of the Old World. 49 



have made it quite such thirsty weather. By 

 stopping here a few days, I shall be enabled to 

 send a coolie to the Mess for a couple of chests 

 more of Bass's pale; for, between ourselves, this 

 hot and dusty weather, beer is as necessary to 

 keep one up to the mark, as my grass-cutter's 

 wife's milk is to my bereaved Brinjarry pups, 

 whose canine mother died in convulsions, leaving 

 her orphan progeny to my paternal care, and I, 

 like a good guardian, have turned them over to 

 the care of my grass-cutter's wife, who nurses and 

 suckles all six, with her own little animal, and as 

 they tumble about in her lap, howling, squalling, 

 and catterwauling, I think the father would have 

 some difficulty in swearing as to which was his 

 own. He, however, looks upon his wife's services 

 as a good speculation, as I feed her well, and he 

 pockets an extra pagoda 1 a month ; for the other day 

 the scoundrel came up to me, grinning and showing 

 his teeth, with the request to be permitted to provide 

 another wife to bring up the Poligar greyhound's 

 litter; and when I did not agree to his proposal, 

 he had the impudence to try and persuade me that 

 his wife's family were all growing 'berry hand- 

 some' about the face, on account of the good milk." 

 "Well!" answered Jock, "I must say they 

 appear to be a very thriving family, and do credit 



1 Pagoda three rupees and a half. 



E 



