A THUNDERSTORM. 
19 
CHAPTER II. 
A THUNDERSTORM. GOITRES. AN ELK SHOT. 
The third day after our departure from the Co- 
aduwar ghaut we encountered a storm of thunder 
and lightning such as can never be easily effaced from 
my memory. On the morning of this day we had 
observed that the motion of the clouds gradually in- 
creased, the fleecy masses occasionally meeting and 
variously blending with the sunbeams, from which 
they reflected a great variety of beautiful tints ; thus 
imparting an agreeable colouring to the surrounding 
landscape. The sky was bright above us, though the 
atmosphere was sultry and oppressive. The rack at 
length spread over the hills, skimming rapidly along 
their precipitous sides and occasionally rolling in un- 
dulating volumes, deepening as it expanded upon their 
bare or shaggy tops and assuming forms the most 
singular and fantastic. In the course of a few mi- 
nutes after we had observed this hurried gathering of 
the clouds, without any further indication, the sky 
became suddenly overcast, involving us in a gloom so 
intense as to render every object within a few yards 
of us perfectly indistinct. The rain quickly poured 
down upon us in a deluge. We contrived to obtain 
