ANNANOUR. 
97 
ciling me the more readily with my good fortune, they added, 
that several general officers had recently performed quarantine 
in the same; and, being so pre-eminently comfortable, it was 
always reserved for travellers of rank. My ideas of comfort 
being something different, I desired to have the windows 
stopped up ; and that we might have something more commo¬ 
dious than the bare earth to sit on, lie on, and eat off. An old 
rotten bedstead had been visible in one corner of the room, but 
it was at the peril of any one who should have attempted to put 
it to any of its ancient uses. In a short time, paper was pasted 
over the windows, and a few of the articles sent, of which we 
stood in so much need. 
The place of quarantine consists of a collection of low build¬ 
ings, on a quadrangular piece of ground, which is pallisadoed. 
It has two entrances, strongly guarded: that leading to the 
town is the most vigilantly attended, no one under probation 
being suffered to pass that barrier ; but, in the opposite direc¬ 
tion we might issue forth and wander about at will over the open 
country. Notwithstanding the reformation in our apartment, I 
resumed my now common practice of passing the night in my 
carriage. Though a colder station than any where I might com¬ 
mand a fire, it was at least clean and dry. But during my first 
attempt at sleeping there at Annanour, I was disturbed the 
whole night by the most hideous yellings and yelpings. Not 
being able to guess their cause, I enquired in the morning, and 
found they proceeded from vast droves of wolves and jackalls, 
which infest the circumjacent woods ; and often, when pressed 
by hunger, break into the very square of the establishment. 
No pleasant visitors to its poor houseless inmates, who, like our 
servants, might then be lying defenceless on the open ground. 
VOL. i. 
o 
