Page:Letters from India Vol 1.djvu/135

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LETTERS FROM INDIA.
127

disregarded everybody’s advice. We all strolled out on the lawn at ten o'clock, greatly to the horror of the inhabitants of the land, and rather in a fright of the snakes ourselves. I kept a strict watch on Chance. Last week, when the Miss Ryans were here, their little dog was recovered from the mouth of a jackal, who had picked it up as a nice little morsel. Such a shocking idea! It would hurt Chance’s pride as well as his little fat person. You have no idea what a horrible noise those jackals make at night.

Friday, April 1.

Captain ——, another aide-de-camp, arrived. They are all accoutred with the greatest precision, and like ‘burnished sheets of living gold.’ Sir H. Fane, and all his staff, came to dinner, and stay till Monday. Miss Fane has been again laid up for a fortnight by mosquito bites, and could not come.

Saturday, April 2.

All called at 5 a.m., and dressed as finely as we could for a review, which Sir Henry has graciously ordered for us, of seven native regiments. Our procession to the plain was a