The Pavilion Roof

...wrapped in his own mosquito net he spun around the room like some ghastly dervish before exiting via the balcony overlooking the botanical gardens. Apparently he landed on the roof of the pavilion where he could be seen flapping around like a fish for several hours. I had already retired to my quarters by this time but on the following morning the battalions physician commented on the matter, stating that he had never seen such a bad case of sleepwalking in his entire career. In light of this and the considerable cost of the repairs to the pavilion roof, once the chap was able to walk again, I had him and his men assigned to some godforsaken outpost in Peshawar.

The Colonel

The hunting trip

“August 1st 1857 Arrived at our camping ground about a mile beyond the village of Shawpore and pitched tents in a mangoe tope. We here found a planter’s bungalow, which had been partially looted by budmarshes, but as they had left a few cases of preserved meat, pickled salmon etc… we made the house headquarters and made a good breakfast, thanks to the poor planter. Having a pucka house over one’s head I slept well until the first bugle….
I awoke with a start to find the Colonel in a state of undress wandering around the position mumbling to himself.......turns out that the salmon we had liberated the evening before wasn't as pickled as first thought....he was violently ill from both ends for many days....

The Major

The Boy King

despite his young age, they loved him like a king, that was until the major shot the poor fellow, entirely by mistake of course, although I must say it was an excellent shot, right between the eyes. Fortunately for us he fell off the cliff and the villagers were none the wiser, believing that he had ascended to heaven and not, as the case was, the victim of one of her majesties finest shots.

The Colonel

The road to Lhasa

...having extricated myself from the wreckage I proceeded on foot to Lhasa wearing only a life jacket and a sheepskin coat which left my knees rather exposed.

The Colonel

Diary Extract ....

Killed a muskdeer in the early morning: saw some female Ibex with young feeding among the rocks, but of course did not follow them, went up a tremendous height, but saw nothing more; in coming down fell in with a ‘nomade’ encampment, consisting of 2,000 sheep, some ponies, 5 or 6 of the finest limbed men I ever saw, 2 women (very pretty) & a lot of boys – most hospitable they were….”

The Major.

The Honey Trap

Having set up camp at the foot of a large buttress tree I decided to climb it in order to gain a better view of the camp and hopefully retrieve some eggs of which the major was so fond, apart from the time he ate a bad one and remained locked in the khazi for a full 48 hours. Halfway up I came to a large hole in the trunk, my curiosity getting the better of me I inserted my head. Seeing nothing I tried to pull my head out, unfortunately my blasted pith helmet became jammed, pulling harder I lost my footing and ended up hanging 30 foot up in the canopy by my chinstrap and beset all on sides by angry bees.

The Colonel