our master had to do the loading and unloading,
he gave us an easy life.

We were lucky that evening, for we got
water a second time. At night we rested
comfortably, some standing, but most of us lying.
Mules are very different in this respect from
horses, particularly from Eastern horses. Without
meaning any disrespect to the memory
of my dear mother, who was the most amiable
mare in the world, I must say that, in my
opinion, horses are foolish animals; if a hundred
of them had been fastened to a rope as we
were, instead of conducting themselves reasonably
and peaceably, as was our fashion, they
would have bit and kicked until half of them
were hurt. What is the consequence? Man,
who is content to tether us by the head only,
ties them by the head and hind feet, so that not
only are they much more confined than we are,
but they are, to a great extent, checked in that
social intercourse which is one of the main
charms of existence: to say nothing of the
unpleasantness they, must suffer from having no
friend nigh to scratch their sides in those
portions out of the reach of their own teeth. On
the other hand, my father's family are, perhaps,
a little too patient of injuries, and do not, by
resenting small liberties taken with their good-
nature, establish for themselves a proper
respect. I think we mules may fairly claim to
have inherited all the good qualities of our
progenitors on both sides, without any of their
defects. From our mothers we get courage,
strength, and a comely shape, accompanied
by power and skill in the use of our heels
against a foe. But we possess also the patient
endurance, the sureness of foot, and the
quiet good sense of our sires, from whom also
we have received a melodious voice, softened
and attuned by a remembrance of the ringing
neigh of our mothers. But I indirectly praise
myself.

Several descriptions of forage were at
different times served out to me; six pounds of
gram (an Indian grain), oats, or barley, was my
daily ration. Indian and English compressed
hay or chopped straw was also added; the
English hay was very good. Sometimes, too,
we had issued to us, compressed forage, which
is a mixture of hay and oats squeezed into a
small bulk. The British government may like
to hear that I don't approve of it much. A
good deal of the grain is wasted while I am
eating the hay. Again, at some places grass is
to be found, at others grain, but if the
compressed forage is employed there is (as it
contains both corn and hay) no good management
possible in issuing rations of whatever kind of
provender is furnished by the country.

One circumstance alarmed me. Occasionally
a mule would show symptoms of slight illness.
In a few hours there would be a running at the
nostrils, and the eyelids would become heavy
and red; then the tongue and gums would
change colour, a large quantity of matter would
issue from the nose, and within twelve hours
after his first sickness, he would in all likelihood
be dead, exhibiting a distended belly, a stiffened
mouth, and squared nostrils from which a
mucous fluid still trickled. After death, it
was at first the custom to pay but little attention
to the obsequies of my deceased companions.
Our number was daily thinned also by desertion.
The muleteers had so many to lead to
water, that to lessen work they were constantly
permitting an escape ; then when we came in
we were so carelessly tied that we could pull
the ropes loose. I have known five hundred
mules to be at one time free. Animals thus
loose constantly wandered to some distance
from camp, and often died for want of water.
I believe, too, that many were carried off by the
surrounding blacks ; indeed, I once heard an
officer say that of the first ten thousand mules
landed, only fifty-two per cent could be accounted
for ; of the remainder it could only be guessed
that they were dead or stolen.

The muleteers who had charge of us spent
most of their time in grumbling. On the fourth
day after my arrival I heard all the Persians
agreeing with each other to do no work unless
their wages were raised, and they were
permitted to choose their own headmen.

Having watered and fed us as usual, they
did not put on our saddles, but lay down and
smoked. About noon a white man came to
them and tried to induce them to saddle. Next
day I heard them say that they had been put
on half rations until they returned to work, but
they did not care for that. They could exchange
some of our corn for food with the Shoho natives
of the country. Two days later, five white men
came into the lines and called the Persians, to
the number of one hundred and fifty, together;
they then asked the headmen if they would
saddle us. The answer was " No." The white
men caught hold of the best dressed headman,
who had in his girdle two pistols and a dagger,
threw him on the ground, and bade a Hindostani
man flog him. I thought the Persians would have
killed the white men, but I heard my master
say to a companion, " Hassan, you must not
attack the English; they are few before us; but
they have a thousand soldiers' five hours from
this and more upon the sea. Do not be mad."
The Hindostani man was allowed to beat the
Persian. When this was finished his friends
said they would work, which they did that
afternoon, but they moved very slowly.

That evening several of them formed a circle
in front of me; they talked bitterly of the
English, complaining not only of the pay, but
that they got no better food than the
Hindostani, and much less than the Europeans;
that they were threatened with loss of their
riding mules or horses and having to walk,
which had not been their custom in Persia;
and that the white officers did not understand them
when they complained. About one hundred
of them agreed to set out that night for a town
called Massowah, two days distant.

Personally, I think it was a great pity that
they left, as they were, except a few Europeans,
the only people at Zoola who understood