THE MARCH TO UMBALLA. 103 



Ganges, abandoned by that most capricious 

 of rivers in one of its almost annual changes. 

 The country around is also well stocked with 

 black partridge, &c., and quail are at times 

 very numerous. I rode backwards and 

 forwards, to and from Meerut, and had 

 capital sport. 



Towards the middle of February the 

 regiment was ordered to march to Umballah, 

 having been stationed a year at Meerut. 

 Our route lay through Delhi, where we 

 halted sufficiently long to see the Kootub, 

 and the splendid ruins of this once magni- 

 ficent city ; where tombs, mosques, and 

 palaces more or less falling into decay, bear 

 witness to its ancient grandeur. Marching 

 northwards we had a striking contrast to 

 the time-honoured ruins of the ancient 

 capital of India, in the lately abandoned 

 cantonment of Kurnal, where long rows of 

 barracks and bungalows, roofless, stripped 

 of everything worth carrying ofi", and fast 

 crumbling away amidst the tangled luxuri- 

 ance of deserted gardens, and the encroaching 



