84 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



CHAPTER VI. 



DEPARTURE FROM JATTLNAH THT3 DECCAN MARHATTA VILLAGES AHMED- 

 NUGGUR POONAH HOG-HUNTING ANECDOTE OP A BHEEL ARRIVAL 

 AT BOM BAT. 



I RECEIVED news from England of the death of my father, 

 and the complicated state of my affairs demanded my imme- 

 diate presence at home ; indeed, I had already begun to feel 

 the deleterious effects of an Indian climate; and the total 

 neglect of all the usual precautions impressed upon young 

 officers exposure to the sun, &c. had begun to tell upon me, 

 and produce a lassitude and relaxation of mind and body 

 that no amount of Indian sport or Indian luxuries could 

 compensate for. 



An officer belonging to another regiment, and with whom 

 I resided at that period, was on the eve of returning to 

 Europe, and I determined so to arrange matters as to be 

 able to accompany him, and perform the journey and voyage 

 home with him, vid Bombay, the succeeding year. 



In the early part of -a-. we parted with everything save 

 what was absolutely necessary for the trip to that place, and 

 in very light marching order, our equipage consisting of one 

 subaltern's tent, two ponies, with their attendants, and four 

 bullocks loaded with our goods and chattels, we commenced 

 our route at the beginning of the hot season, through that 

 interesting part of the Deccan between Jaulnah and Bombay, 

 with the intention of placing more dependence on our guns 

 for the supplies of our table than upon any other source. In- 

 deed, as we had no guard of any description with us, and the 

 neighbourhood of some of the Marhatta forts and villages 



