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[
OVERLAND, INLAND, AND UPLAND.
.«•
p^^yf^
OYEELAND, INLAND, AND UPLAND.
A LADY'S NOTES
ov
PERSONAL OBSERVATION AND ADVENTURE.
Br
A. U.
WITH EIGHTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS.
SEBLBY, JACKSON, A HALLIDAY, 54, FLEET STREET,
LONDON. MDCOCLXXin
2%€ Sight qf 2V0fufa<iM i% JEfNrvc4.
CONTENTS.
OVERLAND.
PAOS
LOHPON TO SUS£ 1
To Marseilles with the mail. Beauties of the Medi-
terranean. Daily Service at sea. New Tear's Eve
on board. Railway travelling in Egypt. Sunset
prayer. Suez.
n
Suez to Calcutta. 21
Routine of Bed Sea life. Aden. A funeral at sea.
A day at the Buonavisto Orphan House. Nightly
miseries. Madras. Native traders and iugglers.
Saugor Island. Last Sunday on board. Approach
to the CapitaL
INLAND.
The Citt of Palaces 47
Kidderpore Bazaar. The Maidan and Chowringhee.
Houses and tanks. Drainage works. Difficulties
with native labour. Government House and Cathe-
dral. Conveyances and drivers. Educational
establishments. Difficulties of language.
n
Enolish Housekeeping in Calcutta .... 63
Bents. Servants. Dustoor. Wages. Style of
building. Native cookery. "Where ignorance is
bliss." Jackals. Punkahs and bearers.
VI CX)NTINT8.
ni
PAOV
Daily Lipe in the Capital. 82
Early rifting. Momisg employments. EveDing
drives. The Strand.
IV
Characteristics of the Seasons in Calcutta ... 90
Cold Season. Native fael. Flowers and vege-
tables. Picnics. Crows. Mosquitoes. Hot Season.
Thunderstorms. Prickly heat. Fruits and flowers.
Eainy Season — Insects in general, and in particular
lizards, snakes, adjutants, etc. A Cyclone.
Family Life of the Hindoos 118
Early Marriages, their causes and results. Good
and evil consequences of family dependence.
Hindoo ladies. Child-widows, fimdranoes to re-
marriage, and lamentable consequences.
VI
Educational Efforts and Eelioious Difficulties . . 130
Government Education, its evils and dangers.
Ceremony of conferring degrees at the Calcutta
University. Future life of students. Obstacles to
religious freedom. Female influence.
VII
Zenana Teaching 143
English prejudice and incredulity as to Missionary
work. visits to native houses and schools. A
Burning Ghaut. Discussion with a Brahmin.. Fune-
ral ceremony. Hope for India.
VIII
Festivals and Festivities, Beligious and Social . .161
Principal Hindoo Gods. Visit to the Temple at Kali
Gh&t. Mahometan Festivals. The Mohurrum.
Christian Anniversary. Interesting Baptisms.
Visit of the Duke of Edinburgh. Investiture with
the Star of India. An *' At Home " at the Bishop's
Palace.
CONTENTS. VII
IX
rkom
A Holiday Excttbsion in the Plains 186
Difficulties of a pleasure trip in India. Sights along
the line. A dilemma. " Roughing it." Boxwallahs.
Flying bugs. Visit to a temple. A day at
Feerpahar. Mahometan legends. Linguistic
difficulties. Visit to a Christian settlement. The
BAm M^la. A Sunday in the country.
UPLAND.
Madras to the Shetarots 218
Advantages of Madras. Chair travelling. Mountain
roads. Miseries of an invalid. A hill bungalow.
n
Mountain Eambles 230
Ferns and flowers. Visit to a farmhouse. Evening
walk. Butterflies, birds, etc. Native burial
ground. A day among the cofliee. Dinner with a
native planter. ** Wanted, a Wife." Inconveniences
of Indian housekeeping. Pagoda Point. Altar and
worshippers.
Ill
Back to the Plains 248
The Descent. Fireflies. Flying foxes. Plague of
ants. Sleeping on the house top.
IV
A Pleasure Trip to a Sacred Mountain .... 258
Obstacles. Dawk travelling and bungalows. Un-
foreseen delays. The ascent.
Picnic Lipb on Parisnath 270
Our party. Jain saints. Deficiencies of equip-
ment. Jain temple. Proverbs of all nations. A
lonely grave. A typhoon. Above the clouds.
The return.
Tin CONTKNTS.
OVERLAND HOME.
PASS
Calcutta to Suez 291
Homeward-bound. An Indian Prince. Maho-
metan ladies. Second visit to Baonavista. English
Gentlemen, Farsee politeness. Cantonments and
tanks at Aden.
II
Su£z TO Cairo 304
•
The Nabob's farewell. Our irrepressible fellow-
traveller. Hotel du Nil. Streets of Cairo. Museum at
Boulac. Citadel-mosque, and Palace. Tombs of the
Mamelukes and Ftehas. Egyptian fleas. Funeral pro-
cession. Coptic ceremonies and schools. £1
Azhar. The petrified forest. Miss Whatelj's
schools. Old Cairo. Singular Greek Church. Diffi-
culties of interpretation. Mosqiies of Tooloon and
Sultan Hassan. Bazaars.
Ill
The Pyramids . . 327
Tent Life. The Spkinx. Tombs. Inside the Great
Pyramid
IV
AUBXANDRIA TO SOUTHAMPTON S'^Tt
Solitary sight-seeing. The Needle and the Pillar.
Dragoman eztrortion. An unpleasant neighbour.
Perils on the sea. Yaletta. - The Cathedral. Fran-
ciscan mammies. Calpe and Ab^la. Old England.
©berlantr*
LONDON TO SUEZ.
All was over at last. The hurried weeks of preparation
and farewells had speeded by, the Christmas Feast had
been kept, though swelling hearts and tearful eyes were
round the Holy Table and the home fireside, and the
next day's sad and silent journey was accomplished.
The last and hardest parting was over, and the forms
dearest on earth had faded out of sight in foggy dis-
tance, as the steamer ploughed her dreary way across the
channel, and left harbour and pier and the '^ white cliffs "
behind.
It was a rough and squally afternoon and mercilessly
cold. I was far too pre-occupied to be ill, but we were
scarcely out of harbour before the usual miseries began.
Some young ladies who had been chattering volubly of
Christmas gaieties made a hasty retreat to the ship's
side, and spoke no more ; and I was soon surrounded by
such sights and sounds, that I could only wrap myself up,
mentally and bodily, as close as possible, and lie on one of
the benches, with eyes resolutely fixed upon the darken-
ing sky and gloomy rolling sea. Soon after, the light
on Cape Grisnez became visible, the wind ahead increased
in fierceness, and the spray dashed over us in showers.
1
2 OVERLAND.
Going below, however, was not to be thought of, and I
kept my ground, well fenced from cold by the huge
Canadian wrapper of a fellow-passenger, but somewhat
disquieted by the prevalent idea that we should miss the
train and not reach Paris till the morning.
However, when Boulogne was gained at last, and
smoother water had enabled the sick and weary passen-
gers to stumble up the companion and find their tickets,
and struggle in dishevelled hurry through the usual crowd
of spectators on the quay, we had the great relief of
finding omnibuses waiting to convey us to the station,
and even the unexpected comfort of time to get well
warmed and enjoy a cup of coflFee before the train moved
ofiF.
Once in motion, with no further anxiety for the
present, and enjoying the warm, well-cushioned carriage
all the more from the contrast it presented to the dis-
comforts of the previous hours, time passed rapidly
enough in letter- writing, with brief intervals of sleep ;
and it was scarcely a welcome change from the snug
compartment to the large, bitterly cold hall into which
we were all authoritatively turned on arriving at the
capital. French railway regulations do not afford one the
"English. privilege (?) of fussing about after one^s luggage ;
and it was sufficiently irritating and cheerless to pace
up and down this dismal fireless place at midnight, till I
caught sight of a friend's face peering through the win-
dow, and knew that my hasty note had been received,
and that I was sure of comfortable quarters for the rest
of the night. Moreover, his long French experience
stood me in good stead, and the luggage was passed with
very nominal examination. A long drive through the
streets of Paris, a blazing fire and welcome supper below,
and a blazing fire and still more welcome rest above,
awaited me ; and after adding postscripts to my letters^ I
LONDON TO SUEZ. 3
thankfully drew the eiderdown over me, and lay watching
the lights and shadows of the crackling logs, till sleep
carried me back to home aeain.
The morning dawned foggy and raw, and there was
little time to see anything of the capital before the start-
ing of the inexorable mail- train, but the first part of the
southward route was very pleasant. The fog soon cleared
away, and Fontainebleau especially looked very lovely in
its winter dress. A thick hoar frost had gathered on all
cSe trees, and they stood out in dazzling beauty against
the clear blue sky ; tho golden brown of the oak under-
wood contrasting well with the deep rich tints of the
various sorts of fir, and the feathery lightness of the
naked birches.
From thence to Dijon the scenery was very unin-
teresting, and nothing was more noteworthy all the way
than the uninhabited look of the country as compared
with England. We passed no towns of any size, few
villages, and none of the solitary houses or cottages that
dot our fields so pleasantly, no passengers about the
roads and lanes,* and only here and there a few labourers
in the bare vineyards ; indeed, except the magpies, which
we started everywhere in twos and threes, or saw con-
gregated in numbers on the leafless shrubs, there was
scarcely a living creature to be seen.
We left Dijon about half-past three, and evening soon
closed in, with an intensity of cold rarely felt in England.
Hot- water tins and wrappers were vain against it, the
windows were soon thickly frozen, and the bitter air at
every opening of the door swept in with searching force.
We were thankful to stop at Lyons for supper, and spend
three-quarters of an hour in a well warmed and lighted
room, but the rest of the night was utterly miserable.
Notwithstanding all the comforts of the carriage, the
cold would penetrate, and tlie more I tried to shut out
4 OVKBLAKD.
■
thought and forget everything, the more wakeful I grew.
Never in my life did I feel so utterly sick and wretched
as when the sea began to be visible in the grey morning
light as we neared Marseilles. But the stopping of the
train was an imperative call for exertion, and as soon as
the usual weary waiting for the luggage was over, I
secured a conveyance and began a jolting transit through
the steep streets of this most foreign looking port. There
was another tedious interval while the drawbridge leading
to the quay was opened for some boats to pass; and
then on, past lines of noble shipping, till we reached
one larger and handsomer than the rest, and I read
*' Mongolia '^ on her stem, and saw the luggage weighed,
and stepped on board.
It was almost the first voyage of this splendid steamer,
and ill and weary as I was, I could not but admire her
size, and the delicate finish everywhere visible. The
tables in the saloon were laid for breakfast, with vases of
flowers and pots of greenhouse plants at intervals, and
the handsome bronze frames of the suspended lamps
firreathed with Christmas holly and evergreens. The
fluted partitions that form the sides of the saloon,
dividing it from the sleeping cabins, were delicately
painted and corniced with elaborate gilding ; handsome
curtains hung across every doorway, and thick carpets
covered the floors. Altogether the effect was striking
and elegant even to sorrowful and sleepless eyes, and it
was still more satisfactory to find myself sole occupant of
one of the best cabins. There was just time for a hurried
and much needed toilette before the captain took his
place at the head of the breakfast table, and we all
emerged to claim our seats. Sixty or seventy passen-
gers, the majority of them gentlemen, were at table, and
the breakfast an excellent one. I do not care to be a
chronicler of viands, though meals are apt to become the
LONDON TO SUEZ. 5
great events of life during a long voyage ; so I will just
sajr, once for all, that whatever ground there may be for
the general denunciation of Peninsular and Oriental fare,
those must have been fastidious indeed, who could find
anything to decry eitlier as to profusion, variety, or
quality, during that Mediterranean passage. Fish, flesh,
and fowl in various forms, delicious bread, butter, and
eggs, fruits and preserves, and fresh salads of every kind,
covered the tables daily at the three chief meals. The
only bad things were the tea and coffee, and certainly
these were no exception to the general vileness of such
beverages at sea. Why they should always be detestable
it is difficult to say — certainly it is from no niggardliness
with the material — but any benevolent purser who could
effect a reform in this particular, would be well entitled
to the gratitude of his suffering fellow-creatures.
Of suffering, however, no one seemed to think that
morning. The vessel still lay anchored at the quay, and
it was not till some time after breakfast that her pre-
parations were complete. Gradually everyone found his
way on dock, when the sun was bright and the air clear
and pleasant ; and one by one the fellow-passengers to
whom I had introductions found me out and came with
kind offers of service. It was no small comfort through-
out the voyage that these introductions placed me at
once on friendly terms with some of the best people on
board.
At last the loading was completed, the band stationed
themselves and began a lively strain, and off we started.
I had dreaded this moment from my Folkestone recol-
lections ; but it was soon evident there was no cause for
fear. The Gulf of " Lions,'' for once in a placid mood,
was as different from the tossing Channel as the " Mon-
golia'' from the wretched little boat that had been the
scene of so much misery. Our stately vessel moved as
V OTEBLAKD.
qaietly and with as little effort as a swan ; no one had the
Muallest excuse for being ill^ and accordingly no one
attempted it. The sea lay like a lake^ the sky was almost
cloudless^ the air cold but dry, and we coasted along
the Gulf with quite a panorama of beauty aU the way,
a chain of white rocky islets rising one behind the
other and one after the other out of the waves, near
enough for ns to catch all their varyiug effects of Ught
and shade.
After luncheon we came up on deck again, and I
had a long and interesting conversation with one of my
new friends. Though still a young man, he had held one
high appointment in the Civil Service, and had returned
to Kngland to qualify himself for other posts by reading
for the Bar ; and while thus occupied had found time to
work an enormous London district in connection with
some society for the Relief of Destitution. He was now
on his way out again with his wife and their beautiful
infant; and the apparent chance which gave me an
introduction to them and made me a member of their
party throughout the voyage, was by no means one of the
least blessings of the way.
The day wore on rapidly till the four o'clock dinner.
Then came another promenade on deck, with the baud
playing in the twilight, then tea, and an interval of journal
and letter writing, and I was glad to go early to my
cabin and make up for nights of broken rest.
When the stewardess woke me with the early cup of
coffee, Corsica lay before the cabin window in the dim
morning light, and I soon roused myself, anxious to lose
nothing of the scenery. Day broke rapidly, and I
opened the window and stood before it, hardly able to
turn for a moment from the exceeding beauty of the
sight. This side of the island is abrupt and rugged,
apparently of the same rock as the islets passed before ;
LONDON TO SUEZ. 7
and tliere are some lofty hills. Across the breast of
these lay a long strip of white cloud, and below the
rocks looked cold and grey, but above it their crests just
caught the rays of the unrisen sun, and were flushed
with a crimson haze that made them beautiful exceed-
ingly. Mile after mile the island floated by with more
than one white town nestling at its base ; but by the
time I was ready to go on deck it had passed away and
Sardinia lay alongside, much larger, but not nearly so
beautiful. We were coasting along it nearly all day, the
weather perfect and the sea as calm as if no storm ever
broke over it. Flocks of sea-gulls appeared at intervals,
their white breasts glancing in the sunshine as they darted
down for food, or rose into the air ; and we passed one or
two distant sails.
After breakfast a missionary clergyman arranged to
have daily service in the saloon at ten o^ clock, and there was
a largd attendance of passengers throughout the voyage.
Even those who would not have cared to go to church on
shore, were glad of the break in the monotony of the day,
and the sound of the bell was always the signal for a
very general abandonment of deck-chairs, and novels, and
needlework, and even of cigars. Prayer-books and Bibles
were ranged along the tables by the stewards, a reading-
desk extemporised from some cushions covered with the
Union Jack, and by the time the clergyman had donned
his surplice a considerable congregation had generally
assembled. There was always to me a great charm and
appropriateness about those morning services, the daily
gathering of a company of travellers bound for distant
lands, and unknown trials and perils, round the throne
of the ''Eternal Lord God, Who alone spreads out the
heavens and rules the raging of the sea;^^ and the
constant prayer that we might "return in safety to
enjoy the blessings of the land, with the fruits of our
8 OYEBLAND.
labours and with a thankftil remembrance of His mercies/'
must have found an echo in many a heart still bleeding
from the wrench of recent parting.
In every respect this Mediterranean voyage was de-
lightful beyond all expectation. The perfect rest and
change after weeks of trial and fatigue, the pure, invigo-
rating air, the pleasant companions, and the novelty, and
beauty, and interest of everything, seemed to inspire new
life, and hours were spent every day in delightful
exercise of mind and body. Every one said it was little
less than a miracle to have such a voyage at the time of
year, and the atmospheric efiFects were singularly striking
and beautiful.
At sunrise the next moraing we were just approach-
ing Sicily, and again I had a vision of glory never to be
forgotten. The island lay before us, a panorama of rock
and mountain as far as the eye could reach, and the sea
between was truly '' a sea of glass, mingled with fire.''
Bight in front of the vessel, the sun was rising in cloud-
less splendour, melting sea and sky into one flood of
dazriing light, and we seemed steering straight into the
glory. Behind us rose a grand rocky islet towering
from the waves, and clothed from base to summit
with a crimson haze ; while above it lay heaps of rose-
coloured cloud glowing like fire against the still blue of
the sky.
About nine o'clock that evening we were summoned
on deck to see the lights of Malta, which we were
rapidly nearing. The ship sent up rockets and fired a
gun, — a startling surprise to those who were unprepared
for the discharge. It was answered by a rocket from the
harbour, and we steered in — the island and town rising
before us under the full moon, almost as clearly as by
daylight. It looked very white and fairy-like, as the
steam was turned off and we glided gently to the
LONDON TO SUEZ. \)
entrance of the quarantine harbonr. The other harbour
lay to the left, and just in front rose the citadel and
the church built by Queen Adelaide. As soon as we
stopped, a shoal of feluccas came off, their coloured lights
sparkling like glowworms on the water, and most of
the gentlemen went ashore, but it was too cold and too
late for ladies, and at last we went below. It was diffi-
cult, however, to prevail upon oneself to go to bed. The
scene was too dream-like in its loveliness, the white
buildings and fortifications glistening in the full moon-
light^ and the sea reflecting it like a mirror. I did not
go to sleep till long after the ship^s lights were out ; and
when morning broke, every trace of the beautiful vision
had vanished. The only memorials of it remaining were
the exquisite bunches of roses, heath, and small white
narcissus which adorned the breakfast table.
The crew were all paraded on deck at ten, and the
church bell began soon after. There was full morning
service attended by all the passengers and most of the
officers, crew, and stewards. Our missionary fellow-
traveller gave us a very good sermon, and when some of
us went forward afterwards with a number of tracts for
the sailors, they were very thankfully received.
In the evening there was some heavy rain and a
brilliant lunar rainbow, but the clouds soon parted, and we
left them behind. We had service again at eight, and a
very impressive sermon on the words ^' My times are in
Thy hand.'* The preacher spoke solemnly about the
close of the year, especially addressing those who were
about to settle in foreign lands, and reminding them of
their Christian opportunities and responsibilities; and
after this we spent a very quiet pleasant evening. I sat
up in my cabin till the new year, and thought of all who
would then be remembering me. The sea was much
rougher than it had been before, the waves breaking in
10 OTSSLAND.
crests of white foam as far as the eye could reach^ and look-
ing very lovely in the clear moonlight, but heaving close
to the vessel in long ridges with deep troughs between.
She held on her way almost unmoved, and there was
something in her steady course '' walking in brightness/'
impelled by a hidden force and guided by an unseen
hand tliat was Yery cheering and full of strength and
comfort. It was blessed to think of all who at that time
were meeting round the throne of grace, aud realize that
we were all in the same ark of safety, being carried over
"the waves of this troublesome worW towards the
haven where we would be.
The new year dawned but gloomily — a heaving sea
and stormy sky ; and the day was varied with heavy
showers and magnificent rainbows. There were many
absentees both from breakfast and dinner, but I was able
to put in an appearance at both, and enjoyed a long walk
with the friend above mentioned. He told me about a
fearful outbreak of cholera that had occurred in his dis-
trict, sweeping away one-third of the European inhabi-
tants in a single fortnight. His wife and children were
away at the hills, and he opened his house as a hospital
to all who liked to avail themselves of it, turning the
largo dining and drawing-rooms into regular cholera
wards, besides visiting the sick at their own homes. The
great point was to combat the excessive panic which the
disease inspired, especially among the natives. Sometimes
when summoned to a case, he found the man writhing in
agony and all his family sitting round afraid to touch him,
till at length he sot the example, by himself rubbing the
extremities and trying to restore circulation. Many died
within three or four hours from the commencement of the
attack.
Nothing occurred to vary the monotony of this day
and the next, except the afler-dinner speeches which
LONDON TO SUEZ. 11
were made as usual on the last occasion of sitting down
together. Col. as senior among the passengers,
proposed the health of the captain and officers, thanking
them for their polite attentions during the voyage, and
the captain duly responded amid loud applause. For the
rest, it was too wet and windy to sit on deck or walk,
even under the awnings, so the passengers who were well
enough to leave their cabins spent the time according to
their several tastes — in reading, writing, talking, or playing
chess, or other games. The pilot was already on board,
a picturesque old fellow, with a white turban, grey beard,
and Turkish dress of blue cloth. The navigation into
Alexandria is said to be dangerous on account of shift-
ing sand banks. Almost every one was busy in the
evening, finishing letters to be posted there the follow-
ing day.
Our seventh and last day in the Mediterranean was
decidedly the worst, the sea being so rough in the early
morning that one had to hold on with one hand and dress
with the other, and it seemed decidedly more prudent to
have some tea and cold chicken on deck than to descend
to breakfast.
After service there was a general repacking of port-
manteaux and carpet-bags, and before long Alexandria
came in sight ; its harbour full of fine vessels, and the
Pacha^s palace and summer-house reminding us by their
very oriental architecture that we had bidden farewell to
Europe. Both were light and pretty, but looked far more
like cardboard models than real buildings. Palm trees
grew near, and a row of nearly one hundred windmills
dotted the long line of the sandy shore. We glided in
among a host of vessels, large and small, under the ener-
getic direction of our Arab pilot, passing, among others,
a fine steamer of the Austrian Lloyds', two vessels of the
P. and 0. Company, two large Turkish men-of-war, their
12 OVERLAND.
boats rowing to and fro, filled with soldiers and musi-
cians, some fine Liverpool ships, and a crowd of Egyptian
boats, with boatmen of every shade of colour and every
variety of costume. Some were Nubians, almost jet
black ; others Lascars or Arabs of lighter hues : some
with only one garment, a kind of long blue cotton skirt;
others with thick, dark, blanket-like drapery, and large
pointed hoods drawn over their heads : some again were
in full Eastern costume, with long striped garments and
huge turbans, from beneath which bright silk scarfs,
striped with vivid colours and fringed with elaborate
tassels, hung loosely down the back and shoulders.
These brilliant "puggeries^^ were often combined with
a European coat and trousers of blue cloth and a red fez,
and as yellow always predominates in their colouring,
they added a striking efiect to the costume.
After an early dinner we said farewell to our beautiful
vessel and its pleasant captain, and embarked on the
steam tender which was to take us to the station, a horrible,
dirty, flat-bottomed boat, manned by natives, and worked
in the most primitive style. It was a necessary exchange,
for the harbour further in was not deep enough for a large
vessel, but the transit was a most uncomfortable one.
There was scarcely room to sit down; the smells were
horrible, and these, combined with the great swell in the
harbour, made some of the passengers ill even in the
short voyage to shore. However, the boat was secured
alongside the quay at last, though the energetic singing
of the natives as they hauled us up was an amusing
contrast to their listless handling of the ropes, and the
whole party was soon landed on Egyptian soil.
Our short walk to the train was attended by a
crowd — volunteer coolies, eager to carry our bags and
umbrellas, boys with their skirts full of fine oranges for
sale, and idlers with no particular object in view. Egyp-
LONDON TO SUEZ. 13
tian women were sitting on the ground selling oranges,
the pecular veil of the country hiding everything but
their e^^es ; and strings of camels stalked along close to
the station, mingling ancient and modern associations
most incongruously. There was no purchase of tickets,
the Egyptian transit being included in the passage money
paid to the Company ; but when the train came up there
was a rush for places, every party being naturally anxious
to keep together.
At last all were settled, and we started on what was
certainly the most memorable railway journey in my life.
Every thing was novel, everything picturesque, everything
incongruous in the highest degree, the carriages only ex-
cepted. They were ancient specimens of English build,
in a woeful state of disrepair, and the railway seemed laid
to correspond. The line was so uneven that we rocked
and rolled in a way that would have been alarming had
not our progress been too slow to admit of any fear.
One young man of our party, after exhausting every
other device to occupy his restless spirit, got out of the
window, all the doors being locked, and proceeded coolly
along the train to pay visits to his friends in other car-
riages.
Our course at first lay through a strip of low, marshy
ground, with the sea on one side and a canal on the
other; between us and the latter, gardens, fields, and
villages in quick succession. There were palms and
other trees with very dense, dark foliage, gardens full of
gigantic cabbages and other vegetables, and fields of rice,
sugar-canes, and cotton, with the pods still hanging.
Here and there came patches or belts of the most vivid
green, apparently a kind of vetch ; and above the em-
bankment of the canal rose the long tapering masts of
the latteen-rigged boats, which form so characteristic a
feature in pictures of Egyptian scenery. Every now and
14 OVERLAND.
then we passed groups of natives mounted on donkeys,
or accompanying laden camels or droves of buffaloed.
Some of the villages were more like mere rabbit warrens,
one row of doors above another opening into the banks
of dried mud, of which the dwellings were composed ;
others looked more like clusters of large brown bee-hives,
thickly set on almost every rising ground. Just at sun-
set we saw a solitary Mussulman in the field kneel for
his evening prayer. He was a fine tall man in flowing
white garments, and as he first prostrated himself and
then knelt and repeatedly bowed his forehead to the
earth, the sight was very touching. It was the first time,
but by no means the last, that the unaffected devotion of
Mahometans or heathen gave me a pang of shame for
myself and fellow Christians.
But the railway stations I No power of pen or pencil
could convey more than a faint idea of their abounding and
most ludicrous anomalies. The station itself was gene-
rally a square stone building, without any apparent
means of light or ventilation, or sometimes of entrance ;
contiguous to which was a long, open shed, where
groups of Arabs or Egyptians squatted smoking.
Officials, in every variety of dress, from blue cotton
shirt and drawers, bare legs and skull cap, up to cloth
uniform and fez or turban, came to the carriage-doors
with directions in singularly broken English, or rang a
cracked bell as the signal for departure. At one station,
which we did not reach till long after nightfall, there
was a refreshment-room, but none of the ladies of our
party got out, and the scene opposite our carriage was
amusing and picturesque in the extreme. A long row of
stalls had been erected, and at these natives were selling
provisions and fruit by the light of large lanterns, hold-
ing up and proffering their goods with eager gesticula-
tions, and dilating on their cheapness in a rapid sort of
LONDON TO BUEZ. 15
guttural chant. A water-carrier walked up and down
the train, supplying water from his goatskin bag ; and
imposing officials, with long striped robes and turbans
and wands of office, stood in a row on the platform,
which was lighted by tall, iron braziers, filled with
blazing wood ; the background was thick darkness, and
the red glare falling on so many wild forms and un-
accustomed faces, produced effects of light and shade
more easily imagined than described. The unusual
crowd was probably owing to the fact of some races
being in progress at Cairo ; owing to which, and to the
consequent want of room at the hotels, we were debarred
from the usual alternative of staying for the night at the
capital, and had to push through to Suez.
The half-liour allowed for refreshment passed much
more quickly and satisfactorily for those who remained in
the train, than for those who had been tempted out by
the prospect of a hot supper. Everything was as dear
and as bad as possible; the coffee undrinkable, the
bread sour, and the beer, though in Alsopp's bottles,
apparently of Egyptian manufacture. However, what
was wanting in the fare, was made up in the charge —
Ss. each for supper, and 2s. 6d. for a bottle of beer ; and
at last we were on our way again, passing one or two
branches of the Nile by moonlight, and hurrying past
one village after another, till we got into the desert, with
its monotonous wastes of sand flats and sand hills. The
night grew very cold, and we all tried, with more or less
success, to wrap ourselves against the draughts of our
creaky old carriage, and go to sleep.
After an hour or two of interrupted rest, our quiet
was alarmingly disturbed. One of our party, who had
partaken of the memorable bottle of beer at the road-
side station, was seized with violent cramps and sickness
— ^the more distressing from the impossibiUty of stopping
16 OVEBLAND.
anywhere, or obtaining medical aid. Providentially a
gentleman in the carriage had some spirits of camphor
with him, and administered it with partial success, though
both cramps and sickness returned at intervals through-
out the night to a distressing degree; and when we
reached Suez at six in the morning, the unfortunate
invalid could scarcely walk the few yards to the hotel.
Here, also, there was not a single room unoccupied, and
he had to rest as well as he could, in a large public
apartment, furnished all round with sofas. There was a
similar room for ladies, comfortably fitted up, and hung
with Landseer's familiar engravings ; and here, after the
great refreshment of even limited ablutions, we had
coffee, and lay down to rest till the general breakfast
hour.
The hotel is very comfortable, and built in a style
well suited to the climate; it encloses a quadrangular
court of considerable size, partly covered with an awning,
under which small tables were set out, intermingled with
fountains, and vases and stands of flowers. These were
all bordered with ice-plants, which fell over the sides
in a deep fringe of cool, vivid green, and filled with
petunias, oleanders, and other greenhouse flowers in
full bloom. The ground was strewn with shells from
the shore, and as we looked down from the windows of
the long corridor, which nins all round the building,
everything bore a clear, fresh aspect under the bright
morning sun. Bheesties, in scanty and tattered clothing,
with bare brown arms and legs, were coming in with
their goatskins full, and returning with them empty
and dripping; and native servants, in full Eastern
costume, were standing in groups, or hurrying to
and fro.
Breakfast was a dear and pretentious meal, but the
crowd of hungry travellers did full justice to it ; and
LONDON TO SUEZ. 17
after an interval of letter-writing, we went ont for a
ramble through tke bazaars. We had been warned of
the smells and of the filth we should encounter, but
nothing could fully prepare an inexperienced European
for either. First, there were camels' skins lying in the
sun, moiat and most odoriferous, in an early stage of
tanning; then, everywhere in the narrow streets, an
\mount and variety of filth, to which few Continental
towns could offer the faintest parallel. The bazaar is a
perfect maze of tortuous alleys and open market-places,
lilled with stalls and shops of all descriptions, and with
ill odours equally varied. Here were " two women grind-
ing at a mill,'* sitting on the ground close together, and
making one flat stone revolve upon another; and hosts
of " children, sitting in the market-place,'^ gambling with
pebbles, and otherwise amusing themselves. One or two
were rather pretty, but the majority dirty in the extreme,
and many of them disgusting objects from ophthalmia,
their eyes being covered with swarms of flies. It is very
necessary here to take care that no fly settles on one's
face, as this repulsive complaint, and perhaps others,
may be communicated by these insects after their con-
tact with the disease.
The view down some of the narrow streets, with
goods and garments hanging overhead, and the houses
nearly meeting, was very picturesque. There are no
fronts to the shops, so that the goods are all exposed to
view, and the proprietors generally sit cross-legged and
smoking, inside. One man, in a barber's shop, was
having his head shaved, full in public view, and here
and there veiled women passed us; but the great
majority of the passers-by were men. The genera
aspect of the food was certainly not inviting, but two
articles looked pre-eminently, disagreeable — barrels of
ghee, a sort of preserved butter, with which all Eastern
2
18 OVERLAND.
cookery is performed, and tubs of dates, smashed into a
disgusting-looking mass, and thickly covered with the
all-pervading flies. Camels lay here and there, being
loaded, but donkeys seemed in general use for riding,
and goats, kids, fowls, and surly, sneaking dogs walked
everywhere quite at their ease. There were a few shabby
French shops, but the sun was too hot for more than a
hurried view of the bazaar, and we returned to rest in
the shady verandah, looking over the sea, and wat<5hing
the boats and boatmen below. A group of Nubians and
Egyptians were sitting lazily in the sun, at the comer of
the landing-place, listening to a native drum, when
another very well-dressed and respectable-looking native,
in long stiiped robes and an imposing turban, came by
with a small parcel for one of the boats. He stopped and
b(»gan to dance to the music, and laugh and joke with the
bystanders, and we were at first amused at his antics;
but when he came nearer wo found, from his unsteady
walk, that he was intoxicated, and as he got to the boat-
sido he began to abuse one of the men in the foulest
broken English, with words that he had probably picked
up from some of our sailors without understanding them.
The remark of one of the gentlemen was an awful
rej)roach to our nation, and it is to be feared only too
true, '* The first English word these fellows pick up is
always a curse.'*
At last the glare of the sun on the water made us feel
very sick and giddy, and we retreated from the verandah
to the ladies' room. Here a short sleep rather refreshed
us, but as wo were still disinclined to face the long, hot
dinner and the noise of the band which was already
beginning to play below, we had some bread and fruit
brought up from the table, and rested till the train from
Cairo brought up the Southampton passengers who had
waited there; and after they had dined we all started
LONDON TO SUEZ. 19
together about five o'clock in the tender which was to
convey us to the ship. Large vessels cannot come within
a considerable distance of Suez, so they are obliged
to employ these tenders, which only draw perhaps a
couple of feet of water.* Ours was very crowded, though
it only carried passengers and their hand baggage, but we
sat down on a pile of carpet-bags, and found the transit
tolerably comfortable.
Wo had to make a long circuit in the harbour to put
some of our number on board the Mauritius steamer, so it
was quite dark when we reached the '^ Nemesis,'^ where
the aspect of things in general were sufficiently discourag-
ing. Nearly two hundred passengers, including forty-six
young children, had to be crowded into a heavy, unwieldy,
old steamer, so low in the water that it was evident we
could not often look for open ports. My berth was
allotted in the cabin next the pantry, and no one who
has not been on board one of these large steamers,
with meals going on all day, can imagine the amount of
clatter and discomfort which this involves. Even these
undesirable quarters were shared with three fellow-
passengers, and there was not a hook or nail in the
cabin where one of us could hang a single article
of dress. Our portmanteaux had to be pushed under
the berths, and dragged out again for everything we
wanted, and the standing-space was too small for
two of us ever to dress at the same time. Imagine
this, with the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in pros-
* This, and several other points were altered before my
retnm journey. The largest vessels can now anchor by the
quay at Suez ; the Marseilles boat no longer touches at Malta ;
the railway route between Alexandria and Suez no longer
passes Cairo; and the wretched old vessel which was the scene
of so much discomfort, figures no more on the P. & 0. list of
steamers.
20
OVIBLAND.
pect, and the dread <3ertamty of closed windows nearly
all the way I
Fortunately, however, we were at wichor for the
night, and there was no noise or motion to disturb the rest
we so much needed.
21
II
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA,
Jan, 5. The deck next morning was the theatre of a
noisy scene, more interesting than satisfactory to the
spectators. The boat with our baggage was alongside, and
the baggage itself was being pitched on board in the most
reckless manner. Portmanteaux were burst open, iron
bands torn off, boxes broken, and the deck strewn with
large nails forced out of packing-cases. We had to
watch for the arrival of our cabin-packages and see them
carried to our quarters ; and one unfortunate lady, who
trusted to the promised care of an officer and neglected
to assure herself personally of the conveyance of her
baggage to her cabin, had it all consigned to the hold,
and was obliged to wear warm dresses till the next
baggage-day, no representations being of any avail to
open the doors of that obdurate treasure-house. Except
under these uncomfortable circumstances there was no-
thing to complain of in these first few days on the Red
Sea. The heat was moderate, and the breeze at times
almost too strong for comfort. Land was visible on both
sides all the first day, long ranges of sandstone rocks,
often wild and beautiful in form and colour, either rising
almost from the water^s edge, or forming a background
to plains of bare and arid sand. The shipwrecked
mariner in this sea has indeed a terrible prospect before
22 OTERLAND.
him unless sp^eedily discovered by some passing vessel.
We had on board a large number of passengers who had
recently undergone a similar experience on a coral reef oflF
the Brazilian coast, and their vivid accounts of danger and
adventure occupied many an hour of the daily promenade
on deck. Altogether we soon settled into the regular
routine of ship life in warm latitudes, and a very dreamy
far ntente existence it is, though its delights are few.
Early in the morning the decks are too wet after the
daily washing for much comfort, and the crowded cabins
simply unendurable; while the heat, even under the
double awning on the quarter-deck soon became over-
powering, the thermometer in the companion ranging
from eighty to ninety-six degrees between breakfast and
dinner-time. We still had daily service at ten o'clock ;
and the saloon was generally occupied immediately after
by a party rehearsing amateur theatricals, to whom it
was ceded by tacit general consent. The rest of the pas-
sengers took books, or work, or chess up to the quarter-
deck and bore the heat as best they could, reclining in
their folding-chairs, and enduring with indolent and
plaintive wonder the noisy gambols of the troop of
children who, regardless alike of the heat and of the motion,
appeared to consider the whole vessel and everything in
it an institution for their special and peculiar benefit.
Nurses and mammas were alike too sick or too indolent to
check their uproar, and so a whole tribe of urchins of
both sexes raced up and down the deck screaming and
shouting at some tiny toy terriers which raced after them,
adding their barking and yelping to the uproar; or
played at horses, and made teams of the folding chairs
with an energy and pertinacity exceedingly irritating to
their suffering elders and betters. Under such circum-
stances writing required an almost superhuman efibrt;
reading, except of the lightest kindj was barely possible ;
SUEZ TO CALCDTTA. 23
and the relief was always great when the early dinner-bell
summoned nurses and children below, and a temporary
lull ensued. But the heat meanwhile waxed steadily more
merciless, and the chief comfort of the day for those who
were well enough to stir, was a cold bath before dressing
for the four o'clock dinner. Those who did not venture
to table stayed on deck, waited on indifferently by the
busy stewardesses who had to secure their viands as they
could ; and if the doctor was propitious and ordered
champagne, this meal was often the turning point of the
day. Breakfast on board ship is too often a melancholy
delusion, and tiflBn little better; but if one can eat a
dinner, its reviving and consolatory effects are speedily
perceptible. Then, as the great red sun dips below the
horizon, and the dazzling, quicksilvery brilliance of the
heaving waters melts into a rich purple under the
crimson and violet sky, comes the redeeming period of a
tropical day. The breeze of evening circulates freely
as the side-awnings are rolled up, the stars come out
above, and are more than reflected in the dazzling phos-
phorescence of the waters, and the most listless of the sick
and weary passengers revive. This is the time for long
promenades on the crowded deck, and quiet conversa-
tions, or it may be flirtations in secluded gangways and dim
corners — the time too, above all others, for home-sick
musings and longings for the dear ones far away. The
phosphoric light varies very much in brilliancy, and is
best seen near the prow of the vessel, but at times it is
wonderfully beautiful; spreading in broad streaks or
flashes of silvery light along the crests of the parted
waves, and melting away in the distance, while here and
there balls of light, apparently as large as a small
orange float singly or in glittering groups close to the
vessel's side, *' like fire-flies tangled in a silver braid.'' I
once went forward under good escort to see it in perfection.
24 OVERLAND.
and, though the transit was unpleasant, past hen-coops and
sheep-pens, and over sleeping Lascars stretched upon the
deck, the sight more than repaid the exertion. The light
broke in broad irregular waves from the prow, scattering
in countless distinct stars which, as they floated away in
the dim distance, could hardly be distinguished from the
reflection of the stars above.
Next came the hour of tea, little heeded except by
the fortunate individuals who possessed a private teapot,
and then on fine nights the ship's lanterns were hung
round the quarter-deck, the piano and the fiddler brought
into requisition, and dancing began. There was plenty
of space both for dancers and lookers-on down one side
of the quarter-deck, as well as for the quieter members of
the community on the other; and these evening hours
were very enjoyable, except when the long sideways roll
of the vessel grew too pronounced for comfort, and sent
us, ill at ease, to try and get to sleep before worse miseries
began. That going below was always a trial — down from
the fresh cool air, and the soft darkness, through the
glittering saloon with its array of decanters and glasses,
its odours of negus and toddy, and its indefatigable card-
players, into our stifling cabins, with the ports often shut,
and the only ventilation derived from the saloon. I shall
never forget the first night, when having gone to bed
with the window open, and an occasional puff" of the soft
breeze fanning me in my lofty berth, I woke in total
darkness and found myself half suffocated, and the port-
hole closed. The ship's carpenter had been in while we
were asleep, and screwed it down to keep out the rising
waves ; and presently, without leave asked or obtained,
in he came again. I could just see by the dim light from
the saloon that ho was a Chinese — a sufficiently startling
figure to find leaning over one in the dead of night — but
he merely walked to the window, opened it with a turn of
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 25
the large screw and some heavy blows, and walked out
again. We heard next morning that the sea had washed
into some of the cabins, and one lady had to stay in bed
because all her possessions were drenched.
So the dreamy days wore on, varied by few incidents
worthy of record, though there was, as usual, a vast
amount of petty gossip afloat. One day, however, just
before dinner a little excitement was created by a lady
passenger suddenly proclaiming that we were passing
through a shoal of shrimps. Every one went to the
side to see, and we found ourselves traversing a large
field of floating sea weed, evidently washed up by the
gale of the night before, while mingled with this, or float-
ing apart from it in a thick scum on the surface, were
shoals of what certainly looked at the first glance very like
large boiled prawns, being about the same general shape
and size and the same bright colour. We watched for
some time, quite unable to decide what they were, till some
one, keener sighted than the rest, pronounced them to be
locusts. This the quarter-master confirmed, adding that
large flights were often drowned in this sea ; and, indeed,
the number on this occasion must have been very great,
for the ship was a long while getting clear of them. It
brought back vividly the recollection of the '^ mighty
strong west wind,*' which, more than three thousand
years ago, swept their swarming myriads out of Egypt to
perish in these very waters.
Sunday brought quite a novel scene at the roll call
after breakfast. Instead of the English sailor-faces and
uniforms, to which we were accustomed in the other ship,
there was a curious array of nationalities ranged on each
side of the deck for the captain's inspection. At one end
stood the few European seamen in proper sailor dress, and
next to them a number of Chinese similarly apparelled,
Except that they wore their national broad straw hats ;
26 OTCELASD.
next came others in wliite blouses^ wide blae trousers^ and
bare feet ; and then a long row of Lascars, very inferior
in size and appearance, bat attired in like manner. On
the other side of the deck were ranged two more rows of
natives, those on one side in white calico, edged with scarlet,
and the others in white edged with blue ; their superiors
and a few Sepoys being distinguished by more fanciful
uniforms. At half-past ten the deck was prepared" for
service, the forms and deck seats placed across as in a
church, and a pile of cushions covered with the Union
Jack, arranged as a desk. The piano was brought into
requisition to lead the hymns, and everything was done in
the most decent and orderly manner, but few of us were
able really to enjoy it, owing to heavy headache and
drowsiness, the result of heat and sleepless nights.
Evening service was held in the saloon, and we had an
energetic practical sermon on the words, " Unto Him
shall the gathering of the people be,*' the preacher
dwelling much upon Epiphany lessons, and on the duties
of Christian residents in heathen lands.
The next two days were very rough, the ship pitching
tremendously, and the sea continually getting into some
unfortunate cabin. We fared no better than our neigh-
bours — a tremendous wave dashing all over our little
dormitory, drenching the sofa berth under the window,
and the low one opposite, and even splashing my high
shelf nbovo. The ports were all closed after this, and
the prospect of spending the night below was so unbear-
able, that the captain arranged for all who chose to do
HO, to sleep on deck. One side was accordingly set apart
for ladies, and the cabin stewards having brought up our
mattrasses and pillows, and ranged them on the skylights,
benches, and deck, we crept up after the saloon lights
wore extiuguishod, to make ourselves as comfortable as
we could. It was an infinite relief to escape from the ins
SXTEZ TO CALCUTTA. 27
tolerable atmosphere below, for a cool breeze was blowing,
and the heat was bearable. The stars were glorious, the
moon having not yet risen, and it was strange in waking
moments to look straight up at Orion's glittering armour.
But the worst misery of all the voyage, was the relentless
call at half-past four to get up, that the men might scour
the decks. The stewards rolled up the mattrasses and
walked off with them, and we followed, shrinking from
the foul air of the close saloon, where the stewards and
some of the passengers had been sleeping on and under
the long tables. My cabin was worse still, for the solitary
fellow-traveller who had preferred to sleep below, had
opened the bull's eye to get a breath of air, and had
another sea in. The whole place was full of soaked
clothes and the berths piled with them, so there was
nothing for it, in the dim light, but to push everything
to one end, get the mattrass and pillows laid down,
rolled up as they were, at the other, and then climb up
and settle the chaos as well as circumstances allowed, for
another fragment of comfortless slumber.
Without this daily scrubbing of the spotless planks —
a remnant of barbarous red-tape tyranny that might fairly
be abolished under such peculiar circumstances — we
might have had good nights to help us through the daily
miseries of the tropic seas, and envious glances would
not have turned so often to the luxurious cabin in the
centre of the deck, where the captain could breathe pure
air night and day, safe from ill odours and invading
waves.
Jan. Wth. Our seventh night on the Red Sea carried
us safely through the Straits of Babelmandeb, the long-
dreaded Gate of Tears, which has not yet ceased to de-
serve its ancient name. On the ridge of black rocks
which lay on our port side at early morning, with its
long, outlying chain of dangerous points above and below
28 OVERLAND.
the surface, the '' Alma '* perished in the night, and we
could not watch the waves breaking wildly over them,
without feeling thankful that our passage was by day. We
soon got into smoother water, and at ten o'clock anchored
close to Aden. Singularly enough, for it is said not to
rain here oftener than once in two or three years, it
poured heavily for the first half-hour, and the dark
outlines of the precipitous rocks that compose this in-
hospitable settlement, gloomed on us dimly through a
cloud of vapour.
Aden is evidently of volcanic origin, a mere mass of
steep, reddish, jagged rocks, interspersed with little
sandy nooks, and with not a tree or a blade of grass to be
seen. There are a few buildings near the harbour, a
small hotel or two kept by Parsees, who also keep open
the few shops in the place, some petty official residences,
and an immense coal depot, supplied from England. The
importance of the port for this purpose, may be estimated
from the fact that our steamer consumed regularly from
forty to sixty tons a day, and that Aden is the great
coaling station for all the P. and 0. vessels to Bombay,
Calcutta, Mauritius, Australia, and China.
Boats soon came off to us in great numbers, manned
by scantily-clad natives with frizzy heads of reddish hair,
which looked strange on their dark skins. They are said
to give it this tinge by artificial means, and if this is true,
inf)dern belles who are not satisfied without a tint more
brilliant than nature has bestowed, do but follow the
fashion set long ago by these amphibious Arabs. They are
small, lithe, bronze fellows, very active and good-natured
looking, and quite as much at their ease in the water as
on dry land. Some brought Parsees on business, dark,
comfortable looking men, with neat, white garments, and
singular brown, helmet-like caps. Other boats were full
of Arab pedlars, loaded with ostrich feathers, native
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 29
baskets and boxes; coral, shells, etc. ; and an amusing
scene began. These men went round the decks oflTer-
ing their goods at most exorbitant prices, and selling
them after endless chaffering in fragmentary English for
a tenth of the original demand. Meanwhile the divers
crowded round the ship, sitting still in the clear green
water, as comfortably as if they had some solid resting
place, and clamouring for small silver to be thrown to
them. Now and then, some one tossed a sixpence or a
threepence far out into the water, and in a moment a
dozen dusky forms turned upside down and clashed after
it. The water closed over them, and for a second there
was nothing to be seen but a confused crowd of brown
arms and legs, and then they came up again one by one,
the fortunate finder displaying the coin in triumph,
before thrusting it into his cheek as the safest depository,
in readiness for another dive. Some of the men had
their cheeks crammed with small coins before the morn-
ing was over. Some climbed into the rigging and
plunged from a height into the water, and even offered
to dive under the ship and come up on the other side for
a rupee, but no one encouraged them to try. Many of
the passengers went off to shore as soon as possible, to
escape the coaling, which is always a nuisance, but espe-
cially so at Aden, where the heat reduces much of the
coal to fine, black dust, which penetrates in spite of all
precaution, to every part of the vessel ; but we preferred
waiting for the evening, instead of venturing across the
blazing sea on to the shadeless land. At last evening
came, and we started in an old boat without a rudder,
manned by half-a-dozen grinning, active Httle fellows,
who rowed us to shore, using their long paddles very
briskly. They had packed up just enough English to be
understood, and were very voluble in their eagerness
that we should have " Number 6 boat *' when we wanted
30 OVERLAND.
to retarn. As they ran the boat on shore, Mr. y who
had his beautiful little boy in his arms, called for one of
them to help the ladies out, and it was absurd to see the
air with which a slim, almost naked boy of apparently
about thirteen, offered his hand to support a lady of
treble his size and weight. Another volunteered to fetch
us a carriage for four, but presently returned with the
news that there were none to be had, bringing two
buggies instead. For the benefit of the un travelled, it
may be as well to state that the buggy, the most popular
vehicle for gentlemen in India, is a large gig on very
high wheels, with a head which gives it a very top-heavy
appearance. The two in question were of the most dingy
and dilapidated description, but there was no alternative,
so we managed to climb in and pack ourselves, the driver
responding to our query as to where he would sit,
by slapping his thighs, with a broad grin, and de-
claring, " Me horse, me good as horse,*' which he pro-
ceeded to verify by cracking his whip and running along-
side the animal, certainly equalling its speed with little
apparent effort.
After a visit to the post-office and to one or two shops
where everything was exorbitantly dear, we set off for
a drive round the bay, which really looked pretty in the
fast closing twilight. It was a novel ride, but certainly
a pleasant one. The evening breeze blew softly from the
sea, and the Arab drivers trotted on holding the reins,
and keeping up easily with their horses along the smooth
narrow road, the dark rocks bounding the view on one
side, and on the other the harbour with its twinkling
lights, and the innumerable host of heaven, '^ most calm,
most bright ** above. Now and then we passed a soli-
tary Arab mounted on a camel, or a long string of
the silent-footed beasts laden with fuel or fodder, then
a party of weird-looking natives on foot, or noticed
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 31
the hungry lizards watching for insects round the
dim oil lamp over some trader's door. Most of our
passengers had driven out to the cantonments, which
are large and well worth seeing, but we had no time for
this, and were heartily glad to find ourselves safe on
board again, for one can scarcely fancy a worse mishap
than being left behind in this parched, rocky wilderness.
The captain told us that he- had once been obliged to leave
five passengers ashore here, they having neglected to
return at the appointed time ; and in such a case they
would have to live at their own expense till the arrival of
the next fortnight's steamer — a lesson in punctuality that
few would choose to undergo.
For the next portion of the voyage the heat was intense,
and the motion very trying. Most people slept on deck,
braving the nightly inconveniences, and the early morning
miseries, for the sake of even a few hours of coolness and
fresh air. The forenoon and early afternoon passed in list-
less drowsiness, the very punkah boys going to sleep while
pulUng, and only roused now and then by the sepoy going
round and administering a sharp box on the ears. Then
they would wake up with a grin that displayed their beau-
tiful white teeth to perfection, pull for a few minutes, and
gradually drop off to sleep again. The sea in its quiet
moods glowed like amass of molten silver, heaving in white
heat under the glare of the pitiless sun, and the shoals of
flying fish that rose continually from the waves and flitted
across the surface, soon sought refuge again from the
fiery brightness. Once or twice we had a heavy storm,
the rain hissing down into the sea with truly tropical
violence ; and then again came the long heaving swell
that reduced both mind and body to the lowest pitch of
passive endurance, and there were more drenched cabins,
and closed ports became the order both of night and day.
One of the stewards died after many days of sufiering
32 OTEBIAND.
during which he was tended with womanly care and
kindness by his overworked companions. Exhausted as
they must have been by a day's toil, extending with Uttle
intermission from 5 a.m to 10 p.m., they came in at all
hours of the night to sit with him, and render any ser-
vice in their power. The clergyman was too ill to visit
him except for a few minutes at a time, but my friend
did all he could to supply the place, read to him, prayed
with him, and sat up with him many hours, winning golden
opinions from all the poor fellow's comrades. The
funeral was very solemn, attended by the officers in full
uniform, the stewards, and the English sailors, and as
many of the passengers as chose to be present. The
body, sewn up in canvas with heavy weights, and covered
with the Union Jack, was carried from the forecastle to the
opening of the bulwarks, preceded by the clergyman in
his surplice, and rested on a stretcher covered with a flag
during the service. Then as the words were spoken,
*^ We now commit his body to the deep," the stretcher
was run out to the side, the flags instantaneously with-
drawn, and the heavy splash told that the ocean had
him safely in her keeping till the sea should give up her
dead.
The next event of consequence was the sudden and
startling illness of our kind brave friend, which seemed
for a few hours Ukely to end in death. It was very
awful to see him, late so buoyant, energetic and self-for-
getting, stretched helpless and apparently dying on the
deck; but God was merciful in our extremity, and the
strong bright life that scattered sunshine and kindness
everywhere around, was spared for further usefulness.
Nothing else broke the monotony of the voyage until
we reached Ceylon, except the coming ofi" of the long
expected theatricals, which were arranged with an amount
of care and pains very inadequately repaid by the results.
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 33
Part of the deck was screened oflf for the performance,
and a drop scene suspended in fronfc, the top and the
side scenes being really contrived and draped with skill
and taste. The programme, too, was beautifully illumi-
nated by one of the stewards, but the performances wore
two wretched farces, and the acting for the most part
below criticism — all the female parte being represented
by the younger gentlemen in dresses borrowed from their
lady friends.
Jan, 2\8t. At last, after ten days of the Indian Ocean,
we anchored late in the evening outside the port of
Gralle, which it is dangerous to enter in the darkness.
Every one was early on deck next morning, and in high
spirits at the prospect of a day on shore, and the ship
was alive with Cingalese salesmen bringing jewels, models
of boats, combs, and tortoiseshell ornaments for sale.
They all wore long hair, twisted into a knot like a woman's
behind, and kept back in front by a round comb, such as
children in England sometimes wear, so that, as our in-
corrigible punster remarked, '^ It is diflBcult to tell the
Cingalese (single hes) from the single shes/' Their
canoes, too, are extraordinary vessels, long and narrow,
with high, straight, perpendicular sides, to one of which
an outrigger is attached : that is, a heavy log of wood
fastened to the top by two curved spars so as to lie
parallel with the boat and steady it in the water. This
strange contrivance makes it almost impossible to upset
them even in the heaviest sea. The boatmen row with
long paddles, and are a good-looking symmetrical race,
very like statues of reddish bronze.
The harbour is a perilous one, from the numerous
reefs it contains, but it is most picturesque and lovely,
semi-circular in shape, and bounded on one side by
heighte covered with cocoa palms and other rich and vivid
vegetation. These slope down gradually, still covered
8
34 OVERLAND.
with the most laxnriant greeo, and the rocks pierced for
cannon till they terminate in a reef at the other extremity,
one or two low ridges also lying within the harboor. It
was on one of these that the mail steamer, which took
out Lord Elgin and Baron Gros to China, was wrecked.
She had just lifted her anchor, but not got up sufiBcient
steam to be well under control, and the current drove her
on the reef. The ambassadors had only time to secure
their despatches, and everything else went down. The
mails and specie, and most of the cargo were recovered
by divers, and a gentleman who had witnessed the opera-
tion remarked how wonderful it seemed to see them
handing about the heavy boxes, as if they had been
trifling parcels, weight being very little felt under water.
It took about ten minutes to row to the landing stage,
and from there we had only a short and shady walk to a
nice hotel. Gallo is truly a most lovely place, and, indeed,
it scarcely needed the cool rocky shade and the roads
fringed with beautiful trees to make it delightful to our
sea-wearied eyes. Afler a breakfast, at which we first
saw and tasted plantains, we started about nine o'clock
in a light covered car to visit the Mission House and
Orphanage at Buona Vista, the height above the harbour.
It is about three miles from the hotel, along a road which
first winds through rows of native shops, then through a
grove of palms that skirts the bay, dotted everywhere
with native houses, and finally ascends the hill so abruptly
that no carriage can go up. Everything on either hand
was novel and interesting. There were the long narrow
bullock carts of the country, covered with fresh matting
of green plaited leaves ; boys with long hair twisted up,
and clean white garments, on their way to school ; men
and women, almost undistinguishable from each other,
carrying largo water-pots or palm-leaf umbrellas ; Budd-
hist priests in their yellow robes ; shops full of fruit and
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 35
other commodities ; and huts, where all kinds of domestic
scenes were being transacted in full view of passers
by. Here and there between the groups of plantains
and the trunks of the tall palms wo caught glimpses
of the harbour, with water bluer than the sky, and
ships riding at anchor; and presently the road grew
steeper, till at last we were obliged to get out and walk
up to our journey's end. The first thing that struck me,
as we commenced the ascent, was the profuse growth of
orange-coloured lantana, which covered every waste
spot as thickly as brambles and nettles do in England.
It is identical with the old greenhouse favourite at home,
and being in full blossom, its aromatic scent was very
pleasant. There were not many other flowers till we got
to Buona Vista, but the vegetation was luxuriant and
varied, and the scenery indescribably beautiful — every turn
in the path displaying fresh glades, and ravines, and dis-
tant hills. The heat of the sun, even at that early hour,
was intense, and the ascent trying ; but at last we came in
sight of the school, and a little higher of the missionary's
house, which stands on the summit of the headland, sur-
rounded by palms, with a clearing in front just wide
enough to allow a noble view of the harbour. Here we
were kindly welcomed by the clergyman in temporary
charge, and spent a very pleasant day. They insisted
upon our joining them at a second breakfast, after which
we visited the schools. Everything seemed very satis-
factory, the native female teacher very gentle and pleasant
mannered, and the master an intelligent and apparently
well-informed man. The girls were remarkably bright
and quick, and as merry and clean as possible. It costs
less than £5 a year to maintain and clothe one of them,
and their dress is very neat and graceful. They learn to
read and write English and Cingalese, and to embroider,
and make lace, which is sold for the school. After look-
36 OVEBLAKD.
ing at their work and their copy books, we followed them
to the eating-room, and saw them enjoying a plentiful
breakfast of fish curry, which they all ate with their
fingers, in no wise abashed by the presence of strangers.
Then we went on to the boys' school, and heard them
read their Scripture portion in EogUsh, which they did
quite as well as boys of the same age in an ordinary
village school at home. After questioning and talking
to them and to the master for some time, we returned
to the house, bad tiffin, and sat a long while in the shady
back verandah, looking over one of the loveliest views
imaginable. Behind the house the ground slopes almost as
abruptly as in front, into an expanse of jungle, which, as
well as the hills beyond, is thick with cocoa palms. A
stream of water winds through it far below, and beyond
all rises the outline of distant and lofty mountains. The
foreground was a little patch of neglected garden, filled
vrith flowers that in England would only live in green-
house or hothouse air; splendid gardenias (Cape jessa-
mines), oleanders, eight or ten feet high, hoyas, and
brilliant blue creepers, with many others quite new to me.
One, which I knew afterwards as perhaps the commonest
of Indian shrubs, is a kind of hibiscus, a large, bushy
shrub, with a magnificent crimson blossom, remarkable
for its very prominent style and stamens ; another, some-
times called the "temple flower,^' from its being con-
stantly offered to the gods, grows in large bunches on a
bare, almost leafless shrub, and has thick, white petals
deeply tinged with yellow in the centre, and an over-
poweringly sweet smell. Without walking many yards
in that desolate garden, we gathered as many flowers as
we could hold, most of them far more gorgeous in size
and colour than an ordinary English greenhouse could
Bupply. Then we rambled to the edge of the clifis over-
hanging the harbour, half afraid of snakes or 8coi*pions,
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 37
but seeing only splendid butterflies and magnificent ferns
among the tall palms and boulders and the thickets of
lantana. Some of the ferns had large palmate fronds of
a texture stouter than the hart's tongue, others wore
delicate little spleenworts, but there were none that wo
could positively identify with English varieties. There
were ants' nests up in the trees, made by fastening the
leaves together, and looking not unlike birds' nests,
though woe to the unhappy wight who should be deluded
into attacking them under that mistake !
One of the native boys climbed a palm tree, and
threw us down some cocoa-nuts, unripe, but containing
a large quantity of cool, refreshing fluid, not yet hardened
into fruit. Green cocoa-nuts are extensively sold in
India, solely for the sake of this beverage, the natives
opening them dexterously with a hatchet without spil-
ling a drop, and handing the green goblet to their
customer, who must be thirsty indeed if he is not
satisfied with the abundant draught.
Our kind host dined early in the evening on our
account; and during dinner a large porcupine, evidently
a privileged pet, came in through the front-door, and
went straight to a plate of boiled rice set down in a
comer, erecting his quills like an angry turkey-cock
when any of the servants came too near him. After
dinner we said good-bye, and started to walk down the
hill, by the light of a new but brilliant moon, and the
shrill music of the crickets swarming in the grass and
trees. Thousands of fireflies darted in and out among
the underwood, gleaming like fairy lamps ; but, taken
separately, the light is neither so large nor so pretty as
that of an English glowworm. The insect itself is a
small narrow beetle, about a third of an inch in length,
with wing-cases and body of a dull brown ; the light pro-
ceeding, as in the glowworm, from the hinder segments.
38 OVERLAND.
The carriage was awaiting us at the foot of the hill,
and we reached the boat and the ship in safety, thus end-
ing a most memorable and delightful day.
Wo had said good-bye to our friends among the
Australian and China passengers before going ashore,
and when we returned their vessels were on the point of
starting, so our passengers stayed late on deck, and gave
them a hearty cheer as they steamed out.
Jan, 22trd, The next day was a miserable one for all of
us. Everyone was very tired, and when the sea grew
rough we were very wretched altogether. One of the
gentlemen who had been trying to pick up a few Hin-
dustani words in readiness for Calcutta, caused great
amusement by a ludicrous mistake. He had been ill in
the night, the consequence, probably, of partaking of the
rich prawn curry, for which Galle is famed ; and being
terribly afraid of cholera, had the doctor summoned to
his cabin. The latter very naturally asked him what he
had been eating, and our friend, as is usually the case,
ascribing the blame to a perfectly innocent article of
diet, intended to attribute it to some bananas, which we
had all tasted for the first time that day. In his fright,
however, he confounded the name with another in his
limited Hindustani vocabulary, and informed the doctor
that he had eaten a couple of " pyjamas '* (pairs of
drawers) 1 His amused interlocutor could only tell him
that if he took to such extraordinary diet he would not
answer for the consequences; but the anecdote soon
circulated round the ship, and originated many a covert
jest at the expense of the unconscious student.
But the night was the climax of discomfort, at least
as far as our immediate circle was concerned. The sea
got into our cabin in the afternoon and drenched every-
thing, so all the ports were closed, and at night we left
our invalid companion and her little girl sole occupants
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 39
of the cabin, end had our beds prepared on one of the
sky-lights and the adjacent benches. Our slumbers were
simultaneously disturbed in the middle of the night by
various dreams of getting wet, and we awoke to the
consciousness that it was a dismal reality. Though we
were a good way under the awning, and it was fine when
we went to bed, heavy splashes of rain were driving in
upon us ; and it was ludicrous, in the midst of the dis-
comfort, to listen to the sleepy incoherences of one's
companions. One announced that the sea was washing
over us — a piece of intelligence which was received with
great incredulity ; another seemed profoundly indifferent,
till it occurred to her that her feet were getting wet,
when she made an alarmed retreat to her cabin ; while a
third suggested that we should finish our slumbers under
an umbrella. At last we managed to drag our mattrasses
under shelter, and slept till the usual gruff summons,
'' Wash deck. Sir,'' startled us at 4.30, when we huddled
our pillows, etc., together, and stumbled, sickened and
faint, through the stifling saloon into our cabins. There
the atmosphere at first seemed simply unendurable ; but
after awhile sleep re-asserted its merciful dominion, and
everything was forgotten till it was time to rise. Our
invalid friend then opened the bull's-eye in the port and
admitted a breath of air, but scarcely had she done so
when a sea broke in, drenching her little girl from head
to foot. The child took it very quietly, and her mother
calmly remarked, " That is the fourth wetting she has
had since we went to bed last night ; I did not shut the
bull's-eye till the sea had been in three times."
Jan. 2bth. The third day after leaving Galle we
anchored at Madras soon after dawn, and dozens of
natives soon came swarming alongside in their large
surf boats, or on catamarans. The former are deep and
wide, and sewn together with rope, the +)etter to resist
40 OYKBLASD.
the violence of the furious sorf ; the latter are tiny,
narrow rafts^ composed of three small logs lashed side
by side, the middle one slightly depressed, and a fourth
smaller one projecting from it, which forms the prow of
this most primitive canoe. One, two, or even three
natives man it, standing or kneeling to paddle, with the
water washing over their bare limbs as it tosses in the
swell. If it tarns over, they just duck and come up
again, right it, and resume their places, none the worse,
as they have no clothes to spoil. Indeed, the old story
of the African king, whose state suit consisted of a cocked
hat and a pair of spurs, acquires an air of probability in
these regions, where nine-tenths of the whole amount of
clothing is generally swathed round the head, leaving the
lithe bronze figures, with their slight rounded limbs, in
full display.
The shouting and jabbering of the boatmen were in-
cessant, and the ship was filled all morning with native
salesmen, bringing worked muslins, baskets, fans, scents,
shells, ices, etc. Some of the dresses, for which they
asked high prices, were elaborately worked with green
beetles' wings in showy patterns, others embroidered in
various styles. Then came a party of jugglers and snake-
charmers, who squatted on the quarter-deck to exhibit
their tricks. Some of these were exceedingly pretty,
and some very repulsive ; their ball-play was beautiful,
and similar feats with daggers instead of balls were
most extraordinary. The performance altogether was
more wonderful than anything of the kind in England,
from the absence of clothing and other means of con-
cealment ; but some of the tricks seem to be identical
with the feats of itinerant jugglers at home. For in-
stance, they breathed out fire and smoke from throats
that glowed like furnaces, sending out sparks that ignited
tow, and drew eut of their months interminable lengths
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 41
of silk, etc., winding them out into good sized balls of
different colonrs. Another horrible feat was that of rais-
■^ing a large box from the ground, by means of strings
ending in small metal disks, which the man inserted
under his eyelids, and then lifted the whole weight with
no other support. Then they produced a mango-stone,
about four inches long, flat, and evidently very hard, and
announced that they would make it grow into a tree.
Accordingly, a couple of handfuls of sand were presfied
together on the deck, and the stone inserted, watered,
and covered with an empty basket, and other tricks
proceeded for a few minutes. Then the basket was
lifted, and a small bunch of delicate young leaves showed
themselves above the sand. The same process was re-
peated three times, the second time the leaves being fully
developed and green ; and the third time disclosing a
small but perfect mango tree with fruit upon it, real,
though unripe and small, which was gathered and handed
round. Then they pulled up the tree and showed the
roots protruding from the nut and filled with sand. As
an eager crowd of English spectators stood closely
round, and every movement of the jugglers was narrowly
watched, this performance was really mysterious. A
snake trick, which consisted in the apparent change of a
dry skin into a live cobra, which sat up at the word of
command, and inflated its large head with the distinct
spectacle- shaped mark which distinguishes its deadly
tribe, concluded the conjuring tricks, and was startling
enough.
We were anchored too far out to see anything of the
far-famed surf but just the white line where it broke in
foam upon the shore. The town presents a most unin-
teresting aspect from the sea — flat, monotonous, and
glaring; and though its nearness to the sea, and also
to the beautiful and healthy Neilgherries, gives it real
42 OVSBLAND.
and great advantages over Calcutta, it is customary in
the other Presidencies to look down upon it, and decry
it as *' benighted."
We started again in the afternoon, and after two
more days of intense heat and brilliant moonUght nights,
reached the mouth of the Hooghly about midnight, on
Saturday, the 27th of January. Here, at the Sandheads,
a pilot- ship is always moored, as no vessel can ascend the
river except in charge of a navigator experienced in its
dangers. Even then the shifting sandbanks make the
course most intricate and perilous ; we had to stop in-
cessantly for soundings to be taken, and the shouting of
the Lascars, and the noise of the steam and the screw,
with the occasional sight of the floating lights flitting
across the cabin windows, effectually prevented sleep.
The next morning Saugor Island lay on our left — a
long, flat expanse of jungle, famed for the barbarous
sacrifice of infants which was yearly practised there, till
stopped by the strong arm of the British law, during
Lord Wellesley's vigorous rule. The usual letter boat
came off" to us at Kedjaree, and we met several steam-
tugs towing out large merchant vessels. Our ports were
all closed, lest the ship should strike upon a sandbank, roll
and fill, not an unfrequent accident about here ; but we
went as fast as possible under the circumstances, hoping
to get up to Calcutta before night. This hope, however,
was doomed to disappointment ; for soon after morning
service a tremendous storm of I'ain came on, making the
atmosphere so thick that they could not see to steer. So
we had ' to cast anchor and wait about twenty hours for
high-tide and daylight combined — an unexpected and
irksome delay, under which many fretted and chafed
with an impatience scarcely to be wondered at. The
ports were opened, so it was cool below, but very dark ;
and on deck the rain poured down, drenching the double
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 43
awning, and streaming along the boards so as to render
it qnite impassable. The thunder and lightning were in-
cessant, but not violent ; and on the whole the enforced
quiet of this last Sunday, and last day on board, was felt
by some among us as a welcome pause before the turmoil
and anxieties of the new life on land.
"We were under weigh again before noon on Monday,
passed the '^ James and Mary,^' and steamed slowly up
the turbid waters of the Hooghly. The scenery on both
banks is very flat and uninteresting, chiefly consisting
of brink-kilns and endless groves of cocoa palms, with
very little variety of other foliage ; but we met several
fine ships outward bound. The chief excitement of the
day, however, was caused by the proceedings of the
custom-house officers, who came on board and instituted
a rigorous search, in comparison to which the French
and English customs-inquisitions are a mere farce.
Captain S , and several others, had to unpack their
boxes on deck, in the midst of all the confusion, and
some new electroplate, which was discovered at the
bottom of one gentleman^s portmanteau, formed a pre-
text for continuing the examination in the most annoying
manner. One lady had even to open her writing-desk,
and another her bag of linen ; but fortunately we fell
into the hands of a less pertinacious official, and had very
little trouble.
At last even this disagreeable business was over, and
we sat down, for the last time together, to a capital early
dinner. Stewards and stewardesses were duly feed,
boxes repacked for the last time, and final arrangements
made, and then everyone went on deck to see the open-
ing view of Calcutta from Garden Reach. This suburb
stretches along the right bank of the river, its gardens
reaching to the water's edge, with landing-steps or
" ghauts '' to each ; but the aspect of the houses is very
44 OVEBLAND.
disappointing. They, in common with all the buildings
in Calcutta and the neighbourhood, are of brick,
coated with thick white plaster, which soon acquires a
discoloured and decayed appearance, from the excessive
damp of the rainy season ; and this blackened plaster and
the faded paint of most of the houses, gives an aspect of
neglect and desolation which spoils the otherwise hand-
some exteriors. They are all flat-roofed, and most of
them with pillared verandahs to each story; and the
gardens were gay with tropical plants and summer,
flowers. The palace of the deposed King of Onde
occupies a considerable space in Garden Reach, sur-
rounded by the numerous dwellings of his servants and
wives ; and his residence there has done much to lower
the character of the neighbourhood and the value of
property.
On the other side lie the extensive and beautiftil
Botanical Gardens, since terribly wasted by successive
cyclones, and near them Bishop's College, founded by
Bishop Mid die ton, for the education of Anglo-Indian
and native youths for the ministry. It is a pretty and
convenient building, beautifully situated; and the ex-
treme quiet and seclusion secured by the river which
flows between it and Calcutta, with the near neighbour-
hood of these delightful gardens, must be great advan-
tages for the students.
We were now nearly opposite the landing-stage, and
every one began to be on the look-out for friends or
relatives. There was quite a little crowd of the Govemor-
General's scarlet liveries, and presently a boat came ofif
and carried away one of our party in style. Next a
young lady who had been educated in England, caught
sight of the father and sister whom she had not seen for
years, coming alongside to greet her, and she was helped
down the gangway, and landed in a flutter of joyous
SUEZ TO CALCUTTA. 45
excitement. Then came more and more boats, all con-
taining friends too eager to wait till the ship was moored
to the landing-stage, and the deck was a tumult of happy
meetings and eager inquiries; and presently a host of
coolies and hotel touters swarmed on board. It moved
my heartiest indignation to see how the former poor
fellows were treated. People hired them to carry their
luggage along the deck to boats astern, and as they
followed their masters through the crowd, staggering
under heavy boxes, they were pushed, kicked, and struck
with hand or stick by almost every gentleman (?) in whose
way they came; from the passengers and their friends
down to the stewards, and even the Lascar sailors, it was
all the same, and the poor fellows bore it like dumb beasts
of burden, evidently accustomed to treatment that in Eng-
land would be thought disgraceful if practised on a dog.
I saw one heavily-laden man pushed with such violence
that he staggered across the deck and fell, and no one,
except ladies to whom the sight was a novel one, seemed
either surprised or indignant at the wanton imperiousness
of the act. Unhappily one soon gets more or less callous
by custom in such matters ; and it is far too much the
habit among all classes in India, to speak and act towards
the natives, as if they were altogether an inferior race
of animals.
This was my first glimpse of what I afterwards found
to be almost universal, from the highest ranks to the
lowest, or rather from the lowest ranks almost to the
highest. At Government House or at the Bishop's Palace,
natives of high rank or distinguished attainments are
received with courtesy and kindness; and occasionally
one meets with Hindoo fellow Christians at the house of
a clergyman or missionary, though this is far rarer than
would be expected; but almost every member of the
army, down to the youngest oflScer or lowest private.
46 OVERLAND.
speaks of theria with unmitigated contempt and dislike ;
low-class Europeans insult them at every opportunity,
and East Indians too often seek to repudiate their con-
nection with the native race by displaying a double
measure of rancour and disgust. I have heard a young
lieutenant boast openly of the insolence he had displayed
towards a native prince to whose court he was oflBcially
attached ; and have known the child of a common non-
commissioned officer removed from a good school, be-
cause one of the teachers, a well-educated and high-
principled woman, had dark blood in her veins, and " he
thought them as was white hadn't ought to be put under
them as wasn't/' In fact, it is scarcely too much] to say,
that excepting by those wjio recognize the Christian
daty of educating and elevating the natives of India, one
rarely hears them spoken of, or sees them treated, as
if any tie of common humanity linked the races together.
At last my turn arrived for greetings and farewells ;
a host of coolies carried off the luggage, and in a few
minutes we were fairly on Indian ground, and driving
through the suburb of Kidderpore towards the city of
Calcutta.
47
IFnlanH.
"the city of palaces/'
This drive must utterly astonish any passenger, who,
coming by the long sea route, is unprepared by previous
experience for the eccentricities of Eastern life. Even
ailer what we had seen in Egypt and Ceylon the scene
was startling ; and now, though years of foreign life have
somewhat dimmed the force of first impressions, the name
of Kidderpore bazaar conjures up a vivid picture of all
that is most peculiar and objectionable in the native
quarter of an Eastern town.
Figure to yourself a long, narrow, uneven street, or
rather lane, destitute of footpaths, and bounded on each
side by a filthy drain, bridged over at every few yards by
a couple of feet of brickwork or a board, for the conve-
nience of those who frequent the shops, which form a
continuous line along its margin. These shops are long
low huts, consisting merely of a few upright bamboos,
converted into pillars by a Uberal plastering of mud, and
connected by walls of rough hurdle work, daubed in like
manner. The walls of some are nothing but coarse matt-
ing tied together, and all are either rudely thatched
with palm leaves or tiled with small cylindrical tiles
48 INLAND.
strung on bamboos. Doors there are few, windows none,
the whole front above the level of the counter being left
open to the street. On this counter which extends along
the front, squats the seller, in the midst of his goods,
generally a lean, brown, wild-looking being ; naked, save
for a dingy wrapper round his loins, and with his long
unkempt black hair, either twisted into a knot behind, or
hanging in tangled profusion round his neck. ITie aspect
of the edible goods is anything but inviting. Heaps of
sugar, dates, and various kinds of grain and native
sweetmeats, are piled upon the dirty counter round the
dirty man, and swarmed over by myriads of flies and
wasps.
There are no butchers' or fishmongers' shops to be
seen, for the climate requires all such goods to be cleared
off in the early morning as soon as killed ; but there are
plenty of sweets and groceries, and shops filled with
gaudy crockery and drapery, with fruit and vegetables^
tobacco and charcoal, pipe stems gaily ornamented, and
rude coloured shoes and slippers. Here and there are
brokers* premises, where in shops and yards lie heaps of
every kind of rubbish, old furniture, piles of rusty iron
chains, anchors, gaudy pictures, figure-heads, old clothes,
and other incongruous lumber, unchanged year after
year, except by accumulating age and dust. Here on a
spot of waste ground stands a dilapidated idol car, there
an ill-painted and ill -spelt sign-board announces that
Ram Dass or Gobinchunder Shaw dispenses drugs or
executes repairs ; but the shops are all alike, mere dirty
stalls, and there is scarcely more variety among the
sellers. They differ chiefly in obesity and colour, the
majority being lanky and of a mahogany or chocolate
hue ; but some are truly disgusting objects, corpulent to
the last degree, their bodies bare far below the waist, and
their colour a decided yellow, the most repulsive of
'4.
"the cirr of palaces. 49
all the native tints. Here and there may be seen one
clothed in decent garments^ consisting of a long tight-
fitting shirt, open down one side of the breast, with a
muslin scarf twisted over the shoulders, and another
loosely swathing the hips and reaching below the knee,
shoes on his stockingless feet^ and a turban or tinselled
skull cup on his head ; but the great majority have arms,
legs, and body bare, and squat upon their shopboards or
their doorsteps in attitudes strongly reminding one of
the monkey tribes, their knees drawn up to their chins,
and their listless hands folded round their feet, except
^hen occupied with the unfailing " hookah." This name
is applied to every kind of pipe, from the costly silver
stand with long crimson piping and amber mouth- piece,
to the cheapest and commonest of all, a cocoa-nut shell
with a trumpet-shaped pipe stuck in the top to hold the
lighted tobacco, and a hole in the side through which
the smoke is inhaled; but in all I believe the smoke
passes through or over water, and European pipes are
never seen.
The bazaar is busy and noisy enough, especially
towards evening, crowded with women of the lowest
classes, bare armed and bare legged, their heads and
bodies loosely wrapped in coarse white calico or muslin,
or in the dark blue and crimson stuffs of the country,
with rows of bracelets on their dusky arms, and heavy
metal ornaments upon their ankles, and generally carry-
ing astride upon their hips black-eyed children, abso-
lutely naked but for the rows of coloured rings circling
their sleek brown legs aud arms. Chinese and Lascar
sailors in dark blue shirts, respectable Hindoos in apparel
of every variety of colour and fashion except the Euro-
pean, and low East Indians in the shabbiest mockery of
English dress, jostle each other in the crowded lanes.
Farroquets swing and chatter overhead, and goats, dogs,
4
and fowls mingle in the tbrong, walking in and eat of
honsea at their pleasure. They often add to the bizarre
Ooolia ud Biboo.
effect of the scene, by being dyed a bright m^enta — a
colour with which the natives delight to transfigure any
creature naturally white ; and the whole seems at first
more like some strange phantasmagoria, the imagery of
a hideous magic lantern or a bewildered dream, than like
a sober, waking reality.
Presently the scene changes ; a rickety bridge,
spanning one of the many channels of the Hooghly, is
passed, and the road begins to skirt the Maidan or plain
which serves as a pubhc park for Calcutta. It is ao
oblong ezpanae of turf of considerable extent, and as
"thb city of palaces/* 51
absolately flat as can be imagined^ bounded pn opposite
sides by the Hooghly and the Chowringhee road, while
Government House and the adjacent buildings enclose
one end, and the suburb of Kidderpore skirts the other.
Fort William, the Cathedral, the Jail, and the tall column
called the Ochterlony Monument, stand on this plain, and
the Lunatic Asylum, the Hospital, the High Court, the
Bishop's Palace, the Club and the Town Hall, besides
some of the best private residences in Calctltta, border
it on the Chowringhee side.
The general style of building in the European quar-
ters of the city is imposing, and the effect would be very
fine but for the general discolouration before referred to.
All the houses, except in streets devoted to shops and
offices, stand apart in compounds planted with shrubs
and trees ; and the white buildings with their pillared
verandahs rising story above story from the surrounding
foliage, have a beautiful effect, especially by moonlight.
Then their defects of colour are not so readily observed,
and few under this aspect would deny to Calcutta the
title of the "City of Palaces." Fewer still, perhaps,
would question the appropriateness of the addition " and
pig-sties,*' after a drive through the native portion of the
town.
The squares, of which there are several, are especially
pleasant. Instead of the garden which invariably forms
the centre of an English square, most of the area is
occupied by a large tank or reservoir, banked with grassy
slopes, edged with rows of trees, and surrounded by rail-
ings or white balustrades. Broad flights of steps, more
or less exposed according to the degree of drought, lead
down to and into the water, and these steps are the con-
stant resort of the native women, who come and go
all day, with their large brass and earthen water-pots,
and of the bheesties with their mussocks or water-skins.
52 INLAND.
All around are the white compound walls and overhang-
ing trees^ that partly screen the adjacent houses ; and
it is easy to imagine the fairy-like loveliness of the whole
scene when lit up by the intensely clear, calm radiance of
tropical moonlight, with every orb of heaven reflected on
the unruflSed surface of the sleeping water, and the tiers
of white pillars rising from the midst of graceful foliage
and often wreathed with rich masses of most brilliant
creepers.
A daylight drive, however, round even the best parts
of Calcutta, reveals much of remaining barbarism ;
though so rapid is the progress of improvement, that
possibly what was true twelve months ago, may be an
obsolete objection now. In 1866, there was scarcely an
attempt at drainage visible throughout the city, and
almost every street was bordered by a stagnant open
ditch, which received the outflow of stables, and was
openly used by the natives for the most filthy pur-
poses, all the refuse of European houses being carted
ofi" nightly by the Conservancy staflF and thrown into
the river. The obstacles in the way of any satisfac-
tory drainage were enormous, owing partly to the want
of fall, and partly to the impossibility of efiectually
superintending native labourers in such a work, which
required unusual correctness and stability to withstand
the enormous rush of water at certain seasons of the
year.
The common coolies who must perform the bulk of
all these undertakings, are for the most part mere beasts
of burden, with just enough intelligence to spare them-
selves any avoidable exertion, and no thought or care
for the results of perfunctory and dishonest labour. The
native contractors are shrewd enough in every petty
trick of trade, .but they seldom appear to have the
faintest glimmer of honest principle, and if they can
"the city op palaces.^' 53
make or save a few rupees by bad material or imperfect
workmanship^ it matters little to tbem whether the work
stand or fell. For the most part they have neither name
nor character that will outweigh in their estimation the
prospect of the paltriest gain, and many of their East
Indian compeers bear a reputation scarcely higher. The
English engineer ought to be always at his post, with a
constitution that can defy heat and fatigue, an acuteness
that canning cannot baffle, and a patience that no amount
of indolence or perversity can exhaust. The first instinct
of the Bengal coolie is to get his rice and his hookah,
the second, to lie down and sleep at every available
opportunity; but beyond these two it would be difficult to
make any general statement. Poor helpless creatures !
Grod forbid that Christians should despise them, or forget
the human brotherhood that makes it binding upon the
higher to try and raise the lower members of the race ;
but it is trying and hardening in the extreme to live
among them, and be hourly irritated by their ignorance
and idleness, with no common tongue in which to
convey any satisfactory direction or reproof; and it
is to be feared that the unmistakable language of
kicks and blows is too often resorted to, in default of any
other.
Certainly there is something in the extreme degrada-
tion of the lowest classes that is apt to create the same
sense of impatient annoyance, as some of the disgusting
antics of the monkey tribe ; they seem such a humiliating
caricatnre of human nature. I shall never forget one
man who had been sent to do some trifling job of
carpentry in one of my rooms. He was an undersized,
animal-looking fellow, with a sooty complexion not
common among even the lowest natives, and like most
inferior "mistaries '^ or craftsmen, his only clothing was
an exceedingly minute waistcloth of dingy rag. In the
54 INLAND.
course of the operation he cut his finger with a chisel,
and instead of hurrying away to get it tied up, he
squatted on the floor, holding it up for me to see, and
jabbering piteously as the drops fell on the clean new
matting, with exactly the look and gesture of a wounded
monkey.
Notwithstanding ^11 these hindrances, a vast system
of underground drainage has been excavated in the
European portion of Calcutta, within the last few years ;
and if the scheme be ever carried out in its entirety,
and the sewage applied to the fertilization of a barren
district at some distance from the city, it will be a
gigantic monument of European perseverance under
difficulties.
Already water has been brought through pipes from
the unpolluted stream above Calcutta, thoroughly filtered,
and carried all over the town by engineering skill.
There are taps at short distances along all the chief
streets, so that the priceless boon of pure water has been
conferred upon every inhabitant of the capital, and this
alone must do away with one of the most fertile sources
of disease. The lower class of Hindoos seem absolutely
insensible to ill odours and foul water, so the prevalence
of zymotic disease among them is scarcely to be wondered
at. Often on summer nights, when the exhalations from
the noisome ditches above-mentioned were most unbear-
able, I have seen numbers of natives who had come
out of their huts for the sake of coolness, lying asleep
wrapped in their sheets, upon the planks laid for foot-
ways over the abominable mud. Often, too, in driving
through native quarters, I have seen women walk into
a stagnant pool as dark as any English horsepond, take
up two or three successive handfuls of the water to rinse
their mouths, and then proceed to duck overhead re-
peatedly, and wash themselves and their clothes with
''the city Of PALA.CB8/' 55
fts mach apparent satisfaction, as if the black fluid were
a crystal stream.
Even in 1866, Chowringhee, and one or two of the
chief streets and squares, were tolerably exempt from evil
odours ; but elsewhere '* palaces and pig-sties," English
houses and native huts, were indiscriminately jumbled
together, amid stenches indescribable. Each English
house stands back at some little distance from the street
in its own compound, of which the road -ward side is
bounded by kitchens, servants' houses, stables, etc., all
under the old system discharging their drainage into the
outer ditch. Footpaths there were none; and though
many have been made since the closing of the drains,
they are of comparatively little use ; first, because they
are intersected at every few yards by the carriage-drives
up to the houses; and secondly, because the town
authorities have planted trees at short intervals in the
middle of the paths, and surrounded H^em by fences
which efiectually obstruct the way. One use, however,
has been discovered by the natives, who find the public
footpaths in the vicinity of their dwellings eminently
safe and convenient spots for their diurnal repose. Con-
stantly in driving round Calcutta, not in back lanes,
but in the best and most public thoroughfares, one
sees them, closely enveloped, head and all, in dingy
sheets, reposing on charpoys, which completely block
the footpath. These charpoys are bedsteads of the
simplest and cheapest kind, a mere slight frame of
rough wood, with coarse netting stretched across it,
and so light as to be easily lifted in and out of the
dwelling.
As to any delicacy about taking his siesta, or indeed
doing anything in public, nothing is farther from the
Hindoo mind, and it is a perpetual source of wonder and
amusement to see the unembarrassed ease with which
56 IFUND.
employments of a personal nature are carried on m the
moat crowded streets. One can scarcely drive through
the town in the forenoon without seeing people squatting
by the drains and brushing their teeth with a primitive
instrument of split wood ; others standing near a tank
and poaring water over their heads till it streams from
their limbs and garments, and then deliberately drying
wv^
themselves and changing their scanty apparel in full view
of all passers-by, or walking home with their drenched
mnslin wrappers clinging to their skins; others again
seated in front of their dwellings, or nnder a shady tree,
and prosecuting entomological researches on the heads of
their companions with commendable zeal and peraerer*
''the city op PALACIS/' 57
anoe. Indeed^ this pursuit appears to excite a livelier
interest than any other, and is one of their great
resources for wiling away the time which they cannot
spend in sleep.
•Shaving is another operation constantly performed in
the open street, and some of the modifications of the
barber's art are remarkable. The respectable classes,
university students, baboos and sircars, who act as
clerks, accountants, etc., generally go about bare-headed,
with hair unshaven, but cropped so closely that it has
the appearance of black plush; and the lower work-
people, coolies, etc., either have it long and twisted into
a knot behind, or hanging in wild confusion; or they
shave the head totally or in part, leaving a round patch
on the crown, or a broad band from ear to ear behind.
It is very wonderful to see them go about under a sun
that would be certain death to a European, with their
bare scalps shining under its rays, or with only the pro-
tection of close-cropped hair; and the more so because
others appear to think it necessary to swathe their heads
with as large a bundle of rags as they can muster. The
genteel head-dress in Bengal is a curious, very flat turban,
shaped like a small soup-plate, with a very wide, thick
rim, the part that covers the head being merely a thin
skull-cap. This is generally white, though sometimes
scarlet, dark blue, or black, and being often crossed
diagonally by bright-coloured bands, the efiect is good,
though not nearly so picturesque as the full white muslin
turbans of Madras, and the richer head-gear of the North
West and other parts. No upper servant would venture
to appear in his master's presence or to wait at table
without his "puggree;*' respect, in India, as in other
Eastern countries, being shown by covering the head and
putting off the shoes.
Near Government House are a few streets, chiefly
58 INLAND.
composed of English shopSj where, for prices ranging
from aboat double those at home, one can purchase
almost everything of the newest make and fashion.
Some of these shops, especially for glass, china, uphol-
stery, drapery, books, and imported groceries, rival. the
best establishments in any English town ; but the high
prices, above all for shoes and millinery, drive people of
moderate means to native dealers. One narrow tortuous
lane is occupied chiefly by the shops of Chinese shoe-
makers, who are accounted the best workmen in this
line ; other quarters, as the Old and New China Bazaars,
are full of native warehouses and shops, where goods
of various kinds are stored for sale in the midst of
dirt and confusion ; while Lall Bazaar and Bow Bazaar
are composed almost entirely of furniture shops and the
lowest public-houses, mingled with some few European
dwellings of respectable size and character. The dis-
reputable drinking dens of the former place are the
notorious resort of sailors of the worst class, and of every
nationality.
Government House itself is an imposing building,
facing across the wide expanse of the Maidan, and
bounded on other sides by some of the chief streets, its
great lion-surmounted gateways guarded by swarthy
sentries in a half- European, half- Asiatic uniform. A
huge dome surmounts its centre, from which the four
wings radiate in bold curves, the lofty pillars of the upper
story carrying out the prevaiUng local style of architec-
ture; and the whole, with its broad flights of steps
and cannon-guarded enclosure, bearing a noble and
stately aspect. But, like all the rest, it is mere
brick and plaster, and gets wofully discoloured during
the rains. The Cathedral is the same, plaster within
and without, and wretchedly adapted for hearing, but
finely situated, and surrounded by noble trees^ under
"the city op palaces." 59
which wait scores of carriages while divine worship is
proceeding.
Walking to church, even from the shortest distance^
is a physical impossibility, except to early or late services,
and even then very few attempt it. Some churches make
a practice of sending round vehicles for their poorer
members, who might otherwise find it impossible to
come ; and the same plan is followed by some of the
Sunday and day-schools.
Undoubtedly the difficulty is exaggerated by indolence
and by the influence of the native idea that walking is
derogatory to anyone's respectability, but still it is a real
and serious one. Carriages are hired by the hour, the
authorized rate being about Is. 6d. for the first hour, and
8d. for any hour or fraction of an hour beyond ; and as
the vehicle must wait the passenger's return, the inevit-
able 2s. or 2s. 6d. is a heavy tax on an ill furnished
purse.
The hack carriages themselves are worthy of a brief
description. The best resemble an English fly, with
Venetians instead of windows, and the worst are like no
other vehicle under the sun, at least an far as my ex-
perience goes. Too low for a tall person to sit upright,
and too narrow to be occupied by more than a couple of
individuals with any comfort, they are furnished, instead
of windows, with sliding shutters, which have to be
pushed back to admit of ingress or egress, and which,
when closed, exclude both light and air. There is no
door, and one has to step into the well provided for one's
legs, over the side of the vehicle, which is as high as the
seat, so the discomfort of this mode of entrance and exit
may readily be imagined. Below these even, there is a
lower depth of shabbiness and discomfort, but as such
are only used by natives, I need not waste words upon
them. Superior vehicles, with decent appointments, can
60 INLiLND.
also be hired, but only for the day or half-day, at extra-
vagant rates ; so the second-class gharries above described
are the vehicles in general use.
The horses — ^for most of these delightful vehicles
boast two — are miserable beyond description ; small,
gaunt, neglected, galled brutes, such as one would never
see in England except in a gipsy^s or costermonger's cart ;
and the harness corresponds, often consisting only of a
shabby collar, and an arrangement of ropes and rusty
chains. The driver may be dressed with some attempt at
decency, or he may not ; but the latter contingency is
the more probable. In that case his whole attire will
probably consist of a bundle of dirty rag twisted round
his head, a piece of dingy calico thrown across his body,
and another wrapped round his loins, his badge tied
round his bare arm, and clumsy, peaked shoes on his
feet. A familiar, in similar apparel, sits beside him on
the box, or mounts guard on the foot-board behind, and
not one word of English can the precious pair muster
between them. The very names of streets and public
buildings, and the numbers of houses, have to be trans-
lated into the vernacular before they can understand your
directions; and this is no easy matter, for the native
names have often no correspondence with the English
ones, but are derived from some trivial or forgotten cir-
cumstance in the antecedents of the site, or the appear-
ance of the building. Thus Elysium Bow is Nautch Ghar
ka Gully, because a theatre once stood there ; one great
public school is Panch Kotee, or the Five Houses ; and
another, Gaokhana, or the Cow-house, from a former use of
the site ; Wellesley Street is the Madrassa ka Rasti, on
account of the native college; Victoria Square is Buhmun
Bustee, from a Brahmin settlement once located on its
site ; and so on, to the utter despair of any unfortunate
iureigner who finds himself adrift in a hack carriage
"the city op palaces/' 61
vrith no interpreter at hand. I have known strangers^
starting with the fond belief that their drivers knew
where to take them^ driven about literally for hours
in the vain endeavour to discover places within ten
minutes' walk of their own door. The Old Mission
Church is the Lall Girja, because at some forgotten
period it was coloured red; and St. John's the Patla
ka Girja^ from its marble pavement^ once unique in
Calcutta.
The MartiniJre, the Panch Kotee above-mentioned,
is a magnificent school, founded by the liberality of a
French soldier of fortune in the ''good old times.*'
Upwards of one hundred orphan boys and seventy girls
of respectable European or Eurasian descent are main-
tained, clothed and taught by this splendid foundation ;
and a still larger number of ordinary pupils, admitted at
a moderate rate of payment, share the benefits of the
institution, receiving an education equal to that of any
middle class school in England. The noble buildings
devoted to these schools, standing apart in their exten-
sive compounds, are conspicuous objects in the Southern
Circular Road; and the Doveton College, the Young
Ladies' Institution, the Jesuit College, and the Loretto
Convent School, rank with them among the first educa-
tional institutions in India. Besides these, the European
Orphan Asylum, the Calcutta Girls' School, the Free
School, and others, board and educate large numbers
of English and Anglo-Indian children; and there are
numerous Mission Schools for natives: so the difficulty
of finding any of these Institutions is extreme, unless
acquainted with the native synonym.
As for English surnames, few indeed are the servants
who know those of their own masters, and fewer still
those who can pronounce them intelligibly ; and incon-
ceivable annoyance, confusion, and delay often arise from
62 INLAND.
this seemingly trifling difficulty. No message, except of
the very simplest character^ such as an inquiry after
healthy can ever be sent by a servant^ and this necessitates
a wearisome multiplication of petty notes or '' chits/'
which is one of the standing worries of Indian life.
You are engaged with visitors, perhaps, or lying down,
and a note is brought in. You take it, and send word to
the bearer to wait. Another comes, and yet another,
before you are at leisure for the answers, and behold,
when you send down your reply, no one can tell to whom
it should be given. The bearers are there, perhaps lying
asleep under the stairs, or sitting in their favourite atti-
tude in the porch ; but, out of half-a-dozen, three probably
have not the faintest idea who sent them, being mere
coolies hired for a few pice for the single errand ; and
two may know their masters' names, or at any rate their
directions, but cannot pronounce the former, or give any
but the native equivalent for the latter. The sixth is
probably a chuprassie, or badge-bearer, having his
master's name or office engraved on a large brass
medallion on his scarf, and with him of course there is
no difficulty. As to the others, you decide as best you
can, and perhaps eventually discover that two out of the
five have gone wrong, and that the answer to some
urgent query has been mis-sent to a distant suburb.
But the petty difficulties that beset one in dealing
with native servants, form too important an element
in Anglo-Indian life to be treated of incidentally at the
end of a chapter, so our next shall be devoted to domestic
topics.
63
II
VNQLISH HOUSEKEBPIKO IK CALCUTTA.
One of the first necessaries in housekeepings either at
home or abroad^ is, of course, a house fco keep ; and this
in Calcutta is a serious matter, for the rents are enormous.
If one can submit to live among native neighbours, in one
of the noisy streets or narrow lanes that intersect the city,
a good, roomy house may be obtained at a comparatively
reasonable rate ; but the objections on the ground of both
health and comfort are very great, and most Europeans,
if compelled to the alternative, would rather content
themselves with a single floor in a better part of the
capital, or occupy rooms in one of the large boarding
houses. These, however, are also enormously expensive,
ranging from £10 or £15 per mensem for a single person,
with no private sitting-room, up to £60 or £70 for a suite
of rooms with board and attendance. Bespectable lodgings,
such as abound in English towns, are totally unknown ;
but two or more families often compromise matters by
taking a house between them ; and young men engaged in
business, but with no home in Calcutta, club together in
hke manner, so as to make one establishment answer for five
or six. This is more feasible than it would be in England,
from the universal employment of male domestics ; and
some of these ''chummeries'* are kept up in very hand-
some style.
64 INLAND.
We will take^ hoTrever, for our typical householder
some youug professional man^ of fair standing in society^
but limited means ; one who in any ordinary English to^i^n
would take a house renting at about £40 a year^ which a
couple of neat maidservants could keep in perfect order.
For anything like a corresponding dwelling in Calcutta,
he must pay in rent and taxes about £20 a month, and
the servants required are legion.
In the first place, there must be a khansamah, or
steward, to buy the daily food, and see that it is properly
cooked and placed upon the table. In a very smtdl family
he may condescend to fulfil the duties of cook and table
servant also ; but in this case a musalchee, or kitchen-
man, is absolutely necessary to assist him.
It is impossible for Europeans to do their own market-
ing in Calcutta. In the first place, one ought to be at the
bazaar soon after 5 a.m.^ and this bazaar is probably a
mile or more from home ; and in the second, no one who
had once tried the experiment of going would ever wish
to repeat it. The dealers in meat, fish, vegetables,
poultry, eggs, etc., combine with the whole race of khan-
samahs against the dangerous innovations of sahibs and
mem sahibs visiting their territories, and unite in asking
the most exorbitant prices for every article. The noise,
the confusion, the cool impudence of some of the salesmen,
and the bewildering solicitations of others, with the utter
impossibility of arriving at the right price of anything,
would make one trial sufficient for the most strong minded
of English housekeepers. Nor is it pleasant to expose
oneself to the contempt of an inferior people by doing
what runs counter to their strongest prejudices.
Then, again, there is a recognized principle in Bengal,
and probably throughout India, called "dustoor," or
custom, which fully accounts for native repugnance to
European interference in such matters. It simply means
XNQLI8H HOUSEEESPINQ IN CALCUTTA. 65
that on every article purcliased in their several depart-
ments year servants have a right to levy a percentage
for their own advantage. We hear something of such
practices in England^ but India is the country to see them
in perfection. If your khansamah happens to be an honest
man, he will content himself with a legitimate rate of
profit ; if not, he fleeces you right and left till you find
him out by comparing notes with more experienced
friends ; and then you may either try with more or less
success to keep down his charges, or part with him, and
repeat the same process with another. Any way, one
thing is certain, you will get neither enlightenment nor
profit by trying to bargain for yourself.
The most modest establishment must therefore contain
two or three servants in the victualling department —
khansamah, kitmutghar, and musalchee, or bawarchee—
i.e.y steward, table-servant, kitchenman, and cook ; and
all these must be Mahometans, because the religion of the
Hindoos forbids their touching our food, or even the plate
from which an Englishman has eaten. The duties of
housemaid are divided in like manner between three
individuals in a small family, or three sets of servants
in a large one. The bearer dusts the rooms and attends
to the lamps; the sweeper (mehtar) does the work
implied by his name, and every dirty job about the
house ; and the durwan sits in a lodge at the gate, and
admits or refuses visitors and others according to his
orders.
Among these, the khansamah, head bearer, and
durwan are the authorised claimants of " dustoor '' in
their- various departments, the said dustoor, of course,
really coming out of their masters* pocket. If a pedlar or
embroidery seller comes to the house, and you purchase
anything, he is mulcted before he leaves the premises ; if
you send for a hack carriage, the driver must pay dustoor
5
66 INLAND.
to tic darwan before he drives awav. It is true that the
sum is often infinitesimal^ the rate being about two pice
(Id.) in the rupee, which may be reckoned at 2s., but the
sense of cheatery attending it makes it an irritating tax
upon the buyer ; and another petty imposition of the same
kind is even more annoying. There is no such thing
as a delivery of parcels from any shop in Calcutta,
either European or native, but everything you purchase,
unless conveyed home in your own carriage, is sent by
coolies, whom you have to pay.
One durwan is enough in most establishments, but
unless the household is a very small one, more than one
bearer is required, and at least one male and one female
sweeper. Europeans whose means are straitened some-
times pay the latter a small sum to attend twice in the day,
instead of keeping them regularly in their service ; but this
is inconvenient, because, if any sudden demand should arise
for their peculiar work, no other servant will touch it for
fear of losing caste. A bearer may pick up shreds of paper
or similar litter with his fingers, but he will on no account
handle the implements of a sweeper, much less do any
of his really ofiensive work.
Another absolutely necessary servant is the bheesty,
or water-carrier, though his work in Calcutta is gradually
being superseded in a great measure by the new water
supply. Formerly, one or more bheesties were required
for every house, to fetch water from the neighbouring
tanks for bathing, washing, cooking, etc. Even a small
garden requires one mallee, or gardener, and a large one
several, if it is to be kept in anything like order, for grass
and weeds spring up so rapidly, especially in the rainy
season, that the mere keeping of the paths is work for
one man ; especially as it is one of their immutable customs
to take two hours* leave in the middle of the day, and quit
work at sunset, besides seizing every available opportunity
ENGLISH HOCSEKBBPIKO IN CALCUTTA. o7
for going to aleep in the oathoosea or inrestigating each
other's heads.
Then the sahib must have his horse and buggy to
drire to ofBce and back, and the mem sahib her carnage
and horse or horses for shopping, calling, and the never-
laiJing evening drive. Two servants more, a coachman
and syce, are indispensable for these ; and if there be a
child or children in the family, an ayah and an extra bearer
are required; while in wealthier households each child
will have its separate attendants. Hindoo men are
wonderfully gentle and patient nurses, and it is curious to
see these dark, mustachioed, turbaned fellows walking to
and fro with unwearied patience, husliing the tiniest babes
to sleep. But as the little ones grow older, the conse-
quences of leaving them in charge of native servautii.
68 IHLAHD.
ignorant of even the elements of Christian decency and
morals^ are oflen most deplorable. The idea of any native
attempting to control an English child^ except by coaxing,
never enters either their heads or the parents' ; so the
poor Uttle things grow up too often passionate and self-
willed, accastomed to disobedience, and trained to deceit,
if not to actual vice. This is one of the sorest anxieties
that beset an English home in India ; for a mother cannot
possibly have her children always with her, and the utmost
she can feel sure of in native servants is, that they will
shield the Uttle ones from outward danger.
The expense of such an establishment is fortunately
not at all proportionate to its numbers, from an English
point of view. Wages are considerably higher than they
used to be ; but even now the average pay of each servant
is not above fourteen or fifteen shillings a month, out of
which they keep themselves and their families. None of
them, except the durwan, and perhaps a bearer and an
ayah, sleep on the premises ; and none, except the
sweepers, who are outcasts, and glad of any leavings,
would touch your food : so the expense of keeping them
is limited to their actual wages, unless the master chooses
to clothe any of the upper servants in a distinctive livery.
Their own dress is neat and sufficient, and admirably
suited to the climate, consisting, if they are Mahometans,
of wide, long, petticoat-like drawers, and a kind of shirt,
which fits closely to the arms and body, and is fastened
on the loft side of the breast, reaching below the knee, and
open on both sides from the hips doWnwards. The flat
turban above described covers the head, and a piece of
muslin several yards in length twisted into a rope-like
girdle is wrapped round and round the loins. The feet
are always bare, so that their movements, especially
when waiting at table, are singularly noiseless. A
Hindoo bearer's dress is much the same, except that
XNOLtaH HousEKBKPnra in Calcutta. 69
instead of the nether garmeat he wears a piece of calico
or maslin wrapped in a pecaliar manner round the lower
part of the body and reaching to the knee, and his upper
yestment opens on the right instead of the left side of the
breast. This clothing being all spotlessly white, contrasts
well with their swarthy skins, and looks delightfully clean
and cool. Many Europeans, however, adopt some modifi-
cation aa a livery for their servants, having their turbans
and saabes twisted with some gay colour, or giving them
in the cold season tonics of bright cloth or merino, and
70
ISLASD.
turbans to correspond. Some of these half civilized
costumes are exceedingly picturesque, and nothing can be
imagined more elegant than some of the equipages that
turn out in Calcutta, with two of these gailv attired
servants on the box, and two more erect on the foot-
board, or running at the horses' heads with long white
fljrflaps of Thibetian cow's tail streaming over their
shoulders.
The private houses in Calcutta are all built on one
general plan, with so little modification, except in size and
detail, that one description will suffice for all. All stand
back more or less from the street, shut in by compound
walls or railings, dnrwan's lodge, outhouses, and stables ;
and almost all have a large heavy porch, often hung with
masses of creepers, and wide enough to shelter more than
one carriage at a time. A flight of wide, low steps leads
up to large folding doors, which stand open all day,
except in the cold season, and display a wide, paved hall
or ante-room, with the staircase up one side. Opening on
this are two or three wide and lofty doorways, with their
folding doors fastened back, and purdahs, or door curtains,
hung across about two thirds of the height, so as to leave
a free circulation of air above, while affording a screen
below. One of these probably leads to the dining-room,
a largo, square apartment, with folding windows the same
size as the doors, also fastened back, and a measure of
light and air supplied by heavy Venetian shutters. On
each side of the room other doors, open in like manner,
with their purdahs swaying in the air, lead to the bed-
rooms, with their adjacent bath-rooms. Upstairs, the
arrangements are similar — an ante-room, and a drawing-
room surrounded by bed-rooms, except where it opens on
a wide and lofty verandah, supported by pillars, and
screened from the sun by moveable bamboo blinds. Some-
timeSj but not usually^ tiiere is a third story, and the flat
ENGLISH HOUSEKEEPING IN CALCUTTA. 71
balnstraded or batilemented roof is always reached by a
narrow staircase^ and affords the coolest and airiest spot
for evening exercise. This is all in a house of ordinary
size, and it is obvious at once that very little of EngUsh
comfort or privacy can be looked for in such an abode.
In some cases the lower story is not high enough to be
used for dwelling or sleeping-rooms, its chief purpose
being to keep the upper floor from damp ; and dining and
drawing-room must then be both upstairs.
The doors must all be open day and night ; by day,
for a free circulation ol» such air as there is, and by night,
that the south breeze, which is the very breath of life in
Calcutta, may blow through all the rooms : so that the
bed-rooms are generally only screened from the verandah,
the sitting-rooms, or each other, by Venetian doors or
purdahs, and woe to the unhappy European who can only
sleep in comfort with bars and bolts about him. The few
servants who remain on the premises merely roll them-
selves in a sheet, and lie down on a mat spread wherever
it may be convenient, going to the nearest tank to bathe
and perform their scanty toilet ; so that servants' bed-
rooms find no place in a Calcutta household. Neither
can there be any quiet nursery or school-room, where the
children may be out of sight and hearing for a while ; for
even in the rare case of there being a room to spara for
such a purpose, there is no keeping them to it, or shutting
out the sounds of play and naughtiness, and no possibility
of securing to elder children the opportunity for undis-
turbed study.
A good school is a far better place than most Indian
homes ; but even there, on the other hand, is the terrible
danger of association with others who may have imbibed
the worst tendencies from the influence and example of
native servants. No wonder that at any cost of separa-
tion and expense Anglo-Indian parents will, .if possible.
72 INLAND.
send their clii]dren to the purer moral and physical atmos-
phere of home.
The kitchen of an Indian dwelling is never ander the
same roof, for the heat and smell of the cookery would be
unbearable. It is as well, perhaps, for other reasons, that
it should be away ; for few Europeans could relish their
food if they saw anything of the process of preparation.
The results, if the domestics are up to their work, are
undeniably good ; and both plain and made dishes, but
especially the latter, would compare favourably with any
cookery commonly seen in England. But as a native
never uses any other implement when fingers will do, and
is utterly unfettered by any of our little prejudices as to
cleanliness and propriety, the less one sees or thinks of the
preliminary operations the better for one^s peace of mind.
'' Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.*' But
these notes are intended for English readers, and one or
two anecdotes may help them to appreciate home com-
forts, and to judge mercifully of the shortcomings of an
English kitchen.
An English gentleman, strolling round his compound
one evening, had the curiosity to look into the cook-room,
where co£fee was preparing, and was irate at finding one
of his socks in use as a strainer. His hasty rebuke was
received with profound apologies, the cook confessing that
he had done very wrong ; but indeed ho would not have
taken the sahib's stocking if it had not been a dirty one !
This is a current story in Calcutta, and I cannot vouch
for its truth, though I can for its exceeding probability.
What follows rests on the authority of a personal friend,
who was staying at the time in the family where it
occurred.
The lady of the house, provoked at the constant dis-
appearance of all the cloths given out for kitchen use, had
unadvisedly declared at the last issue of these articles that
XNOLISH HOUSEKEEPING IN CALCITTTA. 73
they innst last a certain time^ till which she should give
out no others. The time had not expired^ and on the day
in question there was an unaccountable delay in the
appearance of the pudding. After waiting till his patience
was exhausted, the master rose from table and strode
across into the kitchen to ascertain the cause. There he
found the bawarchee in a state of nudity, even more com-
plete than is usual with these worthies in their own
domains, anxiously boiling the expected pudding in
one end of his waistcloth, which he had ungirded for the
purpose !
Another lady, in a colder district on the hills, re-
tained her English taste for bread and butter puddings
till she happened one luckless day to go into her kitchen
at the time of preparation. The cook was seated, as
usual, on the ground, one foot extended towards the fire
witii a lump of butter stuck on the great toe ; and from
this he was expeditiously spreading slices of bread to
fill the dish beside him !
After facts like these, one can believe anything of a
similar nature ; but it is better for one's tranquillity not
to su£fer the imagination to dwell on such topics in India.
Dwellers in far-oflF lands must carry out the adage?,
'' What the eye does not see the heart does not grieve
for,'^ and judge what is placed before them on present
merits rather than possible antecedents.
The fact that every dish has to be carried some
distance from the cook-room to the table, and the constant
use of the punkah during meals, make it necessary that
everything intended to be warm should be served on hot-
water plates. The servants are admirable waiters, watchful,
noiseless, and deft in their movements ; and as they do
not profess to wait on more than their own masters and
mistresses, there are always a good many in attendance
when one has company. Each couple, or even each single
74 DTLiSD.
guest, brings Lis own Idtmntgliar, who stands behind his
chair, and takes care that he is sappfied — an arrangement
which saves mnch trouble to the host and hostess, and
adds considerably to the t^rui tn*enMe of an Indian dinn«-
party. The long table, brilliantly lighted by massive
lamps, its snowy drapery reliered by vases and epergnes
loaded with gorgeous flowers, and the gay dress of the
gnests, backed by the spotless tonics and turbans, and the
dark bearded faces of the noiseless waiters, always
present an attractive aspect.
The punkah swings vigorously overhead, and through
windows and doorways, open on all sides to the ground,
steals in the blessed night breeze, laden with the rich
odours of jessamine-scented flowers, and the shrill song of
countless grasshoppers and crickets. Another and less
pleasant sound comes, too, at intervals — ^the yell of packs
of jackals beginning their nightly rounds, — perhaps the
most hideous and discordant sound that startles the ear of
night. Why these animals are tolerated in the European
capital of India is best known to those in authority. It
is said that they are too useful as scavengers to be
destroyed ; but surely the work might be done in a way
less disgraceful to our civilization, and this cr^in^ nuisance
swept away. As it is, the unclean beasts lodge under the
lower stories of houses raised a foot or two from the
ground to secure them from damp, or among the tombs
in deserted burying-grounds, and come forth at night
in packs to forage for offal, creeping under closed
gates, and howling beneath the windows of startled
nloepers with a clamour only to be compared to the
most frightful uproar of dogs and cats, with a touch
of tho donkoy^s peculiar note thrown in to intensify the
discord.
Elegant as aro the appointments of many drawing-
rooms in Calcutta, there is a certain bareness and want of
ENGLISH HOUSEKKBPING IN CALCUTTA. 75
finish to an English eye^ chiefly arising from the absence
of all unnecessary drapery, and from the walls being never
papered, but washed with some cool tint, and finished off
with stencilled borders. Papering would be useless, owing
to the damp of the rainy season, and window curtains worse
than useless, obstructing the air in calm weather, and in
storms endangering every light article within reach. In
bedrooms this bareness is still more striking, because the
walls are often only whitened, and their great height gives
them a bam-like aspect, especially as all the beams of
every ceiling must be exposed to view, in order that the
ravages of the white ant may be more readily detected.
One seldom sees the toilet draperies dear to an English
lady's eye, for the very sufficient reason that they would
only serve as a hiding-place for cockroaches, centipedes,
et hoe genus omne ; and the bed stands in the middle of
the room, a wide, bare couch, minus fringes, curtains, and
valances, and often with its feet set in stone saucers filled
with salt water, to prevent the invasion of all wingless
insects. The defence against winged ones is very com-
plete. Four slight posts, screwing into the corners of the
bedstead, support a Ught frame, across which a piece of
coarse, strong net is stretched, forming a complete, but
transparent, tester. All round this is sewed a piece of the
same wide net, which reaches below the mattrass ; and
when tucked in, encloses the sleeper as it were in a trans-
parent box, effectually keeping out all intruders. If, how-
ever, the servant is careless in letting down the curtains,
and allows a mosquito to remain inside, or if the occupant
of the bed is not speedy and skilful in untucking just
sufficient space for entrance, and instantly closing the
aperture, or if there is the smallest rent in the net (three
not improbable contingencies), farewell to all chance of
tranquil rest ! The tiny foe, no larger than an EngUsh
gnat, hovers about, sounding his shrill trumpet, and
76 INLAND.
alightiiig incessantly wherever any exposed surface tempts
his onslaught. In vain the sufferer buffets face and
hands in the endeavour to annihilate the enemy^ in vain
determines to be philosophical and sleep — the exaspe-
rating buzz is too much for endurance ; and it is only
when the bloodthirsty foes have had their fill, and settle
bloated and torpid into silence, that there is any hope of
rest.
The floors of most Calcutta rooms are covered with a
cool, pretty kind of matting, woven of a species of long,
tough grass, which retains a pale green hue, and even a
faint, fragrant smell, for a considerable time. In other
parts of the country, a much coarser and more lasting sort
is manufactured of the split covering of a kind of reed, or
of whole canes the thickness of one's finger, fastened in
parallel rows by string run through holes drilled through
them ; and in some places the floors are covered with a
coarse blue and white checked cotton cloth ; but carpets
are very seldom seen, and, indeed, are most unsuitable to
the climate. All the floors, however, require a covering
of some sort, owing to their peculiar nature. Wood
is not often used in their construction, except for the
large beams which support the upper floors, and which
are always left uncoiled for the reason given above. These
reach from wall to wall, at intervals of about two feet,
and support small, short rafters placed about eight inches
apart, and just long enough to rest on them securely. On
the latter are laid strong tiles, about a foot square, fitting
closely together, and, over them, a second layer, so dis-
posed that the joins fall differently everywhere. All these
being mortared in their places, a quantity of brick-dust
and fragments mixed with lime is spread upon them ; and
the surface, being well moistened with water, is beaten
with little wooden rammers into a sort of concrete, which
wears well enough when protected from friction^ but if
IN0LI8H HOUSSEEEPING IN CALCUTTA. 77
trodden when uncovered and dry, soon resolves itself into
its original constituents.
All the floors, upstairs and down, as well as the roofs,
are generally made of this material, sometimes dammered,
or dressed with a kind of asphalt, especially on roofs,
which are otherwise very liable to leakage after the fierce
drought of summer. For bath-rooms it answers admirably,
as the constant damp keeps it in good order ; for an Indian
bath-room is something very different to its English
representative. The washing-stand, with all its appliances,
generally stands here, instead of in the adjoining bed-
room ; but the bathing apparatus proper is of the most
primitive description, consisting merely of one or more
huge, unglazed, earthen pans of water, and a large tin mug,
with which the bather pours the fluid over his body. The
practice of getting into a bath is comparatively unknown
in India ; but one soon becomes accustomed to this native
fashion, which involves far less expense and troub!e, in a
climate where every one must bathe at least every day.
A ridge of brick-work round the bathing space keeps the
rest of the floor dry, and the water drains off in one
comer. There is generally a narrow flight of steps outside
for the bheesty and mehtar, who can thus come up to
discharge their duties without entering the house — a
double benefit, as it saves their traversing the rooms, and
prevents their pilfering anything by the way. Bheesties
have a very indifferent character for honesty, though their
scanty clothing would seem almost to preclude the possi-
bility of their secreting anything; and they have even
been detected forcing small articles into their empty
mussocks, in hopes of thus carrying them off unseen.
Sometimes their thefts are very daring, as when a friend
of mine missed the large bathing-towel she had used an
hour or two before, and sending to search the bheesty's
hut immediately, recovered the stolen property.
78 IKLAKD.
On the whole^ however^ I am disposed to think that,
except the very low caste people, native servants are far
more trustworthy than they are generally believed to be.
Of course, in this matter, as in every other, very much
depends upon the masters; and the careless habits of
Indo-Europeans, arising from the listlessness inevitably
fostered by the climate, have much to answer for. Still,
I have had Indian servants whom I never hesitated to trust
under circumstances that would try the principles of many
Europeans in the same class of life. I have repeatedly sent
a bearer, whose monthly wages did not exceed fourteen shil-
lings, to fetch and carry sums of money that, in his eyes,
must have been enormous wealth ; and have even put his
fidelity to a still more trying test, by advancing him a
quarter's wages at a time, when he took his biennial leave of
absence to go to his distant up-country home. More than
once the man walked to and fro some hundreds of miles,
to a remote district where I certainly could not have
traced him in case of defalcation, returning punctually to
work on reduced pay till the debt was discharged. My
poor, faithful Bowhanie ! Hindoo as he was, many a so-
called Christian might take pattern with advantage from
him, or from his Mussulman associate, my quiet, punctual,
ever watchful kitmutghar, Kaloo.
It is a painful thing to any Christian heart to be sur-
rounded in one's very home by heathen and Mahometans,
especially when one is unable to speak to them of the faith
that makes us to differ; and this is more or less the case
with all Europeans, except the very few who have studied
the vernacular really with a missionary purpose. Even
people brought up in the country, and fluent in the Hindoo-
stani jargon which forms the general vehicle of communi-
cation with the natives, are utterly at a loss to convey any
spiritual idea to their minds. They may be able to
bargain^ give orders, and scold^ with ease, to ask questions
ENGLISH HOUSEKEEPING IN CALCUTTA. 79
and understand replies on ordinary topics ; but religion
presents a new field altogether, with a language of its own
not easily acquired. There is a society in Calcutta, which
sends out native Christians to read and explain the Bible
weekly to the servants of any household, for a small
payment ; but, unfortunately, its agents are men of the
lowest caste, and this is a great hindrance to their useful-
ness. It may readily be supposed that even servants will
not listen with much respect to a man whom they could
not touch without contamination; and yet this is the
literal fact. No mallee or bearer, no kitmutghscr or
coachman would even help to move a fallen tree side by
side with a mehtar ; and I cannot but think that it is a
great mistake to send out men of this despised caste as
teachers, except among their own people. The servants
will sit and listen, or rather they will sit and do nothing,
which is always an easy matter for a Bengali ; and even
thus, good has been done : many minds have been leavened
to some extent with the rudiments of Christian morality,
and some few have been savingly enlightened, even by
this most unlikely instrumentality; but one would fain
see Christian Hindoos of a higher class willing to under
take work like this for the Lord whom they profess to
follow.
The only general feature in an Indian houjse left to
describe is the most distinctive and universal of all — the
punkah. It hangs everywhere, in dining-room, drawing-
room, and bed-room, church, school-room, townhall, and
counting-house, singly or in pairs in private rooms, and
in numbers proportioned to the size of public buildings.
Sometimes it is merely a long cornice pole, with heavy
corded frills of hoUand; sometimes an oblong frame
covered with canvas, coloured to match the rooms, and
edged with the same deep frill. It is hung by crimson ropes
from the lofty ceilings, and pulled by cords passing over
80 INLAND.
small pulleys, and throngli doorways or holes in the wall,
to the anteroom or verandah, where sits the bearer whose
sole business is to keep it in motion. Sometimes the
punkah is necessarily so arranged that he is in the same
room ; and one has to live for eight or nine months of the
year subject to the perpetual presence of a wild, half-
dressed man, who squats on the floor all day, lazily sway-
ing to and fro as he pulls the rope that keeps the giant
fans in motion. In the cathedral the punkahs hang irom
iron rods which cross the building at about mid height,
and the bearers are partially concealed by an open screen-
work that runs along the walls. The fans are everywhere
so hung as barely to escape one's head, and are often
very inconvenient to people above the average height.
Of course for night punkahs relays of bearers have to be
employed, and even then, one is always liable to their
dropping asleep, so that it is best to do without them if
possible. Few things are more trying to the temper
than to awake stifled with heat, and find the punkah
hanging motionless over head. One may call in vain
" Bearer, bearer, punkah tanno I '' for he is safe on the
other side of the wall or door, and fast asleep ; and the
exertion and irritation only make one hotter than before.
The usual resource for a gentleman is to get up and
send some missile at his head ; for a lady, to seize the
punkah frill, and give it a sudden jerk, which is pretty
sure to awake the sleeper, as he never lets go the cord ;
and this will generally rouse him for a time, but at the
cost of much heat, both physical and moral, and the risk
of admitting within the curtains some ever watchful
mosquito, which will efiectually murder sleep.
Many mechanical contrivances have been suggested,
and several patented, with the object of dispensing with
the nuisance of these punkah-bearers ; but there seems
little prospect of any substitute ever coming into general
ENGLISH HOUSEKBEPINO IN CALCUTTA.
81
use. More power is required than can be famislied by
any machine of moderate size and expense ; and human
labour is so cheap in India^ and this mindless toil so
suited to the capacity of the people, that it seems scarcely
likely ever to be superseded.
82
m
DAILY LIFE IN THE CAPITAL.
Having thus sketched the surroundings of European life
in Calcutta, little remains but to give a brief description
of the usual daily routine. Of course, this varies some-
what with the seasons, but we will take some twenty-four
hours between March and June, that being the height of
the dry season in Bengal.
At half past five or six, "chota hazree,*' or little
breakfast, is brought to your bed-room, and you rise,
dress hastily, and go out for an early drive. By seven
o^clock the sun is too strong for comfort or even safety,
except under a double umbrella or a carriage hood, and
by eight most people are safe indoors, where a bath and
a leisurely change of dress prepares them for the enjoy-
ment of a second and enlarged edition of the morning
meal. Tea and coffee, and not unfrequently Basses or
Alsopp's bitter ale, meat, fowl, or fish, broiled, curried, or
cooked in some fanciful way, omelettes, mulligatawny,
or kedgeree, and one or two varieties of fruit make their
appearance here, with chutney and other condiments to
tempt 1 he failing appetite ; for it is really important in
India to have a good morning meal.
By ten or half past, all the gentlemen are ofi* to their
various offices and employments, and the ladies are left to
attend to domestic and family affairs, or settle down for an
DAILY LITE IN THE CAPITAL. 83
hour or two to reading or fancy work. Books, periodicals,
and newspapers arrive in Calcutta within a month of their
publication in England, and can be bought for cash at
no very great advance upon the published price ; and Cal-
cutta itself produces two or three very fair daily papers,
besides others in the vernacular, intended for native
readers. Most of the needlework in families that can
afford it, is done by dirzees, or native tailors, for few ladies
have the health or energy to undertake what would be
accomplished with ease in England ; and very few female
servants know how to handle a needle. These men are
hired by the month for about thirteen or fourteen shillings,
and some of them can work quickly and well, but they
require constant watchfulness, and it is always difficult
to get them to take pains with the repairs. I never
saw one who could dam a stocking respectably, but
their new work is upon the whole very satisfactory,
and it is amusing to see them sitting on the floor of
the ante-room, or verandah, holding the long seams with
their toes, or stretching out their feet to pick up a
thimble or a pair of scissors, almost as nimbly as a
monkey.
Embroidery of all kinds is executed by another class
of men with wonderful dexterity and despatch, and may
be bought from these "chicken wallahs^' at the door,
by any one skilled in bargaining, at a fourth or fifth of
what it would cost in England. Another class called
" topi wallahs *^ devote themselves to millinery, and will
trim hats or make up the most delicate bonnets as well
as any milliner, if a satisfactory pattern or direction can
be given them. Indeed, almost all the needlework in
Calcutta is really done by native men ; for even in the
ruinously expensive English shops, the European
milliners and dressmakers who receive orders and try
on dresses, commit the actual execution to male subor-
84 i3nuun>.
dinates ; anrl it is cheaper, thoac'li it involve-? more
trouble, to employ lue diizetr ur topi wailili wiiliout thuir
irjt^;rnrention. Of course, there is every grade of effi-
ciency and inetficieiicy to be found amonjir them, and it
is best not to tru:rt an uutri;fd man with anything that he
can spoil, but the skill of some amounts to positive
genius, and their charges are not higher than the mo^t
ordinary' PJngli.sh dressmaker. Give one of these men a
wfrll-fitting dress in any style as a pattern, and he will
thenceforth make for you dresses high or low, loose or
close-fitting, without once requiring the troublesome pro-
cess of trying on, and their celerity is equally wonderful.
In an emergency, I have even given out the material for
a somewhat elaborate dress in the morning, and had it
tiont home ready to put on by the evening of the following
djiy ; ]mt this again is a matter in which no native should
br; trusted till he has been amply tried, for want of
punctuality is one of the most general and irritating
grievances in India.
Jf there are any formal calls to make, they mast also
be performed during the interval between breakfast and
tiliin, a most inconvenient custom, as it takes one out in
the fierc(» heat of noon ; but it is accounted for by
the tlujory that every lady takes a siesta in the after-
noon, and by the fact that everybody drives out in
tlM^ (evening. On further acquaintance, one often ascer-
tains that people do not rest in the afternoon, and that
th(\Ke hours are consequently not tabooed with them,
but a lirst or formal visit must always be paid about
noon.
Another uncomfortable rule prescribes that new
comers shall call first upon residents, instead of the con-
trary homo practice, so that the awkwardness of making
way in an entirely new society is thrown upon strangers,
who thus incur a three-fold risk — of calling upon those
■%
DAILY LUTE IN THE CAPITAIi. 85
who consider it an intrusion, not calling upon those who
expect it, and calling upon the wrong people first — a
serious matter in a country where precedence is jealously
insisted on. In up country stations, offence is often
given in this way, but Calcutta is large enough for a
greater degree of freedom ; and after leaving cards at
Government House and the Bishop^s Palace, it is not diffi-
cult to arrange ono's other calls.
Tlio entree to Government House is by no means the
exclusive privilege which English people would generally
imagine it. All officers, all professional men, men of
letters, and others engaged in educational work, are
freely admitted to the Viceroy's levees, and all ladies of
corresponding position, if only they can tind some one
already on the list to present them at a Drawing-room,
are sure to be invited to concerts and garden parties, if
not to the Vice- regal table.
Let us suppose that the carriage has been duly
ordered, the coachman has received and understood his
directions, and the caller has arrived at the gate of the
first house on the day*s list. Here, perhaps, the horses
are stopped, and the durwan comes to the carnage door
with the concise announcement '^Darwaza bund'' (lite-
rally, ** The door is shut.") This is the Calcutta sub-
stitute for the polite falsehoods used in England to keep
out visitors at inconvenient times, and it saves a great
deal of trouble. One has only to send out this order to
the durwan, and it is his duty to see that no one enters
the gates. The order being a general one, no offence is
taken, and the caller merely leaves a card and drives
away, unless she comes by appointment, or is sufficiently
intimate to writ« a message on the slate which the
durwan generally produces in case of a parley. This of
course calls forth a few words of explanation as to why
visitors are not admitted, or procures an entrance. The
86 INLAND.
carriage drives in, the durwan or a bearer shows the
visitor upstairs, and .the coachman and syce go to sleep
on the box till the call is over.
But shopping, as well as calling, has to be done in
the heat of the day, for few European shops open before
ten, and native ones an hour or so later, both closing
soon after four, so there is generally plenty to be accom-
plished before tiffin. This meal is taken at one or two
o'clock, and varies from a very slight luncheon to a
tolerably substantial early dinner, according to the habits
of the family. Though the custom of really going to bed
in the afternoon is not so prevalent as it used to be, few
people feel inclined, or indeed able for anything but the
lightest employment after tiffin, till refreshed by the five
o^ clock cup of tea, which heralds the blessed time of
sunset. Then the bearers go round and open the heavy
sun-shutters, closed throughout the day ; the south
breeze from the distant sea comes in with soft, fresh
breath, and every one prepares, according to native
idiom, " to eat the air.'' Gentlemen drive home as fast
as their business hacks can take them, to bathe and dress
and start out again with wives and children in the
coolest and freshest attire for the one drive of Calcutta,
along the Strand. This is a broad, well-kept road along
the whole river-side of the Maidan, extending from near
Government House, past the Eden Gardens to the boun-
daries of Kidderpore; and here, evening after evening,
congregate the rank, and wealth, and fashion of Calcutta.
The scene is, perhaps, unique, and merits a minute de-
scription.
Let us imagine ourselves then to have joined the
stream of carriages driving slowly down the Strand, with
the spire of Kidderpore Church rising out of the trees in
the distance before us. On the right, close to the road^
the yellow Hooghly rolls its turbid waters, crowded with
DAILY LIFE IN THE CAPITAL. 87
merchant shipping from all parts of the world. The snn
is just sinking behind the palms that fringe the horizon^
and all the glory of a tropical sky, with its masses of
brilliant sanset cloud, lights up the scene. At first the
vessels lie so thickly moored along the strand, that you
can see little beyond their forest of masts and rigging ;
but Government House and a long line of public build-
ings lie behind you on the left, and close beside you are
the gay Eden Gardens, where a full military band takes
its nightly station during the hour of the drive. The
road is thronged with equipages of every description,
from the Viceroy's carriage and four, with outriders and
liveries blazing with scarlet and gold, to the third-class
gharry, crammed with half-naked natives, and drawn by
a miserable pony harnessed with knotted rope. Nowhere
in the world, probably, are gathered so many striking
equipages; for though other capitals could furnish the
elegant barouches and landaus, and perhaps match the
fashionable toilettes of the ladies within, they want the
picturesque element furnished by the bright colours and
tasteful liveries of the native drivers and running foot-
men. White predominates, especially, of course, in the
hot season; but turbans and sashes of scarlet, blue,
green, and crimson, add their brilliancy, and here and
there is a gorgeous turn-out, resplendent with the jewels
and bright colours of some rajah or wealthy baboo. No-
thing can exceed the showiness of these people's dress.
Long silk or satin tunics of the richest and most varied
colours, and immense muslin or gauze turbans of vivid
emerald green, sky blue, or mauve, or lemon colour, or
velvet smoking caps thickly embroidered with gold, and
shawls of priceless value, compose their attire ; while other
carriages, equally handsome, but in a more sober style,
are fiUed with grave portly Parsees robed in white muslin
and distinguished by their singular tall brown headdress
88 INLAND.
Next in the line, perhaps, is a barouche occupied by an
English gentleman with his pale, delicate-looking ygfte,
and two or three tiny fair-haired children, the youngest
in the arms of an ayah, whose jet-black hair and ma-
hogany skin contrast well with her crimson-edged child'
dar and the infantas flaxen curls and pure complexion.
A siugular delicacy and refinement characterise the
appearance of most European children in Calcutta. They
look like plants blanched by the want of wholesome light
and air; and this is scarcely to be wondered at when
one reflects that the sunshine which seems to be the chil-
dren's element at home, is here a deadly and forbidden
thing.
Next, perhaps, comes a close hack gharry, through the
open windows or sliding doors of which we see four
portly low class baboos naked to the waist, or perhaps
five or six native children under the care of an elderly man
or woman, their bright eyes glancing under tinselled
skull-caps or gay coloured chuddars, and their bare arms
and legs covered with silver ornaments. And so the
motley crowd streams on, three or four lines of carriages
driving slowly up and down, and groups of riders can-
tering over the level turf of the Maidan, past the Fort
with its green ramparts, and the more distant Cathedral
rising white and stately from its surrounding trees, till
the forest of masts grows thinner, and one catches broad
glimpses of the placid stream with its background of
perpetual palms parting the dark flats opposite from the
clear orange-coloured sky. Then the hues of night begin
to steal over all, not grey as in our northern clime, but
deeply blue and clear, and the stars shine out one by one
as the breeze freshens, and the last notes of the National
Anthem leave a sudden stillness in the air. Every car-
riage lamp is then lit, and the roads across the Maidan
are soon crowded with their twinkling sparks, while the
DAILY LIF£ IN THE CAPITAL.
89
gas lamps round Chowringhee mark its boundaries with
a Une 6t light, and all Calcutta hastens home to dinner.
Half-past seven or eight is the usual hour, and the even-
ing winds up among quiet people with a lounge in the
verandah or a little music. By half-past ten or eleven
most are ready for bed, and the yells of jackals and the
occasional discordant sounds of native minstrelsy alone
break the stillness of the night.
90
IV
CHARACTERISTICS OP THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA.
We will now turn our attention to the peculiarities of the
Indian climate, and to some oft the attendant circum-
stances which make life in Calcutta so trying to a
European ; and here the first thing that naturally strikes
one is the division of the year into three seasons instead
of four. The old familiar names of spring, summer,
autumn, and winter, are never heard; but we speak
instead of the hot season, the rainy, and the cold, and
of these three adjectives the appropriateness of only the
last can be questioned. We will begin with this — the
cold season — because most people, if possible, time their
voyage so as to arrive at its commencement, and because
it is decidedly the prime of the Indian year.
It sets in about the beginning of November, when
punkahs begin to hang idle in private rooms, and are
taken down out of the churches, where they are a great
obstruction both to sight and sound. The supernumerary
bearers who have been employed for eight months to
keep them in constant motion are dismissed from every
family, and the rooms are at last free from the annoyance
of their constant presence. Though the heat in the open
sunshine is still nearly as great^ and quite as dangerous
between the hours of nine and four, as in the extremest
ardour of an English summer, the mornings and evenings
CHABACTEEI8TICS OP THE SBA80NS IN CALCUTTA. 91
begin to be chilly and often foggy, and by Christmas,
even the sight of a fire is sometimes pleasant.
Few Calcutta houses, however, are furnished with a
fire-place, so that Europeans have to do without this
indulgence, but the natives light their fires of wood and
dried cowdung outside their huts, the acrid smoke of this
peculiar fuel mingling with the evening fog, and making
it sometimes intensely painful to the eyes. Very little
coal is used in Calcutta, wood being the general substi-
tute for English cookery, and cowdung for native use.
Nothing belonging to this sacred animal can pollute the
most scrupulous Hindoo, and men who would think them-
selves • defiled by the touch of an English hand will daub
themselves with it externally, and even take it internally,
both for physical and religious purification. It forms an
essential ingredient in the loathsome mixture partaken of
in some peculiarly sacred ceremonies, and which I believe
every Hindoo woman has to swallow as part of the
marriage rites, so it is not surprising that no repugnance
is felt to its employment as fuel. The natives mix it into
a soft paste with water, and then, taking it by handfuls,
stick it in flat round cakes, each bearing the impress of
five fingers, all over the walls of their huts, where they
dry and adhere till wanted, forming a noticeable feature
in the ornamentation of native premises.
Though the direct rays of the sun are still dangerous,
and sunstroke has been known to result from imprudent
exposure even on New Year's Day, the temperature in
the shade is perfection, and the clear bright air a luxury
to breathe. Most of our English annuals and other
garden favourites flower freely at this season — mignonette,
larkspur, marigolds, roses, verbenas, etc., blossoming in
strange fellowship with chrysanthemums, and mingling
their familiar aspect with gorgeous rivals that need stove
heat to bring them to perfection here.
92 INLAND.
The poinsettia, generally seen only as a puny plant in
English greenhouses, grows to a tall, straggling shrub
in every garden in Calcutta, lifting its whorls of long
crimson bracts above the high compound walls, side by
side with the scarlet and orange spikes of the graceful
poinciana. The former, which is in perfection about
Christmas, is one of the most conspicuous and effective
features in the floral decorations of the churches; and
on the hills, which are too cold for it to flourish, sprays
of coffee-berries, which grow very like English holly,
but much larger and handsomer, often take its place.
Convolvuluses, of a size and richness and variety of
colour never seen in England, flower in glowing pro-
fusion; but perhaps the most striking floral ornament
of Calcutta is the Bignonia venusta, also a Christmas
flowering creeper. It climbs over the tall gateways, and
hangs in masses of the most vivid orange, the flowers
literally piled upon each other with scarcely an interven-
ing leaf. Later in the season comes an equally beautiful,
but very different creeper — the Beaumontia grandiflora —
which soon climbs from branch to branch of even the
loftiest tree, hanging its bunches of large, scented, white,
lily-like bells among the dark green leaves; and about
the same time the silk cotton tree puts out its large star-
like crimson flowers all over the leafless boughs.
Taken as a whole, Indian flowers are as inferior in per-
fume to our own as they are superior in size and colour-
ing. Our ovm favourites give comparatively little scent out
there, and the indigenous ones are either scentless, or have
an overpowering sweetness. The Cape jessamine, and other
single and double varieties of the same kind, are among
the commonest shrubs, and the luxuriously- scented white
tuberose flowers profusely in every garden — these being
good representatives of the kind of perfume with which
one is satiated in India. There is nothing refreshing or
CHARACTERISTICS OP THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 93
wholesome in the odours, only cloying, enervating sweet-
ness, and it is quite delightful sometimes, by way of con-
trast, to inhale the homely fragrance of the old English
marigold and southernwood, which do contrive to retain
their character out there. The former is a great favourite
with the natives, who string its staring orange flowers
into garlands for their gods, or wreathe them in festoons
across the doorposts and gateways on Christmas Day and
other festivals. It affords a great contrast to the " bale-
phul,^' their other favourite votive flower — a very double,
round-petalled, white jessamine, almost like a Banksia
rose, but with the most overpoweringly rich odour.
These are picked ofi*, and strung into long white chains,
to be worn in many coils round the neck and breast on
holy days and other festive occasions.
The Hibiscus, or shoe-flower, has been mentioned in
the description of Ceylon, but it must not be omitted
here, though its magnificent flowers are too common to
attract notice, except from strangers. Its varieties are
endless, the commonest being crimson or jose-coloured,
either single, with a conspicuous and beautiful white style,
or double and as large as a fine rose. Others are very like
pink or white hollyhocks, except that they grow separately
but profusely on woody shrubs ; and others again are of the
most delicate lemon colour with a jet black centre, and with
the edges of their petals finely frilled. These are commonly
seven or eight inches in diameter, either single or with a
rosette in the centre, and very showy and beautiful. Ixoras
of every brilliant and delicate tint flourish luxuriantly, but
no colour that I ever saw in nature or art matches the
vivid scarlet of the double pomegranate blossom.
There is, however, little satisfaction in giving a mere
catalogue of flowers which no words can adequately
describe, and we will turn to the homelier subject of
vegetables and fruit. Almost all the former, to which
94 INLAND.
we are accustomed in England, may be had in the cold
season in Calcutta. Peas, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes,
carrots, turnips, lettuces, radishes, cucumbers, beet, and
a sort of legume easily mistaken for French beans,
together with a variety of vegetables of the gourd tribe,
are most of them in season all the year, but especially
now, and pine-apples, oranges, and plantains are the chief
Christmas fruits. The first mentioned grow wild or nearly
so, and are sometimes exceedingly good, though of course
inferior to the best home-grown pines in England. The
cold season is also the time for what are called goose-
berries — a very peculiar fruit, which grows like the winter
cherry, enclosed in a bladder-like calyx, and is a round,
shiny, amber berry, full of tiny seeds, and making a rich
preserve, though the raw fruit is at first far from palatable.
A kind of plum as large as a magnum bonum, but with
flesh as firm and crisp as an English apple, is also in season
now, and requires a little custom to appreciate it. Many
other wholesome but far from pleasant fruits come into
season in the course of the year, but I shall only name
those really worthy of mention.
The glorious cold season continues from the middle of
November to the middle of February, the temperature
decreasing up to Christmas, and increasing with the pro-
gress of the new year, but never cold enough to make a
fire necessary, or to require more than one blanket.
During all this time no rain falls, except as a very rare
exception; but day after day brings the same sunshine,
and the same clear, exhilarating air. Of course the roads
become very dusty, except where they are perpetually
watered, but the grass keeps marvellously fresh and
green, owing to the copious dews. This is the season
for picnics, bazaars, and fetes of various kinds, and the
season also for public amusements in the capital. The
Viceroy and all the ofiScials and gentry who accompany
CHABACTEBISTICS OF THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 95
his court in its migrations, being now in Calcutta, there
are reviews, races, concerts, theatricals, and even an opera
company for those who care for them ; besides the usual
round of Government receptions and private parties, and
the various school anniversaries, which it is quite the
fashion to attend.
Barrackpore Park, about twelve miles by rail from
Calcutta, is a favourite and really enjoyable place for
picnics, and the Botanical Gardens on the other side the
river are well worth visiting. Barrackpore is the Viceroy's
country seat, situated on the banks of the Hooghly ; and
here, beneath a costly tomb, in a garden-plot overlook-
ing the broad turbid waters, rest the remains of the
lamented Lady Canning. The park is studded with
magnificent banyan, peepul, and tamarind trees, and
artificially undulated, so as to be a pleasant change from
the unvaried natural flatness of the country. It contains
also a very fair menagerie, in which the Bengal tiger may
be seen to full perfection, and many a pleasant holiday
may be spent within its bounds, resting under the shade
of its grand old banyan till the noon-tide heat is over.
This magnificent tree has literally countless trunks,
extending over a space sufficient to shelter several hun-
dred people, and garlanded in all directions by the huge
shining leaves and cord-like stems of the elephant creeper.
Once, at a school picnic we found its low, shady boughs
unexpectedly useful. The table-cloth had been spread,
not under the tree, where the ground was trodden and
dusty, but on the grass within its shadow ; and the chil-
dren merrily watched the kindling of the fire and the
boiling of potatoes for dinner, unconscious that other
bright eyes were taking keen note of the proceedings
too. But no sooner had the servants begun to distribute
the slices of cold beef than there was a whirr and rush of
wings, and an army of kites swooped from the neighbour-
96 INLAND.
ing trees, and cleared away every scrap and crumb as if by
magic. The scene was ludicrous in the extreme, for no
one was at all prepared for such an onset, and the
astonishment of those who thus saw their dinner vanish
from before their eyes, may be imagined. Fortunately
the supplies were abundant, but the cloth had to be
moved under the tree, where the low boughs prevented
any further depredations. This great, long-winged kite,
called by the natives " cheel,^^ from its peculiar, shrill,
tremulous cry, commonly takes its prey on the wing,
merely stooping to seize the food with its talons, and
devouring it without a moment's pause in its rapid flight ;
consequently when there was not space to swoop, we were
safe from rapine. Often the poor Hindoo, coming home
from market with his purchases in an open basket on his
head, has them snatched away without remedy by this
audacious thief; and if Egyptian kites resemble their
Indian congeners in boldness and rapacity, the baker's
dream in Pharaoh's prison house was no wild freak of the
imagination, but a mere reproduction of one of the most
familiar incidents of daily life.
Even the kites, however, are not as great a nuisance
as the Calcutta crows. Protected, like the jackals, on
account of their usefulness as scavengers, as well as by
the natural supineness of Hindoos and Anglo-Indians,
these detestable birds swarm in the city, the very per-
sonification of impudence and greed. living as one has
to do for the most part with every door and window open,
it is impossible to keep them out, and they constantly
perch on the open shutters and hop in at the doors, their
sleek grey and black plumage glistening with satisfac-
tion, and their cunning eyes alert at any indication of an
approaching meal. Let the room be left for a moment
after it is laid, and they are upon the table ; let a plate
or dish be set aside^ even with a room full of people^ and
CHiiBACTIBISTICS OF THB SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 97
one sidles towards it cautiously, with many a knowing
gesture, and is certain to get his share if it is only out of
arm's reach. He is filthy, too, in all his habits, leaving
traces of his presence on table-cloth and floor, perching
on punkahs and bed-posts, and defiling everything, even
if it does not occur to him to carry up some unclean
meal and finish it upon your clean white counterpane, or
stow it away behind your pillow. It would be hard to
decide whether their hoarse, impudent noise, their rest-
less thievishness, or their filthy habits, render Indian
crows the most detestable ; but the three combined are
perfectly intolerable, and many a time is one driven to
wish that they had but one neck that we might wring it
and exterminate the race. The Hindoos believe that if a
man steals rice, his soul at transmigration enters the body
of a crow ; and there is a grotesque fitness in the myth,
not always obvious in their superstitions.
But these are perpetual plagues, and the one special
worry of the cold season is quite sufficient for the time.
This is the mosquito — never, it is true, quite absent, but
now swarming up out of every ditch and tank, and giving
the hapless foreigner no respite night nor day. After
some seasons out, the blood gets thin and poor, and
the bites no longer inflame, leaving only the tiniest red
speck; but at first the irritation is intolerable. Face,
neck, hands, feet and legs suffer alike, even in the day-
time, but especially at evening. Thin clothing is no
defence at all, and one is only safe inside mosquito
curtains.
About the end of February the weather gets very
hot, and early in March punkahs are again hung in the
churches, and brought into constant use at home. Then
the vice-regal court and offices, and most of the elite of
Calcutta prepare to take flight to Simla ; the hot season
fairly sets in, and the capital is abandoned for eight
7
98 INLAND.
months to the fall round of tropical discomforts. The
heat is inconceivable, often reaching above 100° in the
shade, and prodncing incessant and profuse perspiration,
which however has the advantage of averting the flushed
and uncomfortable feelings which often attend a lower tem-
perature in England. Rising at five in the morning, the
early drive and the cold bath afibrd a temporary refresh-
ment, but before the labour of dressing is half completed,
large drops are again coursing each other over the skin.
Of course every article of dress not absolutely necessary
is discarded, but in the lightest attire and in lofty shaded
rooms one may sit at ten in the morning under the full
swing of the punkah, with beads of moisture standing on
every pore. Passing an open door or window on the
south side of the house at noon, the air strikes in like
the hot breath from an oven, and clothes fresh out of the
wardrobe feel as if they had been taken from before a
fire. Kid boots crack, leather covers of books curl up
stiflSy, and wooden boxes go oflF with a loud report, the
bottoms splitting out, and the veneer peeling ofi", for
scarcely any glue will stand this climate. Still, strange to
say, even the rapid evaporation caused by the dry heat
has no sensible eflFect upon the moisture of the skin. One's
arm resting on the table leaves a wet smear, and long
before night there is literally scarcely a dry thread about
one.
The only relief is from the fresh, cool breeze that
springs up regularly at sunset, blowing from the distant
sea. Doors and windows are all flung open to admit it,
and it sweeps through the upper rooms, especially if the
house is lofty and lonely, with a soft, puffing breath, that
stirs all the drapery, and brings refreshment and sleep to
the most exhausted. Now and then, too, throughout the
months of March and Aprils the heat is suddenly brought
down by tremendous thunderstorms. Few who have
CHASACTBBISTICS OF THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 99
not witnessed these outbreaks in the tropics can imagine
either their fury or the immense relief they bring. Their
rising is often strangely sudden. Everything is perfectly
still, and you are sitting exhausted under the punkah, in
the den^, brooding heat of afternoon, when suddenly all
the unfastened doors and windows in the house bang like
a discharge of artillery. Bearers rush in all directions to
close and fasten them ; but even through closed shutters
and doors comes a choking blast of fine sand, covering
everything. If you look out in time, you may see it
eddying along the roads from the N.W. in red wavering
columns, rising sometimes to a great height; but in a
moment it is upon you, and the very trees before the
window are hidden from view. This whirlwind of sand
lasts but a few minutes, the wind howling and beating till
even the heavily-barred windows can scarcely stand the
strain ; and then down comes the rain, in furious pelt,
laying the dust in a moment, and driving along the
ground in sheets of water. The thunder roars, and the
lightning plays in all directions, with a vivid splendour
never seen in our quiet old country — ^not merely forked,
but running in long, zig-zag streaks across the sky ; and
the rain falls in such torrents that all the spouts from the
roof soon become noisy waterfalls. This lasts an hour or
80, and then the freshness of the atmosphere for a while is
most enjoyable, the thermometer sometimes falling twelve
or fifteen degrees in an incredibly short space of time.
After the drought of the previous four months, it may be
imagined how these storms refresh all vegetation; but
they are rare and uncertain visitants, and it is not till the
middle of June that the rains really set in.
Long before this, probably, the overtasked cuticle
rebels against the unreasonable amount of work it has to
do ; and a new nuisance sets in, in the form of prickly heat,
or boils^ or both. The former is happily unknown in
100 INLAND.
England, and deserves a few words of introduction. It
is a red, slightly raised eruption, spreading more or less
over the whole surface of the body, and causing, especially
at night, a maddening irritation. Some people are
reduced to such a state by it that they literally cannot
bear their clothes, and lotions and other apphances are
perfectly useless. I have seen English children, who
arrived a few months before, models of health and beauty,
transfigured by these unpleasant complaints till they were
equally uninviting to sight and touch ; but both evils are
very capricious in their choice of victims, and some people
never suffer from them at all.
About this time, the leechee, one of the most delicious
fruits of India, comes into season. It grows in long,
dropping bunches, on a tall, handsome tree, each fruit
being about the size of a partridge's egg, and cased in a
rough, red skin, which gives it at a distance some resem-
blance to a large, coarse strawberry. This peels off
readily, disclosing a transparent, bluish white pulp, of a
firm, gelatinous texture and delicious acid taste, with a
brown, acorn-like stone in the middle. Now, too, the
glorious poinciana regia, the very king of Indian trees,
puts on its gorgeous robes. It is well named Flamboyant,
or the Forest Flame ; for at this season it is an almost
unmingled mass of scarlet and orange blossoms, dazzling
to look upon. A noble tree, with immense mimosa-like
leaves of rich, deep green, its effect may be imagined
when it is thus crowned and robed with regal scarlet.
The bunches of blossom often measure from a foot to
eighteen inches in diameter.
After the leechee comes the mango, of which some
Europeans can never endure the taste or smell, but which
is generally ranked first among Indian fruits. In shape a
somewhat flattened oval, it vanes in size from that of an
ordinary pear to three or four times as large, and in colour
CHABlCTBRISnCS OF THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 101
from dark green to rich yellow tinged with red. The pulp,
which is juicy and luscious in the extreme, varies also
{torn pale buff to deep reddish orange, and is liable to
equal differences of quality. Some are full of stringy
fibre, with a sweet, watery juice strongly flavoured with
turpentine, and are jocularly termed sailors' mangoes,
from the tar and hemp supposed to mingle in their com-
position ; others are of the most melting texture, and a
flavour richer and stronger, though far less delicate, than
that of the apricot. But they are at the best a very
inconvenient fruit ; a large, flat stone, from which the pulp
cannot be detached, lying along the centre, and allowing
only a thick slice to be cut from each side, out of which
the pulp is scooped with a spoon. The rest of the fruit
must either be wasted, or sucked in most ungraceful
fashion from the stone, the yellow juice streaming from
lips and fingers.
Guavas, from which the well-known jelly is made,
come into season about the same time, and are another
very peculiar fruit, seldom eaten raw, though reputed very
wholesome. They are not unlike an English pear in
appearance, but both smell and taste are so sickly that
few Europeans ever learn to like them. Indeed, taking
all the fruits of Indian plains together, one would readily
exchange them for such as an ordinary English garden
can supply. On the hills in the north-west most of our
home fruits can be cultivated ; but at Calcutta there are
no raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries,
cherries, apples, pears, apricots, or grapes; and the so-
called plums, mulberries, and peaches are a mere mockery
of the name. Two other fruits, however, are worthy of
description, being quite unknown in England — the custard
apple and the mangosteen — both of which come into season
in the rains. The former, the cherimoyer of the West
Indies, is in shape not unlike the round thick cone of some
102 INLAND.
species of pine, only with larger segments, each con-
taining a hard black seed. Externally, it is green, and,
when ripe, falls readily to pieces, disclosing a mass of
white, custard-like pulp, from which it derives its very
appropriate name. The mangosteen does not, I be-
lieve, grow in India, but is imported thither from the
Straits, and is the prettiest and most delicious fruit
imaginable. The husk is round, jet black, and shining,
about the size of a small orange, and too hard to be cut
without great difficulty, though, if the fruit is good, it
yields to pressure in one direction, and splits readily
enough. Inside, it is of a rich, crimson colour, and within
it lies the delicate, pearly, acid fruit, divided into seg-
ments like an orange, only that they are fewer and much
more distinctly moulded. It is the perfection of flavour,
form, and colouring, the semi-transparent whiteness of
the exquisitely shaped fruit contrasting beautifully with
the crimson lining and black exterior of its shell.
The setting in of the rains may be expected in Calcutta,
with almost absolute certainty, between the 15th and the
25th of June, by which time endurance seems to have
reached its extremest limit. The first downpour comes
like a royal boon from heaven, cooling the air, refreshing
the thirsty land, and giving a wonderful impetus to
vegetation ; and, for a day or two, one listens to the fall
of waters from the roof, and watches the steady down-
rushing of the rain, with intense relief and satisfaction.
But in a little while the relaxing and depressing change in
the atmosphere makes itself felt ; the heat, lessened at
first, recovers its power, but changes its character to a
close, sultry, vaporous oppression. The evening breeze
no longer blows, and night and day are alike breathless
and enervating. " From night to mom, from morn to
dewy eve,^' it is an incessant vapour bath, like the pitiless,
damp heat of a stove-house, or the air of a great laundry
CHARACTEBISTICS OP THE SEASONS IN CALCDTTA. 103
full of steamiDg clothes. This is the time that taxes the
health and energy of Europeans to the utmost, and it
lasts, with little variation, from the end of June to the
middle of October. Sometimes several days pass without
rain, and, after the first fortnight, it is comparatively
seldom that one has to forfeit evening exercise ; but
through all these weary weeks the atmosphere never
recovers a healthy dryness, and no breath of really fresh
air comes to invigorate the health or revive the spirits.
The consequences are what might be expected. The
outside of the houses grows green and black with moisture,
and as very few roofs can stand this continuous rain after
the baking heat, the rooms probably leak in half a dozen
places j while even without extraneous moisture the in-
door air is loaded to such an extent that mildew and mould
soon cover every surface that is not absolutely impervious
to their attacks. Silk dresses and valuable books should
all be soldered down in tin before the commencement
of this season, and it is next to impossible to keep kid
gloves in wearable condition.
Everything, even to pillows and mattrasses in con-
stant use, acquires a mouldy stnell, and if a trunk or piece
of furniture stands flat on the floor, even for only a few
days, the matting under it turns black and falls to pieces.
It is not astonishing that a rapid growth of mould should
flourish upon boots and shoes, but I certainly was not
prepared to find my purse go mouldy in my pocket, or
to see the covers of my books on the side-tables gradually
marbled with permanent white.
Preserves and potted meats must of course be eaten
speedily or thrown away, and the general waste and loss
during this season are incalculable. Insects, always a
source of discomfort, are more rampant than ever ; and
crickets and cockroaches eat everything that comes in
their way, from new tulle bonnets and muslin jackets, down
104 noAKD.
to the coTers of books and the paints in one's dirawing-
box. Perhaps few articles would be thought less tempt-
ing in the way of diet than a cake of solid Tennilion, yet
I once slew in my own paint-box an infant oockroaeh.
which had evidently been reared solely on that nn-
promising material. Singularly enough, vermilion and
cobalt were the only two colours attacked, and these were
riddled through with holes. Another odious little crea-
ture, called the fish insect, from the flat case in which it
encloses itself, devotes its energies with more discrimina-
tion, solely to the destruction of apparel ; but the insects
form far too characteristic a feature of Indian life to be
dismissed with only cursory notice, and as the rainy
season is their carnival they shall have due attention now.
First in the list, because of the magnitude of its
depredations, comes the white ant, into whose scientific
history it is unnecessary here to enter. As with the bee,
every swarm of these creatures consists of three kinds —
the perfect female, of which only one, a huge living mass
of eggs, belongs to every nest ; the male, a large insect
with four transparent wings, which rises out of the
ground in clouds during the rainy season; and the
neuter or worker, a tiny, white, grub-like creature, which
is always unhappily at hand.
Whether they live in some mysterious fashion in the
bricks and mortar of the walls, or whether they only
climb them unseen in search of food, it is difficult to say ;
but certain it is, that few houses or rooms in Calcutta are
safe from these destructive pests. They work along
between the floor and the matting, till they perceive
some superincumbent pressure, and then strike up at
once to see if it is anything that comes within the range
of their appetites. They are not fastidious, for nothing
except stone and metal seems to come amiss to them ;
but wood^ leather^ cloth, paper and linen are their chief
CFABACT1B16TICS 07 THB SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 105
prey, and they will attack a trunk filled with these from
underneath^ and eat their way in all directions through
the contents before any outward indication of the mis-
chief is Yisible. Working upwards in this unseen way,
and carefully avoiding the outside, it needs incessant
vigilance to guard against them, and they often accom-
plish serious damage quite unsuspected. I have seen a
thick portfolio full of drawings left lying for one day on
the floor of an upper room, swarming with them by the
next, every drawing eaten into holes, and a large double
handful of the disgusting little creatures shaken out
to throw away. The common red ant, which is their
determined enemy, soon cleared off the stragglers, so
that only their hidden working protects them from exter-
mination.
One of their most serious mischiefs is the destruction
of beams of timber, which they attack whenever they can
do so undisturbed, and for this cause, as has been already
stated, Calcutta roofs are never ceiled. Fortunately,
when they undermine these to any considerable extent,
they leave a kind of earthy-looking deposit in their track,
which gives warning of the inroad. Their ravages may
sometimes be stopped by rubbing the affected beams
with earth oil; but few years pass without its being
necessary to take out some of the timbers of the upper
floors, and put sound ones in their place. I have seen
solid-looking beams, more than a foot in width and
thickness, so completely hollowed out by these destruc-
tive insects, that a stick could be thrust through them
in any direction. This most serious mischief can never
be wholly prevented, but its lesser forms may be averted
by having trunks, wardrobes, etc., supplied with feet to
be planted in saucers or on plates of tin, by never allow-
ing any furniture to touch the walls, and by seeing that
bearers and sweepers perform their duties thoroughly.
106 INLAND.
Other kinds of ants, though not so mischievous as
these, are yet sufficiently troublesome. One kind infests
sugar, another bread, and neither can be wholly kept
away, even though the safe in which these articles are
kept stands duly insulated with its feet in saucers of
water. Where they live it is difficult to say, but one
constantly sees them attempting to drag insects into
cracks in the plaster, or hoisting them with vast eflfort
and perseverance up the lofty walls. The instinct that
attracts them to their prey is wonderful. The room
may be perfectly clean and free, not an ant visible in any
direction, but if even a mosquito is killed, it is fetched
away almost immediately, and they swarm with equal
readiness into your cup and saucer. Indeed, no one
thinks of leaving a cup or glass to stand for even a few
minutes, without turning a plate over it to exclude these
plagues. One night, driven to desperation by the cock-
roaches, I took a slipper and slaughtered five gigantic
specimens, and the next morning they were solemnly
gliding up the wall one after the other in ghostly funeral
procession, propelled and dragged by hundreds of red
ants.
Cockroaches, not the small creatures that sometimes
swarm in EngUsh kitchens under the popular misnomer
of black beetles, but of a different and truly giant kind,
are perhaps the most general and disgusting pests
of India. Their broad, brown bodies are fully an inch
and a half in length, not to speak of legs and antennae,
and as they run about the room at night when the lamp-
light casts strong shadows, it is often difficult to distin-
guish them from mice. Nothing in drawers, sideboard,
or wardrobe is safe from them, if there is the smallest
crevice anywhere, and they communicate to every place
which they infest a most distinctive and disgusting
smell. In the rains they fly about in a particularly
CHABA.CTBRISTIC8 OV THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 107
lively manner, and when the lamps are lighted you may
have half a dozen at once upon- the tea-table, or pro-
menading with delightful ease and freedom about the
heads and shoulders of the guests.
The grasshbppers, flies^ and crickets which in the hot
season swarm in the grass and fill one's muslin skirts in
walking over it, invade the house during the rains, with
countless other tribes. After sunset, it is nothing but
one incessant buzz, chirp, and flop, as they leap against
the white walls and fall back upon the matting. Inside
every fold of one's skirts, up the sleeve, inside the jacket,
kicking, tickling, jerking themselves into your face, jump-
ing into your tea, and swarming over the table-cloth,
the rooms are literally alive with them, and bed is really
the only place of refuge. Earwigs, beetles, mantises, fly-
ing bugs, and small green insects that run or hop side-
ways with a peculiarly fidgety motion, swarm on the
table, and drown themselves in the nightlamp, the oil of
which is often half an inch thick with these tiny green
creatures alone. The mole cricket with its ugly face and
strange broad claws is not an unfrequent visitor, and the
praying mantis, which attains a length of from two to
three inches, is a very amusing one from its singular
aspect and curiously deUberate movements ; while
enormous spiders, and huge noisy beetles, buzzing and
banging themselves against walls and ceiling are
decidedly unpleasant inmates.
You hear a portentous buzz, perhaps, and see some
particularly ugly and vicious-looking monster on the
opposite wall, watch it for a few seconds, and congratu-
late yourself that it appears of sedate temperament, and
walks so slowly, that at any rate it will be some time in
reaching you. Lo, the next moment, it has alighted on
your head, or bounced upon your writing paper, and you
discover that it has wings as well as legs, and that you
108 INLAND.
are entirely at its mercy. Moreover, if you make inquiries
of yoar native servant, you will probably hear that if it
walks over you it will create bad sores, a very favourite
statement, to which you may attach as httle credit as you
please, but which, nevertheless, does not conduce to
equanimity of mind.
Really dangerous insects, such as scorpions and cen-
tipedes, are comparatively rare, though I have seen both
in bed-rooms, and was once awaked by a sharp bite, and
found a centipede coiled under me upon the pillow.
Fortunately it was not a very large one, for when these
creatures grow, as they do here, to a length of six or
seven inches, their bite is terrible. But the mere abund-
ance of insect life, even when harmless, is a greater
nuisance than the dwellers in a temperate climate can
conceive. Some check is of course kept upon it by the
various kinds of birds, lizards, and bats, which also abound
here. Some of the lizards are frightful creatures,
especially the long-tailed kinds, popularly, though most
inappropriately called blood-suckers; but their ugliness
is amply compensated by their wholesale destruction of
cockroaches and other insects. My first introduction to
one was rather startling, for it suddenly made its appear-
ance close to me on the book-desk of our seat at the
Cathedral, and amused itself during the greater part of
the service with careering up and down the arm-chairs
just in front, the occupants of which were happily un-
conscious of its proximity. The face of one exquisite
would have been a study for a painter, if he had caught
sight of it in his new hat, which it seemed especially
interested in investigating. From tip to tip, this crea-
ture must certainly have measured more than a foot,
the greater part of its length, however, consisting of an
extremely attenuated and tapering tail.
Subsequently, some eggs which had been turned up
CHABACTIRISTIC8 OF THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 109
in the compound were brought to me, and I kept them
in a glass jar to see the result. They were about the
size of a hedge- sparrow's egg, but longer, and covered
with a tough white skin ; and eventually five young blood-
suckers emerged, which I kept for a few days, amused
by their airs of preternatural wisdom. On another
occasion, a similar experiment resulted in the hatch-
ing of a batch of snakes, which were more speedily dis-
posed of.
The cast skins of these latter reptiles are often found
in every large compound, and it is seldom that many
weeks elapse without the creatures themselves turning
up in some part of the premises ; but I believe that the
commonest kinds are perfectly harmless. It is very diffi-
cult, however, to arrive at any reliable information about
either plants or animals in India, few Europeans taking
any interest in the subject, and native statements being
random in the extreme. I never saw a cobra in Calcutta,
but they are common in the neighbourhood, and a full-
grown one was killed under the stairs in the house of a
friend of mine, who, fortunately, saw it cross the hall.
The Hindoos have a strange reluctance to injure this
deadly creature, which indeed they appear to hold half
sacred, though its bite is inevitably fatal. A series of
most elaborate and careful experiments, made in Cal-
cutta a few years ago, by three or four of the leading
surgeons, seems to place it beyond a doubt that no
known remedy can save an animal bitten by a vigorous
cobra. Not only were all so-called antidotes unavailing,
but instant excision and cautery failed, even though a
ligature had previously been placed round the limb,
ready to be tightened the moment the bite was given.
One small species of lizard, very gentle and inoflfen-
sive, is the constant inmate of every Indian house. It
would be impossible to exclude it even if one wished.
110 INLAND.
for it crawls like a fly in any direction : and few wonld
desire to shut it out, for it is the sworn foe of mosqui-
toes, and all other insects small enough to be its prey.
Often it has beguiled me into half an hour of idleness,
spent in watching its nimble and sagacious manoeuvres,
crouching on the wall with wavering tail and rapt excite-
ment, till some hapless cricket was near enough for a
sudden spring, when the Uttle hunter made short work
with it, and was ready in a moment for another. Often,
too, when safely enclosed in the mosquito curtains, I
have seen it by the lamplight, careering along the trans-
parent net, and pouncing on the mosquitoes waiting
outside, athirst for blood. It is a slender pale brown
creature with delicate semi-transparent skin and brilliant
eyes ; and judging from the numbers seen either without
tails, or with those appendages truncated or evidently of
recent growth, it appears to dispense with that part of
its body without much inconvenience. Its eggs are just
like round white comfits, and one meets with them every-*
where, in table-drawers and wardrobe shelves; but
scarcely any one would wish to interfere with this gentle,
clean, and useful little creature.
Bats are sometimes a great pest, especially in very
large and lofty bed-rooms. I have seen a dozen at a
time, sweeping hither and thither for an hour together,
not to be driven out by any attempt to flap or scare them;
and especially if they are of the larger kinds, their
presence is very unpleasant. Nor are these the only
strange visitants to which one is liable in Calcutta. For
a long time our bed- rooms were haunted night after night
by a large kind of civet cat, too audacious and strong to
be held or daunted by the most powerful trap we could
procure ; and I have more than once waked at midnight,
and found a large owl placidly gazing at me from the
top of the mosquito frame.
CHASACTERISTICS OF THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. Ill
Bats^ owls, and civet cats are all, however, abundantly
useful in their proper place. It is really interesting to
watch the former on some close evening in the rainy
season, when the winged white ants are streaming up out
of the ground like clouds of vapour. On such occasions
the servants were always summoned with kettles of boiling
water to pour down every hole from which they issued,
but meanwhile the excitement of the bats was wonderful.
Wheeling round and round in every direction, they
thinned the myriad insects at each turn, filling the air
with shrill cries of eagerness and triumph.
Rats and mice are of course the chief food of the owl,
and of these there is no lack, the musk rat being
especially common and offensive ; while the civet cat and
all its kind are the hereditary enemies of snakes.
One distinguished visitor which honours Calcutta
with its presence only during the rains, is far too remark-
able to be forgotten. This is the adjutant, a gigantic
crane, standing about four feet high, with a large, heavy
body, a small head, a huge bill, and wings which are said
sometimes to measure twelve feet from tip to tip. A
more ungainly and caricature-like bird probably does not
exist, but it is useful, like the jackal and the crow, as a
great devourer of refuse, and is said also to destroy rats
and snakes. It certainly swallows lumps of solid bone
larger than a man's fist, and it comes freely about the
houses and compounds, perfectly quiet and harmless, but
the most quaintly ugly creature living. Its body is grey
and black, its neck red and bare, with a curious fleshy
pouch dangling in front, and its huge beak the same
colour, while its long legs have exactly the appearance of
being covered with white stockings. Whether standing
with its head buried between its shoulders, sitting on the
ground with its long white legs stretched forward in the
most awkward and unbirdlike attitude, flying, perching,
112 IKLAKD.
or hanging itself ont to dry when its great black vingB
are saturated with rain, no words can render justice to
its extravagant nncouthness.
Perhaps the most ridiculous exhibition of itself that
even an adjutant could furnish, was given when one
alighted from an evening 6ight upon the summit of a
lofly tree close to our windows, and there, perched upon
a branch which bent and swajed beneath its weight,
proceeded to swallow some young crows that were quietly
reposing in their nest below. This being naturally
against the views of the parent birds, they made a
great disturbance, and the sight of their eccentric long-
legE^ed foe aloft on the ticklish summit, flapping his
huge wings aud making strenuous efforts to main-
tain his equilibrium, evidently considerably bothered
by the nproar, but notwithstanding, diving with his
great bill among the leaves, end gobbling down an
CHASA.CTBBI8TICS OF THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 113
unclean little one at every dip, was absurd beyond
description.
About the middle of October the rains cease, and the
heat begins sensibly to abate. The shopkeepers open
the cases in which all delicate goods have been carefully
tinned down, and the capital wakes up and brightens
ready for the Viceroy's return, and the commencement of
the festive season. The Doorga Pooja holiday is duly
kept — ^by the natives with observances to be described
hereafter, and by Europeans in up-country trips, for
which the railway makes liberal provision ; and health
and spirits alike revive with the return of weather which
will make life for three months at least a luxury instead
of an endurance.
We have now run the usual round of the Calcutta
year, but it will be scarcely right, perhaps, to close a
description of the seasons, without some reference to the
awful cyclones which from time to time sweep over the
districts round the head of the Bay of Bengal. Eight or
nine years used to be considered the ordinary interval
between these tremendous visitations ; but of late they
have happened much more frequently. Since the memo-
rable one of 1864, when it was calculated that 50,000
persons perished, drowned for the most part, in the
fearful storm-wave that swept over the low lands along
the Hooghly, there have been two or three of less
importance, and I will copy from a minute description of
one of these, written at the time, the chief features of its
progress.
"Friday, Nov. 1st, 1869, will be long remembered in
Calcatta and the neighbourhood for the wide-spread ruin
and devastation it brought. We had had very strong
winds from the north for two or three days, increasing in
violence, and accompanied with rain on Friday ; and it
was thought necessary, before going to bed, to look round
8
114 INLAND.
and see that all the windows and sun-shutters were
securely bolted. The former all open down to the floor,
and are ten or twelve feet high, and four or five wide,
folding back like shutters into the recess formed by the
thickness of the walls. When closed, which they seldom
are, except in storms, they are secured across the middle
by a strong iron bar, about half-an-inch thick, and more
than an inch wide. The sun-shutters are immensely
strong wooden frames, with moveable Venetians panelled
in them, each flap being four or five inches wide, and
half-an-inch thick. These are secured by strong bolts,
shooting upwards and downwards at the same time ; and
the room doors, which are of the same size as the windows
and very numerous, are composed of two very solid halves,
fastened top and bottom by bolts.
'^ These were all looked to, and any of which the
fastenings were not satii^factory, tied with ropes. The
house, which is large and lofty, faces north and south ;
the east and west ends and the south front of the upper
floor being occupied by bed-rooms.
" It soon became evident that there was no prospect
of sleep, for the wind kept sweeping round in louder and
louder gusts, shaking even tliis immensely solid building,
as one may have felt a slight English house shake in a
gale. Its first violence was directed against the east
end, where the windows were soon obliged to be unbarred
and folded back, lest the strong bars should fly and inflict
some serious damage. The rain then beat in through
the sun- shutters half across the room, and the eastern
wing had to be abandoned to its fate, the bedding carried
to the central south apartment, and the doors between
the two barricaded with bedsteads, the bolts not being
sufiicient to hold them.
^^ After a while the chief fury of the storm veered to
the north, where the bath-room doors, opening inward^
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEASONS IN CALCUTTA. 113
could not be barricaded, and slammed at every blast
with a violence sufficient to shake any less solidly built
house to pieces. Then the skyUght in a side room was
shivered, and the floor quickly strewed with glass and
plaster, and drenched with rain.
'* Meanwhile the servants, who had remained on the
premises in case of need, were endeavouring, with small
success, to barricade the lower floor against the storm ;
and I shall never forget the horror of one moment, when
the doors that open on the landing burst open with a
crash, and we saw a bearer trying to close a high stair-
case window, while the wind beating it against him,
threatened every moment to hurl him down to the stone
floor of the hall below. He was quite bewildered by the
noise, and though we shouted to him to come away and
leave the window to its fate, it was some awful moments
before we could make him hear and understand. Glass
and plaster were flying in all directions, and at last we
barricaded the north doors of the large bed-room as we
had done the eastern ones, and left the rest of the house
to the servants and the elements.
"In the course of the night, the violence of the
storm swept round to the west, which had to be aban-
doned in its turn, and only the long southern bed-room
was left for the assembled family. Here we walked up
and down, and once or twice lay down and tried to snatch
a few moments of forgetfulness, but the uproar was in-
conceivable. The wind howled and whistled and beat
against walls and windows, and now and then there was
a peal of thunder ; the great doors slammed at irregular
intervals like discharges of artillery, and trees and walls
were falling with such crashes, that it was impossible to
distinguish between thunder, wind, and downfall. Occa-
sionally some unusually loud report, followed by more
banging and shivering of glass, would tell us that an iron
116 INLAND.
bar was wrenched off in one of the abandoned rooms, or
noises overhead would show that the battlements of the
roof were yielding to the blast.
^^ At last, about half-past four it gradually abated, and
I fell asleep, waking at six to look out upon such a scene
of desolation as it is difficult to describe. We had some
magnificent trees in the compound, splendid both for
height and strength, and every one was either blown down
or stripped of its finest branches. Some of the limbs
torn off were themselves as large as moderate sized trees,
and six lofty casuarinas and two large bale trees lay up-
rooted on the turf. Some had fallen against the com-
pound w^all, and laid it flat for many yards in various
places ; and one blocked up the entrance gate, having
narrowly missed crushing the durwan in his lodge. All
that remained standing, both trees and shrubs, were
literally stripped of every leaf, and the compound was
half under water. Landings and staircase were covered
with pools, and though the glass doors of the lower floor
had been kept shut by heavy furniture, every pane of
glass was gone, and the hall and the whole ground floor
half an-inch deep in mud and water. One or two doors
were torn off, and several window-frames wrenched out
of the masonry, the sun-shutters forced off their hinges,
or literally blown to shivers out of their frames. One of
the iron bars of the drawing-room windows had been so
bent by the force of the wind that the staple would not
hold it, and the other had been wrenched off, the rain
driving in under an immensely wide portico, and wetting
even the bookcases at the opposite side of the room.
'^ The solid white plaster, nearly an inch thick, which
is used here both inside and outside the walls of houses,
w^as shaken off in patches many feet square, the west end
of the house especially, looking as if it had suffered a
cannonade ; and a covered way with a strong arched roo
CHABACTERIST1C8 OF THE SEASONS IK CALCUTTA. 117
of corrugated iron was completely stripped — the great
sheets of metal^ torn and crumpled like bits of paper,
swept to the furthest comers of the compound. Many
natives perished in boats, or by the fall of trees and
buildings, but comparatively few Europeans suffered. A
native doctor not far from us lost four of his family by
the fall of his house, and our cook^s father was killed.
Poor Kaloo walked about all night trying to find shelter
for his children, one of them an infant of only a few days
old ; and scarcely a native dwelling was left standing in
whole districts ; but owing to the absence of any storm-
wave on the river, the loss of life was much less than
daring the last cyclone, when it was calculated that
50,000 persons perished. The Cathedral was partly un-
roofed and the west window blown in, while heaps of
dead crows and kites lay in all the streets, fifty being
found in a neighbouring compound.^'
On the whole, I was by no means sorry when it was
ovex to have witnessed a cyclone for once, but those
whose lot is cast in quieter cU mates may well be thankful
for their exemption from such terrific and destructive
visitations.
118
FAMILT LIFE AMONG THE HINDOOS.
If the daily routine and surroundings of an English
family in Calcutta present much that must seem strange
to a denizen of the dear old country, what shall we say of
the interior of a native household ? I approach this sub-
ject with diflBdence for many reasons; but I am deeply
anxious that my countrywomen should know something
of the real state of their Indian sisters, that they may be
stirred up to more eftbrt and prayer on their behalf, and
I can at least premise that I will make no statement
which I have not the best grounds for believing to be
strictly and literally true. For this reason it is not my
intention to enter deeply into the complicated social
problems of India, but simply to sketch some of their
salient points as they stand out before an unprejudiced
observer. Doubtless there are books which enter fully
into these matters, but I never met with one, or with an
untravelled English person, who had any definite ideas
upon the subject. And yet, until the people of England
are roused to think and feel about the needs and claims
of India, there is little hope that any great improvement
will be effected. No one can at all estimate the gigantic
obstacles that lie in the way of her true progress without
some knowledge of such fundamental peculiarities of
Hindoo family life as I will now attempt to describe*
FAMILY LIFE AMONG THE HINDOOS. 119
One of its most striking points is the system which
keeps all the members of a family, irrespective of age or
ability, in subjection to its head, and mutual dependence
on each other ; and this, again, is linked witt the custom
of early marriages, and the degradation of the female sex.
To illustrate these important points, let us take the case
of some Hindoo family in the middle ranks of Ufe; for the
system extends, with little modification, from the highest
down to the lowest stratum of society, and a description
of one will in this respect serve for all.
The fii-st great fiindamental law of family life requires
that every girl, under penalty of the direst disgrace,
shall be a wife before she is ten years old. The first
anxiety of every pai*ent is, therefore, to arrange for the
marriage of his female children, and to prepare their
dower, which frequently consists only of a variety of
ornaments. By the time a girl is seven or eight years
old, or even earlier, everything is generally ready, and a
boy husband has been found whose parents are satisfied
with the connection and with the promised dower, or the
nuinber of gold or silver necklaces, bracelets, anklets,
and head ornaments with which the little creature can
be decked. Of course no one dreams of consulting the
children's wishes, nor, if they did, would any objection
be likely to arise. The first idea instilled into the mind
of a baby girl is that of marriage as the great end of life,
and almost the only prayer that she is taught is one for
early marriage and motherhood, with the added petition
that her future husband may take no second wife.
When the day comes, the children are decked in all
their finery, and carried through the streets with more or
less of pomp and display, discordant music, flags and
garlands, and gaily dressed relatives and friends, some-
times forming quite a long procession. What ceremonies,
religious or other, are performed at the bride's home, I
120 iHLuni.
do not know, but there are always some days of feasting,
and all classes spend sums ruinously out of proportion to
their means on these occasions. For a while the little
bride lives in her father's house, only visiting at intervals
in her future home ; but when she is ten or eleven she
goes to live there altogether, and she is frequently a
mother at thirteen.
Her boy husband, perhaps a year or two, probably
several years, older than herself, lives, meanwhile, in his
father's house, going to school or college daily with his
DMd In MuiUge FnccBloni.
brothers, all bis sisters having been drafted off in like
manner to other homes ; and as each boy marries, his
child wife is brought in due course, and immured for Ufa
nnder his mother's care and absolute authority. No
matter how large the number of sons, they usually all
live on in the father's house, adding their earnings to
the common stock; their wives inhabiting the zenana
FAMILY LIFE IXONQ THE HINDOOS. 121
or female apartments^ together with mother-in-law, and
perhaps grandmother and aunts. In course of time the
elder members of the family die off, and a younger gene-
ration fills their place, and it must necessarily sometimes
happen that some family division or call of interest removes
one or more branches to another locality : but the system
I have deBcribed is the normal family life of the Hindoo.
One good results from it, amid much evil. Family
bonds are intensely strong among them, and if any
member of the household dies, his wife and children are
not left destitute and homeless, as is too often the case in
England. As long as he was able to work, his earnings
went towards the common support, and when he is
removed, those who belonged to him have still an equal
right to the shelter of the roof and a share of the family
provision. In households so large, and with the neces-
saries of life so few and cheap, a few more mouths make
little difference, and his sons will grow up to contribute
in their turn, while his daughters will be married before
any one can look upon them as a burden. Hence, except
in case of famine or pestilence, there is none of the abject
and piteous destitution that so often makes the heart
ache in our civilized land. It is even difficult — almost
impossible— except under the circumstances just referred
to, to get an orphan child to clothe and educate ; and so
far it is well, and one might almost think that India has
the best of the comparison. But, looked at in any other
aspect, the picture is dark indeed, repulsive and dis-
couraging. These early marriages are the result of an
utter disbeUef in womanly purity — a disbelief which is
consistently manifested in all the subsequent arrange-
ments. From the time the child wife becomes an inmate
of her husband's home, she is a prisoner for life, never to
be looked upon by any other man. The house may be a
large and handsome one, furnished, as many of the baboos*
122 INLAKD.
houses are, in lavisli'aTid gaudy style, but its spacioiia
rooms and their conveiiieucea and luxuries are not for the
women of the family. Their rooms are built roond an
inner court, low, close, ill-lighted, and ill-ventilated, with
no outlet to the street ; and within these narrow walla the
wives and mothers of India live and die.
Once or twice in their lives, perhaps, they may revisit
their father's houses, or even remove with their husbands
to another home, but they must do it carefully screened
from public view. A palankeen is brought into the
zenana, the woman gets into it, and the sliding doors are
shut, and then, to prevent the possibility of any chink
being left, a crimson cover is slipped on over all. Not till
PklinkMn Tor KatJn Ltdle*.
this is done are the bearers allowed to carry their burden
into the open street ; and the cover is not removed till she
has been conveyed in like manner into the women's
apartments at her place of destination. So strict is this
custom that it is recognized in English courts of law, and
if any woman of the higher ranks is required to give
evidence, she is either examined by a Commission, the
members of which are admitted to the zenana, where they
FAMILY LIFE AMONG THE HINDOOS. 123
tender the oath and receive her deposition, with a curtain
drawn between her and them ; or she is carried into court
in her covered palkee, and the judge and counsel descend
to it and hear her evidence through the double screen.
The higher the rank, the closer the bondage, and to
any one who knows their state, it seems only a sad
mockery to call any of these poor creatures by our noble
English name of lady. Even with us it is sadly abused in
these days, but it still implies, at any rate, some degree of
rank, wealth, or education ; and if we reflect for a moment
what these words mean with us, we shall see how Uttle a
title derived from them can suit a case so different.
Bank among us implies either personal achievement
or geuerations of refinement and intercourse with civi-
lized society; but in India every link in the ancestral
chain only binds the hapless female in a closer thraldom,
and restricts her from even the freedom of motion and
action which the very poor enjoy. Wealth, in England,
suggests surroundings that are in themselves an education,
and opportunities of foreign travel and of cultivating tastes
for everything beautiful and refined in nature and art.
In India, it can clothe a woman with transparent drapery,
and load her with jewels, furnish her with the finest
tobacco for her hookah, and with abundant attar to
sprinkle her garments ; but it is powerless to elevate her
mind, or to bridge over the immeasurable gulf that sepa-
rates the mere female from the lady. And as to education
— take any English child of ten or twelve years old, even
from a school where a good and liberal foundation has
been laid, shut her up from all society, except that of her
compeers, place her under the absolute control of a totally
uneducated mother-in-law, let her have two or three
children of her own before she is fifteen, and never catch
a glimpse of the outer world to the day of her death,-^
and say what education worthy of the name can exist iix
124
INLAND.
snch a case. No books, no needlework, no pictures,
except the vilest daubed prints from their most vile
mythology, no accomplishments, except cookery, no
employment, except smoking and playing with their
jewels and their children, no knowledge of the grand past,
or the busy present, or the eternal future ! Yet this is
the life — these are the homes — of the ladies of India.
I should not venture to draw such a picture solely
from personal knowledge, necessarily limited: or even
from the accounts of those who have spent years in making
themselves acquainted with the customs of the country ;
but I can appeal to Hindoo writers of the present day in
corroboration of its perfect truth. Not long ago, a series
of lectures on the physical influence of their social habits
was delivered in Calcutta by an educated native, and
reported fully in the daily papers. I have no distinct
recollection, either of the lecturer^s name, or of his
general drift ; but one thing especially struck me. He
went fully into the subject of zenana life, and condemned
it to a certain extent as injurious, allowing that change
was desirable ; but this, not on behalf of the ivomen who pass
their whole lives in these confined apartments, but for the
sake of the men, whose health must suffer from sleeping
there, after spending their days in open shops or offices,
or in the free ventilation of their own spacious rooms I
Unquestionably, there are exceptional cases, where a
husband happens, perhaps, to be an only son, of liberal
mind and devotedly attached to his ,wife, and will spend
his own leisure in instructing her, and fitting her to be his
rational companion. I have heard' of Hindoo ladies,
under these or similar circumstances, becoming deeply
read in Sanscrit Uterature, and even going far into the
profundities of mathematical science ; but such instances
are extremely rare. Again, a sect has lately risen among
educated Hindoos^ repudiating idolatry^ and breaking
FAMILT LIFE AMONG TH£ HINDOOS. 123
loose from old customs so far as to worship one God, and
mix freely with Christians, and even bring wives into
society, and allow them to travel by train. Of this sect,
called the Brahmo Somaj, and well known in Kngland
since the visit of its eloquent apostle, Keshub Chunder
Sen, more must be said hereafter. It is only necessary
here to remark, that though in some sense influential,
they are very few in number, and that the sum of all these
exceptions forms an utterly inappreciable fraction of the
women of India. The vast masses, in every rank, are
condemned, from childhood to old age, to the purely
animal existence described above.
It may, perhaps, be asked, " But how is it possible to
find husbands for the whole female population ? We
know how diflScult it is to get oflF a large family of
daughters in England; and how can they manage to
marry every Hindoo girl before she enters her teens ? "
The answer is easy. In the first place, it is well known
that the balance of the sexes at birth is, if anything, in
favour of the male ; and if the female population of any
country preponderates, it is because of the greater loss of
life among men from accident or war. In India, where
marriages are contracted before the age when there can
be much exposure to these risks, this disproportion does
not exist. Again; in England many women are left single,
not because there are no men to marry them, but because
marriage with us involves a separate establishment, and
necessitates some amount of means. In India, owing to
the family system I have described, the bringing home of
a wife does not necessarily involve any appreciable
expense. Even children are little burden, when they
require no clothes, no nurses, and no furniture, and merely
share the family provisions of curry, rice, and sweetmeats.
And, once more ; in England, some ladies have more than
their fair share of husbands, and it is obvious that if they
126 INLAND.
were legally restricted in this respect, there would be a
considerable number of would-be Benedicts obliged to
choose wives from the single sisterhood. Such a law does
prevail in India, and its consequences are far more serious
than any one would at first thought imagiue. Let us try
to realize them as they afiect both sexes ; and, in order
to do this, we will take no imaginary or uncommon case.
Think of a child of six or seven, trained from infancy,
as I have said, to look on marriage as the chief good of
life. The time has come for her to be decked in bridal
finery, and affianced, it may be to a boy-husband, or it
may be to a full-grown man. The ceremonies are duly
performed, the days of feasting ended, and the little,
bedizened creature is beginning to return to her child life
again, only distinguished as a wife by the red powdered
spot which every married woman wears above her fore-
head. She is looking forward now with mingled hope
and wonder to the time when she will be transplanted to
her husband's home, and begin to be a wife indeed. But
one day, ill tidings come — the husband whom she has
scarcely seen has been seized by disease or accident, and
he is dead, and she a widow. Well may the poor child
weep and rend her hair, for however little love could exist
in such a case, her sun of hope and happiness is set for
ever. Less than fifty years ago, that loss would have
sealed her death-warrant, and she would have perished on
her husband's funeral pile ; but thanks to the fearless
humanity of Lord William Bentinck, the horrors of suttee
are rarely practised now — all persons concerned in such an
outrage being amenable to English \a^. But still her fate
is terrible. Not only is she forbidden all hope of second
marriage, not only must she live and die solitary and
childless, but she is looked upon by every one as a burden
and a disgrace — a being who must be allowed to Uve,
because English law is stronger even than old custom^
FAMILY LIFE AMONG THE HINDOOS. 127
but who may be justly made the scapegoat of every family
quarrel and misfortune. Never again must she adorn
herself with the jewels so dear to the native heart, never
wear any dress but the plain, white garb of mourning,
never sleep upon a bod, never touch any but the simplest
food. The ordinary share of household kindness is denied
her, and in fasting and privation, unloved and unpitied,
she must spend all the weary years that may lie between
her and the funeral pile. It is little wonder that if
temptation can but find a way into their prison-house,
such hapless creatures fall an easy prey, and that the ranks
of female vice in India, apart from the dancing-girls, who
are bought in infancy and trained to a life of shame, are
filled almost exclusively by widows who have escaped from
this intolerable bondage.
Nor are the evils of this law confined to women ; it
cuts both ways, though not with equal severity. True, a
man who loses his wife may marry again ; but whom ?
Not a woman, for unmarried women there are none. He
must wed a little girl, and wait till she is old enough to
become the guarded inmate of bis zenana. If he could
marry a widow, there are numbers of suitable age who
would gladly embrace such an oSer of escape from misery ;
but it is impossible. Not that there is any authentic
prohibition, even in their own ancient sacred books ; but
all-powerful custom is against it. They would be out-
casts — and one must go to India to learn the full purport
of that dreadful word. The loss of caste, to the Hindoo,
is like the greater excommunication at the most servile
period of the middle, ages. No one will eat with him, or
meet him in friendly intercourse — ^he is marked in life and
accursed in death, and the same penalties are entailed upon
his children. More than once lately, wealthy and influen-
tial natives, partly from selfish and partly from philan-
thropic motives, have endeavoured to break the fetters of
128
INLAND.
this cruel law. They have arranged to marry widows,
and have secured the support of friends pledged to
stand by them in the daring innovation ; but in too many
cases only misery has been the result. Not long ago,
the tragic termination of one such venture attracted so
much notice, that there is no breach of delicacy in com-
menting upon the circumstances, as they were reported in
Indian and English newspapers.
The Hon. Maroba Canoba was a man of rank and
education appointed by Government to the post of
Judge in one of the Bombay Courts. Left a widower
with a grown-up family, while still in the prime of life,
sense and feeling revolted at the idea of marrying a little
child, and he resolved to brave all consequences, and choose
a widow of suitable age for his second wife. How the
choice 'was made and the preliminaries arranged, I do not
know — probably by means of one of the old women who
act as match-makers in India, going from house to house
where there are marriageable members, as tolerated and
welcomed gossips, expatiating upon the beauty and en-
dowments of female children to the mothers of boys and
men, and vice versa. Any way, the arrangements were
concluded, and the Judge, backed by the promised support
of many influential friends, married a widow of five and
twenty, who was only too glad and thankful to accept the
offer.
I well remember the satisfaction with which the event
was hailed by the Anglo-Indian press, and the hopes
expressed that so conspicuous an example would do
much to abolish prejudice and inaugurate a new era. Bat
Eastern custom is a barrier against which men may dash
themselves and die — a despotism as irrational and un-
feeling as the granite walls of a prison house. All that
remains to be told of Maroba Canoba and his hapless wife
was ably summed up in a leader in one of the chief English
FAMILT LIFE AMONG THE HINDOOS. 129
papers early in 1871. They became tenderly attached to
one another, and their happiness, as English novelists say,
was rendered complete by the birth of a son ; but neither
precaution, wealth, position, nor mutual affection could
avert the curse of the outcast from their devoted heads.
The grown up sons harassed their father^s life with law
suits and contentions, and all the petty tyrannies of daily
insult and persecution made the zenana intolerable to the
unwelcomed wife. They could neither endure nor escape
the misery; and so one night they left their sleeping
babe and walked out under the still Eastern moonlight to
their death. They must have sat down on the parapet of
the wide well, and deliberately tied themselves together
with the husband's scarf; for they were found next
morning under the deep water clasped in each other's
arms ; the wife, true to the traditions of her race, having
arrayed herself in her costliest apparel for the sacrifice.
Before you blame them, free denizens of happy Eng-
lish homes, thank God for the long ages of liberty of
thought and action that have made it simply impossible
for you to comprehend their bondage !
9
130
VI
EDUCATIONAL EFP0ET8 AND EELIGIOUS DIFFICULTIES.
Though the peculiar customs of India present sucli
obstacles to the education of women, no difficulty lies
in the path of men, and Government has done much,
especially of late years, to encourage learning among
the higher and middle ranks. It is now quite possible
in Calcutta, and other towns where there are affiliated
colleges, to obtain an education sufficient for a university
degree at the monthly expense of only a few rupees.
Scores of young men annually complete this course, in
which Shakespeare and other English classics take the
place occupied by Latin and Greek authors at our
universities; and history, geography, astronomy, and
other sciences are studied, as well as mathematics, for
which the Hindoo mind has an especial aptitude.
Eeligion, till lately, was carefully excluded; and even
now, though the prohibition is removed, I believe that no
credit is given for theological marks in the university
examinations. It is strange and sad to see how per-
sistently a professedly Christian government has ignored
in all its dealings with this great country that which is a
nation's true crown and glory, the real secret of strength
and progress. The very heathen despise and reproach us
for this cowardly negation, for they see nothing in religion
that a wise man need be ashamed to own, and they cannot
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS AND BELIOIOUS DIFFICULTIES. 131
understand the existence of a faith that never declares
itself before men.
The result so far of this experiment of cheap and
advanced secular education is anything but satisfactory
or hopeful.
True, no educated man can really remain a Hindoo in
religion ; for this monstrous faith is so interwoven with
monstrous scientific errors that it must fall before even a
superficial knowledge of physical truth.* But, alas!
* One or two instances in varioas soientifio departments will
BufBciently illustrate this. They are tanght that the earth is flatt
having in the centre a mountain, ronnd which the sun goes,
caasing day and night. Bound the inhabited part of the world is
an ocean of salt water, encircled by an annular continent, boanded
on its outer edge by a sea of milk. Then comes another ring of
land, and an ocean of batter-milk ; another, and a sea of ghee ;
another, and one of molasses, or sugar-caae juice ; another, and a
sea of honey ; another, and an ocean of fresh water, beyond which
lies a mountainous barrier and outer darkness.
There was once a deluge which swept everything into the sea
of milk, and the gods lost the amreeta drink which secured their
immortality. To recover it, they and the demons churned the
ocean with Mount Mandra which they rolled to and fro, using the
five-headed serpent Vaysooke as a rope. The juices of all trees
and flowers, and melted gold, being churned in the flood produced
the desired drink, with which the gods recruited their immortality.
A demon named Bahoo managed in the confusion to partake of
the drink, but his theft was denounced by the sun and moon, and
Yinhnoo struck ofl* his head before the immortalizing fluid had
gone down his throat. His body consequently perished, but the
head remained immortal and ascended to the sky, where he
swallows the sun and moon whenever he can catch them, and thus
occasions eclipses !
Again, as regards medical science, the following prescription
is taken from a work on the treatment of children, called Balagraha
Pustaka-: — " Children who have renched the age of one year, one
month and one day, are often seized by a goddess named Nandinu
The symptoms are fever, crying in an unnatural tone, refusing the
breast, swelling of the stomach and staring with a fixed upward
132 INLAND.
notliing 18 given to fill the void thus made — they are
crammed with such knowledge as feeds the intellectual
conceit which is perhaps the strongest tendency of the
native mind, while the soul is left to itself, and the moral
faculties uncultivated ; and the result is as might be
expected, that they too often take their degrees and go
out into life inflated with the most ludicrous self-impor-
tance, and utterly unballasted by principle, clever mathe-
maticians and subtle disputants, but without honesty,
breadth or earnestness; aping English vices, and adding
to them a sordid meanness, trickery and ingratitude most
repugnant to the English character. It is scarcely
possible to depend upon college examinations even as a
test of scholarship, from the frequent and scandalous
instances when candidates have managed to possess
themselves of the questions beforehand, by tampering
with employes of the Post OSice or the printing press.
Instead, too, of recognizing as a boon the education
gaze. For this the offering is as follows : — Bring some earth from
the two sides of a flowing stream, and form it into an image; dress
it in a white cloth ; offer to it white flowers, sandal powder and rice,
betel nut and leaf, curds, boiled rice, a lamp fed with good oil,
black beads, palmyra leaf, coins, ghee, jaggery, and three kinds
of soaked grain* Then in the evening place all these things on a
new tile, and put them down outside the city towards the east,
and utter this incantation : —
' goddess Nandini, to thee I make my salutation !
Come ! Come !
goddess possessing this child ! Cease ! Cease ! '
Then offer as incense margosa leaves, chips from the horns of
cattle, ghee, and hair from the child's head, and afterwards bathe
the child with water drawn from five wells. Thus for three days
must the goddess be appeased."
Other spirits named Sunamati, Mithuni, Marari, Kanjaki,
Koukani, Alasugi, Irimbhini, Ardini, Niveshiui, Archini, and
Adbhuti have their favourite ages, the last being given to attacking
children whose age is twelve years, twelve months, and twelve days.
EDUCATIONAL EFFOBTS AND BELIGIOUS DIFFICULTIES. 183
SO freely placed within their reach, they consider that
Government by bestowing it, pledges itself to reward
their scholarship with some lucrative employment ; and
as this expectation mvst, in the majority of cases end in
disappointment, no inconsiderable element of discontent
and danger is year by year infused throughout the
country. The native papers are filled with the most
insolent and preposterous comments on public affairs,
written by men who owe their very ability for mischief to
the unwise liberality of their rulers, and a great power
for evil is thus rapidly growing up in India. Men, who
but for this cheap and advanced education would have
remained in their natural obscurity, disappointed of the
public offices which are the great object of their ambition,
cut loose from the anchorage of old tradition, and with
no humility to ballast, or faith to guide them, are likely to
become very fire-ships, scattering mischief and ruin, if once
the spark of war is thrown into our Indian possessions.
Any file of Indian newspapers will furnish samples
enough of this dangerous spirit, couched in language
ludicrous from the combination of high-sounding words
and defective grammar, and irritating from its insufferable
insolence and conceit ; but I will only quote one specimen
in which the element of absurdity largely predominates.
It is probably merely a squib from some English hand ;
but the native characteristics both of sentiment and lan-
guage are hit off with singular felicity ; and its genuine-
ness is by no means an impossible alternative.
It was called forth by an article in one of the English
newspapers which expressed surprise and disappointment
that so few of the educated natives of India showed any
disposition to exert themselves for the improvement of
their country ; almost all preferring any petty post which
allows its occupant to lead an indolent and sedentary life to
the far superior appointments in the eogineering service
134
INLAND.
for which natives might be peculiarly eligible, because less
liable to suffer from exposure to the sun than Europeans: —
" Sir, — I had pleasure to discern the article which
was made to appear in your journal anterior to some two
or three weeks previously, with reference to the enter-
tainment of native gentlemen to the superior emoluments
of the Department of Public Works; and as you will
indubitably delight to be made known with the conside-
rations of a superiorly educated and matriculated native
gentleman of higher order with reference to the aforesaid,
I assume my foolscap and pen and ink to compose an
epistle, the reception of which^ if it is favourable by you
(which I do not doubt it would be), you must insert in
the typography of your too influential organ.
''The great motive why native gentlemen not now
entering the Department of Public Works, but soouer go
to dull work in Collector's Office on rupees 10 per
mensem, than be in the interesting condition of D. P. W.
Overseer on rs. 60, is because D. P. W. overseers have to
pedestrianate or itinerate on horseback too much, and
often abide in the sun till even 12 o'clock noon a.m.
This is no matter for Europeans, who are strong just like
coolies and vain to be so, and for low-caste men who are
irrespectable ; but for high-caste native gentleman it is
respectable only to be weak.
'' My late respected father, who departed this mortal
coil some time previously, and was a Tahsildar, was
thought great deal of by all peoples, except European
peoples, because he could not walk far or abide in the
sun; and two or four times, when assistant-collector
made him come to inspect some lands was carried in
palkee, while assistant- collector walk like strong common
fellow ; when my father doing this merasidars, and all
peoples complimenting him much. How also can higher
native gentleman with plenty respectful abdomen ride
EDUCATIONAL EPFOBTS AND BEUOIOUS DIFFICULTIES. 135
many miles quickly without horsekeeper ? Will lie not
be ill, and will not people think him common fellow if he
does so ? Therefore, native gentlemen will not now
assume posts in D. P. W., but if they are inserted into
higher posts where they can do what they like only, then
some may do so, and this should be the case; for is it
not now acknowledged that native gentlemen who have
done go to college and leamt every knowledge are supe-
rior to Europeans which come to this country, many of
which have not even matriculated ? Therefore, every
matriculated native gentleman, if liking, should be put in
the post of Executive Engineer, and every B.A. in Super-
intending Engineer's post. If this justice be done, and
native gentlemen Executive and Superintending Engineers
allowed to live near their own villages, and give them Euro-
pean subordinates to do rough work in sun, then perhaps
some matriculated students and B.A. will consent to enter
the department, and so it will be improved.
'' But present European Engineer people here don't
w^ant this. This I am acquainted with, for after perusing
the article in your organ I considered how the ' mighty
blank,' the Press saying native gentlemen must be put
in lofty public works and telegraph pos^s, this will soon
be done, and I went to one Superintending Engineer, and
informed him I required an appointment. After a short
conversation in the English dialect, in which I spoke
very fine language, and told him I had matriculated and
learnt everything, he wrote some questions just same like
examination papers, which he presented me to answer.
This I did with greater accuracy and facility, and not
only so, but corrected some improper orthographies in
the questions; but the Superintending Engineer would
not appoiutment me, excusing that he had no post to
suit such clever person. I informed him that I would take
even 4th Executive Engineer's post ; but though I press
\
136 INLAND.
and press, and talk very beautifully for nearly one hour,
he would not give same, and in a sudden getting angry
like most Europe people, he tell peon to turn me out of the
office. Thus we all see that Engineer people here donH
want highly educated and matriculated native gentlemen in
the Department. I will now bring this epistle to a finish."
There is something almost pathetically ludicrous in
this specimen of folly and conceit ; but one meets con-
tinually in daily life with instances of insolence and
meanness that make it very difficult to keep one^s temper
and retain any charitable feeling towards the baboos as a
class. For example, I have seen a letter from one of
them to an American lady who was devoting her life to
the teaching of native women in their zenanas. His wife
was one of her pupils, and I am not sure whether he paid
anything for her lessons, but if he did it was not many
shillings a month ; and as Hindoo ladies never go out,
their teachers not only have to drive to and fro in the
mid-day heat to visit them, but have the trouble of pur-
chasing and supplying all materials for the fancy work
which they are particularly fond of learning. Some
trifling article, previously procured, had been inadver-
tently charged at less than cost price, and another being
now required, the full sum, amounting to 2^(1. was charged
for it. The purport of the letter, a long one, and written
in very fair English, was to complain of what the husband
considered an overcharge of ^d. ; and to ask, with the
coolest insolence, for a list of all the prices of materials,
as he was afraid they might be doubled next time !
Another baboo, a member of one of the wealthiest
families in Calcutta, whose liberality in feeding hundreds
of poor daily through the famine, had been duly extolled
by the public press, sent one of his secretaries to arrange
for a teacher to come two or three times a week to his
wife ; and it was only after much hesitation and chaffering
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS AND RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTIES. 137
that he agreed to give eight rupees (sixteen shillings) a
month to pay for her instruction ; the lady teacher being
all the while supported by a society in America, and
obliged to keep her own horse and carriage to enable her
to visit her pupils. It does, indeed, require a large amount
of Christian patience to deal with such people and con-
tinue to do thera good, which they so little appreciate. ITie
women have much more generosity of disposition, and there
is much that is amiable and attractive about many of them.
The foregoing remarks, though widely applicable,
must not however be taken in too sweeping a sense ; and
especially would I guard against being supposed for a
moment to imply that there are no native officials, or pro-
fessional men of really high character. Every one familiar
with Indian public life could name numbers who reflect
honour on their country ; but the system of secular edu-
cation cannot fairly claim the credit of producing these,
and it does unquestionably bring forth in shoals the men
described above.
Supple, insinuating, and subservient to his superiors,
and grasping and pitiless in his dealings with those
beneath him, ihe worst vices of the Hindoo character
are often most mischievously displayed by the lower
officials in Government employ, especially in the collection
of taxes from the poorer classes. This is placed in their
hands to a great extent from the sheer necessity of the
case ; and there is no doubt that extortion as gross as
that which made the name of Publican abhorrent to the
Jew is consequently practised upon the ignorant and
timid, the odium of it, falling, of course, upon the Govern-
ment. Truly said the wise man, " A poor man that
oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain that leaveth
no food;'' and nowhere are his words more frequently
verified than in India. It is impossible to keep any
satisfactory check upon unscrupulous officials of the lower
♦ .
188 IKLAND.
grades^ and the amount of rankling disaffection kept up
by tlieir rapacity is a matter of serious anxiety to those
who watch the under-currents of feeling that sway the
ignorant masses of the population.
The public ceremony of conferring degrees upon the
successful candidates in the Calcutta University and its
affiliated colleges, is a curious and interesting sight,
which takes place annually in the Townhall. The Bishop,
the Chancellor, and Vice- Chancellor of the University,
and all the high officials, civil and military, who are
members of the Syndicate, occupy a dais at one end in
their appropriate robes, and below on each side are ranged
the successful candidates, almost all natives, and very few
of them Christians. Almost all wear the peculiar flat,
striped turban before described, which combined oddly with
academic gowns and scarfs, and with the white trousers
which most of them assume, at least for this occasion.
Just in front of the dais are ranged the seats for ladies,
and behind these, and filling every corner of the hall, are
hundreds of baboos, in all varieties of attire. Gorgeous
smoking-caps, or turbans of showy colour and material
adorn their heads, and vests and long upper garments of
corresponding magnificence, with white scarfs folded
diagonally across the breast, and white muslin drapery
below, complete their array. One portly Zemindar or
landowner, from a distance, was especially conspicuous on
one of these occasions. Upwards of six feet high, and stout
in proportion, he walked about beaming with satisfaction, a
benignant son of Anak in gold spectacles, his turban green
and white, of helmet shape with flaps behind, and a long
robe of shot and flowered satin, in which yellow and red
were the prevailing colours, enfolding his poHly person.
In such a scene, with punkahs swinging overhead and
attendants waving huge palm leaf fans behind the brilliant
assembly on the dais, the formal English ceremony of
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS AND BELIGIOUS DIFFICULTIES. 139
conferring the degrees seems not only incongruous but
flat and commonplace. The Registrar and the heads of
Colleges merely present their respective candidates to
the Vice-Chancellor, who hands to each his diploma, the
young men bowing h. PAnglaise or salaaming native
fashion as they retire. The whole winds up with more or
less of lengthy speech -making, and would be a cheering
and hopeful spectacle but for considerations not patent to
the casual observer. Some of these have been already
adverted to, and we will now turn for a moment to the
disastrous effect of their peculiar family Ufe on these
young men, who ought to be the hope of India.
Instead of looking forward with the healthy natural
anticipation which seems an instinct of Western youth,
to independent entrance on the great struggle of life, and
to a home, humble perhaps, but precious because his own,
and blessed by the presence of the one woman whom he
hopes to win, the Hindoo youth returns to the same life that
he has led from boyhood, and will probably lead, with little
variation, to old age. He is married already to a child
in years, who can never be a true helpmeet, because cir-
cumstauces forbid her ever being more than a child in
mind; and home is no true home, but rather a sort of
family club, where all the male members of the household
take their meals together. There is no real freedom
of thought or action, and little motive for self-improve-
ment or energy. Employed or unemployed, active or
indolent, he and his may live here and take their share
with the rest as long as there is property enough or em-
ployment enough among them all to keep things going.
Think of these hundreds of youths, fully sensible of the
absurdity of their national religion, and despising it in
their hearts, yet keeping up its outward observances
because any failure in these would attract the notice of
the ignorant and bigoted elders of the family ; and try to
1 40 INLAND.
realize the ease of one who has heard enough of Chris-
tianity to be mentally convinced of its truth, and seriously
disquieted in conscience by its requirements. If he
begins to drop any of the idolatrous observances which
are interwoven with every act of daily life, to visit the
missionaries or frequent their preaching, he draws down
upon himself difficulties of no common order. There are
too many eyes upon him for any defection to escape
notice ; brothers, cousins, uncles, and father are soon
upon the watch, and he is questioned and cross- questioned,
reproached and surrounded with a system of restraint and
espionage that either checks his rising aspirations, or
compels him to face at once a still sterner ordeal. If the
authority of a father is powerless to bind him to the old
faith, the prayers and tears of wife and mother are called in;
and if these are unavailing, there remain the curse of the
latter and the sternest separation from the former. Thus
the very virtues of the Hindoo character, its deep affec-
tions, and the strength and sacredness of the filial bond,
which are nowhere perhaps more generally acknowledged,
than in India, form the strongest obstacles to the progress
of Christianity. The women, necessarily ignorant and
narrow-minded from their secluded position, are intensely
wedded to the ancient superstitions in which they see no
folly ; and the horror and despair with which they con-
template the apostasy of son or husband, are unfeigned,
and agonizing to the last degree. Many of them, until the
subject is thus brought home, have actually no idea of the
existence of any other religion than their own. " What ! ''
said the aged aunt of my pundit, when he told her some-
thing of our discussions, " is it possible that there exists
a woman in the worid who does not worship Gunga?"
Even among those who are a degree better informed^
and who are aware that there is a religion called Christi-
anity^ the wildest misconceptions prevail, and the most
EDUCATIONAL EFi'ORTS AND RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTIES. 141
unfounded calumnies are credited. The truth would be
bad enough in their esteem, for no moral transgression
could shock the feelings of an orthodox Hindoo like the
eating of beef — and alas, in this particular, English
Christians are notorious offenders; but in addition to
this, all the extravagant slanders propagated by ancient
heathenism against the early Christians are widely cir-
culated, and the most atrocious crimes believed to be '
practised in connection with our holy faith. I knew an
instance where a high-caste Hindoo of considerable literary
attainments had been converted to Christianity through
the influence of a venerable fellow-countryman, with
whom he became acquainted while at a distance from all
his family. He was thus spared all the usual hindrances,
but when the news of his baptism was carried to his
distant home, it produced intense dismay and indignation.
His mother set out at once on the long journey to
Calcutta to assure him solemnly that he should never be
received, or see his wife's face again, unless he renounced
his accursed faith and procured by penance and payment
his restoration to the privileges of caste. The poor man
carried his difficulties to his friend and teacher, and found
a valuable ally where he could least have expected it.
An aged aunt of the latter, who still clung to the old
faith, but had been supported and kindly treated by her
nephew ever since ho became the head of the family,
volunteered to go to the stranger and bear her testimony
that she had lived for thirty years in a Christian house-
hold, and that no wickedness was done among them.
But it is rare indeed for a new convert to meet with
help like this, and it requires no common steadfastness to
face the fierce tide of reproach and opposition that is sure
to burst upon him. There is no need to multiply
instances when the whole case speaks for itself; but
instead of wondering at the slow progress of the Gospel
142 INLAND.
in India, and growing impatient over the scanty roll of
converts, we should rather marvel and rejoice that so
many are enabled by God^s grace to stand.
Nothing can put the matter in a stronger light than
the touching appeal of one young Hindoo convert to the
missionary who was urging him to seal his faith by
baptism. '' Sir,'' he said, " have you a wife ? Is your
mother living ? Could you bear at once to have your wife
taken from you for ever, to hear your mother curse you,
and see her grey hairs in the dust at your feet ? I must
have strength for that before I own myself a Christian.'*
No one who has not heard the wild wailing of these im-
pulsive Eastern women, and seen the helpless, despairing
way in which they fling themselves, face downwards, to
the earth and grovel in the dust on a far slighter occasion,
can realize fully the force of these words ; but I think few
Englishmen, with all their boasted strength of character
and independence of training, could face such an ordeal
calmly ; and there are doubtless thousands in Bengal at
this moment who would declare themselves Christians at
once, but for the strength of female influence. We must
bear in mind that the mother's authority is paramount
with a Hindoo — even their common forms of speech bear
testimony to this. A Hindoo speaking of his parents
never says " father and mother," as we invariably do ; —
it is always " ma-bap," mother and father. Literally or
metaphorically it matters not — the mother always comes
first ; a servant, a petitioner, a subject craving his sove-
reign's grace — all use the same language, '' You are mother
and father to me, forgive me, or grant me this boon."
Need we add more to prove that, humanly speaking,
there is little hope for Christianity in India till the women
can be reached, and that if only the wives and mothers
could be won, the greatest obstacles to progress and to true
religion would at once be swept away ? Of the eflForta
made in this direction we must speak in another chapter.
143
VII
ZENANA TEACHING.
BEroRB entering upon the subject of this truly Christian
work, it may be well to state distinctly, that my views o
it are merely those of an outsider deeply interested in the
effort, but never personally engaged in it. Perhaps this
will dispose some to attach more weight to the accounts
which follow than is often accorded to the regular reports
of religious societies and their agents. Unfortunately,
many residents in India, as elsewhere, may live for years
in a place, and never care to inquire what Christian work
is going on around them ; and when they come home,
and are questioned on the subject, their answer too often
is, *' Missionary work ! converts to Christianity! — don't
believe a word of it ! Why, I lived in that neighbourhood
for three or four years, and I never so much as saw a
native church, or heard of a single convert being baptized V'
Sach people at home probably never see the inside of a
hospital or a Sunday school, and know nothing of the
agencies at work in lanes and alleys within sight of their
own back windows ; and they might just as reasonably
deny the existence of Christian and missionary work in
England as in Bengal ; but, unhappily, their random
statements are often taken for much more than they are
worth. And if this is the case with regard to ordinary
missions, which are necessarily attended with some degree
144 nCLAKD.
of publicity, how much more must it be expected when
the question is of work among women in the close seclu-
sion of a Hindoo zenana? More than once, friends
wrote to me from England, asking whether anything was
really being done, and quoting acquaintances, who, after
years of residence in India, ridiculed as utterly impossible
the idea of any Christian effort for the native ladies of
Calcutta. Nay, even in India, we once met the widow of a
chaplain, who had lived for years in the successive stations
to which her husband was appointed, and yet actually
professed not to know what a zenana was !
It may not, therefore, be useless to state that within
my personal knowledge, there are two mission homes in
Calcutta — one in connection with the Church Missionary
Society, and the other supported by an American mission
fund, in which English, American, and East Indian ladies
reside, devoting themselves entirely to the work of zenana
teaching ; besides other labourers in the same wide field,
connected with the Established and Free Kirks of Scotland,
and the Baptist and other denominations. From the two
first mentioned, offsets have been established in many of
the towns of northern India, and a similar work is also
going on in and near Madras. I leave further statistics to
the authorized reports of these societies, wishing to confine
myself throughout these sketches strictly to matters of
personal knowledge.
Many of the ladies thus engaged were my own intimate
friends, and I have spent days in accompanying them from
house to house. What follows is copied almost verbatim
from letters written on the spot ; for it seemed worth
while to incur the risk of a litjtle repetition, in order to make
it clear that these accounts are simple and literal tran-
scripts of facts as they fell under impartial observation : —
" Yesterday I spent in going about with Miss • ■
to visit some of her zenanas^ and this first day certainly
ZBNAXA TEACHINO.
145
destroyed many illoBions. I used to fancy that these
Hindoo ladies, if they were prisoners, had gilded oagsa,
and im^ined thom dressed in silk and embroidered
muslin, seated on gorgeous couches, etc., etc. No such
thing. All the houses we visited were inhabited by people
of good caste, and one was a very large place, belonging
to one of the richest babooe in Calcutta ; but even here the
apartment and furniture of the lady were more like the back
parlour of some petty haberdasher's shopin an English coun-
try town than anything else. The lady was certainly decently
dressed (the only one I saw who was so according to oar
ideas) — that is,abewore a muslin jacket and a sort of muslin
petticoat, formed of a long piece twisted round her, — and
she could read in ' Line upon Line,' and do simple dicta-
tion and same, and bad begun to learn to draw, and was
even working a pair of slippers tp send to the Viceroy —
Lady Lawrence having once
been to see her, which was
an honour to be remembered
for life. But in most of the
houses the women's rooms
were close and poor in the
extreme, a lai^ bed or couch,
and perhaps a sm^ table
and one or two chairs, being
often the only fiimitnre. The
ladiet, naked to the waist, or
with only aloosepiece of mus-
lin thrown over their should-
ers, stood or sat on the
floor, for there were not seats
enough for all, to took at as
bmiw uij. '^^ ^^ qaestions ; children,
perfectly naked, ran in and
oat ; and I could nther hare fiwcied myself in some spot
146 INLAND.
beyond the limits of civilization than among members of the
respectable middle class of a great capital. And yet there
was something very interesting and nice about many
of these poor young wives. Their faces were bright and
intelligent, and they seemed very gentle and aflfoctionate,
sitting by Miss , and holding her hand, and pressing
her to come again. They all, especially the children, have
the most magnificent eyes and eyelashes imaginable ;
all go barefoot, and most of them had their hands and feet
dyed red with henna. As we went from house to house,
stranger baboos twice asked us to visit their zenanas, and
of course we complied, Miss being anxious to
extend her circle of pupils.
" I could neither speak nor understand, except as she
interpreted; but they seemed delighted even to 8^ a
stranger, complimenting us repeatedly upon our fairness
and good looks, and wondering exceedingly that we were
not married. We went altogether into seven zenanas, and
in all, except the two new ones. Miss gave lessons
in reading, writing, arithmetic, and needlework, which
were evidently full of interest for the poor, imprisoned
creatures. In some houses, the mother of the family, two
or three of her daughters-in-law, and some of their
children, were all pupils together, besides others crowding
into the room to listen and look on ; and one can fancy
what a beam of light from the outer world the coming of
the English lady must shed in these secluded rooms. How
far the light of another world may gain admittance is
another and a far more difficult question — one, however,
that often receives answers full of encouragement. At
least, prejudices against Christianity must vanish before this
friendly intercourse ; and even employment for the mind
and for the fingers is a priceless boon to those who,
without this teaching, would spend an absolutely idealess
existence. I asked one of them how they used to pass
ZENANA TEACHING. 147
their time before the teacher came, and she replied, ' We
used to bathe and plait our hair, and cook, and eat, and
sleep, and smoke, and play with our jewels, and eat and
sleep again/ I believe they all cook for their husbands,
though they do not eat with them; and they make a
great variety of sweetmeats, of which those made of cocoa-
nut are very nice.
'' The whole day was very interesting, though most
fatiguing. The driving about* in the intense heat, and
then sitting in those close crowded rooms, sometimes
without a punkah, makes it very trying, and one feels so
sad for these poor caged creatures. I think I never
appreciated so strongly the blessings of Christianity.
Looking at these Hindoo ladies, and then turning to my
friend, Mrs. , whose father was reared a Hindoo, so
that she is only a Christian by one generation, the change
seems nothing short of a miracle, for she is as intelligent,
refined, and well educated as any ordinary English lady.*'
The two letters following contain the account of one
day's adventures in a scattered district some miles from
Calcutta, which had been for some time regtdarly visited
by members of the American Zenana Mission. They are
given almost in extenso, because they furnish the only
record of what was to me, at least, a singularly novel and
interesting expedition.
" My i>ear L ,
'' Yesterday, I accomplished my long-delayed excur-
sion, and will now give you some account of it for the
benefit of those who feel uncertain whether zenana
teaching is not all a myth and an imposture. To
begin at the beginning, I got up soon after five, and
after a very hurried breakfast drove to the railway station,
which I reached before seven. There I was joined by Mrs.
, who chiefly carries on this mission, and her sister,
I , who has not very long been out in India, and we
148 INULND.
were soon speeding along in the delicious freshness of the
morning air towards our destination. The railway journey
lasts about half-an-hour^ and then we descended at a little
roadside station where there is no waiting-room, and after
a little delay secured a gharry. This is the general name
for all vehicles here, but they are of very various degrees
of excellence or the reverse, and the only one to be had
that morning was decidedly at the lower end of the scale.
There were neither windows nor door, only sliding
shutters, between which we had to step over into a sort
of well in the middle, and we ought then to have been
able to close them, but they obstinately refused to move,
so we were obliged to hold a large umbrella out on one
side to screen us from the scorching glare. Moreover,
the gharry was so low in the roof, that we could not sit
upright with our hats on, and so begrimed from contact
with Bengali heads, redolent of cocoa-nut oil, that we did
not like to take them off, and being, moreover, exces-
sively cramped for space, our ride was none of the most
agreeable.
" I mean to write and give Lucy a description of some
of our adventures, but to you I will write only of zenana
and school work. The first place we visited was a school
supported by the mission, at which about thirty scholars
attend daily. There is a paid resident schoolmistress,
but as she is not a Christian, she cannot be much de-
pended on, and requires constant looking after. You
would have been astonished to see her dress. She was a
slight, prettily formed young woman, and her only cloth-
ing was a long piece of white muslin wound round
BO as to cover her nearly from head to foot, but not
more than a single thickness anywhere. I had never
seen any one so transparently attired before, but Mrs.
told me that the higher the rank the thinner the
dress, as a general rule, and that some of the rich babooB'
ZENANA TEACHINO. 149
wives wear the thinnest gauzy material put on in the
same way.
''The children were little, bright-looking creatures,
some of them not more than eight or nine years olcl,
wearing the red spot which distinguished them as wives,
others unmarried. They read and spelt in Bengali,
answered from Watts^s Catechism in the same language,
wrote, and did sums, and showed their needlework just
like English children, but incidents occurred now and
then that brought heathenism prominently forward. For
instance, an old man walked into the court before the
school verandah, and going up to a little insignificant
plant, salaamed to it repeatedly, and then began to gather
a few leaves. This salaam, which is the usual salutation
to a superior, is performed by putting the hands to the
forehead in a peculiar way, and bowing low, at the same
time, saying, 'Salaam, salaam (Peace, peace).' Mrs.
told me that this plant is found about every house,
and that it is worshipped, or used in almost all their
prayers. She questioned the women about it, but they
seemed unwilling to answer, and we could not gather
positively whether they prayed to it, or with it, but they
certainly salaam to it, as they would to a god or to a
superior. I send you a blossom and a leaf or two, which
they did not object to give us. It is apparently some-
thing of the sage kind, but I am not botanist enough to
give it a name. We leffc Mrs. at this school, and
went back to the burning ghaut, which I must describe
to Lucy, theii to two other schools, and finally to a large
zenana. The other schools are also supported by the
mission, but taught by pundits instead of women. In
one the children said some Bengali hymns, and we tried
to teach them to sing a translation of ' There is a happy
land,' but, in consequence of the late festival, the attend-
ance at all three was very small.
150 IKLAKD.
" When we reached the baboo'a house, we toot onr
tiffin of sandwiches and fruit, in an empty room, and
then went through the intricate passages and up the
narrow dark stairs that characterize the zenana precincts,
to wbat was really onr afternoon's work. In this one
house there are upwards of fifty aouls, including the old
grandfather and grandmother, great aunts, etc., all tlie
sons and sons' wives, and all their children and grand-
NUIti lAdiH ud OhUdran.
children. Of conrse we saw none of the men, except
casually out^de the zenana, bnt the women were all very
glad to see as, and some of the little children were the
dearest little brown things yoa can imagine. Under fire
or six years old, they go perfecUy naked, except, perhaps,
a heavy silver girdle, and large silver rings on their
ankles, and the plump, sleek creatures, with their splendid
eyes, and pretty, demure ways, were most droll and
winning. I cannot tell how many there were altogether.
ZENANA TEACHING. 151
but they were very quiet and good, and came to ub quite
fearlessly to be nursed and petted. One, just old enough
to wear a saree, and whose Bengali name signified
'Immortal Maid,' sat on I 's lap, and ate sweets
from her hand, and finally went to sleep in her arms, the
mother looking on, quite complacently ; and yet it is but
a few years since these people would have considered the
touch of a European's garments pollution.
" The young wives and mothers read and repeated
lessons in Bengali and English, did sums, and showed
their fancy work, repeated hymns, and asked us to sing
to them. They were reading a Bengali translation of
' Daybreak in Britain,' which you may have seen in the
'Sunday at Home,' and the less advanced ones read
'Line upon Line.' Then they talked, and asked us
questions in very simple, child-like fashion, and when I
made some remark about the children's silver girdles,
they fetched out all their jewelry to show us. All these
married children had their sets of ornaments — slender
nose-rings, plain or with pearls ; large, slight ear-rings,
two or three inches in diameter, with a gold fringe round
the lower half; double and triple gold bands for the
head, and six or sevenfold strings of pearls for necklaces. •
Then there were gold chains for the throat, one kind
of bracelet for the upper arm, and two or three for the
lower; girdles of gold or silver, and curious massive
rings with a fringe of silver bells, for the ankles. One
of the girls amused hei^elf with putting as many of her
bracelets as were large enough on my arm, and she had
nearly enough to cover her own.
" I was tired, and my head ached from being out so
much in the sun, therefore we spent the afternoon here,
instead of going on to any other house. You would
expect that with all this profusion of jewelry, they would
have, at least, comfortable furniture, bat this by no means
152 INLAKD.
follows. I cannot say what the men's apartments were
like, but the poorest people in my old district would
think themselves ill off indeed, if they had no more of the
conveniences of life than these Hindoo ladies. The floor
was cement, without mat or carpet ; there were no glass
windows, only wooden shutters ; and the only article of
furniture I saw was the rough wooden bench we sat on.
Some sat by us, others squatted on the floor with their
arms round their knees. All were barefoot, but this h
partly a religious, partly a social, prejudice, like that
which forbids them to wear any dress which has been cut
out and sewn together. Their clothing is thus restricted
to the saree, or long piece of calico or muslin, wound
round the waist, so as to fall below the knee, and
another thrown over the shoulders so as to form a pre-
carious covering for the body, and be drawn at will over
the head and face. When alone, I fancy they seldom
wear anything above the waist, or, as the pundit ex-
pressed it in rather imperfect English, ' They have
nothing up a stair,^ Their only books were those the
Christian ladies had brought; their first lessons in
needlework of any kind came from the same source ; and
even their ideas of decency had been gradually imbibed
from the zenana visitor.
" I might have gone into a dozen rich native houses
in that village and found everything the same ; or into
300 or 400 houses in Calcutta and met with the same wel-
come; and yet people even here affect to treat zenana visit-
ing as an impossible and Quixotic undertaking. The &ct
is, that if there ever was a place where you may live for
twenty years and not know what is going on in the next
street, that place is Calcutta.
'' Finally, we drove back to the station, having secured
our delightful vehicle for the day, at the moderate charge
of half a crown, and reached home about 6.30 p.m.j
ZENANA TEACHING. 153
after nearly twelve hours of incessant talk and driving
about in the sun. My friends do this two or three days
every week^ and spend the otlier days teaching in the
same way in Calcutta.
'' It is slow and often discouraging work, but step by
step it is preparing the way for the regeneration of India.
It is the women of the elder generation that keep back
their sons and husbands from Christianity, but by God's
blessing this will not long be universally the case.
'' You can judge a little by this unvarnished account
of what is being done daily in scores of Hindoo homes,
clans in themselves ; and I think and hope that it will
quicken your interest in the work.''
" My dear Lucy,
. . . . '' I will not waste time in preliminaries,
as I want to give you a true, full, and particular account
of some incidents in the expedition omitted in L's. letter.
''As we were driving firom the station to the first
school, we passed a series of swamps by the roadside,
which Mrs. told me were supposed to be connected
with a peculiarly holy branch of the Ganges. The people
consequently come from considerable distances to bathe
in them, and the dead are brought there to be burnt, and
the dying to die. We saw the smoke as we passed, and
as I had always wished to see the ceremonies at a burn-
ing ghaut, we alighted and walked to the shade of a large
peepul tree near the place. The roadside was irregularly
fiinged with trees and shrubs, beyond which, just here,
there was a slight descent, and then a small open space
between the road and the water. This is the place of
burning, and though very near the road, it is so far
screened by the shrubs and the descent, that any one
might pass it every day and never suspect the use to
which it is applied. At first, as we went down, I only
154 INLAND.
saw two smouldering fires^ bat in a moment my attention
was called to a body wrapped in a cloth, lying with its
legs in the water, and as I took another step forward to
see it better, I nearly trod on another corpse stretched
on the ground at my feet. My companions saw a man
whom they knew standing by, and on inquiring after his
uncle, an old man whom they were going to visit, found
that he had died after only a day or two's illness, and
that his body also was soon coming down to be burnt.
Another Brahmin was pointed out to us as the brother of
the corpse at our feet, but there was no one belonging to
the one lying by the water. She had been brought there
dying, and now her friends were gone miles away to
fetch their Brahmin to oflSciate.^*
(It is well known that Hindoos are often brought
down in their last moments to die by the sacred stream,
from the belief that this secures their everlasting happi-
ness; but of one horrible fact connected with this custom^
I was not aware till afterwards. K any mistake has
been made, and the seemingly dying person shows
symptoms of returning life, he is not allowed to revive.
If he did live after being solemnly carried to the Ganges,
it would be as a dishonoured reprobate whom the
goddess refused to receive ; and so in very love and pity
any appearance of returning life is soon quenched with
mud and water from the river. It is impossible to tell
how many are hastened out of this world by compliance
with these horrible superstitions.)
*' We tried to gather from the men belonging to the
place when the rites would begin ; but finding that, as
usual, we could get nothing reliable as to time, we
resolved to go on to the schools and return in three or
four hours, leaving Mrs. , who did not share our
curiosity, to teach till tiffin, and take us up on her way
buck. When we arrived, however, about twelve o^clock
ZENANA TEACHING. 155
we found ourselves too late for two burnings and too early
for the third. The corpse of the woman still lay on the
muddy bank under the scorching sun^ with its legs in the
water, but the old man and the other body were burning
in the centre of small compact piles, kept from falling
apart by stakes driven into the ground at each comer. The
fires blazed furiously, and there was a thick smoke which
sometimes blew towards us, but I did not perceive any
peculiarly oflTensive odour, and for some time saw nothing
of the bodies. At last, some logs from the fore part of
the old man's pile fell away, and left his head and one
shoulder standing out in ghastly clearness, black and
shining with smoke, but horribly perfect and hideous.
''Just before this, one of the bystanders, a tall
Brahmin, bare to the waist as usual, except his sacred
thread, bareheaded and barefooted, came up to us, and to
my surprise addressed me in very fair English, with the
inquiry whether I thought burning or burying the best.
As I had not then seen anything unpleasant, I told him
that I thought it mattered little which, so that the soul
went right ; and then followed one of the most interest-
ing discussions I ever took part in. He began by saying
that he agreed with me, and that he believed in the end
every one would go right. I replied that men could have
no certainty on such subjects except by revelation from
God; and that what we held to be God's Word gave no
ground for any such idea.
'' Then he went over all the old universalist arguments
— that God was a merciful Father, and would never con-
demn His creatures to everlasting punishment ; it would
be only for a time, to purify them, as men were put in
prison to make them better; but as he could not say that
men were generally the better for imprisonment in this
life, I told him I could see no hope of their reclamation
after death, when the Good Spirit, whose life-long striv-
156 INLAND.
ings they resisted had departed^ and they had only evil
ones for companions and tormentors.
" ' But/ he asked^ ' how could a merciful God have
made creatures for such a doom ? ' I answered that
God never did, that He made man to be holy and happy,
but that man had used his free will to choose evil rather
than good ; and that even then God had not left him to
himself. He had made the greatest sacrifice possible
even to Almighty love, in giving EQs Son to live and die
for us; and had charged all who believe in Him to
spread the knowledge of this salvation everywhere.
" Then he fell back upon the wickedness of many
Christians, and I owned it; urging in reply, that if
Christians were bad, they were so in spite of their
religion which inculcates truth, purity, and godliness, and
gives us the example of a perfectly holy Being ; but that
it was far otherwise with heathenism. I appealed to him
whether his sacred books did not represent his gods lying,
stealing, and committing every kind of folly and wicked-
ness ; and he could not deny it, but said ' That he did not
believe in those gods ; he belonged to the Brahmo Somaj,
and worshipped One alone.'
''Then I asked him if his belief satisfied him and
made him good and happy. He replied frankly, ' No, it
was very hard for a man to follow always what was
right.' 'Yes,' I answered, 'the only religion strong
enough to make men good and happy, is the Christian.
It gives a motive strong enough, the love of Jesus, wid a
power strong enough, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.'
' Well,' said he, ' there are Hindoo women of the old
school, devotees, who scrupulously do according to their
books, and their faith makes them happy. It is good
for them and yours is good for you.'
" ' But even granting that,' I answered, ' give some
little knowledge to those Hindoo women ; teach them even
ZENANA TIACHINa. 157
the little that you know of science^ etc.^ and their faith
■will be swept away, and their happiness with it. Here is
a great difference ; for the more enlightened a Christian ^
the surer is his hope and the brighter his faith/
'^ He tried to tarn this off, but I kept him to the point,
and at last he was obliged to own the contrast; and I
urged him not to rest in uncertainty, but to read the
Gospel with earnest prayer for the Spirit's teaching. He
was yery unwilling to giye a serious promise at first;
but at last he owned the folly of treating such a matter as
a mere idle question of the day, and promised that he
would study it in earnest.
" It was terribly hot, and at last we dared not stand
longer in the open air, though we had solah hats and
umbrellas ; so we went to sit down and rest in a native
dispensary close by, till Mrs. arrived and took us
up, our Brahmin friend promising to send us word before
the woman's funeral rites began.
" It was strange even then, and it seems stranger now
that I am sitting quietly at home, to think of our position
—English ladies, miles away from any other European,
standing on a burning ghaut in that wild spot, speaking
freely of the Gospel to an educated Brahmin I I wish I
could give you a better idea of what passed ; but I am
writing in breathless haste. Much is left out, and, of
course, I do not pretend to verbal accuracy ; but you may
be sure that nothing is added to the truth.
'' We had begun our tiffin, when a messenger came to
say that the officiating Brahmin had arrived ; so we set off
again, and were in time to see the whole. I am glad that
I have seen it once, for it is well to know the truth of
matters that are often enshrouded in a very flattering
haze ; and I must confess that at one time, daszled
by poetic descriptions of classic frmeral rites, I was
ready to think cremation preferable to burial; bu^
158 INLAND.
the recollection is one of unmitigated loathsomeness and
sadness.
''A pile had been built, about four feet long by two in
width and height, and the Brahmin, a coarse and evil-
looking man, was squatting on the bank under his
umbrella, superintending the rites, if such they could be
called. Two men, of the lowest caste — for none other
will touch the dead — went to the poor body, which must
have been fast advancing towards decomposition, un-
wrapped the sheet, and lifted the corpse into a sitting
posture. Another man then put something (ghee, I
believe,) into the mouth, and poured a large vessel of
water over the head and body. The Brahmin, mean-
while, kept his comfortable posture, chanting a few words
occasionally in a loud, sing-song tone, and then the two
men lifted the body to carry it to the funeral pile. They
would have stripped it perfectly naked, the clothes of the
dead being their perquisite, but our friend, who still stood
by, called out to them in Bengali to leave some scrap of
covering on our account. So this poor remnant of
decency was observed; but as they laid the body on the
pile, it was seen that one of the legs had been extensively
gnawed by something in the water, and a pariah dog came
sniffing round to try and get his share. They drove him
away, but the pile was so short that they had to double
up the limbs as close as possible before they heaped on
more logs and packed it all in together. Meanwhile, the
Brahmin chanted a few words now and then, but never
stirred from his seat under the tree. There were no
mourners, or, at least, none whom we could distinguish as
such ; but when all was ready, a man, who was said to be
a relation of the dead, came forward with a wisp of dry
grass, lighted it with a cinder from the Brahmin^s fire,
and waved it several times round the pile. Then he set
fire to it near the head of the corpse, and the Brahmin^
ZENANA TEACHING. 159
taming to us with a horrid grin, said, 'Ho gya !^ (It^s all
done). Neither of us felt inclined to linger, for the whole
impression was revolting and loathsome in the extreme.
There was not a single redeeming element — ^no decency,
no pity, no love, no prayer — only the hard and pitiless
exhibition of all that is most saddening and degrading in
poor human mortality.*'
It is a relief, after the contemplation of a scene like
this, to turn again to the efforts made to introduce a better
state of things, and to be assured that there exists no
natural inferiority to hinder the elevation of the native
race. Eepeatedly, on other occasions, I have attondinl
examinations in various Christian schools, where native
boys and girls of even the lower castes, and with the addi-
tional difficulty of studying two languages, passed the
ordeal quite as satisfactorily as any school of the same
class in England. In many things the females are espe-
cially apt to receive instruction ; and it is impossible to
overestimate the benefit that might be conferred by an
extended system of zenana teaching.
But for this there needs a vast increase both of funds
and teachers. The present workers are labouring to tho
very limits of their strength ; but instruction could be at
once extended to hundreds more of families, if tho funds
of the societies permitted an adequate increase of the stuif.
There is need for judgment, circumspection, faith, and
patience in those who engage in such a work ; but surely
it is a blessed thing to be permitted to carry the light of
truth and civilization into these weary prison-houses, and
give their denizens something beyond mere animal employ-
ments in this life, as well as some glimmering of a better
world to come. It is scarcely too much to say, that every
Hindoo lady who hears of the zenana teacher is anxious for
her visits ; and the sordid meanness of the baboos, which
only welcomes education for their wives when it comes to
160
IHL4HD.
tbem free of cost, irritating and repnlaiye as it is, onght
not to interdict the boon. In this matter, it may be said^
with fullest tmth, that demand can only be produced by
supply ; and as education becomes the rede, instead of the
rare exception, among high class Indian women, the pride
of the baboos will require it for their wives, and they will
pay for it as they do now for jewelry and sensual luxuries-
Indifference and selfishness may well be borne with
meanwhile by those who feel that the brightest hope of
real good for India lies in the Christian education of its
women*
161
VIII
FESTIVALS AND FESTIVITIES, BELI0I0D8 AND SOCUL.
I DO not propose in this chapter to attempt any sys-
tematic account of the religions of India, but merely to
describe some of their more striking features as they fell
under my own observation. It may be necessary, however,
to preface the account with just a few words about the
leading deities in Hindoo mythology.
The first of these gods in rank and importance is
Brahma the Creator, to whom, however, no temples are
built or sacrifices offered, in consequence, according to
some writers, of an abominable crime which he is said to
have committed.* Still, the legends respecting him are
important, because they are the origin of the caste divisions
which exercise such tremendous influence upon the whole
social system of India. Instead of making one man and
woman the progenitors of the whole human race, and thus
establishing a bond of universal brotherhood, he is said to
have produced from difierent parts of his body the ances-
tors of the several castes, which are consequently for-
bidden to intermix. The Brahmins, destined to be priests,
philosophers, lawgivers, etc., sprang from his mouth ; the
Kshatriyas, or warrior caste, from his arms ; the Vaishyas,
or husbandmen, from his thighs ; and the Sudras, whoso
* It is difficult, however, to accept this explanation when the
monstrous and multiplied vices of his fellow-deities are no
hindrance to their divine honours.
11
162 nn-tyi>.
oSce was zo ^erve tie o-Kers, frirs. his :"e-:yt. The
xneiio-ers «,f the £r^: thrte cartes vrere calli-i :-^oe-bom,
arid d:i;t:ii2'u:*hed ?jt wearlnir ro-ni their iircks :^ sacred
thread, La: the S- iras were tLis:;ii:Miv eiclndeJ fn.'in all
their privilec?e-. and a Brahi^in instrajtinir cue in reliirion
would be liable t-> everlasting puni^hnien:. Even ainon^
the several twice-bom sects, all :n:erc:arriai:e and s«:«c:al
intercourse were strictlv forbidden, and it is needless to
remark ujtju the inhuman seltishness and exclcsiveness
to wiiich this system gives rise. Strict Hindovs will see
a fellow creature drowning or dying by the rcad-^ide,
and not extend a helping hand, lest they shc'uld le
pK;lluted by contact with a man of inferior caste, such
fK^llution entailing a considerable amount uf exj^ense and
penance, as well as disgrace and odium, before it can be
removed. Some writers maintain that the Kshatrivas
and Vaishvas are both extinct, and that of the three
twice-born sects Brahmins alone remain ; but a number
of lower castes have spning up, the members of each
keeping separate and following the same occupation from
father to son. Thus we hear of the writer caste, the
fJHherman caste, the weaver caste, etc. ; but I need not
enter further into this complicated subject.
The second member of the Hindoo Triad of gods is
Vishnu the Preserver, generally painted blue or black,
and represented with four arms, who is said to have
repeatedly become incarnate to save the world, and is
Htill expected to manifest himself a tenth and last time
as a warrior mounted on a white-winged horse. His
early incarnations were as a fish, a tortoise, a boar, a man
with a lion's head, etc. ; and his eighth avatar was as a
man named Krishna, whoso filthy history is said to be
perhaps the most abominable part of their obscene mytho-
logy. Ho is also worshipped in North India under the
names of Ram and Juggernaut^ and his great festival the
FBSTIYALS AND FESTIVITIES^ BELiaiOUS AND SOCUL. 163
Ram Mela, which is more observed in other provinces
than in Benp^l, will be described hereafter. The low
standard of Hindoo morality can be no matter of surprise
when even their sacred books, as is the case with his
history, are too foul for literal translation; neither is it
astonishing that educated and enlightened Hindoos are
ashamed of such legends ; and either attempt to allegorize
them or reject them altogether, with all the bondage of
ceremonial and prohibition, returning to the teaching of
the older and purer Vedas, and engrafting upon it a good
deal of the Divine morality of the Christian Scriptures.
Hence has arisen the increasing and influential sect called
the Brahmo Somaj, the doctrines and worship of which are
scarcely distinguishable from those of western Unitarians,
whose writings are indeed extensively studied by Hindoo
reformers, and exercise a remarkable influence over edu-
cated thought.
The third member of the Triad, whose history and
worship are said to be equally obscene^ is Seeva the
Destroyer ; but whatever his deeds and character may be,
he sinks into practical insignificance in Bengal beside
his wife Kali, Doorga, Gunga, or Bowhanie, as she is
variously named — the most prominently worshipped deity
of the province. The river Ganges derives its purifying
and saving virtues from the supposition that it is a per-
sonification of this goddess, who was induced by the
astounding penances of king Bhaguratha to descend to
earth in order to purify the ashes of his 60,000 ancestors.
Her great festival is the Doorga Pooja, during which,
images representing her as a woman with ten arms,
made of baked clay and gaudily painted, are set up in
every Hindoo house. These are consecrated by a Brah-
min, who places the fingers of his right hand succes-
sively on the eyes, nostrils, mouth, and breast, saying,
*' Goddess Doorga, descend and dwell in this image.''
164 nCLAND.
She is tlien supposed to come down and animate it, and
it is woi"shipped for seven davs with offerings of incense,
flowers, and food, prostrations, feasting, music, and
dancing. All the images are then carried in procession
round the citv, and finally thrown into the river. The
closing ceremony is still worth seeing, though immea-
surably diminished from its former splendour, and less
attended every year. The chief attraction is the gay
crowd of natives in holiday dress ; the bright yellows,
reds, and greens that mingle in their costume, often
edged with gold and silver tinsel, looking very dazzling
under the glowing sky. It has in other points much the
aspect of an English fair, except that one sees none of
the intoxication that is the shame of every British holi-
day. Many of the men, as well as children, carry gaudy
playthings in their hands, made of solah pith, and paintetl
in bright colours to represent cockatoos, cobras, ete., and
almost every individual in the crowd would be a pic-
turesque suVjject for a painter. Here is a swarthy mous-
tachioed Seikh, with a voluminous white turban, and a
face and drapery worthy of Etty's colouring; there a
portly zemindar, with turban of purple and yellow, and
other garments of green, white, and violet ; or a slim dark
lad with a violet skull cap edged with silver, and a long
close-fitting garment of bright green silk lined with crim-
son. As for the little children, they are bundles of finery,
literally decked in all the colours of the rainbow.
The larger idols are carried in large fan-shaped alcoves,
and are three in number, representing Doorga and her
daughters. Numbers of these being brought down to
the river, each one is placed on a platform resting on
two boats lashed together, priests and worshippers sit-
ting before them, playing on musical instruments and
fanning the idols with large fans. These boats, with the
cumbrous gaudy load of painted clay, and the living
FESTIVALS AND FESTIVITIES^ RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL. 165
freight of worshippers, are towed along by others, and
move slowly up and down the broad river among the
huge merchant vessels, watched by hundreds of spec-
tiitors on the bank, till tlie boats are unlashed, and as
they move apart, the gaudy framework, idols and all,
sinks with a lingering splash, and all is over. There is
110 shouting, no crowding, no reverence, no enthusiasm,
and perhaps scarcely a stronger proof can be offered of
the decay of the Hindoo religion in Calcutta, than the
general indifference to this once imposing ceremony.
The festival is still kept as a holiday in- deference to
ancient custom, to the great hindrance of European burf-
ness ; but as far as one can judge from the appearance of
the streets, it has entirely ceased to attract religious
interest, and is more a social than a sacred festival.
The same goddess is worshipped under another name
and character at the Kali Pooja, and Calcutta is said to
derive its name from the Kali Ghat, where her most
famous temple- stands. I drove to see it, expecting' some-
thing at least barbarically grand, but the expectation
was far from being realized. The temple cannot be ap-
proached by carriages, sa we had to dismount and walk
to it through a narrow dirty passage between rows of
huts. A young man, clad as is usual with the natives
in their onf n quarters, that is, " with a ^ cotton ' cloth
cast about his naked body,^' came forward and asked if
we wished to see the temple, and, on my assenting, acted
as our guide, lie proved to be one of the Brahmins
belonging to the temple, and spoke intelligible though
broken English, calling me " Sir," at every turn. He
pointed out the place of sacrifice in the court, and assured
me that 50 or 100 goats were often offered there in a day.
There are merely two iron prongs tixed upright in the
pavement, over which the victim's neck is stretched by
one priest^ while another strikes off the head, which is
166 INLAND.
offered with the blood to Kali, the worshipper feasting
on the flesh. Orthodox Hindoos never eat animal food
unless the blood has been offered to this goddess, and it
is to gratify her sanguinary preference for human victims
that the Thugs pursue their ruthless butchery, now nearly
stopped by the energetic action of the English govern-
ment. It is distinctly stated in the Kalika Purana that a
human victim pleases her for a thousand years.
It was not time for the doors of the shrine or inner
temple to be opened, so we waited among the worship-
pers in an outer building, raised about six steps from the
court, and open on all sides, the roof being supported by
pillars. At one end a gap of a few feet wide divides it
from the shrine, which only the priests are allowed to
enter. It was not very pleasant waiting, owing to the
proximity of so many dirty natives, and the deafening
clatter of their tongues, as well as the peculiar smell of
blood which pervaded the place, and I was not without
some misgivings that we had acted rashly in coming
without even a gentleman's escort into such a place.
However, our friend the Brahmin kept the little crowd
from pressing on us, and at last the lamps were lighted,
and amid the sound of gongs and bells the temple doors
were thrown open and revealed the goddess. The Black
Mother, as she is called, is merely a hideous mask about
two feet long, lighted from behind, coarsely painted black
and red, and draped with crimson silk. The Bi-ahmin
told us that it was made of stone, and that the tongue
and arms were gold ; but it would be difficult to imagine
anything more grotesquely hideous.
Another temple in Bow or Lall Bazaar contains a
statue of her as large as life, as a hideous black woman
with a long red tongue reaching to her waist, and a neck-
lace of small skulls.
At the Kali Pooja, crowds of natives go about the
FESTIVALS AND FESTIYITIEB^ BELIOIOUS AND SOCIAL. 167
city for several days^ carrying her image with shouts and
music, and at night by torchlight with fearful uproar.
The first time I saw this pageant I was alarmed %vith the
idea that it had a political or national meaning, for she is
represented as trampling on the body of a white man
with most demoniac gestures of triumph, and it looked
like an emblem of the victory of the native over the
European race ; but I soon learnt that the statues were
purely religious, and commemorate a remarkable event
in the history of the goddess. She and her husband
Seeva were at war with a giant, and Kali one day, mad-
dened either with intoxication or with fury, encountered
her husband, and mistaking him for their foe, knocked him
down and danced upon his prostrate body. This is the edi-
fying circumstance commemorated in this great religious
festival, Seeva being always represented as a white man.
The Cherruck Poojas, or swinging festivals, in honour
of the same sanguinary goddess, are to a great extent
suppressed by the English government, which has pro-
hibited the barbarous custom which formed their chief
attraction — the swinging aloft of devotees by hooks in-
serted among the muscles of their shoulders. They are
still, however, observed to some extent, and like the
other festivals, afibrd occasion for the natives to make
night hideous with torchlight processions and unearthly
yells and music, but their ancient splendour is among the
things that were. I cannot but notice here, with very
earnest protest, the utter unfairness of the tone which it
is now fashionable to assume in speaking of all these fes-
tivals. Not only in secular newspapers, but in semi-
reHgious periodicals, articles frequently appear describing
the innocent enjoyments of Hindoo crowds in strong con-
trast to the brutal revelry which too often disgraces our
wakes and fairs, and more than hinting that the horrors
of Juggernaut and Saugor were gross exaggerations of
168 INLAND.
the early missionaries, either mere phantoms of their own
fanatical and credulous minds, or purposely fabricated to
draw money from their gullible supporters. Such insinua-
tions are only too much in harmony with the so-called
liberality of the age ; and we need to be reminded that
the atrocities alluded to are matter of stern and unques-
tionable history, some of them put down by the strong
arm of English law after too long a period of timid tole-
ration, and others gradually suppressed by the enlightened
public feeling, due in a great measure to the maligned
missionaries themselves. It is surely the climax of injus-
tice for superficial writers to take these festivals in their
present comparatively harmless state, and use them as a
weapon against the character and work of those whose
labours have stripped them of their worst horrors. Nor
should it be forgotten that while bloodshed and torture
are now prohibited by law, one of their darkest accom-
paniments — unbounded licentiousness — is not a matter
patent to the eyes of any casual observer.
By far the most imposing,^ however, of the religious
celebrations witnessed in Calcutta, is the great Maho-
metan festival which takes place on the tenth day
of the month Mohurrum, in memory of Hossein and
Hassan, the two murdered grand-nephews of Mahomet.
The whole month is sacred, and the earlier part of it
is distinguished by various curious observances, but as
the great day draws near, the followers of the Prophet
go about the streets at night by thousands, carrying
toFohes and huge braziers filled with fire, beating tom-
toms and making the most frightful din and uproar. For
nights together sleep is almost impossible, for even across
our nnusually large compound, the glare of the fires and
torches lii^^hted up the rooms as the wild procession
passed, and the din was enough to waken the most de-
termined sleeper.
FESTIVALS AND FESTIVITIES^ RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL. 169
Anxious to see as much as possible of these strange
ceremonies^ I started on one occasion at six in the
morning, and drove to a house where I could have a
good view of the crowning procession. The sight was
certainly worth an effort. I suppose there must have been
at least 60,000 or 70,000 Mahometans out in the line of
march, mostly on foot, though some had handsome equi-
pages. Green is their sacred colour, and almost every one
of them had some scrap of it, in honour of the murdered
Imaums. Some were clothed from head to foot in green
muslin of the most vivid shades, and others, enveloped
half in green and half in intensely brilliant scarlet, re-
minded one of the plumage of the most gorgeous parrots.
They poured along the wide road in dense succession for
hours, carrying an extraordinary medley of objects — biers
with the shape of a body covered with drapery laid on
them under a canopy, Chinese-looking pagodas from
three to- tweuty feet high, covered with tinsel and gaudy
painting, elephants and horses of the most fantastic
shapes and colours, and flags of various nations. As
they walked they beat their breasts, shouting, " Hassan,
Hossein,*' with hoarse, monotonous voices, reminding
one vividly of the funeral procession with which the
" Curse of Kehama " opens. Every now and then they
halted to take breath, and then men would rush forward
and execute a rough sort of cudgel play, or a fight with
mock swords and shields, or a strange wild dance with
long spears which they twirled and darted in the most
marvellous way without injuring each other. Still the
same monotonous chant, " Hassan, Hossein," and the
beating of the tom-toms and cymbals, and the droning
of the bagpipes went on ; and when one considers that
this lasted for eight or ten hours, under a sun that heated
the atmosphere even of shaded rooms above 90°, and
after the long fast and sleepless nights of excitement
170 INLAND.
described, it is no wonder that many are seized with fatal
attacks of fever after every recurrence of this festival.
No description, however, can give more than a faint
idea of the reality : the picturesque crowds in green,
scarlet, and white, many of them carrying umbrellas of
bright orange colour, or equally brilliant^blue ; tlie strange
gaudy objects borne aloft on their shoulders ; the naked,
bare-headed beggars who sat by the roadside flinging
their arms about wildly and asking alms ; the strange
stalls and salesmen posted along the streets, and the
ceaseless din, combining to make it a most extraordinary
and bewildering spectacle. Perhaps the most wonderful
thought connected with it is, that all this frenzied excite-
ment and clamour is raised about the deaths of two men
who existed 1200 years ago, and of whom little memo-
rable is recorded. It was also a humbling reflection that
no such crowd could have gathered in England without
drunkenness and vice, of which one sees nothing here ;
and that if our country were the seat of two utterly dis-
similar religions such as Hindooism and Mahometanism,
no such excited procession could throng the streets of a
great town without risk of serious bloodshed. Indeed, it
seems more than questionable whether the Indian govern-
ment is wise in allowing these enormous crowds of
excited Mussulmans to parade the capital, especially at
night, with no sufficient force at hand to repress the out-
break which any trifling incident might cause among the
maddened throng.
The Mahometans are far more dangerous bigots
than the Hindoos, and the strictness with which they
observe the rites of their religion is a cutting reproach to
the indiflerence of most so-called Christians. Not only
do they never omit the stated hours of prayer, going
through their appointed prostrations and repetitions five
times daily, by the tanks or in their shops, indiflbrent to
PESTIVALS AKD FESTIVITIES, RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL. 171
the presence of observers; but during their month of
fasting (Ramadan) no food of any description, not even
a drop of water, passes their lips from sunrise to sunset.
The Mussulman servants come to their work as usual,
though one sees them scarcely able to get through
it, and yet no relaxation of the rigid rule is ever
thought* of.
Friday is the sacred day of the Mahometans, who
then especially frequent the mosques and perform* acts of
united worship, though they do not consider ordinary
work unlawful. Some of their buildings are of considci'able
size and pretensions, while Hindoo temples are generally
very small, often admitting only two or three worshippers,
and the latter have no regularly recurring day of worship
and apparently no idea of united prayer. Individuals go
to the river or to the temple to make their offerings of
flowers, etc., or perform their pooja before the idols which
are found in most Hindoo houses ; and they meet in vast
crowds, as we have seen, to celebrate the festivals of
various gods, but these anniversaries rather resemble great
pleasure fairs than gatherings of a religious character.
Both religions have constantly recurring holidays,
popular no doubt with their votaries, but highly incon-
venient to European residents, as they are a serious
hindrance to the progress of business. During the Doorga
Pooja, which generally falls early in October, public
oflSces, banks, and law courts, as well as many of the
shops, are closed, and everything is at a standstill for ten
days or a fortnight. Even at the best of times the pro-
gress of building or any similar labour is irritatingly slow
in India. The normal style of proceeding is for one man
to work, and two to sit and look at him, and then they
all three have a smoke or perhaps a nap, or an entomo-
logical study of each other's heads, and then to work
again in the same fashion. Moreover, as they do not
1 72 . n? LAin).
begin work till about ten, and leave off soon after fonr,
their progress cannot naturally be very rapid ; and almost
invariably when one is in a particular hurry, some native
holiday intervenes and stops work altogether.
If we turn from these wild assemblies and debasing
celebrations to simple Christian anniversaries among the
native converts, a greater contrast can scarcely be
imagined. One such gathering which I attended at
I31iowanipore, the suburban station of the London Mis-
sionary Society, is perhaps worthy of a brief description
here. The native chapel in which it took place was rude
in the extreme. Twelve poles set in two lines down the
middle supported the low sloping roof of mats and thatch,
and the building was filled with natives, only about
twenty Europeans being present. The chairman was a
venerable native clergyman with a flowing white beard,
a convert of the Church Missionary Society; and the other
speakers were all ministers and eatechists of the London,
13aptist, and Presbyterian Missions. Kot a European
took the smallest part in it, except as auditor. All the
speeches except one, as well as the hymns and prayers,
were in Bengali, and of course I understood very little;
but in fluency, appropriateness of gesture, and evident
natural eloquence, these obscure speakers certainly
acquitted themselves better than average Englishmen;
and the solitary one who spoke in English, out of com-
pliment to the visitors, rose decidedly above the ordinary
level of the clergymen whoso native tongue he employed.
His language was simple and clear, his manner fervent,
his quotations of Scripture singularly apt and accurate;
and there was no fault of grammar or expression to stamp
him as a foreigner. Seme of the facts he stated might
well make an English congregation blush for themselves
by comparison. Every member of that little church
contributes a tenth of his income to religious purposes ;
PESTIYALS AND FESTIVITfES^ BKLIGIOUS AND SOCIAL. 173
and besides this, every one had recently given a full
month's wages or salary towards a fund for building a
larger church, and they had also contributed liberally in
proportion to their means, towards the relief of the
famines-tricken people of Orissa.
After the meeting was over, the Christian natives,
many of whom had come up from villages many miles
distant, adjourned to a long building where, according to
annual custom, a supper was prepared for them by their
brethren in the town. Most of the strangers being poor
agriculturists, . there was something very graceful and
appropriate in this hospitality, and in the manner in which
Brahmins and university graduates bestirred themselves
to act as cooks and waiters. We watched the whole
scene with great interest from a staircase, for as the place
was very narrow, and lighted by oil lamps set on the
ground, it was not safe for ladies to walk about below.
The visitors, about 150 or 200 in number, squatted on
the ground in long rows ; and the first indication of the
approaching meal was the bringing in of a bundle of
green plantain leaves, cut up to serve as plates — a large
square piece being laid before each guest together with
a cup of water. Then salt was distributed, about a
table-spoonful being served out on each leaf; and then
came the feast, consisting of chupatties and a largo mess
of savoury- smelling curry. It took some time to help all
round, and the guests waited with grave decorum till a
blessing was asked by the native pastor, and then set to
with no lack of appetite. It was getting late, so we had
to come away just at an interesting juncture ; but there
was something in this little anniversary among them-
selves, without European interference, and at which wo
English were mere accidental though honoured spectators,
that spoke more convincingly than volumes of reports
of the reality of Christian influence among the natives.
1 74 IXLAITD.
On another occasion I was present at services at a
Church Missionary station near Calcutta, where there
were only five white people present, including the
missionary's little girl; and the few words in the
communion service addressed to each individual were
the only English spoken. The congregation consisted
entirely of Bengalis, with the addition of two Burmese
youths, nice intelligent-looking fellows, who had left
their own country and come alone to Calcutta to seek
instruction in the Christian religion.
Two remarkable native baptisms which I witnessed
must not be omitted in the list of events interesting in a
Christian point of view. The first was that of an infant
descended from the highest and purest race of Koolin
Brahmins ; men so reverenced by their countrymen for
their exalted descent, that a Koolin may marry as many
wives as he pleases, the honour of his alliance being suffi-
cient to counterbalance any personal objection. Many of
them live in idleness and luxury by trading on this super-
stitious reverence; dividing their time between their
numerous wives, whose fathers are well content to support
them and their children, for the sake of the connection
with such distinguished sons-in-law. The infant's grand-
father was one of this honoured race ; but education, in
his case, had paved the way for Christianity, and he was
now a venerable and honoured minister of the Church
of England, as well as a distinguished professor of the
university. His daughters had all married Christians,
either English or native, and this baby grandchild was
descended on both sides from the purest Hindoo ancestry.
The ceremony took place in the chapel of Bishop's
College, filled that evening with natives and East Indians.
Most of the college students were of the latter mixed race,
many of them darker than the natives themselves ; and
as they all wore their surplices, and the native ladies
PE8TIVALS AND FESTIVITIES, EELTGIOUS AND SOCIAL. 175
were dressed in white, with the flowing veil, which is
their most becoming costume, the scene, even outwardly,
was very bright and interesting. There were only six
Europeans among the congregajiion ; and as we gathered
round the font, and the child, descended from the most
ancient and proudest race of idolaters on earth, was laid
in the arms of the officiating minister, to be sealed with
the cross of Christ, it was surely a sight on which angels
looked down with joy. The beautiful infant, which I held
at the font with feelings of such peculiar interest that
day, was soon taken to behold the face of his Father in
heaven ; and his gentle mother, one of the most valued
of my friends in India, soon followed hiih to rest : so that
a touching interest attaches to the memories of this, the
first native baptism I ever witnessed.
The other was of a very different, but equally
interesting character — being that of the convert whose
case is mentioned on page 141. The preliminary service
was held at the same college chapel, but the rite itselt
was, by his own desire, performed by immersion in the
neighbouring river. When the previous prayers and
exhortations were completed, therefore, the native Chris-
tians, who composed the bulk of the congregation, formed
in procession, and accompanied the catechumen to the
river-side, singing a Sanscrit hymn of invocation to the
Holy Spirit, which he had written for the occasion.
The Hooghly, with its wide border of deep and
slippery mud, is not a favourable stream for the primitive
administration of the rite, and it was necessary for both
the officiating clergyman and the candidate to be carried
to a boat moored in the stream. From this the latter
stepped into water breast high ; and whilst the minister
repeated the solemn sacramental words, he placed his
hands upon the convert's head, and bowed it three times
under the water, in presence of the little crowd of wit-
1 76 nn-ixD.
nesses on shore. The man's drenched white garments were
then changed in the cabin of the boat, and we all returned
together to the chapel for the conclasion of the service.
Strange as it may seem, even this remarkable baptism,
occurring in the immediate neighbourhood of Calcutta, wss
totally unnoticed by the press, and unknown to almost
every one except those present. Indeed, this seems to be
invariably the case; and circumstances which would excite
the deepest interest among Christians at home, pass alto-
gether ignored and unnoticed by people on the spot.
One event alone, while I was in Calcutta, excited equal
interest among all classes, rousing natives and Europeans,
high and low, townspeople and Mofussilites, to unwonted
enthusiasm — the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh. Every
incident of His Royal Highnesses tour has been amply
recorded ; but it cannot be amiss to note here some of the
brilliant scenes at the capital, which no spectator ever can
forget. The Prince's landing had been anxiously anti-
cipated for weeks before, and when he really arrived
Calcutta poured forth its hundreds of thousands to greet
the son of its imperial mistress with an unprecedented
burst of loyalty and splendour. The route from the
landing-place across the smooth, green expanse of the
Maidan was kept by lines of native soldiery ; and dense
masses of carriages and foot-passengers formed a serried
wall on either side, waiting patiently for hours to catch
the first glimpse of the Prince. The scene must have
been a striking one, even after the many enthusiastic
welcomes that the " Galatea " and her young captain had
received ; but, unfortunately, it was late in the afternoon
when she cast anchor among the lines of shipping on the
Strand, and by the time the Prince had landed, and gone
through a few introductions, the sun had set, and twihght
was closing in. The crowd of ladies who occupied the
reserved platform at the landing-stage had but a few
FESTIVALS AND FESTIVITIES^ BEUOIOUS AND SOCIAL. 177
minutes to enjoy the brilliant sight; and then the splen-
did procession swept on its way, preceded by a body of
cavalry, and followed by a detachment of artillery thun-
dering over the turf towards Government House, which
rose white and stately before it at the end of the green
plain. The orange-tinted evening sky had never shed its
last radiance on a brighter scene, for the very denseness
of an Eastern crowd adds to its brilliancy, gay colours
lighting up the prevailing whiteness till it looked like a
field of many-coloured flowers. Every eye was strained
in eager expectation, and when at last the Prince appeared
on his slight Arab steed, riding beside the tall charger of
the stalwart Viceroy, the long pent-up enthusiasm burst
forth in the best attempt at cheering that native voices
could produce. It was but a momentary glimpse, for the
procession swept by at a rapid pace ; but tens of thou-
sands went home repaid for hours of waiting, and eager
to prepare for the illumination that was to testify their
welcome to the Sailor Prince.
No city in the world is perhaps equal to Calcutta in
capacity for this specie^) of decoration, and the effect was
truly splendid. The white houses had their lofty pillars
wreathed tier above tier with lines of light, and their battle-
ments blazed with stars, and crowns, and other loyal em-
blems, while the great dome of Government House shone
with concentric lines of gleaming lamps. Triumphal arches,
transparencies, and Chinese lanterns shone in all direc-
tions, and if the decorations in the native quarters were
often questionable in taste and execution, they certainly
showed no lack of loyalty and good will. Every hut had
its strings of tiny lamps, or its rows of wicks burning in
little earthen saucers, and the whole city turned out to
enjoy the sight. Along the broad Chowringhee Road^
six or seven rows of vehicles closely packed together
crept along^ with frequent pauses before the more elaborate
12
178 INLAND.
illaminations ; and in the smaller streets the crowds both
of carriages and foot-passengers were scarcely less dense,
but all were orderly^ amused, and gratified, and the
whole spectacle passed off without a drawback.
The Prince's stay, from first to last, was one round of
estivit ies, but I will only notice two out of the number —
one being the grand Durbar, at which he was invested
with the Order of the Star of India, an occasion rendered
historical by the grandeur of its associations, and by the
magnificent pageantry which combined mediaeval stateli-
ness with oriental splendour.
It was held in a large canvas enclosure on the Maidan,
across one end of which was pitched the Viceroy's grand
Durbar tent, capable of* accommodating more than one
thousand persons. Four other immense tents, two on each
side, pitched at right angles with this, so as to form three
sides of a fine quadrangle, extended about half the length
of the enclosure, the remaining space being lined by
the sailors and marines of the " Galatea " on one side,
and English and native infantry on the other. Behind
these lines of soldiers were pitched twelve small tents for
the Grand Master and the Knights of the Order, the silk
banner of each knight set up in front of his own tent,
and the whole enclosure screened by a canvas wall,
within which was no admission except by ticket. From
the state entrance of the enclosure to the Durbar tent
was a walk of considerable length, laid down with crim-
son cloth, and shrubs and flowers were disposed along
the turf, so as to heighten the general effect without
intercepting the view of the favoured spectators. All
the arrangements were perfect, the tickets admitting to
the different tents corresponding in colour to flags which
waved over the various entrances, so that we could see at
once to which to drive, and had only to present our tickets
and pass in. The back of the Durbar tent was occupied
4
FESTIYALH AND FESTIYITIKS^ BEUOIOUS AND SOCIAL. 179
by a great number of siogers, amateur and profeftsionalj
who were to take a prominent part in the proceedings ;
and these^ of course, entered from behind, as the spec-
tators did from the sides, and took their places without
notice. But as all the official and distinguished visitors
came by the grand entrance, and walked up the enclo-
sure, there was ample occupation for the thousands of
eyes in the side tents, during the hour or two of waiting
for the opening of the ceremony.
The tents of the spectators were a study in them-
selves, as we sat, sheltered from the glow of the
afternoon sun under their awnings, but with nothing
to hinder the fullest view in front. Row after row of
elegant European toilettes, alternating with the pic-
turesque and costly costumes of native chiefs and gentle-
men filled up the entire space, except where the sunburnt
sailors in their blue shirts and white trousers, and the
stalwart marines kept the line before the tents of the
knights on the right hand, and the swarthy turbaned
infantry and their English comrades stood in like order on
the left. Every few minutes brought some fresh arrival
of distinction — judges in full robes, and high officials, civil
and military, with their ladies, running the gauntlet of
countless curious eyes, as they walked up the centre
and took their appointed seats. Meanwhile, we had all
been furnished with programmes so complete that when
the Royal and Vice-regal party at last arrived, every
individual in the train could be recognized without
difficulty.
The members of the Order, and others who had to
take part in the procession retired at once to their tents
to robe ; so that all attention centred first on Lady Mayo,
as she moved up the crimson footpath under an umbrella
covered with gold, accompanied by Lord Napier the
Gbvemor of Madras, and attended by a brilliant party^
180 INLAND.
includiDg the Chief Justice, the Lieutenant-Governor
and other high dignitaries with their ladies, and the
Begum of Bhopal and her suite. Then came the thunder
of a royal salute, and the procession of the Order moved
forward between the drooped colours to the sound of
full military bands. First came spears and maces and
other official attendants, two and two, and then the Com-
panions of the Order, comprising gentlemen distinguished
by services either civil or military, during the Mutiny or
afterwards. Next came the Knights Commanders of the
Order — Sir Richard Temple, Sir Henry Durand, Rajah
Sir Dinkur Rao, Maharajah Sir Jeymangal Singh, and
the Maharajah of Vizianagam — and then a still more
striking part of the procession, the Knights Grand
Commanders and their attendants. This was most
effectively arranged, each Knight Grand Commander
being preceded by eight, ten, or twelve of his chief
officers in gorgeous array, and a herald with his banner,
while his train was borne by gay boy pages.
First came the junior G.C.S.I., the Maharana of
Dholepore, eight splendid native officers preceding him,
and two swarthy pages bearing his train, the star of the
order glittering on his breast, and a costume of inde-
scribable brilliancy half covered by the ample mantle of
blue satin. Next eight English officers and gentlemen,
the attendants of Sir Seymour Fitzgerald, the Governor
ot Bombay, a herald bearing his banner, and two little
English boys in conventional page's dress of white and
lemon colour acting as his train-bearers ; then a similar
group of brilliant uniforms preceded Sir W. Mansfield, the
Commander-in-Chief; and then, party after party, banner
after banner, came the Maharajahs of Uewah, Kuppoorthul-
lah, Jeypore, and GwaUor, their attendants clothed in hues
defying all description — scarlet, purple, green, violet, blue,
orange, and lemon-colour, and their turbans flashing and
FISTIYAL8 AND FEBTIYITIflS^ BELIOIOUS AND SOCIAL. 181
glittering with gold and gems. Rewah, portly and
pompons ; Kuppoorthullah, handsome and splendid above
all the rest ; Jeypore, small and insignificant in appear-
ance, but one of the most enlightened of the Indian
rulers ; and Scindiah, dark, fierce, and keen of aspect — all
passed by in turn ; and then came twelve English officers,
naval and military, among whose decorations, those of the
Bath and the Victoria Cross were conspicuous, preceding
the Duke of Edinburgh in plain dark uniform, followed
by pages in white and blue. But the culminating point
of the procession was yet to come ; and when the next
twelve officers, some European and some native, had
moved past, and the gorgeous banner of the Grand
Master prepared the way for the Viceroy himself, his
great height and massive proportions displayed to ad-
vantage by his robes, and marking him out a very king
of men, no one could help owning that in external dignity
at least, the Majesty of England was worthily represented
there. His train was borne by three tiny boys, one of
them his own youngest son, and the bonny English
children in their pages' suits, with rose-coloured plumes
in their white cups, and rose-coloured mantles and
rosettes, were a pretty foil to the Grand Master's
fine proportions, and added no small beauty to the
scene.*
When the procession had passed up to the Durbar
tent, the National Anthem was sung, but even the great
* Little, indeed, could any one have foreseen in the midst of
this splendid pageantry, that the career of the liberal and popular
Viceroy, to whom it owed its magnificence, would be so soon cut
short by the dagger of an obscure assassin ; and that the fair
boy who followed his noble father with so much childish gra^e
and dignity that day, brightening every face into smiles and bles-
singo, would ere long« draw tears from eyes unused to weep, as
he walked in innocent half-unconsciousness of mourning, behind
that father's bier.
1 82 INLAND.
body of singers failed to make it distinctly heard over the
vast space enclosed. The Chapter was then formally
opened, and the Sovereign's warrant for the investiture
having been produced, a procession of oflBcers was
despatched from the Vice-regal presence to fetch the
insignia of the order from the jewel tent, while another
national air was sung. When they returned, bearing the
various decorations on velvet cushions, the two senior
knights, the Maharajahs of Gwalior and Jeypore, were
directed by the Grand Master to invest the Prince with
the ribbon, badge^ star, and mantle, and then he knelt
before the throne to receive the collar from the Grand
Master himself. As Lord Mayo rose, and in the Queen's
name placed it round his neck, a royal salute was again
fired, and the banner of the new knight unfurled ; and
after a flourish of trumpets his titles were proclaimed,
" The most high, the most puissant, and the most illus-
trious Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Saxony,
Prince of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl
of Kent, Earl of Ulster, Knight of the most noble Order
of the Garter, Knight of the most ancient and most noble
Order of the Thistle, Knight Grand Cross of the most
distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Extra
Knight Grand Commander of the most exalted Order of
the Star of India, and a member of Her Majesty's Privy
Council," etc., etc. Another chorus was then per-
formed, and after a few more formalities the Grand
Master dissolved the Chapter. Then under the thunder of
a third royal salute, and the strains of a stirring march,
the procession left the tent in the same order as before,
the Prince's banner being now carried before him, and
his train borne by pages.
As the procession comprised about 150 individuals,
walking two and two at ample intervals, all gorgeously
apparelled, and most of them personally distingoished^
FESnVALS AND FESTIVITIES^ BSUGIOUS AKD SOCIAL. 183
its length and splendour may be imagined; and whatever
may be the value of such pageants in civilized countries
it is unquestionable that few surer means could be de-
vised to excite and strengthen the loyalty of our cere-
monial-loving Eastern fellow-subjects. No one, indeed,
could gaze without deep interest on such a scene, where
governors and sovereign princes from the remotest parts
of a vast empire had met to do honour to our Queen in
the person of her son ; while the mere material magnifi-
cence was such as to eclipse almost any other imaginable
spectacle.
Another scene which struck me as possessing special
interest, was an ^'At Home'' at the Episcopal Palace,
where the Prince was brought face to face with as
curiously miscellaneous and representative a host of
British subjects as could anywhere be gathered. These
'* At Homes " were begun by the lamented Bishop Cotton,
and carried on by his benevolent successor, with the truly
liberal and Christian object of drawing together in
friendly intercourse not only representatives of the
various Christian communities in Calcutta, but distin-
guished Hindoo and Mahometan residents, as well as
strangers from distant parts ; and whatever may be their
result in more important aspects, few arrangements could
be more productive of easy and informal enjoyment.
With no unnecessary expense or parade, the large suite
of rooms and spacious verandah are filled for two or three
hours with a most brilliant and motley throng — English,
Hindoo, Greek and Armenian Christians, Mussulman
lawyers, Parsee merchants, Oude princes, and Burmese,
Nepanlese, and AJTghan strangers. The guests come
and go as they like between the hours of nine and
twelve, cofiee, ices, etc., being provided in one of the
rooms ; and after the cordial greeting of the host and
hostess, all are left to find enjoyment as they will, in
184 nriAMD.
music, or conversation, or amused observation of tbe
brilliant scene. A band plays in the garden below,
and the wide verandah becomes a crowded promenade,
where friend meets friend, and missionary and chaplain
snatch a few hours of relaxation, while doorways and
rooms are filled with glittering groups of many nation-
alities, and stately turbaned Rajahs and Greek priests sit
by to watch the ceaseless stream of rank and beauty and
resplendent dress. The rooms are lighted by large
chandeliers, and their light flashes back in every direc-
tion from gold and jewels. For one Englishman there
are, perhaps, five natives in gorgeous apparel, dotted
here and there with most amusing incongruities. A few
are so far civilized as to wear white kid gloves, while
many on the other hand, show their respect by coming
shoeless, their feet covered only with striped stockings,
and their legs encased in trousers of tight-fitting silk.
Many of the head-dresses are of gold filagree work,
encrusted with jewels and surmounted by feathery gold
aigrettes ; and the upper garments of velvet, satin, and
silk cloth of gold, are rendered still more gorgeous by
long strings of pearls and emeralds wound round and
round the neck and breast. Others wear Cashmeres of
every hue, white, blue, and orange predominating ; and
big stately Affghans, mountains of costly drapery, sur-
mounted by large turbans, jostle small and supple
Bengalis with simple black or white tight-fitting tunics,
or Parsees with brown helmet caps and white muslin
robes made exactly like an old-fashioned lady^s dress,
with crossed short-waisted fronts and full long skirts.
Here is a Burmese clad in gay silk robes, with national
features not to be mistaken ; there the keen face and
plain dress of a well-known leader of the Brahmo Somaj ;
here a handsome showy Mahometan advocate ; there the
becoming white veil and simple costume of a Hindoo
nSTIYALS AND FESTIVITIES^ BSLIOIOUS AND SOCIAL. 185
Christian lady, side by side with an aide-de-camp's
smart uniform, or an Englishwoman in full dress. There
is a very Babel of tongues — English, Arabic, Hindi, Ben-
gali, Burmese, and languages remoter still. Once I had
been watching a brilliant group of native princes, in-
cluding more than one useful ally in the awful crisis of
the Mutiny, who were eagerly discussing some topic of
engrossing interest, when a native professor who had
joined in the argument, left the group and asked me to
guess what they were talking of. It was the last subject
that would have seemed likely to come up in such a
scene — they were discussing the doctrine of original
sin !
Another time I was leaving early, and just as the
carriage was called up, a splendid equipage drove in.
'* Look,'' said my companion, " I daresay you never saw
a Jehu in a crown before ; " and this was the literal fact.
The carriage was filled with a group of native princes,
and one of them in full state array, gold head-dress and
all, was sitting on the box to drive I
On the occasion of the Prince's visit, however, every
one was in good time, and long before the arrival of the
Vice-regal party there was scarcely standing-room for the
hundreds who were enabled by the Bishop's kind hos-
pitality to have a nearer view of the long talked of Prince.
His frank and sailor-like bearing made a most favourable
impression; while, on the other hand, few more singularly
varied assemblies could ever have presented themselves
even to his travelled eyes. God grant that the enthu-
siastic loyalty evoked by the sight of an English Prince
may never have cause to falter, either at home or in the
vast Eastern empire that then offered its eager homage
to the son of Queen Victoria I
186
IX
A HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THE PLAINS.
The first excursion we made in Bengal was so peculiar in
all its circumstances that it deserves a minute description.
Trivial and often annoying as many of its incidents were,
they furnished us with endless amusement even at the
time, and have often awakened hearty laughter since ;
and nearly everything was so foreign to English ideas
that I cannot but think my readers will appreciate a
photographic minuteness of detail.
Worn out with work and responsibility, and exhausted
by the oppressive monotony of the rainy season in
Calcutta, I gladly accepted an invitation to join a party
of zenana teachers who were spending their well-earned
holiday at Monghyr. No one who has not tried it can
imagine how wearying is the daily life of an earnest
labourer in this department of the mission field ; or how
gladly the tired teachers avail themselves of the Doorga
Pooja festival which stops all zenana visiting for the
time, to get away if possible for a month's total rest and
change. Not that their studies are abandoned, or their
work forgotten. I can bear testimony to the zeal with
which Bengali was studied, and to the hours spent in
preparing fancy needlework for absent pupils ; but it was
a genuine relief to cease the daily drive through Atifling
A HOLIDAY EXCURSION IK THE PLAINS. 187
heat and noisome smells^ and to spend day after day in
free and equal intercourse with educated ladies.
But there were many difficulties in the way, for a
month's '^ouf in India is by no means the simple
matter that it is in England. Here a few hours' journey
in any direction brings one to some pleasant inland or
seaside watering place, where lodgings are plentiful and
accommodation cheap; but in India, lodgings are unknown,
hotels and boarding-houses few and exorbitantly dear,
and missionary purses far from well supplied — a mis-
sionary or chaplain's pay being often inferior to that of an
engine-driver or skilled mechanic. So after much dis-
cussion, it had been decided by my friends to take an
empty house for a month at Monghyr, about 300 miles
from Calcutta. Great as this distance seems, there was
no nearer town where we could hear of suitable accom-
modation, and at Monghyr were kind friends to the
mission cause, who volunteered at once to do all they
could to make us comfortable by sending in old furniture,
etc., for our use. Eleven of the party were already therOj
and I was to follow with two younger workers as soon
as we could get free, taking with me a bearer and a table
servant, and as much of bedding and smaller necessaries
as we could conveniently convey. Rent and other
expenses were to be equitably shared according to our
respective means, and we were all forewarned that the
ordinary conveniences of life would be at a premium, and
that we must be prepared to make the best of scanty
furniture and irregular provision, and lead, in short, a
kind of picnic life in our temporary home.
The winding up of our engagements was a time of no
small excitement and fatigue; and it was with somewhat
mingled feelings that we turned our backs upon Calcutta
and its cares, and found ourselves in the ferry steamer on
the early morning of September 1 4th. This ferry from
188 INLAKD.
Calcutta to Howrah is still the first stage in ereiy jonmej
bj the East Indian railway, thongh many schemes have
been proposed for spanning the Hooghly with some
sort of bridge, and thas avoiding a great source of
inconvenience as well as loss of life. The scene was very
striking to a stranger. After a night of storm approach-
ing hurricane pitch, it was a fresh and lovely morning,
and the broad yellow Hooghly looked its best, with its
shore lined with noble merchantmen, and the motley
shoal of native boats plying in all directions. There
were two or three European passengers on board the
steamer, but the great mass were natives of various classes,
from the portly baboo with spotless muslin garments and
calico shirt over all, to the mob of lower degree, whose
only covering was a filthy rag round the loins, and a
bundle of filthy rags on the head. The gabble, as usual
in a Hindoo crowd, was terrific ; and the jostling when
we had crossed at last and the steamer was moored to
the jetty, was anything but pleasant ; but we secured a
ladies' compartment in the train, and the journey was
as comfortable as could be expected : for, opening out
of our carriage was a tiny dressing-room supplied with
water, which we found a great convenience and refresh-
ment.
For a few hours the travelling was really enjoyable,
owing to the great storm of the night before. The soft
breeze puffed in our faces almost too strongly, but its cool
breath seemed to sweep away care and anxiety, and
everythitig wore the brightness of an unwonted holiday.
The smell of the country after the long rains was almost
ns sweet as in England, and the country itself not unhke
the flattest parts of the midland counties. There were
avenues of trees with verdant glades between, almost park-
like in their smoothness, and the various kinds of palm
did not predominate so decidedly in the landscape as we
A HOLIDAY EXCURSION IK THE PLAINS. 189
got further from Calcutta. In some places, one miglit
almost forget that balmy morning that we were under
tropical skies. The verdure was richly English, and the
roadside ponds covered with white water-lilies might have
beloDged to some home scene, though not so the swarms
of| black urchins bathing there, up to their chins in mud.
The lines and telegraph posts were intensely English,
but any momentary illusion was at once put to flight
by the sight of vultures instead of sparrows making
them their perch, and most resplendent kingfishers
sitting on every line of wire. During the whole journey,
we hardly passed a telegraph post without seeing one at
least of these beautiful birds on the intermediate wire ;
and as the line is bordered by continuous ponds the whole
way, they probably look upon the telegraphic system as
a benevolent provision of nature, for their convenience in
pouncing on their prey. They are as large as a pigeon,
but more slender, with head and body of a bright red
brown, and wings and tail of the most brilliant blue, with
just a little black to enhance their loveliness. Sitting
they are not remarkable for beauty, but flying, the sheeny
glory of their resplendent wings and tail is wonderful.
These, with the little, jet black, king crows and some
smaller kingfishers were the only birds that seemed to
prefer the wires as a resting place ; but below were flocks
of starry winged minas, and snow-white heron-like paddy
birds, standing like sentinels among the rice fields, with
here and there a huge adjutant or other giant crane,
or a large kite with white body and red-brown wings.
Animals we saw none, except now and then a pariah dog,
or a herd of dirt- coloured bufialoes rolling their unwieldy
bodies in some muddy pool ; and once an elephant quietly
eating his fodder in a station yard startled us with a
sadden sense of incongruity. The only crop, with the
exception of a little Indian com and sogar-cane, was rice
1 90 INLAND.
in various stages of growth, and a large proportion of the
land was ankle-deep in water.
At Biirdwan we looked in vain for any glimpse of the
church or mission- house so long associated with the
honoured name of Weitbrecht; and by this time the heat
had become almost unbearable. We bathed our hands
and faces perseveringly, but in vain ; and spreading our
bedding on the seats, tried, but with small success, to
sleep away the sultry hours.
About three o'clock we reached Rajmahal, when the
scenery rapidly changed^ and wooded hills took the place
of the former monotonous plain, to the great delight of
my companions, neither of whom had ever seen a rising
ground before. Still the heat continued without abate-
ment, and as evening drew in there was none of the
delightful breeze that springs up at sunset at Calcutta,
and makes the nights endurable. The sun went down,
and the stars came out, but the night was as stifling as
ever, and our only consolation was in calling to the water-
bearer, who at every station passed along the train with
his mussock slung across his back. The mussock is
the skin of an auimal, probably a large goat, with only
the legs and head taken off, aud it holds several gallons of
water. As the bearer goes along the platform he is
summoned incessantly by loud cries of ^^ Bihistee !
bihistee I" from all the passengers. This word, which
means '^ a blessed one,'' or dweller in paradise, has become
the common name of water-carriers, from the blessing
which those are supposed to earn who carry water to the
thirsty.
As night drew on we had a Uttle sleep, but it was
uneasy and unrefreshiug ; and when we reached Monghyr
at half-past nine, after fourteen hours' journey, we were
all well-nigh exhausted. There was no one to meet as
as we had expected ; but we got as much of our luggage
A HOLIDAT £XCn£SIOH IN THB PLAINS. 191
as possible loaded in and on an exceedingly minute hack
carriage, and getting coolies to carry the rest under my
bearer's charge, we crushed ourselves into the carriage,
and set out in search of our resting-place. Here an
unexpected difficulty encountered us. Our native drivers
in vain attempted to identify the name of Southgate
House, by which alone it was known to us ; and no
distinctness of pronunciation, or attempts at an equivalent
in the vernacular, were of any avail. After prolonged
delays, and various unsatisfactory colloquies, a gleam of
light seemed to flash upon them, and they drove us a long
distance across a broad, grassy plain, and under an avenue
of trees, to the gates of a large house. We hoped that
our difficulties were ended ; but when a servant appeared
in answer to the driver's summons, we discovered, alas !
that it was an hotel. '' Where was Southgate House ? ^'
He did not know. ^' Where was his master, or mistress 7 '*
In bed. Fancy forlorn and tired out travellers in such a
plight !
At last we bethought ourselves of asking for the
house where a good many mem sahibs from Calcutta
were staying, and this solved the difficulty. We were
driven off in a new direction under the clear moonlight
to another house, of which, however, even the outer gates
were shut and secured for the night. Afler some diffi-
culty, we obtained an entrance, and, after still further
delay, a light ; and then our friends, in various degrees of
deshabille, turned out one by one to welcome ns. They
had made up their minds that it would be quite impossible
for us, under the circumstances, to get off by the day train,
and so did not expect us till the morning. The best bed-
room had been reserved for us ; but as it was utterly
empty, without even table, chair, or bedstead, the imme-
diate prospect was not cheering. We had brought, one a
camp bedstead^ and the other a cork mattrasSj as well as
192 INLAND.
sheets and pillows ; so my servants were left to get the
beds ready, while we had some tea, not procured without
delay, as, of course, there was no fire. However, it was a
very lively and refreshing meal; but when we at last
retired for the night, we were amused to find that the
servants, true to their native instinct of caring only for
their own mem sahib, had not only set - up my camp bed-
stead in the middle of the room, and rigged my mosquito
curtains, but had spread all the bedding of the three upon
it, including even the cork mattrass of one of my com-
panions. When this property was restored, and my own
blanket and sheets spread upon the sacking, it was dis-
covered that the bedstead of the third had been left
behind at Calcutta ; so she had to join one of the other
ladies in sleeping on a table in the sitting-room.
We were too tired to stay long awake, though the
heat was still intense ; but just as I was dozing ofi*, a
sudden exclamation from my companion apprised me that
she had seen a large musk rat running about the room^ a
matter of some moment to her, as her mattrass lay unpro-
tected on the floor. Musk rats are not pleasant neigh-
bours, but in India one has to be philosophical : so she
threw something at it, and went to sleep.
In the morning we found fresh need for patience and
philosophy, as seven of us had to use one bath-room in
succession, with frequent intervals of waiting for the
bheesties. Our ''chota hazree'* was therefore taken in
desultory fashion, sitting on the floor or on boxes ; and
as soon as we could escape from the hot room we were
glad to take our Bibles out into the verandah for quiet
and fresh air. All the scanty and heterogeneous furniture
in the house, except what we and our friends had brought,
had been sent in for our use by the kind people of the
town ; crockery, tables, chairs, a sofa, washing utensils,
etc.^ having aU been furnished by this truly Indian
A HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THE PLAINS. 193
hospitality on the part of people to whom we were utterly
unknown except by a solitary letter of introduction.
The house was prettily situated on the bank of the
Ganges, and built partly on the south wall of the old
fort, the verandah on that side looking straight down
into what used to be the moat. Just opposite was the
little barrack-like settlement of the native Christians^
with their church in the compound, and in front of our
abode a small garden opened on a common shaded by
fine trees. The house, like almost all in the place, was
of only one story, surrounded by a wide verandah tiled
and thatched, so as to afford a double security against
heat and rain. It was raised about a dozen steps from
the ground, and all the rooms opened into each other,
screened only by such extemporized curtains as we could
provide ; so, as we were a party of fourteen ladies, besides
servants, it may well be imagined that very little quiet or
privacy was attainable.
As I was sitting in the verandah before breakfast, I
was startled by a beautiful bulbul perching on my shoulder,
and readily transferring itself to my finger and allowing
itself to be caressed. It belonged to one of the party,
and another had a young one, which she had brought
here to train and educate. This bird, sometimes called
the Indian nightingale, is very handsome, rather smaller
than a thrush, with a long black tail tipped with crimson
and white, and a pretty black crested head. The upper
part of the body is black, faintly sprinkled with brown
below, with a bright crimson patch under the tail. It is
easily tamed, and can then be trusted to fly quite freely,
and its pretty pert ways are very amusing.
We had prayers and breakfast about ten, and then,
for the first time, saw all the party. They are widely
scattered now, some driven by failing health to their
distant American or English homes, some married, and
13
194 INLAND.
some continaing their labours ; but if these pages should
meet the eye of any of the circle, they will call up many
a bright memory of that interval of relaxation. Only
hearty workers can thoroughly enjoy a holiday, and none
can need one more than those whose sphere of labour
lies in the trying atmosphere of Calcutta zenanas^ so
though we were all too weary to do much, we were just
in the mood heartily to enjoy every trivial incident of our
very novel situation. At breakfast the bulbul, having
mutely pleaded with his mistress for some rice, settled
the matter by flying on the dish as the man handed it
round, and helping himself, regardless of the merriment
provoked by his audacity ; and afterwards, when books and
needlework were produced, he evinced the liveliest interest
in all our pursuits, examining the patterns and playing with
the wools. Eeading aloud began at twelve, and dinner
was ordered for two, but the cook was bewildered by the
number he had to provide for, and by the limited kitchen
accommodation, and it did not appear till long after four.
All day long, and every day after, a succession of box
wallahs came to exhibit their wares — inlaid ebony boxes
and desks, chains, and bracelets, and straw mats and
baskets ; and as we really wanted many things to send
home, this idle time was an excellent opportunity, for
bargaining with a native is not a matter soon disposed
of. He never thinks of asking the fair value of his
goods, but starts with a purely fancy price, calculated on
the probable degree of his customer's inexperience^ and
ranging from four to ten times what he will eventually
take. Raw Europeans offer some trifling abatement and
buy at once, and one such success encourages the dealers
to persevere in their exorbitant demands. Time is of
little consequence to them, and they will hold out for
hours in the hope of some trifling extra profit. The pro-
cess is somewhat as follows. The box wallah prodnoea
A HOLIDAY EXCUBSION IN THE PLAINS. 195
some article, and you ask the price. He says, perhaps,
" Eight rupees." You utter an exclamation of surprise
and disgust, and tell him to be off. He asks, insinuat-
ingly, what you will give, and you offer, perhaps, two or
three. This he emphatically rejects, but makes a large
abatement from his original demand. Again you repeat
your offer, and on a second refusal walk away, and sit
down to read or work with an air of sublime indifference
to the whole business ; while he opens a variety of other
wares, and offers them to the company in general, inter-
jecting various modifications of the original demand to
you : till at last, when he sees that you are quite resolved,
the article is laid down before you with the monosyllable,
*' Take," and you get it at your own price, probably
finding afterwards that you have been cheated after all.
One of the confraternity very much amused us by a
naive admission, due to his ignorance of our tongue. He
had asked, an unusually exorbitant price for something,
and one of the party jestingly inquired, ''Tum ke pas
kuch conscience nay hai ? (Have you no conscience ?) "
in reply to which he gravely shook his head, and re-
sponded, '^ Nahin, mem sahib, kuch nahin, (No, ma'am,
not any) " an unconscious truth, not only for himself,
but for the whole brotherhood throughout India.
In the evening we started in detachments of three or
four for a walk, our party choosing the road to the river
side. The Ganges here is of a width which defies the
eye, and some large islands lie just opposite the town.
To the left stretches a distant chain of hills, and to the
right a pretty undulating and wooded reach of country,
the whole European town lying within the walls of the
old fort, which must have been of considerable extent,
for the houses are a long way apart, surrounded by trees
and gardens, and an extensive common occupies the
centre. The massive walls of the jail, which are said to
196 nnjLND.
be very ancient^ border part of the green ; and farther on
the banks of the river are faced with walls, of which the
semi-circular turrets are accessible by steps from the land,
and famished with seats, where one can enjoy the air and
the view. Farther still we descended a flight of steps^
leading through a deep archway to the river, and found
a Hindoo temple of considerable size facing the stream.
Entrance was forbidden, but the attendant Brahmin said
that in the morning it would be open, and we could see
the inside from without, and sketch it if we pleased. An
early expedition was accordingly planned, and we re-
turned to a late tea, but found it terribly hot, as there
were no punkahs in the house. After tea, therefore, we
adjourned with books and work and a lamp to the
verandah, and I read aloud till interrupted by a suf-
ficiently unpleasant incident. Feeling some small crea-
ture creeping up my arm, I put the other hand outside
the sleeve, and took hold of the intruder, probably with
no very gentle pressure. The immediate result was a
most overpowering and disgusting odour, which drove
away every one from my vicinity, and could only be
subdued by instant washing and sprinkling with Eau de
Cologne. These creatures, which resemble a small black
ladybird, swarmed on the table every night when the
lamps were lit, and woe to the hapless individual who
wittingly or unwittingly oflfends them. Another kind of
flying bug, a large flat creature, found both here and in
Calcutta, can be smelt in the air for a considerable
distance.
We were all very tired, and went to bed early, but
not to sleep. The heat was tremendous, untempored by
the pleasant night breeze which makes Calcutta habitable,
and the musk rats held perfect carnival in our room. To
make matters worse, the night lamp went out, and the
squeaking and scuffling increased to such an extent that
A HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THS PLAINS. 197
we coald bear it no longer, and had to wake oar com-
panions in the next room to get some matches, after
which there was comparative quiet, but verj little sleep.
We got up at five o'clock, and walked to the Hindoo
temple. It was a very animated scene, for the shallow
edge of the river was crowded with bathers, men and
women washing themselves and their clothes, and the
latter were of the gaudiest description. Bright reds and
yellows were the predominating colours, and under the
morning sun, with the white temple in front, overhung
by a magnificent old tree, the eflfect was very gay. The
bank was too muddy to sit down, and there was not even
a stone that could serve as a seat, so we had to make
our sketch standing, and found it fatiguing and un-
satisfactory. The natives crowded round us, and took a
lively interest in the proceeding, but were perfectly well
behaved : very much more so, I am sorry to believe, than
a London crowd would be if they saw two Hindoo ladies
in national costume sketching in front of St. Paul's.
After drawing the outside we went up the steps and
looked at the interior, not venturing however to cross
the threshold. The hideousness of the gods was beyond
description. Three immense and most frightful masks,
with perfectly flat painted faces, just like the rude
outlines street boys scrawl with chalk, were ranged on
the wall opposite the entrance, on a background of
crimson drapery, edged with tinsel. There was no
attempt at representing bodies, but solid brass hands
stood out from the drapery between the hideous faces,
and on the right side was a group of images. Juggernaut
held a chief place, and among the smaller deities were
Lutchmee with six ai*ms, Krishna with a black face, and
HanumSln the monkey-god, with a long tail. The head
Brahmin of the temple, a pleasant, intelligent looking
man, answered all our questions with great politeness.
198 INLAND.
He spoke no English, and it makes one feel terribly tlie
want of a common language to be brought into contact
with these pleasant natives, and only be able to ask tbetn
the baldest questions, with a very imperfect compre-
hension of their replies. Bengali, the tongue which my
companions had studied for their Calcutta work, was not
understood, and we had to use the mongrel Hindostani^
which is only employed to one's servants in Bengal^ and
which few people care to acquire correctly.
In the priest's house on the other side of the archway
was a sort of shrine set out with little gods and goddesses^
and outside was a small idol car, the upper part of what
was once one of the monster vehicles, under the wheels of
which devotees used to be crushed to death. These
things and their associations cast a terrible shadow over
the brightness of that sunny morning, and made us long
for the time to come when the knowledge of the true Grod
should overspread this glorious land, and utterly abolish
idols and their devilish rites.
We got home to an early breakfast, and found in the
verandah two ladies who were come to invite our whole
party to a pic-nic on the following day, at a beautiful
place a few miles from the town. Of course we accepted
gladly, and after prayers and breakfast every one settled
down to study, needlework, or letter writing. Some of
the party were most diligent in pursuing their BengaU
residing, but it was truly diligence under diflSculties. It
may readily be imagined that among so many ladies^
most of them young, there was a good deal of both
talking and laughing; and the pet birds which were
allowed to fly and hop about at their pleasure were sad
wasters of time ; while the box wallahs furnished a per-
petual distraction.
So passed the day, and most of the party went early
to bed, as we were to start at five the following morning.
f .-
A HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THE PLAINS. 199
I sat up some time longer to write up my journal, sorely
tormented by the fragrant insects above described, and
by grasshoppers and crickets innumerable hopping over
the table and into the lamp, and jerking themselves into
my face. All tea time they kept drowning themselves in
our cups, and now that this means of self-destruction was
removed, they roasted themselves excruciatingly inside
the chimney of the lamp, and the noise they made leaping
against the walls and Inatting was like the ceaseless
patter of a heavy shower of rain.
At last I retired to bed, which I had had placed in
the south verandah, in hope of a breath of air. But the
hope was vain. A wooded knoll which rose just beyond
the Christian settlement intercepted any faint breeze that
might have been stirring, and heat, dense and suffocatin|r>
reigned everywhere. Sleep was effectually banished till
about one o'clock, when a slight wind sprung up. Alas !
at half-past three came the unwelcome summons to rise —
for situated as we were an hour and a half was very short
allowance for the bathing and dressing of the whole party.
It was truly '^a haggard thing'* to rise and dress that
morning by the dim flicker of the night lamps ; and the
climax of misery was reached when I went round parched
with thirst, and could not even get a drop of drinking
water. The wells at Monghyr are impregnated with
mineral poisons, and the only water fit to drink is brought
from hot springs four or five miles away, so that any negli-
gence in keeping up the supply is fraught with serious
inconvenience. I did take a mouthful of Monghyr water
that morning, but the taste was so metallic that I dared
not swallow it; and one of the party who incautiously
ventured on a draught suffered severely from its effects.
The carriages sent by our kind friends came for us a
httle before five, and we drove to one of their houses
which had been named as the general rendezvous, starting
200 INLAND.
«
from thence in a procession of eight barouches and
phaetons. The day was just beginning to show in the
eastern sky, and the stars were glorious^ while the soft
cool air out on the open road, was fresh enough to revive
even our exhausted frames.
We drove through a large native bazaar, very Eastern,
dirty and picturesque, with people sleeping on their
charpoys outside the doors all the way, and then through
some very pretty country, hilly, wooded, and richly
verdant. After a few miles the procession of carriages
stopped and we began to ascend on foot. The road
wound round the hill, giving splendid views of the
Ganges and the near and distant hills. In one place some
distant peaks were pointed out to us as a spur of the
Nepaul Himalayas, and in the foreground was a singular
TiOge of dark rugged rocks, perfectly bare of vegetation.
At last we came in front of the house, a really beautiful
country seat, belongmg to a wealthy native, by whose
permission it was open during the absence of the family,
to any neighbouring English gentleman who might apply
for leave to take a party there.
Our friends had made ample provision of every kind,
and we all brought servants ; so while chota hazree was
preparing we went up to the roof to enjoy the magni-
ficent and wide spread prospect. The house stands on
the very brow of the hill, which is almost too steep on
that side to climb, and the air sweeps freely to it from
the river and the distant mountains. Down below, about
half a mile away, nestles a large native village with its
neat thatched roofs looking quite pretty among the
clustering trees, and within the broad shadow of some
fine peepuls, in the foreground, is a large and handsome
tomb which we afterwards visited. The house itself was
spacious and convenient, and surrounded by a fanciful
arcaded verandah of distinctly Moorish character.
A HOnnULT jqU^UBSION IN THE PLAINS. 201
It may readily be imagined how welcome was the
summons to early breakfast^ and never did a party more
tkoronghly enjoy that meal than did the thirty or forty
individuals assembled at PeerPahar that day. Good tes^
with delicions creamy milk, and fresh breads butter^ and
cakes, refreshed us wonderfully ; and the* absence of
gentlemen, which at first strock us as singular in so large
a party, not only proved no drawback to our enjoyment, but
turned out eventually to be rather a fortunate circumstance.
After chota hazree we sat a little, and then I took my
butterfly net and strolled up to the summer-house with
one or two companions, attended by Kaloo and their
Madras servant, who both took a lively interest in our
pursuit. Thence we clambered down the hill-side to a
heath-like plain below, which, except for the heat,
reminded us of many an English scene. But the sun was
now getting dangerously high, and, though we were all
provided with solah* hats, we thought it wiser to give
over the net and specimen boxes to the two men, and
take to umbrellas instead. So, after sitting awhile in the
shade near the top of the hill, to enjoy the breeze, we
sauntered back to the house, and amused ourselves in
various ways till the second breakfast was announced. It
was truly a goodly meal, a noble turkey, tongue, fowls,
ducks, ham, and meat pies, jellies, cake, and fruit being
only some of the items to which we did ample justice.
The repast was spread on a long table, flanked by smaller
ones, in the large dining-room ; and as our friends had
brought table linen, cutlery, and silver, it was a comfort-
able and cheery sight, contrasting with the makeshifts of
our scantily furnished abode.
* These hats, made of the thick pith of a kind of reed, glued
together and covered with thin bilk or alpaca, are a great protection
against sunstroke, and very light and comfortable. They are used
by all classes of Europeans, both military and civil.
202 INLAlfD.
After a merry meal^ we dispersed again into the
verandah and the various rooms, in one of which a very
noisy and unscientific game at billiards was soon organized
by some of the juniors, while others exhausted all the
conversational games they could think of, or proceeded
with needlework or drawing. At last, to our great joy,
the sky grew cloudy, and the wind blew cool ; and with
one consent all, except the seniors of the party, put on
their hats, and started by twos and threes for a long
ramble. Our division descended the hill by a steep,
winding road, and went to see the tomb mentioned above.
It is to the memory of the native wife of an English
oflScer, and an elaborate specimen of a peculiar style of
architecture, as large as a good-sized room, and not in any
respect like a Christian burying-place. An arched door-
way admits of entrance, and within, on a slab let into the
masonry, are simply the words, '^ Be still — she sleeps,'*
with only name and date below.
While we were examining this, and gathering wild
flowers near, a few heavy drops of rain began to fall, and
we hastened to take shelter in the verandah of a native
house close by. It was fortunate that shelter was at
hand, for the rain, which had not visited this part for
weeks before, soon began to come down in a heavy storm,
the thunder rolling and echoing in the hills. It poured
80 tremendously that the wet soon found its way through
the thatched and tiled roof of the verandah, and we were
driven into the dwelling, where two passively civil natives
accorded us a tacit hospitality till the clouds began to
break. We took advantage of the first pause in the
downpour, and then ran as if for our lives, for it was
evident that there was more to come. Our friends above
could see us from the verandah, and they waved to us
anxiously to hurry on ; so we panted and toiled up the
steep fSetce of the hill^ between ferns^ and shrubs, and
▲ HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THB PLAINS. 203
crags, and reached the summit only just in time, scarcely
able to stagger into shelter. It was well worth the exer-
tion, for rain in India is no trifle, as some of our com-
panions found. Five of them came in presently, literally
drenched to the skin, every article of clothing absolutely
dripping ; and, of course, there was no change to be had.
Fortunately, one of our friends had chosen to come on
horseback, and had brought towels and a change of dress
in the carriage, that she might have the refreshment of a
bath after her ride ; so the victims were rubbed dry, and
wrapped, one in the habit, others in door curtains taken
down for the purpose, and in such articles of clothing as
we could take off for them. A more ridiculous set of
scarecrows can scarcely be imagined ; but in time they
were all pinned up in their motley garments, and the
dripping clothes hung in the verandah to dry, as, of
course, there were neither fires nor fire-places in the house.
Then came dinner, which the unfortunates enjoyed as
best they might in a side room; and by this time the
rain was over, and everything delightfully fresh and sweet.
So some of us started, nothing daunted, to explore a great
well near the house, which was excavated at great cost,
and then proved useless. It was a round shaft, of immense
depth and circumference, cut or blasted in the solid rock,
and approached by a long flight of wide, shallow steps
opening in the rocky hill-side, which towered like a giant
wall on either hand. There was some depth of water
when we saw it, but it was apparently only rain that had
drained in, for there was no indication that any spring
had been reached before the costly undertaking was
abandoned.
By the time wo returned, it was necessary to think of
getting to the carriages, and at this juncture new diflS-
culties arose. None of the drenched clothes were dry,
and of course we could not carry off the baboo's curtains ;
204
INLAND.
80 there was a fresh demand for such contribations of
inner and outer apparel as would fit our hapless com-
panions to walk down the hill. Barefooted they neces-
sarily were, for their boots were not in a state to be got
on ; and when we had done our best for them, the sole
attire of one consisted of a table-cloth and a black lace
shawl !
However, we all got to the carriages without accident^
and an-ived at home in time for tea, fairly tired out.
Great was the astonishment of the rest of the servants^
who were assembled in the verandah to witness our
return, when they saw the singular group which emerged
from one of the carriages ; but in this climate there is
little risk of cold, and no ill consequences resulted from
the adventure.
Another evening we wandered out at sunset, and
ascended the flight of steps leading to the Mahometan
burying ground. A respectable-looking native, who
seemed to be the guardian of the place, followed us, and
objected to our entering the principal tomb, a chamber of
some size, unless we put off our shoes, which we declined
to do. He informed us that it was the tomb of a great
saint, who lived many hundred years ago ; and we looked
in and saw the stone under which the body rested,
decked like a dressing table, with a white muslin cover
over pink. The effect was very droll, especially as the
custodian went on to tell us the most outrageous stories
about the buried worthy, who seemed, by his account, to
have been a sort of Mussulman St. Patrick. He said
that the country was infested ages ago by great wild
beasts, and this saint exterminated them, and buried
them all under a large black stone, which he pointed out.
He added that the rain which ran from the roof of the
tomb was holy, curing all sorts of diseases, and generously
offered to give us some, an offer which we politely declined.
▲ HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THE PLAINS. 205
Another time some of our party visited the same spot,
and heard more wild legends on the subject. The origin
of the fort is ascribed to this illustrious saint. The rajah
had' vainly tried to build one here, no erection ever
prospering, when the holy man stepped forward, and
promised to provide the desired fortress if the rajah
would undertake to build him a tomb in return. The
prince accepted the condition, and the present fort im-
mediately rose of itself. As it is two or three miles
in circumference, and has evidently been of immense
strength, surrounded by earthworks, massively faced
with brick and stone, and by a very deep and wide moat,
his act of piety was signally rewarded.
It is much to be regretted that the holy man's zeal
for the extermination of wild beasts did not extend to
the musk rats, which swarmed in our rooms every night.
As neither inner nor outer doors could ever be shut
because of the heat, there was no restraint upon their
antics. One night, lights being scarce, and chairs at a
premium, we were sitting on the ground in our bed-room,
listening to a chapter read aloud by our next neighbours,
when suddenly there was a shriek from inside the purdah,
and a huge rat rushed out of their room almost over us, and
made good his escape through the bath-room door. Cats
also infested the place, but unfortunately they left the
rats alone and devoted themselves to nocturnal raids
upon our viands, for which we had no sort of safe ; so if
anything had to be kept through the night the only way
was to suspend it in a basket on the punkah pole. Once
we were roused at midnight by a heavy fall, the sequel of
some mysterious feline manoeuvres. '^ Down came '^ basket,
mutton, " and all,'' and when we called out to inquire
what was the matter, the Madras boy's reply, " Cat run
away with one meat," sent us, hot and sleepy though we
were, into peals of weary laughter.
206 INLAND.
After all there was no great canse for mirth^ for tliis
catastrophe had robbed us of the main part of onr break-
fast, and Tommy's English was far better than our Hindo-
stani. The gravity which the servants preserve While
the most outrageous mistakes are made in their native
tongue is wonderful. One evening, four of us chose to
have our tea on the roof, where it was cooler and quieter
than below, and the lady who gave the necessary direc-
tions to the servant, told him to bring plenty of bread
and butter, for we were all mad. She meant we were all
hungry, but the change of a single vowel made it into
the former extraordinary statement. The man turned
away quickly, and must surely have laughed to himself,
but these Easterns either have no sense of the ridiculous,
or keep their risible muscles under enviable control. On
another occasion a member of the party, whose knowledge
of the language bore no proportion to her kindliness of
heart, meaning to ask a man if his father and mother
were dead (moorghya), inquired in a tone of commisera-
tion whether they were moorghy — i.e., fowls !
Even this was not so bad as a similar mistake made
by a missionary, who preached his first sermon in the
vernacular on the words, " I am the light of the world/'
He indulged the fond belief that he had got through
pretty fluently, till he found, from the wondering remark
of a native hearer, that by misplacing an accent on the
word for " light,'' he had converted it through all the
sermon into *' potato," with results as bewildering and
irreverent as can well be imagined. One great difficulty
in Bengali arises from the fact that each consonant be-
comes a new letter when followed by an aspirate; one
being sounded daw, another dhaw ; one gaw, another
ghaw, etc. Thus, khana is one word, Jcana another ; and
yet no one can distinguish the sounds without long
practice^ or unusual quickness of ear.
▲ HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THE PLAINS. 207
One day, besides the usual run of box wallahs we had
some travelling merchants with beautiful Delhi jewelry,
exquisite filagree work in gold and silver ; and another
time some bird-catchers with an assortment of doves,
parrots and mocking-birds, and a number of tiny jewel-like
creatures for which there is no English name. Among
them was a chameleon, a wonderfully eccentric and ugly
creature which was added to our list of pets, as well as a
number of birds. A whole cageful of exquisite little
creatures only cost a shilling ; and my kitmutghar made
the most expensive purchase of the party, investing three
or four times as much in a mocking-bird which he proposed
to train, expecting to realize a high price for it in Calcutta.
When we asked the man what the chameleon ate, he
replied concisely " Cockroaches and mutton ^^ as if they
were two quite ordinary and analogous articles of diet ;
and added the information that if it had nothing to eat
for eight days, twelve days, it did not mind. Truly it
did not seem to mind anything, for a more immoveably
lethargic creature I never beheld. It was of a bright
emerald green with a rough dry skin, covered with little
tubercles, and a mouth so large and so peculiarly hinged
that whenever it opened the head seemed to be coming
in two. Its body had the appearance of being secured
against such a possibility by being neatly sewed all down
from throat to tail with coarse white stitches ; but the
most singular part about it was its eyes. They were large
green balls of the same rough skin as the rest of the body,
except a small round spot in the centre, the size of a pin's
head, which was bright and brown with eyelids of its own,
and was of course the real organ of vision, though not an
eighth part of the size of a mouse's eye. The whole green
ball twists in every direction, so that the creature can see
before, behind upwards, or downwards, without moving
its head, and the effect is very singular^ as the two
208 IHUKD.
eyes are often tamed in totally diETerent directions. It
was proTokingly sluggish in all it« movements, generally
taking some seconds to stretch ont a hmb, and often
pausing for half an hour with one extended claw. Its
change of colour seemed limited to the coming and going
of a dark grey clond which flushed its dehcate (freen
skin whenever it was alarmed or angry.
One incident of our stay, a visit to the little Christian
settlement just opposite, was very interesting, notwith-
standing our imperfect means of communication. In one
house the family consisted of an old man, very venerable
and nice looking, his mother, his wife, and three grown-
up sous and their wives, besides some younger children.
No one who has not seen both can imagine the contrast
between these people and their heathen compatriots.
Is'ot only did the women look neat and pretty in their
white petticoats and veils, but their very faces were
▲ HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THE PLAINS. 209
r
different^ and their whole look and manner dignified and
superior. There was an intelligence and modest self-
possession about all the family that would not have ill
become any circle of civilized society.
As for ourselves, we were fast losing the habits of civiU-
zation^ and it would have amused any of our friends at
home to see the shifts we were put .to in our camp-like life.
The first thing in the morning was to decide who should
bathe first ; and the time of waiting was sure to be diver-
sified by lively conversation in mixed Hindostani and
English between the temporary manager and the servants^
varied by energetic exclamations from one or another about
some startling incident — everything being audible from
one room to another. Sometimes half the party would dress
hastily and go out for an early walk^ returning in time to
bathe before the late breakfast, and emerging one by one
into the verandah which was the quietest and airiest
place for our early reading. There some of the teachers
steadily prosecuted their Bengali studies, aided by the
kind visits of a veteran missionary; and when the
verandah grew too hot and the south doors had to be shut
at noon, we even extemporized a punkah by hanging palm
leaf mats along the pole — a piece of ingenuity which made
the dining-room far more endurable for the rest of our stay.
In our sitting-room every one^s work, books, and
writing materials had to lie perpetually on the table,
because no such article of furniture existed in the bed-
rooms, and there was no available space even on the
floors. Add to this miscellaneous assortment, a butterfly
net, and various entomological boxes and specimen cases,
an extensive collection of pet birds in and out of cages,
and an incredible scarcity of table and bed-room ap-
pliances, extending to a total absence of such trifling
vanities as looking-glasses, and one will have some faint
idea of our not very luxurious menage.
14
210 INLAND.
It was quite a change to spend an evening in ordinary
civilized fashion at the house of one of the chief inhabi-
tants of the station^ a most gentlemanly and liberal-
minded man. His dwelling was the prettiest and most
homelike I had seen in India : the walls of each sitting-
room, instead of being merely washed, as usual, with some
pale tint, being exquisitely painted with groups of flowers
in panels, on a pretty neutral ground. It was all done
by a German missionary, who thus obtained a handsome
sum for his society while following the natural bent of
his genius. There were also a number of fine water-colours
and chromo-lithographs, and the furniture of white and
rose-coloured tabinet, was exactly like that of the old
drawing-room at home. A splendid revolving stereo-
scope, with a beautiful selection of European views, and
some really good singing and music, helped to render
it a truly English evening. Indeed, nothing could exceed
the general kindness and hospitality which must always
associate the name of Monghyr with pleasant memories.
Another evening never to be forgotten, was spent
literally in a tomb, which was the regular dwelling of
the friends who asked us to tea. Some of the Maho-
metan tombs in other parts of the country are really
magnificent buildings, but this was originally one large
square room with walls seven feet thick. It was changed
into an octagon at a considerable height by solid arches
springing out of the walls and cutting off the comers,
and terminated in a dome. There were no windows of
course, in the original erection, except very small openings
beneath the dome ; but a doorway on each side let in
sufficient light, and six rooms had been added— one front
and back, and two on each side — so that altogether it was
a good-sized and comfortable dwelling, the centre room
being especially well secured against the heat of the son.
This was the dining-room ; and drinking tea in a tomb
▲ HOLIDAY EXCURSION IN THE PLAINS. 211
With the ashes of a Mahometan saint probably reposing
under the table, was certainly a circumstance novel
enough to be remembered.
But the crowning event of our. visit was the BUm
Held, a great annual religious fair, in honour of EAm,
one of the incarnations of Krishna, who is the favourite
deity in this part. The mela commemorates the victory
he won, assisted by an army of monkeys, over the giant
king of Ceylon who had taken away his wife. It had
already lasted a week before we went down to see it ; for
it so often rained in the evening that we were hindered
till the last and greatest day, when three or four of us
started as soon as the sun was low enough.
We passed out at the south gate of the fort, and
turning into a fine avenue of peepul trees which border
the high road for some distance soon began to meet
indications of the fair. Men, women, and children were
coming along in their gayest clothes, carrying fairings,
just like a holiday crowd in England, except that there
were no tipsy men, and that instead of sombre English
clothing, every one was habited in the brightest colours —
one wrapped from head to foot in yellow, another in
scarlet, another in crimson or white, or in rich red silk
flowered with yellow ; most of the women having their
foreheads plastered with vermilion.
At last we reached the open plain on the east side of
the fort, and there opened upon us a scene which I
despair of adequately describing. The extent of the
ground was considerable, and it was literally a sea of
human beings. Above them floated triangular flags of
all colours, and here and there large painted and gilded
erections were carried about on men's shoulders to receive
the homage and offerings of the throng. They were
mostly fan-shaped, with three niches, each filled by u
hideous deity. Besides these, there were other n.ou-
etroaities of hage size filled with fireworlca; large oxen,
with their horns painted in alternate rings of bright red
and green, and their bodies djed with eyea like those on
a peacock's tail, drawing gay ekkas or conntiy carnages
with crimson hangings and fringes; and here and there
an elephant with a gandy saddle-cloth, or a horse with
scarlet and green trappings, and bridle trimmed with
coloured fringe. Everywhere the surging sea of white
and red and yellow was crested with flaantiog bannerets,
bounded by honse-roofs crowded with gazers, or by the
deep moat and massive wall of the fort, and canopied by
the stormy glory of a threatening sunset sky.
By skirting the moat we managed to make oar way
to the spot where a missionary was preaching in Hin-
dustani to the crond; and one thing must not be for-
gotten in passing. Though the majority of these pec^le
▲ HOLIDAY SXCUB8I0N IN TAB PLAINS. 213
had probably never seen an Bnglisb lady before, and
though there were not a dozen Europeans among the
whole crowd, we threaded our way through without
meeting the slightest incivility of any kind. The people
looked at us, and sometimes bestirred themselves to get
tlieir huge animals out of our way, but there was none of the
rude staring and jesting, and none of the unpleasant sights
that one would encounter in a similar crowd at home.
We stood for some time behind the preacher, who
was posted on a stool near one of the flags, and sur-
rounded by a densely packed circle of hearers, chiefly
Hindoos, with a sprinkling of Mahometans. Perfect
good-humour and attention prevailed, and I was struck
with the aouteness of many of the faces turned towards
the speaker — ^keen, interested, and often amused, espe-
cially when a bystander preferred some objection or
argument, and the missionary parried it, or retorted
upon him. In such cases he always seemed to carry the
audience along with him, and they looked particularly
amused when any of the objectors got an unusually hard
rap. I never heard anything like the fluency of the
missionary, who had been employed in this work for
many years. Never pausing, except to hear an objector,
and speaking with an energy that made him plainly
heard above the roar of the crowd and the ceaseless din
of the tom-toms, he poured forth a flood of argument and
statement, interspersed with frequent quotations from
their own poets, and passages from Christian hymns.
Some of the listeners dropped oS", and others took their
places, but some stood the whole time we were there ;
and it was deeply interesting to see men with caste
marks on their foreheads, and necklaces of yellow flowers
assumed in honour of a heathen festival, listening to the
solemn truths of judgment and eternity, and the story of
the Cross. Of course we could only gather the general
214 1NLAKD.
purport of the address^ but the whole scene was a striking
refutation of the current arguments against such mission-
ary eflTorts.
At last it began to rain^ and the clouds round the
sinking sun assumed the most glorious colours, while a
perfect rainbow arch spanned the heavens in front of us.
It needed no very vivid fancy to accept it as the bow of
hope for India just at this evening hour of the world's day ;
and memory still recalls it as the appropriate setting of
one of the most remarkable scenes I ever witnessed.
We went home through the fort as our shortest way,
and just as we got inside the gate, heard the rush of
fireworks, and saw the rockets shooting up. Unwilling
to miss the sight, and sure of a- kind reception, we turned
into the nearest compound, and made our way through
it to the ramparts, where a lady and some children were
sitting/ The rain soon ceased, and she had seats brought
for us ; so we sat and talked in the twilight till all the fire-
works were done, and the great crowd dispersed. Then we
made the best of ourway home to a late tea, and had another
quiet hour or two on the roof, talking and singing hymns.
The morrow was Sunday — a perfect day, bright, and
not too hot, and peaceful and beautiful as heart could
wish. Of course, ^* not too hot '* does not imply that it was
possible to walk to church in the forenoon ; but under
punkahs it was comfortable and cool. The service was
again held in the circuit house, the church being in
ruins; and as we sat waiting, the view through the
open doors over a pretty tank among the trees was
very pleasant and refreshing. The service seemed
especially soothing and beautiful, and the hymns and
chants were nicely sung, a lady playing the harmonium.
The evening walk to church was most delightful, a
soft, cool breeze blowing across the undulating plain, and
stirring the noble trees. When we got in sight of the cir-
A HOUDAY SXCU&SION IN THB PLAINS. 215
cuit hoase, we found ourselves too early ; so we sat down
on a mound on the other side of the tank^ and enjoyed
the air and the view. Opposite^ on a rising ground,
stood the white pillared building, with its sloping roof
hidden by great trees. On the right was the high,
crumbling wall of the fort, scarcely distinguishable from
the earthworks which it skirted, pretty ridges and hollows
running down from it to the water ; and over all glowed a
lovely sunset sky, purple, and gold, and crimson, and pink,
and snow-white clouds piled against the blue. The air was
as cool and balmy as even in dear old England, and the
service and singing were again very sweet, as was also
the walk home, and another moonlight ramble on the
green. Altogether, I had not spent so happy and home-
like a Sunday in India before; and it was with real
regret that we looked forward to the dispersion of our
party after only two more pleasant days together.
Before leaving, we went another early walk all round
the fort, skirting the river which bounds one side, and
completing the circuit outside the walls and moat. One
part was very pretty, the moat being there quite a broad
stream, bathing the foot of a steep wooded hill. In it
were some washermen performing their business after the
usual fashion. Clothes are never rubbed here, but soaped,
and then taken up with both hands, and beaten with the
full swing of the arm, against stones or ridged boards
fixed for the purpose in the water. It seems a wonder
that they survive this treatment ; but the truth is, that,
owing probably to the absence of washing powders and
other destructive compounds, and perhaps also to the
fact that clothes in India are not boiled, they really last
longer than in England.
Only one of my companions was to return with me
by the night train, the others being able to prolong their
stay a little ; but even our packing was no light matter.
216 IBLABD.
what with In^age, bedding, and extn packing^cafles
filled with our purchases. It poured with lain wbeD we
started, and there was great difficulty in stowing onr-
Belyes and our goods in the exceedingly small hack
vehicle that came for us. We were told that the train
did not start till 3.45, but, most fortunately, we detov
DtMbl,
mined to be in good time, and accordingly reached
the station a little before 3. Onr dismay was great when
the ticket baboo at once informed as that the train then
gettiug up its stoam was ours, and that it would start in
a few minutes. My servants, who were walking, had not
arrived, neither bad the coolies with the heavy luggage,
and when, after an interval of anxious waiting they did
A HOUDAY EXCURSION IN THl PLAINS. 217
appear^ it was by no means easy to 'settle everything
satisfactorily. It is one of the delightful peculiarities of
Indian railways to have no regular porters ; consequently,
one is beset by a host of naked men and boys^ who con-
sider every article of luggage a lawftil means of extorting
pice^ and they drive one almost to distraction^ especially
when in wild hurry and in pouring rain, as we were.
However, I knew something of the language now, and the
case was not so desperate as on a former occasion. Then,
seeing a cooly making off with one of my packages in a
wrong direction, I had pursued him along the platform,
calling out" Chup, chup 1'^ the only word that occurred to
me in the emergency ; and as this imperative monosyllable
signifies " Hold your tongue V* my conduct must have
struck the bystanders as eccentric, to say the least of it.
The beginning of the journey was very pleasant. We
passed a pretty range of hills, stretching for miles beside
the railway, high enough for the clouds to hang below
their summits, with here and there some curious burnt-
looking rocks ; but as twilight drew in, the hills fell off
into the distance, an(l we felt sadly that we must resign
ourselves again to the changeless flats of Bengal. Soon
after dark it began to thunder and lighten, and the storm
raged furiously till early morning, when, as we reached
Burdwan, it began to clear.
Unfortunately, the washing arrangements in our
carriage were out of order, so that we could not even
bathe our weary eyes, and seldom have more forlorn-
looking travellers emerged from a railway carriage.
At Howrah we had again to contend with the besetting
coolies, and then came the ferry, and another battle on
the Calcutta side. At last, however, we got safely into a
gharvy, with all our possessions ; and in due time reached
home, which we certainly entered with a new appreciation
of its spaciousness, order, and comparative coolness.
218
29planti.
MADRAS TO THE SHEYABOTS.
Mt first visit to the Indian hills was made^ as is usually
the case, under the pressure of ill health. Unwonted
anxiety and labour had been forced upon me during the
hoi season, and as soon as the temporary refreshment of
the first weeks of rain was over, it became obvious that I
could not support the intolerable oppression of the
steaming atmosphere that succeeded.
Fortunately, I had friends living in the beautifal
district of the Shevaroys, west of Madras ; and friends
also in the southern capital itself, with whom I could rest
a little before proceeding inland : and my kind physician
hoped much from the voyage, as well as from the hill
climate. His expectations were, however, far from being
realized in the first particular, and I reached Madras in a
state of miserable prostration. Let no one think that
they know the full misery of sea-sickness till they have
experienced it under a temperature of 90^, when every
efibrt calls forth streams of perspiration, and the liver is
in no condition to recover its proper tone. The four
days spent in the city were a time of utter wretchedness.
Weak, depressed and labouring under perpetual nausea,
that prevented the taking of necessary food^ I was in no
MADRAS TO THE 6HEVAROY8. 219
condition to enjoy the park-like grounds that* surrounded
the house where I was staying, or even the pleasant
evening drives.
Madras possesses many advantages over Calcutta in the
latter respect. Instead of a single uninteresting country
drive, it has many pretty roads, well kept, and shaded by
fine trees, among which the Poinciana regia or Flam-
boyant, long out of flower in Calcutta, was in full splen-
dour, glorious beyond description. It has been already
described above, but no language can do justice to its
beautiful, dark, feathery foliage, or to the wealth of vivid
scarlet blossom that makes it like a pile of glowing fire.
Besides this, and only thrown into comparative insignifi-
cance by its marvellous splendour, there are many other
handsome flowering trees, and altogether, a far greater
variety of foliage than prevails round Calcutta, where
palms much more decidedly predominate.
Then again, instead of the fashionable drive in
Calcutta along the Strand, by the flat banks of the
Hooghly, the people of Madras have the beach for their
evening resort, where the fresh sea-breeze seems to
bring health and revival on its wings, and the roar of the
thundering surf rolls a deep accompaniment to the music
of the band. It was already dusk one evening, when
we drove down; and as the long waves came sweeping
in, capped with snowy foam, they strewed the beach
with phosphorescent creatures that shone like glow-
worms in the darkness. We left the carriage and stood
for some time at the water's edge, drawing back as the
waves broke, to escape the swirling waters, and enjoying
the roar, and the breeze, and the fresh smell of the
dashing spray. A finger drawn along the wet sand was
followed by a track of sparks, and we could even pick up
the tiny lights, and see them shining among the sandy
particles between our fingers.
220 UPLAND.
For a little while I could almost have fancied myself
upon an English shore, but the relief was very tempo-
rary. The nights were terrible, even after my bed was
carried up to the roof for the sake of air. It would have
been scarcely prudent, perhaps, to sleep quite unsheltered
from the sky, but there was a room upon the housetop
with a thatched verandah round it, under which my
couch was spread, so as to be sheltered from the night
dews, and yet accessible to every breath of air. It might
have been very pleasant, had I been in a state to enjoy
anything ; but sick, weary, and sleepless, not even the
calm beauty of the tropical night could bring me any
comfort. The roof was really a splendid promenade,
very long, and unbroken by any obstacle from end to
end j surrounded by a balustrade of sufficient height for
safety, but with a free view over the extensive and
richly wooded grounds : and here I wandered many a
restless hour, or sat and watched " the new moon with
the old moon in her arms.'' The calm break of dawn
always found me waking, and sent me down, more
miserable than ever, to begin another day of nausea and
wretchedness.
Altogether, the time then spent in Madras stands
marked in gloomy colours among my Indian remini-
scences. I should not have stayed so long but that my
friends were themselves going to the Shevaroys for
change, and it seemed safer as well as pleasanter to wait
and make the journey under their escort.
The heavy luggage was all sent off the day before
we started, under charge of a servant, who was specially
enjoined to have breakfast ready for us at the termination
of our railway journey ; and we drove to the station after
a busy and unsettled morning, and took our places in an
empty railway carriage some time before the departure of
the afternoon train. We had a good many packages to
MADRAS TO THE SHEVAROTS. 221
arrange, as is usual in ludian travelling, where it is quite
customarj to take pillows and even mattrasses for a
journey of any length ; and I was much struck with one
scene that occurred in the interval. A lady was deter-
mined, contrary to all rules, to take in the carriage with
her a box too high to go under the seat, and the station-
master had to be called in to insist on its removal. He
was a handsome and refined looking native, in an elegant
costume with a turban of white and gold, and his
behaviour was certainly admirable. The lady grew very
hot, physically and morally, — she would not part with her
box. He kept as cool and suave as possible — she must
excuse him — he must, do his duty ; the baggage must all
be weighed, and the objectionable box must go in the
luggage van. She declared that it should not leave the
carriage, supporting her determination with arguments
palpably false and ridiculous — '' it contained things she
required for the night.'' — " Then she might take them
out '/' but this she flatly refused to do. " He might as
well want to take her hand-bag and her jacket and
weigh them,'' to which angry fling he did not condescend
to reply. The man kept his temper beyond all praise,
never varied for a moment in the perfect courtesy of his
voice and manner, did just what he had a right to do,
and had everything brought back except the prohibited
box. I could not help painfully contrasting this turbaned
Hindoo with the caste mark upon his delicate forehead, with
the flushed and choleric dame, on whose brow had been
traced the sign of a far different consecration.
At last we were off", through a country nearly as flat as
Bengal, but not so monotonous. There were high
hedges along the line, not unlike free-growing hawthorn
hedges in England, and pretty houses scattered here and
there among the trees. Instead of the invariable flat
roofs near Calcutta, they are sloped, and roofed with
222 UPLAND.
several thicknesses of rounded tiles, which make a thick
cool, grooved roof that carries off the water very satis-
factorily. Evening and night closed in without much
abatement of the heat; and as our journey lasted till
nearly six o^clock the next morning, the hours of darkness
passed wearily enough. Our road lay past Arcot and
Vellore and other places of historic interest, but of course
we saw nothing of them ; and night travelUng is very
dreary for those who cannot sleep at will. When we
reached the Shevaroy Hills station, expecting to find break-
fast ready, not only was there no refreshment-room, but the
servant, who had been sent on chiefly for the purpose of
providing, declared that he had been unable even to
procure hot water. There was no help for it, no house,
either native or European being near ; for the situation
just at the foot of the hills is so unhealthy that even the
oflicials do not live there — the station-master coming by
the first train in the morning and leaving at night. On
the return journey, a European who happened to be
waiting at this station, enlarged to me feelingly on the
horrors of the fever peculiar to this district, " If it
catches holt on you, you just lie down and wish you was
dead.''
My friends took a glass of wine each, but I dared
not venture on it ; there was nothing left from our over
night's provision, so fully had we reckoned on breakfast
being prepared: and the only eatable thing at hand
was a pine-apple from the stock for hill consumption.
Imagine breakfasting on a slice of half-ripened pine-apple
and nothing else, after a night's travelling, and with five
hours of hill journey before us !
The bearers were waiting according to arrangement,
and at six we started. Our vehicles were simply old
cane-backed arm-chairs, each with two stout bamboos
lashed to its sides to serve as carrying poles, and each
MADRAS TO THE 8HEYAK0T8. 223
had eight bearers who relieved each other at intervals ;
the lighter part of the luggage, which we took up with
us, employing ten or twelve additional men.
The view as we left the station was very lovely, little
as we were able to enjoy it. The road lay at first
through a wide ravine, on each side of which rose hills
clothed with trees to the very summit. It was very
much like part of the scenery at Bettws y Coed, only on
a grander scale ; and the trees, instead of being all young
larches, were well grown forest trees of various kinds,
wreathed and dripping with creepers. Here and there
the furrowed grey rock cropped out on the hill tops, or
sheets of water streaming over distant slopes gleamed
like looking-glasses set in the mountain side. Patches of
cultivated ground lay beside the path, sprinkled with
trees and thickly strewed with boulders. Any one who
knows the finest Welsh passes can fancy the scenery by
simply magnifying what he recollects, but the procession
should have been seen to be properly realized. I led the
van, carried by four bearers, four others near, ready to
relieve them, and a troop of coolies with bags and boxes
on their heads ; then my friend and her tribe of attendants,
and then the ayah, also in an arm-chair, shivering though
she had wrapped herself in blankets ; whilst Mr. S.
brought up the rear, occasionally taking her place when
tired of walking. Altogether we formed a considerable
procession, and the coolies, loaded as they were, kept up
a fair rate of speed. They are athletic, though not large
men, naked except a narrow strip of calico round the
loins, and a larger piece twisted round their heads, one
end of which they shift from shoulder to shoulder to ease
the pressure of the bamboos.
At every descent they quicken their pace to a trot ;
and if they kept step, the motion would not be unplea-
sant ; bat as they have no idea of this, and my chair
224 rriAKD.
was dislocated in all its joints, the effect of tbeir rapid
movement was almost as bad as riding a hard trotting
horse. All the while they kept np a monotonous, gattaral
chant, sometimes repeating the same syllables in unison
for a quarter of an hoar together, '' Angoke ! angoke !
angoke ! angoke ! " and so on ; sometimes one of them
pronouncing words, and the others responding with a
deep grunt, " Ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! '' The effect is veiy
odd, especially when every now and then they vary it with
a sudden hearty '^ Ha ! ha ! " at the full power of their
voices. How they could find breath to keep this np as
they did for nearly five hours, much of which was very
steep cliii-ibing, it is difficult to imagine ; but so it was,
and they brought us to our journey's end with a noisier
chant and a harder trot than ever.
After a while we left the ravine, and the ascent of the
ghaut began in earnest. This word "ghaut," which
English people apply exclusively to the mountain chains
in Southern India, signifies literally a flight of steps, and
is applied indiscriminately to stairs leading down to a
tank or river, and to mountain passes. The road began
to wind round the side of the hills, and narrowed till it
was only wide enough for two, and sometimes afforded
scarcely a footing for both ; rough, too, at every step, with
fragments of rock protruding from the soil, or washed
down by the rains ; but the coolies, though barefooted,
never faltered or made a false step. The ascent was
indescribably and most variously beautiful. Sometimes
we looked sheer down the almost perpendicular hill-side,
hundreds of feet, among trees, rocks, and boulders;
sometimes could see nothing but the dense foliage above
and around us; sometimes the path wound round the
mountain for a mile or so without int^rruption ; and some-
times turned in sharp, almost perpendicular zigzags every
few yards. In one part we traversed a forest of bamboos.
ICAD&AS TO THE SHEYASOTS. 225
their slender stems rising in graceful curve to the height
of forty or fifty feet, and the small willow-like leaves that
clothe their slender sprays shining with drops of rain.
They are not only one of the most useful, but also one of the
most graceful forms of vegetation; and for miles the slopes
of the hills are covered with them, springing, like osiers,
in large clumps from a single root. As we got higher
they disappeared, and forest trees took their place,
mingled with flowering shrubs and creepers. The ferns,
too, were very lovely, and so was the flat branching moss
so common in English green-houses, which grows here
in great profusion. Higher up, a small but delicately
white passion-flower literally covered everjrthing with its
spirit-like flowers and masses of vivid and tender foliage.
We learned afterwards that this plant, introduced into the
district by a lady who admired its beauty, is one of the
worst pests of these hills. It is not only most trouble-
some and mischievous in the cofiee plantations, where its
rapid growth overpowers and chokes the young plants ;
but its heavy masses of decaying fruit and foliage, during
the rainy season, render the atmosphere unhealthy, and
are said to be the cause of a fever which sometimes
prevails in the district.
After two hours and a half or three hours' travelling,
the scene rather changed, as we came to cultivated parts.
The road widened again, and we began to see cleared
patches on the slopes below, where young coflee trees
were growing among charred stumps. Those we first
saw were small, spreading shrubs with glossy leaves,
the green berries clustering round the extremities of the
branches like sprays of holly; and the resemblance is
heightened later in the season, when the berries turn a
brilliant red. In one part we could look down from the
bearers' shoulders straight to the bottom of a ravine,
where a shallow stream eddied and glanced among the
15
226 UPLAND.
boulders, shaded by tree ferns, with tall trunks and fironds
seven or eight feet long.
Farther on, as we were winding round the rtxskj
summit of a hill, we came suddenly upon a view of
startling beauty. Before us, the hills fell away in long
files on either side, and the plain lay outspread in front,
with the illimitable stretch of some broad ocean prospect
seen from the summit of a commanding cliff. But there
was no time for admiration. The road was good, and
the bearers trotted and shouted faster than ever, till it
felt as if everything inside and outside one must give
way. I called to them to go slower ; but as they under-
stood neither Hindostani nor English, and the Madras
servant, who might have interpreted, was far behind, this
was of little avail ; and I must have fainted, but for the
fresh, pleasant wind, which kept me up till we reached
my friend^s hospitable door. There, the kind welcome, and
an immediate cup of tea, rather revived me; but distressing
nausea and headache soon returned, and prevented any
attempt to swallow solid food. The thirteen miles' jolt,
break fas tless, after a night's travelling, was too much for
any one in a low state of health ; and the rest of the
morning passed in a kind of stupor, with little conscious-
ness, except of utter misery.
At last, my friend, who had long been regarded quite
as a medical authority in the district, insisted on taking
my case into her hands. I had little faith in the homcBO-
pathic dose of ipecacuanha which she administered ; but
the effect was miraculous. Before night, I was freer
from nausea than I had been for many days ; and I woke
the next morning, weak, but comparatively well.
ITie next few days passed in a kind of semi-torpor,
the intervals between meals being filled up with almost
incessant sleep ; and then by degrees, with reviving
strength, came back the capacity for active enjoyment so
MADRAS TO THB SHBYABOTS. 227
long saspended. Even without stirring from the house,
there was a continual feast outspread, for eyes long wearied
with the monotonous flats of Bengal.
It was a roomy, one-storied erection of simple
cottage-like design, but planned by one whose whole-
hearted devotion to higher subjects had not made him
insensible to home comfort, or to the beauty with which
God has clothed our earthly dwelling place. An earnest
missionary among the tribes both of the hills and plains,
he had built this home for his family towards the close of
his career, and lived ihere in happy and successful labour
till God called him to his rest. Part of his work was
now being carried on by his son-in-law ; and his widow,
whom I was visiting, still kept up the warmest interest in
her late husband^s people.
The house stood on a terraced plot of ground, partly
natural, partly artificial, very near the summit of one of
the hills of the Shevaroy chain. Behind it was just space
enough for a Uttle poultry yard and orchard, while be-
fore was a narrow terraced garden terminating in a little
sloping lawn, parted by a sunk fence from the coffee
grounds in front. These sloped steeply downward, and on
either side a rocky spur of the range of hills shut in the
view, leaving the plains in front outspread like a map, mile
after mile away. From the verandah of our lofty cottage
nest we could distinguish five or six ranges of lower hills,
some of them of very bold irregular outline, stretching
one beyond the other across the plain ; the far off Neil-
gherries walling in the horizon, blue as their name
implies. Many a time the white fleecy clouds lay far
below us spread along the slopes, or drifted across the
little garden and filled the house with their peculiar
vapoury presence.
So much for our distant prospects, while the near
ones were equally pleasant in their way. Bound three
228 UPLAND.
sides of tte house ran a narrow slip of flower border,
where roses and jessamine peeped in at the low casement
windows, and violets, mignonette, clarkia, and other
English flowers, were in full bloom and perfume. Just
opposite my bed-room was a tree of wonderful beauty, as
large as an orchard apple tree and covered with bunches
of flowers about twice the size of ordinary greenhouse
geraniums, which they much resembled. Over this
hovered incessantly the most gorgeous butterflies, with
wings of velvet black and yellow, or black and blue, five
or six inches across from tip to tip; and near it
stood a tree of equal size, loaded with huge orange
globes, a kind of pumelo or shaddock. Guavas and
loquats, a mulberry, and a number of large pear trees filled
a little orchard at the back ; and on the lawn in front,
oranges more delicious than one ever sees in England
were ripening fast on handsome trees. Low hedges
of plumbago and French honeysuckle, covered with
blossom, parted the little garden from the drive, and
here and there stood a large datura shrub, perhaps th6
most striking object of all. Down in the plains, or on
rich ground, this shrub grows rank and coarse, with a
profusion of common looking foliage and comparatively
few blossoms ; but up on this poor rocky soil its leaves
are rather scanty, and it is profusely hung with huge
white trumpet-shaped blossoms seven or eight inches
long. In this state it has a ghostly, spirit- like beauty,
especially in the twilight, such as no other shrub can equal.
It was a delightful home-like change afberthe restraint
imposed by the deadly heat of Calcutta, to stroll out after
breakfast and dinner into the little poultry yard, and feed
the chickens and ducklings, while the beautiful petted
pigeons crowded and hustled each other in the grain
basket, and fed eagerly from our outstretched hands.
Even the English pigs were honoured with an occasional
ICADBAS TO THS SHIYABOTS. 2^9
visit ; as indeed they might well be, for surely never did
members of the porcine race make a more distinguished
entry on a new sphere of existence. On their arrival by
train from Madras, whither they had been conveyed by a
friendly ship's captain, they had to be carried up the
ghaut in large boxes, and appeared at their new residence
in state, attended by twelve bearers !
Then as I grew stronger there were splendid walks in
all directions, and excursions after ferns and wild flowers
almost as free and fearless as if we had been in our own
dear land. It was some time before I could push my
way among ferns and boulders without dread of snake or
scorpion, or take a long hill ramble without some tremor,
especially at dusk; but though tigers are sometimes
killed on this range of hills, and cheetahs or leopards are
not uncommon, while pythons are occasionally seen in
some secluded parts, wriggling their hideous length
along the rocks, we never met with anything dangerous
to life or limb.
There were a few scattered houses within a mile or
two, and a tiny church where twenty or thirty people
composed an average congregation; also a pleasant
parsonage, usually inhabited by some clergyman up from
the plains on a month's sick leave, who ministers here
and at one or two other little services in the neigh-
bourhood, while regaining strength for more arduous
work below. It was now occupied by the friends who
came up with me, and who were thus near enough to join
in our more extensive rambles.
230
n
MOUNTAIN RAMBLES.
Mt first expedition was taken after early breakfast one
lovely morning, on the back of a sedate old pony, which
carried me safely at a slow walk to a little hill farm, a
couple of miles away. The road was very goody thongh
undulating, and the views, both near and distant, ex-
quisitely lovely. Large fruit trees, chiefly orange, pear,
and loquats, overhung* the road, and in some parts it was
bordered by hedges of roses and passion-flower growing
in the wildest luxuriance. The former were not our
single dog rose, but double crimson, or pink China roses.
Bright major convolvuluses twined among the bushes or
lay in matted carpets on the ground ; and zinnias of the
most brilliant colours covered large patches of the hill
side with sheets of dazzling bloom. African marigolds
grew like common weeds ; and lovely golden and silver-
backed ferns, such as we only see in greenhouses at home,
clustered along the banks or nestled round the great
grey boulders.
Here and there we passed one-storied houses clothed
with creepers, standing on little terraces cut out of the
hill side, and all the lower slopes were covered with the
shining green of the cofiee plantations. The snn was
bright and the morning air pure and exhilarating, as
fresh and sweet as the well remembered breezes that
MOUNTAIN BAHBLBS. 231
sweep round the Malvern Hills. We met troops of hill
coolies wrapped in dark blankets, and herds of slate-
coloured bufialoes; and at last reached the farm-hoose
where we did our business, and watched the mistress
making up the morning's butter. Owing to the scarcity
of grass up here, cows give but little milk, and butter
costs about three shilUngs a pound— an exorbitant price,
especially when compared with that of most other articles
of food. After resting awhile and enjoying some delicious
coflTee and bread and butter, all the produce of the farm,
we started home, my companions taking their turns with
the pony, while I walked. Besides the flowers named
above, the pale lavender-coloured agaranthum grows
plentifully wild, and the pretty buff thunbergia, with its
dark eye, climbs the fences or trails along the ground. I
saw one splendid crimson passion-flower, besides numbers
of others which pass my skill to name.
Mid-day was passed in rest indoors, and in the early
evening some of us walked to a bold rock near, from
which there was a splendid view. After a little scramb-
ling about, searching for small, single-flowered orchids,
with pure white, long- spurred blossoms, which grow here
and there in damp nooks on the mossy rock, we sat
down; and I rested my head in my friend's lap, and
listened to her touching stories of missionary life, while
the sun set behind the hills, and the soft mists stole over
their distant outlines, and the watchfires of the shepherds
began to twinkle in the plains below. They are necessary
on the low grounds to keep the cheetahs from the folds,
but the hills, at least in this part, are wonderfully free
from noxious creatures. Except a tiny scorpion, which I
captured one day on my bed-room wall, I saw scarcely any-
thing, during the whole visit, to awaken a moment's fear.
The next morning we planned, and partly carried
out, a fernery in a shady comer of the orchard. Two
232 UPLAND.
coolies fetched the stones^ and set them np tinder onr
direction, the only drawback to our enjoyment being the
fear lest they should imagine that we wanted them for
idols, and that I was teaching my friends a new kind of
worship. Here, where any rude block of stone set up
under a tree, with a daub of red paint upon it, becomes
at once a swami or god, there was some ground for un-
easiness on this score, and we could only hope that the
explanation given would prevent the suspicion of idolatry
from attaching to our new pursuit. Eleven beautiful
kinds of fern were found close round the garden, some of
them the silver and golden-backed varieties so much
admired at home.
Other mornings were spent entirely in the open air,
lying in wait beneath the shade of flowering shrubs, for
the most gorgeous and tantalizing butterflies that ever
tormented an entomologist, possessed of more enthusiasm
than adroitness. A magnificent blue one, five or six inches
wide, once kept me on the watch a whole morning, and
escaped me at last. It came at intervals, sauntering, so
to speak, up the valley, visible far away ; then hovered a
few moments over a tree close to me, always out of
reach ; and then mounting upward like a bird, it retraced
its way through the clear sunlight down the sloping
coffee ground. Tantalizing, however, as was the re-
peated disappointment, my watch was anything but dull.
Smaller, but exquisitely beautiful butterflies were flutter-
ing round the shrubs, and numbers of humming-bird
moths darted with their peculiar, jerky, swirling flight
over the marigolds and zinnias on the rocks. Instead of
the sober colouring of the English species, their bodies
are of a vivid green, banded with other colours, and their
wings partly transparent. Tiny birds came almost within
arm's length, creeping along the boughs, and sucking
honey from the flowers with long, curved, slender bills.
HOUNTAIK RAMBLES. 233
Some were green and yellow, others a deep, flashing,
glossy 'blue, and when they fluttered round the blossoms,
it was impossible, at the first glance, to distinguish them
from butterflies. Then there were bulbuls, rather smaller,
darker, and slighter than an English thrush ; a sharp,
moveable, jet-black crest upon their heads giving them a
particularly knowing look. Flocks of minas were con-
tinually flashing by, the large white spots on their plumage
showing with dazzling distinctness; and once a great
white eagle-like bird, with a brown head and wings,
came sailing up and alighted on the rock behind me,
where he stalked about within a stone's throw. These
birds and the great Brahminee kites, which are also not
uncommon here, do much mischief among the poultry.
The little green long-tailed parroquets, of which I saw
many during these plea^iant morning hours, are very
destructive to fruit, and show themselves especially
partial to my friend's English apple trees. Other
bright green birds, much the Pize and shape of a
thrush, were plentiful, nor were quadrupeds and reptiles
wanting.
Tiny Indian squirrels with their grey coats marked
with three distinct, black, longitudinal stripes came
chasing each other within a few feet of my post, scurry-
ing over the low stone wall with tails erect, and darting
up and down the trees with amusing celerity ; and the
lizards were by no means behind them in restlessness.
One common sort is grey, mottled with black, and rather
pretty ; another very coarse and evil looking, with a thick
head and leathery black skin, enlivened by a bright
yellow stripe along each side. When full grown, both
sorts are eight or ten inches long, but I once found one
in my bed, apparently just hatched, not much more than
an inch in total length. Grasshoppers and their allied
tribes are very numerous, and some of them very hand-
23 1 UPLAND.
some, with black heads, crimson bodies, and black wings
spotted with opaque yellow. Our clerical friend, who
was also seized with an entomological mania, captured a
specimen one day, which in size and general shape, was
not unlike a half-grown frog. Unfortunately, its delicate
emerald green hue changed after death to a dull brown,
and thus, like many of these wonderful foreign insects,
its chief beauty vanished.
One eveniug, we climbed the hill above the parsonage,
not a long ascent, but rather an arduous one ; as there
was no path, and we had to press upwards through ferns,
prickly wild dates, and boulders large and small. The
view from the top, however, amply repaid us. Prom
that summit as a centre, we looked east, west, north, and
south, across ravines, and valleys, and ridge after ridge
of hills, some green, some bare and grey, and others
mantled with the soft evening haze or clothed with the
sunset glow. Far in the distance shone a broad reach
of the river Cauvery, and a steep ridge of abrupt and
rugged ironstone rocks formed a striking feature in the
foreground.
Another pleasant ramble, fern-hunting, took us down-
ward to a little native burying ground. It was a lovely
walk, partly through high juugle of flowering plants,
partly along a pretty shaded road, till we turned aside to
a secluded spot that must have been beautiful indeed
before it was chosen as a place of graves. Owing to the
great difliculty of hollowing deep pits in the rocky soil,
bodies had time after time been so slightly buried, that
jackals had dragged them forth, and held hideous
carnival ; so that the place was strewed with bleached
bones, skulls with the teeth perfect, and vertebrro,
and thigh and shoulder bones, in terrible preservation.
There had been no recent burials when we visited the
spot, but a gentleman, to whom we mentioned it, told us
MOUNTAIN BAMBLBS. 235
that he had once been assailed in passing, by a fearful
odour, and had seen the body of a native lying on the
surface half devoured. ,
One side of this little natural enclosure descends
abruptly to a shallow stream, overhung with forest
trees. Here, on mossy stones and banks, the love-
liest greenhouse ferns flourish in delicate beauty and
profusion. I never saw anything so exquisite as some
of the rocks thus clothed; and tree ferns were also
abundant and beautiful; but, perhaps, the pleasantest
novelty, after the perpetual caution inculcated at
Calcutta, was the being able to dig and rout
about among this tropical foliage with scarcely more
fear of anything noxious than would be felt in Eng-
land.
The most important of our expeditions was a day
spent in the woods, where we had a picnic breakfast,
dining at the house of a native Christian, the owner and
cultivator of a small coffee plantation near. As the spot
fixed for the picnic was some few miles away, we had to
engage bearers for one or two chairs ; and take turns in
walking, being carried, and riding the ponies. It was a
charming morning, and a new and lovely walk, past
a fine lake and a sacred wood, and then scrambling
over huge rocks and down almost perpendicular paths
among jungle and fern. Then the road wound round
the edge of steep declivities, opposite to which hills
clothed with foliage rose in silent grandeur, and past
a Malayali village, the houses of which bore a striking
resemblance to large beehives. A circle from ten to
twenty feet in diameter is formed of stakes about a yard
high, wattled with split bamboos; and others, rising
to a steep cone in the centre, are fastened to them
tro support the roof. This is made of thick thatch,
and the wigwam-like dwelling is completed by a door-
236 UPLAND.
^^7f j^st high enough for the inhabitants to creep
under. There are no windows to these primitive habita-
tions, and fires for cooking, of course, have to be
kindled out of doors.
After passing this curious little settlement, the road
lay chiefly through cultivated land, till we arrived at the
wood, where breakfast was preparing beside a little brook.
The table-cloth was spread upon the ground, and the
usual picnic fare laid out upon it, together with some
first-rate coffee and plantains, sent down by Manicum, our
native friend. When the party were all assembled, we
had prayers and sang a hymn under the forest shade,
and then proceeded to do full justice to the excellent meal
provided. It was terminated in less orderly fashion by
the appearance of some gorgeous butterflies flitting along
the brook. Two of us were provided with nets, and four
others were hastily improvised, armed with which the
more active members of the party started up in chase ;
but as the ground was very difficult, including a brook to
be crossed by very unsteady stepping-stones ; with a steep
ascent on either side, and coffee plantation or jungle
everywhere, the butterflies had decidedly the best of it.
They came sailing up one after another, hovering for a
moment here and there round the flowering creepers that
overhung the brook — truly regal creatures, attired in
velvet black and blue, or black and yellow, and measuring
fully five inches across the wings— every one dashed at
them in turn, and then — they soared away. The chase
was really exciting for a time, but this invariable termina-
tion at last rather damped our ardour ; and we gave it
up, and started in a body for the waterfall which was the
ostensible object of our excursion.
It was a grand walk, reminding me very much of some
of the loveliest Welsh scenery, though on a much finer
scale. The waterfall was really a magnificent descent,
HOUNTAIK RAMBLBS. 237
ttougt With only the merest thread of water, dissipated
into spray long before it reached the bottom. We sat on
a broad rock at the summit, and looked sheer down a
perpendicular height of above three hundred feet. Huge
blocks of stone seemed piled upon each other from base
to crest ; and when we rolled fragments over the
brink, they sprang in frantic leaps from point to point,
dashing themselves to pieces long before they reached
the depths of the ravine. On its opposite side, the hill
rose almost as abruptly, but clothed with jungle to
the very crown ; and behind us was a rocky back-
ground, higher still, with the little stream trickling
quietly over mossy shelves, and resting in cool, shallow
basins before its tremendous plunge. In the rainy season,
when there is a good body of water, it is really a fine
cascade.
After a long rest, we i-etumed to the spot where we
had breakfasted ; and then found our way up to Manicum^s
little abode, passing a whole troop of long-tailed monkeys,
racing along the ground and up and down the trees.
They were as large as a retriever, and are very mis-
chievous, coming down in great gangs to steal coffee and
fruit. Some of the coffee trees here were eight or ten feet
high, and loaded with berries. The blossom is white and
very delicate, and the sprays of ripe berries form a hand-
some Christmas decoration.
When we reached Manicum's thatched dwelling, we
found the rest of the party awaiting us in the verandah,
and were introduced to our host and his wife Bayal. He
could speak English pretty well, she very little ; but they
both gave us a hearty welcome and a very good dinner, at
which she could not be persuaded to join' us, though he
sat down and ate with his guests. Native women are so
accustomed to a life of inferiority and seclusion, that
even Christianity does not at once r^tore them to their
238 UPLAND.
true position : and they often shruik painfhllj from inter-
course with strangers.
After dinner, Manicum^ who is really an excellent and
simple-minded Christian man^ called in some of his poorer
neighbours ; and the missionary who was with us held a
little Tamil service for them, in which it was deeply inte-
resting to join, though the language was an unknown
tongue to most of our party. Soon after this we parted
from our kind host ; having arranged, much to his satis-
faction, for the establishment of a Christian school upon
these hills ; and reached home about dusk, after a fatiguing
but most pleasant excursion.
Another day three men came up from one of the out-
lying villages formerly under the charge of my friend^s
husband, to ask her to recommend a wife for one of them,
for which purpose they had walked sixty miles I The
meeting between them and the widow of their late pastor
was a very interesting and joyful one — their gratification
at being recognized after some years of absence finding
excited and voluble expression. One was a remarkably
intelligent-looking middle-aged man, a convert baptized
by her husband, and the others had been brought up in
one of his schools. Since his death, this school, both for
boys and girls, had been discontinued, so the young man
could not find a wife with any education among his own
people. He was but a poor cultivator, with a few fields
of his own, and, like all the rest, was clothed in country
cloth, bare-legged and bare-footed ; but he wanted not
only a Christian wife, but one who could read ; and had
made this long journey in search of one.
Mrs. L ordered them cofiee, and after resting
awhile they came in at her invitation, seated themselves
on the floor, and began to give her all the news of their
district. Squatting on the ground, it may be remarked,
en passant, is the attitude most natural to all these East-
MOUNTAIN RAMBLES. 239
em people, in whom it argues some considerable degree
of Eoropean civilization to be able to sit comfortably
upon a chair. Of course the conversation was carried on
in Tamil, but whenever it grew particularly animated I
got an interpretation sotto voce from another member of
the family sitting beside me at work. Once they were
entreating her to come down and stay among them, now
that there was no settled teacher, and she told them
jestingly that if she came now they would have to keep
and feed her. It was touching to hear their eager
response to this, and to see the keen face of the elder
man light up with the earnestness of his assurance how
very gladly they would do it. Then he went on to speak
of her husband, and of all he owed to his teaching, and
grew so excited that little Minnie, the missionary's grand-
child, who was playing in a comer of the room, called
out, " Paisade ! Paisade ! *' (Silence ! Silence !) It was
interesting to see the warmth of their enthusiasm about
their late pastor ; but the chief object of their visit was
unfortunately unattainable. There was but one Christian
girl of suitable age about the place, and when she was
sent for, ostensibly to give her some directions, but really
that she might be looked at, the would-be bridegroom,
though himself a singularly plain and gawky fellow,
decided that she was not young or good-looking enough,
and they took their leave disappointed.
The idea of taking a journey in search of a wife is by
no means an unusual one in India. Any young Christian
artificer or schoolmaster, if there is no suitable girl in his
own neighbourhood, gets a letter of recommendation
from his pastor to the managers of some female orphan-
age, and is allowed to select a wife from among the
elder pupils. Two or three are sent into the room in
succession, till he sees one who he thinks will suit him,
and then the marriage is speedily arranged. It is very
240 UPLAND.
seldom indeed, if ever, that a girl refuses to many under
such circumstances ; and it is so difficult to provide for
females safely in India except by marriage, that the
managers of native schools are always glad to give their
orphans to any husband who comes with testimonials of
good character. Even in European and Eurasian charity-
schools the same procedure is adopted to some extent ;
and there are many establishments of no small pre-
tensions where, only a few years ago, any young man
might present himself, and, with the sanction of the lady
superintendent, select a wife from among her pupils.
Of course in these cases the young ladies were allowed
the option of refusal, and had oppoi-tunities of satisfying
themselves as to the prospects of the candidate for matri-
mony.
One Sunday we had a sample of the occasional dis-
comforts of Indian housekeeping. Seetan, the chief
house-servant, had taken a long-promised fortnight's
leave to go and get married ; another left without notice ;
the boy was ill with earache and fever ; and the tani-
ketch, or water-carrier, took herself off for some unknown
reason ; so when the time came for breakfast, there was not
even a drop of water in the house. Layal, the household
factotum, had gone as usual to the early Tamil servicse, so
nothing was ready ; and though the ladies of the family
set to work at once, it was a regular scramble to get to
church in time.
When Seetan returned aflber the expiration of his
leave, he looked very thin and jaded, and petitioned for
a few days longer and a little advance of pay, to enable
him to wind up the feast and send away his wife's rela-
tions. It is the custom for some of these to spend a
fortnight or three weeks of rejoicing at the bridegroom's
house, which is a heavy tax on the poor fellow, and often
loads him with debt for months to come. Seetan's wed-
MOUNTAIN RAMBLES. 241
ding finery consisted merely of an immense turban of
chocolate-coloured muslin with a gold stripe, the rest of
his dress being much as usual ; but he brought a number
of curious wedding bouquets to present to us, each con-
sisting of a small lime stuck on a splinter of wood, and
surrounded by a densely-packed border of small pink
rOses.
Among our regular morning employments was the
churning of the butter for the day's coDsumption in a
large wide-mouthed bottle. Though many cows were
kept, they only gave sufiBcient milk for our use, and not
always enough to provide us with butter. A pint of milk
is a fair yield, and even a cupfull is not to be despised ;
all calves being reared, because the manure is valuable
for the fertilization of the scanty soil. Once a pretty,
week-old creature excited some amusement by gravely
mounting the verandah steps, and finally walking into the
study, where it manifested a lively interest in its novel
surroundings.
One lovely morning we started, while the white fleecy
clouds lay below us like steam wreaths in the valley,
to climb a steep cone near the church. It was almost
too windy for us to keep our feet, but the views
on every side were exquisite. The mists came rolling
up the hill-sides, and white clouds crowned the
bald Shevaroyon, the *' King of Strength,'* from which
this range takes its name ; while at intervals we had
the loveliest peeps into the sun-lighted valleys and plains
below.
We found a singular kind of white orchid, with a spur
four or five inches long, and saw masses of a very pretty
creeper, which appears to be a species of bryony. The
blossom resembles a large jessamine, with a number of
fibres spreading from the edges of the petals, and making
the flower nearly two inches iji diameter. It is of pure
16
242 UPLAND.
white^ and the effect of this delicate halo-like network
among the dark foliage is singularly beaatiful. There
were also numbers of curious homy insects, abont as
large as the first joint of one's finger, which rolled them-
selves like woodlice into shining brown and yellow balls ;
and huge millepedes, three or four inches long, were
equally common. The whole surface of the hill was little
more than a sheet of boulders, some deeply bedded in the
soil, others looking as if the first rush of rain would sweep
them down. They vary in size from a stone that a child
could lift, to a mass eight or ten feet square, and lie so
close together that it is generally easier to climb from
one to the other than to step between them. Any one
who has not seen similar hills can scarcely imagine their
singular appearance, completely covered with these smooth
grey masses, round which cluster wild dates and ferns,
with here and there a shrub or stunted tree, and flower-
ing creepers in abundance. How they got there is a
geological problem that I should like to see satisfactorily
solved.
Immediately after breakfast a box wallah or hawker
made his appearance. These men are always hailed with
satisfaction in remote districts, for they bring all sorts of
useful articles ; and though their goods are not first-rate
or very fresh, they are much cheaper than can be got in
shops, besides saving the inconvenience of having to send
a hundred or a hundred and fifty miles. This man had
two coolies to carry his packs, which contained salad oO,
ribbons, sauces, buttons, jams, ink, tea, soap, and mis-
cellaneous haberdashery and stationery. Of course he
asked much more than he intended to take, and the
bargaining was a matter of time, but it ended in our
buying a considerable quantity of things at nearly English
prices. There are such continual sales by auction, at the
large ports, of unclaimed consignments, etc., that these
MOUNTAIN RAMBLES. 243
men can stock themselves and get a fair profit^ often at
less than English retail prices. The only shop of any
description in this neighbourhood is about a mile away
and contains a curious medley of very inferior goods.
The next nearest is thirteen miles distant^ and its contents
are scarcely more satisfactory. For anything beyond, one
has to send to Madras, so that between the difficulty of
the transit, and the carelessness of native servants, one's
supplies, especially in the way of crockery, are often
reduced to a very primitive footing.
Time would fail to tell of all the lovely walks in this
delightful region, and words can give no adequate idea of
their varied beauty. Some of the lower roads might
have been English country lanes, but for the dense hedges
of double roses and passion-flowers, and the white evening
primroses that studded the roadside grass instead of
daisies.
The common monthly rose appears quite as manage-
able for hedges as hawthorn, and can be kept down to
any height while still flowering profusely; so it seems
strange that it is never tried for this purpose in large
grounds at home. , Here the young shoots are merely cut
into foot lengths, and stuck iuto the ground diagonally
cross- wise, when they soon form a hedge of wonderful
beauty.
Many of the woodland patches are quite English in
character, the trees magnificent, unmixed with palms or
plantains, or any foliage that strikes one as distinctively
tropical. Only the course of streamlets down the ravines
is generally marked by the feathery branches of the
large tree ferns, ^hich lift their heads quite to the level
of the low jungle trees.
Two evening walks still stand out clear in memory,
and at the risk of what may seem like repetition I must try
to give some idea of their distinguishing features. Cne
m UPLAKB.
led us across a wide common, covered with yellow flower-
ing shmbs, up a steep hill, from which we looked down
on an undulating stretch of verdure far below, valley and
hill so thickly clothed with trees as to give them a rich,
soft, mossy look, while here and there a cleared patch of
the most vivid green relieved the view. Beyond these
spread the vast panorama of plain and distant mountains
that opens here at every point where one attains a little
elevation. We sat on the top ledge of rock, with our feet
upon another, below which the descent was as perpen-
dicular as a wall ; and enjoyed the fresh breeze, while the
sun set cloudily behind the distant mountains, pouring
floods of golden light from behind masses of dark vapour,
and literally bathing the hills in glory. Halfway across
the plain we could see the rain marching along in columns
and passing hill after hill. We comforted ourselves in
our shelterless and umbrella-less condition with the
idea that it was passing on one side of us, but a few
sharp drops soon dissipated the illusion, and we com-
menced our descent with more haste than dignity. It
was well there were no spectators of our precipitate
scramble over rocks and ferns, but we managed to get in
before the storm broke, and the escape was worth the
efibrt.
The other time the goal of our pilgrimage was a place
called Pagoda Point, and the first part of our walk was
a broad good road winding among the plantations or
bordered by jungle. In one place we found a splendid
white lily, a single flower upon a tall stem, twice the size of
the common English garden lily, and with a wonderfully rich
strong perfume, which, as we bore it in triumph, refreshed
us all the way. It is useless to attempt to describe the
scenery — the undulating cofiee-grounds, the majestic
timber trees, the orange avenues, the rose hedges, the
near hills covered with jungle or rugged with grey
MOUNTAIN BAHBLES. 245
boulders^ and the spots of open ground where jessamine,
evening primroses, and other flowers grew wild. It would
only be a repetition of mere words that could give no
idea of the constantly varying scene. Towards the end
of our walk, fields rudely enclosed and filled with various
grain crops gave quite an English look to the view ; and
then an interval of abrupt climbing, up and round a rocky
hill, brought us within sight of the pagodas from which
the spot takes its name. They are simple erections of
unhewn rough stone, square and tapering very gradually
to a point — perhaps about sixteen feet high, and six wide
at the base. There is no opening, though they are said
to contain images, and round them are a few " swamy ^'
or idol-houses, ordinary thatched dwellings with walls so
low that we had to stoop almost on hands and knees to
peep in. The only one we saw open contained two wooden
figures like clumsy rocking-horses, coarsely painted red
and black, and gilt. A little further on was a broad
rough stone altar, with a small rude figure upon it,
apparently intended for a kneeling bull; and behind this
image was inserted a wooden post rudely carved, from
the top of which projected four curved iron spikes, '' the
horns of the altar.'*
A few more steps brought us to the brink of the hill,
which commands a view of rare beauty even for this
neighbourhood. The slope was abrupt, over jutting
blocks of stone, among which bright flowering trees and
shrubs found footing here and there, and zinnias, balsams,
marigolds, and ferns spread their bright carpet wherever
an inch of soil could be found. Below, in the rich valley,
were cultivated patches and beds of plantains, displaying
every soft and vivid shade of green, and beehive-like
villages nestling under the shelter of splendid trees ;
while ranges of hills crossed the prospect, some clothed
with trees to the summit, and others bare and grey. The
246 irF^4KD.
far-off plains were spread before us like a map, the lines
of road dotted with rows of trees, and gleaming sheets
of water showing how abundant had been the recent
rainfall.
We had clambered down a little way to gather
some choice ferns, when we were startled by the
sudden apparition of some natives just above our
heads. One was an elderly man, apparently a teacher
or priest, and the others younger, all wrapped in the
dark brown rugs or blankets commonly worn up here ;
and, afler standing a few moments, the elder man
knelt down, and bowed his forehead to the ground
repeatedly, before the idol I have described. Then
he rose, and the others gravely and reverently followed
his example; after which, they seated themselves at
the brow of the hill, and seemed to admire the pros-
pect, the elder man discoursing to them all the while,
apparently on some religious topic. It made one^s
very heart ache to see these intelligent -looking men
bowing down amid such glorious works of the Creator's
hand to idols so utterly degraded and contemptible;
and one longed to be able to speak their tongue, so
as to tell them, as Paul told the Athenians, " Whom
ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.'*
Nowhere is the wretched effect of the confusion of
tongues more felt than in India, where there are so
many distinct languages in one peninsula and under the
same government. Urdoo, Hindi, Bengali, Ooriya, Tamil,
Teloogoo, Malayali, Guzerati, and Canarese are only some
of the multitudinous tongues heard in various parts ;
and, in Madras, the very titles given to domestic
servants are all different to those used in the northern
provinces. Instead of kitmutghars, bheesties, etc.,
one hears of mateys, toties, and taniketches ; while
the master and mistress, instead of being sahib and
MOUNTAIN BAMBLES.
247
mem sahib^ rejoice in the more euphonious appellations
of dor^ and dor^sanie.
By the time we turned to descend the hill^ the evening
breeze blew fresh and cool, and the moon had just risen';
and long before we reached home it would have been dark
but for her radiance. The stillness of coming night was
only broken by the croaking of innumerable frogs, a loud,
but by no means unmusical sound. Now and then we
met a few natives, and once passed three Europeans;
but, for the rest, the road was absolutely lonely, with
only a dwelling here and there in sight. It seemed
strange to be walking by moonlight miles away from
home, and totally unprotected, in a wild district of
India ; but no one seems to think of danger, except
in the dark, when cheetahs, and even tigers, might be
abroad*
248
ni
BACK TO THB PLAINS AGAIN.
At last this pleasant sojourn on the liills came to a close ;
and strengthened and invigorated, but with many regrets,
I prepared for my return to the stifling atmosphere of
the plains. The evening before I left, we paid a last visit
to the little Hindoo burying-ground, chiefly in order to
get some ferns for transplanting to Calcutta. It looked
lovelier than ever after the recent rains, and the little
brook at the bottom was quite a roaring torrent. We got
some beautiftd specimens, including a young tree fern,
which I left as a parting gih to the flourishing fernery,
receiving in return a fine root of English violets to add
to my treasures ; and, after packing them carefully, we
went early to bed, in order to rise at five, the time fixed
for my downward journey. Breakfast was soon over, and
I had said good-bye, kissed little Minnie in her rosy sleep,
and been packed in my chair, furnished with fruit and
provisions for the way, before the clock struck six.
The hills seemed to put on all their loveliness that
parting morning. Those glorious hills ! How I wish
that words could convey any adequate idea of their ever-
varying loveliness ! For the first few miles the road was
smooth and well kept, and swept down hill very gradu-
ally, past the broad, peaceful lake, slumbering among
the wooded heights, past the sacred wood, and by a sacred
BACK TO THB PLAINS AGAIN. 249
hill ; then down through coffee plantations, by the deep
dingle full of tree ferns, before the steep descent began.
It was the same ghaut by which I had been carried up ;
but the descending views were far the finest, from the
broad, lovely glimpses of the low country, which had
been behind us during the ascent. The bearers did their
work beautifully, keeping fairly in step ; and though my
heavy trunk had been sent on before, we formed quite a
procession. First went the coolies : one, a woman, bear-
ing on her head a load that few Englishmen would have
volunteered to carry for a mile ; and the other, a man,
carrying a stout packing-case filled with plants, which
weighed eighty-six pounds. Then came I, seated in my
arm-chair, borne aloft on the shoulders of four men, with
the pockets of my old English waterproof crammed with
sandwiches and fruit, and the whole shaded by an
umbrella which I had much ado to manage, as it was
frequently necessary to hold myself in the chair by both
hands ; the road being so perpendicular that even with a
board for my feet it was diflScult to keep from slipping.
The other four bearers, with the head man, kept near,
carrying small articles, and changing places with their
comrades as they found it convenient. We never paused
a minute the whole thirteen or fourteen miles, and they
scarcely intermitted their peculiar song. The hire of the
eleven, including the return journey of one of them with
the chair, was but fourteen shillings ; and people trust
themselves and their property unreservedly in the hands
of these wild people, travelling alone by night and day,
through forests where they may not see another face for
miles. Their honesty is absolutely unimpeachable, and
shames that of civilized nations. Goods that have to be
sent down a ghaut like this are simply put into their
hands, and sent miles beyond one's reach, without even
an inquiry as to their names and dwelling place; and
250 UPLAND.
though they are commonly paid beforehand^ no instance
has been known of any breach of trust.
By the time we reached the foot of the ghant it was
nearly nine o^clock, so the sun was very powerful, and
the three miles of flat road were intensely hot. Swarms
of white butterflies hovered round the shrubs, mingled
with gorgeous swallow-tails, clad in black, crimson, and
white, and other kinds marbled with various colours, or
white with vivid scai'let tips. The strangest form of
vegetation here was displayed by the cactus tribe — ^real
trees of ten or twelve feet high, with a thick trunk,
rising to a considerable height before the branches began
to part. These were not in blossom, but another flat-
leaved variety with yellow flowers was fully out, and the
blossoms crowded with rose-spotted moths. The beauty
of the red crags which reared themselves against the bine
sky, near the entrance of the ghaut, was another featnre
in the landscape not to be forgotten.
For some miles the railway was bordered by the hills,
and though they gradually fell back towards the horizon,
they were never fully out of sight all day. During more
than half the journey one might almost have fancied
oneself travelling through English or Welsh scenery, the
only distinctively foreign objects being the thick hedges
of aloe and cactus which bordered the line — as sure a
protection against trespass, as could be devised — the
thick lanceolate leaves of the former, and the fearful
prickles that arm the latter, being well adapted to keep
off man and beast. The candelabra^ shaped flower stems
of the aloe stood ten or twelve feet high, and the cacti
were covered with purplish fruit as large as a good-sized
pear.
Great part of the land was divided into fields, and
covered with grain crops of various kinds, all unlike
EngUsh cereals — one with a globular head of grain^ and
BACK TO THE PLAINS AGAIN. 251
another similar in growth to wheat, but with ears as
large as balnish heads. The rain had made the verdure
most rich and lovely, and the dragonflies and butterflies
were splendid, but the heat and dust extremely trying.
Once or twice we passed groves of palm, if those can
be rightly called groves, which afforded scarcely more
shade than so many congregated lamp-posts. The taU,
bare stems taper very rapidly from the base, often swell-
ing out again in ungainly protuberances about halfway
up, and crowned with little bristling tufts, very different
to the graceful cocoa palms most abundant in Bengal,
which impart to all the scenery there a character so
richly oriental. These on the other hand, are a species
of fan palm, and have as little of the beautiful or
picturesque about them as can well be imagined.
Herds of uncouth, mou^e-coloured buffaloes were
wallowing in the roadside pools, up to their eyes in mud
and water ; their long horns, which often curve in very
eccentric directions, or lie back on their shoulders^ giving
them a peculiarly wild and vicious look. They are, how-
ever, very inoffensive, and their milk is richer than that
of the cow, though not so nice or wholesome.
We stopped two or three times in the day for half an
hour, and the Babel on the platform was astonishing.
Every native talks at the top of his voice, so there is ten
times the noise, if not half the business, of an English
station. There were probably not twenty Europeans in
the train all day, but the native carriages were packed
like sheep pens.
As we neared Madras, the line was bordered by rice
grounds, each little plot surrounded by a neat embank-
ment a few inches high, and so perfectly levelled, that
about an inch of water would cover it. This was supplied
by a primitive bamboo lever acting as a lift, and a
similar, but more complicated, arrangement worked by
252 UPLAND.
two or three men is in almost universal nse in Madras
for drawing water — ^pnmps and windlasses beings as far as
I saw, equally unknown. Rice is beautiful when grow-
ing, being of an intensely brilliant yellow green, and one
might see it in various stages of growth in contiguous
plots, one being a bare sheet of water, while the next had
a crop a few inches high, and the growth in another
reached, perhaps, a couple of feet.
As evening closed in, the hedges were literally aUve
with fireflies, of which there are two kinds about here,
one much larger than the other. Both are narrow
dusky beetles, the smaller not above half an inch long,
the light proceeding from three or four of the hinder
segments of the body. A solitary firefljr is perhaps not
so pretty as an English glowworm, the light being
yellowish instead of the lovely green hue of our wayside
sparkler ; but the effect of the swarms of dancing lights
that flicker over low shrubby grounds in India is indescrib-
ably beautiful.
The long day^s journey, combined with the sudden
change of temperature from 65° or 70° to 90°, was very
trying, and my first day at Madras was spent in helpless
lassitude. We went for an evening drive in the park,
where I was struck by the inferiority of the equipages to
those in Calcutta ; some of the people even having the bad
taste to put their coachmen into English dress, which
looks mean and ridiculous beside the graceful costume of
the natives. Nothing can be more unbecoming to a
Hindoo, either male or female, than any assumption of
Western apparel ; the dark garb which suits an English
gentleman, and the hat or bonnet of an English lady,
being equally unsuitable to the features, complexion, and
gait of our Eastern fellow-subjects.
Among the oddities of Madras are the tiny vehicles
used by the lower class of natives, and called '' sigram
BACK TO TH2 PLAINS AGAIN. 253
po, ^' which literally means '^ quickly go *' — little close
wooden carriages, like a miniature cab, into which three
or four natives will crush themselves, sitting with knees
and noses crammed together, with the greatest apparent
satisfaction and complacency.
Most houses here are not more than one story high, and
the compounds are very large, so that one would rather
imagine oneself living in some country suburb than in the
midst of a capital. Except in the Black Town and in
one Une of houses on the beach, there is scarcely any-
thing that looks like a city ; and this arrangement, though
pleasant and healthy, has its inconveniences, the chief
being the great distance one has to traverse for either
calling or shopping. The rents are however very
moderate, a comfortable house with compound, stabling,
and other outbuildings being attainable for about £4 a
month, less than one would give for a good flat in Calcutta.
On the other hand, the shops are immeasurably inferior
and very dear.
In the church we attended I first saw '' kuskus tatties*'
employed for refreshing the air. They are light lattice-
work frames, made to fit into the open windows, and
intertwined or stufied with the fibrous roots of the kuskus
grass, which are kept moist by water continually thrown
upon them from outside. This not only cools the air by
its rapid evaporation, but gives out a delightful faint
odour like that of sandal wood.
In one of our drives we passed a little tope or grove,
all alive with the shrill cries of the flying foxes. These are
a large species of bat, about the size of a crow, and may
readily be mistaken when abroad in the evening twilight
for home-going rooks ; till the shorter wings and heavier
build draw attention to the bat formation behind. They
are great plunderers of all kinds of fruit, and some of
the natives consider them good eating. By day they
254 UPLAND.
hang all over the trees in the shady topes which they
frequent^ looking like black rags suspended from the
branches.
Once also during this visit we experienced another of
the occasional inconveniences of Indian housekeeping.
We were kept waiting for dinner by some callers, till the
roast beef was nearly cold, and the moment it came under
the lamp we saw that the dish was swarming with
minute red ants. These creatnres are the special plague
of Madras, where they infest everybody and everything ;
and though their sting is very trifling, the irritation of
having them about one is a great annoyance. Three
tinges the dish was taken away before the meat was satis-
factorily cleared of them, and the gravy was thick with
their bodies. The servants had neglected to set the dish,
while waiting, on a stand insulated in a pan of hot water,
which would have been a safeguard against invasion.
Another time in the early morning, when a piece of
bread and a glass of milk were brought for my chota
hazree, I took a mouthful or two, imagining it to be brown
bread, before I discovered that the dark hue was caused
by every crevice being filled with these tiny ants.
A very pleasant surprise brightened the close of this
stay at Madras — the arrival of an old friend from England,
who had come out to engage in zenana work, accom-
panied by another lady proceeding to a mission station
in the north-west. Both were hospitably received by
my friends, and as bed-room accommodation was scanty
and they both found the heat very oppressive, they elected
to share my quarters on the roof, by far the pleasantest
and coolest spot on the premises. Our moonlight walks
in this airy dormitory were most delightful, the large
compound with its majestic trees sleeping in the still
radiance around us, as if under some fairy spell, and the
voluptaous breath of the heavily blossomed creepers
BACK TO THE PLAINS AGAIN. 255
wafted to us with every stir of the night breeze. The quis-
qualis^ one of these creepers, common both here and in
Calcutta, deserves especial mention for its profuse blossom
and voluptuous fragrance. It is a strong, woody, wildly
luxuriant climber ; and its flowers, which grow in large
loose bunches, change their colour from pink to white or
white to pink, while still in perfect bloom, and absolutely
load the night air with their luscious odour.
Our mattrasses were spread on the roof and the
mosquito nets ingeniously secured above them ; but we
were roused in the middle of the night by a sudden
change of weather. The wind had risen fiercely, and
dark clouds covered the sky ; the lightning which had
been playing in harmless beauty all the evening now
looked stormy and wild, and there were a few low growls
of thunder. No time was to be lost, for I knew better
than my companions the hurrying fury of a tropical
storm. We bundled up our bedding as quickly as
possible, and beat a hasty retreat — ^not a second too soon,
for large drops were already falling, and in a few minutes
the roof was a sheet of water. We had to spread our
belongings where we could, and finish the night in an
atmosphere that seemed all the more sultry in contrast to
our former airy resting place.
Next morning the gardeners brought in a snake seven
feet long, which they had killed in the hedge, and con-
cerning which an extraordinary belief prevails. The end
of the tail is extremely thin, and the natives assert that
when the creature has bitten anything, it instantly whips
this extremity into the wound, and thus poisons it fatally.
It was useless to inquire whether any one had ever wit-
nessed this singular performance ; but the belief in it is
common in Bengal as well as in other parts of India.
Our transit to the vessel which was to convoy us to
Calcutta was a very noisy and exciting one. Woe to the
256 WTLM^D.
unhappy unprotected female who has to land or embark
at Madras I She is instantly surrounded by a gang of
boatmen or coolies^ who possess themselves of her pro-
perty and of herself^ shouting and jabbering to a deafen-
ing extent^ and demanding six or seven times their
lawful hire. However, we were fortunate enough to have
a gentleman's escort, and by steadily referring everything
to him, we managed to get ourselves and our goods
all together into a boat. These boats, made expressly for
passage through the surf, are large and clumsy, sewn
together, and leaking profusely ; but no English boat
could endure what they do. A rude awning is put up at
one end, and a floor laid for the passengers, all the rest of
the bottom being full of water, which keeps two or three
of the crew incessantly employed in baling. The sides
stand nearly a yard out of the water, and across the very
top are fixed a number of spars for the boatmen to sit on
and rest their feet against. About fourteen men are
required, who keep up a wild song as they row with
their long paddles. It is by no means an easy matter to
embark or disembark at the Madras pier, where the swell
of the surf alternately lifts and lowers the boat to an
extent very trying to the nerves of an irresolute traveller ;
and the motion in the harbour is quite enough to upset
any one not proof against sea-sickness.
There was nothing worthy of remark on the return
voyage, except the temporary unpleasantness of finding
oneself among strange company at the saloon table. The
vessel was very crowded, and some of the first-class
passengers had assuredly not been accustomed to sit at a
civilized board ; their use of knives and forks being as
indiscriminate as their ideas of English grammar were
hazy. Our lot was cast at first among quite a knot of
these people, probably artisans, engineers, etc., whose
passage had been paid by Calcutta firms or given them
BACK TO T^ PL1IN8 AGAIN.
257
by the company. Workmen of this class^ engine-drivers,
plate-layers, and overseers of various works, earn large
salaries in India, and begin at once to emulate the dress
and equipages of their betters, doing very much to lower
the standard of Europeans in the estimation of the
natives. In a land where the aristocracy of colour pre-
vails more, perhaps, than in any other, every white
person being a " sahib " or '^ mem sahib,'* the results
of this state of things are increasingly deplorable.
An appeal to the purser secured us from inconveni-
ence for the rest of the short voyage ; and the fourth day
saw us safely landed at Calcutta, with grateful recollections
of beauty and kindness associated for ever in our memories
with the Shevaroy hills.
17
258
IV
A PLEASURE TBIP TO A SACBED MOUNTAIH.
It was tte 7th of May, the thermometer standing at 98°
in the shade, and the punkah barely making existence
endurable, when the casual suggestion of a friend suddenly
brightened the weary prospect, and opened out a vista of
unforeseen enjoyment.
I had heard before of Parisnath, a sacred hill, situated
in what is called the Switzerland of Bengal, and had more
than once planned to escape to its breezy heights for a
short breathing time ; but the diflSculties of the journey,
and the uncertainty both of accommodation and provision,
had hitherto nipped such projects in the bud. Now, a
party of friends were about to proceed thither; and,
furnished with ample information for the journey, gained
by their inquiries, and certain of a share of shelter and
provision on arrival, I determined to summon up courage
for the journey.
It may be asked, why I could not accompany my
friends, and what could be the difficulty or danger of a
journey of less than one hundred and fifty miles ? But
the answer to these questions, so easily put, involves con-
siderable explanation. In the first place, nearly fifty
miles of the journey lay beyond railway limits ; and the
only mode of performing that portion of the route was to
arrange with the inland transit agent to '' lay a dawk,''
A PLEA8UBE TBI? TO A 8AC£ED MOUNTAIN. 259
that is, to provide a vehicle and relays of horses along the
road ; and as the resources of the agency did not extend
beyond providing for the two vehicles required by my
friends, my journey was necessarily deferred till they
were safely housed at Parisnath.
The other difficulties arose from the circumstance that
the sacred mountain was far away from any European
neighbom*hood, and that neither attendance nor provision,
except of the rudest description, could be procured up
there. Shelter there was, for the mountain had once
been tried as a military sanitarium ; and, though aban-
doned for that purpose since many years, the government
buildings remained, and the use of them was freely granted
on the appUcation of any respectable party. But as the
only furniture left in this mountain refuge consisted of a
few rude bedsteads, clumsy tables, and dilapidated chairs,
the visitors must either content themselves without the
appliances of civilized life, or carry up with them every-
thing that they deemed essential to existence.
This of course rendered the journey both a toilsome
and an expensive one, and one which few ladies would
undertake alone. Indian railway charges for luggage are
very heavy, and when the conveyance of servants, bed-
ding, cooking utensils, crockery, and provisions, had to
be added to one^s own personal expenses, the total formed
a heavy charge for ten days* or a fortnight^s holiday.
Now, however, freed by the kind hospitality of my friends
from the greater portion of the burden, I arranged to
start a few days after them, taking with me a young
friend and my trusty bearer Bowhanie, with only lighter
articles of bedding and table furniture, and a few contri-
butions to the stock of provision.
For the dawk journey alone, going and returning, I
had to pay £6, the railway fares being comparatively
moderate. For a considerable distance the line was the
260 UPLAKD.
same as that described in tte previous journey to Monghyr.
By the roadside were the usual rice grounds, now as bare
as ploughed fields ; the usual stagnant pools, some green,
some yellow, some red, owing to various-coloured duck-
weed scums, with men and women as usual bathing in
them and washing their clothes, or fishing for large fresh-
water prawns ; the usual jungle and fringe of palm-trees
on the horizon, and the usual paddy-birds and kingfishers,
buffaloes and adjutants, which are almost the only living
creatures visible on a journey in Bengal. Only at Burdwan
and one or two other places was anything like a gentle-
man's house visible near or far. No towns or villas,
nothing but bare rice-plains and mud villages, the round
thatched huts of which much resemble small hay-ricks,
as they cluster together half-hidden by the overshadowing
palms.
At seven in the evening, after about nine hours'
journey, we reached Barrakur, the railway terminus, and
found to our dismay that there was no refreshment-room
or means of getting even hot water for tea. The guard,
however, was very civile and finding that we were going
to travel all night, made us some tea himself in the only
cups to be found in the place, and sent a bearer to pull
the punkah over us meanwhile. At the same time our
luggage was got out, and packed in and on the dawk
gharry, which, according to orders, was awaiting us.
It was an oblong, box-like carriage, considerably
longer and more angular in build than an English cab ;
and when a board was fitted between the seats, the
cushions and our quilts and pillows made a tolerably
comfortable bed for two. The larger luggage was stowed
on the top, and the smaller at our feet and under the board,
while a net above received hats and umbrellas. Alto-
gether there seemed good cause to be satisfied with the
prospect of comfort, so we got in and lay down, with the
A PLXA8UBIB T£IP TO A SACKED MOUNTAIN. 261
sliding doors wide open ; Bowhanie mounted the box by
the driver, and the vehicle started. The moon had not
risen, and it was too dark to distinguish objects clearly ;
but the horse and driver seemed to know their work, and
for the first stage or two all went well. The stages are
but five miles in length, and at the end of each a fresh
horse was waiting by the roadside with a syce, or run-
ning footman, who harnessed him, and ran by his side
the whole of the next stage, occasionally mounting the
gharry if the animal seemed pretty capable. The next
halting-place reached, his charge ended, and another syce
and horse took up the service, the same driver officiating
all the way. The road was pretty good, being the trunk
or main road from Calcutta to Benares, and on across the
country ; and till the railway diverted the traffic, it was a
very busy scene. Now, however, all is changed, and
except a few bullock- carts and the mail- gig, we met
nothing the whole night long.
The moon soon rose, and though but young, gave a
fair light ; so about ten o^clock, while they were changing
horses, we resolved to get out and walk. It seemed
strange, when we reflected on it for a moment, to find
ourselves alone in the dead stillness of the night on a high
road, many miles away from any other European; and
yet almost more fearless than we should have had cause
to be under similar circumstances at home. The star-
light was brilliant, and altogether we enjoyed the little
change; but when the gharry came up after a con-
siderable delay, Bowhanie protested strongly against our
doing so again, for fear of tigers, and we submitted with
discretion.
Now, however, we soon began to find that we had had
the best of our journey. The agent probably keeps two
tolerable horses for the first stages, on purpose to put
travellers into good spirits ; for ai'ter this every horse woa
262 ITPLAND.
worse ttan his predecessor ; and so we plodded on our
miserable, sleepless way, through the whole weary night,
the wretched animals now and then coming to a fall stop,
and only kept up to a walking pace by incessant shouts
and blows.
At last, about four in the morning, matters came to a
crisis. One tired beast was taken out of the shafts, but
the other could not be put in. He was ill, they said ; and
knowing how little compassion Hindoos ever show to
animals, we could not urge them to attempt it. So there
we were on the silent highway, in the midst of a little
native village, where every one was fast asleep. Dawn
was just beginning, but our dilemma was one from which
even daylight would not deliver us. What was to be
done ? Of course there was no other horse to be had, for
these animals are comparatively seldom seen, except in
large towns ; and bullocks, even if we could get them,
would have been slower still. At last the coachman,
evidently used to such emergencies, suggested that they
should go and hunt up coolies to pull and push the car-
riage through the next stage. So he went on his quest,
and we waited as patiently as we might, tormented by
thirst, for the heat was as great as in Calcutta, and the
restlessness had made us feel it more. Water we dared
not ask for, for the Bengalis will drink out of any filthy
ditch, and we could not have ventured on what they
might bring; but we asked the men, who now stood
roufid the gharry, if there was any milk to be had. No,
there were no cows. Could we get goats' milk ? Of this
they seemed doubtful ; so Bowhanie went on a tour of
investigation through the village, knocking up the people
remorselessly in the prosecution of his search. We waited
anxiously, but in vain. Not a drop was to be had ; and
there we lay, in the grey light of the summer morning,
weary, parched, and comfortless, without the smallest
A PLIASUBE TRIP TO A SACBSD MOUNTAIN. 263
idea how or when we should be able to proceed with our
journey.
At last the driver returned with eight men^ the shafts
were taken off, and a couple of stout bamboos attached
across the front of the carriage. Three men pulled at
each, and the other two pushed in the rear ; and once in
motion, we went on considerably faster than the horses
had brought us. The mountains were already showing
themselves in the distance, and presently one steep pull
succeeded another in the road, with only short intervals
of level grouni We got out to walk up one or two,
when the load seemed too much for the men; but were
soon obhged to give in and return to the carriage, owing
to our thirsty and fasting condition. The hills gradually
closed in on each side, and the scenery grew very pretty —
the road running on straight between them steeper than
ever. At last the short stage was done, the next horse
stood waiting in his place^ and the men unyoked them-
selves and prepared to depart. Of course the contractor
was bound to pay them for that stage, but we did not
like to dismiss the poor fellows without something ; and
they went away well pleased with a rupee between them.
Threepence each was not an extravagant gratuity for the
stage they had performed.
One stage more, and we reached Tope Chauncy, a
" dawk bungalow,^' that is to say, a sort of post-house of
very limited accommodation, maintained by Government.
In these places any traveller may halt, and get bed, bath,
or meal, of course in very primitive style, by paying a
trifling fee for the accommodation, and giving a small
gratuity to the native servants in charge.
It was now seven o'clock on Whit Sunday morning,
the time when we were due at Parisnath; but now,
thanks to these miserable delays, there was nothing for
it but to rest a little, and try to gain strength to go on.
264 uPLAjn).
So the tmiiks w^e unloaded, and we got oat a dumge of
clothing; bathed, breakfasted on eggs, chnpatties, and tea
— famishing the latter oarselves — had a little qoiel time
in the shady yerandah, and in two hoars started again.
The heat was soon intense on the rqad, bat we felt mach
refreshed. The halt, the bafchf, and the breakfast for
two, inclading fees to the cook and three other servants,
cost only aboat four shillings.
The road became increasingly pretty as we advanced ;
bat, alas, the horses manifested no improvement. Once,
before we actually reached the halting place, the driver
broke out into a sharp fire of remonstrance and abase at
sight of the animal awaiting him; and as he had said
nothing about the previous wretched brutes, we felt no
little interest as to the special demerits of this new
specimen. All the information we could obtain, however,
was the vague assurance that he was a notorious '' bud-
mash '^ {i.e., villain), and that he would be very wicked for
a long time, and then go well. The moment the coach-
man wanted him to go, the nature of his delinquencies
became sufficiently apparent. Two or three men and
boys, who evidently knew him of old, and were attracted
to the spot by the prospect of some fun, stationed them-
selves at the wheels, and when the word of command
was given, laboured with all their might to turn them,
evidently anxious to delude him into the belief that he
had a very easy load to draw. He was not to be so
beguiled. Not a step would he stir for any persuasion
or endearment, and the coachman was clearly afraid to
try other means. There was a steep descent of a few feet
on each side of the road, down which a sudden plunge
would have rolled the carriage, so there was ample reason
for his caution. He shouted and shook the reins, and
the bystanders all shouted and tugged at the horse and at
the wheels ; but no— -he stood like a horse of stone. The
f
I
A PLSASUBE TBIP TO A 8ACBBD MOUNTAIN. 265
scene was ludicrous in the extreme, as well as annoying.
In England, one would have got out and walked the five
miles, but under this deadly sun, it would have been mad-
ness to attempt it. At last the driver got out of patience,
and down came a blow on the horse*s back; but the
same instant brought the sharp sound of his hind hoofs
on the front of the gharry, while his fore feet were
planted on the ground more doggedly than ever. After
one or two repetitions of this, one of the men tried
another plan. A rope was slipped over one foot and
dragged it by main force oflF the ground, while the driver
whipped, another man poked him in the ribs with a
stick, and the volunteer auxiliaries laboured at the
wheels. This succeeded, and at last we were ofi*, but
as the whole road was a succession of small ascents,
interspersed with bits of level, and this performance was
repeated at every rise, our circumstances were decidedly
unfavourable to the cultivation of a Sabbatic state of
mind.
Afler passing above half the stage in this manner, the
brute suddenly changed his mind, and almost galloped
the rest of the way, thus fulfilling in every respect the
driver's prediction. The scenery was more like England
than anything I had seen in India. On the right were
the hills, already rising near and grand, clothed with trees
to the summit ; but it was not here the resemblance lay.
On the other side, considerably below us, spread a broad
and rather flat expanse, bounded by low hills just like the
Cotswolds, and dotted with rows and clumps of trees.
Cattle were feeding in the fields, and there were no
palms of any kind to bl*eak the charm. The trees might
have been English trees, and the view was such as one
might see almost anywhere in the midland counties in
the course of a few miles' drive. It brought on a fit of
home sickness that overpowered me with a rush of
266 UPLAND.
irrepressible tears^ and it was long before the sudden
barst of yearning could be quieted again.
About eleven o'clock the last bungalow was reached,
and as we had been repeatedly assured that bearers and
dandies would be waiting for us there, we did not want
even to drive up to the door ; but the proverb which tells
of the blessedness of him who expects nothing is certainly
pre-eminently true in India. The dandies, our new convey-
ances, were visible enough in the verandah, but not the
coolies to carry them ; and we were reluctantly obliged to
admit the necessity of going into the house to wait for them.
This, not being a regular dawk bungalow, was a most
wretched place. One little room half filled by a filthy
bedstead and an old table, was the whole extent of the
accommodation, besides a dark bath-room perfectly empty.
The only other articles of any description were two old
chairs ; and when we came to make inquiry about the
coolies we found that they lived about two miles off, and
were all probably scattered at their work in the fields.
Moreover it was so hot that we were advised not to start
till evening, even if they could be got together.
Assuredly it was very trying to patience. We could
just see the bungalow whither we were bound, on the
ridge of the hill, perhaps not above a mile or two away
as the crow flies, but six miles as we should have to go ;
and yet we were compelled to stay in the dense brooding
heat below, instead of breakfasting in the fresh, pure,
mountain air as we had hoped to do. There was but one
consolation — the only one for lesser as well as greater
disappointments — the thought of Whose will orders all
these seeming misadventures; and so we resigned
ourselves to make the best of it.
We could only get water to drink, and that not very
good, but we had plenty of biscuits and cheese ; so we
made a tolerable meal and then rested and read. Before
A PLEASURE TBIP TO A SACBED MOUNTAIN. 267
long I noticed a heavy cloud gathering over one of the
hills on the southern horizon, and the wind began to
blow in a manner very suggestive of a storm. Gradually
the cloud seemed to come down in heavy, distant rain, and
swept round to the west, leaving the south hills clear ;
and we had some hope that it was spent, as far as our
neighbourhood was concerned. Soon however the whole
sky darkened, and such a dust storm set in that it took
the united eflForts of three men to hold and bolt the door.
The clouds gathered a second time over the western hills,
and came down evidently in dense torrents with a few
rolling thunder-peals ; but, alas I instead of clearing off,
they drove round again to the south and on to the east,
drawing nearer and nearer across the plain. We ran out
into the little verandah, and saw them drift on till they
?n»pped the head of Parisnath in fleecy masses : we
could even see them sweep into the little bungalow ; and
then in a few moments the whole mountain was as com-
pletely hidden from view as if a curtain had been dropped
between. Torrents of rain rushed hissing down, sheets
of water swept across the parched ground, and filled the
dry bed of the stream in front ; and the temperature sunk
so suddenly that we opened our trunks again, and put on
warm inner and outer garments. This was accomphshed
under diflBculties, for there was no glass to the window of
the bungalow, and the wind Ufted the strong wooden
plates of the veuetian shutters as if they had been paper,
and drove the rain straight across the room. Moreover,
in a very few minutes the roof was soaked through, and
the water began to drip upon us everywhere. Bag and
baggage had to be heaped up on the old bedstead, and
we were driven out into the north verandah, which, being
less exposed to the storm, still gave a shelter. Here we
sat watching the pelting rain, and speculating on our
prospects for the night. The alternatives were four —
268 UPLAND.
fchat the rain should cease; that we should attempt the-
ascent in it ; that we should stay where we were, and
sleep as best we could, living on biscuit and cheese and
water till it abated ; or that we should send to the only
other house in the place and ask hospitality. All these
possibilities, except the first, were sufficiently intolerable,
and the second would have been madness. However,
after about an hour and a half of extreme violence the
storm ceased, and we prepared to start at once, the
coolies having been sheltering for some time in the out-
house ready.
But the conveyances — how shall I describe themT
Each consisted of a stout double piece of sacking, about
eight feet long and four wide, roughly plaited at each
end into a thick leather binding, and then attached to an
iron ring slipped on a strong bamboo, so as to form a
sort of hammock ; and in these we made ourselves as
comfortable as we could, with cloaks and pillows. Be-
sides the four men to carry each, there were four more to
relieve them in turn, and four more to carry our luggage,
so we formed altogether quite a procession.
The road was at first level, winding through jungle ;
and then the ascent began, climbing the hillside in veiy
zigzag fashion. The whole mountain is clothed with trees
of the brightest green, and covered with masses of rock
of every size and shape. Sometimes the path led for a
considerable distance along a ledge cut in the steep
rocky side ; and as the bearers always seem to prefer the
outer edge of the road, we were often literally swinging
over the sheer descent. Here and there a singular
creeper, with a brown stem twelve or fourteen inches in
circumference, wound its bare length round and round
some forest tree for twenty or thirty feet, like a huge
snake ; or another with beautiful leaves and bunches of
hydrangea-like blossom, fiung its long shoots thirty or
A PLEASUBB TRIP TO A SACBED MOUNTAIN. 269
forty feet from tree to tree, and swathed great plots of
jungle into one rich mass. Then again great rocks
towered above us, and in some places overhung the path,
so that we had to mind our heads ; and fresh folds of the
grand mountain faced us at every turn. This word seems
to express the shape of Parisnath better than any other.
It is not one mountain peak, but an irregular ridge, falling
as it. were in folds to the plain, so that we had to double
and wind up the mountain paths, never facing the same way
for many minutes together. It is difficult to understand
how such a road could ever be surveyed.
Alas, before we had gone a quarter of the way the
rain set in again, not fiercely, but in a heavy penetrating
drizzle. An umbrella soon did more harm than good, by
dripping into pools that penetrated even so-called water-
proof; but eventually the rain cleared off, and we per-
formed the latter part of the journey in comparative
comfort. Now and then we caught sight of the bunga-
low, sometimes apparently just above our heads, and
sometimes in quite a different direction ; and at last we
could even see our friends out on the terrace watching
for us, and were right thankful to leave our cramping
conveyances and meet a hearty welcome.
Inside the pretty little bungalow a blazing fire awaited
us, and was a very cheering sight ; and after a change of
dress and a welcome cup of tea, we sat round the fire and
talked till the late dinner was announced. We had been
just three hours coming the six miles up the hill, and for
canying us the bearers were satisfied with sixpence each,
while those who conveyed our baggage only charged us
threepence.
270
nCKIC LIPK ON PABISKATH.
The party we had come to join consisted entirely of ladies
and gentlemen engaged in missionary work^ who had
escaped^ like ns, for a brief holiday from the sultry atmo-
sphere of the plains. One^ no less distinguished for his
extensive travels and literary researches than for his
steady advocacy of native rights^ and his resolute cham-
pionship of the oppressed^ had spent many years in
acquainting himself with the peasant population of Bengal,
and was now preparing an important work for educational
use amongst them ; another had brought to this secluded
height arrears of correspondence and business papers
that it was hopeless to attempt amid the incessant
interruptions of Calcutta public life; and a third, the
youngest member of the party, had been lately sent out
on a special mission to educated Hindoos. The ladies
had their own various studies and employments for the
mid-day hours ; and morning and evening united us all in
extensive mountain rambles.
As before stated, the furniture of the pretty but some-
what dilapidated abode was of the coarsest and scantiest
description ; the only article in our bed-room being a
bedstead, and in the bath-room an old tin footpan and
some native chatties. Our sleeping accommodation
would hardly have satisfied a Sybarite, for we had neither
PICNIC UPIB ON PABISNATH. 271
bed nor mattrass^ and the wooden bars of the bedstead
made themselves painfully felt through the quilts and
blankets which were all we had to interpose : but we
were too weary not to rest and be thankful ; and we woke
the next morning, fully prepared to enjoy our mountain
life, despite its eccentric surroundings. Our friends were
already up and out, before we had overcome the difficulties
of bathing and dressing under such novel circumstances ;
but it was not long after six when we started to follow
them, fortified for the walk by a cup of tea and a biscuit.
The only places where walking was possible were the
narrow zigzag paths up and down and round the various
peaks of the mountain. These were very rough, not only
with imbedded and protruding rock, but with smaller
fragments rolled down by the rains, and we could
only walk in single file. Still, the surpassing beauty of
the scenery made up for all. Everywhere long, wavy
ridges, clothed with trees and jungle, sloped down to the
plain, which lay before us in distant panorama, the main
road a straight line, and the two rivers Damooda and
Jamuna, two wider streaks of frequent curve, doubling
upon themselves in flashing brightness. The heights of
Hazareebagh were visible in the distance, and many
isolated hills rose at intervals from the plain, but the
nearer beauties of Parisnath soon riveted all our admira-
tion. Abrupt rocky peaks, uprearing against the sky,
bare precipices, winding gorges, and steep descents
clothed with long grass, ferns, and trees, and rich
masses of creepers, met the eye in every direction ; while
the pure mountain air seemed to infuse new life at every
breath. Birds were singing just as in an English wood,
and nothing could surpass the vivid green of the foliage,
which in the distance looked like soft bright moss, but
nearer opened into jungle trees.
This mountain is the sacred place of the Jains, a
272 UPLAHD.
pecaliar Bhoodhist sect, who nmnber many thousands.
They believe that commonion with the Deity is nnattain-
able by ordinary men ; and that only twenty-four &Toared
saints have ever been admitted to this inoommonicable
blessing. These twenty four, of whom Parisnath, " Lord
of the World/' was the chief, are all believed to have
ascended to heaven firom this mountain, and there are
twenty-four shrines scattered on its various peaks, mark-
ing the spots where their feet are believed to have last
rested. Some of these are of white marble, the slabs
which form their sides exquisitely perforated in a sort of
diaper pattern, others of common stone, bat all of the
same general shape, and approached by several steps.
They are not above six or seven feet high, and one has to
kneel to see the inside, which is empty, and exactly alike in
all. The floor is a flat slab of stone or marble, with an in-
scription and a pair of footprints sculptured upon it — the
latter slightly raised, and intended to mark the spot
whence the saint ascended.
It was to one of these, on the top of a high peak, that
we wended our laborious way, having caught glimpses of
our companions from below. When we did reach the
summit, the prospect was most glorious, but language
would fail to give any impression of it. We were about
5,000 feet above the sea level, and more than 3,000 above
the plain immediately around ; and the top of the peak
where we stood was so small that it made one giddy to
look down, even while leaning on the ledge of the shrine.
Two Hindoo boys of twelve or fourteen were squatting
on the steps with a little iron incense pot, and a vessel
containing powdered sandalwood. With the former they
had been fumigating the shrine, and with the latter,
mixed with water, they had painted the footprints, by
putting a round dot like a yellow wafer on each toa^ and
other marks on the sole and heel. It was their buainesd
PICNIC LIFE ON PARI8NATH. 273
to go round to the shrines^ or to a certain number of them^
daily to perform this worship. One of the boys, a
little half-naked fellow, was a Brahmin, and received
seven rupees a month for his services, while the other,
being only a lower caste servant, was content with
three.
We sat down on the shady side of the peak, and had
a long talk about missionary prospects with one of the
gentlemen, while the rest of the party read, worked, or
sketched. Then, as the sun grew hot, we walked slowly
back to the bungalow, and by that time were quite ready
for our second meal of coarse Scotch porridge, served
with milk and sugar — a novel diet to several of the party,
but which we all soon learned to relish. Then we had
prayers, also out in the verandah, and after a short in-
terval of conversation, and a vain attempt at writing, we
travellers retired to lie down and make up for lost sleep.
At twelve came the third meal, a sort of compound of
breakfast and tiflBn, and we all found ourselves ravenously
hungry, thanks to Parisnath air. I had not cared to eat
anything for weeks before, but now it seemed as if I
could not get enongh of either food or sleep. Another
attempt to read failed signally, and we were roused from
a long nap by the summons to afternoon tea — a light
repast, preparatory to the evening walk. This led us to
quite a diflTerent point of view, where the rocks formed a
commanding precipice, as abrupt as some of the Cornish
cliffs. Here we sat and read in the sweet evening breeze,
while the song of birds came softly up the valley ; and
the gentlemen amused themselves by rolling over large
stones and hearing them pitch and strike again and
again, as they bounded down the hill, till sound was lost
in distance. Then back again, tired and hungry, to sit
in the verandah in the moonlight till dinner was an-
nounced, and thoroughly enjoyed, amid such a cross fire
18
274 UPLAND.
of pnns and jokes, good, bad, and indifibrent, as only
workers out for a hard-earned holiday would ever think
of perpetrating.
One standing jest was the sportsmanship of one of
the party, who never went out without his rifle, and
lived in daily disappointed expectation of bagging a
tiger, or at least a few wild deer. Another fruitfol
source of merriment was found in the deficiencies of our
equipment ; for besides our own low folding seats there
were only five chairs in the house, and every one had to
carry his own from room to room. Even of these some
wanted a leg, or were so infirm in their lower joints that
they could be only used with great tenderness and dis-
cretion ; and some of the gentlemen always sat on packing
cases at table. Our friends had brought a lamp and
plenty of candles ; but candlesticks were wanting, and
bottles had to do duty in their stead, while the de-
ficiencies in the bill of fare were still more serious. No
groceries, no vegetables, no butter, and no bread could
be procured in that wild region, where the only purchas-
able articles of food were rice, milk and eggs, wretched
half-grown chickens, and now and then a kid. Chickens
we got at the rate of eight for a rupee, and found after-
wards that we had been unmercifully cheated, the proper
rate in that district being from eighteen to thirty for the
same money. We had preserved meats and other
groceries in ample store, but it was necessary to dis-
pense with the more perishable articles ; doing without
butter altogether, and supplying the place of bread with
coarse chupatties, which every native of Bengal can
make.
After dinner we again sat out on the terrace, or
walked up and down in the moonlight till summoned to
cofiee, the sixth and last meal ; after which we were not
long in retiring to' rest, and thus ending a day of mental
PICNIC LIPS ON PABISNATH. 275
rest and bodily exercise and refresliment^ as thoroagh as
could well be imagined.
The next morning, after a hurried breakfast, we all
started for a long walk to the Jain temple, which stands
in a lovely hollow among the hills, with bold peaks
rising behind, and ridges falling away on each side so
as to allow in front a broad view of the plains below.
Near it flowed a little spring, by which a bed of mint
and a solitary rosebush flourished, like a bit of English
kitchen garden dropped there by mistake. The temple
itself stood on a platform, with a paved court in front for
the worshippers ; on which opened a small verandah, with
three doors into the temple. We were not allowed to
enter, but could see it all from the verandah. It was a
rough, plain, square building, without windows, and its
only furniture a wooden bench ; but opposite to the door
were five shell- like niches in the wall, each containing a
statue, nearly life-size, sitting cross-legged, with folded
arms. The centre one was of black marble, the other
four white, all with the same cast of placid ugliness,
rendered more striking by staring glass eyes, one of
which was missing from every figure except the central
one. My bearer informed us gravely that this figure
was not made by human hands, but that the other
four were of earthly workmanship ; and certainly they
none of them did credit to their makers. Some of the
gentlemen questioned tho priest, an intelligent-looking
Brahmin, with his face covered with yellow religious
marks, as to how he, a Brahmin, could act as priest to a
set of heretics like these Jains ? He did not attempt to
deny that he thought them and their worship altogether
wrong ; but said, with a shrug and a grimace, " What
could he do ? a man must get his living.''
It was now the time for worship, and the rites began.
A low caste man^ with a broad bandage tied over his
276 UPLAND.
nose and months in order that his breath might not
pollute the idols^ carried in the incense and the masical
instruments^ and the priests fumigated the gods^ and
then began their worship, in which three or four took
part. One sang, or rather shouted, another beat a loud
tom-tom, and one or two clashed cymbals like madmen.
We stood and listened for some time, but at last we could
bear it no longer. The dim light in the temple, the
incense, the hideous idols, and the awful din had an effect
that can only be fitly characterized as devilish. It seemed
as if to stand there longer would stifle ns, so we came out
into the court, and waited till it was over, and while the
gentlemen tried to extract some information from the
priests about their religion, of which, however, they ap-
peared to know very little. In a shrine just above the
temple are five pairs of scidptured footmarks, apparently
referring to the apotheosis of the five saints whose images
are worshipped below.
By the time we got back we were all very thoroughly
tired, and sleep usurped most of the intervals between
our meals that day. Our evening walk did not extend
beyond the nearest peak, rather below the level of the
bungalow, where we sat among the rocks to read and
sketch. Our little abode made a very pretty subject,
nestling on its narrow terrace against the bold peak
behind.
One of two young oflBcers, who had come up on a shoot-
ing trip, and occupied some of the other rooms, having
gone down to the plain, the other was invited to join our
party at dinner. He was a quiet, gentlemanly young man,
and took little part in the animated conversation at table,
which ranged over an immense variety of topics — social,
political, philanthropic, and amusing. We were all glad to
go to bed, and even a long night's rest scarcely removed
the effects of the day's fatigue. No one appeared till nearly
PICNIC LITE ON PAB18KATH. 277
eight o'clock next mornings and the forenoon was passed
chiefly in qaiet literary work, very pleasant in the nn-
interrapted calm and comparative coolness of our elevated
abode. There was one great nuisance, however, from
which Calcutta is exempt — an exceedingly minute crea-
ture, called from its habits the eye-fly. It never settles
or bites, but hovers incessantly in front of the eye, tor-
menting exceedingly by its restless nitarness ; and one can
neither catch it nor drive it away. Che ladies were busy
with their Bengali studies, and interesting questions
cropped up from time to time between them and the
gentlemen, so the hours flew by both fast and pleasantly.
One of the missionaries was working up into practical use
a large collection of national proverbs gathered during
many years of extended travel, and I subjoin a few, which
especially struck me, either by their quaint force or their
resemblance to our own wise saws. For instance, the
well-known warning not to look a gift horse in the
mouth, has as its equivalent in Badaga, one of the Indian
tongues, *' If any one offers you a buffalo, do not ask if
she gives milk ; '* and the Malayali rendering of a " A
burnt child dreads the fire,^^ is identical with the corres-
ponding French proverb, ''A scalded cat fears cold
water,^' while the Hindi version is very picturesque and
characteristic — ** He whose father was killed by a bear is
afraid of a black stump/'
Again, we say, *' If you send an ass on its travels it
will not come back a horse,'' which in Tamil runs, '^ You
may decorate an ass, but that will not make it a horse ; "
and another dialect expresses nearly the same idea by the
sententious adage, " A donkey may grow, but he will
never be an elephant." The European proverbs that
*' No man is a hero to his valet de chambre," and that
*^ Familiarity breeds contempt," are tersely and pic-
turesquely combined in the Tamil adage, ^'The temple
278 UPLAND.
cat does not fear the idol." The Malayalis reprove a
boaster who glories over the unfortunate with the pithy
remark, " Any one can leap a fallen tree /' and their
proverb, '' Running up and down the boat does not
bring one sooner to land," is a keen rebuke to those who
chafe and fret under circumstances of forced inaction;
while the sacred warning, not to cast pearls before swine
is aptly paraphrased by the question, " What is the use
of reading the Vedas to a wild buffalo ? "
A few more Tamil sayings seem well worthy of notice.
''The tears of the oppressed are sharp swords," reads
like a sentence from the proverbs of Solomon ; and
" The flower out of reach is dedicated to God," is surely
a most graceful statement of the futility of day dreams of
service and sacrifice in the pathless future. " The ant,
measured by its own hand is eight spans long," ex-
presses, with superior elegance and force, the gist of more
than one English proverb ; and " A black cow may give
white milk,^' is an adage admirable for terseness and
point, even if doubtful in morality.
There is much shrewdness in the Servian proverbs,
'' Speak the truth, but come away quickly after," and
'* When an old dog barks, then see what the matter is " ;
and volumes of truth and beauty are summed up in the
simple saying, *' The sun goes over unclean places but is
not defiled." Of how many bright and holy lives spent
in labour among vice and misery, might this proverb be
taken as the fittest motto !
Russian proverbs present a remarkable combination
of sound common sense, deep religious feeling, and pithy,
almost coarse expression. A few taken almost at ran-
dom will illustrate all three. " Measure your cloth ten
times, for you can only cut it once." " A fool can cast a
stone into the sea, but a hundred wise men cannot get it
out." " If you knew where you would fall^ you could
PICNIC LIFE ON PABI8NATH. 279
put down straw.'^ " Pray to God, bat row towards
shore/^ ''With God go over the sea; without God
cross not the threshold/^ ''A mother's prayer saves
from the depths of the sea/^ " Fear not the rich man^s
frowns, fear the beggar^s tears/' " Love me when I am
black, when I am white every one will love me/' " We
cannot go to church for the mud, but we may get to the
tavern/' '' Fleas do not bite each other/' " No need
to plant fools, they grow of themselves/' '' Ask a pig to
dinner, and she will put her feet on the table/'
After early tea we started as usual for a walk, but it
is vain to attempt a description of all these lovely rambles.
One most delightful accompaniment of them was the
singing of the birds in the depths of the wood, which was
often like a concert of thrushes on an early June morning
in England. Once we came suddenly upon a solitary
Christian tomb, on a steep hillside above the soldiers'
barracks, and I copied the brief inscription, which ran as
follows : —
Saorth
TO THE MEMOBT OF
# # # # #
Assistant Surgeon, 23rd Regiment,
WHO DIED
On the 18th August, 1865,
Aged 23 Years aud 3 Months.
ERECTED BY
The OmcEBs, Non-Commissioned OfPiCBRs,
and men op the
Pabisnath Sanitarium.
" Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." — Be7. xiv. 13.
There was something inexpressibly touching in the
thought of this poor young fellow, probably the darling
of some English home, lying here alone, thousands of
280 UPLAND.
miles from all his kin; and unspeakable grandear and
consolation in the closing words.
There are great numbers of deer of various species in
these hills^ as well as tigers, baboons, and tiger cats, but
they all keep out of the way in the daytime ; though he
would be a bold man who would venture down hill after
dark. We once saw a large baboon quite near, and
often heard their cry : and one night a tiger cat carried
oflF some of the young oflBcers' stock of fowls, and our
larder was also robbed of the remains of a kid which had
only appeared that day at dinner — ^rather a serious
loss, considering the difficulty of procuring provisions.
Another time, after a night of rain we found the tracks
of a large leopard round the bungalow, after which, I
must confess that I felt some interest in the security of
our fastenings.
The next day was extremely sultry, and as the after-
noon wore on, the heat grew intolerable, and there was
every sign of an approaching storm. We could hear the
distant thunder echoing among the far-oflf hills and valleys,
and see the clouds gathering and coming down in raiu
miles away. Presently a white cloud drifted up the
gorge, and a sharp shower began and lasted for some
time, cooling the air to a wonderful degree. It had
passed off, and we were sauntering up and down the
terrace, enjoying the fresher air, and wondering whether
it would be safe to start off for a walk, when the chow-
kedar in charge of the place came hurriedly to tell us
that there was a " tuphan ^' (typhoon or hurricane) com-
ing up, and that he must close the house. In a very
few minutes his prediction was verified, and I only wish
I could convey any idea of the spectacle presented to us.
One of the party, who had been in India more than
twenty years, frankly confessed that he had never wit.
nessed anything so magnificent.
PICNIC LIFE ON PABI8NATH. 281
In order at all to realize the scene, the reader must
understand that the little terrace on which the house is
situated projects at an abrupt angle from the side of on©
of the mountain peaks, one edge looking north, and the
other east. Immediately opposite the angle, and only
separated from us by a narrow valley, rose another ridge,
dividing our prospect, as with a wall, into two distinct
halves, a broad expanse of distant plain lying to the
right, and a narrower stretch to the left, both running
up towards us into steep wooded gorges between the
folds of the great rocky hill. Up these two plains the
storm was now marching Uke an embattled host to sur-
round us, a dense brown cloud above, and rolls of white
vapour below moving steadily on like a slow charge of
cavalry. Then the chill wind made itself felt as it swept
with gathering velocity up the narrow gorges, and in a
few seconds everything was blotted out from view.
Plain, hills, and clouds were gone, and we were in a sea
of thick brown vapour that cut oflf everything beyond
the brink of the little terrace ; while the thunder roared
below us, and the lightning flashed, and the wind
howled round, till we had literally to cling to the pillars
of the verandah and dart in as best we could, through
the one door left open for us, which was instantly bolted
and secured by a strong iron bar. It was almost dark,
and we could only sit still or walk up and down the
empty rooms, scarcely able to hear each other^s voices
above the roar of the elements. The storm swept clear
round the house, attacking every side in turn, the back
only being screened by the peak behind. Suddenly
there was a tremendous crash, as the large passage door,
half glass, was burst in by the wind, the heavy iron bar
which closed it breaking into three pieces. The clatter
of glass and iron was very startling, and the walls rocked
perceptibly as we leaned against them. But the Lord
282 upjjkHD.
on higli is mightier than even these. His great voices of
storm and tempest ; and though the thunder and rain
and wind continued most of the night, we laid ns down
and slept in safety.
It was too wet along the hill paths for a morning
walk next day, so we reserved ourselves for the after-
noon, and then took an unusually long one to the highest
peak at the other extremity of the range. The whole
party turned out together, even little Eddie being carried
.by a coolie, and my bearer bringing up the rear ; so that
winding in Indian file along the mountain paths, we
made quite a long procession. When we reached the
point immediately below the last ascent, we sat down
round its little shrine to rest and admire the prospect.
The temple before described lay at our feet, divided from
ns by a steep descent clothed with trees, and looking like
a little model that might stand upon the table ; and yet
again very far below, stretched the broad expanse of
jungle bordering the plains. On every side rose craggy
heights, clothed almost to the peak with trees and long
jungly grass ; and from this spot we could see twenty-two
out of the twenty-four shrines with which the Jains have
consecrated these hills. They profess to hold them in
perpetual possession under a charter of the great em-
peror Akbar ; and one reason why Government hesitates
to sell the now useless bungalows, or to give grants of
land up here, is the fear of coming into collision with
their fanaticism. At certain times in the year thousands
of pilgrims come from long distances and visit these
shrines in succession, doing pooja and making ofierings.
One feature in their religion is their peculiar abhorrence
of taking animal life. Some of the strictest of them
always wear a cloth tied over mouth and nostrils, for fear
that some small fly or other insect might be drawn in
and perish.
PICNIC LIFE ON PABI8NATH. 283
Having rested awhile, we descended from our eleva-
tion, and mounted the highest and certainly the steepest
of all. Eddie was left behind with his coolie and mj
bearer; who though usually ready to go anywhere,
apparently saw no reason for perilling his neck or limbs
ailer the example of the padres and mem sahibs. One of
the gentlemen rather put us on our mettle by declaring
that ladies could not do it ; and I began to doubt the
steadiness of my head before we had gone very far.
However, by resolutely looking neither behind nor side-
ways, but only at the rocks immediately in front, we all
got safely up. It was a very perpendicular ascent, and
we had to use hands as well as feet all the way; but the
projecting rocks were a great help, and in some places
masonry had been built out to make the climb easier.
The chief danger was that of stepping on an insecure
stone, for a sprained ancle would have been serious here.
The top once gained, the prospect was magnificent in-
deed, bringing at once to mind the words of Heber : —
** Otod I Good beyond compare !
If thas Thy meaner works are fair,
If thas Thy glories gild the span
Of ruined earth and sinful man,
How glorious must the mansions be
Where Thy redeemed shall dwell with Thee!"
We sat till the sun had set, and then, with little
difficulty accomplished our descent, catching by the way
some curious grasshoppers, with underwings coloured
like those of a butterfly. It was a lovely moonlight
evening, and before we reached home we had the ques-
tionable gratification of hearing the roar of a tiger in the
jungle.
The next day was Trinity Sunday, and as I stepped
out into the little verandah, I was greeted by a vision of
surpassing glory. No ideal of poet or painter could
284r UFLAHD.
surpass the loveliness of the cloads on which I loohed
down from the edge of the terrace^ so close that a single
step would have plunged me into their pure depths.
They filled the valleys with a perfect sea of billowy lights
just the sofl^ white cumuli one often sees on the horizon,
but here outspread below in rolling waves of glory ; the
sun shining down upon them^ and tinting them with
every hue of radiant, changeful beauty, and the green
mountains standing out like islands from their foam-like
depths.
Surely our noble hymn for the day was never said or
sung in more appropriate scenes, than when its notes
rose above this sea of almost celestial glory —
•• Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea ;
Only thoa art holy, there is none beside Thee
Perfect in Power, in Love, and Parity ! "
We spent the morning very happily, the beautiful
Church Service bringing us into near communion with
fellow- worshippers in all parts of the world, as well as in
our own distant land.
The two young olBScers, who were going down in the
evening, came in after breakfast to say good-bye. Both
were mere lads, full of life and spirit, and it was strange
to think that each, within two days, had narrowly escaped
a sudden and terrible death. One, while below, had
slept in an open verandah, with a parrot's cage upon a
table close beside him ; and a venomous snake had got
into the cage and gorged the parrot in the night, and
then, being too big to pass through the bars again, was
found and killed in the morning. The other had fallen
over a precipice with his loaded rifle in his hand, which
had gone off and been broken in the fall, the bullet
whistling past him ; and yet he had escaped with only a
few trifling bruises.
HCNIC LIFI ON PABISNATH. 285
We went out a little in the afternoon, but had to turn
back, alarmed at the threatening clouds, and were only
just in time to see the advance of another " tuphan,*' not
so violent as the one on Friday, but still a tremendous
burst of wind, and rain, and thunder. It cleared off for
a while at dinner, and we walked on the terrace, and sat
in the verandah till late, singing hymns; but it rose again
in the night, and roared, and howled round the house,
shaking doors and windows, till it rendered sleep all but
impossible.
The next afternoon had been fixed for our friends*
departure, and the morning was far too blustering for the
farewell walk which they had meditated ; so we sat quietly
and read in the verandah, for the wind outside was
almost enough to take a strong man off his legs. We
had a sort of breakfast dinner at twelve, and then the
packing began. Our friends had brought up, not only
their own bedding and ample stores, which were now
wellnigh exhausted, but plates, dishes, etc., etc., and
even cooking utensils, so the packing was no small
matter. We could not travel with them, for the reason
given before ; but they left us some cooked provisions,
and a couple of plates and dishes, and cups and saucers,
together with a tea-kettle and tea-pot. So, as we had
knives and silver, and plenty of tea, and biscuit, and
candles, we were fairly provided for the couple of days
that we should have to stay behind. They offered to
leave us their cook, but we preferred managing for our-
selves; as another outsider on our carriage would only have
prolonged the miseries of the dawk journey. As soon as
their things were cleared out of the room which the ladies
had occupied, we moved in, because it opened into the
smaller sitting-room, and we could then shut the door of
communication with the rest of the house, and have the
two apartments snugly to ourselves. Moreover, they left
286 UPLAND.
US a brass chillumchee — a sort of flat washing basin^ which
would enable us henceforth to perform our ablutions in a
civilized manner.
They were to start at three, and quite an army of
coolies came up early in the morning, sixteen for the two
dandies, and about twenty for the baggage. They lay
about the verandahs and slept most of the day, making
the atmosphere in their neighbourhood anything but
agreeable ; for, owing to the scarcity of water, the hill
people are very filthy. In the course of the day, a
female pilgrim from Guzerat came up to the house to
speak to the padre. She was a decidedly unprepossess-
ing-looking individual, habited in crimson from head to
foot, and very loud and voluble. The day before, three
or four Jain priests had come to see the '^ burra padre ^'
(great clergyman) ; so he had an opportunity of doing a
little missionary work even out here.
About half-past one clouds began to appear in the
distance, and it soon became evident that we must expect
another '^ tuphan.^' The experience of the previous days
was exactly repeated, and we had about three hours of
terrific thunder, rain, and wind, greatly to the dismay of
the travellers. They were obliged to go that evening,
because their dawk was laid, the coolies who were to
draw them waiting at every stage, so we watched the
progress of the storm with great anxiety. At last, about
five o^clock, all was ready. The baggage had been dis-
tributed among the coolies with infinite noise and gesti-
culation j the ladies got into their dandies, the gentlemen
prepared to walk, farewells were said, and we watched
the long procession winding down the mountain paths,
till it looked like a file of ants ; and then went in and
made our arrangements for the night. Our party was
now reduced to our two selves and my bearer, the chow-
kedar in charge, and the hill people who fetched water
PICNIC LITB ON PARISNATH. 287
and performed a few other servile offices about the house.
It was strange for us to sit down to our solitaiy tea, after
the merry party of the last nine days, and stranger still
to have to reach out our provisions, put them away, and
wash up our plates and cups for ourselves. It was then
that I began to realize the extent of my mistake in
bringing a bearer instead of a table servant, for the
utmost he could do was to light a fire and supply hot
water; and then stand by, looking very foolish and em-
barrassed while his mistress did the work. I believe he
would have fought for me if necessary, and he never
objected to any amount of fatigue; but touching our
plates and dishes was a very different thing. Moreover,
there was nothing to wash up in but the chillumchee above
mentioned ; and the dilemma was rather amusing, though
we had quite enough of it before our time expired.
The comfort of our breakfast was further diminished
by the discovery that there was no sugar, and the milk
was too sour to be brought to table : but we had a plea-
sant morning, lunching at twelve and dining at three ;
for though the necessity of washing up after a meal is
some drawback to its enjoyment, the calls of hunger in
that mountain region were not to be gainsayed. We
had a cup of tea at five, and then went for a ramble up
the peak behind the bungalow. The air was delightfully
fresh ; indeed it blew so strongly round the heights as to
necessitate great caution as we crept round the narrow
ledges, holding by the wall of rock. It is difficult to
give any idea of the boldness of the crags which crest
some of these peaks. Many of the upright blocks of
stone are from twelve to twenty feet in height, and of
the most abrupt and eccentric form. I felt quite the old
exhilaration of spirits that reminded me of Malvern days,
and only longed for the friend whose society had lent to
those rambles their special charm. We stayed till the moon
288 UPLAND.
rose, and then picked our waj carefollj down, under
Bowhanie's vigilant escort.
The wind rose furiously in the night, and there was
another wild " tuphan " next day, so we began to hope
that the rains had set in exceptionally early, and that we
should find the plains cooler on our return. Our last
night on the hills was really so cold as to hinder our
sleeping, and we felt little disposed to rise early and
prepare for our departure. The coolies had been waiting
since the previous evening, and by the time our packing
was done, and the hill servants paid, it was nearly nine
o'clock. We got into our dandies very reluctantly^ and
began the descent, gazing with lingering eyes at the
wooded heights to which we were bidding a long faro-
well. The journey down was accomplished in about two
hours, without difficulty or inconvenience, except from
the intense heat, which soon began to make itself felt;
and we found ourselves again at the wretched little
bungalow where we had passed so many hours before.
Our dawk was ordered for three, but it had been neces-
sary to come down early to avoid the full power of the
sun, and the hours of waiting were diversified by another
furious hurricane, wind, rain, thunder, and the largest
hailstones I ever saw. We started in a temporary lull,
but there was the greatest difficulty in getting the horse
to draw us over the bit of soft ground in front of the
bungalow. I rather pitied him at first, for it was really
heavy work, but he was just as bad on the hard road,
standing still, kicking, trying to roll us over, then going
a few paces, and repeating the same round of performances,
in spite of the utmost exertions of the driver, Bowhanie^
and the syce. At last he came to an obstinate pause, on
such a slope that the carriage would roll back, in spite of
stones behind the wheels, and we got out and walked up
the hill, notwithstanding the wet; preferring damp feet to
. nCKIC LIFE ON PABI8NATH. 289
«
the risk of broken limbs. Almost every fresh horse
favoured us with similar performances, so we walked at
intervals till night fall, when Bowhanie again interposed
with convincing arguments about the wild beasts. So
we yielded, and thenceforth bore the vagaries of the
successive steeds as best we might.
We stopped to try and get tea at Tope Chauncy, bnt
there was no fire lighted, and the man was so long
making ready that we dared not wait, feeling that we
must allow a wide margin for possible delays with the
horses, as it would not do to miss the one train of the
day. So we were soon on the road again, and the tedious
night journey began.
Except for the heat it would have been very pleasant,
for the moonlight was almost as clear as day, and the
scenery of the first part of the journey very beautiful j
but the heat was stifling, and of course we felt it all the
more intensely after the delightful atmosphere we had
left.
It was about four in the morning when we reached
the Barrakur river, and a number of coolies immediately
surrounded us, and unharnessing the horse, proceeded to
push our carriage along a very insecure tramway into a
large ferry boat. As this was something quite unex-
pected, we required an explanation, and found that the
rains in the hills had swelled the river so suddenly as to
carry away the bridge. Upon the whole it was a plea-
sant change, for we got out of the gharry in the ferry
boat, and sat enjoymg the moonlight on the water.
ITien they unshipped us again, and, with tremendous
exertion, pushed the carriage up a steep sandy bank.
For all this, including a vast amount of noise, the charge
was eight annas (a shilling) between them.
We were now not far from the Barrakur Station,
where we unloaded, undressed and bathed, and then,
19
290 UPLAND.
rather refreshed^ but still very weary, spread our pillows
and bundles on the floor of the waiting-room, and tried
to get a nap before the train started.
We were not off till half-past six, before which we
managed to get hot water for a cup of tea, to help os
through the miseries of the day. But the rest of the
return journey was simply wretched. The heat was
inconceivable, literally soaking everything we wore ; and
the only refreshment to be had, except at one station,
where we got some plantains, was water of very question-
able quality.
Utterly worn down at last, we spread some pillows ou
the seat, and slept the sleep of sheer exhaustion; bat
the longest day wears to a close, and at last we reached
Howrah. Then came the rush to the ferry steamer, the
loading our possessions on a gharry on the other side,
and the slow drive home, which we reached with very
weary bodies and very thankful heai'ts.
So ended my only visit to any of the northern hills ;
for Darjeeling and Simla, the two usual places of resort,
were both too far away and too expensive to suit my
engagements or my means. I never even saw the snowy
range of the Himalayas ; but their beauties are compara-
tively well known ; while few, even among old residents
in Calcutta, have any idea of the delightful atmosphere and
scenery that he so much nearer to them at Parisnath. I
have heard since that the bungalow is fast falling to
decay, so there is now no shelter for an English visitor
in the wild recesses of the sacred mountain; but its
memory will be " a joy for ever," among the pleasant
party whose adventures I have briefly chronicled.
291
if^berlanlr |J|ome ^gam.
CALCUTTA TO SUEZ.
At last, afler some years of varied experience in India,
all was settled for my return; and the hour so long
dreamed of by day and night arrived. At 8.30 a.m.,
January 18th, 187 — , I went on board, after many a sad
farewell. A large party of friends had assembled to see me
off; and bright as was the homeward prospect, it was not
without many regrets that I watched the crowd of familiar
faces grow dim in the distance as the ship swung round.
Bishop's College claimed a last look for the sake of many
pleasant memories, as it stood out bright and clear under
the morning sunshine; and when all was out of sight,
except the flat banks of the Hooghly, I began to realize,
as I had never done before, the parting of many ties that
had wound themselves very closely round me.
Happily, I had introductions to a large family party
on board; and their frank kindness saved me from the
isense of loneliness which is one of the most trying parts
of a long voyage among strangers.
Contrary to expectation, we just missed getting over
the bar the first day, and had to lie at anchor till morn-
ing. The pilot left us at the Sandheads about noon, and
the ship stopped for some time^ and lay heaving on
292 OVEKLAUD HOME AGAIN.
the gleaming sea to the extreme discomposure of many of
the passengers. After dinner, however, things were
better ; and deck croquet was introduced, and kept up
with spirit until dusk, when it gave place to the usual
round of promenading on deck, and chess and card-
playing below.
The next day was tolerable, but the fourth was one of
utter misery, all the ladies and most of the children ill ;
and we were heartily rejoiced to cast anchor at Madras
before breakfast the next morning. It was terribly hot,
but otherwise the absence of motion was a great relief;
and as I knew quite enough of this delightful town, I with-
stood all invitations to go ashore. The usual army of
petty traders came on board with embroidered muslins
and tussa silks, ices, baskets, shells, sea-horses, and other
curiosities ; besides snake-charmers and jugglers, who
performed for the benefit of the children : but these ha^e
been already mentioned in the outward voyage.
After dinner, the ship was dressed with flags in
honour of the nabob of Arcot, who W€W coming on board
with some of his wives, to go with us to Suez on their way
to Mecca. There was also a grand ceremonial on shore
at Jiis departure ; and the captain was officially requested
to arrange that the three ladies might be embarked in
their palankeens secure from prying eyes. Accordingly
the cargo gangway was opened, and most of the pas-
sengers ranged themselves along the side of the ship to
witness the novel spectacle.
First came one of the droll little catamarans for which
Madras is famous, consisting simply of three narrow logs
of wood tied together with cocoa-nut rope. Upon this
rude raft, about eighteen inches wide, a .single man kneels
and paddles along, with his legs doubled under him.
Generally he wears a sort of fooPs cap of oilskin^ in
which he carries letters or parcels^ it being the only diy
CALCUTTA TO SUEZ. 293
place about him ; and sometimes tlie raft is larger and
holds two. On this occasion, however, it was a small
catamaran which acted as outrider, carrying a tiny flag
stuck up in front. Next came a lar^e surf boat with
about fifteen boatmen, containing a palankeen shut up^
and closely covered with crimson drapery. A stout rope
was tied round it, and into this the hook used in hoisting
cargo was inserted ; and so the luckless lady within was
swung into mid air, and got on board, where she was
carried, still shut up, to her cabin. Another followed,
and then another ; and those who know what the swell is
in Madras roads may imagine what must have been the
sensations of these unfortunate women, enduring it in
stifling darkness, with the aggravation of the final swing-
ing in mid air.
A host of attendants scrambled on board after the
palankeens ; then came the port boat, with two Englisl:
ofiicials and the nabob himself, accompanied by some Oi
his relations, and a number of gaily dressed followers.
He was helped out, and they swarmed up the gangway
ladder after him, clinging and climbing like so many
monkeys. Indeed, it was no easy matter in the swell to
effect the transit from boat to ship.
The nabob was a stout, coarse-looking man, dressed
in a red fez, wide sea-green silk trousers, and a muslin
dress with a short- wais ted plaited bodice, such as our
grandmothers used to wear ; the full skirt reaching to his
feet, which were encased in peaked yellow slippers.
Two others were similarly attired, but a third, who spoke
English, and said he was a relation of the nabob, took
pains to point out our distinguished fellow traveller and
introduce him to us.
He soon went down to look at the accommodation
provided for his family, and then came back to say fare-
well to those of his suit« who were about to return on
291 OVEBLAND HOME AGAIN.
shore. Their parting salntation was very droll. Each
man^ in tam^ came to him as he stood on deck, and bent
horizontally till his head touched the nabob's waist ; then
the latter leaned over him in what was supposed to be
an attitude of benediction, but the effect was decidedly
ludicrous. When the leave-taking was over, the prince
took his seat on the quarter-deck, and we entered
into conversation with him. He talked English very
fairly, and seemed pleased to do so, and to accept our
offer to visit the ladies when they were prepared to
see us. The rest of the evening was spent as usual,
and we had a quiet night in the harbour, waiting for the
mails.
Next day was Sunday^ but the morning was a very
bustling one, owing to the preparations for starting, the
shipping of the mails, and the departure of such of the
princess attendants as were not required to accompany
him further. Some performed the same reverence as
their companions had done the previous evening, others
stooped to kiss his feet, and some he embraced, literally
falling on their necks and kissing them. At last,
however, the leave-taking was over; and as soon as
we were off, the bell rang for service, which was read
by one of the officers, as we had no clergyman on
board.
Later in the day I went with two other ladies to see
the Mahometan princesses, but it was not a satisfactory
visit. I trusted to my companions' knowledge of Hin-
dostani, but soon found that they knew little more than
myself; and there was reason to fear that, after all, our
visit might be attributed rather to idle curiosity than to
any real interest or kindliness. The principal begum
sat on the side of her berth, looking sick and miserable ;
a second was fast asleep in another berth, and there were
one or two attendants also in the cabin, and about the
CALCUTTA TO SUEZ. 295
door, 80 we were decidedly de trop. The chief lady was
an interesting-looking woman, with fine melancholy eyes,
not young, and evidently anything but comfortable in her
first day on the '' black water/' For us, upon the whole,
it was far more Sabbatical than might have been
anticipated from the morning's bustle and the general
tone of the society on board, which included some noisy
and disagreeable individuals.
After one more day of general sea-sickness and dis-
comfort, the shores of Ceylon became visible early on
Tuesday morning; and we anchored, about 10 a.m., in the
beautiful but unsafe harbour of Galle. Here we were to
remain about thirty hours, and I intended going ashore
in the course of the day with some of my friends, but a
heavy squall of rain came on just as they were starting ;
and this, together with the subsequent heat and glare
ashore, and the comparative coolness and shade of the
ship, decided me to postpone my expedition to Buonavista
till early on the morrow. The day was idly spent in
listening to the bargaining of others with the tortoise-
shell and jewel merchants who came on board ; for they
asked such exorbitant prices, and required so much beat-
ing down, that I really had not the energy to cope with
them.
None of the ladies felt disposed to accompany me next
morning in the long drive to the orphanage which I had
visited on my outward route ; so 1 started alone, about half-
past seven, in a boat which the chief officer kindly secured
for me. There are two kinds of boat in use here— one the
ordinary shape, large enough for several passengers, and
the other a most peculiar craft, long and narrow, and
standing fully two feet out of the water, with perpendicular
sides just wide enough for one's legs, the seats projecting
beyond. It looks a most '' tippy '' structure, but two
curved bamboos project from the top on one side, and
296 OVXRLAUD HOm AGAIN.
support a log of wood which lies on the water, and so
balances this extraordinary vessel as to secure it against
the possibility of upset.
The boat I started in was an ordinary wide one, and
the owner was very unwilling to set off with a single
passenger. The officer^s orders were, however, peremp-
tory ; and I was particularly enjoined not to give the
boatman more than sixpence, his legitimate fare. Scarcely
had we started, however, when he began, in very im-
perfect English, to demand exorbitant payment — two,
four, six rupees, etc. I answered, once or twice, that I
should give what was right ; and then, as he reiterated
his demands with increasing boldness, said, " Chup,"
and took no further notice till we got to the landing
place. When I was safely on shore I gave him the six-
pence, which he immediately tossed into the sea with a
gesture of the utmost insolence ; and followed me, de-
manding more. I told him I should not give another pice,
and called a carriage, but the impudent fellow instantly
jumped on the back seat, and continued his demand as
the carriage rolled along.
I was determined not to be frightened into yielding ;
so on passing a native policeman, I stopped the carriage,
and asked him to interfere ; explaining the case in the
best Hindostani I could muster. He detained the man
while the carriage drove on ; but he soon managed to over-
take it, and sprang up behind again, with a most vindictive
expression of countenance. I really began to fear I
should never get rid of him ; but at last we drove under
an archway, where, to my great joy, there stood an
English sentry or policeman on guard. When he heard
the case,' he explained that as I came in the large boat
alone, the proper fare was a shilling : so I got him to
give me change, and bestowed upon my tormentor the
remaining sixpence^ leaving him to the delightfnl refleo-
CALCUTTA TO SUEZ. 297
tion that he had thrown half his fare away^ and had all
his trouble for nothing.
The policeman kept him from following farther ; and
the drive, freed from his haunting presence, was a truly
delightful one, the fresh morning breeze, the clearness of
the air, and the lovely scenery being doubly welcome
after the miseries of the steamer. The Ceylon carriages
are very pleasant, like a low, light dogcart, with an awn-
ing over the top, and each has a boy attendant, as well
as the driver. Mine happened to be a very intelligent
sprite, and only needed very slight encouragement to
chatter all the while in very fair English, pointing out
everything that he thought interesting. He told me,
among other information, that he was a Wesleyan, and
that most of the people in his village were also Christians.
The governor. Sir Hercules Robinson, liad lately made a
progress round the island, and pretty arches, made of
bamboo, and tastefully decorated with young palm leaves,
were still standing at the entrance of the different roads.
After a drive of perhaps a couple of miles, I had to
leave the carriage and walk up the hill, taking the boy as
guide. No language can describe the series of lovely
views that opened at every turn of the steep zigzag path.
•The undulations of hill and valley, clothed with the
richest vegetation, were endless ; and over all shone the
intense brilliancy of the tropical sun, while the waters of
the harbour below were of the deepest sapphire blue. On
we went past the schools, up to the padre's house, where
the brother of my missionary friend was duly installed ;
and the mention of my former visit with him procured
me a cordial welcome from both the clergyman and his
wife. After a while we had breakfast, and then a long
and interesting talk over missionary and schoolwork in
various parts of India.
At tiffin, I tasted, for the first time, the very perfection
29S OVEBIAKD HOME AGAIN.
of curry — curry, refined and idealized into veritable am-
brosia, chicken and breadfruit, stewed in cocoa-nut milk
with spices. Afterwards we went over the schools, and
looked at the lace and embroidery made by the orphan
girls. About thirty Cingalese children were thus em-
ployed, all looking clean and happy, and the embroidery
was beautifully neat. Then we descended the hill, gather-
ing wild flowers and ferns among thickets of lantana and
wild rhododendron, the former growing in troublesome
profusion all over this part of the island.
We just looked into the boys' school, but did not
stay ; as I was anxious about getting down to the steamer
in time, and it is always necessary in India to allow a
large margin for unforeseen delays. Fortunately, nothing
untoward happened, and I reached the landing place
safely ; paid off my civil driver and boy (four shillings
and sixpence for six hours and a half), and embarked in
one of the strange little outriggers above described.
There was only just room to sit, but one felt perfectly
safe, though the little vessel danced up and down upon
the waves in a rather exciting manner. When I got on
board people were still driving their endless bargains for
tortoise-shell combs, brooches, and chains, and my enor-
mous bunch of flowers created quite a sensation. Some
of the tortoise-shell chains were very pretty, of a pure,
bright amber colour, but for these a high price was
maintained. After all, we did not start till dinner-time,
and then a long walk on deck, and some games at chess
closed a very pleasant day.
The next was one of unmitigated misery till the late
dinner, which, as usual, revived most of the invalids.
The ship had begun to roll in the night, so all the ports
had to be shut ; but it was pleasant, after sunset, to sit
in the gangway in the cool breeze, and watch the phos-
phorescent insects gleaming in the water like fallen stars.
CALCUTTA TO SUEZ. 299
The whole of the next week passed much in the same
way, varied only by the Sunday muster of the motley
crew, and by occasional visits to the doctor's cabin,
where he exhibited some of the phosphorescent animal-
culae through a capital microscope. One unpleasant
incident, however, must not be passed over, because it
is a specimen of conduct only too common among our
countrymen abroad.
The poor Mahometan ladies, who, though first-class
passengers, were close prisoners to their cabins, expressed
a wish through their husbands to see the general saloon,
and the captain accordingly made arrangements for them.
About half-past nine in the morning, when all the gentle-
men were smoking or walking on deck, he gave orders that
the passages leading to their cabins, which were all forward,
should be cleared of men, and that when the ladies had
entered the saloon, the stewards should guard the doors
till they retired. Most of the English ladies came down
to receive them, and were pleased to answer their ques-
tions ; while it was, of course, a great treat to the poor im-
prisoned creatures to have a little exercise and a sight so
novel as the large saloon, with its pretty gilded cornices
and curtained doorways. But one or two of the gentlemen,
hearing what was going on, out of sheer mischief and in-
solence, insisted upon their right to enter the saloon at any
time, and forced their way in, in spite of the remonstrances
of the stewards on guard. One contented himself with
walking through to his wife^s cabin, but the other sat
down and refused to stir. Fortunately the nabob^s family
had retired ; and there was only in the saloon the pretty,
bright, young wife of a rich Arab merchant and ship
owner, with her husband, children, and attendants. The
husband went up to the intruder and politely asked him
to retire for a few minutes, while his wife, who was then
looking at the ladies^ baths, passed out. The Englishman
300 OYSSLAND HOKS AGAIN.
flatly reftised, and blustered loudly in Hindostani and
English, while the Arab stood entreating him, with
clasped bauds, not to inflict upon him such a dishonour.
The indignation of the ladies present only added to the
fellow's dogged rudeness ; and finally the stewardesses
managed to hold up a long curtain, and screen the exit
of the Arab lady by a side door. The husband evidently
felt the insult deeply; and was really grateful for the
courtesy of the English ladies, who accompanied his wife
back to her cabin, and admired her children and her
jewels there. Though so young abd pretty she had five
children, the eldest a slim intelligent-looking boy of
eight or ten years old.
This episode occurring in a first-class passenger ship,
where all the weight of public opinion was against the
ofiender, gives one some idea of the lengths to which
Englishmen may go in secluded districts of India, where
no such restraint is felt. If native ladies of rank and
position, travelling as first-class passengers, could not
leave their cabins under the protection of the captain's
word, without being subject to what was in their eyes one
of the grossest insults, there is surely reason to fear that
deadlier ofiences still too often disgrace our countrymen
in remote up-country stations.
Another day, the nabob, who usually had his meals
prepared by his own attendants, and served in his cabin,
came down to dinner, and sat next to me. He seemed
pleased to be talked to, but ate nothing, except cheese
and pastry, informing us that it was unlawfiil for a
Mussulman to partake of animal food, unless it had been
slaughtered in the name of God.
ITie seventeenth day of the voyage brought us to
Aden, where we were saluted by great guns from the
fort. It was curious to watch the smoke curling away
before the report was heard^ and pretty to see the tall
CALCUTTA TO SUEZ. 801
fountains thrown up by the ricochet shot with which they
were practising at another battery. Numbers of ring-
leted Arabs came on deck, even before breakfast; and
before the morning was over, they had disposed of scores
of ostrich feathers, and considerable quantities of the
pure white coral which is common here. A shoal of
divers, as usual, crowded round the ship; and if the
smallest piece of money was thrown overboard, there was
an instantaneous plunge of a dozen after it, and a
moment's confusion of legs and upturned feet at various
depths in the clear water, terminating in the triumphant
reappearance of the fortunate diver, and the clamours of
the whole group for another trial.
The morning was spent mostly in watching them, and
in bargaining, and after tiffin I went ashore with some of
my friends. It was terribly hot the little way we had
to walk before we could get a carriage ; and when we did
secure one, it was an extremely antiquated vehicle, with a
tilt, and leather curtains to roll up all round. We went,
of course, to the post-office, and then to the cantonments,
which are about five miles away. The road skirted the
shore by the different coal depots, and the sea looked very
lovely, with its deep blue just broken by a few rocky
islets and some steamers lying at anchor. On the other
side of the road, the bare, dark peaks of curiously jagged
and honey-combed rock rose almost perpendicularly,
reflecting a scorching heat ; though the breeze blow cool
and fresh from the sea. Nothing can exceed the arid
bareness of this terrible plac^. We did not see a blade
of grass in a drive of ten miles ; and literally the only
green thing, or trace of vegetation, except at the tanks,
was wild mignonette, which grew in large tufts here and
there on the channelled surface of the rocks.
The road is very good, but a little steep in one or two
places ; and just as we got to the foot of the hill which
302 OVEBLAND HOICS AOAHT.
leads to the cantonments^ one of onr wheels came to utter
destruction. The accident might have been serious^ for
it would have been highly dangerous for us to attempt to
walk in the sun : but fortunately another hack carriage
was behind ; and the occupant^ a Parsee^ who truly deserved
the name of gentleman^ gave it up to us^ and walked up
the hill himself. His courtesy^ to absolute strangers of an
alien race^ struck us the more by contrast to the English
insolence described above. The carriage was even smaller
than our own had been ; so^ as soon as we reached the top^
the gentleman who was with us secured a gallant little
black donkey, which he bestrode for the rest of the
excursion, being fortunately provided with a solah hat.
The entrance to the fortifications is by a strong arched
gateway across the foot of a narrow pass, cut through
rock forty feet high. The gorge is fine, and the shade
delightful ; and on the other side there is an extensive
view down a steep decline, and over the cantonments to
the background of wild rocks that shuts them in on every
side. The cantonments, native and European, form alto-
gether quite a town; and beyond them lie the tanks^
which are very ancient, some say of Eoman^ and some of
Arab construction, but lately restored by the English.
They form a system of reservoirs, paved and lined with
cement, and the rain, when it falls, is conducted to them
by low walls, which serve to guide the water down the
slopes of the cliffs. But at the time of our visit it had
not rained for more than twelve months, and there was
not a drop of water in the tanks. Men were drawing it
from immensely deep wells for the trees and shrubs which
are planted round the reservoirs, each with a large hollow
round it to retain the moisture ; and thus cared for, they
flourish well.
We sat some time in the shadow of a rock, and then
drove down again another way^ passing through some
CALCUTZA TO SUSZ. 303
long tannels cot throagh the snrronnding peaks, which
form the entrance to the artillery position. The whole
post appears absolutely impregnable, at least to unpro-
fessional eyes ; and we were well satisfied with our expedi-
tion, though not sorry to find ourselves again on board.
The fortress and district of Aden were obtained from the
local Arab ruler in 1839, partly by force and partly by
payment ; and the population now exceeds 20,000, much
of the trade of other Red Sea ports having been trans-
ferred to it, in consequence of the greater freedom and
security arising from British protection.
Four days afterwards we passed the island of Shadwan,
the scene of the " Carnatic's " disaster, and saw where
divers were searching for its remains. The island is a bare
mass of reddish rock, absolutely destitute of vegetation,
and, even apart from any danger of marauding Arabs,
holds out a fearful prospect to the shipwrecked passenger.
304
ii
SUEZ AND CAIBO.
Early in the mormng of Feb. 10th we saw land on both
sides, and anchored at Suez about 8. The water was,
however, too low to admit of our landing till about two
o^clock, when the ship was brought up to the main quay
so that we could walk ashore. The morning was of
course a time of great bustle and excitement. The
nabob came out in magnificent style, a wonderful con-
trast to his every day costume, which consisted of smok-
ing cap, loose shabby silk trousers, with a shirt worn
outside, and a woollen knitted jacket overall, bare legs
and yellow slippers. Now he wore shoes and stockings,
new silk trousers, a long tunic of pale lavender moir^
antique, delicately embroidered with gold thread, and a
magnificent shawl turban stiff with gold enabroidery.
As we were waiting on deck, he expressed great admira-
tion of some showy wool work on which one of my
friends was employed, and she asked him if his ladies
ever did anything of that sort. His answer was a con-
temptuous negative, adding that they knew nothing but
to eat and sleep. He shook hands with us all at part-
ing, and gave the captain a handsome shawl in recog-
nition of his courtesy.
At last after tiffin we got off, amid such a confasion
of children and luggage as one seldom sees. We had
SUEZ AND CAIRO. 305
about a hundred yards to walk to the train^ and consider-
able difficulty in stowing ourselves and our goods for the
short journey whidii brought us almost to the doors of
the Suez hotel.
Meaning to stay the nighty I at once engaged a room,
the coolness and quietude of which were a great comfort.
The other ladies had to sit in the pretty, but hot, court in
the midst of ceaseless confusion, or to go up to the
common sitting-room, which was made almost unen-
durable by the noise of the children, and the insolent
bravado of our insufferable fellow-passenger. He had
taken it into his head to persecute one or two of the
ladies with most offensive attentions, and if any one took
no notice of him, he had a stereotyped formula of
remonstrance after this wise — " Why won't you talk ?
Why don't you like me ? I am stronger than most men ;
I have read more and seen more of life, and travelled
more than most. I have picked up scoriae on the slopes
of Vesuvius, trod the resurrectionized streets of Pompeii,
and heard high mass at St. Peter's at Rome. I could
lick any man in the ship at billiards or at chess, and the
' Saturday Review ' says that any one who can play well
at both must be in a sound state of mind and body,"
and so on, repeated ad nauseam. We were very glad
when the dinner-bell relieved us of his presence, and
soon after dinner the preparations for departure com-
menced.
I went down to the train with my friends who were
bound for Brindisi ; my own intention being to proceed
the next day to Cairo, in order to see something of
Egypt. We had to wait a long time, pestered by Arab
orange boys, pipe-sellers, fez merchants, etc., etc., but at
last the train came up, and we parted with many regrets.
I went back in the chill of the evening to my lonely
room, sadly missing the bright companions of the last
20
306 OVERLAND HOME AGAIN.
few weeks, and spent the rest of the time in writing
letters to precede me home.
The train for Cairo started soon after seven the next
morning, and at the station there was no one who
could speak an intelligible tongue. I tried English and
French, and in despair even resorted to Hindostani, ahke
in vain ; but by dint of persistence I got myself and my
baggage settled at last, in the same carriage with an
elderly gentleman who had come with us from Ceylon,
and three Americans who were evidently *' doing Egypt "
regardless of expense. We sat, without the chance of a
moment's change, from eight o'clock till nearly two ; and
the glare of the sandy desert, through which part of our
route lay, was very trying. The fresh-water canal ran
by the side of the line for a considerable distance, and
we could see the great Suez Canal, and the Bitter Lakes,
with steamers on them at a distance, the water looking
most intensely blue. Just bordering the fresh water was
a fringe of vegetation, chiefly tamarisks and reeds ; but
the desert expanse of drifting sand is indescribably
dreary after the first novelty is over. The only living
creatures visible were locusts, which flitted about in
considerable numbers, even in districts where there did
not seem to be a blade of grass or a green leaf. After
about four hours' journey, we got into the Nile valley,
which with its rich and vivid colouring was a delightful
change.
About two we stopped at Zagazig to have some
refreshment, and then changed trains for Cairo — our
American companions leaving us at Ismalia to proceed
by steamer through the great canal. When we started
again, there was a curious mixture of nationalities in the
compartment. Two Arab merchants, a pretty Spanish
actress accompanied by an Italian gentleman, an English-
man from Australia, an Eoglishwoman from India^ and a
SUEZ AND CAIRO. 307
Scotch doctor settled in Egypt, who was returning to
his home in Cairo, composed the oddly assorted company.
We reached that city about five, and after some
delay, with the luggage, my fellow-traveller and I found
ourselves in the onmibus bound for the Hotel du Nil,
which had been strongly recommended to me. If this
had not been the case, we should probably have turned
back ifi disgust at the unfavourable approach. All the
Cairo streets are narrow, but at last we turned into a
narrower still, and then arriving at a narrowest — a gully
not wide enough for even a single carriage — had to pro-
ceed on foot, with oar baggage borne by clamorous natives
down a steep unpaved passage, crowded with donkeys
and children, and then pass under two low archways
to the entrance. Once inside we found the hotel not
unlike the old Bras d'Or at Trouville, only consider-
ably larger ; built as a quadrangle round a large court full
of palms and other tropical plants, with a small reading-
room in the middle.
We were just in time to dress for the half-past six
o'clock dinner at the table d'hote, where I happily made
the acquaintance of some delightful people, whose society
subsequently proved one of the greatest advantages
I enjoyed at Cairo. Finding that we had mutual friends
in Calcutta, they invited me to their room for the
evening coffee, and this was the first of many pleasant
hours. As they had been already a fortnight in Cairo,
and were quite at home at the Hotel du Nil, their direc-
tions as to sight-seeing, et<c., were very valuable, and
we visited together some of the most interesting places.
The regular hours of the hotel were as follows : —
Early breakfast at 7.30 consisted of capital coffee, bread
and butter, and eggs cooked in various ways; and a
second most substantial breakfast at noon, and a capital
dinner and coffee at night, made up the list of meals ;
308 OVERLAND HOME AGAIN.
for wliich, with lights, attendance, and a comfortable
bed-r<jom, the charge was twelve shillings a day.
At nine the next morning Mrs. V came to my
room, and arranged for me to accompany them to the
museum at Boulac, where there is a choice collection of
Egyptian antiquities, beautifully arranged. The excur-
sion was performed on donkeys, the almost universal
mode of transit in Cairo, where the streets are so narrow,
dirty, and crowded, that driving is in many parts impos-
sible, and walking far from pleasant. Many are not wide
enough for a single carriage, and the archways too low
for a man on horseback ; bat a donkey can go almost
anywhere.
But how shall I attempt to describe these indescrib-
able Cairo streets ? with their tall houses shutting out
the sun, and in some places overlaid with boards from
roof to roof, so as to cover in the thoroughfare ; their
dingy little shops like cupboards in the walls; their
curious carved casements put on any how outside the
houses ; and the swarming population below — Egyptians,
Turks, Jews, Syrians, Greeks, Abyssinians, Arabs, and
Franks — men in fezes, men in turbans, men in hats, men
in trousers, men in petticoats, men in baggy Greek nether
garments — with bare legs, with boots, and with peaked
red or yellow slippers — richly dressed officials, on hand-
somely caparisoned horses, ragged donkey-boys, and
strings of camels. The latter are very troublesome tt)
pedestrians, they follow one so noiselessly, and walk over
one so unconcernedly ; whereas donkeys show some degree
of consideration, and carriages are generally preceded by
running footmen to clear the way. Footpaths there are
none; so this precaution is an absolute necessity. The
women of the upper classes wear wide trousers, yellow
leather stockings, and black shoes, with a large shapeless
black fiilk garment over all, and a face veil that only shows
SUEZ TO CAIRO. 309
the eyes ; and those of lower rank are wrapped entirely in
dark blue cotton, with a frontlet like a set of brass thimbles
between their eyes. Inconvenient and disfiguring as arc
these disguises, it is quite refreshing, after a sojourn in
India, to see respectable women enjoying any liberty of
locomotion at all.
Then the museum was so full of incredible things !
Tools handled by masons who lived before Joseph were
sold here ; a palette with the colours still distinguishable
that were spread while Abraham was a living mui ; and
mythological emblems full of deep spiritual trath, that
seemed to pierce farther into the abyss of futurity than
even Hebrew prophets dived, strangely mingled with the
relics of debasing superstition.
We had only time to go through two rooms, as my
friends were no cursory students, and it was necessary to
return to breakfast. After this, wo started for another
expedition, through a long series of quaint, narrow streets,
up to the citadel, which is said to have been founded by
Saladin in 1176. It contains the nunt and arsenal, one
of the pacha's palaces, a deep well called Joseph's well,
and a grand mosque built by Mehemet Ali. The latter is
a magnificent specimen of a gaudy, meretricious style,
built almost entirely, as well as paved, with yellow-veined
marble, and effective in size and proportion, as well as in
material and workmanship. It is nearly square, the roof
one great central dome, surrounded by four large half
domes, with smaller whole ones in the corners, all gor-
geous with tracery in dark enamel and gold, and rich
with colour. The old chieFs tomb is in a splendid square
chapel in one comer, covered with the richest and stiffest
gold embroidery. Outside are two slender minarets, and
u large court also paved with marble and surrounded by
a kind of cloisters. Devotees were washing at a central
fountain before going in to pray, and others were bowing
iSlO OYEBLAND HOME AGAIN.
their foreheads to the ground, and repeating their invoca-
tions inside.
From the outer court there is a fine view of the city
with its countless domes and minarets, and the pyramids
in the distance ; and close by is the enclosure where the
hapless Mameluke chiefs were trapped and shot down.
One leaped his horse over the battlements at a spot
pointed out to us — a sheer and terrible descent — and
efiected a truly miraculous escape.
The Pacha^s palace, which we also visited, is in
thoroughly French taste, but one of the rooms struck
us as singularly cool and pretty. It was lined and ceiled
with dark- green satin, and the blinds painted with
groups of white water-lilies, floating among their leaves.
Another was all amber satin ; and the great man's
bath-room was floored and fitted entirely with yellow
marble.
Our ascent to this commanding citadel had been by
a circuitous road ; but in returning, we rode our donkeys
down a long flight of steps, and continued the descent,
by some narrow lanes, out towards the tombs of the
Mamelukes. These form quite a city of sepulchres, but
in a shamefully neglected state. Some were richly
carved, others bore only the usual Mahometan sign —
the fez or turban carved on the headstone. Near was a
mosque-like building, containing the tombs of the Pacha's
family, where we were admitted on putting slippers over
our boots, the usual compromise when foreigners are
allowed to enter these sacred buildings.
There were, perhaps, twenty or thirty tombs in this
building, most of them in the gaudiest taste, carved and
painted with staring wreaths of immense pink roses and
other flowers ; but that of Ibrahim Pacha was really
splendid in its way. It is a great altar-shaped tomb in
three tiers, the highest being as large as an ordinary
SUEZ TO CAIRO. 31 1
tomb^ with high head and foot stones^ the former sar-
rounded by a grigantic head-dress ; but the splendour
consists in its being entirely covered with rich, dark blue
enamel, crusted all over with thick characters and devices
in gold.
I was very tired before we got back to the hotel, and
glad to lie down for an hour before dinner, and read
Miss Whately^s interesting account of " Ragged Life in
Egypt/* After dinner, I wrote up my journal, much tor-
mented by the fleas, which are the ever-present plague of
Egypt, and which literally hopped about my book as I
sat writing. It would be an unpardonable oversight to
dismiss these creatures with only cursory notice. Most
travellers in Northern Africa take the precaution to pro-
vide themselves with a supply of vermin powder 5 but
though this may diminish the evil, nothing can abolish it.
As to pursuing the enemy, it is a wild and futile waste of
time, for no amount of slaughter seems to have any effect
upon their numbers, and there is nothing for it but
stoical philosophy. The current statement that Egyptian
fleas are strong enough to kick one's hand open when
captured, may be safely dismissed as hyperbolical; but
assuredly they deserve to rank among the most notable
productions of a land fertile in wonders.
The next day, being Sunday, we went to church at
the Hotel Neuf, where a large ecclesiastical-looking room
is rented for the purpose, there being no English church
at Cairo. We walked, on principle, though it is rather a
precarious mode of transit for the reasons given above ;
but it was very pleasant that lovely morning, and so was
the revereat reading of the beautiful service, after the
three Sundays on board. The hymns and chants wore
accompanied by a good harmonium, well played by the
Consul's wife, and were sung with taste and spirit.
Altogether, it was a very delightful service, none the less
312 OVSRLAHD HOME AGAIN.
»o, perhaps^ becaase there was no sermon, the clergyman
being probably a new arrival and unprepared.
Going home^ amid the usual confusion of bipeds,
camels, horses, carriages, dogs, and donkeys, of which
last there are said to be 20,000 in the city, we met an
extraordinary funeral cortege. First a car, on which
stood a coffin, of which the pall was bhizoru^d with a
large yellow cross, with women in an ecclesiastical
uniform as pall-bearers ; and then a numerous procession
of men, marching four or five abreast, and singing at the
full power of their voices. It was good music, evidently
from some mass, and the effect in that narrow street was
veiy fine. We learnt afterwards, that it was the funeral
of an actress, belonging probably to the opera company ;
who after a previous ineffectual attempt at suicide had at
last succeeded in throwing herself from her window.
Directly after breakfast on Monday morning, I started
to see the Coptic and other churches. The Copts are the
descendants of the early Egyptian Christians, who pre-
serve their ancient faith, overlaid with much superstition ;
and a benevolent attempt, made by the present Bishop
of Calcutta on his way out, to establish fraternal relations
with their Patriarch, was completely frustrated by the
dense ignorance of the latter prelate. Their quarter is not
particularly picturesque, and as I went alone, with a donkey
boy who spoke but Httle English, my facilities for acquiring
information were but small ; but I was much interested
in a ceremonial which was proceeding in the church.
All the principal doors were shut, but we found an
entrance leading to a little chapel included in the main
building, but complete in itself, with doorways and
window places in its walls. Eound it was a narrow
space where the worshippers stood, one side being
screened off with close lattice- work for the women. In-
side the chapel were only the priest and his attendants —
SCIZ TO CAIEO. 313
the former a fine looking' man^ wearing a beautiful white
turban^ and a violet silk mantle over a white garment
embroidered with coloured flowers. His subordinates
were in ordinary dress with fezes or turbans.
On a large altar, which took up most of the middle
space was an oblong pix, and I found afterwards that a
mass was being celebrated for the patriarch lately
deceased. The priest opened the pix with much cere-
mony, and took out a kind of thick bun, which he
seemed to be manipulating a long while, mattering and
chanting, while the people responded loudly at intervals,
with every appearance of devotion. After this had gone
on for some time, he partook of it himself, and gave it
to the attendants, putting it into their mouths as they
stood before him. Then he elevated it in front of the
people, to whom he had hitherto turned his back, and
they all bowed. He afterwards carried it into the
women^s part, where I could not see what was done, and
finally brought it back and finished it himself, rubbing
his fingers round and round the plate, and sucking them
assiduously. Next he took the cup, with the contents of
which he had previously moistened the cake, and ad-
ministered the wine to himself and his attendants with a
spoon. He also drank from the cup, and two babies
being brought to the door of the chapel, he dipped his
finger in the wine, and allowed them to suck it off. I
am not sure whether he carried the cup also outside; but,
at all events, he emptied it himself, and then rubbed his
fingers repeatedly round it, disposing of the sacred mois-
ture in the same primitive fashion. Water was next
poured in, and he rinsed both cup and spoon, drinking
the water, and giving some to his companions. This
was repeated several times, and water then poured from
the cup into the plate, which was washed in like manner,
and the water drunk. Lastly, an attendant poured water
314 OVEBLAND HOME AGAIN.
over his hands^ and he took a handfiil^ and threw it up
into the air with a loud exclamation, after which the
people crowded up to the door of the chapel, and he
patted them on the cheek with his wet hands. This
salutation seemed to be much prized, and formed an
appropriate conclusion to one of the most extraordinary
religious services I ever witnessed.
My astonishment was great when the friends to whom
I minutely described the ceremony, told me that it
scarcely differed from some of the Ritualistic perform-
ances introduced into the Church of England during my
years of absence.
I inquired in vain of several people whether I could
see the church, but the want of common language was an
insuperable barrier, till I met with a young man who
spoke a little English, and took me in. It was a large,
bare-looking building, with a rude picture of the Mother
and Child, and one of St. Mark, a very high pulpit, and
a throne for the Patriarch, which was placed with its
back to the pulpit, facing towards the picture, an ar-
rangement which had a very singular effect. All round
the church, at a considerable height was a latticed gallery
for the women, and my guide informed me that after
confession, any one might receive the communion in both
kinds. To my great astonishment he refused to accept a
gratuity, from which unprecedented circumstance I could
only conjecture that he was a gentleman, and thanked him
accordingly, bestowing the money instead on a group of
blind beggars at the church door. In countries where
the style of dress is so different to our own as to afford no
clue to the wearer^s rank, and where ignorance of the
language precludes any judgment on that score, one is
occasionally liable to embarrassing mistakes of this kind.
After I had seen the church, my polite guide took me
to visit the schoolsj which were held within the same
8UEZ TO CAIRO. 315
precincts. In the first room were some thirty or forty
good sized boys learning the geography of Africa in
English from an English map ; in another were double
the number of little children learning their Coptic
alphabet; and in a third a large intermediate clas^^,
writing, etc. Altogether, I was very much interested
and pleased.
Then I remounted my patient steed and went to the
Greek church, where also the doors were closed ; but some
one to whom I applied took me to a large room near,
where two ecclesiastics in black gowns and high caps
were sitting, to one of whom I was presented as the
archbishop. He spoke French, and on my explaining
that I was an English stranger and wished to see the
church, he courteously gave directions that some one
should take me round. If my memory serves me rightly,
it is nearly square, supported by columns, and hung
with stiflf and pecuhar pictures all round the walls. But
the most striking objects is the screen which shuts off the
chancel. This is perhaps fifteen or twenty feet high, of
rich brass or gilt work, with large paintings of the
Apostles, the Annunciation, etc., let into the front, each
with a small copy of itself just below. Besides these
there were several very singular pictures, only the faces
and hands of which were painted ; the draperies, glories,
backgrounds, etc., of chased gold and silver, fitting round
them. Over the central opening in the screen hung a
head of the Saviour, in this style, apparently very ancient,
and the doorway was closed by a tapestried screen repre-
senting some scriptural subject. The attendant drew this
aside, and I was allowed to go up and look in. There
were several altars and pictures, but nothing very striking;
and immediately opposite the opening, where one would
expect the high altar to be, was the throne of the Patriarch.
When I got back after this visit to the churches, I
316 OVBBLAND HOME AGAIN.
found that Captain V had obtained an order firom
the consul to admit ns to El Azhar. This is a most
interesting mosque^ as old as Cairo itself^ and famed in
the earlier part of the middle ages as the great university
of the East. It used to be a very rich foundation, sup-
porting students from all parts of the world, and paying
large salaries to its staff of teachers ; but Mehemet Ali
con6scated the funds, and now the poor scholars are only
privileged to live in the outer courts of the mosque, and
receive a small daily or weekly dole of food, while the
professors teach for nothing, and support themselves by
other employments.
When we saw it, the mosque and its courts must have
contained more than a thousand people sitting in circles on
the ground, each class round the ulema or holy man who
was expounding the Koran. The students were not entirely
young — a large proportion being middle-aged men, who
were probably attending the classes as a religious duty.
They were very attentive, each with his ink horn at his
girdle, and a sheet of tin on which he made notes of the
lectures. A few years ago the intrusion of Christians, and
especially of females into this sacred spot, would have
raised a whirlwind of fanatical rage ; and even as it was we
should not have been safe without a cavass, or policeman,
a tall, fine-looking fellow sent by the consul, and armed
with a whip, who cleared our way majestically. My oom-
panioES took off their boots, but I preferred putting
slippers over mine, it being necessary to do either the
one or the other, to avoid defiling the holy places. I
had also borrowed a veil, so as not to intrude the abomi-
nation of the Moslems — an unveiled female face — before
them j but putting it up in a moment of forgetfulness, a
little excitement arose. The people began to hustle us, and
one or two small fragments of stone were thrown, rather
contemptuously than spitefully ; but as soon as it was
8nZ TO CAI80. 817
put down these manifestations ceased^ and we walked
through the crowd quite at ease. There is no beauty
about El Azhar. It is simply an immense court, where
crowds were sitting and lying about, sleeping or studying,
and then a large flat-roofed building supported by rows
of pillars, neither lofty, massive, nor impressive, but a
most interesting sight nevertheless. I am afraid it would
be long before fifty or sixty English professors would
lecture on their religion daily for many hours gratis,
supporting themselves meanwhile by other toils.
After El Azhar, we rode out again to Boulac, and
spent some hours in going carefully through the funeral
slabs and jewels, and some of the other rooms ; and after
our return, the reading of some most interesting unpub-
lished letters from Egypt finished a busy and instructive
day.
The next morning, I made arrangements early to start
for the petrified forest, Captain V kindly going with
me to engage an intelligent donkey-boy, and giving him
full directions where to take me. To my dismay, when
I summoned him an hour after, he refused to go, alleging
that the Bedouins were down in that part, and had robbed
an English gentleman, and it was not safe to take a lady
alone. Others corroborated the story, but I was most
unwilling to give up the expedition ; and finally, at the
landlord's suggestion, engaged the sheik of the donkey-
boys to be my escort. He was not afraid to go, and cer-
tainly, in case of need, he would have been a better pro-
tection than one of his lads, being a tall, stalwart man.
He spoke no English, but a little tolerably comprehensible
French ; so we got on pretty well.
The road lay through the tombs of the caliphs — quite
a city of the dead — then among low rocks and sand-hills,
and past some quarries out into the desert. This is not
here a flat expanse of sand, but a series of ranges of
818 OVERLAND HOME AGAIN.
rounded, rocky hills, with sandy flats between them. The
sand, in some parts, was loose and yielding ; in others,
as firm as a hard sea- beach, which^ indeed, it much resem-
bled, being thickly strewn with pebbles of cornelian, and
shells of the flat snail which feeds on the few thorny
plants about.
After a few miles, we began to see traces of the
singular phenomenon of which I was in search. Blocks
of fossil wood lay here and there, and the sand was strewn
for a long distance with chips, like the floor of a workshop,
the grain and texture of the wood being still perfectly
distinct. I dismounted and collected a number of speci-
mens, and even wandered quite out of sight of my steed
and his driver, to the top of one of the ranges, whence
there was a pretty glimpse of green fields and part of the
city in the distance. Except this, of which I soon lost
sight, there was not a trace of human presence anywhere ;
and I never felt so utterlv alone as in those few moments
in the sandy waste. The sun was hot, but the air delight-
fully fresh and pure ; and the only signs of life were an
occasional locust rustling through the air, and a few little
sand-coloured lizards darting swiftly from stone to stone.
Presently I rejoined my Arab, and remounting, plodded
on till I grew very hot and tired, and began to long for
the spot where I had been promised a lovely view of the
Nile valley, and pleasant shade for rest and luncheon.
Alas I I soon found that my guide knew nothing of the
locality, and could not find any place where fossil trunks
of trees lay in sufficient numbers really to deserve the
name of a petrified forest. He said it lay to the left, over
a distant white hill, and thither we trudged, noting by
the way a mysterious, distant object which somewhat
alarmed me, but which proved as we got nearer to be a
carriage and four with attendants. We passed it at a
considerable distance^ but when we reached the white
SUEZ TO CAIRO. 819
ridge, and my guide had to confess his ignorance and
turn back, it was standing directly in our road. I would
gladly have avoided the proximity, for, truth to tell, I
felt anything but an object for civilized inspection — hot,
tired, and dusty, with a hat on to which sun and spray
had done their worst; an old English waterproof that had
been travelled in and slept in, and gnawed by fish insects
through all my Indian journeys ; and a skirt on which
Cairo donkeys and camels, and the Egyptian population
in general, had trodden, till I sometimes doubted whether
any fragments of it would survive. However, there the
carriage stood, indubitably awaiting our approach ; and
when we came up to it, a tall, elderly, aristocratic- looking
man stepped out, and accosting me in French with the
most deferential politeness, informed me that the lady
within would be delighted if I would honour her with
my company back to the town. As for himself, he
would be charmed if I would permit him to ride my
donkey, and then we could have the carriage quite to
ourselves.
I need not say how welcome was the former part of
the proposition at such a moment ; but the sheik demurred
to the latter clause, on the ground that the animal in
question was too tired. So I was soon seated behind four
horses, beside a voluble Russian lady, with the gentleman,
who proved to be a distinguished Greek officer, as my
vis-d'Vis, The sheik, who was a much heavier roan,
mounted the donkey himself, as soon as he saw us seated,
and coolly rode it all the way back to town.
French was our only medium of communication, and
after we had compared our geological specimens and our
experiences of Cairo, and the lady found that I had come
from India, she was unwearied in her questions about the
country, climate, customs, religion, arts, etc. ; so we kept
up an animated conversation for the couple of hours or so
820 OVEBLAND HOME AQAIN.
that the drive lasted. They not only drove me to the
hotels but accompanied me in for a prolonged call ; and I
found that they had travelled through Upper Egypt, and
were going to spend a fortnight in Cairo : after which the
lady intended visiting Syria, Greece and Constantinople,
returning home by the Black Sea, and starting next year
for Italy, Spain, Algiers, and perhaps India and Cochin
China.
She was certainly an enterprising and intelligent
woman, and I much regretted that my limited time
forbade my returning her call, as she pressed me to do.
Altogether it was a most amusing and unexpected
rencontre.
When I was sitting afterwards in the garden with a
book, a coffin was carried downstairs, containing the
body of a foreign gentleman, who had been staying some
time in the hotel. It Vas enclosed in a sarcophagus Uke
outer coffin, with gilt feet and a large gilt cross on the
lid, round which hung a deep frill of laoe, and a festoon
of flowers.
I spent a very pleasant evening with my friends, who
were about to start for a long tour in the desert on the
morrow, and it was settled that as they intended pitching
their tent for the first few days under the shadow of the
Pyramids, I should take advantage of their hospitality to
spend a long day in seeing the wonders of that myste-
rious spot.
The early morning of the next day was spent in a
long visit to Miss Whately's most interesting schools,
which are much less known than they deserve to be. This
lady, one of the gifted daughters of the late Archbishop,
has devoted many years to independent missionary efforts
chiefly among the women and children of Cairo and its
neighbourhood; and much success has attended her
labours in this singularly unpromising field. She has
SUEZ TO CAIRO. 82
now upwards of 200 boys and girls in her schools^
comprising Arabs, Copts, Greeks and Syrians, whose
bright faces and intelligent answers bear their own
testimony to the Christian love and patient care that have
opened to them a way from the depths of ignorance and
degradation into the light and freedom of Christ's glorious
gospel.
After breakfast, having secured an intelligent donkey-
boy with more knowledge of English than most of his
fraternity, I started for Old Cairo. It was a long ride,
past Mehemet Ali's great aqueduct and the Pacha's palace
and gardens, through fields of sugar-cane and a large
plantation of huge cacti, cultivated for their figs, into a
quarter meaner, narrower, dirtier and quainter than
anything I had seen in the more modern city. My first
visit was to the old Coptic church, where a droll Uttle girl,
deeply marked with the small-pox, showed me strange
antiquated pictures and carvings, and I groped my way
by the light of a candle down a narrow flight of steps
under a low doorway, to a passage-like crypt, with seats
hollowed in the wall and marked with square crosses,
where tradition says that the Virgin and Child were con-
cealed during their stay in Egypt. Singularly enough
all parties seem to hold this spot sacred; Copts, Greeks,
Jews, and I believe two or three other religions having
places of worship only a few yards apart.
The Greek church is an extraordinary place. We
turned in as usual at a low doorway in a dead wall, andr
found ourselves in a filthy court, where we waited till
some one came with a primitive wooden key and opened
a door. Then we went in and out, up one flight of steps
after another, through passages, past bed-rooms and living
rooms, shelves of bread, and people cooking, into a little
chapel with a quaint carved shrine, inside which a lamp
bung burning before an eccentric painting of St. George,
21
322 0V2BLAND HOMB AGAIN.
or as they call him here^ St. Gorg, slaying the dragon.
Then the door commonicating with the church was
thrown open^ and displayed the usual chancel screen and
indeed the whole interior^ hung with extraordinary and
uncouth pictures. There were nine large paintings of
apostles, and St. Gorg again in a variety of forms — one
large picture of him surrounded by a framework of little
ones representing some twenty scenes of his life. There
were also a number more, out of which the only name I
could distinguish was that of St. Onofrio, framed like St.
Gorg, in a series of their own deeds. Altogether it was
exceedingly quaint and curious, and would have been very
interesting, had I had any satisfactory medium of com-
munication with my guide. As it was, I had to put my
questions in English to my Arab donkey-boy, who inter-
preted them in his own tongue to the attendant priest,
who I think answered in Greek, which was again rendered
into very imperfect English by the lad. So upon the
whole I had to depend mainly upon my own eyes.
Last I went to the synagogue, which two poor old
Jewish hags showed me. What language they spoke I
have no idea, but the utter poverty and desolation of the
little sanctuary were eloquent enough. They had nothing
to show but the sacred rolls of the law in their mystic
cases, a treasure indeed, and faithfully, though ignorantly
guarded ; but their abject poverty went to my heart, and
I gave them the largest backsheesh I had bestowed that
day.
I did not get back till after one, hot and tired, and
the public breakfast was over, but a very satisfactory
private edition was obligingly furnished and quickly
spread. As this was my last day at Cairo, I was anxious
to see all I could of the wonderful old city, so I started
again after a short rest to see the two grand ancient
mosques of Tooloon and Sultan Hassan. The former is
SUEZ TO CAIRO. 323
very different to any other we had seen. It is the oldest
building in Cairo, said to have been founded by Tooloon,
a governor of Egypt in the middle of the ninth century.
There is no cupola, and I think no minaret, or at least I
noticed none. The building consists of several parallel
naves, divided by flat pillars and round arches, sculp-
tured with genuine Moorish carving. In the side walls
were open-cut stone windows, many of them of very
beautiful and delicate workmanship, the interstices only
just large enough to admit a little light. The place
seemed totally deserted, and is apparently never used
for worship. The walls were scribbled over in many
places with rude charcoal drawings, and women accom-
panied me in — the first I had seen in any mosque. They
chattered freely, and evidently felt none of the reverence
I did for the grand old temple. Attached to it is a large
court, round which great numbers of poor are allowed to
live; and neither here nor in the mosque itself was I
required, as usual, to take off or cover my boots. In fact,
the women seemed chiefly anxious lest I should soil my
dress on the dusty floor ; but one grows indifferent about
this in Cairo, which is the place of all others for getting
one^s clothes trampled and torn.
Sultan Hassan's mosque is just below the citadel — a
magnificent, and I should think, ancient pile, which
struck me as being far loftier than any other. It looks as
massive as the Hving rock, and I should have thought
that nothing short of an earthquake could have rent such
walls, but some tremendous cracks show that there is
something seriously wrong. It is said to be built of
blocks taken from the Pyramids, and probably old Father
Time resents the spoliation of his elder children, and has
taken this method of marking his displeasure.
The entrance is up a steep flight of steps and through
a lofty entrance-hall, passing which, Hassan routed out a
324 OYK&IAND Hon AOADT.
pair of basket slippers from beliind a door^ in which I
pat my feet^ and managed to slide along into the conrt.
Here again was splendour in solitude and decay. A grand
square court of large extent, paved entirely with marble
mosaic work, beautiful still, though broken and uneven ;
and the central fountain desolate and dry, but exquisit'Cly
domed and arched, carved and inlaid. One solitary
worshipper was at his devotions Meccawards, and some
one came forward to let us into the mosque itself, which
struck me far more impressively than any of the others.
Built of dark-reddish stone and very lofty, the walls and
roof are almost bare of ornament, except where au
inscription in gigantic letters is carved round about mid-
way up the walls, proclaiming that there is but one God
and Mahomet his prophet ; and where the four comers of
the roof at the junction of the square with the dome melt
into fretted caves of wonderful rugged beauty,
ITie four mosques I saw in Cairo are all widely
different. Mehemet Ali's gorgeous and glittering; El
Azhar only interesting from its ancient fame and its
crowd of attendants and worshippers ; Tooloon majestic
with a certain stem, grave beauty even in decay, and
Sultan Hassan's gloriously grand, the most solemn and
touching of them all. I think that any one living in
Cairo might well come here to pray.
Going home, I rode very slowly through the streets,
thoroughly enjoying them for the last time. No descrip-
tion can do justice to these Cairo thoroughfares. A few
of the best are as wide as the thoroughfare of a back
street at home, but many will not admit even a single
carriage, and in some not even a horseman could pass.
The houses are lofty, and in the older quarters have
projecting upper stories, from which again project the
windows, like flat wooden boxes of delicately-carved lat-
tice work. These are stuck on any how^ large and small.
SUEZ TO CAIBO. 325
np and down^ sometimes window upon window^ square-
curved, edged with projecting carved work or capped
with pagoda tops, and they meet and interlap over-
head in most picturesque confusion. Between them here
and there the gleams of sunshine fell upon such wealth of
colouring as perhaps no other city in the world can show.
Red fezes, surmounting deep blue garments, or white-
turbaned Arabs with their broad striped mantles, and
richly dressed and mounted Turks, choke the narrow
streets, miugled with camels and donkeys laden with
every kind of vegetable produce. On each side, in little
shops about eight feet square recessed in the walls, sit the
traders, among goods even more brilliant in colouring
thun the passers by. Each trade has its own bazaar or
street — one full from end to end of bright red and yellow
shoes, another of gay stuffs, a third of confectionery, and
a fourth of crimson donkey pads and other gaily tasseled
saddlery.
Overhead hang long streamers of coloured stuff, and
here and there boards laid across from house to house roof
in the streets for long spaces, and make a cool deep shade.
Eveiy third man one meets would be a good study for
a painter, and the women's costume is amusing from
its very ugliness. The middle and upper classes go
about with a freedom which is enviable as compared
with India, but they are all wrapped in hideous face-veils
which only display their eyes, and, in fact, are mere
shapeless bundles of dark silk drapery, displaying as they
bestride their donkeys in masculine fashion, only their odd-
looking yellow leather stockings and black shoes. Now
comes a syce with his long wand, bare logs, short full
white skirts and sleeves, Albanian jacket and skull cap, to
clear the way before a gaudy carriage; then a long string
of camels with their ugly heads swaying from side to side
and their broad noiseless feet; then a group of full-
326 OVEBLAND HOVE AOAIH.
trousered Ghreeks; then an interminable snccession of
donkeys loaded with sugar-canes or yetcbes^ and urged
on by squalid drivers. Incessant cries of ** Shemalak,
Shemalak, Beglak^ Beglak '' (Mind your foot^ keep to
the left), resound, mingled with Arab objurgations to the
people addressed, '' white umbrella ! sweetmeat
man ! O lady ! Keep to the left I " Every one seems
good-tempered in the general crush, and even if an
unexpected turn brings one's knees full tilt against
a man's breast, he never looks fierce or growls at
the inadvertence. The tawdriness, the bright colour-
ing, the general picturesqueness neglect and decay,
alternating with spasmodic newness, and the extra-
ordinary variety of costume, form a tout ensemble that
can neither be imagined nor described. The total length
of the city is about three miles, by about one and a hsM,
and within this area a most heterogeneous population of
above 300,000 souls is congregated.
One of the strangest and most unpleasant sights is
the swarms of flies on the faces of many of the poor,
especially children. They commonly settle in a firinge
round the eyelids, and no one seems to care even to
drive theln away. This doubtless communicates and
aggravates ophthalmia in many cases.
827
m
THE PTEAMIDS.
I HAD the pleasure of Miss W 'a company in my next
day's drive to the great Pyramids of Gizeh. We started
about half-past seven in a comfortable phaeton^ but had
to wait a long while at the Nile bridge^ which had just
been opened for a long string of dahabiahs or passenger
boats to pass through. When the Pacha is staying at
his palace near here^ this bridge is kept shut in the most
arbitrary way if he is even hkely to drive over it, and
the Nile boats have to wait many hours at a time.
Once over the river, we drove along a pleasant shaded
road for several miles, and at last turned desertwards,
and came in sight of the Pyramids. Close beside them
the Pacha has built a little cockney villa, and an hotel
after the same fashion is springing up near, but happily,
it is only in the approach that one sees these glaring
incongruities, as they fall gradually behind a rising
ground. We drove towards the Sphinx as agreed, and
there stood the little tent of our friends, with the Union
Jack flying by way of signal. Mrs. V came out to
welcome us, and I could not have imagined so much
comfort in a tent of about ten feet diameter, as their little
abode exhibited. The two narrow camp beds and some
portmanteaux and campstools furnished seats, and a
curtain made a little dressing-room, while a small camp
table sufficed for all our meals.
±**
C-hct^z, V w!ia ^kgdrff^-g t^ exzmTtted temple
ml once to see
d the blocks of
mzk viic£ fi ^ cczreiT faaSty bd has Utde
beaciT eicezz ih^ of li^i ftcci skiide. Hie pflUrs are
mere rc<sg!i n*:ijo>Th?j«, a=.d iLere is no rcof, but we
expkred iome cark passages on one ade wiib candles,
z,fAu^g the giiner of toe larne grained granite orerhead,
and the Tevk^vish alabaster of tbe &>or. Oat of these
passages came many of the smreofhMgi and images now
at Boolac.
PretentlT we retnmed to the tent to breakfast, and
Bedawee^ the dragoman, managed to give us a very
creditable repast, cooked in and near a tiny tent beside
our larger one. Afterwards we looked orer Miss W 's
beaotifol Nile {^ketches, and then strolled down with a
donkey laden with drawing materials, etc., to some trees
at a little distance, where she and Mrs. V proposed
to sit and sketch. On the way we noticed a variety of
beautiful little wild flowers springing in the sand, trefoils,
Sfnall yellow chamomiles, mesembryanthemnms, and tiny,
but very fragrant purple stocks ; and one of the party
told us that fifteen or sixteen species of wild flowers may
be gathered at some seasons within a few yards of desert
ground. How they live is wonderful. It reminded one
of Mungo Park, and the desert flower that saved him from
despair.
The sketchers soon chose their point of view, and
took their pest under a sycamore fig-tree, looking over
the desert to the Nile valley, brilliant with green and
yellow; a mud village and a grove of palms in the
middle distance, and the cliffs of the Mokhatten range,
and the white roofs and minarets of Cairo beyond. This
was the view they chose, but to the left lay the Pyramids
^ith the Sphinx in front, so softened by distance as
829
reallj to look grand, and enable one to judge of what she
must hare been when perfecL The raptores of some
travellers over the mutilated face are comprehensible
from this point of view, but I coold not by any effort
bring myself to admire the Pyramids. Even their size
does not affect one as might have been expected, and
they seem simply huge monuments of tyranny and wrong,
scarcely more pictoresqne than a group of huge brick
kilns. It was only when Captain V and I left the
sketchers and rode up to them that I even began to take
in their size. Looking up from the base^ and seeing the
great kites wheeling round the summit, which pierced
the air like a mountain top, one could realize that they
were indeed the loftiest buildings ever reared by man,
but even this consideration failed to render them sublime.
The total height of the Great Pyramid — that of
Cheops — ^is 480 feet, and it occupies an area of nearly
twelve acres. The second, that of Cephrenes, is much
smaller, though nearly as high, and very difficult to
ascend, as its casing still remains, while that of the
Great Pyramid has been stripped off, leaving a series of
gigantic steps, up which travellers sufficiently enterpris-
ing and ambitious can be dragged and propelled by
clamorous Arabs. The third, sapposed to be the joint
work of Mycerinus and Queen Nitocris, is less than half
the height of the others, and only 354 feet square ; and
the six smaller ones are of very moderate dimensions.
The Sphinx is said to be 172 feet long, hewn from the
natural rock, eked out with stone casing ; but only the
head and part of the neck are visible, the body being
buried deep in sand.
There are other groups of pyramids at Sakkhara,
Aboo Seir, Sbahsoor, and many other places; but one
must visit Kamak and Luxor, the remains of ancient
Thebes, which I had no opportunity of doing, to form
330 OVEBLAND HOMl AGAIN.
any jnst idea of the grandeur of old Egyptian art. There
are the marvelloos avenues of columns^ and of sphinxes^
that have defied the power of time for tens of centimes ;
there Barneses III. still triumphs over conquered kings;
and the name of Judah stands in the list of tributary
nations^ corroborating the evidence of Scripture story.
There, in the great palace hall, upwards of one hundred
and thirty giant columns are still standing, some seventy
feet in height and twelve feet in diameter ; and the Mem-
nonium, or Ramesium, on the western bank of the river,
is the great palace-temple of Bameses II., containing his
colossal statue. This wonderinl work, now prostrate and
sorely mutilated, the benighted natives having used his
face as a quarry for their mill-stones, was sixty feet high,
and computed to weigh nearly nine hundred tons, hewn
from a single block of red granite, which must have been
transported from Syene, a distance of nearly one hundred
and forty miles ! Half a mile away stand the two well-
known Memnons, also giant monoliths, the seated figures
forty-seven feet high, with pedestals that add another
twelve feet to their altitude. Surely, with all our modem
engineering science, and all the power that steam can
give, we are but dwarfs beside the old world sculptors,
who could plan and carry out such works as these.
But to return to our day at the Pyramids. We went
first to a tomb near the great Sphinx, first explored by
General Vyse, the plan of which is very singular. A deep
rectangular trench is cut in the solid rock, just as one
would dig out the foundation of a house, only to a far
greater depth. It made one giddy to stand at the edge
and look into the perpendicular cutting, not above two or
three feet wide, but several yards in length, which forms
each side of the enclosure. In some places tombs were
hollowed out in the sides of the rocky wall, and sarco-
phagi are visible, probably those of the great man's
THS FTSAXIDS. 831
famOy. Within this siDgolar endosnre^ the rock had
been left untouched^ except just in the centre^ where a
single tomb was hewn as deep as the encircling trench ;
and looking oyer the brinks we could seethe black marble
saroophagns^ with its perfect and impassive features^
looking up straight to the sky^ a far more interesting and
impressive sight, ai least to me, than the Pyramids beside
it. It was surely a triumph of pre-historic engineering
skill, this rock-hewn grave, cut to such a depth through
diflScult material with perfect accuracy of shape and size.
We rode round one of the smaller pyramids, and then
dismounted and crept into some of the less important
tombs, which are plentiful here, cut into every rocky
mound. One has only to descend a few steps, and pass
under a low, square doorway, on the rounded topstone of
which the inmate's name is inscribed in hieroglyphic
carving, and then sit down on the cool sand inside, to
look at pictures still fresh, but older than the book of
Exodus. It is inconceivable, but true. Painted in rows
upon the walls, you see the old Egyptians cooking, feast-
ing, fighting in boats, performing all the duties of hus-
bandry, making offerings to their gods, dying, and burying
their dead. The paint is clear yet, and some of the
animals spirited and true to life. Furnished with lighted
candles, you creep on and on through passages far too
low to admit of an upright posture, till the history is
spelt out, and you emerge to upper day.
Without, the rocks tell their own story. They are
the tombs of countless millions older still. The beautiful
white tufa, of which they consist, is a perfect conglomerate
of tiny fossil shells, and the large petrified sea-urchins,
which the Arabs dig out of the sand, corroborate the
theory that all the desert has been sea.
By the time we had ridden round two sides of the
Great Pyramid^ we had acquired a more respectful idea
332 OYEBLAND HOKE AGAIN.
of its magnitude ; and the Bedouin guide then proposed
to me to dismount and climb a path which led to the
entrance, too steep and narrow even for the donkeys.
Captain V , who was lame from a recent accident^
remained below^ and I followed the Arab alone along the
face of the stone mountain till we came to a high closed
arch in the side, nearly fifty feet above the base. Within
this was a low, square hole; and the Bedouin lighted a
candle, and beckoned me to follow him in. The passage
was not quite four feet high, and little more than a yard
wide ; so neither of us could stand upright ; and I found
the sloping slabs of fine white limestone that paved the
drain-like passage painfully slippery. It was ettsier for
my barefooted companion ; but I had to steady myself
with my hands against the sides, while he crawled on
first, candle in hand, now up, now down, now climbing
with hands as well as feet, now hurrying along a straight
passage, till I began to feel that I could not proceed much
longer in that constrained position. The passage must
be about one hundred yards long, and only the last half
dozen yards of it are high enough for upright standing.
At last we reached a roundish chamber, about eighteen
feet square and twenty high in the middle, and, lo ! we
were under the apex of the pyramid. This is called the
Queen^s Chamber, and is perfectly empty, the King's
Chamber, which lies above it, and is approached by a
loftier passage branching ofi* not far from the end of the
other, containing the celebrated cofier or sarcophagus
which has been of late the subject of so much learned dis-
sertation. Unfortunately I did not remember at the moment
all these important disquisitions ; and having had enough
of dark and stifling passages, I decUned to prosecute the
exploration further. So, after a few moments' rest, we
recommenced our slippery march, and at last emerged,
hot and breathless^ on the cool side of the great stone
THE PTRAMID8. 333
monntain, where Captain V was patiently waiting in
the shade below.
The Arabs, three of whom had accompanied us, were
clamorous for backsheesh, but a rupee between them
settled the matter, and after sitting some time with the
sketchers we returned to the tent to dinner, a very merry
and enjoyable meal, notwithstanding some slight foretastes
of desert privation. The bread was some days old, and
the water, though from the much vaunted Nile, so muddy,
that thirsty as I was, I could not fancy tasting it, till its
colour was disguised with raspberry vinegar. Such little
contretemps are far less annoying abroad than at homo,
because where one necessarily depends much on native
servants or dragomen, they reflect no discredit on the
entertainers and produce no embarrassment. At last
came the inevitable end of this happy day — the parting
with friends whose society had added an unexpected
charm to this brief pause in my homeward journey — and
a delightful drive back to Cairo in the clear stillness of
the closing night.
The next morning was occupied with packing, and
after the mid-day breakfast I started to say good-bye to
Miss W , en route for the station. By the way, I
had another brief experience of the inconvenience which
the curse of Babel entails upon the hapless traveller.
The hotel waiter who saw me off had given the necessary
instructions to the driver, but he either misunderstood or
forgot them, and suddenly stopping in a street quite
unknown to me, intimated that this was the place. In
vain I repeated to the best of my ability the formula which
I had been told to give as Miss W 's address, and
in vain appealed to one passer-by after another for infor-
mation. No one understood^ and I sat forlorn in the
carriage, beginning to despair of seeing my kind friend
again^ when I saw an Arab boy pass^ and was struck by
334
OVERLAND HOME AGAIlf.
the brilliant thonght that lie might know about the school
though his seniors were ignorant. Fortunately the con-
jecture was correct^ and he directed the driver to the
house.
Notwithstanding this delay there was still a long
waiting at the station, owing to the delightful uncertainty
of the Egyptian trains^ the starting of which is never
sure within an hour or two.
335
IV
ALKXAHDBIA TO BOUTHAMFTON.
Thi first part of the journey was pleasant^ our road lying
throagh the fertile Nile valley, with its rich fields, where
here and there a group of camels or bofialoes with their
pictoresqne drivers enlivened the prospect with some
glimpses of oriental life. Night closed in before we
reached Alexandria, and I was heartily glad to find myself
safe at the Peninsular and Oriental Hotel with all my
baggage, which had been a considerable trouble to me in
the transit.
Seldom has a night^s rest been more welcome* than
that which awaited me in that extremely rambling and in
some respects uncomfortable establishment, which how-
ever enjoys the advantage of being on abroad public
place, planted with trees and furnished with shady
benches.
Alexandria is indeed far more like a French than an
Egyptian town, as I found when, after a nine o'clock
breakfast at the table d'h6te, I started on a solitary
exploring expedition. The first thing was to inquire tti
the Peninsular and Oriental office the probable time of the
steamer's departure ; and as I found that she was not yet
in, and not expected to start till the morrow afternoon,
there seemed ample time to look about the town.
The first place I visited was the Greek church, a mean
building externally, but internally very costly. The
336 OYSBLAND HOMK AGIIN.
whole area was empty, except for the pnlpit, and a
number of immense candlesticks, and was divided into a
nave and side aisles by slender lofty pillars and round
arches. To the east an immense marble screen stretches
across the church, reaching nearly to the roof, and sur-
mounted by a crucifix and figures of St. John and the
Virgin — not statues of course, they being forbidden in
Greek churches, but pictures cut out so as to present as
nearly as possible the same appearance.
Below these was a large eye surrounded by gilded
rays, and lower still row after row of pictures framed iu
the marble, with eleven large lighted lamps of massive
silver, suspended in front from doves of the same metal.
The only openings in the screen were the central doorway
and one at each end, over which hung screens of
tapestry, which when drawn aside displayed large tomb-
like altars, backed by cut-out figures like those above the
screen. Among the pictures were several of the same
curious kind as I bad noticed at Cairo, with draperies and
backgrounds of chased gold and silver, and only the
hands and faces painted ; and in front of others huug
silver models of hands, eyes, limbs, and babies, given as
thankofibrings for cures, etc.
These had a curious and tawdry effect, but the interior
as a whole was rather fine.
Then I went rambling on, past several large mutilated
statues which stood in the streets un cared for, with their
massive fragments lying around them, to a height whence
I hoped to get some general idea of the city, so as to be
able to steer towards the Needle or the Pillar. Here I
found an unexpected hindrance in half a dozen surly
Egyptian dogs, which were lying in the sun, and came
rouud me furiously, till a bare-legged lad drove them
away, and guarded me to the top of the mound, which
formed part of the fortifications. Here I got. a satis&ctory
ALBXiLNDBTA TO SOUTHAMPTON. 337
View, including the distant obelisk ; and, passing a
florist's on my way down, went in and enjoyed once more
with intense pleasure the sight of European flowers.
Stocks, phloxes, roses, and mignonette were all in full
bloom, and the proprietor, a Frenchman, seemed really
gratified by my appreciation of their beauty and perfume.
It was still a long walk to the quay, where, in a stone-
mason's yard, stands the famous Cleopatra's Needle, the
height and whole appearance of which were so far below
my anticipations that I could scarcely believe it to be
really the far-famed obelisk.
A. round through the fish and poultry market brought
me back in time for tiffin, at which meal I made the
acquaintance of a newly-married couple outward bound,
who, knowing some of my Indian friends, invited me to
Accompany them afterwards in a drive to Pompey's Pillar
and the Catacombs. Near the former, which is finely
situated, and much more striking than the obelisk, lie
some interesting remains of ancient statues, perfectly
unprotected, and exposed to any wanton mutilation. A
boy was actually otfering for backsheesh pieces chipped
from Pompey's Pillar ! Near the pillar are some curious
remains of an ancient Christian church, lately disin-
terred, with a few traces of sculpture, and of paintings
of saints and angels, with the gilded glories still faintly
showing.
After exploring these, we had a long drive by the canal,
end then back to the hotel, where we were greeted with
the intelligence that the Southampton boat had arrived,
and the passengers were required to be on board by five.
As it was already half-past four, there was just time to
repack hastily and get ofl*, the other passengers having
already departed, in the omnibus and steamer provided for
them. But the ship was not reached without a sharp
contest with driver, coolies, and boatmen, to say nothing
22
338 OTEKLAND HOME AGAIN.
of a dragoman, who rode down to the quay on the box of
my conveyance, without leave asked or obtained^ and ex-
pected to be paid for doing so.
The only vr.jy to manage these people is to ask at the
hotel, or of some reliable person, what. is the proper fare,
and then steadily refuse to give a farthing beyond ; other-
wise, a lady travelling alone is considered a fair mark for
extortion. In this case, coolies and dragomen followed
me into the boat, and the latter coolly seated himself,
while the others pressed round me with noisy and exorbi-
tant demands for merely carrying my luggage from the
road to the boat. I gave them a fair payn>ent ; and when
they saw it was useless to expect more, they slowly
departed. Then the dragoman, a respectable-looking
individual in' a sort of uniform, who had sat by with
folded arms and left me to manage for myself, had the
effrontery so ask what I should give him. I replied un-
hesitatingly, " Nothing,'^ reminding him that he had
ridden down on my carriage without leave, and rendered
me no service whatever. He was disposed to be insolent ;
but, finding me resolute, at last abandoned the field,
leaving me alone with the boatmen, who instantly began
their demands, refusing to row me to the ship unless I
agreed to pay what I knew was far beyond the regular
charge. By this time I was almost out of patience ; so I
settled myself comfortably in the boat, and told them that
there was no hurry, and I could sit there as long as they
liked, but I would neither get out nor pay anything till
we reached the ship, when they should have what the
officer said was right, and no more. This emphatic
statement at last prevailed, and thus characteristic was
my last glimpse of Egyptian life and manners. Unblush-
ng extortion from all who can be cheated or frightened
into submission is the native rule alike in Egypt and in
India; and it was with roal pleasure and relief that I
ALEXANDRIA TO SOUTHAMPTON. 339
stepped upon the deck of a home-bound ship^ and foand
myself among Englishmen once more.
The first night, however, brought me into unpleasant
contact with a vice more disgusting and degrading than
any I had encountered abroad. Among the passengers
was " an officer and a gentleman,'' a young man of good
position and refined appearance, whose habits of nightly
intoxication made him a nuisance to the whole saloon and
all the passengers in the adjoining cabins. The first even-
ing, while still a stranger to all on board, I was fortunately
warned by the noises in his cabin that I had an unpleasant
neighbour ; but as no keys or bolts are allowed on board
ship, there seemed no precaution available. I took the
only possible safeguard by fastening the cord of my trunk
across the door, and it was well that the idea suggested
itself; for he wandered out of his cabin in the middle of
the night, and mistaking the doors on his return, tried
to open mine, and fell down against it, in a state of help-
less intoxication. But for my precaution he would have
fallen into the middle of my cabin — a pleasant pi*edica-
ment tmly for an unprotected lady !
After this adventure, of which the captain was
necessarily informed^ I did obtain a key; but the
unhappy man continued to be a nightly source of anxiety
and discomfort to every lady on board, and it certainly
seemed hard that no restraint was put upon his ceaseless
consumption of intoxicating drinks. The rule at that
time on the Peninsular and Oriental steamers, was to
charge an inclusive fare for all, ladies and gentlemen,
abstainers and drunkards alike, so that sober passengers
were actually taxed to pay for the indulgence which made
others a general pest, but this is happily now altered,
the passage-money being considerably lowered, and wine
and spirits charged as extras.
The passage between Alexandria and Malta was a
340 oyEm.AND home agaih.
very rough one, the third night really awful, ihe ship
pitching, rolling, and straining, with tremendous crashes
at intervals. One of the boats was stove in, and one of
the hatchways carried away; and we heard aflerwards
of a ship not far from us being driven ashore «nd
wrecked, and learned that prayers for those at sea were
said in the churches of Malta through all that stormy
night.
We reached the island early in the morning of the
fifth day, and went ashore as soon as possible. As far as
we could judge, it is a bare-looking spot, but Valetta itself
is a picturesque town, the streets literal flights of stairs,
and the houses covered with projecting windows painted
green. The Cathedral is rich with a costly but not
impressive magnificence, full of gilding, inlaid floors, and
huge monuments to the Knights and their Grand
Masters. After a hurried survey of these, we took one
of the little open country cars and drove to the Fran-
ciscan convent, which is remarkable for the custom of
disinterring the deceased monks after a year's burial, and
setting them up in niches round the walls, the soil being
antiseptic in its properties, and causing the corpses to
assume the character of mummies. They are merely
clothed in the brown habit of the order, and placed
upright in the niches, a bar across the front breast high,
preserving them from falling. It was a strange weird
sight, the half-lighted passages with the gaunt mummies
standing round, waiting till the bones should fall apart,
when they would be consigned to another place. Over
each is put the date of death, but I did not notice any
very old. They stood in various attitudes, some with
hands folded on the breast, others stiffened in less peace-
ful postures, some leaning forward, with their brown
shrivelled faces full in view, the teeth painfully prominent
between the shrunk lips, others almost hidden in tl.e
ALEXANDBIA TO SOUTHAMPTON. 341
coarse hoods of their sackcloth garments ; and the monk
who guided us moved among them stolid and uncon-
cerned, apparently untouched by any thought of the
time when he too should stand there, the unconscious
object of idle curiosity to any passing traveller.
It was strange to emerge firom this chamel honse and
wander through the gay shops of Valetta, rich in curiosi-
ties, gold and silver filagree work, and lace; but the
loveliest things we saw that day were the bouquets of
bright and sweet-scented flowers with which itinerant
venders beset us in the streets, and which lighted up our
cabins all the way home.
From Malta to Gibraltar the weather was beautiful,
though cold, and so calm that there was little suffering
from sea sickness. Ships were constantly passing, and
the coast of Africa was seldom out of view. We reached
(Gibraltar on the eighth day of the voyage, and anchored
lor a few hours. The rock is very g^and from the
Mediterranean approach, rising almost perpendicularly
from the sea ; but on the harbour side it slopes all the
way, and winding footpaths lead up to the top. We
jnissed a fine rock on the African side, which I supposed
must be the other pillar of stout old Hercules, but could
Uarn no better name for it than Ape's Hill, though I
have since found that the conjecture was correct. It is
said to swarm with these animals, and from their occa-
sional sudden appearance at Gibraltar in great numbers,
some believe in the existence of a subterranean passage,
but this appears exceedingly problematical.
The rest of the voyage was miserable in the extreme,
cold and very rough; and when at last we neared the
shores of dear old England, I was the only lady patriotic
enough to face the bitter wind and drizzling rain that
greeted our arrivaL But it would have needed a deadlier
chill to freeze the warm current of gratitude and gladness
342
OYEBLAND HOME AOAIN.
upspringing at the sight of these longed-for shores, and
I must leave my readers to picture to tbemselves the
home-coming that crowned and ended my ''Inland,
Upland, and Overland '^ experiences.
If their record awakens in any heart a deeper feeling
of gratitude for home mercies and comforts^ and a more
active interest in the condition of our Indian fellow
subjects, it will not have been written in vain.
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