160 The Hunting Grounds 



As our people had not yet got quite into marching 

 trim, we slept at Namkul, starting the next morning 

 for Moonoo-Choudy, distance fifteen miles, where we 

 remained during the heat of the day, going on in the 

 cool of the evening to Malloor, distance eleven miles, 

 in which place we passed the night, and rode into 

 Salem the following morning, putting up with Captain 



S , who was commanding the detachment of 



native veterans which garrisoned the station. 



After breakfast we visited the shop of the celebrated 

 Arnatchellum, whose well-balanced boar-spears, axes, 

 and hunting-knives are renowned throughout India 

 for the temper of the steel and the superior finish of 

 the workmanship. He charges European prices for 

 everything, and I found him as overreaching a rogue 

 as any other nigger. 



Salem, though a large and densely-populated town, 

 possesses very few attractions, and as the weather 

 was fearfully hot, and cholera was carrying off great 

 numbers of natives daily, I did not care about ex- 

 posing my people to it more than necessary, so I sent 

 them off at once with the baggage to Bowani, there to 

 await our arrival. 



I kept "Five Minutes," Googooloo, a couple of 

 servants, and the pony with me, together with one of 



B 's horses and the cart, and directed Chineah 



and the rest of the gang to try and gain all the informa- 

 tion they could about the country round about Bowani. 



