i[ niiiiiMiMiniMiiHiiiHi i{|iiiiiiriitMiiiiililunirii! liilltjiliifllll! iiiintniiiiiiiii i II! hi! i iliili jiii, i 1 ! i if i!ilfl!llll)i!!!il: W i ii ! I ill. jllilit; i j i 1 rimiiiiiniiiiauhiifi Cm4''i^er(U^ yt?^''^ ^^x/^/^^u'a/ //. C o -nf-e c^ /V// //'.?:' /2^ (4/nf>'/\jiru f/ ('^jfi/i/i r/iin AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES 1^^ ^^^** From a Hf^ative iy Mautl 6- Fox. AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES BY S. H. JONES-PARRY, J.P., D.L. ii LATE CAPTAIN ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS AUTHOR OF 'MY JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD," ETC. . • . ' > » , > > > ' " Sweet memory, wafted by thy gentle gale. Oft up the tide of time I turn my sail." Samuel Rogers LONDON HURST AND BLACKETT, LIMITED 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET 1897 Ali rights reserved Richard Clay & Sons, LlMUED, London & Bungay. • • 4 0. « < • • C * « '•• ' : • • « « r • « r c c « c # j7 MORSE ^-^^-rPKWiJ TO LIEUT. -GENERAL SIR JOHN BLICK SPURGIN, K.C.B.. C.S.I AND ALL OFFICERS PAST AND TRESENT OF THE ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS THIS BOOK « BY THE AUTHOR 512950 CONTENTS CHAPTER I Parentage and Education 1 My maternal grandfather : Admiral Robert Lloyd — A licensed pirate — A rough old salt — My father : Post-captain in 1840— My ■uncle : Sir Love Jones-Parry — An after-dinner leg — My uncle : Colonel Parry Yale — A hero — At school in Chester— At tlie Royal Naval School — At Shooter's Hill — At a private crammer's — I go to Addiscombe for examination. CHAPTER II India 15 I get my commissions (1849) : my Queen's, my Company's (H.E.I.C.) — To India by the Overland Route — At Malta, Alexandria, and Cairo — Crossing the desert — At Aden— Colonel Outram — At Madras — With the 52nd Madras Native Infantry at Vellore— Officers and men— My chums — Inviting the Brigadier to lunch— In delicate health — " Native dictionaries " — Captain Wilson — SUide — Appointed to 1st Madras Fusiliers — Sladeu of Ours — A drunken apothecary — At Bellary — My new regiment — A Plymouth Brother — A Nawab — Our tigers — Visiting at Vellore — Tlie regiment ordered to Burmah — I join it on the march — Madras. CHAPTER III Rangoon 38 The voyage — Rangoon — Tlie great Pagoda — A court-martial — The 1st Bengal Fusiliers — Moselle on tap — Amateur theatricals — Sepoys' sentry-go — The Wreck Aahore and Charles II. — Mormons — Burmah and the Burmese — The granary of India — Religion — The priesthood — Marriage a convenience, not a rite — Love of tobacco — Cigarettes and love. viii CONTENTS CHAPTER IV Pegu 52 To re-capture and occtipj' Pegu — -The expedition — "The Beast John " and "tlie intellectual Digney"- — Storming of Pagoda— Pegu captured and occupied — The Pagoda described — A night attack — I go to Pegu — The Commissariat stores— A keg of arrack — What came of it — I arrive — A weak position — The garrison — Peguers, in and out — Saving the Sepoys — The enemy down on us — McClory saves my life — An attack in earnest — " Eternal Watch" — An unsafe position— Narrow shaves — " Who is Nelson ? "—The old campaigner — Burning bamboos — Old biscuit to eat — British guns heard — Short of ammunition — Believed I — The fruits of our defence— Our losses. CHAPTER V Pegu — Second Defence ...... 82 A Burmese mode of defence : Sowing bamboo skewers — North- wards, after the enemy — To Sephanghoon and Mausaganoo — The marmalade and the flies — Neill and his Minie — A poonghie house — Back to Pegu — We erect a stockade on the river-bank- — The enemy stockade themselves — A critical position — Death of Sale — Captain Nicolay — Pioyal Navy boats — On the qnd vive — Burning jungle — Arrival of convoy — I have a nasty accident — Review of the Second Defence of Pegu. CHAPTER VI Our Jolly March 93 " Go to Shoaygheen " (with gunpowder and food) — No road, only jungle tracks — We start — Feeling our way — Fording rivers — Sagacious elephants help us — A jungle on fire — Big trees tumble — A mass of wild birds — Tigers about — Shoaygheen at last — A Burmese burial-ground — Accident to Neill of Ours — To Tonghoo. CHAPTER VII Tonghoo ......... 98 Tonghoo described — Compared with Pegu — Our new Colonel (Apthorpc) — Oiu new cantonment — We ofliLcrs the centre of at- traction for the natives — Those two false teeth I — A merry race — Mad dogs — Burying the local archbishop — A femim'ne fight — Our men and the native women — I am A^ery bad with dysentery — The story of IMainia and Fatima — " Don't go " — The wife of the band- master — Tiie bandmaster's dream— Grateful JMaima — The dream and its sequel — The king's road between Tonghoo and Pegu — Appointed to survey and report on it — Interesting incidents — Natives and the telescope — Nearly drowned — A domestic trngedy — Attached to the Sappers — Poor Bond — I again get dysentery, and am ordered to Europe for three years — Prince Ernest of Leiningcn — Two anecdotes. CONTENTS IX CHAPTEE Vlir London to Constantinople 121 London in the early Fifties — Evans's in Covent Garden — Tiie Aroyll Kooms — The Haymarket — At Cheltenham — A severe winter (1854-5) — I decline an A.D.C.-ship, and join the Turkish Contingent — At Vienna — Lord John Russell — At the Opera — Trieste — Too warm a bath— Pilgrim Turks— At Athens— The " Maid " Smyrna— Up the Dardanelles — Pera — The Sweet Waters of Europe — Mutual admira- tion — Whyte Melville — Wilde Brown and Tame Gammell — The first English officers commissioned by the Sultan — Selecting a site for the camp — Drainage of the Embassy — Fighting the cliolera — Am gazetted Deputj'-Assistant-Quarterraaster-General — My beastly liorse— Florence Nightingale — Passing the boots — We are to em- bark for Kertch. CHAPTER IX The Crimea 142 " Rats are awful '' — Tied up in a sack — Kertch — The museum, and the tomb of Mithridates — Making a plan of the place — The Turkish officers — Pajing the Turkish soldiers — Our position at Kertch — My duties — A brave enemy — Eftect of frost on the sea — Our Christmas dinner— The admirable Percy — The extreme cold — At Yenikali — I am made Assistant-Quartermnster-General — A severe storm — "A mass of icicles " — In battle array — Protecting our position — Scurvy and its cure — Our recreations — Armistice signed — Interesting relics — Irregular horse — Peace — Farewell dinners — To Constantinople — Sam Slick's daiighter — At Balaclava and Sevastopol^ — Turks not cowards — " Better than most of the Christians in those parts " — The Turkish soldier. CHAPTER X Homeward Bound . . . . . . .163 A project surrendered — Travelling in uniform — At Venice — At Milan — We bespeak an opera — A prolonged tour — At Chamounix — London in 1856 — The Junior United Service Club — John Parry, Albert Smith, Fechter, Jullien — Vauxhall and Cremorne — Koenig and Puzzi — Mary Keeley and Miss Bateman — A crush at the Alhambra — In Wales — I fall in love— I join the School of Mus- ketry at Hythe — Engaged ! — Liber VeritaUs — " Deeds, not words" — "0. H. M. S." — Ordered to rejoin — Marriage — London to Suez — "India in a blaze" — My wife returns to England. CHAPTER XI LucKNOw 172 In the Red Sea — Sleeping on deck — At Madras — Praises of Neill — His death — At Calcutta — -Stories of Neill — Travelling dak — At Allahabad — At Futtypore — We reach Cawnpore — The recent tragedy — " Revenge itj " " We will I " — I am attached temporarily to 75th Regiment — Crossing the Ganges — Twenty-thousand camp X CONTENTS followers — On the march — On gun-guard — Incidents of the march — Fighting at Maragungh — News from Lucknow — The Alumbagh — Its defence — The Dilkoosha — Occupying the Martiniere — Bank's Bungalow — A murderous fire — An Amazon — A narrow shave — The Shah Nujjif — The Naval Brigade — Lord Pelham Clinton — Burning huts — Sir Colin — We join the Regiment of Details — A real battle — " The fire was hellish " — A compliment from Sir Colin — My servant Solomon — "Never out of fire" — The 32nd mess-house — We occupy the Moti Mahal — An old chum — The evacuation of the Residency — We are the last to leave — End of the relief of Lucknow. CHAPTER XII Alumbagh ......... 204: A blow to our prestige ? — Our position—" Outram my man '' — No means of transport — Boy officers — The Enfield rifle — Musketry drill— " Guard, turn out ! " — Firing day and night — An attack in force — The Monkey-god — The Begum — Target practice — The country settling down — News from Lucknow — Attack on Alumbagh — A battle in a dust-storm— At Dilkoosha — We hold the Kaiser Bagh — At Lucknow — The city fairly ours — A jolly bathe — " Such a sight" — A rascally ex-Minister — Apathetic incident — "Take them to the rear" — Loot ■ — An old Crimean friend — Our barouche — Palais Royal trumpery — Another dust-storm — The Queen and the army — In camp at Nawab- gunj — Lord Ellenborough — ^The natives and English policy — The Queen's and the Company's officers — At Durreabad — At Fyzabad — At Sultanpore — I have low fever — Second attack of fever — At Alla- habad — At Calcutta — Tliird attack of fever — At Madras — Before the Medical Board — "Entitled to a good rest" — At Bangalore^ — i\ry wife joins me— Musketry instructor — Cholera — A grievance— A year's leave on urgent private affairs. CHAPTER XIII England — Malta — Retirement .... 278 I exchange into the 8th King's — To Templemore — To jMalta — Acting Inspector of Musketry — On an opera committee — Beliiud the scenes — A furious prima donna — "Art is art" — Music — A nmsketry story — I retire from the army — I refuse appointments in I\Iilitia and Volunteers— Some reflections on army matters — Favouritism. CHAPTER XIV Home. 18G8 282 In Wales — I take up farming — I become a magistrate — Some curious cases — Iligli Sheriff in 1871 — Judges and cliaplaius — I am made Deputy-Lieutenant — An accident, and a Journey Round The World — My boolc on the latter subject — The Prinu-ose League — District inspector — ]My first district — Chairmen — Sermons — I\Iy second division — Three years' work as political sjieaker — A crowning incident of my life — My dear old comrades — Left alone with sweet memories. » » J* 1 •. J \ ' > > , * AN OLD SOLDIEK'S MEMOEIES CHAPTER I PARENTAGE AND EDUCATION " Voila I'espayce de bom ker yer swee." — Trilby. Like another illustrious personage connected with the Principality, I was born at Carnarvon. For this I take no credit to myself. Good and sufficient documentary evidence exists to enable me to fix the date of the important event as April 28, 1830. Those of my readers interested in my pedigree are referred to Burke : I hope they will understand it. For my own part, as will be seen in a note to Nicolas' History of Welsh County Families, I was content to believe in my descent from Adam, but since reading Darwin I now claim kinsmanship with the biggest and oldest Vertebrate ever created. Please note Vertebrate, as I do not own connection with anything that has not a backbone. Apart from pedigree I have been lucky enough to see both my grandfathers. Of my paternal one, Mr. Jones- Parry of Madryn Park, little need be said, as I cannot even remember him. He was a shrewd man of business, and was said at one time to own land in every county in North Wales. Of my maternal grandfather, Admiral Eobert Lloyd of Tregayan, Anglesea, volumes might be written, and I am always somewhat surprised that the B 2 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES gentlemen ayIio write naval notes liave never once come across any of his achievements. Admiral Robert Lloyd was the most splendid licensed pirate I have ever heard or read of since the days of old Benbow. His services are well worth recordincr. From an extract I have before me, I find that he was born March 24, 1760. In March 1779 he served on board the Valiant. Then on the Fairy, IS guns, Captains Berkeley Keppel and Brown. He was wounded in a sharp action which preceded the capture of that sloop by the French frigate Madame. After much other service he Avas pro- moted to the Latona, Captain Thornborough, and fought under that officer in the celebrated action of June 1, 1794 (Lord Howe's victory). He rejoined Captain Thornborough as first lieutenant in the Rolnist, 74 guns. He served in Lord Bridport's action, and was severely wounded in the expedition to Quiberon. In 1796 he commanded the Racoon in the North Sea, where, after a short fight on January 11, 1798, he took Lc Policrate, French privateer, and on the twenty-second of the same month La Pensec ; he had previously captured Les Amis. Captain Lloyd captured on October 20 following La Vigilante. On December G, 1799, he sunk a French lugger and Lc vrai D6cede and L' Intr^pide ; in this latter engagement he was severely wounded in the head by a half pike. After serving in various places he was appointed, on February 11, 1812, to the Flantagenct, and between September 8 and December 17, 1813, Captain Lloyd took not less than twenty sail of vessels measuring in the whole 12,500 tons. Afterwards he captured a large number of coasters, and accompanied the expeditions against Washington and New Orleans. On his return to England he brought home the bodies of Generals Gibbs and Packenham. He became a Rear- Admiral in 1830, and a Vice-Admiral in 1837. A BOUGH OLD SALT 3 I have heard my mother say, that so great was the damage he did to the French that a price was set on his head. He never wanted men to man his ships, for to sail under him meant certain prize-money. He decHned knighthood when High Sheriff of Anglesea in 1820, because the honour was not bestowed in recognition of his naval services. Although rough and brusque to others, to me he was gentleness itself; he used to call me his man "Friday," and I was allowed to attend him when dressing. I worshipped him from afar, for I had a lurking dread of a man who I was told had killed so many. When silently watching the mysteries of his toilet, I noticed, before he put on his wig, the fearful gash that ran from end to end of his skull — a French delicate compliment paid him as he boarded L'lntr&pide ; also an ugly red mark on his side, which probably dated from Quiberon. He waS a rough old salt, and swore worse than our soldiers did in Flanders ; he told the Bishop of Bangor that it was " a bad habit he had acquired since he came on shore." His stories were endless : one in particular well bears repeating. It was of a storm through which he not only weathered his ship, but towed two prizes he had captured. The violence of the storm used to increase in proportion to the amount of port wine the old Admiral had imbibed. On one occasion when he was High Sheriff of Carnarvon- shire, he, as was the custom in those days, dined with the Judge. Now, his lordship was a very sedate personage, and his port wine was good : hence the Admiral's storm arose by mighty leaps and bounds. The description was thrilling, and, when it was all over and the ships safe at anchor, the Judge gravely remarked : " You must have been truly grateful to Divine Providence for such a miraculous escape." " Yes," said the Admiral, " I did think the Almighty d — d considei'ate on that occasion ! " 4 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES When seventy-two he married as his second wife a lady of twenty-seven, who took care of him, limited his grog, and checked his swearing. I am thankful he had a peaceful old age.'^ My father was the second son of old Jones-Parry of Madryn ; he was sent when quite a small boy with his elder brother (Sir Love) to Westminster. I remember his telling me how they used to ride pillion all the way to Westminster from Madrvn in Carnarvonshire, and that on the first occasion his sorrow at leavino; home was some- Avhat lessened by the fact that he and his brother had blue spenser suits with silver buttons and light blue beaver hats. Can any one picture anything more touching and comical than these two little fellows riding all that great distance in such a costume ? My father was intended for the army, and was borne on the roster of some regiment as a lieutenant before he was twelve years old. He remembered that the Colonel used to call sometimes, and give him a sovereign — whether as a present or in lieu of pay does not appear. One fine day his elder brother (attracted by the money or by the uniform of the gallant Colonel) changed his mind, and desired to be a soldier; so his name was substituted for my father's, and my father had to go into the Royal Navy. At the age of thirteen years and six months he fought on board the Trmmjih., Captain Sir Erasmus Gower, in the action of Camperdown, and was very severely wounded. As far as I can remember a shell burst over the wheel, and killed and wounded several sailors; a large splinter struck my father, injuring his throat and arm. I well remember his telling me that whilst he was in the cockpit another middy came down. When the latter's turn 1 Admiral Lloyd served from 1782 to 1787 on board the Hebe, during a portion of which time Ji^rince William Henry (William IV.) was borne on the books as a midshipman. ''NO GROG'' 5 arrived the doctor asked him where he was wounded ; the poor boy faltered, and the good kind doctor said, " Oh, I see you've had a very narrow escape ; come, drink this, and then go up and do your duty like a man." The medicine was a dram of rum. My father never mentioned the name of either, but told me the middy lived to become a good sailor. As to the doctor, I feel sure he scored up above. After this severe wound my father was sent home, and was of course made much of. On October 1, 1804, he assisted in capturing a French privateer. I think he saw more service, but I have no record of it.^ He received blood-money for his wound at Camperdown. He retired as a post-captain in 1840. My father naturally came across Captain Lloyd at various seaports. He thus became acquainted with my mother, who was an only child, and they made a runaway match. I am reminded of a funny story my father used to tell about some sailors, who in those days were very particular as to the style of ship they took service on. If a frigate was not trim and taut, they would have nothing to say to her. The Gorgon was in harbour flying signal for hands. Two old salts took a boat, and rowed alongside, scanning her yards, figure-head, etc., critically. At last they got to the stern. " What's her name. Bill ? " The other, who was a poor scholar unfortunately, spelt the name by letters backwards, which made it " Nogrog." " By the powers! No grog! — that won't suit us," and off they went. Another story that impressed me was as follows : My father and a lot of other jolly fellows were dining at an inn in Portsmouth. The window looking on the street was wide open. The noise of a terrible commotion reached them, and one named Barlow, jumping up, put his head out of window, and said, " Only fancy, there's a row on, ^ According to James's History of Naval Wars, my father dis- tinguished himself at Acre. 6 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES and Billy Barlow not in it." He sprang into the street, and was never heard of again. It was supposed that it was a press-gang row, and that Barlow got knocked on the head in the scrimmage, and was thrown over into some basin or dock to prevent further inquiry. It reminds one of the strange disappearance of Grimaldi's brother. My father's last ship was the Royalist : he accepted post rank in 1840. I remember him very well. He was pas- sionately fond of children, though somewhat strict with his own, as was necessary with a large family. The raising of the corner of the table-cloth meant silence, and he used to have our pockets sewn ujd if he found we kept our hands too much in them. My father was a magistrate for the counties of Denbighshire, Flintshii-e, and Carnarvon- shire ; he was a Deputy-Lieutenant for the last-named county, and High Sheritf in 1836. He was a most excellent magistrate, and died universally regretted. My uncle, Sir Love Jones-Parry, who got my father's commission in the army, saw considerable service. He was a very witty man, and an excellent speaker. After he had retired from the service, he accidentally fell on a scythe which lay concealed in some grass ; this necessitated the amputation of his leg, and the story is told that on one occasion he was asked by George IV. where he lost the limb. " On the field, your Majesty," was the reply. Sir Love represented Carnarvonshire in Parliament for many years. He was considered so strong a candidate that he was selected to oppose Disraeli at Shrewsbury, and unfortunately (or rather, I should say fortunately) was beaten. I remember well his coming to Llwyn Onn after the contest, and my brother copying the state of the polls for him to send to all concerned. There was a good story told by him of an old woman, who came up to him after an election, and assured him that her husband had worked very hard for him in the contest; she prayed him to do something for her son. AN AFTER-DINNER LEG 7 Sir Love asked what she wanted for him. " Well, indeed, Sir Love, if you could make him an ambassador or something of that kind, it would do nicely." Sir Love always travelled with two spare legs, one of which he called his after-dinner leg, which was of cork, with swagger silk stocking and pump. He astonished the butler at a house at which he was to dine by refusing to be ushered into the drawing-room until he had put on his dining leg. It is said the late Sir John Jervis, sometime Attorney-General, caricatured Sir Love in Punch, as sitting with his wooden leg straight out, and saying to the shop- man, " I'll trouble you to measure me for a pair of boots." This same wooden leg was a boon to us children, as we could always hear our uncle coming, and so get out of his way if in mischief. My mother was a very active little woman, and had an excellent memory ; she used to tell us many yarns about her father, and also stories about the Russian prisoners at Portsmouth drinking the oil out of the street-lamps, and leaving the town in darkness. She was the mother of sixteen children, of whom I was the youngest but two. About this time, an uncle and aunt (Colonel and Mrs. Yale), who had no children, desired to adopt me. My father consented, and I was borne off to Plas yn Yale, situated in the very midst of Welsh Wales. No one spoke English in the household except my uncle, aunt, and my nurse Amy, a dear sweet soul. What a grand solitude it was ! No letters or papers unless we sent to Corwen for them ; this only occurred if we went to church, or something was wanted for the household. We made our candles (I can well remember the process of making dips and rushlights), baked and brewed at home, and were very happy and contented. My uncle was one of the very merriest men I ever met. He was full of all kinds of songs, and used to carol them out very often when the thunder-clouds were gathering at 8 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES the other end of the table. When my aunt was frowning desperately he would chant out, " Lesbia liath a beaming eye," or when being severely scolded he would say, " Pray, Goody, please to moderate the I'ancour of your tongue." I never was afraid of my uncle, and worshipped him with the same devotion as my dear old Admiral ; there was something in bravery that even in my very infancy commanded my admiration. Colonel Yale was indeed a hero; I have his services before me. It seems he was gazetted as an ensign in the 90th in 1805, and as lieutenant to the 48th in 1807; in this regiment he remained for the rest of his service. In 1809, Colonel William Parry Yale ^ went out as captain in the 2nd Battalion 48th, and served in the advance-guard in the action of Oporto, and subsequently under Lieutenant-General Lord Hill in the battles of Talavera and Busaco, as well as in various skirmishes. At Albuera the command of the battalion devolved on him, as ail his seniors were either killed or wounded. He continued in command for some time after their return to England. He then joined the 1st Battalion in the Peninsula, and acted as field-officer at Pampeluna, Heights of Saire, on the Nivelle, and at Orthes. In the action of Pampeluna he was severely wounded, and had liis cap shot off at Busaco. He received the gold medal for Albuera, and the silver medal and clasps for Talavera, Busaco, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse. A letter signed " Fitzroy Somerset " says that Major Parry Yale's name had been submitted to his Majesty, who had been graciously pleased to desire that it should be placed on the list for nomination for the Royal 1 He was originally Jones, and took the name of Yale on succeed- ing to Plas yu Yale, a property that had descended from ancient times, and from tliis branch of the family came the founder of the celebrated Yale College in America. A YOUTHFUL ''POACHER" 9 Hanoverian Giielphic Order. I do not know whether my uncle ever got it. He often took me on my pony with him out shooting, and invariably gave me his last year's game licence, as I carried my little tin gun. On one occasion we met a tenant, when a little conversation took place apart, then the man came up to me and said, " May I ask if you have a licence, sir ? " Of course I produced mine. The man touched his hat, saying, " All right, sir ; I have to be particular, there are so many poachers about." My delight at being mistaken for a poacher was unbounded. On the whole, I lived a happy life, and years after, when my dear uncle had lost his sight, I loved to read to him, and was overjoyed to see what a good, loving, devoted woman his wife had become : all harshness and irrita- bility had vanished, and her brave husband was her idol and joy. My last recollection of him is my leading him about amongst the crowd of pleasure-seekers at Bath on the occasion of the Prince of Wales' marriage ; we both wore medals, and I was proud to see the notice he attracted. He died in 1867, and was buried in the cemetery at Bath. God's acre there holds no better or braver man. The time had now come for me to return home. Education must be thought of; so one fine day we drove off to Llwyn Onn, which property had been left to my father by my grandfather. I think I was sent to school rather earlier than I should have been had it not been for the sake of the companionship of my brother. We were consigned to the care of Mr. Harrison, a Minor Canon of the cathedral at Chester, whose wife was kindness itself. Mr. Harrison, or " Old Billy " as we called him, certainly imported a fair amount of Classics into my youthful brains, and to him I attribute my love for them, small as my knowledge is. We had nice friends in Chester, and were often asked 10 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMOBIES out. I fear I was a very proud little boy, for legend says I only took off my Lat to the Eisliop and Miss Ann Potts, a dear kind soul who showed us much hospitality. The 83rd were quartered at this time at the Castle, and, as tlie Colonel's nephew was a day scholar and a friend of ours, we saw something of soldier life. The Race week was our Saturnalia ; my people always took lodgings for the week, and in spite of the protests of Billy we went each day to see the fun. All our amusements took tone from these events ; we raced marbles named after favourite horses and had our own special colours. I am afraid to say how many coaches and four went out daily from Chester, and on May 29 it was a grand sight to see them go in procession all decorated with oak-branches. Watchmen still existed, and turnspit dogs had not entirely disappeared in very isolated localities. Street cries were an abomination, especially " fine cockles and mussels ! " and sedan chairs were common enough. May 20 each year was a day never to be forgotten. All the stage-coaches, and their name Avas legion, went out decorated with ribbons and oak-boughs. It was a very pretty and imposing sight. The drivers and guards of course wore scarlet and gold when carrying Royal Mails. I forget how many years we were at Harrison's before my father carried out his intention of sending us to the Royal Naval School. We started via Chester for Euston. I remember the solemnity of the leave-taking, a railway journey being a very serious matter in those days. What ceremony there was, what ringing of bells, and what caution taken lest any one should be left behind ! As boys we carefully noted the name of the engine, and wrote home afterwards to dear mamma to say "a very good engine called MazejDpa took us quite safe ; I hope when you come up THE BOYAL NAVAL SCHOOL 11 you will have the same one, for I know it is a good one." We also noted the names of the stations, so as to be able to tell them at home to look out for favourite ones. On arrival at a distance of one mile from Euston, the engine was detached, and we were hauled in by ropes, lest the engine should become unmanageable, and go flying through London to the detriment of her Majesty's subjects. The Royal Naval School then occupied Alfred House, Camberwell, and I am : bound to say a more miserable existence could not well be imagined than a school-boy's at that seminary. The whole thing was over-handicapped for want of funds. There was not enough money to warm, feed, or instruct us. The only pleasant memory of those days is the un- swerving devotion to his duties of poor old Loyeau, our French master, whom we treated shamefully, but who nevertheless did his utmost for us. I do not think the poor old refugee could hate any one, but if he could he had much cause to loathe his cruel little persecutors. It must be remembered that most of the boys' fathers had served against the French ; indeed some boys had been born in French prisons. We consequently had been accustomed to hear Frenchmen cried down, and so were led to persecute some most good and worthy men. A few years after, we went into our new building at Newcross, the foundation stone of which had been laid by Prince Albert. Here again want of funds was sorely felt. My school days were not happy, for I was perpetually in hot water. I am certain I was not a stupid boy, for I could, between the bell sounding and class assembliug, pick up enough of my lesson to save condign punishment ; but I was hopelessly idle. No special interest was taken in those days by masters in their pupils. A class was a class and nothing more ; if you learnt your lesson 12 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES so much the better ; if you did not, you only \Yent to the bottom of the class, and punishments were rarely inflicted for idleness. I have no pleasant memories connected with this period of my existence, but I must say that the object of the founders deserved and still deserves the support of the country. The number of orphans who were educated and fed gratis was never known to us, for it was a point of honour with the authorities never to disclose the names of those who were benefited. If naval officers could only be induced to patronize the school, a successful future would dawn, and the object of our good Sailor King be fulfilled. In after years I met our old head-master, Dr. Chambers, enjoying his holiday in Switzerland. On another occasion I met him at the Academy ; we did the pictures together. There happened to be side by side two pictures, one of an old hound with her young family, the other a shipwrecked vessel, the stern only of which appeared out of the sands. I told the good old scholar that one was a " litter of puppies " and the other a " Htora puppis." He had private hysterics, but on recovering he looked at me gravely and said, " Why did you not do better at school ?" Whilst I was still at the Royal Naval School— and I think doing better, for a nice master named Steele had taken an interest in me, a thing never before experienced by me — my father died. It was a sad time. I remember being asked if I would like to see him before the coffin was closed, and declining. I had such a dread of a dead body, and, though I have seen such scores since, the feeling has never left me. I also remember that at the funeral the coffin was placed in the centre aisle, and in the chancel there was a table with a large silver dish on it, and all mourners and friends as they walked past put money into the dish ; I think my brothers and I had to put bank-notes. The A GOOD CRAMMER 13 money went to the Vicar, and was, I suppose, a relic of the custom of payment for masses for the dead. A great change in my prospects came with my father's death, I had been intended for the Artillery, my father being a personal friend of the Marquis of Anglesea, then Master-General of the Ordnance, through whose interest a nomination and subsequent commission became easy ; but ways and means had to be considered, and it was eventually decided that I should try for an Indian cadetship. My father's cousin. Lord Dinorben, was appealed to, and a promise of a nomination secured. I was removed from the R.N.S. and sent to Shooters Hill. A curious arrangement obtained here ; the original proprietor of the school failed, and he became usher to the very man who had been his usher. I hated the place ; we were badly looked after, and used to go out at night to a public-house next door, and have toasted cheese and gin-and-water. No doubt Paul was a good crammer, for he turned out some good men, amongst others the late Sir John Cowell, who was there with me. I had been for some time ailing, and fever set in ; so I was removed to be under advice in London, as my eyes were much affected. I was attended by Doctor Ware, the oculist, the kindest man that ever lived, yet I dreaded his visits on account of the terrible pain he caused by dropping something into my eye. I had been very ill, my head was shaved, and in a limp and helpless state I set forth with my good sister for Jersey for change of air. What a lovely island, and what nice people, manners, and customs ! As soon as I was convalescent I recommenced studies under a tutor, and there made the acquaintance of Clifford Mecham, of whom much more is to follow. From Jersey I went to a private crammer in Gower Street, where I was as miserable as a boy could well be, though the kindness of both Mr. and Mrs. Howard was un- bounded. I learnt little or nothing, and no pressure was 14 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES put on me — doubtless by order, as I had scarcely recovered from my illness. I know no place where one can be so lonely as in London, and my leisure hours dragged on wearily between the squares and British Museum. The Chartist riots were at this time threatened, and our biggest boys were enrolled as special constables. I went once to a meeting in John Street, and heard a man called Jones inveigh against everything and everybody. From Gower Street I went to Addiscombe for my examination. I can well remember my being put on in Caesar before an assistant-master. I wish Mark Twain could have a copy of my translation ; the master said nothing, shut his eyes, and finally said wearily, " That will do." I knew my fate was sealed. I fancy I did equally badly in every other depart- ment. The mathematical paper contained questions that were Greek to me ; so I was told to leave my name and address at the porter's lodge, and came away. I need scarcely say I was plucked. My sister who had nursed me through my illness wrote again to Lord Dinorben, and he managed to effect an exchange for a direct appointment. Thus the idle boy got after all into the Honourable East India Company's service. CHAPTER II INDIA The excitement of getting my outfit was delightful, and on February 20, 1849, I got my commissions. I put it in the plural, because it was necessary in those days for me to have two. My Queen's commission was signed by the hero of Scinde, and countersigned by the great historian of the Peninsular War. My Company's commission was signed by Sir Henry Pottinger. I was to reach India by the then somewhat new over- land route, and I was put under the care of Captain Moresby, an officer of the Royal Navy, who had joined the P. and O. service. My first hours when we got out to sea were anything but pleasant, but the thought of being the actual possessor of a sword, gun, pistols, and uniform went far to comfort me. What a mite I must have been ! Captain Moresby was most kind to me ; I remember his bringing me a glass of brandy-and-water in one hand and a husfe biscuit in the other. He made me drink the liquid, and then said, " Now, boy, go on eating that biscuit till it is finished ; never mind being sick, you go on eating." His remedy was a good one ; I soon got bettei'. What an imposing thing a P. and 0. steamer was in those days, with sepoys in uniform, and a sentry always over the Captain's cabin, an excellent band, and no end of etiquette ! At Malta I landed with a lot of youngsters, and nearly had my head broken for trying to interfere with a Maltese who was beating his wife, 15 16 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES Before we reached Alexandria two cadets had quarrelled about some fair lady on board, and were going to fight a duel with their new swords ; but Captain Moresby, hearing of it, threatened them with irons, and all blew over. At Alexandria one mad young fellow nearly got into serious trouble. A bridal party was passing, and he jumped up on the donkey behind the bride and kissed her. Whenever anything untoward happened a cry of " BijJon ahoy ! " brought instant assistance. We proceeded up the Mahmoudieh Canal, and my modest eyes were somewhat shocked at the nudity of the children along the banks. We shipped on to another steamer at the junction with the Nile, and travelled far more comfortably but scarcely faster, as we were eternally running on sand-banks. We had a very fat passenger on board, and we made his life miserable by asking him every time we stuck to go to the stern to lighten the bows ; this occurred several times during the night, much to the poor man's disgust, Shepheard, the original proprietor of the now celebrated hotel, was on board, and he had some of the then newly invented gun-cotton. One day, whilst showing us that it did not act with a downward action, he exploded some on his hand and injured himself. Of course at Cairo we did the usual sights, and then prepared to cross the desert in caravans. The purser on board the liipon had told us beforehand to make up our parties, and I found I was put with a whole lot of girls and women. My amour propre was terribly hurt, for I felt that I was only put with them because I was so young and innocent. I had my revenge afterwards. What a journey it was across the desert for delicate women and children to undertake ! I can now remember with horror our being cramped up for so many hours, and the beastly dirt of the resting-places. We had a baby in our party, and I pitied the jjoor mother and infant so COLONEL OUT RAM 17 much that the maternal necessities of the situation were less difficult to bear. At last Suez catne in sight, not before more than one mirage had raised false hopes. We had on board Colonel Outram (afterwards the celebrated Sir James) ; he was hurrying out to try to rejoin before all our Punjaub troubles were over. When we arrived at Aden, as it was dark, no passengers were allowed to land. Colonel Outram was the exception ; but when the mail-boat came alongside, as soon as she had received her mails some half-dozen of us slipped on board. In vain the official in charge protested ; a sharp rap over the knuckles of the man holding on by the rope made him let go, and off we drifted. On landing we got at the hotel some villainous coffee for which we paid enormously, and then we sat down to play cards. The game was vingt-et-un; I shall never forget that game. I was a very unskilled player, and my luck was abominable. I lost all the money I had with me, and had not the courage to give up playing. Others had also lost their ready money, and paper I. O. U.'s were adopted. Oh, the horror of those moments ! I did not know how I should ever redeem mine. I had a letter of credit on board for £100, but that was payable only at Madras. I was miserable. Luckily my deal came, and I had more than singular luck. I had redeemed my paper notes, and was about to try to retire, when I heard a voice behind me saying, " You young blackguards, what are you doing ? — you're gambling." Some one ventured a "No, sir." " Yes, you are ; look at those paper I. O. U.'s in the saucer." It was Colonel Outram. He Avas very angry, but eventu- ally said, " I wall not report you, on one condition — that you burn all those papers, and promise me never to gamble again." The papers were burnt, the promise made. " Now then, boys, come and have supper with me." He gave us as good a supper as the hotel afforded, and then sent us on board. I think I may say we all 18 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES worshipped him, and I can add that to this day I have kept my promise. Such was my first interview with the great and good Outram. I shall never see his like again. Nothing eventful occurred during the rest of the voyage. I made the acquaintance of Sir F. Goldsmid (then Captain), which proved of service to me later on. I am unable to fix the date of my arrival at Madras. The landing in the Massulah boats was immense fun ; I felt a pang at parting with so many nice companions, and a sense of loneliness stole over me as I stepped over the ship's side. Letters had been handed to me on board — one from my sister, who was married to a chaplain quartered at Vellore, begging me to come to them as soon as possible ; also recommending me to accept the kind invitation of Major Maclean, who not only sent a, peon (native orderly) to hand me his invitation, but gave him instructions to see me and my baggage safe to his house. Another letter reached me which deserves special notice. It was from a Colonel Brown, who held some high appoint- ment at Madras. It seems that he and his wife made a point of inviting all young cadets to accept their hospi- tality, and to look after them and see they got into no bad ways or evil hands. Their hospitality was unbounded, and they had a special bungalow in their compound (grounds) which was placed at the disposal of their guests. No hotels existed in those days, and many a friendless boy must have felt grateful for their kind protection. It is not easy to give an idea of one's astonishment at being suddenly thrown in the midst of a new world. One thing I most fully remember, and that was my embarrass- ment at so frequently meeting native females in what seemed to me very scanty clothing. The Macleans had a large family of young children, and, as each had its own DUSKY HOUEIS 19 separate ayah, and I was not allowed to go out in the mid- day sun, I was eternally confronted with dusky liouris carrying sweet pale-faced little mites. How devoted they were to them ! I very nearly killed the youngest of these said mites. I was swinging her gently in the verandah when the swing came down. Luckily the child was deposited on a heap of cushions, and came to no grief. Major Maclean had noticed that the staple which held the swing was loose, and had told the head-servant to see to it — which he did by spitting on a bit of paper and putting it back : hence the catastrophe. No words can express the kindness of these good people. They saw to everything for me. Setting out on a journey in those days was very different from what it is now. No railways or stages. I had to get a horse, baggage animals, tents, bullock-carts, and, last not least, servants. All these things were procured for me of the best quality, especially the servants, whose name was legion. I got my route from the Quartermaster-General, and set out to do duty with the 52nd Madras Native Infantiy, which was quartered at Vellore. It was a great leap to take from being a school-boy to being my own master with many souls dependent on me ; but all had to go through the same experiences in those days. I was lucky I had only 200 miles to go; many had 1200. On arrival at Vellore I was welcomed by my sister and her husband. My first duty was to call and report myself to the Brigadier, to the Colonel commanding, and then on all who were on my sister's visiting list. I was extremely lucky in my regiment. The 52ad was a good one, officered by a set of well-educated gentlemen. I was more than lucky in my Adjutant, the one man in a regiment in whose hands one may truly say the fate and future of a youngster rests. Coote was not only a good soldier, but pre-eminently a gentleman, and to him I owe a very deep debt of gratitude 20 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES for precepts and example. I must mention one kindness, for it was a kindness of the true sort. Like many others, I fancied I had a grievance, and wrote to him in conse- quence. His answer was that of a friend, and he wound up by telling me, that, like a young bear, all my troubles were before me ; they might or might not be serious, but in any circumstances I was never to ride out to meet them. That letter was written forty-eight years ago, but I have never forgotten it. It was pleasant to see the way the officers identified themselves with their men. They used to take them out shooting when occasion admitted ; cricket was as keenly encouraged as in an English county. Their men were obedient and loyal, and yet this excellent regiment was disbanded because the Bengal sepoys mutinied. I have always thought the disbanding of four Madras regiments after the Mutiny the greatest blunder, and in the worst possible taste. My sister's house was a good long way from the canton- ment, which was inconvenient as regards attending drill. I was very happy there, but got a tremendous fright on one occasion. I was just going to bed, and had put out my candle, leaving only the small oil-lamp invariably left burning in India. In shuffling off my slippers I felt I was bitten on the toe, and I saw something wriggling into the corner of the room. A cobra manilla immediately crossed my mind, and that meant death in a couple of hours. My first impluse was to lie down and die quietly without any fuss ; my second was to tell my sister, so that no one might be accused of foul play. This I adopted. In great distress my sister came to me, and a most powerful dose of brandy was administered ; then questions were asked, and finally some one suggested that the snake should be found. On looking in the corner a large centipede was discovered ; so I had not to die so soon as I had expected. The beast was IN TEN FEET OF WATER 21 killed, and I suffered only from mucli brandy and a swelled toe. By this time I had advanced sufficiently with my ordinary drill to warrant my being initiated in the mysteries of sword exercise ; and as this instruction was to be imparted to us cadets at mid-day under the shelter of the Adjutant's roof, out of the broiling sun, it became necessary for me to attend drill three times a day. This was too much for me, living at so great a distance from cantonments ; so I had most reluctantly to leave my sister and share a bungalow nearer my work. I was fortunate enough to find a chum in my old Jersey school-companion Mecham. He was a nice quiet fellow, and we got on well together. He was given to flute- playing, and often sat out under the shade of the plantains discoursing sweet melody. One day I took a bath in a large well-shaped sort of tank from which our garden was daily watered. I lost my footing and went into about ten feet of water ; the sides were so steep that I could not get a hold to save myself, and would certainly have been drowned had not Mecham in an interval of his music heard my cries and rescued me. Our joint housekeeping was not of long duration, for Mecham was posted to some regiment up country ; so I had to look out for another chum. I found one in another school-fellow of Shooters Hill renown. Vellore had in former years three regiments stationed there : now it had only one, and two old mess-houses were in consequence vacant. We occupied one, and the large centre room which had been the mess-room now served us as a gallery for practising with pellet bows. Few people would believe how expert we became with this singular and somewhat formidable weapon. Feats of almost incredible prowess were reported to have been done by two brothers whose names I have forgotten. I am quite sure I must have been a very cheeky 22 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES youngster ; one of my indiscretions is worth recording, as it brinojs into stronoj relief the forbearance of a good and gallant soldier. Our Brigadier, a man of magnificent stature and build, was more than commonly kind to me, and his daughter made rather a pet of me. On the anniversary of my birthday I determined to give a big lunch, and I desired no one's presence more than the Brigadier's ; accordingly I wrote and asked him to come and lunch. Only fancy a cadet inviting his Brigadier ! I certainly meant no impertinence ; but having at home mixed with all sorts and conditions of men, I saw no harm in, as I thought, showing my appreciation of the good man's kindness. I got a note from the Brigade Major to say the Brigadier wanted to see me nest day at twelve o'clock. I put on my uniform and went. When I arrived, the Brigade Major was in attendance. The giant rose up and came towards me, and looking down on me said, "You young vagabond, you have no business to be giving a lunch party to the cantonment, and still less business to ask your Brigadier to it. Do you hear ? mind you don't do it again." I was speechless. Then putting his hand on my shoulder he said with a laugh, " You are a cheeky youngster ; now go and talk to my daughter till lunch is ready." On tlie day of my lunch a dozen of champagne arrived with the Brigadier's compliments. We were a very happy, friendly lot. Only once after a wine-party there arose a desperate quarrel which ended in a challenge. All was hushed up next day, and this was the last time I ever heard of a duel being proposed in serious earnest. We used to go out shikaring, and no difference was ever made between us doinoj dutv wallahs and the officers belonging to the regiment. All were equally kind, from the commanding officer downwards. My health was anything but good at this time ; I was seized constantly with a sort of violent colic. The doctor ''NATIVE DICTIONARIES' 23 was very attentive, but his chief remedy for everything was " brown soap." He used to say, " You've fever, you have, and you'll be worse before you're better ; take congee water, and use plenty of brown soap." So delicate was my health at this time, that my retire- ment from the army was contemplated. Who knows what might have happened ? — I might have become an archbishop like an old comrade of mine. The time was drawing near for my departure ; the long delayed Gazette at last appeared which sealed my fate. I was posted as a second lieutenant to the 1st Madras Fusiliers, a European regiment that had a glorious record. The 52nd officers paid me the compliment of asking me to apply to join them, and many friends strongly urged me not to accept the appointment, the reasons urged being that European regiments were fast and expensive. I would not listen to such arguments, for I felt in my inner mind that if I could not resist a certain amount of temptation I was not good for much. What a break up it was ! — some half-dozen cadets who had lived together like brothers scattered all over the great length and breadth of the Presidency, never to meet again. I often think, taking all things into consideration, what a good lot we were, for India in those days was very different from what it is now. All who then joined the Indian army were virtually banished from home for ten years. Marriage for a youngster was almost an impossibility : thus the custom of keeping a black mistress, or, as it was some- times termed, " buying a native dictionary," was not only common, but often openly recommended by our superiors. Yet on the whole we boys were as a body fairly virtuous. Now, let over-sensitive readers skip the next paragraph. I do not mean for one moment to advocate the customs that existed in those days, but I do think the evil said to be produced by English officers lowering themselves by such acts was much exaggerated. The natives them- 24 AN OLD SOLDIEB'S MEMORIES selves were in no degree lowered; tbe liabit broke no caste, offended no religious prejudice. On the contrary, it improved their social position in most cases; and it is very doubtful whether India would ever have been the great Empire it now is if some of our greatest men had not gained the affection of their coloured mistresses and thereby a knowledge of native affairs. The awful and sickening prostitution of young girls by the priests of the Hindoo temples for the sake of money is another thing. It must not be supposed that we were all angels of light and virtue ; we had our boyish escapades. I well remember the Queen's birthday, 1S50. I con- tinued to drink the Queen's health long after it was necessary, and unfortunately considered that the glass used for such a toast would be polluted by being used for any other purpose henceforth. My mess-bill that month was excessive, and my headache next morning a caution ! With my appointment to the 1st Madras Fusiliers came also my instructions to join a detachment of cadets and recruits of my regiment under one of our officers on its arrival at Vellore. Our leave-takings were somewhat sad ; I felt being severed from friends, and again being cast amongst strangers. Before taking leave of Vellore I must mention a few very interesting characters I came across. First and foremost was Captain Wilson of the 52nd, whose career had been singularly eventful. He served with the Bengal Army during the disastrous Afghan campaign, and by reason of his intimate knowledge of Persian^ volunteered to carry despatches to the relieving force. His disguise as a Persian horse-dealer was complete, and deceived all with whom he came in contact ; but he could not deceive the brute creation. One night as he lay at a caravanserai, he was awakened by something pressing his throat, with two 1 Captain Wilson had been attache to his uncle. Sir Jnhn McNeil, at Tehenui. SEPOY SCOTCH 26 great glaring eyes staring at him. Of course he thought all was up, but to his joy found it to be only a poor Newfoundland dog, whose master doubtless had been killed in the Khyber Pass. The faithful animal no doubt had wandered for days seeking his late owner, and by instinct had discovered Wilson to be a European, and so clung to him. Wilson's difficulty henceforth was to avoid being identified as a European by the constant and afl'ectionate presence of the dog. Another singular character whose acquaintance I made, was an old trumpeter, whose name, if I remember rightly, was Slade. He had been trumpeter to Gillespie's Light Horse Battery of the 4th Dragoons at Arcot, and had sounded the assembly when the news of the mutiny at Vellore arrived. He said that Gillespie's guns burst open the fort gate. Slade had a mania for cutting sticks ; he used to go out into the jungle in the cool season and cvit hundreds, and then polish them up during the hot season. He never used the same stick two days running. I do not think he sold them, but I know he gave them away. Amongst links with the past was the old sepoy in charge of the public bungalow ; he had been orderly to Colonel Wellesley at Seringapatam, and was very proud of having been so. Some enthusiast hailino; from north of the Tweed had taught the old fellow a Scotch sonfj, which he would sing fairly intelligibly when in the humour. The officers of those days were on much more friendly terms with their men than in later years, and I am bound to say that the officers of the 52nd were as intimate with their sepoys as the rules of the service would permit. In due course of time the detachment of my regiment arrived at Vellore. I was introduced to my new com- mandant by Coote, who was good enough to give me an excellent character. 26 AN OLD SOLDIEL'S MEMORIES After two days' halt we commenced our journey. What a merry lot we were ! I now made the acquaintance of Sladen of Ours, who was destined to become my lifelong friend. I remember as well as if it were yester- day, my feeling of dismay at finding him so much more proficient than myself in Hindustani. I rather prided myself on my colloquial knowledge, but I found him far and away my superior. As I happened to be the senior of the party, the ofRcer commanding made me a sort of Adjutant, and Sladen the Quartermaster and interpreter. Our duties were very light, as we had only about a dozen men to look after. Nothing of particular interest occurred during the march. We were in medical charge of a half caste apothecary — not a very liberal kind of treatment where so many Europeans' lives were at stake ; however, that could not be helped, we had to make the best of it. At one halting-place the infant of our commanding officer was taken ill. When some one was sent for the apothecar}^, it was found he was drunk. I had to put him under arrest, and on my reporting the circumstance to our commanding officer, his wife in despair asked me to see the child, as of course the apothecary could not. How the inspiration seized me I know not, but I made up my mind it was teeth ; so putting my finger in its mouth, I felt what I fancied was the germ of a tooth. I used a good amount of pressure, the child screamed, the mother seized her ill-used infant, giving me a look of anger ; but the tooth was through, and the baby suffered no more, and I — , well, I became " Sir Oracle." On arrival at Bangalore we made a short halt, in order that my friend the apothecary miglit be tried. I was principal witness ; it was my first court-martial, and I was nervous. The prisoner tried to worry me, but Colonel Keyes of the loth Hussars, the President, soon stopped that. EDWARD BOSC SLADEN 27 Many of the loth Hussars were old friends of our commanding officer; amongst others, Nolan of Balaclava renown, and I remember even in those days his hobby was that cavalry could do anything against infantry if properly led. In due time we reached Bellary, having hurried so as to enable us to be present at a ball to be given by the regiment to the Commander-in-Chief; thus my first introduction to my brother officers was at a great function. Everything was well done, and I felt proud of my surroundings. A gentleman seeing me in the uniform of the Fusiliers came up and asked for an introduction to a very pretty girl. I told him I had only joined that very day and knew no one, but would ask one of our stewards to do the needful. The introduction was accomplished, the next day he proposed and was accepted ; then continued his journey to Madras, came back to Bellary, and was married after a couple of days. Things were done quickly in those times. As Sladen and I had shared the same tent on the march, so now we shared the same bimralow — an arrangre- ment which tended greatly to my advantage. Edward Bosc Sladen was no ordinary man. He was in my opinion certainly one of the most talented men I ever met; he almost attained the nature of a genius; and I believe his feeling of superiority over others often marred his success in life. He was so brilliant a classic that he told me Dr. Don, the celebrated head-master of Oswestry School, and Dr. Kennedy of Shrewsbury, both entreated his father not to accept a cadetship for him, as it would ruin his chances of becoming the most renowned classic of his day. The very last time I ever called by appointment to see him was in Lowndes Square. He had not come in, and I was shown into his writing-room ; there on his table lay 28 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES an open Horace with a translation of one of the odes scarcely yet dry. This evidently was his relaxation, and this too more than forty years after he left school. This is a good opportunity for relating a very amusing incident illustrating Sladen's scholarship. I forget at which school, Oswestry or Shrewsbury, it occurred ; it does not matter. It seems the boys got rather tired of apple- puffs, which were served day after day. One boy, whom we will call Jenkins, was loud in his denunciation of the puffs, but it was noticed he ate them voraciously all the same. The thing became a joke, and Sladen did in Greek certain lines which the head-master rendered in En dish as follows : o "Jenkins ate three, then called the puffs no treat; Had he liked puffs, what would the glutton eat l " I wish I could give the original Greek : it must have been splendid, for the head-master most highly commended the lines, and the boys according to custom got a holiday. To me Sladen's scholarship was of inestimable value, for by this time I had learnt, I am glad to say, how fearfully uneducated and ignorant I was. I determined to try to make up the lost ground, and Sladen cheerfully aided me in my plodding over Virgil, Ovid, and Horace. I also got an old volume of Cape's Mathematics, and used to do a certain number of what we called sums every day. As a goodly number of English Classics were to be had in Bellary, reading people not caring to burden themselves with trash, I filled up my time with such excellent companions. Here let me say one word about the old Company's officer of that day. I can safely say I heard more good conversation in those days amongst soldiers than I have ever- heard since. I heard my dear old Brigadier at Vellore cap quotation against quotation Avith the Bishop of Madras till my ears tingled with delight ; of course OFFICERS' UNIFORM 29 I thouofht the soldier won. Sir Mark Cubbon at Bancja- lore, so charmingly alluded to by Lady Canning, was a finished classic. I have heard Anstruther of the Artillery, Paddy Poole commanding the 5th Native Infantry, and Arnold of Ours keep a large mess-party spellbound by their classical lore when at Tonghoo. I think we were by no means inferior to any class (bar the University men) in our general education, modern languages excepted ; in those we were deficient. I did a little in the Hindustani whilst at Bellary, but never got beyond passing my second examination. Sladen, however, at once passed brilliantly as an interpreter. A few words regarding my new regiment may now not inopportunely be introduced. I had, as may be re- membered, been warned against joining on account of its fastness and extravagant habits. I found all this a complete falsehood. The officers, from the Colonel down- wai'ds, were quite as temperate as those of any regiment I have subsequently met. It is true that one or two of the old hands who had recently come from the tempta- tions of Secunderabad thought plain water unwholesome, but that did not interfere with a strict performance of their duty on parade or elsewhere. The Adjutant was a good one, and consequently the men were as fairly drilled and disciplined as regiments serving in India usually were. There is no greater incentive to laxity than keeping a regiment too long on foreign service. We were fairly worked, and no officer was allowed to go about cantonments except in uniform with sword. This in days of stocks and buttoned up frock-coats was trying, but no one complained. I never could see the hardship of making officers wear uniform, when the privates are com- pelled to do so. I think the way in which in this country officers pretend to despise their uniform is scandalous. The present uniform is, to my mind, as comfortable as a shooting suit. If it is too expensive for every-day wear, 30 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES make it cheaper ; but let it always be worn except when on leave, or on such occasions as arise, when flannels or any other costume is desirable. We had plenty of drill, and a fair amount of field days. Our target practice, or, as we called it, " ball fire," was the most splendid farce imaginable. A target six feet by two was placed at one hundred yards, with a bull's-eye in the centre half a foot in diameter. If a man made a bull's- eye, he shouldered arms and marched home. If three bulls'-eyes were made, the company was excused further ]3ractice. The stupidity of such a custom is self-evident as far as marksmanship was concerned ; but it left a greater evil, for in this way many men seldom if ever fired their muskets at all, and, when they did, were so frightened at the kick, that they got to look on target practice as a curse. The ammunition was villainous ; the bullets were undersized, and I believe frequently fell out on the ground. What a business the biting off the end of the cartridge- paper was ! I have seen men's lips black and bleeding many times during heavy firing in action. It was no very easy thing to steer clear of parties in those days. Society was divided pretty fairly into two groups : one set was termed " New lights," to whom all such things as balls, races, etc., were anathema ; the other, " Worldies," who went in for frivolities. The " New lights" usually made the bid for the new-comers, and urged them to join prayer-meetings and such-like gather- ings. It must be confessed that there were many tempta- tions to ally oneself with this sect. I do not think I am unjust in saying that the chief road to staif appointments lay in that direction. The existence of so marked a division is not to be wondered at in a country where life and death were so vividly before us — where often out of a merry party at breakfast one would bo buried before noon next day. A PLYMOUTH BROTHER 31 I do not think there was much hypocrisy amongst these Psalm-singers ; indeed I mixed much Avith tliem, and found them good and charitable in all things but one, and that was the rooted idea that those who did not think as they thought were doomed. We had a good many Plymouth Brethren both in the regiment and amongst the civil population. They were headed by the Judge. The story goes that a funny old doctor, who had risen from being an apothecary to a high medical position, joined them ; after a severe probation he was considered sufficiently elect to be allowed to preach. I do not remember his text, but the gist of his sermon was to prove that the reputed origin of the gods of the Hindoo mythology was absurd. He proceeded to prove his assertion scientifically, anatomically, and physiologically. As there were many women in the meeting, his dis- course was not considered edifying, and he was told his preaching was not desirable. He left the sect in wrath, declaring that they did not appreciate the only man who had ever talked any sense from their pulpit. I managed luckily to keep in, like the Vicar of Bray, I fear, with both sides, and, though I did not attend prayer- meetings, was not considered wholly beyond the pale. Bellary is a beastly station ; they say that there is only a sheet of brown-paper between it and the infernal regions, and that that has been nearly scorched through. The cantonments are in the midst of an arid plain of black cotton soil. In the centre rises a rock somethincr like the rock of Cashel, and on the top of the rock is a fortress, in which in my time there lived in " durance vile " a Nawab, or " Nabob " as the men called him, a state prisoner whose alleged offence was that of murdering a wife in our territory, but whose real offence lay in having a territory called Kurnool which we wanted. At the bottom of the rock was another fortress which dominated the bazaar, and in which the main-guard was 32 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES situated. It was the duty of the officer on main-guard to detach a sergeant's party each day to the upper for- tress to take charge of the Nawab, and the officer had to visit the old sinner once a day and ascertain that he was alive and had no complaints. Oh, the fag of going up that rock ! It meant a complete change of clothes on re turn to guard, as every rag on one's body was saturated with perspiration. On reaching the top we usually called out " Nawab," to which the old chap would answer. Then when inquiries were made as to any complaints, the answer sometimes would be anything but complimentary. The old fellow knew a good deal about the officers, and if he liked them would come out and behave civilly. He wore little or no clothing, and let his hair and beard grow untouched. Sladen was a friend of his, and he often took a turn with him. On the ramparts one day our regiment was drilling on the plain below ; the old fellow expressed approval, and Sladen asked him if he would like an army like that. The Nawab grunted an affirmative. " What would you do with it ? " was the next question. The answer was, " Throw all heathens like you over the wall ; " then he added, " No, I'd keep you, for you might be useful." The Nawab had a great dislike to being made a show of. He seemed to know by instinct if a stranger was present (I think he had a peejD-hole), and if he did not choose to come out nothing would persuade him. The civil magistrate in charge was the only official that could oblisce him to show himself. The story goes that on one occasion a lady friend of the magistrate was bent on seeing the old man. She and her host were conveyed up in a palanquin ; on arrival the sergeant of the guard called as usual " Nabob." The old man grunted. The sergeant said, " Come out. Nabob." He replied that he was at his prayers. " You must come out, the big Sahib is here." Tlicn Nabob appeared, but — BEQIMENTAL TIGERS 33 oh, horror ! — stark naked ! The scene can be more easily iraacrined than described. I must mention our band and our young tigers. The band was quite unusually excellent. Our band-master was a very celebrated Hanoverian musician, his clarionet- playing being superb ; his wife was a professional pianist : thus together they made delightful music. The regimental badge was a tiger, with the motto "Spectemur agendo" under; consequently whenever practicable we had pet tigers. When I joined there were two dear little pets : they lived with David Brown, our Adjutant ; they had to be got rid of when they became older and savage. We also had an antelope ; it died of eating soda-water corks, which it picked up in the mess- tent. It never would touch anything that had been breathed on. Time passed pleasantly, and I got a fair knowledge of my duties. Flogging was common in those days, but I never remember a man flogged except for a crime that fully deserved it, and the sentence was generally approved by his comrades. The men were very well looked after. I took the Bishop of Madras over my company's mess one day ; he was much pleased, and said he would gladly strike a bargain never to have a better dinner if he never had a worse. We were very sociable amongst ourselves, the married officers often asking us youngsters to dine. We were singularly fortunate in our officers' wives: they were charming. The Adjutant's house used to be open to all for early tea and fruit after parade. This led to an intimacy and good- fellowship with the man, who might otherwise have been, as Sladen termed it, " an active bane." David Brown was a strict but most kind Adjutant, and, whilst every one respected him, no one feared him. He used to call me a cheeky youngster now and again. 34 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES We had a most wonderful drill-sergeant in Murphy. He lived solely to study the drill-book. In those days tight white trousers were the fashion, and report had it that Murphy used to put his on damp and let them dry on him. He could manage recruits better than any man living. At this time urgent private affairs required that I should obtain leave for some months. I went to Major Hill, our senior Major, told him frankly my difficulty, and asked hini to help me. He said at once, " You must go away, I will get you leave : " and no sooner had he said it than 'twas- done. This was, I think, on a Friday, and on Monday I was off for three months to visit my sister and old friends at Vellore. My baggage was sent off immediately, so as to have three clear days' start. Sladen accompanied me for eighteen miles of my journey, lending me one of his horses to ride. Then I found my own, which had been sent on, and the first day I did thirty-six miles. As soon as I arrived at a rest-house my servant got me my food,, and then packed up and started for the next halting-place. I amused myself as best I could during the day. Books were too heavy to carry, so I took wools to finish a pair of slippers ; these served to while away the long hours, and could easily be carried in my pocket. I rode in a thick pilot coat which answered admirably. It kept me warm during the chilly mornings — for I gener- ally started at 2 a.m. — and kept the heat out after sun- rise. I did the journey between Bellary and Bangalore in an incredibly short time, considering that I kept my baggage in view. From Bangalore I travelled ddk (posted). About two months of my leave had run when I got an official letter from the Adjutant to say I was to join the regiment on the line of march to Madras, as we had been ordered to join the expedition to Burmah, with which country war had been declared. It was joyful news to me A SAD SIGHT 35 for more reasons than one. A letter from Sladen informed me that he had sold all his furniture and mine by auction ; so I was relieved on that point. My endeavour to catch the regiment was a stern chase of anything but an agreeable nature. Cholera had broken out on the line of march, and at each bungalow at which I halted I was told by the sepoy in charge that many of our men had been buried there. It was a sad and lonely ride. At last by making a forced march I overtook my comrades at about half-past eleven in the morning. I had barely had time to wash and have some food, when a message came that the Major wanted me. It appeared that he wished me to go round the hospital-tent with him. My name had been men- tioned as having arrived, and, as all conversation turned on cholera at that time, the rumour got abroad that I had died of the scourge. This had a very depressing effect, and Major Hill thought the best way of dispelling the gloom was for me to show myself alive in the sick-tent. Reader, I do not know if you have ever visited a hospital tent when full of cholera patients; it is a sad sight, especially when the sufferers are your own com- rades. Some looked up at me piteously ; others took no notice — they were already in the far-off land. To some few of my own company I spoke and bade them be of good cheer. Oh, how I longed for healing power ! That night a terrific storm of wind and rain swept over us. Tents went down on all sides, the hospital tent amongst others; many, no doubt, were suffocated before the wet folds of canvas could be raised from off them ; but cholera disappeared from that moment, and we could enter Madras with a clean bill of health. Some may be still living who remember this storm. I know I had to escort several ladies to my sister's bungalow at Poonamallee, which was close by, and at which they got shelter and dry clothes. 36 AN OLD SOLDIEE'S MEMORIES The regiment marched on to Madras ; but to my intense disgust I was left behind in charge of invalids, and of the women and children who were to join the European depot at that place. What a grief it was to me ! I followed the colours as far as I could, and then mournfully returned, bearing with me the last fond messages entrusted to me by officers who had taken farewell of their wives. " The girl I left behind me " is a pretty enough tune to march to, but the sight of wives and daughters left behind in the first hours of their sorrow is indeed a sad one. By some lucky cir- cumstance other arrans^ements were made in reference to the invalids, etc., and I was directed to rejoin. I now come to a scene which some might be tempted to leave out, but I prefer to tell things as they happened. On arrival at Madras, the regiment was encamped on the so-called island, a place in the centre of the town, sur- rounded by water, but connected with the mainland by two or more bridges. Here we were divested of our accoutrements, and our muskets and bayonets taken from us. Now a soldier with- out arms and accoutrements is worse than a fish out of water. There was no possible way of keeping the men within bounds; if we had put picquets at the bridges, they would have waded to the town. Our Adjutant did all in his power : the roll was called every hour, prisoners were put in a tent, and sentries put over them armed with sticks. Did any one ever dream of a soldier hitting a comrade with a stick ! Well, of course nearly half the regiment were loafing about. They had thousands of rupees in the savings bank on leaving Bcllary; it was almost all frittered away in Black Town. The chief amusement seemed to consist in hiring a palanquin coach and being driven about, sitting on the roof waving handkerchiefs tied on sticks, treating every one who would be treated. EMBLEMS OF DISCIPLINE 37 On the morning appointed for our embarkation, as we marched to the beach we were joined by comrades from every hole and corner ; and as a matter of fact we started with one man more than our roster, for a pkicky fellow, of whom more hereafter, sooner than be left behind, ran away from hospital and came to the ship's side on a catamaran. Horace has indited an ode in honour of the man who first trusted his carcase in a fragile boat. He might have written more eloquently of the man Avho trusted himself on a catamaran in the Madras surf, with myriads of sharks ready to devour him. No doubt much was said in reference to this event, but what was the head-quarter staff about ? Why march us into Madras several days before embarkation ? Why encamp us in such a place, and why take away the only emblems of discipline a soldier understands ? I have since those days embarked thousands of men and horses. There never was any necessity to give up arms or accoutre- ments, neither were the men summoned to the beach until the moment for embarkation had arrived. To my mind the staff at Madras was wholly inefficient, and I do not think they were over and above good any- where. Bookworms and men with interest were the re- cipients of staff appointments, without reference to their other qualifications; so when a difficulty arose and technical knowledge was required, they were found wanting. I must except one department, and that was the Com- missariat. No better organization exists than the Indian Commissariat, and after experience of Pegu and the Mutiny I still hold the same opinion. In the Crimea the Commissariat got all the blame, but they scarcely deserved it. Their mistakes were the mis- takes of a faulty system, which they did not originate, and by the storm of November 14 they were overwhelmed by misfortune. CHAPTER III RANGOON On September 7 we embarked for Rangoon, in H.M.S. Sphynx, and the H. E. I. Company's s. Mozuffcr, which towed the s.s. Graham. If our voyage was lacking in incident, it certainly was not so in discomfort; even Mark Tapley himself might have been jolly without discredit. A troopship is never over and above comfortable, but a man-of-war improvised into a transport is the perfection of misery. We were crowded so that some sixteen officers had only a small place to wash and dress in. We slept on deck, and the mosquitoes as Ave neared land had a splendid time of it. Arnold Ward of Ours suggested that the last joined recruit should be tied naked in the rigging in order to draw them from us. Every one approved his sugges- tion, but strange to say it was not carried out. In addition to our other discomforts we were handicapped by having to tow the Graham, and her faulty steering not only gave rise to fearful swearing on the part of our captain and first lieutenant, but more than once the hawser broke, and we were delayed in mending it. We sighted the Andaman Islands — a spot so lonely that no one, I should fancy, would ever wish to see more of it than we did. The approach to Rangoon is very tame and uninterest- ing,' but tlie first glimpse of the town itself, witli its magnificent pagoda and gilt tec glittering in the sunshine, is fine, and its background of forest is very beautiful. 38 A CUBIOUS PLACE 39 The river too at the jetty is a magnificent outspread of "water. We landed on the 14th, and formed up on the Bund, and then marched off towards the Great Pagoda, which is called Shoay Dagon. Our strength Avas forty officers and nine hundred and sixty rank-and-file — some- thing like a regiment ! Our route lay along a broad flat road bordered on either side by innumerable small pagodas, more or less dilapi- dated. These were covered from top to bottom with masses of the most lovely maidenhair fern ; whilst at intervals there arose topes of tall trees in the fullest foliage, having here and there on their branches some sort of crane or stork in the whitest plumage, looking like huge white blossoms. To me the scene was enchantino^. I longed to fall out and gather ferns and flowers. "We were, I think, under canvas for the first few days until another regiment left for the front ; then we occupied their huts. I was said to occupy the one that had been Wolseley's. I found written in chalk on the shutter some words in Burmese, which I found very useful. After getting into ship-shape we began to have a look round. The results of our bombardment were strikingly evident, but the futility of our round shot was most plain. They merely went clean through the teak palisades of the stockades, leaving a tidy loophole for musketry for those inside. Wherever a shell had burst desolation was very apparent. Bowen and I used to wander as far as was safe into the surrounding jungle, I in search of ferns and flowers, and dear old Bowen, as he said, " in search of dead Burmese, who might perchance have jewels about their persons." We found several, but no jewels, only an intolerable stench. What a curious place Bangoon was in those days ! So far as I can recollect there was only the one main road aforesaid running from the river to the foot of the pagoda. As you neared the pagoda you came across numerous 40 AN OLD HOLDIER'S MEMORIES poonghie (priests) houses or monasteries, and behind these were native houses forming the bazaar. This part of the town was alive with soldiers and sailors of every description, type, and nationality ; then but a few yards further on either side, jungle, forest, and absolute solitude reigned. The jungle had been cleared away to make room for our huts, and a further strip had been cleared just suffi- cient for a regiment to parade. On this very ground after the guards had been marched off, our Adjutant has shot snipe. I don't know what an enterf)rising enemy could have done, but the whole position seemed very un- safe, for we were entirely hemmed in, and there seemed to be no outlying picquets. One of our first duties was to try Private Smith afore- mentioned by court-martial for deserting from hospital and joining. There was a curious and somewhat romantic history attached to this man. It seems that whilst at Bellary he got weary of soldiering, and, seeing no other way out of his life-long servitude, he loaded his musket and fired a bullet through his hand, hoping thereby to get his discharge. He was tried by court-martial, and sentenced to a somewhat lengthy imprisonment. As no European was allowed to undergo a long sentence except in the military prison situated in a healthy spot on the sea-side near Madras, our friend was sent down there. It seems that, having served his time, he was sent to hospital, and, finding his old regiment bound for active service, bolted off and risked his life on a catamaran to join us. The story went that he was refused admittance on board the head-quarter vessel, so came to ours, where he was hospitably received. Well, I was on the court that sat and tried him at Rangoon, and I remember we were reluctantly obliged to find him guilty, but sentenced him to the very smallest imprisonment in our power. The proceedings were re- MOSELLE ON TAP 41 turned for revision, but we respectfully adhered to our former sentence. The proceedings were read out on parade with the additional words, "Confirmed, but not approved." Private Smith, I think, subsequently distin- guished himself, and rose to be a sergeant. My dear old Brigadier McNeill commanded our brigade, and was as usual more than kind to me, and I saw a good deal of him. Shortly after our arrival the 1st Bengal Fusiliers arrived. They were our twin regiment, we having left our left wing to form the nucleus of a Bengal European regiment after Plassey in 1757, We had not met for just one hundred years. Of course it was a fair and fitting occasion for an interchange of hospitalities. The Bengal Fusiliers (now the Koyal Munster Fusiliers) had a most celebrated batch of Moselle on tap, and, when it came to our turn to dine with them, the said wine was heavily punished, for they were a good hospitable lot. Towards the small hours it was said the two colonels and majors formed rallying square in the centre of the mess- room for mutual support against any enemy. One adju- tant, a canny Scot who never lost his head^ was seen holding on to the post of the verandah, shaking his fist at the moon, ejaculating, " How many times I've told you, all unauthorized lights out at eight o'clock," whilst the band-president politely told the band-master he "need not conduct standing on his head." But how about myself? Well, it so happened I was on duty, so with me it was a case oi muzzle instead of Moselle. We had jolly times together; I Avonder if the whole world ever produced two better or finer regiments. We stood at the General's inspection 1001 bayonets, and our average height was 5 ft. 8 in. Our men were bronzed and hardy. I think in justice that the Bengal Fusiliers were a smarter looking lot; they made their men clean shave, which gave them a younger and smarter appear- ance ; they had, too, a goodly lot of medal men in their 42 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES ranks, which always adds to the appearance as well as the credit of a regiment.^ I have every reason to speak well of them, for their kindness was unbounded. When I met with a severe accident afterwards at Pegu, I got an invitation to go down to Rangoon as a mess-guest for change of air. About this time cholera broke out, and caused a gloom to settle on the force. General Steele, our Divisional Commandant, encouraged sports to enliven and cheer up the meo, and a theatre was also prospected by a stage- struck doctor attached to some Bengal regiment. I say stage-struck, for he evidently had had theatricals in his mind's eye, and had brought with him an endless assort- ment of properties. I unfortunately forget his name, though I well remember his undeniable talent and good- nature. Much opposition was raised to this theatre by those to whom everything connected with the stage was anathema. They did not formulate their objections in exactly that way, but declared that the building (a poonghie house) we had set our hearts on was too near a macrazine, and would catch fire and endanger the whole place. It j)roved otherwise. But whilst we had, on the one hand, to combat those who denounced all such per- formances, we had on the other to encounter all kinds of difficulties in the shape of stage, scenery, dresses, etc. There was no costumier handy or stage-carpenter within hail, but our doctor-manager surmounted all obstacles with a courage that defied defeat. Luckily the flieet had canvas galore, and still more luckily we had Atkinson of the Bengal Engineers, who was a host in himself with pencil and brush. Reader, have you ever seen Curry and Bice ? If not, get it, and you will be well repaid your trouble. You I Tim Bengal Fusiliers lost 412 men killed and wounded at Ferozshah and Sobraon out of 650, so naturally had many young soldiers in the ranks. SEPOYS' SENTBY-GO 43 will see what a treasure we liad in our principal scene- painter. Glover, of the 51st K. O. L. I., and I washed in sky, etc., and Glover filled in other parts, for he was a fair draughtsman, and then Atkinson finished off, leaving tableaux that were the admiration of all beholders. The first pieces selected by our manager were The Wreck Ashore and Charles II. I think, on the whole, they were good selections. I have not the plays before me, so must trust to memory for names. Glover took the part of Bella, and a more lovely heroine never trod the boards; he got up admirably. I, by reason of my height and beardlessness, was cast for Alice. I remember my dress was a crimson material called, I think, Persian, made by a regimental tailor; it had much white braid, taken from bandsmen's coats, sewn on the skirt, which was rather short. The bodice was black velvet, with no end of muslin about the sleeves ; my neck and arms were bare ; my wig was sandy tow, Bella's black. There was a little difficulty about our figures, but the doctor, who understood female anatomy, arranged that with tow and cotton-wool. Trafford of the 51st was my lover, much to my detriment, as will appear hereafter. Groom of Ours (afterwards killed at Lucknow) was Grampus, and our manager took the role of hero. We had a goodly number of rehearsals — indeed, more than usual for amateurs, for our manager really understood his business. It was during our numerous rehearsals that I got an insight into the Bengal sepoys' style of doing " sentry-go." Whenever we went to rehearsal we found the guard, placed at the theatre to ensure safety from fire, lying perfectly devoid of uniform and accoutrements, the sentry lolling at his ease with only a ramrod in hand ; he used to call out towards the expiration of his two hours' tour to the next for duty to put on his uniform and relieve him. Perhaps as it was only a theatre that had to be guarded, this laissez aller method was considered sufficient. 44 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES But to the play. Whilst at Bellary an ordei' had been issued that infantry officers might wear moustaches. Oh, the joy ! Alas ! the chagrin of the cavalry ; they would hardly speak to us for months after. Well, from the day of the promulgation of that order, my one cherished idea was to have a hirsute appendage to my upper lip. At the time of my being cast for Alice a faint streak something like washed-out gingerbread had appeared, and it was not without terrible communings with myself that with a pang I resolved to sacrifice my incipient moustache to my sense of fitness as a performer. Reader, the reason of this digression on little hairy nothings will appear hereafter. At last the fatal day arrived. The whole force was in a fever of expectation, the house was absolutely crammed, free list suspended, etc. Our band formed the orchestra, and struck up the overture to HaicUe in which a lovely waltz is introduced. Bella, in her white muslin, was stand- ing behind the slij^s, the stage was clear, the music too fascinating, we buckled to and commenced waltzing. Alas ! the drop-scene was very thin, so we were clearly visible to the audience, who set ujd an immense cheer, which caused our manao-er to order an immediate retreat. The curtain rose, and Bella's appearance was the signal for a burst of applause, with remarks friendly but certainly familiar from the Jack Tars in the gallery. My appearance was not so favourable; some brutal horse-artilleryman called out, " Gummy about the 'ocks." My dress, as I have said, was short, and I dare say my ankles were not as fine as sweet Trilby's, but he need not have called attention to the fact. Incident number one I remember was that Bella, after hearing the report of her lover's death, had to appear in the next scene pale and livid. We were all fearfully hot and perspiring, and, there being no dresser, had to valet ourselves. Our only powder was Hour, and Bella, in her hurry to put on the fiour to make herself A SHAVING INCIDENT 45 look pale, dabbed it on, and was called on before she had time to tone it down, appearing consequently with a round white patch on her cheek, which caused intense merriment. It was only when I joined her that I saw the cause and manasfed to remove it. o Incident number two occurred during the attack on our house by Grampus. I had to seize a gun, load it, and fire at the villain. I unfortunately did the loading in correct military fashion, which was received with cheers, and, instead of firing in the air, I fired point-blank at Grampus, and very nearly blew his head off. Incident number three was at the conclusion of an act, when I had to faint in my lover's (Trafford's) arms. I, of course, had my eyes shut, and was fainting most properly, but he, stupid fellow, never looked to see how we were standing, and the roller came on my bare shoulder and took the whole skin right off. There was a go ! How on earth to stop the bleeding was the problem. But our inimitable doctor was not to be beaten ; he burnt me with some vile stuff, and then put lots of flour on to hide the mark, and so we were able to bring the piece to a con- clusion. Charles II. went even better, and our efforts were crowned with success. Of course our performance was repeated " by desire," and went off the next time Avithout a hitch. It was always safe to run a piece twice, for the men on duty the first day would certainly come the second. ' Now comes in a shaving, not saving, incident. I was sitting in my hut, having my semblance of a moustache taken off by a native barber, preparatory to assuming my petticoat role, when all of a sudden I fancied the man struck me a smart smack on the face. I jumped up to avenge the insult, when I found the poor barber leaning helplessly against the wall. Before I had time for further action, I heard a rumbling, and every one was rushing out. I followed suit, and found the magazine, which our theatre 46 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES was supposed to threaten, had blown up, and our theatre was a dismal wreck in flames. I can only account for the barber incident as follows : The first percussion had felt to me like a slap in the face as I was sitting, but it had hurled the barber, who was standing, against the wall ; then came the rolling of the report which caused the whole community to turn out. The sentry over the magazine was never heard of again. As usual, no one could account for the accident. However,, our theatre was gone, and only by great exertions was the fire prevented from spreading. The only satisfaction I had in this matter lay in being able to retort on our opiDonents by telling them their maga- zine burnt our theatre instead of our theatre blowing up their masjazine. With our theatre my chief occupation was gone also- I had time therefore to look about me and take stock of my surroundings. Of the military situation I knew but little, as indeed do most men in a campaign, I was aware that there were two divisions commanded in chief by General Godwin, C.B. ; that we belonged to the Madras Division under General Steele, my old Bellary chief, with Neill of Ours as his Adjutant-General, and Travers as his A.D.C., and that our Brioadier was McNeill afore-mentioned. I forget all other comm.andants ; as this is not a history of the war, I do not care to refresh my memory. Our duties were very light. I do not remember any working parties, and am quite sure there must have been i3lenty for them to do ; but European soldiers were not worked in those days as they are now. Strange to say, we found Mormons already settled in Rangoon when we arrived, but they were very different Mormons from those whom I visited in Salt Lake City in 1879. They seemed quiet, inoffensive people, and the chief attraction offered by their elders in order to gain members was the assurance that by faith miracles could BUEMAH AND THE BURMESE 47 be effected. A story was current that one very faithful neophyte, after a long probation, finding himself unable to work any miracle, thrashed his worthy pastor for a- charlatanand humbug. I never heard that these Mormons met with any success, and am quite sure their doctrines were other than those of Brigham Young. A word or two about the Burmese and Burmah may not be out of place here. I have heard and read much about the causes of the Second Burmese War which was eminently unsatisfactory. To my mind the solution is very simple. "We wanted the country, and therefore causes for a war were as thick as blackberries and close to hand. But whilst I say this, I also say that the con- quest of Pegu was an unmixed benefit to its inhabitants, and that they felt it to be so was clearly proved by subsequent events. The country we were to conquer and occupy was and is a mine of wealth, and I have never ceased to regret the thousands of rupees spent in favoured Bengal on very unremunerative improvements, whilst the same sum ex- pended in Burmah would have realized a cent, per cent, return. Where on earth can you find a country more adapted to river-trafiSc and railroads ? I hear so many talk of the ruby mines; I never hear them talk of the mines of wealth that exist in the forests and in the rice-fields. Yet the one is probably a chimera, the other is an absolute fact; Burmah is now being looked on as the granary of India. All eyes turn towards her in times of threatened famine, and her productive j)owers might easily be doubled. But how can I ever adequately in words express my admiration of the quiet, peaceable, merry people we were called on to mix with ? What they may be now after forty-four years of British rule I cannot say, neither am I careful as to whether others acrree with me in the estimate I formed of them when. 48 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMOEIES engaged in their subjection. I shall speak of tliem as I found them, and I only wish I could do more justice to them. From the very outset they were friendly, and merely used pardonable shrewdness in waiting to see which way the wind blew before openly espousing our cause and flocking to us for protection. This was very manifest in the case of the refugees at Pegu. The cause of this friendliness is not far to seek. The Peguers were a con- quered people, and were ruled by a tyrant in Ava. The beautiful pagodas that reared their slender points to heaven had been raised by their kings and ancestors; and although their religious prejudices had not been in any way offended by the conquering race, yet doubtless old associations made them cling to an honoured past, and now in their new conquerors they hoped at least to find less cruel task-masters than in the emissaries of the Court of Ava. If any one thing struck me more than another it was the purity and picturesqueness of their religion. Their shrines and pagodas were handsome and well cared for, whilst their monasteries or poonghie houses were solid and ornamental. Their adorations were simple and heartfelt, so utterly differing from those of their co-religionists in China and Japan. Who could help admiring the bright- ness of the scene when thousands flocked up the main street to pray at the shrine of the great and good Gaudama on the terrace at the foot of the great Shoay Dagon Pagoda ? The women were in picturesque bright dresses, the young girls with a spray of an orchid or some other pretty flower in their hair behind their ears. The elder ones carried the lotus, Gaudama's sacred flower, in their hands ; their merry chatter always ceased when on saored ground, and reverence was conspicuous everywhere. Max Miiller has said, I believe, that next to Christianity Buddhism is the religion most calculated to supply the THE PRIESTHOOD 49 wants of humanity, I hope so great a man has said so, for I think it well deserves such a high encomium. Alas, in the dogma of " Nirvana " (absorption) one loses in- dividuality, and that is to most men a grave defect. But the manner in which in my time the priesthood conducted their office was beyond reproach. In no single instance during my whole stay in Burmali did I see or hear of any act that could in the slightest degree reflect on the character of these holy men. Often have I and others offered them money in- return for some slight service ; in no case was it ever accepted. I do not think they would sell any images, curios or books, though they would give them. It is not my purpose to write more on this subject, but so long as memory lasts it will dwell with pleasure on the conduct and example of these men, who are not only the spiritual guides, but the school-masters, of the people. In my time every man, woman, and child in Burmah could read and write. Alas ! I came back to Wales to find no school of any kind in my parish, and ignorance spread broadcast around. But what am I to say about the Burmese men ? Well, they were a good-humoured, sober set, but hopelessly idle. Of course our intercourse with them soon made them money-grabbers, and gave them an undue idea of their own importance. Yet I fancy they were good husbands and decidedly indulgent fathers. They were strict vege- tarians, the takinij of animal life beinc^ acjainst their religion. Some few would eat eoforg and drink milk, all would catch and eat fish. At the time I write of, a duck or a chicken could be bought for an empty beer-bottle, glass being so valuable to them. When money was given for any article it was generally used as an ornament for the children. Marriage laws and customs were by no means lax in their sense of the obligations, though they may have appeared E 50 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES to be so to such splendid moralists as we are. ]\[arriage was purely a matter of convenience with them. Of course we never dream of such a thing in sanctified CLipham or austere Belgravia. When a man wanted a wife he took stock of the daughters of Heth, and found his fate. He then went to the father and said, " How much ? " The father named the sum, which went to him in trust as his daughter's dowry, and so the bargain was struck. If the young man was too poor to pay ready money down, an arrangement was made by which he remained in servi- tude as in patriarchal times until by service he had paid for his wife. They could separate by mutual consent, but if by reason of the man's fault then the dowry was forfeited ; if by the wife's fault then the dowry was repaid. Marriage was not a religious rite, though the poonghies generally put in an appearance at the marriage rejoicings to give an air of solemnity and respectability to the event. Adultery was almost unknown in my time, and I am glad to add that, speaking on the subject quite recently to a member of tlie Burmese Commission, I was told that it is almost unknown now ; the only case he had come across was where a girl had left her husband for a white man. The admiration of the Burmese women for Europeans was most noticeable ; but, strange to say, their tastes were very different from that of the fair sex of other countries. They did not care for what we should call fine handsome men; they abhorred hair on the face in every form, so that our Grenadiers and Pioneers were out of it with them, whilst a fair beardless boy was in their eyes Adonis and Narcissus in one. They depicted their Devil as hairy, and would cast no sheep's eyes on a curled darling. No one could avoid noticing the predilection of both sexes for tobacco. They smoked a curious kind of huge cigarette, the tobacco and some sort of pith being rolled up together in a kind of maguolia leaf, specially prepared by being dried on a hot stone or iron. The process of INFANT SMOKERS 51 rolling was peculiar, it being generally done on a girl's thiffh ; their dress was formed in a manner to enable this process to be easily carried out. Not only did men, women, and children smoke, but infants unweaned also. I have scores of times seen a woman, when her baby loosened its liold of her breast, take her cigarette out of her mouth and put it into her baby's, who quietly smoked away until it went to sleep, when the mother took it back again. I was told that the correct way of encouraging a lover was for the girl to make cigarettes for him. I believe, though no smoker myself, and not being on the look-out for a sweetheart, that modern girls do not hesitate to show their preference for eligible partis in the same way. CHAPTER IV PEGU From September 14, the date of our landing, up to this time, we had enjoyed a forced state of inactivity ; the time had now arrived for us to be up and doing. The force under General Godwin, C. B., was composed of two divisions, one from Bengal, and the other from Madras. We naturally belonged to the latter, which for general purposes may be said to have been employed on the Pegu side of the '-country, whilst the Bengal troops were engaged up the Irrawaddy towards Prome. The objective at this period seems to have been Pegu, which had already once been captured, June 1852, but for some unaccountable reason had been abandoned. On November 20th a force was detailed to recapture and this time occupy it. The force detailed consisted of 300 Bengal Fusiliers under Colonel Tudor, 300 Madras Fusiliers under Major Hill, and 500 5th Madras Native Infantry under Major Shubrick. There was only a small detachment of Artillery, as transport was lacking, and the surrounding jungle but ill adapted to their use. Sappers under Lieut. Campbell, Bengal Engineers, and Lieut. Harris, Madras Sappers. Unfortunately I did not accompany this expedition, so can only repeat the hearsay of my brother officers on their return. It seems that considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the flotilla fleet and gunboats up to the place " THE BEAST JOHN" 53 of landing, which was some miles lower down than the ghaut opposite the pagoda. Amongst the very useful vessels which composed the flotilla, there was one which was commanded by a most worthy and somewhat eccentric old officer of the name of Digney. He was quite a character, and had adopted for his own special convenience a sort of dual identity. He was at pleasure either " the beast John " or " the intellectual Digney." Conversations were frequently heard being carried on between these individuals at night after all had turned in. The beast John always wanted an extra glass of grog, to which the intellectual Digney objected. " No, John, you've had enough, go to bed ; the intellectual Digney says no, go to bed." The beast John pleaded for only one more, and always succeeded in gaining his point. I mention this little incident more with a view to saying a word, a justly merited word, in favour of a service which I think scarcely got its just meed of praise for very valuable services rendered. Whilst cocked hats and brass spurs were everywhere lauded, these hard-working men and officers of the H. E. I. Company's marine service got little or no recognition of their services. ■ Perhaps it may not displease them to find that one humble individual remembers them after a lapse of so many years. To return to Pegu : the boats anchored for the night some miles below, and here it seems that the tarpaulins that covered the stores and ammunition caught fire, which was only extinguished by our officers and men at the risk of their lives and by intense exertion. The men had to be landed as a precautionary measure. On the 21st at dawn amidst dense mist the troops were landed, and had to feel their way through almost im- passable jungle. The rifles of the 5th Madras Native Infantry seem to have done yeoman service in this advance, and so closely were they pressed by the enemy, that men's 54 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES heads were cut off by that fearful weapon, the Burmese dhar, before any indication of an enemy being near at hand was given. Whilst approaching tlie pagoda, it seems that Privates McClory and Kelly found an old iron gun which the Burmese had been unable to take with them, and to this gun our men clung with a laudable pertinacity. Of the importance of this capture I shall speak again. On arrival of the main body in front of the pagoda, a halt was made in order to allow the somewhat exhausted Bengal Fusiliers to regain breath, and then the attack- ing column was formed up and harangued by General Godwin, and the assault made with a rush under com- mand of Major Hill. It is said Elliot and Daniell were first in. In the rush up the steps of the pagoda Daniell got next to Commander Beauchamp Seymour, II.N., who was a volunteer acting as A.D.C. to General Godwin. The enemy fired a volley into the storming party; most of the bullets went over them ; one, however, struck a rifle Seymour was carrying, and knocked it out of his hand. The fact really was that a volley poured in previous to the rush had completely paralyzed the defenders, and so the stronghold was captured with the loss of one sergeant and fourteen men. Our chief casualty lay in the death of Brigadier McNeil], of whom I have so frequently spoken. He died from apoplexy induced by sunstroke. The value of this achievement must not be judged by the list of killed and wounded, but by the immense exertion made by the troops in a climate that almost defies description, and surrounded by obstacles which on seeing the place made me feel that such an attack in such a manner was almost foolhardy. General Godwin this time intended to retain a stronij- THE SnWE-MA-DAU PAGODA 55 hold already twice taken, and of which the importance was accentuated by the determination of the Burmese to repossess it. General Godwin and the troops returned in due course to Rangoon, leaving a garrison at Pegu of No. 1 and 10 companies of our men numbering 200, also 200 of the 5th M. N. I. under Captain Wyndham, a small detachment of Bengal Artillery under Lieutenant James, together with a few Sappers under Lieutenant Campbell, Bengal Engineers; the whole under command of Major Hill, with Lieutenant Dangrerfield of Ours as Staff Officer. This small force must have set resolutely to work at once to clear around the pagoda, for, when I arrived a few days later on, considerable progress had been made. As the Burmese never left the neighbourhood of the ancient capital of the district, gunboats were left to keep the river clear of the enemy's boats, and a river picquet established. On the 27th a very determined attack was made on the boats and river picquet by a considerable force of Burmese. But before enterins^ into details of this serious affair, a description of Pegu and its surroundings will be of assistance to the reader. The Shwe-ma-dau Pagoda, the key of the position, was built on an eminence either natural or artificial, and was of the usual pyramidical shape. Its foundation was on an upper terrace. The upper terrace had been surrounded by a low somewhat miserably constructed wall, which in many places had disappeared. On this platform, the sides of which, as far as I can remember, were about 220 yards in length, there stood, abutting the foundation of the pagoda on all four sides, substantially-built wooden poonghie houses, which, follow- ing Burmese custom, were only closed at the sides by slight bamboo matting. Two of these poonghie houses became the dwellings of the officers of the o-arrison. On the terrace there were various other buildiniys of an even less 56 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES substantial nature, which were used according to fitness as hospital and barracks. In the centre of each face there was a wide entrance giving access to a long flight of steps which led to a platform, considerably lower than the upper one and with an area very much larger. This lower platform also contained some buildings on the south face, and had small flights of steps corresponding Avith those up above, leading to the level plain on which stood the town of Peg-u at the south-west an^le. The town, if such it could be termed, consisted of huts made of bamboo and thatched with grass, and thus easily removable. The pagoda and town lay in the centre of a plain (level except on the east where the ground rose slightly), and was enclosed by a huge walled parallelogram, each face being about a mile and a half long and fifty feet liigh. This wall was in a dilapidated condition in parts, but still served as a shelter of considerable importance to an attacking force against the pagoda, from which it was about 800 yards. Almost everywhere the wall was covered with dense jungle, affording cover to the Burmese. On the north side there was but little cover between us and the outer wall. On the east some small pagodas ran right up to the lower flight of steps, and jungle had grown equally near, until a small belt had been cleared by our troops. On the south side the jungle was fairly close, and from a well, situated in this jungle, we obtained our only Avater. From the west front, which became eventually the most important, the road, a substantial one, ran clear to the wall, which was here pierced by a large gliaut, and led to the jiver. Between the ghaut and the river there existed a swampy moat, 150 yards wide ; this was crossed by a broad causeway, and then at a distance of 300 yards A NIGHT ATTACK 57 came the river, Avhich at that part was not more than 100 yards wide, and fordable at certain periods. Such was the position that Major Hill had to hold, and which, though strong in some respects, such as its com- manding height, was yet most vulnerable by reason of its being dominated on the east by higher ground, and being certainly on two sides shut in by jungle — a fact more than usually favourable to the style of warfare adopted by our enemy. Beyond the outer wall, practically speaking, there was nothing but endless forest and jungle, though from the highest points of the pagoda to which we could climb, a few cultivated spots were visible. But to return to November 27. Towards nightfall a very vigorous attack was made on three sides of the pagoda. At the same time the river picquet, consisting of thirty men of ours and a naigue (corporal) and twenty men of the 5th M. N. I., the whole commanded by Lieutenant Percival Ashley Brown of the Fusiliers, was also attacked. This picquet was strengthened by three gunboats under command of Lieut. Mason, R.N. No sooner had the firing commenced around the pagoda, than Brown got the powder-barrels, sacks of provision, etc., together, and with some timber dragged from the river made a sort of breastwork, which prevented the Burmese from closing in on them ; and from this breastwork at intervals, when the moon emerging from a cloud allowed them to see the enemy plainly, they made sorties. In this work and in savinsf the stores which caught fire, Private Clancey of the Fusiliers greatly distinguished himself. But repelling the attacks on the stores was not the only difficulty that Lieutenant Brown had to contend with. The Burmese, by means of trees, sunken canoes, etc. attempted to block the river, which at that time w^as shallow, and so prevent the boats from getting down- stream. Brown, by his judicious arrangements, kept 53 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES down the enemy's fire, until the sailors could remove the obstacles, and get off safely. A curious feature connected with this gallant defence deserves to be noticed. The picquet was attacked from both sides of tlie river, the banks of which were ver}' high above the water at this season of the year. One half of our men had to face the river-face, so as to keep down the fire of the enemy from the gunboats lying below. On their side the gunboats had to fire shot and shell over both banks as occasion required, and whenever the Middies called out " Starboard ready ! " the whole picquet had to lie down flat on their faces, whilst the gunboats fired over them. Lieutenant Mason, R.N., had his necktie shot off, and in the morning the awnings of the boats were found to be well riddled by bullets. Lieutenant Mason reported to the Admiralty that, if it had not been for the assistance rendered by the picquet, the gunboats would have run a great risk of being captured. The attacks on the picquet continued all night, and even after daybreak ; in fact, until the picquet was strengthened from the j^agoda. Lieutenant Brown spoke in high terms of the conduct of the naigue and his comrades ; he also recommended Private Clancey to the notice of his superiors, and he got promotion. Lieutenant Brown's gallant conduct was reported to the Governor-General, who specially thanked him for his services. I now come to ray own personal share in these interest- ing events, and I am greatly assisted in my work by letters which I wrote to relatives at the time, and which fortu- nately have been preserved. On the night of December 1, about half-past nine, I was ordered to hold myself in readiness to proceed with a party of our regiment to Pegu, to start at 8 a.m. next morning. My stay at Pegu was to be of very short duration ; indeed I was told that I was to return THAT KEG OF ARRACK 59 immediately after giving over charge of my convoy to Major Hill. My party consisted of eighteen privates, no non-com- missioned officer, so that on arriving at the beach I was obliged to appoint a steady man to act as corporal. Each man carried two days' cooked provisions in his haversack, and I had arrack for two days in a tin-can. On arriving at the wharf I met Captain Shad well, R.N., who said I was to take up two magazines for the use of the garrison, fifty dhoolie bearers, and three days' commis- sariat rations ; the whole consisted of a convoy of four large country boats with one of H.M.S. Fox's gunboats as a guard. I took the commissariat stores with me in my own boat with my eighteen men, and put the magazines in two other boats, and the bearers in the fourth. I was introduced to Mr. Smythe, the officer of the gunboat, and at noon we started. I had an awning of mats put over the boat that I occupied, to keep the sun otf my men, and placed them " midship and forrard " ; I occupied the poop myself, sur- rounded by my stores. All went smoothly. In looking at my list of rations, I found mention of a keg of arrack containing two gallons, twenty-eight drams, which had not been handed over to me. I looked to see if it was there. I saw it was quite close to me ; and fancy- ing no one knew of its presence but myself, and not wish- ing to work my men, I did not put a sentry over it, but covered it with my boat-cloak. At 4 p.m. the Foxs boat pulled alongside of mine, and Mr. Smythe asked me to come on board and have a cheroot with him. I went, eivino^ chars^e of the stores to the corporal, who had been sitting on the poop with me. I drew alongside of my boat at 5 p.m. and asked if all was right, and the corporal said, " Yes, sir." At sunset I asked Smythe to put me on board my own boat as it was getting late. Finding our fellows rather 60 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES merry, I looked for my keg of arrack. Alas ! it was gone. I searched well, and then asked the corporal if he had issued the second dram from the tin-can ; he said, " Yes." I then said, " Where is the small keg that was with these stores ? " He answered he had not seen any, and added, " I have been sitting in this place, sir, ever since you left, and I don't think any one could have touched anything without my knowledge." I was so certain about it, that I ordered the boat to be searched, but to no purpose. By this time the liquor that had been stolen began to have its effects, and I heard high words passing in the bows. Presently those who were more sober tried to hush up the quarrel, which had commenced by one penitent telling another impenitent, " that it was a shame to take advantage of the officer's back being turned to steal liquor ; " upon this another man shouted out, " Hold your tongue, you d blab, or I'll cut it out." Then the row grew worse and worse, until I heard blows falling like hail. Fancy my situation, in a country boat on a rapid river, at 9 p.m., and about fourteen drunken men ; every move in the boat made it roll like a porpoise. I was in bodily fear of its being upset. My first order was for the removal of all bayonets, which I had placed behind me. I then got every canteen and emptied it into the river, finding arrack in many. I then hailed the gunboat, and asked Smythe to give me some rope, and to remain within hail. Then I gave myself up to God's mercy, for I never was in such a fearful position in my life. The Burmese boatmen were paralyzed with fear. I almost wished to be drowned ; the two or three sober men begged me to go on board the gunboat, as my life was not safe. I was not, however, quite so young as that. I dared not get a sailor on board, or they would have murdered him ; moreover, Smythe very properly re- fused to rim the risk. So I was obliged to let them fight it out, telling them at the same time that any man who WBAT THE KEG DID 61 did not keep quiet would be tied hand and foot, and put on board the ammunition boat. Still amidst all the mad- ness of drink and rage there was a lurking sense of pro- priety Avhich struck me much ; it arose partly from discipline, and partly, I believe, because I was a favourite, for, whenever I spoke to any of them, they tried to answer respectfully, and they were all attention to a speech from a horrid drunken vagabond, made in praise of the young officer who was in command. However, everything must have an end, and, after having given me as much of a fright as possible, they fell asleep, many of them having emptied their stomachs in an unpleasant manner. Scarcely had slumber stolen over our crew, when I heard a splash, and found it was one of my blackguards in the water, who in a drunken roll had fallen overboard. The river was running like a sluice, and we had much difficulty in picking him up. Amidst his drunken hiccups he cried, " I can wim, nevermineme " — meaning, " I can swim, never mind me " — and we got him safely on board again. Next morning it was anything but lively for them. They were parched with thirst, and I was reminded of Coleridge's lines, " Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink." I took no trouble about them, but had my food and soda-water on the poop, and let them take their river-water if they wanted it. At twelve o'clock they expected their grog, but I said, " No, no, you had all your grog yesterday, and you will not get any more from me ; I shall report you to the Major when I arrive, and if he thinks fit you will have the drams I have stopped." We landed at about two o'clock, and I marched my detachment up. I was much surprised on nearing the pagoda to find the working parties all armed ; it looked very warlike. I reported my arrival to the Major, and he bade me get some dinner and then return. 62 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES I got my dinner, tlien went back to plead with the Major for permission to stay, for I saw that sharp work might be expected. He said, " Well, Parr}^, my orders are for you to return at once, but I dare say you would sooner stay, and, as I want every man I can get hold of, I will take the responsibility of keeping you." I need scarcely say I was delighted. I was then ordered to take my drunken rascals down to the river, and keep them well at work in unloading the boats ; this was finished by sun- set, and the stores sent up to the pagoda. There was no firing that night, but I was anything but comfortable, as I had no bed with me. Next day the hospital provided me with everything, and I was as jolly as a sand-boy. On Sunday the 5th we had no end of a busy day; we were employed cutting timber for a stockade to protect a large body of Peguers who had come in to seek protection the day before. It was a serious matter to find shelter for so many men, women, and children, about 2000, with 216 carts ; but Campbell our engineer was a man who did not understand the word " difficulty." He placed them on the lower platform on the west side, and there laagered them in with their own bullock-carts, strengthening this position with a stout palisade. I had now time to look around me, and my surprise and admiration were great at the amount of work that had been done in so short a time. Some may have thought that the small force had been left to guard a strong position. It had been strong once; but when General Godwin left it in Major Hill's charge, it was more than perilously weak. The terraces I have spoken of were so crumbled and beaten down that the Cathay Horse could at any time have ridden up on to the upper terrace. Grass and jungle grew to the very foot of each platform. Numerous solid pagodas lay on our east face at about 120 yards off, forming a shelter for the Burmese impervious to A WEAK POSITION 63 our shot. At various distances from us other pagodas lay, up which the enemy could climb, commanding with their muskets and matchlocks the platform on which we were housed. Add to this the rise of the ground on the east and south faces, and the high trees, then some idea of the way in which we were overlooked may be realized. Well, the first thing I noticed was that the immensely wide apertures at each face had been barricaded, leaving only embrasures sufficient for the guns; the grass had been cut to enable us to place sentries on the lower plat- forms, but so dense was the grass still left in places that only by the gleam of bayonets could the existence of a sentry be known to his comrades. The Burmese were most expert at jungle skirmishing, and, if they had made any determined attempt on us at this period, heaven only knows what might have been the result. Our garrison consisted of: 200 Madras Fusiliers (European), 200 5th Madras Native Infantry, 30 Bengal European Artillery, 40 Madras Sappers. Our armament was two 2-i-howitzers and some small guns which we had captured from the enemy. The whole under command of Major Hill of Ours, with Lieutenant Danserfield as his staff officer. The two companies, Nos. 1 and 10, of the 1st Madrtis Fusiliers were officered respectively by : No. 1. No. 10. Captain Stephenson, Captain Nicolay, Lieut. Sj)urgin, Lieut. Daniell, „ P. A. Brown, Second Lieut. Jones-Parry, „ Menzies. „ „ Boweu. The 5th Madras Native Infantry were commanded by Captains Wyndham and Brown, with Lieuts. Burns and 64 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES Maud Chadwick ; Lieut. Campbell of Bengal was our Engineer ; Lieut. James our Artillery commandant. The Peguers were, as I have said, stockaded under protection of our guns on the second platform, and were very judiciously placed. Only about 250 of the men were able-bodied, and only fifty of these had matchlocks. These fifty were placed at intervals amongst the spearmen, and a leaven of the 5th Rifle Company were also infused to give them confidence. The old men, women, and children were placed under cover as far as possible in rear of the fighting line. The crumbling walls on the upper platform had been strengthened, and the gaps filled up with sand- bags, barrels, etc. ; the Commissariat supplied all the empty sacks that could be found, and then there was no help for it : sacks of flour and rice had to be used. Towards evening four Burmese came in and besought protection ; as they looked suspicious, Major Hill sent for the Peguer Chief, Moung Loung, and consulted him. He would not vouch for the honesty of these men, so they were escorted a certain distance into the jungle and told to bolt. This was a difficult point to solve, for we knew that the husbands of many of the women in our stockade were compelled to join the enemy and fight against us; these four might have been true men. At about 5 p.m. two Peguers came in wounded, and said that a boat containing stores, bullocks, carts, etc., and guarded by a party of the 5th Native Infantry, had been attacked down the river, and that they feared the Burmese would capture it. There was firing at night, only just enough to necessitate our reserve men lying down under the parapet with their muskets beside them. At 10 p.m. the same night we heard somebody calling out, " 5th regiment Sepoy, don't shoot," and we found it was two of the 5th Sepoys who had escaped from the boat. Their story was truly piteous ; they said that their JUST IN TIME 65 party, consisting of one native officer and twenty privates, had been attacked down the river, and that they had fired away all their ammunition in defending themselves ; that the Jemadar had been killed, and unless we sent them assistance they could not expect to survive many hours. Sending assistance was utterly out of the question, as it would take an army to attack such a body of men in the night; so the Major contented himself with keeping a look-out for the direction of the firing, and detailed a strong party to go down to the river next morning under Captain Nicolay of Ours to try to recapture the boat. We started at daybreak, Bowen leading the advance, Nicolay and myself with the main body, and Captain Brown of the 5th in the rear with fifty of his men. We got down to the river, and, finding no signs of the boat at the ghaut, proceeded up the river to the spot from which we had heard the sound of firing. Whilst marching along, a guide who had been sent with us touched me on the shoulder and pointed to the bank of the river, leading the way himself. I followed, bending down, and saw a large cargo-boat stuck in the river, with the Burmese busy unloading it. I immediately gave the alarm to Nicolay, and then hurried on to the advance guard to warn them to halt. I came up with them, and found that Bowen had already halted them behind a bank within shot of the boat, and was waiting for the reserve to come up. Whilst speaking to Bowen, Sergeant Finlayson said to me, " Sit down, sir, or they will see your red jacket." I did so, and, while settling myself, I saw a Burman on the opposite bank hail his comrades in the boat and point to us. We were just in time; another minute and every sepoy would have been butchered. On rushed our men under Bowen, perhaps thirty of them, and let fly a withering volley into the boat. To see the way in which the crew jumped into the water and scuttled on the other side was 66 AN OLD SOLDIEIVS MEMORIES absurd ; they were taken quite by surprise, and were actually carrying the sepoys on shore when we fired. It was piteous to see the position the sepoys were- placed in, poor fellows, half dead with fright and hunger, naked and tied back to back, struggling in the water up to their chins, and with a current running seventeen knots an hour. One who had been carried into the jungle made his escape and came rushing back, and, from the fact of his being black and naked, our fellows took him for a Burman and shot him ; luckily the ball hit him in the thigh, so that he was not killed, and he soon got better. The first impulse of every one was to dash into the water, and cut our poor sepoys loose. One fine fellow, named Callaghan,. jumped in, clothes, belts, and all, carrying with him sixty rounds of ammunition ; he found the weight too great, so returned, threw off his pouch-box, and then went in again with his pocket-knife between his teeth, and cut the sepoys loose. After having released our sepoys, viz. fourteen saved, we found the Jemadar and two privates dead in the boat. Three were missing. We put our Taliens (Friendlies) in the boat, and they began towing it down the river to our wharf to unload, for the Burmese had not had time to take anything except the arms and accoutrements of the sepoys. Whilst we were doing this, however, a shell from the pagoda came whizzing over our heads, and burst so near us that it was necessary to lie down on our faces. We were surprised at the shell coming, but fancied our gun- ners at the pagoda, having seen the smoke of our musketry, or else the Burmese running on the other side of the river, had fired at them. Bowen and I came back very leisurely, burning every- thing we could lay hands upon, until we arrived at the wharf, where we found Nicolay getting the commissariat carts, bullocks, etc. out of the boat. He sent Bowen on A PROMPT RESCUE 67 with the sick and wounded, and told me to keep a sharp look-out around. Scarcely had I left him, when I saw a man in a red jacket amongst the houses that we had set on fire on the bank of the river, and, thinking it must be one of our men amusing himself burning, was sending to call him in ; but to my surprise I saw two Burmese with him, and the sergeant said, " Sir, they are down upon us." I lost no time in telling Nicolay, and asked for a party of twenty men to extend across the bank to keep these fellows from outflanking us. I placed my men in extended order, their left on the river, and their right on the bridge. I had a beautiful ravine in front of me, at the end of which they had to pass to try and outflank me, and many a pretty shot we had at the vagabonds. Their shot came pelting over us ; but from the position I occupied, and from the hurried way in which they fired, none had any eflect. However, soon their numbers increased so much that I found my force too small, and had to rush back to Nicolav for reinforcements, which he gave me in the shape of twenty riflemen of the 5th M. N. Infantry, who were of great use. I held my own until Nicolay ordered me to fall back. On reaching the ghaut I found that Nicolay had emptied the boat and sent off the stores to the pagoda. As I passed I noted one bullock-cart alone left behind ; it con- tained salt, and I got a Quixotic idea into my head that in a siege salt was indispensable, so I attempted to get the bullocks to move off. To my disgust I discovered the linch-pin was gone. Whilst stooping down to try and find it, I was suddenly whipped up round the waist and carried off just as an Irishman does a small pig. When I re- covered myself on being set down, I found that Private McClory of my company, seeing I was on the point of being surrounded, rushed forward and rescued me in this somewhat undignified manner. He most truly saved my life, and subsequently got jjromoted. 68 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMOBIES It seems that tlie bugles from the pagoda had been sounding the retreat vigorously, for from the upper terraces of the pagoda itself they had seen the swarms of the enemy which were coming down on us from their strong- hold, the White Pagoda, some three miles off. This also accounted for the shells that had burst over us. My party were told to hold the ghaut for a while, and then we retreated in an orderly manner to the pagoda, where we received the warm congratulations of our com- rades on our own safet}^ and on the successful rescue of our poor sepoys of the 5th M. N. Infantry. In a despatch to General Godwin, Major Hill spoke very highly of this affair. We had scarcely got in and were having our well-earned breakfast, when there was a violent cry of " Turn out ! " Then came the peculiar yell that the Burmese make when they intend attacking in earnest. It seems that the force that had annoyed us at the river had followed close on our rear, and, hoping to catch us unprepared, had commenced a most desperate attack on the Pesuers' stockade at the south-west angle. When sentries know that they hold their lives in their own hands, they keep a pretty sharp look-out. Ours at once gave the alarm, and we were prepared at all points ; and it was necessary, for they fired on us from all sides, and from every point of vantage. Had we been all as big as the pagoda, we should have caught it; as it was, but little harm was done. From this time we were surrounded, and there was no cessation of hostilities. Indeed, we were much happier under fire than without it, for any lull in musketry-fire betokened some worse devilry. There could be no doubt that the enemy intended to remain, for they occupied the rising ground on the east and south faces in large numbers. It became necessary to take extra precautions. The men were getting ex- ON THE WATCH 69 hausted from the incessant work of improving our position by day and watching the enemy by night ; so the Major divided the force into three divisions; each division took three hours on duty and six off. Our duties were to keep eternal watch over our re- spective foes, and, in case of necessity, call up the reserve. I need scarcely say every man slept fully accoutred. Each face was under the immediate superintendence of its captain, who visited us constantly during the night. The Major was thus able to act as supervisor of the whole, and he certainly was ubiquitous, always on the move round the upper platform or the Peguers' stockade. We had also a very sensible custom of having in the earliest dawn some hot gruel with a dram of arrack in it for the picquets coming off duty and those going on. This did not interfere with our daily allowance, but was an extra dram given by the Major in consequence of increased duties. Our position, in consequence of the higher elevation of our enemy, was very unsafe. Traverses, therefore, were erected where experience showed the shot fell most frequently. Our mess in which we lived and fed was established in one of the afore-mentioned poonghie houses, namely, the one facing east, and was unusually unsafe. As a matter of fact, Lieutenant P. A. Brown received a severe contusion from a jingal ball; a Peguer was killed, and several of our servants were wounded, in the mess-house. It was not unusual to find a pith helmet with a bullet- hole in it, and more than once a similar untoward event occurred to a pillow. I remember on one occasion the Major w^ent his rounds, and on returning found a bullet had gone through his pillow just where his head would have been ; this, however, was in the poonghie house situ- ated on the south front. And our mess-house was even more exposed. Of course it was necessary to improve our 70 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES protection, which was done chiefly by our own servants. Whilst on the subject of the mess-house, I must mention our mess. We were never hard up for food, though of course it was the usual salt ration ; so the common joke amongst us was that the end of all things would be that Menzies would get the scurvy. Hence pickles were at a premium, and, as we had only one bottle in the mess, the President used to give every one his bit of pickle ; there was no handing round the bottle and "help yourself": they were far too precious. I also remember the universal cheeriness that existed. I do not know what others felt, but certainly no one showed any signs of undue anxiety, though at this time the Major, in consequence of the short supply of ammuni- tion, had been obliged to send messengers in to General Godwin to ask for a further consis^nment. Of course (as later in the Crimea) we had our shaves ; they were constant and narrow. One day whilst I was steadying my telescope against a solitary palm-tree, in order to reconnoitre the position of some sharpshooters on one of the small pagodas before mentioned, the field suddenly became completely obscured, and on looking I found a bullet had struck the tree just wliere the end of the telescope rested, forcing the sap out which covered the glass. I need scarcely say I made tracks. We never could make out whether these lucky shots were the result of good shooting or merely accident ; if good shooting, then there must have been other firearms than matchlocks. The men soon became very careless, and it was a hope- less task to try to make them cautious. One, Private McKinley, was for ever exposing himself; he was repeatedly cautioned, but always answered that the bullet was not yet made that would kill him. However, one day just on leaving the mess he w^as hit, and, strange to say, he stooped down and jDicked up a bullet, saying, " This done it." However, it was not that bullet, for the one that killed ''WHO IS NELSON?" 71 him was not extracted till after his death : it was em- bedded in the knee-joint, and McKinley died from lockjaw. I must here say a word or two about our artillery under Lieutenant James. They were excellent, but alas ! how few, only thirty, and this to serve their own two howitzers, and assist the guns on the other faces. It was necessary to instruct our men. The custom of teachino^ gun-drill to Europeans had not then been introduced, I do not know what the officers commanding other faces did ; indeed, it was remarkable that, though all within a few yards of each other, we seldom knew what others were doing, and this because all attacks were made simul- taneously on all faces, though of course with greater vigour on one particular one. I know myself I did not care a button what others were doing in a fight ; I only thought of my own work, and that was enough for me. This complete ignorance and indeed indifference of the men as to others reminds me of a story, which, though it sounds incredible, I can easily believe. It is said that at the battle of Trafalgar news came down to the lower tier guns that Nelson had been wounded ; there was a general pause of consternation, when an almost naked captain of a gun shouted out, " Who the is Nelson ? — get on with your loading." I do not think anything would have disconcerted us when we were well in for a good ficrht. o But to return to our guns. A party of our No. 10 men were told off or volunteered for artillery practice. Our gun was the one captured by McClory and Kelly, a bull- cloiT-looking thing with a touch-hole as large as a church- door. We had an excellent instructor in one Bombardier Sale, as grand an old soldier as ever wore a belt. He had, strange to say, served under his great namesake in the defence of Jelalabad, and also in most of the Punjaub 72 AN OLD SOLDIEB'S MEMORIES battles, and was just tlie man we wanted. He had, I think, three ribbons, which in those days, when medals were not given till won, was a record score. The men who volunteered were, as far as I can re- member, Li^Dtrot, Vincent, G. Moore, Weir, Saunders, Dunsheath, and Denis Kelly. They soon learnt their work, and took no ead of pride in their gun ; but it was a marvel that we were not all blown up into mid air, for their sole idea seemed to be to cram it up to the very muzzle with any and everything that they could lay hands on. But alas ! when thus loaded, they were seized by an uncontrollable desire to fire the gun. No matter in season or out of season, off it would go with a deafening boom. To clieck this inordinate firing where ammunition was running short was a matter of great importance, and I may add of no little difficulty, as the following story will prove : — Daniell, who was on duty on our face one night, had scarcely turned his back to visit his sentries, when boom went the gun; he rushed back telling them not to fire, that there was no enemy near ; the noise they heard was caused by our sheep, which had broken loose and were skurrying into the jungle. After this, Daniell, in order to prevent further waste of ammunition, sat on the gun. Just then the Major came round, and asked him why he was sitting in front of an open embrasure, through which a bullet might come at any moment. Daniell explained that he was sitting there tj prevent the gun from being- fired off unnecessarily — an explanation which amused the Major greatly. I am afraid they were encouraged in firing by old Sale, for they overheard a conversation that passed between him and me. I said one day that I hoped we should not run short of ammunition. " Lord bless your soul, sir, there ain't no fear of that; as long as we've buttons to fire there ain't no need for bullets; and as to guns, why THE OLD CAMPAIGNER 73 pebbles and brickbats is as good here as they were at Jelalabad." One word here on the old campaigner. He is sometimes a bore when you yourself have been under fire, and know all about it ; but with new levies he is invaluable, and I would myself never let a regiment go on active service without di'afting into it some old hands who had been under fire, provided the regiment had none of their own. The howitzers under Lieutenant James and his men were invaluable in all cases of attack. They covered chiefly the west face, and never were brought to our assistance, to the best of mv recollection. I must here mention an incident that has not appeared as yet in any published form. At the north-east angle of the position there existed a large solitary clump of bam- boos ; the ground between it and us had been cleared of grass, but the clump was occupied by a party of Burmese. These were very troublesome, even going so far as to make it the point from which they sallied forth one night with ladders to try to escalade us. It was no use firing shot or shell into the clump, for bullets only stuck in the bamboos, and balls went through them, leaving perhaps a loophole for the enemy's matchlocks. Now the brilliant idea suggested itself to Bowen and myself to burn this clump. Accordingly we quietly col- lected all the dry shavings, grass, etc. that we could carry, and, taking advantage of a lull in the enemy's fire, and also of the Major and others being at dinner, we sallied forth, first having warned the men of No. 1 and No. 10, who met each other at that angle, to cover our advance and retreat with an awful fire in case of necessity. "We took very few seconds to reach our clump, and luckily found it un- occupied, but we found also the secret of the safety of the nightly occupants. They had made a lovely shelter-pit, in which they could lie with perfect security. We put down our combustibles, and with a match set the pit 74 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES alight. No sooner did the smoke curl up than it was seen by the enemy, who commenced a furious fire on us ; this was answered by our men, and in an instant there was a general turn-out. We only got in just in time to be con- fronted by the Major, who threatened us with court-martial and sudden death. However, we were let off with a fear- ful reprimand for our folly in calling down fire on our comrades, and so the matter ended ; but the enemy never occupied that clump again : they knew it was sufficiently near for a sortie at any moment. I think the next incident that may arrest the attention of the reader was a terrific night attack on the Peguers. These poor creatures seem to have been the special object of the hatred of the Burmese. The attack commenced about 11 p.m., and continued with great activity for two hours, when they were beaten off, I have said we were much happier when under fire than in stillness, and sometimes we were safer. An illustration of this occurred on the north face. A sentry complained to Lieutenant Spurgin that he had the most exposed post every day and night since the investment commenced, and thought it only fair some one else should have it. The thing was only reasonable, so Spurgin relieved him and placed him in a securer spot. The night was dark, and the enemy j)articularly quiet. About midnight this same sentry thought he heard and saw some one trying to creep up to the wall, so he craned his body over as far as he could to gain a better view. The next sentry, ignorant of what was taking place, saw a body moving against the wall, fancied it a Burman creeping up, and fired, shooting the poor fellow clean through the back. He gave one awful shriek, and was dead. It was a pui'e accident, but it showed how keen our sentries were and had to be, for the enemy had more than once crept up to our «walls, and thrown lighted torches in to try to burn us out. I have already mentioned the impromptu nature of NOAH'S BISCUITS 75 our defences. It soon became lamentable to see tlie rice pouring out of a hole made by a bullet ; but there was no remedy. Day by day as sacks were emptied of rice and biscuit, they were filled with earth to replace others full of food. The mention of biscuit reminds me that any one visiting our mess at meal-times would have taken us for wood- peckers tapi^ing, or perhaps for chairmen of public bodies calling attention to the chair. Neither would be correct. We were simply tapping the weevils out of our biscuits; of course bread there was none ! How Noah came to leave so much biscuit in the ark is a mystery, but certainly ours could have come from no- where else, and had had the advantage of lying in some store-house at Madras for centuries. A great difficulty arose about water. There was only one well, situated outside the pagoda on the south side. The Burmese evidently knew the position well, and kept up a smart fire on it, so that our water-carriers were often wounded. Campbell during the night made an excellent ■ covered way to the well, and henceforth all was safe. Although I do not enter each day's work or attack in detail, it must not be supposed that we were free from fire ; on one day only do I remember a total cessation, and that was only a prelude to a very desperate attempt to overpower us. It was somewhat alarming to hear their rcveillee every morning. Gongs were beaten and horns sounded ; com- mencing at the north and extendino- in a semi-circle to the south-west, the ground occujoied by their forces must have extended for miles. No estimate has made their numbers under 6000 ; pretty fair odds, I think. The officers on duty during their three liours^ watch sat down beside the gun, with the gunners at the central gate of their respective faces, moving about now and then to see all sentries were on the alert. About mid-day, when 76 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES going my rouud, I was struck in the side either by a jingal ball or a fragment of brick from the parapet. It took the wind out of me, and I was carried under the wall. Dr. Cholmeley came and examined me, and pro- nounced no harm done. I was awfully disappointed; I expected him to say at least "mortally wounded." It is curious how often a severe wound is painless, whilst a trivial one is painful enough. I suppose it is a mere matter of nerves. On the m.orningof the 11th we heard firing down by the river front. There could be no doubt that it proceeded from British guns. We were all anxiety, and many of the bolder ones got up on the shoulders of the pagoda with telescopes to get a better view of what was going on. We were absolutely certain that relief was at hand, for not only were the guns British, but we could distinctly see rockets, which could only be those of the Royal Navy. Presently there was heavy musketry firing opposite the ghaut, just where the landing-jetty stood. By this time my hopes of relief had become a certainty, and I conse- quently went and put on the only clean shirt I had, and did a bit more washing than usual, in order to present a be- coming appearance to our rescuers. Alas ! towards mid-day the firing became fainter and fainter, until at last it ceased altogetlier. It was all up : a junction evidently could not be effected ; so I quietly put on my dirty shirt again, deter- mining to keep my clean one for a more suitable occasion. It is useless to say we were not disappointed, but we had the consolation that our condition would be known at head-quarters, and that relief was only a matter of a few days. I may as well mention here that we subsequently learnt that the Commodore, finding that the sepoy boat had been attacked as described and had afterwards been burnt, sent a strong force of boats and blue-jackets under Commander Shad well, R.N., to proceed to Pegu and re-open AMMUNITION WANTED 77 communication. It will be remembered that Lieutenant Mason, E..N., had been ordered to return after the attack on the picquet and boats on November 29, as Major Hill considered his force too small to protect a picquet at so great a distance from his main body. Well, Shadwell came up and tried to land, but found the river bank strongly stockaded ; he was received by a murderous fire, and in a few seconds lost four killed and twenty-eight wounded, three of them mortally. His coxswain was shot dead by his side. Commander Shadwell therefore most wisely decided to retire ; no one in his senses would have attempted in the circumstances to force the ghaut, and march up a mile and a half to the pagoda. It seems that whilst this little diversion was beinsf carried on, Major Hill's letter to General Godwin for more -ammunition had safely reached head-quarters. The messenger who carried the letter described the situation, and the difficulty he had in making his way through the cordon that surrounded us. The General therefore decided to despatch two hundred of the Madras Fusiliers, under Captain Renaud, with a strong force of armed gunboats to convoy ammunition and also to strengthen the gani- son. The naval force was under Commander Rowley Lambert, R.N. It so happened that Shadwell in returning met this force, and of course reported his failure, and the nature of the Burmese defences on the river face. A council of war was held, and it was determined to return to Rangoon and report the tide of events. This step met with ap- proval, and General Godwin determined to effect the relief in person w^ith about 1500 men, whilst a land column under Colonel Sturt made its way along the right bank to effect a junction and cause a diversion. The question of the necessity for the return of Renaud iind Lambert was canvassed at the time, as with Shad- well's contingent it was considered strong; but, it must be 78 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES remembered, only two courses were open to them — either at all risks to force the Burmese defences on the river face and run the gauntlet to the pagoda, with but little chance of convoying any ammunition ; or else to land the Europeans lower down and turn the enemy's works. When the impenetrableness of the jungle is taken into consideration, this latter seems quite impossible. But to return to our own force. I do not think the withdrawal of the gunboats affected our spirits much. I am sure not many of us knew how short ammunition Avas running. That night, strange to say, was the only night of perfect cessation of firing. We thought that the enemy had had a good fright on the river bank, but their stillness always portended mischief, and at early dawn they came on in earnest, this time on the south-east corner. With their usual yell they were right on us. This time my dear company shared the brunt with the 5th M. N. I. and the Peguers down below. We were ready for them, and a blaze of musketry illumined the whole face. So deter- mined was the attack that the reserve was for the first time called out, and the Peguers strongly reinforced. The Peguers fought like demons, and were well sup- ported by a gun which was brought to bear on the south- east angle. We fired chiefly into yells, for the fog was too dense to allow of our seeinsj our foe. It was not until they had felt the cold steel of the sword-bayonets of the rifles of the 5th M. N. I. that they lost heart and retired. When daylight allowed us to count the cost, it was found that very many Peguers were Avounded by spears and dhars; half-a-dozen dead Burmese Avere found just outside the stockade, which the enemy had not been able to carry away : amongst them one was recognized as a chief, Avhom the Peguers hung. The loss they sustained in this attack must have been considerable, for canister was poured in upon them Avhenever by their shouts we discovered their whereabouts. BELIEVED! 1» We on our side did not come off scot free. Chadwick of the Rifles, who had ah'eady been once wounded, had a narrow escape of having his head cut off, as he was peering over the stockade. Many Peguers were wounded by spears and dhars, and numerous hand-to-hand contests took j^lace. The Peguers behaved splendidly, as did the Rifles of the 5th ^r. N. I. I think it was on the night of the 13th that we heard two guns down the river, and James, our Ai'tillery officer, reported seeing a rocket fired up into the air. This was considered to be a signal, and James was ordered to answer it. The night of the 13th passed quietly. On the morning of the 14th we were all anxiety; it was not, however, till about eleven that we heard firing on our east face. It grew nearer and nearer; I was too intent in listening for the advance to think of my clean shirt. Presently we heard a cheer, tlien saw our men's red coats, and in a few more seconds Elliot of Ours was in through the embrasure of our No. 10 Company battery. General Godwin had given the post of honour to our men. So ended our troubles for a time. General Godwin in meeting Major Hill on the upper terrace said, " I had given you up till ten minutes ago." The fact was that the Burmese would not surrender their positions until driven out, and had General Godwin attempted the relief in any other direction than that indicated in Major Hill's letter, his loss would have- been very great : as it was it only amounted to three killed and nine wounded. The rush of our relieving force on to the upper platform was immense, and I confess to feeling intense disgust at our little force being converted into a dense crowd. Amongst General Godwin's force was Armstrong's Sikhs, a splendid body of men. The first impulse that seized the new-comers was to climb the pagoda, and watch the retreating army. I was with a mob of all regiments looking 60 ^JV OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES on, when a body of the enemy, from a mound behind the dumjD of bamboos before-mentioned, fired a volley into the dense crowd, wounding three, one of them a Sikh who was standing close beside me and had the tip of his nose taken off. The blood poured down his moustache and beard, and the thing was so ridiculous that we could not help laughing, whilst his comrades chaffed him. He was a splendidly handsome man, and his vanity no doubt was affected; he got into a towering passion, and was led off by his comrades to have his nose dressed. Later in the day two columns were sent out, and soon cleared the north and west faces of any Burmese that were still lurking about. We had now nearly two thousand souls on the upper terrace, and, in order to prevent confusion in case of an alarm. Major Hill asked permission to employ only the old garrison for the night work. How I blessed him ! Well, we did " sentry-go " as usual. A few shots were fired, but our sentries did not answer them. My turn for duty came round at 3 a.m. I went to my post and kept awake fairly well till about five, when I lay down beside the gun, telling the corporal to be sure to wake me if any one came round. Of course the Major came, and I suppose the corporal did not hear him, or failed to wake me ; any- way the Major caught me, and the first words I heard were, "You were asleep, sir," I could sa}^ nothing. He took me aside, and told me he ought to try me by court- martial, and shoot me for being asleep on my post in face of an enemy, etc., and having piled up the enormity of my offence, he let me go. I did feel guilty, and black- guarded the corporal to my heart's content on my return. I have now brought our operations down to the relief, and propose to say a few words in reference to the fruits of our defence. Of course the most important result was the sheltering so many Peguers. This acted in two ways ; it showed not "^ STUBBORN LOT'' 81 only our willingness and ability to protect those who sought onr protection, but it gave them a good idea of what a stubborn lot we are to conquer. No doubt the incidents of the defence would be carried far and wide, and so reach the ears of the Burmese, fighting for the King of Ava. It also showed the ready way in which all engaged, though they had never been under fire before, came to be as steady as rocks. It was lucky that our commandant had seen service in this very country, and so knew the manners and customs of the enemy. The actual loss we sustained was trifling : two ofiicers wounded, and forty-five privates killed and wounded, irrespective of camp followers, servants, and Peguers. The smallness of our loss is only to be accounted for by the fact that Campbell's traverses were well situated, and that we never had more than one-third of our men exposed at a time. Those actually on duty knew to a nicety the best shelter places, and the others lay down under the breastworks. Our mess-house was always unsafe, and I never could quite make out whether the shots that dropped into it were the result of good shooting or accident. No doubt the enemy knew that such a building was occupied by Europeans, and consequently directed a fire against it. On the whole I am inclined to think they must have had a few weapons of precision, though most of them were armed with matchlocks. This section may be concluded by quoting the words of General Godwin. In his despatch to the Governor- General, he says : " I know few moments more gratifying to me than when I met Major Hill of the 1st Madras Fusiliers on the pagoda." CHAPTER V PEGU — SECOND DEFENCE I NOW come to the subsequent events at Pegu, and am again assisted by letters written at the time on the spot. General Godwin relieved us on the 14th ; after that event, for the next few days, we of the old garrison had rest. I was particularly benefited by the relief, for my servant came up with my baggage, and I had plenty of clean shirts. I occupied my leisure moments with Bowen in prowling about the positions occupied by our late enemies, I got a pretty good idea of their strength. Amono'st other things I found that most of their earth- works were strengthened by the literal sowing of small and larger bamboo skewers. I use this name as being more applicable than any other I can think of. This- mode of defence was thoroughly Burmese, and very effec- tive, as Major Renaud found to his cost, and as I also found to a smaller extent in my researches. The plan was to cut bamboos into certain lengths, say ten inches, then split them up into any number of skewers, sharpen the ends to almost needle-points, dip them in poison, and then throw them into the soft earth sticking upright. Passers by knew what that meant better even than treading with bare feet on the business end of a tin-tack. We found many long trenches filled in with earth, evidently graves. On the I7th, the General with all the relieving force set off after the enemy towards the north. A detachment of my regiment under Captain Renaud, with Lieutenants 82 MAUSAGANOO 83 R,aikes, Daniell, Menzies, "Wing, and myself, accompanied it. Our march was in a northerly direction, and about four miles off we came, at a place called Kullie, across very extensive entrenchments, behind which a large body of the enemy were posted ; these were the men who had harassed us at Pegu. I wish I could here make out as stirring a narrative as General Godwin in his despatch ; what really occurred was, that owing to delay in the attack the enemy had time to bolt, and we found the entrenchment empty. We halted here, to my mind quite unnecessarily, and then went on to Sephanghoon, which we found occupied by an old woman and a broken-down bullock cart. From Sephanghoon, where we had slept, we proceeded to Mausaganoo. We arrived about twelve o'clock, and sat down quietly to lunch. I remember we had some mar- malade, and the flies at Mausaganoo had never tasted real Dundee. The joyful news spread like wild-fire, and soon there were more flies than marmalade. Mausaganoo was but a poor place — a few huts and some poonghie houses ; it was situated on the edge of a vast plain covered with grass, and surrounded by a belt of jungle. General Steele commanded our Division, and Neill of Ours was his A.-A.-General. Now it so happened that Neill had a new Minie rifle, which he wanted to try, so he went with two or three others to have a shot at some videttes of Cathay Horse, which had been seen moving about the edge of the jungle. I saw Neill moving down, and, fancying something might be going on, I followed, and, being known to him, was not ordered away. Well, he got near a wooden bridge, and there loaded, and with the fullest sight up let fly at these Cathay Horsemen ; the first shot made them bob, at the second they bolted. Just then down came a staff officer in band-box get up, to know who the d 1 had been firing, and, if it had not been that Neill himself was a bisr gun, we should have 84 AN- OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES got into a fine scrape. But this was not all, Travers, A.D.C. to General Steele, galloped out towards these Cathay Horsemen to reconnoitre, and got some distance towards the belt of jungle where were the two horsemen at whom Neill had fired, when a considerable body of horsemen appeared in support of their comrades, and then the whole belt of jungle seemed alive with men. Travers rode quietly back. I do not remember all the subsequent manoeuvres of our troops described by General Godwin ! I remember a large poonghie house full of every kind of imag^e of Gaudama in silver, bronze, and alabaster beincj looted. I never took one, and made it a rule both in Burmah and the Crimea never to take anything from a church, temple, or sanctuary. We marched back to Pegu, and, so far as I know, no one was killed, wounded, or even frightened. We usedi:o call it the battle of Musshiboo; I call it the battle of " Much ado about nothing." On December 20, General Godwin embarked for Ran- goon. He left us Renaud's force of two hundred of Ours as a reinforcement, and some guns, but not a single gunner. He also left orders that we were to re-establish our rear picquet, stockading it. He left Commander Tarleton, R.N., and three gunboats, and finally, as ^)e?' usual, left the whole of the large force, which he himself describes as having seen at Kullie and Mausaganoo, within a few miles of us ! All was now activity in the work of erecting a stockade on the river bank. This was a very different business from the work of finding shelter for the Peguers under cover of our guns on the platform. The river was, as I have said, a mile and a half from the pagoda. The immense Bund covered with jungle intervened between us and it; the only place where this Bund was pierced was at the ghaut through which we had retreated, followed by the enemy, after rescuing the A BIVEB PIGQUET 85 sepoys of the 5th. Our sappers had been taken away, and consequently our reinforcement was in reality less than the two hundred men spoken of, for we had to supply the place of sappers, and give our men to serve as gunners. Luckily our improvised gunners under the superintend- ence of trained artillerists proved very efiScient. At this time, too, the 5th M. N. I. were replaced by a similar number of the 19th M. N. I., under Captain Young ; good men, but of course not acquainted with the ins and outs of the place, or up to the ways of the Burmese. Our so-called reinforcements were employed as river guard and as working parties. I must not forget my own extra work, which consisted in building, with the aid of my servant, a lean-to next the mess-house, which seemed luxurious to me after the crowded state of the mess-house since the new arrivals. A word may now be said about this river picquet. Thick jungle grew up to within a few yards of the jetty between the river and the Bund, on both right and left ; the river, about a hundred yards wide, lay in front, the banks being extremely steep ; in our rear was a somewhat open space to the bridge that crossed the old moat ; then came the Bund with the ghaut, and then the plain which extended right up to the foot of the pagoda, the high grass on which had now been burnt, so as to give a clear view of the Bund. The only thing that was in our favour was, that on arriving; at the river to make the necessary preparations, and mark out the lines of the stockade, we found that the Burmese had stockaded strongly in the vicinity, and we were able to use their timbers for ours. My letters are full of the amount of work to be done, and that on January 4 a few shots were fired at the picquet, and spies said the enemy were coming down on us in force. On the 5th I went up the pagoda to have a look round, 86 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES and saw a lot of the enemy busy stockading themselves in, on the north. Several shots were fired into the picquet. Dangerfield later on discovered a body making along the Bund for our stockade, and sent into them a rocket and a dose of canister, which, as he expressed it, caused them to " do attitudes in the air," January 6. — Got up at 5 a.m. to prepare for river guard, which was relieved daily, in order to keep the road open. We took two daj^s' supplies with us, in case of being hemmed in. On account of the fog we did not start till eight o'clock. Spurgin of Ours commanded fifty of our men, with a party of the 19th. The Major told us that if any opposition should be made at the ghaut, he would flank us right and left with a mortar and twenty-four- pouud howitzer. I was sent out in front with skirmishers, but found the ghaut clear, so we arrived safely, and, after having had the dangerous points indicated, the old guard marched off. The enemy fired a few shots at the old guard as it passed the ghaut from the jungle on the north. The work of stockading was instantly commenced, and was no trifling job. We had to nail boards on to the stout uprights as quickly as possible, in order to hide our men, until we could strengthen the work from inside. Our men were constantly being fired at whilst working, and our main body had to act as a covering party. At eleven o'clock one of our men was struck by a jingal ball, right through the calf of the leg — a horrid wound ; we gave him some brandy-and-water, and put him in the ditch out of danger. Two other men were hit fi-om the fire on the other side of the river — contusions only. Our position was now somewhat critical, for, owing to the enemy's having taken up a position on the right bank, opposite our weakest face, we were in reality hemmed in on three sides; but still we managed to keep down their fire pretty well. Spurgin removed all our sentries from ''GENERAL SALE'-' 87 tlie east face, as the shot across the river caught them in rear. The enemy at this time took possession of an old indigo factory, a brick building of considerable strength, situated •exactly opposite to us across the river on our west face. We fired a six-pounder into it, but with little effect. I see by my notes that at this time we had to send up for a pocket-case and bandages. Old Sale took it to the apothecary, and in coming back over the bridge was hit by a bullet ; he merely said, " Oh, God ! " and fell. I was sitting in our hut lookincr at the brids^e, and saw him fall, and helped to carry him to our little hospital. He merely sighed, and was gone. Poor old fellow ! — he was a grand soldier, had three medals, and, as I have already men- tioned, had served with General Sale all through the celebrated Jelalabad siege. We always called him General Sale. His death caused a depression and an immense amount of anger ; our artillerymen, whom Sale had taught, wanted to fire every gun at the brutes to avenge his death. We had lost pretty heavily that day in proportion to our numbers. Firing ceased at sunset. Like children, whenever they were quiet they were in mischief, and we fancied they were entrenching themselves. However, the pagoda people knew their position, for they had fired at them all day. The night was one of intense watchfulness. Next day, instead of being relieved as usual, we were kept down as a working party. However, we made the river face much stronger. We discovered as soon as the sun rose that a party of the enemy was working on the old wall near the ghaut, evidently intending to cut off our communication with the pagoda. A couple of rounds of canister made them leave off. On the 6th I find this entry : " I hardly know how to 88 AN OLD SOLDIEES MEMORIES begin to-day's work ; I have bad no sleep, and it seems like a continuation of yesterday. Fancy, I have been here a month and four days, and have never had my clothes all off at the same time for one single night, and now with the enemy round us, I think it will be another month before I have a chance." At twelve we were allowed to march off to the pagoda, leaving Captain Nicolay on duty. I was again sent on duty immediately I arrived, so I had forty-eight hours of it without taking my boots off. Next morning the river guard arrived, bringing Avith them one man wounded, and poor Nicolay dangerously so. It seems that he was standing outside the hut, when a bullet struck him in the neck ; he fainted on the spot, when he recovered consciousness he begged to be taken to the pagoda. I saw him arrive, and was present when the bullet was extracted. It Avent in on the left side of the throat, and passed out at the right side just above the collar-bone. The old guard was very heavily fired on from the Bund on its way up. I do not quite remember when Tarleton with his boats retired, but it must have been about this time. Mention has been made several times of the Royal Navy- boats retiring ; the reader may depend upon it they never retire unless absolutely compelled to do so. And in every case this occurred. Gunboats in those days were very different from what they are now. There were no steam- launches, and no cover for the men. Consequently at the jetty these boats lay as it were in a deep ditch, commanded from above on both sides, and quite unable to answer effectually the fire poured down on them. Again, as in the case of Lieutenant Mason, the Burmese could bar their retreat by a boom, or by sinking trees or canoes. Any- way -the boats had to go, and so the necessity for our picquet was in a great measure removed, and the Major decided to give up the ri\'er picquet a second time. Even. ON THE QUI VIVE 8& if we held it, we liad no means of ascertaining that the river bank was not strongly stockaded lower down, so as to prevent gunboats coming up. I was delighted at the idea of giving it up, for I thought it a most unsafe place to hold, commanded as it was by that indigo factory on the Avest, and by the high Bund on the north-east. News was brought in next day that the enemy intended to attack the picquet and pagoda in force at night, so that there was an additional motive for relinquishing the place. A party of one hundred of Ours, one hundred and fifty of the 19th M. N. I,, one hundred Peguers, and all our coolies went at 4 a.m. on the 8th to relieve the picquet. Captain Stephenson, who was on river guard, had orders to have all his guns, ammunition, and stores ready by day- break. We on the pagoda were on the qui vive in case the passage of the ghaut should be disputed. All, how- ever, was quiet, and the whole party arrived safe and sound at 7.30 a.m., bringing everything with them without a shot being fired. Up to 11 a.m. there were no signs of any enemy near the picquet. Great surprise was felt, and mischief appre- hended, but, on going up the pagoda, we found an immense cloud of dust to the north in the direction of our old friend Mausagranoo. It was difficult to account for this move; the enemy had retired exactly at the same time as we did from the river. Our surmise was that General Steele's column threatened their flank, but the real reason was want of rice. We now sent out reconnoitring parties, and found how strongly they had entrenched themselves to the north. The Bund was literally bristling with those horrid bamboo spikes, and an assault there would have been difficult. I forgot to mention that Renaud in coming to our first relief had been badly staked, and the wound took a long time to heal. 90 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES Our spies went six miles down the river, and found a very strong stockade at a place called Jeedee ; the enemy before leaving had burnt it ; boats could not have passed it without difficulty. On the 9th January poor Nicolay died. They held a post-mortem, and found that the ball had cut the jugular vein and carotid artery, besides injuring the spine. On fainting in the intense cold, the blood had coagulated on both those places, and so had stopped hemorrhage. Cholmeley certified that he died from shock to the nervous system. We buried him on the north front of the pagoda. He had a great many trinkets, amongst others lovely miniatures of his children ; these were of course sent to his widow. Other things were sold ; I bought a silver tea-spoon in memory of my captain of the east face. There was a bottle of gin sold, and one of our men bid up to thirty- four shillings for it, but the Major would not allow it to go, lest the man should get drunk. Anything to eat or drink went at fabulous prices. We had time now to look around and see the positions the enemy had occupied. On the 10th I went down to the river with one hundred and forty coolies, with orders to cross the river (which I did on a coolie's shoulders), and destroy the indigo factory and pull down all poonghie houses I came across, and float the timber down to strengthen our stockade, which we again occupied. I had a covering party in case of attack. The indigo factory was very strong, and we blew up a great portion. I found near it a long newly-made grave and the scalp of a Burman. Burning jungle Avas difficult work, as, although it looked withered, the sap was still in full vigour ; no wonder our clump on the north-east front did not burn. During the night there was again much firing from the pagoda. A band of Burmese tried to get in ; one threw a lighted torch on to the roof of one of our buildings. A A NASTY ACCIDENT 91 sentry bayoneted one, but he got off. This was the last time we were under fire. On the 13th a large convoy came up, bringing pro- visions and treasure. During the second investment a large number of real Burmese came in and asked for protection — about 1000; they had been kept as prisoners at Sephanghoon, and escaped at our advance. These men and their families were located south of our river picquet, but, as soon as firing commenced, they bolted bag and baggage up to the pagoda. Cholera broke out, and as many as sixteen a day died of it. Luckily it did not attack our men. Whilst on river picquet with Spurgin, and going rounds one bright moonlight night, I slipped off the raised footpath, and fell, cutting my trousers and hurting my knee. I was so bad that Spurgin sent me up next day in a dhoolie. On arrival Cholmeley found I had cracked my knee-cap; it was a wonder it did not sever. I had to be put in splints, and my leg supported in a sling to a bamboo put across my bed. It was a nasty accident, but I soon got over it. Nothing of any importance occurred during the remain- der of our stay at Pegu. Our times were very pleasant. We used to go out often after jungle fowl. They were very wary, and difficult to shoot; they never rise, but run like rabbits from clump to clump. David Brown, our Adjutant, was lucky one day when I was out with him ; he fired at a hen just on the edge of a clump, and, on going to pick her up, found he had killed three. Our grub was lovely, with all the various con- tributions of our sportsmen put into a stew with our rations. I guess I had an appetite in those days ! One word before I leave Pegu for ever. In looking back, after some experience in warfare, I cannot help thinking that the original garrison was left somewhat short in the matter of guns, artillerymen, and ammunition. 92 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES Major Hill very modestly said that, had the enemy attacked us vigorously during the first few days of our occupation, our position would have been critical ; I think he might have said alarming. Luckily their delay gave us time to put the place in some sort of order. We had a most excellent engineer in Campbell, and the Madras Sappers under Harris worked as they always had done and ever will do. This corps has a world-wide reputation. Our losses were, as I have said, wonderfully small, owing to wise precautions, but still they amounted to 10 per cent, of our force, and at the river picquet the percentage was even more in proportion to the small numbers that were engaged. The smallness of loss is more striking, when it is considered that the working parties were exposed to heavy fire before our stockade was fairly finished. Major Hill got the command of the Gwalior Contin- gent as a mark of the Governor-General's appreciation of his services. The force generally got the special thanks of the Governor-General in Council and Commander-in- Chief of the Forces, and also got a medal and clasp for Pegu, as did every one, even those who never saw Pegu or heard a shot fired. Only four officers of the original garrison are alive, viz. Lieut.-Geueral Sir John Spurgiu, K.C.B., C.S.I. ; Colonel E. S. Daniell ; Colonel P. A. Brown ; and the writer of this narrative. Long may we live, say I. Losses during the campaign : Killed — Captain T. F. Nicolay; Captain A. A. Geils. Wounded — Lieutenant E. L. Grant (severely) ; Lieutenant P. A. Brown. Died — Major Hawes; Captain W. Brown; Captain C. W. Tullocli ; Captain A. Ward ; Surgeon Anderson ; Second Lieutenant Bryce ; Second Lieutenant Bowen ; Second Lieutenant Wing. One hundred and eighteen noncom- missioned officers, druuimers, rank and file killed or died. CHAPTER VI OUR JOLLY JIARCH About this time General Steele was making his way towards Shoaygheen, and our garrison was ordered to con- voy supplies to meet him somewhere. A detachment was told off under command of Spurgin of Ours, and I am bound to say I have never ceased to congratulate myself on my good luck in being detailed for this duty. Our party consisted of Lieutenant Spurgin, Lieutenant Bowen, Dr. Cholmeley, and myself. We had the j oiliest and most exciting time. We were told to go to Shoaygheen, and it was a case of "go, and thou goest," but hoAV we arrived in safety is a marvel. We got no route, in the proper acceptation of the word, for no one could give us any ; we had to traverse a " terra incognita." No road really existed ; jungle tracks there certainly were ; beyond that, nothing. Our commanding officer had no interpreter ; so to Provi- dence and Spurgin's good sense we were indebted for our ultimate success. The convoy chiefly consisted of barrels of gunpowder and commissariat stores, drawn in native carts by bullocks. Our tents were carried by elephants. Well, off we started. Every soldier knows what it is to serve under a thoroughly capable and congenial superior, and, as we had both qualities combined in ours, we were indeed a happy lot ; but our jollity was increased by the many amusing incidents that occurred. As I have said, road there was none, so we had to send -an officer and small escort to feel our way each day ; and 93 94 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES when several tracks converged there was a fearful parley amongst our guides, carried on in Burmese, until the right one was decided on. The officer then made a preconcerted mark at the spot where the roads diverged, and proceeded on. Now try to realize a wholly unknown country as flat as Holland, with no distinguishing marks, covered either with forests of gigantic trees or high pampas grass, abound- ing in tigers and elephants, and a possibility, not to say a probability, of a body of hostile Dacoits ; and you have a pretty good idea of our surroundings. I unfortunately had to realize all this in a very marked manner, for one day when I was with the advanced party at an awkward divergence of paths, I either neglected to make my mark sufficiently evident, or else the main body did not notice it. Be that as it may, I trudged on until I came to a place where the guides told me that there was good water. There I remained, but no main body arrived. I waited and waited in hopeless anxiety. At last a scout turned up, and the main body quickly followed. Spurgin good-naturedly admitted that they had overlooked my mark, and so had wandered miles out of their way. In a country like Burmah we naturally came across rivers, and had to ford them as best we could. The usual method Avas for some of our men to strip and wade over, and then to return and carry our commanding officer and others over. On one occasion a fish mistook Spurgin's impromptu charger for some specially desirable bit of bait, and bit him, thereby causing him to jib and nearly capsize the commanding officer into deep water. As to our convoy, heaven only knows how it was got across ! I can only remember that bullock -carts were lightened to the utmost, and then by almost superhuman exertions were dragged across, the elephants assisting in a marvellous manner by pushing with their foreheads' from behind. The sagacity of these dear creatures was here fully realized. There was a baby elephant with us, and- A JUNGLE ON FIRE 95- th e way in which the mother taught the little thing to assist was not only pretty but marvellous. Our humorous moments were occasionally varied by others of intense anxiety. While encamping in one place, we were startled by the sound of what appeared rapid musketry. Spurgin was at a loss to understand the cause, for no Europeans were supposed to be anywhere near, and the Burmese could scarcely be fighting amongst themselves. The firing, however, approached nearer and nearer, when to our dismay we found that the neighbouring jungle was on fire, and that the musket-like reports came from the joints of the huge bamboos, which exploded with consider- able force as the fire converted the sap and moisture into steam. We were in a cruel dilemma, for our convoy consisted chiefly of gunpowder, and to be enveloped in flames meant complete destruction. Spurgin immediately placed the ammunition in as safe a position as possible by laagering up, and then gave orders for all grass and undergrowth around to be cleared. But the sepoys, possibly on account of some caste prejudice, declined to work; however, a threat from Spurgin to shoot the first man who refused brought them to their senses, and our camp and convoy were saved.. It was a near shave, and I should not care to run many such risks. Another peril we had to contend with was that of gigantic trees falling across our route. In a country so densely wooded and with such an intensely hot climate, either from spontaneous combustion or other causes, trees became burnt and chari-ed round the stems to such an extent that a mere breath of wind or the tramp of men's feet in passing was sufficient to bring them down with a crash. On such occasions, and they were frequent, there was a cry of " Look out for yourselves !" which was promptly obeyed, and discipline was in abeyance for the moment. I remember coming across an old fallen tree, which had 96 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES caused a temporary stoppage of our convoy by blocking the way. I counted a dozen ditferent kinds of orchids on the branches, many of which were then in bloom. It was a glorious country for a botanist. One day I found what to me was a new fern. I gave it to Spurgin, who sent it through his father to the Royal Botanical Gardens (Regent's Park, I think), and it was pronounced to be either new or rare. I see it commonly enough now. " Travellers ne'er did lie, though fools at home condemn them." So says Shakespeare. I am therefore emboldened to relate a truly wonderful and well-remembered event. One morning, on coming out of the jungle just as dawn began to break, we came on to an immense plain, when, to our astonishment, the whole earth for miles seemed to rise into the air ; in a few minutes the vision developed itself into a mass of myriads of pelicans, storks, and other wild birds — truly an astounding sight. In Egypt huge masses of birds are often seen, but nothing compared with those we now came across. We had yet other causes for anxiety. One early morn- ing, when passing through a deep gorge, we were startled by a brisk rustle in the jungle to our right, and immedi- ately a magnificent antlered stag bounded over our heads, evidently escaping from some beast of prey, possibly from the tiger whose footprint we had just found in our path, and who by the way had relieved one of our bullock-carts of its driver the day before. When subsequently we were encamped at Shoaygheen, we had so many bullocks taken by tigers, tliat we had to place loaded sentries over the Commissariat yard. At last we got to Shoaygheen, and encamped on what seemed to be a most suitable and healthly eminence, but to our horror we soon perceived a very ancient and loath- •some smell. On searching round, a sergeant brought us a mass of human hair, and wc discovered we were in close proximity to a Burmese burial-ground. It was a case of ONLY A MEMORY 97 " up sticks," and off we went to another less picturesque but more wholesome encampment. At Shoaygheen we fell in with red tape and officialism, and a dear jolly little march was henceforth no more than a pleasant memory. I venture to think that, if in those days we had had dailies and specials, some notice would have been taken of our performance. Our next move was along the left bank of the river to Tonghoo. I do not remember anything striking occurring during this march, but on arrival we found that Major Neill of Ours, who was Assistant-Adjutant-General to General Steele's Division, had met with a terrible acci- dent, which necessitated his return to England. This circumstance affected me personally, as will be seen further on. H CHAPTER VII TONGHOO TONGHOO strongly resembled Pegu in most of its features. The pagoda, much smaller, stood on an eminence in the centre of a vast plain, surrounded at a considerable distance by the same sort of wall and embankment. The river, which is much wider than that at Pegu, runs on the east face at a distance from the Bund, and was approached by a ghaut as at Pegu. A very wide moat ran along the east and south faces. I never explored the others. On our arrival we found the people already settled, and the bazaars were fairly full ; the Commissariat had no trouble in buying rice and grain. I noticed that, although so similar in many respects, the foliage of the jungle was far less tropical-looking than that around Pegu. The poonghie houses were surrounded very generally with trees ; amongst which figured the Ferrea, very graceful and bearing a lovely blossom, and concerning which the legend exists that Gaudama, at his next and last appear- ance, will be found lying sleeping under this tree. Hence the custom of planting it around their temples and monas- teries, in hopes their particular tree will be the one selected. There were fewer palms, but any amount of that largest and most graceful of all grasses, the bamboo. Our first duty was the housing of our men, and learning the different positions of importance. Major Hill had been appointed to the command of the Gwalior Contingent, and Colonel Apthorpe (afterwards Sir East Apthorpe) reigned in his stead. Our new Colonel 98 THOSE TWO FALSE TEETH! 9!> was a very excellent soldier in every sense of the word, and had seen much service under Sir de Lacy Evans in Spain. We got on very well with him, and the regiment was proud of him. We were not so fortunate in our Brigadier. For some reason we never got on well with hira. This was the more strange, as both Major Hill and Colonel Apthorpe were most zealous and efficient officers, and our resfiment had given satisfaction hitherto with all under whom it had been called on to serve. One feature was very noticeable in our new cantonment. The houses were all built on piles at a considerable height from the ground, and the main roads were at least two feet above the surrounding plain. When the rains came on we understood all about this, for we could easily have fished through the interstices of our floors, and the revels held by the frogs at night were simply distracting. As usual I chummed with Sladen, and we occupied a small poonghie house situated on the main road leading to the pagoda. We officers were soon the centre of attraction for the pleasure-seeking populace of both sexes. Our toilets, which were of necessity partially performed in the open air, brought crowds, who squatted on the ground in the most orderly manner, smoking their cigarettes, and commenting on the unusual procedures of soap-and-water. Seton of Ours was the cynosure of all beholders; not only was he fair and beardless, but he had two false front teeth which he could displace with his tongue at pleasure, and he used to sit on the wooden steps of his poonghie house, and show these teeth on the tip of his tongue and then put them back again. At first the women fled in dismay, thinking him a wizard, but they soon came to look on it as a joke, and would sit quietly for no end of a time to see the wonderful trick performed. This I need scarcely remind the reader was long before King Solomon's Mines was thought of. I wonder if the author ever heard of this incident. 100 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES The inhabitants were intensely friendly, and would always welcome us and invite us to sit in the verandah of their shops, and offer us cigarettes. They were a merry, peaceable, idle, j)lay-loving race. Their chief game was football, in which an open cane-work ball, very elastic, was used ; the play consisted in standing in a circle and keejiing the ball off the ground with their feet. It was marvellous the dexterity with which they kicked the ball up, I think they were great gamblers, bat of this I am not sure. The jungle around Tonghoo was extremely beautiful. One tree, called, I think, the Bittca frondosa, when in blossom looked like one mass of fire ; indeed, it required but little imagination at times to believe the whole jungle in places was burning. But whilst surrounded by beauty and good-tempered inhabitants, we had our troubles. One considerable source of alarm arose from the number of mad dogs, and conse- quent hydrophobia. Several of our men died of it; one of my men in particular, whose case I well remember. He asked to fall out on morning parade. When we were dismissed I asked to see him. He told me he had felt ill, and had gone to the canteen to see if a dram would do him good, but could not touch it. By twelve the symptoms had set in seriously ; he died next day. It seems a mad dog had run right through tlie guard- room at night, and had bitten this man whilst he lay asleep. In a country so intersected with great rivers and endless streams, it seemed strange that hydrophobia should be rife. I can only account for it by the fact that the native dogs, as in Constantinople, were a perfect pest, and officers and men used to destroy them ; I have a note that at Pegu we destroyed eleven in one day. Of course man}'^ were only wounded, and perhaps from the heat of the sun they went mad and bit others, tliercby spreading the -t 1 1 > » > » >* > > 1 > BURYING AN ARCHBISHOP 101 disease. Our men and officers began also to suffer from dysentery. At this time the archbishop of the district died, a very good and holy man. The ceremonies connected with the final disposition of his body were curious and interesting. First of all, a magnificent poonghie house was erected, as if by magic, for him to lie in state in. Then he was put in a wooden coffin and covered completely with liquid honey ; for a whole year he remained in this honeyed state, and was visited by thousands. I do not know if these actually saw him, but they walked round the catafalque that held the coffin. The walls of this new erection were covered with pictures quaintly drawn. Our men and officers were constantly depicted, with faces very white, very brilliant coats, and fully equipped. Their devil was frequently introduced, but always as black and very hairy. After the old gentleman had been in honey for a year, the liquid was drawn off. (I decline to believe in the reported use it was put to.) And at this juncture the neighbouring villages sent each a highly ornamental car, on which in turn the body in its coffin was placed. Then commenced a sort of pull-devil, pull-baker game. The villagers of the car in which the body rested manned the ropes in front, and began a sort of chant, extolling the virtues of the deceased, and claiming the honour of having his body amongst them for cremation. The Tonghooites on their side pulled behind, shouting that nothing should deprive them of their saint. This process was carried on till all the village cars had been used in turn, then the grand Tonghoo car came, on which the coffin was placed, and all present gave a hand in dragging the ponderous edifice to an open glade in the jungle. Here a funeral pyre had been erected, in the midst of which were several barrels of gunpowder. The wood had been saturated with oil, and inflammable matter freely introduced. Long rattan guides were fastened from surrounding trees to the pyre, 102 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES and to these rope-like guides rockets had been tied on runners. As soon as the old gentleman had been securely placed on the pyre, and the car removed, these rockets were fired at the pyre. Several missed their aim. At last one set the pyre ablaze ; it burnt furiously until the gunpowder was reached, and then, amidst suppressed ex- clamations, the body was blown into thin air. The crowd was so immense, that we men and officers were ordered to go with side-arms, but no attempt at disturbance occurred. To return to the Burmese : they are naturally a peace- loving race ; it is only the Dacoits that give any trouble. I have heard words pass often in the bazaar, generally between women. I never but once saw a recjular fiofht* and it was a curious sight. Our main-guard was just opposite the market-place. One day when on guard I heard a commotion outside, and our men laufjhinsr. I went out, and found two w^omen vociferating and using menaces against each other. A ring was formed round them by the bystanders, who enjoyed the scene most thoroughly, laughing loudly at each sally. At last the two women became furious. They looked like demons, and when the last insult had been hurled, they both whipped off the only garment that they had, smacked their bodies, and went for each other literally tooth and nail. I now saw that the climax had been reached, and ordered the sergeant to interfere. .The crowd assisted quite cheerfully, and the two combatants were separated. This was the only real quarrel I ever saw. I was told it would have ended fatally if they had not been separated. The mothers seemed fond of their children, and a child's cry was seldom heard. Our men evidently took an immense liking to these people. It is strange to see how soon the British soldier forms his estimate of his surroundings; to note how he will fraternize with one regiment and not with another; how he foregathers with Sikhs and Ghoorkhas, and not with DOWN WITH DY.^ENTEBY 103 Hindoos. The liking of our men for these people took a very usual form. I had been in temporary charge of a company, when one day the sergeant told me a private wanted to see me. He was ushered in, and I asked his wishes. He told me he wanted fifty rupees *' to buy one of them Burmese women." Of course I was properly shocked, and told him that by the Governor-General's proclamation there was to be no buying or selling ; that he had better spend his money in some wiser manner. In a fortnight he came back and said he had thought over it, and would still like to have the money to buy a time-piece. Of course the money in the savings bank was his, and I could not refuse it further ; but I wondered where time- pieces were to be bought in Tonghoo. The sergeant told me next day that he had married the girl after Burmese fashion, which in those days did not count for much. At this time sickness became very prevalent, and I fell amongst the victims. I was very bad with dysentery ; indeed so bad that Anderson, our doctor, got permission for me to be moved into the head-quarter poonghie house, in which he himself lived, as being nearer to him, and more airy and healthy. Sladen was bad at the same time, and tliree others. I am afraid to say the number of leeches I had on ; it seemed to me that every day a new dozen was ordered. Poor things, they had no chance ; out of the dozen about two got something, the rest went empty away. I do not think now a pin's-point could be put where there is not the mark of a leech-bite ; such was their remedy in those days. Anderson was more than good and gentle with me ; he was an immensely powerful man. I remember at Pesru his liftino^ sinfrle-handed a gun that no artilleryman could move with two. He was, besides, a delightfully clever man, and a great lover of Shakespeare, and I have now many extracts in my common- place book that he gave me. Poor Anderson, he got -dysentery and died from over-leeching himself. 104 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES My new quarters were certainly mucli healthier ; I think about six of us occupied the house. As there was only one flight of steps up to the floor, which was raised on piles some sixteen feet, I had a lean-to erected at the rear of my room, and a private flight of steps, up which the dressers and my servants could come without disturbing the other occupants. I lay in a critical state for weeks, if not months, when a curious accident occurred. I was sitting in my back-room, making myself some tea one afternoon. The kettle was on a brazier filled with char- coal; I had just filled the teapot, when by some mischance I upset the teapot right on my lap. I had only thin pyjamas on. To throw the tea-leaves off was the work of an instant, then I called my servant; by this time I had nearly fainted. I was carried to my bed, and the doctor was sent for. Bat before he arrived my servant had suggested putting inh on with a feather, I was in such agony that I did not care what he did, and I fancied he knew what was best to be done, so raised no objection. When the doctor came he found me painted as black as ink could make me. It was impossible to suppress a laugh, it was too ridiculous. However, he soon did me up in oil and cotton-wool, and by means of a strong opiate I slept through the night. Strange to say, whether it was counter irritation or not, the dysentery disappeared from that day, and I had only the scald to get over. It took a long time, for where the tea-leaves had rested on my thigh the wound was very deep. The dressing was very painful, but I got used to it, and in due course of time was sufficiently well to go out every day for air and exercise in a dhoolie. This was indeed a sad time, for now that I could get about to talk to my comrades I found out what gaps had been made by death in our little band. Anderson I knew had gone, but not poor dear Bowen. What a loss he was to me ! He was one of those charming manly fellows that one makes a hero of Tlicn SOMETHING LIKE BAIN 105 Bryce and Wing were no more. As to men, it is impossible to say how many succumbed. Funerals were conducted without pomp or ceremony, in order to decrease the depressing effect. Add to this, an uneasy feeling showed itself in the mind of our Brigadier. In consequence of reports of a threatened descent by the Burmese, sentries were doubled and loaded at sunset. This extra work in such drenching tropical rain told greatly on the men. No one can have an idea of what rain is until he has gone through a Burmese mon- soon. We often could not see a sentry a few yards off the mess-house. This leads me to an incident that may perhaps arrest the attention of the reader. As already stated, Sladen and I on first arrival occupied a small poonghie house in the main street leading to the pagoda. Behind there was a long strip of garden, which was covered with fruit-trees growing in the very wildest disorder, — a perfect jungle. One day when I was prowling about, I heard the sound of clack-clack soinsf on towards the bottom of this garden. I followed the sound, and, from behind a bush that con- cealed me, I saw two Burmese girls sitting in the verandah, weaving those silk cloths which the women delight in, and which form their only garment. Presently I made my way towards them ; the instant they saw me they beat a hurried retreat into the house, I went up to it, and called for fire, about the only word in Burmese I knew. After calling more than once, an old lady, evidently much frightened, brought me a piece of live charcoal in a pair of pincers- I made a salaam, and gave her all the cheroots I had in my case. Next day I went again, using the same device, and after a few days, seeing that I meant no harm, confidence was restored, and the girls continued their weaving in my presence. I used to take a note-book with me, and by 106 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES pointing to certain objects made them understand that I wanted to know the name in Burmese. In this way I commenced a vocabulary. We soon got on friendly terms, and then by the aid of an interpreter I gave an order for a silk cloth, drawing the pattern of the plaid with some crushed brick mixed with water, on a sheet of white jiaper, with a bit of twig beaten soft at the end as a brush. I have the silk in my possession now. I found that the old lady was the sister of the poonghie in whose house we were living, and that on the death of her husband she had come to live near for the sake of his protection ; they were evidently people of good birth and education. I never knew the names of these orirls. The one who usually took the lead in all matters, and whom therefore I supposed to be the elder, was of a much more refined type than the general run of Burmese. This one I shall call Maima, which is really the generic for all females. The other was a plump rosy girl of the usual Burmese type, whom I shall call Fatima, because she was so fat. On orderinfr the cloth I sfave an advance of five rupees, in order to enable them to buy the silk. About this time, as I have said, I got ill, and moved my quarters, wholly forgetting all about Maima and my silk. One afternoon, Avhen I had come in from my daily airing in the dhoolie, I heard a voice calling out " Tukeen, Tukeen ! " (my lord, my lord !) outside my back entrance ; I went to see who it was, and found Maima. I scarcely recognized her, she was so altered from illness. I bade her come in, which she did, squatting on the floor; she then produced a handkerchief from her girdle, and placed live rupees on the floor in front of me. I sent for an in- terpreter, and found, as I had surmised, she had come to return me the money I had advanced. Her story was as follows : — Shortly after I had left the ijoonghie house the Engineers had come and told tlicm the site of the house MAIMA AND FATUIA 107 was required for Government purposes, and without giving them any compensation had turned them out ; they had tried in vain to find me to intercede for them, so had been compelled to go into a miserable hovel in an unhealthy part of the town, where fever had overtaken them. The old mother had had the fever slightly, but Maima and her sister badly ; weeks had passed, and their sufferings had been very great. One day, whilst in the bazaar, the ■old lady, seeing me pass in my dhoolie, had set a watch to find where I was carried, and thus found out my quarters ; then Maima came to restore the five rupees, as their looms had been pawned to buy food, and there was no chance of the cloth being made. I was much touched by the girl's honesty, and most interested in their case. I bade her keep the money, and get back her looms, and promised to call next day and bring them assistance. I gave her the bread, tea, sugar, €tc., that I had by me, and sent a servant with her to see where she lived. That evening, when the doctor called to see me, I told him the story ; he said that probably a little port wine was the best medicine for them, but that if in seeing them next day I found them bad, he would call and see them. I may here mention that on all occasions officers, es- pecially medical ones, were only too glad to conciliate the natives by little kindnesses. Our men, too, liked them, and never cheated them, or tried to beat them down in their prices. Well, next day I went to see my friends ; they were living in a miserable hut in a swampy place. I can hardly describe the looks of Fatima ; she had shrunk from a jolly chubby-faced girl to be like a wizened old monkey, all cheekbone and eyes. The old mother was fairly well. I gave them the port wine with explicit instructions as to its use, and left a goodly supply of arrowroot, etc. I then told the mother to look out for another house, and 108 AN OLD SOLDIER'S MEMORIES gave an order for a second cloth, leaving a further deposit of five rupees. Occasionally I visited them in their new house, and was well pleased to find a rapid improvement in their looks. They were industrious, and soon got their heads above water. It was nice to see the simple way in which they tried to show their gratitude for any kindness. They knew I was fond of flowers, and I seldom went to the house without their having some new specimen to show me, and their anxiety to make me understand and pronounce the name was amusing. Maima came, I think, twice to ray house to deliver the silks when finished. Here I must leave the subject and get on with other matter. As I said, there was an uneasiness as to the movements of the Burmese army, which by this time had assumed the nature of isolated bands of Dacoits. Our Brigadier held a council of war, at which officers commanding regiments and heads of departments were present. The story goes that Colonel Anstruther, the hero of Chinese captivity, when asked his advice, gave it more forcibly than politely. He was a marvellous man, and the stories told of him would fill a book. He was perhaps best known by the wonderful cari- catures he drew in charcoal on the walls of the racquet- court at Madras. I hope they are still preserved. The Assistant Commissioner, Mr, O'Riley, had by this time arrived, and, with Major Allen, was about to fix the boundary of the province we had annexed, A company of my regiment under Captain Geils and Lieutenant Grant, together with a detachment of the 5th M. N. Infantry, some Sappers, and a few Irregular Horse were ordered as an escort. No special danger that I am aware of was felt in respect to this movement. The force was to leave on January 24. I had not been detailed for it, not being attached to Geils' company. ''DON'T GO" 109 A strancre tlnu» occurred on the evenino- of the 23rd. It was an awful downpour ; such a day as no reasonable person would be out in. Just as it grew dark I heard the usual " Tukeeu, Tukeen ! " It was Maima ; she was drenched, as she had no umbrella. How she had passed the sentries, heaven only knows. She was very mysterious, and though speaking volubly did so in an undertone. I could not understand a word she said, and wanted to send for an interpreter ; she understood, and at once objected to my doing so. Finally, finding she could not make me understand, she signified by signs her wish for paper and pencil, and then wrote a word in Burmese, which of course was incomprehensible to me. No sooner had she written and given it to me than she disappeared before I could stop her, or try to take measures for her safety. Here then was a mystery, a very considerable one, and no means of unravelling it. I spent much time in pondering over the whole thing, for I was certain, from the girl's manner, that her mission was of importance. Next day I thought the matter over, and determined to take the bit of paper to Sladen, who had already made great progress in the study of the Burmese language, and ask him the meaning of these mysterious words, without telling him any of the surrounding circumstances. I knew that, if he could not interpret them, he had some one near who could. However, Sladen found no difficulty in reading the words, and said they merely meant " Don't go." I must here asfain hark back a bit to an event that stirred all Tonghoo, male and female, to the very innermost recesses of their heai'ts. Madame Meyer, the wife of our bandmaster, un- expectedly arrived. A most stringent order had been given against any women accompanying the force ; but this, I suppose, was considered to apply only to those con- nected with the force ; and Madame Meyer, being a German no AN OLD SOLDIEE'S MEMORIES subject, managed to smuggle herself on board some ship, and so eventually arrived safely at her destination. She was of a purely German type, very fair, plump, with a profusion of golden brown hair. What could man want more? I have tried to describe the levees of Burmese that attended our morning toilet ; they were nothing com- pared with those wlio assembled and waited with the greatest decorum until Madame should appear in the verandah, radiant with smiles and clad in spotless white. All Tonghoo, male and female, then gave a suppressed murmur of admiration. They had never seen a purely white woman before ; the women simply adored her, whilst the men worshijjped her from afar. Now to my story. On the very morning of the de- parture of Geils' detachment, Madame Meyer was much exercised in her mind, and revealed the cause to her friend, Seton of Ours, who having been educated in Germany could converse with her in her own language. She told him that her husband had had a dream. *' Nothing won- derful in that," was Seton's remark. But she explained that there was a great deal in it, for her husband had the power of foresight in his dreams, and his recent dream was one of ill omen. The dream, as told to several of us youngsters by Seton, was briefly as follows : " Taylor of Ours had come to Meyer, and asked him to compose a new funeral march, as Captain Geils had been killed." I must mention that Taylor was on leave, I think at Singapore ; at all events hundreds of miles away. Some- how, everybody seemed to take this dream seriously. I confess it took hold of me, and was in mv mind connected mysteriously with Maima's words. The force was still within easy hail ; should I tell the Colonel of Maima's visit, of my fears of treachery, and urge the utmost precaution on the part of Captain Geils ? I dismissed the idea, being in reality afraid to say that this Burmese girl had been to my quarters. A GRATEFUL NATIVE 111 The force had only got to a place called Kaleen, about seventeen miles off, when they were attacked in ambus- cade, and the news came back that Grant of Ours was wounded, together with some of our men. Most of us now believed that Meyer's dream had been sufficiently fulfilled, and were consequently comforted ; not so Meyer himself — he was still uneasy. On the receipt of the news of Grant's wound, Lieutenant P. A. Brown of Ours, with Dr. Boutfleur, were sent out on an elephant with three of our own men as an escort. I wonder if any one in this world ever heard of two officers being sent out seventeen miles on an elephant into dense jungle, probably full of hostile Burmese, with only three men as a guard. The thing seemed to me incredible, but so it was. Fortunately they arrived in safety, but only to learn that the force had again been attacked, and that Geils was severely wounded. The Brigadier now sent a very efficiently-constituted force under Colonel Poole of the 5th M. N. I. to support Geils ; but opposition had ceased, and Colonel Poole brought his force back again into Tonghoo.. Captain Geils had indeed been severely wounded ; a matchlock ball had hit him in the shoulder, and the bullet, imbedded beneath the clavicle, could not be extracted. Grant's wound, though severe, Avas not dangerous. On hearing the account of the way in which the enemy had laid a trap for the force, I could not fail to feel certain that Maima had got wind of the plot devised by the Burmese soldiers, who were no friends of the peaceful inhabitants of Tonghoo, and, fearing that I might be ordered on this duty, had warned me not to go. I found out afterwards that my surmise was absolutely correct, and the girl, by trying to save my life, hoped to pay any kindness that had been shown to her and her belonginc^s. Now to the sequel of Meyer's dream. Poor Geils lingered on week after week, life quietly ebbing away, 112 AN OLD SOLDIEPoS MEMORIES for some of the cloth of his tunic had been carried in with the bullet and caused sloughing. He was one of the occupants of our poonghie house, and I saw him many times a day. His patience was very touching, and to watch him become thinner and thinner each day was most painful. The doctors were greatly alarmed at his con- dition. Just then Taylor rejoined from leave. Geils and Taylor were sworn allies; so after a consultation the doctors told Taylor that the only hope of saving life lay in taking the arm out of the socket, and begged Taylor to convey this decision to poor Geils. The result was that he con- sented to the operation. It was performed. Geils rallied only for a second, and then passed away. Colonel Poole had arrived by this time with his force, and, as a portion of the 5th M. N. I. had accompanied Geils, a message was sent to say that as a mark of respect the whole regiment, with their band, wished to join in the funeral procession. Then it was that some one (whether Taylor or not I cannot say) went to Meyer and said as there were two bands they were to play alternately, and asked that as the 5th knew no other funeral march than that from Saul, our band should play some other ap- propriate tune. I think he arranged a German hymn-tune for the occasion. Such then was the realization of our bandmaster's dream. Facts are always stranger than fiction. These facts are, as far as I am aware, absolutely correctly stated in this matter. Was ever man more lucky than I in the matter of friends ? Somehow or other so many took a kindly in- terest in me, and no one more than Arthur Moberly, our Engineer officer in charge. He used occasionally to dine at our mess, and there our acquaintance commenced. One day he came to me, and told me that Government wanted to ascertain whether an old road known as the King's Road, between Tonghoo and Pegu, still existed, A SUEVEYING PARTY 113 and that an officer was required to accompany a force, and survey and report on it. Would I care to undertake the work ? I told him I should like it above all thinofs, but my knowledge of surveying was most limited ; to which he replied that he would soon put me in the way of picking it up. Accordingly he lent me books and instruments, gave me Sappers as chain-men, and super- vised my work day by day. When he thought me sufficiently instructed, he told the Brigadier, who ordered him to examine me and report the result. I need scarcely say I passed, and was appointed in Brigade Orders to accompany a force to proceed overland from Tonghoo to Pegu. Hitherto we had always come round by Shweg- hine, and then by boat up the Sitang river. The party detailed as my escort comprised, I think, fifty of our men and fifty of the 5th M. N. I., under command of Lieutenant Wetherall, a most charming companion and first-rate officer. Strange to say, although Wetherall was my senior in army rank, the command of the whole party was given to me. A party of Sappers with necessary tools accompanied the force, together with commissariat stores, elephants, etc. I do not think we had any bullock-carts, as the existence of any road was more than problematical. A doctor accompanied us whose name I forget. On the appointed morning we started. Of course our first march was easy enough. Wetherall started at early dawn, and I followed as soon as there was light enough to see the needle of the instrument. I had a peram- bulator in order to measure the distances. My own personal escort consisted of four Sappers and two coolies to wheel the perambulator and carry instruments. We got on capitally for two marches; then the road became intricate, and in places closed up with jungle, which Wetherall had to clear before his men and animals <;ould pass. The value of our elephants on such occasions became singularly apparent; they crashed through when 114 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES feasible, tearing up small trees and breaking branches with their trunks. Nothing could surpass the wild beauty of these spots. I longed to remain and collect specimens of ferns, orchids, etc. In places the traces of the King's Road were very- distinct ; the sides had been faced with brickwork to the height of as much as two feet, evidently to raise the road above the floods in the monsoon. These parts were covered with mosses and maidenhair fern, making it almost sacri- lege to tread over them. Many interesting incidents occurred. My orders were to buy and pay liberally for anything I required, and in every way possible to conciliate the natives. At the second or third halt we came to a villasfe where no white man had ever set foot. The whole population bolted en masse. Presently the old women crept cautiously near, and squatted down to observe our movements; then the young women and children joined, and finally the men formed up at a most respectful distance in the rear. Peace- ful overtures were made to them through the interpreter, and then the women advanced and mixed with us. A few fowls seemed their only possessions, and so poor were they that I was told they subsisted on the seed of the bamboo, which is like very inferior oats. Though the Burmese will not take life for food, they do not mind selling to others for such a purpose ; so we bought -fowls and eggs, and paid handsomely for them. Confidence was now restored, and an old woman came up to me as I stood with my shirt-sleeves rolled up, and took my hand ; before I could stop her, she put out her tongue and licked a good portion above the wrist. I found out that she merely wanted to ascertain whether the colour was natural or effected by some pigment. We showed them watches, which they readily under- stood to be connected with the sun. Tlie instruments they did not understand, and in connection with them NEARLY DROWNED 115 a laughable incident occurred. For some scientific reason which I cannot explain, all objects on which the telescope is directed are reversed. I let an old woman of an in- quiring mind look through the glass at a group of girls standing by. As soon as she saw they appeared standing on their heads, she gave a scream and shouted out some- thing, on which all the girls squatted down, and afterwards nothing would induce them to stand up whilst the instru- ment was in use. Percussion-caps were a mystery : we allowed several to be fired, also a round or two of ammu- nition at the butt of the tree near at hand. The effect was satisfactory. Strange to say, after this villagers were never afraid of us ; no doubt news of the object of our march and the friendly nature of our bearing was trans- mitted from village to village. Occasionally we came across rivers, but had no trouble in getting over; our elephants carrying the men in cases where wading was deemed undesirable. We met with the spoor of large game wherever there was water. On one occasion I had got the theodolite fixed, and was taking a bearing, when a huge rock-snake came with a rush across the road. I gave a jump, over went the instrument, and away went my people. I found out, how- ever, that it was a very harmless beast ; so my fright was unnecessary. Encamping on the bank of a lovely river one afternoon, the doctor and I went in to bathe. All went serenely till I heard a cry, and looking round I found the doctor struggling in deep water. I saw him go down, and come up again wildly throwing about his arms. I can remember my thoughts and feelings at that moment, though over forty years ago, just as vividly as if it was only yesterday. I could barely swim myself, and I turned over in my mind whether I ought to try to save him at the risk of my own life or not. In a second all the pros and cons passed through my brain, and I determined to make an effort. 116 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES I got to him as he rose again, and he clutched me in a frantic manner, and down we both went. My thoughts were not so much of myself as of the party, for I gave myself up. Luckily the elephants came down at that moment to water, and, seeing our situation, the mahout put one in, and the sagacious beast dragged us out. I was very exhausted, but the doctor was much worse : it was some time before he came round. He never said " Thank you " to me, but he was a man of few words. Wetherall, unless delayed by having to cut his way through jungle, always had his camp pitched and break- fast ready before I came in, and then we had the whole day to ourselves. He was a most pleasant companion. At one halting- place, somewhat late at night, I was roused by a voice outside my tent, I got up in a second and seized my pistol : I had no revolver in those days. On going to the door I found a woman, kneeling in a most supplicating manner. I roused my interpreter, and demanded her business. She told her story in a plaintive trembling fashion as follows : — She had lost all her children one by one of a curious complaint ; the last one was now fast fading away, and, hearing that I was a great astrologer and medicine man, she had come to entreat me to save her child. Luckily I had already given orders for n halt, as the men had been overworked. I told her to come early next morning, and I would take a doctor with me and see what could be done. As directed she came, and conducted us to her house. There we found the husband, a sickly-looking mortal, in charge of a little invalid. The doctor examined the child, and pronounced the disease consumption, but of a type and at a stage when by care it could be arrested. He took much interest in the case, and prescribed at once. That evening we saw the child again, and already it seemed better. So anxious was I for the cure of the little one, and so sure did I feel that if a cure could be A DOMESTIC TRAGEDY 117 effected it would redound to our credit, that I offered the woman a dhoolie for the child and free rations for herself and husband, if she would accompany us to Pegu, so as to let the sufferer have further treatment. The inter- preter fully explained my offer and the advantages. The poor woman silently looked to her husband for some sign of assent. He held his head down over the little one, but said nothing. Then she took my hand and led me outside, until we came to a bushy shrub, on the branches of which hung strips of scarlet and white paper. She pointed to it, and then said she could not come ; all her little ones lay buried there, and if they left there would be no one to put up charms to keep the Nats from injuring them. If their last was to be taken, God's will be done, but she could not leave those who had already gone. She thanked me with tears in her eyes, and kissed my hand, and so we parted. Next morning, when on my way surveying, I came across the husband and wife, she bearing her little one well wrapped up. They bowed to the ground when they saw me, and stood watching me until a bend in the jungle hid me from their sight. I would have given much to have saved that child. I reached Pegu in safety, and reported my arrival to Rogers, the Engineer-in-charge, and to head-quarters at Rangoon. I got orders to remain at Pegu till my report was ready. Wetherall and the party were to rejoin at Tonghoo, via Shweghine. Rogers very kindly gave me house-room, and lent me all that was necessary for plotting out my survey. Reader, that survey was truly a magnum optts. I commenced on too large a scale, and, as the distance traversed was 149 miles, it required acres of paper. Sheet on sheet had to be joined ; and when completed it looked like one of those monster petitions that are ordered to lie on the table of the House. Terror must have seized the Chief Eno-ineer when he saw it, and no doubt it was 118 AN OLD SOLDIERS MEMORIES ordered to lie in the corner. However, a report accom- panied it, together with a route in which the distances, all information concerning villages, water, wells, etc., with the names, were written in English and Burmese. This, I fancy, satisfied them, and they paid me handsomely for the work. Rogers made an application for my services, as he re- quired assistance. This was not granted, and I was ordered to rejoin via Shweghine. I rode this time, and had no other adventure than a good fright from a solitary elephant, whose presence was observed afar off by my Burmese groom. From Shweghine I went by boat, such a wearisome journey. I took a six-pound jar of black-currant jam and a tin of biscuits with me. I loathed jam by the time I arrived. I halted whenever the boatmen pleased, and got eggs and chickens, sometimes ducks; my servant was a good cook. On reaching Tonghoo I was attached to the Sappers under Lieutenant Shortland. My work was levelling and superintending the clearing of ground beyond the outer wall on the river face, for a new cantonment. I lived with Moberly, but Shortland was my immediate com- manding officer. Here, then, when the rains set in, I again got dysenter}^ and Bond, who was in medical charge of Artillery and Sappers, decided on sending me home. One word about poor Bond. He Avas a charming man, thoroughly beloved. He came to a sad end. He had re- cently married, and was, I think, in charge at Martaban, One night on returning from a dinner-party, he wanted to take a pill, and unfortunately, instead of lighting a candle, he groped in the dark, and in error took a strychnine pill he had made up to poison wild dogs. He realized at once his mistake, and sent for the apothecary. A stomach-pump was instantly used, but "MB. PRINCE" 119 alas ! he was dead in a few hours, leaving his young Avife disconsolate. As soon as a convoy was ready, I was shipped on board. No one can tell what I felt at leaving Tonghoo : all my hopes seemed dashed to the ground. I had just got my foot on the first rung of the ladder, and I was driven away by sickness. To me, being attached to the Sappers was the height of my ambition, for the Madras Sappers had a world-wide reputation, and to be under such good fellows as Moberly and Shortland more than bliss. So with a heavy heart, and indeed a feeling almost of despair, I watched the great pagoda fade from my sight. My route again was from Shweghine to Pegu. How I managed I know not ; I know I could not have ridden, so suppose I must have been carried. At Rangoon I went before a medical board, and so grave was the nature of Bond's certificate that I was ordered to Europe for three years. Scarcely had I smelt salt-water than I began to im- prove, and before I reached Calcutta I felt in excellent health. My homeward journey was uneventful until we re-embarked at Alexandria. We took on board several sick and wounded from the Crimea, amongst others Burgoyne of the Guards, severely wounded at the Alma, and Prince Ernest of Leiningen, who had contracted fever whilst servino- on the Danube with Omar Pasha. I had met the Prince on board the Hastings at Rangoon ; but as the sailors called him " Mr. Prince," I fancied his sur- name was Prince, and had no idea he was a swell. We came in for that awful storm of November 14, and a pretty state we were in when we reached Malta — not a single boat left. Strange to say, some ortolans in a crate on deck survived, but we lost valuable horses, a present from the Khedive to the Queen. A .curious incident brought this storm vividly to my recollection some years after. While staying with my 120 AN OLD SOLDIEB'S MEMOEIES friend Lloyd Philipps of Penty Park, some of us were walkino- from church one Sundav, when the Avind was blowing freshly from the sea. The conversation naturally turned on storms, and I said I had been out in a terrible one. General Bolton, who was of the party, said he too had been out in a fearful one. I was not going to let his storm be worse than mine, so I piled up the agonies ; so did he, until we had no more agonies to add. Then I asked him when and where his storm occurred, and then we found that we were talking of this very same Balaclava storm — that we had been on board the same ship, but in the lapse of time had forgotten each other. Lloyd Philipps was much amused at our anxiety to prove our respective storm the fiercer. On board our ship I shared a cabin with a most worthy old Major, who had not seen his native land for years. He always made me turn out first ; but the last morning he got up first in order to see all he could of the old country as early as possible. We were well in smooth water, when the cabin-door opened, and I was seized in the fervid embrace of a very robust female. On perceiving her mistake, she beat a hasty retreat. It seems it was the Major's wife, who had come out on the pilot-boat, and had been directed to the Major's cabin by the steward, and in the blindness of love (you know love is blind) had mistaken me for the Major. I only hope he did not get it hotter than I did, for I felt bruised for some time after. Can any one tell me whether Southampton nursery- maids are noted for their beauty ? It might only have been fancy, after having been surrounded by dusky houris for so many years ; anyway I thought all those who assem- bled on the quay to witness our arrival more beautiful than any promised to the faithful by Mahomet. CKAPTER Vin LOXDOX TO COXSTA>unXO?LE Loy3X)X in th