'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎472] (491/622)

472
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
and I don't know what I should do without him. He enables
me to keep the whole line in hand, as it were. You would have
been amused if you could have seen me yesterday, sitting on
horseback, pounding along up to the shoulders in a coil of drag-
ropes^ from the rear, with the chain ends hanging over the
horse's flanks. However, we walked the carts out of the holes
very sharp. If the ground was at all more swampy than it is,
it would be impossible to move, for the carts sink up to the
nave already. We have great trouble with the gharry drivers,
who take every opportunity on a halt of bolting into the jungle
with their bullocks, such is their horror of this trip. In con
sequence of this, my own personal share of shouting, screaming,
breaking sticks into ribbands, twisting tails, &c., is marvellously
increased."
He writes from the banks of the Soubunreeka river, on Sun
day, the 25th of July, 1858 :— U I am writing under disadvan
tageous circumstances, the rain beating through the tent, and I
am well drenched myself. The accounts of the difficulties of
this march at this season have not been exaggerated, and it is
astonishing how the stores and ammunition have been pre
served from damage, though what another twenty-four hours
will do I know not. Our march the last three days has been
through a rocky country, deep ravines and nullahs with large
boulder.stones, over which the water pours with tremendous
fury. The first few days after the date of my last letter to you,
the heat was intense, and a number of men were struck down
by the sun and fatigue, for it is impossible to march at night
in this country on account of the roads and boa constrictors
(these I consider a myth, but the natives and cartmen are hor
ribly afraid of them, and would bolt into the jungle if they
were made to march of a night). Many have bolted, leaving
bullocks, carts, and everything, and we have been obliged to
make dhoolie-bearers do the duty. The officers work well, and
I have every reason to be satisfied with their zeal in performing
their duties. The last three days, the weather has suddenly
changed, and, owing to this, I have had the opportunity of see
ing how totally incompetent anyone is to judge of the roads,
&c., on this march, judging by fine weather reports. We have
marched nearly ninety miles from Midnapore, but it was rather
pleasant than otherwise during the fine days, except for the
heat knocking our men up so, but now the road is a jungle
track, the most fearful storms break over us, and the nullahs
rise up to our necks in the act of passing them; the rain is so
tremendous that it beats one down, and takes the breath away
like a very severe shower-bath, and, the ground being rocky,
turns into a water-course, and every bank hurls a cataract on
top of us.
64 We arrived on the banks of the Soubunreeka last night; it