46 THE INDIAN ECLIPSE, 1898. 



wild shout reached us from the tens of thousands of Hindus 

 gathered on the banks of the Ganges a mile away, telling that 

 they too had realised that the great eclipse was over. 



A formal meeting was held that night, which Col. Sinclair 

 also attended, when a general report was drawn up; and the 

 next day saw the break-up of our party, bent on pursuing 

 various routes of exploration through the country. My own 

 work, however, was as yet not over. My report had to be 

 written, the accounts made up, and the staff of servants paid 

 off, which necessitated my staying one more night in camp 

 with my son and daughter. And here I must own that I was 

 confronted with a serious difficulty. An unaccountably large 

 number of natives mustered, all bewilderingly alike, and each 

 and all maintaining that they had waited on us in the camp 

 and clamouring for payment. Moreover, the few who had 

 professed to talk a little English now found that they could 

 not understand the simplest question. 



In this dilemma -I was constrained once more to fall back 

 on that never-failing aid that had brought us through every 

 difficulty. I promptly dismissed our chief servant much to his 

 chagrin with a note to Mr. Cargill as local magistrate, explain- 

 ing matters ; and by morning light his own private secretary 

 came over to the camp, and in a very brief space of time the 

 whole trouble was over. The impostors slunk off. The actual 

 staff received only their just payment, and our most kind and 

 courteous friend declined to leave us until he had personally 

 seen the full tale of our belongings delivered at the station. 



From here, following up the route originally proposed for the 

 expedition and timed to gather up all home letters at pre- 

 arranged points, we visited in due course the historic battle 

 grounds of the Mutiny, the Himalayas, and Calcutta, fore- 

 gathering everywhere continually with detachments of the 

 general B.A.A. force. 



A few places of principal interest will be found among the 

 illustrations. 



JOHN M. BACON, Secretary. 



