MARCH UP THE COUNTRY. 35 



Dictionary, and was evidently puzzled relative to the 

 orthography of some word that he could not discover in the 

 pages of his favourite author. At length he threw down 



the book in great dudgeon, violently exclaiming, " D 



the book ! it hasn't got the word ' Pukallee' in it." Pu- 

 kallee being the Hindostanee term for a water-carrier, and 

 used indiscriminately with English words, like many other 

 native names expressive of different callings and professions. 

 Our tents were carefully overhauled, as the rainy season 

 was likely to overtake us on our march. Bullocks and 

 camels, with their drivers, were engaged. I exchanged my 

 pony, and some rupees into the bargain, for an old, but very 

 handsome Arab horse, and suffered as most people do for 

 being caught by appearances, as the Tattoo, for endurance 

 and fatigue, was worth two of him. I carefully rubbed up 

 my gun and laid in a store of ammunition, and even went 

 so far in anticipation of future glory as to purchase a hog- 

 spear. Some tea, brandy, and Harvey's sauce formed the 

 extent of my provision in the commissariat department; for 

 the rest we trusted to supplies obtained on the road and the 

 produce of our guns. Two medical men accompanied the 

 detachment, and a complete camp equipage, and we all 

 looked forward to a very pleasant march, in which we were 

 not doomed to be disappointed. The next halt of any 

 consequence was fixed at the military station of Bellary, 

 several hundred miles from hence. The intervening country 

 was at that period very favourable for game of all kinds, 

 and dreams of tigers and wild boars filled the imaginations 

 of all the young hands of the party, most of whom as yet 

 had met with no opportunity of exhibiting their courage and 

 address in the pursuit of any animal larger than an iguana 

 or a bloodsucker.* 



* A large and very ugly lizard. 



