IN QUEST OF TIGERS. 21 



ourselves early next morning rowing due north over a sea of 

 green grass or growing rice, with here and there a few acres 

 of open water where deepest, or where the course of a river 

 caused a slight stream or current. As the sun rose, the south 

 wind set in, and presently increasing to a smart breeze, en- 

 abled us to hoist sails ; and thus we sped due northwards 

 over the rippling jheel water, and through the waving grass 

 and paddy, bending to the wind at six or seven miles an hour ; 

 occasionally sticking for a few minutes among tall reeds or 

 thickly growing weeds and water lilies, and poling our way 

 through them by sheer weight of our boats, propelled by eight 

 or ten pairs of arms. 



In this manner we sailed all that day and the following 

 night, guiding our course by certain distant land marks 

 known to the crews, and by compass when they failed us or 

 were considered doubtful ; the low Tipperah hills lay on our 

 right, and the great Megna river on our left, beyond a line 

 of hamlets and trees miles away to the west. Although there 

 was no want of water-fowl, they were not of the kinds con- 

 sidered game, and only such as remain and breed in the 

 country, whistling and cotton or goose-teal, coots of many 

 varieties, water-hens, water-rails, jacanas, herons, storks, 

 cranes and bittern; the lesser and greater cormorant, and the 

 snake-bird, besides many others small and great ; the solitary 

 game-bird being the " kyah," or marsh partridge, which had 

 by that time with them their young broods, now able to fly 

 and forage for themselves. Of four-footed game there was 

 not one, tigers alone excepted, and these might or might not 

 be found upon the little islets standing out above water in 

 the midst of a vast sea of grass and rice ; on this trip they 

 were not found, though sought diligently for a week. 



The mosquitoes and other insects, which attacked us in 

 battalions the night after leaving Cornillah, now came upon 

 us in brigades, making life a burden after sunset, and com- 

 pelling us to retire within our nets, afraid even to burn a lamp 

 by the light of which we might read, or play a game of chess or 

 picquet. Sitting in our fore-cabin being out of the question, 



