ERECTING THE TENTS . 



superior, had the case been left behind. After another 

 hour or so, mostly wasted in noisy and useless alter- 

 cation, the drivers scramble on to their carts and with 

 shouts and imprecations to their bullocks, and much 

 twisting of their tails, the cavalcade sets forth, a string 

 of servants and camp followers straggling in its wake. 



The distance to the camping ground, though probably 

 under twenty miles, will take at least twelve hours to 

 accomplish, for the Bengali bullock is not a speedy traveller, 

 and two miles an hour with a heavy load behind him is 

 the very limit of his powers, even under such strong 

 pressure as the twisting of his tail ! 



On arrival at the camping-ground, usually at some 

 time during the night, the cattle are unharnessed and given 

 a feed of straw, whilst their drivers and the others take a 

 few hours' rest before commencing the arduous task of 

 unloading and pitching the many tents. 



At an early hour next morning the encampment is 

 astir, for there is plenty to be done and little time to do 

 it before the " hakim " * is expected, when woe betide 

 the men if the camp is not erected and his tub and break- 

 fast ready. 



Should the expected official be the Magistrate or Police 

 Superintendent of the District, the officer of the nearest 

 police-station will usually be present, with a posse of 

 village " chokidars," f to the number of perhaps a hundred, 

 collected from as many villages within his jurisdiction. 

 These men, under the guidance of the " chuprassis," J 

 will speedily strip the carts of all that they contain, and 

 dragging the enormous canvas bundle to the place indicated 

 by the "khalassi," the latter now takes charge of the 

 operations for to pitch such large and heavy tents requires 

 the knowledge and experience of an expert. 



One by one the huge bundles are now carefully unrolled, 

 the poles placed in position with a peg driven in at the heel, 

 then the canvas is drawn over, and the tents are ready for 

 erection. 



The " khalassi " now fixes the position of the pegs to 

 which the main guys are to be attached, and while these 



* Master. f Watchman. J Peons. 



Tent-pitcher. 



187 



