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TEAVELS

INDIA AND KASHMIR.

THE BAEON EEICH VON SCHONBERG.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

LONDON:

HUEST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,

SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN,

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1853.

l:)5

LONDON :

Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street.

^ R A 1^

CONTENTS

THE FIRST VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

Departure from Madras — Passengers on board the
' Eliza' — Pilot- ship — The monsoon — Imminent
danger — A strange cry from the sea — The Lieu-
tenant's conduct — Fate of the * Maria' — Peculiarities
of our Lieutenant — Conduct of the Captain . 1

CHAPTER IL

Calcutta — City of palaces — Fruits — Fish — Inhabitants
— Annoyances from servants — Disagreement with
boatmen — Boat agents^ — Portuguese mixed blood —
After many discussions, I proceed up the Hoogly —
Serampore — Bahlpore — Chandernagur — Chinsurah
— A Munschi — Nuddea — Indian children speaking
English — Difficulty of inducing a boy to enter my
service — Arrival in Murschedabad . , .25

VI CONTENTS.

CHAPTER III.

Departure from Murschedabad — Gour — Rhadjmahal —
Chumars — Character of the Bengalese — Exaggerated
dangers of the jungle — Disappointed in my expecta-
tions of a hunt — Riding on an elephant — Reports
about wild men — Their manner of hunting — Honest
magistrates — English rule . . . .45

CHAPTER IV.

Boglipore — Indian silk — Father Gotta — Mahometan
cloister — Hindoo temple — Patna — Burning the dead
— Hindoo boy at his father's pyre — Burmese boats —
Dynapore — Hindoo boatmen . . . .56

CHAPTER V.

Benares — Its sanctity — Supported by Schiva's trident
—The Ghats— Female bathers— The fakirs— The
houses — General appearance of the city — Aurungzib's
mosque — Brahmins at the Ghats — Ablutionary rites
— Situation of my house — Its interior — The Academy
Vivalaya — Mr. Rivaz — The Rajah's palace at Ram-
nagur — Visit to the palace — Apes — Portraitof Queen
Victoria in the palace — The Rajah's father — Temple
at Ramnagur — Gardens 65

CHAPTER VI.

Old Buddha temple — Architecture — Ornaments —
Lacquer ware — Rahl, or resin — Saqua Daraght —
Dessekatel oil — Change of servants — Annoyances

CONTENTS. V

from my Munschi — Charges of fraud — A young
Brahmin — Impertinence of my landlord — Departure
from Benares — Bulba — Djnanpor- — I take up my
lodgings in a Serai 98

CHAPTER VII.

Djnanpor — Inscription — Kheta Serai — Schagunj — Boy,
or Bovi — Schahguno — Schilalpur — Bazaar — An
armed man — Dane — Altafgunj — Sugar-baker —
Bexungunj — Adjuddhya — Aurungzib — Rajah —
Temple — Tolerance of the Indians — Bazaar at
Adjuddhya — Metal vessels — ^Nuray — Ways of gaining
money . 107

CHAPTER VIII.

Lucknow — House — Resident — View from windows —
Iman-barah — The Iman-barah at Hassynabad —
Bagh dil Kusca — Sanna Kuna — Gardens — Ships —
Horses — Throne-room — European lady — Royal pro-
cession— Mahometan festival — Knight in armour —
Breakfast with the Resident — Breakfast with the
King — Spectacle — Fencers , . . .128

CHAPTER IX.

Rajah Saxarem's gold plates — Agra^ — Citadel Palace —
Summer apartment for the ladies — ^Demolition by the
English — Lord Hastings — Bishop Heber — The Taj
Mahal — Description of this building ■ — • Depredations
committed on the Taj Mahal — The aggressors
— Former splendour of Agra — Tomb of Iman
Dawla 170

VI CONTENTS.

CHAPTER X.

Secundra — Ackbar's monument — German missionaries
— Government schools — Traffic in children — Slave
trade — Erroneous attempts at making converts to
Christianity — Horrors of famine — ^Thoughts upon the
duty of government to the nation in times of distress
— Lord EUenborough . . . . .191

CHAPTER XI.

Futtehpoor — The house of Byrber's daughters — Schaykh
Suleim Thchisti — Ackbar's wife — Moyen-ud-dein —
Jehanghir's account of his birth — Ackbar's chess-
board— Elephant gate — Elephant tower — The young
archer — -Bacharath Alii — Story of the briUiant —
Byrber and the elephant — Jehanghir's two wives —
Nurjehan — Af kan Khan — Anecdote of Yudbay —
Arrival of my baggage — Departure from Futteh-
poor ,197

CHAPTER XII.

Bhurtpoor— The Lord Sahab's Son— The Rajah— The
Emperor of Delhi — Lord EUenborough — Plundering
of Bhurtpoor — Mathura — Krischna — Mosque built
by a parasite of Aurungzib — Bindraband Gundsche
— Govenda — Ridge of rock supported by Krischna
- — Badschapur — Robbery in Kotilla — My purse
stolen - .214

CONTENTS. Vll

CHAPTER XIII.

Delhi — Early recollections — The public buildings— Sad
story . . . . . , . .226

CHAPTER XIV.

Women — x'Vffianced brides — Early marriages — Immo-
rality— Kozumpur, or Kajikapur — Thanahdar — Com-
plaints against the English Government — Hartwar —
Tiger hunt — Bravery of my attendants — We abandon
the chase — Tiri — Rajah — Presents — Musk-sack —
Inhabitants of the mountain districts — Bears —
Musk-deer 229

CHAPTER XV.

Traces of a bear — Preparations for a hunt — We discover
the game — Comical ideas associated with bears — A
fresh expedition in search of game — Encounter — Ap-
parent death of the bear — Fresh attack — Pretty
maiden on her way to the Madjuli Baman — The
village mohna — The rivulet Dhebern — Baudrali
— Opium — Tikkery — Terrible affray with the na-
tives . . 248

CHAPTER XVI.

Vlll CONTENTS.

The Rajah Nehal Singh — Audience costume of the
Rajah — Natsch girls — Costume of the miUtary officers
— A repast — A draught of brandy — Kapurdala —
Gagri walla — Djundiala — A few words about presents
in the East — The rain sets in — I proceed to Amrit
Sir 278

CHAPTER XVII.

Amrit Sir — Visit from the Kharidar — Disappointment
about an elephant — Visit to Generals Avitabelli and
Court — Present from Scheer Singh — Visit from Fakir
Nureddin — Accident to the Fakir — Audience with
the Maha-rajah — Costume of the Sikhs — Hera Singh
— Scheer Singh's predilection for watches — The gold
sprinkling — Strange occurrence at leaving the Durbar
— Evening amusements at General Ventura's and
at General Avitabelli's — Hunt with ^cheer Singh —
Audience at the palace — Kindness of the Maha-rajah
— Departure from Lahore . . . .294

CHAPTER XVIII.

General Court — His taste for antiquities — The Kalsas —
General Avitabelli's treatment of one — Schaderah —
Number of my suite — Beauty of the mountaineers —
Rajauri — The Nabob — Site of his castle — Appeals to
my medical skill — Bharamgalla — Black bear — Khur,
or Mar Khur, the serpent devourer — Strange custom
of the village women — My feelings on approaching
Kashmir — Appearance of the valley — Resemblance to
Dresden 327

TRAVELS

INDIA AND KASHMIR.

CHAPTER I.

I EMBARKED from Madras on board the good
ship * Eliza,' which had left England with pas-
sengers, bound for Calcutta, and stopped on her
way at Madras. The monsoon had not yet set
in, the weather was beautiful, and the first days

VOL. I. B

2 TRAVELS IN

of our voyage were delightful. The company on
board was numerous, and, excepting myself, con-
sisted exclusively of ladies and gentlemen all
fresh from England. Six days passed pleasantly
away. Favoured by the wind we made rapid
progress, and were already advancing to the
mouth of the Ganges, when we became con-
scious of some atmospheric changes. The air
was dark, and though no heavy clouds were
to be seen, the sun was no longer visible, the
whole aspect of the heavens was of a sombre
hue. Experienced seamen might have divined
that these appearances foreboded a change in the
weather, perhaps the approach of the monsoon ;
but the captain and officers of the ' Eliza '
entertained no such apprehensions. Not only
were they undisturbed, but seemed glad to be
relieved from the inconvenience created by the
rays of an almost vertical sun.

A large pilot-ship is constantly cruizing off
Sandheads, at a considerable distance out at
sea, within sight of the mouth of the Hoogly,
in order to fiirnish ships, bound on that
course, with pilots. These ships are appointed
by the East India Company, and are provided

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 3

with experienced seamen. We had met one
from which we had taken a midshipman and
pilot.

In the afternoon of the day following that on
which we took the pilot on board, a steamer
bound for Calcutta passed close to Sandheads.
The captain and several of the passengers,
wishing to shorten the voyage, stepped into the
steamer. The ship was now making very little
way. The first lieutenant was appointed to
take the captain's place, and under the direction
of the pilot, to manage the ship. The strangely
sombre aspect of the heavens had been daily
increasing, and we were at length convinced
beyond all doubt that the trade winds had set
in, and were likely to be more violent than
usual. The weather was growing hourly worse,
the sea was in wild commotion, the ship was
kept close to the wind, everything indicated
an approaching storm, and the monotonous
tone in which the midshipman, who was throw-
ing out the lead, declared the result of his
observations, was listened to with momentarily
increasing attention.

We were now above Sandheads, near

B 2

4 TRAVELS IN

Kedgeree, when the clouds, bursting asunder,
descended in angry showers. Many of the
passengers who had remained on deck hastened
below, resolved to await the event in the cabin.
I have been often on shipboard in similar cir-
cumstances, and am convinced that the seamen
need less moral courage in the midst of a storm
than do the passengers. The sense of danger
is lessened by active occupation ; and the man
who feels he can do something, is not wholly
void of hope even in the most imminent peril.
It is, in my opinion, always preferable to stare
danger boldly in the face ; and I have ever
considered the position of theatrical heroines
unnatural, who, stationary in a chamber, are
informed by somebody looking over a battlement,
or through a window, of terrified scenes passing
without, of lances glancing, axes striking, heads
knocked off, and blood flowing. A feeling of
terror may be awakened by these descriptions ;
but looking on the reality calls forth an excite-
ment in which the sense of danger is lost.

Acting on this principle, I remained on deck,
feeling some curiosity to know whether it was on
the right or the left, head foremost or heels upper-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 5

most, that we were to sink into the deep. There
are moments in life in which we seem to touch
that dark bourne which hems in our mortal exist-
ence, and as I stood upon the poop with the
pilot and first lieutenant, I felt that such a
moment was come for me. The storm was
raging violently, the rain poured in torrents, as
the pilot, with a serious and almost solemn
aspect, turning to the first lieutenant, asked him
if he were certain that the depth of water re-
ported to him was correct, when the last sound-
ing had been taken, and whether there was
more water in the pumps.

Though the answers to these questions were
satisfactory, the carpenter offered to ascertain
once more the exact depth of the water.
The result was soon known, the exact depth
was estimated, and the pilot informed the first
lieutenant that two courses remained, either
of which they could follow. One was to pro-
ceed farther on to a place where the river took
an easterly direction, and there to anchor ; but
to go farther would be impossible. This course
however presented some difficulties. We should
pass, at a spot that lay within view, over a sand-

6 TRAVELS IN

bank, where the water at that time was of a
certain depth, but which was every moment
decreasing in consequence of the ebb which had
set in, so that if we did not get over the sand-
bank within a few minutes, it would be useless
to attempt the passage. But to reach the spot
indicated, w^orking against the stream, it would
be necessary to set all our sail, and the question
now was whether the ship could bear so great
a press of canvas under such a sky. If the
lieutenant would undertake to answer for the
ship's capability the pilot was certain of bringing
her safely through, but a failure in the attempt,
the straining or breaking of a mast, would be
the ship's death-knell.

This was one of the chances that remained to
us. The other which the pilot proposed was to
cast anchor at the left bank of the river, but
there we would be exposed to the full fury of
the approaching storm, nor was it certain that
the ship could hold her mooring under such
circumstances; so that, however unpromising
the first project appeared, it was still the most
feasible, provided that the ship could bear the
necessary canvas.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 7

Our first lieutenant was such a man as
Marryat describes an English seaman of the
genuine old stamp. Thoroughly well informed
about everything connected with the service in
which he was engaged, and so absorbed therein
that he seemed to be unconscious of any other
kind of existence, which was doubtless the reason
why his knowledge in all matters unconnected
with his professional duties was much inferior
to that of the second lieutenant and the mates
— with a liveliness of manner and a warmth of
feeling that the English seldom display, the first
lieutenant answered the inquiries of the pilot.
He was certain of the capability of his ship.
With tears in his eyes, he exclaimed : " Beheve
me, my ' Eliza ' will carry her sails ; I depend
upon her ; she'll do it, she'll do it ; I depend
upon her, she has proved through many a blast
what she can do."

The maiden of his choice could not desire
a warmer tribute of love and tenderness than
the worthy lieutenant poured forth in praise
of his ship. " If you are certain of this,

Mr. ," answered the pilot, " trim your

ship, cover her with canvas to the topmost

8 TRAVELS IN

spar ; we have no time to lose, every second is
precious."

The " all hands up" of the first lieutenant,
called into action every sailor on board. The
boatswain blew his whistle, pulleys darted along
the ropes, and every sail was unfurled. The
wind whistled through the rigging and blustered
in the swelling canvas, the masts bent almost
to the deck, and the ship, like some great bird
of prey, with outstretched wings, dashed through
the foaming billows. At every rope stood a
man ; a deathlike stillness reigned throughout
the ship ; but distinctly amidst the loud roaring
of the storm, the pilot's voice was heard as he
gave directions to the helmsman, or the com-
mand of the first lieutenant as he ordered a
rope to be tightened, whilst the monotonous
voice in which he who was casting the lead
announced the sounding, toned ominously along
the decks.

It was easy to read upon each seaman's coun-
tenance, that the danger became every moment
more imminent, and as we approached the post
where the water was shallowest, many a one on
board fancied that he saw the sandy bottom of

INDIA AND KASHMIR. \)

the deep smiling treacherously at arm's length.
We had three fathoms and one foot of water
under the keel. Success depended upon promp-
titude and skill, and scarce^ had we reached
the spot which we most feared when the peril
was already behind us. Every sail and every
rope was strained to bursting, and in a few
minutes we were again in deep water, and
favoured by a sweep in the bank, found ourselves
somewhat sheltered from the weather, fndeed,
in comparison with the danger which we had
already passed, we could almost fancy ourselves
in a commodious haven, and as orders were
given to cast anchor, a feeling of security and
thankfulness pervaded every bosom on board.
This occurred on Sunday, the eighth day after
our departure from Madras.

The weather became calmer, and continued so
during some hours, but a thick falling rain pre-
vented our seeing a ship's length before us,
though from time to time a momentary clearing
of this rain-fog, permitted us to look around.
The prospect, however, was far from being
consoling to persons in our position. We had
thrown out but one anchor. It was a heavy

10 TRAVELS IN

and a good one. Our very lives depended upon
that anchor's taking hold, and upon the strength
of the chain cable. We began to fancy that the
ship was drifting, but of this we could not be
sure. Some additional fathoms of cable were
thrown out, and every preparation made on
board that the circumstances required. It is
not my intention to narrate the events of each
day, but to make a record of circumstances
where truth needs not the embeUishment of
fancy's fairy pencil.

Our position became every hour more critical.
On the third day we were of opinion that the
anchor had not taken hold, and that we had
moved from our first position. The question
now arose what was to be done, and here I must
remark that the opinion of the pilot, though
diifering from that of all the others, was correct,
as the event proved. Every one else on board
believed that the first anchor had not taken hold,
and that a second ought to be thrown out. In
the ship were two large anchors and three small
ones. The latter could be of no service in our
present circumstances. The officers of the ship,
as weU as the passengers and the crew, wished

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 11

that a second anchor sould be thrown out ; but
the pilot took a different view of the matter, and
said that, admitting that the ship drifted a little,
still as the anchor had now lain three days it
must have taken hold. As to the second anchor,
he was of opinion that if the first had not taken
hold neither would the second, in which case it
would be useless ; but that if the first were firm,
there was danger that the second might come in
contact with and shake it from its place. Besides
straining the cable of the second was not to be
thought of, so that in any case we were dependant
on the first.

As terror will not listen to reason, the pilot
was obliged to yield, however well-grounded his
opinion might be. He did so with a very good
grace, and allowed the anchor to be lowered on
the windward side. The first anchor had been
lowered with sixty-four fathoms of chain cable,
the second with fifty-two fathoms which with
the anchor was a very great weight.

About eight o'clock on Wednesday, the car-
penter announced that the cable threatened to
snap. The weather was this day exceedingly
bad, and as all our hopes of security rested on

12 TRAVELS IN

the first anchor, every link of the cable had been
examined with the greatest care, and those which
did not appear quite trustworthy had been
replaced by others. It might be looked upon as
an interposition of Heaven, that upon one link,
the strength of which was considered doubtful,
a rope cable and patent stopper had been fixed,
though sailors place little faith in the latter, and
generally consider it useless.

During the night we began to suspect that
the ' Lord Western,' the ship lying nearest to
us, was drifting, and about eleven o'clock next
day our suspicions were confirmed. The cables
had given way, and the ship drifted past us,
amidst violent rain and a furious storm. In a
little time, the ship, still within sight of us,
presented the appearance of a wreck, but it was
wholly out of our power to think of rendering
assistance.

About twelve o'clock, a violent shock an-
nounced that our cable had given way. The
chain was broken, but the patent stopper had
kept its hold. A new chain was attached, and
many voiceless apologies were made to the patent
stopper for previous disrespect. The sea was

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 13

still in wild commotion, and planks and spars,
scattered far and wide, bore evidence of the deso-
lation it had caused.

On Thursday afternoon, during a short clear-
ing-up of the skies, a ship passed us so closely
that we could recognise the people on board,
and by means of speaking-trumpets a commu-
nication w^as established. The ship was the
' Maria,' coming from Calcutta with a cargo for
England. The captain, whose name I forget,
had just got married and the bride was on board.
The ship was gaily decorated in honour of the
new-married pair, and the poop, covered with
flowers and odoriferous shrubs, gave to the
quarter-deck the appearance of a pleasure-garden.
What a mournful contrast were these nuptial
ornaments to the perilous condition in which
we saw the ship. And the poor bride ! What
were her feelings ?

The * Maria ' had broken from her moorings,
had lost three anchors, and the fourth, a small
one, was still on board. Her only hope in such
circumstances was to stand out to sea. On her
way she passed us very close. We had now
been five days at anchor, and during that time

14 TRAVELS IN

had heard many signals of distress, though
the weather was such that we could seldom
see whence they came. When a short gleam
of fair weather allowed us a wider prospect,
we had a sad vision of ships stranded or lying
at anchor still battling with the waves. These
bursts of brightness were of short duration ;
they sometimes lasted a quarter, sometimes half
an hour, after which our view was again cir-
cumscribed by a thickened atmosphere. When
once more the lifting of that dark veil permitted
us to look around, the fragments of ships
thrown on every side spoke but too plainly of
the ruin that had prevailed. Masts and spars,
chests, utensils of various kinds, beams and
planks, were floating in every direction. How
natural was it to inquire : " Where are those
who embarked with these lifeless things?"
Attached to one of the floating masts, I saw
a sailor's blue woollen cap.

On the evening of the day that the ' Maria '
passed us, I was sitting with the first lieutenant
at a side-table in the great cabin directly before
a large oval window. It was past eleven o'clock.
All had retired to rest, except the man who

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 15

kept watch on deck; the lamps burned
clearly, and the storm seemed to have abated
somewhat. The conversation between the lieu-
tenant and myself was carried on by fits and
starts, and we had gradually sunk into silence,
each absorbed in his own thoughts. Suddenly
I thought I heard a sound rising from the
waters, and a similar sound immediately follow-
ing, confirmed me in my belief. The first
lieutenant, who was sitting at the opposite
side of the table, and as near to the window
as I, seemed not to have heard anything. I
told him that I thought I heard a voice amid
the roaring of the waves. He said that he had
not heard it, that I might be deceived by the
varying sound of the wind.

We again relapsed into thought, when once
more the same tone coming from the sea
towards the ship, struck my ear, and I now
felt convinced that it w^as a human voice. I
said so to the first lieutenant, and that the
cry seemed to become weaker. Anybody
who has been on board a ship beaten by the
waves, with the wind whistling through the
rigging, will admit that the human voice.

16 TRAVELS IN

amid such uproar, is scarcely audible. The
lieutenant was positive that I was in error,
and that the voice, if one I had heard, must
have come from deck. Though convinced
of my being deceived, he went on deck, saying
that he would order a Bengal-light to be
kindled, and a sharp look-out to-be kept.

When I now look back to this event, it
seems to me incomprehensible that I did not
accompany the Ueutenant in order to witness
the search; but the events of the last five
days had rendered me indifferent to things
which at another time would have awakened
my warmest interest. The mind after great
excitement, suffers a reaction, which often
induces a kind of lethargy, and to a feeling
of this kind must I ascribe my remaining in
the cabin whilst the lieutenant went on deck.
I heard the voice of the man on watch
answering his commander's inquiries. I saw
the flare of the Bengal-light gleaming through
the windows, and I remained tranquilly in
the cabin. When the lieutenant returned, he
said in reply to my inquiries that I had been
mistaken, that if I had heard a voice it must

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 17

have come from deck. This explanation
satisfied me fully, and the thing was soon
forgotten.

The next morning came, but the weather
was not better, indeed it seemed worse, ex-
cept that the moments of clearness w^re
of longer duration, and permitted us to take
a steadier view of our companions in mis-
fortune. We saw further down the river, the
masts of many ships, of which the position
was as perilous as our own. Some were lying
on the side, others appeared to be drifting
away. The ship 'Lord Western,' which lay
nearest to us, made repeated signals of distress,
but it was not in our power to go to her
aid. Her masts were washed away, she seemed
every moment on the point of going to pieces,
and her deck was crowded with people, all
waiting with longing, though almost despairing
hearts for rehef

On this very day, a steamer appeared in
sight. She had been sent from Calcutta, to
make a report of the state of the vessels, and
to offer help where it was most needed. The
' Lord Western ' lay near us in momentarily

VOL. I. c

.18 TRAVELS IN

increasing distress. The steamer endeavoured
to get near her, but failed. Something in
her own machinery gave way, and she was
obhged to return and cast anchor. The
weather, though still stormy, was become
milder, and on Saturday afternoon an attempt
was made to send boats to the nearest
wrecks.

To the honour of English seamen it must
be said, that none are so ready as they to
risk their lives for the safety of their fellow-
men. So many had offered to go, that when
the boats were ready, the lieutenant was obliged
to compel some to remain behind. The second
lieutenant had the command of the boat, and
managed to reach the ship through a heavy
sea. When our boat had returned successfully
from her trip, another ship, the 'Union,'
ventured to put out her boats, and even the
' Lord Western ' imitated the example, so
that on Saturday evening many of the crew
were brought on board the ' Eliza,' and on
Sunday the work was completed, the crew
and passengers being all safely removed from
the wreck.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 1 9

Who does not raise his heart with thank-
fulness to Heaven, when, after having lived
through the perils of a sea-storm, he finds
himself again enjoying the sunshine of a calm
summer day. Never did Sunday morning
appear to me so lovely ; and before noon our
deck was thronged with a busy multitude, all
anxious to find a spot on which to fix a
Hindoo kitchen. The greater number of the
soldiers belonged to that sect. Their religious
code commands them to eat their meals off
the earth, and in order to comply w^ith this
injunction, two sacks of clay had been pro-
cured, that they might be able to fulfil literally
their religious obligations.

The removal of the persons from the * Lord
Western ' afforded me an explanation of the
sounds I had heard from the cabin of our
ship a few nights previously, and to which
I have already alluded. The cry which I had
supposed to be that of a human being, was
really such, and proceeded from the mate of
the ship ' Maria,' which had passed us in the
forenoon bedecked with flowers. In a few
hours that ship became the prey of the waves,

c 2

20 TRAVELS IN

and the mate, laying hold of a plank, was the
only one of the crew who survived. Beaten
about during some time by the waves, he at
length reached our ship. The Bengal-fire
was lighted, his cry was responded to ; but
when, whilst trying to clamber into the vessel,
he told that he was a shipwrecked mariner,
he was rudely repulsed, and betaking himself
again to his plank, he happily reached the
ship ' Union.' Instructed by a bitter expe-
rience, he no longer announced himself as
shipwrecked, but said that he had fallen over-
board, upon which a rope was thrown him,
and his life was saved. Once on deck, he
avowed who he was, and related how he had
been thrust away from the 'Eliza.'

If I had not been witness of the fact, I
never could have believed that superstition
was able to blind men to such a degree.
Our first lieutenant and his crew believed
that no one could take from the sea that
which the sea had once received without
bringing misfortune on himself and his ship.

In the course of this day our excellent lieu-
tenant gave another proof of his extreme

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 21

narrow-mindedness. Yet I must say the
man was not hard-hearted, nor did he appear
unfeeling, but he was wrapped in the darkest
superstition.

Amongst the sailors who came on board
our ship from the 'Lord Western/ was one
who had an ape. When the lieutenant saw
the poor animal, he uttered an exclamation,
and declared that it should be sent back to
the wreck, that he wished to save human
beings and not beasts. It was in vain that
the second lieutenant assured him that there
were no more human beings to be saved, our
enlightened commander raved, would not listen
to any explanation, declaring that the beast,
as he called the ape, should be sent back at
any risk.

The ape seemed to be aware that he was
a subject of contention, and as the sailors
showed no inclination to interfere, the lieu-
tenant resolved to put his own hand to the
work; but as he made a step towards his
chattering enemy, the monkey sprang upon
the mast, and mounted nimbly into the
rigging. Sailors were dispatched with orders

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to bring him down at any cost ; but at the
moment when any of his pursuers reached
the spar on which he sat, the monkey, a
far more expert climber than any on board,
bounded lightly upon another. In short, it
seemed that all hope of capturing him was
vain.

The lieutenant was distracted with rage, he
swore, he cursed, he stormed ; but as all this
did not bring him an inch nearer to the
monkey, he descended to his cabin, and re-
turned in a few minutes armed with two
long pistols, intent upon shooting the monkey.
This attempt would perhaps have been as
useless as had been his efforts to capture him ;
when, seeing that the affair was now assuming
a serious aspect, the master of the monkey,
an English seaman, stepped forward, and as-
sured the first lieutenant that he should be
obeyed, and that the monkey should be sent
back. But he declared at the same time
that he would not remain in a ship where
such things were done, that he would prefer
returning with his ape to the wreck where
his captain still was. He fulfilled his threat,

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 23

and stepped with his ape into a boat which
was returning to the wreck, to bring away
some casks of provisions and water which still
remained there.

We were busied this afternoon and the
greater part of the following day, in making
preparations for the continuance of our voyage.
It was with difficulty that the anchor was
raised ; but when it was, the correctness of
our pilot's judgment was fully proved. The
second anchor had not taken hold, the first
was quite firm. The bad weather had done
much damage. Many ships were stranded,
many had gone to the bottom. It was said
in Calcutta that during that storm one hundred
and twenty ships were lost.

There was not a man on board the * Eliza '
who did not look upon the pilot as an instru-
ment in the hands of Providence for our
deliverance, and much were we all surprised
to hear the captain, who came into the ship
as we approached Calcutta, make the most
bitter reproaches to our trusty guide. He
declared that it was his fault that the ship
had not arrived long before, and ascribed to

24 TRA.VELS IN

his mismangement all the loss that the delay
had caused him.

Amongst the passengers on board the ' Eliza/
with whom I made an intimate acquaintance,
was an Irishman, Lieutenant Bernard,* of
the 31st. I remember that he and I after-
wards, when in Calcutta, spoke with the pilot
of these things, and expressed our astonish-
ment at the captain's conduct.

The pilot said that he had not been in
the least surprised ; " and," continued he,
'^ you may remember that I had previously
expressed my opinion of the reception which
1 might expect from him. It is so with
all captains of merchantmen. In order that
they may not appear indebted to us, they
generally give the affair this turn, attributing
to us all the damage which may have occurred,
and doling out our well-earned pay, as if it
were unlawful pelf.

* Peace to thy ashes ! How dear is thy memory to
me ! Thou hast found thy last deep sleep on the battle-
field of Mardki.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 25

CHAPTER II.

Calcutta — City of palaces — Fruits — Fish — Inhabitants
— Annoyances from servants — Disagreement with
boatmen — Boat agents — Portuguese mixed blood —
After many discussions, I proceed up the Hoogly —
Serampore — Bahlpore — Chandernagur — Chinsurah
— A Munschi — Nuddea — Indian children speaking
English — Difficulty of inducing a boy to enter my
service — Arrival in Murschedabad.

For the traveller just escaped from shipwreck
and drowning, it may be supposed that even
the most barren spot of land would possess
attraction. I must, however, confess that my
fancy had lent so warm a hue to the descrip-
tions which I had heard of the environs of
Calcutta, that the sight of the reality brought

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only disappointment. I had heard of a " City
of palaces," but when I looked around, I came
to the conclusion that the inhabitants of Cal-
cutta believed themselves worthy to abide in
kingly dwellings, and that en attendant their
actual erection, these noble edifices floated in the
airy imaginations of their future possessors.
The scenery on the banks of the river is not
deficient in beauty ; and as we drew nearer to
the city, the prospect improved. Villages, villas,
groves, and meadows lay stretched before us.
We passed by the botanic gardens, which ap-
peared to be stocked with Flora's rarest gifts.

On my arrival at Calcutta, which is about
fifty miles from the sea, I took up my abode
in Spencer's hotel, a respectable estabhshment,
not far from the Government House. I do not
intend to give a description of the town, of the
hospitals, esplanades, schools, &c., of which an
account can be found in almost every book that
treats of India. Neither shall I expatiate upon
the fruits, the ananas, plantains, mangos, pome-
los, melons, oranges, custard-apple and the
lately imported Chinese plum, all of which,
however, sink, in the estimation of the English

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 27

inhabitants of Bengal, when compared with the
mango-fish, of the excellence of which his English
friends are ready to make oath.

Ladies and gentlemen in Calcutta tell you
very gravely that it is dangerous to eat of the
large fish of that place, as they feed upon the
dead bodies thrown into the Ganges, or which
are washed down from the upper lands. The
worthy narrators seem to forget that the small
fish will not scruple to partake of the same
fare.

The inhabitants of Calcutta, like those of all
great cities, stand lower in the scale of morality
than those of the provinces and country districts.
The people of Calcutta and Bengal have the repu-
tation of excelling the inhabitants of the rest of
India in refinement. Indeed this superiority is
remarkable even in the humblest classes ; and if
I venture to give an opinion of the character of
the people, I can say that I have paid for my
experience.

I had for some time wished to take into my
service, a young native, whom by kindness and
benefits I might attach to me. It happened
that I one day met in Calcutta, a young lad

28 TRAVELS IN

between ten and twelve years of age, named
Mongolkhan, whose frank and open countenance
pleased me so much, that I hired him. After
a few days, I asked him if he would accompany
me on my journey. He consented, provided
he obtained his father's permission, and that
another Mussulman were of the party. To
provide for this contingency, I had hired a
Mussulman cook, an old Khitmatgar, who had
been in England and in Germany. I gave him
fourteen rupees per month, though eight are
here considered very good pay. Mongolkhan
had repeatedly assured me that he was satisfied
to come.

The old Khitmatgar undertook to make some
preparations for the journey. I gave him money
to provide chests, which were indispensably ne-
cessary ; but on the very morning on which we
should have set out, he brought back the money,
saying that the chests could not be ready in
time. I expressed my surprise that he had not
thought of these things before the day of our
departure, a remark which so offended him, that
it was with much difficulty his good humour
was restored. The little Mongolkhan was present

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 29

at this conversation, but seemed to take no
notice of what was "going on. On my return
from the city about four o'clock, I found my
friend Bernard, w^ho told me that he had been
commissioned by my little servant to let me
know, that he would not accompany me. I
questioned Mongolkhan, but received no answer,
and in a little time he also disappeared. I had
ordered the tailor to provide his outfit, and had
made other preparations for his comfort, but I
never had the pleasure of seeing him again.

1 met my old Khitmatgar in a bazaar, whither
I had sent him some days before, to look after
many things I wished to buy. He led me to
some shops, where what I wanted was not to
be had. I asked where I could buy the plates
and glasses which would be needed on our
journey. He very coolly inquired how many
dozen of each I wished for, though he had
himself told me that six flasks, two soup-plates
and two dishes would suffice. I replied that I
did not intend to buy these things by the dozen ;
upon which he said that as it was in this way
only things were sold there, I might as well tell
how many dozen I would take. For sole reply

30 TRAVELS IN

I drew the curtains of my palanquin, flung
myself back, and ordered my bearer to carry me
home. I did not see my worthy Khitmatgar for
three days, when he brought two Indian weapons
for which I had bespoken sheaths, and requested
payment for the time he had been in my service.
When I began to express my opinion about his
conduct and proceedings, he sprang outside the
door and disappeared. I never saw him again.
Another young man was brought me, named
Latu ; he promised to be good ; I was credulous,
and hired him as a bearer. I provided him with
clothes for the journey, and gave him some
money. Whether these gifts produced a dis-
turbing effect upon his intellect, I know not ; but
he disappeared in a few days, taking with him
money and clothes, nor must I forget to say that
at the same time two bank-notes vanished from
my possession.

My next sample of Indian servants was an
old man sent by Spencer, in whose hotel I
lodged. I hired him at twelve rupees a month ;
he had the air of a person who thinks himself
of great consequence. He remained one day in
my service, received two months' pay in advance,

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 31

and absconded. I saw him afterwards one day
on the bank of the river. When he perceived
me, he withdrew behind a willow, where I left
him undisturbed.

I had, in conjunction with my friend Lieu-
tenant Bernard, hired a boat for the prosecution
of my journey up the Hoogly, and paid the
greater part of the money in advance. Shortly
before the time fixed for our departure. Lieu-
tenant Bernard came to say, that in consequence
of a change of orders he would not be able to
accompany me. It was he who had made the
arrangements with the boatmen, and it was in
his name that a written contract had been
drawn up with them. This did not seem to
me to present any difficulty, as I supposed that
I could easily find the boat ; but great w^as my
mistake. From Thursday to Sunday was lost
in fruitless inquiries. Sometimes I was led up
the banks of the river, sometimes down ; many
boats were shown me, but never the right one.
At length, after a world of trouble, I found the

at for which I had paid. I fixed my depar-
ture for Sunday, and kept my appointment.
When I arrived at the bank of the river, I was

32 TRAVELS IN

carried four miles up to another boat, then two
miles down to a second, and at last to a third.
But none of them was that which I sought.

On Monday, I applied to my friend Ber-
nard, begging that as the contract was drawn in
his name, he would look after the matter.
After many altercations, we were told that we
must give up all hope of getting the boat we had
been promised. We applied to the police, but
were told that they had no power over the boat-
men. Things continued in this state until
Tuesday, when 1 applied to my friend Gor-
don, Esq., begging him to inform me in what
way I could obtain the assistance of the civil
authorities. He assured me that if I applied to
them, I could not expect any redress before
fourteen days; however, through his interven-
tion, our honest seamen promised to bring up
the boat that evening, and to have every-
thing in readiness for ten o'clock the following
morning.

Being anxious to take possession, I went on
board my budjerros early ; but here new diffi-
culties arose. The boat's agent had not given
the men their pay, and I was obliged to wait for

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 33

hours until he could be found. It was now
evident that all the falsehood and deception
practised during the whole affair, were mainly
attributable to the agent ; indeed it would
appear that the men had been only tools in his
hands. I advised them to seize one of the
people in the agent's employment. This was
an old villain who had played the principal part
in this comedy, which had now lasted eight days.
During all the time he constantly repeated that
he did not understand a word of what I said.
This he probably thought a clever way of shel-
tering himself from my wrathful commentaries.
He now brought out twenty-eight rupees instead
of thirty-four, which the men ought to have
received. This was a kind of make-peace, meant
to expedite my departure. As I expressed my
opinion of the whole proceeding, he suddenly
replied in English, and certainly in better English
than I have heard spoken by many who consi-
dered themselves proficients in that tongue.

I could not help expressing my indignation
at this barefacedness, and again recommended
that he should be kept as a pledge for the six
rupees, an advice which was not followed, and

VOL. I. D

34 TRAVELS IN

the worthy man, who was able to speak but not
understand English, was allowed to depart.

My journey was postponed a day longer. I
hoped, however, on this evening to bring my

business with my agents, J and Co., to a

close. In this firm are three half-caste men,
young in years, but old in trickery, and bound
together by a common interest in fraud and
falsehood. One of them let me know one day
how much he was offended by being called a
half-caste man, though I had not intended an
offence in the apphcation of the term. I was
telling him the story of my adventures with the
boatmen, and how I had hired the boat from a
half-caste man, adding, " a man of pretty much
your appearance." My auditor suddenly broke
out with : " By Jove ! my father and grandfather
are all of good blood." What could I say ? I
was stunned. I protested that I had used the
term, " half-caste" as a distinction, not as an
offence.

In the evening one of these excellent gentle-
men called upon me with the assurance that I
should be able to pursue my journey with
the morning tide on Thursday. He had

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 35

hired another boat for me, and would pay
for it with the forty rupees which I had
ah'eady advanced.

Saying and doing are, in Europe, allowed
to be very different, but it would seem that
the difference is still greater in India. Morn-
ing came, the money w^as not forthcoming,
and the agent's office, a little wooden box, with
an immense sign hanging above it, was locked.
I insisted on my boatmen proceeding, and de-
clared that for every tide they should lose, I
would deduct five rupees out of the twenty
which they were to receive on arriving at Mur-
schedabad. At first this seemed to make no
impression ; but at length our preparations were
so far advanced that the money only was waited
for. At last a person came from the agent,
and an arrangement was entered into. On the
agent's part a trifle was paid, the men consented
to make an abatement in their claim, and at a
quarter-past one we sailed up the Hoogly.

The river was beautiful, and covered through
a long space with ships of every size. Further
on, Hindoo temples presented themselves, some-
times on the right, sometimes on the left bank

D 2

36 TRAVELS IN

of the river, with here and there a mosque, all
much inferior to those on the Malabar coast, and
evidently of later origin.

At half-past five, we cast anchor before Se-
rampore, a place far inferior to the " city of
palaces," and where there is not much appear-
ance of commerce or business. There are some
nicely-situated houses belonging to Danish
settlers, but the town does not seem wealthy.
We left Serampore at three-quarters past five,
propelled by a pleasant breeze, which lasted the
entire day. At seven o'clock we reached Bhal-
pore, at half-past seven Chandernagur, and at
half-past eight arrived at Chinsurah, a military
station. Chandernagur is a French settlement ;
I wished to see it, and returned there by palan-
quin, but was not repaid for my trouble. I
entered a house which had once been an hotel,
and where a biUiard-table still told something
of the amusements of its former visitors. I
returned to Chinsurah, intending to while away
the evening in visiting the town under the
guidance of a Mussulman ; but as we approached
that part belonging to the Hindoos he declined
accompanying me, and promised to await my

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 37

return outside. I here engaged a munschi, or
professor of languages, for whose honesty and
other virtues a respectable man in the town
became security.

The next place at which I stopped was
Nuddea, a tolerably large town, with a little
bazaar. In my rambles through the town I
fell in with a group of children, apparently
from eight to eleven years of age. As I
passed, they wished me "good evening" in
English. I replied in the same language, upon
which several of them ran up to me, and wished
to enter into closer conversation. There were
ten or twelve amongst them who spoke the
language very well. They informed me that
they received lessons from the patri, who resided
there. They were Brahmin children, with most
intelligent countenances.

Near Nuddea the Fellinghy, or Corehan
Gonga, falls into the Hoogly ; and at about two
and a half hours' journey from Culwa, or Ka-
duva, also called Kurdeva, the Adjai river pours
in its tributary streams. Immediately oppo-
site the junction of the Adjai with the Hoogly,
lies an old fort called Sakaie, which was taken

38 TRAVELS IN

by the English in 1763. Kurdeva is well
peopled, the houses are numerous, and the
bazaar handsome and well furnished. There
are but few Mahometans ; the greater number
of the inhabitants being Hindoos. I remarked
here some stone houses that contrasted strongly
with those around, some of which were built of
bamboos, roofed with a kind of matting made
of plaintain-leaf, or with straw ; others were
made of loam, thatched with straw. These did
not look so pretty as the leaf-covered houses,
but the interior was quite as neat.

As the Hoogly at this season rises twenty or
thirty feet above its ordinary level, overflowing
its bank, it may be supposed that the villages
on its borders must sometimes suffer. The
interior of many of the houses was laid open
to our view, the front walls having been washed
away. Sometimes whole streets were levelled
by the advancing wave, which in its backward
sweep, left behind a deep stratum of loam, and
in some places tearing away its banks, brought
to the brink of the river houses, the inhabitants
of which a few weeks before viewed its eddies
from a considerable distance. It cannot be

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 39

doubted that these alluvial deposits contribute
to the fruitfulness of the land, which, as far as
I have seen, presents the luxurious appearance
of a fair garden.

I saw yesterday, at a short distance from
Kurdeva, a large bamboo building, destined, as
I was informed, for the celebration of wedding
festivities. The sound of merry dancing was
heard from within, and the gaiety seemed to
have reached a very high pitch. About six in
the evening, as my munschi wished to enjoy a
cup of coffee, he suddenly discovered that the
chest which contained the coffee, was not to be
found ; and as his servant had also disappeared,
it was supposed that the coffee was in his
possession. An inquiry was made after the
thief, but no trace of him could be discovered.
It appeared strange to me that a native of the
country, and living there, should hire a servant
without first inquiring his name, or knowing
anything of his family : yet when I questioned
the munschi, he declared that he knew nothing
of the man, that he had met him in Chinsurah,
and merely asked whether he would come with
him. The man had been long in the munschi's

40 TRAVELS IN

service ; but this negligence is characteristic of
the Indian character. I profited so far by the
lesson as to resolve that the servants of my
servants should not be employed about my
affairs, unless I had an assurance of their
honesty. I remember having been the same
evening drenched by a thunder-shower, but
that inconvenience was compensated for by the
agreeable coolness which the rain diffused.

We left Kurdeva at break of day. The
weather varied between sunshine and showers ;
and though the wind was not favourable, we
hoped to reach Murschedabad before nightfall.
When we arrived at Bur am pur, a lovely pros-
pect lay before us in majestic trees and wide-
extending meads.

I wished to pass some weeks in this
neighbourhood, making Murschedabad my head-
quarters. As I was not yet provided with a
house, we proceeded up the river to enjoy the
scenery. We passed Cossimbazaar, which is
not far from Burampur, and where there are
some pretty little Hindoo temples.

I found considerable difficulty in procuring a
house. At length my servants discovered one

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 41

situated in a garden, which afforded a dense,
embowering shade. As this was a great
recommendation, I quickly concluded the bar-
gain. I proposed to remain some time in
Murschedabad, to study the language of the
country before I proceeded on my journey.
Amongst my servants, there was but one who
could serve as my interpreter, and his memory
was so defective, or his intellect so w^eak, that
my sentiments seldom reached the ear of a third
person.

I had taken into my service in Madras, a lad
of twelve years of age, whom 1 trained as my
interpreter ; but he refused to accompany me to
Calcutta, his caste being forbidden to travel by
sea. I had often expressed a wish to have his
place supplied ; and one evening in Mursche-
dabad, a young lad was brought to me, whose
open countenance prepossessed me in his favour.
He willingly agreed to enter into my service,
but asked permission to consult his father. He
departed, and I never saw him again. Two
others were introduced to me, one of whom
pleased me very much. To avoid disappoint-
ment, I sent to consult his grandmother, his

42 TRAVELS IN

only living relative. She consented to his
entering my service. I sent for the tailor, and
the next day I had the pleasure of seeing my
promising protege in a suit of new clothes. In
the evening he went to visit his grandmother,
who called on me next day, and declared that
the boy should not accompany me. This
annoyed me the more, as I had found in him
traces of an honest and simple character, which
gave me a more favourable opinion of the
humbler classes of his nation than I had yet
entertained. I ought to have remembered that
in Europe, as well as in India, there is a class
of persons, who watch the arrival of foreigners,
hoping to profit by their ignorance. Such
persons should not, in any land, be taken as a
type of the nation.

In one of the principal banking-houses in
Calcutta I got Bengal post-bills instead of gold,
with an assurance that they would pass current
through the entire of British India. When I
arrived at Burampur, where there is a resident
English magistrate, and which is only a hun-
dred miles from Calcutta, the notes were
valueless. I was obliged to send to the house

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 43

where I had received them, and through the
kindness of the collector, Mr. Elliott, they were
cashed.

In my fatherland I had ever been accustomed
to devote the 1st of August to the amusements
of the chase ; and here, full of the deep memo-
ries of past times, I resolved to pass the day as
nearly as I could after my ancient fashion. But
what a contrast ! Instead of noble stag and
deep-mouthed hound, and joyous companions,
a single falcon and a grey-bearded attendant
constituted my hunting train.

I went one morning, accompanied by my
munschi, to visit a mosque, in which was the
grave of a nabob who had once ruled the
district. This mosque, like all the edifices here,
was nearly in ruins. I have seen cows and
oxen lying in the marble halls of the principal
buildings. An air of desolation reigned around
the edifice which we were now inspecting. The
walls were overgrown with weeds ; even the
towers and minarets were veiled with a grassy
covering. I asked the munschi to explain a
Persian inscription, which I saw over the doors.
He pronounced some proper name. I asked

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whether the date of the erection was recorded.
He replied " yes ;" and according to his calcu-
lation, the building was only thirty-eight years
old. I remarked that it was impossible that
decay could have made such progress in so
short a time ; but my observations made no
change in his translation of the inscription.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 45

CHAPTER III.

Departure' from Murschedabad — Gour — Rhadjmahal —
Chumars — Character of the Bengalese — Exaggerated
dangers of the jungle — Disappointed in my expecta-
tions of a hunt — Riding on an elephant — Reports
about wild men — Their manner of hunting — Honest
magistrates — English rule.

Having convicted my munschi of various
malpractices, I dismissed him, and before
leaving Murschedabad, hired another. I set
out for Rhadjmahal, my goods and chattels
packed in two small boats of four oars
each. I found that I had gained considerably
by changing my suite, my present attendants
being all of obliging dispositions. An hour
and a half's travelling brought us to Gour, which

46 TRAVELS IN

lies on the east bank of the Ganges, a short
way above the spot where the Hoogly, or
Baugrutty, breaking into two arms which
unite again at Sooty, separates from the
Ganges, which in various places throws out,
so to say, an arm from its mighty body,
which after flowing through a greater or
less distance, returns again to the parent
trunk. Further up the river we passed the
village of Sibgoinsh or Seebgunge, a pretty
place, embellished by large majestic trees,
of which the wide-extending branches were
filled with vampyre bats, an animal with which
I was well acquainted, having often passed my
evenings in Murschedabad hunting them.

We passed Kansart, situated on a branch
of the Ganges. Farther on we came to
Djongeni, and at last arrived at Matupuri,
where I hired additional attendants, having
been assured that around Gour, the inhabi-
tants would desert the villages at my approach
so much do they dread the English ; a terror
which the presence of the 50th regiment,
then passing in transport ships, considerably
increased.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 47

My expectations of meeting with many
antiquities, which in the beginning had not
been very great, were now considerably raised
by the assurances which I received on all sides
of the number of ruins, and the quantity of
old coins, arms, ornaments, &c., which were to
be found here. Nor was the prospect of
passing through a fine hunting country the
least attraction; and I was assured that the
whole district was one monstrous jungle.
Before coming to the neighbourhood of Gour,
I had heard of this jungle, and had been told
that the danger of passing through had with-
held many persons from goings to Gour.

As I did not appear to be frightened by
the perils which the jungle presented, I was
then informed that the road to Gour was at
this season, in consequence of the rain, im-
passable; and that to perform the journey I
would need an elephant, for which I should
be obliged to send to an English indigo-
planter, who lived at a great distance. To
these accounts I turned a deaf ear, merely
remarking that as it was admitted that the
jungle was overgrown with trees, it appeared

48 TRAVELS IN

probable that the soil which afforded them
root, would be sufficiently strong to bear a
wanderer's foot. The event proved my surmise
to be correct.

The ruins of Gour bear unmistakeable evi-
dence of a great bygone civilization. The
walls of the town are between twenty-five and
thirty feet high, and well-built of brick. The
buildings within the town seem to have been
constructed of the same material, with the
exception of the door and window-frames,
which are of stone. To one of the most
extensive buildings was attached a mosque,
with a Persian inscription, which, as my
munschi could not translate, I must leave
unexplained. We found many handsome
doorways in perfect repair. We ascended by
a flight of winding stairs to a handsome tower,
which, like the mosque, was inhabited by
fakirs. Many of the buildings showed the
traces of great care in the construction. The
ornaments were of an arabesque character.

Of the coins and such things I could not
learn anything, and was told that it would be
vain to make further inquiries. The natives

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 49

fled at the first glimpse they got of me, or
rather of my dschaukitar, a person with whom
I would have been very glad to dispense, but
could not. He acted as leader and speaker;
and to him, in the latter capacity, was I in-
debted for my information about the wonderful
antiquities that I might expect to see, as well
as for a description of the dangers of the
jungle, where I was told all sorts of wild beasts
were lurking. I had as yet seen but few spots
w^here trees grew, but my attendants persisted
in declaring that these were a covert for tigers.

Tired of this child's play, I insisted on being
carried to the jungle. I was told it would be
to throw myself into the power of raging
monsters. The object of my excellent advi-
sers, as I afterwards learnt, was to frighten,
and so make me abandon the idea of visiting
the jungle. The prospect of encountering a
tiger was so spirit-stirring, that 1 imperiously
insisted on being led to the spot where I might
hope to find one. But I soon discovered that
there was little chance of meeting a tiger, or
any of the other promised wild beasts. The
jungle of which 1 had heard so much was a

VOL. I. E

50 TRAVELS IN

pitiful little wood, bespotted and intersected
with meadows, streams, and ruins.

Disappointed in my hopes of a tiger-hunt,
and somewhat out of humour, I dismissed my
suite, and followed the chase after my own
fashion, by which I at least obtained a sight
of a monkey and a peacock. Whatever may
have heretofore caused the people of the district
to take flight, certain it is that when I was
alone, none showed the slightest inclination to
flee. Those w^hom I addressed answ^ered my
inquiries frankly.

Gour is rich in those fabulous legends which,
in all parts of the globe, connect the present
with the past. One of the most popular is,
that on a certain day in every year, it rains
gold in this district, and that any person who
chances to be present may collect the treasure
in abundance. I was shown the road over
which ride nightly the spirits of those who
flourished in the grandeur of the " olden
times," and who now at midnight hour meet
again in the stately castle, where once, as mortal
men, they held their merry revels.

Among the things most worthy of notice which

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 51

I saw here were the remains of a dam running
along the river to a distance of three fenglish
miles, and which must have been of considerable
height.

On my arrival at Rhadjmahal, I had great
difficulty in procuring lodgings, but at length
found hospitable shelter at the house of the
widow of the Rajah Baxa Bexum. The lodgings
were given gratuitously, which indeed one would
feel inclined to say was their full value, for it
must be confessed that the house stood in much
need of repair.

My hopes of having a good hunt were again
raised, but I must say that my experience here was
a faithful picture of human life, a succession of
promises and disappointments. I was furnished
with four elephants by the nabob ; and accom-
panied by a train of between fifteen and twenty
persons, I proceeded to the jungle prepared to
encounter terrible dangers, and elate with the
hope of noble sport. All in vain. We returned
unhurt and unamused, for the simple reason
that there were neither beasts nor game in the
jungle.

I was conducted to another jungle, where I

E 2

52 TRAVELS IN

certainly saw a wild boar, but from our order of
march we could not fire. Sitting on an elephant,
riding over a wild plain, covered with brushwood
and trees, we expected that our approach would
alarm the tigers, who in rushing from their
lairs, were to be shot — had they come in our
way. I am sorry to say that this day's hunting
was not more successful than the last. We
returned about nightfall, and I must acknowledge
that I was not in the best humour. The mo-
tion of an elephant is not agreeable, particularly
to one unaccustomed to it, and though my ma-
hout driver, perched on a straw-stuffed cushion
on the neck of his elephant, seemed at his ease,
yet with us Europeans, in tight-fitting French
trowsers, the case was different- Still anybody
seeing us m.ounted on our straw sacks that
served as saddles, and listening to our lively con-
versation whilst the hooka passed from mouth
to mouth, would have thought us very com-
fortable.

My sporting spirit was not yet extinguished,
and I made another effort to amuse myself.
Attended by one servant bearing a falcon, I got
into a small boat^ or tinki, and after a few hours'

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 53

journey arrived at a little village close by a
jungle. I had been warned against the danger
of encountering the " wild men" who inhabited
this place, but my opinion of human nature was
different from that of my advisers, and I was
right. I was received most kindly, a dwelling
put at my disposal, and everything done that I
needed. I was not, however, more successful
than before, and after two days of wearisome
exertion, I returned disappointed.

One remark that I must make about these
" wild men" is, that they hunt much better than
tame ones. The bow is their favourite weapon,
and the best marksmen use poisoned arrows.
The poison is prepared from a root which comes
from Nepaul, and is sold at the bazaar. The
wound is mortal. If the arrow strike in the
heart or lungs, the animal falls instantly dead ;
but wounded in a less vital part, a tiger has
been known to go four or five hundred paces
before dying.

The religious precepts of the Hindoo law
being in general directed to promote great per-
sonal cleanliness amongst the people, the use or
leather, though not expressly forbidden, is dis-

54 TRAVELS IN

couraged, for which reason, the preparing of
hides has fallen into the hands of the Pariahs,
many of whom are very skilful at their trade.
Those engaged in making leather are called
chumars, and every little village is provided
with a chumar, so that a European is not
obliged to wear sandals, and may, hy giving
some instructions, get a tolerable pair of boots.

I was glad to leave Bengal, hoping to
find elsewhere more honourable- minded people.
Though the inhabitants of Bengal are looked
upon as the most polished in India, I must say
that I found them to be a composition of false-
hood and deceit. As a proof of the empty
frivolity of these people, I need only mention
their habit of using large numbers in naming
prices. Instead of saying three ana or five or
eight ana, we hear twelve pays, twenty pays,
thirty-two pays. Of their suspicious disposition
the following anecdote will be a proof. One day,
during conversation about England's rule in her
colonies in general, a person who was present
said that in the province of Cuttar an English
magistrate took a bribe of 80,000 rupees from
a rajah, to hush up inquiry into a murder which

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 55

the latter had committed. The well-known
integrity of the English character would not
allow me to believe this, upon which the nar-
rator called several witnesses, who repeated the
same story. I must confess that I do not myself
believe it. My informant continued: "Everything
is purchasable here, and a darogha (a native local
magistrate) earns a grc^at deal of money in this
way, sometimes 100, sometimes 200 rupees in a
day. Half of the money is given to the darogha,
the munschi receives a fourth part, and the
remaining fourth is divided between the chau-
kidars and the subordinates."

The Nabob of Murschedabad is esteemed one
of the richest amongst the Indian princes. The
natives have many a story to tell about him, all
tinged with a hue of the deepest hatred towards
the EngHsh.

56 TRAVELS IN

CHAPTER IV.

Boglipore — Indian silk — Father Gotta — Mahometan
cloister — Hindoo temple — Patna — Burning the dead
— Hindoo boy at his father's pyre — Burmese boats —
Dynapore^-Hindoo boatmen.

After many disputes with boatmen, and
many conflicting messages between my munschi
and the traders, I left Rhadjmahal, and con-
tinued my journey along the river. I reached
Boglipore, renowned through India for the silk
manufactured here and in the environs, and
known by the name of Fungel-silk. This fabric
unites softness and brilliancy with great strength
and firmness of texture. I now saw it for the
first time in its native hue of brownish-yellow.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 57

This silk is much esteemed ia Europe as an
article of clothing, for which its lightness and
durahility render it peculiarly well adapted.

The silk manufacture in India has declined
very much during the last century, and the
Company's factories in southern Bengal — that
is, in the neighhourhood of Murschedabad — are
mostly in a state of ruin. In the largest of the
factories — that near Mulna — there is still a little
business done, as well as in Cossimbazaar, once
the head-quarters of the silk trade, whence the
raw silk is now sent to foreign markets.

It is the general opinion that the silk trade
of India would be much improved were the
manufacture extended through the country, in-
stead of being confined to one locality.

I saw at Father Gotta the remains of grottos,
or little rock temples, with figures carved in the
solid stone. I noticed amongst others a carving
of a peculiar kind of long-tailed ape.

I must not forget to mention a Mahometan
cloister, beautifully situated on a steep rock facing
the river. It is not large, and has been much
injured by time ; but notwithstanding its charm-
ing site, it will bear no comparison with a Hindoo

58 TRAVELS IN

temple which stands a short way above Fackeer
rock, surrounded by water. The situation of
this latter reminded me strongly of Bella Isola,
to which the whole scene about has, at the
first glance, a striking resemblance. Upon the
works beneath the Mahometan temple, at the
water's side, some figures were hewn out, and
some characters engraved, but the height of the
water at that time prevented my examining
either.

After being several days delayed by stormy
weather, I at length reached Patna, one of the
largest towns on the Ganges, but which does not
display much wealth. I hired a house at the
rate of eight rupees per month, which, with a
pretty garden attached, I found very agreeable.
My dwelling was the property of a nabob, who
lived in the mountains fifteen miles from the
town.

The inhabitants of Patna are upright and
honest, in which respect they contrast advan-
tageously with the people of Bengal, though their
personal beauty may not be as great. I must
say that I have seen very few women in these
countries whose external appearance would excite

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 59

my admiration. The bazaar is better furnished
than those of Murschedabad and Monghir, and
the entire town has a respectable appearance.
Let not this word " bazaar" awaken the idea of
a firmly constructed arched building like the ba-
zaars of Syria and Egypt. The bazaars of India
are quite different, and are no better than little
shops in houses, or sometimes standing alone,
roofed with matting, in which brokers sell their
wares.

The chief commodity is cotton, of which the
celebrated white and blue carpets are made.
The East India Company have monopolized
the opium trade, and have appointed an opium
collector in Patna, which is well supplied by the
surrounding districts.

A metallic composition known in Europe as
ransistha, resembling gold in colour, enjoys
here the reputation once accorded to Corin-
thian brass. I am not in a position to explain
this fully, but I think that some mistake exists.
I fancy that this is what is called " cannon-
metal." There is a composition known here as
buhl, bhul, or buhl-ransa, which is said to re-
semble gold, and is much dearer than ransa.

60 TRAVELS IN

The metal is not manufactured in this district,
but I have been told that at a little village near
Calcutta, and in Nepaul, manufacturers of this
composition are to be found.

From my windows I had a view of one of
those large sandbanks in the Ganges, which
are chosen as places to pay the last rites to
the dead. From early morning, the river is
covered with boats, the sad freight of which
may make them be regarded as coffins. The
friends of the deceased are sometimes in the
boat, sometimes there are only the boatmen,
the wood for the pyre, and, so to speak, the
offering. I hav^e often seen two or three parties
engaged at the same time in these mournful
rites

I one morning saw one of these funeral pro-
cessions coming down the river. A boy of
about twelve years of age was the only relative
present. He it was who was to perform the last
offices for his father. They must have belonged
to a poor family. The boy's deportment and
appearance told most eloquently how deeply he
was impressed wdth the solemnity of the duties
that he was called upon to fulfil, and how pro-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 61

foundly he felt the sorrow which the Divine
hand had laid upon him. The calmness of his
grief contrasted strongly with the shrieks and
wild despairing gestures of some women, who
at a little distance were engaged in similar func-
tions. According to the Hindoo law, the boy
was to kindle the pyre. He walked three times
around, touching parts where inflammable ma-
terials had been placed. This being done, and
the fire, by the assistance of the attendants,
thoroughly kindled, he stood still, his eyes fixed
upon his father's corpse, and so remained until
all was consumed.

I remarked with astonishment how quickly
the Ganges rises and falls. It sometimes rises
three or four feet in one day, and falls as
rapidly.

The endless disputes with boatmen recom-
menced as 1 was about to leave Patna, nor was
it without much difficulty and some pecuniary
sacrifice on my part, that 1 was at length enabled
to set out.

As we went up the river, we met five Bur-
mese boats proceeding along the stream. These
boats were very long, and appeared to be built

62 TRAVELS IN

with a keel. From their build I should not
suppose they could carry much. My first
day's journey did not bring me far from Patna,
indeed I may say that in the evening I was
still in sight of the town. On the following
day I arrived at Dynapore, where I saw several
badjerows,''*' prepared by the Company for the
officers of the 51st regiment.

I wished to exchange some bills for gold,
and applied to a merchant named T. Smyth,
properly Schmidt, whose father was a German,
but the son had black blood in his veins.
During the few hours I remained here, he
introduced me to a half-countryman, who was
musician in a regiment then staying at Dyna-
pore. He was a Pole, and seemed to have
once moved in a better circle. He told me
that he had four hundred rupees per month,
and when I entered his house, it was evident

* By badjerows are meant boats, so distinguished
from the ordinary ships on the Ganges, which are
generally used as transports. The badjerows are fur-
nished with cabins and every convenience. They are
for the most part painted in stripes of white and green,
and have a gay appearance.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 63

that his income must he good. His wife was
English, and the hushand let it he clearly un-
derstood that he retained a lively recollection of
his own countrywomen. He was a strange kind
of man. I do not think that his wife's lot was
a very enviable one. He assured me, though
the conversation did not give a fair opening for
such remarks, that his wife was of incorruptible
virtue.

I made a fresh acquaintance here in the per-
son of another musician, attached also to a regi-
ment. He was a perfect picture of one of our
provincial dandies, endowed- with a ridiculous
vanity, a quahty which of course made him in
bad repute with the Polish musician, who told
him very flatly that he did not w^ish for his
compositions, of which, besides, he did not be-
lieve one note to be original.

I found at Dynapore, the Burmese boats
which 1 had met on the river. Their traffic
consisted in the blue feathers of a certain bird
that is found here. I am sorry to say that I
could not procure either a bird or a feather.

I had often heard that among the natives of
India, incontestably good men are to be found,

64 TRAVELS IN

and amongst these I will venture to reckon the
manghi, or commander of my little boat. He
and three of his assistants were Flindoos, the
fourth was a Mussulman. From the time of
my departure from Patna until we arrived at
Benares, I did not hear a word of dispute,
nor a single contradiction between them.
The manghi and his people worked cheer-
fully, never seeking to overtask their fellow-
labourer. The manghi's little son, a child
of about eight or nine years of age, took his
part, and sat at the helm from morning until
evening, always cheerful and gay. It was im-
possible to see his good-natured face without
feeling interested in him, despite the raven-
blackness of his complexion. I could not wit-
ness the conduct of these Hindoos to their
Mahometan companion, without a feeling of
great admiration ; and I often wished that some
of our over-zealous Christian missionaries were
present. I would have asked them whether
Christianity could produce better or kinder-
hearted men.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 65

CHAPTER V.

Benares — Its sanctity — Supported by Schiva's trident
— The Ghats — Female bathers— The fakurs — The
houses — General appearance of the city — Aurangzib's
mosque — Brahmins at the Ghats — Ablutionary rites
— Situation of my house — Its interior ^ — The Academy
Vivalaya — Mr. Rivaz — The Rajah's palace at Ram-
nagur — Visit to the palace — Apes — Portrait of Queen
Victoria in the palace — The Rajah's father — Temple
at Ramnagur — Gardens.

Behold me at length in Benares, the most
sacred city of the Hindoos, the centre of
Brahminical learning, the object of the devout
aspirations of thousands of Hindoo pilgrims.
That city once built of gold, as tradition tells,
but which the degeneracy of the times trans-
muted to stone ; that city washed by the sacred

VOL. I. F

66 TRAVELS IN

waves of the Ganges, whose waters can cleanse
from crime ; that city in which to die is a
certainty of everlasting happiness ; that city
which we are assured upon high authority,
is not, so to speak, dovetailed into this low
earth of ours, hut rests elegantly poised on
the point of Schiva's trident ; that city made
blessed by being the residence of thousands
of Brahmins ; a city, in short, possessing the
largest number of temples and minarets, and,
judging from the multitude of bathers I saw,
the cleanest population in India.

Notwithstanding the Hindoo sanctity and
great celebrity of Benares, 1 fared here as in
other places about which my expectations had
been greatly raised — I was disappointed. I
had heard of a city that in extent and beauty
might vie with London ; and my disappoint-
ment arose perhaps from my having formed
in my fancy a picture different from the
reality. The narrow^ and crowded streets
annoyed me; but yet the aspect of Benares
from the river is lovely. Its tapering minarets,
the splendid mosque of Aurangzib, its well-
constructed ghats, thronged with bathers of

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 67

every caste and colour, from the rich and grace-
ful female Brahmin, who performs her ablu-
tions before the rising sun, to the filthy fakir,
who, after a pilgrimage of a thousand miles,
plunges beneath the noon-day heat into the waves
of the Ganges — the first water, perhaps, that
has touched his sacred person for many years.

Benares, though not as extensive as I had
been led to expect, is a large city, and the
most populous in Hindostan. Its length along
the river is about a German mile (four miles
and three-quarters English). The houses are
firmly built of stone, some of them three or
four stories high, and tastefully ornamented
on the outside. It must, however, be re-
marked, that all are not equally elegant, some
are small and miserable enough.

Before arriving at the blessed city of Khass,
as Benares is denominated in the ancient
writings, and as the Hindoos still name it,
the river gives evidence of busy life, in the
boats of various descriptions which continually
pass and repass upon its waters; the banks
of the river become more populous, and the
bathers more numerous.

F 2

68 TRAVELS IN

It was evening when we reached the city.
We passed many boats, the crews of which
showed great anxiety to anchor below the
city, that the ghats might be left free for
the bathers, who would otherwise be dis-
turbed by the lading and unlading of the
vessels.

Benares is built upon an eminence, and rises
in the form of an amphitheatre from the ghats,
which descend to the river-side. The aspect
is lovely, particularly at night, when from
different heights, through the wide sweep of
buildings, lights glance forth, exciting in the
beholder a kind of romantic interest.

The ghats, or bathing-places, are large
buildings many stories high, with handsome
verandahs and majestic portals; but their dis-
tinctive characteristic is seen in the flights
of wide, well-built steps, which descend to
the water-side. These ghats are built by rich
Hindoos, and are destined for habitations for
themselves, for the priests, and pilgrims. To
build a ghat is considered a very pious work ;
but as the maintenance of so large an estab-
lishment involves very great expense, certain

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 69

funds must be assigned for its support, and
a pandit, or learned Brahmin, is appointed
manager and overseer of all. From this it is
evident that only persons of princely rank,
very rich merchants, or state ministers, could
possess a fortune which would enable them to
found such establishments, and endow them with
an income worthy of the ancient city of Khass.

The portion of the city that lies along the
river is all ornamented with ghats, for which
reason this quarter is most esteemed, and
indeed considered most holy by the Hindoos.
It was this feeling amongst the people that
induced Aurangzib, their bigoted Moslem
conqueror, to erect on the ruins of one of the
most beautiful Hindoo temples which he had
destroyed, a mosque, from the lofty roof of
which he and his lawless soldiery could look
down upon the Hindoo population, whilst
engaged in their ablutions and libations. It
was not an idle impertinence that promp ed
the conduct of these intruders, it was the spirit
of religious intolerance; for the Hindoos con-
sidered themselves defiled by being thus rudely
gazed on.

70 TRAVELS IN

Aurangzib's mosque, with its two tapering
minarets, and lightly- arched, tower-like roof,
is one of the most attractive objects in Benares,
though the embellishment of the city did not
certainly enter into the design of the builder.

The steps of the ghats are never empty.
From morning until night they are filled
with votaries ascending and descending, with
their metal water-vessels, flowers, napkins, and
all the necessary accompaniments of the Hindoo
ablutions.

In the early hours of the morning and before
daybreak, the fairer portion of the most res-
pectable inhabitants of Benares are to be seen
on the steps of the ghats. Sometimes a fair
Brahmin is perceived, attended by a servant,
making her way to the ghat, sometimes in
company with her friends, each bearing a lodha,
or oblation-cup in her hand. Sometimes there
was scarcely light enough to distinguish their
red or yellow dresses as they returned holding
their lodhas filled with the sacred water of the
river. It is perhaps the most timid, or the
most devout, who observe these early hours ;
for during the entire day, the banks are covered

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 71

with women and maidens busied with their
libations.

A few hours later in the day a different scene
presents itself — the handsome platforms of the
ghats are filled with Brahmins, who make a
great display of boxes, little pots, Khassa grass,
sandal-wood powder, sandal oil, and the many
things which luxury has invented to aid the
ceremonies of the bhuschawalla. Here is to be
seen a follower of Vishnu, who having com-
pleted his ablutions, is engaged in marking
himself with horizontal, or vertical lines or
circles of yellow or red paint. At a little dis-
tance may be seen a votary of Schiva, painting
himself in vertical stripes, or in triangles of red
or white. These, who are of a low caste,
approach with a humble air the Brahmin who
sits on the platform, and laying down a few
pays, receive the colour with which they wish
to mark upon their forehead the symbol of their
faith. Another group may be seen, who with
hands uplifted in prayer, make their libations to
the sun — nature's great vivifier. Others are seen
drawing water in yonis, or vases of copper, from
the sacred stream, and pouring it back again.

TRAVELS

Still later in the day, the concourse on the
steps becomes of a more mixed character.
Whole families, more or less numerous, are
now preparing for their libations ; strangers
from distant parts of India, who have reached
the term of their pilgrimage, approach with an
expression of pious enthusiasm in their faces to
the sacred flood, which, during whole years, had
been the object of their longing aspirations.

Ascending the steps that lead from the
principal ghat to the town, and passing by
Aurangzib's mosque, with its graceful minarets,
we reach the observatory, a relic of the olden
time, and evidently built by the Hindoos before
the coming of the Moslem race. It is well
situated, and commands a view of the ghats,
the river, and of the opposite bank. The
scientific apparatus in the observatory belongs
to the period when astronomy was in its in-
fancy; and one cannot help being astonished,
that with such slender assistance, the observa-
tions and calculations of the Indian astrono-
mers should have been so correct.

I had wished to engage a house near the
bazaar, that I might contemplate, at my leisure,

INDIA AND KASHxMIR. 73

the busy crowds that in the East are always
most dense in the neighbourhood of their
variously-stocked mart. To obtain a dwelling
near the river would have been impossible. In
my perambulations, I met with " a house to be
let/' so very small, and freshly painted in such
rainbow hues, that an European might have
been excused had he inquired whether it were
not intended for a bird-cage. The house was so
very small, so original looking, that, tempted
by its oddity, I was on the point of hiring it, to
learn how an Indian could accommodate himself
in such a dwelling. But my ardour for philo-
sophical experiments was quickly damped, when
I learned that the odour of oil paint was still
so rife in the " fairy dwelling," that it would
infallibly bring a fit of sickness on the occu-
pant. Continuing my inquiries, I succeeded
in finding a very good house, spacious and well
ventilated. From the verandah, on the high
upper floor, I had an uninterrupted view of a
small bazaar, and a glimpse of the street which
leads to the principal mart. The only incon-
venience was being in the neighbourhood of
dancing-girls.

My vicinity to the Rajah Bazaar, as the

74 TRAVELS IN

bazaar next my house was called, afforded me
many opportunities for amusing conversations.
In the forenoon the different artizans were to
be seen here busied with their various occu-
pations—palanquin makers, turners, varnishers,
leather- bottle makers, &c. The afternoon pre-
sented a different scene; it was the time for
purchasing, and it was a source of great amuse-
ment to look down upon the thronging crowds
as they hurried to the bazaar, or returned with
their purchases.

The house that I inhabited was small ; but
a good-sized hall within, and a handsome
verandah without, served for my promenades ;
and with a single table and stool, I was
free from the embarrassments which more
elaborately-furnished apartments entail. The
verandah was the scene of action for the work-
men employed in preparations for the conti-
nuance of my journey. Three carpenters or
joiners, and a flechter or braider, were constantly
at work. There was no window on the north
side of the hall, which was the more to be
lamented, as in that direction one could have
commanded a view^ of the old schank or bazaar.

The number of temples in Benares is very

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 75

great, and these are in more or less repute
according to their antiquity. Amongst the
institutes, I must not forget to mention the
great Academy Vivalaya, which from time im-
memorial has been established here. A school
has been established by the English for the
education of the natives, and is at present under
the direction of Mr. Nicholls, a gentleman every
way w^orthy of the trust reposed in him. The
number of pupils is very great ; they are day
pupils, none live on the premises. Mr. Rivaz,
agent to the Governor-General, and to whose
kindness I was much indebted, procured me the
pleasure of Mr. Nicholls's acquaintance, to whom
I would here wish to make an acknowledgment
for the information which I received from him
during my abode in Benares.. It is sweet to
me to remember the evenings T passed in the
society of Mr. Nicholls and Mr. Rivaz, which
were some of the most agreeable that I spent
in India.

My stay in Benares was considerably pro-
longed through the preparations for my land
journey. I had ordered a camel-box, w^hich was
to serve as writing-desk, a bedstead, two travel-

76 TRAVELS IN

ling-chairs, and a light portable table of bamboo
— things which were indispensably necessary for
my comfort. Mahogany furniture, such as
Europeans generally bring here, is very well
suited to those who intend to take up a perma-
nent abode in India, but for the wayfaring
traveller, lightness and portability are the greatest
recommendations in furniture.

Before taking leave of Benares, I must men-
tion the rajah's palace or castle, at Ramnagur.
Mr. Rivaz had promised to procure me permis-
sion to visit the building, and I accordingly
made arrangements for my visit. Mr. Nicholls
was kind enough to offer to accompany me.
We left Benares early in the morning and took
our way towards Ramnagur, a distance of about
five hours' journey on the opposite bank of the
Ganges. The first part of the way was delight-
ful. We passed through a portion of the city
and suburbs, along a road bordered with gardens
and leafy trees, presenting at every turn some
fresh beauty.

Wherever banyan trees abounded, we w^ere
sure to find a large population of apes. The
comical manoeuvres of these animals, always

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 77

tending to mischief, are most amusing. Though
perhaps not a very flattering compliment, I must
say that none of the lower animals bears so
strong a resemblance to man, nor does their love
of mischief detract from the likeness. They
seem full of human, though not humane feeling.
One could almost fancy them a race of meta-
morphosed or degenerated human beings, their
mumblings, jabberings, and grotesque gesticu-
lation being what may be supposed a mimicry of
our civilized drawing-room meetings.

I was very much amused by the conduct of an
old ape, who, with a most laughable air of dignity,
was strutting up and down in the neighbourhood
of some female apes, members of iiis family.
A handsome young ape approached, and with
an air which might have been an imitation, or
the original model of a Regent Street dandy,
wished to make his court to the ladies. He
had made a few preliminary bows and scrapes,
and there is no saying what success he might
have had, when the old ape, who, without
seeming to notice these proceedings, had gra-
dually extended his promenade, reaching the
group, dealt our young hero a smart blow on

78 TRAVELS IN

the ear, overturning his equilibrium, which he
assisted him to regain by another blow on
the opposite side of the head. He slapped
him again and again, rolling him over in the
dust, as if completely to humble his pride, and
then continued his promenade seemingly un-
disturbed by the incident, whilst his young
rival limped screaming away.

Apes, as is well known, are privileged
beings in India, and conscious of this, they do
not seem to be disturbed by the presence of
man. The lesser bazaars, those situated in the
suburbs, near woods and sometimes under the
shade of trees, are often pillaged by the monkey
neighbours. It is very amusing to see the apes
retreating after their depredations, one with a
handful of maize, another with a piece of sugar,
and so on, each triumphing in his success and
all in high glee ; whilst the poor master of the
bazaar, on discovering the havoc which they have
made, looks perplexed between contending emo-
tions of superstitious reverence for the marau-
ders, and vexation at his loss.

Having passed through this amusing scene of
apish life, we entered on a large treeless plain.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 79

and having passed this, we arrived at the Ganges,
where a boat waited to carry us across to Ram-
nagur. But great was our disappointment
when, on reaching our destination, we found that
no preparations had been made for our reception,
and upon inquiry, it appeared that we should be
obliged to return without having attained the
object of our journey. Mr. NichoUs was even
more annoyed than myself, and did not fail to
give a long account of our journey to Mr. Rivaz,
who saw the matter under a very serious aspect,
and considered it a personal affront to himself.
When the rajah heard this, he was thrown into
terrible alarm.

In a few days, a messenger from the rajah
called upon Mr. NichoUs and afterw^ards upon
me, concerning the visit to Ramnagur. The
embassy was of such a nature that I could
not refuse to call upon the rajah. He had in
the course of one day dispatched three messen-
gers on horseback to Mr. NichoUs, all with a
request that he would apologize to me for the
oversight which had occurred. All this anxiety
arose from the fear of offending Mr. Rivaz.
However, it was impossible that I, who had

80 TRAVELS IN ^Hri

been the cause of so much confusion, and the
object of so much politeness, could any longer
delay to make a visit to the rajah.

An equestrian escort awaited us at Mr.
Nicholls's college, where I had promised to join
the party. This distinguished body-guard at-
tended us to the rajah's dwelling, which I shall
call his country-house, to distinguish it from his
palace. We arrived about four o'clock. The
house is surrounded by a garden ; and as we
approached, one of the suwars asked permission
to announce our coming to the rajah. When
we arrived, we found the court-yard, according to
the Oriental custom, nearly filled with servants.
As we alighted from the carriage, we were con-
ducted by the upper servants along a flight of
steps that led to a higher garden, immediately
before the house. Here the rajah advanced to
receive and conduct us into his house. He is a
strong, healthy-looking man of about thirty, or
allowing for the wearing effects of the climate,
twenty-five, with a friendly, good-humoured ex-
pression of face.

The house is not large, nor are the steps wide
enough to allow the master of the house to

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 81

receive his visitor at the foot, and. then to
accompany him with grandezza to the top. In
these ceremonious visits where the appointments
are not commodious, one often suffers great
inconvenience. Ascending steep stone stairs,
where at every step the knee salutes the chin,
just as you arrive at the top, and at the mo-
ment when the master of the house takes
hold of your hand, you stumble over the last
stone, and make au unintentional reverence, is
not at all pleasant.

The fashion of the interior is a mixture of the
Indian and English style of furnishing. This
wish to Anglify his house seemed a ruling pas-
sion of the rajah's, though, to speak the truth,
such efforts seldom succeed with the natives of
India.

I saw on the table, a little ecritoire, of which
the pens had certainly never been used by the
rajah, a letter-case with wafers, and a little box,
not altogether worth two shillings, but which
seemed to be in high esteem in that mansion.
The rajah pointed to these things with some
degree of pride, but with still greater to a
likeness of Queen Victoria, fastened on the

VOL. I. G

82 TRAVELS IN

wall. The chief ornaments of the room con-
sisted of pictures — some, oil paintings, others,
miniatures of members of the rajah's family.
Amongst the portraits was that of Delhy Bat-
schahho, whose might in ancient days will long
be remembered. Besides the portraits, there
were two landscapes, of which one was a view
of Benares, with the minarets, taken from the
opposite side of the Ganges. I could not have
believed this to have been the production of a
native, if the rajah had not repeatedly assured
me that it was. It was executed with artistic skill,
though perhaps, not having seen good paintings
for a long time, I may have been easily pleased,
but there seemed to me in that painting a depth
of shadow, a want of which I had always thought
the great defect in Oriental pictures.

We were beginning to converse freely, when
the rajah's father was announced. The son,
through a feeling of respect, immediately laid
aside his hooka, or pipe, and the old man entered.
The simplicity of his dress formed a striking
contrast to the splendour with which the rajah
was arrayed. He wore a kaftan, or upper gar-
ment of cotton, which seemed to be wadded,

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 83

and which had been evidently a long time in
wear. He had on his head a shabby fur cap,
the form of which reminded me forcibly of the
head-gear worn in ancient times by our German
peasants ; his beard had not been shorn for a
long time, a circumstance which gives an old
man an appearance of uncleanliness. Still, not-
withstanding these disadvantages, he made a
very agreeable impression. He spoke English
tolerably well, and his entire demeanour and
conversation impressed one with the idea that he
w^as a man whose heart was good and customs
simple. His visit was short, and he withdrew as
soon as I had promised him to visit Ramnagur
the following day.

As I remarked before, the old man's dress
was plain, and seemed selected to suit the
season. The rajah wore a richly-brocaded
upper garment, and gold-embroidered cap, and
on his right arm a bracelet that seemed to be
of great value. Not only did the rajah press
me warmly to visit Ramnagur on the following
day, but made me promise to dine with him.
He had learned that I did not eat meat, nor
drink wine or any spirituous liquor, for which

G 2

84 TRAVELS IN

reason he looked upon me as a Hindoo, and was
of opinion that I could not refuse his invitation.

At five o'clock the following morning, I set
out with Mr. NichoUs for Ramnagur. We had
not gone far on the way, when we were met
by an escort that accompanied us to the river.
We crossed to the other side in a boat which
had been prepared for our reception, and there
found two elephants, richly caparisoned, carrying
stately howdahs on their backs. In these cano-
pied howdahs, we proceeded to the palace. It
must be confessed that the rajah had provided
nobly for our convenience. Upon entering the
second court, Mr. NichoUs discovered that
according to etiquette we should there alight
from our elephants, and enter the third court
on foot. Scarcely had we descended from our
dignified, but somewhat dangerous elevation,
when the rajah's father arrived in a palanquin,
which he immediately ordered to be set down,
and stepping out, welcomed us. His youngest
son, a handsome boy of about six years of
age, accompanied him, bringing perched on his
finger, a dove.

The old gentleman proposed that we should

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 85

immediately get on our elephants, and proceed
to visit the castle and gardens. He mounted
on the neck of one of the elephants, taking
the place of the mahout, or driver, and per-
forming the office as if it were his daily
occupation. He brought us to a little garden
and a house, which once every year served
as a theatre for the natives. I regretted that
the season for these representations was past;
nor could I entertain a hope of enjoying such
elsewhere, as the theatrical performances occur
in the same month throughout India.

The environs of Ramnagur are very fruitful,
and bear evidence of careful culture. Before
we arrived at the garden and temple, an
elephant, with a richly-ornamented howdah,
was brought for our old friend. A soft bed
had been laid under its curtained roof, that
he might be more at his ease. A servant
attended on another elephant, holding a hooka
or pipe, ready for the old gentleman's use;
who, as soon as he found himself comfortably
reclining under the shade of his hawta, began
to smoke.

The temple of Ramnagur lies before a tank

S6 TRAVELS IN

which belongs to it. This building was founded
about seventy years since, under the luckless
Rajah Djeh Sing, who fell a victim to the
intrigues of Warren Hastings. Public opinion,
put forth freely in conversation, even by the
English servants of the Company, about the
proceedings of Warren Hastings in this affair,
would tend to show, beyond all doubt, that
the unhappy rajah had been, with crying
injustice, defrauded of his right. It is well
known that Hastings, after having imprisoned
the rajah in Benares, ' was obliged to make
his escape through a window, to avoid the
fury of the people ; nor could he have effected
his flight, had not his body-guards, composed
of natives, been true to their trust.

Notwithstanding the idea of sanctity which
the Hindoos attach to Benares, and spite of
the beauty of its temples, I must say that
I prefer the temple of Ramnagur to any that
I saw in the ancient city of Khass.

Though the foundations of this temple have
been recently laid, it presents the appearance
of a ruin, an evident proof that the structure
was never completed. The building is beauti-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 87

ful, and covers a large space, but it will bear
no comparison with the temples of ChiUambrun
and Trivalur.

The tank of which I have spoken, is in
perfect preservation. It is a square of twenty-
five paces. On one side lies the rajah's
garden, in which there is a very pretty
pavilion, commanding an agreeable pros-
pect. Near, one sees the tank, and afar can
be seen the mighty Ganges, bearing its tribute
to the great ocean, and in the same direction,
the temples and minarets of Benares are
visible.

On the other side is a building, ornamented
with numerous pillars, but lying nearly below
the level of the plain. It appears to have been
intended for the dwelling of the superintending
priests. Opposite to this stands the temple.
Ornamented in the richest style of Indian archi-
tecture, it is small compared to the temples of
Benares. There is a simplicity in the structure
which seems allied to the Grecian school. The
delicacy of the sculpture is, considering the
material, incomparable ; certainly, nothing more
excellent could be wrought in sandstone. The

88 TRAVELS IN

form of the temple is a square, of which the
angles are prolonged. The walls are covered
with finely-sculptured mythological figures, all
of the same size and equal depth of relievo.
Two doors on opposite sides form the entrance,
and doors corresponding in appearance are
painted on the two other walls.

Amongst the ornaments within the temple
w^e find no representation of the human figure,
neither is there a hkeness of any of the lower
animals. The decorations consist of flowers and
leaves in garlands and arabesques, disposed upon
the flat surface. They are not crowded, and
the eye rests upon them with pleasure. The
roof is supported by forty-eight female figures.
These are musicians, and the various instruments
of their art are disposed regularly, two and two,
amongst the group. The cupola, which was
originally intended to close in the temple, was
either not completed by the founders, or was
destroyed by the hand of an enemy. Exposure
to the weather has very much injured the inte-
rior, nor has the outside escaped traces of
devastation. The forms and positions of the
mythological figures of the olden time, are evi-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 89

dently imitated in this temple. We had seen
in other buildings, groups of figures bearing the
same general characteristics as those in the temple
at Ramnagur, but here, where they only served
as accessories, they seemed in much better
taste.

Indian gardens are, with very few exceptions,
large and beautiful. Where water is scarce, it
is not easy to keep them in order, but where it
abounds, the grateful soil yields an abundant
harvest of beauty and fruitfulness. The natives
of India are excellent gardeners, and are unre-
mitting in their care of the ground confided
to them.

The garden of the rajah was very handsome,
and well stocked with plants, flowers, and fruit-
trees. The father accompanied us everywhere,
and seemed delighted at the satisfaction that a
view of the place afforded us. He took pleasure
in everything, and showed with especial delight
a flock of doves, drawn about in a waggon
appointed for their use. We met this carriage
in an open space in the grounds. Our friendly
conductor directed that the doves should be let
loose, and after we had admired their aerial evo-

90 TRAVELS IN

lutions, we continued our way. I asked why
the doves were carried about in a carriage, as it
seemed to me that if they furnished no other
pleasure than what seeing them fly afforded, a
dovecot w^ould answer for their abode. I wished
to know whether they served for any particular
amusement for which the waggon might be
needed. The old man did not seem to under-
stand the drift of my question, and I could
not blame him ; my European notions were
so different from his. Still I was sufficiently
European to wonder that a waggon, two oxen,
and two men should be employed for the sole
purpose of drawing about sixty doves.

When we returned to the palace, we were
invited to take part in a leopard-hunt. We
were then conducted to the rajah, who received
us in an inner court. The palace is surrounded
by seven courts, corresponding to the number of
the planets according to Hindoo astronomy.

I admired the court much more than the
dwelling of the rajah which we had seen in
Benares. Here everything bears Indian cha-
racteristics. After some conversation, we were
invited to breakfast. When this business was

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 91

dispatched, the rajah conducted us through his
palace. In one room we found baths. His pri-
vate apartments interested me. They contained a
melange of handsome Oriental and bad English
furniture. Amongst the latter may be mentioned
a pair of " bullock trunks," which had evidently
been purchased at a public auction.

After taking leave of the rajah, we w^ent in
search of his father, to make our adieus before
leaving Ramnagur. We found him seated
amongst a number of the poorest people ; there
w^as no appearance of restraint, no ceremony in
this assembly. The old man had the aspect of
a father encircled by his children. We took
leave of him. He presented us with some of
the choicest fruits and flowers that the garden
produced. These were laid in a basket and sent
with us to the boat, which furnished an oppor-
tunity of bestowing largess upon the gardeners
and other servants. Amongst the wonders of
the rajah's garden, was a musk-deer. Before
the palace gate were a number of tigers, two of
which, very beautiful animals, had lately had
cubs; but of these little tigers one only was
reared.

92 TRAVELS IN '

I returned in the evening to Benares, and
began to think of the feast, which was to be
celebrated the next day, at the rajah's. My
knowledge of Hindoostanee was too limited to
allow of my entering into conversation, particu-
larly with persons of princely rank. It was
therefore necessary that I should use an inter-
preter; this office was generally filled by my
munschi, Gulaur Hayder. The next day, as I
was preparing to set out, I inquired for the
munschi ; he was not to be found, and I was
obliged to go without him, leaving orders that
he should follow. According to agreement, I
set out at seven in the morning ; and had not
proceeded far when I met a horseman, who had
been sent to conduct me to the palace ; and when
we were within a short distance, he rode forward
to announce my coming. Arrived at the palace,
a number of servants came out to receive me,
holding lighted lamps in their hands. Several of
the most respectable persons of the rajah's suite
met me at the foot of the steps, and notwith-
standing the narrowness of the stairs, of which
I have before spoken, insisted upon conducting
me to the top. The rajah received me in the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 93

ante-chamber. He was surrounded by guests of
high distinction, who, as he assured me, were
invited that they might profit of this oppor-
tunity of making my acquaintance.

The absence of my interpreter made my posi-
tion very embarrassing. It was impossible to
carry on a conversation, but happily amongst
the guests were a few who could muster some
words of English, and with these a conversational
communication was eked out. One of my ser-
vants who understood English was called upon
to act as interpreter, but so great was his con-
fusion at finding himself in the presence of so
many noble persons, that beads of perspiration
stood upon his brow. The refined and courtly
expressions of the company added to his embar-
rassment; he was not in the habit of using
such, and could not find corresponding w^ords in
English. I was forced to dismiss him, and
manage as best I could.

I was now conducted into another apartment,
where a table was prepared for my own use. I
sat down. Dinner was served. It was a terrible
ordeal to eat under the inspection of a hundred
staring eyes, the owners of which seemed to

94 TRAVELS IN

expect either some very tragical or comical
performance. Had I been dexterous enough to
make them believe that I swallowed the plate,
it might have satisfied their curiosity.

Dinner being ended (and let me here re-
mark, that though no meat appeared during the
repast, it was a very palatable one) we again
assembled in the great hall, where, when we had
taken our appointed places, the dancing-girls
made their appearance. Though there is a great
similarity between all the Indian dances, still
those of almost every town has some distinctive
characteristic, either in dress or the style of per-
formance. The dancing-girls of Benares are
renowned throughout India, nor can I deny that
their fame is well-founded. They display much
taste in the selection of colours for their dress.
The dancing-girls of other districts generally
wear glaring' colours, but those of Benares are
distinguished for their taste in selecting the most
delicately-blended shades. Different groups, or
family parties, sometimes appear, each group
wearing a distinctive colour. The different
members of one party are, perhaps, dressed in
red, of another in blue, of another in white and

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 95

gold ; and as the dresses of each group are made
of a different material, this, as well as a diversity
of ornament, produces a very charming variety
as the various groups intermingle in the dance.

It seemed to me as though the rajah had
called forth the entire strength of the dancing
company on this occasion ; and it appeared
that he took an especial interest in my being
witness of their various feats. It was now
late, the natsch had lasted long, and the greater
number of the guests had departed, but still
the rajah called forth the ramdjanis, or
dancing-girls, group after group, and those
who excelled in the performance he called
near, and bade them sit down. They placed
themselves on carpets at our feet, and com-
menced to weave a garland of the most
beautiful flowers, which they twined round
the rajah's seat and mine.

As I rose to take leave, my host invited
me to select from amongst the flowers those
I liked best. I was accompanied home by
the masaldja, or falconer of the rajah, to
whom, as well as to the other servants, I
presented gifts. I was greatly annoyed when

96 TRAVELS IN

the servants presented me a beautiful piece
of the rich stuff of Benares, and spite of my
remonstrances, forced it into the palanquin.
Writing to my friend Mr. Rivaz, on the fol-
lowing morning, I mentioned this circum-
stance, and begged to know in what manner
I could politely decline the present. He wrote
to me immediately, saying that I must con-
form to the customs of the country, and that
it would be a mortal offence to the rajah to
return his offering.

The manufacture of gold and silver brocade
in Benares, is well w^orth seeing. The looms,
which are very simple in their constiniction,
are situated at a short distance from the city.
The gold and silver pass through many hands
before they are formed into thread. The pre-
paration of this metal-thread gives occupation
to the inhabitants of one quarter of the town,
where in every house one is sure to find the
metal in some stage of the process, from the
raw lump to the fine thread, and from this
to the silken thread wrapped round with metal,
for the immediate use of the weavers.

The different branches of this metal-thread

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 97

manufacture are quite distinct, each workman
selling to his neighbour the material which
he has subjected to a certain process. The
purchaser, after putting it through another
stage, sells it again, and so on, until the
thread reaches its term of perfection. It is
scarcely necessaiy to mention that the woof is
always of silk, the warp of metal threads.

VOL. I. H

98 TRAVELS IN

CHAPTER VI.

Old Buddha temple — Architecture — Ornaments — -
Lacquer ware — Rahl, or resin — Saqua Daraght —
Dessekatel oil — Change of servants — Annoyances
from my Munschi — Charges of fraud — A young
Brahmin — Impertinence of my landlord — Departure
from Benares — Bulba — Djnanpor — I take up my
lodgings in a Serai.

Mr. Nicholls and I made frequent excur-
sions in the neighbourhood of Benares. Often
before the break of day were we to be seen
galloping over the wide plain which lay behind
the city. The old Buddha temple, which lay at
a distance of about two hours' journey from
the town, was generally the terminus of our
ride ; and many w^ere the conjectures that we
formed about its ancient history.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 99

The temple is a round and extremely mas-
sive building, with an arched and pointed roof.
Within, immediately on the top of the wall,
whence the cupola or dome springs, are placed
all around a number of Buddha figures,
seated cross-legged, with folded hands. Many
excavations have been made throughout the
building under the direction of Mr. Princeps,
but nothing of importance has been discovered.
One well-carved figure was found a little
below the surface, at a short distance from
the temple. The head of this figure is in
the possession of Mr. NichoUs. He was good
enough to allow me to make a drawing
from it. ^

My connexion with the workmen who were
employed to make the furniture needed for my
land journey, afforded me an opportunity of
becoming acquainted with the process of the
lacquer manufacture. Two kinds of resin are
used — one called rahl, is sold at eight annas
the seer, and is said to be brought from Mirza-
poor to Benares. The fine lacquer is made of
a resin called gaharba, for a seer of which one
rupee and two annas are paid. This is also

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100 TRAVELS IN

brought from Mirzapoor. The best resin is
extracted from a tree called the Saqua Daraght.
The wood of this tree is dark brown, and is
used for ordinary architectural purposes.

In preparing the lacquer, Desse oil or Desse-
katel is used. The colour which it is intended
the varnish should take, is rubbed on a stone
with water ; the lacquer is then mixed, it amal-
gamates with the paint, and the water remains
behind. The lacquer is boiled with oil, two spoon-
fuls of resin being added for each seer of oil.
When the resin is dissolved, and the oil some-
what evaporated, so that the composition appears
of a proper consistency, the entire is strained
through a sieve, and when coolj^it is fit for use.

My departure from Benares was attended with
many annoyances. I was obliged to change all
my servants, for the inhabitants of Bengal have
an objection to travelling in the upper provinces.
I must however say, that it is better for a
traveller to take servants from the locality in
which he is journeying, as these possess the
advantage of being acquainted with the customs
and superstitions of the people, and can serve
as guides. But the great difficulty is to find

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 101

trustworthy people. The change that I was
obliged to make was greatly to my disadvantage.
Those who left me were honest, whilst in my
new suite there was not one upon whom I could
place the slightest dependence. They were all
abundantly endowed with qualities that we least
like to find in our servants, and lamentably defi-
cient in all that in a servant is most needed or
esteemed. The best amongst them seemed to be
the sayo, or groom, but unfortunately he did not
understand a word of Hindoostanee.

In the annoyance caused by the servants,
my munschi played the most conspicuous
part. Woe to the traveller in India who,
understanding little of the language, cannot
confide in his munschi. Many revelations had
been made to me about the dishonesty of his
dealings, and at length I began to investigate
the truth of them. He stoutly denied every-
thing. I confronted him with his accusers ;
he was silent, but I fear not penitent.

The daily duties of the munschi were, at
certain hours, to give me a lesson in Persian,
and to give me instructions in the grammatical
and written langague of the Hindoos. Besides

102 TRAVELS IN

this, all my servants were under his jurisdiction,
and all the money necessary for our expenses
passed through his hands.

The day after our '' explanation," he did not
appear at the usual lesson-hour : he had gone
out, nobody knew whither, nor did I see him on
the following day. Complaints poured in, some
said that he had borrowed money from the per-
sons who supplied my house ; others declared
that he had withheld their money and had not
paid the accounts. What could I do ? After
all, these reports were only hearsay, it would
be right to question the munschi himself. I
ordered him to be sought for, and meanwhile,
took his effects into my keeping.

Abashed and dejected, with his dress much
disordered, was the munschi dragged into my
presence. Some of the charges made against
him were clearly proved ; he was obliged to
acknowledge some things, but he would not tell
the whole truth. A bank-note of two hundred
rupees was missing. This I had given for the
liquidation of a debt, but it had never reached
my creditor. Various delinquencies of the same
kind were detected, in which the money of the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 103

bookseller, confectioner, and sword-seller had
been withheld. The purloining a pair of trow-
sers and a jacket belonging to a dancing-girl he
defended, by saying that it was not a theft, that
it was a bit of fun, a little retaliation that he
wished to make.

I recommended him to give up his effects
to those who had so many claims upon him.
He did not seem to relish this advice. I pitied
him ; I did not wish to see a man totally aban-
doned to distress, and took upon myself to
adjust his affairs, as far as money could do so.
If I hoped to awaken a sense of gratitude in
his mind, I was mistaken, for his conduct after-
wards showed that he looked upon my inter-
ference only as a proof of a certain weakness of
character. Amongst his peccadillos must be
enumerated an overcharge of six rupees per
month in the rent of the house. He cheated
me of twenty rupees in the purchase of a sword
with which he had thought proper to deck him-
self, pretending that it cost thirty rupees when
he only paid ten for it.

A short time before my departure for Benares,
a young Brahmin presented himself, wishing to

104 TRAVELS IN

become my munschi, for Brahmins are not
always rich, and though of the most honoured
class amongst the Hindoos, often fill very humble
employments. I was pleased with the appear-
ance of my Brahmin ; but though I represented
to him the difficulties of the journey, and tried
to dissuade him from accompanying me, he
persevered in his wish. I consented to accept his
services, but could not engage him at the mo-
ment, as my munschi was still with me. What
a knave that munschi was ! He had a conver-
sation with his would-be successor, and I never
saw the Brahmin again.

What torments I was doomed to suffer from
these people ! My landlord, to whom I had
been very kind, and who had benefitted largely
by my residence in his house, called upon me
with some of his servants for whom he expected
presents. He also begged me to restore a
lock which he said I had taken from one of the
doors. I ventured to remind him that, however
much I might be inclined to purloin locks, it
would be impossible for me to indulge the pro-
pensity in a house where not a single door was
furnished with such a means of excluding my

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 105

honest neighbours. This excellent Benny Bar-
shadh, as my worthy host was called, had drawn
no small profit from some bank-notes which I
had asked him to get cashed for me. When I
remonstrated upon the enormous per-centage he
had allowed himself, his excuse was, that he
knew I would not reckon with him as sharply
as with another. And this man had the im-
pudence to accuse me of stealing a lock, and
even went so far as to make my goods be stopped
at Benares, for a lock, which, even if such a
thing had been on his door, could not be worth
more than four annas. I had proceeded on my
journey, and was staying at the serai at Bulba
when an account of the arrest of my baggage
reached me ; and I was obliged to dispatch a
courier to Benares.

Bulba hes about mid-way between Benares
and Djnanpor. The serai is built of loam.
A word about the serais may not be amiss.
They are buildings intended for the reception of
travellers and wayfarers. They are what may
be called native institutions, and speak well for
the intentions of the government. The protect-
ing of travellers, as one of the duties of hospi-

106 TRAVELS IN

tality, is conformable to the precepts both of
the Hindoo and Mahometan law. These serais
are large in proportion to the intercourse estab-
lished in the district. The walls are in general
sufficiently strong to resist an attack from any
of the predatory bands that may infest the
neighbourhood.

I arrived at Djnanpor in the afternoon. I
often laugh when I think of the mistakes my
sayo made in taking my directions, my foreign
accent completely setting him astray.

The aspect of the serai in which I found my
servants, was by no means inviting ; but as no
other lodging could be found, I was obliged to
content myself. I must say that the inside was
better than the external appearance would lead
one to suppose.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 107

CHAPTER VII.

Djnanpor — Inscription — Kheta Serai — Schagunj — Boy,
or Bovi — Schahguno — Schilalpur — Bazaar — An
armed man — Dane — Altafgunj — Sugar-baker —
Bexungunj — Adjuddhya — Aurangzib — Rajah —
Temple — Tolerance of the Indians — Bazaar at
Adjuddhya — Metal vessels — Nuray — Ways of gaining
money.

In Djnanpor my journey through Upper
India commences. The town presents little
to interest the antiquary, with the exception
of the ruins of a fort, built of sandstone, and
which seems to have been once a place of
strength. The houses are crumbling to decay.
I saw an inscription on an octagonal column in
a ruined mosque, which I requested my munschi
to interpret. I may as well say that, notwith-

108 TRAVELS IN

standing what had occurred at Benares, I had
reinstated my munschi in his office. He was
not able to explain the inscription. I copied it,
and some time afterwards was introduced by the
munschi to a learned man ; but to him, too, the
scroll was a mystery.

From the fort may be seen the ruins of two
mosques. The style of architecture is noble,
rich in ornament and elegant in detail. They
belong evidently to the period of the Mogul
dynasty.

One of these buildings, of which the fore
court was ornamented with columns, presented
so striking a similarity to the Mandaburn, a
temple on the Coromandel coast, that I was
tempted to doubt whether it was really a
mosque. It might have been a Hindoo temple,
or if belonging to the Mahometans, intended,
perhaps, for the reception of persons travelling
with the Court. Had my munschi possessed more
skill in inscription-reading, I might have found
some clue to the difficulty.

I remained a few days at Djnanpor, when I
set off at five in the morning, and after a journey
of seven hours arrived at Kheta Serai, a small

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 109

village, happy in possessing a serai visited
by Brahmins. The surrounding country is
level. The whole landscape infuses a sense of
freedom that is inexpressibly attractive. Whether
the reality exists, is another question.

I left Kheta Serai at five in the morning,
and in three hours reached the little town
of Schagunj, where are the ruins of a Hin-
doo temple, of which the architecture and
venerable appearance leave no doubt as to the
period of its erection. A building near the
temple, seems to have been the residence of a
rajah. The pillars are of stone, whilst those in
the temple are of brick. The whole country
through which we were now journeying, was a
great plain, with the exception of some patches
of jungle, in which, I was told, wild boars might
be found.

As we journeyed on to Schahguno, which was
to be our resting-place for the night, we passed
by Boy, or Bovi, between which and Kheta
Serai are some solitary lakes. Schahguno
seemed to me a flourishing little village in which
are built forty new houses ; Boy, on the contrary,
was a wretched-looking place.

110 TRAVELS IN

Schilalpur presents no great attraction to the
traveller. It does not possess a single stone
house. There are the remains of a fort and
temple. A bazaar, open once a week, gives the
place some little importance. There the neces-
saries of hfe may be purchased, rice, ghi, or
butter, &c. Cotton is grown in the neighbour-
hood, though I do not believe that there is
much trade carried on in the article. As we
advance on our way, the appearance of freedom
and comfort increases, though we found many
tracts uncultivated.

In one of my ruin-seeking promenades, at a
short distance from the town, I met a man
covered with armour, who placed himself, at a
distance of about twenty paces, straight in my
way, grasping his sword in a very expressive
manner. As I was unarmed, I thought it
better not to take notice of him. In such
cases, it is, as in an encounter with a dog, if
one appears afraid, and runs away, the proba-
bility is, that he will be bitten. I continued my
way, without hastening or relaxing my pace.
The man allowed me just so much room to
pass, as that I could do so without brushing

INDIA AND KASHMIR. Ill

against him. As I passed, he inquired whither
I was going. I made no answer, but continued
my way. My conduct, whether he considered
it a proof of indifference or contempt, seemed to
produce a good effect. He stepped aside, leaving
me the path, and continued to gaze after me as
I pursued my walk to the town.

The natives of the south of India rarely carry
arms. I remember when on the Coromandel
coast, I wished to get a sabre to bring away
as a memento of the land, a week passed in
strict search before I could gratisfy my curiosity.
But in the Bengal district the case is different ;
here the warhke spirit is so prevalent, that a
servant holds it essential to his dignity to appear
armed. It is probable that in Upper Bengal
this predilection for arms arises from necessity,
for here every one carries some defensive weapon.
Sometimes it is the heavy bamboo club, a weapon
by no means to be despised ; sometimes a gun
or sabre. The further north, the more ferocious
seems the spirit of the people. In Oude, every one
is armed: guns, sabres, daggers, clubs, knives,
are to be seen on all sides. So great is the respect
the paid to arms in this part of the country, that

112 TRAVELS IN

man who carries a pistol, even though unloaded,
is the person who can best enforce deference.

I left Dane at half-past five in the morning,
and arrived at Altafgunj at nine. This was to
be the termination of my day's march. I took
up my lodging in the little serai. The distance
from Dane to Altafgunj is five coss. The road
is like a lovely garden-walk, and though not
passable for carriages, offers everything that a
traveller in India can desire. Majestic trees,
bending from either side, form above his head
a thick, embowering shade. Far before him lies
a wide sun-lit plain, and on the wayside are
ponds, in which, I may remark, en passant, I
shot a goose and a couple of ducks.

Altafgunj is a small place. The houses are
built of loam. Notwithstanding its insignifi-
cance, it is' the residence of a sirkar, or chief.
There is also a confectioner's shop here, which
afforded me an opportunity of witnessing the
process of converting the sugar into confections.
The sugar-baker had a large lump of sugar in
his hands, weighing perhaps three or four pounds,
and which had been already worked into the
consistency of pitch. This mass he flung into

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 113

a trough furnished with a plug. After a little
time he pulled the entire through the orifice, in
what may be called a sugar-rope of about three
feet long. This was then hung by the middle
above the trough, when the operator continued
for a considerable time to work up the material,
pulling it out and thrusting it back until it
assumed the appearance of a string of raw silk.
The roU was then cut up in pieces of half an
inch long ; when it was ready for sale. Having
witnessed the process of manipulation, I tasted
the preparation, and found it very savoury.

From Altafgunj to Bexungunj, the road is
planted on either side with the beautiful and
odoriferous mangoe tree, of which the fruit is so
grateful to the traveller. The natives prize this
tree highly, the bark is said to possess many
medicinal properties, the wood is used for funeral
pyres, and the dried flower of the kernel serves
for food. The fruit of the mangoe is highly
prized ; but as there are different kinds, all are
not equally good. This, perhaps, will explain
the unfavourable accounts some travellers have
given of the mangoes they have eaten, de-
claring them to be most nauseous; but these

VOL. I. I

114 TRAVELS IN

cases are exceptions, for any one who on a hot
day's march has plucked a fresh mangoe, will
bear testimony to its refreshing coolness. They
are generally sliced, and eaten with wine, though
some season them wdth oil, vinegar, and mustard.

After journeying along a pleasant road, I
arrived at Bexungunj, which possesses a tole-
rable serai, a good market-place and main
street. On the whole this place is superior in
comfortable appearances to those I had lately
passed. On the wayside, in a little wood, I
saw a peacock family. I fired, and at the
second shot killed one. I left Bexungunj at five
o'clock in the morning, and reached Ajudhya,
or more properly, Adjuddhya, at eleven. Spite
of all I had heard, the appearance of the town
surprised me. Everything here was so Hindoo, so
much in the old Hindoo style that one sees on
the Coromandel coast.

In Benares one finds numbers of Hindoos,
but they are for the most part merchants, or at
least have great intercourse with Europeans ;
but in Adjuddhya they seem more exclusive,
there is les? foreign intercourse and, one would
be tempted to say that Hindooism is purer

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 115

here. Though the town is rich in ruins, it is
still evident that the place was never abandoned.
Houses of a modern date are interspersed
amongst the ruins of the old.

Adjuddhya is about nine coss distant from
Bexungunj, and the road is very pleasant.
Every step of the way offers to the antiquary
some new pleasure, or awakens fresh hopes.
Everything indicates to the traveller that he is
approaching a scene of former greatness, that
he is treading upon classic ground. I can
scarcely account for this sensation ; for here
there are no ruined piles, no lofty monuments
to arrest the eyes, or awaken the fancy. Still
the conviction creeps over the mind of the
beholder that he is approaching a city of bygone
glory. There is a something in the general
tone and aspect of all around ; the vegetation is
of a different growth and of a deeper hue ; the
flies and beetles seem to hum legendary tales as
they flit and buzz about the moss-grown walls.
Within the city are many modern temples, of
great beauty. Thirty-one were enumerated as
deserving my particular attention ; and though
amongst the old ruins are the remains of

I 2

116 TRAVELS IN

buildings which belong evidently to the time of
Vixromadith, I could not discover any inscrip-
tions, nor learn any tradition which would
enable me to attach to any a name or date.

I set out at eight o'clock to take a closer
view of the town. My conductor brought me
first to the Ladschmi, or Lakschmi Ghat,
which is close by the river. All along the
banks numbers of temples rise, of which, how-
ever, the exterior seems to have suffered from
time. One, of which I had a nearer view,
was an exception. Its high battlements were
in perfect preservation, and its beautiful terraces
descending to the water-side, were furnished
with octagonal projections intended for seats.
I had a view of an old building erected here in
the time of AUum Ghir Aurangzib, that fana-
tical tyrant, unworthy to be the descendant of
the great Ackbars.

With the tyrannical bigotry which charac-
terized his conduct, the Mahometan emperor
built his mosque upon the site of a Hindoo
temple which he had destroyed ; and its firmly-
cemented stone walls, and exquisitely chiselled
mmarets, seemed capable in their strength and

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 117

beauty of perpetuating ^ their founder's name
through an earthly immortality. But time, the
just-handed Nemesis, defeated his design, and
his mosque fell to ruin, without one faithful
Moslem stretching forth a hand to stay its fall,
or repair its desolation. The cry of " Alia il
Ackbar" ceased to echo from his minarets,
and the race that he oppressed outlived the
monument of their shame; the foreign shrine
crumbled, and the natives of the soil erected
new temples, which still flourish with their
attendant Brahmins.

To the Christian eye, the triumph of either is
saddening, but considered in a political light, or
as an act of natural justice, who does not rejoice
at seeing the work of the foreign tyrant over-
turned ?

Amongst the many buildings here, a temple
erected by the rajah deserves notice. This
rajah holds the town in fief from Oude. He
is an honest man, and faithful in his steward-
ship. He is a Brahmin, and the temple, which
is in the style of those at Benares, bears tes-
timony to his wealth. Immediately above the
cornice whence the ceiling rises, are repre-

118 TRAVELS IN

sentations of female minstrels or dancers, stand-
ing in groups with their instruments beside them.
These figures are not so finely executed as those
which I saw in the temple at Benares ; another
difference is, that the sculptor in the execution
of his design has sought the aid of colour. The
spires are of gilt copper, after the Indian fashion.
This temple is dedicated to the sun, as the great
engendering power to which the fertility of the
earth is due. The idol is placed in the middle
of the building, and on the right side, separated
from the main building, is a compartment of
which the occupant is a large ox of white
marble. Though separated from the building
which contains the idol, he is not excluded ; a
large door in the partition- wall allows him, or
would allow him, if he could see, a view of the
shrine.

I looked with admiration on this temple, of
which I was assured the erection only occupied
two years. The ornamental parts were not yet
finished. Painters and sculptors were still
employed on the upper part of the building.
The energy with which the Indians carry on a
work is very praiseworthy. I learned that the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 1 1 9

rajah had received every needful aid from all
parts of India, and that he had paid hberally.
Before the temple, a well-tended garden de-
lighted the eye with its many-tinted flowers,
though I must admit that they were more beau-
tiful in colour than fragrant in odour. A number
of doors opened in the garden wall, leading to
difl'erent buildings, intended probably for pil-
grims or servants.

The beauty of the modern temples must not
make me forget one of the ancient, which
attracted my special attention. It was built
upon an eminence to which thirty or forty steps
led, and commanded a beautiful view. The god
was liberal: he ordered me to be presented
with sugar comfits, and in return, I offered him
a piece of silver. After visiting thirty temples,
I entered a mosque, in which I found a Brahmin
and a Mussulman, apparently upon the most
friendly terms. Very much surprised, I asked
the Brahmin what he did there, as the place
belonged to the Moslems. He said that it
was an usurpation on their part, that the place
was really Vishnu's kitchen. I must here pay
tribute to the toleration with which I was re-

120 TRAVELS IN

ceived in this place. I was allowed to enter the
temples without opposition, and to look at the
idols, nor was I required to take off my shoes,
after I had explained that the mark of deference
in my nation did not consist in uncovering the
feet but the head, and that I would be far from
wishing to insult their temples. One of the
Brahmins was so liberal-minded as to assure me
that it was a matter of indifference, and that
the god would take no notice ; but that it was
sometimes necessary to insist on the form being
observed.

I learned that many persons of half-caste had
behaved in a very discreditable manner in the
temple ; that they had entered with an air of
propriety, but that once within they had be-
haved very badly. They had laid hold of the
idols and of many things belonging to the
temple, because they knew that touching such
objects would be considered a desecration of the
place. I asked what the Hindoos did under
these circumstances, and was told that they
were in great affliction for what had befallen
their god, and cried for a long time, " Ram !
Ram ! Ram ! Ram !" purified the temple by

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 121

washings, and prayed earnestly that the god
would forgive such conduct.

Let any one who reflects on these proceed-
ings ask himself whether they must not be a
mild, a meek-hearted people, who did not seek a
bloody revenge for such treatment. So far am
I from participating in their feelings, and so
much am 1 opposed to what may be considered
national insults, that had I witnessed such a
scene, I should have kicked the Christians out
of the Hindoo temple.

Amongst the temples of Ajudhya which are
held in the highest esteem, one of the Brah-
mins mentioned the following to me — Halu-
manghery, Sergaddehary, Fanimagstan, Kerk-
sanghassan, Ratnsanghasan Ram Dywon, Tryta,
Guptarnath, Setakund Surjkund, Bharatkund,
Agenkund, and several others.

In the bazaars at Ajudhya, is to be seen a
great display of metal vessels. I had here
an opportunity of purchasing many antiquities
wrought in metal. Amongst the ornaments
which I bought were bracelets for the upper
part of the arm. On these were exquisitely-
wrought figures illustrative of the Indian

122 TRAVELS IN

mythology. I regret to say that these were
stolen from me: I prized them highly, and
still lament their loss.

I left Ajudhya, where I had passed my time
so pleasantly, and the close of my first day's
march brought me to Nuray. The following
evening I stopped at the Berexi Serai, where
I met a Scotchman, whom in one of my
equestrian excursions, a few days before, I
had seen in a serai. I was told that this
person's name was Mr. John Isaacs. This
gentleman visited me here, and told me that
he w^as servant to Mr. John Scott. I asked
whether his master was an Enghshman^ he
replied : " Certainly ; do you not perceive by
his name, John Scott, that he must be an
Englishman?" I could make no answer to
this, but wondered in secret why my people
had told me that this traveller was a captain
in the service of the King of Oude. The
Scotchman told me that his master had much
more the appearance of a fakir than of a
Christian schoolmaster, which was his real
occupation, a piece of information which I
believe to be correct. He asked whether I

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 123

would wish to make acquaintance with Mr.
Scott, as he could procure me the opportunity
of doing so. 1 declined, and begged that he
would not bring Mr. Scott; but if he could
himself pass half-an-hour with me, I would be
very glad to chat with him.

Through some misunderstanding, the Scotch-
man thought that I intended to visit his master.
He told me that Mr. Scott's sister was married
to the King of Oude, and that her brother, who
had travelled through " the whole world," was
then on the point of setting out to visit the
court of Oude. This account did not appear
to me quite correct. Mr. Isaacs took his depar-
ture, and returned in a short time, accompanied
by Mr. Scott. His appearance was not very
different from that of his Scotch attendant, and
I discovered that he neither spoke nor under-
stood English. I now learned from his own
lips that he was of Portuguese origin, and born
in Bombay. I could not help being amused at
all these contradictory accounts ; nor was I less
diverted with the hvely humour of this old man,
who, as he told me, was now in his sixty-fourth
year. He told me that he was in the Company's

124 TRAVELS IN

pay, and resided at Cawnpore. The first part of
the account I was inclined to doubt. Nothing
could persuade this old gentleman that it was
not an ill-requited affection which had driven
me from my country, an opinion which would
lead one to suppose that such was his own
case. I did not question him ; should we meet
again, I may be more curious.

The mornings were very cold, and I cannot
forget how much I suffered for want of warm
gloves, with which I had forgotten to provide
myself. The distance from Deryabad to Nabab-
gunj is twelve coss, and the road agreeable to
travel. On the eve of my departure from
Nababgunj, my sayo informed me that he
would not be able to travel on the following
day, as his horse had given him a severe kick.
Though convinced of the falsehood of this state-
ment, I had no remedy. I could not at that
hour procure a cooly who would fill his place,
and was obliged in the morning to prepare
my horse, a service which no European tra-
velling in this country wishes to perform.

My sayo set off two hours earlier in the
morning than I, wishing to travel slowly

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 1^

with the servants, who were going before to
make arrangements for passing the night.
About two hours after I set out, I met him,
and he had so perfectly recovered the use
of his legs, that when I, declining his proffered
attendance, wished to ride on, he sprang forward
with an agility which I had never before seen
him exert, and actually kept up with me on
foot. He asked forgiveness, and promised to
behave better in future. I pardoned him.
This man was one whom I had always parti-
cularly favoured, and whose service I had
sought to make most agreeable.

We could have reached Lucknow this evening,
but I preferred sending my servant on to hire a
house, that everything might be ready on my
arrival.

It is only after long experience that one would
be justified in forming an opinion of a nation.
After having met the good and the bad, after
mixing with persons of different classes, we may
then take a view of the entire. In narrating the
following incident, I certainly do not give a
specimen of *' the good," but it may serve as a
contrast to something better.

I had much reason to be pleased with my

126 TRAVELS IN

Madras servants, but of my Bengalese retainers
I had a very different impression. I have
already said that I think it better for a traveller
to hire servants belonging to the district through
which he is journeying. However, whilst in
Benares, I engaged a Madras man, partly because
he told me that he had been a long time in the
northern part of India, and partly influenced by
a prejudice in favour of Madras servants. A
few days after hiring this man, he requested two
months' wages in advance, that he might be
enabled to send his wife back to Madras. I
gave the money, but on the day of my departure
from Benares, when we arrived at the termina-
tion of our first day's march, he presented him-
self with his wife, and said that he had not been
able to send her to Madras nor to leav^e her at
Benares, for that she had threatened to take
away her life, if she were not allowed to accom-
pany him. I could oppose nothing to so
reasonable a request, as it is not an unusual pro-
ceeding here, and w^hen in Madras, the wives of
many of my servants came in my suite, and my
present sayo, or groom, was accompanied by his
consort. In a few days after, Ramsan — this
was the name of my unworthy servant — sought

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 127

a private interview with me, and proposed that
his wife should hold the same place in my
establishment that Georgian slaves do in a harem.
I was astonished at such a proposition, and
dismissed him with such an admonition as it
became a master to give his servant in such
circumstances. Ramsan, with the characteristic
perseverance of his countrymen, was not dis-
heartened by a refusal, and came again to say
that unless I accepted his offer, he would be
brought to great distress, as he had no other
way of gaining money. The thing was becoming
troublesome ; I sent for my munschi, and ordered
him to make inquiries about Ramsan and his
wife. When the munschi took Ramsan to task,
the latter declared that it was all a mistake,
arising probably from my ignorance of the lan-
guage. Irritated by his insolence, I sent for
him, and spoke with him in presence of the
munschi ; he then denied his conversation with
the munschi, whom he pronounced to be a
liar. Upon further inquiry, it was discovered
that the woman whom he called his wife, had
no legal claim to the title. They were both
ignominiously dismissed, Ramsan vowing ven-
geance against me.

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CHAPTER VIII.

Lucknow — House — Resident — View from windows —
Iman-barah — The Iman-barah at Hussynabad —
Bagh dil Kusca — Sanna Kuna — Gardens — Ships —
Horses — Throne-room — European lady — Royal pro-
cession— Mahometan festival — Knight in armour —
Breakfast with the Resident — Breakfast with the
Xing' — Spectacle — Fencers.

I ARRIVED at Lucknow, the capital city of
Oude, early in the morning. I do not intend
to enter into the history of this province, the
fate and conduct of whose princes have been so
often brought before European eyes, and under
so many different aspects, since the conquest
of India by the British. I mean simply to
relate what I saw, and the incidents which befel
me during my stay.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 129

All the miseries of my journey through India
arose from the awkwardness, or more frequently
from the dishonesty of my servants ; and my
arrival at Lucknow was signalized by one of
these events.

■ When within a day's journey of Lucknow, I
sent on my munschi with directions to hire a
house in the city. At eight o'clock the following
morning he met and conducted me to a large
mansion, which had been built by a deceased
nabob, and which was not in the best repair.
Though this house was very spacious, and
situated in one of the busiest parts of the town,
the part which my munschi had hired for me
was so contrived, that my view w^as limited to
an inner court. I objected to such a prospect,
and was informed that this wing of the building
had been inhabited by the wives of the original
Mahometan owner. I had no intention of
becoming successor to these matrimonial pri-
soners, and desired the munschi to procure
some other apartments. He did not return
until evening, and then informed me that there
were no other apartments for hire ; but that I
could have the entire house at eighty rupees per
month. The rent for which he had first en-
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130 TRAVELS IN

gaged was twenty-two rupees. I had been
kept waiting from morning until evening in my
palanquin, and now heartily tired, I gave direc-
tions for passing the night in the caravansary.

I saw no more of my munschi that day,
and sent some of the other servants to look for
a house. They found one, which that very
evening I went to seb. It was too small.
Another was offered, which I was told I could see
in the morning, and of which, if it suited, I could
get instant possession. At the appointed hour
I went, but was informed that the house would
not be let to an European. This I thought
inconsistent with the answer of the previous
evening. I made inquiries, and found that the
munschi had been there, and had been so inso-
lent to the owner, that the latter refused to let
me have his house. ' i

About ten o'clock another house was pro-
posed to me, and after a good deal of discussion
the bargain was concluded. At the moment
when I looked upon the house to be my own,
one of the servants, who acted as agent, refused
to admit my baggage without further con-
sultation with his master. This was a piece
of impertinence to which I had no idea of

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 131

submitting, and declared that the slightest
symptom of opposition should be the signal
for expelling them all by force.

But my annoyances were not at an end.
Though I had hired the entire house, I was not
put in possession of the third story. The pas-
sage to these rooms was through the apartments
I occupied, so that I was at every moment ex-
posed to intruders. It would be useless to
repeat the torments which these people made
me suffer ; I endeavoured to turn my mind from
them, and after dismissing the servants I had
brought, and hiring new ones, I turned my
thoughts towards exploring the town and
noting down what particularly attracted my
attention.

My munschi was nothing loth to accompany
me in these excursions. As a true Mussul-
man, Lucknow was, in his eyes, superior to all
the cities on earth. He never grew weary of its
praise, and instead of endeavouring to impress
me with the importance of studying the language,
as was his custom in other places, he was always
willing to accompany me abroad.

My first visit was to the English resident.
Captain Shakspeare. The residence is one of

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the handsomest buildings in Lucknow, very well
situated, and surrounded by a spacious enclo-
sure. Captain Shakspeare received me very
kindly, and gave me a great deal of information
about the ** sights " of the town and neighbour-
hood. My windows looked out on the main
street, and continually presented a quick succes-
sion of the most varied and amusing scenes.
Sometimes it was a courier perched high on the
hunch of a quick-travelling camel, using as
bridle a cord passed through the animal's nos-
trils. Sometimes it was the stately and imperial
elephant in scarlet housings, fringed with gold,
bearing on his back the curtained howdah, of
w^hich the silken shade, gracefully drawn back,
permits the eyes of the humble to behold the
bronzed countenance of the mighty nabob who
reposes within ; or, peradventure, the carefully-
closed drapery of the howdah set the imagination
busily at work picturing the charms of its fair
occupant. But above all fancies and facts was
the pleasure that I every day enjoyed, that of
seeing the king himself pass. Twice a day did
the King of Oude pass before my window — at
his setting out on his promenade, and on his
return from it.

INDIA. AND KASHMIR. 133

Mounted on an elephant, and under the
guidance of one of the king's schobdars, an
equipage which Captain Shakspeare's kindness
procured me, I visited the Iman-barah of Asef
il Dhawla. The plan of the building is exten-
sive, and the whole edifice exceeds any of the
erections of the last century that I have seen
in India. Buildings appointed for the celebra-
tion of the Moharum feast, are called Iman-
barah. These feasts are instituted in memory
of I man Hassan or Husayn, and whilst they last,
the buildings are lighted up with lamps. They
generally contain a mosque or shrine for prayer,
and may, indeed, be looked upon as mausoleums
erected to the memory of Husayn.

Many rich Mussulmen have little Iman-barahs
in their own houses. The Iman-barah built by
Asef il Dhawla has a large garden, which com-
municates with several small buildings, most of
which are touched by the hand of time. Within
the Iman-barah is placed Husayn's grave, covered
with a tabernacle of silver, exquisitely wrought.
The building is closed in by a beautiful dome,
terminating in a warlike ornament representing
a sabre blade, a dagger, &c. The mosque is a
beautiful massive building, and like the Iman-

134 TRAVELS IN

barah, painted white, the cupola terminating in a
gilded spire.

There is a labyrinthine passage leading from
the Iman-barah, and so intricate that four per-
sons are said to have lost their way, and par
consequence, their lives in it. Next to the Iman-
barah is the door- way, or rather door-building,
Rumi Derwasa, constructed in the same style as
the temple to which it belongs. I remember
well the wetting I got on the day I visited Iman-
barah. Three days had I stayed at home in
apprehension of the descent of the dark clouds
which looked so threatening overhead, when on
the very day that I ventured to go abroad, they
all descended. I was thoroughly drenched.

On the following day, I visited the Iman-
barah at Hussynabad, with the same suite as on
the day preceding, my conductors furnished
with gold and silver staves, being members of
the king's household. The Iman-barah at
Hussynabad is quite a European-looking build-
ing, furnished with gardens, adorned with
temples and statues. I found there also some
rhinoceroses and elephants, kept to amuse their
masters by their combats in the arena.

The Iman-barah at Hussynabad is a smaller

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 135

building than that built by Asef il Dhawla, but
in much better repair. In the centre of the
garden is a large tank, which supplies a number
of fountains, distributed through the different
alleys and flower-knots, and which during the
festival days were kept in full play. Within
the temple are some things which in the eyes of
the natives are wonders of art. Amongst these
are two glass tigers, manufactured in England,
and which certainly are not, either in execution
or design, such as would entitle them to a place
in the museum of the King of Oude, in whose
dominions the living type roams free in his native
fierceness and beauty. But such is the force of
prejudice, everything coming from Europe is
here esteemed beautiful, and the glass monster
is admired, even where it comes in daily contrast
with the grace of the living form in nature.

The small buildings attached to the garden
serve for the accommodation of the king, in
the visits which he makes during the feast.
Beside one of the fountains are two wooden
figures, which when the pipes that supply the
water are worked, move in unison with the
pumps, and have quite the appearance of
working the machinery. Speaking of figures

136 • TRAVELS IN

I must mention two others, placed on either
side of a little bridge leading to the great
reservoir in the middle of the garden. These
statues are dressed like sentinels, and have a
very warlike aspect. One represents an En-
glish, the other a native soldier. Though in
the execution of these figures there may be
many artistic defects, it must be confessed that
the distinctive characteristics of feature have
been well preserved.

I yesterday visited Bagh dil Kusca, one of
the king's country-houses. It is built after
an old-fashioned European style, and is situated
at about four miles from the city. The house
is surrounded by a kind of park, laid out in what
seems to be English taste, though the high
jungle grass is of a decidedly Indian aspect.
Amongst the pictures with which the house
is adorned, are several representing female
figures. These are in one of the lower rooms,
and directly opposite the entrance is a small
picture representing the royal ow^ner, dressed
in European costume, and looking not a little
proud of his adornments.

At a short distance from this building is
another called Constantia, according to the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 137

inscription over the doorway, but which is
more commonly known as Markinkikodi, a
corruption of the name of its founder, or
perhaps only an Indian translation of his
name. General Martin, by whom this edifice
was erected, was a Frenchman, who from the
rank of private soldier rose to the highest grade
in the Company's service. The building is
a comical-looking structure ; and one would
be tempted to fancy that the design was
furnisQ^'d by a Parisian pastry-cook. It con-
sists of many stories, and is ornamented
with statues of European fashion, executed by
Indian artists. There is something very cold
in the aspect of this building, spite of all the
money and skill which have been lavished on
it ; and the yellow hue contrasts sharply with
the white, in which the statues, balconies, and
cornices are painted.

With the inside I was better pleased, and
did not regret having gone a few miles out of
my way to see the entire. The ground-plan is
a circle, and in the centre is a circular hall, off
which branch a number of arched corridors, on
which open many doors leading to different
chambers. The walls and ceilings were painted

138 TRAVELS IN

in what may be called an excellent rococo style,
presenting in the variety of colouring and multi-
plicity of figures, a kind of methodical confusion
which reflects great honour on the architect.
There are seven stories, and a winding staircase
leads from the top to the bottom, terminating
in a subterranean apartment, in which a mauso-
leum is raised to the memory of Claude Martin.
The inscription is simple : " Claude Martin
came here a private soldier, and died a general."
A well-executed bust of the deceased is placed
over the sepulchre. Figures of soldiers with
reversed arms, are placed in the niches of the
wall around the sarcophagus.

This monument was erected at the expense
of the regent, as the King of Oude is called,
and is a proof of the friendly feeling entertained
by his majesty for the Company's servants.
The entire building is in the French taste.
One could almost believe that the arabesques
were executed in Europe, and all bear testi-
mony to Indian talent, and the skill with which
the native artists copy a given model.

I visited Sanna Kuna, the royal aviary or
bird-garden. It was not very well stocked.
I saw nothing but quails, doves, and parrots;

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 139

but there were some fine specimens of quad-
rupeds. Amongst these I noticed a number
of beautiful tigers, three leopards, a hyena, a
jackal, a wild dog, a Persian cat, a deer,
many of the ordinary Indian antelopes with
spiral horns, and lastly, a roe from the Nepaul
mountains, an animal very like the roe found
in our own country, but darker in colour,
somewhat longer, and of a more graceful
form. Amongst the doves I saw some of a
green colour, which were brought from the
neighbourhood of Nepaul.

After my visit to Sanna Kuna, I visited some
gardens in the enclosure of the palace Bagh dil
Kusca. These strongly resembled those which
I had already seen. A European air pervaded
the house, garden, and arrangements, though,
in my opinion, a garden laid out in the Indian
fashion is much handsomer. After having gone
through a part of the palace, I visited the ships,
which the father of the present king got built
at Calcutta, at the cost of five lacs of rupees
— thirty thousand pounds. If gilding and
bright-coloured painting constitute beauty, it
can be said that the interior of the ships is
very handsome; as to the exterior, tlie build

140 TRAVELS IN

is Dot good. I do not think that these ships
could live in a strong sea.

The king's navy can also boast a steam-boat ;
but what most attracted my attention, were two
old boats, of a fish-like form, and not only was
the keel fashioned to this shape, but the deck
and upper parts corresponded. There are aper-
tures in the sides, through which the oars are
projected. These boats are old, and since the
arrival of the English ships, little cared for.
It is said that the king comes every day to visit
the ships, and lolls for a while on the cushions,
when the vessels are put into motion, and
after a short sail his majesty returns to his
palace.

I was conducted to the royal stables, where
the horses of the Badschah, as the King of
Oude is sometimes called, were shown me.
They are all of Arabian and Persian blood, and
reared in the king's stud at Lucknow. Some
of these animals were very beautiful — two, a white
and a bay, called forth my warmest admiration.
None of these horses are large, all are of middle
size. I remarked that, in general, the hind legs
were short and the hoofs small. The horses
are well taken care of, and I must do the Indians

INDIA AND KASHMIR 141

the justice to say, that there are no better grooms.
In the royal stall, I saw three tiger-horses, from
Bukhara. Everything about these animals indi-
cates strength ; the body is long and robust, and
the legs sinewy ; the head is rather heavy.

One of the curiosities of the stables was a
little horse twenty years of age, a yard and an
inch in height, of which the colour, owing to
the combined efforts of art and nature, was deep
rose, dappled on the back with white half-moons.
The mane and tail were white.

Next day 1 visited the throne-room. Twice in
the year the king enjoys the luxury of reposing
on the royal seat, which gives its name to this
apartment. It is a spacious hall, of which the
arched ceiling is supported by handsome pillars ;
two similar halls extend on either side of the
throne-hall ; and the long hne of columns, uniting
in arches with the portico which terminates each
corridor, produces a very good effect. The hall
is well lighted, the floor covered with a scarlet
carpet, and between the pillars are hung scarlet
curtains, which, looped up on either side, give
a harmonious finish to the whole. The walls
are painted of a colour that seems a mixture of
white, green and grey; the arabesques are of

142 TRAVELS IN

stone, washed with gold and silver, and reach
the roof on which is painted, and not in a very
good style, a vast collection of clouds and angels.

A number of steps lead to the throne, the
upper part of which is covered with plates of
gold, the under with silver ones washed with
gold. The canopy is adorned with arabesques,
which, wrought in the gold and sparkling with
precious stones, look right royal. The jewels in
this adornment are made to represent flowers in
their natural colours, whilst the edge, or border,
is of green enamel, though, sad to tell, many
fragments of the latter are broken off, which
would lead one to doubt whether the whole has
not been constructed within the last fifty years,
or make one suspect that its royal occupant
sometimes forgets his dignity, and raises his
hand against his own throne.

After this, I was conducted to the mint, to
see the rupyah and gold mohurs stamped. The
process goes on like all Indian work, without
machinery, everything being done by workmen.
The metal used is not the ore, but silver which
is to be re-stamped ; and in order to be purified,
this is thrown into a smelting cauldron with a
certain quantity of lead. The lead and copper

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 143

uniting fall to the bottom, when the silver, now
disengaged, is taken off. The apparatus for
blowing is the same as that used by the savages
in Africa — a skin of some animal, in one extre-
mity of which a tube is inserted, and in the other
an aperture is left, w^hich, by means of a pair of
w^ooden handles, the operator can close or open
at pleasure. The fuel is wood, and so arranged
that the bellows acting upon it, makes the
flame play directly upon the metal. This
process completed, the silver is laid upon the
anvil, and after long hammering and washing,
is again smelted and then poured into clay
forms, whence it is taken out in slender silver
rods, from which small pieces are cut off and
weighed. The persons appointed to discharge
this function, after adjusting the coin by the
standard weight, hand it over to others, who
cut it to a circular form, after which it is again
subjected to the fire, w^hen the edges are rounded
with more delicate correctness.

It is now plunged into mangoe acid, and
boiled, a process in which it acquires its pretty
white colour. The silver has then to be stamped.
One die is fastened in the floor, the workman
holds the other in his hand, the bit of metal to

144 TRAVELS IN

be stamped is placed between ; a second workman
strikes, and the coin is ready for circulation.

After my visit to the mint, I directed my
steps to that quarter of the town inhabited by
the English who are in the service of the nabob,
as the king is often called. This portion of
the town is mean and filthy, and does little
credit to its inhabitants.

I remember that whilst in the mint, I was
shown a man who was said to possess a secret
by which he could keep gold in solution as
long as he pleased. Nobody could explain the
mystery, but all declared that this workman
could prevent the gold from solidifying. I
wished to question the man, but my munschi's
imagination or understanding could not grasp
so abstract a subject, and I remained in ignorance.

A note was presented to me, filled with
mournful apostrophes to a distant fatherland,
and sad plaints about the want of means to
reach that home. The letter was written in a
female hand ; and when the writer spoke of
" disappointed hopes " and a '' deceitful world,"
is it to be wondered at, that my imagination,
warmed perhaps by the influence of an Indian
sun, already invested the fair wanderer with the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 145

charms of a Roxalana, and the gentleness of a
Ruth? My busy fancy quickly placed itself
at an aerial writing-desk ; three volumes were
written, in which my beautiful heroine — for
that she was beautiful I made no doubt —
played a most dignified and interesting part.

The work was finished, I only debated about
the name. Should it be " The Sorrows of the
Heart," or " The Tale of a Life," or " Unre-
quited Love." I was perplexed, when suddenly
the lady was introduced, and my dream was
put to flight. I had expected to see the fairest
of the fair ; and a diminutive, sickly, mean-
looking creature presented herself, though, be
it remarked, there was no lack of pretension.
The lady was seated. She had come to ask my
advice ; this was flattering. She proceeded
with her history. She told me that she had
received an appointment about the person of
the Begum Queen ; she did not like her
position, and intended to send in her resig-
nation in a few days. The bustle and confusion
of a court did not suit her quiet habits; she
was only a subject of laughter to the crowd that
surrounded the queen.

I must remark, par parenthese that my

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146 TRAVELS IN

private information gave her history a different
colouring. My informant told me that she had
been appointed by the king's son, to the super-
intendence of his English wardrobe. Without
making a remark between the discrepancy in
the report and her own statement, I pleaded my
unfitness and inability to advise a lady, and so
the affair dropped. I only mention the circum-
stance here, as an evidence of the terms on
which some Europeans enter the courts of
Indian princes.

These adventurers are, for the most part,
daughters, wives, or young widows of English
soldiers, who, sometimes urged by necessity,
sometimes allured by the Mammon of this
world, risk the bark of their fortune on this
perilous sea. The hope that builds for the
Georgian slave a palace in Stamboul, where, in
fancy, she sees herself ruling as sultana, induces
many a foolish European maid to give ear to
promises and assurances of becoming, one day,
the favourite of an Indian nabob, prince or
king — hopes, nebulous as the morning mist,
and whose destruction or realization is alike
fruitful of tears.

A woman's power, established on such a

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 147

basis, lasts only whilst the bloom of her cheek
is unfaded — often even before the term of that
brief period the charm of novelty has fled ; and
she who but a few months before revelled in
the fancied possession of regal power, suddenly
awakens from her dream — the bubble which she
sought to grasp has burst, and nothing remains
but the bitter sense of moral degradation. And
supposing the absence, or suspension of moral
feeling during her short triumph, still has she
much to endure. A European constitution
cannot resist the effects of the climate ; the
manner of living, and the night watches to
which the natives are accustomed, soon sap the
strength and beauty of the pale northern, and
the intriguing Indian spirit too often makes
the poisoned dagger anticipate the natural pro-
gress of decay, or the loathing of satiety.

Amongst the sights that win the traveller's
attention at Lucknow, the king himself deserves
the first place. If the deportment of his majesty
in his English costume may sometimes call
forth a smile, still his long train of richly-capa-
risoned elephants, well-mounted cavaliers and
footmen or lackeys, in red kaftans bearing beau-
tifully-wrought silver batons in their hands,

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148 TRAVELS IN

form a goodly show. The king, as I have
mentioned, passed before my house twice every
day, to visit, as I was told, his wives or female
favourites, and as if to vary the monotony of
the amusements, there was every day some
change in the equipage. His majesty sometimes
rode upon an elephant, sometimes he was drawn
in a carriage by two, at other times by four
horses. The procession was always headed by
four horsemen beating kettle-drums, to announce
the approach of royalty.

The dress of these avant couriers^ as well
as their saddle-cloths, was of green cloth em-
broidered with gold. These were followed by a
number of runners, bearing lances, of which the
points were sheathed in red velvet ; then came
standard-bearers, each flag-staff of solid silver ;
after these came others armed with matchlocks,
and as the procession advanced, denser and
denser became the throng of horse and foot-fol-
lowers. About the centre of the hne were the
officers of the king's household, each bearing
some distinctive mark of his office. Imme-
diately behind, foEowed a man bearing a parasol
richly embroidered in gold. This parasol is an
insignia of kingly dignity. Now came the high

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 149

nobility on horseback, and many persons bearing
swords and lances differing in form according to
the dignity of the bearer, and all of gold, whilst
those which had passed before, of whatever
form, were of silver.

Next came the king himself, and truth to
say, he was not the least splendid part of the
raree-show. Gold and silver, pearls and pre-
cious stones of all kinds seemed to have fallen
upon him in showers, and this suits our idea of
an Indian prince. And then his crown, blazing
with jewels, satisfies our fancy's longings. And
of the crown I will say a word. It is shaped
like the cap of an Armenian priest, or like a
pear with the narrow end cut off, the diamonds
and rubies, sapphires, and such like things
making it of course produce a very different
effect.

Now, as I said before, this is king-like,
Indian king-like, and when a traveller sees this
figure placed on the back of a noble elephant
twelve feet high, beneath the crimson, gold-
embroidered curtains of the superb howdah, and
gazes on the jewelled trappings of the noble
beast which bears the royal burden, he feels as
if the toil of his journey from his distant home

150 TRAVELS IN

were repaid, and he delights in beholding the
reality of the picture which he had formed to
himself of an eastern monarch.

But the King of Oude sometimes wishes to
Anglify himself, and then he loses the prestige
which his eastern origin gives him. So comical
was the figure he presented, a few days since,
as he passed, that I could not forbear laughing
outright. He wore a pea-green frock with
standing collar, black trowsers, white stockings,
and black shoes. On his head he had a cap
adorned with black ostrich feathers, bearing a
strong resemblance to those worn by the Scot-
tish Highland regiments. This is not an inele-
gant head-dress, and often makes part of the
king's ordinary costume, and was a relief to
the eye on this day, when his tight-fitting English
dress seemed to add little to his comfort. He
drove an open carriage, harnessed with two white
horses, and appeared vastly proud of his elegant
*' turn-out," as well as of being so excellent '* a
whip."

Behind the king were led many of his horses,
of which the housings were ornamented with
precious stones. Here followed a palanquin, the
heavy curtains, closely- drawn, announcing that

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 151

the occupants were ladies. This conveyance was
surrounded by eunuchs. Two, sometimes four,
elephants walked proudly behind, followed by a
coach, a tamscham (a phaeton-shaped carriage),
and a crowd of pedestrians. But all have not
been enumerated. There were in the rear,
huntsmen with rifles and hounds, falconers with
hooded hawks ; in short, it would seem that all
the inhabitants of the palace had set forth upon
some important expedition, when they were only
making their daily promenade in quest of an
appetite for the next meal.

I remarked a man who attended the pro-
cession without seeming to form part of it.
He carried in his hand a wheel attached to a
stick ; and upon inquiry, I was informed that
this was an instrument by which he measured
the distance that the king traversed each day.
This is considered a matter of sufficient import-
ance to merit a place in the archives of the
kingdom. A number of persons are employed
in recording the daily actions of the reigning
monarch; annals preserved for the benefit of
posterity.

Were I to relate all the misdemeanours of
my munschi, every one of which, more or less,

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was made to touch me, I should devote many a
page to his service. Here in Lucknow, he begged
my assistance in establishing a claim which he
made on Nabob Dawlat, the King's uncle. He
had passed many years in this nobleman's
service, when he abode in Calcutta, whence
he had accompanied him to Bombay. The
nabob, according to a custom very common
in the East, had. not paid him his salary, and
during the time that the munschi remained
in his service, he was allowed to provide for
himself as well as he could. Certainly this
was the more easy, as by using his master's
name, he could, by fair means or foul, procure
what he wanted without rendering the nabob
accountable.

At his departure from Calcutta, the prince
left the munschi behind, but he followed
him to Murschedabad, where he entered into
my service. The nabob owed him a large
sum of money, and when in Benares he in-
volved himself in many difficulties, he always
referred to the payment of the nabob's debt
as a period when he would be able to settle
all his affairs. Soon after our arrival at Luck-
now, where the nabob then was, I reminded

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 153

the munschi of his debts, and those of his
former master ; and he told me that though he
had gone several times to the prince's house,
he had not succeeded in obtaining an interview.
Upon this, I desired him to write a few lines
which I gave to the Barra Sahab, who took
an opportunity of speaking to the minister about
the affair.

In consequence of my interference, the
munschi became so devoted in the discharge
of his duties, and spoke so softly and so amiably,
that his service was quite a pleasure. The
nabob seemed annoyed that Barra Sahab
had been made acquainted with the matter,
and told the munschi that he would wish to
get a written scroll, saying that he, the munschi,
had no further claim on him. This he said
was a mere matter of form. *' Like master,
hke man," says the proverb. The munschi,
with many humble apologies, declined doing
this, saying that it would be giving a receipt
without payment.

What private arrangements may have been
afterwards made between the nabob and him
I know not, but he decHned my farther inter-
ference. Perhaps he did not wish to be under

154 TRAVELS IN

a compliment; perhaps he reflected that were
he paid by the nabob, he should refund the
money I advanced. However this might be, he
announced in a few days that he intended to
leave my service for that of his former master.
Such conduct was the height of ingratitude, for
he knew well that just then I had especial
need of him. His leaving would interrupt
my Indian and Persian studies, and with a
new teacher I would have a great deal to
recommence.

A Mahometan festival was celebrated at
Lucknow, and all the processions that I had
hitherto seen were eclipsed by those which
from dawn passed by my window. All were
decked in their best. Horses, camels, ele-
phants in their holiday trappings, ornamented
with solid gold buttons, as large as an apple,
close set on the housings and harness, the
gold fringe of the former descending to the
ground. Amongst so many thousands all could
not be perfect. I saw an elephant bearing a
stately howdah, evidently a relic of better days,
its handsome silver ornaments had withstood
the pressure of the hand of time, but the dra-
pery hung in tatters, looking old enough to

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 155

have been in existence since the time of
Aurangzib.

One of the costumes in the royal procession
interested me very much. This was a knight
dressed in coat of mail and plumed helmet,
who reined his steed with a lordly air, and
seemed ready on his fiery barb to enter the
lists, lance in rest, to do battle against all
who should deny the matchless charms of his
" ladye-love." Alas ! India may be the land
of magic, but it is not of romance : here
woman's eyes can inspire no chivalrous deeds,
and yet how much is there here that would
remind us of the European middle ages ; the
glittering pageant, the trained steed, the mailed
knight; but the spirit that called such scenes
into existence in Europe lives not here.
Christianity is scarcely known, and woman is
degraded.

I had been kindly invited by the English
resident to a breakfast at his house, where the '
king was to be the chief guest. The number
invited was large, and amongst these were many
natives of rank, several of the king's relatives,
his sons, and brothers-in-law. These, as well as
the husbands of his daughters, were permitted

156 TRAVELS IN

to sit at the same table with his majesty, but the
prime minister and other nobles sat apart. The
soldiers who constitute the resident's body-guard
were drawn out to receive the king, and in
addition to these, a small number of artillery had
been brought. These carried match-locks, in
the use of which they were so dexterous, that T
was told any of them could shoot a bottle off a
horse's back at a considerable distance.

Some officers had been dispatched to conduct
the king from the palace to the residency. The
procession was such as I have already described,
with the addition of some eight or ten hounds.
The king came in a sedan-chair, which was
covered with silver gilt. Behind the king
followed the equipages of those relatives who
were invited to breakfast ; this lengthened the
procession considerably. There were fifteen
caparisoned elephants in the train. When the
king had alighted from his sedan. General
Gray, from Cawnpore, and Captain Shakspeare
presented, each, an arm to his majesty, and so
conducted him to the great hall. His majesty
seems about forty years old, his figure is heavy,
and totally devoid of grace, and his face, which is
by no means handsome, might be said to indicate

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 157

good-nature, were not that expression overhung,
so to speak, by a listless apathy. His head is
large and long ; his nose, as is usual amongst
the Orientals, bespeaks a want of refinement ;
his mouth very wide, and looking still wider
from the bushy beard by which it is surrounded.
His dress, as may be supposed, was radiant with
jewels and gold. The natives, particularly the
Mahometans, attach great importance to such
show.

His majesty seated himself for a few moments
on a throne prepared for him ; the resident and
General Gray took their places on either side ;
the rest remained standing and staring. When
the king rose from the throne, he was conducted,
in the same manner as before, to the hall in
which the tables were laid for breakfast. He
took his place between General Gray and Captain
Skakspeare, and his majesty being seated, we
sat down, and breakfast proceeded.

The hooka-bearers now presented a pipe to
the king, another to the resident ; the mouth-
pieces were of pure gold. The smoking of the
hooka on this occasion was a mere ceremony,
and occupied only a few minutes. The breakfast
lasted about half an hour ; the king spoke only

158 TRAVELS IN

to Captain Shakspeare and to General Gray,
and when the meal was finished, returned for a
few minutes to his place on the throne, all the
rest of the company taking their positions as
before. At a signal from the king, a number
of chains, made of silver twist, were brought, one
of which his majesty put round the resident's
neck, who in return hung another on his ma-
jesty's neck, after which he presented a chain,
of the same kind, but shorter, to each person of
the royal suite. After this the king took his
departure, attended in the same manner as at
his entrance.

Amongst the members of the royal family
there was not one, I was told, who could not
speak English. His majesty, however, discou-
rages communication between his family and
those who may be considered rulers in his land.
This seems to me a wise precaution, but is not,
I understand, agreeable to the English.

1 have had an opportunity of witnessing the
process of enamelling, which interested me very
much. The enamel that I saw was wrought
in silver. The workman draws the intended
pattern on the silver, and the figures are then
engraved on the metal. The ornament that I

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 159

saw operated on was hollow, and in order to
make it bear the pressure of the graving tool)
had been filled with sand. The engraving
finished, the ornaments were then plunged into
a tub of water in which dry mangoes had been
boiled, in order that all impurities might be
cleansed away. The enamel, that is the tran-
sparent mass, is not manufactured here : it is
brought from Calcutta, and perhaps comes from
England. Amongst the colours used in the
manufacture, are two greens, two blues, a yellow,
and a dull red.

The breakfast at the presidency, which I have
mentioned, was one of the customary formalities
exchanged between the King of Oude and the
representatives of the English Government.
This breakfast, as was well known, was to be
followed by one from the king ; and I already
anticipated with delight the prospect of having
a near view of one of the most sumptuous
courts in India, and of witnessing the various
sports with which Indian kings entertained their
guests.

Scarcely had the morning of this longed-for
day dawned, when I betook myself to the dwelling
of the resident, and in his company proceeded

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to the palace. The train which left the resi-
dency was not deficient in oriental splendour.
Mounted upon the handsome government ele-
phants, we looked proudly down upon the heads
of the busy multitude that thronged the streets,
and behind us came a goodly train of carriages.
Arrived at the palace, we passed through many
court-yards filled with people, all of whom I
was assured were in the service of the king.
Before entering the court which immediately
surrounded the palace, we alighted from our
elephants, and proceeded on foot to the palace.
In the centre of the inner court is a long reser-
voir, more in the Mahometan than the Hindoo
taste. Ascending a flight of steps we entered a
hall, in which we found a number of guests ;
amongst these were some natives, as well as
many English ladies and gentlemen ; the ladies
had come expressly from Cawnpore and other
garrisons, to see the fights between the elephants,
tigers, &c.

The resident advanced to an inner chamber,
where the king received him, and both then en-
tered the haU, where they sat for a while, when
the signal for breakfast being given, all rose ; and
after passing through two small dark rooms, we

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 161

entered a very wide and ong hall, the walls of
which were ornamented with portraits. Here,
breakfast was laid. The entire front of the hall
was occupied by a balcony, from which we
could enjoy an uninterrupted prospect of the
quadruped combats.

To heighten the enjoyment ot the morning
meal, some natsch girls were introduced, who
sang and danced all the time that we eat. The
crowd of servants was so great, that we could
not see the performers, their voices alone reached
us, with the monotonous instrumental accom-
paniment. There were very few silver vessels
on the table; none of gold. The breakfast
service was of porcelain, not of extraordinary
beauty, in the old English or rather European
style of the beginning of the present century.

After breakfast, we stepped out on the bal-
cony, when the amusements commenced with a
bull-fight. The two animals that were brought
forward did not seem at all inclined to fight,
and their keepers were obliged to use force to
induce them to begin the attack. These were
followed by two others, who showed themselves
better, or rather worse disposed. Now came a
third pair, that seemed very earnest in their

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162 TRAVELS IN

animosity. That bull is esteemed the best that
runs forward with his head down, and tries to
strike the nose of his opponent.

The combat terminated without bloodshed,
though we were assured that this was not always
the case, for these animals sometimes fight so
desperately that their heads are literally cleft in
two, a horn hanging upon either half; and yet
such maltreatment has not ended their lives, and
these seamed heads have been again brought to
battle in the arena.

After the bull-fight, two antelopes were
brought forth. Their manner of commencing
the attack was interesting. Each approached
the other, his head nearly touching the ground,
and his long spiral horns directed towards his
antagonist, each eyeing the other, and like a
skilful fencer, watching an unguarded move-
ment to make his thrust. After these prelimi-
naries, the fight began. The horns clashed,
and at every shock, each tried so to balance
himself as to keep above his opponent. Next
came two roebucks. These w^ere from the
neighbourhood of Nepaul, low-sized, plump
animals, with short, strong horns. They fought
desperately; but neither obtained the mastery.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 163

Fearing that their pugnacious propensities might
carry them too far, long cords were fastened
round their horns, and held by the keepers ;
but so eager were the combatants in the fight,
that their horns became entangled in these lines,
and the keepers were obliged to separate them.

These combats took place immediately in
front of the balcony ; but now the elephant-fight
began, and the place appointed for this contest
was about two hundred paces distant, at the
other side of the river, on a fine plain of closely-
cut grass. Befere the elephants appeared, many
horsemen essayed their skill in breaking a lance.
These cavaliers managed their horses with great
tact, and as they rode over the field, called
back thronging memories of the tilts and tour-
naments of byegone days, when doughty knights
achieved their fame in " Hsted field."

The elephants came out to combat wholly
unadorned, except that their foreheads w^ere
painted red. The sharp points were cut from
their tusks, which were furnished with rings.
They did not show any great desire to hurt
each other, but followed the directions of their
leaders, or rather drivers. After surveying each
other for some time, the combat began, each

M 2

164 TRAVELS IN

prudently tucking up his proboscis as close to
his nose as he possibly could. The endeavour
of each seemed to be to get the superiority with
his tusks ; but neither succeeding in this, they
pushed against each other front to front, until
at length the smaller and weaker-looking con-
quered. The larger ran away ; but the victor
pursued him. The mahoot, or driver of the
fugitive, obliged him to turn, and brought him
vis a vis with his enemy. But again he re-
treated, and still the other pursued.

The means used to separate elephants on
such occasions, are powder crackers, and so
great was the number let off now, that the space
between the animals was fiUed with a dense
smoke, so that they could no longer see each
other. Crowds of pedestrians rushed in, some
trying to stop the flying elephant, others trying
to arrest the pursuer.

When the defeated elephant had retired, a
third entered the field and attacked the con-
queror, who soon yielded to his new adversary,
and fled. The other pursued, and overtaking
him on an eminence, struck him so violently
with his tusks, that one entered his side. The
wounded elephant fell, and a cloud of dust hid

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 165

him from our view. We saw numbers of persons
running towards the spot, and in a little time
were informed that the poor animal was dead.
I could scarcely believe it, and am still inclined
to doubt that he lost his life so easily.

Another spectacle was now enacted for our
entertainment, but this I would be less inclined
to call sport than cruelty to animals. The
actors were a hyena and a donkey ; and though
the whole scene was not one of the most
agreeable, I must say that poor Grizzle's con-
duct filled me with astonishment. The hyena
was fastened with two chains, held short by the
keepers, and the beast dragged itself along the
ground. Its teeth were also broken, so that it
was rendered in a great degree harmless. The
donkey positively refused to fight ; and the
hyena was so tormented and tortured by its
keepers, who never ceased pulling the chains,
that it seemed to lose all inclination to attack
its opponent. To the honour of Grizzle it must
be said, that when brought to the point, he
showed much more tact than he proverbially
gets credit for.

Seeing that a combat was inevitable, he
thought well of becoming the aggressor; and

166 TRAVELS IN

mustering up all his courage^ ran with as war-
like an air as he could assume towards the
hyena, which was lying on the ground. Grizzle
knelt upon his prostrate opponent, and hit him ^
but the diameter of his extended jaws was too
small to allow him to grasp more than the skin,
and even that he did not injure much. The
deliberate composure with which Master Grizzle
took his bite, showed that he was conscious of
the disability under which his enemy lay. This
seemed to amuse the spectators. Grizzle was
again brought to the attack, and again and
again did he bury his teeth in the hide of the
hyena ; and now finding no resistance, he began
to think himself a hero, and after each bite ran
back, performing in a most uproarious manner
the part of his own trumpeter.

After a short pause, the combat was again
renewed. The hyena was allowed a Httle more
freedom ; his chain was lengthened ; and when
the braying victor gallopped up, with ears erect,
he was received with more warmth than he
had expected. The broken-toothed beast bit,
and with eifect. Grizzle's courage was aroused ;
he bit, and with so much good-will, that blood
flowed. This seemed to be the crowning rose

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 167

in Jack Fribble's triumph, and long and loud
were the notes in which he proclaimed his
victory. It was evident, that had the hyena
been allowed a little more freedom. Grizzle's
sons: would have been made mute for ever.

The performance* being ended we returned
to the hall, where the distribution of chains
had taken place, and, at the door, perfumes
were distributed, which I must take the liberty
of saying were not very good; and now the
king took his departure. I went to the resi-
dency, whither the king sent some of his
fencers for our entertainment, letting us know
at the same time that they were most skilful
in their art. The swords which these fencers
used were furnished with a hilt that protected
the back and front of the hand, somewhat
like a glove. The blade is long and slender,
about an inch and a half wide.

The first movement of the fencers, was to
put themselves with a spring into a theatrical
attitude, flourishing their swords with so much
dexterity that the blade bent six or eight inches
out of the straight line. Many feats were
performed. Oranges and betal nuts were
sliced with great dexterity whilst lying on the

168 TRAVELS IN

ground, the performer cutting from the under-
most part. At one blow he severed in twain
some balls of wood. He lifted a stone, the
first he said that came to hand, and cleft it
at one blow. This stone was about twelve
inches high, and six or eight inches thick.
It was, I think, a kind of loose sand con-
glomerate. He wrapped an orange in a napkin,
struck, and showed the fruit divided in the
middle, the wrapper remaining untouched.
This, I think, he effected by striking dexte-
rously with the flat of his sw^ord. The con-
cluding feat was putting a grain of corn on
the hand of one of his companions, and with
a stroke of his sword cutting it in two. This
excited universal applause. All believed it to
be a reality, as if the inequalities of the hand,
and even the motion produced by the pulsa-
tions, would not have rendered such a thing
impossible.

Though I had remained longer in Lucknow
than was my original intention, it was only
when about to take my departure, that I pre-
pared to make a general survey of the town.
I should say that it is about seven English
miles long; and those travellers who declare

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 169

it to be the most abominable of Indian cities,
have, I should say, exaggerated.

That Lucknow is much inferior to Calcutta,
Benares, and Patna, I cannot deny, and its
narrow and unclean streets do not make a
favourable impression. But then Mahomedan
towns are never as clean as those belonging
to the Hindoos, and still, spite of these draw-
backs, it is not a despicable place. There
are many handsome buildings, exclusive of
the iman-barahs. There are many mosques,
and several well-built private houses, which
in wider streets would look very well. I
must say that the characteristic of Mahomedan
towns and individuals, is uncleanliness.

170 TRAVELS IN

CHAPTER IX.

Rajah Saxarem's gold pates — Agra — Citadel Palace —
Summer apartment for the ladies — Demolition by the
English — Lord Hastings — Bishop Heber — The Taj
Mahal — Description of this building — Depredations
committed on the Taj Mahal — The aggressors —
Former splendour of Agra — Tomb of Iman Dawla.

Having left Lucknow, shaping my course
towards Agra, I passed through several towns.
In Kanoje, which was once a populous city, I
was shown a place where eleven years before, a
Brahmin one day, whilst digging the earth, found
a copper box. He took it home ; the box was
heavy, and the Brahmin's expectations were
raised, and no wonder, for he perceived that the
little coffer was fastened with three locks.
Though heavy, it was portable ; and being fur-
nished with two handles, was easily carried. No

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 171

sooner had the Brahmin arrived at his home,
than taking his treasure into a private room, he
forced the locks. Abdallah, when he entered
the robbers' cave, was not more surprised than
our worthy Brahmin, on opening the box.
It was filled with gold plates ; he took them out,
examined them; they were of pure gold; he
counted them; they were twenty-nine, and on
each was inscribed the name of Rajah Saxarem.
What else may have been in the box, he did
not stay to examine.

Astonished at the sight of so much gold,
and perplexed by the inscription on each plate —
for though a Brahmin, he could not read — and
urged, perhaps, by that desire so powerful in
the human heart, particularly of the simple-
minded and well-meaning, of pouring forth his
feelings into another bosom, he betook himself
to the opposite side of the street, and entered
the house of a Mussulman neighbour. Nothing
could speak more largely for our Brahmin's
honesty and uprightness than the fact of his
confiding so important a secret to a Moslem.
But the unsuspecting Djabu — that was the
Brahmin's name — was no match for the wily

172 TRAVELS IN

Mahomedan. This man seized upon the box,
and refused to give it up, unless half of the
contents were bestowed on him. Djabu applied
to the darogha, Nasaph Ali, for protection ; the
darogha laid the case before the collector, who
summoning all parties into his presence, took
possession of the box, and ordered the plates to
be weighed. They were found to be worth
23,000 rupees. This was the last authentic
account of the box and its contents which Djabu
received. The collector declared that when a
legitimate descendant of Rajah Saxarem should
present himself, the box should be delivered to
him ; but that, meanwhile, it must remain in the
collector's keeping.

The spot where these plates were found is at
an angle of Bahabir ; and the house of the Mus-
sulman to whom Djabu revealed his treasure,
was at the time of my visit one of the hand-
somest in Kanoje, though before the discovery
of the box, he was a poor man. This story
was told me directly opposite to his house, and
as if divining the subject of the conversation,
or having perhaps overheard it, he came out,
and vented himself in the most acrimonious

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 173

language against my cicerone, who seemingly
unconscious of being addressed, turned to me
and continued his narrative with the most
minute details.

The collector is no longer in Kanoje, the
darogha has lost his place, and if " the Asiatic
Researches" possess no record of this event, it
is not likely that anything further will be known
of the plates.

The reports that I everywhere heard of this
story, tallied so well with each other, that I was
tempted to go to the house of Djabu, to learn
the history from his own lips. His account
corresponded with those which I had already
heard. He could give no information about
the locks. They were so much injured from
the action of the water, that they scarcely kept
a hold. The box was about twelve inches in
diameter, and eight high. Whether it contained
anything besides the plates, he knew not, but
these, he was aware, were of khischt. This is
a metal composed of gold, sand, rings, chains,
and such things, all smelted together. This word,
khischt, is Sanscrit, and signifies something pre-
cious. There was no ornament wrought upon the
plates, but in the centre of each was engraved

174 TRAVELS IN

the name of Rajah Saxarem. After the name
was the numeral IIII. Djabu would have it that
the inscription referred to Saxarem IIII. in the
Sanscrit character, but whether this IIII. was
applied to the name, or served only to mark the
service to which the plates belonged, he could
not tell. It was a pandit who had read the
writing for him.

But Djabu's history is not yet finished. He
underwent a second examination, was thrown
into prison, where he abode during three months,
and was then dismissed, thoroughly cured of all
desire to behold his treasure again. And so the
thing remains. The Moslem is become a rich
man, probably believing it a more profitable
thing that a man's neighbour should find a box
of gold, than that he should be himself the
discoverer.

Agra, once an insignificant village, but raised
to be the capital of the province by the great
Ackbar, who delighted in adorning it, contains
some of the noblest architectural remains in
India. Amongst these is the fort. It is built
of red sandstone, and situated on an eminence,
commanding a noble view of the city and river.
Its walls and ramparts are smooth, and, furnished

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 175

with loop-holes and parapets, betoken durability
and strength. Two door-ways give admittance
to the fort. Through that nearest to the tow^n
we entered into a handsome fore-court, upon
which opened halls supported by lofty pillars.
Passing through these, we arrived in the second
great court, paved with white marble.

Within the fort is the mosque erected by
Ackbar, and built, some say, of the white marble
left after the erection of the Taj Mahal, the
celebrated mausoleum built by Shal Jehan to the
memory of his loved sultana, Arjemund Banu.
The effect produced by this white marble,
beneath a noonday Indian sun, is so dazzling,
that the beholder is obliged to turn away his
eyes. The interior of the building forms a
parallelogram three hundred and thirty-five and
a half feet long and a hundred and twenty-eight
wide. This forms a great hall adorned by four
rows of columns, which support the majestic
dome.

Upon presenting my order for admittance
to one of the sepoys stationed in the fort, I
was conducted to Ackbar's great palace. It
was found that some of the apartments were
locked, and that the officer who had the key

176 TRAVELS IN

was not then in the fort. I was, however, able
to see the apartments allotted to the women.
These occupied but a small portion of the
building. The entrance to this department
is through a small garden, filled with flowers
and trees.

Directly opposite to the garden-door is a hall
of white marble, the ceiling of which is gilded.
This hall, open on all sides, was once adorned
with mosaics wrought in precious stones ; but
sad to tell, these works of art have been rudely
torn away, for the sake of the materials that
composed them. This hall leads to another,
of which the walls and floor are covered with
junam, a kind of cement resembling marble.
This is inlaid with coloured glass, so arranged
as to represent flowers in their natural colours.
The ceiling is wrought in the same manner,
but with this difference, that in the walls and
floor the ground-work is of junam, whilst in
the ceiling the ground is of glass, and the
ornaments of junam. Beyond this hall is
another, which deserves particular mention.
At the upper end is a large reservoir, now
dry, and above this and around the walls
are niches for lamps. Immediately above the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 177

reservoir are small openings, through which
the water flowed in slender streams, and was
conducted through marble channels inlaid with
cornelians, jasper, and agate, to every side of
the apartment.

Daylight never entered this apartment, no
ray ever illumined it, but that shed from the
silver lamps placed around the walls. My
conductor said that it had been an oratory,
consecrated to the worship of fire and light,
but I believed him not. This hall, I was well
assured, had presented scenes far different from
those of quiet prayer or rapt meditation.

During the season of the hot winds, this
apartment had served as a retreat for the ladies
of the palace. And here had their magnificent
master passed his evenings, in the enjoyment
of all the sensual luxury that the prophet's
paradise promises. Here had he been lulled
by music and soothed by song. Here had
beauty attuned each change of attitude in the
graceful dance, to the harmony of her lute;
and tapered fingers had twined wreaths, and
tiny feet in jewelled anklets had walked through
the refreshing streams of these marble channels,
and danced in flower-fettered circle before the

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178 TRAVELS IN -

sultan's eyes, and the beauty of the performers
was deepened, and the effect of the whole scene
heightened by the soft lamp-light that filled
the air: the voluptuousness of Asiatic life was
perfected, the senses were gratified. But was
the heart touched ? Could slaves and the
master of slaves be happy ?

Some steps lead from the hall I have just
described, to an upper one, before entering
which we passed through an ante-chamber, in
which was a handsome marble basin. This
hall communicated with an octagonal chamber,
surrounded by a verandah or passage, of which
the ceiling was supported by white marble
columns. The entire hall was built of the
same material, and elaborately ornamented
with the most precious and exquisitely-
wrought mosaics. And this hall had been
treated like that of which I spoke before.
The rude spoilers had defaced the building to
possess themselves of the ornaments.

The English immediately succeeded the
descendants of Ackbar in Agra; and the
English troops are by some pointed out as
the robbers, whilst others do not hesitate to
name the " Company " as the aggressors. It

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 179

would be perhaps, under such circumstances,
better to hush inquiry ; but it is evident, that
within the fort, which was always watched
and guarded, the vulgar herd could not have
been the thieves. How often will the children
and grandchildren of these avaricious spoilers
have to blush for the deeds of their ancestors !

Outside the palace, is the place where the
badscha administered justice in the open air.
A large block of white marble is shown as the
seat which the vizier occupied on these occasions,
whilst the sultan sat on a block of black marble
at the opposite side. The admirer of the arts,
as well as the lover of justice, will mourn over
the spoliation of this once noble palace; nor
will he behold, without a feeling of indignation,
this splendid monument of antiquity defaced to
furnish forth building materials for the govern-
ment-house at Calcutta. Nay, it is said, that
even private houses have been built of the
stolen spoils. Bishop Heber mentions one of
these master-strokes of robbery committed by
Lord Hastings. A beautiful bath of white
marble, consisting of one solid block, attracted
his attention. After getting it torn from the
floor in which it was firmly embedded, it was

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found to be too heavy to be carried by the
budjirows that ply upon the river, and remained,
as the bishop said, a monument to disgrace the
destroyer. It was conveyed away in 1832, by
the commander of the fort, Captain Taylor, a
man who obtained for himself an unenviable
notoriety.

How strange a creature is man! What a
compound of contradictions! In Nineveh he is
to be seen digging up old stones with anxious
care, sending them to England ; and priding
himself upon having discovered them : and in
India he stretches forth his hand to destroy thfe
works of art, national monuments, landmarks
which would have connected the present with
the past — which would have spoken to the
historian of a byegone day — which would have
filled the fancy of the poet with the richest
creations, and have been a study for the artist.
Haughty Britannia is not too proud to plunder
a nation of its monumental records, and that,
too, in a land which was not conquered by force
of arms.

It was with a mingled feeling of indignation
and pity that I looked upon the once magnificent
hall, the Divan Khana, where, in Ackbar's

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 181

time, the court of justice was held. It is now
converted into a store-room! The great sultan's
throne is still here ; a block of white unadorned
marble. Of that throne, the mighty kaiser
was himself the ornament.

Before taking leave of the citadel, I must
mention a subterranean passage to which steps
from the garden of the zenanah lead, and
which the natives say- extends under ground
to Delhi. I entered this passage, and after a
long descent, arrived at an opening broken in a
wall, through which, with my guides, I crept
into an octagonal chamber of about twelve feet
in diameter, where, at a height of eight feet, a
beam crossed the apartment. I was informed
that, in ancient times, those who displeased the
emperor were hanged here. In the centre of the
beam is a hole four inches in diameter, through
which a rope could be passed, and adjusted to
the victim's neck.

Directly under the orifice in the beam is an
excavation in the floor, into which I was told,
the bodies of the criminals used to be dropped.
This hollow was filled up by order of Captain
Taylor, in whom, it is said, the aspect of the place
awakened disagreeable sensations. I am, how-

182 TRAVELS IN

ever, more inclined to believe that this hollow
was once a w^ell, and supplied the chambers
above with water.

Another exercise of English rule in Agra, was
converting a beautiful garden that lay directly
before the citadel, into a bazaar. Gardens in
India fulfil our very beau-ideal of horticultural
beauty, and the loveliness of this garden was
famed throughout Hindoostan. The choicest
fruits, the most exquisite flowers, were here to
be found, with majestic trees and ponds sur-
rounded with the graceful lotus. And all this
was uprooted to make a bazaar in a city, where
there was already a sufficient number for trans-
acting the commercial affairs of half India.

This, though a public garden, was the pro-
perty of the Rajah of Benares. When asked to
give up his garden, he replied, that if the go-
vernment wished to take it, he could offer no
opposition, and that though his opinion was
asked, he had not the power of refusal. The
garden was taken, the trees cut down, and the
flowers uprooted.

Agra is now an English possession, and was
this justice in the rulers? As well may that
same government seize some of the parks or

INDIA. AND KASHMIR. 183

public pleasure grounds of the people of London.
But even then the injustice would not be so
great. The manner of living is so different in
India. Beneath a tropical sun, the shade of
trees, and the murmuring of water are indis-
pensable necessaries. But to turn a public
garden into a market-place, in a city which does
not occupy the tenth part of the space it once
filled, when, as Tavernier tells, there were in
Agra eighty large serais, eight hundred public
baths, and fifteen large market-places.

I visited to-day, the Taj-bibi-ka-rosa, which
the natives, by abbreviation, call Taj, and which
by the Europeans is commonly named Taj
Mahal. No words would suffice to describe the
impression that the sight of this edifice produced
upon me. I was penetrated, overwhelmed with
a sense of beauty, and my heart was moved with
a tender emotion. The handsomest of Euro-
pean buildings seemed to fade into nothing,
when compared with this miracle of Indian
architecture.

The Taj Mahal is a monument erected by the
Emperor Jehangir to the memory of his beloved
wife, Nur Jehan Begum ; and were we to esti-
mate his affection by the beauty of the edifice,

184 TRAVELS IN

or the expense incurred in the erection, we should
say that Jehangir was a peerless husband.
Where is the king or kaiser of civilized Europe
who would expend eight hundred thousand
pounds upon a monument for his wife? It
may be said that they are too civilized or too
poor for such an undertaking, or it may be
that they feel no desire to recall certain me-
mories. After all, perhaps, Jehangir had a
monument-building mania, for he intended to
build one similar to the Taj Mahal for himself.
The intervention of his son Aunmgzib prevented
the execution of this design, and his interfer-
ence w^as certainly not of a pleasing character.
He dethroned and imprisoned his father, who,
not being able, under such circumstances, to
build a tomb for himself, was obliged to be con-
tended with a share of the vault which held the
ashes of his sultana.

The Taj Mahal is built upon the banks of
the Jumna, and is surrounded by a wall in a
quadrangular space one hundred and ninety
yards square. This wall is sixty feet high, and
adorned at each angle with a tall minaret.
The minarets, as well as the wall, are of red
stone, but the Taj Mahal itself is of white

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 185

polished marble, and stands out in shadowless
splendour beneath the burning sky of India.
It is erected upon a basement nine hundred feet
long, and forty feet high. The great dome
which rises in the centre, and which is seventy-
two feet in diameter, is surmounted by a spire
of gilded copper, thirty feet in height. It is
said that the original spire was of pure gold.

The interior of the Taj Mahal forms an
octagon, in the centre of which, in an octagonal
enclosure, is the sarcophagus. On each side of
the octagon is a window, closed with a kind of
marble net-work, in the interstices of which are
inserted small panes of glass. Eight chambers
surround this hall, the angles of which 'corre-
spond exactly with those of the main wall. In
the four chambers, answering to the sides of the
building, are inserted in the walls, plates of
white marble, six feet high, upon which flowers,
in their natural colours, are wrought in a mosaic
of precious stones, the stems being worked in
with negro antico. So elaborate is the work-
manship, that, to form one flower, nearly a hun-
dred different gems have sometimes been used ;
and so exquisite is the finish, that the eye
might almost be deceived. Round these mosaics

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are frames of yellow marble and negro antico.
The chambers forming the corners of the
octagon have no mosaics, and seem to have
served merely as passages to the others. The
upper portion of the walls, and the lofty dome,
are covered with junam. The walls of the side
chambers are ten feet high ; the arched window-
frames are of white marble. The inner enclo-
sure, in which the sarcophagus lies, is lighted
by the windows of these chambers, which, as I
have said, are closed with a marble net-work.
The diameter of the dome is seventy-two, and
the depth of the window-frames nine feet.

The sarcophagus, which is placed in the
centre, is inlaid with mosaics, in which the gems
are so well selected as to produce a perfectly
natural shading. A screen of marble net-work,
exquisitely wrought, encloses the sarcophagus in
a space thirty-six feet in diameter. The bodies
of the emperor and his wife are not laid in the
sarcophagus, but in a vault immediately under,
to which a few steps descend. The coffins are
of plain white marble, upon which, inlaid in
black, are the names of the royal personages
whose dust the tomb contains.

Never have I experienced emotions of sadness

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 187

similar to those which arose in my bosom as
I gazed on the Taj Mahal. Not that the
history of Jehangir and Nur Begum is parti-
cularly calculated to call up such feelings.
No, it is the building itself which produces
this effect upon the soul; and as 1 stood
within that majestic pile, and listened to the
light murmur of the air, as it sighed through
the marble-latticed windows, a feeling of awe,
and of calm delight came over me, and I felt
that if there were a spot on earth where my
restless ever-forward hurrying spirit could find
repose, it would be in the Taj Mahal.

The day following my first visit to Nur
Begum's tomb, I returned there; but the
feelings of the yesterday were not allowed to
revive. The building was still the same, but
its quiet, its holiness was disturbed by noisy
visitants. Amongst others, a dealer, a kind
of pedlar, discovered me, and actually unfolded
his wares upon the sarcophagus of the emperor
and empress, of which I was making a sketch.
It is very hard for a man to keep his temper
under such circumstances. I assured him that
I did not wish for his commodities, he would
not believe me, and continued to unfold his

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merchandize. Not wishing to quarrel in a
place where a loud word is swelled to thunder
by the peculiar structure of the dome, I discon-
tinued my occupation, and was obliged to forego,
for one day, the pleasure of studying my favourite
building.

In the evening I visited the tomb of Iman
Dawla. This is a small, handsome building
of white marble. In one of the upper apart-
ments lie two coffins, containing the remains
of the prime minister and his wife. They
had four daughters, to each of whom a sar-
cophagus is erected in the four angles of the
hall, in which reposes their parents' dust.
There is a coffin in the gateway on the south
side, which is said to enclose the remains of
an adopted son of Iman Dawla ; but as one
of the daughters was married, I am inclined
to think that this is the grave of his son-in-
law. None of the graves bears an inscription.
The doorways are of red sandstone, inlaid with
marble mosaics. The walls of the chambers
in the interior are covered with slabs of white
marble to the height of six feet, the remainder
of the wall and the ceiling being painted. The
walls and ceilings of the various chambers are

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 189

painted in the same manner, but on different
grounds — some blue, some red, some black, some
silver-coloured. Those ornamented with flowers
must once have produced a very good effect,
but smoke and soil have dimmed their beauty.

I forgot to mention that the walls of the
apartment containing the sarcophagse were of
white marble wrought a jour, and were, as
well as the floor, inlaid with beautiful mosaics.

The last descendant of I man Dawla, residing
in Agra, made a present of this monument
to a merchant of the city. The merchant
having left the town, the Company have
taken possession of the mausoleum, and intend
to repair it.

I was this day in a monument-visiting mood,
and having finished my scrutiny of Iman
Dawla's, I repaired to another, called here
Chini-ka-rosa. This mausoleum lies on the
west bank of the Jumna, and must once
have had a very fine appearance. It now
presents a scene of desolation. The mosaics
on the walls are some of the most beautiful
I have ever seen. They are of porcelain,
the colours burnt in, giving to the flowers
a beauty peculiar to that material.

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And this beautiful building, this gem of
antiquity, sacred to the memory of the
dead, no matter of what creed — we are all
made of a common dust — this monument is
converted into a stall for oxen! This is the
more to be wondered at, as the edifice belongs
to the Company, and has a garden attached,
which pays a yearly rent of a hundred and
seven rupees. In ancient times the rent of
the garden was devoted to the support of the
building; but the present government, who
speak of repairing the monument of Iman
Dawla, desecrate without compunction the
Chini-ka-rosa.

I was plunged in these reflections, when the
approach of the oxen returning to their stalls
interrupted my meditations ; and as the evening
was now far advanced, I returned to the city,
marvelling at the strange inconsistency of rulers,
who build modern palaces, dwarfed dw^ellings
in comparison to those of old, and allow the
precious bequests of antiquity to fall to ruins.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 191

CHAPTER X.

Secundra— Ackbar's monument — German missionaries
— Government schools — Traffic in children — Slave
trade — Erroneous attempts at making converts to
Christianity — Horrors of famine — Thoughts upon the
duty of government to the nation in times of distress
— Lord Ellenborough.

In Secundra, I visited Ackbar's monument.
This edifice lies in the midst of a large garden.
The gateway leading to this garden is inlaid
with porcelain mosaics, similar to those of
Chini-ka-rosa. This doorway, as well as the
monument, is a precious memento of the time
when Indian architecture had reached its culmi-
nating point. Ackbar's coffin is of plain white
marble. The hall in which it is placed is high
and vaulted, lighted from the top. The windows

192 TRAVELS IN

are screened with marble net-work, and admit
so dim a light, that to obtain a distinct view of
the interior of the hall, one would require torch-
light.

At some distance from the mausoleum of
Ackbar, abode two German missionaries, who
in their own opinion had found here a fruitful
field for missionary labours. The scene of their
operations was a school, endowed by govern-
ment for the special purpose of bringing up the
natives as Christians. It is well known that in
the districts east and north-east of Delhi, the
harvest frequently fails ; and in such seasons
the wretched inhabitants suffer all the tortures
of starvation, and that in a degree of which
the inhabitants of Europe can form no idea.
An account of the frightful scenes which the
country then presents, would fill the mind with
horror. The fierce cravings of physical want
stifle every tender affection ; the sweetest bonds
of humanity are torn asunder, and the brute
triumphs over the moral nature of man.
Mothers sell their children for a mess of por-
ridge, presented by the wily Jacob ; and in vain
w^ould they seek to reclaim what they have thus
forfeited.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 193

About five years since, this neighbourhood
was visited by this dreadful scourge, and some
good Christians believed that this was a favour-
able moment to bring about the conversion of
the natives. The parents could not easily be
tampered with in matters of religion, but ren-
dered ferocious by hunger, they sold their children
for a trifle. There are at present in the institute
one hundred and fifty children ; a like number
have been reared and placed in situations, making
three hundred. But this is only half the number
purchased ; three hundred more died of small-
pox. These six hundred children were purchased
for eighteen hundred rupees, which certainly was
not an exorbitant price.

Of the piety that dictated these proceedings,
there can be no question ; and should any one ask
whether it were better to allow these six hundred
children to starve, or by purchasing, to save
them from such a fate, there can be but one
answer to the inquiry. However, it appears to
me that the first duty of a government in such
extreme cases, is to feed the hungry, and that
unconditionally, without taking advantage of
the iron necessity that oppressed them, to tear
children from their parents, and force them to

VOL. I. o

194 TRAVELS IN

consent to abjure the faith of their fathers. To
what conditions will not a drowning man sub-
scribe to save his life ?

The entire proceedings seem to me in direct
opposition to the warfare proclaimed by England
against the slave trade. It is undeniable that
the children are bought. I may be told that
the parents sell them freely ; but can that be
called a/ree act, which is induced by irresistible
necessity ? Besides, has not the purchaser a
certain object in view in buying these children ?
and are they not made, as far as possible, to
w^ork out his end? This is certainly a slave
trade, but one in which the spiritual and intel-
lectual rather than the corporal freedom is
bartered.

I doubt much whether morality gains any-
thing by this proselytising spirit. Is force of
any kind, whether the instrument used be sub-
terfuge or the sword, the means by which the
Gospel is to be propagated ? How often is the
God of the Christian made to appear no better
than the thundering Jove ? A religion enforced
by the armed hand of a ruler is propagated at
the expense of the morality of its votaries ; and
that secret monitor, which the Almighty has

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 195

placed within the breast of every man, speaks
as eloquently to the Hindoo as to the European.
And are the crimes of Christian Europe less
glaring than those of Pagan and Mahomedan
Hindoostan ? The European is certainly more
refined in his wickedness, atrocious murders
and violent robberies are less frequent in the
catalogue of his offences ; but his eloquent decla-
mations against his Asiatic brother, only prove
that whilst he sees the mote in his neighbour's
eye, he overlooks the beam in his own.

And people talk of all India being converted
to Christianity, and missionaries announcing the
conversion of a solitary Hindoo amongst thou-
sands of unbelievers, are themselves frequently
members of some straggling sect, and too often
the instruments of fanatical bigotry. Show to
the Indians a church holding fast the doctrines
of the Apostles, and propagating these doctrines
by example, and above all, by the practice of
that great new commandment — love to one
another. Nor should the practices of a people
be interfered with, even though interwoven with
a false system of religion. The grain can be
separated from the chaff, and the new-made
Christian will quickly learn to discriminate be-

o 2

196 TRAVELS IN

tween what was of physical utility or of moral
worth, in the law which he lately practised, and
the enormities of blind superstition. Commence
the conversion of a Hindoo by making him a
meat-eater or a tolerator of spirituous drinks ;
make him renounce his frequent bathings, and
he becomes a barbarian.

Lord Ellenborough arrived in Agra, on his
return from Cabul, whither his military duties
had called him. He occupied those apartments
which were formerly Ackbar's zenanah, and
which were now made to look very gay for his
lordship's reception. Lord Ellenborough very
kindly gave me a passport to continue my
journey through the upper provinces and to
Lahore.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 197

CHAPTER XL

Futtehpoor — The house of Byrber's daughters — Schaykh
Suleim Thchisti — Ackbar's wife — Moyen-ud-dein —
Jehangir's account of his birth — Ackbar's chess-
board— Elephant gate — Elephant tower —The young
archer — Bacharath AUi — Story of the brilliant —
Byrber and the elephant — Jehangir's two wives —
Nurjehan — Afkan Khan — Anecdote of Yudbay —
Arrival of my baggage — Departure from Futtehpoor.

After many annoyances from bearers and
coolies, I left Agra about six o'clock, and
arrived at Futtehpoor at eleven. I sought, in
vain, in the different serais for my attendants ;
they had not yet arrived. At length, after I
had waited for at least an hour, my munschi
made his appearance, and 1 went to visit
the fort and mosque. An old Brahmin fakir,
a good-humoured soul, accompanied us as

198 TRAVELS IN

cicerone^ and showed a great deal of skill in
decyphering the inscriptions. I found amongst
the uninhabited houses, one which appeared to
me a more agreeable dwelling than the serai ;
and the announcement that it had been, of yore,
the dwelling of Vizier Byrber's daughters, in no
way lessened its attractions. I sent for those
of my servants who were in the serai, but the
others, who had charge of the heavy luggage,
were not yet come up. I was obliged to content
myself with what I could procure in the bazaar.
Some of the servants arrived on the following
day, but the principal part of the lifggage,
amongst which was my money, was in the
hoeckery, or waggon, and this had not yet
come.

Futtehpoor was, next to Agra, the favourite
residence of Ackbar. It was at one time only
a village, but the emperor enlarged and beau-
tified it, and changed the name from Sickery
to Futtehpoor. The buildings in Futtehpoor
Sickery, as many of the inhabitants call the city,
are, with the exception of the tomb of Suleim
Thchisti, in ruins, though still preserving traces
of a noble style of architecture.

The house that I inhabited was one of the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 199

handsomest in the town. It was not large.
There were four chambers and two ante-chambers
on the first floor, which was many feet from the
level of the ground ; on the second floor were
two chambers and two terraces. This house,
like many in Futtehpoor, had more of the
Hindoo than Mahomedan architectural character.
It was heavy and massive, rather than light and
elegant ; the stone ornaments were, however, very
rich. The dwelling was not enclosed with high
walls, for Byrber was a Hindoo.

Next to the house of Byrber's daughters lies
another, which was at one time the dwelling
of a very important personage. In it abode
Ackbar's wife, a Hindoo princess. She had
been twelve years married to Ackbar, and had
no child ; and the emperor longed for an heir.
By the advice of certain friends, the royal
husband repaired to the fakir, Schaykh Suleim
Thchisti, who lived in Sickery, entreating his
pious prayers that he might have an heir. In
a short time after Jehangir was born.

This account is somewhat different from that
given by Jehangir himself, in his memoirs ; and
though I have already given this extract in
another work, I will again transcribe it here : —

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" My father was twenty-eight years old, and
had no son. At length a boy was born to him ;
but the child lived only one astronomical hour.
One day that Ackbar had been at the grave of
the venerable Moyen-ud-dein Tchauty, one of
his amirs said to him, that there dwelt in
Adjmir a pyr, or pious hermit, who was
renowned throughout India for the piety of his
life and conversation. The emperor determined
to go to the holy man, and vowed within him-
self, that should Providence grant him a son, he
would make a pilgrimage from Agra to Adjmir
on foot. This is a distance of one hundred
and forty coss (about one hundred and eighty
English miles). Six months after the death
of my brother, on Thursday, the 17 th of the
month Rebeia 978, (1 5th April, 1570), I was
born. Ackbar accomplished his vow, made a
pilgrimage to the shrine of Moyen-ud-dein, and
contracted a lasting friendship with the pious
pyr, Shaykh Suleim Thchisti."

Near a house said to have been formerly
inhabited by Rumy Bibi, whose daughter was
married to Ackbar, is a large court or yard,
in which is a seat of sandstone, and upon
the ground, in front of the seat, are depicted

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 201

squares similar to those of a chess-board, but
in what may be called gigantic proportions.
It was here that Ackbar and his two viziers,
Abul Fazel and Byrber, played at chess.
Instead of castles and bishops, knights and
pawns, the royal Moslem had arrayed upon
his chess-board living maidens. These were
divided into groups, distinguished by the
colour of the dress. Four w^ore black, four
red, four yellow, and four appeared in white.
Living chess-maidens was an invention worthy
of an emperor. And their tiny feet, stepping
from square to square of the royal chess-board,
spared the luxurious Asiatic the trouble of
extending his imperial hand. Whoever could
" check " the king, carried off a large booty,
for these living castles, pawns, and knights,
became the spoil of the victor.

The great court-yard in which this play-
ground and the buildings I have mentioned
are built, encloses also the great Judgment
Hall. In the centre of this hall is a strong
sliort pillar, a kind of pulpit, to which four
galleries lead, and here it is said Ackbar was
wont to sit, and watch the proceedings in the
hall beneath.

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Leaving the fort by the elephant gateway,
of which the large stone guardians were decapi-
tated by the pious zeal of Aurungzib, who was
too good a Moslem to suffer graven images
before his door, 1 arrived at the elephant tower.
This building is not of extraordinary beauty,
but is remarkable for the strangeness of its
decorations. There are elephants' teeth wrought
in white marble, encircling the tower, and pro-
jecting straight forwards. This is said to be
the grave of one of Ackbar's favourite
elephants, and here the emperor loved to
sit, and amuse himself in looking at the
archers shooting the wild beasts in the plain
below.

And speaking of archery, I must relate a
little anecdote that I learnt here. About
three hundred feet from my dwelling was a
high dome. In ancient times a gilded arrow
rose from the centre, and to this arrow a ring
was attached. All this glitter looked very fine,
no doubt, in the sunshine. It chanced one day
that the emperor, not Ackbar, though it was he
who built Futtehpoor, after gazing for some time
at the arrow and ring, said that he would give
half his kingdom to whomsoever should shoot

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 203

an arrow through the ring. Innumerable arrows
were aimed at the little golden circlet that
dangled high in the air, but none found a
passage through. At length a stripling ap-
peared, whose bow was but the bent branch of
a tree, and his arrow a piece of a reed. With
a seemingly careless air he took aim, and his
shaft went through the ring. The emperor
sent for the youth, commended his skill, and
gave him, as he had promised, half his king-
dom.

My Brahmin conductor, who narrated this
anecdote, wished, I think, to display his
learning, as this piece of information is taken
from Gulisan. He added further that there
are four things which a man ought to avoid :
he ought never to spring over a well, shoot
an arrow, speak in favour of a stranger, nor
trust his wife to a friend.

I remained much longer in Futtehpoor than
1 had originally intended. I busied myself
in making sketches of the landscape that lay
before my window, and this occupied my time
from an early hour of the morning. An hour
or two before sunset, came old Bacharath Alii,
the fakir muUa, or some other of my old

204 TRAVELS IN

neighbours, to talk about the present and
past state of Futtehpoor. And so we chatted
until the hour of evening prayer, when my
good neighbours repaired to the shrine of
Schaykh Suleim, and I, for want of better
employment, took up my pen and scribbled
some pages of my journal. Some of the
legendary tales which I heard here, may not
be uninteresting to my readers. I will note
down a few. Bacharath Alii is my authority
for the following :

Ackbar once asked his vizier Byrber how he
would behave if he found himself in very
embarrassing circumstances. Byrber answered,
that he would try to forget his difficulties by
plunging into every kind of amusement. The
emperor wished to put him to the proof, and
gave him a valuable brilliant, with instructions
to keep it until it should be demanded of him.
The emperor added, that if the vizier should not
be able to produce the gem when called for, his
life should be the forfeit. Byrber took the
jewel to his house, and gave it into his
daughter's keeping, telling her, at the same
time, how much depended on its safety. The
vizier's daughter, conscious of the importance of

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 205

this treasure, put it carefully away. In a little
time afterwards, Ackbar, who had learned to
whom the jewel was intrusted, sent for one of
the maidens of his household, told her what had
passed between him and the vizier, and pro-
mised her fifty thousand rupees if she succeeded
in bringing him the gem that Byrber's daughter
had. This maiden was sly and crafty. She
went to the vizier's daughter; pretended to con-
ceive the most ^dolent friendship for her, and
managed so well, that in a short time she
became the constant companion of the unsus-
pecting girl.

She soon remarked that the vizier's daughter
went every fourth day to a little casket, examined
its contents, and closed it again carefully.
Divining that this casket contained the myste-
rious brilliant, she watched an opportunity, stole
the key, abstracted the jewel, and took it to the
emperor. She received fifty thousand rupees.
Now Ackbar reflected within himself that she,
who had been crafty enough to rob the vizier's
daughter, might also find the means of deceiv-
ing him, if tempted by a larger reward. To
prevent the possibility of such an occurrence, he
threw the jewel into the Jumna ; and, the fol-

206 TRAVELS IN

lowing day, demanded it of the vizier. Byrber
went to his daughter, who then discovered her
loss. The father was perplexed; he went to
the emperor and begged a month's grace. This
was granted. The vizier was now in the most
difficult circumstances in which he had ever
found himself, and, true to his maxim, he sought
relief in dissipation. He carried this so far,
that two days before the month's grace was
expired, his entire fortune was expended. Two
days only remained to the vizier ; he was now
so poor that there were no provisions in his
house, and no meal had been on that day pre-
pared for him and his daughter. Things were
in this state when a man knocked at the door,
offering to sell fish. The daughter asked
permission of her father to buy; he consented,
and in one of the fish she found the identical •
jewel which she had lost.

Great was the surprise of the emperor when
the vizier presented the jewel to him ; but
whether he ever learned the manner in which
it had been recovered, the narrator did not
explain. It may be necessary to mention that
Byrber was a Brahmin of Ranodge, in which
tow^n the Hindoos are permitted to eat fish.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 207

On another occasion, Ackbar asked Byrber
whether it were better for a man to possess
strength himself, or to be strong in his serfs
and servants. Byrber said that it was better
that a man should possess strength in himself
Ackbar kept this opinion of his vizier's in mind,
and some time after ordered a mahout, or
elephant driver, to urge the animal of which
he was in charge into the vizier's apartment
during meal-time. The mahout obeyed the
emperor's orders, and drove the elephant into
the rocm where Byrber was at dinner. The
vizier looked round ; the only object within his
reach was a Httle dog, which he seized by one
leg, and whirling it in the air, dashed it
against the intruder's head. The hound barked
and yelled ; the elephant took fright and ran
away. Byrber said to the emperor : " You see, I
have delivered myself by my own strength ;
I had not even time to call to a servant."

Having said thus much of Ackbar, it may
not be amiss to tell something of his son,
Jehangir.

Jehangir had two wives, one a Hindoo prin-
cess, named Yudbay, daughter to the Rajah of
Djodpur ; the other, Nurjehan, was daughter to

208 TRAVELS IN

Ettemand-ud-Daulah, and widow of Afkan
Khan. It is told that whilst Nurjehan's first
husband was still alive, she one day accompanied
him to a solemn feast, where the emperor saw
her, and was deeply smitten with her beauty.
The royal lover found means to declare his
passion to the lady, and a secret correspondence
was carried on for some time. The husband at
length discovered it, and not wishing to lose
either his wife or his life, prudently retired to
Bengal. But Jehangir was not to be foiled
thus. He sent orders to the Nabob of Dacca
to send back Afkan Khan's wife, and to keep
the husband prisoner. In order to fulfil these
commands, the nabob sent his brother with a
troop of soldiers, against Afkan Khan ; but
Afkan was a brave soldier; he defeated the
troops, and slew, with his own hand, the nabob's
brother. This circumstance converted the
nabob into a personal enemy, and, in order to re-
venge his brother's death, he led an army against
Afkan, whom, with his wife, he took prisoner.
The unfortunate man was put to death, the
victim of his wife's vanity, and the emperor's
intrigues ; and Nurjehan, now a slave, was con-
demned to grind corn in a mill. Jehangir hear-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 209

ing of these things, put himself at the head of his
army, advanced against the nabob, and deprived
him of his rule ; and Nurjehan was sent back
to Agra. It was here that she again appeared
before the emperor, when, casting herself before
him, she begged to be allowed to withdraw far
from the court, for that having been a prisoner,
she was no longer worthy of his love. Jehangir,
touched by her humility, became more enamoured
than ever ; and in a short time, Nurjehan was
made his queen.

Many ignorant Europeans are apt to envy
their Asiatic brethren, the privilege of having a
plurality of wives. But did they know the
private history of these men, they would learn to
acknowledge that in some cases, it is better to
have one than many.

Jehangir, as I have mentioned, had two
queens, and emperor and conqueror though he
were, he could not reconcile these rival powers ;
and many are the stories recorded of their dis-
sensions and bickerings. It happened that one
evening as Jehangir and Nurjehan were alone,
the lamp had burned very low, and Nurjehan
rose to extinguish it. To avoid soiling hev

VOL. I, p

210 TRAVELS IN

fingers, she broke the bracelet that she wore on
her arm, and laid part of it on the dying lamp.
Jehangir observed all this, and said to himself,
" what a sensible wife 1 have."

A few evenings passed and the emperor was
sitting with his wife Yudbay. It so happened
that on this evening, too, the lamp seemed about
to die away ; Yudbay rose, laid hold of the wick
of the lamp, turned it down ; and then wiped
her fingers on the wall. Disgusted at such
untidiness, Jehangir exclaimed angrily : " Where
have you been educated that you have acquired
such nasty habits. Nurjehan is much neater,
for a few evenings since, rather than soil her
fingers with the lamp wick, she broke her
bracelet, -and used it as an extinguisher." But
Yudbay answered and said : " Nurjehan may act
so, but I never will. A woman who has lost a
husband that she loved, and afterwards married
another, may, indeed, break her bracelet. But
a woman who loves her husband, and does not
wish his death, will never break her bracelet.
And you see, now, that Nurjehan, after the death
of her first husband, married you, so would she,
after your death, marry another."

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 211

Jehangir was delighted with this answer.
The bracelet is a kind of marriage gift or
keepsake.

One fine moonlight night, as Jehangir was
seated in his garden, he sent a message to Nur-
jehan, desiring her to come to him clothed in
white. She replied that he might send that
message to one of his other wives. He sent a
similar command to Yudbay ; she came, but not
dressed in white; she wore red. Hereupon,
Jehangir grew very wrath and said : " Is it not
strange that neither of my wives would gratify
me in so slight a matter as to put on a white
dress when I ask it." Now Nurjehan slipped
away, and returned in a few minutes, dressed in
white. Jehangir turning to Yudbay said : " Nur-
jehan has done what I requested, but you have
perse ver in gly refused ; her love for me is cer-
tainly greater than yours."

But Yudbay answered : " As long as my hus-
band lives, I will never wear white, but she, who
has lost one husband, and married another, may,
indeed, do such things."

A wife's wearing a white dress is considered
a bad omen for her husband's life, it being a
colour generally worn by widows.

P 2

212 TRAVELS IN

One evening as Nurjehan and Jehangir were
walking in the garden, they perceived Yudbay,
who was reading at a window, which looked out
on the walk. Jehangir, at Nurjehan's instigation,
asked what she was reading, and Yudbay replied,
that she was reading the history of a woman
who, after the death of her husband, married
another.

Many days had elapsed, and I had heard
nothing of my baggage and attendants, when
one day all appeared before me safe and well.
The servants had mistaken the way, and went
on to Mathura ; here they took up their quarters,
thinking that I would pass by that way. They,
at length, became weary of their stay, and hearing
that I was at Futtehpoor, thought proper to seek
me. It was fortunate they did so, for, had I
left, much time might have elapsed before I
should have heard anything of them.

There was now nothing to delay my departure,
and I set off, the following day, very much
pleased indeed with my visit to Futtehpoor. The
air is clear and pure ; the district around, though
not woody, presents very agreeable prospects,
and the inhabitants are good and kind. I
must say that during my stay, I was agreeably

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 213

employed, and found much to render social
life agreeable. Futtehpoor is not now what it
was in the time of Ackbar ; but the remains of
its stately mosque, once one of the finest in
India, its ruined shrines, majestic gateways,
and historical associations, render it one of the
most interesting cities in India.

214 TRA.VELS IN

CHAPTER XII.

Bhurtpoor— The Lord Sahab's Son— The Rajah— The
Emperor of Delhi — Lord EUenborough — Plundering
of Bhurtpoor — Mathara — Krischna — Mosque built by
a parasite of Aurungzib — Bindraband Gundsche —
Govenda — Ridge of rock supported by Krischna
— Badschhapur — Robbery in Kotilla — My purse
stolen.

Leaving Futtehpoor-Sickery, I bent my way
towards Burtpur, or Bhurtpoor. This town fully
answered the description I had received of it.
Miserable huts, filthy streets, and pitiful bazaars.
All here were in commotion on account of the
arrival of the Lord Sahab's son, who had come
to Bhurtpoor, two days before. In India, the
title " lord" is always prefixed to the governor's
name, and the simple natives will have it that

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 215

every lord must be a governor, or at least a
governor's son. To discuss the subject would
be useless trouble, and would only expose one
to the suspicion of envying his neighbour's
dignity.

The arrival of the lord sahab himself was
announced for the following evening. He came
to do honour to the rajah, whom, on the occa-
sion of a former visit, he had not seen. This
had excited a great deal of remark, and the
rajah's people spoke with strong emphasis of
the splendid presents which had been prepared
for the lord sahab and his train.

I took up my abode in a house belonging
to the rajah, which had been appropriated to
the use of travellers. His houses are wretched,
scarcely better than Httle pavilions built in an
enclosure, that cannot be called a garden, at
least in the Indian sense of the word. The
rajah's palace, on the contrary, presents a
very fine appearance. It is here that his
wives live. I had some difficulty in getting
permission to enter. Those who visit the
rajah personally are received here, and allowed
to view all that it contains.

The rajah has no less than seven wives,

216 TRAVELS IN

dauorhters of the zemindars within his own
jurisdiction.

I learned here a little circumstance in which
this Rajah of Bhurtpoor, Bholenath Singh,
the Governor-general of India, and the Em-
peror of Delhi — that shadow seated on the
throne of the Great Moguls — were the chief
actors.

The rajah wished to pay his respects to the
governor-general. Lord EUenborough, who was
staying at Delhi. He set out at the head of
a large number of troops, intending to make
a great display, marching his soldiers through
the city, to the sound of kettle-drums. When
the emperor heard of this, he, became much
incensed, and declared that it would be offering
him the greatest insult, if a man, who but a
short time before had been his vassal, were
allowed to parade through Delhi, to the sound
of kettle-drums, a distinction which in ancient
times belonged exclusively to the Mogul em-
perors.

To these remonstrances, Lord EUenborough
is said to have replied: "Let him come with
as much noise and rattle as he pleases;" but
at the same time, took the precaution of placing

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 217

a guard of one hundred soldiers at the gate
which the rajah was to pass. Bholenath Singh
arrived with his kettle-drums, when it was
intimated to him that it would be more prudent
not to enter the city, as the inhabitants were
prepared to pelt him with mud. This infor-
mation, and possibly the sight of the hundred
soldiers, induced the rajah to return by the
way he came, very wroth against the emperor
and the governor-general.

The muzzar, or presents intended by the
rajah for the governor, were, it is said, very
magnificent. A great gala dinner for the
English officers was also in contemplation,
but the rajah's untimely retreat prevented his
offering these testimonies of respect.

About sixteen years ago, Bhurtpoor fell into
the hands of the English. They were indebted
for the possession of the place to treachery, a
mode of conquest by no means rare in India.
The Enghsh entered the town, and one of
the soldiers seizing on the wife of a sepoy,
offered her the grossest insults. The woman
in her own defence stabbed the villain. The
general in command, hearing of this circum-
stance, made it a pretext for giving up the

218 TRAVELS IN

town to be plundered by the soldiers, who
had now been a long time in India, and were
anxious for booty. And the general who gave
these orders, was a man that had reaped much
glory during that campaign.

Having left Bhurtpoor, I journeyed on to
Mathura, celebrated as the birthplace of the
god Krischna. There are numbers of houses,
though nothing that could attract the anti-
quary, if we except that part of the Jumna,
where Krischna is said to have bathed.

There are two large buildings in the town,
one belonging to a merchant of Agra, who is
the government banker. In this building are
two temples, which though plain, are not
devoid of beauty. During the reign of
Aurungzib, one of his parasites built a
mosque in the centre of the town, close to
the bazaar. This building was ornamented
with handsome mosaics, wrought in brick of
various colours; there were beautiful minarets
and flights of marble steps, but on all these
the hand of time has pressed heavily. The
town is exclusively Hindoo, and the inhabi-
tants, to whom the ruins of the mosque are
an eye-sore, petitioned government some time

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 219

ago to have the old building entirely pulled
down. The petition was not, however, ac-
ceded to.

I left Mathura, and proceeded to Bindraband,
a distance of about three coss. The town is
tolerably large, but not handsome. The streets
are narrow, and the houses high. I took up my
abode in a gundsche, tempted by the embower-
ing shade of a well-planted court-yard.

The name gundsche was originally applied to
buildings dedicated to the memory of a deceased
person, and generally erected on the spot where
the body had been burned. Numbers of these
gundschi, have been built along the river-side, by
pious persons who placed within them the
funeral urns of their departed friends, though
it was not here that the cremation had taken
place. These buildings are appointed for the
accommodation of travellers and pilgrims. It
became the fashion to call buildings gundschi,
though not consecrated to the dead; many a
man, finding a pleasure in deceiving himself
by striving to believe that he had a pious in-
tention in erecting an edifice for his own
pleasure.

There must be a distinction made between

220 TRAVELS IN

these gundschi and the serais. The latter are
open to all classes, the poorest beggar has as
good a right to enter as the highest noble,
whilst none are admitted into the gundschi but
those of respectable appearance.

In Govenda, which lies near Bindraband,
are four temples. This town is esteemed sacred
by the Hindoos. One of these temples, called
Maura Devy, is distinguished by a large figure
representing a woman astride on a tiger or lion.
Another is adorned with a figure of Vishnu ;
the two remaining temples are small and insig-
nificant. The special object of veneration in
this town, is a great ridge of rock, to which a
pious tradition is attached.

It is said that a terrible mountain-torrent
once rushed through the plain, threatening
destruction to the inhabitants, as well as to
their flocks and houses. The poor people im-
plored the aid of their gods, but in vain ; the
waters poured with merciless fury upon them,
and all would inevitably have been swept away
by the inundation, when Krischna came to their
assistance, and lifting the great ridge of rock,
supported it on his little finger, and the peasants
with their flocks and herds thronged around

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 221

him, and this vast and strong umbrella afforded
shelter to all.

Still advancing on my way to Delhi, I passed
through many towns, which I will not now
mention, and arrived at Badschapur. To recount
all the torments that my attendants caused me,
their peculations, their deceptions, and their
quarrels, would be, indeed, a disagreeable task.
As it is not always easy to discover with whom
the fault lies, I thought it better to hush their
complaints, and substituting mercy for justice, I
forgave the injuries done to myself, and tried
to promote peace between all.

In order to explain fully what I am now
about to relate, it will be necessary to refer to
some past transactions. My sayo, or groom,
with whom I was myself very well pleased, had
introduced to me, long before, a young lad of
about sixteen or seventeen years of age. I
engaged him as a kind of personal attendant to
carry my rifle, and other things that I sometimes
needed during the day. I had no cause to be
dissatisfied with his service, nor did I hear a
complaint against him, until we arrived at
Kotilla, when a man, belonging to the house in

222 TRAVELS IN

which I lodged, accused this young lad and my
sayo, of having stolen sixty-two rupees from him.
I did not think it possible that the sayo could
have been concerned in the robbery, as, imme-
diately on our arrival, he had begun to busy
himself with the horses, and had then accom-
panied me to the garden. The youngster had,
meanwhile, remained behind, and for him I
could not answer. The complainant stated that
this money was the fruit of eight years' service,
that he was in the habit of carrying it in a bag
round his neck ; but that on my arrival, being
very much occupied, he hung the purse upon a
peg in one of the chambers, and that my young
servant had passed some minutes alone in this
chamber.

Upon this complaint being laid before me, I
immediately instituted an inquiry; and, in com-
pliance with the wish of the accuser, the sayo
and his fellow-servant were searched. Nothing
was discovered that could criminate them ; and
one of the intimate friends of the complainant
declared that he had known the man during
the last eight years, had inhabited the same
house, and even occupied the same chamber, and

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 223

was not aware that he possessed this money.
All this evidence in favour of my servants
seemed to justify me in acquitting them.

I left Kotilla the following morning, but my
young attendant refused to perform his usual
service, pretexting a sore foot, and offering to
take the sayo's place. To my great astonishment,
the latter consented to this arrangement. No
suspicion of evil entered my mind at the time.
I merely supposed that the sayo had concerted
this plan with my sword-bearer, to regain his
own dignity in the eyes of his fellow-servants,
as, since the day that he pretended lameness, I
had not allowed him to fulfil this office.

Upon my arrival at Badschapur, I had
tried to arrange all differences, and hoped that
things had taken a better appearance, and that
all would now go on smoothly. And during
two days all was quiet. I had sent on my
baggage, and the only attendants who remained
behind, were my sayo, my sword-bearer, the
munschi and the bearers. I slept in one of the
passages of a ruined temple, and had given
directions to my sword-bearer to sleep in my
vicinity, lest I should need him. One evening,
my young servant took an opportunity during

224 TRAVELS IN

my absence, and drew my bed about two feet
from the wall. This enabled him to slip inside
and steal my purse, which I had put into a
hunting-bag, and hung inside my bed.

I had retired for the night, when my at-
tendant entered the room, and asked whether I
wished for anything. I replied in the negative.
He asked permission to retire, as he wished to
smoke his hooka. I consented, and he with-
drew. He remained away very long ; midnight
was approaching, and he had not yet returned.
My chamber was lighted by a large lamp that
burned clear and bright. I rose and approaching
the chamber where my attendants lay, I looked
in. Neither the sayo nor sword-bearer was there,
but as there was nothing in their absence to
excite suspicion, I returned to bed. Half-past
one arrived. I had slept, and now, on awaking,
found that my servant was still absent. I walked
into the next chamber, and asked one of the
bearers whether he knew anything of the sayo.
He replied that both he and the sword-bearer
had left, saying that they were going down to
the water. Suspicion dawned within me ; I
hastened to search for my purse, and found it
had disappeared with many other things.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 225

Immediately on my arrival in Delhi, which
occurred on the very day of the theft, I applied
to the magistrates and the police, though there
was little probability of detecting the delinquents,
but I thought it right to seek to punish these
criminals as an example to my other servants.

I now began to surmise that my judgment
pronounced in Kotilla was not correct, and that
my two servants might have stolen the sixty- two
rupees. I pitied the poor wretch who had lost
his eight years' savings, but I must confess that
the quietness with which he had submitted to
my decree, made me at the time suspect that
his charge was a false one. Perhaps his calm-
ness arose from the conviction that his savings
had not been very honestly accumulated.

VOL. I.

226 TRAVELS IN

CHAPTER XIII.

Delhi — Early recollections — The public buildings — Sad
story.

I ENTERED the city of Delhi with a feeling
of curiosity which every traveller must experience,
on reaching a place, of which from his childhood
he has heard so much. How often had my
boyish imagination been delighted by descrip-
tions of a court, where diamonds were so
abundant that gold and silver were valueless ?
How had my fancy gloated over the account of
a throne, dazzling as the sun, in which the
many- tinted hues of the peacock's plume, were
wrought in jewels of priceless worth, which,
catching every ray of light, flashed with over-
whelming brilliancy on the beholder's gaze. I

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 227

had heard of a palace far more beautiful than
any that the wand of a fairy had ever conjured
from the depths of the sea, to transport to the
top of some verdant mountain.

And when in after years, I read the history of
the " Great Moguls," how often have I admired
their military achievements without always ques-
tioning the justice of their cause. I now stood
at the gates of Delhi, and I entered the city
without a presentiment of sorrow. We are
travelling over an unknown path, and we know
not whether the next step shall bring us joy
or woe.

I visited the forty mosques of Delhi. I looked
with admiration upon the beautiful cathedral,
the Jummah Musjid, and in all the praise be-
stowed on these edifices, I acquiesced. 1 listened
to discussions about the Cutub Minar, and heard
long arguments as to whether it was a Hindoo,
or Mahomedan building ; but my interest in these
things was soon blunted by matters of personal
interest, and the fate of the descendants of
Tamerlane was forgotten in the all-absolving
anxieties of a new affection.

Sudraka spoke wisely when he said : " O
young man, heed the advice of the sage, and

Q 2

228 TRAVELS IN

love not." I left Delhi with a heavy heart. 1
had there made the acquaintance of a young
maiden, lovely as the dew-drop that hangs upon
the lotus. She was gay, animated, and graceful.
A cultivated intellect and poetic fancy lent an
indescribable charm to her conversation. I saw
her, and laughed at the advice of Sudraka. I
wooed, and asked her to accompany me to my
own land. Her mother interposed, and refused
her consent. At our separation, my beloved
said : " You will return again to Delhi, and I
will be thine." I returned, but found her not.
During my absence another suitor had appeared,
but she, faithftd to me, refused the Moslem's
love. The execrable villain vowed a dark re-
venge. In silence and secresy he accompHshed
his design, and that fair form, the master-piece
of the Divine Artist's hand, was gnawed by
corroding poison.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 229

CHAPTER XIV.

Women — Affianced brides — Early marriages — Immo-
rality— Kozumpur, or Kajikapur — Thanahdar — Com-
plaints against the English Government — Hartwar —
Tiger hunt — Bravery of my attendants — We abandon
the chase — Tiri — Rajah — Presents — Musk-sack —
Inhabitants of the mountain districts — Bears —
Musk-deer.

The social position of women must always
engage the attention of the traveller in the
countries he passes through, as the rank they
hold, and the moral influence they exert, will
operate for good or ill through every grade
of society.

The condition of woman in India is indeed
pitiable. To remain unmarried is considered
a disgrace, and to be married is the worst
of slaveries. Very early marriages are con-

230 TRAVELS IN

demnable for many reasons. In India when
a betrothal takes place, the affianced bride is
conducted by her parents to the bridegroom's
house, where she remains one or two, or
sometimes three days, when she is again re-
conducted to the paternal mansion. Should
the distance between the two houses be sixty
or a hundred coss, then the bride may remain
eight or ten days in the bridegroom's house;
and it often happens that during this time, he
does not get a glimpse of her face.

After this first visit to the home of her
betrothed, the bride returns to her father's
house, where she remains generally during
two or three, or, if very young, during four
years. When this period is elapsed, the bride
again returns to her husband's house, and
remains there for one or two weeks, when
she again leaves and goes back to her
parents. From this time forward, it is in
the bridegroom's power to recal her when he
pleases.

It is undeniable that during this long wooing,
the bridegroom has formed connections with
other women, and if rich, may have in his
house what might be considered a little harem.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 231

These connections often continue even after
the wife is regularly installed in his house.
The Brahmins are more strict in their notions
of morality, and notwithstanding the licence
afforded by their religious code, maintain that
such a system tends to lower the intellectual
nature of man, in offering so large a scope for
the indulgence of the lower passions.

If the Indian marriage system does not tend
to promote morality amongst the male portion
of society there, it is scarcely less demoralizing
in its effects upon the female part of the com-
munity.

These young wives, living apart from their
husbands, become often victims of the seductive
wiles of some rich man, or local chief. It is
even said that mothers often traffic on the
infamy of their daughters, tempted, when poor,
by the seducer's gifts. The husband, living
at a distance of many miles, is, of course, un-
acquainted with these transactions. Should
this criminal intercourse be followed by con-
sequences likely to compromise the young wife
in the eyes of her neighbours, the mother
will not hesitate to have recourse to drugs,

232 TRAVELS IN

thinking to spare her daughter's shame by
adding crime to crime ; or should these means
fail or be left untried, the river becomes the
grave of the helpless offspring. Should the
husband, during the course of these proceed-
ings, think well of paying his wife a visit,
he is told by the mother that she is sick,
and, according to the custom of the country
he must be content with this answer.

It sometimes happens that the daughter
forms an illicit connection without the know-
ledge of her parents. When this is discovered,
the parents demand of the seducer whether
he will consent to marry their daughter ; should
he consent, the affair is immediately arranged,
but should he refuse, and the parents are
in a respectable class of society, they imme-
diately drive their daughter forth upon the
world, disclaim her, and never take any further
notice of her. The hapless wretch, discarded
by her relatives, deprived of caste, abandoned
by all, plunges still deeper into crime, and
finds an infamous subsistence in the sacrifice
of every remaining trace of virtue and honesty.

The Radjpoots are very jealous about the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 233

conduct of their daughters, and will not hesitate
to avenge their shame by the murder of their
seducer.

On leaving Delhi, I proceeded to Meerut,
where I expected to find a half-countryman
of mine, to whom I had written a few days
before. He had left Meerut, with his regi-
ment, on the morning of my arrival. The
district is small. There are many handsome
bungalows and gardens belonging to the English
officers.

On my arrival in Kozumpur, or Kajikapur,
as the people here call it, I was visited by
the Thanahdar, whose conversation I found
sufficiently interesting to merit a place in my
journal. In speaking of the condition of the
natives, and their connection with the English,
he said : the English government here is good,
with the exception of four things. One of
these is the regulation respecting stamped
paper, by which no one can make a petition
or a complaint to the government, unless it
be written on stamped paper. A poor man,
w^ho must pay eight anas for a stamp, often
prefers suffering an injustice to risking his
money, for as the petition must pass through

234 TRAVELS IN

the hands of the police, he cannot he always
certain that it will reach those for whom it is
intended.

Another cause of complaint was the inter-
ference of the English with regard to the
Indian women. By these regulations, a man
had no longer the power to bring back his
wife if she left him, a law directly contrary
to Indian usages, and which opened wide the
door for intrigues and immorality, the law offer-
ing protection for evil conduct.

The third cause of complaint was the method
pursued by the English in the levying of taxes,
in which no consideration was made for bad
harvests ; whilst under the native princes, the
taxes were always fixed in proportion to the
actual produce of the land. The English
justify themselves, on the ground that this
uniform taxation will induce the natives to
cultivate the ground more largely.

The fourth cause of complaint, if I remember
rightly, was the use of the Persian language in
the courts of justice, a dialect which the native
Indians do not understand, and being obliged
to use an interpreter in their law-suits, can-
not be certain that they are properly under-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 235

stood. I am not sure whether this was the
fourth cause of complaint, for in noting down
the conversation, I was interrupted at this part,
and not having been able to resume my journal
for a few days, I might have forgotten some-
thing, I am, however, happy to say that the
use of the Persian language in the law-courts,
has been since discontinued.

In Hartwar, I got miserable accommodation :
indeed it was with some difficulty that I could
find shelter at all. This town, though held in
gi-eat veneration by the Hindoos, offers no ob-
jects of extraordinary interest, if we except the
Ganges, which here excites enthusiastic devo-
tion, because it was in this part that Krischna
bathed. During the time of the Mela, which
occurs every year, the influx of people from all
parts of India is overwhelming. The Hindoos
come through devotion, to perform their ablu-
tions in their adored river, and then the ghats
are crowded from morning to night. The Ma-
homedans come for commercial purposes, and
during these meetings, an extensive traffic is
carried on, in horses, camels, and elephants.

Every twelfth year, the feast is more solemn,
and the concourse of people still greater. I

236 TRAVELS IN

hope to be present next year, when this high
festival is to be held.

There are many temples in Hartwar, which
as well as the houses along the main street, are
adorned with figures taken from the Indian
mythology. In the neighbourhood around are
some fine mango trees, and our last day's march
towards Hartwar was over a road cut through a
thickly-wooded country. Here commences the
outskirts of the Himalayan range, with its
majestic forests and sky-soaring steeps.

Holding on my way through the mountain
road, and advancing towards Tiri, I, one day,
heard the cry of an animal, which was foreign
to my ear. I Hstened more attentively, and
one of the bearers assured me that it was the
cry of a young tiger. There was a doubt as to
the correctness of this assertion, some of the
other attendants believing it to be the cry of a
wild cat, which seemed very probable to me. A
few moments showed the truth of the first sur-
mise. We saw two young tigers running along
the rock. They seemed to be about two days
old. They clambered up a rock, in which was
a large cleft, and into this they crept. One
appeared in a few minutes, and peeped out. I

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 237

fired, but missed. I fired several times, but
without success, still I think that he must have
been hit, for he disappeared. Some moments
afterwards, one of my attendants perceived the
tigress at a short distance from the spot where
the young had taken refuge. The servant shouted
to warn me, but before I could re-load my rifle,
the tigress had taken refuge in a thicket. I
ascended a steep rock that offered a good gun-
shot range, and ordered my servants to throw
stones into the thicket. But it was in vain ; no
tiger appeared, and we now began to think of
how we should overpower the two young ones
that remained hidden in the cleft. I had no
particular wish to reach them, but my attendants
were anxious to obtain the three rupees
offered by the Company to whomsoever will
bring a young tiger, as they could not earn the
seven promised for the capture of an old one.

They asked my permission to fetch the young
tigers ; this I willingly gave. They set off, eight
men in all; but scarcely had they advanced
twenty paces when they stopped short, and
turning round, addressed me. They said they
were poor people, unarmed, and badly clothed,
and that if I did not accompany them, they

238 TRAVELS IN

would not like to advance ; some of them, as
they said, had hatchets, but I had a gun. I
consented to accompany them, and the little
column again set forward.

We reached the front of the cleft, when
by a simultaneous movement, all fell back,
willing, it seemed, to offer me the place of
honour. During the day's march, I had given
my rifle to one of the men who promised to
remain close beside me. I now proceeded, as I
thought, at the head of my troop ; but when in
a few minutes I looked behind, 1 perceived that
I was, indeed, far ahead of them. All had
gradually slunk off; even my rifle-bearer had
taken shelter behind an aloe tree. I returned
quickly and told them, that having no wish to
get the heads of the tigers, I meant to give up
the chase ; that if they wished for them, I was
willing to aid them ; but that I had no inten-
tion of going alone. The same protestations as
before — " they were poor unarmed men, how
could they run the risk of facing a tiger." All
that I could obtain was, that the man who
carried the rifle, should walk by my side, step
for step, as it would be madness for me to
expose myself to the possibility of an encounter

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 239

with the old tiger, with a single-barrelled gun
that carried a ball of not more than an ounce
in weight. This was arranged, and we again
set forward.

I reached the rock that overhung the cleft,
and descended to look in. Whilst bending
down, my people exclaimed from the opposite
rock : " the old tigress, the old tigress." I
sprang back to the rock which overhung the
cleft to the height of ten or twelve feet. Here,
I looked around. An open space lay between
me and the thicket in which the old tigress had
taken refuge. I saw the beast stealing along
through the bushes. To reach me, she must
pass over the open space, and so present a
broad aim to my rifle. I fired. The ball hit,
but did not seem to do much injury, owing
probably to its lightness. The tigress sprang
down the rock, and took refuge in a clump of
aloe trees, close to the cleft. This Kttle attack
had banished my attendant from my side. I
seized the second rifle, and awaited the return
of the tigress. Minute succeeded minute, and
she did not appear. We began to think that
the shot had been fatal, as otherwise the tigress
would have renewed the combat. In my preci-

240 TRAVELS IN

pitate retreat, my hat had remained hanging on
the branch of a cactus tree. I reascended the
rock to recover it, and being now close to the
retreat of the young tigers, I peered round to
examine the locality.

I saw that it would be impossible to reach
the cubs ; and returning to my people, a
conference was held as to our further proceed-
ings with regard to the old tigress. Though
she did not make her appearance, it would be
going too far to suppose that she was dead. To
attain certain knowledge of her fate, somebody
should venture into the thicket ; and though all
were anxious to earn the seven rupees, none
offered himself as champion on this dangerous
service. It was therefore agreed that we
should draw off our forces, they comforting
themselves with the hope of returning in a few
days, with hounds and armed people to search
the thicket.

Tiri is agreeably situated at a short distance
from the juncture of the Bagorethi and the
Alukunda, arms of the Ganges. Tiri is the
residence of a rajah, whose dwelling has little of
the appearance of a palace. The rajah was
very friendly, and sent me a sack of flour, some

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 241

rice, a quantity of ghu (butter), oil, spices, raisins,
almonds, cocoa-nuts, and a purse of gold.

The first-mentioned articles I accepted with
pleasure, in compliance with the custom of the
country ; the gold I refused. On the following
day, the munschi of the rajah presented me with
a musk- bag. I can say, with a safe conscience,
that I have never been fond of accepting
presents, but I must confess that I received the
musk-bag with great pleasure.

It is only from the hands of the rajah that
one can be sure to get a good musk-bag, be-
cause these sacks, when taken from the deer,
are all given to the rajah, at a certain fixed
price. It sometimes happens, indeed, that a
musk-sack may be offered for sale, which the
owner had withheld in the hope of receiving a
larger price than the two rupees, which the
rajah gives, but one cannot be so sure that
these sacks are genuine.

The valleys along the mountain now became
broader, the number of corn-fields was greater,
and the houses were roofed with slates. Tiri lies
in a semi-circular plain, surrounded by the wood-
clad mountains.

The inhabitants of the mountains differ con-

VOL. I. R

242 TRAVELS IN

siderably from those of the plain. They are
robust and active, of a good height, and, with-
out being slovenly, not particularly neat, at
least when compared with the Hindoos who
inhabit the plains. Their dress is woollen, and
on the head they wear a small black cap, some-
what in the form of a turban. The dress of
the women bears a strong resemblance to that
of the men, but that the upper garment which
the men wear thickly-plaited at the waist, fits,
in the female costume, comparatively smooth
and tight. Their garments are longer. The
under-petticoats are also of wool, often of
various colours, amongst which blue and red
predominate.

My luggage was carried up the mountain by
bearers, and it is surprising to see how much
each will carry, mounting those steep ascents,
and walking along dangerous pathways. They
put their loads into baskets of a very slender
texture, and, horrible to teU, smeared with
cow-dung.

In ascending the mountains, I was obliged
to lay aside my palanquin. This, my favourite
mode of conveyance, it would be impossible to
use in the mountains. Besides that it would

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 243

be very burdensome to the coolies, the traveller,
owing to the irregularity of the way, would
no longer find that mode of conveyance plea-
sant. In descending the side of a mountain,
he would sometimes find himself lifted upright,
standing on his feet, and in momentary danger
of losing his equilibrium, and being dashed for-
ward. At length the bearers reach the foot of
the descent, the traveller begins to breathe
freely, and to congratulate himself upon his late
escape; when, lo! the opposite side of the
rock is to be ascended. Here dangers of a
different kind await the luckless traveller. He
finds his feet gradually assuming an elevation
and uprightness of position which, in the human
species, is generally accorded to the head. Not
only in this position is he exposed to the danger
of being thrown out heels foremost, but he runs
the risk of bursting a blood-vessel in the brain,
and dying of a fit of apoplexy. Whether the
honour of dyeing the eternal snows of the
Himalayas with his blood would be a sufficient
compensation for the loss of his life, is, of
course, a matter of opinion.

To spare both myself and bearers these risks
attendant upon palanquin-travelling, I adopted

R 2 .

244 TRAVELS IN

a chimpansi a kind of sedan-chair, in which, by
means of poles, the bearers were enabled to pre-
serve an equilibrium in the load. However, I
found this mode of travelling uncomfortable, and
preferred trusting myself to a horse ; but I was
assured that, after passing Tiri, it would be impos-
sible to ride through the mountain ways. The
rajah recommended me to leave my horse at
Tiri until my return.

In my first day's march from Tiri, I reached
Uppu ; on the second day I arrived at Khanath.
The thermometer had fallen to 60*^, and about
four in the evening, a violent rain-storm set in,
which thoroughly drenched me and my train,
and reduced the temperature still more.

The houses are here built of stone, and roofed
with slates. The Ganges seems to have had
here, formerly, a wider bed. Its present depth
is from two hundred to two hundred and fifty
feet.

My guide in this part of the route was a
hunter, one of the most skilful in the mountain
range. He was of a strong and active figure,
and so chatty — and so lively in his chat — that
it would be impossible for one's spirits to sink
in his company. His description of the sport

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 245

to be had in the mountains was so graphic, that
my hopes were greatly raised, and he was so
warm in his eulogy of the bear hunt, that I
longed for an encounter with Master Bruin, and
he assured me that the part of the mountain
through which we were passing, was thickly in-
habited by these gentry.

To prepare for the chances that fortune may
throw in my way, I wished to procure a hunting-
spear, and found, in a village through which we
passed, a smith who made such instruments, but
those who employed him provided the iron them-
selves. Here was a difficulty. In ascending the
mountains I had not thought of taking a supply of
iron ; but there was amongst my train one who
carried a lance, such as the Indians use, and
who consented to part with it. These lances
are very slender, and furnished at one end with
an iron spike of about an inch wide. This ap-
peared to me too narrow for a bear-spear, and,
under my directions, the smith hammered the
iron until it acquired a breadth of two inches, I
then got it fixed upon the other end of the
lance, which, being stouter, promised to offer
more resistance in case of attack.

Thus equipped, a rifle slung upon my

246 TRAVELS IN

shoulder, and spear in hand, I presented an ap-
pearance more in keeping with the costume of
1643, than of 1843. Had a European of
the nineteenth century encountered me in
such a guise, I am sure that his merriment
would have been great. I often laughed
heartily in thinking of the half-savage appear-
ance I presented.

Advancing through the mountains, our way
became at every step more steep ; and here my
spear did me good service, serving the place of
a staff along the precipitous route.

We had sought for bears on every side, we
had even ascended to the limits of the snow-
region; but in vain, no bears appeared. We saw
some musk-deer in a clearing, the young feeding
beside the dam. These animals seemed very
like our roebuck. I took aim at one, and fired
at a distance of a hundred paces. The buck
fell. My guide, who had remained behind, was
quickly at my side. Our game was strong and
fleshy, but the musk-sack empty. This buck
could not have been less than a year old, but I
have been assured that an animal under three
years of age does not generate musk. I believe
this account to be correct, as my attendant, an

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 247

experienced hunter, ought to be a good autho-
rity, the more especially as the possession of the
musk-sack is, in itself, an object of the chase.

Our writers of natural history describe the
musk-deer as an animal with strong hair, sharp
as bristles. For my part, I must say that the
animal I shot, bore, in this respect, a strong re-
semblance to our deer, but that the hair seemed
softer. Perhaps the animal which they describe
is different from that which, in these regions,
is called a musk-deer.

When one of the musk-deer is shot, the
sack is immediately taken out, and with it is
cut a large piece of the skin. This is wrapped
round the mouth of the sack, and closed tight
with a string. This precaution is necessary to
prevent the evaporation of the musk.

248 TRAVELS IN

CHAPTER XV.

Traces of a bear — Preparations for a hunt — We discover
the game — Comical ideas associated with bears — A
fresh expedition in search of game — Encounter — Ap-
parent death of the bear — Fresh attack — Pretty
maiden on :her way to the Madjuli Baman — The
village mohna — The rivulet Dhebern — Baudrali —
Opium — Tikkery — Terrible affray with the natives.

Within two days after my last hunting
adventure, we discovered footprints of a bear,
w^hich seemed to us to have been recently im-
printed in the soil. We immediately set forth,
but wandered so far without falling in with
the four-footed fugitive, that we began to fancy
that we had been mistaken. We at length

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 249

arrived at the commencement of a wood of
fir trees, where the traces of the bear were
distinctly visible. We were at some feet
from an open space, which though at a dis-
tance from any village, had been laid out as
a field. The ground was slanting, and at
the top was a row of trees. From the direc-
tion in which we came, a view of the entire
space could not be obtained.

We still followed the traces, but found no
bear. We continued to advance thoughtfully.
Suddenly my companion and I sprang back ;
an enormous bear stood before us, at gun-
shot distance. He was busily employed look-
ing for his food: the irregularities of the
ground had hidden him from our view. To
throw ourselves on the ground was the work
of a moment, and here, sheltered by a little
mound, we were able to watch the movements
of Bruin. He continued to eat quietly, his
back turned towards us. I must say that 1
have never seen an animal whose appearance
amused me so much as that of the bear.
There was something so comical in the man-
ner in which he turned up the stones with
his large paw, looking for the grubs and

250 TRAVELS IN

worms that are sometimes beneath, his look
of grim satisfaction when he found them,
and of burly discontent when he was dis-
appointed.

The hero of a thousand nursery tales stood
before me, of those days of A B C wisdom,
when foxes were villains, lions tyrants, and
bears always comical fellows. It was perhaps
these associations of childhood that tickled my
fancy as I gazed at poor Bruin, though —
perhaps I ought to be ashamed to say it —
whilst smiling at his innocent stupidity, I was
meditating his destruction.

I had watched for some time, hoping that
he would turn his side, and so oifer me a fair
shot, but I was disappointed. He walked
slowly forwards. There was no time to lose.
I took aim, hoping that the ball might enter
his body lengthwise. I fired, and hit the mark :
Bruin turned his head quietly round, rubbed
his muzzle, where the ball had struck, looked
about, to see from what quarter the attack
had come, and not perceiving the aggressor,
calmly continued his way.

My huntsman had, after I fired, sprung
from the ground, and making a little detour^

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 251

stationed himself behind the row of trees at
the top of the field, from whence he could
command an open view of the bear. He left
me the rifle, and took with him the hunting-
spear. I fired two shots from the double-
barrelled gun. Both hit. The bear turned
round, growling with rage, but seemed still
uncertain as to the direction in which his
enemy lay. I commenced to reload.

Whether it was that he caught a sound of
my preparations, or caught a glimpse of my-
self, I cannot say, but I saw him in a few
minutes swagger towards me in a short trot.
My gun was not loaded; my companion, one
hundred and fifty paces distant, heeded not
my signals.

I succeeded in reaching my huntsman's
side ; but the bear, who now had a full view
of his enemies, seemed unwilling to ascend
the mountain, as in so doing he should leave
that part of his body exposed which had before
been attacked. He now walked diagonally
across the plain. I fired twice, but I was now
at such a distance that neither shot hit, and
the bear continued his way towards the wood.

I loaded my gun, and we pursued him into

252 TRAVELS IN

the wood. The day was already drawing to
a close, and though there was still strong
light in the open space, a dim twilight per-
vaded the thick-grown wood. We had scarcely
advanced a hundred paces beyond the open
plain, when my companion, who was in
advance, sprang back, exclaiming : " The bear,
the bear !" and the next moment I perceived,
by the dim light, something approaching from
the thicket. From the darkness emerged the
bear, walking on his hind paws, whilst the
fore paws were extended, as if in friendly
greeting.

The comicality of his appearance so over-
powered my gravity, that I burst into a loud
laugh. He seemed to have forgotten his
anger, and, dropping down on all-fours,
turned again into the wood. I had been so
much amused, that I actually forgot to fire;
but now that he again turned away, I fired
two shots in succession, in the direction which
he had taken. I cannot say whether either
took effect, but we heard him, with hurried
pace, breaking through the wood. We re-
loaded our pieces and hurried after.

In a little while, my companion said that

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 253

it was more probable the bear would ascend
the mountain, and that by ascending a pro-
jecting rock, which peeped out at a short
distance, we would be able to intercept his
progress. I followed his advice, and ascended
the rock. Here we found ourselves in a forest
of beautiful trees, where no brushwood inter-
vened, and where though twilight was now
closing in, we could see clearly at gun-shot
distance.

I had scarcely recovered my breath after the
trouble of ascending when I saw the bear ad-
vancing along the mountain side, apparently in
good humour. I waited until he was within a
short distance, and fired. The ball had now
unmistakably struck the bear ; he fell, and slid
down a precipitous rock of about twenty-five
feet high, at the foot of which some trees
stopped his progress. My hunting companion
now came up, and was, if possible, better pleased
than I.

Our prey was a fine, stout, blackish-grey bear.
The huntsman proposed that we should push
the body down the rock, and send the bearers
from the village to fetch it. As the distance to
the village was only about half an hour's march.

254 TRAVELS IN

I found the project feasible, and with the help
of two poles, we precipitated poor Bruin's carcass
to the bottom.

The bearers were brought, and as the weight
was not light, four men were employed to carry
the conquered foe into the village. Here we
were surrounded by all the inhabitants, many
amongst them declaring they had often met
Master Bruin in the neighbourhood, but, for
certain reasons, had not stayed to make an inti-
mate acquaintance.

Encouraged by success, though my departure
was fixed for the following morning, I deter-
mined to make an effort to meet another bear ;
and sending my servants and baggage forward,
I turned towards the mountain with my skilful
hunter.

Bears, like the generality of wild animals,
come into the open plain in the morning, but
when the sun becomes hotter, retire to the
thicket, where they remain until the cool of the
evening again calls them forth.

We had been ascending the mountain during
the entire morning, and had not seen a bear,
nor found the trace of one, when just as we had
begun to despair, we entered a little valley, and

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 255

here standing on a gentle slope, we saw what we
were in search of.

We arrived just as Master Bruin was at break-
fast, and as he turned up one stone, rolled down
another, and tossed aside a third, we could
almost fancy that his appetite was already satis-
fied, and that he could now be tempted only by
a very dainty morsel. We were at a considerable
distance from him, and endeavoured to come
near unperceived by ascending the rocks that
overhung the open space in which the bear was,
and where, sheltered by the trees, we could see,
without being seen.

Arrived at the edge of the overhanging rock,
my companion advised me to hasten, as the
morning was advancing, and the bear would
probably soon retire into the forest. I found
that I was still at too great a distance, and
leaving my attendant behind, 1 sHpped down
the rock, and stealing within shelter of the trees
that bordered the valley, I took a view of the
game. There he stood, rubbing himself quietly
against a tree. I took aim at his head. I fired, and
he fell. Who more happy than I ? I sprang for-
ward, but was suddenly arrested by the huntsman,
who warned me not to advance. He declared

256 TRAVELS IN

that it was most dangerous to approach a bear
under such circumstances, as one could not be
sure whether he were dead. He added that it
would be much better to throw stones from a
neighbouring height at the animal, when, if he
did not move, we might be sure that he was
dead.

We did this ; and as the stones rolled against
our fallen foe, they excited no emotion in him ;
on the contrary, as they rolled, one at this side,
one at that, the body heaved with the dull
weight of a lifeless thing. No longer doubting
that he was dead, I handed my gun to the
hunter, and taking the hunting-spear, descended
into the valley. I hurried towards the bear ; but
w^hat was my surprise to see, as I stood right
before him, that his eyes were open. Shaking
his head ominously, he rose slowly. The
moment was important : I seized my spear, and
planted it in his side. The bear continued to
rise, still shaking his head. He looked like one
recovering from a faint, and who was not quite
conscious of what was going on around. I
pressed my spear more steadily into his side;
but quite regardless of my intentions in this
respect, and suddenly collecting his strength, he

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 257

stood boldly upright on his four feet. I did my
utmost to fix him with the spear, but in vain.
He advanced twenty or thirty paces through
the valley.

What was now to be done ? My huntsman
was not near. I had not time to look for him,
nor did the game that I was playing permit it.
There stood the bear, still shaking his head like
a drunken man, and seemingly only waiting to
recover his strength to attack me. Under these
circumstances, I thought it better to become
the aggressor. With this determination, I
sprang forward, spear in hand, taking the pre-
caution to stand upon his left side, that I might
aim directly at his heart. My spear was now
as faithless as before. The bear escaped, and
retreating about twenty paces, again shaking his
head with the same mysterious wag, turned
round, and raising himself on his hind feet,
advanced, seemingly determined to make a
furious attack. I waited his approach, and
when within a few paces of my adversary, I
took deliberate aim at his breast, and pierced
him with my spear. But it was evident that
my weapon had not gone deep. I pressed with
all my strength, he opposed with equal force.

VOL. I. s

258 TRAVELS IN

How, if the spear were good, did it not enter
his breast where, according to my aim, no bone
opposed its passage ?

Despairing of being able to wound him, I
flung away my spear, and advanced weaponless
to meet him, determined to oppose foot to foot,
and breast to breast. In the upright posture in
which the bear then stood, I had no doubt of
being a match for him. Were he on his four
feet, the case would be different. Whilst I made
these reflections, which passed with lightning
rapidity through my mind, the bear was ad-
vancing, majestically reared on his hind paws,
and looking very wrath. A few steps more,
and he would have closed with me. He was
still marching forward, when placing his foot
upon a loose stone, he slipped, and rolled topsy-
turvy down the opposite side, where the ground
sloped considerably. Growling fiercely at this
overthrow of his dignity, he quickly collected
his strength, and springing on his four feet,
turned fiercely towards me. In this position,
and with no arms but a spear, which I had
already found useless, it would be madness to
encounter him. I was therefore obliged to
abandon the field, however much against my

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 259

inclination. A few springs brought me out of
the immediate vicinity of Bruin ; he followed me
for a few paces, and then turning round, sought
the thicket.

During all this time my celebrated huntsman
was standing far above, in perfect safety on a
rock, a hatchet stuck in his belt, and a loaded
rifle in either hand. Now that he saw me
alone, he descended ; and with many apologies
for not having come to my assistance, he
promised to repair the past, and proposed to
enter the thicket in pursuit of the bear. This
proposition pleased me well. I examined the
loading of my rifle, and looked again at my
spear. The point was bent, quite rolled up.
This was the reason why it had been so un-
serviceable. I had, perhaps, accidentally knocked
it against a stone during the day's march.

My companion now entered the thicket, care-
fully looking round for the bear ; I remained
on the outskirt, waiting until the game should
be driven out. After some moments' delay,
my companion rushed out, exclaiming : *' The
bear is coming !" I presented my gun, but
no bear came. My companion then told
me that he had gone a considerable distance

s 2

260 TRAVELS IN

into the thicket, that he had there met the hear,
which, with a ferocious mien, rushed on him,
and that he was obUged to fly.

From this account I w^as certain that the
bear was still in the thicket, and accompanied
by the hunter, I advanced. My companion,
looking carefully round, showed me the place
where he had seen the bear ; and at a distance
of about forty paces pointed out a dark object,
which he declared to be the identical personage
we were in search of I could scarcely believe
it, but fired. I was soon convinced that the
hunter's opinion was correct. It was the bear,
and he left no doubt of his identity, for he
instantly turned round and attacked us. I
fired twice without effect. Our arms were
now two unloaded guns and a worthless
spear. Our sole trust was now in our feet;
and these, I must say, did not fail us. We
were soon beyond the reach of our growl-
ing foe. We now held solemn counsel, and it
was agreed that we should follow the bear.
We were the more easily induced to take this
resolution, knowing from experience how easily
we could escape his pursuit. The hunter
entered the thicket. I remained, as before,

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 261

without. In a few minutes he shouted. I
stood prepared. I saw the bear advancing. I
fired, apparently without effect. I fired again.
He still advanced ; but had scarcely gone twenty
paces, when he staggered and fell. He was
dead at last ; and a good stout fellow he was,
nearly as large as the prey of our former day's
hunt. We could not think of removing the
carcass, so we set about skinning it ; and in
this operation my friend, the hunter, showed
himself very skilful. Proud of my spoils, I set
forth to overtake my people, who had preceded
me on the route.

I arrived at Backri during the celebration of
a high festival of the Hindoos. This place
is also called Maxdeond Kopri, and is situated
high in the mountain regions. The feast that
was being celebrated when I arrived is called
Madjuli Baman. Thousands crowd to a small
river in the neighbourhood, and throw in grains
of corn, which when the fish eat, they become
stupified, rise to the surface, and are easily
caught. The inhabitants of Kanodje, as I
have already remarked, are allowed to eat fish,
and their descendants in the mountains claim
the same privilege. Indeed, it appears that

262 TRAVELS IN

all the Hindoos beyond Hardwar, advancing
towards the mountains, are allowed to eat fish
and flesh.

According to the description I received, I
should say that the fish of the Backri river
are a kind of carp, and so large, that one of
them might furnish a dinner for eight men.

I saw, on that feast day, the prettiest girl
I had yet met in my mountain travels. She
and her mother were wending their way to
the Madjuli Bamin ; and in the maiden's
costume there was no lack of gold and silver
ornaments, of chains, bracelets, and rings.
The road over which we were to pass, led
us sometimes through woody knolls, and some-
times over flowery meads. I was alone, and
following the path, had reached a pretty grove.
A sudden turning in the road brought me
into the presence of the mother and daughter,
who had stopped to seek repose under the
leafy trees, and, as it appeared to me, to
smoke a hooka. On seeing me, they both
sprung up terrified, and then stood motion-
less, as if petrified. I asked some question
about the way, but received no answer.

When the affrighted ladies had recovered

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 263

themselves a little, the daughter covered her
face close, and stepped behind her mother.
All this time my question remained un-
answered. It was evident that the ladies
thought only of themselves ; and notwith-
standing the awe and reverence that beauty
naturally inspires, I could not help bursting
out into some angry expressions, "about
those who transgress the pious duty to tra-
vellers." This had the desired effect ; I
obtained all possible information about the
watering-place and ceremonies. The neigh-
bourhood is agreeable, and the air good.

I must not forget to mention a little rivulet
called Dhebern, situated at the distance of two
coss from the village Mohna. My encampment
lay on a high ridge of rocks, in the midst of
a wood of fir-trees. The latter part of the
way to this place is very bad, and sometimes
leads the traveller over steep rocks. Wild
boars are numerous here, and I have been
told that the argus is also abundant, but I
have never been able to obtain one, though I
offered a large price. The place is also said
to abound in small bears.

264 TRAVELS IN

I was very much pleased with this spot
Through the whole range of the Himalayas
I had not seen anything that reminded me
so much of my native land, my beloved Ger-
many. But as the way that leads to heaven
is difficult, so the road which conducts to the
environs of the beautiful little rivulet Dhebern,
is steep as man could wish.

In a few days afterwards, we left the fir region.
I saw, one morning, six swine, retreating into
the darkness of the wood, but a wounded
foot prevented me from engaging in a chase.
When we reached the valley, we found many
clear, pure rivulets, the fresh waves of which
were most grateful to our view. Since we
left the banks of the Jumna, we had not seen
much good water. The Dhebern was pretty,
but shallow.

The environs of Budrauli are tolerably well
cultivated. Many villages lie around, and
every available spot of ground is sown with
wheat. There are many opium plantations
in this neighbourhood, which, however, do
not belong to the monopoly of the East India
Company, but form an article of free trade.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 265

Before every house is to be seen a little garden
of poppies, and the women attend to the daily
collection of falling juice.

I passed pleasantly enough through several
towns and villages, until I arrived at Tikkry,
where my reception was anything but agree-
able. My journey had been, as I have said,
pleasant enough, my people were honest, and
there had not been a dispute or variance of
any kind. I had engaged to pay each two
anas daily, which was the ordinary rate of
wages in the district of Tiri, to which they
belonged. The English police had furnished
me with coolies, to whom I was to pay the
same price.

Tikkry lies within the dominions of the
Rajah of Nahn, and, with some adjoining
villages, is partly independent. During the
course of the day on which we reached Tikkry
I had had a little quarrel with one of the sedan-
bearers, a young Brahmin — a quarrel which
would never have arisen had it not been for the
insolent tone in which he made some obser-
vations.

When within about a hundred paces of
Tikkry, we were met by two men, one very

266 TRAVELS IN

old, the other middle-aged. They saluted and
invited us to stop, saying that we were exactly
a day's march from Chepal. I listened wil-
lingly, as a man always does, to what he
wishes to believe, and a traveller is always
glad to find himself at the end of a day's
journey.

I accepted the proposal, after inquiring
whether we could be supplied with flour and
other necessaries. Having received the most
satisfactory answers, we entered Tikkry. Pre-
cisely in the centre of the little town rose a
pretty high eminence, to which two flights
of steps led. Directly opposite, and some-
what higher than this square, rose the Httle
temple of the place, and leading from this
was the main street, if a length of fifty or
sixty paces deserves the name. This street
led to the abode of the village magistrate.

The person who invited us to stop was himself
the great man of the village, for which reason
we reckoned with certainty on a good reception.
My tent was pitched on the eminence of which
I have spoken ; my people began to make the
usual preparations for passing the night, and
everything seemed to be on the best footing. I

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 267

remarked, however, that my young Brahmin
held a long conversation, in the mountain dialect,
with the reverend villager, and I had some
reason to suspect that the subject of the conver-
sation was my insignificance, and I have every
reason to believe that no panegyric was pro-
nounced upon me.

We had arrived at one o'clock, and the
zemindar had assured us that flour and all
other necessaries should be immediately provided.
The coolies were now arrived ; the people were
hungry and wished to get flour, but the promised
provisions were not forthcoming. My tent was
however fixed, and every one tried to make
himself as comfortable as possible. An hour
and a half had passed, still the provisions did
not appear ; even milk, which had been promised
in abundance, was no longer off'ered. I sent at
length for the chief man of the village, and
represented to him that we had now waited two
hours and a half, and that my people had not
been able to obtain provisions. As to myself,
I was amply provided ; but the coolies were not
in the habit of laying in a stock of provisions,
and depended upon what they could obtain in
the villages.

268 TRAVELS IN

After a little while some fire-wood was
brought, for which I was asked three pays, and
the messengers wished to know how many
anas' worth of grass I would purchase. I
replied that I did not intend to pay either for
grass or wood, which could be had in such
abundance in the neighbourhood ; but that for
everything else — milk, flour, &c. — I was willing
to give a reasonable price. Upon this the wood
was taken away, and I was in the same predica-
ment as before. The coolies were importunate,
begging me to procure them flour, as they
wished to eat and repose.

It was now five o'clock. I sent again to know
whether I was to be furnished with the required
provisions. I was told that if I would pay three
pays for each measure of wheat, it would be
given to my people. In vain I remonstrated
with these folk upon the exorbitance of their
demand ; even in Gangotri, whither wheat is
brought a distance of many days' journey, I
had only paid two pays for a seer. I represented
to them that this bargain concerned only their
own countrymen, the coolies, who would be
obliged to pay the expense out of their ow^n
hard-earned wages. I even proposed that they

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 269

should send one of their number with me the
following day, to the next village, where, if they
had not extorted, I would pay the difference out
of my own pocket, and also pay the expenses of
the messenger. This proposal was rejected.
The flour, which meanwhile had appeared, was
now carried off to a storehouse.

Five hours' discussion and disputation had
thoroughly wearied me, and what had I gained ?
Nothing. I was obliged to submit ; and taking
the schuperass by the arm, and laying hold of
one of the spokesmen with the other hand, I
proceeded to the store into which the flour had
been put, and ordered them to distribute it
immediately. A multitude pressed round, armed
with sticks and clubs; and an old man, who
held in his hand a large club, lifted it above his
head, and was about to raise a tumult, for which
the crowd seemed ripe. I snatched a stick from
one of the by-standers, and springing upon
him who seemed anxious to become a ring-leader,
I seized him by the hair, and dragging him
through the crowd, brought him up to the
elevation on which my tent was erected.

The schuperassy and one of my servants

270 TRAVELS IN

had seized another, whom they also brought
captive. I now declared that T would keep these
men prisoners, until the coolies received the food
which they demanded.

This scene would have been, no doubt, very
amusing for a third party. I was standing on
the eminence of which I have already spoken,
and from which I could look down upon the
village. Against the wall which was ten feet
high there was a stone seat ; a flight of steps
on either side led to the street below. On the
right was a large willow, and to this our prisoners
were bound. The steps were covered with my
people, who were all ready for action, and the
crowd below were addressed from the stone seat.
I had many fair promises from the elder prisoner,
whom I would have willingly set free if I could
have done so without injuring the cause in which
I was engaged, but he was evidently a popular
character, and, I, therefore, detained him, until
the flour should be brought. When this ap-
peared, I thought all further precautions un-
necessary, and ordered the prisoner to be set free.
Scarcely had I done so, when the flour disap-
peared. We had still a captive, and this, perhaps,

INDIA AND KASHMIR.

271

was of some weight in inducing the restoration of
the provisions. I had forgotten to mention that
om* second prisoner was the djana of the village.

When the flour was in our possession, I
ordered the schuperassy to distribute it, and
setting the djana at liberty, offered him payment
for what he had seen disposed of. The djana
refused to take the money, upon which one of
the people of the village took it, and having
reckoned it, declared that it was correct. All
now retired, but, in a short time, he who had
taken the money returned, and laid it on the
place where the flour had been measured.

Neither I, nor any of my people, made a
remark. None questioned the other ; none
seemed to notice the money ; there it lay ; night
came, and it was still untouched.

The coolies having prepared their meals, my
evening repast was got ready, and it was late ere
I thought of retiring to rest. Scarcely had I lain
down, when there commenced outside my tent,
what may be called a musical conspiracy, if that
could be called musical whence all melody was
banished. There was a scraping and squalling
that would have done honour to a community
of cats.

272 TRWELS IN

My tent, as I have mentioned, was pitched
opposite to the temple. In the space be-
tween, but closer to the temple, the youth
of the village had assembled, furnished with
every kind of copper vessel, old rusty iron
saucepans, and tinkery of all species Upon
these they had commenced a serenade that would
have terrified screeching cats and yelping dogs.
The object of this movement w^as evident : they
hoped that, vexed at having my rest disturbed,
I might expostulate ; that this would end in an
emeute, during which, favoured by the darkness
of night, the elders of the village could revenge
the insults they had suffered during the day.

To avoid such a scene, I bore the annoyance
in silence. Had I interfered, it might have been
objected, that I had interrupted some religious
ceremony. An hour spent in this performance
wearied the children. They retired, and I slept
quietly.

In the morning there was a dispute with the
coolies. They had been hired to carry the sedan-
chair to Chepal. They now demanded three
anas, instead of two. After some altercation,
I consented. They then insisted upon being
paid in advance. This was going too far

INDIA AND KASHMIR. . 273

besides, it was against my principles to allow
myself to be forced into anythiqg contrary to
the usual practice.

The matter was at length arranged. The
caterwauling serenade of the previous evening,
and some other little circumstances, gave me
reason to suppose that the inhabitants of the
village would be glad to pick a quarrel. How-
ever, for the present, all seemed quiet. My tent
was taken down, and the coolies were packing
up, but I had resolved to remain to the last,
and to see that everything w^as safe, before I
proceeded on my way. I hurried my people as
much as possible; but two, who had been deeply
engaged in the affray of the previous day, still
loitered. These were the schuperassy and the
khitmatgar, who, even when all the others were
ready, still lingered to smoke a pipe. At length,
even this was finished, and I sprang on my
horse and rode off. The khitmatgar profited
by my absence to return to the fire, to enjoy
another smoke. In putting his hand into a
little leather bag, to take out his tobacco, he
found the money, which on the day before had
been offered for the flour.

The khitmatgar was a small man, and of an

VOL. I. T

.274 TRAVELS IN

irritable temper. Enraged at finding the gold
in his purse, he pulled it forth, and threw it at
the feet of the djana, who, with several persons,
was present. At the same moment, the men
rushed from the neighbouring houses, and
pressed around my two servants. All wished
to put the money again into the pocket of the
khitmatgar, who positively refused. The dispute
was growing warm. A young servant, w^ho had
also remained behind, hurried after me, and
related what had occurred. All this was the
work of a moment. I turned my horse's
head and galloped back. Riding straight to
the eminence upon which, the day before, my
tent had been pitched, I leaped from my horse,
and calling to the sayo to keep his eyes open, I
sprang upon the steps, and from thence on the
roof of the houses. Stepping along a few of
these, I looked down on the crowd assembled
in the street beneath. Here I saw my servants
at a great disadvantage. Pressed on every side by
the crowd, the schuperassy and the khitmatgar
had drawn their swords. Not a moment was
to be lost. I sprang into the midst of the
astonished multitude, who had not perceived my
approach^ and though I came from above, I

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 275

hardly think that any paid me the compliment
of supposing that I came from the heavenly
regions. I carried no fire-arms. I am an
enemy to all such weapons. Grasping a stout
horsewhip firmly in my hand, I cut right and
left at the faces of the throng. The scene
changed instantly. The crowd that just before
had pressed so closely about my servants,
retreated, some with streaming eyes, others
with streaming noses. The popular fury which,
at first, had been directed against my servants,
now turned against me. With the help of my
whip and a stout arm, I made my way through
the crowd, until I reached the wall of the oft-
mentioned eminence. Here there was a narrow
street with houses on each side, the roofs of
which were not much higher than the wall
against which I stood. Somebody laid hold of
my whip. In a moment eight or ten hands
were upon it. All pulled; I tried to extricate it,
but in vain. I still resisted, and at the moment
when my opponents were straining every nerve,
I suddenly let go my hold ; they lost their equi-
librium, and swung some paces back. This was
enough for me. Profiting by the momentary
confusion, I sprang on the roof of the nearest

T 2

276 TRAVELS IN

house, and was moving deliberately along, when
the company below, foaming with rage, began
to tear off the wooden planks which covered the
houses, and threw them after me. This did me
no harm. Looking round, I saw that I could
no longer be of any use. I had afforded my
people an opportunity of escape; so, jumping
lightly off the roof at the opposite side to that
where the crowd stood, 1 found my sayo waiting
with my horse. I sprang into the saddle, and
in a few moments I was riding over the
mountain ridge, along which the road led. I
saw my train before me, descending the opposite
side.

No sooner had those whom I left behind got
a glimpse of me, as I rode away, than their
fury seemed to return. They shrieked, they
ran, they flung various missiles after me.' So
angry an appearance did the incident begin to
wear, that my khitmatgar rode back to the
battle-field in search of his sword, which had
been either wrested from him or had fallen
from his hand. He recovered his beloved blade,
and we rode on without further molestation. I
could not help thinking that we presented some-
thing of the aspect of combatants after a battle.

INDIA AND KASHMIR.

277

We had certainly lost no heads, nor was there a
link missing in the entire troop ; but some gar-
ments had been torn ; I even fancied that some
of us had grown thinner during the last two
days. Be that as it may, we now journeyed on,
furnished with ample matter for conversation
and reflection.

278 TRAVELS IN

CHAPTER XVI.

Arrival in Simla — Communication with the police —
Mr. Clerk — Letter from the Maha-rajah — I set out
for Lahore — Arrival in Ludiana — I cross the Sutlej —
Falour — Phaguara — The Sikh Sawars — Kapurdala —
The Rajah Nehal Singh — Audience costume of the
Rajah — Natsch girls — Costume of the military officers
— A repast — A draught of brandy — Kapurdala —
Gagriwalla — Djundiala — A few words about presents
in the East — The rain sets in — I proceed to Amrit Sir.

The affair at Tikkery had annoyed me very
much, and though my opponents there were
certainly in the wrong, and had themselves pro-
voked the injuries they sustained, I pitied them,
for they had come off badly in the affray. On
my arrival in Simla, I was obliged, from pru-
dential reasons, to make a statement of the entire
facts to the police. Tikkery was already in

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 279

bad repute from the restless character of its
inhabitants, and they were fined two thousand
rupees, and ordered to contribute fifty men to
the military force during that year. I hope
that the severity of this sentence was mitigated,
though I never heard anything further of the
affair.

In Simla, I made the acquaintance of Mr.
G. R. Clerk, lieutenant-governor of the north-
western provinces, and one of the most estimable
and agreeable persons I have ever met. Those
men are certainly rare upon whom the public
voice bestows unqualified approbation, in whom
every one finds something to praise, and no one
sees anything to blame. Mr. Clerk is one of
these. He may, indeed, have a secret enemy,
for when was merit without a foe ? but there
is not one who can step forth in the light of
day, and make an accusation against him. His
character is too well known to need my praise ;
but certain it is, that all the native princes, and
the people of all the diflferent petty states in
Upper India, swear by his name. The suc-
cessor of such a man will be placed in a trying
position. Though many appeals have been
made about the conduct of other men in power,

280 TRAVELS IN

in these provinces, no voice has ever been raised
to sully the honour of Mr. Clerk, and the stain-
less uprightness of his character has acquired for
him respect, even to the confines of Cabul.

At Simla, I received a letter from the Maha-
rajah Scheer Singh, who, at the request of Mr.
Clerk, gave me permission, or, rather invited
me, to pass through the Punjab. This epistle
was written in the usual flowery style of the
Orientals. Such " sugar-sweet" epithets had not
been addressed to me since I quitted the arms
of my nurse.

My health was somewhat shaken, and Mr.
Clerk prayed me to remain at Simla. But I
did not desire rest. Action, or at least motion,
seemed to suit me better, so I set forward
towards the Sutlej, intending to stop at Ludiana,
where, as the letter of the maha-rajah informed
me, I was waited for by the mehmendar of
Lahore.

The rainy season had set in before I left
Simla, and the prospect of a journey through
the Punjab was not very pleasant. I had been
at this time a year and a half in India, and was
still a mere novice in all that regarded prepara-
tions for times and seasons. When others re-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 281

tired to their houses, I set out on my journey in
the midst of rain and discomfort. But it is so
with all new-comers. They find rainy weather
here far more agreeable than in Europe, and
are not yet aware of its evil influence on the
health.

I arrived safely at Ludiana, and after a few
days' delay, left it on the 17th July. "My
friend's friend," as Scheer Singh had styled him-
self in his flowery epistle, had sent an officer a
month before to meet me ; but the time of my
arrival not having been fixed, he, after waiting
some days in vain, returned.

When I had been some eight or ten days in
Lahore, an officer of the durbar arrived, a repre-
sentative of " the phoenix of his time," as the
former ambassador was named in the maha-
rajah's letter, and this person was appointed to
accompany me. After some preliminaries, I
set ofl^ with a train of five camels, which was
more than sufficient to carry my luggage, for I
left many of my boxes behind in Ludiana.

My baggage train having started in the middle
of the day, I set out at five in the evening,
attended by two camel-sawars and two horse-
sawars or riders. About sunset, I reached the

282 TRAVELS IN

Sutlej, and found there a mehmendar or officer,
in a boat, waiting to conduct me to the opposite
bank. In about ten minutes I had crossed,
and found myself in the kingdom of the Maha-
rajah or King of Lahore. The sawars had been
left on the other bank. The boats of the Sutlej
are very different from those of the Ganges.
They are flat with a high prow, and cut the
waters rapidly. As soon as I landed, the boat-
men presented me a tray with water. I invited
them to come to my tent, where my munschi
would mix some silver in the liquid, being con-
vinced, I said, that he was more skilful in such
matters than I.

My quarters were fixed in a garden belonging
to the rajah ; and on the evening of my arrival,
I was visited by the chief magistrate of the
place, who made his salaam, and offered presents
in the name of the rajah. The gifts of " the
friend's friend" were as sweet as had been the
expressions in his letter. Twenty coolies entered,
bearing each a tray, on which were two large
pots of confections and a purse of gold. The
sweetmeats were, according to the custom of
the country, distributed amongst the servants,
for whom such a feast made quite a holiday.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 283

The money was handed over to my munschi to
be expended in presents.

Falour is agreeably situated, and possesses a
small fort, which seems to belong to the period
when the Mogul power prevailed here. The
road is sandy, but good for horses and camels.
After a nine hours* march on a warm day, I
reached Phaguara. All my sawars were unani-
mous in praising my horse ; there could not be
a better, but, at the same time, they requested
me not to ride so fast, as their horses were not
able to keep pace with me. The Sikhs are very
proud of their steeds, and relate the most extra-
ordinary stories of them. I had not urged my
horse forward, and was very much surprized when
I was requested to go slower. These people were
in the right to spare their horses, for it was no
object to them to arrive an hour earlier at our
destination ; besides, each man's horse was his
property, his stock in trade. In the Punjab,
when these sawars, or riders, are hired, the horse
is taken into account; and many a military
legend is handed down of horses whose beauty
has made their masters' fortune. The Sikh
sawar receives from sixteen to twenty rupees
per month, and out of this, he must provide

284 TRAVELS IN

arms, clothing, and food for himself and horse.
Owing to some superior beauty either in them-
selves, or horses, some of these sawars receive
thirty rupees per month, and are enrolled per-
haps in the body-guard.

This system of hiring armed soldiers, which
was common in Europe in the middle ages,
is of old standing in India, and is found to
work so well that the present English Govern-
ment has adopted the practice in the forma-
tion of those regiments called the irregular
horse, which are enrolled and paid after this
fashion; but with one exception, they are
required to adopt an uniformity in their
costume, which is fashioned on a European
model.

I must not forget to mention that besides
the mehmendar, the Maha-rajah Scheer
Singh had sent me an escort of horse, less
for protection, than as a guard of honour.
Of this escort, part accompanied me every
day, the rest remained with my baggage.

There is in Phaguara, a tolerably large
bazaar. My quarters were fixed in a garden^
formerly laid out by Nehal Singh, and in
which I did not find myself a whit too com-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 285

fortable. Rajah Nehal Singh is the son of
Futhe Singh. I was told a sad story of a
young brother of Nehal Singh, called Rahel
Singh, vvho was unfortunately drowned, whilst
in pursuit of some water-fowl. He was only
twenty years of age.

From Phaguara to Yilander, the distance
is seven coss. About midway I passed a
sheet of water, which, in the dry season, is
only a rivulet, but which was so swollen by
the rains, that I and my horse were obliged
to swim across. Yilander belongs to Schaykh
Gulam Muhyiddin, the present Governor of
Kashmir. I found here, in an old mausoleum,
a beautiful dome, very like that in Delhi.

The road from Yilander to Kapurdala, is
reckoned nine coss. At a quarter of an hour's
ride from Kapurdala, the residence of the
Rajah Nehal Singh, I was received by a
femidar and a sepoy, who, the moment I
appeared, set off in full gallop to meet me,
and arrived enveloped in a cloud of dust.
Immediately outside the city, I was received by
the munschi of the rajah, accompanied by fifty
men. The object of this mission was to salute
me in the name of the rajah, and to invite

286 TRAVELS IN

me to mount an elephant, which had been
brought for my use. I was now so near the
garden appointed for my abode, that I declined
this civility.

The largest room in the kiosk had been
prepared for me. A snow-white carpet covered
the floor, a neat djarbay (a four-legged bed-
stead), with beautifully clean bed-clothes, gave
promise of a comfortable night's sleep. I was
asked whether I should prefer seeing the rajah
on that day or the next. I chose the first,
and was told that the rajah's answer should
be soon obtained. I was quickly informed that
the rajah was willing to receive me, and that
elephants would be brought in the evening
to conduct me to the palace. In a very little
time, one of the high officers of the crown
arrived, bringing a purse of five hundred
rupees from the rajah.

This ambassador was mounted on an ele-
phant, and invited me to visit one of the
gardens, in which were some curious foun-
tains. These consisted of figures of different
kinds ; amongst others, I saw some birds fixed
in the wall, through whose bills the water
poured. It was Futhe Singh who laid out

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 287

the^e gardens. Passing through the bazaar
square, we arrived at the castle of the Rajah
Nehal Singh, who, seated in an upper cham-
ber, received me with great affability.

The rajah appeared to be about twenty-
six years of age. He was very stout, which
detracted from the comeliness of his figure.
There was in the outer corner of his eyes an
appearance which I find peculiar to the Sikhs.
I do not know whether it is natural, or whether
it is a colouring produced by antimony.

The rajah invited me to remain for the
following day, and promised to procure me
some amusement, by an elephant-fight in
the morning, and a natsch in the evening.
The rain on the following day rendered the
elephant-fight impossible, but the nadsch, or
natsch, was observed in the evening with due
ceremony.

On the following day an elephant was sent
to fetch me, and on entering the court-yard, I
found a considerable number of soldiers, who
made me a military salute.

An upper chamber in the castle, commanding
a view of the bazaar, was appointed for the
audience. The rajah was not in the room when I

288 TRAVELS IN

entered ; but he came in a few minutes afterwards.
His dress was white, which is the usual colour
amongst the Hindoos, though in modern times
it is not so much worn in the southern provinces.
The upper garment of the rajah was of fine
muslin, falling in voluminous folds to the knee.
The waist was short and close-fitting. Tight
trowsers and a sash completed the costume.

The inhabitants of the different provinces are
distinguished by the variety in the shape and
folding of the turban. Those of Bengal are
altoo-ether different from those of southern
India, which again present an equally great con-
trast to those of the northern provinces and
the Punjab. The material of which the turban
is made, is more or less costly, according to the
wealth of the wearer. The Sikh turban is tall
and pointed. The turbans of the Mahomedans
are very different from those of the Hindoos.

A long essay might be written on turbans,
their different folds and forms, but I must, en
passant, mention that Rajah Nehal Singh wore
a brilliant diadem on his turban, composed of
precious stones ; and around his neck and on
his arms, he wore necklaces and bracelets of
great value. From his ears were suspended rings

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 289

of gold, and down his breast flowed a long
black beard. In his hand he bore a very hand-
some sword, with a gold hilt, which seemed to be
of considerable weight. He told me that it had
belonged to the late rajah. The feeling with
which he contemplated it, pleased me. It was
evident that its value in his eyes consisted in its
having once been his father's.

I remember a remark that Nehal Singh made
during the natsch. The vizier, who is the rajah's
factotum, remarked that the natsch girls danced
badly. The prince observed, rather sharply:
" Why should they dance w^ell ; they earn more
money by not dancing." The drift of all this
was, that the vizier by his remark wished to
show me that he understood what good dancing
was, and that, as a connoisseur, he understood
that the performance was mediocre. The reply
of the rajah, on the contrary, was a reproof.

It was the duty of the vizier to provide all
the pomp and appurtenances of these festival
days, of which these unhappy dancing girls
form a part. The rajah was well aware that
abundance of money had been drawn for their
support, but their appearance showed that it
had not been expended on them. This is only

VOL. I. u

290 TRAVELS IN

a part of that system of peculation which all
acquainted with oriental courts know is largely
practised.

The court, on the day of my audience, pre-
sented a goodly array. All the high civil officers
of the crown, the munschis, and the chief officers
of the regiments were present. The military
were the more numerous. All were armed.
With their shields flung upon their backs, they
sat on either side of the rajah squatted on carpets.
These aged warriors, with their long beards, and
sabres in their hands, formed an imposing
picture. Each, as he entered, offered his
sword with a profound reverence to the rajah,
who touched and returned it to the owner ; the
latter then- stepped aside and took his place on
the carpet.

The rajah sat in the middle of the room in
an arm-chair, placed opposite to a large arched
window. On his left hand were squatted the
vizier and the chief officers of the crown ; next
to these, the munschis, or interpreters, and next
in succession, came the military men. I sat on
the rajah's right hand, in a chair similar to his
own ; and at some distance behind, sat some
munschis, the chief huntsman, with the favourite

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 291

falcon on his finger, and a number of the rajah's
body-guard armed with bows.

The conversation between the rajah and me
was lively. The natch maidens danced ; the
music played; the hall was brilliantly lighted
up ; a cool zephyr swept through the apartment,
and fanned us gently, when the rajah invited me
to accompany the vizier into the adjoining
chamber, which, the doors being flung open,
was, I saw, brilliantly lighted with chandeliers,
and offered to view a table furnished with goodly
viands.

The excellent Mahratta prince had thought
well of ordering a dinner to be prepared for me,
and had commanded a qantity of meat, dressed
in various fashions, sufficient for an entire
regiment. The table was covered with costly
vessels of gold and silver. Wonderful must
have been the reputation of the carnivorous
Europeans in India. I fancy that they had been
described as living on meat and brandy, for the
provision of the latter bore a very just propor-
tion to the supply of the former. Ae for me,
I had long before renounced flesh eating, and
having selected from the over-loaded table some
vegetables, I partook of them.

u 2

292 TRAVELS IN

Beside me was placed a handsome silver
goblet, filled with a liquid which I supposed to
be water. Having dined, I raised my goblet,
and engulphed a deep draught. What was my
horror, when I discovered that the goblet that
had been placed with an appearance of particular
attention beside me, was filled with pure brandy.
The crowd that surrounded the table, seeing me
turn deadly pale, looked very much astonished,
and some with a significant glance seemed to say
that they could have managed the matter better.

When I returned to the rajah, who was too
good a Hindoo to enter a chamber where meat
was being eaten and brandy drunk, he laughed
heartily at the mistake I had made. Soon
afterwards, I took leave. The following day was
fixed for my departure.

Nehal Singh seems to be fond of hawking,
for the next morning as I was going forward
on my journey, I saw a train of forty or fifty
falconers, hawk on wrist, accompanying him,
through the plain below.

From Kapurdala, I marched on to Gagriwalla,
where I passed the night in my tent. Some
women of the place visited me requesting pre-
sents, which I did not refuse.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 293

I may be here allowed to make a few general
remarks upon this custom of making presents,
particularly in money. In former times, this
custom was even more general than at present,
and not alone in India, but through the entire
east. A European finds the custom unpleasant.
He does not like to receive presents from
strangers, and for my own part I must say,
that I have never omitted to make an adequate
return for what I accepted. As for the money,
it was always given to my munschi to be distri-
buted in gifts, and those for whom they were
intended, did not fail to present themselves. I
must say that were I inchned to enrich myself,
the princely munificence of my friend Scheer
Singh, afforded me an opportunity.

From Gagriwalla, I went to Djundiala, where
I again passed a night in my tent. Although
the place is tolerably large, there is no building
appropriated to the use of travellers. Here,
many of the women, as well as dancing-girls
crowded round me asking for presents ; they
departed satisfied. Rain commenced during
the night ; it became heavier in the morning,
and as I advanced to Amrit Sir, I found the
woods inundated.

294 TRAVELS IN

CHAPTER XVII.

Amrit Sir— Visit from the Kharidar — Disappointment
about an elephant — Visit to Generals Avitabelli and
Court — Present from Scheer Singh — Visit from Fakir
Nureddin — Accident to the Fakir — Audience with
the Maha-rajah — Costume of the Sikhs — Hera Singh
— Scheer Singh's predilection for watches — The gold
sprinkling — Strange occurrence at leaving the Durbar
— Evening amusements at General Ventura's and
at General AvitabeUi's— Hunt with Scheer Singh —
Audience at the palace — Kindness of the Maha-rajah
— Departure from Lahore.

Amrit Sir is the sacred city of the Sikhs,
and has often been the theatre of their bloody
contests with the Moslems. The temple and
tank are objects of especial veneration, which,
particularly as regards the latter, is very strange.
In approaching the city, the eye is attracted by

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 295

the lofty towers of some handsome buildings, of
which the gilded tops produce a pleasing effect.
The city is defended by two walls, the inner
built of mud, the outer of stone. My quarters
were fixed, as usual in a garden. This had been
laid out by Futhe Singh. The two chambers
prepared for my accommodation were ornamented
with paintings.

On the afternoon of my arrival, one of the
high ministers of the crown visited me. Though
this officer is superintendent of the collection of
the taxes, he bears the humble title of kharidar.
This is a very important personage ; to him i^
paid the tax levied on the Kashmir shawls, which,
as every shawl is rated at twenty-five rupees,
amounts to a considerable sum.

The kharidar brought me, on the part of
Scheer Singh, a purse containing five hundred
rupees, nor were the usual confections forgotten.
All these things were to be distributed on the
following day to the priests of the temple and
the tank, to the tax-gatherer and others ; a cere-
mony which of course was not neglected.

I had been informed that on the day following
my arrival, elephants would be sent to bring
me to see *' the sights " of the town. Early in

296 TRAVELS IN

the morning a messenger arrived saying that
the hour 1 appointed (two o'clock) was too late,
that it would not be possible to visit all the
public places before evening. I answered that
I could be ready at any hour that might be
appointed. At two o'clock, a second messenger
arrived to let me know that there were no ele-
phants in the town.

It would have been a matter of no importance
to me whether I visited the city in a howdah,
on horseback, or in a palanquin ; but as I had
been emphatically invited to go on an elephant,
and having accepted the invitation, I would not
allow myself to be trifled with. I must here
remark that the Indians of a certain class, are
always ready, indeed seeking opportunities, to
refuse the Europeans those external marks of
honour of which they are themselves so fond.
A European who wishes to maintain his social
position, must be on his guard in this respect,
as the natives will be glad to mortify him.
Things that in the commencement appear
ludicrous, may sometimes lead to serious con-
sequences, and the more one is inclined to yield,
the more are his rights encroached on.

So in the affair of the elephant, I suspected a

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 297

falsehood, and my suspicion was confirmed by
my munschi, who, returning from the town,
informed me that he had seen a number of
elephants as he passed the bazaar. Another
messenger arrived with an excuse : but I
adhered to my first determination not to visit
the city unless an elephant were sent.

I had given up the project, but the priest of
the temple, and others who were to receive
presents, probably interfered, for at half-past
four, a messenger arrived to say that elephants
had been procured, and would soon arrive. I
got ready, but before the cortege came, night
was drawing on. To conclude the day's pro-
ceedings, the rain now set in. For the sake of
those, who would have been obliged to accom-
pany me, I gave up the visit, and sent my
presents to the temple by the munschi. These,
however, were not as large, as if I had gone
myself. The sum was fifty rupees, the guru,
got twenty-five, the fakirs twenty-five ; there
were some smaller sums to others. It was
agreed with the guru or priest, that on my
return from Kashmir, I should see everything
and pay a hundred rupees.

In the evening I walked through the town,

298 TRAVELS IN

saw " the sights," and left Amrit Sir, the fol-
lowing day at five o'clock. After a wearisome
march, I reached Verrenekki at half-past nine.
Here I found a French officer, who was in the
service of Scheer Singh, and who was going on
to his station at Amrit Sir.

The rain on the next day was violent. I
arrived, thoroughly drenched, in the vicinity of
Lahore. My quarters were fixed in the garden
Schalamar, which was a distance of two hours'
journey from the city. This was very disagree-
able to me, and still more so to my servants.
I expressed a wish to change my dwelling, and
pointed out a house that I would be glad to
occupy, and which had before then been placed
at the service of travellers. I could not obtain
the gratification of my wish, the house was
engaged for some other purpose, and I was
obliged to content myself for the present in the
Schalamar.

A few hours after my instalment in my
garden-home, I dispatched my mehmendar to
the city, to thank Scheer Singh for the friendly
reception that had been accorded me. He
returned on the following day, and in the mean-
time the English agent had visited me and prof-

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 299

fere devery service in his power. The maha-rajah
let me know that " his friend's friend " might
command everything within his jurisdiction. I
was also informed that the rajah's diplomatic
factotum, Fakir Nureddin, was to call upon me
the same afternoon. This fakir is the same,
whom in consequence of his inexhaustible loqua-
city, Lord Ellenborough called Hafiz, and
General Pollock, parrot, I was, moreover, in-
formed that the maha-rajah would receive me
on the following day, all of which the fakir
would explain to me more in detail.

I profited by the first interval of rest to visit
the Generals Avitabelli and Court, whose tone, I
found very different from that of the English.
These gentlemen are quite naturalized in India,
particularly General Avitabelli, whom I found in
his house surrounded by dancing girls, who on
my arrival were dismissed. He was very friendly
and polite. However, General Court's personal
appearance pleased me better: his manner is
more European, and he has lost less of the
French polish. General Court informed me that
he intended to return to Europe in a short time,
fix his abode permanently there. His present

300 TRAVELS IN

residence is an Afghan mausoleum, of which he
has made a very agreeable dwelling.

My mehmendar, or jemidar heutenant, had
brought me, in the morning, eleven hundred
rupees, a present from Scheer Singh. In
making these presents, there is always a pre-
dilection for certain numbers, — 7, 11, 21, 41,
are particularly favoured as serving as bases for
1,100, &c. You may receive a present of
2,100 rupees, but never 2,000, or 1,500, or
1,000; uneven numbers are preferred. The
maha-rajah generally sends eleven hundred.

Evening was come, and the fakir had not
made his promised visit. I had given up aU
hope of seeing him, and was strolling through
the garden, when I was informed that he had
arrived, but had unfortunately met with a bad
accident. His elephant, upon which he and the
ackbar nawis were travelling, had taken fright,
and refusing to obey the mahoot, or driver,
had run wildly away. The driver was soon
thrown off, and the two passengers in the
howdah became alarmed, expecting nothing less
than to have their brains dashed out against
one of the trees, for they were already in the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 301

garden. Under this apprehension, they took
the resolution of slipping to the ground, holding
by the cord of the elephant's saddle. In this
they succeeded, but not without suffering some
injury. The fakir was severely hurt in the
back, and the ackbar in the hand. I found the
fakir in the arms of his military attendants, who
dragged, rather than led him, into the chamber.
He soon collected his senses, but he had been so
thoroughly frightened, that the flowery speech
with which he had intended to address me, was
entirely chased from his memory ; this I did
not consider a great misfortune, and before we
parted, he gave me some opportunities of ad-
miring his poetic tournure de phrase, in Persian
and Arabic. The grand object of the visit, was
to announce that the maha-rajah prince would
receive me on the following morning, at ten
o'clock. The two ministers then took leave,
prudently ordering themselves to be conveyed
home in sedan chairs.

At eight o'clock the following morning, two
members of the prince's family arrived, attended
by elephants and horses, mounted servants, and
footmen, to conduct me to the audience. At
nine o'clock, the whole train set out. I was

302 TRAVELS IN

mounted on a richly-caparisoned elephant. Upon
my arrival, I was saluted with every mark of
honour. I found the entire court assembled
under a great tent, erected opposite to a kiosk,
belonging to the maha-rajah. The assembly
presented a very brilliant appearance. Silk
and woollen stuffs, gold and silver ornaments,
pearls and precious stones, were displayed in
extravagant profusion, to dazzle the stranger's
eyes.

The Sikh costume appears to me more
becoming, than that worn by the inhabitants
of other parts of India. The white dress,
trimmed with red, the gold belt worn across
the breast, from which the sabre depends ;
the sabre, the pointed turban, and large hand-
some beard, give them a highly picturesque
appearance.

The maha-rajah sat in a chair, on his left
sat Hera Singh, whose father stood behind
his chair; next to him was the Fakir Rahm
Singh, and on either side the great sirdars
of the kindom, squatted on carpets. Behind
the chair of the maha-rajah stood General
Ventura, who undertook to act as interpreter,
my munschi not daring to appear in such a

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 303

presence. I may here observe, that in India
it is the custom, on occasions of public
audiences, to carry on the conversation by
means of interpreters, when one is not per-
fectly conversant in the language, as a very
slight error may give rise to unpleasant mis-
understandings.

After the ordinary greetings, the maha-rajah
asked after the health of the governor-general.
Lord Ellenborough, and of Mr. Clerk ; he
asked from what country I had come, and
through what lands I had passed ; he inquired
whether 1 had been a soldier, and lastly, his
majesty asked to see my watch. He is very
fond of watches, and possesses a large number
of different kinds, as I have been informed.
He opened mine, and finding that it was not
correct, he adjusted it.

The maha-rajah is robust and strong-looking,
but his bloated countenance would seem to say
that he indulges largely in the use of strong
liquors. The ornaments that he wore were
very splendid, as were those of his entire
court, particularly of Hera Singh, a young
man of very prepossessing appearance, who,
when a child, became a favourite of Runjeet

304 TRAVELS IN

Singh, and always sat near him. In the divan,
a cushion was placed at the rajah's feet, on
which the child sat, w^hilst the father, who
held the office of vizier, stood.

As the boy grew up, the cushion was
changed for a chair, and he still holds the
same place in the affection of the present
rajah. Neither the vizier nor his son are
Sikhs, both are radjputs, as is also the
brother of the vizier, Gulab Singh, one of
the most powerful sirdars of the kingdom, and
who resides in Jumbu.

Near the maha-rajah was placed a chair for
me. Beside me stood the Fakir Nureddin
and the ackbar nawis. The munschi stood
behind.

After the first civilities had been exchanged,
the ceremony called the gold sprinkhng was
gone through. For this purpose my munschi
stepped behind the rajah's chair, and swung
a purse, containing two hundred and fifty
rupees, round the prince's head. Then,
handing the purse to one of the attendants,
he returned to his place. Upon this, one of
the prince's officers advanced and swung a purse
containing a similar number of rupees round

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 305

my humble head, and thea gave the purse to
my munschi. I must remark that the number
of rupees in the respective purses had been
previously agreed on. The real object of this
ceremony, is not difficult to divine, being
evidently only a pretext for distributing money
amongst the attendants.

The conversation had turned upon various
subjects ; the maha-rajah asked the oft-repeated
questions ; what new European inventions I
could show him, &c. I answered that I had
been so long absent from Europe, that I was a
stranger to the recent improvements. Upon
this he said that he could show me something
worth seeing, this was the tribute from Kashmir.
I, of course, made a pohte reply, and said I
would feel much interest in the sight.

A number of servants, carrying heavy pack-
ages entered, and passed into an inner apartment.
Here the loads were opened, and a number of
silver flasks handed to the rajah. These were
filled with difl'erent perfumes. The rajah smelled
them, then handed them to me that I might
inhale the odour. He said that he had ordered
some of these flasks of oil of rose and willow

VOL. I. X

306 TRAVELS IN

water to be sent to me. The latter perfume is
not known in Europe.

The audience was now at an end. I took
my departure, mounted my elephant, and,
attended by my mehmendar, and guard of
honour, proceeded through the open space that
surrounded the kiosk, in which the audience
had taken place. Around this maidan, or open
space, a couple of cavalry regiments had formed
a wide circle. Of this, I at first took no notice,
but as we attempted to go through, a number
of lances, pointed at the breast of the elephant,
opposed our passage. We turned in another
direction, and found the same reception. We
tried a third time to pass this circle, but found
the same resistance. Surprised at so strange a
proceeding, I asked the cause, and was told by
one of the sirdars that orders had been given
for my admission, but not for my exit. Here
was an excellent distinction. I very com-
posedly sent one of my people back for the
necessary order, but at the same moment a
signal was made from the durbar, our military
opponents gave way, and we passed through.

It was evident that the members of the durbar,

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 307

or council, had been watching the whole pro-
ceeding, and this leads me to suspect that the
scene had been pre-concerted. What the object
was I cannot divine. Did they wish to see
what effect these opposing lances would produce
on me, or did they only propose to give me an
example of the strictness of their discipUne !
However this might be, I cannot say; but some
of my friends told me afterwards with a solemn
air, mysterious tales of persons well-received at
the durbar, and who, at their exit, were cut down
by the military ; the only satisfaction given for
their death being an apology, declaring that the
accident arose from a misunderstanding.

I saw General Ventura in the afternoon. He
talked a great deal about war, and would have
it that a large army was then assembled between
Ferozepur and Amballa, of which the object cer-
tainly must be to cross the Sutlej. The general,
moreover, declared that the Sikhs would fight
to the last man ; that the English were univer-
sally hated ; that any attempt, on their part, at
invasion would be sure to bring on a religious
war, which the general looked upon as the most
certain means to overthrow the power of Eng-
land. He added that the Sikhs might not be

X 2

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able to oppose the English in regular line-of-
battle, but that the English had everything
to fear from the forced marches which the Sikhs
were capable of making, and in which they
excelled every other army in the world. He
told me that he himself, at the head of a body
of infantry, had marched from Lahore to
Peschawur in four days, a distance of two hun-
dred and ten English miles, if my maps be
correct, and that immediately on his arrival, his
men engaged with the enemy.

The general impression seems to be, that the
Sikhs excel in cavalry skirmishes harassing the
enemy, and profiting by their knowledge of the
country, to fall upon them unexpectedly, and
with advantage. General Ventura thinks that
the Affghans and the mountain-tribes would join
the Sikhs against the English, who, he says,
are universally hated.

These remarks of the general were so direct,
that there was no mistaking the motive that
dictated them, but they failed in their object.
His feelings towards England could not be of a
friendly nature. General Ventura is by birth a
Modenese, and by profession a soldier. He saw
service in the busiest times that the history of

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 309

modern Europe presents. Not being included
in the capitulation of the Italian army, he left
his native country, and sought service in India.
He entered the army of Runjeet Singh, dis-
ciplined his troops, and infused into them that
spirit which makes them able to cope with the
mightiest of European powers. He is a man of
the highest honour, and the fidelity with which
he has discharged his trust towards Runjeet
Singh, will immortalize his name in India.

The Indian soldier is faithful to the shedding
of the last drop of his blood ; but the nobles
are corrupt, as the whole history of India proves ;
the corruption of the subordinate princes having
always made the country fall an easy prey to
the invader.

Punctuality is not an Indian virtue. A few
days more or less in keeping an appointment, or
fulfilling a promise, is not considered a matter
of consequence. I had been informed that I
was to receive an invitation from Scheer Singh,
but day succeeded day, and I heard no more
about it. My evenings were spent with the
Generals Ventura, Avitabelli and Court, who
brought me again within the circle of European
life. General Ventura inhabits a large house,

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in the midst of the ruins of the old town. This
house is very handsome, and laid out in the
European style. Immediately before it are the
barracks for his soldiers.

General Avitabelli has built for himself a
very peculiar dwelling within a little fort, which
he intends to present to the maha-rajah. General
Avitabelli is the only French general in the
Mahratta service, who has been governor of a
province. He commanded in Vezirabad and
afterwards in Peschawur, whence he has lately
returned to Lahore, where he was whoUy em-
ployed in disciplining his regiments.

The festivities celebrated in the house of
General Ventura were European in their style,
whilst those held at General AvitabeUi's reminded
me of the days of ancient Rome. General
Avitabelli is, as General Ventura told me, a man
who rose from the humbler ranks of society,
and who, in his youth, received little intellectual
culture, out all his proceedings are marked with
a certain greatness that shows a high cast of
character. I met no Frenchman in Lahore who
seemed to assimilate himself so perfectly to
Indian life. He is strict, even to severity, but
the natives unanimously praise his uprightness.

INDIA AND KASHMII^ 311

Many stories are told of him, all of which redound
to his honour. I may call him the darling of
the people, as far as a European could be. The
entertainment at his house seemed a picture of
Nero's feast, only that burning slaves did not
serve as flambeaus. And this was not an imita-
tion, it was a characteristic trait of the man.
The party assembled in the newly-built fort,
and the town's people were treated with a
brilliant display of fire- works.

There are many, particularly amongst the
English officers, who exclaim against the cruelty
sometimes exercised by AvitabeHi during his
governorship in Peschaw^ur. I visited him fre-
quently ; he often spoke of these things ; I am
sure that his heart is good, and that he cannot
have been guilty of cruelty. In the exercise of
his duty, and in his anxiety to enforce order,
and promote discipline, he might have sanctioned
acts, which, though unstained by blood, would,
by the lips of an enemy, be pronounced cruel.
I repeat that he is a great man.

Some days had passed in this manner, when
I received an intimation from the maha-rajah,
that on the following day he would send for me
that I might see his troops, that on the succeed-

312 g| TRAVELS IN

ing day I should visit his palace, and in the
evening I was to have an interview. At the
appointed hour, elephants and a guard of honour
arrived. The procession passed through the
city, where I was met by the Mahratta prince,
who after the usual greetings, said that he would
first show me General Court's regiment. I
endeavoured to express the interest that I took
in the sight, and though no soldier, I must say
that what I saw, far exceeded any expectation I
could have formed. All the movements were
executed with order, punctuality and rapidity.
The uniform of the troops was handsome ; the
artillery, in particular, seemed to be well taken
care of. These regiments are a great honour
to General Court, who is universally allowed to
possess all the qualities that constitute a good
soldier.

Everybody here speaks with esteem of Gene-
ral Allard, whose death is much regretted, not
alone by the natives, fop even the English who
were acquainted with him, bewailed his loss.

The Maha-rajah Scheer Singh was very
friendly. I was particularly pleased with a con-
versation with Hera Singh, who possesses a
slight knowledge of English. It was discovered

INDIA AND KASHMIRii 313

that I was fond of hunting, and it was deter-
mined that at my return a great chase should be
got up. Having looked at the troops for half
an hour, we returned to the city, the maha-rajah
informing me on the way, that next day I should
see the castle. Morning came, no messenger
arrived, and at last I was confidentially informed
that the great Mahratta had spent the night in
a debauch, and that the effects of the spirituous
drinks kept him still asleep, but that I would
probably be sent for in the evening. As
there was no certainty of this, I thought no
more of it ; but in the evening, and when I was
in an undress the warmth of the season made
desirable, it was suddenly announced that the
maha-rajah was approaching.

I could not at first believe this report ; but
when it was repeated, all that remained for me
to do was to make a toilette as quickly as pos-
sible, and scarcely w^as my task performed when
a high oflScer of the court entered to invite me
to a hunt, which was about to take place at a
little distance from the garden. I was in full
dress, but the circumstances would admit of no
delay, so mounting the elephant, I set out for
the chase. The Mahratta chief received me

314 ||f^ TRAVELS IN

mounted on his elephant without the city. We
rode over a wide grass-grown plain, seeking
our game ; but were disappointed. We con-
tinued our search for about half an hour, and
evening was closing in, when the maha-rajah
informed me that there was at some distance an
enclosed park, in which I could shoot as long
and as much as I pleased. It was in vain that
I represented that I was not attired in hunting
guise, his princely will was that I should be
amused, and so informing me that I should be
next day expected at the castle, he departed, and
persons appointed for the purpose attended me
to the park. I shot a boar, and returned to my
domicile.

The king had earnestly requested me to be at
the palace at sun-rise. I rose early, and was
ready to set out when the escort arrived. The
palace is a building erected by Jehangir, and
is in the same style as that at Delhi. On
my arrival, cannon were fired — I passed the
first and second gate- way. Here I saw the
tombs of Runjeet Singh and his successor, Karak
Singh, and entered a garden or fore-court, in the
midst of which there was a pavilion; passing
through the garden, I entered by another gate

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 315

into a third court, and thence into a fourth, in
which there was a number of artillery soldiers.
After this, I passed through a fifth gate into
another court, in which were some of the high
officers of the crown. Entering a sixth door, I
arrived in a court, where I alighted and was
received by Scheer Singh's son, and some of the
highest nobles.

The prince offered me his hand, and led me
through a seventh door into a court, where the
object that caught my eye was the beautiful
and richly-caparisoned favourite horse of Scheer
Singh. Passing through this court-yard, I
arrived at what may be called, " the court."
Here Scheer Singh and all his nobles and
officers, civil and military, in their various cos-
tumes, were assembled, and nothing that oriental
pomp and riches could do, was omitted to pro-
duce a striking effect.

Scheer Singh sat in the open air, upon a
raised seat, to which some steps conducted, and
on either side sat some of the chief nobles. I
saluted the king, with my hat on ; he extended
his hand, and placed me on a seat on his right
hand. Our conversation went on slowly.
Scheer Singh knows but little Hindoostanee,

316 TRAVELS IN

and, strangely enough, there was no European
interpreter present, though I had the evening
before requested that one might be brought, and
even named a man that I would prefer. How-
ever, I believe that our acquaintance was more
closely cemented by the absence of the in-
terpreter, and it seemed to me that the prince
was not displeased at hearing, for once in his
life, the unadorned truth. We talked so for a
long time, various projects were proposed, which
were to be put into execution at my return,
amongst others, a chase that should last four-
teen days. Scheer Singh asked me many
general questions, and, at length, turning the
conversation on horses, inquired what I thought
of some that were within view. The horses
were very handsome, but I did not dwell long
upon their praise, fearing that, if I expressed too
much admiration, some of them might be pre-
sented to me. The ornaments which these horses
wore, of gold and precious stones, far exceeded
in value anything I could have supposed would
be put upon such animals, though, after all, is
it not more reasonable that the lower animals
should be bedizened with " barbaric pearls and
gold," than that those whom we call " the

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 317

fairest of the creation," and who claim the rank
of rational beings, should trammel themselves
with metallic finery, which gives a stamp but of
slavery to the wearer.

The maha-rajah did not seem pleased that I
did not express my admiration of the horses
more openly, and asked plainly which horse I
liked best. I hesitated, considering how I
should shape my answer, when he changed the
form of his question, and begged to know
whether I liked a quiet or spirited horse. I
replied, that the horse that pleased me best was
one of which the speed was great as that of the
arrow, shot from the bow. " Good, good,"
said he, and spoke some words, in a low tone, to
his favourite Hera Singh. The audience was
now at an end ; Scheer Singh rose, and led me
by the hand closer to the horses. As I did not
find much to praise in the animals themselves, I
contented myself with admiring their trappings.
The bridles were covered with plates of gold.
The saddles were, according to the Indian
fashion, very high, a cushion of felt being
placed between them and the horse's back. They
were covered with velvet and silk, embroidered
in gold.

318 TRAVELS IN

Having finished our inspection of the horses,
Scheer Singh led me into an inner court, in
which was a reservoir, and a number of pretty
little fountains. The first view of this court
was strikingly beautiful. One side was formed
by the front of a great hall, in which the royal
treasures were kept, amongst which were
presents sent from England. I must say that
I was shocked at the despicable appearance of
the British gifts, which consisted of clumsy
watches of the last century, and a number of
mirrors of different sizes, in gilt frames, alto-
gether a contemptible collection.

The handsomest thing to be seen was the
hall itself, which resembles the great hall in
the palace at Agra, but that the workmanship
is still more elegant. The arabesques which
surround the little mirrors are admirable.
Those fixed in the sides are silvered, and the
walls painted : those on the ceiling are gilt, on
a groundwork of beautiful red. These mirrors,
reflecting at night, the light of a thousand
lamps with which the hall is then lighted,
must produce a charming effect. Scheer
Singh displayed, with a look of great satis-
faction, his European treasures. I determined

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 319

to procure him some additions to his collection,
particularly the models of some machinery
which I had been describing to him, and which
seemed to interest him very much.

The hall, the steps, every spot on which
we placed our feet, was covered with the most
beautiful carpets, formed of the same material
as the Kashmir shawl, and embroidered in
flowers and scrolls.

Having made our sight-seeing rounds, the
khelath, or robe of honour, was brought upon
a buckler, and over my black coat, a green robe
embroidered with gold was thrown. The rajah
fastened round my neck a double row of pearls,
and placed upon my head a coronet of dia-
monds, and on my arms he clasped emerald
bracelets set in gold. The ceremonies were
now over, and the courtiers having retired, my
royal friend took me by the hand, and leading
me down a few steps, conducted me into the
interior of the house, one or two servants only
attending us to the first story. Here they
remained behind ; and we continued to ascend
until we reached the entrance to the rajah's
treasure-chamber. He opened the door, and
we entered a moderate-sized room, around

320 TRAVELS IN

which wide tables were arranged. Those on
the left of the entrance held costly sabres
and other implements of war. On an oppo-
site table were knives and daggers. On the
right, vessels of gold.

What was here offered to my view, excelled
anything of the kind I had ever beheld. I had
been, a little while before, speaking with Scheer
Singh of sabres, and mentioned my intention
of carrying a couple of the best with me to
Europe. It was evident that the rajah held
this conversation in mind, when he led me to
the table where the sabres were displayed, and
asked which I liked best. I was now in the
same predicament as I had been before about
the horses. It appeared to me monstrous to
deprive the rajah of his beautiful sabres, so I
contented myself with praising the workman-
ship in general terms. They were all beau-
tiful Persian blades, and of great value. The
Persian sabres are those most in repute here.
I have seen some worn by nobles that cost a
thousand and twelve hundred rupees.

From this table we passed to that on which
the knives and daggers were laid out. Those
too were of Persian or Affghan manufacture,

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 321

the hilts adorned with precious stones. I was
obliged to make an effort to suppress all external
signs of approbation, for I perceived that what-
ever I praised was marked as mine. We now
passed on to examine the vessels of gold and
silver. These were aU ornamented with jewels
of great price. So varied were the forms, so
exquisite the workmanship, that, forgetting for
a moment the prudence that I had prescribed to
myself, I lifted one, to examine it more nearly.
Recollecting myself, I immediately put it aside,
and looked at the others. Scheer Singh said
nothing, but when I left the table, took the cup
I had admired, and held it carelessly in his hand.
I visited the other tables without again betraying
myself, when, having seen everything, the rajah
called my munschi, who, in obedience to a
signal, had already followed us, and gave him
the cup, telling him that it was intended for my
especial use. These words were accompanied
with a glance and an emphasis that seemed to
make an impression on the munschi, that my
most rigid command would not have done.
Then, turning to me, he repeated that it was in-
tended for my especial use, and he prayed that it

VOL. I. Y

322 TRAVELS IN

might ever carry a refreshing draught to my
lips, and serve to remind me of his friendship.
I took leave of Scheer Singh, overloaded
with assurances of the warmest friendship and
the best wishes for my safety. The vizier, Dehan
Singh, with some of the high officers of the
household, awaited me without. In compliance
with my request, the grand treasurer showed
me the crown-jewels. Amongst these was the
Koh-i-noor, a large and very beautiful diamond
set in a bracelet. There was another, the Derya-
i-nur, which, I w^as told, had also been
brought from Persia. Which of these diamonds
w^as the more valuable, I could not decide. I
was particularly struck by a large emerald that
had been once the property of Nadir Schah,
who had it fixed in the handle of an awl for
sewing leather, and which he carried suspended
at his saddle, to be used in case an accident
befel the leather-work. In this collection, there
were many precious stones that had once been
the property of the Persian monarchs. I saw
here a very handsome emerald, on the back of
which several Persian names were engraven.
Rajah Dehan Singh was very complaisant; there

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 323

was besides, a decision in his whole manner that
showed him to be an active and clear-sighted
man of business. Simple in his deportment, he
made no effort to attract attention, and yet it
was evident that he w^as fully conscious of
the influence he possessed in state affairs.

Loaded with the kindest words of friendship
from Dehan Singh, I departed. Just as I
passed through the last court, mounted on my
elephant, a man advanced, and presented me
a beautiful black horse, as a gift from Scheer
Singh. The trappings were of silk and velvet
embroidered with gold. J was told that the
horse was unbroken, and that I should have the
pleasure of being the first that bestrode him.

Though I had told the rajah that 1 loved
a swift horse, I knew that it would be im-
possible to carry this one to Kashmir, and
was constrained to leave it w4th some of my
baggage in the keeping of a countryman of mine
until my return.

There was nothing now to delay my depar-
ture for Kashmir, but to dispense the customary
presents, to make some purchases for the
journey, and to pay my farewell visits to the
French gentlemen.

T 9.

324 TRAVELS IN

During the time of my stay in Lahore, I
had frequent occasion to congratulate myself
upon having made the acquaintance of General
Avitabelli. His advice was always good, and
displayed a knowledge of the country, and of
the character of the people, which few would
have the candour to reveal as he did. General
Avitabelli speaks French badly, but converses in
Persian with the fluency of a native. He had
all his baggage-train in Lahore that he had
brought from Peschawur ; it was useless to him.
He pressed me to take some elephants for the
transport of my luggage to the mountains,
allowing the bearers to walk unencumbered so
far. As this friendly offer did not put him
to inconvenience, I accepted it. I never knew
anybody who took more pleasure in doing good
than General Avitabelli.

The return of the English army through
Peschawur afforded an opportunity of spreading
the reputation of his generosity through all
India, as there were few of the officers of that
army who did not share the hospitahty of
his board, and receive his aid in a way they
needed.

It gives me pleasure to record here an act of

INDIA AND KASHMIR 325

kindness and delicate attention that 1 myself
received from him. When in Benares, I had
provided myself with travelling furniture, and,
amongst other things, with a small, light
bedstead, with short feet. During my journey
through the mountains this had been a good
deal injured, and on my arrival at Lahore,
I no longer used it, as, on account of the
snakes that in this season crawl about the
houses, it is not agreeable to sleep in a bedstead
raised only about eight or ten inches from the
ground. When in the mountains, I complained
of the state of the bedstead ; I had been always
told, that at Lahore, everything should be
adjusted ; but at Lahore, everything was
managed by my mehmendar, who constantly
declared that nothing should be left wanting,
but when we were about to start for Kashmir,
it was found that the bedstead had been for-
gotten. This, though an inconvenience, was
not sufficient to delay the journey, as I should be
able to find a substitute. On arriving at
Schaderrah, the termination of my first day's
march from Lahore, I was much surprised to
find, on entering the chamber prepared for me,
a charbahy bedstead, with the neatest white fur-

326 TRAVELS IN

niture. A servant of General Avitabelli's stepped
forward, and presented me a few friendly lines
from his master, requesting my acceptance of
the charbahy. He had learned from Chuni Lahl
the difficulty that had arisen about the bed-
stead, and had, in this delicate and friendly
manner, remedied the inconvenience.

INDIA AND KASHMIR.

327

CHAPTER XVIII.

General Court — His taste for antiquities — The Kalsas —
General Avitabelli's treatment of one — Schaderah —
Number of my suite — Beauty of the mountaineers —
Rajauri — The Nabob — Site of his castle — Appeals to
my mediical skill — Bharamgalla— Black bear — Khur,
or Mar Khur, the serpent devourer — Strange custom
of the village women — My feelings on approaching
Kashmir — Appearance of the valley — Resemblance to
Dresden.

General Court is a man of intellectual
tastes. He has interested himself very much
in Indian antiquities. He possesses a valuable
collection of the ancient bactrian — Indian-Greek
coins in gold, silver, and copper. General
Ventura has also a very fine collection of these
coins : and I have no doubt that the researches

328 TRAVELS IN

of these gentlemen will one day tend to throw
light upon that portion of Asiatic history
connected with the kingdoms founded hy
Alexander's generals.

One meets in the Punjaub, particularly in
the neighbourhood of Lahore and Amrit Sir, a
race of fanatical warriors, called KalsaS. They
are very ferocious looking, and they seem fond of
producing that impression. One of these men
riding through a mountain-pass, with a tall
blue turban on his head, and an enormous
weapon Hke the two-handed sword of the
middle ages in his hand, produces a very
strange impression. These Kalsas are privi-
leged persons, and often take advantage of the
distinction afforded them by the fanatical preju-
dices of the people. They oppress both great
and little ; and the prince himself dares not
bring them to justice. They sometimes carry
their intolerance so far as to forbid any traveller
to pass their encampments. I must, however,
say that, though I often passed their barracks,
I was never molested.

General Avitabelli's conduct towards one of
these Kalsas will serve to illustrate the opinion
I have already expressed of his character. At

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 329

the time that the general lived in Lahore, he
often had occasion to pass their encampments ;
and whatever were the motives of such con-
duct, the Kalsas were in the hahit of insult-
ing him. One day, when the general was
driving by in an open carriage, a Kalsa came
out and poured a torrent of abuse upon him.
The general ordered the driver to stop ; and
addressing the Kalsa, told him that if he
continued to make his throat an outlet for such
filthy expressions, he would get it blocked up
with mud. This threat not producing any
effect, Avitabelli ordered his servants to make
the Kalsa prisoner. This they did, and he
was brought to the residence of the general.
Here he was helped to an abundant meal of
mud and dismissed. Such conduct was unex-
ampled ; not one of the sirdars of the land, not
Runjeet Singh himself, would have ventured to
do such a thing. It is needless to say that no
Kalsa ever again attacked General Avitabelli.

I passed through Schaderah, an insignificant
spot, but deserving of notice as the burial place
of Humayum, the w^orthy son of the great
Baber. He was in Schaderah in 1813, when

330 TRAVELS IN

Runjeet Singh, after many vain attempts, at
length obtained possession of the Koh-i-noor.
What a train of murder, plunder, low scheming,
treachery, and pompous boast does the history
of this jewel display !

My suite, as I entered Lahore, was not insig-
nificant, but it was much more numerous at
my departure. A large body of infantry had
been added as a body-guard. The coolies who
had brought the tribute from Kashmir, were
kept back in order to carry my luggage, I, of
course, paying them. I had, besides, a number
of elephants to bring the loads to the mountain
region, for though elephants can travel all the
way to Kashmir, they give more trouble than
their services will repay ; and therefore I pro-
posed to dismiss them at the mountains.

The mehmendar, or officer of the household,
whom the government had appointed for me,
was Chuni Lahl, the same who had already con-
ducted me to Ludiana. He was a man who
boasted of his experience in conducting travellers
through India. It was he who brought Captain
Burns to Lahore, on his return from his Indus
mission.

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 331

Monsieur Jacquemont does not speak in very
flattering terms of the mountain-maidens of this
district, but I cannot agree with him. They
are women of very graceful and prepossessing
appearance, with regular features, and I must do
the men the justice to say that they are not
less handsome than the women.

There were, amongst my coolies, two young
men as beautifully formed, and as graceful in
their movements, as any that I have ever seen.
It is natural that the lower Hmbs of the inhabi-
tants of these steep mountains should be very
much developed, but it is an error to think that
this development gives an herculean appearance ;
on the contrary, the exercise of journeying over
these rugged ways, serves to give a delicate out-
line and pliant grace to the form.

1 must mention the little town of Gusheradt,
through which 1 passed. This town is remark-
able for the excellent swords made there — so
good as to be scarcely distinguishable from the
Persian blades. I have been told that one of the
characteristic properties of the Persian sword is,
that time wiU neither dim its shine, nor blunt its
edge.

332 ' TRAVELS IN

As I drew near Rajauri, a deputation waited
on me in the name of the nabob, offering me
a dhimpan and fresh bearers to facilitate my
march. Rajauri is beautifully situated, and one
of the most important towns in the mountain
district.

The nabob's castle is built on a majestic
height, and commands an unbroken view of the
valley beneath. The owner, an aged man,
received me most kindly ; he had even vacated
his own chamber, which he insisted on giving
up to me. This dwelling was the most agree-
able I had entered since I left Lahore — the
prospect that it commanded was enchanting.
The nabob insisted on my passing a day with
him. He entertained me w^th long recitals of
the wrongs he had suffered from Runjeet
Singh.

The road from Bimber to Kashmir, though
tedious, is passable for elephants and baggage.
This is the road which the Emperor Ackbar and
his son Jehanghir, always traversed in their
journeys to the " happy valley." Along the
way, at the termination of each day's march, a
serai is built. It was over this road that Run-

d ■

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 333

jeet Singh led his army to Kashmir, and often
in his many defeats, did the Nabob of Rajauri
come to his assistance, until he finally established
his power.

My first day's march from Rajauri brought me
to Dhana, and the second to Bharamgalla, where
I found a very different kind of vegetation. My
last day's march was through lovely forest
ground in which I found many species of trees
that I had not yet seen in the mountains.

Upon the highest point of our road, and
crowning a lofty mountain-peak, we found a
little village, out of which the inhabitants rushed
in shoals, begging me to cure a variety of
corporeal infirmities. One woman came who
had sprained her foot, and she, I believe, was
the only one to whom I gave advice that could
be really beneficial. The crowds that pressed
round me with hopeless maladies, would not be
appeased, and I was sorry to think that I could
not afi^ord them relief. One man who had been
blind for twenty years, and over whose eyes a
red skin was grown, importuned me to restore
his sight. Had I worn a doctor's cap — nay,
had I been in the habit of working miracles, it

334 TRAVELS IN

would have scarcely been reasonable to make
such demands upon me, for not only did they
ask to be cured — they were impatient and
wished it to be done instantly.

From this village, the road descends through
a wood along the mountain side. Here I saw
some beautiful chesnut trees, sescul, taxus, and
pinus, with their long and slender trunks. The
road is good, though at this season of the year,
not very pleasant in some parts. From the
appearance of the wood, I should be inclined to
say that it contains a great deal of game ; these
fine chesnuts would afford abundant food to the
wild boar.

Descending the road, we crossed the river, and
saw directly before us a chalk hill of considerable
elevation. The mountain around was more or
less covered with trees and shrubs. Passing
along this tract, our eyes were attracted by a
steep hill, on the south side of which were built
the few houses that constitute the village of
Bharamgalla, and in the midst crowning the
top of the projecting mountain ridge, rose a
small, badly-built fort, at that time affording
shelter to a few of the rajah's soldiers. It is

INDIA AND KASHMIR. 335

said that the conquest of this fort cost Runjeet
Singh two hundred men, as he passed on his
way to Kashmir.

I was received very kindly at Bharamgalla.
Provisions of all kinds were heaped upon me in
abundance. I w^as unwilling to accept these
things as presents, and ordered my munschi to
pay for whatever should be taken for my use.
These gifts were not alone offered in compliance
with the customs of the country, but to do
honour to Scheer Singh — " my friend" as I fre-
quently heard him called.

I learned that there was in this neighbourhood
a species of black bear, of extraordinary size,
but though I sent many persons in search of
one, my curiosity was not gratified. My mes-
sengers brought me, as a substitute, the horns
of an animal of the deer kind. The animal was
described as the size of a strong stag: it is
here called the serpent-devourer, khur, or mar-
khur. According to the accounts of the
people here, it appears at the season when
the snow is highest, and is reputed to come
from Thibet.

I was very much surprised, as I entered the

336 TRAVELS IN

village to see groups of six or seven women
congregated at different doors, pouring forth
a chant, or song of welcome, as I advanced.
I do not know whether every traveller is
greeted in this manner, but, I must confess,
that I would willingly have dispensed with
their song, which was as disagreeable to the
ear, as they were themselves unpleasant to the
eye.

A few days passed, and I was approaching
Kashmir. My attention was more awakened —
my expectations raised. I was about to enter
the " happy valley."

The road from Hurbur to Schibannia is
reckoned three coss. The way is smooth and
agreeable ; the valley unfolds itself gradually to
the eye, and the landscape assumes a more
European aspect. The fragrant odour of the
flowers, the majestic, wide -spreading trees, the
deep waters, all reminded me keenly of the land
of my birth. The horses, indeed, were not like
our German horses ; they are very small, but
excellent mountain climbers. And entering
into detail, the comparison did not hold good,
and I must confess that the advantage lay

INDIA ^AND KASHMIR. 337

with Kashmir. The wide grassy plains that
seem of unlimited extent, give a charming
character to the land, and yet the tract occu-
pied by Kashmir is small — the inhabitants are
numerous, but very poor. The soil must be
very fruitful, as the almost incredible cheapness
of provisions proves. The view of Kashmir from
this spot, with its back-ground of mountains,
is, if my memory does not deceive me, very
like the aspect of Dresden, viewed from the
western height.

END OF VOL. I.

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