NATURALIST IN INDIA. 5 



proach myseK witli having done so at the expense of the re- 

 quirements of my profession, or the service to which I 

 belong. 



As a mental and bodily gymnastic during the long tedious 

 hours of idleness that frequently fall-to the lot of officers ia 

 the army and navy, more particularly on foreign stations, 

 there is perhaps nothing equal to the outdoor pursuit of natu- 

 ral science, — whether in setting to work with head and hands 

 to study the natural objects which everywhere surround them, 

 or even simply collecting specimens without evincing any 

 particular desire to become better acquaiated with their cha- 

 racters—which, however, 1 must allow, is a faint-hearted 

 essay at gaining information. 



In thus attempting to suggest a remedy for idleness, I 

 trust my readers will not accuse me of the narrow-mindedness 

 that excludes all rational and manly pastimes, inasmuch as, if 

 he will take the troxible to peruse the contents of this volume, 

 he will find that both admit of wholesome combination. 



Voyages by the Cape of Good Hope to India have been 

 so frequently narrated, and present in general the same mono- 

 tonous uniformity, that I shall content myself with transcrib- 

 ing only a few of the chief and most interesting incidents in 

 that portion of my journal. 



I left Queenstown (then better known as the Cove of 

 Cork) on the 29th of January 1849, with a detachment of the 

 64th Eegiment bound for India. 



The first few days were marked by very rough weather, 

 and the never-failing accompaniment, sea^sickness, until about 

 the latitude of Madeira, when a change for the better took 

 place, and we began to get our sea-legs, and observe the 

 novelties of the deep, such as flyiug-fish and shoals of por- 



