Tommy Atkins in India.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 371, 25 May 1889, Page 4

Tommy Atkins in India.

The native cannot understand the soldier's I high spirits. He himself moves in one calm dignified groove, which makes him disinclined to laugh and incapable of appreciating anything funny or comical. What with bhp soldier's whooping and shouting as he clings to the neck of his steed in his mad gallop, and his otherwise comical appearance, there is really some justification for the native's opinion of his sanity. Sometimes a soldier goes out into tho country for another purpose. Dressed in a dirty brown buiL, the better to prevent himself 1 from being seen with any nondtseripb cap I or hat on, but generally a thing made of pith, which is in shape like a gigantic hollowed out mushroom, thoroughly protecting his face and neck from the sun, "and with his legs bound with flannel bandages to protect (.hem from the' thorns, he sallies forbh with his gun on his shoulder and his dog by lii 3 side, in search of game, for which ho will huvo to tramp some miles. Somotimes he becomes ambitious of meeting with larger game, when he takes a 30, 40 or 50 mile trip by train and gets out at some lonely road -side station, where thick bush and cover is plentiful and convenient; here he will obtain a goodly bag. He pubs his game to other uses besides eating, for ho is sometimes clever at preserving the heads ond horns of deers, stuffing birds, and preserving pkiru', all of which he will sell and expend the proceeds in ammunition and other shooting requisites. At a moderate dUtanco from the cantonment game is sometimes plontifu! and includes antelope, nylghye, samblmr deer, hyenas, leopards, jungle cats, hoies, par tridges, grouse, quail, snips, wild creese, ducks, teal and other water fowl. It is related of a soldier stationed at Newgong, Central India, a few years ago, that he actually walked up to a sleeping tifrer, which he and his comrade accidentally came across, and blew its brains out with nothing but a charge of slugs. Ib is needless to point out the dnnger and foolbardine&s of an act liko bltis, for if the animal had not been killed right off the man would probably have been torn to pieces. Snakes abound during the monsoons everywhere, and Lho cobra-di-capello and karaib are exceedingly dangerous. I never knew or heard of anyone escaping a bite of: thefoimer except once, and this was an officer of the Ist Goorkha Regiment, stationed at Dhurumsala, who was bitten in the finger, and who with his own hands blew his linger off with his gun and so saved his life. The cobra may always be readily recognised from its dark colour and the fact of its having a hood, which it spreads out when aroused. It will rarely attack unless one goes near it. The karaib is perhaps even ny re dangerous, from its power of getting over the ground more quickly. Snakes are by no means common about the barracks, as the soldiers and bhey are deadly enemies. Marry stories have been written about snake charmers' power of charming snakes and enticing them out of their holes ; bub I firmly believe that snakes cannot be charmed out of their holes. I give the two following experiments as reasons for my belief. Two snake charnier3 came and tendered their services. After performing some tricks with their own tame snakes, I asked one of them to catch a snake that I knew was somewhere in my garden. He began droning on his instrument, I following close to his heels. He played for some time ; at last, turning round sharp, he directed my attention to a certain spot, and bhen turned round in quite another direction, and, quick as light ning, dragged forth a &nake. I was pertectly astounded, and thought him very clever, and I blamed myself tor nob look ing in the right direction, and for having misunderstood him as I thought. But on examining the ground I could see no hole, nor any place m here the snake could ha\e hidden himself. However, I rewaided him, and he went away. A few clays after another charmer came, bub he was older and le&& active. I asked him to attract another snake, if there should be one about. He answeied me ib was veiy probable there was, and he at once commenced droning on his instrument; bub without taking the trouble to put me off the scent he almost at once benb down on a clear piece ot ground, on which no snake could possibly have lain and nob be seen, and pulled forth a snake, which I saw him dexterously withdraw in a coil from the folds of hia waistcloth. I now became convinced thafc fche first case was also a cleAer piece of deception. The so-called snake charmers frequently came round the barracks to exhibit their snakes, whose fangs had no doubt been drawn, and this enables the charmers to handle them with such impunity. The stings of scorpions, the bites of the tarantula spider, and of centipedes ai'e very severe. However, balancing the evils against the good, I think the soldior'b Hie in India compares favourably with his service at home. In India his pay is more, inasmuch .as he buys couutry produce and not English. The scenery around him is ever varying, and often picturesque and interesting ; and finally, if the climate does not happen to agree with him, he has the consolation of knowing he need not endure ib very long. — " Colburn's United Service Magazine."