Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-30
A Cholera Adventure.
 From Blackwood.l

lETOKA blackWOoui
 I came to India in 1S5- as a private in the -th Regiment; and my company formed part of the garrison at Arcot. Life in bar- racks in India is very dull; and I have off ten wondered that British soldiers out here are, on the whole, such steady, well-be- haved lot of lads. Compare soldiers life in small Indian station with being quar- tered even at Malta or Gibraltar, and either of these places will seem like Paradise i; though the Rock is by no means popular, and is always called prison by the troops for the time being in garrison there We'll, we found Arcot horribly dull, and 1t was with great satisfaction that we heard an order had been given for our company to march to Vellore to strengthen the gsrri- son there, which had been very much re- duced by cholera.
 It was then about the middle of March, and consequently later than is usual for moving troops, as the days begin to get very hot on the plains in the Carnatic, about that time of the year. But ours was special duty; and as we should only march in the very early morning, we did not fear the in- convenience of the midday heat; but looked upon the whole thing as rather lark, and welcome change from the monotony of garrison duty. As to the cholera, not one of us gave it thought. Not likely 1t would touch one of us
 It was on the second day after leaving Ar ! cot, that Private Thomas Atkins, who was my right file, suddenly had to fall out. expected him to rejoin the ranks before ! long: but did not trouble myself about his | absence. It was not until we reached camp, ! and had finished breakfast that heard any ! thing more about him.
 then learnt that he was buried! ! knew cholera was awfully sudden In It's attack and effects. but had not imagined | the possibility of its carrying off healthy l man quite so rapidly. Of .oourse im- mediate interment must take place in case \ of death on the line of march. had liked Atkins much, but I fancy his death and burial were so sudden that the rest of Ut | failed to realize the truth of what had hap \ pened to our comrade, and half expected te ! see him turn up again. Anyhow, we sooI forgot the incident.
 Late in the afternoon I wRs listening to { description of Vellore by one of our fellow ! who had been there, and speculating ol the chance of seeing the orocodiles whicl Tippoo Sultan had placed in the moat rount
 the fort, as the best possible sentinels t
 prevent prisoners from escaping or any o
 his troops from attempting to desert, whe' II HUQQ6uly l 16lb sOdSus huu 6iCkucsS.
 ! "Helloa! old fellow, how blue you look!
 remarked companion sitting next to me | and as he spoke my comrades shrank ter | ror-stricken from me. It needed no docto to tell me what was the matter. The choler
 had seized me!
 I was hastily conveyed to the temporar
 hospital, where our assistant surgeon alread had several cases of ths disease under treat
 ment, and I was laid on charpoy. l rap & I1a k<1& &1n
 stage of that malady, and by o'clock 8 night the incessant vomiting and purgin
 had reduced me to condition of weaknes | approaching insensibility. was consume
 by burning, raging thirst, but the dresse disregarded all my entreaties for drink ( water. The system of treatment for choleI in those days allowed the patient nothiu morne than just to have the lips moistene
 occasionally with weak brandy-and-wate and this simple aggravated the torture ( thirst. Nowadays champagne is given, an the sufferer is allowed to drink pretty fre' Fly.
 The hospital was, of course, only par dal, hastily constructed with palmyra-leave with large cuscus mat at the entrances
 each end. Two large chatties of water wei , | placed just outside each entrance, from whic . a coolie from time to time threw pannikil
 full on the cuscus tathis, so that the wint blowing through the wet mats, might co r the temperature inside the pandal. This r ) suit certainly was attained but at the cost { . intensifying the bangs of the patient
 whose thirst was tantalized by hearing u s splashing of the water.
 ] I had begged, sworn and menaced at ii 7 tervals, but no one paid the slightest hee b to me; and was sinking into that conditie = of torpor which is the immediate precu
 BOT of the third and fatal stage of cholel I when heard voices in the pandal. The a t sistant surgeon was making his last TOUT l. for the night, accompanied by the hospit !, dresser. With violent effort reused m It self, and eagerly listened for their approac
 IT wanted to hear my fate pronounced. @ They stopped at length where lay, al It the doctor examined my body.
 'e "Mottled," I heard him remark to t g dresser. was nearly deafened by the sin W ing or rather drumming in my ears, so l le perfectly motionless, so as not to let a sins l. word of what they might say escape me, 'e possible.
 B. "He is insensible already" the doctor co l- tinued, 'and will not last long. So Weth h all will make sixl"
 ssMake sixf' said to myself; ''make 90 what9 "Six oorpses, of course, for bur E at daylight tomorrow morning." vo