lf\ :

11

mil ;:

IIP! lip
ill
wm

t r

I
1 1
fii±*
mini!
YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

HII-t'B OOS KIL1IS& A G-OA.T,

'a /-It -/.-¦,•/ :-:t/y /),-,:¦ ;:<r; ¦; /!>y'-i

Iravm on -Stone hy T M3ayaes

mcLel

EXCURSIONS IN INDIA;

INCLUDING A WALK OVER

THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS,

TO the sources of

THE JUMNA AND THE GANGES.

BY CAPTAIN THOMAS SKINNER, -.11
OF THE 31ST REGIMENT.

Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle,
Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heav'n,
It was my hint to speak. Shakspeare.

SECOND EDITION.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.

LONDON :
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET.
1833.

London:
IBOTSON AN'I PALMER, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET, STRAND.

CONTENTS

SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.
Jungle fowl — Awkward rencontre — Mountains on fire — Kil
ling a goat — Hindoo repast — Romantic scenery — Delight
ful spot — Snowy ridge — A shepherd's life — Erecting an altar
— First view of the Ganges — Mountain springs — Hamlet of
Tearoo — Honesty of the Hindoos — Anecdote of an old
villager — Respect paid to age - . %

CHAPTER II.
Arrival at the Bhagirathi — Water of the Ganges — Mon
keys — ViUage of Suchi — Difficult journey — Ascent of pyra
mids — " Giant's causeway" — Rocky pass — Ingenious ex
cuses — Grandeur of mountain scenery — A female pilgrim —
Religious mendicants — Asking charity — Village of Mookba
— Want of supplies — Mountain priests — Substitute for wri
ting paper — Deaf and dumb children — Supposed idiots —
Situation of Dorali — Frozen region . . 20

IV CONTENTS.

CHAPTER III.
Bhairo Ghati— The Cow's Mouth — The Jumna and the Ganges
— Ridge of mountains — Sacred memorials — Customs of tra
vellers—Preservation of monuments — The saint, Bhairo —
Journey to Gungoutri — Course of the river — Foaming Cata
racts — Dangerous situation — Gungoutri— Hindoo supersti
tion — Devotion paid to the Ganges — A prophet outwitted
— Apparitions— Death by starvation — Brahmins, or Pun-
dahs — Hindoo worship — Endurance of torture— Trial of for
titude — Self-devoted victims — Mountain legend — Sacred
hill — Faquirs — A miracle — Situation of Gungoutri — The
goddess Parbutti — View from Gungoutri — Sacred head of
the Ganges— Forbidden food — Bhairo Ghati — Flock of sheep. 40

CHAPTER IV.
^J Spasmodic attack — Singular picture — Return to Mookba —
Imaginary complaints — Remains of a temple — Inscriptions
—Heavy rain — Scene of confusion — Ludicrous picture —
Comfortless situation— An encampment — Whimsical scene
— A stormy night — Effects of the rains — Arrival at Dount-
gul— Return to Tearoo — Change of temperature — Apricot-
oil — Opium — Temple to Mahadeo — Agriculture — Monkey
depredations — Cruel amusement — Turning the tables — •
Scenery of the Ganges — Curiosity of the natives— Eastern
customs — Unexpected meeting — How to get rid of a bea>—
Fields of rice — Music and singing — Comphmentary stanzas
—A picture — Dignity of travel — Mal-a-propos meetings 74

C0NTETNS.

CHAPTER V.

Reputed source of the Ganges — A miracle — A frail fair-one —
The lord of Burkotee — The faquir's festival — Sacred temple
— Women, the source of evil — Agreeable repast — Simple
fare — ViUage of Matlee — Mountain breezes — Right of
possession — Route to Dhoondah — Creed of the Hindoos —
Religious martyrs — Arrival at Patthora — Annoyances of
flies — Agriculture — Uncomfortable shoes — Cedar tree —
Sacred plants— Tyranny over servants — Situation of Bar-
rehtee — Faquir tribute — Valley of Chinalli — The "happy
valley " — Venomous serpents — Wild honey. . . 109

CHAPTER VI.
Old Man of the Mountain — Singular circumstance — Descent
into a cave — An unexpected visiter — Party of Ghorkas—
Mode of carrying children — Management of children — Vii -
lage of Moralie — Dismal journey — Velocity of sound —
Opinion of an echo — Deserted temple — Desolate scene —
Route to Landour — Fragile habitations — The cholera morbus
— Its ravages — Arrival at Landour — Terrific thunder-storm
— Perilous situation — Effects of the lightning — Blindness in
sheep — Amusements — The ordeal— Quarrels— Extraordinary
request — A jealous husband — The penitent wife — Female
peasantry — Condition of servants— Fatal jealousy — Custom
of divorce — The rejected villager — Valley of the Dhoon —
Magnificent sunrise. .... 139
CHAPTER VII.
DescentfromLandour— Therainy season — Police station — The
Khere Pass — Sounds of revelry— Melancholy memorials —

VI CONTENTS.
Peacocks — ViUage of Khere— Violent hurricane — Excursion
through water — Rise of the Callinuddy — Goats rescued—
Agreeable discovery — Holy water — Active preparations —
Passage of theriver — Night encampment — Deobund describ
ed — Fare of the Hindoos— Food of the Bengalese — A Turk
ish dinner — Begum Sumroo's troops — A stratagem — The
disgraced General — Female tyrant — Baggage-hearers —
Roads in Upper India — Kutowlee— Saees, or Running Foot
men — Females at the well — Eastern custom — Meerut, a mi
litary station — Scarcity of women — Magnificent festival —
Amusements at Meerut — Colonel Skinner's horse — Travel
ling in a palanquin — Eastern hyperbole — Ghaut of Ghur-
moktesir — Interior of a boat — Singular navigation — Ferruck-
ahad — Curious clock — Indigo factories — River scenery —
Mahometan ceremonies — Cooking and eating— The lost keys
¦ — Crocodiles — Ghaut of Cawnpore— A budgerow — Boats at
Cawnpore — Moored vessels — General clamour — Attractions
of a bazaar — Appearance of native towns — Soldiers' wives,
&c. — Hospital transport — Amazonian fleet. . . 177
CHAPTER VIII.
Confluence of the Jumna and the Ganges— Travels to holy
places — Town of Mirzapoor — Various kinds of fish — Em
blems of mortality — Hindoo melodies — Fort of Chunar —
Route to Benares — A snake-charmer — City of Benares-
Ceremony of Bathing — Female bathers — Ghaut of Benares
— A suttee — Devoted widows — Self-immolation — The Suttee
— Passage of the Ganges — Scenes of tumult — Embarking
horses — The Soane and the Ganges — Ghaut of Dinapore —
AJife of indolence — Places of worship — Arrival, at Patna —
Leave of absence — A native city at night — Return of the
crew — Wages in advance — Pay of boatmen — Pinnaces —
Trade of Monghir — Blacksmiths and beggars — Hindoo
charity. ...... 253

CONTENTS. Vll

CHAPTER IX.

Village of Colgong — Comfortless habitations — Mussulman
tomb — Story of a tiger — Rajmah&l — Ruined palace — Tomb
of Mr. Cleveland — The Rajmah&l hills — Entrance into the
Bhagirutty — Sacred branch of the Ganges — Hindoo toilette
— Customs ofthe Hindoos — Villages of Bengal — Scriptural
illustrations — Tamarind Trees — Bats — White ants — Sin
gular vows — Insects, vermin, &c. — Architecture in the East
— Bazaar at Burhampore — Invalid soldiers — Return to Cal
cutta — Attachment of native servants — Proof of sincerity 295

EXCURSIONS IN INDIA.

CHAPTER I.

Jungle fowl — Awkward rencontre — Mountains on fire — Kill
ing a goat:— Hindoo repast — Romantic scenery — Delightful
spot — Snowy ridge — A shepherd's life — Erecting an altar-
First view of the Ganges — Mountain springs — Hamlet of
Tearoo^Honesty of the Hindoos — Anecdote of an old vil
lager — Respect paid to age.
June 1st. — By our day's rest we had acquired
vigour enough to make another clamber to the
opposite side of a high mountain, which appear
ed thickly wooded, and divided from us by a
rapid stream, when we found the village of
Bukoulie. We met in our route every variety
of road, and the necessity for every manner of
moving. In some parts of the forest we saw
several jungle fowl : they have exactly the same
VOL. II. B

JUNGLE FOWL.

habits as the domestic poultry. The cock
struts at the head of his hens, and keeps a strict
watch over their safety. Whenever they were
disturbed by our attempts upon them, he flew
to the highest branch of some tree beyond our
reach, and crowed with all his might, while
his dames ran into holes and corners to escape
our attacks : they are so cunning that we found
it impossible to get within shot -of them, with
all the caution we could use. While intent
upon capturing at least one, as we were creeping
after them upon our breasts, lying occasionally
like riflemen under cover of the unevenness of
the ground to catch them en passant, we came
suddenly upon an ambuscade that very soon put
an end to our sport.
We were about midway up the face of a hill
that was thickly covered by trees, and much
clogged by shrubs and creepers that wound in
all directions. On reaching the foot of the ene
my's position, still advancing upon our breasts,
and bending a keen eye upon the birds strutting
before us, up rose, with a growl that denoted an
offended spirit, (for we had literally touched his

AN AWKWAHD RENCONTKE. 3
tail,) a large black bear ; and turning round,
looked us in the face with the most undisguised
astonishment. It was the most unsought, as
well as unpromising introduction I had ever met
with. There was no time for parley; and,
getting upon our legs, we at once stood on the
defensive. This sudden metamorphosis com
pleted his surprise, and, yelling louder than
before, he set off as fast as he could shuffle
from the extraordinary animals that had so un
accountably sprung up before him.
We determined that discretion was the better
part of valour, and began to retrace our steps,
letting the jungle fowl benefit by the inter
ruption. Having much faith in proverbs, and
in none more than in that which declares that
" familiarity breeds contempt," we resolved
that the bear should not learn to despise us
by a repetition of the intercourse : we continued
our journey, and in a few hours arrived at Bu-
koulie. It is situated similarly to the one in
which we had passed the last two days, a valley
confined by high mountains.
Immediately opposite to where our tents were
b2

MOUNTAIN ON FIEE.

pitched, the grass had been set on fire, and
smoked the whole day long. There was no wind
to carry away the vapour, which, hanging about
the vale, added very much to its heat : it felt
exactly like the atmosphere in a hot climate,
when an oppressive stillness indicates the ap
proach of a storm.
I did not at first perceive the cause of this
mountain sirocco, but almost apprehended an
earthquake. At night, however, it displayed
itself in the most splendid manner : the flames
that the " garish day" had eclipsed, blazed
forth with the brightest beauty, and in the most
fantastic manner. Had a Tivoli been establish
ed on the face of the opposite mountain, its fes
toons of light could not have been more taste
fully arranged. It was a long and high ridge,
covered to its summit with pine-trees, and here
and there jagged with clefts of stone, the bot
toms of which were furzed with bushes; a
stream flowed at its base, and its sides curved
gradually from the top to the water below. The
flame first stole gently up the sides? and met on
the summit ; another line of fire ran from its

CONFLAGRATION. 5
base, in circles and semicircles in every direction,
communicating with the sides in several places,
till all seemed arranged for some great festival
with the utmost precision.
These regular lines of light did not long con
tinue ; for it suddenly burst forth into one uni
versal blaze, with an effect as startling, but far
more brilliant, than the St. Peter's dome, when
the clock strikes eight upon the celebration of
that saint's day. Now the fire crept along the
ground, and then rushed to the top of towering
pines, which in a few moments, nodding and
crackling, fell to the earth, with a noise that
might have passed for the beginning of an erup
tion of Vesuvius : large fragments of rock, that
lost their support by the falling of the trees,
rolled to the bottom with a din that told what
the height of a volcano is. For a moment a
line of fire was lost in one of the clefts, and,
fed by the wood within it, came rushing forth
with tremendous fury, " a giant refreshed ; "
while a continual and steady light illuminated
the top, from the numerous gummy firs that
capped it. No rain had fallen for a long time,

6 CONFLAGRATION.
and the communication was as rapid as possi
ble : sparks flew to the opposite side and the
mountains round, which were soon ignited.
In a few hours I seemed the centre of a world
in flames, and felt some slight apprehension of
being roasted. I was like the scorpion within
his circle of fire, and seemed to have no chance
of escaping the ordeal, but by proving myself
a Cato : for the crackling sound drew nearer
and nearer, and the heat was quickly becoming
greater and greater. It seemed like the burn
ing of a desolate city ; and I had only to peo
ple it in my imagination with shrieking inha
bitants, to make it as striking a picture of a
fire as any on record, for the general outline
was sketched with a bold and powerful hand.
However, the element was under control, for I
live to tell the tale and to describe a more domes
tic blaze that took place in my own little circle.
There is great authority for this transition
from the sublime downwards, to what may de
serve to be deemed, perhaps, the ridiculous-
My coolies, imagining that their long journey
merited a reward, claimed my promise of the

KILLING A GOAT. 7
goat. They discovered one for sale in the vil
lage, and with petitioning looks brought it be
fore me. It was very large, with fine horns and
long hair, and might have been about ten years
old. The circumstance of its being the ac
knowledged father of most of the flock in the
village, did not seem to dismay them in the
least ; and on my granting the feast, they as
sembled round it, chanting something that may
have been meant for a thanksgiving. They
then prepared the pile as if for a sacrifice ; and,
leading the animal up to it, severed his head
from his body at one blow, and allowed him to
bleed over the faggots. It is deemed most unfor
tunate to be obliged to inflict a second stroke ;
and a shout of joy hails the headsman who com
pletes the execution at the first. To facilitate
as much as possible the operation while the ex
ecutioner stands ready, with uplifted sword, by
the animal's side, another tempts him with his
favourite herbs to stretch his neck, realizing to
the letter the beautiful lines of Pope :
Pleased to the last he crops the flow'ry food,
And licks the hand just raised to shed his blood !

8 HINDOO REPAST.
The bloody faggots were thrown upon the fire,
that had been kindled at a little distance, and
the charm seemed wound up : the skin was torn
off in a few minutes, and the carcase cooked
and divided. In less than an hour the ban
quet was spread ; and loud singing, with the
gentle accompaniment of a tom-tom which they
had picked up in the village, gave sufficient
proof that they were pleased with the repast.
As I witnessed the preparation with great in
terest, they were anxious nothing should escape
mc, and brought me the head of the poor ram
that had just undergone a singeing with a burnt
stick before it was plunged into the soup. I
was curious to learn if a haggess would succeed
the " singed head ; " but Scotland may still
boast undivided right to the " chieftain of the
pudding race," as far as my mountain cooks'
art goes : it must no longer, however, refuse to
share the glory of sheeps-head broth, which may
be now considered, in spite of the fastidiousness
of the south, the taste of Nature ; for surely the
inhabitants of the Himalaya have never learnt
the art from any other mistress.

ROMANTIC SCENERY. 9
June 2nd and 3rd — We left Bukoulie, still
smoking, at daylight in the morning ; and pass
ing the small village of Egaroo, down to a ra
pid river, we skirted the ruins of the imaginary
city we had seen in flames. Many a goodly tree
lay prostrate, and the hill was blackened from
top to bottom. We soon ascended to a great
height by a dark and dreary forest, where a
German novelist would lay the scene of a ro
mance. None but the Spirit of the Waters
could inhabit such a place ; and when passing
the bed of a torrent which roared through a
gloomy channel with no light to guide us from
its dangers but the white sheet that the spray
had formed over them, we expected to see Un
dine arise and welcome us to her favourite haunt.
The magnificent trees, that shut out the day
from these places, were generally chesnuts, and
this was the first time we had met with them.
They grow to a great height, and some of them
measured nearly thirty feet in circumference.
The woods were full of pheasants : the moonal
and the horned pheasant — the beautiful plumage
of the latter, its grey coat with a white spot
b5

10 DELIGHTFUL SPOT.
upon every feather, its golden breast and neck
with its purple horns — while it hung calmly
over the bounding cataract, gazing on us with
its quiet black eye — seemed singularly out of cha
racter with the wildness of the scenery around.
When we quitted this forest we reached a
lawn of great richness, through which trickled
a clear stream, where we were glad to pause
awhile and refresh after our labour. Mora was
the name the natives gave to this spot. Beau
tiful as it was, we decided that it was not quite
high enough, and soon recommended our exer
tions ; and, after another ascent through a dis
mal forest, reached a clear space on its summit,
similar to, but smaller than, the one below.
This was named Chatterlong ; and here we de
termined to set up our rest for the remainder of
the day. It was wildly situated — just room
for our little camp on a green covered with
strawberries, and all the flowers that we love to
see in England: how delightful must such a
meeting be here ! Those only who have toiled
over the desert know how to value the charms
of the first green spot they reach ; and will not

SNOW BRIDGE. 11
be surprised at my joy in plucking a cowslip,
after liaving been several years on the plains of
India !
We were surrounded by wood on every side
but one, that was open to the view of Bundur-
puch. No village was within sight, and the
trees around were so thick that we could make no
way through them : we were confined in our ob
servations to the space on which we stood. It
was delightfully cool ; the thermometer at noon
was 70°, and at night and in the morning 49° and
51°. We were generally too glad to rest to care
about exploring our neighbourhood, unless
something very promising invited ; we never
failed, however, in falling upon beauties, when
we did move in pursuit of them.
After a night's rest on this beautiful little
spot, we toiled up the hill that rose above it, and
in an hour reached its summit, where we found
a clear space immediately below a ridge of peaks
covered with snow : over one of them we cross
ed, and from it had a very fine view, less exten
sive than the former from Oonchul, but still
magnificent. We seemed to have penetrated to

12 a shepherd's life.
the very regions of snow, and almost to be
transported to a polar ocean. We were level
with the lowest apparent range of congela
tion, and the peaks that bounded our frozen sea
rose like icebergs above it. The general livery
of perpetual snow was visible for a great dis
tance. Chumora was the common name of the ridge
on which we stood, but Deahra the particular
peak we were passing over. On descending from
it, we found a meadow of great extent with flocks
of goats and sheep browsing upon it : the pas
ture appeared to be rich and plentiful, but in
many parts it was still under snow, in which
the sheep seemed to take particular pleasure
in standing in crowds closely packed together :
they belonged principally to the villages bn the
banks of the Ganges.
The life of a shepherd is by no means a light
one : he has to drive his flocks a great distance
for food, and often to travel far in pursuit of a
stray lamb. Not very far from where the pas
ture was, were two small lakes ; one of them
prettily surrounded by wood. The situation

erecting an altar. 13
seemed made for flocks and herds. On the tops
of the peaks around, and on the brow of the
mountain, I observed nianv of the same descrip
tion of piles of stone I have before mentioned.
This seemed a more essential duty here than
even on the last height where I had met them ;
and my guide besought me to allow him to erect
a memento of my passage across, and assured
me it would be of essential service to me to
have a representative so close to the divinity
of the Jumna — for we were quitting his pre
cincts for those of the Ganges. He pointed
out the pillars of many " Sahib Logue," whom
he had assisted to elevate them ; but they are
destined to be nameless, or at least to have
their names so altered in the pronunciation,
that it will be impossible to discover them. I
chose a peak where Bundurpuch could overlook
me most admirably, and after a little labour
erected mv testimonv" of respect for his sanc-
titv : and if the snowv god surveys the abode
of mv spirit, which my guide assured me it
would become, with half the pleasure that I
have done his, I shall be perfectly satisfied.

14 FIRST VIEW OF THE GANGES.
We were not long in commencing our descent :
it was as scrambling and sliding a one as usual.
After emerging from a grove of reeds, (many of
them broken and strewed on the ground, which
gave a variety to the cause of our slipping,
though the effect was much the same,) we
found ourselves on the point of a projecting
crag that " beetled o'er its base," and gave us
the first glimpse of the Ganges, which was rapid
and broad, but dark and sandy as it flows
through the plains. If the sound of Jumoona
excited my followers to a high pitch, at merely
the commencement of their pilgrimage, how
much more so would the thrice welcome shout
of Gunga Jee ! when they had at length gained
it, after a painful journey of more than thirty
days. Gunga Jee ! was the universal cry for
some minutes ; and Gunga Jee ! was echoed by
the woods and hills around, till it reached the
ears of the slowest of my stragglers, when, call
ing upon its name long before they saw it, they
endeavoured to rush forward, and enjoy the
sight they had been so long toiling to obtain.
The Hindoos salaam'd and muttered its name

MOUNTAIN SPRINGS. 15
over and over again ; and even the unbending
Mahometan seemed in some way softened by the
scene. I sat on one side to allow full scope to
their feelings, affected by the beauty of the pic
ture as much as they were by the veneration of
the river.
The coolies were resolved that it should prove
a day of jubilee, and assured me that the goat
herd they had passed declared there was a ram to
be Isold in the village of Barsoo, whither we were
going. I promised, if that were the case, they
should feast upon it, and gave my servants leave
to rest an hour to expatiate on the magnificence
of the scene, and luxuriate in anticipation on
the prospect of a pure draught of water at last.
" What do you think ofthe Ganges now?" I
asked of one of my bearers. " I shall have a
drink of good water," was his reply. Faith
goes a great way ; but, from the distant view
we were taking of it, I did not expect any greater
purity than I find in the mountain springs. The
villages that rose above the banks of the river,
(and we could see many of them,) were very
neat; and *>the cultivation extended over the
whole face of the country, from below us to the

16 HAMLET OF TEAROO.
water; the corn was still green. We left this
fertile tract, however, and kept to the north-east,
and were not long in arriving at Barsoo. It
was considerably above the river ; so we were
forced to be content with the prospect still, and
quench our thirst with what appetite we could
on the rills that ran from the hills about us.
June 4th. — We are disappointed again in not
being able to reach the Holy River : our journey
this day was up the sides of a rocky mountain
exposed to the eastern sun, with not a single tree
to shelter us. In about four hours we gained the
hamlet of Tearoo, and pitched on a little pin
nacle above it whence we can see the Ganges, to
which we hope to descend to-morrow. Sri Kan-
ta, a rugged peak, that rises so abruptly as
scarcely to afford rest for the snow, through
which the black edges of its furrows shine, and
make a striking contrast to the unstained white
of all around, is immediately opposite us. The
red spinach, that coloured the hills at Barree,
" making the green one red,'1 grows in great
quantity about Tearoo.
We met here a person of some authority from
the Rajah of Tirhee, having a spear and a formi-

HONESTY OF THE HINDOOS. 17
dable sword, which hung in a broad belt of scar
let cloth from his shoulder : he was attended by
several followers, and had come to collect the
revenue of this and the higher villages. Tearoo
was rated at twenty-five rupees a year; and as
all beyond have about the same advantages, I
suppose that is the general stipend paid to the
government of Sirinagur. The visits of this
important personage are the only communica
tions that take place between his master and sub
jects ; for they never feel disposed to venture to
his court : even for justice it was not worth while
to make so long a journey ; a native of a village
only a few days' distance from the Dhoon, told
me, when I asked him, how he would obtain
justice if he were injured. They cannot have
much occasion to apply for it ; for no crimes, ac
cording to their code of morality, can take place
among them : they are the most perfectly honest
people in the world ; although they had every
opportunity of pilfering, from the careless man
ner in which my things were allowed to lie about,
I never lost an article.
When the members of a village are as one fa
mily, it would require no great vigilance to de-

18 AN OLD VILLAGER.
tect any misdemeanour, if such were likely to oc
cur. I never could hear, however, of a crimi
nal of the slightest degree in any part of the
mountains. The same deference is yielded to
age among them, as is generally in savage
tribes Although the young men do not rise on
the approach of an old one, they obey him with
great readiness ; and the most aged is generally
the ruler or head man of a village.
I was obliged to hire a person some days ago
to carry a portion of my tent ; and the only one
that could be spared was an old man. He wil
lingly took up the burden ; and the moment he
had shouldered it, a murmur arose that he was
too old for such a weight, and even women were
anxious to spare him the labour. His pride,
perhaps, was hurt, for he refused all assistance,
and trudged briskly away.
As the path was dangerous, his fellow-vil
lagers begged the party to take care of him, and
watch that he did not stumble : he laughed at
their care, and assured me that he could travel
with any man in the hills. He had not gone
very far, when a scream from the village, which
overhung a deep precipice, (the opposite side

RESPECT PAID TO AGE. 19
of which we were winding down by a stony and
nearly perpendicular track,) intimated that
something had happened. I ran to the edge of
the abyss, and saw my poor old man with his
load still sticking to his back, rolling away to the
bottom of it. He had been too confident, and
his pride was doomed to have a severe fall.
There was an immediate pursuit from both
sides : the people of the village gained the race ;
and just as the old man had disengaged himself
from the load, which went bounding away,
a youth interposed, and saved him. " He is
too old," was the only comment made by the
lookers-on, which was murmured in every variety
of tone. They carried him to the road again, and
insisted upon his returning to the village, where,
from the loud voices I soon heard, the women
took the liberty of rating him soundly for his
folly. It is only for civilized countries to dis
play the scandal of neglected old age. It should
be a mortifying reflection, that among savages
alone can those who have fallen ' into the sere'
look with certainty to command that respect
which should accompany old age.

20

CHAPTER II.
Arrival at the Bhagirathi — Water of the Ganges— Monkeys-
Village of Suchi — Difficult journey — Ascent of pyramids—
" Giant's causeway" — Rocky pass — Ingenious excuses —
Grandeur of mountain scenery — A female pilgrim — Reli
gious mendicants — Asking charity — Village of Mookba—
Want of supplies — Mountain priests — Substitute for writing-
paper — Deaf and dumb children — Supposed idiots — Situa
tion of Dorali — Frozen region,
June 5th. — At last we are seated by the banks
of the Bhagirathi : this is the sacred name of the
Ganges, and is generally applied by Hindoos to
that part of it within the mountains and the holy
branch that flows past Moorshedabad, and
changes afterwards into the Hoogly. This Bha
girathi was the choleric saint who drank the river
dry, when it once impeded his course, and gave
it up again at the earnest intercession of another
saint, a greater friend to his fellow-creatures.
Descending from Tearoo, we passed over the
rocky sides of high mountains to a large stream
that ran into the river, from the snowy summit of

WATER OF THE GANGES. 21
a neighbouring mount. It was not an easy way
by any means that brought us to the shore
of this long-expected object. My servants,
who seemed to have practised a rigorous self-
denial till they could meet with their reward,
rushed forward to seize it, in a draught of water
from the Ganges ; and revelled in its filth, I may
say : for when one of them hastened to gra
tify me, as he imagined, with the divine element,
I was forced to put it from my lips, so great was
the sediment.
We had been out six hours, and I chose a spot,
(the only clear space we could find) on the
banks of the river to encamp on. There was a
high rock behind it, from which a cataract fell :
both the profane and devout therefore could be
satisfied by slaking their thirst in their own way,
for I persisted in belonging to the former class,
in spite of the contempt and astonishment my
taste gave rise to. The river is about eighty
yards wide, and flews rapidly over a bed of stone
with so great a noise, that frequently during the
night I fancied there was a violent storm. The
water has the same appearance as it possesses in
the plains — of the colour of sand, and much im-

22 MONKEYS — VILLAGE OF SUCHI.
pregnated with it when skimmed even from the
surface. The river is very deep in some places,
and passes smoothly over its bed, but with great
rapidity ; for when intercepted by the slightest
obstacles, it chafes with tremendous uproar.
Opposite us, on the other side of the river, is
a steep crag, on which play innumerable mon
keys, with black faces and grey beards, bearing
the strongest resemblance to the old men of the
mountains. They seem confounded with our
establishment, and we are evidently objects of
much speculation to them. The rock on which
they gambol is as high as Dover Cliff; and some
hang half way down, not engaged in the dread
ful trade of gathering samphire, but in watching
all our movements, from as fearful positions. A
black bear of very good size (I say black be
cause there are many white ones in the moun
tains) came down to the water to drink ; but on
seeing us, he thought it prudent to retire.
June 6th. — Suchi, where we are now arrived,
is the second village on the Ganges ; and from
the nearly impassable barrier that divides it from
those below, it seems to belong to the myste
rious regions that every fresh footstep shows

DIFFICULT JOURNEY. 23
us we are fast approaching ; for a gate of diffi
culty and danger is placed beneath it, to warn
the traveller that it is no light labour to attain
even an earthly shrine. Much is to be suffered
and overcome, before this boundary can be
passed ; and a hard task it was to persuade my
followers to attempt it.
I can never hope to convey a description of our
struggles to win the precincts of Gungoutri, yet
must endeavour to give some little idea of them.
On leaving our former abode, we passed over a
brittle bridge of wattle to the left bank of the
river. It was a hundred yards broad — rather a
long distance for the trembling contrivances
used for passing. For more than a mile, (or, to
compute more certainly, for half an hour,) we
hopped over a path of loose pointed stones, their
sharpest parts turned up, as though they had
been placed there on purpose, as a trial of forti
tude to the pilgrims who go barefooted to the
source of the river. The penance is not unlike the
infliction of a shoe full of peas ; but with this ad
ditional disadvantage, that it would be impossible
to " soften rocks" — at least by boiling them.

24 ASCENT OF PYRAMIDS.
The same sort of overhanging cliffs of great
height, between which we were encamped yes
terday, rose above the river ; and we were
obliged to pass up their faces by the unevenness
in them. The ascent of the great Pyramid of
Ghizeh, with much less room and regularity than
its angle, presents the nearest comparison I can
find for it ; but it was a frequent recurrence
of such a feat. We had no sooner crossed one
pyramid, than another offered itself to our esca
lade. Where two projecting parts were too far
asunder to allow of their being taken at a step,
the branch of a tree was thrown across, and
made so doubtful a footing, it was impossible
to pause on the spring. Ladders, similar to
those of Jumnoutri, were placed against the
slippery surfaces of rocks where there was no
rest for the feet. Sometimes they were fas
tened above by ropes of twisted grass, yet. green,
and sometimes left to be steadied by the weight
of the body that was ascending.
I estimated the height of two or three at thirty
feet ; and while the water was foaming below, and
the trunk of the tree trembled in the grasp, it was

giant's causeway. 25
not surprising that no sound was heard but the
heavy beating of the hearts around. Convulsions
had occasionally riven the rock, and the inter
vals were filled up by the steps of wood so sin
gularly contrived, that it was as difficult to mount
from one to another, as it would have been to
spring up the space. It seemed to be the inten
tion of the artisans of Suchi, (for to their ingenuity
we were indebted for our passage,) to afford as
much variety as they could : to assist us to slide
down the faces of rocks, they formed a channel
between two trees, in the middle of which we
placed ourselves, and slipped with the sudden
ness of a sledge to the bottom. It required no
practice to excel in this "facilis descensus;'''' the
great lesson to learn was when and where to stop,
for the attainment of which we were too often
justified in apprehending a hopeless incapacity.
We nevertheless passed this ''Giant's Cause
way" in safety, and soon entered a country that
struck us with as much surprise as the enchanted
kingdom of the Prince of the Black Isles had
inspired the king with in the Arabian Nights' En
tertainments, when it sprung up on the skirts of
vol. ii. c

26 ROCKY PASS.
his own territory. We never hoped to walk by
the banks of a river of three or four hundred
yards broad, with large islands, some of them
wooded, in the midst of it. Yet for more than
an hour we roamed through such a scene, and
in two places the mountains took a circular form,
that gave to the river the appearance of a lake.
We could not, while walking round it, perceive
its outlet: it was a picture, although in miniature,
that might have been placed by the side of Loch
Lomond. It was noon before we arrived at Su
chi, where we were glad to find the shelter of an
overhanging rock, to wait the arrival of our tent
beneath. The bearers, although hillmen, trem
bled at the hazard of carrying their burdens over
the pass ; and when we approached it, we found
many of them sitting in despair at the bottom.
"We shall be killed," " we are dying," were
the speeches that assailed us. We were obliged
to conceal our own astonishment at the height
before us ; and affected to laugh at their fears.
We were afraid to recommend any plan to faci
litate their passage, lest they might seize upon it
as an admission of the danger, and overcome our

ingenious excuses. 27
purpose by their clamour. We passed on, there
fore, without seeming to notice them, further than
by smiling at their thinking it necessary to rest ;
and left them to " screw their courage to the
sticking-point" as they best might ; feeling cer
tain, that as we had gone before, the things would
in some way be sure to follow. We were not dis
appointed — they did arrive; but night had nearly
set in upon us first.
The Tindal thought it necessary to excuse his
delay by a long catalogue of sensations, delivered
with all the hyperbole of an eastern story-teller :
" This one's heart burst ;" and " that one's head
split ;" — " one trembled at the bottom ;" and
" the other tottered on the top." No accident,
however, occurred, and we were not sorry to
witness the preparations making for our first meal
at seven o'clock in the evening.
" How romantic ! " I think I hear you exclaim,
to be all day in a cave, where the Seven Sleepers
might have remained still undiscovered — gazing
upon woods and wilds, thundering cataracts, and
rushingrivers! But alas! the romance of even such
scenes soon dies away before the unpoetical spirit
c2

28 grandeur of mountain scenery.
of hunger that had accompanied us to our re
treat. I began to be sadly weary of my unin
terrupted seclusion. La solitude est une belle
chose ; but it requires, after all, something more
even than being able to say to a responsive
quelqu'un : " La solitude est une belle chose."
I am not ashamed to say that a pic-nic heightens
such a scene considerably.
There is something, however, in the stillness,
the awful stillness of a mountain summit, where,
as in the Himalaya, above all human associa
tions, it exceeds even the deepest feelings ever
yet excited by the regions of romance. Though
a mind were perfectly incapable before of solemn
contemplation, it could hardly resist rising to it
in such a situation : there is a monotony — a har
rowing waste, in the solitary desert, that withers
the spirit as the soil is parched. It is not easy
to conceive the rapture that the refugee French
man declared it gave him to gallop over its dusty
sands. I should not find it difficult, however, to
sympathize with him, had he avowed such a
feeling from even the least towering of this
mighty region. Mountaineers have ever been

a female pilgrim. 29
celebrated for their devotion to their native hills ;
and who can be surprised at such love, even where
it grows into contempt for the " Sassenach ?"
What naturalist can expect the eagle to nestle
with the wren ? I can never restrain my enthu
siasm, when I write ofthe grandeur of mountain-
scenery. But to return to the beauties of the
Ganges. Fragments of cooking vessels and blackened
stones, by the water's side, showed that we had
fallen upon the track of pilgrims. We have met
many returning from Gungoutri, though we have
been only one day on the route thither ; several
had come from great distances, and were carrying
the holy water from the source of the river to
their respective abodes, even to Benares and to
Juggernaut. Among them was a woman of ap
parently eighteen or twenty years of age, who
had travelled from Mhow, and had been to Jum-
noutri as well as Gungoutri, and was now on her
way to Kedar-Nath. She chose the longest,
though easiest way, and from the Jumna had
reached the Ganges at Barahat. She had lost her
husband not long ago, and was making a pilgri
mage to these holy spots for the peace of his

30 religious mendicants.
soul : her labour to attain this object was tre
mendous; for she was half-naked, and her feet
were bleeding from the pointed stones. I fancied
that she had adopted this mode in preference to
the Suttee, and looked with great interest upon
her ; but I could not learn her history : all she
possessed, her cooking-pots and food, she carried
in a bundle on her head. A roguish-looking
brahmin, who seemed to encourage her piety,
took something more, I suspect, than a fatherly
care of her.
In the plains, and particularly in the neigh
bourhood of Allahabad, I had often observed
strings of religious mendicants, with bottles of
water balanced across their shoulders ; and al
though I was then willing to accord them all
praise, I shall view them as much more meritori
ous, now that I have been able to witness their
difficulties in obtaining it. It seems indeed an
absurdity, that so great a labour should be be
stowed for a phial of dirty water ; but it is ex
plained satisfactorily enough, when we learn that
the rich men of the plains are glad to give large
prices for it : they take very good care, however,
never to go in pursuit of it themselves. It can

asking charity. 31
only be borne by men of the brahmin caste; and
to the poor of that order, who gain a livelihood
by the reputation of sanctity, and to whom one
place is as good as another, their trade obtaining
them food and drink wherever they go, perhaps
such a trip is little more than idleness. They
exact whatever they wish from every village;
and the poor mountaineers, credulous and igno
rant, think it sinful to refuse them.
Anative of Egaroo begged charity from me, on
the plea of a faquir having taken all he possessed
from him some days before : " and because I had
no money to give him," said he, " he insisted on
having my ear-rings." — "Why did you part with
them ?" I asked. " He was a faquir : what could
I do?" was the reply. I was amused by the man
ner in which this man coloured the indignity of
begging. He brought me a number of walnuts,
and, placing them before me, said his children had
sent them as a present, and hoped I would eat
them for their sakes. He turned the conversation
with great ingenuity to faquirs, and told me the
tale of his robbery with a careless air ; then
cracking a walnut, and offering it to me, when he

32 village of mookba.
thought he had won my interest, hoped I would
give him something to replace his ear-rings,
without which he felt quite uncomfortable.
Suchi is situated in the midst of snowy hills :
it stands a great height above the river, and on
the lower end of the ridge, which runs nearest to
the outer barrier, between it and the Jumna;
Linga is the name of the hindermost range, and
Ralla the snow-capped peak in front.
June 8th. — From Suchi, four hours brought us
to the first village on the Ganges, Mookba. It is
on the right bank of the river, and immediately
opposite Dorali. We had passed over a good
road, for within the limits of the wall we con
quered yesterday, we have found " a happy val
ley," compared with most that we have passed.
Between this village and Dorali, a few days ago,
there was a bridge ; but the water having sud
denly risen, it was swept away: it consisted
merely of planks passed from this side to an island
of sand in the centre, and thence to the opposite
shore. The bed of the river must be at least four
hundred yards broad : it has many islands in it,
round which the water rushes with great rapidity

WANT OF SUPPLIES. 33
and apparent depth. The communication be
tween these two villages being thus interrupted,
has caused a great deal of trouble, and obliged
me to remain longer than I proposed, to obtain
supplies of grain for five or six days. The
brahmins of Mookba declare that they have
not meal enough in the village for ten men, and
have been shouting all day long to the opposite
side, for the zemindar to send some over : as
they do not seem very anxious to serve us, and
the distance round is six miles, by a bridge
three miles higher up the stream, I must submit
with all the patience I can.
I am assailed in the mean time with the cries
of hunger on one side, and the lies of hypocrisy
on the other. The brahmins, who are ever the
most difficult to deal with, pretend to serve me
with the utmost anxiety, and strive to avoid
parting with an ounce of flour. The appetites of
men who can devour a rain, are not easily con
trolled, and I have slipped them on the pursuit.
It has had the desired effect, and much more
than requisite has been produced ; while my
servants assure me there is yet abundance of
c 5

34 MOUNTAIN PRIESTS.
" corn in Egypt." — The addition of eighty
people to a small population, may however, have
the effect of creating an apprehension of famine,
if it should not reduce them to that state itself;
so I cannot wholly blame them for withholding
a supply. I cannot give them credit either for
acting only from self-preservation ; for laziness,
I fear, is the first grand cause of their objec
tion. It is a little barefaced to answer, " We
are brahmins, and have no land : there is a ze
mindar a day's journey from us;" while the
corn is cutting down before our eyes, and the
water-mill turning with deafening noise within
our hearing.
I cannot, from my experience at Mookba,
withdraw my condemnation of the mountain
priests. They are as dirty and ignorant as their
brothers whom I have already celebrated for
eminence in those qualities ; and their women
" out-Herod Herod." There is one man, how
ever, in this village, who can write a,nd read : he
was educated at Barahat, where there once was
a school ; but I fear the schoolmaster found
himself too little appreciated to be tempted to

SUBSTITUTE FOR WRITING-PAPER. 35
continue his vocation. He is a shrewd knave,
and has had the advantage of travelling a
little : he has been in the valley of the Dhoon
— a great event! and I have begged him to
guide us to Gungoutri. He writes on the bark
of a tree, the Boji Putta, well known through
out India as the inner covering of Hookah snakes ;
and it makes a capital substitute for paper.
The trees are in great quantity hereabouts;
and as the bark is peeled off in large sheets, it
requires no preparation, nor is it necessary to
have a peculiar pen to write with, as is the case
with leaves that are still used for that purpose in
the East.
The natives of Ceylon as yet employ no paper :
they write on thin leaves of the Ola, and are
obliged to make use of an iron pen, which they
support in a notch cut in the thumb-nail of the
left hand, allowed to grow for such purpose : a
literary man is discovered by such a mark. A
quill or a reed serves my friend of Mookba, for
the pen runs as quickly over the skin of the
Boji as it would over the surface of a glazed
sheet. I know I am not relating any thing new

36 DEAF AND DUMB CHILDREN.
in mentioning this truly natural paper; for I
believe the word liber, a book, was derived from
the custom of using a similar one.
I have been very much surprised to find several
deaf and dumb children in this village : I have
seen five boys and one man so afflicted, and the
brahmin tells me there are as many more in
Dorali, in the same state. They attribute it,
as they do every calamity out of the common
course, to drinking the snow-water. It is not
easy to adopt such a conclusion, if one may pre
sume they were born so.
The manner of keeping infants asleep, by lay
ing them under a trickling rill which falls gently
upon the head, common in the Sirmoor range of
hills, might possibly produce that effect, were it
practised here : it is here, however, too cold for
such a method. A refractory person has fre
quently been restored to order in England by
the cooling discipline of a pump ; but I do not
know whether the restlessness of a babe could
be safely overcome by cradling it under a spout.
In these mountains, children, so lulled to sleep,
grow up to be stout and hardy men and women.

SUPPOSED IDIOTS. 37
I do not insinuate, however, that the penal code
of an English nursery would be improved by
such a process, notwithstanding the amusement
that might be derived from the perpetual play of
well-arranged shower-baths over the screaming
pets of a large family.
The parents of the dumb youths call them
idiots, and say they are good for nothing. The
expressions of their countenances belie that cha
racter : they appear to me to be lively and in
quisitive to a degree— qualities that fools never
possess. The want of power in the parents to
express their wishes in any other way than by
speech, is rather the cause of their uselessness
than imbecility. " He is a fool — he cannot
speak," they say, with a shrug of contempt ; and
certainly they are right to set such store by
speech, for it is the only thing that raises them
above the level of brutes. The father of one of
the lads — a handsome boy, with a large black
eye — complained that he could not even depend
on his tending the cattle; for he would fre
quently sit on the wildest crag, and seem to care
for nothing, watching the sun when it set, as the

38 SITUATION OF DORALI.
old man phrased it, " as if he expected it back
again," while the cattle wandered where they
pleased. It is not usual to find " a fool so
deep contemplative ;" and there may be more in
the poor youth's mind than is dreamt of in the
father's philosophy.
They die early ; for it is singular that there
always have heen dumb children, while in
stances of such men are rare. This would pro
bably be the case in Europe, were it not for the
institutions that place their minds on a level with
those who have the advantage of them in other
respects. No wonder that these helpless crea
tures, who meet with contempt because they are
unfortunate, should pine in thought, and end
their lives before they become men ! I must not
forget to mention, without intending any reflec
tion, that I never could hear of a speechless
girl. No female had been born dumb within
the recollection ofthe oldest brahmin of Mookba.
This place is held by all visiters as somewhat
holy. My guide from Suchi, the moment he ob
tained a sight of it, made a profound salaam, and
muttered a prayer. It is indeed the key to the

FROZEN REGION. 39
sacred spot, which none can dare to penetrate
without an attendant spirit from Mookba. Do
rali, the opposite village, is situated on the banks
of the river, in a recess made by a cleft in the
mountain, down which a torrent of water falls,
apparently direct from the snows of Sri Kan ta, the
peak of which rises like a marble pyramid above
it. Thick forests of pine extend from the water
to the skirts of the frozen region, and water
rushes down to the river from the heights
around, growing into large streams before it
reaches it. As I have arranged my commissariat
to be supplied for as many days as we shall be
absent from the hum of men, to-morrow we mean
to reach the celebrated Cow's Mouth ; and we
have a large tribe of pilgrims in our train.

40

CHAPTER III.
Bhairo Ghati — The Cow's Mouth — The Jumna and the Ganges
— Ridge of mountains — Sacred memorials — Customs of tra
vellers—Preservation of monuments — The saint, Bhairo —
Journey to Gungoutri — Course ofthe river — Foaming cata
racts — Dangerous situation — Gungoutri — Hindoo supersti
tion — Devotion paid to the Ganges — A prophet outwitted
— Apparitions — Death by starvation — Brahmins, or Punr
dabs — Hindoo worship — Endurance of torture— Trial of for
titude — Self-devoted victims — Mountain legend — Sacred
hiU — Faquirs — A miracle — Situation of Gongoutri — The
goddess Parbutti — View from Gungoutri — Sacred head of
the Ganges — Forbidden food — BhairoGhati — Flockofsheep.
June 9th. — We have at length gained the
mysterious precincts of the Holy River. Bhairo
Ghati, below which we are encamped, is three
hours' walk from Mookba : midway between it
and that village we crossed a bridge to the left
bank of the river, and by a tolerable path ar-

THE COW'S MOUTH. 41
rived at this ghat, from which we descended to
another bridge about thirty yards long, and as
many in height above the stream. We are
placed on a little pinnacle, just large enough to
contain the party, and over-looking the conflu
ence of the Jahnavi with the Bhagirathi.
Bhairo Ghati is a place of great sanctity, from
its being perhaps the last height a pilgrim had to
reach, ere he descended to tlie grand object of
adoration, the Cow's Mouth. To me it proved
a place of great pleasure, for it introduced to
me the first gooseberries I have seen since I left
England: there are close to my present situa
tion a great number of them, as well as currants.
It is simple, perhaps, to turn from such a cele
brated spot to contemplate a gooseberry-bush !
but the native of the northern hemisphere pre
fers his own little star to the bright constellation
of the southern cross !
Legends say, (so my brahmin, guide informs
me,) that once there was no road beyond this,
and here concluded the toils of the pilgrim. The
rock, which has little more remarkable in it than
a cavity apparently worn by the water, once
joined a neighbour on the other side, and formed

42 THE JUMNA AND THE GANGES.
an arch, very little above the surface of the
stream : then it resembled the mouth of a cow,
and was worshipped from the opposite shore of
the Jahnavi. As nothing could be seen beyond
it, the river was supposed to issue from the
mouth ; and so great a miracle merited suitable
devotion : an earthquake probably divided it, if
ever it were joined, and, the veil being rent, a
more holy spot was discovered. The Bhagirathi
flows from the south, and the Jahnavi from the
east. To a common observer, one has as much
claim to be the true Ganges as the other ; of the
same width and colour, and apparently the same
depth, and running with equal rapidity between
similar channels of rocky mountains.
It is surprising to see rivers so great a size, so
near their probable sources. At the point of
their junction the bed is fully sixty yards broad,
and the Ganges, as far as visible, is between
twenty and thirty. So late as 1803, so little was
known of this pflace, that it was believed, from
the report of a native, to be narrow enough to
be leaped over : it could be done by no common-
limbed mortal.
The rivers rush towards each other with tre-

RIDGE OF MOUNTAINS. 43
mendous noise and swiftness, meeting at right
angles, and sweeping away to the west ; receiv
ing from the mountains around many tributary
streams. I passed over a deep chasm in a rock
this morning by a narrow plank, at the bottom
of which ran a brook of eighteen or twenty feet
in width. The scenery around is wild : no hills
are visible beyond those which immediately bound
the river, save a snowy ridge called Mallorra, to
the north-west. The peaks of the nearest are of
rough and ragged rocks, with now and then a
patch of snow in their crevices. Their bases, for
about a hundred feet from the water, are formed
of overhangingcrags, worn into almost every shape
by the friction of the river : magnificent pine-trees
grow on the brows of the hills, and shoot like
tall masts from the clefts of the projecting cliffs.
When large masses of stone are disunited from
the mountains, (for many lie scattered around,
as though placed there by the shock of an earth
quake, for sometimes such convulsions do occur,)
pine-trees spring up to a great size upon thein,
without the least appearance of earth to nourish
them. A mighty pyramid of stone stands be
hind my tent, that has evidently fallen from a

44 SACRED MEMORIALS.
great height ; for the space it occupied above is
visible, with the trees it brought with it in its
descent, green and flourishing about it.
Soon after we quitted Mookba we began to
meet the cairns that the pilgrims have piled up in
commemoration of their labours. They are num
berless beyond belief, and placed in the most
whimsical positions. Some are exposed with a
degree of ostentation in the midst of the path,
each carefully erected, and large enough to pass
for the tomb of a hero ; while others are met un
expectedly in the deep shade of the woods, in
differently arranged, and unlikely to last.
You may trace the spirit of the pilgrim in the
manner of leaving this anonymous chronicle of his
feat. Sometimes I have seen these pillars perched
on the branches of trees, and concealed in the
hollow of a decayed trunk. They rise from the
almost inaccessible crags, where to place them
seems scarcely in the human power, and rest in
some fissure of a chasm, through which a cataract
tears, that to look at puts " toys of desperation"
in the brain. However vain the memorial may
be to the labourer who erects it, it stamps the
spot with a holiness, in the eyes of those who

CUSTOMS OF TRAVELLERS. 45
follow, which fails not to have due effect on their
minds. The Hindoos were not able to contain
themselves ; they had anticipated every thing
that was wonderful, but these countless traces of
devout men confounded them indeed. " Wah !
Wah>." with their hands upraised, and their
eyes turned to heaven ; "Wah ! Wah .'" was all
that they could find breath to utter.
No custom is more universal than that of tra
vellers to distant regions or remarkable places,
leaving some proof of their performance behind
them ; and the least pompous and absurd is the
nameless method I have described. There is
something ludicrous in the extreme in the name
of " John Giles" on the apex of the pyramid. I
had the good fortune to see this illustrious indi
vidual, with his coat off, chiselling that sonorous
title upon the highest point of the great one of
Ghizeh. " I am determined it shall last," said
Mr. Giles, as he dug the letters an inch deep
into the stone. What a glorious spirit ! When
many generations more shall have passed away,
and the pyramid looks over a new world, what
antiquarian will tolerate for a moment the uncer
tainty of Cheops, in the face of the recorded

46 PRESERVATION OF MONUMENTS.
existence of John Giles ! Inscribing names upon
sacred edifices, pillars, and even statues, may de
face them, to be sure ; but what signifies that,
when some future traveller will be taught that
they were visited by a Mister Somebody before
he was born ! Piling up stones perhaps would be
an inconvenient substitute for such a custom, al
though men of taste might devise many elegant
structures that would improve the surrounding
scenery : and no one could object to their writing
their names upon their own altars. I have fre
quently lamented that no public-spirited people
have suggested a method of preserving monu
ments from injury, without depriving the world
of the means of learning who visited them !
When I visited Pompey's Pillar, without the
walls of Alexandria, some years ago, I was anx
ious to see the inscription upon its pedestal, that
had transferred it to Diocletian as the proper
owner, and sought for it in vain. What I had
always been taught to consider granite, seemed
suddenly changed to marble. A British ship of
war had put into the bay a few days before, and
some of the officers were kind enough to ascertain
the exact height of the pillar ; they painted the

THE SAINT, BHAIRO. 47
shaft and base of it white, — and in black letters,
that reached from top to bottom of the coumn,
declared that the crew of His Majesty's ship 
had fixed the altitude of the pillar at 94 feet some
inches ! Then followed the commander's name,
and much more in most legible English, that
made the Greek hide its diminished head. A
virtuoso would have gone distracted ; and had
it not been for laughter, we might also have
raged. I never expected to find myself at the
mouth of the Nile, while writing of the source
of the Ganges. It is time indeed to return !
Bhairo, a saint after whom the Ghat, which sig
nifies a pass in a mountain, or the quay on a river,
is named, was a devoted follower of the Ganges,
and by his intercession with his master, many
miracles were performed : he is, therefore, wor
shipped as becomes a person of such influence.
A little above the river, in a cluster of pines, and
on the road to Gungoutri, is a temple dedicated
to his service, at which all devout passengers
make their prostrations and circumambulations.
Immediately above the river, from the face of a
rock, trickles a little stream of a yellow colour,

48 JOURNEY TO GUNGOUTRI.
impregnated perhaps with iron : it flows for the
distance of a few yards only, dyeing the ground
and stones about it. It is considered miraculous,
and every pilgrim takes a small quantity of the
earth away, deeming himself happy in having
abouthim two such precious talismans asBhairo's
clay and the water of Gungoutri. Many of the
people bathed in this part of the river ; but I
thought the water too cold to make the experi
ment. The thermometer, however, was much
higher than at Jumnoutri in the bed of the
stream : here it was 44 degrees.
June 10th. — At daylight we commenced our
long-looked-for expedition to the mysterious
object of so much extraordinary devotion — Gun
goutri. It is about six miles from Bhairo Ghati ;
and the road, for the first half of it, is extremely
good, winding round the mountains on the right
bank of the river, sometimes passing a plain
covered with fern, and through forests of pine.
The channel, till within two miles of the holy
spot, is formed of rocky mountains; many of
their peaks covered with snow, and some so rug
ged as not to retain it. They rise to a great

COURSE OF THE RIVER. 49
height, and seem like detached rocks hanging
in the sky, their summits are so little connected
with each other. In some places they approach
their banks so nearly, as to give a very narrow
vent for the river, through which it rushes with
immense force ; so large a body of water, com
pressed into a space of twenty feet, requires the
resistance of the giant boundary that confines it.
When about two miles from Gungoutri, the
channel widens considerably, and the bed of the
river at the reputed head itself must be at least
one hundred yards in breadth. The stream,
which is increasing every day, does not occupy
more than a third of it, leaving a large track of
gravel uncovered on its right bank. The water
not only preserves the sandy colour it has in the
plains, but darkens as we draw towards its
source. Many of the streams that fall into it,
from the peaks around, are as deep in their
colour, and appear rather to proceed from some
foul cavern than from such pure birth-places,
where the snow can scarcely yet be said to have
caught " one stain of earth ! "
The noise with which the cataracts around
VOL. II. D

50 FOAMING CATARACTS.
rush into the river, some of them leaping with one
spring over frightful precipices, and throwing a
thick mist from the spray above them, gives a per
fect imitation of the music of Niagara. From about
twenty miles below Gungoutri, the mountains ap
pear to vie with each other, which shall yield the
largest tribute to the master stream. It made me
giddy to look upon the scene. In whatever direc
tion I turned my eyes, they were met by a general
whirl of water ; and when passing over the bed
of a torrent by a narrow plank, I found myself
forced to bend my head down, lest the universal
vertigo should extend to it, and draw me, in sub
stance as well as feeling, into its wild career !
I received a lesson, soon after we left Bhairo
Ghati, that has made me thus cautious. A sin
gular chasm is riven in the rock close to that
place, about twenty feet wide, and two hundred
deep — running perpendicularly to the stream
which foams fearfully beneath it. The plank, of
about a foot broad, which was placed across it,
was wet with the dew ; and one side of the rock
being higher than the other, there was a gentle
descent. When I had reached half way over,

DANGEROUS SITUATION. 51
keeping a jealous eye on the rushing waters
below, (for however dangerous to look on them,
there is a fascination in the torrent that not only
fixes the gaze, but seems to draw you towards it,)
my foot slipped, and I found myself clinging to
the plank. The nerves were too much braced by
the danger to fail, and I succeeded in sitting upon
it. It would be difficult to picture my ludi
crous situation, while debating how I should
get out of the scrape. There was nothing within
reach on either side — and nobody could come to
assist me. There I was, like Mahomet's coffin,
swinging between heaven and earth. The plank
barely fitted its position ; and if I had slidden
along, I mighthavedrawn it from its support, and
ridden upon it to the bottom. It was positively
necessary to rise and walk across. With what
envy I thought of Madame Sacchi ! I fancied my
shoes were the cause of my dilemma; and after
several attempts, succeeded in transferring them
to my pockets. It then became an easier feat to
rise, and I gained terra firma in safety. Many
a secure position is sufficiently uncomfortable. I
was very safe while bestriding my bridge ; but
d2

52 GUNGOUTRI.
it was impossible to remain there. I felt almcst
inclined to let " I dare not wait upon I would,"
like the poor cat in the adage, convinced that the
premier pas was to be also the dernier.
The prospect of being some years hence, per
haps, exhibited as a petrefaction found in the
Himalaya, was a posthumous fame that had no
temptation for me, and I screwed my courage to
the task. A river as wide as the Thames at
Windsor running over an uninterrupted bed
higher than the crater of Mount Mtna, (for
Gungoutri is nearly thirteen thousand feet above
the level of the sea,) would be an interesting ob
ject if it had no other claim upon the mind; but
the traveller must feel almost disposed to over
look that in the extraordinary scenes that he is
destined to witness acted on it. It is impossible
to survey this fountain of credulity, to enter this
focus of human folly, without feeling as much
wonder and astonishment, as the sight of it can
inspire devotion and awe, in the victims of its
superstition, who toil through so many hard
ships, to bathe in its dirty water.
Here every extravagance that the weakness of
the human race can be guilty of, seems to be con

HINDOO SUPERSTITION. 53
centrated : — some, who have been wandering for
months to fill their phials at the stream, overcome
by the presence of their God, lie prostrate on the
banks ; others, up to their waists in the water,
performing, with the most unfeigned abstraction,
all the manoeuvres of a Hindoo worship. Under
the auspices of brahmins, groups were sitting on
several parts of the bank, kneading up balls of
sand, with holy grass twisted round their fingers,
intended as offerings to the Ganges for the propi
tiation of their fathers' souls, which when ready
they drop into the stream with the most profound
and religious gravity. Such faith is placed in its
power of performing miracles, that many haunt
it for the most ridiculous purposes, convinced
that what they ask will be accorded.
At this moment, a fanatic is up to his middle
in the river, praying to bestow upon him the
gift of prophecy : he has travelled from a village
above Sirinagur, never doubting that the Ganges
will reward him for his journey, by opening the
book of futurity ; and if fools may be inspired to
foretell, there is some probability of this pilgrim
succeeding in his object, for he is simple indeed.

51 DEVOTION PAID TO THE GANGES.
He will return, he says, a prophet to his native
hill, where all will flock to him to have their
fortunes told, and he will soon grow rich.
The brahmin, who does not seem credulous or
bigoted, but rather disposed to laugh at the devo
tion paid to the river, boldly declares his doubt
in its efficacy in this particular miracle at least.
Many men in the mountains have aimed at the
fame of soothsayers ; and although little can hap
pen to vary the lives ofthe people, or disturb the
even tenor of their days, they are remarkably
anxious to learn the destinies that await them. It
is indeed the natural sin of man to seek to know
more than he is wisely permitted. It was ne
cessary, my brahmin guide tells me — (being be
hind the curtain, perhaps, he knows too much ;
like the man who works the puppet, he can
scarcely be affected by its movements) — it was
necessary to check the wild confidence that was
placed in the raving of a prophet, who not long
ago possessed amazing fame in the vicinity of
Tirhee : and the Rajah, hoping to unmask him,
sent for him to the palace. On his assuming his
magical position, the Rajah desired him to be

A PROPHET OUTWITTED.

asked if his wife, who was then pregnant, would
be delivered of a son or a daughter ? " A son,"
replied the seer, after due muttering and shaking:
— " Mighty Rajah ! a son." — " Good !" inter
rupted the prince : " now tell me what are in my
hands," taking them from behind his back, and
placing them clenched before the eyes of the pro
phet. After some deliberation, " There is gold
in one, and grain in the other," answered the
man. "Lo! they are both empty," exclaimed the
Rajah. " Go, you fool — you who cannot tell
what my hand contains when close before your
eyes, how should you know what is concealed
within the womb ?" This proved a perfect coup
d'etat, and the future no longer draws the atten
tion of the subjects of Tirhee from the present.
As I approached the holy shrine, a troop of
pallid spectres glided through the woods before
me, and vanished like the images in Banquo's
glass. I thought I had reached supernatural
regions indeed, till a few more yards brought
me to a train of naked faquirs whitened all over
with ashes : a rope was coiled round their waists,
and their hair hung down to their shoulders,

56 APPARITIONS.
twisted like serpents ; their hands close to their
sides, they glided along with measured steps,
repeating constantly in a hollow tone, " Ram !
Ram! Ram!" a Hindoo word for the deity. If
it required any thing to heighten the wildness
of the scene, these unearthly beings were ad
mirably adapted for it. The firmest sceptic in
ghost stories, would have startled to behold one
of these inhuman figures rise suddenly before
him ; and the slightest shade of superstition
would be sufficient to blind the eyes of a believer
to the reality of such a form, if in the glimmering
ofthe moon one were to be seen perched upon the
brow of a precipice, with an arm raised above the
head incapable of motion, and the nails hanging
in long strings from the back of the clenched
hand. If the sightof such an apparition could give
rise to fear, the deep sepulchral voice with which
the words "Ram! Ram!" fell upon the stillness of
the night, and resounded from the rocks around,
would indeed complete the scene of terror !
At Gungoutri there are several sheds erected
for the shelter of pilgrims; and as the evening was
far advanced, andastormbrewing,! went into one

DEATH BY STARVATION. 57
of them. It was a long narrow building, and the
further end was so wrapped in darkness, that I
had been some moments in it before I perceived
any thing. I was attracted by a sullen murmur,
and went to the spot whence it proceeded. A
miserable wretch had just blown a few sticks into
a flame ; and as the light burst upon his counte
nance, I unconsciously receded, and had to sum
mon all my fortitude to return to him again. His
eyes started from his head, and his bones were
visible through his skin : his teeth chattered, and
his whole frame shook with cold : and I never
saw hair longer or more twisted than his was. I
spoke to him, but in vain : he did not even deign
to look at me — and made no motion, but to blow
the embers into a fresh blaze ; the fitful glare
of which, falling on his skeleton form, made me
almost think that I had descended to the tomb.
I found that he had come for the purpose of end
ing his life by starvation at Gungoutri. Many
faquirs have attempted this death, and have lin
gered on the banks of the river for several days
without food. The brahmin, however, assures
me that nobody can die in so holy a place ; and
d5

58 BRAHMINS, OR PUNDAHS.
to preserve its character for being unconnected
with mortality, the inhabitants of the neighbour
ing villages take care they should not, and bear
them by force away, and feed them, or at any
rate give them the liberty to die elsewhere.
A small temple marks the sacred source of the
river ; and immediately opposite is the orthodox
spot for bathing in and filling the phials, which,
when ready, receive the stamp of authenticity
from the seal of the brahmin, who wears it as a
ring upon his finger: it bears tbe following in
scription engraved upon it — " The water of the
Bhagirathi, Gungoutri." Without such mark
the water would not be deemed holy by the
purchasers in the plains.
The brahmins, or pundahs, as they are called
in the hills, of this river, drive a very profitable
trade. Every pilgrim, with the exception ofthe
mendicants, pay them something for their at
tendance ; and the rich, who often send for the
water when they need a charm, send also hand
some presents. I observed that these holy per
sonages were much more active in collectino-
their contributions than in administering to the

HINDOO WORSHIP. 59
spiritual comfort of those about them. Some
of my servants, who promised to give them
money when they returned to their tents, could
hardly obtain a prayer upon credit : they came
to me in a body, with the brahmin at their
head, to beg my security for their fees ; and, on
my granting it, bargained with as much clamour
and earnestness as they would have done for a
temporal purchase, for the price they were
to pay for the services of the high-priest of
the Ganges. It was fixed at last according to
their situations and wages, although the brah
min exhorted them gravely to remember that
the great merit lay in self-denial, and giving
merely what they could afford was idle and
wicked. I was not able to witness the mystery of their
worship, for they protested against my passing
beyond the porch of the temple. The sanctum
seemed close and unpromising, and I had no
desire to pollute it by my touch. It was a busy
scene: and although I have always been deeply
impressed by the air of poetry that hangs about
every thing connected with Arabia, I must admit
that I view with greater interest the uncouth, nay,

60 ENDURANCE OF TORTURE.
unnatural objects that heighten the awe of this
place, than I did the patient caravan of pilgrims
toiling over the desert to Mecca : the silence of
the scenes, though the solitude may, cannot bear
comparison. In the mountains you can never be
wholly quiet : in the desert I have fancied that I
could hear the motion of the air ! and once on
an afternoon, while lying under the shelter of a
rock, no being within sight, I was startled by
the noise a vulture made in closing its beak,
when perched upon a crag many yards from me !
The comfort my followers obtained, with the
advantage they hoped to reap, by their prayers
and ablutions at Gungoutri, put them in such
good spirits, that they would have followed me to
the snows of Kedar Nath. The mention of that
place of suffering is enough to make the coldest
Christian shudder. A melancholy delusion leads
the naked and frequently innocent Hindoo to
brave the severest torture that the frame of man
can possibly be subject to, with a fortitude that
would place him in a rank with the most illustri
ous of martyrs, were it exercised in a good cause.
They wander for miles with almost a light spirit
— overcoming hardships at every step that might

TRIAL OF FORTITUDE. 61
entitle them to be canonised — to crown their la
bours and to close their days in hunger, and in
cold that early mortifies their limbs ! Crowds
have passed from Gungoutri to that mountain
(the journey is about four days,) and have never
more been heard of. Some have been known to
repent when yet near enough to return, and have
perished from their tortures beneath a jutting
rock, their extremities withered, and their pains
increased by the contempt and execration of all
who pass them, and the keener stings of their
consciences, which upbraid them with want of
faith, and prospect of damnation ! They have an
idea that none can find the path to return by, un
less rejected by Heaven . " A very great crime,"
said my brahmin guide, " will induce them to
encounter this death." — " What crime do you
consider sufficient to need such an atonement ?"
I asked. " Killing a brahmin or a cow," was
his immediate answer— a strange association ;
but they are both held in equal veneration, and
not unfrequently the cow is most deserving of it
of the two. She does not, at any rate, seek to
have such a doctrine believed.

62 SELF-DEVOTED VICTIMS.
It does not follow that a full pardon is accorded
to the self-devoted victim. They imagine that
the elect are permitted to reach a high peak called
Brigoo, from which they throw themselves down
to a bottomless abyss, across which a sharp stone,
projecting from the mountains, passes : should
they fall astride upon it, and be equally divided,
they are forgiven: other modes of being cut imply
a slight punishment. As the frost soon seizes
upon them, none who have reached any distance
in the snow ever return : thence the belief that
there is no road back for the accepted. Those
who tremble on the verge, perish, as I have said,
should they escape being stoned to death by the
nearest villagers, who believe such sinful beings
would bring curses on them.
Kedar Nath is fancied by the natives to have
some resemblance to a buffalo, and to that cir
cumstance I believe owes a great portion of its
character for sanctity. It was once an animated
being, and unfortunately had a quarrel with a
powerful giant of the name of Bheem Singh. To
revenge itself upon him it assumed the shape of a
buffalo, of no ordinary dimensions, and rushed at

MOUNTAIN LEGEND. 63
its enemy with its utmost violence. The wary
Bheem Singh, however, bestrode the narrow
hills like a Colossus, and seemed to give the
beast an opportunity of running between his legs ;
but when midway, closed them upon it, and di
vided it in two : the head and shoulder became
Kedar Nath, while its hind quarters settled some
where in the kingdom of Nepaul, and figure at
this moment as one of the loftiest mountains in
it. So much for mountain legends. It surely
was an easy matter to rule a race of people who
could believe such clumsy tales as these ! The
inventors of such fables had a most encouraging
credulity in those for whom they were conceived.
I do not know, however, that the freaks attri
buted to Krishna are a bit more absurd than the
more classical ones of which Apollo was the hero.
A calamba tree on the shore of the Jumna, near
Bunderbund, still bears the impression of Krish
na's back ; for he leaned upon it when he played
his pipe to the milkmaids, with whom he passed
so merry a time ; and one of them, who bore the
pretty name of Toolsi, (another Daphne,) was
turned, while endeavouring to escape his pursuit,

64 SACRED HILL.
into that plant which is still called from her the
Toolsi, Holy Basil.
There is a hill in the neighbourhood of this
sacred place, which bears a holy character, and
is at times illuminated and visited from afar for
the purpose of worship. In a season of scarcity,
the people complained to Krishna, who recom
mended them to propitiate with offerings the god
of this mountain, " Goverdhana." They obeyed,
and he, assuming another figure, sat on the sum
mit of it to receive their offerings, which must
have been of food ; for he presently grew so
heavy, that the hill bent under him, and to the
present day retains the shape his sudden increase
gave to it.
The natives esteem the faquirs highly ; and
many are learned, and perfectly sincere. They
pass over the villages like a cloud of locusts, con
suming every thing. It is unlawful to injure, and
irreligious not to feed them. The brahmin as
sures me, that once, no less a number than ten
thousand arrived at Sirinagur on one day, and
claimed to be fed. Although his assertion is a
little too bold to be implicitly believed, I have no

FAQUIRS. 65
doubt there were enough to cause, as he declares,
the apprehension of a famine. The Rajah, afraid
of his stores being exhausted, was anxious to get
rid of them, and offered each man a certain
quantity of grain if they would scatter them
selves about the mountains, and not move in so
formidable a train. They refused the offer, and,
insisting upon being served according to their
appetites, established themselves in a body in
the town.
They are bound to have no pleasures, and to
close their ears and eyes to all gratifications.
The Rajah, pretending to tolerate them, as they
were assembled at their meal, ordered all the
musicians and dancing-girls that could be col
lected, to assail them with their blandishments,
and on no account to relax from the music and
the dance, till, scandalised by the scene, they
were driven from the city. This ruse had the
desired effect : fearing that their sanctity might
be impeached by witnessing so profane an ex
hibition, they fled with the utmost precipitation.
Some faquirs have been known to have per
formed miracles ; " but I do not believe much of

66 A MIRACLE.
that," continued the brahmin, for he is the most
persevering story-teller I ever listened to, and
sits in my tent as long as I please to allow him
to edify me. " I do not believe much in that, for
indeed I never witnessed a man but once, who
could work a miracle. A naked faquir came to
the village where I was born, and asked me to be
his guide to Gungoutri. He refused food, for
he said he could feed himself whenever he felt
hungry. ' Take your stick,' said he, ' and
leave the rest to me.' ' To you V I answered,
' why, you are a beggar ! what can you give
me?' He had nothing with him but the dried
gourd, from which he drank water. He looked
angry, and repeating, ' Ram ! Ram .'' desired
me to set forth. When we reached Bhairo
Ghati, he bade me wait at the temple while he
bathed ; and on his coming up to it, asked if I
was hungry, and what I would like to have :
' Some cakes of flour,' I replied. In a few mo
ments after he had prayed, the ground was spread
with cakes. He performed the same miracle at
Gungoutri — on that very spot," pointing to the
front of the adjoining shed. " I do not lie, for

SITUATION OF GUNGOUTRI. 67
I saw it with my own eyes, and eat the cakes ;
and very good they were." — " I do not lie, like
Mr. Mathews' Longbow," was the invariable
summing-up of every story he told ; and it fre
quently offered a fair presumption why a verdict
of ' guilty' should be recorded against him.
The situation of Gungoutri is sufficiently pro
voking. The river rather widens above it, and
nothing can be traced by the eye that will justify
a conjecture of its distance from the source.
There is no road beyond ; and, with all the effort
possible, I question whether a traveller could
penetrate much more than a mile further. The
river about a quarter of a mile beyond Gungoutri
winds to the east, towards the high mountain of
the Rudru Himmaleh, in which it is believed to
have its source. One peak of this mountain is
visible from here ; that which contains the foun
tain of the Ganges. The Hindoos suppose that
from each peak of the Rudru a river flows, and
consider it (for it has several peaks) the birth
place of the most esteemed ones in the Himalaya.
It is a species of Olympus too ; and while look-
i ng at it through a telescope, I was interrupted

68 THE GODDESS PARBUTTI.
to know if I could see the goddess Parbutti
standing in a flowing robe on its height.
I delivered my glass to the brahmin, and he
passed it to others ; but their unpractised eyes
could not even see the mountain ; and they mar
velled at our different organization, in being able
to discern clearly objects which the same instru
ment, made dark to them. Some former traveller
had, to amuse the brahmin, declared he could
see the goddess ; and so convinced is he of the
possibility, that I am sure he will not be stag
gered by my affirming she was not visible. " It
was a dark day," he said; and indeed clouds
were gathering fast around the hills.
Although the Ganges flows with equal rapidity
generally, and sometimes with much greater than
the Jumna, it forms no cataracts, but passes over
a wide bed, excepting at Bhairo Ghati, where it
is'compressed into a narrow bound; and, without
any other impediment, chafes with considerable
fury. From Hurdwar to the sea, the distance is,
in miles, thirteen hundred : what the height of
the former is in feet above the level of the latter.
The great fall of the Ganges therefore is from the

VIEW FROM GUNGOUTRI. 69
source to the place of entering the plains ; from
Gungoutri it has to descend at least twelve thou
sand feet, in a comparatively short distance,
not more perhaps than sixty miles, estimating
by its windings. It is fortunate therefore the
boundary is so formidable : so great a body of
water, running at such a rate, would soon sweep
light obstacles away.
When the pilgrims bathe, (and they stand in
the centre of the stream,) it reaches to the waist
of a common-sized man ; and the brahmin tells
me that it preserves the same depth as far as he
has been able to penetrate, about a mile higher.
The snowy range is not visible from this spot,
nor any very high mountains, with the excep
tion of the Rudru, which is twenty-three thou
sand feet above the level of the sea: a ridge
slightly sprinkled with snow, called Deoghat,
which seems to meet the hills on the left bank,
at the point where the Rudru closes the scene, is
the only material one in sight.
After scrambling, with very little advantage,
up the precipitous banks that bound the river
above Gungoutri, I resolved to abandon any hopes

70 SACRED HEAD OF THE GANGES.
of reaching beyond the imaginary and sacred
head of the Ganges. It is indeed quite far
enough away to answer the devout purpose to
which it is consecrated : it requires no little la
bour to gain it, and possesses the appliances
of mystery in a sufficient degree to satisfy the
minds that are so predisposed to believe its mar
vels. As the world has grown more wicked, so
the trials have increased in difficulty. In the
golden age, it was a light and easy matter to
worship at the source ; for it then, my brahmin
guide relates, rose at Benares. A more sinful
age had to follow it to Hurdwar. From the
vice of a third it receded to Barahat ; and the
fourth is doomed to trace it, through the Cow's
Mouth, to the heights of Gungoutri, where I
hope it may be content to remain, for the sake
of those who propose to suffer in its cause.
On returning to our tent to dinner, after hav
ing been so deeply engaged, and so much ini
tiated in the superstitions of the place, I could
scarcely avoid startling when I perceived we
were to eat the forbidden food — a piece of salt
beef smoked upon the board. Profaning Gun-

FORBIDDEN FOOD. 71
goutri by devouring a part of the sacred animal !
nothing could have been less in accordance with
the spirit of the place. I observed the brahmin
cast a curious eye towards the joint, and mutter
something with a horrid face as he left the tent.
We expected to see him return with his enraged
followers ; and, like harpies, pounce upon the
table. He could not, however, conceive any
thing so iniquitous as the deliberate slaughter
of a cow, and gave us the credit of having, like
himself, a taste for the flesh of a superannuated
ram. I overheard one of the Mahometans say,
" they are eating goats' flesh;" which denoted
that some little doubt had been entertained re
garding our propensities.
The holy water was not calculated to purify
our persons from such a pollution. It requires
the fullest faith in its efficacy to be able even to
swallow it : the sediment is so great, that after
straining it five or six times, we were obliged to
abandon the trial, and gave additional cause to
those concerned in our welfare to despair, when
we sent a pitcher to the clearest brook that fell
from the nearest hills.

72 BHAIRO GHATI.
We at length retraced our steps to Bhairo
Ghati, passing the tracks of several bears, and
occasionally obtaining a distant view of some of
them. They afforded us no adventure, how
ever ; and I did not think even scientific curio
sity would perfectly justify an intrusion upon
their privacy, at least to them. We ascertained
that they were white, and imagined they were
like other bears of the same colour. We caught
distant glimpses also of the musk deer I was
more anxious to have had a closer inspection of
them ; but it was too difficult to follow, to hope
to overtake. A man of Suchi undertook to snare
one ; but he had had no success when we left
that place. We encamped on the same point.
above the two rivers.
There is a road a little below Bhairo Ghati,
that breaks off from the right bank of the
Ganges to Nielung, a village on the frontier of
Oondesth, the country of the shawl-wool goat.
It is about four days' journey over a steep and
rugged way, at present much covered with snow,
which, with the prospect of heavy rains falling
immediately, must prevent our attempting to

FLOCK OF SHEEP. 73
reach it. I met several merchants, natives of
the province of Bisehur, returning from, it,
driving a flock of sheep, bearing loads from
thirty-five to forty pounds each. The burdens
were swung in bags over their backs, without
any cords to bind them on ; and they moved up
the steep crags, with the greatest nimbleness
and indifference to the weight. It is very rare
to find a sheep a beast of burden ; it is not un
common, however, here : in this case, they were
the bearers of their masters' food, and were na
tives of the northern part of the mountains ; a
larger race than the common animals of the hills.
They are used for trade, and are made to carry
grain from a fertile to a less happy quarter.
They travel with surprising quickness, and are
kept together without the least trouble. No
four-footed animals but goats and sheep could
be used for such a purpose in any part of the
mountains ; and the former being too apt to
roam, perhaps the latter are the only ones that
could be safely turned to such account.

VOL. II.

74

CHAPTER IV.
Spasmodic attack — Singular picture — Return to Mookba —
Imaginary complaints — Remains of a temple — Inscriptions
—Heavy rain — Scene of confusion — Ludicrous picture —
Comfortless situation — An encampment— Whimsical scene
— A stormy night — Effects of the rains — Arrival at Dount-
gul — Return to Tearoo — Change of temperature — Apricot-
oil — Opium — Temple to Mahadeo — Agriculture — Monkey
depredations — Cruel amusement — Turning the tables —
Scenery of the Ganges — Curiosity of the natives — Eastern
customs — Unexpected meeting— How to get rid of a beai>—
Fields of rice — Music and singing — Complimentary stanzas
—A picture — Dignity of travel — Mal-a-propos meetings.
June 12th. — I had observed rain gathering
very fast for some days about the top of every
mountain, On whose barren breast
Labouring clouds do often rest —
and did not feel disposed, in consequence, to lin
ger in the neighbourhood of avalanches and tor
rents longer than necessary ; so, having erected

SPASMODIC ATTACK. 75
our remembrances at Bhairo Ghati, as we had
done at Gungoutri, with becoming solemnity,
set out for the village of Mookba.
On the most difficult part of the road, I had
too good a reason for discovering that the pre
cincts of the holy place are not free from " the
ills that flesh is heir to," any more than a more
profane spot. My brother was seized with a
spasmodic attack, resembling the cholera mor
bus so nearly, that I was terrified lest I should
have to watch a sick bed in that desolate region.
My train was instantly thrown into consterna
tion, and the brahmin affected to pray, and as
sured me there was high need, for no persons re
covered from such a disease. His bed was
spread beneath the shadow of numberless pine-
trees, on a sloping bank, and I had him covered
with as many blankets as could be collected,
and rubbed incessantly, till the medicine-chest
arrived : half a wine-glass of brandy and lau
danum, equally mixed, had the effect of restor
ing him to ease. I had seen this dose adminis
tered in the hospitals ; and as it was given very
few minutes after the commencement of the at-
e 2

76 SINGULAR PICTURE.
tack, I believe it had the effect of staying what
might, through delay, have proved fatal.
As the draught soon worked a reformation, I
had time to observe our situation : a circle was
formed round us, as perfect as the trees would
permit, of the most anxious faces I ever be
held ; — their expression divided between fear for
the patient, and astonishment at the doctor — the
bed, with a blanket supported on spears for a
canopy, in the centre — and a little removed from
it, the brahmin telling his beads with alarming
gravity and importance. My servants held a
consultation by the pillow of the patient, in
which a goat and a game-cock had contrived to
be included ; many things were suggested by
the solemn conclave, and I think they were all
adopted in their turns.
There are few scenes so sad as not to possess
something of theludicrous, and the invalid himself
could not avoid smiling at the novel and whim
sical discipline he was likely to be placed under,
A colic in the mountains would make no unenter-
taining subject for a caricature. Weliad no
room for our tents near the hospital we had so

RETURN TO MOOKBA. 77
hastily established, and were obliged to move
forward ; a hammock was arranged in a very
few minutes, by fastening a shawl to a tent-pole,
and the patient was carried to a clear space
about a mile further on the road, where we re
mained a day and night.
June 13th. — At noon we began our walk to
Mookba, and reached it just in time to escape the
first fall of rain. It promises, from the time it
has been brewing, to continue for several days ;
and the natives declare it will prevent our mov
ing beyond Suchi for at least a week. It will
be impossible indeed to cross that tremendous
pass until the rocks have lost the increased faci
lity of slipping that the water is likely to give
them ; and our greatest apprehension of going
barefooted may happen to be realised, when,
even in dry weather, we leave a portion of our
shoes upon the pointed stones of every day's
journey. I found the fame of my cure had preceded
me, and all the " malades imaginaires'" of
Mookba assembled round my tent to beg a pre
scription. They recounted, with doleful faces,

78 IMAGINARY COMPLAINTS.
the sad stories of their sufferings : some had had
head-aches for years, and some had lost their ap
petites since they were children. I had to exa
mine fingers and feet, and to administer some
thing to each : for external complaints, I recom
mended the simple lotion of cold water, which
was too much neglected and too little esteemed ;
for, as in other parts, they preserved their predi
lection for dirt on the banks of the Holy River,
in spite of its power of purification. As the in
ward complaints seemed to me to be nearly alike, I
had one invariable panacea, and sent my patients
away congratulating themselves on meeting with
so able a physician, convinced of my skill, as
they appeared delighted with the uniformity of
my practice: for every man held his pill be
tween his finger and thumb ; and comparing it
with his neighbour's before he swallowed it,
chuckled at the resemblance.
As we entered the village, a party of pilgrims,
among whom were a woman and several children,
drew up on a bank to the right of the pathway
and saluted us with groans. I could not con
jecture what difference of opinion had made us

REMAINS OF A TEMPLE. 79
liable to such a public expression of unpopula
rity ; and approaching them, I found each person
pressing his hand on his stomach, and making
faces that soon explained to me the state of affairs.
They had been unaccustomed to such cpld water
and coarse grain, and all stood in need of my as
sistance. I astonished these wanderers by my
ability, as I had confounded the residents. I have
become very weary, however, of this fashionable
rage after my nostrums ; and for the purpose of
soon emptying my boxes, I distributed the me
dicine with a lavish hand. I shall be able to
sympathize with the doctor, whose celebrity pre
vents his having a moment to himself, and whose
time is often consumed in cases as trifling and
ridiculous as mine. I am afraid also I can ap
proach too nearly to the feelings of the quack,
who, while he gulls the credulous fools who
attend him, is the only one aware of his own
ignorance. I trust, however, neither my lotion
nor my physic will be followed by mischief.
June 14th. —Within about an hour's walk
of Mookba are the remains of a temple. Many
fragments of sculptured stone are scattered

80 INSCRIPTIONS.
about, and the country round bears the appear
ance of having been inhabited and cultivated, the
division of the terraces being still visible. I
could learn no clear tradition regarding it ; but
my brahmin friend attributed its erection to the
Chinese. It has been very large, and was placed
in a most commanding position on the brow of a
hill that overlooks the Ganges, and commands a
view of the snowy range : the stone of which it
was built was carefully prepared, and bears the
marks of having been formed by more skilful
artists than the present race of mountaineers can
produce. When they talk of China, however,
they merely mean people on the other side of the
snowy boundary ; and as inscriptions in the Thi-
betian character have been found in the hills, that
nation may have been the builders of the temple.
There is much room for speculation in the
study of uncouth figures and incomprehensible
letters, and much amusement is derived from its
exercise, although no light may be thrown upon
them. We are prone to admire most what we
least understand. We too frequently lose our
enthusiasm as we gain ourknowledge ; and the

HEAVY RAIN. 81
traveller, who leaves it to his imagination to read
hieroglyphics and form hypotheses, passes his
time fully as agreeably, if not more so, than the
critic, who, satisfied he knows such things were
for such purposes, has no occasion for ihe aid of
conjecture, or the charms of fancy.
About midway between the temple and Mook
ba the rain began to fall in torrents, and I found
we were too likely to bid adieu to the pleasant
scenes we had hitherto enjoyed, for the most un
comfortable of all mountain visitations. We ap
peared to be riding on the bosoms of the clouds.
The road became so slippery as to render the
utmost caution necessary, and all around was
dark. The vivid lightning, that shot through
the mist, was the best light we had to depend
on ; for the clouds hung so completely around
us, above, below, and on every side, that we
were at length obliged to abandon the continua
tion of our journey ; and taking shelter under
an overhanging rock, which rose from the bosom
of the hill above us, we remained about a couple
of hours. There was no hope of the storm's
cessation : and, afraid of being benighted, we
e5

82 SCENE OF CONFUSION.
set forth again. It was dark when we reached
Suchi; and the tempest had so scattered my
party, that I despaired of being housed.
As is generally the case in such predicaments,
the things you least require are nearest at hand.
With the voice of an Othello I shouted for my
tent— for any thing that could be found — nay,
even a handkerchief if it could be discovered ;
but without success. The barking of the dogs,
with the screaming of the people to still them —
the clamour ofthe nearest coolies for guides and
lights — and the uproar of my servants, with oc
casional claps of thunder, and the rushing ofthe
rain, made the most bewildering tumult that can
be conceived. I had been obliged to strip myself
of my wet clothes ; and, tying a table-cloth about
my waist, (the only cover I could find,) sallied
forth with a white staff in my hand ; and, like a
maniac, as I exercised it upon the flying people,
or poked them out of the snug covers they had
taken to, added to the wildness of the scene.
Although accustomed from principle, and in
deed from inclination, to be as passive as possible
under the annoyance of Hindoo apathy, I found

LUDICROUS PICTURE. 83
it difficult to control myself here. There was a
humour in the uproar, too, that it was not easy
to withstand. After calbng till I was hoarse for
any portion of my baggage that had arrived, ap
prehending that all had been swept away, to
prove that I was not quite destitute, my friend
Booth Sing, the most attentive of my coolies, a
smart fellow, and a perfect beau in his way, flew
in pursuit, and in a few minutes returned, bearing
in triumph the trophies of his success — a broken
kettle and a frying pan ! " This is all," said he ;
" but I hope the rest will soon come." It was
impossible not to laugh ; and when one of the
hillmen suggested a use for the frying-pan, by
holding it over his head as an umbrella, and then,
transferring it to me, recommended me to apply
it to that purpose, the ludicrous appearance I
already made, with such a finish to my picture,
was enough to restore me to good-humour.
I was a match for any fanatic in the East —
standing on a crag, surrounded by the villagers
squatting like monkeys at my feet — no covering
but the draggled table-cloth about me — a dirty
white wand in one hand, and the other holding a

84 COMFORTLESS SITUATION.
frying-pan over my head ! It was nearly twelve
at night before I had collected all that the storm
had dispersed. Some of my bearers had fallen,
and bruised themselves a good deal ; and one,
with a side of my tent, had plumped to the bottom
of a pit, from which he contrived to crawl out
before midnight ; and, coming terrified to relate
his calamity to me, assured me his burden must
have by this time reached the centre of the earth,
for he had never heard it stop. At length, with
three sides only to the tent, we contrived to get
under cover ; and sitting in the centre of it, with
our feet upon the pole to keep them out of the
wet, and a pan of charcoal below, we were able,
(thanks to the war of elements !) to pass the night
without sleeping. The canvass and the beds had
got so completely soaked, that it would not have
been either comfortable or safe to have endea
voured to obtain repose.
Daylight brought no alteration in our affairs;
and on the evening of the third day of our being-
weather-bound, every thing seemed as unpro
mising as the commencement. On sending in
search of the stray part of the tent, I found that

AN ENCAMPMENT. 85
the fear of the man had exaggerated the depth
of the pit, and it was not very difficult to
recover it.
The position in which we are encamped is the
usual choice of the pilgrims, and many are seated
about us. We have placed the tent under the
branches of a very large walnut-tree, from which,
the first night, we expected to gain a little shelter ;
but being now well washed, it acts as a conduit to
pour the water more directly upon us ; a little be
hind is the tent of my servants, in which they sit,
as miserable as fowls, around a pool in the middle,
which the rain, in dropping through the canvass,
has formed. Their wet blankets are wrapped
round them ; and, notwithstanding the reproaches
that their countenances express — for every man
seems to say, " Why have you done this ?" — I
find it impossible to contemplate their situation
with the least appearance of gravity.
A small wooden shed, about the size of a wild-
beast cage, erected for the use ofthe faquirs, (three
or four men may squat in the middle of it,) is con
verted into a kitchen ; and my Mahometans,
drenched to the skin, are endeavouring to cook

86 WHIMSICAL SCENE.
my dinner at a little smoke in one corner of it ;
for it is impossible to kindle a flame. The only
saucepan I have remaining, instead of a cover,
which, in all probability, like Gilpin's wig, will
soon be here — " for why ? 'tis on the road" — has
a cane hat, the crown of which just fits the mouth,
stuffed into it. A species of pottage is manufac
turing in a broken pot, into which the rain will
intrude ; and water being the last ingredient it
requires, promises to render it the most ultra
soup-maigre. My cooks have petitioned to bring
it into my tent ; and it now boils under the table,
that being the driest situation to be found.
I defy the greatest humourist of the day to
contrive a more absurd scene than our encamp
ment presents. The faquirs are muttering round
their miserable fires, striving to protect their
meal from the wet with leaves : some Hindoos
are cooking their cakes in the hollow of a tree,
which 1 expect to see rattle about them : and
one has just lost his dinner by the roof of his
kitchen — a cotton umbrella, flying up into the
air with a tin pot hanging from the stick, which
had been tied to it in hopes of giving weight.

A STORMY NIGHT. 87
Every person is anxiously watching this balloon,
in its eccentric flight, with his person stretched
over his mess, lest it should descend upon it and
scatter it to the winds.
What the thoughts of my Hindoos may .be I
cannot conjecture, but I hope they view their
dilemmas as necessary and meritorious trials.
My Mahometans, I am convinced by their looks,
would sacrifice the chance of Paradise if it were
only to be attained through a repetition of such
scenes. For myself, I unconsciously break into
a whistle of appropriate airs, and detect myself
in humming, " Ye gentlemen of England, who
live at home at ease," too frequently, not to per
ceive that it breathes a spirit ill at ease. At
night, when the ridiculous of the picture is lost
in darkness, every gust of wind threatens to
carry my flimsy roof to the clouds — while the
thunder echoes from mountain to valley, and
valley to mountain, and the flashes of lightning
discover the grandeur of the peaks above me,
as they thrust their heads through the mist, then
shoot through the vapour that hangs over a fa
thomless abyss before me — masses of rock,

88 EFFECTS OF THE RAINS.
loosened by the rain, fall with tremendous noise
down its sides — all is, indeed, magnificent,
sublime !
June 17th, 18th. — We had been three days at
Suchi, and took a fair opportunity on the fourth
to make our escape from the first village within
the magic circle of the Ganges' power : we began
to fear that we might be affected by its influence,
and, spell-bound, be forced to remain till we had
mingled with its dust ; for, as long as the rain
continued, it was impossible to cross the barrier,
the passage of which, in fine weather, had so
alarmed my people ; and unless we could learn to
relish rams, we had little chance of surviving a
season within it — for our flesh, a buck goat ;
and for vegetables, the crisped tops of the young
forest fern ! The natives of the hills, in many
parts, use this as a vegetable ; but on tasting it
once, I thought it too insipid and tough to in
duce me to adopt it.
On reaching the formidable pass, we had all
the difficulty and labour we had apprehended.
The common road was so slippery, as to render
it dangerous ; and on gaining the summit of the

ARRIVAL AT DOUNTGUL. 89
rocks we had ascended, we were forced to pause
on the brink, all seemed so altered by the rains
of the last few days. The trunks of trees were
swinging in the gaps, held only by one twig.
The planks had been swept down the chasms
they were placed across ; and at the bottom of
every rock, a pool of water was collected.
On shooting down these declivities, we generally
splashed into the reservoir below ; and when
crawling up the next, draggled and miserable,
gave an apt representation of the cleanly though
uncomfortable punishment of keel-hauling —
now, I hope, obsolete.
It took us some time to fasten the ladders, and
prepare the bridges; and it was nearly dark
when we reached a clear space, on the right bank
of the Ganges,, where we encamped : the natives
named it Dountgul. It was used for the culti
vation of red spinach, and stood under a high
hill, on which a little village was situated, and
many deer were browsing among the trees on its
summit. Not long before we came in sight of
it, fatigued with our scrambling, we had nearly
abandoned the chance of gaining it : in despair

90 RETURN TO TEAROO.
we arrived at the top of a rock almost perpen
dicular, and fifty feet deep. The only method
of descending was by a flat board, resting in a
niche at the bottom, and fastened to the root of
a tree by a few willow twigs at the top : steps,
about big enough for the feet of a monkey, were
scooped, at long intervals, in the plank.
We had climbed up by these means, but it
was a far different matter to descend. There is
an " alacrity in sinking," that made us hesitate
for some time to trust ourselves upon it. Our
baggage was rolled, as well as it could be, to
people who were placed at the bottom to receive
it ; and we were obliged to take advantage of
that precaution for ourselves. When half-way
down the plank, we were forced (for we could
pick our steps no further) to launch our bodies,
stretched on their backs, to the foot, where we
were caught in safety, with a shout of applause
that would have encouraged a mountebank.
Dountgul can scarcely be seven miles from
Suchi ; but it is equal to a distance of at least
fifty, in any other part of the world.
June 19th. — Without any other ad venture than

CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE. 91
sticking for two or three hours up to our waists in
mud, while attempting to pass over a hill of clay,
that lay in our route to Tearoo, we reached that
village, and pitched upon the same ground that
we had occupied when there before. The next
day we set off by daylight to traverse a rocky
ridge, that separated us from a range, on the
green cape of which stands a beautiful cluster of
cottages — judging from a distance only— called
Paloo. Near it we encamped on a stubble-field,
where stood many apricot-trees, the fruit nearly
ripe. We crossed over two bare and rocky moun
tains, or rather chains of mountains ; and, de
scending from the height of the latter nearly
perpendicularly, to a torrent that divided it from
the one we are now on, we found, on passing it,
that the temperature had suddenly changed to
that of summer: we left every thing bleak and
barren, and, in a few hours only, had been trans
ported to a harvest home ! The first crop had
been reaped, and the second was sown, and in
some parts above the ground.
My followers attacked the apricot-trees like
locusts ; and it was fortunate that some of the
fruit was still unripe, or the natives and owners

92 APRICOT-OIL — OPIUM.
of the property would have had to lament our
passage through their country. Although a little
surprised at the attack, they bore it very good-
humouredly ; and the remonstrance of an old
man, when one of my coolies, too tired to pick
the fruit, broke a well-loaded branch off the tree,
delivered in the gentlest accent, and with a man
ner approaching to dignity, not intended for me
to hear, struck me very forcibly : — " If the chil
dren die, God may give the father others ; but if
the parent fall, there can be no more offspring :
take as much fruit as you please, it will grow
again, but do not break the tree."
Throughout all parts of the hills where the
apricot thrives, the natives extract an oil from
the kernel. A press of the simplest arrangement
stands a little without the village, and thither
the fruit is carried when ripe, and the stones se
parated from it. The oil is light-coloured and
clear, possessing very little consistency : it does
not therefore congeal so rapidly as might be ex
pected in so cold a region. In most of the hills,
poppies grow in great number and strength. The
inhabitants distil opium, and say they are fond of
it, but I never met one in the least degree under

TEMPLE TO MAHADEO. 93
its influence : they cannot send it to the plains,
from the positive restriction ; they must therefore
use it among themselves, but I should think very
sparingly indeed. They are very fond of the seed
of the poppy ; and at the time it is in season,
you scarcely meet a person that is not provided
with several pods-full.
June 20th. — We are so delighted with the
change of scenery, and comparatively level coun
try, that we take very short journeys. To-day
we remain at Reithal, which is little more than
an hour from Paloo. This village is the best we
have met with in the mountains, and the only one
in which the people have been anxious that we
should remain. It was our intention to have con
tinued to the next, about three miles further ;
but on our approaching, we were met by the po
pulation ofthe place, with an address of welcome,
and a request that we should pitch our tents on a
pretty green spot above the village, on one side
of which stood a temple to Mahadeo. As the
rain still continues throughout the day, com
mencing a little before noon, we find it necessary
to complete our journey at an early hour.

94 AGRICULTURE.
We encamped close to the porch of the temple,
where most of the natives have assembled to gaze
upon us. The women, too, have ventured to gra
tify their curiosity more than they have elsewhere
done ; and, making their hospitality an excuse,
have brought milk and fruit to us ; and, having
presented it, sit down in groups about us, with
silent wonder, observing all our motions. The
people are not much cleaner than the inhabitants
of other parts, although, living in a comparatively
warm climate, they might undergo the use of cold
water without much inconvenience. It is singular
that people, so dirty in their own persons and
abodes, should be so particular in all that relates
to their agriculture. Their fields are prepared
for the grain with the utmost care, and kept as
clean as it is possible to keep them during the
progress of the crop. The paved area, on which
the corn is trodden out, would bear to be placed,
for cleanliness, by the side of an English thresh
ing-barn. If the wind blows the smallest impu
rity upon it, it is immediately swept off, even
though no corn be ready to be laid upon it.
The harvest is conducted with great mirth ;

MONKEY DEPREDATIONS. 95
singing and music resound in the valleys, and the
labour of carrying home the sheaves seems to be
perfectly delighted in. Superstition has its power
also ; for it is necessary to propitiate an evil spi
rit, before they venture to put the cattle in to
tread out the grain. They pass round the area,
and sprinkle the edges of it with turmeric, and
the post in the centre to which the animals are
fastened. There are other enemies to the com,
that it would be well if they could keep in check
by any process so simple.
In passing above a large tract of land, on which
the crop seemed ripe enough to reap, I was as
tonished to see such universal activity as appear
ed to prevail. There was a person, apparently, at
every ear of corn, busily employed in picking
out the grain. I could not conjecture the cause
of such extraordinary labour; till, on looking
through my glass, I found the field was full of
monkeys, each standing on its hind legs, and help
ing itself with the greatest assiduity. I was too
well aware of the difficulty of obtaining meal, not
to put an end to their repast. I fired a couple of
balls above their heads, and set them off, scamp
ering and screaming, to the adjoining trees, which

96 CRUEL AMUSEMENT.
hung over a little brook, by the track of which
I had soon after to pass. They were still in the
branches, and chattered most discordantly while
I walked through their dominions. Some eyed
me, as if they suspected me of having been the
cause of their interruption and alarm ; and, jump
ing to the boughs above the road, shook them
over my head, and grinned most hideously
through them. A few of the oldest, who had
their young to protect, came more boldly into
the path, as if trying how near they could ap
proach with impunity.
It was necessary to be on the alert, for their
manoeuvres bore a most threatening aspect. Al
though the gambols and tricks of the monkeys
are highly amusing when viewed from a little dis
tance, there are few things more uncomfortable
than to be so surrounded by several hundreds —
particularly when, as in my case, the conscience
whispers that they have no reason to be pleased
with the intrusion. I have heard people boast of
shooting them, and finding it capital sport ; I
never could appreciate the feelings of such men,
however. The looks of a monkey in pain are so

TURNING THE TABLES. 97
distressing, and his cries so pitiful, that, putting
his near approach in appearance to our own race
out of the question, it must be an inhuman spirit
that could find pleasure in such amusement. I
remember hearing an anecdote of a sportsman in
the East havingbeen induced to fire at, and wound
a large monkey : one of the boldest of the pack
immediately approached him, and catching hold
of his gun, endeavoured to disarm him. A strug
gle took place, in which the man of the woods
proved the strongest, and bore away his prize.
The monkeys had observed the manner in which
it had been fired, and attempted to imitate it :
at length one succeeded in putting it to his
shoulder ; and the sportsman, not approving of
his own battery being turned against him, com
menced making his retreat — when off went the
second barrel of the gun ! The recruits, fright
ened at the noise themselves had made, threw
down the cause of it, and flew to the trees ;
while the intruder narrowly escaped being
wounded, and was obliged to abandon his fowl
ing-piece to the future entertainment of the
wood-rangers. The natives do not venerate
VOL. II. f

98 SCENERY OF THE GANGES.
them in any part of the hills ; but, nevertheless,
they are as fat and sleek as the sacred broods
that are met with in the plains.
June 21st and 22nd. — We are now traversing
that fertile country we had seen sloping down to
the Ganges, from the first height from which we
gained a view of that river. From Paloo we have
entered a different climate completely : villages
appear at every two or three miles apart, and we
pass over comparatively level roads, through
terraces well cultivated and sheltered with fruit-
trees of every description, the produce of which
is now generally ripe. At each village we are
presented with apricots and figs, and sometimes
peaches ; but they are hard and insipid. It is a
matter of great emulation among the people, who
shall bring most fruit to us ; and it seems to be
some amusement to them to endeavour to outdo
each other in persuading us to eat.
At Ghosali, which is not three miles from
Reithal, there is a neat temple, so covered by
trees that we were close upon it before we disco
vered it. Near to this, on a beautiful green
lawn, we encamped. The banks of the Ganges

CURIOSITY OF THE NATIVES. 99
are superior in cultivation and in extent to those
of any part of the Jumna ; the villages are much
more populous, and the inhabitants appear more
civilized. We are now amply rewarded for
our toils in gaining the source of the river, by
the pleasant orchards and cleanly villages we
are able to encamp near, on its banks. We mee*
frequently with travellers from the most distant
quarters of the mountains, and find ourselves so
completely on a high road, that we move merrily
along, and hear news of other worlds at every
new place we halt at. This has had a most en
livening effect upon our people ; for they bring
me with the utmost delight the simplest intelli
gence, as if it were necessary to have proof that
we had not left the limits of their own sphere —
a belief, that I was inclined to think more than
one felt disposed to indulge in.
We still, in spite of the superior information
of the natives of these villages, retain our powers
of attraction. We are beset by the curious and
the idle as much as we have ever been ; and in
one or two instances, when we have been pressed
to remain among them, it was that they might
f 2

100 EASTERN CUSTOMS.
gain a holiday by the event, and lounge in the
neighbourhood of our tents to mimic our man-
ners, and speculate on their meaning.
Although nature is a good school of breeding,
and art alone can never accomplish a gentleman,
I am disposed to admit that the ease of the for
mer might be advantageously constrained by the
curb of the latter. There were many freedoms
and breaches of decorum, not contrary to moun
tain etiquette, practised in my presence, that
put my forbearance severely to the test — to
mention nothing of certain eructations, held in
some countries of the East, and those famed for
natural politeness, as being in perfect confor
mity to good manners. I was not a little hor
rified, when two men, suddenly whipping off
their pantaloons, commenced an animated chase,
first through the legs of their trowsers, and then
along the floor to the very foot of my throne,
slaughtering sometimes, and sometimes, with
scarcely commendable mercy, replacing the de
serters that had ungratefully attempted to quit
the spots, perhaps, of their nativity. The Arabs,
I have heard, deem it unlucky to be without a

UNEXPECTED MEETING. 101
living companion of the nature I allude to : the
Highlanders of Scotland have some supersti
tion also regarding them ; and my Highlanders
of " Snowy Imaus " are most decidedly averse
to their destruction, or their attempt to forsake
the natal soil.
We have quitted the country of pheasants,
but we still meet with black partridges ; and in
my pursuit of the latter, I am ever doomed to
be interrupted by the untimely appearance of a
bear. I observed a bird at some little distance
run into a small clump of shrubs, and followed
it. I began most lustily to beat the bushes
with my gun; and crying "whist! whist!"
boldly entered the midst of them. A bear stood
up on his hind legs, its snout nearly touching
my face, as I bent down to disentangle the
skirt of my coat from the briers. I started at
being brought face to face with the enemy ; and
not being able to effect a speedy retreat, took off
my hat, and waved it before his eyes. We
never lose by politeness ; and, although I un
capped from a different motive, I was glad to
find it had its effect.

102 HOW TO GET RID OF A BEAR.
The bear ran up the hill, round which one of
my servants was winding, and came full upon
him. He had a gun in his hand, unloaded, and
covered with a woollen bag, which, in his
anxiety to defend himself, he had thrust half
off: recollecting, however, it was uncharged, he
waved the dangling part of the bag in the bear's
eyes, as I had done the hat ; and shouting "bo !
bo!" as loud as he could, scared the animal
away. The bear seemed perfectly satisfied at
the double ceremony he had met with ; and,
escaping up the hill, did not venture to return.
It seems surprising that we should be able to
get rid of a wild beast in so simple a manner ;
but I am convinced that such sudden surprises
are frequently more efficacious than open war
fare. It is not probable that you will kill at the
first shot ; and although you may wound mor
tally, I have no doubt the dying hug of a bear
would be as formidable as that of a healthy one.
There could be no edification, and not much
safety, in the death-bed of a tiger. I would
prefer therefore adopting some ruse, to placing
myself in the predicament of partaking in his
dying throes.

FIELDS OF RICE. 103
Some years ago, I was acquainted with an of
ficer who got rid of a bear in a still more singular
manner. He was pursued by one when in the
jungle of Ceylon, separated from his compa
nions, and having no weapon with him. He had
a bottle of brandy slung across his body, and on
finding the bear close in his rear, he drew it forth
like another Falstaff, and struck the enemy a
back-handed blow with it on the head. The
bottle broke ; and the spirit streaming down his
face, got into his eyes, and effectually stopped
the pursuit. I have mentioned the great faith
placed by natives in the external use of brandy :
this application of it, however, could scarcely
have entered into their contemplation.
Our next step was to the village of Neithall.
It is six miles from Ghosali, and a little above
the river, situated on a hill, at the foot of which
we encamped. We passed through a populous
and merry country, well cultivated with rice.
In the present stage of that grain, it is far from
agreeable to roam through the fields ; and at no
time is the face ofthe country beautified by such
a crop ! The valleys seem now to be lakes : the

104 MUSIC AND SMOKING.
rice is almost half grown, and nearly lost in
water; the terraces are divided by narrow
ridges, over which it is necessary to creep cau
tiously one by one— for woe to the clumsy tra
veller who steps into the bog beside him !
At one period of its growth the rice crop is
transplanted, and the ground undergoes a species
of turning up, that presents a most singular scene.
A number of loose cattle are turned into the field,
and driven by the voice of the farmer in every
direction throughit. Someof them sink so deeply,
that it is difficult to recover them ; the splashing
of the animals, and the shouting of the men to
cheer them on, afford a contrast to the wild sing
ing of the women, as they gather the plants.
The pipe and the tom-tom are unceasing ac
companiments ; and the vale resounds all day
with every variety of noise and merriment. Then,
as before, the improvisatrieewere women, and we
were the themes of their songs. We were able
to catch some of their ideas; and as they will
not always bear a literal interpretation, I have
ventured to arrange the purest in a free one.
The feats of the white men were the unchanging

COMPLIMENTARY STANZAS. 105
and apparently inexhaustible subjects: the fancy
of one singer called forth the ideas of another,
and when each had afforded a line, they seized
upon the one they most approved of, and gave
it as a fearfully emphatic chorus. " Sahib
Logue," which properly signifies " gentlemen,"
I have translated by the term with which I
have no doubt it is constantly associated in the
minds of the singers.
THE WHITE MEN.
Lo ! the white men have been to the mountains of snow,
And have seen the great Gunga flow over the plain :
Let us labour no more, for the rice crop will grow ;
The white men must always bring Wealth in their train.
See, the white men are smiling ; the maids they adore
Are far, far away, in the realms of the west.
Do they smile upon us ? — we will labour no more ;
When the white men are happy, their servants are blest.
See, the tents are all spread — they have kindled the fires,
And the travellers will rest in the valley to-day.
We will labour no more ; all the white man desires
We will hasten to offer, and court him to stay.
Collins, in one of his Oriental Eclogues, makes
his hero stray through rice fields —
f 5

106 A PICTURE.
" What time 'tis sweet o'er fields of rice to stray."
Had he tried the experiment himself, I think
he would hardly have sent him upon so uncom
fortable an expedition.
Travelling is often sadly matter of fact: it is too
prone to remove the veil that poetry has thrown
over scenery. It is better, for the purposes of a
poet, to view objects through the imagination ;
and the traveller, who is fortunate enough to be
able to see through the same medium, has an
additional pleasure in his researches that the
more short-sighted one cannot know. Nothing-
can be more stupid than a high road and a guide
book. It is ludicrous, though perhaps commend
able enough, to see (as I doubt not many con
tinental travellers have done) a fat elderly gen
tleman, with the drops of perspiration trickling
down his cheeks, as he toils up a hill to enable
him to say he has been on its summit, pause in
the midst of the most beautiful scenery to fumble
about the leaves of his Tourist's Guide, and read
the description of some demolished windmill;
and, having ascertained its "whereabouts," with
as much glee as if he had discovered a land-

DIGNITY OF TRAVEL. 107
mark in a dangerous voyage, pass on to the
critically laid down position of a lime-kiln, and
reap from the correctness of his book, the plea
sures a less precise traveller would draw from
the charms of the landscape, or the recollections
of the spot.
Thanks to the thin partitions that divide some
of Mr. Meurice's rooms, I once became privy to
the studies of a worthy pair, who occupied an
adjoining chamber to me, during their visit to the
well-explored city of Paris. At six o'clock every
morning, with the most praiseworthy perseve
rance, did the good easy man read a chapter from
his guide-book to his attentive spouse, and en
deavour to arrange the labours for the day.
This was no easy matter ; for she, upholding a
privilege of choice, was for courts and camps ;
while he, deeming it dignified in a male traveller
to be something of a virtuoso, maintained the
superiority of statues and columns. As the ar
guments were loud and long, it was not my
fault that I overheard them.
A French savant left unexplored the ruins of
Thebesbecausehe caught a glimpse of an English

108 MAL-A-PROPOS MEETINGS.
maid-servant in a pink spencer, contemplating a
sphinx. I do not mean to justify his flight, but
positively such a spectre was enough to scare
his sublime sensations. I wish to uphold the
dignity of travel, and I have been led into these
remarks by that desire. Such mal-d-propos
meetings can never tend to increase the mental
pleasure or extend the researches. The boldest
sportsman would fly if a lion entered a draw
ing-room: the keenest antiquary would with
draw in despair if he saw an Abigail scratching
her name in the tomb of Osymandias : 'tis the
fitness of things that constitutes the enjoyment.

109

CHAPTER V.
Reputed source of the Ganges — A miracle — A frail fair-one —
The lord of Burkotee — The faquir's festival — Sacred temple
— Women, the source of evil — 'Agreeable repast — Simple
fare — Village of Matlee— Mountain breezes — Right of
possession — Route to Dhoondah — Creed of the Hindoos —
Religious martyrs — Arrival at Patthora — Annoyances of
flies— Agriculture — Uncomfortable shoes — Cedar tree —
Sacred plants—Tyranny over servants — Situation of Bar-
rehtee — Faquir tribute — Valley of Chinalli— The "happy
valley " — Venomous serpents — Wild honey.
June 23rd. — We passed for several miles
through rice, or more properly along the furrows
that divided the fields, and had a full oppor
tunity of admiring the manner of irrigation fol
lowed by the natives ; for we were too often
obliged not only to experience the breadth, but
the depth of their drains. They have the ad
vantage, from the many rills that descend from
the heights above them, of being able to draw
water down to their grounds ; no great ingenuity,

110 REPUTED SOURCE OF THE GANGES.
therefore, is requisite. Their channels are how
ever, cut with great care, and arranged with
much skill; every terrace takes its turn of the
water from the upper one to the lowest. In the
island of Ceylon the same mode of watering the
ground exists ; and there a law prevents the
owner keeping his land wet beyond a certain
time, and to the prejudice of his neighbour.
We found the valley as happy as ever, and
walked through it to the sound of music. We
encamped a little beyond the village of Barahat,
which I have already named as the reputed
source of the Ganges in the second age of the
world. It retains still its character for sanctity
in the estimation of the Hindoos. It lies so di
rectly in the route to all the most holy places in
the mountains, that it is constantly haunted by
the miserable objects that toil their weary way to
the many shrines that lead to Indra's heaven.
A temple, in the wooden porch of which a
number of faquirs were collected, stands in a
square spot within the village under the shadow
of a large peepul-tree, within the hollow trunk of
which many emblems of mythology are heaped

A MIRACLE. Ill
up; and to this sanctum sanctorum I must attri
bute a legend my guide to Gungoutri related to
ine. The celebrated saint of Nanguan erected
this temple for his family worship. Soon after
it was completed he quarrelled with his mother,
and forbade her to enter it for prayer. She, by
virtue, I suppose, of her son's piety, has con
trived to be immortal, and endeavours to pene
trate every day to its mysteries. The moment
she appears, which is always at the dawn of
day, the door closes and baffles all human power
to open it. The father of the saint, a pious and
deserving parent, who probably gained his son's
esteem by taking his part against his mother,
has the privilege of breaking the spell. He
comes to his devotions every evening ; and at
his " Open — Sesame," the door obeys, and
grants him free admission. The natives of
Barahat did not seem aware of tbe great mi
racle so constantly wrought in their village ;
but I think it too ingenious a tale to omit, par
ticularly as my friend the brahmin concluded
it in his usual manner, by affirming he never
told lies. A moral, however, lurks in the

112 A FRAIL FAIR-ONE.
story. It would be unjust to the saint and
his miracle to suppress the conduct of the lady,
that induced him to exclude her from the
temple. Nanguan is not far from the castle of Burko-
tee, where, in the olden time, dwelt a formidable
chieftain ; his manner of living was so splendid,
that he excited the envy of the neighbouring
men, and (the truth must be told) the love of
the surrounding fair. Among his most devoted
admirers was the mother of our saint : she was
used in her own mind to contrast his riches and
luxurious fare with the simple diet and hard
labour of her own home. She was beautiful,
and had the gift to know it ; and she felt that
she had attracted the notice of the powerful lord
of Burkotee. One day, while she filled her
pitcher at the banks of the Jumna, and within
sight of the castle she sighed to be mistress of,
she reasoned gravely within her mind what
course she should pursue. " Why should I
draw water," thought she, " when the ladies
of Burkotee have so many handmaids to at
tend upon them ? I am as delicate as they

THE LORD OF BURKOTEE. 113
are;" and placing her earthen pitcher on her
head, in a fatal moment took her resolution to
submit to such drudgery no longer : scarcely was
the rebellious determination formed, when the
vessel broke, and the water streamed about her
figure. Now her husband was a poor man, and
could not afford to have pitchers broken by care
lessness. He scolded his wife severely, and would
not believe her when she said it burst of its own
accord while resting quietly on her head. Her
son, a more subtle personage, exclaimed, — " O
mother ! what wicked thoughts must those have
been that even made the pitcher break !" She
resolutely swore that no vice had entered her
mind^ but her countenance belied the assertion,
and the saint charged her directly with the cri
minal intention of abandoning his father's house
for the castle of Burkotee ; then, taking her by
the hand, led her to the door, and vowed she
never should pollute its threshold more ! He
determined, however, that she should not pass
to the chief, whose gold had won her heart, and
confined her in a cave within the mountains on
his own banks of the river.

114 THE FAQUIR'S FESTIVAL.
" The bold baron" was not to be intimidated by
a saint ; and, discovering her retreat, crossed with
a large force, and bore her to his own hall. The
poor son was obliged to adopt a ruse to recover
his mother from her disgraceful predicament ;
and, feigning to forgive her and her paramour,
invited them to a banquet in the valley of Nan
guan. The villagers thought he was mad. How
could a faquir give a feast to the greatest man in
themountains? Thechief of Burkotee anticipated
much fun, and the lady of his love was horrified
at the idea of his being fed with the coarse cakes
that had so materially assisted in estranging
her affections from the husband of her youthful
choice. The day arrived, and a mighty host accompa
nied the chief to the faquir's festival. Their land
lord stood alone in the valley, naked, and uncon
scious of the gathering company. No fires were
kindled, no meal was baked, and not a goat had
bled. The wrath of Burkotee's master was un
bounded : he was on the point of sacrificing the
saint to his disappointment — when, lo ! a sudden
storm seemed to darken the vale, and the pious

SACRED TEMPLE. 115
landlord moved forward to welcome his guests ;
bands of spirits descended on the green, and
spread a rich and plenteous feast upon it. It was
not to be enjoyed in peace, however; for the com
missariat was followed by a numerous army that
attacked and beat the soldiers of the wicked lord.
He himself was slain, and the woman, the cause
of all, was recovered by her indignant son. He
soon after removed to Barahat, and built the
temple that subjects his mother to such constant
mortification. The brahmin was very precise in his narration,
even to the description of the food, and the men
and arms that the saint had so speedily mustered.
I confess to having visited the temple at the time
that it should close against the admission of the
lady, and watched in vain for some change in its
appearance. My profane presence, I feared,
must have had the sad effect of giving her free
ingress to the sanctuary ; for no barrier presented
itself at the usual time. After due search, how
ever, I was relieved to find a sufficient reason, at
least for an unbeliever — there was no door ! This
little dilemma would but increase the miracle in

116 WOMEN, THE SOURCE OF EVIL.
the devout confidence of my friend the brahmin,
who seemed highly pleased at the punishment of
the woman ; for he partook largely in the ortho
dox belief of the East, that no evil can take place
of which a woman is not the first cause.
" Who is she?" arajah was always in the habit
of asking, whenever a calamity was related to
him, however severe or however trivial. His
attendants reported to him one morning that a
labourer had fallen from a scaffold when work
ing at his palace, and had broken his neck —
" Who is she?" immediately demanded the rajah.
" A man ; no woman, great prince !" was the
reply. " Who is she ?" repeated with increased
anger, was all the rajah deigned to utter. In
vain did the servants assert the manhood of the
labourer. " Bring me instant intelligence what
woman caused this accident, or woe upon your
heads !" exclaimed the prince. In an hour the
active attendants returned; and, prostrating
themselves, cried out, " O wise and powerful
prince !" — " Well, who is she ?" interrupted he.
" As the ill-fated labourer was working on the
scaffold, he was attracted by the beauty of one

AGREEABLE REPAST. 117
of your highness's damsels; and, gazing upon
her, lost his balance, and fell to the ground." —
" You hear, now," said the prince, " no accident
can happen, without a woman, in some way,
being an instrument."
Barahat is beautifully situated in an extensive
valley, bounded by high mountains, at the base
of the southern range of which flows the Ganges.
Their summits are crowned with pines, and a
great variety of fruit-trees adorn the sides.
Throughout the vale many are also scattered ;
and the figs and barberries being quite ripe,
give a delicious treat, as we pluck them on our
way : we carry our morning share of wheaten
cakes in our pockets, and find the most agree
able breakfast waiting us, by the banks of every
running brook.
I have learned more of the kindly disposition
of my followers, by adopting this mode of break
fasting, than I should probably have had an op
portunity of doing by a more substantial meal.
They never fail to pick the most tempting of the
fruit for us, as they pass the trees, declaring that
they must be the best judges of their own country

118 SIMPLE FARE.
productions ; and whenever those before us find
a pleasant shade and clear fountain, they spread
our repast upon leaves by its side. I have seen
them, when the drops of perspiration were
coursing each other down their breasts, refuse
to touch a fig till we had chosen for ourselves,
and eaten ; indeed, they appeared so grieved
when we relaxed in our luscious labour, that we
frequently were loth to vex them by a pause.
I know no sensual gratification equal to such a
scene. We divided our banquet with the birds : there
was plenty, however, for all; for many a blooming
fruit-tree is doomed ' to waste its sweetness on
the desert air.' I would recommend the luxu
rious slave, who cannot coax an appetite with all
the means and appliances of the profound art of
cookery, to try our simple fare ; let him sally
forth at daylight in the morning, a piece of brown
bread in his pocket, and sit under a fig-tree, when
he feels fatigued, a fountain as clear as glass near
him — if he does not seek to return to it again
and again, he is only fit to sicken and to die !
The grain, excepting the rice, had been cut

VILLAGE OF MATLEE. 119
down : all the fields were every where full of
partridges ; and thousands of doves, of the most
various and beautiful hues, gave us every means
of supplying our table, if we had the hearts to
kill them. We did not feel disposed, however,
to rob the tuneful grove of one of its choir.
They almost approached near enough to take
food from us; and they looked upon us from
the lowest branches with so calm a confidence,
that we could not muster courage to pull the
trigger against them. The kokila, a large green
bird with a yellow breast, cooes in the sweetest
manner. There were many of them in the sur
rounding trees ; and my servants (for they may
eat certain birds) assured me they made most
delicious food.
The village of Barahat, though a great tho
roughfare, differs in no respect in its arrange,
ment from those situated further up the country,
nor does its holiness promote its cleanliness.
June 24th, 25th. — We reached in a few hours,
having passed over a valley of rice similar to the
former ones, the village of Matlee. It lies to the
west of Barahat, and stands in the centre of a

120 MOUNTAIN BREEZES.
pretty plain, a little removed from the banks of
the Ganges. It is the remote corner of the vale,
of which Barahat is the centre — which is rather
too much of a summer climate for the long walks
we are forced to take, and we sigh to reach the
summits of the hills again. It is not always
possible, however, to make a choice : the bor
dering ridges are not long enough to continue
to travel upon them ; and the constant necessity
for descending and ascending, is scarcely repaid
by the brief feelings of pleasure imparted by
the elevation.
Transient as it must be, however, there are
few pleasures equal to it. The air on the moun
tain heights is so exhilarating, that fatigue is
entirely impossible ; and from the lightness of
my spirits immediately after a change from the
close atmosphere of the valleys, I sometimes
fear that I may commit extravagancies, likely
to shake the opinion the natives hold of our dig
nity and importance. It has a similar effect upon
them, however; and the moment they deposit
their burdens, they fly like wild goats over the
crags in pursuit of berries, or in search of water.

RIGHT OF POSSESSION. 121
The arrival of our little party on its ground is
a most animating scene. After having performed
the duty of quarter-master-general, we retire to
the shadow of a neighbouring tree, and wait till
all is arranged : each coolie fixes his own par
ticular part of the tent, or places in a suitable
spot his own load. It is amusing to observe how
tenacious they are upon this matter ; no man
will suffer another to interfere with him, and it
has often happened that I have been obliged to
settle a dispute about the lacing my tent, when
the bearers of two adjoining portions differed,
with whom the duty lay of threading what they
were pleased to consider a neutral loop.
Being, as I have noticed, already divided into
parties, it was a matter of importance to the first
who arrived, to get rid of their duty, and secure
a place for their messmates. A race generally
takes place towards the most inviting spot ; and
the one who succeeds in fixing his blanket first
at the goal, wins it for his comrades : this right
of possession is never disputed ; and the losers of
the first-gained position make a race for the
next, and continue till all are properly arranged.
VOL. II. G

122 ROUTE TO DHOONDAH.
This emulation is conducted with the most rigid
justice ; and as every one must deliver his load
before he ventures to choose, they start fair for
the chase : no man dare throw his blanket of
possession in passing the most inviting bower
with his burden on his back — no, he must finish
one course before he enters on another.
Our sojourn at Matlee bas been too bright and
sunny, to afford any incident : in rosy bowers all
must be calm and sweet. Where there is nothing
but delight, there can be little interest. It is
indeed too true that, ' man is made to mourn :'
for no mind (though it may look like a paradox)
can be happy in the midst of perpetual pleasure :
The keenest pangs the wretched find
Are rapture to the dreary void —
The leafless desert of the mind,
The waste of feelings unemploy'd.
Who would be doom'd to gaze upon
A sky without a cloud or sun ?
We had the good fortune to have our route
varied a little to Dhoondah : we wound by the
banks of the river, passing occasionally over
rocks ; and gained the summit of a little hill, on

CREED OF THE HINDOOS. 123
which we are placed. The Ganges winds, from
a short distance beyond Matlee, suddenly to the
south. The neighbourhood of our present po
sition is well cultivated, and the people improve,
particularly the fair sex, who really merit that
distinction, in appearance greatly. The beset
ting sin of dirtiness, however, still holds a firm
seat among their characteristic faults ; and so
perfectly unused are they to the luxury of water,
or the use of it, beyond the one of drinking, that
it is sometimes difficult to ascertain the natural
colour of the skin for the case that hides it.
Our servants, who are as much in the other
extreme, are horrified to a degree ; and would
not take meat or drink from them to save their
lives, even if the hillmen were invested with
the brahminical thread. " I would not drink
water from a Pariah, if I were perishing on a
rock," says my Sirdar, who is a native of Orissa,
from the neighbourhood of Juggernaut. Such
is the high feeling of a Hindoo : the devotion to
a false creed of such people, who will perish
rather than break the smallest of its commands,
even when self-preservation might suggest an
G 2

124 RELIGIOUS MARTYRS.
excuse, is indeed the most difficult problem of
human nature.
The two lowest castes, the husbandmen and
mechanics, equally scrupulous as the priests
and the soldiers, are heroes in no other way.
From their possession of every quality opposed
to heroism in other respects, they are the last of
the human race I should select as capable of
such devotion. The true Rajpoot is a noble
creature, and the brahmin I am not disposed to
impeach. It is indeed strange that a coward in
all matters, and a knave in most, will submit to
the extremest suffering with the highest forti
tude. A weak woman, however, fires the pile
with a serene countenance that is in a few
minutes to consume her. Happily for the
Christian world, the days when martyrdom was
necessary are gone by. Should any one of the
present age, however, be disposed to listen with
incredulity or ridicule to the tales of suffering
that have been handed down to us in the cause
of religion, they may draw too clear a corrobo
ration of the patient endurance the human mind
is capable of, under the severest torments,

CURIOUS BRIDGE. 125
from the sad scenes acted every day in the
East. Between Barahat and Matlee we crossed over
a bridge that seemed, as we approached it, to be
suspended in the air. It rested upon wooded
banks, on each side of the river ; the cranes from
which it hung were so lost among the trees, as to
renderit doubtful what supported the flimsy struc
ture. It was a narrow chain of ropes, scarcely less
difficult than the bridge upon which the Mahome
tans are doomed to skait into Paradise; a yawning
Phlegethon below to receive us, if our consciences
betrayed us on the passage. At the bottom,
about a yard asunder, were small pieces of wood
to step on, and necessary to prevent the bridge
gathering about you as a net, which, when the
wind blew strongly, (as it did on our passage,)
they even could not prevent. It had the disad
vantage of being fully one hundred yards long.
A herd of cattle were crossing a little below us ;
and to avoid their' being carried away by the
force of the current, a rope was passed over the
river, and fastened to trees on each side. The
animals were driven in above it, and kept in their
course by the management of the line.

126 ANNOYANCES OF FLIES.
June 26th. — We ascended from Dhoondah to a
village called Patthora, over a steep ridge covered
with fir-trees — a distance of nearly seven miles.
It is situated on the crest of a line of hills, where
there is very little wood, and all around is well
cultivated. The mountains form a large circle,
sloping gradually to a river at the bottom of the
range we are on. The Ganges, of which we just
catch a glimpse, flows to the south-east : on the
brows of the hills are a great many villages; and
the fields of corn, some being reaped, and others
ploughed, give a picturesque and animated ap
pearance to the scene. Since the day we reached
Barahat, we have had no rain ; and it has been
this morning excessively hot. The thermometer
has been generally from 98° to 100°.
We are fortunate in not being so much an
noyed by stinging insects as we were in the closer
vales on the shores of the Jumna; but equal
plagues assail us. The common flies assemble
in such multitudes about us, that we find it im
possible to keep them from the interior of the
tent with all the arrangements we are capable of
making. I am not certain but they are as an-

AGRICULTURE. 127
noying to the full as the wasps and the mus-
quitoes : we have a respite, to be sure, at night ;
but during the day we cannot rest a moment.
We undergo, in effect, the torments of Tan
talus ; for when we raise the cup to our lips,
some dozen unlucky flies tremble for a moment
in the steam, and drop into the tea before it can
reach them. In wine, in water, it is equally the
same : we can never venture ta drink without a
spoon in the hand, to skim the drowning insects
from the glass; and even then we must gratify
our thirst at the expense of a mouthful of flies.
The road we wound up to Patthora being
excessively steep, we arrived a considerable time
before our baggage, and lay down upon the
grass beneath a group of walnut-trees that sur
rounded the ruins of a temple thickly overrun
by ivy. It was a beautiful mound, and stood
below the village, the only green spot in a wide
circle of fallow fields. An old man and two
little children were driving the plough through
the one at our feet. The machine was so light,
that they were obliged to stand upon a board
fixed above the share, to give it weight to cut

128 UNCOMFORTABLE SHOES.
the earth. The moment the old man observed
us, he whispered something to the children, and
sent them to the village, while he drew near to
pay his respects to us. The boy and girl soon
returned, bearing a bowl of milk and a branch
of barberries, which, with the best grace in the
world, (for they had " learnt the luxury of doing
good,") in the school of nature, they presented
to us. They seemed sufficiently thanked by the
delight with which we hailed it; for it was
grown extremely hot, and the water- spring was
half a mile off. Such simple actions speak vo
lumes in favour of the natives of this part1 of
the mountains. I have found them much su
perior, not only to the inhabitants of the higher
ranges, but even to those who live on a level with
themselves by the margin of the Jumna.
To-day our situation is much cooler than it has
been, and we enjoy a temperature of 10 and 12
degrees less than we found in the valley below.
The severe journeys over rough and pointed
rocks, with the frequent necessity of wading
through swampsand rivulets, have nearly reduced
us to a bare-footed pilgrimage. We have for-

UNCOMFORTABLE SHOES. 129
tunately found shoes in these villages, to which
nothing but a last resource could reconcile us
The soles are composed of dried leather, several
folds of which are fastened together by thongs,
which, passing through them, are tied in knots at
the bottom; a knitting of common string, reach
ing to the ancle and fitting quite close to the foot,
serves the purpose of an upper-leather. The sole
is so hard, that it is no easy matter to walk any
distance in them without being well bruised.
The natives very seldom use them ; and we have
scarcely met with a dozen pair in the hills.
They are made, I believe, in the kingdom of
Nepaul, from which every thing employed in
arts or arms seems also to come.
We have seen some men supplied with cook
eries, and the curved knife of the Ghorka ; but
such weapons are very rare. In the higher re
gions, where wood is much used in building, I
have witnessed the progress of a house, in the
construction of which but one instrument was
employed — a very small one — a hatchet, having
the head flat for the purposes of a hammer.
Where nails would be requisite, pegs of wood
g5

130 SACRED PLANTS.
are substituted, although they are seldom
needed, the planks being always laid into each
other by grooves. The timber of the Deo Dhar
(Cedar), a sacred tree, is usually applied to
building. It is very soft and easily worked*
and grows to a prodigious size. The shadow
of one of these trees is commonly chosen for
the site of a temple. I have seen them of thirty
feet and more in circumference, and towering
to a great height. This tree, I fancy, as the
Ganges and other rivers also must, owes its sanc
tity to its use.
There are throughout the mountains many of
the sacred shrubs of the Hindoos, which give
great delight, as my servants fall in with them.
They pick the leaves, and running with them to
me, cry, " See, Sir, see, our holy plants are here !"
and congratulate each other on havingfoundsome
indication of a better land than they are generally
inclined to consider the country of the Pariahs.
The happiness these simple remembrances shed
over the whole party is so enlivening, that every
distress and fatigue seems to be forgotten. When
we behold a servant approaching with a sprig of

TYRANNY OVER SERVANTS. 131
the Dona in his hand, we hail it as the olive-
branch, that denotes peace and good-will for the
rest of the day, if, as must sometimes be the
case, they have been in any way interrupted.
Even these little incidents speak so warmly in
favour of the Hindoo disposition, that, in spite
of much that may be uncongenial to an European
in their character, they cannot fail to inspire him
with esteem, if not affection. I wish that many
of my countrymen would learn to believe that the
natives are endowed with feelings, and surely
they may gather such an inference from many a
similar trait to the one I have related. Hardness
of heart can never be allied to artless simplicity :
that mind must possess a higher degree of sensi
bility and refinement, that can unlock its long-
confined recollections by so light a spring as a
wild flower.
I have often witnessed, with wonder and sor
row, an English gentleman stoop to the basest
tyranny over his servants, without even the poor
excuse of anger, and frequently from no other
reason than because he could not understand their
language. The question,, from the answer being

132 TEMPLE TO MAHADEO.
unintelligible, is instantly followed by a blow
Such scenes are becoming more rare, and indeed
are seldom acted but by the younger members of
society ; they are too frequent notwithstanding :
and should any thing that has fallen from me
here, induce the cruelly disposed to reflect a little
upon the impropriety and mischief of their con
duct, when about to raise their hand against a
native, and save one stripe to the passive people
who are so much at the mercy of their masters'
tempers, I shall indeed be proud.
June 27th. — From Patthora we made one long
descent to the banks of the Ganges : it was a
steep path, and occasionally wound through a
wood of great richness. We reached the river
just where it makes a sweep to the south ; and
on the bend, or a little above it, we found a neat
temple to Mahadeo : it was singularly clean ;
and an old man, who seemed to have the care
of it, sat like a statue at the gate, with his eyes
fixed upon the sun: a large white beard hung
down to his breast, and his string of beads lay
upon his hand. He was the most venerable,
but immoveable person I ever saw. We were

FAQUIR TRIBUTE. 133
not disposed to interrupt one who seemed so
perfectly indifferent to us, and left him, unmo
lested, to his reflections.
We followed the right bank of the river,
among figs and apricot-trees, and along hedges
of barberries, till we reached the village of Bar-
rehtee. It was situated at the entrance of a rich
valley, which stretched for a long distance be
fore us, bounded by wild crags on one side, and
on the other by the holy stream, which was here
marked by one of the largest temples we have
met with. The interior of it formed a Dhur-
rumsalah, or resting-place, that might contain
fifty people : it was a square, wooden platform,
supported on posts, and sheltered by a canopy
of the shape of a pagoda. It hung over the
river ; and we were glad to take advantage of
the repose it offered, while our people pushed
further into the valley, to fix our little city.
There were a few faquirs in Barrehtee on
their way to Gungoutri, and they were busy in
collecting their tribute of food from the villagers.
" Ram, Ram,'" is the only word they utter,
sometimes striking the hollow gourd they carry

134 VALLEY OF CHINALLI.
in their hands. Each person, as they arrive
opposite the cabins* brings out his offering, and
they are not long in thus gathering a meal :
some persons give sticks, and one produces a
light ; and the devout are soon busy in the pre
paration of their savoury messes.
When we pursued our route to Chinalli, where
we proposed halting, I soon discovered, notwith
standing our delay at Barrehtee, that we were
likely to reach it before our carriers. The bag
gage was lying deserted on the ground a little
within the vale, and the bearers were amusing
themselves in the branches of the mango-trees,
which, for the first time, we had met with in the
mountains. The fruit was not ripe, but the
people found it too attractive to pass. The
trees were very large, and the fruit promised to
be so likewise.
In the valley of Chinalli, the mango thrives
very well indeed. It was introduced by the
Nepaulese ; and an old man in the village re
members the seed being put into the ground :
he may be about sixty years of age, Many
small plants are scattered about, that have

THE "HAPPY VALLEY." 135
sprung from the falling of the seed; and, in
course of time, this pretty valley promises to be
one large mango grove. It is so enclosed by
mountains, that we have found it oppressively
hot ; the thermometer in the shade has been at
98° all day. The natives produce remarkably
good onions, for which the soil seems well
adapted ; they also have been introduced from
a foreign climate ; but as the people are very
fond of them, they are likely to be naturalized
in this part of the hills.
The vale is more extensive and more beau
tiful than any we have traversed within the
mountains ; so like is it, in every respect, to the
" Happy Valley" in which Rasselas was confined,
that there is scarcely a particular in that de
scription that does not apply to the Valley of
Chinalli. The kid and the monkey are to be
seen every where ; but here alone, as if to realise ¦
the picture in all points, have we found " the
solemn elephant reposing in the shade." The
Rajah of Tirhee possesses four; and finding the
climate of his own city too cold for them, sends
them into the neighbouring valleys to enjoy a

136 SPACIOUS CAVE.
more genial air. Two are quartered on Chi
nalli : they do not look very well ; and I fear
they fare but indifferently. They lead an idle
life, however, passing the sunny hours (and all
the day is sun-shine) beneath the branches of a
mango-tree. We chose a spot to encamp on, that seemed
to have been cut on purpose near the summit of
the mountain that bounded the plain : it was
well sheltered ; and beside it (which tempted us
to fix there) fell a large body of water, that,
crossing the plain, assisted in its irrigation, and
lost itself in the river. Our servants took pos
session of a spacious cave, the mouth of which
was overgrown by blackberries, ripe and tempt
ing ; and from our position we could overlook
the happy valley : there were many small vil
lages in it. We had descended from a height
to its level, and there was no way of escaping
from it, but by ascending a greater one : like
land lakes, these unconnected spots stand, en
tirely surrounded by mountains. Every thing
required by the inhabitants is found within
them : they seek no pleasures beyond what they

VENOMOUS SERPENTS. 137
produce, and know no sorrows that do not
spring directly from themselves.
" Though all the blessings of nature are col
lected," its evils are not quite " extracted and
excluded." We disturbed, while they were
basking in the sun, two venomous serpents ;
one I was able to kill, the other escaped : they
were both nearly four feet long. The one that
made off, we fancied was a cobra capella, and
watched its doubtful windings through the
grass, over which we were walking with much
apprehension : the dead one was of a light blue
colour, and very thin ; our guide declared a
bite was fatal. I did not know its name ; and
the native one is of so unpronounceable a de
scription, that I never could succeed in spel
ling it.
Among the sweets of the valley, we found an
abundance of very good honey ; it is made from
the wild jasmin, and has a peculiarly delicious
flavour. In every part of the hills we have met
with it in great perfection and quantity — indeed
alluring enough to seduce to luxury more hardy

138 WILD HONEY.
wanderers than ourselves. So excellent is it,
that we have it mixed in our bread, and use it
as a substitute for sugar on all occasions.

139

CHAPTER VI.
Old Man of the Mountain — Singular circumstance — Descent
into a cave — An unexpected visiter — Party of Ghorkas—
Mode of carrying children — Management of children — Vil
lage of Moralie — Dismal journey — Velocity of sound —
Opinion of an echo — Deserted temple — Desolate scene —
Route of Landour — Fragile habitations — The cholera morbus
— Its ravages — Arrival at Landour — Terrific thunder-storm
— Perilous situation — Effects of the lightning — Blindness m
sheep — Amusements — The ordeal—Quarrels— Extraordinary
request — A jealous husband — The penitent wife — Female
peasantry — Condition of servants — Fatal jealousy — Custom
of divorce — The rejected villager — Valley of the Dhoon —
Magnificent sunrise.
June 28th. — On leaving the " Happy Valley,"
we bid farewell to the sacred river ; and, passing
over a high ridge to the north-west, descended
through a dark wood to a stream that divided it
from a still higher one, on the summit of which

140 OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.
stands Lalloorie. The village is perched upon a
peak that overhangs the centre of the hill, and
seems to be perpendicularly above us. We wound
round and round for two long hours, sometimes
out of sight of the much-desired goal, and at
others so near, that it was mortifying in the ex
treme to turn again from it ; for, like the cup on
the rainbow, the nearer we seemed to approach,
the more difficult was it to attain. We at length
reached it, and found but three miserable houses
by the side of a large tract of rice, so covered
with water, that we took it for a lake, and ex
pected to find trout.
The hospitality and attention ofthe old Man of
the Mountain was beyond all we had elsewhere
experienced : he came a part ofthe way down to
meet us, and, seeing us considerably exhausted,
forced us to rest wherever he thought there was
an agreeable place ; cutting the long grass that
grew around, and spreading it for a couch for us
to recline on. His companions were equally
anxious for our comfort ; and we had no occasion
to ask for anything. Milk and curds, with figs
and barberries, were immediately spread before

SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE. 141
us, and we soon forgot the hardships of the way.
The spot where the houses stand, with the rice
ground about, is the only level space within sight.
Higher mountains surround the one on which
this little plain stands, and lower hills follow
each other to the base of it.
It was very late in the day before our baggage
made its appearance ; but beneath the shadow of
a tree with a bed of rushes, and the old man to
converse with, (for he would not leave us alone,)
we had no cause for impatience. He seemed to
consider it a high breach of manners to abandon
us for an instant to ourselves; and when any
mighty matter called him away, he brought a
substitute, and introduced him to our notice
with perfect ease, and directed him to watch our
movements, and attend to our comforts.
In the evening we were agreeably startled at
hearing a shot at no great distance from us ; and
immediately returned it, hoping that some stray
sportsman might be in search of a shelter : a
second followed our own shot, and we made the
mountains echo with our voices. The people of
the village, pleased with the chance of seeing how

142 DESCENT INTO A CAVE.
the " Sahib Logue" meet, flew in pursuit, and our
little camp was instantly animated and happy.
But the search for the cause of our bustle proved
fruitless; and we passed the remainder of the
evening in vain speculation upon the author of
the report. Who could fire a gun, where guns
were never seen but in the hands of Europeans ?
June 29th. — Soon after we had commenced
our journey this morning, it began to rain in the
most pitiless manner I had ever experienced.
We had to pass over three successive hills, the
ascents to which were remarkably steep : on their
summits were level meadows, well planted around,
with many herds of deer browsing upon them.
The paths were so slippery, it was nearly im
possible to move over them ; and we were so
enveloped in clouds that we could not seek more
widely for a surer footing.
On arriving at the point of a projecting crag,
that was well concealed by brambles, I mistook
the path, not observing the termination of the
road from the many plants about it. I made a
sudden descent through them to a cave below,
that fortunately was not deeper than six or seven

AX UNEXPECTED VI-ITER. 143
feet from the crest that overhung it. I thought
I had plunged through a trap-door to the sub
terranean habitation of some banditti The storm
was howling along the glens ; and the black
clouds were curling over the brow of the preci
pice on which the cavern hung. Nothing could
be wilder or more magnificent than the scenery:
and when a party of half-naked savages started
on their feet, one of them holding a gun in his
hand, I seemed so completelv in the brigand's
cave, that I felt some disappointment that thev
did not secure me, and seize upon my possessions.
In one corner of the cave sat a woman blowing
the fire through a reed : a little girl knelt near
her, kneading up some cakes ; while a boy, of
about six years of age, was engaged, at no great
distance from them, in polishing the cooking-
pots with the dust that lay beside him. The wo
man was tall and thin ; and so fair, that she might
have been a bandit's bride among the hills of
Europe. She had been out in the rain, and
her black hair was hanging loose about her
shoulders: a white robe was thrown, in the
graceful manner ofthe Hindoo women, over her

144 PARTY OF GHORKAS.
person ; and she formed so picturesque a figure,
that an artist or a novelist would have been
glad to have seized her as a model.
There were three men, who had been stretch
ing their listless length along the ground, await
ing the completion of their meal, until my un
expected arrival had called them to their feet.
The one that bore the gun was lying near the
skin of a bear, which was pegged into the earth
for the purpose of drying : this accounted for
the shot of the evening before. I learned from
them that they were a party of Ghorkas, who
had formerly been in the northern Himalaya ;
and, having connected themselves with some of
the inhabitants, had returned from Nepaul to
visit them, and were now on their way back to
their own country, some village not very far
from Katmando. I sent one of them out to look
for my brother, who had lingered behind me in
the ascent ; and, on his reaching the cave, we de
termined to remain in it till the rain was abated.
This adventure (for I may call it so, although
the catastrophe was so tame) furnished some
thing more than an outline from which the ima-

MODE OF CARRYING CHILDREN. 145
gination might fill up any appalling or interest
ing picture that it pleased : I was as well satis
fied that the conclusion was left to my fancy ;
for I do not seek either " to point a moral, or
adorn a tale."
My newly-acquired companions were merely
resting until it was fair enough to proceed ; and
on the first glimpse of sun-shine we sallied forth
together. I perceived, when we began to move,
an addition to our party that I had not before
noticed : a little baby, that had been fast asleep
in a corner during our stay in the cave, wrapped
up in its blanket, was hoisted upon its father's
back ; and, well accustomed tothat mode of tra
velling, seemed perfectly at its ease. The man
bore it as he would have done a common bundle ;
and, tying the ends of the blanket across his
chest, took no further notice of his burden. The
little thing occasionally pushed its black head
through a hole in the top of its nest ; and, look
ing good-humouredly around, appeared con
scious that impatience was useless, quietly drew
it in again, and composed itself to sleep. When
the elder boy was tired, his mother jerked him
VOL. II h

146 MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN.
up, and placed him astride upon her hip. This
latter is the most common way of carrying chil
dren throughout the East ; and, however un
comfortable it may appear to us, they almost
seem to lounge in the position : the mother
throws out her hip for the child to rest upon,
and never even lends a hand to support it. It
is necessary for the child, in order to keep its
seat, to be perfectly upright ; and this early
discipline is doubtless one of the causes of the
natives of the East being so straight.
It is singular how easy the parents in warm
climates find it to manage their offspring : from
the time they are born they seem to care little
about them, bearing them with them through all
weather, and in all occupations. They throw
them indifferently on the grass, if they are work
ing in the fields ; and if travelling, they pack
them in a basket, and swing them from one end
of a bamboo, to balance a bundle of cooking-pots
hanging from the other, which they carry over
their shoulders. It is curious to see babes of a
few months old, bearing all these early vicissi
tudes with as much philosophy and apathy, as

VILLAGE OF MORAL1E. 147
in after-life they do the more serious sufferings
that " flesh is heir to." They are trained to Sto
icism from the cradle.
We at length crossed all the high hills, and
gained the village of Moralie, which stands on the
southern side of the most elevated ridge, the
Morana. We did not think it very promising ;
and, finding no clear space about, we parted with
our friends, who seemed disposed to remain there,
and continued to a place called Bali, about a
couple of miles further on. We found a clear
green spot above the bank of a river, that flowed
from the Morana mountains past this village;
and, tempted by a half-finished house where we
could repose till our baggage arrived, resolved
to remain on it. The rain was over, and the sun
shining brightly. We stripped ourselves of our
wet clothes ; and, hanging them up to dry on
the branches about, made ourselves as comfort
able as nakedness and hunger could allow. The
little strip of land on which we are, lies on each
side of a river, flowing through a deep glen con
siderably below its level. It is well cultivated,
h 2

148 DISMAL JOURNEY.
and there are many habitations within it ; but it
has nothing sufficiently wonderful to tempt me
to say any thing further about it.
June 30th. — We started this morning again in
the rain ; and, descending to the river, followed
its course through the dark glen, in which it runs
with great rapidity. It seemed as if it were ne
cessary to trust ourselves to be washed out of the
dismal strait we were in, by placing ourselves in
the middle of the stream : its current was the only
indication we had, that there was a mode of
escape ; there was no path on either side, and
the water was up to the waist: I cannot there
fore praise this day's journey.
The glen at length narrowed so much, that we
anticipated a subterraneous passage into day, if
we were doomed to see the sky once more. We
turned round a rugged rock, beneath which the
river grew darker and deeper, and suddenly
broke upon a wide plain, or rather an extensive
marsh. Rain still continued, and it was covered
with a thick vapour. We had, like Satan,
though with a different spirit, I hope,

TEMPLE OF BOWANEE. 149
In with the river sunk, and with it rose,
Involved in rising mist ; then sought
Where to lie hid.
The river flowed over the marsh, and very
high mountains bounded it : there was no ap
pearance of habitation, although it was richly
cultivated with rice. A small temple stood in
the centre, beneath a very indifferent Deo Dhar ;
for in the lowest parts they do not grow to any
size or beauty. It was dedicated to the goddess
Bowanee, and gave a name to the surrounding
peak, called from her Bowanee Ka Teeba. So
little wood was there within reach, that we found
it difficult to obtain sufficient to kindle a fire for
our breakfasts : we at length spied a boy tend
ing cattle on the hill, and called out to him to
get us milk and wood. He placed himself
upon a high peak, and called aloud, " Two gen
tlemen have arrived : bring them milk and wood
directly, and all they may require besides."
We remembered the feast in the valley of Nan
guan, and looked with wonder upon the naked
magician, who, we hoped, was to spread a ban
quet on the green before us. In less than an

150 OPINION OF AN ECHO.
hour, our hopes were fulfilled ; a train of vil
lagers appeared with every thing that we de
sired. In most mountains sound travels very far and
fast, but these seemed to be most particularly
calculated for such communication. In irregular
avenues of peaked hills, the voice bounded, as it
were, from one to another, increasing as it went.
The men have an intonation that none but moun
taineers can catch ; and, dwelling on the last
accent in a wild, and not unfrequently sweet
manner, prolong the sound till they are nearly
exhausted, and then abandon it to the echo, which
never fails to second them most admirably. I
was curious to know what idea the hillmen had
formed (if they had thought of the matter at all)
of the reverberation of sound, and questioned the
villagers who brought our supplies, straining
my throat in the experiment, of what it was
that mocked my words. It was long before I
could succeed in making them understand my
object : they had no term to express it by, and
were perfectly unacquainted with the Hindos-
tanee word for echo. They were afraid, for some

DESERTED TEMPLE. 151
moments, to hazard an opinion ; till one, more
bold than the rest, stepped forth, and declared
it must be a wild beast in the mountain, that
was startled by our voices, and bellowed in re
turn. " Acha," (good,) with a murmur of ap
proval, ran through the party : this was a per
sonification of the echo that might match the
celebrated conversational one of Killarney.
The plain on which we were assembled, did
not continue long deserted : about mid-day the
men and women came to the rice grounds, with
their music and their song : and we found our
selves more celebrated and more deafened than
ever. Of all uncomfortable occupations on this
earth, the culture of rice appears to me the
worst. The women were all the day long up
to their knees in mud, and their persons were
sprinkled with it most bountifully.
The little temple to Bowanee is the most de
solate of all we have met with : not a brahmin,
not a village within sight of it. The pious
sages of former days had, in these holy pre
cincts, abundant leisure and quiet for the pro-
foundest contemplation. Now, no offering seems

152 DESOLATE SCENE.
to be made at it, no incense burnt upon its altar,
and no prayer breathed within it : it stands in
the wilderness, a proof of the sanctity of former
times, and a reproach perhaps for the indiffer
ence of the present. As the world has grown
older, its allurements, I suppose, have become
less fascinating ; for few people think it neces
sary to banish themselves now to gain the repu
tation of piety. The march of intellect, how
ever, may have fortified their minds against
temptation : or has the advance of luxury over
thrown the virtue of self-denial ? Whatever
may be the cause of such a change, India is not
the only country where deserted temples stand
to speak of what was, and what is not.
The forlorn appearance of a single tree in the
desert increases the feeling of solitude; and the
neglected ruin of Bowanee heightened the deso
lation of the scene, when we first emerged from
the bed of the river, and found ourselves in the
midst of a dismal swamp ; for such a rice-
ground, in its present stage, must ever seem to
be. We were glad when the merry cultivators
came to enliven the scene.

THE CHOLERA MORBUS. 153
July 1st. — Continuing our route by the bank
of the river, we reached a spot opposite the
village of Tuttura, and had scarcely room to
pitch our tents for the quantity of rice in every
direction. We were forced to ascend the hill
to some height, before we could get a dry space.
The stream flowed between us and the village;
it was full of trout, which my servants caught
with a napkin tied like a landing-net to the end
of a stick.
There was little inducement to continue in
this neighbourhood; and, as we could not
ascend to the summits of the hills with any
chance of completing our journey, we determin
ed to proceed to Lugrassa on the top of a high
ridge, about three miles further from us : but
my guide, who was evidently afraid to go to it,
besought us not to stop there on any account;
for the cholera morbus had been committing sad
ravages among its inhabitants, and no stranger
had gone through it for ten days.
Finding that Landour was only five hours'
walk from this place, I agreed, to the delight of
all, (for the report of the " city of the plague "
h5

154 ROUTE TO LANDOUR.
being so near at hand had spread a panic among
my followers,) to remain at Tuttura. There
were no means of roaming about its neighbour
hood, from the universal deluge that overn
whelmed it ; and we were glad when the morn
ing gave us an opportunity of quitting it.
July 2nd. — By way of getting in good time
to Landour, (for we had at length reached the
last day's journey,) we started from Tuttura
before daylight; and splashing for the first
hour through rice fields up to our knees in
water, we gained the height on which the ill-
fated Lugrassa stands. The sun had just risen,
and we caught a view of the new settlement
shining in its rays. The bungalows on the
peaks of Landour, peeping through the trees
that surrounded them several hundred feet above
us, afforded a prospect of civilization that was
highly delightful to us, after an absence of two
months from such a scene. For the last ten
days we have had rain every day ; and have no
reason, in consequence, to lament our having at
length reached more substantial habitations than
our tents have been able to afford. We have

FRAGILE HABITATIONS. 155
frequently been compelled to pass the night
sitting upon our bedding, which we had rolled
up in a corner of the tent to prevent its getting
wet from the heavy rain which dropped, (fil
tered, to be sure,) through the canvass upon it.
The entertaining variety of our roof being
carried like a balloon into the air, while we
were sleeping beneath it, had occurred too often
to render it any longer amusing. The confu
sion such a catastrophe gives rise to, is too
ludicrous to be viewed with much feeling of
annoyance ; although the few minutes that are
necessary to struggle through the soaked can
vass that promises to overwhelm you in your
bed, are any thing but comfortable — there is
so much that is amusing in the adventure after
you have escaped, that the traveller who would
lament meeting with it, must have very little
taste for his occupation. Such scenes are merely
rough enough to prove how vile a life of lux
ury and ease is, compared to such enjoyment of
strength and hardihood.
The day was some time advanced, when we
arrived near the village of Lugrassa; and I

156 THE CHOLERA MORBUS.
thought there was an appearance of desolation
about it. I saw no people within the village,
and observed merely a few stragglers about the
fields. Four or five men had died during the
last week, and some before : such mortality
would depopulate a mountain city in a month.
Nothing can be more melancholy than a pesti
lence among these fragments of humanity ; cut
off from their fellow-mountaineers by high
ridges, these isolated little communities are left
to perish unknown and unmourned.
I have learned from some natives, who have
lately been at Badri Nath, that that neighbour
hood also has been ravaged by the cholera mor
bus. They cannot check the disease : it seizes
them in all situations — in their houses— in the
fields ; and in a very few hours they are its vic
tims. As the most hardy fall first, the infants,
deprived of their protectors, should they escape
the infection, must die of starvation. The cattle
are abandoned, the crops neglected, and every
traveller shuns the "city of the plague:" and
even that precaution is no security. Pilgrims die
in agony on the road : to enter one of these little

ITS RAVAGES. 157
vales is indeed to enter " the valley of the shadow
of death." — The inhabitants resign themselves to
their destiny: the same fate would await them in
a neighbouring village, perhaps, should they seek
refuge there. They cling to their homes to the
last gasp ; and the survivor of a once happy
people, where all were gay but a few days before,
has to steal to his grave unnoticed, or roam else
where for human intercourse. Could the vision
of "the Last Man" be ever realized, it would
be in the highest habitations of the Himalaya
mountains; for there many a little world is left
for its last man to mourn over !
From the ridge where Lugrassa stands, we de
scended to a stream, on the banks of which were
many fine walnut-trees — the fruit was in great
abundance, and fit to pluck: we had, from the
base of the mountain at which it flowed, to
make a most severe ascent to Landour, and in
about three hours reached its summit. During
the two months we had been absent from it, all
the difficulties attending the establishment of a
new -colony had been skilfully overcome : the
roads were finished, the houses were inhabited,

158 ARRIVAL AT LANDOUR.
and the invalids had recovered, where recovery
was reasonably looked for. Many additional
visiters had arrived, and many bungalows were
completed that had scarcely been thought of.
When we set out upon our expedition, the
crest of the mountain, for nearly two miles,
presented a populous and lively scene. The re
gion, that not long ago was an unfrequented
wilderness, is now charmed by society, and
graced by refinement : wild jungles, and rugged
rocks, have given way to flourishing gardens and
comfortable buildings. So sudden has been the
change, that Aladdin seems to have brought his
wonderful lamp to effect it.
During the early part of the month of July
it did not rain very much ; the weather was
pleasant and cool, the thermometer seldom
varying from 70°. About the 20th, the rain
became more frequent, and fell more heavily ;
and on the 30th, commenced in good earnest.
August 3rd. — A very violent storm of thun
der and lightning came on yesterday about
eight in the evening, while I was sitting in the
verandah of a house on the commencement of

TERRIFIC THUNDER STORM. 159
the Missoura Ka Teeba range. The noise of
the thunder, as it pealed among the hills, was
tremendous ; and the rain that accompanied it
fell in such torrents, that it threatened to over
whelm our bungalow and wash it down the rocky
steep, on the edge of which it stood. The
lightning was even more terrific — but so grand,
that it was impossible to draw our eyes from the
observation of its flashes of flame, as they shot
through the woods and into the precipices. It
is difficult to conceive a spectacle more sublime,
or a tumult more appalling. From the close
ness of the thunder-claps and the incessant re
turn of the forked fire, we were convinced that
we were in the midst of this fury, and frequently
thought that we could hear the falbng of the
wood before the blasting stroke. It was a pro
per night for evil spirits to be abroad in. Not
a being of our party could dare its violence : all
the servants, whose structures were so much
more flimsy than our own, had crept into the
bungalow, and crouched beneath its verandahs
wet and miserable. It seemed the only ark
likely to float above the waters that threatened

160- PERILOUS SITUATION.
to deluge us, and for a time we thought that it
also must bow to the storm. It stood upon the
crest of a rock, overlooking a deep valley, the
descent to which was thickly wooded : behind
was a similar abyss; and on the left hand a still
more abrupt descent : on the right was a dark
forest of oaks and rhododendron. Thus we
stood in the midst of peril ; and when loose
masses of stone rolled down the steeps within
sound, we were disposed for a moment to think
that we also might join the fall. The rain in
creased the rapidity of the few streams beneath
us, and made them rumble away with tenfold
noise. I do not think a lover of romance could
have been placed in a more delightful situation
for his excited fancy :
That night a child might understand
The De'il had business in hand.
We survived the storm, however ; and in the
morning found that our imagination regarding
the fall of the riven trees was correct enough :
several were scattered about and displayed the
lightning stroke. But the most material fall

EFFECTS OF THE LIGHTNING. 161
was that of our goat-shed, which had been com
pletely demolished ; and six goats and ten sheep
lying dead beneath it, proved with what vio
lence most of them had been killed by the fluid-
On our approaching the spot, we were at
tended bv a host of hillmen, who watched our
proceedings with great anxiety : and when we
desired that the carcases of the animals should
be thrown awav, hastily interceded to save them
for themselves, to have a feast upon. We very
willingly granted the favour ; for in truth we
could not envy them their food. Their swollen
bodies did not deter them, on nearer approach,
from attempting the meal, and they bore them
off in triumph on their backs : they had been
well fattened for our table, and perhaps the
lightning stroke had sanctified them for theirs.
Neither the goats nor the sheep of the plains
have thriven verv well during the wet weather
in the hills : they all suffer from what is called,
I believe, the foot-rot ; and no means that we
can adopt have any effect in restoring them.
The sheep are now blind too, without any
apparent cause — and consequently become use-

162 BLINDNESS IN SHEEP.
less; for they cannot be trusted to graze. The
natives attempt to cure this last malady by
chewing certain herbs, among which tobacco
and some hot spices are mixed, and spitting the
juice into the poor animals' eyes: it gives them
great pain at the time of the operation, and
seems to me rather calculated to extinguish any
light that may yet remain, than restore that
which they have lost. The poultry too are lost
constantly from the same cause ; but their fate
is more sudden. While running in perfect
health, they appear to be struck blind ; and,
staggering for an instant, fall dead. As it is an
affair of some difficulty to keep a plentiful
board, we cannot avoid being deeply interested
in the state of our stock.
A great portion of this morning was passed in
endeavouring to shoot some of the magnificent
eagles, that soared in great number over the high
peaks above us, and the deep precipices below.
I have seen sometimes ten or twelve at a time,
performing their airy evolutions in most beautiful
style. At length, one fell, but it was not one
of the largest : it measured nine feet from tip to

AMUSEMENTS. 163
tip of its wings, and seemed to me to resemble
very strongly the golden eagle of the Highlands
of Scotland, some of which have been killed
measuring eleven feet across their wings.
It is not a very easy matter to find amusement
in so confined a spot as we are limited to ; for if
we make long excursions, we cannot, from the
severe labour, return in the same day ; we must
therefore look nearer home. If we had a bridge
to lounge upon, we should probably find the di
version of a recruiting-officer a very agreeable
one ; we have, however, invented a more manly
exercise, and meet in groups on the greatest
heights, to cast large stones down the precipices.
As we take the field well armed with crow-bars,
pick-axes, &c, we are fully prepared to launch
tremendous weights; and, childish as it may
appear, it is impossible to describe the rapture
with which we hail the departure of our play
thing, and watch its course as it bounds along,
with a noise like thunder, carrying trees with
it, or, if they be large enough to withstand its
force, breaking into a hundred pieces, and leaping
and rolling away in increasing fragments to the
bottom.

164 THE ORDEAL.
I learned a curious instance this morning of
trying the truth, by a test of bodily fortitude,
which is not uncommon among some classes in
the East. It arose from a charge that one hill-
woman had brought against another. They
were both wives of pioneer soldiers from the
province of Sirmoor : and one accused her com
panion to the officer who commanded them, of
having stolen several of her rings from her— the
accused as stoutly denied it ; and there was no cir
cumstance on either side to direct the judgment.
The charged thief, however, boldly declared
that the other told a lie, and dared her to the
ordeal. The challenge was readily accepted,
and they were to hold their hands together in a
vessel of boiling hot ghie, and whichever shrunk
first was to be proclaimed foul and calumnious.
What an admirable punishment would this be
for slander in our own country !
There are some minor trials (the detail of
which I do not exactly know) adopted upon
these occasions : they increase in severity ; if
the lighter ones do not draw forth pain from the
hardened sinners, they ascend to the next in
gradation, till at length forced to cry out for

QUARRELS. 165
quarter. The hot ghie is, I believe, the highest
proof; and these women, disdaining milder
ones, determined at once to stake their veracity
upon it. I believe the result was still unsatis
factory, for neither flinched ; nothing more,
however, was heard about the matter : they
found it best to settle it out of court.
Quarrels are very frequent among the natives
of both sexes ; but not being of revengeful dis
positions, they seldom reach beyond loud and
angry words. In this mode of warfare, they are
invincible. They excel greatly likewise in a
spirit of detraction, and are prone to injure the
characters of those with whom they quarrel, by
exaggeration or invention. I have often wit
nessed this meanness among the lower classes ;
and whenever it is practised towards me, I
bsten quietly to all that is said by the first who
gains my ear, against his enemy : taking an
opportunity soon afterwards to converse with
the abused one, I give him encouragement to
paint the character of the other, and he generally
reaches that drawn of himself. When I think
the balance of lies is equal, I confront the

166 EXTRAORDINARY REQUEST.
enemies ; and relating what each said of the
other, read them a lecture on their falsehoods,
and recommend them not to give me the option
of believing such tales against them.
To change from one evil passion to another,
— I was astonished the other day by a very
handsome pioneer sepoy, who approached his
officer in the most soldier-like style,- and, touch
ing his cap, begged permission to cut his wife's
nose off. His respectful manner, joined to the
singular request, made it almost impossible to
attend to him gravely, however serious the
application seemed to be. He did not appear to
me to be very anxious to perform the operation ;
it was a sacrifice, I conceive, to his honour.
His wife had been faithless with a man of low
caste, a Chumar, as he scornfully confessed ;
for this gave him a deeper pang than the fact of
the dame's frailty — and he could not suffer her
to carry the charms that caused his dishonour,
uninjured, to draw him into fresh calamity.
A man, who asks his friend's advice about
committing suicide, is not very likely to perform
the act : in the same manner, the jealous hus-

A JEALOUS HUSBAND. 167
band adopted the wisest plan of getting out of
liis dilemma. He bore the disappointment of a
refusal with great firmness — although it was
sad, he said, after having been married to him
since she was twelve years of age, that she
should now forsake him for a base Chumar.
" Oh, what a falling off was there !"
We accompanied him to his tent to endea
vour to reconcile the parties, and save the nose
of the offending wife. She was an extremely
pretty woman, and seemed to be dismayed at our
approach : she had been weeping, and was now
sitting in a disconsolate position, in a corner of
the room : she had no children, but an elderly
woman stood near her, who, from her concern,
we conjectured was her mother. Alas ! she had
good cause to be concerned ; for she had been
the source of all the mischief. The true Mer
cury of the East, she had borne the tender mes
sages from the base-born swain. The moment
this little denouement took place, the vengeance
of the husband was transferred from his wife to
her confidant ; and had we not been by, I do
not think he would have satisfied himself with

168 THE PENITENT WIFE.
her nose only : she would scarcely have escaped
with her head. Encouraged by our presence,
she wagged her tongue most skilfully against
him, while the poor wife seemed really to shed
tears of bitter sorrow. We were at length able
to reconcile the parties. The wife promised all
the deepest repentance could promise, and the
husband received her contrition, and restored
her to his heart, from which indeed she could
scarcely have been banished ; for the delight
with which he seized upon the old woman's
conduct to exculpate his wife, proved how
ready he was to forgive and trust again. We
promised, however, that the presumptuous Su-
dra and his wicked messenger should be both
banished from the mountains ; and the officer
succeeded in obtaining their dismissal that very
day. I met them on their descent, an evil and a
well-matched pair. The Lothario of the hills,
whose gallantry had driven him from his high
abode, was " a fellow with a horrid face," and a
little crooked figure ; while the old woman was
yellow and wrinkled to a degree. I should

FEMALE PEASANTRY. 169
have been happy to have contrived a match be
tween them: it would have been a good and
fitting punishment for the crimes that are now
sending them, " with wandering steps and slow,"
to encounter the rains that are deluging the
plains. Such instances of severity among the Hindoos
are not, I think, common. The punishment the
soldier proposed would certainly have the effect
of preventing a continuance of the crime, if
beauty led to it ; although, from what I have
read and heard of the women, there would be
no noses among them, if all met with their re
ward. I do not know how these judgments
have been formed ; but I am inclined to come
to a very opposite one, and think those who
have accused the female peasantry of the coun
try of general immorality, have been rather
hasty. I am disposed to be their champion for
more beauty, cleanliness, and good conduct,
than, under their great disadvantages, the most
liberal could expect. Their exclusive mode of
living among their own caste must prevent a
VOL. II. I

170 CONDITION OF SERVANTS.
similar falling-off to the one that has given rise
to these reflections.
It is impossible to view some members of
the despised class without sorrow and pity,
particularly those who are attached, in the
lowest offices, to the establishments of the
Europeans. They are the most melancholy
race of beings, always alone, and apparently un
happy : they are scouted from the presence
even of their fellow-servants. None but the
mind of a poet could imagine such outcasts ven
turing to raise their thoughts to the beauty of a
brahmin's daughter ; and a touching tale in such
creative fancy, no doubt, it would make — for,
from their outward appearances, I do; not per
ceive why they should not be endowed with
minds as sensitive at least as those of the castes
above them. There are among them some very
stout and handsome men ; and it is ridiculous
to see sometimes all their strength devoted to
the charge of a sickly puppy ; — to take care of
dogs being their principal occupation !
A great argument in favour of the fidelity of

FATAL JEALOUSY. 171
the women is their voluntary sacrifice on the fune
ral pile of their lords. It is not very likely that
the wife, who would deem it disgraceful to sur
vive her husband, would offend against him
while living.
A very appalling story of the madness of jea
lousy is related of an officer who was brought
up in the Mahratta service, and in mature age
came over to ours. He had three wives, and
conceived suspicions against them all. Without
explaining his motives, he desired them to meet
him in his room one morning, attired in their
richest apparel and most costly jewels. On en
tering, he is supposed to have commanded them
to sink on their knees, and confess their wick
edness. " Alas ! what ignorant sin have we
committed ?" like unhappy Desdemona, was all
that they could utter. Their furious Othello
was as determined, and, without listening to
their appeals to his mercy and his love, drew
his sabre, and severed their heads from their
bodies. The report of a pistol drew some of his
attendants to the room; and, on breaking it
open, they found the murderer and his misera-
i 2

172 CUSTOM OF DIVORCE.
ble victims dead and bathed in blood ! I never
heard that any grounds were discovered for his
horrible revenge ; nor indeed could any of the
" trifles light as air," which grow so alarmingly
in the jealous mind, be traced. I question whe
ther the annals of any Turkish harem could
afford a more terrible picture. In Turkey the
husband slaughters from cruelty only ; how
ever, he is not likely to sacrifice himself. Some
honour may be allowed (a miserable one) to
have moved this Indian murderer — as he did
add himself to the number of the slain.
The easymode in which marriages are managed
in the hills, makes the chances of jealousy very
light indeed. The women, as I have before
observed, have all the advantage on their side —
a plurality of husbands ; for when so many men
are satisfied to share in their affections, it is not
very likely that their lives will be disturbed by
" the green-eyed monster."
In some districts, or among some tribes in the
hills, the women are privileged to divorce their
husbands as often as they please : so a capricious
dame may enjoy the mortification of all the men

THE REJECTED VILLAGER. 173
of her village, if it could be possible to mortify
such cold-hearted gentlemen. I never met but
one husband who had really suffered under this
custom. The man, who begged something to
buy a petticoat for his wife, however, entertain
ed serious apprehensions of such a fate, if we did
not relieve him. The villager, who accompanied
us as guide from Nongong to Burkotee, com
plained of his cruel fate, in having been married
to, and divorced from, three or four wives:
" And yet," he said, " I am young, have a
good house, and possess more land than any
other in the village." He had evidently volun
teered to accompany us, for the purpose of tell
ing his sad tale. He was a good-looking youth,
seemed to be about twenty, and, after expa
tiating at some length on the perverseness of his
fate, he besought my advice to teach him how
to woo : I was too little acquainted with the
feebngs of the mountain maids to be a valuable
confidant ; but gave him all the consolation I
could think of. When I told him, however,
that my own experience would not assist him
much, (for I had yet won no wife for myself,)

174 VALLEY OF THE DHOON.
he looked confounded, and, shaking his head,
seemed to say — " Alas ! where shall I seek for
comfort now?" I was very much entertained
at the prospect of becoming a travelling match-
maker, and wished that I could have returned
to my friend's village to make the first experi
ment in his behalf. From the moment I
told him that I was without a wife myself, he
attached himself more closely to my side, sym
pathizing with my sorrows ; for I have no doubt
he conjectured that the same untoward star that
had thwarted his pursuit of domestic happiness,
had likewise interrupted mine.
From the last day of July until the end of
August, there has not been a dry hour; the
clouds hang so heavily on the peaks of the
mountains on which we live, that we are com
pletely enveloped in mist. The valley of the
Dhoon is generally concealed from our view all
the day long ; but towards sunset the vapour
that overhangs it clears away a little, and we see
it as a beautiful picture partially discovered
through a thin veil. During this month the
thermometer has ranged from 60° to 62°

MAGNIFICENT SUN-RISE. 175
throughout the twenty-four hours : so even
a climate is rarely met with in any part of the
world. Although every thing is extremely damp, and
we cannot obtain a glance of the sun, I do not
find that people complain of colds or rheumatism,
or any of the accompaniments of a moist atmo
sphere. On the contrary, every person boasts
of his health, and praises the climate. In the
morning, sometimes, we have a clear view of the
snowy range to the north-east : the early riser
may be rewarded by beholding the most beau
tiful sun-rise that the imagination can conceive —
a chain of snow, reaching nearly from Cabul to
Thibet, changing into all the colours that the
growing day can paint ! It would be difficult
to match this scene in any other situation upon
earth. Towards the middle of September, the rain
began to abate its force; a little still falling,
however, in some quantity every day, and the
temperature continuing still at 62°. The wet
appears to be confined to the range bounding the

176 RAINY SEASON
valley on which we are. For three days' jour
ney inwards from this, there has been no fall
for some time ; and in the plains, the rainy
season seems to have already broken up.

177

CHAPTER VII.
DescentfromLandour — Therainy season — Police station — The
Khere Pass — Sounds of revelry — Melancholy memorials —
Peacocks — Village of Khere — Violent hurricane — Excursion
through water — Rise of the Callinuddy — Goats rescued —
Agreeable discovery — Holy water — Active preparations —
Passage of the river — Night encampment — Deobund describ
ed — Fare of the Hindoos — Food of the Bengalese — A Turk
ish dinner — Begum Sumroo's troops — A stratagem — The
disgraced General — Female tyrant — Baggage-bearers —
Roads in Upper India — Kutowlee — Saees, or Running Foot
men — Females at the well — Eastern custom — Meerut, a mi
litary station — Scarcity of women — Magnificent festival —
Amusements at Meerut — Colonel Skinner's horse — Travel
ling in a palanquin — Eastern hyperbole — Ghaut of Ghur-
moktesir — Interior of a boat — Singular navigation — Ferruck-
abad — Curious clock — Indigo factories — River scenery — ¦
Mahometan ceremonies — Cooking and eating — The lost keys
— Crocodiles — Ghaut of Cawnpore — A budgerow — Boats at
Cawnpore — Moored vessels — General clamour — Attractions
of a bazaar — Appearance of native towns — Soldiers' wives,
&c. — Hospital transport — Amazonian fleet.
Sept. 22nd. — At length the day arrived for
quitting these delightful regions, and descending
to the sultry plains once more. It had ceased
i5

178 DESCENT FEOM LANDOUR.
to rain for some time on the hills, and we ima^
gined that it might have given over in the low
country also. We descended about four o'clock
to Rajpoor, and reached it in an hour and a
quarter. The road is so steep, that it is neces
sary to keep at a run the whole time ; and we
had been so long in training, that we were able
to effect it admirably ; the distance is computed
at eight miles.
Since the month of April we had not moved a
hundred yards on level ground. I did not find
in consequence that I was unfitted for a walk on
the plains. I have read somewhere of a native
of the Tyrol, accustomed all his life to preci
pices and " hills perpendicular," being so ner
vous when on flat ground, that he was detected
by afriendin Grosvenor Square creeping close to
the area-railings, that he might save himself in
case of falling. I cannot pretend to any feeling
of this description ; but I can well conceive how
" weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable" the plains
must appear to a native of the magnificent
mountains we are now leaving, almost as much
wedded to their charms as the most enthusias
tic of their inhabitants could be.

THE RAINY SEASON. 179
At the foot of the hills we found our horses
and camels ; and, trying to forget the freedom
of the upper world, commenced our journey
this morning to Dehra at daylight, in order that
we might be under cover before the sun rose.
We had no sooner reached the tope of trees we
had pitched upon for our resting-ground than
the most heavy rain commenced, accompanied
by thunder and lightning. Our tents were not
able to keep it out ; and we apprehended every
moment being unroofed. We now discovered
how premature we had been in our descent ; but
it was too late to retrieve the error, and we were
obbged to continue. I have before noticed how
melancholy a thing a rainy day is under canvass,
particularly such flimsy affairs as we are reduced
to, for we have not been able to replace our
mountain tents, and the water trickles through
them in every direction.
Our abodesresemble good-sized shower-baths ;
and we are forced to sit the best part of the day
with umbrellas over our heads. Wise people
never venture into tents until the rainy season is
completely at an end ; for, independently of the

180 POLICE STATION.
want of comfort during the actual fall, all
around is a dismal swamp, and the smell from
the rank vegetation is enough to poison the
most indifferent to bad odours. Besides, the
humours that the sun draws from the earth
carry plague and pestilence in every breath. In
the Dhoon, where there is so much unreclaimed
jungle, it is not easy to spend a rainy day at
this season of the year, without perceiving the
danger of it.
We determined, therefore, to push on, and,
instead of remaining the night at Dehra, halt at
the entrance to the Khere Pass, (the opposite
one to that which we had entered by:) we ar
rived, about nightfall, at a clear spot by the side
of a small stream, the name of which I did not
learn, and had our tents pitched upon it. It
was very wild around. On a rising ground be
hind hs, prettily embosomed in trees, were a few
native huts : there was no regular road to them
but down the face of the hill on which they
stood, which seemed to have been made, not by
hands, but by the feet of those who come daily
for water to the stream below. It was the first

THE KHERE PASS. 181
police station on the inner side of the valley ;
and an important-looking personage, with a
broad scarlet belt over his shoulders, and a
large brass breast-plate upon it, on which was
engraved his office, superintended the depart
ment. Rough crags overhung the little river, in
which our servants caught a few fish ; and all
seemed to indicate the pass by which a sortie
from the Dhoon was to be made : so narrow
was the mouth, that it might have been closed
with gates of iron, like the Happy Valley of
Rasselas. If, with all the blandishments that
were lavished upon him, however, he wished to
escape from it, it is no wonder that in the present
state of our valley, we were very loth to con
tinue longer among its beauties ; for with beau
ties it most undoubtedly abounds. The nearest
resemblance I can find to its general appear
ance in the East, is in some of the wildest scenes
in the interior of Ceylon. Its rough crags,
rapid streams, wooded hills, and long grass, all
remind me of that island ; and there are in
that isle some of the loveliest scenes in nature :

182 SOUNDS OF REVELRY.
but, alas ! there is no sweet in life without a
large portion of bitter. The most beautiful
spots are also the most unhealthy. I think,
where the vegetable world is most luxuriant,
the human race is invariably the reverse.
At daylight we commenced our departure
from the Dhoon, and found the Khere Pass little
more open than if it had been a cavern that
passed under a rock. We were riding over a
stony bed with the water up to our horses'
knees ; high hills hung over us on each side,
their summits well wooded, and their rocky
sides occasionally relieved by flowering plants.
Sometimes the way was very narrow and dark,
while the water rushed rapidly over it ; at others
it widened considerably, and gave us the appear
ance of passing a lake with islets of stone in
the midst of it. A few cataracts fell from the
sides ; and it was altogether most romantic and
beautiful. When winding through the nar
rowest part of it, we were surprised by the
most uncouth sounds of sylvan revelry, as we
imagined, which echoed along the hills. Had
it not been daylight, we might have taken them

OLD ACQUAINTANCES. 183
for the cries of Comus and his crew ; for with
such noises, " night by night,
He and his monstrous rout are heard to howl — "
and, " Within the bosom of this hideous wood — "
he might have found a fitting cover for his evil
doings. On emerging from our winding dell, however,
how were our fairy fancies put to flight, when
we perceived a string of three palanquins, from
the grunting bearers of which proceeded all the
" tumultuous mirth," that had come to
" Invade the silence of these lonely shades."
There were about forty half-naked figures,
some under the poles of the palkees, while the
others were scattered wildly about, splashing
through the water, and howbng with the per
severance of jackals. As it was very soon after
daylight, some of their torches were still alight,
and added to the singularity, and almost barba
rity of the scene.
We found acquaintances in the palanquins —

184 MELANCHOLY MEMORIALS.
an officer of the civil service, and his family, on
their way to Landour. There was no time for
long parley, and we soon lost sight of each
other. The noise of the bearers continued for
some time to resound among the hills, and we
were loth to believe that we were not still tra
velling upon enchanted ground.
On leaving the passage of the hills, we found
the water diminish, hut the road continued as
stony as ever. The sun was now up, and we
halted to breakfast, and spent the heat of the
day more in the jungle than we had even done
the night before. We were without the hills
that close in the Dhoon, but in the midst of the
Saul forest, through which I had hunted some
time before. We could not move fifty yards
from our little tent without losing ourselves in
the midst of swampy ground and long grass,
with the probability of furnishing a repast to
some tiger ; for this spot had all the appearance
of being thickly inhabited by them ; and close
to us was a melancholy memorial of the death
of some traveller or huntsman by one — a loose
heap of stones, with a long bamboo rising from

PEACOCKS. 185
the centre of it, with a small white pennant
floating at its taper point. Such remembrancers
of mortality are sufficiently startling in the
midst of the forest ; and the solitary traveller, as
night draws round him, suddenly coming upon
one, is not likely to have his meditations im
proved as he pursues his weary way.
We found, towards the afternoon, that our
servants and beasts of burden were so tired, that
we must pass the night at this place, where we
had only meditated remaining during the heat
of the sun. The day had gone, and the night
soon passes in this country ; so we did not re
pine much at the calamity. Our people were
alarmed at the prospect of being disturbed by
tigers, and made every preparation for keeping
large fires, which blazed away during the whole
night. The cry of the jackal and the scream of
the hyena were all the disturbance we met with.
Again at daylight we mounted our horses,
and followed a narrow track through the jungle,
for above two hours: under foot it was soft
sand, and we got on famously. Upon emerg
ing from the woods, we passed over a plain, in

186 VILLAGE OF KHERE.
which several hundred peacocks at least were
feeding. It is impossible to conceive amore beau
tiful scene : they were all in fine feather, and
many were strutting about with the greatest
vanity. Our appearance soon spoiled their
amusement, and drove them scampering in every
direction. None of them, I observed, took
to the wing ; but they all ran so fast, that we
soon lost sight of them.
We had now completely reached the plains,
and found our tents pitched close to the village
of Khere, upon a bare field, with not a tree to
shield them from the hottest sun I ever felt. It
was impossible to continue all day here ; and
observing a large peepul-tree at a great distance,
we instantly emigrated towards it, and sat be.
neath the shadow of its branches while our
equipage was moving. It was near this village
that we had encamped when on our tiger ex
cursion in the spring; and, nothing daunted
by the contretemps of the Puneeala's ee's, i's,
and o's, we resolved upon trying the same route
again : about eight o'clock at night, while the
moon was shining brightly, we despatched two

VIOLENT HURRICANE. 187
camels towards that place, meaning to set out
for it ourselves the next morning at daylight.
The night was the most clear and lovely I
ever remember to have seen ; but, as if doomed
to witness a storm in this neighbourhood, about
two in the morning the most violent hurricane
arose and nearly laid us flat : fortunately, how
ever, the shelter of the tree preserved us. The
rain drove into our tents in every direction and
with the utmost fury : our baggage and the
poor servants' clothes were flying before the
wind; and our hitherto peaceable little party
was scattered, like doves before the eagle. I
was obliged to rise from my bed, and fold up
my bedding, as I had before done ; then sit
upon it, and hold an umbrella over me. The
storm lasted for more than an hour : it was im
possible to rest after it, and we were up and
ready to start before daylight ; doubtful of the
road, however, we thought it prudent to remain
until we could see perfectly.
At first, we found the path tolerably good
over the fields, among which we had encamped :
coming suddenly, however, into long grass, we

188 EXCURSION THROUGH WATER.
did not perceive the quantity of water on the
ground, till we had got so deeply involved in
it, we found it impossible to proceed with safety,
and difficult to retire. We urged our horses
on ; the water soon reached their girths, and we
became almost lost in a wide sea. There were
no landmarks, we may really say, to guide us.
We waded up and down, and knew not which
way to stir : there were many copses that held
their heads higher than anything in the neigh
bourhood; and to these we rode, or almost
swam, in hopes that we might find dry ground
to rest on, in order to recover our strength
and collect our thoughts, but always without
effect. The sun was now growing very hot, and still
we were in the midst of a waste of waters. We
began to feel serious apprehensions : we had so
completely lost the path, that to return was as
impossible as to proceed ; we determined, there
fore, upon coming to a halt, and exercising our
lungs for a rescue. We had halloo'd, I am
sure, for half an hour, when we heard a sound
so faint, it resembled a distant echo of our own

A FRIENDLY VOICE. 189
voices. We repeated our shouts, however, and
at length were answered more distinctly: still
we could see nothing ; yet our friend, or the
spirit of the waters, shrieked— we were not very
clear which. Screaming with all our might,
however, we moved in the direction of the
voice; praying that there might be no vocal
Will-o'-the-wisp to plague us. We had the
good fortune, as we approached, to find the
responsive shout grow louder and louder ; and
at length perceived a faquir with a long pole in
his hand, up to his waist in water. He told us
that he was on the right path, and that we
should never have reached our destination if we
had not fallen in with him. We were willing
to believe this, for we found that we had wan
dered nearly half an hour from the proper
road, and were likely to continue in error all the
day, if we had not fallen in with this devout
personage, whose return from pilgrimage proved
a matter of great importance to us. He had
been to Kedar Nath and Gungoutri, and we
looked upon him as a fellow- wanderer.
We moved slowly behind him ; and, with the

190 MISERABLE JOURNEY.
assistance of his long pole, and his great know
ledge of the country, he was enabled to keep us
on the right path. We were more than an hour
before we got completely out of the watery de
sert: we then entered upon a tract of land where
the water had been, and over which we found it
still more difficult to move. It was a perfect
marsh, in which we sunk to the horses1 knees
every step : in attempting to lead them we
found matters even worse ; for then both our
selves and horses stuck in the mud.
I made a resolution that this should be posi
tively the last time of my visiting Puneeala:
this place was evidently not intended for me.
When we escaped from the marsh, and reached
the banks of the Callinuddy, a small stream
over which we expected easily to ford, we were
dismayed by seeing our camels lying down on
the near bank. They had been nearly drowned,
the drivers assured me, during the night, and
had reached that spot at daylight, and found
the river so swollen by the rain, that it was im
possible to pass over.
It was nearly eleven o'clock ; so we had been

GOATS IN DANGER. 191
from dayhght travelling five miles. The stream
was still so deep and so rapid, that I saw but
little prospect of getting through it. My goat
herd had, some time before my arrival, carried
the goats to some distance above the stream,
growing tired I suppose of waiting on this bank,
while there was a tempting village on the opposite
side. In a few minutes the poor animals came
down the river at a tremendous rate, bleating
most miserably. Their inconsiderate shepherd,
fancying that a wind in the river, which caused
the waters to bear to the opposite bank, would
have swept them across, entrusted them to their
fortune : they went crying down the stream,
however, with very little prospect of being saved.
There was a general pursuit : my brother and
myself, being the only mounted ones of the party,
galloped our unhappy horses, almost dead with
fatigue, along the banks ; while all the footmen
we could muster, flying with their utmost speed,
nearly kept up with us. They were armed with
long sticks, which the natives generally carry
when travelling, and shouted loudly to encou
rage the poor goats to draw to the bank. It was

192 GOATS RESCUED.
a most animated scene, and might have passed
for an otter hunt, or salmon-spearing party.
We had gone fully a mile before we could
head the goats : and then, rushing into the
water, we endeavoured to stay them in their
course. It was of no avail ; they were forced
by the current out of the people's hands, who
were nearly swept away with them We for
tunately perceived a bed of rushes a little below
us, reaching some way into the stream, through
which they would certainly be driven : we has
tened on ; and, posting ourselves among them,
stood ready to seize the exhausted creatures.
When they arrived, a sort of fight ensued, in
which we proved victorious, and our half-
drowned goats were safely landed.
It had become now so hot, that we resolved to
make the experiment of passing the Callinuddy.
The side on which we were, had not a single
tree of any description ; and where the water
was not, all was white sand. The opposite vil
lage was bare enough, too; but behind it I
knew there were many magnificent trees. The
river reaches close to the wall of the village, (for

AGREEABLE DISCOVERY. 193
it had a small one on the water-side,) and there
was a landing-place a little without it.
From the place we chose to start from (which
was considerably above the stream,) to this
ghaut, was about three hundred yards : we
found it was necessary to swim our horses across ;
and so great a struggle had we to gain the pro
posed point, that I began to despair of ever
getting the camels over. About the middle of
the stream was a capsized bullock hackery,
which had been laden with soda-water for the
refreshment of some gentleman in the Dhoon.
We discovered a few stone bottles, that had
been saved from it, and were too thirsty to stand
upon ceremony with it. It was a most timely
discovery ; and the popping of the corks served
as an amusement to the villagers, who had by
this time assembled in great numbers about us.
lt was the first time, perhaps, they had ever
seen " bhillathe panee," or Engbsh water, as I
may venture to call it ; for that word is gene
rally appbed to every thing that comes from
our country.
A native servant once asked me gravely, if
VOL. II. K

194 HOLY WATER.
all the wells in England bubbled and sparkled
in the same manner. The Hindoos, who, in all
parts of the world, think their holy Ganges the
purest and pleasantest, should have a higher
opinion of us for carrying the water of our own
springs about with us : the Mahometans too
have their zemzem. The head man of the vil
lage assured us, that before very long the river
would go down sufficiently to allow our baggage
to cross, and that he should find plenty of peo
ple to assist in its passage. We determined,
therefore, to wait quietly in the most sheltered
spot we could find, till it was cool enough to
superintend the ferry. He led us to the banks
of a small lake, above which stood a very pretty
pagoda, with a flight of steps from its porch to
the water, which seemed to be the common bath
of the whole village: behind it was a thick
grove of mango-trees, through which the sun
had never penetrated. All was so still and un
frequented during the heat of the day, that
Diana and her nymphs might have selected
this spot for their diversions ; and we were so
tired, that we could scarcely have moved from

ACTIVE PREPARATIONS. 195
our shady retreat to have interrupted them by
our curiosity.
A little before three o'clock, our servants be
gan to creep in, and announced that the whole
of the camels had arrived on the opposite bank
of the river, which had fallen so much, that
there was every chance of their crossing it be
fore six o'clock. We were not sorry to receive
this addition to our party, and commenced
active preparations for breakfast, which we had
not yet been able to effect. Between four and
five we made our appearance on the banks of
the river ; and, although it was still very rapid,
I thought it had subsided sufficiently to enable
all to get across. Camels are most helpless in
deep water, and it is not uncommon for them to
turn completely over on their sides — a feat they
had performed two or three times in the course
of their journey from Khere in the morning. All
my things were wet ; and a number of stuffed
birds, the Monal and horned pheasant of the
mountains, were so spoiled, I was obliged to
throw them away.
The passage of the river presented an active
k2

196 PASSAGE OF THE RIVER.
scene. We had enlisted all the people of the
village into the operations, making them carry
over the lighter things upon their heads ; while
three or four men were attached to the sides of
each camel, as guides and protectors. After a
great deal of preliminary screaming and scold
ing, we got our little army fairly launched,
with the first division of baggage : in a little
more than an hour, we managed to get the
whole of it over, without any loss or accident.
We are about five miles from where we passed
last night, and we have been just two-and-twenty
hours in making the journey. Our tents were
pitched among the mango-trees beside the lake,
and the quiet retreat for the goddess of the chase
was soon converted into a scene of bustle and
uproar ; fires blazed in every direction, and cakes
and curry were being moulded quickly into shape.
The head man of the village, who had paid us
devoted attention through the whole of our diffi
culties, was resolved that we should be well
watched during the night. He posted a string of
Chuokedars round our encampment, and one at
the door of each tent. Thieves were not likely

NIGHT ENCAMPMENT. 197
to be favoured by the night in their researches,
for the moon was beautifully bright : however,
these croaking persons were, I have no doubt,
of great use.
It was too hot to sleep ; and as I kept the
curtain of my tent up, I was amused by their
figures, and the loud grunts that proceeded from
them. They sat upon their hams in the same
spot all night, covered with blankets that con
cealed their bodies, and gave them the appear
ance of round jars, while their heads alone
seemed moveable ; and, indeed, covered with
large folds of cloth, they might have passed for
the mouths of the jars. If they had been drawn
up in a line, they would have tempted the fate
of the " forty thieves," had any adventurous
Morgiana been by.
Sept. 8th. — Before daylight we struck our
camp, and proceeded towards the now celebrated
Puneeala, at least to me. It was distant twelve
coss ; and we proposed breakfasting midway,
and sending our caravan on, if we could find a
tope of trees to sit in. We took great care not
to wander in quest of the many villages we had

198 EXTENSIVE PLAIN.
before become acquainted with, nor to ring the
changes upon the finite vowels in so incessant a
manner as that promised to be. We traversed
a long and weary plain : there were few trees,
and no villages of importance enough to appear
more than small mounds of earth ; for the
houses are generally of that colour, being built
of unbaked bricks, (cutcha, as they are termed
in Hindostanee,) and having walls of mud
round them.
When we had ridden about twelve miles, we
perceived, in the neighbourhood of a tolerably
sized village, through the street of which we
passed, a plantation of some extent : a portion
of it seemed to be a garden of fruit-trees, with
a smooth lawn beneath : there was a well in the
midst of it, and we breakfasted and passed the
heat of the day under the shelter of the branches.
There were a great many fine peeput-trees in
the neighbourhood, that gave food to the camels,
which halted awhile to bait.
Nothing can exceed the tameness of a jour
ney at this season of the year through the wide
plains of Upper India ; and to us, who had just

TOWNS AND VILLAGES. 199
left the most majestic and beautiful scenery in
the world, and who had passed through a region
of romance almost to reach it, the effect was sad
beyond description. There is nothing in one of
these tremendous plains to relieve the eye, either
by its verdure or its form ; and the villages
being, as I have before observed, of a clay
colour, are more unpleasant to look upon than
even the long fields.
The husbandmen in these provinces were
obliged formerly to add the office of soldier to
their more peaceable one, and all the villages
were surrounded by high walls of mud, which
generally approached in shape to a square,
having a tower or bastion at each angle, with a
large gate in the centre of one of its faces.
Within, the streets are very narrow, and the
houses low and dark : the shops have a small
terrace or verandah in front, the floor of which
is kept very clean ; and there the merchant sits
with his commodities about him. I do not think
the towns are generally conspicuous for cleanli
ness in their streets, although I believe the

200 THE VILLAGE FORGE.
rooms (if such they may be called) are suffici
ently neat and proper.
There is always enough to offend the nose, as
well as the ears and the eyes. Miserable half-
starved dogs are to be seen at all times trying
to rake out some stinking food from the heaps
of dirt that are piled up at the end of a street ;
and when the wind blows, the chaff and the
dust are driven about at a terrible rate ; and the
flies are beyond all number. In such villages as
the one I am now near, the inhabitants are gene
rally agriculturalists, and they do not carry on
any great traffic ; their shops, therefore, are very
few. No place, however small, is without a
proportion of every trade : there is always a
smith, a carpenter, leather-dresser, barber, &c,
and about the smiths' shops may be seen various
loungers, gossiping and watching the sparks, as
in more refined villages ; for I fancy the forge
has been the great rendezvous for village poli
ticians. The smiths' apparatus is very simple : they
have no bellows, but use a small fan to kindle a

DEOBUND DESCRIBED. 201
flame ; and the whole smithy might be trans
ported from house to house in the hands of the
blacksmith. In paring the hoof of a horse,
the farriers use a weapon so blunt and so awk
ward, that you tremble while you witness the
operation. They always put the shoe on cold ;
but too often, instead of fitting it to the foot,
rasp it down to the size of the shoe, placing a
round piece of wood under it, and making the
animal rest his foot upon it. They sit under
his body with the foot between their legs ; and
surveying it leisurely, rasp away until it is re
duced to the wooden model, which, bke the shoe
of one Chinese lady, must be able to fit the
whole nation. We passed an undisturbed day
among the trees we had chosen for our retreat ;
and in the cool of the evening rode over to Pu
neeala, where we dined and passed the night.
This morning we pursued the same road that
we had done before, and reached the banks of
the Tank near Deobund. We rode through
the town, the principal street of which was very
long and narrow, with tolerably good shops on
each side. The houses were high, some having
k 5

202 OPPRESSION OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
latticed projections to their upper stories ; and
tbey were generally built of baked bricks.
This town is also walled; but these defences
being no longer necessary, are not kept in very
good repair; which circumstance may be re
corded as a compliment to the British govern
ment. " Now every man shall eat in safety,
under his own vine, what he plants."
Not to be noticed or disturbed was all we de
sired during these hot days : we sought no ad
venture or incident therefore, and none occurred
to us. Although upon the high road, we saw
no travellers, and only occasionally heard the
creaking noise of a bullock-carriage, to show
that some beings were awake besides ourselves.
The period of the hot winds may be made en
durable in tents from the use of tatties ; but it
is impossible to mitigate the violence of au
tumnal heat, the season in which the rains break
up. There was not a breath of air the whole
day ; and no rain having fallen for at least two
or three nights, the ground was dry and parched,
and the sand, of which the soil is composed,
dazzled the eyes, and reflected the heat tenfold.

FARE OF THE HINDOOS. 203
There was not a bird to be seen or heard, and
the very flies seemed to share in the general op
pression : the restless motion and incessant hum
of the musquitoes alone prevented the perfect
torpor we might otherwise have fallen into. All
the servants and followers were happily fast
asleep beneath the shadow of the surrounding
trees ; and the melancholy face of a camel, as its
lower jaw moved slowly up and down in the act of
chewing the cud, its teeth sometimes grinding,
as if by accident it had missed the object of its
rumination, was the only proof (a most wither
ing one) of life being still in the midst of our
bttle camp.
Never was the rising of the sun so prayed for
during a stormy night, as its setting is by us
through the glare of day ; and most sudden
and delightful are the effects of that moment
upon us. Then every one arises, and all crea
tures seem to grow alive again : fires are kin
dled and dinners cooked, and the various casts
assume their picturesque position and interesting
occupations. The Hindoos have always been called ex-

204 WHEATEN CAKES.
tremely temperate, and indeed are held up as
models of abstinence ; but I know no race of
men who enjoy their meals more, and think
more about them. Their food is simple enough,
but the quantity they are able to consume at
one time is surprising. The deliberate manner
in which a Hindoo feeds himself shows that he
considers the operation as one of first-rate im
portance : his cakes all piled before him, with a
loto, or brass vessel of water by his side, he
squats down ; and, thrusting large pieces into
his mouth in rapid succession, he never has it
empty a moment. When his appetite flags, he
still feeds on, so resolute is he to accomplish the
destruction of all the cakes he has prepared.
The business over, he washes his cooking- vessels,
drinks a good draught of water, and, throwing
himself down, stretches, as the boa is said to do
after gorging, and falls fast asleep, very fre
quently considerably swelled by the process.
One of my bearers never makes less than twelve
large cakes for himself, each being nearly an
inch thick, and more than half a foot in dia
meter ; all of which he consumes with the most

FOOD OF THE BENGALESE. 205
astonishing perseverance. These cakes are made
of coarse uncleansed flour, and baked upon a
tin plate; and are indeed not unlike the girdle
cakes of the highlands of Scotland, which
should be the classical food to one acquainted
with the legends of that country, and as fond of
them as I am.
Those who can afford a more expensive food,
generally bve on rice mixed with a yellow grain
called dhol, and made savoury with sauces and
pickles. The Bengalese are much annoyed in
the upper provinces, where the price of rice is
too high for them to enjoy their favourite food ;
and are a long time before they become perfectly
reconciled to the wheaten cake. Dining, with
these, is a more elaborate affair than with the
former ; for they have to knead their food into
small round balls with their fingers and thumb,
before they can venture to taste it; and the
neatness with which they effect this, and the
dexterity with which they pop the bttle balls
into their mouths, is above all praise.
I looked with some interest at this ceremony
when I first observed it, from the remembrance

206 A TURKISH DINNER.
of my complete failure, when dining a la Turque
on the river Nile, in the same feat. It was at
the table of the French Colonel Seve, Suleiman
Beh, who has since become well known as second
in command to Ibrahim Pacha in the Morea.
He was kind enough to invite us all to his boat,
which had stopped for the night close to the
ruins of Thebes. He had assembled all the
functionaries of his army ; for he was on his
way to Assouan to bring a portion of the newly-
organized troops down towards Cairo, with a
view, it was rumoured, of having them ready
for an expedition against the Greeks. His £tat-
major formed a singular group : there were two
or three elderly men, with fine black beards, as
grave and quiet as Turks ought to be ; while the
spirit of the party was centred in a middle-aged,
florid-faced hero, with blue eyes and light brown
mustachios. He was the drum-major-general
of the army, and annoyed us all night with
practising upon the table a row-dow-dow, as
noisy, if not as correct, as any drummer in
Christendom could devise. We sat cross-legged
round a table, on which the first dish that ap-

BEGUM SUMROO'S TROOPS. 207
peared was vermicelli soup ; and, alas ! no
spoons : this was succeeded by a species of curry,
followed by spinach and eggs ; and our discom
fiture was complete. We were obliged to par
take of it, and I shudder at the recollection,
how " the silver skin was laced with the golden"
stream !
September 26th. — At daylight, as usual, we
were on horseback, and had the advantage of a
rainy ride to Muzuffernugger, which place we
reached about seven o'clock. We found here an
encampment of the Begum Sumroo's troops from
Serdhana. She was not among them, but was
expected in a few days, on an excursion through
her province. Their tents were rather carelessly
arranged ; and their general slovenliness did not
speak much in favour of their commander's dis
cipline. He was an Italian by birth, Signor
Raggolini, and had married an adopted daughter
of the Begum's : he had been some time in this
country, and entered her service very soon after
his arrival. He is not a very military-looking
person, and makes a poor picture by the side of
his troops, who are generally fine, stout-looking

208 BEGUM SUMROO's TROOPS.
men ; his dress, too, is as opposite as possible to
theirs : a sky-blue jacket, looped in every di
rection with silver, decks his yellow little person ;
while a long caftan of quilted cotton, of a dirty
brown colour, with turbans and sashes of white,
forms the uniform of his army ; trowsers, down
to the ancles, generaUy of the same material as
the rest, with tremendous russety-coloured shoes,
bending upwards from the toe to a great height.
These troops carry swords and matchlocks ;
and, although they have not a very elegant ap
pearance, when scattered about in small knots,
the sentinels lounging on their posts, they look
extremely wild and picturesque. In addition to
this Signor Raggolini, (whose name, by-the-bye,
the natives corrupt into an unfortunately ap
propriate one, " Ragged-an'-lean Sahib,") the
begum has an aid-de-camp, a Captain Dise, the
son of a former general by an adopted daughter
also, I believe. He is a half-caste; and his
father was factotum to her highness not long
ago ; but she quarrelled with him upon some
trifling matter, and dismissed him her service,
and forbade him her presence. After several

THE DISGRACED GENERAL. 209
vain attempts to recover her favour, he esta
blished himself in one of her houses at Meerut,
where she usually resides. She was determined
to dislodge him; but he resolutely kept his
ground. A native prince, or princess, is never
at a loss for stratagem, and she had recourse to
it. To draw the fox, she pretended to pardon
him, and expressed great anxiety to see him
once more. The general was too delighted at
the prospect of reconciliation, and readily em
braced her proposal for an audience. At twelve
o'clock, the day after the message, by her ap
pointment, he presented himself at the palace
gate, when his entrance was opposed by her
guard, who told him her highness had resolved
never to see him again, and desired that he
should instantly retire. Disappointed and in
dignant, he returned to his former abode ; and
there, " unkindest cut of all!" he was* met by
another party of the guard, who had been sent
round by a different road to take possession of
the house during his absence ! " The begum
desires never to see you more," was again thun
dered in his ears, and so he was ejected from his

210 FEMALE TYRANT
last hold. After having served her faithfully
all his life, he was driven forth, to reflect, in his
old age, on the vanity of putting trust in princes.
So resolute a dame as Begum Sumroo is not
likely to be moved by pity or remorse. If all
the stories told of her be true, it is a strange
sight to see the honour and attention she meets
with from a Christian society. Many of the
worst tales are currently believed, particularly
that sad one of her stretching a carpet over the
ground, beneath which two female slaves were
buried alive. She smoked her pipe coolly, it is
said, until she thought they were dead ; afraid,
if she had moved from the spot, that more
tender-hearted people might have rescued them.
In the present age, when these horrors are sup
posed to live in story alone, it is difficult to be
lieve such cruelty possible. When confronted
with the gay and smiling countenance of the per
petrator of them, we may really say, though
from a very different cause, " Look in her face,
and you forget them all," for a more lively old
dame is not to be found. I have heard many
instances of her bounty as well as of her cruelty ;

BAGGAGE-BEARERS. 211
and I believe the Europeans about her person
have no cause to be dissatisfied with her genero
sity. She is, however, a female Djezzar Pacha,
and has all the caprice as well as the barbarity
of a tyrant.
To descend to an inferior race of women : —
we had moved so quickly, that it was necessary
to lighten our camels, by having a portion of
the baggage carried by bearers ; and men being
scarce, we were forced to enbst females into our
train. Although they were well loaded, we did
not consider it a reproach to our gallantry ; for
stouter or more masculine damsels were never
yet seen. They are tall and straight, with a
smooth skin of a bright chestnut colour : a blue
cotton boddice, which just reached below their
bosoms, and a petticoat of the same fastened
above the hips, (a long brown interval between
the two garments,) formed their dress. They
carry their loads upon their heads ; and, holding
themselves perfectly upright, move with the
greatest quickness, swinging their bodies as the
Irish women do, who carry fruit into Covent
Garden market from the gardens in the neigh-

212 BAGGAGE-BEARERS.
bourhood of London. They are as good hu
moured and talkative as their western proto
types; and, following each other in a string,
laugh and jest with all their might. The male
bearers seldom utter any sound in the course of
their journeys, but a dismal grunt ; the women
have by far the advantage in lungs and spirits :
in complexion and features they resemble very
strongly the gipsies in our own country ; and
from their lively eyes and reckless expression,
they seem to bear a close affinity to that sooth
saying race. Their pay for the day's journey is
very trifling ; and, without waiting to rest, the
moment they received it, they tramped off again,
although they had travelled well laden for nearly
twenty miles.
Muzuffernugger is thirty-six miles from Mee
rut; and we determined to make the journey in
one day, leaving our followers to finish it at
their leisure. A gig was to meet us at Kutow-
lee, a walled town about sixteen miles on the
road ; and we could drive on, in defiance of the
sun. At two in the morning, when the moon
was at its height, we mounted, and moved for

ROADS IN UPPER INDIA. 213
an hour along a very sandy track, with nothing
for the eye to rest on, nor (what was still worse)
to receive the rays of the moon. It was like
riding over a desert.
There are no regularly defined roads through
out the upper provinces of India. They all
appear to have been made by accident ; and
even with the light that we had, it was neces
sary to be careful of the stepping of our horses.
The path was of soft sand, and the ruts made
by the bullock-carriages, (the only wheeled con
veyances that pass over them,) were frequently
more than a foot deep. Before the day had
dawned, we rode into the gate of Kutowlee. As
in all native towns, the streets are very narrow
and winding ; and it behoves the traveller to
keep a careful watch upon the direction he takes
in passing through them, lest he be lost in the
labyrinth. Although as quiet as death, it by
no means had the appearance of a deserted vil
lage ; it seemed, nevertheless, like one that was
fast falling into depopulation. It required no
great effort of imagination, to fancy that it had
been visited by the plague ; for human bodies,

214 KUTOWLEE.
apparently lifeless, lay stretched in every direc
tion through its lanes ; and the only sound, be
sides the echo of our horses' feet, was an occa
sional snore, I think I must call it, which, aided
by the night and the scene, might well have
been mistaken for a dying moan.
It is the custom of the natives, at the warm
season of the year, to sleep very much in the
open air ; and as they were scattered in all di
rections about, some on charpoys, (common cots,)
and some on mats spread upon the ground,
wrapped up in white cotton sheets, their very
heads covered as if in their shrouds, the ride
through their fallen ranks had something (com
ing suddenly upon them, as we had from a wide
waste) startling in it. We found it necessary
to move with great care, lest we should unfor
tunately rouse them more roughly than we
would have wished.
The tatties, or mat frames, that generally
close in the fronts of the houses during the
night, were all open as they are by day, when,
propped up by poles, they serve the purpose of
verandahs. The goods which lay upon the

little terraces for sale, were moved to the inner
apartments ; and the children and old men oc
cupied their places. There is a small serai in
the town, at the door of which we found our
saees, or groom, j ust arisen from performing his
ablutions, and by his side a wrinkled old wo
man, who had the charge of the establishment,
engaged in a similar occupation. She was
pouring water into her hand, from a brass
vessel ; and so washing her face, in the delibe
rate, though not quite in the graceful manner
of a cat. I was forcibly reminded, by the mode
in which she * dighted her grunzie,' of a similar
allusion in one of Burns's songs :
Auld Baudron by the ingle sits.
And wi' her loof her face a washin.
The groom had performed this part of the
ceremony, and was now sitting by the old crone,
who certainly might have rivalled ' Wilbe's
wife,' and was engaged in rubbing his teeth
with a small twig of lime, in the most lack-a-
daisical manner that can be conceived. I am

216 SAEES, OR RUNNING FOOTMEN.
afraid it is not quite delicate to introduce a
scene at the toilette, but this forms as striking a
picture of native manner, as either their cooking
or their sleeping. We soon disturbed the
groom ; and, entering the buggy, drove towards
Meerut, plunging, as we best could, through
the deep sand, the saees running lightly by our
sides. This part of their occupation is a most
toilsome one : they are expected to keep up
with a horse at a good trot ; and generally
manage it very well by laying hold of some
portion of the carriage, contriving very dex
terously to keep clear of the wheel in its motion,
in the manner I have seen a dog, fastened to
the axle of a cart, dodge about to avoid the
heels of the horse.
Soon after we left Kutowlee, we saw the sun
arise — a sight by no means uncommon in the
East, (as all are early risers,) but always stri
kingly beautiful. From the bounds of these
wide plains it rises nearly as suddenly as at sea,
and there is not a preceding or following tint
that is lost to the eye. The moment, however,
that it is fairly in the sky, there is an end of

FEMALES AT THE WELL. 217
beauty : no hills, nor even woods, to soften its
approach ; it is too bright to look at, and a
great deal too hot to bear.
At seven o'clock we reached Doolah, and
found a horse waiting beneath a wide tree at the
entrance to the village : near was a large well,
at which all the damsels had assembled to draw
their morning supply of water. Nothing can
be more picturesque, and to our fancies more
thoroughly oriental, than the moment, when
" the daughters of the men of the city come out
to draw water." Their graceful robes and fine
straight figures, with the various positions in
which they are arranged, make the most inte
resting picture possible — some approaching with
their empty pitchers lying on the sides upon
their shoulders, while their children sit astride
their hips ; others return laden, with the pitchers
on their heads, supported by the right hand,
while the left is ready to draw the veil over the
face lest any stranger should approach.
Round the well the utmost activity prevails.
The one in this village is of brick, and from its
sides rise several pieces of wood, like cranes, with
VOL. II. L

218 EASTERN CUSTOM.
pulleys at the end of them, which are always
kept in tune by the constant drawing up and
down of the pitcher. The splashing and chat
tering are quite amusing : it seems as if the
women had thrown off all restraint in this occu
pation, and there is seldom a man near them
to recall them to their usual bashful demeanour.
I can easily conceive the joy they must feel in
such a service, in the early part of the morning
or the cool of the evening, after either an op
pressive night or scorching day. This is one of
the customs in the East that I contemplate with
most pleasure.
I felt very thirsty from my long drive ; and as
I had no cup of my own, I feared I should find
some difficulty in obtaining a draught of water.
In Bengal, when I asked for a drink on a similar
occasion, a man brought me a new earthen vessel,
which he dashed to the ground in a thousand
pieces the moment I had satisfied my thirst, lest
any Hindoo should be polluted by using it after
me ; I was agreeably surprised to find myself
better treated here, although all were Hindoos.
A woman, sent me a brass vessel to drink from ;

MEERUT, A MILITARY STATION. 219
and when I returned it, merely emptied out the
water I had left, and rubbed it over with sand,
deeming a purification of some sort still abso
lutely necessary.
We soon changed horses, and pushed on for
Meerut. Although approaching the largest mili
tary station in Upper India, the roads became
worse as we drew near; and after jolting over
the most despicable track for nearly two hours,
we entered the broad plain on which that can
tonment stands. It sometimes happens that the
roads in the neighbourhood of a post are in tole
rably good order, but these are exceptions ; for
no greater pains are taken by Europeans than by
the natives in the approaches to their stations.
It is now the month of October, and the cold
season has commenced, which is generally the
period of gaiety and amusement. We have din
ners, plays, and balls, and a large society, (about
two hundred perhaps,) with, however, an over
whelming majority of men. The early complaint
of our settlers in India may still be reasonably
urged in the upper provinces — that there are no
means of becoming husbands : in Meerut, which,
l 2

220 SCARCITY OF WOMEN.
as I have said, is the largest station, there is but
one unmarried lady. " But one halfpenny- worth
of bread to this intolerable deal of sack !" — for
I fancy there are at least one hundred and fifty
single men. It too frequently happens that the
posts, in the upper provinces, are without even
that solitary temptation to a change of state;
and to this, doubtless, many of the unfortunate
connexions European officers have formed may
be ascribed. The desolate situations young men
are often reduced to, placed by themselves in
remote districts, with no family within many
miles, and no prospect of returning to England
till at least declined into the vale of years, are
almost enough to make them forget that they
have a " home beyond the sea," deeply as that
circumstance is generally inscribed upon the
heart. I have often been amused at half-caste
people, and those of a nearer approach to Euro
pean, who, I think, are styled country-born,
talking of England as their home. " I should
like to go home" sounds singularly enough from
the lips of one whose complexion might rival
ebony : it is well that it should be so, however,

ATTENTIONS PAID TO THE SEX. 221
while the half-caste population is so rapidly
increasing. While writing of ladies, I may venture, en
passant, to notice some of the customs of so
ciety, in which they are materially concerned.
It is natural to suppose, that being in so small
a proportion they must receive great attention,
and it is but right that they should. I was much
amused, the first large assembly I was ever
present at, in the country, by the great sensation
that was created in the company on the arrival
of a carriage of ladies. I went somewhat early,
and had scarcely time to look about me, when a
servant ran into the room, in breathless haste,
and, placing his hands together, muttered some
thing to his master, who instantly rushed out of
the chamber, followed by a train of gentlemen.
The suddenness of the movement, and the im
portant expression of the messenger's counte
nance, threw me into some alarm : if it had not
been the midst of summer, I should have fancied
the house had been on fire. In a moment, however,
the fugitives returned, each bringing in a lady.
They had barely time to conduct them to the

222 CUSTOMS OF SOCIETY.
seats allotted for them, when another summons
called them forth once more : the plot now began
to thicken, and all took part in the race. Car
riage after carriage arrived, and gentlemen and
servants were running wildly along the hall,
breathless and intolerably hot.
The ladies sit quietly in their carriages till the
proper announcement has called the gentlemen
to their assistance. Although the society is un
questionably very delightful, I think the strict
etiquette preserved even in the houses of private
individuals might be very advantageously dis
pensed with. It is a great nuisance to have your
lot so firmly fixed in society as not to be able to
change it even from inclination or inadvertency,
without giving offence. Although these precise
arrangements are very much confined to those
of the highest offices, yet still the spirit of place
pervades all ranks a great deal too much. I was
a member of a committee to regulate a large ball
on a particular occasion, when it occupied the
greater part of a day to settle the order of our
going into supper : we found ourselves sitting as
a Committee of Privileges. At length, a regular

MAGNIFICENT FESTIVAL. 223
table of precedence was made out, and delivered
to those gentlemen whose good fortune had cast
them in a parallel rank with the ladies who were
to grace the assembly, and who, to say truth,
must very frequently have found themselves most
uncongenially suited. Nothing can exceed the
style in which such entertainments are given,
even in situations so distant from the capital as
Meerut. Native ingenuity, however, is not called
forth to assist in the decorations, as it is with so
much effect in the more southern parts of the
East. The most beautiful festival I ever witnessed
was given some time ago near Columbo, by Sir
Edward Barnes, then governor of the island of
Ceylon. The Cingalese are famous for the man
ner of their light and ornamental buildings : in
the course of twenty-four hours they garnish a
palace that may remind you of the genii of the
Arabian Nights. On the banks of the river near
Columbo, and three miles above the stream from
the usual point of embarkation, a splendid ball
room was built, so tastefully decorated, that it
resembled a fairy palace : the pillars that sup-

224 SPLENDID BALL-ROOM.
ported the roof were covered with slips of the
ola, which gave them the appearance of being
fluted, an interval being left between each
row, while the capitals were of plaintain leaves
and boughs of the ola interspersed, approaching
nearly to the natural Corinthian : the roof was
thatched with lemon grass; and within were
columns and arches of the lightest and most
fanciful appearance. Variegated lamps hung in
festoons round the room, and, winding about
the pillars, shone from among the flowers that
encircled them, like bright jewels : a bridge of
boats led from the opposite bank of the river to
the banqueting-hall. At each end of it was a
magnificent gate, and in the centre a triumphal
arch ; while on each side was a parapet hung
with lamps and flowers and branches of the most
graceful of the palm-trees. The company moved
up the stream in large flat-bottomed boats towed
by elephants; and nothing could surpass the
beauty of the scene.
It was a little before sunset when the cere
mony began ; but the return at night was be
yond description magnificent ; the vessels were

AMUSEMENTS AT MEERUT. 225
carried down by the stream, and floated away
with sufficient irregularity : in two or three were
stationed bands of music, that played the whole
time. The banks of the river were illuminated ;
and constant discharges of cannon and bursts of
fireworks were repeated during the descent. It
was calculated that there were more than seventy
thousand natives scattered about the banks of
the river. They occasionally shouted in admi
ration of the sight ; and the other strains of the
band were sometimes lost in the incessant beat
of the tom-tom, the monotonous sound of which
(a constant repetition of the two words that give
it a name) is the most tiresome that ever an
noyed the ear.
One of the principal amusements of Meerut
during the cold weather is the theatre, of which
I have already spoken. It is managed by some
officer, who has the taste for, and who will take
the trouble of, conducting its representations. I
saw, on the night of my return, the performance
of Macbeth so well done, that it was astonishing.
No provincial stage in England could have ma
naged the scenery, the music, or the general
l 5

226 colonel skinner's -horse.
effect better ; and for the acting — London, alas !
now-a-days, falls very often short of it. Lady
Macbeth exhibited the singular novelty of being,
played by a gentleman, and remarkably well
played too : this amateur has been long cele
brated for his talents in the personification of
the opposite sex ; and, as I have seen him in
Mrs. Malaprop and Lady Macbeth, I may be
allowed to say he is the most extraordinary ac
tor, or actress, that ever wore the sock.
The commander-in-chief, with his splendid
array, on his way from Delhi into Rohilcund, I
believe, passed through Meerut, and remained in
it a short time : the days were all activity in con
sequence, and tbe nights all festivity. He was
accompanied by Colonel Skinner and a large
body of horse ; and a greater tribe was col
lected at Meerut than I think ever could have
appeared there before, merely for the purpose of
pleasure. Skinner's horse is a remarkably fine
body of men ; and they added considerably to
the pageantry of the scene. Their commander
bears the character of a noble fellow, and has all
the air of a brave man and good leader. He is

remarkably handsome, although very black ;
and I regretted not being able to see more of
one who does so much honour to the name we
both bear. I should imagine, from his appear
ance, that he is two or three generations at least
from his English ancestor — if, indeed, he be de
rived from such a source. He has several sons,
and one of them is adjutant of his father's corps.
Dec. 3rd. — I left Meerut in the evening for
Ghurmoktesir Ghaut — the port, it may be called,
of that station on the Ganges. The distance is
thirty-six miles, and I reached it at dayhght in
the morning, having travelled in a palanquin, by
Dak. I am not sufficientlv accustomed to this
mode of travelling to consider it in the least
luxurious. Lolbng in a palanquin may be
thought in the west a mighty fine thing, but to
me it is the most uncomfortable mode of moving
possible. It is very true, you are able to lie
down, and lounge away ; but, alas ! you cannot
get up again; and the jumping motion might
put you verv comfortably to sleep, if the grunting
of the bearers did not keep you awake. Even
two hours, or so, if you are sufficiently practised

228 EASTERN HYPERBOLE.
in the conveyance to sleep, you are sure to be
roused by the application for "buxees," from
the bearers who are about to be relieved. The
new ones, too, generally thrust a piece of paper
into your face, to learn whether you are the
identical person for whom they were ordered,
and" whose name is written upon the scroll they
hold. On entering a town, the bearers vary the
usual grunt, with which they enliven the way,
by extolling the character of the person they are
carrying in true eastern hyperbole, not know
ing even his name perhaps. The first trip I
ever made by Dak was from Meerut to Delhi.
I am indeed but little practised ; and just before
entering the town I had fallen into a doze, from
which I was awakened by the loud exclamations
of my people in praise of some great man, as I
imagined. They were shouting out, as we moved
through the streets, " Make way for a great
man ;" " A mighty prince ;" " The poor man's
friend ;" " The lion of war ;" " Our father and
mother ;" with a hundred other honourable ap
pellations. I expected the Great Mogul, at

GHAUT OF GHURMOKTESIR. 229
least, to pass me : but not a traveller was to be
seen but myself, and I was the undisputed hero
of all these fine phrases. Am I Giles, or am I
not? thought I, or has some facetious caliph
been playing me a trick ? Like Abon Hassan
I am to be king for a day. On finding that I
had awakened, they roared my titles out still
louder ; and I entered a small tent beneath a
tree, by the castle ditch, in spite of this magni
ficent proclamation, without a soul being there
to notice me, and not even a breakfast provided
for the " poor man's protector."
I arrived at the Ghaut of Ghurmoktesir in the
same splendid manner, the banks of the Ganges
echoing my stately titles. My palace here was a
very humble one indeed ; at this season of the
year, the water being very low, large vessels do
not come even so high as Ferruckabad : I was
obliged, therefore, to hire a country boat to con
vey myself and servants down the stream, until
I should fall in with a budgerow. I had sent
them forward a day or two before myself, in
order that they might make my boat as com
fortable as circumstances would permit ; and

230 INTERIOR OF A BOAT.
now that I am fairly installed in it, I cannot do
better than describe it.
It is about twenty feet long, and tolerably
broad in the beam, with a thatched roof reach
ing from the stern very nearly to the head, and
supported by poles of bamboo ; the sides wattled
with a number of neatly contrived mats, which
overlay each other, and are capable of being
propped up to admit the light, or, what is of
equal consequence, the air. Beneath the roof
there are two apartments divided by a mat, the
first of which is my kitchen, and the second, or
aftermost, my hall of state. In the latter there
is just room for a bed and a table ; and, by way
of keeping the dust and the insects from inter
fering with my quiet, my servants have hung it
with different-coloured cloths of cotton — part,
I fancy, of their summer wardrobe, which they
have dedicated to the purpose. The floor is
constructed of slips of bamboo, tied carelessly
together, in which I not unfrequently catch my
foot, to the great risk of an overthrow. On the
top of the roof there is a frame of bamboo poles,
from which several posts, of two or three feet

INTERIOR OF A BOAT. 231
high, arise, and to which the oars are tied :
these are very long pieces of bamboo, with a
round flat board at the end of them.
The men stand to their oars, and it requires
all their strength to move them : the noise of
the rowing over-head, and the frequent bumps
of the vessel upon the numerous sandbanks,
render it no very easy matter to follow any pur
suit. The crew consists of a manjee and six
men, with a little boy, the son of the master,
about six years of age, and who is not considered
too young to have the management of the helm :
he indeed is the only one on board sufficiently
vigilant for a Palinurus. When any of the
men take his place, they soon fall asleep, and
allow the boat to drift where it will. We have
a mast, which is much of a piece with the rest
of the bark, crooked and rickety ; while the sail
is the most ragged and absurd- looking thing
imaginable. The sails of these kind of boats
are calculated for any purpose but holding the
wind. I have frequently seen a fleet in full sail,
with not a whole breadth of canvass on board any
one of the vessels ; the crew, squatting on the

232 SINGULAR NAVIGATION.
top of them, like monkeys on the roof of a cot
tage, with as much complacency as if they
manned the best-appointed ship in the world.
Their navigation, to a person unacquainted
with the river, (which all Europeans are likely
to be,) is the most incomprehensible : those,
however, who are fond of interfering, are gene
rally forced to repent it. I have always found
that the best method of rigging and managing a
boat, is that followed by the country you hap
pen to be in. It is not easy, however, to con
vince the Sahib Logue of this ; and many are
the quarrels and accidents that occur in conse
quence. The natives, although indifferent
enough about death when it comes, are not prone
to seek it; and a person, careful about his
safety, cannot do better than trust it to them.
Between Meerut and Ferruckabad the coun
try is sufficiently uninteresting: the river is
narrow and low, and the banks are generally of
sand : the stream is not very rapid either, and
we got on but slowly.
Dec. 8th. — In the afternoon we arrived at
Ferruckabad, and pushed our way to the shore,

FERRUCKABAD. 233
through a number of similar boats, a little be
low the town, and above the military cantonment
of Futteghur. A ghaut on the Ganges always
presents a considerable degree of bustle and in
terest. We were not exactly in high day yet ;
early in the morning, or sunset, being the great
hours of general rendezvous. I here met my
brother, who had left me soon after we descended
from the hills for Shahjehanpoor, in Rohilcund,
from which, being only fifty miles from the
shores of the river at this point, he had ridden
over to see me. As my apartment was too small
to entertain a second person, we resolved upon
taking possession of a room in a large house
close by us, which stood apparently deserted
above the river. We were fastened to a post in
" the compound," as it is called, of this palace,
for it really seemed to be such.
We wandered through its halls for some time,
without perceiving a human being. A water ves
sel, to tell the hour by, which was not yet filled,
was the only thing to intimate a superintend
ence of some description. This style of clock
is common in many parts of India, and is more

234 CURIOUS CLOCK.
simple, and fully as true, as the hour-glass. A
brass basin, with a small hole at the bottom, is
placed on the surface of a tub of water : it takes
a fixed time, generally an hour, to fill ; and then
it sinks. The guardian of this clock soon made
his appearance, however, armed with a formida
ble sword and short baton, which latter was for
announcing the time upon a gong, to the work
men of an indigo factory close at hand.
This personage was a worthy representative in
figure, as well as office, of the notorious time-
beaters of St. Dunstan's, to whose complexion too
his was a near approach. He was dressed up to
the ears in dark quilted cotton, and a dirty piece
of cloth bound under his chin, as if he had been
bandaged up for the mumps. This is a very
common appendage to a man's face in the upper
provinces; and, by swelling out his cheeks, gives
him something of a ludicrously pompous ex
pression : I always fancied it was for protection
against the cold, till I learned that the bucks
adopt the plan for the purpose of improving
their whiskers. I do not know whether this
happy discovery has reached the west yet ; but

IMPROVEMENT OF WHISKERS. 235
as it may be of service to many, I think it would
be wrong in me to suppress it. They have no
thing to do but to oil their whiskers well ; and,
brushing them in the proper direction, bandage
them up, to use the phraseology of the receipt-
book, as tightly as they can bear; and if they
do not look the better for it, it is not my fault
at any rate. There is no personal ornament, of
which the Mahometans are more proud than
their beards and moustaches; and the greater
part of their life, I verily believe, is devoted to
their cultivation. I have often seen them sitting,
with a small looking-glass in one hand, the head
turned conceitedly aside, while the other was
engaged in trimming, smoothing, and curling
the objects of their devotion.
We found a European inhabitant living in
solitary grandeur in this magnificent mansion,
which had been built by a firm of merchants in
Calcutta, who failed some years ago, and whose
indigo factories are now worked for the benefit
of the estate. The young man, who very kindly
permitted us to occupy a room in the house,
made a third to our party : he was a Scotch^

236 INDIGO FACTORIES.
man, and had the superintendence of an indigo
concern near AUehghur. The Europeans, in the
upper part of India, are not generally planters,
but manufacturers only : they buy the plant
from the natives, and encourage them to grow,
by always becoming purchasers, and securing it
to themselves by outbidding the native mer
chants. Their profits this way are not so great,
perhaps, although I should imagine they must
be more secure from loss. They have the su
perintendence of very large establishments, and
should have an intimate knowledge of the na
tive character, in order to conduct them with
advantage both to their employers and their ser
vants. I am inclined to suspect they are defi
cient in this quality, principally because I sel
dom hear an indigo planter speak well of the
people under him.
At night I returned to my little nest ; and,
in order to be out of the way of noise, had my
boat removed to the side of the sandbank in the
middle of the stream ; and after breakfast on
the 9th again dropped downwards.
Between Ferruckabad and Cawnpore there is

MAHOMETAN CEREMONIES. 237
little to interest in the scenery on the shores of
the river, or in the towns and villages that oc
cupy them. The women, coming down to the
river-side for water ; the bathing in the neigh
bourhood of a ghaut, with now and then a pious
brahmin repeating his prayers in solitude and
nakedness in the stream ; or, as evening closes
in, a devout Mussulman kneeling on the end of
a cloth, bowing his head towards the prophet's
shrine — constitute the variety of native manners.
This latter is not very common ; but when it
does occur, it is the most striking of all the cere
monies. In a perfectly Mahometan country it is
never omitted ; but I do not think the faithful
in India are so particular about the matter. I
have seen the banks of the Nile, at sunset,
scattered with the pious of the villages around,
who happened tobeaway from the neighbourhood
of their mosques at the call to prayer ; while
the stillness of the evening was only broken by
the loud " Alia hu !" of the muezzin. I must
do my own servant, however, the justice to say
that he never dispenses with the needful cere
mony. Soon after we halt for the evening he

238 COOKING AND EATING.
retires to the shade of a tree ; and, placing his
carpet on the ground, kneels upon it, looking
towards the east ; his turban (which upon these
occasions only he takes off) is placed upon the
other end of the carpet ; and as he bows his
head, it just measures his length.
The Hindoos, at this time, are very differently
engaged, preparing their dinners ; they seem to
be as happy as possible when this hour comes
about, on the banks of the holy stream. I am
very anxious to hasten down to Calcutta, and
wish to remain as short a time as I can on the
water; but so elaborate is the ceremony of
cooking and eating, that I am forced to sacrifice
several hours to it. It was with some difficulty
I overcame their desire to cook in the morning
as well as the evening ; but at length we com
promised the matter. At ten every morning I
agreed to allow them to go on shore for a quarter
of an hour, to eat meal and water : this they
accomplish with much greater celerity than I
should ever wish to do. They throw two or
three handfulls of flour into a brass dish ; and,
sprinkling it with water, swallow it with as

THE LOST KEYS. 239
much greediness as if it were the most savoury
mess in the world.
The suttoo of this morning (for that is the
name of the meal) has cost me a great deal of
inconvenience ; for my sirdar, or head servant,
who always bore my keys in a bunch at his gir
dle, has thought proper either to sacrifice them
to the river-god, by dropping them into the
stream, or abandon them on the bank, to be
washed off at his leisure. I must allow that he
feels the annoyance much more than I do ; for
he has been sitting for nearly an hour in front
of a trunk, peeping curiously, from time to
time, into the key-hole, as if to discover some
charm to open it, some " open sesame" to burst
its fastening asunder. So devoted are all the
servants to their particular employments, that I
am sure he feels as miserable as if he had lost
an only child ; for my keys being hitherto his
sole care, deprived of them, he knows not where
to turn ; I refused to have the trunks broken
open, and the sorrow of the sirdar suddenly per
vaded the whole party. If I had been Blue
beard himself, and the lost bunch contained the

240 THE LOST KEYS.
key of the fatal closet, there could not have
been greater consternation : — one man instantly
proposed to return in quest of the keys; and,
as the river was very winding, hoped to be able
to overtake the boat. He set off in high spirits
with an encouraging " acha " from all around,
and we floated quietly down the stream.
It was beautifully calm, and by no means un
comfortably hot, even when exposed to the sun
on the roof of my barge. I could not persuade
my crew to row, and lazily indeed we drifted
on. They threw a plank overboard ; and,
fastening it by both ends to the head of the
boat, left it to assist our descent. The little
ripple that this caused, gave me an idea that I
was going faster, and I was obliged to be satis
fied with the thought. The banks on each side
were high, of loose sand which crumbled and
fell into the stream whenever we approached
them, which we generally did with a good
bump; for when the current sweeps past ahead-
land, they never attempt to fend off the vessel,
but let it take its chance of going to pieces, or
pushing its way through the obstacle. The

CROCODILES. 241
water is shallow, and the river about as broad as
the Thames at London bridge, with occasi
onally a long ridge of sand just above the sur
face, well tenanted by crocodiles. These ani
mals lie basking in the sun, and may easily be
mistaken for logs of wood : on the approach of
a boat, they quit their resting-place, and take
to the water ; but so slowly and indifferently,
that they do not appear to be in the least
alarmed. I have seen the natives, when towing
a vessel up the stream, walk boldly through the
water, to the very bank from which the animals
were moving ; while they sink into it to hide
themselves. I never heard of a man, while thus
engaged, being seized by one, although they have
been known to haunt the neighbourhood of a
ghaut, and draw the bathers under the stream.
It is a death, however, rather to be desired by
the Hindoos than avoided ; so that I believe a
place so selected by the crocodiles will attract by
its additional sanctity rather than frighten by
its danger. I know no sight so truly disgust
ing as a sandbank covered with crocodiles : it
makes the blood run cold to look at it.
VOL. II. M

242 GHAUT OF CAWNPORE.
About sunset, the servant, who had gone to
search for the keys, returned, and was greeted
with loud yells. He had lost his labour, and
returned without them, when the mysterious
anxiety was cleared up. " Break open the
trunks, or we shall be all starved," was the cry
of my sirdar. I found he had chosen to lock
up the meal belonging to himself and fellow-
bearers in one of my trunks; I was forced,
therefore, to comply, and restored them all to
good-humour. Dec. 11th. — At ten in the morning we arrived
at the ghaut of Cawnpore, which may be called
the highest port upon the Ganges of any impor
tance ; for below this the river is wider, and
navigable for larger vessels than those that can
be used above it. Goods of any bulk are fre
quently taken from the boats that bring them
hither, and divided among smaller ones for the
purpose of more easily ascending the stream : the
banks, therefore, are full of business and bustle.
I could have changed my little bark for a more
splendid one if I had desired ; but I found my
self so snug in it, that I did not care about

cawxpobe. 243
"the dignitv of a bud^ero-f." which mv ser
vants urged as a reason for my making the
cha:j2i; (Nam-ka-ica&tie . " on account cf vour
name ;" — a feeling, that has great influence with
the natives, as indeed it should with all people ;
I hope, however, mine is not bkelv to be dis
graced by mv continuance under the thatched
roof. Brydone, in his bvely Tour of Sicilv. relates
the horror of his valet de place, lest the reputa
tion of their whole household should be lost bv
his master walking across the street in Palermo.
The risk I run is pretty much of the same na
ture. The native town of Cawnpore is nothing
very extraordinary: but a numbeT of pretty
bungalows are seen from the river, the habita
tions of the English officers. It is a large mib-
tary station, equal in extent and consequence to
Meerut, and more full of dust and disagreeables
than ever that place was. I was more concerned,
however, in the scene around me ; for, anxious
to move on, I would not quit my boat, lest all
should take advantage of my absence, and dis
perse themselves through the bazaar.
m2

244 BOATS AT CAWNPORE.
I found myself in the midst of a singular and
an active people. Every description of vessel
that can be imagined was collected along the
bank : the pinnace, which, with its three masts
and neat rigging, might have passed for a ship;
budgerows, the clumsiest of all clumsy things,
with their sterns several times higher than their
bows ; and bauleahs, ugly enough, but lightly
skimming along, like gondolas, compared with
the heavy craft about them ; the drifting hay
stacks, which the country boats appear to be
when at a distance, with their naked crews
straining every nerve upon their summits, and
cheering themselves with a wild, and not unfre
quently a sweet song; panchways, shooting
swiftly down the stream with one person only on
board, who sits at the head, steering with his
right hand, rowing with his foot, and in the left
hand holding his pipe. A ferry-boat, constantly
plying across the stream, adds to the variety of
the scene by its motley collection of passengers
— travellers, merchants and faquirs, camels, bul
locks and horses, all crowded together.
The vessels fastened to the shore are so closely

MOORED VESSELS. 245
packed, that they appeared to be one mass, and
from their thatched roofs and low entrances
might easily pass for a floating village. Their
inhabitants are scattered along the bank, some
cooking, some smoking, and many abusing each
other to the utmost of their power. When a
newly-arrived vessel endeavours to take up a
position among those which have already as
sumed their stations, the uproar is tremendous.
The people of the moored boats, who perceive
that a concussion is inevitable, never attempt to
ward it off, but join in loud and unmeasured
abuse of the crew of the intruding one, who
spring to the roof of their boat, and, waving
their arms in a wild manner, return it with
double energy. I have watched these scenes of
" wordy war," till I thought I should have
dropped with laughter. As the " impending"
bark draws near, the noise becomes greater and
greater; till at length, bump ! and all is terrible
confusion. The boats below the one thus struck
are moved from their position, and up rise their
crews to vindicate their prior right of ground.
Any of the dandees, boatmen, who may be on

246 GENERAL CLAMOUR.
the shore engaged at their meals, fly from them
to unite their voices to those of their mates;
indeed the passengers, who should be indifferent
to the matter, cannot resist the attraction : all
seem to be impelled by some magic spell to
hasten to the spot, and join in the clamour:
like the negro in the beautiful tale of Vathek,
who by some uncontrollable impulse drew the
inhabitants of every place through which he
roved, to kick him in his course.
I have just recovered from an unexpected de
scent caused by such an invasion as I have de
scribed. My boat got so entangled with two or
three that had been loosened from above, that we
were swept bodily down the stream, and had
proceeded some hundred yards before we could
regain our ground. I determined to draw out
of the crowd, and am now fastened to the bank
a little below the cantonment. I have placed
myself, however, in the midst of the washing-
ground, and am entertained by the thumping of
the linen upon a stone, and the pavior-like grunt
from the washermen that accompanies the action.
I meant to have quitted Cawnpore at twelve

APPEARANCE OF NATIVE TOWN'S. 217
o'clock; but when once, after a short absence
from such an attraction, the natives can get into
a bazaar, it is no easy matter to collect them to
gether again. I shall be delayed till sunset in
consequence, and the people are coming down in
crowds to bathe and draw water. Under a
peepul-tree a little above the town, there is a
small lingam, which has a wreath of flowers
round it, and several are lying on the altar on
which it is pkced, I observed many men and
women touch it on their passing by after bathing ;
and then, returning the hand to their foreheads,
pour a little water upon it, and pass on.
Dec. 13th. — I am now passing the city of
Sirajpoor, a very pretty one, but apparently in
ruins : this is generally the appearance, I think,
of a native town when viewed from any distance,
on account of an irregularity in the mode of
building, and an unfinished look that the houses
have ; one portion, perhaps, being painted,
while the rest have the bricks exposed, or the
plastering but partially completed. Such a want
of method, however, has the effect of improving
the picture; and as they generally are well

248 DEC01TS.
surrounded by trees, they make most interesting
objects. A distant view of a native town is cer
tainly the best : they are all pretty much alike
in their interior arrangements, and few have any
objects within them of great interest. I am
talking only of the common towns on the banks
of the Ganges, not the places of note, as Alla
habad, Benares, &c.
Sailing rapidly down the river, as I am obliged
to do, I find few incidents to vary the scene.
At night, I am very careful to have my little
bark moored in the centre of the stream to some
sand-bank, of which there are a great many;
for my people declare, as long, at least, as we
are skirting the territory of the king of Oude,
that there is great probability of being attacked
by Decoits. These marauders commit their de
predations in too large numbers for my party to
oppose, even if they were more warlike than
they are likely to prove : having the water be
tween us and the enemy, therefore, is a prudent
arrangement. The motley passengers of the Ganges were in
creased this morning by a large party of my

soldiers' wives, &c. 249
own countrymen and women, formed by a di
vision of the sick, and soldiers' wives belong
ing to a king's regiment on its march from
Ghazeepore to Cawnpore. When the corps moves
by land, the hospital and women are sent by
water, under the command of an officer, whose
service is by no means to be envied.
They were all packed into boats similar to
the one I am sailing in, at the rate of fifteen or
twenty to each, not including the children, who
seemed to me to be without end.
There was a light breeze, and their vessels
were saibng up the stream ; the women were
lounging upon the roofs, and the children peeping
through the matting at the sides : shirts, gowns,
and caps were stuck upon every part of the
rigging, and fluttered away in the wind ; while
pots, pans, and kettles were fastened about the
bamboos on the chopper (thatched) roof. There
were at least fifty boats, and they were spread
irregularly across the river ; and many a bump
I received in my passage through them, and
many a curse, I am sorry to say, " both loud
and deep," when the head of my boat, (which,
m 5

250 HOSPITAL TRANSPORT.
by-the-bye, is painted like an alligator's,) poked
into the table of a breakfasting party, as my
unskilful little helmsman endeavoured to thread
his way through the fleet.
In the rear of this division of Amazons came
the sick, who gave a still more singular variety
to the party. They were in their dressing-
gowns and night-caps, and perched about the
different parts of their boats : they are allowed
more room than the healthy ; and although I
think the hospital transport might be better
managed than it is, they seemed tolerably com
fortable. When there is no wind, the boats are
towed up ; and being obliged to follow each
other, have not so amusing an appearance as
when thus scattered over the surface. I learned
that this formed the first division, and that the
second was a day or two in the rear. The fleet
attracted the observation of all the neighbouring
villagers : the women paused on the banks, with
their pitchers on their heads, to notice their
white sisterhood with astonishment.
I have often wondered what these sable dam
sels can think of the extraordinary beings of

AMAZONIAN FLEET. 251
their own order, in European society ; for they
are, in every possible respect, as opposite to each
other as if distinct animals; and the native
women look at them as if they believe they
really have nothing in common.
I soon lost sight of the Amazonian fleet, and
fell into uninterrupted quiet till the end of the
day. Just before sunset, I had my boat fastened
to the right bank of the river, beside a little
village; and, on my return from paying it a
visit, I found I was not to be the sole tenant of
the ground; for the second division of the
women had arrived, and their boats were moored
in a Une above mine.
It was now just dark, and they were all landed,
and running wild and half-naked among the long
grass and few trees around — screaming, laugh
ing, and capering bke so many bacchanals. The
boatmen were cooking their dinners in front of
their vessels, under great apprehension of pollu
tion from the uncontrolled pranks of these
furies, who threatened to overturn their messes
at every step. I am not surprised at the plea
sure these women feel at liberation, after twelve

252 A NOVEL COMMAND.
long hours of such confinement. They make a
much greater sensation in a native village than
a whole regiment of men ; for the villagers fly
at their approach. Such a command is a novel
one, somewhat, for an officer; although I
shrewdly suspect that I am miscalling it sadly
when I say a command.

253

CHAPTER VIII.
Allahabad — Chunar — Benares — A Suttee — A ferry — Dinapore
and Patna — Monghyr — Beggars — Sicly Gully — Rajmah&l —
the Bhagirathi — Conclusion.
Dec. 14th. — At daybght in the morning my
neighbours and myself got under weigh; and
by two o'clock I arrived at Allahabad, and
moored on a bank close to the point of the fort
where the Jumna and Ganges join : an annual
fair happened to be held in the very spot, and I
found a large party of both sexes assembled to
celebrate it. It was a religious fair, and took
place on the very spot of the confluence of the
two rivers. There did not seem to me to be any
thing sold : bathing and praying were the great
occupations. A great number of platforms,
about eight or ten feet square, with long legs to

254) CONFLUENCE OF THE JUMNA AND GANGES.
them, stood in the water : they had canopies
above them, and were as booths in English fairs ;
for in them people frequently sat, as if to rest
themselves after having waded through the river
to reach them. The brahmins, however, seemed
to be the peculiar masters of each, for they never
moved from their seats ; but, occupying the
centre with their rosaries in their hands re
mained at their posts, to administer to the spiri
tual wants of those who visited them.
It was a very pretty scene : the women had
their holiday clothes on, and shone in rosy
scarfs among the crowd. Some of the shorter
ones were frequently up to their shoulders in
wading through the stream ; and I observed that
they all felt great pleasure on reaching the line
that marked the meeting of the waters, which is
now very clearly defined — the Jumna being a
bright blue, and the Ganges having still its sandy
colour. From a little distance the concourse had
a curious appearance. The seats, which the
brahmins occupied, were on the surface of the
river, and they seemed to be floating upon it, in
the positions in which those suspected of being

TRAVELS TO HOLY PLACES. 255
witches in the good old times, were forced to as
sume to undergo the test of their virtue.
The fort has a very fine appearance from my
position : there is now a long tract of sand be
tween it and me, however, which, when the river
is at its height, is under water. This is the
season it is at its lowest. My Hindoo servants
joined in the operations that were going on, and
I rather think related some of their travels to
places of even superior sanctity to Allahabad ;
for they seemed to excite a great degree of in
terest in their hearers, in some of which I shared,
if I may judge bv the looks that were every
now and then directed towards me. There is an
invisible cause of the greater holiness of Allaha
bad, over other places where rivers join ; for a
subterranean one is supposed to unite in this
spot with the Ganges and Jumna.
I descended a species of cave within the fort
by a flight of steps to a dark narrow passage, at
the end of which there is the trunk of a tree
still alive, although the air is quite excluded,
and the rock which finishes the cave is moist
with water, which the people believe arises from

256 TOWN OF MIRZAPOOR.
the course of the Seeraswattee, the mysterious
river. Be that as it may, the belief is not a
whit more foobsh than that held by the Maltese,
who deem that St. Paul's Cave, in their island,
never diminishes, though thousands every day
carry off its chalk.
Dec. 15th. — For some time after quitting Al
lahabad, I thought I could distinctly trace the
courses of the two rivers, and I was pleased to
witness their junction, after having toiled so
much to pass the mighty barrier that divides
their sources: to have seen the first and last
habitations, too, watered by the Jumna, was a
great satisfaction. What is Cursali by the side
of the king of worshipped places; and poor
little Dorali to the sacred city I am now ap
proaching ? We soon, however, floated past the
blue stream of the Jumna, and went merrily on
between high banks of very little interest, until,
about sunset, we reached Mirzapoor. It is a
very large place, and stretches along the bank
of the river for some distance : its ghaut was
full of people, and its port crowded with vessels.
In the town were all the varieties of mosques,

VARIOUS KINDS OF FISH. 257
temples, and houses ; and, as my boatmen as
sured me, very capital bazaars.
I knew the consequence of permitting my
people to land ; and preferred passing its at
tractions, and remaining a few hours near some
small village. It is evident, from the greater
number of boats on the river, that we are fast
reaching a country of more consequence and
greater population. We pass every hour a
number of fishing-boats, and are well suppbed
with descriptions of their contents : I do not,
however, like more than two or three kinds of
the fish of the Ganges. The quantity that
swarms in its waters is beyond all belief ; they
would be nearly as difficult to enumerate as the
fish of the sea ; and the lives of those who fol
low the trade of fishermen are neither laborious
nor unprofitable. They seem to be quite satis
fied if they catch two or three tolerably large
fish, which may bring them something even
under a rupee, for the materiel of the service is
very simple and cheap.
A large town, bke Mirzapoor, springs up so
suddenly on the banks of the river, without any

258 EMBLEMS OF MORTALITY.
long suburb to announce its vicinity, that you
would be struck by its size, even were it much
less than it really is. When it possesses so
large a population, however, as nearly 300,000,
how great must the contrast be to the little vil
lages above and below it !
When it was nearly dark I stopped, to en
able my people to cook and dine, determined to
reach Benares to-morrow. There is a small
village not very far from us ; and close to the
banks of the stream lies a charpoy, or native
bedstead, which has lately, no doubt, been the
bier of some Hindoo, whose body has, by this
time, regaled the vulture and the crow in its
progress down the holy river. Such memorials
of mortality are not unfrequent : the cots, on
which the bodies are placed, are put sufficiently
near the water to allow them to be washed off;
and, floating along the surface, they are often
seen in a voyage up the river, with birds of
prey seated upon them.
Dec. 16th. — We had a most beautiful night,
as calm as possible ; and I was kept awake (that
I might observe it) by the voices of ray rowers,

HINDOO MELODIES. 259
who murmured a very sweet air, for I cannot
call it singing, to keep their oars in time. A
most discordant yell rose from the banks, which
drowned, now and then, the softer accents of my
boatmen: it was caused by the united tones of
the jackals and the watchmen ; the latter sat
among their cucumbers and sugar-canes. I
know not which screamed the loudest. I could
not gather the meaning of the song the crew of
my boat chanted, but the words sounded softly
enough. The moaning of their voices seemed
to me to be like what is understood in Scotland
by a " sugh," and might very well have passed
for a hush-a-by, when the nurse had nearly suc
ceeded in murmuring herself to sleep, as well
as her infant. I think the words of the Hindoo
melodies are scarcely worth recording ; such I
mean (as are sung by the working classes. They
celebrate eating and sensuality generally so
much, that they might seem to disprove the
Indian's claim to great abstinence, which, from
their devotions to their meals, I have already
questioned.

260 FORT OF CHUNAR.
As "The jocund day
Stood tiptoe on the misty mountain-top,"
we came within view of the fort of Chunar;
and, by the time we were abreast of it, the
haze had cleared away from the Ghoruckpoor
hills, an uneven range, and the first elevations
we had yet seen in the whole length of the river
from Meerut. The fort stands upon the top
of a high rock hanging over the river, with
towers and walls down its sides to the water.
It is conspicuous from the rocks around by its
dark-grey stone ; and, as we passed it before
sunrise, appeared to frown gloomily upon us
from its inaccessible height. A seapoy centry,
pacing up and down one of its platforms, was
all the indication of life it displayed. It re
minded me much of the castle of Dumbarton,
although it had more works to the water side,
tnd there was nothing in the scenery around to
destroy the fancy.
A turn in the river made the fort appear in
the middle of the stream, and it seemed well
calculated to guard the pass. It was altoge-

ROUTE TO BENARES. 261
ther a beautiful scene ; and rising as it does
above such wide and unvarying plains, like a
green spot in the desert, I was loth to quit it.
In our progress towards Benares, we kept close
to the east bank of the river ; and when distant
from it two or three hours, had an amusing
variety of travellers towards the sacred city to
enliven the route. The road on the shore ap
peared so crowded, that I imagined some fair
was to be held ; but I learned that that was not
the case, and the concourse was by no means
unusual. There were even whole families : there
was a father carrying two baskets balanced
across his shoulder on a pole ; his cooking-pots
and meal in one, while in the other, " nestled
curious, there an infant lay." The little thing
sat as comfortably as possible, covered up to its
chin in clothes, and turning its black head about
in the most independent manner. If I had not
seen this sort of travelling-cradle before, I should
have taken its inmate for one of a litter of pup
pies, with its muzzle poked out of its bed. The
mother followed with a bundle on her head, and

262 • BEGGARS.
a child upon her hip; while two or three other
little things trotted away by her side.
I was much struck with the business-like man
ner in which all parties were pursuing their
journey: there was no lounging nor pausing on
the road ; men, women, and children pushed
on as fast as they could. There were crowds
of beggars, however, who were very glad to
stay their course for the chance of a few pice,
and their whining exclamations were incessant.
"Something to eat," was the universal cry,
which was always accompanied, by the women
most particularly, by an expressive display of
their emptiness, the gathering up of their
wrinkled skins in their hands, to prove how
much room there was within for more nourish
ment. Some grave-looking brahmins, well covered
with clothes, were moving soberly along upon
little tattoos; while others sat more at their
ease beneath the conical-shaped canopies of
their carriages, almost lost in the midst of their
goods and their clothes. The bullocks that

A SNAKE CHARMER. 263
draw them are generally handsome animals,
very fat and very sleek : some of them have
the honour of bearing the charms of the other
sex, as we may gather from the occasional
glances that their bright black eyes shoot forth
from between the folds of the curtains that
seem envious to conceal them. •-
Among other adventurers to the city, was a
snake-charmer, who took advantage of a pause
in my passage to sit down on the bank, and
pipe to his pupils, which reared their crests,
and appeared to take real delight in the music.
He had two which he took from a boy, and
handled with the most perfect indifference.
They seemed to be equally careless about his
touch, and wound round his arms and his neck
as familiarly as possible.
The approach to a fair or a horse-race in our
own country, cannot afford more variety or in
terest than an every-day assemblage in the neigh
bourhood of Benares, if these be the common
objects, which I am assured they are. I saw
also some of the pilgrims, with whose errand I
became so well acquainted at Gungoutri, carry-

264 BENARES.
ing vessels of water into the city : they were
slung over their shoulders in little baskets ;
and among the crowd, was one man with his
arm fixed above his head and his fist clenched,
the nails of his fingers hanging in strings down
the back of his hand.
I am not going to give a description of the
city of Benares ; for that has been so frequently
and so well done, that it would be unnecessary,
even if I had passed sufficient time at it to en
able me to do so. So large a town (for its
population is nearly six hundred thousand)
must form a grand object from the river ; and
where all, or the greater part of its inhabitants
are engaged in the cleanly right of bathing in
the sacred stream, the scene is beyond all be
lief beautiful. Soon after daylight, the daily
ceremony begins ; and until the sun grows
warm, the crowds at the river, with the parties
drawing towards it, or returning from it, throw
the whole place into animation. While I was
floating before the ghauts in admiration of the
scene, it seemed to me like some fairy dream —
so unlike was it to any thing I had ever wit-

FEMALE BATHERS. 265
nessed. In Hurdwar it is a more hasty cere
mony, and I think a purely rebgious rite ;
but here the devout, the indifferent, and the
profane are so mingled together, engaged in
their different occupations of praying, washing,
and playing, that it is hard to say which party
predominates. The women seem to be in fully as great num
ber as the men, and have not a separate ghaut "
from them : they always, however, stand lower
in the stream, and the deference that is paid to
their situation by the men is very great. Both
sexes stand up to their waists in the water, and
occasionally dip their heads beneath it ; but I
never observed any one swim out. There are
many who do not bke the dipping part of the
affair, any more than the fair bathers on our
own coast : they always carry with them a
brass vessel, which they fill constantly, and
pour over their heads. I have seen them re
peat this operation twenty times at least with
out pausing.
I could observe brahmins performing their
VOL. II. N

266 FEMALE BATHERS.
prayers, and others making offerings, while
their neighbours were washing their clothes
and splashing away at a rate quite enough to
shake the gravity of any but a brahmin. It
was amusing to see a fat old priest waddle
from the stream like a turtle, and take up his
position on the steps of the ghaut ; while, not
far from him, the light forms of the women
rose from the wave, and stood with their trans
parent drapery floating about them, to comb
their long locks— like mermaids in all but their
want of mirrors. When their hair is nearly
dry, they hold their clean robes like a screen
round their figures ; and shaking the wet ones
off them, draw the others close, and are dressed
in a moment. The figures approaching the
ghaut, some of them in blue and rose-coloured
scarfs, as well as white, with their pitchers on
their heads and their children by their sides,
give a still more picturesque effect to the scene.
The number of boats that are passing up and
down the river, the splashing of the oars, and
the song of the rowers, with the screams of the
children, who, without their consent to the cere-

A SUTTEE. Hbl
mony, are getting well ducked, complete the
picture; and such a picture can certainly be
exhibited no where but on the banks of the
Ganges, and in no part of those populous
shores so well as at the ghauts of Benares.
The sun was not so high, but that the domes
and minarets of the Holy City were reflected in
the stream below ; and it appeared that the
town, as well as its sons and daughters, had
fled to the bosom of the sacred river.
I was not able to linger long before so lively
an assemblage, and floated away towards Gha-
zeepore. The banks on each side of the river
improve very much in their soil and cultivation,
and towns come really quickly upon us. At a
short distance, in a direct line, but a long way
off from the windings of the river, I saw a
thick column of smoke rise to the sky : I looked
at it from the roof of my boat through a glass,
and could plainly perceive a large crowd of
people assembled round the pile, which I was
convinced it was. My boatmen said they had
no doubt it was a suttee, for they were frequent
in the neighbourhood of Ghazeepore. I de-
n 2

268 A SUTTEE.
sired them to push on, in hopes that I might be
in time to witness the conclusion of the ceremony;
for, alas ! from the thickness of the smoke, the
sacrifice had begun. It happened unfortunately,
as it generally does, " the more hurry the less
speed ;" for we ran upon more sand-banks than
we had ever done before : and although I did
not draw any dire omen from the mounting
blaze of the funeral pile, it seemed very likely
to drive me from my course, or shipwreck my
bark ; and it was dark before I reached the
point. The crowd had dispersed, and some stragglers
on the shore confirmed our belief that it was a
suttee. The woman, they said, was very young,
and had just been married: she had no chil
dren, and was burnt by her own desire. I felt
sorry I had not reached the spot in time, from
a better motive, I hope, than mere curiosity.
When the most eloquent persuasion fails, how
ever, (the silent appeal of a babe to its mother,)
it is not likely that an accidental visiter could
have any influence : yet I think the opportunity
of expressing horror at such rites should never be

DEVOTED WIDOWS. 269
lost by a European ; for although no good may
immediately spring from it, it must tend much
to the discouragement of it.*
If a writer were in search of pathetic subjects
for his pen, he could not do better than seek for
them among the annals of devoted widows in
India. I remember reading in a number of the
Missionary Register of some years ago, a very
sad tale of a young bride, whose betrothed
husband was seized by the cholera morbus on
the very day the nuptials were to have been
completed. The relations of both parties had
assembled in the town where the ceremony was to
take place ; and many had come from a great dis
tance. As the lovers were of rich and high caste
families, grand preparations were made to do ho
nour to the occasion. Instead of the joy and mer
riment that all were anxiously awaiting, death of
the most dreadful nature called for their as
sistance. In a few hours after his attack, the
husband died ; and his young widow, (for so she
resolved to consider herself,) although but his
* When this passage was written, the Government had not
issued their prohibition of the crime.

270 DEVOTED WIDOWS.
affianced bride, declared her intention of being
burnt upon his funeral pile. At first some
doubt arose as to the legality of the sacrifice,
the marriage not having been completely so
lemnised. The laws of Menu, alas! do not
give the benefit of a doubt. The result of the
deliberation between her relations and the
brahmins was, that she was every way his wife ;
and the shaster, considering the bride fully
bound to the husband by the vow she had
plighted to him, permitted a voluntary immo
lation. Funerals must be sudden in this coun
try : so the same noon that was to have seen
her happiness, now witnessed her destruction ;
the same crowd surrounded the pile, that was
to have hailed with shouts of gratulation the
bridal procession. It was still a holiday to
them, however ; for music accompanies the
ceremony, and shouts of mirth rend the air.
" I am persuaded that the English breast has
not a more joyous sensation on beholding the
launch of a ship, than these inhuman beings ex
perienced at the launch of an immortal spirit
into an awful eternity !" — So says a writer in the

THE SUTTEE. 271
same pages from which I have gathered the
story, in his description of a similar act.
The widow, whose expiring flame I had wit
nessed, was very young, and had but just mar
ried : her husband might have died equally un
expectedly with the unfortunate hero of the fore
going tale. It was no wonder that her fate should
have occupied my thoughts during the rest of
the night; and I may be excused for dwelling a
little longer upon the subject. They had no busi
ness, I confess, to assume the shape they have
done ; but as I passed Ghazeepore and its fields
of roses by night, I was not able to dwell upon
their beauties : although at this season of the
year the garden of Gul was rich in bloom, I
had no other employment for my pen.
THE SUTTEE.
The evening sun-beams threw their golden light,
And smiling usher'd in the bridal night ;
The gay procession wound its happy way
In colours brilliant as the jocund day.
The pipe, the viol, and unceasing drum,
Proclaim to all, the blooming bride is come !

272 THE SUTTEE.
Light dancing maids the gaudy train prolong,
And Gunga's banks are startled too with song.
Thousands rush forth the joyous scene to hail,
And lend their voices lest the music fail ;
The bride reclined, in costly jewels dress'd —
Jewels less bright than hope within her breast ;
Of sweetly-scented flowers a snowy braid,
Pure as the fancies of the espoused maid,
In her black hair a striking contrast lay.
While o'er her neck the sable ringlets play.
The bride reclined ; a crimson litter bore
Her blushing charms along the sacred shore.
What joy is breaking from her large dark eye.
The vivid lightnings of a tropic sky !
The rosy veil is archly drawn aside
To show the glances she affects to hide.
'Tis all a modest maiden dare betray — <
The sudden sparkle of a meteor's play.
No hand may give those features to the light,
Save his who takes her to his hall to-night.
Hark, from that hall what happy spirits break !
What joyous revelry the echoes wake !
Lo, the young lord awaits her at the porch,
While mid-day bursts from each attending torch.
Tbe maid has reach'd her bridegroom's home at last :
The morning came, and all her joy had pass'd ;
Death had gone over like a wild simoom,
And mark'd her youthful husband for the tomb.

THE SUTTEE. 273
And must he only suffer*! Still the pride
Of youth and beauty lives, the lovely bride.
She too must die : some savage god, unknown
To Christian climes, demands her for his own.
The pile now rears aloft its awful head,
Where late the bride her gay procession led :
Still ring the notes of merriment : the strain
Of mirth still sweeps along the crowded plain ,
Why rush the thousands \ Why this grand display
Of pomp and pride 1 A. widow burns to-day !
Must the same mirth, the same bright hues appear,
To grace the bridal, and to deck the bier 1
Is there no sorrow in the hurrying throng 1
Will tbe wild herd still pour the maddening song 1
No breast to sympathise, no tear to fall,
Xo trembling hand to elevate the pall *!
It is some jubilee ; — it cannot be,
That death is hail'd with such a savage glee.
Another bridal ! see the gathering fire ;
The altar stands upon that burning pyre !
There, in still death, the bridegroom waits bis spouse,
To bind their union, and renew her vows ;
Calmly she stands, and gazes o'er the scene,
Unnerved by thoughts of what she might have been.
How changed that day, on which, almost from birth,
Arose the star of all her hopes on earth !
For, pledged in childhood, all her charms had grown
(So fondly thought she) for that day alone ;
N 5

274 THE SUTTEE.
To bless his sight, whose name was wont to share
In every wish and every childish prayer.
Since first she lisp'd the mighty Brahmah's name !
Yet now unawed she views the spreading flame ;
With false devotion gazes on the pile,
And moves to die — with a contented smile ;
Waves a farewell ; and, stedfast to the last,
Scorns on this world one lingering look to cast.
Yes ! she rejects this world without one thought
Of all the bliss but yesterday had brought;
Sees unconcern'd an aged father stand,
And scarcely owns the pressure of his hand ;
Hears a loved brother urge her on to die
With cold indifference : not a rebel sigb
Bursts to declare that yet one pulse remains.
Against her will to throb at human pains.
Beyond this transient earth her heart is set ;
She dreams that happiness may meet her yet ;
Thinks, like a phoenix, 'cis her fate to rise
Pure from her ashes, to adorn the skies ;
And bear (for all her torments seek but this)
Her husband with her to divide her bliss.
For this she suffers, and for this she dies ;
Disowns, for this, all nature's dearest ties.
0 noble spirit ! In a Christian's cause,
A martyr's crown, and a whole world's applause,
To buoy the hopes, and mitigate the pain,
Have oft display'd their tempting lures in vain :

THE SUTTEE. 275
Heroes have shrunk before the torture's wheel,
And ev'n in martyrdom have stoop'd to feel.
Yet here, each day, in agonising fires,
For sinful man some gentle dame expires,
Gentle and pure, with every tender fear
A woman knows, yet all forgotten here.
A cheerful victim, lo, she mounts the pile,
While the flame quickens in the fragrant oil :
The thickening smoke now circles o'er her head ;
Her husband's bosom forms an easy bed.
Here she reclines, nor seeks a safer rest ;
No couch so sweet as his unconscious breast.
While the fire wreathes around each quiv'ring limb,
She feels it not, she slumbers upon him ; —
A fleeting rest : with him she wakes, to reach
Eternal joy, for thus the Vedahs teach.
Too fatal error ! oh ! that such a mind
To truth divine should still continue blind !
She will not doubt : devoted to her creed,
She claims the glory, and demands the meed ;
Courts the proud triumph of a Hindoo bride,
Betrothed in life, in death to be allied.
About two o'clock in the afternoon I passed
the fort of Buxar, which looks very prettily
from the river, which is here of a good breadth.
Several European bungalows rise from the

276 PASSAGE OF THE GANGES.
banks, and give a lively and English appear
ance to the scene. This is one of the stations of
the Company's stud, and their stables are on
both sides of the river : the high road from
Calcutta to Benares passes through this station,
and by a ferry crosses to the opposite side. The
shores present therefore an animated picture :
groups, collected on each side, awaiting the
passage-boats, and the crowded and various
travellers in them, afford plenty of amusement,
to which the little uproar that generally ensues
upon gathering the fare adds considerably.
It is difficult to conceive a more bustling
affair than the passage of the Ganges by a large
body, composed, as it ever must be, of such
different materials. In October, 1826, I crossed
over it at this place, when marching with my
regiment from Dinapore to Meerut. We arrived
at the point of embarkation about sunrise, and
found a great number of boats awaiting us. They
were of all sizes and of several shapes. Some
had decks to them of bamboo rafters, with earth
laid over them ; others had choppers or roofs ;
and many were without decks of any description.

SCENE OF TUMULT. 277
Into these latter the soldiers were crowded,
while the others were filled by horses, ponies,
carriages, gigs, tents, camels, bullocks, palan
quins, hackeries, drivers, and servants of all de
nominations, with every species of trunk and
package that can be imagined.
The tumult in getting the fleet afloat was tre
mendous : many horses refused to enter the
boats ; and bullocks, frightened at the noise,
threw off their loads, and scampered along the
banks — their owners running and screaming
after them with all their might — the camels
groaning in the painful manner they always do
when any thing uncommon in their course
occurs —the stubborn elephants declining to go
into the water — their mahouts abusing them,
and digging their iron instruments into their
heads — the quarrelling of the boatmen, — the
screaming of the servants to protect their mas
ter's property — formed but a slight catalogue of
the confusion that prevailed on commencing our
passage across the river. The pencil of the carica
turist would have been incessantly employed in
catching the absurdities of the scene. " The

278 EMBARKING HORSES.
march to Finchley," (although I hope, as far as
the Europeans were concerned, we were military
enough,) did not present half of the ludicrous
scenes that our ferry did.
The common way of embarking obstinate
horses was very amusing. The saees sat in the
boat, and pulled with all his strength at the
halter : the unwilling animal naturally backed,
and a second groom clasped the first about the
waist to prevent his being pulled over; and,
according to the power required, other men
clapped themselves on. Two stood behind the
poor horse, holding a long pole at his hams, to
prevent his retreating too far ; and frequently
co-operated with the pulling party in front, by
pushing in concert. Thus goaded, the animal
was soon driven to make a leap into the boat.
The moment this was done, the horses already in
possession began to kick at the new arrival : the
frightened grooms let go ; then commenced a ge
neral fight: the men rushedout, and left the field
to the chargers, some of which jumped into the
water, and, swimming ashore, galloped off with
half the camp-followers shouting at their heels.

THE SOANE AND THE GANGES. 279
The scene of the passage, when all the boats
were fairly afloat, was extremely beautiful :
there were, at least, a hundred, if not more,
crossing in two or three divisions ; and as the
river was broad, and the stream very irregular in
its course, they appeared to be rowing in several
opposite directions. Now that the shouting of
the people was at an end, we had the songs of
the rowers, and the sounds of our own bugles ;
and verv seldom. I fancy, does the Ganges pre
sent so animated and entertaining a spectacle. It
took nearly the whole day to effect the passage
of " the general camp, pioneers and all."
At night-fall this day, we arrived at the
mouth of the Soane, and stopped at the ghaut
near to the point of that river's junction with
the Ganges. I think some antiquarians have
been incbned to bebeve that this meeting took
place at one period lower down, close to Patna ;
which town has, among others, been selected
for the honour of representing the ancient Pali-
bofhra, founded upon the probabibty I have
mentioned, that the Soane and the Ganges once
united in that neighbourhood. This river is,

280 GHAUT OF DINAPORE.
tolerably broad, and of a more blueish tint than
the one into which it flows.
The Ganges now grows wider every day, as
we proceed, and the stream has become more
rapid. Before noon, we were anchored at the
ghaut of Dinapore, where there was the usual
crowd and bustle. The cantonments are very
good ; they form two quadrangles. The west
side of the larger one contains the barracks of
the British regiment, a long line of buildings
tolerably cool and comfortable ; the others are
the houses of the officers. Those at the northern
extremity have gardens to them, but the rest
are generally close and confined. All around is
very flat ; and the area which the station occu
pies stands but a few feet above the river, which,
during the rainy season, is a perfect sea ; so
broad, that the opposite shore appears but a
faint line on the horizon.
I think the Ganges is seen in its greatest
glory here. The white peaks of the mountains
of Nepaul, which are directly eastward of this
spot, ate frequently very plainly seen during
the hottest weather. We have the advantage,

A LIFE OF INDOLENCE. 281
therefore, of a refreshing prospect in the most
trying portion of the year : — but
" Who can hold a fire in his hand
By thinking on the frosty Caucasus 1"
The hardest life that any person can lead is a
life of idleness. There is so much difficulty in
overcoming this hardship in such a cantonment
as Dinapore, during the summer months, that
it is not surprising many fall victims to it.
Having nothing to do, has always been a re
proach against officers of the army in quarters :
and it is most deplorably true in this place. At
the season of the year I allude to the troops are
never employed, and the men are forbidden to
be out of their barracks between the hours of
seven in the morning and five in the afternoon ;
the officers, therefore, have nothing to engage
their attention, beyond what an hour or two
will be ample for, during each day. From
sunrise to sunset what a weary time many
have to toil through; and, when the close of the
day enables them to turn out, how little is there
to relieve the dulness of their situations !

282 PLACES OF WORSHIP.
The country round is flat, sandy, and unin
teresting ; the society very small ; and the ex
tent of the evening exercise is, perhaps, a ride
or drive round and round the quadrangles I
have mentioned ; the view being bounded by
the low white-washed buildings on each side.
The civil station at Bankipore, nearly nine miles
off, is too far to take all the advantage of, that
its agreeable residents and pretty situation in
vite them to : they are of necessity confined very
much to the squirrel-like revolutions of their
own cage, which, I think, few would pass a
year in without sighing for liberty.
When I was last in Dinapore, there was no
church, and the service was performed in a room
fitted up for the purpose : one has now been
commenced, however, and is already some feet
above the ground. It will add much to the
beauty as well as benefit of the station. It is a
singular thing, that the last buildings thought
of in the military posts of the British, as well
as in the civil stations, are the churches ; yet
no part of the world requires good places of
worship more than this. Many persons, I am

ARRIVAL AT PATNA. 283
convinced, are deterred from frequenting pub
lic service from the impossibility of bearing the
heat of the rooms they would be obliged to sit
in, from their general unfitness, and the rest
lessness and close contact of all classes that at
tend. About eight miles from this, on the road to
Benares, is a very pretty mosque standing above
a tank, at a place called Moneea. It is going
fast to destruction ; but it has some of the pret
tiest carving about it that I have seen in India ;
plantain-leaves, and flowers, cut in stone most
admirably. Several buildings surround the
water, and the mosque is well sheltered by
trees. It is, indeed, the most quiet and ro
mantic spot I have ever been in.
I did not remain very long at Dinapore ; but
standing again to sea (for although at this sea
son the river is not more than two-thirds of its
greatest breadth, it deserves that name,) I soon
reached Patna. It was not prudent to approach
it closely, from the difficulty of quitting it
again, without being lodged on some of its sand
banks ; and I found a great number of boats

284 LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
moored to a dry ridge abreast of the town, to
which I caused my bark to be fastened also. I
was in hopes, being some little distance from
the bazaars, that I might have kept my people
all together, and been able to quit it again during
the night. I soon discovered, however, that
the manjee, and most of his crew, were natives
of Patna ; and they came to me with their
hands clasped, and fawning, as if some terrible
calamity had happened to them, to ask leave to
visit their friends. They promised faithfully,
if I granted it, to return before it was dark. It
was impossible to deny what so many whimsical
contortions were used to obtain: the smiles,
grimaces, and twistings of native petitioners
are very singular, and prove how much they
have always been taught to consider themselves
slaves. I suspected I was to be deceived, however ;
and hour after hour passed away without the
return of my boatmen. My servants had gone,
one after the other, in pursuit of them ; and I
was left half the night in solitary possession of
my boat. I should have been glad to have

A NATIVE CITY AT NIGHT. 285
gone too, but was literally obliged to be my
own sentinel, and could not abandon my post. I
had several convivial parties in my neighbour
hood : the tom-tom, and the screaming of the
singers, made the Ganges echo. A party seemed
to be giving a feast to some of the same caste, and
positively all ceremony was banished from the
board. The dinner was over, and the evening's
entertainment consisted of the most awful drum
ming and singing I ever heard. I found my
self, although an unbidden, a much-honoured
guest; for their exertions were redoubled on
perceiving my vicinity. It was a happy meet
ing, and cost but very little to the donor — a
rupee or two : there seemed to be no inclination
to intoxicating liquors or herbs ; and with
the exception of the concert, they were ex
tremely orderly.
There is no light or liveliness in a native city
at night. Large as Patna is, there is scarcely a
lamp to be seen, or a sound to be heard, but
what proceeds from the immediate banks of the
river, and the lungs of my own neighbours.

286 RETURN OF THE CREW.
The houses all face inwards ; and the people
prefer sitting in clusters, gossiping, in the front
of their shops, to enjoying the purer air of the
river. It very seldom happens that a native
has the lounging part of his house towards the
water; and, provided it be near enough to
visit occasionally, it is all he appears to care
about. At daylight, my crew had not returned, and
I felt some apprehension of being deserted. At
length, about seven, a long and trembling train
appeared. I thought it necessary to call to
them with some degree of anger; but could not
continue it long, for the still more ludicrous gri
maces that were made to propitiate me. The
manjee stood at some distance, and writhed
about in the most absurd style; while, to
heighten the picture, three or four women, the
wives of some of the party, with their children
in their hands, joined him in a more subdued
manner. He who was the principal flugelman of
the crew, pointed first to himself, next to his
family, and then towards me, as if dedicating

WAGES IN ADVANCE. 287
them all to my service ; when, clasping his
hands, he seemed to say, " I now leave our fate
with you."
I thought it proper to scold ; but every fresh
word of anger only seemed to renew the ges
tures : I simply ordered them, therefore, to get
into the boat, and make all haste for departure :
this called forth fresh action on all sides.
' There is something, surely,' I thought, ' in all
this, more than their sorrow for what is past !'
and I sent for my sirdar to gather it from them.
They said, as they were not likely to return for
some time from Calcutta, they hoped I would
give them a certain sum of their wages in ad
vance, to leave with their families. While he
was interpreting this to me, the anxious looks
of the boatmen and their wives were too much
to resist. If, while I listened, my eye fell upon
them, their eccentric appeal recommenced.
When I consented to their request, they were
perfectly delighted : it did not seem, however,
to create great harmony among themselves ; for
a furious argument began upon the mode of

288 PAY/ OF BOATMEN.
division, which I put a stop to by sending them
into the boat. The women were not satisfied
with what they had received, and the crew
seemed averse to part with more. As they
were pushing off, one of the women ' kilted' her
clothes ' abune her knee,' and, marching into
the water, insisted upon one more rupee ; and,
after a long and stormy harangue, she suc
ceeded in gaining her point. They then all
collected on the shore, and stood gazing at us
till we were out of sight. They seemed very
poor and ragged, or they had not been able to
do honour to the occasion by coming in their
best attire.
I know not whether, at such a parting, the
manly cheek of a British seaman would have
been bathed by a tear ; but the crew of my ad
venturous bark bore the calamity with much
greater philosophy, albeit to them it is a long, and
not unfrequently a perilous voyage. The man
who gave up the additional rupee to the winning
tongue of his wife, seemed to feel the matter
the most, perhaps from a consciousness of the ill

PINNACES. 289
grace with which he had yielded it ; for, gene
rally, they are very ready to give all they have
to their famihes.
The pay the boatmen receive is not much ;
but it is necessary, on hiring a boat, to stipulate
that the greater portion should be paid on the
conclusion of the voyage ; otherwise, you might
be left in a helpless pbght from the desertion of
your crew. I have heard many people complain
of having found themselves in this dilemma,
and I can conceive none more disagreeable.
There are not many situations on the banks of
the Ganges where one would like to be delayed
for more than a day ; and, when a boat is aban
doned in this manner at any great distance from
a town, it will take some time to gather to
gether a sufficient number of dandees to get it
off again.
The river has now become a complete thorough
fare ; and scarcely a moment passes that we do
not pass vessels of every description. The water
is deep enough to admit pinnaces ; and " they
drag their slow length along " without much diffi
culty. They generally have eighteen or twenty
VOL. II. o

290 TRADE OF MONGHIR.
men to tow them, who seem to be much strained
(as they creep along the bank) by the effort. One
long line is attached to the mast, to which each
dandee fastens a piece of bamboo by a short
string, at intervals of five or six feet apart, and
resting it on his shoulder, pulls with all his
strength. If a breeze spring up, and render it
unnecessary to tow, they immediately cast off
their lines, and, jumping into the water, like
otters, swim on board their vessel. At times,
fifty or even a hundred boats may be seen, fol
lowing each other in a string up the stream ;
while their numerous dandees are filing along
the bank : ten miles a day, however, (the rate
at which they usually go,) is weary travelling.
In the afternoon, we reached Monghir. On
the ghaut of this place there is generally a con
siderable degree of bustle, from the number of
beggars, travellers, bird-fanciers, barbers, and
blacksmiths, that assail you with their several
commodities and importunities. The town is
famous for its manufacture of guns and pistols,
and every sort of smith's work ; and it is hard
to pass an hour near it without being talked into

TRADE OF MONGHIR. 291
the purchase of some of them. The guns are
extremely cheap, but I cannot say much for
their utility. Out of six that I once saw tried,
four burst. They may do very well to frighten
the thieves with ; but I would rather be shot
at by one, than shoot with it. The small tools
of iron and steel, which they present to you,
although neat enough to the eye, are very little
better in reality. They are the most persevering
dealers under the sun, and seem disposed to
accommodate their prices to the most zealous
chapman. Some men brought monkeys down
to the ghaut for sale, and several had cages of
wire, with birds ready to put into them, if we
were inclined for the purchase.
Not very far from the ghaut is the gate of the
fort, within which are most of the bungalows of
Europeans, and through which you must pass to
the native town, a remarkably good one. Besides
the quantity of hardware made and sold by the
natives, there are " Europe shops," containing
many good and necessary articles, and kept by
native merchants. The principal street is so
much broader than usual, that you might fancy
o2

292 TRADE OF MONGHIR.
yourself in a country town in England, were it
not for the dust, the flies, and the people. In a
street parallel with the chief one, a market is
being held, at which as much higgling seems to
be going on, as ever was displayed in our own
country, but in a louder tone. Among the native
women are mixed a great number of half-castes,
and European men, their husbands. I fancy these
are generally old soldiers, who, permitted to
receive their pensions in this station, have con
tracted marriages with these women, who are,
I think, very pretty ; there is great mildness of
expression and modesty of demeanour about
them. They may be said to possess the features
of the natives, with the open expression of their
white fathers ; retaining thus the best part of
both, but sadly neutralized by the complexion,
which is even worse than the deeper hue of their
mothers. The chief commodities for sale, besides meal,
were sweatmeats and fruit, with great store of
the coloured armlets worn by the women. I did
not think matters appeared very brisk, from my
hasty walk through the town. I passed the night

BLACKSMITHS AND BEGGARS. 293
at the ghaut of Monghir, and until nearly dark
was plagued by the importunities of the black
smiths and the beggars, who were in great
numbers. There are no more wretched objects
than these latter, who collect on the banks of the
Ganges to gather alms from the travellers : they
are sometimes seen in the neighbourhood of a
ferry, in crowds of thirty or forty, men, women,
and children, naked and miserable ; and while
your boat is drifting slowly down, or being
dragged up the stream, they follow it with their
whining lamentations along the bank. They
seem generally to choose spots where there is
likely to be some impediment offered to your
course, as their fraternity in England select the
foot of a hill, for the purpose of continuing
longer with you. The men are often mutilated
in a disagreeable manner from accident or dis
ease : sometimes they are without toes, and
have their hands cut off. The women are more
healthy in appearance, and are remarkably well
made : a tattered coat about their loins to serve
for a petticoat is all they wear : their long limbs
carry them nimbly and unfettered after you, for

294 HINDOO CHARITY.
a few pice or a little food, which last they are
certain to obtain ; and if they take up their
ground in a judicious position, their Uves are very
far from lives of want. A flimsy shed, or tent of
mats, is sufficient to protect them from the wea
ther; and with towns they have as little com
merce, as the trampers through the woody parts
of our own country, to whom they bear as strong
an affinity in their habits of begging and living, as
the gipsies of this and the rest of the world do to
each other. They have always a number of
naked children to join in their cries ; for, like
the trampers, to whom I have compared them,
they take good care to increase and multiply to
the utmost. When the boatmen or servants are
at their meals, they stand at a little distance,
soliciting a portion, which is generally collected
from each, and placed apart for them to remove
without polluting the donors by a close contact.
The Hindoos are very charitable, and it seldom
happens that the poor go hungry away from
them.

295

CHAPTER IX.
Village of Colgong — Comfortless habitations — Mussulman
tomb — Story of a tiger — Rajmahal — Ruined Palace — Tomb
of Mr. Cleveland — Tbe Rajmahal hills — Entrance into the
Bhagirutty — Sacred branch ofthe Ganges — Hindoo toilette
— Customs of the Hindoos — Villages of Bengal — Scriptural
illustrations — Tamarind trees — Bats — White ants — Singular
vow — Insects, vermin, &c. — Architecture in the East-
Bazaar at Burhampore — Invalid soldiers — Return to Cal
cutta — Attachment of native servants — Proof of sincerity.
At daylight we left Monghir, and soon entered
an ocean ; so wide is the river even at this season
of the year. It was necessary to keep in the
middle of the stream, and I saw but little of the
banks. There is nothing of great interest, except
the station of Boglipoor, which, as it stands very
ow, we could not see, and the hot spring of
Seetacoon, between it and Monghir, until within

296 VILLAGE OF COLGONG.
sight of the Rajmahal hills, when the whole face
of the country is changed. Independently of the
beauty of the scenery at this point, it is evident
that we are entering a more southern climate :
the trees, &c. of the tropics increase in number,
and the people are already blacker and more
effeminate in their appearance. The change to
the province of Bengal, after a long residence in
the upper part of India, is very striking.
I came-to, for a short time, at the village of
Colgong, which is beautifully situated on a point
of land forming the boundary of a deep bay made
between it and Pattergotta by the river. The
sides of the bay are thickly wooded, and a very
dark forest bounds it; while the hills of Rajmahal
rise prettily above. Nearly opposite Colgong is
a cluster of high rocks ascending in the centre of
the stream, with trees growing among them : it is
a fine object ; and nothing can be more pictu
resque than the oddly-shaped boats, with their
ragged sails, issuing from the shadowy pass it
seems to be the gate of. The high road from Cal
cutta lies through this village ; and not very far
above it, stands a rest-house or bungalow imme-

COMFORTLESS HABITATIONS. 297
diately over the river, and in the midst of a tope
of trees : it has a verandah round it, from which
there is a lovely prospect.
There is no part of the Ganges where the
lovers of the picturesque could better place a
house ; but it is seldom destined to be occupied,
but by people in a very great hurry to get away
from it. These houses are very numerous on the
road as far as Benares, and are amply provided
with rooms, but totally destitute of every thing
that can make them habitable. An old woman
presides over them, and very prudently keeps her
guard without the walls ; for more tumble-down
edifices never were erected. In a stormy night,
all the adventures of an old romance may be
reabzed by even a moderately imaginative tra
veller : creaking of boards, banging of doors,
the whistling of the wind, the flitting of bats,
and other proper accompaniments to the freaks
of a ghost, with the additional one of the scream^
ing jackals, — are enough to give the air of a
haunted castle to any of these rude habitations.
A worse intruder than even a ghost may occa
sionally summon you to rise ; for both a tiger
o5

298 MUSSULMAN TOMB.
and a snake have been known to carry their*
researches to the very centre of these build
ings. It was only for the morning mess of meal and
water that I stopped at Colgong; but I was not
displeased to pass a much longer time at it than
necessary for that purpose, to enjoy the beauties
of the scene. Unfortunately, I may say here,
the stream carries my little vessel so quickly
down, I am no sooner within sight of a beauty
but it is gone ; and the fuss and confusion to
get the boat to shore and off again, render it
impossible to approach it nearer than the point
from which I first discern it.
I passed the pretty village of Sicly Gully
without being able to stop to pay a visit to the
Mussulman tomb on the summit of a rocky hill
behind it, and which is well worth seeing. I
climbed up to it on my way up the river in the
month of April, when the face of the country
was neither so lively nor so rich, and should
have been glad to have seen it at a more gay
season. The jungle is thick about it ; and on
that occasion I met some of our party running

STORY OF A TIGER. 299
down the hill, at a great rate, as I was going
up it, who declared that they had been inter
rupted in their examination of it by a tiger, who
seemed to be familiar enough with the spot.
Whether their fears magnified a jackal into
one or not, I do not know; but when, after a
little deliberation upon the prudence of con
tinuing my ascent, I reached the height, he was
gone. It is singular enough, that the same story
is believed here regarding a periodical visit to
this tomb from a tiger, as one or two that I
have already noticed in similar places. Thurs
day, the day at Bowanee Mut, is also the day
here ; so these animals are governed by an un
derstanding that they can never have received
credit for, even from the showman of a mena
gerie, who is seldom guilty of suppressing any
of the marvellous deeds of his proteges. I am
very much incbned to think, however, that no
tiger made its appearance at Sicly Gully on the
day I allude to, although there is no doubt that
they infest the neighbourhood. One saw his
eyes glare, another plainly saw his tail above
the grass, while a third heard him roar. This

300 RAJMAHAL.
evidence was certainly sufficient to have esta
blished a very formidable animal ; but, as the
party could not agree upon the roaring, the
least difficult part to be deceived in, I felt my
self bound to dismiss the case, and I reached
my boat again in safety. I conceive, therefore,
I was not far wrong.
Pattergotta, between Colgong and Sicly
Gully, is a very pretty and interesting spot.
Here, as I have said, the river winds deeply
into the shore, making this place and Colgong
mark the mouth of the bay ; while the rocks in
the bed of the stream rise like a miniature Ailsa
Craig near the entrance to a very " wee" Loch
Ryan. On that part of the rock that juts from
the shore into the river are carved many figures
of Hindoo gods and their attributes ; and as we
sailed near to it, I observed a faquir sitting
among them, apparently in contemplation of
matters above this world ; for he fixed his eyes
upon the sun, and seemed to heed little some
passing observations that we made to him.
A short time before dusk we reached Rajma-r
hai, and anchored close beneath the walls of its

RUINED PALACE. 301
ruined palace : it must have been very exten
sive, and its appearance from the river very
grand, and in a noble situation for a royal re
sidence. The foundation, on which its outer
wall rests, is all of rock ; a great rarity indeed
throughout India. All the way from Chunar
to this spot, and from hence to Calcutta, there
are no rocks to be found but those that are be
tween Colgong and Rajmahal. The Sultan
Sujah, who built this palace, was brother to
Aurengzebe, and it was erected, I think, in
1630 ; an ancient building in this country cer
tainly : when it was abandoned, I do not remem
ber. There is now but one apartment in a per
fect state, and that is a most beautiful one, with
two smaller ones leading from it : they open over
the river, and command a magnificent view.
Night closed in without my noticing it, before
I had explored the ruined halls and desolate
quadrangles ; and I might have been lost in the
labyrinth of bttle apartments and broken ter
races, if I had not called lustily for a light from
my boat, which was moored close below them.
Marble seemed to have been lavished in great

302 TOMB OF MR. CLEVELAND.
profusion upon all the chambers : where the
roof had disappeared, and exposed the courts to
the air, it was a complete wilderness ; and as the
rooms would afford admirable shelter to rob
bers, so might the courts to tigers and snakes.
My boatmen scrambled up different parts of
the wall, and ran in numbers through the place,
shouting and laughing ; while I followed, with
most unromantic caution, attended by my old
lamp-bearer, whose frequent stumbles threat
ened to plunge me into darkness, and leave me
to seek adventure without an esquire. The
crew, however, soon joined in my train ; and
seemed so pleased with the echo they had cre
ated, that we left the Sultan Sujah's palace with
" loud whoop and holloa," for they continued it
till the last.
It is near this place that the tomb erected to
the memory of Mr. Cleveland (which has been
so often noticed) stands ; and I think this memo
rial of a useful man generally excites more in
terest than the vestiges of splendour in its neigh
bourhood. It would be fortunate, were it oftener
so. I should have been glad to have found the

THE RAJMAHAL HILLS. 303
means of visiting the highlanders of these hills,
and compared them with my friends of the Hi
malaya ; and I look forward, at some future
period, should I ever revisit these scenes, to
gratify this desire : but it is not easy in a coun
try of such extent, where only a few months in
the year can be safely used for travelling, to
say, "I will go here, or go there;" and where
there is so much to remind us of " the vanity of
human wishes," my forming such a desire is
tolerably presumptuous.
The Rajmahal hills are mere hillocks, com
pared even with the first range of the Himalaya :
indeed, they do not appear above half the height
of the mountains at the mouth of the Clyde:
but from the rarity of such sights here, we are
disposed to view them with more respect. My
servants (who, now that they draw so much
further from the field of their great exploits,
consider more highly of the feat) cannot disguise
their contempt of the little mountains of Raj
mahal, to which they once looked, I have no
doubt, with great veneration.
It seemed to give delight to all the people in

304 ENTRANCE INTO THE BHAGIRUTTY.
my boat that we had at last entered Bengal.
My sirdar was of Calcutta, and he felt such plea
sure in living again within sound of his mother-
tongue, that he lost his usual taciturnity for a
time, which is very great, and shouted out in
Bengalee to every traveller he saw upon the
banks ; and laughed and nodded when he heard
the reply. He seemed to have some well-known
jokes to pass, for they were received as under
stood things, and elicited, I suppose, a hu
morous retort ; for the answer was hailed with
applause very frequently. I could not, how
ever, share in the amusement, and I hope I lost
nothing by my ignorance.
We had some difficulty in passing safely into
the Bhagirutty, from the shallowness of the
water among the low islands at its entrance.
There was a strong breeze against us, and it
required all the persuasion that I was master of
to induce the manjee to struggle with it. I was
alarmed at the prospect of spending twenty-
four hours at a marshy island, which he would
have been too glad to have done. After we had
quitted the prospect of the Rajmahal hills, there

SACRED BRANCH OF THE GANGES. 305
was nothing in the least degree inviting on the
shores of the Ganges : high reeds upon a sandy
soil, with banks so much above the water, that
the roof of my boat was frequently lower than
them, alone met the eye.
My manjee and crew were disposed to make
a jubilee of our entrance upon the Bhagirutty,
which is the most important branch of the
Ganges, although it loses its name for the more
holy one, by which the river within the moun
tains is also called. Here the Delta of the
Ganges commences the eastern or main stream,
which we have just left, running on past Dacca,
till it joins the Megna. From Allahabad to
this spot it is about six hundred miles ; and
even now, when the water is at its least depth,
I have every day, in my descent from that city,
met with so many vessels, that I have been con
stantly in a crowd, some of them tiny frigates
in full sail, floating as safely as if they had been
in the midst of the sea.
I had no reason to refuse the petition of my
crew; and I made them a present, to do honour
to the occasion of their quitting the great branch

306 HINDOO VESSELS.
for the most sacred one. They strung a garland
of flowers on the prow of the boat, and sprinkled
it with water from the venerated stream ; and
thus decorated, we floated merrily down. The
head of the boat was cut to resemble an alliga
tor; and a large eye was painted on each side.
The vessels are generally carved in imitation of
fish, and are seldom without their eyes; they
have this custom in common with some parts of
the Mediterranean ; and, indeed, a speronaro is
very little different in appearance from a large
panchway, nor are its sailors much more cou
rageous than the dandees, as I can testify from
experience, liaving been once driven into the
island of Stromboli in a slight gale of wind,
from which we could not induce our crew to put
off for four days, although there was very little
sea, and nothing more than a good breeze
remained, The banks are much prettier, and more thick
ly interspersed with villages than those on each
side of the main stream ; and there is a greater
concourse of people towards the river, particu
larly of women, who are very active in carrying

HINDOO TOILETTE. 307
water. Both sexes wear finer and whiter clothes,
and remain a longer time at their toilette after
bathing. The men do not cut their hair, but
allow it to grow long behind, as the women do,
and are obliged to wait till it becomes dry
enough to turn up : besides, they have to paint
themselves in all manner of ways, and of all
shades, before their daily dressing can be deemed
complete. It is a ludicrous sight, to see a string
of fellows squatting upon the shore with a small
glass in their hands, " picking" out their figures
with yellow, white, or red, as the case may be,
or their castes may require. It is not the cus
tom for the women to do this, although it is
difficult to obtain a glimpse of their countenances
to judge from ; a red line, between the division
of their hair in front, being the only mark I
have observed, which is used to denote marriage.
My sirdar could not resist the opportunity of
being marked ; and, having gone early in the
day to bathe, when a little below Jungypoor,
which we passed this morning, he returned to
me such a figure, that I had some difficulty in
recognising him. He had several streaks of

308 CUSTOMS OF THE HINDOOS.
yellow on his forehead, in the centre of which
was a white circle, a line of yellow on his nose,
round his ears, and on his cheeks, with three of
the same colour, I think, on the tips of his
shoulders, and his chest. I do not remember
seeing him similarly distinguished in the upper
provinces, though in all respects a very rigid
Hindoo. The natives of Orissa and Bengalj
who are the most scrupulous in their own pro
vinces, are prone enough to pass slightly over
many necessary rites when away from home :
they resemble strongly, in this, most of their
Christian brethren, who are always very glad to
avail themselves of the license of the proverb,
" When in Rome, do as they do in Rome."
The first place of any size in the Bhagirutty is
Jungypoor, which is a large and bustling town.
The river was full of vessels of all descriptions,
and a custom-house boat pushed off immediately
on our appearing, to board us. The peon had
a book, which he presented to me to write my
name in, and which exhibited a long catalogue
of travelling Sahib Logue. The villages are
very picturesquely situated among palm-trees

SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS. 309
and mangoes. The houses are thatched or roofed
with mats ; and pumpkins creep about them,
and enliven their appearance with the yellow
blossom or the ripening fruit ; while a little
cluster of plantain-trees, with their graceful
leaves, stands near every cottage.
Nothing can exceed the cleanliness of these
houses. There is generally a verandah in front,
the floor of which is of earth, plastered with
chunam, and quite hard and free from dust.
Here the women sit to grind corn, two at one
stone ; and I need not observe how interesting
such a sight must be. Almost every domestic
custom of this country is a scriptural illustration.
I have seldom observed one woman carry
more than one pitcher of water from the river :
a great portion of the day, therefore, must be
passed in the trajet backward and forward :
neither is the practice itself so common on the
shores of the Ganges, as on those of the Nile ;
and there they have a much greater distance to
come, their villages being situated on the skirt
of the cultivated land. I have counted five
pitchers of a good size at one time, upon the per-

310 SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS.
son of an Egyptian female ; one on the head —
one on the left shoulder, held on by the left
hand — the third in a sling at the back, which is
kept on by a band passing over her forehead —
the fourth on the right shoulder, and the fifth
in the hand ; and, thus loaded, the pitchers are
brought many times to the stream without being
broken. I think, although the banks of the Nile are
much richer, I should give the preference to the
scenery of the Ganges within the province of
Bengal. To those who love to lead a simple life,
I would recommend a cottage beneath the broad
leaves of the plantain, or in the neighbourhood
of a copse of bamboo, on the banks of the Bha
girutty. I should be very much inclined to ex
claim, in the words of the song, —
If there's peace to.be found in this world,
A heart that is humble may look for it here ;
for, of all quiet situations on earth, these are the
quietest. We anchored on the left bank of the river at
sunset, about midway between Jungypoor and

TAMARIND TREES — BATS. 311
Moorshedabad. Some large tamarind trees grew
near the river ; while a grove of the areca palms
stretched, like a forest of high masts, beyond it.
In the branches of the tamarinds were crowds of
large bats, hanging in clusters by their feet, and
so tenacious of their hold, that all the noise and
beating of the tree we made did not induce them
to relinquish it : I believe they are the vampire
bat, and are quite harmless. They have a most
singular appearance when hanging in the way I
have described: as the night sets in, when they
drop from their perch, and flit about, they seem
formidable enough, although at first they start
with considerable awkwardness. Buffon, I re
member, thinks it likely that these creatures
furnished the notion of the harpies to the
ancients. They are certainly as disagreeable
as those animals could have been ; and I
should be loth, indeed, to see them assail
my table. I bebeve, however, they confine
themselves entirely to vegetable food, and make
sad havoc in a fruit-tree.
Among other destructive creatures on the
banks of the river, are innumerable white ants.

312 SINGULAR VOW.
Their nests are the most extraordinary erec
tions, when considered as the work of such little
insects: but what cannot a multiplication of
power perform ? They are often four feet high,
full of peaks, and perforated with countless
chambers : it would take a strong arm, with a
pick-axe, some time to demolish one. Beneath
the shadow of a tree near me there is a very
large one, in which the work seems to be still
going forward : as they carry on their opera
tions, however, under a covert way, you cannot
watch them as they creep in and out. I am
reminded by it of the situation of a poor Yogee
in a Sanscrit play, translated by Sir William
Jones, " Sacontala, or the Fatal Ring." He
had sworn to stand all his life under the branches
of the tree, and kept his resolution so religiously,
that he moved not even when the white ants
commenced building at his feet : their structure
rose higher and higher every day ; until, at
length, the virtue of the poor ascetic became a
dire necessity. He was enclosed in the build
ing ; and, to the last moment of his life, " the
ants they crept in, and the ants they crept out,"

INSECTS, VF.RMIX, &C 313
and his voluntary suffering must have been as
severe as his heart could have wished .
These ants are not so often seen in houses in
this part of India, as I have noticed elsewhere.
In the interior of Ceylon thev swarm to such a
degree, that they have been known to bring the
roof of a house down ; and the floors teem so
with them, that if you leave any thing (a pair of
shoes, for instance,) upon them, they will destroy
it in no time. The ground in the neighbour
hood of Candy is so covered with their nests,
that you might fancy the city surrounded with
the tumuli of former days. Indeed, that town
is so infested with insects and vermin of all de
scriptions, that it is appalling to think of them.
During a shower of rain, I have seen scorpions
rush out of their hiding-places by threes and
fours at a time, and crawl about the floor of my
rooms; bzards creeping at all times on the
walls ; tremendous spiders weaving away in the
corners ; white ants sapping the floors, or eating
into the roof ; leeches stealing under the legs of
my trowsers, or up the sleeves of my coat ;
while the rat or snake amuses itself with hunt-
VOL. II. P

314 INSECTS, VERMIN, &C

ing its prey, " up stairs, down stairs, and in my
lady's chamber," till driven to take refuge in the
very bed itself.
These things, however, are more formidable
in description than, (strange to say !) they be
come in reality ; for habit so soon reconciles you
to them, that you look with perfect indifference
at all the mighty host. The snakes that travel
about the house, are of a very harmless nature,
and do a great deal of good in clearing it of the
more troublesome inmates, the rats, which are
beyond all number, and so bold, that it is no
easy matter to control their freaks.
January 1st. — This is New-Year's day ; and I
pass it in solitude, although in the midst of a
populous stream, if I may say so. I have
passed the city of Moorshedabad, and-am near
the cantonment of Burhampore, below the scene
of the beautiful festival of the Bherah, which I
witnessed some years ago, and have already de
scribed. There is some officer engaged, I be
lieve, in erecting a new palace for the Nawaub,
which is not yet finished ; for the same ill-look
ing, unroyal building still stands on the banks

ARCHITECTURE IN THE EAST. 315
of the river — a model of bad taste, but, I think,
of some originabty, which may, haply, be a re
deeming point. We have certainly not intro
duced a very high order of architecture into our
possessions in this country ; for which, in a
great degree, however, the cbmate must be re
sponsible. I cannot conceive any thing more
ugly than a British cantonment at Burhampore,
Dinapore, or any of the other " pores :" and
the architects of such extraordinary piles can
not plead the having sacrificed ornament for
comfort ; for few contrivances could have been
devised better calculated for heat, and less
adapted for the admission of air, than the
quarters of the unfortunate officers who garrison
these stations.
There is generally a king's regiment at Bur
hampore ; and it is one of the neatest of the sta
tions in outward appearance, particularly along
the bank of the river, above which there is a
delightful walk, where the only pure air is to
be inhaled. On the inner side, the country is
very beautiful and rich in all oriental trees and
p2

316 BAZAAR AT BURHAMPORE.
shrubs : there are some fine rides about it, and
the wooded lanes in the neighbourhood of
Chumpa Poca, may remind you of similar green
retreats in our own country. Here the Resi
dent at the court of Moorshedabad has a mag
nificent house. A native bazaar extends along
the ghaut of Burhampore, and behind it are
huts enough to constitute a good-sized village ;
which, to my mind, with its numerous plantain-
trees and creeping pumpkins, is a far prettier
object than the flat-roofed white houses of the
Europeans, which tower beside them.
The bazaar is unfortunately too attractive,
and the boatmen are assembled there in noisy
crowds. I am kept awake by the discordant
sounds of the tom-tom, and divers stringed in
struments, with the furious accompaniment of
their voices : — alas for such melody ! The pier
is thronged with boats of all descriptions, many
of them occupied by invabds going to Calcutta,
to embark for England — not before they re
quire it, poor fellows !
Soldiers do not generally wish to return home

INVALID SOLDIERS. 317
after having spent any number of years in
India ; and, indeed, they are so unfitted for the
colder cbmate, that they would be miserable in
the exchange. Those men who are obbged to
go from the country, on account of their health,
to be discharged, are very much to be pitied.
They are just enough spoiled by their residence
in the East, to prevent their being able to do
any thing for themselves on their return ; and
lead, I fear, sad Uves.
January 3rd. — Yesterday, at noon, I quitted
Burhampore; and went so quickly down the
stream, that I had no great cause to complain
of its want of variety ; for between that place
and Hoogly, where the river makes a very pretty
bend, all is sufficiently uninteresting. Hoogly
is now only distinguished for giving its name to
this branch, the most navigable and best-known
one of the Ganges. After quitting it, we seem
to enter another world : town after town arises
— magnificent houses, villages without end, and
ships from all parts of the world. It is difficult
to conceive a more agreeable prospect than the

318 RETURN TO CALCUTTA.
sail downwards, with the wind and tide in your
favour, as I have had it ; passing, in quick suc
cession, Chandernagore, Serampore, Barrack-
pore, Chinsurah, and village after village, em
bosomed in fruit-trees, with pagodas, tombs,
and ghauts. The contrast between a bustling
town and the quiet Bengalee hamlet, is great
indeed ; and it may be said, in praise of their
inhabitants, that they do not seem to be spoiled
by their vicinity to comparative riot and dissi
pation ; for they are as simple in their habits,
as much devoted to their customs, as in spots
most removed from the haunts of foreigners.
The system of castes appears to be well calcu
lated to inspire content : their greatest misery
would be a change of manners.
It was past ten at night before we anchored
at the ghaut nearest the fort of Calcutta, where
I remained until this morning, the 4th. I
have been exactly thirty days travelling from
Ghurmoktesir to Fort William — a distance, I
think, of twelve hundred miles ; and although
a month is a long time to pass in a little boat

ATTACHMENT OF NATIVE SERVANTS. 319
like mine, (that, however, was my own fancy,) I
would not forego the pleasure I have received
from a sail through so large and interesting a
portion of Hindostan, for ten times the inconve
nience. I shall conclude with one circumstance, that,
I think, will serve to corroborate what I have
elsewhere said, about the attachment of the na
tives to their masters. Their gratitude, I know,
is frequently impeached ; and, from what I
have observed, unjustly. I meant to have dis
charged several of the least useful of my servants
immediately, and told them that I should do so.
They besought me, with one voice, to permit
them to remain with me, until my final de
parture; not, as they said, for the sake of
" eating my salt," but for the pleasure of see
ing me to the last. I should have considered
this a proper eastern compliment, and been dis
posed to receive it as such, but for the earnest
ness with which the request was made. Al
though I did not agree to keep them, their
sincerity was proved by their daily visits,

320 PROOF OF SINCERITY.
until they bestowed their last salaam, on the
deck of the boat that carried me to the sand-
heads.

THE END.

LONDON:
IBOTSON AND PALMER, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET, STRAND.

ste-tsif

IIS imp

I

i

1 1
ii

ffifii

win
* fill :; ¦ . * . ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
iflif