A RUN THROUGH KATHIAWAK. 273 



in India for developing any tendency in that way. 

 AVeird are the still nights of the hot season which 

 tempt one to rest in the open air till dawn ; and in 

 the south-west monsoon all the powers of darkness 

 seem abroad 



" "\Vhen voices thunder through the air, 



The sky grows black as night, 

 And fever takes the earth, that shakes 

 As with a fierce delight. " 



From Luktur I started next morning in company 

 with Colonel Combe, commandant of the British 

 force at Eajkot, who was making a trip to Bombay. 

 It had been arranged that when we had got about 

 half-way to Virumgaum the horse -carriage we had 

 so far travelled in was to be exchanged for another, 

 provided by another chief; but we found a bullock 

 <j('trli i awaiting us, and one having no centre-piece which 

 could be taken out so as to make two seats or any 

 seat at all. It was in fact a palanquin on wheels, in 

 which the traveller could only lie at full length, and 

 having hardly a breadth sufficient for two persons. 

 AVe tried to persuade the conductors of the carriage 

 which had taken us on so far to convey us to Yirum- 

 gaum, but they positively refused, for the reason that 

 their horses were quite unable to do so, and they had 

 been directed to go only to this point; and by this 

 time we had got into the sand and salt of the Eunn 

 of Kutch, where the track for it could not be called 

 a road went over ground (if such it might be called) 



VOL. v. s 



