MI LIT A RY AD VENTURES. 63 



gentleman's park, but afterwards we got 

 into the mountains, and then our serious 

 troubles began : frequently the bushes 

 and trees were so thick that it took the 

 pioneers hours to cut a very short distance, 

 indeed, sometimes it took some hours to 

 advance a hundred yards. The Horse 

 Artillery retarded us very much, as we 

 required quite a road for them, but we 

 knew we should derive ample benefit from 

 them when we came to close quarters 

 with the enemy ; at the rate we were 

 progressing we should not be in their 

 vicinity for weeks, and if the rains came 

 on it might be months before we came 

 into collision with them. Our policy was 

 to make an attack with as little delay as 

 possible, but these dreadful, dense jungles 

 served their friends in good stead. I often 

 thought that if they had attacked us in 



