s the regiment arrived in cantonments; and in a month or six
weeks I was again on parade with my company, little the worse, except
that I had an ugly and troublesome finger, which was always in the way.
I have since turned it to some use as a true register of the weather;
but, beyond this, I do not think I could even now make it so far useful
as efficiently to pull a man's nose with it.

[Illustration: TRAVELLING ON THE GANGES.

From a Drawing by W. DANIELL, R.A.]

I forgot to mention that, when I went down to visit the fort on the
morning after its fall, the prize-agents were busy on the look-out for
prize property, and to keep our lads from picking and stealing; but, had
there been a thousand of them, all with the eyes of lynxes, this would
have been impossible. I heard that a private of the Company's Foot
Artillery passed the very noses of the prize-agents, with five hundred
gold mohurs (sterling L1,000) in his hat or cap. Several of the men,
when the troops got beyond the power of the prize-committee, boasted of
their plunder; and, indeed, it is not much to be wondered at that men
should make so free as to help themselves, when the dreadful
metamorphosis that prize-money always goes through before it reaches the
pockets of the captors, and the length of time before it is paid, are
considered. All prize property is liable to many diseases and changes,
incidental perhaps to the climate of India. When first taken, it shines
in the full vigour of habit--is of good solid substance--of solidity of
body--current, pure and clear; but in bulk rather protuberant and gross,
and therefore, perhaps, somewhat inclined to be dropsical. Change of
situation is in general resorted to; but the disease has taken fatal
root, and nothing can eradicate the distemper but reduction of the
system. Having been severely drained, and much inflammatory matter
having been expressed, symptoms of decline but too often follow, and the
poor sufferer is left but a shadow, if it escape total extinction. In
this manner the solid substance extracted from the fort of Hattrass
dwindled away, leaving, however, a residue of some L20,000, of which I
pocketed eighty-six rupees; but as I had sold my share for two hundred,
I may be said to have come off tolerably well. We afterwards learned,
from undoubted authority, that immense treasures had been conveyed from
Hattrass. The rajah, aware that he had fallen under the displeasure of
the government, had the pr