of the Old World. 149 



A well-supplied medicine-chest, in which the quinine 

 bottle loomed very large, was carefully stowed away 

 in one of the compartments a very necessary pre- 

 caution in a country where disease makes such rapid 

 progress. Besides having often found this chest ex- 

 tremely useful, the mere fact of having it with me in- 

 spired my people with confidence, and overcame their 

 fear of the malaria of the dense jungle. 



My supplies consisted chiefly of tea, coffee, sugar, 

 spices, curry stuff, brandy, tobacco, biscuits, and kiln- 

 dried flour (country flour will not keep). As bread 

 soon gets dry and spoils in a hot climate, I used to 

 prepare a kind of rusk for travelling, by cutting up 

 loaves in small pieces, and having them baked until 

 they became of a light brown colour. Prepared in 

 this way, if they are carefully kept in tin cases, they 

 remain fresh and palatable for many weeks, and are a 

 great improvement upon Indian biscuits for breakfast. 



My boy was very clever in preparing chapaties or 

 hoppers, which are a kind of girdle-cake baked on an 

 iron plate, and generally made of rice-flour. The 

 materials being always to be procured, even in the 

 smallest village, these cakes are much used in India 

 as a substitute for bread. 



My time for three days was occupied in preparing 

 for the trip, hiring coolies, and superintending the 

 casting of bullets for my different guns. In case of 

 meeting with elephants I had some brass bullets 



