TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



During one furlough at home, I went through a regular 

 course of developing, printing, etc., etc. 



The process, I admit, was not altogether a pleasant 

 one, and many were the blunders I made and the plates 

 that I destroyed, but I was amply rewarded in the end 

 by the numerous good and interesting pictures I obtained, 

 many of which are reproduced in this work. 



The modern method of having plates or films developed 

 by professionals is no doubt convenient and saves much 

 trouble, but I am convinced that many a good picture is 

 lost in this way. The plates and films being developed 

 wholesale, some are often rejected when a modification 

 of the solution to meet the peculiar defect in the taking 

 of the photo might often have redeemed them. 



I remember once nearly losing my best picture in this 

 way merely through being impatient. It was on a swelter- 

 ing day in Khandesh and the atmosphere in my little dark 

 tent was not conducive to serenity of temper, one photo, 

 appearing to be over-exposed, I threw away as useless. 

 It was a half plate, and fortunately did not break. Young 



H , of the I.C.S.,* who was watching me, picked it up, 



saying he would like to try his hand on it, and he did, 

 the result being the plate from which the picture opposite 

 has since been reproduced. 



And now, having, I much fear, exceeded the limits of 

 legitimate digression, I will go on with my story. I have 

 in a previous chapter made casual mention of a place 

 named Mormugoa, but have since come across some notes 

 I made regarding it, and from which I find it merits more 

 elaborate description. 



Mormugoa is Portuguese, and consists of a peninsula 

 which terminates the W. I. P. & S. M. Railway. It has 

 a wide stretch of sands, with good sea-bathing, except for 

 the poisonous water snakes, peculiar to these seas, and a 

 venomous kind of jelly fish, also the possibility of sharks a 

 little further out. The natives are believed to possess an 

 antidote for the bites of the snakes and jelly fish, but this 

 is probably mere tradition. 



Except in the cold weather months the heat is intense, 

 necessitating, for the European, the lightest of light 



* Afterwards killed by a tiger as described on page 147. 

 152 



