For myself, having a perfect horror of pork, I think I should have starved outright but for the extraordinary culinary talent of Mr.Edgar, who disguised the presence of the unclean animal in such a wonderful way in soups, stews, etc., that I frequently partook of it without knowing what I was eating.

My wife and some anonymous kind friend sent by post small tins of Liebig's extract, which were highly appreciated.
Cholera pursued us up to and beyond Cachar; the wretched coolies suffered most, and it is a disease to which Gurkhas are peculiarly susceptible, while a feast on a village pig from time to time probably helped to make matters worse for them.

Many of these grand little soldiers and some of the Sikhs also fell victims to the scourge.

My orderly, a very smart young Gurkha, to my great regret, was seized with it the day after I reached Cachar, and died next morning.
On my way to Simla, I spent a few days with Norman at Calcutta.

The whole place was in mourning on account of the terrible catastrophe which had happened at Port Blair.
[Footnote 1: The Cachar column consisted of half of the Peshawar Mountain battery, one company of Bengal Sappers and Miners, the 22nd Punjab Infantry, 42nd and 44th Assam Light Infantry.