JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 153 



my lowest salaam, beg to suggest how much more 

 gratified I should have been, had you corporeally, as 

 well as mentally, accompanied me throughout our 

 little forest-pilgrimage. 



And this for two reasons charitable, and selfish. 



In the first place charitably YOU, wise as you 

 may be already, wf uld doubtless be a still far wiser 

 person in your generation, and not half so apt, as you 

 are, to " pooh-pooh," and disbelieve all the tales, 

 which not having been a witness of yourself, you 

 are inclined to attribute to the inventive faculties 

 of your poor erring brother mortals whilst in the 

 second, or selfish place I (delightful idea!) can half 

 imagine the agreeable acquaintanceship I should have 

 formed the pleasure with which in these cold win- 

 try times and scenes we might toast our toes over 

 a roaring Christmas fire, remembering our tropical 

 actions at "just this time" so many years ago re- 

 counting our escapes reslaying our forest foes and 

 congratulating one another that we were now as we 

 are enjoying the "mens sana in corpore sano" the 

 faculties of youth in a frame unscathed and at- 

 tributing thereof the cause that 



We've trusted aye to PROVIDENCE 

 And sae will we yet ! 



C. WHITING, BEAUFORT HOUSE, STRAND. 



