The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-07-31
Life I'm the Indian Army.

The correspondent of the London Times,
fW. II. Bussel,) presents the following pic
ture of Indian scenery and Indian life, in
recent letter:
CAMP TnHuR, Rohilcund, May IL, 1858.
We passed through the large village of
Tilhur, and encamped about o'clock in a
large mango tope to the south Of it, not with
out considerable opposition from some of
the inhabitants, for il so happened that the
first camp fire that was lighted disturbed a
community of the most vindictive bees in
the hollow of the tree above that | ever
heard of. They at once descended to the
assault, and in few minutes most of their
enemies were utterly routed The Com
mander-in-Chief himself was attacked and
driven right ont of the field, or rather out
of the tope, for the enemy did not desiSt un-
Ill they had forced him TO take refuge in
the open plain. The chief of the staff, too,
was attacked, aud utterly defeated IN few
seconds. Col. Althorp, after a gallant stand,
: ags obli;-esl-tV<t, with the loss of his spec
tacles. Mr.. Naeklinnon, using a large
mango branch as claymore, resisted his
foes with great activity and courage for
some time, but finally he was obliged to fly,
wounded in several places, and TO take re-
fuge in neighboring tank. The guard
over the treasure was also obliged to aban-
don their post; the natives wrapped them
selves up in their cotton robes, and lay fiat
on the ground, and in short time the bees
were completely victorious. During the
struggle all the headquarter staff armed
themselves with green bOughs, so that it
looks as if they were rehearSing a second
march to Dunsmane As soon as the tents
were pitched we had shelter from our en-
emy.
These mango groves are, indeed, most
welcome shelter for man and beast and
bird, and every living thing, from the re-
lcntlcss cruelty of the Indian sun. The
trees attain a great size, and they stand as
close together as their massive branches,
clothed with rich dark green outrageous
foliage, will permit. At this season of the
year they are laden with fruit, each hanging
from a long slender stem, and resembling in
size and color an dnripe greengage plum.-
The fuit is not considered ripe until after
the rains have set in, but the natives eat it
even now. tried the experiment very un-
successfully, for it struck me that the fruit
was like Il lump of inspiSsated turpentine.
The mess cooks, however, make very re-
spectacle compound, called "mango fool,
out of the fruit. The trees seem subject TO
a curious sort of decay, which is betokened
by large deep holes in the trunk and upper
branches, without any apparent influence
upon its foliage or vitality.
In these recesses large and beautiful bright
blue jays, small green paroquets, three or
four kinds OF gaudy woodpeckers, bees,
/ snakes, and the small brown horned owl re-
side during the greater part of the year. \
dust colOred squirrel with brown bars, and
Il large bat covered with dark brown fur.
and having fine and extremely delicate MEM
! branOuS wings also frequent them-in fact,
these tOpes abound with life. All day they
are mute, but at night become vocal with
diScordant sounds. not redeemed by the
call of the mango bird the pleasant note OF
the bulbul, or the inceSSant chattering of the
minors. Ii may be easily imagined how
anXiOusly each man surveys the trees about
/ his tent as the site is marked out, and calcu-
/ latcs what shelter it will give him, and nj
what time the sun will find out his weak
points during the day and, indeed the rays
, do strike through every interStice like red
AON SiOt- - llO liltltCISloll Ol SisitlON,
no infrmity of outline, for wherever the sun
falls on the side Of the tent it seems to punch
cut tervid blazing pattern on the gray
/ ground of the canvass. 1t is poor conso-
latlon to see that the birds themselves, "tc
the manor born," though they be, seem tc
suffer inconvenience from the sun as well as
ourselves. The gray headed black pie, un.
commonly like our own mag, and properly
called Il crow or rook comes from the field:
during the heat of the day, apd seeks shell
ter in the tope, and there he sits with hi.
bill wide open and his tongue out, uttering
sultry calls from time TO time gasping
for breath, and looking decidedly as if hC
wanted some iced claret. Parrots kites
and all the natives of the groves, give SINH
lar evidence of their suffering from the heat
and the natives seek for shade wherever i
is 10 be found.