48 
“OQ me miserum! O me, miserabile dictu!!’’ a dire misfortune 
has befallen me. One morning, while pursuing my friend the crane, 
I broke the stock of my gun, or rather the horse broke it for me. 
As you may expect, I was much annoyed ; first, because it was a 
present from you, and secondly, because the gun was a capital one to 
shoot with, and I was rapidly improving in the art. As it is impos- 
sible to get a new stock in Kurrachee, I have been obliged to expend 
£30 in the purchase of a fresh gun, and have obtained an excellent 
one with double barrels for shot and rifle fitting the same stock: I 
will send my lame gun back to Fisher’s to be restocked. 
Mr. Frere has, I believe, very kindly written to Lord Elphinstone 
respecting my journey to Khelat, and has also offered the services of 
an excellent person in his pay to accompany me; with this assistance, 
if leave be granted me, I hope to make a good collection, and do 
some service to science ; I intend shooting everything that comes in 
my way, and it will be your task to determine whether anything be 
new or otherwise. You will say, this is rather Don-Quixotish ; but 
the sight of a fine country will quite recompense me for any little 
self-disgust at the butchering nature of my propensities; all for 
science, “‘¢a va bien,” the healing pill is swallowed. I wish that 
you could be with me, the trip would then be a great treat, and I 
might learn something. Please to let me know how to make 
“damper,” as, if I go, I shall have to be my own baker for a few 
months ; I should like to know this by return of post, and also to 
receive any other hints your bush experience enables you to give. 
As I have before said, if I am allowed to take this journey, I shall 
proceed as soon as another assistant-surgeon has been found to supply 
my place. Towards the end of next month, on the approach of 
winter, all the regiments will be on the move: ours, it is expected, 
will be ordered to Hyderabad, and the fusiliers will supply our place 
at Kurrachee; the 83rd are ordered to Deessa in Gujerat, a fright- 
fully hot place, but with capital shooting; for there abound the 
Indian lion and tiger, antelopes, and Sambur deer, and buffaloes are 
seen in great numbers ; the artillery will proceed to Poonah, and the 
14th Native Infantry to Shikarpore, her Majesty’s 86th having the 
doleful prospect of Aden before them. Mr. Frere starts for his 
annual tour of the district on the 2nd of November, taking with him 
a good hunter and stuffer; he has requested me to let him know 
what objects are most desirable for the advancement of science, 
which, as you are aware, he is always anxious to promote ; he has 
already sent considerable collections to the Norwich museum. 
