of the Old World. 71 



again, before you sit down to dinner ; and, in the hot 

 weather, if you want to sleep well, you will plunge 

 into your bath just before you turn in for the night. 

 Are you overcome and oppressed by the hot weather? 

 Take a bath. Do you return tired to your tent after 

 a hard day's fag under a hot sun? nothing in the 

 world serves sooner to dispel fatigue and lassitude, 

 than a few chatties (earthen pots) of cold water thrown 

 over the body. Trust an old soldier, my gentle 

 reader, there is some truth in the cold water cure. 



Refreshed and enlivened by our ablutions, we all 

 met at dinner, "hungry as hunters," and the Doctor's 

 catering met with our universal approbation. After 

 the clattering of dishes, and the popping of bottles 

 had somewhat subsided, Mac astonished the Doctor's 

 weak nerves with an account of the tiger's lair, and at 

 last worked up the old Scotchman to such a state of 

 excitement that he jumped up, gave his thigh a tre- 

 mendous slap with the palm of his hand, and ex- 

 claimed, " Dom, but this child will gang wi' ye in 

 the morn just to ha' a crack at the bluid-thirsty auld 

 canibal!" 



" Bravo, Doctor ! We shall be most happy to have 

 your company," answered I; "but, old Sly Boots, 

 what about the visit to the Begum ? How fared 

 you there ? Eh ? " continued I, giving him a sharp 

 dig in the ribs with my forefinger, which made him 

 grunt again. 



