PENKONDA. 
21 
tiger through dread of them would become a female ; 
more full of windings than wreathed snakes, nar- 
rower than the bridge to Paradise. But these are 
trifles to what we have this day passed through/’ 
Yet Mallek-ul-Tija, though chafed at the unex- 
pected obstacles which his army had met with, and 
the consequent loss of time, and though fretted at 
baying his men scattered so far from his person, 
knew not yet one half the evils of the country into 
which he had advanced. His followers soon reported 
to him that the water was fetid and unfit for use, 
that when they attempted to light their fires for 
cooking, the soil itself ignited and burned so fiercely 
that they feared to set the whole country in flames, 
and that scorpions, adders, and venomous lizards, 
swarmed under every stone, in every tuft of grass. 
Having ascertained the truth of these reports, Mal- 
lek-ul-Tija broke forth in bitter curses upon that 
wretched country, and remounting his jaded charger, 
gave orders to move forward to some more favoured 
spot. 
Slowly, and with increased difficulty, the foremost 
of the body-guard made their way through the jun- 
gul, breaking down a passage for their chief ; but 
as they fell frequently into concealed ravines, and 
swamps, and blackened water-courses, by neglecting 
or mistrusting the directions of the guide, Mallek- 
ul-Tija found that his best and bravest followers 
were being sacrificed one by one. He now began 
