A party of military on the march in India resembles a small emigration company; and, after seeing one, it is easy to form an idea of the enormous trains of the Persian and other Asiatic armies.  The greater part of the native soldiers are married, as well as the officers (Europeans); therefore, when the regiment marches, there are nearly as many women and children as soldiers.  The women and children ride, two or three together, upon horses or oxen, or sit upon cars, or go on foot with bundles on their backs.  They have all their effects packed upon cars, and drive their goats and cows before them.  The officers follow, with their families, in European carriages, palanquins, or on horseback.  Their tents, house furniture, etc., are packed upon camels and elephants, which generally bring up the rear.  The camp is pitched on both sides of the road—­on one side are the people, and on the other the animals.

Caunipoor is a strong military station, with four handsome barracks; there is also an important missionary society.  The town possesses some handsome schools and private buildings, and a Christian church, in pure Gothic style.

12th January.  Towards noon, we reached the small village of Beura.  Here we found a bungalow; that is, a small house with two or four rooms barely furnished with the most necessary and plainest furniture.  These bungalows stand upon the post-roads, and supply the place of hotels.  They are built by government.  One person pays one rupee (2s.) a day for a small room; a family, two rupees.  The payment is the same in most bungalows, if the travellers remain twenty-four hours or only half an hour; it is only in a few that it is considered enough to pay half-price for staying a short time.  At each bungalow, a native is placed as superintendent, who waits on the travellers, cooks for them, etc.  The control is carried out by means of a book, in which each traveller writes his name.  If there are no travellers, a person may remain as long as he chooses; when the contrary happens, he cannot stay more than twenty-four hours.

The villages which lie on the road are small, and appear very miserable and poor.  They are surrounded by high mud walls, which give them the appearance of a fortification.

After we had travelled three nights and two days and a half, we reached Agra on the 13th of January—­the former residence of the Great Mogul of India.

The suburbs of Agra resemble, in poverty, the miserable villages before mentioned.  They are composed of high walls of earth, within which are small dilapidated huts and barracks.  A change was at once apparent when we had passed through a stately gateway.  We then suddenly found ourselves in a large open square, surrounded by walls, from which four lofty gates led to the town, the fortress, and the suburbs.  Agra, like most Indian towns, has no inn.  A German missionary received me kindly; and, in addition to his hospitality, was obliging enough to show me personally whatever there was of interest in the town and neighbourhood.