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diff --git a/43586.txt b/43586.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8571753..0000000 --- a/43586.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7184 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Popular Account of the Manners and -Customs of India, by Charles Acland - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: A Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of India - -Author: Charles Acland - -Release Date: August 28, 2013 [EBook #43586] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MANNEERS, CUSTOMS OF INDIA *** - - - - -Produced by Tor Martin Kristiansen, JoAnn Greenwood, and -the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive/American -Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - THE HOME AND COLONIAL LIBRARY. - - - - -Published Monthly, Price 2_s._ 6_d._, or alternate Months, Price -6_s._ in cloth, - - - MURRAY'S - - HOME AND COLONIAL LIBRARY. - - CONSISTING OF - - ORIGINAL WORKS AND REPRINTS OF POPULAR PUBLICATIONS, - - AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICE. - - - Volumes already Published. - - 1. _Borrow's Bible in Spain._ - 2-3. _Heber's Journals in India._ - 4. _Irby and Mangles' Travels--Siege of Gibraltar._ - 5. _Hay's Morocco--Letters from the Baltic._ - 6. _The Amber Witch--Cromwell and Bunyan._ - 7. _New South Wales--Barrow's Life of Drake._ - 8. _Father Ripa's Memoirs--Lewis's West Indies._ - 9. _Malcolm's Sketches of Persia._ - 10. _French in Algiers--Fall of the Jesuits._ - 11. _Bracebridge Hall. By Washington Irving._ - 12. _Darwin's Voyage of a Naturalist._ - 13. _Lord Mahon's Life of Conde._ - 14. _Borrow's Gypsies of Spain._ - 15. _Melville's Typee, or the Marquesas._ - 16. _Livonian Tales--Memoirs of a Missionary._ - 17. _Sale's Brigade--Letters from Madras._ - 18. _St. John's Wild Sports of the Highlands._ - 19. _Head's Pampas--Sieges of Vienna by the Turks._ - 20. _Ford's Gatherings from Spain._ - 21. _Sketches of German Life._ - 22. _Melville's Omoo; or The South Seas._ - 23. _Gleig's Battle of Waterloo._ - 24. _The River Amazon--Wayside Cross._ - - - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. - - - - - A POPULAR ACCOUNT - - OF THE - - MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF INDIA. - - - Illustrated with Numerous Anecdotes. - - - BY THE - - REV. CHARLES ACLAND, - - LATE CHAPLAIN AT POOREE, CUTTACK, AND MIDNAPORE. - - - LONDON: - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. - - 1847. - - -London: Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The author of the present work was a clergyman, who, along with his -wife, quitted England about the beginning of the year 1842, leaving -behind him several young children, to whom, as appears from the -letters he constantly addressed to them, he was most affectionately -attached. - -They left the country full of hope that they should all be reunited -at some future period; but, before he had been three years exposed -to the climate of India, he fell a victim to it. It is somewhat -melancholy to find him at the outset rejoicing in the very -circumstance which in some measure perhaps occasioned his death. The -first destination selected for him was little in accordance with -his own taste; and when it subsequently was altered from Assam to -Cuttack, he expresses himself delighted with the change, though the -first-named province was much more remarkable for its healthfulness -than that to which he at length proceeded. - -Mr. Acland felt the warmest interest in the education of his -children, and, to improve their minds, determined, on quitting -England, to send home, from time to time, accurate accounts of his -progress, that they might be made acquainted with all he beheld--the -places through which he passed, the aspect of the country, its -climate, productions, flowers, trees, shrubs, and wild animals. -Many an interesting adventure is related in these pages which the -author met with in the jungle; the beating of which by the hunting -parties, who go forth in bands for that purpose, is described with an -animation calculated to awaken much interest. - -The letters addressed by Mr. Acland to his children have now been -thrown into the form of a Journal, as this method was considered best -suited to the general reader. The Editor has, however, been careful -to preserve throughout the easy familiar style in which the father -first wrote them, that to the children of others they may be equally -acceptable and useful. - -The books hitherto published on India have been in general, from -their bulk, confined to persons arrived at a more advanced period of -life; and the Editor of the present volume hopes in some measure to -familiarise the subject by bringing it down nearer the comprehension -of the youthful reader. This work is intended to describe Indian -manners in an interesting way, and will in some measure, it is hoped, -supply a portion of the want that has long existed in our literature -in this respect. To render the subject more attractive, Mr. Acland -was careful to introduce anecdotes and short narratives throughout, -which are calculated to amuse, while instruction is at the same time -conveyed. - -One distinguishing feature may be observed in the whole--viz. a -fervent spirit of devotion, which breathes through every page of the -original manuscript. Such passages the Editor has thought it better -to omit, as the advice from a father to his children, clothed in the -simple language he considered it best to employ, though beautiful -and touching in itself, would scarcely appear interesting to the -general reader. For this reason the substance of his counsel has been -compressed into the present brief Preface. - -He impresses upon his children the necessity of living ever in -brotherly love, of sustaining and comforting one another, and of -seeking the Divine aid in every emergency of life, whether great or -small. He shows them how, by trusting implicitly in God and acting -according to His commandments, they will attain a peace of mind -above all the happiness which an indulgence in the pleasures of this -life can bestow. He explains to them, in the gentlest terms, how -necessary it is for their welfare here and hereafter that they should -act ever in accordance with the expressed wishes of the Almighty; -and that they must never cease to remember that He moves about them -everywhere, and sees their every action, hears each passionate word, -beholds each unbecoming gesture, and will reward or punish according -as they indulge in or abstain from evil. In several beautiful -passages he portrays the unceasing watchfulness of the Almighty in -providing for our daily wants, in supplying us with every necessary -of life; and inquires, with truth, Ought not every little heart to -be daily grateful to Him, without whose will the sun cannot shine, -or rise, or set; without whose will the refreshing showers could -not force and raise up around us the beautiful and necessary things -of life? Then he inquires, How can we better show our gratitude for -these blessings than by acting in accordance with the wishes of Him -who is the cause of so much good? - -These words were spoken by a father to his own children; but I would -ask those of my young friends into whose hands this little volume may -fall, does it not equally touch them? Do they not feel the truth of -these sentences? Coming over the many thousand miles which stretch -between India and this country, these letters were cherished the more -by the three little children to whom they were addressed; and now -that the hand is cold which traced the lines, how much more will they -be prized! - -Whatever may be the fate of the volume with the public, to those -whom it more intimately concerns it will be a lasting remembrance of -their father, and of the melancholy circumstances connected with his -early death. For their sake, the Editor trusts that the present work -may meet with at least a moderate share of success; and that, in the -endeavour to render more familiar to the youthful mind the names and -habits of some of the inhabitants of India, he may not altogether -fail. - - _London, Sept. 1847._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - Page - MADRAS, _June, 1842_. - - Departure from England in March--Tremendous storm off Ushant--Ship - becalmed at the equator--Great heat--Danger of sleeping in - moonlight in hot climates--Storm off the Cape--Great speed of the - vessel--Thunderstorm at the equator--Arrival at Madras--The - mungoose; its usefulness in houses--Mother-of-pearl--Contrivances - for abating the heat--Fakirs--Curious disease--Salutation of - Europeans by natives--Employment of time - 1 - - - _July 1._ - - Native wedding--Visit to the Newab--Jugglers - 6 - - - CALCUTTA, _July 15_. - - Voyage up the Hoogly--Waterspout--The bishop's palace--Appointment - to the province of Assam--Great number of tigers at Calcutta--Mode - of voyaging--Language of natives--Number of servants necessary - 7 - - - _August 6._ - - Change of appointment from Assam to Cuttack--Dangers of - travelling--Mode of living--"Bore" in the Hoogly - 9 - - - MIDNAPORE, _September 12_. - - Leave Calcutta--Accident on the Hoogly--Dak-travelling--State - of the road--Arrival at Midnapore--A bungalow--Trees and - plants--Mode of providing animal food--Destructiveness of - ants--Snakes--Monkeys--Encounter with a buffalo--Soil, climate, - and productions of Midnapore--Expenses of living--List of servants - 10 - - - _September 15._ - - "Poujah of tools:" a rustic festival - 17 - - - _October 9._ - - Thunderstorms--Mode of taking birds--Costume--Coins--Insects-- - Dinner-parties--Language--Strictness of caste regulations among - servants--Employment of women--Disposal of the body after - death--Dustoorie--The white ant - 17 - - - _November 11._ - - Antics of the monkey--Parrots--Fierceness of the hyaena--Small - grey squirrel--Narrow escape from a cobra--Its bite seldom - cured--Vegetable productions--Usefulness of the bamboo--Dishonesty - of servants - 21 - - - _November 12._ - - Earthquake--Population of India--Religions--Money--Designations - of Europeans by natives--Mode of life - 26 - - - _December 13._ - - Hiring of hackeries--Importunacy of natives--Encounter with a - bear--Goats - 29 - - - _December 14._ - - Birds'-nests--Cost of dress--Weather--Temperature - 31 - - - _December 16._ - - Anonymous reptile--Destruction of serpents by the mungoose - 32 - - - BALASORE, ORISSA, _December 30_. - - Balasore--Volcanic hills--Hill of the large white ant--Human - skulls--Beautiful plumage of birds - 32 - - - _January 2, 1843._ - - Legend of the origin of the hills at Balasore--Immense number of - ants'-nests; their mode of building--Great abundance of these - insects - 34 - - - _January 3._ - - Journey from Midnapore--Mode of travelling--Danton--Jelasore--The - fort--Ancient inscription--India-rubber tree--Attack by a - tiger--A hungry bear--Paucity of furniture--Palanquin-bearers' - songs--Fuel--False alarm--Jackals and crows the scavengers of the - country - 36 - - - CUTTACK, _February 2_. - - Journey from Balasore--Barripore--Gratuities to bearers-- - Fruit-trees--Alligators--Mortality of Juggernat'h pilgrims--Sleeping - arrangements--The Mohurrun--Position of Cuttack--Sea-breezes--Mode - of irrigation--Ancient fort--Origin of the Mohurrun--Furious - winds - 43 - - - _February 13._ - - Proposed new village--Depredations of tigers--Gold-dust - 50 - - - _March 4._ - - Excursion to Chogga--Sporting--Human skeleton--Wild bull--The - village--Converts--Mode of starting the game--Assembly of native - Christians--"Inquirers"--Conversation on religion--Baptism-- - Degradation and loss of caste on embracing Christianity--Return to - Cuttack--Comet--Remarkable weather - 50 - - - _April 13._ - - Narrow escape from a snake--Hindu festival--Chena poojah, or swinging - festival--Elephant-riding--Sporting - 60 - - - _April 15._ - - Domestic arrangements--Furniture--Old Cuttack--Degeneracy of modern - Indians - 64 - - - _April 17._ - - Chena poojah--Self-torture of devotees--Cotton-tree - 67 - - - JUGGERNAT'H, _May_. - - Pooree--Pleasant temperature--The temple--Danger from sharks in - bathing - 68 - - - CUTTACK, _August 7_. - - Mofussil society--Morning visits--Costume--Dinner-parties - 69 - - - _August 29._ - - Ourang-outang--Monkeys--Bachelor's party--The Commissioner--Tiger - story--Power of the human eye over the lower animals--Bats--Plan - to improve society--A "good gardener"--Cruel treatment of - servants by Europeans--Milder punishment adopted by the author - 73 - - - _October 12._ - - Return from Midnapore--Heavy rain--Description of a palanquin - 84 - - - _November 8._ - - Bengal tiger--Mode of hunting the boar--Anecdotes of tigers--Poison - of the cobra--Chanderpore--Sea-scorpions--Relief-fund - 86 - - - BARRIPORE, _November 28_. - - Solitude--Power of Europeans over natives--Their social - relations--Rapid progress of disease - 89 - - - CUTTACK, _December 10_. - - Elephant-hunting--Juggernat'h festival--Its support by - Government--Pilgrims--Mode of expression in the East--A grateful - servant--Number and names of servants--Their generally unkind - treatment--Gratitude and honesty of natives: instances--Rajah Bheere - Singh--His testimony to personal security in the Company's - territory--An unexpected meeting - 92 - - - _December 25._ - - Choudwar--Sporting--Hyaena chase--Pariah-dog - 99 - - - _January 2, 1844._ - - Military sportsmen--A false alarm--Moral--Costume regulations of - Hindus--Mode of evasion - 102 - - - BARRIPORE, _January 5_. - - Mirage at Pooree - 103 - - - GUZZEEPUDDEE, _January 12_. - - Journey from Balasore--Scenery--A water-race--Encampment--A - nocturnal visitor - 105 - - - BARRIPORE, _January 16_. - - Excursion to the Neilghur hills--Change of temperature and - scenery--Skeleton of a boa constrictor - 109 - - - MIDNAPORE, _February 1_. - - Excursion to Bhohoneswar and Cundeegurree--Temples--Inscriptions-- - Attack of inflammation of the liver - 111 - - - _February 15._ - - Second visit to the Neilghur hills--A beyraghee and his - enclosure--Encampment at Bengwharrie--Hunnamun monkeys--Game--Peafowl - shooting--Bhohoneswar: its temples--Magnificence of the principal - temple--Cundeegurree--Inscriptions--Caves--Devotees--Palace of the - ancient Rajahs--Statue: considerations suggested by its - costume--Anecdote of an elephant - 112 - - - POOREE, _May 26_. - - A thunderstorm--Peculiarly fearful at Pooree - 122 - - - _May 29._ - - Temperature at Pooree and at Cuttack--Modes of conveyance--Ponies-- - Arrangements for sleeping in comfort--The Rajah of Neilghur--His - interview with the Commissioner--Costume and appointments-- - Elephants--Hunting-party--Arrival at Neilghur--Adventure with a - boar--Uncivil treatment of Rajahs - 122 - - - CUTTACK, _July 4_. - - Salt-monopoly--Unjust treatment of the manufacturers--Juggernat'h-- - Religion of the Brahmins--The idol--The procession--Immense number - of pilgrims--Numerous deaths--Evil omen - 131 - - - _August 10._ - - Brindabund monkeys--Indian marriages--Frequent results--Peacocks - 136 - - - _September 14._ - - Plague of insects--A night's rest--The bath - 138 - - - _October 13._ - - Government doctors--Monkeys--Goats--Electric phenomenon - 139 - - - _November 14._ - - Rapid vegetation--Early maturity and decay of natives--Necessity for - employment of the mind--Mode of passing time--Flower and kitchen - gardens--An armadillo--A whale on shore - 141 - - - KHOUTAH, _December 16_. - - Antiquity of Indian religions--Manner of disposal of the dead - 144 - - - JENKIA, _January 4, 1845_. - - Mr. G., the collector and magistrate of Pooree--Departure for - Khoordagurree--Regularity of seasons - 145 - - - TANGHI, _January 5_. - - Manner of travelling--Soonercollee--Splendid scenery--Chelka - Lake--Islands--Water-fowl--Flamingo - 146 - - - MIDNAPORE, _February 14_. - - Sporting on the banks of the Chelka Lake--Chase by a bear - 150 - - - CUTTACK, _April 2_. - - Travelling--Hunting antelopes--Snaring game--The sportsmen chased - by pigs - 152 - - - POOREE, _April 26_. - - Fatal illness of author - 155 - - - _May 8._ - - Abrupt conclusion - 155 - - - - -A POPULAR ACCOUNT - -OF THE - -MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF INDIA. - - - - -Madras, June, 1842. - - -We quitted England in the course of March, 1842, and reached Madras -in the month of June of the same year. I shall give but a brief -sketch of our voyage. - -Soon after leaving England, having arrived near Ushant, situated -on the north-west coast of France, a tremendous storm came on; the -waves rose high and washed the deck, while the ship itself pitched -to such a degree that the very dinner rolled off the table; in the -night my wife was tossed out of bed, and thrown to the other side of -the cabin. We were in the greatest danger of being drowned. I started -out of my hammock, but was unable to stand upright. Towards morning, -however, the wind abated. - -After this storm had passed, the ship went forward rapidly until -we reached the equator, where she lay becalmed for several days. -The heat at this point of our voyage was excessive; we used to lie -about on the deck almost all night, taking care, however, to cover -our faces if the moon was shining; for it is said that, in these hot -climates, if any one goes to sleep under its light, he is in danger -of losing his sight, and even his life.[1] - -We now proceeded more slowly until we had rounded the Cape of Good -Hope, where another storm came on. Every sail was taken in; yet, -without their assistance, we ran, in two days, 545 miles. The waves -rose as high as mountains, and the ship seemed to toil up one side, -and to send the bowsprit up into the air, then, plunging down again, -seemed to bury it in the sea. I was standing with my wife at the door -of the dinner cabin when a large wave burst in through the upper part -of the ship, flooded the room, and shivered one of our large boats to -atoms. - -As we were passing the equator, too, we suffered from a tremendous -thunderstorm. The heat was excessive: not a breath of wind stirred -the air. About twelve o'clock a little cloud, about the size of -a man's hand, rose in the horizon: gradually it spread until it -hung like a huge black mass over the ship. I stood and watched its -increase, when suddenly a vivid flash of lightning shot from the -heavens, and almost blinded me. At the same moment a crash of thunder -bellowed round the ship like the noise of a thousand cannons. The -lightning slightly struck one of our passengers and the mate, but did -not inflict any serious injury. The rain now descended: not a sharp -thick shower, such as you may witness in England, but as it were all -in one mass, and soon every trace of the storm passed away; the sun -burst forth, and the ship and sails were dried in the course of a few -minutes. - -Calm weather was ours now until we reached Madras. During our voyage -we observed many curious kinds of birds, the principal of which -was the stormy petrel. These creatures quit the land, and fly many -thousand miles over the sea in the track of ships, following them by -night and by day. The whale-bird is about the size of a thrush, white -in colour, and may be seen hovering about the great fish from which -it derives its name. - - [Sidenote: CAPE PIGEON.] - -The Cape pigeon is a very beautiful creature, about the size of our -own pigeon, white, with black spots on its body, and a blue, glossy -head. We several times amused ourselves with catching them; and the -way we contrived was, to let fly from our hands a piece of thread -several yards in length, which was carried out by the wind, and the -pigeon, flying across it, became entangled in it. In fluttering -about in the endeavour to extricate itself, it became only more -firmly secured; and then, drawing the string towards us, we caught -the bird, and, placing it on the deck, suffered it to walk about. The -legs of this pigeon are so peculiarly formed that they are unable -to spring up from the ground, and can only rise from the crest of a -wave, or throw themselves from the edge of a rock. The albatross is a -large white bird, which has been known to measure fourteen or sixteen -feet from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. We used to -catch them sometimes by casting out a hook and line, as for a fish. - -The Cape hen, which follows the ship in flocks, is large and black, -measuring about ten feet from wing to wing. Occasionally we caught -a glimpse of the tropic-bird, called by the sailors the boatswain, -because of its long pointed tail resembling the pigtail which these -men used formerly to wear. - - [Sidenote: PILOT-FISH, ETC.] - -The booby is a large brown bird, about as big as a common hen. I must -not forget to tell you something about the pilot-fish. Every shark, -whether old or young, is accompanied by a little fish about twelve -inches long, and striped like a zebra, which keeps always near the -nose of the shark, and seems to guide him to his food. - -As I have in this place said so much about birds and fishes, I may -as well tell you a little about the animals here in Madras. The -first I shall mention is the cow, by which all the carts and many of -the carriages are drawn along--sometimes, too, very swiftly. They -are much smaller than English cows, and have a hump on their backs. -Camels may be seen in the streets patiently carrying heavy loads of -goods: the people, however, treat them very cruelly. - -As I was going to the cathedral last Sunday I saw a mungoose, a -little green and yellow animal, something between a ferret and a -squirrel. It is said that when bitten by a snake it runs and rubs the -place over with the juice of a certain plant, which immediately cures -it. - -My samee, or native manservant, who is a Malay, gave me one about as -large as a kitten, and quite as playful. It will attain to the size -of a cat; it follows me about, sleeps on the foot of the bed, and if -a snake comes into the room will instantly kill it. When an Indian -mother wishes to go out, she need only just tell the mungoose to mind -the cradle, and then he lies down by it, and suffers neither man nor -reptile to approach. This creature, once tamed, is quite wretched out -of human society. - -The cobra de capello is one of the most poisonous snakes with which -we are acquainted. I saw a girl playing with some of them the other -day, but their fangs had been extracted. - -There are a great number of beautiful birds here; and green paroquets -can be purchased for three pence, while an avadavad costs only one -penny. The cock avadavad should, when kept, be confined along with -twelve hens in a cage. - -The large carrion-crow is as common here as the sparrow is in -England, and is so tame that they fly close to the houses, and even -look in at the windows. Nobody is allowed to shoot or hurt them, -because they make themselves useful in carrying away all the dirt -from the town. Large vultures are almost as numerous. - -I must not forget to mention the mosquito, which is a gnat exactly -like those you see in England. Great numbers fly about all the night, -and some people suffer much from their bite, but they never touch me. - -The flowers here are beautiful, and some smell exceedingly sweet. -There are two tall trees, as large as elms, covered with red and -yellow flowers about the size of a plate. In the hedges, too, we see -very splendid cactuses. I shall be able, however, to tell you more -about these things when I have been here longer. - -The fruits are exquisite, but it is dangerous to eat them in any -quantity. For a pine-apple nearly as big as your head we pay only two -anas--that is, three pence; but they are not exactly like those you -buy in England. Here they are quite sweet, and soft and juicy as a -peach. The mango is a yellow fruit about the size of a large orange, -the inside of which is full of a very rich sort of custard. The -plantain resembles a dahlia-root, and has very much the same taste -as cheese. The guava is in appearance like an apple, but possesses -the flavour of a strawberry. There are several other kinds of fruit, -but I have not time to describe them now. I am very fond of the -pine-apple and the orange, but do not care for any of the others. - - [Sidenote: HEAT.] - -Mother-of-pearl may be bought very cheap here. It is found in a -particular kind of oyster-shell, of which I can get three or four -for a halfpenny. Though the heat here is excessive, I do not suffer -from it: the thermometer in the large room where I am sitting is now -93-1/2 deg. The heat causes a kind of rash called the prickle-heat, -which is very disagreeable. The sensation to which it gives rise -is much the same as would be caused by running needles into the -body. In every room, hanging from the ceiling, is a large fan, -called a punkah, about four times the size of the door, and a boy is -continually employed in swinging it backward and forward, and the -current of air thus created cools the whole room. The windows are -without glass. Venetian blinds serve instead, and sometimes mats, -which are kept constantly wetted. The water soon turns into steam, -and, evaporating very fast, carries off with it the latent heat. - -When my wife goes to sleep, the little black boy, with no covering -but a pair of drawers and a cap, stands near and fans her, while -every now and then he sprinkles her face with water as she reclines -on the sofa. - - [Sidenote: FAKIRS.] - -The people here are nearly all black, and wear very little clothing. -The population is extensive. At dinner we have generally eight or ten -men to wait upon us, but they are slow in their movements, and very -lazy. The Arabian Nights mentions the fakirs. I have seen some here -that have let their feet grow in one position until they cannot move -them. - - [Sidenote: CURIOUS DISEASE.] - -Some of the inhabitants of Madras are afflicted with a curious kind -of disease, in which one leg swells to the size of a man's body, -while the other is no thicker than the limb of an infant. - -When you meet in the street with a native who is at all acquainted -with you, or who wishes to express his thanks for anything, instead -of merely saying "Thank you," or "How do you do?" he presses his -hands upon his eyes, and says "Salaam, sahib." Some English persons, -on going out for a walk, may be seen to carry a whip, with which, -if the natives are at all troublesome, they lash them; but this -is a cruel practice. Ladies are prevented by the heat from walking -abroad here, and gentlemen seldom do so, but go about in what are -called palanquins, which I will describe hereafter. When we ride out, -however swiftly we go, a man called a coolie runs by the side of the -carriage. We are obliged to get up here at about half-past five in -the morning, and then we go out for a drive, or in the palanquin; at -half-past seven the sun is too powerful even for that exercise: we -then return home, take a cold bath, and breakfast. At half-past six -in the evening we are enabled to go out again a little. In the middle -of the day we take a nap. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] It is doubted whether the injury does not rather arise from the -damp night-air than from the effect of the moon-beams. - - - - -July 1st. - - -A few days ago I saw a native wedding. At about nine in the evening I -was disturbed by a noise of drums and squeaking trumpets. Looking out -of the window, I saw a large party with torches conducting the bride -to her husband's home. She was entirely covered by a white veil, and -walked in the midst of her relations. - -I went to pay a visit to the Newab, a native prince of these parts, -but did not succeed in obtaining an interview. He is about fifteen -years of age, and generally goes out in a carriage drawn by seven -horses. His uncles ride by his side on elephants, while his cousins -run with the carriage. - -The natives are a fine athletic race of men, with every appearance of -possessing talent and intellect. The tricks of the jugglers are very -entertaining: they will swallow swords, throw up three or four knives -or cannon-balls, and catch them on their necks, and pull balls of -cotton out of their throats, and make snakes dance. - - - - -Bishop's Palace, Calcutta, July 15. - - - [Sidenote: WATERSPOUT.] - -Here we are arrived safely at this place, after a very disagreeable -voyage, the worst part of which was the travelling up the river -Hoogly. We were becalmed for some time, and merely drifted up a few -miles a-day with the tide. However, I was much interested one day -by watching a cloud, which, after moving and whirling about for a -little time, began to send down a little thin point towards the -river. Presently the column increased in size, while underneath the -waves seemed to rise to meet it; and when they had done so a great -quantity of the water was sucked up by the cloud, which grew larger -in consequence, and then steered away towards the land: this was a -waterspout. - -The place in which we live--that is, our hotel--is a large house, -three stories high, surrounding a square, and on each side are -forty-two windows in a row. - -Immediately after landing I went to pay my respects to the -archdeacon, and to inform him of my arrival. Not finding him at -home, I proceeded to the bishop, who treated me very hospitably, and -invited us to his house. - - [Sidenote: BISHOP'S PALACE.] - -On returning home I found that during my absence the archdeacon's -wife and daughter had been calling on my wife, for the purpose of -inviting us to their house; but having already accepted the offer of -the bishop, we, of course, were compelled to decline this. In the -bishop's palace we have two very large apartments assigned to us, -besides a bath-room, and a verandah, about three hundred yards long, -to walk in. I was scarcely located here, however, before I received -an order to proceed to Gowhattie, in Assam, and to assume the -clerical superintendence of the whole province. At Gowhattie there is -one European lady, and there are five European gentlemen, who are the -only ones within two hundred and seventy miles. My parish, if such -it can be called, is about twice the size of England, and I shall be -continually travelling about. - -But I must now tell you something about this place. The principal -animals here are buffaloes, elephants, and tigers, of whose numbers -you may form an idea by the fact of the Government having offered a -reward for every tiger's head. Last year, in the province of Assam, -the number of heads brought in was two thousand six hundred, and yet -these animals seem to be as numerous as ever. - -We shall have to travel in a little boat, called a budjeon, with two -cabins, up to Gowhattie. The boatmen are black, and we shall be the -only passengers on board. We must be provided besides with two other -boats, the one with the fowls and goats in it for cooking, and the -other with the luggage. We shall be rather more than two months on -the voyage, and must take with us enough provisions for a year. When -we reach Gowhattie the boat must serve us for a home until we have -built one with mats and reeds. - -There are some large birds here called adjutants, about five feet -high, with long white legs, black bodies, bare necks, and a beak like -pelicans. They are generally seen perched on the tops of houses. The -fire-flies are very pretty: on a fine night a number of them are seen -flitting about the lanes and gardens glittering like stars. - -The bull-frogs make a noise at night almost as loud as the bark of a -dog. A pretty brown and white bird is to be found here, singing much -like a blackbird; it is called a miner. - -Calcutta is well termed the city of palaces, since every house is a -noble mansion. Most of the rooms are at least fifteen feet high and -twenty-six feet square, and along every story there is a verandah, -supported by stone columns. The language of the people here seems to -have retained many traces of the Portuguese, who were here before the -English. For instance, the bishop is called de Lord Padre, and I go -by the name of Padre Sahib. - - [Sidenote: NATIVE SERVANTS.] - -We have no bells by which to summon the servants, who lie on the mat -outside the room door; when we require them we call out, without -rising from the sofa, "Qui hi?" (who is there?) then the sirdar, -or valet, runs in. We give him our orders, which he reports to the -others. Although I am staying at the bishop's, and dine at his -table, and use his carriage, I am obliged to have five servants. I -have one kitmajar, or waiter, who does nothing but attend at table. -The bishop's kitmajars will wait only upon their own master. Then -I have one ayah, or lady's-maid, for my wife; a sirdar, or bearer; -and a matee-sirdar, or assistant-bearer. These men make the beds -and assist me to dress. I have also a punkah-bearer--that is, a man -who sits outside the room, and is constantly employed in pulling -a string fastened to a punkah, or enormous fan, without which no -Englishman could live in India. Besides these I pay a pooney-bearer, -or water-carrier, and a matranes. When I go up the country I shall -be obliged to have a consummar, or head servant; a dobee, or -washerwoman; a dugay, or tailor; a syce, or grass-cutter; and one or -two others. We cannot do with less, because, if I were to ask the -kitmajar to fetch my coat, he would twist his mustachios, and say, -"Me no sirdar;" or if I were to ask my sirdar to wait at table, he -would say, "Kitmajar no do dat." - - - - -August 6, 1842. - - [Sidenote: CUTTACK.] - -The bishop has changed my appointment from Assam to Cuttack. The -different towns I shall have under my jurisdiction are Midnapore, -Balasore, and Poonee. Midnapore is situated eighty miles south of -Calcutta, and Cuttack two hundred and forty. Poonee stands on the -coast a little to the south of the great plain of Juggernat'h, which -forms a part of my district. - -We expect to leave Calcutta next week, and shall go down the river -as far as Ooloberriab. Here we shall quit the boat for palanquins, -and shall travel by night, it being too sultry to proceed by day. At -Midnapore we shall stay for a few days at the judge's house, whilst -I look about for one. Here we shall probably remain about three -months, and shall then proceed to Poonee. Whichever of the two towns -I discover to be the pleasantest and most agreeable I shall make my -permanent abiding-place, only travelling occasionally to each of the -others. Every one tells me my station is one of the healthiest in -Bengal. Midnapore, standing on a high hill, will be best for the wet -weather; Poonee, on the sea, for the hot months; and Cuttack, with a -nice sea-breeze, for the winter. - -The principal dangers we have to apprehend on our journey to -Midnapore are the dacoits, or mountain robbers, the tigers, and the -sudden swelling of the rivers from the rains. - -Now, I must tell you a little of our mode of life here. At half-past -five in the morning we have a cup of coffee, and then go out for a -ramble. It is the only hour in the day in which it is possible to -walk. If we were to go out for half an hour in the middle of the day -it would most likely cause our death. At seven we take a cold bath, -and pour great jars of water over our heads. I used to enjoy bathing -in England, but here it becomes the greatest possible luxury. After -this is over we read or write until nine, and then breakfast. At two -we have tiffin, which is lunch, with plenty of meat. At five in the -afternoon we have an hour's drive, at half-past seven we dine, at -nine tea, and to bed at ten. These are the regular Indian hours, but -as soon as I have a house of my own I mean to dine at three. - -When on any occasion I ask for a glass of cold water it is brought -to me with a lump of ice in it. This is excessively refreshing in a -country like this, where the thermometer is at 90 deg. It is brought in -shiploads from America. At new and full moon there is what is called -a "bore" in the river Hoogly, that is, the tide, instead of coming up -gradually, swells up in one large wave. When I saw it the other day -it rose thirty feet in height. - - - - -Midnapore, September 12, 1842. - - - [Sidenote: JOURNEY TO MIDNAPORE.] - -On the 14th of August I sent two boats full of furniture to -Midnapore, and on the 16th we started ourselves in a boat with two -large cabins and one small. I had nine Indians to manage it. Another -smaller boat contained our palanquins, two servants, and a little -sort of kitchen. - -In going down the Hoogly river we met with an accident, and were -nearly overturned; the wind drove us with great force against a large -ship in a severe squall. We however reached Ooloberriab, a native -village on Hoogly, in safety. Here we turned into a canal, up which -we journeyed for some miles, and then anchored for the night. The -next morning, having slept on board, we proceeded on our course, and -reached the Khatah Ghat, or landing-place (pronounced gaut), at about -twelve o'clock. Here we remained until four in the afternoon, entered -our palanquins, a kind of square boxes, which are carried on men's -shoulders, handsomely painted outside, with soft cushions inside, -and lamps like a carriage. In this sort of thing we move about -everywhere, and in crossing a river do not wet our feet. To each -palanquin there are eight bearers, four of whom are employed at a -time; one mussuaulchee, or torch-bearer, runs by the side, along with -one baugh-whaller, to carry boxes made of tin, and called patarahs. -Each man carries two slung to a stick over his shoulder. - -My wife travels in one palanquin, and I in another. We had taken care -to write beforehand that a dak, or men, might be in readiness to -carry us on at each stage; and we therefore proceeded rapidly through -the whole night. - - [Sidenote: ARRIVAL.] - -Soon after leaving Khatah Ghat we found the road for two miles under -water, which reached far above the men's knees; and at one time, -indeed, I was afraid it would have entered the palanquin; but the -only accident that actually happened was the breaking of one of the -baughley-whaller's sticks, and the tin patarah, containing clothes, -floated away, but, after some trouble, was again secured. We slept -most comfortably in our palanquins during our journey, and arrived at -Midnapore early in the morning. Here we stayed at the house of the -judge until I could choose a home for myself, in which we are now -at last settled. Everybody here is most kind and hospitable, and, -indeed, it is necessary it should be so, for, excepting in Calcutta, -there are no inns, and travellers would fare very badly were the -houses of the principal people closed against them. But when you go -on a visit you must be careful to take your own servants, sheets, -towels, and soap. My house is called a bungalow, which I chose as -being the most economical. A bungalow is a thatched cottage, with -only one ground story. - -The floors of the rooms are not made of wood, but a sort of cement -which looks like stone. The house stands in the midst of a large -field called a compound, which belongs to me, and the servants' -dwellings are scattered around. - -I have a flower and kitchen garden, fowl-house and place for goats, -kitchen, stable, cowhouse, and a banyan-tree. The pathways through -the grass are of fine gravel, and the hedges are composed almost -entirely of aloes and cactuses, mixed with a very sweet-smelling -flowering shrub, and here and there a bamboo, which is a most -beautiful tree, resembling a very tall weeping-willow. The -sensitive-plant grows wild about the compound, and bears a very pink -flower resembling that of the red cloves. - -The banyan-tree is abundant here. Each branch projects stalks -downwards, which take root in the earth, and after a few years one -tree resembles a cluster, and covers a large space of ground. I have -several aloes in my garden, which are just flowering. They have -thrown up a straight stalk about twenty feet high. A large cactus is -now in bloom. It is about ten feet high, and each stem or leaf is -thicker round than my leg. This kind bears a very beautiful large -white flower, which opens only at night. In my kitchen-garden are the -mango, the plantain, Indian corn, pine-apple trees, and many others. - -Carpets are not used here, but the floors are covered instead -with India matting. In each room is a punkah, which I have before -described. - -We procure water for drinking from a large tank or pond; and as we -cannot purchase meat, I have provided myself with thirty-five ducks, -sixty fowls, four goats, and three kids, which last are almost ready -to eat; the goats we shall keep for their milk. The judge made me a -present of a beautiful fawn of the spotted deer, which is becoming -very tame. I am just going to join a mutton-club. Four persons enter -into partnership, and agree to keep a small flock of sheep; one of -which is killed twice a week, and then each partner is provided with -a quarter of mutton, and each in turn has the liver, heart, and head. -A gentleman yesterday sent me four guinea-fowls, and another has -promised me six pigeons as soon as I have a place to keep them in. - - [Sidenote: INSECTS.] - -I have just begun to make a collection of insects, snakes, and -butterflies and moths, of the most beautiful kind. The chameleon is -very common, and changes its colour according to the temper it is in. -I have one which is generally of a brilliant green; but if its anger -be roused, it becomes covered with large black spots, and when hungry -with white spots. These are the only changes in its colour I have as -yet observed: but I have seen others yellow; others, again, black, -with yellow spots. It is said that each chameleon has ten different -variations of colour. There is to be seen here a light-brown lizard, -called the bloodsucker, which is constantly running about the walls -in the rooms. Whenever we take up a paper or a book, we are sure to -find two or three cockroaches under it--not such cockroaches as you -may see in England, but great ones three or four inches long. The -grasshoppers come into the house in numbers, and grow to an uncommon -size. You may hear them chirruping half a mile off. The ants, of -which there are three sorts, are a great nuisance. Every house swarms -with them; and unless the legs of tables, drawers, &c., are kept -constantly standing in jars of water, they attack the dinner-cloths, -and in fact everything they can reach: 1st, there is a very small red -ant, whose bite causes a very hard red swelling, which continues very -painful for some days; 2nd, a great black ant, about the size of an -English wasp, which bites, but does not sting; 3rd, the white ant, -rather larger than the common English ant, which come in a swarm, and -in one night will devour a table or a shelf full of books. You may -come down in the morning and find your table and books apparently all -right, but no sooner do you touch them than they all crumble away to -powder. - - [Sidenote: REPTILES.] - -There are a great number of snakes about here, though I have not yet -seen one. I suspect that my mungoose or ichneumon keeps them away, -as he is an inveterate enemy to all vermin. A venomous lizard, about -a foot long, black, with yellow stripes down the sides, often comes -into our verandah, but as soon as it hears the mungoose it disappears -with all possible despatch; as do also the poisonous centipedes, of -which there are several in the house. The noise of the mungoose is -very peculiar, generally purring like a cat, but when angry it barks -short and snappishly, while every hair on its long tail stands on end. - -I have already mentioned to you that there are here the tiger, the -lion, the monkey, the leopard, the buffalo, the elephant (tame), the -spotted deer, the jackal, the flying fox: all these I shall describe -as the opportunities offer; now I shall tell you something about the -monkey. - -I was walking out early in the morning, and reached a very large -pepul-tree, covered with its red berries. Presently I heard some one -chattering over my head, and looking up beheld an enormously long ape -as tall as myself, with a white face and great whiskers. He gazed -at me for a moment, and then chattered again. The noise becoming -louder and louder, I ran from under the tree, and soon saw a great -number of these animals of different sizes come leaping down, and, -after a stare, as much as to say "don't follow us," they made a few -tremendous leaps, and escaped into the jungle. - -The Indian buffalo has no hump on its back. It is like an immense -black cow, but exceedingly fierce. As yet I have seen only tame -ones. A gentleman who lives here was walking out in the jungle the -other evening, with the intention of shooting some birds, when he -saw before him a large bull buffalo. When alone these creatures are -much more fierce than when with the herd. He did not, therefore, -much relish his close acquaintance; and, turning round, strove to -creep quietly away. Hearing a loud roar behind him, he looked back, -and beheld the buffalo in full chase after him, tossing his head -most furiously. The gentleman scarcely knew what to do, as there -was no tree near into which he might climb; but he was surrounded -by low bushes. Turning suddenly round, therefore, he stood still, -and, looking steadfastly at the buffalo, loaded his gun. On came the -animal, nearer and nearer, looking fiercer and fiercer. At last, when -about twenty yards off, he stopped one minute as if in hesitation, -and then, with a loud roar, turned his head, and, tearing up the -ground with his hoofs, was on the point of rushing onward, when the -gentleman raised his gun as a last resource, and fired. The ball -entered through the eye into the brain, and the monster rolled over -the plain. - -I have since seen the skull and the horns, which are of great size. -The elephants are very large, and there are none but tame ones here. -The major of the regiment quartered at this place has offered to lend -us one whenever we are inclined for a ride. - -The jackals are a source of great annoyance at night: they come into -the compound and howl round the house, and make a dreadful noise, -but are not dangerous. There are swarms of wild dogs too here, -called pariah dogs--quite harmless. They resemble a hairy greyhound -with a fox's head. The flying-fox is a sort of bat. Its large black -wings are nearly four feet from tip to tip, and the body is like a -small fox. They fly about the trees at night, and pick the fruit and -berries. The birds are very beautiful. There are many sorts of doves -and pigeons. One sort of the last-named is quite green; as is also -the fly-catcher, which has a long single feather in the middle of his -tail. The mango is about the size of a pigeon, yellow, with green -stripes. There are also the pretty little amadavad, and many others. - -I am making a collection of large beetles. - - [Sidenote: SOIL--CLIMATE.] - -Midnapore is situated on a high table-land, or flat-topped hill, -about six miles across, and is much cooler than the greater part of -India. The soil is about a foot deep, and underneath it is a volcanic -rock, so porous that the rain soaks into it as soon as it falls, thus -rendering the place dry and healthy. From the middle of June to the -middle of October there are tremendous storms of rain almost every -day. Then it is cool and pleasant till February. After that time the -heat increases, and the weather is quite dry until April; from which -time until June it is intensely hot, with occasional hurricanes and -thunderstorms, of which we have had several most magnificent ones -lately; and from the height of the hills we seem almost to be in the -midst of them. - - [Sidenote: PRODUCTIONS.] - -Indigo, rice, and grain are plentiful. The first is obtained by -soaking the leaves of the plant in water until they are rotten, when -they deposit a thick blue sediment, which is formed into cakes, and -is used for dyeing cloths. - -We have some wild silkworms, from which the natives manufacture a -coarse sort of silk. The rice grows in fields which are under water, -and looks like barley. These fields beautifully illustrate the -expression in the Bible about casting your seed upon the waters, and -after many days you shall find it again. - -The greatest expenses here are servants and house-rent. I pay for -my house, which is one of the cheapest in Midnapore, forty rupees -a-month; a rupee is two shillings. I keep as few domestics as I can; -but am obliged to have eleven men and one woman. The men are-- - - 1 consummar, or headman. - 1 kitmajar, or waiter at table. - 1 sirdar, who attends to lamps, furniture, &c. - 1 bearer, who works the punkah and helps the sirdar. - 1 dirgee, or tailor, who mends stockings, and makes gowns, coats, - shirts, &c. - 2 maistrees, or carpenters. - 2 mollees, or gardeners. - 1 motee, who sweeps the rooms and keeps them in order. - 1 beastee, or water-carrier. - -We neither feed nor clothe them: indeed their food consists of -nothing but rice, except the consummar and kitmajar, who are -Mussulmans. Their pay varies from three to ten rupees a-month. Many -people keep forty or fifty men. The sirdar, or bearer, sleeps on a -mat in the verandah; the others in houses in the compound. They are -all forbidden by their religion to do the work of any other; their -fathers and grandfathers performed the same duties, and so will their -sons and grandsons also. They are a thievish set, and we dare not -leave anything in their way that they can steal. - -There is at this moment a little grey squirrel hopping about in -the verandah,--facing the gate of the compound are several tame -buffaloes,--and a little beyond is an elephant lying down basking in -the sun and lashing his trunk about upon the grass. - -There is an insect here called the flying-bug; it resembles in -appearance a very large ant with wings, and, if one of them flies -through the room, it leaves so disagreeable a smell that it can -hardly be borne for an hour afterwards. - - - - -September 15. - - - [Sidenote: THE "POUJAH OF TOOLS".] - -To-day is a rustic festival; the carpenters and all other workmen -have a holiday, and, daubing all their tools with red paint, cover -them with flowers, and then kneel down and worship them, and beg them -to work well and not to break during the next year. This is called -the "poujah of tools." - - - - -October 9, 1842. - - - [Sidenote: STORM.] - -We have had several thunderstorms here. A few days ago I saw a large -black cloud coming up against the wind. Gradually it spread until it -covered the whole sky. The wind now died away for a few minutes, and -then rose again and seemed to rush from all quarters of the heavens -at once, and formed a sort of whirlwind round Midnapore; then from -the darkest part of the cloud flashed a vivid streak of lightning, -followed almost immediately by a terrific clap of thunder. For three -hours the storm continued, and scarcely three minutes elapsed between -each clap, while we saw the lightning running along the ground for -several yards. - - [Sidenote: SNAKE.] - -The other morning two men who lived in Midnapore caught a cobra de -capello, or hooded snake, and they were examining it when suddenly it -bit them both, and they died in the course of half an hour. We have -not yet seen any snakes in our house, although most people frequently -find them. This, as I think I told you, I attribute to our keeping -the mungoose, of which the snakes are much afraid. - -The chikary, or huntsman, makes a large oval shield, which he covers -over with leaves: in the upper part are two very small holes. When -he perceives a bird he crouches down behind his screen, keeping a -watch through the two little holes, and creeping on very slowly. When -he has approached near enough, he thrusts forward a long thin stick -like a fishing-rod, and touches the bird with one end of it, on which -there is a little lime; the bird sticks to it, and then the man draws -back the pole and secures the animal. - -In this way a great number of partridges are taken, with snipes, -woodcocks, pigeons, &c. I had two hoopoes given me the other day. The -Major who commands this station has four elephants for the use of -the troops under him, to carry their tents when they are marching; -and whenever we like it he lends us one for a ride. On the back of -the elephant is placed a large pad, and on that is a thing like a -great cradle, with two seats in it. A man sits on the neck with his -feet in stirrups of rope, and a pointed piece of iron in his hand, -which he presses behind the elephant's ears to guide him. Another -man runs by the side and encourages the animal in Hindustanee. When -we want to get on his back, the man on the neck presses the iron rod -on the middle of the animal's head, and he kneels down; a ladder is -immediately brought, and we climb up into the seat, or houdah, as it -is called, and then the huge monster rises again. His pace is very -slow and very jolting. He is not allowed to pass over any bridges, -lest his weight should shake them down; he accordingly goes through -the water instead. Neither may he go where he is likely to meet many -horses, lest he should frighten them. - -My costume here would make you smile. I wear thin shoes, white -stockings, white trowsers, a short black cassock reaching a -little below the knees, and a hat made of pith covered with black -merino--the crown is about four inches high, and the rim about six -or seven inches wide. This is my out-of-door dress. Indoors, unless -when any one calls, I wear a white jacket instead of the cassock. I -am without any waistcoat. At a dinner-party, black silk socks, black -trowsers, and my long black silk cassock. - -The only coins in use at Midnapore are the pice and the rupee; -the pice is worth a farthing and a half, and the rupee about two -shillings. Another kind of money passes here, viz. a little shell -called a cowrie, of which 120 are worth a pice. At Madras and -Calcutta there are many other sorts. - -The insects are a great nuisance here. If the candles were not -protected by a glass shade they would be instantly extinguished. -Thousands of insects of all sizes swarm, jumping and flying about the -lamps, of all colours, green, yellow, blue; and many of them sting, -whilst others smell most abominably. - -Every morning the mollie, or gardener, brings in a basket of -vegetables for us to look at, and select what we shall require for -the day's consumption. The cold weather here begins about the middle -of October, generally on the 15th, and we are all looking very -anxiously for it; but by cold I mean only such a lower degree of heat -as will enable us to go out in the middle of the day (provided we -carry a great parasol), which we cannot do now. - - [Sidenote: DINNER COSTUME--NATIVE SERVANTS.] - -At a dinner-party every one brings his or her own table servant. This -assemblage has a very pretty appearance: the ladies are all in white -dresses and short sleeves, and the gentlemen in white jackets and -trowsers, except the Major and myself; he wears a red jacket, and I -a black cassock. Behind each chair stands a dark-brown man with long -black beard and mustachios, dressed in a sort of white tunic and a -white turban, with a coloured sash wound several times round the -waist. As it would be the greatest mark of disrespect for a servant -to appear in the presence of his master with covered feet, they all -leave their shoes outside the door. After the meat is cleared away, -before the puddings are brought in, the servants go out and smoke for -five minutes. There is not a man, either Mussulman or Hindoo, except -of the very lowest caste, who would eat anything that came from the -table of a European. They would consider it a degradation, and would -not even drink out of anything we had ever used, or touch what we -had cooked. The Hindoos eat only once a-day, unless on their grand -feasts. Their food then is boiled rice, with perhaps an onion and a -little spice in it, which they eat with their hands. - - [Sidenote: LANGUAGE.] - -The language of this country, though confessedly a compound of two -or three Eastern tongues, appears to me to have many remains of -what must have been the original language of man, that is to say, -those which must have existed from the very earliest time bear a -close propinquity to the words of other and later languages. Several -instances which came under my notice bear out this opinion. - -It is curious to observe how the different castes or ranks here keep -distinct, and it is this which renders so many servants necessary. -The man who lays the cloth would feel degraded by dusting a chair, -and he who dusts the chair would rather leave his place than dust the -room. Again, two men of different castes will neither eat, drink, nor -sleep together. Their bed is a mere mat, which explains well that -saying of our Saviour, "Take up thy bed and walk." - -The other day my basin had not been emptied. I told the carah of it, -whose business it is to attend to my apartment, and he went a hundred -or more yards to call the matee, because it would have been beneath -his dignity to throw the water out into the adjoining bath-room. -The men here are a sadly idle set; they make almost slaves of their -wives. Early in the morning we may see troops of women going out into -the jungle, from which they return in the evening with great fagots -of wood; these fagots are about twelve feet in length, and in the -middle quite two in thickness, and are carried on the head. The poor -creatures are obliged continually to stop and rest. - -The higher classes of the natives wear a kind of loose white gown, -down to the knees, and very loose trowsers, also white embroidered -slippers, no stockings, and a white turban. The lower classes wear -nothing but a long white cloth tied round their hips. - -Every one here, both native and European, takes a cold bath at -least once a-day. When a native dies his body is burnt, and to -make the funeral pile every native keeps four or five large trees -growing in his garden. As soon as he dies, one, or two, or three -trees, according to the man's rank, are cut down and surrounded -with a great quantity of dry stubble, on which the body is placed. -Formerly, his wife was burnt alive at the same time. This was called -a sati. There are a great many tombs of holy men about the country, -and on these the people throw little wooden images. There is one -tomb here on which are placed two large dumb-bells, and the people -imagine that every Sunday night the man who is buried there rises -up and plays with them. There is one very disagreeable custom here, -which exists more or less all over India; it is called dustoorie. -Whenever anything is bought, for every rupee that is paid the seller -is obliged to give the servant of the purchaser two pice; so that -the more he has to buy, the better it is for the servant; and if -a master were to say he would not allow dustoorie, no native would -enter his service. - -I have just been to look at the man who is making me some white -jackets. The women here never do any needlework. The men sit down on -the floor, and hold the work between the great toe and the next. - - [Sidenote: DESTRUCTIVENESS OF THE WHITE ANT.] - -I was the other day in want of a sheet of pith, on which to fasten -some butterflies, and, going into my dressing-room, where I knew I -had left four pieces on a shelf only the day before, I found them -apparently in good condition; but, on taking them up, discovered them -to be only so much dust. I then examined the other things upon the -shelf, and found them to be in the same state. This was the work of -the white ant, which was swarming about. I called the carah and sent -him to the bazaar, or the place where all the little shops are, and -told him to procure me sixteen pice worth of turpentine, and when it -was brought I spread it over the shelf, and, soaking into the wood, -it destroyed the ants. If let alone they would, in about two days, -have eaten the chest of drawers, all my clothes, and everything in -the room. I have just been engaged in catching with a green net on -the end of the bamboo a most beautiful swallow-tailed butterfly, and -in doing so frightened away a jackal, who was so impertinent as to -intrude into the compound in the middle of the day. - - - - -Midnapore, November 11, 1842. - - -A friend has just made me a present of a very small kind of monkey, -about nine inches high, of a light-brown colour. His antics are -often very amusing. I fasten him by a chain to a thick pole in the -compound, at the top of which is his house. He will sometimes turn -his waterpot upside down and sit on it in the gravest possible -manner. He will then perhaps stoop down and gather a blade of grass, -and examine it as attentively as though he were inquiring to what -species and genus it belonged. Perhaps by this time several large -knowing-looking crows, something like English magpies, will have -collected round him, holding their heads on one side and looking as -if they were listening very attentively to his lecture on botany. -Presently you would see the sly little monkey turn his eye to see -how near they are, and then with one bound he will catch hold of the -nearest crow by the neck; but the crow is the stronger of the two -and always gets away safe. These crows are as common as sparrows -and quite as tame, for they will hop into the verandah and pick up -anything the parrots drop. We have two parrots; they are of a kind -very common here; so I told a man to go out and catch me a couple, as -I wanted to teach them to talk. He did so, and they are now getting -very tame. I gave him a few pice for his trouble. They are of a -kind that I do not remember ever to have seen in England. The upper -mandible is red, the lower black. From the lower mandible extends on -each side a broad black stripe, to where we suppose the ears to be; -and there is another black stripe from one eye to the other. These -stripes give the bird a very peculiar appearance. The upper circle -resembles a pair of tortoiseshell spectacles. - -I had a young hyaena given to me, which I made every endeavour to -tame, giving him milk and food, but nevertheless as soon as I -approached he flew at me. As he has scarcely any teeth I did not fear -him, but took him in my arms, being careful to keep a tight hold on -his neck. He slept during the day, but showed an inclination to go -out at night, but, not being permitted to do so, continued making the -most extraordinary noises resembling the sobbing of a child in pain. -The servants were all afraid of him. Having kept us awake that night, -I resolved the next to try him outside the house, and accordingly, -fastening him up, I gave him a box to sleep in. The next morning I -found he was dead. The servants declared he had been killed by a pack -of jackals, but I shrewdly suspected they themselves to have been -guilty. - -The other day I caught one of those beautiful little squirrels which -I have before described. It is grey, with a broad yellow stripe down -each side. The body is about as big as my thumb, and the tail the -size of my middle finger. I borrowed a common squirrel's cage, but -the little thing was so small that it immediately struggled through -the wires, and the mungoose, perceiving it, killed and devoured it. A -great many of them live in the thatch of our house. - - [Sidenote: MUSK-RAT--MUNGOOSE.] - -The musk-rat is a small sharp-snouted animal, from which musk may be -extracted. The scent rising from it is overpowering. All the houses -here swarm with them, but the mungoose has either killed or driven -away all that were here, and our house therefore is quite free from -the smell. The mungoose is very destructive. I just left the room for -a few minutes, and while absent it commenced demolishing some eggs -which I had brought in from the fowl-house: there were eight on the -table; he had broken five over my papers and then dipped his paws in -the ink and ran over the table. Whilst punishing him for this fault I -held him by the neck, but he nevertheless managed to give me a severe -scratch with his claws. He is a thorough beast of prey, and will eat -nothing but animal food except sugar. - - [Sidenote: COBRA DE CAPELLO.] - -The prawns here are most delicious, and many of them are as large -as a good-sized lobster. I was crossing my compound in the dusk a -few evenings ago, after feeding my fowls and ducks. I walked slowly, -thinking of England and my children, when I happened suddenly to cast -my eyes upon the ground. I started back on perceiving within two -paces of me the dreaded cobra de capello--its head raised, its hood -expanded, and manifesting every sign of anger. Two, or at most three, -steps more, and I should have trodden upon it and received the fatal -bite. Unfortunately I had no stick in my hand; I called the servants -to bring bamboos, but by the time they came it had glided into its -hole, and I went home thanking the Supreme Being who had saved me -from the fearful danger. Since that time I have not been out without -a large bamboo in my hand, for, although I have stopped up the hole, -yet the cobra de capello is, no doubt, still in my compound. The bite -of this snake is most deadly. - -During the last fortnight I have heard of three persons having been -killed by it in Midnapore. Two of them were hunters, the other was -one of the wives of the Rajah. She put her hand into a cupboard -to procure something, when a cobra, which had concealed itself -there, bit her. When a person is wounded by this venomous reptile he -generally expires within an hour. The only possible cure, and that is -an uncertain one, is to swallow every few minutes a glass of brandy -with some eau de luce, or smelling-salts, dissolved in it, while a -man stands near beating you with a heavy whip. Or, instead of this, -you may be fastened to a carriage and be compelled to run as fast as -possible. The object is to keep you awake, for the danger of the bite -consists in the heavy lethargy it produces. The remedies applied, -however, are sure to bring on a violent fever, which frequently -proves fatal. Few diseases in this country last longer than an hour -or two. Fever, cholera, and inflammation of the liver, the three -great scourges of India, commonly prove fatal within from two to -twelve hours, so that no one can exist here without being constantly -reminded of the uncertainty of human life. It is curious that I, who -dreaded so greatly the reptiles of India, should have been at once -sent to the station where they most abound, for there is probably -no place in Bengal where serpents and lizards are so plentiful. Our -house is infested by numbers of centipedes, which get on the chairs -and on the clothes in a most unpleasant manner. However, we have -neither of us yet been bitten. - -I have not seen a scorpion alive. My wife and I were walking in the -compound the other day, when we saw a very large snake looking at -us through the hedge of aloes. It was of a light-brown, and was, I -think, five or six feet long. - -The other day my servants brought me in a venomous snake which they -said they had killed in the compound; I took it up by its tail and -carried it into my wife's dressing-room to show it to her. I laid it -down on the floor, and soon it began to wriggle away, and, raising -its head, turned at us. Fortunately there was a stick at hand, and, -taking it up, I killed the animal with one blow. So great is the -dread of them here, that no one ever sleeps without a light, lest, -stepping out of bed at night, he should place his foot upon some -venomous creature; most people keep a long bamboo in every room. We -never put on our shoes without first examining well to see that -there is nothing alive in them. The oil which we burn in the evening -and at night is extracted from the cocoa-nut and has a most agreeable -smell. For this purpose cocoa-nuts are brought from Ceylon and all -the neighbouring islands. This oil could not be used in England, -because it congeals into a sort of fat when the thermometer is at 64 deg. - - [Sidenote: YAMS--POTATOES.] - -We have a kind of root here which they call a yam, although I do not -think it is one. It is brown outside and white within; about two feet -long and thickest at the middle, where it is four inches in diameter. -This they boil and then fry into lumps; it is exceedingly nice. -Potatoes are scarce, dear, and bad, except sweet ones, which I like; -they are very stringy, and taste like potatoes mixed with sugar. - - [Sidenote: BAMBOO.] - -I think I have described to you the graceful appearance of the -bamboo-tree, but it is its extreme usefulness that renders it so -precious. It is a sort of hollow strong cane, and serves for the -upright posts at the corners of the native houses and also for the -door-posts. To our own bungalows or thatched houses it forms the -rafters to support the thatch; it is used for scaffolding and for -ladders without any shaping or preparing. One joint of it makes a -very good bottle; a long piece of it, with one side cut off and the -stoppage at the joints cut away, makes a waterspout or watercourse, -or a thing for fowls to eat or drink out of. In short, it would be -tedious to enumerate the many uses to which it is put. - -I had the other day an instance of the extent to which servants carry -the system of doing each his own work and no one's else. I had been -feeding the parrots with a little rice and had spilt a few grains -of it upon the table. I called the barah, or furniture-cleaner: he -said it was the parrot's food, and therefore it was the waiter's -business to clean it up. I told him to do as he was bid, but he would -not, and then I said that if he did not I should discharge him with -a character for disobedience; this he preferred to doing what he -considered was not his own work, so I sent him away at once. - -None of my servants can speak a word of English, and I am sometimes -rather at a loss on this account; but I always keep a dictionary on -the table, and I am rapidly acquiring a knowledge of the Hindustanee -language. There are no shops that Europeans can go to, except at -Calcutta. In the country, which is called the Mofussil, a sort of -pedlers come round with goods. I offer them generally one-third of -the price they name, and they in most cases take it. The other day, -my wife was making up her accounts, and asked the kitmajar how much -he had given for a certain article; the man said, "Three rupees." -My wife replied that she did not think he had given so much; he -answered, "Yes, three rupees." She said, "Now, I don't believe you -gave more than two rupees;" to which his answer was, "Yes, I gave two -rupees." Still she did not credit him, and said, "Now, I am sure you -only gave one rupee;" and he replied, "Yes, one rupee." And he was -quite satisfied: and all this time he answered as calmly as possible, -and did not appear in the least ashamed; and yet this man is one who -is considered a very good servant, and whom I believe to be as honest -as any one I have. - - - - -November 12. - - - [Sidenote: EARTHQUAKE.] - -Last night, a little before ten o'clock, my wife was gone to bed, and -I was sitting up reading and writing. In this country, you may know, -the servants at each house, instead of having a clock, strike a gong -at every hour. It is a flat circular plate of bell-metal, which, when -struck with a wooden mallet, gives forth a very loud ringing sound. -Just before the gong struck ten, I heard a noise like that of a buggy -(or gig with a large head to it to keep the sun off) approaching.[2] -I thought to myself, "Why, there must be a party somewhere to-night;" -at which I wondered not a little, because every one asks the Padre -Sahib to their parties, and I had received no invitation. The next -moment the noise seemed to increase, and become like the motion of -a large heavy carriage. Almost immediately after, with a sound like -rolling thunder, the whole house rocked backwards and forwards, -while I was nearly thrown off the chair on which I was sitting. - -The rumbling continued, I should think, for about a minute before the -shock of the earthquake came, and for about a quarter of a minute -after, while the shock itself may have occupied about ten minutes. - -I was quite startled; and, proceeding to my wife's bed-room, advised -her to get up and put on something warm, lest we should have to pass -the night out of doors. I then went to the store-room, and made the -best provision I could for a bivouac: my preparations were, however, -needless, as the shock was not repeated. - -I can compare the motion to nothing so well as to the pitching of a -small boat in a short cross-sea, or where two tides meet one another. -My wife said her bed gave two distinct pitches up and down. While -I was making my preparations for departure I heard a loud noise of -crows, ducks, fowls, and all sorts of birds, cawing, cackling, and -screaming, as if they were very much frightened. The natives all -round started up and blew their conchs (a sort of shell, which they -use instead of a trumpet); and this morning every one is talking -about the earthquake. - - [Sidenote: POPULATION.] - -Speaking of the natives reminds me of the subject of the population -of India, which is very much exaggerated. It cannot be compared, in -proportion to the extent of the country, to that of England. There -are said to be 40,000 natives in Midnapore, though I much doubt the -fact; and then on every side, farther than the eye can reach, extends -a vast expanse of thick jungle (that is, bushes growing so close -together as to be altogether impassable, and full of tigers, deer, -leopards, buffaloes, elephants, &c.); and as the same is the case -throughout the whole of India, I should think that nine-tenths of the -country consists of thick, close jungle, or enormous swamps. Here and -there, amidst all this, is found a small native village, composed of -a few huts; but the population in such places is probably not above -one in thirty square miles on the average; this is, of course, a -mere rough guess. The jungle-men, who are nearly black, though not -at all resembling the negro in feature, are said to be the original -inhabitants of the country. Their religion is unknown, and I believe -they possess no written language. The people were driven into the -bushes by the lighter race of men, whom many suppose to have been -some of the ancient Egyptians, probably not less than two or three -thousand years ago. Amongst this race sprang up, even subsequently -to this, the religion, or rather superstition, of Hindooism. Again, -about seven or eight hundred years ago, the whole country was overrun -and conquered by the Mohammedans. Seventy or eighty years ago we -obtained a firm footing in a small portion of the country. Not long -after, the Mahratta chiefs attacked the Mohammedans in various -places; the Mohammedans called upon us for assistance; and thus we in -time became possessors of almost the whole country. - -The greatest difficulty in the pronunciation of the language is the -letter _h_, which is always aspirated, and never pronounced as it is -in our _th_, and yet this letter often comes after a consonant. - -The money in the Mofussil, or country, is a source of much annoyance. -If you want to change a ten-pound note, they give you no gold, but -100 rupees; if you want change for a rupee, they give you 64 pice; -and if you change a pice, they give you 24 cowries. But as there are -no shops, and all the people bring their goods to the house, this -does not signify much. - -If you were to go to Midnapore, and to ask a native where Acland -Sahib lived (sahib means white gentleman), he would not be able -to tell you; but if you were to ask for the Padre Sahib, he would -immediately direct you to my house. - -When I came here I was going to stay with the judge: I told the -palanquin-bearers to take me to his house, mentioning his name, and -we were carried to almost every house in the station; until at last -we met a European, who told the men it was the judge sahib we wanted, -and then they soon found the place. I am called Padre Sahib; Mrs. -Acland is Padre Sahib ke Mem, or Padre Sahib's lady; a married woman, -mem sahib; an old maid is mem; and a young lady is bibi sahib, or -white lady baby. - - [Sidenote: EMPLOYMENT OF TIME.] - -The weather is now, comparatively speaking, delightful; the -thermometer is 76 deg. in the middle of the day, and about 66 deg. at sunrise -and early in the morning. I assure you we find it quite chilly, and -are obliged to walk very fast to get warm. Our hours are now--up at -six, feed the fowls, and walk till eight; bathe and dress till nine, -then breakfast; write, read, and work till four, then dinner; feed -the fowls and walk till half-past six; tea at seven. My wife works -and I read aloud till half-past eight; backgammon or cribbage till -half-past nine; then prayers, and to bed. Sometimes, however, I have -to go out and see my parishioners between breakfast and dinner, and -then I go in my palanquin. One great disagreeable is, the constant -change of people. - -The regiment that was here, of which the Major and his wife were our -chief friends, has just been ordered away, and a new one is come in -its place. The Captain of Engineers has just offered to take us a -trip to the mountains, fifty miles off, on elephants. I do not know -yet whether we shall go or not. The historical name of my parish -would be, the Ooriah district, or the Oresta. Our time is six hours -earlier than in England. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[2] It is the most common sort of carriage in India. - - - - -Midnapore, December 13, 1842. - - - [Sidenote: DEPARTURE FOR CUTTACK.] - -I am on the point of quitting this place for Cuttack. I have sold -the greater part of my furniture, as it is expensive to move; the -remainder is going forward on hackeries, or native carts. I want six -of these carts; about a dozen of them are come, and there is now a -crowd of native savages round the door, disputing as to who shall -go; and they were making so much noise that I was compelled to go -out and stop the cabal. I took a good thick stick in my hand, as if -I were about to beat them. I called out "Choop!" (or silence) as -loud as I could. I then explained that I only wanted six hackeries. -Then began a vociferation as to whose were the best. "Choop!--will -ye choop?" I roared again. I then called the mollee, and desired him -to turn out all the bullocks, for they had unfastened those which -drew the carts, and let them all loose in the rice-ground in the -compound, which was just ready for cutting. This order I hallooed -out loud enough for the men to hear; and told him, as soon as he had -done that, to come to me for a crowbar to break to pieces all the -hackeries but six. This made them submit; and although they still -continued making a great chattering, yet they soon began harnessing -their bullocks. With these people we are obliged to appear very -severe. They despise us as being of no caste; and were we not to be -firm, they would imagine we were afraid of them. - -We are now engaged in packing up our things, and shall start on the -25th, reach Balasore on the 28th, and remain there ten days, and then -three days' more travelling will bring me to my head-quarters at -Cuttack. - -I have, with much trouble, endeavoured to persuade the people -here that they ought to build a church: the Mohammedans have a -splendid mosque, the Hindoos have a large temple, and yet we have no -consecrated building for the worship of the true God; but, however, -I hope this will be remedied. As I was passing the mosque the other -day, I saw the muezzin shouting out that it was time for prayer, -and stopping his ears with both hands, that he might not hear the -terrible noise which he himself was making. - - [Sidenote: GOATS.] - -About a fortnight ago the judge went out shooting: he came to a large -hole under the root of a tree, and heard a loud growling. He is a -courageous man, so he was not afraid; but he told an Indian, who was -with him, to get behind the tree, and then poke a long stick into -the hole. Presently the growling became very loud and savage, and -then out jumped an enormous bear, one of the most savage sort--the -large black bear. The judge was ready, and shot it when it came out. -On examining the hole, three young bears, only a few days old, were -found. He sent for some Indians, who carried the dead body, and also -the cubs, home, and then, as he knew that I was fond of animals, he -sent the three little ones to me. They are very ugly, and cannot see -yet. One of my goats had just had a kid, so I told the cook to make -the kid into soup, and I brought the goat to the young bears. One man -held the goat, another covered her eyes with his hands, and a boy -held up the cubs to suck. The goat did not like it at all at first, -but now she is quite contented, almost as much so as if they were her -own young ones. I have given two of them away. In England you never -taste goat's milk: it is most delicious; far better, I think, than -cow's milk: we use it every day. Each goat, after the kid is taken -from her, gives about three-quarters of a pint a-day. The judge has -promised me a bottle full of the pure bear's grease. - -Every one here knows that I am very fond of animals, and they are -all very kind in sending them to me. I received the other day from a -gentleman a present of a goat, which is quite as big as a small pony. -If I were to get on its back my feet would not touch the ground; it -is of a dark brown, and of the long-eared Thibet kind. - - - - -December 14. - - - [Sidenote: BIRDS'-NESTS.] - -I went out to tea last evening, and a lady gave me two nests made -of platted grass, into which the birds enter through a hole at the -bottom. They are about a yard long, and they hang swinging from the -branch of a tree to which they are fastened. They are built in this -form, in order to keep out the violent rains, and to preserve the -birds from the monkeys. - - [Sidenote: COST OF DRESS.] - -The commonest articles of dress in Calcutta are at least three times -as dear as they are in England. I bought a silk hat which would have -cost five shillings at home, and paid fourteen rupees for it here; -and some ribbon, which would have been threepence a-yard in England, -cost a rupee and a half here. Then on the other hand many things are -cheaper. - -There has been no rain for two months, nor a cloud until the last -day or two; now the clouds will continue to increase for a week, and -then we shall have three days of rain, after that no more till the -middle of June, except about three tremendous thunderstorms in April -and May. The weather is now delightful: the thermometer varies from -60 deg. to 80 deg.; but I am glad of cloth clothes, and at night we have -three blankets and a heavy counterpane. At this time of the year we -have peas, beans, &c., and every one looks happy and cheerful, not -healthy, for Europeans are all of a deadly white, and most of them -exceedingly fat. - - - - -December 16. - - -I was walking in the compound yesterday, and I saw something black, -shaped very much like a small lobster, except that it had a pointed -tail; and as soon as I went near it it turned its tail over its head -and tried to sting me. I managed to get him into a bottle, which I -filled with spirits. - -The mungoose is very fond of serpents; he kills and eats them with -great rapidity, and then jumps into my wife's lap to ask for some -milk. - - - - -Balasore, Orissa, December 30, 1842. - - -The ancient house in which I live here is situated, like the rest of -Balasore, on a large flat plain, extending north, south, and west, -as far as I can see. The vegetation is scanty, and the trees are -small. But turn towards the east and the eye is arrested by a most -magnificent sight. At the distance of about seven miles rises quite -abruptly from the plain a splendid range of volcanic hills, about -two thousand feet in height. Judging from their appearance at this -distance, they must be composed of reddish lava without any grass, -but here and there a stumpy bush. I never saw anything to compare -with them before. In England our hills are always rounded at the top; -but here there are points and peaks and edges, as if you had been -trying to cut a piece of paper in zigzag lines. - -About fifteen miles beyond these great hills tower a still loftier -range, lifting their deep-blue summits seven thousand feet into the -clouds, and forming a background for the nearer and better-defined -range. - -On Monday we start with a picnic party and tents, &c., to explore -these hills. We shall probably be out on our expedition for three or -four days. - - [Sidenote: HILL OF THE LARGE WHITE ANT.] - -After standing gazing at these magnificent hills, I walked towards -what appeared to be the remains of some mud hut: it was about five -feet high, and in irregular blunt points at the top. When I came -down to it I tried to break off one of the long bits, but it was too -strong, and was as hard as a wall. However, on the other side I found -a smaller projection, which I broke off by kicking against it, and -found it full of round passages perforating it in all directions, the -smallest about the size of a quill, the largest as big as my wrist. -This was the large white ants' hill. Immediately after I had broken -a portion of it there came a rush of the inhabitants from all the -passages to see what was the matter. They examined the parts broken, -and then some of them ran back. Presently a number more came, some -dragging forward the others until they got them quite to the edge, -when a bigger ant took hold of each of these prisoners and bit him in -the neck until he killed him. I suppose the prisoners were those who -had been on guard at that spot, or else those who built that part, -and so were punished for my fault. Soon, however, they turned and -attacked me, for I found many of them on my clothes and experienced -the smart of their bite. - -I now walked forward, and the next thing I came to was a human skull. -In this part of the country wood is scarce, and therefore, when -any poor person dies, instead of burning his body, they wait till -evening, and then throw it out of doors, and by the next morning the -jackals and vultures have picked the bones quite clean, and the ants -then destroy all the fibres, whilst the sun bleaches the bones. I -have picked up several of these skulls in the last few days; they -appear very different from the skull of an European, being smaller, -and very much narrower from ear to ear in proportion to the length -from the eye to the back of the head; the forehead also retreats -much more. Presently I came to two bamboo-trees; between them on -the ground was a pair of doves, much smaller than our English ones, -and of a bright reddish purple. They were walking about, whilst out -of one of the bamboo-trees poked the head of a great snake, who was -quietly watching them. I frightened away the doves, as I guessed the -long gentleman's intentions. It is of a kind which does not hurt men, -of a dirty-brown colour, about seven feet long. - -Turning towards the house again, I was struck by the very beautiful -plumage of a bird; its wings were striped transversely with black -and white; it was about the size of a blackbird, with yellow neck -and tail, and a very long head. It alighted on the ground and opened -a most beautiful round crest growing fore and aft on its head, the -colour of which, like the body, was an orange yellow, but there was -an edging of white and black. It was the hoopoe. The only other -striking thing I saw was a great vulture, with its naked red head and -its tattered-looking feathers, puffing away at the top of our house, -having most likely stuffed with human flesh till he could hardly -move; and when I threw a stone at him, he hopped a little way along -the roof and grunted. - - - - -January 2, 1843. - - - [Sidenote: NATIVE LEGEND.] - -Yesterday was New Year's day. I have just heard the origin of these -hills, and will put it down while I remember it. The story is from -one of the natives here. - -"Many, many years ago there lived a giant in Ceylon, and this giant -fell in love with the daughter of another giant at Lucknow, in -Bengal, so he asked her father to let him marry her. But he said No, -as the other lived in a little island, and was no real gentleman at -all. Upon this Master Ceylon determined that, as her father said No, -he would take her without leave, and off he started, seized the young -lady, put her on his shoulders, and carried her across to Ceylon. -But when the papa found that his daughter was gone, he got into a -tremendous rage, and determined to go and punish the Ceyloney. So -off he hurried, until he came to the straits which separate the -island from the mainland. But when he tried to cross over, he found -that he was not quite so tall as the Ceylonese gentleman by a few -hundred yards, and that the water was too deep for him. So he stood -still, and he scratched his head and wiped his forehead with his -handkerchief, and thought and pondered what he should do to get -across and punish the wicked thief. At last an idea struck him, and -he trotted back all up India until he reached the Himalaya mountains, -and, snatching up two of the largest of them, one in each hand, threw -them into the straits, and thus made them shallow enough for him to -pass over. But as he went along some of the rocks and earth slipped -through his fingers, for you may suppose his hands were rather full; -and the chains of hills which extend from Balasore for nearly three -hundred miles are the pieces which he dropped as he went along." The -tale does not inform us whether the giant's daughter was restored to -him. - - [Sidenote: NESTS OF WHITE ANTS.] - -I have not been up the hills to-day, because some of the party -were frightened at the number of bears and tigers which are said -to be there; but I am in hopes we shall go in a few days. I have -been looking about me a good deal lately, and have noticed one very -curious thing. The ground for five or six miles from our house in one -direction seems to be covered with mounds of earth and small bushes; -on examining these closely, however, I find they are all the nests -of white ants. The green ones are those that are deserted, and over -which the grass has grown--the others are still inhabited. In the -plain visible from my window there must be many hundreds of thousands -of these hills, varying in height from three feet to ten or twelve, -and many of them six feet in diameter; and all of these are formed -by little insects no larger than the common English ant. One part -of their manner of building is most extraordinary: their nests are -always completely covered in, so that without kicking them you cannot -see a single ant inside; there are one or two doors in different -parts of the building, but they are seldom used. - -Their mode of building is as follows:--One day, perhaps, you will -perceive a single pinnacle of an ants' nest. You go and see it one -day, and you find it slightly raised, but curved, like a headstone. -So it increases daily until it reaches the size I have described. It -is like a man building a house--as if he made a little closet with a -roof on it, and then went inside and stayed there, while the closet -swelled and swelled until it became a perfect house. At the foot of -these ant-hills are a number of large black ants on the watch for -any straggling white ants, which they kill and eat. These creatures -abound in all our houses, and run about the floors: they are about an -inch in length, and bite, but do not sting. - - - - -January 3. - - - [Sidenote: MODE OF TRAVELLING.] - -I ought to give you some account of our voyage to this place. We -quitted Midnapore, after a hard week's packing, at nine o'clock on -Tuesday evening, December 27th. On the Monday we went to dine and -sleep at the house of the Captain of Engineers, because our own was -in such a condition from packing; and after dinner on Tuesday at nine -o'clock we entered our horrible palanquin. I flatter myself that -most of the people at Midnapore were very sorry when we left. We had -sixteen men to carry us, two mussalchees, or men who carry mussals -(torches made of long strips of cotton bound tightly together and -dipped in oil), and two banghy-bearers, to carry each two tin boxes -with our clothes in them. - -We soon got clear of the station of Midnapore, and then the scene -became most wild and romantic--a narrow road, bounded on each side -by an interminable jungle, or plain covered with low bushes so -thickly matted together as to afford only passage to the deadly -cobra, the snarling jackal, and the ravenous tiger. On the road -our own palanquins, one a hundred yards in front of the other, -carried by black men with merely a cloth round their loins, the red -glaring torches showing the others who ran swiftly by their side, -the banghy-bearers trying to keep up with us, and all keeping up -a loud monotonous sing-song tune, which was varied occasionally -by the shrill cry of the jackal, the grinning snarl of the hyaena, -or in the distance the deeper roar of the tiger in search of his -prey--and yet in the midst of all this we both slept well, awakened -only occasionally by the plashing of the men through the fords of the -river or the stopping at a village to change bearers. - - [Sidenote: JELASORE.] - -In the latter case we were not detained an instant, the fresh -relays being in attendance with as much patience and regularity -as if they were horses waiting for a coach. Thus we travelled on -without interruption until we reached Danton, called Dantoon. This -was about nine o'clock in the morning. At this place there is a -dak-bungalow--that is, a bungalow, or thatched house, built by -Government for the accommodation of travellers. In Turkey it would -be called a caravanserai. Here there is a man with fire and water, -but the traveller brings his own provisions, wine, tea, bread, &c., -in his palanquin, though he can generally get eggs. We stayed here -about two hours, and had some tea, eggs, and biscuits, and no one who -has not experienced it can have any idea of the comfort of a short -rest after a night of dak travelling. Although you lie down in the -palanquin, yet every limb gets cramped, and the incessant jolting is -most painful to the bones, even of one so fat as I am, and I have -increased sadly in bulk since I came to India. Off we started again -a little before eleven, and at about one we reached the house of an -Indigo-planter at Jelasore. I never saw him before, but he received -us most hospitably. His wife was rejoiced to see us--she had not seen -a European lady for seventeen months, for their nearest neighbours -live at a distance of forty miles, or about twelve hours' journey. -Here we spent a most agreeable day, delighted with everything. In the -evening I took a walk with our kind host to see an old fort. - -It must have been once very strong, and was probably built by the -Mahrattas as a depot for plunder when they overran this part of the -country. In the inner court is a three-domed building, resembling, -except in ornament, a mosque. The walls are several feet thick, -built of hard stone strongly clamped together with iron. High up in -the interior of the centre dome are four niches, which I hope to -explore on some future occasion. The inner enclosure is surrounded -by a strong stone wall and a deep moat now dry. Beyond this is a -level space of a few yards in width, and then again, in another part -of the wall, there are signs of a narrow sallyport, and opposite to -this, between the trenches, as if it might have been reached by a -drawbridge, is a very high mound of earth. Over the sallyport there -has evidently been a strong tower, and above the central entrance -into the interior building is a stone with an inscription. It -appears very perfect, but no one can read it; it is neither Ooriah, -Hindustanee, Sanscrit, nor Persian. I have called this a Mahratta -fort, because that is the general opinion amongst Europeans. I -myself doubt it, and from its age and appearance think it much more -likely that it was erected by the Moguls when they first invaded the -country; how I wished, as I stood there, that I could have seen it -as it was in former ages, with its garrison, and its horsemen, and -its despotic governor. The next time I go I shall provide myself with -some paper covered with charcoal, and try to take an impression of -the inscription. We were in some fear, during our examination, lest -we should be interrupted by the natives, as they have very recently -got the idea that it was once inhabited by one of their gods, and -therefore consider it a sacred place. I fancied, as well as the -darkness would allow me to see, that far back in one of the niches I -could dimly perceive a coloured statue of a female. Before we went -to see this ruin my kind host took me into his garden to show me the -India-rubber tree. We scraped the bark with a piece of rough glass, -and a white sticky juice oozed out; this we took between our fingers -and squeezed until it became a sort of brown gluey substance. In -this state it is used by the native hunters as birdlime. After being -exposed to the air for some time it gradually hardens and becomes -what we call India-rubber. A large part of this garden was planted -with arrow-root. - - [Sidenote: ATTACK BY A TIGER.] - -At half-past eight we again entered the palanquin, and started for -Balasore, where we arrived at half-past seven the next morning, -and were set down at the Circuit-house--a large house belonging to -Government, and kept for the convenience of officers, including the -chaplain, who have to travel the district every year. I can conceive -nothing more wild than the dak travelling; but I have described -it all, except that in each palanquin we carry a brace of loaded -pistols. I will relate an instance, and a very remarkable one, of -the advantage of carrying loaded pistols in this country. Major M., -now the second in command at Midnapore, was one day out with some -friends, sitting quietly under the shade of a bank, when suddenly a -tiger sprang out of a jungle, seized the Major by the leg, threw him -over his shoulders, and trotted off with him. The Major's companions -raised a loud shout; but the beast was hungry, and did not choose -to be frightened from his meal. The Major, however, fortunately had -a brace of loaded pistols in his belt; he pulled out one, and fired -it at the head of the tiger as it carried him off. It flashed in the -pan; and almost in despair he seized the other, and shot the tiger -dead on the spot. The only injury the Major received was a broken and -lacerated leg, which has rendered him in some measure a cripple ever -since. This story I know to be true, both from the Major himself and -from those who were with him. - - [Sidenote: A HUNGRY BEAR.] - -A small party went out for a day's pleasure a little while ago from -Midnapore. They went to the Ghape, a most beautiful spot at about -five miles' distance. After rambling about they went into an old -house which is there, with an excellent appetite for dinner. The -"cook-room" was about a hundred yards from the house. They waited -and waited, and no dinner came; so at last one of the gentlemen -went to see the cause of the delay, when lo! as if watching for the -dinner, there was an enormous black bear sitting half-way between -the house and the cook-room. They shouted, and tried to drive him -away; but no, master Bruin only growled; he did not see why he should -not have something to eat. None of the party had guns; and they say -that they were kept waiting five hours without their dinner before -the beast's patience was exhausted and he stalked off. We were, as -I before said, set down at the "Circuit-house." This I expected to -have found tolerably furnished; but, alas! when we went in, we found -nothing but one mat, three tables, and two chairs. We then had the -palanquins taken into a bed-room, and determined to make ourselves as -comfortable as we could. I then went out to make calls--for in India -the new comers call upon the old residents, reversing the English -custom. This did not take me long, as the whole station consists of -the magistrate and his wife, the excise-officer and his daughter, the -postmaster, doctor, and deputy-magistrate. - -At night we slept as well as we could in the palanquins, but were -kept awake the greater part of the time by the mosquitoes, and the -next morning our hands and faces were most beautifully spotted over -with their bites. On this the second day one or two people called; -and when the excise-officer and his daughter came in, the deficiency -in furniture was at once made manifest. There were Mr. and Miss B., -Mrs. Acland, and I, with only two chairs amongst us, and these, -like all the chairs in India, were arm-chairs, so that we could not -even manage by sitting two on one chair; so Miss B. and my wife had -the two chairs, and Mr. B. and I sat upon the table--rather a high -one it was--so that our feet dangled about half-way between our -seat and the floor. However, there was one great advantage in this -evidence of poverty, for Mr. B., as soon as he got home, sent us a -large bedstead, some chairs, and other things necessary to make us -comfortable. - - [Sidenote: PALANQUIN-BEARERS' SONGS.] - -I ought to mention the chant of the palanquin-bearers; though they -keep to the same sing-song tune, yet they generally invent the words -as they go along. I will give a sample, as well as I could make it -out, of what my bearers sang the other night; I have tried to render -their words as nearly as I could into English, so as to preserve the -metre. The poetry must be improved. A palkee means a palanquin: it is -the Hindustanee word, though one also generally used in conversation. -Each line is sung in a different voice; in the following, for -instance, the first line would be sung in the usual voice, the second -very high, the third in a sort of gruff tone:-- - - "Oh, what a heavy bag! - No; it's an elephant: - He is an awful weight. - Let's throw his palkee down-- - Let's set him in the mud-- - Let's leave him to his fate. - No, for he'll be angry then; - Ay, and he will beat us then - With a thick stick. - Then let's make haste and get along, - Jump along quick." - -And then, suiting the action to the word, off they set in a nasty -jog-trot which rattled every bone in my body, keeping chorus all the -time of "jump along quick, jump along quick," until they were obliged -to stop for laughing. The second sample is from the men who carried -Mrs. Acland, and is in quite a different metre. I must tell you that -"cubbadar" means "take care," and "baba" (pronounced "barba") means -"young lady:"-- - -1. - - "She's not heavy, - Cubbadar! - Little baba, - Cubbadar! - Carry her swiftly, - Cubbadar! - Pretty baba, - Cubbadar! - Cubbadar! - Cubbadar! - -2. - - "Trim the torches, - Cubbadar! - For the road's rough, - Cubbadar! - Here the bridge is, - Cubbadar! - Pass it swiftly, - Cubbadar! - Cubbadar! - Cubbadar! - -3. - - "Carry her gently, - Cubbadar! - Little baba, - Cubbadar! - Sing so cheerily, - Cubbadar! - Pretty baba, - Cubbadar! - Cubbadar! - Cubbadar!" - -At this place very little wood is to be found--not enough for the -people to use for their fires during what is called the cold weather. -The women accordingly go out, and instead of gathering wood they pick -up cowdung. This they knead into flat round cakes about the size of -pancakes, dry them in the sun, and they burn almost as well as the -turf or peat which is used in England, though it is a great nuisance, -for the thick smoke it emits has a very unpleasant smell. - -The other day we saw a most beautiful sight on the nearer hills. -Some of the jungle (or wild) men had set fire to the grass and -bushes on the side. The fire spread, shooting rapidly from one part -to another, and as it was late in the evening it produced a most -magnificent scene. The object in doing this was to get rid of the -snakes, bears, and tigers, in order that the people might go and cut -down the few large trees that grew on the hill. - -Last night, as my wife and I were having a game of casino, we heard -a low growl in the compound, and directly afterwards a screaming -amongst the fowls, and a hallooing of the servants (we carry fowls -wherever we go, or we should be almost starved); the only words I -could distinguish were "Bargh! bargh!" A tiger! a tiger! I jumped up; -but on examination it proved to be a false alarm. It was only a large -wild animal, something resembling our fox, only with shorter legs -and longer body, which had attacked the fowls; and I had not so much -presence of mind as the Major I told you of, for when I ran out into -the compound to see what was the matter I quite forgot to take my -pistols, so the thief got safely off; but I have now secured my fowls -more effectually. - -Just before we left Midnapore, a large flock of birds, flying in -regular order, amounting, I should think, to several thousands, -passed over the place. They made a great noise, and I thought they -were wild geese; but I hear they were a bird called the cyris, which -stands about five feet high, and is not a water-bird. - - [Sidenote: INDIAN SCAVENGERS.] - -I was much amused this afternoon whilst I was sitting in the verandah -with watching the crows. I think I have described them to you. They -are very like the carrion-crow in England, but rather smaller. There -is a law which imposes a heavy fine upon any one who kills them; this -is very right, for they carry away a quantity of refuse and filth -which would otherwise putrefy and cause disease; but the consequence -is, that they are more numerous and more impudent than the sparrows -in England. I threw out the bones of a fowl we had had for dinner; -presently about fifty crows came down within a few feet of me, and -began to peck away; every now and then a bird, which people here call -a kite, would swoop down, and send all the crows cawing away. As soon -as it rose, down came the crows again; presently one of them flew -away with a large bone in his beak; the kite saw it, and was off in -pursuit. Backwards and forwards, up and down the poor crow dodged, -but its pursuer followed it, and had nearly reached it, when the -pursued thought it best to drop the bone. The sharp eye of the kite -perceived this, and, although he was some distance above at the time, -yet he made a dart down and caught the bone in his mouth before it -had reached the ground. I have lately seen some kites like the others -in all respects, except that the body and head are white, the wings -being still brown; these are rather larger than the others. - -Every sort of filth here is thrown out into the fields, and in a very -few hours the jackals and crows clear it away, assisted by the pariah -dogs. These are the only scavengers in the country. - -The rain began on the 24th of December, and we had occasional showers -for two days; but every one is disappointed by the season. Instead of -having nice cool weather in January, the hot weather has completely -set in, although it does not in general begin before the middle of -February. The thermometer in the shade is at this moment above 80 deg., -although this is considered a cool place. - -For my dinner yesterday I had some peacock-cutlets, which the surgeon -of the station had sent me. - - - - -Cuttack, February 2, 1843. - - - [Sidenote: JOURNEY TO CUTTACK.] - -I must return now, and give you some account of how we started for -this place from Balasore. On Sunday the 8th of January we had service -in the morning; and at four in the afternoon we entered our palkees -to proceed to Cuttack, a distance of 103 miles. - -Throughout the journey not a single European is to be met with, but -the traveller is entirely in the power of the natives, excepting such -assistance as he can derive from his pistols and a thick stick. The -danger however is not great. The Ooriahs, as well as the Bengalese, -are a small and cowardly race; so much so, indeed, that the East -India Company will not allow them to be enlisted as soldiers. A -Bengalee of five feet six is quite a tall man, and in shape he is as -delicate and effeminate as a European lady. - -We jogged on most merrily until about half-past five the next -morning, when I was awakened by hearing "Sahib, Sahib;" to which I -sleepily answered by inquiring what my servant wanted. He told me -we were arrived at Barripore, about fifty miles from Balasore, and -they wanted to know whether I meant to go to the dak-bungalow. I -said Yes: for we had determined to remain at Barripore all day, as -it is not safe to travel in the sun even in January. To the bungalow -we accordingly went; where we eat, drank, and read books which we -had brought with us, and amused ourselves as well as we could, until -four in the afternoon, when off we started again. I only remember one -adventure which happened there. My wife wanted to wash her hands, -and took up a "gomlah" to pour out some water; suddenly she cried -out that she was stung. I ran to see what it was, and, examining the -gomlah, found she had been bitten by a hornet. In comparison with -other insects the sting of this creature is an object of very little -dread. Her hand, however, swelled a little, and for three or four -hours she suffered a good deal of pain all up her arm, but still it -was fortunately only a hornet. At four o'clock in the afternoon we -again started, and arrived at our own house in Cuttack at about eight -the next morning. - -It is customary at the end of each stage to make the palkees a -present of four annas (or sixpence) for each palkee. During one -of the stages between Barripore and Cuttack the men did not go so -quickly as I thought they should have done; so when we changed men I -only gave them four annas for the two palkees, telling them why I did -so. The consequence was, that during the next stage the men not only -went much faster, but invented a new song, the whole burthen of which -was, "He has only given them four annas because they went so slowly! -Let us make haste and go along quickly, and then we shall get eight -annas and have a good supper." - - [Sidenote: FRUIT-TREES.] - -My house here belongs to Government, and I am in great hope they will -allow me to occupy it free of rent; it is the best in the cantonment, -the compound contains about twenty acres, and there are in it several -beautiful clumps of trees. In front of the house is a fine group of -cedars; in one part is a hill, on the top of which are several trees: -I do not yet know their names, but their foliage is of a bright -green, more bright than any ever seen in England. We have an orchard -containing mangoes, custard-apples, waunpearls, mulberries, guavas, -&c. &c., with one chur-tree--that is, the true India-rubber tree, -and, I believe, the only one in this part of India; that at Jelasore -is a very inferior sort. - - [Sidenote: ALLIGATORS.] - -We have a grand house in the compound, and have, besides, a -flower-garden with orange and lemon trees, &c. A river three miles -broad flows near, and a ghaut, or landing-place, for pilgrims -proceeding to Juggernat'h, a Hindu holy temple. We can see in the -distance a range of hills, rising abruptly from the other side of the -river, which are a continuation of those at Balasore. On the sands -are storks, wild-geese, and all sorts of aquatic birds; even all the -tanks here abound with alligators. The other day one of the officers -was returning home from mess; it was dark, and in his compound he -fell over something which proved to be a large alligator, making -its way from the river to a tank, probably with a view of there -depositing her eggs. About three weeks ago a poor woman went to fetch -water from one of these places, on the surface of which were weeds; -she was engaged in clearing a space with her hands, when one of these -animals, with its jaws open, caught her arm and stripped off all the -flesh below the elbow. She was compelled to have her arm amputated. - - [Sidenote: HUMAN REMAINS.] - -I saw to-day a large hyaena gliding across the compound. I suppose he -smelt some dead body on the beach. The Juggernat'h pilgrims come from -very great distances, and many die on the road. In my compound alone, -if I were to collect the skulls, bones, &c., I think I could make up -eight or ten human skeletons. The other evening one of my servants -came to me, and said, "If you please, sir, there is a dead pilgrim -in the compound, and the matee wants to know if he shall throw it -away;"--that is, throw it down on the bank for the jackals, &c. I -would not let him do this, but sent notice to the commanding officer, -who sent for the body, and, I suppose, threw it away. About two hours -after this my wife was gone to bed, and I was sitting reading, when -I felt something on my foot; I examined, and in my stocking found a -large centipede. I contrived to kill him without being stung. - -The Government allow me a guard of soldiers; and a sentry, with -musket and bayonet, parades up and down the front verandah; they also -allow three servants for the use of the church. The soldiers present -arms to me and salute; and when any one comes at night, they call -out, "Hookum dar?" to which the answer is "Exprin:" these phrases -are corruptions of the English. The church is very nicely fitted -up; there is a door leading into it from my study, which serves on -Sundays as a vestry. The greatest inconvenience here--as in all the -churches in India--consists in the punkahs. Over the pulpit, altar, -and reading-desk are three small punkahs, and over the body of the -building three very large ones, extending over the whole breadth. -These are kept constantly in motion, and they sadly intercept the -voice of whoever is preaching. The house, being a bungalow, has, of -course, only the ground-floor; the roof is a thick thatch, extending -over the verandahs, which in England would be called porticoes, -and these are supported on thick white columns. The ceilings in a -bungalow are nothing but large sheets of canvass whitewashed. As in -India people are glad to keep all the doors within the house open, -there is placed between the different rooms a framework covered with -crimson or green silk, which the natives call a half-door. The beds -are nine or ten feet wide, with short posts, on which you may hang -mosquito-curtains, which are a sort of large sacks made of gauze, -without any opening. They are supported on the posts and tucked in -closely all round, so as to prevent the mosquitoes from stinging the -people in bed; the only covering, generally, is a sheet, and the -gentleman's sleeping-dress is a flannel jacket and a pair of calico -drawers with feet to them, to keep off the mosquitoes if they should -by chance get inside the curtains. Some people also throw a gauze -over the face for the same purpose. There are no feather-beds, but -the mattresses are generally stuffed with the fibres from the outside -rind of the cocoa-nut, called "coir.". The usual plan is to leave -the glass doors (French windows you would call them) all open, but -to shut the Venetian blinds, and to have a punkah over your head -going all night. At about six in the morning all the glass doors are -closed, and kept shut all day to exclude the hot air. If, however, -there should be any wind, one of them is opened and a tattie hung up -in its place; the tattie is a thick mat the size of the doorway, made -of the sweet-scented cuscus-grass; this is kept constantly wetted on -the outside. - - [Sidenote: THE MOHURRUN--POSITION OF CUTTACK.] - -From the 1st to the 11th of February is the Mohammedan festival -of the Mohurrun, which is a grand scene. Every night drums beat, -and dancing and merrymaking are kept up among the men only, as the -Mohammedan women are kept in seclusion. In the compound the other day -I saw about a dozen men, one of them thumping away on the horrible -native drum called a "tomtom." Two others held by heavy chains a -tall sepoy (this word means a native soldier, and ought to be spelt -"sepahi"), who was covered all over with a dress of calico, fitting -tight to the skin--so much so that at first I thought he was naked. -The calico was painted in alternate stripes of red and yellow, and -he had two little yellow horns. I imagine it must have been intended -to represent the devil conquered and chained by Mohammed. He made -a number of antics, and ended, as all these people do, in begging -for a few pice; I gave him three annas. The station of Cuttack is -situated on a small island formed by the confluence of two rivers; -during the hot weather this island becomes a peninsula joined to the -main land by a narrow neck of sand. The advantage of this insular -position is that, whilst we abound in alligators, we are free from -bears and tigers, neither have we so many pariah-dogs as there were -about Midnapore. The opposite bank swarms with tigers, and with a -small telescope we can sometimes see them coming down to drink by -moonlight. On the opposite bank, all round the island, except to the -south, rise the rugged hills which dropped from Vishna's fingers. -There is one great comfort here: the sea is about fifty miles from -us, in a straight line towards the south, and every evening, at -about five o'clock, a deliciously cool sea-breeze sets in from that -direction. About seven it becomes quite gusty, and continues to blow -until about one in the morning. It is necessary to have lived in such -a climate as this to know how truly luxurious such evenings are after -the intense heat of the day, which is now rapidly increasing; the -thermometer in the shade is about 82 deg. or 84 deg., and this is only the -beginning of February. - - [Sidenote: FORT OF CUTTACK.] - -A walk round the compound early in the morning is quite delightful. -On each tree are three or four of the beautiful little striped -squirrels, whilst in the branches are many paroquets, parrots, &c. -All about on the ground are numbers of a bird of a bright green, -with a red breast and head, about the size of a love-bird, and very -much like it, except that the beak is straight and rather long, and -from the centre of the tail project two long straight feathers of -a reddish green. There is also the beautiful mango-bird with its -bright yellow plumage and its glossy black head. Occasionally may be -seen an alligator lying asleep, with his head and shoulders on the -bank and the rest of his body in the water, while a lung-bird has -just alighted on his head and twitters to its mate by the side of -the tank. They are about the size of the amadavad, but shaped like -the swallow, and their plumage is alternately a glossy black or a -deep crimson, according as the sun shines on it. Then there is the -India-rubber tree, and skulls bleached in the sun. I saw one with -its little teeth in the front that had not yet pierced the gums: -they are the second teeth, and the skull, which is very small, must -have belonged to a mere child. The house belongs to Government, and -there are therefore three wells in the compound; but the water is -not good. The plan for watering this large orchard and garden is -as follows:--From the edge of the wall to the cistern is a wooden -trough, into which the water is thrown as it is drawn from the well. -By this means the cistern is filled. A brick gutter runs from the -cistern and separates it into so many branches; round each bed and -every here and there are little openings which let the water run out -on the bed. Suppose they only want to water one, they just take up a -little earth in a spade and stop up the other branches of the gutter. -Whenever it crosses a path, it is carried underneath by means of a -small drain. The muller takes two long bamboos, having at one end a -heavy weight and at the other a large gomlah suspended by a cord. One -muller pulls one cord downward to make the gomlah reach the water, -the other fills the gomlah, and, letting go the cord at the other end -of the bamboo, draws it up. This work proceeds with great rapidity, -and so the cistern gets filled and the garden watered. At a very -short distance from our garden stand the remains of a fort. When the -English took Cuttack this fort was garrisoned by the Mahrattas. They, -however, soon gave it up. The angles of the bastion were rectangles, -which prevents it being so strong as if they had been obtuse angles, -for then the balls would have had a tendency to glance off; but its -great strength consists in the ditch, which is about a hundred or a -hundred and fifty yards wide, with the perpendicular side faced with -bricks, full of water and swarming with alligators. The water is -most foul and offensive, but the medical men say that, if they were -to empty and drain it, it would make for many months a most fearful -pestilence. The natives have offered us 30,000_l._ to be allowed to -drain it, because they say there is a vast quantity of treasure in it. - - [Sidenote: ORIGIN OF THE MOHURRUN.] - -I have just learned the origin of the Mohurrun. It is a festival, -or rather commemoration of the death of Hussein and Houssein, the -sons of Ali, Mohammed's nephew. These two were pursued towards the -desert by their enemies; they took shelter in a well, and a spider -immediately wove a web across the top. Their enemies came up, and, -seeing the web, thought that Houssein and Hussein could not be in the -well. However, one of them looking down observed a number of lizards -all hastening up the sides, so then they thought there must be some -one at the bottom who frightened the lizards, and, searching, they -got up the two brothers and killed them. It is to commemorate this -fact that they have instituted the festival of the Mohurrun, and in -consequence the Mohammedans all reverence the spider, while they kill -the lizard. - -The fort here is of great extent, comprising, I should think, -at least 100 acres. The walls have been demolished, and a great -portion of the interior is now occupied by a botanical garden and a -racket-court. - -The winds have risen to-day with tumultuous fury, as though they -had been long confined and in one fearful moment had burst their -prison-house. There is something very grand, though awful, in these -furious tempest-bursts within the tropics. A few minutes back not a -leaf rustled; now the trees are waving to and fro, small branches are -whirled into the air, and leaves and rubbish are carried far away by -the revolving eddies of almost a hurricane. I could scarcely see the -river through the volumes of sand which are tossing about mixed with -the spray. - - - - -Monday, February 13, 1843. - - -I am going to cross the river into the jungle in a day or two, with -two other gentlemen. Our object is to plan a new village for some -native Christians. We each take a gun and a brace of pistols, and -have no doubt that we shall bring home some venison. We shall also -look out as we go along for two tigers, which have recently committed -terrible depredations about Condah, whither we are going. The other -day they carried off two men. - -Gold-dust is mixed with the sand of the river, but the quantity is -very small, and is therefore not considered worth the trouble and -expense of collecting. - - - - -Cuttack, March 4, 1843. - - -One of my servants came to me this morning, and told me that there -was a boa-constrictor in the garden. I immediately desired all -the men to take long bamboos, and we sallied forth to attack the -monster. By the time we got to the place, however, he had retreated -into his hole in the ground; we had therefore to dig him out, and as -soon as he appeared all the men struck him with their bamboos until -they killed him. It proved not to be a boa, but a yellow snake about -seven feet long, and was not venomous. We killed it, however, lest it -might endanger the poultry-yard. - - [Sidenote: EXCURSION TO CHOGGA.] - -On Wednesday the 15th of February we started on our trip--myself and -Mr. L., a missionary: Captain W. was not able to accompany us on -account of the parade, but was to join us in the evening. On Tuesday -afternoon we got our guns in readiness, and sent off some camp -furniture, viz. a bedstead, table, &c., which fold up so as to be -easily portable. My bed, food, clothes, &c., were carried by two men, -each of whom was to receive two annas, that is three pence, a-day. -Chogga, and not Condah, is the name of the place to which we were -going, and it would be impossible to obtain anything there to eat -except what we shot ourselves. - -At four o'clock on Wednesday morning Mr. L. came to my house, and we -took some coffee, eggs, and toast, and then set off, my companion on -a tall white horse and I on a little native pony, both of us dressed -entirely in white. I had with me a bearer, a kitmajar, and a syce. -Mr. L. had also a bearer, a cooly, and a syce, with several coolies -carrying provisions. The syces were only to accompany us as far as -the river, and then take the horses back; the others carried our -guns, pistols, powder, hunting knives, which are very necessary both -to kill everything that is wounded, and also to defend ourselves if -thrown down by an elk, tiger, &c. It was necessary that we should -cross the river about ten miles from my house, so off we trotted -followed by our train. Everything was perfectly still, the moon -just setting, and a cold damp fog hanging over the whole island. -For the first half-mile we got along very well. We had then to turn -into the bed of the river, now dwindled to a narrow stream. Our -course lay over a deep bed of loose sand something like that at -Weston-super-Mare, only much worse, our horses' feet sinking at every -step five or six inches; the poor animals could not move quicker -than a trot. As the moon set, and the fog closed around us, the scene -became one of utter desolation: the narrow pathway, if you can call -it a pathway, winding so as to avoid the deeper sands and quicksands, -did not permit us riding two abreast. Far ahead, magnified by the -mist, I could just see the tall figure of Mr. L. and his white steed; -behind I could hear a low chattering, and now and then one of the -black servants would emerge from the fog and then vanish again as -suddenly as he had appeared. From time to time arose a shrill cry -from some one who had wandered from the path, answered as shrilly by -the other men. As the fog thickened everything disappeared. The path -was barely discernible, and I almost wished myself at home. However I -trusted to the sagacity of my sure-footed little pony, and he carried -me safely over the sand-hills and through the hollows for about -three-quarters of an hour, when I heard a shout in front, announcing -that Mr. L. had reached the water. I soon came up with him. We -waited till our servants joined us, then dismounted, gave our horses -to the syces with orders to be at the same place at six o'clock on -Thursday evening, and embarked in a large boat, which, to render it -water-tight, or rather to keep it afloat, was filled up to the seat -with bushes and brambles trodden into a compact mass. - -The boatmen told us that two nights before, as three carts were going -along the path to Chogga, a tiger had sprung out and carried off the -man in the centre cart, and that a few days earlier two men had been -carried away from the village itself. The other side of the river is -a steep bank without sand, and by the time we reached it the day was -just breaking, of which, to tell the truth, I was by no means sorry. - - [Sidenote: SPORTING.] - -On the bank we found the coolies whom we had sent forward the evening -before, and who had waited there for us, being afraid to proceed -through the jungle until they had the protection of the sahibs. There -we took our guns, &c., into our own hands, girded on our belts, in -which were thrust our long hunting knives or daggers and our pistols, -letting our servants carry our powder-flasks, shot-belts, &c. This is -done in order to be able to load with greater rapidity, the servant -holding the shot, wad, cap, &c., in readiness. He also carries a -heavy ramrod with a round knob at the top, as the drawing the ramrod -from the gun, returning it, and hammering away with it at the powder, -which you must do on account of its lightness, might frequently cause -delay that might be fatal. Most people, for the sake of safety, use -double-barrelled guns; mine was, however, only single, but the barrel -was long enough for two. - -At last off we started along the regular path to Chogga. The change -was most extraordinary; the fog had already cleared away; we were -walking along a narrow winding path cut through the jungle. On each -side of us extended as far as the eye could reach a vast plain -covered with laurels and shrubs of a bright green, interspersed here -and there with large flowers of a brilliant crimson or scarlet, and -more rarely with trees of a stunted growth, on which numbers of -little tiny doves were cooing their greeting to the sun. The bushes, -which we call low jungle, grow to four or five feet in height, and -so thickly that it is impossible to pass through them, except where -a path has been cut, or where a natural glade or opening occurs. -We walked on looking out anxiously for some opening, as we knew we -should find nothing worth firing at in the open plain. Suddenly, -on turning an angle in the path, we saw at the distance of about a -quarter of a mile on the right a clear space with a few large trees -in it. Amid the branches sat fifteen or twenty pea-fowl, and on the -open glade were as many more feeding. Shortly afterwards we came to a -smaller one, which enabled us to separate, so that we might approach -the pea-fowl in different directions; however we could not get within -shot, which we much regretted. - -But I own I was not quite so eager in pushing through the jungle as -I should have been the next day; it was quite novel to me, and I -could not help thinking every now and then of the dreaded cobra or -the scarcely less dreaded tiger. Indeed, of the last I had a fearful -reminder before I rejoined Mr. L. - -In a small space of clear ground I came suddenly upon the skeleton -of a man, evidently lately killed, for much of the flesh was still -adhering to the bones. Probably it was the poor driver of whom we -had heard. I had quite lost sight of Mr. L., but presently heard -him shout from some distance behind me. I made my way towards him, -and soon reached a small paddy-field (rice-field). Here was a small -bull of a very dark colour, who did not seem at all pleased with our -intrusion: he looked at us for a minute, and then came galloping -towards us, shaking his head and tail in his anger. My two servants -called out that it was a wild cow, and crouched down behind me. -I felt a little nervous, but faced the animal, and drew a pistol -from my belt; however, as he came near, I saw a small piece of -cord fastened to one of his horns, and therefore knew it was not -an "unner" or wild cow. I desired the men to shout, and myself did -the same, running towards the animal and waving my hat. He stopped -a moment hesitating, and then, as I rushed forward, he threw up his -tail in the air and scampered off, very much to my relief. - -Mr. L. now came up, and we proceeded on our road. Presently one of -the men who was a little in advance stopped and pointed to a tree at -a little distance. Mr. L. primed his gun and fired, and down dropped -a fine hen. Wild hens abound in the jungles, and are excellent -eating, possessing a slight flavour of game. - -Soon after we came to a spot of ground where we beheld a number -of quails. I fired and killed two. Again we went on, but met with -no further adventure until we came to Chogga. The last mile and -a half of our journey lay through paddy-fields with the stubble -still on them. The heat was intense, and by the time we reached our -destination I was thoroughly tired. - -Chogga is a small native village surrounded by jungle, standing -about seven or eight miles from the river. It does not belong to the -English, but is in the territory of one of our tributary rajahs. Mr. -L. has a bungalow there, if such it can be called, consisting as it -does of a single room about sixteen feet square, built of mud, and -thatched with rice-straw. He has made many converts here, and is -about to erect a Christian village about his own bungalow, which is -half a mile from Chogga itself, and well situated on a small spot of -rising ground. The appearance and manner of these wild, naked, yet -Christian savages, was to me deeply interesting. - -As soon as we arrived, a number of natives, both men and women, -crowded about us. Many of them were Christians, though in dress they -adhered to their old habits. Mr. L. at once took off everything but -his trowsers, and after some hesitation I did the same. After this we -had breakfast and then lay down on our camp beds and rested for two -or three hours. About one I felt hungry, so went out and shot a few -doves, which abound on every tree. - - [Sidenote: SPORTING.] - -About half-past three we collected as many men as possible and went -out to beat the jungle, through which Mr. L. and myself worked our -way until we came to a small open space. There one of us posted -himself; the other went on until he found another similar spot, where -he also stationed himself. As soon as the shikarree who was with -us saw where we were ready, he stole out of the jungle and placed -the twenty-five men in a large semicircle, our positions being the -centre, and the radius about half a mile. As soon as they were all -stationed, at a signal they began to roar and groan and make the -most frightful noises, beating the bushes with their long bamboos, -and pushing through the jungle towards the open space where we were -placed. This was in a high jungle, and really the scene on such an -occasion is most exciting. You stand on a small space of fifteen or -twenty yards in diameter, bounded on every side by lofty trees and -thick underwood, your gun in your hand, your man behind you holding -the next charge in readiness. In every quarter the shrieks and yells -of the beaters are heard; presently there is a whirr in the air, and -a peacock flies through the open space above your head. Bang goes the -gun, off runs one of the men to pick up the bird; load again! quick! -hark! What a rush in the bushes! There it comes! An elk or stag, shot -but not killed; and a man rushes out and cuts the animal's throat. - -An alarm of "Tiger!" was now given, but it proved false, as nothing -but a wild cat darted over the glade. Shouts again rend the air, and -a magnificent red peacock, with a deep green tail and neck of gold, -flies over our heads, his long tail streaming behind him, and the -brown hen at his side. The opening above our heads was small, and an -immediate fire was necessary: I fired and missed him. The beaters -now approached nearer and nearer, shouting, and their dark forms -soon became visible gliding one by one out of the jungle. Nothing -more was to be found there; we accordingly moved on, and presently -were beckoned to by the shikarree. He pressed his finger to his lips -and whispered "Choop! choop!" and, pointing down a narrow opening in -the jungle, showed us a large leopard, beautifully spotted, lying -apparently asleep. While loading our guns the animal awoke, and was -stealing off just as we fired and hit him, though he contrived to -crawl off. The next day, however, we found the body, as the arrow -was poisoned. The skin is valuable. The shikarree, who proudly bore -off the body, would suffer no one to assist him; but that same man -would not carry home the merest trifle from the bazaar, but must be -followed by a coolie. - -Captain W. soon met us, and we returned home to dinner, after which -we sallied out by moonlight to seek some deer, but were unsuccessful. - - [Sidenote: CONVERTS AND "INQUIRERS."] - -The next morning, rising at four, after a cup of coffee we sallied -into the jungle again, but obtained nothing but a few fowls. Captain -W. now left us on his return home, and after breakfast a number of -native Christians assembled, as this was the morning appointed for -talking to them. They all squatted down on the floor, the men on one -side and the women on the other. Mr. L., who is thoroughly conversant -with the Oorial language, now entered into conversation with them, -asking them questions and hearing all they had to say. They appear -to have a very good knowledge of true religion, and to be very -earnest and sincere. It was most interesting to see them all sitting -so quietly with their eyes fixed on Mr. L.'s face, never attempting -to interrupt either him or one another, but speaking one at a time -in a low reverent tone of voice. When asked a question they would -pause a moment or two in deep thought before they answered. After -a little time one or two inquirers came in, that is, men who are -not yet converted, but are inquiring about Christianity, or arguing -concerning it and comparing it with their own religion. These sat -down and behaved themselves in the same decorous manner as the actual -Christians. Mr. L. very judiciously encouraged the converts to argue -with the inquirers, and it was most pleasing to observe the perfect -mildness and the restrained gestures of both parties when talking -on so holy a subject, every eye fixed upon the two disputants, and -when a pause occurred some other convert gently putting in a word in -support of the holy truth. - -_Inquirer._ "You say God gave you the Bible, I say God gave us the -Shasters. The religion that is good for the white man is not good for -the black. God is good, and has given us each a religion proper to -ourselves. I say your religion is good and comes from God; why will -you not say the same of our Shasters?" - -_Convert._ "God gave white men the Bible because he is very good, and -he told them to go and teach it to every one, because he wishes every -one to be good and happy, and to go to the happy country of heaven -when they die; but the Shasters do not come from God." - -_I._ "How do you know that?" - -_C._ "Listen, brother. Brummah (God) is good, is he not?" - -_I._ "Yes." - -_C._ "Should not you like to go to Brummah?" - -_I._ "Yes." - -_C._ "Do not the Shasters of your religion teach you so?" - -_I._ "Ha! you are very sly. No; but our religion is good for us now. -By and bye Vishnoo will come again, and then he will perhaps give us -a Bible." - -_C._ "Why not take the Christian Bible and Christian Brummah now?" - -_I._ "Then I should lose my caste, my wife will leave me, my children -will go away, my brother will not smoke with me, my hut will be -empty, and the Brahmins will curse me." - -_C._ "If the Brahmins curse you, God is stronger than they are, and -he will bless you; if your wife and children run away, Jesus will -make you happy in heaven; if your brother will not smoke with you, -the great God will give you his peace." - -_I._ "Well, I will see. Lend me the book; I will read it and show it -to the Brahmins. How soon shall you be here again, sahib?" - -_Mr. L._ "In about ten days." - -_I._ "Good: I will see you again." - -This is a mere epitome of the conversation, but may furnish some idea -of the mode of argument pursued. Whenever the convert brought forward -a good argument, or came to a convincing point, it was curious to -see the countenance of the Christians. They had been watching their -champion with the greatest interest, looking more like dark statues -than human beings, so perfectly still did they sit, except when a -mother pressed her infant to her bosom to keep it quiet. Suddenly, as -they saw the drift of what was said more clearly, their white eyes -would dance amid their dark skins, and one or two of them would smile -and utter gently the emphatic word "Ha!" (yes). - -A nice-looking young woman brought her baby to show it. It was only -two months old, and had not yet been baptized. Poor woman! I won -her heart completely by taking it from her and kissing it. Mr. L. -seemed a little surprised at my doing so, but both the mother and -her husband were delighted. She asked me to name her child. Mr. L. -wished it to be a scriptural name. I accordingly gave it the first -that came into my head, which was "Benjamin." It was interesting to -watch the mother's face as I named the child, she had apparently -never heard the name before, and there was much amusement amongst -them, all trying to pronounce it; they could not quite manage it, -but, as the mother carried the little one out, several of the men -patted its cheek and smiled, and said very slowly Bend-za-min. There -were to have been four adults baptized on this day, but one of them -came in the morning and said that his wife declared she would not -live with a Christian, that she had taken her children and all his -fortune, consisting of one rupee and two pice, and had gone away to -her brother's house. Mr. L. advised the man to go and reason with -her, which he did, and we afterwards heard that she had returned with -him on condition that he would not become a Christian. - -The people have literally given up father, mother, wife, children, -friends, and home as soon as they become followers of Jesus. They are -looked upon as utterly degraded; and the tribe to which they belong -has to pay a sum of money to the Brahmins before they can be freed -from the stain which attaches to them in consequence of the pollution. - -Mr. L. preached in the afternoon, and in the evening the Christians -again met, when he addressed them a discourse in the midst of a -tremendous thunderstorm. - - [Sidenote: RETURN TO CUTTACK.] - -When we rose the next morning at four o'clock we found that the rain -had been so heavy during the night that we could get no fuel to make -a fire: our provisions, having been neglected, were all spoiled by -the rain, excepting a small piece of thick pie-crust; our beer we -had exhausted the evening before; so after a scanty meal we started -on our way home. We shot a peacock and fowl upon the road along with -three snipes, and arrived at Cuttack about half-past eight on Friday -morning. - - [Sidenote: COMET.] - -I have just witnessed a magnificent sight; during the last month -we have had such weather as the oldest inhabitant cannot recollect -ever to have seen before at this time of the year. It is generally -in February and March very hot and very dry. For the last month -we have had almost incessant rain, with violent thunderstorms. -The days are comparatively cool, and at night I am glad of two -blankets. Rumours of an approaching famine began to float abroad, -but at length the mystery was solved. About half-past six I thought -I observed a curiously shaped long cloud, and as the sun went down -and the twilight deepened it did not alter its appearance, but at -about a quarter to seven proved to be a magnificent comet. The -nucleus was plainly visible even with the naked eye, and equal in -brightness to a small star. The tail was at least 45 deg. in length, and -inclined from W.S.W. to E.S.E. Had it been perpendicular it would -have reached from the horizon half way up over our heads, the whole -distance from the horizon to the zenith being 90 deg. The breadth of the -extremity of the tail was about 2-1/2 deg., and the posterior half was -divided longitudinally by a dark line. The colour was that of a pale -moonlight, but it would no doubt have appeared much more red if the -moon had not been shining brightly at the time. There has been no -comet equal to this in brilliancy and the length of the tail since -the year 1759. I have hardly any books to refer to, but my idea is, -that it is the same comet which appeared in 1264 and 1556, and was -expected back in 1848. If so, its period of revolution is nearly -300 years. Its light was intense, being almost equal to the moon in -brilliancy. The natives say it will burn the earth; they call it -"jherra tarn," or "burnt star." - -The weather is most remarkable. We have incessant rain, with thunder -and lightning every evening, and the clouds are too heavy to allow us -to see the comet. The houses require fresh thatching every year. The -lightning we have here I have never seen equalled in England; each -flash spreads over one quarter of the visible heavens, whilst the -roaring, or rather the deafening rattle, of the thunder is incessant. -The comet re-appeared last night, though hardly so brilliant as it -was a week ago. - -I was calling upon the judge of Cuttack the other day, and his wife -told me that a few nights before she went up stairs at twelve o'clock -to see her little girl, who had not been quite well. On the floor of -the room she saw what she thought was a piece of ribbon, and stooped -to pick it up, when a cobra raised its head and expanded its hood and -hissed at her in anger. She called the servants with their bamboos, -and they soon killed it, but it was a great mercy that she had not -touched it. - - - - -Cuttack, April 13, 1843. - - -The other evening the mhator came to ask me for the key to unlock -the fowl-house door, as one of the hens was loose. I told him to -bring a light, and then went across the compound. The padlock with -which the door is fastened passes through a chain and eye at the top -of the door. I raised my hand to unlock it, when the mhator, who had -the lantern, called out, "Sahib, sahib, samp!" (Sir, sir, a snake!) -I looked, and on the very chain which I was on the point of touching -was a snake. I immediately called the men to bring bamboos, and they -soon killed it. On examining it we found it to be one of that sort -whose bite is always fatal, so that the person bitten never lives -more than half an hour, and there would be no time for the doctor to -come. How thankful I should be to God for my escape! I suspect that -the snake was the cobra manilla, but am not sure. It was about two -feet and a half long, small head, back dark green or nearly black, -with all the way along it transverse yellow stripes. - - [Sidenote: HINDU FESTIVAL.] - -About three weeks ago was a poojah, or Hindu festival, of which -I forget the name. About nine o'clock in the evening of the -principal day four sepoys came to my house with the subadar major's -compliments, and he would be glad if I would do them the honour to go -and see the samam or show (the subadar major is the principal native -officer in a regiment). I had refused them once or twice before, -therefore this evening I sent my compliments and I would be there -in a few minutes. When I got to the lines or houses of the sepoys I -found a magnificent tent about two hundred feet long, into which I -was ushered with much ceremony. - -The scene was most interesting. At the upper end there were a few -European officers, while down each side were ranged three or four -rows of dark sepoys seated on their hams, which is the favourite -position among the natives. The tent was lighted by a number of -flaming torches, which threw their red light upon the swarthy faces -of about seven or eight hundred gigantic up-country sepoys. The whole -centre of the tent was clear for the evolutions of the nautch-girls -(dancing girls): of these, who were generally young and tolerably -good-looking, there were several parties of four or five. All those -of one party held each other by the hand, and kept dancing backward -and forward with a sort of regular motion, and singing in a peculiar -cadence. The song was an invocation of blessing on those who happened -to be opposite them at the time, and every now and then they would -separate to point with their hands to those who were designated -in the verse. The light danced upon the spangles with which their -dresses were covered, whilst innumerable little bells jingled on -their arms and ankles. - -When I entered the subadar major immediately came to me with a -long-necked brazen vessel, from which he sprinkled over my clothes -a scent extracted from the sandal-wood. He then poured some into -his hand and rubbed my face and whiskers with it. This they call -anointing. He then presented me with two packets of spices wrapped up -in sweet-scented leaves. - -As soon as he retired a party of nautch-girls came up, and, after -singing a song in my praise and blessing me, suddenly separated and -each one threw over me a quantity of crimson powder. In a minute my -face and clothes were of a brilliant red; and wherever I had been -anointed the powder stuck like paint. Every one was served in the -same manner, and a pretty set we must have appeared: this is the -chief fun of the festival. During the three or four days that it -lasts almost every native that you meet has more or less of this red -powder (called akbeer) on his body or dress. Even my monkey, which -is a sacred animal with the Hindus, I found covered with it every -morning. I did not stay long at the tomasa, but was glad that I -had seen it: however, the cassock I had on was spoiled, not by the -powder, for that I managed to brush off, but by the anointing, which -has left in it so powerful a scent that it is not wearable. - - [Sidenote: CHENA POOJAH.] - -Last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday was the Chena poojah, or swinging -festival. Upright poles are fixed in the earth, and at the top of -each is another pole which revolves upon the first. The religious -devotees are said to suspend themselves to one end of the revolving -pole by iron hooks stuck into their flesh, and are then whirled round -and round by a number of men. Many of these mistaken men are said to -die in consequence of the tortures they endure. - -At this festival it is also reported that other devotees lie on -their stomachs whilst the priests press sharp knives into them until -they pin them to the ground, and that this does not always kill them; -but that when it does they consider they shall go to Brummah, their -God, and that the deity will be pleased with such suffering. I am -told they never utter a groan; but I would not go to see them, though -there are strong doubts whether it be not a deception. - - [Sidenote: ELEPHANT-RIDING.] - -I now often go out with Captain W. before breakfast. An account of -one morning will suffice. I was called at half-past three; dressed, -and had some coffee, bread and butter, and an egg. At half-past four -Captain W. and Lieutenant H. called for me on an elephant. I gave my -gunpowder, &c. to two of my men to carry. The great animal then knelt -down. He had no howdah, as that is not necessary, except for ladies. -The only clothing on the elephant is a thick pad or cushion, covered -with leather, which extends over the whole of the back. He knelt, and -I climbed up in the usual manner; that is, by standing on his hind -foot, then catching hold of a rope which hangs down from his pad, and -scrambling up as well as one can. The mahout then told the elephant -to get up; and off we started, half sitting half lying on the pad, -and the servants, with the guns, &c., walking behind. It seems a -fearful height, and for the first few miles I could not help thinking -of the danger of a fall. However, one gets accustomed to such things. - -The elephant carried us bravely over the loose sands, and down to a -ford in the river. In crossing the stream he went more cautiously, -seeming to feel each place before he put his foot down, as if he were -afraid of getting into a quicksand. Once or twice, when the water was -deep, I thought he would have been obliged to swim; but I was wrong: -though it would not have mattered if he had; we should have been -quite safe on his back. - -After crossing the sand on the other side we went through some -paddy-fields and jungle towards a jheel (or marsh), which I had -mentioned as containing a great number of ducks. I had been there -previously on foot with Mr. L. When we reached the jheel a heavy -fog came on, and Captain W. therefore proposed that we should go -on farther into the jungle, in hopes of its clearing up, when we -should find some hares. You must remember that in India, where we get -nothing whatever but mutton and fowls, and where we cannot buy even -these, everything in the shape of meat is a treat, if not a necessary. - -On we went; the fog cleared up; we got down in a jungle of low -brushwood, interspersed with several open spaces. We found some men -taking charge of a herd of buffaloes: for two pice each they agreed -to assist our servants in beating the bushes, and we were not long -before we started several hares. I only shot one; the others were -more fortunate. - -At half-past seven we started on our way back. As we passed the jheel -I shot a widgeon. At half-past eight got home, had a cold bath, and -enjoyed my breakfast; and at dinner was very glad to have the hare -and widgeon, for the expense of two pice. I often go out this way. -The elephant belongs to the regiment which is stationed here. The -exercise before breakfast is most healthy. One time we came upon a -place in the midst of the jungle which I intend to visit again in the -cold weather, when I shall have more time to examine it. - - - - -April 15, 1843. - - - [Sidenote: FURNITURE.] - -I will now endeavour to give you an idea of some of our arrangements. -We have moved to the other side of the house in order to have -our bed-room to the west; because the sea-breeze, which blows -every night, is a south-west wind. The room in which I am sitting -was my wife's dressing-room; the one I use is fifty feet long. -Dressing-rooms are absolutely necessary in this country, because -nothing is put into the sleeping apartment except the bed, because -of the mosquitoes, which harbour in swarms wherever they can find -shelter. The bed is never placed against the wall, but always in -the middle of the room; and the feet are placed in pans of water, -to prevent the white ants, centipedes, &c. from paying you a visit -during the night. - -The room I am now in has one French window opening into the verandah -in front, another towards the church, a door opening into the next -room, and another into the godown or store-room. All these windows -and doors are now open, and I am sitting as near the centre as -I can, to catch what little breeze there is, for the weather is -fearfully hot; the thermometer at noon about 90 deg. in-doors. It is -now eleven in the evening, and my wife is gone to bed. The floor, -which is of cement (wooden floors are never used here on account of -the white ant), is covered with a curious sort of matting, made of -the leaves of the date-tree. We always use mats instead of carpets -in India, because they are much cooler. The walls and the ceilings -are whitewashed, the universal substitute for paper or paint in the -Mofussil. When I say the ceiling, I mean the ceiling-cloths, which -are great sheets of canvas covering the tops of the rooms, and -fastened up with cords. - -Over my head swings a punkah or fan, about eighteen feet long and -three wide, made of canvas stretched on a wooden frame, and also -whitewashed. This hangs from the ceiling, or rather from some bamboos -placed upon the ceiling. Suspended from the lower edge of the punkah -is a sort of full flounce of white calico circling along the whole -length. The punkah is swung backwards and forwards over my head by -means of a long rope pulled by a bearer sitting in the verandah. This -man is now fast asleep, but still he continues to pull the rope, and -so he would do for hours if I required it. - -The furniture of the room consists of a table, a sideboard, and a -large screen of common cloth, stretched on a frame of sissoo-wood -(a sort of coarse rose-wood). It is about seven feet high and seven -across, and is placed before the door of the garden. On the sideboard -stands a flat candlestick, with a glass shade to keep the insects -from the flame. The candle is wax; we cannot use tallow for two -reasons: the climate of India is so hot that the candles would not -remain upright, and the sheep here have very little fat upon them. On -the table are two Indian table-lamps. I hardly know how to describe -them. The lower part is like an upright candlestick, on which is -placed a glass cup half filled with water, the other half with -cocoa-nut oil. In the bottom is a little bit of lead with two thin -cotton wicks in it, which reach a little above the surface of the -oil. These are alight. Over the whole is a large inverted bell-glass -to keep off the insects, which at present swarm around. Every minute -I hear the mosquitoes buzzing about my ears; then they settle on my -face, and on my clothes, through which they are enabled to bite with -ease. This keeps me in a continued fidget. - -There is also an incessant whistling all around from what we call -crickets, though they are somewhat different from those in England. -A number of large grasshoppers, about two inches long, of a light -green, are hopping about on the table, and occasionally on my paper. -On the wall are several long-tailed lizards: they are only slightly -venomous; and, though extremely ugly, we are always glad to see them, -because they eat the mosquitoes. Round the ceiling are circling three -large bats, which my mungoose, sitting in a corner, keeps watching. -Should one fall, he would seize and devour him in an instant. A wild -cat came through the room just now, and took a peep at me; but the -mungoose growled, and it ran way. It was small; but it has been very -destructive in the poultry-yard. - - [Sidenote: OLD CUTTACK.] - -But I must now return to what I was telling. The place which we came -upon in the jungle is called Old Cuttack; and it deserves the name, -for I do not suppose it has been inhabited for the last thousand -years. It appears from what little I saw of it to be a most wonderful -place, and certainly proves that the population in the olden times -must have been very numerous, and far advanced in mechanical arts. It -consists of a deep ravine, the sides of which are composed of a dark -rock of extreme hardness, and containing a great quantity of iron. On -one side it has been made perfectly smooth, although certainly not -less than seventy feet in height: on the other are numerous steps and -staircases, cut out of the solid rock. The stone does not seem to -have been broken off and then chiselled smooth, but it appears as if -the steps had been cut out in solid pieces. - -On the summit are the remains of houses built of large blocks, all -perfectly smooth, saving from the effects of time and weather. -Scattered about are heaps of rock, as if collected for building. At a -little distance on the banks of the river is a sort of seawall, which -I have not yet seen, but in which, they tell me, many of the masses -of rock are sixteen or eighteen feet long. - -All this appears doubly wonderful when you remember that the natives -now, almost naked, build their houses of mud, without windows, and -with a miserable thatch; that their fireplaces are nothing but little -holes in the ground; and that in most respects they are absolute -savages. Either they have very much degenerated, or, which is more -probable, the race which built these mighty works is swept away. - - - - -April 17, 1843. - - -I was in doubt concerning the Chena Poojah, but it appears that the -hooks are fastened to a cord, which cuts into the body, and literally -causes the blood to flow in streams. They say also that it is the -victims themselves that pass the spears into their bodies, and not -the priests. - - [Sidenote: THE COTTON-TREE.] - -I may here mention that my compound and garden formerly belonged -to a General Carpenter, and he planted and sowed many very rare -plants--some from China, from America, and from the islands in -the Pacific. There are three trees of a very particular sort, of -which I very much wish to know the name. They are generally called -the cotton-tree, although altogether different from the ordinary -cotton-plant, and I suspect they come from America. The tree is about -thirty-five or forty feet in height, not many branches, and a very -smooth bark. I cannot describe the leaf, for as yet it is not out; -but it has borne flowers and fruit since I have been here; of course, -therefore, these were before the leaves. The flower, of a brilliant -red, is in appearance half-way between a tulip and a tiger-lily; it -grows from buds in the thick branches, and is about twice the size -of the latter flower. The blossom gives place to a pod about four or -five inches in length, and in the form of a sphere drawn out at both -ends. The interior of the pod is divided longitudinally into four -segments: the whole contains a great number of black seeds buried in -a soft silky cotton. I intend to stuff some pillows with it: I think -it will be as soft as down. The fibres are said to be too short to -form cloth; but I think if they had this tree in England they would -manage to use it, and the cloth would resemble very soft silk. - - - - -Juggernat'h, May, 1843. - - -The first account I received of the Chena Poojah was correct. The -hooks are passed through the muscles on each side the spine: for -several days previously the muscles are rubbed and beaten in order -to harden them. At the festival they frequently run pieces of iron -through the tongue. The victims belong to the lowest castes, and -generally swing and torture themselves as proxies for the Brahmins -who have made a vow. - -This place is marked Juggernat'h on the maps, although properly that -is only the name of the idol in the temple. The town itself is called -Pooree, or the City of Cities. - - [Sidenote: POOREE.] - -I left Cuttack on Thursday, April 20, and after one night's dak -arrived here, the distance being about forty-eight miles. I went to -the Circuit-house, a large unfurnished residence, appropriated by -Government to the use of those officers who go on circuit through the -district. However, Mr. B., the magistrate and principal person here, -would not allow me to remain there, but insisted upon my coming and -living at his house, and sending at once for my wife to come and join -me. This I gladly did. Mrs. Acland discharged most of our servants, -and came down here; so she has the benefit of living at Pooree, -and at the same time of saving money, for the month's wages of the -servants discharged will more than pay for her journey. We have a -bed-room, sitting and dressing apartments, and two bath-rooms to -ourselves; and we breakfast, dine, &c., with Mr. and Mrs. B. - -It is difficult to imagine the delight of coming to such a place as -Pooree. At Cuttack we are obliged to keep every door and window shut, -in order to exclude the hot air. We close them at six in the morning -and open them at seven in the evening. One doorway is fitted with a -framework, covered with matting made of scented grass. This is called -a tatty, and is kept all day thoroughly wet, in order to cool the -room by evaporation, the punkah continually fanning over head; but -in spite of all this the heat is fearful, and still increasing; the -thermometer stood in-doors at 103 deg. - -At Pooree, forty-eight miles from Cuttack, we have no punkahs, no -tatties; all the windows wide open, the waves rolling up close to -the houses, a delicious sea-breeze all day, the thermometer never -yet above 85 deg.; not a mosquito to be seen, and no insects but a few -English flies. Excepting among the mountains, Pooree is perhaps the -coolest place in India, and I am considered most fortunate in having -it in my district. - -The coming here is a renewal of life and strength. When we are -down on the sands in the evening, we might quite fancy ourselves -in England again; and I assure you that at five o'clock in the -afternoon, by the sea-side, we are glad to walk fast in order to keep -ourselves warm. This is the state of Pooree at present. After the -rains, that is, in October and November, it becomes extremely hot -and very unhealthy; for then the sea-breeze ceases and the land-wind -sets in, passing in its course over the dead bodies of hundreds of -pilgrims. - -The most conspicuous object here is the temple of Juggernat'h, to -which devotees come from every part of India. It is an immense pile -of massive buildings. There are at times as many as one hundred -thousand pilgrims here at once. No European is allowed to enter even -the court. - - [Sidenote: DANGER OF BATHING.] - -The sea is most magnificent. The beach is composed entirely of sand, -something like that at Weston-super-Mare; but there is only a few -yards' difference between high and low water. There is an incessant -surf extending almost to the horizon--one line behind another of -enormous breakers. Some people used occasionally to bathe, but the -surf rendered it very dangerous, and at last one of them had a -leg carried away by a shark, since which every one is afraid; we -therefore have salt water brought up to the house.[3] - -FOOTNOTE: - -[3] A gap occurs here in the narrative, from a portion of it having -gone down in the "Memnon" in the Red Sea. - - - - -Cuttack, August 7, 1843. - - - [Sidenote: MOFUSSIL SOCIETY--MORNING VISITS.] - -I must now give an account of Mofussil society. We will suppose a -married couple going to a new station,--as, for instance, my wife -and myself coming to Cuttack. Well, we arrive wretched enough about -eight o'clock in the morning, after a long dak journey. All that -day we are engaged in setting things to rights. The next morning I -order my carriage, and go out to make my calls; for in India, unlike -England, the stranger calls first. The hours for calling are from -half-past ten to one, after which time you would not be admitted -anywhere, as it is supposed that the lady of the house is just going -to tiffin (lunch), which she takes at two, and then goes to sleep for -two or three hours. - -Of course the first person I call on is the commanding officer. I -drive in at the gate of the compound, and under some trees, up to -the house door, and so under the portico; for every house has a -very large carriage portico to protect the horses from the sun. My -carriage is a phaeton--the britska, phaeton, and buggy being almost -the only vehicles used in India. The britska does very well for a -judge, and the buggy a sort of carriage for a single man. Mine is a -phaeton with two ponies. On the box sits the coachman--dark-brown -face, large black mustachios, white calico tunic and trowsers, white -turban, turned up with pale blue, as livery, and blue and white -cummerband round the waist; except only when it is wet, and then he -wears a crimson skull-cap, and a scarlet full cloak with sleeves. A -syce or groom runs by the side of the ponies. - -Arrived at the door, I call out "Sahib hy?" Gentleman in? meaning, Is -your master at home? If not, I leave a card: if he is, I enter the -house, and follow the servant who has answered me. I should have told -you that there are no such things as knockers or bells here. Every -door is open, unless in the very hot weather, and there are always -six or eight servants lounging about in the verandah. As I step out -of the carriage, each one of these stoops down, touches the ground -with the back of his hand, and then pats his forehead three or four -times, signifying, I suppose, that, if I were to order him, he would -even throw dirt upon his own head. - -In reply to the question "Sahib hy?" one of the men answers, "Hy, -khadawum"--He is, O representative of God; at the same time holding -his hands pressed together as if he were saying his prayers. He -precedes me into the house, still in the same attitude. He sets me a -chair, whilst another man comes in, unfastens the rope of the punkah, -and, taking the end of it out into the verandah, sits down and pulls -it, and very soon falls asleep, still, however, continuing his -occupation. - -Presently in comes the master of the house, dressed in white jacket, -black neckerchief (if any), white shirt, white trowsers, white -stockings, and shoes made of some white skin. I should have told -you that the servant who shows me in takes my card to his master, -with which card his master plays the whole time I am there. In a few -minutes in comes the lady, in clothes hanging loosely around her; -she probably does not wear stays in the morning: her dress is white -muslin, and her face, as well as those of her children, if she have -any, is of a ghastly pale colour. This is universal in India. - -There is not much conversation at a first visit, so I soon rise and -go to some person to whom I have a letter of introduction, when he -at once volunteers to accompany me on the rest of my calls. These -first visits are made by the gentleman only; his wife does not -accompany him. In the course of a few days the gentlemen return -the call, bringing their wives with them. Daughters are out of the -question: beyond the age of six they are a genus unknown in India. -They go to England at that age, come out again to India at eighteen, -and probably marry in Calcutta, and settle at once some four or -five months' journey from their parents, who have been so anxiously -looking forward to seeing them. - - [Sidenote: DINNER-PARTIES.] - -A few days after the form of calling has been gone through, some -half-dozen different persons send you invitations to dinner, kindly -wishing to welcome the stranger to the station. From half-past seven -to eight is the usual hour in India; for if people dined earlier -they would necessarily lose their evening drive. The carriage enters -the compound; a servant runs in to the sahib, and, pressing his own -hands together, says, "Ghairee ata" (carriage comes). Out issues the -sahib into the front verandah: the lady is handed out; the gentleman -offers his arm, and walks off, leaving me to follow as best I may. - -From the verandah we enter the dining-room. There are no halls or -passages or cupboards in the Mofussil. Down the whole length of the -room is a long table laid for dinner, round which we must wind to -get to the opposite door leading into the drawing-room. Here are a -number of ladies seated on one side the room, on the other side the -gentlemen. After a little while an old Indian with a long silvery -beard, and dressed completely in white, comes in, and, pressing his -hands together, says, "Canna mig" (dinner on table). - -Then the master of the house gives his arm to the most important -lady present; the others do likewise, according to the most strict -precedence of rank, the lady of the house being taken first. She does -not take the top of the table, but assigns that place to whoever has -led her in, herself occupying the seat next him on his right hand. -Each person brings his khitmutgar; accordingly, behind each chair -stands a man in white, who, as you sit down, unfolds and hands you -the napkin which was on your plate; he then falls back a step, and -crosses his arms over his chest. As soon as grace has been said, the -cover is taken off the soup-tureen, and those who like it are helped -to a rich sort of chicken-broth. - -After that, you hear on every side--"Mrs. So-and-so, may I have -the pleasure of taking a glass of wine with you?" "I shall be very -happy." "Which do you take, beer or wine?" "Thank you; I will take a -little beer," or "wine," as the case may be. Suppose the former, and -myself the speaker, I turn round and say to my khitmutgar, "Beer, -shraubs meem Sahib, ki do" (beer-wine, Mrs. Lady, give). - -In the mean time they are uncovering the dishes. At the top is a -pair of fine roast fowls, at the bottom a pair of boiled ditto. At -the sides, fowl cutlets, fowl patties, fowl rissoles, stewed fowls, -grilled fowl, chicken-pie, &c. &c. No ham, no bacon, and little tiny -potatoes not larger than a cherry, with stewed cucumbers, and some -sticky Indian vegetables, are handed round. But for the second course -a great treat is reserved. Six or seven mutton-chops, each equal -to one mouthful, are brought in, and with much ceremony placed at -the top of the table; at the other end are slices of potatoes fried. -Your hostess tells you how glad she was that Mr. So-and-so had sent -her the loin of a Patna sheep to-day: she hoped we should like it. -Then comes curried fowl and rice; then pine-apple pie, custard, -jelly, plantain, oranges, pine-apples, &c. &c.; but directly these -sweets appear, there appear also, behind the chairs of many of the -gentlemen, servants carrying a little carpet, with a neat fringe to -it. These they place at the back of their masters' chairs, on the -floor, and then each servant brings in a large hookah, places it on -the little carpet, and, whilst the ladies and others are eating the -custards, pies, and fruits, you have all around you the incessant -bubble from the hookah, and smell the filthy smoke from an abominable -compound of tobacco and various noxious drugs. - -The ladies rarely sit for above one glass of wine, when they retire -and leave the smokers to themselves. Cigars are then produced for the -use of the other gentlemen; and, after they have all smoked and drunk -a little more wine than enough, they join the ladies. Then there is a -little general talking, then a little music: then come cards--I never -play--and then the good-byes, and so home to bed--a nightmare during -one's sleep, and a headache in the morning! When alone, we always -dine at four. - - - - -Cuttack, August 29, 1843. - - - [Sidenote: OURANG-OUTANG.] - -I had been sitting in the verandah reading, and went away for a few -minutes to speak to my wife. When I came back my chair was occupied. -There, sitting as quietly and demurely as possible, was an enormous -ourang-outang, or monkey of some sort. When I first caught sight of -him he had my book in his hands, and was to all appearance reading. -It happened, however, to be rather a stupid book, and he very soon -threw it down; he then placed his hands upon his knees and sat -perfectly still, just as if he had been meditating on what he had -been reading. I should say, as nearly as I could judge, that he must -have been above five feet in height, supposing him to stand erect. He -sat as upright as any man. - -After watching him for a minute or two, and observing that the calves -of his legs were thicker and more like those of a man than monkeys' -legs usually are, I stepped quietly back and called my wife. All -this time I had not seen his face; however, as she came, one of the -parrots screamed, and the old gentleman turned his head. His face -was very dark, with large whiskers and beard, and hair all perfectly -white; his body a light-brown, and his face and hands peculiarly -large. As soon as he saw me he half rose, laid both hands on the -elbow of the chair, and began to grin and show his teeth and spit at -me. I did not quite like it, as I was afraid he might make a spring -in my direction; yet I knew that my voice would at once frighten him -away, if I raised the horrid unearthly yell used by the natives to -scare wild beasts, and which even the tiger will hardly resist unless -much pressed by hunger. - -Still I felt more inclined to watch him. Once I thought of going -round the other way and getting my gun, but really he looked so much -like a man that I could not have shot him. He continued to grin and -spit until I turned away, hoping he would resume his former sedate -position. As soon, however, as he thought my eye was off him he rose -leisurely from his chair, stepped slowly out of the verandah, caught -hold of a branch of the banian-tree, and swung himself up into it. -As he did this I saw that he had a long tail, so he could not, I -believe, have been an ourang-outang. Indeed I never heard of them -coming into this little island, nor, I think, into the district. I -went into my study, and immediately afterwards heard him scuttling -away over the roof of the house. I have not seen him since, but if he -comes back I shall try to make friends with him by giving him food, -though I believe he belongs to rather a treacherous family. - -Whilst on this subject, I will mention another monkey which I saw a -few days ago. It is almost two feet in height, quite black, except -a circle of light-brown hair round its face, and is held in high -veneration by the natives. They come chiefly from a place up the -country called Brinderbund, where it is said there are nothing but -Brahmins and monkeys. - -I was once driving with a friend when we met a party of pilgrims, -who had two or three monkeys with them. We stopped and spoke to the -people, and one of the monkeys came into the carriage and perched -himself on my lap. I offered the people two rupees for him, but they -said they were going to take the two to Juggernat'h, where the Rajah -would buy them. I asked how much they would take for them; they said -fifty rupees for the pair. This I could not afford, and I told them -so; they then said I might have them both for twenty-five rupees. -This, however, was more than I could give, and we therefore drove on, -though I was very unwilling to part with the little fellows, that -seemed to have taken quite a fancy to me. - -The manner of reception at the judge's is much the same as I -described in my last; but here there are, however, two or three -different additional servants, who with long chouries keep flapping -the insects off the table and the faces of the company. Here is also -plenty of mutton; and cheese from England. All the side dishes are of -silver. - -In the drawing-room most of the tables are marble. From the ceiling -is suspended a number of small plated chandeliers with glass drops; -in another room is a good piano-forte, and after dinner some very -tolerable music and singing. There is also a little rational -conversation. - - [Sidenote: A BACHELOR'S PARTY.] - -But now let me describe a bachelor's party at the commissioner's, -who, by the way, is above the judge in rank and in salary. I say a -bachelor's party, because his wife is gone to England for her health, -and he cannot therefore invite ladies. Before dinner there is much -general conversation about races, church-building, hunting, the -paucity of chaplains, &c. &c. Some magnificent prints are brought -forward; a set of splendid silver medallions of sacred history -are examined and admired; some ancient coins and inscriptions are -submitted to the inspection of the unlearned; the last English -reviews are brought under discussion. - -In the mean time the gentlemen are lounging upon ottomans about a -large marble table, the host going from one to another, speaking to -and trying to please all. To the sportsman he speaks of his gun, to -the chaplain of a project of building a new church, to the engineer -of the aerial steam-ship, and, in short, makes every one pleased both -with himself and his neighbours. I need hardly tell you that our -commissioner at Cuttack is a most agreeable man; his great object -is to make others happy, and his kind good-natured face is welcome -everywhere. He is about thirty-six years of age, fond of sporting, -fond of reading, fond of children--although he has none himself. -Every one likes him, from the judge to the faquer, from the highest -to the lowest--unless, indeed, the lawless, and those he does not -spare. He has the grand tact of rendering himself agreeable to -everybody, and the means by which he does this is the exercise of a -kind heart. He does not obtrude his concerns, but listens patiently -and with interest to the remarks of others; and this, remember, with -cheerfulness and pure morality, is the means by which any person may -make himself beloved. - -But to return: the conversation turns upon church music. - -"You have an organ, Commissioner, have you not?" says one. - -"Yes, but I very seldom use it." - -"You should send it to the church," said I. - -"Well, I have sometimes thought I would, but I am afraid you have no -place for it; and, besides, I don't know whether the tunes would do." - -"Let us judge of that," says the magistrate; "give us a tune whilst -they are putting the dinner on the table." - -"Very well; and I am sure, if the padre likes it, he is very welcome -to have it till Mrs. M. comes back." - -Thereupon we adjourned to an adjoining room, where there was a very -large upright organ, but, as Mr. M. said, "only a grinder." He puts -in the church barrel, and, turning the handle, plays, one after -another, several really beautiful psalm-tunes, whilst every one -stands serious and attentive. At last dinner is announced. The style -is much the same as at the judge's, except that almost all the dishes -are silver, and there is a magnificent racing-cup of the same metal -in the centre. The eatables, however, are many of them English. -There is fresh salmon brought from England, English soups, English -potatoes, carrots, oysters, cheese, &c. &c., all brought out in -canisters hermetically sealed. - -Of course, as everywhere else, the beer, wines, &c., are from -England, for so devoid are we of any trading community, that in this -splendid climate no attempt has ever yet been made to manufacture -wine. Beer we could not make, at least so they say, for want of -barley;[4] but I believe that pine-apples, of which we get three or -four young juicy ones for a penny, would make splendid wine. England -has no pine-apples at all like ours. Then there are preserves and -pies made of green-gages, apricots, &c., all from home. Here also, as -at the judge's, there is abundance of champagne, or, as we call it -here, tokay. After dinner, at all houses, each person takes a small -glass of liqueur. - -At the commissioner's, being a bachelor's party, we remained in the -dining-room. Cigars were introduced, with coffee and brandy-and-water -for those who liked it. I will now relate an anecdote I heard there:-- - - [Sidenote: A TIGER-STORY.] - -"Why, B.," said Mr. M., "I heard you had an adventure yesterday. What -was it?" - -"Oh! don't ask me; it makes me almost sick to think of it." - -"Oh, nonsense!" from all present. - -"Well, if I must, here goes." Then drinking off a glass of wine B. -began: "I suppose I must make a regular history of it, so I will -commence at the beginning. Last evening, in the bright and balmy, -or I should say gorgeous, splendour of an oriental sunset, when the -brilliant tints of--" - -"Bah! B., don't be too absurd," cried some of us; "tell us what it -was without all this brilliant balmy nonsense." - -"Why, I thought I was poetical; but I see you have no poetry in -your souls; so I will condescend to prose. I was obliged yesterday -afternoon to go down the river for a short distance; I had a boat and -three natives. When I had completed what I wanted I returned, and was -paddling along, not far from the bank, just on this side of those -enormous blocks of iron rock which keep the river from overflowing, -and form such a splendid monument of the great mechanical powers of -the ancient Hindus--" - -"Come, never mind the antiquities; we will have them another time. -Let us hear your own adventures now." - -"Well, I had just rounded this point when one of my men called out -most vehemently, 'Look, sir, look; there is a tiger!' My eyes were -instantly turned in the direction towards which he pointed, and there -I saw a most fearful sight. A man was tearing, springing, bounding -towards the river, and a hundred yards behind him followed a large -panther, pursuing him with those rapid leaps for which that animal is -so famous. I instantly ordered my people to pull towards the shore, -in the hope of rescuing the panting wretch who thus struggled for his -life. Before we reached the bank the man had made a bound into the -water, and stood immersed up to his neck. I suppose he was too much -exhausted to swim, for we could hardly hear his voice as he called to -us to make haste. - -"At this instant I saw the dark blunt snout of an enormous alligator -rising slowly above the surface, as he made his way towards his -intended victim. I shouted to the man, 'Crocodile! crocodile!' He -heard me, hesitated an instant, then rushed back to the bank. This -sudden movement disconcerted the panther, who started back a few -paces, and the next moment our boat shot within reach. 'Come hither,' -I exclaimed. The man made a spring; the panther leaped forward, and, -as I seized the former by the arm, the latter seized him by the leg. - -"Oh! the shriek of the poor victim! I shall never forget it. -Foolishly I had not brought my rifle, but I shouted to the men to -strike the beast with their oars. No; the cowardly wretches shrank -down in the farther end of the boat, and would not move. I could do -nothing, therefore, but pull at the man's shoulder, whilst his horrid -shrieks were ringing in my ears. Had I let go, the panther would -instantly have carried him off; had there been another European with -me, the man might have been saved. - -"This takes long to describe, but it was all the work of a few -seconds. Presently I felt that I was drawing the man more towards -me; I looked, and saw the flesh of the leg peeling off in the jaws -of the panther until it came to the ankle, where, with one crunch, -the bone was severed, and the beast galloped off with the fearful -mouthful. I now drew the man, who by this time was quite senseless, -into the boat. I tied my handkerchief tightly round the upper part -of his leg, and with a piece of wood formed a sort of tourniquet. We -brought him to Cuttack, and sent him at once to the hospital; but he -died in the course of a few hours." - -"What a horrible affair!" exclaimed several voices. - - [Sidenote: POWER OF THE HUMAN EYE.] - -"But I thought," said I, "that the voice, or even the eye, of man was -sufficient to make any beast quail." - -"So it is, provided they are neither very hungry nor very much -excited. This beast had been engaged in a long chase, and nothing -could have frightened him from his prey." - -"Ah! of course that would have made a difference," I replied; "but -Mr. L. had a little adventure the other day which seems to prove the -power of the eye of man." - -"Oh! there is no doubt that man is master of all, and I believe many -natives have been preserved by the power of the human eye, and many -more might be saved if they only had the coolness to exercise the -power which has been bestowed upon them. But what was the adventure -of L.'s?" - -"It was nothing very wonderful or exciting. He was staying at Chugga -for a few days; and one morning he went out with his gun, accompanied -by a native Christian of the name of Perswa. Whilst they were in the -jungle they suddenly heard a distant shout, as of some one calling -'Perswa, Perswa!' They sat down and bent their ears to the ground to -listen. Presently the cry was repeated, 'Perswa, Perswa!' Again it -was renewed, 'Perswa, Perswa!' 'It is a tiger,' cried his follower. -They immediately hastened back to the village, but found no one there -but four old women, who told them that one of their people was hurt -by a tiger. Mr. L. started instantly to his rescue, and as he left -the village he was joined by at least fifty men, who in their fear -were hiding, but, being now encouraged by the presence of a white -man, sallied forth with him. Following the direction of the cries of -the poor wretch, they soon came to the spot where he stood facing a -large tiger. - -"It seems that the man, whilst in the jungle, had suddenly caught -sight of it on the very point of springing upon him. With great -presence of mind he stood perfectly still, and fixed his eyes -steadily on the monstrous brute. The tiger wavered for an instant, -then, quailing before his eye, he slunk behind a bush. Still the man -kept his eye upon him, whilst the tiger every minute peered forth to -see whether that dreaded eye was withdrawn. - -"From bush to bush the tiger moved, as if seeking to avoid the gaze, -in order that he might spring out to seize his prey. Slowly the man -turned from side to side, still facing his dreaded foe, and calling -upon Perswa and the Padre Sahib to come and save him; and this he -continued till the party came up, who by their shouts forced the -tiger to abandon his intended meal. Now this seems a strong instance -of the power of the human eye." - -"It does indeed," replied F. "I have known it exercised with equal -success in another case. A young officer was walking through the -jungle; he foolishly had nothing but his pistols with him. Suddenly -he heard a noise, and observed the branches shaking near him; he -crept forward on his hands and knees, to see what animal was there. -Presently he found himself face to face with a huge bull bison. He -started to his feet, drew a pistol from his belt, and fixed his eye -upon that of the animal. The bison tore the turf with his teeth and -horns, stamping furiously, but yet he dared not charge while the -human eye was fixed on his. Presently the beast appeared to become -uneasy, moved his enormous shaggy head from side to side, and at last -slunk off to join the herd that were feeding in the distance; and so -my friend was saved by his own presence of mind and the power of the -human eye." - - [Sidenote: BATS.] - -But we have been long enough at the commissioner's dinner-table; so -let us go home and to bed. It is ten o'clock, and for the people -in the Mofussil that is a very late hour. I have told you what a -nuisance the mosquitoes are, and also the white ants. There is -another creature from which you are comparatively free in England, -and that is the bat. Numbers of all sizes make their nests up above -the chats or ceiling-cloths in the bungalows, some not bigger than -the humming-bird, others, as I have told you, so large as to deserve -the name of flying foxes. Often at night they come into the rooms. -One evening, when my wife was going to bed, she found five large bats -wheeling round and round in her dressing-room. - -On such occasions as this I post myself in one corner of the room, -and my chokedar or watchman in another, both armed with long sticks, -with which we keep hitting at the bats until we knock them down, and -then we throw them out of doors. Often, as they whirl round the room, -one will hit himself against the punkah, and fall to the ground. -Instantly the mungoose springs upon him, and we hear the bones -crushing in his jaws. - -One night I was suddenly awakened by something moving and scratching -about my head; I raised my hand, and found a large bat clinging to my -hair; dreading a snake, I had started up--there was a weight upon my -head. I dashed him off, and soon went to sleep again; but he appeared -to have taken a fancy to me, and I was again awakened in the same -manner; this time, therefore, I got out of bed, knocked the animal -down, and killed him. I have several times been roused at night by a -great cockroach, three or four inches long, crawling over my lace. -The other evening a flight of large maulises came into the parlour, -and soon drove us to bed. I have two cobras, which were both killed -in my own house; also a tarantula, which I caught in my dressing-room. - -To turn to another subject. I have been endeavouring to render -society here more friendly and agreeable than it can be at large -formal dinner-parties, and I am happy to say it has been followed -by some of the most influential, and I trust that the custom may -become general. The plan is to invite about eight, and those all -friendly and intimate, to a quiet dinner at four o'clock. By the time -this is over the sun is getting low; and, instead of sitting for a -couple of hours over the wine, we soon follow the ladies into the -drawing-room. The carriages come to the door for those who like a -drive. Some stroll into the wood with their guns; some talk; and so -the time passes for about an hour, when the sudden darkness falls -upon us almost without warning. We all reassemble at seven for tea -and coffee; then spend a pleasant chatty hour or two, or disperse at -about half-past nine, having had more amusement than can be enjoyed -at a mere dinner-party. - -We are making rather a large flower-garden between the house and the -river. The wages to a good gardener are about two pence a-day--to a -coolie, or labourer, a penny three farthings. My mollee, or gardener, -is a very good one; but I must explain what we mean by a good -gardener. It signifies neither more nor less than a good thief. I -plan my garden and lay it out, showing the man where the paths are to -be, where the beds, and where the lawns. Within a few days after it -is laid out I expect to find it tolerably full of flowers and shrubs. -Where they come from I do not know: you cannot purchase any such -things here. Of course, then, everything must come from the gardens -of my neighbours. In England this would be considered, and would in -fact be, a very dishonest mode of proceeding; but in India it is the -custom. - -The mollees have the charge of the gardens, and they mutually supply -one another. If after a time I should have anything very choice in my -garden, my mollee would give cuttings or small plants of it to any of -the other mollees who wished for them, and thus every garden would -be improved. A person must be very churlish indeed to interfere with -this system of general accommodation, which in the end is equally -advantageous to all. The system, however, is liable to abuse, and -therefore I do not think I altogether approve of it myself. I was -once dining with a young officer, and we had some remarkably fine -peas. After praising them, I observed that I did not know he had a -garden. "Why, no," he replied, laughing; "but I keep a very good -gardener." Now this was decidedly most unjust. This young man would -not be at the trouble or expense of a garden himself, but chose to -take an unfair advantage of the industry and liberality of others. I -was not at all surprised to hear, shortly afterwards, that a court -of inquiry had been sitting to examine into the circumstances of a -most dishonourable action which he had committed, and for which, if -it had not been for the leniency of his commanding officer, he would -most probably have been cashiered. - - [Sidenote: CRUEL TREATMENT OF SERVANTS.] - -I think I have told you how cruelly some of the people here beat -their servants. I was standing with an officer in the porch of his -house when I was last at Midnapore, when his syce, or groom, brought -his horse to the door. Captain L. turned to me, and said, "I have -not given that fellow a thrashing for a long time, and he'll forget -what it feels like, and grow lazy." Now the fact was, the man was -so attentive and industrious that Captain L. could not possibly -find any fault with him. However, he went down the steps, and, on -the pretence that the man did not hold his horse properly, gave him -several violent blows on the face and head, kicked him three or four -times with all his force, and struck him on the back with a two-foot -rule with such violence that the man was obliged to have his back -plastered and bandaged up: and all this without the slightest fault -on the part of the servant. - -Much as has been said about slavery, I do not believe that any of -the slaves in Jamaica were ever worse treated than are the servants -of some of our officers here. The excuse is, that it is impossible -to manage the Hindus without the whip; but I never use it, and I am -certainly quite as well served by all, excepting two. With these I -am going to part, for they have been spoiled by living with a very -violent man. I will give you an instance of the punishments I employ. - -My sirdar always goes home to his supper at nine o'clock. The other -evening, after he was gone, I found that he had neglected to get the -night-lamp ready, so I was obliged to do it myself. The following -morning, instead of thrashing him, I made no observation whatever on -the subject; but at nine o'clock in the evening, when he came to ask -whether he might go home, I said, "You did not bring the night-lamp -last night; I may want something else that is not ready, so for the -next week you will not go till eleven." This was a great punishment -to him, and yet it did not degrade either the man or myself as a -beating would do. At the same time I fully admit that the natives, -by their slowness and inactivity, are sometimes very provoking; but -surely that is no excuse to the Christian who gives way to angry -feelings. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[4] Plenty of barley is grown in Bhootan. - - - - -Cuttack, October 12, 1843. - - -I returned to Cuttack yesterday from Midnapore. It was a most -wretched journey, raining incessantly--not such mild gentle rain as -you have in England, but regular blinding torrents. The roads were so -desperately bad that, although I engaged two extra bearers at each -stage, yet each day's journey of fifty miles took me twenty-four -hours instead of fifteen. My last day's journey was from Barrapore to -Cuttack--fifty miles. I started at two in the afternoon, and arrived -at home at half-past two the next day. - -About eight o'clock in the evening the rain came down almost in one -sheet of water: the men could hardly stagger along with their burden. -The rain was driven by the furious gusts of wind violently against -the doors of the palanquin, but they were closed and bolted. I was -smoking a cigar, and thinking about dear England, when suddenly -it struck me that it was becoming very cold. I wondered at it, so -closely shut up as the palanquin was. Still it became colder and -colder. I was lying on my back. I laid my hand on my face--it was -quite warm. I touched my chest--it was warm also. Suddenly I jumped -up--it was only the side of me underneath that was cold. My trowsers, -shirt, flannel waistcoat, &c., were all soaking. The rain had found -its way in at the crevice between the doors, and formed a little -puddle just where I was lying. - -A severe cold is a very dangerous thing in this country, often -bringing on jungle-fever. I first stripped off my wet clothes, then -sopped up the puddle as well as I could, and stopped the leak. I then -wrapped myself up in a warm blanket. After these preliminaries I got -out of my canteen a small spirit-lamp and kettle, then hung them to -the top of the palanquin, struck a light, and boiled some water. This -I poured into a tumbler, and, adding a little brandy and a little -essence of ginger, drank it off, and then composed myself to sleep. I -dozed a little; awoke again; tried to go to sleep; could not; changed -horses--I mean men; on again; the blanket wet through; moved the -blanket so as to have a dry part next me; soon wet through again. At -last the blanket was soaking; felt my clothes, which I had hung up -to dry; still very wet, but they nevertheless seemed better than the -soppy blanket, so I dressed again. - -I dared not call the man for my patarahs, or tin boxes, and get out -fresh things, for they would have been drenched in an instant. So I -dressed in the wet ones; stuffed the blanket up against the leak; -lighted another cigar, and puffed away until the palanquin was quite -filled with smoke. This created additional warmth, helped to dry my -clothes, and by its effects upon myself I have no doubt assisted in -keeping off fever. - - [Sidenote: DESCRIPTION OF A PALANQUIN.] - -But as I live so much in my palanquin, I think I had better give -a more accurate description of it than I have done. It is made of -wood, painted as an English carriage, and having arms, crest, &c., -if you choose. The top is covered with a white cement to prevent its -leaking, and is slightly curved, so that the rain may run off. The -bottom is open wicker-work, on which is laid a mattress and other -cushions, covered generally with thin leather. The sides, top, &c., -are lined, often with crimson silk. I have had my mattress and other -cushions covered with white drill; it is much more serviceable, -and will wash: my lining is of the same. The interior length of -my palanquin is six feet six inches, the breadth three feet three -inches, and of the same height. - -The wicker-work of the bottom extends from the head to within one -foot three inches of the foot; then instead of wicker-work is a -wooden box, which in mine is covered with part of a leopard's skin. -In it I carry a few bottles of soda-water and beer and a bottle of -water. Over my feet, resting on brackets, is a box, an invention of -my own, which I find most useful. It is three feet long, one foot and -a quarter broad, and one foot high. In this I keep a great variety -of things that I may need. - -Whenever I halt I have nothing to do but lift this box out, and there -is all my apparatus on the table. Most people have only a shelf, on -which they place their medicine-chest, dressing-case, pistols, &c.; -but I found this so inconvenient, that I resolved to have the whole -in one moveable box, and I find it a great additional comfort. In the -lining of the palanquin are pockets for books, &c., and stuck here -and there are hooks, on which to hang a watch, &c. - -I have pillows especially for my palanquin. I take a blanket and a -few books, and then I can start in tolerable comfort for a four or -five days' journey. There is a place outside behind for a large brass -washhand-basin; in front there are two little windows, like those -of a carriage, with glass and Venetian blinds; behind there is one -window, and also a lamp with a glass in the back of the palanquin, so -as to show its light inside. - - - - -Cuttack, November 8, 1843. - - - [Sidenote: ANECDOTES OF TIGERS.] - -I have just been called out to see an enormous Bengal tiger which -some native huntsmen shot last night. It has been long prowling about -between Cuttack and Chogga, and has carried off many unfortunate men. -A party of us intended to go out and look for him next week. He was -wounded first by a shot in the shoulder; the second ball went through -his eye and killed him at once. It was a magnificent beast. - -On the 9th a large leopard was brought in, and also a wild boar. The -latter animal is excessively savage and very dangerous. The usual -mode of hunting is on horseback, armed with long lances or spears. -His strength is very great; he is much larger and longer than the -English pig. When enraged his back becomes as much curved as that of -the hyaena; indeed, it is a good deal so at all times. From the top of -the head to the tail extends a thick mane of bristles, not hanging -down like a horse's mane, but standing perfectly upright. I have a -young one now in a sty, but the men are obliged to throw his food to -him, as he flies at them directly they go within reach. The tusks of -the wild boar grow to several inches in length. A friend of mine was -out one day when a boar charged his horse; the brute made a spring -at its hinder parts, cutting right and left, and both the hind legs -of the steed were severed to the bone, and his master was obliged to -dismount and shoot him. - -This reminds me of another anecdote. Miss D., the sister of the -doctor at Balasore, was out riding a short time since; a gentleman of -her acquaintance was with her. They were moving slowly along, when -suddenly they heard a crackling of the branches by the roadside, -and the next instant an enormous tiger sprang into the middle of -the lane, just in front of them. The horses appeared paralysed; -they could not move, but stood trembling in every joint. The tiger -turned round, glared upon them, opened his mouth wide, and gave that -horrible ya a-a-a, then made a spring, bounded into the jungle on the -other side, and disappeared. - -The tiger which they brought in the other day measured ten feet six -inches in length, and one foot two inches round his ankle. This -species possesses enormous strength; a single blow from his paw is -sufficient to crush a man's skull into one frightful mass. - -The adjutant of the 8th Bengal Native Regiment told me of a case -which he had seen. A tiger seized a large English bullock, tossed it -over his shoulders, and then sprang at one bound over a fence several -feet in height: so you may easily imagine that a wild tiger is not a -very pleasant companion. - -We had a sad loss the night before last. I have already mentioned -our beautiful little antelope, which used to come and lie at my feet -while I was writing. The other night I heard him give a faint scream, -and hastened to see what was the matter; he had been bitten by a -cobra, and was dead in ten minutes. Poor little fellow! I could have -cried,--my wife _did_. I have seen many, but never knew one so tame -before. I doubt whether any of the servants had dry eyes as its body -was thrown into the river. The bite of the cobra causes the body to -swell to a frightful size. - -The other day my wife was walking in the garden, when a large cobra -glided past her; she called some of the men, who soon killed it, but -it was too large to put into a bottle. A gentleman, happening to call -just then, asked me whether I had seen the poison. I said, "No." He -took the head between his fingers and squeezed it in such a way as -to open the mouth. In the upper jaw were two very large white fangs, -corresponding as it were to our eye-teeth. As he squeezed with more -force, a tiny drop of perfectly transparent colourless fluid issued -through the point of each fang--these were drops of venom that pass -into the wound. The gentleman who showed me this was a medical man, -and he said that he would not for a lac of rupees have the half of -one of those drops get into a cut in his finger. - -Last June, when the weather was intensely hot, after we left Pooree, -where we had resided for six weeks with Mr. and Mrs. B., I went to -Chandapore, a delightful place on the sea-coast, about seven miles -from Balasore. The thermometer was 105 deg. in-doors at six o'clock in -the evening. When I started from Cuttack the thermometer in my palkee -stood at 126 deg. At Chandapore I was glad to put on a cloth coat and -cloth trowsers. That is one great advantage in my station; I have -almost every variety of climate, except extreme cold. Indeed, when -the bishop asked me how I liked my station, I told him I would not -change with any chaplain in India. - -At Chandapore four of us one morning started for a walk over the -sands. We took no shoes nor stockings, and had our trowsers tucked -up to the knees. How we did laugh at eyeing ourselves! we were like -a set of merry boys. Every now and then one of us would step upon a -quicksand and sink down half up his legs, and have to scramble out. -Then, as we ran along in the water about six or eight inches deep, -we would suddenly see two or three sea-scorpions, and run away, or -perhaps slip or stumble over a piece of rock, and then down we came, -and all roared with laughter, and then the magistrate sang out,-- - - "There was an old man at Barbago, - He lived upon nothing but sago;-- - Oh! how he did jump, - When a doctor said, plump, - 'To a roast leg of mutton you may go.'" - - [Sidenote: SEA-SCORPIONS.] - -I caught a couple of the sea-scorpions; they do not sting, but cut -with the edge of their tails, and it is said that the wound is -incurable. They are covered with a hard shell. - - [Sidenote: RELIEF FUND.] - -There is a great deal of illness about now, although the weather is -most delightful: the thermometer seldom above 80 deg.; the morning quite -chilly. I am very well; the only complaint I have is that of getting -exceedingly fat. I think I have mentioned our relief fund. There are -a number of poor Christians here who have lived by beggary, stealing, -and all sorts of wretchedness. We are trying to induce them to work, -and give them materials, and purchase at a high rate what they -produce, and I quite hope our plan will succeed. - -You would have laughed to have seen me to-day, surrounded by a crowd -of half-black women, measuring out prints and calicoes for dresses, -&c.; I being obliged to do it, as my wife was poorly. The things they -make are to be given, as rewards, in our new Christian school. - - - - -Barripore, November 28, 1843. - - - [Sidenote: SOLITUDE.] - -How extraordinary does this utter solitude appear! I have just been -outside the bungalow: there is none of that confused murmuring sound -which is almost universal in England. Every noise is distinctly -heard: a child's voice, or a dove's coo, appears to break the -intensity of the silence. And then, the thought that, excepting a -few barbarians, there is not a human being within a day's journey! -The whole feeling is exciting, but oppressive. Millions of black -heathens interpose between me and a single European; and yet, with -one brace of pistols and a good thick stick, I feel myself perfectly -secure. But I will give an instance of the power which each European -possesses over these people. - -When I went to Balasore with the L.'s, we had four palanquins, and -consequently forty bearers. At one place, where we stopped to change -men, Mrs. L. sent a man to my palanquin to say that she wanted to -speak to me. I at once walked across to the spot where her palanquin -stood. The night was as dark as pitch, with a nasty drizzling rain. -The red flaming torches disclosed a group of from eighty to a hundred -natives, with their long black hair and immense mustachios, naked, -except a cloth round their loins. - -As we changed bearers here, there was of course a double set present. -We had four palanquins--one containing a native nurse and three of -Captain L.'s children; another, Captain L. and one child; another, -Mrs. L.; and the fourth was my own. On one side of the road was a -dense thicket, or jungle; on the other, a deep canal, called by -the natives a "nullah;" and these, as well as the dusky group, -were flittingly lighted by the torches of the mussalchees. Every -man, as is the custom, had a long stick in his hand. We were many -hours' journey from any European; Captain L. was totally enfeebled -by sickness; and, in short, I was the only person who could have -attempted to knock a man down. - - [Sidenote: SOCIAL RELATION OF EUROPEANS AND NATIVES.] - -But mark the power of white skin (not but that mine is getting -somewhat mahogany colour): when I bent down to learn what Mrs. L. -wanted, she was too faint and weak to speak loud, and the abominable -babbling of the hundred men about us prevented the possibility of my -hearing what she said. - -"Choop ruho!" (keep quiet) I called out, but to no effect. "Choop -ruho!" I bawled, but still to no avail; I could not hear what Mrs. -L. said. Suddenly I snatched the stick out of the hand of the man -next me, just gave it a little flourish, and jumped into the middle -of the crowd. "You want the whip, eh?" I shouted. "Choop ruho, will -you?" (for a word or two of English generally slips in either at -the beginning or the end of a hasty sentence). In one instant there -was a dead silence: not a word of resistance, or even insolence. -Mrs. L. was weak and faint, and it seemed she wanted a glass of -wine-and-water; this detained us a little time, but as long as we -remained there I found that, even if a whisper arose, the single -word "Choop" was sufficient to quiet it directly. - -Now, some people may say, here is a long story about nothing, or -rather about getting a glass of wine-and-water; but I wish you -to observe everything that takes place. Now, the nullah and the -jungles, and the torches and the palanquins, are no great wonders -in themselves, but together they make a pretty picture, or rather a -striking one; and so through life you will find that every half-dozen -things that you observe will either form, or assist in forming, some -picture in your minds, which will certainly prove amusing or useful, -or both. - -Then, again, suppose I had told you that I desired the men to be -quiet, and they obeyed me: that would have been much shorter, but it -would not have led the mind on to any other train of thought; whereas -the narrative, as I have related it, suggests many ideas which, if -followed up, would fill whole pages; for instance-- - - 1st. Why did the men dread the whip, when they were equally well - armed? - - 2nd. Are they accustomed to feel it? - - 3rd. Are they generally oppressed, and in what way; and would a - native government be an advantage to them? - - 4th. In what does that superiority consist which makes one hundred - Hindus afraid of one European? - - 5th. What is civilization? What is the difference between _real_ - civilization, and that knowledge of arts and sciences, of - railroads and balloons, which is commonly dignified with the name? - And also what is the connexion between real, true civilization and - religion? - -Here are a few out of numberless trains of thought and questions -which might arise, and do naturally arise, from the little anecdote -I have given. Now, suppose I had said, "At one stage Mrs. L. said -something to me which I could not well make out on account of the -noise the men made; however, I soon quieted them, and then found that -she wanted some wine-and-water." That description would have given no -idea of what actually took place, neither would it have afforded any -subject for after consideration. - -It was bitterly cold last night. I had on cloak, trowsers, a flannel -jacket next my skin, a thick coat buttoned up to my neck, a double -blanket over me, and both doors of my palkee shut. Yet I awoke about -four o'clock this morning shivering with the cold, and was glad to -get out and have a good run of two or three miles, flapping my arms -against my sides, to restore the warmth. Mrs. Acland has complained -of the cold for the last two days, even at twelve o'clock at noon. -The fact is, people here become so accustomed to intense heat that -they often find the cold weather very trying, and the hot season is -notoriously the most healthy part of the year, though I fancy it is -now as warm as an English summer. - -Poor Mr. B., with whom we stayed while at Pooree, has had an attack -of the terrible jungle-fever, and will, I fear, be obliged to -return to England. A sick person, at least in my district, is quite -a rarity: all the diseases are so rapid in their operation, that -a week's illness is considered a long time. If it is violent, the -patient generally dies in a few hours, or at most in two or three -days; if slight, he is by that time convalescent, and generally -proceeds at once either to the Cape of Good Hope or to England. - - - - -Cuttack, December 10. - - -I have been to Midnapore and back again. Whilst I was at Balasore -information was brought in that one hundred and fifty or two hundred -elephants had come down into the paddy-fields about twelve miles from -Balasore, and that they were destroying the crops. Two or three of -the Europeans there wanted to make up a party to go and attack them; -I should very much like to have gone with them, but could not afford -the time; so the proposition fell to the ground. - -It is dangerous sport, but very exciting. The elephant is -invulnerable except at one point, and that is a small hollow in the -middle of the forehead. I said invulnerable, but that is an improper -word; I mean, that that little spot is the only point where you -can hit him fatally. Fancy an enormous elephant charging at full -speed down a narrow path, with dense jungle on either side, and the -sportsman standing still till he comes almost close, and then aiming -at the forehead. Suppose he misses the one little spot--the elephant -seizes him with his trunk, dashes him to the ground, and then -kneels upon and crushes him; that is to say, if it is a fierce male -elephant. The tusks of a large one are worth fifty pounds. - - [Sidenote: JUGGERNAT'H FESTIVAL.] - -The sight of the dead pilgrims by the roadside in this part of India -is very dreadful; they go to Juggernat'h by hundreds, or rather by -thousands. At the grand festival in June this year, when the car of -Juggernat'h is dragged from the temple to his country house, there -were present at least eighty thousand pilgrims from all parts of -India, who each make large offerings to the idol, and during their -stay are not allowed to eat any food but what has been prepared in -the temple by the priests. Of course, for this food a most exorbitant -price is charged, and at the same time it is of so inferior a quality -that numbers died of cholera in consequence of eating it. Many of the -pilgrims when they leave Pooree have not a pice left, and literally -lie down and die of starvation by the roadside. The instant they are -dead they are surrounded by jackals, dogs, and vultures, who quickly -peel all the flesh from the bones: it is a horrid sight, but one -which is too frequent to create surprise. - -To the support of this temple our Christian government pays 6000_l._ -a-year, whilst at other places it supports one, two, or more -priests. Some will scarcely understand all the arguments by which -this pernicious support of idolatry is defended. The principal -reason given is, that, when we took possession of the country, we -found a number of heathen temples, supported out of the produce of -certain lands which were appropriated to their service; and that we, -having taken possession of those lands, are bound to support the -same temples by money derived from our own revenue. When the Roman -Catholics conquered a country, their first object was to extirpate -idolatry; when the Mohammedans waged war, they did it in order to -destroy the idols of the heathens; but we encourage and protect all -those wicked and evil superstitions. - -Terrible as is the sight of the mutilated bodies of the pilgrims, it -is not to me half so shocking as their thanks when they are relieved. -As I travel, some poor wretch, who has more the appearance of a -skeleton than a human being, comes to the side of the palanquin, -and cries in Hindustanee, "Oh, great king, have mercy! I have been -to Juggernat'h, and I have no rice. I have not tasted food, O great -king, for three days. Oh, great king, give me some cowries to buy -some rice!" I give the man a pice or two, and then he exclaims, -"May Juggernat'h bless you, O great being! May Juggernat'h make -you prosperous!" This invocation of a blessing from an idol sounds -most frightful. The horrors of the roadside scene I will not -describe--they are too fearful. - -The above account reminds me of the exaggerated manner of expression -in use among the Eastern nations. I will give another instance of -it, premising that it is the usual style of language employed by the -natives towards their European masters. At Midnapore, the other day, -I wanted to call on the commanding officer; I accordingly got into -a tanjore,--that is, the body of a gig, supported on two poles, and -carried by men. As they took me up, I told them to go to the Colonel -Sahib's; they spoke together for a few minutes, and then one of them -said in Hindustanee, "O representative of God, your slaves do not -know where the Colonel Sahib lives." - -"Well, do you know where the Salt-Agent Sahib lives?" - -"Yes, O representative of God." - -"Then take me there." - -I had turned away a domestic for being impertinent--a case of -very rare occurrence amongst the natives. He was my own personal -attendant, and an excellent servant, but I would not allow him to be -insolent, and therefore discharged him at once. For weeks this man -stood at the gate of my compound, ran for miles by the side of my -palanquin when I went out in it, and, if he saw me walking, threw -himself on the ground at full length before me, extending his hands -clasped over his head, and then crept or rather glided on his stomach -close to me, kissed my feet, placed them on his head, and, whilst the -tears ran from his eyes, exclaimed in Hindustanee, "O great being! O -representative of God, have pity on your slave! punish me, whip me, -but let me be your slave, O great king!" One day he brought his two -little boys with him, and made them also kneel at my feet. He was an -old man with a long beard, and he rubbed it in the dust, and cried -and sobbed. I looked at his sons, and thought of my own children, -and, as I considered he had been sufficiently punished, I told him to -get up and I would try him again. He raised himself on his knees, and -kissed the hem of my garment.[5] He is now the most useful servant I -have. He is a sheikh--Sheikh Ibrahim is his name, and he had served -every one of my predecessors, the chaplains at Cuttack. - - [Sidenote: NUMBER AND NAMES OF SERVANTS.] - -I do not know the names of all my servants, but I will mention a few. -Ibrahim is my sirdar, or valet, and chief man; my bearer is Maqua -(which, by the way, is a name in use amongst the Indians in North -America); my water-carrier is Rangore; my watchman, or chokedar, -Sieboo; my sweeper, Ramoo. These last four are allowed me and paid -for by Government: I give them a trifle in addition to their regular -pay. The cook, or bowachee, is Callipar; and the table-servant, or -khitmutgar, is Pekhoo. We only keep one table-servant; every one -else keeps two, and many four or five. My syce, or groom, is Saitor; -I do not know the names of the coachman, grass-cutter, tailor, and -carpenter, nor of my wife's woman-servant, or ayah, as she is called. -I think these are all our domestics, except the dobee, or washerman, -but I do not know his name. - -I believe every one in Bengal keeps more servants than I do. In the -Madras presidency not nearly so many are required, as one there -will do the work of three here. I do not know how it is in Bombay. -I suppose it is on this account that in the Bengal presidency we -receive higher pay than in the other parts of India. I said that I -kept fewer than most people, but I certainly think I am better served -than those who keep double the number, and I attribute it to this: I -never beat my servants; I scold them, but do not strike them: and I -believe that they exert themselves very much in order that they may -remain with me on that account, for the cruelty practised by many -towards their domestics is most shocking. Yet I firmly believe that I -am better served, and, if I may use the expression, really loved, for -that very reason. - -When a servant is ill it is usual to stop his wages entirely: this -I think wrong, and I therefore only stop half, which is another -inducement to them to exert themselves in order to remain with me. I -will give an instance of the sort of exertion to which I allude. When -I packed the last box for England, my carpenter was ill; my cook is a -very handy sort of man, so I called him, and desired him to nail up -the box; he did it without a moment's hesitation. Almost any other -cook would rather have left his situation than have done what he did -not consider his work. - -Again, I do not know any other person who can get one man to wait on -both the sahib and the mem. My khitmutgar not only does this, but -also cleans my gun, and sometimes goes out shooting with me; when he -is thus engaged the cook supplies his place. These are the advantages -of kindness. - -It is a common saying that the Hindus have no sense of gratitude, -that they have not even a word to express that feeling in their -language. I do not believe it, and will give you a case in point. -When we are going to travel we pay the money for the bearers into the -hands of the postmasters beforehand; he then orders the men to be -ready at each stage, and he subsequently sends them their pay. At one -stage, as I was going to Midnapore some time ago, the men complained -to me that they had not received their money for many months. I -questioned them, and, finding their story probable, I promised to -speak to the postmaster, and also offered to carry a petition from -them to him. This I did; there had been a fault somewhere, but not, I -believe, with the postmaster. However, the poor men got their money. - -Since that time, whenever I go along the road, as soon as I come to -that place a man calls out, "Here is the kind sahib that took our -letter for us;" and although the stage is ten miles in length, yet -they carry me over it in less time than it takes me to go a six-mile -stage elsewhere. My palkee is a heavy one, but they literally run as -fast as they can the whole way; and two additional men always go with -them without asking for any pay. Is not this something like gratitude? - - [Sidenote: HONESTY OF NATIVES.] - -They are said to be extremely dishonest--I mean the natives -generally. This also I deny; although their treatment by individuals -is enough to make them so; for on the part of Government the -error--if any--lies in an excess of mildness and lenity. I would not -hesitate, if it were necessary, to intrust a thousand rupees to a -servant to take to Calcutta: that is for him a fifteen days' journey. -Yet, if he chose, he might easily get beyond my reach; and such a -sum would be sufficient to purchase an estate which would render -himself and his descendants landed proprietors and gentlemen. I doubt -whether you could say more than that for English honesty; although, -of course, there may be exceptions here as well as there. - -After I left Jelasore the other day, I remembered that I had omitted -to lock my patarahs or tin travelling-boxes. There were many valuable -things in them, and when I reached the first stage they had not then -come up; yet I proceeded day after-day for one hundred and fifty -miles without the slightest uneasiness; and these patarahs, which -had passed through the hands of sixteen men successively, all of the -poorest class and each one alone, arrived at Cuttack in safety one -day after myself. I should not have felt so easy had this occurred in -England. But enough of this subject for the present. - -I was riding out with two friends a few days ago near Balasore, when -we saw a cavalcade approaching, consisting of several armed men, some -on horseback others on camels. We inquired who they were, and learned -that it was the escort of Bheere Singh, who had been on a pilgrimage -to Juggernat'h. We joined the Rajah and had a long gossip with him. - -The first salutation was a salaam on both sides, that is,--we -bowed almost to the necks of our horses, pressing the palms of our -right hands against our foreheads. The Rajah, being more polite, -or having better command of his horse, salaamed with both hands. -I shall describe the man, because, judging from the present state -of his country, it is possible that he may hereafter figure in the -history of India. He appeared about forty years of age, strongly -built, but not very tall; large black whiskers, and the universal -moustache, which however was smaller than usual. There was much -fire and animation both in his eyes and gestures; I should say also -that his look betrayed a cunning and intriguing spirit. He was -evidently unwilling to say much concerning the disturbances which -have recently taken place in his country, but was most anxious to -hear our opinions. He said he had seen the burra lord (great lord), -Ellenborough, as he came through Calcutta; and I wondered whether the -real object of his journey might not have been to see and speak with -the Governor-General rather than to perform his devotions at Pooree. - -But one thing struck me especially, and it is a thing highly to the -credit of our Indian Government. Pointing to his retinue, he said, -"This I very much admire. In my own country and all the native states -(that is, states governed by native rajahs), if I were to go to -sleep, I must set my guards round me with their arms in their hands, -and I dare not ask a stranger to carry a thing for me lest he should -run away with it. But directly I come into the Burra Beebee Company's -territories" (the East India Company is called the Burra Beebee, or -the great lady, by all the natives), "directly I come into their -territories, although they are so vast, so immense, from sea to sea" -(and he stretched forth his hands in every direction), "directly I -come there, if I am weary, I can go to sleep under any tree by the -roadside, and I can tell all my guards to go to sleep also. If I want -anything carried, I can say to the stranger 'Carry it,' and I know it -is safe. Oh! the Burra Beebee Company is a very good great king." - -And most assuredly it is so. Wherever we come we give sound laws, and -the people find peace and comparative happiness. Under the native -rajahs all is anarchy, bloodshed, and oppression. Would that the -whole of India were under our sway, and that our Government would -seek, by firm and decisive measures, to introduce the blessings of -Christianity amongst the thousands and millions of their heathen -subjects! I consider these few words of Bheere Singh to confer far -more real honour on our Government than all their victories. - - [Sidenote: A MEETING.] - -How little one knows in England of the pleasure of meeting with an -acquaintance! The other night, as I was travelling and just dozing in -my palanquin, I was roused by a loud voice--"Hulloh, Acland! what, -is that you?" I was out of my palkee in an instant, and Mr. C., of -Talacore, jumped out of his. What a break in the monotony of the -road! and yet there was one great unpleasantness about it, and that -was, we were obliged, after a few minutes' gossip, each to return to -his own solitary palanquin. He produced some oranges; we sucked one -or two, and then separated. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[5] This man continued most faithfully attached till his master's -death, and was then inconsolable. - - - - -Cuttack, December 25, 1843. - - -Yesterday morning Captain W. sent to ask me whether I would go out -into the jungle with him and try and get some hares. I did not feel -much inclined, as my yearly supply of stores, such as wine, beer, -candles, vinegar, &c. &c., had just arrived from Calcutta. However I -thought that perhaps I should see something which might amuse me, so -I went. At three we started on our ponies across the tedious sands -to the river. The water we crossed in a boat, and then remounted and -rode for some distance into the jungle: at last down we got. We had -fourteen men with us to beat the jungle. - - [Sidenote: CHOUDWAR.] - -We walked along through the wildest scenery, looking for hares, until -we arrived at Choudwar--at least that I believe to be the name of -the place I described once before, which I said reminded me much of -the ancient Petra. There are several long deep ravines filled with -dense jungle, the sides composed of perpendicular black rock, a sort -of iron-stone, in some parts of which steps have been cut, and in -other places great blocks are lying about irregularly, or forming the -foundations of the houses of the ancient inhabitants. - -We had found no game of any sort except porcupines, which abound -here. At last we came to a ravine of the shape of an acute triangle. -The lower line was a perpendicular face of rock of perhaps forty feet -in height, the other line was a steep slope, and all the hollow was -filled with thick jungle. Captain W. and myself were standing about -the middle of the lower line, and we ordered the men that were with -us to go down and beat the bushes in the hollow. - - [Sidenote: SPORTING.] - -As they went down I observed to Captain W. that I thought it looked -a likely place for something rather larger than hares. He replied -that the men said there were no wild beasts about here. He had -hardly done speaking when we heard the most frightful snarling growl -proceeding from the bushes down at the farther point of the angle. -"A tiger!" screamed the men, and ran off in every direction as fast -as they could. "Give us the guns with ball," shouted we; for those -in our hands had only small shot, and the men behind us held our -other guns. "It is a great hyaena!" shouted I, as with another growl -an enormous one sneaked out of the bushes up the bank opposite to -that on which we stood. Bang! went the Captain's gun and mine at the -same time;--down fell the brute, up again, turned round, yelled, and -screamed, inclined to make a rush at us. Bang! bang! again with the -other barrels, and with a scream the animal bounded off on three -legs, his hind thigh having been broken by one of our balls. "Powder! -powder, quickly!" was the cry, and our men handed us the powder and -balls: we reloaded as quickly as possible, our hands trembling with -excitement. - -"Give chase!" I shouted, and off we set as hard as we could run -towards the other bank, where the beast was still running, and -turning every now and then to snarl at us. "Coolies, drive him -hither!" cried Captain W., and on we bounded; but the coolies were -not at all willing to obey the command, and so we had a long chase. -"I'll fire; you mind him if he turns," exclaimed W. Bang! A yell from -the hyaena; and down he rushes towards me. Bang! he's down--no--up -again. Another shot from Captain W., and over he tumbles and is dead -in a few minutes. - -The excitement of such a chase is very great. I was hot and tired, -and also fat; but when I saw the enormous brute all was forgotten, -and I leaped down the rocks, scrambled up the hills, and bounded over -the bushes, as if I had been a boy. - -The hyaena is a cowardly animal, although he has immense strength both -of jaw and paw. Had this been a tiger, he would at the first wound -have flown at us, and perhaps killed us before we had time to load -again; but the hyaena rarely turns upon the hunters unless he sees -that all escape is hopeless. I had no idea that these animals were so -large. This was little if at all less than a full-grown tiger. He did -not spring out like the latter would have done, but sneaked along as -if he thought his horrid ugliness would protect him. - -As we were coming home over the sands, I asked Captain W. if he did -not mean to discharge his gun before he went in. "Yes," said he, -"and there is a target," pointing to a large black pariah dog, which -was feasting on some rotten carrion at a considerable distance. We -dismounted, took our guns, and Captain W. fired. The ball struck the -sand between the animal's legs, and he stared round him as if to know -what it meant. Captain W.'s next shot struck the sand close to the -dog's nose. Off he started, when I raised my gun and fired, and he -rolled over dead. This was a useless piece of cruelty; the killing -the hyaena was right, because these animals do much mischief among the -cattle, and will also carry away young children; but the dogs are in -a great measure our scavengers, and carry off all sorts of filth. - -The only other things we fired at were some jackals and a -white-headed falcon. The former we missed; the latter I killed. The -miner is a pretty bird, of which I have before spoken. I consider it -good eating, although most persons have a prejudice against it, as -not being a very clean feeder. They fly in large flocks. The other -day, with a small charge of shot, I killed five at once. The parrots -are very destructive to the fruit, especially the custard-apple; I -therefore frequently shoot them in my own garden. - - - - -Cuttack, January 2, 1844. - - -I have been to Pooree; but what I am going to relate now is an -adventure, not of my own, but of some valiant officers of the -regiment stationed here. The Captain, the Lieutenant, the Ensign, and -a Serjeant, went out for a day's shooting; and I had the story from -two separate individuals of the party. They rode to the ground, and -then skirted for some time along the side of the dense jungle. At -last the Captain says--"Well, I am tired; I shan't go any farther. -Bring me my camp-stool." Fancy a man's taking a camp-stool when he -goes out to hunt or shoot! However, down he sat; and the other three -proceeded some way farther. At length the Lieutenant says--"Well, _I_ -am tired; I shan't go any farther. Give me my camp-stool." Down he -sat; and on went the other two, until the Ensign said--"Well, I am -tired; I shan't go any farther. Give me my camp-stool." And he sat -down. - -The Serjeant, with one native, now proceeded down a narrow path which -led into the jungle. He had not been gone more than five minutes -when the Ensign heard the report of a gun, and the next instant the -Serjeant rushed out of the jungle, without his hat, without his gun, -with his mouth wide open, eyes staring, and hair all on end. "What's -the matter, Serjeant?" cries the Ensign. "A tiger, sir," says the -other, without stopping. "A tiger?" "Ay." Down goes the Ensign's gun -over his camp-stool, and off he starts after the Serjeant as fast as -his legs can carry him. "Hulloh!" exclaims the Lieutenant, as they -came rushing towards him: "why, what's in the wind now?" "A tiger! a -tiger!" they shout. Down goes the Lieutenant's gun, and he quickly -joins in the race. "What in the world are you all after?" cries the -Captain, as they came to where he was comfortably sitting, drinking -a bottle of beer, and smoking a cigar. "A tiger! a tiger! a tiger!" -is again the reply. "Pooh, pooh, nonsense!" said the Captain, moving -slowly towards his horse. "Nonsense!" answered the fugitives; "we -tell you there is a tiger down there: go and see yourself." "No, I -am tired," says the Captain; "I shall go home." And he jumped on -his horse, and, followed by his brave comrades, galloped back to -Cuttack. How the natives did grin and chuckle. They, too, had seen -the frightful monster, and knew that it was a poor harmless jackal -which had put to flight the Captain, and the Lieutenant, and the -Ensign, and the Serjeant!!! - -But there is moral to this tale. Another officer asked the Serjeant -afterwards why he ran away? The answer was, that he ran at first -because he was alone and unsupported, and that he ran afterwards -because he saw the officers run. And this will ever be the case. If -the officers show a firm front, so will the men: if the officers -waver or hesitate, it will naturally strike a panic into the minds of -those who are accustomed to look up to them for guidance. Remarkable -instances of both these positions we have recently had at Jellalabad -and Kabul. - - [Sidenote: COSTUME REGULATIONS.] - -I start on Friday next for Balasore. I go principally for the sake of -exercise and shooting. There are a great many bears there. My wife -has just hired a new woman-servant. She is of the Ooriah Mehanee -caste, and therefore may not wear petticoats, but only the common -native dress. Now, all ladies like their own personal servants to -wear petticoats; but here it is so strictly forbidden, that the -woman, if she were once to put them on, would be deserted by her -husband and children, and never be suffered to eat with any of her -tribe. But then the Hindu law, whilst it is thus severe on any breach -of caste, provides an easy mode of getting over the difficulty. My -wife gives the woman eight shillings: the woman gives half of this -to the priest, and with the other half she provides a feast for her -tribe. After this she may wear her petticoats in peace and security. - - - - -Barripore, January 5, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: MIRAGE AT POOREE.] - -There is one part of the sands at Pooree, on which if you stand -about the middle of the day, and look towards the north, you are -surprised to observe in the distance an English town. You see several -three-storied houses, with doors and windows: interspersed here -and there are several very English-looking trees; and at a short -distance, standing on a small hill, you see the ruins of a large -castle, with the green ivy clinging to it in many parts. Often have I -stood and gazed upon this scene, for it reminds me of dear England. -And yet, if you go to the place, what do you suppose you find? -Nothing but one long flat bed of loose sand, without one vestige of a -tree. - -The appearance is caused solely by the refraction of the rays of -light. To explain this I will give an example. If you hold a stick so -that the lower part is in the water and the upper part in the air, -the stick will appear to be bent at the point where it passes the -surface of the water; or, place a shilling in a cup or basin, so that -you cannot see it because the side of the cup hides it from you, fill -the cup with water, and then you will see the shilling, although it -is still in the same spot it was in before. This bending of the rays -is what is called refraction, and is caused by the rays passing out -of one transparent thing into another which is more or less dense -than the first. I think that the cause of the mirage at Pooree is -this. Hot air is less dense than cold air. The steam which comes -from a kettle is still water, but it occupies a much larger space -than the water did. One kettle of water will give much more than a -kettlefull of steam, so that it is evident that the heat has made the -water occupy a much larger quantity of space. Still the steam is only -water; therefore it must be much less dense than cold water. If you -filled a saucepan with water, and fastened the lid down, so that no -steam could escape, it would burst it: the particles of heat cause -the particles of water to be less closely connected together. But -that is a subject too abstruse for this work. - -Well, hot air, like hot water, is less dense than cold air; also -water is more dense than air. You could not run along as quickly in -the water as you could in the air; you could not strike a person with -your hand under water hard enough to hurt him; and this is because -the water is more dense or solid than air: therefore, air with a good -deal of moisture in it is more dense than when dry. But along the hot -sands of Pooree, close to the sea-shore, there must be a great deal -of heat and also a great deal of moisture. - -In the direction in which you look to see the mirage I mentioned, -there is a small piece of stagnant water from which much moisture -must arise under the burning heat of the sun; consequently there -must be much refraction in all directions. And this is seen in -looking the right way from all parts of the Pooree sands; and from -the particular point to which I have alluded, this picture, owing, -I suppose, to certain marks in the sand, assumes the appearance of -a castle, houses, &c. All this is a very rough explanation; but it -may serve to give you some idea of the probable cause of the mirage. -Ships have sometimes appeared to be sailing in the air from the same -cause; and distant coasts, which were far below the horizon, have -been distinctly seen by means of the refraction. - - - - -Guzzeepuddee, 8 miles from Balasore, January 12. - - - [Sidenote: SPORTING.] - -Yesterday morning about four o'clock we started from Balasore on -horseback. The party consisted of the magistrate, the surgeon, and -myself. It was a brilliant moonlight, but somehow I thought I should -like to finish my night's rest, and therefore soon got into my -palanquin, and had a most comfortable nap. I was awakened at daybreak -by my bearers stopping and telling me that they did not know the way -to Guzzeepuddee. I got out of my palanquin, loaded my gun, inquired -my way of the first native I saw, sent my palanquin on, and then with -two servants entered the jungle. Whereabout the magistrate and the -doctor were I had not the slightest idea. I had a delightful ramble -through a jungle, many of the natives following me from each village -through which I passed, and appearing to take great interest in the -success of my sport. - -I went on, with my broad-brimmer hat and brown leather gaiters, -followed by twenty or thirty black fellows, forcing my way through -the thickest, densest shrubberies, thinking at every instant that -I might come suddenly on a large bear. Every now and then a break -would occur in the jungle, and I would emerge from the tangled -thicket into a broad open space of three or four acres, covered with -the smoothest turf, interspersed here and there with the graceful -bamboo, and surmounted on all sides with a literal wall of trees and -underwood. On their branches sat the splendid wild fowls and the -beautiful peacocks, whilst from all sides I heard the soft cooing of -the doves. - -Then again I would find myself in a similar open space; but instead -of the turf there was a broad sheet of water, with the red and white -lotus-flowers floating on the surface, and the glittering white -paddy-bin (a sort of small stock) stretching along the edge. A little -farther on I came suddenly on a large jheel (a piece of shallow muddy -water), with the heron and the pelican, and I think the spoonbill, -standing on the sides and busily catching their breakfast of fish. -Several of the most curious of the birds I shot, in order to preserve -their skins, and occasionally, as a hare darted across my path, -I would raise my gun and fire. But one bird I must describe more -particularly. - -I was standing by the side of a large jheel, when a native called -out, "A bird, very good: look, sir." I looked in the direction in -which he pointed, but could see nothing, and was going to scold him, -when he said, "It will come." I continued watching, when presently -I saw what appeared to be a long snake rising from the water. It -was some little time before I could make up my mind that this was -actually part of a bird, and by that time the long neck was again -drawn under water, and nothing was visible. - - [Sidenote: A WATER-RACE.] - -I continued to watch, and presently, at some yards from the spot -where it had before appeared, the same snaky form was again elevated -into the air. It was almost like shooting at a reed, but however I -raised my gun and fired. There was an instant struggle in the water, -and then I saw the body of a large dark-coloured bird floating on -the surface. Wishing to obtain the body, I turned to the natives and -said, "The man that wants a pice, bring that bird to me." The pice -is a little more than a farthing, but enough to find a family for a -day. Six or eight boys and men dashed into the water, and there was a -regular race, struggling and swimming in order to obtain the prize. -One boy had just reached the spot, when suddenly it disappeared; -now the long neck rose in a different place, and again there was a -rush to obtain the pice. The bird, which was evidently much wounded, -began to move across the water, keeping its long neck about eighteen -inches above the surface, no other part being visible. I was running -round the banks to have another shot, when the bird suddenly rose, -and, with its long legs extending behind, flew over the jungle. I saw -it fall at a short distance, but the bushes were so thickly matted -together that I could not get near the place. - -As I advanced farther from Balasore the natives of the village -appeared astonished at my appearance, many of them probably never -having seen a white man before. Some stood still staring at me, -others ran and hid themselves in their houses. At last I came to -a large open space of a mile or more in diameter, and here a most -singular scene presented itself. Throughout the whole extent of the -space, large masses of black rock, perfectly smooth and rounded at -the edges, rose at intervals to the height of twelve or sixteen feet, -at an angle of about 70 deg. It appeared as if some mighty city had been -swept over by a hurricane, and all the walls were tottering to their -fall. - -Some time after this, to my great satisfaction, I arrived at the -tent, which had been sent there the day before, and found a plentiful -breakfast ready, and the rest of the party anxiously awaiting my -arrival. I had been nearly six hours on foot. Our tent is about -eighteen feet square, with one pole in the centre, a table and chairs -inside, and our palanquins, in which we sleep at night, standing -under a sort of canvas verandah. There is another very small tent for -a bath-room, and also a part composed of a single piece of canvas for -the servants. The latter is about thirty feet long and fifteen broad. - - [Sidenote: ENCAMPMENT.] - -And now let us look around the encampment. The immediate -neighbourhood consists of rice-fields, from which the paddy has been -cut. At about half a mile from the tents on either side is a thick -jungle, and in the distance are the rugged and magnificent hills of -the Neilghur, which I have already described. - -At six o'clock in the evening the sun was just setting as we three -sahibs returned from our day's shooting. The magistrate is just -washing his hands in a chillumchee, or brass basin, at the door of -the tent. In the front-ground, on two chairs, are seated the doctor -and myself; the former is having his long leather gaiters or overalls -pulled off. I have one foot in a chillumchee of warm water, the other -resting on the black knee of one of my servants, who is shampooing -and cracking each joint of the toes. Now he has done that, wiped the -foot dry, put on the shoe, and is squeezing or kneading each muscle -in the calf of the leg. No one but those who have experienced it can -have any idea what a luxury this is when you are very tired! - -Behind us stands a long-bearded turbaned khitmutgar, with sherry -and glasses. Our guns are leaning against the side of the tent, our -horses are picketed to a tree close by, and the grooms are busily -rubbing them down. A hundred or a hundred and fifty black natives are -separating into groups according to their castes, and are lighting -fires all around in order to cook their dinners. Behind the servants' -tent is a fire of charcoal, over which a black man is turning a hare, -some partridges, a peacock, and several other results of our day's -sport. Close by is another fire of wood crackling and sparkling, on -which are stew-pans with salmon, oysters, &c. &c., which have come -from England. - -It grows late: the moon rises over the hills; the fires blaze up in -all directions; I see the swarthy natives moving around them, and -hear them chattering or singing their low monotonous song; everything -looks wild; I begin to indulge in all sorts of reveries--when a man -approaches with his hands clasped together, and, bending low before -me, says "Cana meg" (dinner-table). The peacock takes the place -of the reverie; visions of the partridges and oysters flit across -my mind; and I run to help in demolishing a most substantial and -well-earned meal. I then go to my palkee. The howling of the jackals -does not awake me, I am too well used to it; but at last, about two -o'clock in the morning, I was aroused by a sort of sniffing and a -scratch at the door. I guessed at once what it was, and debated for -an instant whether I should open it a little and try the effect of my -pistols, or call out so as to rouse my companions, or lie still and -leave him to himself. I determined on the latter; as, supposing I -had not killed him, my visitor might have come into my palanquin and -killed me before I could get assistance. I therefore lay quietly with -a pistol in my hand; and I felt much happier when I heard the bear at -last trot off. - - - - -Barripore, January 16, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: THE NEILGHUR HILLS.] - -On Friday morning the magistrate and myself determined to ascend one -of the Neilghur hills. The doctor did not think it worth the fatigue, -and therefore shot partridges and wild-ducks for our breakfasts. We -started from our tents at about half-past five in the morning. For -about four miles our road lay through jungle, similar to that I have -already described. - -As we emerged from this the effect was most extraordinary. We had -been suffering much from heat, and the sudden exclamation of both -of us was, "Oh, how very cold!" A chilling blast came down from -the hills, which entirely altered the temperature of the air; and, -moreover, the place where we now were can very rarely, if ever, be -reached by the sun. These causes produce a most singular effect upon -the vegetation. Behind us was a dense jungle of bamboos, brambles, -cacti, &c., through which it was most difficult to force a passage. -In front of us for nearly a mile--that is, extending to the foot of -the hills--the appearance was altogether different: not a bamboo nor -a cactus, not a bramble, scarcely even a thorn; the turf perfectly -smooth; the only plants a sort of laurel and a species of wild-apple; -and no two plants growing within four feet of each other. It was -like a wilderness or a shrubbery in a gentleman's park. We found -several marks of bears and also of elephants; and the natives were -rather unwilling to proceed. However, we led the way, with our guns -in our hands, and soon arrived at the foot of the hill. It rose very -suddenly, and in many places we had to climb for several feet up the -face of a smooth black rock, similar to that which I have already -mentioned. - -We had no adventures beyond a tumble or two, but it was a most -fatiguing work; and the instant we reached the top we threw -ourselves down and called for a cigar and a glass of beer. This hill, -which is much the lowest of the whole range, is not, I suppose, more -than five hundred feet in height: it rises to a peak, the extreme top -being about six feet in diameter. Here we fired off our guns as a -signal to the doctor, and then commenced our descent. - -At the bottom we were very glad to mount our horses and ride back to -the tent. It was a very clear morning, and you can hardly imagine -the wild magnificence of the scene from the top. Behind us lay the -thick jungle through which we had passed, with Balasore in the -distance, and the sea forming the background; in front, a wilderness -of brushwood, extending as far as the eye could reach; to the right -was a winding river, bordered by the graceful bamboo, with native -villages and patches of rice-fields on its banks; whilst to the -left, from the midst of the thickets, rose abruptly the other hills, -towering to the height of several thousand feet. All these ranges -belong to tributary rajahs, and are not the property of the English. -We were delighted with our excursion, and it has led to the proposal -of another, which we hope to accomplish, with the addition to our -party of the doctor and the master-attendant, as soon as I return -from Cuttack. - -This second expedition is to be to the highest point visible from -Balasore. No human being has ever yet ascended it, and the natives -pretend that it is impracticable; however, we mean to try. I should -like to set my foot where no man has ever trodden. We shall go well -armed with guns, pistols, and swords; we are also each to carry a -hatchet and a billhook, to cut our way through the jungle. - -We intend to take a barometer and thermometer in order to measure the -height, and go well attended by natives. It is said that this hill is -tenanted by all sorts of wild beasts, but we shall be too well armed -to fear them. The inhabitants are a very savage race, and offer up -human sacrifices; but they will hardly dare to attack white men. I -am very fond of these excursions; the exercise I consider good for -me--whilst at Guzzeepuddee I was ten or eleven hours on my feet each -day; and another great advantage is, that they cost nothing beyond -the price of powder and shot. I must now start for Cuttack. I found -in the jungle the skeleton of a small boa constrictor: it is perfect -except the lower jaw. I told one of my servants to take care of it. -When I returned to Balasore he had lost it; I said, if he did not -find it again I should deduct a rupee from his month's wages. His -answer was, "O representative of God, you are the father and the -mother of your slave, and you must do with him as you think fit." -However, he managed to find the skeleton. - - - - -Midnapore, February 1, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: BHABANESWAR AND CUNDEGANEE.] - -When I returned to Cuttack the last time I found that my wife had -been rather poorly for some days; I therefore determined that I -would take her out for a little excursion. We accordingly sent out -a tent and all necessary apparatus, and then started with some -friends of ours--a Captain of Engineers and his wife, and a couple of -children--to explore two of the most extraordinary places in India, -Bhabaneswar and Cundeganee. At the former there are nine hundred and -ninety-nine temples, besides numerous tombs, &c.: at the latter place -some very high hills, perforated in every direction with artificial -caves; a palace, statues, and animals, cut out of the solid rock; -long inscriptions in some language now forgotten; images of gods, of -which the Hindus know nothing. - -The trip did my wife a great deal of good; but almost immediately -after our return to Cuttack I was attacked by one of the fearful -diseases of the country. Fortunately I knew what it was by the -very first symptoms, and therefore went to the doctor at once. The -disease is what we call _liver_; in England it is called, I think, -inflammation of the liver. It is accompanied by a soreness in the -side and acute pain in the shoulder. The doctor immediately took -most energetic pains to reduce me both in size and in strength, and -he succeeded so well that all danger was soon over. Directly I was -better I was ordered change of air, starvation, and exercise. - - - - -February 15, 1844. - - -I feel quite well again: we start for the hills this afternoon. The -party consists of seven Europeans and about one hundred natives. It -happened rather curiously that the Rajah to whom the hill belongs -called here this morning on business: he is a very intelligent young -man. He has volunteered to accompany us, to supply us with elephants -if we wish to hunt upon the plain, and to provide us an escort of -five hundred men; so we shall go in state. He rode a magnificent -white horse with _pink eyes_. We each take a small axe, a pair of -pistols, and two guns. - -But before proceeding I would enter into more particulars concerning -the excursion that we took for the benefit of my wife's health. On -Monday we all started at half-past five in the morning--Captain R. -and myself on horseback, and Mrs. R. and my wife in palanquins, -having their ponies led by their side. We had about one hundred and -twenty servants with us, Captain R. having a good deal of surveying -and other work to do. - -As we went along the road he stopped to inspect the different -bridges, &c. We had one little adventure this morning. It seems -that some months ago a beyraghee, or mendicant, sat himself down by -the side of the road, a few miles from Cuttack, with nothing but -an umbrella to shade him from the sun. There he remained for some -weeks, subsisting on the charity of the pilgrims who were proceeding -to Juggernat'h. I should have mentioned that our road lay, for a -considerable distance, on the direct route for Pooree. After some -time the beyraghee made himself a little hut of wicker-work, after -the fashion of many of the Indian devotees. These baskets, as I may -call them, are just large enough to contain a man in a lying-down -position; they are, in fact, mere coverings. - -By degrees the basket became a good-sized mud hut; then the beyraghee -began to enclose a small piece of ground, which he cultivated, and -built himself a granary of bamboo to contain the rice given him by -the pilgrims. Now, although a man with an umbrella does not much -matter, yet a hut with a little field, around which a village is -likely enough to spring up, cannot be allowed upon the roadside, -which belongs to Government. - -The man had been warned, but paid no attention to what was said; -and accordingly, when we reached the spot, Captain R. directed the -chuprapees, or Government messengers, to pull down the fence and -destroy the hut, granary, &c. We sat on our horses while these men -obeyed the order. In a quarter of an hour the whole was level with -the ground. I knew that Captain R. was perfectly right, yet I could -not help pitying the poor man, who came and laid himself down at our -horses' feet, with his hands clasped over his head. Like many of the -beyraghees, he was entirely naked. They are a worthless, wicked set -of men, and peculiarly obnoxious to Europeans. It was a singular -scene. Captain R. and myself, with our broad-brimmed hats, sitting -quietly on our sturdy ponies; a half-naked groom at the head of each; -the naked beyraghee at our feet; and a dozen chuprapees, in the -white native dress, with red badges, hewing the house and fence to -pieces, and scattering the remains on all sides under the grove of -mangoes with which the road was bordered. In the distance were the -palanquins, whilst the wild song of the bearers faintly reached our -ears. - - [Sidenote: ENCAMPMENT AT BENGWHARRIE] - -Nothing of interest occurred after this until we arrived at -Bengwharrie, a small village, where our tents were pitched under -a grove, or, as we call it, a "tope," of splendid trees. I have -already described the appearance of a private encampment; the only -difference here was that we had a greater number of men about us, and -more tents. Mine contains one room, about twenty-four feet square; -in the centre rises the high pole which supports our canvas house. -At each end are cloth doors, made to roll up. The tent has a double -fly or covering, one much larger than the other; it is like a small -one inside a large one. This tends to keep it warm at night, and -cool during the day; the outer fly forms a verandah round the inner -room. In the latter are two small camp bedsteads, a camp table, camp -chairs, &c. By camp bedsteads, &c., I mean such as will double up for -the convenience of carriage. In the verandah are our palanquins, a -chest of wine, beer, &c., some cooling apparatus, and various other -articles. At one side there is an entrance into a small tent, which -serves for a bathing-room. - -After breakfast, we were very much interested in watching the -monkeys. The tope swarmed with a grey species, some of which appeared -almost as large as men. They are peculiarly sacred in the eyes of the -Hindus, who imagine that one of their gods once assumed a similar -form. They are called Hunnamuns, which was the name of that deity. -My wife and I stood at the door of the tent watching them for hours; -they do not appear to be afraid of men. Many of the females had young -ones with them, and they came and sat down close to us with their -little ones in their laps. First they would suckle them, then they -would hush them to sleep, or turn them over and over, pulling off -all the dirt that adhered to their skins, and making them clean and -comfortable. - -A little farther off you would see four or five males picking the -fruit off a low bush, and chattering to one another all the time. -Then a half-grown one would jump down, and give a hard pull at an old -one's tail, for which he generally received a good box on the ear, -unless he was nimble enough to get out of the way in time; presently -one of the old fellows would get angry, and spring into the tree -after his little tormentor, and a regular chase would ensue. The -leaps they take are tremendous; they will often spring from the top -of a lofty tree into the middle of the next without falling. - -I saw one of the females shot; it was a cruel sight, and struck all -the natives with horror. They refused to touch the dead body. The -ball did not kill her instantly, and she cried piteously, whilst -she pressed her little one to her bosom, and tried to get into the -tree. To the last she would not relinquish her young one, and died in -endeavouring to save it. I could not shoot a monkey, their actions -and their cries are so like human beings. I know of a case in which -an officer shot one, and the whole herd instantly sprang from the -trees and attacked him; it was with difficulty he was saved. They are -most interesting creatures. - - [Sidenote: CROW-PHEASANT.] - -In the evening I went out with my gun, accompanied by Captain R. I -got nothing, however, but some doves and some crow-pheasants; the -latter are not eaten by Europeans, though much relished by the -low-caste natives. It is a bird, as the name signifies, between a -crow and a pheasant. The colour is black, tinged with a deep dull -red. It has a long tail, and runs like a pheasant; but I believe that -its food is the same as a crow's, that is, carrion and animal food. - - [Sidenote: GAME.] - -On the Tuesday morning Captain R. was lazy, so I started by myself at -six o'clock to try and get some jungle-fowl. When I say by myself, I -of course mean with three or four servants. I, however, shot nothing -but a few doves and one green pigeon. The latter is a large bird, of -a pale-green colour, and is most delicious eating, which is more than -can be said of any of the game in India. The partridges are dry and -flavourless; the deer have literally not a particle of fat upon them; -the hares are fit for nothing but soup. A leveret is good, and so is -a very young peacock, but, old or young, they must be eaten the same -day that they are killed. By the by, the black partridge is pretty -good: it has a black neck, shading into deep red on the head; the -back is dark; the breast and tail are most beautifully covered with -minute white spots. - -I may as well mention now that we shot the other day a double-spurred -partridge; it was of a dingy red colour, with a crest on its head; -the legs were bright red, and each armed with two long sharp spurs. -As I walked along I observed a bird of a species which I had never -seen before; I tried to shoot it, in order to have it stuffed, but -missed, and sadly frightened some monkeys who were in the same tree. -As far as I could judge, every feather was a bright blue, giving a -most splendid appearance to the bird. - - [Sidenote: MANGO-BIRD.] - -After breakfast Captain R. and I stood at the door of the tent -amusing ourselves with his air-gun. I killed with it three or four -birds, whose skins I should like to preserve; one especially, though -I believe I have before described it, namely, the mango-bird. I -fancy the European name is the golden oriole. It is of one uniform -brilliant yellow, with the exception of the head, which is perfectly -black. Its note is very peculiar, as indeed are the voices of many -of the Indian birds. I cannot describe the sounds on paper, but I -have learned to imitate many of them well enough to hold a long -conversation with them. Once or twice, when Captain R. wanted to -get near to a bird without being observed, he asked me to continue -talking to it. It is curious to observe them hopping from branch to -branch replying to my call, and looking round on every side for the -bird from which they suppose the sound to proceed. - -On Tuesday evening Captain R. and I rode about four miles to try -and find some peacocks. His pony had hurt its foot, so he took -one of mine. We were going along quietly enough through some -rice-fields, when suddenly the pony he was on shied; he spurred it, -and it immediately reared and fell over backwards. Most fortunately -he managed to throw himself off, so as to escape being under the -horse, though, as it was, he got a heavy tumble. It is a very nice -pony, a little inclined to rear; but I am too heavy for it to do so -with me. I am getting thinner now. We came at last to a beautiful -bit of bamboo-jungle, where we dismounted, inside of which was a -paddy-field; in the centre were two fine cocks and five hens feeding. -Beckoning to the servants to stay behind, I crouched down on the -ground and crept slowly forward, until I came very near to the -jungle-fowl, when I cautiously raised my gun to fire; from some cause -or other it did not go off, though the cap exploded, and the birds -flew away. Now, a regular Indian sportsman would not fire at a bird -on the ground, but would first make a noise to frighten him, and -would then fire as he was flying away; however, I am not practised -enough for that, and like to get what they call a pot-shot whenever I -can. - - [Sidenote: SPORTING.] - -A little while ago a party of officers went out from Cuttack to -shoot. Their men were beating the jungle, when suddenly all the wild -cry ceased, and a man came gliding to where all the sahibs were -standing to tell them that there was a tiger lying asleep in his den -close at hand. A consultation was instantly held; most of the party -were anxious to return to Cuttack, but Captain B. insisted on having -a shot at the animal. Accordingly he advanced very quickly until he -came to the place, when he saw--not a tiger, but a large leopard -lying quite still, with his head resting on his fore paws. He went -up close and fired, but the animal did not move. This astonished -him, and on examination he found that the brute was already dead. One -of his companions had bribed some Indians to place a dead leopard -there and to say that there was a tiger asleep. You may imagine what -a laugh there was, though it was very wrong of the Europeans to -encourage the natives to say what was not true. - -Since then a large party has been out from Cuttack on a shooting -excursion: they found five leopards, two sambres (the largest species -of deer), and four of the Indian bisons or ghyal, of whose horns I -have preserved a specimen. They however killed only one leopard. - -But I must hasten on with my description. Captain R. and I proceeded -into the jungle, where we heard several peacocks; we separated, -creeping along in different directions. Presently I came to an open -space where some pea-fowls were feeding, but we did not succeed in -killing anything. The next evening we went to the same place, when -Captain R. shot a peacock. Towards dusk I was creeping along, when -suddenly I saw what appeared to me a fine peahen. I signed to my -men to be quiet, got as near as I could, fired, and shouted to my -followers to run and pick up the bird, for it was dead. An Indian -servant rarely loses his gravity; but in this instance they could not -restrain themselves when they found that instead of a pea-fowl I had -knocked to pieces the skull of an old cow which had been half-picked -by the vultures; in the dim light I had mistaken it for a bird. - - [Sidenote: BHOHONESWAR.] - -The next day we proceeded about ten miles farther to Bhalmacottee; -and on the day following, that is Friday, we started at five o'clock -in the morning for Bhohoneswar. On the way we passed the remains of a -very large old fort built of hewn stone. In one of the moats, which -was still full of water, I saw the remains of a pier of a bridge. -Bhohoneswar is a very ancient town, much more so than Pooree: it is -celebrated for containing nine hundred and ninety-nine temples. The -natives say that, had there been a thousand, Juggernat'h would have -taken up his abode here; but as there were not he preferred having a -new temple for himself at Pooree. The ancient city has disappeared, -and the town only consists of a few hundred mud huts. The temples -however remain--some perfect, others in ruins; some facing the street -of the modern town, others half hidden in the surrounding jungle. It -is a wonderful place, and I hardly know how to describe it. - -At one extremity of the town is a tank, about half a mile square, -and of a great depth, entirely faced with huge blocks of black -iron-stone. In the centre of this stands a small temple, whilst the -sides are surrounded by others of greater or less size. At the end -next the town an enormous flight of steps leads down to the water, -where hundreds of pilgrims were hastening to wash themselves before -entering the great temple. The farther end is bordered by a dense and -lofty jungle, and in the distance is a splendid background of rugged -hills. - -After leaving the burrah tellores (great tank) we walked through -a lane of temples, many of which were ruinous, until we came to -the grand sacred edifice of the place. The form of this, as indeed -of most of the others, is similar to that of Pooree. The temple -of Bhohoneswar is however larger, the principal tower being about -two hundred feet high. Like all the others, it is built entirely -of stone, and every block is most elaborately carved. The various -cornices, of elephants, horses, &c., are as beautifully executed as -if they had been done by the best European artists. The fretwork is -most delicate in its livery, and the many images, though representing -grotesque figures, are admirably carved. The whole forms one mass of -most splendid sculpture. - -No description would enable the reader to form any idea of the -magnificence of this building. Many of the blocks of stone are -fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five feet in length, and thick in -proportion. It would be curious to discover by what means they were -ever raised to the height of above one hundred feet. This temple is -still sacred, and we were therefore not allowed to enter it, but we -examined the interior of several of the others. The lofty domes were -evidently constructed by a people who were ignorant of the use of -the arch; they are formed of overlapping stones, approaching nearer -and nearer together until they reach the top, where the whole is -surmounted by one enormous block. - - [Sidenote: CUNDEEGURREE.] - -We breakfasted in a small tent which we had sent forward to -Bhohoneswar, and then proceeded in our palanquins to Cundeegurree, a -distance of about seven miles. This latter place consists of three -hills surrounded by the most romantic-looking jungle. Our palanquins -were set down in what may be called a forest, at the foot of the -principal hill, and crowned by a small but very pretty white temple. -These hills are perforated in every direction with caves of various -dimensions, and reminded me most forcibly of the ancient Petra. Many -of the caves are inhabited by devotees and priests. The god whom -they worship is quite unknown to our Hindu servants: he is called -Persilat'h, and is the god of the Jains, who were a powerful race -that existed prior to the introduction of the Hindu religion. There -are very few of them now remaining. The god is represented as a naked -man, standing upright, with his arms hanging down by his sides. In -many of the caves are small images of this deity beautifully cut in a -dark-blue stone. - -At the summit is a Jain temple, which has been rebuilt within the -last two hundred years. The Hindus say that the caves are the works -of demons. Above the entrances to many of them are long inscriptions -in a forgotten tongue. Several of the letters appear to resemble the -Greek; but most of them are different from any known language. The -entrance to one of the caverns is through the mouth of an enormous -lion's head, cut out of the solid rock: it is exceedingly well -executed. The pillars about the doorway are also cut out of the solid -rock. Within the lion's mouth is an inscription in two lines, which I -copied. - -Many of the caves are large and lofty, others very small: there are -some not high enough for a man to stand upright: of these latter -several have very small entrances; and in these are devotees who had -vowed never to leave them alive. The wonder seems how they could ever -have managed to creep in. I saw some of these holy men: one of them -had entirely lost his sight; another had his right arm shrivelled, -and fixed in an upright position, with the nails several inches -in length growing through the palm of his hand. What suffering do -these heathens endure for the sake of their religion, whilst we -are so unwilling to do even a little to please the true God! Their -superstitions are most disgusting; but they are a reproach to us, -both for our inertness in attempting to convert the Hindus, and also -for the contrast they afford to our self-control, who call ourselves -Christians. - -In the solid rock of these hills have been excavated some tanks; -but the most marvellous thing of all is the palace of the ancient -rajahs. This, like all the rest, is hollowed out of the solid stone, -and consists of two stories; the lower comprises a good-sized square -court, surrounded on all sides by large excavated chambers. Into -this yard you are obliged to descend from above. The upper floor is -similarly cut, except that a large portion of the rock has been cut -away before the entrances were made to the chambers. The consequence -is that there is a broad terrace, overlooking the rooms beneath, -and upon which the several apartments of the upper story open. -What labour must have been employed in making these extraordinary -excavations! The chambers are narrow, about twelve feet wide, but -many of them are long; speaking from conjecture, I should say that -one of them was not less than forty feet, the length corresponding -with the direction of the side of the quadrangle. The entrance-walls -(if I may call them so) seem to have been much ornamented; but what -struck me most was a statue, cut, of course, out of the solid rock, -and supporting one side of an ornamented entrance to one of the -chambers. This statue, the natives say, is intended to represent the -rajah who founded the palace: it is nearly the size of life and well -preserved. The right arm hangs down by the side, the left is bent at -the elbow, the hand resting on the hip. On the head appears to be a -close helmet, with, I think, scales down each side of the face. The -dress consists of a short shirt of scale armour reaching down to the -thigh; below this hangs a cloth skirt to the knees; hanging from the -shoulders behind is a short cloak resembling that worn by our modern -horsemen; round the waist is a sash or loose belt; boots reaching -half-way to the knees; and at the side is a double-edged Roman sword. -Now, to what nation or people such a dress as this can have belonged -I cannot conceive. I feel confident that no people of India have ever -worn such garments; yet, when I look at this dress, and consider the -Grecian nature of many of the letters in the inscriptions, and the -un-Indian appearance of the pillars in the lion's mouth, I cannot -help asking myself whether it is possible that, when Alexander was -stopped by the Affghans, any of his people ventured still farther -into the country, and after various wanderings founded Cundeegurree, -as conquerors of the district. Or, if I wish to turn my speculations -in another direction, I may examine the dress, carved in stone, and -that statue, and think of the name of the reputed founder Lalal, -India, Kesari (quaere Caesar?). All this, however, is mere speculation, -as I have no sufficient data at present by which to arrive at any -conclusion. There is a much longer inscription very correctly copied -in Stirling's 'History of Orissa.' - -After spending a most interesting day at Cundeegurree we returned to -Bhalmacottee, from whence my wife and myself came on to Cuttack on -Saturday. I forgot to mention an animal that we killed; the natives -called it a "goodee sampsnake," and said it was very savage and very -venomous, though I imagine it was nothing but a guana. It is a sort -of lizard, with a very tough scaly skin, about two and a half feet in -length, head like that of a snake, forked tongue, sharp teeth, short -legs, armed with long claws or rather talons. I have preserved and -stuffed the skin. - - [Sidenote: INSCRIPTIONS--ANECDOTE OF AN ELEPHANT.] - -A gentleman has just been here who told me an interesting anecdote -about an elephant. A friend of his bought one, and went out -hunting with a large party. The animal behaved very well all day; -but in the evening, when they were going to take off the howdah, -the mahout called to the Europeans to stand farther off, as the -elephant appeared to be getting uneasy. He had hardly spoken when -the animal made a rush forward, seized an unfortunate native, and -began trampling upon him with his enormous feet; a chuprapee who ran -forward was seized by the elephant, and flung to the distance of many -feet into the river; the beast then raised the poor wretch he had -been crushing, and threw him into the jungle, where he was found with -not a bone unbroken; every limb was crushed: of course he died almost -directly. The elephant then ran off, and for weeks was the terror of -the country round--going into the villages, tearing down the houses -to look for corn or rice. At last he was caught, and sold to the -king of Lucknow, in Upper India. I should mention that the only -limestone hills in this part of India are those around Cundeegurree. - - - - -Pooree, May 26, 1844. - - -How little is known in England of what a thunderstorm is! At this -minute (about ten o'clock in the evening) the rain is pouring down in -vast sheets of water rather than in drops. For the last two hours the -lightning has not ceased for a minute at a time, whilst the thunder -has continued incessantly, varied occasionally by a tremendous crash -which bursts immediately above the house and shakes it to its very -foundation. Add to this the roaring of the sea and the howling of the -wind, and some idea may be formed of the fearful noise now sounding -in my ears. But the storm is, in one respect, more fearful here than -elsewhere; at this station most of the European houses are blown -down once in two or three years--a process which is anything but -comfortable to the inhabitants, who are compelled to shiver through -the night on the bleak sands, drenched with spray and rain, half -covered with loose sand, and afraid to stand lest they should be -blown away. - - - - -May 29. - - - [Sidenote: TEMPERATURE AT CUTTACK AND POOREE.] - -I find that the depth of water which fell in the two hours and a half -that the storm continued was one inch and a half, a quantity which -in England, I believe, would not fall without many days of rain. -But this is a delightful place. The difference of climate between -this and Cuttack could hardly be conceived, and yet the distance is -only fifty miles. At Cuttack, during the hot season of the year, the -inhabitants are obliged to close every door and window at half-past -six in the morning, in order to keep out the fearfully scorching -heat, neither can they open them again till seven in the evening. -Although the air is kept in constant motion by the punkahs, yet, -being confined, and also much rarified by the heat, it produces a -stifling gasping sensation, which is most painful. At this time of -the year too the mosquitoes come into the houses in great numbers, -and we are therefore compelled to use the mosquito-curtains at -night, which have no opening all round, and the lower edge of which -is tucked in with the bed-clothes; you might almost as well be shut -up in a box. The intense heat, and the quantity of bad air which -necessarily accumulates under the curtains, cause continual headaches -and oppression of the lungs. - -Well, you start from Cuttack in the evening, arrive at Pooree the -next morning, and what a change! The doors and windows are open all -day; and although the thermometer generally stands at 89 deg., yet the -incessant breeze off the sea prevents any inconvenience from the -heat; indeed, we are sometimes glad to close the doors in order to -keep out the air. At night a delicious fresh wind, which frequently -renders a blanket necessary, no mosquitoes, no curtains. In the -morning we can remain out of doors till eight; in the afternoon we -can go out at five. - -How rejoiced many persons would be to be able to spend their hot -weather at such a place. There are, nevertheless, two great drawbacks -to the comfort of Pooree. First, the European houses are all situated -on a vast plain of loose sand, extending from the sea as far as the -eye can reach in every direction; so that it is considered at Pooree -quite impossible to walk. My wife, like most other ladies, rides in a -tonjon, a sort of small cab, carried on men's shoulders. I and almost -all the gentlemen ride on horseback, or rather ponyback. At Cuttack -only rich civilians keep horses; all we poor men are content with -ponies. I have three beauties: two of them, Birmah ponies, for the -carriage, are of a large size, thick built, very strong, and highly -valued on account of their hardihood. It is usual to keep their manes -cropped close, but I like to see them long. One carries me very well; -the other is a saddle-pony, which does either for my wife or myself. -It is bay, with long black mane and tail, very sleek, with thin -ankles and arching neck. Indeed, several people who have looked at -him say he is the best-built horse they ever saw. He is full of fire -and play, jumps about, and every now and then stands upon his hind -legs. But he will not bear to be annoyed by strangers. A friend of -mine was riding him one day, and teased him so much that at last he -reared and fell over backwards with him. The carriage-horses are what -is called sorrel-colour. - -The second drawback to the comfort of Pooree is rather a curious -one, and is, I suppose, caused by the wind and the glare of the sun -upon the sands. It is the impossibility for any one to keep awake -during the day. Towards twelve o'clock an overpowering drowsiness -comes on. Once or twice I have resisted it, and on those occasions I -verily believe that in the evening, had I shut my eyes, I should have -gone to sleep upon my feet. This is the universal complaint of all -visitors to that place. The regular residents get over it. - -Talking of the night reminds me of a general habit which would seem -very odd to people in England. A person would imagine that everybody -is very fidgety at night, and rolls and tosses about a great deal -in the very hot weather. To render ourselves more comfortable at -such times we have a number of pillows of all shapes and sizes and -hardnesses scattered about the bed. At one roll you lay your leg on -one and your arm on another, then you turn over to the other side, -and then, throwing your feet on to one pillow, you hold another -fast under your arm: that won't do, and you roll over on your back, -with one pillow under your knee and another under each arm, and so -on through the night. I can assure you that, however absurd it may -appear, this multiplicity of pillows is a very great comfort on very -hot nights, although when you awake you certainly often find yourself -and them in very funny positions. - - [Sidenote: INTERVIEW WITH NATIVE RAJAHS.] - -But now let us describe the journey up the hill, which is situated in -the territories of the Rajah of Neilghur; that is, he pays tribute -to the English, but governs his territory for himself. Just before -we went there, by the advice of the masahibs or councillors, he had -been into one of our villages making a great disturbance, whereupon -the commissioner, a sort of governor of the district, sent for the -Rajah, desiring him to come in to Balasore and explain his conduct. -I was with the commissioner when he arrived. The Rajah of Neilghur is -a handsome intelligent-looking young man of about twenty. His estate -brings him in a revenue of nearly sixty thousand rupees a-year. -His brother, who is about two years younger, and full of fun and -frolic, is always with him. They came to Balasore with a party of -about thirty, three elephants, and twenty horses. The Rajah and his -brother, with eight or ten of the masahibs, were ushered into the -commissioner's room, where chairs were offered to the two former; -the others remained standing. Of course all except the two young -Rajahs took off their shoes before they entered the room. Mr. M., the -commissioner, who, as I have told you, is the kindest of men, gave -them a long quiet lecture, and strongly advised them to dismiss the -masahibs and govern entirely for themselves; and he warned them that, -if such disturbances occurred again, he should be obliged to send and -take possession of the whole territory of Neilghur. They were very -submissive and made what excuses they could, but which, in point of -fact, amounted to none at all. At last they rose to take leave, and I -with one or two others joined them. - -I immediately told the Rajah that we were going over to Neilghur on -the following day, and asked whether he would provide five hundred -coolies to beat the jungle. The Rajah promised that he would procure -us the coolies and elephants and make us comfortable. The party then -mounted, and really it was a very pretty scene. Both the Rajahs and -all their attendants were dressed in the purest white--full loose -trowsers, white frocks open on one side of the chest, and white -turbans. The younger brother wore a red sash, all the others white -ones. The Rajahs had most splendid gold chains round their waists, -and three very handsome rings in each ear. The eldest mounted first. -His horse, which was very tall and strongly built, was an albino; it -was perfectly white, with red eyes. The saddle, which for all natives -is made deep and well padded, was covered and entirely concealed -by a splendid crimson cloth extending from the shoulders to the -haunches. It was surrounded by a deep gold fringe, and reached about -half way to the ground on each side. The young man laid his hand -on the horse's shoulder, and at one vault sprang into the saddle, -the cloth remaining on. This was the signal for every one to mount, -and then they all began to show off. Their horses played all sorts -of antics; they danced, and plunged, and reared, and capered about, -though still under perfect control; indeed, it was evident that all -these tricks were the result of education. After some minutes spent -in this way, they suddenly started off at full gallop, and tore along -at a tremendous rate as long as they continued in sight. They were -followed by the elephants in a rough trot. - -But I must say something more about these elephants. I was walking -through the town with C. the evening before, when we saw the -elephants coming towards us. We were both startled, if not alarmed. -One of them is said to be the largest in India, and it really did -look awful. The others, which were of the ordinary size, looked like -young ones by its side. I had afterwards an opportunity of measuring -it, and, if I remember rightly, its height was twelve feet eleven -inches. It is very old, as Tippoo Saib rode it at Seringapatam. It -is quite blind, and it is most interesting to observe its manner of -walking or running. At each step its trunk swings from side to side, -just touching the ground in front, so that the animal may know if -there is any impediment in the way. A part near the end of the trunk -is much worn away and quite hardened by this constant rubbing. His -tusks are magnificent, but his body is little more than a skeleton -covered with skin. - -Whilst at Neilghur I saw this monster bathe. A boy took him down to -a pond close to our tent. He led him by one of his tusks. When he -reached the water, at an order from his attendant the elephant held -out his trunk and the lad climbed up it until he reached his tusks. -The elephant then raised his head until they were the highest part, -when the boy slipped off them on the head itself. The animal then -walked slowly into the water until it reached the top of his legs; -at a signal from the boy he then lay down, whilst the lad kept on -the head, scrubbing both that and his back. At another signal he -sank himself lower and lower, until only his trunk and the head and -shoulders of the boy were visible. It seemed to enjoy it very much, -and was almost unwilling to come out again. - - [Sidenote: LEAVE BALASORE.] - -We sent our tent on before and started from Balasore at about eleven -o'clock in the evening in palanquins. Our party consisted of T., D., -B., C. and his son, and myself. We arrived at Neilghur at about three -o'clock, and our palanquins were simply set down on the ground that -we might finish our night's rest. By the by, when the bearers of the -palanquins are changed for fresh men, on taking hold they very often -cry out, "Ah! my brother, my child!" but with me they generally make -an addition to this--"Ah! my brother, my child, my elephant!" - -When they set my palanquin down I turned to look about me. It was -very dark, though the stars were shining brightly. The hill seemed to -rise almost perpendicularly from my feet into the clouds; a strong -blast of cold wind came rolling down its sides, and I was very glad -to creep back again into my palanquin and cover myself up with a -thick blanket. A little before sunrise I turned out again and roused -my companions. We dressed ourselves, loaded our guns and pistols, and -started on the ascent, after swallowing a hasty cup of tea and a bit -of bread. - - [Sidenote: SUNRISE--SCENERY.] - -At this moment the sun rose, and none but those who have witnessed -the splendour of the oriental sunrise can have an idea of the -magnificence of the scene. Immediately in front of us was a broad -sheet of water surrounded by dense jungle, interspersed with lofty -trees, from which, as we looked, two peacocks came forth to drink. At -the back of the lake the hill rose abruptly to the height of nearly a -thousand feet, the sides partially covered with trees, but which were -interspersed here and there with precipices two or three hundred feet -in depth, composed of a dark-coloured rock. From each side of this -principal eminence project as it were shoulders, of about half the -height, and which, covered with the thickest foliage, inclined round -to the right and left so as to enclose us in a sort of semicircle. - -We had sent men the day before to trace a path through the jungle, -and they had tolerably succeeded. But unfortunately I was weak and -far from well, and was completely knocked up before I got half-way -to the top. One of our party was a medical man, and he insisted on -my not attempting to go any farther. I felt deadly sick, my face was -as white as snow, every pulse in my head and chest throbbed as if it -would burst, my mouth was not dry but clammy, and when I lay down -on a piece of rock I almost doubted if I should ever rise again. -However, I soon felt better, descended the hill, got a glass of beer, -and lay down in the tent for an hour or two. The others reached the -top without much difficulty, though two of them avowed that, if the -summit had been a hundred yards farther, they could not have reached -it. They were very thankful for some beer and brandy-and-water which -I sent up for them. They saw no animals, though in several places -traces of bears were observed. The Rajah says there are no tigers in -these parts. - -We had but little hunting; while we were there one of our party -killed a beautiful spotted deer. I shot some peacocks and a -jungle-cock. Talking of hunting reminds me of an adventure which I -must relate. The commissioner is the stoutest man I have seen in -India, although my wife did insinuate the other day that I was nearly -as big, but I am not. - -The other day Mr. D., Lieutenant H., and the commissioner went out -hog-hunting. This sport is always performed on horseback with long -spears. The beaters soon turned out a magnificent boar. "A boar! a -boar!" was the shout, and up galloped the commissioner and plunged -the spear into the animal; but, in consequence of his horse swerving, -he was unable to withdraw the weapon, and the boar ran off with it -sticking into his back. Lieutenant H. now came up; the boar charged -him, cut both the fore legs of his horse to the bone with his tusks, -and tumbled horse and man over on the ground. In the mean time the -commissioner had seized another spear from his syce, when the boar -rushed at him. His horse swerved at the moment that he was making a -thrust with his spear, and the poor commissioner rolled over on the -ground. Fortunately the boar was nearly exhausted, too much so to -charge again; but he did what perhaps no boar ever did before,--he -seized the commissioner by the coat-tails as he lay on his stomach. -Feeling the snout of the beast, he at once expected to be cut, if -not killed, by its tremendous tusks. - -He sprang upon his feet; the boar kept hold of his tail. The -Commissioner faced about; he had neither pistol nor knife, so he -commenced pummelling away at the boar's face with his fist. Now -imagine the scene--a man of his extraordinary size with his coat-tail -held up by an enormous boar; the Commissioner himself turned half -round, and having a regular boxing-match with the ferocious brute. -D. came up as quickly as he could for laughing, and with one good -thrust of his spear put an end to the fight. The charge of the boar -is fearful; he cuts right and left with his tusks, and inflicts the -most dreadful wounds. - - [Sidenote: UNCIVIL TREATMENT OF RAJAHS.] - -And now I must mention some circumstances which to me rendered our -expedition to Neilghur very unpleasant; they relate to the manner in -which our party treated the Rajah. On the morning of our arrival, -after our descent from the hills, he came with a party of horsemen -to call upon us. We were just sitting down to breakfast, when I -observed the cavalcade approaching. I mentioned it, and proposed -that, according to Indian politeness, we should go into the verandah -of our tent to receive them. But the principal man of our party said, -"Oh! bother the fellow, we can't see him now;" and he sent a servant -out to tell him so. - -In the afternoon the Rajah sent his man, corresponding to our chief -gamekeeper in England, to ask when we should like the coolies to beat -the jungle, and to say that he would join us in the hunt. We named -the time and started accordingly, found the coolies in readiness, and -saw the Rajah and his brother coming upon elephants. - -Our party began to move on, when I asked, "Will you not wait for -the Rajah?" "I should think not," was the reply; "we don't want the -beastly niggers with us." And yet these civilized men were glad -enough to make use of these beastly niggers' coolies and elephants. I -stayed behind and had some talk with them. - -The next day the two Rajahs called at the tent; they entered as -gentlemen, and made the usual Indian salutation. With the exception -of myself, I do not think one of our party even rose from his chair. -In the course of conversation we spoke of the badness of the water we -got. The Rajah immediately offered to send a man six miles into the -hills to fetch some from a mountain stream. In little more than an -hour afterwards, one of our party, feeling thirsty, sent a servant -to ask the Rajah whether he had not got that water yet. In India, -in speaking to a servant, you use the word "toom," which signifies -"you." In speaking to a gentleman you say "ab," which means "your -honour." One or two of our party made a point of saying "toom" to the -Rajah, which was in fact a great insult. The younger brother called -upon us. The chief of our party spoke to him on the subject of the -disturbances, although it had all been settled by the Commissioner, -and gave him a regular blowing up. And now remember that all this was -to a gentleman--an Indian it is true, but still a gentleman, with a -fine estate, and about 6000_l._ a-year, from whom we were receiving -every kindness, and on whose land we were hunting. Can it be wondered -at that the natives do not like us so well as might otherwise be -expected? - -The Rajah, I suppose, finding me more civil than the others, gave -me a great mark of honour. He took me on his own elephant, while he -acted as mahout, and whenever any roughness occurred on the ground he -turned to warn me of it. I own that I did not enjoy the honour much. -The elephant was covered with a crimson cloth, so that there were no -ropes to hold by. The only way in which I could manage was to sit -astride. It was really most painful, and I almost doubted whether I -should ever be able to get my legs together again. I had two brace of -pistols with me. The Rajah appeared very much pleased with them, and, -to make up for the rudeness of our party, I gave him one of the pair. -He was delighted, and I was sadly laughed at for giving anything to a -nigger. His palace is a fine white building on the side of one of the -hills. - - - - -Cuttack, July 4, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: SALT-MANUFACTURE.] - -I have mentioned the manner in which Europeans are apt to alienate -the affections of the natives; I will now give you an instance of -the way in which the Government seek to conciliate them. It must be -remembered that salt is a Government monopoly, that is, no person -is allowed to prepare or sell it except by the appointment of -Government. The cost to them is about eight annas, or one shilling, -per maund of eighty pounds; they sell it for four rupees, or eight -shillings, for the same quantity; and yet so necessary is it to -the natives, that, if any man does not buy the usual quantity of -Government, which is, I believe, about half a seer, or one pound, -a-month, for each individual, he is brought by the police before a -magistrate and sent to gaol, on the presumption that, as he does not -purchase salt, he must smuggle it. - -Now the salt-manufacturers receive a portion of their pay beforehand, -and the remainder when the salt is ready. They belong mostly to the -poorest classes, and their mode of working is very simple, merely -collecting the sea-water, and then suffering it to evaporate in the -sun. When they receive the first portion of their pay, they are told -how much they will receive per maund, for the price varies slightly -in different years. Last year they were promised a certain sum; I am -not exactly sure how much, but say eight annas per maund; and when -they came to the salt-agent for their money, they found that an order -had arrived from Government reducing the promised pay to six and a -half annas per maund. Of course they were excessively angry, and -utterly astonished; for one strong idea with the natives is, that an -Englishman will never tell an untruth. I happened to be present at -the time; it occurred at Pooree, in the neighbourhood of which are -some of the principal salt-works, if I may use so dignified a term. - -The proper course for these poor people to have taken would have -been, to have brought an action against Government for breach of -contract; but this they could not possibly afford. However, the -magistrates of Pooree sent a strong remonstrance to Government, and -the consequence was, that they authorized the salt-agent this year to -renew the contracts at the higher price, much to the delight of the -poor salt-manufacturers, who still lost a part of the promised price -of last year; yet it is scarcely to be credited that, before the time -for the second payment arrived, another order was sent down, reducing -the price as they did last year, and thus again defrauding the poor -wretches of part of their small pittance, for defrauding it is in the -truest sense of the word. All these things are managed by four or -five men, who compose what is called the Salt Board.[6] I may mention -that the salt-workers have been sadly disturbed this year by the -number of tigers. The natives sometimes keep the claws of those which -they are so fortunate as to kill, to make charms to keep off mischief. - - [Sidenote: RELIGION OF THE BRAHMINS--JUGGERNAT'H.] - -And now I must describe Juggernat'h. To the temple are attached -about _four thousand_ priests and servants. Of these one set are -called Pundahs. In the autumn of every year they start on a journey -through India, preaching in every town and village the advantages -of a pilgrimage to Juggernat'h; after which they conduct to Pooree -large bodies of pilgrims for the Rath Justra, or Car Festival, which -takes place in May or June--the precise time depends on the moon, as -does the time of our Easter. This is the principal festival, and the -number of devotees varies from about 80,000 to 150,000. About five -years ago there were present, on one occasion, not less than 250,000; -but that numerous meeting was owing to some peculiar sanctity which -is supposed to be diffused once in 200 years. But I ought to have -commenced with some account of Juggernat'h himself. He represents -the ninth incarnation of Vishnoo. I have often wondered whether the -Hindu religion may not, in some portions, be taken remotely from -the Christian. One name of Vishnoo is Chrishna; one appellation of -Juggernat'h is Sri Teo. This Teo, as Chrishna, became incarnate -whilst very young; he was sought after by a king to put him to -death. Many children were killed, but he was removed from place to -place in safety. He was born amongst the shepherds. The Hindus look -for a tenth incarnation, when he shall unite all the world in one -religion, and himself reign over them. I believe I am correct in -giving these as points of faith amongst the Brahmins; and when we -consider that the Hindu religion was probably established long after -St. Thomas and St. Bartholomew had visited India, it certainly seems -allowable to suppose that some portion of the Christian teaching -became mingled with the doctrines of the Hindus. There is one -objection to this supposition, namely, that Vishnoo is represented to -have lived a very wicked and immoral life while on earth. - -No European, Mussulman, or low-caste Hindu is admitted into the -temple; we can, therefore, only speak on hearsay of what goes on -inside. The idol itself is renewed every twelve years; it consists -of a mere block of sacred wood, in the centre of which is said to be -concealed a fragment of the original idol, which was fashioned by -Vishnoo himself. The features and all the external parts are formed -of a mixture of mud and cowdung painted. Every morning the idol -undergoes his ablutions; but as the cowdung and paint would not stand -the washing, the priests adopt a very ingenious plan--they hold a -mirror in front of the image, and wash his reflection. Every evening -he is put to bed; but as the idol is very unwieldy, they place the -bedstead in front of him; on that they lay a small image, lock the -door, and leave him to come down himself, if he can. - -Offerings are made to him, by pilgrims and others, of rice, money, -jewels, elephants, &c.; the Rajah of Knoudah and the priests being -his joint treasurers. About twelve days before the Rath Justra, -Juggernat'h goes to bathe; whilst doing so, he is supposed to be -bitten by a snake, which causes him to be sick until the day of the -festival. During his illness the priests take off his paint and -cowdung, and give quite a new coat; so that at the end of the time he -appears quite healthy and strong. - -On the grand day the three cars, which, I should say, were fifty or -sixty feet in height, are brought to the gate of the temple; the -idols are then taken out by the priests--Juggernat'h having golden -arms and diamond eyes for that one day--and by means of pulleys -are hauled up and placed in their respective carriages; to these -enormous ropes are attached, and the assembled thousands, with loud -shouts, proceed to drag the idols to Juggernat'h's country-house, a -small temple at about a mile distant. This occupies several days, -and the idols, having rusticated for some time, are brought back to -their regular station. The Hindus believe that every person who aids -in dragging the cars receives pardon for all his past sins; every -pilgrim who dies within five miles of Pooree will be greatly blessed -in his next life; and every person who swims out to sea, so far as -to see the top of the temple from the surface of the water, secures -great blessings in another life for himself, his father and mother, -his grandparents, and the three next generations descended from -himself! This last experiment, however, is very rarely tried; there -are too many sharks to make it pleasant. One man was drowned last -year in attempting it. As to the people throwing themselves under -the wheels of the car, that I believe to be altogether a European -invention. Some occasionally fall accidentally, and are thus killed; -but I imagine that self-immolation in this way neither is nor ever -was at all a common thing. - -I have very little doubt that great wickedness prevails within the -temple. In two cases, lately, it is known that murder has been -committed there; yet we, who have held the country so long, are not -allowed to enter the building. It is said that if we attempted it -we should be driven from the district; this I do not believe. Some -years ago the priests declared that the god would not leave his -country-house until all the English were driven from the province. -The officer commanding at Cuttack directly sent word that, if the -idol was not brought back on the usual day, he would come and blow -both it and the temple to pieces. Juggernat'h immediately came to his -senses, and was back in his temple one day before his regular time. - -During the period the pilgrims remain at Pooree they are not allowed -to eat anything but what has been offered to the idol, and that they -have to buy at a very high price from the priests. This food is often -very bad, and from that, combined with other causes, the cholera -makes sad ravages amongst these poor people. - - [Sidenote: NUMEROUS DEATHS--EVIL OMEN.] - -At the festival that is just past it is calculated that there were -about 130,000 pilgrims. The cholera this year was very mild; but not -less than 650 died at Pooree, or between that place and Cuttack. -Their bodies are generally thrown out to be devoured by the dogs, -vultures, and jackals. One Sunday morning, in coming home from -church, we found that three bodies had been thrown out in front of -our house; two of them were rapidly disappearing in the jaws of these -animals, the other was tossing about in the surf. However, I sent to -the magistrate, and he had them removed and burnt. A vast proportion -of the pilgrims are widows. In India a widow is not permitted to -marry again, but must be supported by her late husband's relations; -and it is said that many of those poor women are sent down to Pooree -in hope of getting rid of them, and no doubt this purpose frequently -succeeds. And to support this system our Government pays 6000_l._ -a-year; equal to the salaries of ten chaplains of our Church. -This year an event occurred which the Hindus consider to be very -ominous of evil. As they were bringing the god out, one of the chief -priests was seized with cholera, and was sick all over the idol. The -necessary purifications occupied so long a time, that the procession -was not able to start that day. - -I have just had a sad misfortune: all my cloth clothes, cloaks, -&c., with two or three dozen shirts, flannels, waistcoats, drawers, -&c. &c.--in short, everything but what was in actual use--were put -away in a large chest. Whilst we were at Pooree my stupid man never -once looked at them. When I returned I wanted something out of the -chest, opened it, and found that every individual thing had been -almost entirely destroyed by white ants--coats, shirts, flannels, -were eaten through in all directions; and I think there was, at -least, 50_l._ worth destroyed. I have fined my man two months' pay -for his carelessness; but, as that is only 22_s._, it is a very poor -consolation to me. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[6] We can scarcely imagine that the Supreme Government would lend -itself to such a transaction; we think it far more likely that -it occurred through the culpability or negligence of some of the -inferior agents, who may have misrepresented the case to Government. - - - - -Cuttack, August 10, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: BRINDABUND MONKEYS.] - -The weather is now most fearfully oppressive; not so much from the -actual heat, for the thermometer is seldom above 86 deg. or 87 deg., but -from a dense mass of cloud, which at the height of a few hundred -feet encloses us, as it were, day and night in one vast steamy -vapour-bath. The last two or three months are actually the most -trying that I have felt in India. - -I forget whether I have described the Brindabund monkeys. I have now -a pair of them. I do not remember ever to have seen them in England. -They are covered all over with long, thick, black hair; but round the -face, extending from temple to temple, is a very broad, thick frill -of white or rather light grey: the tail is of a middling length, -the snout very short, and the animal himself remarkably docile and -intelligent. Those that I have are not yet a year old, and I should -say the body is about a foot in length. When on their hind legs they -stand nearly two feet. - -I have mine in the verandah just outside my study door, and they are -so full of fun that I often sit for a long time watching them. One -runs a little way up the lattice, then the other makes a spring after -him, and up they both go as fast as they can. Presently the lower -one catches hold of the upper one's tail, and brings him down to the -bottom; then he makes a jump and gets away into his kennel and sits -at the door, whilst the other wanders round and round, trying to find -some place where he can get in without being observed; in doing this -he carelessly turns his back, when out jumps the other and catches -hold of his tail or his hind leg, and drags him round and round their -cage. I should tell you that the cage is the end of the verandah at -the back of my house; two sides of it are wall, and the other two are -lattice. It is about ten feet square, twelve feet high at one end, -and eighteen or twenty at the other. - -When they are frightened they sit upright on the floor, with their -arms clasped round each other; and if I take one of them out tied -by a string, they both scream the whole time until they are brought -together again, and then they rush into each other's arms. These -two monkeys are very much admired by the Europeans at Cuttack, who -have given them the name of "the gentlemen monkeys," because, from -the great length of their hair, they look as if they were dressed, -besides being quiet and docile. They are almost as rare here as in -England. They are of the most sacred race of monkeys in the eyes of -the Hindus; and indeed the only objection I have to them is, that I -am afraid some of my servants make poojah to them, that is, worship -them, and prostrate themselves before them, and make offerings of -rice to them. - -We have a great improvement in the use of our finger-glasses over -those in England. One man waits behind every person at each meal, -even at tea, and as soon as the meal is over he brings his master or -mistress a finger-glass filled with water, with two or three leaves -of verbenum, or bay, or sweet-smelling lime, for the persons to -squeeze between their fingers. In a hot climate like India this is -very pleasant and refreshing. - - [Sidenote: INDIAN MARRIAGES.] - -When a man in India, I mean a European gentleman, wants a wife, he -says to his friend, "I should like to get married." "Well," says he, -"why don't you?" and forthwith he applies for leave of absence for -a month. A month consists of thirty days, of which, say five are -occupied in his journey to Calcutta, and another five on his journey -back, leaving him just twenty days in which to make his selection, -get introduced, make himself agreeable, propose, court, and be -married. A nice prospect he has for future happiness. But there is -one curious result in this sort of marriage, and a result, too, which -spreads among other people also. After a few years the wife loses -her health and is ordered to England. The husband cannot afford to -go with her, but he allows her about half his salary. At the end of -two or three years, or whatever time may have been fixed, he writes -to his wife to make arrangements for her return to India; and I have -known two instances in which the husband was obliged to stop the -allowance in order to compel the wife to return. - -I have often wished to have some peacocks in my compound, but every -one told me that they would fly away; however, I found that those who -had tried to keep them had obtained the young birds from the jungle. -I thought I would try another plan, and therefore I got some eggs -and set them under a hen. I have three young ones coming on nicely, -perfectly tame, and which, I think, will look very well among the -trees in front of my house. Two are peacocks, the other a peahen. - - - - -Cuttack, September 14, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: A NIGHT'S REST.] - -My wife and I were sitting, after tea, playing at backgammon and -enjoying the cool breeze that came through the open Venetians, when -suddenly it began to rain. In an instant the room swarmed with -insects of all sorts. There was the beautiful large green mantis; -and, as we were watching his almost human motions, a grasshopper and -a large brown cricket flew against my face, while a great cockroach, -full three inches long, came on my wife's neck, and began running -about her head and face and dress; the flying-ant, which emits a -most nauseous effluvia; and the flying-bug, black, and about the -size of an English one, which, if you crush him, will make your -fingers smell most dreadfully for many hours;--and with these our -clothes were covered, and we were obliged to keep brushing them away -from our faces, but with very gentle handling; and then came two -or three hornets, which sent Mrs. Acland to bed to get under the -mosquito-curtains, where none of these horrid creatures can get at -her. I sat up trying to read, but buzz came a mosquito on the side -of my face, up went my hand a tremendous slap on the cheek to kill -the tormentor, and buzz he went on again. Then I felt something big -burying itself in my hair, and then came buzz on the other side, and -then all around. - -Presently, with a loud hum, a great rhinoceros-beetle dashed into my -face. I now began to take some of the animals out of my hair; and -the first that I touched was a flying-bug: the stench was dreadful. -I rushed out of the room, brushing the horrible creatures from my -hair with both hands. I nearly fell over a toad on which I trod, and -reached my bed-room to find eighteen or twenty great toads croaking -in different parts of the room, and five large bats were whirling -round and round the bed. Having washed my hands in eau-de-cologne, I -quickly undressed and fell asleep. - -In the course of the night a troop of jackals surrounded the house, -and by their frightful yells soon drove away all idea of rest; and -then, about four o'clock, as we were just dozing off again, comes -the roll of the drum and the loud voice of the trumpet, the tramp of -the soldiers, the firing, and all the bustle of the parade; and, as -soon as that is over, comes the changing guard, and the "_shoulder -harrm_," and the "_quick marrch_," near our house; and so we got up. - - [Sidenote: THE BATH.] - -Then comes the bath, the greatest luxury of the day (the water just -cooler than the air), into which I get with a book, lie there an hour -reading, get out and partly dress, and then admit my man to wash -my feet in cold water, and to shampoo me and brush my hair, whilst -another brings me a cup of delicious coffee or a glass of sherbet; -and then breakfast, with an enormous fan swinging to and fro over -our heads; and the heat, and the discomfort, and languor till five -o'clock, agreeably diversified only by a bottle of beer cooled with -saltpetre and water; and then a drive, and tea, and mosquitoes again, -and so on. - - - - -Cuttack, October 13, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: THE DOCTOR.] - -I had to make a five days' journey at the worst season of the year -to marry a couple, and I returned with a bad cough, which became -more violent after the cold had left me. I am very weak, so that I -walk like an old man. The doctors here are paid by the Government -for attending all persons in the service. The Company also find -medicines, but not the bottles, which sometimes leads to curious -circumstances. The other day I wanted some medicine, and sent to the -doctor for it; presently my man brought me back a black-draught in an -old eau-de-cologne bottle, with a roll of paper by way of cork, and a -request that I would return the bottle, as it was the only one he had. - -I am about to apply for leave of absence. I shall go up to Calcutta, -spend a fortnight with my friends there, Mr. and Mrs. S.; they will -then come down here, when Mrs. Acland will join us, and we shall go -to the Chelka Lake and the black pagodas. - -I have another monkey now, which is kept at the stable; it is a -horrible animal, about a foot and a half high, of a light greenish -brown colour, no hair on its head, and very much inclined to be -savage. I keep it to please my stable-people, who have a superstition -that this kind of monkey prevents the horses getting unwell. Not long -ago a young officer turned a very savage one loose; it took up its -abode in my compound. In one night it killed three of my fan-tailed -pigeons, and it chased my goats backward and forward so incessantly, -that one of them died of fatigue. I told my stable-people to catch -the animal, and get rid of him. This they did not do; so I then gave -them notice, that, if the monkey was not in the jungle on the other -side of the river by seven o'clock the next morning, I would cut them -all a month's pay. This is the best method of punishing the natives, -and in the present instance it was most effectual, for I have not -seen the fiendish-looking face of the exile since that day. - -In India the cow's milk is very bad, poor, and thin; that of the -buffalo is of a bad colour and rank; but what is furnished by the -goat is delicious, and many people, ourselves among the number, keep -flocks of goats. I flatter myself that mine (twelve goats and seven -kids) are very handsome. The male kids we eat when they are old -enough to leave their mother; they are very nice indeed. Our goats -are much larger than those in England, but all other animals are -very small. I have heard it said at table, "Will you take a shoulder -or leg of lamb?" Beef and veal in this bigoted part of the country -are quite forbidden things. Yet how curious this is! No animals are -worse treated than the bullocks, which are here the only beasts of -burden. They are starved and ill-used in every way. I have seen a man -dislocate several joints successively of his bullock's tail; yet, if -I were to fire my gun at the poor animal to put it out of its misery, -I should probably have my house burnt over my head. - -I saw a most extraordinary sight last night. It was in the evening -very hot, and a great deal of electricity in the air. There were two -very heavy clouds, one at a considerable distance above the other. -Suddenly some vapour separated itself with a whirling motion from -the upper, assuming the shape of a waterspout until the point touched -the lower; then a commotion began, the lower cloud rushing in large -white masses up the sides of the spout and uniting with the upper. -This continued for nearly forty minutes, until the lower was absorbed. - - - - -Cuttack, November 14, 1844. - - -I sowed some melon-seed one Friday morning; on the Monday when I went -into the garden most of the melon-plants were two inches in height. -In three days, in the open ground, from being mere dry seeds they -had germinated and sprung up into strong healthy plants. The same -rapidity of growth is remarkable in almost all vegetation in this -country. I sowed some English peas the day before yesterday; this -morning they are all above the ground. Thus we see that the effect -of the climate is to hurry all these things forward, so that they -naturally decay and die much earlier than they would in Europe. - - [Sidenote: EARLY MATURITY AND DECAY OF NATIVES.] - -Now just put man in the place of a vegetable, and the case is -precisely the same. A native boy has generally good-sized mustachios -by the time he is fourteen, and a girl becomes a woman at eleven -or twelve; then, again, at thirty the woman is old and shrivelled, -and at forty the man is white-haired and decrepit. Who can wonder, -then, that a climate like this should have such serious effects on -Europeans, or that our constitutions should be soon worn out by the -burning sun? - -However, this month I have no right to complain; I am far better than -I have been for some time. The weather is delightful; we are glad of -a thick blanket and counterpane at night; at six, when I get up, the -thermometer is rarely above 72 deg. I have no objection to a cloak when -I am sowing seeds in the morning. The thermometer now, two o'clock -P.M., is in my room exactly 80 deg., but there is a delightful cool -breeze. - -I have before observed that I did not feel satisfied with my medical -man. As the East India Company do not allow above one doctor to -every fifty miles, I wrote to a friend of mine in whom I have much -confidence, detailing all my symptoms and requesting his advice. -I could not think it of any use to put blisters and leeches on my -throat for a cough and sickness which I felt to proceed from my -stomach, and as I was very unwell I thought it best to consult -another person. In the wisdom of his advice I perfectly agree, -although it is more difficult to act up to it in India: "Employ -your mind and stint your body." Any amusement, anything that could -interest or excite or rouse, he recommended, but to avoid all -unnatural stimulants as much as possible (I mean wine and spirits), -and take plenty of exercise. If I do this, he says, he thinks I may -leave all physic in the bottles and the leeches in the ponds. In -accordance with this advice I am occupying myself in various ways. -Books it is impossible to procure, so I have been training a horse -for my wife--a beautiful little thing. I have made arrangements too -for going to Calcutta in the course of the cold weather; and I have -enclosed about an acre of my ground, and am making a vegetable or -rather a kitchen garden of it. - -I get up about six, dress in my old clothes, go out, and find one -of the horses, or rather ponies, at the door waiting for me. I must -ride him through the long grass, which by the bye is very nearly fit -to cut, to look at a number of my trees scattered here and there in -the compound, which I have been planting; then, when I am down at the -farther end I take a glance at the large pond, or tank as we call it, -where, sheltered by the most beautiful flowering trees, two men are -catching fish for our breakfast. Then I ride along inside the hedge, -watching the soldiers at parade, until I come to the goat-house; then -see the pigs fed, and ride back to the house. - - [Sidenote: FLOWER AND KITCHEN GARDENS.] - -By this time my wife is up, and she goes into the flower-garden, -and I into the kitchen-garden, to sow seeds and superintend the -gardeners. And here is the most curious scene; seven black men at -work, their only dress a cloth round the loins, their long black -hair wound up in a knot at the back of the head, their only tools a -sort of broad pickaxe with a very short handle and a small sickle, -these are their only gardening implements; and two men are watering -with gurrahs, a sort of narrow-necked jar made of black clay, -which they let down into a well by a rope. In the flower-garden -are the beautiful balsams, of many colours, and as large as -gooseberry-bushes; the splendid coxcombs, eight or ten feet high, -whose great thick flowers measure twelve or fourteen inches by six -or eight; the varieties of the hybiscas, with many others; and a few -of the more precious European rarities--at least to us--such as the -heliotrope, verbenum, larkspur, and many others. Our borders are -mostly of the sweet-scented grass from the Neilghur hills, which is -always covered with a beautiful small white flower. - -In the vegetable-garden, besides the precious peas, beans, celery, -cress, &c., which will only grow at this time of the year, are the -pine-apple, the plantain, the guava, the lime, the orange, the -custard-apple, with many other native plants and trees; and in the -hedges are some of the beautiful palms, from the sap of which the -Indians make an intoxicating drink called toddy. In the compound are -some very fine mango-trees and beeches. - -The other evening I was sitting alone writing at about eleven -o'clock, when I heard the sentry call out loudly to my servants -who were sleeping in the verandah. I jumped up to see what was the -matter. "A leopard-tiger!" was the answer; and the man said he had -seen a leopard creeping stealthily along the compound. He leapt over -the wall into the garden of the Colonel who lives in the next house, -and the following day footsteps were found in various parts of the -cantonment, which the natives said were too large for a leopard, -and must have been the marks of a regular tiger. I did not see the -animal myself; but if the men were correct, it must have been an -extraordinary occurrence, as our little island is entirely free from -wild beasts; and although it is at this time of the year joined to -the main by a narrow neck of sand, yet no large beast will cross -unless pressed either by hunger or by hunters. - -A few days ago a man brought me an animal which he had caught in -the jungle on the hills. At first sight I said it was an armadillo, -but now I feel some doubt whether it was not some unknown animal. I -wanted to buy it, in order to send the skin, or rather the shell, -home, but the man asked ten rupees for it, which I could not afford. -It was nearly three feet long, covered with thick hard scales of -a dirty yellow colour, the tail the same length as the body, and -equally broad, which I do not think is the case with the armadillo. -The shape of its whole back was a long oval. When frightened it -rolled itself up into a ball, but it appeared very lethargic and -stupid. The feet were armed with long, powerful claws, but it walked -with the lower joints turned down under the feet, as if I were to -walk on my ankles with the feet and toes turned under and behind. It -burrowed a hole in a wall, pulling out the bricks and mortar very -easily. I tried it with various kinds of food, but the only thing I -could get it to eat was white ants. The man who brought it said he -had never seen one like it before. - -Not long ago the doctor at Pooree saw a number of natives running -to the beach. He inquired what was the matter: "A great fish, sir." -So down he went to join the crowd, and there he found a large fish -indeed: a whale, measuring forty-eight feet in length, had been -washed on shore; the body was rolling about in the surf, with great -numbers of the natives clinging to it. - -Then the doctor and the only other European present took off their -shoes and stockings, turned up their trowsers, and climbed on the -enormous animal's back; they got well wetted for their pains. The -other gentleman that I mentioned is not a very learned man, and he -said that their climbing up the sides of the whale reminded him of -the "Lally prussians" climbing on to Gulliver. This same person once -said that his wife had had a "historical" fit, in consequence of -eating "aromatically" sealed salmon. - - - - -Khoutah, 30 miles from Cuttack, December 16, 1844. - - - [Sidenote: ANTIQUITY OF INDIAN RELIGIONS.] - -I am now writing in a tent in which, with the exception of Christmas -week, I expect to spend the next month or two, travelling in search -of health. The cool weather has refreshed me much, and I feel far -better than I did. A question has been asked me respecting the -antiquity of the religions of this country. I believe the Buddhist -religion to be more ancient than the Brahminical in India; though I -think that the latter is the older in reality, as I imagine it to -have existed almost in its present form in ancient Egypt. The Hindus -burn their dead, the Mohammedans bury them: but there are very many -of the former who are too poor to purchase wood; in this case the -bodies are simply thrown out for the jackals and vultures. - - - - -Jenkia, about 44 miles south of Cuttack, January 4, 1845. - - -From Khoulah I returned to Cuttack for Christmas. Early on Christmas -morning Mr. G., the collector and magistrate of Pooree, came in -to spend the day with us. Poor man! he and a cousin of his were -almost brought up together, and they became much attached even in -childhood. When he obtained an appointment in India, it was agreed -that he should return to England and marry her as soon as he should -have attained sufficient rank in the service to give him an adequate -income. After about five years' residence in this country he went -home and was married. This was ten years ago, and from that time his -life seems to have been as happy as a human life can be. Latterly -they became anxious to go home on furlough, in order that they might -see their children settled in England, but they had not saved money -enough; so, in April, Mr. G. applied for a better appointment, and -was consequently nominated to Pooree. On their way down, as they -passed through Calcutta, both were seized with cholera; he recovered, -but she died; he sent his children home, but arrived at Pooree a -solitary man. He is still in a very desponding state, but I do all I -can to arouse him, both by bodily amusement and religious converse. - -At about one o'clock of the night of Christmas-day, or rather of -the following morning, my wife, Mr. G., and myself got into our -palanquins, and started for Khoordagurree, which we visited last -year. We arrived at our tent by about ten o'clock on Thursday -morning, bathed, dressed, breakfasted, and prepared to start for the -caves; but, alas! it began to rain, and the water continued to fall -in torrents for upwards of eighteen hours. We might have expected -this, for in India it is almost invariably the case in Christmas -week. The seasons are very regular; it generally rains every day -from the 15th of June to the 15th of October, that is, in this part -of India; the next showers are in Christmas-week, and then rarely -any more till June. Now, this thorough drenching was both unpleasant -and dangerous: for, although the tents kept out the water very -effectually, yet everything was so thoroughly damp that we began to -be afraid of the deadly jungle-fevers. - -Just outside one of the doors of each tent we lighted a large wood -fire, and allowed as much of the smoke to come in as we could -possibly bear; this warmed us, and dried up the damp and purified the -air; and we retired to bed and put out the fires: we closed the doors -of the tents, and found ourselves in a comparatively dry healthy -atmosphere. - - - - -Tanghi, 56 miles south of Cuttack, January 5, 1845. - - - [Sidenote: MODE OF TRAVELLING.] - -The following afternoon we were able to revisit the caves. But I will -first describe our journey. On the Monday and Tuesday we had plenty -of shooting; the Wednesday, New-Year's day, we spent in-doors. At six -o'clock on the morning of Thursday, the 2nd, we started for Jonkia. -We went on horseback, riding fourteen miles before breakfast. Our -manner of travelling is most delightfully independent: we encamp at -any place we wish to see; Mr. G. transacts his necessary business as -magistrate and revenue-collector; then we have one, two, or three -days' exercise in hunting and shooting, the time depending chiefly on -the abundance of game. - -When we feel inclined to start we send forward an order to the -principal man at the next place, say twelve or fifteen miles distant, -to build one room, about thirty feet square, in a shady place, for -ourselves; for the walls we use cocoa-nut and palm leaves, bound -together with bamboos, and the ceiling is made of the same material -with a few pieces of matting to keep out the sun. The evening before -we start we send on a cart with some of our chairs, tables, and other -necessaries and provisions, which it would be very awkward to forget, -under charge of some of our followers: we have about one hundred and -twenty of them with us. - -Then, in the morning, we get up at five; we have a bit of toast, an -egg, and a cup of coffee or a glass of sherry; give orders for the -tents to be struck and everything to be brought on as quickly as -possible, and then we mount our horses; a groom runs by the side, and -a little way behind come our palanquins and tonjons. - -We are also attended by men carrying our guns and powder, by many -other servants, and about half the inhabitants of the last village -through which we passed. If we feel tired we get into our tonjons; -if the sun is too hot we call for our palanquins. Every now and then -we see five or six peacocks feeding in a rice-field, or we come to a -place where there are plain tracks of deer. Then we give our horses -to the grooms, and creep along gently with our heads down and our -guns in our hands, whilst my wife either watches the sport or trots -gently on. At last we arrive at our encamping-place; there we find -our leafy house ready, and similar ones provided for the servants and -horses; eat a hearty breakfast, at which we sometimes substitute beer -for tea, and by the time that is over the tents are arrived. - -We have them put up, arrange them comfortably, perhaps have a game -at chess, and then go out for a stroll about our new ground. Our -dinner-hour varies, but is generally between seven and eight. We -are usually up about five, and often walk from ten to twenty miles -a-day. This has done me a great deal of good. I feel already quite a -different person from what I did when I was in Cuttack. I have not, -however, lost my cough. - -Sunday is a day of rest with us; we have service and spend the day -very quietly. At Jonkia we remained until Saturday the 4th; then came -on to Tanghi; on Thursday, the 9th, proceeded to Soonercollee, on the -10th to Bampoor, and yesterday, the 11th, we arrived at this place. -So much for our actual route; now I will give some account of what we -have seen. - -When we came to Jonkia we agreed that we had never seen anything to -compare with the scenery there; but as we came into Soonercollee we -quite forgot Jonkia in the new splendours that met our eyes. Yet -these were again eclipsed in the beauties of Chelka Lake, to which we -took one evening's ride from Soonercollee. It is utterly impossible -to convey any idea of the scenery either by the pen or the pencil; -yet I will try what I can do. - -In approaching the small village of Soonercollee you ascend a hill -some 200 or 300 feet high by a steep winding road or rather path. At -the top of the eminence it is cut through the solid rock, which rises -about thirty feet on each side. Suddenly, at a turn in the road, the -whole country in the front becomes visible, and I doubt whether any -one could repress a cry of admiration at the sight. The spectator is -(as I said before) at the summit of a lofty hill; beneath him is a -plain of some ten or twelve miles across, bounded on every side by -a lofty range and masses of rock. Peering up behind are to be seen -a succession of noble mountains. The sides of the hills, where they -do not consist of rocky precipices, are covered with a dense jungle: -the plain below is cultivated, except where, in three places, abrupt -rocky masses, interspersed with jungle, rise to a height of 300 or -400 feet. It looks as if some mighty convulsion had taken place, and -the earth had thrown up large bubbles of rock from the surface of the -plain. - - [Sidenote: CHELKA LAKE--WATER-FOWL.] - -The scenery on the Chelka Lake, a piece of water some forty miles -long by from ten to twenty in breadth, is very similar to the above, -if you substitute water for the level plain of the rice-fields. -Here the hills rise abruptly from the lake, and many of them are -quite inaccessible. The islands are inhabited by animals, but not by -man; and it is rather curious that each islet appears to have its -own peculiar race. Thus, one is inhabited by the beautiful spotted -deer, another by the enormous Indian elk, another by goats and fowls -(this one is sacred to the goddess Khalee), another by wild pigs, -and another by pigeons. With some difficulty I landed on one of the -pigeon islands: its greatest height did not exceed thirty feet, and -in circumference it may have been near a quarter of a mile; but -its structure was most extraordinary. It was composed entirely of -enormous masses of rock piled together without the appearance of -order or arrangement: it appeared as if some earthquake had destroyed -some giant dwelling-place, and left the ruins in one vast heap. Some -of the stones, larger than a man's body, had fallen upon one end; -they gave way beneath my foot, but returned to their position as soon -as relieved of the extra weight which had destroyed the balance. The -blue pigeons rose in clouds from every crevice, and fluttered about -until I left the neighbourhood of their nests. - -The lake lay all around--so calm, so beautiful, with the green -mountains rising here and there from its surface, dotted all over -with myriads of ducks, geese, teal, and many other aquatic birds: and -this reminded me of one thing which I should have related before. -As we approached the shores of the lake we were surprised to see a -long line of tall white and red creatures standing just within the -water. We looked at them through Mr. G.'s glass, and found that they -were birds; we got out of our tonjons, crept towards them with loaded -guns, fired, and missed them, when they all rose and flew away. - -The next morning Mr. G. and I returned to the spot: we each took a -separate boat, as Mrs. Acland was not with us; mine, like the others, -was about thirty feet long, and formed of a single piece of wood, a -tree scooped out. Mr. G. was very anxious to obtain some game, and -in the course of about two hours shot a couple of large bare-headed -geese and nineteen ducks of various sorts; indeed, they sat in such -masses on the water as to resemble rather a low wall than a number of -birds. At one shot he killed five ducks, and I three: I did not care -much about them, but I was anxious to see again some of my friends of -the previous evening. - -At last I came in sight of a flock of them near the shore. I sat down -in the bottom of the boat, whilst the men pushed it gently along. I -was nearly within shot, when Mr. G. fired his gun at the distance -of about a mile from my boat: up and away flew all the birds. I was -very much annoyed: however, after some time, I saw about half a dozen -nearly two miles from me. On we went again, but they had become shy: -they raised their heads and looked about them as we approached, and -presently they rose. I did not think I was sufficiently near, but I -might not have another chance, so I fired, and down fell one of the -birds. I pushed one of the boatmen over to fetch it, though he hardly -needed pushing, for they appeared quite as anxious as I was. - -I will try to describe my prize: I believe the bird to have been a -flamingo; and yet, if so, the usual descriptions are very erroneous. -The beak is pink, and furnished with a double row of teeth on each -side of the lower mandible--one row on the beak, and dark coloured; -the other very white and sharp, close to the tongue, which is large. -The eyes are pale, and surrounded by a thick yellow ring; the wings -are of a beautiful rose-colour, edged with black; the legs pink; the -rest of the body is white. When standing upright it is about five -feet high: the body is extremely small, neck and legs very long; it -has three toes in front and is web-footed, also a claw behind; the -beak very large. - - - - -Midnapore, February 14, 1845. - - -This is Friday, and on Sunday night I start for Calcutta to spend a -month with our friends; there I shall have plenty of occupation for -the mind, and shall, I hope, get rid entirely of the oppression under -which I have recently suffered. - - [Sidenote: SPORTING.] - -Fancy yourself standing with me on that little rising ground, near -the foot of that large hill: it is near Bunool, on the banks of the -Chelka Lake. Keep out of sight behind that bush. Hark! there are the -beaters climbing the rocks on the opposite side of the hill. There -are 400 extended along the whole side, and every tenth man has a -drum or trumpet. Some of them have guns, curious native matchlocks; -others have swords or spears; and every one has a thick bamboo about -eight feet long. Listen! they are beginning to beat. As they force -their way through the jungle they strike the bushes with their -sticks, and from one end of the lake to the other resound the most -unearthly noises. The horrid yells of the natives, the screaming of -the trumpets, the constant beating of the tom-toms and drums--you -can hardly imagine such horrid discord. See: there is Mr. G. hiding -himself behind that clump of trees a quarter of a mile off. Hold -your gun ready, you cannot tell what may rush out of the jungle. -Don't show yourself. Listen again to those yells. They must nearly -have reached the top of the hill. Hush! there is a rustling in those -bushes close to you. What is it? Keep close, but up with your gun. -Here it comes! Bah! don't fire at that; it is only a civet-cat. What -a beautiful animal it is, with its grey sides, and tail striped with -that glossy black. But the skin is of no use; the stench from it is -so exceedingly powerful that you could not possibly bear it in the -house. Look out! there's another rush! Here it comes! a pig! no; what -can it be? Why, it's a porcupine. Don't fire. Here, you messenger, -catch it. Fancy the man's look of dismay when ordered to catch a -porcupine. However, another of my men jumped up and stabbed the -animal with his sword. - -Oh, what a clash in the jungle at the top of the hill! See! that must -be some large animal coming down. Don't let him see you; peep through -that bush. How he plunges through the jungle! He has stopped: look -now! he leaves the beaters behind him, but he suspects danger in -front. You can see his head by the side of that tree, just below that -high rock. He is standing still and gazing at us. What a splendid -pair of antlers! He must be one of the largest sambres (Indian elk) I -ever saw. I am afraid he is hardly within shot; however, I'll try. He -is down; the ball struck him just in the centre of his forehead, and -one of my men rushes forward to despatch him with his sword. - -But look there! Mr. G. is running as fast as he can, and all his men -running too. What can be the matter? Quick! see! there is an enormous -bear pursuing them. Here, give me my gun; make haste. Look! G. has -stumbled, and is rolling head over heels down the hill. Bang! I hit -him! See, he turns back. G. shot the female, and was immediately -attacked by the male, whilst his gun was not loaded, for he foolishly -had but one. We got the body of the female, and brought it to our -tents in triumph. It was a black bear, measuring five feet seven -inches in length, and its teeth quite worn out. - - - - -Cuttack, April 2, 1845. - - -The Government of India orders me to go from Cuttack to Midnapore and -back again four times a-year, to Balasore and back twice a-year, and -to Pooree and back four times a-year. The distance from Cuttack to -Midnapore is one hundred and eighty miles, from Cuttack to Balasore -one hundred and three miles, and from Cuttack to Pooree forty-nine -miles. I travel about forty-seven miles a-day on the average. -The Government allows me twelve annas and two pice per mile for -travelling expenses; it costs me four annas and two pice--an anna -being one-sixteenth part of a rupee, and a pice one-fourth part of an -anna. - - [Sidenote: SPORTING.] - -I must now mention some of my adventures in the jungle. One day we -went with a native Rajah to hunt antelopes. Suppose the shore of the -Chelka Lake on one side and the sea on the other, with a strip of -sand between them rather more than a mile wide. The antelopes live -entirely on the sandy plain, and feed on the scanty plants which grow -among the sand. Across this flat a net about seven feet in height -and a mile long was staked, and 100 men were stationed along it as -guards. About 500 men were then sent out with a similar net about -a mile and a half in length, which they stretched at perhaps five -miles from the other. These 500 men then walked slowly towards the -first net, carrying the other in front of them, and driving lots of -antelopes before them. When they came within a mile of the first -net they staked the second, and there were perhaps fifty or sixty -antelopes enclosed in a space of about a mile square. Mr. G., the -Rajah, and myself, went inside with our guns. It was barbarous sport. -In two days we killed fifteen, which our servants ate most gladly. -But the interesting thing was to see twenty or thirty bound, one -after the other, over the net and the men's heads, giving tremendous -leaps; the black men striking at them with their swords and spears, -and cowering to avoid their sharp-cutting hoofs, and all hallooing -and jabbering, and swearing; whilst every now and then the crack of -one of our guns would be heard, and the whizz of the bullet as it -passed near. - -Another day we expected some danger. When we arrived at the ground, -which consisted of thick patches of jungle, with open spaces between, -we got out of our tonjons and took our guns. There we found a number -of men looking for traces of deer, wild boars, tigers, or any other -animals. As soon as they found the track of one they followed it -until it led into the jungle, and exactly at that spot they pushed -in amongst the bushes an enormous bag made of net of thick rope. -Its mouth was kept open by a few twigs, whilst a running rope went -round the entrance and was fastened to a stake on one side. If then -any animal should make a rush along this track, he must go head -foremost into the net: the twigs would fall down, the neck would be -drawn tight, and the poor creature would be a prisoner. All these -preparations were at length concluded, and the Rajah then advised us -to mount the elephants, as he said two tigers had been seen in these -jungles the day before. We at once asked him whether his elephants -had been trained to stand the charge of a tiger, which always springs -at its head. He said he did not know; and we agreed that we would -rather stand the advance of a tiger on foot ourselves than be on the -back of a mad elephant scampering at random through the jungle. So we -built up an artificial hedge in front of us, and crouched down with -our guns pointed through some loopholes we had left in our fence. - -This arrangement was hardly completed before we began to hear the -sounds of the drums and the trumpets, and the yells of the people, -as nearly a thousand of them marched through the jungle towards us, -driving before them every sort of game. I should tell you that we -kept our elephants close at hand in case of the worst. You cannot -imagine the excitement in such watching as this. Two or three miles -off the most fearful yells from 1000 men, close around you utter -silence; your eyes roaming in every direction, not knowing at what -point a deer or a tiger may break out. - -Ha! listen! there's a crack among the branches, and out rushes a -noble stag. Bang goes G.'s gun. We had agreed that he should have the -first shot. He's down! "Hush! here's something else in this patch of -jungle." "Where?" he whispers, as he loads. "There, I see it now: -look out; here it comes!" And sure enough out rushed seven pigs, -followed almost immediately by three others. Now a wild boar is a -most awkward animal to fight on foot, and we had agreed we should -not fire at them. However, they rushed right towards us. What's to -be done? "Get on the elephant," says G. "No time," said I; "follow -me:" and we both fairly turned tail, pursued by a herd of pigs until -we came to a bush, or rather a patch of bushes, round which we could -make a short turn to escape them, and then back to our own station, -laughing as hard as we could. But really a wild boar is no laughing -matter as he rushes along tearing up the earth. If he charges, as he -almost invariably does, with one movement of his head he could cut -both legs to the bone, dividing the arteries, and probably killing -the man. - -Presently a young stag rushed into one of the bags with such force -as to break both his horns close off. There we found him when we -examined the nets. We were sitting watching for what should come -next, when G., raising his finger, whispered to me, "What's that down -there in the plain? That's a deer: no, it can't be: do you see how -it slouches along? Depend upon it it's not a deer." "Well, at any -rate it's coming this way; we shall soon get a look at it." Another -pause of half a minute and the beast was concealed in a little patch -of jungle a few hundred yards from us. I now had time to examine it. -"I'll tell you what, G.; that brute's a regular tiger." "Well, so I -thought, but I hardly liked to say so: what shall we do if he comes -this way?" "I say keep close where we are." "But suppose he should -make a spring over the hedge in front of us?" "Lie flat down, and -let him go over us: yet I think I could hardly resist having a shot -while he was in the air." "Oh! pray don't fire; what in the world -could we two do on foot against a wounded tiger?" However, our fears -were needless: as the beaters advanced, the animal slunk away into -a more distant piece of jungle, and we saw no more of him. Two of -our people were rather hurt to-day--one by a deer leaping over him, -and cutting his head with his hoof; a rupee, however, made him quite -happy again: the other was a man who, as a large stag rushed past, -made a spring at its horns, thinking to pull it down, whereby he got -severe fall and prevented us from firing. - - - - -Pooree, April 26, 1845. - - - [Sidenote: FATAL ILLNESS OF AUTHOR.] - -I have had another attack similar to last year; it came on in -the same way and whilst I was in the pulpit. In the midst of the -sermon my teeth began to chatter; I could not speak; my face became -perfectly white; a cold blast seemed to enter my left side and spread -over the surface of my body, and then gradually penetrate to the -very innermost part, whilst I was obliged to cling to the sides of -the pulpit for support. It did not last above a minute and a half, -and I managed to finish my sermon; but it was enough to astonish the -congregation and to warn me of what was coming. All my old symptoms -returned, though not so strongly as before--utter restlessness at -night and heavy sleepiness during the day, a painful cough when I -lay down, and other alarming signs. We came down to Pooree, where my -favourite doctor lives, and I already feel much better. - -There is a billiard-table in the house where we are now staying, and -the doctor desires me to play as much as I can every day. Of course -playing for money is never allowed. The game of billiards is about -the best exercise for India. It is not too violent, yet it gives a -man about three miles of walking in the hour, and brings all the -limbs into play. - - - - -May 8, 1845. - - -I am too weak to write much, and shall therefore continue at another -time. - - -[NOTE.--On the 17th of May the author's life was closed.] - - -THE END. - - -London: Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street. - - - * * * * * - -Transcriber's Notes: - -Obvious typographical errors were repaired. Archaic and valid -alternate spellings were retained. - -Hyphenation inconsistencies were standardized. - -p. 145, "I believe the Buddhist religion": Original read "Bhuddist." - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Popular Account of the Manners and -Customs of India, by Charles Acland - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MANNEERS, CUSTOMS OF INDIA *** - -***** This file should be named 43586.txt or 43586.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/5/8/43586/ - -Produced by Tor Martin Kristiansen, JoAnn Greenwood, and -the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive/American -Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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