MARCH UP THE COUNTRY. 25 



Resisting all temptations that continually presented them- 

 selves of firing at snowy white paddy birds, jungle pheasants,* 

 and a great variety of the plover and sand lark genus, 

 although with much nervous apprehension of treading upon 

 cobra capellas or other venomous snakes, I was at length 

 rewarded for my perseverance by killing several beautiful 

 teal and widgeon, and one splendid specimen of the large 

 Brahmine* duck, as it is here termed, with which I returned 

 with no small self-exultation, although suffering severely 

 from the blistering effects of the sun, to the camp. On 

 arriving at my tent, however, with the intention of ordering 

 my dubashee to have a couple of teal nicely cooked for tiffin, 

 with lime-juice and Harvey sauce accompaniment, I not 

 only found that worthy absent without leave, but that all 

 the most valuable contents of my bullock trunks, including 

 my plate (a few silver spoons and forks), had simultaneously 

 vanished. On immediately reporting the circumstance to the 

 commanding officer, I found this was a matter of very gene- 

 ral occurrence, and that I was not the only sufferer in camp. 

 It was then a very general practice for the servants engaged 

 at Madras by cadets to leave their masters on the first or 

 second day of their march, taking with them all the most 

 valuable property they could carry, which they disposed of 

 immediately at the thieves' bazaar. 



The same evening my maty, who evidently saw that I 

 regarded him with eyes of suspicion as being implicated in 

 the disappearance of my baggage, followed the example of 

 his companion, and decamped also, but too closely watched 

 to appropriate any more of my baggage ; indeed, there was 

 little left of any value to take, so that my establishment was 

 reduced to a chokra, or boy, whose relations resided at 

 Wallajabad, a horsekeeper, grass-cutter, and bullock- driver, 



* A sort of magpie. 



