Goa, and the Blue Mountains, or, Six months of sick leave

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SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE.

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GOA,

AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS;

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SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE.

RICHARD F. BURTON,

LIEUT. BOMBAY ARMY.

AUTHOR OF A GRAMMAR OF THE MOOLTANEE LANGUAGE;

CRITICAL REMARKS ON DR. DORN's CHRESTOMATHY OF THE PUSHTOO,

OR AFFGHAN DIALECT, ETC. ETC.

LONDON:

RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,

i9ubli:Si)cr in (©rtlinarj) to Iktv ilBajcsti).

1851.

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'-^lf^::tiM

LONDON :

Printed by Samuel Brntley & Co.

Bangor House, Shoe Lane.

TO

MISS ELIZABETH STISTED,

THIS LITTLE WORK,

WHICH OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO HER

FRIENDLY SUGGESTIONS,

IS DEDICATED,

IN TOKEN OF GRATITUDE AND AFFECTION,

BT

THE AUTHOR.

594529

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

The Voyage • .... 1

CHAPTER II.
New Goa ...... 22

CHAPTER III.
Old Goa as it Was . . ... 40

CHAPTER IV.
Old Goa as it Is . . . . . 53

CHAPTER V.
Return to Panjim . . ... 77

CHAPTER VI.
The Population of Panjim .... 96

CHAPTER VII.
Seroda . . . . . .117

CHAPTER VIII.
Education, Professions, and Oriental Studies . . 136

CHAPTER IX.
Adieu to Panjim . . . . .154

viii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER X.

FAGB

Calicut ...... 1G9

CHAPTER XI.
Malabar . . . . . .186

CHAPTER XII.
The Hindoos of Malabar . . . .203

CHAPTER XIII.

The Moslem and other Natives of Malabar . . 230

CHAPTER XIV.
The Land Journey ..... 246

CHAPTER XV.
First Glimpse of " Ooty" . . . .269

CHAPTER XVI.
LifeatOoty ..... 287

CHAPTER XVII.
Life outside Ooty . . . . .313

CHAPTER XVIII.
Inhabitants of the Neilgherries . . . 334

CHAPTER XIX.

Kotagherry. — Adieu to the Blue Mountains . . S53

G 0 A,
AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

OR,

SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE.

CHAPTER 1.

THE VOYAGE.

What a glad moment it is, to be sure, when the
sick and seedy, the tired and testy invalid from
pestiferous Scinde or pestilential Guzerat, " leaves
all behind him" and scrambles over the sides of
his Pattimar.

His what '?

Ah ! we forget. The gondola and barque are
household words in your English ears, the budge-
row is beginning to own an old familiar sound, but
you are right — the " Pattimar" requires a defini-
tion. Will you be satisfied with a pure landsman's

B

GOA,

AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS;

OR,

SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE.

CHAPTER I.

THE VOYAGE.

What a glad moment it is, to be sure, when the
sick and seedy, the tired and testy invalid from
pestiferous Scinde or pestilential Guzerat, " leaves
all behind him" and scrambles over the sides of
his Pattimar.

His what 1

Ah ! we forget. The gondola and barque are
household words in your English ears, the budge-
row is beginning to own an old familiar sound, but
you are right — the " Pattimar" requires a defini-
tion. Will you be satisfied with a pure landsman's

Z GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

description of the article in question. We have
lost ou i^edition of " The Ship," and to own hum-
bling truth, though we have spent many a weary
month on the world of waters, we never could
master the intricacies of blocks and braces, sky-
lights and deadlights, starboards and larboards.
But if we are to believe the general voice of the
amphibious race, we terrestrial animals never fail
to mangle the science of seamanship most barba-
rously. So we will not expose ourselves by preten-
sion to the animadversions of any small nautical
critic, but boldly talk of going " up-stairs" instead
of " on deck," and unblushingly allude to the
"behind" for the "aft" and the "front" instead
of the " fore" of our conveyance.

But the Pattimar —

De suite : you shall pourtray it from our descrip-
tion. Sketch a very long boat, very high behind,
and very low before, composed of innumerable bits
of wood tied together with coir, or cocoanut rope,
fitted up with a dark and musty little cabin, and
supplied with two or three long poles intended as
masts, which lean forward as if about to sink under
the weight of the huge lateen sail. Fill up the
outline with a penthouse of cadjans (as the leaves
of that eternal cocoanut tree are called) to protect

THE VOYAGE. 3

the bit of deck outside the cabin from the rays of
a broiling sun. People the square space in the
middle of the boat with two nags tethered and tied
with halters and heel ropes, which sadly curtail the
poor animals' enjoyment of kicking and biting ; and
half-a-dozen black "tars" engaged in pounding rice,
concocting bilious-looking masses of curry, and
keeping up a fire of some unknown wood, whose
pungent smoke is certain to find its way through
the cabin, and to terminate its wanderings in your
eyes and nostrils. Finally, throw in about the
same number of black domestics courting a watery
death by balancing themselves over the sides of the
vessel, or a fever by sleeping in a mummy case of
dirty cotton cloth —

And you have a pattimar in your mind's eye.

Every one that has ever sailed in a pattimar can
oblige you with a long list of pleasures peculiar to
it. All know how by day your eyes are blinded
with glare and heat, and how by night mosquitos, a
trifle smaller than jack snipes, assault your defence-
less limbs ; how the musk rat defiles your property
and provender ; how the common rat and the cock-
chafer appear to relish the terminating leather of
your fingers and toes ; and, finally, how the im-
polite animal which the transatlantics delicately

4 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

designate a " chintz," and its companion, the lesser
abomination, do contribute to your general discom-
fort. Still these are transient evils, at least com-
pared with the permanent satisfaction of having
" passed the Medical Board " — a committee of
ancient gentlemen who never will think you suffi-
ciently near death to meet your wishes — of having
escaped the endless doses of the garrison surgeon,
who has probably, for six weeks, been bent upon
trj'ing the effects of the whole Materia Medica upon
your internal and external man — of enduring the
diurnal visitation of desperate duns who threaten
the bailiff without remorse ; and to crown the
climax of your happiness, the delightful prospect
of two quiet years, during which you may call life
your own, lie in bed half or the whole day if you
prefer it, and forget the very existence of such
things as pipeclay and parade, the Court Martial and
the Commander-in-chief. So if you are human,
your heart bounds, and whatever its habits of
grumbling may be, your tongue involuntarily owns
that it is a joyful moment when you scramble over
the side of your pattimar. And now, having con-
vinced you of that fact, we will request you to walk
up stairs with us, and sit upon the deck by our
side, there to take one parting look at the boasted

THE VOYAGE. O

Bay of Bombay, before we bid adieu to it, with a
free translation of the celebrated Frenchman's good
bye, " Canards, canaux, canaille" — adieu ducks,
dingies, drabs, and duns/'*

Gentlemen tourists, poetical authors, lady pro-
sers, and, generally, all who late in life, visit the
" palm tasselled strand of glowing Ind," as one of
our European celebrities describes the country in
prose run mad, certainly are gifted with wonderful
optics for detecting the Sublime and Beautiful.
N^ow this same bay has at divers and sundry times
been subjected to much admiration ; and as each
succeeding traveller must improve upon his pre-
decessors, the latest authorities have assigned to its
charms a rank above the Bay of Naples — a bay
which, in our humble opinion, places every other
bay in a state of abeyance. At least so we under-
stand Captain Von Orlich — the gentleman who con-
cludes that the Belochees are of Jewish origin,
because they divorce their wives. To extract Bom-
bay from the Bay of Naples, proceed thus. Remove
Capri, Procida, Ischia, and the other little pictu-

* " Ducks" are the Bombayites in general: "Dingies" is
tlie name popularly given to the smaller specimens of native
craft. The Dun and the Drab are probably familiar to the
reader's ears.

6 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

resque localities around them. Secondly, level
Vesuvius and the rocky heights of St. Angelo with
the ground. Thirdly, convert bright Naples, with
its rows of white palazzi, its romantic-looking forts,
its beautiful promenade, and charming background
into a low, black, dirty port, et void the magnificent
Bombahia.''^ You may, it is true, attempt to get
up a little romance about the " fairy caves " of
Salsette and Elephanta, the tepid seas, the spicy
breeze, and the ancient and classical name of
Momba-devi.

But you 11 fail.

Remember all we can see is a glowing vault of
ultramarine-colour sky, paved with a glaring ex-
panse of indigo-tinted water, with a few low hills
lining the horizon, and a great many merchant ships
anchored under the guns of what we said before,
and now repeat, looks like a low, black, dirty port.

We know that you are taking a trip with us to
the land flowing with rupees and gold mohurs —
growing an eternal crop of Nabobs and Nawwabs f

* Bombahia, the Portuguese P. N. of the town : it was pro-
bably suggested by " Momba-devi," as the place was called
by the Hindoos after the patron goddess of the spot.

t The Nabob is the European, the Nawwab'the Asiatic,
grandee.

THE VOYAGE. 7

— showing a perpetual scene of beauty, pleasure
and excitement.

But we can't allow you to hand your rose-
coloured specs, over to us. We have long ago
superseded our original "greens" by a pair duly
mounted with sober French grey glasses, and through
these we look out upon the world as cheerily as our
ophthalmic optics will permit us to do.

]^ow the last " nigger," in a manifest state of
full-blown inebriation, has rolled into, and the
latest dun, in a fit of diabolical exasperation, has
rolled out of, our pattimar. So we will persuade
the Tindal, as our Captain is called, to pull up
his mud-hook, and apply his crew to the task of
inducing the half acre of canvas intended for a
sail to assume its proper place. Observe if you
please, the Tindal swears by all the skulls of the
god Shiva's necklace, that the wind is foul — the
tide don't serve — his crew is absent — and the
water not yet on board.

Of course !

But as you are a " griff," and we wish to educate
you in native peculiarities, just remark how that
one small touch of our magic slipper upon the
region of the head, and the use of that one little
phrase " Suar ka Sala" (Anglice, "0 brother-in-

8 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

law of a hog !) has made the wind fair, the tide
serve, the crew muster, and the water pots abound
in water. And, furthermore, when you have got
over jour horror of seeing a " fellow-creature " so
treated — and a " fellow subject " subjected to such
operation, kindly observe that the Tindal has im-
proved palpably in manner towards us ; — indeed,
to interpret his thoughts, he now feels convinced
that we are an " Assal Sahib " — a real gentleman.

Evening is coming on, the sea-breeze (may it be
increased !) is freshening fast, and Dan Phoebus
has at last vouchsafed to make himself scarce.
After watching his departure with satisfaction —
with heartfelt satisfaction, we order our hookah
up, less for the pleasure of puffing it, than for
the purpose of showing you how our servant de-
lights to wander through heaps of hay and straw,
canvas, and coir rope, with that mass of ignited
rice ball, rolling about on the top of our pipe.
You are looking curiously at our culinary arrange-
ments. Yes, dear sir, or madam, as the case may
be, that dreadful looking man, habited in a pair
of the dingiest inexpressibles only, excepting the
thick cap on his furzy head — that is our cook.
And we dare say you have been watching his ope-

THE VOYAGE. 9

rations. If not, jou must know that he prepared
for our repast by inserting his black claw into
that hencoop, where a dozen of the leanest possible
chickens have been engaged for some time in
pecking the polls of one another's heads, and
after a rapid examination of breast-bone, withdrew
his fist full of one of the aforementioned lean
chickens, shrieking in dismay. He then slew it,
dipped the corpse in boiling water to loosen the
feathers, which he stripped off in masses, cut througli
its breast longitudinally, and with the aid of an
iron plate, placed over a charcoal fire, proceeded
to make a spatchcock, or as it is more popularly
termed, a " sudden death." After this we can
hardly expect the pleasure of your company at
dinner to-day. But never mind ! you will soon
get over the feeling nolens, if not volens. Why,
how many Scinde " Nabobs " have not eaten three
hundred and sixty-five lean chickens in one year '{

"We will not be in any hurry to go to bed.
In these latitudes, man lives only between the
hours of seven p.m. and midnight. The breeze gives
strength to smoke and converse ; our languid minds
almost feel disposed to admire the beauty of the
moonlit sea, the serenity of the air, and the varying

10 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

tints of the misty coast. Our lateen sail is doing
its duty right well, as the splashing of the water
and the broad stripe of phosphoric light eddying
around and behind the rudder, prove. At this
rate we shall make Goa in three days, if kindly
fate only spare us the mortification of the morning
calms which infest these regions. And we being
" old hands " promise to keep a sharp look out
upon the sable commander of the " Durrya Prashad"
the " Joy of the Ocean," as his sweetheart of a
pattimar is called. Something of the kind will
be necessary to prevent his creeping along the
shore for fear of squalls, or pulling down the sail
to ensure an unbroken night's rest, or slackening
speed so as not to get the voyage over too soon.
As he is a Hindoo we will place him under the
surveillance of that grim looking bushy-bearded
Moslem, who spends half his days in praying for
the extermination of the infidel, and never retires
to rest without groaning over the degeneracy of
the times, and sighing for the good old days of
Islam, when the Faithful had nothing to do but
to attack, thrash, rob, and murder, the Unfaithful.

Now the last hookah has gone out, and the most
restless of our servants has turned in. The roof
of the cabin is strewed with bodies anything but

THE VOYAGE. 11

fragrant, indeed, we cannot help pitying the melan-
choly fate of poor Morpheus, who is traditionally
supposed to encircle such sleepers with his soft
arms. Could you believe it possible that through
such a night as this they choose to sleep under
those wadded cotton coverlets, and dread not in-
stantaneous asphixiation "? The only waker is that
grisly old fellow with the long white mustachios
flourishing over his copper coloured mouth like
cotton in the jaws of a Moslem body. And even
he nods as he sits perched at the helm with his
half-closed eyes mechanically directed towards the
binnacle, and its satire upon the mariner's compass,
which has not shifted one degree these last two
years. However there is little to fear here. The
fellow knows every inch of shore, and can tell
you to a foot what depth of water there is beneath
us. So as this atmosphere of drowsiness begins
to be infectious, we might as well retire below.
Not into the cabin, if you please. The last trip
the Durrya Prashad made was, we understand, for
the purpose of conveying cotton to the Presidency.
You may imagine the extent of dark population
left to colonise her every corner. We are to sleep
under the penthouse, as well as we may ; our
servants, you observe, have spread the mats of

12 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

rushes — one of the much vaunted luxuries of the
East — upon our humble couches, justly anticipating
that we shall have a fair specimen of the night
tropical. Before you " tumble in " pray recollect
to see that the jars of cold water have been placed
within reach, for we are certain to awake as soon
after our first sleep as possible, sufiering from the
torments of Tantalus. And we should advise you
to restore the socks you have just removed, that
is to say, if you wish the mosquitos to leave you
the use of your feet to-morrow.

" Good night ! "

The wish is certainly a benevolent one, but it
sounds queer as a long grace emphatically prefixed
to a " spread " of cold mutton or tough beefsteak,
for which nothing under a special miracle could
possibly make one "truly thankful." However,
good night !

From Bombay southwards as far as Goa, the
coast,* viewed from the sea, merits little admira-

* Note for readers geographically disposed.

This region, the Ariake of the Greeks, Kemkem of the
Arabs, Kukan of the Hindoos, Concan of the present pos-
sessors, and, as Vincent says, " the pirate coast of all," is well
adapted for its ancient occupation by a multitude of small
ports, uninterrupted view along the coast, high ground favour-

. THE VOYAGE. 18

tion. It is an unbroken succession -of gentle rises
and slopes, and cannot evade the charge of dulness
and uniformity. Every now and then some fort
or rock juts out into the water breaking the line,
but the distance we stand out from land prevents
our distinguishing the features of its different

able to distant vision, and the alternate land and sea breezes
that oblige vessels to hug the shore. Moreover, the ports,
besides being shallow, are defended against large ships by bars ;
a defect from which even Goa is not exempt, although Taver-
nier calls it " one of the finest harbours in the world, rivalling
those of Toulon and Constantinople." The pirates were pro-
tected by the strength of the inland country, and, like the
Greeks, had only to lie secure in port until they discovered
their prey. During the Monsoon they cultivated the ground,
or lived peaceably at home : when the fine weather set in,
they launched their boats, and set out in quest of adventure.
Pliny notices the depredations they committed on the Roman
East India trade, and our early travellers are full of horrible
tales about them.

It is curious to observe that the whole line of coast between
the mouth of the Euphrates and Cape Comorin, has been in-
famous for the piratical propensities of the many and various
tribes that inhabit it. The Persian Gulf still requires the
presence of our armed cruisers ; the ancient annals of Scinde
enlarge upon its celebrity for robbery ; the Coolies of Kutch
and Guzerat were known as pirates from Marco Polo's time
till A. D. 1800; the Angria territory was a nest of thieves
till we destroyed their fleet ; and Tavernier testifies that the
natives of Malabar were not inferior in enterprise to their
northern brethren.

14 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

" lions," such as Severndroog " the Golden Fortress,"
Rutnageree "the Hill of Jewels," and the Burnt
Islands,* or Vingorla Rocks. The voyage, therefore,
will be an uninteresting one — though at this season
of the year, early spring, it will not be tedious.

The ancient Hindoos have a curious tradition
concerning the formation and population of this
coast. They believe that Parasu Rama, one of
their demigods, after filling the earth with the blood
of the offending Kshatriya, or regal and military
caste, wished to perform an expiatory sacrifice.
As, however, no Brahmin would attend, his demi-
godship found himself in rather an awkward pre-
dicament. At length, when sitting on the mountains
of Concan {i.e. the Sayhadree Range, or Western
Ghauts), he espied on the shore below, the putrefied
corpses of fourteen Mlenchhas (any people not
Hindoos), which had floated there borne by the

* They lie in lat. 15" 52' 30", about thirty-five miles from
Goa, and seven off the shore, from w^hich they are separated
by a deep channel. The group consists of more than twenty
small rocks, amongst which are six or seven about as large as
the Sirens Isles in the Gulf of Salerno. The Greeks called
them iTfcrEKpEityai, which Mr. Hamilton understands to signify
" black rabbits ;" and Vincent supposes them to have been
so termed, because in form they may be fancied to resemble
those animals crouching.

THE VOYAGE. 15

tides from distant lands to the westward. Pama
restored them to life, taught them religious know-
ledge, and, after converting them into Brahmins,
performed his sacrifice. He afterwards, by means
of his fiery darts, compelled Samudra, the Indian
Neptune, to retire several miles from the foot of
the Ghauts, and allotted to his proteges the strip
of land thus recovered from the sea. From these
fourteen men sprang the Kukanastha, or Concanese
tribe of Maharattas, and the pious Hindoo still
discovers in their lineaments, traces of a corpse-
like expression of countenance inherited from their
forefathers.

We remarked that it was a glad moment when
we entered the pattimar. We will also observe
that it was another when our sable Portuguese
"butler," as he terms himself, ecstasied by his
propinquity to home — sweet home, and forgetting
respect and self-possession in an elaii of patriotism,
abruptly directed our vision towards the white-
washed farol, or lighthouse, which marks the north
side of the entrance to the Goa creek. And now,
as we glide rapidly in, we will take a short military
coup d^ceil at the outward defences of the once
celebrated Portuguese capital.

16 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The hill, or steep, upon which the farol stands,
is crowned with batteries, called the Castello de
Agoada, as ships touch there to water. There are
other works, d fleur cVeau, all round the point.
These defences, however, are built of stone, without
any embankments of earth, and suggest uncomfort-
able ideas of splinters. In fact, a few gun-boats
would drive any number of men out of them in
half an hour. The entrance of the creek is at
least two miles broad, and the southern prong, the
" Cabo de Convento," is occupied, as its name shows,
by a monastery instead of a fort. Moreover, none
but a native general would ever think of thrusting
an invading force through the jaws of the bay,
when it might land with perfect safety and con-
venience to itself a few miles to the north or south.

" What are we pulling up for 1 "

The Tindal informs us that we may expect a
visit from the " Portingal Captain," who commands
the Castello, for the purpose of ascertaining our
rank, our wealth, and our object in visiting Goa.
He warns us to conceal our sketch-book, and not
to write too much ; otherwise, that our ardour
for science may lead us into trouble. But, mind,

THE VOYAGE." 17

we langh him to scorn ; natives must have
something mysterious to suspect, or expect, or
affect.

But here comes the officer, after keeping us wait-
ing a good hour. He is a rhubarb-coloured man,
dressed in the shabby remains of a flashy uniform ;
his square inch of blackish brown mustachio, and
expression of countenance, produce an appearance
which we should pronounce decidedly valiant, did we
not know that valour here seldom extends below or
beyond the countenance. How respectfully our but-
ler bows to him, and with what fellow-feeling the
same valuable domestic grasps the hand of that
orderly in shell jacket, but not in pantaloons, who
composes the guard of his superior officer ! Be-
hold ! he has a bundle of cigarettos, made of the
blackest tobacco, rolled up in bits of plantain leaf;
and he carries his " weeds " in a very primitive
cigar-case, namely, the pouch formed by the junction
of his huge flap of an ear, with the flat and stubby
poll behind it. As the favourite narcotic goes round,
no Portuguese refuses it. The Hindoos shake their
heads politely and decliningly, the Moslems grimly
and with a suspicion of a curse.

But we must summon our domestic to mediate
between us and our visitor, who speaks nothing

18 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

but most Maharatta-like Portuguese and Portuguese-
like ]\Ialiaratta.

We begin by ofiPering him a glass of wine, and
he inquires of Salvador, our acting interpreter,
— " Why 1 " Being assured that such is the prac-
tice among the barbarous Anglo-Indians, he accepts
it with a helpless look, and never attempts to con-
ceal the contortions of countenance produced by
the operation of a glass of Parsee sherry, fiery as
their own divinity, upon a palate accustomed to
tree-toddy and thin red wine. However, he appears
perfectly satisfied with the inspection, and after
volunteering an introductory epistle to one loao
Thomas — i.e. John Thomas, a cicerone of Goanese
celebrity — which we accept without the slightest
intention of delivering, he kindly gives us per-
mission to proceed, shakes our hand with a cold
and clammy palm, which feels uncommonly like
a snake, and with many polite bows to our ser-
vants, disappears over the side, followed by his
suite. Whilst the anchor is being re-weighed,
before we forget the appearance of the pair, we
will commit them to the custody of the sketch-
book.

The old lateen creeps creaking crankily up the

THE VOYAGE. 19

mast once more, and the Durrja Prashad recom-
mences to perambulate the waters as unlike a thing
of life as can be imagined. Half an hour more will
take us in. Perched upon the topmast angle of our
penthouse, we strain our eyes in search of the tall
buildings and crowded ways that denote a capital :
we can see nought but a forest of lanky cocoa-nut
trees, whose stems are apparently growing out of
a multitude of small hovels.

Can this be Goa 1

Rendered rabid by the query our patriotic domes-
tic, sneering as much as he safely can, informs us
that this is the village of Yerim, that St. Agnes,
and proceeds to display his store of topographical
lore by naming or christening every dirty little
mass of hut and white-washed spire that meets
the eye.

Bus, Bus, — enough in the name of topography !
We will admire the view to-morrow morning when
our minds are a little easier about John Thomas,
a house, &c.

We turn the last corner which concealed from
view the town of Paujim, or as others call it, the
city of New Goa, and are at last satisfied that we
are coming to something like a place. Suddenly
the Tindal, and all his men, begin to chatter like

20 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

a wilderness of provoked baboons ; thej are de-
bating as to what part of the narrow creek whicli
runs parallel with the town should be selected
for anchor ground. Not with an eye to our
comfort in landing, observe, but solely bearing
in mind that thej are to take in cargo to-
morrow.

At length our apology for an anchor once more
slides down the old side of the Durrya Prashad,
and she swings lazily round with the ebb tide,
like an elephant indulging in a solitary roll. It
is dark, we can see nothing but a broken line of
dim oil-lamps upon the quay, and hear nought save
the unharmonious confusion of native music with
native confabulation. Besides the wind that pours
down the creek feels damp and chilly, teeming
with unpleasant reminiscences of fever and ague.
So after warning our domestics, that instant dis-
missal from the service will follow any attempt to
land to-night, a necessary precaution if we wish
to land to-morrow, we retire to pass the last of
three long nights in slapping our face in the despe-
rate hope of crushing mosquitos, dreaming of De
Gama and Albuquerque, starting up every two hours
with jaws glowing like those of a dark age dragon,
scratching our legs and feet, preferring positive

THE VOYAGE. 21

excoriation to the exquisite titillation produced by
the perpetual perambulation, and occasional morsica-
tion (with many other -ations left to the reader's
discrimination) of our nocturnal visitations, and in
uttering emphatic ejaculations concerning the man
with the rhinoceros hide and front of brass who
invented and recommended to his kind the patti-
mar abomination.

22 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER 11.

NEW GOA.

Early in the morning, rudely roused by curiosity,
we went on deck to inspect the celebrated view of
the Rio de Goa.

The air was soft and fragrant, at the same time
sufficiently cool to be comfortable. A thin mist
rested upon the lower grounds and hovered half
way up the hills, leaving their palm -clad summits
clear to catch the silvery light of dawn. Most beau-
tiful was the hazy tone of colour all around con-
trasted with the painfully vivid tints, and the sharp
outlines of an Indian view seen a few hours after
sunrise. The uniformity of the cocoa-nut groves,
which at first glance appeared monotonous, gra-
dually became tolerable. We could now remark
that they were full of human habitations, and in-
tersected by numbers of diminutive creeks. Close
by lay Panji Panjim, Panjem or K'ew Goa, with its

NEW GOA. 23

large palace and little houses, still dark in the
shadow of the hill behind it. As for Goa Yelha
(the Old Goa) we scarcely ventured to look towards
it, such were our recollections of Tavernier, Dillon,
and Amine Vanderdecken, and so strong our con-
viction that a day at least must elapse before we
could tread its classic ground. An occasional peep,
however, discovered huge masses of masonry — some
standing out from the cloudless sky, others lining
the edge of the creek, — ruins of very picturesque
form, and churches of most unpicturesque hue.

Precisely at six a.m. appeared Mr. John Thomas,
whose aristocratic proper name, by the by, is the
Seiior loao Thomas de Sonza. After perpetrating
a variety of congees in a style that admirably com-
bined the Moorish salaam with the European bow,
he informed us in execrable English that " he show
de Goa to de Bombay gentlemens." We rapidly
pass over the preliminary measures of securing a
house with six rooms, kitchen, stable and back court,
for fourteen shillings per mensem — a low rate of
rent for which the owner was soundly rated by his
compatriots, who have resolved that treble that
sum is the minimum chargeable to Englishmen —
of landing our bag and baggage, which were after-

24 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

wards carried to our abode by coolies * — the pri-
mitive style of transportation universally used here,
— and finally of disembarking our steeds by means
of a pigmy crane, the manipulation of which called
together a herd of admiring gazers.

Then the Sefior began to take command. He
obligingly allowed us to breakfast, but insisted upon
our addressing a note to the aide-de-camp in wait-
ing to ascertain the proper time for waiting upon
his Excellency the Governor of Goa. This the
Senor warned us was de rigueur, and he bade us
be prepared to face the burning sun between
eleven and twelve, such being the hour usually
appointed. Then with our missive between his
sable fingers he performed another ceremonious bow
and departed for a while.

Just as the Senor- disappeared, and we were pre-
paring to indulge in our morning meal en deshabille,
as best suits the climate, an uncomely face, grin-
ning prodigiously, and surmounted by a scampish
looking cap, introduced itself through the open
window, and commenced a series of felicitations
and compliments in high-flown Portuguese.

Who might our visitor be 1 A medical student,
a poet, or a thief? Confused in mind, we could
* Porters and labourers.

NEW GOA. 25

only look at him vacantly, with an occasional
involuntary movement of the head, respondent to
some gigantic word, as it gurgled convulsively out
of his throat. He must have mistaken the sign for
one of invitation, for, at the close of his last com-
pliment to the British nation, he withdrew his
head from the window, and deliberately walked
in by the door, with the usual series of polite
bows.

Once in the house, he seemed determined to
make himself at home.

We looked up from our breakfast with much
astonishment. Close to our elbow stood our new
friend in the form of a tall ugly boy about seven-
teen, habited in a green cloth surtout, with plaited
plaid unmentionables, broad-toed boots, and a pecu-
liar appearance about the wrists, and intervals
between the fingers, which made us shudder at the
thought of extending to him the hand of fellowship.
Rapidly deciding upon a plan of action, we assumed
ignorance of the I'mgoa Baxa* and pronounced
with much ceremony in our vernacular,

" Whom have I the honour to address V

Horror of horrors ! Our visitor broke out in
disjointed English, informed us that his name was

* The Portuguese tongue.

C

26 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the Seiior Gaetano de Gama, son of the collector of
Ribandar, and a lineal descendant from the Gran
Capitao ; that he had naturally a great admiration
for the British, together with much compassion for
friendless strangers ; and finally, that he might be
of the utmost use to us during our stay at Goa.
Thereupon he sat down, and proceeded to make
himself comfortable. He pulled a cigar out of our
box, called for a glass of water, but preferred
sherry, ate at least a dozen plantains, and washed
down the sherry with a coifee-cup full of milk.
We began to be amused.

" Have you breakfasted 1 "

Yes, he had. At Goa they generally do so be-
times. However, for the sake of companionship
he would lay down his cigar and join us. He was
certainly a good trencher-companion, that young
gentleman. Witness his prowess upon a plate of
fish, a dish of curry, a curd cheese, a water melon,
and half-a-dozen cups of cafe au lait. Then after
settling the heterogeneous mass with a glass of our
anisette, he re-applied himself to his cheroot.

We were in hopes that he had fallen into a state
of torpor. By no means ! The activity of his
mind soon mastered the inertness of the flesh.
Before the first few pus's had disappeared in the

NEW GOA. 27

thin air, our friend arose, distinctly for the purpose
of surveying the room. He walked slowly and
calmly around it, varying that recreation by occa-
sionally looking into our bed, inspecting a box or
two, opening our books, addressing a few chance
words to us, generally in the style interrogative,
trying on our hat before the looking-glass, defiling
our brushes and combs with his limp locks, redolent
of rancid cocoa-nut oil, and glancing with fearful
meaning at our tooth-brushes.

Our amusement now began to assume the form of
indignation. Would it be better to disappear into
an inner room, send for Salvador to show our hete
noire the door, or lead him out by the ear 1 Whilst
still deliberating, we observed with pleasure the
tawny face of John Thomas.

The Senor loao Thomas de Sonza no sooner
caught sight of the Senor Gaetano de Gama than
his countenance donned an expression of high indig-
nation, dashed with profound contempt ; and the
latter Senor almost simultaneously betrayed out-
ward and visible signs of disappointment and con-
siderable confusion. The ridiculous scene ended
with the disappearance of the unsuccessful aspirant
to ciceronic honours, a homily from John Thomas
upon the danger of having anything to do with

c 2

28 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

such rabble, and an injunction to Salvador never
to admit the collector's son again.

" His Excellency the Governor General of all the
Indies cannot have the exalted honour of receiving
your Excellency this morning, on account of the
sudden illness of Her Excellency the Lady of the
Governor General of all the Indies ; but the Gover-
nor General of all the Indies will be proud to
receive your Excellency to-morrow — if Heaven be
pleased ! " said John Thomas, tempering dignity
with piety.

Thank Goodness for the reprieve !

" So, if the measure be honoured with your
Excellency's approval, we will now embark in a
covered canoe, and your servant will have the
felicity of pointing out from the sea the remarkable
sites and buildings of New Goa ; after which, a
walk through our celebrated city will introduce
your Excellency to the exteriors and interiors of its
majestic edifices, its churches, its theatre, its hos-
pital, its library, and its barracks."

Very well !

A few minutes' rowing sufficed to bring our
canoe to the centre of the creek, along side and in
full view of the town. Around us lay the shipping,
consisting of two or three vessels from Portugal and

NEW GOA. 29

China, some score of native craft, such as pattiraars,
cottias, canoes, and bunclerboats, with one sloop of
war, composing the Goanese navj.

Panjim is situated upon a narrow ledge, between
a hill to the south, and, on the north, the Rio de
Goa, or arm of the sea, which stretches several
miles from west to east. A quay of hewn stone,
well built, but rather too narrow for ornament or
use, lines the south bank of the stream, if we may
so call it, which hereabouts is a little more than a
quarter of a mile in breadth. The appearance of
the town is strange to the Indian tourist. There
are many respectable-looking houses, usually one
story high, solidly constructed of stone and mortar,
with roofs of red tile, and surrounded by large
court-yards overgrown with cocoa-nut trees. Bun-
galows are at a discount ; only the habitations of
the poor consist solely of a ground floor. In general
the walls are whitewashed, — an operation performed
regularly once a year, after the Monsoon rains ; and
the result is a most offensive glare. Upon the
eminence behind the town is a small telegraph, and
half-way down the hill, the Igreja (church) de Con-
ceicao, a plain and ill-built pile, as usual, beauti-
fully situated. The edifices along the creek which

30 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

catch the eye, are the Palacio, where the Governor
resides, the Archbishop's Palace, the Contadorin or
Accomptant's Office, and the Alfandega or Custom
House. All of them are more remarkable for vast-
ness than neatness of design.

" We will now row down the creek, and see the
Aldeas or villages of St. Agnes and Verim," quoth
our guide, pointing towards a scattered line of
churches, villas, and cottages, half concealed from
view by the towering trees, or thrown forward in
clear relief by the green background.

To hear was to obey : though we anticipated
little novelty. On landing we were surprised to
find the shore so thickly inhabited. Handsome
residences, orientally speaking, appeared here and
there ; a perfect network of footpaths ramified over
the hills; in a word, every yard of ground bore
traces of life and activity. I*(ot that there was
much to be seen at St. Agnes, with its huge,
rambling old pile, formerly the archiepiscopal
palace, or at Yerim, a large village full of Hindoos,
who retreat there to avoid the places selected
for residence by the retired officers, employes of
government, students, and Christian landed pro-
prietors.

" And now for a trip to the eastward ! "

NEW GOA. 31

" What ! " we exclaimed, " is n't the lionizing to
stop here 1 "

" By no means," replied John Thomas, solemnly ;
" all English gentlemen visit Ribandar, Britona, and
the Seminary of Chorao/'

Ribandar is about two miles to the east of
Panjim, and is connected with it by a long stone
bridge, built by the viceroy Miguel de Noronha.
It seems to be thriving upon the ruins of its neigh-
bour, San Pedro or Panelly, an old village, laid
waste by the devastator of Yelha Goa — intermittent
fever. From some distance we saw the noble palace,
anciently inhabited by the archbishops, and the
seat of the viceroys and governors, called the Casa
de Polvora, from a neighbouring manufactory of
gunpowder. Here, however, we became restive, and
no persuasion could induce us to walk a mile in
order to inspect the bare walls.

Being somewhat in dread of Britona, which
appeared to be a second edition of St. Agnes and
Verim, we compounded with John Thomas, and
secured an exemption by consenting to visit and
inspect the Seminary.

Chorao was formerly the noviciate place of the
Jesuits.'" It is an island opposite Ribandar, small

* Their other great clerical establishment being the Seminary

32 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

and thinly populated, the climate being confessedly
most unwholesome. AYe were informed that the
director was sick and the rector suffering from
fever. The pallid complexion of the resident pupils
told a sad tale of malaria.

The building is an immense mass of chapels,
cloisters, and apartments for the professors and
students. There is little of the remarkable in it.
The walls are ornamented with abominable fres-
coes and a few prints, illustrating the campaigns
of iS^apoleon and Louis Quatorze. The crucifixes
appear almost shocking. They are, generally speak-
ing, wooden figures as large as life, painted with
most livid and unnatural complexions, streaked
with indigo-coloured veins, and striped with streams
of blood. j\Iore offensive still are the representa-
tions of the Almighty, so common in Roman
Catholic countries.

In the sacristy, we were shown some tolerable
heads of apostles and saints. They were not ex-
actly original Raphaels and Guidos, as our black
friends declared, but still it was a pleasure to see

at Rachol, a town which, when the Portuguese first came
to India, was the capital of the province of Salsette. In
Tavernier's time the Jesuits had no less than five religious
houses at Goa^

i

NEW GOA. 33

good copies of excellent exemplars iu India, the
land of coloured prints and lithographs of Cerito
and Taglioni.

Ah ! now we have finished our peregrinations.

" Yes," responded John Thomas ; " jour Excel-
lency has now only to walk about and inspect the
town of Panjira."

Accordingly we landed and proceeded to make
our observations there.

That Panjim is a Christian town appears in-
stantly from the multitude and variety of the filthy
feeding hogs, that infest the streets. The pig here
occupies the social position that he does in Ireland,
only he is never eaten when his sucking days are
past. Panjim loses much by close inspection. The
streets are dusty and dirty, of a most disagreeable
brick colour, and where they are paved, the pave-
ment is old and bad. The doors and window-frames
of almost all the houses are painted green, and none
but the very richest admit light through anything
more civilized than oyster-shells. The balcony is
a prominent feature, but it presents none of the
gay scenes for which it is famous in Italy and Spain.

We could not help remarking the want of horses
and carriages in the streets, and were informed that
the whole place did not contain more than half

c 5

34 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

a dozen vehicles. The popular conveyance is a
kind of palanquin, composed of a light sofa, cur-
tained with green wax cloth, and strung to a
bamboo pole, which rests upon the two bearers'
heads or shoulders. This is called a mancheel, and
a most lugubrious-looking thing it is, forcibly re-
minding one of a coffin covered with a green pall.
At length we arrived at the Barracks, a large
building in the form of an irregular square, fronting
the Rio, and our British curiosity being roused by
hearing that the celebrated old thief, Phonde Sa-
wunt,* was living there under surveillance, we
determined to visit that rebel on a small scale.
His presence disgraces his fame ; it is that of a
wee, ugly, grey, thin, old and purblind ]\laha-
ratta. He received us, however, with not a little
dignity and independence of manner, motioned us
to sit down with a military air, and entered upon a
series of queries concerning the Court of Lahore,
at that time the only power on whose exertions the
agitators of India could base any hopes. Around
the feeble, decrepit old man stood about a dozen
stalworth sons, with naked shoulders, white cloths
round their waists and topknots of hair, which

* He raised the standard of revolt against the Indian
government spiritedly but unsuccessfully.

NEW GOA. 35

the god Shiva himself might own with pride. They
have private apartments in the barracks, full of
wives and children, and consider themselves per-
sonages of no small importance ; in which opinion
they are, we believe, hj no means singular. Their
fellow-countrymen look upon them as heroes, and
have embalmed, or attempted to embalm their
breakjaw names in immortal song. They are, in
fact, negro Robin Hoods and Dick Turpins — knights
of the road and the waste it is true, but not
accounted the less honourable for belonging to that
celebrated order of chivalry. The real Maharatta
is by nature a thorough-bred plunderer, and well
entitled to sing the Suliot ditty —

" K\£^7-£c TTorf Ilapyav, " *

with the slight variation of locality only. Be-
sides, strange to say, amongst Orientals, they have
a well-defined idea of what patriotism means, and
can groan under the real or fancied wrongs of the
"stranger" or the " Sassenach's " dominion as loudly
and lustily as any Hibernian or Gael in the land.

We now leave Phonde Sawunt and the Barracks
to thread our way through a numerous and dis-
agreeable collection of yelping curs and officious
boatmen.

* " All thieves at Parga."

36 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

" Would your Excellency prefer to visit the
hospital, the churches of St. Sebastian and Con-
ceigao, the jail, the library, the printing-house, and
the bazaars now or to-morrow morning "? "

" Neither now nor ever — thank you — we are
going to the promenade."

After a few minutes' walk we came to the west
end of Panjim, where lies a narrow scrap of sea-
beach appropriated to "constitutionals." On our
way there we observed that the Goanese, with pecu-
liar good taste, had erected seats wherever a pretty
point de mie would be likely to make one stand
and wish to sit awhile.

Had w^e expected a crowded corso, we should
have been disappointed ; half-a-dozen mancheels,
two native officers on horseback, one carriage, and
about a dozen promenaders, were moving lazily and
listlessly down the lugubrious-looking strand.

Reader, has it ever been your unhappy fate to
be cooped up in a wretched place called Pisa 1 If
so, perhaps you recollect a certain drive to the
Cascine — a long road, down whose dreary length
run two parallel rows of dismal poplars, desolating
to the eye, like mutes at a funeral. We mentally
compared the Cascine drive and the Panjim corso,
and the result of the comparison was, that we

NEW GO A. 37

wished a very good evening to the Seuor, and went
home.

"Salvador, what is that terrible noise— arc they
slaughtering a pig— or murdering a boy ? "

" Nothing," replied Salvador, " nothing whatever
— some Christian beating his wife."

" Is that a common recreation '? "

" Very."

So we found out to our cost. First one gentle-
man chastised his spouse, then another, and then
another. To judge by the ear, the fair ones did
not receive the discipline with that patience, sub-
mission, and long-suffering which Eastern dames are
most apocryphally believed to practise. In fact,
if the truth must be told, a prodigious scuffling
informed us that the game was being played with
similar good will, and nearly equal vigour by both
parties. The police at Goa never interfere with
these little domesticalities ; the residents, we sup-
pose, lose the habit of hearing them, but the
stranger finds them disagreeable. Therefore, we
should strongly advise all future visitors to select
some place of residence where they may escape the
martial sounds that accompany such tours de force
when displayed by the lords and ladies of the
creation. On one occasion we were obliged to

38 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

change our lodgings for others less exposed to the
nuisance. Conceive inhabiting a snug corner of a
locality devoted to the conversion of pig into
pork !

" Sahib," exclaimed Salvador, " you had better
go to bed, or retire into another room, for I see
the Seiior Gaetano coming here as fast as his legs
can carry him."

" Very well," we whispered, slipping rapidly
through the open door, " tell him we are out."
And behind the wall we heard the message duly
delivered.

But the Seilor saw no reason in our being out
why he should not make himself at home. He
drew two chairs into the verandah, called for cigars
and sherry, fanned himself with his dirty brown
cotton pocket-handkerchief, and sat there patiently
awaiting our return.

We did not forcibly eject that Seiior. The fact is,
memory began to be busily at work, and dim scenes
of past times, happy days spent in our dear old
distant native land were floating and flashing before
our mental eye. Again we saw our neat little

rooms at College, Oxford, our omnipresent

dun, Mr. Joye — what a name for a tailor ! — com-

NEW GOA. 39

fortably ensconsed in the best arm-chair, with the
best of our regalias in his mouth, and the best of
our Port wine at his elbow, now warming his lean
hands before the blazing coal fire — it was very near
Christmas — now dreamily gazing at the ceiling, as
if £ s. d. were likely to drop through its plaster.

And where were we 1

Echo cannot answer, so we must.

Standing in the coal-hole — an aperture in the
wall of our bedchamber — whence seated upon a
mass of coke, we could distinctly discern through
the interstices of the door, Mr. Joye enjoying him-
self as above described.

Years of toil and travel and trouble had invested
that coal-hole with the roseate hue which loves to
linger over old faces and old past times ; so we
went quietly to bed, sacrificing at the shrine of
Mnemosyne the sherry and the cheroots served to
us, and the kick-out deserved by the Sefior Gaetano
de Gama, son of the Collector of Ribandar, and a
lineal descendent of the Gran Capitao.

40 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER III.

OLD GOA AS IT WAS.

"Senor," said our cicerone, entering unan-
nounced, at about ten a. m., " it is time for your
Excellency to prepare for an interview with bis
Excellency the Governor- General of all the Indies ;
and if it meet with your approbation, we can see
the library, and the celebrated statue of Alfonso de
Albuquerque on our way to the palacio."

The horses were soon saddled, and the Sefior was
with some difficulty persuaded to mount. En route
his appearance afforded no small amusement to his
fellow townsmen, who grinned from ear to ear see-
ing him clinging to the saddle, and holding on by
the bridle, with his back hunched, and his shoulders
towering above his ears like those of an excited cat.
The little Maharatta " man-eater " * was dancing

* The name given to that breed of ponies on account of
their extraordinary viciousness.

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 41

with disgust at this peculiar style of equitation, and
the vivacity of his movements so terrified the Seuor,
that, to our extreme regret, he chose the first
moment to dismount under pretext of introducing
us to Albuquerque.

The statue of that hero stands under a white-
washed dome, in a small square opposite the east
front of the Barracks. It is now wrapped up in
matting, having lately received such injuries that it
was deemed advisable to send to Portugal for a new
nose and other requisites.

The library disappointed us. We had heard
that it contained many volumes collected from
the difiierent religious houses by order of the go-
vernment, and thus saved from mildew and the
white ants. Of course, we expected a variety of
MSS. and publications upon the subject of Orien-
tal languages and history, as connected with the
Portuguese settlements. The catalogue, however,
soon informed us that it was a mere ecclesiastical
library, dotted here and there with the common
classical authors ; a few old books of travels ; some
volumes of history, and a number of musty dis-
quisitions on ethics, politics, and metaphysics. We
could find only three Oriental works — a Syriac
book printed at Oxford, a manuscript Dictionary,

42 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

and a Grammar of the Concanee dialect of Maha-
ratta.

Arrived at the palace, we sent in our card,
and were desired to walk up. We were politely
received by an aide-de-camp, who, after ascertaining
that we could speak a few words of Portuguese,
left the room to inform the Governor of that pro-
digious fact, which, doubtless, procured us the
honour of an interview with that exalted personage.
It did not last long enough to be tedious, still
we were not sorry when his Excellency retired
with the excuse of public business, and directed
the aide-de-camp to show us about the building.
There was not much to be seen in it, except a
tolerably extensive library, a private chapel, and
a suite of lofty and spacious saloons, with enor-
mous windows, and without furniture ; containing
the portraits of all the Governors and Viceroys
of Portuguese India. The collection is, or rather
has been, a valuable one ; unfortunately some Goth,
by the order of some worse than Goth, has renewed
and revived many of the best and oldest pictures,
till they have assumed a most ludricrous appear-
ance. The handsome and chivalrous-looking knights
have been taught to resemble the Saracen's Head,
the Marquis of Granby, and other sign-post cele-

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 43

brities in England. An artist is, however, it is
said, coming from Portugal, and much scraping and
varnishing may do something for the De Gamas
and de Castros at present so miserably disfigured.

And now, thank Goodness, all our troubles are
over. We can start as soon as we like for the
" ruin and the waste," merely delaying to secure
a covered boat, victual it for a few days, and
lay in a store of jars of fresh water — a necessary
precaution against ague and malaria. Salvador is
to accompany us, and John Thomas has volunteered
to procure us a comfortable lodging in the Aljube,
or ecclesiastical prison.

A couple of hours' steady rowing will land us
at old Goa. As there is nothing to be said about
the banks which are lined with the eternal suc-
cession of villages, palaces, villas, houses, cot-
tages, gardens, and cocoa-nut trees ; instead of lin-
gering upon the uninteresting details, we will pass
the time in drawing out a short historical sketch
of the hapless city's fortunes.

It is not, we believe, generally known that there
are two old Goas. Ancient old Goa stood on the
south coast of the island, about two miles from
its more modern namesake. Ferishteh, and the

44 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

other JMoslem annalists of India allude to it as a
great and celebrated seaport in the olden time.
It was governed bv its own Rajah, who held it in
fief from the Princes of Beejanugger and the Car-
natic. In the fifteenth century it was taken by
the Moslem monarchs of the Bahmani line. Even
before the arrival of the Portuguese in India the
inhabitants began to desert their old seaport and
migrate to the second Goa. Of the ancient Hindoo
town no traces now remain, except some wretched
hovels clustering round a parish church. Desola-
tion and oblivion seem to have claimed all but
the name of the place, and none but the readers
of musty annals and worm-eaten histories are aware
that such a city ever existed.

The modern old Goa was built about nineteen
years before the arrival of Vasco de Gama at
Calicut, an event fixed by the historian, Faria, on
20th of May, 1498. It was taken from the Moors
or Moslems by Albuquerque, about thirty years
after its foundation — a length of time amply suflS-
cient to make it a place of importance, considering
the mushroom-like rapidity with which empires and
their capitals shoot up in the East. Governed by
a succession of viceroys, many of them the bravest
and wisest of the Portuguese nation, Goa soon rose

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 45

to a height of power, wealth, and magnificence
almost incredible. But the introduction of the
Jesuits, the Holy Tribunal, and its fatal offspring,
religious persecution ; pestilence, and wars with
European and native powers, disturbances arising
from an unsettled home government, and, above all
things, the slow but sure workings of the short-
sighted policy of the Portuguese in intermarrying
and identifying themselves with Hindoos of the
lowest castes, made her fall as rapid as her rise
was sudden and prodigious. In less than a century
and a half after De Garaa landed on the shore of
India, the splendour of Goa had departed for ever.
Presently the climate changed in that unaccount-
able manner often witnessed in hot and tropical
countries. Every one fled from the deadly fever
that raged within the devoted precincts, and the
villages around began to tlirive upon the decay of the
capital. At last, in 1758, the viceroy, a namesake
of Albuquerque, transferred his habitual residence
to Panjim. Soon afterwards the Jesuits were ex-
pelled, and their magnificent convents and churches
were left all but utterly deserted. The Inquisi-
tion * was suppressed when the Portuguese court

* At that time, however, this horrible instrument of reli-
gious tyranny seems to have lost much of its original activity.

46 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

was at Rio Janeiro, at the recommendation of the
British Government — one of those good deeds with
which our native land atones for a multitude of
minor sins.

The descriptions of Goa in her palmy days are,
thanks to the many travellers that visited the land,
peculiarly graphic and ample.

First in the list, by seniority, stands Lin-
schoten, a native of Haarlem, who travelled to the
capital of Portuguese India about 1583, in com-
pany with the Archbishop Fre Vincent de Fon^ega.
After many years spent in the East, he returned
to his native country, and published his travels,
written in old French. The book is replete with
curious information. Linschoten's account of the
riches and splendour of Goa would be judged ex-
aggerated, were they not testified to by a host of
other travellers. It is described as the finest,
largest, and most magnificent city in India : its
villas almost merited the title of palaces, and
seemed to be built for the purpose of displaying
the wealth and magnificence of the erectors. It
is said that during the prosperous times of the

/When the dungeons were thrown open there was not a single
prisoner within the walls, and Mons. de Kleguen asserts that
,no one then living remembered having seen an Auto da Fe.

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 47

Portuguese in India, you could not have seen a
bit of " iron in any merchant's house, but all gold
and silver." They coined an immense quantity of
the precious metals, and used to make pieces of
workmanship in them for exportation. They were
a nation of traders, and the very soldiers enriched
themselves by commerce. After nine years' service,
all those that came from Portugal were entitled to
some command, either by land or sea ; they fre-
quently, however, rejected government employ on
account of being engaged in the more lucrative
pursuit of trade. The viceroyalty of Goa was one
of the most splendid appointments in the world.
There were five other governments, namely —
Mozambique, Malacca, Ormus, Muscat, and Ceylon,
the worst of which was worth ten thousand crowns
(about two thousand pounds) per annum — an
enormous sum in those days.

The celebrated Monsieur Tavernier, Baron of
Aubonne, visited Goa twice ; first in 1641, the
second time seven years afterwards. In his day
the city was declining rapidly,* and even during

* About the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch sent
ships round the Cape, and soon managed to secure the best
part of the Eastern trade, formerly monopoHzed by the Por-
tuguese.

48 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the short period that elapsed between his two
voyages, he remarked that many whom he had
known as people of fashion, with above two thou-
sand crowns revenue, were reduced to visiting him
privately in the evening, and begging for alms.
Still, he observed, " they abated nothing, for all
that, of their inherent pride and haughtiness." He
pays no compliment to the Portuguese character :
" They are the most revengeful persons, and the
most jealous of their wives in the world, and where
the least suspicion creeps into their saddles, they rid
themselves of them either by poison or dagger."
The baron had no cause for complaint in his recep-
tion at Goa by the viceroy, Don Philip de Masca-
regnas, who " made him very welcome, and esteeming
much a pistol, curiously inlaid," which the traveller
presented to him, sent for him five or six times to
the Powder-house, or old palace. That viceroy
seems, however, to have been a dangerous host.
He was a most expert poisoner, and had used his
skill most diligently, ridding himself of many
enemies, when governor of Ceylon. At Goa he
used to admit no one to his table — even his own
family was excluded. He was the richest Portu-
guese noble that ever left the East, especially in
diamonds, of which he had a large parcel containing

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 49

none but stones between ten and forty carats
weight. The Goanese hated him, hung him in
effigy before his departure, and when he died on
the voyage, reported that he had been poisoned in
the ship— a judgment from Heaven.

Monsieur Tavernier visited the Inquisition, where
he was received with sundry " searching questions "
concerning his faith, the Protestant. During the
interview, the Inquisitor " told him that he was
welcome, calling out at the same time, for some
other persons to enter. Thereupon, the hangings
being held up, came in ten or twelve persons out
of a room hard by." They were assured that the
traveller possessed no prohibited books ; the pru-
dent Tavernier had left even his Bible behind him.
The Inquisidor Mor * discoursed with him for a
couple of hours, principally upon the subject of his
wanderings, and, three days afterwards, sent him
a polite invitation to dinner.

But a well-known practice of the Holy Tribunal
— namely, that of confiscating the gold, silver, and
jewels of every prisoner, to defray the expenses of
the process — had probably directed the Inquisitor's
attention to so rich a traveller as the baron was.
Tavernier had, after all, rather a narrow escape from

* The Grand Inquisitor,

D

50 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the Holy Office, in spite of its civilities. When
about to leave Goa, he imprudently requested and
obtained from the Viceroy, permission to take with
him one Mons. de Belloy, a countryman in distress.
This individual had deserted from the Dutch to the
Portuguese, and was kindly received by them. At
Macao, however, he lost his temper at play, and
" cursed the portraiture of some Papistical saint, as
the cause of his ill-luck." For this impiety he was
forthwith sent by the Provincial Inquisitor to Goa,
but he escaped the stake by private interest with
the Viceroy,* and was punished only by " wearing
old clothes, which were all to tatters and full of
vermin." When Taveniier and his friend set sail,
the latter " became very violent, and swore against
the Inquisition like a madman." That such pro-
cedure was a dangerous one was proved by Mons.
de Belloy's fate. He was rash enough to return
some months afterwards to Goa, where he remained
two years in the dungeons of the Holy Office, " from
which he was not discharged but with a sulphured

* The Holy Office had power over all but the Viceroy and
Archbishop, and they did not dare openly to interpose in
behalf of any prisoner, under pain of being reported to the
Inquisitor and his Council in Portugal, and being recalled.
Even the Papal threats were disregarded by that dread
tribunal.

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 51

shirt, and a St. Andrew's cross upon his stomach."
The unfortunate man was eventually taken prisoner
by the enraged " Hollanders," put into a sack, and
thrown into the sea, as a punishment for desertion.

About twenty-five years after Tavernier's depar-
ture. Dellon, the French physician, who made him-
self conspicuous by his " Relation de I'lnquisition
de Goa," visited the city. By his own account, he
appears to have excited the two passions which
burn fiercest in the Portuguese bosom — jealousy
and bigotry. When at Daman, his " innocent
visits" to a lady, who was loved by Manuel de
Mendonca, the Governor, and a black priest, who
was secretary to the Inquisition, secured for him
a pair of powerful enemies. Being, moreover, an
amateur of Scholastic Theology, a willing disputer
with heretics and schismatics, a student of the Old
as well as the New Testament, and perhaps a little
dogmatical, as dilettanti divines generally are, he
presently found himself hr-ouille at the same place
with a Dominican friar. The Frenchman had re-
fused to kiss the figure of the Virgin, painted upon
the lids of the alms boxes : he had denied certain
efiects of the baptism, called " flaminis," protested
against the adoration of images, and finally capped
the whole by declaring that the decrees of the

T. 2

52 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Holj Tribunal are not so infallible as those of the
Divine Author of Christianity. The horror-struck
auditor instantly denounced him with a variety of
additions and emendations sufficient to make his
case very likely to conclude with strangling and
burning.

Perceiving a storm impending over him, our
physician waited upon the Commissary of the In-
quisition, if possible to avert the now imminent
danger. That gentlemanly old person seems to have
received him with uncommon urbanity, benevolently
offered much good advice, and lodged him in jail
with all possible expedition.

The prison at Daman is described as a most
horrible place ; hot, damp, fetid, dark, and crowded.
The inmates were half starved, and so miserable
that forty out of fifty Malabar pirates, who had been
imprisoned there, preferred strangling themselves
with their turbans to enduring the tortures of
such an earthly Hades.

The first specimen of savoir faire displayed by
the Doctor's enemies was to detain him in the
Daman jail till the triennial Auto da Fe at Goa had
taken place ; thereby causing for him at least two
years' delay and imprisonment in the capital before
he could be brought to trial. Having succeeded in

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 53

this they sent him heavily ironed on board a boat
which finally deposited him in the Casa Santa."""
There he was taken before the Mesa, or Board,
stripped of all his property, and put into the cham-
brette destined for his reception.

Three weary years spent in that dungeon gave
Dellon ample time to experience and reflect upon
the consequences of amativeness and disputative-
ness. After being thrice examined by the grand
Inquisitor, and persuaded to confess his sins by
the false promise of liberty held out to him,
driven to despair by the system of solitary im-
prisonment, by the cries of those who were being
tortured, and by anticipations of the noose and
the faggot, he made three attempts to commit
suicide. During the early part of his convalescence
he was allowed the luxury of a negro fellow-pri-
soner in his cell; but when he had recovered
strength this indulgence was withdrawn. Five or
six other examinations rapidly succeeded each other,
and finally, on the 11th of January, 1676, he was

* No description of the building and its accommodations
is given. Captain Marryat's graphic account of it in the
" Phantom Ship/' must be fresh in the memory of all readers.
The novelist seems to have borrowed his account from the
pages of Dellon.

54 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

fortunate enough to be present at the Auto da Fe
in that garb of good omen, the black dress with
white stripes. The sentence was confiscation of
goods and chattels, banishment from India, five
years of the galleys in Portugal, and a long list
of various penances to be performed during the
journey.

On arriving at Lisbon he was sent to the hulks,
but by the interest of his fellow-countrymen he
recovered his liberty in June, 1677. About eleven
years afterwards he published anonymously a little
volume containing an account of his sufiferings. By
so doing he broke the oaths of secrecy administered
to him by the Holy Tribunal, but probably he found
it easy enough to salve his conscience in that
matter.

The next in our list stands the good Capt. Hamil-
ton, a sturdy old merchant militant, who infested
the Eastern seas about the beginning of the
eighteenth century.

The captain's views of the manners and customs
of the people are more interesting than his descrip-
tion of the city. After alluding to their habits
of intoxication he proceeds to the subject of reli-
gion, and terms both clergy and laity " a pack of
the most atrocious hypocrites in the world ;" and,

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 55

at the same time, " most zealous bigots." There
were not less than eighty churches, convents, and
monasteries within view of the town, and these were
peopled bj " thirty thousand church vermin who
live idly and luxuriously on the labour and sweat
of the miserable laity." Our voyager then falls
foul of the speciosa miracula of St. Francis de
Xavier. He compares the holy corpse to that of
" new scalded pig," opines that it is a " pretty piece
of wax-work that serves to gull the people," and
utterly disbelieves that the amputated right-arm,
when sent to Rome to stand its trial for sainthood,
took hold of the pen, dipped it in ink and fairly
wrote " Xavier " in full view of the sacred college.

The poverty of Goa must have been great in
Capt. Hamilton's time, when " the houses were
poorly furnished within like their owners' heads,
and the tables and living very mean." The army
was so ill-paid and defrauded that the soldiers were
little better than common thieves and assassins.
Trade was limited to salt and arrack, distilled from
the cocoa-nut. The downfall of Goa had been has-
tened by the loss of Muscat to the Arabs, a disaster
brought on by the Governor's insolent folly,'"' by an

* An Arab chieftain sent a civil request to the governor,
desiring liberty to buy provisions. The answer was a bit of

56 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

attack made in 1660 upon the capital by a Dutch
squadron, which, though it failed in consequence of
the strength of the fortifications, still caused great
loss and misery to the Portuguese, and finally by
the ]\Iaharatta war. In 1685, Seevagee, the Ro-
bert Bruce of Southern India, got a footing in the
island, and would have taken the city had he not
been —

" Foiled by a woman's hand before a broken wall."

The " Maid of Goa " was one Donna JMaria, a
Portuguese lady, who travelled to Goa dressed like
a man in search of a perfidious swain who had been
guilty of breach of promise of marriage. She found
him at last and challenged him to the duello with
sword and pistol, but the gentleman declined the
invitation, preferring to marry than to fight Donna
Maria.

A few years afterwards the Maharatta war began,
and the heroine excited by her country's losses,
and, of course, directed by inspiration, headed a
sally against Seevagee, took a redoubt, and cut

pork wrapped up in paper^ and a message, that such was the
only food likely to be furnished. The chieftain's wife, who
was a Sayyideh, a woman of the Prophet's tribe, and a lady
of proper spirit, felt the insult so keenly, that she persuaded
her husband and his tribe to attack Muscat and massacre all
its defenders. This event took place in 1650.

OLD GOA AS IT WAS. 57

all the heathen in it to pieces. The enemy, pro-
bably struck by some superstitious terror, precipi-
tately quitted the island, and the Donna's noble
exploit was rewarded with a captain's pay for life.

We conclude with the Rev. Mons. Cottineau de
Kleguen, a French missionary, who died at Madras
in 1830. His "Historical Sketch of Goa" was
published the year after his death. It is useful as
a guide-book to the buildings, and gives much in-
formation about ecclesiastical matters. In other
points it is defective in the extreme. As might be
expected from a zealous Romanist, the reverend
gentleman stands up stoutly for the inquisition in
spite of his " entire impartiality," and displays
much curious art in defending the Jesuits' peculiar
process of detaching the pagans from idol worship,
by destroying their temples and pagodas.

D 5

58 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER IV.

OLD GOA AS IT IS.

The setting sun was pouring a torrent of crimson
light along the Rio as the prow of our canoe
bumped against the steps of the wharf, warning us
that we had at length reached our destination.
The landing-place is a little beyond the arsenal, and
commands a full view of the cathedral and other
conspicuous objects. The first glance around con-
vinced us that we were about to visit a city of the
dead, and at once swept away the delusion caused
by the distant view of white-washed churches and
towers, glittering steeples and domes.

As such places should always, in our humble
opinion, be visited for the first time by moonlight,
we spent an hour or two in ascertaining what
accommodations the Aljube, or ecclesiastical prison,
would afford. Dellon's terrible description of the
place had prepared us for " roughing it," but we

OLD GOA AS IT IS. 59

were agreeably disappointed.'" The whole building,
with the exception of a few upper rooms, had been
cleaned, plastered, and painted, till it presented a
most respectable appearance. Salvador, it is true,
had ventured into the garrets, and returned with
his pantaloons swarming with animal life. This,
however, only suggested the precaution of placing
water-pots under the legs of our " Waterloo," and
strewing the floor with the leaves of the "sacred
grass," a vegetable luxury abounding in this part of
the world.

When the moon began to sail slowly over the
eastern hills, we started on our tour of inspection,
and, as a preliminary measure, walked down the
wharf, a long and broad road, lined with double
rows of trees, and faced with stone, opposite the
sea. A more suggestive scene could not be con-
ceived than the utter desolation which lay before
us. Everything that met the eye or ear seemed
teeming with melancholy associations ; the very
rustling of the trees and the murmur of the waves
sounded like a dirge for the departed grandeur of
the city.

A few minutes' walk led us to a conspicuous

* He calls it the " Aljouvar." It is probably a corrupted
Arabic word ^^I Al-jabr, "the prison."

GO GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

object on the right hand side of the wharf. It was
a solitary gateway, towering above the huge mass
of ruins which flanks the entrance to the Strada
Diretta.* On approaching it we observed the
statue of Saint Catherine,! shrined in an upper
niche, and a grotesque figure of Vasco de Gama in
one beneath. Under this arch the newly-appointed
viceroys of Goa used to pass in triumphal procession
towards the palace.

Beyond the gateway a level road, once a populous
thoroughfare, leads to the Terra di Sabaio, a large
square, fronting the Se Prima9ial or Cathedral of
Saint Catherine, and flanked by the Casa Santa.
Before visiting the latter spot we turned to the left,
and ascending a heap of ruins, looked down upon
the excavation, which now marks the place where
the Viceregal Palace rose. The building, which oc-
cupied more than two acres of ground, has long
been razed from the very foundations, and the
ground on which it stood is now covered with the
luxuriant growth of poisonous plants and thorny
trees. As we wandered amidst them, a solitary

* The Straight Street, so called because almost all the streets
of Goa were laid out in curvilinear form.

■f St. Catherine was appointed patron saint of Goa, because
the city was taken by the Portuguese on her day.

OLD GOA AS IT IS. Gl

jackal, slinking away from the intruder, was the
only living being that met our view, and the deep
bell of the cathedral, marking the lapse of time
for dozens, where hundreds of thousands had once
hearkened to it, the only sound telling of man's
presence that reached our ear.

In the streets beyond, nothing but the founda-
tions of the houses could be traced, the tall cocoa
and the lank grass waving rankly over many a
forgotten building. In the only edifices which
superstition has hitherto saved, the churches, con-
vents, and monasteries, a window or two, dimly
lighted up, showed that here and there dwells some
solitary priest. The whole scene reminded us of
the Arab's eloquent description of the " city with
impenetrable gates, still, without a voice or a cheery
inhabitant : the owl hooting in its quarters, and
birds skimming in circles in its areas, and the raven
croaking in its great thoroughfare streets, as if
bewailing those that had been in it." What a con-
trast between the moonlit scenery of the distant
bay, smiling in all eternal Nature's loveliness, and
the dull grey piles of ruined or desolate habitations,
the short-lived labours of man !

We turned towards the Casa Santa, and with
little difficulty climbed to the top of the heaps

62 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

which mark the front where its three gates stood.
In these remains the eje, perhaps influenced by
imagination, detects something more than usually
dreary, A curse seems to have fallen upon it ; not
a shrub springs between the fragments of stone,
which, broken and blackened with decay, are left
to encumber the soil, as unworthy of being re-
moved.

Whilst we were sitting there, an old priest, who
was preparing to perform mass in the cathedral,
came up and asked what we were doing.

" Looking at the Casa Santa," we answered. He
inquired if we were Christian, meaning, of course,
Roman Catholic. We replied in the affirmative,
intending, however, to use the designation in its
ampler sense.

" Ah, very well," replied our interrogator. " I
put the question, because the heretics from Bombay
and other places always go to see the Casa Santa
first in order to insult its present state."

And the Seiior asked us whether we would
attend mass at the cathedral ; we declined, how-
ever, with a promise to admire its beauties the
next day, and departed once more on our wan-
derings.

For an hour or two we walked about without

OLD GOA AS IT IS. 63

meeting a single human being. Occasionally we
could detect a distant form disappearing from the
road, and rapidly threading its way through the
thick trees as we drew near. Such precaution is
still deemed necessary at Goa, though the induce-
ments to robbery or violence, judging from the
appearance of the miserable inhabitants, must be
very small.

At last, fatigued with the monotony of the ruins
and the length of the walk, we retraced our steps,
and passing down the Strada Diretta, sat under the
shade of a tree facing the Rio. E'othing could be
more delicately beautiful than the scene before us —
the dark hills, clothed with semi-transparent mist,
the little streams glistening like lines of silver over
the opposite plain, and the purple surface of the
creek stretched at our feet. Most musically too,
the mimic waves splashed against the barrier of
stone, and the soft whisperings of the night breeze
alternately rose and fell in unison with the voice of
the waters.

Suddenly we beard, or thought we heard, a
groan proceeding from behind the tree. It was
followed by the usual Hindoo ejaculation of "Ram !
Ram!"-'-

* Calling upon the name of the Almighty.

64 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Our curiosity was excited. We rose from our
seat and walked towards the place whence the
sound came.

By the clear light of the moon we could dis-
tinguish the emaciated form and features of an old
Jogee.* He was sparingly dressed, in the usual
ochre-coloured cotton clothes, and sat upon the
ground, with his back against the trunk of the tree.
As he caught sight of us, he raised himself upon
his elbow, and began to beg in the usual whining
tone.

" Thy gift will serve for my funeral," he said
with a faint smile, pointing to a few plantain leaf
platters, containing turmeric, red powder, rice, and
a few other similar articles.

We inquired into what he considered the signs
and symptoms of approaching dissolution. It was
a complaint that must have caused him intense
pain, which any surgeon could have instantly alle-
viated. We told him what medical skill could do,
offered to take him at once where assistance could
be procured, and warned him that the mode of
suicide which he proposed to carry out, would be
one of most agonising description.

" I consider this disease a token from the Bhag-
* A particular class of Hindoo devotee and beggar.

OLD GOA AS IT IS. 65

wan (the Almighty) that this form of existence is
finished I" and he stedfastlj refused all aid.

We asked whether pain might not make him
repent his decision, perhaps too late. His reply
was characteristic of his caste. Pointing to a long
sabre cut, which seamed the length of his right
side, he remarked,

" I have been a soldier — under your rule. If I
feared not death in fighting at the word of the
Feringee, am I likely, do you think, to shrink from
it when the Deity summons me ? "

It is useless to argue with these people ; so we
confined ourselves to inquiring what had made him
leave the Company's service.

He told us the old story, the cause of half the
asceticism in the East — a disappointment in an
affaire de cceur. After rising to the rank of naich,
or corporal, very rapidly, in consequence of saving
the life of an officer at the siege of Poonah, he and
a comrade obtained leave of absence, and returned
to their native hamlet, in the Maharatta hills.
There he fell in love, desperately, as Orientals only
can, with the wife of the village Brahman. A few
months afterwards the husband died, and it was
determined by the caste brethren that the relict
should follow him, by the Suttee rite. The soldier,

66 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

however, resolved to save her, and his comrade,
apprised of his plans, promised to aid him with
heart and hand.

The pjre was heaped up, and surrounded by a
throng of gazers collected to witness the cere-
mony, so interesting and exciting to a superstitious
people.

At length the Suttee appeared, supported by her
female relations, down the path opened to her by
the awe-struck crowd. Slowly she ascended the
pile of firewood ; and, after distributing little gifts
to those around, sat down, with the head of the
deceased in her lap. At each of the four corners
of the pyre was a Brahman, chaunting some holy
song. Presently the priest who stood fronting the
south-east, retired to fetch the sacred fire.

Suddenly a horseman, clad in yellow clothes,*
dashed out of a neighbouring thicket. Before any
had time to oppose him, his fierce little Maharatta
pony clove the throng, and almost falling upon his
haunches with the efi'ort, stood motionless by the
side of the still unlit pyre. At that instant the
widow, assisted by a friendly hand, rose from her
seat, and was clasped in the horseman's arms.

* Yellow is the colour usually chosen by the Hindoo when
about to " do some desperate deed."

OLD GOA AS IT IS. G7

One touch of the long Maharatta spur, and the
pony again bounds, plunging through the crowd,
towards the place whence he came. Another mo-
ment and thej will be saved !

Just as the fugitives are disappearing behind the
thicket, an arrow shot from the bow of a Rankari,*
missing its mark, pierces deep into the widow's side.

The soldier buried his paramour under the tree
where we were sitting. Life had no longer any
charms for him. He never returned to his corps,
and resolved to devote himself to futurity.

It was wonderful, considering the pain he must
have been enduring, to hear him relate his tale so
calmly and circumstantially.

The next morning, when we passed by the spot,
three or four half-naked figures, in the holy garb,
were sitting like mourners round the body of the
old Jogee.

Strange the contempt for life shown by all these
metempsychosists. Had we saved that man by main
force — an impossibility, by the by, under the cir-
cumstances of the case — he would have cursed us,
during the remnant of his days, for committing an

* A " forester," and generally a regular sylvan or savage
man.

68 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

act of bitter and unprovoked enmity. With the
Hindoo generally, death is a mere darkening of the
stage in the mighty theatre of mundane life. To
him the Destroyer appears unaccompanied by the
dread ideas of the ]\Ioslem tomb-torments, or the
horror with which the Christian* looks towards the
Great Day ; and if Judgment, and its consecutive
state of reward or punishment, be not utterly un-
known to him, his mind is untrained to dwell upon
such events. Consequently, with him Death has
lost half his sting, and the Pyre can claim no vic-
tory over him.

Old Goa has few charms when seen by the light
of day. The places usually visited are the Se
Primaqial (Cathedral), the nunnery of Santa Monaca,
and the churches of St. Francis, St. Gaetano, and
Bom Jesus. The latter contains the magnificent
tomb of St. Francis Xavier. His saintship, how-
ever, is no longer displayed to reverential gazers in
mummy or " scalded pig " form. Altogether we
reckoned about thirty buildings. Many of them
were falling to ruins, and others were being, or
had been, partially demolished. The extraordinary

* This is said particularly of the Eastern Christian, whose
terror of the tomb is most remarkable.

OLD GOA AS IT IS. 69

amount of havoc committed during the last thirty*
years, is owing partly to the poverty of the Portu-
guese. Like the modern Romans, they found it
cheaper to carry away cut stone, than to quarry it ;
but, unlike the inhabitants of the Eternal City, they
have now no grand object in preserving the ruins.
At Panjim, we were informed that even the wood-
work that decorates some of the churches, had been
put up for sale.

The edifices, which are still in good repair, may
be described in very few words. They are, gene-
rally speaking, large rambling piles, exposing an
extensive surface of white-washed wall, surmounted
by sloping roofs of red tile, with lofty belfries and
small windows. The visitor will admire the vast-
ness of the design, the excellence of the position,
and the adaptation of the architecture to the
country and climate. But there his praise will
cease. With the exception of some remarkable
wood-work, the minor decorations of paintings and
statues are inferior to those of any Italian village
church. As there is no such thing as coloured
marble in the country, parts of the walls are painted

* For a detailed list and description of the buildings, we
must refer readers to the work of Monsieur de Kleguen, alluded
to in the third chapter.

70 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

exactly in the style of a small cabaret in the south
of France. The frescoes are of the most grotesque
description. Pontius Pilate is accommodated with
a huge Turkish turban ; and the other saints and
sinners appear in costumes equally curious in an
historical and pictorial point of view. Some groups,
as for instance the Jesuit martyrs upon the walls
of Saint Francis, are absolutely ludicrous. Boiled,
roasted, grilled and hashed missionaries, looking
more like seals than men, gaze upon you with an
eternal smile. A semi-decapitated individual stands
bolt upright during the painful process which is
being performed by a score of grim-looking heathen.
And black savages are uselessly endeavouring to
stick another dart in the epidermis of some unfor-
tunate, whose body has already become more

" Like an Egj'ptian porcupig "

than aught human. One may fancy what an ex-
hibition it is, from the following fact. Whenever
a picture or fresco fades, the less brilliant parts are
immediately supplied with a coating of superior
vividness by the hand of a common house-decorator.
They reminded us forcibly of the studio of an
Anglo-Indian officer, who, being devotedly fond of
pictorial pursuits, and rather pinched for time

OLD GOA AS IT IS. 71

withal, used to teach his black servants to lay the
blue, green, and brown on the canvas, and when he
could spare a leisure moment, return to scrape, brush,
and glaze the colour into sky, trees, and ground.

Very like the paintings is the sculpture : it pre-
sents a series of cherubims, angels, and saints,
whose very aspect makes one shudder, and think of
Frankenstein. Stone is sometimes, wood the ma-
terial generally used. The latter is almost always
painted to make the statue look as unlike life as
possible.

Yet in spite of these disenchanting details, a
feeling not unallied to awe creeps over one when
wandering down the desert aisles, or through the
crowdless cloisters. In a cathedral large enough for
a first-rate city in Europe, some twenty or thirty
native Christians may be seen at their devotions,
and in monasteries built for hundreds of monks, a
single priest is often the only occupant. The few
human beings that meet the eye, increase rather
than diminish the dismal effect of the scene ; as
sepulchral looking as the spectacle around them,
their pallid countenances, and emaciated forms seem
so many incarnations of the curse of desolation
which still hovers over the ruins of Old Goa.

72 GO A AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

We felt curious to visit the nunnery of Santa
Monaca, an order said to be strict in the extreme.
The nuns are called madres (mothers) by the
natives, in token of respect, and are supposed to
lead a very correct life. Most of these ladies are
born in the country ; they take the veil at any age
when favoured with a vocation.

Our curiosity was disappointed. All we saw was
a variety of black handmaids, and the portress, an
antiquated lay sister, who insisted upon our pur-
chasing many rosaries and sweetmeats. Her gar-
rulity was excessive ; nothing would satisfy her
desire for mastering the intricacies of modern Por-
tuguese annals but a long historical sketch by us
fancifully impromptued. Her heart manifestly
warmed towards us when we gave her the informa-
tion required. Upon the strength of it she led us
into a most uninteresting chapel, and pointed out
the gallery occupied by the nuns during divine
service. As, however, a close grating and a curtain
behind it effectually conceal the spot from eyes
profane, we derived little advantage from her
civility. We hinted and hinted that an introduc-
tion to the prioress would be very acceptable — in
vain ; and when taking heart of grace we openly
asked permission to view the cloisters, which are

OLD GOA AS IT IS. 73

said to be worth seeing, the amiable old soror re-
plied indignantly, that it was utterly impossible.
It struck us forcibly that there was some mystery in
the case, and accordingly determined to hunt it out.

" Did the Sahib tell them that he is an English-
man 1 " asked Salvador, after at least an hour's hesi-
tation, falsification, and prevarication produced by a
palpable desire to evade the subject.

We answered affirmatively, and inquired what
our country had to do with our being refused ad-
mittance ?

" Everything," remarked Salvador. He then pro-
ceeded to establish the truth of his assertion by a
variety of distorted and disjointed fragments of an
adventure, which the labour of our ingenious cross-
questioning managed to put together in the follow-
ing form.

" About ten years ago," said Salvador, " I returned

to Goa with my master, Lieut. , of the —

Regt,, a very clever gentleman, who knew every-
thing. He could talk to each man of a multi-
tude in his own language, and all of them would
appear equally surprised by, and delighted with
hira. Besides, his faith was every man's faith. In
a certain Mussulmanee country he married a girl,
and divorced her a week afterwards. JMoreoAcr, he

E

74 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

chaunted the Koran, and the circumcised dogs con-
sidered him a kind of saint. The Hindoos also
respected him, because he always eat his beef in
secret, spoke religiously of the cow, and had a
devil, {i e., some heathen image) in an inner room.
At Cochin he went to the Jewish place of worship,
and read a large book, just like a priest. Ah ! he
was a clever Sahib that ! he could send away a
rampant and raging creditor playful as a little
goat, and borrow more money from Parsees at less
interest than was ever paid or promised by any
other gentleman in the world.

" At last my master came to Goa, where of course
he became so pious a Christian that he kept a priest
in the house — to perfect him in Portuguese — and
attended mass once a day. And when we went to
see the old city, such were the fervency of his
lamentations over the ruins of the Inquisition, and
the frequency of his dinners to the Padre of Saint
Francis, that the simple old gentleman half canon-
ized him in his heart. But I guessed that some
trick was at hand, when a pattimar, hired for a
month, came and lay off the wharf stairs, close to
where the Sahib is now sitting ; and presently it
appeared that my officer had indeed been cooking
a pretty kettle of fish !

OLD GOA AS IT IS. 75

" My master had been spending his leisure hours
with the Prioress of Santa Monaca, who — good lady
— when informed by him that his sister, a young
English girl, was only waiting till a good comfort-
able quiet nunnery could be found for her, not
only showed her new friend about the cloisters and
dormitories, but even introduced him to some of the
nuns. Edifying it must have been to see his meek
countenance as he detailed to the Madres his well-
digested plans for the future welfare of that apo-
cryphal little child, accompanied with a thousand
queries concerning the style of living, the moral
and religious education, the order and the discipline
of the convent. The Prioress desired nothing more
than to have an English girl in her house — ex-
cept, perhaps, the monthly allowance of a hundred
rupees which the affectionate brother insisted upon
making to her.

" You must know. Sahib, that the madres are,
generally speaking, by no means good-looking.
They wear ugly white clothes, and cut their hair
short, like a man's. But, the Latin professor — "

" The who 1 "

" The Latin professor, who taught the novices
and the younger nuns learning, was a very pretty
white girl, with large black eyes, a modest smile,

E 2

76 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

and a darling of a figure. As soon as I saw that
Latin professor's face, I understood the whole nature
and disposition of the affair.

" My master at first met with some difiicultj,
because the professor did not dare to look at him,
and, besides, was always accompanied by an elder
sister."

" Then, how did he manage ? "

" Hush, sir, for Santa Maria's sake ; here comes
the priest of Bom Jesus, to return the Sahib's
call."

RETURN TO PANJIM. 77

CHAPTER V.

RETURN TO PANJIM.

Once more the canoe received us under its
canopy, and the boatmen's oars, plunging into the
blue wave, sounded an adieu to old Goa. After
the last long look, with which the departing
vagrant contemplates a spot where he has spent
a happy day or two, we mentally reverted to the
adventure of the Latin professor, and made all
preparations for hearing it to the end.

" Well, Sahib," resumed Salvador, " I told you
that my master's known skill in such matters was
at first baffled by the professor's bashfulness, and
the presence of a grim-looking sister. But he was
not a man to be daunted by difficulties : in fact,
he became only the more ardent in the pursuit.
By dint of labour and perseverance, he succeeded
in bringing the lady to look at him, and being
rather a comely gentleman, that was a considerable

78 GO A AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

point gained. Presently her eternal blushings gave
way, though occasionally one would pass over her
fair face when my master's eyes lingered a little too
long there : the next step in advance was the selec-
tion of an aged sister, who, being half blind with
conning over her breviary, and deaf as a dead
donkey, made a very suitable escort."

" Pray, how did you learn all these particu-
lars ? "

" Ah, Sahib," replied Salvador, " my master be-
came communicative enough when he wanted my
services, and during the trip which we afterwards
made down the coast.

" I was now put forward in the plot. After two
days spent in lecturing me as carefully as a young
girl is primed for her first confession, I was sent up
to the nunnery with a bundle of lies upon my
tongue, and a fatal necessity for telling them under
pain of many kicks. I did it, but my repentance
has been sincere, so may the Virgin forgive me ! "
ejaculated Salvador, with fervent piety, crossing
himself at the same time.

" And, Sahib, I also carried a present of some
Cognac — called European medicine — to the prioress,
and sundry similar little gifts to the other officials, not
excepting the Latin professor. To her, I presented

RETURN TO PANJIM. 79

a nosegay, containing a little pink note, whose
corner just peeped out of the chambeli '''' blossoms.
With fear and trembling I delivered it, and was
overjoyed to see her presently slip out of the room.
She returned in time to hear me tell the prioress that
my master was too ill to wait upon them that day,
and by the young nun's earnest look as she awaited
my answer to the superior's question concerning the
nature of the complaint, I concluded that the poor
thing was in a fair way for perdition. My reply
relieved their anxiety. Immediately afterwards
their curiosity came into play. A thousand ques-
tions poured down upon me, like the pitiless pelting
of a monsoon rain. My master's birth, parentage,
education, profession, travels, rank, age, fortune,
religion, and prospects, were demanded and re-
demanded, answered and re-answered, till my brain
felt tired. According to instructions, I enlarged
upon his gallantry in action, his chastity and
temperance, his love for his sister, and his sincere
devotion to the Roman Catholic faith."

" A pretty specimen of a rascal you proved your-
self, then ! "

" What could I do. Sahib 1 " said Salvador, with
a hopeless shrug of the shoulders, and an expression

* The large flowered jessamine.

80 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

of profound melancholy. " ]\Ij master never failed
to find out a secret, and had I deceived him — "

" Well ! "

" Mj allusion to the sister provoked another out-
burst of inquisitiveness. On this subject, also, I
satisfied them by a delightful description of the dear
little creature, whose beauty attracted, juvenile
piety edified, and large fortune enchanted every one.
The eyes of the old prioress glistened from behind
her huge cheeks, as I dwelt upon the latter part of
the theme especially : but I remarked the Latin
professor was so little interested by it, that she had
left the room. When she returned, a book, bound
in dirty white parchment, with some huge letters
painted on the back of the binding, was handed
over to me for transmission to my master ; who, it
appears, had been very anxious to edify his mind
by perusing the life of the holy Saint Augustine.

" After at least three hours spent in perpetual
conversation, and the occasional discussion of mango
cheese, I was allowed to depart, laden with messages,
amidst a shower of benedictions upon my master's
head, prayers for his instant recovery, and anticipa-
tions of much pleasure in meeting him.

" I should talk till we got to Calicut, Sahib, if
I were to detail to you the adventures of the

RETURN TO PAN JIM. 81

ensuing fortnight. My master passed two nights
in the cloisters— not praying, I suppose; the days
he spent in conversation with the prioress and sub-
prioress, two holy personages who looked rather like
Guzerat apes than mortal women. At the end of
the third week a swift-sailing pattimar made its
appearance.

" I was present when my master took leave of
the Superior, and an affecting sight it was ; the
fervour with which he kissed the hand of his
' second mother,' his ' own dear sister's future pro-
tectress/ How often he promised to return from
Bombay, immediately that the necessary prepara-
tions were made ! how carefully he noted down the
many little commissions entrusted to him ! And,
how naturally his eyes moistened as, receiving the
benediction, he withdrew from the presence of the
reverend ladies !

" But that same pattimar was never intended for
Bombay ; I knew that !

" My master and I immediately packed up every-
thing. Before sunset all the baggage and servants
were sent on board, with the exception of myself,
who was ordered to sit under the trees on the side
of the wharf, and an Affghan scoundrel, who went
out walking with the Sahib about eleven o'clock

E 5

82 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

that night. The two started, in native dresses,
with their turbans concealing all but the parts
about their eyes ; both carried naked knives, long
and bright enough to make one shake with fear,
tucked under their arms, with dark lanterns in
their hands. My master's face — as usual when he
went upon such expeditions — was blackened, and
with all respect, speaking in your presence, I never
saw an English gentleman look more like a Mussul-
man thief ! "

" But why make such preparations against a house
full of unprotected women "? "

" Because, Sahib," replied Salvador, " at night
there are always some men about the nunnery.
The knives, however, were only in case of an acci-
dent ; for, as I afterwards learned, the Latin pro-
fessor had mixed up a little datura * seed with the
tobacco served out to the guards that evening.

" A little after midnight I felt a kick, and awoke.
Two men hurried me on board the pattimar, which
had weighed anchor as the clock struck twelve.
Putting out her sweeps she glided down the Rio
swiftly and noiselessly.

" When the drowsiness of sleep left my eyelids I
observed that the two men were my master and
* The Datura stramonium, a powerful narcotic.

RETURN TO PANJIM. 83

that ruffian Khucladad. I dared not, however, ask
any questions, as they both looked fierce as wounded
tigers, though the Sahib could not help occasion-
ally showing a kind of smile. They went to the
head of the boat, and engaged in deep conversa-
tion, through the medium of some tongue to me
unknown ; and it was not before we had passed
under the guns of the Castello, and were dancing
merrily over the blue water, that my officer retired
to his bed.

" And what became of the Latin professor 1 "
" The Sahib shall hear presently. In the morn-
ing I was called up for examination, but my inno-
cence bore me through that trial safely. My master
naturally enough suspected me of having played
him some trick. The impression, however, soon
wore off, and I was favoured with the following
detail of his night's adventure.

" Exactly as the bell struck twelve, my Sahib and
his cut-throat had taken their stand outside the
little door leading into the back-garden. According
to agreement previously made, one of them began
to bark like a jackal, while the other responded
regularly with the barking of a watch-dog. After
some minutes spent in this exercise they care-
fully opened the door with a false key, stole

84 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

through the cloisters, having previously forced the
lock of the grating with their daggers, and made
their way towards the room where the Latin profes-
sor slept. But my master, in the hurry of the
moment, took the wrong turning, and found himself
in the chamber of the sub- prioress, whose sleeping
form was instantly raised, embraced, and borne off
in triumph by the exulting Khudadad.

" My officer lingered for a few minutes to ascertain
that all was right. He then crept out of the room,
closed the door outside, passed through the garden,
carefully locked the gate, whose key he threw away,
and ran towards the place where he had appointed
to meet Khudadad, and his lovely burthen. But
imagine his horror and disgust when, instead of the
expected large black eyes and the pretty little rose-
bud of a mouth, a pair of rolling yellow balls
glared fearfully in his face, and two big black lips,
at first shut with terror, began to shout and scream
and abuse him with all their might.

'•' ' Khudadad, we have eaten filth,' said my master,
' how are we to lay this she-devil 1 '

"• ' Cut her throat V replied the ruffian.

" ' No, that won't do. Pinion her arms, gag her
with your handkerchief, and leave her — we must
be off instantly.'

RETURN TO PANJIM. 85

" So tliey came on board, and we set sail as I
recounted to your honour."

" But why didn't your master, when he found out
his mistake, return for the Latin professor V

" Have I not told the Sahib that the key of the
garden-gate had been thrown away, the walls can-
not be scaled, and all the doors are bolted and
barred every night as carefully as if a thousand
prisoners were behind them ?"

The population of Goa is composed of three
heterogeneous elements, namely, pure Portuguese,
black Christians, and the heathenry. A short descrip-
tion of each order will, perhaps, be acceptable to
the reader.

The European portion of Goanese society may
be subdivided into two distinct parts — the officials,
who visit India on their tour of service, and the
white families settled in the country. The former
must leave Portugal for three years ; and if in the
army get a step by so doing. At the same time as,
unlike ourselves, they derive no increase of pay
from the expatriation, their retura home is looked
forward to with great impatience. Their existence
in the East must be one of endurance. They com-
plain bitterly of their want of friends, the dis-

86 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

agreeable state of society, and the dull stagnant
.life they are compelled to lead. They despise their
dark brethren, and consider them uncouth in man-
ner, destitute of usage in society, and deficient in
honour, courage,""' and manliness. The despised
retort by asserting that the white Portuguese are
licentious, ill-informed, haughty, and reserved. No
better proof of how utterly the attempt to pro-
mote cordiality between the European and the
Asiatic by a system of intermarriage and equality
of rights has failed in practice can be adduced, than
the utter contempt in which the former holds the
latter at Goa. No Anglo-Indian Nabob sixty years
ago ever thought less of a " nigger " than a Portu-
guese officer now does. But as there is perfect
equality, political f as well as social, between the two
colours, the " whites," though reduced to the level

* The European Portuguese can fight bravely enough, as
many a bloody field in the Peninsular war has testified. Their
Indian descendants, however, have never distinguished them-
selves for that quality.

t Formerly, only the Reinols, as the Portuguese who came
directly from Europe were called, could be viceroys, governors
of Ceylon, archbishops, or grand inquisitors of Goa. Tavernier
tells us that all the adventurers who passed the Cape of Good
Hope forthwith became fidalgos, or gentlemen, and consequently
assumed the title of Don.

RETURN TO PANJIM. 87

of the herd, hold aloof from it ; and the " blacks "
feel able to associate with those who despise them
but do so rarely and unwillingly. Few open signs
of dislike appear to the unpractised observer in
the hollow politeness always paraded whenever the
two parties meet ; but when a Portuguese gentle-
man becomes sufficiently intimate with a stranger
to be communicative, his first political diatribe is
directed against his dark fellow-subjects. We were
assured by a high authority that the native mem-
bers of a court-martial, if preponderating, would
certainly find a European guilty, whether rightly
or wrongly, rCimporte. The same gentleman, when
asked which method of dealing with the natives
he preferred, Albuquerque's or that of Leadenhall
Street, unhesitatingly replied, " the latter, as it is
better to keep one's enemies out of doors." How
like the remark made to Sir A. Burnes by Runjeet
Singh, the crafty old politician of Northern India.

The reader may remember that it was Albu-
querque''' who advocated marriages between the
European settlers and the natives of India. How-

* As that " greatest hero of Portuguese Asia " governed for
the short space of six years a country of which he and all
around him were utterly ignorant, his fatal measure must have
been suggested entirely by theory.

88 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

ever reasonable it might have been to expect the
amalgamation of the races in the persons of their
descendants, experience and stern facts condemn
the measure as a most delusive and treacherous poli-
tical day dream. It has lost the Portuguese almost
everything in Africa as well as Asia. May Heaven
preserve our rulers from following their example !
In our humble opinion, to tolerate it is far too
liberal a measure to be a safe one.

The white families settled in the country were
formerly called Castissos to distinguish them from
Reinols. In appearance there is little difference
between them ; the former are somewhat less robust
than the latter, but both are equally pallid and
sickly-looking — they dress alike, and allow the
beard and mustachios* to grow. This colonist class
is neither a numerous nor an influential one. As
soon as intermarriage with the older settlers takes
place the descendants become Mestici — in plain
English, mongrels. The flattering term is occasion-
ally applied to a white family which has been settled

* If our rulers only knew what the natives of Central
Asia generally think of a " clean shaved" face, the growth of
the mustachio would soon be the subject of a general order.
We doubt much if any shaven race could possibly hold AfF-
ghanistan. In Western Arabia the Turks were more hated
for shaving the beard than for all their flogging and impaling.

RETURN TO PANJIM. 8.0

in the country for more than one generation, " for
although," say the Goanese, " there is no mixture of
blood, still there has been one of air or climate,
which comes to the same thing." Owing to want of
means, the expense of passage, and the unsettled
state of the home country, children are very seldom
sent to Portugal for education. They presently
degenerate, from the slow but sure effects of a
debilitating climate, and its concomitant evils,
inertness, and want of excitement. Habituated
from infancy to utter idleness, and reared up to
consider the far niente their summum honum, they
have neither the will nor the power of active exer-
tion in after years.

There is little wealth among the classes above
described. Rich families are rare, landed property
is by no means valuable ; salaries small ;* and in
so cheap a country as Goa anything beyond 200/. or
300/. a-year would be useless. Entertainments are
not common ; a ball every six months at Govern-
ment House, a few dinner parties, and an occasional

* Compared with those of British India. Probably there
are not three fortunes of 500/. per annum amongst the half
million of souls that own the rule of the successor of the
viceroys. A large family can live most comfortably upon
one-fifth of that sum.

90 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

soiree or nautch, make up the list of gaieties. In
the different little villages where the government
employes reside, once a week there is quadrilling
and waltzing, a I'antique, some flirting, and a great
deal of smoking in the verandah with the ladies,
who are, generally speaking, European. Gambling
is uncommon ; high play unknown. The theatre is
closed as if never to open again. No serenades
float upon the evening gale, the guitarra hangs
dusty and worm-eaten against the wall, and the
cicisheo is known only by name. Intrigue does
not show itself so flauntingly as in Italy, and other
parts of Southern Europe. Scandal, however, is
as plentiful as it always is in a limited circle of
idle society. The stranger who visits Goa, per-
suaded that he is to meet with the freedom of man-
ners and love of pleasure which distinguish the
people of the Continent, will find himself grievously
mistaken. The priesthood is numerous, and still
influential, if not powerful. The fair sex has not
much liberty here, and their natural protectors
are jealous as jailers.

The ancient Portuguese costume de dame, a plain
linen cap, long white waistcoat, with ponderous
rosary slung over it, thick striped and coloured
petticoat, and, out of doors, a huge white, yellow.

RETURN TO PAN JIM. 91

blue, or black calico sheet, muffling the whole figure
— is now confined to the poor — the ladies dress
according to the Parisian fashions. As, however,
steamers and the overland route have hitherto done
little for Goa, there is considerable grotesqueness to
be observed in the garments of the higher as well as
the lower orders. The usual mode of life among
the higher orders is as follows : — They rise early,
take a cold bath, and make a light breakfast at some
time between seven and nine. This is followed
by a dinner, usually at two ; it is a heavy meal
of bread, meat, soup, fish, sweetmeats, and fruits,
all served up at the same time, in admirable con-
fusion. There are two descriptions of wine, in
general use ; the tinto and hranco* both imported
from Portugal. About five in the evening some
take tea and biscuits, after awaking from the siesta
and bathing ; a stroll at sunset is then indulged
in, and the day concludes with a supper of fish,
rice, and curry. Considering the little exercise in
vogue, the quantity of food consumed is wonderful.
The Goanese smoke all day, ladies as well as gen-
tlemen ; but cheroots, cigars, and the hookah are
too expensive to be common. A pinch of Virginia
or Maryland, uncomfortably wrapped up in a dried

* Red and white wine : the latter is the favourite.

92 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

plantain leaf, and called a cannudo, is here the
poor succedaneuni for the charming little cigarita
of Spain. The talented author of a "Peep at
Polynesian Life " assures us, that, " strange as it
may seem, there is nothing in which a young and
beautiful female appears to more advantage than
in the act of smoking." We are positive that
nothing is more shocking than to see a Goanese lady
handling her hiree* except to hear the peculiarly
elaborate way in which she ejects saliva when en-
joying her weed.

The reader who knows anything of India will
at once perceive the difference between English
and Portuguese life in the East. The former is
stormy from perpetual motion, the latter stagnant
with long-continued repose. Our eternal " knock-
ing about" tells upon us sooner or later. A Por-
tuguese lieutenant is often greyheaded before he
gets his company ; whereas some of our captains
have scarcely a hair upon their chins. But the
former eats much and drinks little, smokes a pinch
of tobacco instead of Manillas, marries early, has
a good roof over his head, and, above all things,
knows not what marching and counter-marching
mean. He never rides, seldom shoots, cannot
* The Hindostanee name for the cannudo.

RETURN TO PANJIM. 93

hunt, and ignores mess tiffins and guest nights.
No wonder that he neither receives nor gives pro-
motion.

An entertainment at the house of a Goanese
noble presents a curious contrast to the semi-bar-
barous magnificence of our Anglo-Indian "doings/'
In the one as much money as possible is lavished
in the worst way imaginable ; the other makes all
the display which taste, economy, and regard for
efiect combined produce. The balls given at the
palace are, probably, the prettiest sights of the
kind in Western India. There is a variety of
costumes, which if not individually admirable, make
up an efiective tout ensemble ; even the dark faces,
in uniforms and ball dresses, tend to variegate and
diversify the scene. The bands are better than
the generality of our military musicians, European
as well as Native, and the dancing, such as it is,
much more spirited. For the profusion of refresh-
ments,— the ices, champagne, and second suppers,
which render a Bombay ball so pernicious a thing
in more ways than one, here we look in vain.

The dinner parties resemble the other entertain-
ments in economy and taste ; the table is decorated,
as in Italy, with handsome China vases, containing
bouquets, fruits, and sweetmeats, which remain there

94 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

all the time. Amongst the higher classes the cook-
ery is all in the modified French style common
to the South of Europe. The wines are the white
and red vins ordinaires of Portugal ; sometimes a
bottle of port, or a little bitter beer from Bombay,
are placed upon the table. The great annoyance
of every grand dinner is the long succession of
speeches which concludes it. A most wearisome
recreation it is, certainly, when people have nothing
to do but to propose each other's healths in long
orations, garnished with as many facetious or flat-
tering platitudes as possible. After each speech
all rise up, and with loud " vivas" wave their
glasses, and drain a few drops in honour of the
accomplished cahallero last lauded. The language
used is Portuguese ; on the rare occasions when the
person addressed or alluded to is a stranger, then,
probably, Lusitanian French will make its appear-
ance. We modestly suggest to any reader who may
find himself in such predicament the advisability
of imitating our example.

On one occasion after enduring half an hour's
encomium delivered in a semi-intelligible dialect of
Parisian, we rose to return thanks, and for that
purpose selecting the English language, we launched
into that inexhaustible theme for declamation, the

RETURN TO PANJIM. 95

glories of the Portuguese eastern empire, begin-
ning at De Gama, and ending with his Excellency
the Governor-General of all the Indies, who was
sitting hard by. It is needless to say that our
oratory excited much admiration, the more, perhaps,
as no one understood it. The happiest results en-
sued— during our stay at Goa we never were urged
to address the company again.

96 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER YL

THE POPULATION OF PANJIM.

The black Christians, like the whites, may be
subdivided into two orders ; first, the converted
Hindoos ; secondly, the mixed breed of European
and Indian blood. Moreover, these latter have an-
other distinction, being either Brahman Christians,
as they ridiculously term themselves, on account
of their descent from the Hindoo pontifical caste, or
common ones. The only perceptible difierence be-
tween them is, we believe, a moral one ; the former
are justly renowned for extraordinary deceitfulness
and treachery. They consider themselves superior to
the latter in point of dignity, and anciently enjoyed
some peculiar privileges, such as the right of belong-
ing to the orders of the Theatins, or regular clerks,
and Saint Philip Nerius.* But in manners, appear-

* Goez, who travelled in India about 1650, says that he
was surprised to see the image of a black saint on the altars,

POPULATION OF PAN JIM. 97

ance, customs, and education, thej exactly resemble
the mass of the community.

The Mestici, or mixed breed, composes the great
mass of society at Goa ; it includes all classes, from
the cook to the government official. In 1835 one
of them rose to the highest post of dignity, but his
political career was curt and remarkably unsuc-
cessful. Some half-castes travel in Europe, a great
many migrate to Bombay for service and commerce'
but the major part stays at Goa to stock professions,
and support the honour of the family. It would be,
we believe, difficult to find in Asia an uglier or more
degraded looking race than that which we are now
describing. The forehead is low and flat, the eyes
small, quick, and restless ; there is a mixture of
sensuality and cunning about the region of the
mouth, and a development of the lower part of the
face which are truly unprepossessing, not to say
revolting. Their figures are short and small, with
concave chests, the usual calfless Indian leg, and a
remarkable want of muscularity. In personal at-
tractions the fair sex is little superior to the other.
During the whole period of our stay at Goa we

and to hear that a black native was not thought worthy to
be a " religious" in this life, though liable to be canonized
when he departs it.

98 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

scarcely ever saw a pretty half-caste girl. At the
same time we must confess that it is difficult to
pronounce judgment upon this point, as women of
good mixed family do not appear before casual
visitors. And this is of course deemed a sign of
superior modesty and chastity, for the black Chris-
tians, Asiatically enough, believe it impossible for a
female to converse with a strange man and yet be
virtuous. The dark ladies affect the old Portuguese
costume, described in the preceding chapter ; a few
of the wealthiest dress like Europeans. Their
education is purposely neglected — a little reading
of their vernacular tongue, with the Ave and other
prayers in general use, dancing, embroidery, and
making sweetmeats,* are considered satis super que
in the way of accomplishments. Of late years, a
girls' school has been established by order of govern-
ment at Panjim, but a single place of the kind is
scarcely likely to affect the mass of the community.
The life led by the fair sex at Goa must be, one
would think, a dull one. Domestic occupations,

* Bernier, the traveller, in 1655 remarks, that " Bengala
is the place for good comfits, especially in those places where
the Portuguese are, who are dexterous in making them, and
drive a great trade with them." In this one point their de-
scendants have not degenerated.

POPULATION OF PANJIM. 90

smoking, a little visiting, and going to church, espe-
cially on the jerie, or festivals, lying in bed, sitting en
deshabille, riding about in a mancheel, and an occa-
sional dance — such are the blunt weapons with
which they attack Time. They marry early, begin
to have a family probably at thirteen, are old women
at twenty-two, and decrepit at thirty-five. Like
Indians generally, they appear to be defective in
amativeness, abundant in philoprogenitiveness, and
therefore not much addicted to intrigues. At the
same time we must record the fact, that the present
archbishop has been obliged to issue an order for-
bidding nocturnal processions, which, as they were
always crowded with lady devotees, gave rise to
certain obstinate scandals.

The mongrel men dress as Europeans, but the
quantity of clothing diminishes with the wearer's
rank. Some of the lower orders, especially in the
country, affect a full-dress costume, consisting in
toto, of a cloth jacket and black silk knee breeches.
Even the highest almost always wear coloured
clothes, as, by so doing, the washerman is less re-
quired. They are intolerably dirty and disagree-
able : — verily cleanliness ought to be made an article
of faith in the East. They are fond of spirituous
liquors, and seldom drink, except honestly for the

100 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

purpose of intoxication. As regards living, they
follow the example of their white fellow-subjects in
all points, except that they eat more rice and less
meat. Their characters may be briefly described as
passionate and cowardly, jealous and revengeful,
with more of the vices than the virtues belonging to
the two races from which they are descended. In
early youth, especially before arriving at years of
puberty, they evince a remarkable acuteness of
mind, and facility in acquiring knowledge. They
are equally quick at learning languages, and the
lower branches of mathematical study, but they
seem unable to obtain any results from their acquire-
ments. Goa cannot boast of ever having produced
a single eminent literato, or even a second-rate poet.
To sum up in a few words, the mental and bodily
development of this class are remarkable only as
being a strange melange of European and Asiatic
peculiarities, of antiquated civilization and modern
barbarism.

We before alluded to the deep-rooted antipathy
between the black and the white population : the
feeling of the former towards an Englishman is one
of dislike not unmingled with fear. Should Por-
tugal ever doom her now worse than useless colony
to form part payment of her debts, their fate would

POPULATION 0*' i^ANJlM. lOl

be rather a hard one. Considering the wide spread
of perhaps too liberal opinions concerning the race
quaintly designated as " God's images carved in
ebony/' they might fare respectably as regards public
estimation, but scarcely well enough to satisfy their
inordinate ambition. It is sufficiently amusing to
hear a young gentleman, whose appearance, man-
ners, and colour fit him admirably to become a
band-boy to some Sepoy corps, talk of visiting
Bombay, with letters of introduction to the Governor
and Commander-in-chief. Still more diverting it is
when you know that the same character would in-
variably deduct a perquisite from the rent of any
house he may have procured, or boat hired for a
stranger. Yet at the same time it is hard for a
man who speaks a little English, French, Latin, and
Portuguese to become the lower clerk of some office
on the paltry pay of 70/. per annum; nor is it
agreeable for an individual who has just finished
his course of mathematics, medicine, and philosophy
to sink into the lowly position of an assistant
apothecary in the hospital of a native regiment.
No wonder that the black Indo-Portuguese is an
utter radical ; he has gained much by Constitution,
the " dwarfish demon " which sets everybody by the
ears at Goa. Hence it is that he will take the first

102 'GOA -AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

opportunity in conversation witli a foreigner to
extol Lusitanian liberty to the skies, abuse English
tyranny over, and insolence to, their unhappy Indian
subjects, and descant delightedly upon the proba-
bility of an immediate crash in our Eastern empire.
And, as might be expected, although poverty sends
forth thousands of black Portuguese to earn money
in foreign lands, they prefer the smallest compe-
tence at home, where equality allows them to in-
dulge in a favourite independence of manner utterly
at variance with our Anglo-Indian notions concern-
ing the proper demeanour of a native towards a
European.

The native Christian is originally a converted
Hindoo, usually of the lowest castes ; * and though
he has changed for centuries his manners, dress, and
religion, he retains to a wonderful extent the ideas,
prejudices, and superstitions of his ancient state.
The learned griff. Bishop Heber, in theorizing upon
the probable complexion of our First Father, makes a
remark about these people, so curiously erroneous,
that it deserves to be mentioned. " The Portuguese
have, during a three hundred years' residence in
India, become as black as Caffres ; surely this goes

* Many tribes, however, are found among them. Some
have African features.

POPULATION OF PAN JIM. 103

far to disprove the assertion which is sometimes
made, that climate alone is insufEcient to account
for the difference between the Negro and the
European." Climate in this case had nothing what-
ever to do with the change of colour. And if it
had, we might instance as an argument against the
universality of such atmospheric action, the Parsee,
who, though he has been settled in the tropical
lands of India for more than double three hundred
years, is still, in appearance, complexion, voice, and
manners, as complete an Iranian as when he first
fled from his native mountains. But this is par
parenthese.

The native Christians of Goa always shave the
head; they cultivate an apology for. a whisker, but
never allow the beard or mustachios to grow. Their
dress is scanty in the extreme, often consisting only
of a dirty rag, worn about the waist, and their
ornaments, a string of beads round the neck. The
women are equally badly clothed : the single long
piece of cotton, called in India a saree, is their
whole attire,* consequently the bosom is unsup-
ported and uncovered. This race is decidedly the
lowest in the scale of civilized humanity we have

* Without the cholee or bodice worn by Hindoo and
Moslem women in India.

104 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

yet seen. In appearance they are short, heavy,
meagre, and very dark ; their features are uncomely
in the extreme ; they are dirtier than Pariahs, and
abound in cutaneous diseases. They live princi-
pally on fish and rice, with pork and fruit when
they can afford such luxuries. Meat as well
as bread* is holiday diet ; clarified butter, rice,
water, curry, and cocoa-nut milk are every-day
food.

These people are said to be short lived, the result
of hard labour, early marriages, and innutritions
food. We scarcely ever saw a man that looked
fifty. In disposition they resemble the half-castes,
but they are even more deficient in spirit, and
quarrelsome withal, than their " whitey-brown "
brethren. All their knowledge is religious, and
consists only of a few prayers in corrupt ]\Iaharatta,
taught them by their parents or the priest ; these
they carefully repeat three times per diem — at
dawn, in the afternoon, and before retiring to rest.
Loudness of voice and a very Puritanical snuffle
being sine qua nons in their devotional exercises,
the neighbourhood of a pious family is anything

* Leavened bread is much better made here than in any other
part of Western India ; moreover, it is eaten by all those who
can afford it.

POPULATION OF PAN JIM. 105

but pleasant. Their superiority to the heathen
around them consists in eating pork, drinking toddy
to excess, shaviiig the face, never washing, and a
conviction that they are going to paradise, whereas
all other religionists are emphatically not. They
are employed as sepoys, porters, fishermen, seamen,
labourers, mancheel bearers, workmen and servants,
and their improvident indolence renders the neces-
sity of hard labour at times imperative. The car-
penters, farriers, and other trades, not only ask an
exorbitant sum for working, but also, instead of
waiting on the employer, scarcely ever fail to keep
him waiting for them. For instance, on Monday
you wanted a farrier, and sent for him. He politely
replied that he was occupied at that moment, but
would call at his earliest convenience. This, if you
keep up a running fire of messages, will probably be
about the next Saturday.

The visitor will not find at Goa that number and
variety of heathen castes which bewilder his mind
at Bombay. The capital of Portuguese India now
stands so low amongst the cities of Asia that few or
no inducements are ofi'ered to the merchant and the
trader, who formerly crowded her ports. The Turk,
the Arab, and the Persian have left them for a
wealthier mart, and the only strangers are a few

p 5

106 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Englishmen, who pass through the place to visit its
monuments of antiquity.

The Moslem population at Panjim scarcely
amounts to a thousand. They have no place of
worship, although their religion is now, like all
others, tolerated.""' The distinctive mark of the
Faithful is the long beard. They appear superior
beings by the side of the degenerate native Christians.
Next to the Christians, the Hindoos are the most
numerous portion of the community. They are
held in the highest possible esteem and consider-
ation, and no office unconnected with religion is
closed to them. This fact may account for the
admirable ease and freedom of manner prevalent
amongst them. The Gentoo will enter your room
with his slippers on, sit down after shaking hands
as if the action were a matter of course, chew his
betel, and squirt the scarlet juice all over the floor,
in a word, make himself as ofiensive as you can
conceive. But at Goa all men are equal. More-
over, the heathens may be seen in Christian
churches,t with covered feet, pointing at, putting

* Anciently, neither Moslem nor Jew could, under pain of
death, publicly perform the rites of his religion in any Indo-
Portuguese settlement.

+ At the same time we were not allowed to pass the thresh-
old of the little pagoda to the southward of the town.

POPULATION OF PANJIM. 107

questions concerning, and criticising tlie images
with the same quite-at-home nonchalance with
which thej would wander through the porticoes of
Dwarka or the pagodas of Aboo. And these men^s
fathers, in the good old times of Goa, were not
allowed even to burn their dead "' in the land !

In appearance the Hindoos are of a fair, or rather
a light yellow complexion. Some of the women
are by no means deficient in personal charms, and
the men generally surpass in size and strength the
present descendants of the Portuguese heroes. They
wear the mustachio, but not the beard, and dress in
the long cotton coat, with the cloth wound round
the waist, very much the same as in Bombay. The
head, however, is usually covered with a small red
velvet skullcap, instead of a turban. The female
attire is the saree, with the long-armed bodice
beneath it ; their ornaments are numerous ; and
their caste is denoted by a round spot of kunkun, or
vermilion, upon the forehead between the eyebrows.

As usual among Hindoos, the pagans at Goa are
divided into a number of sub-castes. In the Brah-

* Tavernier says of them, " the natives of the country called
Canarins are not permitted to bear any office but only in refer-
ence to the law, i. e., as solicitors, advocates, and scriveners.
If a Canarin happened to strike a European, his hand was
amputated."

108 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

man we find two great subdivisions, the Sashteekar,
or inhabitants of Salsette, and the Bardeskar, or
people of Bardes. The former is confessedly supe-
rior to the latter. Both families will eat together,
but they do not intermarry. Besides these two,
there are a few of the Chitpawan, Sinart, Kararee
and Waishnau castes of the pontifical order.

The Brahmans always wear the tika, or sectarian
mark, perpendicularly, to distinguish them from the
Sonars, or Goldsmiths, who place it horizontally on
the forehead. They are but superficially educated,
as few of them know Sanscrit, and these few not
well. All read and write Maharatta fluently, but
they speak the inharmonious Concanee dialect.

Next to the Brahmans, and resembling them in
personal appearance, are the Banyans, or traders.
They seem to be a very thriving portion of the
population, and live in great comfort, if not luxury.

The Shudra, or servile class of Hindoos, is, of
course, by far the most numerous ; it contains many
varieties, such as Bhandan (toddy-makers), Koonbee
(potters), Hajjam (barbers), &c.

Of mixed castes we find the goldsmith, who is
descended from a Brahman father and servile
mother, and the Kunchanee, or Erut^'/], whose mater-
nal parent is always a Maharatta woman, whatever

POPULATION OF PANJIM. 109

the other progenitor may chance to be. The out-
casts are principally Chamars, or tanners, and Par-
wars (Pariahs).

These Hindoos very rarely become Christians,
now that fire and steel, the dungeon and the rack,
the rice-pot and the rupee, are not allowed to
play the persuasive part in the good work formerly
assigned to them. Indeed, we think that conver-
sion of the heathen is almost more common in
British than in Portuguese India, the natural result
of our being able to pay the proselytes more liber-
ally. When such an event does occur at Goa, it is
celebrated at a church in the north side of the
creek, opposite Panjim, with all the pomp and cere-
mony due to the importance of spoiling a good
Gentoo by making a bad Christian of him.

We were amused to witness on one occasion a
proof of the high importance attached to Hindoo
opinion in this part of the world. Outside the
church of St. Agnes, in a little chapel, stood one of
the lowest orders of black priests, lecturing a host of
naked, squatting, smoking, and chattering auditors.
Curiosity induced us to venture nearer, and we then
discovered that the theme was a rather imaginative
account of the birth and life of the Redeemer.
Presently a group of loitering Gentoos, who had

110 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

been strolling about the church, came up and stood
bj our side.

The effect of their appearance upon his Reverence's
discourse was remarkable, as may be judged from
the peroration, which was very much in these
words : —

" You must remember, sons, that the avatar, or
incarnation of your blessed Lord, was in the form
of a rajah, who ruled millions of men. He was
truly great and powerful; he rode the largest
elephant ever trapped ; he smoked a hookah of
gold, and when he went to war he led an army the
like of which for courage, numbers, and weapons
was never seen before. He would have conquered
the whole world, from Portugal to China, had he
not been restrained by humility. But, on the last
day, when he shall appear even in greater state
than before, he will lead us his people to most
glorious and universal victory."

When the sermon concluded, and the listeners
had wandered away in different directions, we
walked up to his Reverence and asked him if he
had ever read the Gospel.

" Of course."

POPULATION OF PAN JIM. Ill

" Then where did you find the historical picture
you so graphically drew just now about the rajah-
ship V'

" Where 1 " said the fellow, grinning and pointing
to his forehead : " here, to be sure. Didn't you
see those Gentoos standing by and listening to every
word I was saying 'i A pretty thing it would have
been to see the pagans laughing and sneering at us
Christians because the Founder of our Blessed Faith
was the son of a Burhaee." ^'

Such reasoning was conclusive.

If our memory serve us aright, there is a story
somewhat like the preceding in the pages of the
Abbe Dubois. Such things we presume must con-
stantly be taking place in different parts of India.
On one occasion we saw an unmistakable Lakhshmi f
borne in procession amongst Christian images, and,
if history be trusted, formerly it was common to
carry as many Hindoo deities as European saints in
the palanquins. On the other hand, many a Gentoo
has worn a crucifix for years, with firm faith in the
religious efficacy of the act, yet utterly ignorant of
the nature of the symbol he was bearing, and we
have ourselves written many and many a charm for

* A carpenter, one of the lowest castes amongst Hindoos,
t The Hindoo goddess of plenty and prosperity.

112 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

ladies desirous of becoming prolific, or matrons
fearful of the evil eje being cast upon their off-
spring.

On our return from old Goa to Panjim we visited
an establishment, which may be considered rather a
peculiar one. It is called the Gaza de Misericordia,
and contains some forty or fifty young ladies, for
the most part orphans, of all colours, classes, and
ages. They are educated by nuns, under the direc-
tion of a superior and a committee, and when
grown up, remain in the house till they receive and
accept suitable offers of marriage.

Hearing that it was not unusual to propose one-
self as a suitor; with a view of inspecting the curio-
sities of the establishment, we repaired to the Gaza,
and were politely received by the old lady at the
gate. After showing us over the chapel and other
public portions of the edifice, she perceived that we
had some other object, and presently discovered
that we were desirous of playing the part of Gce-
lebs in search of a wife. Thereupon she referred
us to another and more dignified relic of antiquity,
who, after a long and narrow look at our outward
man, proceeded to catechise us in the following
manner.

POPULATION OF PANJIM. 113

" You say, seiior, that you want a wife ; what
may be your name 1 "

" Peter Smith."

" Your religion 1 "

" The Christian, senora."

" Your profession ? "

" An ensign in H. E. I. Company's Navy.

Not satisfied with such authentic details, the
inquisitive old lady began a regular system of cross-
questioning, and so diligently did she pursue it,
that we had some difficulty to prevent contradict-
ing ourselves. At length, when she had, as she
supposed, thoroughly mastered the subject, she re-
quested us to step into a corridor, and to dispose of
ourselves upon a three-legged stool. This we did,
leaning gracefully against the whitewashed wall, and
looking stedfastly at the open grating. Presently,
a wrinkled old countenance, with a skin more like a
walnut's than a woman's, peered through the bars,
grinned at us, and disappeared. Then came half-a-
dozen juveniles, at the very least, tittering and
whispering most diligently, all of which we endured
with stoical firmness, feeling that the end of such
things was approaching.

At last, a sixteen-year old face gradually
drew within sight from behind the bars. That

114 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

was clearly one of the young ladies. Now for
it.—

" Good day, and my respects to you, seuorita ! "

" The same to you, sir."

Hem ! It is rather a terrible thing to make love
under such circumstances. The draw upon one's
imagination in order to open the dialogue, is alone
suflacient to frighten Cupid out of the field. It
was impossible to talk of the weather, in that
country where it burns, deluges, and chills with
the regularity of clock-work. So we plunged at
once m medias res.

" Should you like to be married, senorita ? "

" Yes, very much, seiior."

" And why, if you would satisfy my curiosity ? "

" I don't know."

Equally unsatisfactory was the rest of the con-
versation. So we bowed politely, rose from our
three-legged stool, and determined to seek an inter-
view with the Superior. Our request was at last
granted, and we found a personage admirably
adapted, in point of appearance, to play dragon
over the treasures committed to her charge. She
had a face which reminded us exactly of a white
horse, a body answerable, and manners decidedly
repulsive. However, she did not spare her tongue.

POPULATION OF PAN JIM. 115

She informed us that there were twelve marriage-
able yoimg ladies tlien in the establishment, named
them, and minutely described their birth, parent-
age, education, mental and physiological develop-
ment. She also informed us that they would re-
ceive a dowry from the funds of the house, which,
on further inquiry, proved to be the sum of ten
pounds.

At length we thought there was an opportunity
to put in a few words about our grievance — how
we had been placed on a three-legged stool before
a grating — exposed to the inquisitiveness of the
seniors, and subjected to the ridicule of the junior
part of the community. We concluded with a
modest hint that we should like to be admitted
within, and be allowed a little conversation with
the twelve marriageable young ladies to whom she
had alluded.

The old lady suddenly became majestic.

" Before you are admitted to such a privilege,
senor, you must be kind enough to address an
official letter to the mesa, or board, explaining your
intentions, and requesting the desired permission.
We are people under government, and do not
keep a naughty house. Do you understand me,
senor 1 "

116 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

" Perfectly, madam."

Upon which we arose, scraped the ground thrice,
with all the laboriousness of Indo-Portuguese polite-
ness, promised compliance in our best phraseology,
and rapidly disappeared, resolving never to near the
Caza de Misericordia again.

SERODA. 117

CHAPTER VIL

SERODA.

After an unusually protracted term of isolation
and friendlessness, we were agreeably surprised by

meeting Lieutenants L and T , walking

in their shooting-jackets, somewhat slowly and dis-
consolately, down the dusty wharf of New Goa.

It is, we may here observe, by no means easy for
a stranger — especially if he be an Englishman —
to get into Goanese society : more difficult still to
amuse himself when admitted. His mother tongue
and Hindostanee will not be sufficient for him.
French, at least, or, what is more useful, Portuguese
should be well understood, if not fluently spoken.
As the generality of visitors pass merely a few days
at Panjim, call at the palace, have a card on the
secretary, rush to the ruins, and then depart, they
expect and receive little attention. There are no
messes to invite them to — no public amusements

118 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

or places of resort, and private families do not easily
open their doors. Besides, as might be expected,
the Goanese have occasionally suiFered severely from
individuals terming themselves " British Officers."
It were well too, had the offenders been always of
the male sex : unfortunately for our national repu-
tation, such is by no means the case. However,
a stranger may be sure that with his commission,
some knowledge of languages, and any letter of
introduction, he will be most hospitably received in
society, such as it is.

The unlearned in such matters may be disposed
to inquire whether there are no resident English-
men at Goa.

Certainly, there are a few ; but they are, gene-
rally speaking, of that class who have made Bombay
too hot for them. Once in the Portuguese territory,
they may laugh at the bailiff, and fearlessly meet
the indignant creditor. The cheapness of the
locality is, to certain characters, another induce-
ment ; so that, on the whole, it is by no means
safe to become acquainted with any compatriot one
may chance to meet at Goa.

Now it so happened that all three of us had been
reading and digesting a rich account of Seroda,

SERODA. 119

which had just appeared in one of the English
periodicals. We remembered glowing descriptions
of a village, inhabited by beautiful Bayaderes,
governed by a lady of the same class — Eastern
Amazons, who permitted none of the rougher sex
to dwell beneath the shadow of their roof-trees —
high caste maidens, who, having been compelled to
eat beef by the " tyrannical Portuguese in the olden
time," had forfeited the blessings of Hindooism,
without acquiring those of Christianity, — lovely
patriots, whom no filthy lucre could induce to quit
their peaceful homes : with many and many et-
ceteras, equally enchanting to novelty-hunters and
excitement-mongers.

We unanimously resolved to visit, without loss
of time, a spot so deservedly renowned. Having
been informed by our old friend John Thomas, that
we should find everything in the best style at
Seroda, we hired a canoe, cursorily put up a few
cigars, a change of raiment, and a bottle of Cognac
to keep out the cold ; and, a little after sunset,
we started for our Fool's Paradise.

Our course lay towards the south-east. After
about an hour's rowing along the coast, we en-
tered a narrow channel, formed by the sea and
innumerable little streams that descend towards

120 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the main, winding tlirough a dense mass of bright
green underwood. It was a lovely night, but the
thick dew soon compelled us to retreat under the
mats destined to defend our recumbent forms. The
four boatmen that composed the crew must have
been sadly addicted to sleeping on duty, for,
although the distance was only fifteen miles, the
sun appeared high in the heavens next morning
before we arrived at the landing-place. A guide
was soon procured, and under his direction we
toiled up two miles of a steep and rocky path,
through a succession of cocoa groves, and a few
parched-up fields scattered here and there, till at
last we saw, deep in a long narrow hollow, sur-
rounded by high hills, the bourne of our pilgrim-
age.

The appearance of Seroda is intensely that of
a Hindoo town. Houses, pagodas, tombs, tanks,
with lofty parapets, and huge flights of steps, peepul
trees, and bazaars, are massed together in chaotic
confusion. No such things as streets, lanes, or
alleys exist. Your walk is invariably stopped at
the end of every dozen steps by some impediment,
as a loose wall, or a deep drop, passable only to the
well practised denizens of the place. The town is
dirty in the extreme, and must be fearfully hot

SERODA. 121

in summer, as it is screened on all sides from the
wind. The houses are raised one story above the
ground, and built solidly of stone and mortar :
as there is no attempt at order or regularity, tlieir
substantial appearance adds much to the strangeness
of the coup d'oeil.

To resume our personal adventures. Descending
the slope which leads through the main gate we
wandered about utterly at a loss what to do, or
where to go, till a half-naked sample of the Hindoo
male animal politely offered to provide us with a
lodging. Our hearts felt sad at witnessing this prac-
tical proof of the presence of ?7iawkind, but sleepy,
tired, and hungry withal, we deferred sentimental-
izing over shattered delusions and gay hopes faded,
till a more opportune moment, and followed him
with all possible alacrity. A few minutes after-
wards we found ourselves under the roof of one of
the most respectable matrons in the town. We
explained our wants to her. The first and most
urgent of the same being breakfast. She stared at
our ideas of that meal, but looked not more aghast
than we did when informed that it was too late to
find meat, poultry, eggs, bread, milk, butter, or
wine in the market — in fact, that we must be con-
tented with " kichree " — a villanous compound of

G

122 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

boiled rice and split vetches — as a j^^^c^ de resist-
ance, and whatever else Providence might please to
send us in the way of " kitchen/'

Rude reality the second ! —

We had left all our servants behind at Panjim,
and not an iota of our last night's supper had es-
caped the ravenous maws of the boatmen. —

Presently matters began to mend. The old lady
recollected that in days of yore she had possessed
a pound of tea, and, after much unlocking and
rummaging of drawers, she produced a remnant of
that luxury. Perseverance accomplished divers
other feats, and after about an hour more of half
starvation we sat down to a breakfast composed of
five eggs, a roll of sour bread, plantains, which
tasted exactly like edible cotton dipped in eau
sucree, and a " fragrant infusion of the Chinese
leaf," whose perfume vividly reminded us of the
haystacks in our native land. Such comforts as
forks or spoons were unprocurable, the china was a
suspicious looking article, and the knives were
apparently intended rather for taking away animal
life than for ministering to its wants. Sharp appe-
tites, however, removed all our squeamishness, and
the board was soon cleared. The sting of hunger
blunted, we lighted our " weeds," each mixed a

SERODA. 123

cordial potion in a tea-cup, and called aloud for
the nautcli, or dance, to begin.

This was the signal for universal activity. All
the fair dames who had been gazing listlessly or
giggling at the proceedings of their strange guests,
now starting up as if animated with new life rushed
off to don their gayest apparel : even the grey-haired
matron could not resist the opportunity of display-
ing her gala dress, and enormous pearl nose-ring.
The tables were soon carried away, the rebec and
kettledrum sat down in rear of the figurantes,
and the day began in real earnest. The singing
was tolerable for India, and the voices good. As
usual, however, the highest notes were strained
from the chest, and the use of the voix de gorge
was utterly neglected. The verses were in Hindos-
tanee and Portuguese, so that the performers under-
stood about as much of them as our young ladies
when they perform Italian bravura songs. There
was little to admire either in the persons, the dress
or the ornaments of the dancers : common looking
Maharatta women, habited in the usual sheet and
long-armed bodice, decked with wreaths of yellow
flowers, the red mark on the brow, large nose and
ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, and chain or
ring anklets, studded with strings of coarsely made

124 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

little brass bells. Some of them were very fair,
having manifestly had the advantage of one Euro-
pean progenitor : others showed the usual dark
yellow hue ; the features were seldom agreeable,
round heads, flat foreheads, immense eyes, increased
by the streaks of black dye along the thickness of
the eyelid, projecting noses, large lips, vanishing
chins, and a huge development of "jowl," do not
make up a very captivating physiognomy. A few,
but very few, of quite the youngest Jigurantes, were
tolerably pretty. They performed in sets for about
four hours, concluding with the pugree, or turban
dance, a peculiar performance, in which one lady
takes the part of a man.

Our matron informed us that Seroda contains
about twenty establishments, and a total number
of fifty or sixty dancing-girls. According to her
account all the stars were at the time of our visit
engaged at Panjim, or the towns round about :
personal experience enabled us to pronounce that
the best were in her house, and, moreover, that
there is scarcely a second-rate station in the Bom-
bay Presidency that does not contain prettier
women and as good singers. The girls are bought
in childhood — their price varies from 3/. to 20/.
according to the market value of the animal.

SERODA. 125

The offspring of a Bayadere belongs of right to her
owner. When mere children they are initiated
in the mysteries of nautching, — one young lady
who performed before us could scarcely have been
five years old. Early habit engenders much en-
thusiasm for the art. The proportion of those
bought in distant lands to those born at Seroda is
said to be about one to five. Of late years the
nefarious traffic has diminished, but unhappily
many are interested in k'eeping it up as much as
possible.

Several of these iiautch women can read and
write. Our matron was powerful at reciting Sans-
crit shlokas (stanzas), and as regards Pracrit, the
popular dialect, she had studied all the best known
works, as the " Panja Tantra," together with the
legends of Vikram, Rajah Bhoj, and other celebrated
characters. Their spoken language is the corrupt
form of Maharatta, called the Concanee,* in general
use throughout the Goanese territory ; the educated
mix up many Sanscrit vocables with it, and some
few can talk a little Portuguese. Their speaking
voices are loud, hoarse, and grating : each sentence,

* Opposite to the Desha, the pure dialect of Maharatta
They are about as different as Enghsh spoken in the south of
England and Lowland Scotch.

126 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

moreover, ends in a sing-song drawl, which is un-
commonly disagreeable to a stranger's ear. These
ladies all smoke, chew betel-nut, drink wine and
spirits, and eat fowls and onions, an unequivocal
sign of low caste. They do not refuse to quit
Seroda, as is generally supposed, but, of course,
prefer their homes to other places. Living being
extremely cheap most of the money made by
nautching is converted into pearl and gold orna-
ments ; and these are handed down from generation
to generation. Some of the coins strung together
into necklaces are really curious. An old English
five-guinea-piece may be found by the side of a
Portuguese St. Thomas, a French Louis d'or, and
a Roman medal of the Lower Empire. We should
be puzzled to account for how they came there, did
we not know that India has from the earliest
ages been the great sink for Western gold. Many
of the matrons have collected a considerable stock
of linen, pictures, and furniture for their houses,
besides dresses and ornaments. Our countrymen
have been liberal enough to them of late, and nu-
merous, too, as the initials upon the doors and
shutters prove. Ea.ch establishment is violently
jealous of its neighbour, and all appear to be more
remarkable for rapacity than honesty. In spite

SERODA. 127

of the general belief, we venture to assert that a
chain, a ring, or a watch, would find Seroda very
dangerous quarters. As a stranger soon learns,
everything is done to fleece him ; whether he have
five or five hundred rupees in his pocket, he may
be sure to leave the place without a farthing.
This seems to be a time-honoured custom among
the Bayaderes cherished by them from immemorial
antiquity.

When the rising shades of evening allowed us
to escape from the house of dancing, we sallied

forth to view the abode in which Major G passed

his last years. The matron soon found a boy who
preceded us to the place, threading his way through a
multitude of confused dwellings, climbing over heaps
of loose stones, walking along the walls of tanks, and
groping through the obscurity of the cocoa groves.
At the end of this unusual kind of walk, we found
ourselves at the house, asked, and obtained leave
to enter it. There was nothing to attract attention
in the building, except a few old books ; the peculiar
character of its owner will, perhaps, plead our ex-
cuse to the reader, if we dwell a little upon the cir-
cumstances which led him to make Seroda his home.
Major G was an officer who had served with

128 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

distinction for many years in a Native Regiment.
He was a regular old Indian, one of the remnants
of a race which, like its brethren in the far west,
is rapidly disappearing before the eastward progress
of civilisation in the shape of rails, steamers, and
overland communication. By perpetual intercourse
with the natives around him he had learned to speak
and write their language as well as, if not better
than, his own. He preferred their society to that
of his fellow-countrymen : adopted the Hindoo
dress ; studied their sciences, bowed to their pre-
judices, and became such a proficient in the ritual
of their faith as to be considered by them almost
a fellow-religionist. Having left England at an
early age, with a store of anything but grateful
reminiscences, he had determined to make India
his country and his home, and the idea once con-
ceived, soon grew familiar to his mind. Knowing
that there is no power like knowledge amongst a
semi-civilised people, and possibly inclined thereto
by credulity, he dived deep into the " dangerous
art," as the few books preserved at Seroda prove.
Ibn Sirin,* and Lily, the Mantras,t and Casaubon,

* A celebrated Arabic author on the interpretation of dreams,
t Magical formula and works on " Gramarye," generally
in the Sanscrit, sometimes in the Pracrit, tongue.

SERODA. 1*29

works on Geomancy, Astrology, Ihzar or the Sum-
moning of Devils, Osteomancy, Palmistry, Oneiro-
raancy, and Divination. The relics of his library still
stand side by side there, to be eaten by the worms.

Late in life Major G fell in love with a

Seroda Nautch girl living under his protection ;
not an usual thing in those days : he also set
his mind upon marrying her, decidedly a peculiar
step. His determination gave rise to a series of
difficulties. No respectable Hindoo will, it is true,
wed a female of this class, yet, as usual amongst
Indians, the caste has at least as much pride and
prejudice as many far superior to it. So Sita
would not accept a mlenchha (infidel) husband,
though she was perfectly aware that she had no
right to expect a dwija, or twice born one.

But Major G 's perseverance surmounted every

obstacle. Several times the lady ran away, he
followed and brought her back by main force at
the imminent risk of his commission. At last, find-
ing all opposition in vain, possibly thinking to
prescribe too hard a trial, or, perhaps, in the re-
lenting mood, she swore the most solemn oath
that she would never marry him unless he would
retire from the service to live and die with her
in her native town.

130 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Major G at once sold out of his regiment,

disappeared from the ejes of his countrymen, bought
a house at Seroda, married his enchantress, and
settled there for the remainder of his years. Many
of the elder inhabitants recollect him ; they are
fond of describing to you how regularly every morn-
ing he would repair to the tank, perform his ablu-
tions, and offer up water to the manes of his
pitris, or ancestors, how religiously he attended
all the festivals, and how liberal he was in fees
and presents to the Brahmans of the different
pagodas.

AVe were shown his tomb, or rather the small
pile of masonry which marks the spot where his
body was reduced to ashes — a favour granted to
him by the Hindoos on account of his pious mu-
nificence. It is always a melancholy spectacle, the
last resting-place of a fellow-countryman in some
remote nook of a foreign land, far from the dust
of his forefathers — in a grave prepared by strangers,
around which no mourners ever stood, and over
which no friendly hand raised a tribute to the
memory of the lamented dead. The wanderer's
heart yearns at the sight. How soon may not
such fate be his own 1

The moonlight was falling clear and snowy upon

SERODA. 131

the tranquil landscape, and except the distant roar of
a tiger, no noise disturbed the stillness that reigned
over the scene around, as we slowly retraced our steps
towards Seroda. Passing a little building, whose low
doomed roof, many rows of diminutive columns, and
grotesque architectural ornaments of monkeys and
elephants' heads, informed us was a pagoda, whilst
a number of Hindoos lounging in and out, showed
that some ceremony was going on, we determined
to attempt an entrance, and passed the threshold
unopposed. Retiring into a remote corner we sat
down upon one of the mats, and learned from a
neighbour that the people were assembled to hear
a Rutnageree Brahman celebrated for eloquence, and
very learned in the Vedas. The preacher, if we
may so call him, was lecturing his congregation upon
the relative duties of parents and children ; his
discourse was delivered in a kind of chaunt, mo-
notonous, but not rude or unpleasing, and his ges-
ticulation reminded us of many an Italian Pre-
dicatore. He stood upon a strip of cloth at the
beginning of each period, advancing gradually as
it proceeded, till reaching the end of his sentence
and his carpet, he stopped, turned round, and
walked back to his standing place, pausing awhile
to take breath and to allow the words of wisdom

132 GO A AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

to sink deep into his hearers' hearts. The discourse
was an excellent one, and we were astonished to
perceive that an hour had slipped away almost un-
observed. However, the heat of the place, crowded
as it was with all ages and sexes — for the ladies
of Seroda, like the frail sisterhood generally in
Asia, are very attentive to their dharma, or re-
ligious duties — the cloud of incense which hung
like a thick veil under the low roof, and the over-
powering perfume of the huge bouquets and garlands
of jessamine with which the assembly was profusely
decorated, compelled us to forfeit the benefit we
might have derived from the peroration of the
learned Brahman's discourse.

Our night was by no means a pleasant one ; the
Seroda vermin, like the biped population, were too
anxious to make the most of the stranger. Early
the next morning we arose to make our exit ;
but, alas ! it was not destined to be a triumphant
one. The matron and her damsels, knowing us
to be English, expected us to be made of money, and
had calculated upon easing our breeches pockets
of more gold than we intended to give silver. Fear-
ful was the din of chattering, objurgating, and im-
precating, when the sum decided upon was grace-
fully tendered to our entertainers, the rebec and

SERODA. 1 33

the kettle-drum seemed inclined to be mutinous,
but they were more easily silenced than the ladies.
At length, by adding the gift of a pair of slippers
adorned with foil spangles, to which it appeared
the company had taken a prodigious fancy, we
were allowed to depart in comparative peace.

Bidding adieu to Seroda, we toiled up the hill,
and walked dejectedly towards the landing-place,
where we supposed our boat was awaiting us. But
when we arrived there, the canoe, of course, was
not to be found. It was breakfast time already,
and we expected to be starved before getting over
the fifteen miles between us and Panjim. One
chance remained to us ; we separated, and so dili-
gently scoured the country round that in less than
half an hour we had collected a fair quantity of
provender ; one returning with a broiled spatchcock
and a loaf of bread ; another with a pot full of
milk and a cocoa-nut or two, whilst a third had
succeeded in "bagging" divers crusts of stale bread,
a bunch of onions, and a water-melon. The hospit-
able portico of some Banyan's country-house afibrded
us a breakfast-room ; presently the boat appeared,
and the crew warned us that it was time to come
on board. It is strange that these people must
tell lies, even when truth would be in their favour.

134 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

This we found to our cost, for wind and tide proved
both against us.

Six hours' steaming and broiling under a sun
which penetrated the matting of our slow convey-
ance, as if it had been water within a few de-
grees of boiling heat, brought us on towards evening.
Seeing some difficulty in rowing against every dis-
advantage, we proposed to our rascally boatmen —
native Christians, as usual — to land us at the most
convenient place. Coming to a bluff cape, the
wretches swore by all that was holy, that we were
within a mile's walk of our destination. In an evil
hour, we believed the worse than pagans, and found
that by so doing we had condemned ourselves to
a toilsome trudge over hill and dale, at least five
times longer than they had asserted it to be. Our
patience being now thoroughly exhausted, we re-
lieved our minds a little by administering periodical
chastisements to the fellow whom our bad luck had
sent to deceive and conduct us, till, at length,
hungry, thirsty, tired, and sleepy, we found ourselves
once more in the streets of Panjim.

Reader, we have been minute, perhaps unneces-
sarily so, in describing our visit to Seroda. If you
be one of those who take no interest in a traveller's
" feeds," his sufferings from vermin, or his " rows

SERODA. 135

about the bill," you will have found the preceding-
pages uninteresting enough. Our object is, however,
to give you a plain programme of what entertain-
ment you may expect from the famed town of the
Bayaderes, and, should your footsteps be ever likely
to wander in that direction, to prepare you for the
disappointment you will infallibly incur.

136 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER YIII.

EDUCATION, PKOFESSIOXS, AXD ORIENTAL STUDIES.

Panjim and Alargao (a large town in the province
of Salsette, about fifteen miles south-east of Goa),
are the head-quarters of the Indo-Portuguese muses.
The former place boasts of mathematical and
medical schools, and others in which the elements
of history, and a knowledge of the Portuguese,
Latin, English, French, and ]\Iaharatta languages are
taught gratis. The students are, generally speak-
ing, proficients in the first,* tolerable in the second,
and execrable in the third and fourth dialects above
specified. As regards the Maharattas, the study
of its literature has been rendered obligatory by
government, which however, in its wisdom, appears

* As, however, the Maharatta is the mother tongue of the
Goanese, ft communicates its peculiar twang to every other
language they speak. The difference of their Portuguese from
the pure Lusitanian, is at once perceptible to a practised ear.

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 137

to have forgotten, or perhaps never knew, that cer-
tain little aids called grammars and dictionaries are
necessary to those who would attain any degree of
proficiency in any tongue. For the benefit of the
fair sex there is a school at Panjim. Dancing and
drawing masters abound. j\Iusic also is generally
studied, but the Portuguese here want the " furore,"
as the Italians call it, the fine taste, delicate ear,
and rich voice of Southern Europe.

At Panjim there is also a printing office, called
the Imprensa National, whence issues a weekly
gazette, pompously named the Boletim do Governo
do Estado da India. It is neatly printed, and what
with advertisements, latest intelligence borrowed
from the Bombay papers, and government orders, it
seldom wants matter. At the Imprensa also, may
be found a few Portuguese books for sale, but they
are, generally speaking, merely elementary, besides
being extravagantly dear.

Physic as well as jurisprudence may be studied at
Margao. The same town also has schools of the-
ology, philosophy, Latin, Portuguese, and the rude
beginnings of a Societade Estudiosa, or Literary
Society. The latter is intended for learned dis-
cussion : it meets twice a week, does not publish
but keeps ]\IS. copies of its transactions, and takes

138 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

from eacli member an annual subscription of
about \l.

Upon the whole, education does not thrive in the
Indo-Portuguese settlement. It seldom commences
before the late age of nine or ten, and is very-
soon ended. After entering some profession, and
coquetting a little with modern languages and
general literature, study is considered a useless
occupation. Moreover, if our observation deceive
us not, the description of talent generally met
with at Goa is rather of the specious and shallow
order. A power of quick perception, an instinc-
tive readiness of induction, and even a good
memory, are of little value when opposed to consti-
tutional inertness, and a mind which never pro-
poses to itself any high or great object. Finally,
the dispiriting influence of poverty weighs heavy
upon the student's ambition, and where no rewards
are offered to excellence, no excellence can be ex-
pected. The romantic, chivalrous, and fanatic rage
for propagating Christianity which animated the
first conquerors of Goa, and led their immediate
descendants to master the languages and literature
of the broad lands won by their sharp swords, has
long since departed, in all human probability for
ever.

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 139

The religion of Goa is the Roman Catholic. The
primate is appointed from home, and is expected to
pass the rest of his life in exile. In the ceremonies
of the church we observed a few, but not very im-
portant deviations from the Italian ritual. The
holy week and other great festivals are still kept
up, but the number of jerie (religious holidays) has
of late been greatly diminished, and the poverty
of the people precludes any attempt at display
on these occasions. All ecclesiastical matters are
settled with the utmost facility. By the constitu-
tion lately granted, the clergy have lost the power
of excommunication. The Papal see, who kept so
jealous and watchful an eye upon Goa in the days
of her wealth and grandeur, seems now almost
to have forgotten the existence of her froward
daughter.* As regards the effect of religion upon
the community in general, we should say that the
mild discipline of the priesthood has produced so far
a happy result, that the free-thinking spirit roused
by ecclesiastical intolerance in Europe, is all but
unknown here.

* And yet as late as 1840, the Government of Goa was
obliged to issue an order confiscating the property of all priests
who should submit to the Vicar-apostolic appointed by the
Pope.

140 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The priests always wear out of doors the clerical
cap and cassock. They are now very poorly pro-
vided for, and consequently lead regular lives. The
archbishop's prison is almost always empty, and
the amount of profligacy which in Rome would be
smiled at in a polite young abbate, would certainly
incur the severest penalty at Goa. It is said that
the clergy is careful to maintain the reputation of
the profession, and that any little peccadilloes, such
as will and must occur in a warm climate, and an
order of celibataires, are studiously concealed from
public observation. As might be expected, the
ecclesiastical party prefers Don Miguel to Donna
Maria, the favourite of the laity, the more so as that
" excellent son of Don John of Portugal," were he
even to set his august foot on the floors of the
Adjuda, would probably humour them in such trifles
as readmitting the Jesuits, and reestablishing the
Inquisition. The only objection to the holy pro-
fession at Goa is, that the comparatively idle life led
by its members oifers strong inducements to a poor,
careless, and indolent people, who prefer its inutility
to pursuits more advantageous to themselves, as well
as .more profitable to the commonweal.

The ecclesiastical education lasts about seven
years, three of which are devoted to studying Latin,

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 141

one is wasted upon moral philosophy, dialectics and
metaphysics, and the remainder is deemed sufficient
for theology. On certain occasions, students at the
different seminaries are taught the ceremonies of
the church, and lectured in the Holy Scriptures.
There are two kinds of pupils, the resident, who
wear the clerical garb, and are limited in number,
and the non-resident, who dress like the laity,
unless they intend to take orders. In this course of
education much stress is laid upon, and pride taken
in, a knowledge of Latin, whose similarity to Por-
tuguese enables the student to read and speak it
with peculiar facility. Many authors are perused,
but the niceties of scholarship are unknown, good
editions of the poets and orators being unprocurable
here. Few Goanese write the classical language
well ; and though all can master the words, they
seldom read deeply enough to acquire the idiom.
And lastly, the strange pronunciation of the conso-
nants in Portuguese is transferred to Latin, impart-
ing to it an almost unrecognisable sound. The
clergy belonging to the country, of course under-
stand and speak the Concanee Maharattas. Ser-
mons are sometimes preached, and services per-
formed in this dialect : it boasts of a printed
volume of oraqoens (prayers) dated 1660, for

142 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the benefit of the lowest and most ignorant
classes.

The military profession is bj no means a fa-
vourite one, on account of poor pay and slow-
promotion. The aspirante, or cadet, enters the
service as a private, wears the uniform of that rank,
and receives about 10s. per mensem for attending
lectures. After learning Portuguese, the course of
study is as follows : —

1st Term. Geometry, Trigonometry (plane and
spherical), Geodesy and Surveying.

2nd Term. Algebra, differential and integral cal-
culus.

3rd Term. ]\Iechanics, Statics, Dynamics, Hydro-
dynamics, Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, &c.

4th Term. Gunnery, Mining, Practice of Artil-
lery.

5th Term. IS^'avigation and the Use of Instru-
ments.

6th Term. Fortification and Military Architec-
ture.

Infantry cadets study geometry and field-fortifi-
cation during two or three years. Those intended
for the Artillery and Engineers, go through all the
course above mentioned, except navigation. Draw-
ing, in all its branches, is taught by professors who

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 143

are, generally speaking, retired officers superintended
by a committee. After passing their examinations,
the names of the cadets are put down in the
Roster, and they are promoted, in due order, to
the rank of alferez, or ensign.

The total number of the Goanese army may be
estimated at about two thousand '"" men on actual
duty, besides the Mouros, or Moors, who act as
police and guards at Panjim. The regiments are —
two of infantry, stationed at Bicholim and Ponda ;
two battalions of caqadores (chasseurs not mounted),
at Margao and Mapuca ; a provincial battalion, and
a corps of artillery at Panjim. In each regiment
there are six companies, composed of between sixty
and seventy men : a full band reckons thirty
musicians. The officers are about as numerous as
in a British corps on foreign service.

The army is poorly paid ; f the privates receive
no salary when in sick quarters, and the conse-
quence is that they are frequently obliged to beg
their bread. We cannot therefore wonder that the

* Francklin, who visited Goa in 1786, says that the army
was about five thousand men, two regiments of which were
Europeans. Even in his day the Home Government was
obliged to send large sums of money annually to defray the
expenses of their Indian possessions.

f A colonel receiving about 1 51., an ensign, 3l. per mensem.

144 GO A AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

European soldiery is considered the least respectable
part of the whole community. Most of the officers
belong to some family resident in India ; conse-
quently, they do not live upon their pay. More-
over, they have no expensive establishments to
keep up, and have little marching or change of
stations.

The corps are seldom paraded ; once every two
days is considered ample work during the cold
season. Except on particular occasions, there are
no mounted officers on the ground, a peculiarity
which gives a remarkably " Isfational Guard " like
appearance to the field. They are well dressed,
but very independent in such movements as in
carrying the sword, or changing flanks : after a few
manoeuvres, which partake more of the character of
company than battalion exercise, the men order
arms, and the captains, lieutenants, and ensigns all
fall out for a few minutes, to smoke a leaf-full of
tobacco, and chat with the commanding officer.
They then return to their places, and the parade
proceeds. The appearance of the privates on the
drill-ground is contemptible in the extreme The
smallest regiment of our little j\Iaharattas would
appear tolerable sized men by the side of them ;
and as for a corps of Bengalees, it ought to be able

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 145

to walk over an equal number of such opponents,
without scarcely a thrust of the bayonet. Euro-
peans and natives, in dirty clothes, and by no means
of a uniform colour — some fiercely " bearded like
the pard," some with moustachios as thick as
broomsticks, others with meek black faces, re-
ligiously shaven and shorn - — compose admirably
heterogeneous companies which, moreover, never
being sized from flanks to centre, look as jagged
as a row of shark's teeth. Drill is the last thing
thought of. The sergeant, when putting his recruits
through their manual and platoon, finds it neces-
sary to refer to a book. When the pupils are not
sufficiently attentive, a spiteful wring of the ear,
or poke between the shoulders, reminds them of
their duty. To do justice to their spirit, we seldom
saw such admonition received in silence ; generally,
it was followed by the description of dialogue
affected by two irritated fishwives. So much for
the outward signs of discipline. As regards the
efiects of drill, the loose, careless, and draggling
way in which the men stand and move, would be
the death of a real English martinet. "We could
not help smiling at the thought of how certain
friends of ours who, after a march of fifteen miles,
will keep an unhappy regiment ordering and

H

14G GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

shouldering arms for half an hour in front of their
tents, would behave themselves, if called to com-
mand such corps.

Till latel}^, no books of tactics have been pub-
lished for the instruction of the Goanese army.
At present there are several, chiefly elementary,
and translated from the English and French. The
manual and platoon, the sword exercise, and other

small works were prepared by ]\Iajor G n, an

ofl[icer and linguist of some talent. We saw few
publications upon the subject of military law.
Courts-martial are rare compared with the absurd
number yearly noted in the annals of the Indian
army, where a boy of eighteen scarcely ever com-
mits a fault for which he would be breeched at
school, without being solemnly tried upon the charge
of " conduct highly unbecoming an oflficer and a
gentleman."

To conclude the subject of the Goanese army,
it is evident that there are two grand flaws in its
composition. The oiEcers are compelled to be
scientific, not practical men, and the soldiers are
half-drilled. This propensity for mathematics is,
of course, a European importation. Beginning with
France, it has spread over the Western Continent
till at last, like sundry other new-fangled fashions,

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 147

it has been seized upon and applied to the British
army. AYhj a captain commanding a company, or
a colonel in charge of a battalion, should be required
to have Geometry, History, and Geography at his
fingers' ends, we cannot exactly divine. With
respect to drill, it may be remarked that, when
imperfectly taught, it is worse than useless to the
soldier. We moderns seem determined to dis-
courage the personal prowess, gymnastics, and the
perpetual practice of weapons in which our fore-
fathers took such pride. We are right to a certain
extent : the individual should be forced to feel that
his safety lies in acting in concert with others. At
the same time, in our humble opinion, they carry
the principle too far who would leave him destitute
of the means of defending himself when obliged
to act singly. How many good men and true have
we lost during the late wars, simply in consequence
of our neglecting to instruct them in the bayonet
exercise! And may not this fact in some wise
account for the difficulty experienced of late by
disciplined troops in contending with semi-civilised
tribes, whose military studies consist of athletic
exercises which prepare the body for hardship and
fatigue, and the skilful use of weapons that ensures
success in single combat '{ The English, Frencli,

H 2

148 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

and Russians have, within the last fifteen years, all
suffered more or less severely from the undrilled
valour, and the irregular attacks of the Aflfghans,
Arabs, and Circassians.

Young aspirants to the honours which Justinian
gives, have no public schools to frequent, nor can
they study gratis. In a community which so deci-
dedly prefers coppers to knowledge, this is per-
haps one of the most judicious measures imagin-
able for limiting the number of this troublesome
order. The law students frequent private establish-
ments at Margao, and a course of two years is
generally considered sufficient to qualify them for
practice. After a very superficial examination in
the presence of a committee composed of two judges
and a president, they receive, if found competent,
a diploma, and proceed to seek employment in one
of the courts.

Justice at Goa, as in British India, seems to have
adapted herself to the peculiarities of the country
much better than one might have expected from a
character so uncompromising as hers is generally
represented to be. The great difference between
us and the Portuguese is, that whereas we shoot
and hang upon the authority of our civil and mili-
tary courts, no Goanese can be brought to the

ORIEiNTAL STUDIES. 149

gallows till the death-warrant, bearing her majesty's
signature, arrives from Europe, — a pleasant state of
suspense for the patient ! Murder and sacrilege are
the only crimes which lead to capital punishment ;
for lesser offences, criminals are transported to the
Mozambique, or imprisoned in the jail — a dirty
building, originally intended for a Mint — or simply
banished from Goa.

Those covetous of the riches which Galen is said
to grant, are prepared for manslaughter — to use a
Persian phrase — by a course of five years' study.
They are expected to attend lectures every day,
except on Thursdays and Sundays, the principal
religious festivals, and a long vacation that lasts
from the fifteenth of March to the middle of June.
On the first of April every year, the students are
examined, and two prizes are given. The professors
are four in number, three surgeons and one phy-
sician, together with two assistants. The course
commences with Anatomy and Physiology ; during
the second year Materia Medica and Pharmacy are
studied ; the surgical and chemical branches of the
profession occupy the third ; and the last is devoted
to Pathology and Medical Jurisprudence. The hos-
pital must be visited every day during the latter
half of the course. It is a large edifice, situated

150 GO A AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

at the west end of the town, close to the sea, but
by no means, we should imagine, in a favourable
position for health, as a channel of fetid mud
passes close under the walls. The building can
accommodate about three hundred patients and is
tolerably but not scrupulously clean. It contains
two wards, one for surgical, the other for medical
cases, a chapel, an apartment for sick prisoners and
a variety of different lecture-rooms. After his four
years of study, the pupil is examined, and either
rejected or presented with a diploma and permis-
sion to practise.

The elementary works upon the subjects of
Anatomy and Materia Medica are, generally speak-
ing, Portuguese ; the proficient, however, is com-
pelled to have recourse to French books, which have
not been translated into his vernacular tongue.
The English system of medicine is universally
execrated, and very justly. Dieting, broths, and
ptisanes, cure many a native whose feeble constitu-
tion would soon sink beneath our blisters, calomel,
bleeding, and drastic purges. As might be ex-
pected, all the modern scientific refinements, or
quackeries, are known here only by name. We
were surprised, however, by the general ignorance
of the properties of herbs and simples — a primitive

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 151

science in which the native of India is, usually
speaking, deeply read.

The principal Oriental tongues studied by the
early Portuguese in their mania for converting the
heathens were the Malabar, Maharatta, Ethiopic,
and Japanese, the dialects of Congo, and the
Canary Isles, the Hebrew, and the Arabic. The
Portuguese Jews, in the fifteenth century, were cele-
brated for their proficiency in Biblical, Talmudic,
and Rabbinical lore ; and the work of Joao de
Souza, entitled, " Documentos Arabics de Historia
Portugueza copiades dos originaes da Torre do'
Tombo," is a fair specimen of Orientalism, consider-
ing the early times in which it was composed. Of
late years, Portuguese zeal for propagating the faith,
depressed by poverty, and worn out by the slow
and sure spiritual vis inertice, which the natives
of the East have opposed to the pious efforts of
Modern Europe, appears to have sunk into the last
stage of decline, and with it their ancient ardour
for the study of so many, and, in some cases,
such unattractive languages.

Our case is very different from theirs. In addi-
tion to religious incentives, hundreds of our nation
have more solid and powerful inducements to labour

152 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

held out to tliem. We fondly hope and believe
that the days are passed when Oriental study and
ruin were almost synonymous. Within the last
few years we have more or less facilitated the ac-
quisition, and rifled the literature of between thirty
and forty eastern dialects — a labour of which any
nation might be proud. Our industry, too, is ap-
parently still unabated. Societies for the trans-
lation and publication of new works. Oriental
libraries ; and, perhaps, the most useful step of
all, the lithographic process, which has lately sup-
planted the old and unseemly moveable types, are
fast preparing a royal road for the Oriental learner.
It may be observed that the true means of pro-
moting the study is to diminish its laboriousness,
and still more its expense. So far we have been
uncommonly successful. For instance, an excellent
and correct lithograph of Mirkhond's celebrated his-
tory, the " Rauzat el Safa," may now be bought for
3/. or 4/. ; a few years ago the student would have
paid probably 70/. or 80/. for a portion of the same
work in the correct MS.

At the same time we quite concur in the opinion
of the eminent Orientalist,"' who declared, ex ca-
thedra, that our literary achievements in this branch
* The translator of Ibn Batuta's Travels.

ORIENTAL STUDIES. 153

bear no flattering proportion to the vastness of
our means as a nation. It is true, to quote one
of many hard cases, that we must send to Ger-
many or Russia for grammars and publications in
the Affghan language, although the country lies
at our very doors. But the cause of this is the
want of patronage and assistance, not any defici-
ency in power or ability. There are many un-
known D'Herbelots in India, unfortunately Eng-
land has not one Ferdinand. '"

* Ferdinand, the second Duke of Tuscany, was the muni-
ficent patron of the father of Western Orientalism.

H .5

154 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER IX.

ADIEU TO PAlfJIM.

At a time when public attention is so deeply
interested in the twin subjects of colonization and
conversion, some useful lessons may be derived
from the miserable state of the celebrated Por-
tuguese settlement ; even though our present and
their past positions be by no means parallel in
all points, and though a variety of fortuitous cases,
such as the pestilence and warfare which led to
their decadence, cannot or may not affect our more
extended Indian empire.

The Portuguese, it must be recollected, generally
speaking, contented themselves with seizing the dif-
ferent lines of sea-coast, holding them by means of
forts, stations, and armed vessels, and using them
for the purpose of monopolising the export and
import trade of the interior. In the rare cases
when they ventured up the country they made

ADIEU TO PANJIM. 155

a point of colonising it. We, on the contrary,
have hitherto acted upon the principle of subju-
gating whole provinces to our sway, and such has
been our success, that not only the Christian, but
even the heathen, sees the finger of Providence
directing our onward course of conquest.

Of late years, climates supposed to be favourable
to the European constitution, such as the Neilgherry
hills and the lower slopes of the Himalayas, have
been discovered, tested, and approved of. Deter-
mined to make use of them, our legislators have
taken the wise step of establishing barracks for the
British soldiery in places where they may live in
comparative health and comfort during peaceful
times, and yet be available for immediate active
service, whenever and wherever their presence may
be required.

But we are not willing to stop here, we argue
that such salubrious and fertile tracts of country
would form excellent permanent settlements for
half-pay officers, pensioners, worn-out soldiers, and
others, who prefer spending the remainder of
their days in the land of their adoption. Here,
then, we have the proposed beginning of a
colony.

To the probability of extensive success, or public

156 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

utility in such a scheme, there are two important
objections.

In the first place, supposing the offspring of the
colonists to be of pure European blood, we must
expect them to degenerate after the second genera-
tion. All who have sojourned long in the southern
parts of Europe, such as Italy or Spain, must have
remarked the deleterious effects of a hot and dry
climate upon a race that thrives only in a cold and
damp one. An English child brought up in Italy
is, generally speaking, more sickly, more liable to
nervous and hepatic complaints, and, consequently,
more weakened in mind as well as body, than
even the natives of the country. If this remark
hold true in the South of Europe, it is not likely
to prove false in tropical latitudes.

But, secondly, if acting upon Albuquerque's fatal
theory, we encourage intermarriage with the natives
of the country, such colony would be Avorse than
useless to us. We cannot but think that the
Hindoos are the lowest branch of the Caucasian or
Iranian family ; and, moreover, that, contrary to
what might be expected, any intermixture of blood
with the higher classes of that same race produces
a still inferior development. Some have accounted
for the mental inferiority of the mixed breed by

ADIEU TO PAN JIM. 157

a supposed softness or malformation of the brain,
others argue that the premature depravity and
excess to which they are prone, enervate their
bodies, and, consequently, affect their minds. What-
ever may be the cause of the phenomenon its ex-
istence is, we humbly opine, undeniable. Neither
British nor Portuguese India ever produced a half-
caste at all deserving of being ranked in the typical
order of man.

Our empire in the East has justly been described
as one of opinion, that is to say, it is founded upon
the good opinion entertained of us by the natives,
and their bad opinion of themselves. In the old
times of the Honourable East India Company, when
no Englishman or Englishwoman was permitted to
reside in India, without formal permission, the
people respected us more than they do now. Ad-
mitting this assertion, it is not difficult to account
for the reason why, of late years, a well-appointed
British force has more than once found it difficult
to defeat a rudely-drilled Indian array. We are
the same men we were in the days of Clive and
Cornwallis ; the people of India are not ; formerly
they fought expecting to be defeated, now they enter
the field flushed with hopes of success. We can-
not but suspect that the lower estimate they have

158 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

formed of their antagonists has more to do with
their increased formidableness, than any other of
the minor causes to which it is usually attributed.
But if not contented with exposing individuals to
their contempt, we offer them whole colonies, we
may expect to incur even greater disasters. Every
' one knows that if the people of India could be
c unanimous for a day they might sweep us from
their country as dust before a whirlwind. There
is little danger of their combining so long as they
dread us. Such fear leads to distrust ; every man
knows himself, and, consequently, suspects his neigh-
bour, to be false. Like the Italians in their late war
of independence the cry of tradimento (treachery)
is sufficient to paralyse every arm, however critical
be the hour in which it is raised. So it is in India.
But their distrust of each other, as well as their
respect for us, is founded entirely upon their fear
of our bayonets.

In whatever way, then, we propose to populate
our settlement, we place ourselves in a position of
equal difficulty and danger. Such colonies would,
like Goa, be born with the germs of sure and speedy
decline, and well for our Indian empire in general,
if the contagious effects of their decay did not
extend far and wide through the land.

ADIEU TO PAN JIM. 159

The conversion of the natives of India to Chris-
tianity has of late years become a species of ex-
citement in our native country, and, consequently,
many incorrect, prejudiced and garbled statements of
the progress and success of the good work have gone
forth to the world. Not a few old Indians returned
home, have been very much surprised by hearing
authentic accounts and long details of effectual
missionary labour which they certainly never wit-
nessed. Our candour may not be appreciated — it
is so difficult for the enthusiastic to avoid running
down an opinion contrary to their own — we can-
not, however, but confess that some years spent in
Western India have convinced us that the results
hitherto obtained are utterly disproportionate to
the means employed for converting the people.
Moreover, study of the native character forces us
to doubt whether anything like success upon a
grand scale can ever reasonably be anticipated. We
have often heard it remarked by those most con-
versant with the deep-rooted prejudices and the
fanatic credulity of the Hindoos that with half
the money and trouble we have lavished upon them
they could have made double the number of con-
verts to their heathenism in Europe.

The splendid success of the Portuguese in con-

160 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

verting the Hindoos, was owing to two main causes,
the first, their persecution,* which compelled many
natives to assume European names, adopt the dress,
manners, and customs of the West, and gradually to
lapse, if we may use the expression, into Chris-
tianity. After once entering a church, the prose-
lytes were under the strict surveillance of the
Inquisition, who never allowed a " new Christian "
to apostatize without making a signal example of
him. In the second place, the Portuguese sent out
in all directions crowds of missionaries, who, as
Tavernier informs us, assumed the native dress, and
taught under the disguise of Jogees and other
Hindoo religious characters, a strange, and yet
artful mixture of the two faiths. That these indi-
viduals sacrificed the most vital points of their
religion to forward the end they proposed to them-
selves, we have ample proof; at the same time that
they were eminently successful, is equally well
known. The virulent animosity that existed be-
tween the Jesuits and Jansenists disclosed to asto-
nished Europe the system of adaptation adopted by

* When Vasco de Gama returned to India, part of his
freight was " eight Franciscan friars, eight chaplains, and one
chaplain major, who were instructed to begin by preaching
and, if that failed, to proceed to the decision of the sword."

ADIEU TO PxVNJIM. 101

the former, and Benedict XIV., by a violent bull,
put an end at once to their unjustifiable means, and
their consequent successfulness of conversion.'""

We bj no means mean to insinuate that our
holy faith is unfavourable to the development
or progression of the human species. Still it can-
not be concealed that, generally speaking, through-
out the East the Christian is inferior, as regards
strength, courage, and principle to the average of
the tribes which populate that part of the world.
His deficiency of personal vigour may be accounted
for by the use of impure meats, and the spirituous
liquors in which he indulges. The w^ant of cere-
monial ablutions, also, undoubtedly tends to dete-
riorate the race. It may be observed, that from
Zoroaster and Moses downwards, no founder of an
Eastern faith has ever omitted to represent his
dietetic or ablusive directions as inspired decrees,
descending from Heaven. Care applied to public
health, ensures the prosperity of a people, especially
amongst semi-barbarous races, where health engen-
ders bodily vigour, strength begets courage, and
bravery a rude principle of honour.

* The curious reader will find the subject of Jesuitical con-
version in India most ably treated in Sir J. E. Tennent's late
work on " Christianity in Ceylon."

162 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

What Goa has done may serve as a lesson to
us. She compelled or induced good Hindoos and
Moslems to become bad Christians. The conse-
quence has been the utter degeneracy of the breed,
who have been justly characterized by our House
of Commons as " a race the least respected and re-
spectable, and the least fitted for soldiers of all the
tribes that diversify the populous country of India."

In conclusion, we have only to inform our reader
that the opinions thus boldly proposed to him are,
we believe, those entertained by many of the acutest
judges of native character and native history. It
is easy to understand why they are not more often
offered to public attention.

After addressing a note to the Secretary for per-
mission to leave Goa, we set out in quest of a
conveyance ; and deeply we had to regret that we
did not retain our old pattimar. The owners of
vessels, knowing that we must pay the price they
asked, and seeing that we were determined to
migrate southwards, became extortionate beyond
all bounds. At last we thought ourselves happy
to secure a wretched little boat for at least
double the usual hire. After duly taking leave
of our small circle of acquaintances, we transferred

ADIEU TO PANJIM. 163

ourselves and luggage on board the San Ignacio
awaiting the pleasure of the Tindal — a hard-
featured black Portuguese — to quit the land of
ruins and cocoa trees. Before preparing for rest
we went through the usual ceremony of muster-
ing our crew, and ascertaining the probable hour
of our departure : we presently found, as we might
have guessed, that they were all on shore except a
man and a diminutive boy, and that consequently
we were not likely to weigh anchor before 2 a.m.,
at least five hours later than was absolutely neces-
sary. As we felt no desire to encounter the various
Egyptian plagues of the cabin, we ordered a table
to be placed under the awning, and seated ourselves
upon the same with the firm determination of being
as patient and long-sufiering as possible.

The night was a lovely one — fair and cool
as ever made amends for a broiling and glaring
April day in these detestable latitudes. A more
beautiful sight, perhaps, was never seen than the
moon rising like a ball of burnished silver through
the deep azure of the clear sky, and shedding
her soft radiance down the whole length of the
Rio. The little villages almost hidden from view
by the groves of impending trees, whose heads
glistened as if hoar-frost had encrusted them ; the

164 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

solemn forms of the towering churches, the ruins
of Old Goa dimlj perceptible in the far distance,
and nearer, Panjim, lying in darkness under the
shadow of the hills, all looked delightfully tranquil
and peaceful. Besides, we were about to bid adieu
to scenes in which we had spent a pleasant hour or
two, and they are epochs in the traveller's life,
these farewells to places or faces we admire. Will
then the reader wonder if we confess that, under
the circumstances of the case, we really had no
resource but to feel poetically disposed? And, as
happens in such cases, the Demon of Doggrel em-
boldened by the presence of those two kindred
spirits, the naughty Herba Nicotiana and the im-
modest " Naiad of the Phlegethontic Eill Cogniac,"
tempted us so long and sorely, that he at last suc-
ceeded in causing us to perpetrate the following

LINES.

Adieu, fair land, deep silence reigns
O'er hills and dales and fertile plains ;
Save when the soft and fragrant breeze
Sighs through the groves of tufted trees ;
Or the rough breakers' distant roar,
Is echoed by the watery shore.
Whilst gazing on the lovely view,
How grating sounds the word " adieu ! " ■
What tongue

ADIEU TO PAN JIM. 165

Aye, what tongue indeed 1 In an instant the
demon fled, as our crew, in the last stage of roaring
intoxication, scaled the side of what we were about
poetically to designate our " bark." A few minutes'
consideration convinced us that energetic measures
must be adopted if we wished to restore order or
quiet. In vain were the efforts of our eloquence ;
equally useless some slight preliminary exertions of
toe and talon. At last, exasperated by the failure,
and perhaps irritated by thinking of the beautiful
lines we might have indited but for the inopportune
interruption, we ventured to administer a rapid
succession of small double raps to the Tindal's
shaven and cocoanut-like pericranium. The wretch
ceased his roaring, rose from off his hams, and after
regarding us for a minute with a look of intense
drunken ferocity, precipitated himself into the
water. Finding the tide too strong for him he
iDegan to shriek like a dying pig ; his crew shouted
because he shouted, sympathetically yelled the
sailors in the neighbouring boats, and the sentinels
on shore began to give the alarm. Never, perhaps,
has there been such confusion at Goa since the
Maharatta rode round her walls. Up rushed the
harbour master, the collector of customs, the mili-
tary, and the police — even his Excellency the

166 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Governor General of all the Indies, did not deem
it beneath his dignity to quit the palace for the
purpose of ascertaining what had caused the tur-
moil. The half-drowned wretch, when hurried into
the high presence, declared, in extenuation of his
conduct, that he had imprudently shipped on board
the San Ignacio, an Inglez or Englishman, who had
deliberately commenced murdering the crew the
moment they came on board. The Governor, how-
ever, seeing the truth of things, ordered him imme-
diately to be placed in the nearest quarter guard
till midnight, at which time it was calculated that,
by virtue of the ducking, he might be sober enough
to set sail.

As we rapidly glided by the Castle of Agoada, all
our crew stood up, and with hands reverentially
upraised, said their prayers. They did not, how-
ever, pay much respect to the patron saint of the
boat, whose image, a little painted doll, in a wooden
box, occupied a conspicuous position in the " cuddy."
A pot of oil with a lighted wick was, it is true,
regularly placed before him every night to warn the
vermin against molesting so holy a personage : the
measure, however, failed in success, as the very first
evening we came on board, a huge rat took his
station upon the saint's back and glared at us,

ADIEU TO PAN JIM. 167

stretching his long sharp snout over the unconscious
San Ignacio's head. One evening, as the weather
appeared likely to be squally, we observed that the
usual compliment was not offered to the patron,
and had the curiosity to inquire why.

" Why 1 " vociferated the Tindal indignantly, " if
that chap can't keep the sky clear, he shall have
neither oil nor wick from me, d — n him ! "

" But I should have supposed that in the hour
of danger you would have paid him more than
usual attention 1 "

" The fact is. Sahib, I have found out that the
fellow is not worth his salt : the last time we had
an infernal squall with him on board, and if he
doesn't keep this one off, I '11 just throw him over-
board, and take to Santa Caterina: hang me, if
I don't — the brother-in-law !" *

And so saying the Tindal looked ferocious
things at the placid features of San Ignacio.

The peculiar conformation of our captain's mind,
recalled to memory a somewhat similar phenomenon
which we noticed in our younger days. We were
toiling up a steep and muddy mountain-road over
the Apennines, on foot, to relieve our panting steeds,
whom the vetturino was fustigating, con amore, at

* A common term of insult.

168 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the same time venting fearful imprecations upon
the soul of Sant' Antonino Piccino, or the younger.

At length, tired of hearing the cadet so defamed,
we suggested that our friend should address a few
similar words to the other Sant' Antonino — the
elder.

" The elder ! " cried the vetturino, aghast with
horror. " Oh, 'per Bacco die hestemmia — what a
blasphemy ! No, I daren't abuse His Sanctity ; but
as for this little riifiano of a younger, I Ve worn
his portrait these ten years, and know by this time
that nothing is to be got out of him without hard
words."

On the fourth day after our departure from
Panjim, a swarm of canoes full of fishermen,
probably the descendants of the ancient Malabar
pirates, gave us happy tidings of speedy arrival.
They were a peculiar-looking race dressed in head-
gear made of twisted palm leaves, and looking
exactly as if an umbrella, composed of matting,
had been sewn on to the top of a crownless hat
of the same material.

And now we are in the ]\Ialabar seas.

CALICUT. 169

CHAPTER X.

CALICUT.

Can those three or four bungalows, with that
stick-like light-house between them and the half-
dozen tiled and thatched roofs peeping from amongst
the trees, compose Calicut — the city of world-wide
celebrity, which immortalised herself by giving a
name to calico 1

Yes ; but when we land we shall find a huge
mass of huts and hovels, each built in its own
yard of cocoas with bazaars, vast and peculiar-
looking mosques, a chapel or two, courts and
cutcherries, a hospital, jail, barracks, and a variety
of bungalows. Seen from the sea, all the towns
on this coast look like straggling villages, with a
background of distant blue hill," and a middle

* The mountains distinctly visible from the sea off Calicut,
in clear weather, are the Koondah range of the Neilgherries,
or Blue Hills.

I

170 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

space of trees, divided by a strip of sand from the
watery plain,
, Calicut is no longer the

Cidade — nobre e rica *
described by Camoens' tuneful muse. Some, indeed,
declare that the present city is not the one alluded
to in the Lusiad. There is a tradition amongst
the natives of the country, that the ancient Calicut
was merged beneath the waves ; but in the East,
tradition is always a terrible romancer. So we
will still continue to believe that here old De Gama
first cast anchor and stepped forth from his weather-
beaten ship, at the head of his mail-clad warriors,
upon the land of promise.

D'Anville assigns two dates to the foundation of
Calicut, the earlier one f — a.d. 805 — will suit his-
torical purposes sufficiently well. There is nothing
to recommend the position selected. During the mon-
soon, no vessel can approach the anchorage-ground
with safety, and even in the fine season many have
been wrecked upon the reefs of rocks which line the
coast. Very little wind suffices to raise the surf :
Nature has made no attempt at a harbour, and the
ships lying in an open roadstead, are constantly liable

* " Noble and wealthy city."
t The later is a.d. 907.

CALICUT. 171

to be driven on the sand and mud-banks around
them. Tippoo Sultan — a very long-headed indi-
vidual, by the bye — saw the defects of the situation,
and determining to remove the town about six miles
southward to the mouth of the Beypoor, or Arricode
river, where a natural port exists, adopted the
energetic measure of alm.ost destroying the old city,
that the inhabitants might experience less regret
in leaving their homes. The Moslem emperor re-
garded Calicut with no peculiar good-will. He and
his subjects were perpetually engaged in little
squabbles, which by no means tended to promote
kindly feeling between them.* On one occasion,
offended by the fanaticism of the Nair and Tiyar
Hindoos, their ruler pulled down almost every
pagoda in the place, and with the stones erected
a splendid tank in the middle of the large open
space where the travellers' bungalow now stands.

* In 1788, Tippoo was induced by ill-timed zeal or mistaken
policy to order the circumcision and conversion of the Malabar
Hindoos, and compelled the Brahmans to eat beef, as an example
to the other inferior castes. A general insurrection of the op-
pressed was the natural consequence of the oppressive measure.

Tradition asserts that there was a forcible but partial cir-
cumcision of the natives of Malabar by the people of Arabia
long before Hyder's time. So the grievance was by no means
a new one.

I 2

172 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Tippoo unfortunately failed in this project of re-
moval, and when the British became supreme in
Malabar, the natives all returned to their ancient
haunts. Calicut, for many reasons, is not likely to
be deserted under the present rule : it is the point
to which all the lines of road which intersect the
country converge ; besides it would now scarcely be
worth our while to bring about so violent a change
for the purpose of eventual improvement.

When old Nelkunda began to decline, Calicut
rose to importance, probably in consequence of its
])eing in very early times the metropolis of the
Samiry Rajah (the Zamorin of Camoens), lord para-
mount of Malabar. Shortly after the origin of
Islam, it was visited and colonised by thousands of
Arabs,'"" who diffused energy and activity throughout

* Who, it may be observed, are the navigators and traders
j)ar excellence of the Eastern w^orld. The Jews and Phoeni-
cians generally confined themselves to the Mediterranean and
the parts about the Red Sea. The Turks were an inland
nation ; the Hindoos have ever been averse to any but coast-
ing voyages, and the religion of Zoroaster forbade its followers
to cross the seas. But the Arab is still what he was — the
facile princeps of Oriental sailors.

As a proof of how strong the followers of Mohammed mus-
tered on the Malabar coast, we may quote Barthema, who
asserts, that when the Portuguese landed at Calicut, they
found not less than fifteen thousand of them settled there.

CALICUT. 173

the land. As trade increased, Calicut throve be-
cause of its centrical position between the countries
east and west of Cape Comorin. Even in the pre-
sent day, although Goa, and subsequently Bombay,
have left the ancient emporium of Western India
but little of its former consequence, commerce'''" still
continues to flourish there. The export is brisker
tlian the import trade : the latter consists princi-
pally^ of European piece goods and metals, the
former comprises a vast variety of spices, drugs,
valuable timber and cotton cloths.

We will now take a walk through the town and
remark its several novelties. Monuments of an-
tiquity abound not here: the fort erected by the
Portuguese has long since been level with the
ground, and private bungalows occupy the sites of
the old Dutch, French, and Danish factories. We
shall meet few Europeans in the streets : there are
scarcely twenty in this place, including all the
varieties of civilians, merchants, missionaries, and

Camoens also tells us how the friendly and disinterested plans
of his hero were obstructed and thwarted by the power and
influence of these infidel Moors.

* Between September 1846 and May 1847^ no less than
eighty ships, besides an immense number of pattimars and
native craft touched at Calicut.

174 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the officers belonging to the two seapoj companies
detached from the neighbouring station — Cana-
nore. Most of the residents inhabit houses built
upon an eminence about three miles to the north of
the town ; others live as close as possible to the
sea. A dreary life they must lead, one would
suppose, especially during the monsoon, when the
unhappy expatriated's ears are regaled by no other
sounds but the pelting of the rain, the roaring of the
blast, and the creaking of the cocoa trees, whilst a
curtain of raging sea, black sky, and watery air, is
all that meets his weary ken.

The first thing we observe during our perambu-
lation, is the want of the quadruped creation : there
are no horses,"' sheep, or goats, and the cows are
scarcely as large as English donkeys. >Secondly, the
abundance of sore eyes, produced, it is supposed
by the offensive glare and the peculiar effect of
the sun's rays, which in these regions are insuffer-
able even to the natives of other Indian provinces.
The population apparently regards us with no
/ friendly feeling, Moslem and Hindoo, all have scowls
upon their faces, and every man, moreover, carries

* Arab and other valuable horses cannot stand the climate,
— a Pegu pony is the general monture. The sheep intended
for consumption are brought down from Mysore.

CALICUT. 175

a knife conveniently slung to his waistband. Those
dark-faced gentlemen, in imitation European dresses,
are familiar to our eyes : they are Portuguese, not,
however, from Goa, but born, bred, and likely to be
buried at Calicut. A little colony, of fifty or sixty
families of the race is settled here ; they employ
themselves either in commerce, or as writers in the
different government offices.

The bazaars appear to be well stocked with every-
thing but vegetables and butcher's meat, these two
articles being as scarce and bad as the poultry ; fish
and fruit are plentiful and good. The shops are
poor ; there is not a single Parsee or European
store in the town, so that all supplies must be
procured from the neighbouring stations. Every-
where the houses are much more comfortably and
substantially built than in the Bombay presidency ;
the nature of the climate requires a good roof, and
as much shade on and around it as possible : the
streets and roads, also, look civilised compared with
the narrow and filthy alleys of our native towns
in general. But we shall find little amusement in
inspecting the mass of huts and hovels, mosques
and schools, gardens and tanks, so we might as well
prolong our stroll beyond the town, and visit the
venerable pagoda of Varkool.

176 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

It is, you see, a building by no means admirable
in point of outward appearance ; the roof is tiled,
and there is little to excite your curiosity in the
woodwork. Its position is remarkable — perched
upon the summit of a pile of laterite rock rising
abruptly from a level expanse of sand. But it is
great, very great, in its historical importance. That
edifice was one of the hundred and eight Maha
Chaitrum, or temples of the first order, built by the
demigod Parasu Rama, upon this coast, and dedi-
cated to the Hindoo Triad. Equally notable it is
for sanctity. Early in the month of October, water
appears bubbling from a fissure of the rock, and
this, learned Brahmans, by what test we know
not, have determined to be the veritable fluid of the
Ganges, which, passing under ground,* via Central
India, displays itself regularly once a year to the
devotees of Rama. Kindly observe that there is a
crowd of Nairs gathered round the temple, and that
some petty prince, as we may know by his retinue
of armed followers, is visiting the shrine. We will
not venture in, as the Hindoos generally in this
part of the world, and the Nairs particularly, are
accustomed to use their knives with scant ceremony.

* Subterraneous streams are still as common in India as
they were in heathen Greece and Italy.

CALICUT. 177

Besides, just at present, they are somewhat in a
state of excitement : they expect a partial eclipse
of the moon, and are prepared to make all the noise
they can, with a view of frightening away the wicked
monster, Rahu, who is bent upon satisfying his
cannibal appetites with the lucid form of poor

Luna.

The present Samiry Rajah is a proud man, who
shuns Europeans, and discourages their visiting him
on principle. Wishing, however, to see some sample
of the regal family, we called upon a cadet of the
house of Yelliah, an individual of little wealth or
influence, but more sociable than the high and
mighty Mana Vikram.* After a ride of about
three miles, through lanes lined with banks of
laterite, and over dykes stretching like rude cause-
ways along paddy fields invested with a six-foot
deep coating of mud, we arrived at the village of
Mangaon. The Rajah was apparently resolved to
receive us with all the honours : a caparisoned
elephant stood at the gate of the " palace," and a
troop of half-naked Nairs, armed as usual, crowded
around to receive us. We were ushered through
a succession of courts and gateways — the former
full of diminutive, but seemingly most pugnacious

* The dynastical name of the Samiry.

I 5

178 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

COWS — and at last, ascending a long flight of dark
and narrow steps, suddenly found ourselves in the
" presence." Our Kajah was a little dark man,
injudiciously attired in a magnificent coat of gold
cloth, a strangely-shaped cap of the same material,
and red silk tights. The room was small, and
choked with furniture ; chairs, tables, clocks,
drawers, washing-stands, boxes, book-shelves, and
stools, were arranged, or rather piled up around
it, with all the effect of an old curiosity-shop.
The walls exhibited a collection of the cheap-
est and worst of coloured prints — our late
gracious queen dangling in dangerous proximity
to the ferocious-looking Beau Sabreur, and La
Belle Americaine occupied in attentively scrutinis-
ing certain diminutive sketches of Richmond Hill,
and other localities, probably torn out of some
antiquated Annual. Our host met us a I'Anglaise
— that is to say, with a warm, moist, and friendly
squeeze of the hand : he was profuse in compli-
ments, and insisted upon our sitting on the sofa
opposite his chair. With the assistance of an in-
terpreter— for the Eajah understands little Hindo-
stani, and we less Malayalim — some twenty minutes
were spent in conversation, or rather in the usual
exchange of questions and answers which composes

CALICUT. 179

the small- talk of an Oriental visit. Presently we
arose and took polite leave of our host, who accom-
panied us as far as the door of his little den : the
regal rank and dignity forbidding him to pass the
threshold. Not a little shuffling and shrieking was
caused by our turning a corner suddenly and meet-
ing in the gateway a crowd of dames belonging
to the palace. They and their attendants appeared
as much annoyed as we were gratified to catch a
sight of Nair female beauty. The ladies were very
young and pretty — their long jetty tresses, small '^
soft features, clear dark olive-coloured skins, and
delicate limbs, reminded us exactly of the old prints
and descriptions of the South Sea Islanders. Their
toilette, in all save the ornamental part of rings and
necklaces, was decidedly scanty. It was the same
described by old Capt. Hamilton, who, when intro-
duced at the Court of the Samorin, observed that
the queen and her daughters were " all naked above
the waist, and barefooted."

People are fond of asserting that native preju-
dices are being rapidly subjugated by the strong
arm of English civilization. We could instance
numerous proofs of the contrary being the case.
Two hundred years ago the white man was al- ^
lowed to look upon a black princess in the pre-

ISO GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

sence of her husband. How long will it be
before such privilege will ever be extended to
him again in India ?

On the way homewards our guide pointed out
what he considered the great lion of Calicut. It
is a square field, overgrown with grass and weeds
and surrounded by a dense grove of trees. Front-
ing the road stands a simple gateway, composed of
one stone laid horizontally across two of the same
shape, planted perpendicularly in the ground. Not
detecting instantly any great marvel about the place
we looked our curiosity for further information,

" In days of old a strong fort, and a splendid
palace adorned that spot — their only remains now
those two mounds " — said the guide, pointing at
what appeared to be the ruins of bastions — "and
that raised platform of earth at the other end.
Upon the latter a temporary festive building is
erected whenever a Kajah is invested with the
turban of regal dignity, in memory of the ancient
dwelling-place of his ancestors, and the city which
is now no more."

We had half an hour to waste, and were not
unwilling to hear a detailed account of old Cali-
cut's apocryphal destruction. So we asked the man

CALICUT. 181

to point out its former site. He led us towards the
shore, and called our attention to a reef of rocks
lying close off the mouth of the little Kullai River ;
thej were clearly discernible as it was then low
water.'"

" There," said the guide, — a good Hindoo, of
course — " there lies the accursed city of Cherooman
Rajah !"

Our escort did not require much pressing to ease
himself of a little legendary lore. After preparing
his mouth for conversation by disposing of as much
betel juice as was convenient, he sat down upon
the ground near the log of wood occupied by our-
selves, and commenced.

" When Cherooman Rajah, the last and most pow-
erful of our foreign governors, apostatizing from the
holy faith of his forefathers, received the religion
of the stranger, he went forth as a pilgrim to the
land of the Arab, and dwelt there for several
years, f

* Captain Hamilton mentions his ship striking in six fa-
thoms at the mainmast on some of the ruins of " the sunken
town built by the Portuguese in former times.'' But he hesi-
tates to determine whether the place was " swallowed up by
an earthquake, as some affirm, or undermined by the sea."

f A further account of Cherooman will be found in the
twelfth chapter. Ferishteh, the celebrated JMoslem annalist, in-

182 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

" Our ruler's return was signalized by a deter-
mination to propagate the new belief throughout
iAIalabar, and unusual success attended upon the
well-planned system of persuasion and force adopted
by him. Thousands of the slaves, the cultivators
and the fishermen, became jMoslems, many of the
N'airs, some of them men of high rank, and even a
few of the Brahmans did not disdain to follow their
prince's example. But the Numhoory '"' stood firm
in his refusal to turn from the law of Brahma ;
he not only toiled to counteract the monarch's
influence, but on more than one occasion in solemn
procession visited the palace, and denounced a curse
upon the Rajah and people of Calicut if the prose-
lytising continued,

" At length the chieftain, irritated by tlie deter-

forms us that the Rajah became a Mussulman in consequence
of the pious exhortations of some Arab sailors who were driven
into the port of Craganore. Captain Hamilton remarks that,
" when the Portuguese first came to India, the Samorin of
Calicut, who was lord paramount of Malabar, turned IMoslem
in his dotage, and to show his zeal, went to Mecca on a
pilgrimage, and died on the voyage." The tradition handed
down amongst the Moslems is, that the Malabar Rajah became
a convert to Islam in consequence of seeing the Shakk el-
Kamar, or miraculous splitting of the moon by Mohammed,
and that, warned by a dream, he passed over to Arabia.
* See Chapter XII.

CALICUT. 183

rained opposition of the priesthood, and urged on
by his Arab advisers, swore a mighty oath that he
would forcibly convert his arch enemies. The per-
son selected to eat impure meat as a warning to his
brethren was the holy Sankaracharya, the high
Brahman of the Varkool pagoda.

"Slowly the old man's tottering frame bowed^ and
trembling with age, moved down the double line of
bearded warriors that crowded the audience-hall.
At the further end of the room, upon the cushion
of royalty, and surrounded by a throng of foreign
counsellors, sat Cherooman, looking like a Rakshasa
or Spirit of Evil.

" Few words passed between the Brahman and the
ruler. The threats of the latter, and the scoffs of
his myrmidons, fell unheeded upon the old priest's
ears.

" ' It is said that a Rajah is a sword in the hand
of the Almighty — but thou, Cherooman, -art like the
assassin's knife. Since thou art thus determined
upon thine own destruction accompany me to the
beach, and there, unless before sunset the dread
Deity I adore vouchsafe to show thee a sign of his
power, I will obey thine unhallowed orders.'

" The Rajah mounted his elephant, and followed
by his muftieS; his wuzeers, and guardsmen, moved

184 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

slowly towards the brink of the briny wave. On
foot and unattended, propping his faltering foot-
steps with a sandal wand, the Brahman accompa-
nied the retinue. And all the people of Calicut,
whose leaning towards the new faith made them
exult in the prospect of conversion being forced
upon so revered a personage as the old priest, in-
formed of the event, hurried down in thousands
to the shore, and stood there in groups conversing
earnestly, and sparing neither jest nor jibe at the
contrast between the champions of the two rival
faiths.

" Sankaracharya sat down upon the sand where
the small waves swelled and burst at his feet. Muf-
fling his head in a cotton sheet removed from his
shoulders, he drew the rosary bag over his right
hand, and after enumerating the Deity's names
upon his beads, proceeded to recite the charm of
destruction.

" Presently, a cloud no bigger than a man's hand
rose like a sea-bird above the margin of the western
main. It increased with preternatural growth, and
before half an hour had elapsed it veiled the mid-
day light of heaven, and spread over the sky like
the glooms of night. A low moaning sound as of
a rising hurricane then began to break the drear

CALICUT. 185

stillness of the scene, and fierce blasts to career
wildly over the heaving bosom of the waters.

" Still the Brahman continued his prayer.

" Now huge billowy waves burst like thunder upon
the yellow sands, the zig-zag lightning streaking the
murky sky blinded the eyes, whilst the roar of the
elements deafened the ears of the trembling crowd.
Yet they stood rooted to the spot by a mightier
power than they could control. The Rajah, on his
elephant, and the beggar crawling upon his knees,
all had prepared for themselves one common doom.

" Before the bright car of Surya,'"" the Lord of Day,
borne by its flaming steeds with agate hoofs, had
entered upon their starry way, the wavelet was rip-
pling, and the sea-gull flapping his snowy wing
over the city of Cherooman the Apostate."

* Surya, the Hindoo Phcebus.

186 GOA Al^D THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER XL

MALABAR.

The province, now called Malabar, is part of
the Kerula Rajya, the kingdom of Kerula, one of the
fifty-six deshas, or regions, enumerated in ancient
Hindoo history as forming the Bharata Khanda or
Land of India. It is supposed to have been reco-
vered from the sea by the sixth incarnation of
Vishnu, who in expiation of a matricidal crime gave
over to the Brahmans, particularly to those of the
Moonsut tribe, the broad lands lying between Go-
karna'" and Kanya Kumari, or Cape Comorin. The
country is also known by the names of Malayalim,
the "mountain land ;" Malangara and Cherun,t

* Go-karna, the "Cow's- ear," a celebrated place of pilgrim-
age in the Canara district.

t Cherun or Chairim was one of the three kingdoms con-
tained in South India; the other two were Sholum (Tanjore)
and Pundium (Madura).

MALABAR. 187

from the Rajahs, who governed it at an early
period. It is probably the kingdom of Pandion,
described in the pages of the classical geographers.

By Malabar we now understand the little tract
bounded on the north by Canara, to the south by
the province of Cochin, having Coorg and Mysore
to the east, and washed by the waves of the Indian
Ocean on the west. Marco Polo (thirteenth cen-
tury)" speaks of it as a "great kingdom," and
Linschoten (sixteenth century) describes it as ex-
tending from Coraorin to Goa. The natives assert
that the old Kerula Rajya was divided into sixty-
four grama or districts, of which only eight are
included in the present province of Malabar, f

* We know not which to admire or to pity the more : this
wonderful old traveller's accuracy and truthfulness, or the hard
fate which gave him the nickname of Messer Marco Milioni.
Tardy justice, however, has been done to his memory, and a
learned Italian Orientalist, M. Romagnosi, now asserts, that
from his adventurous wanderings "scaturirono tutte le specu-
lazioni e teorie che condussero finalmente alia scoperta del
Nuovo Mondo."

f Paolino observes, that the term Malabar ought not to be
deduced from the Arabic mala, a mountain, and bakr, a coast.
And Paolino is right ; neither of those vocables are Arabic at
all. The word is of Sanscrit origin, derived from mahja (T"^
a mountain generally, but particularity the ranges called by us
the Western Ghauts), and var (^TT, a multitude). The Per-

188 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The whole of this part of the coast acquired an
early celebrity from the valuable exports '"' which
it dispersed over the Western World. Nelkunda,
the chief port, is mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny :
and the author of the "Periplus" places it near
Barake or Ela Barake, the roadstead where vessels
lay at anchor till their cargoes were brought down
to the sea. Major Rennell has identified the
ancient Nelkunda with the modern Nelisuram, as
the latter place is situated twelve miles up the
Cangerecora River — a distance corresponding Avith

sian word j^ (bar), used in compounds, as Zang-bar, the
region of blacks, or Zanguebar, is palpably a corruption of the
said var. Thus the original Sanscrit term malaya-desha, the
mountain land, became in Persian and Arabic Malbar, or
Malibar, and hence our Malabar. A late editor of Marco Polo's
travels might have been more cautious than to assert that
" the very term is Arabic."

* Anciently described to be pepper, ivory, timber, and pearls.
The three former articles are still produced in great abundance.

We may here notice that Vincent translates 'i,v\a anyuXiva,
" sandalwood," and supposes the word to have been originally
written aai'CaXLya. He is wrong : the tectona grandis, or teak,
called throughout Western India sag (cay), or sagwan, is al-
luded to. So also (paXayyag o-T/o-a/xj/vai is rendered "ebony
in large sticks," and in a note we are informed that it is a
corrupt reading, that wood of some sort is meant, but that
sesamum is a herb. The a-qaaii of the Greeks is manifestly
the Indian sisam, or black tree.

MALABAR. 189

that specified in the " Periplus." Vincent acutely
guesses Ela Barake to be the spot near Cananore,
called by Marco Polo "Eli," and by us Delhi*
— the " Ruddy Mountain " of the ancients.

Malabar, from remote times, has been divided
into two provinces, the northern and the southern :
the Toorshairoo or Cottah River forming the line
of demarcation. The general breadth of the
country, exclusive of the district of Wynad, is
about twenty-five miles, and there is little level
ground. The soil is admirably fertile ; in the
inland parts it is covered with clumps of bamboos,
bananas, mangoes, jacktrees, and several species of
palms. Substantial pagodas, and the prettiest pos-\
sible little villages crown the gentle eminences
that rise above the swampy rice lands, and the
valleys are thickly strewed with isolated cottages
and homesteads, whose thatched roofs, overgrown
with creepers, peep out from the masses of luxuriant

* It is variously and incorrectly written Dely, Delly,
D'illi, and Dilla. The mountain derives its present name from
a celebrated Moslem fakir, Mahommed of Delhi, who died
there, and is invoked by the sea-faring people of the coast.
Its Hindoo appellation is Yeymullay. No stress therefore
should be laid upon the resemblance between Mount Delhi
and the Ela Barake of the Periplus. The identity of the two'
places rests, hovvever, on good local evidence.

190 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

vegetation, the embankments and the neat fences
of split bamboo interlaced with thorns, that con-
ceal them. Each tenement has its own croft
planted with pepper, plantains, and the betel vine,
with small tufts of cocoas, bamboos, and that most
graceful species of the palm, the tall and feathery
areca. These hamlets are infinitely superior in ap-
pearance to aught of the kind we have ever seen
in India ; the houses are generally built of brick
or hewn stone and mortar, and those belonging
to the wealthy have been copied from the Anglo-
Indian bungalow. As the traveller passes he will
frequently see the natives sitting at their doors
upon chairs exactly as the rustics of Tuscany would
do. The quantity of rain that annually falls*
covers the ground with the bloom of spontaneous
vegetation ; cocoa-trees rise upon the very verge
where land ends, and in some places the heaps of
sand that emerge a few feet from the surface of
the sea, look bright with a cap of emerald hue.
In consequence of the great slope of the country
the heaviest monsoon leaves little or no trace
behind it, so that lines of communication once
formed are easily preserved. Generally speaking

* Varying from eighty to one hundred and thirty-five inches
per annum.

MALABAR. 191

the roads are little more than dykes running over
the otherwise impassable paddy fields, and, during
wet weather, those in the lower grounds are remark-
ably bad. Some of the highways are macadamised
with pounded laterite spread in thin layers upon
the sand ; the material is found in great quantities
about Calicut, and it makes an admirable monsoon
road, as the rain affects it but little on account
of its extreme hardness. The magnificent avenues
of trees,* which shade the principal lines, are most
grateful to man and beast in a tropical climate.
On all of them, however, there is one great an-
noyance, particularly during the monsoon, namely,
the perpetual shifting to and from ferries f — an

* Unhappily the banyan has been selected, a tree which,
though sufficiently shady when its root-like branches are al-
lowed to reach the ground, is comparatively valueless as a
protection against the sun, when planted by a roadside. Also,
it is easily overthrown by high winds, for, after a time, the
long and tenacious roots that uphold it rot off, and the thin
branches of young shoots that cling round the parent stem have
not the power to support its weight. A third disadvantage in
the banyan is, that in many places the boughs grow low, and
a horseman's head is in perpetual danger.

t The usual ferry-boat is a platform of planks lashed to
two canoes, and generally railed round. We know not a more
disagreeable predicament than half an hour's trip upon one of
these vessels, with a couple of biting and kicking nags on board.

192 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

operation rendered necessary by the network of
lakes, rivers, and breakwaters, that intersects the
country. A great public use could be made
of these inconvenient streams : with very little
cutting a channel of communication might be run
down the coast, and thus the conveyance of goods
would remain uninterrupted even during the pre-
valence of the most violent monsoons. Water
transit, we may observe, would be a grand boon
here, as carts are rare, cattle transport is almost
unknown, and the transmission of merchandise by
means of coolies or porters is the barbarous, slow,
and expensive method at present necessarily in
general use.

The practical husbandry of ]\Ialabar is essentially
rude, and yet in few countries have we seen more
successful cultivation. The plough is small, of
simple form, and so light, that it merely scratches
the ground ; a pair of bullocks, or a bullock and
a woman or two, are attached to the log, and
whilst the labourer dawdles over his task, he
chaunts monotonous ditties to Mother Earth with
more pious zeal than industry. The higher lands
produce the betel vine, cocoa, areca, and jack-trees,*

* The botanical name of this tree is derived from the
Malayalim adeica, a betel nut. The English "jackfruit" is

MALABAR. 193

together with hill rice : the latter article is sown
some time after the setting in of the heavy rains,
and reaped about September or October. The
lower rice-fields, lying in the valleys between the
acclivities, are laid out in little plots, with raised
footpaths between to facilitate passage and regulate
the irrigation. They generally bear one, often
two, and in some favoured spots, three crops a
year ; the average is scarcely more than six or
seven fold, though a few will yield as much as
thirty. The south-west monsoon, which lasts from
June to September, brings forward the first harvest :
the second is indebted to the south-east rains which
set in about a month later. The Sama (Panicum
Miliaceum) requires the benefit of wet weather ; it is
therefore sown in ]\Iay, and reaped in August. The
oil plant Yelloo (Sesamum Orientale) and the cooltie
or horsegram cannot be put into the ground till the
violence of the monsoon has abated.

The annual revenue of Malabar is about thirty
lacs of rupees (300,000/.), land is valuable, the
reason probably being that it is for the most part
private, not government property.

the Portuguese "jacka," a corruption of the native name
chukha.

K

194 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

When the Hindoo law authorizes a twelfth, an
eighth, or a sixth, and at times of urgent necessity
even a fourth of the crop to be taken, specifying
the Shelbhaga, or one-sixth, as the rulers' usual
share, it appears extraordinary that this province
was exempted from all land-tax till 913,* or a.d.
1736-7. We may account for the peculiarity, how-
ever, by remembering that the country belonged,
properly speaking, to the Brahmans, who were,
in a religious point of view, the owners of the soil.
Moreover, the avowed and legitimate sources of
revenue were sufficient for the purposes of a
government that had no standing army, and whose
militia was supported chiefly by assignments of
land. The rulers, however, were anything but
wealthy : many of their perquisites were, it is true,
by a stretch of authority, converted into the means
of personal aggrandisement, but the influence of
the Brahmans, and the jealousy of the chiefs,

* Of the Malayalim aera. It is called Kolum, from a vil-
lage of that name, and dates its beginning in a.d. 824, the
time when a rich Nair merchant adorned the place with a
splendid palace and tank. Previous to its establishment, the
natives used a cycle of twelve years, each called after some
zodiacal sign. The months were also denoted by the same
terms, so that the name of the year and the month were
periodically identical.

MALABAR. 195

generally operated as efficient checks upon indi-
vidual ambition.

Malabar has been subjected to three dilSerent
assessments.

1st. That of the Hindoo Rajahs.

2dly. In the days of the Moslems, and,

3dly. Under the British Government.

We propose to give a somewhat detailed account
of the chief items composing the curious revenue
of the Hindoo rajahs and chiefs in the olden
time.

1. Unha, battle-wager, or trial by single com-
bat. Quarrels and private feuds were frequent
amongst the Nairs, especially when diiferences on
the subject of the fair sex, or any of their peculiar
principles of honour aroused their pugnacity. It
was not indispensable that the parties who were
at issue should personally fight it out. Champions
were allowed by law, and in practice were fre-
quently substituted. The combatants undertook
to defend the cause they espoused till death, and
a term of twelve years was granted to them that
they might qualify themselves for the encounter
by training and practising the use of arms. Be-
fore the onset both champions settled all their
worldly matters, as the combat was a louti^ance.

196 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The weapons used were sword and dagger : a small
shield and a thick turban being the only articles
of defensive armour. This system of duelling was
a source of considerable revenue to the Rajah,
as he was umpire of the battle, and levied the
tax in virtue of his office. The amount of the
fee varied according to the means of the parties.
Sometimes it was as high as one thousand
fanams.'''"

2. Poorooshandrum — a word literally meaning
the " death of the man" — a relief or sum of money
claimed by the ruler from Nadwallees,t Deshwallees,
heads of guilds, holders of land in free gift or under
conditional tenure, and generally from all persons
enjoying Sthanum or official position in the state,
whenever an heir succeeded to a death vacancy.
The chiefs of provinces and districts, like the
private proprietors, were exclusively entitled to
receive Poorooshandrum from their own tenantry,
as a price of entry paid upon the decease of either
party, lessor or lessee. Sometimes the chiefs
claimed the privilege of levying this tax from
the Rajah's subjects living under their protection.
It is supposed that the Hindoo rulers were entitled,

* Equal to Cos. Rs. 250, about 2oL
t See Chapter XII.

MALABAR. 197

under the head of Poorooshandrum, to a certain
share of the property left bj deceased Moslems, but
the prevalent opinion seems to be that in such cases
there was no fixed sum payable, and, moreover, that
it was not claimed from all, but only from those
individuals who held situations or enjoyed privileges
dependent upon the will and favour of the Rajah.
This tax, so similar to one of our feudal sources of
revenue in the West, often reached the extent of
one thousand two hundred fanams.

3. Polyatta Feima, or degraded women, were
another source of profit to the Rajah, who exacted
various sums from Brahman families for the main-
tenance of such females, and for saving them from
further disgrace. These persons became partial
outcastes, not slaves in the full sense of the word ;
and yet the rulers used to sell them to the Chetties,
or coast merchants. Their ofi'spring always married
into families of the same degraded class, and, after
a few generations, the memory of their origin was
lost in the ramifications of the race into which they
had been adopted.

4. Kaleecha — another feudal tax, answering to
the Nuzzuranah of Mussulman India. It consisted
of presents made by all ranks of people to the
ruler on such occasions of congratulation and con-

198 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

dolence as his ascending the throne, opening a new
palace, marrying, and dying. The amount expected
varied from two to one thousand fanams.

5. Chungathum, or protection. Whenever a
person wished to place himself under the safe-
guard of a man of consequence, he paid from four
to sixty-four fanams annually for the privilege.
He might also make an assignment on particular
lands for the payment. The sum was devoted to
the maintenance of a kind of sentinel, similar to
the belted official Peon of the Anglo-Indian settle-
ments, furnished by the protector to his dependent.
In cases of necessity, however, the former was
bound to aid and assist the other with a stronger
force.

6. Recha-Bhogum — a tax dijBFering from Chun-
gathum only in one point, viz., that the engagement
was a general one, unlimited to any specific aid in
the first instance.

7. Under the name of Uttuduhum, the Rajah was
entitled to the property of any person who, holding
lands in free gift, died without heirs ; moreover, no
adoption was valid without his sanction. The
feudal chiefs had similar privileges with respect
to their tenants.

8. Udeema punum — the yearly payment of

MALABAR. 199

one or two fanams, levied by every Tumbooran '"''
or patron from his Udian (client).

9. Soonka — customs upon all imports and ex-
ports by laud or sea. The amount is variously spe-
cified as two-and-a-half, three, and even ten per cent.

10. Yela — the systematic usurpation of territory
belonging to the neighbouring rulers or chiefs, whom
poverty or other causes incapacitated from holding
their own. The Hindoo Scripture affirms that
territorial aggrandisement is the proper object and
peculiar duty of a king.

11. Kola or Gharadayum — forced contributions
levied by Rajahs on occasions of emergency, accord-
ing to the circumstances of their subjects.

12. Tuppa — mulcts imposed upon those who
were convicted of accidental and unintentional
oifences.

13. Pala — fines taken in the same manner for
intentional crimes, according to their magnitude
and the circumstances of the criminal. They some-
times extended to a total confiscation of property.

1 4. Ponnarippa — the sifting of gold. Gold dust
generally was a perquisite belonging to the Eajah
or Nadwallee, as the case might be.

* Tumbooran, in Malayalim, means a lord or prince. If a
minor he is termed Tumban.

200 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

15. Udeenya Oorookul, or shipwrecked vessels,
which became crown property.

16. Ghaireehul, or private domains, which the
Eajahs possessed in proprietary right, acquired
either by purchase, lapses, or escheats.

17. Aeemoola ] ^ . , , , ^ i

I- Cows with three and nve dugs.

18. Moomoola ]

19. Ghenghomba, or cattle that had destroyed
life, human or bestial.

20. Kunnuda poolee- — beeves born with a pecu-
liar white spot near the corner of the eye.

21. Ana-pidee — elephants caught in the jungles.

22. Poowala — buffalos with a white spot at the
tip of the tail.

23. Koomha — the tusks of dead elephants.

24. Koraiva — the leg of a hog, deer, or any other
eatable animal killed in the jungles.

25. Wala , . ^ .

^^ rr, ^ The tail and skm of a tiger.

26. Tola J ^

27. Kennutil punne — a pig that had fallen into
a well."^''

* Most of the matter contained in this chapter has been
taken from old and valuable papers preserved in the Nuzoor
Cutcherry at Calicut. By the kindness of the collector we
were permitted to inspect and make any extracts from them
we pleased.

MALABAR. 201

This system of aid and perquisites, rather than
of taxes and assessments, continued, as we have said
before, till a.d. 1736. At that time the invasion
of the Ikkairee, or Bednore Rajah, to whom the
Canara province was then in subjection, obliged
some of the rulers of Northern Malabar to levy
twenty per cent, on Patum, or rent. The part of the
Palghaut and Temelpooram districts, which belonged
to the Calicut house, was subjected to a land tax,
under the name of Kavil, or compensation for
protection. With these exceptions,* Malabar was
free from any land rent or regular assessment pro-
portioned to the gross produce before Hyder's inva-
sion in A.D. 1777.

Some are of opinion that, during Hyder's life,
the land-tax assumed, in the Southern division of
Malabar, the shape which it now bears in the public
records. Others attribute the principles of the
assessment to Arshad Beg Khan, the Foujdar, or
commander of Tippoo Sultan's forces in Malabar,
about A.D. 1783. His system was carefully ex-
amined by Messrs. Duncan, Page, Bodham, and

* The reader must bear in mind that in Malabar, as in all
other native states, contributions carefully proportioned to the
circumstances of the parties so mulcted, were called for on
every occasion of emergency.

K 5

202 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Dow, who, iu 1792 and 1793, were appointed com-
missioners to inspect and report upon the state and
condition of the country. To their laborious work*
we must refer the curious reader, as the subject is
far too lengthy and profound to suit such light
pages as these.

* In three vols. Printed at the Courier press, Bombay.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 203

CHAPTER XII.

THE HINDOOS OF MALABAR.

When Parasu Rama, the demigod, departed this
transitory life, he left, as we said before, the
kingdom of Malabar as a heritage to the priestly
caste. For many years a hierarchy of Brahmans
governed the land.'" At length, finding themselves
unable to defend the country, they established
Nair chiefs in each Nad (province), and Desha
(village), f- called from their places of jurisdiction
Nadwallee and Deshwallee. The main distinction
between them seems to have been, that whereas
the latter could not command more than a hundred

* Tradition obscurely alludes to a Rajah called Kerulam
(probably from his kingdom), who reigned sixty-three years
after Parasu Rama.

t In Sanscrit the word means a continent, country, or re-
gion : it is used hereabouts in a limited sense, generally signi-
fying a village.

204 GOA AND THE BLUE xMOUNTAINS.

fighting men, the Nadwallee never went to battle
with a smaller number than that under his banner ;
some few led as many as twenty thousand vassals
to the field. Both were bound to conduct the afiairs
of their feofs, to preserve the peace of the country,
and to assemble and head their respective forces
at the summons of the Rajah. There does not
appear to have been any limitation to the power
of settling disputes vested in these feudal superiors,
nor were they prohibited from taking fines and
costs of suit ; '"' parties appearing before them had,
however, a right of appeal to the Rajah. These
dignities were hereditary ; still they may be con-
sidered political offices, — for, in case of demise,
the heir did not succeed without a formal investi-
ture by the ruler, and a relief, or fine of entry,
taken in token of allegiance. Like the feudal
landowners of England, both the Nadwallee and
the Deshwallee were dependent upon the prince
to whom they swore the oath of fidelity. Neither
of these dignitaries was necessarily owner of all

* The Hindoo law lays down five per cent, as the amount
to be levied from the plaintiff, ten from the defendant if cast
in a suit, otherwise he is exempt from any tax. Some of the
Rajahs were by no means content with such a moderate per-
quisite ; the ruler of Cochin, for instance, never took less than
double the sum above specified.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 205

the landed property within his province or village
boundaries : in fact he seldom was so, although
there was no objection to his becoming proprietor
bj purchase or other means. They were not
entitled to a share of the produce of the lands
in their jurisdiction, nor could they claim the
seignoral privileges, which the heads of villages
on the eastern coast, and many other parts of
India, enjoy. Under the Deshwallee of each village
were several Turravattakara, * or chief burgesses.
They possessed a certain hereditary dignity, but
no controlling authority. In them, however, we
may trace the germ of a municipal corporation, as
their position entitled them to the honour of being
applied to on occasions of marriages, deaths, religious
ceremonies, and differences amongst the vassals.
When their mediation failed the cause went before
the Deshwallee.

The anarchy introduced by this complicated
variety of feudalism soon compelled the hierarchy
to call in the aid of the Bejanuggur, or, as it is
commonly termed, the Anagundy government, and
the latter, at the solicitation of the Brahmans,
appointed a Peroomal, or Viceroy, whose adminis-

* Sometimes called Prumani and Mookoodee, " principal in-
habitants."

206 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

tration was limited to the term of twelve years,
to rule the fair lands of Malabar. These governors,
who are also known by the name of Cherun,'" were
first appointed in the 3511th y6ar of the Kali
Yug,t about A.D. 410. Seventeen of them, curious
to say, followed each other in regular succession.
The last, however, Cherooman Peroomay so in-
gratiated himself with his temporary subjects, that
he reigned thirty-six years, and, at the head of a
numerous army, defeated the home government,
which attempted to dispossess him of his power,
in a pitched battle fought near the village of
Annamalay.§ Afterwards, becoming a convert to
Islam, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Before
leaving India, he divided the province among the
seventeen chiefs |1 to whose valour he was indebted
for his success in war. These were the ancestors
of the present race of Rajahs.

* " Ruler of the land of Cherun." See Chapter XI.

+ The current aera of the Hindoos.

t See Chapter X.

§ In the present talook of Temelpooram.

II Captain Hamilton — no great authority by the bye in such
matters — relates that the Samiry divided his territories be-
tween his four nephews, and says that the partition led to
long and bloody wars between the brothers. He probably
confounded a Moslem with the Hindoo tradition.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 207

Malabar was soon torn with intestine feuds,
arising from the power and ambition of its host
of rulers, and the Samiry, Samoory, or Calicut
Rajah, soon became de facto — if not dejure — the
lord paramount. He was a native of Poontoora,
in the Coimbatore province, and derived his name,
Mana Vikram, from Manicham and Vikram — the
two brothers present on the occasion when Cheroo-
man conferred dominion upon the head of the
house. His superiority was acknowledged until
Hyder's time, by all the chiefs from the north point
of Malabar to the south extremity of Travancore.

After that Hyder had become regent of Mysore,
he made use of the following pretext for invading
Malabar. The Palghaut Rajah, a descendant from
the Pandian sovereigns of Madura, terrified by the
power of the Samiry, had, in early times, sought
the alliance of the Mysore state, then governed by
its Hindoo princes, and constituted himself a client
of the same by paying a certain annual sum for
a subsidiary force to be stationed in his territory.
The ambitious ]\Ioslem, under colour of avenging
his ally and protecting him against the oppressions
of the Samiry and other princes, forthwith at-
tacked them on their own ground.

208 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The manner in which the Calicut house is and
has been, from the days of hoar antiquity, broken
and divided, appears curious in the extreme. It
may be supposed that the Brahmans, jealous of
the overgrown power of one individual, in the
person of the Samiry, endeavoured to temper its
force by assigning to the other members of the
family certain official dignities, together with con-
comitant privileges. It is also possible that this
partition might have taken place at the solici-
tation of the princes, who naturally would wish
to secure for themselves a settled and independent
subsistence. They were appointed to act as a
council to the reigning sovereign ; they could
check his authority as well as aid him in his
wisdom ; and, finally, they were his principal of-
cers, each having separate and particular duties
to perform. { By this arrangement, in case of the
ruler's demise, his heir would succeed to the throne
without any of the harassing disturbances and
sanguinary contentions so common amongst Asiatic
nations.

Where rank and property descend from father
to son, there is little difficulty in settling the suc-
cession. But when families remain united for years
under the Murroo-muka-tayum, or inheritance by

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 209

the nephew or sister's son— the strange law which
prevails among the Rajahs and Nairs of Malabar —
it becomes bj no means an easy matter to ascertain
who is the senior in point of birth. The crafty
Brahmans provided against this difficulty by estab-
lishing a system of intermediate dignities, which
acted as a register, and by requiring a long interval
of time, during which each individual's rights
might be frequently discussed and deliberately
settled, to elapse between promotion from the
inferior to the superior grades.

The head of the Calicut house, who may be
supposed to occupy the position of the first Samiry's
mother, is called the Vullia Tumbooratee,'" or prin-
cipal queen. She resides in the Kovilugum, or
palace of Umbadee. Priority of birth gives a claim
to this dignity, and the eldest of all the princesses
is entitled to it, no matter what be her relationship
to the reigning sovereign. The Umbadee is the
only indispensable palace ; but, for the sake of
convenience, an unlimited number of private dwell-
ings have been established for the junior princesses.
Thus we find the " new palace," the " eastern
palace " (relatively to the Umbadee), the " western

* Tumbooratee, in Malayalini, a lady or princess; if a
minor she is termed Tumbatee.

210 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

palace/' and many others/" The queen and prin-
cesses are compelled to occupy the residences
allotted to their several ranks ; they are also pro-
hibited from holding any commerce with men of
their own family, as their paramours must either
be of the Kshatriya f (military) caste, or Numboory
Brahmans, and may not be changed without the
consent of the Samiry and that of the whole body
of near relations.

The princes are taken according to their seniority
out of the above-mentioned Umbadees, and the
eldest of all, when a death occurs, becomes the
Samiry. There are five palaces of state allotted to
the different princes — namely, the Samotree Kovi-
lugum, or palace of the First Rajah ; the Yeirumpiree
Kovilugum, or palace of the Yellia Rajah — the heir
apparent to the Samiry-ship ; and three others,
which are respectively termed the " Governments of
the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Portions. After that
a prince has been once established in any of these
dignities, his order of rank may be considered

* The above four are the only recognised palaces.

f Some of the present chieftains of Malabar style them-
selves Kshatriyas, but by far the greater number derive their
pedigree from the intercourse of Brahmans with the royal ladies,
who principally belong to the Nair caste of Hindoos.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 211

finally settled : he cannot be superseded, but must,
if he lives, rise step by step — each time with
formal investiture — till he attains the highest
dignity. Whenever a superior palace becomes
vacant, he is duly installed in it, and succeeds
to the revenue arising from the landed property
belonging to it. But he cannot remove any of
the furniture, or the gold and silver utensils, from
the inferior residence which he formerly occupied,
as these articles are considered public goods, and,
as such, are marked with distinctive stamps. Under
all circumstances, however, the prince retains the
right of private property.

The principles of the arrangement which we have
attempted to describe, not only exist in the Calicut
house but pervade all the families of the difi"erent
Rajahs in Malabar.

In the intercourse between the princes there is
much ceremony, and, as might be expected, little
afiection. No one is allowed to sit down in the
presence of a superior ; all must stand before the
Samiry, and do obeisance to him with folded
hands.

According to a census taken in 1846, the dif-
ferent castes were enumerated as follows in round
numbers : —

212

GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

1.

Numboory Brahmans

5,500

2,

Puttur, or foreign Brahmans

15,200

3.

Nairs

370,000

4.

Tiyars .

340,000

5.

Moplahs

315,000

6.

Fishermen

15,300

7.

Chermur, or serfs

160,000

8.

Christians and other strangers

Total

9,000

1,230,000*

Even in India, the land of ethnologic marvels,
there are few races so strange and remarkable in
their customs as the people of ]\Ialabar. The soil
or the climate seems to have exercised some pecu-
liar eifect upon its inhabitants : Hindoos as well
as Moslems abound in peculiarities unknown to
their tenets and practices in other parts of the
world. The correctness of our observation will
appear in the following sketches of the diflferent
castes.

The priesthood of Malabar is at present divided
into two great classes ; the N'umboory, Numoodree
or Malabar Brahmans, and the Puttur, or families
of the pontifical stock that do not originally be-
long to the country.

* This gives upwards of two hundred souls per mile, estimat-
ing the extent of Malabar at about six thousand square miles.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 213

The Numboorj is the scion of an ancient and
celebrated tree. The well known polemic San-
karacharya belonged to this race ; he was born in
the village of Kaludee, in the 3501st, or, according
to others, the 3100th year of the Kali Yug. His
fame rests principally upon his celebrated work,
the sixty-four anacharun, or Exceptions to Estab-
lished Rules, composed for the purpose of regulating
and refining the customs of his fellow religionists.*
No copy of the institutes which have produced
permanent effects upon the people exists in Mala-
bar. There is a history of the sainfs life called
Sankaracharya Chureedun, containing about seven
hundred stanzas, written by a disciple.

The Numboory family is governed by several
regulations peculiar to it : only the eldest of any
number of brothers takes a woman of his own
caste to wife. All the juniors must remain single
except when the senior fails in having issue. This
life of celibacy became so irksome to the Brah-
mans that they induced the Nair caste to permit
unrestrained intercourse between their females
and themselves, it being well understood that the

* It ordainedj for instance, that corpses shall be burned
within private premises, instead of being carried out for that
purpose into the woods, &c.

214 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

priesthood was conferring an especial honour upon
their disciples. Probably in order to please the
compliant Sliudras the more, the Numboorj in
many parts of the country changed their regular
mode of succession for the inheritance by nephews
practised amongst the Nairs. As might be sup-
posed, the birth of female children is considered
an enormous evil by these Brahmans ; their
daughters frequently live and die unmarried, and
even when a suitable match has been found for
them, their nuptials are seldom celebrated till late
in life, owing to the extraordinary expense of the
ceremony. Throughout India the marriage of a
girl is seldom delayed after her twelfth year ; in
Malabar, few Numboory women are married before
they reach the age of twenty-five or thirty. They
are most strictly watched, and all faux pas are
punished by a sort of excommunication pronounced
by the hereditary Brahman, with the consent of
the Rajah. The relations of the female delinquent
are also heavily fined, and such mulcts in ancient
times formed one of the items of the ruler's
revenue.

There is nothing striking in the appearance of
the Numboory. He is, generally speaking, a short,
spare man, of a dark olive-coloured complexion,

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 215

sharp features, and delicate limbs. His toilette
is not elaborate ; a piece of white cotton cloth
fastened round the waist, and a similar article
thrown loosely over the shoulders, together with
the cord of the twice-born, compose the tout
ensemble. These Brahmans are solemn in their
manners and deportment, seldom appear in public,
and when they do, they exact and receive great
respect from their inferiors in caste. A Nair
meeting a Numboory must salute him by joining
the palms of the hands together, and then separ-
ating them three successive times.*

The Nairsf are a superior class of Shudra, or
servile Hindoos, who formerly ^composed the militia,|
or landwehr, of Malabar. Before the land-tax was
introduced they held estates rent free ; the only

* There is an abridged form of this salutation, which con-
sists of joining the hands and then parting them, at the same
time bending the fingers at the second joint.

t This word generally follows the name of the individual,
and seems to be the titular appellation of the class. It is
probably derived from the Sanscrit Nayaka (a chief), like the
Teloogoo Naidoo, the Canarese and Tamul Naikum, and the
Hindoo Naik.

X Captain Hamilton makes the number of fighting men
throughout the province, of course including all castes, amount
to one million two hundred and sixty-two thousand.

216 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

prestation required from them was personal service ;
to attend the rajah, or chief, on all official and
religious occasions, and to march to battle under
his banner. When absent from their homes, they
were entitled to a daily subsistence, called Kole.
Their arms were sword and shield, spear and match-
lock, with a long knife or dagger suspended behind
the back by a hook attached to a leathern waist-
band. Being now deprived of their favourite
pastimes — fighting and plundering — they have
become cultivators of the soil, and disdain not to
bend over the plough, an occupation formerly
confined to their slaves. And yet to the present
day they retain much of their old military character,
and with it the licentiousness which in Eastern
countries belongs to the profession of arms. In fact,
" war, wine, and women " appear to be the three
ingredients of their summum honum, and forced
abstinence from the first, only increases the ardour
of their afiection for the last two. Although quite
opposed to the spirit of Hindoo law, intoxication
and debauchery never degrade a Nair from his
caste.)

Wedlock can hardly be said to exist among the
Nairs. They perform, however, a ceremony called
Iculleanum, which in other castes implies marriage,

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 217

probably a relic of the nuptial rite. The Nair
woman has a Talee, or necklace, bound round her
throat by some fellow-caste man, generally a friend
of the family ; a procession then ambulates the
town, and by virtue thereof the lady takes the title
of Ummah, or matron. But the gentleman is not
entitled to the privileges of a husband, nor has he
any authority over the said matron's person or
property. She is at liberty to make choice of the
individual with whom she intends to live — her
Bhurtao, as her protector is called, she becoming
his Bharya. The connection is termed Goona-
doshum, words which literally signify "good and
bad," and imply an agreement between the parties
to take each other for better and worse ; it cannot
be dissolved without the simple process of one party
" giving warning " to the other. In former times,
the lady used always to reside in her mother's
house, but this uncomfortable practice is now
rapidly disappearing.

Another peculiar custom which prevails among
the Nairs, is the murroo-muka-tayura,'"" hereditary
succession by sisters' sons ; or in case of their
failing, by the male nearest in consanguinity from
the father's grandmother. The ancient ordinances
* Opposed to muka-tayum, the succession of sons.

L

218 GO A AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

of Malabar forbade a Nair to leave his property
by will to his offspring, and it was considered un-
becoming to treat a son with the affection shown
to a nephew. Of late years some heads of families
have made a provision for their own children
during life time, but it has been necessary to pro-
cure the assent of the rightful heirs to bequests
thus irregularly made. When property is left to
sons, the division follows the general Hindoo law,
with two essential points of difference. In the
first place, children inherit the estate of the mother
only ; and, secondly, a daughter is, in certain cases,
entitled to preference to a son. Thus, a female
can, a male cannot, mortgage or sell land inherited
from his maternal progenitor : after his death it
must revert to those who were co-heirs with him ;
and though a man is entitled to the same share as
his sister, his right to it continues only as long as
they live in the same house.

The origin of this extraordinary law is lost in
the obscurity of antiquity. The Brahmans, accord-
ing to some, were its inventors; others suppose
that they merely encouraged and partially adopted
it. Its effects, politically speaking, were beneficial
to the community at large. The domestic ties,
always inconvenient to a strictly military popu-

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 219

lation, were thereby conveniently weakened, and
the wealth, dignity, and unbroken unity of interests
were preserved for generations unimpaired in great
and powerful families, which, had the property been
divided among the several branches, according to
the general practice of Hinduism, would soon have
lost their weight and influence. As it was un-
necessary that a woman should be removed from
her home, or introduced into a strange family, the
eldest nephew on the sister's side, when he became
the senior male member of the household, succeeded,
as a matter of course, to the rights, property, and
dignity of Karnovun.*

We suspect that the priesthood — those crafty
politicians whose meshes of mingled deceit and
superstition have ever held the Hindoo mind
" in durance vile " — were the originators of the
murroo-muka-tayum and the goonadoshum. Both
inventions, like many of the laws of Lycurgus,
appear the result of well-digested plans for carrying
out the one proposed object. They are audacious
encroachments upon the rights of human nature ;
and we cannot account for their existence by any
supposition except that the law-givers were deter-
mined to rear a race of warriors— no matter by

* The head of the house.

L 2

220 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

what means. As a corroboration of our theory,
we may instance the fact that these strange and
now objectless ordinances are gradually giving way
to the tide of truer feeling. Already the succession
of nephews has been partially broken through, and
in the present day the control of the heads of
families is nothing compared with what it was.

There is a tradition among the Nairs, that
anciently, the Samiry Rajah was, by the law of the
land, compelled to commit suicide by cutting his
throat in public at the expiration of a twelve-years'
reign. When that ceremony became obsolete, an-
other and an equally peculiar one was substituted
in its stead. A jubilee was proclaimed throughout
the kingdom, and thousands flocked from all direc-
tions to the feasts and festivals prepared for them
at Calicut. On an appointed day, the Rajah, after
performing certain religious rites, repaired to the
shore, and sat down upon a cushion, unarmed, bare-
headed, and almost undressed, whilst any four men
of the fighting caste, who had a mind to win a
crown, were allowed to present themselves as candi-
dates for the honour of regicide. They were bathed
in the sea, and dressed in pure garments, which,
as well as their persons, were profusely sprinkled
over with perfumes and water coloured yellow by

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 221

means of turmeric. A Brahman then putting a
long sword and small round shield into each man's
hand, told him to " go in and win ^' if he could.
Almost incredible though it may appear, some cases
are quoted in which a lucky desperado succeeded
in cutting his way through the thirty or forty thou-
sand armed guards who stood around the Rajah,
and in striking off the sovereign's head. This
strange practice has of late years been abolished.

The Nairs are rather a fair and comely race, with
neat features, clean limbs, and decidedly a high
caste look. They shave the head all over, except-
ing one long thin lock of hair, which is knotted
at the end, and allowed to lie flat upon the crown.
Neither cap nor turban is generally worn. Their
dress consists of the usual white cotton cloth
fastened round the loins : when en grande tenue, a
similar piece hangs round their necks, or is spread
over the shoulders. We have alluded to the ap-
pearance of their females in our account of Calicut,
and may here observe that we were rather fortu-
nate in having accidentally seen them. The Nair
is as jealous as he is amorous and vindictive : many
travellers have passed through the country without
being able to catch one glimpse of their women,
and the knife would be unhesitatingly used if a

222 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

foreigner attempted to satisfy his curiosity by any-
thing like forcible measures. ;

The Tian "' of Malabar is to the Nair what the
villein was to the feoffee of feudal England. These
two families somewhat resemble each other in
appearance, but the former is darker in complexion,
and less " castey " in form and feature than the
latter. It is the custom for modest women of the
Tiyar family to expose the whole of the person
above the waist, whereas females of loose character
are compelled by custom to cover the bosom. As
this class of Hindoo, generally speaking, provides
the European residents with nurses and other
menials, many of our countrymen have tried to
make them adopt a somewhat less natural costume.
The proposal, however, has generally been met
pretty much in the same spirit which would be
displayed were the converse suggested to an Eng-
lishwoman.

In writings tbe Tiyar are styled Eelavun. They
are supposed to be a colony of strangers from an
island of that name near Ceylon. An anomaly in
the Hindoo system they certainly are : learned

* The masculine singular of this word is Tian (fern. Tiatti),
in the plural Tiyar.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 223

natives know not whether to rank them among
the Shudras or not ; some have designated them by
the term Uddee Shudra, meaning an inferior branch
of the fourth great division. Their principal em-
ployments are drawing toddy, dressing the heads
of cocoa and other trees, cultivating rice lands, and
acting as labourers, horse-keepers, and grass-cutters ;
they are free from all prejudices that would re-
move them from Europeans, and do not object
to duties which only the lowest outcastes in India
will condescend to perform. Some few have risen
to respectability and even opulence by trade. They
will not touch the flesh of the cow, and yet they
have no objection to other forbidden food. They
drink to excess, and are fond of quarrelling over
their cups. Unlike the Nairs, they are deficient
in spirit ; they are distinguished from the natives
of Malabar generally by marrying and giving in
marriage. Moreover, property with them descends
regularly from father to son.

Throughout the province a sort of vassalage
seems to have been established universally among
the Tiyar, occasionally among the Nair tribes.*

* The Moplahs, as strangers, and the merchants, trades-
people, and professional men who had no fixed places of resi-
dence, did not engage in this feudal relationship.

224 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The latter would sometimes place himself in a
state of dependency upon some Rajah, or powerful
chief, and pay Chungathum,"^ or protection-money,
for the advantage derived from the connexion.
The Tiyar willingly became the Udianf of any
superior whose patronage would guarantee him
quiet possession of his goods and chattels. This
kind of allegiance by no means amounted to
slavery. The Tumbooran could not dispose of the
person or property of his vassal, nor did the private
tie acquit an individual of any public duty to the
Rajah or his representatives upon emergent occa-
sions. The patron was on all occasions bound to
defend, protect, and procure redress for his client —
favours which the latter acknowledged by yearly tri-
bute, and by affording personal service to his supe-
rior in private quarrels. To the present day the
Tian will immediately say who his Tumbooran is :
the annual offerings are still kept up, and though
British law entitles all parties to equality of social

* See Chapter XL

t The word Udian, in Malayalira and Tamul, literally sig-
nifies a slave. Here it is used in its limited signification of
vassal or client, as opposed to the Tumbooran or patron. The
word, however, would be considered degrading to a Nair, and
is therefore never applied to him.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 225

rights, it must be an injury of some magnitude that
can induce the inferior to appear against his patron
in a court of justice. Some individuals became
vassals of the Pagoda, which, in its turn, often
subjected itself to fee a Rajah for the maintenance
of its rights and the defence of its property.

The reader will remark how peculiarly characte-
ristic of the nation this state of voluntary depend-
ency is. In European history we find the allodialist
putting himself and his estate in a condition of
vassalage, but he did so because it was better to
occupy the property as a fief incident to certain
services than to lose it altogether, or even to be
subjected to pillage and forced contributions. But
the Asiatic is not comfortable without the shade
of a patron over his head ; even if necessity ori-
ginally compelled him to sacrifice half his freedom,
habit and inclination perpetuate the practice long
after all object for its continuance has ceased to
exist. /

The Chermur,* or serfs of Malabar, amongst the
Hindoos, were entirely prasdial or rustic. The sys-

* " Sons of the soil," from cher, earth, and mukkul, children.
In the masculine singular the word is chermun (fern, chermee),
plural, chermur.

L 5

226 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

tern of slavery is said to have been introduced by
Parasu Rama, as a provision for agriculture when
he gave the country to the Brahmans. We may
account for it more naturally by assigning its origin
and referring its subsequent prevalence to the ope-
ration of the ancient Indian laws. The rules of
caste were so numerous and arbitrary that constant
deviations from them would take place in a large
community ; and for certain offences freeborn indi-
viduals became Chandalas (outcastes), and were
liable to disenfranchisement.

Servitude in Malabar offered few of the revolting,
degrading, and horrible features which characterized
Vit in the ancient, mediaeval, and modern annals of
the Western World. The proprietor never had
the power of life or death over a slave without
the sanction of the feudal chief, or more generally
of the sovereign ; he could inflict corporeal punish-
ment upon him, but old established custom limited
the extent as effectually as law would. Moreover,
in this part of the globe serfs were born and bred
in subserviency, they had no cherished memories
of rights and comforts once enjoyed, — ^no spirit of
independence conscious of a title to higher privi-
leges and indignant at unjust seclusion from them.
In their case slavery did not begin with the horrors

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 227

of violent separatioD from country and home, the
cruelties of a ship-imprisonment, forcible introduc-
tion to new habits and customs, food and dress,
languages and connections. They were not de-
graded to the level of beasts, nor were they sub-
jected to treatment of the worst description by
strange masters, who neither understood their na-
tures, nor sympathized with their feelings.

A proprietor in Malabar could always sell * his
serfs with or without the soil, but to remove them
far from their homes would have been considered
a cruel and unwarrantable measure sufficient to
cause and almost justify desertion. Only in some
castes the wives of slaves might be sold to another
master, and, generally speaking, parents were not
separated from their children.f They might, how-
ever, be let out in simple rent, or mortgaged under
certain deeds. The proprietors were bound to feed
their slaves throughout the year. The allowance
on work days was double the proportion issued at

* The price of a slave varied from 31. to 8/.

t In the CaHcut district, half the children belonged to the
mother, or rather to her proprietor, and the other half to the
father's master; the odd number was the property of the
former. When both parents belonged to one owner, he of
course claimed all the offspring.

228 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

other times, but it was never less than two pounds
of rice to a male, and about three quarters of that
quantity to a female. In Malabar there have been
instances of a Chermun's holding land in lease, and
being responsible to government for paying its taxes.
In Canara it was by no means uncommon for slaves
to have slips of rice-fields, and small pieces of land
given to them by their masters for growing fruit
and vegetables. When a slave possessing any
property died, his owner was not entitled to it,
except in the cases when no lawful heir could be
found. In some places on the coast,* and near large
towns, the serfs were permitted, when not labour-
ing for their proprietor, to employ themselves in
carrying grass, firewood, and other articles to mar-
ket. On great occasions they expected presents of
clothes, oil, grain, and small sums of money when-
ever the owner was wealthy enough to distribute
such largesse. And at harvest time they were enti-
tled to a certain portion of the produce, as a com-
pensation for watching the crop.

There are several castes of serfs who do not
intermarry or eat with each other. The Poliur is

* Generally speaking, the slaves in the maritime districts
were in better condition, and far superior in bodily and mental
development to their brethren in the interior.

HINDOOS OF MALABAR. 229

considered the most industrious, docile, and trust-
worthy. Proprietors complained loudly of the pil-
fering propensities displayed by the others. With
the exception of the Parayen and Kunnakun tribes,
they abstain from slaying the cow, and using beef
as an article of food. All are considered im-
pure, though not equally so. For instance, slaves
of the Polyan, Waloovan, and Parayen races must
stand at a distance of seventy-two paces from the
Brahman and Nair : the Kunnakuns may approach
within sixty-four, and other servile castes within
forty-eight paces of the priestly and military orders.

230 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE MOSLEM AND OTHER NATIVES OF MALABAR.

We are informed by the Moslem historians that
their faith spread wide and took deep root in
the southern parts of Western India, principally
in consequence of the extensive immigration of
Arabs. It may be observed that the same cause
which provided the Hindoos with serfs, supplied
the stranger with proselytes : a Rajah would often,
when in want of money, dispose of his outcastes
to the Faithful, who, in such cases, seldom failed
to make converts of their purchasers.

The Moplahs, or Mapillahs,'" — the Moslem in-
habitants of Malabar — are a mixed breed, sprung

* There are three different derivations of this word. Some
deduce it fronn the pure Hindostani and corrupted Sanscrit
word ma (a mother), and the Tamul pilla (a son), " sons of
their mothers," the male progenitor being unknown. Others
suppose it to be a compound of mukkul (a daughter) and pilla
(a son), " a daughter's son," also an allusion to their origin.

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 231

from the promiscuous intercourse that took place
between the first Arab settlers and the women of
the country. Even to the present day they display
in mind and body no small traces of their mongrel
origin. They are a light coloured and good look-
ing'"'' race of men, with the high features, the proud
expression, and the wiry forms of the descendants
of Ishmael : their delicate hands and feet, and
their long bushy beards, •[ show that not a little
Hindoo blood flows in their veins. They shave
the hair, trim the mostachios according to the
Sunnat,| and, instead of a turban, wear a small
silk or cloth cap of peculiar shape upon their heads.
The chest and shoulders are left exposed, and a
white or dyed piece of linen, resembling in cut

The third is a rather fanciful derivation from Mokhai-pilla
" sons of, or emigrants from, Mocha," in Arabia.

* This description applies exclusively to the higher orders ;
the labouring classes are dark and ill-favoured.

t The genuine Arab, especially in Yemen and Tehamah, is,
generally speaking, a Kusaj^ or scant-bearded man ; and his
envy when regarding the flowing honours of a Persian chin, is
only equalled by the lasting regret with which he laments his
own deficiency in that semi-religious appurtenance to the
human face.

X The practice of the Prophet, whom every good Moslem is
bound to imitate, even in the most trivial and every-day occa-
sions.

232 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

and colour the " lung " or bathing cloth of Central
Asia, is tied round the loins. The garment, if
we may so call it, worn by the males, does not
reach below the calves of the legs, whereas the
fair sex prolongs it to the ankles. Unlike the
Hindoo inhabitants of ]\Ialabar, the upper portion
of the female figure is modestly concealed by a
shift buttoned round the neck, with large sleeves,
and the opening in front : according to the custom
of the Faithful a veil is always thrown over the
head.

The only peculiarity in the Moplah lady's cos-
tume is the horrible ornamenting of the ear. At
an early age the lobe is pierced, and a bit of lead,
or a piece of Shola wood * is inserted in order to
enlarge the orifice. After a time the lobe becomes
about the size of a crown piece, and a circle of
gold, silver, or palm-leaf, dyed red, white, or yellow,
is inserted into it — the distended skin of the lobe
containing and surrounding the ring. There is
something peculiarly revolting to a stranger's eye
in the appearance of the two long strips of flesh
instead of ears, which hang down on each side of

* The jEschynomene paludosa, a wood of porous texture,
which swells when water is poured upon it. Lead is some-
times used to distend the flap of the ear by its weight.

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 233

the head in old age, when ornaments are no longer
worn.

The countenance of the Moplah, especially when it
assumes the expression with which he usually regards
infidels and heretics, is strongly indicative of his
ferocious and fanatic disposition. His deep undying
hatred for the Kafir * is nurtured and strengthened
by the priests and religious instructors. Like the
hierarchy of the Moslem world in general, they
have only to hold out a promise of Paradise to their
disciples as a reward, and the most flagrant crimes
will be committed. In Malabar they lie under
the suspicion of having often suggested and coun-
tenanced many a frightful deed of violence. The
Moplah is an obstinate ruffian. Cases are quoted
of a culprit spitting in the face of a judge when
the warrant of execution was being read out to
him. Sometimes half a dozen desperadoes will
arm themselves, seize upon a substantial house,
and send a message of defiance to the collector
of the district. Their favourite weapon on such
occasions is the long knife that usually hangs
from the waist : when entering battle they gene-
rally carry two, one in the hand, and the other

* A name, by no naeans complimentary, applied to all who
are not Moslems.

234 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

between the teeth. Thej invariably prepare them-
selves for combat by a powerful dose of hemp or
opium, fight to the last with frenzied obstinacy,
despise the most dreadful wounds, and continue
to exert themselves when a European would be
quite disabled — a peculiarity which they probably
inherit from their Arab'"" ancestors. Like the
Malay when he runs a-muck, these men never
think of asking for, or giving quarter, they make
up their minds to become martyrs, and only try
to attain high rank in that glorious body by slay-
ing as many infidels as they can. At times they
have been eminently successful. On one occasion
we heard of a rencontre in which about a dozen
desperate robbers, dropping from the window of
a house into the centre of a square, inopportunely
formed by a company of seapoys, used their knives
with such efiect upon the helpless red-coats' backs,
that they ran away with all possible precipitation.
The result of a few such accidents is, that the na-
tive soldier cannot always be trusted to act against
them, for, with the usual Hindoo superstition and
love of the marvellous, he considers their bravery

* The descendants of the Wild Man have at all times been
celebrated for obstinate individual valour, and enduring an
amount of " punishment " which seems quite incredible.

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 235

something preternatural, and connected with cer-
tain fiendish influences.

In former days, the Moplas played a conspicuous
part among the pirates who infested the j\Ialabar
coast. Marco Polo mentions that there issued an-
nually '■' a body of upwards of one hundred vessels,*
who captured other ships and plundered the mer-
chants." He alludes to their forming what they
called a ladder on the sea, by stationing themselves
in squadrons of twenty, about five miles from each
other, so as to command as great an extent of
water as possible. But in the old Venetian's day,
the corsairs appear to have been by no means so
sanguinary as they afterwards became. He ex-
pressly states, that when the pirates took a ship,
they did no injury to the crew, but merely said to
them, " Go and collect another cargo, that we may
have a chance of getting it too." In later times,
Tavernier describes them as blood-thirsty in the
extreme. " The J\Ialavares are violent Mahometans
and very cruel to the Christians.! I saw a barefoot

* Manned in those days by Hindoos. Marco Polo tells us
that the people of Malabar are idolaters, and subject to no
foreigner.

t Who ret oiled by hanging them upon the spot, or throwing
them overboard. This style of warfare was productive of great
barbarities. There is a pile of stone rising above the sea, about

236 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Carmelite friar, who had been taken by the pirates,
and so tortured, in order to obtain his ransom,*
that his right arm and one leg were shorter by one
half than the other." He alludes to their audacity
in attacking large armed vessels with squadrons
composed of ten or fifteen barques, each carrying
from two hundred to two hundred and fifty men,
and describes their practice of boarding suddenly
and setting fire to the ship with pots of artificial
fire. The style of defence usually adopted was to
prepare for them by closing the scuttles, and swamp-
ing the deck with water, to hinder the fire-pots from
doing execution.

The Moplahs being now deprived of their old
occupation, have addicted themselves, in some
places, to gang-robbery and smuggling. The prin-
cipal contraband articles are tobacco and salt,
both of which are government monopolies.! To

seven leagues north-west of Calicut, called the Sacrifice Rock,
from the slaughter of the crew of a Portuguese vessel which
was captured by the Cottica cruisers shortly after the settlement
of the Christians in India.

* The sum usually paid was from eight to ten shillings, a
portion of which went to the Rajah, part to the women who
had lost their husbands in these predatory encounters, and the
remainder was " prize-money."

t Few would be disposed to consider the salt-duty a practi-

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 237

strengthen their bands, they will associate to them-
selves small bodies of Nairs and villains of the
lowest Hindoo castes, who shrink from no species
of cruelty and outrage. But, generally speaking,
especially in the quieter districts of Malabar, the
Moplahs and the Nairs are on terms of deadly
enmity. The idolaters, who have been taught to
hate the Faithful by many a deed of blood, would
always act willingly against them, provided that
our rulers would ensure subsistence to their families,
according to the ancient custom of the country.*
Both are equally bigoted, violent, and fond of the
knife. In few parts of the world there are more
deadly feuds than in this province ; and whenever
a Nair is killed by a Moplah, or vice versd, the
relations will steep a cloth in the dead man's blood,
and vow never to lose sight of it till they have
taken revenge upon the murderer.

cal proof of the enlightened nature of our rule in the East, and
there is no one, we believe, except a "crack collector," who
would not rejoice to see it done away with, or at least much
reduced.

* The rajah was expected to grant lands to the families of
those who heroically bound themselves by solemn vow to fight
till death against the enemy. If the self-devoted escaped de-
struction, he became an outcaste, and was compelled to leave
the country.

238 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Near the coast, the Moplahs are a thriving race
of traders, crafty, industrious, and somewhat refined
by the influence of wealth. Those of the interior
cultivate rice and garden lands. Some few of the
latter traffic, but as they do not possess the op-
portunities of commerce enjoyed by their mari-
time brethren, their habitations and warehouses
are not so comfortable, substantial, and spacious.
Both of them have a widely diffused bad name.
Among the people of Southern India generally,
the word Moplah is synonymous with thief and
rascal. All are equally celebrated for parsimony,
a I^indoo, as well as an Arab, quality, and for
rigid observance of their religious rites and cere-
monies. The desire of gaining proselytes is one
of their ruling passions ; consequently Islam is
steadily extending itself. The zeal of its followers
is well supported by their means, and the willing-
ness with which they admit new converts, even of
the lowest and most despised classes, to perfect
social equality with themselves, offers irresistible
attractions to man}^ wretched outcastes of Hinduism.
They transgress the more laudable ordinances of
their faith, and yet cling fondly to its worse spirit.
They will indulge to excess in the forbidden plea-
sures of distilled waters and intoxicating drugs,

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 239

in immorality and depravity ; at the same time
they never hesitate to protect a criminal of their
own creed, and, to save him, would gladly perjure
themselves, in the belief that, under such circum-
stances, false oaths and testimony are not only justi-
fiable, but meritorious in a religious point of view.*
The faith professed by the Moplahs is the Shafei
form of Islam. All their priests and teachers are
of the same persuasion ; and such is their besotted
bigotry, that they would as willingly persecute a
Hanafif Moslem as the Sunni of most Mussulman
countries would martyr a heretic or schismatic.
No Sheah dare own his tenets in Malabar. We
doubt whether the mighty hand of British law
would avail to save from destruction any one who
had the audacity to curse Omar or Usman at
Calicut. They carefully cultivate the classical and
religious branches of study, such as Sarf o Nahv,

* This is the universal belief and practice of the more bigot-
ed parts of the Moslem world, and so deep-rooted is the feel-
ing, that it acquires a degree of power and influence truly
formidable, and difficult to deal with.

t The natives of India generally belong to the Hanafi : the
Arabs are the principal followers of the Shafei sect. Both are
Sunnis, or orthodox Moslems, and there is little difference be-
tween them, except in such trifling points as the eating or
rejecting fish without scales. &c. #

240 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

grammar, and syntax ; Mantik, or logic ; Hadis, the
traditions of the Prophet ; and Karaat, or the
chaunting of the Koran. They seldom know Per-
sian ; but as they begin the Arabic language almost
as soon as they can speak, and often enjoy the
advantage of Arab instructors, their critical know-
ledge of it is extensive, and their pronunciation
good. The vernacular dialect of the Moplah is the
Malayalim, into which, for the benefit of the un-
learned, many sacred books have been translated.
The higher classes are instructed by private tutors,
and appear to be unusually well educated. The
priest has charge of the lower orders, and little
can be said in praise of the schoolmaster or the
scholar.

As regards testaments and the law of inheritance,
the Moplahs have generally adhered to the Koran ;
in some families, however, the succession is by
nephews, as amongst the Nairs.* This custom is
palpably of Pagan origin, like many of the hetero-
geneous practices grafted by the Mussulmans of
India upon the purer faith of their forefathers. Of
course they excuse it by tradition. When Cheroo-
man Rajah, they say, became a convert to Islam,

* Except that a Moslem father may always allot a portion
of property during his lifetime to his children.

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 241

and was summoned by Allah in a vision to
Mecca, he asked his wife's permission to take his
only son with him. She refused. The ruler's
sister then offered to send her child under his
charge. The Eajah adopted the youth, and upon
his return from the Holy City he instituted the
custom of murroo-muka-tayum, in order to com-
memorate the introduction of Islam into the land
of the Infidel.

The Mokawars, Mokurs, or as we call them, the
Mucwars, are an amphibious race of beings, half
fishermen, half labourers :* generally speaking
Moslems, sometimes Hindoos. Yery slight is the
line of demarcation drawn between them, and they
display little or no fanaticism. It is common for
one or two individuals in a family to become
Poothoo Islam, or converts to the faith of Mo-
hammed, and yet to eat, sleep, and associate with
the other members of the household as before. f

In appearance these fishermen are an uncom-
monly ill-favoured race ; dark, with ugly features,
and forms which a developist would pronounce to

* Usually they prefer the occupation of carrying the palan-
quin to any other bodily labour.

t Intermarriage, however, is not permitted.

M

242 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

be little removed from the original orang-outang.
Their characters, in some points, show to advantage,
when contrasted with those of their superiors —
the Nairs and Moplahs. They are said to be in-
dustrious, peaceful, and as honest as can be ex-
pected. A Mucwa village is usually built close to
the sea ; the material of its domiciles consisting of
wattle or matting, roofed over with thatch ; the
whole burned to blackness by the joint influence
of sun, rain, wind, and spray.

Servitude amongst the Moslems partook more of
the nature of social fraternity, and was dissimilar
in very essential points, to that of the Hindoos.
The slaves were always domestic, never prjedial :
instead of inhabiting miserable huts built in the
centre of the paddy fields, they lived in the houses
of their proprietors. They were efficiently pro-
tected by law, for in case of ill-treatment, duly
proved before the Kazee, the complainant was
either manumitted or sold to some other master,
and so far from being considered impure outcastes,
they often rose to confidential stations in the
family. This is the case generally throughout the
Moslem world.

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 243

The native Christians do not constitute a large
or influential portion of the community in this part
of India, although the Nestorians in very early
times settled and planted their faith on the western
coast of the peninsula. About the towns of Can-
nanore and Tellichery, there are a few fishermen
and palanquin bearers, called Kolakar and Pandee,
said to have migrated from the Travancore country.
The other " ]!^ussuranee (Nazarene) Moplahs," as
the Christians are styled by the Heathen, are almost
all Catholics, either the descendants of the Portu-
guese, or converted by them to Romanism. They
reside principally in the large towns upon the
coast : unlike their brethren in Canara.. they imi-
tate the European costume, and occupy themselves
either with trade, or in the government courts and
cutcherries. They are notorious for dishonesty and
habitual intoxication.'^''

Amongst the many social usages and customs
peculiar to the natives of Malabar, the two foUow-

* The races above described are those settled in the country.
The fluctuating portion of the community is composed of the
Europeans, the soldiery and camp followers, Arabs and foreign
Mussulmans, Banyans from Guzerat, a few Parsees, and some
boat loads of the half-starved wretches that leave the Maldives
and Laccadives in search of employment during the cold season

M 2

244 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

ing deserve some mention. There is a kind of
general meeting, called Chengathee koree, or the
" Society of friends," established for the purposes
of discussing particular subjects, and for inquiring
into the conduct of individuals. It is supported
by the monthly subscriptions of the members, and
all must in regular turn — the order being settled
by lots — give an entertainment of rice, flesh, and
fruit to the whole party. As the entertainer is
entitled to the amount of money in deposit for
the month, and the feast does not cost half that
sum, each member is anxious to draw the ticket
with his name upon it as soon as possible. In
some places these convivial meetings are hetero-
geneously composed of Nairs, Moplahs, and Tiyars ;
when such is the case, the master of the house
provides those of the other faith with raw food,
which they cook and serve up for and by them-
selves.

The way in which " dinner parties " are given
show some talent in the combination of hospitality
with economy. A feast is prepared, and all the
guests are expected to present a small sum of money,
and a certain number of cocoa-nuts, plantains,
betel-nuts or pepper-vine leaves to the master of
the house. An account of each offering is regular! v

MOSLEM OF MALABAR. 245

kept, and a return of the invitation is considered
de rigueur. Should any member of society betray
an unwillingness to make the expected requital, or
to neglect the gifts with which he ought to come
provided, they despatch a little potful of arrack, and
the bone of a fowl, desiring the recusant in derision
to make merry upon such small cheer. The taunt
is, generally speaking, severe enough to ensure com-
pliance with the established usages of society.

246 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE LAND JOURNEY.

Being desirous of seeing as mucli as possible of
the country we preferred tlie route which winds
along the sea-shore to Poonanee, and then striking
westward ascends the Blue Hills, to the short moun-
tain-cut up the Koondah Range. Our curiosity,
however, more than doubled the length of the
march.""^

No detailed account of the ten stages f will be
inflicted upon the peruser of these pages. The
journey as far as Poonanee was a most uninteresting
one : we have literally nothing to record, except the
ever-recurring annoyances of being ferried over
backwaters, riding through hot sand fetlock deep,

* The Koondah road is about seventy, that via Poonanee,
one hundred and sixty miles in length.

t The pages of the Madras directories and road-books give
ample accounts of all the chief routes in the presidency.

THE LAND JOURNEY. 247

enduring an amount of glare enough to blind any-
thing but a Mucwa or a wild beast ; and at the end
of our long rides almost invariably missing the halt-
ing place. Arrived at the head-quarter village of
Paulghaut, the victims of its deceptive nomencla-
ture,* we instituted a diligent inquiry for any ob-
jects of curiosity the neighbourhood might offer ; and
having courted deceit we were deceived accordingly.
A " native gentleman" informed us that the Yemoor
Malay Hills, a long range lying about ten miles to
the north of the town, contains a variety of splendid
points de vue, and a magnificent cataract, which
every traveller is in duty bound to visit. More-
over, said the Hindoo, all those peaks are sacred
to Parwati, the mountain deity, who visited
them in person, and directed a number of small
shrines to be erected there in honour of her
goddesship.

So after engaging a mancheel we set out in quest
of the sublime and beautiful. After winding for
about three quarters of the total distance through a
parched-up plain, the road reaches the foot of a

* Judging from the name, a stranger would suppose that
the place was called after some neighbouring Ghaut, or pass, in
the hills. The uncorrupted native appellation, however, is Pala-
kad, from Kadu, a jungle, and Pala, a tree used in dyeing.

248 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

steep and rugged hill overgrown with bamboos, and
studded with lofty trees, whose names and natures

are —

To ancient song unknown,

The noble sons of potent heat and floods.

As we advanced, the jungle became denser and
denser : there were evident signs of hog and deer
in the earths of those animals which strewed the
ground. Tigers and elephants, bisons and leopards,
are said to haunt the remoter depths, and the dry
grass smouldering on our path proved the presence
of charcoal burners — beings quite as wild as the
other denizens of the forest.

The difficulty of the ascent being duly overcome
we arrived at the cascade, and stood for a while

gazing with astonishment at the prospect of

a diminutive stream of water, trickling gently down
the sloping surface of a dwarf rock. Remembering
Terni and Tivoli, we turned our bearers' heads
homewards, not however forgetting solemnly to
enjoin them never to let a tourist pass by that way
without introducing him to the Prince of all the
Cataracts.

We were curious to see the fort of Paulghaut, once
the key of Malabar, the scene of so many bloody
conflicts between the power of Mysore and British

THE LAND JOURNEY. 249

India in the olden time.^' A square building, witli
straight curtains, and a round tower at each angle,
with the usual intricate gateway, the uselessly deep
fosse, and the perniciously high glacis that charac-
terize native fortifications — such was the artless
form that met our sight. In the present day it
would be untenable for an hour before a battery of
half-a-dozen mortars.

Passing through the magnificent and most un-
healthy Wulliyar jungle, f celebrated at all times
for teak and sport, and during the monsoon for
fever and ague, and dangerous torrents even more

* For a detailed description of the sieges and captures of
Paulghaut, we beg to refer to a work entitled, " Historical
Record of the H. E. I. Company's First European Regiment ;
Madras. By a Staff Officer."

t Anciently an excellent forest. The trees were felled,
hewn into rough planks, and floated down the Poonanee river
at very little expense. This valuable article has, however,
been sadly mismanaged by us in more ways than one. All
the timber growing near the streams has been cleared away,
and as the local government will not lay out a few lacs of
rupees in cutting roads through the forests^ its expense has
been raised almost beyond its value. Considerable losses in
the dockyards have been incurred in consequence of the old
erroneous belief that " teak is the only wood in India which
the white ants will not touch." The timber should be stacked
for at least eight years, three of which would enable it to dry,
and the remaining five to become properly seasoned.

M 5

250 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

dangerously bridged, we arrived by a rough and
rugged road at Coimbatore, a place which every cotton
student and constant reader of the Indian Mail fami-
liarly knows. A most unpromising looking locality
it is— a straggling line of scattered houses, long
bazaars, and bungalows, separated from each other
by wide and desert " compounds." The country
around presented a most unfavourable contrast to
the fertile region we had just quitted, and the high
fierce wind raising clouds of gravelly dust from the
sun-parched plain, reminded us forcibly of similar
horrors experienced in Scinde and Bhawalpore.

A ride of twenty miles along a dry and hard
highway, skirted with numerous and, generally
speaking, ruinous villages, led us to Matypolliam at
the foot of the Neilgherry Hills — our destination.
And now as we are likely to be detained here for
some time by that old offender the Bhawany River,
who has again chosen to assault and batter down
part of her bridge, we will deliberately digress a
little and attempt a short description of land tra-
velling in the " land of the sun."

For the conveyance of your person, India sup-
plies you with three several contrivances. You
may, if an invalid, or if you wish to be expeditious,

THE LAND JOURNEY. 251

engage a palanquin, station bearers on the road, and
travel either with or without halts, at the rate of
three or four miles an hour : we cannot promise
jou much pleasure in the enjoyment of this cele-
brated Oriental luxury. Between your head and
the glowing sun, there is scarcely half an inch of
plank, covered with a thin mat, which ought to
be, but never is, watered. After a day or two you
will hesitate which to hate the most, your bearers'
monotonous, melancholy, grunting, groaning chaunt,
when fresh, or their jolting, jerking, shambling,
staggering gait, when tired. In a perpetual state
of low fever you cannot eat, drink, or sleep ; your
mouth burns, your head throbs, your back aches,
and your temper borders upon the ferocious. At
night, when sinking into a temporary oblivion of
your ills, the wretches are sure to awaken you
for the purpose of begging a few pice, to swear
that they dare not proceed because there is no
oil for the torch, or to let you and your vehicle
fall heavily upon the ground, because the foremost
bearer very nearly trod upon a snake. Of course
you scramble as well as you can out of your cage,
and administer discipline to the offenders. And
what is the result '? They all run away and leave
you to pass the night, not in solitude, for probably

252 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

a hungry tiger circumambulates your box, and is
only prevented by a somewhat superstitious awe of
its general appearance, from pulling you out of it
with claw and jaw, and all the action of a cat
preparing to break her fast upon some trapped
mouse.

All we have said of the palanquin is applicable
to its humble modification. The mancheel in this
part of the world consists merely of a pole, a can-
vas sheet hung like a hammock beneath it, and
above it a square moveable curtain, which you
may draw down on the sunny or windy side. In
this conveyance you will progress somewhat more
rapidly than you did in the heavy wooden chest,
but your miseries will be augmented in undue
proportion. As it requires a little practice to
balance oneself in these machines, you will in-
fallibly be precipitated to the ground when you
venture upon your maiden attempt. After that
a sense of security, acquired by dint of many falls,
leaves your mind free to exercise its powers of
observation, you will remark how admirably you
are situated for combining the enjoyments of oph-
thalmic glare, febrile reflected heat, a wind like
a Sirocco, and dews chilling as the hand of the
Destroyer. You feel that your back is bent at

THE LAND JOURNEY. 253

the most inconvenient angle, and that the pillows
which should support your head invariably find
their way down between your shoulders, that you
have no spare place, as in the- palanquin, for car-
rying about a variety of small comforts, no, not
even the room to shift your position — in a word,
that you are a miserable being.

If in good health, your best plan of all is to
mount one of your horses, and to canter him from
stage to stage, that is to say, between twelve and
fifteen miles a day. In the core of the nineteenth
century you may think this style of locomotion
resembles a trifle too closely that of the ninth, but,
trust to our experience, you have no better. AVe
will suppose, then, that you have followed our ad-
vice, engaged bandies """ for your luggage, and started
them off overnight, accompanied by your herd of
domestics on foot. The latter are all armed with
sticks, swords, and knives, for the country is not
a safe one, and if it were, your people are endowed
with a considerable development of cautiousness.
At day-break, your horse-keeper brings up your
nag saddled, and neighing his impatience to set

* The common country carts, called garees in other parts of
India. Here they are covered with matting, for the same
reason that compels the people to thatch their heads.

254 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

out : jou mount the beast, and leave the man to
follow with a coolie or two, bearing on their
slioulders the little camp-bed, on which you are
wont to pass youv nights. There is no danger
of missing the road : jou have only to observe the
wheel-ruts, which will certainly lead you to the
nearest and largest, perhaps the only town within
a day's march. As you canter along, you remark
with wonder the demeanour of the peasantry, and
the sensation your appearance creates. The women
veil their faces, and dash into the nearest place
of refuge, the children scamper away as if your
countenance, like ]\Iokanna's, were capable of anni-
hilating a gazer, the very donkeys and bullocks
halt, start, and shy, as you pass them.* In some
places the men will muster courage enough to stand
and gaze upon you, but they do so with an ex-
pression of countenance, half-startled, half-scowling,
which by no means impresses you with a sense
of your individual popularity.)

Between nine and ten a.m. you draw in sight
of some large village, which instinct suggests is to
be the terminus of that day's wandering. You

* In Malabar the horse is perhaps as great an object of
horror as the rider, the natives are so little accustomed to see
such quadrupeds.

THE LAND JOURNEY. 255

had better inquire where the travellers' bungalow
is. Sign-posts are unknown in these barbarous
regions, and if you trust overmuch to your own
sagacity, your perspiring self and panting steed
may wander about for half an hour before you
find the caravanserai.

At length you dismount. A horse-keeper rising
grumbling from his morning slumbers, comes for-
ward to hold your nag, and, whilst you are dis-
cussing a cup of tea in the verandah, parades the
animal slowly up and down before you, as a pre-
cautionary measure previous to tethering him in
the open air. Presently the " butler " informs you
that your breakfast, a spatchcock, or a curry with
eggs, and a plateful of unleavened wafers, called
aps — bread being unprocurable hereabouts — is
awaiting you. You find a few guavas or plantains,
intended to act as butter, and when you demand
the reason, your domestic replies at once, that
he searched every house in the village, but could
procure none. You might as well adopt some line
of conduct likely to discourage him from further
attempts upon your credulity, otherwise you will
starve before the journey's end. The fact is, he
was too lazy to take the trouble of even inquiring
for that same butter.

256 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

We must call upon you to admire the appearance
of the travellers' bungalows in this part of the
country. You will see in them much to appreciate
if you are well acquainted with Bombay India.
Here they are cleanly looking, substantially built,
tiled or thatched tenements, with accommodation
sufficient for two families, good furniture, at least
as far as a table, a couch, and a chair, go, out-
houses for your servants, and an excellent verandah
for yourself. There you may remember, with a
touch of the true meminisse juvat feeling, certain
dirty ill-built ruinous roadside erections, tenanted
by wasps and hornets, with broken seats, tottering
tables, and populous bedsteads, for the use of
which, moreover, you were mulcted at the rate
of a rupee a day. The result of the comparison
will be that the "Benighted Land,"'"" in this point
at least, rises prodigiously in your estimation.

A siesta after breakfast, and a book, or any
such passe-temps, when you awake, bring you on
towards sunset. You may now, if so inclined, start
for an hour's constitutional, followed by a servant
carrying your gun, and keep your hand in by knock-
ing down a few of the old kites that are fighting
with the Pariah dogs for their scanty meal of ofials,
* The pet name for the Madras Presidency.

THE LAND JOURNEY. 257

or you may try to bag one or two of the jungle
cocks, whose crowing resounds from the neigh-
bouring brakes.

Dinner ! lovely word in English ears, unlovely
thing — hereabouts — for English palate. The beer
is sure to be lukewarm, your vegetables deficient,
and your meat tough, in consequence of its having
lost vitality so very lately.

You must take the trouble, if you please, of
personally superintending the departure of your
domestics. And this you will find no easy task.
The men who have charge of the carts never return
with their cattle at the hour appointed, and, when
at last they do, there is not a box packed, and
probably half your people are wandering about
the bazaar. At length, with much labour, you
manage to get things somewhat in order, witness
with heartfelt satisfaction the first movement of
the unwieldy train, and retire to the bungalow
for the purpose of getting through the evening, with
the assistance of tea, and any other little "dis-
tractions" your imagination may suggest.

Before retiring to rest you might as well look
to the priming and position of your pistols. Other-
wise you may chance to be visited by certain
animals, even more troublesome than sand-flies and

258 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

white ants. A little accident of the kind happened
to us at Waniacollum, a village belonging to some
Nair Rajah, whose subjects are celebrated for their
thievish propensities. About midnight, the sound-
ness'of our slumbers was disturbed bj the uninvited
presence of some half-a-dozen black gentry, who
were gliding about the room with the stealthy tread
of so many wild cats in purissimis naturalihus,
with the exception of an outside coating of cocoa-
nut oil. One individual had taken up a position
close to our bedside, with so very long a knife so
very near our jugular region, that we judged it
inexpedient in the extreme to excite him by any
display of activity; so, closing our eyes, we slept
heavily till our visitors thought proper to de-
part.

Our only loss was the glass shade of a candle-
stick, which the thieves, supposing to be silver,
had carried into the verandah, where, we presume,
after discovering that it was only plated, they had
thrown it upon the ground and abandoned it as a
useless article. We had, it is true, pistols in the
room, but as the least movement might have pro-
duced uncomfortable results ; and, moreover, we felt
uncommonly like Juvenal's poor traveller, quite
reckless of consequences as regarded goods and

THE LAND JOURNEY. 259

chattels, we resolved not to be blood-thirsty. At
the same time we confess that such conduct was
by no means heroic. But an officer of our own
corps, only a few weeks before, was severely
wounded, and narrowly escaped being murdered,
not fifty miles from the scene of our night's
adventure, and we had little desire to figure among
the list of casualties recorded in the bimonthly
summaries of Indian news.

You would scarcely believe the extent of benefit
in a sanitary point of view, derived from riding
about the country in the way we have described.
Every discomfort seems to do one good : an amount
of broiling and wetting, which, in a cantonment,
would lead directly to the cemetery, on the road
seems only to add to one's ever-increasing stock
of health. The greatest annoyance, perhaps, is
the way in which the servants and effects sufier ;
a long journey almost invariably knocks up the
former for an unconscionable time, and perma-
nently ruins the latter.

We are still at Matypolliam, but our stay will
be short, as the bridge is now nearly repaired.
By weighty and influential arguments we must

2G0 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

persuade the Kotwal""'' — a powerful native func-
tionary— to collect a dozen baggage-bullocks and
a score of naked savages, destined to act as beasts
of burden : no moderate inducement will make
the proprietors of the carts drive their jaded cattle
up the steep acclivities of the hills. A ridiculous
sight it is — the lading of bullocks untrained to
carry weight ; each animal requires at least half-
a-dozen men to keep him quiet ; he kicks, he butts,
he prances, he shies : he is sure to break from them
at the critical moment, and, by an opportune
plunge, to dash your unhappy boxes on the ground,
scattering their contents in all directions. What
a scene of human and bestial viciousness, of plung-
ing and bellowing, of goading of sides, punching of
stomachs, and twisting of tails ! We must, how-
ever, patiently sit by and witness it ; otherwise
the fellows will not start till late in the afternoon.

You would scarcely believe that the inmates of
that little bungalow which just peeps over the

* It is curious to see the different way in which the kot-
wals, peons, and other such official characters behave towards
the Bombay and the Madras traveller. The latter escapes their
importunity, whereas the former, b}'' keeping up his presi-
dency's bad practice of feeing government servants, teaches
them incivility to all who either refuse or neglect to pay this
kind of " black mail."

THE LAND JOURNEY. 261

brow of the mountain, are enjoying an Alpine and
almost European climate, whilst we are still in all
the discomforts of the tropics. The distance between
us is about three miles, as the crow flies — eleven
along the winding road. We must prepare for
the change by strapping thick coats to our saddle-
bows, and see that our servants are properly clothed
in cloths and flannels. Otherwise, we render our-
selves liable to the peine forte et dure of a catarrh
of three months' probable duration, and our
domestics will certainly be floored by fever and
ague, cholera or rheumatism.

It is just nine o'clock a.m., rather an unusual
time for a start in these latitudes. But the eddying
and roaring of Bhawany's muddy stream warns us
that there has been rain amongst the hills. The
torrents are passable now ; they may not be so
a few hours later. So we will mount our nags,
and gallop over the five miles of level country,
partially cleared of the thick jungle which once
invested it, to the foot of the Neilgherry hills.

We now enter the ravine which separates the
Oolacul from the Coonoor range. A vast chasm it
is, looking as if Nature, by a terrible efibrt, had
split the giant mountain in twain, and left
its two halves standing separated opposite each

262 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

other. A rapid and angry little torrent brawls
down tlie centre of the gap towards the Bhawany
river, and the sides are clothed with thick under-
wood, dotted with tall wide-spreading trees. After
the dusty flats of Mysore, and even the green
undulations of Malabar, you admire the view with
a sensation somewhat resembling that with which
you first gazed upon the " castled crag of Drachen-
fels," when you visited it en route from monotonous
France, uninteresting Holland, or unpicturesque
Belgium. Probably, like certain enthusiastic indi-
viduals who have indited high-flown eulogies of
Neilgherry beauty, you will mentally compare the
scenery with that of the Alps, Apennines, or Py-
renees. We cannot, however, go quite so far Avith
you : with a few exceptions the views generally —
and this particularly — want grandeur and a cer-
tain nescio quid to make them really imposing.

Slowly our panting nags toil along the narrow
parapetless road up the steep ascent of the Coonoor
Pass. The consequence of the storm is that our
pathway appears plentifully besprinkled with earth,
stones, and trunks of trees, which have slipped from
the inner side. In some places it has been worn by
the rain down to the bare rock, and the gutters or
channels of rough stone, built at an average dis-

THE LAND JOURNEY. 263

tance of fifty yards apart to carry off the water,
are slippery for horses, and must be uncommonly
troublesome to wheeled conveyances. That cart
which on the plains requires a single team, will
not move here without eight pair of oxen ; and
yonder carriage demands the united energies of
three dozen coolies, at the very least. As, how-
ever, its too-confiding owner has left it to a care-
less servant's charge, it will most probably reach
its destination in a state picturesque, if not useful
— its springs and light gear hanging in graceful
festoons about the wheels.

And now, after crossing certain torrents and
things intended for bridges — during which, to
confess the truth, we did feel a little nervous —
our nags stand snorting at the side of the stream
which forms the Coonoor Falls. Its bottom is a
mass of sheet rock, agreeably diversified with occa-
sional jagged points and narrow clefts : moreover,
the water is rushing by with uncomfortable rapidity,
and there is no visible obstacle to your being swept
down a most unpleasant slope. In fact it is the
kind of place usually described as growing uglier
the more you look at it, so you had better try
your luck as soon as possible. Wheel the nag
round, " cram " him at the place, and just when

264 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

he is meJitatiug a sudden halt, apply your spurs
to his sides and your heavy horsewhip to his flanks,
trusting to Providence for his and your reaching
the other side undamaged.

The Burleyar bungalow — a kind of half-way
house, or rather an unfinished shed, built on an
eminence to the right of the road, — informs us that
we are now within six miles of our journey's end.
The air becomes sensibly cooler, and we begin to
look down upon the sultry steaming plain below
with a sensation of acute enjoyment.

We might as well spend a day or two at Coonoor.
Ootacamund is at least ten miles ofi", and it is
perfectly useless to hurry on, as our baggage will
certainly not arrive before the week is half over, even
if it does then. Not, however, at the government
bungalow — that long rambling thing perched on
the hill above the little bazaar, and renowned for
broken windows, fireless rooms, and dirty comfort-
less meals, prepared by a native of " heathen caste."
We will patronize the hotel kept, in true English
style, by Mr. Davidson, where we may enjoy the
luxuries of an excellent dinner, a comfortable
sitting-room, and a clean bed.

A survey of the scenery in this part of the

THE LAND JOURNEY. 265

Neilgherries takes in an extensive range of swelling
waving hill, looking at a distance as if a green
gulf had suddenly become fixed for ever. On the
horizon are lofty steeps, crowned with remnants of
forests, studded with patches of cultivation, and
seamed with paths, tracks, and narrow roads.
There is little or no table-land : the only level
road in the vicinity is scarcely a mile long. At
the bottom of the hollow lies the bazaar, and upon
the rising knolls around are the nine or ten houses
which compose the first European settlement you
have seen on the Blue Hills.

Coonoor occupies the summit of the Matypolliam
Pass, about five thousand eight hundred and eighty
feet above the level of the sea. The climate is
warmer than that of the other stations, and the
attractions of an occasional fine day even during
the three odious months of June, July, and August,
fill it with invalids flying from the horrors of Oota-
camund. The situation, however, is not considered
a good one : its proximity to the edge of the hills,
renders it liable to mists, fogs, and a suspicion of
the malaria which haunts the jungly forests belting
the foot of the hills. Those who have suffered from
the obstinate fevers of the plains do well to avoid
Coonoor.

266 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The day is fine and bright — a si?ie qua non in
Neilgheny excursions, — if the least cloud or mist be
observed hanging about the mountain tops, avoid
trips ! — so we will start ofi* towards that scarcely-
distinguishable object, half peak, half castle, that
ends the rocky wall which lay on our left when we
rode up the Pass.

You look at Oolacul * Droog, as the fort is called,
and wonder what could have been the use of it.
And you are justified in your amazement. But
native powers delight in cooping up soldiery where
they may be as useless as possible ; they naturally
connect the idea of a strong place with isolated and
almost inaccessible positions, and cannot, for the
life of them conceive, what Europeans mean by
building their fortifications on level ground. Hyder
Ali and his crafty son well knew that the unruly
chieftains of the plains would never behave them-
selves, unless overawed and overlooked by some
military post which might serve equally well for a

* Etymologists write the word " Hullicul," deriving it
from culj a rock, and huUi, a tiger, as formerly a stone figure
of one of those animals that had been slain by a chief single-
handed, stood thereabouts. There are several forts in other
parts of the hills similar to Oolacul Droog : some suppose them
to have been built by Hyder Ali, others assign an earlier date
to them.

THE LAND JOURNEY. 267

watch-tower and a dungeon. We think and act
otherwise, so such erections go to ruin.

Starting, we pursue a road that runs bj the
travellers' bungalow, descends a steep, rough, and
tedious hill — where we should prefer a mule to a
horse — crosses two or three detestable watercourses,
and then skirting the western end of the Oolacul
chasm shows us a sudden ascent. Here we dis-
mount for convenience as well as exercise. The
path narrows ; it becomes precipitous and slippery,
owing to the decomposed vegetation that covers it,
and presently plunges into a mass of noble trees.
You cannot see a vestige of underwood : the leaves
are crisp under your feet ; the tall trunks rise
singly in all their sylvan glory, and the murmurs
of the wind over the leafy dome above, inform

you that

This is the forest primseval —

as opposed to a rank bushy jungle. You enjoy the
walk amazingly. The foot-track is bounded on
both sides by dizzy steeps : through the intervals
between the trees you can see the light mist-clouds
and white vapours sailing on the zephyr far beneath
your feet. After about an hour's hard work, we
suddenly come upon the Droog, and clambering over
the ruined parapet of stone — the only part of it

N 2

268 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

that remains — stand up to catch a glimpse of
scenery which even a jaded lionizer would admire.

The rock upon which we tread falls with an
almost perpendicular drop of four thousand feet
into the plains. From this eyrie we descry the
houses of Coimbatore, the windings of the Bhawany,
and the straight lines of road stretching like
ribbons over the glaring yellow surface of the
low land. A bluish mist clothes the distant hills
of Malabar, dimly seen upon the horizon in front.
Behind, on the far side of the mighty chasm, the
white bungalows of Coonoor glitter through the
green trees, or disappear behind the veil of fleecy
vapour which floats along the sunny mountain
tops. However hypercritically disposed, you can
find no fault with this view ; it has beauty, variety,
and sublimity to recommend it.

If an inveterate sight-seer, you will be persuaded
by the usual arguments to visit Castle Hill, an
eminence about three miles to the east of Coonoor,
for the purpose of enjoying a very second rate
prospect. Perhaps you will also be curious to
inspect a village inhabited by a villanous specimen
of the Toda race, close to Mr. Davidson's hotel.
"We shall not accompany you.

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 269

CHAPTER XV.

FIRST GLIMPSE OF " OOTY.

The distance from Coonoor to the capital of the
Neilgherries is about ten miles, over a good road.
We propose, however, to forsake the uninteresting
main line, and, turning leftwards, to strike into
the bye way which leads to the Khaity Falls.

Khaity is a collection of huts tenanted by the
hill people, and in no ways remarkable, except that
it has given a name to a cascade which " every-
body goes," &c.

After six miles of mountain and valley in rapid
and unbroken succession, we stand upon the natural
terrace which supports the little missionary settle-
ment, and looking over the deep ravine that yawns
at our feet, wonder why the " everybody " ^above
alluded to, takes the trouble of visiting the Khaity
falls. They are formed by a thin stream which
dashes over a gap in the rock, and disperses into

270 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

spray before it lias time to reach the basin below.
As usual with Neilgherrj cascades they only want
water.

Now as our disappointment has brought on
rather a depressed and prosy state of mind, we
will wile away the tedium of the eight long miles
which still separate us from our destination, with
a little useful discourse upon subjects historical
and geographical connected with the Neilgherries.

The purely European reader will consider it ex-
traordinary that this beautiful range of lofty hills
should not have suggested to all men at first sight
the idea of a cool, healthy summer abode. But
we demi-Orientals, who know by experience the
dangers of mountain air in India, only wonder at
the daring of the man who first planted a roof-tree
upon the Neilgherries.

From the year 1799 to 1819 these mountains
were in the daily view of all the authorities from
the plains of Coimbatore ; revenue was collected
from them for the company by a native renter ;
but, excepting Dr. Ford and Capt. Bevan, who in
1809 traversed the hill with a party of pioneers,
and certain deputy surveyors under Colonel Mon-
son, who partially mapped the tract, no strangers

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 271

had ventured to explore the all but unknown
region.

In 1814, Mr, Keys, a sub-assistant, and Mr.
McMahon, then an apprentice in the survey de-
partment, ascended the hills by the Danaynkeu-
cottah Pass, penetrated into the remotest parts and
made plans, and sent in reports of their discoveries.
In consequence of their accounts, Messrs. Whish and
Kindersley, two young Madras civilians, availing
themselves of the opportunity presented by some
criminal's taking refuge amongst the mountains,
ventured up in pursuit of him, and proceeded to
reconnoitre the interior. They soon saw and felt
enough to excite their own curiosity and that of
others. Mr. Sullivan, collector of Coimbatore, built
the first house upon the Neilgherries. He chose a
hillock to the east of the hollow, where the lake
now lies, and after some difficulty in persuading
the superstitious natives to work — on many occa-
sions he was obliged personally to set them the
example — he succeeded in erecting a tenement
large enough to accommodate his family.

In the month of ]\Iay, 1819, the same tourists
from Coimbatore, accompanied by Mons. Leschnault
de la Tour, naturalist to the King of France, re-
peated their excursion, and published the result

272 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

of their observations in one of the Madras news-
papers. They asserted the maximum height of
the thermometer in the shade to be 74° at a time
when the temperature of the plains varied from
90° to 100°. Such a climate within the tropics
was considered so great an anomaly that few would
believe in its existence. At length the Madras
Government determined to open one of the passes,
and the pioneer officer employed on this service
deriving immediate and remarkable benefit from the
mountain air — he had been suffering from fever and
ague — hastened to corroborate the accounts of it
already published. The road was opened in 1821 ;
some families then took up their abode on the
hills ; the inveterate prejudice against them began
to disappear, and such numbers presently flocked
to the region of health, that the difficulty was to
find sufficient accommodation. As late as 1826,
Bishop Heber complained that for want of lodgings
he was unable to send his family to the sanitarium.
Incredulity received its coup de grace from the
hand of the Rev. Mr. Hough, a chaplain in the
Madras establishment, who in July, 1826, published
in the Bengal Hurkaru, under the iiom de guerre
of Philanthropes, a series of eight letters,* de-
* See Chapter XIX. for a further account of the work.

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 273

scribing the climate, inhabitants, and productions
of the Neilgherries, with the benevolent intention
of inducing the Government of India to patronize
the place as a retreat for invalids.

Having " done " the history, we will now attempt
a short geographical account of the Blue Mountains.
En passant we may remark, that the native name
Nilagiri,* limited by the Hindoos to a hill sacred
to Parwati, has been extended by us to the whole
range.

The region commonly known by the name of
the N'eilgherries, or Blue Mountains of Coimbatore,
is situated at the point where the Eastern and
Western Ghautsf unite, between the parallels of
11° and 12° N. lat., and 76" and 77° E. Ion. Its
shape is a trapezoid, for though quadrilateral, none

* The " blue hill :" it lies near the Danaynkeucottah Pass,
one of the first ascended by Europeans. The visitors would
naturally ask the natives what name they gave to the spot,
and when answered Nilagiri, would apply the word to the
whole range. The sacred mount is still a place of pilgrimage,
although its pagoda has long been in ruins.

+ The Eastern Ghauts begin south of the Cavery river, and
extend almost in a straight line to the banks of the Krishna.
The western range commences near Cape Comorin, and after
running along the western coast as far north as Surat, diverges
towards the north-east, and is lost in the valley of the Tapti.

N 5

274 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

of its sides are equal or even : it is bounded on
the north by the table-land of Mysore, on the
south and east by the provinces that stretch towards
the Arabian Sea ; another range of hills forms its
western frontier. Its base covers a surface of about
two hundred miles ; the greatest length from east
to west at an elevation of five thousand feet, is
nearly forty-three, and the medium breadth at the
same height, is little less than fifteen, miles. The
major part of the mass presents a superficies of
parallel and irregular hill and knoll, intersected
by deep valleys and precipitous ravines ; a loftier
chain, throwing ofi" a number of minor ridges, runs
north-east and south-west, and almost bisects the
tract. In the loftier parts many small streams,
such as the Pykarry, the Porthy, and the Avalanche
take their rise, and, after winding over the surface,
sweep down the rocky sides of the mountains, and
fall into the Moyar,"' or swell the Bhawany River.

The Neilgherries are divided into four Nads, or
provinces : Perunga Nad, the most populous, occu-

* The Pykarry becomes the Moyar river, and under that
name flows round the north and north-west base of the hills :
it falls into the Bhawany, which bounds the south and east
slopes, and acts as the common drain of every little brook and
torrent in the Neilgherries.

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 275

pies the eastern portion ; Malka lies towards the
south ; Koondah is on the west and south-west mar-
gin ; and Toda Nad, the most fertile and extensive,"'"
includes the northern regions and the crest of the
hills. Many lines of roads have been run up the
easier acclivities ; the most travelled upon at pre-
sent are the Seegoor Ghaut,f which enters from the
Mysore side, and the Coonoor, or Coimbatore Pass,
by which, if you recollect, we ascended.

Our Government asserts no right to this bit of
territory, although the hills belonged to Hyder, and
what was Hyder's now belongs to us. The peculiar
tribe called the Todas,J lay claim to the land, and
though they consent to receive a yearly rent, they
firmly refuse to alienate their right to the soil, con-
sidering such measure " nae canny " for both seller
and buyer. Chance events have established this su-
perstition on a firm footing. When Europeans first
settled in the Neilgherries, a murrain broke out
among the Toda cattle, and the savages naturally

* Its extent is about twenty miles from east to west, and
seven from north to south.

t The Seegoor Ghaut, which was almost impassable in Cap-
tain Harknes and Dr. Baikie's time, is now one of the easiest
and best ascents.

+ See Chapter XVIII.

276 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

attributed their misfortune to the presence of the
new comers. Sir W. Rumbold lost his wife, and
died prematurely soon after purchasing the ground
upon which his house stood — of course, in conse-
quence of the earth-god's ire.

In August, 1847, there were a hundred and four
officers on sick leave, besides visitors and those
residing on the Neilgherries. The total number of
Europeans, children included, was between five and
six hundred. It is extremely difficult to estimate
the number of the hill people. Some authorities
give as many as fifteen thousand ; others as few
as six thousand.

Now we fall into the main road at the foot of the
zigzag, which climbs the steep skirt of Giant Doda-
betta.* Our nags, snorting and panting, breast

* Dodabetta, or the " Great Mountain," called by the Todas,
Pet-, or Het-marz, The summit is eight thousand seven hun-
dred and sixty feet above the level of the sea, and forms the
apex of the Neilgherry range. The vicinity of the giant has
its advantages and disadvantages. It is certainly a beautiful
place for pic-nics, and the view from the observatory on the
top is grand and extensive. But as a counterpoise, the lofty
peak attracting and detaining every cloud that rolls up from
the coast during the rainy season, makes one wish most fer-
vently that the Great Mountain were anywhere but in its pre-
sent position.

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 277

the hill — we reach the summit — we descend a
few hundred yards — catch sight of some detached
bungalows — a lake — a church — a bazaar — a
station.

The cantonment of Ootacamund,* or, as it is
familiarly and affectionately termed by the abbre-
viating Saxon, " Ooty," is built in a punch bowl,
formed by the range of hills which composes the
central crest of the Neilgherries. But first for the
" Windermere."

The long narrow winding tarn which occupies the
bottom of Ooty's happy vale, is an artificial affair,
intended, saith an enthusiastic describer, " like that
of Como, to combine utility with beauty." It was
made by means of a dam, which, uniting the con-
verging extremities of two hills, intercepted the
waters of a mountain rivulet, and formed an " ex-
pansive and delightful serpentine lake," about two
miles in length, upon an average six hundred yards
broad, in many places forty feet deep, generally

* Ootacamund, Wootaycamund, or Wotay. " Mund" means
a village in the language of the hill people. Ootac is a cor-
ruption of the Toda vocable Hootkh, a word unpronounceable
to the Indians of the plain. The original hamlet still nestles
against the towering side of Dodabetta, but its pristine inhabi-
tants, the Todas, have given it up to another race, and mi-
grated to the wood which lies behind the public gardens.

278 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

very muddy, and about as far from Windermere
or Como as a London Colosseum or a Parisian
Tivoli might be from its Italian prototype. Two
roads, the upper and the lower, wind round the
piece of water, and it is crossed by three embank-
ments ; the Willow Bund, as the central one is
called, with its thick trees and apologies for arches,
is rather a pretty and picturesque object. The
best houses, you may remark, are built as close to
the margin of the lake as possible. Turn your
eyes away from the northern bank ; that dirty,
irregular bazaar is the very reverse of romantic.
The beauties of the view lie dispersed above and
afar. On both sides of the water, turfy peaks and
woody eminences, here sinking into shallow valleys,
there falling into steep ravines, the whole covered
with a tapestry of brilliant green, delight your eye,
after the card-table plains of Guzerat, the bleak and
barren Maharatta hills, or the howling wastes of
sun-burnt Sciude. The back-ground of distant hill
and mountain, borrowing from the intervening at-
mosphere the blue and hazy tint for which these
regions are celebrated, contrasts well with the
emerald hue around. In a word, there is a rich
variety of form and colour, and a graceful blending
of the different features that combine to make a

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 279

beautiful coup dceil, which, when the gloss of
novelty is still upon them, are infinitely attractive.

The sun is sinking in the splendour of an Indian
May, behind the high horizon, and yet, marvellous
to relate, the air feels cool and comfortable. The
monotonous gruntings of the frequent palanquin-
bearers — a sound which, like the swift's scream, is
harsh and grating enough, yet teems in this region
with pleasant associations — inform us that the
fair ones of Ootacamund are actually engaged in
taking exercise. We will follow their example,
beginning at "Charing Cross," — the unappropriate
name conferred upon those few square yards of
level and gravelled ground, with the stunted tree
boxed up in the centre. Our path traverses the
half-drained swamp that bounds this end of the
Neilgherry Windermere, and you observe with pain
that those authors who assert the hills to be "en-
tirely free from the morasses and the vast collection
of decayed vegetables that generate miasma," have
notably deceived you. In 1847, there is a small
swamp, formed by the soaking of some arrested
stream, at the bottom of almost every declivity.
We presume the same was the case in 1826.
Indeed, were the Neilgherries seven or eight hun-

280 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

dred feet, instead of as many thousands, above the
level of the sea, even the Pontine marshes would
not be better adapted for the accommodation of
Quartana and Malaria. Before you have been long
on the hills, you will witness many amusing acci-
dents occurring to new comers, who attempt to
urge their steeds through the shaking bogs of black
mud, treacherously lurking under a glossy green
coating of grassy turf.

"Probably it is to the local predilections for
such diversion that I must attribute the unwilling-
ness of the authorities to remedy the nuisance "? "

We cannot take upon ourselves to reply, yes or
no. The cantonment is by no means scrupulously
clean. The bazaar is at all times unpleasant, and,
during the rains, dirty in the extreme. Making all
due allowance for the difficulty of keeping any
place where natives abound, undefiled, still we
opine, that the authorities might be much more
active, in promoting the cause of cleanliness, than
they are. But, if report speak true, the local
government is somewhat out of temper with her hill
protegee, for spending her rupees a little too freely.

There go the promenaders — stout pedestrians —
keeping step in parties and pairs. Equestrians
ride the fashionable animals — a kind of horse cut

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 281

down to a ponj, called the Pegu, Arabs being rare
and little valued here. And invalids, especially
ladies, "eat the air," as the natives say, in palan-
quins and tonjons. The latter article merits some
description. It is a light conveyance, open and
airy, exactly resembling the seat of a Bath chair,
spitted upon a long pole, which rests on the shoul-
ders of four hammals, or porters. Much barbaric
splendour is displayed in the equipments of the
"gang." Your first thought, on observing their
long scarlet coats, broad yellow bands round the
waist, and the green turban, or some other curiously
and wonderfully made head -gear, which surmounts
their sooty faces, is a sensation of wonder that the
tonjon and its accompaniments have not yet been
exhibited in London and Paris. Much hardness
of heart is occasionally shown by the fair sex to
their unhappy negroes. See those four lean
wretches staggering under the joint weights of
the vehicle that contains the stout daughter and
stouter mama, or the huge Ayah who is sent out
to guard those five or six ponderous children, whose
constitutional delicacy renders " carriage exercise"
absolutely necessary for them.

Two things here strike your eye as novel, in
India.

282 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

There is a freshness in the complexion of the
Sanitarians that shows wonderfully to advantage
when compared with the cadaverous waxy hue
which the European epidermis loves to assume in
the tropics. Most brilliant look the ladies ; the gen-
tlemen are sunburnt and robust ; and the juveniles
appear fresh and chubby, quite a different creation
from the pallid, puny, meagre, sickly, irritable little
wretches that do nothing but cry and perspire in
the plains. Another mighty pleasant thing, after a
few years of purely camp existence, is the non-
military appearance and sound of Ootacamund.
Uniform has been banished by one consent from
society, except at balls and parties. The cotton
and linen jackets, the turbaned felt " wide-awake,"
and the white jockey's cap, with its diminutive
apron, intended to protect the back of the head
from the broiling sun, are here exchanged for
cloth coats and black hats. Morning bugles
and mid-day guns, orderlies, and order-books, the
" Officers' call" and " ^o parade to-day," are things
unknown. Vestiges of the " shop" will, it is true,
occasionally peep out in the shape of a regimental
cap, brass spurs, and black pantaloons, denuded of
the red stripe. But such traces rather add to our
gratification than otherwise, by reminding us of

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 283

A.M. drills, meridian sword exercises, and p.m. reviews
in days gone by.

And now, advancing along the gravelled walk
that borders the lake, we pass beneath a thatched
cottage, once a masonic lodge,* but ia.QVf,prohpudor !
converted into a dwelling-house. Near it, we re-
mark a large building — Bombay House. It was
formerly appropriated to officers of that presidency.
At present they have no such luxury .f Taking up
a position above the south end of the Willow-Bund,
we have a good front view of the principal buildings
in the cantonment. On the left hand is the Pro-
testant church of St. Stephens, an unpraisable
erection, in the Saxo-Gothic style, standing out
from a grave-yard, so extensive, so well stocked,
that it makes one shudder to look at it. Close by
the church are the Ootacamund Free School, the
Post-office, the Pay-office, and the bungalow where
the Commanding officer of the station transacts his

* It was established at Ootacamund under a warrant of
constitution from the Provincial Grand Lodge on the coast of
Coromandel.

t The Bombayites had, moreover, their own medical atten-
dant, with a hospital and the usual number of subalterns
attached to it. There are now but three surgeons on the hills,
attending on one hundred and four invalids, who are scattered
over many miles of country.

284 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

multifarious business. Below, near the lake, you
see the Library, the Victoria hotel — a large and
conspicuous building — the Dispensary, the subor-
dinate's courts, and the Bazaar. Beyond the church
a few hundred yards of level road leads to the
" palace," built by Sir W. Rumbold, which, after
enduring many vicissitudes of fortune, has settled
down into the social position of a club-house and
place for periodical balls. Around it, the mass of
houses thickens, and paths branch off in all direc-
tions. In the distance appears the wretched bazaar
of Kaundlemund — the haunt of coblers and thieves ;
— a little nearer is the old Roman Catholic chapel ;
closer still, the Union hotel — a huge white house,
which was once the Neilgherry Church Missionary
grammar school, — bungalows by the dozen, and
several extensive establishments, where youth, male
and female, is lodged, boarded, and instructed. On
the southern side of a hill, separated from the
Kaundle bazaar, stands Woodcock Hall, the locality
selected for Government House, and, in 1847 at
least, a most unimportant place, interiorly as well
as exteriorly.

We will conclude our ciceronic task with calling
your attention to one fact, namely, that the capital
of the Neilgherries is growing up Avith maizelike rapi-

FIRST GLIMPSE OF OOTY. 285

ditj. Houses are rising in all directions ; and if
fickle fortune only favour it, Ooty promises fair to
become in a few years one of the largest European
settlements in India. But its fate is at present
precarious. Should the Court of Directors be in-
duced to revise the old Furlough and Sick-leave
Regulations, then will poor Ooty speedily revert
to the Todas and jackals — its old inhabitants.
On the contrary, if the status quo endure, and
European regiments are regularly stationed on the
hills,"' officers will flock to Ootacamund, the settlers,
retired servants of Government, not Eurasian colo-
nists, will increase in number, schools f will flourish

* The measure was advocated by Mr. Sullivan as early as
1828, but financial, not common-sensical or medical, considera-
tions have long delayed its being carried into execution.

t The principal schools now (1847) to be found at Ootaca-
mund are four in number, viz. : —

1. The Ooty free school, established for the purpose of giving
education gratis to the children of the poor : it is supported by
voluntary contributions, and superintended by the chaplain of
the station. The number of scholars on the rolls is generally
about thirty.

2. Fern Hill, the Rev. Mr. Rigg's boarding-school for young
gentlemen. It contains twenty-six pupils, varying in age from
five to fifteen. Of these, fourteen are the sons of officers in the
service, and the rest are youths of respectable families. Terms
for boarders, 4/. per mensem, the usual charges on the Neil-
gherries.

286 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

and prosperity steadily progress. The " to be or
not to be " thus depends upon the turn of a die.

The chilly shades of evening are closing rapidly
upon us, and we know by experience that some care
is necessary, especially for the newly arrived health-
hunter. So we wend our way homewards, remark-
ing, as night advances, the unusual brilliancy of the
heavenly bodies. Yenus shines almost as brightly
as an average English moon in winter : her light
with that of the lesser stars is quite sufficient to
point out to us the direction of " Subaltern Hall."

3. An establishment for young ladies, conducted by Miss
Hale and Miss Millard.

4. Ditto for young ladies and young gentlemen under ten
years of age, conducted by Mrs. James and Miss Ottley.

Besides those above mentioned, several ladies receive a
limited number of pupils.

The schools for natives at Ootacamund are —

1. The Hindostani school^ Conducted by the Rev. Bernard

2. The Tamul school J Schmidt, D.D.

There are many other similar establishments for native chil-
dren in different parts of the hills.

So that the pedagogue has not neglected to visit this remote
corner of his wide domains.

LIFE AT OOTY. 287

CHAPTER XVI.

LIFE AT OOTY.

If a bachelor, you generally begin by depositing
your household gods in the club buildings, or one
of the two hotels ''' — there is no travellers' bunga-
low at Ootacamund — if a married man, you have
secured lodgings by means of a friend.

The Neilgherry house merits description prin-

* The Union and the Victoria. For bed and board the
prices usually charged are —

For a lady or gentleman, 22l. per mens.

Ditto for any broken period in a month, 1 65. per diem.

For children under ten years of age and European servants,
2s. per diem.

Native ayah or nurse, Is, per diem.

The expense of housekeeping is not great at Ootacamund.
A single man may manage to live for 20/. per mensem, com-
fortably for 30/. It is common for two or more bachelors to
take a house together, and the plan suits the nature of the
place well.

Only be careful who your monsoon " chum" is !

288 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

cipally because it is a type of the life usually led
in it. The walls are made of coarse bad bricks —
the roof of thatch or wretched tiles, which act
admirably as filters, and occasionally cause the
downfall of part, or the whole of the erection.
The foundation usually selected is a kind of plat-
form, a gigantic step, cut out of some hill-side,
and levelled by manual labour. The best houses
occupy the summits of the little eminences around
the lake. As regards architecture the style bun-
galow— a modification of the cow-house — is pre-
ferred : few tenements have upper stories, whilst
almost all are surrounded by a long low verandah,
perfectly useless in such a climate, and only cal-
culated to render the interior of the domiciles as
dim and gloomy as can be conceived. The furniture
is decidedly scant, being usually limited to a few
feet of drugget, a chair or two, a table, and a bed-
stead. The typical part of the matter is this. If
the diminutive rooms, with their fire-places, cur-
tained beds, and boarded floors, faintly remind you
of Europe, the bare walls, puttyless windows and
doors that admit draughts of air small yet cutting
as lancets, forcibly impress you with the conviction
that you have ventured into one of those uncomfort-
able localities — a cold place in a hot country.

LIFE AT OOTY. 289

So it is with life on the Nielgherries — a perfect
anomaly. You dress like an Englishman, and lead
a quiet gentlemanly life — doing nothing. Not
being a determined health -hunter, you lie in bed
because it passes the hours rationally and agree-
ably, and you really can enjoy a midday doze on
the mountain-tops. You sit up half the night
because those around you are not shaking the head
of melancholy, in consequence of the dispiriting
announcement that " the Regiment will parade, &c.,
at four o'clock next morning" (a.m. remember !). At
the same. time your monthly bills for pale ale and
hot curries, heavy tiffins, and numerous cheroots,
tell you, as plainly as such mute inanimate things
can, that you have not quite cast the slough of
Anglo-Indian life.

We will suppose that your first month in the
Nielgherry Hills with all its succession of small
events has glided rapidly enough away. You
reported your arrival in person to the commanding
officer, who politely desired your signature to a
certain document,'" threatening you as well as others

* The most stringent measures have been found necessary
to prevent gentlemen from committing suicide by means of
elephant shooting in the pestilential jungles below the hills.

0

290 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

with all the penalties of the law if you ventured
to quit Ootacamund without leave. The Auditor-
General's bill, which you received from the Pay-
master, Bombay, authorizing you to draw your
salary from him of the southern division of the
Madras army, was not forwarded before the first of
the month, or it was forwarded but not in duplicate
— something of the kind must happen — so you were
most probably thrown for a while upon your wits,
rather a hard case, we will suppose. Then you
tried to " raise the wind " from some Parsee, but the
way in which he received you conclusively proved
that he has, perhaps for the best of reasons, long
since ceased to " do bijness " in that line. You
began to feel uncomfortable, and consequently to
abuse the " authorities."

During your first fortnight all was excitement,
joy, delight. You luxuriated in the cool air. Your
appetite improved. The mutton had a flavour
which you did not recollect in India. Strange, yet
true, the beef was tender, and even the " unclean "
was not too much for your robust digestion. You

Besides, there is some little duty to be done by the Madrassees
on the Neilgherries : a convalescent list is daily forwarded to
the Commanding officer, reporting those who are equal to such
labours as committees and courts of inquest.

LIFE AT OOTY. 291

praised the vegetables, and fell into ecstasy at the
sight of peaches, apples, strawberries, and raspberries,
after years of plantains, guavas, and sweet limes.
From the exhilarating influence of a rare and elastic
atmosphere you, who could scarcely walk a mile in
the low country, induced by the variety of scenery
and road, wandered for hours over hill and dale
without being fatigued. With what strange sensa-
tions of pleasure you threw yourself upon the soft
turf bank, and plucked the first daisy which you
ever saw out of England ! And how you enjoyed the
untropical occupation of sitting over a fire in June !
— that very day last year you were in a state of
semi-existence, only " kept going " by the power
of punkahs '"" and quasi-nudity.

The end of the month found you in a. state of
mind bordering upon the critical. You began to
opine that the scenery has its deficiencies — Can
its diminutive ravines compare with glaciers and
seas of ice — the greenness of its mountain-tops
compensate for the want of snow-clad summits, and
" virgin heights which the foot of man never trod V
You decided that the Neilgherries are, after all,
a tame copy of the Alps and the Pyrenees. You
came to the conclusion that grandeur on a small

* Large fans, suspended from the ceiling.

0 2

202 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

scale is very unsatisfactory, and turned away from
the prospect with the contempt engendered by
satiety. As for the climate, you discovered that
it is either too hot in the sun or too cold in the
shade, too damp or too dry, too sultry or too raw.
After a few days spent before the fire you waxed
weary of the occupation, remarked that the Neil-
gherry wood is always green, and the Neilgherry
grate a very abominable contrivance. At last the
mutton and pork, peaches and strawberries, palled
upon your pampered palate, you devoured vegeta-
bles so voraciously that pernicious consequences
ensued, and you smoked to such an extent that
— perhaps tobacco alone did not do it — your head
became seriously affected.

And now, sated with the joys of the eye and
mouth, you turn round upon Ootacamund and
inquire blatantly what amusement it has to offer
you.

Is there a hunt ? No, of course not !

A race-course 1 Ditto, ditto !

Is there a cricket-club 1 Yes. If you wish to
become a member you will be admitted readily
enough ; you will pay four shillings per mensem
for the honour, but you will not play at cricket.

A library 1 There are two : one in the Club,

LIFE AT OOTY. 293

the other kept by a Mr. Warren : the former deals
in the modern, the latter in the antiquated style
of light — ^extremely light — literature. Both reading-
rooms take in the newspapers and magazines, but
the periodical publications are a very exclusive
kind of study, that is to say, never at home to
you. . By some peculiar fatality the book you want
is always missing. And the absence of a cata-
logue instead of exciting your industry, seems rather
to depress it than otherwise.

Public gardens, with the usual " scandal point,"
where you meet the ladies and exchange the latest
news 1 We reply yes, in a modifying tone. The
sum of about 200/., besides monthly subscriptions,
was expended upon the side of a hill to the east
of Ooty, formerly overrun with low jungle, now
bearing evidences of the fostering hand of the
gardener in the shape of many cabbages and a few
cauliflowers.

Is there a theatre, a concert-room, a tennis, a
racket, or a fives-court ? 'No, and again no !

Then pray what is there "?

We will presently inform you. But you must
first rein in your impatience whilst we enlarge
a little upon the constitution and components of
Neilgherry society.

294 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Two presidencies — the Madras and Bombay —
meet here without mingling. Officers belonging
to the former establishment visit the hills for two
objects, pleasure and health ; those of the latter
service are always votaries of Hygeia. If you ask
the Madrassee how he accounts for the dearth of
amusements, he replies that no one cares how he
gets through his few weeks of leave. The Bom-
bayite, on the contrary, complains loudly and bit-
terly enough of the dull two years he is doomed
to pass at Ooty, but modesty, a consciousness of
inability to remedy the evil, or most likely that
love of a grievance, and lust of grumbling which
nature has implanted in the soldier's breast, pre-
vents his doing anything more. Some public-
spirited individuals endeavoured, for the benefit
of poor Ooty, to raise general subscriptions from
the Madras Service, every member of which has
visited, is visiting, or expects to visit, the region
of health. The result of their laudable endeavours
— a complete failure — instanced the truth of the
ancient adage, that " everybody's business is no-
body's business." Besides the sanitarians and the
pleasure-seekers, there are a few retired and invalid
officers, who have selected the hills as a perma-
nent residence, some coffee - planters, speculators

LIFE AT OOTY. 295

in silk and mulberry-trees, a stray mercantile or
two from Madras, and several professionals, settled
at Ootacamund,

With all the material above alluded to, our
circle of society, as you may suppose, is suffi-
ciently extensive and varied. Among the ladies,
we have elderlies who enjoy tea and delight in
scandal : grass widows — excuse the term, being
very much wanted, it is comme il faut in this
region — and spinsters of every kind, from the little
girl in bib and tucker, to the full blown Anglo-
Indian young lady, who discourses of her papa
the Colonel, and disdains to look at anything below
the rank of a field-officer. The gentlemen supply
us with many an originale. There are ci-devant
young men that pride themselves upon giving
ostentatious feeds which youthful gastronomes
make a point of eating, misanthropes and hermits
who inhabit out-of-the-way abodes, civilians on the
shelf, authors, linguists, oriental students, amateur
divines who periodically convert their drawing-
rooms into chapels of ease rather than go to church,
sportsmen, worshippers of Bacchus in numbers,
juniors whose glory it is to escort fair dames
during evening rides, and seniors who would
rather face his Satanic Majesty himself than stand

296 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

in the dread presence of a "woman." We have
clergymen, priests, missionaries, tavern-keepers,
school-masters, and scholars, with precieux and
pricieuses ridicules of all descriptions.

But, unhappily, the said circle is divided into
several segments, which do not willingly or neatly
unite. In the first place, there is a line of de-
marcation occasionally broken through, but pretty
clearly drawn between the two Presidencies. The
JVIulls * again split into three main bodies, 1, the
very serious ; 2, the petit- serieux ; and, 3, the un-
sanctified. So do the Ducks, but these being upon
strange ground are not so exclusive as they other-
wise would be. Subdivision does not end here.
For instance, the genus serious will contain two
distinct species, the orthodox and the heterodox
serious. The unsanctified also form numerous little
knots, whose bond of union is some such acci-
dental matters as an acquaintance previous to meet-
ing on the hills, or a striking conformity of tastes
and pursuits.

* As the Madrassees are faniiliarl}'- called. The cunning in
language derive the term from mulligatawny soup, the quan-
tity of which imbibed in South India strikes the stranger with
a painful sense of novelty.

LIFE AT OOTY. 297

A brief account of the I^eilgherry day will an-
swer your inquiry about the existence of amuse-
ment. We premise that there are two formulas,
one for the sanitarian, the other for the pleasure-
hunter.

And first, of II Penseroso, or the invalid. He
rises with the sun, clothes himself according to Dr.
Baikie,* and either mounts his pony, or more
probably starts stick in hand for a four mile walk.
He returns in time to avoid the sun's effects upon
an empty stomach, bathes, breakfasts, and hurries
once more into the open air. Possibly, between
the hours of twelve and four, his dinner-time, he
may allow himself to rest awhile in the library,
to play a game at billiards, or to call upon a friend,
but upon principle he avoids tainted atmospheres
as much as possible. At 5 p.m. he recommences
walking or riding, persevering laudably in the
exercise selected, till the falling dew drives him
home. A cup of tea, and a book or newspaper,
finish the day. This even tenor of his existence
is occasionally varied by some such excitement as
a pic-nic, or a shooting-party, but late dinners,
balls, and parties, know him not.

Secondly of L' Allegro, as the man who obtains

* See Chapter XIX.

o 5

298 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

two months' leave of " absence on urgent private
affairs" to the Neilgherries, and the Peuseroso be-
come a robust convalescent, may classically and
accurately be termed. L'Allegro, dresses at mid-day,
he has spent the forenoon either in bed or en des-
habille, in dozing, tea-drinking, and smoking, or, if
of a literary turn of mind, in perusing the pages of
" The Devoted," or, " Demented One/' He dilates
breakfast to spite old Time, and asks himself the
frequent question What shall I do to-day 1 The
ladies are generally at home between twelve and
two, but L'Allegro, considering the occupation-
rather a " slow " one, votes it a " bore." But there
is the club, and a couple of hours may be spent
profitably enough over the newspapers, or pleasantly
enough with the assistance of billiards and whist.
At three o'clock our Joyful returns home, or accom-
panies a party of friends to a hot and substantial
meal, termed tiflSn, followed by many gigantic
Trichinopoly cigars, and glasses of pale ale in pro-
portion.

A walk or a ride round the lake, is now
deemed necessary to recruit exhausted Appetite,
who is expected to be ready at seven for another
hot and substantial meal, called dinner. And now,
the labours of the day being happily over, L'Allegro

LIFE AT OOTY. 299

concludes it with prodigious facility by means of
cards or billiards, with whiskey and weeds.

This routine of life is broken only by such in-
terruptions, as a shooting-party, an excursion, a
pic-nic, a grand dinner, soiree, or a ball. Short
notices of these amusements may not be unaccept-
able to the reader.

There are many places in the neighbourhood of
Ooty — such as Dodabetta, Fair Lawn, and others —
where, during the fine season, the votaries of Terpsi-
chore display very fantastic toes indeed, particularly
if they wear Neilgherry-made boots, between the
hours of ten a.m. and five p.m. Much innocent mirth
prevails on these social occasions, the only remark-
able characteristic of their nature being, that the
gentlemen generally ride out slowly and deliber-
ately, but ride in, racing, or steeple-chasing, or
enacting Johnny Gilpin.

A more serious affair is a grand dinner. This
truly British form which hospitality assumes, may
be divided into two kinds, the pure and the mixed.
The former is the general favourite, as, consisting
of bachelors only, it admits of an abandon in the
style of conversation, and a general want of cere-
moniousness truly grateful to the Anglo-Indian
mind. A dinner where ladies are admitted is, by

300 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

L' Allegro, considered an unmitigated pest ; and those
who dislike formality and restraint, scant pota-
tions, and the impossibility of smoking, will readily
enter into his feelings.

The Ootacamund soiree happens about once every
two months to the man of pleasure, who exerts all
the powers of his mind to ward off the blow of an
invitation. When he can no longer escape the mis-
fortune, he resigns himself to his fate, dresses and
repairs to the scene of unfestivity, with much of
the same feeling he remembers experiencing when
" nailed " for a Bath musical reunion, or a Chel-
tenham tea-party. He will have to endure many
similar horrors. He must present Congo to the
ladies, walk about with cakes and muffins, listen
to unmelodious melody, and talk small — he whose
body is sinking under the want of stimulants and
narcotics, whose spirit is fainting under the pei?ie
forte et dure of endeavouring to curb an unruly
tongue, which in spite of all efforts will occasionally
give vent to half or three-quarters of some word
utterly unfit for ears feminine or polite. If, as the
Allegri sometimes are, the wretch be nervous upon
the subject of being "talked about in connexion
with some woman," another misery will be added
to the list above detailed. He has certainly passed

LIFE AT OOTY. 301

the evening by the side of the young lady whom
he first addressed — his reasons being that he had
not courage to break away from her — and he may
rest assured that all Ooty on the morrow will have
wooed and won her for him. Finally, he observes
that several of his married friends look coldly upon
him, beginning the morning after the soiree. Pro-
bably he endeavoured to compensate for his want
of vivacity, by a little of what he considered bril-
liancy, in the form of satire, — quizzing, as it is
generally called. The person for whose benefit
he ventured to

Tamper with such dangerous art,

looked amused by his facetiousness, encouraged him
to proceed by

The smile from partial beauty won,

and lost no time in repeating the substance of his
remarks, decked, for the sake of excitement, in a
richly imaginative garb, to the sensitive quizzee.

There are about half-a-dozen balls a year on the
Neilgherries, the cause of their infrequency being
the expense, and the unpopularity of the amuse-
ment amongst all manner and description of men,
save and except the "squire of dames" only. This
un-English style of festivity is also of two kinds.

the subscription and the bachelors' : the former
thinly attended, because 1/. is the price of a ticket,
the latter much more numerously, because invita-
tions are issued gratis. The amusement com-
mences with the notes which the ladies indite in
reply to their future entertainers, who scrutinize
all such productions with a severity of censure and
a rigidity of rule which might gratify a Johnson,
or a Lindley Murray. And woe, woe, to her who
slips in her syntax, or trips in her syllabication !
Then the members of the club carve out for them-
selves a grievance, all swear that it is a " confounded
shame to turn the place into a hop-shop," and one
surlier individual than the rest declares that "it
shan't be done again." At the same time you ob-
serve they endure the indignity patiently enough,
as it is a magnificent opportunity for disposing
of their condemnable though not condemned goose-
berry.

And here we pause for a moment in indignation
at such a proceeding. May that man never be our
friend who heedlessly sets a bottle of bad cham-
pagne before a fellow-creature at a ball ! Heated
and excited by the dancing atmosphere around, the
victim's palate becomes undiscerning, he drinks
a tumbler when at other times a wine-glass full

LIFE AT OOTY. 303

would have been too much, and in the morning —
aroynt thee, Description ! Well do we remember
the bitter feelings with which we heard on one of
these occasions, two gentlemen felicitating each other
upon the quantity of sour gooseberry disposed of
unobserved. Unobserved ! we were enduring tor-
tures from the too observable effects of it.

At eleven or twelve the ladies muster. The
band — a trio of fiddlers, and a pianist, who performs
on an instrument which suggests reminiscences of
Tubal Cain — strikes up. The dancing begins — one
eternal round of quadrilles, lancers, polkas, and
waltzes. There is no difficulty in finding partners :
the " wall-flower," an ornament to the ball-room
unknown in India generally, here blooms and flou-
rishes luxuriantly as in our beloved fatherland. But
if you are not a bald-headed colonel, a staff-officer
in a gingerbread uniform, or a flash sub. in one of
Her Majesty's corps, you will prefer contemplating
the festal scene from the modest young man's great
stand-by — the doorway. About one o'clock there
is a break for supper — a hot substantial meal of
course : — the dancing that follows is strikingly of
a more spirited nature than that which preceded
it. The general exhilaration infects, perhaps, even
you. You screw up your courage to the point of

304 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

asking some smiling spinster if she " may have the
pleasure of dancing with you '? " and by .her good
aid in action as well as advice, you find out, with
no small exultation, that you have not quite for-
gotten your quadrille.

At three p.m. the ladies retire, apparently to the
regret, really to the delight of the bachelors, who,
with gait and gestures expressive of the profoundest
satisfaction, repair to the supper-room for another
hot and substantial meal. The conversation is
lively : the toilettes, manners, conversation and
dancing of the fair sex are blamed or extolled selon ;
the absence of the Bombay ladies and the scarcity
of the Bombay gentlemen are commented upon with
a nawete which, if you happen to consider yourself
one of them, is apt to be rather unpleasant. Be-
fore, however, you can make up your mind what to
do, the cigars are lighted, spirits mixed, and the
singing commences. This performance is usually of
the style called at messes the " sentimental," where-
in a long chorus is a sine qud non, the usual
accompaniments a little horse-play in difierent parts
of the room, and the conclusion a hammering of
tables or rattling of glasses and a drumming with
the heels, which, when well combined, produce
truly an imposing effect. At length Aurora comes

LIFE AT OOTY. 305

slowly in, elbowing her way, and sidling through
the dense waves of rolling smoke, which would
oppose her entrance, but failing therein, content
themselves with communicating to her well known
saffron- coloured morning wrapper a rather dull and
dingy hue. Phoebus looks red and lowering at the
prospect of the dozen gentlemen, who, in very
pallid complexions, black garments, and patent lea-
ther boots, wind, with frequent halts, along a com-
mon road, leading, as each conceives, directly to his
own abode. And the Muses thus preside over the
conclusion, as they ushered in the beginning of the
eventful fete.

" On the — of the gay and gallant

bachelors of Ootacamund entertained all the beauty
and fashion of the station .in the magnificent ball-
room of the club. The scene was a perfect galaxy
of light and loveliness, etc."

You have now, we will suppose, almost exhausted
the short list of public amusements, balls and par-
ties ; you have boated on the lake ; you have ridden
and walked round the lake till every nodule of gravel
is deadly familiar to your eye ; you have contem-
plated the lake from every possible point, and can
no longer look at it, or hear it named, without a

306 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

sensation of nausea. You have probably wandered
" over the hills and far away " in search of game ;
your sport was not worth speaking of, but its con-
sequences, the headache, or the attack of liver which
resulted from over-exertion, was — . Perhaps you
have been induced to ride an untrained Arab at a
steeple-chase, and, curious to say, you have not
broken an arm or even your collar-bone. What are
you to do now '? You wish to goodness that you
could obtain leave to visit the different stations in
the low country, but, unhappily, you forgot to have
your sick certificate worded, " For the Neilgherries
and the Western Coast." You find yourself cooped
up in the mountains as securely as within the lofty
walls of your playground in by-gone days, and if
you venture to play truant, you will certainly be
dismissed the establishment, which is undesirable : —
you are not yet over anxious to return to " duty,"
although you are by no means happy away from it.
Suddenly a little occurrence in your household
affords you a temporary diversion. You dismissed
your Bombay servants, first and foremost the Portu-
guese, a fortnight after your arrival at Ootacamund,
because the fellows grumbled at the climate and the
expense : — they could not afford to get drunk half as
often as in the plains : — demanded exorbitant wages,

LIFE AT OOTY. 307

and required almost as many comforts and luxuries
as you yourself do. So you paid their j^assage
back to their homes, and secured the usual number
of Madras domestics, men of the best character,
according to their own account, and provided with
the highest, though more than dubious testimonials.
You found that the change was for the better. Your
new blacks worked like horses, and did not refuse
to make themselves generally useful. Presently,
they, seeing your "softness," began to presume
upon it. You found it necessary to dismiss one
of them, summarily, for exaggerated insolence.
The man left your presence, and stepped over
to the edifice where sits in state the " Officer Com-
manding the Neilgherries." About half an hour
afterwards you received a note, couched in terms
quite the reverse of courteous, ordering you to pay
your dismissed servant his wages, and peremptorily
forbidding you to take the law into your own hands
by kicking him. But should you object to obey, as
you probably will do, you are allowed the alterna-
tive of appearing at the office the next day.

At the hour specified you prepare to keep your
appointment, regretting that you are not a civilian : —
you might then have tossed the note into the fire : —
but somewhat consoled by a discovery, made in the

308 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

course of the evening, that the complainant has
stolen several articles of clothing from you. You
walk into the room, ceremoniously bow and are
bowed to, pull a chair towards you unceremoni-
ously, because you are not asked to sit down, wait
impatiently enough, — you have promised to ride

out with Miss A , who will assuredly confer the

honour of her company upon your enemy Mr. B

if you keep her waiting five minutes, — a mortal hour
and a half. When the last case has been dismissed,
the Commanding officer, after some little time spent
in arranging his papers, nibbing his pens and conver-
sationizing with a native clerk about matters more
than indiflerent to you, turns towards you a counte-
nance in which the severity of justice is somewhat
tempered by the hard stereotyped smile of polite
inquiry. Stimulated by the look, you forget that
you are the defendant, till reminded of your posi-
tion in a way which makes you feel all its awkward-
ness. The Commanding officer is a great " stickler
for abstract rights," and is known to be high-princi-
pled upon the subjects of black skins and British
law. So you, who expected, as a matter of course,
that the " word of an officer and gentleman " would
be taken against that of a " native rascal," find
yourself notably in the wrong box. Indignant, you

LIFE AT OOTY. 309

send for your butler. And now Pariah meets
Pariah with a terrible tussle of tongue. Complainant
swears that he was not paid ; witness oathes by the
score that he was. The former strengthens his
position by cursing himself to Patal ''' if he has not
been swindled by the " Buttrel " and his Sahib out
of two months' wages. The head servant, not to be
outdone, devotes the persons of his Brahman, his
wife, and his eldest son, to a very terrible doom
indeed, if he did not with his own hands advance
complainant three months' pay, — and so on. At
length the Commanding officer, who has carefully
and laboriously been taking down the evidence,
bids the affidavits cease, and reluctantly dismisses
the complaint.

And now for your turn, as you fondly imagine.
You also have a charge to make. You do so em-
phatically. You summon your witnesses, who are
standing outside. You prove your assertion tri-
umphantly, conclusively. You inform the Com-
manding officer, with determination, that you are
resolved to do your best to get the thief punished.

The Commanding officer hears you out most pa-
tiently, urges you to follow up the case, and remarks,
that the prosecution of the affair will be productive
* The region of eternal punishment.

310 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

of great advantage to the European residents on
the Hills. You are puzzled transiently : the words
involve an enigma, and the sarcastic smile of the
criminal smacks of a mystery. But your mental
darkness is soon cleared up ; the Commanding
officer hints that you will find no difficulty in
procuring a fortnight's leave to Coimbatore, the
nearest Civil station, for the purpose of carrying
out your public-spirited resolution. As this would
involve a land journey of one hundred miles — in
India equal to one thousand in Europe — with all
the annoyances of law-proceedings, and all the
discomforts of a strange station, your determination
suddenly melts away, and gentle Pity takes the
place of stern Prosecution ; you forget your in-
jury, you forgive your enemy.

You must not, however, lay any blame upon the
Commanding officer ; his hands are tied as well as
yours. He is a justice of the peace, but his au-
thority is reduced to nothing in consequence of his
being subject to the civil power at Coimbatore. A
more uncomfortable position for a military man to
be placed in you cannot conceive.

This little bit of excitement concludes your list
of public amusements. And now, again, you ask
What shall you do ? You put the question, wishing

LIFE AT OOTY. 311

to heaven that Echo — Arabian or Hibernian — would
but respond with her usual wonted categoricality ;
but she, poor maid ! has quite lost her voice, in conse-
quence of the hard-talking she has had of late years.
So you must even reply to and for yourself — no
easy matter, we can assure you.

Goethe, it is said, on the death of his son, took
up a new study. You have no precise ideas about
Goethe or his proceedings, but your mind spon-
taneously grows the principle that actuated tlie
great German. You are almost persuaded to be-
come a student. You borrow some friend's Akhlak
i Hindi,* rummage your trunks till you discover the
remnant of a Shakespeare's Grammar, and purchase,
at the first auction, a second-hand copy of Forbes's
Dictionary. You then inquire for a Moonshee — a
language-master — and find that there is not a
decent one in the place. The local government,
in the plenitude of its sagacity, has been pleased
to issue an order forbidding examination committees
being held at the Sanitarium ; so good teachers will
not remain at a station where their services are but
little required. Your ardour, however, is only
damped, not extinguished. You find some clerk in

* " The ethics of India f the Cornelius Nepos of .Hindos-
tani.

312 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

one of the offices who can read Hindostani ; you set
to — you rub up your acquaintance with certain old
friends, called Parts of Speech — you master the Verb,
and stand in astonishment to see that you have read
through a whole chapter of the interesting ethical
composition above alluded to. That pause has
ruined you. Like the stiff joints of a wearied
pedestrian, who allows himself rest at an inoppor-
tune time, your mind refuses to rise again to its
task. You find out that Ootacamund is no place
for study ; that the houses are dark, the rooms cold,
and the air so exciting that it is all but impos-
sible to sit down quietly for an hour. Finally,
remembering that you are here for health, you send
back the Akhlak, restore Shakespeare to his own
trunk, and, after coquetting about the conversational
part of the language with your Moonshee for a
week or two — dismiss him.

1

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 3Io

CHAPTER XVII.

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY.

Speaking seriously, the dearth of diversion or
even occupation at Ootacamund, considerably di-
minishes its value as a sanitary station. It is
generally remarked, that a man vsrho in other places
drinks a little too freely, here seldom fails to bring-
on an attack of delirium tremens. After the first
excitement passes away, it is apt to be succeeded
by a sense of dreariness and ennui more debilitating
to the system than even the perpetual perspirations
of the plains.

The chief occupations for a visitor outside of
Ooty are curiosity-hunting, field-sports, and excur-

sionizing.

Of late years, the Neilgherries have been so ex-
posed to the pickaxes of indefatigable archaeologists,
that their huge store of curiosities has been almost

P

314 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

exhausted. Little now remains but the fixtures.
In many parts almost every hill is crowned by
single and double cairns, enclosing open areas,
which, when opened, were found to contain numer-
ous pottery ■^^' figures of men and animals. There are
some remarkable remains which remind us of the
Cromlechs f and Kistvaens | of Druidism ; all, how-
ever, have been rifled of the funeral urns and the
other relics which they contained. Yases holding
burnt bones and charcoal, brass vessels, spear heads,
clay images of female warriors on horseback, stone
pestles, pots and covers ornamented with human
figures and curious animals, have been taken from
the barrows that abound in different parts of
the Neilgherries. The ruins of forts and pagodas,
traces of buildings and manual labour, may be dis-
covered in the darkest recesses of ancient forests.

* No inscriptions have as yet been discovered. The only
coin we have heard of was a Roman aureus, whereas in the
cairns that stud the plains, medals, of the Lower Empire espe-
cially, are commonly met with.

t Consecrated stones.

:[ The kistvaens, or closed cromlechs of the Neilgherries, are
tumuli about five feet high. The internal chamber is com-
posed of four walls, each consisting of an entire stone seven feet
long and five broad, floored and roofed with similar slabs. In
the monolithe, constituting the eastern wall, is a circular aper-
ture large enough to admit the body of a child.

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 315

Long and deep fosses, the use of which cannot be
explained, and diminutive labyrinths still remain
the monuments of ancient civilization. At St.
Catherine's Falls, near Kotagherrj, the natives show
marks in the rock which they attribute to a certain
hill Rajah who urged his horse over the precipice
to escape the pursuit of his foes. The land is
rich in such traditions. There is a name for every
hill ;* to every remarkable one is attached some
cherished legend. Here we are shown the favourite
seats of the Rishi, or saintly race, who, in hoary eld,
honoured the green tops of the Blue Mountains with
their holy presence. There, we are told, abode the
foul Rakhshasa (demon) tribe, that loved to work
man's mortal woe ; and there, dwarfish beings,
somewhat like our fairies, long since passed away,
lived in the dancing and singing style of existence
usually attributed by barbarians to those pretty
creatures of their imaginations.

The Toda family — the grand depository of Neil-
gherry tradition — has supplied our curiosity-hunters

* The colonists have followed the example of the aborigines.
Little, however, can be said in favour of our nomenclature.
There is a Snowdon, without snow ; a Saddle-back Hill, whose
dorsum resembles anything as much as a saddle; an Avalanche
Hill, without avalanches, and so on.

p 2

316 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

with many a marvel. But, let the young beginner
beware how he trusts to their information. The
fellows can enjoy a hoax. Moreover, with the in-
stinctive cunning of the wild man, they are in-
veterate liars, concealing truth because they perceive
that their betters attach some importance to ex-
tracting it, and yet cannot understand the reason
why they should take the trouble to do so. For
instance — we heard of a gentleman who, when
walking near one of the villages, saw some roughly-
rounded stones lying upon the ground, and asked a
Toda what their use might be. The savage replied
extempore, that the biggest piece was, according to
his creed, the grandfather of the gods ; another was
the grandmother, and so on to a great length. He
received a rupee for the intelligence given ; and
w^ell he won it. The stones were those used by
the young men of the hamlet for "putting" in
their leisure hours — a slender foundation, indeed,
to support so grand a superstructure of tradi-
tional lore !

Antiquarians are everywhere a simple race : in
India, " con tutto rispetto parlando," we are almost
tempted to describe them as simpletons. Who does
not recollect the Athenaeum sauce-jar which some
wag buried in the ruins of a fort, said to have been

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 317

founded by Alexander the Great at Sehwan in Scinde,
and the strange theories which the Etruscan images
upon that article elicited from grave and learned
heads 1

Game is still plentiful in the Neilgherries. The
little woods about Ootacamund abound in woodcock,
leopard,* and ibex. Near Coonoor, elk and w^ild hog
are to be met with, and to the east of Kotagherry
there is excellent bison-shooting. Elephants occa-
sionally ascend the Koondah hills to escape the fiery
heat of the luxuriant jungles below the mountains.
Tigers are rare in these parts, and no one takes the
trouble to attack them : the cold climate ruins them
for sport by diminishing their ferocity and the
chance of one's being clawed. The wolf is not an
aboriginal of the hills : he sometimes, however,
favours us with a visit, in packs, gaunt with hunger
and sufficiently fierce, for the purpose of dining
on the dogs. The small black bear, or rather
ant-eater of the plains, affords tolerable sport ; but

* Dr. Baikie (in 1834) mentions that one of these animals
had held possession of a thick wood close to the cantonment
for some years. The same spot is still tenanted, it is said, by
a cheeta, but whether it be the original occupant, his ghost,
or one of his descendants, men know not.

318 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

this Alpine region does not produce the large
and powerful brown animal of the Pyrenees and
Central Asia.

The peculiarity of Neilgherry hunting is, that
nothing can be done by means of beaters only
— the plan adopted in India generally. Cocks
cannot be flushed without spaniels, and foxhounds
are necessary for tracking large game. The canine
species thrives prodigiously on the hills, and seems
to derive even more benefit from the climate than
the human dogs. The crack sportsman from the
plains must here abandon his favourite pig-sticking,
or exchange it for what he always considered the
illicit practice of hog-shooting. En revanche, he
has the elk, the bison, and the ibex.

The Neilgherry Sambur, or elk,* is the giant of
the cervine race — often fourteen hands high, with
antlers upwards of three feet long, spanning thirty-
two or thirty-three inches between the extremities.
In spite of this beast's size and unwieldiness — some
of them weigh seven hundred pounds — they are suffi-
ciently speedy to distance any but a good horse. They

* Not Buffon's elk. It is the Cervus Aristotelis, or black
rusa of Cuvier ; the " Shambara" of classical India ; the Gavazn
of Persia ; and the Gav i Gavazn of AfFghanistan and Central
Asia.

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 319

divide their time between the mountain-woods and
the lower jungles, resorting to the former for the
sake of the water, and descending to the latter to get
at the " salt-licks," in which they abound. Elk are
usually met with in pairs, or in greater numbers,
and when once sighted are easily shot. The neck
and the hollow behind the shoulder are the parts
aimed at, for these animals are extraordinarily
tenacious of life, and will carry off a most unreason-
able number of balls, unless hit in a vital region.
The flesh is coarse, but makes excellent mulliga-
tawny, the shin-bones afford good marrow, the hoofs
are convertible into jelly, the tongue is eatable, and
the skin useful for saddle-covers, gaiters, and hunt-
ing boots. The head, stuffed with straw and pro-
vided with eyes, skilfully made out of the bottom
of a black bottle, is a favourite ornament for the
verandah or the mantelpiece. Samburs are easily
tamed : several of them may be seen about Oota-
camund, grazing with halters round their necks,
almost as tame as cows. There are several ways
of hunting elk. On the hills skirting the Pykarry
river, where there is little swamp or bog, attempts
have been made to run and spear them. Some
sportsmen stalk them ; but the usual mode is to
post the guns, and then to make the beast break

320 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

cover. Dogs are preferred to beaters for this pur-
pose, as their giving tongue warns one when the
game is coming, and the animal will almost always
liy from his fourfooted, whereas it often succeeds in
charging and breaking through the line of biped
I'oes. Samburs, when wounded and closely pursued,
will sometimes stand and defend themselves despe-
rately with tooth and antler ; the " game thing "
then is to " walk into them " with a hunting -knife.
Bison-hunting upon the hills is a most exciting
sport, requiring thews and sinews, a cool head and a
steady hand. A charge of one of these animals is
quite the reverse of a joke : Venator had better
make sure of his nerve before he goes forth to stand
before such a rush. The bison is a noble animal.
We have seen heads * which a strong man was
scarcely able to lift, and horns that measured twenty
inches in circumference. They are usually shot
with ounce or two ounce iron or brass balls, and
plugs made by the hill-people, who cut a bar of
metal and file it down to the size required with the

* Upon this part Nature has provided the animal with a
bony mass, impenetrable to anything lighter than a grapeshot,
occupying the whole space between the horns, and useful, we
should suppose, in forcing a way through dense and thorny
jungle.

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 3:^1

rudest tools and remarkable neatness. The Hindoos,
however, do not patronise bison-hunting, as they
consider the beast a wild species of their sacred
animal.

The word " ibex," like the "jungle sheep"* of
the ^eilgherries, is a misnomer : the denominated
being the Capra Caucasica, not the Capra ibex of
Cuvier. It is to these hills what the chamois is to
the Alps, and the izzard to the Pyrenees. If you
are sportsman enough to like difficulty and danger,
incurred for nothing's sake, you will think well of
ibex-huntiug. In the first place you have to find
your game, and to find it also in some place where
it can be approached when alive, and secured when
dead. The senses of these wild goats are extra-
ordinarily acute, and often, after many hours of toil,
the disappointed pursuer is informed by the peculiar
whistling noise which they make when alarmed,
that, warned of his proximity — probably by the
wind — they have moved off to safer quarters.
Secondly, you must hit them— hard, too ; otherwise

* This "jungle sheep" is the Cervus porcinus, the hog-deer
or barking-deer of Upper India, which abounds in every shikar-
gah of delectable Scinde. In Sanscrit it is called the Preushat
(" sprinkling," in allusion to its spotted hide) ; in Hindostani,
Parha ; and in Persian, the Kotah-pacheh, or " short hoof."

P 5

322 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

you will never bring about a dead stop. And,
lastly, as they are addicted to scrambling down and
rolling over tremendous precipices — especially after
they have felt lead — you must either lose the beast
or risk your neck to bag the body. Not for the
pot. The flesh is never eaten, but the stuffed head
is preserved as a trophy of venatic prowess.

The hill people, when not employed in spearing
and netting game on their own account, will gene-
rally act as lookers-out and beaters. We are apt,
however, to be too generous with our money : the
effect of the liberality proving it to be ill-advised.
Often it will happen to you — especially during your
first month's sporting — that some black scoundrel
rushes up in a frantic hurry to report game trove,
in the hope that you will, upon the spur of the
moment, present him with a rupee. And suppose
you do so, what is the result ? It is sad weather ;
the clouds rain cats and dogs — to use an old phrase
— the wind is raw as a south-easter off the Cape ;
the ground one mass of slippery mud. Do you
look out of the window, roll your head, dismiss the
" nigger," return to your fire, the " Demented," and
your cigar. N'o ! emphatically no ! ! You rush
into your room, pull on shoes and gaiters, don
your hunting-garb with astonishing rapidity, catch

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 323

up your guns, roar for the favourite servant that
carries them, and start in the middle of the howling
storm. Your eagerness to '' get a slap at a bison "
incites jou to cruelty : you think nothing of dash-
ing into the first village, and compelling a troop of
half-naked wretches to accompany you. Now mark
the consequence of giving away that rupee in a
hurry. The head beater leads you up and down
the steepest, the most rugged, stony, and slippery
hills he can hit upon, with the benevolent view of
preventing your making a fool of yourself to any
greater extent. But when your stout English legs
have completely " taken the shine " out of those
baboon-like shanks which support his body, then he
conducts you to some Shola,* places you and your
servant upon the top of an elevated rock command-
ing a thorough enjoyment of the weather, and an
extensive view of the ravine through which the
beast is to break cover, and retires with his com-
rades to the snug cavern, which he held all along
in mental view. There he sits before a cosy bit of
fire, occasionally indulging you with a view-halloo,
proving how actively the gang is engaged in dis-

* A shola is a thick mass of low wood, which may be
measured by yards or miles, clothing the sides, the bottoms,
and the ravines of the hills and mountains.

324 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

covering the game. Half an hour has passed ; you
are wet through, "jusqu'aux os,'' and the chill
blasts feel as if they were cutting their way into
your vitals : still your ardour endures. Another
twenty minutes — your fingers refuse to uphold the
cocked rifle.

" We really must go if they can't find this beast
in another quarter of an hour, Baloo ! "

"Han, Sahib! — yes, sir," — quavers forth your
unhappy domestic, in a frozen treble — " if the
Sahib were to — to go, just now — would it not be
good 1 It is very cold — and^ — perhaps — they have
been telling the Saliib lies."

Baloo is right. The head beater appears, fol-
lowed by his attendant train. He swears that it
is a case of " stole away."

You feel that there is something wrong about
that bison, by the way in which the man's eye
avoided you. But probably a sense of justice
prevents your having recourse to the baculine dis-
cipline which, on any other occasion, we should
have advised you to administer with no niggardly
hand.

Sounders of hog are commonly found at certain
seasons about Coonoor especially. They are often
shot, and more often missed, as their gaunt forms

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 325

boring through the high grass afford a very uncer-
tain mark. If Diana favour you, you may have
the luck to come upon that beautiful variety of
the leopard tribe, the black cheeta, and wreak upo^i
him the revenge which his brethren's ravages
amongst your "bobbery -pack""' has roused in your
bosom. If you are proud of your poultry yard you
will never allow a jungle cat to pass without rolling
her over : the large fierce beasts are so uncom-
monly fond of ducks and fowls. The jackals j on
the hills are even more daring and impudent than
they are in the plains. Hares are so numerous
and voracious that they will destroy any garden,
flower or kitchen, unless it is defended by a dwarf-
fencing of split bamboos. Your careful Malee|
takes, moreover, the precaution of surrounding your
cabbages with a deep ditch in order to keep out
the huge porcupines that abound here. ]^n pas-
sant we advise every one who has not tasted a

* I.e. ten or twenty dogs and curs, young and old, of high
and low degree, terriers, pointers, spaniels, setters, pariahs, and
mongrels, headed by a staunch old hound or two.

t There is a large kind of solitary jackal whose cry is never
answered by the other animals of the same species : the sound
somewhat resembles the hyaena's laugh, and has been mistaken
for it by many.

t Gardener.

326 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

roti of one of those animals to do so sine mord,
not, however, forgetting to roll up the flesh in a
layer of mutton fat, and thus to remedy its only
defect — dryness. Martins, polecats, mongooses,
and the little grey gilahri '''' of Hindostan, flourish
on the hills ; there is also a large dark brown
squirrel, with a huge bushy tail, but the flying
species, so common on the western coast, is not an
inhabitant of the Neilgherries. The woods are
tenanted by several kinds of monkeys, black and
red, large and small : the otter is occasionally
met with in the fords of the Pykary river.

There are two varieties of the wild dog, one
a large nondescript, with a canine head, the body
of a wolf, and a brush instead of a tail : the other
is a smaller beast of similar appearance. They
generally hunt in large packs, and the skill with
which they follow up the game is admirable. "When
pressed by hunger they are very ferocious. It is
at no time a pleasant sight to see fifty or a hundred
of their ill-omened faces glaring at you and your
horse as you ride by them : especially after you
have heard certain well-authenticated anecdotes of
their cannibal propensities. When such rencontre
does occur, the best way is to put a bold face upon

* A species of squirrel.

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 327

the matter, ride up to them, and use your heavy
horsewhip as well as you can : if you endeavour
to get away they will generally feel inclined to
follow you, and as for escaping from them on horse-
back, it is morally impossible.

Another animal — though not a wild one — of
which we bid you beware, is the Neilgherry buf-
falo, especially the fine fawn-coloured beasts, be-
longing to the Todas. Occasionally, as you are
passing along the base of some remote hill, you will
be unpleasantly surprised by a sudden and im-
petuous charge of a whole herd. Unless you have
a gun with you, you must ride for it. And hoiu
you must ride will probably surprise you. We
well recollect a kind of adventure which once
occurred to ourselves, when quietly excursionizing
in the vicinity of Ooty. Excited by the appear-
ance of our nag's red saddle-cloth, some twenty
huge beasts resolved to dispute with us the right
of passage through one of the long smooth lawns,
which run down the centre of the woodlands. At
first they looked up curiously, then fiercely. Pre-
sently they advanced, snorting rabidly, in a rude
line, a huge black bull the leader of the movement.
The walk soon broke into a trot, the trot became
a gallop, the intention of the gallop, was clearly

328 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

a charge, and the consequences of a charge might
have been serious. We found little difficulty in
escaping the general rush of our assailants, by
means of a sharp touch with the spur : one by
one they tailed off, stood looking at our decreas-
ing form in angry disgust, and returned to their
normal occupation. But Taurus, the ringleader,
seemed determined upon mischief. He pursued us
with the dogged determination of a lyme hound :
he had speed as well as bottom. Whenever we
attempted to breathe the pony, the rapidity with
which our friend gained ground upon us, was a
warning not to try that trick too long. Close upon
our quarters followed the big beast with his curved
horns duly prepared : his eyes flashing fire, and his
grunting snorts indicative of extreme rage. We
could scarcely help laughing at the agility with
which the monstrous body, on its four little legs,
bowled away over the level turf, or at the same
time wishing that our holsters contained the means
of chastising his impudence.

How long the recreation might have lasted, or
how it might have ended had not a long mud wall
got between Taurus and ourselves, we cannot say.
He followed us for at least a mile, and seemed by
no means tired of the occupation. We were be-

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 329

ginning to anticipate the pleasure of entering Oota-
camund at the top of our nag's speed, with a huge
buiFalo at his heels, and though we might have
enjoyed seeing a friend in such novel predica-
ment, the thing lost all its charms, when we our-
selves expected to afford such spectacle to our
friends.

We should strongly advise all public spirited
individuals immediately after suffering from such
a nuisance to find out the herdsman, and persuade
him by a judicious application of the cravache, to
teach his cattle better manners. He will be much
more careful the next time he sees a stranger
ride by.

Among the feathered tribes, the woodcock, pro-
bably on account of its comparative rarity, is the
favourite sport. Three or four brace are considered
an excellent bag, even with the assistance of good
dogs, and a thorough knowledge of their covers.
Cock shooting lasts from November to j\Iarch.
Partridges are rare, not being natives of the hills.
Snipe, and solitary snipe, abound in the swamps.
Quails of both species, red and grey, — the former
especially — are found in the warmer localities,
and when properly tamed and trained, they are
as game birds as those of the low country. Our

830 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

list concludes with peacocks, jungle * and spur
fowl.

After perusing our brief sketch of Neilgherry
sport, you will easily understand that to some
ardent minds it offers irresistible attractions. Of-
ficers have been known to quit the service, or to
invalid solely with the view of devoting them-
selves wholly to the pleasures of the chase. They
separate themselves from their kind, inhabit the
jungles for weeks together, and never enter a sta-
tion except for the purpose of laying in a fresh
store of powder and shot, calomel and quinine.
Attended by a servant or two, they wander about,
rifle in hand, shooting their meals — some curried
bird^ — sleeping away the rabid hours of noontide
heat under some thick brake, and starting with
renewed vigour as soon as the slanting rays of
the sun diffuse a little activity throughout the
animal creation. Sometimes breakfast is rudely
interrupted by an angry old tusker, who, in spite
of his race's proverbial purblindness, detects the

* We have heard much about the difficulty of taming these
birds. Some go so far as to assert that they pine away and
die when deprived of their Hberty. The Affghans seem to find
nothing hard in the operation, as they use the birds for fight-
ing. They show excellent pluck, and never fail to fight till
death, although steel and silver are things unknown.

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 331

presence of an enemy, and rushes on trumpeting
to do a deed of violence. A " striped skin " will
occasionally invite himself to partake of the dinner,
and when not treated with all possible ceremony
walks off with a raw joint in the shape of some
unhappy black. There is little to be gained by
such a life. Government gives, it is true, a reward
of y/.""" for every slaughtered elephant, and tiger-
skins, as well as ivory, find a ready sale : but no
one can become a Croesus by the favour of Diana.
N^ot much, however, do our adventurous sportsmen
think of lucre : they go on shooting through ex-
istence, only pausing at times when the bites of
the tree-leeches,f scorpions, centipedes, and mus-
quitoes, or a low fever, which they have vainly
endeavoured to master by means of quinine ad-
ministered in doses sufficient to turn an average
head, imperiously compel them to lay up, till as-
sailed by a Foe against whom the dose and the rifle

* Seven pounds for a full grown, 51. for a young animal.
When the reward is claimed the tusks must be given up.
Tuskers, however, are not often met with in these days.

t Every swamp on and about the hills is full of small
leeches, — the lake also abounds in them, — which assail your
legs, and swarming up the trees, drop down your shirt collar
to your extreme annoyance. They are quite useless for medi-
cal purposes, as the bite is highly inflammatory.

332 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUiNTAlNS.

are equally unefficacious. J\lany are almost blinded
by the terrible glare and damp heat of the jungles :
the fetid swamps breed brain fevers as well as
snipe, bisons have horns, and cheetahs claws : so
that such career, though bright enough in its own
way, is generally speaking at least as brief as
it is brilliant.

Before the monsoon sets in, we will " get through,"
as our Irish cousin expressed himself at the Va-
tican, " the sight-seeing" in the neighbourhood of
Ooty.

Maleemund, or, as others write it, Meyni, a fa-
vourite spot for pic-nics, is a Toda village lying
about three miles north of the grand station :
it affords you a pleasant ride through pretty wood-
lands, and a very inferior view. Beyond it is Bil-
licul, a little Berger settlement surrounded by cul-
tivation : here a resident on the hills has built a
bungalow, and the locality is often visited for the
pleasure of contemplating the reeking flats of
Mysore. Striking across country into the See-
goor Pass, you may, if you have any curiosity, in-
spect the Kulhutty Falls, certain cataracts upon a
very diminutive scale indeed. You must see the
Pykarry river, a deep and irregular stream flowing

LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. 333

down a winding bed full of rocks, rapids, and
sand-banks : it supplies your curries with a shrunken
specimen of the finny tribe — alas ! how different
from certain fishes which you may connect in
memory with certain mountain streams in the old
country. The surrounding hills are celebrated for
containing abundance of game. An indefatigable
excursionist would ride seven miles further on the
Goodalore road for the sake of the coups-cTceil,
and to be able to say that he has seen N"eddi-
wuttun. All the pleasure he derives from this
extra stage along a vile path, is a sense of intense
satisfaction that he is not compelled to pass a
night in the damp, dreary, moss-clad bungalow,
where unhappy travellers must at times perforce
abide. Three miles from Ooty, in the direction
of the Koondah hills, you pass Fair Lawn, the
bit of turf which Terpsichore loves. Finally, after
a long and dreary stretch over a tiresome series
of little eminences, after fording the Porthy river,
and crossing its sister stream, the Avalanche, by
an unsafe bridge, you arrive at the Wooden House,*
whence sportsmen issue to disturb the innocent
enjoyments of elk and ibex, bison and elephant.

* The Maroo Bungla, or log-house, as the natives call the
Avalanche bungalow.

334 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

CHAPTER XVIIL

THE INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHEKRIES.

There are five difierent races now settled upon
the Blue Mountains : —

1 . Bergers, the mass of the population ; supposed

to be about ten thousand.

„ , . The wild men dwelling on

„ ^ J [the woody sides of the hills ;

3. Uooroomoars, [ -'

) about two thousand.

] The old inhabitants and own-

' rers of the land ; about three

5. Todas, 1,1 T

thousand.

! The Bergers, Yaddacars,'"" or, as the Todas call

them, the Marves, are an uninteresting race of

Shudra Hindoos, that immigrated from the plains

in the days of Hyder or Tippoo. They attempt to

* The first name is a corruption of the second, which is
derived from Vadacu, " the north," these people having mi-
grated from that direction.

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 335

invest their expatriation with the dignity of anti-
quity by asserting that upwards of four centuries
ago they fled to the hills from the persecutions of
Moslem tyrants, i This caste affects the Lingait or
Shaivya "" form of Hinduism, contains a variety of
sub-families, speaks a debased dialect of modern
Canarese, and still retains, in the fine climate of
the Neilgherries, the dark skin, the degraded ex-
pression of countenance, and the puny figure, that
characterise the low caste native of Southern India.
They consider the wild men of the hills as magi,
cians, and have subjected themselves to the Todas,
in a social as well as a religious point of view, by
paying a tax for permission to occupy their lands.
They have been initiated in some of the myste-
rious practices of the mountaineers, and have suc-
ceeded in infecting the minds of their instructors
with all the rigid exclusiveness and silly secrecy
of their own faith. It redounds, however, to
their credit that they have not imitated the de-
bauched and immoral habits which their lords have
learned by intercourse with strangers. There is
nothing remarkable in their dress, their manners,
or their habitations ; they employ themselves in

* The worship of the terrible and destructive incarnation of
the Deity.

33G GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

■ cultivating the soil and acting as porters, beater s
labourers, and gardeners.

' The Erulars '" and Cooroombars f are utter sa-
vages, very much resembling the Rankaris of Maha-
ratta Land and the Bheels of Candeish. Their lan-
guage, a kind of Malajalim, proves that thej were
originally inhabitants of the plains, but nothing
more is known about them. They dwell in caves,
clefts in the rocks, and miserable huts, built upon
the slopes of the mountains, and they support
themselves by cultivation and selling wax and
honey. In appearance they are diminutive, dark
men, distinguishable from the highest order of Quad-
rumana by the absence of pile upon their bodies,
and a knack of walking on their hind legs. | Their
dress is limited to about a palm's breadth of coarse
cotton cloth, and their only weapon a little knife,
which hangs from a bit of string to the side.
They are rarely seen. When riding about the wild
parts of the hills you occasionally meet one of these

* Signifying the " unenlightened or barbarous," from the
Tamul word Erul, darkness.

+ " Cooroombar," or " Curumbar," literally means " wilful,
or self-willed." Sometimes the word mulu, a " thorn," is pre-
fixed to Ihe genuine name by way of epithet, alluding to the
nature of the race.

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 837

savages, who starts and stands for a moment, staring
at you through his bush of matted hair, in wonder,
or rather awe, and then plunges headlong into the
nearest thicket. Man is the only enemy the poor
wretches have reason to fear. By the Todas, as
well as the Bergers, they are looked upon as vicious
magicians, who have power of life and death over
men and beasts, of causing disease, and conjuring
tigers from the woods to assist them ; they are
propitiated by being cruelly beaten and murdered,
whenever a suitable opportunity presents itself.
The way in which this people will glide through
the wildest woods, haunted by all manner of fero-
cious foes, proves how fine and acute the human
senses are capable of becoming when sharpened
by necessity and habit.

In investigating the origin of the Kothurs, Coha-
tars,'"" or Cuvs, the usual obstacles, — a comparatively
unknown language, and the want of a written cha-
racter,— oppose the eflforts of inquirers. The pal-
pable afl&nity, however, between the Toda and Kothur

* So Captain Harkness writes the word, remarking, that
" as this tribe kill and eat a great deal of beef, it was no doubt
intended by their Hindu neighbours that they should be called
' Gohatars,' from go, a cow, and hata, slaying." " Cuv," in
the Toda dialect, means a " mechanic."

Q

338 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

dialects, proves that both the races were originally
connected, and the great change* that has taken
place in the languages, shows that this connection
was bj no means recently dissolved. Why or how
the separation took place, even tradition f does not
inform us ; but the degraded customs, as well as the
appearance, dress, and ornaments of the Kothurs
point most probably to a loss of caste, in conse-
quence of some unlawful and polluting action.

The Kothurs show great outward respect to the
Todas, and the latter return the compliment more
substantially by allowing their dependants a part
of the tax which they receive from the BergersJ
They are an industrious and hard-working race ;
at once cultivators and musicians, carpenters and
potters, bricklayers, and artizans in metal as well
as in wood. Their villages composed of little huts,
built with rough wattling, are almost as uncleanly
as their persons. Every considerable settlement
contains two places of worship, for the men do not

* Many of the words have been corrupted, and the pronun-
ciation has become nasal, not guttural, like that of the Todas.
The Kothurs can, however, express themselves imperfectly in
Canarese.

t All that we can gather from their songs and tales is, that
anciently they were the zemindars, or landed proprietors of the
hills.

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 339

pray with the women ; in some hamlets they have
set up curiously carved stones, which they consider
sacred, and attribute to them the power of curing
diseases, if the member affected be only rubbed
against the talisman. They will devour any car-
rion, even when in a semi-putrid state : the men
are fond of opium, and intoxicating drinks ; they
do not, however, imitate the Todas in their illicit
way of gaining money wherewith to purchase their
favourite luxuries.

' As the Toda* race is, in every way, the most
remarkable of the Neilgherry inhabitants, so it has
been its fate to be the most remarked. Abundant
observation has been showered down upon it ;
from observation sprang theories, theories grew into
systems. The earliest observer remarking the Ro-
man noses, fine eyes, and stalwart frames of the
savages, drew their origin from Italy, — not a bad
beginning ! Another gentleman argued from their
high Arab features, that they are probably im-
migrants from the Shat el Arab,f but it is apparent
that he used the subject only to inform the world of

* Todavvars, Tudas, or Toders. Captain Harkness derives
the word from the Tamul, Torawar, a herdsman, and this is
probably the true name of the race.

t The north-west parts of the Persian Gulf.

Q 2

340 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the length and breadth of his wanderings. ! Captain
liarkness discovered that they were aborigines.
y Captain Congreve determined to prove that the
Todas are the remnants of the Celto-Scjthian race,
which selon lui, inhabited the plains, and were
driven up to the hills before the invading Hindoo;
lie even spelt the word " Thautawars," to sound
more Scjthic. He has treated the subject with
remarkable acuteness, and displayed much curious
antiquarian lore ; by systematically magnifying
every mote of resemblance,* and, by pertinaciously

■•■ E. g. The peaks of the Todas are venerated by the
Todas, as they were by the Celto-Scythians. The single
stone in the sacred lactarium of the former, was the most
conspicuous instrument of superstition in the Druidical or
Scythic religion. Captain Congreve asserts that the Toda
faith is Scythicism, because they sacrifice female children,
bulls, calves, and buffaloes, as the Scythians did horses ;
that they adore the sun (what old barbarians did not ?),
revere fire, respect certain trees and bunches of leaves, worship
the Deity in groves of the profoundest gloom, and have
some knowledge of a future state. He proves that the hills
are covered with vestiges of Scythicism, as cairns, barrows,
and monolithic altars, and believes them to have belonged to
the early Todas, inasmuch as " the religion of the Todas is
Scythicism, and these are monuments of Scythicism." He
concludes the exposition of his theory with the following re-
capitulation of his reasons for considering the Todas of Scy-
thian descent: — 1. Identity of religion (not proved). 2.
Physiological position of the Todas in the great family race

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 341

neglecting or despising each beam of dissimilitude,*
together with a little of the freedom in assertion
allowed to system-spinners, he has succeeded in
erecting a noble edifice, which lacks nothing but
a foundation. The metaphysical German traced
in the irreverent traditions f of the barbarians con-

(we are not told how it resembles that of the Scythians). 3.
The pastoral mode of life among the Todas. 4. The food of
the Todas, which consisted originally of milk and butter (we
"doubt the fact"), 5. Their architecture, religious, military,
and domestic, the yards of the Toda houses, their temples, their
sacred enclosures, their kraals for cattle, are circular, as were
those of the Celts, and, indeed, of most ancient people whose
divinity was Sun, Light, Fire, Apollo, Mithra, &c. 6. Their
marriage customs and funeral rites are nearly identical (an
assertion). 7. Their ornaments and dress closely approximate
(ditto). 8. Their customs are generally similar (ditto). 9.
The authority of Sir W. Jones that the ancient Scythians did
people a mountainous district of India {quasi irrelevant). 10.
History mentions that India has been invaded by Scythian
hordes from the remotest times (ditto). 11. Their utter sepa-
ration in every respect from the races around them.

* Such as want of weapons, difference of colour, dissimilarity
of language. With respect to the latter point Captain Con-
greve remarks, that " a comparison with the Gothic, Celtic,
and other ancient dialects of Europe is a great desideratum ;
but should no affinity be found to prevail, I should not con-
sider the absence detrimental to my views, for this reason,
that the people of Celto-Scythic origin having various languages,
have been widely dispersed." After this, Qicid facias illi ?

+ In many parts of the Neilgherries there is a large species

342 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

cerning the Deity, a metaphorical allusion to the
creature's rebellion against his Creator; the en-
thusiastic Freemason warped their savage mystifi-
cations into a semblance of his pet mysteries. And
the grammar-composing Anglo-Indian discovered
unknown niceties in their language, by desiring
any two Todas to do a particular thing, then by
asking them how they expressed such action, and,
lastly, by recording the random answer as a dual
form of the verb.

When every one theorises so will we. The Todas
are merely a remnant of the old Tamulian tribes
originally inhabiting the plains, and subsequently
driven up to the mountains by some event,* re-

of solitary bee which the Todas declared incurred the dis-
pleasure of the Great Spirit by stinging him, and was therefore
condemned to eternal separation from its kind. But as huge
combs and excellent honey abound on these hills, their savage
inhabitants of course superstitionize upon the subject of the
bee. The Creator, they say, desirous of knowing how honey
is made, caught the animal, and she proving obstinate and
refractory, confined her by means of a string tied round the
middle ; hence her peculiar shape ! Is not this clearly a
psychological allusion to the powerful volition for which the
fair sex is proverbially famous ?

* Not, however, by the victory of Brahmanism over Bud-
dhism, as some have supposed. The leading tenet of Buddha's
faith was the sin of shedding blood, whereas the Todas practise

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 343

specting which history is silent. Our opinion is
built upon the rock of language. ''

It has been proved* that the Toda tongue is
an old and obsolete dialect of the Tamul, containing
many vocables directly derived from Sanscrit,! but
corrupted into

Words so debased and hard, no stone
Is hard enough to touch them on.

Thus, for a single instance, the mellifluous Arkas
a-pakshi — the winged animal of the firmament, —
becomes HaM'sh-paM'sh, a bird. In grammar it
is essentially Indian, as the cases of the noun and
pronoun, and the tenses of the verb demonstrate ;

infanticide and eat meat. Moreover, there is a bond of union
between them and those Anti-Buddhists the Lingaits, Avho ad-
here to the religion of Shiva pure and undefiled.

This Buddhistic theory rests upon the slender foundation
that the Todas call Wednesday, Buddhi-aum (Buddh's day).
But the celebrated Eastern reformer's name has extended as
far as the good old island in the West. It became Fo-e and
Xa-ca (Shakya) in China ; But in Cochin-China, Pout in Siam ;
Pott or Poti, in Thibet ; perhaps the Wadd of Pagan Arabia ;
Toth in Egypt ; Woden in Scandinavia ; and thus reaching our
remote shores, left its traces in " Wednesday." So say the
etymologists.

* By the Rev. Mr. Schmidt's vocabulary of the Toda tongue.

t Captain Harkness is egregiously mistaken when he as-
serts that the dialect of his aborigines " has not the least
affinity in roots, construction, or sound, with the Sanscrit."

344 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

the days of the week, and the numerals, are all of
native, not foreign growth. The pronunciation is
essentially un-Indian,* true ; but with grammar and
vocabulary on our side, we can afford to set aside,
even if we could not explain away, the objection.
A great change of articulation would naturally
result from a long residence upon elevated tracts
of land ; the habit of conversing in the open air,
and of calling aloud to those standing at a distance,
would induce the speaker to make his sounds as
rough and rugged as possible. This we believe
to be the cause of the Bedouin-like gutturalism,
which distinguishes the Toda dialect. We may
observe that the Kothurs, who work in tents, have
exchanged their original guttural for a nasal arti-
culation ; and the Bergers, who originally spoke

* In some points. Thus we find the Ain, Ghain, Fa and
Kha, of the Arabs, together with the Zha of the Persians. But
the step from the Indian ^ to the Arabic c, from "^ (g'h) to
9, and from "fli (p'h) to < — >, is easily made ; and the kha
and zha belong to some Indian dialects as well as to Arabic
and Persian.

It is supposed that the Toda language is stiU divided, like
the Tamul, into two distinct dialects, one the popular, the
other the sacred ; the former admitting foreign words, derived
from the Canarese, the latter a pure form generally used by
the priesthood.

Most Todas can speak a few words of corrupted Canarese.

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 345

pure Canarese, have materially altered their pro-
nunciation during the last century.

The main objection to our theory is the utter
dissimilarity of the Toda, in all respects, physical
as well as moral, to the races that now inhabit the
plains. This argument would be a strong one,
could the objector prove that such difference existed
in the remote times, when our supposed separation
took place. It is, we may remind him, the direct
tendency of Hinduism to degenerate, not to improve,
in consequence of early nuptials, the number of
outcastes, perpetual intermarriage, and other cus-
toms peculiar to it. The superiority of the Toda,
in form and features, to the inhabitants of the low-
lands may also partially be owing to the improve-
ment in bodily strength, stature, and general ap-
pearance that would be effected by a lengthened
sojourn in the pure climate of the Blue Moun-
tains.

The Todas, as we have said before, assert a right
to the soil of the Neilgherries, and exact a kind of
tax * from the Bergers. Their lordly position was

* A share of the land-produce varying from one-third to
one-sixth of the whole, settled by the eye, and generally paid
in kind. The Toda has made himself necessary to the Berger;
he must sow the first handful of grain, and reap the first fruits

Q 5

346 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

most probably the originator of their polyandry and
infanticide :* disdaining agriculture, it is their ob-
ject to limit the number of the tribe. According
to their own accounts, they were, before the date of
the Berger immigration, living in a very wild state,
wearing the leaves of trees, and devouring the flesh
of the elk, when they could get it, and the wild
fruits of the hills ; this they exchanged for a milk
diet ; they are now acquiring a taste for rice, sweet-
meats, and buffalo meat.

The appearance of this extraordinary race is pecu-
liarly striking to the eye accustomed to the smooth
delicate limbs of India. The colour is a light choco-
late, like that of a Beeloch mountaineer. The features
are often extraordinarily regular and handsome ; the
figure is muscular, straight, manly, and well-knit,
without any of that fineness of hand and wrist, foot
and ankle, which now distinguishes the Hindoo family,
and the stature is remarkably tall. They wear the

of the harvest, otherwise the land would be allowed to lie
fallow, and the crop to rot upon the ground.

* The polyandry practised of yore seems at present on the
decline. Infanticide, though said to have been abolished, pro-
bably holds its ground in the remote parts of the hills. Near
the stations the lives of female children are spared with the
view of making money by their immoraUty. Old women are
still by no means common.

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 347

beard long, and allow their bushy, curly locks to
lie clustering over the forehead — a custom which
communicates to the countenance a wild and fierce
expression, which by no means belongs to it. The
women may be described as very fine large animals ;
we never saw a pretty one amongst them. Both
sexes anoint the hair and skiu with butter, probably
as a protection against the external air ; a blanket
wound loosely round their body being their only
garment. Ablution is religiously avoided.

There is nothing that is not peculiar in the
manners and customs* of the Todas. Ladies are
not allowed to become mothers in the huts : they
are taken to the nearest wood, and a few bushes
are heaped up around them, as a protection against
rain and wind. Female children are either drowned
in milk, or placed at the entrance of the cattle-
pen to be trampled to death by the bufialoes. The
few preserved to perpetuate the breed, are married
to all the brothers of a family ; besides their three
or four husbands, they are allowed the privilege of
a cicisbeo. The religion of the Toda is still sub
judice, the general opinion being that they are
imperfect Monotheists, who respect, but do not

* For a more detailed account of them, we refer the reader
to the amusing pages of Captain Harkness,

348 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

adore, the sun and fire that warm them, the rocks
and hills over which they roam, and the trees and
spots Avhich they connect with their various super-
stitions. When a Toda dies, a number of buffaloes
are collected, and barbarously beaten to death with
huge pointed clubs, by the young men of the tribe.
The custom, it is said, arose from the importunate
demands of a Toda ghost ; most probably, from
the usual savage idea that the animal which is
useful in this world will be equally so in the next.

The Toda spends life in grazing his cattle,
snoring in his cottage, and churning butter. The
villages belonging to this people consist of, gene-
rally speaking, three huts, made with rough plank-
ing and thatch ; a fourth, surrounded by a low wall,
stands a little apart from, and forms a right angle
with the others. This is the celebrated Lactarium,
or dairy, a most uninteresting structure, but en-
nobled and dignified by the variety of assertions
that have been made about it, and the mystery
with which the savages have been taught to invest
it. Some suppose it to be a species of temple, where
the Deity is worshipped in the shape of a black
stone, and a black stone, we all know, tells a very
long tale, when interpreted by even a second-rate
antiquary. Others declare that it is a masonic

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 349

lodge,* the strong ground for such opinion being,
that females are never allowed to enter it, and that
sundry mystic symbols, such as circles, squares, and
others of the same kind, are roughly cut into the
side wall where the monolith stands. We entered
several of these huts when in a half-ruinous state,
but were not fortunate or imaginative enough to
find either stone or symbols. The former might
have been removed, the latter could not ; so we
must believe that many of our wonder-loving com-
patriots have been deceived by the artistic attempts
made by some tasteful savage, to decorate his dairy
in an unusual style of splendour. Near each vil-
lage is a kraal, or cattle-pen, a low line of rough
stones, as often oval as circular, and as often poly-
gonal as oval. The different settlements are in-
habited, deserted, and reinhabited, according as the
neighbouring lands afford scant or plentiful pas-
turage.

* A brother mason informs us, that " the Todas use a sign
of recognition similar to ours, and they have discovered that
Europeans have an institution corresponding with their own."
Hence, he remarks, " a Toda initiated will bow to a gentleman,
never to a lady."

But in our humble opinion, next to the Antiquary in simpli-
city of mind, capacity of belief, and capability of assertion,
ranks the Freemason.

350 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Ye who would realise the vision of the wise,
respecting savage haj^piness and nomadic innocence
— a sweet hallucination, which hitherto you have
considered the wildest dream that ever issued from
the Ivory Gate — go, find it in the remote corners
of Toda land, the fertile, the salubrious. See
Hjlobius, that burly barbarian — robust in frame,
blessed with the best of health, and gifted with
a mind that knows but one idea — how to be happy
— sunning himself, whilst his buffaloes graze upon
the hill side, or wandering listlessly through the
mazy forest, or enjoying his rude meal of milk and
rice, or affording himself the lazy luxury of squat-
ting away the rainy hours round his primitive
hearth. What care has he for to-day : what thought
of to-morrow ? He has food in abundance : his
and his brothers' common spouse and dubious
children, make up, strange yet true, a united family ;
he is conscious of his own superiority, he claims
and enjoys the respect of all around him. The
use of arms he knows not : his convenient super-
stition tends only to increase his comforts here
below, and finally, when Hylobius departs this
transitory life, whatever others may think of his
prospects, he steps fearlessly into the spirit-world,
persuaded that he and his buffaloes are about to

INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. 351

find a better climate, brighter scenes, and broader
grass lands — in a word, to enjoy the fullest felicity.
Contrast with this same Toda in his rude log hut
amidst the giant trees, the European pater -familias,
in his luxurious, artificial, unhappy civilized home!

But has not your picture of savage felicity its
reverse '?

Yes, especially when uncivilized comes into con-
tact with semi-civilized or civilized life. Our poor
barbarians led the life of hunted beasts, when
Tippoo Sultan, incensed with them for being magi-
cians and anxious to secure their brass bracelets,
which he supposed were gold, sent his myrmidons
into their peaceful hills. They are now in even a
worse state.'" The " noble unsophisticated Todas,"
as they were once called, have been morally ruined
by collision with Europeans and their dissolute
attendants. They have lost their honesty : truth
is become almost unknown to them ; chastity, so-
briety, and temperance, fell flat before the strong
temptations of rupees, foreign luxuries, and ardent
spirits. Covetousness is now the mountaineer's
ruling passion : the Toda is an inveterate, indefa-
tigable beggar, whose cry, Eenam Kuroo, " give me a

* What follows alludes particularly to the Todas living in
the vicinity of Ooty, Coonoor, and Kotagherry.

352 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

present!" no matter what,— money, brandy, cigars,
or snuff-*-will follow you for miles over hill and
dale : as a pickpocket, he displays considerable in-
genuity ; and no Moses or Levi was ever a more con-
firmed, determined, grasping, usurer. His wife and
daughters have become vile as the very refuse of
the bazaar. And what can he show in return
for the loss of his innocence and happiness ? True,
he is no longer pursued by Tippoo, or the neigh-
bouring Polygars : but he is persecuted by growing
wants, and a covetousness which knows no bounds.
He will not derive any benefit from education, nor
will he give ear to a stranger's creed. From the
slow but sure effects of strange diseases, the race
is rapidly deteriorating *" — few of the giant figures
that abound in the remote hills, are to be found
near our cantonments — and it is more than pro-
bable that, like other wild tribes, which the pro-
gress of civilization has swept away from the face
of the earth, the Toda will, ere long, cease to have
" a local habitation and a name " among the people
of the East.

* The habit of intoxication is now so fatally common
amongst the rising generation, that their fathers will not, it is
said, initiate them into their mysteries, for fear that the secret
should be divulged over the cup.

KOTAGIIERRY. 353

CHAPTER XIX.

KOTAGHERRY. ADIEU TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

What a detestable place this Ootacaraund is
during the rains !

From morning to night, and from night to morn-
ing, gigantic piles of heavy wet clouds, which look
as if the aerial sprites were amusing themselves
by heaping misty black Pelions upon thundering
purple Ossas, rise up slowly from the direction of
the much-vexed Koondahs ; each, as it impinges
against the west flank of the giant Dodatetta,
drenching us with one of those outpourings that
resemble nothing but a vast aggregation of the
biggest and highest Douche baths. In the interim,
a gentle drizzle, now deepening into a shower, now
driven into sleet, descends with vexatious perse-
verance. When there is no drizzle there is a
Scotch mist : when the mist clears away, it is
succeeded by a London fog. The sun, " shorn of

354 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

his rays," spitefully diffuses throughout the atmo-
sphere a muggy warmth, the very reverse of genial.
Conceive the effects of such weather upon the land
in general, and the mind of man in particular!
The surface of the mountains, for the most part,
is a rich and reddish mould, easily and yet per-
manently affected by the least possible quantity of
water. Thus the country becomes impassable, the
cantonment dirty, every place wretched, every one
miserable.

All the visitors have returned to the plains,
all the invalids that can afford themselves the
luxury, have escaped to Coonoor or Kotagherry.
You feel that if you remain at Ootacamund — the
affectionate " Ooty " somehow or other now sticks
in your throat — you must be contented to sit
between the horns of a fierce dilemma. If you
stay at home you lose all the pleasure of life :
if you do not, still you lose all the pleasure of
life. In the former case your eyes* will suffer,
your digestion become impaired, your imagination

* The faculty unanimously assert that the air of the hills
is not prejudicial to those suffering from ophthalmic disease.
We observed, however, that a large proportion of invalids com-
plained of sore eyes and weakness of sight, produced, probably,
by the glare of the fine season and the piercing winds of the
monsoon.

KOTAGHERRY. 355

fall into a hypochondriacal state, and thus you ex-
pose yourself to that earthly pandemonium, the
Anglo-Indian sick bed. But should you, on the
contrary, quit the house, what is the result 1 The
roads and paths not being covered with gravel,
are as slippery as a mat de cocagne at a French
fair; at every one hundred yards your nag kneels
down, or diverts himself by reclining upon his
side, with your leg between him and the mud.
If you walk you are equally miserable. When
you cannot find a companion you sigh for one ;
when you can, you probably discover that he is
haunted by a legion of blue devils even more
furious than those that have assailed you.

It is impossible ! Let us make up a party — a
bachelor party — and hire a bungalow for a month
or two at Kotagherry. We do not belong to the
tribe of " delicate invalids," nor are our " complaints
liable to be aggravated by internal congestions ;"
therefore we will go there as visitors, not vale-
tudinarians.

Kotagherry, or more correctly, Kothurgherry,*
stands about six thousand six hundred feet above
the level of the sea, on the top of the Sreemoorga
* The " hill of the Kothurs."

356 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Pass, upon a range of hills which may be called
the commencement of the Neilgherries. The station
contains twelve houses, most of them occupied by
the proprietors : at this season of the year lodgings
cannot always be found.

The air of Kotagherry is moister than that of
Ootacamund, and the nights and mornings are not
so cool. We see it to great advantage during the
prevalence of the south-west monsoon. The atmo-
sphere feels soft and balmy, teeming with a pleasant
warmth, which reminds you of a Neapolitan spring,
or an autumn at amene Sorrento. The roads are
clean, the country is comparatively dry, and the
people look comfortable. For the first few days
you enjoy yourself much : now watching the heavy
rain-clouds that veil the summit of Dodabetta, and
thinking with pleasure of what is going on behind
the mountain : now sitting in the cool verandah,
with spy-glass directed towards Coimbatore, and
thanking your good star that you are not one of
the little body of unhappy perspirers, its inha-
bitants.

But is not man born with a love of change — an
Englishman to be discontented — an Anglo-Indian to
grumble ■? After a week spent at Kotagherry, you
find out that it has literally nothing but climate

KOTAGHERRY. 357

to recommend it. The bazaar is small and bad,
provisions of all kinds, except beef and mutton,
must come from Ootacamund. Pdch, you complain
that you cannot spend your money ; poor, you
declaim against the ruinous rate of house-rent and
living. You observe that, excepting about half a
mile of level road, there is no table-land whatever
in the place, and that the hill-paths are cruelly
precipitous. The houses are built at considerable
distances from one another — a circumstance which
you testily remark, is anything but conducive to
general sociability. You have neglected to call

upon old Mrs. A , who supplies the station

with milk and butter from her own dairy, conse-
quently that milk and butter are cut off, and there-
fore the Kotagherryites conclude and pronounce
that you are a very bad young man. Finally, you
are sans books, sans -club, saiis balls, sans every-
thing,— except the will and the way, of getting
away from Kotagherry, which you do without
delay.

The determined economist, nothing daunted by
the miseries of solitude and fleas, finds Dimhutty *

* The termination " liutty," so common in the names of the
hill villages, is used to denote a Berger settlement, as " mund "
means a Toda hamlet.

358 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

afford him ample opportunities for exercising his
craft. The little cluster of huts, from which the
place derives its name, lies in a deep hollow about
a mile north of Kotagherrj ; it is sheltered from
the cold southerly winds by a steep hill, and con-
sequently the climate is at least three degrees
warmer than that of its neighbour. Originally it
was a small station, consisting of five or six
thatched cottages belonging to a missionary society :
they were afterwards bought by Mr. Lushington,
then Governor of Madras. That gentleman also
built a large substantial house, with an upper
floor, and spared no expense to make it comfort-
able, as the rafters which once belonged to Tippoo
Sultan's palace testify. When he left the hills, he
generously placed all these tenements at the dis-
posal of government, for the use of " persons who
really stand in need of lodging on their first
arrival." The climate of Dimhutty has been pro-
nounced highly beneficial to hepatic patients, and
those who suffer from mercurial rheumatism. Dr.
Baikie, a great authority, recommends it for the
purpose of a " Subordinate Sanitarium for European
soldiers." The unhappy cottages, however, after
having been made the subject of many a lengthy
Rule and Regulation, have at last been suffered to

KOTAGHERRY. 359

sink into artistic masses of broken wall and torn
thatch, and the large bungalow now belongs to some
Parsee firm established at Ootacamund.

Three miles beyond and below Dimhutty stretches
a long wide ravine, called the Orange Valley, from
the wild trees which formerly flourished there. The
climate is a mixture between the cold of the hills
and the heat of the plains : and the staple produce
of the place appears to be white ants.

St. Katherine's Falls, the market village of Jack-
anary, Kodanad or the Seven Mile Tope,* and
beyond it the sacred Neilgherry Hill are the only
spots near Kotagherry, with whose nomenclature
Fame is at all acquainted. But as one and all of
them are equally uninteresting, we are disposed
to be merciful and to waive description.

The present appears as good as any other time
and place for a few remarks upon the climate of
the Neilgherries, and a list of the travellers whose
footsteps and pens preceded ours.

The mean annual temperature of Ootacamund
is 58° 68', about 30' lower than that of the low
country on the Coimbatore and Mysore sides.

* Or tuft : it is so called from a clump of trees which crowns
the ridge of a high hill.

360 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

The average fall of water is fortj-five inches in
^he year ; there are nineteen clays of heavy rain ;
of showers with fair intervals, eighty-seven ; cloudy,
twenty-one ; and two hundred and thirty-eight
perfectly fair and bright.''^ Frost generally appears
about the beginning of November, and ends with
February ; in the higher ranges of the hills ice
an inch and a-half thick is commonly seen.

The first and most obvious effect of the Neil-
gherry climate on invalids is to repel the blood
from the surface, and to throw it on the internal
organs, by constricting the vessels of the skin and
decidedly checking perspiration and transpiration.
The liver, viscera, head and lungs are afi'ected by
this unequal distribution of the circulation, the
effect being increased in the case of the respiratory
organs by the rarefaction of the mountain air. The
digestive powers seldom keep pace with the in-
crease of appetite which generally manifests itself,
and unless the laws of diet are obeyed to the
very letter, dyspepsia, colic, and other more ob-
stinate complaints, will be the retributive pun-
ishment for the infraction. Strangers frequently

* The Neilgherries are exposed to the violence of both mon-
soons, the south-west and the north-east. The fall of rain
during the latter is, however, comparatively trifling.

KOTAGHERRY. 361

suffer from sleeplessness, cold feet, and violent
headaches.

When no actual organic disease exists, and
when the constitutional powers are not permanently
debilitated, Nature soon restores the balance by
means of slight reaction. Invalids are strongly
advised on first arrival to be particularly cautious
about their hours, their diet, their clothing, and
their exercise. They should avoid exposure to the
night air, and never, indeed, be out after sunset :
the reduction of temperature which follows the dis-
appearance of the sun must be felt to be under-
stood, and no one residing here for the sake of
health would expose himself to the risk of catch-
ing an obstinate cold by quitting a crowded room
to return home through the nocturnal chills. Me-
dical men advise the very delicate to wait till the
sun has driven away the cold and moisture of the
dawn before they venture out, and to return from
their morning walks or drives in time to avoid
the effects of the direct rays, which are most pow-
erful about 9 A.M. But in regulating hours regard
must of course be had to previous modes of life,
and the obstinate early riser of the plains should
gradually, not suddenly, alter his Indian for Eng-
lish habits. The diet of valetudinarians on the

R

362 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

first ascent ought in a great degree to be regu-
lated bj circumstances depending on the nature
of each individual's complaint. In general, they
are told to prefer light animal and farinaceous
food, eschewing pastry, vegetables, and cheese,
and to diminish the quantity of such stimulants
as wine, spirits, and beer, till the constitution has
become acclimatized. In all cases, of whatever
description they may be, warm clothing is a
sine qua non : every valetudinarian should, as he
values his life, be provided with a stock of good
flannels, worsted socks, stout shoes, and thick, solid
boots. Exercise is another essential part of regi-
men at the Sanitarium. Riding is considered more
wholesome than walking, especially on first arrival,
as less liable to accelerate the circulation, to pro-
duce a feeling of constriction in the chest, and to
expose the body to chills. The quantum of exer-
cise should be increased by slow degrees, and when
convalescence has fairly set in, the invalid is ad-
vised to pass as much of his time in the open
air, during daylight, as his strength will permit
him to do.

To conclude the subject of climate. It cannot
be too strongly impressed upon the minds of our
fellow-countrymen in Southern and Western India,

KOTAGHERRY. 363

that in cases of actual organic disease, or when the
debility of the constitution is very great, serious
and permanent mischief is to be dreaded from the
climate of these mountains. Many an officer has
lost his life by preferring the half measure of a
medical certificate to the Neilgherries to a home
furlough on sick leave. The true use of the Sani-
tarium is to recruit a constitution that has been
weakened to some extent by a long residence in the
plains, or to afford a change of air and scene when
the mind, as frequently happens in morbific India,
requires some stimulus to restore its normal vigour.

The Rev. Mr. Hough was, as we said before, the
first pen that called the serious attention of the
Anglo-Indian community to the value of the Neil-
gherry Hills. His letters to the Hurkaru newspaper
were published in a collected form in 1829. Five
years afterwards Captain Mignan, of the Bombay
army, sent forth a little volume, entitled "Notes
extracted from a Private Journal written during a
Tour through a part of Malabar and among the
Neilgherries."' The style appears to be slightly
tinged with bile, as if the perusal of Mr. Hough's
flowery descriptions of the mountain scenery had
formed splendid anticipations which were by no

364 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

means realised. The brochure is now quite out of
date : the bazaar, rates, roads, postage, rent, and
number of houses • — all are changed, only remain
the wretched state of the police therein chroni-
cled, and the "fatal facility" of finding bad ser-
vants. In the same year (1834) Dr. Baikie's well
known book,* entitled " Observations on the Neil-
gherries, including an Account of their Topography,
Climate, Soil, and Productions," issued from the
Calcutta press. The original edition consisted, we
believe, of only five hundred copies, and we cannot
but wonder that the book has not yet enjoyed the
honour of a reprint. Lieut. H. Jervis, of H. M.
62nd regiment, published by subscription, also in
1834, and dedicated to Mr. Lushington, the go-
vernor, a " Narrative of a Journey to the Falls of
Cavery, with an Historical and Descriptive Account

* It commences with a resume of the peculiarities of the
hills, and accounts of the three great stations ; proceeds to a
description of the geography and geology, soil and productions,
botany, zoology, and the inhabitants of the Neilgherries, and
discusses at some length the effects of the climate upon the
European constitution, sound as well as impaired. The Ap-
pendix presents a mass of information valuable enough when
the work was published, but now, with the exception of the
meteorological and other tables, too old to be useful. Thirteen
or fourteen years work mighty changes, moral and physical, in
an Anglo-India settlement.

KOTAGIIERRY. 365

of the Neilgherry Hills." ^'" The book contains a
curious letter from Mr. Bannister, who states that,
after a careful analysis of the Neilgherry water, he
was surprised to find no trace whatever of saline,
earthy, or metallic substance in it.

In 1844-5, Captain H. Congreve, an officer in
the Madras Artillery, wrote in the " Madras Spec-
tator," the Letters upon the subject of the Hills and
their inhabitants, to which we alluded in our last
chapter. His pages are, in our humble opinion,
disfigured by a richness of theory which palls upon
the practical palate, but the amount of observation
and curious lore which they contain makes us regret
that the talented author has left his labours to lie
perdus in the columns of a newspaper. Also, in
1844, a valuable Report on the Medical Topography
and Statistics of the Neilgherry Hills, with notices
di the geology, botany, climate and population,
tables of diseases amongst officers, ladies, children,
native convicts, etc., and maps of the country com-
piled from the records of the Medical Board Office,
were published, by order of Government, at Madras.

* The book contains one hundred and forty-four pages, en-
livened with a dozen lithographed sketches, and not enlivened
by descriptions of Poonamalee, Vellore, Laulpett, Bangalore;,
and Closepett.

S

366 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

In 1847, when we left the Hills, a Mr. Lowry,
who had charge of the Ootacamund English Free
School, was preparing to print a " Guide to, and
Handbook of, the Neilgherries, containing brief and
succinct accounts of the same, with statements
of the accommodations there to be found, rents of
houses, expense of living, and other particulars
useful to visitors and residents." We were favoured
with a sight of the MS., and found that it did what
it professed to do — no small feat for a Handbook,
by the bye.

There is a great variety of papers and reports
upon particular topics connected with the Neil-
gherries, published in the different literary journals
and transactions of learned societies. The principal
works which elucidate minor details, are those of
the Rev. Mr. Schmidt, upon the Botany of the
Hills, and the language of its inhabitants; the
"Description'" of a singular aboriginal race, in-
habiting the summit of the Neilgherries, or the Blue
Mountains of Coimbatore," by Captain Henry Hark-

* A little volume of one hundred and seventy-five pages,
containing graphic sketches of the scenery, excellent accounts
of the different tribes of hill people, a weather-table from July
to December, 1829, the height of the principal mountains, and
a short and meagre vocabulary of the Toda language.

KOTAGHERRY. 3G7

ness, of the Madras Army ; and Notices upon the
Ornithology of this interesting region, by T. C.
Jerdon, Esq., of the Madras medical establishment.

And now for our valediction.
We found little difficulty in persuading the officer
to whose care and skill the charge of our precious
health was committed, to report that we were fit
for duty long before the expiration of the term
of leave granted at Bombay ; so we prepared at
once for a return-trip per steamer — it would re-
quire (ES triplex indeed about the cardiac region to
dare the dangers and endure the discomforts of a
coasting voyage, in a sailing vessel, northwards, in
the month of September — " over the water to
Charley," as the hero of Scinde was familiarly
designated by those serving under him.

We started our luggage yesterday on bullock
and coolie back. The morning is muggy, damp, and
showery : as we put our foot in stirrup, a huge
wet cloud obscures the light of day, and hastens to
oblige us with a farewell deluging. Irritated by
the pertinacious viciousness of Pluvian Jove, we
ride slowly along the slippery road which bounds
the east confines of the lake, and strike oif to the
right hand, just in time to meet, face to face, the

368 GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

drift of rain which sails on the wings of the wind
along the skirt of that — Dodabetta. Gradually we
lose sight of the bazaar, the church, the Winder-
mere, the mass of bungalows. Turning round upon
the saddle, we cast one last scowl upon Ootacamund,
not, however, without a grim smile of joy at the
prospect of escaping from it.

Adieu . . . . ! Farewell .... land

of .... ! May every !

May ! And when ,

so may .... as thou hast

ourselves !

To the industry of an imaginative reader we
leave the doubtlessly agreeable task of filling up
the hiatus in whatever manner the perusal of our
modest pages may suggest to his acuteness and dis-
cernment. As some clue to the mazy wanderings
of our own ideas, we may mention that we were,
during the solemn moment of valediction, exposed
to such weather as has rarely been the fate of man
with the exception of Deucalion and other diluvian
celebrities, to experience in this stormy world,

THE END.

LoNDO.N : Priutcd by Samuel Bentlbv and Co., Bangor House,. Slioe J>ar.'

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