70. Tues Dec. 15 march time thus:- Left 1st movement of Slope Right Pause Left 2nd movement of ditto Right Pause Left 3rd ditto Right All over! We got it pretty well eventually though the Port presented considerable difficulty. I played a Single with Hickling from 3.30 - 4.45. Played two sets & got horribly licked in both. Still that's a detail. Eve. - slacked. Wed. Dec. 16. Jan 1st is apparently the anniversary of the Proclamation of Queen Victoria as Queen-Empress of India. They keep it up at every station in India by a ceremonial parade 7 artillery salutes & infantry feus-de-joie -- to say nothing of National Anthems. The natives apparently love it! So we started practising it this morning. That took about an hour & then we carried on with a little more close order drill & musketry. Afternoon Parade was Handling of Arms again. The Corp is getting quite hot. After Parade Hickling & myself negotiated the joint purchase of a bike for 90 rs. It is a bit small for me. I put the saddle up as high as it would go & rode to the station on it to fetch a Revolver which the A.& N.S. are sending me from Calcutta. The box turned out