I 
 
 LIBRARY- 
 
 \Liru/)vj/ 
 
 fii
 
 %HlAiNn]WV^ %)J!1V 
 
 AH K.r\U I \.il 
 
 0"^^ VO^ITVIJO^" 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 v^lw^-A-.> 
 
 rar
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS 
 
 IN 
 
 INDIA; 
 
 OR, 
 
 SKETCHES OF A SOLDIERS LIFE. 
 
 BEING 
 
 AN ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE PERSONS AND THINGS 
 
 IN VARIOUS PARTS OF HINDCSTAN, 
 
 FROM THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 AN OFFICER IN HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE. 
 
 Speak of mi; as I am — nothing extenuate, 
 Nor set down onslit in malice. Oxheii.o. 
 
 LONDON. 
 
 PRINTED FOR 
 
 tONGMAN, HURST. REES, ORME, AND BROWN, 
 
 PATEUNOSTER-ROTT, 
 
 1822.
 
 London : 
 
 Printed by A. &. R, Spottiswoode, 
 
 New-Street- Square.
 
 
 TO 
 
 MY FATHER, 
 
 IN TOKEN OF FILIAL AFFECTION, 
 WHICH NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN CHANGE, 
 
 THIS EFFORT OF MY PEN 
 
 IS INSCRIBED, 
 
 WITH 
 
 THE GREATEST RESPECT. 
 
 A2 
 
 fl^^>i ns
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 Arrowsmith^s new map is now in such 
 general circulation that it seems unnecessary 
 to increase the expense of this work by 
 adding a geographical sketch of India, con- 
 taining the lines of march described by the 
 author. All the principal places will be 
 found in any of the large maps of Hindostan, 
 by such readers as may be desirous of 
 accompanying the writer through the different 
 provinces he traversed. 
 
 In spelling proper names of places and 
 persons in India, more attention has been 
 paid to the common way in which they are 
 written by the English authorities in the 
 country, than to any prescribed rule of 
 orthography. As much accuracy as possible 
 is aimed at, but it is presumed to be a matter 
 of little consequence, whether the name of a 
 particular province be written Guzeraf or 
 Gujriit.
 
 VI 
 
 Native words are in general avoided, where 
 English ones would answer the purpose. Of 
 such as are used from necessity or for orna- 
 ment, and not immediately explained, an 
 alphabetical Glossary is given at the end of 
 the work. 
 
 The natural productions of India are now 
 so generally known in Europe, that it has 
 been deemed unnecessary to give their sci- 
 entific names.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 The gentleman who wrote the journal from 
 which the following pages are chiefly drawn, 
 went out to India in the beginning of 1805, 
 and returned in 1819. During that period 
 it was his lot to traverse a great part of the 
 peninsula, from the Ganges to the Indus. 
 He landed at Madras, and saw part of the 
 Carnatic, joined his regiment in Malabar, 
 and served with it in Mysore and Travancore ; 
 after which his fortune led him to Bengal, 
 and a few years afterwards to Bombay, 
 where he was employed with the army in 
 Guzerat which invaded Kutch-booge for 
 the first time, marched through Kattywar, 
 and destroyed the fastnesses of the pirates in 
 Okamundel. His corps being then called to 
 join the Poonah subsidiary force, an oppor- 
 tunity was aflbrded him of seeing a consider- 
 able part of the Deckan during the late 
 Mahratta war. The impressions made upon
 
 Vlll 
 
 his mind by the scenes which he beheld in 
 India, are now, with deference, offered to 
 the public. 
 
 Much might be written on the excusable 
 topic of prepossession ; and, on the other 
 hand, many arguments might be adduced to 
 prove that all an author can say in behalf 
 of his own book is vox et pi^cetcrea nihil. 
 These pages are therefore dismissed to their 
 fate with a short anecdote. 
 
 A British officer, with a small detachment 
 of sepoys^ was stationed in a pass of the 
 ghauts, for the purpose of intercepting the 
 enemy's hurhariis. Among many other 
 travellers, a man in the garb of a villager was 
 stopped. By his own account he was merely 
 going to a neighbouring town. He wore 
 only a cloth round his loins, a blanket, which 
 served him as a sort of tent, being contracted 
 to fit his head while it covered his shoulders, 
 and a pair of old sandals. This scanty dress 
 and all other suspected means of concealment 
 were carefully searched, and a stick, which 
 he carried with little bells fixed to it, for the 
 l)urpose of frightening away tigers and wild 
 elephants on his journey through the forests, 
 was broken lest there might be a letter en-
 
 IX 
 
 closed. " Let him pass," said the officer. 
 " Sahech^' rephed an old suhadar with a ve- 
 nerable beard, whose language being Hindos- 
 tannee, I shall translate, " Sir, permit the 
 voice of experience to penetrate the ear of 
 understanding, and suffer me, thy servant, 
 to examine these sandals." This hint, re- 
 spectfully offered, was not scornfully rejected. 
 The soles of the almost worn-out sandals were 
 cut, and behold a letter in the Persian cha- 
 racter, made up in the form of a small roll, was 
 secured in a proper opening. It contained 
 information that led to the surprize and de- 
 feat of the Mahrattas, with the capture of their 
 treasure, camels, and elephants. The native 
 officer knew what the European did not, that 
 the old sandals were carried by the messenger 
 on his march, lest the concealed communica- 
 tion should be injured by friction, and merely 
 put on as a ruse contre ruse, when he was 
 taken prisoner. 
 
 Thus reader, I wish with luimihty to insi- 
 nuate that you sliould examine my book very 
 attentively, for it comes before you without 
 the recommendation of a literary name, a higli 
 sounding title, orapowerful patron ; and tliere- 
 fore should it contain any interesting matter, 
 
 a
 
 it will resemble the hurliaru, you the officer, 
 and I the old suhadar, who assure you, with 
 solemnity, that in it there is a great deal of 
 truth.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 1 HERE is nothing, it is presumed, in the following 
 pages, contrary to good manners, received opinions, 
 and social duties. It may therefore be asked. Why 
 is the title page without a name ? The writer may 
 have a thousand reasons for anonymous publica- 
 tion ; but, without enumerating them, he will give 
 at once the history of this work, and his motive 
 for declining immediate notoriety. On both sub- 
 jects it is only proper to state, that he who now 
 obtrudes himself on attention came home from 
 India, after a long residence there, in a debilitated 
 state of health, with a large family, under the 
 well-founded expectation that solid independence 
 awaited him ; but so great and severe were his dis- 
 appointments that he retired to a mountain, where 
 he pasted on the fireboard of his humble parlour, 
 the singular order of the day issued by Napoleon, 
 when First Consul, against suicide : " A soldier 
 ought to know how to subdue sorrow, and the agi- 
 tation of the passions; there is as much courage 
 in enduring with firmness the pains of the heart, as 
 in remaining steady under the grape-shot of a 
 battery. To abandon one*s-sclF to grief without 
 
 B
 
 2 TxVTRODUCTION. 
 
 resistance, to kill one*s-self in order to escape from 
 it, is to fly from the field of battle before one is 
 conquered." — At last, remembering the precept 
 of Virgil, *' ne cede malis,^' he sat down to write on 
 India. A short prospectus gave some publicity to 
 his intention, and the proposal was countenanced 
 by his Majesty's librarian, by his Royal Highness 
 the Duke of York, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 
 and two other distinguished personages. However 
 so very few answered his letters, that one day w^hile 
 contemplating the fate of his undertaking, he scrib- 
 bled thus in bad verse, for when sorrow touched 
 his heart his understanding was in the habit of 
 flying for aid to poetry : — 
 
 Adieu ! if patrons fail, thou sweetest charm 
 O Education ! to thy helping arm ! — 
 From Homer, Cicero, and Virgil's glow. 
 My boys the force of truth will never know. 
 And round my girls the Graces w'ill not play, 
 For maids of honour must have royal pay. 
 
 Casting his eye to the window which overlooked 
 the road winding up the mountain, he saw a 
 gentlemanly person, of the middle size, in a blue 
 frock, leading a handsome grey nag, approaching, 
 which w^as an unusual sight. 
 
 *' I think I should know you,*' said the stranger, 
 extending his hand, with a friendly and familiar 
 aspect. 
 
 " Your face is that of an old Indian," replied the 
 other, grasping the proffered liand j — " but the 
 name — '*
 
 INTRODUCTION'. 3 
 
 " Thouglitiess," answered he j '' the liver has 
 altered us both ; I should not have known you 
 either, but for your Prospectus ; — I came to see 
 you, and put down my name ;'* and he pulled some 
 bank notes out of his pocket. 
 
 " Not till the delivery," said the author. 
 
 " And I hope," said Thoughtless, after some 
 preliminaries, " you have experienced much 
 encouragement of a private and individual na- 
 ture." 
 
 *' Very little. I really fear I have mistaken the 
 pubhc taste." 
 
 " Your book is certainly addressed to the under- 
 standing, contrary to the modern system, which is 
 to tickle the fiincy, and occasionally become so pa- 
 thetic that the heart almost breaks with a swell, 
 and the soul rises towards the end into harmonic 
 sublimity with the scene, till the curtain drops on a 
 sort of ineifable felicity. — He who can effect this, 
 may sport his curricle and livery, and breathe his 
 nags at Brighton 1" 
 
 *' My own thoughts precisely, in better drapery 
 than my wardrobe affords. I have often felt in- 
 clined to suspend my labours on the book in ques- 
 tion. The risk of a light work would be trifling, 
 and should the style and matter have merit to force 
 their way, Messrs. Longman and Co. would not 
 hesitate to make a proposal for something more 
 scientific. But my own adventures in India are 
 common-place: — joined my regiment an ensign, 
 
 B '2
 
 4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 rose in gradation, and served a few campaigns not 
 of an interesting nature." 
 
 " The circumstances of my life have been more 
 diversified — I shall send you my journal — use it — 
 * speakofmeasi am — nothing extenuate;' — where 
 fictitious names are used, add or diminish at plea- 
 sure ; but where real actors are introduced, let no 
 embellishment allure from justice and truth. You 
 will perceive I wrote in the title page — ' Fifteen 
 Years in India, or, Sketches of a Soldier's Life.* *' 
 
 " That strikes me as happy — simple — unosten- 
 tatious — it pledges to no particular line. A tangent 
 may at any time be formed in favour of merit or 
 expediency, as the practice is at the Horse Guards, 
 where no promise of a step is ever given. Had it 
 been Memoirs, Travels, or any of the designations 
 heretofore used, some known course must have 
 been pursued at the jog-trot of a set o? palankeen 
 boys from one regular stage to another, instead of 
 being as ivee as Pug in the wilderness to jump 
 from the sublime to the ridiculous, and to chatter 
 and grimace, just according to the romance of my 
 disposition." 
 
 " Exactly — you will be in the situation of a 
 prudent minister of state who reserves to himself 
 perfect liberty ; for what is there in fifteen years in 
 India? In that time, it is true, a man may have 
 seen much and observed little. It is sufticient, then, 
 to excite curiosity, but it is by no means binding as 
 to any particular mode of gratification. But there
 
 INTRODUCTION. 5 
 
 is a third addition, explanatory of the first and 
 second, namely, * being an attempt to describe per- 
 sons and things in various parts of'Hindostan.* " 
 
 " Equally guarded I protest ; parvis componere 
 viagna, the three heads resemble those of Brahma, 
 Vishnu, and Sheva, in the cave of Elephanta, which 
 are curious to behold, but so difficult to understand, 
 that learned Pundits and Christians deeply skilled 
 in oriental lore cannot agree as to the interpre- 
 tation. 
 
 ** An author should consider himself as opening 
 a game at chess. He who aims at success, whether 
 he play a regular Philidor ])arty or a Gambit, must 
 well consider before he pushes his meanest pawn, 
 for one move at the outset may so entangle his 
 pieces, confine his field of operation, expose his 
 king to check, and disorganize the combination of 
 his queen, rooks, bishops and knights, that he may 
 be mated under the very fire of his own towers, from 
 taking up a position where his forces could not 
 come into action." 
 
 But, gentle reader, I most conscientiously declare 
 that I aspire not at sporting either curricle or livery, 
 nor do I wish to breathe my nags at Brighton, 
 though the desire of beholding the smile of my 
 Royal Master is near my heart. The highest flight 
 my ambition has indulged in is to have a.shigrampo 
 of such dimensions as to contain twelve persons, 
 great and small, with an abundance of warm 
 cushions, to protect from the penetrating winter 
 
 B S
 
 G INTRODUCTION. 
 
 air of my native hilJs in journeying to church. All 
 that is desirable in the shigrampo of Malabar, the 
 hackery of Hindostan, the bullock coach of the 
 Carnatic, and the 'palankeen carriage of Calcutta, 
 might be adopted ; for a pair of mules or Scotch 
 poneys, in plain clothing and harness, would trans- 
 cend a couple of oxen, notwithstanding their deli- 
 cious humps, silk housings, golden tassels, and silver 
 bells J and a servant in clean drab surtout would be 
 as ornamental as any turbaned driver. I would covet 
 nothing more in the mansions of luxury, except a 
 glass of good old Madeira or Port, instead of rasp- 
 berry and ginger substitutes ; yet the Vicar of Wake- 
 field's wife was not better pleased with champagne 
 of her own making, than my kind-hearted rib is 
 when she mixes the ingredients in such just propor- 
 tions that the acid does not prevail, or, as she 
 technically says, ^^predominate;''* nor the lusciousness 
 hurt the vivacity or interfere with the transparency. 
 Nevertheless, I am seriously inclined to think that 
 with my sJiigrampo, and servant in clean drab surtout, 
 I should not have *• les vapeurs rioirs" or in native 
 phrase " the blue devils^'' at home so often when a 
 sigh assails me. " To be sure, my dear, as you say, 
 we must strive to be contented ; but I wish I was 
 once more on the sweet little island of Colabah, 
 taking an airing to the light-house, the band playing, 
 and all your brother officers promenading and sa- 
 luting the ladies with such grace and spirit. Then 
 you know we would have a little tea party this
 
 INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 evening and a dance, but I must forget those happy 
 times.** Then a tear starts to that eye whose beam 
 has pleased mine for near twenty years ; and really, 
 sympathetic reader, one at present fills mine to think 
 that I cannot kiss it away so as to prevent another 
 from springing up when that deceiver Memory 
 mocks her by representing the past more fascinating 
 than the present. 
 
 To conclude, trust me, I have more respect for 
 your feelings, notwithstanding all the aforesaid 
 trifling, and a better opinion of mankind in general 
 (though I know human nature to be a curious mix- 
 ture J, than not to make it my ardent aim to afford 
 you information and entertainment. 
 
 B 4
 
 SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 To see an estimable friend depart 
 
 For Europe, agitates my pensive heart. 
 
 Adieu to scorching winds ! Farewell, ye plains. 
 
 Long marches, camps, where war eternal reigns. 
 
 Welcome the comforts of his native soil. 
 
 In blest retirement sweet from by-gone toil. 
 
 The prospect with which a man solaces himself 
 who leaves his native land for the purpose of im- 
 proving his condition, is to return home and enjoy 
 the fruit of his enterprize. This fond hope, com- 
 mon to all speculators in India, makes it a subject 
 of congratulation when any one is so fortunate as 
 to realize the general expectation by taking a 
 passage for Europe. But there is a struggle 
 between joy and sorrow on both sides. Fifteen 
 or twenty years must elapse before even a success- 
 ful candidate for the favours of fortune can in 
 progression be in the state to which he looks 
 common forward with such anxiety. In the mean- 
 time his heart becomes linked to friends and asso- 
 ciates, the anticipated separation from whom be-
 
 10 FIFTEEN YfiARS IN INDM* 
 
 comes more and more painful as the hour ap- 
 proaches. At that period he again experiences 
 some of the emotions of an exile. He lingers 
 fondly, and hesitates to bid adieu, perhaps for 
 ever, to companions endeared to memory by long 
 community of pursuits, and participation in toil and 
 danger. 
 
 Adventurers to India would not be so frequently 
 disappointed, if, soon after arriving there, each fixed 
 for himself the object of independence at a mode- 
 rate and rational distance, with determined reso- 
 lution to march steadily towards it, and there to 
 stop. In taking the first steps for the acquisi- 
 tion of fortune, the mind is humble and easily satis- 
 fied; but this calm and philosophic contentment 
 gives place to ambition, when the career becomes 
 more rapid and easy. New desires then arise, hopes 
 expand, and an exertion is made to increase what 
 was once thought enough. One boundary is passed 
 after another till death either stops the march, or 
 the traveller returns to his native soil, so much 
 debilitated from long residence in a hot climate, 
 as to be incapable of enjoying his hoarded 
 wealth. 
 
 The Company's immense army is officered by 
 young gentlemen of family, respectability, and 
 good education. They go out at a tender age, and 
 a few months places them at an apparently hopeless 
 distance from the objects dearest to their affections. 
 On joining their regiments in the interior, and be-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 11 
 
 coming fit for duty, they are sent on detachments 
 to small out-stations, where they have frequently 
 to pass the dreary wet season without a pos- 
 sibility of enjoying the consolation of society 
 or friendship. Placed in command of whatever 
 number of Sepoys the exigency of the service 
 may require, with merely the assistance of native 
 officers, they are entirely left to the resources 
 of their own minds. In the civil department, the 
 Company's servants are generally replaced by 
 youths of high connections, and very often of 
 most finished education, which is carried on in 
 oriental literature for a considerable time after 
 their arrival in India ; and although they have ad- 
 vantages as to society and comfort far beyond those 
 of the military branch, still the attendance on college 
 lectures, and the great labour required by such as 
 are not blessed with natural talents to pass the 
 examinations, make life very irksome. Another 
 class consists of the young officers of the King's 
 regiments in India, who generally experience much 
 mental pain before they become reconciled by 
 habituation to the country. 
 
 These three classes of fine young men at setting 
 out in life feel the emotions so beautifully de- 
 scribed by Campbell in his Pleasures of Hope. 
 While surrounded by friends and the tender ties 
 of kindred in their native land — while their young 
 hearts feel the influence of that sweet affection 
 which exists between brother and sister, and perhaps
 
 12 IHTELN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 begin to warm witli sensations of a still more 
 tender nature for a sister's fair friend — they stand 
 at summer eve, and behold the prospect glittering 
 in all the enchantment given by distance ; but upon 
 approaching the tempting scene, the rocky and 
 barren projections of that mountain are perceived 
 which fancy had conjured into those green spots 
 on which the aching eye rests so seldom in life. 
 
 It has been suggested to the reader, by the lines 
 at the head of this chapter, that an adventurer to 
 India was regretting the departure of a companion 
 for his native soil, while at the same time he re- 
 joiced at the accomplishment of his friend's wishes, 
 and the cause of this intermixture of sorrow and 
 pleasure has been explained. Both were military 
 men who had seen some service together; and 
 these sketches of a soldier's life will open with 
 a relation of the manner in which Lieutenant 
 George True was enabled to return home. 
 
 This officer had the honour of holding a com- 
 mission in one of his Majesty's regiments, and 
 Itaving been long exposed on very active campaigns 
 to the utmost severity of the climate, his health 
 was in a declining state. Strict temperance and a 
 good constitution had enabled him to keep at his 
 post, while many of his companions found an un- 
 timely grave instead of that distinction at which they 
 aimed. His private affairs, however, Mere of a 
 nature to preclude the prospect of returning to the 
 renovating breezes of his native hills, and he perse-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 13 
 
 vered in his profession, in the hope of honourable 
 fame and glorious independence. 
 
 The irruption of a predatory horde into the 
 Company's provinces in the soutli of Hindostan 
 Proper, bad rendered the march of his corps from 
 Baroda necessary, in the month of June. At this 
 period all nature is parched. The thirsty earth 
 throws back with sickly languor the burning rays 
 of the sun, and the air, heated to a suffocating de- 
 gree, sweeps along whirling clouds of dust. But 
 the benevolence of Providence about this time in- 
 tercepts the glare by spreading a thick canopy of 
 damj) clouds over this torrid part of the earth, 
 which soon open their flood-gates and pour 
 down a deluge of refreshing rain, that revivifies 
 expiring vegetation and animal life. In the 
 awful intervening space, however, burning fever 
 drinks the juices of many a distracted brain. 
 A major and twenty-three soldiers of this brave 
 regiment fell dead under coups de soleil in one 
 day. Death in this form is terrible to contemplate. 
 The moment the system is aflected by the atmos- 
 phere, the blood no longer circulates ; and if 
 immediate steps be not taken to remove the ob- 
 struction by copious bleeding, a relief often very 
 difficult to be procured, life for ever ceases. No 
 enemy being in the vicinity, the marches were made 
 at a very early hour, to avoid tlie intense heat of 
 the meridian sun. On the day previous to that in 
 which a material change occurred in the prospects
 
 H riFTKKM YFARS IM INDIA. 
 
 of Mr. True, the force had reached a village called 
 Bowla, situated in the Run, a deserted tract of 
 country so named, between t!ie gulfs of Kutch and 
 Cainbay. Tlicnce to the town of Limree extends 
 a cheerless sandy plain. The villages were all in 
 ruins, having been desolated by the dreadful famine 
 of 1802. Indeed it is siuprisingthat even the poor 
 and miserable should have ever thought of seeking 
 an asylum in this unfriendly region ; for the earth 
 is of such a thirsty nature that the deepest wells 
 will not yield water, nor the best made taiiks 
 contain it. Nondoudra is the next halting place, 
 and during the march thither the long looked for 
 monsoon commenced. 
 
 At two o'clock on the morning of that eventful 
 day, the moon was dimly seen at intervals, through 
 dark clouds. The British camp was, however, 
 often visibly revealed by vivid flashes of light- 
 ning that illuminated the zenith, and rushed 
 with fiery broad course into the remote horizon, 
 accompanied by awful and sublime peals of thunder. 
 Natives, camels, elephants, and bullocks, pressed 
 by their loads, w^ere ready to move off with the 
 line drawn up in front. Here the Sepoy's 
 wives might be seen, tying their children on 
 the backs of bullocks, or placing them, like 
 poultry in baskets, to be carried on their own heads. 
 There the numerous servants of the officers, some 
 with lanterns searching where their master's tents 
 stood, lest any thing should be left behind j others 
 
 2
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 15 
 
 with chairs and breakfast apparatus, conducting 
 greyhounds in leash, carrying couches, or leading 
 horses, and followed by grass cutters and water 
 carriers — in short, there were at least seven native 
 followers for every fighting man. But it was melan- 
 choly to see the numerous European sick of the 
 force carried along on men's shoulders, some dying, 
 and others in burning fever ; and it would have pro- 
 duced a smile on the face of the most serious, to 
 behold the convalescents mounted on bullocks, 
 and laughing heartily at each other when left 
 sprawling by the plunges of their horned support- 
 ers, unaccustomed to such obstreperous loads. 
 
 Two miles from Bowla the flood-gates of the 
 heavens opened, and the rain fell in torrents. For 
 some time the sandy expanse, which had not tasted 
 moisture for six months, drank freely the mighty 
 deluge ; but as the line proceeded very slowly, 
 being forced to halt frequently for the rear, this 
 march occupied several hours, and the road at 
 length becahie so soft and heavy, that the beasts 
 of burden sunk to their bellies. Then were seen 
 tents and boxes rolling in the mud, while the field 
 pieces were dragged along with great difficulty. In 
 short, order was changed into confusion, and as in- 
 describable a clamour was produced by the crowd on 
 the baggage flank, as if the enemy's cavalry had been 
 dashing among them with their merciless spears. 
 
 Lieutenant True was the officer of the rear 
 guard. During the march, finding himself so
 
 If) FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 exceedingly faint as to be unable to keep his seat 
 in the saddle against the pelting of the storm, he 
 liad sent his groom for a doolyy and discovering a 
 little to the right a pagoda y near a ruined village, 
 he alighted under its shelter, and stood leaning on 
 the neck of his horse. The objects before him 
 seemed to grow black, and the whole scene became 
 of a shadowy tint. In fact, he felt as if the hand 
 of death was upon his heart. " Gracious God," 
 said he, " is this the end of my earthly hopes ? 
 Preserve me, for the sake of her I love, and the 
 dear objects of our affection.*' He fainted and 
 fell. At this moment, a profuse gush of blood from 
 his nose relieved him. After bleeding copiously, 
 he felt much better. His docile Arabian had 
 stood near him. " Thank God," said he, regaining 
 his seat, " I feel now able to proceed,** and he 
 soon overtook his guard, and reached the camp, 
 where the surgeon having prescribed for him, he 
 retired to his tent for repose. 
 
 *' Saheeb,'* said his servant Ballo soon after, 
 opening the tent door, " one soldier other regi- 
 ment, master speak to want." 
 
 ** Let him come in." He entered the marquee, 
 and making a fine curve with his right arm, touched 
 the polished front of his shining cap, and withdraw- 
 ing the same gracefully, stood in the erect posture 
 of "Attention." 
 
 " Ah i what do I see ? Am J awake? As I live 
 the face of Bob Gordon."
 
 FTFTEEN years in INDIA. 17 
 
 " lam indcL'dthe identical Bob, and right happy 
 to see your Honour in the land of the living.'* 
 
 " This is wonderful ! — When did you leave home, 
 and what forced you to turn soldier ?" 
 
 " Misfortune, Sir; I left Ireland only a year ago, 
 and recognized you this morning passing with the 
 rear-guard through our lines." 
 
 " Ah Bob ! Several years have passed away since 
 I left my native land, and emerged from the joyous 
 stage of school-boy. In all my wanderings I have 
 not met a soul from the spot that cherished my 
 childhood, nor have I received any account from 
 home, having never written, for private reasons. 
 But the sight of you has brought early associations 
 feelingly to mind. I have many questions to ask ; 
 but first, sit down and tell me the cause of your 
 own misfortunes." 
 
 " Then you have not heard of your father's re- 
 turn to his native soil." 
 
 " Eh Bob ! — Is my dear father in Ireland, and 
 has he overcome the persecution of fortune ?" 
 
 " He has indeed, Sir. — Rolling in wealth, he 
 would give it all to witness the return of you, his 
 only son." 
 
 " Wonderful ! And my uncle, what of him, is he 
 alive and still the same ?" 
 " Alas, Sir, still so." 
 
 " How melancholy to think of him, and what 
 he might have been. * Oh that a man should 
 put an enemy in his mouth to steal away his
 
 18 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 brains !* And the worthy Mr. Stanhope, what of 
 him ?" 
 
 ** A distressing account, Sir. A villain, in the 
 mask of a gentleman in jioly orders, seduced his 
 beautiful and only daughter. The father threaten- 
 ed to prosecute the clergyman, who was of the 
 Catholic church, unless he changed his religion and 
 married her. Dreading this, the horrible miscreant 
 induced his victim to forget the strongest tie of 
 nature, and to father her child on the author of 
 her own being. The distracted parent died broken- 
 hearted. His daughter, stung with remorse, con- 
 fessed on her death-bed, almost immediately after, 
 the horrible part she had acted. The priest fled, 
 and her only surviving brother sold off his property, 
 changed his name, and exiled himself for ever from 
 his native country.'* 
 
 *' Torturing thought, that the depravity of hu- 
 man nature should produce such a tragedy !'* 
 
 ** But say. Bob, how are the family of Rose 
 Mount ? Well, I hope." 
 
 " Ah no ! The worthy old magistrate became a 
 bankrupt, and his son-in-law, young Mr. Sinclair, 
 who married the lovely jMiss Fanny, lost his 
 whole fortune in the crash, and is now a struggler 
 in life with several children to support. There 
 was a bill of exchange drawn and accepted by the 
 old gentleman, who was in th.e habit of taking 
 that freedom, on his son, then engaged in commerce. 
 It happened tliat lie was embarrassed and unable
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 19 
 
 to lionoiir the unexpected bill when presented, and 
 to secure his credit disavowed the acceptance. The 
 enraged holder lodged an information against the 
 father for forgery. He withdrew till it could be 
 explained and adjusted, but was soon after killed 
 by a fall from his horse." 
 
 " And how is old farmer Glendinning ? His 
 pretty daughter, the gay thoughtless Mary, is, I 
 hope, happy." 
 
 ** The fate of poor Mary, Sir, is a sad one. She 
 was seduced by a captain of yeomanry. She had 
 received a religious education, and would have re- 
 sisted the insinuating addresses of a suitor so much 
 above her in rank and fortune ; but the son of Sir 
 ^^^alter Sennit had married a miller's daughter, and 
 made a lady of her by education, and poor Mary 
 concluded that her own station in life was more re- 
 spectable and less liable to objection. The cir- 
 cumstances of her fate were so affecting that I, who 
 am poetically inclined, could not resist the tempta- 
 tion of endeavouring to immortalize her story in a 
 ballad, for the instruction of every pretty girl." 
 
 " Let me hear it, Bob? — You had from your 
 childhood a turn that way. I recollect hearing of 
 one of your verses made at a singing school, and 
 given out to the psalm tune." 
 
 " As I was coming here the night, 
 
 " I spied a merry joke, 
 " A young man courting wi' a lass, 
 
 " Rolled up in a big coat" 
 
 c "2
 
 20 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ** Yes indeed, Sir, and what caused it to be taken 
 notice of was, that the very young man, the subject 
 of it, started up and exclaimed — ' Fine a bit. Bob, 
 but that was me.* *' 
 
 THE FATE OF MARY. 
 
 Beneath Rosstrevor's lofty side, 
 
 Glenallon cottage stood. 
 Whose front o'erlook'd the silver tide. 
 
 And kiss'd th'approaching flood, 
 
 A pretty garden near it smiled, 
 Perfumed by countless flowers ; 
 
 These favourites of an only child. 
 Amused her leisure hours. 
 
 No snow-drop peeping from its bed, 
 
 Was more divinely fair ; 
 The tints transparent blood had spread. 
 
 With roses might compare. 
 
 Her parents saw with fondest hope 
 Her childish years subside ; 
 
 Each heart-endearing look bespoke 
 Their happiness and pride. 
 
 To win her love, full many a youth, 
 Soon bent with ardent aim, 
 
 And in the crowd professing truth, 
 A yeoman captain came. 
 
 His form was of the manliest kind. 
 Yet dashing spruce and neat ; 
 
 With manners pleasingly refined. 
 His herds and floc-kr. were areMt.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 21 
 
 But ah ! beneath «ich wininng smile. 
 
 Lurk'd lieacherous intent ; 
 For like the weeping crocodile, 
 
 His wiles no pity lent. 
 
 Alas ! that such a selfish heart 
 
 Should animate a frame 
 Of symmetry in every part. 
 
 Whose soul should be the same. 
 
 But soon credulity will find. 
 
 External form pourtrays 
 No surer image of the mind, 
 
 Thau dress of worth displays. 
 
 Deep sighs from the distracted breast, 
 
 Reveal'd to watchful art, 
 That Cupid's bow had banish'd rest. 
 
 From an enamour'd heart. 
 
 Description! thou art much too faint 
 
 The sequel sad to tell. 
 Conception nuist the struggle paint : 
 
 Alas ! poor Mary fell. 
 
 The dreadful news with mortal grief 
 
 Her mother petrified ; 
 *• My Mary," tears refused relief. 
 
 She strove to speak, but died. 
 
 Her father frenzied, sought to find 
 
 FFis poor deluded child ; 
 Religion sooth'd his placid mind, 
 
 As summer zephyr mild. 
 
 She in despair and deep distress 
 
 From her betrayer fled. 
 Soon as she foinul her wretchedness, 
 
 For he had sworn to wed. 
 
 c3
 
 '^'2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Her gentle frame, to want unused, 
 Droop'd like a tender flower. 
 
 By nature's cheering fount refus'd 
 The renovating shower. 
 
 Let Fancy's pencil represent 
 
 A cellar dark and cold, 
 For there «he lay with sickness spent, 
 
 Sad lesson to behold. 
 
 The old man came ! heart-rending scene ! 
 
 A daughter thus to see ; 
 " My God !" he cried, in anguish keen, 
 
 "Take not my all from me.'' 
 
 Her pallid cheek with many a tear 
 He bathed. " O Mary live, 
 
 *' Dismiss each painful killing fear, 
 " My darling, I forgive.'' 
 
 But she dishonour coidd not bear ; 
 
 His grey head too lies low ; 
 Ye lovely girls beware ! beware ! 
 
 And human weakness know. 
 
 " Very pathetic indeed ! I declare, Bob, your 
 poetic strain deserves a compliment ; and I hope 
 your verses will record poor Mary*s fate when the 
 present generation has passed away. But tell me 
 of the worthy curate — how has fortune dressed his 
 silver locks ?" 
 
 ** He has found happiness on earth, Sir, which he 
 so well deserves, as a foretaste of the felicity that 
 awaits him in heaven. But the particulars require 
 some detail. You know he was very poor, and had
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 23 
 
 a numerous family to support. There is a parish 
 that yields its rector an income of one thousand 
 a-year, although the church never contains five 
 persons in it as a congregation, for the pa- 
 rishioners are catholics. The rector, who lived at 
 a distance^ quarrelled with his bishop : his Grace 
 ordered him to have divine service performed regu- 
 larly, adding, it had only lately come to his know- 
 ledge that the contrary was the case. Knowing 
 it was in vain to expostulate, he was forced to fix 
 the curate's salary very higli. Seventy pounds a 
 year induced a young man to undertake tlie ludi- 
 crous task of preaching a sermon every Sunday to 
 the clerk. He persevered for some time ; but one 
 day, instead of doing so, he lectured, and pointed 
 out extempore the necessity of strict conformity to 
 Christian doctrine. The bishop heard of it, and 
 wrote a letter to the rector, informing him that his 
 Grace was not only surprized, but utterly con- 
 founded at the irregular proceeding in his parish. 
 That the Almighty only knew what his curate might 
 say, in the latitude he was giving to the unrestrained 
 flights of absurd and whimsical imagination. " If 
 this practice," said his Grace, '' which directly 
 strikes at the root of every thing orthodox, be not 
 visited with the utmost severity, the Lord only 
 knows where it may end, even in the destruction 
 of the Protestant cluuch, and the overthrow of our 
 venerable conslilution." The rector was forced to 
 dismiss his curate, being greatly apprehensive that 
 
 c 1
 
 24 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 he might be proliibited from having one, if he did 
 not shew that he concurred with liis Grace in 
 thinking the irregularity seriously reprehensible. 
 Upon this he offered old Mr. Meekly 100/. a-year 
 to do his duty, who moved to that part of the 
 country, to the no small regret of all our neighbour- 
 hood. But his situation and merit reached the ear 
 of the Lord Primate, whose goodness is univer- 
 sally known, and Dr. Stuart wrote him with his 
 own hand a letter notifying that he had heard of his 
 great worth, and felt happiness in being now able 
 to present him with a living of seven hundred per 
 annum." 
 
 '* And how are the loyal tenantry, Bob ? Do they 
 continue to commemorate the battle of the Boyne 
 on the 12th of old July ?" 
 
 " No, Sir, that custom is discontinued, for about 
 five years ago there was an actual battle on that 
 occasion, instead of a sham fight, which induced 
 the magistrates to prohibit it. The Orange boys 
 had, as usual, made great preparations, and assembled 
 with flags and streamers : — they formed in two 
 divisions, one of which, commanded by King Wil- 
 liam, marched down the slope to the tune of the 
 Boyne Water ; while the other, under King James, 
 was drawn up on the opposite side of the Devarnagh 
 river. A smart discharge of blank cartridges an- 
 nounced the attack. But lo ! in the hottest part 
 of the engagement, a body of lloman Catholic 
 youths, from the mountains of SlieveguUion and
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 25 
 
 Killcary, started up from an ambuscade with pitch- 
 forks, grapes, and scythes^ and assailed tlie two 
 Kings. The Duke of Schomberg was actually 
 killed in the river, and the waters of the stream was 
 reddened with the blood of both parties ; for the 
 Orange boys fouglit desperately in honour of the 
 day with the butts of their firelocks.'* 
 
 " Unhappy country, where political wounds are 
 not permitted to heal !** 
 
 " But tell me, Bob, are the manners of the cre- 
 dulous people about Mount Norris and Loughgilly 
 changed ? Do they believe in ghosts, witches, fai- 
 ries, lougherymen, and banshees ?'* 
 
 " Yes, indeed. Sir, as much as ever; and it is 
 believed as true as the gospel, that a lougheryman 
 appeared to Farmer Jones, of'Rathcarberry, only a 
 short time ago.'* 
 
 " Pray, Bob, mention the particulars." 
 
 " The farmer was sitting in the parlour, which 
 was also his bed-room. Being fond of music, he was 
 playing some of his merry tunes on his Irish organ, 
 as he calls the bagpipes, and occasionally talking to 
 his wife, who was in bed. — He was enjoying his 
 glass of warm native too at intervals, for it was a 
 cold winter night. The door stood a little ajar, 
 and in the middle of a favourite tune — * I'm over 
 young to marry yet' — a little slender figure, about 
 two feet liigli, of exceedingly beautiiul form and 
 proportion, with laugiiing black eyes and a red cap, 
 came skipping into the luom. He danced with
 
 26 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 astonishing grace, swung in air, and kept such fine 
 time, that the delighted musician played on with 
 pleasure and surprize. At length he had to rest 
 from fatigue. But the lougheryman nodded for 
 more music, and kept nodding till he gained his 
 wish. The farmer, who is a merry man, enjoyed 
 the fun, and played several of his best tunes for the 
 little dancer ; and his wife, who is of the methodist 
 persuasion, positively says to this day, that she 
 heard her husband several times saying he was tired 
 and could play no more, and that at last he raised 
 his voice in anger — * Get out of my sight, you 
 little unreasonable brat ; you would never be satis- 
 fied,' 
 
 ** That very night the flames burst out of the 
 house in the dead of sleep, and nothing but life 
 was saved — and it is said the lougheryman set the 
 house on fire in three different places, in revenge 
 for not getting enough of music ; and that if he had 
 been gratified, he would have filled Mr. Jones's 
 pockets with gold." 
 
 The lieutenant was amused and interested with 
 these and other stories that reminded him of home. 
 Such is the case, O reader, with every man ab- 
 sent for several years from his native place. As a 
 bird, forced by want to quit the nest which con- 
 tains the objects dearest to affection, flutters around 
 and strains each pinion but to return, so does the 
 adventurer to India, in all his wanderings, mentally 
 circle like the mariner's needle to that north pole
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 27 
 
 of his heart, the scene of his boyish days — when he 
 regains it, he finds the liills, valUes, mountains, and 
 rivers where they were j but those who gave 
 life and rapture to the remembered scene, where 
 are they ? — Many of them gone, as we shall shortly 
 be, to 
 
 That undiscovered country from whose bourne 
 No traveller returns.
 
 28 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 HERE Gungas banks terrific scenes display. 
 Idolatry stalks forth in open day. 
 Grim death like lightning human life assails. 
 And pale disease o'er banish'd health prevails ; 
 Vice glares with specious aspect undismay'd, 
 While virtue hides her lovely face afraid ! 
 
 rn 
 
 1 HE Hoogly, on the eastern bank of which the 
 city of Calcutta stands, is the western arm of the 
 Ganges, and the natives call it, as well as many 
 other rivers, Gunga, being the name of one of the 
 three goddesses of waters. She is fabled to have 
 been brought to light in the same way nearly as 
 Minerva — from the brain of Brahma. 
 
 In going up this fine river, the observer, if he be a 
 man of sensibility, is strongly affected with what he 
 sees. The luxuriance of nature and the grandeur of 
 the scene please his eye, while the customs and man- 
 ners of men make his heart bleed. He beholds many 
 an emaciated human being, worn away to the last 
 gasp of lingering existence, brought from a distant 
 residence to expire near the sacred stream j the 
 pains of deatii are often embittered by forcing the 
 muddy water down his throat ; for when the reco- 
 very of any person is despaired of, his immediate 
 friends hurry him off to the river, in the hope that 
 the goddess will restore him miraculously to life,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^9 
 
 if they can force him to drink freely. Should any 
 one die at home, near tlie Ganges, it would be 
 lamented as a great misfortune. When the grasp- 
 ing dispositions of mankind are considered, and 
 it is recollected that those about a dying per- 
 son sliare his property, the various accounts of 
 the numerous murders perpetrated by seeming 
 attention to this sliocking custom need not be 
 discredited. The wealthy pitch a tent, partly in 
 the water, to screen the sick from the glare of the 
 sun ; in tliis the patient is placed, sometimes on a 
 low cot, and oftener on the ground, with his head 
 in the stream, tiiere to be restored to health by 
 drinking plentifully, or to die with the certainty of 
 immortal bliss. The poor are seen writhing in the 
 pangs of suffocation, under officious, mistaken 
 kindness of friends, and lying all night in the 
 water. 
 
 At the same time he views the smoke ascending 
 in curling volumes from many a funeral pile ; and 
 the useful stream bearing away the remains of 
 those whose friends could not afford to burn them. 
 On each bank his sight is shocked occasionally 
 with dead bodies, rotten and torn by fishes, moul- 
 dering to kindred clay on the spot where the tide 
 chanced to cast them, for no man will remove them, 
 it being contamination to touch a dead body whose 
 caste is unknown. 
 
 Very few Europeans remain long in vigorous health.
 
 30 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Were a country gentleman, in the full enjoyment 
 of all his bodily faculties in this happy climate, to 
 be suddenly transported to St. John's church, in 
 Calcutta, during the performance of divine service 
 in the month of June, he would fancy himself 
 seated among ghosts. He would look upon their 
 sallow countenances with fear, and see the big 
 drops like tears coursing each other on the anxious 
 brow, notwithstanding the large fans suspended 
 overhead, and drawn briskly backwards and for- 
 wards, by means of ropes passed from them through 
 the windows of the church, by natives outside, to 
 produce an artificial circulation of air. If he fol- 
 lowed any gentleman to his home, he would see 
 him there throw off his coat, and put on a light 
 white jacket, as a relief from his sufferings ; and on 
 passing the burying ground beyond Chouringhee, 
 the stranger would there perceive, in the number- 
 less tombs and monuments, ample evidence of the 
 terrible mortality prevailing inthe land of his sojourn. 
 The absence of health is more manifest here 
 than in many other parts of India. Men who follow 
 sedentary employments, that require close mental 
 attention, are most numerous, and soonest dechne, 
 in a province which is peculiarly inimical to the 
 European constitution ; for such quantities of pu- 
 trescent matter are left by the inundations of the 
 Ganges and Burrumpootre, that they infect the air 
 with malignant vapours, which prove more fatal to
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 31 
 
 strangers than to the natives. This remark is 
 indeed applicable to all Hindostan, in every part 
 of wliich the European is prematurely wasted by 
 slow but sure degrees, if not assailed by fever or 
 acute hepatitis. 
 
 There is no doubt, however, that if a proper 
 regimen were observed from the first arrival of an 
 European in a hot climate, the preservation of 
 health would be of much longer duration. It is pro- 
 bable that the great Creator in his wisdom has suited 
 the constitution of man to that soil of which he is 
 formed; but plants, with care, flourish where they 
 were never intended to grow, and it is surprising 
 that so many skilful naturalists seem not to consider 
 the effect of a similar process on their own body 
 and mind. Most young men live in India thought- 
 lessly and luxuriously, as long as they are able. 
 Before they prepare for defence, they are taken by 
 the enemy, Nature and instinct have directed the 
 natives of diff*erent climates to adopt that course of 
 living best calculated to preserve health, without 
 which all other earthly blessings lose the power of 
 conferring happiness. Should it not therefore be 
 the object of every sojourner in a strange land to 
 conform as much as possible to the mode of living 
 adopted by the aborigines ? Personal comfort 
 soon induces a man, in a hot climate, to dress 
 lightly; but the palate is a deceiver, for as the 
 powers of digestion decrease, it requires and craves 
 to be gratified with what is pernicious. The Hin-
 
 32 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 doos live chiefly on vegetables — rice is tlie prin- 
 cipal of their ibod ; and the use of strong liquors 
 may be said to be unknown. That diet preserves the 
 fluids of the body free from inflammation on the 
 part of the stomach, and they enjoy during the usual 
 course of existence regular physical health, and 
 many of them are long lived. If you adventure to 
 India, do as I have done ; dine often on boiled rice 
 and goats' milk, and you will probably live to en- 
 joy the otium cum dignitaie to which you aspire, 
 during the decline of life, in your native land. 
 
 According to Faithhorn on bilious disorders, the 
 liver is an organ of the most general and universal 
 importance and use in man : its acute or chronic 
 affections often appear under the form hydrocepha- 
 lus, cough, asthma, consumption, mesenteric dis- 
 ease, stomach complaints, headaches, melancholy, 
 debility, flatulence, and costiveness. In our at- 
 tempts therefore to preserve health, our success 
 must depend on enabling this grand source of 
 jife and vigour to perform its due functions, by 
 which alone the bowels are emptied, the blood 
 cleansed, the strength recruited, and the mind in- 
 vigorated. Now as there is some unknown atmos- 
 pheric peculiarity in India which produces super- 
 action of the liver, does it not follow, that an 
 inflammatory mode of living must be pernicious ? 
 
 The body and the mind are so intimately con- 
 nected, that the one cannot perform its functions 
 without the co-operation of the otherj and grief
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 33 
 
 may therefore be the cause of much mortality in 
 India. Disappointed expectations on arrival in 
 that country, separation t'rom. every object held 
 dear, and the very remote prospect of return home, 
 produce the blackest melancholy in minds of 
 great sensibility. In short, these emotions have 
 driven several valuable young men to commit 
 suicide, for nostalgia is not restricted to the 
 Swiss. 
 
 At the head of this chapter it has been said, 
 that vice glares with specious and bold aspect, 
 while virtue hides her lovely head, in Hindostan. 
 That the reader may fully comprehend the truth of 
 this strong remark, it is necessary for him to reflect 
 upon the idolatry of Brahma, which sanctions a gene- 
 ral indulgence of the gross passions of human nature 
 to such a degree, that it is asserted, on good autho- 
 rity, that there are mysteries in the celebration of 
 some of its secret rites similar to those once per- 
 formed in honour of Venus, at her temples in the 
 Isle of Cyprus. But the facility with which atone- 
 ment can be made for the commission of the most 
 horrible crimes, is a demonstration that they are 
 often perpetrated. Yet many people argue, that 
 the Hindoos are an innocent and harmless moral 
 race. Quite the contrary is matter of fact. The 
 mass of the general population is in a state of 
 monstrous depravity. Lying and perjury are so 
 common, that an oath goes for nothing in a court 
 of justice. In the city of Benares, the fountain of 
 
 D
 
 34< FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Brahminical lore, when Lord Valentia visited it, 
 there were four hundred natives, who supported 
 themselves by giving false evidence in courts of 
 law. Let the sceptical reflect upon the numbers 
 that are sacrificed every year in pilgrimages to 
 Badrinaut, Juggurnaut, and several other temples 
 in India ; let him think of what is before the pub- 
 lic on the subject of Hindoo infanticide ; the 
 burning of wives with their husbands ; and the en- 
 couragement of suicide, or voluntary sacrifice, so 
 general in India ; and surely he will change his 
 doubts for abhorrence and detestation. 
 
 The state of concubinage, in which so many of 
 the native females live, corrupts all morality and de- 
 cency. Nearly every European private soldier has 
 a family of half casts ; and there have been officers 
 of rank and civilians in the country not contented 
 without seraglios, like other Nabobs, whom they 
 learned to exceed in debauchery. But to resume 
 our story. 
 
 " Well, George," said one of Mr. True's brother 
 subs, dashing into his tent, followed by half a dozen 
 of his friendly companions in arms, *' my old boy, 
 liow are you after the coup de soleil? You must 
 come to the mess to-night, we have thirty-seven 
 guests." 
 
 The evening air was still and refreshing; for the 
 storm with which the monsoon commenced had 
 cooled the burning earth, and calmed the troubled 
 atmosphere. Nature seemed to have sunk into
 
 ^FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 36 
 
 repose from the violence of her late struggle, sug- 
 gesting to the contemplative observer an idea of 
 those calms that intervene as agreeable vicissitudes, 
 in voyaging on the stormy ocean of human exist- 
 ence. The camp was all life and motion. 
 
 When the gun had announced the setting of the 
 sun, and the drums, bugles, and trumpets along 
 the line performed that fine point of war, " the 
 retreat,'* Mr. True went to the mess. The guests 
 now arriving, were received with frank politeness j 
 they formed into circles before a spacious tent, the 
 walls of which were thrown up all around for the 
 circulation of every breath of air. Camp tables, 
 calculated for seventy or eighty guests, occupied the 
 centre of this grand hall of canvas. A double row 
 of clear wax-lights stood at proper intervals along 
 their surface, shining with increased lustre through 
 Indian table shades. Here were servants with their 
 masters' dinner apparatus, which the stewards took 
 care to intermix, so that every guest might receive 
 proper attention ; and there a Farsce behind each 
 chair ready to point out his master's place, and 
 attend to his wants, as soon as Nuswangee, the 
 messman, shrilly drawled out, — *' Gontleimm, 
 Denere on table-e /" 
 
 Excellent cheer and good old wines soon excited 
 a flow of spirits, and the luxuries of the East hav- 
 ing allayed the edge of appetite, conversation 
 began to circulate. 
 
 " Where is Duval, that he has not joined the 
 force with you?" 
 
 D 2
 
 36 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ** He was obliged to remain behind from a sad 
 accident. A tiger hunt was formed a short time 
 ago ; the party came upon a large female in the 
 act of suckling her cub j she sprang with amazing 
 force at the trunk of the foremost elephant, upon 
 which Duval was mounted : the other elephants, 
 struck with panic at the exertions of their compa- 
 nion to shake off such a dreadful foe, disregarded 
 the drivers, and scampered away from the scene of 
 action. 
 
 " In the meantime, Duval had lodged a brace of 
 bullets from a double-barrel in the body of the 
 tiger ; she staggered and fell, but recovering, and 
 feeling the smart, she sprang on the back of the ele- 
 phant, and our friend was precipitated to the ground 
 by the violent plunges of the animal to get rid of 
 such a load as the tiger, whose maddened claws and 
 teeth tore the flesh in ridges from his mighty body. 
 Duval having recovered from the shock of his fall, 
 lodged another bullet from a pistol in the body of 
 the tiger, which brought her once more to the 
 ground, but again recovering, she seized him by 
 the back in her monstrous mouth. Even in this 
 desperate situation his presence of mind did not 
 desert him ; he drew his remaining pistol from his 
 belt, and placing the muzzle of it over the panting 
 heart of the tiger, lodged its contents in that 
 vital part. The death gasp of the monster re- 
 lieved him from seemingly inevitable destruction, 
 Just as his companions came up to his assistance; 
 though lacerated, he is doing well j and we all
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 37 
 
 hope to see him join in time to have a dash at the 
 Wagurs." 
 
 *' Yes, indeed," said the political agent, seated 
 near a young ensign, whose enquiries he kindly 
 answered respecting the inhabitants of the neigh- 
 bouring provinces, " some of the customs of 
 these regions are as wonderful as the manners and 
 habits of the people in general. Strange it is 
 that a country, in which hospitals are endowed to 
 preserve with care the old and maimed of every 
 description of animal, should permit insanity, 
 idiotism, ulceration, and leprosy to shock the 
 eyes of humanity in the streets of its cities ; yet 
 to see this you have only to travel to Surat. And 
 equally surprising it is, that men who are ready to 
 tear an European to pieces for destroying the life 
 of a peacock, a monkey, or a bullock, should noto- 
 riously put every female infant to death, and 
 encourage beautiful virgins to sacrifice themselves 
 on the funeral pile in the flames that consume the 
 bodies of boys to whom they were betrothed when 
 children, and whose lot it was to lose their hus- 
 bands before consummation ; yet the latter custom 
 prevails throughout India, and the former is prac- 
 tised by the lerajahs of the provinces of Kutch and 
 Kattywar. Let me add, that if you continue thus 
 curious, it w ill not be said hereafter of you 
 
 *' Coelum non aninium mutant qui trans mare currunt." 
 
 Horace, Epist. XI. Lib. 1. 
 
 Which the surgeon translated — <* The heaven, not 
 
 d3
 
 38 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the mind, of those changes who cross the sea." — 
 But some one corrected his error, in taking the 
 wrong nominative case, and said — "I would con- 
 strue it thus :'* 
 
 " Qui they who, currunt go, trans over, mare the 
 sea, mutant change, coelum their climate, non not, 
 animum their mind." 
 
 " Bravo, bravissimo!" exclaimed a student from 
 the college of Armagh. 
 
 " You will do well, my dear Sir," said a young 
 M.D. to an officer, who was complaining to him of 
 the state of his health, " to continue the aperient 
 plan, with the cooling medicines I have sent you, 
 until the indications of the regularity and healthy 
 action of the bowels appear. In short, the general 
 cause of the frequent aberration from health in this 
 climate seems to be the impediment offered to the 
 due assimilation of the food by the absorption of 
 the nascent principles of electricity in the circu- 
 lating fluids of the body ; and as these principles 
 are of an acid quality, those chemical agents which 
 can neutralize them, and at the same time impart a 
 vivifying stimulus to the system, are indubitably indi- 
 cated. Nitre being a compound of nitric acid and 
 potash, and nitric acid having an excess of oxygen 
 in its formation, these circumstances point it out 
 as an appropriate remedy. The aperient medicines 
 are recommended to remove accumulation, and 
 consequent congestion.'* 
 
 The cloth being removed, claret began to revel
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 39 
 
 in the exhilarated veins of all, while their ears were 
 regaled by the harmonious tones of a full band. 
 Spirit is excited by the well executed solo of the 
 flourishing trumpet, emotion awakened by the soft 
 round swell of the Kent bugles; and thrills of 
 pleasure touch each heart on hearing the magic 
 turns of the piercing clarionet and melodious flute, 
 blending their tender, spreading or softened warb- 
 lings with the deep relief of the duly attuned 
 horns, bassoons, and kettle drums. 
 
 Other senses were refreshed by the perfume of 
 bubbling hookahsy that from silken carpets gave 
 their odorous vapour, circling through silver snakes 
 to the pleased palate ; or by the gently rousing 
 application of the scented maccaba, that passed in 
 a superb box. 
 
 And it should not be forgotten, that an attentive 
 observer might have seen the worthy colonel com- 
 manding the corps, handing from off" his plate a 
 tart to the interesting orderly boy of the band, who 
 stood behind his chair ready to communicate the calls 
 for particular pieces to the master in an adjoining 
 tent, and slipping his pleasing gift to the youth, as 
 if unwilling that the affectionate benevolence with 
 which he treated every one under him should be 
 known. 
 
 Our aged King's health being drunk in silence ; 
 the Prince Regent's with noble animation ; the 
 Dake of York and the army's with three times 
 three j and the Duke of Clarence and the navy's 
 
 D 4
 
 40 FIFTEEN TEARS IN INDIiJ. 
 
 with a loud huzza and Rule Britannia, astonished 
 the crowds of gazing Hindoos, collected to see the 
 English, who shook their beards, and murmured their 
 thoughts to each other in deep re-echoed ejacula* 
 tions. — The president then called upon the major 
 for a song, and he gave — " Let the glass pass, 
 drink to the lass," with a *^je ne sais quoi^^'' that 
 made the table ring with *' Encore j'* after which, 
 " Auld lang syne" was sung by Dr. Robertson, 
 with pathos that spoke to the heart of the guests, 
 whose hands were linked around the table, while 
 a tear stole to the eye as memory recurred to the 
 scenes of boyhood. 
 
 The ghurries were now striking twelve, and the 
 shrill voices of the Sepoy sentries challenging "Who 
 com dere-e?" ** Rounds^" — "Vat ouns?'* *' Grand 
 rounds." — '' Vans one give cant line." — '• Ass an 
 ouns, all is velle-e-e ;" upon which the band was 
 sent to repose, and the prudent guests stole aw^ay to 
 enjoy refreshing sleep ; but some thirsty souls re- 
 mained enjoying their bottle and well-spiced devels, 
 till the generale beat at four o'clock. 
 
 It will be obvious to the reader, how many 
 things have been omitted in this brief sketch of a 
 military camp dinner in India. The curries^ palows, 
 and midlagataimies might have been described, and 
 the ingredients which compose those eastern dishes 
 specified, and more of the conversation might 
 have been given. But enough has been said to 
 demonstrate the importance of a mess to every 
 6
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 41 
 
 corps. A well regulated one preserves harmony, 
 polishes manners, and improves the understandings 
 of the officers. Where this bond of society brings 
 them every day familiarly together in friendly in- 
 tercourse, under necessary restrictions, no divisions 
 into parties take place. Like a well regulated 
 family, their habits become assimilated, and an 
 affection like that of brotherly love is necessarily 
 produced. 
 
 There are in every regiment some well educated 
 officers, who improve their early advantages to the 
 utmost J and there is hardly a question which can 
 arise on the subject of ancient or modern discove- 
 ries, but some one will be found capable of answer- 
 ing it. But it must also be acknowledged that 
 there are others who form a direct contrast ; and 
 in the fine corps in which Mr. True had the honour 
 of serving, this was the case ; so that at one part of 
 the table might be heard an animated discussion 
 respecting the spirit of Miltiades, or a difference of 
 opinion between Caesar and Pompey; while at 
 another, there was a description given of the Per- 
 sians pouring *' Tf^oliies" into the Russians ; and to 
 the question — " Pray what fish is that before you ?'* 
 this answer was returned, " Really I do not know j 
 I am not botanist enough for that."
 
 42 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 There, in Britannia's fertile verdant isle, 
 The cottage, garden, farm, and mansion smile. 
 No deadly serpent lurks beneath the rose ; 
 But whispering love may in the shade repose. 
 No dreary forests cover useful space — 
 A gallant peasantry supplies their place. 
 
 Every inhabitant of Great Britain should exult 
 in the security he enjoys in his own country, on 
 comparing it with other regions of the globe. Were 
 he to travel over the northern parts of India, and 
 see its population cooped up within walled cities ; 
 were he to see hordes of Pindarries, with plunder 
 in their van^ desolating the plains ; were he to look 
 upon the ruined villages and towns that every 
 where bring a tear to the eye of sensibility ; and 
 behold sometimes poor old men and women creep- 
 ing from the ruins, as from the graves of de- 
 parted happiness, near which they still lingered, 
 with what grateful feelings would he afterwards 
 view the smiling cottages that adorn the surface of 
 his native soil, where a good lock and window-bolt 
 are considered protection enough against those 
 men, everywhere to be found, who are wolves to 
 their fellow-creatures. 
 
 It must, however, be acknowledged that a dif- 
 ferent picture should, in truth, be given of other
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 43 
 
 parts of India. In Malabar, a country diversified 
 with beautiful hill and dale, and watered by crys- 
 tal streams flowing to the sea from the neighbouring 
 mountains ; in the Carnatic, in Mysore, in the 
 Koncan, and in every tract long under the con- 
 troul of Britain, walled towns and forts are for- 
 saken by the peaceful peasantry, whose cottages 
 begin to clothe vast plains, where desolation and 
 solitude reigned. The golden melon and pumpkin 
 may be seen in all the full blow of native luxuriance, 
 overspreading the roofs of their dwellings, sur- 
 rounded by groves of cocoa-nut trees, through 
 which the broad-leaved plaintain and climbing 
 pepper vine peep at every opening, and smiling 
 chubby children, and groups of laughing females, 
 may be viewed going down to the wells, with all 
 the simplicity of patriarchal days. 
 
 In establishing this security and happiness, 
 throughout so large a portion of Asia, which is 
 entirely owing to the impartial justice of our glo- 
 rious constitution, many acts of oppression, no 
 doubt, hidden from the research of man, were 
 committed ; for have ever armies traversed acountrv 
 with hostile banners, without producing deplorable 
 effects ; or have ever men been found, who were so 
 virtuous, that some of them in carrying plans into 
 execution which had for their object the good of 
 mankind, did not dishonour their cause by the 
 gratification of their own passions ? No man exists, 
 who is further from being the sycophant of power
 
 44 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 than he who now addresses the public : for it 
 is durably impressed upon his understanding, 
 that all governments should be watched, and 
 forced to observe the rules of equity, because 
 they are composed of men, and it is the nature 
 of man to encroach upon the rights of his fellow- 
 creatures. If therefore he ventures to praise the 
 constitution of England, it is from mature con- 
 viction that it is the best in the world, and that we 
 who live under it enjoy the greatest share of ra- 
 tional liberty, consistent with political security. 
 Therefore, in continuation of the poetical heading 
 of our chapters, we would exclaim — - 
 
 What ! If the public service of the state, 
 Draw largely from the purse of poor and great ; 
 For Britain's weal, to eternize her fame, 
 None should refuse his life that bears her name. 
 There lives no son of England's favoured land. 
 Who should not give his all with cheerful hand. 
 There breathes not one of Scotia's warlike race, 
 Or Erin's hardy offspring, but should face 
 Distress and poverty in every form, 
 To see the Albion triumph o'er the storm. 
 And sail superbly down time's ambient tide. 
 The Thistle and the Shamrock by her side. 
 
 But as this flight may be thought digressive from 
 Sketches of a Soldier's Life in India, a sudden 
 right about is made to the thread of our history. 
 
 Mr. True, having ascertained from Bob Gordon 
 the particulars of his life, which are consider- 
 ed foreign to our subject, acquainted him with
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 45 
 
 many circumstances in his own adventures in India, 
 which we would accordingly narrate verbatim, had 
 he not passed over some interesting matters, with the 
 modesty becoming a brave man ; it is therefore ne- 
 cessary to guard his honour, and an author's veracity, 
 by relating in the third person what it is thought 
 proper to make known respecting this gentleman. 
 
 It has already been indirectly intimated to the 
 reader, that he was of an ancient and most respect- 
 able family in the north of Ireland ; but early 
 misfortune blighted his hopes in Europe, and it 
 was with some difficulty he obtained an ensigncy 
 in a regiment in India. 
 
 No situation can be more lively and agreeable 
 than than that of a young officer on board an 
 Indiaman, during his passage out. Hope presents 
 to his youthful mind a bright picture. The captain 
 and officers of the ship are generally attentive and 
 gentlemanly, and a large party of ladies and 
 brother passengers sit down every day to excellent 
 cheer, and exhilarating wines, at the cuddy table, 
 while the evenings are spent in dancing on the 
 quarter deck, either to an organ or the ship's band. 
 At the same time, the lee-side is occupied by the 
 soldiers and their wives, whose unsophisticated steps 
 form a ludicrous contrast to the graceful movements 
 on the other quarter. Time flies, and his flight is un- 
 heeded amidst the diversions found in music, books, 
 drawing, backgammon, chess, and piquet. It is most 
 to be dreaded, in such a situation, that quarrels should
 
 46 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 arise, and disturb the harmony that ought to reign; 
 but fortunately on this occasion there were so many 
 old officers returning to their regiments, and such 
 proper discipline exercised by the senior, who 
 commanded the troops on board, that every aber- 
 ration from concord was checked, and the whole 
 kept in proper tune. Nothing was wanting but a 
 few pretty girls, to make out a quadrille, or a love 
 story; but it so happened that no Celia went to the 
 land of husbands at this time, and our young 
 adventurer therefore had no opportunity of losing 
 his heart. 
 
 The monotony of a long voyage is always great, 
 where there can be little but sea and sky to meet 
 the eye, and the screams of aquatic birds to recreate 
 the ear. Madeira, the peak ofTeneriffe, the chan- 
 nel of Mozambique, the Island of Joanna, and the 
 distant appearance of Ceylon, have been often de- 
 scribed, and it need only be said, that a fine view of 
 St. Thomas's Mount, near Fort St. George, was 
 gained without having witnessed any very important 
 OQCurrence ; and the clear blue cloudless sky of the 
 Coromandel coast shed its azure cheerfulness on 
 the mind of Ensign True, while he surveyed from 
 the poop those new objects which arose to his amused 
 sight ; for although he had read many descriptions 
 of Madras roads, and of landing at Fort St. George, 
 the reality as far exceeded what he had conceived, 
 as the grandeur of nature surpasses the finest 
 panorama executed by the ablest artist.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 47 
 
 Before a distinct view was obtained of the shining 
 white buildings of Madras, the bright sandy beach, 
 and tall palmira trees that beautify the shore, the 
 natives were beheld as if walking on the smooth 
 glass-like surface of the serene ocean, whose bosom 
 was only fanned by zephyrs that carried the ship 
 imperceptibly towards her destination. These chil- 
 dren of Neptune were known by the captain. Leav- 
 ing their catamarans (which are little more than a 
 log of wood and a paddle) fastened to the chains, 
 they climbed the side like monkeys, and accosted 
 him as an old acquaintance, but with such respect as 
 is paid to a God. Nearly naked, having only a cloth 
 round the loins, and a cap made of mat on the head, 
 their slight and agile forms, their jetty bodies shining 
 from being anointed with oil, and their intelligent 
 countenances, formed an interesting spectacle, 
 which was soon followed by groups of tall graceful 
 figures rustling on the deck in long white muslin 
 robes, and large gold ear-rings, looking more like 
 fine Irish women painted black than men who were 
 brought alongside by Mussoola boats, loaded also 
 with a variety of fruits and refreshments. These 
 boats are admirably calculated to meet the violence 
 of the surf on the Coromandel coast, which is so 
 great as to render it very dangerous to go on shore 
 in any other. The rowers watch the approach of 
 the first billow, and with great dexterity manage 
 their long oars so as to raise the stem of the boat to 
 receive the shock which dashes it forward to a great
 
 48 FIFEEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 distance, while with loud shouts they receive the 
 shower of foam and spray that follows them. 
 Having just time to recover, another wave, still 
 more mountainous, heaves the boat aloft and preci- 
 pitates it headlong, groaning and spouting the salt 
 fluid from its planks that bend like whalebone, for 
 they are sewed together with the fibres of the cocoa 
 nut, called coiTy the boats being flat-bottomed, with 
 high sides and no keels. Another surf sent Ensign 
 George True high and dry on the beach. 
 
 Assembled on the shore to see the troops and pas- 
 sengers land, there were crowds of spectators, whose 
 Asiatic costume and gesture imparted an indescrib- 
 able novelty to the scene, while the bustle and com- 
 petition among the natives for the advantages of 
 carrying the luggage to the Fort, their solicitations 
 to be employed as servants, the earnestness with which 
 they presented their characters, and the extraordi- 
 nary idiom of the English language through whose 
 medium they endeavoured to set forth their former 
 services, produced sucli busy confusion, that 
 Mr. True stood for some time lost in wonder. The 
 recruits for the regiments on the Madras establish- 
 ment, who were generally Irish lads, expressed their 
 astonishment in loud exclamations. 
 
 " Arrah, Pat, only look at the coaches wid the 
 black ladies, carried, by my salvation, on the backs 
 of naked human craturs. Och ! man alive, hear 
 the bells ! and how they grunt and keep the time 
 wid their legs and arms together. Fat would your
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 40 
 
 moder and sister Juddy, at Ballypoicen, say to see 
 dis, my jewel !" 
 
 What excited Paddy's surprize were tlie nume- 
 rous palankeens, conveying the native clerks from 
 the offices in the Fort to Black-town, for it was now 
 evening in the month of July. One of these hack- 
 ney conveyances soon after transported Mr. True 
 to the tavern, a staff-serjeant having taken charge 
 of the soldiers, and marched them off without delay 
 to the depot at Poonamallie. Next morning he 
 paid his respects to the authorities at Madras, and 
 was ordered also to the depot, to await an opportu- 
 nity of joining his corps on the Malabar coast. 
 This did not happen till the month of October, 
 during which time he made frequent visits to the 
 presidency, and saw much of the society at Madras. 
 The grandeur and pomp in which the governor, 
 commander in chief^ members of council, and prin- 
 cipal civilians lived, naturally surprized a youth new 
 to the luxury of the east ; but the sensations of 
 pleasure which these fascinations imparted, were 
 counterbalanced by the torment he endured from 
 the bites of musquitoes, and the distressing heat 
 of the climate. 
 
 Poonamallie is situated a march inland from 
 Fort St. George. To the different villages around 
 Mr. True often rode, being curious to witness the 
 idolatrous processions of the natives, and their vene_ 
 ration for the Brahminy Bull. At this season the 
 Carnatic presents a barren and parched level aspect 
 
 E
 
 50 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 to tlie beholder, except in the vicinity of towns, 
 where, by artificial irrigation, green spots are pro- 
 duced that smile with all the charms of vegetation, 
 and meet the pleased eye amidst the brown sandy 
 desert-like prospect. The buffalo is the animal in 
 general use for all purposes of husbandry. Herds 
 of these ferocious looking creatures w-ere roaming 
 over the plains. Frightened at the European cos- 
 tume, they would cock their ears and tails, raise 
 their backs and noses, gaze a little, and then turn 
 and run, shaking their slate coloured huge sides, 
 to the nearest tank or river, and plunge in the 
 water, just keeping their eyes, horns, and tailsabove 
 the gratefully cool fluid. 
 
 No rain fell till September, when showers were 
 frequent, and the monsoon began to threaten. It 
 generally sets in with violence in the latter part of 
 October, when the flag-staff of Fort St. George is 
 struck, and ships are directed not to approach the 
 roads for three months. During this period, while 
 the floods of heaven deluge the plains of the Carna- 
 tic, no rain falls on the coast of Malabar, but a fine 
 alternation of land and sea breezes prevails, for the 
 monsoon commences in the beginning of June, and 
 is over before it sets in on the Coromandel coast. 
 This strange phenomenon is occasioned by the 
 stupendous Ghauts whose height arrests the clouds 
 that convey fertility from the ocean, and produce 
 a peculiarity in a region where the climate is natu- 
 rally the same as to latitude.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 51 
 
 The earth, thus refreshed and renovated, yields 
 one good crop of rice in the year ; but where arti- 
 ficial moisture is procured, two harvests are reaped. 
 Water is raised for this beneficial purpose in an 
 ingenious way : on the bank of a well or river, 
 much below the level of the fields, an upright strong 
 post is erected, to the top of which a lev'er is fixed, 
 that moves on a central fulcrum. To one end of 
 the lever a rope is attached of such length as to drop, 
 with a leather bag tied to it, into the water when 
 the beam is depressed, but when raised the bag 
 strikes against an embankment, and empties the 
 contents into a channel which conveys it to ferti- 
 lize the neighbouring plantations. The man who 
 manages this machine runs up several steps cut 
 along the lever, till he places his foot above the 
 fulcrum, and turns it so that the bag flills into the 
 water and fills ; seeing which, and poising himself 
 with nice dexterity, he runs up the opposite way 
 till he comes to that part where his weight is suffi- 
 cient to raise the object of his labour. In this 
 manner he will continue running backwards and 
 forwards as quick as thought, raising at every turn 
 a considerable quantity of water, till a fine stream 
 flows to every part of his plantation. 
 
 Nothing can exceed the address and ingenuity 
 of the natives of the Carnatic. The Madras jug- 
 glers are the most expert in India, and rival those 
 of China in astonishing feats of art, swallowing 
 swords, vomiting fire, charming snakes, balancing 
 
 E 2
 
 52 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 weights, leaping and tumbling over sharp-pointed 
 weapons, so as to amaze every beholder. All the 
 inhabitants of the provinces under this presidency 
 enjoy perfect security in their property and persons, 
 and amidst their cocoa-nut and plantain groves 
 taste perhaps as much real happiness as falls to the 
 lot of man. Their virtues are industry, passive 
 obedience, and contentment ; but lasciviousness, 
 falsehood, and selfishness are prominent traits in 
 their character. All the peninsula of India from 
 the river Kisthna may be said to belong to the 
 government of Fort St. George ; for the only native 
 states which preserve the show of independence are 
 those of the Rajahs of Mysore, Travancore, and Co- 
 chin, who are in fact merely tenants of the East India 
 Company. The population of the presidency, ex- 
 clusive of the subjects belonging to the three princes 
 above mentioned, was estimated at twelve millions, 
 but it will be found now to exceed fifteen ; and if 
 the whole be taken together, the ma"ss would be 
 above twenty millions of souls. 
 
 This vast extent of territory is divided into 
 districts, over which the Company's civil servants 
 preside as judges, magistrates, collectors, and 
 assistants. Justice is administered according to 
 the Gentoo and Mahomedan law ; but there is 
 a supreme court at Fort St. George, consisting of 
 three judges, and a full establishment of barristers 
 and attorneys, whose jurisdiction is very consider- 
 able. The population is controlled by upwards of
 
 FIFTEEN' YEARS IN INDIA. 53 
 
 200 civilians, and an army of fifty thousand men, 
 the expences of wliose establishments exceeded 
 j^5,000,000, which was more than the revenue by 
 ^400,000 per annum, so that the government was 
 •upwards of ^9,000,000 in debt ; but this was 
 counterbalanced by a surplus revenue in Bengal, 
 and by the great improvement expected from the 
 peace and security then fully established through- 
 out the provinces subject to Madras. 
 
 The principal article of trade consists of piece 
 goods which are paid for in specie, and the exports 
 exceed the imports very considerably ; but as a com- 
 mercial establishment, this presidency is inferior to 
 Bombay, although second only to Bengal in poli- 
 tical consequence. That it is not subject to such 
 extremes of heat as our more northerly possessions 
 in India, will perhaps surprize the reader ; the 
 thermometer ranges at Madras during the whole 
 year from 70" to 91°, so that with the assistance of 
 piinkoes and tatties the houses are kept agreeably 
 cool even in the hottest day. Tiie European fa- 
 milies at Madras reside in garden houses, generally 
 of one story high, but whose pillars, virandas and 
 terraces might remind a beholder of the grandeur of 
 Grecian temples ; and the stucco made of shells 
 with which they are finished has the beautiful 
 polish of marble. The gardens, and the fine shady 
 roads about Madras, are extremely agreeable to a 
 new-comer : exercise is generally taken along these 
 fine avenues before breakfast, for the mornjiig is 
 
 e3
 
 54 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 delightful in India. The forenoon is spent in 
 paying and receiving visits, and in lounging with 
 the ladies. Tiffin is served up at one, after which 
 all idlers take a siesta, or spend the afternoon in 
 reading. In the evening the fashionables sport 
 their gay equipages on the mount road, and having 
 shewn themselves oft" around the cenotaph erected 
 to the memory of Lord Cornwallisj return to dinner, 
 after which a ball and supper, or perhaps theatri- 
 cals in the pantheon, by amateurs who aim solely 
 at pleasing the ladies, close the daily scene. 
 
 One of his Majesty's ships having to go round 
 to Bombay for repair, the opportunity was favour- 
 able for sending the recruits to the Malabar coast, 
 and accordingly Ensign True embarked in charge 
 of several detachments. The soldiers were distri- 
 buted among the sailors, and he was invited to join 
 the officers' mess, where he experienced an agree- 
 able and cordial reception. There were two other 
 passengers on board, a fine-looking old French 
 gentleman and his adopted daughter, whom the 
 captain very politely accommodated on their return 
 from Pondicherry to Mahe, a beautiful settlement 
 near Tellicherry. 
 
 The young lady was at first sea-sick, but she 
 made her appearance at divine service on Sunday, 
 when the quarter-deck was covered with a sail-cloth 
 awning, and the sides screened round with the 
 flags of the ship, for the comfortable reception of 
 all on board, to whom the captain read prayers and 
 
 7
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 65 
 
 one of Sterne's sermons. Mr.True entirely forgot 
 his devotional duty tiiat day, for his eye feasted by 
 stealth on the most bewitching object he had ever 
 seen. She was about twelve years of age, and had 
 all the pleasing roundness and fascinating bloom 
 of approaching maturity, which the female form 
 displays about that period in hot climates. Her 
 dress was a simple but tasteful white muslin robe ; 
 and the only ornament she wore was a half-blown 
 artificial rose, which the eye rested upon, but rather 
 to behold the beautiful virgin swell of the bosom 
 in which it was placed. Hei" auburn hair was 
 negligently but elegantly turned up with a comb, 
 and shining ringlets played in natural curls on her 
 temples of snow. Her face and figure were those 
 of one of the most beautiful daughters of Eve, with 
 soft but penetrating blue eyes, whose brightness 
 forced the gaze of admiration to withdraw, but 
 whose attraction quickly brought back the runaway. 
 Her features were exquisitely regular, but it was 
 the infantine sweetness playing upon them, com- 
 bined with an archness coming from the soul, that 
 gave the captivating expression to them, which the 
 young ensign could not resist. 
 
 Having to deliver stores at Trincomallie, the 
 ship lay-to in Back-bay under the flag-staff, from 
 which point the fort and ridge on which it stands 
 appear to advantage. Mr. True was sitting on the 
 side sketching the scene, and he had introduced 
 the castle of Osnaburgh in the distance, and shaded 
 
 ' E 1.
 
 .56 FIFTEEN YEARS iN INDL4. 
 
 the whole, when Monsieur Fortier, who was stand- 
 ing beliind looking ov^er his shoulder, exclaimed 
 — "Bravo, bravissimo! — Bene, bene,tresbien'* — 
 with a look of great complacency. — " It is very 
 well — permit me to look — strengthen here de 
 shade a little more, and the light dere will produce 
 one grand improvemong. Pardonnez moi, — I will 
 shew it to Nannette." So saying he skipped off, 
 calling in a shrill tone — " Ma chere Nannette,'* 
 and her sylph-like form came out of the round- 
 house to meet him. She admired the sketch, and 
 returned it with her own fair hand, and this slight 
 accident led to a closer acquaintance. Monsieur 
 Fortier said he would feel pleasure in hearing the 
 youth read part of Charles the Twelfth, for the 
 purpose of correcting his French pronunciation, 
 and Mademoiselle most graciously lent him 
 *' Elizabeth," with " Paul and Virginia." 
 
 One day he was leaning over the railing of the 
 poop, so that he looked into the open window of 
 Miss Nannette's cabin, at which she was sitting, 
 with drawings and books before her on a table, but 
 at that moment she was braiding up her beautiful 
 hair and looking in a dressing glass, seemingly with 
 great pleasure. He forgot himself, or never sus- 
 pected that she might understand Latin, for he 
 ejaculated with much feeling from the 5th ode of 
 Horace — 
 
 " Cui flavam rcligas comaiii, 
 " Simplex munditiis I'
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 57 
 
 '' Je ne sais pas," said she, in the sweetest tone of 
 playful dehght, and added with naivete, in a child- 
 ish half-ungry half-pleased way, — "Not for you to 
 be sure." 
 
 The youth was confounded, his face burned, and 
 he drooped his head and looked the picture of 
 woe. 
 
 " Oh ! I am not angry,'* said she j *' it was only a 
 little of my vanity. I w^anted to shew you that I 
 understand Latin." 
 
 He said something in a very low tone in reply, 
 and she leaned over the window the better to hear 
 it, seemingly unconscious that there was any dan- 
 ger in doing so, when, dreadful to relate, she fell 
 overboard ! 
 
 He shrieked, — and plunged after her. 
 
 It is a long way from the poop of a seventy- 
 four to the surface of the sea. He made a great 
 splash and sunk. When he recovered, he saw 
 Miss Nannette floating a little way from him^ seem- 
 ingly kept up by her muslin drapery, and just 
 caught her as she was sinking, and almost breathless 
 from the efibrt she had made to keep her head 
 above water. She twined her arms round his, 
 and would have taken him dow^n with her, but 
 he succeeded in keeping her and himself on the 
 surface. 
 
 ** For heaven's sake," said he, " do not clasp 
 me. You are quite safe, I can support you with
 
 58 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ease ; but if you cramp me, we shall be inevitably 
 lost." 
 
 She soon recovered her presence of mind, and 
 became heroically tranquil. "Oh! mon papa! 
 mon papa !" was all she said on letting go her hold ; 
 after which with his left hand he supported her 
 with the greatest ease. Upon looking round he 
 discovered the ship at no great distance, and saw she 
 was laid aback. Two life-buoys and some hen-coops 
 were floating a little w ay off that had been thrown 
 out to assist him, but he could not reach them, for 
 there was a strong current at this time on the 
 surface, running with the breeze into the gulph of 
 Menar, that carried them away past the vessel, 
 while a still stronger counter current beneath 
 urged the vessel forward against the breeze towards 
 him and the lovely nymph he supported, and at the 
 same time the flow in the opposite direction trans- 
 ported them towards the wished-for point. A boat 
 had been let down as quick as lightning from its 
 stays on the quarter, but the officer who had leaped 
 into it, in his hurry and anxiety, mistook one of the 
 hen-coops for his object, and rowed off with all 
 dispatch. The captain, who saw from the deck 
 the alarming mistake, almost burst his lungs before 
 he could rectify the error ; but the oars had now 
 to pull against the current, and made very little 
 way. And now the scientific captain saw with 
 pleasure, that the young ensign was an expert swim-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 59 
 
 mer, and that he supported his fair charge with 
 ease and skill. — " So, so," exclaimed he, from the 
 quarter chains, where lie stood managing with nice 
 art and success the ship, in order to intercept the 
 objects of his solicitude, and at the same time 
 cheered Monsieur Fortier with hope, who was 
 prevented, by. two officers, from jumping over- 
 board. 
 
 Mr. True was now within a few yards of the vessel. 
 He heard all tongues applauding his skill, and saw 
 the adventurous tars coming down the chains with 
 ropes tied round their middle and hanging over the 
 side, their hands extended to his assistance, when, 
 horrible to relate, the cry was heard — "A shark ! 
 a shark !" " Oh God ! the harpoon, boatswain," — 
 vociferated the captain. The men at the helm, 
 panic struck with the terror of all on board, forgot 
 their duty, and the ship hove on the swell away 
 from the youth and lovely girl. But two expe- 
 rienced officers seized the wheel. In the mean- 
 time True looked round, and the sweet creature he 
 supported exclaimed, " Mon Dieu ! mon Dieu !" 
 Hope sunk within his breast; for he saw the pilot 
 fish approaching him, smelling and feeling the way 
 before a large shark that followed timidly at a dis- 
 tance, whose monstrous length and bright green 
 colour illuminated the blue waves. 
 
 How does a brave but raw young soldier feel, 
 who for the first time marches up to storm a battery, 
 and sees the flashing cannon vomiting grape, which
 
 Co FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 mows his comrades down, while every moment he 
 is forced to close to the centre, for the purpose of 
 replacing a slaughtered friend ? His heart for a 
 moment faints, and his soul, loth to quit its tene- 
 ment of clay, looks to retreat for safety ; but in- 
 dignant honour cries louder than the thunder of 
 artillery •' Shame !" and he rushes on to death. So 
 did Ensign True feel in this awful moment of his 
 life. His hand trembled, and the water just covered 
 the pale lips of the beautiful Nannette when she 
 had exclaimed " Mon Dieu ! mon Dieu !'* Love 
 and glory forced the blood to rush again from his 
 heart ; he raised his struggling charge above 
 the surface once more, turned her from the 
 monster's course, and opposed himself to the dan- 
 ger, determined to thrust his right arm into the 
 throat of the shark, and, if possible, to pluck out 
 the heart of his foe. 
 
 The monster w^as just on the point of seizing his 
 prey — the harpoon fell short — its splash made him 
 turn; but having seen his object, he again darted 
 towards it. Just as his jaws opened to lacerate the 
 body of our young adventurer, Frank Stanley, one 
 of the soldiers on board, who was standing on the 
 hammocks, rose in the air, and with all his force 
 leaped on the shark armed with his bayonet, which 
 he strove to plunge in his body. A shout of admi- 
 ration, mixed with awe, burst from all observers. 
 The astonished monster, like lightning, cut his 
 way into the bowels of the deep. The boat arrived
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ()1 
 
 and Stanley was caught up by the sailors, who also 
 carried the ensign and Nannette, rising like Venus 
 from the foam of the ocean, on deck, where she was 
 embraced by her almost frenzied father, and her 
 deliverer fainted, from his long-continued straggle, 
 in the arms of the captain.
 
 62 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Wliile yet the ebbing flood that bears away 
 My friend, permits a pause of short delay ; 
 We stand at Champaul Ghaut's refreshing green. 
 And contemplate the grandeur of the scene. 
 Aurora's hand had spread the genial feast. 
 Of golden morning o'er the silver east ; 
 While crowds of Hindoos, at the dawn of day, 
 fVith Gunga's tears to lave their sins away. 
 Plunge in the Hoogly's deep majestic flow. 
 Whose curling waves move past sublimely slow. 
 A wood of lofty masts, Britannia's pride, 
 From ships well moor'd along Calcutta's side, 
 Extends to where Fort William's flag unfurl'd, 
 Proclaims our glory to the eastern world. 
 Far spreading thence the city's rich display. 
 O'er which appears the splendid car of day, 
 Of lofty structures, pleased we thus behold. 
 Like orient pearls that glow in burnished gold. 
 
 Artificial descents to rivers, wharfs, quays, and 
 landing places, are called Ghauts in India. Many 
 of these, on the banks of the sacred Hindoo streams', 
 have magnificent flights of stone steps, leading 
 from pagodas, whose structure, antiquity, and 
 grandeur surprize every beholder. They are dis- 
 tinguished by the appellatives of gods and god- 
 desses, as " Kallighaut," or, " Champaul Ghaut," 
 the latter of which is an insignificant one, but it is 
 the place where Europeans generally land, on ar- 
 riving in Calcutta, and embark, on leaving it for
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 63 
 
 their native soil. Thence along the left bank of 
 the Hoogly, there is a fine promenade to Fort 
 WiUiam, whose spreading trees, planted on each 
 side, lend a refreshing shade, through which cool 
 breezes from the broad bosom of the river wing 
 their course over the esplanade, to meet the attrac- 
 tion of the heated atmosphere of the city. From 
 this point of view Calcutta appears to great advan- 
 tage, for the panorama embraces the river Hoogly 
 and shipping, the buildings and docks on the right 
 bank, the magnificent structures of the Government 
 House, Town-hall, Supreme Court, Fort William, 
 Kiddeipore School, theTlicatre, and the fine range of 
 palaces along the Chouringheesidc of the esplanade, 
 together with the row at right angles, extending to 
 the river, through which the monuments, mosques, 
 pagodas, and churches of the city have a beautiful 
 efll^ect. 
 
 The aspect of morning is sweet and refreshing in 
 the east. Night's damp shades having restored ob- 
 jects to an agreeable temperature, the eye rests and 
 recreates upon tliem, in that short period during 
 which they can be seen to advantage, as they lose 
 the power of gladdening sight in the glare that 
 OA'Crspreads them soon after sun-rise. Crowds of 
 Hindoos approach the river during this delightful 
 space, to bathe and pray. Tiiey bring with them 
 small images representing some of their thirty 
 thousand millions of gods, and such as have 
 none, make little idols of the mud of the Ganges,
 
 64 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 which they set upon the bank and adore. The 
 men and women go down into the water together, 
 dressed as they come to the river, except that many 
 of the former, who w^ear turbans, long gowns, and 
 sHppers, leave these articles aside, and bathe in 
 their trowsers alone. On coming out they wring 
 their wet garments, which dry in going home ; and 
 the women often strip in the river, wash their 
 apparel, and dress there again ; for the female 
 dress is generally composed of one long piece of 
 cloth, the end of which is rolled several times 
 round the waist, whence it flows in graceful folds 
 down to the ancle ; the other end is drawn taste- 
 fully round their breasts, so as to cover the back 
 also, and serve as a veil, flowing over their black 
 hair, braided up in a knot behind, when they meet 
 Europeans, on which occasions they often turn 
 their backs, and stand till the strangers pass. 
 They wear rings in their noses and ears, and on 
 their fingers and toes, with ornaments encircling on 
 their wrists, arms, and legs, of gold, silver, brass, 
 ivory, glass, bone or horn, according to their cir- 
 cumstances. They have bright dark eyes, the glances 
 of which they strive to increase, by painting their 
 eye-lashes jet black, which colour is also thought 
 beautiful for the teeth. Their forms are graceful, 
 and of commanding deportment, from the erect and 
 majestic step common among the females of Hin- 
 dostan. The inhabitants of Bengal, like those of 
 other flat and rich marshy countries, arc of portly
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 0.5 
 
 Stature, and have those large joints, prominent 
 bones, swelling muscles, and rough and elastic 
 integuments, which have been called fine properties 
 for a soldier. Their cast of countenance, with the 
 exception of colour, is the same as our own, except 
 that there is no variety in the eyes and hair, w^hich 
 are very nearly of the same colour every where 
 in India, although the complexion varies from the 
 deepest shade of black to a soft pale tint, which in 
 some of the northern females might be termed fair. 
 The aspect is penetrating and bold, and the move- 
 ment powerful and vigorous. Bengal Sepoys are 
 the linest looking in the Company's service, nearly 
 all grenadiers, and individually very brave ; but 
 like other large men, they are not so hardy, nor do 
 they stand change of climate so well as the natives 
 of Madras and Bombay. 
 
 If the reader, not acquainted with Hindoo my- 
 thology, was startled by the mention of thirty thou- 
 sand millions of objects of adoration among the 
 Hindoos, it ought to be explained, that this is the 
 number of gods mentioned as composing the four- 
 teen heavens. But it appears that not one in a 
 hundred of even tolerably well informed natives, 
 have any correct notion of the nature of their 
 religion. The peasantry are actually in a state of 
 the grossest ignorance, and kept so by the Brah- 
 mins. Sometimes they ofter adoration at the tomb 
 of an European of rank, who had become popular 
 for acts of generosity and grandeur of soul. A 
 
 F
 
 G() FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 crowd of them has been seen by the author, at 
 Seroor, making their offerings, paying their devo- 
 tions, and invoking the shade of Colonel Wallace, 
 to cure some disease, or avert some calamity, with 
 candles burning round the monument erected to 
 liis memory, and a priestess performing his rites, 
 and deriving a livelihood from the presents brought 
 to obtain her intercession. Colonel Wallace, who 
 distinguished himself on many occasions, com- 
 manded the Poonah subsidiary force, and died at 
 the cantonment of Seroor. He was a fine, vene- 
 rable looking soldier, and made this strange im- 
 pression on the affections of the credulous natives, 
 who firmly believe that he is still their patron 
 and friend. 
 
 The Bore, an extraordinary swell during spring 
 tides, which agitates the Hoogly, has rendered it 
 necessary to lay down moorings before Calcutta. 
 This phenomenon is not peculiar to the Ganges ; 
 it is felt in several other rivers, and is occasioned, 
 no doubt, by the great body of water during the 
 springs that rushes up their channels, and drives 
 back the mass flowing to the sea, with an impetuosity 
 proportioned to the resistance opposed by projections 
 or straits in the course of the returning fluid. The 
 navigable bed of the Hoogly is in some places very 
 narrow, and often nearly choked up with shifting 
 sand banks, so that the tide finding in some parts 
 of its course ample space, and in others having to 
 force its own way, its violent effects may be easily
 
 1-IFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 67 
 
 conceived. It ruslies past Calcutta with astonishing 
 fury, and what is curious, sometimes takes one 
 side of the river and then another, but nev^er visits 
 its broad bosom. That side up which it rushes is 
 raised to a frightful height, and the appearance is 
 that of a monstrous billow of the ocean in a storm, 
 or the dash of a foaming surf. Boats have been 
 swallowed up 'by the Bore, and all in them lost. 
 The dandies on the Hoogly, therefore, feel great 
 terror at the idea of being caught, and take care 
 to get out of the way in due time, which they know 
 so well that immediately before its approacli, all is 
 uproar and seeming confusion. Hundreds of boats 
 are seen rowing as for life and death towards the 
 middle of the river, the crews of which urge each 
 other on with shouts and wild shrieks, and seem to 
 delight in the general exertion to surprize the be- 
 holders with noise and precipitancy, though at the 
 moment no danger appears ; but soon afterwards the 
 spectator is sensible how necessary it was to take 
 precaution, by seeing the Bore foam past with fear- 
 ful velocity. 
 
 Fort William is superior to any other fortress in 
 India. It is constructed on the most scientific 
 principles of military architecture, and fortified in 
 a manner which, with a British garrison, would bid 
 defiance to all the powers of the East. Its founda- 
 tion was laid soon after the Battle of Plassy in 1758, 
 the old fort of Calcutta having been found unfit to 
 sustain a siege. The barracks in it are superb j and 
 
 f2
 
 68 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the remarkable state of cleanliness in which its 
 shady walks and fine parades are kept, together with 
 the attraction of a military band, which plays al- 
 most every evening for public entertainment, draws 
 all the fashion of the city to promenade wuthin hear- 
 ing, and causes it to be a continual scene of gaiety, 
 except during the monsoon. In this fortress the 
 Honourable Company have an excellent arsenal, 
 and a gun foundery, with a large establishment for 
 the preparation of the material of an army. 
 
 But to a contemplative mind the most curious 
 object within the walls of Fort WilHam at this time 
 was Vizier Ally, once Nabob of Oude, who w^as con- 
 fined in a room made to resemble an iron cage, for 
 the murder of Mr. Cherry, where he lingered out 
 seventeen years of his life, and died at the age of 
 thirty-six. (Vide the Gentleman's Magazine for 
 June 1818, page 84.) At the time he was seen by 
 the author, in 1814, he was an emaciated wretched 
 looking being, the vicissitudes of whose career are 
 pregnant with interest and instruction. 
 
 The city of Calcutta now extends from Kidder- 
 pore to Cossipore, a distance of about six miles along 
 the banks of the river Hoogly ; and if the reader 
 trace in imagination a half moon from that base line, 
 about two miles in breadth, lie will have a pretty 
 accurate idea of its surface. About one hundred 
 and ten years ago, nothing was to be seen on the 
 space where a magnificent city and fortress now 
 stand, but a few Indian hut?, called the village of
 
 FIFTEEN VEAUS IN INDIA. 69 
 
 Govindpore. As the human mind may be advanced 
 to wonderful maturity at an early age, by being ex- 
 panded under the influence of skilful masters of 
 education, so this city, pushed forward by the able 
 political architects that superintended its progress, 
 has all the majesty of age with the vigorous flow of 
 youth yet in full circulation. 
 
 Dr. Boughton, at a time when the Company's 
 affairs were at a low ebb, and the factory on the 
 Hoogly in its infancy, was so fortunate as to cure 
 the daughter of the Emperor Shah Jehaun of a dan- 
 gerous illness. This obtained for him much in- 
 fluence at court, and paved the way to advantages 
 in trade for his employers that contributed essen- 
 tially to their success. 
 
 In this way rose the city of Calcutta, which is now 
 the metropolis of a mighty empire, co-extensive 
 with that of" the Great Mogul. It was sur- 
 rounded by a mound of earth, called the Mahratta 
 ditch, raised by the early settlers, when those ma- 
 rauders were plundering the province of Bengal. 
 The Marquis of Wellesley had this ditch levelled, 
 and on what was the fosse there is now a fine circu- 
 lar road, from one extent of the river-front of the 
 city, to the other. The prospect around is a vast 
 plain, unbounded by a single hill, whose soil is rich 
 and exceedingly fertile. No stones are to be found 
 near the city, therefore the houses are composed of 
 brick, and the marble and free stone of the public 
 buildings were brought from a distance. Chouring- 
 
 F O
 
 70 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 hee, Park Street, Durrumtollah, the Jaun Bazar 
 and Esplanade, now form the European part of the 
 town. On passing along these fine streets, the mix- 
 ture of native huts with houses of the most noble 
 appearance, like Grecian temples, spoils the effect, 
 though, when at a distance, the detached state of 
 the houses, giving them the character of palaces, 
 insulated in a great space, is an advantage, and 
 strikes the beholder with greater admiration. It 
 would not be easy to describe the grandeur of the 
 line of buildings that surround two sides of the Es- 
 planade of Fort William, situated about a mile from 
 the city ; to which there is a fine broad road called 
 the Course, watered every day, that it may be in an 
 agreeable state for the society to exercise in their 
 carriages, buggies, tandems, and palankeens, as soon 
 as the declining sun permits such recreation. To 
 pourtray the edifices of interest would be dry and 
 tedious. Besides those before mentioned, the 
 churches and chapels, and the college and museum 
 deserve notice, with the numerous beautiful garden 
 houses that ornament that part of the suburbs below 
 Kidderpore, called Garden Reach, to the extent 
 of more than five miles. 
 
 In this country, unless the reader reflects how 
 grateful it is in hot climates to have large and airy 
 rooms, remote from the glare or intrusion of the 
 sun, and also how easy it is with plenty of funds to 
 raise large structures, he will be unable to conceive 
 the magnificence and extent of these dwellings, on
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IX INDIA. 7 J 
 
 some of wliicli vast sums have been expended. No- 
 thing can, therefore, be imagined finer than the ap- 
 proach to Calcutta. These houses rise upon the sight, 
 like so many scenes of enchantment, one after the 
 other ; the vessel or boat glides on and sometimes 
 touches the constantly verdant bank of the river, 
 till Fort William, the numerous ships lying off 
 Calcutta, and the seemingly interminable extent of 
 the city, beautified with groves of evergreens, com- 
 plete a climax, that to be properly felt must be 
 seen. The city is upwards of an hundred miles dis- 
 tant from the Sand Heads, in a direct line, and the 
 approach is much longer by the windings of the river. 
 Very large sJiips seldom go up to Calcutta, but 
 discharge and take in cargo at Kedgeree, Saugur, or 
 Diamond Harbour, poor places and the only ones 
 worthy of notice below Fultah Farm,where there is an 
 inn for the accommodation of passengers. Here the 
 grandeur of the city begins to appear ; next the 
 Company's botanic gardens please the eye, and then 
 all is delightful till the stranger lands at Cham- 
 paul Ghaut, and perhaps encounters a cloud of dust, 
 which assures one of his senses that he has not 
 landed on the Elysian Fields. 
 
 The river Hoogly is so dangerous, that the pilot 
 service is very extensive. The Company have ten 
 vessels, fast-sailing schooners, each commanded by 
 a Branch, with masters, mates, and assistants, all 
 Europeans, who cruize in turn off the Sand Heads, 
 and conduct ships u)) the river. 
 
 F i'
 
 72 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 About seventeen miles above Calcutta are the 
 Governor GeneraPs country seat, park, and gar- 
 dens, situated at Barrackpore, which is a military 
 station, with a remarkably beautiful cantonment 
 for two regiments of Sepoys. The officers have 
 erected a very neat theatre, and often invite their 
 friends from town to witness amateur performances 
 of a very respectable and interesting description. 
 Thither there is a fine road from the city j and in 
 the governor's park there is a collection of the 
 curious birds and quadrupeds of the East, which 
 attracts the visits of strangers. Just opposite to it, 
 on the other side of the Hoogly, is seated Seram- 
 pore, a Danish settlement, where the Anabaptist 
 mission has established a school, and a press for 
 printing the Scriptures in the native languages. 
 The French settlement of Chandernagore lies about 
 twenty miles higher on the western bank also, and 
 not far from it is the Dutch factory of Chinserah ; 
 and to these agreeable places of recreation parties 
 of pleasure are often formed from Calcutta. 
 
 The police department in and around the city is 
 finely conducted. It has a corps of natives called 
 runners. These men are armed with cutlasses 
 and round targets ; and guard-houses are erected 
 at convenient distances for their accommodation, 
 where they are ready at all hours to run to that 
 point whence a call is heard for their assistance. 
 In consequence of this efficient police, and the 
 opinion vulgarly entertained that the magistrate at
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 73 
 
 the head of it is a magician, who can discover all 
 stolen property, robbery and theft are seldom at- 
 tempted by the natives ; and the misconduct of 
 European sailors and soldiers, nearly all addicted 
 in such a hot climate to intemperance, is restrained. 
 Such as have witnessed the fun of sailors on getting 
 ashore after a long voyage, will easily conceive their 
 excesses. But in India they are excited to the 
 utmost display of folly, by the desire which many 
 Europeans have of 5^^/72^ 0^ in great style before 
 crowds of wondering Hindoos. 
 
 Europeans in Calcutta, exclusive of the civil and 
 military servants of government, are clergymen, 
 merchants, some members of the medical profes- 
 sion, shopkeepers, schoolmasters, tradesmen, and 
 speculators, who come out under free mariner's in- 
 dentures. The government shews a decided dis- 
 like to colonization ; and permission to remain, in 
 all cases, is refused to adventurers without authority 
 from the Court of Directors ; some who resisted 
 an order to depart, have been forced on board a 
 ship by the bayonets of a military escort. Though 
 the government has the power of sending any Eu- 
 ropean home, yet that arbitrary act has been com- 
 mitted only in a few very glaring instances, where 
 individuals of restless ambition attempted to dis- 
 turb the peace of the country ; for it would be 
 monstrous injustice first to permit a man to estab- 
 lish himself, and afterwards to arrest the course of 
 his industry. There is, however, an European and
 
 74f FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 half cast public in Calcutta that crowds two large 
 protestant churches, a Presbyterian meeting-house, 
 a large Anabaptist chapel, and three extensive 
 Portuguese churches. With respect to the exact 
 number, however, nothing like accuracy can be 
 assumed, since no census has been taken ; but in 
 Hamilton's East India Gazette authorities are 
 quoted upon which may be placed perfect depen- 
 dence. In 1802, the police magistrates estimated 
 the population of Calcutta at 600,000, and calcu- 
 lated that within a circle of twenty miles there 
 were 2,2^i5,000 souls. Sir Henry Russel, the chief 
 justice, a few years ago, estimated the inhabitants 
 of the city and its environs at one million ; and Ge- 
 neral Kyd calculated the population of the town 
 alone, at between 4 and 500,000. Tliere are up- 
 wards of 78,7^0 houses belonging to individuals, viz. 
 to British subjects 4,300, Armenians 640, Portuguese 
 and other Christians 2,650, Hindoos 56,460, Ma- 
 homedans 17j700» and Chinese 10. 
 
 As to the native part of Calcutta, it is, like most 
 other Indian towns, composed of narrow crooked 
 streets, and houses some of brick and others of 
 reeds, bamboos, wood, and mud, covered with 
 tiles, or thatched with the leaves of the cocoa- 
 nut tree ; but the palaces or dwellings of many 
 of the native rajahs and great men of large for- 
 tune are an exception. Some of the streets too, 
 such as Rada Bazar and the Cossipore road, are 
 tolerable; and the new and old China bazars
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 75 
 
 present a fine display of Asiatic and European 
 splendour. 
 
 The variety of costume and contrast of appearance 
 to be seen in the streets are worthy of notice. Many 
 a young Bond-street dandy struts with inconceivable 
 self satisfaction ; and youthful British, Portuguese, 
 and French half cast, with tawny face, and neck stif- 
 fened almost to suffocation, jumps from the sublime 
 to the ridiculous in attempts at imitation. A stran- 
 ger's eye would next perhaps rest upon a Capuchin 
 friar, with the beard and costume of the 14th cen- 
 tury ; and soon remove to a British missionary, who, 
 in deepest black and countenance of longest sorrow, 
 musing on the state of man, marches against a grave 
 Turk, who jostles a Persian, who discomposes a 
 Seik, who insults an Arabian, who electrifies a 
 Chinese, who contaminates a Hindoo, who upsets 
 a dancing-master, and terrifies an Armenian. He 
 would see the military stafij bucks with waving 
 feathers and gorgeous agulettes, shading their fair 
 country-women with silken chattalis from the glare 
 of the sun, while handing them from some grand 
 long room or attractive bazar to their carriage, 
 chariot, phaeton, barouche, sociable, or palankeen ; 
 and he would try to have a peep into the covered 
 hackeries or native carriages of the opulent Hin- 
 doos, drawn by bullocks richly caparisoned with 
 silk, and jingling bells of silver, in which their wives 
 are concealed from the eye of man when they visit 
 their female friends. And what would he say in
 
 76 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA* 
 
 another part of the town, upon seeing a dozen of 
 almost naked runners dashing down the street with 
 drawn sabres and upraised targets to separate a 
 group of British tars, fighting for no other purpose 
 than to show the Hindoos the courage and blood of 
 England? — But to resume our thread of narrative. 
 Frank Stanley, who at the imminent peril of his 
 ow n life endeavoured so nobly to save that of his 
 officer, was a promising youth of handsome exterior, 
 with an air and address much above his humble 
 station, to whom EnsignTrue had paid some of those 
 little attentions during their passage from England, 
 that win the human heart. He was a reduced 
 branch of a very respectable house, and patronized 
 by his relation Squire Worthy, whose niece, a 
 beautiful young lady, was heiress to his large estate. 
 The old gentleman took Frank from his mother to 
 his own home, and seemed to feel much pleasure 
 in the improvement of his mind ; for he employed 
 him to read aloud the battles of Marlborough and 
 Prince Eugene, in which he greatly delighted. His 
 old lady herself used to come into the library and 
 sit with her netting for hours, hearing him. Miss 
 Sarah Oliver would also lend an attentive ear, and 
 her aunt at length conceived that she discovered 
 in her pale cheek, love lurking for the handsome 
 stripling, in whom she saw no merit because he was 
 poor. Their reading and family intercourse was 
 soon at an end ; but Frank had imbibed not only 
 the glances of Sarah's dark blue eyes, but the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 77 
 
 romantic notions of a soklier of fortune. He em- 
 barked in iiis arduous profession in the hope that 
 he would reap laurels worthy of being laid at the 
 feet of the girl his soul adored, and sailed for India 
 full of high expectation. Among one hundred and 
 twenty recruits, with whom he crossed that wide 
 expanse of ocean which separates Europe from 
 Hindostan, he found only one in whose society he 
 felt the sympathy of congeniality. Kindred souls 
 soon assimilate, and in the person of diaries 
 Thoughtless, Frank Stanley realized the visions 
 that youthful imagination had formed of friend- 
 ship. 
 
 The infant years of Charles Thoughtless were 
 passed in Dublin, the place of his birth, with every 
 promise that his opening prospect would be delight- 
 ful. But a change came over the scene. His mo- 
 tlier died, and his father, a gentleman belonging to 
 one of the learned professions, became unfortunate 
 in his pursuits. When about five years old, Charles 
 was removed to the country, and placed with his 
 grandmother, then in slender circumstances, being 
 much reduced by the extravagance of sons, to whom 
 she had given a high education ; but who, like many 
 other young men, were not contented with such 
 means as she could afford. His preparation for life 
 received its finish at the school of Maghernahaly, 
 in county Armagh, where the Dominie amused his 
 pupils by performing the battle of Aughram. 
 One of the mistresses' quilts was converted into a
 
 78 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 curtain for the stage ; sheets and shawls were the 
 scenery, and a bhnd fiddler filled the orchestra. 
 The master acted the ghost, and Thoughtless 
 strutted in the character of Sarsfield. But to be 
 brief with matter not much in point, he became 
 enamoured of the glorious profession of arms, and 
 having neither interest nor friends to enter the 
 army as an officer, he determined to hew a way for 
 himself" to distinction through the ranks, for he was 
 left to manage his own affairs, his father having 
 crossed the Atlantic in search of fortune in the new 
 world. 
 
 These young adventurers, with the other recruits, 
 upon coming ashore at Madras, were marched off, 
 as has been mentioned, to the depot at Poonamallie, 
 having received two drams of arrack and some bis- 
 cuit to support them on the way. The first river 
 they crossed, they all plunged into it like ducks, to 
 gratify their longing desire for water, which they 
 thought, in consequence of being so long on a short 
 allowance, the most precious gift of providence. 
 To avoid the heat of the day, they had marched 
 from Choultry plain a little before sun-set, for tra- 
 velUng by night is delightful in India. About 
 twelve o'clock they arrived at the depot, and slept 
 for the remainder of the night on the parade, with 
 their knapsacks for pillows, it being covered with 
 soldiers who had brought their mats out to lie in 
 the open air, rather than be bitten to madness by 
 musquitoes in the barracks. But next morning 
 3
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 79 
 
 they found that the white ants had attacked their 
 knapsacks, and, mirahile clictii, had eaten a diction- 
 aiy belonging to Stanley, and Brookes*s Gazetteer, 
 the property of Thoughtless. Their time passed 
 not unpleasantly, however, at the depot, for serjeant- 
 major Luttrell, a most excellent and worthy man, 
 paid them many marks of attention. But they had 
 dangerous duty to perform in the fort, over three 
 hundred French prisoners ; two of whom were 
 shot in an attempt to escape, after having killed 
 the sentinel on the ramparts. These gallant fellows 
 had been taken on board privateers belonging to 
 the Mauritius ; and from them, Charles and Frank 
 picked up a smattering of the French language.
 
 80 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 The monument we here behold with pain. 
 Is there a heart can from a sigh refrain ? 
 Whose sculptured base commemorates the time, 
 When the brave Holwell suffered in this clime. 
 With seven score men it was his wretched fate. 
 In the black hole a Soubah's sleep to wait ; 
 Though dying Britons strew'd the reeking ground, 
 And many a hero gasped for breath around. 
 The slavish guards, O horrible ! avow^ 
 None dares to chase sweet slumber from his brow ! 
 
 When the black hole was pointed out to the 
 author, it was almost full of coals ; but he viewed 
 it with strong emotions, and rejoiced that millions 
 of people, who have now the watchful eye of our 
 mild laws, guarding their rights as men, were res- 
 cued from the tyranny of masters who could strike 
 such terror into their subjects, as to prevent pity 
 from driving away slumber, on hearing the dying 
 shrieks of 146 human beings ! And when any man 
 reflects upon the simple order of a Soubah, having 
 the power to trample him under elephants' feet, 
 to throw him to tigers or lions, to hang him up in 
 an iron cage to waste away by slow degrees, or to 
 have his life pinched out of him by exquisite and 
 indescribable tortures, he will set the right value 
 upon trial by jury, and freedom from tyranny.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. SI 
 
 The monument wliich commemorates the cap- 
 ture of Calcutta in I756, by Surajah Dowlah, is 
 hastening fast to decay, having been shattered by 
 Hghtning. Being an obehsk of considerable alti- 
 tude, it is one of the conspicuous objects upon 
 which a stranger's eye rests, among the numerous 
 spires, temples, and minarets of the city, which giv^e 
 a pleasing and magnificent variety to the prospect 
 from the river. This noble sheet of water is full a 
 mile wide before the town, and every day ships 
 are seen in full sail on its bosom ; for seven hundred 
 vessels take their departure annually from the 
 Hoogly, with upwards of 150,000 tons of merchan- 
 dize ; and some idea may be entertained by the 
 reader of the busy scene, when he reflects that the 
 trade of Calcutta averages from thirteen to fourteen 
 millions sterhng per annum, and that upwards of 
 300,000 boatmen are employed on the Ganges, in 
 conveying the productions of the upper provinces 
 to the presidency, and circulating the commerce 
 of Europe through the East. Formerly, no trade 
 yielded a more certain profit to the speculator ihan 
 the latter, and three voyages were usually con- 
 sidered as ensuring a fortune to the captain of an 
 Indiaman. But since the opening of the i'vee trade, 
 the markets have been glutted, and in many in- 
 stances adventurers were unable to realize prime 
 cost. The imports of Calcutta average from two 
 to three millions, and the exports from four to five 
 annually, and the treasure imported amounts to 
 
 G
 
 82 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 six or seven millions a year. With the inland 
 trade, which averages five millions per annum, the 
 government reap a revenue from the commerce 
 of Calcutta, of ^108,000. The whole revenue of 
 the Bengal Presidency is very nearly ten milhons 
 sterling, and the annual charges about eight, with 
 a debt of twenty millions, against which there are 
 assets to a far greater amount, for the dead stock 
 belonging to the Honourable Company in India is 
 enormous. There are about four hundred civilians 
 on this establishment, who receive salaries of from 
 five hundred to four thousand pounds a year. The 
 Bengal army is about sixty thousand strong, and is 
 organized and inspirited by sixteen hundred Euro- 
 pean officers ; and, besides the settlers in Calcutta, 
 there are upwards of two thousand British subjects 
 residing in the interior of this province, as indigo 
 planters, shop-keepers, and speculators. 
 
 Much might be said respecting the fertility of 
 Bengal, and especially of the district in the vici- 
 nity of Calcutta. The latter is, in short, a perfect 
 garden, and the former the most productive pro- 
 vince in the world, yielding not only rice and 
 wheat in abundance, but valuable crops of indigo, 
 cotton, tobacco, sugar, and opium, with silk,^ 
 saltpetre, and a variety of other valuable produc- 
 tions. There have been various calculations with 
 respect to the population of Bengal, Behar, and 
 Benares, which have been ascertained to give 
 162,000 square miles, and about 30,000,000 of souls, 
 
 6
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 83 
 
 But, owing to the extensive deserts and forests, and 
 to the inundations of the Ganges, there is not an 
 acre of arable land for each person. 
 
 In a garden house, near Calcutta, the sons of 
 Tippo Sultan reside, with as much freedom as is 
 consistent with the security of their persons. The 
 reader will recollect that they were removed to 
 Bengal soon after the massacre at Vellore, and the 
 eldest has since put a period to his own existence. 
 Although tliere is a faithful account of the tragedy 
 at Vellore before the public, yet I am sure the 
 reader will be pleased to learn further particulars 
 from a letter to a friend,- written by Mrs. Fancourt, 
 whose husband was commandant of the garrison. 
 
 This unfortunate lady commenced her account, 
 by describing the happy and tranquil evening she 
 and the colonel had spent, amused with the Hin- 
 dostannee prattle of their little daughter, a child 
 about four years old. They had retired to repose 
 at a late hour, and some time after were alarmed 
 by hearing a continued firing in the direction 
 of the barracks. Colonel Fancourt started up, 
 and opened the Venetians round the bed-chamber, 
 but all was quiet near the house, though the 
 noise of a distant struggle was loud. The long 
 roll beat at the main guard, and a quick firing 
 continued there. The colonel, leaving his lady 
 greatly alarmed, went out to ascertain the cause of 
 the uproar. Soon after, Mrs. Fancourt lieard the 
 firing much nearer, and the doors of her house were 
 
 G 2
 
 84 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 burst open. She rushed down the back stairs with 
 her child in her arms, and jostled against a man in 
 the dark passsage. " My God !" said she, " who 
 are you ?" — " Do not be alarmed, madam," replied 
 the unknown, " I am an officer.'* — " And, good 
 heavens!" continued the lady, " what is the mat- 
 ter ?" — " The Sepoys have risen on us, and are 
 murdering every one. Fly, madam, and save your- 
 self, if possible ;" and he burst open the back door, 
 through which the lady escaped unobserved ; but at 
 the same moment he fell himself under the bayonets 
 of the Sepoys, who had now made their way through 
 the house. Mrs. Fancourt concealed herself behind 
 a mat in a poultry shed in the compound, the roof of 
 which was broken, and the door almost eaten away 
 by white ants, where she endeavoured to soothe 
 her little girl, who clung to her breast in a state of 
 terror. The firing had ceased, and she now saw 
 the Sepoys carrying her plate and property away 
 tied up in sheets. 
 
 Next morning the scorching beams of the sun fell 
 on her through the broken roof, and her little girl 
 began to cry aloud from hunger and from thirst, 
 with which she was herself extremely faint. Soon 
 after a Sepoy, placed as a sentry over the house, 
 heard the child, and discovered her. Struck with 
 pity, he covered the roof of the shed with mats, 
 and brought her a loaf and some milk. Towards 
 evening she heard the approach of cavalry, and 
 soon after the galloppers of the 22d dragoons
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 85 
 
 from Arcot burst open the gate of the fort. Then 
 followed the clashing of sabres, the trampling of 
 horses, the shout of victory, tlie groans of dying 
 men ; and she was handed from her concealment by 
 the commanding officer of that gallant regiment, 
 who carried her child in his arms into the house. 
 To her anxious inquiry for her husband, she was 
 answered, that he was wounded severely ; but there 
 was hope. '-Oh ! take me to him," said the lady, 
 and she was conducted to another room, MJiere, al- 
 most lifeless on a couch, the surgeons of the ca- 
 valry stood in affliction over him, having dressed 
 his numerous wounds, without the smallest chance 
 of preserving his valued life. Let the curtain drop 
 on tlie rest, for imagination to paint and sensibility 
 to feel. 
 
 After the miraculous escape of our ensign and 
 the fair Nannette, the majestic ship soon weathered 
 Cape Camorin and glided along the beautiful coast 
 of Malabar. The captain of the vessel and his of- 
 ficers paid marked attention during the remainder 
 of the voyage to Mr.True, and his deliverer Frank 
 Stanley. Nannette looked her gratitude, and Mon- 
 sieur Fortier danced for joy. From the former 
 George learned that she was not the daughter of 
 the latter, but the only child of a British officer 
 killed at the storming of Seringapatam. At that time 
 she resided at Pondicherry, and a close intimacy 
 existed between Madame Fortier, who then li\ed 
 there, and her mother, who died soon after, leaving 
 
 G 3
 
 86 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 her unprotected, with only a small sum of money at 
 interest in a house of agency at Madras. Monsieur 
 Fortier had taken her home. He had no children 
 of his own, and became so fond of her, that she 
 called him with all filial affection, Papa. He and 
 Madame Fortier were amiable. In his youth he had 
 been in the French army ; but having acquired some 
 property at Pondicherry, and also a plantation at 
 Mahe, he resigned his commission, and preferred 
 passing the remnant of his life among his palms and 
 pepper vines, to a return to Europe, where the 
 links of early association were all broken. Nannette 
 was, therefore, perfect mistress of her mother 
 tongue, with all those accomplishments which 
 Madame Fortier was so well qualified to impart ; 
 and the vivacity and romance of a French education 
 grafted so well on the vivid imagination of an Irish 
 girl, that the fruit produced was of the most deli- 
 cious flavour. 
 
 The scene was now sublime. On one side the 
 blue ocean formed the horizon, while on the other 
 the stupendous ghauts seemed to scale the azure 
 sky. The country appeared in the most beautiful 
 diversity of hill and dale — here covered with thick 
 groves of tall cocoa-nut trees — there laid out in 
 fields and pepper plantations — while the silver 
 streams were seen meandering from the mountains, 
 and the spires of many a church, peeping from the 
 eternal verdure with which they were closely em- 
 braced, met the roving eye.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 87 
 
 Captain Osborne had orders to land the recruits at 
 Tellicherry, but he lay-to for half an hour near 
 Mahe, and sent Monsieur Fortier and Nannettc on 
 shore. While the vessel was nearing that charming 
 spot, George carried the French books he had to 
 their cabins. 
 
 "Keep vat I lent you, mon fils," said Monsieur, 
 with a friendly grasp of his hand, " as une petite re- 
 minescence of me, and come and see my garden at 
 Mahe." 
 
 He then approached Nannette, and trembled as 
 he entered her cabin door ; with much difficulty he 
 said he had come to return Elizabeth, and Paul and 
 Virginia, and he attempted to express his admiration 
 of their contents, and his regret at parting with their 
 owner. 
 
 Two crystal drops stood in her eyes, and she 
 said, *' Oh then keep these two little volumes which 
 I love, and they will remind you of me." 
 
 ** Ah," answered the young enthusiast, " can you 
 imagine that I require a remembrancer? But 
 since you bestow on me what you love, I shall strive 
 to prize the valued gift as it deserves, and never 
 shall these dear books leave me but with my latest 
 sigh." 
 
 " Since such is your determination," said she, 
 laughing, " I must give you a more portable keep- 
 sake ; take this," and she offered him a penknife ; 
 but drawing it back playfully, added in a girlish 
 tone, '*Nay, that would cut off remembrance j here 
 
 G 4
 
 88 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 is my picture ; and there,'* continued she, lopping 
 ofFone of her ringlets with the knife, " is something 
 more, to remind you that when I braid my hair, 
 I shall think on him who risked his life so fear- 
 lessly to save mine from certain destruction," and 
 she turned away and wept. But perceiving that 
 George was about to be very tender in his reply, 
 she brushed away the tears and added, " Nay now, 
 je iDous entends — there is my hand — fare thee 
 well." 
 
 He pressed the rosy fingers of Nannette to his 
 quivering lips that could not articulate adieu, and 
 casting a longing, lingering look, retired.
 
 89 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 The muse of history wipes the tear away ; 
 Thy battles, Clive, she shows in bright array. 
 We trace our empire from where Ganges laves 
 Bengalia's eastern coast with her blue waves. 
 To where wide Indus cools the western shore. 
 And hears the surges of Arabia roar. 
 
 JMr. Clive beginning that course of success which 
 afterwards ennobled him, backed by an EngHsh 
 fleet under Admiral Watson, retook Calcutta 
 the year after its capture, conquered the armies 
 of Surajah Dowlah, and deposed him from the 
 soubahship; placing his prime minister. Ally Kaun, 
 in his stead, who soon after put his former master 
 to death. But the limits assigned to these sketches 
 will not permit the author to enter into the ex- 
 tensive fields of the history and geography of 
 Hindostan. A very brief notice must therefore 
 suffice. 
 
 The whole of this vast region may be said to ex- 
 tend in length, from latitude 8° N. to 35% and from 
 longitude 72° E. to 92" in breadth. This has been 
 estimated at 1,020,000 geographical square miles ; 
 and the calculation is, that it contains 101,000,000 
 of inhabitants. Taking in the late acquisitions in 
 the Deckan, Konkan, and Kutch, the British ac- 
 tually possess •iOO,000 square miles of this territory,
 
 90 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 with a population of full 60,000,000 of souls ; and 
 the East India Company directly controul upwards 
 of 776,000 square miles of India, containing 
 86,000,000 of men, for the only parts of Hindostan 
 now independent are Nepaul, the territories of 
 the Seiks, and those of Scindea, Holkar, and the 
 Rajah of Berar ; but late events have placed these 
 powers so completely under the British government 
 in the East, that our empire may now be said to 
 extend from the Indus to the Burrumpootre, and 
 from the Hemaleah mountains to the island of 
 Ceylon. The western and northern boundaries 
 are defined by the river Indus, and that prodigious 
 chain of mountains that runs almost from China 
 to Persia, eternally covered with snow, and form- 
 ing a bulwark in many places 22,000 feet high 
 between Hindostan and Tartary. On the south, 
 the Indian Ocean washes the shores, and towards 
 the east, the forests of Tipperah and mountains of 
 Chittagong mark the frontiers. Having thus tres- 
 passed as little as possible upon the patience of the 
 reader, the jog-trot is again resumed. 
 
 Our young adventurers soon joined their regi- 
 ment at Cannanore, and, after due submission to 
 preparatory discipline, were pronounced " fit for 
 duty," and embodied with as brave a corps as ever 
 charged bayonets. The adjutant, who was a gentle- 
 man of Devonshire, of polished manners and 
 good education, seemed from the first moment to 
 distinguish the trio. He shared his bungalow with
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 91 
 
 the ensign, and finding that Thoughtless and 
 Stanley wrote tolerably well, he employed them as 
 his clerks, and invited them to live near him in the 
 office ; for, said he, " Your youth may be corrupted 
 by bad company and example in the barracks." 
 
 George soon observed that his regiment was full 
 of life and spirit, the effects of harmony and bro- 
 therly love. Colonel Mars, who commanded it, had 
 seen much service. Although he was fond of fre- 
 quent field days, early parades, health marches, and 
 sea bathing, and required the officers and men when 
 out of their quarters constantly to appear in full 
 regimentals, yet he was beloved by high and low ; 
 for impartial justice and the public good were the 
 objects he had in view. In attaining which, he 
 blended the suaviter in modo so agreeably with the 
 fortiter in re, that his conduct was a model for the 
 study of all under him. The mess was finely re- 
 gulated, and never had George mfet more generous 
 and gentlemanly companions. Frank and brave, 
 his spirit was congenial with theirs, and he was 
 soon considered a most promising young officer. 
 His liigh opinion of Stanley and Thoughtless being 
 known, procured for them much regard in the 
 corps, and his brother officers frequently came 
 into the office and noticed them with those winning 
 little condescensions that are so pleasing to sol- 
 diers. 
 
 It may be presumed, that the admirer of Nan- 
 nette was not unmindful of Mr. Fortier's invitation j
 
 9^ FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and the approach of the period for holding the 
 races at the French settlement presented to his 
 ardent mind a favourable opportunity. On the 
 evening previous to the appointed day, he rode with 
 a gay heart, accompanied by the bucks of Canna- 
 nore andTellicherry, to Mahe, which is beautifully 
 situated on a rising ground, skirted with gardens 
 and plantationSjOn the south side of a river navigable 
 for a considerable distance higher than the town. 
 A comfortable inn afforded accommodation for the 
 night to such as had not pitched tlieir marquees on 
 the esplanade; and at dawn, next morning, the 
 course exhibited the fashion and beauty of Malabar 
 and Canara, while crowds of natives gave life and 
 interest to the surrounding groves of lofty palms. 
 It was a grand sight to see the fleet Arabian steeds, 
 of noble form and mettle, struggling proudly and 
 with arduous emulation towards the goal. 
 
 Monsieur Fortier was near the stand, mounted on 
 a grey charger. Nannette beside him in a white 
 muslin riding habit, hat and feather, on a black 
 Pegu poney. " I rejoice to see you, Mr. True,'* 
 said she, presenting her hand. " Tres bien.j'espere,*^ 
 cried Monsieur, giving him a friendly grasp ; — 
 " You breakfast with me, allons done." " You see 
 what a fine prospect we have from our viranda," said 
 Nannette, upon entering the house through a charm- 
 ing plantation of pepper vines, and a garden — 
 
 " Where creeping shrubs of thousand dyes, 
 * Waved in the west wind's summer sighs."
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 93 
 
 This fine viranda, in fact, went round the spacious 
 apartment to which he was conducted, from the 
 silken ceihng of which a tastefully painted punko 
 was suspended, and the whole had the appearance 
 of a grand canopy, supported by small green pillars 
 of the Ionic order. Green Venetian blinds sepa- 
 rated the inner square from the viranda, to which 
 there were four folding doors, leading down a mag- 
 nificent flight of stairs. Gauze screens prevented the 
 admission of dust into the viranda, and gave that 
 nameless charm to the scene that a veil bestows on 
 exquisite beauty. In the rear appeared the ma- 
 jestic ghauts and lovely country; from the left, hill 
 and dale, adorned with groves and interesting vil- 
 lages ; to the right, a winding river and the town 
 of Mahe, while the front embraced the placid blue 
 ocean. The sun was at this moment illuminating: 
 the whole. A ship, with every sail set, was stand- 
 ing down the coast. The tide was rippling over 
 silver sand to bathe the marble steps leading down 
 the ghaut from this dehghtful garden house. 
 George was lost in contemplating the sweet pros- 
 pect. 
 
 " How lovely ! what a romantic spot this is,'* 
 said he to Nannette, with whom he was left, while 
 Mr. Fortier went to see Madame, for a slight indis- 
 position had confined her at home. 
 
 *' It is, indeed, a lovely and romantic place,'* 
 replied she ; " and there is a story that gives it 
 real interest in the latter point of view."
 
 Q4i FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 *' Do, pray let me hear it," said George, with 
 vivacity, for he had a strong tendency to romance. 
 
 " When we resided at Pondicherry, a young lady 
 lived here with her father, who was beloved by a 
 gentleman at Tellicherry ; in every point an eligible 
 match except in fortune, which the old people ad- 
 mired. The youth often ventured down the coast 
 in a canoe, to serenade her, and attracted her at- 
 tention from this viranda, where, after the family 
 had retired to rest, she used to sit to see the 
 moon-light, as she poetically said, dancing on the 
 water to the silver tones of her guitar. The bed- 
 chambers are at a considerable distance from this 
 sitting-room, therefore her musical lo\'er in the 
 canoe was never overheard ; and at length being 
 fascinated, she descended the stairs, stepped into 
 his boat, which conveyed her to a Syrian church 
 situated in the bosom of a cocoa-nut tope, where 
 the marriage ceremony was performed by the vene- 
 rable high priest." 
 
 George could not have articulated a syllable in 
 reply ; but he was relieved from embarrassment by 
 the entrance of Mr. Fortier, who conducted him to 
 breakfast. 
 
 After an elegant dejeune, and much agreeable 
 conversation on general subjects, in which Madame 
 Fortier evinced extensive acquaintance with French 
 and English authors, and also with the Persian and 
 Hindoo poets, our ensign, running his fingers over 
 the keys of a piano-forte, said to Nannette, " Do
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 95 
 
 you ever sing my favourite, the Sentinel, now? 
 Memory has often recurred to the pleasure I felt 
 during our voyage in hearing it. The idea strikes 
 me as beautiful.'* 
 
 ** Indeed," replied she, " it is a great favourite 
 with me also ;" and with an evident inclination to 
 gratify him, she seated herself at the instrument, 
 
 THE SENTINEL. 
 
 FROM THE FRENCH. 
 
 The evening star in beauty chaste, 
 
 Shone mildly o'er the camp of France ; 
 Near which a youth on guard was plac'd, 
 Who sung thus, resting on liis lance : — 
 Haste, refreshing zephyr, go 
 
 And to my friends my story bear ; 
 Say, I watch those fields to shew 
 That love and glory are my care. 
 
 By the foe's dull glimmering light. 
 
 In silence see their guards advance ; 
 While to abridge the tardy night. 
 
 The Frenchman sings upon his lance : — 
 Haste, refreshing zephyr, go 
 
 And to my friends my story bear ; 
 Say, I watch these fields to show 
 That love and glory are my care. 
 
 The day-star will the fight recall. 
 
 When victory shall my fame enhance ; 
 But should it be my lot to fall 
 And die upon my trusty lance. 
 Then in pity, zephyr, fly 
 
 And to my friends my story bear ; 
 Say, until my latest sigh. 
 
 That love and glory were my care.
 
 96 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 << I have no doubt," said Mr. Fortier, in the 
 French language, " that such sentiments animate 
 the hearts of many British soldiers as well as 
 Ffench." 
 
 ** Elevated feeling," answered George, ^- must 
 be more general m your army than in ours. Merit 
 and bravery under the French government are sure 
 passports to the highest promotion, and therefore 
 great numbers of adventurers, whose education and 
 family are highly respectable, enter the ranks as 
 soldiers of fortune. In our service the army is 
 recruited from the dregs of the people, and it is 
 sometimes difficult in a regiment to find a sufficient 
 number of intelligent tolerably well educated men 
 for non-commissioned officers ; and although the 
 road is open to the superior ranks for every deserv- 
 ing man, yet not one in a hundred is ever so fortu- 
 nate as to get a commission." 
 
 " There is something in the organization of the 
 British army," said Madame Fortier, " which is 
 very extraordinary. It appears to me strange that 
 its discipline can inspire such men as compose it 
 with the conspicuous bravery and fortitude in the 
 hour of trial which characterize the English among 
 the nations of Europe." 
 
 <' The institutions of the British army," replied 
 Mr. Fortier, " are admirably suited to the moral 
 and physical habitudes of its component parts : its 
 discipline inspires passive obedience in the soldier, 
 and haughty superiority in the officer : its dress
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 97 
 
 engenders pride, and gradually raises every man, 
 however low, to self-estimation and consequence in 
 his own eyes — feelings that necessarily produce 
 habitual courage, far preferable to the enthusiasm 
 of our troops, that constantly requires a strong 
 stimulus to rouse it into action. The punishment 
 in your army is well calculated also to awe vulgar 
 minds, not accustomed to reflection ; but it would 
 destroy all energy and public spirit in ours. But, 
 in short, there is a national intrepidity in the 
 British, a constitutional boldness, something like 
 what we admire in a game-cock, that gives you a 
 just claim to be ranked with the most warlike 
 nations that ever existed.*' 
 
 " I am quite sure," said Nannette, " that Mr. 
 True's gallant deliverer, Frank Stanley, is not of 
 vulgar origin." And both she and Mr. Fortier 
 made enquiries respecting his health and welfare. 
 
 " There are," said George, *' in every regiment 
 in our service, some young men in the ranks of 
 superior connexions, whose extravagance or misfor- 
 tune ruined their early prospects. In short, the 
 brother of the Earl of Winterton, the Honourable 
 Charles Tunmour, was a private soldier the other 
 day at Bombay." 
 
 The conversation then took a general turn ; and 
 George became acquainted with many interesting 
 particulars respecting the manners and customs of 
 Malabar. 
 
 H
 
 98 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 The page where Wellesley's glorious name appears, 
 Is rich with martial deeds of former years ; 
 With mighty plans which from his genius rose. 
 And crushed or neutralized Britannia's foes. 
 To Minto then we turn with rapid glance. 
 And see him wrest the eastern isles from France ; 
 While Russel gains his native land applause. 
 By shielding millions with her equal laws. 
 
 According to Sir John Malcolm, at the conclusion 
 of the Marquis Wellesley*s government, the follow- 
 ing was the state of India : — The Emperor of 
 Delhi was under the British protection. Secunder 
 Jay, the Subadar of the Deckan, was completely 
 confirmed in our alliance, and maintained a sub- 
 sidiary force of one regiment of Europeans, two 
 corps of native cavalry, six battalions of Sepoys, 
 and a proportion of artillery. 
 
 The complete reduction of the Mahratta Chiefs, 
 Scindea, Baggogee, Bhoonsla, and Holkar, had 
 been effected. The government of Tippo was an- 
 nihilated, and that of the Mysore family established. 
 Our authority had been completely introduced 
 into the Carnatic. The conquest of Cuttack had 
 connected the territories of Madras and Bengal, 
 and the cession of Guzerat, Malabar, and Canara, 
 combined almost the whole coast from the Ganges 
 
 lo
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 99 
 
 to the Indus. The whole of the Duab was in our 
 possession, and the right bank of the Jumna, with 
 a line of petty states, from tlie mountains of 
 Cumaoun to Bundlecund. 
 
 It is not my intention to enter into the rise and 
 progress of this extensive power. One or two ob- 
 servations must suffice. The decHne of the Por- 
 tugese nation facilitated the elevation of the British; 
 and the ability of Lord Clive, Mr. Hastings, and 
 the Marquis of Wellesley, consolidated our con- 
 quests into a fine empire. No portion of history 
 is more pregnant with interesting matter. The 
 British had not merely to fight the native powers, 
 but to conquer the French ; and instances of valour 
 and self-devotion might be adduced, from the page* 
 of Orme and others, worthy of the most warlike 
 periods of Greece and Rome ; for is there in an- 
 cient or modern times, an example of greater skill 
 and intrepidity tlian that recorded of Major Lau- 
 rence, who in ly^S, at Golden Rock, near Tritch- 
 inopoly, with 380 Europeans and 500 Sepoys, 
 charged the French battalion under Monsieur 
 Astruck, and routed it, though superior in numbers 
 to his own, and backed by the whole Mysore army 
 and Mahratta cavalry, who made repeated charges 
 up to the very bayonets. 
 
 French power, though it continued formidable 
 
 in the islands of the Mauritius and Java at the end 
 
 of Marquis Wellesley's administration, had been 
 
 . entirely destroyed, by his amazing talents, on the 
 
 H 2
 
 100 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 continent of Asia, and it was left for Lord 
 Minto, during his mild and equitable government, 
 to wrest these last possessions from that enter- 
 prizing nation, whose privateers traversed the 
 Indian seas, and captured the pilot vessels at 
 the mouth of the river Hoogly. No British 
 governor general was ever the object of such 
 general admiration among the natives as Lord 
 Wellesley, The vulgar thouglit him a god ; and 
 I have heard some of the classically educated half 
 casts call him the Pericles of England. It is said 
 that such was the activity of his mind, during his 
 important administration, that he hardly ever sat 
 down to breakfast, but walking thoughtfully round 
 the table, recruited nature, and returned to busi- 
 ness. He caused the magnificent government 
 house to rise on a scale worthy of his country's 
 glory. To him is due the praise of establishing 
 the college of Fort William, and of discovering 
 those military talents in his brother, which the 
 battle of Assaye made known to England, and 
 which have since astonished the world, and con- 
 ferred on Ireland the honour of having produced 
 the greatest captain of the age. 
 
 British prosperity in India appears, in a great 
 measure, to depend on the ability of the governor 
 general, who is armed with almost despotic power. 
 His talent and conduct may be said to ensure the 
 loyalty of the native forces, and the secure confidence 
 of the inhabitants, that their persons, property, insti-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 101 
 
 tutions, and customs are held sacred. But, besides 
 the Hindoo and Mahomedan population, there is 
 a numerous class of subjects, called half-casts, who 
 require particular attention. They are excluded 
 from the military and civil service, although many 
 of them are men of talent and education. It may 
 gratify pride, to consider their energies inferior to 
 those of their fathers, because there is a shade of 
 difference in their colour ; but man is every where 
 essentially the same, and national superiority seems 
 to be produced by artificial causes. Now, they 
 profess the same creed as we do — our laws are 
 theirs — their passions are warmed by the same 
 education, and their souls expanded by similar 
 references to those land-marks of antiquity that 
 urged their sires to aim at immortality, but they 
 are sunk in their own estimation, by seeing the 
 road to ambition shut against them. Their situation 
 excites pity, which is a dangerous feeling when 
 directed to a formidable and increasing body. 
 
 The regular army of India has, during the late 
 war, been considerably increased, and at present it 
 consists of about one hundred and fifty thousand 
 men, thirty thousand of whom are Europeans, 
 chiefly king's troops ; for the Company, beside 
 their civil and miUtary servants, have only about 
 five thousand European soldiers formed into five 
 battalions of artillery and three of infantry. Their 
 native cavalry consists of about ten thousand men, 
 remarkably well mounted and appointed, with ex- 
 
 h3
 
 102 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 perienced and active European officers, who have 
 organized and disciplined them precisely on the 
 British system. The infantry is in like manner in 
 a most efficient state. The whole is formed into 
 regiments, each having two battalions, with about 
 the same establishment of European officers as a 
 single regiment in his Majesty's service. Promo- 
 tion proceeds according to seniority in each corps 
 as far as captain, but the higher steps go by army 
 rank on the presidency to which each regiment 
 belongs. The native part of this fine army, as 
 was proved in the rebellion in 1809, may be 
 employed by designing men for the destruction 
 of government ; and principles of a very danger- 
 ous tendency were then circulated among the 
 Madras troops by their officers. There seems, 
 however, to be a radical defect in the native orga- 
 nization of the Indian army. The highest rank 
 in it for a native officer is that of subadar, to which 
 he rises from the ranks through the grades of naik, 
 havildar, and jemidar. But a subadar is subor- 
 dinate to an ensign placed in the company with 
 him. It is the nature of the human mind to look 
 forward to some object; but hope in the breast of 
 a subadar stagnates and produces dissatisfaction, 
 which is communicated to the sepoys j and several 
 instances might be adduced of this feeling in the 
 massacres that have occurred whenever the pro- 
 spect of change excited them to turn their bayonets 
 against their European officers.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 103 
 
 In the European part of the Company's army 
 there is also an illiberal defect : non-commissioned 
 officers cannot rise to the rank of ensign. This 
 exclusion, which is contrary to the spirit of British 
 equality, of course affects the sense of proper pride, 
 and retards the expansion of spirit which would 
 otherwise take place. Many very comfortable situ- 
 ations, however, are open to them, such as those of 
 conductors of ordnance ; and several of them hav- 
 ing amassed a little money, are permitted to settle 
 as shopkeepers in the interior, where they wear 
 out life with comfort and independence. 
 
 Nearly all the native soldiers, with the exception 
 of the Mahomedans, are raj-puts, which term means 
 ** offspring of the royal race.*' This tribe is a sub- 
 division of the grand class khatriy of which it is 
 said there are one thousand sects. Bravery, glory, 
 fortitude, generosity, and princely conduct are the 
 characteristics of this cast. They affect the no- 
 minal termination of singJi, which in Sanscrit is 
 *' the lion ;" an apt symbol of the ferocious courage 
 of this race of warriors. 
 
 The natives of India, with respect to the admi- 
 nistration of justice^ are in the same state as their 
 forefathers under the Mogul emperors, with the ad- 
 ditional protection afforded to them by the supreme 
 court at Calcutta, in which they can prosecute 
 any European judge or magistrate for an unlawful 
 exercise of his power. Hindoo and Mahomedan 
 laws are in full operation all over the country. The 
 
 H 4
 
 104> FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Nizamut Adoulut of Calcutta superintends the cri- 
 minal courts, and the Sudder Dewany Adoulut 
 governs the proceedings in the civil ones. The 
 supreme court consists of a chief justice and two 
 puisne judges, with an establishment of six barris- 
 ters and fourteen attornies, under the same forma- 
 lities which exist in this country. Its jurisdiction 
 as an admiralty court extends over the high seas be- 
 tween India and the Cape of Good Hope ; and the 
 measure of its operation by land is guided by the 
 limits assigned to the presidency of Bengal, and by 
 native rights and customs. The Hindoos admire 
 our laws, but complain of the attornies as the 
 greatest sharks in the universe. Nevertheless each 
 office may be seen full of Hindoos every day, being 
 the most litigious people in the world ; and perhaps 
 there is more moral depravity to be witnessed about 
 the seat of justice in Calcutta, than in any other 
 place on the face of the earth. Sir Henry Russel 
 was for many years lord chief justice of Calcutta, 
 and his impartiality and benevolence secured the 
 affections of the natives to such a degree, that 
 many thousands of them presented him a most 
 grateful address upon the occasion of his departure 
 for Europe ; but this great and good man had often 
 to deplore the perjury and profligacy of native 
 witnesses. 
 
 One great defect in the judicial establishments 
 in India, however, is, that the supreme criminal 
 courts have such a vast extent of jurisdiction over
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 105 
 
 Europeans, and the perpetrators of crimes have to 
 be brought from such a distance for trial, before 
 punishment can be inflicted, that the salutary effect 
 of it in prevention is in a great measure lost. A 
 short anecdote will illustrate this. His majesty's lyth 
 regiment of foot was for along time stationed on the 
 northern frontier, upwards of one thousand miles 
 from Calcutta, and many of the soldiers began to 
 despair of ever more seeing the presidency. From 
 this feeling, seven of them entered into a con- 
 spiracy to murder a black man, under the impres- 
 sion, that only one of them would be hanged for 
 the crime ; and that in the meantime they would 
 all have a pleasant trip to Calcutta. Accordingly, 
 a musket was loaded, and lots were drawn, and 
 they proceeded together a little way from the 
 cantonment in search of their victim, who was 
 ploughing his field, when he received a bullet 
 through his heart, from the hand that had been 
 armed for his protection. Five of the seven were 
 executed in Calcutta for the murder ; and, it is pro- 
 bable, that if a criminal court, having jurisdiction 
 over Europeans, had been near the spot where it was 
 committed, six lives would have been saved to the 
 community, and an enormity prevented, which must 
 necessarily have produced disgust and horror among 
 the native population of the place. There is another 
 defect, a hardship, perhaps an injustice, under 
 which those natives labour who are amenable to 
 the British courts of law. The jury, by which
 
 106 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 they are tried, is composed entirely of Europeans, 
 and the reader will easily conceive how objection- 
 able this regulation is in several points of view. 
 Every facility is, however, afforded to the inhabit- 
 ants of Calcutta, in recovering debts from Euro- 
 peans. Commissioners are appointed, who sit daily, 
 and in whose court a process is followed up, similar 
 to civil bill in this country, but more expeditious 
 in its operation. 
 
 When Ensign True returned to Cannanore, he 
 told Frank Stanley the romantic story with which 
 Nannette had amused him ; but, added he, " I 
 suspect my fair young lady has embellished a plain 
 tale with a little poetical fancy." 
 
 " Confusion to me," said Frank, *' but I would 
 offer Miss Nannette a seat in a canoe.'* 
 
 " That is my intention," replied George j " con- 
 fusion to me, but it is. I shall buy one directly, 
 and get a fisherman to paddle us down the coast. 
 Your flute and my violin will sound delightfully on 
 the water." 
 
 " There is Moote," rejoined Frank, " our cook, 
 whose father is a boatman, and the lad was brought 
 up to catch pamphlets and bombaloes, till he 
 thought he could better his prospects by frying 
 them. I am sure he wiU answer your purpose 
 exactly." 
 
 ** Come hither, Moote," said George, '' and tell 
 me — can you paddle a canoe well ?" 
 
 " That my business, master," answered Moote.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 107 
 
 " Then go quick, Moote, and purchase a large 
 one," said the ensign. '' For what will you getone?" 
 
 *^ A gold mohur very large tree canoe will buy, 
 master." 
 
 At this moment, a furious rustling was heard 
 between the mats of the ceiling and the cudjans 
 that covered the office ; and a piercing cry of some 
 animal, in great pain, seemingly throttled by ano- 
 ther. Soon after, the mat burst, and a large rat 
 tumbled to the floor, followed by a prodigious 
 snake, as thick as a man's leg, and of great length. 
 George, Frank, and Charles jumped on the cots to 
 avoid the snake, and with their weapons of defence, 
 they began to slash away at the unwelcome in- 
 truder J but the rat escaped under the door, and 
 the snake pursued it and was lost in the long grass 
 of the compound. 
 
 A beautiful teeretteej belonging to the adju- 
 tant's establishment, hearing the uproar, came 
 running to the door, followed by her two maids. 
 She was dressed in fine Indian muslin, and gor- 
 geously decorated with jewels, having clusters of 
 pearls in her ears, rings of rubies on her fingers, 
 chains of gold round her neck, and bracelets spark- 
 ling with gems on her wrists, while from her nose 
 hung a bunch of precious stones. 
 
 Moote, having satisfied her curiosity, coolly ob- 
 served, ^* Rat snakes very good, master — thank 
 God, you no killj master would die, if snake 
 die."
 
 108 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 " Confusion to me/' exclaimed Frank, ^* but this 
 is a queer country, where such superstitious notions 
 prevail." 
 
 In the stillness of a beautiful night, George's 
 canoe, managed by Moote, was seen gliding down 
 the coast of Malabar, and approaching the charm- 
 ing residence of Nannette. The silver tones of a 
 fine rondeau, by Kreutzer, crept along the dark 
 blue waves, while a moon-beam discovered her 
 seated in the viranda, attentive to the recognized 
 musicians. George's fingers expressed on his vio- 
 lin the emotions of his soul ; and Frank's flute 
 formed a fine accompaniment to a symphony, when 
 it ceased, and they sung the following ballad, while 
 George's cremona produced a charming bass. 
 
 THOMAS AND SARAH. 
 
 Young Thomas, a soldier both gallant and true, 
 
 Loved Sarah, bewitchingly fair. 
 And he made her his bride, for she loved him too. 
 
 And they were a most happy pair. 
 
 FIRST VAR. 
 
 Sweet's the light of the silver moon. 
 
 Mild and soft as my Sarah's eye : 
 Sweet's the zephyr that plays at noon. 
 
 Across the bowers where roses lie ; 
 Yet there are joys I more delight in. 
 
 For pleasures like these, ah ! why should I rove, 
 True bliss my footsteps to home inviting. 
 
 The smile of welcome from her I love.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 109 
 
 Kind were those who with smiles would greet me, 
 
 Bounteous ever their friendly board. 
 Roofs where splendid pomp would meet me, 
 
 Ne'er the comforts of liome afford. 
 O thou dear spot, my humble dwelling. 
 
 My heart beats for thee wherever I rove, 
 'Tis truly a treasure, all wealth excelling, 
 
 The smile of welcome from her 1 love. 
 
 SECOND VAR. 
 
 But duty forc'd him from his home to go, 
 Across rough seas to face Britannia's foe. 
 
 THIRD VAR. 
 
 While yet I linger on the strand. 
 
 Before I quit my native land, 
 
 I pen these lines, with trembling hand. 
 
 To thee, Sarah. 
 
 Brief is the time I have to stay. 
 Our ship will sail e'er close of day, 
 And I must then be forc'd away 
 
 From thee, Sarah. 
 
 Oft times when darkness shades the deep. 
 And seamen nightly watches keep. 
 The thoughts of thee will banish sleep 
 
 From me, Sarah. 
 
 May He who rules this earthly ball, 
 Whose bounty is bestowed on all. 
 Let no distressing troubles (aW 
 
 On thee, Sarah. 
 
 In tender mercy he will spare 
 
 Our babe, and make him good and fair. 
 
 To smile away all anxious care 
 
 From thee, Sarah.
 
 110 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Let not my absence give thee pain, 
 Though I'm compell'd to cross the main, 
 Soon, soon, I will return again 
 
 To thee, Sarah. 
 
 Th' unwelcome boat is now in view. 
 To bear me from my babe and you, 
 I've only time to say — adieu ! 
 
 To thee, Sarah. 
 
 FOURTH VAR. 
 
 Then, with her baby on her knee. 
 She oft would sing this lullaby : 
 
 FIFTH VAR. 
 
 Since duty bade my soldier go. 
 
 My heart with anguish burns. 
 In silence will I hide my woe, 
 
 'Till he again returns. 
 
 From all that used to yield delight, 
 
 I now with sadness turn, 
 And seek the gloomy shades of night. 
 
 Then pray for his return. 
 
 Both seas and mountains do us part. 
 
 He cannot hear me mourn ; 
 Yet well I know his constant heart. 
 
 Will languish to return. 
 
 The lovely pledge he left with me. 
 
 To lisp his name shall learn. 
 And say, " Dear mother cheerful be. 
 
 Papa will soon return." 
 
 Then haste my Thomas, quit the shore. 
 
 On which you now sojourn, 
 And make your Sarah blest once more 
 
 By greeting your return.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 1 1 1 
 
 SIXTH VAR, 
 
 To love the Fates for once were kind, 
 He clasps his Sarah to his breast, 
 
 And now he guards the infant mind. 
 And sings his darling thus to rest. 
 
 SEVENTH VAR. 
 
 The stream of time with rapid motion. 
 Hath swept a fleeting year away 
 
 Into eternity's vast ocean, 
 
 Since on thee beam'd the light of day. 
 
 May each return of this glad season. 
 Find thee with health and plenty blest. 
 
 And virtue pure, and sober reason. 
 The inmates of thy youthful breast. 
 
 To me thou art the greatest treasure. 
 
 That heaven could send to crown my joy 
 
 And no amusement yields such pleasure, 
 As playing with my darling boy. 
 
 I love to see thy brown locks, flowing 
 Adown thy forehead, soft and sleek, 
 
 To mark thy blue eyes, brightly glowing. 
 And pat thy pretty dimpled cheek. 
 
 To see thee like a cherub sleeping. 
 Secure on thy fond mother's breast, 
 
 While she a careful watch is keeping. 
 That nought disturb thy balmy rest. 
 
 Oft from the noisy world retiring. 
 My tranquil hours thou wilt beguile. 
 
 And more my peaceful home admiring. 
 Since there I meet thy welcome smile. 
 
 May God continue thy protector. 
 Through every period to old age ; 
 
 And may his law be thy director. 
 When anxious cares thy mind engage.
 
 112 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 May no calamity distressing, 
 
 Thy heallh or happiness destroy, 
 But every morning bring a blessing, 
 
 To comfort thee, my darling boy. 
 
 After which the boat paddled in silence towards 
 Monsieur Fortier's ghaut, but Nannette waved her 
 hand in token of disapprobation, and having struck 
 with much feeling a few notes of " O say, simple 
 maid," on her piano forte, disappeared. 
 
 *' Is not that from Incle and Yarico," said Frank 
 Stanley; '* and does not the fair lady say to her 
 lover, that she would follow him all over the 
 world ? Confusion to me but she does, and it is an 
 answer to your serenade.'* 
 
 George replied with great spirit, on his violin, 
 " Voulez vous dancer, mademoiselle?'* in which he 
 was joined by Frank ; and Moote, dropping his 
 paddle, began to dance, and skipped into the 
 ocean, where he swam about for some time, singing 
 '* Tazzee be tazzee, tazzee ta^^ while his legs and 
 arms splashed in cadence to the music.
 
 lis 
 
 CHAP. VITI. 
 
 Now Hastings ! England looks to thee for fame, 
 Time has enrolled thy well established name, 
 And soon thy worth and wisdom forth will blaze, 
 With splendour equal to the highest praise. 
 M'^ere all the great philanthropists like thee. 
 The dreary world a paradise would be ; 
 For very few are now disposed to aid, 
 Unless by strongest motives they are sway'd. 
 
 O pregnant thought ! my friend his silence broke, 
 And thus his sentiments at parting spoke: 
 
 " How true ! with surly gesture nearly all 
 ;" Receive the needy on this earthly ball ; 
 *' O task severe, for indigence to raise, 
 " A little store for life's declining days, 
 " Tho' traits of modesty may line the face, 
 *' And education the deportment grace." 
 
 i HE Marquis of Hastings, from the days of his 
 childhood, displayed an ardour for glory. When 
 young, in America, he bravely marched from his 
 entrenchments to meet an enemy vastly his su- 
 perior in numbers, and with success, which his 
 ability and valour ensured, conquered and main- 
 tained his position. Amidst the congregating 
 masses of French columns, in his riper years, he 
 nobly advanced into the heart of the Continent, 
 and safely conducted reinforcements to his prince 
 in the moment of imminent danger ; and when his 
 country required his personal exertion at an ad- 
 
 I
 
 114 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 vanced period of life, he relinquished the ease 
 and luxury of a palace, and the joys of domestic 
 felicity, to expose himself beneath the burning sun. 
 of a pestilential climate in the heart of Hindostan. 
 The greatness of his character will thus be recorded 
 in the scroll of time, while its amiable qualities are 
 treasured in the bosom of thousands of his poor 
 fellow-creatures, who owe their prosperity to him ; 
 for every man, however humble, who can lay claim 
 to merit, is sure to find in him a friend, ready to 
 hear, and prompt to serve. — 
 
 While memory holds her empire o'er my brain, 
 Thy bounty on her tablet shall remain ! 
 
 Whoever has read his lordship's reply to an 
 address from the inhabitants of Calcutta, on his 
 return to that city, after his glorious campaign, 
 which ended in the overthrow of Holkar's army, 
 and in the destruction of the power held by two 
 most treacherous chiefs, the Nagpore Rajah, and 
 Peishwa, will admit that the late Mahratta war w^as 
 fraught with perils of fearful magnitude. Had it 
 not been for the transcendant talent and wisdom 
 with which his lordship met them, the effects might 
 have been very different. Scindea would have 
 thrown his whole power into the scale against us. 
 Instead of the combination being destroyed in de- 
 tail, the united forces of the northern parts of India 
 would have been directed against the Company's 
 possessions, and the war carried into their finest 
 provinces. 
 
 7
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 115 
 
 The horrible irruptions of the Pindarries into the 
 territories of our allies forced his lordship into 
 this war, which has happily terminated in the ex- 
 tirpation of that horde of plunderers, and in a vast 
 accession to the former stupendous resources of 
 the Company. The origin of the Pindarries is in- 
 volved in obscurity. They are first mentioned by 
 an authentic historian in the operations of Aurung- 
 zebe in the Deckan, in the year 1689. They served 
 under Peishwa Bajeit Row in his invasion of Malwa 
 in 1730, and with Sadishee Row at the battle of 
 Paniput in 176I. After this they established them- 
 selves on the banks of the Nerbudda ; and, in the 
 British war of 1803 with the Mahrattas, almost 
 attained to independence on the fall of the latter. 
 When the Mahrattas began to recover strength, 
 and their restless spirits prompted them to look 
 forward with hope to conquest, great attention was 
 paid by them to the Pindarries. These freebooters 
 were in fact considered as constituting a military 
 school favourable to their own purposes, and encou- 
 raged by them. Acting secretly by their manage- 
 ment, they were divided into two grand corps called 
 *' Scindea Shahee" and " Holkar Shahee," and train- 
 ed to make very long marches. Incredible things 
 have been stated of their movements ; but it is well 
 known that when pressed they marched at the rate 
 of 100 miles in two days, 300 in a week, 500 in a 
 fortnight, over hills, &c., and that their ordinary 
 rate was from 30 to 40 miles a day. They were 
 
 I 2
 
 116 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 all mounted on Mahratta horses, many of whieh 
 were of a small and feeble breed ; but their utmost 
 animal energies were excited by doses of opium 
 proportioned to their fatigue. Out of every five 
 Pindarries, two were well armed with spears, swords, 
 and targets and matchlocks, and mounted on 
 strong large horses ; the other three were looterers, 
 and sent into the villages, while the well organized 
 body remained in array to cover and protect their 
 plundering operations. These two grand divisions 
 of the Pindarries were subdivided into battalions 
 of from 500 to 1000, commanded by an officer 
 called " Thookar,'' who had under him subalterns 
 called Mohullodars and Targee Walls, commanding 
 smaller divisions of from 100 to 500, or from 10 to 
 100, according to the exigencies of the service. 
 
 Much need not be said respecting the latter part 
 of the poetical head of this chapter. The man 
 who has travelled through life, without being intro- 
 duced into it by the powerful hand of patronage, 
 and who has had to struggle against that coldness 
 to all the duties of humanity which, as Dr.Gregory 
 assured his daughters, pervades mankind, will per- 
 fectly understand those lines that deplore *' worth 
 by poverty oppressed." Long is it before a youth, 
 deprived of parental aid, and wandering among 
 strangers, can rise to rank and independence. 
 Every one, even if we give him credit for more 
 than ordinary feeling, has duties to perform 
 nearer home, and says, " I must be just before
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 117 
 
 I am liberal." He has a brother, a nephew, a 
 cousin, a school-fellow, a friend, or a great man's 
 dependent recommended to him, to provide for and 
 promote. Modesty, merit, talent, and activity are 
 admired^ and when out of their proper sphere 
 pitied ; but such is the nature of things, that the 
 man who is down is kept there ; and if he rise to dis- 
 tinction, he may thank fortune, and the rare genero- 
 sity of some individual, rather than his own desert. 
 
 On the morning after the serenade George en- 
 tered the office : — ^* Stanley," said he, ** we have 
 alarming news from the Wynaud, the Nairs are in 
 arms ; perhaps we may march in a few hours." 
 
 " Confusion !" answered Frank. ** There is an 
 orderly gallopping from the fort with orders." 
 
 He reined his frothing steed at the adjutant's 
 door, delivered some papers, and dashed off towards 
 the brigade m.ajor's. 
 
 '* Thoughtless," said the adjutant, " copy that 
 into the orderly bool<, and send it to the serjeant- 
 major ;" and he mounted his horse and spurred 
 towards tiie quarter-master's. 
 
 " R. O. — The regiment will march to-morrow 
 morning right in front and in light order. Generale 
 to beat at four, and the assembly at five o'clock. 
 All the heavy baggage and women to be left behind. 
 The surgeon will take care that no man quits the 
 hospital who is not well able to bite a cartridge. The 
 quarter .master will transport with the corps fbity 
 
 i3
 
 118 FIFTEEN YEARS TS INDIA. 
 
 thousand rounds of spare ammunition, after com- 
 pleting each pouch with sixty whistlers." 
 
 " Well, this is too bad," said Frank ; " confusion 
 to me, but it is." 
 
 " Love must give way to duty," replied George j 
 " now for glory, and then for Nannette." 
 
 *< Hip, hip, hurra!" cried Thoughtless. ** Hippe, 
 hippe, hurree !" exclaimed Moote, in a shrill tone 
 of imitation, ** Ka babberi/,'' said Panama, the 
 pretty teerettee, and she and her two ai/ahs, came 
 running into the office, and saw George, Frank, 
 and Charles dancing round it for joy, at the idea 
 of sharing in a glorious campaign. 
 
 The moon rose robed in silver. No cloud im-^ 
 peded her course through the transparent azure 
 atmosphere, while the dark blue placid ocean re- 
 flected her mild rays. A canoe was seen paddling 
 dowai the Malabar coast, fanned by zephyrs from 
 the spice-breathing shore. Some of Mozart's ten- 
 der, melancholy, and affecting tones were heard 
 sliding along the strings of a fine cremona, and 
 rising occasionally into those majestic swells pecu- 
 liar to the harmonic powers of the violin. Then a 
 symphony to Moote's popular Hindostannee air, 
 called Tazzee be tazzee, followed, joined by a finely-i 
 touched flute ; and George's voice, with great 
 emotion, murmured these words, which crept on the 
 rippling waves to the ear of Nannette, who was 
 leaning thoughtfully against a pillar in the viranda :
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 119 
 
 LOVE AND DUTY. 
 
 O lady fair ! the trump of war 
 Hath summoned me from thee afar ; 
 When honour calls he must away, 
 Whose faithful heart would never stray 
 From love to ought but duty. 
 
 When the battle's o'er. 
 And by valour we have conquer'd. 
 
 May there be in store. 
 The girl I love, for me. 
 
 Then will joy be mine. 
 Remote from care and sorrow : 
 
 Eager to be thine ; 
 Hard fate to march to-morrow. 
 
 Fortune, how unkind 
 Thou art to mar my wooing ; 
 
 Cupid be not blind, 
 But guard her heart with care. 
 
 O lady ! let a thought on me, 
 Whose bliss will be to think of thee, 
 In absence touch thy gentle breast. 
 For mine perturb'd will feel no rest, 
 Far, far from thee, on duty. 
 
 The canoe was put about by the skilful Moote, and 
 the sweet voice of Nannette, accompanied by her 
 piano-forte, was heard : — 
 
 Malbroug s'en va-t-en guerre, 
 Mironton ton ton mirontaire, &c. 
 
 Then her lily hand waved the signal of departure, 
 and her faultering tongue uttered — 
 
 "Vale! vale ! iterum vale! non long^ vale." 
 I 4
 
 120 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA- 
 
 The dawn of the next day discovered eight 
 Iiundred gallant hearts in full march. Colonel 
 Mars*s grey charger pawed the turf in front ; the 
 adjutant on a bay arab in rear. Two six-pounders, 
 a pair of light howitzers with their tumbrils, and a 
 proportion of artillerymen and pioneers were in the 
 centre. In two days the camp was pitched on the 
 bank of the stony river, at the foot of the Poodi- 
 cherrum ghaut. The rains had subsided on the 
 coast ; but this region of mountains was still cap- 
 ped with clouds, that occasionally burst in vivid 
 flashes of lightning and explosions of thunder. 
 Torrents of rain had recently fallen, and masses of 
 water were now precipitated over precipices, form- 
 ing majestic cataracts. The river was swollen, and 
 it was found necessary to halt next day, in the hope 
 that the floods would be carried off" to the sea ; for 
 the rocky bed of the river was unfordable, and it 
 was impossible to cross, except by a swinging bridge 
 for foot passengers, constructed by the villagers of 
 Viatore with bamboos. It was thrown over from 
 two high clifls, between which the roaring floods 
 had forced their way. The bamboos were fastened 
 together with the fibres of the cocoa-nut, and swung 
 upwards of one hundred feet above the foaming 
 torrent. This bridge, just wide enough to admit 
 one man between two coir ropes that ran along 
 its edges, supported at intervals by upright bam- 
 boos, danced in air beneath the tread of the dizzy 
 passenger. Here Frank and his friend Charles
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 121 
 
 stood and gazed with awe at the stupendous 
 wonders of nature, proclaiming, as loudly as the 
 thunder on the mountains, the majesty and om- 
 nipotence of the Creator. 
 
 No breath of air ruffled the leaves of the forests 
 about Viatore. At night, the hisses of snakes 
 sighed fearfully through the stillness of the glens 
 near the camp, and the howls of tigers, wolves, 
 and leopards were heard echoing along the moun- 
 tains, while perspiration oozed from every pore, under 
 the oppressive closeness of the atmosphere. But 
 next morning the furious torrent had subsided into 
 a silver stream, over which the guns and elephants 
 crossed with ease. The advance-guard was seen 
 winding round the ghauts, tottering up frightful 
 abruptions, and creeping down fearful declivities, 
 where a false step was certain destruction. Then 
 five hundred naked natives were beheld bounding 
 like goats from crag to crag. These mountaineers 
 had been sent by the Coorg Rajah, to assist in getting 
 up the guns and tumbrils; and with pioneers, and 
 working parties of the soldiers, they at length suc- 
 ceeded in hoisting the artillery from tree to tree, 
 letting them down with similar caution, from one 
 perpendicular to another. Seven miles the mighty 
 struggle continued against the difficulties which 
 nature presented in this frightful pass over the 
 ghauts, of whicii some idea may be formed when 
 it is remembered that the Bombay army, wliich first 
 entered Mysore through it, were three weeks in
 
 122 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 transporting fourteen pieces of heavy cannon from 
 the bottom to the top. The ghauts are higher 
 than any mountains in Europe, and justly called 
 the Indian Appenines. They are clothed nearly 
 to their summits with lofty trees. 
 
 George reached the end of the pass, and while 
 the head of the column halted for the rear to come 
 up, he sat down on a rock, with his naked breast 
 exposed to receive the cool air that now played 
 upon his heated frame. He saw from this elevation 
 the sea that washed the dwelling of Nannette, 
 and kissing her portrait, that hung near his heart, 
 said to Frank — 
 
 '• Place me beneath the burning ray. 
 
 Where rolls the rapid car of day ; 
 
 Love and the nymph shall charm my toils, 
 
 The nymph who sweetly speaks, and sweetly smiles." 
 
 And Stanley answered, 
 
 " O could I hope that war's ennobling toils, 
 Would clear away what now the prospect spoils ; 
 That time would grant the girl I love to me. 
 How fortunate and happy I should be." 
 
 " But confusion to heroics, and all sorrow, and 
 thinking," added he, and he sunk into his usual 
 tranquillity of soul. 
 
 They now saw the elephants winding up the 
 ghauts, loaded with tents, and beheld their sagacity 
 and caution with wonder, in situations where a 
 single false step would have precipitated their vast
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 123 
 
 carcases some hundred yards from the road into 
 an abyss below. Their attention was also directed 
 to the bullocks, loaded with trunks, creeping with 
 surprising success up places where a beholder 
 would suppose it impossible for them to climb, and 
 sliding down other steeps almost perpendicular, 
 while the officers' horses, conducted by their 
 grooms, could scarcely keep on their legs. An 
 Indian hermit, who lives in a cave in this pass, was 
 an object of curiosity to every eye. He was naked. 
 His body and face were painted with chalk of dif- 
 ferent colours, while his eyes glared from their deep 
 emaciated sockets. A long brown beard hung 
 down over his breast, clotted and matted with ashes 
 falling on it from his head, the reddish hair of 
 which almost reached to the ground. His habita- 
 tion appeared to be a cavity formed by the fall of 
 £in immense fragment of rock, dislodged from an 
 overhanging part of the stupendous mountain, 
 under whose threatening brow he resided. It had 
 bedded itself partly in the earth, and on other 
 rocks, and the old man had made a door of wattles, 
 and a fence of thorns, to keep off wild beasts. A 
 clear stream ran through the cave. The hermit 
 lived on the contributions of travellers, in return 
 for which he performed his devotional exercises, 
 counting a string of large wooden beads that hung 
 round his neck, and scattering wild flowers, red 
 paint, and oil on an idol cut out of the rock, while 
 he prayed aloud for the success of their journey.
 
 124 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 From their rocky seats, Frank and his friend 
 Charles saw the clouds flashing lightning and 
 bellowing forth peals of thunder far beneath them. 
 The airthen becoming clearer, a vast prospect opened 
 of green waving trees, successively receding from 
 their view, in a gentle undulation, instead of that 
 abrupt steep which they expected to contemplate 
 from the head of the Poodicherrum. Nothing 
 could be more beautiful than the silvery ap- 
 pearance of the rivers, winding through the 
 provinces of Malabar and Canara towards the sea, 
 and disclosing themselves like veins on the trans- 
 parent bosom of loveliness. 
 
 *' Can it be the deception of distance," said 
 Charles, " that makes azure masses of light and 
 shadow of the huge ghauts over which we have 
 crept, and gives the sea-girt shore that charming 
 and varied appearance, which imagination never 
 before formed to my mental eye.'* 
 
 " Yes," answered Frank ; *' and a similar delu- 
 sion delights us in the prospect of human life." 
 
 " Do you think," added Charles, " if our friend 
 Mr. True had Nannette, you Sarah, and I my own 
 simple Mary, in some delightful rural spot at home, 
 with competence and health smiling upon our 
 happy dwellings, that a wish would remain, or that 
 distance would seem pregnant with greater felicity." 
 
 His reflecting English friend shook his head, 
 and, with the characteristic solidity of his country- 
 men, replied.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 125 
 
 *' Intellect says, that weak man looking forward to 
 felicity in an immortal state, cannot find on earth 
 what is in heaven. When surrounded with every 
 terrestrial charm, the restless soul, therefore, creates 
 imaginary wants, and, according to our favourite 
 Roman author, ' to wish is to be still a slave.* 
 Nevertheless, with the aid of the pure religion of our 
 fathers, and the kindness of the God to whom our 
 mothers called in the pains of our birth, we might 
 experience as much happiness as falls within the 
 sphere of human enjoyment. We expect too 
 much, and generally think we receive too little. 
 In short, how could we avoid drawing a bill upon 
 futurity to ensure the possession in another world 
 of those fascinating forms which we are sure must 
 become as lifeless and cold in this as the clay of 
 which they are formed. To lose irrecoverably an 
 object dearer than self, seems almost beyond the 
 balm that religion administers to the sorrows of 
 life." 
 
 At this moment approached a group of native 
 horsemen, armed with matchlocks, targets, spears, 
 and swords, and wearing turbans and long quilted 
 gowns. A stout copper-coloured personage, with 
 whiskers and large mustachios, was in front : his 
 legs were cased in military boots that reached 
 halfway up his thighs, and a large sabre in red 
 velvet scabbard glittered in gold mountings at his 
 side, while a miniature of Marquis Wellesley set in 
 diamonds and pearls decorated his breast. He was
 
 126 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 met by Colonel Mars, and surrounded by the offi- 
 cers, whom he welcomed to the Coorg, in broken 
 English. This was no less a person than the Rajah 
 of that country, the firm friend of the Company, 
 and an imitator of our costume and manners. 
 Many of the officers accompanied his highness to 
 his palace, for the purpose of enjoying a profusion 
 of excellent claret and champaign, with a good 
 substantial dinner, in a pavillion which he had 
 erected on the model of one at Brighton, where a 
 fine company of dancing girls were in waiting to 
 amuse his guests. 
 
 In the meantime some of the young soldiers 
 who had taken off their shoes and gaiters, were 
 suffering much from the bites of leeches, which had 
 crept up their legs. At first they were not felt, be- 
 cause not much thicker than a hair, but when filled 
 with blood, they became as large as one's finger, 
 and felt as cold as ice. Such men as permitted 
 them to drop off when satiated, scarcely felt any 
 pain, but those who tore them off groaned in tor- 
 ment and bled profusely. This was the cause of 
 much noise and laughter in camp ; but some terror 
 was excited upon finding that thousands of black 
 scorpions and snakes were lurking under the 
 stones in the tents, and in the long grass around 
 them. 
 
 " Well, confusion to me," said Stanley, *' but 
 this is a wonderful country." '* Confusion to me, 
 but it is," said Thoughtless ; <' look here," and a
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 127 
 
 number of naked coolies approached, carrying wild 
 hogs, buffaloes, antelopes, tigers, leopards, and 
 mountain goats, tied to bamboos on their shoulders, 
 which had been sent by the Coorg Rajah, as a feast 
 for the soldiers. 
 
 The object of the force was to reduce a refractory 
 chief inWynaud, who, aided by the Nairs, Poligars, 
 and Moplas, had refused to pay tribute, and at- 
 tacked the collector. Colonel Mars turned to the 
 right, therefore, on passing Rajapet, and entered 
 the immense Jungles that extend along the back of 
 the ghauts. Although the country lying eastward 
 of these mountains is called the table land, it is 
 not a plain, nor is the surface on a level with the 
 tops of the ghauts. On the contrary, in their vici- 
 nity, the country is mountainous, and the plains of 
 Mysore are approached through chains of fine hills 
 and forests of noble timber. From this region of 
 Tiek the Company draw their supplies for the ma- 
 nufactory of gun-carriages at Seringapatam. The 
 quarter-master often found it difficult to pitch upon 
 an open space for encampment, such impenetrable 
 clumps of bamboos grew among the trees, each as 
 thick as a man's leg, and as tall as the mast of a 
 ship. Some of the vallies and open tracts in these 
 forests are cultivated, and the wild inhabitants 
 make extraordinary habitations, like nests, in the 
 clumps, consisting of many hundreds of bamboos 
 growing together so closely as to touch, whence by 
 cutting out the centre ones a secure dwelling is easily
 
 128 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 made, to which they ascend by steps cut in the 
 clump. From these nests a watch is kept over the 
 cultivated spots, and the beasts of the forest are 
 assailed with noise and arrows. The warriors and 
 chiefs of this country, as well as a great part of 
 Malabar, are called Nairs. Hyder Ally was the 
 first Mahomedan that subdued them. After the 
 overthrow of his son Tippo, they were restored to 
 power by the British government ; but such was 
 their tyranny over the inferior casts, that it could 
 not be tolerated on principles of humanity. A 
 Nair may approach a Brahmin ; but if a Teir came 
 near a Nair, the latter would cut him down ; and tlie 
 murders committed in this way were formerly de- 
 plorably great. They are exceedingly expert in 
 the use of the bow, and discharge several arrows at 
 the same time, by means of their feet and hands. 
 
 As the force approached the hills of Pollinjol, the 
 advance guard. Hankers and rear, were annoyed 
 by showers of these arrows whizzing from invi- 
 sible enemies. Had an inexperienced officer com- 
 manded, the casualties would have been very 
 great ; but Colonel Mars advanced with such cau- 
 tion that he baffled every attack. Advantage was 
 taken of the wind, and the jungles were set on fire. 
 The scene was awfully grand, for the flames flew 
 like lightning through the dry underwood and 
 long grass. Wild elephants and tigers were 
 heard crashing the forest in their flight ; while 
 the yells of such Nairs as were overtaken in
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IX INDIA. 129 
 
 the nests from wliich they fired their arrows were 
 appalling; hut the PoHgars and Moplas, who were 
 making common cause with the Nairs, seized 
 every height, and fired rockets upon the force. 
 These are tubes of iron filled with combustibles, 
 and tied to a long bamboo with thongs. A charge 
 of powder carries this through the air, in the 
 direction it receives, to a prodigious distance, and 
 it bursts with awful noise, while the bamboo forms 
 circles when the rocket lights, and destroys every 
 tlnng in its way. Fortunately, its fiery course 
 through the air, where it forms a beautiful bow 
 like a faUing star, and the noiseof its approach, are 
 such, that soldiers can easily get out of the way. 
 Nevertheless, great confusion was produced on the 
 baggage flank by these frightful weapons. All 
 opposition on the part of the enemy was, however, 
 unavailing ; one position was assailed after another, 
 and such destruction was caused by grape-shot and 
 shrapnel-shells, that the chief of the table land 
 gave up the contest, and Colonel Mars re-estab- 
 lished a strong post in a fine stockade near Ma- 
 mentoddy, the beauty of whose situation, though 
 deformed by war, was striking. 
 
 The force, therefore, having succeeded in its 
 operations above, now descendedthe ghauts, through 
 the Cooteady pass, which was obstinately defended 
 by the Nairs and Moplas, who had a strong mud 
 fort at the bottom. Acquainted with the difficul- 
 ties the force had to encounter, the enemy occu- 
 
 K
 
 130 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 piect every rock and tree, firing upon the line in- 
 cessantly, as it was creeping and winding slowly 
 along. Several brave fellows had their arms pinned 
 to their sides, and their bodies and limbs pierced ; 
 but the military skill and perseverance of Colonel 
 Mars overcame every thing. He had foreseen the 
 nature of the service, and provided plenty of doolies; 
 and the collector had such influence over the 
 coolies, that very few of them deserted. Night, 
 however, overtook the force about the middle of 
 the pass, and it was obliged to bivouac till morn- 
 ing. The scene was tremendous. Showers of 
 arrows and rockets fell around the out-posts during 
 the whole of this struggle, which the darkness of 
 night did not interrupt. The ghauts appeared in 
 a blaze, and the roar of artillery and musketry 
 among such masses of mountains may be conceived, 
 but cannot be described. Camp fires were lighted, 
 and the commissariat being in fine order, the sol- 
 diers received their drams and rations with the 
 utmost regularity ; and Colonel Mars, with his 
 own eyes, after securing his position near the river 
 in a sort of valley, saw that the wounded received 
 all possible attention. Next morning he reached 
 Cooteady and invested the fort, which he deter- 
 mined to take by escalade. 
 
 Ladders of bamboo were accordingly construct- 
 ed, and the force went down to storm the place at 
 daylight next morning, the defences having been 
 all destroyed by the six-pounders. The guns 
 
 lO
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 131 
 
 opened on the great entrance, as if tlie main attack 
 was intended to be made there against the gates 
 and sally-ports. But Colonel Mars had in the 
 meantime formed the regiment into three divisions, 
 one of which now made a false attack with a how- 
 itzer on the opposite quarter, and an alarm was 
 given that the English were mounting the walls. 
 The gingalSy bowmen, and matchlocks were all 
 hurried by the killedar to that face, and opened a 
 tremendous fire on some stone pagodas, and thick 
 hedges, behind which the colonel had ordered 
 Captain Steel to post his men, with a discretionary 
 power to act according to circumstances. Major 
 Forward, with the second division, wheeled to the 
 left under the wall, and placed his ladders against 
 a weak angle, the loop-holes of which were destroy- 
 ed ; while Colonel Mars, with the grenadiers and 
 light infantry, carried an out-work on the right. 
 The killedar, upon discovering the major's position, 
 hastened thither distracted in his mind; but before 
 he could reach that point, Frank Stanley and seve- 
 ral grenadiers had mounted the parapet ; and 
 Colonel Mars, who was one of the tirst on the wall, 
 waving his sword, exclaimed, " My brave comrades, 
 follow me ;" and he hastened to turn the garrison 
 from the second division, that would have been 
 otherwise exposed to a murderous lire. Captain 
 Steel observing that the killedar had withdrawn 
 numbers of the garrison from his face of the fort, 
 determined upon co-operation with his command- 
 
 K 2
 
 132 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ing officer, and Ensign True was one of the first 
 that mounted the ladders. Major Forward had 
 now gained the ramparts, having been nobly aided 
 by Charles Thoughtless, who volunteered to lead 
 the forlorn hope ; but the Nairs, seeing that they 
 were attacked on all sides, were struck with panic 
 terror, and, throwing themselves over the walls, 
 were either dashed to pieces or escaped into the 
 woods. 
 
 The Moplas, having now become sensible of the 
 hopeless part they had espoused, made the best 
 terms possible with the collector, and the whole 
 country was in a few months restored to obedience 
 and tranquillity. Colonel Mars returned with the 
 force to Cannanore, after making a demonstration 
 through the province ; and in marching past Mahe, 
 George perceived the well-known lily hand of 
 Nannette waving from the rear viranda, as she 
 recognized him passing mounted on his bay Arab, 
 for he, Frank, and Charles had escaped unhurt, or in 
 poetical language, the shield of love and friendship 
 had protected them from arrows, Nairs, Poligars, 
 Moplas, and rockets. 
 
 Panama and her two ayahs ran out to express 
 their joy at seeing the adjutant return rosy with 
 health and toil ; and Moote, as soon as he had 
 prepared some fish, rice, and coffee for Charles and 
 Frank's breakfast, made his salarUy and went to see 
 if the canoe was in safety.
 
 133 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 Ye palaces, where bobberchees excite. 
 
 For luxuries, the languid appetite ; ', 
 
 Say, why Dame Fortune fills a tailor's sail, 
 
 While science is the inmate of your jail ? 
 
 Say how attorney's wives can ape the great. 
 
 Loll in barouche or sociable in state ? 
 
 How coachmakers can hoard up crores of wealth. 
 
 And dancing-masters chariots keep for health ? 
 
 How auctioneers and stable boys can lay 
 
 A lack up safe to cheer a rainy day ? 
 
 While oft the book-taught skill of Greece and Rome, 
 
 Finds in this burning clime nought but a tomb ! 
 
 Nay, e'en the dregs of Gunga's sable race. 
 
 Gratuitously false with callous face, 
 
 "Who lend their gold at ninety-nine per cent, 
 
 And pocket half the mohins which they lent, 
 
 Soon cease on fickle fortune to depend. 
 
 While learning pines without a single friend. 
 
 A GOOD table is not considered enough in Cal- 
 cutta J it must groan beneath the weight of every 
 thing in season, and the native cooks are very 
 expert ticklers of the Epicurean palate. The 
 usual routine of living in Bengal is similar to that 
 at Madras, but much more gorgeous. After morn- 
 ing exercise breakfast is taken, which consists not 
 only of tea and coffee, and the light accompani- 
 ments usually served up in this country, but of 
 
 k3
 
 134 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 highly spiced meat, fish and fowl, with all the 
 varieties of fruit produced in that garden of the 
 East, and preserves, ices, and jellies in endless 
 profusion. Perhaps there is not in the world a 
 greater delicacy than the mangoe fish of the 
 Hoogly, which is as beautiful to the eye as it is 
 delightful to the taste. With the flavour of the 
 mangoe, which is an uncommonly fine fruit, it 
 combines the colour and richness of the trout, and 
 has a fine large roe which cannot be compared to 
 anything, being a perfect original. For two 
 months in the year this charming fish is caught in 
 plenty, and the roes are preserved, and always 
 appear at table. The mangoe fish is as large as a 
 trout, and in the estimation of a gentleman who 
 would have done honour to the court of Helio- 
 gabalus, is worth a voyage of fifteen thousand miles. 
 *' The mangoe fish," said he, with a smack, " ah ! 
 the mangoe fish ! the mangoe fish is worth coming 
 to India for." Tiffin consists of heavy joints, and 
 numerous dishes and stews, and pies and minces, 
 with capital Madeira, Hodson*s pale ale, and 
 Maxwell and Key's claret and cherry-bounce. 
 The carriage, buggy, or palkee^ parades the course 
 after siesta, and dinner is a grand display of all that 
 can be conceived of eastern luxury. Tatties produce 
 air, and punhoes circulate it, while chandeliers and 
 table shades, reflecting wax lights, convert night 
 into day. Bengal is the region of hospitality. There
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 135 
 
 is something in the sun of the East that warms and 
 opens the heart. Large parties generally sit down 
 to dinner. Every thing that can be conceived is 
 put on the table, with curries, palows, and mulli- 
 gatawnies. Claret and champagne circulate, and 
 song and good humour prevail. But ambition 
 among the ladies to give the tone to society per- 
 vades the higher ranks to such a degree, that all 
 over India Europeans form into parties, as if the 
 institution of Brahma's casts produced a change 
 in their nature. There are numberless exclusions 
 from society in Bengal, and perhaps rank, pre- 
 cedence, and etiquette are not so much attended 
 to at Carlton palace as in the Cliouringhee. 
 
 Luxury prevails in Calcutta certainly to a 
 greater degree than at Madras or Bombay. The 
 Bengal officers are called ** Qui hies,** from the 
 number of servants they keep, it being usual when 
 they want attendance to say, " Qui hy — who's 
 there ;'* but the Madras bucks are nick-named 
 *' Mulls,** from a poor broth common in the Car- 
 natic, which the Bengal gents pretend to despise, 
 though it imparts a very pleasing flavour to rice, 
 under the name of mulligatawney ; and the Bom- 
 bay officers are called " Ducks,** in allusion to an 
 insipid kind of fish, very plentiful on that coast, 
 which is known by the name of bombalo, and 
 much used as a relish at breakfast throughout 
 India. These may be always seen swimming near 
 the surface of the sea on the Malabar coast, and 
 
 K 4
 
 136 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 they are called *' ducks/' which has been trans- 
 ferred to the Bombay officers by the wits of the 
 supreme presidency. 
 
 It may be supposed, from the lines at the head 
 of this chapter, that the humble stations of life 
 are sneered at by the author ; but far be it from 
 him to despise any honest man. Has not the tailor 
 cause to be contented with his lot, and who should 
 mock his calling ? Seated cross-legged on his 
 board, he may sing and stitch away, with not a 
 fear but that of pricking his finger. His seam will 
 keep his thoughts fixed at home ; and if they wan- 
 der in moments of relaxation, they may rest upon 
 what gratifies pride and ambition every where, 
 namely, that the habit he is making will surpass all 
 others in elegance of cut, and raise his fame above 
 every other tailor in the land. When industry has 
 elevated him to wealth, he may place his needle, 
 thimble, and sheers in his coat of arms, and instead 
 of exclaiming, '* Sink the tailor, father," he may 
 rejoice, and let folly nick-name him " the seventh 
 part of a human creature," for 
 
 " Worth makes the man, the want of it the fellow, 
 " The rest is all but leather and prunella." 
 
 The lower conditions of life are pregnant with 
 considerations which produce contentment. As 
 the modest primrose peeping beneath the fra- 
 grant thorn feels not the angry winds of heaven, 
 but on the contrary is sheltered from the storm
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 1 37 
 
 SO it is with the humbler classes of society. While 
 our sovereign, on his glorious throne, feels ten 
 thousand anxieties for the repose of liis dominions, 
 the artisan has nothing to fear but that his business 
 may suffer if his mind wanders to the political 
 affairs of Europe. 
 
 In short the author's own profession may be 
 adduced as an illustration of the happiness to be 
 found in the lowly walks of life. Every peasant 
 in this free state enjoys more individual liberty 
 than any officer in the British service, all of whom, 
 from the general to the ensign, are subjected to 
 the summary punishment of death, by military 
 law, for even the disobedience of an order. They 
 strut about in times of relaxation, with all those 
 glittering trophies of dress, which, while they feed 
 vanity, produce self-respect and proper pride ; they 
 feel the dignity resulting from acquired valour, and 
 are from appearances viewed by many as most 
 happy fellows. But how few can contemplate tlie 
 reverse of the picture, and see these men under 
 the rigour of command, forced to bear the whims of 
 immediate superiors, who are, like all other mortals, 
 a mixture of good and bad, weak and wise, vain, 
 ridiculous, proud, and haughty ; invested by the 
 nature of military service with almost despotic 
 sway J see them obliged to march to-day and to 
 halt to-moiTOw ; now to encounter the scorching 
 rays of a tropical sun, and again to freeze under 
 wintry skies j here flying to the reai' to repel the
 
 138 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 charge of cavalry, there rushing to the front to meet 
 the blaze of masked cannon ; and, after war and 
 climate have tried their mettle, sitting down in some 
 town in idleness, under all the temptations of vicious 
 pleasures, from which poison more victims sink 
 than from the fire of the enemy. If we were seen 
 thus, we should not be objects of envy even to a 
 citizen's apprentice. 
 
 What has been said is applicable to attornies, 
 coachmakers, livery-stable-keepers, and dancing- 
 masters : 
 
 •' Honour and fame from no condition rise, 
 
 •' Act well your part, there all the honour lies." 
 
 The Hindoos flock to the attorneys of Calcutta, 
 some of whom are thus enabled to live in a style 
 that a nobleman would not despise in this country. 
 Barristers in India, who become popular, generally 
 make a moderate fortune in seven years ; but some 
 successful attorneys have feathered their nests in 
 three short annual revolutions. It will easily be 
 conceived how profitable the business of an auc- 
 tioneer is in Calcutta, where a constant transfer of 
 property to a prodigious amount is taking place 
 every day. Some of the partners in the firm of 
 TuUoh and Co. have come home with princely 
 fortunes. Coach-making in such a luxurious settle- 
 ment is also very lucrative. But, in short, no pro- 
 fession is more so in India than that of a dancing- 
 master, on account of the great numbers of half
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IX INDIA. 139 
 
 casts, among whom, particularly in Calcutta, there 
 is a rage for this amusement. There are eight or 
 ten schools for young ladies in the city, at which 
 exhibition balls are given sometimes twice a month ; 
 and as many seminaries for boys on a large scale, 
 at each of which the dancing-master receives ^2 
 per month for every pupil, so that he soon makes a 
 fortune. Two hundred and fifty scholars yielded 
 Mr. M'Donnel ,^6000 per annum ; he built a pa- 
 lace and kept his carriage ; while several very 
 learned and ingenious Europeans pined in the jail 
 of Calcutta for debts contracted to save them from 
 starving. There is not in the world a worse field for 
 an adventurer out of the civil and military service, 
 who has no profession, than India ; all situations in 
 public offices being occupied by natives, except those 
 which can be procured only by interest or length 
 of service in some department under government. 
 
 There are no Jews in Calcutta, because, as has 
 been often jocosely said, a shroff or sircar would 
 out-Isaac Isaac ; and therefore, without detracting 
 in the least from the respectability of many Hin- 
 doos, it may be said, with great truth, that the 
 dregs of the people are in the most deplorable state 
 of moral and civil degradation ; truth is not iii 
 them ; and they are so addicted to gratuitous false- 
 hood, that an inferior is generally cautioned, 
 " Such bola.'' — A witness may swear with the 
 veidan on his head, and his right hand in the water 
 of the Ganges j but no judge would believe him
 
 140 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 who had experienced the perjury common in every 
 court of justice. When a young civihan arrives 
 from Europe, he generally falls into the hands of a 
 shroff or sircar, who supplies him with money, in 
 the hope of touching the perquisites when his 
 debtor shall attain political power. Many an inex- 
 perienced youth has been involved in embarrass- 
 ments by the cunning of these sharks, so as never 
 to get extricated without disgracing either himself 
 or his country by winking at the most flagitious 
 practices. Formerly the evil was deplorable ; but 
 it has met with a considerable check in the regu- 
 lations recently adopted by government : still it 
 continues, and probably will, although in the world 
 there are not civilians of more integrity and ele- 
 vated feeling than the Company's servants. The 
 trial of Mr. Bristoe at Bombay is well worth the 
 reader's attention, not merely for the eloquence 
 displayed by the advocate-general, but on account 
 of the picture of human nature which the proceed- 
 ings discover. 
 
 That passion which the poet calls the " amor 
 scelei'atiis habendi,^'' stimulates the inferior orders 
 in Hindostan to the most wicked ways of acquiring 
 riches, as an all powerful means of propitiating the 
 Brahmins, whose influence over the vulgar is in- 
 credible. With them heaven may be purchased 
 for money, and all the pains of pilgrimages to en- 
 sure happy transmigrations avoided, by endowing 
 pagodas with the fruits of extortion and knavery.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 14-1 
 
 A golden key opens the way directly to the celestial 
 sanctum sanctorum of the Hindoos. All their 
 gods are accused of the most flagitious crimes, and 
 their worshippers scruple not to follow examples so 
 seductive to human nature. But it is amazing that 
 man*s intellect can be crazed and bewildered to 
 such a degree as to believe the most palpable ab- 
 surdities, which are respected as genuine truths by 
 the mass of Brahma's followers. These credulous 
 people are in the same state of mind as Perri winkle 
 when conversing with Colonel Feignwell. The 
 old virtuoso believed that the traveller knew to the 
 breadth of a hair what quantity of combustibles the 
 sun burns in a day, and how much of it turns to 
 ashes, and how much to cinders. A Hindoo, when 
 his Goru tells him a monstrous thing, may shake 
 his head and say, 
 
 " This is marvellous strange." 
 
 But the fat Brahmin shows him the polufloisbois, 
 and the moros musphonon, and becomes as invi- 
 sible as if he wore the ring of Gyges. The Hindoo 
 account of creation may be cited as an illustration 
 of this credulity. 
 
 In the beginning there was a woman created by 
 the thirty thousand millions of gods in the fourteen 
 heavens : she was called Paraxacti, and became the 
 mother of three sons, Brahma the creator, Vishnu 
 the preserver, and Sheva the destroyer. Brahma 
 produced the four casts j the Brahmins from his
 
 142 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 head, the Khatris from his arms, the Vyases from 
 his body, and the Soodres from his feet. He formed 
 fourteen worlds, equal to the considerable parts of 
 his body, and in imitation of the number of heavens. 
 The three brothers agreed to marry their mother ; 
 but Brahma afterwards fell in love with his own 
 daughter, and endeavoured to persuade her to be- 
 come his wife. She was unwilling to comply ; but 
 he transformed himself into a stag, followed her 
 into a forest, and effected his purposes by violence. 
 His brothers, in an assembly of the thirty thousand 
 millions of gods, accused him of the crime j it was 
 determined that he should be punished by the loss 
 of one of his five heads, and Sheva tore it off with 
 his nails. 
 
 The reader will recollect that at the head of the 
 Poodicherrum ghaut Charles Thoughtless had 
 talked fondly of " his simple Mary," which no 
 doubt produced some surprize, no mention having 
 been previously made of that fair maiden. A few 
 words will, however, make what seemed mysterious 
 perfectly intelligible. Charles, upon rising to the 
 rank of pay-serjeant, had found his society courted 
 by the European shopkeeper of Cannanore, who 
 had an eye to the sale ot heel balls, shirts, and 
 nankeen for the use of the soldiers, and he was in- 
 vited to a party at his house. Mr. Morris was a 
 very agreeable young man, and lived in good style 
 on the bright sandy beach, having the cool ocean 
 in front, the fort of Cannanore to the right, and
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 143 
 
 cocoa-nut groves to the left, while the town was 
 seen from the rear. The evening was serenely 
 beautiful, and they sat in the front viranda with 
 telescopes, watching the distant objects. '* There,** 
 said Morris, " are the ladies. That elderly dame 
 is the deputy commissary's wife of Mangalore, and 
 that young creature tripping by her side is an or- 
 phan whom she has educated, having no children 
 of her own ; the other is Mrs. Victory, the conduc- 
 tor's wife ; and that dandy is a Mr. Rodriguez, who 
 plays well on the violin, and has a situation in the 
 pay-office at Tellicherry." The graceful form of 
 the young female had fixed the attention of Charles, 
 whose telescope gave her the appearance of an 
 angel, and she was immediately surrounded by all 
 the graces and loves that the warm imagination of 
 boyhood confers on a pretty girl. She wore a 
 turban, beneath which her dark tresses played upon 
 a fine complexion, while the infant swell of a lovely 
 bosom gave to her tripping step the interest of 
 maturity, with the playfulness of childhood. In 
 her eleventh year, she was just displaying that fine 
 expansion which the female form in India then dis- 
 covers, and her modest retiring look seemed to 
 avow some consciousness that she was a half-blown 
 rose. Before Charles heard the music of her voice, 
 or saw the pearls that seemed to enhance the lusci- 
 ousness to her lips, his fancy had endowed her with 
 every accomplishment. A sweet temper beamed 
 in her smile, chearfulriess lodged in the dimple of
 
 144 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 her cheek, and he discerned mirth knked in the 
 arch glance of her eye, yet restrained by tlie 
 charming timidity of virgin simphcity and con- 
 fined education ; for knowing slie was merely on a 
 visit here, he considered her as just emerged from 
 
 the solitudes of Mangalore Such is the delusion 
 
 of a youthful mind. 
 
 Nothing could surpass the harmony of the even- 
 ing. Conductor Rogers, with his Irish wit, and no 
 brogue " at all at all,^ delighted the company, 
 while the young Portugueze shewed his shape and 
 played the fiddle, and Charles spouted the battle of 
 Aughran, *' Behold, brave Sarsfield, in our camp 
 we lie ;" — Morris sang, " When the heart of a man 
 is oppressed with care ;" — Rogers gave, '* My sweet 
 pretty Mog,your'e soft as a bog, andwildasakitten ;'* 
 — Victory amused the ladies with " Poor Miss 
 Bailly ;" — Charles, upon being pressed, quavered 
 •* Love and glory;" — and the pretty young Mary, 
 after several hems, warbled " While pensive I 
 thought on my love," which electrified the dandy, 
 as he burst his stays in making her a bow to the 
 ground. In short, Charles asked Mary how she 
 liked Cannanore. " It is a charming place," said 
 she. — '* Then, perhaps, you would like to remain 
 here," observed Thoughtless, half angry with him- 
 self for being so bold. — " That may not be," re- 
 plied Mary. — *' It entirely depends upon yourself," 
 continued the rash boy. — " How, pray?" en- 
 quired she, quite unconscious of his purpose. —
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 145 
 
 '* Will you marry me ?" answered the young dog, 
 with characteristic abruptness. She blushed — 
 but with the frankness of an unsophisticated heart, 
 said, " You may ask my motiier ;'* for she called 
 her parent by adoption that tender name. After 
 escorting " his simple Mary** to the fort, he re- 
 turned home to build castles in the air, and write 
 verse about genuine love and connubial felicity. 
 
 What rapture must pervade two honest hearts. 
 If fond affection synipathv imparts ? 
 When Hymen's golden chain unites those hands, 
 Whose souls are linked bv nature's stronger bands. 
 And oh ! if offspring bless the happy pair. 
 What dear delight with them each joy to share : 
 To see the darlings smile, to hear them talk. 
 In half-form'd sweet words, and attempt to walk ; 
 The father clasps the prattlers to his breast. 
 The mother smiles to see her dears caressed, 
 And feels those joys that cannot be expressed, 
 Hangs round his neck, and gazes on each face, 
 Where strong resemblance her aff'ections trace ; 
 Such scenes as this from genuine love must flow, 
 That none but they who love can feel or know. 
 
 Poor Charles was now a smitten deer. He con- 
 sulted with his friend Frank, after he had made up 
 his mind on the subject. To his benefactor, the ad- 
 jutant, he also imparted his intention, begging his 
 advice on a subject of such importance. " I expect 
 my company shortly,** said that worthy man, " and 
 shall then go home on leave. I have your interest 
 much at heart, and it is my intention to recommend 
 you for an ensigncy to a friend who is high on the 
 
 L 
 
 }
 
 146 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 
 
 commander-in-chief's staff. Marriage at your age 
 seldom turns out well, and it may ruin your pro- 
 spects in the army. However, it would be injustice 
 on my part to throw any obstacle in your way. 
 My wish is to forward your views, consistently 
 with your own plan of happiness, which I wish 
 with all ni}^ soul you may realize." Full of gra- 
 titude, Charles made but a feeble reply. Seeing 
 however that his intention of marriage was dis- 
 pleasing to his benefactor, he formed a resolution 
 of conquering love, and intimated his determination 
 to the adjutant. He was not aware how futile his 
 endeavours were against such an opponent : 
 
 For he who stems a stream with sand. 
 And fetters flame with flaxen band. 
 Has yet a harder task to prove, 
 By firm resolve to conquer love ! 
 
 Lady of the Lake, Canto 3d. 28. 
 
 He was obliged to succumb. Proposals were for- 
 mally made and accepted, and there being no delays 
 of law, the day was fixed, the turkey killed, and 
 the ham boiled, the wedding dinner being provided 
 by Mr. Rogers, who was bride's man, when the 
 aforesaid order to march against the Nairs of 
 Wynaud retarded the completion of happiness 
 for some time. On the return of the force there- 
 fore to Cannanore, arrangements were made with- 
 out delay, and the Reverend Mr. Dunsterville 
 performed tlie ceremony with gravity, and drank 
 
 9
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 147 
 
 the bride's health with spirit. The kind adjutant 
 had built a neat bungalow for the young pair ; and 
 after dinner, it was warmed with a dance, and a 
 profusion of excellent old Madeira, sent by Captain 
 Solomon, with a note to Charles, expressing his 
 wish that the union of that day might be crowned 
 with felicity during a long life. 
 
 L ^^
 
 148 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 They may dig Tanks, plant Topes, and Lingums raise ; 
 
 Pay servile Brahmins for base fulsome praise ; 
 
 Chcnnpo the body into sleep profound, 
 
 While Nantchees dance in wanton maze around, 
 
 And Punkoes wake the dozing atmosphere, 
 
 And Bheesties cool the Tatties for more air. 
 
 But on his fate with pity I look down. 
 
 Who sells the smile of conscience for her frown ; 
 
 He blinds internal evidence of right, 
 
 And glooms his bosom with the shades of night. 
 
 In such a hot climate as India, to lay out wealth 
 in constructing reservoirs for water is considered 
 pleasing in the sight of God, and enjoined by the 
 Brahmins as a propitiation for sin. The GoriiSy to 
 whom the Hindoos confess, never fail to urge them 
 to the erection of charitable monuments, from the 
 execution of which the Brahmins derive great 
 profit, without the appearance of actually receiving 
 money ; for the sums devoted by repentance are 
 laid out by the priests of some pagoda in general, 
 who therefore make it their study, first to inflame 
 the passions, and then to rouse the terrors of re- 
 morse. Many of the tanks in India are magni- 
 ficent sheets of water, with fine flights of stairs 
 leading from the embankments to the bottom. 
 To plant shady groves is, in like manner, a delight-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 149 
 
 t'ul exercise and a sacred duty for the wealthy ; 
 and fine topes of fruit trees give a beautiful aspect 
 to the parched surface of Hindostan. The erection 
 of pagodas is deemed another propitiatory act of 
 great efficacy, and some of these structures are 
 so noble and gorgeous as to astonish Europeans, 
 who have seen the finest specimens of ancient and 
 modern art. Those temples, in which the cere- 
 monies are performed for barren women, are called 
 Lingums. In Hindostan the greatest misfortune 
 is to be childless ; the second, not to have a son to 
 perform certain rites after death. Ladies, there- 
 fore, not blest with children, being sure of losing 
 the affection of their husbands, who are at liberty 
 to supplant them by other wives, perform pilgrim- 
 ages to celebrated Lingums, and enrich the Brah- 
 mins, in the hope of prevailing on heaven to take 
 away their reproach. Powerful indeed must be that 
 feeling in the female breast, which could induce 
 Sarah to give Hagar to her husband, could urge 
 Kachel to say, *' Give me children or I die," and 
 Leah to rejoice, " Happy am I, for the daughters 
 will call me blessed." But in Lidia the same na- 
 tural desire is greater, for the agony of husbands is 
 rendered by custom even more intense than that of 
 Abraham, when he said, ** Lord God, what wilt 
 thou give me, seeing I go childless." It is said 
 that the Lingum temples conceal scenes of the 
 grossest moral depravity. 
 
 The practice of champoing, previous to the 
 
 L 3
 
 150 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 afternoon siesta, is very general among the Hin- 
 doos and Mahomedans. It is done by kneading 
 and rubbing with the hand the limbs and body. 
 Sensations are produced something a-kin to those 
 ascribed to a warm bath. The nerves become re- 
 laxed, and a pleasing something, like the soft vapour 
 of sleep, steals over the person under its operation. 
 Many of the Hindoos of luxurious habits get this 
 performed by the soft hands of females, who sit 
 beside them on rich carpets, while they lie reclined 
 on silken mattrasses. The idea of these attendants 
 rubbing an old man*s legs and arms, cracking the 
 joints of his fingers and toes, and pulling his chin, 
 ears, and nose, may cause the reader to smile, but 
 the custom is thought no more of in India than 
 that of a maid washing her master's feet in this 
 country. During the operation, bhauts entertain 
 the opulent Hindoos with stories, and nantchees 
 with song and dance, so that the luxury of a nabob, 
 lying thus under a punko, producing artificial air, 
 while the apartment is cooled by tatties, surrounded 
 by bards, musicians, and dancing girls, may be 
 easily imagined. It is a melancholy fact that the 
 moral degeneracy consequent on this custom, 
 communicates itself to Europeans, some of whom 
 have had their seraglios, bhauts, and nantchees ; 
 there being rooms covered with quilted silk mat- 
 trasses, wainscotted or inlaid completely with pier 
 glasses, and decorated in a style too characteristic 
 of their destination. The sensualists of India have
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 151 
 
 innumerable songs, and stories, and plays of 
 an unhallowed tendency. The whole Hindoo 
 mythology is filled with details as offensive to 
 decency as the vile representations that disgrace 
 the walls of their temples ; and in the great annual 
 processions of the idols, the object of the Brah- 
 mins is, by ceremonials of the same evil tendency, 
 to amuse the people, and corrupt their minds. 
 Volumes might be filled from the popular and 
 absurd accounts of the thirty thousand millions of 
 Hindoo gods, but I shall only venture to abridge 
 the incarnations of Vishnu. 
 
 A devil carried away the Veidam, and plunged 
 with it into the profound depths of the ocean. 
 The Brahmins were in despair, but Vishnu became 
 a fish, and after a long chase through the caves of 
 Neptune, restored the sacred volume to the priests 
 of his temple. The Hindoos believe there are 
 seven seas in the v/orld, one of which is composed 
 of butter. Upon a particular occasion the gods 
 determined to feast on this, and caused the golden 
 mountain which supports the fourteen heavens to 
 be brought near its shore, over which a snake with 
 one hundred heads was laid to serve them as a 
 sort of ladder by which they could reach the butter. 
 The giants of the earth seeing this, while the 
 deities were descending on one side, caught the 
 snake, and drew it towards them so violently, that 
 the frame of the universe would have given way, 
 had not Vishnu changed himself into a tortoise, 
 
 L 4
 
 15^2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and taken the world on liis back. In tlie mean- 
 time the snake, pulled by the nose on the side of 
 the giants, and by the tail on tliat of the gods, 
 was unable any longer to endure the pain, and, 
 contrary to all rules of good breeding, vomited 
 in the face of the former, many of whom were so 
 shocked at his vulgarity that they died. But those 
 who survived fought the gods, and gained pos- 
 session of the sea of butter. Upon which Vishnu 
 changed himself into a perfect Venus, and dis- 
 tracted their hearts so completely with love, that 
 the gods were enabled to finish the feast with 
 comfort. 
 
 Some time after the creation of the world, the 
 three brothers, Brahma, Vishnu, and Sheva, the 
 latter of whom is often called Rutrem, quarrelled 
 respecting the extent of their power. "Gentlemen,'* 
 says Sheva, " listen ; to end our dispute I shall 
 hide my head and legs where I please ; if either 
 of you be able to find them, to him I shall submit ; 
 but should you both search in vain, I am to be 
 acknowledged as supreme." Brahma changed 
 himself into a swan, and put his long neck into 
 every hole in the universe, but all to no purpose, 
 till the thistle flower discovered to him where the 
 head was. The feet were, however, still to be 
 found, and in search of these Vishnu became a hog, 
 and rooted up the bowels of the whole earth without 
 success. His next metamorphosis was into a mon- 
 ster. He had formed a friendship with a giant
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 153 
 
 named Iranian, and granted him the favour that no 
 one should be able to kill him by night or by day. 
 The giant thinking himself invulnerable, became a 
 horrible tyrant ; but Vishnu rushed upon him in 
 the evening under the shape of a lion, half man, and 
 not only tore him to pieces, but drank his blood. 
 After this he became a dwarf^ to punish a giant 
 named Magapelixacravanti, who had abused his 
 power by grinding the faces of the poor. Vishnu 
 requested three feet of ground to build a house for 
 himself and family ; but the giant's prime minister, 
 the morning star, suspecting that the dwarf had 
 some treasonable project in view, by the force of 
 magic, glided down the throat of his master when 
 he was going to pour the water of possession on the 
 applicant's hand : this feat cost him dear ; for in- 
 stead of preventing the grant, the king feeling a 
 tickling in his throat thrust a sharp instrument into 
 his gullet, by which his prime minister suffered the 
 loss of an eye. The dwarf being now in legal pos- 
 session, became so large that the kingdom could 
 not contain the little toe of his foot, and he kicked 
 the head of Magapelixacravanti to helL Having 
 seen the wickedness of the giants he determined 
 upon punishing them all, and assumed the form of 
 a man named Rameni, who went about the world 
 washing his hands in the blood of tyrants. The 
 last incarnation of Vishnu was into a ncirro. A 
 king named Campsen had a sister called Exuda, 
 and a magician had predicted that he would be
 
 154 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 dethroned by one of her children. To prevent this, 
 he put them to death as soon as they were born ; 
 but Vishnu was her eighth child, and escaped by 
 being brought up as a shepherd. On arriving at 
 the years of maturity, he raised an army and put 
 his uncle to death. He then married several wives ; 
 but remembering the charms of rural life, he fur- 
 nished himself with sixteen thousand shepherdesses. 
 His next incarnation is expected in the form of a 
 horse j and he is now supposed to be wallowing in 
 a sea of milk reclined on a snake, which serves him 
 for pillow and bed. 
 
 These fables are ridiculous in our eyes ; but 
 nothing should be esteemed so that has the effect 
 of bewildering the human mind, and upholding 
 such a delusion as the system of Brahminical ido- 
 latry. It may amuse the reader, who has never 
 dipped into Hindoo mythology, to hear part of 
 what is related of Rutrem. 
 
 He married a princess named Parvardi, daughter 
 of the king of the mountains, with whom he lived 
 a thousand years. His brothers were displeased, and 
 dragged him from his wife, dooming him to an exile 
 on earth, during which time he went about prac- 
 tising all kinds of lewdness. Parvardi went in 
 search of him, and one day while bathing wished 
 for a child, upon which one rolled off with the dew 
 from her forehead, and she called him Vinayaguin. 
 Her husband was greatly surprized upon his return 
 to see this child, but believed his wife's story, and
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN IXDIA. 15.5 
 
 adopted the boy as his son. But his trouble was 
 not over ; for his father-in-law, having heard of his 
 debaucheries when in exile, would not admit him 
 to his presence. He however entered the ban- 
 quefeting-hall, where he and the gods were regaling 
 themselves, and tore them by the hair, from the 
 fragments of which a giant rose that disfurnished 
 the sun's mouth of teeth, and left those bruises on 
 the face of the moon which are seen to this day. 
 He killed several of the guests, and threw the head 
 of young Vinayaguin to the dogs ; but Rutrem 
 replaced it by fixing an elephant's head on his 
 shoulders so precisely that the veins united. The 
 next transformation of Vishnu proved extremely 
 embarrassing to Rutrem ; but it would afford no 
 amusement on recital. 
 
 The moral depravity to which the Brahminical 
 idolatry leads, during the early part of life, engen- 
 ders the keenest stings of remorse in age ; and 
 every where may be seen the most wonderful efforts 
 to reconcile memory with conscience. Devotees 
 will perform pilgrimages of five hundred miles on 
 the broad of the back, never rising during the 
 whole time from that position. A penitent \\'dll 
 stand on one leg so long as to cause it to swell to a 
 prodigious size. Knives are thrust through the 
 cheeks, so that the blades cross each other out of 
 the mouth, and thus mangled, the penitent lies on 
 thorns exposed to the sun, with his face smeared 
 with sugar to attract flies. Others swing suspended
 
 156 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 from the rim of a very high wheel by an iron hook 
 run through the tendons of the back for a long 
 time, while the wheel is turned violently round. 
 Many throw themselves under the wheels of the 
 great car in the processions to be crushed to death ; 
 and others drown themselves in the sacred rivers, 
 that their bodies may feed alligators, held in vene- 
 ration for that purpose. 
 
 It may be said that the object of these sacrifices 
 is to ensure happy transmigrations ; but many of 
 them are made as atonements for sins remembered 
 with an agonized spirit. 
 
 That appearance of despising the gifts of fortune 
 so common in India is not always real. Diogenes 
 may be seen every where in his tub ; that is, 
 sa7iyasees are numerous, who voluntarily deprive 
 themselves of what are esteemed the comforts of 
 Kfe. They sit every day naked in the sun's glare, 
 covered with ashes, seemingly unmindful of every 
 earthly thing. But many of them have enjoyments 
 at night in the recesses of pagodas, that are enriched 
 by the tributes paid to their self-devotion. 
 
 Soon after the marriage of Charles Thoughtless, 
 Ensign True was promoted to a lieutenancy. No 
 young officer had ever passed through this novi- 
 ciate more respectably. He was esteemed by his 
 superiors, respected by his equals, and beloved by 
 the soldiers. No quarrel nor midnight brawl had 
 sullied his reputation as a good-natured companion 
 and perfect gentleman j for when ruffled by the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 157 
 
 petulance of others, he had always shown that he 
 wished neitiier to offend nor be offended ; and his 
 intimacy w4th the worthy adjutant secured him 
 from the company of those who drank brandy pawny 
 after their return from the mess. Indeed his com- 
 mon-place book was a proof how much he respected 
 the understanding of his friend and instructor ; for 
 he had enriched it by transcribing from his choice 
 collection of books every passage marked by the 
 adjutant's pencil, and had fingered the leaves of 
 Cowper, that gentleman's favourite poet, so much, 
 that he evinced the congeniality of his taste. And 
 it is suspected that an article under the letter E. 
 was an extract from the adjutant's memorandums, 
 the writer not having met with it in any of the 
 works on the art of war. It ran very nearly thus : 
 
 As ensign, you have power over the happiness of 
 the soldiers under your command greater than any 
 magistrate possesses for controlling the subjects of 
 our sovereign. Your authority extends directly 
 or indirectly to every man in the regiment ; for you 
 may punish to an extent that exceeds the jurisdic- 
 tion of any justice of the peace without an infor- 
 mation before him on oath. If your own liberty 
 be taken away by the articles of war, you gave it 
 up voluntarily, and have no right to murmur j but 
 the sweeping clauses that govern the very manners 
 of an officer, and render him at every moment 
 accountable to a court of propriety for ungentle- 
 manlike conduct, have vested him with tremendous
 
 158 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 privileges over the soldiers. If you confine them 
 unnecessarily ; if you irritate brave spirits by send- 
 ing them to drills merely to gratify your own 
 peevishness, without any view to the public good ; 
 if you brow-beat them, and sink them in their own 
 estimation, or provoke them to forget fear ; a word 
 may escape which a court-martial will deem insolent, 
 and your eyes behold the blood of a gallant fellow 
 whipped out of his veins ; while such is his firmness 
 of soul, that he bites through a bullet placed be- 
 tween his teeth to enable him to endure the pain, 
 without permitting the escape of a sigh from his 
 heart. But what must be the anguish of his soul 
 in reflecting that a boy was invested with such 
 murderous power over a man. Remember for what 
 General Ziethen was beloved by the soldiers, and 
 why General Wolfe almost adored. They were 
 idolized for generosity, charity, valour, mercy, 
 virtue, and religion. Remember, too, that " every 
 quality which is enjoined by Christianity as a virtue, 
 is recommended by politeness as an accomplish- 
 ment j gentleness, humility, deference, affability, and 
 a readiness to assist and serve on all occasions, are as 
 necessary in the composition of a true Christian as 
 in that of a well-bred man. Passion, moroseness, 
 peevishness, and supercilious self-sufficiency, are 
 equally repugnant to the characters of both." Re- 
 member also to guard against dissipation, into 
 which many a youth is led more by idleness and 
 ennui than by disposition. It destroys the sensi-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 159 
 
 bilities of the heart, and debases all the generous 
 and exalted feelings of the soul. Many young men 
 in India delight in what are vulgarly called mid- 
 night-rows, to frighten the poor natives ; but this 
 custom will be more honoured in the breach than 
 the observance. Hear how the enlightened Sir 
 James Macintosh addressed Lieutenants Macguire 
 and Cauty at Bombay. 
 
 " A soldier has taken up arms to protect the 
 rights of his fellow-citizens, and to preserve the 
 public quiet. He is an armed minister of the laws, 
 and we expect from him a peculiar affection and 
 veneration for those unarmed laws and magistrates 
 for whose protection he has girt on his sword. 
 Every true soldier must have too great a reverence 
 for the noble virtue of courage to sully and degrade 
 it in the wretched frays of sottish ruffians : it is re- 
 served for nobler objects ; he will not prostitute it 
 on such vile and ignoble occasions. True fortitude 
 is too serious, toograve,too proud a quality to endure 
 such degradation. Such vices are most unofficer- 
 like, because they are most ungentleman-like. As 
 long as courage continues to be one of the distinctive 
 qualities of a gentleman, so long must the profession 
 of arms be regarded as the depository and guardian 
 of all the feelings and principles which constitute 
 that character. A gentleman is a man of more 
 refined feelings and manners than his fellow men. 
 An officer is, or ought to be, peculiarly and emi- 
 nently a gentleman. But there is nothhig so low
 
 160 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and vulgar as the fame of a bully, and the renown 
 of midnight brawls ; they imply every quality of a 
 highwayman but his courage, and they very often 
 lead to his fate.'* 
 
 Every officer should also bear in mind that 
 whenever he forgets to control himself, and 
 to keep down those offensive qualities of the 
 mind that rouse resistance to authority, he in- 
 jures the gracious sovereign his master, and 
 wounds the interests of his country, by cir- 
 culating complaint and dissatisfaction amongst 
 the men, who lose all esprit du corps under mis- 
 management. Men naturally dislike their supe- 
 riors. Liberty and freedom are inherent in our 
 animal constitutions j but the understanding sub- 
 mits to what reason pronounces a benefit, and gra- 
 titude swells the hearts of soldiers with affection 
 towards officers who can penetrate sensation, and 
 govern according to the principles that guide and 
 win them. Clearchus restored order when con- 
 fusion reigned in his army, by seeming to join with 
 his soldiers in revolt from the standard of young 
 Cyrus, and the latter secured their co-operation in 
 his projects by knowing how to touch the master-key 
 of their passions. Like a skilful musician, he placed 
 his finger on that stop which produced the desired 
 effect. This shows the necessity of learning in youth 
 how to command in age. Nothing can more finely 
 inculcate the importance of study than many 
 parts of Santa Cruz. " Alexandre appelloit les
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. l6l 
 
 oeuvres d*Homere, qu'il portoit toiijours avec lui, 
 * le recueil de toute la discipline militaire, et des 
 actions de valeur.' " ^* II vous est fort avantageux," 
 dite Tite Live, " de voir dans des personnes illustres 
 des examples de toute fa9on, qui vous apprennent 
 a imiter ce qui pent vous etre utileeta la republique, 
 ou a eviter ce qui n*a eu qu*un commencement et 
 un succes honteux.'* Aristote dit, " que I'histoire 
 sertinfinement dans les deliberations; parcequepour 
 I'ordinaire les choses futures sont fort semblables 
 aux choses passees." In short, think while you 
 have leisure, that you may know how to execute 
 with promptitude, and let the following books re- 
 ceive yourparticular attention : —The Bible, Homer, 
 Thucydides, Xenophon, Caesar, Plutarch, Q. Cur- 
 tius, Polyaenus, Frontinus, Vegetius, Appian, 
 Arrian, Folard's Polybius, Livy's Tacitus, Machia- 
 velli, Gustavus's History, Charles the XII., Cam- 
 pagne du Prince de Conde en 167'^!^, Philip of Ma- 
 cedon, Histoire de Scipio et d'Epaminondas, Tu- 
 renne's Maxims, Turenne's two last Campaigns ; 
 Puysegur, Art de la Guerre ; St. Rcmy d'Antoni, 
 Santa Cruz, Guichard, Guibert, Mazeroy, Mem. 
 de Fenquire, Reverie do Saxe, Le Pere Daniel, King 
 of Prussia, Templehoffe, Lloyd, Histoirc de la 
 guerre en Bohcme ; Military Miscellany, Life of 
 Marlborough, Cambridge ; Dirom's wars in India, 
 Dundas ; Instructions for Hussars, Seldom ; Pleydol's 
 Field Fortification, Mem. de Mouluc, Mem. de 
 Surlaben, Jackson on Armies, Life of Buonaparte, 
 
 M
 
 162 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and of Wellington, with the French Bulletins, and 
 the Duke of York's Regulations. 
 
 George serenaded Nannette no more, for he was 
 so frequently in her society, and his attentions were 
 received with such frank cordiality by Madame 
 and Monsieur Fortier, that he had golden oppor- 
 tunities of fanning the lively spark of prepossession 
 in her tender breast into a flame of affection, which 
 nothing but the chill of death could extinguish ; 
 and the noble generosity of her soul attempted not 
 to conceal that the ardent love he evinced for her 
 was pleasing to her heart. He admired the elegant 
 simplicity in which Mr. Fortier's accomplished little 
 circle lived. Instead of the heavy gorgeous dinners 
 at Cannanore, from which the ladies made their 
 exit soon after the cloth, to leave the gentlemen at 
 liberty to enjoy their claret, the dishes at Mahe were 
 light and proper for a hot climate, cooling fruits 
 were in great plenty, only a few glasses of excellent 
 wine were drank, after which cofiee was introduced, 
 and music, drawing, or interesting conversation 
 supplied the place of drowsy libations. The ad- 
 mirable moderation recommended by Horace in the 
 second satire of his second book is well understood 
 by the French in India. They never rise pale and 
 sated from the gross indulgence of pampered palates; 
 on the contrary, their frames are animated by a 
 constant flow of healthy vivacious spirits. There 
 were a few very agreeable families at Mahe. An 
 accomplished Major resided there on his parole.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 1()S 
 
 having been taken with his wife and daugliter on 
 tlieir passage to Java, who aided Nannette in the 
 scientific parts of music and drawing ; and a Mon- 
 sieur Panouilliers, professor of languages, who at- 
 tended lier in acquiring a knowledge of Latin and 
 ItaUan, was a most gentlemanly person, and ex- 
 tensively acquainted with general literature. But 
 Nannette was also studying the Persian tongue 
 under aMoonshee, and receiving lessons in Sanscrit 
 from a Pundit belonging to the judges court of 
 Calicut. George was charmed to find Nannette*s 
 taste so congenial to his own ; her reading was 
 more extensive than his ; but such was her delicate 
 attention to the feelings of the human heart, that 
 she concealed her superiority, and permitted one 
 half of the beauties in their morning amusements 
 to be pointed out to her. He joined in all her 
 studies with the ardor of an enthusiast, and Mr. 
 Fortier would often say, while they were devouring 
 the pages of French, Italian, English, and Persian 
 authors, *' My children, haec studia adolescentiam 
 alunt, senectutem oblectant, sccundas res ornant, 
 adversis solatium et perfugium pra^bent, delectant 
 domi, non impediunt fbris, pernoctant nobiscum, 
 peregrinantur, rusticantur.'* He was sincerely at- 
 tached to the interests of the Bourbons, and having 
 left France before the revolution, he abhorred its 
 excesses; and although he admired the wit of Vol- 
 taire, and the eloquence of Rousseau, he detested 
 tlieir impiety and abhorred their principles. Yet 
 
 m2
 
 164« FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 as a Frenchman he exulted in the glory of'his coun- 
 try, and the fine traits of Napoleon's character had 
 captivated his admiration ; but though the conver- 
 sation often adverted to this interesting topic, no 
 offensive comparison was ever made by either him 
 or the Major j on the contrary, all their praise was 
 bestowed upon British intrepidity, our national ge- 
 nerosity, our noble constitution, and the freedom 
 ensured to the press by our glorious laws. 
 
 " Ah !'* said the old gentleman, " had the Em- 
 peror granted liberty to the French nation, which 
 their generous confidence in his conspicuous virtue 
 deserved, he would have sui'passed all that was ex- 
 cellent in the character of Alexander as depicted by 
 Rollin ; but he is insulting the affection that 
 idolized him, and breaking the spirit that depended 
 upon his kindness." 
 
 " His good genius left him," said Madame For- 
 tier, *' when he sacrificed to ambition his con- 
 jugal affection for Josephine." 
 
 " During his rise," said the Major, "virtue was 
 the god of his idolatry ; but having never appreci- 
 ated * the uses of adversity,* he is infatuated with 
 good fortune, and forgets the moral truth that it is 
 the interest of a king to live in the hearts of his 
 subjects." 
 
 " Much might be said," rephed George, " by 
 way of apology for your magnificent emperor. In 
 short, major, he might answer you in the words of 
 Dido, ^Res dura^etregni novitasme taliacogunt." And
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 1 65 
 
 perhaps he may yet do all that is expected, when 
 the memory of the past will gild the joy of the fu- 
 ture ; for it must be acknowledged that he is one of 
 the most singular men that ever lived, — a genius in 
 war, eloquence, and government. In Italy, his rapid 
 combinations astonished all ; can any thing be more 
 beautifully pathetic than his letter from Egypt to 
 Madame Bruire on the death of her husband, or 
 more sublime than his allusion to the pyramids just 
 before the battle in their vicinity ; and what can ex- 
 ceed the grasp of his intellect in combining the 
 powers of Europe in one centre of co-operation with 
 his projects ?'* 
 
 " Ah !'* said Nannette, " as a military man, you 
 are naturally an admirer of the hero, rather than of 
 the sage." 
 
 " However,'* replied the Major, giving George a 
 kind grasp of his right hand, " I honour the man 
 who can see the merit of an enemy, and look for- 
 ward with anxious hope to those happy days when 
 unrestrained intercourse may subsist between your 
 generous country and ours.'* 
 
 Many traits in tliis charming society pleased 
 George, and one was the tender attention constantly 
 paid to theii' wives by Mr.Fortier and the Major,who 
 never went out, even for a short excursion, with- 
 out kissing their ladies on the cheeks and forehead, 
 which some people may laugh at as a ridiculous cus- 
 tom, and signifying no more than " my love," and 
 " my dear,'* so common between many a pair who
 
 166 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 
 
 have their private quarrels ; yet nothing is ricliculou& 
 that contributes to happiness and keeps up harmony 
 and respect, where unceremonious familiarity would 
 be so apt to engender neglect. 
 
 George was at first greatly amused with Nan- 
 nette's Moonshee, who was an old Mussulman with 
 an exuberant beard and of a polished address, but 
 who generally fell asleep while his pupil was learn- 
 ing her lesson. Her good-nature never permitted 
 her to use any expression to rouse the aged pre- 
 ceptor, now beginning to sink under the infirmity of 
 years ; but when she encountered any letter so 
 cramply written as to baffle her conjecture at the 
 word, she paused, and the Moonshee, struck as it 
 were by the harshness of silence, would start, and 
 by an explanation enable her sweet voice to pro- 
 ceed, when shaking his head, like the figure of 
 a Chinese mandarine in a toy-shop, he would re- 
 lapse into slumber, and Nannette would, with a 
 look of compassion, gently reprove George, for 
 being disposed to laugh at the oddity of the con- 
 trast between the lovely girl and the dozing grey 
 beard, incapable of enthusiasm in the presence of 
 such beauty, by saying, " You there behold the 
 change wrought by time on mortality, and such will 
 be our portraits in a few years." 
 
 '' But not with such beards, fair lady, I hope," 
 said he, smiling. 
 
 " Your chin may be shorn, fair gentleman," re- 
 plied Nannette, with a sigh; "but your brent brow
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. l67 
 
 will exhibit those wrinkles, and ray cheeks that 
 ashy paleness." 
 
 " The thought is too melancholy for a jest," an- 
 swered George, and a tear started to his eye. 
 
 But at other times the Moonshee was talkative 
 and well-informed ; and the Pundit was such a 
 great astronomer and mathematician, that while 
 Nannette was decyphering the Sanscrit characters, 
 he would lean his head so far back over the chair, 
 calculating eclipses on the ceiling, that his turban 
 would generally fall off and expose his unconscious 
 and closely-shaved pate to the excitement of 
 George's suppressed mirth j for his black beard in 
 that position protruding so much, gave to his sharp 
 features a lengthened appearance irresistibly comic. 
 But when not absorbed in reverie, he was very in- 
 telligent, and spoke tolerably good English. He 
 often played chess with George while the Moon- 
 shee was attending to Nannette*s improvement; but 
 at other times he sat as before described, and the 
 group would really have made an admirable subject 
 for the pencil of Hogarth. 
 
 George felt the greatest anxiety to be united for 
 ever to Nannette, and yet he hesitated to make any 
 direct proposal on the subject. Endowed with a 
 more reflecting mind than Charles Thoughtless, he 
 often ruminated upon the importance of marriage, 
 and the prospect of having a family to support on 
 subaltern's pay. In the meantime another mon- 
 soon had passed. The rainy season sets in on the 
 
 M 4
 
 168 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Malabar coast more awfully than in any other part 
 of India. Were it not for the interposition of the 
 ghauts, the whole country would receive renovation 
 by the S.W. monsoon, which brings with it the va- 
 pours of the Indian ocean. Its approach is an- 
 nounced by the most tremendous peals of thunder 
 that imagination can conceive, and lightning so 
 vivid and frequent, that night is converted into day 
 by the almost continuous blaze of the rushing elec- 
 trical fluid. After this awful announcement, which 
 is generally at night, the flood-gates of heaven open, 
 and it rains in torrents for ten or twelve days and 
 nights together, so that the rivers from the Ghauts 
 swell prodigiously, and course with grand precipi- 
 tation to the sea, sweeping all before them, so that 
 Bartolomeo supposed that the numerous large snakes 
 observed on the Malabar coast were washed from 
 the ghauts by the torrents. The rain having thus 
 continued for some time, there is an interval of 
 showery weather, followed by another dreadful hurri- 
 cane; and at the end of the monsoon, which continues 
 three months, there is a frightful thunder storm 
 called the Elephanta. No rain falls afterwards for 
 the remainder of the year, except in the vicinity of 
 the ghauts, where showers sometimes occur before 
 the commencement and after the termination of the 
 monsoon on the coast. The monsoon travels at a 
 regular rate northward, and therefore in that direc- 
 tion one climate receives it later than another, and 
 with less violence. When it reaches the Hemaleah
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. l69 
 
 range, it turns eastward 5 so that at Calcutta it ap- 
 pears to approach from the north, and sets in with 
 violent north- westers, which are seen travelling with 
 clouds of dust in the van towards the city, in such 
 an appalling form as to turn day into night, and to 
 prevent all communication during the time of their 
 fury.
 
 170 
 
 CHAP. XL 
 
 Behold the Sircar sly, inured to guile, 
 
 Mark the persuasive cringe and ready smile ; 
 
 The blackest vice is easy to the knave ; 
 
 Bribe him, he sits as silent as the grave ; 
 
 Lure him with gold, he swears that black is white, 
 
 A plunge in Gunga sets his conscience right. 
 
 Sircars are the native agents of Bengal, who col- 
 lect debts and cash drafts for the shroffs, in whose 
 establishments they sit on mats with their bags of 
 money, and scales to weigh it, and their books, 
 made of the leaves of the palm, on which with a 
 style, the entries are written. Their sons are 
 brought up as crannies, and every European gentle- 
 man has one of them to keep his accounts. Ex- 
 posed to temptation, and accustomed from child- 
 hood to lying and cheating, almost every sircar is 
 of the character described in the above lines. Such 
 as are intended to go into the service of Europeans, 
 make prodigious exertions in learning to speak and 
 write English. Some of them are sent to school 
 for that purpose ; but many pick it up by ear, with 
 the assistance of other natives and a dictionary. It 
 is wonderful how accurately a Hindoo can copy 
 English, without knowing a word of what he is 
 writing. We find how difficult it is to transcribe
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 171 
 
 Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or French, without being 
 able to read those languages ; but many crannies 
 will write in our character, which is as different 
 from their own as Hebrew is from English, and 
 copy proceedings in council, correspondence of 
 government, and papers containing intricate re- 
 searches in science, without knowing the meaning 
 of one word in the whole, or how to spell a syllable. 
 Some of their attempts at fine English, when they 
 advance so far as to become conceited, is truly 
 ludicrous. A volume of malaprop letters might be 
 produced j but one specimen, from Captain Wil- 
 liamson*s East India Vade Mecum, may suffice. 
 
 The cranny who composed it was left by his 
 master in charge of his bungalow for a few days j 
 during that time a high wind arose and blew down 
 one of the window shutters. He determined upon 
 apprizing him of this, and inwardly rejoiced at the 
 opportunity afforded him of shewing his proficiency 
 in English. Let the reader conceive an office-desk 
 with a cranny seated at it j a dictionary placed be- 
 fore him, with a slate and pencil, and self-exultation 
 in his countenance. He turns over the leaves with 
 a finger and thumb, and an earnestness of counte- 
 nance that would have done honour to Dr.Sangrado, 
 ■upon the occasion of feeling the canon's pulse. 
 He shakes his head — rubs the globe of memory — 
 erases the word he had written as fit for his purpose, 
 and chooses another of more learned and fulmi- 
 nating sound. Then he takes his pen and paper,
 
 17^ FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and dispatches to his master what he thinks will 
 truly surprize him : 
 
 HONOURABLE SIR, 
 
 Yesterday vesper arrive great hurricane, valve 
 of little apperture not fasten ; first make great tre- 
 pidation and palpitation, then precipitate into pre- 
 cinct. God grant master more long life and more 
 great post. 
 
 I remain, honourable Sir, 
 
 In all token of respect, 
 Master's writer, 
 
 BiSSONAUT MaITRE. 
 
 P. S. No tranquillity in house since valve ad- 
 journ ; I send for carpenter to make re-unite. 
 
 Yet some of the sircars make a very consider- 
 able advance towards an accurate knowledge of the 
 grammatical construction of English, and learn to 
 speak and write it well enough for business. The 
 following is an actual letter from a native house of 
 agency, and a specimen of middling composition: — 
 
 Sir, 
 We have pleasure acknowledge yours, ISth in- 
 stant. Have sent goods cording you order, and 
 hope you find all first quality. We madam supply 
 with money whenever she send us. Your remit- 
 tance last month received in course, and placed 
 your account. Have looked all place here for white
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. I7S 
 
 cloth, such you want — none can find — soon as 
 we get shall send next supphes with, 
 
 Remain, Sir, 
 
 With prayers for liealth. 
 
 Your obedient humble Servants, 
 
 HuRRUMBO, Dass, Sons, & Co. 
 
 But some of the letters received from natives are 
 written in perfectly grammatical language ; yet the 
 above is about the standard of general correspon- 
 dence with Europeans in every part of India where 
 the Hindoos, Mahomedans, and Parsees conduct 
 their business in our language. 
 
 The sircars of Calcutta are employed by the 
 shroffs, it is said, to inveigle the young civilians to 
 borrow money. But in most cases every one acts 
 on his own account, though he impresses on the 
 mind of the borrower tliat he is very poor, and 
 would not for the world, if he had money of his 
 own, charge twelve per cent, compound interest. 
 These sharks watch on the banks of the Hoogly 
 for the arrival of strangers, and introduce them- 
 selves with much address. Should a young man 
 have no friend at hand, he inevitably falls into the 
 clutches of a sircar ; for being surrounded and 
 assailed by crowds whose language he does not un- 
 derstand, he feels the necessity of employing some 
 one of that cast to whom he can communicate his 
 wants without hesitation. He who overcomes the 
 rest by his powers of persuasion, places his young
 
 174 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 master in a palankeen, and guides him and his lug- 
 gage to that tavern whence he receives pay for 
 bringing custom. Tiien he hires servants, each of 
 whom pays for his place ; and having ascertained 
 by enquiries the nature of the youth's prospects, if 
 money be wanting, he can get some from a shroff 
 on master's 7iotey on account of which, perhaps, 
 some time afterwards, master is lodged in gaol, 
 should unpromising circumstances occur. In short, 
 if a young adventurer have not some friend to take 
 him by the hand on his arrival in India, he remains 
 at the mercy of his sircar, who gets any English 
 money the stranger may have brought for half its 
 value, astonishes him with bills, and induces him to 
 enter into the pleasures of the town. 
 
 Throughout Hindostan every youth intended 
 for business is well instructed in accounts. Most 
 of the natives can speak and write several dialects. 
 The system of education is on the plan that was 
 adopted from the Hindoos by the Rev. Mr. Bell at 
 Madras, and improved upon by Lancaster. Teach- 
 ing is generally conducted in an open viranda, 
 upon the floor of which sand is spread, where the 
 children learn to trace the characters of the alpha- 
 bet. While reciting their lessons they make a great 
 noise, and stand in a ring round the master, who 
 corrects any error in tone, gesture, or emphasis, 
 and manages them as the conductor of a band does 
 the musicians under his cliarge. After completing 
 their studies at a native school, some of them are 
 13
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 175 
 
 sent to the European seminaries at the three presi- 
 dencies, where they learn to read Virgil and 
 Horace, become versed in mathematics, and are 
 taught how to solve quadratic equations and cu- 
 rious problems in fluxions. In short, their capa- 
 city as calculators is very great ; for vegetable food 
 is so friendly to clearness of head, that all their 
 faculties, retentive powers particularly, are in full 
 animal perfection. Abstraction is with the Hin- 
 doos a practical virtue, and they can fix the mind 
 with intensity on a particular object, so that it is 
 not uncommon in every city to meet with men who 
 can play successfully at chess without seeing the 
 board. But in reasoning on moral or political 
 points, their understandings seem to be tinged with 
 prejudice. They are like the blind men spoken of 
 by Locke and Burke, who could not distinguish 
 colours without actual contact. In short, where 
 any thing is tangible, can be regularly analysed, 
 or touched with the finger, they are unrivalled. 
 The eldest son of Gopez Mohun Tagore was so 
 expert in contracted arithmetic, that he could 
 multiply and divide in half the time required by 
 any process known in Europe, and he wrote a hand 
 as swift as speech, and yet with such geometrical 
 precision, that it surpassed copper-plate. 
 
 The native agency of India is carried on with 
 admirable regularity. Money may be transferred 
 from one part of the country to another in all direc- 
 tions with ease. The shroffs hoondies are as good
 
 176 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 as bai>k of England paper. Posts are as regular 
 through all the Company's provinces as they are in 
 this country. The letter-bag is carried by a man 
 called tappal, who runs as fast as a post-horse for 
 one stage; he is then relieved by another runner 
 in waiting; and thus communication is kept up nearly 
 at the rate of the mail coach with us. During the 
 night the tappal carries a torch and bells to frighten 
 away wild beasts, so that his course is seen afar off 
 like a meteor, and heard by the tigers and elephants, 
 which crouch for fear. 
 
 Nevertheless, masters and servantsso often mis- 
 understand each other, that many ludicrous blun- 
 ders happen every day, and a young man new from 
 Europe may be seen stamping and raging with 
 disappointment at a grave Hindoo, who is too dull 
 to comprehend his meaning, although the sircar 
 who engaged him had protested that he could speak 
 English quite well. A volume might be filled with 
 anecdotes on this fertile subject. Two short ones 
 may be adduced as examples. 
 
 An officer told his servant in Hindostannee to go 
 to a friend with his salam and borrow his saddle. 
 In explaining this, he used an article which made 
 the boy conceive that he wanted quite another 
 thing, for he returned with a bhote salam and a bottle 
 of gin to him who had sent for the loan of a saddle. 
 The word gin in the Hindostannee language means 
 a saddle, and as there is no name for the juice of 
 the juniper in India, blacky thought his saheeb 
 wantfed to take a drink instead of a ride.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 177 
 
 Several officers mounted tlieir Arabians in bamp 
 near Baroda, and gallopped off to see the Guick- 
 wars gardens, desiring their grooms to follow. On 
 coming into the suburbs of the city, they hired a 
 guide, who readily undertook to conduct them. 
 One who spoke tolerable Hindostannee had ex- 
 plained their object to their conductor, who seemed 
 all intelligence, went up one street and down ano- 
 ther, passed through a great gate, and making a full 
 stop said, '' Most noble gentlemen, there are the 
 Guickwars gardens." Those whom he addressed 
 stared, for they beheld a collection of tigers, lions, 
 cheetoes, rhinoceroses, and elephants, well secured 
 in monstrous cages. ** Terrible, terrible, terrible, 
 upon my honour,'* said the wortliy Scotch captain, 
 who had instructed the guide, " that I should not 
 have remembered how like hangon is to haiighan ; 
 terrible, terrible, terrible, upon my honour." 
 
 Gentle reader, while George True was languish- 
 ing for Nannette, Charles Thoughtless was in pos- 
 session of domestic bliss. The former was often 
 distracted in balancing a logical account between 
 ambition and love, when the latter was delighted by 
 the vivacity of his young companion. An apart- 
 ment had been erected in the compound for Frank 
 Stanley, whose steady friendship and sober sense 
 were serviceable to the young pair ; and the bene- 
 volent adjutant would often drop in when he did not 
 really want to see the regimental returns, but used 
 this as a pretext for his coming, that he might 
 
 N
 
 178 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 
 
 witness the harmony and felicity of their humble 
 dwelling. Mr. True was also a frequent looker-on ; 
 but about this period he lost his Mentor, who re- 
 turned to Europe on leave of absence for the benefit 
 of his health, and Panama with her two ayahs retir- 
 ed into the spicy groves of Malabar, to subsist on 
 the little independence which, through the influence 
 of her charms, the weakness of a good man had 
 bestowed. The adjutancy fell to the lot of a most 
 worthy successor ; generous, brave, frank, and dis- 
 cerning, he made it his glory to distinguish and 
 reward humble merit j hence Charles Thoughtless 
 and Frank Stanley experienced a change in their 
 immediate master, but none in the good offices of 
 a real friend. 
 
 Soon after the departure of Captain Noble for 
 Europe, an unexpected occurrence hastened the 
 accomplishment of George's fate. In one of his 
 morning visits to Mahe, he found Mr. Fortier and 
 the family in a state of dejection, which was so un- 
 usual a sight that a tear started to his eye, when, 
 in grasping the worthy Frenchman's hand, he said, 
 *' My dearest Sir, what can have happened to shade 
 with sorrow the happiness I so lately witnessed ?"^ 
 
 ** Such, my child," said he, *' is the alternation 
 of human life. I have received very unpleasant 
 news from Europe, which will oblige me to sail for 
 England very shortly, my presence being absolutely 
 required there j and as Mrs. Fortier*s health is in a 
 declining state, she intends to accompany me with 
 6
 
 If-IFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 1/9 
 
 Nannette, and really the idea of parting with scenes 
 and friends so long familiar to affection has saddened 
 that enjoyment of life for which we usually evince 
 our gratitude to Providence." 
 
 This intelligence almost petrified George ; but 
 upon recovering his faculties of speech, he opened 
 his hopes respecting Mr. Fortier\s adopted daugh- 
 ter, and intimated that he had wrung from her a 
 blushing consent. Mr. Fortier frankly avowed that 
 he thought no man in existence more worthy of 
 Nannette, "though/* said he, "she is a girl that 
 could only love for the fine qualities of the soul.'* 
 In short, Madame Fortier also expressed her high 
 satisfaction ; '* for," said she, " it has been the wish 
 of my heart to see you and Nannette happy." 
 Mr. Fortier then apprized George that Nannette 
 had only two thousand rupees of her own, but 
 added that he had placed j^2500 at interest, with 
 Chase, Chinnery, and Co. of Madras, soon after 
 her mother's death, with the intention of transferring 
 it to his wife's namesake on her wedding-day. 
 
 *' My dearest sir," replied George, "your in- 
 tention was noble, but I never thought of wealth 
 and Nannette together ; she is a treasure in herself^ 
 therefore the money will serve to warm your resi- 
 dence in Europe, and cheer the declining health of 
 Mrs. Fortier." 
 
 *' I have enough," said he, " my generous boy," 
 and he \yarmed at the thought ; "but for the honour 
 of France, my sweet Nannette shall not want pin- 
 
 N 2
 
 180 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 money. Ab imo cordcj I rejoice in leaving her 
 under the protection of sucii a husband ; and you 
 must purchase a company directly. But pardon 
 me, the remainder of the sum at your disposal 1 
 would wisli to be settled on her." 
 
 George left every arrangement to the noble- 
 minded Mr. Fortier, who having invited the Rev. 
 Mr. Dunsterville and Colonel Mars to Mahe, be- 
 stowed upon him his adopted child, together with 
 liis blessing, devoutly offered for their eternal 
 happiness. A little moon of retirement had scarcely 
 passed away, when Mrs. True consented to grace a 
 ball proposed by George's brother officers in honour 
 of her marriage. The mess-room was converted 
 into a fairy scene by art and taste, and the espla- 
 nade of Cannanore exhibited an elegant variety of 
 marquees belonging to the beauty and fashion of 
 Malabar andCanara, who came in from the different 
 civil and military stations on the joyous occasion. 
 The gaiety and splendour of the scene may be con- 
 ceived, but would be difficult to describe. Har- 
 mony seemed to have descended from the spheres, 
 and the admirable cadence of a fine band was only 
 equalled by the graceful movements of the dancers. 
 After supper, which was served up in a hall of 
 canvas, communicating with the ball-room, and il- 
 luminated with a profusion of variegated lights, 
 the joys of Terpsichore were resumed, and Colonel 
 Mars delayed so long the call for Sir Roger de 
 Coverley, that he was prevented from having a
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 181 
 
 field-day next morning. The late adjutant's spa- 
 cious bungalow had been fitted up for the reception 
 of Mrs. True, in which Madame Fortier })assed a 
 few days previous to her departure for Europe. 
 
 Cannanore is the head-quarters of tlie provinces 
 of Malabar and Canara, and the station for an 
 European regiment, with sometimes two battalions 
 of sepoys. The fort is Avashed on three sides by 
 the sea, being built on a rocky projection, and it is 
 sufficiently strong on tiie land side. During the 
 monsoon, the breakers dash against it with magni- 
 ficent explosions of spray, that roar like thunder 
 upon the rocks ; and from its ramparts tlie canton- 
 ments, town, adjacent country, and distant ghauts, 
 form as charming a prospect as the eye of taste 
 need desire, particularly when the sun is rising 
 on the mountains, and casting broad streaks of 
 light and shade over the green masses beneath ; 
 or when, declining towards the west, he reflects 
 his parting glory on the seeming melancholy of 
 the scene. The immediate country is a charming 
 variety of low hills and narrow valleys, laid out in 
 well-watered rice grounds, and cottages and groves 
 adorn the surface everywhere. The esplanade is 
 skirted by officers' bungalows and gardens, their 
 smiling neatness lending a charm to the level pa- 
 rades near them. These dwellings are composed 
 of red stone, found near the siuf'ace in JMalabar, 
 which are easily cut into bricks and hardened in 
 
 the air j and they arc covered with cudjans, which. 
 
 N 3
 
 182 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 add rural simplicity to their elegant and airy con- 
 struction. The Beeby of Cannanore is a Mopla or 
 Mahomedan, descended from Arabians who settled 
 on this coast at an early period. Her family were 
 of little note in the country before the purchase of 
 this place from the Dutch ; and according to report, 
 their wealth was acquired by traffic. Since the 
 cession of Malabar to the company, the Beeby has 
 no political power, and only keeps a few irregular 
 troops for the collection of her revenue derived 
 from the land^, for she pays the company a tax of 
 four thousand rupees, and is permitted to farm her 
 own estate. Besides these resources, she has 
 several ships, and carries on an extensive trade ; 
 but the company's officers collect the customs, and 
 have stations at convenient distances along the 
 coast, hi conformity to the law of inheritance in 
 Malabar, the succession goes in the female line. 
 The average breadth of the province is 35 miles, 
 and its length 155 ; but the district of Canna- 
 nore extends not more than four miles from the sea. 
 However, the whole coast is generally called Mala- 
 bar from Cape Comorin up to Bombay. 
 
 The inhabitants consist of Namboozee, Brahmins, 
 Nairs, Teers, Malears, Poliars, Parsees, and Mo- 
 plas. The latter bury their dead, and all the rest 
 burn the bodies, except the Parsees, who expose 
 them to be eaten by birds of prey. The Teers are 
 free men and cultivators of the soil ; the Malears 
 (ire musicians, and the Poliars are slaves. A Teer
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 183 
 
 must keep at 12 paces distance from a Nair ; and if 
 a Foliar were to approach that proud race of war- 
 riors nearer than 96 paces, he might be cut down, 
 according to custom ; so that when a slave com- 
 municates with a Nair he has to strain his lungs. 
 But there is a tribe of outcasts called Niadis, who 
 live in the woods, and howl like dogs when they 
 see persons approach. Refuse is generally thrown 
 to them, upon which they feed ; for them to come 
 near any habitation would be thought so contami- 
 nating by the higher casts, that tiie water of the 
 Ganges would hardly effect purification. 
 
 Bartolomeo was not far wrong in supposing, that 
 several brothers had one and the same wife in 
 Malabar. The most extraordinary customs prevail 
 among the Nairs with respect to marriage, cohabi- 
 tation, and inheritance. It is said there are eleven 
 tribes of Nairs, in all of which property is divi- 
 ded equally among the sons and daughters of the 
 deceased's sister, for no man knows his own child. 
 In some of the tribes, the Nairs marry, but never 
 cohabit with their own wives, who are at liberty to 
 grant their favours to any male of equal or higher 
 rank ; but the Nimboory Brahmins are thought the 
 most honourable fathers for offspring. In others, 
 particularly the Shekarry family, the males never 
 marry, but attach themselves to ladies belonging 
 to the same tribe. Their sisters reside in tlieir 
 houses, and the children they produce in this law- 
 
 N I-
 
 184 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ful way are heirs to the property. This, though 
 scarcely credible, is perfectly true. 
 
 The exports ofMalabar are coir, cocoa-nuts, tim- 
 ber, rice, ghee, ginger, piece goods, cardamoms, 
 pepper, sandal wood, turmeric, arrow root, and 
 betel nut. Among the population. Christians have 
 from the earliest periods been very numerous, and 
 there are 44 Syrian or Nestorian churches, besides 
 vast numbers established by the Portugese. Hyder 
 Ally is said to have destroyed upwards of 60,000 
 Christians ; but according to recent computations, 
 there are still about 50,000 on the Malabar coast 
 alone, besides 20,000 Jews. Within the limits 
 before described, this province has been calculated 
 to contain 600,000 souls, and it yields to the com- 
 pany about ^250,000 in revenue, a considerable 
 part of which is given in pensions to Nair chiefs, 
 who have now no political power. The lofty bar- 
 rier of the ghauts runs N. E. and S. W. along its 
 whole extent, at the distance of from 40 to 70 miles 
 from the sea, presenting to the voyager a country 
 of most lovely aspect, bounded by an horizon pecu- 
 liarlv sjrand and magnificent.
 
 185 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 But we, wlio owe frail life to purer climes. 
 
 With detestation shudder at such crimes ; ' - < 
 
 We start at perjury, and blush at shame, 
 
 And feel the value of unsullied fame. 
 
 See these rich, populous, expansive plains. 
 
 Who sways the sceptre o'er those fine domains ? 
 
 Here no such feelings occupy the breast. 
 
 The rich are tyrant-, and the poor opprest. 
 
 O ! let the consequence inspire thy soul : 
 
 Britannia's merchants all these realms control. 
 
 1 HAT the lower classes, or great mass of mankind 
 in India, are sunk in ignorance, slavery, vice, and 
 superstition, is universally admitted, without at 
 all detracting from the natural equality of the 
 Hindoos in regard to all other human beings, for 
 man is every where essentially the same, and becomes 
 what the institutions of his country make him, 
 either independent or servile. In the higher ranks 
 of life, throughout Hindostan, perfect notions of 
 moral purity and public spirit exist, but practice 
 is every where wholly at variance with theory ; and 
 it being thought the interest of those in power to 
 countenance the Brahmins in theirhorrible delusions, 
 the common people are kept in a deplorable state 
 of superstitious darkness, and have entirely lost 
 their ancient purity of principle and guileless sim- 
 plicity of manners.
 
 186 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Nothing therefore can be more erroneous than 
 Dr. Robertson's opinion that the customs and in- 
 stitutions of India are the same now as they were in 
 ancient times, and likely so to continue. In fact, 
 here, as in all countries, the original religion has 
 been split into so many sects, that some of them bear 
 hardly the resemblance of the parent stock. In 
 dress, equipage, furniture, adherence to tenets of 
 faith, and conformity to ancient laws of cast, great 
 innovations have taken place. The dress is not 
 now as it was described by Quintus Curtius, and 
 the casts in every village form themselves into 
 something like freemason lodges, and prescribe 
 rules of conduct for their own observance. A 
 Hindoo Rajah may be now seen entertaining his 
 European guests with ham and turkey, and doing 
 all but eating and drinking the highest delicacies 
 under the weight of which his table groans ; while 
 sofas, mirrors, pictures, chairs, lustres, girondoles, 
 and sideboards, covered with massy plate, glitter 
 in rich array, which clearly shew the effect that 
 intercourse invariably has on prejudice. 
 
 There are, it is said, in India, ten different 
 nations of Hindoos, professing the doctrines 
 of Brahma, out of which about ten millions of indi- 
 viduals have adopted Mahomedanism, and a very 
 considerable proportion have embraced our own 
 inestimable faith ; there are besides the Seiks, who 
 are converts from both Brahma and Mahomed to 
 pure deism, and the philosophers who pretend to
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 187 
 
 laugh at them alL The Hindoos are divided into 
 three great sects, each considered heterodox by the 
 other. Tlie followers of Brahma take, for tlieir 
 scriptural authority, the Veidam, which is written 
 in the Sanscrit language, while the sacred volumes 
 of the Budhists are composed in the Balli tongue, 
 and those of the Jaines in Prakrit, both of which 
 are held by the followers of the Veidam to be de- 
 rivations from Sanscrit ; each party firmly believes 
 its own to be the original language in which God 
 Avrote their doctrines. Nanac, the founder of the 
 Seiks, w^rote his book called the Adi Granth, 
 in the Guramuck character, which is a modern 
 species of Nagari. Besides these great divisions 
 among the Hindoos, it is said that there are twenty- 
 one heretical sects. 
 
 Whoever instituted the Brahminical idolatry and 
 wrote the Veidas was most consummated artful, 
 and not only acquainted with the laws of Moses, 
 but with the early learning of Egypt and of the 
 West, even to Athens. No doubt he had travelled 
 much, and on his return his experience was directed 
 to the civilization of his countrymen, and the ac- 
 complishment of ambitious views. He taught that 
 Brahma had created all things ; he divided the 
 people into four great natural bodies ; and, to 
 screen his own power, and that of his party the 
 priests, he seemed to bestow all authority on the 
 nobles or warrior cast, from whom the kings were 
 alone to be chosen. But to reconcile the Vyasees
 
 188 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and Soodres to their condition, he inculcated the 
 notion, that the middHng classes and dregs of society 
 were placed in their low situation on account of 
 sins committed in a former life, and that by con- 
 formity to prescribed rules, they might transmigrate 
 up to the highest honour and glory ; but if dis- 
 obedient, that they must expect to be transformed 
 into vile anifnals and hideous shapes. The four 
 great divisions were again split into as many casts 
 as there were callings in life, or as the pride and 
 vanity of men suggested distinctions. Though the 
 sons of a tailor were doomed to stitch away from 
 one generation to another, yet they felt gratifica- 
 tion in perceiving many degraded conditions below 
 them ; for some are held so infamous, that even a 
 pariah, or a man who has lost cast, will not touch 
 them. Thus each vocation in life became a society 
 under a sort of patriarchal government. As in the 
 code of Moses, so in the laws of Brahma, small 
 matters were settled among the people, great ones 
 alone were brought before the king ; and to this 
 day a similar mode of administration of justice is 
 common, for the oldest and most venerable looking 
 man in a village is Ciitxvaly with a court under him, 
 to whose decision all litigants are obliged to submit 
 their grievances. But those writers who have sup- 
 posed that the government of the Rajahs was like 
 that of a wise father, mildly presiding over a family, 
 have greatly erred j nothing but absolute power 
 was contemplated by the code of Brahma. It was
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 189 
 
 death for a man of low cast to speak insolently to 
 a Brahmin ; and in Malabar, where the Mogul 
 emperors never reformed the manners, or influenced 
 customs, a peasant was cut down like a mad dog 
 that dared to approach a warrior. Implicit obe- 
 dience, and passive faith, were the indispensable 
 conditions of existence, and to be trodden to death 
 under the feet of elephants, or starved in cages hung 
 near the great entrances to palaces, were common 
 punishments for trivial omissions of ceremony. 
 
 The Brahmins, who were at liberty to exercise 
 the functions of the sacerdotal office, or lay employ- 
 ments, became divided into clerical and secular 
 orders, but both were held so sacred, even by 
 kings, that nothing was so heinous as even to medi- 
 tate the death of an individual belonging to either, 
 he being considered as the temple of the pure 
 essence of God j yet, by reason of worldly affec- 
 tions, the soul of a Brahmin was not always con- 
 sidered in that state ; but whenever he could so 
 abstract his thoughts from all earthly things as 
 mentally to feel spiritual influence, he was Brahma. 
 Thus they say it is ridiculous for a man whose soul 
 is part of God to worship himself; and therefore 
 idols are placed in their temples into which certain 
 divinities are forced by strong incantations. Some 
 of these are so sublime, that all distinctions of 
 cast are laid aside in their presence, as at Juggur- 
 naut, where no Hindoo will hesitate to eat from the 
 table of the great idol. Brahmins fllled all tlie
 
 190 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 offices in the gift of the crown, and in fact con* 
 centrated all authority so completely in themselves, 
 that the rajahs Mere only like puppets. The infe- 
 rior priests rose to power by practising great 
 austerities, and imposing upon the people, whom 
 they encouraged to mutilate and afflict the body, 
 to perform long pilgrimages, and voluntarily to 
 sacrifice themselves. Various modes of suicide are 
 yet quite common, such as starvation, sitting so 
 long in one posture that the nails of the fingers 
 grow through the hands, and drowning in the 
 sacred streams, besides retirement into jungles and 
 mountains, where melancholy soon puts a period to 
 life. While undergoing voluntary starvation, friends 
 are permitted to feed the devotees with a little 
 milk ; but to prevent being defiled by human eva- 
 cuation, a small piece of cotton at the end of a 
 string is frequently let down into the stomach, 
 which, it is said, brings up every particle of the 
 milk that is not converted into blood. 
 
 It is most probable that the Brahminical fabric 
 of deception was not constructed at once, but rose 
 by degrees, like other piles that have withstood the 
 destructive hand of time. According to tradition, 
 a lawgiver named Maga, who is reported to have 
 come from the west, revised the whole system when 
 it had fallen into great disorder ; but in its very 
 best state, as far as we are acquainted with its prin- 
 ciples, it was unfriendly to improvement beyond u 
 certain degree. But it appears that if a limit be set
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 191 
 
 to the progress of human ingenuity, the mental 
 powers travel Hke a crab, and we accordingly find 
 the Hindoos retrograding for centuries, till they are 
 now in a state of comparative barbarism, with all 
 the effeminacy of luxury which civilization has left 
 beliind. Perhaps the Brahmins foresaw tliat their 
 system would enervate tlie people, for they never 
 thought the Khatri cast could be destroyed, and 
 therefore no nursery was prepared for a fresh sup- 
 ply of warriors ; or they calculated that, in the state 
 to which their doctrines would reduce the peasan- 
 try, whoever would be king they must necessarily 
 be retained as priests ; for although seemingly 
 mild and passive, yet the Hindoos when roused by 
 the Brahmins about tenets of faith, are formidable, 
 and capable of sacrificing themselves by millions. 
 
 Thus in the foregoing brief notice of the Brah- 
 minical system, it will be seen that the passions and 
 desires of mankind were so completely kept in 
 check by hope and fear, that hardly any thing but 
 harmony could take place till improvement had at- 
 tained its limits. Accordingly civilization proceeded 
 with unabated vigour for several centuries, and all 
 the arts quickly rose to that point of improvement 
 beyond which the institutions prohibited them from 
 advancing. Division into tribes, sects, and parties, 
 seems to be the general state of human societies, 
 and history does not show us any great empire where 
 equality reigned ; but on the contrary the pride and 
 natural coldness of men towards each other have
 
 192 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 in all ages formed lines of distinction. The effect 
 therefore of the institution of casts in Hindostan 
 was felt but little individually ; but in a political 
 point of view it so enfeebled the inhabitants as to 
 render them an easy prey to every invader. 
 
 The Budhists are undoubtedly apostates from 
 Brahminism. Budha is supposed to have been born 
 in Bengal, and he is often called the Dhurma Ra- 
 jah J but it is related of him that he travelled into 
 Greece, and was the Minos of Crete ! The Budhists 
 are still divided into casts on the island of Ceylon, 
 in the same manner as the Brahmins, except that 
 the warriors take precedence of the priests. They 
 deny the divine origin of the Veidas, and permit a 
 great latitude to their followers in the use of animal 
 food, though the cow is held sacred. Sacrifices and 
 idols in their temples are prohibited, and Budha is 
 alone worshipped as an incarnation in the Lama of 
 Thibet j but anciently, there was a globular form in 
 their caves and pagodas, to which, as an emblem of 
 deity, adoration was paid. 
 
 Budha relaxed the dicipline of Brahma, but the 
 founder of the Jaines drew the reins still tighter with 
 respect to the care of animal life ; for with them it is 
 accounted the highest perfection of sanctity to ab- 
 stain from the slaughter of" any living creature. 
 They believe that the world never was created j and 
 that all animals have existed from eternity, and 
 merely change their forms till absorbed into God's 
 essence by becoming perfectly free from worldly
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 193 
 
 pollution. Like the Brahmins, they are divided into 
 four casts, and have similar ceremonies of marriage, 
 baptism, and initiation. Their deities are the spi- 
 rits of holy men, whose naked images, all in one 
 form and posture, are seated cross-legged in their 
 temples on a marble altar called Pursunaut. But 
 in open pagodas they have an image of" Gomata 
 Ruja Iswara, who is represented at Kurcul in Ca- 
 nara thirty-eight feet high and ten feet in circum- 
 ference ; and there is also a colossal statue of him 
 at Baligoli in Mysore, where a high priest still offici- 
 ates, and some magnificent ruins of this sect are 
 to be found. Nothing is believed by them but 
 what they can perceive ; they pretend to have no 
 traditions respecting a general deluge ; and as they 
 deny that the world ever was created, their notions 
 respecting time are uncommonly complex. They 
 talk of 2,000,000,000,000,000 segaras, or oceans of 
 years. Now a palya is an estimate of the time that 
 a vast pit filled with chopped hairs would take to 
 be emptied at the rate of one hair in a century, and 
 a sagara is equal to a palya multipled by ten cotis 
 of cotis, or 1,000,000,000,000,000 palyas are only 
 one sagara. 
 
 Sir John Malcolm has given an interesting ac- 
 count of the Seiks in the eleventh volume of Asiatic 
 Researches. Besides the province of Lahore, which 
 in the reign of Aurungzebe yielded a revenue ol 
 ^2,469,500, they have the whole of the Panjab, 
 part of Multan, and most of the country between 
 
 o
 
 194 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the Jumna and the Siitlege, from lat. 28** 40 'to 32' 
 north. For a long time after then' organization by 
 Har Govind, the tenth successor of Nanac, they be- 
 came exceedingly formidable to their neighbours. 
 He arranged them with consummate skill, on the 
 plan of a military confederation of chiefs, and in- 
 spired them with an ardent thirst for conquest. 
 Their great council of state was held at Amritsar, 
 over which the acalis or priests presided j and an 
 august ceremony was instituted of eating together 
 in the council chamber some consecrated cakes, 
 as a testimony of harmony previous to their delibe- 
 rations. The acalis are distinguished from the other 
 Seiks by wearing blue dresses, and they are called 
 " Immortals." But at present the chiefs are nearly 
 all pursuing their own particular interests, having 
 split into parties, and lost those principles of pa- 
 triotism and union with which their fathers were 
 inspired. Drunkenness prevails so much among 
 them that it is quite impossible to transact business 
 with a chief, except in that lucid interval between 
 the evaporation of one debauch, and the stimulating 
 doses taken to produce another. The meaning of 
 the word Seik is disciple, and the initiation of a 
 convert is the solemn devotion of his future life to 
 steel in defence of the state. Even their very salu- 
 tations were made to inspire patriotism. When two 
 Seiks meet, one exclaims, " Wa ! guruji ka khalsa !" 
 which is, " Success to the state of the Gurri," and 
 he is answered with a w^ave of the hand to the head,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 195 
 
 " Wa ! guruji ki fateh/' *' Victory attend the Gurri/' 
 It is easy to conceive how soon these men might be 
 inspirited by a skilful leader and turned against their 
 neiglibours, from whom they have in fact wrested 
 all their possessions, having been at first under Guru 
 Naiiac cooped up in the mountains. 
 
 It was not the fate of the lovely Mrs.True to 
 enjoy her bungalow and garden at Cannanore for 
 any great length of time. His majesty's 12th regi- 
 ment, which was stationed at Seringapatam, had 
 been attacked by the jungle fever. In a few months 
 one third of the brave fellows belonging to that fine 
 corps found graves in the marsh of the Cavery, and 
 the hospital was filled with the remainder. It 
 was ordered to the sea coast, and it fell to the 
 lot of the regiment at Cannanore to garrison Se- 
 rinn'tt' When a front rank man falls beneath the 
 enemy's fire, he who has to take his place feels a 
 chill at seeing the blood of his comrade, but steps 
 forward with a steady soul ; and such was the feel- 
 ing throughout the cantonments on the day when 
 the order was made known. 
 
 " My dear Nannette," said George, " you can 
 stay here till the cold season sets in on the table 
 land." 
 
 *' Nay, George, think not so coldly," replied shej 
 " I shall be your nurse, and you will be mine. My 
 hope is in God when with you." 
 
 The worthy Colonel Mars marched forthwith, 
 and a little beyond Peripatam halted for the 12th 
 
 o2
 
 19f> FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 to pass with the honours of a senior corps. The 
 sight was melancholy. Their ranks were as thin 
 as if grape-shot had cut them down by sections, and 
 the number of doolies that followed the regiment 
 gave a frightful idea of the surgeon's report. Upon 
 arriving in the strong fortress of the late Tippo 
 Saib, the corps attended the funeral of the gallant 
 and amiable General Clarke, and a few days after 
 the sick list began to swell. Colonel Mars, know- 
 ing the effects of air, exercise, and cheerfulness, 
 invented a thousand agreeable expedients to keep 
 the mind and body roving. He and the whole of 
 the officers visited the barracks every day to ensure 
 the most scrupulous cleanliness ; but the fever 
 baffled human skill. For two months the corps 
 lost on an average three men daily, so that the 
 funeral honours were suspended, lest the dead 
 march and such frequent firing should excite me- 
 lancholy in the minds of the survivors. This fever 
 made its first appearance in an ague fit, which was 
 followed by a burning delirium, that rapidly con- 
 sumed the frame. The usual remedies proved of 
 little avail ; but it was discovered by Dr. Scarman, 
 the scientific garrison surgeon, that if the water of 
 the river Cavery was thrown in pails full on the 
 patient while in the burning state, the fever would 
 be arrested. By this providential experiment, and 
 the wise precautions of Colonel Mars, who estab- 
 hshed a post for convalescents at Baligoli, the 
 jungle fever was banished from Seringapatam.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 197 
 
 Physicians supposed that this epidemic arose from 
 the jungles and marshes in the vicinity of the gar^ 
 rison ; but Colonel Mars sometimes thought that it 
 was partly caused by the narrow streets of the town 
 in the fort, and the prodigious slaughter of goats 
 at one of the pagodas, where a constant river of 
 blood infected the air with stench, and produced 
 swarms of flies, and being now in command of the 
 place, he considerably improved its salubrity. 
 Among the officers that died was Captain Gataker, 
 a gentleman so perfect and amiable that to know 
 him and not to love him was impossible. Sincerely 
 attached to him. Dr. Scarman watched his bed with 
 affectionate care till exhausted by fatigue. An 
 unfavourable change forced the surgeon left in 
 charge to fly for Scarman, and arouse him from a 
 troubled sleep. " He will die," said the assistant. 
 " He shall not die," replied the warm-hearted Scar- 
 man, rubbing his eyes, and confirming his reply with 
 captain Shandy's asseveration j but in this instance 
 the angel, though he blotted out the oath with a 
 tear, had to record the entrance of Gataker's spirit 
 into the gates of heaven. 
 
 Previous to this period, Sir John Malcolm had 
 left Mysore in a flourishing state. His political 
 talents, aided by able coadjutors, and directed to 
 the resources of the country by the financial know- 
 ledge of the Brahmin Purnea, now prime minister 
 to the young king, formed such an admirable code 
 for the administration of justice, the arrangement 
 
 o3
 
 198 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 of revenue, the distribution of the forces, and the 
 employment of the restless military spirits thrown 
 on the public by the overthrow of Tippo, that 
 peace and security smiled upon industry ; ruined 
 villages resounded with the chearfulhum of labour; 
 barren wastes were robed in the green livery of 
 cultivation ; the fort and town of Mysore passing 
 from infancy, assumed the beauty and freshness of 
 youth, and the silver waters of the Cavery were 
 conducted over hills by art, and glittered like the 
 current of life through the veins of a populous city. 
 Around and in the fort of Seringapatam all was 
 classic ground to George, Frank, and Charles. 
 One of the officers had been long a prisoner in it, 
 chained toCaptain now Sir David Baird ; and several 
 of the soldiers, who had fought under Lord Corn- 
 wallis in 1792, and with General Harris when the 
 place was stormed, pointed out those spots dear 
 to memory. "There,'* said one, "over those hills 
 we rushed to storm the batteries, pouring grape 
 with scientific skill, while his lordship cheered and 
 waved his hat on that height within range, on the 
 day of the battle of Corryghaut." — " Here,'* said 
 another, " we crossed the river in the night -attack 
 on the island, and in the confusion of darkness 
 blazed away on our own divisions who had forded 
 there ; but the guides by mistake led them under 
 that slope where we expected determined opposi- 
 tion from the enemy. There the brave Colonel 
 Baillie breathed his last, poisoned in that dungeon.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 199 
 
 Yonder the British prisoners used to be drawn up 
 for the purpose of receiving either circumcision or 
 a shot through the head ; and witliin that old pa- 
 lace the ancient dynasty of Mysore was immured 
 by the usurper Hyder Ally ; but there were our 
 breaching batteries, and here we entered the fort. 
 The struggle was tremendous along that rampart, 
 from the breastworks of which deliberate aim was 
 taken by the Arabs ; and Tippo from behind the 
 one on your right fired several shots himself, every 
 one of which passed through a Briton's heart. At 
 length in that sally-port he fell fighting till the last 
 gas}), sword in hand, and there he lay, ambition still 
 lowering on his brow, after he was dragged from 
 under a heap of slain." Alternate feelings of sor- 
 row and joy agitated the souls of the three young 
 soldiers w^hile they surveyed these memorials of 
 warfare, and perambulated the ramparts or fine 
 circular road that now graces the interior, shaded 
 witli refreshing trees. 
 
 Health had begun to diffuse gaiety and hope. 
 Neither Mrs. True nor Mrs. Thoughtless were 
 affected by the contagion, and Charles was the only 
 one of the trio of friends attacked. Mary watched 
 his drooping eye ; and He who sent Isaiah to He- 
 zekiali to say, " I have heard thy prayer, I have 
 seen thy tears," restored him when on the brink of 
 the grave; but the worthy surgeon of his regiment 
 did much, for instead of sending him to hospital, 
 he attended him in the adjutant's office, and 
 
 o4
 
 200 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 watched the progress of disease with the care and 
 affection of a brother. Captain Dramatic deter- 
 mined now to exert his powers in the service of the 
 ladies, whose smiles were the reward he aimed at 
 for perseverance and labour almost incredible, in 
 converting one of Tippo's public edifices into a 
 theatre. Whoever had the pleasure of seeing him 
 in Goldfinch will never forget his comic talents ; 
 and he who saw him, as Harlequin, vault through 
 windows two stories high, must have been lost in 
 admiration at his activity. All the flowers were 
 culled from the British drama. True and Frank 
 performed several parts with applause ; but Charles, 
 who had practised in the battle of Aughram, and 
 whose graceful and slender figure pointed him out 
 for the female fashionable parts, surprized all be- 
 holders in the Citizen, Poor Gentleman, Poor Sol- 
 dier, and Turnpike Gate, so that Colonel Mars was 
 heard to exclaim '* bravo, bravissimo'^ — Captain 
 Solomon sang " You know I'm your priest" with 
 such inimitable Irish humour, that Purnea and the 
 young king burst their sides, and the ladies of the 
 seraglio from behind their silken screens giggled, 
 notwithstanding the restraints of Hindoo female 
 education ; but the fool of pantomime gaped on 
 one occasion so widely, to swallow a monstrous 
 pigeon pie, from which the birds were flying away, 
 that the government of Mysore were terrified 
 at the idea of being swallowed with the whole 
 theatre down such a voracious gullet ; and it
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^01 
 
 was with difficulty that Mr. Coles*s insinuating and 
 bland address restored sweetness of aspect to 
 the distorted countenances under the turbans 
 around him. Captain Macintosh of the artillery 
 evinced great taste in scenic painting, and Captain 
 De Haviland, and Lieutenant Wright with their 
 violins, sat in the orchestra, which exhibited the 
 musical curiosity of a fine solo performed on the 
 fiddle by Mr. Clarke, who had lost his left arm ; 
 but labor omnia vincit, he changed the strings, and 
 tying the bow to the stump, fingered so well with 
 the right hand as to command universal applause. 
 The beautiful little theatre of Seringapatam, the 
 motto of which was " Nil desperandum," in al- 
 lusion to the difficulties overcome in its construc- 
 tion, was opened with a prologue, partly written 
 by Charles Thoughtless ; for Captain Dramatic 
 having left one that he was preparing in the ward- 
 room> Charles wrote something on the back of it 
 about the pleasing change, from the roaring of 
 cannons to the silver sounds of music, and from 
 the yellow tinge of jungle fever to the applauding 
 looks of laughing beauty. For upwards of a year 
 the stage imparted a vivacity to the gloomy aspect 
 of Seringa, which was crowded every month with 
 the beauty and fashion of Bangalore and Mysore, 
 while its own circle was very large, being the head- 
 quarters of a king's regiment, a battalion of artillery, 
 and three of native infantry cantoned on the island
 
 20^2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 near the fort. But a soldier's life is one of variety, 
 and a change came over the scene. 
 
 Previous to this, however, Charles had lost all 
 hope of promotion through the interest of Captain 
 Noble's friend in Calcutta, although he had written 
 that Lord Lake, when leaving the country, had 
 left his name for an ensigncy on the adjutant 
 general's list. But Captain Dramatic now made 
 an effort in his favour. '* Thoughtless," said that 
 kind-hearted friend, *' I have written to a relation 
 on the governor general's staff, and his interest 
 backed by mine here with the resident will, I think, 
 do your business ; but you may be assured, T shall 
 leave no stone unturned to serve you when an 
 opportunity occurs." In due time an answer ar- 
 rived from Bengal. ** What," said he on the staff, 
 *' do you think 1 have influence to get an ensigncy, 
 when I have not interest to procure for myself an 
 apartment in the Governm.ent House ?" and a 
 little further on he lamented that the expence of 
 postage was so heavy. Thus the cheering smile 
 of hope proved delusive. 
 
 The Rajah of Tra van core had commenced hos- 
 tilities against the company, and it was to join the 
 army of General St. Leger that the disposable 
 force at Seringapatam marched. All the ladies 
 were left in garrison, and George, Frank, and 
 Charles exulted at the idea of seeing war on an 
 extensive scale, and participating in the toils of
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. -^Oo 
 
 glory. At the distance of two marches from the 
 new Fort of Mysore, on the road leading to the 
 Cooteady Pass, Colonel Mais received an order to 
 return with two companies to Seringapatam ; for 
 his seniority clashed with the claim of a com- 
 pany's officer in Malabar, whose command gave 
 him a local rank, which his friends at Madras 
 foresaw would be superseded. The colonel paced 
 his tent with fury, and no doubt vented an oath or 
 two on the government, for a soldier has often to 
 obey, thougli in liis heart he curses the necessity. 
 George, Frank, and Charles proceeded however. 
 The country is, in many parts, well cultivated, and 
 abounding in plantations of tobacco ; but there is 
 little else except the jungles of Wynaud to interest 
 the traveller, for the villages are small, and there 
 are very few inhabitants in this wild tract. But near 
 Manantoddy, as has been noticed, the scenery is 
 very beautiful. Peace and improvement had shed 
 their smiles on the stockade, and some tiled bun- 
 galows and neat huts belonging to the followers 
 gave the appearance of life to still nature in her most 
 lovely aspect ; the spotted deer were seen starting 
 from every copse, w hile the peacock strutted about 
 with a self-satisfied air, seemingly to receive the 
 homage of admiration from chattering monkeys, 
 jungle fowls, and paroquets, that hopped and flut- 
 tered around. Even the road after leaving Mysore, 
 and passing Chuttenhully, prepares the mind by 
 contrast to enjoy the beauties of Manantoddy, for
 
 !204 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 on crossing the Bowally river all is sombre shade 
 of deep green, which imparts a melancholy idea 
 of sameness to the fancy ; but at Untersunty com- 
 mence those grand arches, formed naturally by tlie 
 bamboos, that lend a charm to the long perspective 
 of the road narrowing through them to a point, and 
 impervious to the rays of the sun. After which lawns 
 and slopes on either hand open on the pleased eye, 
 till, on gaining the top of Manan toddy hill, the spec- 
 tator instinctively stands to gaze on the beauty that 
 fascinates him. Thence he beholds every where 
 an endless variety of slopes, vales, and eminences 
 adorned with trees and flowering shrubs, the whole 
 as if scattered by the hand of taste. At the foot 
 of the hill, westward, the Capany river is seen 
 meandering, as if enamoured of this lovely scene, 
 till it loses itself in the distant glades ; and south- 
 ward another part of the same silver stream winds 
 in delightful maze through the valley, on the banks 
 of which the sepoys' huts and stockade followers' 
 bazar afford objects of interest. The distance 
 presents lulls and mountains, robed with azure on 
 every side. To the north are the Koochepard 
 ranges, with variegated jungle running up their 
 faces ; to the west are unconnected hillocks, undu- 
 lating like waves, till they rise into the stupendous 
 mass of Banasore, whose gigantic brow scowls on 
 the clouds below ; and to the south and east, other 
 ranges of equally picturesque hills, all melting as it 
 Avere into each other, complete as grand a pano-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IX INDIA. 205 
 
 rama of natural magnificence as the pencil of an 
 artist would desire. 
 
 Having got the guns and stores with much diffi- 
 culty down the Cooteady ghaut, the force marched 
 on to Cotapore, and next day encamped on the sea 
 shore near Barraghurry. Two days afterwards their 
 tents were pitched near Calicut, so famous as being 
 the first port gained by the Portuguese ; it is beau- 
 tifully described in the Luciadas of Camoens, but 
 its glory has passed away. The zamorin*s palace 
 is now a heap of ruins, and the city a melancholy 
 shadow of what it was before Hyder Ally and 
 Tippo destroyed its ancient splendours. Here the 
 commanding officer of the force received orders to 
 send off two companies of Europeans to reinforce 
 the garrison at Cochin. Frank and Charles were 
 doomed to share in this service, and the latter was 
 appointed serjeant-major of the detachment. They 
 departed at midnight, and continued all the next 
 day along the sea shore, till they reached Panyanee, 
 quite exhausted by the fatigue of so tremendous 
 a march. Mr.Warden the collector was there, and 
 furnished them with refreshments of roasted buffa- 
 loes, rice, and clean straw upon which they slept a 
 few hours. The march was doubly fatiguing on ac- 
 count of the heavy sand through which they had to 
 move ; but every time the front halted for the rear, 
 y-reen cocoa nuts were knocked down from tlie 
 trees, and their juice proved greatly refreshing. Vi- 
 sible traces of terror were every where to be seen ;
 
 206 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 most of the inhabitants were Christians, who hear- 
 ing of the hostile preparations, and dreading the 
 barbarity of their neighbours favourable to the 
 cause of the Travancore and Cochin Rajahs, had 
 fled to places of refuge, leaving their cabins and 
 altars to their fate. It was eight o'clock in the 
 evening when the detachment reached Panyanee, 
 so that their situation may be conceived. 
 
 About 12 o'clock on the same night they em- 
 barked in paddimars for Cochin. But in the con- 
 fusion all the provisions were put into one boat, of 
 which the others lost company before day-light. 
 The wind and current being adverse, Cochin was 
 not reached till the evening of the second day of 
 departure from Panyanee. Fortunately Moote had 
 brought a pot of boiled rice with him from Mr. War- 
 den's. The officers who were with Charles and 
 Frank, having nothing but a bottle of brandy, began 
 to eye the rice, and such is the effect of participation 
 in occasions of danger and toil, that these gentle- 
 men ever after remembered those with friendly re- 
 gard whose rice had saved them from starvation. 
 Some of the boats had arrived at Cochin before the 
 one in which they were ; but two of them did not 
 come in till the day after. 
 
 Here they learned that Cochin had been attacked 
 a short time before, but it was defended by the 
 small force in it with spirit. Formerly it was a 
 place of great strength, and regularly fortified ; but 
 when it was taken by the En2:lish the walls were 
 
 14
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^0? 
 
 destroyed. The town is beautifully regular, with a 
 fine row of houses facing the sea, and alongthe river. 
 Batteries had been erected on the opposite bank 
 to cannonade it, and the houses next the river were 
 greatly injured. Colonel Macauly, the British agent 
 at the court of Travancore, escaped most narrowly ; 
 for the attack on Cochin was chiefly made with the 
 intention of murdering him. When the small rein- 
 forcement arrived, all was bustle and preparation ; 
 another visit from the enemy, who had possession 
 of Muttacherry, being expected. The place was 
 put in the best state of defence that circumstances 
 would admit. All the streets of the town were for- 
 tified and batteries erected in proper positions. A 
 gun-brig was warped up the river to Muttacherry, 
 which it battered, and so nearly destroyed, that the 
 chief of that place, alarmed for his palaces,ubmitted. 
 In the meantime, the army of General St. Leger had 
 stormed the Travancore lines, beaten the rajah, 
 and obliged him to sue for peace on any terms.
 
 208 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 " O see! the town appears in smoke and blaze, 
 
 Hark ! what wild shriek's affrighted mothers raise ! 
 
 That fire will leave full many a native poor 
 
 To beg at some luifeeling nabob's door ; 
 
 And soon, perhaps, grim death, the beggar's friend. 
 
 May spread the houseless bed, distress to end. 
 
 And then, alas ! a casual passer by 
 
 Beholds a sight to shock the heart and eye : 
 
 The ghastly vulture and the jackal prowl. 
 
 To mangle human flesh, with scream and howl. 
 
 While crowds of Hindoos pass the horrid place, 
 
 Without a change of muscle in the face !" 
 
 1 HROUGHOUT India, for some time before the 
 commencement of the monsoon, the atmosphere be- 
 comes heated to an extreme degree, and very high 
 winds prevail. During the months of May and 
 June, this agitated state of the air is severely felt 
 in Calcutta, and destructive conflagrations from 
 fire often desolate the native quarters of the city, 
 where the houses are constructed of sucii inflam- 
 mable materials, that a spark bursts forth into a blaze 
 in a moment, and is carried like lightning along by 
 the wind. The houses of the Europeans and rich 
 natives, being built of brick and terraced, escape 
 with little damage on these frightful occasions, for 
 the course of the destructive element is so rapid
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 209 
 
 that such buildings are passed before any serious 
 impression is made on their external parts. It is 
 melancholy to contemplate the effects of these fires. 
 The little all of the poor natives, their furniture, 
 cows, goats, horses, are consumed, and frequently 
 the lives of the owners lost in vain endeavours to 
 save their property. Yet the evil is of such a na- 
 ture as not to be easily remedied, for were the 
 huts to be removed from the town, the same de- 
 struction would attend them, as is seen in the 
 suburbs, and all over India where the ghm^s are 
 made of reeds. The calamity is chiefly owing to 
 the carelessness with which fire is handled, and 
 what is worse, to the frequent commission of arson. 
 From numerous trials for this horrible crime, it 
 appears that the proprietors of the materials wil- 
 fully destroy the houses by dropping fire in diffe- 
 rent places, to ensure the demand for their pro- 
 perty. It is extremely difficult to detect the person 
 who first causes afire, for the Hindoos carry char- 
 coal with them to light their pipes. 
 23d Feb. 18 13. A fire broke out in Mullinga, at 
 1 1 p. M., which destroyed 400 ha- 
 bitations. 
 17th March. A very destructive fire broke out in 
 Ram Bagaun, consuming upwards 
 of 300 huts and houses. \. 
 18th March. There was another extensive fire in 
 Simleah. 
 
 31st At 3 P.M. a destructive fire broke 
 
 out behind the general hospital. 
 p
 
 *210 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 13th April 1813. A shocking fire broke out this day 
 in Mullinga, and extended to 
 8oorty Bagaun ; two native women 
 perished in the flames. 
 15th April. A little past 11 a. m. this day, one 
 of the most shocking fires ever re- 
 membered in Calcutta was dis- 
 covered in Short's Bazar; it spread 
 towards Mirzapore, razing more 
 than a thousand habitations ; se- 
 veral unfortunate natives perished 
 in the flames. 
 5th May. A destructive fire raged in the Cooly 
 
 Bazar. 
 14th . Three violent fires spread destruc- 
 tion around during the last week. 
 
 18tli . A dreadful fire destroyed many 
 
 houses at Kidderpore, 
 But enough is said to prove the extent of this 
 evil ; and the benevolence of the government was 
 directed at the time above mentioned to its dimi- 
 nution, by enabling the natives to build their huts 
 of less inflammable materials. After these fires, 
 the melancholy spectacle alluded to in the lines 
 at the head of this chapter is frequently seen. 
 Bat alas ! it is so common all over India, that the 
 eye becomes familiarized by habit, and feels a shock 
 every time of less painful disgust. *' I beheld," 
 says Dr. Buchanan in his Christian Researches, 
 speaking of Juggurnaut, " another distressing 
 scene this morning, at the place of skulls, a poor
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 211 
 
 woman lying dead, or nearly dead, and her two 
 children by her, looking at the dogs and vultures 
 which were near. The people passed by without 
 noticino' the children. I asked them where was 
 their home. They said, ' they had no home but 
 where their mother was.' '* This is an afflicting 
 spectacle ; but I have beheld the dead bodies of 
 natives, not yet cokl, who had expired under the 
 trees in the vicinity of Calcutta, mangled and torn 
 by adjutants, while crowds of Hindoos were passing 
 to bathe in the Ganges ; and when the corpses 
 were pointed out to their countrymen, the cold 
 answer was, " Hum jaunta ne, sahib, — I know him 
 not. Sir." "Oh! but remove the body and burn 
 it." — " Mera dustoore ne, sahib, — It is contrary 
 to custom," answered they. Hence it may be in- 
 ferred, that it is the lot of no Hindoo to meet with 
 a good Samaritan. 
 
 One effect of the institution of casts is, that no 
 stranger will be received into the house of a 
 Hindoo as a guest or lodger ; but a remedy for 
 this is every where to be found by travellers who 
 make regular stages, for in every village there is a 
 building erected at the public charge for the ac- 
 commodation of wayfaring-men, and a person 
 appointed to provide them with fire, water, and 
 all that the place produces, at regulated prices. 
 In some cities, these buildings are on a very large 
 scale, and numerous, but in every town one will 
 be found more or less convenient, according to the 
 
 p 2
 
 212 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 wealtli of the place. They are called in the Car- 
 natic cJioultries, and in most other places dhurrum- 
 sollahs, and are superintended by the cutwal, whose 
 peon is in general remarkably attentive to strangers, 
 particularly to Europeans, who often receive 
 poultry, milk, and butter from the magistrate as 
 a present. The Hindoos really appear to be a 
 tender-hearted people, but their institutions have 
 produced customs and ceremonies at which 
 humanity revolts with horror. To eat, drink, or 
 associate with a stranger, would subject a man of 
 cast to be alienated and forsaken. A military man 
 guilty of cowardice, or a lady who had prostituted 
 her honour in this country, would not meet wdth a 
 more unfavourable reception from society than a 
 Hindoo whose pity prompted him to help a dying 
 traveller into his house from the road-side, when 
 he saw the vultures and jackals watching the exit 
 of life. The Hindoo women are very charitable, 
 and never refuse to give a thirsty stranger water, 
 but he must drink it at the door out of his hands, 
 into which they will pour it from a vessel, or stand 
 over him stooping, and let it fall into his mouth ; 
 for were he to touch the pot, it would never after 
 be used, but broken, as we destroy what has been 
 impregnated with some filthy or noxious thing. 
 J once by accident trod on a mat where there was 
 an earthen dish full of rice prepared by a w'oman 
 for her family dinner. Upon which she burst into 
 loud exclamations of sorrow, broke the chattee^
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 21S 
 
 threw away the rice, and tore the mat to pieces. 
 I was very sorry for the pain I had unconsciously 
 occasioned, but upon giving a rupee to a pretty 
 little child she took up in her arms and bathed 
 with tears, she dried her eyes, looked highly pleased, 
 and made me a salam to the very ground, saying 
 in the sweetest tone of voice imaginable, *' Bhote, 
 bhote salam, atcha sahib, — Many, many thanks, 
 good sir." 
 
 If the institution of casts produced such ap- 
 parent disregard to the offices of humanity, it must 
 be allowed, on the other hand, that by pre- 
 scribing the most ceremonious respect to persons, 
 it laid the foundation for a very high polish of 
 address, with a general propensity to abject flat- 
 tery. Nothing can be more insinuating than the 
 manners of even the middling class of Hindoos. 
 They approach a person of superior rank as if they 
 thought him a deity. The action of their fine 
 persons is as much according to nature as those 
 beautiful curves adopted by Europeans, and the 
 countenance expresses agreeable animation or dig- 
 nified gravity, just according to circumstances. 
 Their modes of salutation are various, but the most 
 general is the salam with the right hand, which is 
 brought up to the forehead, something like our 
 military salute. At the same time the Hindoos say, 
 ^^Ram ram^'*' and the Mahomedans, ^^ Salam aUkoomJ* 
 On meeting old acquaintances they embrace, some- 
 thing like what is the fashion on tlie continent oi'
 
 2X4 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Europe, by placing the arms round each otlier, and 
 dropping the head first on one shoulder and then 
 on another, as if they kissed the cheeks. But 
 the lower class, in salamming to superiors, kiss 
 the ground, and the middling orders on ap- 
 proaching Europeans of rank touch the ground 
 with their hand, and take off their shppers, which 
 is likewise always done on going into their temples 
 and houses of respectability. When a Hindoo has 
 a favour to ask, he performs his invocations to Gu- 
 nesa, the god of wisdom, and visits the person on 
 some trifling pretext to ascertain whether he is in 
 an auspicious temper. If the opportunity be of the 
 golden kind, time, place, and aspect conspiring, his 
 main purpose is broached, but nothing can discom- 
 pose his patience, or induce him to mar his project 
 by obtrusiveness or precipitation. His quiet and 
 vigilant attention may be compared to that of a cat 
 watching for prey, who permits not a pur to 
 awaken suspicion, ere the moment arrives for 
 making the decisive spring. The abject manner 
 in which the Hindoos behave to the Brahmins 
 is extended to other superiors. Before great 
 men they prostrate themselves and grovel in the 
 dust. When their Rajahs pass in state, torn toms are 
 beaten and tooteries sounded upon, while crowds 
 pour out of the towns and villages to prostrate them- 
 selves in the dust. They moreover call themselves 
 by every debasing name in comparison with supe- 
 riors. But the prodigious shoals of pilgrims, sanya-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 215 
 
 sees, fakiers, players, jugglers, mountebanks, gip- 
 seys, and buffoons, that stroll about in every 
 quarter, may have helped to remove boorishness 
 from among the lower orders in India. The fakiers 
 or mendicants that visit European i'amilies, are a 
 most curious set of beings. Their dress is gene- 
 rally made of pieces of English broad cloth of all co- 
 lours, which they get in presents; and thus decorated 
 they march about with all the consequential strut of 
 peacocks, like harlequins ; only that the human 
 shape is not displayed, for they are shrouded with 
 bags, and robed in a sort of patchwork cloak, that 
 serves them also for a tent both day and night. The 
 fakiers are great favourites with all the ayahs, who 
 are credulous and listen with avidity to their mar- 
 vellous stories, and frequently persuade their mis- 
 tresses to admit them as fortune-tellers, to predict 
 the children's nusseebs. On such occasions, it is 
 something more than ludicrous to witness the art 
 of the flatterer, and to mark how successfully lie 
 insinuates himself into the good graces of every 
 one ; for the whimsical grimaces and contortions 
 with which he at first endeavours to attract notice 
 subside, when that object is gained, into refinement 
 of address. He appears struck dumb by the beauty 
 of madam and her bavas. With apparent rapture, 
 he expatiates on the colour of her darling's eyes and 
 hair, in which there may be a diversity that all 
 natives wonder at without any affectation. The 
 fakiers never calculate on exciting charity by a 
 
 r 4
 
 ^16 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 display of want or bodily infirmity, but gain their 
 object in a much surer way by putting on the mer- 
 riest faces in the world, and laughing people out of 
 their money. 
 
 About the time that hostilities commenced in 
 Travancore, the chief of Alleppee had barbarously 
 murdered two Serjeants, a drummer, and twenty- 
 five rank and file, belonging to bis majesty's 12th 
 regiment. This unfortunate party were on board 
 a paddimar, on their way to Quilon, when they 
 touched at Alleppee in stress of weather, not being 
 aware of any danger. It is said, that their muskets 
 being first secured by a stratagem, the men were 
 overpowered, their arms and legs broken, and their 
 mutilated bodies thrown into the back water. To 
 punish this atrocious act, a strong detachment, 
 formed from the force at Cochin, proceeded under 
 MajorWestbury of the 17th N. I. to that place, with 
 such secrecy and expedition that the barbarian was 
 taken by surprize, and Charles and Frank saw him 
 hanged next morning on a high gallows, near the 
 spot where he had caused tlie brave fellows belong- 
 ing to the 12th to be drowned. 
 
 On their return to Cochin, they visited Mutta- 
 cherry. Part of the town is built in the European 
 style, and inhabited by white Jews. The Rajah's 
 palace is a large old building, with a great gate, 
 in the porticos of which were several iron cages, 
 containing human beings who had committed 
 crimes, and were thus exposed to strike terror into
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 2 17 
 
 all beholders. The sentries over tliem were dressed 
 like sepoys, and having been so lately enemies, 
 looked grimly at the two friends, who surveyed 
 with emotion the emaciated naked bodies of the 
 criminals, hastening fast to the common fate of 
 man. They were loaded with chains, and the 
 cages were just large enough to allow them to lie 
 down, but the height was only sufficient for them 
 to sit erect. Every rib could be counted. Misery, 
 despair, and anguish were depicted on their coun- 
 tenances. Their complexions were of a deadly 
 hue. They extended their fleshless hands for 
 charity. *' Whatever were your crimes," said 
 Frank, *' your sufferings have redeemed them," 
 and he distributed what he had amongst them. 
 " Here/* said Charles, '* may the God who com- 
 forts the afflicted, support you," and he emptied 
 his purse into their palms. Cochin was the first 
 fort that the Portuguese built in India ; and so many 
 of the natives were converted to Christianity along 
 the coast, that there is hardly a pagoda to be seen. 
 The bishop has one hundred parish churches in 
 his diocese. 
 
 The Rajah of Cochin has no external political 
 power, all his foreign affairs being negociated by 
 the British government. Although he is a prince 
 in the little district over which he presides, and 
 has a small military force of his own to enforce 
 the payment of revenue, yet in all other points of 
 view, he is merely a tenant under the company.
 
 •218 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and pays them for his advantages nearly three 
 lacks of rupees a year. In all respects, the King of 
 Travancore is in a similar situation, having no 
 power beyond the confines of his own dominions, 
 a great part of the revenue of which is paid to the 
 Madras government. Travancore is now about 
 one hundred and forty miles in length by forty in 
 breadth, and the king has his court at Trivanda- 
 patam. Formerly the territory of the rajah was 
 very trifling; but an European, named Eustacheus 
 de Lanoy, having disciplined the army of Tra- 
 vancore, conquests were made from other Malabar 
 chiefs, and fortified lines constructed, which are, 
 however, no security against the invasion of a 
 well-organized force. The rajah is himself the 
 greatest merchant in his dominions, and the only 
 exporter of betel nut, pepper, and ginger; but in 
 short he has nearly a monopoly of every thing by 
 which money can be made. 
 
 The war being now over in Travancore, the two 
 companies, to which Charles and Frank were at- 
 tached, proceeded to join their regiment then with 
 the army, and having passed through Cranganore, 
 formed the desired junction at Karkante. At the 
 former place St. Thomas is said to have landed 
 when he arrived from Arabia to convert the 
 Indians. The Archbishop of Cranganore has forty- 
 five churches under him : the city exhibits some 
 indications of former splendour, but it is now the 
 shadow of a shadow. It was once the Jerusalem
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ';il9 
 
 of the Indian Jews, who landed liere soon after the 
 second destruction of the temple, and received a 
 grant of it, with some of the surrounding territory, 
 from the king of the country, a. d. 490. Here 
 they continued for about one thousand years, under 
 seventy-two governors ; but discord having arisen, 
 war ensued, and they mutually destroyed each 
 other, till they became a prey to a Malabar warrior, 
 who entered Cranganore with his army, and put 
 all before him to the sword. Such as escaped his 
 fury, fled to JNIuttacherry, where they built a town, 
 and have since increased very considerably, having 
 now two synagogues. Many of their women are ex- 
 ceedingly fair and beautiful. But the black Jews 
 having come into the country many centuries be- 
 fore, and mixed with the natives, can hardly now 
 be distinguished from other inhabitants of Malabar. 
 Not far from Cranganore is the oldest Syrian church 
 in Travancore, named after St. Thomas. In the in- 
 terior these establishments are very numerous, for 
 the Portuguese, who exercised great cruelty over 
 these ancient Christians on the sea coast, never pe- 
 netrated into the woods, where the pure, simple 
 religion of our Saviour now exists in an unadul- 
 terated state. 
 
 At what precise period the Syrian Christians came 
 to Malabar is uncertain, but when Vasco de Gama 
 arrived in lo03,they had above one hundred churclies 
 and a Christian king ; and for thirteen hundred 
 years before, they enjoyed a succession of bishops
 
 220 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 appointed by the patriarch of Antioch, one of whom, 
 named Mar Joseph, was sent to Lisbon a prisoner. 
 They have only two sacraments, baptism and the 
 Lord's supper ; they invoke no saints, have no 
 images, and do not beheve in purgatory. Their 
 churches are built of the red stone before noticed, 
 and are hke old village churches in England. The 
 priests wear a loose white vest, with a cap of co- 
 loured silk hanging behind, which gives a vene- 
 rable air to their fine persons. Their bishop wears 
 a vestment of red silk, with a large golden cross 
 suspended from his neck. They all go barefooted, 
 and wear beards down to their girdles, many of 
 which are as white as snow, and heighten the im- 
 posing and venerable aspect of their wrinkled fore- 
 heads. Their last king was named Beliarte. He 
 resided at Diamper, where Archbishop Menezes, 
 from the inquisition at Goa, convened 150 Syrian 
 clergy in 1599, and burned their books, while he 
 marched round in procession, chaunting a song of 
 triumph. The pope endeavoured to extirpate them. 
 His vicar was established at Verapoli, where there 
 is a college for twenty students, who are instructed 
 in the Latin and Syrian languages, and he has sixty- 
 four churches under him, besides nearly as many 
 under the Bishop of Quilon, so that the number of 
 Christians in southern Malabar is prodigious. 
 
 A demonstration of the force having been made 
 over Travancore, in the course of which many parts 
 of the interior were seen, the regiment to wliicli
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 221 
 
 Frank and Charles belonged was sent to Cannanore, 
 to replace the 12th at Quilon. The ghauts form 
 an entire chain along Travancore and all Malabar, 
 except near Paniany, where there is a sort of open- 
 ing, from which the river of that name takes its 
 rise. Paniany, which stands on the south side of 
 it, is a place of great consequence, being the resi- 
 dence of the chief priest of the Moplas, who have 
 here about forty mosques. The woods of Travan- 
 core produce cardamoms, wild cinnamon, and 
 frankincense, witli abundance of fine teik that 
 grows up the sides of the ghauts, from which it 
 is hauled into the rivers and conducted to the coast 
 for ship-building. Having reached Cannanore, 
 Charles, full of anxiety to see Mary, obtained leave, 
 and accompanied by Moote, who carried his camp 
 equipage, set off for Seringapatam, which he reached 
 in four days, though distant 110 miles from Canna- 
 nore. 
 
 Mysore is 210 miles in length by 140 in breadth, 
 and it is a sort of terrace about 3000 feet above the 
 level of the sea, so that its climate is remarkably 
 fine. The grape, peach, and strawberry, with 
 nearly all the common vegetables of Europe, flourish 
 near Seringapatam. The mutton is as fine as it is 
 in Bengal. On the east, there is a lofty chain of 
 ghauts, which rise near the river Kisthna, and sup- 
 port thii fine table land, rising in many parts into 
 firm mountains. This is more particularly the case 
 with the masses of granite composing the western
 
 S2^ FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ghauts, which are covered with black earth, pro- 
 ducing perpetual verdure, and are clothed nearly 
 to their summits with teik, often 100 feet high ; 
 along them grows also the precious sandal wood, 
 which is monopolized by the company, while on 
 the eastern mountains there is hardly any timber, but 
 everywhere the bare rock appears. Beyond these 
 ghauts, the south-west and north-east monsoons 
 have little influence; therefore Mysore is a country 
 of showers nearly at all seasons. It abounds in 
 iron ore, of which great quantities are exported, 
 notwithstanding the simple and clumsy manner in 
 which the works are carried on. Having been so 
 long the theatre of war, and subjected to invasions 
 of the most devastating kind, it is supposed that 
 at present there are not more than two and a half 
 millions of inhabitants, only seventeen thousand of 
 whom are Mahomedans. The revenue of the 
 Mysore Rajah, exclusive of seven lacks of pagodas 
 paid to the company, is said to amount to about 
 2^500,000 pagodas, a great part of which is annually 
 laid out in improvements. All the rivers in Mysore, 
 the chief of which is the Cavery, have their sources 
 in the ghauts generally speaking in the Coorg. 
 From the remains of enclosures, and the traces of 
 former irrigation, it would appear that the country 
 was once cultivated like a garden, and under the 
 present mild government it will soon be restored 
 to the same state. The company have possession 
 only of the island of Seringapatam, about four 
 
 14
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 2^8 
 
 miles in length by one and a half broad ; the fort 
 occupying about a mile of that space, together with 
 the cantonments of Bangalore, which is a most im- 
 portant station, being the eastern key of Mysore. 
 Seringapatam is a place of great sanctity, and within 
 the fort is the great temple of Shri Runga or Sheva, 
 from whom it derived its name. The ancient 
 Mysore family date their descent from Chrishna, 
 and account theirs the most ancient race of Hindoo 
 princes. Besides the temple of Shri Runga, there 
 are two others of great antiquity, and the proces- 
 sions are equal in grandeur to many others in India, 
 being attended generally by 100,000 spectators, 
 20,000 of whom still reside on the island, though 
 great numbers have removed to the new city. 
 
 There are no public edifices of consequence, 
 except the palaces, and they are gloomy looking 
 buildings in the fort j but the Laul Bang and Dow- 
 lat Baug, garden residences of Tippo, are extremely 
 elegant and airy. It is a pity to see the latter 
 going to decay, but the former is kept in order at 
 the public expence, and it ought to be so, if merely 
 to preserve the Hindoo paintings on its external 
 surface ; among which. Colonel Baillie's defeat 
 forms a conspicuous ornament near the great en- 
 trance, under the front viranda. The tumbrils are 
 represented in the act of blowing up, while the 
 Mysore cavalry are rushing on the little British 
 square, and the efiPect of the discharges of grape is 
 shown by lanes through the dense masses of horse.
 
 224 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 on every side urged on by others, seen gallopping 
 forward in countless numbers. Nearly all the 
 trades, casts, and religious ceremonies are depicted 
 on the walls, reminding the classical scholar of 
 Dido's palace. There is only one great mosque in 
 Seringapatam, the minarets of which are very high, 
 and from them there is a fine prospect of the 
 country, which, though much higher than the 
 Cavery, is watered from that river, its stream being 
 forced into canals by prodigious embankments of 
 huge stones, over which, during the rainy season, 
 the roar is tremendous. The garrison is supphed 
 with water conducted over a curious bridge, formed 
 on stone pillars. But the greatest object of in- 
 terest on the island is Hyder*s mausoleum, the pil- 
 lars of which are black marble ; and the expence 
 of keeping up the Mahomedan ceremonies over the 
 tombs of Tippo, &c. costs the company 2000 pa- 
 godas per month. 
 
 Seringapatam having proved a very pleasant 
 station, Charles took leave of it finally with some 
 regret. He and Frank had become freemasons 
 in the lodge there belonging to the Madras artil- 
 lery, and many a pleasant evening was spent under 
 the vine arches in its garden, where, on the evening 
 of St. John's day, a ball was given with a grand 
 supper, yielding to those present as much happi- 
 ness as ever circulated at a court banquet. But 
 he had to take a friendly farewell of the brethren, 
 and retrace his steps to Cannanore. On his way,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 225 
 
 he had time to see those spots which had been the 
 scenes of contest during the advance of the Bom- 
 bay army to join Lord CornwalHs, and around 
 Sedasur he beheld the ground still white with hu- 
 man bones. The jungles of the Coorg were passed 
 without seeing either a tiger or elephant. Nearly 
 all the inhabitants are Nairs. Being a region of 
 great natural strength, it is not surprising that its 
 rajah was able to make a brave stand against 
 Hyder Ally. Guards are stationed at the gates 
 that form the western and eastern entrances, and a 
 close bamboo hedge runs along the frontiers. The 
 soldiers wear quilted gowns and turbans, are armed 
 with swords, matchlocks, creeces, and targets, and 
 have a very warlike aspect.
 
 «2(> 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 " But lo ! along the Hoogly cast your eyes^ 
 And mark the smoke there curling to the skies. 
 Ah ! heard you not an agonizing cry? 
 Perhaps now virgin innocence must die ; 
 Led to her husband's blazing funeral bier, 
 For suttee ! O disgusting e'en to hear!" 
 
 The Hindoo women are as faithful and excellent 
 wives as any in the whole world. Husbands having 
 the power by law of depriving them of privileges 
 held sacred in this country, the influence of those 
 charms of tenderness and person, with which the 
 Almighty has enriched the female form to fasci- 
 nate and fix the fickle heart of man, is their only 
 security. They are educated in the belief that life 
 is given them but for a husband's happiness, and 
 that it is their duty to die with him. *' It is proper," 
 says the Gentoo law, " for a woman, after her hus- 
 band's death, to burn herself in the fire with his 
 corpse. Every woman who thus burns herself shall 
 remain in paradise with her husband three crores 
 and fifty lacks of years by destiny. If she cannot 
 burn, she must in that case preserve an inviolable 
 chastity: if she remain always chaste, she goes to 
 paradise ; and if she do not preserve her chastity, 
 she goes to hell." But the woman who does not 
 burn herself in the pile with her husband is de-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 9!^^ 
 
 prived of her rights. She becomes the halalcore 
 of the family, doomed to perform the vilest offices 
 of an outcast from society. 
 
 Gentle, meek, passively obedient, and actively 
 engaged in anticipating the wants, wishes, and pe- 
 culiarities of her husband, a Hindoo wife sees, feels, 
 hears, and understands but for him. Bound in 
 marriage w^hen an infant, he to whom she was be- 
 trothed by her father was her iiusseeb, and should 
 he die even before consummation, she would burn 
 the charms of virgin innocence with him on the 
 pile. The affection of that celebrated lady who, 
 when asked what sort of a person the young con- 
 queror was, whose generosity had restored her to 
 the bosom of her family, answered she did not know, 
 because she had no eyes but for her husband, was 
 not more genuine than the tenderness of many a 
 Hindoo wife. This is evident from tiie fact, that 
 thousands of Hindoos Mdio could afford to have se- 
 veral wives, marry but one, who must possess great 
 merit to fix the heart of such a luxurious being, in 
 regard to the fair sex, as a native of India. 
 
 The passion of love being thought most likely to 
 jar with the lines of distinction drawn by the insti- 
 tution of casts, the ceremonies respecting marriages 
 and the intercourse of the sexes were framed to 
 meet the case. Contracts are formed when the 
 bride and bridegroom are children ; and if the hus- 
 band likes not his lot, he may keep a seraglio of 
 beauties selected from any tribe. It does not ap-
 
 228 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 
 
 pear that tlie Hindoo ladies in ancient times were 
 sechided, for in the dramatic pieces they are repre- 
 sented as performing parts in public affairs, as in 
 Europe, and Parvardi is fabled as going round the 
 world in search of her husband. It is supposed 
 that the Mahomedans in a great measure introduced 
 the custom of cooping up women in seraglios, which 
 at present only prevails among the higher classes, 
 the females among the lower orders being as much 
 exposed here as in any country on the globe. Hus- 
 bands and wives hardly ever walk out together, for 
 the Hindoos have no idea of taking air and exercise. 
 When business obliges them to go from home, the 
 wife walks a little way behind the husband, and fol- 
 lows with the most respectful and sedate deport- 
 ment. The females of many villages go down, ac- 
 cording to custom, to the wells for water in the cool 
 of the day, and a more interesting scene cannot be 
 witnessed than to pass on such occasions, and be- 
 hold groups of happy creatures, seemingly as merry 
 as grigs, surrounded by chubby children, which are 
 all naked, with the exception of a silver ornament 
 suspended at the waist. 
 
 It is really melancholy to think that a custom 
 should be supported for ages, by millions of men, 
 which deprives children of their mother when it is 
 the will of Providence to call away the father. Can 
 any thing be more affecting than to see a lady in 
 the bloom of life, decked with flowers, arrayed in 
 all her jewels, perfumed and painted, led round
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS JN INDIA. 229 
 
 the funeral pile of her husband, amidst the exuking 
 shouts of a crowd, to be consumed by blazing 
 faggots, upon which oil is thrown ? In some parts 
 of the Carnatic, a pit is made, and the widow leaps 
 into the flames, or is thrown in by the Brahmins. 
 But in most other places she takes the dead body 
 in her arms, kisses it, and places the head on her 
 bosom, as she sits down in a hollow made in the 
 funeral pile.- A procession then goes round it, 
 great shouts are raised, and it is set on fire. If the 
 blaze spreads properly, pain is over in a few mo- 
 ments, for the smoke produces suffocation ; but the 
 fire is sometimes so bad, that the legs and arms 
 are roasted before life is extinct. But what for- 
 titude it requires on the part of the victim, to see 
 the preparations, to go through the ceremonies, to 
 distribute presents, all which she is expected to do 
 with ease and satisfaction. The Roman lady who 
 shewed her husband how to die, and presented In'm 
 with the dagger reeking from her own heart, exhi- 
 bited not an example of greater magnanimity than 
 that of a Hindoo wife performing suttee. 
 
 The sacrifice of human life in this way is 
 enormous^ for sometimes great numbers of con- 
 cubines perform suttee, in common with the wives 
 of a deceased great man. In the year 1803, it was 
 ascertained that two hundred and seventy-five 
 wives were burned with their dead husbands 
 within thirty miles of Calcutta; and in 1804, one 
 lumdred and fifteen suttees were performed near 
 
 q3
 
 ^30 JFIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the city. Allowing two millions of Hindoos within 
 the circle of this estimate, and seventy millions for 
 the number of natives in India who observe that 
 ceremony, the annual loss of lives is little short of 
 seven thousand. On the 12th of September 1807, 
 near Barnagore, three miles from Calcutta, the body 
 of a Koolin Brahmin named Kristo Deb Mook- 
 ergee, who died at the age of ninety-two, was 
 burned. He had left twelve wives, three of whom 
 were burned with him. One was a venerable lady, 
 having white locks. Being unable to walk from 
 age, she was placed upon the pile by the Brahmins. 
 The two others were young, and one of them was 
 very beautiful. The old lady was placed on one 
 side of the body, and the two others on the oppo- 
 site side, when an old Brahmin, the eldest son of 
 the deceased, set the pile on fire, which was 
 instantly in a blaze, amidst the shout of Brahmins, 
 and din of tom toms and tooteries, which drowned 
 the dying cries of the victims. " The Koolin Brah- 
 mins,*' says Dr. Buchanan, *' are the purest, and 
 marry as many wives as they please. Hindoos think 
 it an honour to have a Koolin Brahmin for a son- 
 in-law. They sometimes have great numbers of 
 wives. Rajeb Bonnerjee, of Calcutta, has forty, 
 Raj Chunder Bonnerjee forty-two, Ramrajee Bon- 
 nerjee fifty, and Birjod Bookerjee, of Bisrampore, 
 now dead, had ninety." 
 
 Many efforts have been indirectly made, by the 
 British authorities in India, to arrest this horrible
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 231 
 
 practice, and no doubt with success in the vicinity 
 of stations ; but no pubUc act has hitherto been 
 issued for its prohibition. The Hindoos knowing, 
 however, the detestation in which this custom is 
 held by Europeans, now take care to perform 
 suttees in as secret a manner as possible, for in 
 several instances, ladies have been saved, and res- 
 cued by force from the flames. A princess was 
 once prevailed upon, by a British officer high in 
 connnand, to live for the sake of her only son : 
 a considerable time afterwards, in soliciting some 
 advantage for him, she wrote thus : " When you 
 recollect that I am his mother, and that you pre- 
 vailed upon me to dishonour myself for his sake, 
 you will cease to be offended at my soliciting this 
 favour for him. You forced a duty upon me wliich 
 does not belong to our sex ; if I fail in tlie execu- 
 tion of it, I shall be the reproach of all who are 
 allied to me ; if I succeed, and this country flourish, 
 my oftence may be forgotten : my happiness de- 
 pends upon you ; on mine depends that of many. 
 Consider this and determine." But when the Maho- 
 medans were in power they prevented suttee by an 
 exercise of their authority ; and it is said, that if the 
 Marquis ofWellesley had continued in India he would 
 have abolished it altogether, as he did the sacrifice of 
 children at Saugur, where twenty-three persons were 
 drowned in tiie month of January 1801. His lord- 
 ship by an order in council tleclared the practice 
 to be murder, punishable by death. The law entitled 
 
 Q'l
 
 232 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 *' A regulation for preventing the sacrifice of child- 
 ren at Saugur and other places," was instituted on 
 the 20th August 1802. 
 
 Although the practice of secluding females from 
 society did not in ancient times prevail in Hindos- 
 tan, still in the most civilized periods they were 
 held in a state of degradation and slavery. Ac- 
 cording to law, it requires the testimony of four 
 women to prove what two men substantiate. By 
 the institutes of Menu, women are pronounced so 
 mutable in temper, so unsettled in affection, so 
 perverse in nature, that owing to their passion for 
 men, be they guarded ever so well, they soon be- 
 come alienated from their husbands. The Veidam 
 is denied to them j therefore they have no law, nor 
 knowledge of expiatory texts, and must be as foul 
 as falsehood. Yet their conduct is constantly to be 
 so sedate and decorous, that they are not to laugh 
 without covering the face with a veil. Adultery is 
 death, and speaking to or sitting on the same couch 
 with a strange man is adultery. Barrenness and 
 the birth of female children are causes for divorce- 
 ment. Yet Abu Talib Khan, in his vindication of 
 the liberties of Asiatic women, labours to prove 
 that their condition in point of happiness is superior 
 to that in which the females of Europe are placed. 
 He says, that they can see the male relatives of 
 their husbands and fathers, and their old neigh- 
 bours, domestics, &c. at meals ; that they can visit 
 their female friends in palankeens and close carri-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 233 
 
 ages, and can have musicians, dancers, and actors, 
 so that in point of society they are not worse than 
 ladies in London, who have to keep their doors 
 shut all day. Wives by a subsequent marriage 
 are not equal in rank to those by a first marriage, 
 nor are they admitted into the society of particular 
 ladies. But he acknowledges, who knew it well, 
 that " it is easier to live with two tigresses than 
 two wives." Teazing a husband is considered 
 an essential quality of beauty ; for if she does not 
 teaze him, her charms soon lose their brilliancy in 
 his eyes. 
 
 The shaddee or marriage ceremony is very ex- 
 pensive and gorgeous. This is one of the pageants 
 upon which all the Hindoos expend vast sums. 
 Those of the lower orders parade about the town 
 or village in palankeens, on horses, or even on bul- 
 locks, just as their circumstances permit. In some 
 tribes dowries are given, and in others the bride is 
 purchased. She remains with her mother *till ma- 
 turity, when another pageant takes place in convey- 
 ing her home ; but it is said that the mothers con- 
 nive at stolen interviews before this second cere- 
 mony is permitted. 
 
 In conformity to Mr. Fortier*s advice. Lieutenant 
 True had sent in his name for purchase, but it re- 
 quires sometliing more than money to obtain rapid 
 promotion to a company in the British army j and 
 not having particular interest at the Horse Guards, 
 he was obliged to wait for an opportunity in his
 
 234> FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 own corps, or some other regiment in India. He 
 was, however, cheered with hope, and having the 
 interest of a large fund at command, his circum- 
 stances were easy, and a smiling little boy now be- 
 gan to charm his vacant moments, by traces of in- 
 tellectual vivacity. Mrs. True shewed particular 
 attention to Mary, in every way consistent with 
 their difference of rank, and often called with her 
 husband at the office to see the little Emma, who 
 was just six months younger than their Edward. 
 But one morning, after the tappal came in, a sen- 
 sation of despondence ran through the cantonment, 
 in consequence of a rumour that a great house of 
 agency at Madras had stopped payment, and the 
 next day George received authentic information 
 that those to whom Nannette's fortune had been 
 entrusted were absolutely beggars, having by their 
 failure injured almost every mihtary man on the 
 presidency of Fort St. George. 
 
 " Confusion,'* said Frank Stanley. — " Who can 
 depend on dame Fortune ?'* ejaculated Charles 
 Thoughtless. 
 
 " Well, George," said Nannette, with a brow of 
 care and a lip of joy, *♦ I shall not break my heart 
 about money when I am so rich in having you and 
 Edward." But a tear fell on the cherub cheek 
 which she kissed and pressed to her bosom. 
 
 *' It will enable me, Nannette, to show how little 
 I ever thought of you and fortune together." But 
 the mournful look he cast towards his laughing 
 
 13
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 235 
 
 son proved that he knew the value of what he had 
 lost. 
 
 Peace and plenty at this time gave cheerfulness 
 to the aspect of Malabar. Charles and Frank made 
 many an excursion in the vicinity of the canton- 
 ments to witness the tranquil habits of the peasantry, 
 and see their huts covered with melons, pumpkins, 
 and cucumbers, while their pepper vine and plan- 
 tain topes peeped through the tall cocoa-nut trees 
 around their peaceful habitations. The climate of 
 Malabar is friendly to human life ; cooled by alter- 
 nate breezes from the sea and land, the air is not 
 near so hot as in many parts of the interior much 
 further from the line, and the vast fall of rain tem- 
 pers, during the monsoon, the most burning part of 
 the year. Game is very plentiful ; the partridge, 
 quail, snipe, rabbit, hare and fox, with other varie- 
 ties abound, and the whole coast is as pleasant a 
 station for military men as any in the country. But a 
 civil war was on the point of deluging the plains of 
 the Carnatic. Sir G. H. Barlow, the governor of 
 Madras, in carrying into effect certain reductions of 
 allowances to the company's officers according to 
 the wishes of the court of directors, had roused a 
 spirit of discontent in the army, which the com- 
 mander in chief. General M'Dowal, seemed to 
 foment and countenance, while he professed to 
 support government in his place as a member of 
 council. Many of the officers at the head of the 
 company's troops at this time were men of great
 
 ^36 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 talent, and they calculated upon being able, by com- 
 bination, to force the governor to comply with their 
 views. He was unfortunately of a temper of mind 
 ill-suited to carry harsh and unpopular measures 
 with such generous spirits. In short, he found him- 
 self unable to govern either the commander in chief 
 or the army, and the king's regiments were forced 
 to level their bayonets against the company's, and 
 dislodge the European officers who were removed 
 from their corps, while their places were supplied 
 by drafts from his majesty's service. But before 
 this was effected some blood had been spilled near 
 Seringapatam, and Colonel Mars had displayed an 
 energy and judgment in securing the fort of Can- 
 nanore, and disorganizing the plans in Malabar and 
 Canara, which called forth the approbation of those 
 in power. The commander in chief resigned, and 
 was lost on the passage home, and the governor 
 was soon after removed, while all the officers were 
 restored to their regiments, and very few examples 
 made ; it being the general opinion that if the one 
 leader had possessed the spirit of young Cyrus, and 
 the other that of Clearchus, the Madras army never 
 would have had to regret that the violence of pas- 
 sion led them to meditate the destruction of that 
 authority which they were armed to support. 
 
 Charles had now nearly began to despair of the 
 promotion which he once expected. Captain Noble 
 had made kind enquiries after his protege in his 
 letters, but gave no hint that he had a prospect of
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 237 
 
 serving him. However, a change was on the point 
 of taking place when he least expected it ; for the 
 adjutant came into the office one day, and with a 
 smiling countenance said, " Thoughtless, I have 
 for some time been exerting myself to promote your 
 interest, and I think, I know at present of a situ- 
 ation that would suit you well." Charles was of 
 course all attention, and expressed his humble 
 thanks. He then made a few observations on the 
 difficulty which a married ensign would have to en- 
 counter. " But,*' said he, *' if you prefer it, I can 
 now most probably get you into a sepoy battalion to 
 act as adjutant ; and should you be displaced by the 
 return of the officers, the commander in chief would 
 make it a point of promoting you." At length, after 
 several circumlocutions, Charles enquired wliat the 
 situation was. But instead of an answer, he re- 
 ceived such a flattering description of the advantages 
 that he closed with the offier without further hesi- 
 tation. The adjutant tlien informed him that he 
 was to be an assistant in a classical school on a very 
 extensive scale in Calcutta. — '* Good God, sir," 
 said Charles, " are you jesting with your humble 
 servant ; I am a self-taught man, know compa- 
 ratively nothing of the Latin language, and feel 
 myself even deficient in the grammatical use of my 
 mother tongue." — " Oh, but," answered he, " you 
 possess great application and strong retentive pow- 
 ers ; you are young, and the gentleman to whom you 
 are going is perhaps one of the best qualih'ed in the
 
 ^38 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 world to bring you forward ; and let me also assure 
 you, that the progress you have made in literature, 
 without those advantages which others usually re- 
 ceive, gives you a double claim to consideration." — 
 He bowed very low, on being thus complimented by 
 so good a judge, for Charles had his share of vanity. 
 The adjutant proceeded further into particulars, and 
 informed him that the gentleman in question had 
 been educated at Oxford, was a clergyman of the 
 church of England, and after expatiating largely 
 on his virtues — " in short/' said he, *'I am his son." 
 — Application was soon after made to the com- 
 mander in chief for permission to discharge Charles 
 on the ground that he had been offered an advan- 
 tageous situation in Calcutta, was a very deserving 
 man of a respectable family, and had a wife and 
 child to support. In due course, an answer was re- 
 ceived from the military secretary granting the re- 
 quest, on condition of producing a certificate from 
 government sanctioning him to settle in India. He 
 was accordingly granted a furlough to proceed to 
 Calcutta for that purpose, and an opportunity soon 
 occurred. 
 
 One of the beeby'^ ships was about to sail for 
 the Hoogly, and the negociation lor a passage in- 
 troduced him to the lady of Cannanore, for she 
 m.ade the bargain herself: she was of small stature, 
 with a stoop from age, but her eyes were keen and 
 piercing. His conference with her was conducted 
 by Naswangee a parsee, who had a shop in the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 239 
 
 outer viranda of the beeby's palace. This part, 
 which faces the street, is made into shops and let 
 to merchants, for she loses no means of amassing 
 wealth. It was in Naswangee's shop that he stood 
 and communicated with her ladyship through the 
 iron bars of a window. On paying one hundred 
 and fifty rupees, he procured an order to be re- 
 ceived on board the semidammy, and prepared to 
 take leave of his patron the adjutant. For this 
 purpose he spent nearly the whole night in com- 
 posing a morsel in verse : 
 
 The exile doomed in foreign lands to roam, 
 
 And quit for life his dear parental home, 
 
 With many a sigh relinquishes the shore, 
 
 And friends who make each sigh felt ten times more. 
 
 Fondly his eye each parting object views. 
 
 His tongue repeats a thousand fond adieus ; 
 
 When far away, his heart with friendship burns, 
 
 And fancy to familiar scenes returns. 
 
 So I, till life's dull ocean is passed o'er, 
 
 Till earth-born feelings touch the soul no more. 
 
 While memory's pencil paints the scene behind. 
 
 Will turn to thee my ever grateful mind. 
 
 Adieu ! adieu ! thou friend most truly dear. 
 
 We part, the thought excites a painful tear ; 
 
 But on my heart remains engraved thy name. 
 
 Which heaven preserve for honour, wealth, and fame ! 
 
 " And now, Frank," said Charles, ** I have only 
 one wisli left, and that is to see you promoted ; for 
 confusion to me, but I feel sore at leaving you a step 
 behind me." 
 
 *= Why, Charles," replied he, " I have just been
 
 240 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 informed that I might make my fortune by mar- 
 riage. Colonel Brilliant's houses at Seringapatam 
 and Tellichery have been offered to me, with the 
 colonel's pretty mistress, a French girl, for he is 
 going home, and wishes to provide her with a hus- 
 band, who is to be made a conductor, and stationed 
 on this coast." 
 
 " And you had to bear the insult of such a pro- 
 posal," said Charles. 
 
 *' Yes, confusion to me, but I must swallow it ; 
 for Colonel Brilliant's rank protects him." 
 
 " He is a married man too, and has several fine 
 daughters at home, with whom his lady remained," 
 said Charles. *' I am surprized at him." 
 
 " Such is the morality of India," replied Frank ; 
 " and confusion to me, if any thing that can be 
 conceived need surprize us. But here is a letter 
 just arrived from my mother : — Miss Sarah is still 
 as when I left home, and she makes frequent enqui- 
 ries about me. If I could get an ensigncy — " 
 
 " The moment I save money enough," answered 
 Charles, ** you sliall have one. Let hope be your 
 guiding star." 
 
 Having sent a copy of the farewel lines to the 
 adjutant, and presented another to Frank, who 
 accompanied him to the beach, he embarked with 
 Mary and Emma, and sailed down the coast to 
 AUeppee, where the vessel was to take in the re- 
 mainder of her cargo of coir, a material which is 
 converted into cordage and cables of a very ser-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 241 
 
 viceable kind, having the property of never rotting 
 in water. The crew on board the semidammy, 
 which was an English-built ship purchased by the 
 beeby, were mussulmen, and natives of the Persian 
 gulf, a region producing skilful seamen and bold 
 pirates. They were strong and active sailors, of 
 an Arabian cast of features, and they most strictly 
 conformed to all the ceremonies prescribed by the 
 Koran. At sun-rise and sun-set every day each 
 man, on his mat spread on the deck, uttered his 
 prayers aloud with numerous prostrations, and the 
 name of Alia and Mahomed resounded from every 
 part of the vessel. At night the watch below, 
 seated on mats round the knockada before his cabin 
 door, heard the Koran read, and sang hymns in 
 praise of the Most High. The regularity observed 
 by all was worthy of observation, and formed a 
 complete contrast to the voyage from Madras, as 
 well as from England, during which the sailors 
 were flogged almost every day for misconduct. 
 The knockada was very attentive to Thoughtless 
 and his family, sending them every day presents of 
 figs, dates, raisins, almonds, and preparations of 
 spiced rice and sweetmeats, which, with dried fish, 
 plantains, and vegetable curries, constituted their 
 diet. They did not use vinous or spirituous liquors 
 of any kind. 
 
 The voyage was made nearly all the way in sight 
 of the coast ; having left Cannanore soon after the 
 monsoon, the vessel reached the sand heads in 
 
 R
 
 242 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 twenty-one days, being wafted by delightful breezes, 
 without a squall to interrupt the beauty of the 
 scene. Nothing occurred to excite an apprehen- 
 sion of danger, except a report that a French pri- 
 vateer was cruizing off the coast of Malabar, and 
 the appearance of a dead whale drifting down the 
 Bay of Bengal, which at a distance seemed very 
 formidable. A pilot having come on board, in 
 eight days more the semidammy was at anchor 
 near Calcutta, and Charles prepared to go on shore, 
 delighted with the banks of the Hoogly, which 
 presented an endless variety of stately buildings, 
 beautiful gardens, plantations, lawns, and mea- 
 dows. 
 
 He soon found the residence of his employer, 
 and was pleased with him and every thing. He 
 was one of the most noble looking Irish gentlemen 
 his eyes had ever rested upon. His venerable age, 
 for he was upwards of sixty, gave peculiar in- 
 terest to the dignity of his person. Dressed in 
 black, and powdered with care, he handed Mary up 
 to his drawing-room with an air of grandeur that 
 struck Thoughtless with awe. Every thing was in 
 readiness for their reception ; the accommodations 
 were excellent, being on a scale of liberality much 
 beyond expectation, and the most generous solici- 
 tude was expressed to supply omissions. His son 
 had not exaggerated, when he stated that his 
 father's academy was a large one. It consisted of 
 about seventy pupils, forty of whom were boarders.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 243 
 
 The house was superb, and the school-room so spa- 
 cious, that all the assistants and scholars were un- 
 der the master's eye ; and there was a large punko, 
 by which, in the hot season, the air was kept plea- 
 santly cool. A look from this venerable man had 
 the effect of producing silence and attention ; yet 
 he was all mildness, seldom using a harsh word or 
 inflicting punishment. 
 
 At first this reverend man merely directed the 
 attention of Charles to the discipline of the school. 
 Two of his assistants were anabaptists ; and 
 Thoughtless was soon assailed by their zeal in the 
 cause of conversion, and assured that in his pre- 
 sent state he was as one of the damned. But being 
 both very worldly-minded and discontented men, 
 their success in making converts must have been 
 very limited. One was the classical assistant. He 
 soon complained to Charles that his salary was too 
 small, and intimated that it was his intention to set 
 up a school for himself, roundly insinuating that 
 he could turn the leaves of the classics over with 
 more rapidity than his employer, into whose pri- 
 vate history he entered with some very unchari- 
 table inuendoes respecting the weaknesses of human 
 nature, from which this amiable man was not alto- 
 gether free. The other assistant, a person of 
 plain education, was just competentto teach reading, 
 writing, and common arithmetic. He was a con- 
 verted man, being, as he thought, under the in- 
 fluence of the spirit. He had, when in a graceless 
 
 R 2
 
 44<t< FIFTEEN YEARS IIST INDIA. 
 
 state, attempted to commit suicide, but was un- 
 successful in the moment of action, having only 
 blown away part of his head, which gave his coun- 
 tenance an awful expression. He was now a sort 
 of preacher, visiting the diseased in mind and body,, 
 and consoling them with exceedingly long prayers. 
 In expounding the Scripture, he often got into 
 depths far beyond his capacity, and expressed his. 
 perplexity in groans. Anxious to be placed as 
 master over a baptist charity school then about ta 
 be established, he sought every opportunity of shew- 
 ing his zeal and ability to the mission at Serampore, 
 from whom he expected the situation ; and 1 really 
 believe he considered himself unfortunate in la- 
 bouring in an unfruitful vineyard 5 for he must have 
 been sincere, as he frequently, with tears in his. 
 eyes, lamented his failure in not being able to con- 
 vert the master of the school from the wicked path 
 to the road of grace. 
 
 Thoughtless was however charmed with the man- 
 ners of his master, to whom he explained the great 
 deficiency and inaccuracy of his education, and 
 the fear he entertained that he should be found an 
 incapable assistant. The master was kind enough 
 to express a contrary opinion. " You are anxious 
 to acquire a knowledge of Latin," said he, ** and 
 I know not a more certain way of learning that 
 fine language than by teaching it.** Charles looked 
 at him with astonishment. " You will understand 
 the truth of what I tell you hereafter,'* said he j
 
 li'lPTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 245 
 
 *' there is nothing more correctly true, than that by 
 teaching we learn. — Your grammar class, by con- 
 stantly repeating their lessons, will impress them 
 on your memory ; and any difficulty you meet I 
 shall explain. Every evening we will look over 
 together the subjects for the following day, and 
 thus prevent you from either falling into mistakes 
 or exposing yourself." 
 
 In a few months he had the Eaton Latin Gram- 
 mar by heart — Erasmus, Eutropius, and Cornelius 
 Nepos, with Clark's Introduction, at command. 
 He soon read Justin, Ovid, Virgil, Horace, and, 
 having familiarized himself with the Latin classics, 
 began to learn Greek. In short, his employer 
 wrote to his son that Charles was of more use than 
 all his other assistants ; but expressed some appre- 
 hensions that he would kill himself by intense study 
 both night and day. 
 
 R.^
 
 ^46 
 
 CHAR XV. 
 
 "' From such aland who longs not to depart. 
 
 That has within his breast a feeling heart ? 
 
 Yes, every one should hail the happy day, 
 
 When Gunga's bosom bears him far away. 
 
 Yet many linger on the torrid shore 
 
 For wealth, 'till wealth can comfort life no more." 
 
 JMany of the ceremonies, rites, sacrifices, penances, 
 and practices of the brahminical idolatry fill the 
 breast of a christian, soon after his arrival in India, 
 with horror and disgust, which imperceptibly wear 
 away ; and if he have kept no record of those first 
 impressions, he ceases to remember them, and re- 
 gards that which is so common as not to surprize 
 him, as in no way interesting to the rest of mankind. 
 With what we are familiar ourselves, we often think 
 others perfectly acquainted ; and this propensity of 
 the mind to give to the world what is new instead of 
 what is old, shews the importance to every traveller 
 of keeping a journal, and taking notes on the first 
 view of things. In the foregoing pages many al- 
 lusions have been made to the shocking sights 
 every where to be seen over India of voluntary mu- 
 tilations and excruciating sufferings. Volumes 
 might be filled, if the various temples in the interior 
 were described ; but the writer, having only space 
 for a few remarks, must refer the reader for more
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 247 
 
 copious information to Buchanan, Tennaiit, and 
 other authors, who have faithfully pourtrayed scenes 
 in India. 
 
 The pagoda of Juggurnaut is situated on the 
 Bay of Bengal, 300 miles S. W. of Calcutta. Such 
 numbers of pilgrims die on their way thither, that 
 for fifty miles round the country is white with 
 human bones. Hundreds of old people travel 
 thousands of miles every year to die there, some of 
 them measuring the whole way with their bodies, 
 others journeying on the broad of their backs, and 
 several tumbling head over heels. Thousands of 
 dogs, jackals, and vultures live on the bodies of the 
 dead, and the adjutants are so tame as to approach 
 and gape with horrid expectation at the living. The 
 shouts raised by the continuous multitude constantly 
 gaining sight of the temple from all quarters are 
 awful. For several miles round it is like a vast en- 
 campment, and sometimes great numbers are killed 
 by the rush of the multitude towards the great gates. 
 Seated on a throne, between his brother and sister 
 Boleram and Shubudra, appears tlie idol, made of 
 a block of wood, having a frightfully large visage 
 painted black, with arms of gold and gorgeous ap- 
 parel. On the walls and gates of the temple are in- 
 decent figures, cut in stone, upon which both sexes 
 look with satisfaction. During the great festivals, 
 the idols are paraded about in pagodas made of 
 wood, ninety feet high, fixed on carriages with six- 
 teen wheels, and drawn by men with cables, Avhile 
 
 R 4
 
 248 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the axletrees are often red with the blood of devo- 
 tees of both sexes, that thro"w themselves beneath 
 to be crushed to death ; their bodies are carried 
 away by hurries and thrown into the Golgotha, to 
 be eaten by obscene animals. The stench of this 
 place is dreadful, and on every side the senses are 
 disgusted by the squalid and ghastly presence of the 
 famished pilgrims. Devotees with clotted hair and 
 painted naked bodies are everywhere seen practis- 
 ing their self-tortures ; and the exhalations from 
 human ordure would infect the air, were it not 
 that the filth serves as food to the brahminy bulls, 
 which roam about in great numbers. 
 
 One hundred thousand souls are constantly around 
 Juggurnaut, and their shouts are appalling when the 
 idol is brought out, at which time the multitude, 
 having green palms in their hands, fall down and 
 worship. Then the procession advances, preceded 
 by elephants and dancing girls and buffoons, while 
 upwards of one hundred Brahmins are writhing their 
 bodies into lascivious contortions in the different 
 virandas belonging to each story of the artificial 
 pagoda, that moves along glittering with tinsel and 
 adorned with hundreds of flags, streamers and en- 
 signs, the air resounding with the noise of tomtoms, 
 tooteries, and bands of music. The priests sing and 
 shout, sometimes telling the people that the god is 
 pleased and smiles j at others, that he will not 
 move, and frowns 'till he is gratified with more 
 bloodj while approbationat their indecent gestures.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 249 
 
 and their gross contortions of body, is expressed in 
 yells of sensual delight. It takes ,^'200 worth of 
 broad cloth to cover the rutt or carriage, and the 
 expences of the idol are .^^8,702 per annum, a large 
 portion of which is for dancing girls, who are pros- 
 titutes belonging to the temple. His table costs 
 ■^"4,514 a year. But there are other Juggurnauts 
 in several places, and the practices at Ishera near 
 Calcutta, and at the temple of Kalli and elsewhere, 
 are of a similar description. At the former place, 
 which is near Serampore, the baptist missionaries 
 may be seen preaching in the vicinity of those 
 horrible scenes, while crowds are amusing them- 
 selves in laughing at these worthy men. 
 
 In some tribes the female children are destroyed, 
 and wives purchased from other casts, and this un- 
 natural custom is supposed to have originated in 
 pride. The Jerajahs, Jaits, and Rajkumars prac- 
 tise infanticide, and the mother herself is com- 
 monly the executioner, either by putting some 
 opium into the infant's mouth, or drawing the um- 
 bilical cord over the face. Colonel Walker, when 
 political agent in Guzerat, investigated the matter 
 by desire of Governor Duncan, whose humanity 
 prompted him to aim at its abolition. It had been 
 a custom there for 2000 years, and Broach or 
 Barygaza is mentioned by very ancient authors as 
 its chief seat. According to calculation, 300 
 children were murdered annually in Katty war and 
 Kutch. Colonel Walker's correspondence witii the
 
 250 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 chiefs of those countries is extremely interesting, 
 and fully detailed in the records of the times, but 
 particularly in Moore's Hindoo Infanticide. He 
 entreated many of them to let their daughters live, 
 and at first received positive refusals and insulting 
 letters. A curious one from Futteh Mahomed, to 
 whom he wrote, in addressing the Row of Booge- 
 Booge, is all I can insert. '* It is notorious that 
 since the avatara of Shri Chrishna, the Jerajahs, 
 who are descended from the Jadoos, have, during 
 a period of 4,900 years, been accustomed to kill 
 their daughters ; and it has no doubt come to your 
 knowledge that all of God*s creation, even the 
 mighty emperors of Hindostan, besides all others, 
 the conductors of the affairs of this world, have 
 preserved friendship with this court, and never 
 acted in this respect unreasonably. But you, who 
 are an amir of the great sircar, the honourable 
 company, having written to me on the subject, I 
 have felt much uneasiness, for it does not accord 
 with your good character. This durbar has always 
 maintained friendship with the honoiu'able com- 
 pany ; and notwithstanding this, you have acted so 
 unreasonably in this respect, that I am much dis- 
 tressed. No one has, until this day, wantonly 
 quarrelled with this court, who has not in the end 
 suffered loss. Do not again address me on this 
 subject." Nevertheless Colonel Walker did per- 
 severe, and at length by publicly discussing and 
 exposing the enormity of the practice, many of the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 251 
 
 supporters were led to abhor infanticide; and 
 although Governor Duncan had only received a 
 cold approval from his superiors, he had the satis- 
 faction of saving many thousands of infants by his 
 spirited and benevolent interference through Co- 
 lonel Walker. The supreme government acknow- 
 ledged that his plan was worthy of humanity ; but 
 added,' " the speculative success of it cannot be 
 considered to justify the prosecution of measures 
 which may expose to hazard the essential interests 
 of the state.'* Yet it is probable that no specula- 
 tion in India ever raised the British character so 
 high in the estimation of the natives ; for many of 
 the mothers came some years afterwards to Colonel 
 Walker's tent in Kattywar, and placed their female 
 children in his hands with all natural marks of 
 affection, emphatically calling their little ones his 
 children. Public opinion, however, was still adverse 
 to the preservation of them, for the little ones in 
 many instances were disguised as boys. The inno- 
 cent creatures appeared ashamed of acknowledging 
 their sex, and assured Colonel Walker that they 
 were not girls, calling on tlieir fathers with infan- 
 tine simplicity to corroborate their assertions. 
 
 But infanticide, suttee, pilgrimage, and self- 
 torture destroy not more lives than the secret 
 practices of the Brahmins, who stop at no atrocity 
 to gain their ends. For money they will arrest tlie 
 course of justice, and screen the murderer from the 
 laws. The blood of a Brahmin being sacred, the
 
 S52 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 offence of causing it to be shed is considered by 
 every Hindoo as the most frightful of all crimes, 
 subjecting the soul of the perpetrator to tortures 
 of the severest kind in the lowest hell ; therefore 
 the priests, when obstacles oppose their desires, 
 often murder their wives and children, and muti- 
 late themselves. The practice of dhurnea is very 
 general in Hindostan Proper. A Brahmin, upon 
 being paid, will place himself opposite the door of 
 a person whom he wishes to compel to the adoption 
 of some measure contrary to his interest, either to 
 stay a prosecution, or pay an unjust debt, and 
 starve himself should the man not comply, or he will 
 threaten to cut off his leg or arm, and sprinkle the 
 blood on his house. Few things are impossible to 
 the Brahmins when they use this instrument of 
 terror. Another mode of dhurnea is to place a cow 
 or an old woman on a pile of faggots, and threaten 
 to burn the one or other unless the thing desired 
 be granted. No crime subjects the Brahmins to 
 the punishment of death; and it is easy to conceive 
 into what horrible acts the passions and desires of 
 human nature lead these men thus placed beyond 
 the reach of capital punishments. 
 
 Soon after the arrival of Thoughtless in Calcutta, 
 he applied to government through the chief secre- 
 tary's office for permission to settle in India, and 
 expected a favourable answer, but to his surprise 
 he received a flat refusal, and was referred to the 
 Court of Directors. Their sanction being thought,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 253 
 
 however, a matter of course,Colonel Mars permitted 
 him to remain in Calcutta, and the adjutant con- 
 gratulated him on the prospect of continuing on pay 
 so much longer in the regiment. In short, all 
 things seemed fortunate, for the classical assist- 
 ant having realized his intention of setting up 
 a school for himself, Charles succeeded to his 
 situation. 
 
 The scholars were generally speaking half-casts, 
 the sons of Europeans by country-born mothers, 
 with some Armenians and Hindoos, Many of the 
 half-casts were of dark complexions, but of most 
 excellent capacity, with very generous dispositions 
 and affectionate hearts. It is to be regretted that 
 some plan has not been devised to employ them for 
 the advantage of their country, as they labour at 
 present under illiberal exclusion from the army, 
 navy, and civil service, which makes them discon- 
 tented subjects. Lord Valentia, when in India, 
 wished to send them all to England (vol.1, p. 241.), 
 which was a singular expedient for remedying the 
 evils to be apprehended from their increase. There 
 are many very worthy men in that large body of 
 subjects that now come under the name of half- 
 casts, and the number and respectability of the 
 whole entitle them to very great consideration. 
 For many years after Charles left Calcutta, he cor- 
 responded with his pupils, some of whose letters 
 are very creditable to both their head and heart.
 
 254 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 The two following are given as specimens, the first 
 being in answer to a complimentary note, written 
 from Bombay on his marriage. 
 
 MY DEAR SIR, Calcutta, 10th April 1817. 
 
 The receipt of your letter of the 13th ultimo 
 has afforded me infinite pleasure, and your pleasing 
 congratulations I accept with particular satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 In your welfare I have ever felt greatly interested, 
 from a sense of the obligations I owe to you ; and I 
 rejoice extremely at your success in promoting 
 yourself so favourably, which must alone be ascribed 
 to that singular industry, perseverance, activity, and 
 wonderful talent which have ever so conspicuously 
 marked your character. 
 
 Correspondence is my delight, but from want of 
 leisure, owing to my numerous avocations, my friends 
 have hitherto been neglected ; I embrace notwith- 
 standing eagerly your invitation, from a conviction 
 that a correspondent of your acknowledged capacity 
 must prove to me edifying. In so saying, permit 
 me to assure you that I mean no compliment, but 
 pay a just tribute to that individual who has con- 
 tributed so much to the formation of my under- 
 standing. 
 
 I shall begin with informing you of the changes 
 which have occurred since your departure, and other 
 matters that I presume will be deemed both inte- 
 resting, and connected in some measure with your-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 255 
 
 self. **** ## ## 
 
 The seizure of the Ernaud at Bombay, for want 
 of a plantation bond, agreeably to an act of Parlia- 
 ment passed 200 years ago, and her final condem- 
 nation by the court of admiralty at that presidency, 
 greatly alarmed the mercantile community, and for 
 a time arrested commercial speculations in this 
 quarter. The matter was jointly brought before 
 the supreme court by a body of the merchants of 
 this settlement, and happily decided in their favour, 
 after the most eloquent discussion, which took place 
 on the occasion. Doubts are still entertained as to 
 any alteration made in the mind of the Recorder of 
 Bombay, whose court is as competent in its power 
 as the supreme court, and who must either candidly 
 avow his error, or continue fixed in his resolution, 
 and seize every ship in the same predicament as the 
 Ernaud ; because the decision of the supreme court, 
 from being directly opposite to his own ideas of the 
 case, arraigns his ability as a judge, and the bigwigs 
 here have noticed with some degree of severity, the 
 conduct of the Recorder as wholly unwarrantable in 
 the sanction of a measure which would operate se- 
 riously to the prejudice of the mercantile body in 
 India, by discouraging speculation, a circumstance 
 by which great loss would result to the honourable 
 company, in the reduction of revenue. " Who shall 
 decide when doctors disagree?" Opinion is divided
 
 ^56 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 of course on this important question. The lawyers 
 at Bombay think with their recorder ; those here 
 follow the judges. But the judge at Bombay has 
 three opinions against him, and he is too candid a 
 man to persevere in error, after the conviction of 
 truth has flashed upon his understanding. The affair 
 has seriously lowered the rate of interest, from the 
 immense quantity of money in the market, owing to 
 a great commercial intercourse, which existed 
 between the neighbouring settlements, having been 
 in a great measure obstructed. 
 
 For my present situation, I am obliged to Mr. 
 Palmer, who appointed me assistant in the marine 
 registry office, an institution lately established, 
 under the immediate countenance and patronage 
 of the government, by the merchants, for the better 
 providing ships and vessels with registered Asiatic 
 sailors, and for protecting them from the many 
 impositions and abuses to which both owners and 
 seamen were subject under the old system. The 
 rules and regulations which have been framed into 
 bye-laws widely differ from those of tlie ghaut 
 syrangs, (a class of men equal to the kidnappers 
 of Holland and crimps of England, who study 
 nothing but their own vile interest), in the reduced 
 ingress which they allow, compared to the former 
 usage. In the carrying of such an ordinance into 
 effect, the most violent opposition was experienced ; 
 for the syrangs, foreseeing that the new arrange- 
 ment would blast their wicked prospects, exerted
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 257 
 
 their powerful influence over the seamen ; but the 
 perseverance, zeal, and diligence exercised by the 
 officers attached to the department, defeated re- 
 sistance, and successfully attained the desired ob- 
 ject. 
 
 In the hope that you will continue to evince 
 your friendly consideration, I shall take leave of 
 you, trusting that your family enjoy good health ; 
 and with cordial wishes for your prosperity, 
 
 I remain, my dear sir. 
 Yours very faitli fully, 
 G. R. 
 
 MY DEAR SIR, Calcutta, Oct. 10th 1817, 
 
 Judging that my long silence will excite sur- 
 prize, I am induced, with a view to expel from your 
 mind any unfavourable impression which it may 
 have made, to explain the cause, by recounting to 
 you the recent disasters which befel my family, 
 since I last had the pleasure of addressing you. 
 
 The first unhappy event was the dangerous ill- 
 ness of Mrs. R., who, being attacked by the pesti- 
 lence raging here, was nearly carried off by it. She 
 has at length unexpectedly recovered after linger- 
 ing for a period of six weeks on the brink of the 
 grave. The next serious occurrence was my father's 
 bed room being struck with lightning a little after 
 midnight, when he was asleep. Fortunately it did 
 him no injury, nor did it hurt any person in the 
 
 s
 
 !2.58 FIFTEEN YILAllS IN INDIA. 
 
 house. His escape is considered particularly mira- 
 culous and providential, as his bedstead was not a 
 foot distant from the window frame through which, 
 and the archway over it, the lightning penetrated, 
 entering the terrace of the house, which some of 
 the neighbours had an opportunity of observing, 
 appeared all in a blaze. The premises suffered 
 considerable injury, and the window frames, Vene- 
 tians, and glass sashes were broken. After this I was 
 obliged to go up the river for change of air with 
 Mrs. R. to re-establish her health ; and these events 
 will, I trust, plead sufficiently for the delay which 
 has occurred in acknowledging your very friendly 
 and interesting letters of the 21st May and 2d 
 June. 
 
 The opportunity afforded me of evincing my at- 
 tachment to your interests, by promoting vigor- 
 ously the object of your wishes conveyed to me in 
 the last paragraph of your letter now before me, is 
 particularly gratifying, as to support your undertak- 
 ings under any circumstances is and ever will be 
 an object of my most anxious solicitude. * * 
 
 Mortality in Calcutta and its adjacent provinces 
 is very great. The police report of deaths within 
 its jurisdiction states from two to three hundred 
 people falling victims to the cholera morbus every 
 (day.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 25^ 
 
 The merchants of Calcutta have obtained the 
 sanction of government for erecting an exchange 
 here, and purpose building it at their expence on 
 that space of ground between the Bankshall and 
 the river. 
 
 We expect soon to be gratified with the launch of 
 the line of battle ship, built by the merchants of the 
 settlement to set at j'est the competition between 
 the Calcutta and Bombay builders, by sending this 
 grand specimen to England as an eastern offering 
 to his majesty's navy at prime cost, deducting the 
 profits of the voyage home, for she is to carry a 
 valuable cargo. 
 
 Accept the assurances of my respectful regard 
 and esteem, and believe me to remain with much 
 sincerity, 
 
 My dear sir, 
 Your very constant friend, 
 G.R. 
 
 The proprietor of the school was of a very liberal 
 and hospitable disposition, and he had a party of 
 friends every week to dimier, as well to let the 
 boys see company as to give celebrity to his semi- 
 nary. Charles was exceedingly happy, having 
 gained his entire esteem, and looking forward to the 
 agreeable prospect of being perfected by him in 
 both the Latin and Greek languages. But this fe- 
 licity was not long to continue. Cards of invita- 
 tion were sent out for a ladies* party which had to 
 
 s ^
 
 g()0 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 be countermanded, for this valuable man was taken 
 ill with an inflammation in his liver, which baffled all 
 medical skill, and in one month he was laid in his 
 grave. He bore the greatest pain with fortitude 
 and hope. Charles hardly ever quitted his bed-side. 
 Indeed he was nearly distracted at the prospect'[of 
 losing him, and no grief could be more sincere than 
 his, for he had all to lose by his death. 
 
 This venerable man belonged to a highly respect- 
 able family in the south of Ireland, and had taken 
 his degree as master of arts. From the interest of 
 his connexions he soon obtained a good living as a 
 clergyman j but being of a gay and extravagant 
 turn he fell into embarrassments, and came out in 
 the suite of Lord Macartney to the Cape of Good 
 Hope, where a situation under government was ob- 
 tained for him by his lordship, thence proceeding 
 to China. Soon after, however, the Cape was given 
 up to the Dutch and he lost his place, upon which 
 he came out to India in search of patronage. Not- 
 withstanding his ability, elegance of manners, and 
 introduction to men in power, he was unsuccessful, 
 and at length became so entangled by debts to sir- 
 cars that to avoid a gaol he removed to Chanderna- 
 gore under French protection, where a widow with 
 some cash was unable to resist his captivating ad- 
 dresses, and surrendered herself without much 
 ceremony. She was a pretty brunette, with all the 
 vivacity of her nation, and several fine children were 
 the fruits of this unfortunate connexion. With the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^Gl 
 
 little fund which she possessed, he freed himself 
 from the sircars in Calcutta,and established a school 
 which promised much wealth. She resided at Chan- 
 dernagore, and he generally paid her a visit on 
 Saturday; but she came to town occasionally, and he 
 did not scruple to seat her at his table. When his 
 malady increased to an alarming degree he became 
 exceedingly anxious that his condition should be 
 kept a secret from her, for, said he, " she will come 
 here and prevent me from dying in peace." All pre- 
 cautions were unavailing. She came bathed in tears. 
 Night and day she kept ringing in his ears the de- 
 solate state of herself and children, till he executed 
 a deed of two shares he held in the Laudable Society. 
 After this she appeared easy, and no sooner was the 
 breath out of his body than she began to remove 
 every thing, and having sent several trunks off 
 before her to the boat, she soon followed in all the 
 silent majesty of woe. Soon after, a judgment bond 
 creditor took charge of the house, and the seal of 
 the supreme court was affixed to the doors. When 
 Charles saw the remains of this respected man laid 
 in the grave, he looked at Mary and his children 
 with a heart ready to break, for he saw nothing but 
 disappointment on earth. But the sun of his pros- 
 perity, which seemed to have sunk for ever below 
 the horizon, rose again with greater splendour. 
 
 The parents of many of the boarders resided on 
 the west coast of Sumatra, in Poulo Penang and 
 at Manilla, and the houses of agency in Calcutta 
 
 s3
 
 UiV2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 who had charge of them looked with a favourable 
 eye upon Thoughtless as a fit person to carry on 
 the concern. But of this he was not aware except 
 by the non-removal of the scholars ; and having no 
 funds of his own to purchase furniture, &c. he con^ 
 sidered the attempt on his part to continue such an 
 establishment as quite hopeless. However, upon 
 consulting witli those patrons of the academy with 
 whom he was intimate, one of them offered to join 
 him in the undertaking, as soon as he perceived 
 that it might turn out a profitable speculation, and 
 in his first generous impulse he offered Charles one 
 half of the school, a deed of which he thoughtlessly 
 deferred accepting, being well pleased with other 
 conditions which were thrown in with great seem- 
 ing liberality. This gentleman was a half-cast, who 
 possessed many good qualities, with a very vigorous 
 mind and amazing activity. He purchased the 
 school furniture, plate, books, maps, globes and 
 orreries, and circulated a card intimating to his 
 friends and the public that, in compliance with a 
 wish expressed by the late reverend proprietor of 
 the seminary, he had determined to support the in- 
 stitution, which would be conducted under Charles 
 Thoughtless the head assistant, and he pledged 
 himself for attention to the morals, comforts, and 
 progress in literature of the pupils. The school 
 now went on successfully for a year, and the pub- 
 lic examination exhibited such proofs of pleasing 
 improvement, accompanied with the distribution of
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 2(i3 
 
 SO many prize medals of silver and gold, that the 
 parents were delighted. Upon which Charles feel- 
 ing his situation an uncertain one, pressed the exe- 
 cution of the deed of copartnership, but the gentle- 
 man would now only part with one-third of the 
 school, which Thoughtless deemed it best to accept, 
 although he had to pass his bond for fifteen hun- 
 dred rupees, the price fixed on that part of the 
 concern, without the furniture. 
 
 Meanwhile Charles had become a member of 
 a masonic lodge, and in regard to society and com- 
 fort his situation was improving. He now kept his 
 buggy and palankeen, and appeared on the course 
 or in Fort William every evening among tiie fa- 
 shionables. But his partner now entered upon the 
 speculation of setting up a circulating library, and 
 became desirous of parting with the school, for 
 which purpose he entered into a treaty with ano- 
 ther extensive schoolmaster, from whom he was to 
 receive a very considerable sum for the transfer of 
 the pupils, and Charles was to be handed over, not 
 as a partner but an assistant; for this gentleman 
 having been unfortunate in a former connexion of 
 that nature, determined never again to risk the 
 consequences of a copartnership with any one, and 
 he had accordingly made a promise on that head 
 to his wife. Thoughtless, who had felt his conse- 
 quence as a proprietor, declined all offers in any 
 other shape, although they were very liberal, and 
 so the negociation ended. 
 
 s 4
 
 ^264- FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 His partner in school-keeping, however, had in 
 the meantime established a printing-office and 
 newspaper, as well as a circulating library, and 
 having so many irons in the fire he felt desirous of 
 selling the academy to Thoughtless. Terms being 
 agreed upon, an attorney was instructed to prepare 
 the necessary documents, and Charles considering 
 himself fixed, took a lease of the house in his own 
 name. But some time after his partner either fear- 
 ing he should never be paid the sum agreed upon, 
 or being offended with something which had oc- 
 curred, wished to cancel the negociation and re- 
 occupy his place as manager of the funds of the 
 school. As Thoughtless had never touched one 
 penny of the profits, the whole having gone to pay 
 off his debt for the first purchase, he determined to 
 keep possession. The other stormed and brought 
 the attorney's clerk to threaten him with an action ; 
 but an accommodation took place, and Charles on 
 passing his bond for two thousand rupees became 
 sole proprietor of the school, but not of the furni- 
 ture. This was a point of great distress, for his late 
 partner a few days after sent for the tables and 
 chairs, which would have left him awkwardly situ- 
 ated had it not been for a circumstance which then 
 occurred. 
 
 A celebrated mathematical proficient, who held 
 a situation under the paymaster-general, had in- 
 volved himself in tribulation with government by 
 starting extraordinary questions respecting the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 265 
 
 affairs of the nation, and had embroiled himself 
 with his employer by preferring charges against 
 him, which a committee pronounced not demon- 
 strated. He lost his place, worth ^'100 per mensem, 
 and purchased a school which he called the Polite 
 Academy. The prospectus of this undertaking 
 was a very curious production, for it ridiculed the 
 idea of classical learning in India, and yet enforced 
 its arguments by quotations from Ovid. It con- 
 sisted of four closely printed pages, which Dr. Talib, 
 who attended the school in his capacity of surgeon, 
 had freed from solecisms, and garnished with ful- 
 minating concords. But practice is often at vari- 
 ance with theory. Mr. Philomath had not been 
 long teaching algebra before he sighed for a classi- 
 cal partner, and Thoughtless was summoned from 
 Virgil by a shake of the durwan*s bell to receive 
 his visit in dashing buggy on that identical subject. 
 " I have no idea," said he, after explaining his 
 business, " that we should form a junction on any 
 other terms than those of perfect equality, my 
 house being admirably suited ; the only condition 
 1 make is that you join me, all the rest I leave to 
 yourself.'* Charles thanked him for his offer, but 
 declined it. However, when his late partner sent 
 for the furniture, he got into his buggy, closed 
 with Mr. Philomath, and removed with his pupils, 
 there bein<r a clause of surrender in his lease on 
 paying two months rent, the premises being taken 
 at tlu'ee hundred rujiees per month.
 
 26C) FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 For some time things went on most floiirisliingly, 
 and the profits were very great ; but additions had 
 to be made to the house that swallowed up a con- 
 siderable part ; and it being in the nature of man 
 that as his means increase so do his wants, Charles 
 was able to save nothing ; but, on the contrary, 
 continued not only indebted to his former partner 
 but to his present one seventeen hundred rupees, 
 beino" the amount of one half the moveables, for 
 which he had passed his note of hand. Dr.Talib was 
 editor of one of the newspapers, there being seven 
 at that time in Calcutta ; and finding that Charles 
 had a taste for poetry as well as prose, he paid him 
 much attention. Of a very eccentric genius. Dr. 
 Talib sometimes formed tangents from the common 
 sphere of intellect ; and about this time he was 
 labouring indefatigably to prove that Adam had 
 addressed Eve in the Arabic language. The literati 
 of the college of Fort William being of opinion that 
 Sanscrit was the mother tongue, war commenced, 
 and Hocus Pocus xAih Hugo Pocus opened their 
 batteries on Talib and Philo-Talib, but were so 
 bespattered with paper bullets and covered with 
 smoke, that they retired leaving the field to the 
 latter, who turned their arms against Anthony 
 Apposite esquire, and forced him behind his en- 
 trenchments, where he lay like a porcupine with a 
 quill pointed in every direction. Great learning 
 was displayed on the part of the college, and some 
 ingenuity on the side of Talib ; but the former
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 267 
 
 questioned his profundity in Arabic lore, and ac- 
 cused liim of being a plagiarist on such plausible 
 grounds, that it required all his effrontery to parry 
 such home-thrusts. As to Philo, he came in for his 
 share, and he was rebuked for having given Greek 
 and Latin quotations at random from French au- 
 thors, instead of their originals. 
 
 The masonic lodge to which Charles belonged 
 at first consisted chiefly of the tradesmen in the 
 Cossitollah ; but a rage for this mystery having 
 taken possession of the civil and military ranks, 
 many of them joined it, and Dr. Talib became the 
 master, while Mr. Philomath officiated as secretary. 
 The harmonic spirit of masonry, however, was not 
 sufficient to preserve brotherly love in such a he- 
 terogeneous mixture ; for the civil and military 
 brethren, considering themselves as belonging to a 
 different sphere, were shocked by the vulgarity of 
 the plebeians^ who, in return, black-balled the can- 
 didates proposed by them, and prevented the in- 
 troduction of their friends ; for, according to a 
 public bye-law in every lodge, should two black 
 balls be found in the ballot for a new member, he 
 is rejected without enquiry ; if only one, reasons 
 are to be assigned and investigation had on the 
 subject. Dr. Talib was at the head of tlie patri- 
 cians, and Mr. Philomath led the lower orders, 
 when a schism took place. A candidate was pro- 
 posed, and black-balled as usual ; but Dr. Talib 
 being determined to carry his point, assembled his
 
 i2G8 FIFTEEN YEAUS IN INDI^t. 
 
 forces on the next night and made a speech, in 
 which he signified the resolution of the majority to 
 proceed in the initiation of the rejected by open 
 force. All the plebeians quitted the lodge ; but it 
 was suggested, after the doors had been secured by 
 Mr. Philomath, that Dr. Talib might remove the 
 warrant, and accordingly it was proposed to return 
 for the purpose of guarding that document, with- 
 out which no lodge could assemble. But the tyler 
 with a drawn sword obstructed the passage. " Cut 
 him down," said one, " with his own weapon," 
 •'• You may kill me,'* replied the young civilian very 
 tirmly, " but till then, you do not pass here.'* 
 However, after the business was concluded, they 
 returned into the lodge and found the warrant cut 
 out of the frame. It was then hinted that Dr. Talib 
 had it on his person, and an effort was made to re- 
 cover the instrument. Philomath, followed by his 
 troops, entered the supper room where the patri- 
 cians were handling their knives and forks ; " I 
 charge you,*' said he to the master, ^' with having 
 stolen the warrant,'* and he extended his hand to- 
 wards Talib*s breast. " Touch me,** cried he, 
 grinning most alarmingly, while his loud voice 
 echoed through the green room, " and through your 
 body this shall go,** and the knife was raised in air. 
 " And through your body this shall go,** shouted all 
 the legion rising from the table ; but Philomath 
 retreated in grand style, with his front to danger, 
 though he fully expected a facer from a pupil of
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 269 
 
 Crib, who followed him down the hall shewing 
 the attitudes of science to his companions, who 
 burst their sides with laughter, and quaffed their 
 claret with supreme delight. Counsellors Strettel 
 and Fergusson were fee'd, and the law restored the 
 warrant. 
 
 In the meantime years were passing away. — 
 Colonel Mars and the adjutant had returned to 
 England. Mr. True's interest had been unsuccess- 
 fully exerted for Frank Stanley, who still remained 
 in statu quo^ with the expectation that his regiment 
 would be ordered to England ; dreading which, 
 George, who was now the father of three children, 
 had exchanged into the 65th at Bombay, and ac- 
 companied that corps to the Isle of Rodriquez, and 
 thence to the Mauritius, which General Aber- 
 cromby captured with little loss, as well as the 
 island of Bourbon, which was ably reduced by 
 Colonel Keating. Upon his return to Bombay, he 
 served on the expedition to the Persian Gulf and in 
 Guzerat, where by the accidental rencounter with 
 Robert Gordon, faithfully recorded at the opening 
 of these sketches, he discovered the aspect of hope 
 smiling in the distance. The adjutant who had 
 succeeded Charles's friend, was also disposed to 
 serve him, and the commanding officer perceiving 
 that an answer from the Court of Directors was a 
 visionary expectation, permitted liimself to be pre- 
 vailed upon to recommend Thoughtless to Sir
 
 T/0 PIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 George Nugent for an ensign cy, which he might 
 resign and thus free himself from the army ; but 
 Sir George, upon enquiry, finding that Charles was 
 doing well, and that he had conducted himself 
 quietly in Calcutta, authorized his discharge, which 
 was accordingly sent to him with due formality. 
 He of course thought he had done with the army 
 for ever, and laid his shoulder to the oar with 
 all his strength. He had acquired some little 
 celebrity as a man of letters, written some pro- 
 logues and fugitive pieces in the Vakeel and the 
 papers of the day. But having formed an ac- 
 quaintance with Tom Paine, esq. proprietor of the 
 Grecian circus, who pressed him much to tread the 
 stage as an amateur, he felt desirous of exhibiting 
 his dramatic talents, yet as his partner was of opi- 
 nion that it might not tend to the reputation of the 
 school, he relinquished his intention. His astonish- 
 ment was however considerable at finding some 
 time afterwards that Mr. Philomath was deter- 
 mined to perform at the new theatre, of which he 
 had become a proprietor. Charles attended on 
 that night chiefly for the purpose of seeing my 
 Lord Westmorland ; but Philomath happening to 
 make some very uncourtly advances towards the 
 throne of his sovereign, and to appear as if he were 
 star-gazing, received a volley of suppressed disap- 
 probation, which so completely confounded him 
 tiiat he bade adieu to the Chouringhee company 
 
 14
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 271 
 
 for ever. It must be owned, however, that Prince 
 Henry was at home, and that Falstaff could not be 
 in better hands. 
 
 Mr. Paine, of the Grecian circus, was a great 
 curiosity, being an admirer of Utopian fehcity, 
 and the innocence of human nature. His affairs 
 were very unprosperous ; and the theatre, whicli he 
 had erected at much expence, Avas a losing concern. 
 He was in debt ; and every effort he made to 
 extricate himself only involved him the more. 
 Charles felt a strong inclination to serve him. 
 " Paine," said he, one day soon after Philomath 
 had appeared as a nobleman, *' I am now at liberty 
 to take a part. Get up an easy comedy, or two 
 farces ; let the characters be well cast, })ermit no 
 one to choose liis own part, and I will answer for 
 it you will please the audience, and draw public 
 attention to your theatre." To this he agreed. 
 But Dr. Talib at that time was possessed with the 
 notion that nature had formed him for the part of 
 Hamlet, and he persuaded Paine to attempt that 
 most difficult undertaking. Ophelia was performed 
 by a dark lifeless half-cast, whose face had to re- 
 ceive such a coat of white-wash that all expression 
 was destroyed. But the doctor, in contemplating 
 his own success, forgot all necessary combination, 
 fully confident that he should electrify the house, 
 and turn observation to himself alone. To ensure 
 this, he stamped and stared, acted the very mad- 
 man, clenched his fist in the face of the quiet
 
 J272 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Ophelia, and groaned so tremendously, that when 
 he came to give the instructions to the players, 
 and talked of o'erstepping the modesty of nature, 
 an ironical peal of applause continued for an hour, 
 with loud fits of unrestrained laughter ; but he went 
 on and finished the part, attributing the disappro- 
 bation to the rancour of his enemies, rather than 
 to his own misconception of the character. In 
 short, he insisted on re-acting it, and an audience 
 was obtained by a gratuitous distribution of tickets. 
 Charles acted the part of Horatio, and obtained 
 much applause in the critiques written on the 
 occasion ; but the consequences were disastrous to 
 him, for his partner and he could never agree 
 afterwards, and at last came to such an open rup- 
 ture, that the former placed the note for 1,700 
 rupees in the hands of an attorney, that Charles 
 might be immediately arrested. Mr, Squeezehim 
 had the politeness to apprize Thoughtless, that 
 unless the cash was instantly paid, a writ would 
 issue forthwith. He was greatly puzzled ; but 
 having heard of the princely conduct of John 
 Palmer, esquire, one of the most noble-minded 
 merchants that ever breathed, he wrote liim a short 
 note, simply stating the circumstance, and adding 
 one or two observations on the singular mode of 
 vengeance to which his partner had resorted. 
 This note was accompanied by a copy of the school 
 accounts, by which Charles had a balance of out- 
 standing debts due to him, to the amount of 3,000
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS INT INDIA. 273 
 
 rupees. Mr. Palmer said in reply, that he had 
 not looked at the accounts, for he thought no 
 man who could write such a simple note would 
 attempt to deceive him, and that he had sent a 
 check for the sum claimed to Mr. Squeezehim's 
 office. Philomath, being thus foiled, would not 
 receive the money, so the check was returned to 
 the generous Mr. Palmer, and an indelible im- 
 pression of gratitude was made on the heart of 
 Charles Thoughtless. In consequence of the above 
 affair, he sold his share of the academy, and cleared 
 10,000 rupees, besides freeing himself from all 
 incumbrances ; but he was restricted from exer- 
 cising the profession of a schoolmaster, for five 
 years, in or near the city of Calcutta. 
 
 Having now some money for the first time in 
 his life, Charles thought of his promise to Frank 
 Stanley : he wrote to his uncle, making enquiries 
 about his father with an offer of assistance, and his 
 heart warmed at the idea of sending a pair of 
 shawls to his grandmother. But being out of em- 
 ployment he made an effort to return to the army, 
 and waited on Sir William Grant Keir, with whom 
 he was slightly acquainted, who received him with 
 all his wonted benevolence. He recollected the 
 circumstance of Charles's name having been left 
 on his list, for he was adjutant-general, and gave 
 him a note of introduction to the military secretary, 
 couched in very handsome terms. Charles having 
 delivered it, waited nearly a montli for .ni answer ; 
 
 T
 
 274 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 his impatience then became extreme, and he wrote 
 in on the subject, but received a reply that filled 
 him with despair, for it was that they never made 
 promises in the commander-in-chief's office ; upon 
 which Charles took a bold and decisive step. 
 He wrote a short memorial to the Marquis of 
 Hastings, simply stating his services and recom- 
 mendations, with an observation, expressing his 
 confidence that his lordship could penetrate his 
 feelings, and would attribute his seeming boldness 
 to the proper cause. The noble marquis instantly 
 directed him to be gazetted, and the assistant 
 military secretary, pleased with the steps he had 
 taken, and the papers he produced, most kindly 
 gave him the choice of any regiment in which 
 ensigncies were then vacant, so that he got into 
 the same corps with his friend Mr. True.
 
 275 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 " Come ye, who shun the folly of the East, 
 Nor court pale midnight at her gorgeous feast ; 
 Who run from torn toms rattling at the gate, 
 And view no poojahs crowdi'.'g by in state ; 
 Who shun the great niohor inn's annual show, 
 And seldom to the grandest nantches go, 
 With me depart, though I have little w ealth, 
 To humble competence and joyous health. 
 Within a narrow circle are confined 
 Mill's real wants, when wisdom curbs the mint)." 
 
 1 HE great Indian drums called torn toms are of a 
 demi-globular form, and of prodigious size, covered 
 with the skins of buffaloes, stretched on their strong 
 frame work to a great degree of tension ; upon 
 these, men rattle away with clubs, as if strug- 
 gling between life and death. It is not easy to 
 conceive the mighty noise whicli these drums pro- 
 duce, and their constant thundering in the temples 
 is increased by sounding long brass horns, trumpets, 
 and gongs, while bells and cymbals are heard at in- 
 tervals, with the shrill piercing tones of wind instru- 
 ments like small clarionets. In the processions the 
 tom toms of largest size are borne on carriages 
 purposely made, and others are carried about on 
 camels and elephants, with several men beating 
 them, as if the world depended for safety on their 
 exertions. These annual ceremonies in Calcutta 
 
 T '2
 
 ^76 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 are called Poojahs, and during their celebration the 
 idols are drawn about in splendid artificial pagodas, 
 made of bamboo frame work, similar to the great 
 carriage of Juggurnaut. During the continuation 
 of the Doorga poojah, which occupies several days, 
 the rich natives of Calcutta vie with each other in 
 giving splendid nantches for three nights, to which 
 Europeans are invited by printed cards, couched in 
 the most polite terms. Temporary buildings are 
 erected for this display of eastern profusion, in 
 which vast sums are annually spent ; and at some 
 of the nantches I have seen two hundred persons sit 
 down to a sumptuous supper, where champagne 
 circulated like water, and the richest ices were 
 melted in the most costly liquors. These grand 
 supper rooms were lighted with a profusion of 
 chandeliers and wax tapers under Indian table shades, 
 while the brilliancy was reflected by countless 
 mirrors, and the atmosphere cooled by punkoes, 
 tatties, and jets d'eau ; artificial wildernesses breath- 
 ed forth perfumes, and endless varieties of flowers 
 called to recollection the scenes of Arabian story. 
 Of these suppers the Hindoos will not of course par- 
 take ; but they enter the apartment, congratulate 
 the guests, and see that the European tavern-keepers 
 employed to prepare them provide every thing on 
 a liberal scale. Previous to the time at which these 
 supper rooms are suddenly thrown open as if by 
 enchantment, the crowds of company are enter- 
 tained in. a great amphitheatre by dancing girls.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN IND'IA. 277 
 
 bands of music both European and native, tumblers, 
 jugglers, actors and pantomimes, forming an as- 
 semblage which, from the costume of so many dif- 
 ferent nations, is like a great fancy ball. Perfumes 
 and flowers are distributed, and sweetmeats handed 
 about. Some sit and look at the dances, while 
 others promenade round the virandas, to view the 
 household gods, hundreds of whom are placed in 
 conspicuous situations, some half elephant and man, 
 others with numerous heads and arms, here quite 
 naked, there sumptuously arrayed. The apart- 
 ments of the Hindoo ladies look down upon this 
 great amphitheatre, and from a gallery these re- 
 cluses may be seen peeping through lattice work on 
 the tomaslia below. European ladies, on the eve- 
 nings of the Doorga poojah, are asked to visit the 
 female part of the family, whom they have always 
 found apparently happy and full of curiosity. Many 
 of them sing very sweetly, and play well on instru- 
 ments, something like guitars. A native band of 
 music consists of these instruments, and others like 
 clarionets, with cymbals and kettle drums, which pro- 
 duce very wild, pleasing, and melancholy harmony, 
 butmostof the favourite airs of the higher class are 
 Persian. The dancing girls are gorgeously dressed, 
 and covered with ornaments. Their dances consist of 
 sudden transitions ; the movement is sometimes so 
 slow that one would think they were falling asleep, 
 then by a change of the inusicitisall life, and exhi- 
 bits the most rapid succession of violent action. Now 
 
 t3
 
 gyS FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 they take up their robe and fold it into variou s 
 shapes — then they let it go, so that while they turn 
 round like a top, this garment forms a circle re- 
 sembling a peacock's tail, and this circulation is 
 continued so long that it excites the wonder of 
 every beholder. 
 
 In Calcutta, the great Hindoo annual festival is 
 held in October, and it is soon followed by the 
 Mahomedan mohorum, a ceremony that takes 
 place in commemoration of the death and sufferings 
 of Hossen and Hassen, the sons of Ally. You are 
 aware perhaps, gentle reader, that the Moslems are 
 divided into two great sects, called Sheeas and 
 Soonnees; the former are the followers of Ally, and 
 consider Abboo Becker, Omar, and Othman usur- 
 pers ; the latter are disciples of Abboo Becker, and 
 do not reverence the memory of Hossen and 
 Hassen ; but there are not many of that sect in 
 India. After the death of AlJy who succeeded 
 Othman, Moveeyaii the governor of Syria mounted 
 the throne, and Hassen was poisoned by the trea- 
 chery of his wife; but in the reign of Yezeed, the 
 son of the usurper, Hossen endeavoured to recover 
 his birthright, when he was killed in the plain of 
 Kirbullaw. The mohorum is instituted to celebrate 
 this tragedy, and the Sheeahs go into mourning 
 on the occasion, and form processions with the 
 bodies of Hossen and Hassen, in which war 
 horses covered with wounds, a mock fight, won- 
 derful lamentations, howling, beating of the breast.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^79 
 
 and uproar, are the leading features. The bodies 
 having been waked in artificial mosques, called 
 Imambarahs and Tabooses, made of frame work 
 covered with tinsel, are on the day of the funeral 
 procession thrown into a tank with great ceremony. 
 But indeed these scenes have been so often the 
 theme of description, that I shall hasten to matter 
 of more originality. 
 
 Calcutta had been a pleasant place on the whole 
 to Charles Thouglitless, and he could not think of 
 leaving it without regret. Although his duties 
 were laborious, his pleasures were commensurate, 
 for in vacation he had most agreeable trips up the 
 Ganges, and cheerful excursions into the interior, 
 where he contemplated with rapture the peace and 
 plenty that smiled upon the happy peasantry of 
 Bengal; for although sunk in idolatry and ignorance, 
 their blooming habitations were pictures of rural 
 feHcity. Besides, he had formed several interest- 
 ing friendships and acquaintances, all which were 
 so many links in the chain of enjoyment tliat must 
 be broken. When about to bid adieu, lie remem- 
 bered with a sigh tiie dances and parties, the hos- 
 pitality and gaiety of Bengal ; but as liis health had 
 suffered severely, he had in reality no real cause for 
 serious sorrow. 
 
 Meanwhile George True had determined on 
 sailing for his native land, and he was not unmind- 
 ful of the poetical Robert Gordon, whose discharge 
 he had interest to procure ; and to avoid the delay 
 
 T 4.
 
 280 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 of waiting for a passage he came round to Calcutta, 
 and was rejoiced to find Charles a brother officer 
 in the same corps. Little Edward and Emma, who 
 had looked upon each other in infancy, now became 
 attached friends in childhood ; but to hasten over 
 immaterial topics, a passage was obtained, Mrs. 
 True and family, with Gordon as their attendant, 
 went down the river in the ship, and George re- 
 mained till the next tide to settle his last Indian 
 affairs, then accompanied by Thoughtless, he pro- 
 ceeded to Champaul Ghaut ; and the conversation 
 there, and on the way, suggested the lines prefixed 
 to these chapters, on the plan of the third satire of 
 Juvenal. 
 
 The monsoon was now about to commence in 
 Calcutta ; but such was the anxiety of Ensign 
 Thoughtless to join his regiment, that he seized 
 the first opportunity to engage a passage for him- 
 self and family to Bombay ; but a few days before 
 he sailed, the following letter reached him from 
 Frank Stanley. 
 
 MY DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I have been shewn your letter to the command- 
 ing officer in my behalf. I shall only say, that 
 never in my whole life did I feel more pleasure 
 than at the moment I read your offer of purchasing 
 me a commission. In this you have acted in a 
 manner worthy of yourself; and let me imitate the 
 example by saying, as Euryalus did to Nisus^
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IS INDIA, '281 
 
 " This soul contemns mere rank." What would 
 be my reflections were I to assume an epaulette by 
 taking the little store that may transport you with 
 your wife and three darlings in declining health to 
 the restoring zephyrs and green fields of your native 
 soil? Friendship forbid it ! Since it has been my 
 happy lot to meet one whom neither time, fortune, 
 nor place can change, may God give me gratitude 
 to act so as to merit the inestimable blessinff. Be- 
 lieve me, I am contented witii my condition. I 
 feel that 1 am respected in the regiment, and I trust 
 that time will raise me to that situation which cer- 
 tain circumstances make very desirable. 
 
 Sorry I am to tell you that Captain Solomon is 
 dead, and the tears of the regiment have watered 
 his grave. 
 
 " He was a man, take bim for all in all. 
 We shall not look ujion his like again." 
 
 You remember the kind note he sent you, with a 
 dozen of Madeira, on the day of your marriage. 
 There is nothing new jn the regiment or elsewhere 
 that I know of worth communicating ; and, confu- 
 sion to me, but it is an old song to subscribe myself 
 Your constant friend till death, 
 
 Frank Stanley. 
 
 Charles shed a tear on the letter, and wrote the 
 following lines in memory of Captain Solomon : 
 
 Could worth, O Solomon, preserve its blaze ! 
 Could honour consecrate the meed of praise I
 
 28^2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDI/4. 
 
 My humble pen had not |)referred thy claim, 
 
 To merit's recompence — unfading fame. 
 
 When memory's retrospective pencils paint 
 
 Past images, from long secession faint, 
 
 With agonized emotion we deplore 
 
 The good, the great, among our friends no more ; 
 
 And as an exile doomed to end his life 
 
 Far from his country, children, friends, and wife, 
 
 Tries from his recollection to erase 
 
 What fond attachment prompts him to retrace, 
 
 So would the feeling heart eradicate 
 
 From memory's tablet the decrees of fate ; 
 
 But still affection turns and hugs her chain, 
 
 Though every link inflict a pang of pain. 
 
 Mute is the tongue by eloquence inspired. 
 
 Lifeless the heart bv manly ardour fired. 
 
 Cold the kind hand extended at the call 
 
 Of poor humanity, that aided all. 
 
 No more his voice shall rouse the soldier's heart, 
 
 With ardent zeal to bear an active part 
 
 Jn the fierce fight, his honour to defend. 
 
 Ah no ! in Solomon worth lost a friend ! 
 
 As a fond father lovingly corrects 
 
 His little darlings, and their course directs, 
 
 So did his lender care, though wrong, reclaim 
 
 And stimulate the right to loftier aim ; 
 
 Ever attentive merit to reward. 
 
 And zealous bright examples to record, 
 
 Amongst the private ranks he sought for worth. 
 
 And thence drew modest, humble virtue forth, 
 
 That but for him had there neglected lain. 
 
 Obscured, forgot, or viewed but with disdain! 
 
 For many a heart that pants in hope of fame. 
 
 Sinks unregarded, and without a name. 
 
 O Solomon ! can I forget thy aid. 
 
 Which cheered, revived, and raised me from the shade ? 
 
 While memory holds, and life remains to me, 
 
 My grateful thoughts will oft recur to thee ;
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 283 
 
 Thy friends and brothers in the path to fame, 
 
 Will also cherish thy respected name. 
 
 Thy gallant son will emulate his sire, 
 
 And to thy worth successfully aspire ; 
 
 As the young eagle every effort tries 
 
 His father's course to follow through the skies ; 
 
 So he may learn by imitating thee, 
 
 That virtue leads to immortality ! 
 
 The Pembroke, a country ship, commanded by 
 Captain Ross, scudded away before the N. E. mon- 
 soon, which carried her through the Indian ocean 
 soutliward of Dei Gracia at the rate of tweh e knots 
 an hour. Having gained the latitude of Bombay, 
 the course was due east, and the sea soon began to 
 assume a greenish muddy tint. Several large snakes 
 were now seen alongside, and a hard sandy cast 
 was got in forty-eight fathoms, from which the 
 bank shoaled gradually till lofty mountains ap- 
 peared in the horizon ; night intervening, a light- 
 house rose to view like the evening star, and at 
 dawn next morning the green smiling point on 
 which it stands was neared ; the captain then 
 guided the ship on well known objects till a pilot 
 came on board. The island of Colabah was soon 
 cleared, and the fortress and town opened on the 
 view. Caranjar was now a-starboard, Elephanta 
 right a-head, the anchor dropped, and the Pem- 
 broke attracted the gaze of crowds from tiie ram- 
 parts of Bombay. Ensign Charles Thoughtless, 
 his wife, and three children were soon on shore, 
 and palankeens conveyed them to Cameron's hotel.
 
 '284 FIFTEEN VEAUS IN INDIA. 
 
 Having reported at the brigade major*s office, 
 Charles was carried over the rocks to Old Woman's 
 Island, and up Colabah to the quarters of Colonel 
 Milnes, his commanding officer, by whom he was 
 received with brief sincerity and kindness. *' Or- 
 derly," said the Colonel, " tell the adjutant to step 
 hither." " Mr. Ward," added he, when that gen- 
 tleman arrived, *' Mr. Thoughtless has a family ; try 
 what you can do to get a bungalow for him. I fear 
 there is not one unoccupied on the island." On 
 leaving the colonel. Ward most kindly offered 
 Charles part of his quarters, but they met Lieu- 
 tenants Barnes and Ottley of the corps, who under- 
 standing that the stranger had a family, offered to 
 vacate the bungalow they occupied, saying, " Do 
 not refuse it, Mr. Thoughtless ; the rains are now 
 nearly over, and we prefer being in our tents." 
 His family were soon accommodated, and after in^ 
 troduction to the officers, his attention was di- 
 rected to the standing orders ; and from the 
 adjutant^s office was derived the following informa- 
 tion, which shews how well the 65th merited the 
 reputation of a crack regiment. 
 
 Memoirs. — It was one of those corps raised 
 during the seven years' war, and first embodied in 
 1759. Obscurity has cast a veil over its services 
 for three years after formation ; but in I762 it was 
 stationed on the island of Guadaloupe, during the 
 attack and conquest of the Havannah, and formed 
 a part of the force under the Earl of Albemarle,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^85 
 
 ^vho commanded on the expedition. During the 
 American war it was employed in that country, and 
 suffered severely at the battle of Bunker's Hill. 
 In 1778 it was in camp at Coxheath, and detach- 
 ments from it served on board Lord Howe's fleet 
 at the relief of Gibraltar in 1782. Two years after- 
 wards it was stationed in Dublin, and acquired 
 great reputation for discipline, being the first regi- 
 ment which, under the superintendence of kSir 
 David Dundas, ever practised and carried to per- 
 fection the system of field exercises compiled by 
 that officer, and since laid down as a general re- 
 gulation for the whole army. In I780 it landed at 
 Quebec, marched to Fort Niagara, and furnished 
 detachments to Oswega and Fort Schlosser. De- 
 troit saw its manoeuvres in the summer of I788, 
 and thence it supplied detachments to Michilim, 
 Mackinac, and Fort Erie. Next year it retraced its 
 steps to Lower Canada, till on its arrival at la 
 Prairie, it marched to St. John's near the mouth 
 of lake Champlain, sending detachments to Isle 
 aux Noix, Point au Fer, and Fort Chamblee. 
 In 1791 it was stationed at Halifax in Novia 
 Scotia, and proceeded to Frederickston, leaving 
 detachments at Fort Howe and Cumberland, and 
 dispatching others to Presque Isle and the Grand 
 Falls. 
 
 The revolutionary war having broken out in Eu- 
 rope, this regiment was destined to form a part of 
 the force under the command of Sir Charles Grey
 
 •■2Hi') FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and Sir John Jervis, intended to reduce tlie enemy's 
 possessions in the West Indies, and it embarked at 
 Halifax for Barbadoes. Thence it proceeded to the 
 islands of St. Vincent and Grenada, and in the di- 
 vision of Maior-general Thomas Diindas took Fort 
 Trinity on the island of Martinique, and proceeded 
 across the country through Gros Morne to attack a 
 post called la Reduite, about three miles from St. 
 Pierre, which was taken by storm with considerable 
 loss. In the operations attending the capture of 
 the islands ofSt.Lucieand Guadaloupe, particularly 
 at Fort Fleur d'Epee, part of the regiment suffered 
 severely. It was in the unfortunate force that 
 bravely attempted soon afterwards to defend Gua- 
 daloupe against the attack of the French General 
 Victor Hughes. Here a series of unsuccessful 
 operations, chiefly rendered so by the dreadful 
 mortality among the troops, ended in that emer- 
 gency which obliged the force that remained to 
 surrender at Berville camp. The regiment was now 
 reduced to a skeleton, and commanded by a sub- 
 altern. 
 
 On its return home, it was recruited and served 
 for some years in Scotland, after which it was sent 
 out to the Cape of Good Hope, and proceeded some 
 time after to Bombay, where it arrived upwards of 
 a thousand strong, about the time when Lord Lake's 
 army was on route to reduce Bhurtpore. It was 
 sent to join the division of the army forming in Gu- 
 zerat toco-operate with the force under his lordship,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 287 
 
 ■and it marched from Broacli in the month of June, 
 when the hot winds carried death in every blast. 
 In a few days 300 men and several officers expired, 
 twenty men sometimes falling dead in a day. The 
 remainder shared in three unsuccessful attempts to 
 storm Bhurtpore, and fell by sections before the dis- 
 charges of grape. A remarkable instance of courage 
 and attachment was here displayed by a grenadier. 
 Serjeant-major Goodger was seen fighting like a 
 lion half-way up the impracticable breach. He 
 had received several wounds on the face and body, 
 and his right eye was scooped out by the push of a 
 spear. He fell to the bottom, and the retreat was 
 sounded. After the soldiers had gained a place of 
 cover from the murderous fire of the fort, one of 
 the grenadiers recollected the situation of the brave 
 serjeant-major ; he flew to the spot, removed him 
 from a heap of slain, and placing him on his back, 
 returned to his applauding comrades with a bullet 
 in his hip and two in the breech of him he carried. 
 He was sumptuously rewarded, and the seijeant- 
 major was promoted. After this the regiment 
 shared in all the services of the Bombay army till 
 the expedition against the Mauritius. On its return 
 from the Isle of France, it was sent up the Persian 
 Gulf to reduce the Joasmere pirates, audit suffered 
 some loss at Ras el Kymer. During the passage 
 an extraordinary spirit of daring was evinced by 
 Lieutenant Place. He and some others were sitting 
 one evening near an open port. The vessel was
 
 >2tS8 FIFTEEN YEAUS IN INDIA. 
 
 dashing before a smart breeze. *' What would you 
 do, Jem," said one, " for a friend?"— " I would 
 jump into that roaring sea," replied he. '* Ah I 
 you only think so," answered the first. *' Look here 
 then," said Place, and out of the port he leaped head 
 foremost. The chief mate was present, rushed on 
 deck, and put the ship aback at the risk of the mast's 
 ffoing; over tlie side. Boats were lowered, and near 
 
 DO 
 
 an hour afterwards Jem was brought on deck, hav- 
 ing been discovered at a great distance struggling 
 hard for life. This brings the memoir down to 
 near the period when Thoughtless joined this ex- 
 cellent corps. 
 
 Of its institutions, and first, the mess. — All the 
 unmarried officers mess together ; and the married 
 ones are honorary members, that is, they have the 
 privilege of going to the mess when they please ; 
 but in camp, or when absent from their families, they 
 are members in every respect. The mess fund is 
 formed by a certain contribution from every officer 
 when he joins the corps, and a certain additional 
 gratuity for every grade he gains in the regiment. 
 A quarterly committee transacts the current busi- 
 ness, under the control of an annual committee, of 
 which the commanding officer is president, and in 
 aid of these governing courts there is a code of re- 
 gulations to which every member has to subscribe 
 on joining the regiment. The non-commissioned 
 officers have a mess established and conducted on 
 similar principles, and the friendly society of ser- 
 
 14
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 289 
 
 jeants have monthly meetings. All the unmarried 
 privates are formed into messes, and dine under the 
 inspection of officers and non-commissioned officers. 
 Men distinguished for bravery in action with the 
 enemy wear a laurel wreath round the right arm, 
 and dine together at the expence of the regiment 
 twice a-year. In addition to the mess fund, stock 
 purse, regimental and band funds, there are chari- 
 table and compassionate funds for the relief of 
 widows and orphans. All the soldiers* children 
 and boys of the corps are obliged to attend the re- 
 gimental school, and the non-commissioned officers 
 and privates are encouraged to improve. Besides 
 the various modes of reward and punishment, such 
 as praise, promotion, courts-martial, congee house, 
 stoppage of liquor, and drill, there are company's 
 courts, in which the men judge each other under 
 sanction of the commanding officer. Prisoners for 
 petty offences are tried by a court consisting oi' a 
 corporal who sits as president, and of four privates 
 as members, and it may be easily conceived how im- 
 portant this institution is in prevention of crimes ; 
 for the soldiers are censors on the conduct of one 
 another, and feel bound as jurors to uphold the diS' 
 cipline and honour of their regiment. 
 
 The corps owes its present efficiency of organi- 
 zation chiefly to Colonel Lionel Smith, who now 
 commands the Poonah subsidiary force. Some of 
 his orders display great energy and vigour of mind,
 
 290 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 with an elegance and force of diction truly eloquent* 
 while others are playfully written as if to amuse 
 the soldiers, by whom he is feared and loved with 
 the utmost enthusiasm. His common name among 
 them is Long Tom. The following observation, 
 made by him in declining the resignation of an 
 officer, will convey an idea of his energetic style : 
 " Whoever embarks in the profession of a soldier, 
 whether as a private or an officer of high rank, 
 must not suppose he can demand his release when 
 he chooses ; he has given himself to his country, 
 and can only be spared from her service when cir- 
 cumstances permit.'* The gaiety of his dispo- 
 sition may be conceived from the order he issued 
 on the transfer of Fort George barracks to the 
 king's regiments: — "Fort George barracks now be- 
 long to the king, thank God for it ; the regiment 
 will take possession of them to-morrow morn- 
 ing," &c. 
 
 Those regulations, compiled by various colonels 
 and commanding officers for the guidance of all 
 ranks, and styled the standing orders of the regi- 
 ment, are written in a noble spirit, of which a short 
 extract or two will convey a sufficient notion. 
 " Officers must endeavour to gain the esteem and 
 confidence of their men, by a constant attention to 
 their interests and to their wants ; be careful of 
 their health, and spare no pains in procuring them 
 every comfort and advantage in their power j they 
 
 lO
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 291 
 
 must on no account be provoked to give them ill 
 language, or to treat them in a manner which may- 
 degrade them in their own opinion or that of'others; 
 they must on the other hand steadily maintain the 
 authority which is entrusted to tliem, by exacting 
 from the non-commissioned officers and soldiers the 
 greatest respect, not suffering them to answer when 
 reprimanded, or at any time omitting the smallest 
 compliment due to them ; anxious to promote the 
 good order and discipline of the regiment, they 
 must convince all under their command that they 
 are perfectly acquainted with every part of their 
 duty ; and that as they strictly adhere to it them- 
 selves, they will not suffer the smallest failure or 
 deviation of the performance of it in others." — 
 *' Non-commissioned officers, distinguished by their 
 talents and good conduct, may and should look for- 
 ward to the higliest ranks in their profession ; and 
 may be assured, that whenever occasion offers, they 
 shall not want the interest and support of those at 
 the head of the regiment in attaining a superior 
 station to which their merit gives them the most 
 honourable title." 
 
 In short, to bring this subject briefly to conclu- 
 sion, soon after Charles had made himself ac- 
 quainted with the interior economy of the regi- 
 ment, differing from that of his old corps in many 
 points, some in his opinion for the better and 
 others for the worse, a review took place, afler 
 
 u 2
 
 292 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 which the general rode to the centre and addressed 
 Colonel Milnes thus : " I am much gratified with 
 the appearance of the 65th regiment ; its efficiency 
 reflects great credit on you and your officers, 
 and I shall have the pleasure of representing it to 
 the commander-in-chief as fit for any service."
 
 ^9S 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 " There are who stay to advance thy solid feme, 
 
 O lUbion, and perpetuate thy name. 
 
 Whose souls despise the tempting lure of spoil, 
 
 And seek but glory in the path of toil ; 
 
 While many are by other motives sway'd. 
 
 To cut a dash — in tandem to parade ; 
 
 In glittering curricle through crowds to force. 
 
 Or whirl in buggy gay along the course." 
 
 1 HAT the civil and military servants in India are 
 as high-minded and honourable men as any other 
 bodies in the world, may be fairly assumed. In- 
 deed they are placed above temptation by their 
 munificent masters the company, who enable them, 
 by a course of integrity, to gain with certainty that 
 glorious independence which is the legitimate aim 
 and end of all human exertion. But numerous are 
 the instances in which the weakness of our com- 
 mon nature has led to a deviation from the path 
 pronounced by sound sense as the wisest for man. 
 Indeed it would seem, from the records of the 
 courts of justice in India, that some individuals 
 have gone out with that lesson on their minds, 
 which a Roman nobleman is said to have given to 
 his son, when sending him into the provinces of 
 Asia : " My boy, make a fortune if you can by 
 honourable means, but make a fortune." Without 
 
 u S
 
 294 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 entering into the history of such men as have dis- 
 tinguished themselves in India, either by disinte- 
 restedness or misconduct, it is intimated with de- 
 ference, that the extravagant scale of living in 
 Bengal plunges young men on their first arrival 
 into such difficulties that those who fall into them 
 become tools in the hands of artful natives. But 
 not to dwell further on a common topic, a more 
 interesting subject is resumed. 
 
 Soon after the review noticed at the end of the 
 last chapter, the 65th regiment received orders to 
 join the army forming in Guzerat for the supposed 
 purpose of compelling Scindea to take a subsidiary 
 force. The ladies and families of the corps were 
 left behind, and Charles with a heavy heart em- 
 barked on board the Paraty Pursad, a paddimar 
 commanded by Tyndal Nayla, for Broach. Some 
 of these boats were large enough to carry a whole 
 company, and had a comfortable half-deck and 
 awning to screen the men from the sun. The one 
 in which he embarked was of a small description 
 and open, except a small part near the stern, 
 screened in with mats for the officers. This little 
 fleet soon cleared Malabar point. The officers 
 enjoyed the sea breeze, their brandy pawn-y, books, 
 flutes, and segars, beneath their comparatively 
 comfortable shed, now admiring the majestic 
 ghauts on their right, with the beautiful diversity 
 of scenery along the shore, then casting a look on 
 the dark blue expanse of water that closed the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 295 
 
 horizon on the left ; and now roused to other 
 feeUngs by the songs or stories, the laughs or jests 
 of the merry thoughtless soldiers, who passed their 
 time in loud mirth beneath the burning sun, 
 amused with forfeits, the button and the tailor, 
 and shewing how easily the human mind conforms 
 to circumstances, and creates happiness wherever 
 there is hope, by laughing away reflection. Seven 
 days the paddimars kept their course along the 
 shore, favoured by alternate breezes from the sea 
 and land. Having passed Domas, and saluted the 
 commodore's cruizer, they entered the Nerbuddah, 
 the fertile banks of which fine river appeared 
 covered with flocks of cattle, and verdant with the 
 various productions of bountiful nature, presenting 
 to the view a level country, with numerous topes, 
 through which villages met the eye. The bed of 
 the Nerbuddah, near Broach, is narrow and dan- 
 gerous, from several small islands and banks that 
 are covered at high water. On tliese some of the 
 paddimars got aground, reeling over on the side 
 when the water left them ; but in the course of a 
 tide or two, all the troops were safely landed, and 
 encamped near the fort on the road to Baroda. 
 
 This river is considered the southern boundary 
 of one of the three great divisions into which the 
 hand of nature seems to have formed Hindostan. 
 After a course of about '^50 miles, nearly from the 
 head of the Bay of Bengal, it falls into the Gulf of 
 Cambay, not far from Broach, and all that tract 
 
 u 4
 
 ^9^ FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 between it and the Hemaleah range is called 
 Hindostan Proper ; thence the terrritory extending 
 southward to tlie river Kisthna, which rises not 
 far from Poonah in the western ghauts, and courses 
 eastward into the Bay of Bengal, is called the 
 Deckan ; and all the rest of the continent of Asia, 
 to the island of Ceylon, is termed the Peninsula. 
 In the Nerbuddah are found those types of Shiva, 
 called Solgrammas, which are sacred pebbles held 
 in great estimation all over India ; and about ten 
 miles from Broach there is an island, in which 
 stands that wonderful banyan-tree, so large as to 
 shade 7jOOO men under its branches. It is called 
 the Kuveer Bur, and it is believed to have sprung 
 up from the spot where a saint of that name in- 
 terred himself alive, according to a custom in this 
 province. The natives say it was larger 8,000 years 
 ago than at present, part of it having been swept 
 away by the river along with some of the island. 
 Charles made one of a party to see this huge 
 banyan-tree, and the cornelian beds not far from 
 it. The tree has 350 large trunks, of the full size 
 of oaks 100 years old, and 3,000 smaller ones, 
 formed by branches, which take root when they 
 touch the ground. It is upwards of 2,000 feet in 
 circumference, and forms such a shade that the 
 rays of the sun cannot penetrate, so that the mind 
 can conceive nothing more refreshing than the cool 
 zephyr playing through these long vistas upon the 
 cheek of an European during a burning day. The
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 297 
 
 cornelians and agates are found in clay, at some 
 depth from the surface, and round spits like wells 
 are formed by those who search for them, Guzerat, 
 like Bengal, in this part has a rich black soil, which 
 is free from stones. 
 
 The fort of Broach is large and irregular, sur- 
 rounding a populous town. Its walls are high and 
 thick, with towers and bastions. It was taken last 
 in 1803 from Dowlat Row Scindeah, by Colonel 
 Waddington, and with the district around now be- 
 longs to the company. From one of its high towers, 
 Charles obtained a pleasing view of the country, 
 which is a plain of wonderful beauty, at this season 
 (November) yellow with grain almost ripe for the 
 sickle. Here his eye traced the magnificent wind- 
 ings of the Nerbuddah, the waters of which he saw 
 conducted by human industry to its right and left, 
 for purposes of irrigation j there he beheld fine 
 plantations of tobacco, cotton, juwarree, sugar cane, 
 grain, wheat, and many other productions. He 
 then wandered along the mouldering parapet, and 
 pausing at the breach by which it was stormed under 
 General Wedderburne in 1/72, he sighed as he con- 
 templated the graves of that brave officer and his 
 numerous fellow soldiers at the bottom of it. De- 
 scending from tlie walls, he traversed the town, and 
 visited the mosques and pagodas, conforming to the 
 wishes of the Mussulmen and Hindoos by taking 
 off his boots, that he might not profane those sanc- 
 tuaries. Then he inspected the wheels and loom?
 
 *<>98 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 of the numerous cotton manufacturers, and admired 
 the simplicity of the former, consisting of a small 
 reel for receiving the yarn, which a woman, seated 
 on the ground, turns with her right hand, while 
 with her left she forms the thread. The loom con- 
 sists of a reed and geers, with a small beam, 
 upon which the warp is rolled ; it is prepared in the 
 open air, and fixed in the reed and geers, which are 
 suspended to the roof of the ghur, and a hole being 
 made in the floor, across which the beam rests, the 
 weaver with his little shuttle sits on the other side, 
 and draws the web, as he works it, round another 
 small beam ; thus with most simple means are fa- 
 bricated the tissues which for their curiosity of tex- 
 ture surprise even those who employ the intricate 
 machinery of European looms. — : 
 
 He afterwards visited the extensive joeto/^^ situated 
 outside the walls, and saw the women of the lower 
 orders at their domestic pursuits, grinding and 
 pounding rice, spinning and weaving, or drawing 
 water from the wells. The mill used is composed 
 of two round stones, one of which is turned by 
 the hand, and the grinding is performed by two 
 women, according to the ancient practice alluded 
 to in the Scriptures. For pounding, a wooden 
 mortar and pestle are used. Among the females 
 were several pretty figures j many of them had large 
 ivory rings on the arms, wrists, and ancles. The 
 teeth and eye-lashes of some are painted black, and 
 a yellow or white streak on th^ forehead and
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^99 
 
 between the eyes, proclaims the cast. The dress 
 most common here is a silk or cotton spencer that 
 embraces the body and breasts closely, with a 
 sauree rolled round the waist, one end of it 
 being brought over the shoulders and head, as in 
 Bengal. 
 
 As the force remained several days at Broach, he 
 sometimes met the Hindoo ladies in hackeries drawn 
 by bullocks, ornamented with bells and rich gaudy 
 trappings, closely covered with silk or cotton, to 
 screen them from the gaze of the vulgar. Those of 
 a lower order he also met, covered from head to 
 foot with a muslin veil, mounted cross-legged on 
 Mahratta horses, led by gora wallahs. 
 
 In the cool of each evening he rambled over the 
 fields, and rode through the adjacent villages, ad- 
 miring the beautiful yellow flowers of the cotton 
 plant, and opening the bulbs from which they blow, 
 containing balls of cotton about the size of a 
 pigeon's egg^, which surprise the beholder by the 
 quantity of cotton they contain. He was struck 
 with the mode in which the farmers irrigate their 
 fields. Deep wells are sunk at a distance from the 
 river, which supply vast quantities of water j 
 a wheel is fixed to a beam on the top, over which 
 a rope passes, tied to a very large leather bag, which 
 is so constructed that it fills and empties itself; to 
 this rope two bullocks are tackled on an inclined 
 plane. The bag being thrown into the well is filled 
 with water, and the bullocks, feeling its sinking
 
 300 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 weight, move off down the slope till their load 
 reaches the surface, and empties itself into a 
 channel that carries it off through the fields ; then 
 the well-taught animals march backwards up the 
 declivity till the full bag again tells them to move 
 down it ; and thus will a pair of good bullocks, often 
 without a driver, go on for nearly a whole day, al- 
 ternately moving forwards and backwards, and 
 keeping up by their labour a small stream, which, 
 in its course, produces fertility. He often con- 
 versed with the farmers, most of whom could speak 
 Hindostannee. One of them, a man of large stature, 
 short beard, and intelligent countenance, Charles 
 addressed on the state of the tenantry. He carried 
 a sling in his hand, with a bag full of clay balls on 
 his shoulder, which he whizzed with great noise, 
 to keep birds away from his ripening corn. The 
 field, which resembled many others in its vicinity, 
 contained several acres in a square, surrounded by 
 a broad green walk, planted with tamarind, mangoe, 
 lime and jack trees, and enclosed by an excellent 
 hedge of prickly pear. A few of his answers were 
 in substance as follows : *• In fact, every thing be- 
 longs to the company. I pay three rupees a biggah 
 for the land, which is nearly as much as I can make 
 of it, and I do what I please with it. If I fail to 
 pay my rent, the farm is distrained or sold." He 
 extolled the fertility of the country towards Baroda, 
 comparing it to a garden ; acknowledged that the 
 inhabitants considered themselves more flourishing
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 3Ul 
 
 and happy under the company than they had been 
 under the Mahratta princes, and seemed contented 
 with his situation, though he testified a natural pre- 
 dilection for his former rulers, more by the shakes of 
 his beard and the changes of his aspect than by the 
 expressions of his cautious tongue. Charles told 
 him of other parts of India. He did not seem in- 
 quisitive, but was familiar and politely attentive in 
 removing thorns out of the way. 
 
 The province of Guzerat is very large, and is 
 bounded on three sides by the Arabian sea, the 
 gulfs of Cambay and Kutch. That part of it 
 between the two gulfs, forming nearly an island, 
 is called Kattywar. The whole is about 380 miles 
 in length, and 180 in breadth. Its productions 
 are very various, comprising nearly all those of the 
 east, with many of the vegetables of the west. 
 Poultry is very scarce, owing to prejudice on the 
 part of the inhabitants, for here, as in some parts 
 of Malabar, they are not domesticated. The cocoa- 
 nut and plantain trees are scarcely to be seen in 
 the interior. Its climate is delightful in winter j 
 but in summer the heat is dreadful. To notice all 
 its curiosities I have not space : let it suffice to 
 mention the city of Ahmedabad and its rocking 
 minarets. The forests offer to naturalists the 
 rhinoceros, tiger, and lion, and snakes of great 
 size. Its fields present to the sportsman variety 
 of game, and the sacred peacock, the chattering 
 monkey, and the parrot, are to be seen on almost
 
 .'302 FIFTEEN YEARS IN DfDIA. 
 
 every tree. In the northern parts this province is 
 very thinly inhabited, having been nearly desolated 
 by the famine of 1802; but the southern districts 
 are very populous, that of Broach alone containing 
 262 villages, which, together with the fort andpetah, 
 have been estimated atlOO,000 souls : nevertheless in 
 the whole there are only about ten millions of people, 
 one-tenth of whom are Mahomedans, and a consi- 
 derable number Parsees, there being 3000 of that 
 very industrious race at Broach. There are several 
 distinct races of men in Guzerat. The Bheels, who 
 are thieves by profession, live in the forests and 
 eat the gum that exudes from the barbal tree ; but 
 they are not so blood-thirsty as the Coolees, the 
 most expert rogues in the world, who go quite 
 naked, and oil their bodies, so that, if detected, 
 it is almost impossible to hold them, being as slip- 
 pery as eels. In travelling through the country, 
 it is only by chaining every thing to the tent-pole 
 that property can be secured ; and no house is safe, 
 for they make holes under ground like rats. The 
 best security is to fee the Bhauts or Charons, who 
 are held sacred, and make a livelihood by guaran- 
 teeing safety of person and property to travellers 
 while passing within their jurisdiction, for they 
 take an oath to commit suicide in the event of 
 injury or loss ; and such is the superstitious vene- 
 ration of the thieves for them, or rather there exists 
 such an understanding between them, that persons 
 under their protection are hardly ever molested.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 303 
 
 Charons are an inferior cast of Brahmins, and most 
 of them belong to the clerical order ; but Bhauts 
 live in many places by tillage, and near Keira there 
 are several villages of them. In ancient times they 
 were the bards of India j and in all the noble fami- 
 lies of Guzerat there are some of them domesti- 
 cated, who sing the exploits of heroes. Being held 
 sacred by the Hindoos, it is thought a horrible sin 
 to cause their blood to be shed, or their life to be 
 endangered ; and such is the obstinacy of their 
 nature, that tliey put themselves to death on very 
 small provocation, and murder their wives and 
 diildren if they meet with disappointment in their 
 undertakings. Another curious class is the Pug- 
 gies, who earn a subsistence by detecting thieves, 
 in which calling they are particularly dexterous, 
 and seldom fail to trace the plunder into the village 
 to which it has been carried, and where the tribe 
 called Grassias make a livehood by receiving stolen 
 goods from the Bheels and Coolees. There is be- 
 sides an infamous tribe called Dheeras, who live on 
 carrion, and perform all the vile offices of huma- 
 nity ; their touch is considered contamination by 
 every man of cast. It is supposed there are 50,000 
 thieves in Guzerat ; yet there is a desperate cast, 
 called Ungruas, who will engage for a small reward 
 to carry money all over the country, and such is 
 their character for intrepidity, that they are hardly 
 ever attacked. In short, men of nearly all the casts 
 in India are found in Guzerat. The Mahrattas
 
 304f FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 over-ran this province soon after the foundation of 
 their empire by Sevagee ; but when it began to 
 decline, a chief named Pillagee Guichwar invaded 
 it, and in I726 established his family at Baroda, 
 being confirmed in his conquest some years after- 
 wards by the Sattara Rajah. But the division of 
 territory in the Mahratta states is so extraordinary, 
 that no one can say this province belongs to any 
 particular chief; for the Peishwaand Scindeahave 
 parts of it as well as the Guichwar, and sometimes 
 one town is governed by this trio, and divided 
 among them. The Jains are numerous here, and 
 may be seen feeding flies with sugar and honey, 
 and fanning the air with peacock's feathers, lest 
 they should unconsciously kill any living creature. 
 Some of the customs are curious, but only one or 
 two can be instanced. The people are extremely 
 afraid of witches, and consider ugly old women as 
 having power to injure them by their looks ; and 
 to deprive them of this fascination, they cut off the 
 noses of these hapless objects of their antipathy. 
 It is customary for devotees, when tired of life from 
 age, or absorbed in spiritual contemplation, to dig 
 a pit in which they may be suffocated. When great 
 misfortune assails them, and hope is lost, a yellow 
 dress is put on, or powder of that colour is sprinkled 
 over the person, to indicate despair, and if not 
 relieved the person assuming it commits suicide. 
 The Hindoo merchants upon being unsuccessful in 
 business light a lamp during the day, which an-
 
 riFTEEX YEARS IN INDIA. 305 
 
 nounces the state of their affairs to all creditoi's, 
 and during the examination of books and invento- 
 ries of stock they do not appear, nor will they re- 
 turn to their houses till permission is granted by 
 those to whom they are indebted. If the merchant 
 proclaims himself a bankrupt in time, and acts 
 honourably, lie is generally set up again with ap- 
 plause, and looked upon as a man of great integrity. 
 But of all their customs female infanticide is the 
 most extraordinary. In modern times this abomi- 
 nable practice was confined to the Jerajah tribe ; 
 but anciently it was far more extensive : it is now 
 nearly abolished, thanks to British influence. Its 
 origin cannot be traced ; but tradition says that a 
 certain great rajah had an only daughter, so exqui- 
 sitely beautiful and accomplished, that she appear- 
 ed not to be a form of earth. Her father searched 
 over the whole world in vain for a prince worthy to 
 enjoy such an angel : he at length, by the advice of 
 a Brahmin, put her to death, as the only expedient 
 to prevent his blood from being debased by mar- 
 riage with a common person. This gratification of 
 his pride the Brahmins turned to their own advan- 
 tage, by flattering him with the assurance that he 
 would become immortal, in aiding them to propa- 
 gate a report that the young lady was ordered by 
 Brahma to be sacrificed to prevent her from being 
 defiled by a mortal. Her father's descendants fol- 
 lowing his example, put their female progeny to 
 death, saying that such was the decree of Brahma, 
 
 X
 
 30(3 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 and that no mortal was worthy of being husband to 
 then- daughters. They therefore bought female 
 children from other tribes, and had them educated 
 in conformity to their own customs. 
 
 Charles was recalled from one of his evening 
 rambles by the bugles of the regiment sounding 
 the warning for parade, and on reaching his tent 
 the corporal handed him the orders : — " The line 
 will march to-morrow morning at five o'clock.'* — 
 A hollow square was formed on the parade, and 
 three of the soldiers were brought to a drum-head 
 court-martial for being absent from their lines, and 
 for behaving in an unsoldier-like manner in a neigh- 
 bouring village, to the disgrace of the European 
 character. The court sentenced each to receive 
 300 lashes, but one-half was remitted by the 
 humane commanding officer, who addressed the 
 regiment on the enormity of armed guardians of 
 the laws spreading terror among the peaceful pea- 
 sants of the country. To some it may appear cruel 
 to flog men on the eve of marching ; but if such 
 offences were not visited with immediate vengeance, 
 our fine army would soon be little better than a 
 rabble. During the performance of this melancholy 
 duty, the regiment was surrounded by half the 
 population of Broach and the neighbouring villages. 
 Such a crowed conveyed an idea of the vast mass of 
 men in India, and revived the question so often 
 discussed, "How can so many brook to be governed 
 by so few ?" 3
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN JNDIA. 307 
 
 Broach and its district yield a revenue to the 
 company of about j£200,000 per annum. All its 
 imports and exports are taxed for the support of the 
 pinjrapole or hospital for animals, in which, how- 
 ever, there are now very few patients or pensioners, 
 besides a few fine cows, tlie milk of which pays 
 amply for their keeping. There are about twenty- 
 five societies here of the Banyan cast, all employed 
 in trade, for the manufacture of cotton is very ex- 
 tensive, the water of the Nerbuddah at this place 
 being famed for giving a dehcate whiteness to the 
 baftas. Great numbers of Borahs also repair hither 
 for goods. They are spread all over India; and, 
 although Mahomedans, they have the features and 
 characteristics of complete Jews. 
 
 The line marched on the high road to Baroda, 
 through the finest plain that can be imagined, cul- 
 tivated like a garden ; they encamped at Sitpaun, 
 a village of about 200 ghurs composed of mud and 
 covered with tiles, and inhabited chiefly by Mos- 
 lems, who have two small mosques. There is no 
 Hindoo temple, but each has in his own house a 
 place dedicated to the particular god of the family. 
 After breakfast, Charles was seated at his desk 
 writing the notes of his journal — *' Road good — 
 not many inclosures — tank and well water in 
 abundance near the village." 
 
 ** Saheeb," said Ballo, for Mr. True had trans- 
 ferred his favourite servant to Thoughtless, and 
 Moote had remained with Frank Stanley, " one 
 
 x2
 
 308 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 man village from, sell to master want, one fine 
 little boy." 
 
 ** Good God !" said Thoughtless, " is it his own 
 son, Ballo?" — ''Aw, saheeb," answered Ballo, "this 
 country such custom is." 
 
 Charles went out, and alas ! found that Balio's 
 tale was true. A poor aged naked man held his 
 little half-starved looking boy in his hand anxious 
 about selling him. Thoughtless cast an earnest 
 look upon him. He was gazing at his child, draw- 
 ing him closer, and a tear stood in his eye. " Ballo," 
 said Charles, "give him some rupees, and tell him 
 not to sell his son." The poor man fell on his 
 face and kissed the ground ; he then rose and em- 
 braced his child. Thoughtless felt that riches 
 have charms when we employ them to make our 
 fellow-creatures happy. 
 
 The next march was to Ekeer, a village larger 
 than the last, inhabited by rigid Hindoos, who 
 closed their doors for fear of contamination when 
 the line was passing. 
 
 " Saheeb," said Ballo, in the course of the day, 
 " one soldier artillery cut belly in very much by 
 Bheel with arrow bow from." 
 
 " How has that happened, Ballo ?" asked 
 Charles. But not to plague you, gentle reader, 
 with the Hindostannee idiom, it occurred thus : — It 
 is usual for the soldiers to sleep after a march. 
 There were some small ravines in front of the mens 
 tents, up which two Blieels crept ; one entered a
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS 1\ INDIA. 309 
 
 routt/, holding in his breath, and began to load him- 
 self with canteens. A man who was wide awake 
 let him approach near him, and though well oiled, 
 seized him by the leg and gave the alarm ; but the 
 other Bheel had his bow bent and lodged an arrow 
 in the matross's breast, so that his comrade escaped 
 in the confusion caused by this circumstance. To 
 prevent further accidents, the commanding officer 
 placed the camp under the protection of the Cha- 
 rons belonging to the pagoda in the village. But 
 the pursuit of the thieves down the ravines disco- 
 vered another proof of the disgusting manners of 
 this region ; four decapitated bodies w^ere lying in 
 a ditch near the village, supposed to be travellers 
 murdered by the Coolees. The sight was shocking, 
 as vultures and Pariah dogs had half eaten them, 
 and picked the eyes out of the heads, not far dis- 
 tant from their trunks. 
 
 Itoola was the next stage, and from Ekeer to it 
 the road runs along a deep ravine nearly all the 
 w^ay. The country, though apparently a beautiful 
 plain, is very much broken by torrents that have 
 washed away the soft earth to a great depth in their 
 course during the monsoon ; but being quite dry 
 at present, one of them is a good gun road for 
 several miles. Another illustration of manners 
 occurred here. 
 
 "Saheeb," said Ballo, waiting till Charles had done 
 writing, " one bobberchee of artillery killed." — 
 "How, Ballo?" asked Thoughtless. "One sol- 
 
 X 3
 
 310 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 dier call cook boy, and tell — ' Quick go, bring me 
 one nice girl.' Eobberchee no like that business, 
 say, 'won't go;'— soldier give kick — cook-boy 
 run into sepoy tent — one sepoy think him thief, 
 and wound bayonet with -— doctor come, no good, 
 bobberchee die." 
 
 The next halt was at Gamboa, a village on the 
 river Dadar, where there are the ruins of an ancient 
 bridge. Next day the force reached Baroda, forty 
 miles distant from Broach, and the 6oth regiment 
 occupied part of the cantonments a mile beyond 
 the city, near the village of Gorwa, situated in a 
 fine plain as level as a bowling green, on which an 
 army of 300,000 men might encamp and manoeuvre. 
 This grand parade is skirted by fine plantations of 
 manffoe trees. The cantonments are built in the 
 
 o 
 
 form of an encampment ; and in the officers' lines 
 there are many pretty bungalows, with gardens 
 round them like English cottages. 
 
 Soon after the arrival of the regiment, the follow- 
 ing orders were issued: — " The slaughter of cows, 
 bullocks, peacocks, monkeys, or any other animal 
 or bird, that may be contrary to the customs of 
 this country, is positively forbidden. Neither the 
 officers nor others are to visit the amdrew or the 
 dewan, or have any intercourse with them or any of 
 the Guickwar's officers, without the express per- 
 mission of the resident. No officer is to travel 
 through the country without a passport. All 
 officers are positively forbid going within the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN' INDIA. 311 
 
 wall that surrounds the palace without permis- 
 sion.'* 
 
 The next day Thoughtless and several of" his 
 brother officers mounted their horses for the pur- 
 pose of visiting Baroda and the Guickwar's gardens. 
 That city is a square surrounded by a high wall, 
 whose side is about half a mile in length. It has 
 four great gates exactly opposite each other, the 
 streets leading from which are broad and well paved, 
 and at their mtersection a small square is formed, 
 which is covered with a roof merely supported by 
 pillars, as a sort of exchange and market. The 
 houses and pagodas, both inside the- walls and in 
 the large petah or suburbs, are well constructed and 
 worthy of observation. Many of them are painted 
 on the outside, and display extraordinary figures of 
 gods, monsters, beasts and fishes ; but the external 
 appearance of Hindoo dwellings conveys to an Eu- 
 ropean a very gloomy idea of comfort, having but a 
 few small windows or peep holes. The interior, 
 however, is far better suited to a climate, where at 
 certain seasons health and comfort can only be en- 
 joyed by excluding the hot air. Although when 
 seen from without the houses look like prisons, yet 
 many of them have a little open square inside, with 
 a tank, garden, or jet d'eau, which cools the apart- 
 ments round it, while from each story a fine open 
 viranda, in which the inmates amuse themselves 
 during the cool of the day, gives a much more 
 pleasing idea of real comfort in a hot climate than 
 
 x4.
 
 312 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the Grecian structures introduced by the Europe- 
 ans, not one of which, unless built on a very large 
 scale, is cool in summer ; hence the family has to fly 
 for refuge in the heat of the day to the ground 
 floor, or to a close room remote from the glare. 
 The streets were crowded with people and the 
 shops exhibited great wealth. Many of the women 
 were beautiful and appeared gorgeously ornamented, 
 being in attendance on a shaddee between two re- 
 spectable families. They were escorting the happy 
 pair through the streets in rich open palankeens, 
 and scattering flowers and perfumes in their way, 
 with torn toms beating, and music playing, while 
 men and women in fantastic dresses were dancing 
 and singing before them. The bride was a little 
 girl about six years old with her teeth and eye- 
 lashes painted jet black, and the centre of her fore- 
 head deep yellow. She was dressed in silk embroi- 
 dered with gold, and her arms, fingers, ancles, and 
 toesw^ere covered with rings, while her ears and nose 
 were concealed by clusters of pearls and diamonds, 
 and round her neck she wore triple chains of gold 
 and precious stones. The bridegroom was about 
 ten years old, and also very richly dressed. At- 
 tracted by this grand cavalcade, Thoughtless and 
 his friends followed till the infant couple, the objects 
 of such general interest, stopped at a temporary 
 square edifice glittering with tinsel decorations, 
 erected in the middle of one of the great streets j 
 two of its sides were supported on pillars wreathed
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 313 
 
 with flowers, while the floor was covered with 
 shawl carpets. Here the bride's party entered, and 
 distributed presents, perfumes, and sweetmeats 
 among their guests. But the outside of this temple 
 of Hymen gave a disgusting idea of public morals 
 and taste, for it was ornamented with the most in- 
 decent Chinese pictures, with which both men and 
 women appeared highly delighted, and gazed upon 
 them with expressions of sensual joy. From the city 
 Charles and his brother officers found their way to 
 the gardens, which are not worth description. 
 There are two royal cenotaphs ; one of which, sup- 
 ported by sixteen marble pillars with exceedingly 
 small shafts, is a curiosity. The Guickwar*s palaces 
 are large gloomy buildings. 
 
 Soon afterwards the force was formed into two 
 brigades, with a due proportion of artillery, ca- 
 valry, and pioneers, and encamped regularly in the 
 plain, where the troops had a grand field day, and 
 the cavalry a sham-fight, in honour of his highness 
 Futteh Singh. The line was formed at day-light^ 
 but the prince did not appear till eight o'clock, 
 when he was seen approaching on a lofty elephant, 
 glittering with gold and scarlet trappings, accom- 
 panied by the resident, Mr. Carnack, and all the 
 great native officers, mounted in like manner on 
 elephants, preceded by a native band. Futteh 
 Singh's numerous guards rode Mahratta horses. 
 They were armed with pistols, swords, shields, and 
 spears. Some of them were shewing off on the
 
 314 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 flanks in great style, managing their chargers with 
 surprising dexterity, and wielding their lances. 
 The Mahratta bit is very sharp ; the reins, which 
 are of cotton or silk, and as small as a bell cord, 
 are generally fastened to the bow of the saddle, 
 for the warrior prides himself on governing his 
 steed without the aid of the bridle. The animal is 
 in such dread of the sharp bit, so well broken in, 
 and accustomed to the signals of his rider's knee 
 and voice, that he will spring from one side to the 
 other, leap forwards and backwards, throw himself 
 on his haunches, and form circles by wheeling 
 round on his hind legs with such celeiity as to sur- 
 prise an European ; meanwhile the horseman is 
 flourishing his spear, and changing it from hand 
 to hand so quickly, that thought can hardly follow 
 his movements. Some of the cavalry wear armour, 
 but generally speaking, the dress is cotton trow- 
 sers, and a sort of gown with long sleeves, stuffed 
 with cotton, and quilted j and their heads are pro- 
 tected by a thick turban, while their backs are 
 screened by their shields. 
 
 Besides his numerous escort of cavalry, Futteh 
 Singh had a corps of Gosains in his retinue. They 
 were entirely naked as to clothing, having only their 
 swords, belts, and bucklers on their bodies, which 
 were frightfully painted j some of them were armed 
 with matchlocks, and certainly a wilder looking body 
 of enthusiasts never before met the eye of Charles 
 Thoughtless. Nearly the whole male population
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 315 
 
 of Baroda also accompanied their warlike prince, 
 who, on his near approach to the British line, 
 alighted from his elephant, and mounted an 
 Arabian charger. His officers also mounted their 
 horses, and leaving their guards and the crowd at 
 a proper distance, w^ere received with military 
 honours, and seemed to view with deep interest 
 and wonder tlie regular and combined movements 
 of the brigades while changing positions, and 
 firing from new and unexpected lines ; then form- 
 ing squares by battalions, and rapidly shewing their 
 original fronts by the filing of grand divisions in 
 double quick time. Meantime the 17th dragoons, 
 under Major Scale, dashed across the plain, and 
 skirmished so as to astonish the wondering crowd 
 of Mahrattas, who saw their galloppers in a cloud 
 of dust rushing to a new point, and a moment after 
 heard their blazing fire-arms vomiting forth thunder 
 in peals, of which the quick succession seemed the 
 effect of magic rather than human skill. The force 
 was commanded by Colonel Holmes of the com- 
 pany's service, who demonstrated a proper technical 
 knowledge of his profession on the occasion. But 
 nothing in cavalry tactics could exceed the science 
 displayed by Major Scale, and those under his 
 command j for the l/'th dragoons, who are styled 
 the death or glory boys, are in such a fine state of 
 discipline, that they sit their horses with inimitable 
 grace, and perform every movement with the pre- 
 cision of clock-work, and the rapidity of lightning.
 
 316 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 His Highness Futteh Singh was of the middle 
 age, rather corpulent, but on the whole a good 
 looking man, with a penetrating eye, whose quick 
 glances followed every thing. His dress was 
 superb, and reminded one of the description given 
 by Quintius Curtius, Lib. 9. Cap. 1. of a Hindoo 
 rajah. — " Vestis erat auro purpuraque distincta, 
 quae etiam crura velabat : aureis soliis inseruerat 
 gemmas : lacerti quoque et brachia margaritis 
 ornata erant. Pendebunt exauribus insignes can- 
 dore et magnitudine lapilli." 
 
 '^a'
 
 317 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 •' The stately palankeen will some invite, 
 With spreading cJudtuh, bells and battons bright ; 
 The fiookalis bubbling perfumed costly breath. 
 From golden tube with carpet spread beneath ; 
 Rich abdar'd claret, sparkling cool champaign, -\ 
 And devils spiced, 'till pleasure turns to pain, V 
 Will others lure in exile to remain." -^ 
 
 1 HE ease and splendour in which Europeans live 
 in India attach many of them to the country ; and 
 for a long time after an old Indian returns home, 
 he secretly sighs on remembering the past. His 
 comfortable palankeen, into which he used care- 
 lessly to throw himself, and loll at ease with a 
 book while paying visits or attending business, a 
 silken chattah or umbrella shading him from the 
 glare, and tinkling bells and silver sticks running 
 before to proclaim his consequence, often recur to 
 his mind; and the perfume of his hookah or Hindoo 
 machine for smoking is not forgotten. The hookah 
 consists of a glass or silver bottom filled with water, 
 to the mouth of which is fixed a sort of grand pipe 
 filled with a composition of tobacco and spices 
 richly perfumed, the tube of whicli passes through 
 the water, comes out at the side of the bottom, and 
 is then called a snake, on account of its great
 
 3 18 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 length, and the many fanciful windings it forms 
 before the end called the mouth-piece, either of 
 silver or gold, reaches the smoker. This instru- 
 ment has a very magnificent appearance, and is 
 generally introduced after dinner, being placed by 
 the hookahburdar, or servant for that express pur- 
 pose, on a rich carpet, a considerable way from the 
 table behind his master. The fumes of this scented 
 tobacco are considered even by ladies as very agree- 
 able, so that it is quite fashionable in India to 
 smoke the hookah ; and it may be easily conceived 
 how alluringly pleasant the cool vapour is after 
 circulating through such a length of tube to the 
 palate, heated with the luxuries of the East. Allu- 
 sion has been before made to the delicacies of the 
 table ; and in no country in the world can wines 
 be made more delightfully cool than in India, by 
 a process of refrigeration with saltpetre, at which 
 the native servants, called abdars or water- coolers, 
 are very expert. Servants of all work might be 
 hired in Bengal either from the Pariahs or con- 
 verted Christians ; but there is a prejudice against 
 the latter, and the former are great di'unkards. 
 The Mahomedan servants attend to cast almost 
 like the Hindoos, although there are no such dis- 
 tinctions among them. A boy who does not hesi- 
 tate to brush his master's coat, would not for the 
 world touch a knife or fork or attend at table ; and 
 a maid that walks out with children, may not be 
 disposed to wash or dress them. A civilian with a
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 319 
 
 family will have perhaps 200 servants ; while a 
 magistrate here will not have ten. All the natives 
 board themselves : their wages are very low, for 
 livine: costs them little. A man will do well with 
 five shillings a month, and such as use rice alone 
 could purchase as much of it for two shillings as they 
 would use in that time ; the wages, therefore, given 
 to servants may be said to rise in a sort of scale 
 from ten to one hundred shillings a month. The 
 reader will easily conceive how such an establish- 
 ment of servants must keep back an individual, and 
 prevent him from realizing independence. Nothing 
 in India so much retards the progress of an adven- 
 turer towards the wished-for goal. A lieutenant 
 there in the field has about thirty-five pounds 
 sterling every month, and yet his establishment 
 is so great, and his expences so heavy, that he 
 can save nothing. But pursuing this dry subject 
 no further, I return to the journal of Charles 
 Thoughtless. 
 
 He very soon found the difficulty of keeping two 
 establishments, and foresaw that the little fund he 
 had in Calcutta would soon be exhausted. In 
 short his mind began to assume a gloomy aspect, 
 and he endeavoured to divert his melancholy by 
 imitating part of the first satire of the first book of 
 Horace : 
 
 Survey Uie world, and analyse the mind. 
 With philosophic truth, of human kind : 
 Then say why man to change is ever prone, 
 And never lone; contented with his own ?
 
 320 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Whether his lot came to him by free will, 
 
 Or fell by chance, he pines and murmurs still. 
 
 "O happy merchant," oft the soldier cries. 
 
 When war's rude toil his manly spirit tries ! 
 
 Loud tempest howls, the boisterous ocean roars, 
 
 Dispersed or lost, the merchant now deplores 
 
 His ships, and says, oppressed with rising fears, 
 
 " The warrior's choice much better now appears ; 
 
 " He rushes boldly to the embattl'd plains, 
 
 " And in a moment death or glory gains." 
 
 The barrister aroused from bed of down. 
 
 By dull attorneys, burns his wig and gown ; 
 
 And lauds the country squire, who, law opprest, 
 
 ExtoUs the long robe, as of garbs the best. 
 
 But each peculiar case to numerate, 
 
 Would comprehend mankind in every state : \ 
 
 For I when messman monthly greets my door. 
 
 Exclaim — " The worst of all is to be poor." 
 
 Yet maik, should hocus pocus deign to say, 
 
 " Presto — let each be happy his own way ; 
 
 " Soldier your ledger take, merchant his sword, 
 
 '* Lawyer your farm." — What ! none of you a word ? 
 
 Not one would change his old familiar state, 
 
 But murmur still at one another's fate. 
 
 Yet should he add " You ensign take this place,'* 
 
 With smiling aspect to it I would pace. 
 
 But, not to smile when truth is to be told, 
 
 (Though oft a laughing phiz will truth unfold,) 
 
 Let us proceed the principles to scan. 
 
 That actuate the mind of every man ; 
 
 One spring of action animates the whole, 
 
 Directing all with absolute control ; 
 
 For he who ploughs the ocean or the soil. 
 
 Expounds the laws, or courts the warrior's toil. 
 
 Embarks his skiff on labour's troubled seas, 
 
 To gain in old age dignity and ease ; 
 
 But when black clouds across his passage rise, 
 
 He drops the oar, and discontented sighs.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 321 
 
 ** Saheeb," said Ballo, " Colonel Milnes, com- 
 IDJiments sends, speak to you want.*' 
 
 " Mr.Thoughtless," said the Colonel, " the staff 
 situation now vacant is at your service. You have 
 a large family." In this manner, gentle reader, the 
 tone of his spirits was raised in a moment to some- 
 thing considerably above concert pitch, for liis al- 
 lowances were doubled ; and after an ineffectual en- 
 deavour to express what he felt, he danced off to his 
 tent, wrote to Mary, and entered in his journal, 
 " what pleasure is afforded to tlie heart of man by 
 imparting his joys or sorrows to a sympathising and 
 beloved wife." 
 
 The city of Baroda is situated on a branch of the 
 river My he, over which there is a tolerably good 
 bridge ; the country around is in the very highest 
 state of cultivation, studded with numerous villages, 
 and the vicinity of the capital is ornamented witli 
 several very handsome pagodas and costly tanks. 
 Pillagee, as has been mentioned before, was the 
 founder of the Guickwar family in this province. 
 The exact amount of the government revenue is 
 not known, but several districts have been ceded 
 to the company, for the supportof a subsidiary force, 
 which yield the annual sum of 1,070,000 rupees, 
 and are now in a progressive state of improvement. 
 It may be said of the Guickwar, as of all the other 
 subsidized princes, that he has no external political 
 power, all his foreign affairs being transacted by the 
 British resident, wlio is in fact placed at his court 
 
 Y
 
 3^22 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 as the guardian of" the company's interest. There 
 are no hills to be seen from Baroda, except Povvan 
 Ghur, which is a very great curiosity, at no great 
 distance. It is a rock rising out of the plain, to the 
 lieight of 600 yards, and nearly everywhere per- 
 pendicular, so as to be inaccessible, except on the 
 north side, and this part is fortified with five walls. 
 On the top stands a famous pagoda, to which there 
 are 240 steps ; and there is an inexhaustible supply 
 of water, with accommodations for a considerable 
 garrison ; nevertheless such is the effect of mortar 
 batteries, and the spirit of British perseverance, that 
 it was stormed in 1S03, and taken Avithout much 
 loss from Dowlat Row^ Scindea. 
 
 Upon leaving Baroda, on the 13th January 1815, 
 the force marched towards Powan Ghur, and on 
 the second day having passed through a very fine 
 tract of country, encamped near Gerode, distant 
 about sixteen miles from the city. The hill fort 
 above described stands near it, and looked formi- 
 dable from the British camp. Colonel Stanhope, 
 with the head-quarters of the 17th dragoons, joined 
 the force at Gerode from Keiraj some time after- 
 wards the whole crossed the river Myhe, at the 
 pass of Wankaneer, a very romantic village situated 
 in a deep ravine on the south bank, and after a 
 few marches halted for some time near Ballisanore, 
 having passed Omreit, a large w^alled town in a very 
 flourishing condition. Mr. Williams, the assistant 
 resident at Baroda, accompanied by a considerable
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN' INDIA. 3*23 
 
 division of the Guickwar's cavalry, liad also taken 
 the field with Colonel Holmes, and they encamped 
 near the British lines, in a circle round their com- 
 mander. Ballisanore is remarkable for stupendous 
 rocks and extensive jungles, in which the numbers 
 of monkeys, pea fowl, and hares are prodigious ; 
 the men killed many of the latter running through 
 the ranks, and the line of march. 
 
 It would be tedious to accompany tlie field force, 
 during this bloodless campaign of several months, 
 along the banks of the Myhe. Its object was not 
 perfectly understood. At this time the Nepaul 
 war was going on, and the Pindarries, supposed to 
 be encouraged in their irruptions by Scindeah and 
 Holkar, were ready to carry fire and sword into all 
 our provinces, therefore armies of observation were 
 stationed every where upon the frontiers. No 
 country in the world can be finer than Guzerat, 
 along the banks of the Myhe. The inliabitants live 
 in villages, and the ghurs in many places are a 
 sort of basket-work, covered with thatched roofs. 
 During the evenings and mornings, the climate is 
 delightful, but early in March the heat of the day 
 becomes exceedingly oppressive, and hot winds pre- 
 vail more or less from that time till tlie monsoon 
 commences in the beginning of July. All the vil- 
 lages along the north bank of the Myhe appeared in 
 a very flourishing condition, with a numerous rising 
 generation, as timid as hares, and seemingly fright- 
 ened at the very appearance of Europeans. The 
 
 Y 2
 
 3^4 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 inhabitants are of the Grassia tribe, and seem to 
 enjoy perfect security in their persons and property. 
 Their fields are beautified with fruit trees, and manv 
 of them well fenced with milk hedge. The country, 
 except in tlie vicinity of Konnee, is level ; near that 
 interesting place is an extensive plain, skirted by 
 low hills, which give a pleasing variety to the scene. 
 Every village has a sort of patriarchal government 
 within itself, and such is the aspect of comfort in 
 all of them, that squalid poverty seems to be quite 
 a stranger. Several of them belong to the Peishwa. 
 Thoughtless was delighted in his rides for eight or 
 nine miles in all directions round the camp, to find 
 these smiling villages in profusion. The children 
 were playing at hobby, or formed a noisy circle 
 round the schoolmaster, while their parents were 
 employed in husbandry or conversation. *' In 
 travelling over this curious globe," said Charles to 
 himself, " men are found wherever nature furnishes 
 means for their sustenance. Often unconnected 
 by any tie with each other, and like the vegetable 
 substances on which they live, they seem born only 
 to produce their like, and return to the earth 
 whence they sprung." Game is exceedingly beau- 
 tiful and plentiful here ; the partridges light in 
 coveys on the trees, hares swarm in the brushwood, 
 deer start from every copse, foxes abound, the 
 wild hog infests each jungle, and the tiger is as 
 large as in Bengal. Captain Keith killed one mea- 
 suring fourteen feet from the tip of his tail to the 
 15
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 3'2o 
 
 nose. The air swarms with birds of beautiful 
 plumage. Peacocks are seen in the distance saihng 
 along in full pride and expansion, and the alligator 
 basks in the sun near the river, which produces 
 several species of fish, while the elephant, camel, 
 buffaloe, and large ox are seen grazing near the 
 camp, and bands of girls carrying water from the 
 wells, in some places from 200 to 300 feet deep. 
 Numerous flocks of monkeys occupy every tree, and 
 seem to view Europeans with full as much wonder 
 as the inhabitants of the villages, of wliom they are 
 no way afraid. But their chatter and extraordinary 
 leaps from branch to branch with their young ones 
 hanging from the breast, when the line was passing, 
 truly surprised every beholder. 
 
 In the plain of Konnee on the 27th of March, Cap- 
 tain Hutton of the 65th was buried. He possessed 
 many good and amiable qualities. His liberality and 
 hospitality verged on extravagance. Honourable, 
 brave, and benevolent, he was a zealous friend, and 
 an ofKcer well instructed in the duties of his pro- 
 fession. Soon afterwards Colonel Holmes left the 
 force under the command of Lieutenant-colonel 
 Fitzsimon of the 65th regiment ; but Major-gene- 
 ral Lawrence, a venerable looking officer in the 
 company's service, arrived in the latter end of 
 April, and assumed charge of it. However, on the 
 Sd of May the campaign closed. Some of the na- 
 tive corps marched under Colonel Barclay for Rat- 
 ty war; tlie 17th dragoons and two sepoy battalions 
 
 y 3
 
 3^6 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 returned to Keira, while the 65th and two other 
 corps crossed the Myhe at Kunpore, and reached 
 Baroda on the 15th of that month. 
 
 Nature has been exceedingly bountiful to that 
 part of Guzerat which the force traversed. It is 
 equally as much entitled to the character of a gar- 
 den as any part of Bengal. No country on earth 
 looks more beautiful when harvest is approaching. 
 Only one crop is reaped, where artificial watering 
 is not used, but in most places two are forced. Cot- 
 ton is the great article of husbandry, and nothing 
 can be more charming to the eye than a field of it 
 in full blow, with stripes of roses, tulips, and various 
 flowers of which dyes are composed. In other 
 places vv'ere fine fields of jewarry or Indian corn, 
 with plantations of sugar cane, flax and hemp, grain 
 on which the horses are fed in India, tobacco, and 
 the castor-oil plant, whose broad deep green leaves 
 are most grateful to the eye, intermixed with so 
 many other lively tints of all colours and shades. — 
 The mills worked by bullocks, for expressing the 
 juices of different plants, are of the most simple con- 
 struction ; that for sugar cane being merely a large 
 pestle and mortar, the former being attached to a 
 lever moved by oxen, which go round as in a bark 
 mill. A great noise is made in working this, for 
 the cane has to be ground and pounded till it is 
 quite dry, when it is expelled on one side of the 
 mortar, while the juice flows into pans on the other 
 to be boiled and refined. Indeed all the implements,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN' INDIA. 327 
 
 of husbandry are extremely simple and capable of 
 vast improvement. The plough consists of a long 
 beam and two pieces of wood nearly at right angles, 
 which serve as the body and ploughshare ; to the 
 former a small pole is fixed for a handle. A yoke, 
 something like three steps of a ladder, is passed over 
 the bullocks heads, and rests on their necks ; to the 
 centre of it the beam is fixed, and one man guides 
 the whole, holding the small handle of the 
 plough with one hand, while with the other he 
 manages the bullocks by screwing and twisting 
 their tails. But a stroke or scrape of this ill- 
 contrived plough hardly enters an inch deep 
 in the hardened surface ; and the persevering far- 
 mer has to retrace the furrow several times before 
 he procures mould enough for his seed, whicli is 
 covered in with tlie raking of a bush, or, if much 
 caked, a harrow something like a short ladder is. 
 drawn over it, upon wluch the driver stands to 
 break the clods with his own weight. All the 
 offices of the spade and shovel are performed by a 
 clumsy hoe, to work with which it is necessary for 
 the labourer to sit on his hunkers, or almost stoop 
 to the ground. The sickle is a short crooked knife, 
 and the scythe is not known. They have no carts, 
 and the hackery or common car is in many places 
 very ill constructed. Barns are not used in India, 
 where the weather can be depended upon with cer- 
 tainty ; grain is therefore never stacked, but tram- 
 pled out by oxen in the fields, and the straw left 
 
 Y 4
 
 528 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INmA, 
 
 there in heaps ; the bullocks being fed on oil-cake, 
 and the milk buffaloes in Guzerat having abun- 
 dance of green food during the whole year. Near 
 the villages are granaries made of clay, which is 
 baked into the shape of large barrels, with crowns 
 like bee-hives, and the corn is secured in them, 
 after they are smeared over with cow-dung, which 
 keeps the white ants away. In the Carnatic, My- 
 sore, and Malabar, where rice is the principal crop, 
 and the fields are inundated annually, except for 
 hill pulses, manure is very little used ; but in Gu- 
 zerat and Bengal it is not burned, but goes, as in 
 other countries, to enrich the soil. The prevailing 
 system of husbandry, however, is very defective. 
 The peasantry have no knowledge of the benefit of 
 succession crops, profitable fallows, old lays, and 
 modern improvements, but go on from father to son 
 in the regular unambitious course of humble imi- 
 tation, without making an effort at innovation, for 
 the purpose of reducing labour, saving time, or 
 avoiding expence. Land is at different prices in 
 Guzerat : on the sea coast it is hardly worth three 
 rupees an acre, but in other places twelve are given ; 
 and it may be said that the scale of rent in India is 
 from six to thirty shillings an acre, except in the 
 vicinity of large cities, where high prices are given 
 for gardens. The rent-roll is the great source of 
 revenue to the government, for it all comes into 
 the coffers of the state, except about one-tenth for 
 collection, the prince being considered in general
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 329 
 
 sole lord of the soil. Nevertheless a vast deal of 
 land in every province is private property, either 
 granted to individuals nsjaghireSf or to pagodas as 
 free gifts ; and it is now understood that the sys- 
 tem of revenue introduced by Lord Cornwallis into 
 the company's territories has established the ze- 
 mindars as lords of the soil so long as they fulfil 
 their contracts, and the farmers as tenants for ever 
 if they perform their agreements. The potatoe 
 thrives extremely well in Guzerat and Bengal, and 
 is now produced extensively about Surat, for the 
 supply of Bombay, where it appears at table with as 
 laughing a countenance as in many parts of Ireland. 
 Sweet potatoes and yams are very plentiful every 
 where in India ; and in Guzerat, cabbages, carrots, 
 turnips, and nearly all common vegetables grow 
 freely. Grapes are very rare either there or in 
 Bengal ; and the vine requires great care to make 
 it produce at all, as it suffers greatly from the de- 
 structive effects of the hot winds. The great ele- 
 vation of the Deckan and Mysore, and their free- 
 dom from hot winds, render them far more tem- 
 perate and healtliy than Guzerat or Bengal, not- 
 withstanding their proximity to the tropic of 
 Cancer. 
 
 The 65th regiment encamped, on its return to 
 Baroda, near the cantonments, and it being ex- 
 pected that the corps would remain here during 
 the monsoon, the soldiers were permitted to send 
 for their families to Bombay j some of the officers
 
 330 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 did the same ; but Thoughtless having heard so 
 much of this dangerous chmate, and being fright- 
 ened at the number of graves in the European 
 cemetery of the station, thought it best for Mary 
 and his children to remain at the presidency. In 
 fact, the hospital began to fill in the latter end of 
 May, and on the fourth of June Lieutenant Barnes 
 and thirty soldiers were struck with coups de soleil; 
 six of them died of electric fevers, and several 
 women and children also fell beneath the pestilence 
 of the atmosphere. A shoemaker named Foster, 
 married to a pretty interesting little Yorkshire 
 woman, was struck next day and instantly expired. 
 His poor wife, while attending his funeral in the 
 evening, fainted from the closeness of the atmos- 
 phere, and was laid alongside her husband next 
 morning, — a happy exchange if she joined him in 
 heaven, for Thoughtless had never beheld despair 
 more legibly written on a human face. In short, 
 after a few days, there were only 250 men left fit 
 for duty. But a sudden order having arrived, the 
 force at Baroda marched for Kattywar on the 11th 
 of June, under Colonel East, with six field pieces 
 and three howitzers, Lieutenant Wilson being left 
 in charge of the sick belonging to the 65tli at 
 the cantonments. Most fortunately a heavy fall 
 of rain took place as the precursor of the monsoon, 
 and all nature put on the livery of green. 
 
 While at Baroda, the thieves were very trouble- 
 some. Notwithstanding every precaution, they
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 331 
 
 eluded the sentries, entered the lines, and carried off 
 property out of the tents while the officers were 
 asleep, by cutting their way through the walls of can- 
 vas. Only a short time before the return of the 
 regiment, a fine young officer, Lieutenant Nixon of 
 the company's service, residing in a bungalow, saw 
 one of them in the dead of night in his bed-chamber ; 
 the light of the moon through the Venetians enabled 
 him clearly to observe the motions of the Bheel, 
 but how he had entered was unaccountable. Nixon 
 knew the danger of giving an alarm, and pretended 
 to be sound asleep, in the hope that the thief would 
 approach so near that he might seize him without 
 danger of missing his hold. But the fellow being 
 quite naked, with his head close shaved, had his 
 skin so completely covered with some slippery sub- 
 stance, that poor Nixon made a dash at him in vain, 
 and received so dreadful a cut on his right arm that 
 it hung dangling by his side, while the Bheel leaped 
 like harlequin over the side wall of the bungalow, 
 through a small entrance he had made in the 
 thatch. The wounded arm had to be amputated at 
 the elbow joint. 
 
 The 65th regiment and 2d battalion of the 8th 
 native infantry, with the artillery and pioneers, 
 crossed the river Myhc, near Wausad, where it M'as 
 much swollen by the late rain, and very nearly un- 
 fordable, though the bed at this place is broad and 
 sandy. This river, a small stream in summer, rushes 
 during the rains with foaming fury towards the
 
 332 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 gulf of Cambay, and has formed a deep passage, 
 the banks being very high and craggy and broken 
 into ravines. It appears from the banks of the Ner- 
 buddah, as well as from tliose of the Myhe, that Gu- 
 zerat in this part is a black rich soil to the depth 
 of thirty or forty feet, resting on fine hard sand. 
 Two marches brought them to the town of Petland, 
 which is held in equal shares by the Peishwa and 
 Guickwar ; it is a populous and important place ; 
 the country around is extremely fine, and at 
 present highly interesting, the farmers being 
 busy manuring their fields and ploughing. Soon 
 after the arrival of the force, a crowd of Hindoos 
 assembled round the place where our men were 
 slaughtering cattle, and bewailed their fate in 
 loud lamentations. Two days afterwards the force 
 crossed the Sabramutty, just below the junctions 
 of the Menderi and Serri, at the village of Pallah, 
 and encamped on its right bank near Wenta. This 
 being one of the sacred streams, several pagodas 
 are erected near it, and the number of devotees 
 here from different parts of India at this time was 
 great. Their appearance indicated uncommon self- 
 denial ; covered with ashes and the mud of the 
 river, they were sitting in groups on the banks in 
 the sun's glare, having placed themselves in one 
 posture, which they were not to change till even- 
 ing. It being contrary to the rules of their order 
 to cut the hair, it is matted and reaches very nearly 
 to the ground. One of them whom Charles ex-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 333 
 
 amined had lost the use of the fingers of his right 
 hand, from having kept them long closed over the 
 thumb, and he shortly expected the nails to make 
 their appearance at the back of his hand. The 
 next march was to Dolka, an extensive Moorish 
 town, exhibiting the ruins of former splendour. 
 This district now belongs to the company, and is 
 under the collector of Keira. Its grand mosques 
 and tanks are now sinking under the mouldering 
 hand of time, and the town does not contain one- 
 third of its former inhabitants. Their complexion 
 is almost fair ; among the women, who wear 
 trowsers and a loose gown, some appeared to be 
 beautiful ; most of them wore veils with holes made 
 for their mouth and eyes, which gave them a very 
 curious appearance. The vicinity of Dolka is like 
 that of an English town, having fine broad roads, 
 with hedge rows and gardens. After passing the 
 desert space between the gulfs of Kutch and 
 Cambay already described, they reached Limree, 
 which is a large walled town with high towers, re- 
 minding the traveller of the descriptions in the 
 history of Alexander the Great. Crowds of people 
 covered the walls to see the force pass just under 
 them. This town was ceded to the company, but 
 it is governed by its own rajah, under a sort of 
 zemindary tenure. Charles asked a respectable 
 looking man whether the place belonged to tlie 
 Peishwa or Guickwar: "Ah, sir,'* said he, "all 
 here is yours ;" but in such a tone that Thought-
 
 334. FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 less looked at him attentively. His face was a 
 meek and resigned one, nor did his answer appear 
 to be dictated either by flattery or servility, but 
 uttered rather in a tone of despondency, with a 
 sigh for his country ; and Charles could not help 
 viewing his white beard and manly deportment 
 with respectful regard. Two marches more brought 
 Colonel East to Raunpore, where Colonel Barclay 
 was encamped, with several guns and some Euro- 
 pean artillery, a detachment of the lytli dragoons 
 and the Bombay native cavalry, the flank compa- 
 nies of the Bombay European regiment, with the 
 first of the 5th, 7th, and 8th native infantry, 
 pioneers, and a battering train. 
 
 While the lyth dragoons were on route to 
 Raunpore from Keira, an interesting circumstance 
 occurred. In crossing the Run, the Bheels 
 having been found very troublesome, one of the 
 Bhauts was engaged as security for the camp ; yet 
 several thefts were committed next night, and in 
 the morning, upon hearing that such was the fact, 
 the Bhaut mangled himself so dreadfully with his 
 own hand that he died in a few days. 
 
 Raunpore stands on the Bauhadre river. It 
 presents a melancholy picture of former greatness 
 now in ruins, and its old castle is a military post 
 for a Serjeant's party from Keira, who have charge 
 of stores. All the towns within sight are w ailed, 
 and the country presents a very warlike aspect. 
 After leaving Powan Ghur not a hill had been
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 335 
 
 seen ; but two marches north of Raunpore the hills 
 of Kattywar began to diversify the scene, and the 
 country presented the countenance of misery, all 
 the villages being nearly in ruins, and fine plains, 
 bearing traces of former cultivation, reduced to a 
 barren waste. Three days more brought the force 
 to 'Wankineer, in ancient times the capital of Kat- 
 tywar, situated on a fine clear river called the 
 Mutsvee. This town is romantically situated on an 
 island, with a chain of hills rising one over another 
 just behind it ; but the interior has nothing toengage 
 admiration, for the streets are narrow and many 
 parts of it are in ruins, particularly the mosques* 
 Guzerat was long under the Moslems, having been 
 invaded by Mahmud of Guzni, and the northern 
 parts of it colonized at an early period, but at pre- 
 sent it is all subject to the Guickwar and the 
 Peishwa, though nearly every place in it is the pri- 
 vate property of some petty chief, and its misery 
 has been greatly increased by the frequent quarrels 
 and rebellions that have taken place. The object 
 of Colonel East's force was to reduce the fort of 
 Juria, situated on the gulf of Kutch, the chief of 
 which had refused to pay his tribute ; and on this 
 service the colonel marched with all practicable 
 dispatch, notwithstanding the very frequent heavy 
 falls of rain, which would have retarded the pro- 
 gress of a less vigorous commander. On the 17th 
 July the force was on the right bank of the Adji, 
 but the river was unfordable from a great fall of
 
 336 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 rain the night before j but as the flood subsided con- 
 siderably during the day, the colonel in the even- 
 ing gave orders for passing it, which was effected 
 with very great difficulty, the bed of the river being 
 dangerously rocky, and the stream so rapid that 
 the men were in several instances carried away. 
 No lives, however, were lost, and on the following 
 day he approached Juria, having been joined by 
 Captain Ballyntine the political agent, and a 
 large body of the Guickwar*s cavalry. Several days 
 were spent in negociations, at some distance from 
 the fort, but on the 8th of August the force en- 
 camped before it, and prepared to erect batteries. 
 Juria is a place of considerable strength, but not a 
 shot was fired, for the chief submitted immediately, 
 and three days afterwards Colonel East removed 
 his camp four miles from it to the banks of the 
 Ooude, a fine clear stream. 
 
 On visiting the fort. Thoughtless found it a 
 square, each of whose sides, about half a mile in ex- 
 tent, was defended by three towers ; but the cita- 
 del or rajah's house was strongly fortified, and there 
 were in all twenty-five guns mounted on the works. 
 The walls round Juria are about twelve feet high and 
 nine thick, surmounted by a parapet about six feet 
 high and two thick, with loop holes breast high for 
 musketry, so that the entire wall outside appears 
 full eighteen feet in height. It is composed of soft 
 granite, and the garrison had placed immense quan- 
 tities of the same materials along the top to throw
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 337 
 
 down upon their enemies. Parallel to this wall, and 
 at about thirty paces distant outside, a rampart of 
 earth, with a ditch, adds considerably to the strength 
 of the place, which is capable of making a good 
 defence. It has only two gates, and they are 
 strongly flanked. The streets of the town are nar- 
 row, and the houses of a poor description. It is 
 said that Suckeram, the father of the present chief, 
 rose in the service of the Jam of Noa Nuggur to 
 the possession of the forts of Juria and Balamba, 
 with the territory thereunto belonging. But to 
 enter into the history of these petty chiefs forms 
 no part of the author's plan. 
 
 z
 
 338 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 And kind Mnemosyne must not forget 
 
 That little syren cheechee, a brunette, 
 
 Like Venus from the sea, from Gunga's foam 
 
 She rose, and Loves and Graces round her roam. 
 
 She rouges sometimes with each tint from night. 
 
 In ivory sable to a roseless white ; 
 
 A jet-black Cupid flaps his wing apace. 
 
 To drive musquitoes from her amorous face ; 
 
 Malicious rogue ! he often points his dart. 
 
 And leaves it quivering in a Briton's heart. 
 
 Enchanted he remains, with nerveless arm. 
 
 Till pale disease extracts the barbed charm. 
 
 1 HE half-cast ladies in Bengal are called Cheechees, 
 which is a Hindostannee word, much used by 
 them in Calcutta, equivalent to jiel jie! Some 
 of these captivating fair ones are really pretty girls, 
 in the very softest sense of that expression, and so 
 irresistible, that many a young man sacrifices his 
 future prospects at the altar of Hymen ; for there 
 is hardly an instance of one of these matches turn- 
 ing out well, the children being of a different tint 
 of complexion from that of the father, and the 
 mother so much attached to India as her native 
 climate, that she can never be reconciled to the 
 frozen latitudes of the north, to which her husband 
 looks for his happiness in declining life. Many of
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 339 
 
 the half-cast ladies are most amiable companions, 
 possess affectionate hearts, and perform all the du- 
 ties of good wives with tenderness and alacrity, 
 but very few of them can enjoy European society ; 
 for a consciousness of being so different in appear- 
 ance impresses them with a feeling of inferiority, 
 under which they ai'e ill at ease with our fair coun- 
 ti'ywomen ; hence they shun their acquaintance, 
 and, it is said, envy them. Their real happiness 
 would consist in being connected by marriage with 
 persons of the same cast ; but it is a strange truth, 
 that these girls look upon the young men of their 
 own colour as beneath them ; and at all the schools 
 in Calcutta, where these charming nymphs are 
 exhibited, their admirers are generally youthful 
 Europeans. It has been before observed that 
 their number is very great, and some idea may be 
 formed of it from the seminaries and asylums in 
 Calcutta, where upwards of five hundred half-cast 
 girls, illegitimate daughters by native mothers of 
 the higher ranks, are genteelly educated. The 
 Bengal officers have an asylum, called the Kidder- 
 pore School, supported by subscription, for the 
 express pui-pose of educating orphans of that de- 
 scription, who when married, with consent of the 
 governors, to tradesmen or others of respectable 
 character, receive portions from the institution. 
 There is another, on a very large scale, supported 
 by the government, for soldiers' children, who are 
 apprenticed, provided for as servants, and portioned 
 
 z 2
 
 340 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 upon their marriage, suitably to their prospects in 
 life. But to expatiate on this subject would be 
 tedious ; recourse is therefore had to the journal. 
 
 Colonel East did not remain long on the banks 
 of the Ooude : he moved westerly to Dherole, on a 
 fine clear stream where forage was plenty. The 
 country immediately round it is highly cultivated, 
 and the fields are well inclosed with hedges of 
 prickly pear, while the prospect is enlivened by 
 plantations of babaul and tamarind trees. Dherole, 
 like all theothertowns, has been half depopulated by 
 the great famine. At this place, in the beginning 
 of September, a violent fever broke out, and in a 
 few days 140 men were in hospital out of 436, 
 the total present of the 65th regiment. In three 
 days Major Hutchings and twelve men of that corps 
 fell victims to it, besides Lieutenant Hutchinson 
 and Assistant-surgeon Keith of the Bombay artil- 
 lery, with a great many brave fellows belonging to 
 the 17th dragoons and to the Bombay European regi- 
 ment. Officers seldom die in camp of disease in 
 India, being sent off lo the coast or to Europe for 
 recovery ; but the progress of this fever was so 
 rapid that in thirty-eight hours its victims were 
 lifeless. The burning brain drank the blood which 
 seemed to flow towards it with the impetuosity of a 
 torrent, and the head became so hot that to touch 
 it was painful. In short, such was the consterna- 
 tion in camp, that Colonel East made several 
 marches in the hope of escaping from this dreadful
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 341 
 
 epidemic, and at length encamped on high ground 
 near the village of Ballachoova, with the cool ocean 
 just in front of the line, where the fever was ar- 
 rested, after having made such havock as induced 
 Thoughtless to write thus in his journal : " I have 
 long endeavoured to contemplate death as the ine- 
 vitable doom of man, and to be prepared to meet 
 it in any shape with fortitude ; but to terminate 
 life this way is horrible, for all that die are torn out 
 of their graves by jackals. O God ! thou hast here- 
 tofore protected me, continue thy goodness." 
 
 Major Hutchings was sincerely esteemed by his 
 friends : he possessed the finest qualities of person 
 and mind, with manners so elegant that his com- 
 pany diffused happiness. Mild, gentleman-like, and 
 unassuming, his urbanity created general cheerful- 
 ness, while the solidity of his understanding, and 
 the extent of his general information, commanded 
 the highest respect, and improved his young brother 
 officers, by whom he was greatly beloved ; but 
 much as he was regretted, the regiment about this 
 time experienced another loss, which was attended 
 with melancholy circumstances of so affecting a 
 nature, that the major was for a time forgotten. 
 
 The very day before the 65th embarked for 
 Guzerat, the senior lieutenant had arrived from 
 England, where he had been employed on the re- 
 cruiting service for some time, having been severely 
 wounded at the storm of Bhurtpore, and rendered 
 unfit for a hot climate. Henry Taylor was in j)erson 
 
 z3
 
 ^42 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 all that the imagination of woman can form of love- 
 liness in man, and during his residence in a country 
 town in England he captivated the affections of a 
 charming girl, possessed of such rank and fortune 
 that her father absolutely set his face against the 
 marriage. She was all generosity, however, and 
 considering wealth unnecessary where her treasure 
 was love, she became his bride, and her father dis- 
 inherited her. They were happy for some time at 
 home, but he was ordered out, and being in daily 
 expectation of his company, he joined his regiment; 
 and Colonel Milnes most kindly left him with the 
 depot, for the purpose of reconciling Mrs.Taylor, 
 who was then in a very delicate state, to the climate. 
 He resided on the island of Colabah, and close to 
 his bungalow there was a pere*s tomb, near which 
 Mrs. Taylor one day saw a snake gliding among 
 the grass, and her husband drew his sword to kill 
 it. " Sir," said his servant, " do not hurt that 
 snake ; it is the spirit of the pere.*' — " Nonsense,** 
 said he ; and with a blow he cut it in two. — " I wish 
 no misfortune may happen to master,** said the boy, 
 in a melancholy tone. That very evening he was 
 taken ill, and three days after he was a corpse. All 
 the natives, of course, attributed his death to the 
 resentment of the pere ; and this unhappy circum- 
 stance confirmed them in their idle superstition. 
 His poor wife went distracted, and her infant died. 
 She remained in a state of derangement for several 
 months, and was at length sent to England by the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 343 
 
 officers of the regiment to her father, who beheld 
 the fatal effects of thwarting the affections of his 
 only child. 
 
 At Ballachoova the sick recovered fast, but the 
 force did not remain long there, for a sudden order 
 arrived to march, and Colonel East moved on the 
 18th September, passed Juria, and on the 29th 
 encamped near Wadwan, having passed through 
 a country recovering from desolation. At this 
 place the recruits that had lately arrived from 
 England joined the regiment from Bombay, by 
 way of Gogo, under Captain Keith, whose fate 
 it was to find a grave in Katty war. Wadwan be- 
 longs to the Peishwa, and among its inhabitants 
 the Jains are very numerous. They have a temple 
 here, with nearly one hundred figures represented 
 in white marble. These images of holy men are 
 exactly of the same form, and all seated in the 
 same posture, but they are of different sizes. The 
 dark recess in which this grand pantheon is dis- 
 played being profusely illuminated, the images 
 having bright sparkling eyes produce such an 
 effect on the obsener at the distance where he is 
 kept, that really the scene is awflilly grand. 
 Wadwan is a large town, and the inhabitants are a 
 people of polished manners. Not far from hence. 
 on the 24th of October, Serjeant Donn was buried, 
 whose death was the eighth among the recruits 
 lately arrived. His case was very affecting. Having 
 brought with him his wife, a very interesting young 
 
 z 4
 
 344- FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 woman, she unfortunately took the fever, and he 
 became affected almost at the same time. It was 
 a most melancholy sight to see this fine young 
 couple in two doolies, near the hospital tents, 
 quite delirious, with their little son, who was too 
 young to be sensible of the loss he was going to 
 sustain. The wife died in the morning, and her 
 husband became sensible towards evening. His 
 first question was about her, but on turning his 
 head he saw her borne to the grave, and clasp- 
 ing his hands in agony, he sank down with a 
 broken heart, and expired during the night. When 
 Thoughtless looked at his little boy, he sighed, 
 and repeated the following lines, written by a dear 
 friend on a similar occasion at Seringapatam : 
 
 SONNET ON AN ORPHAN BOY IN THE 
 EAST INDIES. 
 
 Poor orphan bdj', cast on the world's wide stage. 
 
 Where vice and fraud thy inexperience wait, 
 Without a friend to guide thy tender age, 
 O ! how I pity thy forlorn estate. 
 
 No parents have for thee their hopes and fears. 
 
 Left a lone orphan in thy infancy ; 
 No mother watches o'er thy tender years. 
 
 Thou wilt receive no father's legacy. 
 
 Mourn not poor boy, for though thou art bereft 
 
 Of parents, friends, and from thy home art driven. 
 One kind Protector still to thee is left, 
 A tender Father lives for thee in heaven ; 
 Who always was, and will be to the end. 
 The widow's and the helpless orphan's Friend.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 345 
 
 In November the force was considerably in- 
 creased. Colonel Johnson had charge of the 
 quarter-master-general's department, with Lieu- 
 tenant Reymon as assistant engineer : the artil- 
 lery, upwards of 200 strong in Europeans, were 
 under Major Hesman and Major Sealy, with a 
 fine park and battering train. Lieutenant Grindley 
 had charge of the commissariat, Captain Stannus 
 of the adjutant-general's office. Lieutenant Crozier 
 of the pioneers. Colonel Stanhope of the cavalry, 
 and Colonels Milnes and Osborne of the brigades, 
 consisting of the 65th Bombay European regiment, 
 1st battalion of the 7th N. 1., and a flank corps 
 formed from light companies, 1st of the 5th, 1st 
 of the 8th, and 2d of the 8th, N. I. — in all about 
 7,100 men ; and the object of the expedition was 
 understood to be a visit to the Row of Booge, 
 which diffused much pleasure throughout the 
 camp. Thoughtless was again pleased with the 
 appearance of his regiment on parade, for many 
 of those left sick at Baroda had joined, and the 
 arrivals from England replaced the brave fellows 
 whose bodies had enriched the soil of Guzerat, so 
 that six hundred rank and file now formed a respect- 
 able line. 
 
 On the 6th of December, the force arrived at 
 the ancient city of Halwad, now almost a heap of 
 ruins, and encamped near the cemetery, which is 
 justly considered a great curiosity. The country 
 from Wadwan seemed to be recovering from the
 
 346 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 dreadful effects of famine, but every where pre- 
 sented a melancholy aspect, being half depopulated, 
 and the fine fertile plains quite a waste, covered 
 with wolves, jackals, wild asses, hogs, and ante- 
 lopes, with wild duck, partridge, quail, hare, cyrus 
 bird, snipe, and bustard in very great abundance. 
 The Jalliah tribe, as well as some other divisions 
 of the rajpoot cast which inhabit this part of 
 Guzerat, bury the urns containing the ashes of their 
 deceased, and raise monuments in honour of dis- 
 tinguished persons. Everywhere over Kattywar, 
 stones are set up with inscriptions, and warriors 
 represented on them ; and wherever suttee has been 
 performed, a woman's arm is sculptured, with the 
 hand held up in the manner of those prisoners in 
 our courts who plead not guilty. Many of the 
 mausoleums in the cemetery of Halwad are costly 
 temples composed of hewn stone, with statues of 
 gods and heroes in marble. Several of these are 
 lingums, and the Brahmins that attend them are 
 quite naked. The walls of the town, like its pa- 
 laces, are mouldering to decay. Along one face 
 of it there is a very extensive tank, now covered 
 with weeds, affording a fine retreat for shoals of 
 bald coots ; along its banks are the tombs of many 
 a Moslem warrior. But the palace, the walls of 
 which once resounded with the voices of ambitious 
 courtiers, is now tenantless ; and the durbar, sup- 
 ported by massy pillars, which was once crowded 
 with multitudes influenced by hopes and fears,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 347 
 
 is now an asylum for the owl and bat. Halwad 
 stands on a bed of fine granite, a substance which 
 more or less appears throughout Kattywar, so that 
 the external appearance of its surface is not unlike 
 that of Ireland in many parts. It is watered by 
 numerous streams as clear as crystal, and such is 
 the luxuriance of its vegetation that the grass in 
 many places was a yard long. 
 
 From this town the force proceeded for Kutcli, 
 and made two marches to the river Puddar — first to 
 Wantwadder, a village pleasantly situated on a 
 stream called Bansana — and next, nearly to the 
 Run, between Kutch and Guzerat. During this 
 day's march they passed the ruins of a large village 
 called Gentilly, which was a picture of wretched- 
 ness. It is situated on an eminence commanding 
 a view of a dreary barren waste ; the earth is 
 parched and gaping in cracks, without vegetation, 
 
 — on every side houses are deserted and in ruins 
 
 — here and there a miserable being is seen peeping 
 from among them. There may be twenty or thirty 
 families remaining in this place, which appears to 
 have once been the habitation of many thousands. 
 
 Here they found Captain M'Murdo, the political 
 agent of the Bombay government, having with him 
 a division of the Guickwar's cavalry to co-operate 
 with the force, which now consisted of the 17th 
 dragoons, 65th regiment, part of the lionourable 
 company's Bombay European regiment, a propor- 
 tion of artillery, and several native battalions, al-
 
 348 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 together amounting to about seven thousand effec- 
 tive men. Reckoning in an eastern camp seven 
 followers for each fighting man (an estimate rather 
 below than above the mark), the camp exhibited to 
 the eye a mass of fifty thousand men. 
 
 For several days the camp had been a scene of 
 Asiatic pageant in the celebration of the mohorum. 
 Here were seen men with their bodies painted and 
 their faces disfigured, dancing and capering in the 
 most grotesque attitudes, and flourishing weapons 
 with wonderful dexterity — there girls gaudily 
 dressed, and decorated with garlands of coloured 
 and tinselled paper, singing and jumping ; and 
 everywhere groups of enthusiasts and buffoons, 
 disguised in the skins of deer, sheep, goats, tigers, 
 and buffaloes, with tinsel temples glittering like 
 gold. But the display ended here ; all the Maho- 
 medan sepoys marched in procession to a great 
 tank in the vicinity, and fired three rounds over 
 the sinking remains of Hossen and Hassen. 
 
 Flamingoes, floricans, and wild asses are very 
 plentiful. The latter appear at a distance a very 
 beautiful sprightly animal of a slate colour, and as 
 swift as an antelope, escaping from observation in 
 a moment. 
 
 From this encampment all the heavy baggage 
 and useless stores, together with the native fami- 
 lies and some of the sick, were sent to Murree 
 under the escort of an officer and 100 sepoys. It 
 is inconceivable what numbers of children were
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 349 
 
 produced in this force during this and part of the 
 preceding year ; each sepoy was the father of two 
 or three. On the back of every loaded bullock 
 might be seen a couple of little squalling naked 
 creatures, tied there for preservation by their mo- 
 thers during each march, and hundreds of native 
 women running along with their little ones in bas- 
 kets carried on their heads. After freeing the camp 
 from every thing not indispensibly necessary, they 
 moved to a little ruined village called Venassa, si- 
 tuated near the Run. From this place to the coast 
 of Kutch the distance is about ten miles. During 
 the monsoon, when the wind blows violently up 
 the gulf, it presents a body of deep water, for the 
 flow of the great tides which so much astonished 
 the soldiers of Alexander covers the whole of it, 
 and together with the deluge of waters down the 
 Puddar, the bed of which is near the middle, ren- 
 ders it quite unfbrdable ; but at present there was 
 not any water on its surface, and it was as hard and 
 level as a board within our observation. This 
 sandy bed is almost wholly incrusted with fine salt, 
 which in some places is so thick that it might be 
 dug up and carted off. I can suggest no hypothe- 
 sis as to the real cause of this large deposit of saline 
 concretions. The great evaporation in hot climates 
 enables the natives to make abundance of salt on 
 the sea shore, by letting the water into pans made 
 in the sand. But either the sea must be unusually 
 impregnated with salt in the gulf of Kutch, or vast
 
 S50 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 quantities of it are washed from the mountains by 
 rivers. This incrustation of salt produces, on the 
 space it covers, a most beautiful mirage. It appears 
 to the eye like a placid lake of great extent studded 
 with islands, and the shining surface gives to every 
 little object of a different colour a seeming magni- 
 tude which the eye converts into ten thousand fa- 
 miliar shapes. 
 
 They found no difficulty in crossing the Run, 
 which very nearly corresponds with the above de- 
 scription. In some parts, however, the guns sunk 
 very deep in mud and quicksands, wherefore it be- 
 came necessary often to change the direction, 
 and carefully to examine the ground. Great 
 quantities of dead fishes, quite hard and dry, 
 were seen all over it. To an observer who gallop- 
 ped out to a proper distance there could not be 
 a finer sight than the field force as it appeared on 
 this grand parade, actually in order to receive an 
 enemy, and in momentary expectation of being en- 
 gaged. The officers and men were in the highest 
 spirits, the air was delightfully cool, and an infinity 
 of objects attracted the attention of every one. ^' O ! 
 look at that ship in full sail,'* said one. — '' Now 
 for a dash at the Wagurs/* said another. — " See ! 
 there they are ! look what a shoal of cavalry black- 
 ens the horizon." — <' What city is that?" asked a 
 third: — " Surely those are castles, towers, parks, 
 and groves.'* — " O ! what a beautiful island," said 
 a fourth. " See the cataract in yonder mountain ; 
 look at the buildings — why, there are trees — don't
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 351 
 
 laugh, my dear fellow, I see them as clearly as I 
 do your nose." — All this was deception. 
 
 When they reached the other side, no enemy 
 appeared. Having marched on for four miles in a 
 westerly direction, they encampedneara poor little 
 village called Rhatra, where they found a tank 
 of good water, which was a great relief to them, as 
 all near the Run was brackish. The distant coun- 
 try appeared hilly, and the coast is just like that on 
 the other side ; many of the villages are in ruins. 
 Charles, from his situation, had to precede the 
 force, with the quarter-master-generaPs department. 
 The inhabitants did not run away, but he never 
 saw people more alarmed. The small village near 
 the camp was surrounded by a hedge of prickly 
 pear, and had a little temple. It contained a great 
 number of inhabitants for its size. On their ap- 
 proach, they saw them over the hedge, running 
 from one house to another. Curiosity induced 
 Charles and some others to enter it, and they were 
 met by a very respectable looking aged man with 
 a long grey beard, seemingly deputed for that pur- 
 pose. He invited them to dismount and rest on 
 some low cots brought out, and entreated protec- 
 tion, begging that a guard might be placed over 
 the village. In answer to their questions, he said, 
 their arrival would relieve them from great misery, 
 if they could destroy the robbers. " Sirs," said he, 
 ** we sow our land in the hope of reaping, but 
 when our fields are ripe, they come, cut our har-
 
 362 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 vest, carry it away, and leave us to starve.*' The 
 women and children at first only peeped from 
 their doors and windows, but at last they came out 
 and salammed. It may be worthy of remark, that in 
 the vicinity of the Run, the evenings and mornings 
 were remarkably mild and pleasant ; while at a dis- 
 tance, both on the approach and the departure, 
 they proved bitterly cold. It is probable, that the 
 heat absorbed by the sandy Run during the day, 
 and given out at night, may produce this local tem- 
 perature. It ought also to be noticed, that even at 
 this little village suttees have been performed, for 
 several stones are set up near it with the hiero- 
 glyphics before described ; and others have men 
 represented on them with infants in their arms, a 
 symbol which apparently refers to the custom of in- 
 fanticide. These are rude sculptures ; and the 
 figure of the idol in their temple, which is worship- 
 ped in many parts of India under the name of 
 Hunnemaun, is equally so, for it is a monstrous 
 monkey with a sword and buckler, in an erect pos- 
 ture and a threatening attitude, having a tail so 
 long that it curls up round his head. 
 
 Before the force marched into the interior, it 
 was necessary to have possession of some place of 
 strength near the sea, and the fort of Anjar was 
 considered most proper. They proceeded there- 
 fore without delay, keeping parallel to the Run, but 
 considerably inland for forage and water, and 
 marched in a westerly direction towards the place 
 
 13
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 353 
 
 intended. The first halt was at Kattaria, the ruins 
 of a large town, having moved to it through an 
 open and pleasing country, presenting, however, 
 few traces of culture or population. In Kattaria 
 there are about one hundred inhabited ghurs or 
 huts, which are surrounded with a dry stone ram- 
 part and parapet with small towers ; the ruins 
 extend a mile from it in all directions. Well- 
 built stone houses of three stories are seen roofless 
 and deserted, while beneath their walls, in little 
 thatched mud hovels, the inhabitants are now shel- 
 tered. This part of Kutch has been for a long 
 time the theatre of contests between the rajahs of 
 Murvee and Mallia and the row of Booge Booge. 
 In common with Kattywar, it has felt the desolating 
 effects of famine. The climate is agreeable, and 
 at this season may be called temperate. The inha- 
 bitants are robust, healthy, and have a bold com- 
 manding appearance. Their women are fine — 
 even the common riottees, or labourers' wives, have 
 interesting, plump, blooming, light-brown com- 
 plexions, with an intelligent physiognomy, and 
 their children are very pretty. 
 
 On proceeding, the force passed a pretty little 
 village, near a large tank planted round with trees, 
 from which the inhabitants had fled on hearing of 
 their approach. They encamped at another much 
 larger called Omrallah, where the people appeared 
 in great consternation, the principal men having 
 carried off their effects upon hearing that the force 
 was going to halt there. Though the utmost care 
 
 A A
 
 354 riFTKl'-N YKARS IN INDJA. 
 
 is taken to protect tlie defenceless inhabitants of an 
 invaded country, still the approach of an enemy is 
 dreadful, for the followers will plunder, if possible, 
 at the risk of being hanged upon the trees during a 
 march by the provost-marshal. The roads were 
 good, the country fine, in some places jungly, or 
 covered with thorns, which bear a delicious berry 
 called by the natives bore, something like haws, but 
 rounder and more acid ; in other parts there were 
 fine fields of cotton and jewarry. Every where the 
 grass was long and luxuriant. In all the ceme- 
 teries women are represented on stones, performing 
 suttee with their dead husbands in their arms, and 
 others carrying infants for sacrifice. It is said that 
 in former times not only wives were burnt with their 
 husbands in this part, but that some of their child- 
 ren, servants, and concubines were also consumed 
 with them in the same pile. Several shots were 
 fired at the picquets, and some camels and bullocks 
 were carried away from the foraging grounds, but 
 no enemy openly opposed the march. 
 
 After passing a strong little fort called Chadwar- 
 rah, which the commander had deserted, the next 
 halt was at Whound, a large town with a dry ditch, 
 mud wall, and stone towers. This place is situated 
 between two ranges of hills, and the valley is clothed 
 with a fine crop of young wheat, having a beard like 
 barley. 
 
 Their next march was to the village and tank of 
 Punkaseer, during which they passed a strong hill 
 fort called Budzou, and the large village of Seckra,
 
 FIFTEEN YEAKS IN INDIA. 3.5/5 
 
 whose mud wall was crowded with people. The in- 
 habitants of the smaller places had deserted them on 
 their approach, and repaired hither for greater se- 
 curity. Fine fields of wheat smiled around this 
 place, and numerous stones were set up near it, with 
 the figures of warriors sculptured rudely on them, 
 in the attitudes of throwing the spear and wielding 
 the sword, mounted on camels, horses and ele- 
 phants. The camp at Punkaseer was pitched on a 
 beautiful spot, a wood of baubel on one side, a large 
 tank and pretty village on another, and elsewhere 
 fine rich fields of wheat. 
 
 In the morning they continued their march by the 
 left, and the Guick war's auxiliaries, keeping aparallel 
 line on the right flank, looked well. Their golden 
 standards, streamers, tom toms, arms, and accoutre- 
 ments were all strikingly different from the British 
 line. The Mahratta saddles are made of cloth, and 
 the horsemen use very small stirrups, into which 
 they put only their toes. On reaching their ground 
 of encampment, near a respectable town called 
 Cheekansir, they learned that the enemy's cavalry 
 had been there, and poisoned all the tanks and wells 
 with wheat, impregnated with arsenic, which it was 
 supposed would prevent the mineral from sinking 
 and losing its deadly properties. The water in the 
 wells was found to be highly poisonous, and orders 
 were issued to draw none from them. Some of the 
 followers, however, suffered before this was known ; 
 but the body of fluid in the tanks was too great to 
 
 A A 2
 
 356 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 be affected by the quantity of arsenic thrown in, 
 and carrying a supply with them, they encamped 
 next day before Anjar without molestation, except 
 from a few guns fired from the walls, to keep those 
 off who approached to reconnoitre. The town ap- 
 peared to be large, and it was surrounded by a high 
 stone wall and towers. 
 
 During the niglit a lodgment was made, within 
 a proper distance of the fort, among some stone pa- 
 godas that served to protect the covering party, 
 who were not even fired upon, and by the next 
 morning a battery, consisting of five eighteen- 
 pounders, was erected at 450 yards distance from 
 the S. W. face, with one for two mortars at the 
 same distance behind. It was most singular, that 
 Hussenmeah, who commanded here, and had a 
 garrison of Arabs, did not open a gun on the 
 party till the battery was nearly ready to destroy 
 his defences. Numbers had gone down from 
 camp to see the operations, and they were strag- 
 gling about in heedless security, supposing that 
 not a shot would be fired, when a smart can- 
 nonade commenced from the fort. Lieutenant 
 Delaney of the 17th dragoons had his right arm shot 
 off, and in a moment several of the lookers-on were 
 killed. Though the batteries were not quite ready, 
 the fire was briskly returned by their six-pounders, 
 and two five and a half inch howitzers, from the po- 
 sition occupied by the covering party, and at ten 
 o'clock both the batteries opened on this unhappy
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 3^7 
 
 place. It was a melancholy sight on Christmas- 
 day to see the blaze of destruction that burst over 
 a large town, crowded \ with inhabitants. The 
 shrieks of women and children, after the explosion 
 of each shell, were dismal, and the conl'usion thus 
 occasioned was seen and heard from the camp. 
 The shells burst over the place with the greatest 
 precision ; at tw^o o'clock it was in a blaze in several 
 places, and about an hour after a breach was report- 
 ed to be practicable. The enemy kept firing as 
 long as they had a defence, but their towers not 
 being calculated to stand against eighteen-pound 
 shot, fell in crashes before every round directed at 
 them, and long before the place was surrendered, 
 the fire from it was completely silenced. Soon 
 after three o'clock it was unconditionally given up, 
 the garrison escaped, and Colonel Burr with a proper 
 force took possession of Anjar. Seventy-foui^shells 
 and 1800 eighteen-pound shot were fired against 
 the town, besides the play of three six-pounders- 
 and two howitzers, and yet very little damage was 
 done to the buildings, and a few only of the people 
 were hurt. 
 
 In the evening Thoughtless and some others 
 went to see the town, and entered it through the 
 breach, which was quite practicable. It appeared 
 about two miles in circumference, and in a very 
 floin'ishing condition, with a wall round it about 
 twelve feet high and six thick, on w^hich there was 
 a parapet two feet thick and six in height. In 
 
 A A 3
 
 ^58 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 going through its defences, they counted thirty- 
 eight pieces of cannon of different kinds. The 
 population was very great, and the inhabitants 
 salammed with great respect. Some of the women 
 were beautiful, and indeed almost fair : they 
 touched their heads gracefully with their hands, 
 crying " BuUee ayah," a term of compliment 
 which means ** welcome." The houses are well- 
 built stone buildings, tiled and white-washed, and 
 the streets are wide and regular. There are two 
 fine pagodas, one of which belongs to the Jains, 
 and contains the assembly of holy images round 
 that of the saint Pursenaut, placed on a higher 
 throne, and twice the size of the others, which are 
 all alike, having prodigiously large ears, being quite 
 naked, and seated with the legs crossed under them, 
 something like tailors, only that the feet cross ex- 
 actly in the centre, and on the soles rest the hands, 
 one in the palm of the other. These idols, as well 
 as the altar on which they sit, are made of white 
 marble ; and one would suppose, from the cast of 
 countenance and shape of the breast, that they 
 were designed to represent women. They are 
 placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, 
 or in that remote quarter over which the flag is 
 spread. On going into this, the party had to take 
 off their shoes. The place is constantly lighted up 
 with brass lamps, and some of the ornaments in it 
 are of gold. The priests seemed pleased with 
 Charles for sketching the figures, and explained
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. .'^,59 
 
 their names, which would be uninteresting to the 
 reader. The other temple belongs to the followers 
 of Brahma, and is dedicated to the mother of the 
 gods, whose image is richly dressed and covered 
 with jewels. In the gardens and groves that sur- 
 round the town, there are numerous temples and 
 monuments well worthy of observation, besides a 
 Mussulmaun cemetery, and several neat mosques. 
 This place communicates with the gulf of Kutch, 
 by means of Toonia Bunder, or a wharf at a short 
 distance, to which the gulf is navigable, and where 
 there is a strong little fort. The possession of this 
 place has opened the communication with Juria, 
 Murvee, and Bombay. 
 
 Having left a garrison of 150 men at Toonia 
 Bunder, and 220 at Anjar, the breach in which 
 was built up, they marched for Booge Booge, in a 
 north-west direction, through a country pretty well 
 inhabited and cultivated, and encamped at a moun- 
 tainous village called Ratnaur, about eleven miles 
 from Anjar. Immediately after the fall of that 
 fort, several of the chiefs of other places sent in 
 their submission, and a vakeel arrived in camp 
 from the row. Soon after they had pitched their 
 camp, some chunam or chalk-pits were discovered 
 near it, extending under ground to a vast extent, 
 being lighted and aired by shafts like mines. The 
 poor inhabitants had concealed their valuable pro- 
 perty and implements of husbandry, all which the 
 followers plundered and destroyed before they 
 
 A A 4
 
 .360 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 could be stopped. Some of the followers having 
 been killed, and their cattle taken from them by 
 the country people, two small villages were de- 
 stroyed by order of the commanding officer, to 
 warn them of the danger they incurred by resorting 
 to hostilities against those who were inclined, as 
 much as possible, to protect them. 
 
 Next morning the direction being changed to the 
 eastward, the force entered the mountains, and en- 
 camped near a village called Warra, situated on a fine 
 stream, winding through a well cultivated little val- 
 ley, surrounded by wild high cliffs. The inha- 
 bitants all fled, and left their property to be 
 plundered by the brutal and merciless followers, 
 who unroofed the houses, and burnt the very 
 ploughs and harrows. It was supposed that the 
 force marched hither merely for water, there being 
 hardly any at the last ground, and that negocia- 
 tions were on the point of being closed, which 
 would render it unnecessary to proceed further. 
 Negociations were certainly pending, but they 
 were suddenly broken off, for in the morning the 
 troops retraced their steps, and turning northward 
 encamped within five miles of the capital, at a place 
 called Sackhoud. The mountainous range through 
 which they marched, and dragged the battering 
 train with great difficulty, is wild, and so very strong 
 by nature, that a brave handful ofmen, determined 
 to conquer or die, might here make a noble defence. 
 But no opposition was made. On arriving at a de-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 36l 
 
 serted village called Vuddar, a fine prospect opened 
 on their view, namely, an extensive valley bordered 
 with picturesque hills, interspersed with beautiful 
 little villages of nicely white- washed houses, and 
 robed with green fields of wheat and cotton. To 
 the right, appeared a very liigh mount with religi- 
 ous temples on its summit, and to the left was 
 Booge Booge, the towers of which, on a high hill, 
 reflected the meridian rays of the sun. All the 
 villages around were deserted, many of the houses 
 unroofed, and the effects carried off. In short, 
 Thoughtless made this note in his journal : — 
 " Miserable cottagers ! — you feel the effects of 
 ambition and war ; — you quit your homes, your 
 temples, with your wives and infants, and fly from 
 plunderers." 
 
 Thefortof Booge Booge had a formidable appear- 
 ance, being a high hill strongly fortified with walls and 
 towers, standing in aplain, without a single command 
 near it. If resolutely defended, there could hardly 
 existany hope of taking it by breach or escalade. In 
 this encampment they remained for several days, 
 receiving orders and counter-orders respecting the 
 approach to invest the city and fort, while negocia- 
 tions were proceeding between the political agent 
 and the row. During this time, several of them 
 clambered to the top of a remarkable hill in rear of 
 the camp. They calculated its height at 100 yards 
 above the level of the plain. The ascent to it is 
 extremely difficult, and from its top the towers of
 
 3()2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Anjar could be seen, and the Run that separates 
 Kutch from Scinde distinctly traced. There is a 
 little fort on its summit, which, it is said, a robber 
 with his gang defended till he was starved to death. 
 This consists of a large basin for the retention of 
 rain water, and several little dwellings now in ruins, 
 the whole surrounded by a strong stone wall, which 
 runs along frightful precipices. 
 
 In a few days the row acceded to the terms 
 proposed to him. Some of these were, that Toonia 
 Bunder and Anjar should remain in the company's 
 hands, that he should pay the expences of the cam- 
 paign, make a recompence for the destruction 
 caused by plunder, and suppress the pirates in the 
 gulf of Kutch. This treaty was announced by the 
 discharge of a royal salute, and the delivery of 
 extra batta to the troops. Complimentary visits 
 were then exchanged between the Row and Colo- 
 nel East. The monarch approached the camp 
 about four o'clock in the afternoon, the whole line 
 having been under arms from ten in the morning 
 to receive him. Seventeen guns from the centre 
 announced his arrival, and he was preceded by a 
 considerable number of horse and foot, elephants, 
 camels, torn toms, tooteries, flags, standards, and 
 streamers. In the crowd appeared a rernarkable 
 personage on stilts eight feet high, wielding an 
 enormous sword, which he managed in his exalted 
 situation with great dexterity, flourishing it round 
 his head, and proclaiming the titles and dignities 
 
 14
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 363 
 
 of the Row of Kutch Booge. Tlie king himself 
 was seated in a rich howdah upon a large elephant, 
 having one of his great officers of state near him, 
 who fanned his majesty. The row was accompa- 
 nied by perhaps 2000 Arabs, and nearly all the 
 population of Booge Booge, so that the whole plain 
 appeared one moving multitude ; which when 
 Charles surveyed, and turned his eyes upon the 
 handful of men who brought this mass to bow the 
 neck, excited strange thoughts in his mind. Colonel 
 East, it is said, received his majesty with all proper 
 ceremony, and made him and his officers rich pre- 
 sents in the name of the honourable company, 
 so that the row returned to his capital seemingly 
 well pleased. His personal appearance was not 
 imposing ; nor had he a countenance in which one 
 could say there was expression. He appeared 
 rather a young man, with an aspect desponding 
 and melancholy^ and not quite free from appre- 
 hension. 
 
 Next day Colonel East, accompanied by his staff 
 and the brigadiers of the force, with a body guard 
 from the lytli dragoons, returned the row's visit, 
 and was received with all possible splendour. Se- 
 veral Bhauts sang during his stay, w4iose long white 
 beards and fine voices attracted attention. Rich 
 perfumes were profusely scattered, and presents of 
 sabres, shields, spears, shawls, and embroidered 
 robes were made to all that accompanied the 
 Colonel.
 
 3t}4) FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Upon going to see the city of Booge Booge, 
 Thoughtless found it situated about half a mile 
 from the fortified hill, and surrounded by a wall 
 like that of Anjar. The town is far from being 
 strong. It is nearly a square, whose side may be 
 three quarters of a mile in length. The streets are 
 narrow and dirty ; but the houses are in general 
 strong stone buildings, intermixed with mosques, 
 temples, and minarets. The row's palace is a very 
 ancient gloomy pile, surrounded by a high and 
 strong wall with towers. All the streets were 
 crowded with the inhabitants who flocked, with 
 every mark of curiosity on their countenances, to 
 see the European visitors. The women appeared 
 surprised at their appearance, and some of the 
 children laughed, probably at the strangeness of 
 the figures, which to them must have seemed ridi- 
 culous. Several of the women salammed, but the 
 men in general paid no respect; and the Arabs, 
 placed as guards about the palace, appeared stiff' 
 and inclined to insult them. The dress of the 
 people is the same as in Kattywar, consisting of 
 large turbans, trowsers, and a gown with a long 
 cloth rolled round the waist ; but among the men 
 are seen many Scinds with large hairy caps, and 
 Seiks whose turban and gown are of a different 
 shape ; there are also numerous Mussulmen, whose 
 costume varies a little from the general Hindoo 
 dress. Nearly all the women wore coloured chintzes. 
 Many of the seniors have fine long white beards.
 
 FIFTKKN YKAllS IN INDIA, 365 
 
 and the men are large and robust. In mere phy- 
 sical qiiahties they are certainly not inferior to those 
 by whom they have been conquered ; but man is 
 sunk or raised by the institutions to which he is 
 subjected. 
 
 Like Anjar, the city of Booge Booge is sur- 
 rounded by gardens, temples, and tanks, and nu- 
 merous monuments illustrative of manners and 
 customs. To the attentive observer, these speci- 
 mens afford evidence of no common degree of taste 
 and excellence in sculpture and architecture. 
 Every where are seen memorials of the perform- 
 ance of suttee and infanticide ; with commemora- 
 tions of tlie actions of the illustrious dead, whose 
 tombs have become objects of adoration. Some of 
 their temples erected of cut stone, huge in size, and 
 presenting a multitude of elaborate decorations, fill 
 the mind with wonder. Tigers, lions, elephants, 
 monkeys, and an endless variety of fanciful objects 
 cut out of stone, ornament these fabrics, whose sur- 
 faces externally and internally are covered with 
 statues of their gods. In the erection of these 
 buildings, the Moorish and Asiatic style of archi- 
 tecture is blended ; and the mixture of the wild 
 pagoda with the Grecian dome forms a very beau- 
 tiful whole. The mausoleum of Row Lacka, the 
 grandfather of the present king, deserves some 
 particular notice, on account of its magnificence, 
 and the sacrifice of human life which it comme- 
 morates.
 
 .3(j(i FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 The interior building, on which a great dome 
 rests, is a fifteen-sided figure, twenty-four feet in 
 diameter, and in each angle stands a full length 
 marble statue of a lady who performed suttee with 
 him. They are represented in the bloom of life 
 and beauty, richly dressed, decked out in jewels, 
 and holding instruments of music in their hands. 
 In the centre of the building, where the ashes are 
 deposited, there is a marble head-stone with an in- 
 scription, and the emblematical representation of 
 an arm ornamented with bracelets, the hand being 
 held up in the posture already described. The 
 execution of the whole does great credit to the 
 artist, and the building would be considered a beau- 
 tiful ornament in any city in Europe. Around the 
 inner apartment runs a grand viranda, which, sup- 
 porting smaller domes, forms the structure exter- 
 nally into a square, and at each angle there is a 
 great entrance ; a large stone elephant faces the 
 magnificent flight of steps leading up to the grand 
 portico, on the platform of which are two statues 
 of Europeans in fantastic dresses, placed as guards. 
 The pillars by which this viranda is sustained are 
 extremely curious, and covered with most extraor- 
 dinary figures, cut out of the solid stone. In short, 
 the whole would command the fixed attention of 
 any observer. But to notice separately all the cu- 
 rious monuments about Booge would be tedious, 
 though not perhaps uninteresting. The mauso- 
 leums of Futteh Mahomed, a celebrated Moslem
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN IN'DIA, fi()J 
 
 general, and of Dadagee, a saint, are rich pieces of 
 Moorish architecture, carved and worked up with 
 stucco to such an exquisite degree as to resemble 
 marble. Their tombs are covered with richly em- 
 broidered stuffs, and an establishment is attached to 
 each for the performance of ceremonies according 
 to Mahomedan custom. The mausoleums of Mo- 
 homed Puny and Row Rudder, who, it is said, be- 
 came a Mussulmaun convert, and is buried by his 
 own particular desire near a very grand mosque in 
 the south-west angle of the town, are also very 
 curious objects. 
 
 Few rajahs in India can lay claim to greater 
 antiquity than the Row of Kutch Booge. His fa- 
 mily has continued in possession of the government 
 of that country from time immemorial, and tradi- 
 tion carries their origin much farther into the depths 
 of time than the date of the creation, according to 
 our chronology.
 
 368 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 " More laudably inclined, with higher aim, 
 Some stay from motives above love and fame ; 
 Such are whom God Inspires with zeal and grace. 
 To turn from Moloch yon far-spreading race." 
 
 Xew subjects can be of greater importance than 
 the civihzation of India, and the diffusion of the 
 Christian religion throughout the East j and those 
 zealous men deservedly stand high in public esti- 
 mation, who are labouring to accomplish an object 
 which would liberate so many millions of their fel- 
 low-creatures from slavery. It does not appear 
 that the Hindoos were ever intolerant in religious 
 matters, or that the native governments persecuted 
 other men on account of being professors of a diffe- 
 rent creed. The loss of cast awaited such as failed 
 to conform to prescribed customs, and relatives 
 were held mutually responsible for their strict obe- 
 dience to the ceremonial laws ; but as converts 
 were not received into the Hindoo church, it does 
 not seem to have been contemplated that the mem- 
 bers of it could change then' tenets of faith : while, 
 according to Mahomedan law, which prohibited 
 apostacy on pain of death, and enjoined the destruc- 
 tion of all other religions, the Jew and Christian 
 were permitted to settle under the protection of a
 
 FIFTEEN YEAKS IN INDIA. SGQ 
 
 rajah, as well as the Persian fire worshipper, and to 
 adore God as their forefathers did before them 
 without molestation. Nor does it appear that the 
 great efforts made by the early Christians to con- 
 vert the natives ever excited much persecution 
 against them, althougli their success in Malabar 
 and Ceylon was prodigious. The liberality of the 
 Hindoos on this head cannot be doubted ; and 
 there is a letter on record from Jeswunt Singh, 
 Rajah of Jadpore, to the Emperor Auringzebe, 
 which places their sentiments on this head in a very 
 amiable point of view. 
 
 " Your royal ancestor, Akber, whose throne is 
 now in heaven, conducted the affairs of this empire 
 in equity and firm security for the space of fifty- 
 two years, preserving every tribe of men in ease 
 and happiness; whether they were followers of 
 Jesus or of David, of Moses or of Mahomed ; 
 were they Brahmins, were they of the sect of 
 Dhariens, which denies tlie eternity of matter, or of 
 that which ascribes the existence of the world to 
 chance, they all equally enjoyed his countenance 
 and favour ; insomuch that his people, in gratitude 
 for the indiscriminate protection which he afforded 
 them, distinguished him by the appellation of Jugot 
 Grow, guardian of mankind. It' your majesty 
 places any faith in those books by distinction cal- 
 led divine, you will there be instructed that God 
 is the God of all mankind, not the God of Mali o- 
 medans alone. The Pagan and the Mussidman 
 
 B B
 
 370 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 are equally in his presence. Distinctions of co- 
 lours are of his ordhiation. It is he who gives 
 existence. In your temples dedicated to his name, 
 the voice is raised in prayer ; in a house of images, 
 where the bell is shaken, still he is the object of 
 adoration. To vilify the religion and customs of 
 other men is to set at nought the pleasure of the 
 Almighty. When we deface a picture, we naturally 
 incur the resentment of the painter ; and justly has 
 the poet said, * Presume not to arraign or to scru- 
 tinize the various works of Power Divine.' " 
 
 European missionaries have therefore found but 
 little obstruction to their labours on the part of the 
 native governments ; but the policy of the East 
 India company has been not directly to encourage 
 attempts, of which the avowed object is the over- 
 throw of the institutions of Brahma ; and doubt- 
 less, upon the broad principles of justice, the go- 
 vernment of India is perfectly right in leaving the 
 natives at full liberty to choose their own way to 
 heaven. On the other hand, the endeavours of 
 societies for the propagation of knowledge have 
 been most liberally countenanced by the autho- 
 rities connected with the East, botli at home and 
 abroad. The college of Fort William, founded on 
 the 4th of May 1801, in a few years produced 
 upwards of one hundred volumes on subjects in- 
 teresting to mankind, and connected with the civi- 
 lization of India, besides translating the Holy Scrip- 
 tures into the Persian and Hindostannee languages.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 371 
 
 which noble undertaking was executed by Mirza 
 Fitrut and Meer Bahader Ullec, under the superin- 
 tendence of Colonel Colebrook and Dr. Hunter. 
 Although the establishment of the college has been 
 much reduced, yet no stop has been put to the dif- 
 fusion of scriptural knowledge throughout the East, 
 for the British baptist mission established at Seram- 
 pore is going on with astonishing perseverance 
 and success. Indeed, the uncommon erudition of 
 the pious members of that establishment, and their 
 wonderful proficiency in the languages of Asia, 
 seem to proclaim how pleasing their labours are in 
 the sight of that God, who bestowed such gifts on 
 poor fishermen as enabled them to surpass the 
 learning of Greece and Rome. Dr. Carey, be- 
 longing to the Serampore institution, one of the 
 principal professors in the college of" Fort William, 
 is perfect master of Sanscrit, Mahratta, and Ben- 
 gallie. Mr. Marshman is deeply versed in the 
 Chinese language, and has translated the Rama- 
 zuna from the Sanscrit ; and Mr. Ward is pro- 
 foundly acquainted with several native tongues, 
 and deeply conversant with the antiquities of India. 
 At the mission press of Serampore, translations have 
 been made of the Scriptures into Sanscrit, Ben- 
 gallie, Orissa, Mahratta, Hindostannee, Guzerattee,, 
 Seik, Carnatta, Telinga, and Burman languages ; 
 while all the Gospels have been translated into 
 Chinese by Messrs. Marshman, Lassar, and Mor- 
 rison. In short, the Bibliotheca Biblicain Calcutta 
 
 B B 2
 
 37^ FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 have bibles and testaments now in all the current 
 languages spoken over India ; the translations of 
 which have been accomplished, in some instances, 
 by converts of very great ability, whose conver- 
 sion seems to have been almost miraculous. Sabat, 
 in particular, whose knowledge of Persian and 
 Arabic, and Enghsh, is so perfect, was, like St. Paul, a 
 persecutor of Christians, and felt pleasure in wit- 
 nessing the execution of his friend Abdalla, who 
 embraced Christianity on reading the Scriptures at 
 the court of the King of Caubul, and who was 
 put to death under the most cruel tortures accord- 
 ing to Mahomedan law. In fact, a taste for learn- 
 ing, and a spirit of enquiry after truth, have been 
 diffused throughout Southern Asia, not only by the 
 writings of Sabat, Mirza Fitrut, Meer Baliader 
 Ullee, the Telinga Brahmin convert Ananda 
 Razer, and others who have embraced Christianity, 
 but also by Mahomedan philosophers, and Hindoo 
 pundits of very extraordinary erudition. Lord 
 Teignmouth, speaking of one of these literati, 
 says — " Tuffiissil Hossein Khan united in an emi- 
 nent degree an extensive knowledge of mankind 
 with the deepest erudition. His conversation 
 was polite and instructive ; his manners elegant 
 and engaging ; his integrity firm ; his honour un- 
 impeached. It was his great predilection for ma- 
 thematical knowledge that induced him to culti- 
 vate an acquaintance with the English and with 
 European authors ; and from this source he de-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ^373 
 
 rived that superior knowledge which so much dis- 
 tinguished him among his countrymen." A letter 
 writen by him to his friend Mr. Anderson, in 
 England, fully substantiates his Lordship's charac- 
 ter of tliis extraordinary man. 
 
 '^ You ask me if I continue my studies as usual, 
 or if my employment in public business has di- 
 v^erted my thoughts from literary pursuits ? Some 
 time ago, I employed myself a few months in read- 
 ing the History of England ; and chiefly with a 
 view of acquiring a competent knowledge of the 
 language. I have since given it up, and have been 
 engaged in translating the Principia of Sir Isaac 
 Newton; Thomas Simson's book on Algebra ; Em- 
 erson on Mechanics ; Apollonius de Sectione Ra- 
 tionis, translated into Latin by Dr. Halley ; and a 
 work on Conic Sections by De I'Hopital, a French- 
 man. All these books I am translating into Arabic, 
 besides several short treatises on logarithms, curve 
 lines, &c. Some of them T liave already finished, 
 and some more of them wall soon be brought to a 
 conclusion. In short, I continue to devote my 
 leisure hours to these pursuits.'* 
 
 The first protestant mission t ) India was con- 
 ducted by Bartholemew Ziegenbalg of the univer- 
 sity of Halle in Germany, who, in 1707) founded a 
 Christian church at Tranquebar. This pious man 
 and his successors received the greatest encourage- 
 ment, and George the First wrote a letter with his 
 own hand to the mission, expressing his royal zeal 
 
 BBS
 
 Sjit FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 in the great cause of converting the heathen, which, 
 he said, was the ardent wish of the English nation. 
 Such lias been the success of the protestant mission 
 in later times, that when Dr. Buchanan visited the 
 Tanjore Christians, not long ago, he drew the most 
 pleasing picture of their innocent manners and so- 
 cial dispositions. Only a few years before, the pea- 
 santry in that part were thieves by profession, but 
 now, by the civilizing influence of Christian princi- 
 ples, they are industrious and valuable members of 
 the community. " After the sermon was ended,'* 
 says Dr. Buchanan, " I returned with the mission- 
 aries into the vestry or library of the church. Here 
 I was introduced to the elders and catechists of 
 the congregation. Among others came Sattianaden 
 the Hindoo preacher, one of whose sermons was 
 published in England some years ago, by the So- 
 ciety for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He is 
 now advanced in years, and his black locks have 
 grown grey. As I returned from the church I saw 
 the Christian families going back in crowds to the 
 country, and the boys looking at their ollas : what 
 a contrast, thought I, is this to the scene at Juggur- 
 naut ! Here are found becoming dress, humane 
 affections, and rational discourse. I see here no 
 skulls, no self-torture, no self-murder, no dogs and 
 vultures tearing human flesh ! Here the Christian 
 virtues are found in exercise by the feeble-minded 
 Hindoos in a vigour and purity which will 
 surprise those who have never known the native
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 375 
 
 character but under the greatest disadv^antages, as 
 in Bengal. It certainly surprised myself; and 
 when I reflected on the moral conduct, upright 
 dealing, decent dress, and decorous manners of the 
 native Christians of Tanjore, I found in my breast 
 a new evidence of the peculiar excellence and be- 
 nign influence of the Christian faith." In Ceylon 
 also, the success of the Dutch in converting the 
 natives was great. There are upwards of two hun- 
 dred and forty church- ships on the island, with 
 three schoolmasters to each, and it is calculated 
 that one-third of the whole population, about Ave 
 hundred thousand souls, are Christians, the whole 
 island being estimated at one million and a half. 
 These Christians were patronized by the Dutcli go- 
 vernment, and had a preference given to them with 
 respect to all situations. They are employed as 
 servants in every family there, and are found faith- 
 ful and industrious, while in Bengal it is thought 
 disreputable to have a native convert in the house. 
 But from the first establishment of the Portu- 
 gueze, the government made it a grand object to 
 convert the natives, and at first their success was 
 most flattering. In their whole course in India, 
 they have left the traces of conversion, and around 
 the coast, from the Cape of Good Hope to Canton 
 in China, a distance of twelve thousand miles, the 
 Portugueze language is spoken and the cross of 
 Christ adored. The magnificence of the churches 
 at Goa is almost beyond belief, and there are about 
 
 B B i
 
 376 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 two hundred of them in the province, with more 
 than two thousand priests attending them. Indeed, 
 in the construction of the chapel of the palace at 
 Goa, the Portugueze aimed at astonishing the na- 
 tives of India, for it is built on the plan of St.Peter's 
 at Home, and yet this paragon of architecture does 
 not impress the beholder with such awe as either 
 the caves of Eleplianta or Ellora ; and the church 
 of St.Dominic, decorated with paintings by Italian 
 masters, is not by any means in my estimation so 
 grand a specimen of sublime architecture as some 
 of the ancient Hindoo pagodas. However, if the 
 Portugueze failed to surpass the Hindoos in gorge- 
 ous temples, they astonished them by far exceeding 
 their sacrifices of human life in the horrors of the 
 inquisition, for no poojah ever exhibited any thing 
 more frightful than an auto da fe, nor is, in all 
 Picart's religious ceremonies, a representation nearly 
 so affecting as the annual processions of that in- 
 fernal institution formerly were. Mr. Dellon, long 
 a prisoner in one of the dungeons, in his account 
 of the inquisition at Goa, makes the blood run cold; 
 and it is no wonder the natives hailed the dowaifal 
 of that nation as their greatest deliverance from 
 torture. While in his dungeon, where for two 
 years he never saw a human face but that of his 
 gaoler, he heard every morning for several months 
 the shrieks of the unfortunate victims, who were 
 undergoing *^ the question,*' and when at last he 
 was led to the light of day, he beheld a long rank 
 
 15
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 377 
 
 of victims drawn up against a wall, whose ghastly 
 dress, profound silence, and stillness, caused them 
 to resemble statues rather than living creatures. 
 All had large wax-tapers in their hands, and many 
 wore the cross of St. Andrew, w^iile others had 
 flames and demons painted about them, with high 
 caps, upon which were devils. The great bell was 
 tolling to call the multitudes to witness the auto da 
 fe, and the procession moved off through the streets 
 of Goa. Women were miX^ed promiscuously with 
 the men, and as they all w^alked barefooted, the 
 sharp stones wounded their feet, tender from long 
 confinement, and caused the blood to stream, for 
 they were marched through all the great streets, 
 and regarded everywhere by an innumerable crowd 
 of people, who had assembled from all parts of In- 
 dia to behold the spectacle. At length they were 
 drawn up in the church of St. Francis, where the 
 grand inquisitor and his counsellors attended on 
 one side of the altar, and the viceroy of Goa with 
 his court on the other, during the time a sermon 
 was preached to those who were going to be burnt 
 alive by faggots. Then the sentences were read, 
 and the images of the heretics who had died in 
 the dungeons were brought up along with their 
 bones in small chests, with flames and demons on 
 them. Soon after those who were condemned to 
 the flames received a blow each on the breast, and 
 were led ofl* to the river to be consumed before the
 
 578 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 viceroy and liis court, and vast multitudes of asto- 
 nished Hindoos. 
 
 This was not the way, gentle reader, to civiUze 
 India, and to produce an affection for Christianity 
 in the hearts of the natives, and nothing ever in- 
 jured its cause in that country so much as the per- 
 secuting spirit of the Portugueze. In short, at the 
 termination of their career in India, conversion had 
 retrograded, and there were not so many Christians 
 in Malabar as before they entered the country. At 
 present many of the churches are mouldering to 
 dust, and there is not a single parishioner to save 
 them from oblivion. The plans of the British, for 
 converting the natives of India, have never been 
 suited to their customs and manners. A Hindoo 
 when he embraces Christianity becomes an outcast, 
 and looses all those ties that are dear to the human 
 affections. His prejudices, formed mto strong ha- 
 bits, prevent him from associating with other low 
 native Christians, whom he has always viewed as 
 2mriahs, and there is no reception for him in Euro- 
 pean society, so that the converts made by the bap- 
 tist mission in Bengal are the most wretched crea- 
 tures imaginable. Among the Tanjore native 
 Christians, however, there is a regular society, 
 something like the admirable fellowship of the 
 Quakers, and the effect of this fraternal union is 
 seen in travelling through their smiling cottages 
 and gardens, where peace, happiness, and comfort
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 379 
 
 delight the eye, and where their missionaries are bu- 
 ried among the gra\es of the converts. There the 
 women are upon an equality with the men, and col- 
 lect in happy groups to sing evening hymns and 
 perform other acts of adoration. But under the 
 Baptist system all is dreary. The convert receives 
 the word only, while he expects worldly comfort ; 
 and instead of being taught how to make himself 
 happy, he is left to grope his way in the dark, over 
 obstacles which not one in a hundred surmounts. 
 WhenNanac, the founder of the Seiks, determined to 
 convert the Hindoos, he formed them, as they became 
 proselytes, into societies, and enabled them to re- 
 tain certain customs which were agreeable to their 
 habits of mind ; and any European missionary, who 
 had power to act in a similar manner, might in a 
 short time establish a territory of converted Hin- 
 doos. But the British government, for selfish and 
 prudent reasons, will never lend their aid to a cer- 
 tain plan of conversion, by countenancing societies 
 of native Christians, and apportioning lands for 
 their settlement. Yet what could be more glorious 
 in future ages than an historical record, that under 
 the influence of British merchants the deserts of 
 Guzerat were covered with smiling villages and 
 wheat fields, by converts to Christianity, who were 
 invited to settle there under misionaries, that gave 
 them a foretaste of felicity in heaven, by teaching 
 them to be contented and happy on earth. But it 
 is time to drop these speculations.
 
 380 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Colonel East having accomplished the objects 
 of government with respect to the Row of Booge 
 Booge, the force marched eastward for the purpose 
 of reducing a hill fort called Kund Kote, in pos- 
 session of the Wagurs, for it was found that these 
 plunderers, so far from acting conformably to his 
 views, were in open hostility to him and his peace- 
 ful subjects. In five marclies through a country 
 such as has been described, covered with ruined 
 villages, and in many places presenting fine fields 
 of wheat, Colonel East encamped in sight of the 
 enemy, w^hose position on the top of a high hill, 
 surrounded by thick jungles, appeared very formi- 
 dable. The towers and w^alls were crow^ded with 
 men, and from their height the distant British line 
 must have appeared contemptible. In the course of 
 the afternoon, the 17th dragoons and some light 
 field pieces cut their way through the jungle, and 
 approached to reconnoitre the fort, the guns of 
 which opened upon them with a tremendous roar, 
 augmented by the echoes of neighbouring hills — 
 and the garrison setting up wild shouts, and flou- 
 rishing their matclilocks, spears, and sw^ords, rushed 
 out of the fort, came down the precipices, and 
 spread themselves along the foot of the hill, from 
 which they fired upon the cavalry, who could have 
 cut them to pieces but for deep ravines that kept 
 them at a distance, for the guns of the fort could 
 not have been depressed so as to do any execution. 
 Having made the necessary observations, a strong
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 381 
 
 party, with some of the battering train, took up a 
 proper position during the night, for the purpose 
 of destroying the defences, in preparation for an at- 
 tempt to take the place by escalade. The Wagurs 
 kept up a constant blaze upon the working party 
 during the night ; but were terrified to such a degree 
 that they deserted the fort, carrying off every thing 
 with them that could be removed, so that next 
 morning the party did not find more than thirty 
 inhabitants in the place, who were chiefly Brahmins, 
 that remained in some ancient temples, under the 
 protection of their idols. The walls extend round 
 the brow of a curious table land, on the summit of 
 the hill, which is large enough for a town of consi- 
 derable size. The houses are nearly all in ruins. 
 It is evidently a place of great antiquity, having 
 several curiously carved stone pagodas, now in a 
 skeleton state, having, through the effects of the 
 atmosphere, mouldered away, like iron gradually 
 consumed by rust. In one of these is the god 
 Sooragee, or the solar deity, represented with rays 
 issuing from his head, the moon in one hand and 
 the sun in the other, with four small figures behind 
 him, and devils with tigers heads, each having 
 four human hands, guarding the entrance. Some 
 of the other idols are Hunnymaun and Gunnyput j 
 they are rudely executed statues of marble. Nu- 
 merous monuments of suttee, infanticide, and 
 others representing warriors on horses, camels, kc, 
 are set up around these pagodas. The fort has two
 
 3S'2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 gates, one easy of access, through a natural inden- 
 tation in the side of the hill, the other difficult, 
 being on the top, with a very rugged ascent, for 
 tlie whole hill is nearly perpendicular up to the 
 table land, as if the slope had been cut away by 
 art. Yet this place is not strong, for there is 
 another unfortified height near it, from which, 
 according to the reports of the natives, it was once 
 breached and taken by Futteh Mahomed. 
 
 Having put Kund Kote into the possession of the 
 Kutch government, the force marched out of the 
 country by way of a town called Wandia, and re- 
 entered Kattywar on the 11th of February 1816. 
 Among the hills in the vicinity of Booge Booge 
 the cold was distressing at night, although the la- 
 titude of the place is not much higher than that 
 of Calcutta ; but heat and cold are not regulated 
 solely by the scale of climate, being also influenced 
 by localities, such as mountains, deserts, runs, and 
 the nature of soils. The partridges of Kutch are 
 remarkable for beautiful plumage, and such of the 
 foxes as the sportsmen killed had black tails. 
 Wolves are plentiful, and wild hogs in such abun- 
 dance, that the gentlemen of the spear had a suc- 
 cessful hog hunt every march ; they frequently 
 chased the wild asses, but all in vain, for they 
 were as fleet as the wind. The women in that 
 part of the country inhabited by the tribe called 
 Wagurs, wear a breast cloth tied behind, generally 
 of silk, with a long robe of cotton hung over the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 383 
 
 head, which is not part of the sauree or petticoat 
 as in other places. The men shave the middle of 
 the under jaw from the lip to the chin, leaving long 
 whiskers generally very black, and a great beard 
 hanging over the breast. They are strong fierce 
 looking men. 
 
 Kutch Booge has the Indus on the west, the Gulf 
 on the south, and Runs on the other quarters, which 
 being covered with water during the monsoon, 
 give the country at that season the character of an 
 island. It is in length about 110 miles, and the 
 average breadth is seventy, so that its surface con- 
 tains 4,9^8,000 English acres, yet the population is 
 estimated at only 1,155,000 souls. The trade of 
 the country is very insignificant, and the row's 
 revenue is not supposed to exceed eight lacks of 
 rupees. 
 
 Colonel East, upon leaving the row's territories, 
 proceeded rapidly down the northern coast of 
 Kattywar, and reduced the Jam ofNoa Nuggur to 
 obedience, without coming to blows. The force 
 then entered the Okamundel, for the purpose of de- 
 stroying a horde of pirates that had established them- 
 selves near Dingy, and built a fort. After a con- 
 tinued march of sixteen days they encamped on 
 the ist mus of Muddee, by which the Okamundel 
 is joined to Kattywar. The scene around was 
 wild ; for the dark blue ocean roared in front, and 
 in the rear was a fine sheet of water, communicating 
 with the gulf of Kutch, the neck of land on
 
 SSi< FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 which the line was pitched being not more than 
 two hundred yards wide. In the distance to the 
 left, were high purple mountains, and to the right 
 the ruins of a fort and temple. Some of the fol- 
 lowers v/ho entered the Okamundel during the 
 afternoon were fired upon, and one of them was 
 wounded. 
 
 The next morning Colonel East, taking with him 
 provisions for ten days, and leaving the battering 
 train and commissariat on the isthmus, marched 
 through a thick jungle, which the flank companies 
 scoured without meeting any opposition, and en- 
 camped in sight of the towers of Dingy, near a 
 large tank, which the enemy had filled with prickly 
 pear, to poison the water. Several defiles which 
 might have been defended by a handful of men, 
 were passed without opposition ; and the country 
 is very wild, being covered with jungle almost 
 impenetrable. An attempt was immediately made 
 to reconnoitre the place, but it was found imprac- 
 ticable for cavalry to approach, the roads being 
 all cut up and blockaded, and the jungle so thick 
 that no entrance could be found. A. strong de- 
 tachment of infantry and field pieces, under Colonel 
 Fitz Simon, were then sent out with the pioneers 
 to cut a passage, and with much difficulty they 
 got within gun-shot of the fort, when a fire of 
 musketry was opened upon the advance, without 
 their being able to see one of the assailants, who 
 were concealed by the jungle. The soldiers began
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 385 
 
 to answer the fire in all directions, and from the 
 camp one would have imagined that a most san- 
 guinary engagement was going on, for the roar of 
 musketry and cannon was kept up without inter- 
 mission for two hours, until nightfall obliged the 
 detachment to return to camp. At day-light the 
 following morning, a stronger party was pushed 
 into the jungle, upon whom the enemy opened 
 their fire, which was returned by a discharge of 
 grape and fire balls, which set the forest in a 
 blaze. The scene was awful : the conflagration 
 spread on all sides with inconceivable fury j smoke 
 involved every thing in confusion ; the shouts 
 from the fort were appalling, amidst the roar of 
 artillery and the discharge of musketry, fired on 
 all sides by the advanced guards of the detachment, 
 who forced their way at the point of the bayonet 
 through the openings made by the flames, and 
 clambered over the half-finished walls, when the 
 pirates having fled, the place was given up to 
 plunder. They had collected heaps of booty 
 here, which the soldiers secured. Not an inha- 
 bitant remained in the place, and only a few dead 
 bodies were found. During the plunder of it the 
 confusion was wonderful. Here were hundreds of 
 camp followers loaded with grain and cloth ; there 
 the sepoys carrying away English books ; and 
 everywhere soldiers searching with eagerness for 
 money, very little of which was found. Colonel 
 East lost not a moment, but with his usual decision 
 
 c c
 
 386 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 left a garrison here, and followed the pirates next 
 morning to Dewarka, which was invested in the 
 course of the night, but the chief of it surrendered 
 at discretion next morning before the batteries 
 opened. 
 
 Dewarka is a small town, surrounded by a wall 
 and towers, delightfully situated near a charming 
 sandy shore. The tide washes its walls, and the 
 sea gives it a cool and cheerful aspect. The 
 pagoda is magnificent, and of such antiquity that 
 pilgrimages are made to it from all parts of 
 India. According to tradition, the famous 
 Dwaraca, the residence of Chrishna, was swallowed 
 up by the sea ; but there can be little doubt that 
 this is the very place where the sun was wor- 
 shipped with such grand and solemn ceremonials. 
 The entrance from the sea face is by a very long 
 and noble flight of stone steps, through a massy 
 gate, when the whole front face breaks upon one 
 with an indescribable effect. Its great pyramid is 
 about 140 feet high ; and the infinitely varied or- 
 naments are such as to baffle all attempts at deli- 
 neation. There are numerous subordinate temples, 
 having flags, with representations of the sun and 
 moon on them. In front of the large temple is the 
 sacred place of ablution, formed naturally by a 
 creek of the sea on a bed of fine pebbles ; and in 
 the wat^r, which is as clear as crystal, are seen 
 numerous sacred fishes sporting about quite tame, 
 being accustomed to the crowds of devotees who
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 387 
 
 feed them. For 400 yards along this charming 
 blieet of water are small temples, and stone steps 
 down to the margin, on which the Bralimins pray, 
 make gods of clay or flour paste for those who 
 come to wash away their sins, and sell little rings 
 and amulets to the superstitious crowd. All the 
 followers and sepoys gave their phinder for the 
 trinkets of this place, as it is considered a great 
 honour in other parts of India to have them, or 
 bear a mark on some part of the body, pricked in 
 with little stained instruments in a peculiar manner 
 by the Brahmins. But the devotees go on to ano- 
 ther sacred place called Aramra, for the purpose 
 of being branded with a hot iron. The whole of 
 this prodigious pile of pagodas is of carved stone ; 
 and there are gorgeously decorated images of 
 Surragee, Ramchorgee, Tricongee, Mahada, and 
 Cullangee. But it is said that the ancient idol of 
 the pagoda has twice escaped from Dwarka, and 
 cannot be persuaded to remain in the OkamundeL 
 In a few days more were destroyed some other 
 haunts of the pirates ; and the chief of the island 
 of Bate was obliged to send in his submission, and 
 -engage to suppress all those depredations in future. 
 The Okamundel, like the rest of Kattywar, is half 
 ruined, and presents a melancholy spectacle. Co- 
 lonel East having left a considerable detachment 
 in it to secure the complete extirpation of the 
 pirates, recrossed the isthmus, and proceeded to 
 invest the strong fort of Juanuggur, where mattery 
 
 c c 2
 
 388 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 were settled without coming to blows. Juanaggur 
 is situated on the side of a high hill, skirted with 
 close jungle, along which runs a fine plain watered 
 by a clear stream ; but there is nothing so remark- 
 able about it as a sacred precipice to which pilgri- 
 mages were made from all parts of India by Hindoos 
 who had lost their cast, and who, by leaping from 
 the top of it, in the event of escaping with life, 
 regained their station in society. There is a temple 
 near it, which formerly supported a great number 
 of Brahmins ; but as the precipice is several hun- 
 dred feet in perpendicular height, and as there are 
 frightful rocks at the bottom, hardly any one ever 
 escaped being dashed to pieces, and none repair 
 hither at present but such as are anxious to part 
 with life. 
 
 After this nothing interesting occurred except 
 some marches of demonstration, till the field force 
 was disorganized, and sent off by corps to different 
 quarters. The lyth dragoons and several native 
 regiments marched for Keira, and it was expected 
 that the 65th would return to pass the monsoon at 
 Baroda. In the northern parts of India the rainy 
 season does not prevent military operations, being 
 nothing like the monsoon in Malabar in regard to 
 severity or constancy ; hence it is by no means so 
 extraordinary as some historians represent, that 
 Alexander the Great should have performed his 
 campaign in the Panjob during the rains. Kattywar 
 is very thinly inhabited, and would support twenty 
 
 8
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 389 
 
 times its present population. It contains several 
 large towns, each under an independent chief; 
 such are Poorbunder, Noanuggur, and Kambalia, 
 besides those noticed before in the eastern part. 
 The Jains are numerous, and they have very grand 
 temples in Noanuggur and Kambalia. Kattywar 
 is a country diversified with hill and dale, and wa- 
 tered by so many fine streams flowing from springs 
 in a chain of hills by which it is traversed from east 
 to west, that it might be cultivated like a garden ; 
 and indeed the southern parts of it bear traces of 
 having been once in the very highest state of tillage 
 known in any part of India. The natives seldom 
 shoe their horses, though the country is rocky, yet 
 they gallop with great velocity, and the hoof grows 
 as hard as kon. Cairns of stones are to be seen in 
 all directions, every traveller adding to the heap, 
 as is done in Ireland and Scotland ; and the trees 
 also are covered with bits of cloth, from the same 
 superstitious feeling. 
 
 Colonel East is now no more. His character was a 
 great curiosity, in which were blended fine qualities 
 with some defects. No man ought to be answer- 
 able for his personal formation ; and therefore it 
 did not detract from his real merit that his appear- 
 ance was rather ludicrous. He was in complexion 
 nearly as dark as a native, short in stature, and his 
 belly prominent ; hence when his adjutant-general. 
 Captain Stannus, one of the finest looking men that 
 Ireland has produced, stood near little Billy (for so 
 
 c c 3
 
 SQO FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 
 
 Colonel East was nicknamed), the contrast excited 
 the exercise of the risible muscles of bucks belong- 
 ing to the quizzical club ; but the expression of 
 the colonel's countenance, the vigour of his mind, 
 and the decision of his character, caused every 
 lighter emotion to be absorbed in admiration. He 
 spoke quick, and with facility explained himself in 
 very few words. His habits were those of a soldier, 
 careless about himself, and busy and anxious for 
 the good of others. Solely intent on the object he 
 had in view, he marched upon it and gained what 
 he wanted, while another man would have been 
 thinking about the means. This promptitude was 
 the strongest feature in his character, and one of 
 the most necessary ingredients in the formation of 
 a real soldier. He was decisive in all his measures ; 
 and after the execution had been determined upon, 
 allowed not a moment to pass without exertion. — 
 But he was at times so peevish and passionate, 
 that hardly any one could approach him ; and woe 
 to the ears of the officer whom his eye detected at 
 such periods on the line of march an inch out of his 
 proper place. He would roar out with stentorian 
 lungs, so as to be heard from right to left of the 
 line. Yet he was tender-hearted and kind — be- 
 loved by the soldiers, whom he treated, as they 
 ought to be, like children ; and during the cam- 
 paign there was not a single line punishment. 
 
 Thoughtless being full of anxiety to see his family 
 after such a long absence, obtained permission to
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 391 
 
 set off from Juannuggur for Bombay, with the in- 
 tention of rejoining his corps at Baroda, to which 
 station he purposed transporting Mary and his 
 children. One of his greatest pleasures during the 
 campaign had been in corresponding with little 
 Emma, whose understanding began to display 
 great strength, with all the variety of infantine 
 simplicity ; a short time before his departure from 
 the force to see her, she had sent him some draw- 
 ings of cottages and a sampler, in return for which 
 she received the following lines on her bu'th-day ; 
 
 Eight circling years have roll'd away. 
 Since the blue dawn of rosy day. 
 Saw thee embark to cross life's bay. 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 Pleasant so far thy trip hath been. 
 
 Nor squall nor storm has yet been seen. 
 
 But ripjjling waves and skies serene, 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 And may that God who bade you rise. 
 So fair beneath such burning skies, 
 Preserve thee still to glad these eyes. 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 Avoid the follies of mankind. 
 
 To other's faults seem often blind. 
 
 To every one be good and kind, 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 Despise vain pageant and parade. 
 We oft see misery in brocade, 
 And happiness in stuff arrayed, 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 C C 4
 
 392 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Adorn with care thy opening mind, 
 Kestrain each thought to roam inclin'd. 
 External things were not designed. 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 For happiness that all would buy. 
 For which e'en misers save and sigh. 
 Within our breast content must lie, 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 Look for it there with God thy guide. 
 And learn to view the brightest side. 
 Of every object down life's tide. 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 Thus wilt thou find that strength of soul. 
 To bear those ills beyond controul. 
 Religion will thy heart console. 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 And when thy skiff has reached that shore. 
 Where life and all its cares are o'er. 
 May heaven increase with thee its store. 
 
 My Emma. 
 
 But Charles had looked in vain for a letter from 
 his uncle, and he now began to think that his 
 friend True was no more ; for his silence was 
 unaccountable. However, by the very latest post 
 before he started for Bombay, he had received a 
 mpst satisfactory letter from George, stating that 
 his passage had been exceedingly pleasant j that 
 on his arrival in London, he had found his father 
 there waiting for him with affectionate impatience, 
 and that the meeting was indescribably felicitous. 
 The liberahty of his father had exceeded all
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 393 
 
 bounds ; delighted with Nannette and her fine 
 children, he had arranged that they should all 
 remain in London during the winter, and go over 
 to Ireland in summer. But George had to 
 relate what gave him the deepest sorrow, the death 
 of Mr. Fortier ; for that excellent man, whom he 
 expected to find in London, was in his grave ; 
 Madame Fortier, soon after the removal of Na- 
 poleon to Elba, had returned to France ; and 
 Nannette, accompanied by her husband and father- 
 in-law, had crossed the channel, visited Paris, and 
 seen that esteemed lady in the capital. Hence 
 arose George's delay in writing ; for, said he, 
 " I was anxious to announce to you my arrival in 
 old Ireland, and delayed from time to time in the 
 hope of being able to give you some certain account 
 of your relations ; if the information of my father 
 be correct, your father has returned from America, 
 and is in very flourishing circumstances near Dun- 
 dalk, without male issue by his second marriage." 
 
 Nothing on earth could have raised the spirits of 
 Charles higher than this information, and he wrote 
 to his long-lost father in the full warmth of his 
 heart. But in this consummationofhis own prospects, 
 he was not unmindful of the affairs of Frank Stanley. 
 He had written to the commanding officer again 
 on the subject, and engaged the interest of the 
 worthy son of Captain Solomon in his behalf, by 
 whom he was assured that Frank would shortly be 
 promoted, in justice to his own great joicrit, and
 
 394 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 in deference to the esteem of every one in the 
 regiment for him. Under the influence of this 
 combination of joyous circumstances, which ren- 
 dered Thoughtless half-mad, he set off for Poor- 
 bunder, in company with some other officers, and 
 experienced a very polite reception from Captain 
 Elwood, the political agent there, who informed 
 them that they had just arrived in time to get 
 a passage on board the Dheriadowlat, an armed 
 paddimar belonging to government, going down 
 to Bombay. 
 
 Poorbunder is a place of some importance. It 
 belongs to Rajah Ramma Kimmejee, whose revenue 
 is about two lacks of rupees, out of which he pays 
 the Guickwar 30,000 in that coin per annum, and 
 maintains the detachment stationed there belonging 
 to the company as a small subsidiary force. The 
 exports are cotton, elephants' teeth, and piece 
 goods ; and the imports wood, grain, dates and 
 iron. There are no interesting public buildings, 
 the town being of modern origin ; the ancient ca- 
 pital called Goomty was on the top of a mountain ; 
 the rajah's residence can scarcely be called a palace, 
 but his gardens are worthy of notice on account of 
 several well executed statues of ladies that orna- 
 ment the pillars of a very neat lodge erected in the 
 centre of a tank, which, being shaded with fruit 
 trees and refrigerated by so fine a body of water, 
 is delightfully cool. The town is surrounded by a 
 strong wall, and it is about two miles round the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 395 
 
 ramparts, on which at intervals there are high towers 
 well urnished with cannon. 
 
 The paddimar, on board of which Thoughtless 
 and his fellow travellers embarked, carried five 
 guns with an excellent crew, so that they looked out 
 for pirates with full confidence in their own strength, 
 but nothing interesting occurred. In three days 
 a fine breeze carried the Dheriadowlat into Bombay 
 harbour, and Charles, after an absence of nearly two 
 years, had the inexpressible joy of finding his 
 family all well. Fortune seemed on this occasion 
 to overpower him with a concurrence of the most 
 agreeable circumstances, for on his arrival he not 
 only heard that he was promoted to a lieutenancy, 
 but that the regiment had received orders to embark 
 at Gogo for the presidency, where it safely arrived 
 a short time after him.
 
 396 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 
 
 <« Kay more — there are who stay, and who can blame ? 
 
 They court not glory, yet they fear not shame. 
 
 Thy " at homes," Loudon ! noble lady fair. 
 
 Those amateurs of reason stay to share. 
 
 Where taste and elegance with ease combine. 
 
 To charm each sense in man that is divine. 
 
 Such stay to see thy lovely helping hand. 
 
 Extend with pity o'er a burning land. 
 
 Soft as the silver moon's refreshing rays 
 
 Thy dewy kindness on poor blacky plays. 
 
 And cheers the drooping head that friendless lies. 
 
 And gives the heart, just sinking, hope to rise." 
 
 JLhe Brahminical institution of casts seems to have 
 communicated its principles to the ranks and classes 
 of European society in India. A civilian's lady 
 considers herself a superior being to the wife of an 
 officer, and the latter looks down with contempt 
 upon the partner of a country captain, who in her 
 turn despises the shopkeeper, and frets if neglected 
 by the merchant's wife. Society in Calcutta is 
 therefore a formation of parties, and there is 
 nothing like a general or liberal intercourse among 
 Europeans. Public assemblies are unpopular ; but 
 there is no country in the world where hospitality 
 is greater than in those casts into which the so- 
 journers are divided. Large parties sit down every
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 397 
 
 day to dinner ; and during the winter, balls and 
 suppers take place every night. Nearly all writers 
 have noticed the fastidious attention to pride and 
 exclusion which obtains in India, so that it would 
 be trite and tedious to dwell upon such a hack- 
 neyed subject. " To hand a lady to table, or to 
 her carriage," says Tennant, " is an affair which 
 requires deep cogitation : if it be aspired to by a 
 gentleman whose rank is unequal to the office, 
 instead of" paying a compliment he is guilty of 
 rudeness, and commits an unpardonable offence. 
 When tlie ladies take the floor to dance, the most 
 perfect acquaintance with all that has ever been 
 written upon heraldry would not enable you to 
 make a satisfactory arrangement either of the ladies 
 themselves or of their partners. Hardly a meeting 
 formerly concluded without laying the foundation 
 of turmoils and grievances.*' In short, the only 
 general society in Calcutta is at the government 
 house, to which every man having the rank and 
 character of a gentleman is invited frequently, and 
 no eulogium would be hyperbolical in describing the 
 charming aflfability of the elegant Countess of Lou- 
 don to her guests, in those sumptuous yet tasteful 
 entertainments with which that honour to Scotland 
 cheered the monotony of exile. 
 
 It w^as a grand sight to Charles Thoughtless to 
 behold, for the first time, the splendid circle of pro- 
 menaders in the great hall of the government house, 
 while fine military bands in alternate succession
 
 39S FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 charmed the ear. The Marquis of Hastings and 
 the Countess of Loudon, seated to receive their 
 guests under the state canopy, ornamented with 
 the spoils of the throne of Tippo, paid those win- 
 ning attentions to the collecting company which 
 are so delightful to the heart, while the judges and 
 heads of departments were ranged on either hand 
 in a semicircle on chairs glittering with gold. Fur- 
 ther on, the scene resembled that of a grand fancy 
 ball, from variety of costume and contrasts of ap- 
 pearance. Here were the British ladies parading 
 with ostrich feathers waving gracefully over their 
 temples ; there the Armenian fair ones, wearing 
 crowns sparkling with costly pearls and diamonds j 
 and elsewhere, the dark complexioned Portugueze 
 dame, whose sable ringlets blazed with precious 
 gems, w^hile the Turk, and Arabian, Chinese, and 
 Gentoo gave interest to the diversity of military 
 plumes and naval uniforms that moved around in 
 countless succession, till supper was announced in 
 the marble hall, where about eight hundred sat 
 down to enjoy the luxuries of the East. 
 
 From the first arrival of the noble marquis in 
 India, it seemed to be the mutual object of his 
 lordship and his amiable countess to diffuse har- 
 mony and good will through all ranks of society. 
 They almost immediately honoured the freemasons 
 of Calcutta with their presence at a grand ball and 
 supper at Moore's rooms ; which entertainment, in 
 point of magnificence and tasteful arrangement, was
 
 PIPTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 399 
 
 never surpassed in India. The illuminations on 
 the occasion converted a dark night into bright- 
 ness equal to the clearest day, and trains of artificial 
 fire works were laid along all the principal streets 
 of the city. At the opening of the Chouringhee 
 theatre, the Countess of Loudon was hailed as the 
 star of the East, in the prologue written by Dr. 
 Wilson, a very elegant poet and oriental scholar, 
 and well does Lady Loudon deserve the epithet, 
 for she has been a particularly bright star to India, 
 guiding all in the course of benevolence, conde- 
 scension, charity, and love. She has been a muni- 
 ficent friend to all the institutions in the East for the 
 alleviation of distress or the diffusion of knowledge ; 
 the zealous patroness of the education of the poor ; 
 the kind supporter of the widow and orplian ; the 
 unsolicited benefactress of the friendless, and a 
 transcendant example of tenderness, morality, and 
 religion. 
 
 During the absence of his regiment, Charles 
 amused himself with inspecting the curiosities near 
 Bombay, which are numerous and interesting ; and 
 soon after the return of his corps he was introduced 
 to Sir Miles Nightengal, and saw a good deal of the 
 society of the presidency. The style of living at 
 Bombay, the number of servants kept, and the 
 allowances from government, are all on a lower 
 scale than either at Madras or Calcutta ; and al- 
 though the luxury of the East prevails there, yet 
 it is only in the j^ositive, while in Bengal it rises to
 
 400 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the superlative degree. While at the Countess of 
 Loudon's parties, or rather the public entertain- 
 ments given to the civil and military servants at 
 the government-house, massy plate and servants 
 in rich livery are in profusion, the guests of Sir 
 Evan Nepean find it difficult to get a metal spoon, 
 and must trust to their own servants for attendance. 
 But it must be owned, that the urbanity of Sir Evan 
 makes amends for such want of accommodation, 
 and the gallant old gentleman sets a good example 
 by saluting with a kiss every beautiful woman pre- 
 sented to him, this being, as he jocosely says, one 
 of the privileges of a governor. 
 
 The island of Bombay is about ten miles in 
 length and three in breadth. It is joined to Sal- 
 sette by a vellard m'ade across an arm of the sea j 
 and as the latter conamunicates with the Koncan, 
 the whole may now be considered as forming a 
 part of the main land. In appearance Bombay is 
 totally different from Calcutta or Madras, the 
 houses being very old-fashioned buildings, covered 
 with slates and tiles, and having curious projecting 
 virandas, supported by pillars of wood, with which 
 material many of them are chiefly constructed. 
 The fortress, town, and island came into our pos- 
 session upon the marriage of Charles the Second 
 with Catherine of Portugal; but the whole has 
 been since greatly improved and strengthened by 
 fortifying a commanding position, now called Fort 
 George. The strong walls of Bombay include
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 401 
 
 a considerable city, with the finest docks and ma- 
 rine arsenal in India, and excellent barracks for 
 several regiments ; but nearly all the island may be 
 described as a town, for in every habitable part 
 European garden-houses meet the eye, and dwel- 
 lings of various forms belonging to the na- 
 tives diversify the scene. Here a Portugueze 
 church, and there a Chinese pagoda ; in one place 
 a substantial Parsee mansion, and in another the 
 airy fabrics of British taste, while a Jewish syna- 
 gogue may be seen near the gloomy temple of 
 Hindoo idolatry. In short, there is the same 
 variety of costume, nationality and language, which 
 has been noticed in describing Calcutta and Ma- 
 dras. The island contains about 220,000 inhabit- 
 ants, 8,000 of whom are Parsees, the same number 
 Mahomedans, and 4,000 Jews ; so that when Por- 
 tugueze, Armenian, and English settlers are taken 
 into account, there is a constant feast for the 
 eye of a stranger, without noticing the concourse 
 of merchants from nearly all nations that conti- 
 nually crowd the streets. Bombay is admirably 
 calculated for ship-building ; the docks are so fine, 
 and the tide rises so high on this coast, that a first- 
 rate ship of war can enter them during the springs : 
 it is to be observed also, that the Parsees are the 
 most expert naval architects in the East, and the 
 Minden of 74 guns was entirely constructed by 
 them without any European superintendence. In 
 no country in the world is there a class of more 
 
 D D
 
 402 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 industrious, inoffensive, and worthy subjects than 
 the Parsees. Like the Quakers, they support one 
 another ; and there is hardly such a thing on 
 record as one of them being brought before a court 
 of justice for the commission of crimes. The mo- 
 raUty of their women is great, and their decency 
 so exemplary, that among them prostitution is said 
 to be unknown. Polygamy is not allowed, and 
 wives are on a footing of perfect equality with their 
 husbands ; but they are of very retired habits, 
 seldom going out except to the wells for water, 
 and on visits to their female friends in close car- 
 riages. They perform their devotions at home, 
 while their husbands and sons assemble at sun-rise 
 and sun-set on the esplanade and along the sea- 
 shore, to adore the great luminary of creation j in 
 their worship the sun and the sea, as well as fire, 
 are objects of adoration. Their priests have very 
 little power, but the fathers of families are held 
 responsible for the decent conduct of their respec- 
 tive households, over which they exercise a patri- 
 archal government ; and there is an inquisitorial 
 moral authority vested in the elders to check every 
 deviation from rectitude. They are all extremely 
 sedate in their deportnjent, and so scrupulously 
 attentive to the conduct of their daughters, that, 
 if report may be depended upon, every aberration 
 from virtue among them is visited with death. In 
 their persons much attention is paid to cleanliness, 
 but their houses are dirty: they use furniture 
 9
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 403 
 
 similar to ours, and eat and drink with Europeans ; 
 but in general they are both temperate and abste- 
 mious. In short, the Parsees are a very remarkable 
 race, humane, public spirited, and charitable, but 
 superstitious even to childishness. Some of their 
 customs with respect to marriage and sepulture are 
 curious, for widows are permitted to marry only 
 widowers ; and although they bury their dead, yet 
 the bodies are not covered with earth, but left in 
 open tombs to be devoured by vultures. There 
 are five of these public places of sepulture near 
 Bombay, each constructed on the same principle ; 
 being divided into three compartments, one for 
 men, another for women, and a third for children. 
 The dead body, wrapped in cotton cloth, is let 
 down into the grave, which is something like a well, 
 and left there to be devoured, after which the 
 bones are carefully picked up by means of a sub- 
 terraneous communication, and placed in the fa- 
 mily vault. Nearly the whole of Bombay belongs 
 to the Parsees ; they are copartners in every great 
 commercial establishment, as well as zealous sup- 
 porters of the charitable institutions ; and during 
 the great famine of 1802, their prodigious wealth 
 was most liberally applied in relieving their starving 
 fellow-creatures. But their conduct may be more 
 effectually appreciated from the two following 
 letters, written by Hormangee Bomangee, a part- 
 ner in the great house of Forbes and Co., to an 
 officer who had cut down some of his date trees j 
 
 D D '2
 
 404 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 they present an honourable example of calmness, 
 temper, and forbearance. 
 
 It must be admitted that the officer, though un- 
 intentionally, wa'^ blameable. The case was briefly 
 this : his wife, who was in a delicate state of health, 
 had moved, during his absence on service, into a 
 bungalow situated on higher ground than her own, 
 belonging to the Parsee, having received prefe- 
 rence of possession from a lady about to quit it, as 
 was quite customary. Her husband having arrived, 
 conceived that the circulation of air was impeded 
 by some trees that grew near the windows, and he 
 cut a few of them down, not supposing them to be 
 either private property or of much value, and being 
 ignorant that these trees are all letata certain annual 
 rent to natives, who, by making an incision in the 
 trunk, procure from it a white juice called date 
 toddy, which is converted into arrack. Hormangee 
 Bobangee's servant having arrived with an order 
 to desist, which he delivered in rather an uncivil 
 manner, the officer blustered a little, and his pride 
 prevented him from immediately acknowledging 
 that he was wrong ; but as soon as the thing was 
 explained, the worthy Parsee dropped the matter, 
 and his letters are demonstrative evidence of his 
 temper and wisdom, as well as of the meek and 
 amiable qualities of his respectable sect, which 
 seem imbued with much of tlie simplicity and sober 
 sense inculcated by Christianity. In justice to the 
 gentleman who was so rash as to cut down the date
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 405 
 
 trees, be it remembered that he. had removed only 
 four of them ; but as he had also thinned the 
 branches of a great many others round the house, 
 the servant of Hormangee Bomangee had misre- 
 presented and greatly exaggerated the injury done 
 to the property of his master : — 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 Having had a report from one of my gardeners 
 that you had cut eleven date trees belonging to me, 
 I ordered my people to see you, and to request that 
 you would have the goodness not to do so ; but as 
 your answer has been that the trees belong to the 
 honourable company, and that you would cut as 
 many of them as you wanted, I therefore take the 
 liberty to address you, and to say that the trees be- 
 long to me, and not to the honourable company, 
 who has nothing to do with them ; but even if the 
 trees belonged to the honourable company, you 
 ought to have applied and obtained a sanction from 
 s:overnment before vou ordered them to be cut. I 
 also beg to add, that each tree is worth fifty rupees, 
 at which rate I consider you responsible for such of 
 them as you have cut. 
 
 I take this opportunity to acquaint you, that 
 many gentlemen have resided in the house in which 
 you are at present living, but J assure you, dear sir, 
 that none of them has cut a single tree from my 
 garden ; and I am extremely sorry that you have 
 done so without either applying to me for that pur 
 
 DD 3
 
 1.06 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 pose, or getting a correct information as to the value 
 of the trees you have cut. 
 I remain, 
 Dear sir, 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 HORMANGEE BOMANGEE, 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 I have just been favoured with your reply to my 
 letter of yesterday's date, and I assure you that I 
 am extremely sorry to find that, instead of three 
 or four date trees which you state having ordered 
 to be cut, you have already cut down twenty-nine ; 
 and which, at the rate I mentioned in my letter of 
 yesterday, viz. fifty rupees for each tree, amounts 
 to one thousand four hundred and fifty rupees. 
 
 You state in your letter now under acknowledg- 
 ment, that Mrs. has not enjoyed good health 
 
 for even a week since you have moved to my house; 
 and this alone induced you to cut down the trees, 
 and that it is your intention still to cut as many 
 more as you think proper for the preservation of 
 your health and of your family ; — and that if you 
 could get another house, you would not live a day 
 in mine. 
 
 As to your family not enjoying good health since 
 you moved to my house, I have to say that I heard 
 it with great concern ; but you will recollect per- 
 fectly well that you entered my house without ob-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 407 
 
 taining my permission for that purpose ; and al- 
 though great many of the tenants that have lived 
 in and quitted my house at Colabah have never 
 taken charge of it without previously obtaining my 
 permission so to do, yet none of them has cut a 
 single tree, and almost every one of them has given 
 me satisfaction. 
 
 As for your quitting the house, I have only to 
 observe that you will be pleased to do so at your 
 earliest convenience ; and beg to add, that until 
 you have got another house you may live in mine, 
 for which I don't mean to charge any rent. 
 
 With regard to the trees you have already cut, I 
 have to request that you will be so good as to pay 
 me their value as soon as you can j but if you are 
 disposed not to do so, I shall be under the neces- 
 sity of having recourse to law, which I assure you, 
 dear sir, I shall do with great regret, being the last 
 person that wishes to adopt such measures. 
 I remain, 
 Dear sir, 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 HOHMANGEE BOMANGEE. 
 
 The Parsees on their first arrival in India adopted 
 the native dress, which is in general a gown and 
 loose trowsers, with a turban and party-coloured 
 slippers turned up at the toes j but many of them 
 wear rich shawl girdles, and very costly turbans of 
 embroidered muslin, consisting of a whole web 
 
 D D ^
 
 408 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 often from forty to sixty yards in length by one in 
 breadth. The women have adopted the silk spenser, 
 noticed in describing the female attire of Guzerat, 
 but in other respects are like the Hindoo ladies, 
 and equally fond of ornaments. In form and com- 
 plexion, the Parsees bear a considerable affinity to 
 Europeans. Many of them are very fair athletic men, 
 and able to cope with most Englishmen in wrest- 
 ling, which is a favourite exercise in the dock-yards 
 of Bombay ; but, according to the Parsee mode, 
 the wrestlers stand at opposite sides of the ring, 
 and struggle for an advantage in the grip, in which 
 there is a great display of art and activity. 
 
 Mention has been made several times in this 
 work of the Armenians, who, being Christians, of 
 course differ but little from Europeans in customs 
 and manners. They are the general merchants of 
 India, and a highly respectable body of wealthy 
 subjects. Their complexion is fair, and in address 
 they are pleasing, but the Armenian costume gives 
 them a remarkable appearance. It is, however, very 
 becoming. The cap is of black velvet, and trian- 
 gularly shaped, and the frock is generally of the 
 same materials, but embraces the neck closely, 
 flowing down to the knee, something like a surtout. 
 Many of them, however, both in Calcutta and Bom- 
 bay, may be said to emulate the Bond-street gentry, 
 having assumed the English dress in all things 
 except the cap, which is retained as a mark of na- 
 tional distinction. The Armenians have many
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN' INDIA. 409 
 
 churches in India, and a bishop's see subject to the 
 controul of their patriarch, who resides near mount 
 Ararat. In show and equipage they are exceed- 
 ingly ostentatious j their ladies are covered with 
 jewels, and wear crowns sparkling with precious 
 gems ; but they are very public spirited men, and 
 liberal supporters of every thing that is laudable. 
 One anecdote will not be unacceptable to those 
 readers who have never heard of Sarkies Joannes 
 of Calcutta. When this great Armenian merchant 
 heard of the recovery of George the third in 1789, 
 an event which occasioned great demonstrations of 
 joy in India, he paid the debts of all the prisoners at 
 that time in gaol, which so much pleased his Ma- 
 jesty that he sent him his picture in miniature 
 through Lord Cornwallis, who questioned the Ar- 
 menian respecting the great affection evinced by 
 him for the King of England whom he had never 
 seen. " I have, my lord/' replied he, " lived under 
 his government for near thirty years ; it has never 
 injured me; but on the contrary, always afforded 
 its protection : and this, with industry on my 
 part, has enabled me to accumulate a very plentiful 
 fortune." 
 
 The fishery for pamphlets and bombaloes at the 
 mouth of Bombay harbour affords employment to 
 great numbers of the natives, who are strong and 
 vigorous men, though not so tall and muscular as 
 the inhabitants of Bengal. Their boats are much 
 like those used in the Hoogly ; some of them are
 
 410 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 made of strong planks well secured, with benches 
 across for the rowers, and a mast or two of bam- 
 boo, to which they attach sails of various descrip- 
 tions, sometimes even of mat ; others badly con- 
 structed, andstitched together with the fibres of the 
 cocoa-nut. Many of these boats are merely canoes 
 cut out of large trees, with planks stitched round 
 to make them roomy. The boatmen go nearly 
 naked, seldom wearing more than a langutiy, and 
 a cloth round the head. No fish is of more delici- 
 ous flavour than pamphlet. It is in shape and size 
 something like whiting, but as hard as salmon, and 
 as tender as trout ; this, like the mangoe fish, might 
 induce an epicure to undertake an Indian voyage, 
 like the famous Quin, who is said to have resolved 
 on a trip to Bombay for the purpose of eating it in 
 perfection, when death interposed to make him a 
 morsel for worms. 
 
 Bombay light-house is situated upon the point 
 of the island of Colabah which runs down between 
 the harbour and False Bay, into whose rocky bosom 
 it is very dangerous for ships to enter. Colabah is 
 about two miles in length, and in some places not 
 a quarter of a mile in breadth. It is separated 
 from Bombay by a rocky bed, which is dry at low 
 water, but through it the tide rushes with such 
 fury, that a raft secured by a cable, chained to 
 each shore, upon which it works backwards and 
 forwards, cannot cross during the springs. Go- 
 vernment have erected barracks on this healthful
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 411 
 
 spot for a battalion of artillery and two king's 
 regiments, and several gentlemen have very hand- 
 some garden-houses, to v/hich they retire after 
 their official business in the fort. Immediately 
 after the monsoon, Colabah is a perfect emerald 
 isle, for the natives raise vegetables on every foot of 
 it, the soil being very friendly to nearly all common 
 productions. The Bombay onion is so mild and 
 well-flavoured that it is used at table like the po- 
 tatoe, which is also in as fine perfection as need be 
 desired. Cooled and refreshed by a constant 
 alternation of land and sea breezes, the climate is 
 delightful for several months in the year, at all 
 hours, except during the lull which takes place 
 between the daily changing of the wind from the 
 ocean to the shore. At this time no breath of air 
 ruffles the glass-like bosom of the bay, and such 
 Europeans as are in a declining state of health feel 
 the utmost depression of spirits, and a difficulty in 
 respiration truly distressing. Colabah is one of 
 the liveliest places in India. Curiosity is constantly 
 roused by the arrival of ships from all parts of the 
 world ; it being calculated that upwards of two 
 hundred enter Bombay harbour and depart from it 
 in a year. A gun is fired as soon as a ship appears 
 in sight from the signal-post at the light-house, 
 when a pilot is dispatched to her, and the course 
 being made known by telegraph, conjecture is busy 
 as to whence she comes, till the flag is hoisted 
 that announces the country to which the stranger
 
 412 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 belongs. Free traders from Europe had, for some 
 time before Charles left India, so completely 
 glutted Bombay with every article, that the price 
 was far below prime cost. Cotton from Guzerat 
 is the great article of export ; the annual shipment 
 to China and Europe being often 85,000 bales of 
 375lbs. each in the course of a year. Sugars, and 
 precious stones, particularly cornelians and agates, 
 are also received from that province for exports 
 ation ; pepper, coir, and cocoa-nuts from Malabar ; 
 spices and gems from Ceylon ; pearls from Arabia j 
 rich carpets from Turkey, and shawls from Cash- 
 mere J with piece goods and grain from various 
 places, which are generally paid for in specie, as 
 the imports of European articles, such as iron and 
 other metals, mirrors and chandeliers, clocks, 
 watches, mathematical instruments, broad cloths 
 and blankets, with hams, cheese, wines, and malt 
 liquors, are not considerable. The latter four ar- 
 ticles are used only by European residents, but the 
 natives retail them, and carry off investments to 
 the military stations in the interior. All the other 
 articles are used by many of the natives, who find 
 our broad cloth and blankets very comfortable in 
 the northern parts of India. Some of the Hindoos 
 are good watch-makers, and a few have science 
 enough to prize our mathematical instruments, but 
 all the rich are fond of mirrors, chandeliers, and 
 girandoles. Their glass, leather, woollens, and in 
 short all Indian manufactures, except muslins.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 413 
 
 shawls, chintzes, and silks, are greatly inferior to 
 ours J and such is the effect of English machinery 
 that cotton can now be imported from Hindostan, 
 converted into piece goods, equal to the muslins 
 and baftahs of Guzerat and Dacca, and sent back 
 to India, so as to undersell the merchandize of the 
 natives in their own markets. 
 
 Till lately the territorial revenue of the Bombay 
 presidency did not support the civil, marine, and 
 military establishments ; but nearly the whole re- 
 sources of the Peishwa have, in consequence of the 
 late war, become vested in that government, so 
 that a large surplus now remains. All the esta- 
 blishments have been considerably increased ; the 
 army of Bombay is now 30,000 strong, and the 
 marine consists of fifteen ships of war. Law is 
 administered by a recorder's court, consisting of 
 one judge, three barristers, and eight attornies, 
 with Mahomedan and Hindoo establishments of 
 native courts similar to those of Calcutta and 
 Madras. 
 
 Bombay Castle, a place of considerable strength, 
 being the citadel of the fortress, is converted into 
 a fine arsenal. The government house, though 
 not on a magnificent scale, is comfortable and airy, 
 and the same may be said of the church, which is 
 an antiquated looking piece of architecture. All 
 the other public buildings within the fort are 
 not such as to call forth comparison witii those 
 of Calcutta, nor yet do they sink below respect-
 
 .1,14 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ability. At some distance from the fortress, in 
 the finest part of the island, is situated the 
 governor's country seat, which was originally in- 
 tended for a college by its founders, the Jesuits. 
 It is a spacious building, and surrounded by fine 
 plantations and gardens. Among the private man- 
 sions worthy of notice, Belvidere House is remark- 
 able for its fine situation, close to the bay, and for 
 the grand prospect it commands. It was the re- 
 sidence of the beautiful Mrs. Draper, the Maria of 
 Sterne's platonic affection. Her husband was a 
 civilian of rank, but unhappy in not being the 
 object of her love. Her elopement from his splen- 
 did residence was somewhat romantic, for it is said 
 that after having persuaded a dashing captain in 
 the navy to convey her to England on board his 
 vessel, she was so closely watched that she had to 
 escape by means of a ladder of ropes suspended 
 from her bed-chamber viranda, which enabled her 
 at once to jump into the boat and into the arms 
 of her new protector. 
 
 Life may be gaily passed at Bombay. The races 
 exhibit much beauty and fashion, together with 
 many a well contested heat for the annual cup of 
 the club. There are masonic, sans souci, literary 
 an4 bobbery hunt societies, and the gentlemen of 
 the settlement make the yearly circuit of the island 
 with much ceremony and parade. The word bob- 
 bery in the Hindostannee language signifies noise, 
 and the members of the bobbery hunt are true to
 
 FIFTEEN YEAKS IN INDIA. 415 
 
 their designation, spreading wherever they go the 
 loud tones of well-tuned uproar. They wear a 
 green uniform, with a jackal or pariah dog on the 
 button, and their sport consists in hunting that 
 animal all over tlie island, which is much infested 
 with them ; after which they sit down in Bobbery 
 Hall to regale on the luxuries of the East. St. Pa. 
 trick's day is kept up at this presidency, and every 
 where in India, with great spirit. There is a neat 
 theatre where civil and military amateurs sometimes 
 produce the popular performances of the day in ex- 
 cellent style. The frequent assemblies given at the 
 government house also enliven society, and there 
 are always a number of pretty girls, fresh from 
 Europe, who, as it is humorously said, make their 
 appearance there, not to receive a kiss from the 
 governor, but to get husbands. All young ladies, 
 without exception, were saluted bySirEvanNepean, 
 who seemed to believe, with a great physician, that 
 the balmy breath of female youth would be useful 
 in prolonging life. Pretty girls, who go out to 
 India with relations in the civil or military service, 
 are sure of forming eligible matches. Upon going 
 into the interior to cantonments or stations, they 
 shine like the evening star without a competitor, 
 and are worshipped as perfect goddesses, being 
 fanned sometimes by four or five lovers, and es- 
 corted by a whole regiment of dragoons. As to 
 general society at Bombay, it is just as at the other 
 presidencies, and everywhere else, composed of a
 
 416 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 heterogeneous mixture of taste and vulgarity, sim- 
 plicity and ostentation, truth and insincerity, wisdom 
 and folly. Mrs. Graham, in her travels, has been 
 pleased to point out differences in the manners and 
 characteristics of the Europeans of the three grand 
 divisions of India, which, it is presumed, a longer 
 residence in the country, and more accurate obser- 
 vation, would have shewn to be illusory. This 
 lady, and also Lord Valentia, have been faithful in 
 describing the curiosities in and about Bombay, so 
 that I shall omit the minute detail into which the 
 journal of Mr.Thoughtless enters on the subject, 
 and merely transcribe part of what he says respect- 
 ing the caves of Elephanta. 
 
 The island of Elephanta is small ; it may be de- 
 scribed as a large rock of granite rising abruptly in 
 Bombay harbour. It is clothed to its summit with 
 jungle, and there are some small nooks or valleys 
 where a few natives cultivate patches of soil, and 
 cocoa-nut plantations. In the highest part of it are 
 found the caves, and the ascent to them is rugged 
 and difficult. The island takes its name from the 
 figure of a monstrous elephant, hewn out of the 
 rock at the bottom of the hill ; time has worn away 
 the prodigious legs or pillars of the mass, yet the 
 huge ponderous body, now broken and lying in 
 pieces, still strikes beholders with wonder. Com- 
 mencing at a convenient place near the top, which 
 seems to have been judiciously chosen, the caves 
 penetrate into the solid rock to an amazing extent.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 417 
 
 all seemingly wrought by the labour of the chisel. 
 Large square pillars are left, at intervals, to support 
 the massy roof; and on entering the great cave, 
 which is well lighted by means of a large entrance, 
 and by outlets at different places round the conical 
 top, the perspective of these rows of columns, in 
 long retiring order, with statues of giants and 
 monstrous idols peeping from behind them, really 
 strikes the beholder with awe. This principal ex- 
 cavation is about 120 feet square, and in a remote 
 part of it the enormous triad is placed, which is 
 justly considered one of the wonders of the East. 
 It consists of one body and three heads, represent- 
 ing Brahma, Vishnu, and Sheva, with their appro- 
 priate symbols. Each face is five feet in length, 
 finely proportioned, and in the highest state of pre- 
 servation. Many of the fables related in Hindoo 
 mythology are represented in this cave on the living 
 rock. In viewing these surprising specimens of 
 ancient proficiency in the art of sculpture in India, 
 the astonishment is chiefly excited by the noble bold- 
 ness of design, for the finishing is but coarse j yet 
 it must be acknowledged that many of the female 
 figures have an exquisite elegance, an indescribable 
 airy contour, which could be given solely by the 
 hand of purest taste. Few of the statues are now 
 in a perfect state, and many of them were so of- 
 fensive to modesty that they have been disfigured. 
 The Portugueze having carried away numerous 
 specimens of sculpture, and mutilated others, the 
 
 E E
 
 4J8 riFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 caves were considered as profaned, and desecrated, 
 and are now entirely deserted by the Brahmins. To 
 prevent the total destruction of these celebrated re- 
 mains of antiquity, government has caused a wall to 
 be erected across the great entrance, and a house has 
 been built near it for a serjeant, who, with a guard of 
 sepoys, has charge of them, and whose business it 
 is to show them to strangers. There are several 
 smaller excavations near the large one ; and the 
 caves of Salsette and Kenneri are nearly as remark- 
 able as those of Elephanta, for they contain gi- 
 gantic figures twenty feet high. In wandering 
 over these ruins of ancient magnificence, Charles 
 felt that a vast mass of population must have once 
 been congregated in their now silent precincts. 
 These wonderful specimens of art do not reveal to 
 us the age in which they were produced, or the 
 names of the artists. One of the caves of Kenneri 
 was converted, by the Portugueze Jesuits, into a 
 church and monastery, but all is now tenantless, 
 and the resort of bats and hyaenas. Fine tanks, 
 lingum temples, carved images of deities, magni- 
 ficent flights of steps, and the labour of an age in 
 rock and marble, are all desolate ; and these mourn- 
 ful mutations impress the sensitive heart with a 
 kindred feeling of melancholy. 
 
 It was not the fortune of the 65th regiment to 
 
 remain long on the green island of Colabah, for in 
 
 the month of October 1816, it was ordered to relieve 
 
 the 2d battalion 56th regiment, tlien serving with 
 
 3
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 419 
 
 the Pooiiah subsidiary force, and about to be dis- 
 banded in consequence of peace in Europe. From 
 the preparations making at this time to destroy the 
 Pindarries, it was fully expected that the division 
 under Colonel Smith at Seroor would immediately 
 take the field j therefore all the families of the 65th 
 regiment were again advised to remain at Bombay, 
 and Thoughtless had once more the prospect of a 
 long separation from his wife and children. 
 
 E e2
 
 4^20 
 
 CHAR XXII. 
 
 " And ye, my loved associates, should 1 go 
 
 To winter's regions of eternal snow. 
 
 His shivering hand that chills the icy pole, 
 
 Can never stop the current of my soul. 
 
 The blood may freeze, the pulse may cease to beat. 
 
 The heart may lose the glow of vital heat. 
 
 But intellect will with affection burn, 
 
 And memory, while she lives, to you will turn ; 
 
 For in my soul whatever scion grows 
 
 Of virtue, she to your example owes." 
 
 On the 12th October 1816, Thoughtless marched 
 
 with the regiment from Colabah to the New Bunder, 
 
 all the officers having sent their horses round byway 
 
 of Tan n ah. The day was oppressively hot. Here 
 
 the 65th embarked in open boats to cross the bay 
 
 to Panwell, a considerable village situated in the 
 
 Koncan, on the main road to Poonah. In passing 
 
 Bombay and the fine islands of Elephanta, Salsette, 
 
 and Tannah, the scenery was remarkably grand. 
 
 About four o'clock they entered the Pen river, 
 
 which has its source in the ghauts, and is broad and 
 
 deep during flood-tide ; but being a little too late, 
 
 the boat in which Charles was embarked grounded 
 
 about nightfall, a mile below the Bunder, at 
 
 Panwell ; and Tudor, Thompson, Faden, and he, 
 
 with their men, were obliged to land and march to 
 
 the camp. This they found a most laborious and
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 421 
 
 difficult undertaking, for the night was exceedingly- 
 dark, and being unable to procure a guide, they 
 wandered along the bed of the river, sometimes up 
 to the middle in mud, and proceeded four miles ere 
 they were challenged by the sentries around the 
 camp. However, as the baggage had been sent 
 off the day before, they found the tents pitch- 
 ed, and their servants ready with refreshments. 
 Thoughtless soon fell into a sound sleep, forgetting 
 by this gift of bountiful providence, the sorrow of 
 his late separation, and all the cares of life. Having 
 slept with his tent open on account of the heat, he 
 beheld, on awaking, the sun rise in glorious beauty 
 over a hill, and he sprung from his couch to con- 
 template a most romantic scene of curious nature 
 around. Hills and mountains near and distant, 
 of most fantastic shapes, formed the horizon on 
 every part of its circle. The camp was pitched 
 close to a large tank in Paddy fields, near the river, 
 which was almost dry. The village of Panwell, a 
 collection of Indian huts constructed of bamboos, 
 mud, and other simple materials, and thatched with 
 the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, was at no great 
 distance. It is a poor place, but being one of 
 general resort to and from Bombay and Poonah, 
 it is a station for a detachment of sepoys, and has 
 a small tavern kept by a Portugueze, for the accom- 
 modation of travellers. The natives were fishing 
 the large tank with nets. Those who held the nets 
 swam in with them, and remained stationary in a 
 
 E E 3
 
 422 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 proper part of the mass of water, while great num- 
 bers of men and women, nearly naked, plunged in 
 around them, forming a wide circle. They then 
 began to beat the w-ater with their arms and legs, 
 making at the same time as great a noise as pos- 
 sible, and gradually approaching the nets, which 
 were held extended, so that the frightened fishes 
 leaped into them in amazing numbers, and were 
 instantly entangled among the snares fixed for them 
 in the net-work. 
 
 At Panwell they buried private William Melling, 
 who died of suffocation from heat and fatigue, or 
 perhaps from grief, for he had left behind him his 
 wife, a little interesting woman, and his child, 
 whom Charles saw at the Bunder, crying most bit- 
 terly. Three marches brought them to the head 
 of the Bore ghaut, and they encamped close to the 
 romantic little village called Condulla, consisting 
 of a few ghurs, near which there is a magnificent 
 tank, made by order of Nanna Furnese. That tract 
 of country through which they passed, is, like 
 Malabar and Canara, exceedingly fine, consisting 
 of hill and dale, and watered by numerous streams, 
 while from it rises abruptly that stupendous wall 
 of mountains the Ghauts. They passed the villages 
 of Conallah, Parawah, Chouck, Kunnapoor, Hull, 
 and Capolly, all pleasantly situated, and watered 
 by tanks or by mountain streams, which are seen 
 during the monsoons tumbling over the ghauts in 
 grand cascades, and rolling their waters with un-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 4^3 
 
 fordable impetuosity towards the ocean ; at present 
 they flowed with an agreeable prattle over their 
 meandering and pebbly beds. Capolly is situated 
 in a nook just under the high cliffs of mountains 
 that seem to rise above the skies. On each side of 
 it is a mighty ridge or natural wall of solid rock, 
 extending for several miles ; and the little valley, 
 or indentation, in which the village stands, seems lis 
 if permitted by providence to conduct man to the 
 only practicable pass in this vicinity across the 
 ghauts. 
 
 The Bore ghaut is difficult in some places, but 
 by no means so high or rugged as the Poodicherrum 
 and Cooteaddy. It is impossible to do any thing 
 like justice to a lusus naturae so extraordinary as 
 the scene around the camp at Condulla. There 
 was infinite variety, with the most sublime beauty 
 and order, amidst seeming confusion : glens of 
 amazing depth j precipices, impending rather than 
 perpendicular j cataracts of many hundred feet, 
 though at this season merely the beds of these cas- 
 cades were to be seen ; fantastic rocks and hills, 
 assuming every conceivable form ; mountains 
 clothed to their summits with lofty trees, and beau- 
 tifully variegated foliage, exhibiting every grada- 
 tion of tint, from the softest yellow to the darkest 
 green ; the grand depth of shade, and the lucid 
 contrast ; the warmth and animation of every part 
 just after the refreshing monsoon ; the fine cool 
 bracing air, flowing in invigorating currents through 
 
 E E 4
 
 424 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the chasms in the high overhanging rocks, with 
 the forts of Lowghur and Esapour in sight, — formed 
 an ensemble which no language can describe. 
 
 Fine fertile valleys run off from the ghauts into 
 the plains of the Deckan. It has been before ex- 
 plained, that this grand division of India extends 
 from the river Nerbuddah to the Kisthna, and 
 comprises the provinces of Kandeish, Dowlutabad, 
 Visiapour, Golconda, and part of Berar. The vil- 
 lage of Karlle, near which the first halt was made, 
 is small, but pleasingly situated in a mangoe grove, 
 and very famous on account of the caves in its 
 neighbourhood. Thoughtless and many others 
 clambered up the mountain to see the celebrated 
 one, which is supposed to have been dedicated to 
 the worship of Buddah ; though according to the 
 common report it was constructed by the Jains. 
 It is situated, with several smaller excavations, on 
 the summit of a mountain of granite, and the ascent 
 to it is difficult. There is a fine platform of about 
 one hundred feet square cut out of the rock before 
 the great entrance to the vestibule of the temple, 
 which is arched, and supported by a row of pillars 
 on each side. The effect is very grand, the inner 
 temple being about 130 feet in length and fifty 
 broad, without any figures or statues ; but in the 
 vestibule the walls are covered with mythological 
 representations in basso relievo on the rock ; and 
 before the gate are pillars twenty-four feet high, 
 and eiglit in diameter, with lions on the capitals
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 425 
 
 remarkably well sculptured. This temple is similar 
 to one among those of Kenneri, except that the 
 roof is of wood and the dimensions much larger. 
 The roof, which seems to have been put up long 
 after the excavation was made, and to have been 
 constructed to support the rocky arch which was 
 giving way, is very curiously carved. The cave 
 was half full of devotees, and tents were pitched in 
 a nook on the side of the hill for the accommoda- 
 tion of the Brahmins belonging to a small modern 
 Bowannee pagoda near it, which is now the object 
 of veneration, while the magnificent structure is 
 neglected, and believed to be haunted by devils. 
 Great numbers of cripples and diseased persons 
 had, however, taken shelter in the latter, in the 
 hope of receiving relief from the idol in the small 
 one, to which pilgrimages are made ; and many, 
 women were offering gifts and prayers for children. 
 In short, the great platform was like a fair, and 
 the Brahmins were reaping the benefit of native 
 credulity. 
 
 Thence to Seroor by way of Poonah, there are 
 at regular stages comfortable bungalows for travel- 
 lers, built by a subscription of the civil and military 
 gentlemen belonging to the subsidiary force. From 
 the head of the ghauts to the vicinity of Poonah 
 they made three marches. They passed several 
 villages and the town of Tulligaum, near which 
 there is a remarkably fine tank and a mangoe tope, 
 under the refreshing shade of whose trees the regi-
 
 .1,<26 FIFTEEN YEAUS IN INDIA. 
 
 ment encamped. They crossed the rivers Endrane 
 and Powna, branches of the Beema, which receives 
 uU the small contributions to the Kisthna in this 
 part. The prospect from the camp on the heights 
 overlooking the Peishwa's capital was interesting. 
 Dapore lay on one hand, while on the other ex- 
 tended the city of Poonah, its fertile plain wa- 
 tered by the Moota and Moola rivers, with a lofty 
 round hill rising near it, on whose summit stands 
 the temple of Parbutta the wife of Sheva, and 
 high hill forts in the distance ; the whole scene ex- 
 hibiting a pleasing diversity of upland and dale. 
 Dapore was the cantonment of the Peishwa's bri- 
 gade, commanded by Major Forde, and officered by 
 Europeans, the men being sepoys disciplined and 
 appointed like the company's troops. Next day 
 they encamped on the left bank of the Beema, which 
 is one of the great arms of the Kisthna. The towns 
 and villages in the vicinity of Poonah are built of 
 stone and lime, and the houses covered with tiles, 
 but they are generally surrounded by mud walls 
 that give them a dull appearance. 
 
 From Koragaum on the Beema they reached 
 Seroor in two marches. It is forty miles north of 
 Poonali, the intervening country being hilly but 
 tolerably cultivated. Seroor, at this time the 
 head-quarters of the subsidiary force, is situated on 
 the right bank of the Gore river, which falls into the 
 Beema. The immediate approach to it is barren 
 and unprepossessing, but this forbidding aspect
 
 I'IFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 427 
 
 serves to heighten the agreeable effect of the gar- 
 dens and bungalows, which, peeping from among 
 cypress trees, suddenly break upon the view from 
 the heights just over the cantonments. At this sta- 
 tion, long celebrated for gaiety and pleasure, they 
 found a great number of very handsome houses, a 
 neat little theatre, a racket-court, and a race-course. 
 The officers of the 65th were regaled with a sump- 
 tuous breakfast, which awaited their arrival at Cap- 
 tain Ledwick*s, of the company's service, who com- 
 manded in the absence of Colonel Smith. He was 
 returning with the field force from the banks of the 
 Godavery, where it had been guarding the passes 
 from Kandish in the hope of intercepting the Pin- 
 darries. In the meantime Thoughtless had an 
 opportunity of looking about him. The regularity 
 of the various cantonments in India gives them a 
 very cheerful appearance. They all retain the 
 plan of a camp; indeed they have risen from en- 
 campments, the soldiers having been permitted to 
 build huts of such materials as the place afforded 
 for better shelter than tents during the rainy season, 
 and the officers to erect bungalows instead of their 
 marquees. In the course of time the temporary 
 buildings of the former were converted by go- 
 vernment into barracks, and the bungalows by 
 individual labour and expence became private pro- 
 perty, being surrounded by handsome gardens, 
 lawns, and plantations, beautified with the plants, 
 shrubs, fruits, and vegetables of Europe as well as
 
 ■UZ8 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 of Asia, while the dwellings themselves were en- 
 riched with furniture, paintings, and hangings. 
 The proprietor of a handsome bungalow, on quit- 
 ting the station, found no difficulty in selling his 
 house and improvement either to a brother officer 
 of the regiment which reheved his corps, or to a na- 
 tive, who made the purchase for the purpose of 
 charging rent for it in future. In rear of the lines 
 where the bazar had stood, native towns arose in 
 the same gradual way, and where the artillery park 
 was, substantial stores and magazines were built 
 for the reception of trains and ammunition. The 
 vine flourishes in theDeckan with great luxuriance, 
 and the grapes produced at Seroor are large and 
 delicious. Fine peaches, apricots, leechies, figs, 
 pine apples, oranges, lemons, citrons, melons, 
 pumpkins, mangoes, plantains, and all the fruits of 
 the East, grow here with native richness ; and the 
 mulberry, strawberry, and nearly all the vegetable 
 tribe common in the gardens of Europe, reach ma- 
 turity in this fine soil and climate. The wdnter is 
 as cold as the autumn in England j but the summer, 
 just before the commencement of the monsoon, is 
 so dreadfully hot, that tender plants then require to 
 be covered from the sun, and demand much at- 
 tention. But in July the rain falls, and spring 
 commences ; and in September, when the monsoon 
 is over, the crops are sown, and the whole country 
 is in full bloom during December and January ; 
 rice, jewarry, wheat, cotton, grain, oilplant, sugar
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 42<J 
 
 cane, tobacco, and hemp grow freely in this soil. 
 Cotton is not produced to any great extent, but 
 all the other articles are cultivated largely; and 
 the whole vicinity of Seroor at this time in tillage 
 appeared to be in a most flourishing state. 
 
 Colonel Smith soon came in with the 56th reffi- 
 ment, and a considerable part of the force. Charles 
 was struck with his martial air ; he was of large 
 stature, with a fine penetrating aspect, and the po- 
 lished address of a highly educated man of the 
 world. The second battalion 56th was shortly 
 after its return reviewed preparatory to its dis- 
 organization. This fine corps had its 8th and 
 light companies armed with rifles and clothed in 
 green, and their skilful evolutions gave an interest- 
 ing diversity to the correct manoeuvres of the batta- 
 lion, which fixed all beholders with admiration. On 
 this occasion Colonel Smith in his orders bestowed 
 the highest praise on Colonel Kingscote, the offi- 
 cers and men of this crack regiment. " In a system 
 of discipline which that excellent officer," said he, 
 " laid down, his Majesty's regulations have been 
 always carefully preserved j every individual has 
 been perfectly instructed in his part; and the 
 strictest scrutiny into its interior order, or the most 
 watchful eye on its field movements, would equally 
 find it a beautiful battalion, at once perfect, cheer- 
 ful, and zealous in all its duties to their country. 
 There is no language of praise or thanks Colonel 
 Smith could feel to be too strong in describing the
 
 4d0 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 merits of such a corps.'* These praises, though 
 strong, were by no means hyperbolical, for this 
 regiment was so completely organized that the 
 system pervaded the very looks of the men, and 
 every one was a guardian placed over the conduct 
 of his comrade. It was like a piece of fine clock- 
 work or mechanism, in which every part moved 
 with perfect regularity. But this great attention 
 to systematic order was in some things carried to 
 ridiculous lengths. For instance, a detachment 
 composed of a non-commissioned officer from each 
 company, with the serjeant-major at their head, 
 ranged themselves round the mess-table every 
 evening immediately after the cloth was removed, 
 and each man making a grand salute by regular 
 signal, with the right hand presented an order-book 
 held in the left to that officer behind whose chair 
 he stood, who after reading returned the book, 
 which was given to another, so that every one was 
 supposed to peruse general, division, and regi- 
 mental orders at dinner. After the books were re- 
 placed in the left hand, the serjeant-major gave 
 another signal, and the whole saluted, faced, and 
 marched in file after their superior round the table, 
 and out at the door. There is no accounting for the 
 whims and fancies of men. Colonel Smith himself, 
 when in command of the 65th regiment, was sys- 
 tematic even to the expulsion of whiskers from his 
 corps, deeming it easier to shave the face to the 
 tip of each ear, than to raise a crop of hair where
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 431 
 
 nature never intended one to grow ; but on the sub- 
 ject of exhibiting orders, he was diametrically oppo- 
 site in his arrangement to Colonel Kingscote. He 
 permitted no non-commissioned officer to enter the 
 mess-room of the 65th while the officers w^ere at 
 dinner. If it was necessary to communicate orders 
 to any one at table, a mess-waiter informed the 
 officer that he was wanted, and he withdrew to re- 
 ceive the message. 
 
 Immediately after the review, volunteering com- 
 menced, and a great part of the men enlisted into 
 the 65th regiment. All discipline in the two corps 
 for a few days was lost, and upwards of sixteen 
 hundred men became complete bacchanalians, for 
 canteens were opened on the parades to enable 
 them to spend the bounty with all possible expe- 
 dition. The scene was one of great confusion. 
 Here were some parading with drums beating up 
 for recruits, and there others running about mad 
 from the effects of intoxication, while the plain was 
 strewed as if after a battle with men dead drunk. 
 Colonel Smith was carried by the soldiers all round 
 the cantonments on their shoulders, and fell several 
 times from the reeling machine that supported his 
 manly fabric ; all this he bore with good-nature, 
 and by his fascinating affability so replenished the 
 ranks, that his regiment, from being one of the 
 weakest, was raised to the full numerical force of a 
 strong corps. The rifles were transferred to the 
 65th, and two of the companies were soon arrayed
 
 432 FIFTEEN YEAKS KV INDIA. 
 
 in green. But after such disorganization it required 
 some time to restore the regiment to perfect disci- 
 pHne ; and as it was expected to remain at Seroor, 
 a treaty being on the eve of conclusion with Scindea 
 and Holkar, under whose secret influence it was 
 supposed the Pindarries were acting, the famihes 
 came up from Bombay. The amateurs were pre- 
 paring to entertain the ladies with theatricals, and 
 balls and parties were circulating pleasure around, 
 when a sudden order interrupted the amusements, 
 and called the force to the frontiers of the district 
 under Colonel Smith's command, extending from 
 the right bank of the Godavery to the left of the 
 Kisthna. They accordingly moved northward, 
 leaving the families and sick at Seroor, and after 
 three marches encamped near Ahmednuggur, a 
 strong fortress built by Auringzebe, and one of the 
 company's posts, forty miles distant from the can- 
 tonments on the road to Jaulna. In these marches 
 they crossed the Gore river, now quite fordable, 
 and passed the villages of Herigney, Ranjangaum, 
 Auckulneer, and several others, in a miserable state 
 of dilapidation, having suffered extremely from the 
 famine of 1802. The country is rude and in many 
 parts barren, but in others covered with crops of 
 grain, which at this season, the latter part of De- 
 cember, was in the blade, and had a fine appear- 
 ance. 
 
 Ahmednuggur is situated in a grand plain co- 
 vered with plantations of fruit trees, and watered
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 433 
 
 by the river Suna, which is distributed over it by 
 means of aqueducts composed of hard cement ; 
 many of them are now choked np, but they serve 
 to commemorate the once prosperous state of this 
 immense garden. The fort is a mile in circum- 
 ference, built of stone, with a ditch forty yards 
 broad and sixteen feet deep. There are several 
 interesting ruins in it of Moorish architecture, but 
 they are crumbling to dust. The breach made by 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley is still partly open, but not 
 practicable, for the place surrendered to him after 
 the storm of the Petah, which is a large town sur- 
 rounded by a high wall, with several mosques. 
 The interior has become, however, nearly a heap 
 of ruins, and exhibits an impressive monument 
 of the revolutions in human affairs. Lady Hood, 
 when here, caused to be placed in the wall, near 
 the gate which was stormed, a black marble slab, 
 with an inscription commemorating the fate of 
 Captain Mackenzie, of the 78th regiment, and the 
 officers who fell in the assault. About four miles 
 from Ahmednuggur, situated on a hill, there is a 
 monmnent ninety feet high, sacred to the memory 
 of Salabut Khaun, one of Auringzebe*s generals ; 
 and a mile distant from the fort there is a small 
 ruined palace, in the centre of an extensive and 
 beautiful tank ; it reminds the beholder of those 
 imaginary edens which poets delight to describe, 
 being surrounded by a fine garden planted with 
 fruit trees, and laid off in broad walks. Charles 
 
 F F
 
 431' FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 gazed upon the scene with a mixed sensation of 
 delight and pain. 
 
 After advancing four marches northward, they 
 encamped near the large walled town of Pooltamba, 
 now nearly in ruins, though finely situated on the 
 river Godavery, which receives all the streams in 
 this quarter of the Deckan. Part of the country 
 passed over was very fine, particularly about Bella- 
 pore, a considerable town on the Pera river, which 
 is a large branch of the Godavery. The plain 
 around it was covered with ripening jewarry, and 
 the farmers* men were seated on trees in the fields, 
 keeping off the crows from the grain, which they 
 did by uttering most frightful cries. Other ex- 
 tensive tracts were covered with jungle, inhabited 
 by antelopes in immense herds, wild hogs, bustards, 
 and hyenas. The bed of the Godavery in this 
 part of its course is about 300 yards broad, but at 
 this season it was quite fordable. This fine river 
 rises in the ghauts, crosses Dowlutabad and Gol- 
 conda from west to east, and falls into the bay of 
 Bengal. At Pooltamba they learned that Major 
 Lushington, with the 4th Madras native cavalry, 
 had overtaken a large body of the Pindarries and 
 cut seven hundred of them to pieces with the loss 
 of some men and of Captain Dark, who was run 
 through the body by a spear. This corps marched 
 seventy-six miles in fifteen hours, and the hurkaru 
 who brought the dispatch to Colonel Smith tra- 
 velled 118 miles in thirtv-four hours.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 43.5 
 
 The colonel stationed his force in brigades along 
 the Godavery, in sight of the passes through the 
 mountains into Kandeish, and tliey were for several 
 months constantly sending out light parties after the 
 Pindarries, who were plundering the country in all 
 directions. Near the towns along the river, the 
 fine fields of badgery, dholl, grain, and oil plant 
 appeared all in a deplorably ruined state ; but the 
 one half of the country was uninhabited, except by 
 antelopes, wild boars, and tigers. The force had 
 several grand hog hunts along the river, in one of 
 which Major Campbell of the company's service 
 was killed. His horse's foot, during the chase, 
 got entangled in one of the cracks made by the sun 
 in the earth, and the major was thrown and drag- 
 ged along till beaten to death against the ground. 
 He was buried near the village of Bursair, on a 
 hill, and a monument was raised there by his bro- 
 ther officers to record his memory, for he was a 
 brave and most worthy character. They had fine 
 sport in fox hunting, bustard and partridge shooting, 
 and in bringing down antelopes with the rifle, for 
 their greyhounds were not able to look at them, and 
 except when a fawn happened to be in the herd, no 
 dog could get near one of them. Their marches 
 and counter-marches extended along the Godavery, 
 almost from its source to Dowlutabad ; and upon 
 o-aininc: sig-ht of the hill fort of that town, various 
 parties were formed from camp to see it and the 
 
 F F 2
 
 430 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 caves of Ellora. Thoughtless availed liimself of 
 ojie of these parties to visit them. 
 
 About four o'clock in the morning Wilson, 
 Booth, Thomson, and he, started from camp near 
 Peepelgaram. On the road they met some friends 
 returning, whose report considerably damped their 
 expectations of pleasure, for it appeared that they 
 had been fired upon by Bheels during the night ; 
 but being vrell-armed, the party proceeded, and a 
 little further fell in with a detachment of the 3d 
 N. I. under Lieutenant Shaw, who very politely 
 gave them a guard of sepoys. Besides their head ser- 
 vants, they had a camel and hoont wallah to carry 
 their canteens, with breakfast and dinner apparatus, 
 together with their mussauls, couch wallahs, and 
 gora wallahs, so that they were now too formidable 
 to be apprehensive of danger from mere robbers. 
 They halted for breakfast at a ruined village about 
 lialf-way. The dhurrumsullah was large and com- 
 fortable. It had in one part of it a stone statue of 
 Hunnymaun, with a very long tail, and near the 
 idol there was a lingum. An old man, whose 
 shrunk shanks could scarcely support his ema- 
 ciated body, was, when they alighted, busily em- 
 ployed in anointing with oil and vermillion the 
 face and body of Hunnymaun, whom he ap- 
 proached with evident marks of respect and devo- 
 tion, salamming to the very ground. About one 
 o'clock they reached the caves, distant from camp 
 about twenty- two miles.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS I^ INDIA. 437 
 
 The mountain in which they are is of semicir- 
 cular form, and in extent about two thousand yards. 
 It is approached from the west througli a well- 
 watered and beautifully shaded plain, on which 
 numerous ruins indicate the former magnificence, 
 population, and cultivated state of this part of the 
 Deckan. The large walled town of Cassebeara is 
 in a flourishing situation, and the only one which 
 Thoughtless had seen to the north of Poonah that 
 did not excite those feelings of pity which naturally 
 arise on beholding the ruins of what once abounded 
 with life, and all things interesting to humanity. 
 A little further on are the ruins of the city of EUora, 
 the walls of which are yet in a state of good order, 
 while the interior offers nothing but a melancholy 
 picture of abandonment, not containing now one 
 fortieth of its former population. Here they were 
 met by a Brahmin, who conducted them up to 
 the caves. Although curiosity had been sufficiently 
 excited to anticipate something beyond measure 
 wonderful, yet on this occasion the reality by far 
 exceeded what Thoughtless had imagined. It is 
 idle to attempt the description of these caves ; in- 
 deed a volume might be filled with what must be 
 here compressed into a page, for they contain the 
 whole history of the Hindoo mythology. 
 
 Great numbers of" Brahmins live in these caves 
 upon the presents made by devotees, pilgrims, and 
 strangers attracted hither by curiosity. The one 
 who conducted them was very communicative and 
 
 F F -3
 
 438 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 lively. According to his account, he had also at- 
 tended Lady Hood through tliem, and he was so 
 loud in praising her ladyship's generosity, that they 
 soon discovered his eulogy to be a ruse to work 
 upon their liberality. He gave them all the infor- 
 mation in his power on the subject of the history 
 and formation of the caves ; but they soon per- 
 ceived that he knew no more than themselves, for 
 he assured them very gravely, that the mountain had 
 been thus excavated five thousand years ago by the 
 gods, during the nights of six months ; and that 
 previous to this wonderful woik of the heavenly 
 powers, the world had existed many thousands of 
 years. From authentic information it would appear 
 that these stupendous excavations were completed 
 about one thousand years ago, some time before the 
 Mahomedan invasion, when the Brahminical system 
 of idolatry was in the zenith of its splendour. There 
 are also good grounds for supposing that they 
 were intended for colleges, in which the priests 
 could reside and teach all the ceremonies of their 
 mythology. No wonder that the ignorant should 
 credit any story, however fabulous, respecting mo- 
 numents of art so amazing as to strike the most 
 enlightened beholder with wonder and awe. 
 
 The mountain is a solid mass of exceedingly fine 
 granite, about four hundred feet above the level of 
 the plain. Along the face of this, there are eight 
 principal caves, and about twenty small ones, some 
 of which are not worth notice. Among the large 
 
 15
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 439 
 
 caves there is one like Elephanta, and another re- 
 sembling Karlee, but by far exceeding either of 
 them in magnificence, variety, and extent. A pa- 
 goda one hundred feet high is here cut out of the 
 solid rock. Thousands of colossean figures, four- 
 teen feet high, ornament the walls, and the 
 mountain seems to be supported by gigantic 
 pillars, on which the regular orders of architecture 
 are displayed, together with that curious style of 
 decoration so common over Asia. All the stages 
 of human life are here represented as faithfully as 
 by the pen of Shakespeare. The infant puking, 
 the father and mother in the bloom of health 
 and beauty, then decrepid with age and infirmity, 
 and again the pithless skeletons of their former 
 selves. A miser is seen upwards of ten feet high, 
 with his children and wife, and an old woman 
 grasping his legs, and imploring charity, with 
 starvation on their countenances, while a thief is 
 stealing away bags of money from behind the 
 shivering hard-hearted wretch, who seems to be 
 spurning away those who are kneeling before him 
 for aid. In one place are represented the struggles 
 between the gods and the giants to secure the 
 sea of butter ; in another the thirty thousand mil- 
 lions of divinities flying to the assistance of Brahma, 
 Vishnu, or Shevah. Here the metamorphoses of 
 these brothers, and there the history of their 
 amours, with the battle at the feast of the king of 
 the mountains, and ten thousand other most ex- 
 
 F F 1<
 
 MO FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 traordinary combats and stories, all vividly bodied 
 ibrtli on the solid rock, and finished with all the 
 art of sculpture, in such fine proportions that even 
 severe criticism must look with complacency upon 
 the minute correctness, elegance, and indescribable 
 grace displayed in the more remarkable specimens. 
 
 In extent, some of the caves are wonderful. The 
 largest, which is called Khylas or Paradise, is in 
 length 245 feet, and in breadth 143. In effecting 
 this vast excavation the chisel seems to have been 
 the only instrument used, therefore the labour and 
 perseverance, time and expence, must have been 
 very great. The Brahmins conduct strangers over 
 the whole to the greatest advantage, the last 
 shewn exceeding all the former in grandeur and 
 extent. Some of them are of three stories, com- 
 municating with each other by a flight of mag- 
 nificent stairs, and each story having a grand 
 viranda, supported by beautiful pillars running 
 along its front. On going into the lowest one, 
 the stranger is surprised ; the next astonishes him ; 
 but the last confounds him, for it still surpasses 
 the others. The interior of every cave is lighted 
 with great art and taste, imparting, by its well- 
 contrived remoteness from glare on the one hand 
 and darkness on the other, that fine effect to the 
 statuary which an artist would delight to produce 
 in his exhibition room. 
 
 The great stone pagoda before noticed has 
 thousands of figures both within and without, in
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 44-1 
 
 basso relievo, together with innumerable separate 
 statues, representing tlie conquest of Ceylon by 
 the gods, and many other pieces of history in the 
 Hindoo mythology. This pagoda is cut out of 
 solid stone, and there is between it and the scarped 
 rock a considerable space. Under the latter, 
 there are a viranda and galleries, in which fifty 
 giants stand as guards round the temple, with 
 symbols denoting their exploits. The height 
 of the scarp is ninety feet, and from the galleries 
 the pagoda appears as if it had been placed on the 
 backs of elephants, tigers, and lions, and as if its 
 weight were crushing these furious looking animals 
 to death, for only the heads, legs, and part of 
 their bodies appear outside. Many of the other 
 caves are equally wonderful. 
 
 The party spent the whole day and a great part 
 of next morning among these caves, for they could 
 hardly satisfy their curiosity. In going through 
 them they saw many old Brahmins, and cripples 
 lying on low cots, or on mats spread on raised parts 
 of the floor ; but these devotees (except such as 
 expected charity) hardly raised their heads to notice 
 them, being so much accustomed to strangers. 
 Some of the Brahmins had long white beards, and 
 a very venerable benevolent aspect and appear- 
 ance, as if freed from all worldly care ; others were 
 emaciated, looking as if in torture, covered with 
 ashes, having their liair matted in a most flltliy 
 looking manner, and being scarcely able to oi)cn
 
 142 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 their eyes from the quantity of dirty paint smeared 
 over their faces. Upon returning, the visitors 
 found the table laid, and every thing in order for 
 dinner in a small round pagoda, near the great 
 cave called Khylas, which was large enough to 
 hold all their couches, and upon a carpet being 
 spread on the floor, they really felt most comfort- 
 able after the fatigue of the day. Their pick-nick 
 was excellent 5 Captain Wilson had claret and 
 cherry bounce, Thomson had Hodson*s pale ale. 
 Booth produced fine old madeira, and Charles had 
 humble port wine. These, with a good dinner, soon 
 made themfrolicksome, and as the seeming lethargy 
 of the Brahmins in the caves attracted their obser- 
 vation, they determined on rousing them from their 
 slumber. Accordingly they discharged their pistols 
 in the air, reloaded with blank cartridge, and fired 
 away with all possible rapidity. But very few of 
 the Brahmins came near them, for most of those 
 philosophers were completely absorbed in the con- 
 templation of heavenly things. 
 
 The next day they rode over the mountain to 
 Dowlutabad, about eight miles distant from the 
 caves, by a road which is in many parts difficult. 
 On the terrace of the mountain, there is a very ex- 
 tensive tank, covered with wild duck and teal, and 
 a large v/alled Moorish town called Roza, with a 
 tomb sacred to the memory of Aurungzebe, in which 
 the natives believe that a part of him is interred, 
 as other parts are supposed to be at Aurungabad,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 4-43 
 
 Alimednuggur, and elsewhere. The road on ap- 
 proaching Dowlutabad, by way of Kakusdullah, 
 where there is a great manufactory of paper, is cut 
 out of a mountain, and well paved ; this must have 
 been a work of considerable labour. The ruins of 
 this ancient city, once distinguished for its opulence, 
 (^Doxvlut signifying r/c//, and ahad being merely the 
 generic term for city^ are several miles in circum- 
 ference, and the surrounding wall is still in good 
 order, though the interior is a heap of rubbish, the 
 few inhabitants that remain near it having erected 
 habitations at some distance. The water for the 
 supply of this place was conducted from a large 
 reservoir, formed in a valley between two moun- 
 tains, by a mound of solid masonry run across, and 
 was distributed by means of pipes to all parts of the 
 city. 
 
 One of the curiosities in the Deckan is the hill 
 fort of Dowlutabad, in which the Nizam has a gar- 
 rison. It is cut out of the solid rock, and ap- 
 parently impregnable, for the perpendicular height 
 of each face is about ninety feet, and it has a wet 
 ditch thirty feet broad and twenty deep. From 
 the capital of the scarp, the hill shelves up to a 
 point so gradually, that even if tlie besiegers could 
 mount the first perpendicular, their labour would 
 be little more than commenced. The hill itself 
 may be about three hundred and fifty feet high 
 from the base, and is cut nearly into a square. It 
 is quite a shelly, the fort being excavated out of it.
 
 414 FirrEEN years in india. 
 
 witli tanks for the retention of water, and windino^ 
 stairs and passages' that astonish those who examine 
 its interior. These excavations were made before 
 the invention of gunpowder, and the immense body 
 of solid stone cut away was transported from its 
 original situation to various parts of the fort, by the 
 tedious means of human labour. 
 
 Aurungabad was, during the Moorish empire, 
 the capital of the Deckan. It is a very extensive 
 city, situated within eighteen miles of the caves of 
 EUora, and about 260 miles N. E. of Bombay. Even 
 in its present state of decay, the numerous mosques 
 and the ruins of former magnificence, give it an 
 air of grandeur. It is the station of a British poli- 
 tical agent, and the head-quarters of several batta- 
 lions of the Nizam's army, disciplined and clothed 
 like sepoys, and commanded by European officers, 
 either lent by the company, or deriving rank and 
 pay from the government of Hyderabad. Captain 
 Sydenham exercises the functions of a general under 
 the Nizam, and is commander-in-chief of that part 
 of his army organized on our system of tactics. 
 The Nizam has his court at Hyderabad, the capital 
 of Golconda, situated on a branch of the river 
 Kisthna, 352 miles N. E. of Madras. The fortress 
 of Golconda is only six miles from the city, to which 
 it is joined by a famous wall of communication. 
 This fort is on the summit of a conical hill, and is 
 deemed impregnable. In 1687, when Aurungzebe 
 conquered the Deckan, it fell into his hands by
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 445 
 
 tieacheiy. The celebrated diamond mines now 
 nardly produce revenue enough to pay the expence 
 ot* working them. Near them there are mines of salt, 
 and fine iron for sword blades j and the vicinity of 
 Hyderabad produces calicoes and chintzes of the 
 most curious and complicated workmanship in 
 India. 
 
 The nature of this work renders it impossible to 
 enter minutely into the history of provinces, or to 
 detail the splendid military achievements of British 
 arms in the Deckan ; for these particulars I refer 
 to Waring's History of the Mahrattas, to Dow's 
 History of Hindostan, and to Orme's Account of the 
 Military Transactions in India. 
 
 Upon his return to the force, Charles was ordered 
 to proceed to Bombay on duty. From Nagamtan 
 on the river Godavery to Bombay, the distance is 
 two hundred and forty miles, by way of Toka and 
 Hewrah, two military posts of some importance, 
 which form a chain of communication between 
 Ahmednuggur and Jaulnah, where the principal 
 part of the Nizam's subsidiary force is cantoned, 
 and thence the line is prolonged to Nagpore, the 
 station of another considerable division of the 
 Madras army, being the subsidiary with the Rajah 
 of Berar. As the high road to Bombay, by way of 
 Seroor and Poonah, was reported perfectly safe for 
 travellers, Charles was not furnished with a guard, 
 and passed ov^er this tract merely accompanied by 
 his servants, and a camel to carry what was ne-
 
 41-G FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 cessaiy. He fbund a comfortable dliurrumsallah in 
 every town where it was necessary to halt, and tlie 
 inhabitants evinced a disposition to treat him with 
 kindness and respect. Nearly all the towns are in 
 a state of decline, exhibiting the ruins of former 
 population, and surrounded with high walls for the 
 protection of the little that remains. In most of 
 the dhurrumsallahs, there is a rude stone figure of 
 Hunnymaun, over which the natives throw oil or 
 water frequently, and place before it offerings of 
 nice cakes, which are immediately carried off by 
 poor half-starved looking boys. The people ap- 
 proach the images of Hunnymaun with all possible 
 respect, taking off their shoes and salamming very 
 low. It is in thus traversing a country, without mar- 
 tial parade or anything to draw off the attention of 
 the natives from their occupations and amusements, 
 that one has the most interesting opportunities of 
 seeing them in their real character; and as Charles 
 was curious on this point, he often went out of his 
 way for the purpose of noticing what chance might 
 reveal to his observation. Those travellers are per- 
 fectly correct who have reported that the Hindoos 
 make feasts for flies of sugar and honey, and watch 
 them while feeding with great satisfaction. It is 
 no less true that they carry grain of various de- 
 scriptions into the fields, and place it near every ant 
 hillock which lies in their way, as a provision for 
 these little animals. In short, their tenderness for 
 every species of animated matter is almost incre-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 447 
 
 dible, and can only be accounted for on the prin- 
 ciple of the doctrine of trans migration. 
 
 With many of the natives of different ranks, 
 casts, and degrees of intelligence, he had long con- 
 versations. Some of them appeared hardly to have 
 common ideas on subjects even within their obser- 
 vation ; others were well informed, and possessed 
 of vigorous minds ; several were exceedingly in- 
 quisitive, and more inclined to ask than to answer 
 questions, and not a few were full of acute remarks 
 on various subjects, talking of our great power and 
 extensive sway in the country. These would screw 
 their right fore-finger into the left closed hanj, 
 and exclaim with a most significant expression of 
 countenance, and a loud smack of the lips, that we 
 had pushed ourselves in so to theDeckan, the Kon- 
 can, Guzerat, the Carnatic, and Bengal, and that 
 they were all our own now. " Ah sir," said one of 
 them to him, " it is nonsense to call this gaum or 
 town Scindea*s, and that the Peishwa's ; for they 
 are all nothing but tenants of the English.*' 
 
 Both during his march to Bombay and his return 
 to the force by a different route, he was forcibly 
 struck with the discontent manifested by the na- 
 tives in regard to our occupation of the country. 
 It was also quite apparent that the Peishwa's troops 
 were fired with hatred, and the impression on his 
 mind was that an explosion would shortly take 
 place. In fact, this did occur soon after, and the 
 state of public feeling which ho had observed in
 
 448 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 the country was occasioned by the secret designs 
 of the Mahratta chiefs, who were preparing their sub- 
 jects at this time for war, and circulating false re- 
 ports respecting the views and encroachments of 
 the honourable company. But in short Mr. Elphin- 
 ston the British resident at Poonah had observed 
 such warlike preparations and dispositions on the 
 part of the Peishwa, that he thought it necessary 
 to direct the force to march for the capital, and 
 Thoughtless met his regiment on its route thither, 
 with the rest of the army, having very narrowly 
 escaped a body of Pindarries who passed him. By 
 an accident his servants had separated from him 
 and taken another and nearer road, so that upon 
 their arrival in camp it was supposed that the Pin- 
 darries had cut him and a small escort of sepoys to 
 pieces ; therefore upon his arrival he was congratu- 
 lated as one risen from the dead by his warm-hearted 
 companions. The body of plunderers that passed 
 in the vicinity of his march was pursued by Major 
 Smith of the first battalion 14th native infantry, 
 and nearly destroyed after a march of four succes- 
 sive days and nights over a distance of 150 miles. 
 Such a march for infantry was considered very 
 great, and it was noticed handsomely in orders. 
 '^ Colonel Smith never troubles the troops with 
 idle praise ; he hopes therefore that the sincerity 
 with which he applauds the steady perseverance, 
 the cool judgment and military skill of Major Smith 
 upon this occasion, and the conspicuous exertions
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 449 
 
 of the officers and soldiers under him may prove the 
 more acceptable." 
 
 This arduous service was performed in the month 
 of May, which is the hottest season in the Deckan. 
 Trimbuckgee Danglae, who was at the head of these 
 Pindarries, had been one of the Peishwa's principal 
 chiefs ; and in consequence of determined hostility 
 to the English, evinced more particularly by the 
 murder of the Guickwar's minister at Pundei^pore, 
 had been confined in the fort of Tannah, near Bom- 
 bay, from which he effected his escape. It was be- 
 lieved that the Peishwa himself had countenanced 
 the murder of the Guickwar*s shasti, and an inves- 
 tigation of the affair became imperative on the part 
 of the British government, then in close alliance 
 with the chief of Guzerat. The Peishwa disavowed 
 the act, and gave up the author, as he said, to jus- 
 tice, on condition that his life should be spared. 
 Sufficient care was not taken of him in the fort of 
 Tannah, and he made his escape through a closet 
 which communicated with a stable ; and while the 
 sentinel stood waiting for his return he passed the 
 gate, it is said, in the disguise of a gora wallah. 
 He soon gained the mountains, and raised a consi- 
 derable party amongst his vassals and adherents, 
 which was daily increasing by the accession of Pin- 
 darries, under which denomination he with his 
 force for some time traversed the country. The 
 Peishwa gave it out that the vast military prepara- 
 tions making by him were for the purpose of crush- 
 
 G G
 
 450 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ing tliis daring chief j but his good faith and since- 
 rity were suspected, and it was afterwards found 
 tliat he viewed Trimbuckgee*s operations with hope 
 and complacency. The force advanced to Poonah, 
 and Mr. Elphinstone compelled the Peishwa to ex- 
 plain his views and enter into a new treaty with the 
 Honourable Company which was thought to be 
 more secure and advantageous than the former. 
 
 The city of Poonah is of modern construction, 
 and not entitled to much notice. It is well watered 
 by the Moota and Moola, which form a junction 
 near it. The Peishwa*s palaces and gardens are 
 objects of curiosity ; the former exhibit a display 
 of eastern grandeur, and are also furnished with 
 costly articles of European manufacture. Some of 
 the rooms are completely wainscotted with British 
 mirrors, and the ceiling is hung with gorgeous 
 chandeliers — a profusion of time-pieces, mathema- 
 tical instruments, and globes decorated the apart- 
 ments, which were furnished also with costly velvet 
 beds, and the richest carpets. The streets of the 
 city are broader in general than those of other 
 native towns, and exhibit the appearance of vast 
 wealth. There are several pagodas ; but these, 
 being of modern construction, are not objects of 
 great veneration, and the Brahmins of Poonah make 
 annual processions to Punderpore on the Beena, and 
 to Sattara on the Kisthna, where there are sacred tem- 
 ples of great antiquity. The plain in which Poonah 
 stands is like a garden, and the scenery very fine.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 451 
 
 having the ghauts in the distance. The city lies 
 under a high range of mountains, with several 
 romantic hill forts in sight, and near its walls is the 
 round and steep natural mount on which the Par- 
 butty is situated. Poonah is not of great extent or 
 of imposing appearance. In point of strength it is 
 not worthy of much consideration ; but its great 
 wealth and the sacred nature of its government, 
 the Peishwa being a Brahmin, give it a prepon- 
 derance among the Mahratta states. 
 
 Peishwa was the title of the prime minister under 
 the Sattara Rajah, who is the legitimate sovereign of 
 all the possessions belonging to the Poonah govern- 
 ment ; but about a century ago, one of the an- 
 cestors of Badge Row, the present Peishwa, induced 
 the reigning rajah either by coercion or persuasion 
 to retire from the cares of the throne. Being a 
 Brahmin, it was unlawful for the usurper to assume 
 the title of rajah, and he continued to govern un- 
 der that of Peishwa, making the subjects believe 
 that the resignation of the monarch was a voluntary 
 act. Indeed a sham ceremony of showing the 
 successor of Sevagee, the founder of the Mahratta 
 empire, annually to his subjects, was always kept 
 up, although it is well known that the Sattara 
 Rajah is a close prisoner, and surrounded by the 
 Peishwa*s creatures. The survivors of this venera- 
 bly ancient family consist of the rajah, his mother, 
 and his two brothers, who were at this time confined 
 in the almost inaccessible fort of Sattara, situated 
 
 G G 2
 
 4,52 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 sixty miles south of Poonah. After this usurpa- 
 tion, the Peishwa removed his seat of government 
 to Poonah, then beginning to flourish, and there it 
 has since continued. The city has never been for- 
 tified, and is only surrounded by sHght walls that 
 would keep off a sudden attack of cavalry ; for the 
 government of Poonah depend for protection, in 
 any emergency, upon the strength of a strong hill 
 fort called Poorundar, about eighteeen miles dis- 
 tant. 
 
 Both Poonah and Sattara are situated in the an- 
 cient kingdom of Viziapour, which was overthrown 
 by the Moguls, and finally ruined by Aurungzebe. 
 The vast and curious remains of the once mighty 
 city of Sattara are about 130 miles S. E. of Poonah, 
 and still strike the beholder with wonder and sur- 
 prise, being upwards of fifteen miles in circum- 
 ference. After the ruin of this mighty kingdom, 
 and the decline of the Mogul power, the Mahrattas 
 who inhabited the mountains rose into notice under 
 Sevagee, and Sattara was long their capital. Since 
 the battle of Paniput this empire has declined, and 
 it may now be said that the only chief who has any 
 thing like independence is Scindea. Lord Valentia 
 has described the dusserah and the etiquette of the 
 Poonah court so minutely, that it is unnecessary 
 to say any thing on those subjects, more particu- 
 larly as the Poonah government is now no more. 
 The Hon. Mr. Elphinstone resided in an extensive 
 range of buildings erected in»the sungum or fork of
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 4:53 
 
 the rivers Moota and Moola, within a stone's throw 
 of the city of Poonah. This most learned and in- 
 genious gentleman kept an open table for all 
 European officers who passed the residency, and 
 welcomed them with eastern magnificence and 
 British hospitality. The cantonments for the Poo- 
 nah division of the subsidiary force were also near 
 the city, and formed a beautiful display of elegant 
 cottages and bungalows, surrounded by gardens in 
 the European style, filled with the various fruits of 
 the Deckan, overtopped with cypress trees that im- 
 parted a majestic grandeur to the scene. 
 
 Soon after the political arrangements had been 
 concluded which called for the presence of the 
 army, the force returned to Serroor to be cantoned 
 during the approaching monsoon. The amateurs 
 marshalled their theatrical columns, and entei'- 
 tained the ladies, who had been left almost in soli- 
 tude, with some excellent specimens of farcical 
 humour. Balls and suppers were not wanting, 
 so that gaiety and festivity, sweetened by the recol- 
 lection of late deprivations, everywhere prevailed. 
 But scarcely had the rains subsided, and the jockey 
 club found the course fit for the annual races, 
 when the force again took the field, and resumed 
 their station on the banks of the Godavery. The 
 Mahratta states had now assumed a very warHke 
 appearance. Tiie Marquis of Hastings was moving 
 with a vast force upon Scindea. Holkar's govern- 
 ment was suspected -, the rajah of Berar was little 
 
 G G 3
 
 454 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 to be depended upon, and the Peishwa appeared 
 ready to break faith if opportunity offered. In 
 these circumstances, a very active campaign being 
 apprehended, proper preparations were made to 
 meet an approaching storm, which soon began to 
 rage, as will be seen in the next chapter.
 
 455' 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 •' But look ! the tide now ebbs — hark ! — splash of oars — 
 I leave thee, and these long frequented shores. 
 My fondest hope — O may it not be vain ! 
 Is soon, my friend, to press thy hand again. 
 Once more, the dandies call, farewell ! adieu ! 
 And Gunga bore him swiftly from my view. 
 The stormy ocean soon will roar between — 
 Perchance till death has clos'd life's busy scene!" 
 
 Instead of immediately pursuing the course of 
 events in the Ueckan, we find it necessary to bring 
 up collateral matter, wiiicli has fallen considerably 
 in arrear. The regiment to which Frank Stanley 
 belonged had at length received orders to return 
 home, and it was drafted at Tritchinopoly. Frank 
 accompanied the head-quarters to Madras, where, 
 a very short time before he embarked for Europe, 
 his long promised promotion took place, and he was 
 raised to that rank in life by his merit which he had 
 so long signally deserved. Although love smiled be- 
 fore him in the prospect, and hope beckoned him 
 from the white cliffs of his native land, yet he left 
 India with a sorrowful heart, and his farewell letter 
 bore evident marks of melancholy : — *'I am much 
 concerned to say, my dearest friend, that this will 
 be the last time I shall write to you in India, for the 
 
 G G 4
 
 ii56 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 ship is arrived from Bengal, and we go on board 
 to-morrow morning. I have been waiting in 
 anxious expectation some time past for a letter 
 from you, but I am greatly afraid I shall be obliged 
 to leave the country without one. Notwithstanding 
 the pleasing prospect before me, I cannot account 
 for the reason, but I do not feel half so much plea- 
 sure in leaving India as I expected I should j per- 
 haps leaving you behind, and a chance of never 
 seeing you more, is partly the cause. I suppose 
 
 you have heard of the death of Colonel E and 
 
 Lieut. S , who are much regretted by the whole 
 
 regiment. Poor fellows, they were preparing to 
 go home the day before they died. To see men 
 cut off in the prime of life, after a few days illness, 
 almost makes me indifferent about my future pro- 
 spects, for ' we know not to-day what tO'morrow 
 may bring forth.* I had the good fortune the other 
 day to receive a very affectionate letter from my 
 mother ; she is well, and anxiously waiting to see 
 me, so is the old squire, and if I may trust a mo- 
 ther's love, so is Miss Sarah. Pray have you heard 
 again from your father? I shall go to Ireland shortly 
 after I get home to see him, and should have liked 
 to be the bearer of a letter from you, with a ring or 
 some token of your affection. Having some fine 
 elephants' hair, I shall get one made in England, 
 and deliver it to him in your name, for I am sure 
 you will send me a note of introduction to the old 
 gentleman. Please to present my kind respects to
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 457 
 
 Mrs. T — , and 1 hope this will find her and all your 
 little ones in good health ; and I pray God you may 
 enjoy every blessing this world can give together. 
 
 ♦ She who her lovely offspring eyes 
 
 With tender hopes and fears, 
 O bless her with a mother's joys, 
 
 But spare a mother's tears.' 
 
 " Do, my excellent friend, let me hear from you at 
 all opportunities, it will be my greatest consolation. 
 We expect to put in at the Cape j if so, I will send 
 you a letter. But should I not receive one from 
 you in two or three months after my arrival in 
 England, I shall conclude something has happened. 
 I must now bid you a long adieu ! and something 
 tells me I shall never have the pleasure of seeing 
 you any more. For all past favours I have nothing 
 to return you but my unfeigned thanks, and may 
 the Almighty bless and prosper you and Mrs. T — . 
 Go whither I may, you will always possess the en- 
 tire esteem and affection of your constant friend 
 till death." 
 
 A tear had been dropped on this letter by the 
 writer, and it was wet with another from the reader, 
 for Charles sighed at the probability that they 
 should never meet again in this world. His own 
 health was in a most delicate state from long resi- 
 dence in the climate, and lie laboured under an 
 affection of the liver; but although he had received 
 the most pressing invitation from his fatiier to re- 
 turn home, yet he could not in honour quit the
 
 458 riFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 force on leave of absence during the war, when it 
 was expected that every officer should keep at his 
 post so long as he was able to stand. He was, 
 however, cheered by the prospect of soon following 
 his friend to the renovating breezes of his native 
 climate, for a probability existed that by the vast 
 preparations then making the Marquis of Hastings 
 would force the native powers into his measures 
 without striking a blow. Some other circumstances 
 had also elevated Charles's spirits to a high 
 degree. His old benefactor, Captain Noble, had 
 returned to India to insure his majority, and had 
 written to Thoughtless in the most friendly terms, 
 assuring him that his greatest satisfaction almost 
 through life had been the reflection of having 
 assisted his merit in its dawn, which had since ad- 
 vanced him to the station in life that he so well 
 deserved. He had also received letters from his 
 father, and from his friend George True, who was 
 now a captain on half-pay residing on his paternal 
 estate, which quite delighted him. The former 
 breathed the most ardent anxiety to see him, and 
 the latter described every thing in the most en- 
 chanting colours J for when we are pleased and 
 happy within ourselves, all the world seems robed 
 in smiles. 
 
 " With emotions of joy," said Charles's father, 
 in his first letter, *' which I am unable to describe, 
 I received your letter of the 3d June. Thank 
 God that my son is yet living j that his father has
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 4.59 
 
 been spared after various fatigues, dangers, and 
 troubles by sea and land : I shall deem it the best 
 gift of Providence to receive a long absent son, his 
 wife, and little offspring, with all that tender pa- 
 rental affection which the human heart can possess." 
 He then went on to describe the success he had 
 met with in the United States, and the affluence in 
 which he lived in his native country. " You, my 
 dear Charles," continued he, *♦ are my only son ; 
 but I have three daughters by a second marriage, 
 smart lively girls, the eldest has a striking resem- 
 blance of you, and the mother says that she is the 
 pet on that account. Providence has been kind in 
 giving you a happy inclination to improve your 
 mind. You well know that my embarrassments 
 were the cause of your having been left with your 
 grandmother and uncle, for an unfortunate co- 
 partnership ruined my affairs, and forced me to 
 quit my native country. "We have both been suc- 
 cessful in overcoming the persecution of fortune, 
 thank God ; I hope that we have both done with 
 her hard gusts, that we shall have a happy meeting 
 in this country, and that my dear dear son's pre- 
 sence will aid, cheer, and comfort me in my declin- 
 ing years. Therefore, my dear Charles, come 
 hither with your family as soon as possible ; thank 
 God I am able to make a handsome provision for 
 you ; in short, I shall gladly share to the last 
 shilling with you. But what is fortune to health ? 
 and yours is impaired. The thougiit fills mc
 
 460 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 with anxiety. Your grandmother and aunt in 
 DubUn are dead. My mother died last October, 
 good old lady j she was pleasingly affected on hear- 
 ing your former letter read. I am now in the fifty- 
 fourth year of my age, and enjoy good health. lam 
 still fond of music, and keep my violin and flute in 
 good order, and sometimes play for the children, 
 who dance well. Since your letter arrived they 
 have had much chat about your little ones, and I 
 assure you my wife will be most happy to see you 
 all. 'Tis astonishing to observe the affectionate 
 anxiety manifested by your sisters to make friends 
 of your children." In another letter this affection- 
 ate parent entered into further particulars with so 
 much warmth of feeling that Thoughtless deter- 
 mined upon giving up his prospects in the army, 
 and going home with his family as soon as he could 
 do so with honour. " My dear and only son," said 
 his father, " nothing in this world ever afforded me 
 such a degree of satisfaction as the receipt of your 
 letters, assuring me that you are still in the land of 
 the living, and affording hopes that I may soon 
 have the pleasure of seeing you, your wife and dear 
 little offspring ; but I feel uneasy that your health 
 is impaired : exert yourself to come to this country, 
 your debilitated constitution will be renewed, and 
 by God*s permission, I expect and hope to see you 
 an ornament to society in my declining years, to 
 fill my place and fall into my connections. I reside 
 in the country, ten miles from Dundalk, during 
 
 13
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 4G1 
 
 vacation, but I have a house in Dublin, and one in 
 Dundalk also, where I intend to fix you and family, 
 for I spend nearly half my time in it, being a lively 
 improved country town, situated in one of the best 
 parts of Ireland. Thank God you have escaped 
 the pestilential climate of Guzerat, and now breath 
 the elevated air of the Deckan. Most undoubtedly 
 you have been and will be happy in the choice you 
 have made ; a good wife is the greatest blessing a 
 man can have in this sublunary life. You seem to 
 possess a disposition suited to domestic happiness, 
 but your situation in the army deprives you of the 
 real enjoyments to be attained in that way. — The 
 feelings of a man leaving his wife and family, per- 
 haps never to see them again, at a few hours warn- 
 ing, to take the field against a formidable enemy, 
 and the fatigues, troubles, and deprivations incident 
 thereto, must torture even the bravest officer living. 
 I can have but a faint idea of the state of mind in- 
 duced by such emotions j but I think a military life 
 ill calculated to ensure the comfort of a wife and 
 family, which must be the object of every honour- 
 able man who has elevation of soul sufficient to 
 prefer the happiness of his partner to his own. I 
 sincerely recommend you, as soon as you can con- 
 sistently with honour, to make arrangements and 
 return to your native country. It is my intention 
 to make you an allowance fully adequate to support 
 yourself and family genteelly, till in the course of 
 nature you will succeed to my income, which, with-
 
 4()2 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 out exaggeration, is eight hundred per annum. 1 
 am sure that after having served your king and 
 country so many years, it will be easy for you to 
 retire to the half-pay. When you have arrange- 
 ments made for leaving that country, let me know 
 when you expect to arrive in London, and I shall 
 meet you there. My dear son, my happiness in a 
 great measure depends on your existence, and hav- 
 ing you and your sweet little family near me would 
 smooth my passage through the declining part of 
 life. My health is, and has b^en for years, very good 
 — my weight eighteen stone, though I ride a great 
 deal on horseback, and rise very early — my wife 
 and children all join me in prayers for your safety 
 and speedy arrival. May God bless you, Mary, and 
 your dear little children, is the fervent ejaculation of 
 your affectionate father." When Thoughtless made 
 known the change in his prospects to his friends and 
 companions, particularly to his warm-hearted coun- 
 tryman, Adam Cuppage, " I protest," said he, 
 " your story is just like a novel, and it would 
 be equally interesting if you were judiciously to 
 give it here and there a slight tint of the mar- 
 vellous." 
 
 True's letters abounded with the most charming 
 descriptions of society in the north of Ireland, par- 
 ticularly in the lively towns of Armagh and Newry. 
 The elder Mr. True, with a delicacy which did him 
 honour, had put George into possession of a small 
 estate of his in county Down, which came into the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 463 
 
 family with his mother : he himself resided on his 
 paternal property in county Armagh, but such a 
 constant intercourse was kept up between the two 
 families that hardly a day passed without some ex- 
 change of courtesy. Robert Gordon had become 
 the confidential steward of the captain, and in 
 course of time was appointed agent and receiver to 
 the father and son, for which situation he was well 
 qualified both in point of education, address, and 
 intelligence. His love for poetry still continued, 
 and George sent his friend Charles a description of 
 the vicinity of his country seat, written by the 
 author of '' The Fate of Mary." 
 
 In county Down, where many a crystal rill 
 
 Adorns those meads which bleaching linens till, 
 
 (Esto perpetua — Erin go brah) 
 
 Lies Newr\-, on the confines of Armagh ; 
 
 Whose northern aspect, opening hill and dale. 
 
 Where peace and plenty robe each happy vale. 
 
 Through which the Bann bears off to broad Lough Neagh, 
 
 The treasures that wide ocean's depths convey ; 
 
 On other sides mountainous ridges rise. 
 
 And seem as if they kissed the dewy skies, 
 
 Slievegullion towers, — the northern weather glass, 
 
 And Carlingford 'gainst Neptune leans his mass ; 
 
 Along whose lofty side six miles and more. 
 
 From Newrj', are a lough and charming shore. 
 
 Industry slow, and poverty have crept. 
 
 To nestle where the eagles once have slept ; 
 
 For not a nook whose herbs would feed a pig. 
 
 But cheers a heart as merry as a grig. 
 
 Thy hand, good Ogle, round your rural seat. 
 
 Has formed a scene where taste may recreate :
 
 464 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 High winding roads that cut the mountain side, 
 Green shady dumps which barren roughness hide 
 And rich plantations, lawns and meadows, grace 
 The spot called Fathom — wild romantic place. 
 
 Exactly on the other ridgy side. 
 The lough between, rough Grinan opens wide. 
 Near whose broad top a sort of table land, 
 With little vales and slopes on either hand. 
 Extends ; and thence a bubbling sedgy brook. 
 Meanders to the tide through many a nook. 
 Hard by a lively lodge stands on a lawn. 
 Whose face receives the rosy peep of dawn; 
 A pretty garden sweetly smiles behind, 
 ^Vhose flowery shrubs perfume each zephyr kind, 
 Secured from the cold north's repulsive chills, 
 By one of Erin's friendly emerald hills ; 
 Before the door is smiling Greenwood park. 
 Whose image animates the blue waves dark, 
 And many a breathing rose lends fragrance mild. 
 To summer gay, and e'en to winter wild, 
 Where hospitality without parade. 
 And elegance in classic robe arrayed 
 For friendship in the castle spread the board, 
 While sprightly dance and song their aid afford. 
 Old Erin too sits with the jokes and laughs, 
 Half mellow, and the sparkling goblet quaffs ; 
 While blushing charity with melting eye, 
 Strives from the world to hide her tender sigh ; 
 But truth perceives her gliding with full hands 
 Behind to poverty who sculking stands. 
 
 A little onward Hall's enriched domains. 
 Enliven the far spreading hills and plains ; 
 And hound and horn, poor puss, thy life pursue. 
 In mimic war, slap dash, with loud halloo. 
 
 Next finely seated, further up the shore, 
 ■Wliere zephyrs play, and sometimes billows roar. 
 Is Warren Point, whose tepid summer waves 
 Soft silver sand in sparkling curls receives ;
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 4:65 
 
 And bathing-lodges, dear to jocund health. 
 Rise all around the offspring of kind wealth ; 
 Till nature in her softest, wildest charms. 
 At sweet Rosstrevor admiration warms. 
 
 The uncertainty when he should be refreshed 
 with the sight of those scenes of his youth, the ap- 
 proach of his children to that age when it was neces- 
 sary, in a moral and physical point of view, for 
 them to be sent to Europe, the departure of his ear- 
 liest and dearest friend — these considerations, 
 combined with the morbid feelings caused by hope 
 long deferred, were beginning to prey on his mind. 
 It is true he was surrounded by many estimable 
 noble-minded companions, who permitted him to 
 call them friends, and whom he esteemed as such 
 in every sense of the word ; but to his heart friend- 
 ship was like a second marriage, for while he con- 
 templated the fine qualities of his new associates, 
 he often sighed and mentally exclaimed, '• Still un- 
 like Frank Stanley.'* He had lost in him his most 
 intelligent Indian correspondent, whose letters, 
 instead of being filled with slip-slop, abounded in in- 
 teresting remarks on men and manners, and in ob- 
 servations on the curiosities in art and nature which 
 he had seen in his marches through the Carnatic, 
 and in voyaging along nearly the whole coast of 
 Coromandel, from Adam's Bridge to Juggurnaut. 
 He had viewed the stupendous structures raised 
 in times beyond the range of historical record in 
 honour of the Brahminical idols. He had surveyed 
 
 H II
 
 4<6C) FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 with astonishment those remains of antiquity on the 
 island of Seringliam, near the mouth of the Cavery, 
 where 40,000 Brahmins were once supported by the 
 pilgrimages made to tliem. There are seven square 
 enclosures with walls twenty-five feet high and four 
 thick, each having four large gates and high pago- 
 das, some of which are composed of stones thirty- 
 three feet long and five in diameter, and the out- 
 ward wall is about four miles in circumference. The 
 pagoda of Chillambrun, near Porto Novo, is 120 feet 
 high, built of stones forty feet long and five feet 
 square, and covered with plates of copper, with 
 figures of gods and animals so innumerable as to 
 baffle description, for the whole structure is upwards 
 of 1300 feet in length and near 1000 in breadth. 
 But these famous monuments need not here be no- 
 ticed, for all the historians of the East speak of them 
 with wonder, and who that has directed his curiosity 
 towards India requires to be told of the seven 
 pagodas on the mountain of Mavalipuram near 
 Sadras ? We shall therefore turn to more original 
 matter, of which a great quantity still before us 
 must necessarily be compressed into a small space. 
 It may be said that nearly all the Deckan is in- 
 liabited by Mahrattas, for although Mahomedans 
 are numerous in the territories of the Nizam, yet 
 they bear no proportion to the great mass of popu- 
 lation, which comes under the general description 
 applicable to other parts of India. Whether the 
 Mahrattas were the aborigines of the country, or the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 407 
 
 descendants of Persian settlers, as it has been learn- 
 edly attempted to be proved in the Asiatic Re- 
 searches by Major Wilford, seems a question of 
 little consequence. At present they are Hindoos 
 in every respect, and the fighting casts are exceed- 
 ingly brave as to individual courage. In the reign 
 of Aurungzebe they began to be very powerful, 
 and he fought numerous battles with them, fre- 
 quently driving them back to the mountains, from 
 which they again emerged with new spirit, and at 
 length under Sevagee, who was general in the army 
 of the great king of Begapore, laid the foundation 
 of that empire which threatened at one time to 
 subdue all the East. Its progress was arrested by 
 the Mahomedans at the battle of Paniput ; but its 
 resources were so great in the beginning of the 
 present century, that the revenue amounted to 
 seventeen millions sterling, and the population to 
 40,000,000 of souls. The five chiefs who composed 
 it, namely, the Peishwa, Scindea, Holkar, the Rajah 
 of Berar, and the Guickwar, had a regular army of 
 300,000 men, and were able to bring three times 
 that numerical strength into the field. Their ar- 
 tillery and material were truly formidable; they 
 had founderies for guns, and manufactories for 
 every kind of warlike stores, conducted by French 
 engineers. Perron's brigade under Scindea was 
 alone 40,000 strong, with 400 pieces of artillery ; it 
 was in as fine a state of order and discipline as the 
 company's sepoys, and was armed in a similar 
 
 u u a
 
 4()8 FII'TF.EN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 manner, and perfectly organized on the most modern 
 scientific principles. Holkar fought the battle of 
 Deeg with twenty-four perfectly disciplined bat- 
 talions, and 1.50 pieces of cannon. With such a 
 warlike population, spread over a tract of 1000 
 square miles, with so many hill forts, which a 
 handful of brave men might defend against a 
 mighty army, the physical resources of this people 
 were prodigious. Let any man think of all this, 
 and at the same time reflect that a combination 
 was forming among all the Mahomedan chiefs for 
 the destruction of the British ; that Shah Allum was 
 about to cede Agra and Delhi to the French ; that 
 Tippo, tinctured with all the enthusiasm of the re- 
 volution, called himself citizen, and had his cannon 
 cast with a tiger devouring the head of an English- 
 man ; that the Grand Seignior, the King of Cabul, 
 the Nabob of Oude, and the Nizam, were all ready, 
 and that the Mahrattas were invited to join in the 
 plunder of the British empire, and he will at once 
 have a slight glance at the merit and ability of the 
 Marquis Wellesley, who steered the vessel of his 
 country through such a storm. He seized the 
 French faction at Hyderabad, alarmed the Afghans 
 by turning the Persians upon them, captured 
 Seringapatam, beat Scindea, and drove every 
 Frenchman out of his service, saved Poonah from 
 plunder, while the battles of Delhi, Assaye, and 
 Argaura added laurels to the British arms. In 
 short, the tremendous danger that threatened our
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS I.V INDIA. 4f)9 
 
 prosperity in India may be conceived, but it cannot 
 be accurately described. The siege of Bhurtpore, 
 Avhich was five times assaulted, cost oOOO lives 
 alone, chiefly British. All those ambitious chiefs, 
 however, who aimed at our destruction and at 
 universal empire in the East, were humbled. But 
 under the feeble administration of tlie Marquis 
 Cornwallis which followed, (for that great man 
 seemed to have lost his energy a short time before 
 his death, during his second government of India,) 
 concessions that were made to 8cindea, at a time 
 when his insolence deserved correction, inspired the 
 restless Mahrattas with confidence and hope, and 
 laid the foundation for the late war. These feelings 
 
 o 
 
 were continually gaining ground under the mild 
 and conciliating administration of Lord Minto, who 
 was continually impelled to this moderate course by 
 an anxious wish on tlie part of the court of directors 
 to preserve peace, and not to increase their terri- 
 tories. It appears that while the British govern- 
 ment of India abstained most religiously from en- 
 croachment, and made impartial justice the mea- 
 sure and rule of their conduct, the Mahrattas and 
 the Goorkas were meditating an extension of their 
 power, and exciting discontent and rebellion in all 
 the provinces within their influence under British 
 controul. 
 
 In the meantime, the Pindarries were secretly 
 encouraged by the Mahratta chiefs, and hordes of 
 them annually overran the fertile plainsof our pro- 
 H h3
 
 470 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 vinces, and those of our immediate allies, carrying 
 destruction along with them, and sparing neither 
 age nor sex. From the reports in the Calcutta 
 Gazette, it appears that they committed the most 
 horrid excesses, *' by the indiscriminate butchery of 
 men, women, and children, bearing the latter in 
 triumph on their spikes.'* No feeling mind could 
 endure the idea of such dreadful irruptions ; and 
 the Marquis of Hastings, on assuming the govern- 
 ment of India, directed his attention to this sub- 
 ject as one of the utmost importance. The Mahratta 
 states were called upon in vain to restrain those 
 plunderers who passed through their territories to 
 invade the company's, and upon failing to do so, 
 they virtually became parties to their aggressions ; 
 but although his lordship was fully aware of the 
 hostile sentiments of the Mahratta chiefs, notwith- 
 standing their cunning evasions and crafty subter- 
 fuges, he gave them a full opportunity of re-estab- 
 lishing themselves in his confidence : he signified 
 to them, that his intentions in approaching their 
 dominions with a British army, were only to disable 
 the Pindarries from destroying the harmless peasan- 
 try of the defenceless villages. For this purpose 
 his lordship took the field, and his penetrating 
 genius, foreseeing the extensive combination that 
 was to be overcome, he put in motion the grandest 
 British army that the native powers ever saw. 
 Some idea of this force may be afforded by the fol- 
 lowing extract from an officer's letter, dated Right 
 
 15
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 471 
 
 Bank of the Jumna, in camp, October 27th, 1817*. — 
 " We are now on our march — supposed, in the 
 first instance, to be directed against the fortress of 
 Gwalior, belonging to Scindea. The great object 
 of the campaign, however, is the entire annihilation 
 of tlie Pindarries. The whole of the army now in 
 the field consists of ten divisions, each of about 
 10,000 men. We are advancing from the three 
 Presidencies towards the same point, with the finest 
 army ever perhaps heard of in India. The governor- 
 general is with our division, which is about 13,000 
 strong, with sixty pieces of cannon. The camp 
 followers of this division alone amount to 67,000. 
 For the carriage of the baggage of our regiment, 
 we have 40 elephants and 400 camels ; every ele- 
 phant has two keepers, and every two camels have 
 one. Of us, there are 37 officers present, among 
 whom there are 810 ; every horse in the regiment 
 has two attendants, one as a groom, the other to 
 provide grass ; these alone amount to 1,400, besides 
 120 for the mess, and 900 for the bazar to supply 
 the provisions ; in all, for our regiment alone, 
 about 3,500 followers, besides their wives and chil- 
 dren. The Marquis of Hastings travels in a most 
 princely style : he has 150 elephants and 400 
 camels, besides state elephants splendidly accou- 
 tred, having superb solid silver hovvdahs or castles 
 on their backs. There are now actually 36 rajahs 
 and independent chieftains, of various ranks, on 
 
 H II 4
 
 472 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 their way to pay their respects to the Marquis. 
 Some of them, indeed, are ah-eady in camp.'* 
 
 The Madras army was advancing under Sir 
 Thomas Hislop^ while a division of the Bombay 
 force, commanded by Sir WilUam Grant Kerr in 
 Guzerat, and Brigadier-generals Doveton and 
 Smith, with their subsidiaries in the Deckan, co- 
 operated with his lordship in the fine dispositions 
 made to form a grand chain round the Pindarries, 
 leaving no hope of escape. Previous to this, as 
 before noticed, the Peishwa had been forced to give 
 security for his conduct, having been detected in 
 attempts to excite the Mahratta chiefs to war, and 
 in endeavours to corrupt the native troops. In con- 
 sequence of this treacherous conduct, it was thought 
 expedient to show him that he had something to 
 lose in forfeiting the friendship of the East India 
 company, whose hand had replaced him on his 
 throne when driven into exile by Holkar. There- 
 fore, as a deserved punishment for breach of faith, 
 a treaty was forced upon him at the point of the 
 bayonet. By this he ceded to the British govern- 
 ment territories yielding a clear revenue of thirty- 
 four lacks of rupees (being nearly the half of his 
 gross income) or ^480,000 per annum. ' Of this 
 revenue, 56 300,000 were attached to the presidency 
 of Bombay, and secured by the cession of that tract 
 of the Koncan, about eighty miles in extent, lying 
 between Deinaun and Panwell. The occupation 
 of Bassein and Jambosen, with their dependencies.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 473 
 
 was also transferred to the company, together with 
 the Peishwa's share of tribute from Kattywar. The 
 remaining ^180,000 were appropriated to the 
 Madras presidency, and provided for by cessions of 
 territory in the Carnatic, together with the forts of 
 Darwar and Kishelgur. Ahmednuggar w^as also 
 ceded with 2,000 yards around it, and a consider- 
 able tract of pasture lands for the troops in the 
 Deckan. On the part of the company, it was agreed 
 that the subsidiary force should be augmented to 
 12,000 men; and with respect to the Peishwa, 
 that he should maintain 8,000 irregular horse and 
 foot, to be officered by Europeans. 
 
 On the good faith of this treaty. Brigadier- 
 general Smith (for he had now local rank) marched 
 from Seroor, leaving part of his force at Poonah, 
 and having crossed the Godavery at Toka, en- 
 camped near the passes of Unkee Tunkee. But 
 in a few days the non-arrival of the Bombay dawk 
 filled every one with alarm for the safety of those 
 at Poonah. As soon as General Smith found that 
 all communication was actually cut off, he made 
 forced marches back, fully assured from the above 
 circumstance, and from the appearance of parties 
 of Mahratta horse hovering about, that hostilities 
 had commenced. On arriving at Seroor, they 
 found all the cantonment in a state of apprehension. 
 Various reports of the destruction of the detach- 
 ment at Poonah having reached them, they were 
 making active preparations against an expected
 
 47'I. FIFTEKN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 attack. The hills commanding the lines were for- 
 tified, and the ladies and families had been placed 
 for security in the theatre, which lay under a strong 
 battery erected on one of its heights. All the 
 roads to the cantonments were rendered imprac- 
 ticable for horse, and every precaution was taken 
 that the safety of the place required. Under these 
 circumstances the general sent all the families 
 under a strong escort to Ahmednuggar, and pro- 
 ceeded immediately to Poonah. 
 
 Plis little force consisted of one regiment of 
 European infantry, three battalions of sepoys, with 
 a proportion of horse and foot artillery, a battering 
 train, and a complement of pioneers, but unfor- 
 tunately the only cavalry were a small body of 
 irregulars under Captain Spiller, recently organized 
 agreeably to the late treaty, for two regiments of 
 Madras cavalry that had been attached to him 
 were sent to reinforce General Doveton, whose 
 division was in advance. The total effective with 
 General Smith consisted of about 3,000 fighting 
 men, the remainder of his force being at Poonah, 
 Seroor, and Ahmednuggar. Previous to leaving 
 Seroor, the enemy had appeared, and carried off 
 some of the commissariat cattle from the vicinity. 
 About twelve miles on the high road to Poonah, a 
 very considerable body of horse, estimated at 5,000, 
 appeared on the right flank. As it seemed to 
 be their intention to cut off the commissariat, 
 the horse artillery were wheeled to protect that
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 47-5 
 
 department, and after receiving some shots, the 
 enemy retired in confusion, when Captain Spiller, 
 at the head of his irregulars, charged their rear with 
 great gallantry, and cut several to pieces with his 
 own hand, but in this brave dash against such su- 
 perior numbers, he narrowly escaped with his life, 
 having received a spear wound in his cheek, near 
 the eye. On reaching the ground of encampment 
 at Kunderpore, they found the European bungalow 
 erected for travellers in flames, the enemy having 
 set it on fire, and from the heights they saw their 
 rear-guard closely engaged with the enemy, who 
 cut through the baggage, and wounded several of 
 the camp followers, who had left Seroor in a very 
 straggling manner, notwithstanding orders to the 
 contrary, and arrangements for their protection. 
 The knapsacks of two companies of the Cotli 
 re«^iment were taken, and the whole loss of baffiracre 
 and grain in the force was very considerable. 
 Colonel Milnes commanded the rear-guard, and 
 had an arduous day's march ; he did not arrive till 
 near sun-set, having been engaged with the enemy, 
 and marching and countermarching from ten o'clock 
 until he reached camp. The want of regular ca- 
 valry was greatly felt. The force marched next 
 morning in much more compact order, forming a 
 sort of hollow square round the park and baggao-e. 
 Very large bodies of horse appeared on their flanks 
 and rear, pressing closely, but the discharge of can- 
 non from different parts of the line forced those
 
 ir/6 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDfA. 
 
 assailants to recede with loss. Having crossed the 
 Beema about twelve o'clock, they encamped near it. 
 The villages were deserted and every thing belong- 
 ing to Europeans was destroyed ; the guard-house 
 over the ferry boats was burnt, and the bungalow 
 for travellers reduced to ashes. Various accounts 
 had reached them respecting the force at Poonah. 
 By one which they had reason to credit, the de- 
 tachment had been cut to pieces, and according to 
 another, great loss had been sustained ; but it was 
 certain that, with due allowance for native exagge- 
 ration, a serious attack had been made upon Mr. 
 Elphinstone by the treacherous Peishwa. 
 
 When the force moved next day the enemy ap- 
 peared in great strength in their front, and having 
 posted themselves on the heights of Lonee, two 
 low ridges through which lies the high road to Poo- 
 nah, forming a kind of long pass where a good de- 
 fence might be made, it was generally believed that 
 they would fight. The summits of these ridges were 
 covered with bodies of infantry, and the plain was 
 black with solid divisions of Mahratta cavalry. 
 Against these their little column boldly advanced, 
 and the flankers and riflemen in front were sharply 
 attacked with a fire from matchlocks, while great 
 numbers of rockets were discharged at the line, 
 which falling among the baggage, for a few moments 
 caused confusion, and inflicted terrible wounds. 
 The enemy had also some small gingals mounted 
 on camels, which were fired from distant heights ;
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 477 
 
 but the fine effect of the horse artillery that gallop- 
 ped to the flanks and front as occasion required, and 
 threw shells with great precision among them, 
 with frequent discharges of grape, soon dispersed 
 them. From the rapid retreats of their masses 
 of horse when the shells broke among them, 
 their loss seemed considerable, but knowing their 
 opponents deficiency in cavalry, they continued 
 all day to harass them, but without doing much 
 injury. The fatigue and exposure to a burning 
 sun during the day were dreadful ; it was four 
 o'clock before the force gained sight of Poonah, 
 where they had the satisfaction of beholding the 
 British flag, near the village of Kirkee, while the 
 Mahratta camp extended an immense way behind 
 theParbutta, to avoid which it was necessary to make 
 a detour. Soon after, however, they were met by the 
 light battalion, and Major Cunningham's irregular 
 horse, and about sun-set encamped near their com- 
 panions, from whom they learned the particulars of 
 an attack that had been made upon them on the 5th, 
 by Gockla, the Peishwa's commander-in-chief. 
 
 Immediately after the departure of General Smith 
 from Seroor, the Peishwa resumed his military pre- 
 parations, and his attempts to corrupt the fidelity of 
 the company's native troops. His highness had 
 secretly brought into the city large bodies of Arabs 
 from his forts, and his vassal chiefs were every day 
 joining him with reinforcements of horse. Under 
 these circumstances the British camp and artillery
 
 478 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 were posted advantageously near the ruined village 
 of Kirkee, in a bend of the river which protected its 
 flanks and rear, being very rocky with steep banks, 
 and in that part almost unfordable. 
 
 Mr. Elphinstone, as soon as he perceived these 
 hostile indications, pressed for satisfactory explana- 
 tion, and on the morning of the 5th November, 
 having received a most insolent answer from his 
 highness, and observing an armed force approach- 
 ing the sungum, he and his suite and guards made 
 their escape to camp. In a few minutes the British 
 residency was in a blaze, and all his valuable pro- 
 perty, manuscripts, and oriental curiosities, valued 
 at upwards of 80,000 rupees, were either plundered 
 or consumed. At the same time the European 
 cantonments, the beauty of which has been noticed, 
 were set on fire and entirely destroyed, and the 
 Peishwa's army collected in and about Poonah, 
 estimated at 15,000 cavalry and 8,000 infantry, 
 approached the British position in battle array. 
 A Portuguese named Pinto, who held the rank of 
 major in the Peishwa's service, commanded a bat- 
 talion of infantry organized in the European style, 
 and his park of artillery, consisting of 1 4 guns, were 
 served by Portuguese. One of the officers described 
 the approach of this formidable host to Thoughtless, 
 by comparing it to the waves of an angry sea, as- 
 suring him that the divisions seemed to follow each 
 other in endless succession as far as the eye could 
 reach, while all the heights were covered with ele-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 479 
 
 phants bearing the Peishwa and his great officers of 
 state, who came out to witness the certain destruc- 
 tion of the force at Kirkee. 
 
 Opposed to this, Colonel Burr of the company's 
 service, who commanded, had only the Bombay 
 European infantry, a detachment of recruits be- 
 longing to the 65th regiment, two battalions of 
 sepoys, with a proportion of European artillerymen, 
 and a detachment of irregular horse, in all about 
 3,000 fighting men. With this small but firm little 
 band, he advanced to meet the shock. The attack 
 began with a dreadful discharge of artillery on 
 both sides, and an attempt by the enemy's infantry 
 to make an impression on his line, which was soon 
 followed by a tremenduous charge of their cavalry. 
 In a body they pushed directly for the Europeans ; 
 but receiving a cool and deliberate fire, turned and 
 forced their way through the 7th Bombay native 
 infantry, and these brave sepoys were for some 
 time intermixed among them, and fought nobly 
 with their bayonets. Large masses of the cavalry 
 got into the rear, and the engagement became 
 very critical, depending in a great measure on the 
 steadiness of the Europeans in the right wing, who 
 were quite unbroken. Just at the proper moment 
 Major Eord, who commanded tlie Peishwa's bri- 
 gade, arrived with his men from tlie cantonments 
 at Dapore, and opening a well-directed fire upon 
 the masses of the enemy that had got into the rear, 
 struck a panic to their hearts, which was communi-
 
 4S0 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 catecl to the whole, for they retreated in the utmost 
 confusion, leaving vast numbers of dead on the field, 
 and never after dared to hazard a renewal of the 
 fight. 
 
 Colonel Burr, in his report of this engagement, 
 stated that " Mr. Elphinstone most gallantly ex- 
 erted himself throughout the day in setting a 
 distinguished example of zeal and animation to the 
 troops." Indeed, it appeared that British valour 
 so completely astonished the Peishwa, that he made 
 his escape from the battle, and that it was with the 
 greatest difficulty his commander-in-chief per- 
 suaded him from setting off direct for the fortress 
 of Poorundar. 
 
 During this sanguinary action, for the enemy lost 
 about five hundred men, though the casualties were 
 on Colonel Burr*s part only one officer and fifty 
 soldiers, the ladies of this part of the force were in 
 the village of Kirkee, which had been fortified in a 
 temporary manner for their protection, and their 
 situation during the agonizing suspense and tre- 
 mendous fire that was kept up for a considerable 
 time, may be more easily conceived than described. 
 
 The Peishwa's conduct roused a strong suspicion 
 in the mind of every one, that all the Mahratta 
 chiefs had confederated and agreed to make simul- 
 taneous attacks on the British forces in their vici- 
 nity, in the hope of destroying the army in detail ; 
 and there was reason to conclude, that nothing 
 would prevent Scindea from supporting the com-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 481 
 
 ^iion cause, but the wise and effectual measures of 
 the Marquis of Hastings. From the blood-thirsty 
 and treacherous manner in which the war was com- 
 menced on the part of the Peishwa, and which left 
 him no shadow of hope for reconciUation, it was 
 assumed that he confidently rehed on the com- 
 bination of which he was a part as sufficiently pow- 
 erful to aninhilate the British. Every thing in his 
 dominions within the power of his troops, that bore 
 the name of European, was destroyed, and the houses 
 of private individuals were razed to their very foun- 
 dations. Lieutenant Vaughan of the 15th Madras 
 N. I., and his brother of the marine service, were 
 taken at Karlee, on their way to join the army, 
 dragged along almost naked by their barbarous 
 murderers to Tullygaum, where they were hanged ; 
 and the resentment of tlie soldiers was raised to the 
 highest pitch, by a report that one of the brothers 
 had been forced to execute the other. A small 
 escort of sepoys, with Lieutenants Hunter and Mor- 
 rison of the Madras corps, were also attacked on 
 their way to join, and forced to surrender. The 
 sepoys were cut to pieces, and the officers carried 
 off to a strong hill fort. No doubt it was the in- 
 tention to destroy them in the event of the war 
 being successful, and indeed their lives were only 
 spared through the remonstrances made by Mr. 
 Elphinstone upon the murder of the Vaughans. 
 
 General Smitli encamped exactly before the Mah- 
 rattas, the river Moota Moola running beween, and 
 
 I I
 
 18^ FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 tlic village of Yellara, which is situated near the 
 bank, under a height which was called Picket Hill, 
 being on his side, with a fine plain extending for 
 near a mile to the enemy's lines on the other bank. 
 The river was, however, very rocky and difficult 
 to pass, having deep banks, and being lined with 
 Arabs. From the hill he had a full view of the 
 position occupied by the Peishwa, who had the city 
 of Poonah on his left, whence his line extended to 
 Harris's tope, having encamped on the ground 
 where the British cantonments had stood. His 
 army, drawn up in front of their tents, which 
 seemed to be two miles in length and a mile in 
 depth, appeared prodigious ; from the amazing 
 masses and groups of horse and foot within view, 
 it was estimated that upwards of one hundred thou- 
 sand persons were assembled, and of this concourse 
 thirty thousand were fighting men. 
 
 Thoughtless, in reflecting upon what he saw and 
 heard, was much at a loss to account for the con- 
 duct of the Peishwa, who, considering it a hopeless 
 undertaking again to attack Colonel Burr, never- 
 theless remained near Poonah in a position backed 
 by a chain of high hills, affording no retreat but 
 through difficult passes, while an enemy, flushed 
 with success, and inflamed with resentment, was 
 approaching to attack him. In short, Charles ex- 
 pected that the force would have been immediately 
 led against the enemy, with the certainty of com- 
 plete success ; he inferred that the Peishwa had
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 483 
 
 committed a Altai error by awaiting the junction of 
 General Smith's division with that of Colonel Burr, 
 and that after his failure at Kirkee, his real interests 
 demanded a retreat from Poonah into the plains 
 of the Deckan, where his numerous cavalry would 
 have been useful in harassing a pursuing enemy, and 
 in keeping up the spirits of his confederates. As he 
 had not adopted this course, Charles considered 
 that his army must be inevitably destroyed by a 
 spirited attack on his camp in such an unfavourable 
 situation and in such peculiar circumstances. Con- 
 sequently his surprise and disappointment were 
 great, upon witnessing the operations of General 
 Smith after his junction with the force at Kirkee. 
 
 On the following morning, proper reconnoissances 
 having been made, some guns were placed on 
 Picket Hill, which swept the banks of the river with 
 grape shot, for the purpose of enabling a party to 
 examine the fords ; but the Arabs having good 
 cover, rendered it impossible to effect the purpose 
 witJi accuracy. The whole force attempted about 
 midnight to pass them, but it being found imprac- 
 ticable in the dark, the attempt, after fruitless en- 
 deavours, was abandoned. During the whole of the 
 day there was constant skirmishing between the 
 Arabs and riflemen, which produced a very great 
 display of personal bravery, for the Arabs crossed 
 the river, and several of them lost their lives in a 
 daring attack upon Captain Clutterbuck and part 
 of the light company of the G5th regiment. In the 
 
 I I 2
 
 484 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 course of the ensuing day, the horse artillery and 
 riflemen having cleared the banks of the river, the 
 force was formed into two divisions, one of which, 
 under Lieutenant-colonel Milnes, about 3 o'clock 
 in the evening, crossed a ford near the village of 
 Yellara, with all the field pieces, and took up a po- 
 sition on the bank, immediately in front of the right 
 of the enemy's camp, notwithstanding the opposition 
 of the whole of his infantry and Arabs, who charged 
 several times to the very bayonets. The Peishwa*s 
 batteries kept up a tremendous cannonade on the 
 ford and on the troops, as they were forming, 
 which was continued until nine o'clock, all the 
 while briskly returned by our guns. The Bombay 
 regiment suffered a good deal, and the casualties 
 in the division were considerable. The wounds 
 were nearly all from cannon shot, and were terrible 
 to behold ; some of the soldiers were literally 
 crushed to pieces by the discharge of a cannon 
 carrying shot of one hundred pounds weight. 
 
 Colonel Milnes gained well-earned honour and 
 praise by a display of coolness and judgment 
 seldom surpassed. While he was crossing the 
 river the shot flew about him like a shower of hail, 
 yet he asked Lieutenant Farquharson, his brigade 
 quarter- master, playfully, **Whatare those whistling 
 about us?" (" And Farquharson," said Thoughtless, 
 " do you think the Colonel had Charles the 12th 
 in his mind at that time ? " "I really do not 
 know," replied he, *' but he seemed as unconcerned
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 485 
 
 as I do now.*') It was reported that Colonel 
 Milnes, after repulsing the repeated charges of the 
 enemy, sent an aide-de-camp to General Smith for 
 orders, and offered to take the camp with his 
 division, but this was declined, and he was directed 
 to bivouac on the bank of the riv^er during the 
 night. The other divisions lay on their arms, 
 under Picket Hill, having sent all their camp 
 equipage to the village of Kirkee, and before day- 
 light next morning, they crossed the river at the 
 sungum, and formed line on the right of Colonel 
 Milnes, wlien the whole advanced to attack the 
 Mahratta camp. Bodies of horse appeared in the 
 front which were cleared away by a cannonade.from 
 the horse artillery. The morning was just peeping 
 over the mountains when the British line ap- 
 proached the Mahratta tents^, and the 65th regiment 
 was exactly opposite to that part from which the 
 batteries had blazed the evening before. Mr. 
 Elphinstone, accompanied by his assistants Mr. 
 Russel and Captain Pottinger, with General 
 Smith and all his staff, were behind the colours. 
 A dead silence prevailed. The dooly bearers 
 thought they saw lighted matches in front, and ran 
 precipitately to one flank, while our artillery fired 
 under an impression that the enemy's guns were 
 about to open upon them. All the stafi* pressed 
 closely towards the Ooth. " Gentlemen," said 
 Major Warren, who commanded the regiment, 
 ** keep back ; you are preventing me from seeing 
 
 ii3
 
 486 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 my men ; *' for he was as coolly attentive to the 
 preservation of a good line as he would have been 
 on parade, though he expected every moment to 
 storm the batteries, at the first blaze of a cannon. 
 « They are off," said Mr. Elphinstone. " 1 fear 
 they are," said General Smith ; and the smoke 
 clearing away the light discovered that the Peishwa 
 had fled with his army, leaving a great part of his 
 camp standing. The distant hills were covered 
 with his followers and baggage, but a large body 
 of his cavalry appeared in the rear, and threatened 
 to charge the line. The guns were turned upon 
 them, and they wheeled in great confusion at full 
 gallop round the right flank and escaped. General 
 Smith pursued the fugitives across the enemy*s 
 camp to the bottom of the hills ; but having no 
 means of following them with effect, he soon re- 
 turned to invest Poonah. The Mahratta camp 
 was covered with dead and dying men, horses, and 
 bullocks, from the effects of the cannonade the 
 evening before, and it presented a most melancholy 
 sight to a feeling mind. With the exception of 
 the large unwieldy cannon before noticed, the 
 Peishwa carried away all his guns with him, and 
 effected his retreat over the little Bore Ghaut into 
 the plains south of Poonah j which city, being 
 left with only a small garrison to defend it, was 
 surrendered in the course of the day, and the 
 British flag was hoisted on the palace under a royal 
 salute.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INUfA. 487 
 
 Thoughtless could not conceive what had in- 
 duced General Smith to fight the battle of'Poonah 
 with one half of his force, and when the victory 
 was gained, why he did not push on and reap all 
 the advantages of it, insteadof affording the enemy 
 an opportunity to escape during the night. Power- 
 ful motives, no doubt, suggested the line of con- 
 duct pursued by the general, who undoubtedly 
 possesses talent and genius. He was anxious, per- 
 haps, to save the effusion of human blood, which 
 might be the consequence of a rash attack npon an 
 enemy so v^astly superior in numbers. Acquainted 
 as he was by experience with the obstinately daring 
 courage of the Arabs, four thousand of whom were 
 with the Peishwa, he might be justly apprehensive 
 of the risk to be run in attacking them on ground 
 peculiarly suited to their habits of w^arfare, being 
 intersected with numerous ruins and hedges, afford- 
 ing them good cover; and no doubt a contest to 
 dislodge them would have been sanguinary, urged 
 to fight, as they would have been, by the powerful 
 motive of securing a retreat for their master and 
 his army. Moreover, it was the object of both 
 Mr. Elphinstone and General Smith to preserve the 
 city of Poonahfrom plunder and destruction, which 
 a rash battle in its immediate vicinity might have 
 occasioned. Those magniticent praises which Sir 
 Thomas Hislop bestowed upon General Smith for 
 ♦' the ivisdom of his plans, the gallantry and valour 
 
 displayed in their executiony and the decision and 
 
 1 1 4<
 
 488 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA* 
 
 pwnptilude with which his attack oftJie enemy* s lines 
 was arranged, and their dispersion and overthrow 
 effected by a perseverance and determined courage 
 which have never been surpassed" were perhaps, 
 in every respect measured by strict justice. In 
 their consequences, every thing conduced to the 
 pubHc good ; but if the other Mahratta chiefs had 
 succeeded in their treacherous designs, and formed 
 a junction with the Peishwa, the organized state of 
 his army, the vast treasure he had collected, and 
 his mighty influence, address, and persuasive power 
 might have produced very injurious results, which 
 a more dashing mode of warfare at Poonah would 
 have prevented. Success is not always the crite- 
 rion of able conduct. To judge properly of any 
 enterprize, it is necessary to consider not only what 
 it effected, but also what it did not effect, and 
 moreover to look at what might have taken place 
 if possible events had ensued, according to the cal- 
 culation of one of the contending parties. But it is 
 really with deference, doubt, humility, respect, and 
 on nearly all other points admiration for General 
 Smith, that the emotions passing in the soul of 
 Charles Thoughtless on the above occasion are 
 here offered to professional men. 
 
 Two officers and eighty-five non-commissioned 
 officers and soldiers were killed and wounded dur- 
 ing these operations j but not less than 1,500 of the 
 enemy were destroyed.
 
 489 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 Say what is man ? From infancy he grows. 
 And as he ripens, various beauty shows — 
 He stores the ready and capacious mind 
 With what the flood of time has left behind. 
 But when become the Mentor of his day. 
 The skilful pilot of life's rocky bay. 
 In hoary age beneath the silent sod 
 He rests, till called before the throne of God. 
 How vain the toil to hoard up crores of wealth, 
 Man's cup of joy is competence and health. 
 In rural ease to smile dull care away, 
 And taste the good of every fleeting day. 
 
 ApTEit the capture of Poonah, proclamations were 
 issued to the inhabitants, and circulated as widely 
 over the country as possible, to counteract the 
 inflammatory and false publications of the Peishwa. 
 The inhabitants were taken under British protec- 
 tion, and assured that they would be maintained in 
 their rights, in the possession of their property, and 
 in the free exercise of their religious customs and 
 ceremonies. A great deal of public property was 
 found in Poonah, and the Peishwa's arsenal was 
 well furnished with military stores. Prize agents 
 were appointed to dispose of the captured property, 
 and arrangements both civil and military were 
 speedily made for the government and protection 
 of the place. Lieutenant-colonel Burr, with 200 
 Europeans and four native battalions, was appoint-
 
 J.JjO FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 cd to remain there in command j and the remainder 
 of the force, consisting of the 2d Madras cavalry, 
 which had joined from J-aulna the day after the 
 city was taken, two European regiments, four native 
 battalions, with horse and foot artillery and pioneers, 
 was formed into three brigades for field service. 
 Two guns and 300 sepoys, under Captain Watson 
 of the Bombay establishment, were sent off to open 
 the communication with the presidency. General 
 Smith having learned that part of the enemy had 
 encamped under Synghur, a detachment was sent 
 thither on the night of the 19th, which about day- 
 light next morning completely surprised them, and 
 took their camp and guns under a tremendous fire 
 from the fort of Synghur, which, however, did not 
 injure the detachment, for the cannon could not be 
 depressed sufficiently, and the shot flew over their 
 heads. Prize property to a vast amount was taken, 
 consisting of pearls and diamonds ; it is supposed 
 that the merchants of Poonah had sent their valu- 
 able articles thither for safety. Many of the sol- 
 diers enriched themselves with plunder, and during 
 several days were carrying hats full of pearls, jewels, 
 and gold ornaments about for sale, without know- 
 ing their real value, being anxious to exchange 
 them for money or hoondies on Bombay, ere the 
 prize agents should discover that they possessed 
 such valuable plunder. Six guns and a great quan- 
 tity of ammunition were taken j the former w ere 
 spiked, and in blowing up the latter. Lieutenants
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. Ijjl 
 
 Willock andJohnstoii, of the horse artillery, with 
 five men, were dreadfully burnt by an accident in 
 the explosion. 
 
 The force marched in pursuit of the Peishwa on 
 the 22d November, and on the next day, witii some 
 difficulty, the guns were got over the little Bore 
 Ghaut; the pass being steep, would have afforded an 
 opportunity for making a fine stand, but no enemy 
 appeared. This range of mountains passes near 
 Poonah from the great western chain, and conti- 
 nues in an easterly direction for several miles. 7^he 
 inhabitants are called Ramoosies, and, like the 
 Bheels in other parts, are the aborigines, who were 
 driven from the plains by the Mahomedan conque- 
 rors and the Mahrattas. They have ever since 
 maintained a sort of independence, living by plun- 
 der, but observing strict honour with respect to 
 those travellers who claim and pay for their protec- 
 tion in passing through this mountainous region. 
 
 Next day a halt w^as found necessary in order to 
 get the baggage over the ghaut ; but on the 25th, 
 the force marched 24 miles on the road to Sattara. 
 At about half that distance is situated the con. 
 siderable town of J-ajooree, with a superb pagoda 
 on a high rock of granite in its vicinity. This 
 structure is of modern date, having been built by 
 the grandfather of the great Holkar, but it is in high 
 estimation among the Mahrattas, and is supported 
 by a considerable revenue. Its exterior is \ery 
 grand, having a flight of steps cut out of the rock
 
 492 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA, 
 
 near a quarter of a mile in length, over which aie 
 several curious triumphal arches placed at intervals, 
 as distinguishing tlie main entrance. These arches 
 are ornamented with figures, and connected by a 
 row of pillars along each side, which, during the 
 festival, are illuminated with thousands of lamps, 
 so that all night the hill appears to the distant 
 country quite in a blaze. Soon after passing this 
 pagoda, the enemy's cavalry appeared in great 
 force on both flanks ; and General Smith, with the 
 horse artillery, and the 2d, accompanied by Mr. 
 Elphinstone and suite, and all the staff, pursued 
 them for several miles. The body which appeared on 
 the right suffered the general to approach within 
 gun-shot, and they appeared drawn up in good 
 order behind a nullah, but as soon as this .obstacle 
 was crossed, and the artillery opened upon them, 
 they scampered off in great confusion. Some 
 camels loaded with rockets were taken, and a few 
 prisoners made whose horses had been killed ; they 
 stated that the Peishwa was at Sattara with 25,000 
 fighting men. The country through which the 
 force marched from the little Bore Ghaut to the 
 Nera river was uncommonly fine, with many lovely 
 valleys in high cultivation, and in a military point 
 of view remarkably strong by nature. The enemy 
 pressed, during the latter part of the march, closely 
 upon the rear and the baggage, but they were 
 kept off by constant discharges of cannon, which 
 induced General Smith to return with the cavalry.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 493 
 
 and the infantry were so much delayed by frequent 
 halts, that it was night before the force crossed the 
 bridge over the Nera, which the enemy did not 
 attempt to destroy. About 13 miles south of the 
 fine valley of this river a chain of ghauts runs east- 
 ward from the western mountains, through which 
 there is a long and difficult pass at Salpee, on the 
 higli road to Sattara. Narra Punt and Napunker, 
 two of the Peishwa's most resolute sirdars, deter- 
 mined to oppose General Smith at the head of this 
 pass, and posted large bodies of cavalry on the table 
 land, a beautiful plain, with rocket men and sharp- 
 shooters on the sides of the declivities through 
 which the road winds. General Smith expected to 
 be attacked here, and made judicious arrangements. 
 He pushed forward riflemen and light infantry, and 
 sent flanking parties along the mountains j they 
 clambered over the cliflTs and dislodged the enemy, 
 who, however, continued from the head of the pass 
 to rockade the line, till the horse artillery gained 
 the summit and dispersed them. They left their 
 dead on the field of contention, and retired slowly 
 over a most beautiful plain bounded by hill forts, 
 finely watered by silver streams, branches of the 
 Kisthna, enlivened with numerous villages, and 
 smiling with all the charms of luxuriant cultivation. 
 The crops were now in full bloom, and it was me- 
 lancholy to see the labours of the husbandman 
 destroyed by the lords of the soil in ambitious con- 
 tention. On this plain Gockla drew up several
 
 l,tjl, FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 times across the road, and it was estimated that the 
 three divisions with him were 20,000 strong, but 
 they constantly gave way upon receiving a few shots 
 or shells from the artillery, for they had none to 
 return, and it was consequently a murderous war- 
 fare on their part. Yet such superiority in numbers 
 was not without effect. They covered the whole 
 plain, attacked in front, flank, and rear, and every 
 five minutes forced the line to halt for the rear- 
 guard, thus frequently forced to fire grape at them. 
 In short, General Smith had to fight for the ground 
 on which he encamped almost every day, till the 
 Peishwa, retreating southward with the family of 
 the Sattara Rajah, whose person it was his interest 
 to have near him, got several marches in advance ; 
 but upon hearing that a British force was approach- 
 ing from Darwar under General Pritzler, he left 
 the banks of the Kisthna, and moved northward. 
 
 The -scenery in the vicinity of Sattara was most 
 enchanting. The horizon presented a more or less 
 distant variety of hills capped with forts and crowd- 
 ed w^ith men. Clear rivulets meandered through 
 the vallies, covered with clumps of fruit trees, and 
 charming villages built of stone and lime, neatly 
 tiled, and without fortifications, altogether present- 
 ing an image of security and rural happiness such 
 as would please the eye even in England. They 
 were full of inhabitants, who were quite ready to 
 assist either party, and the seniors came out to 
 offer their cock and rupee to General Smith as soon
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 495 
 
 as the Mahrattas had retired. The cock is laid at 
 the /"eet of a conqueror as an emblem of a brave 
 people at tlie mercy of thei;' invader, and the rupee 
 is at once an offer of tribute and a claim for pro- 
 tection. Both parties afforded them all possible 
 security, and placed guards over their towns, but 
 still they were plundered and ruined by the villan- 
 ous followers of both armies, one of whom General 
 Smith hanged in this valley for tearing the rings 
 out of the ears and nose of a woman ; one half of 
 the vagabonds that followed the camp were flogged 
 for robbing the gardens and sugar plantations near 
 the line of march, and even unroofing the houses 
 for fire-wood. Soon after passing Sattara, General 
 Smith changed his direction, and marched on the 
 high road to Punderpore. The enemy opposed 
 him every day, and kept the troops exposed to the 
 burning sun from morning till night, so that it was 
 generally seven o'clock in the evening before their 
 tents were pitched, and their lips and noses suffered 
 exceeding pain from the scorching rays darting 
 directly on their ftices. 
 
 It would be tedious to detail the march from 
 day to day, as it continued for a considerable time 
 with little variation, the enemy making every 
 exertion to retard the pursuit of General Smith, 
 while he strained each nerve to overtake the 
 Peishwa. The mode of warfare adopted by Gockla 
 was that w^hich it seems he ought to have chosen 
 immediately after the failure of attack on the force
 
 496 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 at Kirkee ; for by it he veteranized his cavalry, and 
 harassed General Smith exceedingly, who often 
 exposed himself to great danger in the skirmishes 
 which daily occurred. On the 3d of December a 
 post arrived from Bombay, after the force had 
 reached the ground of encampment near Meharee, 
 and a royal salute announced that treaties of alliance 
 had been concluded with Dowlat Row Scindeah and 
 Newab Meer Kaun. On the 7th they encamped 
 near Punderpore, where the rear-guard was com- 
 pletely surrounded by the enemy, and General 
 Smith, upon seeing it closely pressed, had gallop- 
 ped to it with his staff, accompanied by Mr. El- 
 phinstone and suit, escorted by a troop of the 2d 
 cavalry, so that for some time they were separated 
 from the line. Their danger was imminent ; for, 
 one of their guns being upset, the Mahrattas raised 
 a loud shout and charged with spirit, but drew off 
 again upon receiving a volley from the infantry. 
 The general's orderly dragoon was shot. Captain 
 Grant had a ball through his hat, and Mr. Pottinger 
 one in his holsters. In short, Captain Hardcastle, 
 upon being dispatched to the line for reinforce- 
 ments, had to gallop for his life through the enemy, 
 who might have destroyed the rear-guard, the 
 general, with Mr. Elphinstone, and the whole staff 
 of the division, if they had pressed forward when 
 they charged. Punderpore stands on the lefl bank 
 of the Beema. It is a large town, but the country 
 around it is poor, and nearly all the villages are in 
 
 14
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 497 
 
 ruins. The pagodas of the sacred bathing place 
 support a great number of Brahmins. Mr. El- 
 phinstone here received the official account of the 
 treacherous attack made by the Rajah of Berar on 
 the subsidiary force near Nagpore, which was for- 
 tunately repulsed by Colonel Scott, though with 
 the severe loss, on his part, of four officers and 300 
 men killed and wounded. 
 
 The direction in which the Peishwa retreated 
 enabled General Smith to continue the pursuit by 
 way of Seroor, where he determined to leave the 
 battering train, which greatly impeded his advance, 
 it being necessary to cut roads for the heavy guns. 
 Gockla opposed him at the fords of theNera, Beema, 
 and Gore rivers, but being without artillery he 
 only exposed his cavalry to certain destruction, and 
 the havock made in their dense masses by shot and 
 shells was so great, that the ground was covered 
 in many places with dead bodies of men and horses. 
 On the 17th December the force reached Seroor, 
 and the carriage cattle were so much exhausted by 
 continued marching, that it was found necessary 
 to change many of them. For twenty-one days 
 they had moved at the average of fifteen miles, 
 engaged with the enemy from morning till night. 
 The cavalry were nearly broken down by excessive 
 fatigue, but the infantry were in high spirits ; there 
 were very few sick in the force, and indeed tlie 
 general health of the Europeans seemed much im- 
 proved by this severe service and exposure to the 
 
 K K
 
 498 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 sun. At this place tlic general lost no time in 
 equipping his division as a light field force, and in 
 pursuing the enemy northward. He marched to 
 the westward of Ahmednuggur, and crossed the 
 Pera river at Colaur, keeping along the left bank 
 to Sungumneer, through a fine valley, with hills on 
 the right, left, and front ; thence to the bottom of 
 the Warsowa Pass the country was rich in an ex- 
 treme degree, studded with villages and towns, and 
 covered with luxuriant fields of wheat, hemp, gram, 
 sugar-cane and jewarry. Over this fine region the 
 Peishwa's army had moved, like a flight of locusts, 
 destroying all in their way ; it was now doomed to 
 further injury from the march of the British 
 force. 
 
 On the table land of this chain of mountains, his 
 highness the Peishwa had been encamped for some 
 days, and he was joined at this place by Trim- 
 buckgee Danglae, with a reinforcement of Arabs 
 and Bheels. Some of the northern sirdars had also 
 increased his ranks, and it was reported that he 
 had with him four thousand Arabs, about the same 
 number of other infantry, four six-pounders, and 
 30,000 horse. General Smith made arrangements 
 to ascend the Warsowa ghaut, which is a long and 
 very difficult pass that might have been easily de- 
 fended. The Peishwa had broken up the roads, 
 and it required a whole day to remove the ob- 
 stacles, during which time he retreated on the high 
 road leading to Poonah with his whole army.
 
 FIFTEEN YEAHb IN INDIA. 499 
 
 General Smith knowing the difficulties of the road 
 he had taken, pursued liim with only the horse ar- 
 tillery, 2d cavalry, the G5th regiment, the 1st of 
 2d N. I. and pioneers, leaving the remainder of his 
 force with Colonel Boles to follow leisurely, for he 
 naturally felt some apprehension for Seroor and 
 Poonah. About ten miles from Warsowa there is 
 another ghaut of very difficult ascent, called Man- 
 hulla, up which the guns were dragged by the 
 men. The town of Barramwarra is situated on the 
 table land of this romantic mountain, and near it the 
 Peishwa's army had encamped, and paid the last 
 honours to the son of Gockla, a fine young man of 
 twenty years of age. The natives assured Thought- 
 less that his wife, about fifteen years of age, and of 
 great beauty, performed suttee with his body. 
 From this town, which was in a very ruined state, 
 Charles had a fine view of those vast ranges of 
 ghauts, on the highest table land of which he now 
 stood. No country in the world can be stronger 
 for defensive warfare than this part of the Dcckan. 
 It appears as if it had been once an entire table 
 land, though now broken into hills and ridges of 
 rocks, as if all the soft parts had been washed away 
 bv the flood. The hills are of most fantastic shapes, 
 many of them arc isolated, and the little valleys arc 
 in full cultivation. From this height the force de- 
 scended into the plain of Wuttoor, by a pass whicli 
 is long and difficult. At the bottom of it there is 
 a very neat dhurrumsallah, with n fine well for 
 
 kk2
 
 500 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 travellers, and the town of Wuttoor, situated near 
 it, appeared in a very flourishing state. The force 
 encamped there late in the evening of the last day 
 in the year 1817, and Charles Thoughtless laid his 
 weary head on his pillow, after breakfasting on 
 beefsteaks at supper time, and uttering a soldier's 
 short prayer : " O God, I thank thee with all my 
 heart and soul for thy protection during the past 
 year.'* 
 
 From Wuttoor to KuUum, a large town on the 
 Gore river, the distance is twenty miles, which they 
 marched the following day, and about two o'clock 
 next morning proceeded through a romantic glen 
 with several warrks belonging to the Bheels j hav- 
 ing crossed the Beema at the town of Keir. On 
 approaching the fort of Chakoon the guns of it 
 opened upon them, but they defiled out of their 
 range and encamped near it. Serious apprehen- 
 sions were now entertained that an attack had been 
 made on Poonah, for a continued cannonade had 
 been heard during the march from Wuttoor in that 
 direction. Here General Smith received intelli- 
 gence of the march of the second of the 1st Bom- 
 bay native infantry from Seroor, by desire of Colo- 
 nel Burr, to reinforce him at Poonah against the 
 approach of the Peishwa, but this corps was inter- 
 cepted at Koragaum, and nearly cut to pieces. 
 Upon hearing a confused rumour of this disaster 
 from the natives. General Smith marched for the 
 scene of reported contention, and Thoughtless there
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. ,501 
 
 beheld a most melancholy sight; the streets of the 
 village were choked up with dead Arabs, swelled to 
 aprodigious size by the heat of the sun, and the plain 
 around was covered with putrifying carcases of men, 
 horses, camels, and bullocks, so that the stench was 
 intolerable. The soldiers were digging up the ruins 
 of the houses for the Europeans that had been killed, 
 thirteen of whose bodies were laid out near a grave 
 which the pioneers were making, while the officers 
 of the force were searching for their deceased 
 friends. Of those who had been in the action not 
 one remained on the spot alive to relate the particu- 
 lars. All was a scene of death and desolation. The 
 substantial stone houses were demolished by can- 
 non shot, and many of them burning, having been 
 set on fire seemingly in the struggle of the contend- 
 ing parties to possess them. In the course of the 
 following day. General Smith received the official 
 report of this action, which he justly pronounced in 
 his orders on the subject to be one of the most bril- 
 liant examples of gallantry and perseverance re- 
 corded in our Indian annals. From that report, and 
 from private accounts afterwards communicated to 
 Thoughtless by several of the survivors, the parti- 
 culars here stated were collected. 
 
 A detachment, consisting of a detail of Madras 
 artillery and two six-pounders of the second batta- 
 lion 1st Bombay native infantry about 600 strong, 
 and '300 auxiliary horse, the whole under Captain 
 Staunton of the company's service, marched from 
 
 K K 3
 
 502 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Seroor for Poonah at S P. M. 31st December, and 
 reached the heights overlooking Koragaum, about 
 ten in the forenoon of the 1st January, whence the 
 whole of the Peishwa's army, estimated 30,000 
 horse and eight thousand infantry, were discovered 
 in the plain south of the Beema. To retreat be- 
 fore such masses of cavalry was impossible. The 
 officers with Captain Staunton were Lieutenant 
 Chisholm and Assistant-surgeon Wiley of the Ma- 
 dras artillery, Lieutenant and Adjutant Pattinson, 
 and Lieutenant Conlon second of 1st regiment, and 
 Lieutenant Jones of the 10th Bombay N. I., doing 
 duty with that corps, the assistant-surgeon in charge 
 of it Mr. Wingate, and Lieutenant Swanston in 
 command of the auxiliary horse. These gentle- 
 men formed a circle on the heights of Koragaum 
 around their commander, and it was debated what 
 course should be pursued for the preservation and 
 honour of the detachment in the perilous situation 
 in which they found themselves. For such a hand- 
 ful of men to remain in the plain was certain de- 
 struction, to retreat was equally dangerous, and 
 only two alternatives presented the shadow^ of hope, 
 for the idea of cutting their way to Poonah through 
 the Peishwa's army was out of the question. The 
 village of Koragaum, with several strong houses 
 and inclosures, lay half a mile before them on the 
 left bank of the Beema, while a strong height dif- 
 ficult of approach for cavalry was a little way on 
 their right, but without water or cover for the men.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 503 
 
 Captain Staunton moved therefore upon the village 
 with the intention of occupying it, and had scarcely 
 succeeded in reaching it with his detachment 
 when he was attacked in the most determined man- 
 ner by three divisions of the Peishwa*s best infan- 
 try, supported by immense bodies of horse and the 
 fire of two pieces of artillery. The enemy's troops 
 were animated to the utmost exertions by the pre- 
 sence of the Peishwa on a distant height, attended 
 by all the principal Mahratta chiefs, who flattered 
 his highness with the prospect of witnessing the 
 destruction of this gallant handful of British 
 troops. 
 
 Impressed with terror at the intrepidity of the 
 European character, the Peishwa, on seeing Cap- 
 tain Staunton advance down the heights of Kora- 
 gaum, exclaimed to Gockla, who had offered to cross 
 the river and attack the detachment, ** They are 
 coming to attack tis !" But on perceiving that the 
 advance guard was making towards the village, he 
 permitted the Arabs to plunge into the Beema, and 
 endeavour to gain possession of it before the Bri- 
 tish, and they succeeded in posting themselves in 
 the strongest parts of it, from which it was found 
 impossible to dislodge them, and the contest for the 
 remainder was obstinately continued from noon till 
 nine P. M. During that time almost every pagoda 
 and house had been repeatedly taken and retaken, 
 and one of the guns for several minutes was in pos- 
 session of the enemy. The detachment was placed 
 
 K K 4
 
 504 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 in the most trying situation at this period ; nearly 
 the whole of the artillerymen and about one-third 
 of the infantry and auxiliary horse were killed or 
 wounded. From the exertions which the European 
 officers had been called upon to make in leading 
 their men to frequent charges with the bayonet, 
 their numbers also were diminished. Lieutenant 
 Chisholm was no more, having fallen under several 
 wounds. Mr. Assistant-surgeon Wingate was also 
 killed. His right arm was broken in a charge on 
 the Arabs, in which he and Lieutenant Conlan, who 
 was also wounded, were made prisoners, and thrust 
 into a pagoda of which the enemy had possession. 
 Mr. Wingate there dressed his own arm^ but a few 
 moments after Lieutenants Swanston and Pattinson 
 charged the Arabs, and Mr. Wingate having evinced 
 a desire to escape was stabbed in the breast and 
 expired, but Conlan was rescued. The two brave 
 officers who led the men on in this desperate at- 
 tempt were wounded, but Pattinson could not 
 remain inactive while able to wield his sw^ord, and 
 he joined in other charges which cost him his life. 
 Only Captain Staunton, Lieutenant Jones and Mr. 
 Assistant-surgeon Wiley then remained, nearly ex- 
 hausted, to direct the effi^rts of the remaining part 
 of the force, who were almost frantic from the want 
 of water, and the unparalleled exertions they had 
 made throughout the day without any sort of re- 
 freshment, after a fatiguing march of twenty-six 
 miles. But under cover of the night they were en-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 505 
 
 abled to procure a supply of water, and at nine P.M. 
 the enemy was forced to abandon the village, after 
 sustaining an immense loss in killed and wounded. 
 ** The British character," said General Smith, 
 " was nobly supported throughout the whole of this 
 arduous contest by the European officers and the 
 small detachment of Madras artillery. The medical 
 officers also led the sepoys to charges with the bay- 
 onet, the nature of the contest not admitting of 
 their attending to their professional duties ; and in 
 such a struggle the presence of a single European 
 was of the utmost consequence, and seemed to in- 
 spire the native soldiers with the usual confidence 
 of success. At day-light on the 2d, the enemy 
 was still in sight, but did not renew the attack, 
 although it prevented the troops, whose ammunition 
 was nearly expended, from receiving either a sup- 
 ply of that or provisions." In fact, it was the 
 rapid march of the light division from Wuttoor 
 which obliged the Peishwa to retreat over the little 
 Bore ghaut, but of this the detachment at Kora- 
 gaum was entirely ignorant. Upon seeing the 
 enemy march southward. Captain Staunton con- 
 sidered his further advance towards Poonah im- 
 practicable. He buried his dead in the best man- 
 ner possible, under the ruins of the houses which 
 the cannonade of the enemy had destroyed, and 
 made preparations for returning to Seroor. The 
 tents were torn and converted into slings for the 
 wounded soldiers, and with the aid of those who
 
 5i)6 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 escaped, and the few bullocks and horses that re- 
 mained, he marched during the night of the 2d, 
 and reached Seroor at 12 o'clock in the forenoon of 
 the 3d, having had no refreshment since the 31st 
 December. He brouglit in nearly all the wounded, 
 and both the guns and colours of the regiment, 
 which the Arab chiefs had vainly hoped to present 
 as trophies to the Peishwa j and by his brave and 
 determined conduct deserved all the praises and 
 lionours which followed this brilliant example of 
 noble exertion and exemplary patience under every 
 species of privation. 
 
 Finding that the Peishwa had moved southward, 
 in which direction General Pritzler was ready to 
 take up the pursuit. General Smith marched for 
 Seroor to replenish his commissariat, where royal 
 salutes were fired on the 7th January for the battle 
 of Maidenpore, gained by his excellency General 
 Sir Thomas Hislop on the 21st December, over the 
 army of Muller Row Holkar ; for the battle of 
 Nagpore, won a few days before it by Brigadier- 
 general Doveton ; and for the subsequent surren- 
 der of that city to the British troops. Here also 
 Thoughtless learned that the Pindarries were nearly 
 exterminated by the various attacks made upon 
 them, and that Sir John Malcolm was following up 
 the advantages gained with brilliant success, so 
 that hope began to cheer him with the expectation 
 of soon being enabled, by general peace, to return 
 home. On the 8th January, however, information
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 507 
 
 reached General Smith, that General Pritzler had 
 turned the Peishwa, and gained some advantages 
 by successful charges made by the 22d dragoons. 
 He marched therefore with the light division, 
 leaving Colonel Boles to follow with the park and 
 stores, and continued for several weeks making 
 moves and countermoves every day, at an average 
 of twenty miles. The dawks were now beginning 
 to arrive regularly from Bombay, and Thoughtless, 
 on the 20th January, entered in his journal — "We 
 have received, for the first time since October, 
 some Bombay gazettes. The editor says in one 
 paper, — * The Peishwa is not, as reported, at Pun- 
 derpore ; but it is no matter where he is.' I wish 
 this gentleman was marching after him as we are, 
 and he would soon find it to be a matter of some 
 moment.'* On the 22d January, they gained sight 
 of the enemy near the town of Ogur, on the 
 Kisthna, having marched by way of Punderpore, 
 and made countermarches in all directions. The 
 south of the Deckan, near tlie river Kisthna, is abun- 
 dantly rich. Its banks are covered with towns, and 
 the country clothed with fine crops of cotton, 
 tobacco, wheat, sugar-cane, gram, and jewarry.
 
 508 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 O truly blest, if bliss he knows. 
 
 Who, healthful in some safe retreat, 
 Which simple competence bestows. 
 
 Feels no ambition to be great. 
 
 Whose acres few and garden give. 
 
 Nicely to trim, amusive toil ; 
 Whose mind, philosophy to live 
 
 Serenely on his native soil. 
 
 What if no durwan stand in state 
 
 Before his lowly cottage door ; 
 Would a sawarry at his gate 
 
 Increase the joy he has in store ? 
 
 General Smith had made a forced march of thirty 
 miles to Ogiir, for the purpose of surprising the 
 Peishwa, whose army was encamped near the town 
 on the banks of the Kisthna ; but the horse artillery, 
 cavalry, and a light battalion, formed from the 
 flank companies of native corps, and mounted on 
 tattoos, only reached the heights overlooking that 
 fine river in time to see the clouds of dust that 
 hovered over the retreat of the Mahrattas. The 
 force had marched 222 miles since its last departure 
 from Seroor, taking but one halting day to rest the 
 cattle, nearly exhausted by continued exertion. 
 This rapid pursuit far exceeded the Peishwa*s cal- 
 culation, and he felt himself sorely pressed upon 
 all sides. Gockla, with the flower of his cavalry,
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 509 
 
 was at this period around the division of General 
 Pritzler, impeding his advance from the south, wlien 
 General Smith broke in most unexpectedly before 
 him upon his highness and the main body of his 
 army. Chittamun Row, Napunker, and Trim- 
 buckgee Danglae, with 12,000 horse, made a bold 
 effort to cover his retreat on the high road to Sat- 
 tara, and the next day these daring cliiefs attacked 
 the light division in front, flank, and rear, near 
 Mirrich, with great impetuosity, cut off a non- 
 commissioned officer's party of the light battalion, 
 and in one of their charges, liaving penetrated the 
 baggage flank, slaughtered many of the followers, 
 and carried away some plunder, it being impossible, 
 with such a deficiency of cavalry, to pursue the 
 enemy in all directions. Gockla, upon being ap- 
 prised of the able and unexpected manner in which 
 General Smith had taken up the pursuit of his 
 royal master, drew off his cavalry from their attack 
 on General Pritzler, and making a forced march of 
 near forty miles, fell upon the rear of the light 
 division next day, who were pushing hard to reacli 
 Tausgaum, and were closely engaged with the 
 other chiefs in front and flank. General Smith 
 soon perceived, from the immense bodies of ca- 
 valry and numerous standards approaching on all 
 sides, that the whole of the Mahratta cavaUy were 
 around him. The plain, as far as the eye could 
 reach, was literally covered with them, and it was 
 sufficient to excite the wonder of a spectator that
 
 510 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 such a handful of men should have dared to press 
 forward after four times their number of infantry 
 with guns, in the face of fifteen times their nume- 
 rical strength of Mahratta cavalry, whose korrallies 
 or flankers were individually so brave that they 
 gallopped along the line within a few paces of the 
 riflemen and light infantry spread round to keep 
 off their matchlocks, depending for safety upon their 
 shields and armour. But coolness and discipline 
 will always be found irresistible opposed to any 
 numerical superiority deficient in these essential 
 qualifications. Gockla's men were individually 
 brave, and he was an experienced and able general, 
 well acquainted with our tactics, for he had fought 
 as an auxiliary under Sir Arthur Wellesley, and 
 seen some of the most dashing service in India ; 
 but his troops being in a disorganized state, and 
 without that mutual dependence upon each other 
 which discipline ensures, he never could actuate 
 them with his own brave spirit, and they invariably 
 deserted him in the hour of trial. He was, how- 
 ever, by this mode of warfare making soldiers of 
 them. The casualties during this day's service 
 were considerable ; but the enemy lost immense 
 numbers from the fire of grape, shells, and round 
 shot discharged upon them nearly the whole day. 
 They however succeeded, by their perseverance 
 and boldness, in retarding the advance of the light 
 division, for every thing wore so much the appear- 
 ance of a general action, that the British com-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 511 
 
 mander at length halted in the evening at the vil- 
 lage of Kauta, without being able to reach Taus- 
 gaum, where the enemy shewed vast masses next 
 morning, and disputed every mile of the road to 
 Neemluck. Here they encamped so near, and in such 
 prodigious numbers, that the light division lay all 
 night fully accoutred. On the following day they 
 reached Koragaum, eighteen miles distant, not- 
 withstanding the great efforts made by Gockla to 
 prevent their advance. 
 
 Upon moving next morning the scene was inte- 
 resting. The sun rose in beauty over the high roman- 
 tic hill fort of Booserghur, below which large bodies 
 of the enemy appeared drawn up, while their artillery 
 rockaded the line. A large mass of them, directly 
 in front, defiled along the left flank, and soon after 
 another, equally numerous, passed down the right. 
 The horse artillery and cavalry had scarcely dis- 
 lodged their rocket-men, who had killed several 
 sepoys, when an immense column appeared advanc- 
 ing at full gallop upon the front. A line was 
 formed to receive them, and at this time the en- 
 gagement was pretty general in every quarter. 
 The division in front formed at the distance of five 
 hundred yards, and stood for some time in silent 
 awe, but raising a shout advanced again with the 
 intention of charging the cavalry drawn up to mask 
 the guns, which were now opened upon them by 
 Captain Pierce with such effect, that they wheeled 
 suddenly to the left and dispersed in the great-
 
 512 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 est confusion. From Pussasowla to Reymutpore 
 the road winds through hills, and the vallies are 
 broken into nullahs or ravines, and much inter- 
 sected with hedges, so that the ground was unfa- 
 vourable for cavalry, and the force marched on 
 without much molestation except from rockets, 
 which blazed upon the line from every height. But 
 upon passing Julgaum, and entering the vale of 
 Sattara, the enemy's whole force of cavalry appeared 
 drawn up in columns of attack to the right, just out 
 of cannon-shot range. Their korrallies were in 
 every direction, sniping with the riflemen and 
 flankers, and their rocket-boys were stationed on dis- 
 tant heights, showering their deadly missiles upon 
 the line ; from one of these Colonel Milnes had a 
 very narrow escape, for his horse, on being struck 
 by the shaft, made such violent plunges that his 
 rider was thrown from the saddle with great violence, 
 but fortunately arose uninjured, though two sepoys 
 had their legs so much shattered by the same rocket 
 that amputation was found necessary. General 
 Smith continued his march, and Gockla, whose 
 person was conspicuous at the head of his men, ad- 
 vanced also in a parallel line, for several miles. 
 The sight was grand and interesting. He expected 
 that General Smith would have taken the road to the 
 left, to avoid the hill fort of Mungheer directly in 
 front, and both columns marched upon it till their 
 heads closed to within short cannon ranjre. A 
 struggle followed between the advance guards to
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. .513 
 
 gain the main road under the hill. The horse ar- 
 tillery opened a tremendous fire on the masses of 
 cavahy, advancing at full gallop to pass under the 
 guns of the fort, which they sustained for some time; 
 but at length, dispirited by the numbers that were 
 falling, they wheeled to the right in great disorder, 
 and fled down the opposite side of the mountain. 
 Towards evening the force encamped near the 
 head of the Salpee Pass, down which the Peishwa 
 had effected his retreat, having been very nearly in- 
 tercepted in it by Colonel Boles and the heavy divi- 
 sion. The enemy had sent their baggage down the 
 Salpee after the Peishwa, and finding themselves 
 thus cut off from the only road over the mountains 
 in this quarter, endeavoured to pass alongthe bottom 
 of the chain of gliauts, under the fort of Chunden 
 Wunden, from which there is a communication with 
 the main road, and they were seen about twilight 
 advancing from among the mountains. The horse 
 artillery, cavalry, ligljt battalion, and flank compa- 
 nies were immediately dispatched to form an am- 
 buscade, and tliey succeeded in forcing one division 
 to seek safety by endeavouring to scale the moun- 
 tain, on which they were directly turned. In this 
 attempt they sustained immense loss, for the guns 
 raked the side up whicli they clambered, and men 
 and horses fell in numbers from the precipices they 
 had gained in the vain hope of getting to the table 
 land. But all the other divisions effected th.eii- 
 escape under tlie darkness of night. 
 
 L L
 
 514 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 Thouglitless wrote his remarks late at night. 
 "This," said he, "has been an interesting day's 
 service. Before sun-rise the firing commenced. 
 The blazing rattle of rockets, loud beyond de- 
 scription from the echo of the neighbouring moun- 
 tains, the thunder of artillery, the bursting of shells, 
 the cries and rout of the enemy's bodies of horse, 
 the wild tones of their tooteries and 7iagaries urging 
 on to the charge, the rush of our baggage to avoid 
 the rockets, the romantic scenery of high hills on 
 every side, the grand and steady march of 2,500 
 disciplined troops in the face of 30,000 Mahrattas, 
 through this fine valley, our frequent halts and ad- 
 vances, announced by the bugles and drums, along 
 the line, the flogging of followers for plundering 
 the villages, while the patels were led to the general 
 and forced to supply the commissary with grain, 
 and were occasionally conducted back again with 
 ropes round their necks, under a threat of death, 
 in case of concealing provisions, are hints which 
 may convey an idea of the scene. This fine 
 valley, lately so beautiful, has changed its appear- 
 ance. The passage of such large armies has de- 
 stroyed the verdure of the fields, and many of the 
 houses have been unroofed by the looterers for fire- 
 wood. Oh ! what misery the contentions of ambi- 
 tion generate for the humble tenants of the soil. 
 Another ruffian was taken to-day in the act of tear- 
 ing a gold-knobbed ring out of a woman's nose* 
 Her face was covered with blood j she struggled.
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 515 
 
 and he was going to cut her throat, when a tackildar 
 arrested his villanous arm ; he was hanged. A 
 camp follower's wife was taken in labour on the 
 march to-day in a nullah, and through the anxious 
 solicitude of her husband, obtained that attendance 
 which such a crisis demanded.'* 
 
 General Smith continuing the chase next day 
 down the Salpee Pass, found that the Peishwa had 
 escaped eastward, towards Punderpore ; but before 
 he resumed the pursuit it was necessary to replenish 
 his store park and commissariat, and he determined 
 moreover to avail himself of the opportunity of 
 reinforcing his cavalry from the division of General 
 Pritzler. Therefore having procured ammunition 
 and grain from Colonel Boles, he re-ascended the 
 Salpee Pass, and formed a junction at Reymutpore 
 with General Pritzler, whose force consisted of two 
 squadrons and the head-quarters of the 22d dragoons 
 and 7th Madras native cavalry, an European flank 
 battalion of eight companies from the 34-th, 5Sd, 
 69th, and 84th regiments, the 1st of the 12th Madras 
 native infantry and the Madras rifle battalion, with 
 eight field-pieces, and a detail of artillerymen and 
 pioneers. An efficient light force was immediately 
 formed of the horse artillery, 22d dragoons, 2d and 
 7th Madras cavalry, light battalion, 65th regiment, 
 1st of 2d and 1st of 3d Bombay native infantry ; with 
 which General Smith determined to pursue the 
 Peishwa. Before his departure, however, he found it 
 expedient to take possession of Sattara, and the whole 
 
 L L 2
 
 516 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 force, being joined at Koragaum by Colonel Boles 
 and the heavy division, marched towards the ancient 
 Mahratta capital on the 10th February 1818. 
 They crossed the Kisthnaat Maowly, a large town, 
 with a magnificent pagoda on one bank of the river, 
 and a handsome pavilion, belonging to the Peishwa, 
 on the other. It is a sacred bathing place, and 
 there are several fine flights of stone steps from the 
 town to the water's edge. The inhabitants seemed 
 very much alarmed, but crowded to see the force 
 pass, after they had been furnished with tackildars to 
 guard their property : from this place Sattara, 
 situated on the table land of an isolated hill, has 
 a formidable appearance. They forded the Kisthna, 
 about fifty yards broad at Maowly, and encamped 
 before the place of destination, in fine gardens of 
 onions and carrots, in plantations of sugar-cane, 
 and across fields of wheat, barley, jewarry, cotton, 
 and dholl. The loss to the poor owners was incal- 
 culable. There was a considerable garrison in the 
 fort of Sattara, but the killedar did not make a reso- 
 lute defence, or he might have laughed at the efforts 
 of General Smith for its reduction. After receiving 
 a few shells from a mortar battery, the enemy eva- 
 cuated it without returning a shot, and Thoughtless 
 accompanied the party that took possession of a place 
 truly wonderful, both in respect to nature and 
 art. 
 
 Sattara stands on a hill belonging to a range, 
 which it completely commands. The height of the 
 
 13
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 517 
 
 fort is about three hundred yards above the plain, 
 its length twelve hundred, and its breadth varying 
 from three hundred to eighty at the western point. 
 There is a table land formed by the hand of nature 
 on the top, which is a huge rock of granite ; it is 
 cut perpendicularly all round, at an average of 
 thirty feet. On this solid foundation the rampart 
 is built of masonry, about eight feet high and as 
 many broad. Numerous towers and bastions are 
 erected round it ; and there were twenty-seven 
 guns mounted on the works, with a park well sup- 
 plied with ammunition and stojes. There is only 
 one gate, exceedingly strong, but a sally-port de- 
 fended by two towers opens in an opposite direc- 
 tion. Four fine tanks contain an abundance of 
 water, and in short there is a small town on the 
 summit, which, when the rajah was confined here, 
 served as a habitation for the numerous Brahmins 
 that surrounded himj in the centre of it a handsome 
 house was erected for him. The petah or city of 
 Sattara lies below in the plain under the north face 
 of tlie fort ; it is of great extent, and seemed rich 
 and populous. The houses were well built of stone 
 and lime, with good streets, and numerous gardens 
 and orchards. The top of the hill commands a 
 most delightful view of the valleys of Sattara, 
 through which the Kisthna and Oomrouly meander 
 and glitter to the eye with pleasing variety, some- 
 times hid beneath the rich foliage of fruit trees, 
 and occasionally breaking forth in unexpected turns 
 
 LL 3
 
 518 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 upon the sight. The British flag was hoisted un- 
 der a royal salute from the camp, but after waving 
 for a few minutes over the battlements that had 
 long awed the Mahratta empire, it was replaced by 
 that of the Sattara Rajah ; Captain Garraway with 
 150 sepoys being left in charge of it ; and while 
 General Pritzler and the heavy division marched 
 against other forts. General Smith with the light 
 division proceeded down the Salpee Pass in pursuit 
 of the Peishwa. 
 
 On the 19th February, after a rapid march of five 
 days from Salpee by way of Fooltaun, a large 
 town with magnificent pagodas, they reached 
 Yelapore, where General Smith received information 
 that the Peishwa was encamped at Gopalashtee, 
 situated about thirty miles to the eastward. 
 They marched at twelve o'clock that night, 
 crossed the Beema at Keutalla, and about eleven 
 o'clock next day the horse artillery and ca- 
 valry, with the staff of the force, halted on the 
 heights overlooking the plain on which the Mah- 
 ratta army was encamped ; — an hour before his 
 highness the Peishwa had thought himself in per- 
 fect safety, being assured that the British force was 
 at a considerable distance, and his tents were struck 
 and baggage loaded for the purpose of marching 
 northward ; — while he was in earnest conversation 
 with his chiefs, it was announced that the English 
 general was close upon liim. When the British 
 squadrons gained sight of the plain, they heard the
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 5 If) 
 
 tooteries and torn toms shrilly and loudly proclaim- 
 ing surprise and confusion, and saw the Peishwa in 
 rapid retreat, while Gockla with a great part of the 
 cavalry was drawn up in line of battle across the 
 main road ; he having vowed to his highness that 
 he would cover his retreat or lose his life. Gene- 
 ral Smith hesitated not a moment. He dispatched 
 his staff to the different commanding officers with 
 orders, the substance of which were that tlie cavalry 
 should move down in separate columns of attack, 
 the 22d dragoons in the centre, the 2d on the 
 left, and the 7th on the right, while the horse artil- 
 lery were directed to take up the best position ac- 
 cording to circumstances, and at the discretion of 
 Captain Pierce. " Thoughtless,'* said he, ** ride 
 to the rear, and order the light battalion up as quick 
 as possible." Charles was not long in performing 
 this duty, and to his surprise found the rifle com- 
 panies of the 65th regiment close behind the light 
 battalion, struggling hard to outmarch the tattoos 
 upon which the men were mounted. Upon his 
 return, he saw tlie cavalry dashing down the heights 
 to charge Gockla in three separate columns, whose 
 heads formed points for the formation of the line of 
 battle. The ground was so rugged that the horse 
 artillery could not get forward, and Charles over- 
 took them just as the cavalry had approached within 
 musket-shot of the enemy and formed line. Cap- 
 tain Pierce then used every exertion, and brought 
 his guns into position on the right, when the line, 
 
 L L if
 
 ,020 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 at a round trot, made directly for the centre of" the 
 masses before it. The sight was awful, and a 
 dead silence prevailed. Gockla had chosen his 
 ground with great judgment, behind a nullah and 
 other obstacles, which, he calculated, would keep 
 back the artillery. His appearance was very for- 
 midable, the front ranks of his line having their 
 spears couched, while the rear ranks seemed drawn 
 up on a ridge higher than the front, armed with 
 matchlocks. They opened a heavy fire upon the 
 cavalry when within 150 yards of their line, which 
 the latter did not return till they had advanced 
 within a few paces of the Mahratta front, when 
 the 22d dragoons discharging their pistols in the 
 faces of the enemy, charged their centre, and the 
 action became close and warm for a few seconds. 
 The horse artillery, at this time on the right, could 
 not fire; and General Smith, full of anxiety to see the 
 cavalry close with the enemy, had gaUopped into 
 the space between the right of the 7th and the left 
 of the guns, where he was much exposed. Gockla 
 had a chosen body in reserve behind his left wing, 
 for the purpose of attacking the rear or flank ; and 
 while the shock of the charge made by the 22d 
 dragoons had forced his centre to give way, he 
 wheeled with the greatest rapidity round his left, 
 and passing between the guns and the right of the 
 British line, attacked the 7th cavalry in rear with 
 great impetuosity. General Smith was cut down, 
 and some confusion was produced on the right;
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. .521 
 
 but Major Daw, with the reserve of the 22d, 
 charged Gockla, who was killed in this desperate 
 but brave attempt ; and now tlie whole of the 
 Mahrattas fled in confusion. General Smith had 
 received the blow of a sabre on the back of his 
 head, but the wound was not dangerous. The 
 slaughter of the enemy was great, and they were 
 pursued till it was feared the horses would be blown. 
 All the plain was strewed with their dead and 
 wounded. Tlie pursuit was continued. After the 
 horses had breathed, another successful charge was 
 made ; for during the halt the chiefs had rallied 
 their men and shown front again. In this charge 
 the main body was overtaken, and the carnage was 
 dreadful. The Peishwa escaped on a fleet horse ; 
 but the Sattara Rajah, his mother, and his two 
 brothers were taken, with eleven elephants and 
 fifty camels, some of which were loaded with trea- 
 sure. Majors Daw, Doveton, and Walker preserv- 
 ing a fine line, and halting frequently to breathe 
 their horses, continued the pursuit for nearly ten 
 miles from the scene of action, and captured all the 
 rear of the baggage of the Peishwa's army. In 
 short, the rout and dispersion of his troo})s were 
 beyond description terrific and dreadful. Thought- 
 less accompanied the cavalry in this course of 
 slaughter, and saw enough to impress his mind 
 with the most frightful image of war. The native 
 troopers even shot unarmed palankeen boys and 
 camp followers ; but the 2Qd dragoons were as
 
 y22 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 merciful as they were brave, and both the officers 
 and men exerted themselves to save the prostrate 
 foe. 
 
 Previous to this, the Peishwa becoming aware of 
 the rapid rate at which General Smith could move, 
 had placed his guns and infantry in forts, to enable 
 him to march with superior celerity, so that he was 
 completely surprised, and the result was of the 
 greatest importance. No officer was killed in the 
 light division, and besides the general, only Lieu- 
 tenant Warren of the 22d dragoons was wounded ; 
 but 30 non-commissioned officers and soldiers were 
 killed and wounded, with a considerable number of 
 horses. The body of Gockla was burned in the 
 evening, the ceremonial being accompanied with 
 all due honours, according to the customs of his 
 cast. His person was large, his features fine and 
 manly, and his complexion nearly fair. He had 
 received several wounds on his face and body, but 
 the confusion was so great, that it could not be 
 ascertained under whose hand he had fallen, and 
 several inferior chiefs shared his fate around him. 
 He wore on the morning of the action a rich dress 
 of gold kinJcoby with a pearl necklace, diamond ear- 
 rings, and an ornament for the turban of immense 
 value, which became the plunder of some of the 
 camp followers ; for the bodies of all the officers 
 were found nearly naked upon the return of the 
 cavalry from pursuing the enemy. It is impossible 
 not to respect the spirit of Gockla. The judgment
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 5^3 
 
 with which he prepared to receive General Smith 
 was only equalled by his valour and skill in bravely 
 endeavouring to retrieve the day, upon finding, 
 that his centre could not withstand the charge 
 of the 22d dragoons ; and the muse of history will 
 encircle his name with a laurel for fidelity and de- 
 votion in his country's cause. 
 
 The rescue of the Rajah of Sattara and his family 
 from the hands of the Peishwa, gave General Smith 
 the most lively satisfaction ; for nothing could be 
 of more importance in the present conjuncture, as 
 the supreme government had determined to depose 
 the usurper, and restore the rajah to some portion 
 of the rights belonging to his ancestors. In the 
 orders issued upon the occasion, the General warmly 
 expressed his high sense of the meritorious and 
 most gallant conduct of the cavalry, and his admi- 
 ration of the exemplary conduct of every one 
 engaged in the action of Ashtee. *' The operations 
 of yesterday," said he, "were necessarily confined 
 to the cavalry ; but the zeal and good conduct 
 evinced by the whole of the troops during a period 
 of three months of incessant marching, has been 
 eminently conspicuous ; and the brigadier-general 
 regrets that it was impossible upon this occasion to 
 afford them all an opportunity of meeting the 
 enemy." This affair was truly honourable to him- 
 self, and so ruinous in its effects upon the Mahrattas, 
 that they never dared to show their faces after- 
 wards. Intercepted letters, from various chiefs.
 
 ^^4f FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 soon gave a picture of the desertion and the dismay 
 consequent upon it in the Peishwa's camp. ** The 
 Enghsh general," said one, " has by this blow 
 gained every object of his government, and re- 
 warded his force with immense booty for the hard- 
 ships they had endured for the last three months." 
 " All the sirdars,'* said another, "are now endea- 
 vouring to make terms for themselves, and I am 
 determined to withdraw from a cause which is 
 ruined, and is involving the country in misery." 
 
 In short, the interest of the campaign here ceases. 
 General Smith, after the sale of the prize property, 
 returned towards Poonah, for the purpose of placing 
 the Sattara Rajah with Mr. Elphinstone, who had 
 remained there, having been appointed commis- 
 sioner for the settlement of affairs in this part of 
 the Deckan. The rajah now assumed all the ex- 
 ternal pomp of an eastern prince, and seated in 
 a rich howdah on a large elephant, accompanied 
 by his brothers and their mother, with her ladies 
 of honour in other howdahs and rich palankeens, 
 with flags, torn toms, tooteries, and guards, formed 
 a pageant of no ordinary magnificence at the head 
 of the British line. During the cool of each morn- 
 ing, these high personages rode richly caparisoned 
 Mahratta horses, and only mounted their elephants 
 in the heat of the day. The queen mother ma- 
 naged her horse with great dexterity, and rode, 
 according to tlie custom of the ladies of her coun-_ 
 try, as gentlemen do with us. She bore the traces
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 525 
 
 of great beauty, wore a rich dress of embroidered 
 muslin, with but few ornaments ; she did not con- 
 ceal her face, and was both familiar and talkative 
 with such officers as approached her. In person 
 she appeared rather above the middle size, and 
 her complexion was almost fair. She evinced an 
 ardent desire to appropriate every thing that was 
 captured to herself, for she claimed all the ele- 
 phants and camels, with every fine horse and tent 
 that she saw, as her own. Her age seemed between 
 forty and fifty, and she had none of that timidity 
 which one naturally supposes to belong to Hindoo 
 ladies. In short, she appeared to be a woman 
 possessed of much natural ability, and far greater 
 presence of mind than the rajah, for whom she ma- 
 naged every thing, and he even looked to her for 
 the answers he had to make to several questions. 
 He appeared about 23 years of age, and his bro- 
 thers something younger ; but there was no great 
 difference in their size, being all of small stature, 
 dark complexion, and vulgar aspect, so that no 
 person would suppose they were the children of 
 such an intelligent, sprightly, fair woman as the 
 queen mother. They were richly dressed in gold 
 muslins and kinkobs, with pearl necklaces of three 
 rows set in gold and sparkling with precious stones; 
 their turbans and ear-rings were very costly ; they 
 wore trowsers with feet like stockings, and slippers 
 turned up at the toes and covered with precious 
 gems. Upon approaching towns or villages the
 
 5QQ FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 tooteries were sounded, and the musicians, who rode 
 on camels, began to beat their torn toms, when the 
 inhabitants came out in crowds and prostrated 
 themselves before their legitimate sovereign. 
 
 In this manner the force returned by easy 
 marches, and crossed the Beema at Hingingaum, 
 having passed the village of Tamboorna, the birth- 
 place of Padashaw Munkisser Bow, late minister 
 for British affairs at the court of Poonah, who till 
 the day of his death made it the object of his life to 
 cultivate the friendship of the English government. 
 He made the humble spot of his birth remarkable 
 by erecting a magnificent palace near it with fine 
 gardens. On the 27th February they passed the 
 large town of Barramutty, and halted next day at 
 Moorishwar, that the rajah might return thanks to 
 Gunputty, who has a celebrated temple here, and 
 make presents to the Brahmins on occasion of his 
 restoration to power. The pagodas are very mag- 
 nificent and numerous, but their sanctity is not so 
 great now as formerly j for it is believed that Gun- 
 putty forsook them, disgusted with the partiality of 
 the Brahmins for new customs, and that this god 
 is now incarnate at Cheechore, near Poonah. But 
 this avater of Gunputty needs not be detailed, as a 
 particular history of it is given by Lord Valentia 
 in his Travels in India. Soon afterwards the 
 Honourable Mr. Elphinstone arrived from Poonah 
 to meet the rajah and escort him thither with Cap- 
 tain Davis and the irregular horse, and General
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 5^7 
 
 Smith marched for Seroor. It may here be proper 
 to notice the most affecting circumstance of the 
 whole campaign ; twenty-two guns were fired at 
 Boolsir for the death of her royal highness Charlotte 
 Princess of Wales, and Thoughtless shed a tear 
 when he reflected that rank, fortune, love, and the 
 hope of a nation could not shield such excellence 
 from the shaft of death ; and that while her royal 
 father's heart was torn with anguish for the irre- 
 parable loss of his only child, how little pleasure 
 could arise from the intelligence that the British 
 arms were successful in acquiring new and splendid 
 conquests in the East. 
 
 General Smith only halted one day at Seroor. 
 He proceeded northward at a rapid rate after the 
 enemy on the road to Jaulna as far as Toka, where 
 the march was changed to the eastward, but not 
 long continued, for the Godavery was crossed at 
 Rauksbone on the 18th March, and on the 28th, 
 after prodigious marching and counter-marching, 
 the force lefl their sick at Jaulna, and continued 
 the pursuit of the Peishwa. The heat of the wea- 
 ther had now increased so much, that during every 
 long march some of the men fell under coups de 
 soleil; the thermometer stood at 109° at ten o'clock 
 in the day, and the hospitals were soon filled with 
 fever, liver disease, and dysentery. The Peishwa*s 
 case now became desperate. Brigadier-general 
 Doveton was closing upon him in one direction ; 
 Colonels Adams and Scott were advancing with
 
 528 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 
 
 light divisions from other points ; while General 
 Smith was driving his highness upon them. Many 
 of his sirdars, however, made it a point of honour 
 to adhere to their cliief in the hour of his adversity ; 
 and in the latter end of April they were surprised 
 and cut up by Colonel Adams, who took the whole 
 of their baggage, and all tlie remaining treasure of 
 the Peishwa. Soon after which his highness sur- 
 rendered himself, and received permission from his 
 generous foes, notwithstanding all his treachery 
 and ingratitude, to reside at Benares on a large 
 pension. 
 
 The force now returned to Seroor, crossed the 
 Godavery at Keir, and reached the cantonments 
 on the l6tli May, having marched since their de- 
 parture thence on the 10th March 706 miles, and 
 during the whole campaign, since their first move- 
 ment from Seroor, 2,037. 
 
 In the meantime the Marquis of Hastings had 
 returned to Calcutta, and Sir Thomas Hislop to 
 Madras. All the hill forts belonging to the Peishwa 
 in the Deckan and Konkan had surrendered, and 
 Trimbuckgee Danglae had been taken prisoner by 
 Captain Swanston at the head of a body of irregu- 
 lars after a night march of sixty miles, arranged 
 and conducted with consummate skill, by which 
 that cunning and plotting chief was completely 
 surprised. The Goth regiment were now suffering 
 from the effects of fatigue and exposure to the sun; 
 for Europeans, though they stand a hard campaign
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 529 
 
 well in India, drop off rapidly on returning to quar- 
 ters. But the cholera morbus, which liad spread 
 such destruction in Bengal, now travelled westward, 
 and began to thin the ranks of the Bombay army. 
 Many were the victims to its fury in the 65th, but 
 Thoughtless escaped ; for having now obtained 
 leave of absence he departed for Bombay, in the 
 hope of soon embarking with his family from the 
 burning climate of India. Yet he could not say 
 ^^ farascelV to his valued friends witliout a sensa- 
 tion of deep regret, that casta gloom on the cheer- 
 ing prospect of a return to his native land. 
 
 ]M M
 
 530 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 No sickly clime his spirit tries. 
 
 No deadly vapours fire the brain, 
 Beneath the eye no comrade lies. 
 
 Whose life-blood cools the burning plain. 
 
 But rosy children course the lawn. 
 
 And sportive mazy circles form ; 
 Whose hearts, like dew of summer dawn. 
 
 Dissolve in pity for a worm. 
 
 How bootless is the courtly smile 
 
 To him whose little ones and wife 
 Can melancholy quite beguile. 
 
 And strew with roses thorny life ? 
 
 ilE who has a large family in India will find no 
 difficidty in transporting them to England, if he 
 have a few thousand rupees to pay for their passage. 
 Thoughtless had a sufficient fund remaining for 
 this purpose, and he had the good fortune to em- 
 bark in an excellent vessel, of which the commander, 
 a most worthy man, made so good use of his time, 
 that he dropped his anchor in Table Bay exactly 
 one month after his departure from Bombay har- 
 bour, and Charles beheld with pleasure the cloud- 
 capt brow of the mountain that rises abruptly from 
 Cape Town. Thence they were w^afted by the 
 steady trade-wind past St. Helena and Ascension, 
 and in three months and twelve days after their
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 531 
 
 departure from the Cape of Good Hope the pas- 
 sengers landed at Dover. 
 
 London being new to Charles, he remained a 
 fortnight there, admiring the various productions 
 of art that court the attention of the curious. At 
 length he touched the land of his birth after an 
 absence of seventeen years. The meeting of a 
 father and son under such circumstances is a scene 
 best suited to the imagination, and it is entirely 
 omitted by him who wrote *' Fifteen Years in 
 India." Thoughtless took possession of a hand- 
 some well-furnished house in Dundalk, and he had 
 the pleasure of seeing his friend George True, 
 who visited him on the very day when he settled 
 in that agreeable town. The roses and lillies of 
 Erin bloomed on the cheeks of the lovely Nannette 
 and her charming children ; and Edward and 
 Emma recognized in each other what fancy had 
 been teaching them to expect. Robert Gordon, 
 now agent to the extensive estates of Mr. True, 
 was in the full exercise of his poetical faculties. 
 The season of the year afforded Bob an opportunity 
 for composition, and when Charles called to see 
 him he had just finished the following lines, which 
 he entitled 
 
 THE OPENING OF SPRING. 
 
 Stern winter's sky no more with tempest lowers, 
 To arctic climes rough Boreas steals away. 
 
 And vernal breezes and refreshing showers 
 Are now companions of the lengthened day. 
 M M 2
 
 532 FIFTEEN YEAllS IN INDIA. 
 
 The modest snow-drop, harbinger of spring, 
 Now greets the eye with robe of virgin white ; 
 
 With joyful notes the birds begin to sing 
 At peep of dawn to hail the new-born light. 
 
 Pleased with young life, the sportive lambs are seen 
 Striving in mimic race with guileless mirth ; 
 
 Kind nature now prepares her garb of green, 
 To clothe her flow' rets teeming into birth. 
 
 At this sweet season let not man be sad, 
 
 While bounteous heaven makes all around him glad. 
 
 "But," said he, " I shall not offer you this, for T in- 
 tend to write a piece in commemoration of your 
 return home." Thoughtless, however, was pleased 
 with the concluding lines of the above stanzas, 
 because they accorded with his feelings ; and, in 
 revisiting the scenes of his youth, he strove to 
 repress the melancholy that arose within him by 
 frequently repeating 
 
 " At this sweet season why should I be sad, 
 
 While bounteous heaven makes all around me glad." 
 
 All around him was gladness and joy, but every 
 thing was new and unexpected. His habits had 
 undergone a change of which he was not aware ; 
 and in his disappointment he at first concluded 
 that the manners of his early companions had be- 
 come deteriorated. 
 
 A few fleeting days cleared up his agitated con- 
 jectures respecting Frank Stanley, from whom he 
 received a most satisfactory letter, stating that he 
 was welcomed by the old squire with every sin- 
 cere demonstration of joy, and that his aged mo-
 
 FIFTEEN YEARS IN INDIA. 533 
 
 ther seemed renewed with life by consummated 
 hope, on clasping her long absent child to her ma- 
 ternally affectionate breast. " But,'* said Frank, 
 " confusion to me, my dearest friend, if I can de- 
 scribe the rest. — I found that bright particular star, 
 for so many years the north-pole of attraction to 
 my anxious soul, in all the loveliness of matured 
 beauty. Let the pencil of conception paint on the 
 mind of a lover my transport at discovering that 
 the willow had been worn for my sake. Sarah is 
 now my wife." 
 
 To conclude : — There is every reason to hope 
 that as much felicity as was intended to mingle in 
 the cup of human life will be enjoyed by all the 
 parties in question during the remainder of exist- 
 ence ; and should the author of these humble 
 sketches have succeeded in convincing the public 
 that his pen has been employed in promoting the 
 interests of morality, virtue, and religion, while he 
 endeavoured to amuse the fancy and interest the 
 affections of the heart, his own share of bliss will 
 have been considerably encreased. 
 
 M M 3
 
 635 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 JjLbDAR — a servant whose business it is to cool water, wine, &c. 
 
 Ayahs — maid-servants in India. 
 
 Amir — a nobleman, a lord. 
 
 Arab — the horses used by officers in India are from Arabia, and 
 
 called Arabs. 
 Aw, saheeb — yes. Sir. 
 Avater — an incarnation of some deity. 
 
 Buggy — the gig, or one horse chaise, is so called in India. 
 
 Bobberdiee — a cook. 
 
 Brahmins — the sacred cast in Ilindostan from which the priests 
 
 are selected. 
 Bungalow — a cottage, a name generally applied to the officers' 
 
 houses near a cantonment in India. 
 Bheesties — men who carry water in leather bags. 
 Bhauts — the descendants of the ancient bards of India. 
 Brandij-pawny — brandy and water, the common beverage in 
 
 India. 
 Bhote salam — best compliments. 
 Bavas — children. 
 Biggah — the third of an acre. 
 Borahs — hawkers, pedlars. 
 Baftas — piece goods made of cotton. 
 Brahma — • the god of creation in India. 
 
 Champaul Ghaut — the name of a wharf in Calcutta. 
 Chattah — a large umbrella made of silk or palm leaves. 
 Coolies — natives in India whose business it is to carry burdens, 
 porters.
 
 5ii6 GLOSSARY. 
 
 (jrore — there are one hundred lacks in a crore, and a lack is equal 
 
 to 100,000, therefore a crore is ten millions. 
 Clunnpo — to knead or rub the body with the hand. 
 Cranny — ■ a native in Bengal who writes in an office, a clerk. 
 Cudjans — the leaves of the palmira and cocoa-nut trees, with 
 
 which the houses are thatched. 
 Cutwal — the magistrate of a village or town. 
 C'haitee — an earthen pot. 
 Cheechee — the Bengal half-cast ladies are nicknamed "cheechees,* 
 
 being a word often used by them, which in Hindostannee 
 
 means " tie! fie !" 
 Couch wallah — a man who carries a camp cot and bedding. 
 Catamaran — a sort of boat used at Madras. 
 
 Dooly — a litter covered with canvas, in which sick soldiers are 
 
 carried. 
 Dajidies — the boatmen on the river Ganges are so called. 
 Durbar — the court of a native prince, 
 Durwan — a gate-keeper. 
 Dawks — the posts by which communication is kept iip in India, 
 
 post-office, letter-bag. 
 
 Fakier — a religious mendicant ; properly speaking, the word is 
 restricted to Mahomedans ; but it is now generally used for 
 beggars and enthusiasts of all descriptions in India. 
 
 Ghaut — a mountain, a hill; also a wharf, quay, or landing-place. 
 Ginjals — small pieces of artillery mounted on walls, or upon the 
 
 backs of camels. 
 Goru — a spiritual guide, the confessor or family priest in India. 
 Ghurs — Hindoo huts or houses. 
 Gora wallah — a groom, horse-keeper. 
 Gosains — one of the divisions of Hindoo mendicant friars or 
 
 enthusiasts. 
 
 Hurkarus — messengers who carry dispatches, and generally travel 
 
 mounted on camels. 
 Hackery — the common car in India ; also the covered carriage 
 
 used bv the natives.
 
 GLOSSARY. 537 
 
 Hookah — the gorgeous Indian pipe for smoking tobacco. 
 
 Havlldar — a Serjeant of sepoys. 
 
 Hoondee — a bill of exchange. 
 
 Hcilalcore — a sweeper, a remover of filth, an outcast that performs 
 those offices which contaminate. 
 
 Harries — men whose business it is to remove dead bodies at 
 Juggurnaut. 
 
 Howdah — the castle placed on the elephant for the accommoda- 
 tion of those who ride that animal. 
 
 Hoont wallah — a camel driver. 
 
 Jemidar — a rank in the company's military service similar to that 
 of ensign. 
 
 Jungles — forests or uncultivated parts of the country. 
 
 Jaghires — pensions, or lands held on condition of performing cer- 
 tain services. 
 
 Kliatri — ' the fighting or warrior cast. 
 
 Ka babhery ? — what noise is that? 
 
 Killedar — the commandant of a fort. 
 
 Kussiim — husband. 
 
 Knockada — the captain or master of a native vessel. 
 
 Kinkob — silk embroidered with gold. 
 
 Looterers — are plunderers that follow an army in India, 
 Lack — a number equal to 100,000; alack of rupees is ^12,500. 
 Lingums — are temples in which barren women pray for children, 
 and perform certain ceremonies prescribed by the Brahmins. 
 Langutty — a cloth which is tied round the loins. 
 
 Monsoon — the wet season in India is so called. 
 
 Matchlocks — are fire-arms discharged by means of a match instead 
 
 of a flint. 
 Mohur — a gold coin worth sixteen rupees, or .^'2. 
 Moonshee — a teacher of languages ; generally a Mahomedan. 
 Mohorum — the Mahomedan annual festival in honour of Hussen 
 
 and Hossen. 
 Mussauls — chair-boys in India. 
 Mussoola boat — a particidar kind of boat used at Madras on ac- 
 
 rount of the heavy siuf on that coast.
 
 538 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Nnik — a corporal of sepoys. 
 
 Nautchees — dancing girls. 
 
 Nnsseeb — fortune, destiny, lot. 
 
 Nnutch — a dance, a ball, an entertainment given in honour of 
 
 some god. 
 Nagaries — are drums of a very large description. 
 Nizamut Adoulut — a native court in Calcutta, which superintends 
 
 the administration of criminal law according to Hindoo and 
 
 Mahomedan codes, customs, and forms. 
 
 Ollas — leaves on which the natives write with a style. 
 
 Pundit — a professor of Gentoo law, a native barrister. 
 Palankeen or Palkee — the sedan of India, carried by four men, 
 
 and made so that the person in it may lie at full length. 
 Pagoda — the common Hindoo temples are so called ; it is also a 
 
 gold coin, current in many parts of India, worth 9*. 
 Parses — the officers' head servants are in general the descendants 
 
 of Persian settlers, who are called Parsees on the Bombay 
 
 coast. 
 
 Punko — a large fan suspended from the ceiling to produce arti- 
 ficial circulation of air. 
 
 Poojah — a Hindoo procession of the doorgas, or idols ; a festival 
 in honour of some deity. 
 
 Paddimar — a large boat in use on the western coast of India. 
 
 Petah — the town outside a fort is so called in India. 
 
 Perd — a saint or holy Mahomedan, who.se tomb is held sacred. 
 
 Patels — native officers placed over villages in some parts of 
 India, instead of cutwals. 
 
 Rupee — a silver coin, worth 25. 6rf. 
 
 Roiity — the common tents used in camp by soldiers are so called 
 
 in India. 
 Rainram — a complimentary term of address among the Hindoos, 
 
 equivalent to " good day" — " how are you. " 
 
 Sepoys — native soldiers in the pay of the East India Company. 
 Saheeb — sir, or master ; a term of respect.
 
 GLOSSARY. .539 
 
 Subadar — the highest rank a native officer can attain in the com- 
 pany's military service. 
 
 Shigrampo — a word compounded from the imperative of the Ma- 
 labar verb po, go, and the adverb shigram, quick, and applied 
 to a sort of carriage used in several parts of India. 
 
 Soubah — a title under the Great Mogul, equal to viceroy. 
 
 Salam — the Indian salutation, made by touching the forehead 
 with the right hand. 
 
 Salam-alikoom — " peace be unto thee;" the complimentary ad- 
 dress used by IVIahomedans. 
 
 Shroff — a Hindoo banker. 
 
 Sircar — an agent who transacts money concerns ; it is also ap- 
 plied by the natives to the British government in India. 
 
 Such tola — speak truth. 
 
 Soodres — the fourth cast, or labouring classes in India. 
 
 Sanyasee — a Hindoo religious mendicant or enthusiast. 
 
 Suttee — the ceremony of burning a wife with the dead bodv of 
 her husband. 
 
 Sau7'ee — the female dress, composed of one piece, is so called. 
 
 Shaddee — the marriage ceremony, marriage. 
 
 Sirdars — chiefs or head men. 
 
 Suwarry — the suite and equipage of a great man. 
 
 Sheva — the brother of Brahma, whose office it was to destroy 
 what the others had created. 
 
 Sudder Dewany Adoulut — a court that superintends the admini- 
 stration of civil law in Bengal upon native principles. 
 
 Tank — a reservoir for water, an artificial pond. 
 
 Tatties — frames thatched with grass, upon which water is thrown 
 
 to cool the air passing through them into the sitting-rooms in 
 
 India. 
 Tiffin — the mid-day meal in India, lunch. 
 Topes — groves of fruit trees or others. 
 Teerettee — a female belonging to the Teer tribe on the coast of 
 
 Malabar. 
 Tazzee be Tazzee — a popular song in India, called in English 
 
 " Ever fresh and ever gay." 
 Tiek — the Indian oak is so called.
 
 54)0 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Tom toms — the common drums of India. 
 
 Tooteries — long trumpets. 
 
 Tomasha — an entertainment, a play, a merry-making, fun of 
 
 any kind. 
 Tattoos — small country horses. 
 Takildar — a guard placed over a village in passing it to prevent 
 
 plunder. 
 
 Viranda — a portico, or piazza (in the common acceptation of the 
 
 word). 
 Veidam — the Hindoo Scriptures. 
 Vyasees — the third cast in India, composed of the middling 
 
 classes. 
 Vishnu — the brother of Brahma and Sheva, whose duty it was 
 
 to preserve what the one had made, and the other would 
 
 destroy. 
 
 Warries — hamlets, small collections of huts. 
 
 Zemindars — the collectors of the rent for the government in 
 India. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 LoNDOx : 
 rriiited by A. and R. SpottiswooJe, 
 New-Street-Square.
 
 /
 
 UNIVERSITY or CALIfOKrSlA i.ll5KAKY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 
 fjgntnOT! 
 
 HJM'W" 
 
 0^ 
 
 '^'"' 10 1991 
 
 Form L9-40m-7,'56(C790s4)444
 
 M Ml MMM M 
 
 3 1158 01154 76 
 
 DS 
 1|12 
 
 wi5f 
 
 SlSEinm"^'^'°^'^^L'BRARyFACIL 
 
 AA 001 137 234 9