affianced and presented her with a garland of flowers, which she
gracefully threw across her shoulders, in token that she accepted him,
and then suffered him to embrace her. Lifting her in his arms he placed
her on the back of a donkey, and they went in procession to pay visits
of ceremony through the town, the bride distributing sweetmeats to the
crowd, as she passed along. The bridegroom showered his favours about in
the form of some red powder, which he flung in the faces of all near
him, and especially in those of the Europeans, of whom there were a good
many present. He half blinded some of us, and conferred as dark a hue as
his own upon others--freaks that appeared to give infinite delight and
amusement to the natives, but which were not taken in quite as good part
by some testy fellows amongst us. Having arrived at the house of the
bridegroom's father, the old gentleman graciously descended, and taking
the bride in his arms, bore her into his dwelling. The bridegroom
remained a few minutes after them, and flinging some cowries to the
musicians and crowd, he made a salaam and darted in after his
_inamorata_.

We remained at Sukkur about six weeks, in consequence of an order
forwarded after us by Sir William Mc Naghten, under the apprehension
that our services would be again wanted at Cabul. The Indus being
navigable up to the town, we had plentiful supplies of provisions and
other necessaries at moderate prices, and felt tolerably satisfied with
our quarters. As to the probability of our having to return to Cabul,
the Cavalry felt at ease regarding the rumours which prevailed, for they
well knew that the condition of their horses put such a thing completely
out of the question. An order at length arrived that the various
brigades of the Bombay column should be broken up, and that the troops
composing them should return to their respective quarters. Brigadier
General Scott, and his aides de camp, accordingly left us by one of the
first boats which sailed down the Indus for Bombay, and we remained
under the command of the officers of our respective regiments.

We passed our time hunting in the jungles, in the vicinity of the camp,
or in fishing in the river, both of which proved prolific sources of
amusement. I went out several times to chase the wild boar, and on one
of these occasions the sport nearly proved fatal to me. Proceeding with
two of my comrades, and a native for guide, through a dense and almost
impene