WALLAJABAD. 29 



prolonged to a late period of the night, or perhaps an early 

 one of the morning, and once a week at least (the public 

 night, when strangers and officers of other regiments were 

 invited), the potations were deeper and more prolonged, and 

 accompanied by some very loud, and very problematical 

 vocal music, in the form of convivial and amatory songs. 

 Such a mode of life (and that of daily recurrence) was quite 

 sufficient to make inroads on the constitution in the most 

 bracing and healthy climates; what then must have been its 

 effects beneath the baleful and enervating skies of India ! or 

 was it wonderful that so frequently the fine youth, full of 

 promise and vigour, was consigned to an early grave, or 

 lived on, useless to himself or the service, a wretched 

 example of his own weakness and infatuation ? 



Although exceedingly fond of the good things of this life, 

 drunkenness was never my besetting sin, and I could always 

 manage to raise spirits enough without seeking them in the 

 brandy bottle. The rock upon which I was most likely to 

 founder was exposure to the sun, as my propensity to sport, 

 under any difficulties, was perfectly uncontrollable, and I had 

 here every opportunity of indulging my tastes and inclinations. 

 The snipe-shooting in this neighbourhood was considered 

 some of the best in the Madras Presidency, and certainly I 

 have never seen anything like the enormous quantity of 

 these birds in any other part of India, or indeed the world 

 (with the exception of several days' shooting near Shanghae 

 in China), that I was constantly in the habit of meeting 

 with here. 



The paddy or rice fields were their principal resort, and 

 they were found here of four kinds. The large, or solitary 

 snipe, nearly as large as a small woodcock; the common full 

 snipe; the painted snipe, rather larger than the former, of 

 beautiful dark and variegated plumage, slow on the wing, 

 and not so much esteemed for the table; and the jack or half 



