pathetic manner: "Sergeant-major, I have never done
any good since the time your predecessor got me flogged. I assure you, I
endeavour with all my energy to forget it, but I cannot; it crushes me
to the ground, and that day's disgrace has been my ruin. I am of a good
family, but I never can or will return to disgrace those dear parents
with a scarified back." Some three months after this he died, in a sad
state of inebriety.

One day I was going my usual round with the orderly-officer, who twice a
day visited the congee-house. This officer was a famous one for scenting
anything; he could smell a cigar a mile off. In going round the yard,
which is enclosed by a tremendous high wall, he discovered a large
beef-bone, recently dropped. The sergeant was called to account for this
ominous appearance. This sergeant was a shrewd fellow, and he
immediately said, "Oh, Sir, the pelicans have dropped it." This was
very plausible, for these birds will carry enormous bones; and
frequently, when fighting for them, they drop them, so that this might
very probably have been the case. The moment the dinner-trumpet sounds,
whole flocks of these birds are in attendance at the barrack doors,
waiting for bones, or anything that the soldiers may be pleased to throw
them. The men were in the habit of playing them many mischievous tricks;
but, notwithstanding this, at the well-known sound of the dinner-trumpet
they were regularly at their station. Some of the more mischievous boys
would tie two large bones together, and throw to them: these would be
swallowed with the greatest avidity by two of those poor hungry
mendicants, who, in general, would both soar above the barrack-tops with
their prey, pulling and hauling against each other, and attended by a
hundred crows and kites, pecking them on the head most unmercifully.
Sometimes they would throw out a single bone, a pretty large one, with a
string and small kite at the end of it, or a large piece of rag. One of
the pelicans having swallowed the bone, he would fly aloft, with the
string and kite hanging out of his mouth, and with hundreds of his own
tribe after him, in hopes he might throw up the bone again, which these
birds can do with the greatest facility. Thus ascending, they are lost
sight of amidst the clouds; but the same gentleman would frequently be
in attendance the following day at dinner-hour, with a portion of the
string hanging to him.

We had not gone much further on our round