My zeal for bringing home a few birds, or a hare, has often decoyed me into scrapes of this kind, and caused me to utter many an imprecation against the river, for winding, the _manjy_, for going on, and my own folly, for subjecting myself to such unpleasant circumstances. I must freely confess, that, in this respect, ‘experience did _not_ give wisdom;’ for, after full a thousand and one such disappointments, I felt, at the last, just as eager as ever, to silence such _chuckores_ (a species of grouse) as had the insolence to crow within my hearing!
The navigation of the large rivers is rather more hazardous than among those of less breadth. When it is considered, that the Ganges runs for upwards of a thousand miles through a country nearly level, and whose undulations are scarcely perceptible, except in a few places where the hills come down to the water’s edge, as at Sickregully, Pointee, Colgong, Chunar, &c., it must appear obvious that but little shelter can be expected from these squalls, called ‘north-westers,’ which, from the end of February until the setting in of the rains, occur almost daily, and blow with considerable violence. Even when under a high bank, it will require much care, and good tackle, to prevent a _budjrow_ from being blown out into the middle, where, if she is top-heavy, as is too often the case, and the proper means be not taken to keep her head to the wind, she will stand a chance of being overset.
Fortunately, the approach of a squall is always strongly indicated by the black appearance above the horizon, and by the distant lightnings: when such are sufficiently characterized to leave little doubt of the storm’s passing that way, shelter should be sought in some creek, or under some high bank, of firm appearance, where the _budjrow_ should be well secured by hawsers, carried out, and made fast to, substantial stakes driven into the ground by means of large malls, with all which every boat should be amply provided. _Luggies_, (or bamboo-poles,) ought to be carried out on the lee-side, for the purpose of resisting the wind, and causing the upper parts of the vessel to bear up duly against the severe gusts which commonly usher in the gale.