MISCELLANEOUS. 231 



A capital shikar cloth is made in the Bangalore jail, and 

 can be obtained from any durzee* in those parts. It 

 resembles the Lovat mixture of the Highlands, but is 

 greener in tint, and therefore better suited for forest work, 

 such as bison stalking ; moreover, it does not change its 

 colour when wet, and is on that account preferable to the 

 Scotch cloth. Sambur skin boots are the best for hot 

 weather wear, but are useless for wet jungles, where they 

 speedily become like pulpy brown paper. For rocky ground 

 indiarubber-soled tennis shoes are best. I always wore 

 spring leggings, buckled at the top and bottom. They 

 were easily put on, the spring caused them to retain their 

 shape when wet, and they gave complete protection from 

 snakes and thorns. A broad leather belt should be worn 

 round the waist, to which a pouch holding fifteen rounds 

 of ammunition must be attached. A shikar knife may 

 also be carried if desired. This belt also acts as a sort of 

 kummerbund. 



When small game shooting a jacket with pockets will be 

 necessary for cartridges. My spears were made either by 

 Arnachellum, of Salem, or a famous maker at Aurangabad, 

 whose name I forget. One rifle should always be in the 

 sportsman's hands, the other being carried by a shikari. My 

 rifle was never relinquished until the shikaries assured me 

 there was no further chance of a shot, and very seldom 

 even then. I only remember to have met with game on 

 one occasion, when the shikaries were carrying both rifles. 



During the monsoon, ordinary shooting boots are 

 preferable to those made of sambur skin. The field boot 

 is also a good pattern, it dispenses with leggings and is 

 suitable for riding. A leather cartridge bag carried by the 

 shikari will hold extra cartridges, a flask, a sandwich, and 



* Tailor. 



