ts it in the twinkling of an eye."

The steamer continued on her course down the river, and in less than four
hours arrived at Diamond Harbor. It contained a fort, a signal-station, and
a telegraph-office, though there is nothing in the shape of a village. The
East India Company's ships made this their port; but the improvement of the
navigation of the river enables all the steamers to go up to the city, to
which their arrival is telegraphed.

The extensive territory included in the delta of the Ganges is called the
Sunderbunds, and is about equal to the State of Massachusetts in size. It
is a muddy region, cut up by a network of streams; and it is full of
swamps, morasses, and mud-holes. Nearest to the sea is a belt of land,
forming a wide extent of jungle, with a dense undergrowth of tropical
plants and verdure; for it is in the Torrid Zone, which the tourists
entered about forty miles north of Calcutta. This jungle was the objective
point of the hunters of the party.

The captain of the steam-yacht took the company on board through a number
of the lagoons and cutoffs to enable them to see the wild character of the
scenery. Lord Tremlyn, Sir Modava, and Dr. Ferrolan were kept busy
explaining the trees, plants, crocodiles, storks, and other animals.

At a pleasant basin, dinner was served on board, and it was quite as good
as they would have obtained at the Great Eastern; for just now the party
were government guests, and the officials could not do enough for a person
of Lord Tremlyn's influence in England. After the meal the hunters prepared
themselves for the sport in which they were to engage. Mrs. Belgrave warned
her son to be very careful, and Mrs. Blossom did as much for Felix.

The steamer started into a cut-off leading through to the Bay of Bengal,
the polite captain explained. It was full of game of all sorts, including
the wild buffalo, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wild hog, deer, and the trees
and bushes were as full of monkeys as they could swarm. It was agreed among
the hunters that none of the latter should be shot, for they were harmless
animals.

"Captain, dear, are there any schnakes forninst the joongle?" asked the
Milesian, who was much exhilarated at the prospect of the sport, and easily
slipped into the vernacular of his mother.

"Plinty av thim, Musther McGavonty," replied Captain O'Flaherty, with a
broad grin on his honest face. "They air as thidck as broken heads at a
Donnybrook fair."

"