, in point of scenery, 

 by travelling at night, as the country between Banga- 

 lore and Hassan is of a most ordinary character, and I 

 shall pause here to make a few necessary remarks 

 respecting- the district I am going to explore. 



The natural division of Mysore is into two separate 

 and distinctly marked regions ; the larger one, the 

 Maidan, or open country, through part of which we 

 have hitherto passed, consists of wide-spreading plains. 



