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JAMES THOMASON

six hundred miles from west to east, and four hundred from north to south. His winter's tour was planned some months beforehand, and the approximate dates of arrival were notified to the local authorities. For the convenience of all concerned, he adhered to the proposed arrangements with amazing punctuality, subject only to a day's delay here and there, owing to the wintry showers which casually pour down to refresh the rising crops.

Though his camp was as plain and simple as it could possibly be for a man of his exalted station, yet the array of tents with the spread of canvas was unavoidably imposing; while it was striking in picturesque effect, and the clean white freshness of the movable domicils was pleasantly restful to the eye. The Indian climate renders it necessary that the tents should be lofty, airy and spacious; in no country of the world has tent-making been so handsomely undertaken as in British India; each member of his staff and each of his secretaries had to be provided with one tent or even more. These were pitched in two long rows on the camping ground, as in a street of canvas, and at one extremity were his own tents. His reception tent closed the end of the street; it was a fine long apartment of extensive dimensions, its shelving roof being supported by a row of poles. It was kept for his social entertainments at the civil and military stations through which he passed,