Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 2.djvu/109

 for having offended one of the Hindū divinities in days of yore; whence—

"Chakwā chakwī do jane in mat māro ko,e; Ye māre kartār ke  rain bichhorā ko,e."

(Let no one kill the male or female chakwā; They, for their deeds, are doomed to pass their nights in separation.)

"According to the popular belief, the male and female of these birds are said to occupy the opposite banks of a water or stream regularly every evening, and to exclaim the live-long night to each other thus:—

"Chākwī, maïn ā,ūn? Nahīn nahīn, chakwā. Chakwā, maïn ā, ūn,ūn]? Nahīn nahīn, chakwī."

The dārogha, the head man of the adjacent village, came down to the boats to make salām, and offered me the use of two horses for visiting Gaur; and a gentleman from the indigo factory of Chandnī Kothī, two miles distant, had the kindness to say he would lend me an elephant.

Dec. 6th.—Early in the morning a man was seen watching and lurking about the boats; therefore I desired the khidmatgār to put as few spoons and forks on the breakfast-table as possible, lest the sight of silver might bring thieves to the boats at night: the suspicious-looking man carried in his hand a long and peculiarly shaped brass lota, a drinking-vessel.

The dārogha sent the horses, and the elephant arrived, with an invitation to our party to go to the factory, where we found Mr. S very weak, recovering from jungle fever; but his friend, Mr. M, promised to show us the ruins. They detained us to tiffin at 3, after which, my side-saddle having been put on one of the horses, I was ready to start; when Mr. M recommended my going on the elephant, on account of the deepness of the swamps we should have to pass over. Accordingly I mounted the elephant; a number of men attended us, amongst whom were three hill-men, with their bows and arrows; Mr. M mounted his horse; we went on, and lost sight of him. The factory is situated in the midst of jungle,