l jokes which so often terminate in fatal results, but which,
unfortunately, seem to have no effect in rendering people cautious. Some
artillerymen having been out shooting game, one of them brought home a
loaded gun and carelessly left it in his tent. Several of his comrades
came in, in the afternoon, and in the course of a carousal one of them
took the loaded piece, and presenting it at the nearest soldier,
jestingly threatened to shoot him. He had scarcely uttered the word when
the gun went off and stretched his unfortunate comrade dead at his feet.
Nothing could equal the distress and remorse of the homicide at the
thoughtless act by which he had deprived a fellow creature of life, and
it had a marked effect on his future character and conduct.

The passage through the Ghauts is romantic and picturesque in the
extreme, the road lying over stupendous mountains and through deep
ravines for the length of about seven or eight miles. Some beautiful
country houses have been lately erected here by a wealthy Parsee of
Bombay, on sites which command the finest and most extensive views in
the neighbourhood. These delightful summer retreats are surrounded by
every luxurious accessory that wealth and taste can supply, and the
Governor is occasionally glad to fly to them for a short respite from
the cares of office.

We arrived at Bombay on the 15th of November, and found it a scene of
busy excitement. The streets were filled with troops and artillery
proceeding to the place of embarkation, and the inhabitants flocked in
thousands to the Bunder Head, to witness their departure. The harbour
was literally alive with the numerous small craft employed in conveying
the troops to the different transports, while the blue Peter flying at
the mast head of the latter announced that we had very little time for
delay. We accordingly hurried down to the beach, and were immediately
put on board the Cambridge. We found it so crowded that Major Daly, our
commanding officer, was compelled to remonstrate with the authorities on
the subject, and after some trouble, he succeeded in getting from
seventy to eighty men removed to the other vessels. This did not
sufficiently lessen the inconvenience to prevent sickness breaking out
amongst us, and we lost one of the Horse Artillery before we were many
days at sea.

The passage was short, but not unattended with danger. The Cambridge
struck on a sand bank, off the Gulf of Cutch, and it was with
consi