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THE LIBRARY

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

GIFT OF

Sift U.C. Library

to.

TEAVEL,
ADVENTUEE, AND SPOET

FROM

's JBagaftne'

VOL. III.

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS
EDINBURGH AND LONDON

G

V.3

CONTENTS OF THE THIKD VOLUME.

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND.

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.

A NIGHTS PERIL.

MARQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59.

AMONG THE AFFGHANS.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES.

554127

TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND
SPORT.

FROM ' BLACKVTOOD'S MAGAZINE.'

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND.

BY FREDERICK TAYSEK

[MAGA. AUGUST 1880.]

I.

rflHERE are few modes of locomotion novel to
-L the literature of the present day. We have
had " Walks " innumerable over many continents.
" Eides " on all species of animals from the elephant
to the donkey have recently become the rage. A
volume is almost a necessary sequel to a yachting
cruise ; and even canoeing has provided us with a
small library of its own. If reindeer travelling has
been less fully described, it is because it has been
VOL. IIL A

2 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

less generally resorted to. But Lapland no longer
lies outside the possibilities of the tourist ; and we
have no doubt that many readers, to whom the
experiences which we are about to record will be
fresh, may be tempted on their own account to essay
a tour by reindeer within the Arctic Circle ; while
others, less ambitious to be thought venturesome,
may be pleased to have an opportunity of acquiring
some information at second hand upon the subject.

At seven o'clock on the morning of Sunday, 16th
March 1879, we left Hammerfest, the most northerly
town in the world, by the little steamer Robert,
bound for the inner reaches of the beautiful Alten
Fjord. Our party consisted of four : the amtmand l
of Finmarken and his son, the forstmester, and my-
self. Our immediate destination was Bosekop, where
we expected to meet our Lapp guides with their rein-
deer, to take us over the fjeld to Vadsoe on the Var-
anger Fjord, fully three hundred miles away.

The weather was anything but propitious. Thick
lowering clouds were gathering in the south-east, and
everything seemed to threaten that in a very short
time a severe snowstorm would fall upon us. This
in itself would have been of no consequence had it
not been that it would, firstly, hinder us from seeing
the splendid rock-formations of Alten, and secondly,

1 The office of amtmand corresponds to that of high sheriff
or lord-lieutenant in this country, though the functionary
most nearly resembling him is the French prtfet.

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 3

greatly impede our progress through the country
later on.

For a considerable distance beyond Hammerfest
the scenery is very uniform, and not at all striking.
Black or grey cliffs rise precipitously from the sea,
without a particle of visible vegetation upon them,
and even the very wildness and desolation of the
scene, though at first impressive, ceased to have
novelty, and at length became positively depressing.
Xo number of jagged peaks and curiously narrow
sounds and fjords can compensate for the absence
of colour and life in the landscape. Still there was
much to attract one's attention. In particular, the
different old shore-marks on the cliffs were very in-
teresting. The highest of these was over 100 feet
above the present water-level ; and two or three
other distinct lines just like terraces were visible
almost the whole length of the fjord. It is still an
open question among scientific men whether these
ancient sea-margin marks have been caused by a
sinking of the waters or by an upheaval of the land.
To me the latter supposition seemed the more tenable,
as the irregularity of the lines, now dipping 10 feet,
and then rising again, seem to point to the conclusion
that such was their origin ; for had they been caused
by the sea-level falling, the lines would have been
of equal height throughout.

All observation, however, speedily became impos-
sible, as the long-threatened storm at last burst upon

4 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

us, and in a short time even the coast, only a few yards
off, became but a mere dim outline. The storm con-
tinued till four o'clock. At that hour we passed a
headland on one side of which all was dark and
gloomy, with snow falling rapidly, while on the
other side the sun was shining in all its splendour,
and not a cloud was to be seen. Even behind, from
where we had just come, there was not a cloud visible
in the sky, but the snow lay like a fog-bank on the
sea, forming a wall fifty or sixty yards high, above
which the clear sky was visible. The scene before
us was lovely. A calm expanse of sunlit water with
a background of wooded hills was gradually suc-
ceeded in the distance by high, pure white moun-
tains, still and serene. The sun was now sinking,
and the ripples on the surface of the water shone
like molten gold, while the white crests of the hills
assumed a crimson glow, contrasting magnificently
with their snowy drapery. In spite of the beauty
of sun, mountains, and fjord, however, we could not
help feeling the severe cold, which already, early in
the afternoon, was about 20° to 25° of frost, though
it is true that the calmness of the air caused it to
be much less perceptible than might have been ex-
pected.

On the quay at Bosekop we found almost the
whole population waiting to receive us, and among
them were our Lapp drivers, who had come down
from the fjeld the previous evening to meet us.

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 5

They had left their reindeer in the wood close to
the town, as these animals, being very timid, do not
tolerate the presence or neighbourhood of strange
men and beasts, and would consequently, if kept in
the town itself, have become utterly unmanageable.
It was impossible to escape a slight conversation with
the Lapps ; but this being got through, we found our
way quickly to the hotel, or rather lodging-house,
where we were to spend a few hours before starting
for the interior. This hotel was a very bad specimen
of its kind ; the only commendable thing about it
Avas the ventilation, which, however, was entirely un-
controlled, for it came chiefly through holes and
fissures in the plank-walls of the building; and
ventilation, be it ever so desirable and healthy gen-
erally, has decidedly its drawbacks at a temperature
of 3° below zero of Fahr., as the thermometer this
evening registered.

In order to pass the spare time before our depar-
ture, two of us procured snow-shoes, and set off for a
walk to Bugten, lying on the other side of a pretty
thickly wooded and high peninsula north of Bosekop.
We covered the distance to Bugten in a very short
time, and on our arrival were much struck by the
wonderful size and beauty of the trees about the
place. Some Scotch firs we • computed to be fully
sixty feet high ; while we were told that the birch in
some few cases attains a height of fifty feet in this
neighbourhood. Returning by another road, we

6 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

passed the place of execution of three Lapps, who,
with others, had been found guilty of the murder of
several people in Kautokino some years ago, — in an
outbreak of religious fanaticism, it is said ; but this,
I think, must have been but a pretext. The real
object must have been plunder, as every Lapp I saw
was utterly indifferent to religion. One of the crimi-
nals pretended that his head could not be taken off ;
and, strangely enough, the executioner failed twice to
make any impression on the neck of the condemned
man, until the priest, who Avas present, reminded him
of the ancient Norwegian law which decrees that, if
an executioner fail three times, he himself shall be
placed in the stead of the felon. This remark nerv-
ing the man, he made a desperate effort, and suc-
ceeded. On the priest telling another of the fellows
that he had the " brand of Cain " upon him, he clev-
erly retorted in the words of the text, "Ah, the Lord
set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should
kill him ! "

Twice a year a great fair is held in Bosekop, at
which the Lapps obtain a good and ready market for
their produce, consisting chiefly of reindeer articles
and ptarmigan. This market or fair is largely at-
tended by the traders of the neighbouring towns, and
even Throndhjem firms send their representatives to
make purchases, and to dispose of articles of finery to
the nomads. The chief staple is, however, brandy,
and the method of dealing generally barter. The

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 7

nomads are wonderfully sharp at a bargain, and are
quite capable of taking charge of their own interests.
But of them more hereafter.

It being our last evening in a civilised place for
some days to come, we spent it at the hotel, retiring
to rest early, in order to be able to rise in good time
on the morrow, when our interesting journey was to
commence. Our Lapps did not fail to pay us a visit,
and were not at all backward in suggesting that a
"tram" oijugasta (brandy) would be very agreeable
in such cold weather.

At the appointed hour our wapooses (as the Lapp
guides are called) arrived with their reindeer, and
after getting Kari (the goodwife) to stuff our reindeer-
skin boots well with a sort of dried grass, called senne,
we donned our travelling costumes, which I must de-
scribe. You keep on your ordinary habit, and over
that you generally put a thick woollen jersey or Shet-
land jacket. You next put on a pair of small skin-
boots, and cover these again with huge Wellingtons,
also of reindeer-skin, reaching far above the knee.
These being properly tied and fastened, you attire
yourself in the chief garment of the whole, which is
the blouse or peek. This is open only at the foot and
neck, and has a very high collar. On getting into it
you must of course creep from below, which is de-
cidedly an uncomfortable and difficult operation when
you are not accustomed to it ; and I, for my part,
would never have succeeded in getting through had

8 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT.

not some one come to my assistance, and discovered
that the neck was as yet tied, thus effectually hinder-
ing all my desperate attempts to emerge into the open
air again. On escaping from my temporary confine-
ment, I had next to allow a curious-shaped bonnet or
hat of cloth, filled with eider-down, to be put upon
my head ; and after this it only wanted the huge
reindeer -skin gauntlets to completely transform me
into an aborigine of the country. As a reserve we
also were provided with a tippet or collar of bear-
skin, which, however, would only be of service in
case a storm or snow-fog should arise. JS"or did we
omit to take with us a good-sized flask of cognac, and
also a pair of blue spectacles, — these latter for the
purpose of preserving our eyes from the glare of the
snow. As may be imagined, it is exceedingly diffi-
cult to move about freely in this voluminous cos-
tume ; and it was with a feeling of relief that we
heard the wapooses give the word to take our places in
our boat-shaped sleighs, called poolks. To a stranger
these poolks at first sight seem awkward conveyances.
They are constructed without runners, and have a
keel from 3 to 5 inches wide, and about 1^ inch high.
Made entirely of wood, pointed in front, and gradu-
ally becoming broader behind, they are very light
and easily drawn. For one who has never sat in
them before, it is almost impossible to preserve equi-
librium; and the arms have constant employment to
keep one from upsetting. M. Eegnard, who travelled

A EEINDEER HIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 9

in Lapland towards the end of the seventeenth cen-
tury, says : " A Lapp sledge is called a poolk, and is
elevated in front to keep out the snow. The prow
consists of one plank, and the body is composed of
several pieces sewed together with strong reindeer-
sinews, and without a single nail. This is joined to
another piece about four fingers broad, which goes
beyond the rest of the structure, and is exactly like
the keel of a ship. It is on this that the sledge runs,
and from its narrowness constantly rolls from side to
side. The traveller sits inside as in a coffin, with the
lower part of his body covered, and being firmly tied
there, with only his hands free in order to hold the
rein. He must balance himself very carefully lest he
should be killed, as the sledge descends the steepest
hills with horrible swiftness." Though the traveller
makes some mistake with regard to being tied up in
the sledge, he is quite correct in the latter part of the
quotation, as I soon found before I had proceeded
many miles.

With the exception of one of the party, we were
all greenhorns, and were therefore not permitted to
drive alone, but were put in " leading-strings." Our
reindeer was tied to the poolks in front, while another
animal tied behind us acted as a kind of stop, and
served also to assist in keeping a fair balance. It
was, therefore, not exactly with eclat that our caval-
cade of fifteen deer left Bosekop, setting off at a hard
gallop towards the wilds we were to traverse. Even

10 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

•with our balancing reindeer, it was desperately diffi-
cult to keep from capsizing ; and as, from the number
of trees and stones in the way at the beginning, it
was dangerous to put out the arm, the poolk was as
often uppermost as undermost. I, for my part, caught
myself inwardly cursing my folly in having suffered
myself to be inveigled into taking part in such a jour-
ney ; and I began to heartily wish myself back in my
old quarters at Bosekop. Some consolation, however,
there was in the fact that I would be sure to find a
surgeon only 150 miles further on, Avhich was a
guarantee that mortification of any possible wounds
would not have had time to set in before obtaining
medical aid.

After having driven pretty evenly for about seven
miles, we came to the limits of civilisation in the
shape of the last hut between Bosekop and Karasjok.
Here several of us received the information from our
wapoos that henceforth we were to drive alone ; and
before we were able to protest, the single rein was
cast round and round our hand, and we were left to
our fate. Being entirely ignorant what to do, I
trusted wholly to Providence and my deer, and with-
out daring to tighten the rein, allowed the animal to
take its own way, which it did very properly and
calmly.

The forstmester was not so fortunate. He had
received a fast and very hot-headed brute, which,
immediately on discovering that it had an extra load

A REINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 11

to drag, commenced to gallop round and round in a
small circle, very soon upsetting the poolk, and leaving
its occupant ignominiously sprawling on the snow.
After a good deal of struggling and hard work he
regained his seat ; and as the rest of us had by this
time fairly started and were already some distance off,
the deer set out to rejoin his fellows, and was soon
trotting quietly enough in the rear of us all, only,
however, to repeat its cantrips several times later
on.

With the exception of this little contretemps, the
start was successfully accomplished, and now we had
time to examine the country. Hitherto, we had
driven through a beautifully wooded valley, evidently
a former riparian lake, as the shore-marks on the
neighbouring heights seemed to indicate. Gradually,
however, trees became fewer and fewer, and soon in
front of us and on both sides we saw nothing but a
wild waste of snow, stretching many miles away to
the south-east, in which direction our course lay.
Here the glare of the sun on the snow rendered it
necessary for us to put on our coloured spectacles.
Strangely enough, though the heat of the sun seemed
to be considerable, it did not in the slightest degree
affect the snow.

Up to this time the weather had been delightful,
and even warm — at least so it seemed to us ; while
our faces were tanned by the sun much -more than
would have been the case in a southern latitude

12 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

during the same space of time. But now, snow-
clouds began to gather on the western horizon, and
as we accidentally came upon a patch of ground
where reindeer-moss (the only food of these animals
in winter) abounded, the wapooses thought it best to
rest and feed a little before the threatening storm
commenced. The deer were then cast loose and
allowed to follow their inclinations. One would
think it rather a risky proceeding to set half-tamed
animals at liberty in the midst of such a large tract
of ground as that we now were on; but it is very
seldom that any attempt to escape ; for their instinct
would seem to tell them, that without man to assist
and protect them, they would speedily fall a prey to
the numerous wolves which infest Finmarken. "When
the time came to resume our journey, I felt curious
to see how our Lapps would recapture the deer,
which had now strayed to a considerable distance.
The three wapooses walked in a most nonchalant
manner slowly forward at an angle to where the deer
were quietly browsing, and then gradually working
their way round so as to get behind them, they
gently take hold of any rein trailing on the ground,
and having caught one, the capture of the rest is
easily accomplished. Each wapoos had under his or
her charge five deer ; and except on these five animals
they did not bestow a thought, leaving the others to
each capture his own individual five as best he could.
Even the old icapoos, Nilas by name, did not offer to

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 13

assist his better half, nor did she seem to expect such
help. The animals having been speedily got in order,
the next thing was to harness them, which is done in
this fashion : The deer has a skin-collar round its
shoulders, to which is fastened a long strap, also of
untanned skin, which going between the legs of the
animal, is tied to a ring at the prow of the poolk.
The single rein with which we drive is made fast to
the left side of the head, and is held in the right hand.
In steering, you must, if you wish to turn to the right,
cast the rein over to the right shoulder of the animal,
and pull or rather tug a little. If you wish to go
faster, you can strike with the rein on the animal's
sides and back ; though if you have a wild brute this
is rather dangerous, as it on being struck becomes
utterly unmanageable, and therefore it is generally
quite sufficient to raise the left hand as if for a
blow, which will cause the deer to rush off smartly
enough.

The moment the foremost deer starts all the others
follow in a long line, winding in and out according as
the leader's tracks go. All deer cannot be induced to
lead the way ; in fact very many are trained to follow
only, as they then become much more easily managed
as baggage-deer. Over all Finmarken, and in fact all
Lapland, one never sees two deer harnessed together
or with proper gear. In this respect the Samoyedes
are far more practical, and not only do they bring the
animal to the same state of subjection as the horse

14 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPOET.

with us, but they use entire bucks for domestic
purposes, — an unheard-of thing in Lapland, where
even does are considered as too spirited to be safely
used.

But to come back from this digression to our
journey. To avoid accidents it had been arranged
that the baggage-drivers should keep the rear, and on
no account pass those who, though driving alone, were
entirely inexperienced, and who therefore, in case of
bad weather, ran a certain amount of risk of losing
themselves. By this time a raging snowstorm had
commenced, and the cold was severe, the thermometer
being only 5° or 6° above zero. The flakes of snow
cut our faces as if they had been needles. Worst of
all, our cheeks took on a coating of ice and perfectly
blinded most of us, the hollows of our eyes being
entirely filled with frozen snow. At first I attempted
to pick this away, but soon found that that was
impossible, as it would not come away without the
skin or flesh coming to. In spite of all my endeav-
ours to keep ahead, every one of the baggage-deer
and icapooses had now passed me, and I at last found
myself in the midst of a wild snowstorm, with day-
light almost gone, alone and semi-blind in the centre
of a wide desert. All sorts of disagreeable visions rose
up before me : tales of the many who had disappeared
for ever on the fjeld ; of others whose glistening bones
were discovered to view by returning spring ; rumours
of the large hordes of wolves at present in the neigh-

A EEINDEEE EIDE THEOUGH LAPLAND. 15

"bourhood • and lastly, fear of frost-bite, all combined
to make me feel very uncomfortable. There was,
however, "balm in Gilead," and noticing how con-
tentedly my reindeer jogged along, following a track
invisible to me, I felt somewhat reassured. Still,
during the half-hour which followed, I often almost
despaired of coming up with the others again. At
last, however, the welcome sound of a dog's bark fell
on my ear, my deer quickened its steps, and in a short
time I was in the midst of my friends at the first
fjeld-station, named Jotka Javre. My non-arrival
had caused them some anxiety ; for, as I had conjec-
tured, my absence, owing to the darkness and snow,
had not been noticed until they all arrived at the
station, and they consequently could not know how
far behind I might be. Had we not been so near the
fjeld-stue when the storm came on, the consequences
to me might have been disastrous. Naturally, after
such a long day's work, we were very hungry, and
viewed with satisfaction the preparations made for
our refreshment. Never do I remember having
partaken of food which I relished so well as in that
humble stue. And then, what more agreeable drink
than hot steaming cognac-toddy to serve as a night-
cap to the weary traveller before retiring to rest?
Owing to the cold the cognac seemed quite weak ;
and enormous quantities were consumed that evening,
and continued to be consumed every evening during
the trip.

16 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

The station we now found ourselves in was a
very agreeable and cosy little place. Everything
was clean and nice ; our beds were simply shelves
covered with dry birch-sprays, upon which were laid
a reindeer-skin or two. This formed a comfortable,
though very hard couch, which was most assuredly
very welcome after a day's exertions in a ^W/-,
where the bones suffer so much from the continual
jolting. "Well, to these birch couches we retired
after our snug supper, well tired -out by our drive,
but not forgetting to first take a look at the weather
outside, so as to have some idea of our next day's
probable trials. Though the snow was not now
falling so thickly, it was still with gloomy forebod-
ings that we laid ourselves down, and were soon in
the arms of "Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep."
While the others are sleeping, it may be interesting
to tell a little of the fjeld-stue and its inhabitants.

Situated between two somewhat extensive lakes,
separated only by a very narrow strip of ground, this
station is exactly thirty miles from the nearest house
on one side, and fifty-six to sixty miles on the other,
the country between being untraversed by regular
roads, so that the distance is much more formidable
than the mileage would seem to indicate. Jotka
Javre, in common with the other fjeld-stties, was
erected by Government some years ago, and the
keeper is salaried by the State. As it is very
difficult to get the soil to yield anything so far north,

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LA.PLAND. 17

the keepers of such places have much difficulty in
making both ends meet, and they have often to
endure great privations ; in fact, should ptarmigan
any season fail to visit the neighbourhood, their
existence becomes very precarious indeed. This
year only six of these birds had been snared there,
and the family had suffered in consequence.

The lakes on either side of the station are full of
pike, causing, of course, a scarcity of other fish ; but
as the people never eat pike (why, or for what
reason, I could not make out), their fishery is of
little value. The salary of the keeper was 320
Aroners, or about £18 sterling; and this, added to
the payments from strangers or visitors on stray
occasions, made up the fjeld-stue keeper's annual
receipts, out of which he had to provide for a family
of a wife and six small children. With tears in
his eyes he begged for a rise of salary ; and the
amtmand promising to recommend an increase to
Government, made the poor fellow very happy. I
had a little conversation with the man, and heard
from him, with what truth I know not, that the
climate is annually becoming more severe. He
showed me patches of ground on which he alleged
he formerly had grown barley with considerable
success ; but even potatoes would hardly grow on it
now. From other sources I later on heard the same
opinion expressed ; and, in fact, from my own obser-
vations, I have almost come to the same conclusion.

VOL. in. B

18 TRAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

At Jotka Javre there was no reindeer-moss, and
it was therefore necessary, in order properly to pre-
pare the deer for the long distance on the morrow,
to take them some way off where moss was plentiful ;
but as it was impossible, owing to the number of
wolves in the district, to leave the animals un-
guarded all night, the wapooses went out and slept
on the snow-covered ground beside them. That the
wolves were in great force was evident from the fact
that a large pack had remained outside the house for
a long time the evening before our arrival. They
never venture so near except when in great numbers,
and when half mad with hunger. Of course the
Lapps had to get a good strengthener in the shape
of ju'jasta, or brandy, before leaving, and another to
recruit their benumbed bodies on returning. With
regard to the brandy they consume the quantity is
absolutely incredible. A quart daily is the common
amount, and even this large quantum is often ex-
ceeded under trying circumstances. However, if we
take into account the severe cold and the consequent
weakness of the spirits, this is by no means so
astonishing as it would seem at first sight.

We were awakened in the morning by our wa-
pooses presenting themselves for their usual morning
dram, at the same time hinting that an early start
would be agreeable. Accordingly, after swallowing
an extempore and hasty breakfast, and donning our
garments of martyrdom, we set out in the best of

. A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 19

spirits. Contrary to the most sanguine expectations,
the weather was delightful. The sun, just above the
horizon, already at that early hour gladdened us by
his warmth ; while the stillness of the clear and
pure air was exceedingly pleasant. Just as we were
about to step into our poolks, one of our party gave
vent to an exclamation, and pointed to the snow-
clad lake before us. Yes, there far off was a dark
moving line which, soon coining nearer, proved to
be, as of course anticipated, another raydn, or train
of poolks. We were all impatient to find out
whether this raydn came from Kautokino or Karas-
jok, and were much disappointed to hear that it had
started from the former place. Had it come from
Karasjok we would have had a road or track (spoor)
to follow the whole way, which would greatly have
lightened our labour. Even as it was, we had cause
to be grateful to the Lapp in charge of the cortege
for setting out so soon, as by following his spoor
which lay in onr direction for more than seven miles,
we would be saved much time and trouble. .

The Kautokino Lapp differs from him of Karasjok
considerably. For instance, the former drives his
reindeer with the help of a long stick, which is
never done by one from Karasjok ; the latter also
never takes a dog with him when on business excur-
sions, while the former is never without one.

But to return to ourselves. After allowing the
other raydn to pass, we also started. Our deer

20 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

having had a good night's rest and plenty of food,
kept up a good pace ; and as the state of the snow
was just all that could be desired, we were sure of
a quick and pleasant day's journey. Our way lay
through a long and continuous chain of lakes, and
was decidedly monotonous ; not a tree, not a bush,
not a living thing in sight to relieve the dreariness
and dulness of that endless waste. Far, far away in
the distance, rose a low ridge of hills, stretching com-
pletely across the horizon; this range formed the
watershed of the district, and we had, consequently,
until reaching it, almost entirely uphill work, but
had, of course, the satisfaction of knowing that we
should go quickly enough downhill after we had
once attained the summit. Still, before coming to
the real ascent, we had many miles of lake to tra-
verse. The road across these large waters is marked
out by branches of birch placed on the ice at regular
intervals. The labour of setting up these way-marks
every winter falls on the occupants of ihefjeld-xt>"',
and is by no means without its risks. For example,
as the largest lake is seven or eight miles long and
about the same breadth, it is no small matter to be in
the middle of this large tract in a snowstorm or a fog.
As before mentioned, the deer I had was a staid
and sensible animal, but withal too slow for my taste ;
and so, noticing that I was gradually falling behind
as usual, I insisted on a change at the next stoppage.
My icapoos did not like this, but he put on an inno-

A KEINDEEE EIDE THROUGH LAPLAXD. 21

cent look and agreed to my wishes. He selected
from out of his group of five deer the most quiet-
looking and solemn, and harnessing it delivered the
reins to me. Hardly had I seated myself before the
beast began dancing about, now on his fore-legs, now
on his hind-legs, sometimes even rolling over and
over in the snow. I took in the situation. In
order to "pay me off" for occasioning him some
trouble in changing my deer, the wapoos had given
me a wild, or at least only a partly trained animal.
However, I would not be beaten, and accordingly
kept my seat, allowing the brute to race round and
round with me in its wake. I held on as if " for
dear life." At last an unexpected thing happened to
me. My deer, suddenly leaving off galloping in a
circle, made a dash for the centre of our cavalcade,
jumping over the packing poolks, and finally over the
unfortunate amtmand, who, with arms and legs out-
stretched, gasped for breath on coming from under
the panting deer. After this escapade it was useless
to attempt managing it alone ; and so, in spite of my
protestations, I was tied fast to the other poollis and
was in this ignominious fashion dragged several miles,
decidedly thankful when I was again allowed to get

ick my old steady-going jog-trot beast.
After six hours we came to the ruins of what had
formerly been a fjeld-stue, having accomplished half
DUT day's distance, though by far the tougher part

ras that before us. This fjeld-stue, Malasjok, was

22 TEAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPOKT.

supposed to be uninhabited, but we found a Lapp
there who had passed the whole winter snaring
ptarmigan, of which he had about 120. How any
mortal could exist in. such a place without a single
companion, not even a dog, throughout the long and
dark winter months, is extraordinary. Without any
intellectual pursuit to occupy him indoors, and sub-
sisting entirely on ptarmigan, without even a morsel
of bread the whole time, his life must have been
frightful ; but so little was the man removed from
the brute beast, that he showed not the slightest sign
of pleasure at seeing a human face again.

Quickly getting ready a cold lunch and swallowing
a cup of hot coffee, we were soon equal to attempt-
ing the remaining thirty miles before us. Strangely
enough there was a stream of running water close to
the hut, and we were informed that it never froze,
even in the coldest weather, though the lake from
which it flows is frozen seven months of the year.
As there was no rapid fall, this circumstance was
inexplicable to ITS, the more so as the water was not
perceptibly warmer than the snow and ice around it.

The man who had lived there during the winter
begged to be allowed to tie his poolk to one of our
spare deer (he having none), while he himself accom-
panied us on snow-shoes ; and as he seemed to be
very anxious to leave Malasjok, we consented, stipu-
lating, however, for a payment of twelve ptarmigan.
Being uncommonly thick-headed even for a Lapp, he

A REINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 23

took this proposal seriously, and was evidently very
much annoyed at what he considered our stinginess.
Still there was nothing for him but to agree to this
bargain, which he did with a very bad grace.

Though still early in the day the cold was very
severe, and it was with some misgiving that I occa-
sionally touched my nose and chin to fihd out if
these were yet intact, or if, as sometimes happens,
they had, unknown to me, dropped off by the way.
However, as yet no such calamity occurred. With
the sun shining in cloudless splendour behind us, we
now faced the hills, and after several hours of very
rough work reached the summit. It was now after-
noon, and the sun cast a glorious red glow over the
whole fjeld, causing it to appear as if dyed with
blood.

One disagreeable and curious result of the clear
weather and strong sunshine was the absolute dis-
appearance, if I may call it, of perspective. Looking
before you, you would perhaps see what seemed to
be a very high hill looming a great distance in front
of you, which, however, in a very short time, turned
out to be a small hillock a few yards away. It was
on this line of march that we encountered our first
sharp descent, which I shall here describe. We had
been going slowly uphill, when suddenly I noticed
the leading deer and poolk disappear as if into a hole ;
the same occurred to all the others* before me, and,
on my turn coming, I held fast to my place, expecting

24 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

a pit or something of that sort. However, it was
only a momentary movement ; for before I could
realise the situation, I found myself flying downhill,
at the heels of my deer, at a tremendous rate ; and
not being accustomed to such rapid motion, I soon
flew out of the poolk, and was dragged on my face
down the remainder of the declivity, with the poolk
sometimes lying on me, and sometimes entangled
about the deer's legs, and without doubt both poolk
and deer entirely out of my control. On reaching
the foot of the hill I found the others waiting for
me, and ascertained that I was not the only one who
had "preferred to change his mode of travelling in
order to relieve the back a little. The others praised
me for having kept a hold of my brute, and for not
slipping the rein. I cannot, however, say that this
praise was exactly deserved, as it certainly was not
my fault that the knot by which I had fastened the
rein to my hand refused to undo itself.

After several such episodes (for we were now, as
before mentioned, on the downhill track) we, at
eight o'clock, arrived at our resting-place, having
travelled about sixty miles that day, the way being
chiefly uphill. Including stoppages and dinner-time,
this distance took us about thirteen hours, which
must be considered pretty fair, if we take into con-
sideration the travelling already accomplished by the
animals.

The country during the last mile or two had en-

A KEINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 25

tirely changed its aspect, and we were now in the
midst of a well-wooded tract, which was a welcome
change after the desert we had just passed through.
Shortly before arriving at the station I felt a curious
numb sensation on my chin, and on mentioning this,
it was found, after examination, to be frost-bitten.
Though but slight it was very disagreeable, itching
fearfully the whole night. I am informed — and I
up till now experience the truth of the statement
— that the effects will continue for many years,
especially showing themselves during every extreme
of heat or cold. Half an hour after our arrival, the
Lapp who had set out from Malasjok on snow-shoes
along with us, arrived, seemingly not at all fatigued by
his thirty-mile walk.

Eavna-stuen, the station, was kept by a poor
widow, with a large young family, and only 200
kroners, about £11, a-year of salary. She did not
possess that virtue of virtues — cleanliness ; in fact,
the dirt and squalor of her family and her house
were such that we could not bring ourselves to allow
her to cook anything for us : and so we contented
ourselves with our tinned foods and a steaming glass
of the " cratur." The warmth within effectually kept
away the cold without, though that was not insigni-
ficant, for that evening there was 30|° Eeaumur of
frost, equal to from 34° to 36° below the zero of
Fahrenheit ; but a few degrees more and the mercury
in the glass would have been frozen.

26 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

As a number of Lapps were at the time staying
at Eavna, we took the opportunity of inspecting the
apartment where they all " herded " together. In a
large but rather low room, with walls and roof of
rough-hewn planks, and with beams stretching from
wall to wall in every direction, were assembled at
least twenty-five persons of all ages and both sexes.
Most of them had taken off their skin blouses, and
hung them on the rafters near a huge wood-fire fit to
roast an ox at. The half-stewed garments and the
steam from the dirty persons of those in front of the
fire, caused a most unsavoury odour, which tempted
us to make our stay as short as possible. All round
the apartment, except near the door, were ranged
the sleeping-shelves, the major part of which were
already occupied, — men, women, and children, all
indiscriminately mingled together, not distinguish-
able to the unpractised eye the one from the other,
and appearing like nothing else than mere animated
bundles of fur. From the group congregated round
the fire no cheerful laugh, no buzz of conversation,
no noisy merriment, emanated — all were silent and
still ; perhaps they did not wish to disturb the
sleepers ; but judging from their solemn and lugu-
brious countenances, their gloominess seemed but too
natural, and very far from assumed or constrained.
"Well, in the joyless and monotonous life those poor
people lead, it is not surprising that all innate merri-
ment about them is soon stifled.

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 27

The close and disagreeable atmosphere soon drove
us from the room, but it took some time to dispel
the unconquerable feeling of melancholy which the
visit had engendered.

On our reindeer-skin couches, and covered with
rugs and furs, it was not long before we were utterly
oblivious of all around us, though the dead silence
outside was occasionally broken by the stamp or
bleat of the deer, or the shrill cry of their watchers,
which, under ordinary circumstances, could not fail
to have aroused us. Thus passed gradually our
second night on the fjeld.

Refreshed by our healthful sleep, we walked out
into the beautiful morning. Heedless of the cold,
we watched the sparkling ice-crystals as they floated
like gossamer on the rarefied air, slowly covering us
with a thin layer like sparkling brilliants. In spite,
however, of the poetry of our surroundings, the lower
nature, strong in all of us, began to assert itself,
and the welcome smell of coffee led us into the hut,
where it and hot rolls formed, to our hungry palates,
an unsurpassable breakfast.

We had now only about thirty miles between us
and the fjeld town we were to visit, and as the
road lay chiefly downhill, we anticipated covering
the distance in about four hours. There is little to
relate of this day's journey. The weather was cold
but delightful. The fore (that is, the state of the
way) was all that could be desired. A few miles

28 TKAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

from the station we passed our friend the Lapp from
Malasjok, who, in company with the widow from
Ravna, continued his journey to Karasjok on snow-
shoes.

The country about us was thickly covered with trees,
and seemed likely to afford good pasturage in summer.
The forstmester, however, was much alarmed to
observe that a great number of the best trees were
dead or in a state of decay. The reason probably
was, as he stated, the excessive heat of the previous
summer, accompanied by a long-continued drought ;
on the other hand, the Lapps maintained that this
general destruction of timber arose from the very low
temperature of the winter, which here, as over the
rest of Europe, was unusually severe in 1878-79. But
the forstmester held that the effects of this year's cold
could not already be visible, and therefore adhered
to his former opinion. As the district over which he
presides contains about 200 square miles of forest,
besides many square miles of scattered woods, it can
easily be imagined that the damage done is not in-
considerable.

But to continue. We now came to the worst part
of the whole route — viz., the last few miles to Karas-
jok. The road ran through a thick wood and had
evidently been pretty much used lately, for it was fur-
rowed up into deep holes here and there, and for the
whole way there was at least a poolk track visible.
We were, of course, going downhill, and downhill we

A EEINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 29

did go at a terrific pace; "full gallop" does not
adequately express the speed ! The deer literally
flew, and it was no easy job to keep inside the poolk,
it being dangerous to use the arms as balancers owing
to the number of tree-stumps lying in the path.
We were now nearing the long and very steep descent
called the " Karasjok bakken," which was the climax
of difficulty on the whole route. After reaching the
foot of any declivity more than usually abrupt, I
asked my friend, "Was that the Karasjok hill?"
and always got the answer, " No ; " and the next
question of course was an anxious inquiry, "Is the
Karasjok hill worse than the one we have just come
down?" When I was told that the dreaded place
was come at last ; when I observed the amtmand and
his son leave their poolks and prepare to walk down ;
and when, lastly, the wapooses made extraordinary
precautions with the harness and accoutrements of
their beasts, — I felt a somewhat sinking sensation at
my heart. I must admit that I had a sort of faint
hope that the wapoos would advise me also to get out
and walk, which, with seeming reluctance, and with
many protestations, I would have done with secret
joy. But no. They had eventually overlooked me
entirely, or, as I fondly flattered myself, thought me
already so good at reindeer-driving as to be quite
capable of managing the descent.

Holloa ! The cortege already now begins to move ;
the foremost deer disappears over the brow of the hill,

30 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

quickly followed by all the rest, their speed enhanced
by seeing the figures of those who had got out stand-
ing at the side of the road. My turn comes, and with
tremendous velocity we sweep down the hill. Here
is no talk of trying to regulate the speed. No.
Speaking vulgarly, you must simply "go for it."
The worst bit comes. The road bends at a sharp
angle. The occupant of the poolk before me is thrown
out, and a like fate seems to threaten me. I hold
on to the poolk with grim determination, and am
hurled right forward, poolk and all, as the deer turns
the corner ; then, for an instant, the poolli stops, only
immediately to continue its mad race downhill at the
heels of the deer. Thus was passed the, in Finmarken,
celebrated " Karasjok bakken." Though keeping up
a hard pace, all danger is now past, as the declivity
leads straight down to the river's bed ; and soon, with-
out accident, we are drawn up on the frozen river a
mile from Karasjok, which place, all beflagged and
adorned in honour of the amtmand's visit, we see
directly in front of us. When our less adventurous
companions come up to us, the word to start is given,
and in a short time we find ourselves in the midst of
a Lapp crowd, " the cynosure of twice a hundred
eyes," in front of the principal house in the place —
viz., that of the resident trader. That worthy is of
course there to bid us welcome, which he does with an
evident sincerity which promises well for our inter-
course with him during our sojourn in Karasjok.

A KEINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 31

Assembled also are thefoged of the district, the lens-
mand (doctor), retstolk or official interpreter, and the
sexton, who, with their families and that of the clergy-
man, form the civilised portion of Karasjok society.

Hastening to disencumber ourselves of our heavy
garments, we are soon inside the comfortable house,
and have our bedrooms assigned to us. It can be
easily imagined that one of the first things we did was
to have a right good wash, after which only we felt
ourselves fit to sit at a civilised board, and discuss a
civilised dinner.

Karasjok, on the river Kara, is a collection of
wooden huts, in the midst of which a small church
raises its by no means lofty spire. The population is
about 400 or 500, and consists almost exclusively of
Lapps, the exceptions being the persons before men-
tioned. At this time of the year the usual half-yearly
court is held (the other taking place about midsum-
mer), and the criminal cases that have arisen in the
interval are disposed of. Thus it was we found col-
lected in the hamlet many (comparatively speaking)
civilised beings. Here was the district doctor, whose
clientele hardly equals the number of square miles
under his jurisdiction ! The foged of Tana (the office
oifoged resembles closely that of a sous-prefet), and
his satellite the interpreter, also for the moment
gladdened the place by their presence. Both officials,
doctor and lawyer, appear to thrive among the popu-
lace. The former has a very profitable practice, sell-

32 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT.

ing, as he does, extremely large quantities of "pediculce
destroyer," the fabrication of which can cost him but
little. Pediculce is a common everyday thing with
the good Lapps, the majority of whom quietly permit
its molestations without hindrance. The foyed ad-
ministers justice to the community, and acts on the
principle that it must be done in small quantities.
The only recognised crime here is reindeer-stealing ;
almost every other departure from the usual moral
code — excepting, of course, murder — is quietly over-
looked. Let a pair of Lapps half demolish one an-
other : why, the law maintains, and correctly too, that
they probably only both get a very salutary thrashing,
and consequently no further action is necessary. Let
words be uttered which in this country would bring
the perpetrator within the grasp of the libel laws,
there they are passed over without notice ; for, know-
ing that they are all equally and alike rascals, what
does it signify if, for once, this knowledge is put into
words and proclaimed abroad ? But let an unfortunate
Lapp for one moment forget the difference between
meum and tuum as regards reindeer, and the crime is
visited upon him with the utmost rigour of the law.

One, however, can hardly wonder at the enormous
amount of deer-stealing that goes on, considering that
the brutes are in a more than semi-wild state, and
have often but slight marks to distinguish them by.
In fact the reiving of deer can be but looked upon in
the same light as smuggling was regarded in the old

A REINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 33

clays, and as poaching now is. The ingenuity ex-
pended in the abduction of a deer is often worthy of
a better cause, and sometimes borders on the incredible.
The quantity of reindeer owned in Karasjok amounts
to about 20,000 ; and in Kautokino about 30,000 is
the figure given. Not many years ago the number
was nearly double. One old apoplectic toper in
Karasjok owned at least 5000 deer, which represents
a capital of over £2000 sterling ; yet there seemed
to be but little attention paid to him — " toadyism "
having probably not yet found its way into these
regions.

It seemed at first strange to us that several of the
natives could speak a little English, but I found out
that these had been in London in 1870. These
English-speakers were for ever bothering me to give
them something or other ; the art of begging evidently
having been taught them all too well in the London
" Zoo " where they had been exhibited.

The present church in Karasjok was erected in
1807 ; but even before 1750 a church had existed in
the place. It is seated for about 200 persons, and is
even pretty inside. The best seats are railed off from
the body of the church, and are reserved for the Norsk
portion of the congregation, while the poor Lapps must
worship at a respectful distance.

On the second day of our stay in Karasjok I started,
in company with my wapoos, to visit a reindeer by or
town, situated about five or six miles from Karasjok.

VOL. III. C

34 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

The journey had to be accomplished on snow-shoes.
The by lay up on the brow of a hill rising steeply
from the river, and was made up of about 600 to 700
reindeer. The place was somewhat difficult of access
owing to the depth of the snow ; but after an hour's
hard work we found ourselves suddenly in the midst
of the deer, who lay in holes in the snow, with no-
thing but the tips of their antlers visible. The deer
that had drawn me from Bosekop lay there among
the rest, apparently not a whit the worse for our long
trip. There were also several entire deer, that seemed
to look twice as majestic as the others ; and the
wapoos cautioned me against disturbing or irritating
these, for were a fit of rage to come over them they
would not hesitate an instant to attack us. Altogether
the by was a curious and interesting sight, from which
I found it difficult to tear myself away.

Of all the bodily exercises I know of, there is none,
in my opinion, that can come up to snow-shoeing as
it is done in Norway. Skating is nothing compared
to this sport. What can equal the splendid sensation
of flying across the deep snow at the rate of many
miles an hour, without hardly moving a muscle]
And then, going downhill, staff in hand, no exertion
necessary, other than to keep the balance, while glid-
ing softly but swiftly onward. Unlike the Canadian
snow-shoes, these ski (pronounced shee) of the Nor-
wegians are often fully twelve feet long, curving
upwards at the prow, and are not broader than three

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 35

to four inches. Throughout their whole length they
are provided with a groove for the purpose of keep-
ing them from slipping when going at an angle down-
hill. Although by no means slow when used across
level ground, it is yet downhill that they are most
effective, for their long length and their polished
under-surface on the frozen snow cause a speed more
like flying than any other motion I know of. The
inhabitants of Telemarken, in the south of Norway,
are the most efficient ski runners ; and at the annual
competitions at Christiania, generally bear off the
prizes. At the competition there in 1879, one of
these men leaped, according to a local newspaper,
a distance of thirty Norwegian alen, or fully sixty
feet ! Into this country it will not be possible to
introduce them, as of course there would be little or
no opportunity for using them — the snow never lying
long enough, or becoming sufficiently deep.1

Karasjok, among other things, also contains a
prison, which when I visited it was tenanted by
two poor deer-stealers, whose extradition had been
demanded by the Swedish authorities. Though
nominally prisoners, they seemed to do pretty much
as they liked, as they left the prison Avhenever they
had occasion to do so. On my inquiring how this
state of affairs was permitted, I was informed that

1 Since the above was written I have worn my pair several
times in Britain, and found them to do very well, although
the snow was only about two or three inches deep.

36 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

these men could not possibly get away from the
place even if they tried, which was unlikely; as,
being Swedish Lapps, and without friends to pro-
cure reindeer and poolk for them, they would have
been entirely helpless had they even succeeded in
getting out into the waste. I further learned that
these two gentlemen were to be our travelling com-
panions on the following day, accompanied by their
keepers, who were to deliver them to the authorities
further down the river.

It was with great regret that I left Karasjok, as I
had met with much kindness from its inhabitants.
Any information I had desired had always been
readily accorded me ; and on leaving the house of
good Mr Fandrem, the trader, he refused all remun-
eration for my board and lodging. Mr Fandrem was
a very interesting old man, and had been presented
by the king with a gold medal "pour le merite
civile." His time is divided between his establish-
ment at Karasjok and his summer residence at Komag
Fjord, a minor inlet in the great Alten Fjord. At
the latter place Mr Chambers, of the well-known
journal of that name, had once spent some time with
him, and he still looked back to that time with
pleasure.

From him I got much information about the social
and moral condition of the people, who, it seems,
must be placed very low indeed in the human scale.
They have no recognised head-man or chief; and

A KEINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 37

their priests have also but little influence over them.
This, however, is not at all strange, for these priests
are of a different race, and all feel more or less the
habitual ^Norwegian contempt for the Lapps. The
clergy in these regions always live in hope that their
ministrations may speedily be rewarded by a living
in the south of Norway. They consequently regard
their stay in Finmarken merely as a temporary hard-
ship, but in reality they exist in thought and sym-
pathy far away from the poor Lapps. Of course
there are exceptions, but these are few and far
between. As a rule, the clergy are represented in
Finmarken by young inexperienced men, who — per-
haps from pecuniary considerations, perhaps with a
view to serving their apprenticeship in their profes-
sion among a people whose powers of criticism are of
the lowest, — consent to be, what they consider, buried
alive, until the end they have in view be accom-
plished. Under these circumstances the relations
between priest and people are very slender and pre-
carious ; and between want of trust and faith on one
side, caused by want of sympathy on the other,
the Gospel is preached to unwilling ears ; and thus,
except in name and outwardly, the natives are as far
from Christianity as ever.

The moral condition of the Lapps is, as before
stated, very low. Conjugal faithfulness is known,
but left unpractised; and intercourse between the
sexes is on the freest footing. This is, of course,

38 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

prejudicial to the long continuance of the Lapp race,
which, already now dwindling, will, it is feared, before
many years have rolled on, be a thing of the past.
Another reason favouring the supposition that the
Lapps are doomed to early extinction — the usual
fate of nomads, or those who try to stem the great
tide of civilisation — is, that the Quaens, or natives of
Eussian Finland, are now already supplanting them
everywhere. The Queens, who mainly compose the
population of the towns on the east and north coasts
of Norway, are hard-working and more intelligent,
and also much better adapted for the higher branches
of manual labour than their Lapp neighbours, who
never will, and never can, be anything else than
nomads. By no means unconnected with the de-
cline of the race, is the failure, or rather difficulty,
of obtaining sufficient reindeer - moss during the
winter (Lapp and reindeer are so identified that it
is impossible to separate the two). Formerly the
deer were marched into Eussian territory, and there
suffered to feed at will ; but the Eussian nomads,
thinking their rights violated, obtained a law for-
bidding the crossing of the frontier, under pain of
destruction of the herds transgressing. And one of
the first results of this was, that a sort of reign of
terror was established on the frontier, with mutual
recrimination and slaughtering of herds. One poor
Norsk Lapp had strayed inside the frontier a few
hundred yards, and was then surprised and forced to

A REINDEER HIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 39

witness the slaughter of 500 deer — his all; and he
was thus reduced by one fell stroke from comparative
affluence to poverty. Many such instances occur ;
and though it may be apparently reasonable and even
lawful to take such stringent measures, yet, taking
into account the extreme length and unguardedness of
the frontier, and the consequent temptation to trans-
gress which must come to a man whose moral sense,
on account of his training, is not of the highest, and
who knows that one thin imaginary line is all that
divides him and his hungry herds from the richest
pastures, — taking all this into account, one cannot
help sympathising with the Norwegians, and feeling
that the Russian lawgivers might have made some
regulation more suitable to the race and country for
which it was intended.

Thus it is but too certain that the Lapps are doomed.
Without religion, without art, without a single higher
or noble attribute, living merely for the day, and not
looking beyond it, how can they long continue to
block the way for more able workers in this earthly
beehive 1 Further to the north they cannot get, and,
therefore, silently and slowly they will disappear, and
vanish for ever from among the peoples of the earth,
leaving no mark behind them, and no sign to show
that they have been.

40 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOET.

II.

On a lovely morning, the 22d of March, we started
in excellent spirits and with light hearts on our
expedition down the river to Yadsoe, or rather to the
last stopping-place before leaving the river, and going
overland to Vadsoe.

Our cavalcade was comprised of twenty-two rein-
deer, each drawing his man ; and twenty more deer
had left early in the morning Avith our luggage. The
twenty-two poolks made a goodly show; and it was
thus with great eclat that we set forth, each and all
madly striving to be first. Our deer were not the
same as those that had conveyed us from Bosekop ;
and those we now had had not been used for many
months, so that they were as " fresh as paint." "\Ve
all rushed madly down the river, whose broad bosom
formed a splendid road for us. Being as yet by no
means proficient at deer-driving, I urged my beast
forward far too strongly at the outset, with the
natural result of rendering it slow and spiritless long
before any of the others showed even the slightest
symptom of fatigue.

I forgot to mention that the beau elite of Karasjok
had accompanied us one Norsk mile (seven English)
on our way down-stream, and before leaving us we
had, of course, a stirrup-cup from them. The pro-
vider of this (the deputy lensmand, and a Lapp)

A REINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 41

produced a bottle, marked " fine old port," with an
almost antediluvian date, and proceeded forthwith to
distribute the nectar unsparingly among us travellers.
Never shall I forget that awful mixture. Thinking
to escape a second supply, I urged him to fill the
glass — there was only one — up to the brim every
time, — but no ! He was not going to act as a com-
mon peasant, but would do what Norwegian etiquette
demands — viz., only fill it half full ; so there was
nothing left but to swallow the medicinal decoction
with as good a grace as possible, and to pray for no evil
results. To have refused to take the wine would have
been deemed as great an affront to the Lapp as to refuse
bread and salt from a Russian, or betel from a Burmese.
After the departure of the good Karasjokians, we
made for terra firma, and pushed rapidly on, every
one exhilarated by the glorious sunshine and the
magnificent scenery around. At Karasjok itself, and
for a considerable distance down the river, the terrain
rises in terraces, very regularly and singularly formed,
rather abruptly from the water's edge, and the whole
formation seems indubitably to indicate that the
surface-level of the river had, on two or three occa-
sions, suddenly been lowered. Not being a geologist,
I was unable to determine the nature or period of
these revolutions ; but I feel convinced that a scien-
tific man would find a boundless field for his researches
in that district in the north of Norway lying between
Alten Fjord and the Tana river inclusive.

42 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

The clean-cut terraces were covered with trees,
chiefly Coniferae. These had now taken the place of
the birch which almost entirely predominates on the
other side of Karasjok; and though as yet leafless
and melancholy-looking, the pines produced a highly
picturesque effect, with their sprays and branches
crested with pure white snow — such white snow as
is never seen elsewhere than in the arctic regions.
But, holloa! What's the matter? The foremost
Lapp suddenly stops, jumps up and puts his face close
to the ground, examining something very carefully.
He calls the others towards him, and a short conver-
sation ensues, the result of which is given us by the
forstmester, who had also joined in the " confab." It
seemed that the marks just discovered proved that
not ten minutes before our arrival a deer had passed
by hotly pursued by a wolf. That the chase was in
its last stages was evident from the fact that the
deer's strides were so short that the wolf had made
use of them to follow in the same footsteps ; it was
consequently calculated that by following the track
for half an hour or so we would be sure to come up
to the scene of slaughter. Some eager souls still
hoped to be able to save the poor deer, and were for
starting at once ; but the majority decided that, as
we had a pretty long road to travel before reaching
our night-quarters, it would be necessary to leave it
to its fate, which was accordingly done.

As formerly mentioned, the wolves are the great

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 43

scourge of Finmarken, and great depredations are an-
nually committed by them, so much so that a premium
of 20 Tcroners (or £1, 2s. 3d.) is set on their head.

Their usual method of procuring, or rather killing,
deer, is to make a rush into the midst of a by, and to
select an individual from out of the crowd in the rush
or stampede that follows. This poor animal, once
singled out, rarely if ever escapes, as the relentless
pursuer never swerves, be he left ever so far behind
at the outset ; and at last, tired and hungry, the poor
creature sinks panting on the snow, which very shortly
after is dyed by its life's blood. Sometimes a wolf,
out of mere wantonness, will destroy half a herd with-
out eating a single one. This, however, I suppose, is
common to all animals of the canine race, — as witness
the amount of sheep-worrying in our own country.
The premium of 20 kroners is, in the opinion of the
people, hardly commensurate to the risk and trouble of
killing such an animal. The prevailing wish is that
the premiums paid for the killing of other beasts and
birds of prey should be lowered, and that for wolves
at least doubled, in which case it would pay to import
weapons, &c., to engage in the common cause against
lupus, when, it is confidently expected, its depreda-
tions would soon be reduced to a bearable figure.

Well, leaving the spot where a tragedy en minia-
ture was being enacted, we continued on our way;
and after making a short stop for the purpose of
feeding the deer and of taking a snack ourselves, we

44 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT.

started again for the river, passing now and again
a few huts which were wretched in the extreme.
The inhabitants of these mud-pies looked at us in an
apathetic sort of way as we passed, and even the
dogs barked at us in a solemn, half-hearted sort of
style, sometimes not even taking the least notice of
our presence.

The river was reached after a rather stiff hill,
and the impetus given us in the descent took us a
good bit out on its surface ; and shortly we reached
the spot where we were to pass the night — viz.,
Seilnaes. There was but one bed in the house, and
much as we would have liked to have slept in one, it
was thus left without a tenant all night, as each of
us, with extreme politeness, and I may say unself-
ishness, insisted that the others were more entitled
to the honour of — being done to death by fleas.
During the night a change took place in the wea-
ther, which, though still fine, became suddenly dis-
agreeably mild. The frost, of course, still held, but
there was more of the English element in it, — i.e., the
thermometer standing at 15° to 20° Fahr., or some-
thing like 12° to 17° of frost — a considerable differ-
ence from the 66° we had so lately experienced.
This comparative warmth told upon our reindeer
in two ways : firstly, they stopped more frequently
to lap the snow ; and secondly, the snow being softer,
did not support them well, and also retarded the pro-
gress of the poolk by adhering more easily to its sides.

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 45

At this place the first accident occurred. As
usual, we all stood each by the side of his conveyance,
and then, when the leader gave the signal, stepped
back, and as soon as the deer began to run, flung
ourselves into the poolk. This performance is always
attended with some difficulty, not to say danger, as
the animals being fresh and lively, rush off the mo-
ment one or other makes the faintest move ; they
generally, also, first indulge in some antics before
they can be brought to go quietly.

On this occasion we had all started pretty fairly,
and had observed nothing particular, when our at-
tention was drawn to a reindeer, with its empty
poolk, going full speed up the river, while at the
same time the forstmester was noticed trying to
support himself against a wooden post, and evidently
greatly hurt. He stated that, having lost all control
over his brute, he had been smashed up against the
post while going past it at full gallop. He received
the full force of the blow upon his chest ; in conse-
quence he expectorated a great quantity of blood, and
was unable to move for several hours. As for the
deer, it was now long out of sight, closely followed by
a wapoos, who confidently expected to overtake it in
a very short time and bring it back uninjured ; but
after waiting an hour or so, and neither wapoos nor
deer appearing, I lost patience and set out alone,
having fifteen miles to travel to dinner. Travelling
alone being rather tedious, and as nothing of interest

46 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

occurred, I shall pass that day over altogether. With
regard to the forstmester, he arrived late at night.
His deer had been captured fourteen miles from the
spot from where it started : it was found in the forest,
where the poolk had entangled itself between two
trees, thus effectually making it a prisoner. Had
it got away altogether, both the forstmester and I
would have been in a nice dilemma, as all our cash
was placed in a small compartment of his poolk. As
for the deer, it was utterly spoiled, not on account of
its forty-three-mile run, but because of the speed kept
up the whole time.

We were now on Russian territory, and spent the
worst night since our arrival on the fjeld. Imagine
six grown-up persons in a small room not more than
ten feet by twelve, in which a bed, a large chest of
drawers, and other articles of furniture, necessarily
occupied most of the space. "Well, there was nothing
for it ! Two of us occupied the bed, while the others
took up a position and jostled each other on the floor.
Cramped and chilled, we were all only too glad to
leave Sirma, as the place is called, as early as pos-
sible next morning.

We now had a long drive through Eussian territory
(without passports), and noted the hang-dog look of
every one with whom we came in contact, as well as
the obsequious manner in which they saluted us, and
at the same time asked for a glass of vodka.

The falls of Tana are on this day's route ; but we

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 47

decided to save the corner, and cut straight across the
tongue of land which juts out into the river, or rather
round which the river makes a bend, just at the falls.
However, these are not of much consequence, but are
the rendezvous of large quantities of the salmon with
Avhich the river abounds. Our way took us down an
extremely steep hill — the worst we had as yet en-
countered— as there were two very large stones right
in the centre of the descent. Just as we had antici-
pated, the deer, taking fright at the large black rocks
sticking out of the snow, suddenly swerved to the
side with the result of capsizing almost all of us, and
jumbling us up in a terrible muddle. Deer and
icapoos, men and poolk, — all were wildly mingled
together. Here a rein entangled round some one's
leg ; there a poolTc lying on the top of another poor
individual, who, his hands not being free, could not
possibly extricate himself without assistance. Add to
this the darkness, the strange guttural oaths of the
Lapps, and the grunt or bleat of the deer, with now
and then an execration in blunt Norwegian, and you
can form a faint idea of the scene. As for me, never
before was I in such danger, the rein having wound
itself round and round my neck, and threatening
every moment to strangle me if the deer should try to
break away. Move I did not dare to, as I well knew
that the slightest tug at the " ribbon " would cause
the animal to rush wildly away, in which case I would
have been dragged down the rest of the hill by the

48 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPOET.

neck with a result easily imagined. How we got
clear I never to this day can determine ; but somehow
or other down that hill we did get, and after half an
hour's driving, found ourselves safe and sound in the
hospitable shelter of Polmak.

Polmak is the abode of the river opsynamand or
superintendent, and lies on the right bank of the river
Tana, which is here joined by the smaller Polmak
river. At this place we exchanged our deer for small
Finmarken horses, the road further on being badly
suited for reindeer. The opsynsmand was one of the
most curious fellows I ever fell in with. Popularly
supposed to have " a bee in his bonnet," his conduct
on this occasion by no means belied that accusation.
On the contrary, he seemed a much fitter inmate for
an asylum than the occupant of a government situa-
tion. As an example of his stupidity or madness, I
know not which, it will suffice to say that he solemnly
declared that the water of Polmak contained more
strength (sic) than that of Tana, as he found he did
not require to put so much spirit in it when brewing
his usual glass of toddy. K"o amount of reasoning,
or cajoling, or threatening — ay, nor of ridicule, that
strongest shaft of all — could drive this idea out of
him.

The opsynsmand had, however, at this time com-
mitted a very serious mistake. He had openly
declared his intention, by fair means or foul, to pro-
mote and further the scheme of delivering over the

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 49

whole of Tana river to the Russians ! This, of
course, amounted to high treason, and as such could
not be allowed to go -unpunished. The amtmand,
the foged, and the forstmester determined, therefore,
to make an example of him, which they allowed me
to witness. After reriting into a room by themselves,
the trio sent for the unfortunate delinquent, and on
coming in he was politely requested to sit down on a
chair that stood facing the semicircle, which the three
self-appointed judges formed. His terror was ex-
treme ; and when, after an examination of some
length, during which he by turns denied and admit-
ted the allegations, the forstmester proposed concilium
dbiunde, the poor fellow almost fainted. He was
then dismissed from his appointment, but was recon-
stituted pro tern, until another official could be ap-
pointed in his stead. From these instances it will be
seen how utterly devoid he was of that common-sense
and tact so requisite to every frontier official.

With regard to the idea of Russianising the whole
of the Tana river, which would have the effect of
depriving Xorway of Vardoe and Vadsoe, as well as
of the best coast for the great cod-fisheries, it is by
no means a new one. Russia has always had an eye
on those districts, which would give her an open port
all flie year round in these regions. It is, of course,
useless to credit mere hearsay in such affairs; but
even the amtmand, who was well versed in such
matters, and who from his high position was in con-

VOL. III. D

50 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

stant communication with his Government, declared
his belief that the time was not far distant when the
whole of the district mentioned would be Eussian.
The acquisition of this territory would be of great
value to Russia, who has not a single open or useful
naval station in all its dominions ; while Vardoe, or
even Vadsoe, though now but insignificant fishing
towns, could easily be metamorphosed into valuable
ports, from which, at all times and seasons, fleets and
armies might be freely directed to any quarter.
Besides the political reasons, there are also power-
ful economical grounds to show that the district
might be — and with reason — coveted by Russia.
With the northern subjects of the Czar fish is a
staple article of food, especially during the long
winter months. The fisheries commence about the
end of March, and last all through April and May
into June, and during these three months at least ten
millions of cod-fish are taken and dried. To these
fisheries swarms of Russians flock from Kola, some
even from Onega, and are hired at nominal prices to
assist in cutting up and assorting the fish. They
obtain a wage of about 20s. a-month with free lodg-
ing, and as much fish as they like to eat Of this
wage they spend nothing during their sojourn in
Norway, and yet are able to take home one or more
barrels of fish with them to their homes ; and on this
and on their accumulated savings they and their
drag through the winter. Without doubt

A REINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAXD. 51

it would be decidedly beneficial to Eussia to get
these fisheries into her own hands ; and, judging
from the usual Muscovite perseverance and unscrupu-
lousness, I fear that before long that event will be a
fait accompli.

We left Polmak early in the morning, having paid
off our Lapps and reindeer, and chartered a sleigh
with two ponies for each of us. We had only half
an hour's drive to the residence of the Polmak lens-
mand, where we were to breakfast, and on arriving
we were magnificently received. And what a
breakfast !

The host was the most cringing sycophant I ever
saw, and his set smile and ready bow quite disgusted
me. Perhaps he was only the exact counterpart of
most society people at home, but my long associa-
tion with natural beings (I mean Norwegians in
general, not those most natural of beings the Lapps)
had probably caused me to see all the more readily
the difference. The breakfast was really sumptuous ;
in fact, I do not think a better service of plate or a
greater variety of dishes could be met with even in
central Europe among people of his or even of higher
station.

We finished up with a dozen of champagne, and in
consequence of this left the house in a sadly muddled
state. Indeed I must here confess that the joint
effects of the champagne and of the easy, rocking
motion of the sleigh, was to send me into a tranquil

52 TEAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPOET.

sleep, from which I did not emerge till we came in
sight of the sea, as represented by the arm of the
Varanger Fjord which runs past Vadsoe and Nyborg.
Its inmost part was frozen over for an extent of
several miles ; and as the road was bad, we preferred
travelling on the ice, over which we went at a rattling
pace. Very shortly after, we turned in at the town-
ship of Nyborg, having now completely left the wilds
behind us. One of our party, who had travelled with
a reindeer, had arrived half an hour before us.

The road to Vadsoe leads along the shore of Var-
anger Fjord, and at some places dangerously skirts
the precipitous rocks which form the shore. At
such places great caution is necessary, as one false
step would without doubt send men and horses
literally ad undas. At Clubben, one of the most
dangerous spots on the route, the way runs along a
narrow platform, from which the rocks above and
below are almost perpendicular. Here we sometimes
felt ticklish about the possibility of getting on ; but
in spite of the difficulties which beset us, we managed
without accident to arrive at Vadsoe, passing on the
way several villages of the sea Lapps. These sea
Lapps are extremely miserable - looking creatures.
"When a nomad Lapp, or, as they call him, "fjeld
Lapp," loses all his reindeer, or from other causes is
debarred from following his usual mode of life, he
generally, but only as a last resource, settles down by
the sea-shore and endeavours there to eke out a

A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 53

miserable existence on the spoils of the ocean. Once
a sea Lapp he very seldom, if ever, regains his former
free life ; and his children having no other path open
to them, are forced to follow in his footsteps. Living
in houses more like pigsties than human habitations,
and on a diet of fish and nothing else, then1 physique
is horrid. I saw several full-grown men whose legs
were as thin as those of children in other countries,
and very few attain even middle height. Their
physiognomy is extremely ugly, and skin diseases
seem very prevalent among them. Hardly a single
individual, too, but was affected by some eye com-
plaint. Of late years the fishing in the inner reaches
of the Yaranger Fjord has been very unproductive, in
fact almost entirely at a standstill, and the misery of
those beings whose whole means of sustenance de-
pend on the fishing has been extreme. The dress of
these people is the same as that of the " fjeld Lapps,"
though here and there garments made of sheepskins
after the Eussian fashion may be seen. One or two
individuals who were fortunate enough to own a few
sheep were evidently considered by the others as very
wealthy, though to me they appeared not a whit less
poor or wretched than the rest of them.

The sheep and other domestic animals roam in and
out of the dwellings at pleasure, and on the whole lead
as miserable a life as their owners. They are left to
shift for their food, and as a natural consequence they
eat everything, — they are omnivorous ! Nothing is out

54 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOKT.

of their line. Many a time I caught myself inwardly
wondering whether any amount of starvation would
cause me to partake of mutton in that neighbourhood,
and I invariably answered my own question in the
negative. The look of the animals was enough to
send all thoughts of dinner to the winds.

We arrived in Vadsoe late in the afternoon, and
found ourselves again within the pale of civilisation.
It is a small town of about 1800 inhabitants, these
consisting chiefly of Quaens, but at the time of my
visit it was computed that at least 1000 strangers were
in the town for the purpose of participating in the
fishing. It was therefore very lively and noisy.
Yadsoe is built of wood, and in rather a straggling
fashion. Its chief trade is in fish and the products
of fish, such as fish-guano and cod-oiL Within the
last few years an industry hitherto unknown has
sprung up in the little place — viz., whale-fishing.
This fishing is carried on by means of small steamers
armed with a curious weapon of destruction called a
harpoon-gun. With this gun the whales are shot at
from the steamers, and by some mechanism or other
the harpoon explodes on entering the body of the
cetacean, thereby causing instantaneous death. The
carcass is then towed into port, there to be cut up and
converted into oil, guano, &c. How immensely profit-
able this undertaking must be is shown from the fact
that the Norwegian Income-tax Commissioners in
1878 assessed the profits of the whale factory at

A EEINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 55

£15,000, being the net gain accruing from the capture
of ninety-four whales only. With results like these,
it is very curious that only one company should have
engaged as yet in the undertaking, along the whole
extent of that barren but yet rich coast.

After leaving Vadsoe the interest of the trip ceases,
and we fairly enter into the beaten track of tourists
and commercial travellers.

Vardoe, though but a little town of 1200 inhabit-
ants, can boast of being the most northerly fortress
in the world. It is defended by about twenty pretty
modern cannon, and has a garrison of one lieutenant,
one sergeant, a corporal, and ten men. Being the
centre of the great fisheries, just then in full swing,
the place swarmed with Eussians, who protruded their
ugly visages everywhere, jostled everybody in the
streets, and, in short, made themselves as disagreeable
as they possibly could.

Our progress from Vardoe onwards was but slow.
Every fjord, every creek, every inhabited islet, de-
manded a call, which, though extremely tiresome to
through passengers, is a great blessing to the poor
fishers, who would otherwise be entirely cut off from
communication with the outer world. Some of the
scenery is very grand, especially at the mouth of the
Tana Fjord, where the Tana Horn, a high cone-shaped
mountain, rises majestically from the sea.

Precisely at midnight we doubled Nord Kyn — the
most northerly point on the mainland of Europe. It

56 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

was not quite dark, but only gloomy enough to make
us feel more intensely the solemnity of the place and
hour. At the base of the great rock, which from the
steamer seemed to erect itself perpendicularly from
the waves, twinkled a few lights. Even to this barren
and dreary place, where not a leaflet, not a blade of
grass, ever shows itself — human beings find it worth
their while to come, to wrest, with great danger and
many privations, a miserable livelihood from the
ocean.

On the rocks which form the cape, a colony of sea-
birds have taken up their abode ; but even these,
usually so shrill and discordant, seemed to have sunk
into sleep, and did not break the stillness which pre-
vailed.

I was sorry not to obtain a view of the North Cape,
though on arriving at Gjsesva3r, a fishing-station about
half an hour's sail from it, a hill-top was pointed out
to me as the summit of the land-side of the cape, — and
with this I was forced to be satisfied.

From Gjsesvser we steered through innumerable
straits and passed countless islands, all more or less
wild and rugged, and arrived in the evening at Ham-
merfest, pretty well pleased to be so near home.

And here my narrative ends. A few hours from
Hammerfest will bring me to Tromsoe — my temporary
home. We steam out into the open sea, and then, —
past Loppen, that wave-beat isle ; past Fugled (Bird
Island), on whose lofty snow-capped summit the rude

A KEI3STDEEK EIDE THEOUGH LAPLAND. 57

fishermen affirm, that the entire skeleton of a mighty
whale lies bleaching in the sun ; l past Quanangen
and Lyng Fjord, where hundreds of the living levi-
athans may be seen disporting themselves — into the
still clear waters of Tromsoe Sound ; — my journey is
over.

1 The belief that the skeletons of whales are to be found on
the summits of even the highest mountains is very general
among the common people in the north of Norway, and is
shared by many who ought to be better informed ; it is of
course utterly unfounded and ridiculous. Near Vardoe a place
was pointed out to me where such a skeleton was said to be,
but on ascending to the spot not a vestige of such a thing was
to be seen.

THE

YALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.

BY ANDEEW WILSON.
[MA.GA. NOVEMBER 1874.]

rTlHE cut bridle-path, which has been dignified by
J- the name of " The Great Hindusthan and Tibet
Eoad," that leads along the sides of the hills from
Simla to the Narkunda Ghaut, and from Narkunda
up the valley of the Sutlej to Chini and Pangay, is
by no means so exasperating as the native paths of
the inner Himaliya. It does not require one to dis-
mount every five minutes; and though it does go
down into some terrific gorges, at the bottom of
which there is quite a tropical climate in summer,
yet, on the whole, it is pretty level, and never com-
pels one (as the other roads too often and too sadly
do) to go up a mile of perpendicular height in the
morning, only to go down a mile of perpendicular
depth in the afternoon. Its wooden bridges can be
traversed on horseback ; it is not much exposed to
falling rocks; it is free from avalanches, either of
snow or granite ; and it never compels one to endure

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 59

the almost infuriating misery of having, every now
and then, to cross miles of rugged blocks of stone,
across which no ragged rascal that ever lived could
possibly run. Nevertheless, the cut road, running as
it often does without any parapet, or with none to
speak of, and only seven or eight feet broad, across
the face of enormous precipices and nearly precipitous
slopes, is even more dangerous for equestrians than
are the rude native paths. Almost every year some
fatal accident happens upon it, and the wonder only
is that people who set any value upon their lives are
so foolhardy as to ride upon it at all. A gentleman of
the Forest Department, resident at Nachar, remarked
to me that it was strange that, though he had been a
cavalry officer, he never mounted a horse in the course
of his mountain journeys ; but it struck me, though
he might not have reasoned out the matter, it was
just because he had been a cavalry officer, and knew
the nature of horses, that he never rode on such paths
as he had to traverse in Kunawar. No animal is so
easily startled as a horse, or so readily becomes restive :
it will shy at an oyster-shell, though doing so may
dash it to pieces over a precipice ; and one can easily
guess what danger its rider incurs on a narrow para-
petless road above a precipice where there are monkeys
and falling rocks to startle it, and where there are
obstinate hillmen who will salaam the rider, say what
he may, and who take the inner side of the road, in
order to prop their burdens against the rock, and to

60 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

have a good look at him as he passes. One of the
saddest of the accidents which have thus happened
was that which befell a very young lady, a daughter
of the Rev. Mr Rebsch, the missionary at Kotgarh.
She was riding across the tremendous Eogi cliffs, and,
though a wooden railing has since been put up at the
place, there was nothing between her and the preci-
pice, when her pony shied and carried her over to
instant death. In another case the victim, a Mr
Leith, was on his marriage trip, and his newly mar-
ried wife was close beside him, and had just ex-
changed horses with him, when, in trying to cure his
steed of a habit it had of rubbing against the rock
wall, it backed towards the precipice, and its hind
feet getting over, both horse and rider were dashed to
pieces. This happened between Serahan and Taran-
da, near the spot where the road gave way under Sir
Alexander Lawrence, a nephew of Lord Lawrence, the
then Governor-General. Sir Alexander was riding a
heavy Australian horse, and the part of the road which
gave way was wooden planking, supported out from
the face of the precipice by iron stanchions. I made
my coolies throw over a large log of wood where he
went down ; and, as it struck the rocks in its fall, it
sent out showers of white splinters, so that the solid
wood was reduced to half its original size before it
reached a resting-place. In the case of the wife of
General Brind, that lady was quietly making a sketch
on horseback, from the road between Theog and Mut-

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 61

tiana, and her syce was holding the horse, when it
was startled by some falling stones, and all three went
over and were destroyed. Not very long after I went
up this lethal road, a Calcutta judge of one of the
subordinate courts went over it and was killed in the
presence of some ladies with whom he was riding,
owing simply to his horse becoming restive. An eye-
witness of another of these frightful accidents told
me that when the horse's hind foot got off the road,
it straggled for about half a minute in that position,
and the rider had plenty of time to dismount safely,
and might easily have done so, but a species of par-
alysis seemed to come over him ; his face turned
deadly white, and he sat on. the horse without mak-
ing the least effort to save himself, until they both
went over backwards. The sufferer is usually a little
too late in attempting to dismount. Theoretically, it
may seem easy enough to disengage one's self from a
horse when it is struggling on the brink of a precipice;
but let my reader try the experiment, and he will see
the mistake. The worst danger on these cut roads is
that of the horse backing towards the precipice ; and
when danger presents itself, there is a curious tendency
on the part of the rider to pull his horse's head away
from the precipice towards the rock wall, which is
about the worst thing he can do. The few seconds (of
which I had some experience further on) in which you
find yourself fairly going, are particularly interesting,
and send an electric thrill through the entire system.

62 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

I rode almost every mile of the way, on which it
was at all possible to ride, from Chinese Tartary to
the Kyber Pass, on anything which turned up —
yaks, zo-pos, cows, Spiti ponies, a Khiva horse, and
blood-horses. On getting to Kashmir I purchased a
horse, but did not do so before, as it is impossible to
take any such animal over rope and twig bridges,
and the rivers are too rapid and furious to allow of a
horse being swum across these latter obstacles. The
traveller in the Himaliya, however, ought always to
take a saddle with him ; for the native saddles,
though well adapted for riding down nearly perpen-
dicular slopes, are extremely uncomfortable, and the
safety which they might afford is considerably de-
creased by the fact that their straps are often in a
rotten condition, and exceedingly apt to give way
just at the critical moment. An English saddle will
do perfectly well if it has a crupper to it, but that is
absolutely necessary. Some places are so steep that,
when riding down them, I was obliged to have a
rope put round my chest and held by two men
above, in order to prevent me going over the pony's
head, or throwing it off its balance. But on the
Hindusthan and Tibet road I had to be carried in a
dandy, which is the only kind of conveyance that
can be taken over the Himaliya. The dandy is
unknown in Europe, and is not very easily described,
as there is no other means of conveyance which can
afford the faintest idea of it. The nearest approach

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 63

to travelling in a dandy I can think of, is sitting in
a half -reefed topsail in a storm, with the head and
shoulders above the yard. It consists of a single
bamboo, about 9 or 10 feet long, with two pieces of
carpet slung from it — one for the support of the
body, and the other for the feet. You rest on these
pieces of carpet, not in line with the bamboo, but at
right angles to it, with your head and shoulders
raised as high above it as possible ; and each end of
the pole rests on the shoulders of one or of two bearers.
The dandy is quite a pleasant conveyance when one
gets used to it, when the path is tolerably level and
the bearers are up to their work. The only draw-
backs then are that, when a rock comes bowling
across the road like a cannon-shot, you cannot dis-
engage yourself from the carpets in time to do
anything yourself towards getting out of the way;
and that, when the road is narrow, and, in conse-
quence, your feet are dangling over a precipice, it is
difficult for a candid mind to avoid concluding that
the bearers would be quite justified in throwing the
whole concern over, and so getting rid of then1 un-
welcome and painful task. Eut when the path is
covered with pieces of rock, as usually happens to be
the case, and the coolies are not well up to their
work, which they almost never are, the man in the
dandy is not allowed much leisure for meditations of
any kind, or even for admiring the scenery around ;
for, unless he confines his attention pretty closely to

64 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPOKT.

the rocks with which he is liable to come into colli-
sion, he will soon have all the breath knocked out of
his body. On consulting a Continental savant, who
had been in the inner Himaliya, as to whether I
could gt-t people there to carry me in a dandy, he
said, " Zey vill carry you, no doubt ; but zey vill
bomp you." And bump me they did, until they
bumped me out of adherence to that mode of travel.
Indeed they hated and feared having to carry me so
much, that I often wondered at their never adopting
the precipice alternative. But in the Himaliyan
states the villagers have to furnish the traveller,
and especially the English traveller, with the car-
riage which he requires, and at a certain fixed rate.
This is what is called the right of bigdr, and without
the exercise of it travelling would be almost impos-
sible among the mountains. I also had a special
punvannah, which would have entitled me, in case
of necessity, to seize what I required ; but this I
kept in the background.

The stages from Simla to Pangay, along the cut
bridle-path, are as follows, according to miles : —

Miles.

Miles.

Fagti, . .

10

Taranda,

15

Theog, .

6

Poynda,

5

Muttiana,

11

Nachar,

7

Narkunda, .

12

Wangtti,

10

Kotgarh,

10

Oorni, .

5

Nirth, .

12

Rogi, .

10

Kampur,

12

Chini, .

3

Gaura, .

9

Pangay,

7

Serahan,

13

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 65

This road, however, has four great divisions, each
with marked characteristics of its own. To Nar-
kunda it winds along the sides of not very interest-
ing mountains, and about the same level as Simla,
till at the Narkunda Ghaut it rises nearly to 9000
feet, and affords a gloomy view into the Sutlej
valley, and a splendid view of the snowy ranges
beyond. In the second division it descends into the
burning Sutlej valley, and follows near to the course
of that river, on the left bank, until, after passing
Kampur, the capital of the state of Bussahir, it rises
on the mountain -sides again up to Gaura. Thirdly,
it continues along the mountain -sides, for the most
part between 6000 and 7000 feet high, and through
the most magnificent forests of deodar, till it de-
scends again to the Sutlej, crosses that river at
"VVangtii Bridge, and ascends to Oorni. Lastly, it
runs from Oorni to Pangay, at a height of nearly
9000 feet, on the right bank of the Sutlej, and
sheltered from the Indian monsoon by the 20,000
feet high snowy peaks of the Kailas, which rise
abruptly on the opposite side of the river.

The view of the mountains from Narkunda is
wonderful indeed, and well there might the spirit

" Take flight ;— inherit
Alps or Andes — they are thine !
With the morning's roseate spirit
Sweep the length of snowy line."

But the view down into the valley of the Sutlej is

VOL. III. E

66 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

exceedingly gloomy and oppressive ; and on seeing it,
I could not help thinking of " the Valley of the Sha-
dow of Death." The same idea had struck Lieut. -
Colonel Moore, the interpreter to the Commander-
in-Chief, whom I met at Kotgarh, a little lower down,
along with Captain De Roebeck, one of the Governor-
General's aides-de-camp. No description could give
an adequate idea of the tattered, dilapidated, sun-
burnt, and woe-begone appearance of these two officers
as they rode up to Kotgarh after their experience of
the snows of Spiti. Colonel Moore's appearance,
especially, would have made his fortune on the stage.
There was nothing woful, however, in his spirit, and
he kept me up half the night laughing at his most
humorous accounts of Spiti, its animals and its ponies;
but even this genial officer's sense of enjoyment seemed
to desert him when he spoke of his experience of the
hot Sutlej valley from Gaura to Kotgarh, and he said,
emphatically, " It is the Valley of the Shadow of
Death." I was struck by this coincidence with my
own idea, because it was essential for me to get up
into high regions of pure air, and I could not but
dread the journey up the Sutlej valley, with its
vegetation, its confined atmosphere, its rock-heat, and
its gloomy gorges. I had a sort of precognition that
some special danger was before me, and was even
alarmed by an old man, whose parting benediction to
us was, " Take care of the bridges beyond Xachar."
This was something like, " Beware the pine-tree's

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 67

withered branch," and I began to have gloomy doubts
about my capacity for getting high enough. Mr
Eebsch, the amiable and talented head of the Kot-
garh Mission, gave me all the encouragement which
could be derived from his earnest prayers for my
safety among the holie Gebirge. There were two
clever German young ladies, too, visiting at Kotgarh,
who seemed to think it was quite unnecessary for
me to go up into the high mountains ; so that,
altogether, I began to wish that I was out of the
valley before I had got well into it, and to feel
something like a fated pilgrim who was going to
some unknown doom.

Excelsior, however, was my unalterable motto, as
I immediately endeavoured to prove by descending
some thousand feet into the hot Sutlej valley, in
spite of all the attractions of Kotgarh. I shall say
very little about the journey up to Chini, as it is so
often undertaken, but may mention two incidents
which occurred upon it. Between Nirth and Eam-
pur the heat was so intense, close, and suffocating,
that I travelled by night, with torches ; and stopping
to rest a little, about midnight, I was accosted by a
native gentleman, who came out of the darkness,
seated himself behind me, and said in English,
" ~\Yho are you ? " I had a suspicion who my friend
was, but put a similar question to him ; on which he
replied, not without a certain dignity, " I am the
Eajah of Bussahir." This Bussahir, which includes

68 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Kunawar, and extends up the Sutlej valley to Chinese
Tibet, is the state in which I was travelling. Its pro-
ducts are opium, grain, and woollen manufactures,
and it has a population of 90,000, and a nominal
revenue of 50,000 rupees ; but the sums drawn from
it in one way or another, by Government officers,
must considerably exceed that amount. Its rajah
was exceedingly affable ; and his convivial habits
are so well known that I hope there is no harm
in saying that on this occasion he was not untrue
to his character. I found him, however, to be a
very agreeable man, and he is extremely well-mean-
ing— so much so, as to be desirous of laying down
his sovereignty if only the British Government
would be good enough to accept it from him, and
give him a pension instead. But there are much
worse governed states than Bussahir, notwithstand-
ing the effects on its amiable and intelligent rajah
of a partial and ill -adjusted English education, in
which undue importance was assigned to the use of
brandy. He caused some alarm among my people
by insisting on handling my revolver, which was
loaded ; but he soon showed that he knew how
to use it with extraordinary skill ; for, on a lighted
candle being put up for him to fire at, about thirty
paces off, though he could scarcely stand by this
time, yet he managed, somehow or other, to prop
himself up against a tree, and snuffed out the candle
at the first shot. On the whole, the rajah made a

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 69

very favourable impression upon me, despite his pecu-
liarity, if such it may be called ; and my nocturnal
interview with him, under huge trees, in the middle
of a dark wet night, remains a very curious and
pleasant recollection.

The other incident was of a more serious character,
and illustrated a danger which every year carries off a
certain number of the hillmen. Standing below the
bungalow at Serahan, I noticed some men, who were
ascending to their village, racing against each other
on the grassy brow of a precipice that rose above
the road leading to Gaura. One of them unfortu-
nately lost his footing, slipped a little on the edge,
and then went over the precipice, striking the road
below with a tremendous thud, after an almost clear
fall of hundreds of feet, and then rebounding from
off the road, and falling about a hundred feet into a
ravine below. I had to go round a ravine some way
in order to reach him, so that when I did so he was
not only dead, but nearly cold. The curious thing is,
that there was no external bruise about him. The
mouth and nostrils were filled with clotted blood,
but otherwise there was no indication even of the
cause of his death. The rapidity of his descent
through the air must have made him so far insen-
sible as to prevent that contraction of the muscles
which is the great cause of bones being broken ; and
then the tremendous concussion when he struck the
road must have knocked every particle of life out of

70 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

him. This man's brother — his polyandric brother,
as it turned out, though polyandry only commences at
Serahan, being a Lama and not a Hindu institution,
but the two religions are mixed up a little at the
points of contact — reached the body about the same
time as I did, and threw himself upon it, weeping
and lamenting. I wished to try the effect of some
very strong ammonia, but the brother objected to
this, because, while probably it would have been
of no use, it would have defiled the dead, accord-
ing to his religious ideas. The only other sym-
pathy I could display was the rather coarse one of
paying the people of Serahan, who showed no in-
dications of giving assistance, for carrying the corpse
up to its village ; but the brother, who understood
Hindusthani, preferred to take the money himself,
in order to purchase wood for the funeral pyre. He
was a large strong man, whereas the deceased was
little and slight, so he wrapped the dead body in his
plaid, and slung it over his shoulders. There was
something almost comic, as well as exceedingly
pathetic, in the way in which he toiled up the moun-
tain with his sad burden, wailing and weeping over
it whenever he stopped to rest, and kissing the cold
face.

The road up to Chini is almost trodden ground,
and so does not call for special description; but it
is picturesque in the highest degree, and presents
wonderful combinations of beauty and grandeur. It

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 71

certainly has sublime heights above, and not less
extraordinary depths below. Now we catch a glimpse
of a snowy peak 20,000 feet high rising close above
us, and the next minute we look down into a dark
precipitous gorge thousands of feet deep. Then we
have, below the snowy peaks, Himaliyan hamlets,
with their flat roofs, placed on ridges of rock or on
green sloping meadows; enormous deodars, clothed
with veils of white flowering clematis ; grey streaks
of water below, from whence comes the thundering
sound of the imprisoned Sutlej — the classic Hesudrus ;
almost precipitous slopes of shingle, and ridges of
mountain fragments. Above, there are green alps,
with splendid trees traced out against the sky ; the
intense blue of the sky, and the dark overshadowing
precipices. Anon, the path descends into almost
tropical shade at the bottom of the great ravines,
with ice-cold water falling round the dark roots of
the vegetation, and an almost ice-cold air fanning
the great leafy branches. The trees which meet us
almost at every step in this upper Sutlej valley are
worthy of the sublime scenery by which they are
surrounded, and are well fitted to remind us, ere we
pass into the snowy regions of unsullied truth un-
touched by organic life, that the struggling and half-
developed vegetable world aspires towards heaven,
and has not been unworthy of the grand design.
Even beneath the deep blue dome, the cloven preci-
pices and the sky-pointing snowy peaks, the gigantic

72 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

deodars (which cluster most richly about Nachar)
may well strike with awe by their wonderful union
of grandeur and perfect beauty. In the dog and the
elephant we often see a devotion so touching, and
the stirring of an intellect so great and earnest as
compared with its cruel narrow bounds, that we are
drawn towards them as to something almost sur-
passing human nature in its confiding simplicity and
faithful tenderness. No active feeling of this kind
can be called forth by the innumerable forms of
beauty which rise around us from the vegetable
world. They adorn our gardens and clothe our hill-
sides, giving joy to the simplest maiden, yet directing
the winds and rains, and purifying the great expanses
of air. So far as humanity, so dependent upon them,
is concerned, they are silent ; no means of communi-
cation exist between us ; and silently, unremon-
strantly, they answer to our care or indifference for
them, by reproducing, in apparently careless abun-
dance, their more beautiful or noxious forms. But
we cannot say that they are not sentient, or even
conscious, beings. The expanding of flowers to the
light, and the contraction of some to the touch,
indicate a highly sentient nature ; and in the slow,
cruel action of carnivorous plants, there is some-
thing approaching to the fierce instincts of the brute
world. Wordsworth, than whom no poet more pro-
foundly understood the life of nature, touched on this
subject when he said —

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 73

" Through primrose turfs, in that sweet bower,

The periwinkle trail'd its wreaths ;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,

To catch the breezy air ;
And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there."

If anything of this kind exists, how great and grave
must be the sentient feeling of the mighty pines and
cedars of the Himaliya ! There is a considerable
variety of them, — as the Pinus excelsa, or the " weep-
ing fir," which, though beautiful, is hardly deserving
of its aspiring name ; the Pinus longifolia, or Cheel
tree, the most abundant of all ; the Pinus Khutrow,
or Picea Morinda, which almost rivals the deodars in
height ; and the Pinus Morinda, or Abies Pindrow,
the " silver fir," which attains the greatest height of
all But, excelling all these, is the Cedrus deodara,
the Deodar or Kedron tree. There was something
very grand about these cedars of the Sutlej valley,
sometimes forty feet in circumference, and rising
almost to two hundred feet, or half the height of St
Paul's, on nearly precipitous slopes, and on the scan-
tiest soil, yet losing no line of beauty in their stems
and their graceful pendant branches, and with their
tapering stems and green arrowy spikes covered by a
clinging trellis-work of Virginia creepers and clematis
still in white bloom. These silent giants of a world

74 TEAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

which is not our own, but which we carelessly use as
our urgent wants demand, had owed nothing to the
cultivating care of man. Fed by the snow-rills, and
by the dead lichens and strong grass which once
found life on the debris of gneiss and mica-slate,
undisturbed by the grubbing of wild animals, and as
undesirable in their tough green wood when young
as unavailable in their fuller growth for the use of
the puny race of mankind which grew up around
them, they were free, for countless centuries, to seek
air and light and moisture, and to attain the perfect
stature which they now present, but which is un-
likely to be continued now that they are exposed to
the axes of human beings who can turn them "to
use." If, as the Singalese assert, the cocoa-nut palm
withers away when beyond the reach of the human
voice, it is easy to conceive how the majestic deodar
must delight in being beyond our babblement Had
Camoens seen this cedar he might have said of it,
even more appropriately than he has done of the
cypress, that it may be a

" Preacher to the wise,

Lessening from earth her spiral honours rise,
Till, as a spear-point rear'd, the topmost spray,
Points to the Eden of eternal day."

The view from Chini and Pangay of the Ral-
dung Kailas, one portion of the great Indian Kailas,
or Abode of the Gods, is very magnificent. At

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 75

Pangay there is a large good bungalow ; and the
Hindusthan and Tibet road there comes to an end,
so far as it is a cut road, or, indeed, a path on
which labour of any kind is expended. It is en-
tirely protected by the Kailas from the Indian
monsoon ; and I found a portion of it occupied by
Captain and Mrs Henderson, who wisely preferred
a stay there to one in. the more exposed and un-
healthy hill stations, though it was so far from so-
ciety, and from most of the comforts of life. The
easiest way from Pangay to Lippe is over the
"Werung Pass, 12,400 feet; but Captain Hender-
son, on his returning from a shooting excursion, re-
ported so much snow upon it that I determined to go
up the valley of the Sutlej, winding along the sides
of the steep but still pine-covered mountains on its
right bank. So, on the 28th June, after a delay of a
few days in order to recruit and prepare, I bade adieu
to civilisation, as represented in the persons of the
kind occupants of the bungalow at Pangay, and fairly
started for tent-life. A very short experience of the
" road " was sufficient to stagger one, and to make me
cease to wonder at the retreat of two young cavalry
officers I met, a few days before, on their way back to
Simla, and who had started from Pangay with some
intention of going to Shipki, but gave up the attempt
after two miles' experience of the hard road they would
have to travel. The great Hindusthan and Tibet
affair was bad enough, but what was this I had come

76 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

to 1 For a few miles it had once been a cut road, but
years and grief had made it worse than the ordinary
native paths. At some places it was impassable even
for hill ponies, and to be carried in a dandy over
a considerable part of it was out of the question. But
the aggravation thus caused was more than compen-
sated for by the magnificent view of snowy peaks which
soon appeared in front, and which, though they be-
longed to the Kailas group, were more striking than
the Kailas as it appears from Chini or Pangay. Those
enormous masses of snow and ice rose into the clouds
above us to such a height, and apparently so near, that
it seemed as if their fall would overwhelm the whole
Sutlej valley in our neighbourhood, and they suggested
that I was entering into the wildest and sublimest
region of the earth. These peaks had the appearance
of being on our side of the Sutlej, but they lie be-
tween that river and Chinese Tartary, in the bend
which it makes when it turns north at Buspa ; they
are in the almost habitationless district of Morang,
and are all over 20,000 feet high. My coolies called
them the Shurang peaks ; and it is well worth while
for all visitors to Pangay to go up a few miles from
that place in order to get a glimpse of the terrific Al-
pine sublimity which is thus disclosed, and which has
all the more effect as it is seen ere vegetation ceases,
and through the branches of splendid and beautiful
trees.

At Earang, which made a half -day's journey, the

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 77

extreme violence of the Himaliyan wind, which blows
usually throughout the day, but most fortunately dies
away at night, led me to camp in a sheltered and
beautiful spot, on a terraced field, under walnut and
apricot trees, and with the Kailas rising before my
tent on the other side of the Sutlej. Every now and
then in the afternoon, and when the morning sun
began to warm its snows, avalanches shot down the
scarred sides of the Kailas ; and when their roar
ceased, and the wind died away a little, I could hear
the soft sound of the waving cascades of white foam —
some of which must have rivalled the Staubbach in
height — that diversified its lower surface, but which
became silent and unseen as the cold of evening lock-
ed up their sources in the glaciers and snow above.
Where we were, at the height of about 9000 feet, the
thermometer was as high as 70° Fahrenheit at sunset ;
but at sunrise it was at 57°, and everything was frozen
up on the grand mountains opposite. Though deodars
and edible pines were still found on the way to Jangi,
that road was even worse than its predecessor, and
Silas and Chota Khan several times looked at me
with hopeless despair. In particular, I made my first
experience here of what a granite avalanche means,
but should require the pen of Bunyan in order to do
justice to its discouraging effects upon the pilgrim.
When Alexander Gerard passed along this road fifty-
six years before, he found it covered by the remains
of a granite avalanche. Whether the same avalanche

78 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

has remained there ever since, or, as my coolies
averred, granite avalanches are in the habit of coming
down on that particular piece of road, I cannot say ;
but either explanation is quite sufficient to account for
the result. The whole mountain-side was covered
for a long way with huge blocks of gneiss and granite,
over which we had to scramble as best we could, in-
spired by the conviction that where these came from
there might be more in reserve. At one point we had
to wind round the corner of a precipice on two long
poles which rested on a niche at the corner of the
precipice which had to be turned, and which there
met two corresponding poles from the opposite side.
This could only have been avoided by making a detour
of some hours over the granite blocks, so we were all
glad to risk it ; and the only dangerous part of the
operation was getting round the corner and passing
from the first two poles to the second two, which
were on a lower level. As these two movements
had to be performed simultaneously, and could only
be accomplished by hugging the rock as closely as
possible, the passage there was really ticklish ; and
even the sure-footed and experienced hillmen had to
take our baggage round it in the smallest possible
instalments.

At Jangi there was a beautiful camping-place, be-
tween some great rocks and under some very fine wal-
nut and gneio (edible pine) trees. The village close
by, though small, had all the marks of moderate afflu-

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 79

ence, and had a Hindu as well as a Lama temple, the
former religion hardly extending any further into the
Himaliya, though one or two outlying villages beyond
belong to it. Both at Pangay and Earang I had
found the ordinary prayer- wheel used — a brass or
bronze cylinder, about six inches long, and two or
three in diameter, containing a long scroll of paper,
on which were written innumerable reduplications of
the Lama prayer — " Om ma ni pad ma houn " — and
which is turned from left to right in the monk's hand
by means of an axle which passes through its centre.
But in the Lama temple at Jangi I found a still more
powerful piece of devotional machinery, in the shape
of a gigantic prayer-mill made of bronze, about seven
or eight feet in diameter, and which might be turned
either by the hand or by a rill of water which could
be made to fall upon it when water was in abundance.
This prayer contained I am afraid to say how many
millions of repetitions of the great Lama prayer ; and
the pious Ritualists of Jangi were justly proud of it,
and of the eternal advantages which it gave them
over their carnal and spiritually indifferent neigh-
bours. The neophyte who showed the prayer-mill
to me turned it with ease, and allowed me to send
up a million prayers. The temple at Jangi, with its
Tibetan inscriptions and paintings of Chinese devils,
told me that I was leaving the region of Hindu-
ism. At Lippe, where I stopped next day, all the
people appeared to be Tibetan ; and beyond that

80 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

I found only two small isolated communities of
Hindi! Kunaits, the one at Shaso and the other
at Namgea. The gnew tree, or edible pine (Pinus
Gerardina), under some of which I camped at Jangi,
extends higher up than does the deodar. I saw
some specimens of it opposite Pii at about 12,000
feet. The edible portion is the almond-shaped seeds,
which are to be found within the cells of the cone,
and which contain a sweet whitish pulp that is not
unpleasant to the taste. This tree is similar to the
Italian Pinus pinea ; and varieties of it are found
in California, and in Japan where it is called the
ginlco.

The road to Lippe, though bad and fatiguing,
presented nothing of the dangers of the preceding
day, and took us away from the Sutlej valley up the
right bank of the Pijar, also called Teti, river. In
colder weather, when the streams are either frozen or
very low, the nearest way from Jangi to Shipki is to
go all the way up the Sutlej valley to Pu ; but in
summer that is impossible, from the size and violence
of the streams, which are swollen by the melting
snows. At this large village a woman was brought
to me who had been struck on the head by a falling
rock about a year before. It was a very extraordinary
case, and showed the good effects of mountain air and
diet, because a piece of the skull had been broken off
altogether at the top of her head, leaving more than
a square inch of the brain exposed, with only a thin

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 81

membrane over it. The throbbing of the brain was
distinctly perceptible under this membrane ; and yet
the woman was in perfect health, and seemed quite
intelligent. I once saw a Chinaman's skull in a
similar state, after he had been beaten by some Tartar
troops, but he was quite unconscious and never
recovered ; whereas this young woman was not only
well but cheerful, and I recommended her to go to
Simla and get a metallic plate put in, as that was the
only thing which could be done for her, and her case
might be interesting to the surgeons there.

But at Lippe it became clear to me that, while the
mountain air had its advantages, the mountain water,
or something of the kind, was not always to be relied
upon, for I found myself suffering from an attack of
acute dysentery of the malignant type. As to the
primary origin of this attack I was not without grave
suspicions, though far from being sure on the subject.
At Pangay one day I congratulated myself on the
improved state of my health as I sat down to lunch,
which consisted of a stew; and half an hour after-
wards I began to suffer severely from symptoms
correspondent to those caused by irritant metallic
poisoning. I spoke to my servants about this, and
have not the remotest suspicion of Silas; but it
struck me that another of them showed a certain
amount of shamefacedness when he suggested bad
water as the cause ; and though Captain and Mrs
Henderson had been living for a month at Pangay,

VOL. m. p

82 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

they had found nothing to complain of in the water.
It is very unpleasant when suspicions of this kind
arise, because it is almost impossible to disprove
them ; and yet one feels that the harbouring of them
may be doing cruel injustice to worthy men. But,
some time before, I had become convinced, from a
variety of circumstances, that drugging, which the
people of India have always had a good deal of
recourse to among themselves, is now brought to bear
occasionally upon Anglo-Indians also, when there is
any motive for its use, and where covering circum-
stances exist. It may seem easy to people who have
never tried it, and have never had any reason to do
so, to determine whether or not poisonous drugs have
been administered to them ; but they will find that
just as difficult as to dismount from a horse when it
is going over a precipice. Such is the fact even
where the poison is one which can be detected, but
that is not always the case ; and, in particular, there
is a plant which grows in almost every compound in
India, a decoction of the seeds of one variety of which
will produce delirium and death without leaving any
trace of its presence behind. The pounded seeds
themselves are sometimes given in curry with similar
effect, but these can be detected, and it is a decoction
from them which is specially dangerous. Entertain-
ing such views, it appeared to me quite possible that
some of the people about me might be disposed not so
much to poison me as to arrest my journey by means

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 83

of drugs, whether to put an end to what had become
to them a trying and hateful journey, or in answer to
the bribery of agents of the Lassa Government, whose
business it is to prevent Europeans passing the border.
I don't suppose any one who started with me from
Simla, or saw me start, expected that I should get up
very far among the mountains ; and, indeed, Major
Fenwick politely told me that I should get eaten up.
A nice little trip along a cut road, stopping a week
at a bungalow here and another bungalow there, was
all very well; but this going straight up, heaven
knew where, into the face of stupendous snowy
mountains, up and down precipices, and among a
Tartar people, was more than was ever seriously
bargained for.

I could not, then, in the least wonder, or think it
unlikely, that when it was found I was going beyond
Pangay, some attempt might be made to disable me
a little, though without any intention of doing me
serious injury. However, I cannot speak with any
certainty on that subject. If the illness which I had
at Pangay was not the producing cause of the dysen-
tery, it at least prepared the way for it. What was
certain at Lippe was, that I had to meet a violent
attack of one of the most dangerous and distressing of
diseases. Unfortunately, also, I had no medicine
suited for it except a little morphia, taken in case of
an accident. Somehow, it had never occurred to me
that there was any chance of my suffering from true

84 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOET.

dysentery among the mountains ; and all the cases I
have been able to hear of there, were those of people
who had brought it up with them from the plains. I
was determined not to go back — not to turn on my
journey, whatever I did ; and it occurred to me that
Mr Pagell, the Moravian missionary stationed at Pu,
near the Chinese border, and to whom I had a letter
of introduction from Mr Chapman, would be likely to
have the medicines which were all I required in order
to treat myself effectually. But Pii was several days'
journey off, more or less, according to the more or less
bad road which might be followed ; and the difficulty
was how to get there alive, so rapidly did the dysentery
develop itself, and so essential is complete repose in
order to deal with it under even the most favourable
circumstances. The morphia did not check it in the
least. Chlorodyne I was afraid to touch, owing to its
irritant quality ; and I notice that Mr Henry Stanley
found not the least use from treating himself with it
when suffering from dysentery in Africa, though it is
often very good for diarrhrea.

The next day's journey, from Lippe to Siignam,
would have been no joke even for an Alpine Clubs-
man. It is usually made in two days' journey ; but
by sending forward in advance, and having coolies
from Labrang and Kanam ready for us half-way, we
managed to accomplish it in one day of twelve hours'
almost continuous work. The path went over the
Euhang or Eoonang Pass, which is 14,354 feet high ;

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 85

and as Lippe and Siignam are about 9000 feet high,
that would give an ascent and descent of about 5300
feet each. But there are two considerable descents
to be made on the way from Lippe to the summit of
the pass, and a smaller descent before reaching Sug-
nam, so that the Ruhang Pass really involves an
ascent of over 8000 feet, and a descent of the same
number.

Here, for the first time, I saw and made use of the
yak or wild ox of Tibet, the Bos grunniens, or grunt-
ing ox, the Bos poephagus and the Trot'^ayos of Arrian.
It certainly is a magnificent animal, and one of the
finest creatures of the bovine species. In the zoologi-
cal gardens at Schonbrunn, near Vienna, there are
some specimens of yaks from Siberia ; but they are
small, and are not to be compared with the great yak
of the Himaliya, the back of which is more like an
elephant's than anything else. The shortness of its
legs takes away somewhat from its stature ; and so
does its thick covering of fine black and white hair,
but that adds greatly to its beauty. Indeed it is the
shaggy hair and savage eye of the yak which make
its appearance so striking, for the head is not large,
and the horns are poor. The tail is a splendid
feature, and the white tails of yaks are valuable as
articles of commerce. The zo-po, on which I often
rode, is a hybrid between the yak and the female Bos
indicus, or common Indian cow. It is considered
more docile than the yak, and its appearance is often

86 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

very beautiful. Curiously enough, when the yak
and the zo-po are taken to the plains of India, or
even to the Kulu valley, which is over 3000 feet
high, they die of liver-disease ; and they can nourish
only in cold snowy regions. I was not fortunate
enough to see any of the wild yaks which are said to
exist on the plains of the upper Sutlej in Chinese
Tibet, and in some parts of Ladak. I heard, how-
ever, of their being shot, and that the way this was
accomplished was by two holes in the ground, com-
municating with each other beneath, being prepared
for the hunter in some place where these animals are
likely to pass. If the wild yak is only wounded, it
rushes, in its fury, to the hole from whence the shot
came, on which the hunter raises his head and gun
out of the other hole and fires again. This rather
ignoble game may go on for some time, and the yak
is described as being in a frenzy of rage, trampling in
the sides of the holes and tearing at them with its
horns. Even the yaks of burden, which have been
domesticated, or rather half domesticated, for genera-
tions, are exceedingly wild, and the only way they can
be managed is by a rope attached by a ring through the
nose. I had scarcely had time at Lippe to admire the
yak which was brought for my use, than, the man in
charge having dropped this rope, it made a furious
charge at me ; and I found af terwards that yaks inva-
riably did this whenever they got a chance. I cannot
say whether this was done because I was evidently

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 87

a stranger, or because they regarded me as the cause
of all their woes ; hut certainly, as we went up that
terrible and apparently endless Ruhang Pass, with
one man pulling at the yak's nose-ring in front, and
another progging it behind with the iron shod of my
alpenstock, the Bos grunniens had an uncommonly
hard time of it, especially when he tried to stop ; he
did not keep grunting without good reason therefor ;
and I could not help thinking that my Poephagus
had been perfectly justified in his attempt to demolish
me before starting.

If my reader wants to get an idea of the comfort of
riding upon a yak, let him fasten two Prussian spiked
helmets close together along the back of a great bull
and seat himself between them. That is the nearest
idea I can give of a yak's saddle, only it must be
understood that the helmets are connected on each
side by ribs of particularly hard wood. The sure-
footedness and the steady though slow ascent of these
animals up the most difficult passes are very remark-
able. They never rest upon a leg until they are sure
they have got a fair footing for it ; and, heavy as they
appear, they will carry burdens up places which even
the ponies and mules of the Alps would not attempt.
There is a certain sense of safety in being on the back
of a yak among these mountains, such as one has in
riding on an elephant in a tiger-hunt ; you feel that
nothing but a very large rock, or the fall of half a
mountain, or something of that kind, will make it

88 TRAVEL, AD VENTURE, AXD SPORT.

lose its footing ; but it does require some time for
the physical man to get accustomed to its saddle, to
its broad back, and to its deliberate motion when its
rider is upon it and not in a position to be charged at.
So up I went on a yak along a most curious path-
way which slanted across the face of an immense slate
precipice. From below it appeared impossible for any
man or animal to pass along it, and sometimes I had
to dismount, and even the saddle had to be taken off
my bulky steed, in order that it might find room to
pass. From the top of this precipice there was a
descent of about 800 feet, and then a tremendous pull
up to what I fancied was the top of the pass, but which
was far from being anything of the kind. The path
then ran along a ridge of slate at an elevation of
about 13,000 feet, affording most splendid views both
of the Morang Kailas and of the great mountains
within the Lassa territory. After a gradual descent
we came upon an alp or grassy slope, where we were
met by people from Labrang and Kanam, all in their
best attire, to conduct us the remainder of the way to
Sugnam, These mountaineers, some of whom were
rather good-looking women, tendered their assistance
rather as an act of hospitality than as a paid service ;
and the money they were to receive could hardly
compensate them for the labour of the journey. There
is a Lama monastery at Kanam, in which the Hun-
garian Csomo de Kbrb's lived for a long time when he
commenced his studies of the Tibetan language and

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 89

literature. It is well known now that the Maggyars
are a Tartar race, and that their language is a Tartar
language ; but thirty years ago that was only be-
ginning to appear, so Csomo de Kbros wandered east-
ward in search of the congeners of his countrymen.
At that time Central Asia was more open to Europeans
than it has been of late years ; so he came by way of
Kaubul, and, on entering the inner Himaliya, found
so many affinities between the Tibetan language and
that of his countrymen, that he concluded he had dis-
covered the original stem of the Maggyar race. Years
were passed by him at Kanam, and at the still more
secluded monastery of Eingdom, where I found he
was well remembered ; and he made himself a master
of the Lama religion and of the Tibetan language,
besides preparing a number of manuscripts regarding
the Tibetan literature. But this did not content him,
for he was anxious to penetrate into Chinese Tibet as
far as Lassa ; and finding all his efforts to do so from
Kunawar were frustrated, he went down into India,
and ascended the Himaliya again at Darjiling, with
the intention of penetrating into Tibet from that point
in disguise. At Darjiling, however, he died suddenly
—whether from the effects of passing through the
Terai, or from poison, or from what cause, no one
can say, nor have I been able to learn what became
of his manuscripts. I suppose nobody at Darjiling
knew anything about him ; and Dr Stoliczka told me
he had met some Hungarians who had come to India

90 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

in search of their lost relative Csomo, and it was only
"by some accident he was able to tell them where the
Hungarian they sought was buried.

Before me lies a cold windy plateau 13,000 feet
high, with a gradual descent to some white granite
and mica-slate precipices, which have to be painfully
climbed up ; while beyond, a steep and terribly long
ascent leads up to a great bank of snow, which must
be crossed before it is possible to commence the 5500
feet of descent upon Sugnam. Feeling myself be-
coming weaker every hour, I must confess that my
heart almost failed me at this prospect ; but to have
remained at that altitude in the state I was in would
have been death ; so, after hastily drinking some
milk, which the pretty Kanam women had been con-
siderate enough to bring with them, we pushed on.
Xo yaks could go up the white precipice, and there
was nothing for it there but climbing with such aid
as ropes could give. High as we were, the heat and
glare of the sun on these rocks was frightful ; but as
we got up the long slope beyond and approached the
bank of snow, the sky darkened, and an intensely
cold and violent wind swept over the summit of the
pass from the fields of ice and snow around. There
was no difficulty in passing the bank of snow, which
turned out to be only patches of snow with a bare
path between them; but at that height of 14,354
feet, or nearly as high as the summit of Mont Blanc,
with its rarefied air, the effect of the violent icy wind

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 91

was almost killing, and we could not halt for a
moment on the summit of the pass or till we got
hundreds of feet below it. Hitherto I had been able
to make little use of my dandy, but now I could
do little more than stick to it. This was very hard
on the bearers, who were totally unused to the work.
One poor man, after a little experience of carrying
me, actually roared and cried, the tears ploughing
through the dirt of ages upon his cheeks (for these
people never wash), like mountain torrents down
slopes of dried mud. He seemed so much distressed
that I allowed him to carry one of the Tciltas instead ;
on which the other men told him that he would have
to be content with two annas (threepence) instead of
four, which each bearer was to receive. To this he
replied that they might keep all the four annas to
themselves, for not forty times four would reconcile
him to the work of carrying the dandy. But the
other men bore up most manfully under an infliction
which they must have regarded as sent to them by
the very devil of devils. They were zemindars, too,
or small proprietors, well off in the world, with flocks
and herds of their own ; and yet, for sixpence, they
had to carry me (suspended from a long bamboo,
Avhich tortured their unaccustomed shoulders, and
knocked them off their footing every now and then)
down a height of between 7000 and 8000 feet along
a steep corkscrew track over shingle and blocks of
granite. How trifling these charges are, though the

92 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

work is so much more severe, compared with the six
francs a-day we have to give to a Swiss portatina or
cliaise a porteur, with three francs for back fare, and
the six or eight francs for a guide on ordinary excur-
sions. Meanwhile, the individual suspended from
the bamboo was in scarcely a happier plight. I
could not help remembering a prediction of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Moore's, that if I ever did reach
Kashmir, or anywhere, it would be suspended by the
heels and neck from a bamboo, with tongue hanging
out of my mouth, and eyes starting from their sockets.
Things certainly had an unpleasant appearance of
coming to that pass, and this reflection enabled me to
endure the suffering of the dandywallahs with some
equanimity. Fortunately, till we got near to Siig-
nam, there was no precipice for them to drop me
over ; and when we at last reached one, and had
to pass along the edge of it, I got out and walked
as well as I could, for I felt convinced that outraged
human nature could not have resisted the temptation ;
and I also took the precaution of keeping the most
valuable-looking man of the party in front of me
with my hand resting on his shoulder.

There is a route from Siignam to Pii, by Lio and
Change, which takes over two 14,000 feet passes,
and probably would have been the best for me ; but
we had had enough of 14,000 feet for the time being,
and so I chose another route by Shaso, which was
represented as shorter, but hard. It was a very small

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 93

day's journey from Sugnam (which is a large and very
wealthy village, inhabited by Tartars) to Shaso, and
the road was not particularly bad, though I had to
be carried across precipitous slopes where there was
scarcely footing for the dandywallahs. My servants
had not recovered the Kuhang Pass, however ; and I
was so ill that I also was glad to rest the next day at
this strange little village in order to prepare for the
formidable day's journey to Pu. Shaso consists of
only a few houses and narrow terraced fields on the
left bank of the Darbting Lung-pa, with gigantic and
almost precipitous mountains shading it on either side
of the stream. My tent was pitched on a narrow
strip of grass amid large willow-trees, apricot-trees,
and vines, which promised to bear a plentiful crop
of large purple grapes. It was here I engaged the
services of the 'youth Nurdass, who proved so useful
to me on my further journey. A boy, to be generally
xiseful, had been engaged at Kotgarh ; and as no one
except himself could pronounce his name or anything
like it, he was dubbed " the Chokra," or simply boy.
Of all things in the world, he offered himself as a
dhobi or washerman, for certainly his washing did
not begin at home ; and he disappeared mysteriously
the morning after his first attempt in that line, and
after we had gone only six marches. Some clothes
were given him to wash at JSTachar ; and whether it
was the contemplation of these clothes after he had
washed them — a process which he prolonged far into

94 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

the night— or that he found the journey and his work
too much for him, or, as some one said, he had seen
a creditor to whom he owed five rupees,— at aU events,
when we started in the morning no Chokra was visible,
and the only information ahout him we could get was
that he was udher gya— "gone there," our informant
pointing up to a wilderness of forest, rock, and snow.
]STurdass was a very different and much superior sort
of youth. His father— or at least his surviving father,
for, though inhabited by an outlying colony of Hindu
Kunaits, polyandry nourishes in Shaso— was a doctor
as well as a small proprietor, and his son had received
such education as could be got among the mountains.
The youth, or boy as he looked though fifteen years
old, spoke Hindustani very well, as also Kunawari,
and yet was never at a loss with any of the Tibetan
dialects we came to. He could go up mountains like
a wild cat, was not afraid to mount any horse, and
though he had never even seen a wheeled carriage
until we got to the plains of India, yet amid the bustle
and confusion of the railway stations he was cool and
collected as possible, and learned immediately what to
do there. He was equally at home in a small boat on
a rough day in Bombay harbour ; and after seeing
three steamers, compared them as critically with one
another as if he had been brought up to the iron
trade, though there was nothing of the conceited nil
admirari of the Chinaman about him, and he was
full of wonder and admiration. It was really a bold

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 95

thing for a little mountain youth of this kind to
commit himself to an indefinitely long journey with
people whom, with the exception of Phooleyram, he
had never seen before. His motive for doing so was
a desire to see the world and a hope of bettering his
condition in it, for there was no necessity for him to
leave Shaso. There was great lamentation when he
left ; his mother and sisters caressing him, and weep-
ing over him, and beseeching us to take good care of
him. The original idea was that Nurdass should re-
turn to the Sutlej valley along with Phooleyram, when
that casteman of his should leave us, whether in Spiti
or Kashmir. But in Chinese Tibet Phooleyram
pulled the little fellow's ears one night, and, in de-
fence of this, most gratuitously accused him of being
tipsy, when, if anybody had been indulging, it was
only the Mtinshi himself. This made me doubtful
about sending him back the long way from Kashmir
to the Sutlej in company with Phooleyram alone;
and on speaking to him on the subject, I found that
he was quite frightened at the prospect, and was not
only willing but eager to go with me to Bombay, —
both because he wished to see a place of which he
had heard so much, and because the season was so far
advanced he was afraid he might not be able to reach
his own home before spring. So Kurdass came on
with me to Bombay, were he excited much interest by
his intelligence and open disposition; and I might
have taken him on farther with me had he been in-

96 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

clined to go; but he said that, though he was not
afraid of the Tcala pant, or dark water, yet he would
rather not go with me then, because he had made
Ion" enough journey from his own country, and seen
enough wonders, for the first time. Several dis
tinguished persons on our way down wished to take
him into their employment; but one day he came to
me crying, with his hand upon his heart, saying that
there was something there which made him ill, and
that he would die unless he got back to his own
pahar, or mountains. He could not have heard of
the heimwh of the Swiss, and I was struck by his
reference to the mountains in particular. There was
evidently no affectation in the feelings he expressed ;
so, knowing his wonderful cleverness as a traveller,
but taking0 various precautions for his safety, which
was likely to be endangered by his confidence in man-
kind, I sent him back from Bombay alone to the
Himaliya, and have been glad to hear of his having
reached Kotgarh, without any mishap, where, I am
sure, the kind-hearted Mr Eebsch would see that he
was safely convoyed to his little village high up
among the great mountains.

Thus reinforced by a small but mighty man, we
started from Shaso at five in the morning of the 4th
July, and I managed to reach Pu at seven that night,
more dead than alive. The distance was only four-
teen miles, and the two first and the last two were so
easy that I was carried over them in my dandy ; but

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 97

the intervening ten were killing to one in my condi-
tion, for the dandy was of no use upon them, and
I had to trust entirely to my own hands and feet.
These ten miles took me exactly twelve hours, with
only half an hour's rest. The fastest of my party took
nine hours to the whole distance, so that I must have
gone wonderfully fast considering that I had rheu-
matism besides dysentery, and could take nothing ex-
cept a very little milk, either before starting or on the
way. The track — for it could not be called a path,
and even goats could hardly have got along many
parts of it — ran across the face of tremendous slate
precipices, which rose up thousands of feet from the
foaming and thundering Sutlej. Some rough survey
of these dining or cliffs was made, when it was pro-
posed to continue the Hindiisthan and Tibet road
beyond Pangay, a project which has never been
carried out; and Mr Cregeen, executive engineer,
says of them, in No. CLXVI. of the "Professional
Papers on Indian Engineering," " in the fifth march
to Spooi,1 the road must be taken across the cliffs
which here line the right bank of the Sutlej in mag-
nificent wildness. The native track across these cliffs,
about 1500 feet above the crossing for the Hindiis-

1 Pu is the name of this place, but the natives sometimes
call it Piii, the i being added merely for the sake of euphony,
as the Chinese sometimes change Shu, water, into Shui. In
the Trigonometrical Survey map it has been transformed
into Spuch. Where Mr Cregeen found his version of it I
cannot conceive.

VOL. III. G

98 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

than and Tibet road, is considered the worst footpath
in Bussahir. This march will, I think, be the most
expensive on the road; the whole of the cutting will
be through hard rock." Any one who has had some
experience of the footpaths in Bussahir may conceive
what the worst of them is likely to be, but still he
may be unable to comprehend how it is possible to get
along faces of hard rock, thousands of feet above their
base, when there has been no cutting or blasting either.
It must be remembered, however, that though the
precipices of the Himaliya look almost perpendicular
from points where their entire gigantic proportions can
be seen, yet, on a closer examination, it turns out that
they are not quite perpendicular, and have many ledges
which can be taken advantage of by the traveUer.

In this case the weather had worn away the softer
parts of the slate, leaving the harder ends sticking
out ; and I declare that these, with the addition of a
few'ropes of juniper-branches, were the only aids we
had along many parts of these precipices when I
crossed them. Where the protruding ends of slate
were close together, long slabs of slate were laid
across them, forming a sort of footpath such as might
suit a chamois-hunter; when they were not suffi
ciently in line, or were too far distant from each
other, to allow of slabs being placed, we worked our
way from one protruding end of slate to another as
best we could ; and where a long interval of twenty
or thirty feet did not allow of this latter method of

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 99

progress, ropes of twisted juniper-branches had been
stretched from one protruding end to another, and
slabs of slate had been placed on these, with their
inner ends resting on any crevices which could be
found in the precipice wall, thus forming a " footpath"
with great gaps in it, through which we could look
down sometimes a long distance, and which bent and
shook beneath our feet, allowing the slabs every jiow
and then to drop out and fall towards the Sutlej, till
shattered into innumerable fragments. It was useless
attempting to rely on a rope at many of these places,
for the men who Avould have had to hold the rope
could hardly have found a position from which to
stand the least strain. Indeed the worst danger I
met with was from a man officiously trying to help
me on one of these juniper-bridges, with the result
of nearly bringing the whole concern down. And if
slabs of slate went out from underneath our feet, not
less did slabs of slate come crashing down over and
between our heads occasionally ; for it seemed to me
that the whole of that precipice had got into the
habit of detaching itself in fragments into the river
beneath. I may add, that having sent my servants
on in front — to set up my tent and make other pre-
parations in case of Mr Pagell being away, of which
I had heard a rumour — I was entirely in the hands
of the Sugnam bigarries, of whose Tebarskad I hardly
understood a word ; and that the July sun beat upon
the slate, so that every breath from the rock was

100 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

sickening. Beneath there were dark jagged preci-
pices and an almost sunless torrent — so deeply is the
Sutlej here sunk in its gorge — foaming along at the
rate of about twenty miles an hour; above there
•were frowning precipices and a cloudless sky, across
which some eagle or huge raven-like Himaliyan crow
occasionally flitted.

I .saw this footpath in an exceptionally bad state

for it is only used in winter when the higher roads

are impassable from snow ; and after all the damage
of winter and spring it is not repaired until the
beginning of winter. But no repairing, short of
blasting out galleries in the face of the rock, could
make much improvement in it. It was not, how-
ever, the danger of this path which made it frightful
to me ; that only made it interesting, and served as
a stimulus. The mischief was that, in my disabled
and weak state, I had to exert myself almost con-
tinuously on it for twelve hours in a burning sun.
The Sugnam men did all in their power to assist
me, and I could not but admire, and be deeply
grateful for, their patience and kindness. But the
longest day has an end, as Damiens said when he
was taken out to be tortured; and we reached Pu
at last, my bearers, as they approached it, sending
up sounds not unlike the Swiss judel, which were
replied to in similar fashion by their companions
who had reached the place before them. Pii is a
large village, situated about a thousand feet above

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 101

the bed of the Sutlej, on the slope of a high, steep
mountain. I found that my tent had been pitched
on a long terraced field, well shaded with apricot-
trees, on the outskirts of the village, and that Mr
Pagell, the Moravian missionary, was absent on a
long journey he was making in Spiti. Mrs Pagell,
it appeared, was living with some native Christians
near by, in a house guarded by ferocious dogs ; but
as she spoke neither English nor Hindusthani, only
German and Tibetan, Silas had been unable to com-
municate with her, and the use of Nurdass as an in-
terpreter had not then been discovered. This was
serious news for a man in my condition ; but I was
in too deathlike a state to do anything, and lying
down in my tent, did not make any attempt to leave
it until the day after next.

Whenever able, I staggered up to Mrs Pagell's
residence, and explained the position I was in. She
at once gave me access to her husband's store of
medicines, where I found all I required to treat
myself with — calomel, steel, chalk, Dover's powder,
and, above all, pure ipecacuanha, which nauseous
medicine was to me like a spring of living water in
a dry and thirsty land, for I knew well that it was
the only drug to be relied on for dysentery. This
good Moravian sister was distressed at having no
proper accommodation in her house for me ; but,
otherwise, she placed all its resources at my disposal,
and soon sent off a letter to be forwarded from village

102 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPOKT.

to village in search of her husband. Considering
that, in ten years, Mrs Pagell had seldom seen a
European, it was only to "be expected that she should
be a little flustered and at a loss what to do ; but her
kindness was genuine, and I was greatly indebted
to her.

I had hoped, by this time, to be leaving the
Valley of the Shadow of Death, its rock heat and its
ever-roaring torrent, but had to remain in it for a
month longer, lying on my back. I reached Pii on
the 4th July, and Mr Pagell did not arrive until
the 25th of the month ; so that for three weeks, and
during the critical period of the disease, I had to be
my own doctor, and almost my own sick-nurse. Only
those who have experienced acute dysentery can knoAV
how dreadfully trying and harassing it is ; and the
servants of the heroic Livingstone have told how, in
the later stages of it, he could do nothing but groan
day and night. Then the ipecacuanha, which I had
to take in enormous doses before I could contrive to
turn the disease, kept me in a state of the greatest
feebleness and sickness. The apricot-trees afforded
grateful shade, but they harboured hosts of sand-flies,
which tormented me all night, while swarms of the
common black fly kept me from sleeping during the
day. There were numbers of scorpions under the
stones around, both the grey scorpion and the large
black scorpion with its deadly sting, of the effects of
which Vambery has given such a painful account.

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 103

Curiously, too, this was the only place in the
Himaliya where I ever heard of there being ser-
pents ; but long serpents there were — six feet long
— gliding before my open tent at night. This was
no dream of delirium, for one was killed quite close
to it and brought to me for examination ; and a few
weeks after, Mr Pagell killed another in his ver-
andah. I was far too ill to examine whether my
serpent had poison-fangs or not, and was fain to be
content with an assurance that the people of Pii were
not afraid of these long snakes ; but the Moravian
found that the one he killed had fangs, and at all
events it was not pleasant, even for a half-dead man,
either to see them in moonlight, or hear them in
darkness, gliding about his tent. One end of the
field in front of me touched on a small forest, which
ran up a steep valley and was likely to harbour wild
beasts. The position was lonely, also, for I had to
make my servants camp a little way off, on the side
away from the forest, in order not to be disturbed
by their talking and disputing, or by their visitors ;
and so, weak as I was, they were barely within call
even when awake. But I was much disturbed by
the singing and howling of a number of Chinese
Tartars who had come over the border on a pilgrim-
age to the Lama temple in Pu. These pious persons
were silent all day till about two or three in the
afternoon, when they commenced their infernal revels,
and (with the aid of potent liquor, I was told) kept

104 TRAVEL, AD VENTURE, AXD SPOET.

up their singing and dancing for several nights till
morning. In addition to all this, huge savage
Tibetan dogs used to come down the mountain-sides
from a Lama nunnery above, and prowl round my
tent, or poke into it, in search of what they could
find; and the letting them, loose at all was highly
improper conduct on the part of the virtuous sister-
hood. One splendid red dog came down regularly,
with long leaps, which I could hear distinctly ; and
I had quite an affection for him, until, one night, I
was awakened from an uneasy slumber by finding his
mouth fumbling at my throat, in order to see if I was
cold enough for his purposes. This was a little too
much, so I told Silas to watch for it and pepper it
with small -shot from a distance; but, either acci-
dentally or by design, he shot it in the side from
close quarters, killing it on the spot, its life issuing
out of it in one grand, hoarse, indignant roar. Pos-
sibly it occurred to my servant that the small-shot from
a distance might be a rather unsafe proceeding. As
if these things were not enough, I had a visitor of
another kind, one night, who puzzled me not a little
at first. I was lying awake, exhausted by one of the
paroxysms of my illness, when a large strange-looking
figure stepped into the moonlight just before my tent,
and moved about there with the unsteady swaying
motion of a drunken man, and with its back towards
me. My first idea was that this was one of the
Chinese Tartars encamped beside the temple, who

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 105

had come in his sheepskin coat to treat me to a war-
dance, or to see what he could pick up ; and so I let
my hand fall noiselessly over the side of the couch,
upon the box which held my revolver. It was only
natural that I should think so, because it is very
rarely that any animal, except homo sapiens, moves
erect upon its hind legs, or, I may add, gets drunk.
But still there was something not human in the
movements of this creature, and when it began
slowly to climb up one of the apricot -trees in a
curious fashion, I could not help exclaiming aloud,
" Good heavens ! what have we got now 1 " On
this it turned round its long head and gave a fero-
cious growl, enabling me both to see and hear that it
was one of the great snow-bears which infest the high
mountains, but enter seldom and only by stealth the
villages. I thought it prudent to make no more re-
marks ; and after another warning growl, evidently
intended to intimate that it was not going to be
balked of its supper, the bear continued up the tree,
and commenced feasting on the apricots. As may
be supposed, I watched somewhat anxiously for its
descent ; and as it came down the trunk, the thought
seemed to strike it that a base advantage might be
taken of its position, for it halted for an instant and
gave another warning growl. It repeated this ma-
noeuvre as it passed my tent, on its four legs this
time, but otherwise took no notice of me ; and there
was a curious sense of perilous wrong-doing about tho

106 TEAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPOET.

creature, as if it were conscious that the temptation
of the apricots had led it into a place where it ought
not to have "been. I did not mention this circum-
stance to Silas, for he was extremely anxious to have
a shot at a bear, and I was just as anxious that he
should not, because he had no sufficient qualification
for such dangerous sport, and to have wounded a bear
would only have resulted in its killing him, and per-
haps some more of us. After that, however, though
never troubled with another visit of the kind, I had
a sort of barricade made at night with my table and
other articles in front of the tent, so that I might not
be taken unawares ; for my visitor was not a little
Indian black bear, or even an ordinary Tibetan bear,
but a formidable specimen of the yellow or snow bear
(Ursus isdbellinus), which usually keeps above the
snow-line, is highly carnivorous in its habits, and
often kills the yaks of Pu, and of other villages, when
they are sent to graze in summer upon the high alp.
Shortly after this I discovered that the way to deal
with the horrible irritation of the sand-flies was to
have my tent closed at night, and to smoke them
out of it with burning fagots, which almost entirely
freed me from their annoyance, and was an immense
relief, though the plan had some disadvantages of
its own, because I did not like to strike a light for
fear of attracting the sand-flies ; and so the mov-
ing of creatures about and inside iny tent became
doubly unpleasant when there was little or no moon,

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 107

for, in the darkness, I could not tell what they
might be.

It was in this way that I spent the month of July,
when I had hoped to be travelling in Chinese Tibet.
Trying as this combination of horrors was, I think it
did me good rather than harm, for it made life more
desirable than it might otherwise have appeared, and
so prevented me succumbing to the disease which had
got all but a fatal hold of me. Moreover, the one
visitor neutralised the effect of the other : you cease
to care about scorpions when you see long snakes
moving about you at night, and Tibetan mastiffs are
insignificant after the visit of an Ursus isabellinus.
During this trying period Mrs Pagell paid me a short
visit every day or two, and did all in her power to
afford medical comforts. My servants also were anx-
ious to do all they could, but they did not know what
to do ; and I was scarcely able to direct them to do
more than weigh out medicines and to leave me as
undisturbed as possible, complete repose being almost
essential to recovery. I could only lie there, remem-
bering the lines —

" So he bent not a muscle, but hung there,

As, caught in his pangs
And waiting his change, the king-serpent

All heavily hangs,
Far away from his kind, in the pine,

Till deliverance come."

After I had recovered, and we were away from Pii,

108 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Mr Pagell told me, with a slightly humorous twinkle
in his eye, and being guilty of a little conjugal infi-
delity, that one great cause of his wife's anxiety on
my account was that she did not know where I was
to be buried, or how a coffin was to be made for me.
About the 10th and 12th of July it looked very like
as if the time had come for arrangements of that
kind being made ; and poor Mrs Pagell was, naturally
enough, greatly at a loss what to do in the absence of
her husband. Ground is very valuable at Pu, and
difficult to be had, being entirely artificial, and ter-
raced up on the mountain-side. For a stranger to
occupy any portion of it in perpetuity would have
been a serious and expensive matter ; and Moravian
feeling revolted at the idea of growing vegetables
or buckwheat over my grave. Then, as everything
should be done decently and in order, the question
as to a coffin was very perplexing. Had the practical
missionary himself been there, he could at least have
supervised the construction of one by the Pu carpen-
ters ; but his wife felt quite unequal to that, and was
much distressed in consequence. Had I known of
this anxiety, I could have put her mind at rest, be-
cause it never occurred to me that, in the circum-
stances, the responsibility of making arrangements
would fall upon any one except myself. Death
never appeared to myself so near as the people beside
me believed it to be ; and my determination was, if
it became inevitable, to make arrangements to have

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 109

my body carried up, without a coffin, high up tho
mountains above the snow-line. I had fully consid-
ered how this could have been, ensured, and have al-
ways had a fancy, nay, something more than a fancy,
to be so disposed of, far away from men and their
ways. There are wishes of this kind which, I believe,
have a real relationship to the future, though the con-
nection may be too subtle to be clearly traced. There
is a twofold idea in death, by virtue of which man
still attaches himself to the earth while his spirit may
look forward to brighter worlds ; and for me it was
a real consolation to think of myself resting up there
among the high peaks —

" There, watched by silence and by night,

And folded in the strong embrace
Of the great mountains, with the light
Of the sweet heavens upon my face."

But it had not come to that. By day I watched
the sunbeams slanting through the apricot-trees, or
looked up longingly to the green slopes and white
snows of the " Windy Peak " of Gerard's map. Eve
after eve I saw the sunlight receding up the wild
precipices and fading on the snowy summits. ]S"ight
after night the most baleful of the constellations drew
its horrid length across a space of open sky between
the trees, and its red star, Cor Scorpti, glared down
upon my sick-bed like a malignant eye in heaven.
And while the crash of falling rocks and the move-

110 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

ments of stealthy wild creatures were occasionally
heard, night and day there ever rose from beneath the
dull thunderous sound of the Sutlej, to remind me, if
that were needed, that I was still in the Valley of the
Shadow of Death.

A NIGHT'S PERIL

FOUNDED ON FACT.
[MAGA. JANUARY 1846.]

TWO days before I sailed from Mauritius, I was
sitting at breakfast on one of the packages con-
taining my traps. The walls were stripped of their
pictures, the cherished whips and pipes were gone
from the chimneypiece — the crockery which minis-
tered to my occasions was borrowed. The Sarah
transport floated in the harbour, and almost sent the
tail of her pendant into my window.

There was no mistake about it, — I was on the
move ; and, of course, as I was bound to Old England,
I ought to have been in ecstatics. But there is no
such thing as " of course " in human affairs. Of
them, the tide is subject to so many perturbations,
that, like Mrs M'Stinger, there is no saying which
way they may head at any moment. For myself, I
have ever been somewhat of a cosmopolite, and felt
it to be bad policy for a creature of condition so erra-
tic as man, to circumvent too closely with particulars

112 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

of locality his idea of home. It is a narrowing of our
capabilities to anchor our hopes in some village or
county, and to persuade ourselves that thence they
cannot be started without shipwreck. If ever any of
the sons of men were senseless of ambition and the
auri sacra fames — those circulating forces that draw
men from the native hearth, and prevent the stagna-
tion of societies — they would need a triple defence
against Necessity to fortify such a position. "\Vhen
this " Daughter of Jove " descends in her might, and
hurls them from their strongholds— when go from
home they must, even then will men sometimes go
resistingly, which is the same thing as to go painfully.
A man who should cling to some particular post or
pillar till torn thence by mechanical force, would pro-
bably be wounded in the struggle. And so is it that
the mental lacerations which some emigrants exhibit
as the work of cruel necessity, are but the effect of
their own obstinate clinging to some spot or out-
ward object from which the fiat of necessity has
separated them. Such men are cruel to themselves,
and must often move the pity of their fellow-way-
farers. Such men are to be seen nursing their sor-
rows, blinding their eyes, and denying the sympathies
of their immortal and infinite spirits. Tlie World is
man's habitation ; and a good Providence has so
adorned its every part, that nowhere can we be
called to dwell where a wise man may not be happy
and at home. The sacred asylum of home is of no

A NIGHT'S PEEIL. 113

geographical nor material limitation. Its building is
of love, and faith, and peace ; and these foundations
may be laid anywhere, for they dwell within the
spirit of man, and are evoked by the voice of wis-
dom. Be wise, then, oh wanderer from the land of
thy sires ! Open thine arms to thy new brethren and
sisters, and live no longer as though possessing no
higher innate powers than an oyster or a cauliflower.
Here, where you are, you have what may serve your
present aptitude ; for aught more you must wait till
hereafter.

I by no means intend to infer that it required any
high strain of philosophy to accommodate one's self
to the circumstances of a few years' sojourn at Mauri-
tius. One might, perhaps, assume it to be one of the
most beautiful islands in the world. The good mer-
chants and planters exhibit hospitality in its very pink,
and abundantly evoke for your benefit the resources
of the island. Objections, on the score of climate, I
look upon as unworthy of a prudent traveller ; for to
one who will be at the pains of a little concession to
circumstances, all climates soon become the same.
'Tis but an extra cloak at St Petersburg, and an hour
or two's siesta at Calcutta. The one really assailable
point in the constitution of Mauritius is, that it is a
little out of the twopenny-post line, — but as I was not
in love, this mattered little to me.

When I say that I was not in love, I must be un-
derstood as speaking irrespectively of Mauritius. Till

VOL. III. H

114 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

I set foot on those "bewitching shores I had deservedly
enjoyed the character of a hard-hearted, impregnable
"bachelor. It would be tedious to sum up the names
of my messmates, whom one after another I had seen
fall victims to eyes that had vainly expended fascina-
tion on me. The girls always gave me up as a bad
job within three weeks of our arriving at new quar-
ters. But now my time was come — dedi manus — I
had stretched my tether to the utmost; and soon
after I had set foot on the island of Paul and Virginia
I had ceased to be a free man.

Now, put all these things together, and you will
not be surprised to hear that I was not out of my wits
with joy at being ordered home.

Mine was one of those complicated cases of love
that will occur sometimes ; not one flame, but many
consumed me, — not one image of female loveliness,
but many such specimens, beset my reveries. I would
turn out in the morning with the perfect convic-
tion that Maria was the real girl after all, and so
rest satisfied, till some person or thing, envious of my
peace, would call up to my mind's eye Lucie, or some
other of the score of pretty names that rejoice Echo
in that favoured spot. Thus did I shift my allegiance
from one to another, and live in such uncertainty,
that had Hymen's self decked for me the altar, I
should have been so long in settling what name
should thereon be inscribed, that he would infalli-
bly have put his torch out in disgust.

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 115

So tempered I sat breakfasting. With the con-
fusion of softer feeling, which I have tried to de-
scribe, was mingled a little indignation at a letter
which I had just received from my old friend Jack
Hardy. He did me to wit, that he had heard of
my goings on, and congratulated me on being ordered
off, before I was regularly nabbed. In case of the
worst, — and this was the part for which I could have
thrashed him, — in case of the nabbing aforesaid hav-
ing actually taken place, he suggested that I need be
under no alarm, since now I had an obvious opportu-
nity of going home to " consult my friends." Con-
sidering how often I had myself used this weary old
joke, I remember it did seem to me a little odd that
I should so wince at it then. " Nabbed," thought I ;
" I only wish that Jack, or anybody else, would tell
me by whom." And then I began to think how like
my state was to that of a hypochondriac, who, assailed
by fifty symptoms at once, knows not which to re-
gard, and so misses the cause of all the evil. Au-
thorities agree in stating, that a man can be in love
with but one person at one time ; so in spite of
appearances, I was obliged to conclude that some
one particular young lady was the motive power of
the distraction I exhibited.

But little mattered it who, or how many, the girls
might be • I was going to leave them all. Soon
Mauritius and its happy company would have to
exist for me dreamily, and as an image of the past,

116 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

the vivid lights of its actuality pushed into obscu-
rity by some harsher present. Soon the popular
— th would be gone, and be succeeded by some
other no less popular regiment — and then, thought
I, how long will the girls be before their grief finds
consolation from among the new arrivals ? Will
any inconsolable one remember us ? Will any re-
member me 1 A buzz of the island patois broke in
upon my meditations, just as I was beginning to
make out the image of one fair friend, who seemed
to stand forth in favourable relief from among the
multitude. It was very annoying to be forced from
hope just nascent in distinguishable form ; but the
ideal must ever, experimentally, give way to the real.
I approached the window, where a Babel of
tongues was raging — " Gaitli done, gaitli / li grand
mossieu, su li petit cheval." l

The cause of the commotion was apparent, in the
person of rny friend Hamilton, who, at the precise
moment of my reaching the window, had managed
to make his way through the crowd, and was dis-
mounting. I might have guessed, before seeing him,
who was the comer, for he never stirred out, in his
then fashion, without causing a disturbance of the
popular quiet. He was a tremendous big fellow, who
had a fancy for riding the smallest pony, that would
keep his legs well bent up from trailing on the ground.
This sight, for some reason or other, particularly
l- "Look there, look at the big gentleman on the little horse."

A. NIGHT'S PERIL. 117

tickled the fancy of the local vagabonds ; and they
habitually made a point of affording him a guard
of honour on his excursions.

On this occasion the noise waxed louder than usual,
and soon let me see that something more than com-
mon was in the wind. As soon as I could make out
the personal appearance of the steed, I saw that his
garniture was out of the ordinary equestrian fashion.
About his saddle was slung a collection of parcels,
and over his neck depended two uncovered and
uncommonly good-looking bottles. Besides this,
Hamilton had in his hands a basket, and was
evidently made up in all respects for a start or a
cruise some whither.

" Whither away my man 1 " said I as he entered,
mustering up the most facetious look I could, to hide
the possible traces of melancholy on my physiognomy ;
for I knew him of old as a desperate roaster.

"Where you are coming with me, Jack," replied
Hamilton — " so get your traps together in a quarter
less no time."

" But, my good fellow, I cannot ; you know I sail
the day after to-morrow, and have lots to do. Be-
sides, to tell you the truth, I am a little, just a little
out of sorts."

?' Melancholy, and so forth," said my friend ; " but
let toe tell you, that's exactly the reason why I've
come to fetch you. Here, read this billet-doux, and
then give me your answer."

118 TEAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

He threw me a pretty little three-cornered, rose-
coloured, scented note, whose superscription set my
heart palpitating. It was the caligraphy of Virgiiiie

G , and addressed itself, comprehensively, " To

all whom it might concern."

In pretty mock heroics, it set forth the commands
of certain undersigned fair inhabitants of the colony,
to all and sundry the officers of her Majesty's — th
Eegiment, to repair to a spot some little distance on
the other side of the harbour, there to hold fete
champetre, by way of parting festivity. I looked
over the names of the fair despots, and saw that
among them were most of those who had especially
made happy the last few years of my experience.

Virginie G herself was certainly the one on

whom I thought the most frequently in connection
with the two days that alone remained to me.

" My dear fellow," said I, when I had spelt over
the list of names, "here is enough to tempt one ; but
let us be discreet as we grow old. What can come
of my going, but fresh regrets ? Can I forget that
in two days I am off, bag and baggage, and that some
new fellow will succeed to all my tender interests
here, just as naturally as he will to my quarters 1 "
Hamilton had lit a cigar, and smoked on thus far
in silence, though I felt that he was watching me.

" I have not done my business yet," said he, " nor
shall I without a little bit of treachery. Virginie
wrote that letter."

A NIGHT'S PEKIL. 119

" There's no treachery in telling that, for I knew it
at once."

" But there is treachery in telling that she laid her
commands on me to show the document to you : more
especially, as I believe she would blush extravagantly
if she thought you knew it."

Now let me say, that though I had for Yirginie
that kind of sentiment that made me feel ill at ease
under the inquisitorial eye of my friend, I had never
felt sure that she cared for me accordingly. Some
girls are so excessively tender, that they can spare
more love to a canary-bird than others can afford to
a declared suitor. Yirginie was of this affectionate
sort ; so, though she had been tender to me, I lacked
assurance that this tenderness contained in. it any
thing of distinction.

I will confess, then, that it touched me rather, to
hear that she had actually vouchsafed me a particular
remembrance.

" Jack," said my friend, " you must come. I'll be
candid, and tell you at once that I've read you like
a book. You're in love with one of those girls, and
don't exactly know which it is. Well and good —
that has been many a good fellow's lot before you.
However, here's a chance for you to try to learn your
own mind."

" Alas ! and much good that would do me ! "

" Good — of course it will. You will have them
all together, and there's nothing like comparison for

120 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

helping on a judgment. Besides, if you do nothing
else, you will at least have a pleasant day, and leave
a good impression."

I cannot say that I felt particularly disposed to
join a mirthful party. But at least I should see
once more assemhled in their glory the kind creatures
on whom I depended for pleasant recollections. I
should be able to see whether any of them appeared
sorry to leave us, who had borne them company in so
many a deed of mirth. And as at all events I should
escape a fair portion of the twice twenty-four hours'
moping that otherwise must be endured, I determined
to go, though at the risk of sharpening the regrets of
parting.

There was also another reason why I was the readier
to go ; and as thereby hangs the adventure of this
present inditing, I may as well explain at once. This
was the last day on which I could write myself owner
of my pretty little Mudian boat, the Wave. I had sold
her off with my nag and the usual encumbrances, and
the next day she was to be the property of a new
master. Any one who knows the island within the
last few years will remember the Wave, that used to
beat everything in her waters. The only thing that
at all came up to her was the launch of the old
Bucephalus. This was the fancy-boat of the first
lieutenant, who after many experiments had hit upon
the lug as the becoming rig. With the wind well on
the quarter, the old launch would beat me, and close

A NIGHT'S PEEIL. 121

hauled I would beat her ; but which after all was
the better boat was a question we could never settle.
However, it was for no want of trying. As surely as
it blew at all fresh, so surely would the little Wave
be seen cruising about among the shipping, and pass-
ing under the stern of the Bucephalus ; and so surely
also would the launchers be piped away on board the
big craft. Many was the prophecy uttered that the
little barkey would be my coffin, and so once she
certainly would have been, had we not had water
ballast aboard, when she capsized in a heavy squall,
to which I would not shorten sail

I liked mightily the idea of a farewell cruise in my
poor little boat in such pleasant company. Objec-
tions touching her unprovisioned state were met at
once by Hamilton, who had laid in abundance, and
was carrying about him some of the odd trifles for-
gotten in the first instance. He had fully bargained
to go in my boat, and as my companion. Boating
was no usual fancy of his ; but somehow he had a
great idea of my nautical skill, and a high opinion of
the craft herself, that made him sometimes willing to
enlist as my companion. He was a very good fellow,
but, I am bound to say, more useful and agreeable on
shore than at sea. He would sit down in the little
hatch and smoke his pipe rationally enough when all
was smooth. But directly we felt the wind, and
began to lie over the least bit in the world, you
might see him eyeing the dingy's sculls, or any stray

122 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

bit of plank as a stand-by in case of capsize. Once
I saw him pull his jacket off for a swim ashore when
well out of soundings. Put all this together, and
you will understand my friend to have been of a
temperament nervous as touching the water. How-
ever, he was a very good fellow ; more particularly
one to whom I least feared to communicate any little
romantic episode that might turn up. A good deal
in this way I had already told him ; and, far from
laughing at me, he had seriously set himself to help
me at my need.

"We settled then that we should go together to take
this last day's sail out of the Wave, and to make the
most of the ladies' society before the act of severing
should take place. It would be difficult to say what
were the hopes that seemed to peep out at me from
the prospect of our arrangement ; but plainly enough
I did encourage the hope of some good that was to
come of it. Perhaps I was brightened up by the
change for the better that my lively and somewhat
whimsical friend had introduced into my morning
society. Certainly he was much wittier, and more
amusing than my own thoughts, which had been my
only companionship before. At any rate, having
once agreed to the convention, I set about the prepa-
ration of myself and my traps with a good will. The
day was lovely, and by happy accident not too hot
A light breeze was springing up, which would carry
us nicely out of the harbour. The only difficulty in

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 123

the way of a start was touching the due manning of
my craft, as Pierre and his little son Antoine, who
had composed my former crew, had been paid off the
day before, and were shipped aboard another craft by
this time. Eight sorry, too, they had been at the
change, for both skipper and craft had been exactly
to their taste. I was not up to navigating the boat en-
tirely by myself, and had no great opinion of the value
of my friend Hamilton as a watch -mate. However,
he volunteered with such hearty good will, and the
weather promised to afford so little room for seaman-
ship, that I thought he might do at the pinch. It
was the first time we had ever been out alone, for,
frequently as we had been together, he had been
constant to his character as a passenger.

" Now, Hamilton," said I, " you must work your
passage. You must stand by to clap on a rope or
run to the tiller."

"Ay, ay/' said he, "never fear; I'll not shirk my
work. I've had a wet jacket before I saw your craft.
Did I never tell you about my cruise on the Cam ? "

" Never, Tom."

"Then you do not know half my nautical ex-
periences. Let me ask you how often you have
been capsized in one day?"

"Never but once, I am happy to say, and that
was when Pierre held on too long at the sheet, against
that old launch of the Bucephalus."

" I've been before this twice fairly foundered, and

124 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

once hard and fast ashore in one day. I was on a

visit to Bob S 's brother at Magdalen, and among

the amusements of the season was boating : most un-
seasonable work it was just then, for the weather was
bitter cold. We started, a lot of us, intending to
navigate the river as far as Ely. None of us hap-
pened to know anything about nauticals, so we
blindly submitted ourselves to the guidance of a
fresh man who wore a remarkably hard-a-weather
pilot-coat, and waddled in walking like a man unused
to terra firma. He took the command as naturally
as possible — never dreaming of so far doubting our
judgments as to mistrust his own ability. We had
hardly got well away when a squall laid us right
over, and fairly swamped the boat. This we regarded
as an accident that might overtake the most skilful ;
and I verily believe that we even the more highly
esteemed our Palinurus on account of the coolness
which, we must all do him the justice to say, he
exhibited. But when, soon after, he ran us regularly
under water, we began to be suspicious, and hints
flew about that he had undertaken more than he was
up to. On this Mr Tarpaulin, with all imaginable
complacency, asked us what the row was about, and
whether we thought that any of us would have done
better, if this had been the first time in our lives
that we had exercised naval command. After this
confession we were no more surprised at accidents.
We regarded it as rather an easy let off that the con-

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 125

cern was driven hopelessly hard ashore, in a stiff
clayey soil, that allowed no idea of getting her off
that night. All this may sound very little to a
regular old salt like yourself ; but add to this little
sketch the idea of a driving sleet, and a seven or
eight miles' walk to Ely at midnight, without shoes,
which the greedy loam sucked from off our feet, and
the ensemble of hardship is enough to satisfy a lands-
man like myself. Since that time I have been little
given to boating, and, as you know, never go out
except with you."

" "Well, I'll try never to play you such a trick as
did your tarpaulin friend. But the sea is a ticklish
element, and the sky is a treacherous monitor."

" They never, either of them, promised better than
they do to-day, so let us be off, or Yirginie will start
in search of pleasure with a cloud on her pretty
face."

We bundled up our traps and started accordingly.
The distance between my quarter and the little mole
where the Wave lay rocking in the gentle undula-
tions was soon passed over. I felt the influence of
feelings far more serious than I wished to have per-
ceived, and Hamilton evidently respected them. Like
a good fellow, he pulled away at his cigar and said
nothing. His little animal, under the guardianship
of one of the ragged gamins, had preceded us to the
water-side, and was there waiting our arrival, in order
to the due discharge of its burden.

126 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Poor little "Wave ! she was not accustomed to be
lying in harbour when her sister craft were under
way. One might have fancied that, with a senti-
ment of desolation, she allowed her burgee to droop
listlessly, flapping it against her mast, as a bird makes
sorrowful action with her wings. It did seem too
bad to sell her ;— and again I went over in my mind
the bargain I had driven, and the price I had taken
for her. After all, the conclusion was unavoidable,
that I could not take her with me; and besides, I
was going where I could not use her.

All the rest of the fellows had started, and already
•were hidden from us, as we then stood, round the
rocky point. There was no one to hail for a dingy,
and we were beholden to a dusky gentleman in a
country boat for a passage alongside. We had a job
to get the anchor up ; for it had so happened that
when last we came in all the buoys were occupied,
and as I had little idea of wanting to use her again,
I had let go her anchor. When we were fairly under
way, I began to look a little into our capabilities.
She had been sold " aU standing," so that the general
complexion of her gear was much what it had been
under my catering. But there were already some
symptoms of a change of masters. The sail locker
was empty ; and I remembered that her old suit had
been exempted from the general bill of sale, and made
over as a legacy to old Pierre. He had walked off
with them ; and thus we were left with no second

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 127

suit of sails in case of accident. Those on deck were
all she had to show. However, this deficiency was
far from causing me any alarm ; nothing in the way
of sea accident seemed less probable than that we
should carry away any of her rags that day. We
were going, merely for easy locomotion, amidst a fry.
of small craft, some of whom would be sure to lend
us whatever by any accident we might want. My
present mate, moreover, had a special objection to
" carrying on." There was a convention between us,
by virtue of which it was understood that whenever
he came with me, we were to slope along on an even
keel. His apprehension of disaster comprehended
nothing but fear of a capsize from carrying too
much sail. I think he would have preferred going
unprovided as we were, to leaving it in my power to
make sail in case of accidents. All he realised was,
that without sail a craft would not " turn the turtle ";
and as to her fetching port, he had in this particular
a blind confidence in the skill of his skipper for the
time being.

There was scarcely enough wind for us to work out
of the harbour, as the set of the sea carried us strongly
towards the bluff of rock that stretches nearly across
the entrance. But as I have said, there were few boats
could go to windward of the Wave, and perhaps none
that " went about " more readily, and with less loss.
So we managed to shave past, and came into full view
of the little squadron. We were signalised at once,

128 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

not "by the ordinary bits of bunting, but by general
acclamation, and waving of handkerchiefs by our fair
friends. On board the largest yacht a committee of
ladies had established themselves, with plenary powers
of command. This was the Queen Bee, whose motions
the rest were to follow. At the moment of our
coming in sight she set the example of making sail,
and making the best of our way to our rendezvous ;
and forthwith all the rest, who had been lying-to for
us, followed her motions. The idea of the party was
to get, as best we could, with the light breeze that
then served, to the rendezvous. For our return, we
were almost sure of the land-breeze, which would
help us along homeward without any trouble. They
were all in tip-top spirits, — especially, I thought, on
board the Commodore. In about half an hour we
ranged up alongside of her, and there we found col-
lected what might be called the bouquet of the party.
Among them was Virginie, whom I had half hoped to
find, but whom I could not flatter myself that I really
did find, subdued at the parting with so many of her
friends — more especially at parting with myself. She
bore the air of happiness triumphant. Still I could
not but fancy, when she waved her pretty hand to
me, that it was with something of empressement. I
know that I must have been considerably empresse
in my salutation ; for a host of latent associations
stirred within me at this, as I deemed it, farewell
meeting. I had no desire to make myself ridiculous,

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 129

so I kept my own counsel as well as I could. But
I felt seriously unhappy, and repented for the moment
that I had obeyed the invitation. I will not detail
the history of the fete — it passed with every advan-
tage of weather and sociability. The poor senti-
mentalists, if any there were besides myself, must
have felt themselves sadly out of their element. All
seemed as jovial as though no such thing as parting
existed as a human necessity. Amid all I grew
sadder and sadder, and blamed my own folly in
coming. Already I thought that many of the
damsels showed an unaccustomed disregard of my
presence, as though it were no longer worth while
to distinguish with attention a man who was on the
eve of leaving them for ever. Yirginie was un-
equivocally an exception to this rule. She was, as
she ever had been, kind, and made many inquiries
as to my future movements, even speculating on our
meeting again. But she seemed thoroughly content
that I should go, and as though no such dream had
ever entered her head as that I might, under any
circumstances, remain with her. Altogether I was so
far from entering into the spirit of the party, that I
suffered an access of misanthropy. In my own mind
I condemned her as having been utterly spoiled by
education and early associations. She had been
used to intimacy with so many, and such constantly
changing friends, that she was utterly incapable of
the stability of friendship. The devotion of love

VOL. III. I

130 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

could not, I thought, be found with her ; and without
this devotion hearts are not given.

On the melancholy pasturage of my own thought
I became at last so visibly doleful, that I acted quit
as a wet blanket on the party. Some of the giddier
among the girls rallied me, more wittily than com-
passionately, on my love-tokens, and wished to try
me by a sort of jury, to discover which of themseh
it was that caused my grief. The effect of this
badinage on me was to kindle no little exasperation
against° the principal persecutors, and to make me
pretty considerably unamiable to all I felt that I
was behaving in a way that would be likely to leave
behind me no good impression, and yet I could not
constrain myself to propriety.

Thus far my expedition seemed to have answer
ill. I have now to tell how it anon seemed to
threaten worse, and then turned out in the happy
issue which I at present enjoy.

The time came for us to think of returning. There
was every probability of our finding this an easy task,
as we were able pretty well to calculate on the rising
of the land-breeze. The wind had fallen during the
day, and for some hours there had been a dead calm.
The' breeze that was to succeed it was very long in
coming. The revellers were so well pleased with
their entertainment that no thought was breathed of
getting ready for a start, till the gentle sighing of 1
neighbouring sugar-canes told us that the elements

A NIGHT'S PEEIL. 131

would serve our turn. Such a large and straggling
party was not got together and re-embarked without
difficulty ; and the upshot of all Avas that, by the
time we were under way homewards, it was well
on in the evening. This gave us little uneasiness ;
the nights were clear, the breeze was generally steady,
and as the land lay pretty well astern, the only diffi-
culty that occurred to me was concerning the orderly
behaviour of some of the men, who had taken too
much wine to be quite manageable.

As it concerns our subsequent adventure, I may as
well say that none of the uproarious ones were on
board the Wave. They none of them would patronise
a craft (so they said) which was commanded by such
a long-faced skipper. So Hamilton and myself were
the complement returning, as we had been coming.
He was as sober as a judge, and just as much dis-
posed as ever to be "handy Billy," or, in common
language, to do a turn of work wherever he might
be useful. I should think that we must have num-
bered, in all, at least twenty boats. It did not seem
xmlikely that some of them might fall on board of
each other, as they were crowded very thickly, and
some of them kept poor watch. Some of the steers-
men were too jolly to be careful, and the girls did
not by any means call them to order. It is almost
a peculiarity of colonial girls to be without fear.
Perhaps it is because they see so much of change,
that few things strike them as strange, — and it is

132 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

strangeness that generally terrifies. As I had sold
my yacht and bargained for her price, I felt that ]
ought to be particularly careful of what had become
another man's property. I was unwilling to run the
risk of injuring even her paint-work, which I sup-
posed to be about the extent of damage threatened
by a collision. So I held on till the whole set of
them were started, and then got under way, keep-
ing in their wake. There was no great distance
between us, only just sufficient to keep us well clear

of them.

Merry sounds of song and talk resounded from the
tiny specks that floated on ocean. Good-humoured
hails were sent back to me, and many an offer made
of a tow-rope to help me to my station. Some of
them had musical instruments with them, and gave
the harmony of voice and string to be blended with
the evening air. A happier or securer party never
enjoyed themselves, nor any, I should say, that
fancied for themselves a more perfect exemption
from the possibility of danger.

Things went thus for about an hour and a half,
the gradual change of evening into night being
scarcely perceptible in the lengthened twilight. The
wind, which had been gradually falling, seemed then
fairly to expire. Nothing more was to be done by
sailing, and the boats remained bobbing up and down
in the slight swell, without the least homeward
motion. It was plainly a case of " out oars." Sadly

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 133

against the grain did it go with us to pull off our
jackets and set to work ; but there remained no
choice. We could not stay there all night, and if
we meant to fetch our port we must pull. Some of
them managed very well, as they were helped by
the man-of-war boats that had joined the cruise.
They got considerably ahead, and thus a division
was produced in our little flotilla. The "Wave was
amongst the sternmost, as for want of hands we had
been able to do but little ; and besides that, we were
in no working humour. One by one they all forged
ahead so far as to be out of sight at that time of
night; yet still not so far but that we occasionally
heard them hailing, or singing at their oars.

As we had no fancy for a hard spell at pulling, we
took things coolly as they came. "We kept all sail
set to take advantage of any little breeze that might
come, and meanwhile waited as patiently as we could.
Some three-quarters of an hour probably passed in
this way, and then the face of the night began to
undergo a change. The clouds showed a disposition
to concentrate in a particular point over to landward,
and light cat's-paws to play upon the water. Soon
the breeze steadied a bit, and allowed us to lie on our
course ; and before long we were going through the
water at the rate of five knots. We held on thus,
till I knew that we must be coming close on to the
ugly reef that lies about three miles S.S.W. of Port St
Louis. The clouds had become blacker, and without

134 TEAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPOET.

doubt a squall was brewing. Judging from experi-
ence, I fancied that it would be only of rain ; and,
at any rate, it seemed not yet to be so near as to
require us to take in canvas. So we held on every-
thing, and I ran forward to look out for the reef, and
left Hamilton at the tiller. I at no time particularly
liked to have him for a steersman, but now I had no
choice, for he would not by any means have done for
a look-out man.

"ISTow, Hamilton," I said, "look out; keep her as
she goes a bit, and have one eye to windward, for
there is a regular sneezer brewing, and we shall have
it hot and strong in a jiffey."

As I ran forward, I looked at him to see whether
he appeared to be at all in a stew, but was rejoiced
to find hun cool as a cucumber. He stepped con-
fidently to his post, and looked out to windward like
a regular sea-dog.

"We had now come to that point of our course
where the wind ceased to be right astern. The head of
the coast makes it necessary to beat up a bit, in order
to weather the headland. We were perfectly able to
do this, and to have even a point or two to spare,
only we should want a more skilful helmsman than
Hamilton. However, we were just clearing the reef,
and in a minute or so more I should be able to return
to my post. Meanwhile, I kept her as she was a bit,
till I should be able to put her round myself.

I had been for some minutes too much occupied

A NIGHT'S PEKIL. 135

with the pilotage to think of the weather, so had
implicitly trusted the observation of this to my watch-
mate. He ever and anon reported things looking
worse and worse.

A fine dust of rain, as it were beating into my
face, made me look up, and I saw that we were in
for it.

" Stand by there," I sang out.

"Ay, ay," said Hamilton, and he did stand by with
the air of a regular blue-jacket.

This was all the caution for which I had time.
The same moment the squall broke heavily upon us,
and the poor little Wave was thrown nearly right on
her beam-ends.

"Luff there," I cried; "luff, man, quick."

" Ay, ay," was the ready rejoinder ; but, alas ! just
the contrary was the thing done. Whether Hamilton
was flurried, or whether he never rightly knew what
luffing meant, he put the helm hard up. In swing-
ing off before the squall, she caught the full force of
the wind, and for one moment I thought all was over
with us. She went so far over that it seemed im-
possible that she should not capsize. But at the
same instant, and before one could well think of the
predicament, a jerk was felt, an explosion as of a
pistol was heard, and the little craft righted. The
mainsail had been blown clear away from the stay-
rope, and was fluttering about in ribbons.

In a moment I saw the danger of our position.

136 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

The squall had been the first burst of a regular built
gale, which was now blowing tremendously off shore.
Had we been all a-taunto Ave might have managed to
beat against it, but even then it would have been a
tedious business, and would have required careful
steering. At present, with only our jib standing, it
was perfectly impossible to dream of such a thing.
Xo earthly power could prevent our drifting out to
sea.

Does any man who has not been placed in such a
position think that he can realise the feelings of two
human beings thrown thus, like us, waifs on the wide
ocean ? I believe that no man can ; but to assist the
imagination of such a one, let him consider one or
two things. The waters before us came, with scarcely
the break of an island, from the ice-fields of the south
pole, — and behind us the waste might almost be
called boundless. In a few minutes we should, as
things went, find ourselves clear of the lee of the
land, and then the Indian coast might be considered
the nearest breakwater. The billows that would roll
after us would come with all the force collected
within such mighty limits, under the excitement of
the gale. Had our bark been of proportions to com-
bat the elements, we could have found no safety in
an unvictualled refuge. She would at most have
afforded us the means of prolonging agony. But I
cannot say that the want of provisions seemed to me
then to enhance the horrors of our condition. Our

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 137

death by drowning seemed so certain, and so immedi-
ately imminent, that no room remained for remoter
apprehensions.

For one moment, I believe, we both lost our self-
possession. Hamilton was alarmed at the heeling
over, and at the noise, but when the boat righted he
seemed to think all the danger was over. My blank
look, however, somewhat alarmed him, and he did
not quite understand why it was that we were sailing
off-shore at such a rate. " Halloa," said he, " what
makes you look so grave 1 A miss is as good as a
mile. "We're all right now, ain't we ? " I did not
answer him in words ; but leaving him to gather in-
telligence from my looks, I ran to the tiller to see
whether there remained any hope of getting her
sufficiently near to the wind to enable us to fetch
any part of the coast.

The attempt was but a forlorn hope. I might just
as well have tried to sail her in the wind's eye. I
could not " bring her to " in the least, but she went
tearing on right before the wind. " Hamilton," I
said, " we are in a bad way. She cannot beat against
this gale under her jib, and you know that we have
not a stitch of spare canvas."

Strange as it may seem, he did not seem at first to
catch the idea of the danger we really were in. He
had so accustomed himself to think of one kind of
peril only, that he could see nothing alarming in our
state so long as we carried on under easy canvas.

138 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

" Do you mean to say," he at last asked gravely,
" do you mean to say that we are in any danger 1 "

" Danger ! " I said, " do you think there is much
safety to be found in a craft like this, out on the
Indian Ocean, with a gale blowing ? "

" Out on the ocean ! " — here his face fell with the
expression of a dawning apprehension ; " what have
we to do with the ocean 1 "

" How are we to keep out of it 1 Our last chance
was to get her round and run her on the reef,— a
poor chance, but all that we could dream of. You
saw me try her just now, and saw that it was im-
possible."

" Then you mean to say nothing can prevent our
drifting out to sea 1 " My silence and dejection gave
him the sorrowful answer.

Poor Hamilton ! he was a brave enough fellow
in his way, and willing to stand any risk for the good
of the service, — this was all in the way of business,
and he felt it to be right enough, — but the idea of
being drowned on a picnic excursion seemed to strike
him as something altogether out of his way. I will
not say that he was afraid on the occasion, because I
do not believe he would admit the influence of fear.
But he gave me the idea of a man labouring under the
strangeness of an inadmissible proposition. It seemed
as though a strong sense of injured innocence were
mixed with his apprehensions, as if he felt himself to
have been done and ill-treated.

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 139

" You don't mean to say that you cannot get her
round 1 " — this was said to me in a tone that seemed
to imply that I could if I would.

" If I could," I answered, " I should have run her
on the reef; she would certainly soon go to pieces there,
but it was our only chance."

" Never mind her going to pieces," said he ; "I
will pay half the damage."

It annoyed me, even at that terrible moment, to
hear our condition made a question of pounds, shil-
lings, and pence. I felt angry, too, with him, when
I reflected that we had been brought to this predica-
ment simply by his clumsiness. I so far gaAre way
to anger as to tell him that, if we got- safe to land, I
never would go sailing with him again, nor trust
myself on salt water with a watch-mate who didn't
know what " luff " meant, and who wanted to sail in
the wind's eye under a jib. Poor Hamilton, who
now seemed fully to appreciate our peril, contented
himself with assuring me that I might rest quiet, for
I never should go sailing again with him or with any-
body else.

A growing and abiding sense of the truth of this
probability soon checked the spirit of squabbling
within each of us. "We were every moment drifting
out farther and farther. So long as the lights of the
island had been visible, they had imparted some
degree of comfort. They at least showed whither
our course would lay, in case matters should so far

140 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

mend as to enable us to choose our own course. But
our distance was each moment increasing, and the
night was waxing darker continually. A few more
minutes, and the lights were hidden from us ; and
we were left simply and literally without any know-
ledge of our position, on the Indian Ocean. The sea
had got up prodigiously, the wind blew harder than
ever, and the night was as dark as pitch. Though
she was flying before the wind, we could not keep
the sea out of her, — it washed in over her quarter
every few minutes, and it was all that we could do to
keep her free by bailing. Happily we had a couple
of buckets with us, that served the turn well.

I shudder when I look back to this part of that
fearful night. Later on in the season of our peril we
did not feel so acutely the horrors of our position,
because our sensibilities had been then pretty well
exhausted by the struggle for existence. So little
hope remained at last, that our spirits scarcely re-
tained the vitality necessary for suffering. "VVe were
as though already dead, and already taken away from
living pains and feelings. But with the earlier part
of the evening are connected associations of far more
active pain — I mean during that part when I had not
resigned hope. I know that there is a theory current
that the living spirit never resigns hope ; that a
man sinking alone in the midst of the Atlantic, or
bowed down for the stroke of the descending guillo-
tine, never believes it to be impossible that he shall

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 141

escape. I cannot pledge my own experience to the
truth of this theory. The spirit of man is so firmly
wedded to hope, that it is in extremity only that this
blessing can be torn from us. But the divorce may
be effected at last, even while the tide of life beats in
the veins. I am quite sure that, during some hours
of this night, we both felt perfectly devoid of hope,
and that we could not have felt more certain of death
had we actually passed the gloomy portals. But this
was only latterly, when our physical energies had
succumbed under protracted exertion, when every
expedient we could devise for prolonging our chance
seemed to have failed. At first I could not make up
my mind that our case was hopeless, nor familiarise
myself with the idea of approaching death. No ra-
tional ground remained of expecting anything that
could rescue us ; and yet I could not forego the ex-
pectation that something would turn up. Our perish-
ing seemed too bad a thing to be true. It could not
be that our jocund morning should have such an
issue ; that we, so recent from the companionship of
youth and grace, should be hurried to the contact of
death. And yet all the while that I thus yielded to
the promptings of natural instinct, I felt that we were
drifting on each moment rapidly to the catastrophe.

While any room for activity remains, there is to
be found some relief in exertion. The full bitter-
ness of our condition was not felt till we had tried
every device that we could think of, and had been

142 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

reduced to inaction — without resignation. Our last
resource was one on which I had been sanguine
enough to build up some hope. It occurred to me
that if we were to let go her anchor, the weight of
that, together with her eighteen fathoms of chain,
might bring her bodily up. I only regretted that
we had no spare spars wherewith to form a sort
of breakwater, for I have great faith in the powers of
a boat to ride out a gale and heavy sea under the
lee of such a defence. Still I thought that we might
manage to check her way effectually before we had
driven too far out to sea ; and then in the morning
we might still find ourselves in sight of the island.
There are circumstances under which one learns to
make much of a very little hope, and I had made the
most I could of this. We watched till we got into a
smooth place, and then "let go." The extremity of
peril had been reserved for this moment. The sudden
check certainly brought her up as we expected, but
other effects of our manosuvre followed which were
beyond our calculation. She rounded too abruptly,
and swung head to wind, But the weight of her
anchor and chain hanging at her bows seemed as if
they would pull her under water. The depression
was so great that we saw that not a minute was to be
lost, and that our only chance lay in heaving up again
as quickly as possible. In our haste we both ran
forward to the windlass, and by so doing nearly com-
pleted our destruction, for the additional weight had

A NIGHT'S PEEIL. 143

a most alarming effect on her immersion. It became
evident that we must at once get rid of the weight,
and that it must be done without any additional
strain. Our only plan was to slip the cable, and let
both it and the anchor go by the run. This I accord-
ingly did, but not even in this extreme peril without
a pang of regret. Being relieved, she rose instantly,
and in a moment was before the wind again. It had
been a narrow escape for us, and, but that we had
chosen a smooth place, we must have been swamped
there and then. She had shipped a great deal of
water, and we had hard work to clear her ; and then
once more all our work to begin again, for she shipped
seas almost as quickly as we could bale them out.

For some little time we worked like men, and as if
we really thought that we might work to good pur-
pose. But soon it became quite manifest that we
must be beaten. Our utmost exertion barely sufficed
to keep her clear; and any little respite that we
allowed to ourselves begat a terrible accumulation of
water. This could not go on long. Hamilton was
the first to admit this conclusion, and to give up the
struggle for existence. I observed the particular
moment when hope died within him, and noted it
by the token of his sinking listlessly on the locker,
and expressing in his countenance no sign of interest
in our proceedings. To him there remained no more
of the interest of speculation ; there was for him but
one idea, that of death, present and painful. I can-

144 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

not say that I considered it all over with us yet. I
am far from laying claim to any superior degree of
courage, or thinking myself a braver man than was
my companion. Perhaps my love of life was greater
— at any rate I did not yet give in, and by after
inquiry I know that Hamilton did. I am thankful
that it was so ; for my experience made me after-
wards acquainted with this state of feeling, and
taught how paralysing are its effects. It may be
that, had I earlier shared my friend's despondency,
we neither should have survived to tell the tale.
What I contrived to do, though little enough, was
yet sufficient probably to make the difference of some
hour or so in our foundering, and this respite proved
our salvation.

Each moment that passed was bearing us out con-
tinually farther into the waste of waters. The gale
howled, the waters foamed in rage, and washed over
our gunwale ; my shipmate had resigned himself to
his fate, and replied not by word or sign to any con-
solation that I tried to suggest. All ground of hope
seemed stricken from us ; and yet, by a sort of per-
versity, I would not consent to the verdict that
seemed to have gone forth against us. Such a
struggle against adverse circumstance, where it is
according to the habitual tone of a man's spirit,
entitles him to the name of magnanimous ; with me,
it was rather a particular phase of obstinacy. One
single chance yet remained to us — scarcely enough

A NIGHT'S PERIL. • 145

for rational hope, but yet enough to justify resist-
ance to actual despair. As the wind then blew, it
was just possible that we should drift off the island
of Bourbon, or, at any rate, come near enough to be
picked up by some of her vessels. It was indeed
a slender chance, but being our all, I made the
most of it ; so much, indeed, did I make of it, that I
verily believe I should have felt quite confident of
making the port, if I had had the means of steering.
As it was, we drifted along, without any sail set, and
without any compass to point us our whereabout.
But the time was coming for me when I was to
experience the pangs that attend the death of hope-
within us. This I regard as the painful part of this
night's history. In the earlier stage there was the
relief of exertion ; in the later stages there was the
insensibility of apathy. The time of sharp anguish
was during the transition from the one state to
the other.

The coup-de-grace came thus. Some half-hour or
so after the affair of the anchor, while we were drift-
ing before the sea, we perceived a light ahead. Of
course this must be a vessel, most probably a chasse
maree belonging to the island. It was scarcely
possible that we should reach this vessel, but of
course we were violently agitated, at sight of her,
with new-born hope. Hamilton even roused up and
did what he could to help in keeping us afloat-r-r-
which condition it was very doubtful whether we

VOL. III. K

146 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AXD SPOKT.

should be able to preserve long enough to enable
us to come up with the stranger. She proved to
be beating to windward, and we saw presently that
one of her tacks would bring her within hail of us.
To see this was to pass at once from despair to
confidence. We regarded ourselves as saved, and
scarcely heeded the time that must pass before she
could come up with us; a time, every minute of
which was fraught with peril, that might shut out
from us the prospective help. As she drew near, one
only fear remained, lest she might pass us unobserved
in the obscurity of night ; and so diminutive an
object were we, and so little to be expected in that
place, that there was some room for the fear. As
she neared us we shouted loudly, but the din of
the elements was not to be overcome by our puny
voices. But on a night like that it was necessary to
keep a good look-out, and we knew that she must
have watchful eyes peering into the darkness. I had
on board a brace of pistols ready charged, which
having been stowed away in the locker had been
kept dry. We fired one after the other when
quite close to the vessel, and succeeded in attracting
their notice. We even made out in the murky air,
to which our eyes were becoming accustomed, one
or two figures of men, who ran forward to see what
was the. matter. But the chasse maree held on her
way, unheeding. When almost under her bows, we
called out to them in agony to heave to and take us

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 147

on board ; but to our utter horror they held on
their way, taking no notice of us except by some
unintelligible cries. The chasse maree passed on, as
if she thought it matter of little heed that two
human beings were left to perish in the elemental
strife of that dark night.

To this moment I cannot iinderstand this adven-
ture. It is scarcely possible to believe that any
ship's crew of men could have the horrid barbarity
to leave unsuccoured a boat perishing in that wild
night. And yet it is, perhaps, quite impossible to
believe that they could have thought us seaworthy
and safe. Our signal, our cries, the dismantled con-
dition of our boat, all spoke for themselves. Bitter,
surely, must be the recollections of that vessel's com-
pany— dark must be the character of that life, in
which such an act of barbarism was an unobserved
passage ! That skipper's worst enemy might wish
for him that he might have the knowledge of our
escape, that so the pillow of his death may be spared
the visitation of that terrible reminiscence.

We looked a moment at each other aghast. We
could not believe that the promised succour had
eluded us ; that we were deserted by brother man on
the wide ocean. But wind and water raging around
us howled into our very souls the fact. From that
time I may say that I gave up hope, that I became
as dead ; and when at last safety sprang up, it was
as from the grave that I rose to grasp it.

148 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

From this time I have little more to speak of than
a dull and stupid endurance. A period of pain there
was to go through, when my mind was bewildered
with thoughts of home, and of those I loved in my
present abode. There was a bitter pang to think
that I must resign my young existence, and there
was a realising of the pains of suffocation. I
thought it was a horrid death to drown. I remem-
bered the popular idea of death by drowning as
coming easily ; but I felt this to be wrong, and knew
by anticipation that I should have a cruel struggle
when the water occupied my nose and mouth. Both
my companion and myself seemed reduced at last to
apathy. We neither spoke nor moved ; and both,
evidently, thought it vain to continue any longer the
struggle for existence. We bade each other farewell,
and then uttered no more words. What remained
to us of life was given to inward discipline, and to
that communing of which the wise man speaks
not lightly.

The events that I have been describing, with I
fear but little distinctness of arrangement, had car-
ried us on to about midnight. It is difficult to
estimate properly the duration of time under such
circumstances ; but so nearly as I can guess, it must
have been about ten o'clock when the cliasse maree
passed us. It must have been little less than two
hours that intervened between this time and the
happy turn for the better that was awaiting us. My

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 149

wonder is that we lasted so long ; I cannot conceive
how it was that the boat kept above water. The
sea washed in continually, and we did nothing to
oppose its progress. Certain it is that nothing in
the history of escapes, with which I am acquainted,
was ever more narrow than my own escape ; nor
ever did a boat float so exactly up to the indispens-
able point.

From the stupor of despair I was aroused by the
report of a musket ; it was enough to break the
spell and re -awaken the love of life within us.
Somebody was near, and we might yet be saved.
Another, and another report followed, and a blue
light blazed forth. We then distinctly saw, and not
very far from us, a brig hove to, and, as we had not
the least doubt, making signals to us. Joyously we
sprang to renewed life and hope. We again loaded
our pistols and answered the signals of our unex-
pected deliverer. To our unspeakable joy these
were perceived, and soon we saw the brig fill her
sails and bear away after us. Our plight was yet
bad enough. We certainly were above water, and in
sight of succour ; but it was very doubtful whether
we should be able to last long enough to avail our-
selves of the assistance that approached. Our gun-
wale was nearly level with the water, and in a few
more minutes would be submerged. Oh ! how did
we long to be able to throw overboard every weighty
article, and yet we feared to stir lest we should

150 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

farther disturb the equilibrium. We sat still and
motionless on the stern locker, measuring with our
eyes the decreasing distance between us and the brig,
and calculating the chances which each moment
increased in our favour. We feared that the brig
might run us down ; but we did wrong to her skilful
master. They ranged up nearly alongside of us,
with main- topsail aback, and threw us out a rope.
Hamilton was first, and easily drawn on board, at
the expense of little more than an ordinary ducking.
My turn came next ; and I might have escaped as
well as he did, but my worldly feelings had wonder-
fully revived, and I was no longer content to come
off with the mere saving of life ; I wanted also to
save the boat, which, be it remembered, I had sold,
but for which I had not received the purchase-
money. I thought that if I could manage to make
fast a rop'e to the step of her mast we might hoist
her in bodily, and save her after all. The rescue
would then be complete of the whole party. I sang
out to them to stand by to haul us in, and rope in
hand ran forward to make fast to the mast. But it
was not to be. The gallant little boat had done her
utmost, and now her time was come. She had
saved our lives, but was herself to go down to the
abyss of waters. She gave a heavy lurch, and I felt
that she was settling. With scarcely the warning of
a moment, she dipped her bows under, and sank at
once and suddenly like a stone. In that moment

A NIGHT'S PERIL. 151

the waters were boiling around me, the greedy waves
sucked me under ; but I held fast the friendly rope.
I Avas drawn on board, but not without some diffi-
culty ; for my prolonged exertions had severely tried
my powers of endurance, and I could hardly hold on
long enough. But saved we were. As I trod the
schooner's deck, — as I saw her make sail, and brave
the elements which had so nearly wrought our de-
struction, I felt as though I had seen an angel's arm
stretched forth to pluck us from the gulf of waters.
I wanted no explanation of the causes which had led
her forth ; she had met us in extremity, and was to
me the arm of Providence. The rescue is as provi-
dential in cases where the peril is over in a moment.
But there does not seem to be room for such deep
impression, where peril merely flashes as the light-
ning across one's path. The bitterness of death must
be tasted by him who is to appreciate the sweetness
of deliverance.

On board, we found ourselves in familiar company.
Several of our friends were there, and gave us the
history of our rescue. At the time when the squall
had come on, the other boats had been, as I have
said, well ahead of us, and clear of the reef. Some
of them had had a little trouble in getting to their
moorings, but all were present at muster except our-
selves. This would not perhaps have alarmed them,
had not the hours continued to pass away without
our appearance. By and by their fears were fully

152 TKAVEL, . ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

excited by the arrival of a man who from the point
had seen the accident. He declared that he had
seen us blown out to sea, and his report was corro-
borated by our non-appearance. On this a regular
alarm had been sounded in the island. The good
old governor had. despatched his tender to look out
for us, and I know not how many volunteers had
started on the same errand. Many were the good
fellows who had braved the horrors of that stormy
night, that they might have the hope of helping us.
The brig was a merchant craft, whose skipper and
owner had been induced to start on the cruise. She
had been throwing out signals for an hour and a
half, and was nearly giving up the search as a bad
job. Well for us that she did not !

It was grey morning when the good skipper set us
on shore ; and I might very well end my yarn, with
telling how we heartily shook each other by the
hand, and how then I betook myself to those quarters
which I had so little expected ever to revisit. But
circumstances deeply affecting my after-life came as
sequels to this adventure, and I think the account of
them should come here also. I reached my room
without having met a single individual ; and tired,
•wet, and worn out with mental agitation, I threw
myself on my bed and slept soundly. My dreams
naturally followed in the train of what had been my
waking thoughts. Again I was afloat, and again
underwent the terrors of foundering at sea. The phan-

A NIGHT'S PERIL.

tasy of a dreaming spirit presented to my ear the
lamentations of my friends. As waking, I had
thought in the hour of peril of some one or two who
would lament my sad doom ; so in my sleep I went
yet a step beyond this, and seemed to hear the utter-
ance of the lamentations. These waxed more and
more distinct, till the reality of them broke the spell
of dreams. I awoke, and yet heard the same
conversation.

" Poor fellow ! what a dreadful thing ! " said one
voice.

" Shocking ! " said another, which I knew to be
that of my old boating antagonist, the first lieutenant
of the Bucephalus. " Shocking ! I always prophe-
sied that that craft would be his coffin, but little did
I think my words would come true."

The good fellow actually wept as he spoke.

"And that poor fellow Hamilton, who scarcely
ever set foot afloat ! "

"Well, they're both gone, but not without our
doing all we could to give them a chance — that's one
comfort."

I was now fully awake to the conscioiisness that I
was alive and well — and to the understanding that
these mates of mine were lamenting my loss. I did
not waste any words in endeavouring to convince
them that they were mistaken, but, jumping out of
bed, I stood before them. The men stared as if they
had seen a veritable ghost, but recovering themselves

154 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPOET.

in a moment, almost wrung my arm off in congratu-
latory shaking. Intense astonishment was mingled
with their delight, and they were perfectly vociferous
in demanding an explanation of the phenomenon I
presented in my own living person. It turned out
that they had been cruising about pretty nearly the
whole night, in the hope of falling in with me. They
had full confidence in my resolution, and knew that
I would not give in while a chance remained, and so
they hoped I would manage to keep afloat till some
one of the numerous boats that were out should fall
in with me. I have no doubt that they would have
prolonged their search throughout the night, had
they not fallen in with a craft (by the description, I
doubt not the identical chasse maree that so cruelly
deserted us), which gave them to understand that
they had seen us go down. "Fin, fin, alles,"! with
expressive pointing to the depths of ocean, was the
answer they had received to their inquiries. With
heavy hearts they had returned home, and without
meeting any but those whose search had been as
ineffectual as their own.

"And now, Jack," said my friend the lieutenant,
"now that we have got you within hail once more,
safe and sound, who do you suppose it was that sent
me here this morning 1 "

" To tell you the truth, I thought it was a little
sentimental excursion on your own account."
1 "Gone, gone."

A NIGHT'S PEEIL. 155

" ]STot a bit of it. A cleverer head than, mine or
yours either ordered the expedition. Yirginie would
have it that any intelligence about you would be in
one's way here."

" Then you told her nothing of the authentic
account of our foundering?"

" Indeed but I did — but she would not believe it.
Depend upon it, instinct is a fine thing. Her in-
stinct has proved better than our reason, — for she
would have it that you were not drowned, and that
news would find its way here."

Then, we entered into a sort of resume of the shore-
going events of the last night ; of all that the gover-
nor had done, and the good fellows who had volun-
teered to row guard all night with lights. Then it
was told me that the ladies had been deeply affected,
but none so deeply as Virginie. She had taken no
rest all night, but with tearful eyes had looked out
for concerted signals of intelligence, and breathlessly
questioned every messenger. My sailor friend had
been in the same boat with her, and had won from
her expressions of gratitude, by his determination to
pass the whole night, if necessary, in the search for
me. At that moment when we stood speaking she
did not know of my safety.

I determined to be myself the announcer of my
prorogued existence, and set off at once to the residence
of her father. I had prepared speeches of thankful
acknowledgment of her interest in my welfare, and

156 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPOET.

was maturing the intention of letting her see that love
for her had been kindled in my breast. But my fine
resolves were rendered of little effect, and my speeches
broken short by the young lady, who, the moment she
beheld me, threw herself — her dear self — right into
my arms. She did, indeed, without the least pre-
amble or apologetic qualification.

There is but one issue to such a predicament as
this. I had not much time, certainly, for wooing;
but I am happy to say that before long I was wed,
and that now I am the husband of Virginia

MAKQUINEZ AKD LA COLLEGIALA.

A ROMANTIC INCIDENT OF THE PENINSULAR WAR.
[MAGA. JULY 1841.]

THE small town of Ayllon in Old Castile is pic-
turesquely situated at the foot of a ridge of
mountains of the same name, and at about half-a-
dozen leagues to the left of the camino real from
Burgos to Madrid. Although dignified by the name
of a villa, or town, and containing a population of five
hundred vecinos,1 at the period we are referring to, it
bore more resemblance to an overgrown country vil-
lage, both by the character of its houses and the occu-
pations of their inhabitants. The former were rudely
constructed of misshapen and irregularly sized blocks
of stone hewn from the adjacent mountains, the in-
terstices being filled up with a coarse cement. They

1 The Spaniards have a somewhat loose manner of calculat-
ing the population of their towns and villages by vecinos, or
heads of families, literally neighbours. They multiply the
number of vecinos by four and a half, and that is supposed to.
give the number of inhabitants.

158 TEAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AXD SPOET.

were for the most part covered with thatch, although
here and there a roof formed of black and red tiles,
arranged in alternate lines, varied the uniformity of
the layers of straw, to which the weather and the
smoke of the wood fires had imparted a dingy greyish
hue. According to Spanish custom, every dwelling
had a clumsy "but solid and spacious balcony running
round the upper windows. These balconies were
sheltered from the rain either by a wooden roof or by
a projection of the thatch and rafters, and in the sum-
mer and autumn were usually strewed with the golden
pods of the Indian corn and the juicy scarlet fruit of
the tomato, placed there to dry and to ripen in the
sunbeams.

The inhabitants of Ayllon were principally peas-
ants, who gained their living by the cultivation of the
fields which surrounded the town ; and in time of
peace this resource was sufficient for the ample supply
of their scanty wants and unambitious desires ; but
the war, which was so heavy a scourge for the Pen-
insula, did not spare this quiet corner of Castile. On
the contrary, the position of the town rendered it a
favourite resort of the guerillas, who from that point
had the double facility of pouncing on whatever
passed along the highroad, and of retreating to the
mountains when troops were sent against them. Thus
it not unfrequently happened that the unfortunate
Ayllonese, after emptying their granaries and wine-
stores for the benefit of the Spanish troops, were

MAKQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 159

visited, a few hours afterwards, by a column of French,
who stripped them of what little they had reserved
for their own support, accompanying their extortions
by the ample measure of ill-treatment they considered
themselves justified in bestowing on those who had so
recently sheltered their foes. Between friends and
enemies the peasants were impoverished, their houses
dismantled and pillaged, their fields trampled and
laid waste.

It was on an autumn morning of the year 181-,
that a large number of cavalry soldiers were grooming
their horses in the streets of Ayllon. Some ill-clothed
but hardy-looking infantry men were grouped about
the doors of the houses, busily engaged in furbishing
their arms, whilst here and there, at the corners of
the streets, or in open spaces between the houses, a
few greasy-looking individuals were superintending
the preparations of the rancho,1 a strong smelling ano-
malous sort of mess, contained in large iron kettles

1 The rancho, or mess of the Spanish soldiery, is generally
composed of fat pork, garlic, and rice or dry beans, according
as the one or the other may have been issued for rations : the
whole being plentifully seasoned with red pepper, and boiled
so as to form a sort of thick pottage. The manner in which
this is eaten is somewhat original. Each company is divided
into messes of twenty or thirty men, and each mess forms a
circle round the vessel in which their dinner has been cooked,
every man with his bread and a large wooden spoon in his
hand. They tell off by fours, and a non-commissioned officer
calls out " El uno," No. 1. The five or six men who have told
off No. 1 take a pace to the front, dip their spoon in the

160 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

suspended over smoky fires of green wood. Cavalry,
infantry, and cooks were laughing, joking, singing,
and talking with the gaiety characteristic of the
Spanish soldier, and which scarcely ever abandons
him even in the most difficult and unfavourable
circumstances.

The horses had been cleaned and returned to their
stables ; the muskets burnished till they shone again ;
the rations cooked and eaten. It was past noon, and
the rays of an October sun, which in Castile is often
hotter than a July sun in our more temperate climate,
had driven the soldiery to seek shade and coolness
where best it might be found. Some were sharing
the litter of their horses, others were stretched under
trees and hedges in the outskirts of the town, whilst
the most weary or the least difficult to please lay
wrapped in their cloaks on either side of the street.
A deep silence had succeeded to the previous noise.
It was the hour of the siesta.

Two o'clock had chimed from the church tower of
Ayllon, and had been repeated by the clocks of the
neighbouring convents and villages, when a battalion
of infantry entered the principal street, and advanced
at a rapid pace towards the open square in the centre
of the town, where it halted and formed up. A body

kettle and resume their place in the circle. " El dos," No. 2,
is next called, and performs the same manoeuvre. After No. 4,
the turn of No. 1 comes again, and so on till the pot is emptied
And the bellies of the soldiers more or less filled.

MARQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 161

of cavalry which followed separated into small parties,
and dispersed in various directions. More infantry
arrived, and proceeded by detachments to occupy the
stables and houses in which the troops were quartered,
and from which they ejected the original occupants.
On the first arrival of the new-comers, the guerillas,
who were lying sleeping about the streets, had started
up in alarm ; but on recognising the grey uniforms
and painted shakoes of the regiment of Arlanza, and
the blue pelisses of the hussars, under the orders of
the Ciira Merino, they for the most part resumed their
recumbent position, with all the nonchalance of those
Neapolitan lazzaroni for whom the dolce far niente is
the sum and substance of human happiness. The
less indolent remained staring at the troops as they
marched by ; and even when they saw them entering
the stables and barracks they manifested no surprise,
unsuspicious of any hostile intention on the part of
men fighting for the same cause as themselves, and
with whom they were accustomed to fraternise. Those
who were sleeping in the houses and stables, were
scarcely well awaked before they were thrust into the
street. The whole proceeding was so rapid on the
part of the Cura's soldiers, and so unlocked for by
those quartered in the town, that in less than ten
minutes fifteen hundred men found themselves un-
armed and defenceless, whilst their horses, weapons,
and accoutrements were in possession of Merino's fol-
lowers. So complete was the surprise, and so trifling

VOL. III. L

162 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

the resistance offered, that not a life was lost, scarcely
a man wounded, on either side.

Whilst the astonished guerillas were asking one
another what could be the meaning of this extraordi-
nary conduct of Merino, that chief himself appeared,
surrounded by several officers, and followed by a
strong escort of cavalry. He galloped through the
main street, and halting in the plaza, received the
reports of the officers who had been intrusted with
the execution of the coup-de-main that had just
been accomplished; then, turning to a group of the
disarmed who were standing by, he inquired for
Colonel Principe. Before he had received a reply,
a man rushed, bareheaded, and with a drawn sabre in
his hand, from the door of a neighbouring house.
He stopped when he found himself face to face with
the Cura, and, in a voice almost inarticulate from
passion, demanded by what authority the latter had
disarmed his men and taken possession of their
quarters.

"By my own authority, Tomas Principe," coolly
replied Merino. " Your band is one of those which
do more harm to the peasant than the enemy. When
they march, their progress is marked by rapine and
violence; and, if they now and then distinguish
themselves by their gallantry in the field, they take
care to counterbalance its merit by daily robberies
and unlawful acts. Your horses and arms I have
taken for my soldiers, and by this time your men are

MARQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 163

informed that they are disbanded and may return to
their homes."

Merino had scarcely finished his sentence when
Principe, who literally foamed at the mouth with
rage, made a dash at the imperturbable priest, and
dealt him a blow which would probably have brought
the career of that celebrated member of the church
militant to a premature termination, had it not been
intercepted by the swords of some of the Cura's
officers. Several of the escort pressed forward, and
the unlucky guerilla was overpowered and deprived
of his sabre. The scuffle was scarcely over when
Marquinez, the friend and lieutenant of Principe,
appeared, followed by some officers and a few men of
his corps. He was a handsome, soldierly-looking
man, in the prime of life, with a highly intelligent
countenance ; and, instead of showing the same
excitement and headlong fury as his commandant, he
saluted Merino with urbanity, and addressed him in
a somewhat ironical tone. The Cura repeated what
he had already said to Principe as to his reasons for
disarming the partida.

" I am well aware, Senor Cura," said Marquinez,
" that some of your followers, weary of lurking in
mountain caverns, have preferred leaders under whom
they were sure to meet with opportunities of displaying
their courage in the plain, and of revenging themselves
on the invaders of their country. It is probably to
prevent further defection, and to remount your cavalry,

164 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

that you have thus treacherously surprised and disarmed
men who, had they been aware of your intention,
would have given ample occupation to you and the
whole of your forces. You have, for the moment,
deprived your country of two thousand defenders,
the least worthy of whom is a better man than, ever
crossed your saddle. We shall not attempt a resist-
ance which now would be absurd, but you will have
to answer to the Junta of Cadiz for your treason.'"'

The Cura smiled scornfully, but made no reply.
Marquinez, after gazing steadfastly at him for a
moment, turned upon his heel ; and leading, or rather
dragging along, Principe by the arm, left the plaza.
The same day Merino marched out of Ayllon, taking
with them nearly a thousand horses, and a large
number of muskets, sabres, and other arms.

Marquinez and Principe had been sergeants in the
Spanish regiment of Bourbon. They were of humble
extraction, and Marquinez had, in his youth, been a
barber at Madrid. Both men of great intrepidity
and of some military talent, those qualifications availed
them little at a period when wealth and family
interest were the surest, if not the only stepping-stones
to advancement in the Spanish army; and our two
sargentos instruidos left the service with the humble
chevrons which their merits had procured them soon
after their arrival under the colours, but which they
had no hope of exchanging for the epaulette of a
commissioned officer. At the commencement of the

MAEQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 165

Peninsular war, they joined a party of gxierillas, of
which they soon became the leaders, and Principe,
although inferior in talent and education to his
brother-sergeant, Avas the first in command. At the
period that Merino disarmed them in the manner we'
have described, the partida had acquired considerable
celebrity, and although not so well disciplined as the
troops of the Cura, had committed no excesses to
justify the step taken by the latter. Merino was
jealous of their success, and annoyed at the desertion
of his men, many of whom had recently left his
standard to join that of Principe. As Marquinez
had predicted, however, the Regency was excessively
angry at the unauthorised and unwarrantable conduct
of the guerilla priest, in which it was evident that he
had consulted his own interest more than that of the
service or of the country. A severe reprimand was
addressed to him ; but the war was raging in all its
fury, the Junta had its hands full, and Merino was
too valuable a partisan to be dispensed with, or even
disgusted. Moreover, the mischief done was soon
repaired, in great part, by the activity of Marquinez.
After the guerilla corps was disbanded by the Cura,
the two adventurers who had headed it found them-
selves with a mere handful of followers, the remainder
either having been sent to their villages, or having
joined Merino. Principe and Marquinez agreed to
separate, and to reorganise two bands, instead of the
one which they had hitherto commanded. Principe

166 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

was only moderately successful — the free corps which
he raised never amounted to above six or eight
hundred men ; but Marquinez, putting out all his
energy, before long found himself at the head of a
strong body of cavalry, well mounted and equipped ;
and he took the field with renewed confidence, and
this time with the sole command.

In one of the first expeditions which he undertook,
after this resurrection of his partida, he encountered
three hundred "Westphalian cavalry in the French
service, whom he totally defeated, after fighting for
a whole morning, and losing a large number of men
and horses. The Westphalians were returning from
a reconnaissance, in which they had made several
prisoners, and amongst others, a lady of a good
family of Sahagun, and wife of a captain in the
Spanish army. This woman, during the few days
which the insecurity of the roads compelled her to
pass in the society of Marquinez, became violently
enamoured of that officer, and finally abandoned her
husband and children to follow him in his adventurous
course of life. Endowed with masculine courage,
strong-minded, and possessed of greater physical
strength than is usual in her sex, she did not hesitate
to assume the costume of a hussar, and to fight by
the side of the dashing guerilla to whom she had
attached herself. She soon became well known in
the district which was the scene of operations of
Marquinez's troops, by the appellation of La Collegiala

MARQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 167

— a name given to her from the circumstance of her
youth having been spent in a college, which exists at
Valladolid for the education of the female children
of noble families. She had already been engaged in
several skirmishes, and had displayed a degree of
courage which had gained for her the rank of an
officer, and the respect and admiration of the hardy
soldiers amongst whom she lived, when an opportunity
occurred of proving her devotion and attachment to
the man for whom she had sacrificed her fair fame
and her domestic ties.

It Avas in the early part of the month of March. A
succession of heavy rains had nearly suspended all
military operations in the plains of Valladolid and
Palencia. Marquinez's hussars, at this time nearly
two thousand in number, were in cantonments in
some small villages a few leagues to the right of
the highroad from Burgos to Valladolid, and were
awaiting the return of fine weather to recommence
the campaign. The activity and intrepidity of their
leader had caused him to become a formidable
opponent to the French generals, who were anxious
to rid themselves of nearly the only chief who
ventured to attack them on equal terms in the
plain, and frequently came off the conqueror. For
Marquinez, disdaining the more cautious system of
mountain warfare adopted by other guerilla leaders,
had not raised any infantry, but kept the open
country with his light cavalry. Several of the

168 TKAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

French movable columns had been roughly handled
by him, and their dragoons sabred and put to the
route by vigorous charges headed by the intrepid
guerilla.

During the few weeks that Marquinez was com-
pelled to remain inactive, the French caused his
position to be reconnoitred by their spies, and de-
vised a plan for seizing his person. The villages and
hamlets in which the cavalry were quartered were
spread over a considerable extent of country. So
large a number of horses would hardly have found
sufficient forage or stabling had they been all concen-
trated on one point ; and as the roads were cut up
and the fields sodden by the rain, there was no appre-
hension entertained of any rapid march or surprise on
the part of the French, who had their advanced posts
in the neighbourhood of Valladolid. Two of the
numerous villages occupied by the hussars were nearly
a league in advance of the others, and placed on either
skirt of a large oak wood. The road from the one to
the other of these cantonments described a curve
round the front of the wood, and at a central point
was crossed by a track which, in one direction, led in
amongst the trees, and in the other joined at a distance
of a mile or two a country road leading to Valladolid.
It was at this spot that it was proposed to surprise
Marquinez, who, with the Collegiala and a hundred
horse, had taken up his quarters in the village on the
right of the wood.

MAEQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 169

About dusk, on a stormy evening, Marquinez,
attended by an aide-de-camp, was returning to his
quarters, after having visited several of the canton-
ments. On arriving at the part of the road described
above, he found his further progress impeded by a
tree which had fallen across the narrow way in such
a manner that its branches, covered with dead leaves
and matted with ivy, formed a sort of hedge too high
for the horses to leap, and too strong for them to
break through. The two horsemen dismounted, and
began to open themselves a passage by lopping the
boughs with their sabres, when their arms were
suddenly seized from behind, and before they could
turn their heads they were surrounded by a dozen
dismounted dragoons, whose numbers quickly over-
coming all resistance, the Spaniards were thrown
down and pinioned. A troop of French cavalry
emerged from the wood, the men who had effected
the capture remounted, and Marquinez and his aide-
de-camp, being bound to their saddles and placed
between four dragoons, with their carabines unslung
and ready for action, the whole party started off at a
sharp trot in the direction of Yalladolid. The only
witness of the affair was a peasant belonging to the
village in which Marquinez had his quarters, and who
was about a hundred yards behind that chief at the
moment he dismounted. His first movement, when
he saw the French, was to throw himself on the
ground behind some bushes, and as soon as the last

170 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

of the troopers had disappeared, he left his place of
concealment and hastened to give the alarm.

To support the troop of dragoons that had been
sent on this hazardous expedition, two battalions and
a squadron of French had advanced seven or eight
leagues from their own lines, and had taken up a
position in a hamlet at about the same distance from
Marquinez's cantonments. It was an hour before
midnight when the party which had formed the
ambuscade joined the main body, after a rapid march
over detestable roads and a heavy country. The
horses were knocked up, and unable to proceed with-
out a few hours' repose. Their captain having
reported this to his commanding officer, at the same
time that he announced to him the successful issue
of the enterprise, received orders to refresh his men
and horses, and to hold himself in readiness to march
an hour before daybreak. Meantime the prisoners
were placed in a room on the ground-floor of the
house in which the French colonel was lodged. The
door of their temporary prison opened on a large
corridor, then used as a guard-room, and the small
xinglazed aperture which gave light and air to the
apartment was traversed by three massive iron bars,
placed parallel to each other, and firmly riveted into
the stone wall. For additional security, and to pre-
clude all possibility of escape, a sentry was placed in
a sort of garden on which the window looked out.

The young officer who had been taken at the same

MARQTJINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 171

time as Marquinez, weary with the day's exertions,
soon fell asleep in one of the three or four rickety
chairs which composed nearly the whole furniture
of the room. His chief did not seem inclined to
follow his example, but paced up and down, apparently
wrapt in thought. His monotonous promenade had
lasted nearly an hour, when he thought he heard his
name pronounced. He started and listened, but no
sound reached his ears save the measured step of the
sentinel under his window, and the burden of an old
French chanson a boire, which one of the men on
guard was trolling out, with a voice more remarkable
for power than melody. Marquinez threw himself
into a chair, and attributing to an excited imagination
the words which he had fancied he heard, appeared
disposed to imitate his aide-de-camp, who was for-
getting in sleep the dangers of his position, and the
probable death that awaited him. The eyes of the
captive guerilla were beginning to close, and his head
to sink \ipon his breast, when the same voice as be-
fore broke the silence. " Marquinez ! " was repeated
in a loud whisper. The word was accompanied by a
noise such as is produced by a slight blow of iron
against iron. This time it was no delusion of a
heated brain. Marquinez rushed to the window,
and looked out as Avell as the grating would permit.
All was still. The night was raw and wintry, and
it was only at rare intervals that the watery rays of
the moon obtained a passage through some break in

172 TRAVEL, AD VENTURE, AND SPORT.

the heavy mantle of clouds which covered the sky.
The infantry soldier on sentry had reached the limit
of his walk, and was turning to retrace his steps.
When he arrived under the window, he allowed the
bayonet on the end of his musket to fall lightly
against the bars through which Marquinez was look-
ing, and in a voice which seemed familiar to the ears
of the latter, he asked in Spanish —

" Estas solo ? — Are you alone 1 "

" Villa verde is with me, and asleep," was the reply.

" My bayonet is unfixed. Take it, and force the
grating."

Marquinez seized the proffered weapon, which was
only stuck on the end of the ramrod, and using the
greatest possible care to avoid noise, he began to pick
out the cement and the small iron wedges by which
the bars were fastened into the wall. It was neces-
sary to take out all the three bars, for otherwise the
opening would be too small to allow the body of a
man to pass ; and with no better tool than a bayonet,
the task was not an easy one. At the end of half an
hour, however, two of the bars had given way, and
the prisoner had begun to work at the third, when
the sentry, who, during this time had continued his
walk without appearing to pay any attention to what
was going on in the prison, rapidly approached the
window, and, in the low hurried tone in which he
had before spoken, exclaimed —

" The relief is at hand ; hasten, or all is lost ! " At

MAEQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 173

the same moment, Marquinez heard in the distance
the qui vive of a French soldier challenging the guard
which was relieving the various sentries placed round
the temporary quarters of the troops.

It is no disparagement to the often proved courage
of Marquinez, to say that in this agitating moment
his heart beat with unusual quickness, whilst big
drops of perspiration covered his forehead. His
hand, however, lost none of its steadiness, and he
plied his bayonet with redoubled vigour, but with
less caution than before. Fragments of stone flew
from the wall as he struck and delved with desperate
violence. He fixed the sharp end of his weapon
under the bar, and prizing as with a lever, endeavoured
to force it out, when the bayonet, already bent by the
unusual purpose to which it was applied, broke off
short, and the point remained in the wall. At the
same instant Villa verde, awakened by the noise, which
had fortunately not reached the ears of the soldiers in
the guard-room, stood by the side of his chief, and in
an instant comprehended their position. Our two
guerillas seized the iron bar, which was all that inter-
vened between them and liberty — between an un-
timely death and a life of freedom and enjoyment.
They tugged and wrenched at the fatal obstacle, which
shook but would not give way ; the heavy tread of
the Frenchmen had become audible, when, by an
almost superhuman effort, the iron was torn from its
place, and with the violence of the shock the two

174 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

men reeled back into the centre of the room. In-
stantly recovering themselves, they darted through
the window, and stood before their deliverer, who
threw down his musket, and tossing off his shako, a
profusion of dark ringlets fell upon his shoulders, and
Marquinez recognised with astonishment the hand-
some features of La Collegiala. She was pale as
death, but had lost none of her presence of mind.
" For aqui ! " cried she, and as the relief turned the
angle of the house and entered the garden, the three
fugitives bounded over a low fence and disappeared
in the obscurity. A moment afterwards the guard,
surprised at not being challenged by the man whom
they were approaching to relieve, halted under the
window, expecting to find that sleep had overtaken
the negligent sentry. No sentry was there, but at a
few paces distant a dead soldier, stripped of his great-
coat and shako, was lying with his face against the
ground. The long rank grass on which he was ex-
tended was wet with blood. He had received a
stab in the back which had pierced through to his
heart.

In less than an hour after Marquinez was carried
off by the French, La Collegiala had set out with a
squadron in order to rescue him. This force, which
included every man in the cantonment, was deemed
sufficient, the peasant having reported the captors as
not exceeding fifty in number. La Collegiala made
sure of overtaking them before they reached Vallado-

MARQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 175

lid, to which city, from the road they had taken, she
had no doubt they would proceed. After four or five
hours' hard riding, the Spaniards had gained consider-
ably on those they were in pursuit of, when they met
with some muleteers, who informed them that they
were not above ten minutes in rear of the French,
but that the latter must have already joined the main
body, whose advanced posts were about a mile off.
This was a crushing blow to the hopes of La Colle-
giala. A moment's reflection, however, was sufficient
for her to take a resolution. She struck off the road,
and after a few minutes' march across the country,
halted, and formed up the squadron in a ploughed
field. Then, stripping off her richly - furred pelisse
and embroidered forage-cap, she replaced them by a
coarse woollen jacket and felt hat, which she had pro-
cured from one of the muleteers. Favoured by the
darkness of the night, she passed unobserved through
the French pickets, and, attracted by the lights in the
windows of the guard-room and of the colonel's quar-
ters, she directed her steps to the very garden on which
Marquinez's prison looked out. Concealed amongst
some shrubs, she heard the orders given the sentry ;
and convinced that the prisoner whom he was directed
to guard could be no other than Marquinez himself,
she immediately formed a plan for his rescue, the par-
tial success of which we have already seen.

The fugitives were not fifty yards from the village
when they heard the French drums beat to arms.

176 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

The troops turned out in an instant ; a body of cav-
alry was sent to patrol the road, whilst parties of in-
fantry hastened in all directions to endeavour to inter-
cept the flight of the prisoners. Amidst the din and
confusion, the voice of the French colonel might be
heard exciting his men by the promise of large re-
wards for the recapture of the notable partisan who
had thus eluded his vigilance. Meantime, Marquinez
and his aid-de-camp, guided by La Collegiala, laboured
through the heavy ground ; now falh'ng into ditches,
now stumbling over stumps of trees and other objects
which their haste and the darkness prevented them
from seeing. They fortunately passed the pickets
before the intelligence of their escape had reached
those advanced posts, the officers in command of
which, hearing the drums beat to arms, and not
knowing the nature of the alarm, kept their men to-
gether, instead of extending them right and left, which
would probably have ensured the taking of the three
Spaniards. At length, covered with mud and pant-
ing for breath, Marquinez and his companion reached
the squadron, which was still formed up in the field
where La Collegiala had left it. Two men dis-
mounted ; Marquinez and Villaverde sprang into
their saddles, and the little party of hussars moved
off across the country in good order, and as fast as the
heavy ground would permit. At the same instant
they heard the clatter of the horses' hoofs of the
French dragoons as they galloped along the road,

MARQUIXEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 177

which ran about half musket-shot to the left of their
own line of march. This, however, caused no uneasi-
ness to Marquinez, who knew that the enemy's cav-
alry, unacquainted with the country, would not ven-
ture to leave the road, and he was sure of being able
to keep well ahead of the infantry, who, in their
turn, could not prudently advance too far from the
main body. He reckoned, therefore, of being soon out
of reach of the enemy, when the march of the Spaniards
was suddenly arrested by a broad and deep water-
course, with high and perpendicular banks. In vain
did they ride up and down, and lose some minutes in
endeavouring to find a place at which to pass this new
obstacle to their progress. The French infantry were
approaching, the torches which they carried showing
like so many crimson spots through the thick mist
arising from the wet and marshy ground. Already
the officers might be heard directing the search, and
giving orders to their men. The only remaining
chance was to return to the highroad before they
were perceived by the infantry, and trust to a bold
charge to break through the dragoons, which were in
their front. The road was soon gained, and the hus-
sars crossed the wooden bridge which was there thrown
over the water-course, and which gave out a hollow
sound under their horses' feet. The infantry heard
the noise, but paid no attention to it, taking the
Spaniards for another patrol sent out from the vil-
lage. The same mistake was made by the dragoons,
VOL. IIL M

178 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

whom Marquinez overtook a few hundred yards
further, in a wide part of the road. The officer in
command had slackened his pace when he heard other
cavalry approaching, thinking it might probably bring
some order ; but not for a moment supposing that an
enemy had got between him and the headquarters
he had so recently left. He was awakened from his
security by the voice of Marquinez. "A ellos/"
shouted the guerilla, and his men rushed, sabre in
hand, upon the French, who, taken by surprise, were
thrown one upon the other, and a dozen of them cut
off their horses before they had made the slightest
resistance. A panic seized the remainder, who, being
prevented by the darkness from distinguishing the
number of their opponents, imagined themselves be-
trayed, and surrounded by a very superior force. The
greater part leaped their horses over the hedges and
low stone walls on either side of the road, and fled in
every direction. Some few threw down their arms
and begged for quarter ; but the guerillas were not in
a merciful mood, and prisoners would have been an
encumbrance on the long march they had before them.
The pursued became in their turn the pursuers, and
Marquinez had to exert his authority to prevent his
soldiers from dispersing in chase of the runaways —
a chase that would probably have led some of them
into the middle of the French infantry.

Marquinez reached his cantonments at daybreak,
and at the same hour the French commenced their

MARQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 179

march back to Valladolid, not a little crestfallen at
the events of the night.

A few days after the incident we have related, the
approach of spring enabled Marquinez to take the
field. After one of the first skirmishes shared in by
his troops, two or three men deserted to him from
the French, and by their own desire were incorporated
into a squadron of hussars. One of these men, a Ger-
man, made himself particularly remarked by his smart
and soldierly bearing, and by his hatred of the French,
whom he constantly execrated, declaring that his sin-
cerest wish was to revenge on them some part of the
ill-treatment he had received at their hands. Effec-
tively, in one or two affairs, he displayed so much
courage and bloodthirstiness that he attracted the
notice of Marquinez, who attached him to his person
as an orderly. The zeal of the deserter redoubled,
and he exhibited that boundless devotion to his gen-
eral so naturally felt by every brave soldier for an in-
dulgent master and gallant chief.

It Avas some months later that the hussars of Mar-
quinez, being in the neighbourhood of Palencia, their
leader had occasion to visit that town, and he set out,
attended only by his German orderly. At a certain
distance from the above-named place, and when the
road, running between two hills, is shaded by a row
of large beech-trees, the travellers came to one of
those ancient fountains, not uncommon in Spain, and
which seem to have been erected with the double

180 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

object of administering to the thirst of the wayfarer,
and of inviting him to solicit, by prayer, a blessing
on his journey. On the upper part of a mossy and
time-worn slab of grey stone, placed perpendicularly
against the rocky bank which bordered the road, was
rudely sculptured in relievo a representation of the
Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in her arms.
From a broken wooden spout, which protruded from
the same stone at about the height of a man from the
ground, gushed forth a stream of water of crystal
clearness, which fell bubbling and sparkling into a
granite trough below, while the vicinity of the foun-
tain had encouraged the growth of a profusion of
hedge flowers, which decked the banks and sides of
the road, and perfumed the air with their wild and
delicious fragrance.

At this cool and pleasant spot — a sort of oasis on
the liot' sandy road along which he had been riding
— Marquinez drew rein, and loosening his horse's
breastplate, allowed the animal to plunge his mouth
and nostrils in the trough. Whilst his charger was
drinking — an operation rendered somewhat difficult
by his large and severe bit — the orderly continued
to move forward, until he had greatly diminished the
distance usually kept between an officer and his atten-
dant. When he arrived within a couple of paces of
the fountain, he silently drew a pistol from his hol-
ster, took a deliberate aim at the head of Marquinez,
and pulled the trigger. The bullet split the skull of

MARQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 181

the unfortunate Spaniard, who first fell forward on
his horse's neck, and then rolled to the ground, strik-
ing in his fall against the stone basin, which was
sprinkled with his blood. The assassin sprang from
his saddle, and stood over his victim with a sharp
short dagger in his hand. He had no occasion to use
it. The teeth of the guerilla chieftain were set firmly
against each other, and a slight froth stood upon his
lips. The independence of Spain had lost one of its
most gallant defenders.

When the news of this cowardly deed reached
Marquinez's comrades, the latter did not hesitate
to attribute it to the French general Boyer, from
whose column the German had deserted. It would
be unjust, however, to lay the instigation of so foul
a murder at the door of a brave officer without some
better proof than mere suspicions. One thing is cer-
tain— that when the murderer, after some hairbreadth
escapes, succeeded in rejoining the French, he received
an officer's commission, as a reward for having rid
them of so troublesome and active an enemy.

Shortly after Marquinez's death, La Collegiala,
with thirty or forty men, deserted to Valladolid,
then held by the French. Those who knew her
best were unable to discover or imagine any pos-
sible reason for so extraordinary an act. Some few,
indeed, supposed that she had taken this step as the
only means by which she could hope to find an
opportunity of revenging the death of her lover ;

182 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

and they predicted that many days would not elapse
ere La Collegiala would return to the Spanish lines
with the blood of Marquinez's assassin on her knife-
blade. If this supposition was the correct one, if
such was the motive which induced her to abandon
the cause of her country, she was unable to accom-
plish her design ; for, a few days after her desertion,
the order came from ISTapoleon to send back to France
all the foreign troops in the French service for the
purpose of their being disbanded. Italians, Poles,
and Germans were all sent across the frontier, and
with them marched the murderer of Marquinez.

La Collegiala continued with the French, and
commanded, with the rank of captain, a band of
about a hundred irregular cavalry, composed of the
men who had deserted with her, and of others who
subsequently came over. On the evacuation of Spain
by the French troops, which occurred soon afterwards,
she accompanied them, and remained in France till
an amnesty was published, of which she took advan-
tage and returned to her own country. Bidding
adieu to her masculine dress and habits, she became
exceedingly devout, and gave up the whole of her
time to religious exercises and the education of her
children — a more praiseworthy than poetical termin-
ation to the career of the adventurous amazon who
had shared the hardships and perils of Marquinez
the guerilla.

A CEUISE UP THE TANGSTZE IN 1858-59.

BY ADMIRAL SHERARD OSBORK
[MAGA. JUNE 1861.]

OCTOBER has come in and nigh gone at Shanghai ;
we have slept in peace and comfort on board the
stout old Furious ; we may have dreamt of England
and home, hut are recalled to the stern reality by
the daylight reveille, and a whiff out of the Loo-chow
creek, which the morning breeze has wafted into our
cabin windows. We declare it to be neither frankin-
cense nor myrrh, for our senses have been sharpened
by a recent cruise on the open sweet-smelling sea;
and, preferring heat to bad smells, the sashes have to
be let down, and our breakfast to be eaten in a tem-
perature some twenty degrees higher than would be
necessary if China was, generally speaking, more am-
brosial. But enough upon that subject, or we might
rail ; for although this great emporium is now far
more bearable than in June or July, still we are in
no mood to be just, after having rushed back venire
a terre from Japan, to find that we might have taken

184 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

our ease there, and spent a month exploring its strange
cities and unknown waters, and yet have been quite
soon enough to meet the slow and sly Imperial Com-
missioners from Pekin. And what is still more trying
to the temper of a naval centurion, our officers and
men look upbraidingly, as if their chief was the cause
of their past disappointment and present sorrow, and
as if it was all our fault that they had been carried
aAvay from the fun and excitement of ^angasaki and
Yedo to the prosy ugliness of a Chinese city. " Sorry
we came back so soon ! " exclaims one of the officers ;
" Wished we had stayed longer," says another ;
"Might have been there a month, and still been in
time," urges a third ; and so on, until, like the French
captain who was requested by his crew to return to
France as they were " fatigued " of some place where
there were no salads to be had, we feel inclined to
exclaim, " Go to the devil, my children ! think you
that I love this sac-re cochon de pays ? " But we will
not ; for, after all, it is only the custom of the service :
the captain, like the he-goat of the Jewish ritual,
must be the sacrifice ; and assuredly it is good and
right that it should be so.

Did we not always, in our own day, wish admiral
and captain in Jehannum for those man-o '-war's cruises
of "there and back again"? Bother those sudden
sailings with sealed orders, which meant leaving all
the clean linen on shore for the laundress to hire out,
whilst we wailed over a chest of frowsy shirts. What

A CRUISE UP THE TANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 185

did we care for foreign policy, British commerce,
Admiral Hamelin, or Commodore Sloat, provided our
Chilian or Peruvian lady-loves were kind, horses
cheap, and the fuchsia-trees in blossom ? There was
our heaven upon earth, and the man a wretch who
dragged us hence. Let us be patient, then, when it
is our duty to do the hard-hearted, and let us smile to
see how much as we were then these are now, for even
the very youngsters are at present Japan crazy.

"The chaplain wishes to speak to you, sir," an-
nounces the sentry, with becoming solemnity. We
know what is coming, and, clutching the Printed In-
struction, put on an official face ; and as the gentle-
man who rejoices in the double office of pastor and
schoolmaster enters, we are ready for anything sad.
He tells us, with sorrow and indignation, that the
cruise to Japan, followed by the pheasant-shooting of
Shanghai, has so unsettled his pupils that the young
gentlemen scorn the exact sciences, and will not listen
to him, their pastor and master. We look very
serious, and proceed to the aid of this gentleman, who
has been facetiously termed, by the wit of the mid-
shipmen's mess, " a double-barrelled parson," in virtue
of his double office. There was a squeal and the ring
of a dozen voices as the cabin-door opened, but on
reaching the school-tables swinging between the main-
deck guns, perfect order and the most exemplary in-
dustry animated the senior midshipman as well as the
junior cadet — lads striving for university honours

186 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

could not have turned over tables of cosines and
logarithms more earnestly.

There is a glorious abandon about the young sailor
at his studies, which must be seen to be appreciated.
He has his watch to keep, untold duties in his small
way to perform, much practical knowledge to acquire ;
but there sits a future Kelson cramming with mathe-
matics, navigation, astronomy, steam-engines, gunnery,
and the living languages — a load, indeed, for any young
intellect. Yet it is cheering to see how light the burden
appears to the young sailor. Care ! why, there is not
even the faintest trace of it on one of those young
faces, and the instructor is the only one who looks in
the least anxious. We turn over the nearest work-
book which lies at hand — nothing but illustrations of
the Furious under all the phases of storm and calm !
The next student is evidently of a sentimental turn,
and his pen, instead of working out courses and dis-
tances, has been wandering into sketches of scenery,
cottages, and a plentiful sprinkling of pretty faces ;
and there is an audible titter when we discover that
the small boy of all, whose good mother is most
anxious he should be a saint as well as a sailor, has
sketched and coloured on the fly-leaf of his Euclid a
lady of Yedo, whose personal charms and develop-
ment say much for the small boy's knowledge on such
matters. Of course, all the miscreants are ordered
into the fore-cabin, and having had our laugh in
private, and screwed up the necessary amount of

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 187

severity, we go through our part of showing how en-
tirely such offences are at variance with the printed
instructions and Admiralty circulars ; in short, talked
to them like — what shall we say 1 — ah ! that is it,
" like a Dutch uncle," we overhear one youth remark
to the other as they escape on to the main-deck again ;
" and he says he will stop our leave," adds another ;
to which a piccolo voice pipes out, that having spent
all the cash he was likely to receive for the next three
months in investments in lacquer-ware, he did not
propose going on shore, and that the captain's punish-
ment would not affect his happiness. Of course, we
were sufficiently astute, under such circumstances, not
to stop the leave to go on shore of these young worthies,
and had to exercise our ingenuity in devising other
modes of torture with a view to enforcing the badgered
chaplain and naval instructor's authority. But this
excitement was not confined to the officers ; and apart
from the outside of Japan — for that was all our men
saw of it — it appeared to me that the seamen preferred
a cruise in salt water to doing the duty of policemen
in Chinese ports and rivers. Every boat's crew from
strange ships that came alongside are regaled with
awful yarns about our cruise to Yedo. " So you have
been up to Yedo ? " inquired the other day a sailor in
an American galley. " Yes ! I should think we had
too," replied a youth of Gosport extraction; "we
shoved our jib-boom right into the Hemperor's draw-
ing-room windows, and nigh broke all the egg-shell

188 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

china a-saluting of our Ambassador." "Thankee!"
said the Yankee ; " that will do ! " and then it was
equally refreshing to hear the men-of-war's men from
both sides of the Atlantic expressing their preference
for any spot rather than Shanghai as a place of sojourn
for sailors.

Even as I sit at my table, down the skylight come
the voices of the mizentop-men scraping their mast ;
they are wishing China and the Chinese fathoms down
beneath the Yellow Sea.

"But I thinks the hofficers likes Chiney, Bill,"
remarked one of the men ; " there are places on
shore for them to go to, you see — hotels, and clubs,
and merchants' houses, and suchlike ; but for us
poor beggars, what is it 1 why, it ain't a country fit
for a Christian. Look at what our mess did here,
last time they were on leave ; why, we goes to a
store, buys a three-dozen case of beer and one dozen
of hollands, and then goes out to drink it amongst
them Chineman graves, with a sun hot enough to
raise blisters on the tombstones. Of course all on us
got dead drunk, when down comes a whole heap of
Fokies with bamboos as big as the dingy's mast, and
commences a-hammering on us. So we rouses up and
has a regular set-to. Of course we are pulled up
afore the consul next day, and he says, says he,
' Sarve you right — you were defiling the Chinemen's
graves ; and they are so werry fond of their grand-
mothers that they cannot abide that sort of thing/

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 189

' Defile, be hanged ! ' says we ; ' \ve only sat down,
sir ; and the country is so full of graves that we could
go nowhere else.' But the end on it was that we
were fined all round, three of the mess laid up
with broken bones, and most on us has had fever.

D n leave, says I, in Chiney." Are we to be

blamed if, so far as the sailor and marine were con-
cerned, we said, " Amen " ]

"We are, however, about to put a fresh surface on
our especial existence in the Furious. The Commis-
sioners from Pekin have arrived; the supplementary
treaty has been gone through, amidst innumerable
official visits and official feeds; and the clause relative
to the opening of the Great River, or Yangstze, for
European trade, when rebellion shall have ceased, has
been so far discussed that Lord Elgin, with a neces-
sary escort of ships, is now at liberty to visit the
stream, and select spots likely to answer hereafter as
ports of trade or European settlements. The period
of the year is most favourable. The north-east mon-
soon has just set in on the heels of a series of heavy
typhoons, which have reduced the temperature of the
reeking valley of the Yangstze, and blown away its
fever and cholera, mosquitoes and boils, and the
power of the current will diminish as the sources
of the river and its affluents become frozen in the
north-west by the frosts of a Manchourian winter.
That diminution of the force of current will neces-

190 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AXD SPORT.

sarily involve a less depth of water in the navigable
channels ; but our anxiety is far more directed to the
possibility of the rush of the stream impeding the pro-
gress of our ship, than the likelihood of not finding
sufficient water to float her over shoals or difficulties.
This anxiety is based upon the experience of a former
ascent of the stream as high as Nankin, when serving
in the fleet under Admiral Sir William Parker. It
was then the months of August and September ; no
heavy rains had fallen, no unusual inundations pre-
vailed, yet the strength of the current off Xankin was
such, in spite of a great depth of water, from 60 to 90
feet, that although, thanks to the skill of our officers
and men, no ships were lost, still accidents were fre-
quent, and the delay in ascending to that point very
considerable.

But current or no current, we are now all agog to
be off and dive into the heart of this strange land ;
the feeling of curiosity is, if possible, more intense
than when we first started for Tientsin or Yedo, and
is by no means confined to ourself. How can it be
otherwise ? Here we are at the south-east corner,
right-hand lower corner, gentle reader, of Northern
China, bounded by Tartarian plains, the fastnesses of
Thibet, the Yellow Sea, and the proud Yangstze,
whose turbid stream flows within sight from our mast-
heads. So long as we have been in Shanghai, we
have listened and sought for information of the strange
country to the north of us ; every bale of silk, every

A CEUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 191

tea-case, leads our attention to the north-west. "We
hear of marts far more important than Shanghai or
Canton, of great cities holding populations twice as
numerous as London, of rivers so deep, so powerful,
that the Chinaman prefers to navigate "by canal to
tempting their dangers ; and we look at the Tunting
and Poyang lakes, equal to those of Canada in area,
and hope that we may one day sail or steam upon
them. Yet, by my faith, if we seek for specific de-
tails of how to get to either one or the other — if we
seek for any information as to depth of water, or any
fact connected with the watery highway which is to
lead us to these wonders — we find all such informa-
tion ceases at the spot reached by our fleet in the year
1842. Beyond that point, Nankin, all our researches,
aided by consular authorities as well as the mercantile
community, amount to the assertion that the Ameri-
can steain - frigate Susquehannah had subsequently
ascended as far as the town of Woo-hoo, one hundred
miles farther than Nankin, but the officers of that ship
did not record any topographical information, and that
we must rest content with the Jesuit map of the em-
pire as our guide. It is now two hundred years old ;
as an authority the Chinese copies have villanously
distorted the original ; and even in it the Yangstze is
a mere thread of water winding tortuously through
many more lakes than we can now hear of, probably
inundations prevailing at the time of the survey, with-
out a single depth along its entire length, and without

192 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

the position of one rock, reef, or shoal being fixed, or
even noted. The European embassies passing to and
from Canton and Pekin had of coiirse navigated that
portion of the river between the Poyang Lake and the
entrance of the Grand Canal, but as they were con-
veyed in state barges, which naturally hugged the
banks of the stream, or sought for short and shallow
cuts of water, the information to be found in the
writings of Barrow, Staunton, Davis, and others,
served but little for nautical purposes. Even the
writings of the Abb£ Hue, interesting as they were
upon the interior of the country to the north-west,
threw no light upon the Yangstze, except that, in a
general sense, in the upper valley, above the falls of
Kinchow, more than a thousand miles from the sea,
there would still be found a stream as deep and as
navigable as the lower Yangstze.

Having, thanks to the indefatigable exertions of
our gallant second - lieutenant, Duncan Davidson,
and the kind services of those distinguished Sino-
logues, Mr Wade and Mr Lay, assured ourselves that
there was no more information to be collected in
Shanghai, we agreed with our worthy friend Captain
Barker that there was only one thing left for us to do,
and that was to start up the stream when called upon
by Lord Elgin, and to do all in our power to test its
navigability, and in the meantime to fill our ships
with coal, and take a month's provision on board ; for
we hardly contemplated that the voyage to Hankow,

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 193

the farthest point spoken of, could require more than
that time to accomplish.

We will not waste time or space recording all our
arrangements ; how wiseacres wrote up from Hong-
Kong, recording it as their opinion that we should
infallibly come to grief ; how bets were offered that
we should never reach beyond the Poyang Lake ; and
how wiser men foretold that, even if successful, very
little honour or credit should come to us ; and that,
if we failed, hanging would be the least of our pun-
ishments. We could laugh at all this ; an enterpris-
ing Ambassador as our passenger, a single-minded,
earnest officer like the worthy Barker for our chief,
only left us to set our teeth, trust in Providence,
and go at our work, determined to give the lie to
all such false prophecies. November came before we
could start — a matter of some regret, for we calculated
that between the 14th and 20th October would have
been the best period for our departure, so as to return
before the winter had set in with any severity. In
the meantime, however, all the escorting squadron
dropped out of the Shanghai river into the Yangstze,
and the Cruiser, with the Lee and Dove gunboats,
proceeded to feel the way for us through the great
delta. The 9th of November at last saw us away,
and the setting sun shone full in our faces as we
steered our first cruise towards the westerly regions,
up the great river. Yet it had not been our first
visit in that direction. On the 6th July 1842 we

VOL. III. N

194 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

had the good fortune to be one of the eighty sail
of British ships, forming the fleet under Admiral Sir
William Parker when he advanced upon Nankin, and
drove the first wedge into the rickety civilisation of
China. Amongst the many glorious feats of our navy,
there is not one superior to that navigation by our
large fleet of a great, swift, and unknown stream — its
ascent for nigh two hundred miles without the loss
of a single vessel, although they oftentimes grounded
amongst its numerous shoals — the carrying out of
extensive military operations from no other base than
that adventurous fleet. The skill and foresight which
had brought together all the elements to ensure perfect
success, without being dependent for anything upon
the country or people we threw ourselves amongst,
marked that admiral as no ordinary leader ; and as
we thus, sixteen years subsequently, advanced over the
same ground, we could not help feeling proud of
having witnessed such an achievement, and that
small justice had, after all, been done in our national
records to such a triumph of naval skill and audacity.
Before that ascent to Nankin by huge sailing line-of-
battle ships and clumsy transports, our navigation to
the same point in steam-frigates becomes a mere holi-
day task ; and we shall not be sufficiently vain to
attempt to describe it, beyond stating that we found
all the channels and the shoals of the delta to have
changed with curious perversity, so that where, in
1842, there was deep water, we often found banks,

A CEUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 195

over which the flat punt of the Chinaman could
hardly sail. Petty islets, such as Bush Island, had
grown to a considerable size, whilst, strangely enough,
many points well known to us in those days — such as
One-Tree Point and Point Harvey — were unaltered
in form and outline by either the force of current or
deposit of alluvial matter. In many places the dimin-
ished volume of water discharged by the Yangstze in
the winter as compared with the summer season, was
marked by the appearance of dry land where formerly
we believed channels of water always to exist. But
perhaps the most marked change in the delta was at
two points, the upper end of Tsung-ming Island, and
what was known as the Foo-shan Bar. The former
of these is a vast alluvial tract, reclaimed some three
centuries ago from the sea by enterprising Chinamen,
and lies in the centre of the delta, splitting the
Yangstze at its mouth into two broad channels, the
southern one of which is only known to Europeans.
In 1842 several islands were observed in the northern
channel, and noted by Captains Kellett and Collinson
in our charts ; one of these, of considerable extent,
between which and Tsung-ming there then existed
an eighteen-feet channel of water, was now incor-
porated with the greater island, a warning to us of
the changes we might expect elsewhere. At Foo-shan,
in the old channel, we found the bar to have heaped
up with gravel until it was perfectly impassable for
anything but a gunboat, and, after a long hunt, dis-

196 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

covered a channel to have formed, cutting a deep
steep-sided trough through what was formerly a mud
bank ; and this channel was changing even then so
rapidly, that within a month the direction varied
as much as twenty-two degrees by the compass — a
pretty good proof of the changeable character of the
navigation of the delta of so mighty a stream. We
were a week working our way through these difficul-
ties, and approaching the first block of mountain
country, round the northern flank of which the
Yangstze at last bursts its way to the sea.

Nov. I6tk. — We know that we are approaching the
site of that city of Ching-keang, the key of the Great
Canal, which in former days made such a respectable
defence against our barbarian forces : we remember
that we are approaching a piece of scenery which was
so gorgeously Chinese, so rich in all the results of
their industry and taste, that one peep was enough to
repay the navigator or traveller for the difficulty in
reaching it. The Lee and Dove, with their boilers
out of working condition, had to be taken in tow of
the Retribution, to allow their engineers to clear and
refit ; and the Cruiser, too slow to keep company
when we wanted to make up lost time, hung on by
the stern of the Furious, and, thus leashed together,
we slashed away merrily under the bluffs of Kuen-
shan, recognising many a pagoda and many a spot
seen long ago in the pretty little Columbine. The
day was just such as to enjoy the beautiful scenery,

A CKUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 197

and a pleasant arrival amongst mountain, rock, and
waterfall, after an eight weeks' stay in lands as flat
and streams as tame as ditch-water. The sharp
bracing weather common to the season of the north-
east monsoon had evidently set in ; rattling breezes
and clear skies were now to succeed the hot moist
winds of the summer; and all we had to think of
was to escape back from Hankow before the snow
and frost of winter caught us. All was exhilarating,
and promised fairly for success ; for even the Great
Eiver during our run of yesterday showed less signs
of having departed from its old channels since it was
surveyed in 1842, and gave us, consequently, more
confidence in carrying sail as well as steam up the
reaches. As we neared Silver Island all hands were
agog, from the Ambassador to the tiny sailor-boys ;
for they knew that in the next reach we were about
to sight what had been reported to be one of the
finest scenes in China, the great city of Ching-keang-
foo, guardian of the gateway leading to Pekin by way
of the Great Canal. Golden Island, with its rich
temples, and pagodas covered with tiles of real im-
perial yellow porcelain, and Silver Island, so pictur-
esque, were, we all knew, behind the steep point
ahead. Had not the matter-of-fact Sir John Barrow
said of that reach of Ching-keang-foo, that what with
the host of vessels of war, pleasure, and commerce
that were moving or floating in the neighbourhood
when the Embassy passed to which he belonged, and

198 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

what with the towns, hamlets, and dwellings covering
the banks of the Grand Canal and the hills of Ching-
keang-foo, the scene was more beautiful and cheering
than any that had hitherto been met with in China?
Could not we all refer to writer after writer in proof
of the wonders of Chinese civilisation and art which
were there to be found ? And were not we, who had
gazed upon the picture when it was perfect, justified
in assuring the eager officers and diplomatists that for
once in their lives realisation would not fall short of
expectation ] Alas ! it was not to be so ; for suddenly
all that once-charming scene burst upon us, but how
changed ! There were the hills, the islands, the river,
and the rich plain, it is true ; but the hand of man
had destroyed all the beauties which rendered this
spot more interesting than any other upon the banks
of the Yangstze. We could hardly credit the possi-
bility of such a scene of havoc and destruction, or
that in our day it was possible to sweep away by
human agency, not only the vast population which
we had once seen thronging the land and water in
this vicinity, but even to obliterate the very marks of
their existence. The Taeping rebellion had extended
down the valley to this point, and this was their handi-
work— this the first fruits of the clash of European
teaching with the doctrines of Confucius. Five
hundred wretched creatures living within a vast area
of ruin, round which a wall still existed, was all that
remained of the city of Ching-keang-foo and its half

A CEUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 199

million of inhabitants. A wretched war-vessel, called
the Pao-shan, under imperial colours, and some half-
dozen small junks, were now the melancholy repre-
sentatives of commercial fleets which one of our
embassies was two days in traversing in a barge.
Golden Island was a mere wreck ; its famous library
had been burnt ; its temples levelled ; a ruin only
left of the exquisite pagoda ; and the river, as if
anxious to wipe out even the record of its past fame
and present degradation, had actually silted up with
mud the channel of deep water formerly existing
between Golden Island and the southern bank, for
men walked dry-footed where ships formerly floated.
Silver Island was equally ravaged, and the city of
Kwachow, at the entrance of the canal on the
northern bank of the Yangstze, was a mere assem-
blage of battered hovels and roofless tenements.
Standing on the summit of Silver Island, the view
was everywhere equally sad, and indicative of the
terrible desolation occasioned by the rebellion. The
country had apparently gone out of cultivation ; and
as far as the eye could scan northward over the once
rich and populous plain, through which the Grand
Canal led to the Hoang-ho, hardly a farmstead was
visible ; and extensive inundations only truly told of
the breaking down of the embankments, and the
utter misery which had fallen upon what once was
the "Garden of China."

Under ordinary circumstances we should have

200 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

naturally hurried through this terrible scene, and
left others to extract from these ruins of an Eastern
civilisation some shreds of comfort, that such chaos
was the making straight of the path for a better
future ; but unfortunately one of those accidents
which will befall sailors navigating little -known
waters happened to us just as we crossed the thres-
hold, so to speak, of this spot. Between the hills
on which Ching-keang-foo stands and Silver Island,
the Great Eiver, with a perversity known only to
fresh-water streams, chose to cram itself through a
narrow gateway of one hundred and fifty yards in
width, instead of taking what would seem a natural
course, and cutting out a channel, of any breadth
or depth, in the fine plain to the northward — a direc-
tion in which, however, it does throw off one petty
branch, as much as to say that the Yangstze knew
that it might flow through there, but would not be
dictated to. Through this gateway we had to go,
against a current running like a mill-stream, but
without any misgivings on the score of rocks, because
the chart showed a deep channel, and we had not
only been through it in the Columbine, but had
known big two-deckers to drop through it in past
times. A rock, however, there was; and with all
our leadsmen crying an untold number of fathoms
of water — and we had some of them out at the jib-
boom end — the Furious fairly perched herself upon
a pinnacle of hard limestone, just where there should

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 201

have been seventy-eight feet water — a proof that dan-
gers, over which the greater volume of the Yangstze
in the summer season would float ships, and which
the swiftness of the current at that season would pre-
vent the seaman's lead discovering, would infallibly
be discovered by a ship's bottom at a period of the
year when the water was lowest, and the stream less
rapid. This discovery strongly impressed upon us
the fact, that for such a river to be properly sur-
veyed, the work should be done in the winter-time,
and that it would need a series of subsequent observa-
tions upon the rise and fall of the river throughout
all the seasons of the year to fully assure the navi-
gator of the depth of water to be found over the
dangers at specific dates. "We will not bore the
general reader with technical details of how we laid
out anchors and got down top-weights ; how the gun-
boats came alongside, and how we worked all day
and all night, and emptied the Furious of every
movable weight down to her very kelson, except
the coals ; how we painted marks on the rocks, and
gave a gratuity to the bonzes in the Buddhist tem-
ple, and enlisted them in our service, because they
assured Mr Lay that they had a deity in keeping
whose especial mission it was to look after the inter-
ests of ships and sailors navigating this Scylla and
Chary bdis of the Yangstze — we will not, we say,
dwell upon these proceedings, because, when all was
done, we still found our stout frigate perched on the

202 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

rock, and the water, which was high when we grounded,
far too low to float her off again. That there was a
perceptible tidal rise and fall we had ocular demon-
stration, but its amount was considerably dependent
upon the strength and direction of the wind ; and it
was not to be wondered at, when we remembered that
our distance from the mouth of the river was already
one hundred and fifty miles.

Grateful, therefore, as we felt for the ready aid
given by Captain Barker and the other commanders,
and full of admiration and pride for the gallant ship's
company and officers, who entered with such zeal and
unwearied exertion into all the heavy labour imposed
upon them, we could not but feel that, after all, our
speedy escape must depend upon that Cherub who
looks after the winds and waters. And he did not
fail us ; for on the evening of the 1 8th the wind came
up the river, the tide rose to its proper height, and we
popped off the rock just as we had popped on to its
summit. The 20th of November found us at early
dawn hastening onward, for Nankin was to be our
next stage. The Dove and Lee gunboats were now
ahead, pilot-fish to the big sharks that followed in
their wake. The early sun touched the sad ruins of
Golden Island, the levelled homesteads of Kwachow,
and the barely-to-be-recognised entrance of what was
once the Grand Canal, amongst which, as if in mock-
ery, flaunted here and there the gay pennons of the
Imperialist forces. The sight was a sickening one,

A CEUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 203

and we thought, with a shudder, whether Christen-
dom was responsible for this scene of misery, and
whether it would be the fate of our poor friends the
Japanese to pass through the fire of a similar ordeal.
Between the intersection of the Grand Canal and
Nankin, the Great River flows in a tolerably straight
course, and without any bars or reefs ; the squadron,
therefore, put their best legs foremost in order to get
past the ancient capital of China before the night
closed in ; and as we dashed along past point and
bluff, and the glorious scenery of the Nankin valley
revealed itself, we began to forget the troubles of the
Furious under the Hill of Sorrow, as the Chinese
have justly named Silver Island, and to talk of the
to-morrow which would see us carry our flag farther
than British keels had yet gone. Personally, there
was an especial interest in this strip of the Yangstze ;
it was a return to an old scene, replete with memories
hallowed by the recollection of past events and old
friendships. Here we recognised the channel where
our beautiful brig was taken by the gallant Morshead
through fleets of grain-junks, so closely packed that
we had almost to pole our way through them ; there
the spot where the deceitful current so pinned us
against a steep bank and a forest of bulrushes that
we were fairly in irons, and had to remain until the
wind shifted and blew us off again, but not before
the exhalations from the reeking marshes, in the
shape of a terrible malaria, had swept over the gal-

204 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

lant crew, and afflicted us with a fever which harassed
the Columbines during all the subsequent passage to
England. About here used to be the Marion Rock,
on which a transport of that name, bearing all the
headquarters staff, including Sir Hugh (now Lord)
Gough, spitted herself and swung about helplessly
for some time with her distinguished military freight
— men, the majority of whom are now known to
European history. But the Marion Eock is no longer
in the river; it is now apparently part of the south-
ern bank, owing to alluvial deposit having filled up
the channel within Golden Island; for the Yangstze
is evidently somewhat wayward in the opening and
closing of its deep-water channels, yet not more so
than such a lusty stream may be expected to be.
By-and-by we come to Eching and Luho, pleasant
places once, where we might have purchased all sorts
of pleasant things ; but we care not to look at them
now, for the poor creatures have been alternately
squeezed and plundered by Taepings and Imperi-
alists ; and our friends the Sinologues assure us that
they are now undergoing the visits of a third party,
who believe neither in Confucius, the Emperor, nor
the visible presence of the Trinity in Nankin, and
distinguish themselves as the "^Fleechers," a name
they no doubt well deserve. Then we come to the
Sikea Hills, with the grove of trees and pretty temple.
The last time we saw it, the graceful Daphne, com-
manded by the dashing Captain Keppel, was keeping

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 205

watch and ward in this neighbourhood. Then a little
farther, we opened Nankin reach, and were able to
point to the hills on which our forces were encamped
prior to the then contemplated assault on Nankin,
where, amongst other illustrious leaders, stood Colin
Campbell with his much-loved Highlanders, whilst
the waters were thronged with the naval might of
Great Britain. Oh ! that was a goodly sight, and the
recollection of it made one's blood tingle as we saw
the walls of Nankin burst into view.

As that place was now the great headquarters of
the Taeping movement, and formed the boundary of
an extensive region almost entirely in their hands
which we had to traverse, it was, of course, necessary
for the Ambassador to instruct the senior officer of
the escorting squadron what line of conduct the
executive representatives of England were to adopt
in dealing with these rebels, and we therefore
stopped for a few minutes to communicate with
Captain Barker. Lord Elgin's instructions were to
the effect that our position was simply that of neu-
trals, passing peaceably up the stream, on the strength
of the permission granted by the Emperor of China ;
that we were to give the Taepings any explanations
they sought, but to resist all hostile attempts to stop
our progress. As our gallant naval chief was in a
precarious state of health, we went on board to assist
him in framing the instructions under which the Lee
gunboat was to advance ahead of the force with Mr

206 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Wade, the Chinese Secretary of Legation. Our
worthy senior had evidently cheered up with the
prospect of a brush, which, so far as counting em-
brasures, forts, and guns went, looked formidable
enough compared with our small force, and made us,
if possible, love him more, to see how, in spite of a
stroke of paralysis, which had occurred since leaving
Shanghai, and still left him partially crippled, the
chivalry of the true officer shone through sickness and
disease. His instructions to the Lee were concisely
these : To go ahead as far as possible, give all ex-
planations if asked for, but not to take the initiative
in opening communication with rebels in arms against
the government with whom Great Britain had just
signed a treaty of peace. If they fired on him, he
was to display a large flag of truce, the nature of
which we held proofs of their perfectly understand-
ing, and to remain stationary or return towards us.
Above all, to run any risk rather than fire in return
without express permission from Captain Barker.
The Lee was then despatched ; and for the rest of
the squadron the orders were, to be prepared to force
a passage if it was disputed, the Retribution leading
in such case as senior officer, and the Furious and
Cruiser following in their proper places. It was an
interesting sight to see the stanch little Lee approach-
ing alone such a hornet's nest as the place looked ;
and nothing, we felt, justified such a risk, except the
very natural anxiety of the Ambassador to give no

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 207

just grounds for the Taepings to doubt our pacific
intentions. The heavy -looking batteries on a place
known as Theodolite Point took no notice of the
gunboat, and allowed her to pass without either
waving to her to stop, or even hoisting their colours
— indeed, all the works appeared silent, and without
any of those displays of banners so common in
Chinese military posts. We began, therefore, to
fancy that the Taepings had wisely determined we
should go where we pleased, provided we did not
meddle with them ; but we were quickly undeceived,
when the rascals had got the Lee fairly within the
fire of all their heavy guns, and, as they doubtless
fancied, at their mercy, one gun was fired, and a red
flag was run up ; and thereupon, in spite of a flag
of truce of immense size — for it was an Admiralty
table-cloth — shot after shot was fired upon her with
an accuracy only foiled by the gallant Commander
Jones moving his craft so as to disconcert their aim.
The sun was just touching the western horizon,
twilight was now short, but as the squadron was well
in hand and the steam well up, Captain Barker
threw out the signal to engage the enemy ; and we
dashed up to the works at a pace which must have
astonished the " long-haired ones," whilst the Lee
and Dove gunboats went to work in a manner
peculiar to those sweet little craft, and which we
have never witnessed without expressing a prayer,
that our good countrymen who live in England's

208 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

pleasant watering-places may never be subjected to
similar courtesies. The fire of the forts of Nankin
was pretty fair until the ships got into action ; and
the Eetribution, as leading ship, was subjected to a
greater amount of damage than the rest of the squa-
dron, and had one man killed and two wounded
severely. The fight was, however, soon knocked out
of the Taepings, for, commencing at about eight hun-
dred yards and closing up to four hundred and fifty
yards, we soon gave them such a surfeit as none of
the believers in the Heavenly King had ever contem-
plated. The action lasted about three-quarters of
an hour, and by that time we had fairly dosed the
works facing Nankin, and an isolated fort on the
northern bank. Night had closed in, and we had
reached just above the site of the Porcelain Tower :
we therefore anchored for the night, and Captain
Barker decided on asking permission of the Ambas-
sador to give our Taeping friends a still further
dressing on the morrow, for the following reasons : —
They might fancy that we had availed ourselves of
the cover of night to force their fortifications, and it
was desirable to remove any erroneous impressions
upon our right of way up and down the Yangstze
whilst the discussion was still an open one, for no
one could tell what accidents might happen up the
river to our squadron, and we had no idea of trusting
again the mercy of such a set of ruffians : if they
could not love us, they might at any rate be made to

A CKUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 209

fear us. The penalty of firing on a flag of truce
they had had once before, by a British squadron,
fully explained to them ; they had fired on it now in
defiance of such a penalty, and it was most necessary
that the recollection of the crime should be imme-
diately connected with its punishment. Lord Elgin
fully concurred with Captain Barker in these opin-
ions, and gave him carte blanche as to the course to
be pursued on the morrow. It was simply this, to
drop doAvn at daylight, and knock the forts about
the ears of the Taepings, if they showed any more
stomach for fighting. Grey dawn saw us off the
nearest forts ; that abreast of the Furious came out
of the mist with ghostly distinctness. The first rap
of the 10 -inch shells upon it sounded chorus to the
broadside of the Cruiser, when Bythesea threw out
his challenge to the fort and earthen batteries on
the northern shore, and the Eetribution came down
with her heavy 68 -pounders in a hearty bellow,
whilst the gunboats barked a hoarse reveille through
the morning mists. All the response we could get
was a very desultory fire from a solitary battery.
By way, however, of leaving our mark, and exercis-
ing our men at the best of targets — for it so hap-
pened that quarterly gunnery -returns would be soon
required — we gave our men a short practice at one
or two of the forts out of which the Taepings had
bolted ; and having placed our mark in characters
sufficiently legible, the squadron went on its way up

VOL. III. O

210 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

the stream. The Imperialists, encouraged by our
success, evidently thought to take advantage of it by
closing in on the city. We had nothing to do with
them and their siege of Troy, and left them busily
burning powder, with little damage apparently to
either side.

As Nankin sank on the horizon astern, we could
not but think how sad had been its fate since we last
saw it. It was then full of interesting relics of
ancient greatness, as the capital of the Ming dynasty.
There was an air of respectable decay which then
recommended itself to our sympathies ; and there
were such wonders as its Porcelain Tower, and the
iron pagoda at Ping-shan, to astonish us with the in-
genuity and grotesqueness of Chinese taste. Now,
beyond the walls, whose solidity mocked even our
cannon-balls, it looked merely what it was, the
stronghold of banditti. Every house and temple of
the suburbs had been swept away, and the wonderful
pagoda, as high as St Paul's, faced from crown to base-
ment with bricks of fine porcelain, and adorned with
rich ornaments of the same valuable material, was
utterly uprooted ; indeed, if we mistake not, the forts
were composed of much of the ruins of that unique
work of art.

However, there was one consolation in all this
desolation — what man could undo, other men might
reconstruct ; and the records of Chinese history told
us that they had often been subjected to such visita-

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 211

tions as this at present being inflicted upon them by
Taepingism. Indeed, Nankin only became the capital
of the Chinese rulers as recently as 1368, when, after
a rebellion extending over ninety years, they suc-
ceeded in ousting their Mongol conquerors, and its
greatness and fame were almost the creation of one
remarkable monarch, the Ming emperor, Hungwu,
for his successors foolishly established their capital at
Pekin, and fell, as they deserved, beneath the swords
and influence of the Manchu — the master of to-day —
and against whom the Taepings are to-day avowedly
at war. We will not at present be tempted to go off
on this theme, but hasten on through the 150 miles
of river between Nankin and Ngan-king, the once
flourishing capital of the province of Ngan-king.

Ten miles above Nankin we passed beyond the
limits of the excellent survey of 1842, and two hills
which mark that boundary ought to bear the names
of those twin-brothers of Science, Captains Henry
Kellett and Collinson ; and then another forty miles
of water brought us to Woo-hoo, where the Susque-
hannah American frigate reached some years previ-
ously. One Chinese town is so wretchedly like
another, that we will not say more than that we
passed several important cities in these forty miles,
and many villages, all of them in Taeping hands, and
all in a greater or less degree of dilapidation. Twenty
miles above Woo-hoo, the Retribution was obliged to
part company at a town called Kew-shien, and anchor

212 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

until our return down the stream. Her draught of
water was nearly three feet more than that of the
Furious : she was a remarkably unhandy vessel, and
it was not without the exercise of more than ordinary
skill that Captain Barker and his officers had already
navigated her in safety to a point 250 miles from the
sea, at a season of the year when the water was so
low. Kew-shien happened, moreover, to be in the
hands of the Imperialists, and Lord Elgin was not
sorry, as we were obliged to leave the Retribution
behind, that she should stay where her presence could
not give offence to the authorities, or give rise to a
suspicion that we were treating with men in arms
against the Government.

The worthy senior officer gave us as much pro-
visions as he could spare (for it was evident we had
under-estimated the delays incident to the ascent of
such a stream), and caused the gunboats to be coaled
to their full complement. The afternoon of Novem-
ber 24th saw the Furious, Cruiser, Dove, and Lee
again under way, and we parted with hearty cheers,
and as hearty wishes for mutual success. On this
and the following day our progress was as rapid as an
economical expenditure of coal would admit of, and
we anchored near a dangerous reef on the night of
the 26th, in order that we might have daylight to
clear it, and pass the great city of Ngan-king. This
reef is called the Hen Reef by our native pilot, and if
not much of an authority upon the depth of the water,

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 213

he is a perfect oracle at legends connected with its
dangers. He vows that some Hen famed in story
was busy filling up the big river with stones, when
Dame Partlet was charmed away from her wicked
work by an ingenious priest imitating the crowing of
her much-loved Chanticleer — a proof of the use of
the bonzes, and the necessity for contributing to the
little temple and its oily occupants, as the pilot slyly
added. Anyhow, the Hen and Chickens made a
very ugly pass for our sea-going craft to navigate
through ; and so formidable is the barrier to native
junks that a cutting has actually been made through
a hill on the southern bank, to enable them to avoid
its dangers. This spot is just fifteen miles from
Ngan-king, and about three hundred and forty miles
up the river, and may be said to be the first serious
obstruction to the navigation, — not from barring it
entirely across, but because no ship under sail could
with safety attempt the channel in consequence of
the peculiar manner in which the tide is dammed up
into a race at one part, and sweeps at other points
fiercely on to the danger. Steam-power or tugs will
always here be necessary, unless the artificial cutting
be found, on further examination, to be practicable for
our craft ; but it is worthy of note that up to this
point there are no difficulties which sailing-ships may
not master, in the hands of good sailors. Leaving
the Hen and Chickens behind us, with the inde-
fatigable gunboats ahead, so as to give us warning of

214 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

any rocks or shoals, we reached Ngan-king early on
the 26th. Here the Taepings on a smaller scale
repeated exactly the same line of conduct as their
confreres at Nankin, and fired on the advancing
squadron without the slightest provocation or reason.
Of course they were regaled with exactly the same
treatment as their Heavenly King farther eastward,
and with an equally favourable result ; for they were
so rapidly brought to their senses in Ngan-king as
subsequently to allow us to pass, at half musket-shot,
close under their works, without the slightest attempt
to provoke a further controversy ; and the impression
was sufficiently lasting, as Lord Elgin discovered on
his way down a month afterwards. Nothing could
be finer than the sight of this city of Ngan-king :
the river flows close under its walls, and they again
rise up a gentle slope, enclosing an area quite as large
as the city of Canton, and apparently as well filled
with dwellings. The suburbs and country-houses
which had once existed were now levelled, or roofless
ruins, and the beautiful pagoda was the only building
perfect outside the walls of the city. A fine range of
hills sweeps gracefully round the back of Ngan-king,
and there was every promise that, with peace and
order restored, this important capital of a province
containing more souls than Great Britain and Ireland
together, would be a charming place of residence for
our commercial community in China,

Ngan-king appeared to be the western limit of the

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 215

Taeping territory, for we now came on Imperial fleets
and armies in overpowering profusion, judging "by the
number of flags and amount of display. They were
evidently besieging Ngan-king in a Chinese fashion ;
and " rebellion-quelling generals " were crowing on
the heights and eminences around the northern side
of the city, at the long-range distance of about three
and a half statute miles. The country, however, on
the south bank was quite open to the Taepings ; and
on our return downwards we had occasion to visit
and communicate with the farmers in that direction.
We found that although they disclaimed being Tae-
pings, they acknowledged having paid taxes, under
compulsion, for four years to the authorities then in
Ngan-king. They had not much to complain of, they
said. Mandarin and Taeping " squeezed " about
equally. It was the people in the large towns and
cities, not the petty farmers, that suffered by the
Taepings. When asked why they wore long hair —
that is, allowed all their hair to grow without shaving
any part of the head — if they were not Taepings 1
they exhibited all the true cunning of the Chinaman,
by pointing to the huge tail into which it was plaited,
and with a twinkle of their eyes, explaining that the
arrangement enabled them to please both parties.
With the hair all over their heads they could prove
themselves true rebels to the Taepings, and when the
Imperialists did come back they would only have to
shave as of old, and the tail of the Chinaman, pur

216 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

sang, would still be there, and testify to their loyalty.
These worthies added that there was only one draw-
back, in their individual opinion, to the present state
of things, and that was the unpleasant way in which
the Taepings swept off the good-looking women from
the farms ; this touched them, and they did warm a
little on that point ; but as to the slaughter of the
citizens and children in the cities, the plunder of the
trader and merchant, that was other men's business,
not theirs.

A charming instance of cold-blooded fish-like selfish-
ness is the Chinaman, and one almost feels as if it
needed the scourge and the sword of the Taeping
ruffian to rouse from his hideous lethargy ; but we
must rattle onward, for the next great event will be
our arrival at the junction of the Poyang Lake with
our Ta-keang, or Great River. For Yangstze it has
ceased to be called since we passed the Great Canal.
Hitherto, from Nankin to Ngan-king, we had been
steaming through a magnificently rich valley of some
two hundred miles in length, and varying from twenty-
five to ten miles in width, the hills on either side of
no remarkable altitude, but still picturesque, and
affording glimpses of scenery as rich and varied as
any in China. Farmsteads and cultivation abounded
throughout the major portion of this rich region, and
it was only the towns and cities which had been
wrecked and plundered. There was, it is true, a total
absence of all activity and life upon the magnificent

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 217

river which formed its great highway, that told its
own tale, and very significantly too; but still that
river formed a noble object, and gave all its import-
ance to this valley. Ascending our mast-heads at any
point we might happen to be when traversing the
above-named distance, it was a panorama unequalled
in all its grandeur to look down on the Great Eiver,
flowing in fine reaches of ten or fifteen miles in length,
and sometimes a mile in width, with a mean depth of
forty feet of water ; here and there twisting and re-
curving as if in wantonness, yet still striking against
the high lands on the southern shore, and chafing at
their feet as it rolled its golden tide to the bosom of
the Pacific ; then again splitting in the plain, and
enclosing within its arms some great island rich with
all the fatness of China, and covered with farms,
herds, and cultivation, all of which you would be
sorry to insure against being swept away some day in
one of those frightful inundations, marked high up
the rocks, or here and there in sand-covered plains.
But now, soon after passing Ngan-king, we find
ourselves steering a more southerly course, and enter
upon quite a different scene. We leave the province
of Ngan-king, and enter that of Kiang-si, at least just
skirt its north-east corner. Mountains of vast altitude
are seen on the southern hand, some of which must
have been at least 15,000 feet high, but they are far
off, whilst near the banks of the river they vary from
2000 to 600 feet in height. Northward, or on our

218 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

right hand, looking up the stream, a vast plain is
seen, which looks sadly subject to inundation, whilst
the mountains which we left behind us at Ngan-king
may be seen glimmering in the far distance, as if
stretching in a more direct line from that city towards
our destination at Hankow. The navigation of the
stream still continued very easy ; to be sure, we put
our keel occasionally in the mud, but then we were
in a hurry, and feeling our way up a totally unknown
stream, and were much harassed by fogs, especially
during the 27th, after passing a picturesque town
called Tung-loo. This mist, and other indications,
warned our sagacious pilot that we were about to
have a storm, for it appeared this neighbourhood was
famous for strong winds ; and on the morning of
Sunday the 28th he deemed it a deliberate temptation
of Providence for us to weigh our anchor. He told
us how many junks were wrecked in such storms as
that impending ; how the water of the river got blown
anywhere, and that the proper thing to do was to get
up a creek and lay out as many anchors as possible.
"We were too ill, with a low fever caught in the night
air of Silver Island, to quite enjoy the raciness of the
pilot's expostulation ; but finding the anchors were
coming up in spite of the rules laid down by his ex-
perience, he proceeded to light his cigar and abuse
the region through which we were passing. " Summer
or winter, it was always alike," he said ; " now hot
enough to make you wish your skin was off, then so

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 219

cold that all the sheepskins in Ngan-king could not
keep you warm ; and as to the river and the winds,
he did not know [which was the worst." Having
given vent to his opinion, our pilot left us to our own
devices, and descended into the stoke-hole to enjoy
the society of the stokers, their tobacco being much
more powerful than the Manillas with which we con-
ciliated our Palinurus. He was no false prophet, for
down came an easterly gale upon us, loaded with red
brick-dust, which gave the whole atmosphere a dense
fiery appearance, a;3 singular as it was unpleasant for
those who had to find their way in such a tornado.
However, the " dear little gunboats " were chirruping
along ; the gallant Bythesea, under double-reefed top-
sails, looked as if he and his pretty Cruiser were about
to run for the Derby, and the Furious was not going
to stop for any fresh-water gale ; so away we went
before the storm like so many sea-gulls. There was
decidedly no use in stopping so long as the wind was
fair and the water deep ; and Dame Fortune smiled
upon us, although there was some anxiety lest, if the
leading vessel got aground, all the rest would tumble
upon her before they were able to stop their way.
However, we kept a fine depth of water, and made
splendid progress from 8 A.M. until 2 P.M., when a
difficulty obliged us to anchor a short stage from the
Poyang Lake. At one moment during the day things
did look a little ugly, and that was at about eleven
o'clock of the forenoon, when, after staggering down

220 TEAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

a reach where nothing could be seen but the bull-
rushes on either hand, and the raging surface of the
Great Eiver, we appeared to be steering suddenly
against some vertical cliffs, three hundred feet high.
There was, however, no time to do more than wonder ;
for whilst the leadsman was calling no soundings at
fifteen fathoms of line, we were dashed through a sort
of portal which the river had chosen to cut for itself
through a projecting point in the mountains of Kiang-
si, instead of going off sensibly into the flat country
of Hu-pe, and making a channel, of any width it
pleased. The piece of the mountain thus detached
was called the Little Orphan, and a very appropriate
name too, considering how ruthlessly it had been torn
from its parent in Kiang-si.

The next day ( Nov. 29 ) brought a change of
weather of a most decisive character ; the frost was
so intense at five o'clock that the water froze when
we tried to wash decks, and the mountain-tops had
sheets of snow on them. The gale had ceased, and
the air was pure and bracing, with some of the most
beautiful scenery in the world slowly revealing itself
as we neared the entrance of the Poyang Lake. By
noon we were there. It seemed as if some gigantic
hand had cleft a portal through the mountains of
Kiang-si to allow the union of the river and the lake,
and that the portion removed had been placed a little
in advance of the opening to mark the achievement.
We had seen some fine scenery in our time, but seldom

A CRUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 221

anything finer than this. The Ta-keang, coming down
from its birthplace in the north-west, rushes down to
meet an almost equally great discharge from an inland
sea, which drains an area of country greater than all
France. Their confluence is marked by islands and
shoals, great holes of deep water, and whirlpools of
current, which twisted our big frigate about as if she
was a cockboat, though drawing fifteen feet six inches,
and going at full speed. Leaving on our left the
well-marked and promising entrance to the Poyang,
as well as the prettily-situated town and fortifications
of Hokow, we advanced up an 18-feet channel to
Kew-keang, or town of " six streams," an important
walled city of the first class, situated on the southern
bank of the Great Eiver, just above the junction with
the Poyang Lake. In every respect this was a most
important position to have reached with vessels of the
size of the Furious, and of the small steam-power of
the Cruiser; and as our subsequent detention here
gave us good opportunities of making ourselves
acquainted with the neighbourhood, we were able
to form a pretty good idea of its importance.

The town, though little else than the walls now
remain, stands on the southern bank, but on the
northern slope of a range of hills of a 200-feet eleva-
tion. The area represents a quadrangle varying from
2| to 3| miles in length and breadth. Seven-tenths
of the town was an utter ruin, the very bricks of
which the buildings had been built having been taken

222 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

to raise and repair the walls, and they were, compara-
tively speaking, in excellent order. Kew-keang had
only been recaptured by the Imperialists during the
last six months, having been stormed by the Taepings
as far back as the year 1853. It was then a place
remarkable for its wealth and population ; and the
entire area within the walls was covered, people
assured us, with houses. Our pilot declared that, prior
to the rebel occupation, the fleets of junks, and the
traffic at this point, would have astonished us; and
that, if anything was wanted, be it what it may, Kew-
keang could always produce it. " But now," said he,
pointing at 700 Ib. of rice which we with difficulty
procured for our crew, "see, you can hardly get
enough to eat."

A reference to any good map will show at once the
importance of Kew-keang as an emporium. It stands
at the portal leading from the north to the south.
Past it must float every product of the north-west
either going to Shanghai or Canton ; and every bale
of merchandise from the latter troublesome city going
towards Hankow or Pekin comes across the Poyang
Lake, and by the threshold of Kew-keang.

AMONG THE AFFGHANS.

A SURVEYOR'S NARRATIVE.
BY G. B. SCOTT, OP THE INDIA SURVEY.

[MAGA. NOVEMBER 1879.]

I.

AMONG the tribes with whom our Affghan expe-
ditions have brought us into contact, in the
interior of the Ameer's country, the Afreedees, the
Mohniunds, the Shinwarrees, and the Khugianees
are the most remarkable clans ; and between Gan-
damuk and Cabul is one more powerful tribe, which
has exercised great influence upon the affairs of
Affghanistan — the Ghilzais. I purpose giving some
details of these clans, the result of my wanderings
among them.

Between the Cabul wars of 1839-1842 and the late
one, our Government had no dealings with any of
these but the Mohmunds, who border on British ter-

VOL. III. P

224 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

ritory. This tribe was next only in importance to
the Afreedees on our north-west frontier ; and during
the first weeks of the advance of our troops, much
depended on the action the Mohmunds were likely
to take — for they inhabit the northern slopes of the
Tartara range, which shuts in the Khyber on the
north. They occupy Dakka and its neighbourhood,
and their country lay along the right flank of our line
of march from Jamrud to Chardeh in the Jellalabad
valley, some miles beyond Bussawal — that is, they.
flank the right of the main road for the first five
marches from Jamrud. Further, through their
country run no less than three alternative kafila
(caravan) routes from Jellalabad to Peshawar, any one
of which might have been utilised by an energetic
Affghan general to cramp our advance by throwing
a force into the Peshawar valley, ten or twenty miles
north of Jamrud, so soon as our main body was suffi-
ciently advanced in the Khyber — more especially by
using the Gandao route, as we shall show further on.
Unlike the Afreedees or any other Pathan tribe, the
Mohmunds long acknowledged the supremacy of one
chief — the Khan or Nawab of the village of Lal-
poorah, which is on the left bank of the Cabul river,
about thirty miles from Michni and just opposite the
fort of Dakka. This chief acknowledged the suze-
rainty of the Ameer of Cabul ; and had the invasion
occurred ten years sooner, it is almost certain that
we would have had the entire tribe opposed to us —

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 225

threatening seriously our long, narrow line of com-
munications.

But since 1863 our political relations with the
tribe have gradually altered its original organisation,
and divided the interests of its several sections. Of
these there are four principal ones : the Tarakzai,
inhabiting the hills in the neighbourhood of Fort
Michni, and the strip of country lying between the
Khyber Pass and the Cabul river, inchiding the small
but rich valley of Shilman ; the Alimzai, possessing
the country north of the Tarakzai, including the
large fertile valley of Gandao, the lesser one of Pan-
diali, and a farther one, with the southern slopes of
a mountain-range known as Ilazai (entered on for-
mer maps as Cabul Sappar), dividing the Mohmund
country from Bajour, inhabited by a section of the
great Eusufzai tribe ; the Baizai, lying west of the
Tarakzai, and occupying all the country north of the
Cabul river as far as Gooshta and Chardeh ; and the
Khwaizai, lying west of the Alimzai, with one strip
of hills running on to the Cabul river itself. The
two first, from their position on our border, have
for several years come more and more under the
influence of the British officials in Peshawar. The
Baizai acknowledge unquestioned the supremacy of
the Khan of Lalpoorah. The Khwaizai sometimes
do the same — more often consider themselves quite
independent, both of the Ameer and the British.

The Khan of Lalpoorah farms the revenue of

226 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

several villages lying on either bank of the Cabul
river north of Dakka, paying the Ameer a lump sum
of about one-fourth of the full amount collected. In
exchange for this he is permitted to govern the Moh-
munds as he pleases, and is allowed to keep up a
small force of infantry and cavalry, from which he
is bound to supply a contingent to the Ameer in
time of war, in addition to a body of militia or levies,
generally raised among the more independent section
of the tribe. He still claims a supremacy over the
whole of the Mohmunds, but these dispute his right
whenever possible. When he is otherwise engaged,
he leaves the various sections to themselves ; but so
soon as he finds himself able to assert his right, or
to interfere, he compels submission in peculiarly
oriental style. Watching his opportunity when the
smaller sections in any of the valleys are at feud
amongst themselves, he secures an invitation as
arbitrator ; proceeds to the valley with as many
troops as he can muster, and settling down as a
guest in some central position, levies contributions
of food and money all round, till his now loyal sub-
jects are tired of his exactions, pay up arrears of
revenue, swear fealty, and escort him back to his
home with every token of respect and affection.
Despite these little disagreements, however, the
various sections never completely denied the right
of supremacy till the instalment of Mahmood Shah
Khan, the present ruler, by the orders of the late

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 227

Ameer, in place of K"owroz Khan, the hereditary
chief, who fell into disgrace at the same time as
Yakoob Khan, to whose mother he was related.

In the early days following the annexation of the
Punjab, the Mohmunds made their presence dis-
agreeably felt on the border, and were so very
troublesome that it was considered necessary, for the
protection of the Doaba — the low country lying
between the Swat and Cabul rivers after their
entrance into the plains — to erect no less than three
forts and two intermediate police-posts.

The forts are : Michni, at the debouchement into
the Peshawar valley of the Cabul river; Abazai,
holding a similar position on the Swat river ; and
Shubkudr, between them. Each of these forts con-
sists of high earthen walls and bastions, with sur-
rounding ditch, and each is garrisoned by a few
companies of native infantry and a troop of cavalry,
and boasts a couple of cannon, but no artillerymen.
A British officer now commands at each post. The
garrisons are drawn from the regular troops in Pesh-
awar, and are under the orders of the brigadier com-
manding that station. In this respect these forts
and Forts Mackeson and Jamrud differ from all
others along the frontier, which are garrisoned by
detachments from the Punjab Frontier Force, which
is under the orders of the lieutenant-governor pf the
Punjab, and not those of the commander-in-chief in
India.

228 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

While these forts were yet building, the Mohmunds
did their utmost to annoy the workmen, and near
Michni erected a high tower on a knoll about two
miles off in defiance. Two young British officers took
it into their heads to ride round this tower one even-
ing; but as they were returning a volley was fired
into them, and one killed. Troops were sent out,
who destroyed the tower ; but it was again and again
rebuilt, and as often destroyed, before the Mohmunds
became more peaceful. At that time the supremacy
of the Khan of Lalpoorah was unquestioned; and
our Government thought that the surest way of put-
ting a stop to these annoyances would be to send a
force to burn Lalpoorah itself. Had this been done,
it is quite possible that the sudden destruction of a
village so far within the hills would have terrified the
Mohmunds ; but the slightest failure would have made
matters much worse.

So little was then known of the country, that it
appears to have been considered practicable to march
troops, with guns, to Lalpoorah and back in three
days, up the banks of the Cabul river. The only
route along the banks is a narrow track, which in
places is just practicable for experienced climbers !
Luckily, Sir Colin Campbell (Lord Clyde), the
brigadier in Peshawar, declined to attempt the march
with a force less than ten thousand men, — and the
project dropped. And it was just as well that it did ;
for we would have had not only Mohmunds, but all

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 229

their neighbours, probably twenty to thirty thousand
men, if not to oppose the advance, certainly to harass,
or to entirely cut off the return of the troops through
a most difficult unknown country.

Except during the Mutiny year '57, and those
immediately succeeding it, when all the excitable
youth of the border were enrolled under the British
flag, and were doing good service in the North- West
Provinces, raiding of villages and harassing of police-
posts continued at intervals till 1863. During the
winter of that year, when Sir Neville Chamberlain,
with 5000 men, found himself compelled to stand at
bay in the Umbeyla Pass against the only formidable
combination of the tribes there has yet been on the
border, the Mohmunds invaded the low country in
great strength, and endeavoured to besiege the forts
of Michni and Shubkudr. A portion of the reinforce-
ments marching to Umbeyla were diverted to these
forts, and the Mohmunds were driven with loss into
their hills again, the loss on our side being little more
than that of Lieutenant Bishop, who was shot while
leading a cavalry charge over rough ground. The then
Commissioner of Peshawar, Major James, next took
matters in hand. His personal influence on the bor-
der was very great. He had just returned from fur-
lough, and hurrying up to Umbeyla, sent for several
of the border chiefs opposed to us with whom he was
personally acquainted, and on their arrival broke up
this most powerful confederacy by a little ruse that

230 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

could not have succeeded in any less suspicious or
more advanced state of society. Summoning the
chiefs individually into his tent, he detained each a
few minutes without exchanging a word beyond the
most commonplace civilities. Each was separately
dismissed, and conducted out of camp without being
permitted to exchange notes with his compatriots.
Each concluded the others had entered into separate
arrangements with the Commissioner, while he alone
was left in the dark. Before twenty-four hours, more
than 30,000 out of the 40,000 Pathans had started
off, every man to his own home !

Major James next turned his attention to the Moh-
munds. Summoning the chiefs of the Tarakzai and
Alimzai to meet him, he inquired into their wants ;
and finally entered into an agreement with them, by
which a long narrow strip of country lying between
the frontier forts and roads and the base of hills,
which had hitherto lain waste, was made over to
them, which they were to cultivate and possess free
of tax so long as they behaved themselves. From
that time till 1877 no tribe was more amenable to
reason. Only one contretemps occurred, the murder
of Major Macdonald, commandant of Fort Michni,
by a young Mohmund of good family, in a fit of
temper, or in revenge for some fancied insult. The
murderer fled to Lalpoorah, and Nowroz Khan, the
then chief, refused or was unable to surrender him.
Representations on the subject appear to have been

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 231

made to Ameer Shere All, but without effect; and
Nowroz continued in power till the imprisonment of
Yakoob Khan, when, having refused to obey a sum-
mons to Cabul, the Ameer sent a body of troops to
Lalpoorah, and driving Nowroz out of that place, put
Mahmood Shah Khan in his place. As we were at
peace with Shere Ali, we could not well give ISTowroz
refuge, especially as the Ameer pretended that one of
the main reasons for his deposition was his refusal to
seize and surrender Major Macdonald's murderer.

Kowroz fled to Gandao, and was well received by
the Alimzai, who seem from that time to have thrown
off their allegiance both to the Khan of Lalpoorah
and the Ameer of CabuL Nowroz remained there
till his death. So soon as the return of the Chamber-
lain Mission caused the final breach between the
Ameer and the British, the sons of Nowroz came in-
to Peshawar and tendered their submission to the
British authorities. They were hospitably enter-
tained ; and of course their rival, Mahmood Shah
Khan, threw in his lot with the Ameer, and sent a
strong contingent to aid in the defence of Ali Musjid.
This Mohmund contingent was placed on the Rotas
heights, a ridge about 5000 feet in elevation, over-
looking and commanding the fort of Ali Musjid and
the "Shadi Bagiar" entrance of the Khyber Pass,
along which winds the Mackeson road, — up that taken
by the main portion of Sir Samuel Browne's column
in the advance to Ali Musjid on 21st November 1878.

232 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Till within three days of that advance, the Mohmund
watch-fires and tents could be distinctly seen from
Jamrud. Then suddenly Mahmood Shah Khan
changed front, probably alarmed by the formidable
appearance of the huge British camp covering the
whole country from Jamrud to Peshawar. The Moh-
mund contingent deserted Rotas and retired towards
Shilman and Lalpoorah. The formidable right flank
of the enemy's position was thus left unguarded ; and
the turning flank-march made by the brigades of
Generals Tytler and M'Pherson was entirely unop-
posed, though some miles of it was made in single
file, first along the steep mountain-slopes, and then
down as rugged and formidable a gorge as it is
possible to conceive, with precipitous crags rising
3000 feet above the narrow rocky water-course, down
which the troops filed without hearing a shot fired.
This flank move, by placing two infantry regiments
in the Khyber Pass two miles in rear of the enemy's
position on their main line of retreat, in the first day
of the attack, hastened the evacuation of the fort —
which evacuation became a hurried panic-stricken
flight before the morning of the 22d, when twenty-
four pieces of cannon, and all tents, magazines, and
stores, fell into the hands of the victors. It was no
pleasant position held by Colonel Jenkins with the
Guide Corps and 1st Sikhs — a portion of General
Tytler's brigade — that night : Ali Musjid untaken ;
a deep gorge three miles long in his rear ; the heights

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 233

of Eotas to the left, greatly weakened by the defec-
tion of the Mohmunds, but not entirely evacuated
by the enemy — these Mohmunds, perched like hawks
on the heights to our right, closely watching the
engagement round Ali Musjid, ready to pounce down
on the two isolated regiments if the day went against
us there ; the Afreedees of the hostile party, under
Abdoolla jSToor, and others of less note, and probably
not a few of Khwass Khan's " friendly " ones, perched
in a similar position, with a like object, above the
rocky scarps facing us on the south side of the pass
— the only support at hand being H.M.'s 17th Regi-
ment, some three miles to our rear in a commanding
position, and General M'Pherson's brigade a few miles
farther off, but neither near enough to afford ready
help in any sudden night-attack. Ere sundown, how-
ever, it became evident that the garrison of Ali
Musjid would not hold out. The cavalry dashed
past under a smart fire so early as four in the even-
ing— it was the beginning of the end. Ere daylight
the entire army was in disorganised flight.

Whatever his motives, Mahmood Shah Khan, in
thus deserting the Ameer at the critical moment,
greatly aided us. His overtures of submission, made
as soon as we advanced, were therefore entertained
by Major Cavagnari, and he was left unmolested at
Lalpoorah throughout the campaign. His offers of
assistance were also accepted, and soon put to the
test.

234 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

The road through the Khyber was at this time
far from being all that could be desired. Bound the
base of the hill on which stood the Fort Ali Musjid,
and for two miles up, the road ran along the bed of
the main stream, a narrow rocky gorge. At the best
of times, loaded camels could only pass each other
here with great difficulty; consequently, during the
first weeks after the advance, blocks in traffic were
frequent. Had the winter rains been as heavy as
usual, the increase of water would have rendered it
almost impracticable for hours, or even days. From
Lundi Kotal too, at the west end of the Khyber, the
road to the farther base of the hills was narrow and
winding for three miles, and for three more ran be-
tween low grass-covered hills intersected by ravines,
in which bands of marauders daily took up a position
and worried the convoys. For these and other reasons,
it was considered advisable to examine the Michni
kafila routes, which pass through Mohmund country
north of the Khyber, with the object of ascertaining
their fitness or otherwise to be adopted as alternative
routes for the conveyance of stores to and from the
front. Accordingly, a reconnoitring party with a
small escort accompanied by Mahmood Shah Khan,
started to examine the Hyder Khan route, which
crossed the Cabul river about half-way between
Michni and Dakka, and entered the Peshawar valley
after crossing intervening hills rising to an elevation
of 3500 feet.

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 235

The party rode up the rocky path, styled the high
road, into the Shilman valley, examined the route as
far as the river, and returning to a village in Shilman,
halted there for the night. Houses were placed at
the disposal of officers and men, and all were hos-
pitably entertained. The dinner of good stewed
mutton, &c., was not to be despised, though the
want of knives and forks was somewhat unpleasant.

As the inhabitants expressed a strong wish for the
adoption of one or other of the roads through the
Mohmund country by the British, it was determined
to have a survey made of each of them if possible.
As the reasons given were good, no opposition was
anticipated. I, as surveyor, with an escort of one
company of native infantry, was deputed for the
work. " In the first place," said the Mohmunds, " we
will be well paid for the ground over which the road
will pass ; we will make a lot of money by working
on it as labourers ; we will find a nearer market than
Peshawar for our wood, grass, fowls, sheep, &c. ; and
lastly, when you return to India, we will have more
kafilas using it than we have ever had hitherto."
"We were soon at work amongst them. A chief for
whom we had on a previous occasion done a favour,
joined us and soon made matters easy. But a contre-
temps might have occurred on the very first day of
the trip.

On a knoll, from which a fine view of surrounding
country could be obtained, stood a tower, the only

236 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

path to which passed through a small village. As we
approached, a knot of Pathans stood in the way, and
objected to our further progress, when the following
conversation occurred : luckily we understood the
language, a great advantage.

Surveyor. " What objection have you to make to
my going to that particular tower, when you make no
objection to my passing through your country ?"

Pathan. "Our houses lie in the way, and we do
not wish you to go into our houses."

Surveyor. " My work is on your hills, not in your
houses, and from that tower I should obtain a fine
view."

Pathan. "Yes, and a good view into our houses
also ! "

Here a new speaker, who had spent some time
in British territory, came forward and said : " You
see, Sahib, their Mem Sahibs (ladies) are in the
houses." "But," said the surveyor, "if I wanted
to look at Mem Sahibs I would have stayed in
India : have we not enough there 1 " " Yes," he
replied, "but they are not here." A general laugh
followed this, and it being unanswerable, the surveyor
turned back. But the feeling had changed ; he was
now invited to go on, and did so among a chattering
mob, taking great care, of course, not to look round
when female voices and giggling reached his ear.
This jealous feeling is characteristic of all Afghans,
and till the last winter the Pathan looked upon the

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 237

Englishman as a dangerous enemy to domestic peace.
When first the troops invaded Afghanistan, the sight
of a British escort was the signal for every woman
and child to fly to the nearest rocks ; but ere two
months had passed, the feeling had so completely
changed, that it was found difficult at times to turn
the women and children away from the vicinity of
towers doomed to destruction. They remained fear-
lessly in the villages round which our troops en-
camped, and brought commodities for sale into the
camps with perfect confidence. More than one chief
remarked to the present writer, during his wanderings
amongst them, that never before had they heard or
read of an army so gentle and so courteous to enemies
and friends alike.

Two or three trips through the country were
necessary before all required was finished ; and as
these experiences may help to elucidate the peculiar
characteristics of the tribes which have lately come
under British sway, we may be excused for dwelling
on them.

A second trip had been arranged for, and in due
time we again started, accompanied by a Mr Sinclair,
assistant-commissioner, since dead. We were escorted
by a company of native infantry, as on the former
trip. This escort would not have been sufficient if
the trips had not been invited by the inhabitants :
these indeed would perhaps have preferred having
the Englishmen without other escort than their own

238 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

clansmen ; "but, as was proved afterwards, although
the great bulk of the tribe might desire the presence
of their guests, they are at times powerless to prevent
sudden attacks by parties of fanatics or outlaws. The
country through which we passed is drained by the
Cabul river.. This river, taking its rise beyond the
city of Cabul, drains the valley in which that city
lies, and passing along the base of the group of hills
which lie between Jellalabad and Cabul — through
which runs the Jugdulluk Pass — enters the Jellalabad
valley after receiving the waters of the Surkhab, which
drains a portion of the Safed-Koh ; and the Alingar,
Alishang, and Komar rivers, which drain a portion of
the southern slopes of the Hindoo Koosh. Between
Jellalabad and Dakka its bed is often over a mile in
breadth, passing sometimes between low lands covered
with rice-fields and dotted with villages, at others
through rocky gorges at the bases of low isolated hills.
After passing Dakka and Lalpoorah about four miles,
it enters the group of hills lying round the Khyber,
and taking a wide semicircular sweep, broken at in-
tervals by short rectangular windings, it enters the
Peshawar valley at Michni. Its channel is here, at
times, hemmed in between precipitous rocks, and
narrowed to a breadth of 60 or 70 yards. In places
huge blocks of granite jut forward into the stream,
against which the water is hurled with great violence
during the months that it is swollen by the melting
of the snows in the higher hills. At the sudden

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 239

turnings the high-water mark is often 100 feet above
the ordinary level. During the winter, again, it falls
so low that the points of large rocks in its bed are ex-
posed, and round them eddies are formed ; while other
points, just hidden below the surface, are still more
dangerous. It is therefore quite unfitted for boats of
any kind. During the intermediate stage between
high and low water, goods are indeed brought down
on timber rafts ; but this can never supersede camel
traffic between Dakka and Michni for at least nine
months of each year. There is, however, a large
amount of timber brought down at all seasons. Logs
of deodar and pine, about 20 to 30 feet in length, are
made up into rafts, and floated down. On them sit
four to six men, each being provided with a long pole
to keep the raft off the rocks, and also with a sliinaz
(inflated cow, goat, or sheep skin). When, despite
the long poles, it becomes evident that the raft must
strike, every man prepares his sliinaz; and a few
moments before the blow comes, they hug these
skins, and throw themselves fearlessly into the water.
Buoyed up, they fly down-stream till they near some
quieter portion of the river : here they wait on the
banks till the timbers reach them ; these they catch
and rebind, and are off again.

Every year, however, several men are lost in this
perilous game. Nor is this the only danger. It has
been mentioned above that the Khwaizais have a strip
of country running on to the bank here, at a point

VOL. in. Q

240 TKAVEL, ADVENTUBE, AND SPORT.

where the river is narrow ; and hemmed in between
high banks are situated two of their villages — Shinpok
and PalosL Every raft must pay a fee before passing
these, or run the gauntlet of a fire from the ever-ready
sharpshooters on either side. The exactions thus
levied on traders became at one time so heavy that
the trade began to diminish largely. Then the
late Ameer entered into an arrangement with the
Khwaizais, by which it was agreed that, for a yearly
subsidy of 10,000 Rs., the Khwaizais should undertake
to protect all traffic between Dakka and the Tarakzai
country, and levy no fees. This 10,000 Es. was to
be paid them by the Khan of Lalpoorah, who was to
deduct it from the amount yearly paid by him to the
Ameer. The non-fulfilment of this contract during
the unsettled times of our advance was the chief cause
of the trouble given us by the Khwaizai Mohmunds
during the last months of the occupation.

When first the survey party entered Shilman,
however, all was still quiet. We pushed along,
unmolested and even assisted by the inhabitants,
across the series of rugged mountain-slopes falling
abruptly from the Tartara range to the river, and
reached Shilman in safety.

Here we were joined by certain of the Tarakzai
chiefs, who begged of us to go through their country
to Michni, and were positive that we would recom-
mend a certain route called the Shinilo, along which
no Sahibs had yet travelled, to the notice of the

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 241

authorities. The only difficulty was that of crossing
our guard, and the body of mules carrying several
days' rations, over the river. The chiefs affirmed
that there was not the slightest necessity for their
presence with us, as their adherents would hold the
passes ahead.

After some deliberation we agreed to the proposal,
and sending off the escort to Dakka, we started via
Shinilo for Michni, having only the Khan's men, and
three or four of our own attendants carrying the sur-
vey instruments, with us. In due time we reached
the river-bank ; and then, for the first time, were
informed that there was no boat ready, as the last
one had been destroyed by a flood, and a new one
was not finished. Nor had any other arrangement
for our crossing been made. However, just then
some descried a small raft coming down-stream, and
after a long talk we secured it for the passage. It
could only hold three men besides the crew, so the
two of us, and one man carrying the Khan's arms, got
in it. The Khan and four or five of his men stripped
and threw themselves on shinaz into the water, and
we were soon ferried across. Luckily, we had taken
our rifle and the plane-table with us. A\re now sent
the raft back for our attendants ; but the raftsmen,
as soon as they were across, said that it was impossible
to recross against the strong current, and immediately
broke up the raft. So our attendants had to go back,
and we were thus left with the young Khan and six

242 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

of his attendants. And just then, far above us, men
were seen taking up their position on the hills com-
manding the pass. The Khan now began to look
anxious, and asked if the rifle was loaded. He also
ordered six fishermen, who had been lazily lounging
about half naked, to get their arms and be ready to
go with us. We asked how it was he was so anxious
now, when he had been so confident before. " Oh,
then I had all our followers, who have been left on
the off-bank ; now we have only twelve men, and in-
vite attack. " However, there was no help for it. He
and his men looked to their priming, and we were
ready to start. But here a fresh difficulty arose :
who was to carry the plane-table 1 His men simply
refused to demean themselves by doing so ; and with
rifle, cartridges, rations, &c., we had about enough
already. However, as a last resort, I was about to
pick it up myself, when two more men appeared on
the scene and paid their respects to us, and on hear-
ing the difficulty, volunteered for the duty. These
were outlaws who had, some years previously, com-
mitted manslaughter under very extenuating circum-
stances, and had fled from justice. Tired of long
exile they had applied for pardon, and now offered
their services in the hope of obtaining good marks.
Their offer was gladly accepted : we had never before
been so gratified as now by the arrival of a couple of
cut-throats. They took up the instruments, and away
we started ; but much valuable time had been lost.

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 243

We had got about half-way up the opposite hill when
a loud challenge came from above. In an instant we
Avere all close behind rocks, rifles ready ; but the chal-
lenge was truthfully replied to. " It is Jung Khan."
Explanations followed, and we were soon under the
escort of eighty men, who had just arrived under
Jung's brother, after a slight demonstration against a
party of outlaws which had, about an hour before,
occupied a defile through which our road lay. We
now felt perfectly safe, and went gaily on, taking
notes and surveying till nightfall, when we were still
seven miles from our destination. There was no halt-
ing-place here, so we determined to push on, and to
return at some future time to finish the missing link.

As we cleared the hills the chief's men dropped
off, and at length the chief himself with the rest of
his following asked permission to go to his home,
which was near, as all were tired and hungry, and
there was no danger ahead. So for the last two
miles we had only our two criminal companions, but
got in safely by ten at night.

Mr Sinclair distributed loongees (cloths), &c., among
the Khans, and all apparently went off satisfied. But
ere the survey could be recommenced, the face of
affairs had much altered. The Khwaizai had fruit-
lessly demanded the 10,000 Es. annual subsidy, now
overdue, from Mahmood Shah Khan, and vowed mis-
chief. They resented the Tarakzai chiefs taking
Sahibs along a route, in which it seems they con-

244 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

sidered themselves part proprietors, without their
leave : some sections of the Alimzai did the same.
The dispute was at its height when a Syud or Fakir
from Peshawar suddenly made his appearance on the
spot, and at once collecting round him as many out-
laws, fanatics, and fiery young men as he could
muster, began to preach war with the infidels, and
used his spiritual authority to condemn the action
of the Khans who had opened the purdah to the
Sahibs.

It is astonishing how soon a man with the slightest
pretence to sanctity, especially if accompanied with a
little originality and dash, can obtain a hold on the
superstitious fancies of the Pathans. He is at times
permitted to demand their obedience on points with
which he has no personal concern. I^o religious
mendicant vainly demands alms. A pretender will
suddenly take up his abode under a large rock or tree
near some village, stick up a flag, live in squalid filth,
talk very sententiously, give advice on every possible
subject with the dogmatism of an oracle, and before
six months pass he will be a recognised authority.
While he lives he is provided with more than suffi-
cient food for his wants, and when he dies his grave
becomes a place of pilgrimage, and miracles are per-
formed at his shrine. Each section of a tribe has its
own sacred spot to which its members resort ; while
here and there are the famous miracle-working giant
shrines, known as Chalgazas, or "forty-footers,"-

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 245

the graves of the "giants there were in those days."
One of these Chalgazas, the common resort of Hindoo
and Moslem petitioners, nourishes in Peshawar, close
to one of the main roads. This dead giant had the
peculiar faculty of growing every now and again, and
threatened before long to grow straight across the
public road. But here the civil authorities stepped
in, and advised him to do his enlargement under-
ground if he must do it, and warned him that other-
wise he would find his space curtailed. He has very
obligingly followed this advice ever since.

There is a story told of our friends the Khyber
Zakhakhels that is very probably true. It was long
a sore point with them that, while every other section
of the tribe had its particular shrine, no Fakir had
been obliging enough to die amongst them. They had
been taunted about this by the others, till at last they
determined to supply the deficiency. In Peshawar
lived a Fakir of peculiar sanctity. A deputation
from the Khyber waited on this saint, and earnestly
invited him to pay them a visit. He granted the
request, and on arrival was sumptuously entertained.
After dinner he was informed of the vacancy in the
Khyber saints' calendar, and of the determination of
the tribe to be no longer without the means of having
a heavenly agent to forward the prayers of their son-
less ones. As his soul was going straight to bliss,
and his body to be so highly honoured, he could not
possibly have any objection to the arrangement. Any

246 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

way, the sacrifice was made, and the desired sanc-
tuary secured.1

To return to the Mohmunds. So soon as the
Fakir there had collected a sufficiently large body of
outlaws, &c., he marched with his following into the
Tarakzai villages, demanded and obtained all the
loongees presented by Mr Sinclair, and made a bonfire
of them. So far successful, he became more impe-
rious; but the Tarakzais threatened to invite the
Sahib to send troops to seize him if he troubled them
more ; so he went off again to Gandao, vowing ven-
geance. Of course much of this did not transpire
till afterwards. Everything seemed perfectly quiet
when the survey party arrived on the scene. A
native official of much border influence was deputed
to accompany the party, and to make the necessary
arrangements for its safe conduct through the hills.
The Alimzai and Tarakzai Khans were invited to
Michni. The latter came in, and some of the former.
Others wrote to say that they had no objection to the
compass-wallah going anywhere, but that they could
not attend, as the demonstrations of the Fakir's party
rendered their presence in their villages necessary as
a check against his designs. They further advised
that no halt should be made at night except in very
strong defensible positions. Attacks in daylight no
one expected. Accordingly, leaving our tents and

1 As miracles are performed at the shrine, the saint must
have forgiven having been sent off at such notice.

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 247

baggage, with the main part of the escort, behind,
we started, with twenty sepoys and a body of Tarak-
zais and some Alimzai Khans, for a village called
Zankhai, about seven miles from Michni, intending
to return to camp at night. By mid-day we had
finished the sketch required, and had climbed a
prominent peak, from which a splendid view of the
Gandao valley Avas obtained. Seated on neighbour-
ing knolls were small armed parties, with whom we
entered into conversation, which was cordially carried
on till some one noticed a strong body of men hurry-
ing towards us from the valley below. Wishing to
avoid a disturbance, we immediately began the de-
scent, but had scarcely gone 100 yards down-hill
when the parties with whom we had been conversing
opened a pretty smart fire on us, or rather over us, for,
as usual, no one was hit. Considering it unadvisable
to begin a fight, we continued our retreat without
returning their fire, and it soon ceased. Shortly
after, we were on the road, and quietly moving
campwards. The Tarakzai Khans having asked
where we intended going next day, we broke through
our usual custom and told them. They immediately
asked permission to go and take up a position above
the intended route, to prevent its being occupied by
any malcontents. This, after some hesitation, we
allowed, and we never saw them again that day.
Perhaps it was as well, for we could not tell friend
from enemy. Some Alimzais remained with us the

248 TRAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPOET.

whole day ; but though three of them were Syuds,
they could not prevent what occurred. Scarcely had
we proceeded homewards a mile, when we noticed
bodies of armed men hurrying along a ridge to our
left, and soon we were under a smart fire from every
knoll and bush around us. A remonstrance against
their conduct, when we were there with the permis-
sion of their chiefs, only elicited a volley, and loud
yells of " Ali ! Ali ! " The sepoys now opened out
in skirmishing order. A sudden sharp, fire soon drove
our enemies behind cover, and taught them caution ;
but far from all supports, and unable to secure a
good position, we were obliged for the next two hours
to skirmish slowly back from bush to bush and rock
to rock. The steadiness of the sepoys and the
Sniders kept the enemy back, till we found ourselves
obliged to descend a steep, stony, bare ridge. A
heavy flank-fire had compelled us to keep on one side
of the spur leading to this, and we were thus unaware
that a body of the fanatics were hurrying on parallel
to us within a few yards. As soon as they saw us
crawling down the rocks, a wild " Allahi ! Allah ! "
rang out, and in a moment after they dashed on us
sword in hand. For the first few seconds all seemed
lost ; in a few more the fanatics had been driven
back under cover, leaving some of their number on
the ground. One sepoy had been killed and one
wounded, both with sword-cuts. Almost immedi-
ately after a heavy fire was again opened on us, and

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 249

Ave were obliged to continue our retreat. A corporal
was now shot down, mortally wounded. In endeav-
ouring to carry Mm off a delay occurred, and here
unfortunately the Sunya tripped and fell over the
rocks. Again the " All ! Ali ! " rang out, and in a
moment they were into us again. They were again
driven back, but not before they had cut down the
poor wounded Naick, who with his last breath was
urging us to go on and leave him to his fate. His
murderer fell with him, shot. "We had still some
miles of hilly ground to go over, but the enemy con-
tented themselves by firing into us, thereby wounding
another sepoy. But they never came near us again ;
and probably seeing the rest of the company hurrying
out to help us, they now made off. The first shots
had been fired about one o'clock, the last at five.

Here is an instance of an outrage committed by
a small party of malcontents against the wishes of
the great body of the tribe, and a noble instance of
the devotion and courage of our sepoys under most
trying circumstances. One of the independent chiefs
with us was shot through the face, and the three
Syuds above mentioned remained, though unarmed,
among the sepoys all day.

The Fakir's party returned to Gandao, and did not
show up again for some months, but meantime played
on the feelings of the Khwaizais, between whom and
the Khan of Lalpoorah the dispute regarding the river
subsidy was still going on. Urged on by him, they

250 TEAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPOET.

at length commenced acts of open hostility, — first
threatened to attack Lalpoorah itself, then deter-
mined to attack the small village of Kara (lesser)
Dakka, seven miles from the fort, for having supplied
us with provisions.

Had they been permitted to do this, not only would
it have injured our prestige, but from this point
a short march over the hills would have brought the
enemy on to our main line of communications from the
Khyber, along which large convoys were daily passing
and repassing. To prevent it, 150 men of the Mhair-
warra battalion, under Captain Creagh, were sent to
protect the village. But sending so small a force
seven miles from supports was only inviting attack,
and in a few hours thousands of Mohmunds crossed
the river and fiercely attacked the detachment.
Captain Creagh had luckily taken up a strong posi-
tion, against which the Mohmunds charged in vain.
Again and again the Mhairwarras drove back the
enemy with the bayonet, and bravely held their own
till the arrival of reinforcements. First arrived a
body of Lancers, who, despite the unsuitableness of
the ground for cavalry, charged and inflicted a heavy
loss on the Mohmunds. Some infantry and guns
arriving shortly after, the Mohmunds were driven
off and the Mhairwarras relieved. But now, unfor-
tunately, it was determined to march back to the
fort. Over four miles of low rocky spurs intervened,
and, as might have been expected, the moment the

AMONG THE AFFGHAXS. 251

retirement began the Mohmunds returned, and as
night was drawing on, followed up the retiring column
with great pertinacity, killing and wounding a few
British soldiers. This move was unfortunate, in that
by next morning more troops under Colonel Norman
arrived on the scene ; and had the enemy remained
on the ground, they would in all probability have
been heavily punished, if not quite cut off, in
attempting to recross to their own side of the river.
But the Mohmunds had had enough of it ; and as,
in exchange for 100 dead and many more wounded,
they had but two rifles to show, the game was con-
sidered a losing one, and they never again molested us.

The Cabul river, lying north of the Khyber Pass,
and cutting off from it the numerous tribes that lay
among those hills and valleys by so difficult a barrier,
added much to the quietude and safety of the Khyber
Pass throughout the late operations. But for it large
bodies of hostile Mohmunds and others might at any
time have crossed the intervening hills and threat-
ened the convoys, despite all arrangements with its
proprietors and inhabitants the Afreedees. Any body
crossing it in. force would always have ran the chance
of being cut off before they were able to recross into
Gandao.

Through this valley passes one of the main routes
from Cabul to Peshawar ; and, as we said above, had
an energetic general been in command of the Ameer's
troops, he might have caused no little trouble and

252 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

alarm by pushing a force down that way into the
valley of Peshawar, ten or twenty miles from that
city, where they would have had only a few com-
panies of native infantry and two troops of cavalry
to oppose them and to hold the forts. This kafila
route leaves the Peshawar valley and enters the hills
at a point about four miles west of Shubkudr fort.
For the first few miles it winds among low, dry,
rocky hills, having the Mohmund valley of Pandiali
on its right, beyond which comes another Mohmund
valley studded with large villages, through both of
which runs a fair side route into the Bajousi valley.
About ten miles from Shubkudr the main route
crosses a low pass into the Gandao valley, which is
almost circular, and with an area of over one hun-
dred square miles. It is well cultivated, and contains
many villages. In the centre of the valley stands a
low isolated hill, which would form, with the vil-
lages near it, a strong central position for any British
force sent to coerce the Mohmunds. As in all these
valleys the water-supply is precarious, a large water-
course— the Eud-i-Gandao — runs through the valley ;
but, as usual, the water in it often sinks below the
surface, though at other places the supply is so plen-
tiful that large rice crops are produced. Both here
and in the Shilman valley, "Persian wheels" are
used for irrigation. The fields continue over undu-
lating ground to the watershed of the valley Nahaki
Gakhe, after which is a rather sharp descent, down

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 253

which the Ttafila route winds into another large valley
occupied by the Baizai and Khwaizai. The route
continues westwards up this valley to another water-
shed— a high plateau broken by low hillocks, among
which" lie detached slices of cultivation, and many
villages and towers of the Baizai. This plateau
forms the connecting-link between the Ilazai peak
and the hills hemming in the Cabul river. The
water from its western slopes drains into another
large water - course, which empties itself into the
Cabul river near Goshtia. The eastern drainage falls
into the Swat river about ten miles up from Fort
Abazai.

II.

Succeeding the Afreedees westward is the large
tribe of Shinwarrees, occupying the western end of
the Khyber Pass, known as Loargai, where our new
cantonment of Lundi-kotal stands ; and the northern
slopes of the Safed-Koh facing the first twenty to
thirty miles of the Jellalabad valley. This valley is
entered as the traveller descends from Lundi-kotal
towards Dakka, but is a succession of low hills and
ravines, till, after passing that fort, and the very
small defile known as the Khurd (lesser) Khyber, he
emerges into a wide valley near the village of Hazar-
i-nao. Instantly the eye is struck by the grand pano-
rama around, especially during the winter months.

254 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Some thirty miles in direct distance to the south
stands the massive range, well deserving the name of
Safed-Koh — the white (or snow-covered) mountains
— its crest rising to 15,000 feet and more, — a succes-
sion of pinnacles, on whose steep sides the snow can
scarce find a resting-place. Often it falls from them
in masses, and leaves bare, huge, black, rocky scarps,
which form a* striking contrast with their white
neighbours.

Jutting northwards from these crests is a succes-
sion of bold spurs, which first fall abruptly to a
height of about 12,000 feet, and are thus far treeless
and bare ; then for some miles continue their course,
with very slight gradients, where their sides are
densely wooded ; then fall abruptly to the height of
4000 to 6000 feet, whence they break up into hill-
ocks and ravines, or spread northwards in fan-like
plateaux, gradually falling away till they are lost in
the low rice -covered lands along the banks of the
Cabul river — or, before doing so, suddenly start up
again in the shape of isolated small hill groups 1000
feet above the plain, which end abruptly where the
waters of the river wash their bases. These latter
plateaux, unlike those which fall away completely
and are cultivated, are generally covered with pebbles
and rocks, and are bleak and barren in the winter,
hot and dusty in the summer; and those of our
troops whose misfortune it was to spend the last
months of the occupation on them — encamped in

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 255

small tents, or, painfully trudging backwards and
forwards from the posts right and left of them, on
convoy-duty, with the glare and the dust, the tree-
less waste and the foul smells, for their companions,
while not two days' journey from them stood up the
grand snow-capped, forest-clothed mountains — cannot
be blamed if they longed for India, and came back
with heartfelt wishes never to return, after losing so
many of their number when cholera and fever had
sought them out sick at heart with hopes deferred or
disappointed, and oppressed with ennui. All had
heard that Cabul was a paradise of fruit. They saw
nothing but stony wastes, or fever-giving rice-fields.
And yet, not ten miles from the main road lay those
fruit-producing orchards, the produce of which every
year is carried away in thousands of camel-loads.

Rising immediately under the snows are numerous
water-courses, which combine and form many large
streams, with few windings, dividing the larger spurs
and plateaux. They gradually widen, and where
they enter the valley are sometimes hundreds of
yards across. Where enclosed between the spurs,
the water during several months of the year is deep
and swift ; but as soon as it emerges it is carried
off by numerous cuttings for irrigation, till often not
a drop is left where the road crosses the channels.
As far as the water can be carried, the ground is
almost entirely under cultivation, and among the
fields lie numerous large forts with loopholed towers

VOL. III. B

256 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

and walls and massive gates. Surrounding these
forts, in which lie the huts of the inhabitants, are
the numerous orchards of peach and apricot, pear
and apple, pomegranate and mulberry, and on most
of the trees are grape-vines of the finest species. In
each of these valleys is one or more villages, each
village consisting of thirty, forty, or more forts within
short musket-range of each other. The first six or
seven of these valleys are inhabited by Shinwarrees,
having a total population of over 15,000 souls. Their
fields extend to a distance of about ten miles from
the hills, and are then succeeded by the dry, stony,
barren country above alluded to, or by the villages of
the peaceful Tajiks. The existence of this race is
another of the peculiar characteristics of Affghanistan.
Of Persian descent, — quiet, industrious, peaceful, obe-
dient to every new ruler — belonging to the Shia per-
suasion of Moslems, — the Tajiks form the bulk of the
population, not only of the Jellalabad valley, but of
all the main level portions of all the chief valleys of
Affghanistan, and carry on their trade, and produce
most of the manufactures of Cabul, without interfer-
ing with the Pathans, and regardless of the changes
of governments or dynasties. It was owing to their
presence in all the large villages along the main route
of our troops from Dakka to Gandamuk, and in the
neighbouring villages along the south bank of the
Cabul river, that here no opposition was offered — •
quietly submitting to the new order of things, de-

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 257

lighted with the unusually high prices obtainable for
the produce of their fields.

Although less warlike than the Pathans, they are
strong, and brave enough to hold their own ; and if
properly managed, would form a powerful support to
any settled government. Hitherto their humility and
love of peace have, however, only laid them open to
heavy exactions ; while their wilder neighbours have
borne but a very small proportion of the burdens of
the state.

The Shinwarrees of the Khyber, occupying the
western end, known as Loargai, not only showed no
open hostility to our troops, but cordially co-operated ;
early brought wood, grass, &c., for sale ; helped the
sappers and other soldiers in cutting the roads ; sup-
plied escorts for camels when grazing, and mules for
transport of stores ; and invited our medical officers
to attend to their sick women and children. The
very next sections of the tribe — the Sungookhels and
Merjankhels — acted in precisely the reverse way.
Occupying cave-dwellings among the barren rugged
hills lying south of the road from Lundi-kotal to
Dakka — divided into small communities owning no
supreme authority — living a nomad life, sometimes
among the forests of the Safed-Koh and the upper
portions of the Triab, at others among their own low
grass-covered hillocks, — they had nothing to lose but
their flocks and herds. These they early hid away
among the rocky fastnesses ; and from the day that

.258 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

our first regiment marched into Dakka, to the day the
last regiment returned to the Khyber, small parties
of these two sections took up their quarters in the
neighbourhood of the main routes, and cut up strag-
glers, fired on the escorts, and even at times attempted
to seize whole convoys of laden or unladen camels.

Twice, as General Tytler's column marched from
Bussawal to Bazar, these constant depredations were
punished by the destruction of such huts or stores as
could be discovered ; and as they fired at the troops
these retaliated with interest, and some of the boldest
of the marauders were killed and wounded. But
having nothing more to lose, they continued their
old games to the last. The remainder of the Shin-
warrees, the main portion of the tribe, occupying
several large villages, remained neutral for several
months. Their chiefs sullenly refused to tender their
submission to our political officers ; but, on the other
hand, they never molested our camps or convoys.
Certainly our posts were all in the open plain, and
were very strong, each consisting of artillery, cavalry,
and infantry. Between them and the nearest Shin-
warree hamlets lay Tajik villages, from which we
obtained supplies of forage daily, and would at once
have obtained information of any expedition starting
to attack us ; and as this intermediate country was
level, the Shinwarrees would have had to chance
being hemmed in and cut up by our cavalry before
they got back. So goodwill had but little to do with

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 259

their sullen neutrality, as, indeed, was proved before
the close of the campaign.

Jellalabad had been peacefully occupied for several
months ; reconnoitring and foraging parties had gone
into all the neighbouring villages without causing any
alarm or disturbance. The winter was passing away ;
ere long we would be able to make a fresh start for
Cabul ; or if Yakoob Khan came to terms, we might
soon return to India, Yet, owing to the peculiar
position we held there — having passive enemies all
round that our Government strongly desired to pre-
vent becoming active ones — not a single valley or
road half a day's journey from the lines of march of
the troops had been surveyed.

It was now urged by the survey officers and others,
that at least some attempt might be made to find out
what lay around us, and if possible to map it for
future use. The Commander-in-Chief, who had just
visited Jellalabad, concurred heartily, and at length
two survey parties started — one under Major Tanner,
the other under Captain E. P. Leach, E.E. The
former soon returned to camp; the latter came to
grief. Accompanied by a company of native infantry
and a party of Guides cavalry, each under a British
officer, Captain Leach began work in the nearest
Shinwarree village. A native chief accompanied the
party, to prevent mistakes and to smoothen difficul-
ties. Whatever his influence elsewhere, he appears
to have had but little among these Shinwarrees, at

260 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

least during these exciting times. For the first few
days all went well. The influential chief again and
again endeavoured to dissuade Leach from going here
or there ; but on each occasion his objections were
overruled, and his prognostications of evil were unful-
filled. If the Shinwarrees showed little friendship,
they were not openly hostile, and the surveyor was
encouraged to proceed. But all this while one of
those peculiar influences was at work, so hard to
foresee, so little understood by men unacquainted
with the Pathans. Perhaps a fortnight earlier the
surveyor might have gone from end to end of the
Shinwarree country without meeting strenuous oppo-
sition ; but, as was elicited afterwards, hardly a week
previously, some petty chieftain more restless than
his fellows had commenced intriguing for a row.
There had not been a social " Donnybrook " for
several months. The Afreedees and Mohmunds
round the Khyber, the Merjankhels still nearer, the
Mangals and Jajis in the Kooram valley, the British
troops and those of the Ameer, had each and all had
a little fun during the past winter. But the Shin-
warrees had sat in their villages while war and blood-
shed had been frolicking all round them — while camel-
loads of stores and treasure had passed in thousands
within sight of their towers. It is not difficult,
where such feelings predominate, to raise a "war
party," and the fever is very catching in the most
peaceful communities. Soon a considerable number

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 261

are bent on having a row with some one. On one
side were their old enemies the Khugianees, but on
the other were the almost defenceless Tajik and
Dehgani villages round Pesh Bolak, and these had
steadily supplied the Feringhees with stores and for-
age. Certainly the Sahibs might be annoyed if these
were injured ; and in 1842 similar acts had been
followed by the rapid and wholesale destruction of
offending villages. The elders remember those days,
and point to the hundreds of white tents dotting the
whole course of the road not twenty miles off. But
the young men do not remember all that. The mool-
lalis and fakirs promise God's blessing on all who
attack the Kafirs, and heavenly bliss to all who are
martyred for the good cause. The discussion is still
hot — counsels divided as to who should bear the
brunt of the first attack — when news arrives in the
extensive village of Maidanak, where a large party is
even now arranging the plan of operations, that a
compass-wallah is in the neighbourhood with a small
escort.

Not only in the neighbourhood, but there, on a
low hill not three miles off, he is even now standing
and " opening the purdah" If one Sahib more than
another is feared and detested by those Pathans who
have never come in contact with them, it is the com-
pass-wallah or surveyor.

Not only is he supposed to be the man who guides
the troops through intricate passes, who carries away

262 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

maps of the country for future occasions, but with
that magic compass (theodolite) of his he turns hills
and villages topsy-turvy, and looks xinder them —
some swear he can even look right through them ;
and if so, what is to prevent his looking slap through
the walls of their houses at their wives and pretty
daughters, and even through their bodies also ? " Bis-
millah ! here is the very thing for us — God has given
our enemies into our hands." Bang, bang/ go the
warning muskets ; dub, dub, dub ! the sullen notes
of the war-drums, rousing every man from his labour
or his sleep, and, unquestioning, they follow the lead
of the most prominent moollah against the Kafir. A
desperate fight Leach had of it too. But for his
daring gallantry his whole party might have been, cut
to pieces. The loss was but too heavy as it was.
Lieut. Barclay, in command of the infantry escort,
was mortally, and Leach severely, wounded; one
havildar was killed and several sepoys wounded.
But the enemy allowed a loss of over twenty killed
and wounded. After sharp fighting, the party got
back into the open and was safe. Of course punish-
ment must follow. General Tytler marched out a
few days after with a strong force to Maidanak ; but
as soon as the Shinwarrees discovered the strength of
the force sent against them, and saw that able general
quietly disposing his men in a way that precluded all
hope of successfully attacking them, they considered
discretion the better part of valour, and quietly aban-

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 263

doning their villages and forts, they retired to the
neighbouring heights, and sat in dense masses quietly
watching our movements. Nothing could induce
them to fire a shot ; and of course without that the
general would not fire on them.

Their chiefs came in and submitted, and were
ordered by the general to accompany the surveyors
all round the neighbourhood while they sketched the
country. In the meantime the offending towers were
blown into the air, and the villages of the chief
offenders burnt — much, however, being left for them
to lose if they again gave occasion for future punish-
ment.

The troops had had a weary night-march over stones
and boulders, carrying their heavy cartouch-boxes and
rations. Many had done a dray's march just before
starting for the night one ; but until it was evident
that there would be no fighting none flagged, the
" beardless boys " tramping along over rugged spurs
and ravines all through the long night and hot day
without a murmur, by the side of the few veterans,
— the native troops, as usual, being quite as fresh on
the second evening as on the first.

These wearying marches by night and day — to the
soldier, apparently, objectless and resultless — were
almost as trying as the killing convoy - duties ; yet
every fresh call on them was heartily responded to.
So that, despite the disappointment of this " demon-
stration " to Maidanak, all were ready to start cheer-

264 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

fully again, when, in less than forty-eight hours after
their return to camp, a portion of them were again
warned for night-marching by the same general.

"While yet these events were passing round Maid-
anak, a small party of the 27th Native Infantry,
under a havildar, had escorted a long string of camels
and mules through Pesh Bolak to the nearest Shin-
warree villages in that neighbourhood, in the wake of
a Gomashta native commissariat official, who was bent
on purchasing a large quantity of forage. They had
gone some miles from camp, and had made several
purchases, when suddenly a row was heard ahead,
and presently the fat Gomashta came flying back
towards the sepoys, pursued hotly by three or four
Pathans. These seeing the escort, fired into them,
and were soon joined by twenty or thirty others.
The havildar sent his charge quickly to the rear, and
putting his men in skirmishing order, quietly retired
without returning the fire till he had cautiously
and thoughtfully passed all the Shinwarree towers.
He then took up a position behind a pile of stones
and waited for his assailants, who, emboldened by
the quietness of the sepoys, now came carelessly on.
A sudden volley prostrated a young chief and two of
his men ; a second made the Pathans seek cover, and
the sepoys came back to Bussawal without loss. The
instigators of the attack were discovered, and it was
determined to destroy their towers.

Late at night General Tytler, with about 1000

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 265

men of all arms, including two mountain-guns and
some troops of native Lancers, march for Deh Sarak,
the scene of the outrage. Again all night we tramped
through irrigated fields and over stony slopes, and as
the first streaks of dawn enabled us to look round, we
saw the offending village still two miles ahead. The
General fearing that, as on the last occasion, the real
delinquents would again give him the slip, now
ordered the cavalry to the front and rapidly went off
to surround the two doomed forts. It was a grand
sight. The splendid body of Lancers trotting off
towards the numerous large mud -forts and towers
ahead, lying among fields of waving corn, dotted
thickly with fruit-trees of many kinds, hemmed in
between two broad water-courses which emerged from
a succession of low grassy hillocks, behind which
rose the massive mountain-slopes of the Safed-Koh
covered with dense forests of giant cedars and pines,
these gradually tapering off as they touched on the
fields of snow which lay thick up to the mighty crests,
crimsoned with the first rays of the rising sun ; while
above the lofty pinnacles hung huge masses of dark
clouds betokening a coming storm.

Scarcely a quarter of an hour had elapsed when
'the rapid pattering of musketry told the infantry that
to-day at least there was work to be done. A mes-
senger came galloping back to order tip the infantry
and guns ; and we were soon doubling on as fast as
the boulders and wet fields would let us. General

266 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Tytler had ordered the cavalry to surround the offend-
ing forts ; one of them, was somewhat in advance
of the other. Probably encouraged by seeing only
cavalry on the ground, the Shinwarrees immediately
opened fire on them ; and as the infantry reached
the scene, they discovered one party dismounted and
keeping off the Shinwarrees with their .carbines.
Gradually, but surely, these were closing in on them
with drawn knives, when the Martinis in a minute
changed the face of affairs.

The Shinwarrees started off in bodies of fifty to a
hundred, — one taking an open line over a neighbour-
ing plateau. Instantly the cavalry were in pursuit.
As they neared this body it halted, and, with great
coolness, waited till the cavalry were within a dozen
yards, then gave them a volley, emptying a few sad-
dles. But in another moment the Lancers, headed
by the British officers, were into and through them,
and, in less time than it takes to write it, every man
of them lay dead on the plain. Then one fort after
another was cleared, many individual Shinwarrees
standing firm to the last with great pertinacity.

The village cleared, the troops now commenced
the mining of the doomed towers. While this was
doing hours passed, and we could see dense masses of
the enemy gathering from all sides on our front and
flanks. Behind us were some two thousand " friendly "
spectators. Clustered round one of the forts of Deh
Sarak was a party of men, women, and children.

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 267

These had refrained from attacking the foraging
party, and from firing on the cavalry, and their
dwellings were safe. Throughout the day they never
budged from their walls, even when, later on, they
were between a cross-fire. And yet they were of the
same tribe and of the same village as the men with
whom we were fighting !

Shortly after, word was brought in to Major Con-
nolly, the Political Officer, that the Jirgah (tribal coun-
cil) wished to come in and treat for terms. " Cease
firing " was ordered in consequence. But while this
order remained in force, the masses of the enemy
closed in. Up went one of the towers, a mass of
earth and loose stones, and the retirement began.
Immediately the whole country was alive, and heavy
firing commenced on all sides. Once again the Gen-
eral halted till the second tower was about to rise.
Under cover of the banks of the water-courses men-
tioned above, large bodies of Shinwarrees closed in
towards our flanks. These two water-courses, after
passing the village, met at a point near where our
road back to camp lay, and were there covered with
long reeds. The object of the enemy was to get into
these reeds and dash into us as we retired. Luckily
our General knew their tactics well. The mining
was completed ; the retirement had recommenced ;
the tower rose in a dense cloud, with a loud roar, in
the air, and at the same moment a wild yell rang over
every hill, "AH! Ali ! " and a large body furiously

268 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

dashed at our nearest skirmishers, led by a party of
fanatic moollahs. In a moment after, when their
assailants were within fifty yards, the Martinis rattled
out, and in less than a minute over 100 of the enemy
were prostrate. Again and again they tried to rush
in with their knives, but without success ; and before
long we were all safe across the nullahs (water-courses),
and were quietly forming up again to receive them.
They came down in mass, but stopped short on the
farther bank, well out of rifle-range, and our retirement
continued. Frightened out of their wits, the inhab-
itants of Pesh Bolak begged the protection of the
General from the infuriated Shinwarrees, and it was
accorded. A party of Goorkhas held the village all
night ; and before morning, when the enemy had
realised their loss of 400 to 500 of their bravest, they
had dispersed and gone back with their dead and
wounded to their homes. Shortly after, their chiefs
came in and tendered their submission, and never
again molested us. Their country had meanwhile
been mapped. On asking why they had so fiercely
attacked us, they said that twice before the Ameer
had sent troops to punish them. On each occasion
these troops had driven them from their villages in
the morning, but had been hemmed in and cut to
pieces as they retired in the evening, and they had
hoped that our fate would have been similar.

It should not be concluded from this statement
that the Shinwarrees do not recognise the Ameer's

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 269

authority. To avoid paying taxes, they, like all other
Pathan tribes, will oppose his troops, especially after
an enhancement of rates ; but they acknowledge his
suzerainty, supply a contingent for his army, and
would at all times be ready to side with him in case
of foreign invasion.

Our loss in the engagement was two killed and
about fifteen wounded. The enemy fired wildly and
carelessly, their endeavours being almost solely di-
rected to closing in on the skirmishers with their
knives. From what we saw here and elsewhere, we
cannot help thinking that the loose skirmishing order
of fighting is not nearly so well adapted to fighting
these irregular combatants as the old line, especially
when retiring. So long as our troops advance the
enemy gives way, and the rapid fire of skirmishers,
followed by some companies in close order, hastens
their movements. But when — as is so often the
case — we are retiring, the bravest of the enemy rap-
idly follow, crouching from bush to bush and from
rock to rock, giving very little opportunity for care-
ful shooting to our skirmishers ; and when these are
scattered in rough ground, individuals linger here
and there for a last shot, and more than once have
been surprised and cut off from their comrades before
they were aware of the proximity of their lurking
enemy. Their bodies are then, perforce, left to be
mutilated, and their rifles fall into the enemy's hands ;
or if efforts are made to recover them or their arms,

270 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

those who go back for them are themselves liable to
be surrounded and cut off ; whereas if the last files re-
tire in line, keeping pretty close together, a wounded
man and his weapons can immediately be taken up
by his comrades without delays occurring ; and if the
enemy does close in, he has to meet a line of bay-
onets, besides the rapid fire of the Martini. Further,
until we can put more veterans into the field, the
continuous retirement over rough ground, followed
by yelling fiends with drawn swords, frantic, and re-
gardless of death, yet bobbing about in a way which
renders shooting uncertain, will act prejudicially on
the retiring soldiers' feelings ; and if a few men are
suddenly taken unawares and become panic-stricken,
or think it advisable or the right thing to do to make
a run for their supports, the consequences might at
times be disastrous.

The enemies we have to deal with in these frontier
wars are quite as likely to miss every shot when
firing at a line two or four deep as at scattered bodies
of skirmishers. In the one case, if they do hit a
man, he is carried on easily by his comrades ; in the
other, he probably falls behind a bush or rock un-
seen, by his friends, and his wounded or dead body
becomes the sheath of scores of knives, and his rifle
and cartridges are carried off in triumph.

It has been mentioned above, that behind us were
some two thousand spectators. Many of these had
come from far. As soon as they saw our retirement

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 271

commenced, and the thousands of the enemy closing
in with wild yells from all sides, they concluded we
were lost, and made themselves scarce as soon as
possible, spreading a report that we had been repulsed
by the Shinwarrees. The rumour, as usual, lost
nothing in its further progress. The Khugianees
heard that we had lost two guns and a general. Im-
mediately after, a stir was observable all round, and
a noted Ghilzai chief, Azmatoollah Khan, who had
from the first done his utmost to rouse an opposition
against us, was soon very busy.

The Khugianees succeed the Shinwarrees among
the slopes and at the base of the Safed-Koh, west-
ward as far as the Surkhab river, some forty miles
from Jellalabad. They are then succeeded by the
Ghilzais, who occupy the range of hills connecting
the Safed-Koh with the Sia-Koh (black mountain)*
through which runs the Jugdulluk Pass, and the road
to Cabul via Tezeen. They also occupy the Sia-Koh
and the Lughman valley, through which flows the
Cabul river proper after leaving the Cabul valley.
These two large tribes— the only ones that now lay
on our onward line of march to Cabul— were thrown
into considerable excitement by the news from the
Shinwarree country, and both determined not only
to oppose our farther progress, but also, if possible,
to annoy us where we were. This latter they could
only hope to accomplish at present by attacking and
destroying the villages that were supplying us with

VOL. III.

s

272 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

forage and had placed themselves under our pro-
tection. The political officers discovered that Az-
matoollah was about to raid into the Lughman valley,
and the Khugianees were to attack Futtehabad and
other Tajik villages within twenty miles of Jellalabad.
Accordingly, troops were sent off in different directions
to prevent this, and if possible to seize Azmatoollah.
General M'Pherson started by night Avith a column
to cross into the Lughman valley over the Safed-Koh.
Colonel Campbell of the Guide Corps, with a smaller
column, took a different route, to co-operate ; while
a body of cavalry, composed of some troops of Hussars
and native Lancers, started to cross the Cabul river
near Jellalabad. It was hoped that these latter
would be in time to cut off Azmatoollah's retreat
from M'Pherson's columns. They rode gaily to the
ford on a bright moonlight night. The native cavalry
crossed over its zigzag windings in safety, but the
Hussars met with the fearful disaster so much talked
of and inquired into, by which they lost an officer
and forty-seven men. Those of them who escaped
returned to camp, but the rest of the party continued
their march, only to return in the evening disap-
pointed ; for while M'Pherson's column was painfully
climbing up the barren, hot, rocky slopes of the
Sia-Koh, Azmatoollah recrossed the Cabul river and
fled into the mountain fastnesses beyond. The troops
returned disgusted from their wearying and disap-
pointing march; but it was not without its effect.

AMONG THE AFFGHAXS. 273

" Xever before," said the people, " have we heard of
an army crossing that dreadful route by day, and
these Feringhees do it by night. What is safe from
their attacks 1 "

Meanwhile General Gough had started for Futte-
habad, on the direct route to Cabul, Avith about
10,000 infantry, the remaining troops of the 10th
Hussars, some troops of the Guides cavalry, and four
E.H.A. guns. All was quiet at Futtehabad, and
next day reconnoitring parties were sent out. And
well it was so. In every Khugianee village the war-
drums were beating, and thousands gathering. One
reconnoitring party was fired into and followed up.
The pickets near Futtehabad reported that there was
heavy firing towards Gandamuk, so General Gough
at once hurried out with his guns and cavalry to
rescue the party. Ordering 400 infantry to follow,
some five miles from camp he found the enemy
already strongly posted on the crest of a plateau
about a mile south of the road and parallel to it.
Here they had constructed a long line of breastworks,
behind which were posted several thousands, while
other large parties were already hurrying down the
water-courses which flanked the plateau on which
Gough now stood with his cavalry and guns : the
infantry were coming up at the double. The guns
now advanced to within 1200 yards of the breast-
works and opened fire with shell ; the flanks of the
enemy were rapidly pushing in to try and surround

274 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Gough, and a body of them soon opened fire on the
guns from within a hundred yards. Gough now
withdrew his guns and cavalry some 500 yards. As
soon as he did so, with loud yells the main body of
the enemy left the breastworks and rushed towards
him. Again their foremost were within short musket-
range when the Guides and Hussars charged into
them. The Guides, led by Major "Wigram Batty e,
dashed across a rocky ravine and down a steep slope
covered with boulders, straight at a large body who
quietly awaited them behind some stone walls en-
closing a field ; and as Battye rode into them, a
volley killed him and his horse and a native officer.
Instantly with wild yells the Pathans rushed forward
to knife him, but were met by his intrepid Sowars,
and a fierce hand-to-hand combat ensued. Xine
bodies of Khugianees lay dead round Battye, but
not a knife had entered him. Not one of the large
body of Khugianees left the ground alive ; for by
this time Lieut. Hamilton had swept round them
with another troop, and the infuriated Sowars spared
none. Nor did the Khugianees ask mercy : drawing
their knives, they stood and fiercely cut at horses
and riders, wounding more than thirty men and more
horses, not one of whom, perhaps, would have been
touched had the Sowars carried lances. The Hussars,
too, had charged into the enemy, and now they
wavered and gave ground. Meanwhile on the left
the infantry had arrived. Lieutenant "Wiseman

AMOXG THE AFFGHANS. 275

headed a rather premature charge into a dense mass
of the enemy clustered round a huge standard. He
dashed his sword through the standard-bearer, but
was cut down, and for a few moments the infantry
were checked, then readvanced. By this time the
centre and left of the enemy were already giving
ground before the cavalry ; their right also fell back,
wavered, and broke, and soon the whole were flying
in dense masses, and were pursued for over five miles
by the cavalry. Their loss exceeded 600 killed and
wounded ; ours some 40 to 50 killed and wounded,
besides the two British officers. Battye's death alone
Avould have dimmed a greater victory. The medical
officer related that he was attending a wounded
Sowar whom he had placed under chloroform. When
the Sowar regained his senses he burst out crying.
The officer, on trying to console him, received the
reply, " What use is my life to me, now that Battye
Sahib has gone 1 " He was not the only man who
felt thus.

The result of the action was soon apparent. The
Khugianee Jirgah came into Futtehabad and sub-
mitted, and from that day the tribe never molested
us. On the contrary, when we went on to Ganda-
muk they swarmed into camp with provisions,
worked on the roads, cut timber on the Safed-Koh,
and brought it in for the bridge and other works at
Gandamuk ; and reconnoitring parties went all over
their country without once meeting opposition. The

276 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Khugianees and Ghilzais had feared that, so soon as
we had collected in sufficient strength at Gandamuk,
we would burn, harry, and destroy, in revenge for
the disasters of the former war. But when they
found themselves treated with every consideration,
even when the whole of the 1st division of our army
was encamped within rifle-range of their forts, they
settled down. From the camp at Gandamuk, or
Safed Sang, we could see the low hillock on which
a small remnant of British troops made their last
stand in the winter of 1841-42. Among the chiefs
who made themselves useful to us was Hyder Khan
of Gandamuk, who had been in that last struggle.
He thus described it : " News arrived here that the
Feringhees were retiring through the hills, sur-
rounded by hosts of enemies, chiefly Ghilzais ; and
orders came from Sirdar Akbar Khan for all true
Khugianees to join in the destruction of the Kafirs.
We soon mustered about 6000 men, and marched up
the road towards Jugdulluk, where heavy firing was
going on. As we neared the Surkhi-Koh (or red
hill) we saw a mere handful of gora-logs (white folks
— soldiers) — about 80 to 100 — turning that corner,
with swarms of Ghikais firing into them. As they
saw our masses advancing to meet them, they turned
aside and went to the top of the hillock. Here they
formed square Avith fixed bayonets, and shot us doAvn
as we closed on them. We could not get near them
till they ceased firing. Concluding that they had no

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 277

more ammunition, we rushed in on them with loud
shouts from all sides. They stood still till we were
within a dozen yards of them, then fired their last
volley with deadly effect into us, and charged with
their bayonets. This broke them, and one by one
we hemmed them in and cut them down ; but six of
us fell for each one of them. Soban Allah ! I have
never seen such fighting, and I determined never to
fight Feringhees again."

Yakoob Khan came into Gandamuk, the terms of
treaty were arranged, and we were about to start
back to India. Before us stood up the giant crest
of the Safed-Koh— its highest peak, Sikarram, was
within thirty miles of us. It was hard to go back
without at least once gaining the mighty crest on
which no Englishman had yet stood. Permission to
make the attempt — for geographical reasons — was
asked and given ; and having been supplied with an
escort of Khugianees, we started. It was rather
early in the year for the journey, and the snow
covered miles of intervening hills, but time was run-
ning short. The escort was under the orders of a son
of the before-mentioned Hyder Khan. Under him
were two old Mulliks, who had both been in the last
struggle described above, and also in the late action
near Futtehabad. One of the escort still wore the
Ameer's uniform, and humorously pointed to a foot-
long cut in the tail of his coat, given by a Goorkha's
kookrie (knife) at the storming of the Peiwar Kotal.

278 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

Another man, named Sultan, a hunter by profession,
had eighteen old knife-wounds on his body, of which
six at least would probably have been fatal if re-
ceived by an Englishman. lie and a brother had a
few years previously been out towards the neighbour-
ing Khugiani village of Murkikhel, and had sud-
denly been set upon by three men of that section,
with whom they had had a long-standing feud. One
man shot his brother, and was shot in his turn by
Sultan. The others cut his head open with their
knives, and he dropped senseless. Next morning he
awoke in his own hut, and found he had been cut in
eighteen places ; was confined to bed for six weeks,
then recovered, and was now as hearty as ever.
"And how about the two men who had done you
so much injury 1 " we asked. " I settled the account
shortly after : they are not alive now." Several
others of the escort had bullet and knife wounds to
show, and had committed a few murders in their day ;
so altogether we were in very superior company.

Taking our blankets and a week's rations (which
were carried by the escort), we started early on the
morning of the 26th. Our route lay for the first six
miles over the plateau between the camp and the
base of the Safed-Koh. We then entered the vil-
lages of Mahmakhel and Kudikhel, destroyed by
General Pollock's force in the first war, then across
a wide stream, fordable every morning, but a roaring
torrent by evening. Then came a stiff climb up a

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 279

bare rocky slope, till attaining a height of 8000 feet.
Here the slope upwards was more gradual, and our
way lay over green flats covered with soft grass, and
dotted with many wild flowers, tulips, and daisies
and lilies, and among forests of stunted oaks. This
continued till we reached the skirts of the pine-
forests, at an elevation of about 9500 feet. As we
had been sketching the country en route as we came
along, it was near evening, and we determined to
halt for the night near some tent-dwellings of nomad
shepherds, where our escort were sure of a good even-
ing meal of mutton and fresh milk. We were 011
the crest of a long spur, and below our right lay a
deep mountain gorge forming the boundary-line be-
tween Ivhugiani and Ghilzai country. Below us we
could see some hamlets of the Ghilzai village of
Lokau, and it was just possible that we might find
ourselves attacked at night; so we chose a strong
position on the crest of a precipice, and lay down to
sleep about ten at night, close under a long, low wall,
intended to be utilised as a breastwork if needed.
The air was fresh and cold, and, being obliged to put
out our fires for fear of stray shots, we were glad to
roll ourselves well up in our blankets. We slept on
quietly till about 3 A.M., when some shots rang in the
air, echoed far and near among the mountains, and
roused us all in a moment. Of course, we thought
we were in for a row, and the first thing we noticed
was the young Khan standing by me with drawn

280 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

sword, shouting to the sentries to ask what was up.
After considerable talking, it was said that the
sentries had long watched some jackals prowling
round the remains of the night's meal, and being
unable longer to restrain their sporting proclivities,
they had fired at these animals. Of course we pre-
tended to accept this explanation undoubtingly, — it
•was as likely to be true as any other solution, — and
went to sleep again till daylight. We were early
up, and after a hasty meal were again trudging on
briskly, invigorated by the crisp morning breeze,
through the mighty forests that now thickly clothed
the mountain -slopes. Giant pines, some rising to
1 30 and more feet, of four kinds : the Deodar or
Ulmunza (Cedrus deodarus), Nakhthar (Pinus ex-
celsa), Sarup (Abies Webbiana), and Chilgoza (edible
pine). The nuts of this last species are sent in
hundreds of camel-loads to the Indian market yearly;
but as they are roasted as soon as collected, they
cannot be utilised for sowing. Unfortunately, when
we were among them, all that had not been collected
had fallen and had sprouted, or had rotted on the
ground. Among the wild flowers to be found here
is a beautiful tiger-lily with six flowers on each stem.
All day we tramped through the splendid forests
without seeing a single wild animal, few birds, and
the only reptiles two small turtles. How they got
here we cannot say, but they are said to be numer-
ous among these hills. After passing the elevation

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 281

of 12,000 feet the pines lessened, and at length
ceased. Juniper-bushes crawling over the slopes
were met up to nearly 14,000 feet, and then nought
"but snow ahead. Just before reaching the snow the
ground was carpeted with crocus, polyanthus, and
many other beautiful flowers. Evening was already
drawing on, and we determined to descend to the
bed of the stream again, where its height was 11,000
feet. When we reached it, huge rocky precipices
rose above us many thousand feet ; near the base
on one side was a large cave capable of holding some
forty or fifty men, approachable only from below.
In this we would be safe from stray shots, in a good
defensible position, and protected from the breeze.
So we decided to make it our halting-place for the
night. In comparative security we revelled in the
warmth of a huge fire, and after dinner spent a jolly
evening. One of our party was the bard of a section
of the Khugiani, who had brought his sitara (guitar)
with him ; and after we had served out some ginger-
wine to those who cared for it, and drank it — though
they refused the more potent and well-known " brandy
sharab " that I was only too pleased to keep for my-
self— the bard gave us a few songs. At length one
more exciting than the rest stirred the blood of our
escort, and soon a circle formed round the fire, and
went through a lively sword-dance, with the unusual
accompaniment of more than one song. First the
usual nasal sing-song ; then a laughable mock-heroic ;

282 TEAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPOET.

then the tribal seranai or war-song. This, as usual,
was kept up till the dancers worked themselves into
a seeming frenzy, and were exhausted. Then my
Punjabi attendants from the hills round Cashmere
took up the game, and treated the Pathans to their
style of sword-dance. Lastly, one individual divested
himself of all but a very little strip of clothing,
tossed his long hair round his face, and jumped and
danced round the fire, yelling at intervals, " Allahi !
allahi ! " each time louder and faster, till he frothed
at the mouth, had his muscles drawn like cords, his
eyes wild and glaring, and was pro tern, a decided
maniac, and was just about to throw himself over
the rocks, when he was seized by half-a-dozen of the
others, and was held down forcibly, yelling like a
fiend till his strength was exhausted, his muscles
relaxed, and he fell into a deep sleep. This exhi-
bition Avas loudly applauded by the Pathans till its
close, and formed the main topic of conversation till
we were asleep. The night passed off quietly, and
next morning we started early for the neighbouring
range of snow, 15,000 feet high. In half an hour
we were walking over the snow-fields, and continued
on them all day, sketching the country round, and
obtaining a fine view of the eastern sources of the
Surkhab river, so long hidden from our side. De-
scending towards evening to the height of 12,000
feet, we determined here to take up our quarters for
the night, within four or five miles of the great peak

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 283-

of Sikarram. We could find neither cave nor trees
to lie under, so had to roll ourselves in our blankets
behind a large rock, and sleep through the cold night
as best we could, posting and warning the sentries
for the night. At early dawn we were all up, and
this morning managed to have coffee all round,
then started. With us were our hill-men from British
territory, carrying the survey instruments, &c. —
Sultan, the shikari before mentioned, and five others.
We had first to descend 1000 feet down steep rocks
covered with frozen snow, then began our ascent.
Until the sun has been shining on the snow-fields
for some hours, the surface is frozen hard, and it is
difficult to keep the footing. We had preferred to
wear good strong English boots, with the armed sole
of which we could kick an impression on the snow
very often ; the others had wrapped the skins of the
sheep slaughtered for dinner en route in strips, with
the hair outwards, round their feet and ankles ; but
before long we had to take to cutting steps in the
hard snow, our only weapon for the purpose being
our Pathan knives. With these we had to chop,
chop, a few inches for each step for about 3000 feet;
then came a mile of level ground, one large field of
deep snow. Ahead of us stood Sikarram ; all round
us many of his sisters, almost as high as himself.
Through one of the gullies (cols) we looked down on
the snow-covered lake or tarn, about 300 yards square,
called the Haoza Khas, or clear tank, where the

284 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

eastern or Mangal branch of the Surkhab takes its
rise. Far below were the Ghilzai hamlets of Mangal.
After crossing the field, we had yet another stiff
climb of 1000 feet. The crest hung over us danger-
ously, and the ascent was so steep that we had to
make several zigzags, which added to our labour.
Once again we reached the crest; and 500 yards
more and a short climb took us to the extreme sum-,
mit of the highest peak of the Safed-Koh, 15,620
feet above sea-level, and 11,000 above the camp at
Gandamuk. A feeling of pride in being the first
European who had stood on this spot might be ex-
cused. Quickly — while those less interested were
recovering their breath, and munching cliappaties
with snow — we put up our theodolite, and, level-
ling it, made sure that this was indeed the highest
point of the range. Then successively we looked
down on the rice-fields of the Kurram valley, the
tents dotted among the trees of the Peiwar Kotal, the
large camps, rows of horses, and numerous stone-built
pickets of Alikhel ; farther south, the hills round
Khost ; to the west, a broad valley coming from
the direction of Ghazni ; more north, the peaks
round the Shutar-gardan Pass, and on across the
gap showing where lay the valley of Cabul itself,
to the snows beyond ; then northwards over the
Gandamuk and Jellalabad valleys, over the crests
of the snowy ranges of the Safed-Koh surrounding
the glens of Kafiristan, towards which even then one

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 285

solitary Englishman, Major Turner of the Survey of
India, was in vain trying to wend his way through
the suspicious intermediate tribes ; and beyond all,
stood up one giant pyramid, perhaps seen for the
first time by a European — probably 2500 feet high,
if not higher. To the west ran the long range of the
Safed-Koh, its top one field of snow, broken into
irregular fantastic peaks, falling towards Kurram like
a huge wall ; and beyond, the hills of Tirah and the
Khyber. For two hours we were very busy with
the theodolite and field-book ; but meantime clouds
had been gathering overhead, and the first flakes of
snow warned us — from old experience — that it was
time to move off. Meantime the sun had softened
the snow, and every step down we sank thigh-deep
for some miles — could not even relieve the journey
by a slide. We had given an attendant a soda-water
bottle in the morning, intending to leave it on the
summit, but of course it had been forgotten, and we
had to content ourselves by making a small cairn
with the few stones that lay among the snow on the
top. Not fifty yards below was a pile of stones orna-
mented with some twenty long sticks — the ziarat or
shrine of some Fakir, said to be that of the Syud
Karram or Si Karram, from which some derived the
name of the peak. It had long been supposed to be
a corruption of Sitaram — a Hindoo celebrity of the
olden times ; but this the Moslems distinctly dis-
avow. Si Karram — the "three virtues" — said a

286 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT.

greybeard, was one of Mohammed's disciples who
had shown his devotion to the Prophet by knocking
out all his own teeth when the Prophet had one
knocked out by a stone in the battle in the Vale of
Beder. On Mohammed's death his garment was
tried on by all the worthies standing round, but
his " mantle " fitted none but Si Karrarn (it was
useless one remarking that this same tale was told
of some other disciples). After the Prophet's death
Si Kirram wandered eastwards preaching, and being
driven here for refuge, or coming here like Elijah to
the top of Horeb, he was martyred. There are other
reasons also given for the name, but this suits best.

Our descent was long and tedious, owing to the
snow now being wet and soft ; but before dark we
were down to our night's resting-place. Two days
after, we were not a little pleased to find ourselves
again safe in camp. A month later much of the
ground covered with snow in May would have been
clear, and by August flocks and herds graze within a
mile of Si Karram's shrine. We nowhere saw any
glaciers ; and of living things, only the distant cry of
the snow-pheasant was heard, and we sometimes saw
the footmarks of ibex and bears, but not the animals.
Game is wonderfully scarce — the hill-slopes and forests
tenantless except during the hotter months, when the
sheep and cattle graze on the abundant grass.

A very small strip of the country between Ganda-
muk and the Khyber alone remained unsurveyed, and

AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 287

we were now ordered to march through and survey
it — an escort of 60 Lancers under a British officer, and
an officer of the Ameer's, being told off to accompany
us. When first we appeared near the villages of
Azam, the people began hastily to arm themselves,
as if with hostile intentions, determined to oppose
the raising of their purdah ; but when Mahomed
Shahgassi, the Ameer's officer, rode forward and ex-
plained that we were there with the Ameer's consent,
they put away their arms, and were friendly at once.
At night we put up in the forts, and were made ex-
tremely comfortable. The Shahgassi had been one
of the officers told off to attend the Russian Embassy
in Cabul, and had been with them at Tashkend, and
he now drew very unfavourable comparisons. When
we objected to putting up in the forts, if, by doing
so, we had to turn the women and children out, he
said a Eussian officer would have probably been de-
lighted to see these put to inconvenience, or, at any
rate, would never have thought of inconveniencing
himself for them. He specially commented on their
uncivil treatment of all who came near them, —
" Speaking to the officers and respectable residents
in the same insulting and imperious tone they used
to servants and criminals; putting up in the Musjids;
not paying for provisions ; and some not over-vera-
cious in their statements."

He remarked, among other things, on the fact that
when Ameer Yakoob Khan visited the British camp,

VOL. III. T

288 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

even the soldiers not on duty stood up as he passed
and respectfully saluted him. This seemed to im-
press him and the other officers of the Ameer very
favourably. As to our paying for provisions from
the villages, he remarked that we had paid so high
for everything that the people would never be con-
tent to take the old normal price again ; also dwelt
very strongly on the fact of not a single outrage hav-
ing been committed on the women throughout the
occupation by either officers or men, British or na-
tive. " Xever," said he and others to whom we
spoke, " have we seen an army at once so powerful
and so courteous and quiet ; it is no wonder you can
march them to the ends of the world." Xor must it
be supposed that they spoke thus from mere fear or
courtesy; they perfectly well understood that we held
no high position in the force, either military or politi-
cal; and talked on that and all other subjects with
extreme freedom, not hesitating to express adverse
opinions when inclined to do so — as when speaking
of the first Cabul war and its causes and conse-
quences, for instance.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES.

SCENES IN THE SHORT WAR.
FROM THE GERMAN OF CHARLES SEALSFIELD.

[MAGA. MAY-JULY 1846.]

I.

" I tremble for my people, when I think of the unjust acts
of which they have been guilty towards the aborigines." —
JEFFERSON.

TTP01S" the road connecting the town of Coosa with
vJ Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia, and near
to the spot where, at the present day, a convenient
hotel invites the traveller to repose and refreshment,
there stood, towards the close of the last century,
beneath a projecting rock, crowned with a few red
cedars and pine-trees, a rudely constructed but roomy
block-house. In front of the building, and between
two massive perpendicular beams, connected by cross-
bars, swung a large board, upon which was to be

290 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOET.

distinguished a grotesque figure, painted in gaudy
colours, and whose diadem of feathers, tomahawk,
scalping -knife, and wampum, denoted the Indian
chief. Beneath this sign a row of hieroglyphic-
looking characters informed the passer-by that he
could here find "Entertainment for man and beast."
On that side of the house, or rather hut, next to the
road, was a row of wooden sheds, separated from the
path by a muddy ditch, and partly filled with hay
and straw. These cribs might have been supposed
the habitations of the cows, had not some dirty bed-
ding, that protruded from them, denoted them to be
the sleeping apartments of those travellers whose evil
star compelled them to pass the night at the sign of
the Indian King. A stable and pig-sty completed the
appurtenances of this backwood dwelling.

It was a stormy December night ; the wind howled
fiercely through the gloomy pine-forest, on the skirt
of which the block-house stood, and the rapidly suc-
ceeding crashes of the huge trees, as, with a report
like thunder, the storm bore them to the ground, pro-
claimed the violence of one of those tornadoes that so
frequently rage between the Blue Mountains of Ten-
nessee and the flats of the Mississippi, sweeping with
them, in their passage, trees, houses, and villages.
Suddenly, in the midst of the storm, a gentle tapping
was heard at the window-shutter of the block-house,
to which succeeded, after a short interval, a series of
heavy blows, causing the timbers of the dwelling to

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 291

quiver to their foundations. Presently the door of
the house was partially opened, and a man's head
protruded through the aperture, as if to reconnoitre
the cause of the uproar. At the same moment that
this occurred, a tall dark figure stepped quickly for-
ward, pushed the door wide open, and stalking into
the dwelling, took his seat opposite the fireplace, fol-
lowed, in deep silence arid with noiseless stride, by a
line of similar apparitions. "When all had entered,
the door was again closed, and a man of almost
colossal frame approached the hearth, where some
embers were still smouldering. Throwing on a
supply of wood, he lit one of a heap of pine splinters
that lay in the chimney corner, and then producing
a tallow candle, lighted it, and placed it upon the
table. By its glimmering flame, and that of the
reviving fire, the interior of the hut, fully corre-
sponding with the rough and inartificial exterior,
became visible. In the corner opposite the fireplace
was the bar or counter, behind whose wooden lattice
stood a dozen dirty bottles, and still dirtier jugs and
glasses. Below these were three kegs daubed with
blue paint, and marked with the Avords, French
Brandy, Gin, Monongahela. On one side of the
room a pile of deer-hides, of beaver, bear, and fox
skins, denoted a frequent intercourse and active trade
between the inmates of the tavern and the red men.
Xear the skins stood a huge tester-bed, surrounded
by three small bedsteads, and a cradle, or rather

292 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

trough, made out of a fragment of a hollow tree, with
hoards nailed across the ends. In these receptacles,
to judge by the loud snoring that proceeded from
them, the family of the tavern-keeper were enjoying
a deep and uninterrupted repose. The walls of the
apartment were of unhewn tree-trunks, varied only
by broad stripes of clay filling the interstices.

On a stool in front of the fire sat the man who had
first entered, a blood-stained blanket thrown over his
whole person, concealing both figure and face. Be-
hind him about twenty Indians squatted upon the
clay floor, their legs crossed, their faces shrouded
in their blankets, the crimson spots upon which
seemed to indicate that the expedition whence they
returned had been other than a peaceful one. Not-
withstanding the presence of these strange guests, the
master of the block-house now busied himself with
putting in order the stools and benches which the
intruders, upon their entrance, had unceremoniously
knocked over, and this he did with as cool and sturdy
an air as if his nocturnal visitors had been friends
and neighbours, instead of a troop of savages on their
return from some bloody foray, and who might, as
likely as not, add his scalp and those of his family
to the other trophies of their expedition. When he
had put the last stool in its place, he sat himself
down next to the Indian who appeared the chief of
the band.

After the lapse of about a minute, the latter raised

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 293

himself up, and allowed the blanket to slip from over
his head, which now appeared bound round with a
piece of calico, fringed with gouts of congealed blood.
The backwoodsman cast a side glance at the Indian
but it was only a momentary one, and he allowed his
gaze to revert to the fire.

" Has my white brother no tongue 1 " said the
Indian at last, in a deep guttural tone ; "or does he
wait in order the better to crook it ? "

" He waits for the words of the chief," replied the
American drily.

" Go, call thy wife," said the Indian, in the same
bass voice as before.

The tavern-keeper got up, approached the bed,
and opening the curtains, spoke to his wife, who had
listened, with curiosity rather than anxiety, to what
passed. A few sentences were exchanged between
them, and the lady made her appearance, a burly,
broad-shouldered dame, with an expression upon her
somewhat coarse features, indicative of her not being
very easily disconcerted or alarmed. An upper petti-
coat of linsey-woolsey, adapted both to daily and
nightly wear, made her voluminous figure look even
larger and more imposing than it really was, as with
a firm step and almost angry mien she stepped for-
ward by her husband's side. But the menacing still-
ness of her visitors, and their bloody heads and
blankets, now fully revealed by the blaze of the fire,
seemed of such evil omen, that the good woman was

294 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT.

evidently startled. Her step, at first quick and con-
fident, began to falter, and Avith an involuntary shud-
der she approached her husband, who had resumed
his seat. A minute passed in gloomy silence. Then
the Indian again raised his head, but without looking
up, and spoke in a harsh, severe tone.

"Listen, woman," said he, "to the words of a
great warrior, whose hand is open, and who will fill
his brother's wigwam, with many deer -skins. In
return he asks but little of his sister, and that little
she may easily give. Has my sister," continued he,
raising his voice and glancing at the woman, " milk
for a little daughter ] "

The backwoodsman's wife stared at her interlocutor
in great astonishment.

" Will she," continued the redskin, " give a share
of her milk to a little daughter, who must else die of
hunger ? "

The countenance of the woman brightened as she
discerned that the Indian wanted something of her,
and that it was in her power to grant or refuse a
favour. She took a step towards him, and impa-
tiently awaited further explanation of his singular
demand. The Indian, without deigning to look at
her, opened the ample folds of his blanket, and drew
forth a lovely infant, wrapped in a pelisse of costly
furs. For a few seconds the woman stood in mute
surprise ; but curiosity to obtain a nearer view of the
beautiful child, and perhaps also a feeling of compas-

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 295

sion and motherly tenderness, speedily restored to
her the use of her tongue.

" Good God ! " cried she, stretching out her hands
to take the infant ; " what a sweet little darling ;
and come of good parents too, I'll be SAvorn. Only
look at the fur, and the fine lace ! Did you ever see
such a thing ! Where did you get the child 1 Poor
little thing ! Feed it? To be sure I will. This is
no red-man's child."

The worthy lady seemed disposed to run on in this
way for some time longer, had not a significant sign
from her husband stopped her mouth. The chief,
without vouchsafing her the smallest attention, un-
fastened the pelisse of grey fox-skin, stripped it off,
and then proceeded to divest the infant of the first
of the coats in which it was enveloped, like a silk-
worm in its cocoon. But when, after having with
some difficulty accomplished this, a third, fourth, and
fifth wrapper appeared, he seemed suddenly to lose
patience, and drawing his knife, he, with one cut,
ripped the whole of the child's clothes from its body,
and handed it over stark naked to the tavern-keeper's
wife.

" Incarnate fiend ! " screamed the shuddering wo-
man, as she snatched the infant from his hands.

" Stop ! " cried the Indian, his cold and imper-
turbable gaze fixed upon the infant's neck, from
which a small medal was suspended by a gold chain.
Without uttering a word, the woman slipped the

296 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

chain over the child's head, threw it into the face of
the savage, and hurried to her bed.

" The devil's in the woman ! " muttered her hus-
band, apparently not a little uneasy at her violence.

"The red warrior," said the Indian, with immov-
able calm, " will pay with beaver-skins for the milk
that his little daughter drinks, but he will keep what
he has found, and the door must open when he
comes for the child."

"That's all very well,'' said the tavern-keeper, to
whom it suddenly appeared to occur that some far-
ther explanation might not be altogether superfluous ;
"and I'll keep the child willingly enough, though,
thank God, I've plenty of my own. But if the
parents should come, or the white father hear of the
child, what then? The red chief knows that his
hand reaches far."

The Indian remained for a while silent, and then
replied in a significant tone —

" The child's mother will never come. The night
is very dark, the storm howls in the forest — to-morrow
nothing will be seen of the red men's footsteps. It
is far to the wigwam of the white father. If he hears
of the child, my white brother will have told him. If
he takes it, then will the red chief take the scalps of
his white brother's children."

"Then take your child back again," said the back-
woodsman, in a decided tone — " I'll have nought to
do with it."

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 297

The Indian drew his knife, i*pon which fresh blood-
stains were visible, and cast ar. ominous glance towards
the bed.

"We will take care of it; no one shall hear of
it ! " screamed the horror-struck woman. The Indian
calmly replaced the knife in his girdle, and again
spoke.

" The throats of the red men are dry," said he.

A muttering was heard behind the curtains of the
bed, sounding not unlike the Christian wish that
every drop the bloodhounds swallowed might prove
poison to them ; the host, however, whose humanity
was less vindictive than that of his wife, hastened to
the bar to comply with his guest's demand. The
chief drank a half-gill of whisky at a draught, and
then passed the glass to his neighbour. When, a
sixth bottle had been emptied, he suddenly rose,
threw a Spanish gold-piece upon the table, opened
the curtains of the bed, and hung a string of corals,
which he took from his wampum girdle, round the
neck of the child.

" The red men will know the daughter of a warrior,"
said he, fixing his eyes upon the infant, which now
lay wrapped in flannel upon the bosom of the hostess.
He gave a second glance at woman and child, and
then passing silently out at the door, disappeared with
his companions in the darkness.

"The hurricane is over," said the tavern-keeper,
who had followed the Indians with his eyes as they

298 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AXD SPOET.

glided like dim shadows to their birch canoes upon
the Coosa.

" In heaven's name ! who is that incarnate red
devil ? " cried his wife, drawing a deep breath of
relief, and shuddering as she spoke.

"Hush, woman! — hold your tongue! till the
Coosa's between it and the redskins. This is no
joking matter, I can tell you."

As he spoke he closed the door; and taking up
the light, approached the bed, where his wife was
suckling the child.

" Poor little thing ! " said he, " if you could speak
you would tell us a tale that might well make our
hair stand on end. This affair may cost us dear yet ;
those red devils are come from a scalping expedition,
— of that there is no doubt. But in what direction,
God alone knows. Well, if it were only amongst
the Spaniards," continued he, glancing alternately at
the child and at the gold coin in his hand, " I should
not much care about it, but "

And without finishing the sentence he resumed his
place in the bed, although some hours elapsed before
the recollection of the strange scene that had occurred
allowed sleep to revisit his eyelids.

In defiance of the menaces of the savages, Captain
John Copeland, the rough but worthy host of the
Indian King, instituted inquiries concerning the
parentage of the infant so unceremoniously imposed
upon him. Various obstacles were thrown in the way

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 299

of his researches by the disturbed state of the country,
and by the Indians themselves, who suspected his in-
tentions, and kept a strict watch on his movements ;
and when at last a more settled state of things enabled
him to prosecute his inquiries, it was with small suc-
cess, or at least he did not admit that he had dis-
covered anything, although he suspected the little
girl to belong to one of the French or Spanish planters
on the Mississippi.

Seven years elapsed, during which the numbers of
the backwoodsman's family were doubled, and his
worldly wealth augmented in a far larger proportion.
The shores of the Coosa had become populous and
nourishing, the solitary block-house was now a roomy
and convenient dwelling, situated in the midst of
smiling plantations, and Captain Copeland was well
to do, and much respected by his neighbours.

One summer evening, however, the Captain was
disturbed at his supper, and his family frightened
from their propriety, by the appearance of a tall,
gaunt Indian, who entered the room unannounced,
and was recognised by a missionary there present as
Tokeah, the miko or king of the Oconees, the prin-
cipal tribe of the Creek Indians. Tokeah was one
of the most deadly and persevering enemies of the
Avhite men, whom he detested with a bitter hate,
because they had driven his nation from its hunting-
grounds. He it was who, seven years previously, gave
the little girl in charge to Copeland and his wife;

300 TRAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

since then he had regularly sent furs and beaver-skins
as payment for her maintenance, and he now came
to claim her as his property. Resistance to his de-
mand would have been in vain, for he was backed by
an imposing force of Indian warriors ; the entreaties
of Mrs Copeland and the missionary were insufficient
to turn him from his purpose, and he took away the
child, who had been christened by the name of Rosa.
Time ran on, and another lapse of seven years has
to be recorded. We are now at the end of the year
1814. At the northern extremity of the Sabine lake,
and in the midst of the reed and cypress swamps that
extend southwards to the sea, there lies, between the
rivers Sabine and Xatchez, a narrow tongue of land,
which, widening in proportion as the rivers recede,
forms a gently swelling eminence, enclosed by the
clear and beautiful waters of the two streams. The
latter flow through dark thickets of cypress and pal-
metto, to the lake above named, which, in its turn,
is united with the Gulf of Mexico, and it would
almost appear as if nature, in a capricious moment,
had chosen thus distinctly to mark the boundary of
the two vast countries which the Sabine severs. On
the right bank of that river rises a black and im-
penetrable forest, so thickly matted and united by
enormous thorns, that even the hunted deer or
savanna wolf will rarely attempt an entrance. The
earth is overgrown by an impenetrable carpet of
creeping plants, under whose treacherous shelter in-

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 301

numerable rattlesnakes, king's-heads, and copperheads
writhe themselves, or lie coiled up on the watch for
the wild pigeons, mocking-birds, parroquets, and black
squirrels, who share with them the shelter of the
thicket. Rarely is the maze broken by a clearing,
and where it is so, is seen a chaos of mouldering tree-
trunks, uprooted by the frequent tornadoes, and piled
up like some artificial fortification. The wild luxuri-
ance of the place reaches its acme in the neighbour-
hood of the cypress swamp ; but on the further side
of that it assumes a softer character, and the perplexed
wanderer through these beautiful scenes finds himself
on a sudden transported into one of the most enchant-
ing of Mexican landscapes, where the myrtle, the
stately tulip-tree, and the palma-christi alternate with
the dark-leaved mangrove, and on the rising grounds
the cotton-tree and sycamore spread their silver-green
branches above a sward of the tenderest verdure. The
whole forest is interwoven, like a vast tent or awning,
with the jessamine and the wild vine, which, spring-
ing from the ground, grapple themselves to the tree-
trunks, ascend to the highest branches, and then again
descending, cling to another stem, and creeping from
mangrove to myrtle, from magnesia to papaw, from
papaw to the tulip-tree, form one vast and intermin-
able bower. The broad belt of land, in the centre of
which the waters of the Natchez flow, presents to the
beholder a waving and luxuriant field of rustling pal-
mettos, extending from the forest a full half-mile to

302 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

the stream, in whose waters the mangrove and cypress
dip their drooping foliage.

It was an afternoon of that magnificent latter
autumn known as the Indian summer, and the sun,
golden and glorious, as it is only to be seen in that
country and at that season, was declining behind the
summits of the trees which fringe the western shore
of the Natchez. Its beams already assumed that rich
variety of tint, so beautiful to behold, varying from
bright green to golden, from purple to orange, as the
rays passed between the leaves of the myrtle, the
palma-christi, or some other variety of the surround-
ing foliage. Not a cloud was in the heavens, the air
was balm itself, the soft evening stillness was only
now and then broken by some babbling parroquet, by
the whistling tones of the mocking-bird, or the sudden
rising of a flock of water-fowl, thousands of which
floated on the broad bosom of the Natchez, and
dressed their plumage for their winter flight. Along
a narrow path between the forest and the palmetto
field above referred to, a female figure was seen trip-
ping towards a small opening in the wood, formed by
the uprooting of a mighty sycamore. On reaching
the prostrate tree she leaned against a branch, appar-
ently to take breath. She was a young girl of about
twenty years of age, whose complexion denoted In-
dian parentage, but whose countenance had something
in the highest degree interesting, even noble, in its
expression. Her forehead was well formed, her black

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 303

eyes had an arch, almost a roguish, glance, her finely
cut lips, and the whole contour of her physiognomy,
betrayed a frank and joyous disposition, whilst the
slight curve of her Eoman nose gave her an air of
decision and self-reliance, with which her bearing and
costume corresponded. This costume was far superior
to the usual dress of Indian girls, and as remarkable
for simplicity as for good taste. She wore a sleeveless
calico gown, reaching to the ankles, and her hair, in-
stead of hanging long and straight down her back, as
is customary with Indian women, was twisted into a
knot, and held together on the crown of the head by
an elegant comb. A pair of gold ear-rings, bracelets
of the same metal, and half-boots of alligator's skin
and scarlet cloth, completed her graceful exterior.
From her girdle was suspended a pocket-knife of
considerable length, and in her hand she carried an
empty basket. Her step could be called neither
walking nor running ; it was an odd sort of frisking
springing movement. After each ten or twelve paces
she stopped, looked back along the path, and then
again sprang forward, again to stop and look behind
her.

" But, Eosa ! " cried she at last, as she leaned pant-
ing against the sycamore ; " but, Eosa ! " she repeated
in the Indian tongue, and in a tone of slight impa-
tience, retracing her steps, and hurrying to meet
another young girl who now advanced along the
winding path, " why do you remain behind, Eosa 1 "

VOL. III. U

304 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

And so saying, she threw herself upon her knees
before the new-comer, and clasped her arms around
her with a rapidity and suppleness that almost re-
sembled the ceilings of a snake.

" Ah, the White Eose ! " cried she, in a tone of
melancholy reproach ; " she is no longer the same.
See, the grass grows upon the path which her foot
used often to press. Why is my White Eose
sorrowful 1 "

The complaining tones of the Indian maiden were
so touching, her whole posture so imploring, love and
anxiety were so plainly depicted on her countenance,
that it seemed uncertain whether the interest she
took in her friend had its source in the ties of near
relationship, or was caused by the manifold charms
and graces of the young girl whom she now so ten-
derly caressed, and who had as yet scarcely emerged
from childhood. This was the same Eosa whose ac-
quaintance we have already made, seven years pre-
viously, at the tavern of the Indian King, and who
now stood in an attitude of enchanting and unstudied
grace, her dark eyes, shaded by their long and silky
lashes, alternately reposing their glances upon her
kneeling friend, or gazing out into the distance with
a mournful, pensive look. The gently swelling breast,
the cheeks overspread with the most delicate tint of
the rose, the airy and elastic form, might have be-
longed to the goddess of love herself, in the days of
her freshest youth ; but on the other hand, the child-

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 305

ish innocent glance, the nobly formed forehead, the
rosy mouth, of which the coral lips were rather indi-
cated than displayed, and an indescribable something
in her whole appearance, gave her an air of purity
and dignified modesty calculated to prevent her beauty
from exciting the slightest sensual thought. Her
hair, of a dark gold colour, fell in long tresses around
a snow-white and exquisitely moulded neck ; a gown
of green silk enveloped her person, and reached to a
pair of the minutest feet that ever supported the form
of woman. Her mocassins were similar to those of
the Indian girl, a white silk kerchief veiled her neck,
and in her hand she carried a straw hat.

A tear gathered in the eyes of Eosa as she gazed
kindly, but mournfully, at her friend, and then stoop-
ing down she folded her in her arms, and pressed a
kiss upon her lips. For a short time, no sound was
audible save the sobbing of the maidens. At last the
Indian spoke, in a plaintive tone.

" See," said she, " Canondah's bosom is open to the
grief of Eosa ! "

" My dearest Canondah ! " exclaimed the beautiful
girl thus addressed ; and again a flood of tears gushed
from her eyes.

" Oh ! " implored the Indian, " tell thy Canondah
the cause of this grief. See," continued she, in tones
melodiously mournful, "see, these arms bore the White
Rose when yet she was very little, on these shoulders
did she hang when we crossed the great river, on this

306 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

bosom did she lie like a water-fowl that suns it-
self on the broad mirror of the Natchez. Day and
night, like the doe after his fawn, did Canondah fol-
low the steps of the White Rose, to shield her from
harm; and yet, now that she is a woman, and has
become the White Rose of the Oconees, she shuts her
from her heart. Tell thy Canondah what it is that
makes thy bosom heave and thy cheek grow pale."

"Does not Canondah know?" replied Rosa in a
gentle tone. " Poor Rosa has good cause to be sad
and heavy of heart."

" Is the great chief of the Salt Lake the cause of
her grief 1 "

Rosa shuddered, took a step backwards, and cover-
ing her face with her hands, sobbed aloud. The In-
dian girl sprang to her feet, and throwing her arm
round her friend's waist, drew her gently towards a
neighbouring cotton-tree, up which a vine had crept
and twined itself, and now dangled its graceful fes-
toons, tasselled with ripe grapes, from the very top-
most branches. " Sad is the path of an Oconee
maiden," said Canondah, after a long pause, during
which she had filled her basket with the grapes.
" Whilst the warriors are absent at the hunting-
grounds, we sigh away our days in the wigwam, or
labour wearily in the fields. Would that Canondah
were a man ! "

"And El Sol?" lisped Rosa with a melancholy
smile. "Canondah should not complain."

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 307

The Indian girl placed one hand upon the lips of
her friend, whilst with the other she playfully men-
aced her.

"Yes," said she, "El Sol is a great chief, and
Canondah owes him her life. She will cook his
venison, and sew his hunting-shirts, and follow him
with a light heart. Let the White Rose listen to the
words of her sister. Soon will El Sol visit the wig-
Avam of the Oconees, and then will Canondah whisper
softly in his ear. He is a great warrior, and the Miko
will hear his words, and return the presents to the
chief of the Salt Lake, and the White Eose shall
never see his wigwam."

Rosa shook her head doubtingly.

" Does Canondah know her father so little 1 The
storm may bow the feeble reed, but not the silver
stem of the mighty tree. It may be uprooted, and
broken in its fall, but never bent. The Miko," con-
tinued she with a desponding sigh, "sees the chief
of the Salt Lake with the eye of a warrior, not of
a maiden. He has promised him Rosa for his wife,
but Rosa would rather die than "

" No, no," interrupted Canondah, " Rosa must not
die. El Sol loves Canondah, and the Miko of the
Oconees knows that he is a far greater warrior than
the chief of the Salt Lake. But listen! what is
that 1 " cried she, turning her head in the direction
of the swamp, whence a loud splashing was now
audible.

308 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

" What is it 1 " repeated Eosa.

" Perhaps an alligator or a bear," replied the Indian
girl.

The noise continued, although less loud than be-
fore. " Canondah ! " exclaimed Eosa with visible
uneasiness, " you will not again hunt the great water-
snake 1 "

Her words were in vain. With the swiftness of a
deer the Indian maiden sprang through the reeds, and
in a moment had disappeared. Eosa had no choice
but to follow. Whilst making her way through the
innumerable stems that barred her passage, she heard
a loud cry, but it was not Canondah's voice. A noise
like that of a heavy body falling into the water im-
mediately followed, accompanied by a short but vio-
lent splashing and beating in the mud, and then all
was again still. Breathless and terrified, Eosa forced
her way through the reeds, and at length reached the
river-bank, where she descried her companion stand-
ing among the cypresses and mangroves which grew
down into the water.

" Canondah ! " she exclaimed, in a tone of bitter
reproach, as her friend pointed to an enormous alli-
gator that lay beating the mud with its tail in the
agonies of death. " Why do you do these things ?
Must Eosa lose her sister, because she foolishly wishes
to be a man and to fight the water-snake 1 "

" See there ! " replied Canondah, pointing to a deep
wound in the neck of the alligator, and triumphantly

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 309

waving her bloody knife; "I plunged it to the hilt
in his throat. The daughter of the Miko of the Oco-
nees knows how to strike the water- snake. But,"
added she, indifferently, "this one was young, and
already benumbed, for the water begins to be cold.
Canondah is only a weak girl, but she could teach
the young white man to strike the water-snake." As
she spoke the last words, she glanced in the direction
of a cypress-tree which sprang out of the shallow
water at a few paces from the bank.

"The young white man?" said Rosa, inquiringly.

The Indian girl laid her forefinger significantly
upon her lips, washed the blood from her hands and
knife, and approached the tree. Separating the im-
pending branches with her left hand, she held out
her right, open and with the palm upwards, in sign
of friendship, and then pointed to the shore, towards
which she herself slowly advanced. The boughs
were put aside, and a young man appeared, walking
cautiously and with difficulty towards the bank,
clutching for support at the reeds that grew around
him. Eosa gazed in astonishment at the stranger.

"How carne he here1?" said she softly to her
friend.

The Indian girl pointed in silence to a boat en-
tangled amongst the reeds, through which an attempt
had evidently been made to force it. The stranger had
now arrived within a few paces of the shore, when he
began to stagger, and Canondah, who hurried to his

310 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

assistance, was just in time to prevent his falling
back into the water. Supporting him in her arms,
she assisted him to the bank, and the cause of his
weakness became apparent in a stream of blood that
flowed from his leg, severely wounded by the jaws
of the alligator. Canondah hastened to Eosa.

" Your white brother has been bitten by the water-
snake," said she, "and you see that Canondah has
only her gown."

Whilst speaking, she untied the silk kerchief from
her friend's neck, then stooping down she gathered,
with the quickness of thought, a handful of a cer-
tain herb, broke a young palma-christi across her
knee, and took out the delicate fleshy substance
found under the bark of that tree. Returning to the
stranger, she filled the wound with the pith, overlaid
it with herbs, and bound it with the handkerchief.
The whole was the work of an instant, and so rapid
and decided were Canondah's movements, that Rosa's
neckerchief was tied round the leg of the stranger
before the blush that its loss occasioned had faded
from the cheek of its owner.

When the bandaging of the wounded limb was
completed to Canondah's satisfaction, she again
stepped into the water and carefully examined the
boat in which the stranger had arrived ; then return-
ing to her patient, she gazed steadfastly at him for
a moment, returned a second time to the boat, and
finally, approaching Rosa, whispered in her ear a

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 31!

few words which brought a paleness like that of
death over the young girl's countenance. In her turn
Rosa gazed earnestly at the stranger, the contraction of
whose features and the dull glaze that overspread his
eyes betrayed the highest degree of exhaustion. His
ashy-pale complexion, sunken cheeks, and hollow eyes
bespoke long privations and severe suffering; he
looked more like a corpse thrown tip by the waves
than a living creature. His hair, bleached by the
action of sea-water, hung in tangled locks over his
neck and forehead, and the original colour of his
apparel could only be guessed at. He appeared very
young, and his features, allowance made for their
emaciation, were by no means disagreeable, as he
sat leaning against the trunk of a cypress - tree,
through the branches of which the sunbeams played
upon his countenance and lit up its suffering
expression.

"Our white brother's canoe," said Canondah, "is
that of the chief of the Salt Lake, but he is not one
of his warriors."

" He is perhaps what they call a sailor," remarked
Rosa.

" No," replied Canondah, in a decided tone. " Look
at his hands : they are small and delicate as those of
a girl, though the sea-water has stained them brown."

"He may be a messenger," suggested Rosa, doubt-
fully.

The Indian maiden again shook her head. " See,"

312 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

said she, "he comes from the great salt lake which
drinks the waters of our river, and yet he knows not
how to bring his boat through the thick grass. He
took the water-snake for a rotten tree, and stepped
upon it, and it buried its teeth in his flesh. Thy
white brother has fled from the chief of the Salt
Lake."

She spoke these words with as much confidence
and decision as if she had herself accompanied the
stranger on his adventurous voyage.

" And will Canondah," said Eosa, " leave her brother
to perish of fever in the cold night air — he who never
harmed her or hers 1 "

" My sister speaks with the tongue of a white, but
Canondah is the daughter of the great Miko," replied
the Indian girl, with some severity of manner. The
next moment her countenance again brightened, and
she took Kosa's hand.

" Canondah will listen to the words of her sister,"
said she, " and will befriend her white brother. She
will take him to the hollow tree."

The two maidens now raised the young man, and,
each taking one of his arms, assisted him through the
thick growth of reeds. It was a long and wearisome
task, for loss of blood and previous privations had
rendered the stranger nearly helpless, and they were
hardly able, by the utmost exertion of their strength,
to keep him on his feet and convey him along. At
one moment, when half-way through the palmettos,

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 313

he seemed about to breathe his last ; his strength left
him, and it was only by the most laborious and pain-
ful efforts that the young girls got him over the rest
of the field. Panting and trembling, they at last
reached its extremity, and Rosa sank upon the
ground, incapable of further exertion. By a last
effort Canondah drew her burden out of the pal-
mettos, and then threw herself down by the side of
her friend.

The last rays of the sun still played upon the sum-
mits of the loftier trees, of which the lower branches
Avere dimly seen in the rapidly thickening twilight,
when Rosa approached the Indian maiden, and with
the words, "The sun is low," roused her from her
state of exhaustion and semi-unconsciousness. Can-
ondah sprang to her feet, and the two girls tripped
side by side into the wood, until they at last paused
before an enormous cotton-tree. Several gigantic vines,
in whose powerful and enervating embrace the mighty
trunk had perished, still clasped the magnificent col-
ossus with their shining red tendrils, whilst the in-
terior of the tree, hollowed by the tooth of time, was
of a fantastical configuration not unlike a Gothic
chapel, and sufficiently spacious to contain twenty
men. The care with which the hollow had been
swept out, and the neighbourhood of a salt spring,
showed that it was used by the Indian hunters as
a resting-place and ambush. Canondah cautiously
approached the tree, and returned to Rosa with the

314 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

intelligence that it was unoccupied. From the
branches of a neighbouring cypress, the two girls
now stripped quantities of Spanish moss, wherewith
they speedily composed a soft and luxurious bed in
the interior of the cotton-tree. This done, they rolled
blocks of wood and fragments of trees to the entrance
— apparently to form a rampart against the nocturnal
intrusion of bear or panther. These preparations
completed, they returned to the wounded man. Can-
ondah passed her left arm under his legs, and signed
to Rosa to grasp her hand, whilst their arms should
serve as a support to his back. Rosa blushed and
hesitated.

"Does the White Rose," said Canondah, "fear to
touch her brother, for whose life she was lately so
anxious ] "

For sole reply, the young girl took her friend's
hand, and raising the stranger from the ground, they
carried him to the hollow tree, and laid him down
upon his mossy couch.

" When the earth is covered with darkness," said
Canondah, bending over him, "Canondah will visit
her brother, and pour balsam into his Avounds."

But her words were unmarked by the person ad-
dressed, who, with the exception of a faint breathing,
gave no sign of life. The two maidens struck into
the path by which they had first approached the river,
and along which we will now precede them in order
to introduce the reader into an entirely new world.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 315

II.

At a short distance from the scene of the adven-
ture above narrated, was a wide clearing, extending
for about three miles along the shore. It had origin-
ally been part of a palmetto field covering the bank
of the river for the breadth of half a mile, at which
distance a limit was put to it by the colossal stems of
the aboriginal forest. The clearing had been made by
the burning of the palmettos, in whose place a carpet
of luxuriant grass had sprung up, dotted with groups
of magnificent trees, and intersected by natural
hedges of myrtle, mangrove, palm, and tulip trees,
giving to the whole tract of land the appearance of
a beautiful artificial park. Here and there, through
the branches of the sycamore and cotton trees, small
swirls of smoke were seen curling upwards, telling of
the presence of man, and on nearer inspection there
became visible, under various groups of trees, one or
more huts, surrounded by little plantations of Indian
corn and tobacco, and forming collectively a scattered
hamlet of some fifty habitations.

No particular rule had been observed in the archi-
tecture of these modest dwellings, whose builders had
been more remarkable for indolence than for refine-
ment of taste, and had carefully avoided overworking
themselves during their construction. The simplest
materials had sufficed, and had been used in the same

316 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

rough state in which nature afforded them. The walls
were constructed of the smaller boughs of the cotton-
tree, with Spanish moss stuffed into the interstices.
Instead of the clapboards, wherewith, to the west of
the Alleghany range, the dwellings of the poorer class
of country people are usually roofed, the palmetto
reed had been made use of, a selection that gave the
hamlet a peculiar air of rustic simplicity. The houses
were for the most part without windows, and their
interior received light through the chimney or door,
which latter, instead of being of wood, consisted of a
buffalo hide suspended in front of the doorway, and
thrown back during the day upon the low roof. The
principal ch^rm of the village, however, lay not in its
style of building, but in the manner in which the
humble dwellings seemed to nestle under the numer-
ous clusters of trees. The universal cleanliness and
absence of all offal formed another remarkable feature,
and went far to increase the favourable impression
made by the delightful situation of the hamlet. It
was truly a lovely spot, as its ruins still show. The
broad Natchez flowing majestically by, on its way to
the sea ; the dark framework of cypresses and man-
groves fringing its shores, their tall shadows reflected
in the clear waters ; the innumerable groups of trees,
with huts peeping out of their shade like so many
hermitages ; and, finally, the spacious clearing itself,
enclosed at either end by the waving palmettos, and
bounded on the third side by a wall of gigantic and

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 317

venerable trees, gave to the whole scene an air of en-
chanting repose and seclusion.

The inhabitant? of this retired spot, although offer-
ing fewer charms than did their residence, were in
many respects scarcely less interesting. In front of
the foremost hut was assembled a group of creatures
with dark shining skins, which, at a first glance, and
owing to their comical movements, might well have
been taken for a herd of apes. JSTow, like those
animals, they leaped the hedges and bushes, and then,
like snakes, wound along the ground, or rolled down
the river-bank with a rapidity of motion that the eye
could scarcely follow. Further on in the village were
seen lads of a maturer age, practising warlike games
and exercises. They were performing the spy-dance.
Whilst one party crept stealthily over the grass,
others lay upon the ground in a listening posture,
and with their ears pressed to the earth, strove to
distinguish the movements of their antagonists. At
last, when the two parties had approached each other,
they sprang suddenly up, and forming themselves in
Indian file, commenced a combat in which they dealt
furious blows with their blunt wooden tomahawks,
exhibiting in every movement an extraordinary degree
of activity and natural grace. Little interest was
shown in these evolutions by the adult inhabitants
of the village, whose extreme apathy and indifference
contrasted curiously with the display of violent exer-
tion on the part of the young Indians. Before the

318 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

open doors of the huts sat the squaws and their
daughters, stripping the maize from the ear, beating
hemp, or picking tobacco ; the children, who, accord-
ing to Indian custom, are from their very birth kept
in an upright posture, hanging against the outer walls
on long concave boards or pieces of bark, to which
their hands and feet were fastened by thongs of
buffalo hide, their only garment a strip of calico round
the hips.

At a short distance from the upper part of the
clearing stood two wooden huts, which might have
passed for two of the school or meeting houses often
met with in the American backwoods. Like the
other dwellings composing the hamlet, they were
propped against sycamore -trees, but they were dis-
tinguished by their larger dimensions and more care-
ful style of building, by the bowers of palm and
mangrove that surrounded them, and the plots of
smooth turf before their doors. In front of one of
these little houses, and in the centre of the lawn,
about fifty men were squatted upon the ground, en-
veloped in a thick cloud of smoke, proceeding from
tobacco-pipes three to five feet in length, with which
all of them were provided. They were attired in
hunting-shirts, open in front, and showing the naked
breast down to the wampum girdle, to which a second
garment, reaching to the knee, was attached. Instead
of the shaved head and scalping-tuft adopted by many
Indian tribes, they wore the whole of their hair.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 319

They appeared to have taken their places according
to their rank, the inner half-circle being composed of
the older warriors, whilst the young men formed a
second and third line. In the centre of the curve sat
an old warrior, on whom the eyes of the assembly
were respectfully fixed, and whose remarkable ex-
terior, combined with the deference shown him, be-
spoke the chief of the tribe. It would be difficult to
imagine a more singular, and at the same time interest-
ing-looking person, than this old man, whose body
seemed to consist of nothing but skin and bone. All
the coarse and fleshy portions of his frame were dried
up, and only veins and sinews remained. His open
hunting-shirt disclosed a breast far broader than that
of any one of his companions, resembling a board that
had been chopped and hacked, so covered was it with
the scars of many wounds. The chief characteristic of
his countenance was a gloomy stoical gravity, mingled
with a resigned expression, telling a tale of many a
fearful struggle, and of grievous mental suffering.
The fall of his tribe, and seven years' exile, had
brought about this change in the Miko of the
Oconees.

The old man was Tokeah, who, driven by the Amer-
icans from his hunting-grounds, had taken refuge,
with the remnant of his tribe, upon Mexican terri-
tory. Canondah was his daughter, and the young man
whom she rescued from the jaws of the alligator was
an English midshipman belonging to a frigate em-

VOL. in.

320 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

ployed in sounding the entrances of the Mississippi,
preparatory to the expedition against New Orleans.
Whilst away from his ship on a turtling party, he
and two of his comrades had been captured by
Lafitte, the famous French pirate, whose chief haunt
was on the island of Barataria, in the Gulf of Mexico,
whence, from amidst shoals and swamps impenetrable
to those unacquainted with their intricacies, he issued
forth to commit depredations on the high seas, and
especially in the Mexican Gulf. During an inland ex-
cursion, about two years previously to the date of this
chapter, Lafitte discovered the Indian village on the
Natchez, and was at first about to attack and plunder
it ; but the determined attitude of its defenders, and
still more, the reflection that their alliance might be
useful to him against the Louisianian authorities,
who had set a price upon his head, induced him to
change his intention, and to hold out the right hand
of good-fellowship to the red men. Tokeah, whose
ruling passion was hatred of the Americans, gladly
concluded an alliance with the pirate, who professed
an equal detestation of them. The Frenchman
speedily ingratiated himself with the old chief, with
whom he bartered a portion of his plunder for pro-
visions of various kinds; and after a time, Tokeah,
unsuspicious of the real character of his disreputable
ally, whom he believed the chief of an independent
tribe living on the sea-shore, promised him Rosa in
marriage — an arrangement to which, as has already

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 321

been seen, the poor girl was anything but a consent-
ing party.

Early upon the morrow of the arrival of the mid-
shipman, who owned the unromantic name of James
Hodges, the Oconee warriors departed on a hunting
expedition, and the wounded man was removed to a
hut in the village. During their absence, Canondah,
at the entreaty of Eosa, between whom and the young
Englishman a kindness had grown up during the con-
valescence of the latter, and who feared for his life
should Tokeah discover him, disguised the midship-
man in Indian paint and apparel, supplied him with
arms, and explained to him the road to New Orleans,
which he trusted to find occupied by British troops.
She guided him through the swamp, and ferried him
across the Sabine, when some words she let fall
apprised him of the peril she and Eosa would be in
from her father's anger when he returned from his
hunting party, and was informed by the squaws of
the evasion of one . of the detested Americans, to
which nation he would naturally feel assured that
the English midshipman belonged. To avert all
danger from the heads of his deliverers, the young
man then wished to go back to the village, but this
the noble-minded girl refused to allow, and pushed
off her canoe from the shore, to which all his en-
treaties were insufficient to induce her to return.
She retraced her steps to the hamlet, and, shut
up in her wigwam with Eosa, awaited in alarm

322 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AKD SPORT.

and deep dejection her father's return from the
chase.

Twenty-four hours had elapsed, during the whole
of which time Canondah had not left her hut, nor
had any of the squaws been to visit her. At last,
towards morning, the voices of men were heard upon
the shore. It was the Miko and his hunters. His
daughter rose, her knees trembling under her, and
looked out of the window. She saw the old squaws
whispering to the men, and pointing to the wigwam
in which the Englishman had dwelt. Presently the
Miko entered his hut, followed by several warriors,
and Canondah stepped forward to welcome her father.
With hands folded upon her throbbing bosom, she
silently awaited his commands.

" The men of the Oconees," he began, after a pause,
during which he seemed to read his daughter's soul,
"have told their Miko that a messenger from the
chief of the Salt Lake has reached his wigwam.
Why do not my eyes behold him?"

The trembling girl made no reply, but remained
with her eyes fixed upon the ground.

"Has Canondah so forgotten her father's blood
as to bring a Yankee into his wigwam, and to show
him the path that leads to the villages of the pale-
faces ? The Miko thought he had a daughter," said
the old man, with the most cutting scorn ; " but
Canondah is not the daughter of the Miko of the
Oconees. Go ! " continued he, in an accent of un-

THE AMEKICANS AND THE ABOEIGINES. 323

speakable disgust; "a miserable Seminole deceived
her mother, and gave life to a traitress."

On hearing these terrible words, the maiden sank
to the ground as if struck by lightning, and, writhing
like a worm, crept to her father's feet, and laid hold
of his garment. He pushed her from him with
loathing.

" Go ! " said he ; " she sang in the ears of the Miko,
and implored the Great Spirit to protect him, whilst
she cherished and concealed the foe of his race.
Therefore could not the White Eose sing the night-
song, because the spy was waiting for her in the
forest. The Miko has nourished a snake in his
"bosom, his beaver-skins have been thrown away, and
the White Eose has brought a spy into his wigwam
to betray him to his foes. In a few suns he and his
will be hunted by their enemies like the wild panther
of the forests."

An angry howl escaped the Indians, and two of
the most ferocious-looking glided towards the curtain
of Eosa's apartment. Canondah was lying speech-
less, apparently almost senseless, upon the ground,
but hardly had the red men taken a step, when she
suddenly stood before them.

"It is I," she cried ; "it is Canondah, who guided
the pale-face across the swamp, and showed him the
path he should follow. The White Eose knows it
not."

Scarcely had she spoken, when the curtain was

324 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

lifted and Eosa appeared. The Indian girl clasped
her in her arms as if to shield her from harm, and
the two maidens stood with drooping heads before
the incensed Miko. The eyes of the chief had fol-
lowed the rapid movement of his daughter, and he
appeared astounded at the boldness with which she
interposed between him and the intended sacrifice
to his wrath. On beholding Rosa, a grim smile dis-
torted his features ; he made a step for.vard, and
raised his knife.

" It was I ! " cried the affrighted Canondah.

" No ! " exclaimed Eosa, in trembling tones ; " I
it was who brought the white youth into the
wigwam."

The Miko stood like one petrified. Gradually,
however, the generous rivalry and self-devotion of
the two beautiful beings before him produced its
effect on his savage nature. The expression of his
features softened.

" Go ! " said he, with bitter scorn ; " does Canondah
think the Miko a fool, and that his eyes do not see
who brought the white spy into the wigwam1? It
was the foot of Canondah that opened the path, but
the treacherous tongue of the White Eose prevailed
with her to do it."

"Will my father," said Canondah, folding her
hands humbly on her breast — " will my father loosen
the tongue of his daughter 1 "

A long pause ensued, during which anger and pater-

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 325

nal feeling held a visible contest in the bosom of the
deeply moved chief. Finally the latter prevailed.

" Canondah may speak."

" My father, the white youth has sworn to me that
he is no spy, and not one of the Yengheese. He is
from the island of the foolish chief, the land of
which you have told me that it is cold and icy.
His people are on the war-path against our foes, the
Yengheese. It is but a few suns since he and his
friends came across the great salt lake ; they will go
up the great river and burn the wigwams of our
enemies. The chief of the Salt Lake, he says, is a
thief, who overpowered him and his brothers whilst
they caught oysters and turtle, and took them to his
wigwam. He escaped, and for eight suns he suffered
hunger. His people will hang the chief of the Salt
Lake by the neck to a tree. See, father, thy
daughter delivered him from the jaws of the great
water-snake, and he was already nearly dead. He
has returned to his brothers, to lift the hatchet
against your foes. He is no spy; his hands are
soft, and he was weak."

" Has Canondah more lies to tell her father 1 " said
the old man, in a milder tone. " Her tongue is very
nimble."

The abashed maiden cast her eyes to the ground.
Her words, however, had visibly made a deep im-
pression upon the Miko, and he remained for a while
sunk in reflection. Tokeah was a savage by birth,

326 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

habit, and education ; but he was neither blood-
thirsty nor cruel. Under other circumstances, and in
a civilised land, he might have been a hero, a bene-
factor of thousands or millions of his fellow-creatures ;
but in his wild condition, despised, goaded, and in-
sulted as he felt himself, his better feelings blunted,
and his whole nature soured by real and fancied
injuries, what wonder was it that he raised his knife
even against his own daughter, entering the hut as
he did with the full persuasion that the young man
she had sheltered was a spy and emissary of his
bitterest foes?

The account given of himself by the midshipman,
and the imputations cast by him on the chief of the
Salt Lake, as Lafitte was called by the Indians, re-
ceived strong confirmation from two handbills, which
Tokeah, who had learned to read English in the
course of his long intercourse with the white men,
had torn, during his recent expedition, from a wall
in one of the new Louisianian settlements. One of
these papers was a proclamation by the authorities
of Louisiana, enumerating the crimes and cruelties
of the pirate of Barataria, and offering a reward of
five hundred dollars for his head. The other was
an address to the citizens of the State, summoning
them to the defence of their country against the
British. Notwithstanding this corroborative evi-
dence of the correctness of his daughter's statement,
Tokeah, unwilling to remain with the smallest doubt

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 327

upon his mind, or to risk the discovery of the nook
in which, for seven years, he had been unseen by an
American eye, set off with a party of warriors in
pursuit of the young Englishman.

III.

The mood of mind in which we left, our young
Englishman may aptly be compared with that of the
assassin neophytes, whom, according to the tale, the
Old Man of the Mountain was wont to introduce into
an enchanted garden, peopled with ravishing houris,
whence, after a short enjoyment of the most volup-
tuous delights, he again thrust them forth into the
dark and dismal night of the desert, with nothing
remaining of their past pleasures save a wild con-
fusion of the senses, a chaos of images and visions,
and a burning desire to recover the lost paradise.
True it is, as our readers know, that the young sailor
had no such enjoyments to regret, and equally true
that his own wish had driven him from his Eden ;
but he nevertheless experienced the tumult and con-
fusion of thought, and the longing to return, above
described. It seemed as if the nobler and inferior
qualities of his nature were striving within him, the
two principles alternately, as either got the upper
hand, impelling him onwards and calling him back.
A full hour elapsed, during which he several times

328 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

walked away from the shore and then again returned
to it, until at last he was surprised by the first beams
of the sun, disclosing to him a scene whose sight
assisted him to a prompt decision.

Agreeably with what Canondah had told him, he
.found the left bank of the Sabine bare of trees, with
the exception of a few stunted firs and cedars growing
along the shore. Before him was spread a landscape
which the most skilful pencil could but imperfectly
sketch, the most powerful fancy with difficulty con-
ceive. It was an interminable tract of meadow land,
its long grass waving in the morning breeze, present-
ing an endless succession of gentle undulations, whilst
in the far distance isolated groups of trees appeared
to rock like ships upon the boundless ocean. Xo-
where was a fixed point to be seen, and the whole
stupendous landscape swam before his eyes, waving
like the surface of the sea in a soft tropical breeze.
Towards the north, the plain rose gradually into
highlands, between whose picturesque clusters of
trees his eye penetrated to the extremity of the vast
panorama, where the bright tints of the landscape
blended with those of the horizon. Eastward the
huge meadow sank down into bottoms, shaded by
trees, and overgrown with reeds and palmettos, shin-
ing, as the wind stirred them, like sails in the sun-
shine. The profound stillness of the sky-bounded
plain, only broken by the plash of the water-fowl, or
the distant howl of the savanna wolf, and the splen-

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 329

dour of the rising 'sun, imparted an indescribable
solemnity and grandeur to the scene. Lower down
the river were detached groups of trees, amongst
which grazed deer, who, with wondering glances,
seemed to ask the wanderer whence he came ; and
after gazing at him for a while, tossed their antlers
proudly in the air, and, as if displeased at the intru-
sion upon their territory, paced slowly back into the
thicket. The whole landscape was dotted with dim-
inutive hillocks of a conical form, the habitations of
small brown animals, who sat in front of them with
their faces to the sun, making their breakfast on the
tender grass.

The district just described is the western portion
of Louisiana, which, from the alluvial land of the
Mississippi, Eed Eiver, Atchafalaya, and other smaller
but deep streams, swells gradually upwards towards
the west, and ends in these vast and magnificent
savannas. The detached pictures that we have laid
before our readers, in the endeavour to convey to
them some idea of the whole, burst at once upon the
young Englishman ; and their view put him in much
the same state of mind with the seaman, who, having
•left his ship during the night in a frail skiff, finds
himself in the morning alone upon the wide waters,
and hesitates whether he shall not, by one desperate
plunge, avoid the misery and suffering that await
him. This feeling of isolation and helplessness, like
the last grain thrown into the balance, suddenly ter-

330 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

minated the young man's indecision, and induced him
to take a step, which, whilst it seemed to ensure his
own destruction, attested the triumph of the better
principle within. Hastily stripping off his clothes,
he tied them in a bundle, and jumping into the chilly
stream, in a quarter of an hour reached the opposite
shore. The parting words of the noble Indian girl
had decided him to return to the village, and give
himself up to the fury of the terrible Miko. Any
other consideration was subordinate to that generous
motive.

Upon reaching the right bank of the river, Hodges
proceeded to seek the path through the thicket. But
the difficulties he encountered were such as might
well deter the most persevering. The western side
of the Sabine, like that of the Natchez, is a gentle
slope, ending in a ridge which again sinks gradually
and imperceptibly down to the swamp. The black
masses of cypress and cedar allowed him to penetrate
a few hundred paces through them, and to reach the
summit of the rising ground; but as soon as the
descent began, he found it impossible to get a step
further. The slope was covered with a description
of tree which he had never before seen or heard of.
The stems were not thicker than a man's body, but
they grew close together, and were covered with
thorns as long as his arm, presenting the appearance
of millions of brown bayonets, so thickly planted,
and so manifold in their direction, as scarcely to

THE AMEKICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 331

allow a squirrel to set foot upon the trees on which
they grew. He tried to call to mind the position of
the path along which Canondah had conducted him ;
he investigated every thicket and opening in the
bushes, but all in vain ; hours passed away, and he
had not found it. When he detected the trace
of footsteps, they invariably proved to be his own.
At last fortune seemed to smile upon him ; he dis-
covered the place where the canoe was concealed.
He had still long to look, however, before he could
find the track leading through the forest ; and when
he did hit upon it, it was so intricate, and led in such
a zigzag line, now up the slope and then down again,
that darkness came on, and he had not yet reached
the swamp. Hungry and fatigued, he returned to
the Sabine, and, fully determined to try his luck
again next morning, he trusted with better success,
he loaded the canoe upon his shoulders, launched it
upon the water, and rowed to the opposite bank,
where he had left the provisions with which Canon-
dah had supplied him. Taking them with him, he
recrossed the river, and after a short but hearty meal,
busied himself in the preparation of a sleeping-place.
In that heavenly region, nature has supplied the
means for a simple but delightful bed, in the tilland-
sea or Spanish moss, whose long, delicate, horsehair-
like threads compose the most luxurious couch.
With this moss Hodges now filled the canoe, and
carried it to the hiding-place where he had found it.

332 TEAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

This had been selected between two cedars, whose
lower boughs served as rollers, upon which he only
had to raise the boat to be secure from observation.
His gun at his side, and wrapped in his blanket, he
fell asleep.

The fatigues of the day procured the young
Englishman several hours of profound and un-
troubled slumber, but at the end of that time he
was tormented by a strange dream. He thought
he saw the corpses of Eosa and Canondah lying pale
and bleeding before him, whilst over them strode
a fantastical-looking monster, a knife in its claws,
levelled at his heart. He turned round, he fought
and wrestled, and strove to seize his gun. The
desperate struggle awoke him.

That which had been a dream had now become
reality. A grim savage really stood over him, one
foot upon the canoe, in his hand a tomahawk, which
he waved above his head with a scowl of triumph.
One blow, and all would be over. Quick as thought
the young Englishman raised his rifle, and pointed it
at the breast of the Indian, who started on one side.
The tomahawk descended, but, fortunately for Hodges,
his sudden movement overturned the canoe at the
very moment that the blow fell. This saved his life.
Clasping the knees of the Indian with the strength
of desperation, he brought him to the ground, and
threw himself upon him. The deadly scalping-knife
was about to pierce his heart, when he caught the

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 333

wrist of the savage in his right hand, and with his
left clutched his throat. For a moment the Indian
struggled, glared at him with an expression of in-
veterate hate, and then his breath left him, his
features became distorted, and he let the knife fall.
The next instant it glittered in the hand of Hodges,
and the Indian lay defenceless, his antagonist's knee
on his breast, awaiting, with set teeth and staring
eyes, the death which he deemed inevitable. During
one second, the young man appeared to hesitate;
then he sprang to his feet.

" Go," said he ; "I will not sully myself with
your blood."

" My young brother is really a friend of the red
men," said a voice behind him.

Hodges turned, and beheld another Indian, a
scalping-knife in his hand, which he seemed about
to plunge into his back. Springing on one side, he
confronted this new foe.

" My brother need not fear," said the second
Indian, behind whom the other had now retreated,
not unlike a dog, who, feeling himself guilty of a
misdeed, creeps, with tail between his legs, behind
the back of his master. The new-comer surveyed
him with a severe glance.

" Milimach," said he, " would have taken a scalp
from a sleeping man, but he has to thank the white
youth that his own is still upon his head. Milimach
has disobeyed the Miko."

334 TRAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

" Are you the Miko ? " cried Hodges — " the Miko
of the Oconees 1 "

The old man fixed his calm and penetrating look
upon his interrogator, and replied Avith much dignity,
" My young brother has said it. He has nothing to
fear; the Miko stretches out to him his hand in
peace and friendship."

" You the Miko of the Oconees ! " repeated Hodges,
grasping the Indian's hand, and heartily shaking it.
" I am delighted to see you ; and, to say the truth,
I was on my way to your village."

"The maidens," said the chief, "told the Miko
that the son of the great father who owns the two
Canadas, had escaped from the chief of the Salt
Lake, and sought shelter in his wigwam. My eyes
have seen, and my soul believes what is true. But
my brother has travelled very little of the path lead-
ing to his people."

" I will tell you why," said the young man. " You
have an excellent girl for a daughter — Heaven bless
her ! — and she and that angel, Rosa, were like sisters
to me. I would gladly have remained longer, had
not the voice of duty called me away. But when
your daughter left me upon the other side of the
river, something escaped her that made it my first
duty to return to your wigwam."

The chief had listened with much attention.
" What did my daughter whisper in the ear of my
young brother 1 " said he.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 335

" Few words," was the reply, " but weighty ones.
I understood that the poor girls would suffer for
their goodness to me ; and that, suspecting they had
brought a Yankee spy into your wigwam, you would
perhaps kill them."

" And my brother ? " said the Miko.

" Held himself bound to return, to avert the danger
from their innocent heads."

The Indian stood for a while in silent reflection.
Then his countenance brightened, and once more he
stretched out his hand to the Englishman, to whom
this sign of good-will was rendered the more welcome
by the appearance of a long line of savages who just
then glided out of the thicket, and ranged themselves
behind their leader.

" Does my brother wish to go to the village of the
whites 1 " said Tokeah, after a pause.

" I do wish," said Hodges, " to rejoin my ship as
soon as possible. I am a British officer, and must
not be wanting at my post."

The Indian shook his head. " The Miko," said
he, "knows the sons of the great father of the
Canadas ; he has lifted the war-hatchet with them
against the Yankees. Great warriors are they, but
in our forests blind as the night-owl. My brother
Avould never reach his people ; he would perish of
hunger in the wide wilderness. See," continued he,
pointing to a group of trees that appeared like a black
speck on the distant horizon, " my brother will go to

VOL. III. T

336 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

those trees, but when he gets there, his head will
dance and turn round, and he will Avander in a circle,
like a dog pursuing his own tail. In a hundred suns
he will not find his way out of the meadows."

The comparison was not a very elegant one ; but
a single glance at the vast plain before him convinced
the young man that the Indian spoke the truth.

" Answer me one question," said he. " Have the
maidens nothing to fear, and will the Miko gener-
ously forgive them for having brought a stranger into
his wigwam?"

" The Miko will look upon his daughters with a
well-pleased eye."

" Then I have nothing to do but to be off as
quickly as possible. If I can only get to the Mis-
sissippi, I shall find our ships there."

The Indian seemed to reflect. " My brother's
path is very long," said he, " and the canoes of his
people are far away. His great father has many
warriors, but the Yankees have more. Will my
brother listen to the words of an old man, who has
seen many summers, and whose hair is grey with age
and sorrow ? "

Hodges bowed his head, perhaps even lower than
he intended to do.

" Lei my young brother return to the wigwam of
the Miko. The warriors will smoke with him, and
the maidens will sing in his ears. In two suns the
chief of the Salt Lake will come. To him will the

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 337

Miko whisper, and he will take my brother in his
canoe and restore him to his people."

" The chief of the Salt Lake ! The pirate take
me back to my people 1 " exclaimed Hodges, shaking
his head. " My dear Miko, you are vastly mistaken.
He will take good care not to do so, for his welcome
would be a halter."

" Is the chief of the Salt Lake also at war with
my brother's tribe?" inquired the Miko.

"Not at war; but he is a pirate, who robs and
plunders wherever he goes, and, if taken, will of
course be hung."

The countenance of the Indian darkened, and
Hodges feared that he had touched a dangerous
string.

" My brother is right," said Tokeah ; " he must
go. But if he will remain, the wigwam of the Miko
is open to him ; the White Eose will cook his veni-
son, and he shall be the son of Tokeah."

The Englishman took the old warrior's hand, and
pressed it kindly.

" When, the Oconees," said he, adopting the Indian
phraseology, "have sworn to their Miko to lift the
war-hatchet in his behalf, they must keep their word,
or they are dogs. Even so must the son of the great
father of the Canadas observe the oath that he has
taken. He must hasten to his brothers, or he will
be looked upon as a coward, and his name will be
spoken with contempt."

338 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

These words, uttered with feeling and emphasis,
were decisive. The chief nodded his approbation.

" The sun was low behind the hills," said he,
" when my young brother approached the wigwam of
Tokeah, and the chief was buried in sleep. His
footsteps must not be seen by the white men. Will
my brother swear by Him Avhom the Oconees call
the Great Spirit, and the pale-faces name their God,
that he will not betray Tokeah to his enemies 1 "

" I swear it solemnly."

" Will he promise never to say that the Miko and
the chief of the Salt Lake have been friends 1 "

" I promise that also," replied Hodges, after a
brief pause.

" Then may the bones of his fathers moulder in
peace," said the old man, laying his hands on the
shoulders of the Englishman. "The Miko will clear
his brother's path from thorns, and his runners shall
show him the way to the Coshattoes. But my
brother is hungry," he added, "and his path is a long
one."

He made a sign to his followers, and one of them
emptied a hunting-pouch upon the grass ; the Miko
sat down, and beckoning Hodges to do the same,
offered him some cold game, of which he himself
sparingly partook. A handful of roasted corn, and a
calabash of tolerable wine, completed the repast.
The meal despatched, Tokeah rose, nodded in a
friendly manner, and plunged into the forest, fol-

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 339

lowed by all but one of the Indians. Hodges cast a
last glance after their dark figures, as they disap-
peared between the trees, and then seized the canoe
to carry it to the water. Upon reaching the opposite
shore, the Indian concealed the boat amongst the
bushes, and started off across the prairie at a pace
with which the young Englishman had some diffi-
culty in keeping up.

IV.

Tokeah and his Indians returned to their village
upon the banks of the Natchez. There, upon the
day after the arrival of the warriors, the Indians
assembled and deliberated in their council-house.
Some important matter was evidently in agitation :
an ominous gloom hung over the village ; and Canon-
dah, to whom her father had not spoken since his
return, and who was in complete ignorance of what
passed between him and Hodges, was shut tip in her
wigwam with Rosa. The absence of one of the
Indians, sent as a guide with the Englishman, the
silence of Tokeah, and their state of semi-captivity,
rendered the two girls sad and anxious, and they
busied themselves with a thousand conjectures as to
what has occurred, when a shrill whistle attracted
them to the window. The sight that there pre-
sented itself chased the blood from the cheeks of

340 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPOET.

Ilosa, and caused her to sink, terrified and half-
fainting, into the arms of her friend.

A large boat, of similar build to the one in which
Hodges had arrived, ascended the river, impelled by
the strokes of six vigorous rowers. Besides these,
two other men were seated in the skiff, which now
entered the creek where the canoes were moored.
The Englishman's boat was amongst the latter, and
seemed to attract the particular notice of one of the
two men ; he glanced sharply at it, and then made a
remark to his companion, who nodded his head, as
if assenting to his observation. The man Avho had
spoken stepped on shore. He was of the middle
height and slightly made, with a sunburnt com-
plexion, hollow cheeks, in which the smallpox had
left black, unpleasant-looking scars, and a pointed
and rather red nose. The expression of his eyes,
Avhich were sunken and of a dark-grey coloiir, and
his enormous whiskers and moustaches, gave him any-
thing but an agreeable physiognomy. There was an
air about him as if he strove to appear natural and
unassuming, but at times his false side-glances and
malicious smile more than neutralised all his efforts.
His dress was a short blue frock, buttoned up to the
chin, trousers of the same colour, and a cap. After
addressing a few words to his companion, who had
also come ashore, he walked with a quick step and
military gait towards the Miko's wigwam. Just then
the Indian council broke up ; the old chief strode

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 341

slowly and gravely towards his dwelling ; whilst the
warriors hurried in various directions to their respec-
tive wigwams. It seemed as if they avoided the
new-comer ; for not one of them crossed his path,
although he evidently expected them so to do. He
gazed silently after the receding groups, shook his
head, and entered the Miko's hut.

" Here I am, friend Tokeah ! " cried he, with a
forced smile, stretching out his hand to the Miko,
who was seated upon his couch, calm, and with his
head bowed upon his breast. " I'm a man of my
word, you see. Arrived only last night in the bay ;
but the devil take me if I could keep quiet : started
off again, and rowed all night and all clay ; and here
you see me, old friend, as hungry as a sea-lawyer,
and as dry as a dolphin." He spoke in English,
fluently enough, but with a strong French accent.

Tokeah knocked with his finger upon the table,
and Canondah came out of her room.

" Canondah ! " cried the man, stepping forward with
an air of gallantry to salute her. The young girl
avoided his embrace, and with the single word,
" Welcome ! " slipped out at the door. Our guest
appeared thunderstruck.

" What does this mean, friend Miko 1 " cried he.
" Am I in disgrace ? Should really be sorry for it.
As I came across the meadow, your people made all
sail from me, as if I had been a privateer ; and now
you are as cold as a nor'-wester, and your daughter

342 TRAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPOET.

as stiff as a frozen cable. Apropos — you have had
a visit. The young Englishman, I see, has been
amongst you.''

As he spoke these last words, the stranger cast a
lowering glance at the old man.

" Of whom does my brother speak 1 " said the
chief.

"Of a prisoner — a young fellow who escaped
whilst I was at sea."

" My young brother has been here and is gone,"
replied Tokeah, drily.

" Gone ! " repeated the other ; " you probably did
not know that he had escaped from me. But it
matters not," added he, indifferently.

" The Miko knew," replied the old man in a firm
tone, " that his young brother had escaped from the
chief of the Salt Lake. My brother ought not to
have made him prisoner."

" What ! would not the Miko of the Oconees seize
the Yankee who came as a spy into his wigwam ? "

" And was my young brother a Yankee 1 " inquired
Tokeah, with a penetrating glance.

" Not exactly ; but an enemy —

" My brother," interrupted the Miko, " has too
many enemies — the Yankees, and the warriors of
the great father of the Canadas."

The man bit his lips. " Pshaw ! " said he ; " you
have the Americans on the wrong side of your heart,
and I have both. That's all the difference."

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 343

"The Miko," said the old chief, "lifts the war-
hatchet to protect his people against the pale-faces,
and to avenge his slain brethren. But my brother
has lifted the tomahawk against every one, and, like
a thief, steals women and children."

A burning crimson overspread the countenance of
Tokeah's visitor, and his teeth chattered with rage.
"Truly, Miko," said he, "you say things which I
can hardly stomach ; " and with gleaming eye he
measured the old man from head to foot. Suddenly,
however, resuming his former smile — " Nonsense ! "
said he ; " we won't quarrel about trifles. Let every
man do what he likes, and answer for what he does."

"When the Miko of the Oconees gave his right
hand to the chief of the Salt Lake, and welcomed
him to his wigwam, he held him for a friend and a
brother, who had declared war against the Yengheese.
Had he known that he was a thief

" Monsieur Miko ! " interrupted the pirate, threaten-
ingly.

" He would not have taken him for his friend.
Tokeah," continued the Indian with dignity, " lifted
the tomahawk against the pale-faces as the Miko of
his people, but the chief of the Salt Lake has made
him a robber. What shall he, the chief of the
Oconees, say to the Yengheese warriors when he
falls into their snares? They will hang him on a
tree."

The truth, thus fearlessly and decidedly spoken,

344 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

made an impression upon the pirate. He walked
several times hastily up and down the room, and
then again stopped opposite to the old man.

"We'll say no more about that, friend Tokeah,"
said he. " I do not count the scalps that you have
stripped from the skulls of the Yankees, and you
must not reckon too severely with me. What is
done is done ; but the future will be very different.
I am fully decided to abandon my wild course of life,
and then we'll sit down quietly, and live together in
a little paradise, half a TIndienne, half a la Franpaise,
— jovial and joyous."

" The Miko of the Oconees," replied Tokeah, " has
never stained his hand with the blood of his friends.
He is poor, but his hand has never kmched what be-
longed not to him. His fathers would look down on
him with grief, if he lived in friendship with a thief ;
the Great Spirit would hide his face, if he disgraced
his people by an alliance with the robber."

The Frenchman had listened to these words more
tranquilly than might have been expected, but with
a slight twitching of his features, that showed they
touched him to the quick. Suddenly he turned away.

" Is that your way of thinking 1 " said he. " You
fancy you can get on better without Lafitte ? I've no
objection. If I had known it sooner, I would have
spared myself the trouble of listening to your insolence,
and you that of uttering it. Adieu, Monsieur Miko."

" My brother is hungry," said the Indian, starting

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 345

up, and greatly shocked. " He must eat. Canondah
lias prepared his favourite repast."

"And after he has eaten, he may make himself
scarce 1 " said the pirate, surlily.

" My brother is welcome in the wigwam of the
Miko. His hand never closes when it has once been
opened," said the old man, soothingly.

" Come, that sounds like reason. I thought my
old friend had only caught a fit of spleen from the
Englishman. I trust it will soon be over. Mean-
while, we'll see what the ladies are doing."

He stepped up to the curtain, and tried to open it,
but in vain.

"Is it not allowed ? " said he to the old man.

"My brother must seek another squaw. Eosa
shall not enter his wigwam."

In the adjoining chamber a sound was heard. It
resembled a cry of joy, but presently subsided into a
gentle murmur, of one in prayer.

The pirate stood stupefied opposite to the curtain.
" Our alliance broken off, the door shut in my face ! "
muttered he. "Eh Men! nous verrons." And so
saying, he left the hut. The next minute he again
put his head in at the door.

" I suppose I may make use of my own boat ? "
said he. " It is likely that I may have unwelcome
visitors during my absence."

" When the chief of the Salt Lake is on the war-
path, he knoAvs how to meet his foes."

346 TEAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

" Sensibly spoken for once," said the pirate.

" My brother is hangry," said the Miko, pointing
to his daughter, who now entered the room with
several dishes.

" We'll come directly. Duty before pleasure."

And so saying, the buccaneer hurried down to the
shore, and approached his companion, a short square-
built man, who was walking up and down with fold-
ed arms, and Avhose dark olive countenance was so
buried in an enormous beard, that scarcely any part
of it except a long fiery Bardolphian nose was vis-
ible. This man, so soon as he saw the pirate, as-
sumed a less nonchalant attitude, and his hands fell
by his side into the position proper to a subordinate,

" Nothing happened, lieutenant ? " said Lafitte.

" So little that I should almost doubt this . to be
the Miko's village, did not my eyes convince me of
it. Beg pardon, captain, but what does it all
mean 1 "

" I might ask you the same question," replied the
other, sulkily.

" On our former visits," continued the lieutenant,
" it was like a fair ; but to-day not a creature comes
near us. The squaws and girls seemed inclined to
come down, but the men prevented them."

The lieutenant paused, for his commanding officer
was evidently getting more and more out of humour.

" How many hands have we below on Lake
Sabine 1 "

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 347

" Thirty," was the reply. " To-morrow, the others
will have finished clearing out."

" Giacomo and George," said the pirate, in a sharp
peremptory tone, "will go back and take them
orders to come up here. Let every man bring his
musket and bayonet, pistols and hanger, and let
them wait instructions in the great bend of the river,
two miles below this place. Don't look down-stream,
and then at me," said he angrily to the lieutenant,
who had cast a glance down the river ; " the young
Englishman has been here, and the old savage has
let him go."

" That's what you did with his companions, cap-
tain. I wouldn't have done it."

"There are many things that Monsieur Cloraud
would not have done," replied the pirate, sarcastically.
" But this younker has made an infernal confusion."

" Anything else happened, captain 1 "

"Nothing particular, except that the old man is
tired of our alliance."

" Pshaw ! Ave don't want him any more, and may
well indulge the people with a merry hour."

The buccaneer glanced at his subordinate with un-
speakable scorn.

" And therefore, as Monsieur Cloraud thinks, do I
send for the men. The hour's pleasure would be
dearly bought. I hate such folly. You shall learn
my intentions hereafter."

The lieutenant's low bow showed that the lawless

348 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

pirate was on no very familiar footing even with his
first officer, and that he well knew how to make his
captain's dignity respected. Monsieur Cloraud now
turned to the rowers, and communicated to them the
orders he had received. In a few seconds, the boat
in which the Englishman had come was pushed off,
and glided swiftly down the stream.

" Now then, to dinner. Have some wine brought
up, lieutenant."

The person addressed made a sign to one of the
sailors ; the man took up several bottles, and followed
his officers to the wigwam of the chief.

" Take no notice, lieutenant," said Lafitte ; " be
as cheerful and natural as possible. We must try
and find out what the old fellow has got upon his
mind."

The two men entered the wigwam, and took their
places at the table. A buffalo hump, that most de-
licious of all roast-beef, which Canondah had care-
fully cooked under the embers, was smoking upon it.

" You won't refuse to drink with me 1 " said the
pirate, filling three glasses, and offering one to the
chief.

" Tokeah is not thirsty," was the reply.

" Well, then, rum ? " said Lafitte. " Have a bottle
brought, lieutenant."

"Tokeah is not thirsty," repeated the chief in a
louder tone.

" As you please," said the pirate, carelessly. " Isn't

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 349

it strange," continued he to his lieutenant, " that the
whole juice and strength of the beast should centre
in this hump1? If this is to be the food of the In-
dians in their happy hunting-grounds, it would be
almost worth while turning Indian. Enjoyments of
this kind are rather more substantial than the lies of
our hungry priests."

As in duty bound, the lieutenant laughed heartily
at the facetiousness of his commander. The Miko,
who was sitting in his usual attitude, his head sunk
upon his breast, looked up, gazed for a few seconds
at the pirate, and then relapsed into his previous
brooding mood.

" Make the most of it, lieutenant," said the pirate.
" We shall not enjoy many more such tit-bits. The
Great Spirit would hide his face from us if we de-
spised his gifts. But come, friend Miko, you must
empty a glass to the health of your guests, unless
you wish to see them depart this very night. I like
a little pride, but too much is unwholesome."

"My brother," said the Miko, "is welcome. To-
keah has never raised his tomahawk against the
stranger whom he received in his hut, nor has he
counted the suns that he dwelt with him."

"I am certain," said the Frenchman, "that To-
keah is my friend ; and, if an evil tongue has sown
discord on the path between us, the wise Miko will
know how to step over it."

"The Oconees are men and warriors," said the

350 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

chief; "they listen to the words of the Miko, but
their hands are free."

"Yes, yes, I know that. Yours is a sort of re-
public, of which you are hereditary consul. Well,
for to-night let the matter rest. To-morrow we will
discuss it further."

The lieutenant had left the wigwam; night had
come on, and the moon's slender crescent sank be-
hind the summits of the western trees. The old
Indian arose, and with his guest stepped silently out
before the door.

" My brother," said he, with emotion in his voice,
" is no longer young ; but his words are more silly
than those of a foolish girl, who for the first time
hangs glass beads around her neck. My brother has
foes sufficient ; he needs not to make an enemy of
the Great Spirit."

" Oh ! " said the pirate laughing, " we won't bother
our heads about him."

"My brother," continued the Indian, "has long
deceived the eyes of the Miko ; but the Great Spirit
has at last opened them, that he may warn his
people. See," said he, and his long meagre form
seemed to increase to a gigantic stature as he pointed
to the moon swimming behind the topmost branches
of the trees ; "that great light shines on the shores
of the Natchez, and it shines in the villages of the
whites ; neither the chief of the Salt Lake nor the
Miko of the Oconees made it ; it is the Great Spirit

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABOKIGINES. 351

who gave it brightness. Here," said he, pointing to
the palmetto field, whose soft rustle came murmurinw
across the meadow, " here is heard the sighing of the
Miko's fathers ; in the forest where he was born it
howls in the storm ; both are the breath of the Great
Spirit, the winds which he places in the mouths of
the departed, who are his messengers. Listen ! " he
continued, again drawing up his weather-beaten form
to its utmost height — " the Miko has read your book
of life ; when yet a young man he learned your
letters, for he saw that the cunning of the pale-faces
came from their dead friends. That book says,
Avhat the wise men of his people have also told him,
that there is one Great Spirit, one great father. The
Miko," he resumed, after a moment's pause, "was
sent from his people to the great father of the pale-
faces, and when he came with the other chiefs to the
villages where the whites worship the Great Spirit
in the lofty council wigwams, he found them very
good, and they received him and his as brothers.
Tokeah spoke with the great father — see, this is from
him " — he showed a silver medal with the head of
Washington. " He asked the great father, who was
a wise father and a very great warrior, if he believed
in the Great Spirit of his book, and he answered that
he did believe, and that his Great Spirit was the
same whom the red men worship. When the Miko
returned to his wigwam and came towards the setting
sun, his soul remembered the words of the great
VOL. in. z

352 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT.

fattier, and his eyes were wide open. So long as he
saw the high walls of the council wigwams, where
the pale-faces pray to their Great Spirit, the red men
were treated as brothers ; but when they approached
their own forests, the countenances of the white men
grew dark, because the Great Spirit no longer lighted
them up. Tokeah saw that the men who did not
worship the Great Spirit were not good men. And
my brother scoffs at the Great Spirit, and yet would
be a friend of the Oconees 1 He would be a friend
of the Miko, who would already have sunk under
his burden had not his fathers beckoned to him from
the happy hunting-grounds ! Go ! " said the old man,
turning away from the pirate with a gesture of dis-
gust; "you would rob the Miko and his people of
their last hope."

"Good night," said Lafitte, yawning. "There's
been a good Methodist parson spoilt in you." And
so saying he turned towards the council wigwam, his
usual dwelling when at the village. Tokeah stepped
back into his hut. No night-song soothed the op-
pressed spirit of the old chief ; and only the shrill
whistle of the watch, repeated every two hours from
the shore and before the wigwam of the pirate, told
of the presence of living creatures in the village.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 353

V.

Upon the following morning Lafitte's lieutenant
roused him from his sleep, and informed him that
there was an unusual stir and bustle amongst the
Indians. The pirate hastily dressed, and repaired
to the wigwam of the Miko, whom he found rest-
less and excited. The cause of this soon became
apparent.

On a sudden the village resounded with a long joy-
ous shout, which, spreading like wildfire from hut to
hut, swelled at last into one wild and universal
chorus, in which men, women, and children united
their voices. The Miko had betaken himself in haste
to the council wigwam, and the whole village was in
an uproar. From behind each hedge, from out of
every hut, the Oconees emerged and rushed towards
the council-house ; even the presence of Tokeah was
insufficient to keep them within bounds. On the
further side of the Natchez was seen a party of thirty
Indians, all on horseback. Some of them were seek-
ing a ford ; but presently a young man, impatient of
the delay, plunged with his horse into the water, and
all thirty followed him, in the same order in which
they had appoached the river. The breadth of the
stream, opposite to the wigwam, was about five hun-
dred feet, and the depth considerable. Nevertheless
the gallant little troop seemed in their element, and,

354 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

almost without breaking their ranks, they swam their
steeds across. Meanwhile the pirate stood upon the
shore, watching their approach with the most uncon-
trolled fury depicted on his countenance.

"Had we but ten good marksmen," muttered he to
the lieutenant.

" Pardon, capitaine, they are not Oconees, but
those devils of Comanches. I made their acquaint-
ance in my Mexican campaigns."

The little squadron had now reached the creek.
Swinging their legs over their horses, they sprang
upon shore, drew the animals after them, and again
flung themselves upon their backs with a swiftness
and dexterity that recalled the fable of the centaur.
The foremost of the strangers had arrived within a
few paces of the Oconees, who, with the Miko at
their head, were assembled in front of the council-
house, when the circle opened, and Tokeah stepped
forward, his hand outstretched.

" The great chief of the mighty Comanches, and of
the Pawnees of the Toyask, is welcome," said he,
gravely.

The young Indian, to whom these words were
addressed halted and listened attentively, and with
head reverently bowed, to the greeting. When the
old chief had spoken, he sprang from his horse and
advanced towards him, his right hand extended.
Coming close up to Tokeah, he again bowed himself,
took the Miko's hand, and placed it upon his own

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 355

head. The interchange of greetings was remarkable
for dignity, and derived a peculiar interest from the
contrast between the two chiefs. Nothing could be
in stronger opposition than the gaunt meagre form of
the Miko, who stood like the weather-beaten trunk of
some gigantic tree, stiff, mute, and melancholy, and
the open, manly, dignified and yet gentle aspect of
the young chief of the Comanches. His oval-shaped
head was covered with a picturesque head-dress of fur
and feathers ; his high arched forehead and blooming
complexion, of a light copper colour, scorned the wild
war-paint of his companions ; the expressive black
eyes and aquiline nose were in admirable harmony
with the manly contour of his person, which his style
of dress and equipment showed off to the greatest
advantage. A doublet of blue fox fur covered his
breast, and from his shoulders, on which it was fas-
tened by golden clasps, hung the skin of a panther,
draping a form that would have enchanted Thorwald-
sen or Canova. It was a magnificent model of manly
beauty, that had grown up untrammelled and without
blemish in the enchanting prairies of Mexico, and in
the midst of a mighty people owning no master but
the Great Spirit. A dagger with a hilt of wrought
gold, a short rifle, and a lance nine feet long, decor-
ated with a horse-tail, completed an equipment which
for richness and utility combined could scarcely be
surpassed. The young chief's horse, of extraordin-
ary beauty, was almost covered with a panther-skin,

356 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

secured on its back and shoulders by four golden
buckles. It had neither saddle nor stirrups, but on
either side, at the end of a strap, hung a small leathern
bucket, in which the muzzle of the rifle and butt of
the lance reposed.

Similar to those above described were the dress
and arms of other four of the warrior?, also belong-
ing to the powerful Indian tribe of the Comanches.
They wore their hair combed back on either side of
the forehead; their complexion was a mixture of
olive and copper-colour. Their bearing was proud,
and they seemed almost to look down upon the Paw-
nees who accompanied them. Round the necks of
their steeds hung the lasso, that terrible weapon with
which the Mexican riders capture, with wonderful skill
and dexterity, the horse, the buffalo, or a human foe.

The remainder of the troop were Pawnees of the
Toyask tribe. Their heads were clean shaven, ex-
cepting of one carefully plaited tuft upon the crown.
Upon their shoulders were buffalo -skins, the leather
dyed red, the hair worn inwards ; and similar hides
served them for saddles. They wore broad girdles,
to which their calico under-garment was fastened.
About half of them were armed with muskets and
rifles, but all had lances, a long knife, or rather
hanger, and a tomahawk. They were well-made and
powerful men, compared with whom the thin-armed,
narrow - shouldered Oconees had the appearance of
children.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 357

" My brother is thrice welcome," repeated the Miko
after a pause, during which his eyes dwelt with
an expression of the purest satisfaction upon his
stately guest and his companions. "Has the great
El Sol reflected on the words which Tokeah sent him
through his runners 1 "

" His ears are open and his heart large," replied the
young chief gravely. "Are the words of the great
Miko for El Sol alone, or may the warriors of the
Comanches and Pawnees also hear them 1 "

"The chiefs and warriors of the Comanches and
Pawnees are welcome in the council wigwam of the
Oconees. They are their brothers."

When the Miko had spoken these words, the four
Comanches and a like number of Pawnees dismounted
from their horses, and followed the chiefs to the
council wigwam. The others also dismounted, and
forming a semicircle, stood leaning against their
horses' shoulders. Nearer to the council-house were
ranged the Oconee warriors, armed only with their
long scalping-knives ; and behind them, at a respect-
ful distance, the young men of the village had
stationed themselves, also in a half -circle. Again,
far behind these, were the squaws and children, to
whom the strict rules of Indian etiquette did not
allow a nearer approach. The village had gradually
assumed the appearance of a little camp, with various
corps of troops formed up in it. On the shore stood
the four pirates leaning on their muskets, whilst their

358 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

captain and lieutenant paced up and down among the
bushes. With the exception of a sharp quick glance
occasionally cast towards the groups of Indians, they
appeared to take no particular interest in what was
passing.

El Sol, the young chief of the Comanches, was the
affianced husband of Canondah, whom he had come
to make his bride. In the council now held, it was
decided that the alliance between Tokeah and the
pirate should be broken off, and that the remnant of
the Oconees should be incorporated with the powerful
tribes of the Comanches and Pawnees. The former
part of this decision was communicated to Lafitte, who
made a violent but unsuccessful claim upon the hand
of Rosa, and finally entered his boat and descended the
stream. El Sol, who greatly distrusted him, advised
Tokeah to be on his guard against treachery ; but the
Miko denied the possibility of danger, on account of
the distance of the pirate's haunt, and because, on the
following morning, the village was to be abandoned,
and the Oconees and their visitors were to proceed
together to the country of the Comanches. He either
forgot that the pirate had sent off a boat on the pre-
ceding morning, or thought it unnecessary to increase
the uneasiness of his guest by adverting to so unim-
portant a circumstance. In spite of what he had
recently learned, he still entertained a feeling of
kindness for Lafitte, with whom he had so long
been on terms of friendship, and thought him in-

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 359

capable of acting towards him in a base or hostile
manner.

That evening the nuptials of Canondah and El
Sol were celebrated ; but the Indian maiden, although
fondly attached to the young chief, was weighed down
by a foreboding of evil which she found it impossible
to shake off. On her marriage-day she was sad and
in tears.

" And does Canondah," said the bridegroom mildly,
" enter the wigwam of El Sol with a sorrowful heart 1 "

" El Sol," replied the maiden, " is dearer to Can-
ondah than her own life ; his voice is music in her
ears, and his love the limit of her wishes ; but Can-
ondah's heart is heavy to bursting. The Great Spirit
whispers to her, and she has no words to express his
whisperings." She clasped Rosa in her arms, and
pressed a long and feverish kiss upon her lips.
" Rosa," said she, in a stifled voice, " will you be a
daughter to the Miko when Canondah is no more 1 "

" I will," sobbed Rosa.

" Will you promise, by the Great Spirit, not to
forsake him 1 "

"I promise it," replied Rosa, her tears flowing
fast.

The Miko, who stood silent and sunk in thought,
now made a sign ; El Sol threw his arm round Can-
ondah, and led her away in the direction of the
council wigwam.

The wedding had been celebrated with great re-

360 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

joicings ; the Indians, who had indulged largely,
many of them to excess, in the fire-water of the
pale-faces, retired to their huts, to sleep off the effects
of their libations. It was past midnight, and the vil-
lage and its environs were buried in profound repose,
when a man, carrying a naked sabre under his arm,
advanced with stealthy steps from the shore, towards
the Miko's wigwam. He reached the trees in front
of the dwelling; and after casting a cautious and
searching glance around him, was about to retrace
his steps, when, with the quickness of light, a noose
of buffalo-hide encircled his neck, and he was thrown
to the ground with a shock so sudden and irresistible,
that it seemed caused by a supernatural rather than a
human power. His sabre fell from his hand before
he had time to raise it to his neck and sever the
noose ; and so rapidly and silently did all this take
place, that a group of armed men, stationed between
the creek and the cottage, at scarcely forty paces from
the latter, were perfectly unaware of what occurred.
Kow, however, a yell that might have roused the
dead from their graves was heard ; the door of the
council wigwam, in which the bridal-bed of Canondah
and El Sol had been spread, was burst furiously open,
and by the flash of several muskets, just then fired
from the shore, a powerful figure, bearing something
heavy in its arms, was seen to rush out and plunge
into the neighbouring thicket. Other cries, proceed-
ing apparently from a thousand throats, multiplied

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 361

themselves in every direction, behind hedge and bush,
over land and water, in accents as wild and fierce as
if the demons of hell had been unchained, and were
rejoicing in a nocturnal revel. Simultaneously with
this uproar, a regular platoon fire commenced upon
the shore, and blue flames issued from various cottages
of the peaceful Indian hamlet, rapidly increasing till
they burst out into a bright red blaze, that spread
hissing and crackling over wall and roof. In the
midst of this frightful tumult another shout was
uttered, resembling the roar of the lion when he
rages in his utmost fury. It was the war-whoop
of El Sol.

The noble Mexican had been lulled to sleep by
the night-song of his bride, when the well-known
yell of his tribe awakened him. Clasping his beloved
wife with one arm, he grasped his knife and rifle, and
darted through the door of the wigwam. A discharge
of musketry greeted his appearance. The chief felt
his left arm pierced by a ball ; he trembled, and a
slight shudder came over him. " Canondah ! " cried
he, in a hoarse tone, leaping the hedges like a
wounded deer, and hurrying towards the forest ;
" Canondah, fear nothing — you are in the arms of
El Sol ! "

She answered not ; her head had sunk upon her
breast, her body writhed with a convulsive spasm,
and then again stretched itself out. For one moment
a horrible thought paralysed the very soul of her

362 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

husband ; — but no — it was impossible ; his arm had
received the bullet, her silence was the result of
sudden terror, the blood that flowed over him was
from his own wound. He was still flying from his
treacherous and invisible foe, when his howling
warriors came almost instinctively to join him ; and,
before he reached the forest, he found himself sur-
rounded by the most trusty of his followers. " It is
the pirate," he whispered to his wife ; and then,
pressing a kiss upon her lips, he laid her softly upon
the grass, stepped forward into the midst of his
warriors, and uttered his terrible war-cry. " Behold,"
cried he, pointing to the blazing cottages, " the faith
of the white thief ! "

It was a wildly beautiful, almost an awful sight.
Already more than thirty huts were converted into
blazing piles, lighting up the whole of that glorious
shore, reflected in ruddy brilliancy from the still
surface of the water, and illuminating the avenues
of cypress and mangroves with long streaks of flame.
Scattered shots were still heard, and after each report
another hut began to blaze. In the group of Indians
assembled round El Sol a deep silence now reigned,
only broken by the tardy arrival of some yelling
Pawnee or Oconee, who, roused out of his drunken
slumber, was scarcely even yet aware of the cause of
the uproar.

" Where is the Miko 1 " fifty voices suddenly de-
manded.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 363

There was no reply. Just then a woman's scream
was heard, proceeding from the "brink of the water.
El Sol had stood silent, his eyes fixed upon the
burning huts, beyond which, near to the crest of
the shore, the polished musket-barrels of the pirates
gleamed in the firelight. Not more than five min-
utes had elapsed since the first yell proclaimed the
presence of a foe, but already the young warrior had
combined his plan, and he now gave his orders in a
short decided tone, betraying the habit of command,
and the certainty of prompt and implicit obedience.
One of the Comanches, followed by the majority
of the Pawnees and Oconees, glided away through
the thick bushes; whilst El Sol himself, with the
three remaining Comanches, and a troop of chosen
Pawnees, hurried rapidly along the skirt of the
forest.

The broad belt of land over which the village was
scattered rose near the shore, as already mentioned,
into a sort of crest overgrown with mangroves and
myrtle bushes, through the middle of which ran a
broad footpath. The elevation of this ridge was
about twenty feet, and it continued along the whole
length of the hamlet, excepting opposite to the creek,
where nature had broken it down into a small harbour.
Near this the glitter of arms betrayed the presence
of a strong picket, placed there doubtless to guard the
boats. This picket was each moment strengthened by
the return of one or other of the pirates who had been

364 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

detached to fire the wigwams. Along the bush-
crowned ridge several advanced posts were stationed,
intended to maintain the communication between the
picket at the creek and a second party which had
pressed forward to the habitation of the Miko, and
to support either, as need might be. From the whole
arrangement, it was evident that the pirate had
planned the carrying off the Miko and his adopted
daughter ; and this he might possibly have accom-
plished before creating an alarm, had not two of the
Comanches taken upon themselves, according to the
custom of their nation, to keep guard during the
bridal night in front of the wigwam of their chief.
These warriors, it is true, had partaken largely of the
M iko's extravagant hospitality ; but their senses,
although duller than usual, were not sufficiently
deadened to prevent their overhearing the step of
the white men, a sound so easily recognised by
Indian ears.

During his two years' intercourse with the Oconees,
the pirate had become too well acquainted with their
habits not to appreciate the danger of attacking them
in broad daylight, when each of his men Avould fur-
nish an easy target for the Indians, who, on their
side, would be sheltered behind trees and in the
brushwood. He had therefore chosen the night for
his attack ; and, in order to ensure himself as much
as possible against a counter-surprise in the darkness,
and at the same time to spread terror amongst the

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 365

assailed, he had caused the huts to be fired. Three
practised marksmen were posted at a short distance
from the council wigwam, for the express purpose of
shooting the young Mexican chief, whom Lafitte justly
deemed the most formidable of his opponents. The
pirate himself, with a party of picked men, pressed
forward to the Miko's dwelling, surrounded it, and
seized its two inmates. Tokeah, usually so abstemi-
ous, had probably upon this festive occasion over-
stepped the bounds of sobriety, and he fell unresist-
ing into the hands of his foe. So well arranged,
indeed, and rapid had all the movements been, that
the first call to arms had hardly died away when the
Miko and Eosa were in the power of the buccaneers.
Lafitte then formed his men into a small square, and
retreated steadily but in double-quick time towards
the shore. Not an Indian was to be seen. The
little phalanx was already in the neighbourhood of
the creek, and at only a few yards from the picket ;
another dozen paces and they would be in their boats,
which a very few strokes of the oar would send into
the middle of the stream, and out of bullet-range.
A pursuit by canoes, in which each Indian would
offer an easy mark, was not to be thought of. Such
had been the pirate's calculation, and his plans
seemed likely to be crowned with complete success.
He was within a step of the shore, when suddenly
there was a movement in the bushes immediately
opposite to him, and glimpses were caught of the

366 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

copper-coloured forms of the Indians, glowing redly
in the firelight.

" Steady ! " cried the pirate to his men, who
marched firmly and calmly onwards, gazing in a sort
of wonderment at the bushes, which waved to and
fro as if hundreds of anacondas had been winding
their way through them. The pirates joined the
picket and opened their square.

Lafitte threw Rosa into the arms of a sailor, and
then pushed the Miko over the edge of the bank into
the boat. The old man sank down like a lifeless
mass in the bottom of the skiff, and Lafitte again
turned to his men. The picket had already retired
behind the ridge, where they were sheltered from the
enemy's fire ; the square alone was stationary, and
seemed destined to observe the movements of the
Indians, and to cover the retreat. It was a small
but desperate-looking band of about four-and-twenty
men, to the composition of which nearly every nation
and quarter of the globe, every colour and language,
contributed its quota. Thirst of blood gleamed in
their eyes as they stood formed in column, in deep
silence, and with fixed bayonets, waiting the signal
to fire.

Suddenly the Indian war-whoop burst from a hun-
dred throats. A second time the frightful yell was
repeated, rendered more hideous by the shrill tones
of the squaws and maidens, who struck up the death-
song, and were seen running and dancing like demons

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABOEIGINES. 367

round the blazing huts. The next instant, with
brandished arms and shouts of fury, the Indians
rushed towards the creek.

A malicious smile played over the hard features of
the pirate as the red men came charging down upon
his band.

" Reserve, forward ! " cried he, turning to the
picket. The order was obeyed. In profound silence
Lafitte allowed the howling Indians to advance to
within ten paces of the musket muzzles, and then
uttered a hoarse " Fire ! " A deadly volley was
poured in, and the first rank of the assailants fell
to a man. Their comrades started back, but instantly
returning to the charge, threw themselves with a
desperate leap upon the pirates. The latter coolly
tossed their muskets into the hollow of their left
arms, and drew their pistols; a second volley, in
which the fire of the reserve picket mingled, threw
the red men into utter confusion. The slope of the
shore was covered with killed and wounded, and the
survivors fled howling to the cover of the thicket.

" March ! " commanded Lafitte. The picket again
approached the boat, followed by the main body.

At that moment, when to all appearance the re-
treat of the pirates was ensured, four heavy splashes
in the water were heard, and Lafitte saw the four
men who had been in charge of the boats rise to the
surface of the water and then disappear for ever. At
the same time the boats themselves, impelled by some

VOL. III. 2 A

368 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

invisible power, shot, with the swiftness of an arrow,
into the centre of the stream.

" 'Tis the Mexican ! " exclaimed the pirate, gnash-
ing his teeth with fury, and firing a brace of pistols
at the boat. A hollow laugh replied to the shots.
The pirates looked around them, saw that their boats
had disappeared, and for a moment stood thunder-
struck, but speedily recovering themselves, they re-
loaded their muskets, and, firm as rocks, awaited a
fresh assault. They had not long to wait. A volley
from the river warned them of the proximity of a
new foe ; a second, still better directed, stretched a
third of them upon the ground. And now once
more the terrible war-cry resounded along the shore,
and the Indians,- roused to madness by their previous
repulses, rushed for a third time upon their enemy.
Another volley from the boats, and then the Mexican
and his companions sprang like tigers upon the ter-
rified pirates. The struggle was short. Unable, to
resist the furious attack upon their front and rear,
the pirates threw away their weapons, and flung
themselves headlong into the river to escape the
tomahawks of their raging foes.

Lafitte was the only one who stood firm, and
seemed determined to sell his life dearly. His back
against the bank, his sabre in his right hand, a pistol
in his left, he parried a blow dealt him by an Oconee,
who fell, the next instant, with his head nearly severed
from his shoulders. A bullet finished another of his

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 369

assailants, and he was raising his sabre for the second
time, when a lasso was flung over his head, and he
fell helpless to the ground. The long and terrible
yell that now rang along the shore, and was re-echoed
from the adjacent forest, proclaimed the complete and
bloody triumph of the red men.

The bullet that grazed the arm of El Sol pierced
the heart of Canondah, and the day subsequent to
the sanguinary conflict above described, witnessed
her interment, and that of the Indians who fell in
the fight. At the funeral a difference of opinion
arose between the Oconees and Comanches. The
number of slain pirates was insufficient to furnish a
scalp to be buried with each of the dead Indians,
and, to supply the deficiency, the Oconees were
anxious to immolate Lafitte and twelve of his com-
panions who had fallen alive into their hands. To
this El Sol and his warriors, free from many of the
barbarous prejudices of their new brethren, objected.
Two of the pirates were sacrificed to an outbreak of
Indian fury, but the others were saved by El Sol,
and it then became a question how they were to be
disposed of. It was proposed to deliver them over to
the Americans, that they might deal with them ac-
cording to their laws; but Tokeah, with a refine-
ment of hatred towards the white men, devised an,
amendment upon this plan. Sooner or later, he said,
they will come to the tree upon which they are to
hang. Meanwhile let them go at large, and cause

370 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

the blood of the pale-faces to flow, as that of the
Oconees has done.

This singular proposition at first startled the vin-
dictive and bloodthirsty Oconees, but when they
fully understood it, they received it with a burst of
applause. Lafitte and his companions were unbound,
and allowed to depart.

The funeral over, the Indians set out for the hunt-
ing-grounds of the Comanches, but Tokcah did not
accompany them. He had had a dream, enjoining
him to disinter his father's bones, which lay buried
several hundred miles within the limits of the United
States, in a district formerly possessed by the Ocon-
ees. He wished Rosa to accompany the tribe to their
new residence ; but the young girl, mindful of her
promise to Canondah, insisted upon encountering
with him the perils of the long and wearisome jour-
ney he was about to undertake. Whilst the main
body of the Indians set off in a westerly direction,
Rosa, a young Indian girl, Tokeah, El Sol, and four
warriors, turned their steps towards the country of
the white men. Thither we will now precede them.

VI.

It was a bright cool December morning, and the
sunbeams had just sufficient power to disperse the
fog and mist which at that season frequently hang

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 371

for a week together over the rivers and lakes of
Louisiana. In -the county town of Opelousas there
was a great and unusual crowd. It seemed astonish-
ing how so many people could have been got together
in that thinly populated neighbourhood, and a per-
son who had suddenly arrived in the midst of the
concourse, would have been sorely puzzled to con-
jecture its occasion. To judge from the drinking,
dancing, fighting, and pranks of all sorts that went
on, a festival was celebrating; but weapons were
also to be seen ; men were formed up by companies,
and nearly everybody had something more or less
military in his equipment. Some wore uniforms
that had served in the revolutionary war, and were
consequently more than thirty years old ; others,
armed Avith rifles, ranged themselves in rank and file,
and, by a lieutenant of their own election, were
manoeuvred into a corner, out of which no word of
command that he was acquainted with was sufficient
to bring them. Another corps had got a band of
music, consisting of one fiddler, who marched along
at the side of the captain, sawing his catgut with
might and main. Those individuals who had not
yet attached themselves to any particular corps,
shouldered rifles, fowling-pieces, or, in some instan-
ces, an old horse-pistol, with nothing wanting but
the lock ; and the few who had no firearms, had
provided themselves with stout bludgeons.

These, however, were merely the outposts. In the

372 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

centre of the town the flower of the citizens was
assembled, divided into two groups. . One of them,
consisting of the younger men, had fixed its head-
quarters in front of a tavern, the designation of which
was indicated by a sign, whose hieroglyphics, accord-
ing to our firm belief, neither Denon nor Champollion
could have deciphered. Under these was written,
for those who could read it, the customary announce-
ment of " Entertainment for Nan and Beast." In
the interior of the establishment a second fiddle was
to be heard ; the performer upon which, of a less
martial turn than his rival, was performing a lively
jig for the benefit of a crowd of dancers.

The other group, more gravely disposed, had
chosen a more respectable parade-ground, and estab-
lished itself in front of a store, containing a miscel-
lany of earthen jugs, rolls of chewing tobacco, felt
hats, shoes, knives, forks, and spoons, and (the most
essential of all) a cask of whisky and a keg of lead
and powder. Above the door was a board, with the
inscription, " Xew Shop — Cheap for Cash ; " and on
the wall of the crazy framehouse was written in
chalk — ""Whisky, Brandy, Tobacco, Post-office."

On the stump of a tree stood a man who, to judge
from his new beaver-hat, clean shirt-collar, and bran-
new coat and breeches of a pompadour red, was a
candidate for some one of the offices in the gift of
the sovereign people. Near him were several other
men of equally elegant exterior, to all appearance also

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 373

aspirants to the vacant post, and who seemed to wait
with some impatience for the termination of his
harangue. Comparatively speaking, tranquillity and
order reigned here, only excepting the noise of the
dancers, and the occasional bellowing of some noisy
toper stumbling about through the mud, with which
the single street of the little town was covered knee-
deep. Such interruptions, however, the orator seemed
totally to disregard, and he continued in stentorian
tones to inform his auditors how he would whip
them damned British, whom he hated worse than
skunks. This he was setting forth in the clearest pos-
sible manner, when the attention of his hearers was in
some degree distracted by a loud " Hallo ! " proceed-
ing from two boon companions, who, after having
for some time floundered about the street, had at
last rambled towards the edge of the forest, and now
suddenly began to shout violently, and to run as fast
as their unsteady condition would allow. Amongst
their vociferations, the words, " Stop, you cussed
redskin ! " were clearly distinguishable — sounds far
too interesting not to create a sensation amongst
backwoodsmen. A dozen of the orator's audience
slipped away, just to see " what was the matter with
the d — d fools, and why they made such a devil of
a row." The example found imitators, and presently
not above thirty listeners remained collected round
the speaker. Insubordination also broke out in the
different corps that were exercising, and a full third

374 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

of the men left their ranks and scampered towards
the wood. Only the group in front of the chandler's
store remained grave and steady in the midst of the
general excitement.

From out of the dark cypress forest that stretches
southwards from the shore of the Atchafalaya, a fig-
ure had emerged which, judging from its dress, be-
longed to the Indian race. The savage had crept
along the edge of the forest in order to get near the
town ; but alarmed perhaps by the crowd, he had
not ventured to take the road leading to it, but had
struck into a side-path across a cotton field. He
was about to climb over the fence, when he was
descried by the two idlers already mentioned, who
no sooner saw him than, although their heads were
tolerably full of whisky, they commenced a rapid
pursuit. One of them first took the precaution to
place his pint glass in safety behind a hedge, and
then followed his companion, a swift - footed son
of the west, who already had the Indian in his
clutches. The redskin was so exhausted that he
would evidently not have been able to proceed much
further. The staggering and unsteady state of his
captor, however, did not escape him, and he gave
him a sudden push, which stretched him at full
length in the mud.

" Stop ! " shouted the backwoodsman, no way dis-
concerted by his fall ; " stop ! or I will so maul your
ugly face that you shan't be able to eat for a week."

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 375

The Indian seemed to understand, and stopped
accordingly, at the same time assuming an attitude
indicative of a firm resolution to defend himself. He
grasped his knife, and boldly confronted his pursuers,
who on their part examined him with looks of curi-
osity and of some suspicion. The appearance of an In-
dian in this neighbourhood was nothing very unusual,
seeing that they had a village scarcely a hundred
miles off to the north-west, and that they continually
made excursions of several hundred miles into the
States in all directions, and even to the capital. For
a long time past their diminished numbers had not
allowed them to attempt anything hostile against their
white neighbours, who each year drew nearer to them ;
and their increasing wants, particularly their insatiable
greed after the precious fire-water, had reduced them
to be, de facto, little better than slaves to fur-dealers
and storekeepers, for whom they hunted, and who
paid the poor wretches in whisky scarcely the tenth
part of the value of their skins.

In the present instance the two backwoodsmen had
no evil intention against the Indian ; all they wanted
was to give him a glass of Monongahela, and to amuse
themselves a little at his expense. So at least it ap-
peared from the words of the one who had been
knocked down, and who, without taking his tumble
at all in ill part, now roared out, that " he must drink
a half-pint of whisky with him, or he would put him
in his pocket."

376 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOKT.

" Come, young redskin," cried the other ; " come
along. You shall help us to fight the cussed Brit-
ishers, and drink, ay, drink like a fish."

By this time the little group was surrounded by
deserters from the parade-ground, examining the In-
dian with a rude and unceremonious, but not an ill-
natured, curiosity. Without permission or apology
they inspected his wardrobe, tried the edge of his
scalping-knife, examined his mocassins, and one of
them even made an attempt to remove the cap from
his head. By these various investigations the stranger
seemed more surprised than gratified. His exterior
was, it must be confessed, somewhat singular. A fox-
skin cap covered his head and extended down over
his ears, concealing his light-brown hair, an attempt
at disguise which the long fair down upon his upper
lip rendered tolerably unsuccessful. His deerskin
doublet denoted the Indian, but his trousers were
those of a white man. One of his mocassins — the
other he had left in some swamp — was of Indian
workmanship ; one of his cheeks was still daubed
with the red and black war-paint, which had been
nearly rubbed off the other ; his hands, although
burnt brown by the sun, Avere those of a white man.
If any doubt could have remained, his features would
have settled it ; the bold blue eye could no more have
belonged to an Indian than could the full rosy cheek
and the well-formed mouth. The crowd stared at
him with the same sort of stupefaction which they

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 377

might have shown had they entered a thicket expect-
ing to find a fat deer, and encountered in its stead a
growling bear.

" I should think you've looked at me enough," said
the stranger at last, in good English, and in a sort of
half-humorous, half-petulant tone ; at the same time
delivering a blow, with the flat of his knife, upon the
horny hand of a backwoodsman, who had again at-
tempted to lift his cap with a view to examine his
hair.

It was, as the reader will already have conjectured,
our young Englishman, who, having been guided by
the Indian runner into the path to the Coshattoes,
had at last succeeded in making his way over and
through the innumerable SAvamps, rivers, and forests
with which that district is so superabundantly blessed.
The comparative coolness of the season, and the shal-
lowness of the swamps and rivers, of the former of
which many were entirely dried up and converted
into meadows, had favoured his journey, or else he
would scarcely have succeeded in reaching the banks
of the Atchafalaya. Eor the preceding three weeks
he had lived upon wild geese and ducks, which he
had killed and roasted as the Indians had taught
him. He had now just emerged from the wilderness,
and however great his wish undoubtedly was to find
himself once more in civilised society, the grim aspect
of the Goliath-like backwoodsmen, their keen eyes
and sun-burnt visages, and long horn-handled knives,

378 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

were so uninviting, that he was almost tempted to
wish himself back again. Nevertheless, he seemed
rather amused than disconcerted by the frank, forward
familiarity of the people he had come amongst.

"And d — n it ! " exclaimed one of the men after a
long pause, during which Hodges had been the ob-
served of all eyes, " who, in the devil's name, are
you ? You are no redskin ? "

" No, that I'm not," replied the young man, laugh-
ing ; " I am an Englishman."

He spoke the last words in the short decided tone,
and with all the importance of a baron or count, who,
having condescended to arrive in disguise amongst
his dependents, on a sudden thinks proper to lay
aside his incognito. There was in his look and
manner, as he glanced over the crowd, a degree of
self-satisfaction, and a curiosity to see the impression
made by the announcement, mingled with the feeling
of superiority which John Bull willingly entertains,
and which he at that time was wont to display to-
wards Brother Jonathan, but which has since entirely
disappeared, and given place to a sort of envious
uneasiness — a certain proof, in spite of the scorn in
which it disguises itself, of his consciousness of the
superiority of the detested Brother Jonathan afore-
said.

" An Englishman ! " repeated twenty voices.

" A Britisher ! " vociferated fifty more, and amongst
these a young man in a grass-green coat, who had

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 379

just come up with an air of peculiar haste and im-
portance.

" A Britisher ! " repeated the gentleman in green ;
"that's not your only recommendation, is it?"

The person addressed glanced slightly at the speaker,
who was measuring him with a pair of lobster-eyes
of no very friendly expression, and then carelessly
replied —

"For the present, it is my only one."

" And d — n it, what has brought you to Opelousas ?"
demanded the green man.

"My legs!" replied Hodges. But the joke was
not well taken.

" Young man," said an elderly American, " you are
in Louisiana state, and see before you citizens of the
United States of America. That man there" — he
pointed to green-coat — "is the constable. Jokin' is
out of place here."

" I come from on board my ship, if you must
know."

" From on board his ship ! " repeated everybody,
and every brow visibly knit, and a low murmur ran
through the crowd.

The news^of the landing of British troops had just
reached the town, and the same courier had brought
the unwelcome intelligence of the capture of the
American gunboats on the Mississippi. Trifling as
this disaster Avas, compared with the brilliant vic-
tories achieved on Lakes Champlain and Erie, and

380 TRAVEL, AD VENTURE, AND SPOUT.

on the ocean, at every meeting, by American ships
over British, it had, nevertheless, produced a general
feeling of exasperation.

The constable stepped aside with several other men,
and talked with them in a low voice. "When they
returned, and again surrounded the Englishman, their
conference had produced a marked change in their
manner. Their rough familiarity and friendly in-
quisitiveness had given place to a repulsive coldness ;
the humorous cheerfulness of their countenances was
exchanged for a proud, cold earnestness, and they
measured Hodges with keen distrustful glances.

"Stranger," said the constable, in a tone of command,
"you are a suspicious person, and must follow me."

" And who may you be, who take upon yourself to
show me the way ? " demanded the midshipman.

" You have already heard who I am. These men
are citizens of the United States, presently at war
with your country, as you probably know."

The green-clad functionary spoke these words with
a certain emphasis, and even dignity, which caused
the young man to look with rather less disdain at his
shining beaver-hat and verdant inexpressibles.

" I am ready to follow," said he ; " but I trust I
am in safety amongst you."

"That you will soon see," replied the constable, drily.

And so saying, he, his prisoner, and the crowd, set
off in the direction of the town.

The young midshipman was taken before our old

THE AMERICANS AXD THE ABORIGINES. 381

acquaintance, Squire Copeland, who, with the restless-
ness characteristic of his countrymen, had emigrated
some three years before from Georgia to the infant
town of Opelousas, and now held the double office of
justice of the peace and major of militia. Hodges
was examined on suspicion of being an emissary from
the British, sent to stir up the Indian tribes against
the Americans. He scrupulously observed his pro-
mise, made to Tokeah and Canondah, not to reveal
their place of abode ; and, hampered by this pledge,
was unable to give a clear account of himself. Sus-
picion was confirmed by his disguise, and by certain
exclamations which he imprudently allowed to escape
him on hearing Major Copeland and his wife make
mention of Tokeah, and of Rosa, their foster-child,
of whom they now for seven years had heard nothing.
The result of his examination — of which the good-
natured and xmsuspicious squire, having his hands
full of business, and being less skilled in the use of
the pen than the rifle, requested the prisoner himself
to draw up the report — was, that Major Copeland,
the constable, and Hodges, set off for a town upon
the Mississippi, then the headquarters of the Louisi-
anian militia.

VII.

It may be necessary to remind our readers, that
when the British troops, under Sir Edward Paken-

382 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

ham, menaced New Orleans, the constitution of
Louisiana was temporarily and arbitrarily suspended
by General Jackson, commanding the American
forces in the south, with a view to greater unity in
the defensive operations. This suspension excited
great indignation amongst the Louisianians, who
viewed it as a direct attack upon their liber-
ties, unjustified by circumstances. Meetings were
called, and the general's conduct was made the sub-
ject of vehement censure. When the news of the
peace between England and the United States, con-
cluded in Europe before the fight of New Orleans
took place, arrived, judicial proceedings were insti-
tuted against Jackson; he was found guilty of a
violation of the Habeas Corpus Act, and condemned
to a fine of two thousand dollars. This fine the
Louisianian Creoles were anxious to pay for him;
but he preferred paying it himself, and did so with a
good grace, thereby augmenting the popularity he
had acquired by his victories over the Creek Indians,
and by the still more important repulse of Paken-
ham's ill-planned and worse-fated expedition.

Captain Percy, a young officer of regulars, brought
the announcement of the suspension of the Louisi-
anian constitution to a town on the Mississippi, then
the headquarters of the militia, who, at the moment
of his arrival, were assembled on parade. The
general commanding read the despatch with grave
dissatisfaction, and communicated its contents to his

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 383

officers. The news had already got wind through
some passengers by the steamboat which brought the
despatch-bearer, and discontent was rife amongst the
militia. The parade was dismissed, the troops dis-
persed, and the officers were about to return to their
quarters, when they were detained by the following
incident.

From the opposite shore of the river, two boats
had some time previously pushed off, one of them
seeming at first uncertain what direction to take. It
had turned first up, then down stream, but had at
last pulled obliquely across the river towards the
bayou or creek, on the shore of which the little town
was situated. It was manned by sailors, judging
from their shirts of blue and red flannel ; but there
were also other persons on board, differently dressed,
one of whom reconnoitred the shore of the bayou
with a telescope. It was the strange appearance of
these persons that now attracted the attention of the
officers. They were about twelve in number ; some
of them had their heads bound up, others had their
arms in slings ; several had great plasters upon their
faces. They were of foreign aspect, and, judging
from the style of their brown, yellow, and black
physiognomies, of no very respectable class. As if
wishing to escape observation, they sat with their
backs to the bayou. At a word from General Billow,
an officer stepped down to meet them.

The boat was close to shore,' but as soon as the

VOL. III. 2 B

384 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

suspicious-looking strangers perceived the approach, of
the militia officer, it was turned into the creek and
shot rapidly up it. Suddenly it was brought to land ;
one of the better dressed of the men stepped out and
approached the captain of regulars, who just then
came out of the guard -house. With a military
salute he handed him a paper, saluted again, and
returned to his companions in the boat. After a
short time the whole party ascended the bank of
the bayou, and walked off in the direction of the
town. The captain looked alternately at the men
and at the paper, and then approached the group of
officers.

" What do those people want ? " inquired General
Billow.

The officer handed him the paper.

" Read it yourself, general. I can hardly believe
my eyes. A passport for Armand, Marceau, Bernar-
din, Cordon, &c., planters from Nacogdoches, delivered
by the Mexican authorities, and countersigned by the
general-in-chief . "

" Have you inquired their destination 1 "

Captain Percy shrugged his shoulders. " New
Orleans. Anything further, the man tells me, is
known to the general-in-chief. A most sxispicious
rabble, and who seem quite at home here."

" Ah, Mister Billow and Barrow, how goes it ?
Glad to see you. You look magnificent in your scarfs
and plumes."

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 385

This boisterous greeting, uttered in a rough, good-
humoured voice, proceeded from our friend Squire
Copeland, who had just landed from the second boat
with his companions and horses, and having given the
latter to a negro to hold, now stepped into the circle
of officers, his broad - brimmed Quaker - looking hat
decorated with the magnificent bunch of feathers, for
which his daughters had laid the tenants of the
poultry-yard under such severe contribution.

" Gentlemen," said he, half seriously and half
laughing, " you see Major Copeland before you. To-
morrow my battalion will be here."

"You are welcome, major," said the general and
other officers, with a gravity that seemed intended as
a slight check on the loquacity of their new brother
in arms.

" And these men," continued the major, who either
did not or would not understand the hint, "you
might perhaps take for my aides-de-camp. This one,
Dick Gloom, is our county constable ; and as to the
other" — he pointed to the Englishman — "I myself
hardly know what to call him."

"I will help you, then," interrupted Hodges, impa-
tient at this singular introduction. " I am an Eng-
lishman, midshipman of his Majesty's frigate Thun-
derer, from which I have, by mishap, been separated.
I demand a prompt investigation of the fact, and
report to your headquarters."

The general glanced slightly at the overhasty

386 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

speaker, and then at the written examination which
the squire handed to him.

" This is your department, Captain Percy," said
he ; " be pleased to do the needful."

The officer looked over the paper, and called an
orderly.

" Let this young man be kept in strict confinement.
A sentinel with loaded musket before his door, and
no one to have access to him."

" I really do not know which is the most suspicious,"
said the general ; " this spy, as he is called, or the
queer customers who have just walked away."

Squire Copeland had heard with some discontent
the quick decided orders given by the captain of
regulars.

" All that might be spared," said he. " He's as
nice a lad as ever I saw. I was sitting yesterday at
breakfast, when a parcel of my fellows, who are half
horse, half alligator, and a trifle beyond, came tum-
bling into the house as if they would have pulled it
down. Didn't know what it meant, till Joe Drum
and Sam Shad brought the younker before me, and
wanted to make him out a spy. I had half a mind
to treat the thing as nonsense ; but as we sat at
table he let out something about Tokeah ; and when
the women spoke of Rosa — you know who I mean,
Colonel Parker ; Rosa, whom I've so often told you
of — he got as red as any turkey-cock. Thinks I to
myself, 'tisn't all right; better take him with you.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 387

You know Tokeah, the Indian, who gave us so much
trouble some fifteen years ago ? "

" Tokeah, the chief of the Oconees ? "

"The same," continued the squire. "I chanced
to mention his name, and the lad blurted out, ' To-
keah ! Do you know him ? ' and when Mistress
Copeland spoke of Eosa "

" But, my dear major, this circumstance is very
important, and I see no mention of it in your report,"
said the general reprovingly.

" I daresay not," replied the loquacious justice of
peace; "he'd hardly be such a fool as to put that
doAvn. I had my head and hands so full that I
asked him just to draw up an account of the matter
himself."

The officers looked at each other.

" Upon my word, squire," said the general, " you
take the duties of your office pretty easily. Who
ever heard of setting a spy to take down his own
examination, and a foreigner too? How could you
so expose yourself and us ? "

The squire scratched himself behind the ear.
" Damn it, you're right ! " said he.

During this dialogue the officers had approached
one of the five taverns, composing nearly a third part
of the infant town, towards which the ill-looking
strangers had betaken themselves. The latter seemed
very anxious to reach the house first, but owing to
the tardiness of some of their party, who walked

388 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

with difficulty, they were presently overtaken by the
prisoner and his escort. When the foremost of them
caught a sight of the Englishman's face, he started
and hastily turned away. Hodges sprang 011 one
side, stared him full in the face, and was on the
point of rushing upon him, when one of his guards
roughly seized his arm and pointed forwards.

" Stop ! " cried the midshipman ; " I know that
man."

" May he," replied the orderly, drily. " Forward ! "

" Let me go ! " exclaimed Hodges. " It is the
pirate."

" Pirate 1 " repeated the soldier, who had again
laid hold of his prisoner. "If you cut any more
such capers, I'll take you to prison in a way that
your bones will remember for a week to come. This
young man says," added he to the officers, Avho just
then came up, " that yonder fellow is a pirate."

" Obey your orders," was the sole reply of the
general ; and again the orderly pushed his prisoner
onwards.

"And you1?" said the militia general, turning to
the foreigners — " who may you be 1 "

One of the strangers, half of whose face was bound
up with a black silk bandage, whilst of the other
half, which was covered with a large plaster, only a
grey eye was visible, now stepped forward, and bowed
with an air of easy confidence.

" I believe I have the honour to address officers of

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 389

militia, preparing for the approaching conflict. If,
as I hope, you go down-stream to-morrow, we shall
have the pleasure of accompanying you."

" Very kind," replied the general

" Not bashful," added the squire.

" We also are come," continued the stranger in the
same free-and-easy tone, "to lay our humble offering
upon the altar of the land of liberty, the happy
asylum of the persecuted and oppressed. Who would
not risk his best blood for the greatest of earth's
blessings ? "

" You are very liberal with your best blood,"
replied the general, drily. "How is it that, being
already wounded, you come so far to seek fresh
wounds in a foreign service?"

" Our wounds were received from a party of Osages
who attacked us on the road, and paid dearly for
their temerity. We are not quite strangers here;
we have for many years had connections in !N"ew
Orleans, and some of the produce of our plantations
will follow us in a few days."

" And this gentleman," said Colonel Parker, who,
after staring for some time at one of the adventurers,
now seized him by the collar, and in spite of his
struggles dragged him forward ; " does he also come
to make an offering upon liberty's altar 1 "

With a blow of his hand he knocked off the man's
cap, and with it a bandage covering part of his face.

" By Jingo ! dat our Pompey, Avhat run from Massa

390 TRAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

John in New Orlean," tittered the colonel's black
servant, who stood a little on one side with the
horses.

" Pompey not know massa. Pompey free Mexi-
can. Coding to massa," screamed the runaway
slave. .

" You'll soon learn to know me," said the colonel.
" Orderly, take this man to jail, and clap irons on his
neck and ankles."

" You will remain here," said the general in a tone
of command to the spokesman of the party, who had
looked on with an appearance of perfect indifference
during the detection and arrest of his black con-
federate.

" It will be at your peril if you detain us," was
the reply. " We are ordered to repair to head-
quarters as speedily as possible."

"The surgeon will examine you, and if .you are
really wounded, you will be at liberty to fix your
temporary abode in the town. If not, the prison
will be your lodging."

" Sir ! " said the man, with an assumption of
haughtiness.

" Say no more about it," replied the general coldly ;
" the commander-in-chief shall be informed of your
arrival, and you will wait his orders here."

The stranger stepped forward, as if he would have
expostulated, but the general turned his back upon
him, and walked away. A party of militia now took

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 391

charge of the gang, and conducted them to the guard-
house.

This scarred and ill-looking crew was Lafitte and
the remnant of his band, who had come, according
to a private understanding with General Jackson,
to serve the American artillery against the British.
Their bandages and plasters being found to cover
real wounds, they were allowed to quarter themselves
at the estammet of the Garde Imperiale, kept by a
Spaniard called Benito, once a member of Lafitte's
band, but now settled in Louisiana, married, and,
comparatively speaking, an honest man. Benito was
greatly alarmed at the sight of his former captain
and comrades, and still more so when they insisted
upon his aiding them that very night to rescue Pom-
pey the negro, lest he should betray their real char-
acter to the militia officers. Lafitte promised to have
the runaway slave conveyed across the Mississippi ;
but as this would require the absence, for at least
three hours, of several of the pirates, who, although
at liberty, were kept under a species of surveillance,
the real intention was to make away with the un-
fortunate Pompey as soon as the boat was at a
certain distance from land. The negro was confined
in a large building used as a cotton store, built of
boards, and in a dilapidated condition ; the militia
on guard left their post to listen to the proceedings
of a meeting then holding for the discussion of
General Jackson's unconstitutional conduct, and,

392 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

profiting by their absence, Benito and four of the
pirates, Mexican Spaniards, contrived the escape of
a prisoner whom they believe to be Pompey. In
the darkness they mistook their man, and brought
away Hodges, who was confined in the same building.
This occurred at midnight. The meeting, which
absorbed the attention of the militia, was not yet
over, when the four pirates, Benito, and the rescued
prisoner, arrived at the junction of the creek and the
Mississippi, and, unmooring a boat, prepare to embark.

At this moment a second boat became visible,
gliding gently down the bayou towards the stream.

" Que diablo f " muttered the Mexicans. " What
is that 1 "

The boat drew near ; a man was in it.

" Who is that 1 " whispered the pirates, and then
one of them sprang suddenly into the strange skiff,
whence the clanking of chains was heard to proceed.
The Mexican stared the unwelcome witness hard in
the face.

" Ah, Massa Miguel ! " cried the new-comer with
a grin. " Pompey not stop in jail. Pompey not
love the ninetaiL"

" The devil ! " exclaimed the Mexican ; " it is
Pompey. Who is the other, then? We are seven
instead of six. What does all this mean 1 "

" Santiago ! " cried the pirates. " Who is he 1 "
they whispered, surrounding the seventh, and, as it
seemed, superfluous member of their society.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 393

" Xo Spanish. Speak English," was the reply.

" Santa Virgen ! How came you here 1 "

" You ought to know, since you brought me."

The men stepped back, and whispered to each
other in Spanish. " Come, then ! " said one of them
at last.

" !N"ot a step till I know who you are, and where
you go."

" Fool ! Who we are matters little to you, and
where we go, as little. Any place is better for you
than this. Stop here and I would not give a real
for your neck."

" Leave him ! Leave him ! " muttered the others.

" Be off, and back again quickly," whispered the
tavern-keeper, "or you are all lost."

" Stop ! " cried the Englishman. " I will go with
you."

The negro had already jumped into the Mexicans'
boat, and, with the heedlessness of his race, had left
his own adrift.

" Ingles," said one of the pirates, " sit you here,"
— and he showed him his place in the bow of the boat
next to a young Mexican, — "and Pompey in the
middle, and now let's be off."

"Stop!" cried Hodges. "Had we not better
divide ourselves between the two boats'?"

"Ah, massa never rowed across the Sippi," tittered
the lazy negro. " Massa not get over in six hours,
and come to land at Point Coupe."

394 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

" Hush, Pompey," muttered his neighbour, and the
boat, impelled by six pair of hands, darted swiftly out
into the stream.

"Ah, Massa Manuel, let Pompey file off him
chains," grumbled the black. "Pompey been in
upper jail — been cunning," laughed he to himself;
"took file and helped himself out. Massa Parker
stare when he see Pompey gone."

" Hold your tongue, doctor," commanded a voice
from the hinder part of the boat, "and let your
chains be till you get across."

The negro shook his head discontentedly. " Massa
Felipe wouldn't like to be in the collars," said he ;
but nevertheless he put away his file, and whilst with
one hand he managed the oar, with the other he held
the chain connecting the ankle irons with the collar,
and which had been filed in too close to the latter.
This collar consisted of a ring two inches broad, and
as thick as a man's finger, encircling the neck, and
from which three long hooks rose up over the crown
of the head. "With a sort of childish wonder he
weighed the chain in his hand, staring at it the
while, and then let it fall into the bottom of the
boat, which now advanced towards the middle of
the stream.

" Poor Lolli ! " said the negro, after a short silence
— " she be sad not to see Pompey. She live in St
John's, behind the cathedral"

" Pompey ! " cried the Mexican who sat forward on

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 395

the same bench with Hodges, " your cursed chain is
rubbing the skin off my ankles."

"Sit still, Pompey," said the negro's neighbour.
" I'll take it out of the way."

"Ah! massa hurt poor Pompey," cried the black
to his next man, who had wound the chain round
his feet, and now gave it so sudden a pull that the
negro let go his oar and fell back in the boat. The
young Englishman became suddenly attentive to what
passed.

"What are you about?" cried he ; "what are you
doing to the poor negro ? "

" Gor-a-mighty's sake, massa, not joke so with poor
Pompey," groaned the negro. " Massa strangle poor
nigger."

" It's nothing at all, Pompey ; think of your fat
Lolli behind the cathedral, and don't forget the way
to Nacogdoches," said the man on the sternmost
bench, who had taken the chain from his comrade,
passed it through the neck-iron, and violently pulling
it, drew the unhappy negro up into a heap.

"Massa, massa, ma ! " gasped the negro, whose

breath was leaving him.

The whole had been the work of a moment, and
the stifled groans and sobs of the agonised slave were
nearly drowned by the rush of the waters and splash
of the oar-strokes.

" The devil ! " cried the Englishman, " what is all
this?"

396 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

At that moment the board on which he sat was
lifted, his fellow-rower threw himself against him
with all his force, and nearly succeeded in precipitat-
ing him into the stream. Hodges staggered, but
managed to regain his balance, and turning quickly
upon his treacherous neighbour, dealt him a blow
with his fist that knocked him overboard.

" Buen viage d los infiernosf" cried the other
Mexicans with a burst of hellish laughter, hearing
the splash, but misapprehending its cause.

" Go to hell yourself ! " shouted the Englishman,
grasping his oar, and dealing the man in front of
him a blow that stretched him by the side of the
negro.

" Santa Virgen! who is that 1 " cried the two stern-
most pirates.

" The Englishman ! " exclaimed one of them, press-
ing forward towards Hodges, but stumbling over
the men at the bottom of the boat, which now
rocked violently from the furious struggle going on
within it.

" Ma ma ! " groaned the negro again,

now seemingly in the death-agony. His eyes stood
out from their sockets, and glittered like stars in the
darkness ; his tongue hung from his mouth, swollen
and convulsed.

" By the living God ! if you don't unfasten the
negro, I'll knock you all into the river."

"Maldito Ingles/ Picaro gojo!"

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 397

" Let him go ! Let him go ! Holy Yirgin ! "
yelled the three Mexicans, as one of them who had
approached the Englishman was knocked bellowing
into his place by a furious blow of the oar. " It's
the devil himself ! " cried the pirates, and one of
them pushed the negro towards Hodges.

" Stand back ! " cried the midshipman, " and take
off his neck-iron. If you strangle him, you are all
dead men."

One of the Mexicans laid hold of the negro, who
was coiled up like a ball, and drew the chain out of
the collar. The poor slave's limbs fell back, dead
and powerless as pieces of wood. A gasping, rattling
noise in his throat alone denoted that life was still
in him.

" Stand back ! " repeated Hodges, stooping down,
and endeavouring, by vigorous friction with a blanket,
to restore the negro to consciousness. During this
life-and-death struggle, the boat, left at the mercy of
the waters, had been borne swiftly away by the
stream, and was now floating amongst a number of
the enormous trees which the Mississippi carries
down by thousands to the sea. The Mexicans re-
sumed their places, and with their utmost strength
began to pull up-stream. ~Not far from the frail
skiff, beneath the mantle of fog covering the river,
a huge tree-trunk was seen coming directly towards
the boat — Hodges had barely time to bid the Mexi-
cans be careful, when it shot by them. As it did so,

398 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

a strange, unnatural cry saluted their ears, and strain-
ing his eyes through the darkness, the young English-
man saw a head and a hand appearing above one of
the limbs of the forest giant.

" Misericordia!" cried the voice — "Socorro/ Por
Dios!"

It was the Mexican whom Hodges had knocked
into the water, and who, by means of the tree, had
saved himself from drowning.

" Turn the boat ! " cried Hodges, " your country-
man is still alive."

" Es verdad! " exclaimed the desperadoes, and the
"boat was turned. Meanwhile the negro had come
gradually to himself, and now crouched down at the
feet of his deliverer. He peered over the gunwale at
the half-drowned Mexican.

" Gor-a-mighty, massa!" cried he, seizing the
Englishman's oar — "dat Miguel — trike him dead,
massa; Miguel very bad mans."

"Keep still, Pompey," answered Hodges, pulling
with might and main to the assistance of the Mexi-
can. The boat shot alongside the floating tree, and
the half-drowned wretch had just sufficient strength
left to extend his hand, which the Englishman
grasped.

" Take care, massa ! the pirates will kill us both,"
cried the negro.

At that moment the boat received a violent shock,
a wave dashed over it, and threw the Mexican on

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 399

the gunwale, across which he lay more dead than
alive.

" Lay hold of him," said Hodges to the negro.
"Ah, Pompey not such dam' fool — Pompey lub
massa too much. The others don't row. Look,
massa, they only wait to kill massa."

" Hark ye ! " cried Hodges to the Mexicans, at the
same time giving the nearest to him a blow with his
oar — "the first who leaves off rowing — you under-
stand me?"

The boat rocked on the huge sheet of water, in the
midst of the floating trees, menaced each moment with
destruction from the latter, or with being swallowed
up by the troubled and impetuous stream ; the Mexi-
cans cowered upon their benches — thirst of blood, and
rage, suppressed only by fear, gleaming in their black
rolling eyes and ferocious countenances. The negro
now twisted the boat-rope round the body of the
rescued man, who, still groaning and imploring mercy,
was dragged on board.

" Ah, massa ! Miguel good swimmer ; bath not
hurt him, massa," mumbled the restless black.
" Massa not forget to take his oar with him out of
the boat,"

"And Pompey not forget to handle his own a
little more diligently," was the reply of Hodges.

For a time the negro obeyed the injunction, and
then looked at the young Englishman, who appeared
to listen attentively to some distant sound.
VOL. in. 2 c

400 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

" Massa never fear, militiaman sleep well — only
Sippi's noise. Pompey know the road, Massa Parker
not catch him."

A quarter of an hour passed away, and the strength
of the rowers began to diminish under their continued
and laborious efforts.

" Massa soon see land — out of the current already,"
cried the negro.

Another quarter of an hour elapsed, and they
reached the shore ; Hodges jumped out of the boat,
and was followed by the negro, still loaded with his
fetters. The Mexicans sprang after them.

" Stop by your boat ! " cried Hodges in a threaten-
ing tone. Instead of an answer, a knife, thrown by
a sure and practised hand, struck him on the breast.
The deerskin vest with which Canondah had equipped
him proved his protection. The weapon stuck in it,
and remained hanging there.

" Vile assassins ! " cried Hodges, who now broke
off the flat part of his oar, and grasping the other
half, was about to rush upon the bandits, when the
negro threw his arms round him.

" Massa not be a fool ! pirates have more knives,
and be glad if he go near them. Kill him then easy."

" You are right, Pompey," said Hodges, half laugh-
ing, half angry, at the negro, who was showing his
white teeth in an agony of fear and anxiety. " The
dogs are not worth the killing."

For a moment the three assassins stood undecided ;

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 401

then yelling out a " Buen viage d los infiernos I " got
into their boat and speedily disappeared in the foo-
and darkness.

Hodges was pursued and recaptured, but Tokeah
and Eosa, who, with their companions, were brought
in by a party of militia, and the latter of whom was
joyfully recognised and welcomed by the worthy
Squire Copeland, cleared him of the charge of spying,
and he remained a prisoner of war. The troops took
their departure for oSTew Orleans, and the Indians
were detained at the town, whence, however, Tokeah
and El Sol departed in the night-time, and continued
their journey. The old chief accomplished his object,
disinterred his father's bones, and returned to fetch
Eosa, and proceed with her to his new home in the
country of the Comanches. Meanwhile the action of
New Orleans had been fought, and he finds, to his
grief and astonishment, that Lafitte, whose life he
had spared in the expectation of his meeting punish-
ment at the hands of the Americans, had actually
been fighting in their ranks, and had received, as a
reward for his services, a free pardon, coupled, how-
ever, with an injunction to quit the territory of the
United States. Through an advertisement in an old
newspaper, traces had been discovered of Eosa's
father, who was a Mexican of high rank. She had
been stolen by a tribe of Indians with whom Tokeah
was at war, and from whose hands he rescued her.
Tokeah had an interview with General Jackson, who

402 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

cautioned him against the further indulgence of his
inveterate hostility to the Americans, and permitted
him to depart. Eosa now went to take leave of the
old chief, who was as yet unaware that she was not
to accompany him.

"\Vhen Eosa, Squire Copeland, and Hodges entered
the estaminet of the Garde Imperiale, they found the
two chiefs and their followers seated in their usual
manner upon the floor of the room, which had no
other occupants. El Sol rose at their entrance, and,
advancing a few steps, took Eosa's hand and con-
ducted her to a chair. She did not sit down, but
ran to the Miko and affectionately embraced him.
The old chief gazed at her with a cold and inquiring
look.

" Miko," said the squire, " Miss Eosa has come .to
take leave of you, and to thank you for the kindness
you have shown her. You yourself shall fix the sum
that will compensate you for your expenses on her
account."

" Tokeah," replied the Indian, misunderstanding
Major Copeland's words, and taking a leather bag
from his wampum belt, " will willingly pay what the
white chief claims for food and drink given to the
White Eose."

" You are mistaken," replied the squire ; " pay-
ment is due to you. Strictly speaking, the amount
should be fixed by a jury, but you have only to ask,
and any reasonable sum shall be paid at once."

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 403

" The white chief," said the Indian, " may take
whatever he pleases."

" I tell you it is I, and not you, who have to pay,"
returned the squire.

"Has my daughter bid farewell to her foster-
father 1 " said the Indian to Eosa, who had listened
to this dialogue with some uneasiness. " Eosa must
leave the wigwam of the white men; the Miko's
path is a long one, and his spirit is weary of the
pale-faces."

"And must the Miko go?" said Eosa. "Oh!
father of my Canondah ! remain here; the white
men will love thee as a brother."

The Indian looked at her with astonishment.

" "What means the White Eose 1 " said he,—" the

pale-faces love Tokeah 1 Has the White Eose ? "

He paused, and surveyed her gloomily and suspi-
ciously. "Tokeah," continued he at last, "is very
weary of the white men ; he will be gone."

" Miko," said Eosa, timidly — for it was evident
that the chief was still in error as to the motive of
her visit — " Eosa has come to beg you to remain a
while with the white men ; but if you must go, she
will—

"The Miko is the father of his people," inter-
rupted Tokeah ; " they call him ; he must go, and
the Eose of the Oconees shall also be the Eose of the
Comanches, the squaw of a great chief."
The young girl blushed, and stepped back.

404 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

" Miko," said she, " you are the beloved father of
my dear Canondah ; you saved my life and main-
tained me, and I thank you heartily ; but, Miko, I
cannot, I must not, do as you wish. I no longer
belong to you, but to my father — my long-lost father."

" Rosa speaks truth — she belongs to her father,"
said the Miko, not yet undeceived ; " my daughter's
feet are weak, but she shall sit in a canoe till she
reaches the wigwams of the Pawnees, and they have
many horses."

" By G — ! " cried the squire, " here is a mistake ;
the Indian thinks to take Rosa with him. My dear
boy," continued he to Hodges, " run as quick as you
can to Colonel Parker, and bring a party of men.
Bayonets are the only things these savages respect.
Rosa, say no more to him, he is getting wild."

A change had taken place in the Indian, although it
was one which only a keen observer could detect. He
began to have an inkling that Rosa was to be taken
from him, and his gloomy inanimate physiognomy be-
trayed a restless agitation, which alarmed the major.

" The White Rose," resumed Tokeah, after a while,
" is a dutiful daughter. She will cook her father's
venison."

" That would I willingly do for the father of my
Canondah," said the young girl ; " but a higher duty
calls me. Father of my Canondah ! Rosa has come
to take leave of thee."

The Indian listened attentively.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 405

" Miko," continued the maiden, " the father who
gave me life is found. Eosa must hasten to him
who for fourteen years has wept and sought her."

" Tokeah gave Eosa her life ; he saved her from
the tomahawk of Milimach ; he paid with skins for
the milk she drank."

" But Eosa has another father who is nearer to her,
whom the Great Spirit bestowed upon her ; to him
must she go. I must leave you, Miko," said she,
with increased firmness of manner.

Upon the countenance of the Indian all the bad
passions of his nature were legible. The scales had
at last fallen from his eyes ; but even now his cold
and terrible calmness did not desert him, although
the violence of the storm raging within showed itself
in the play of his features and the variation of his
complexion.

" Miko," said the squire, who foresaw an approach-
ing outburst of fury — " Miko, you heard the words
of the great warrior of the pale-faces 1 "

The Indian took no notice of the caution ; his
whole frame was agitated by a feverish trembling ;
his hand sought his scalping-knife ; and he cast so
terrible a look at Eosa, that the horror-struck squire
sprang to her side. To Major Copeland's astonish-
ment, the young girl had regained all her courage,
and there was even a certain dignity in her manner.

"Miko," said she, extending her arms, "I must
leave you."

406 THAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

" What says my daughter 1 " demanded the Indian
— who even yet seemed unable to believe his ears —
his voice assuming so shrill and unnatural a tone, that
the tavern-keeper and his wife rushed terrified into
the room. " Tokeah is not her father 1 she will not
follow the Miko ? "

" She cannot," answered Rosa, firmly.

"And Rosa," continued the Indian, in the same
piercing accents, " will leave the Miko ; will let him
Avander alone on his far and weary path 1 "

The words were scarcely uttered, when, by a -sudden
and unexpected movement, Tokeah sprang to his feet,
caught Rosa in his arms, and with a like rapidity re-
treating to the side-door of the room, came in such
violent contact with it, that its glass panes wero
shivered into a thousand pieces.

"And does the white snake think," he exclaimed,
with flashing eyes, " that the Miko is a fool 1 " He
held the maiden in his left arm, whilst his right
raised the glittering scalping-knife. " Does the white
snake think," continued the raging Indian, with a
shrill laugh of scorn, whilst the foam gathered round
his mouth, "that the Miko fed and cherished her,
and gave skins for her, that she might return to
the white men, the venomous pale -faces, whom he
spits upon 1 " And he spat with loathing upon the
ground.

" By the God who made you, hold ! Hurt the
child, and you are a dead man ! " cried the squire.

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 407

who seized a stool and endeavoured to force his way to
Eosa, but was repulsed by the Comanches and Oconees.

" Therefore did the white snake accompany me ! "
yelled Tokeah. " Does my son know," cried he to
El Sol, "that the White Eose has betrayed her
father — betrayed him for the pale-faces? Will the
white snake follow her father 1 " screamed the frantic
savage.

"I cannot," was the reply. "The voice of my
Avhite father calls me."

An expression of intense hatred came over the
features of the Indian, as he gazed at the beautiful
creature who lay half-fainting oh his arm.

"Tokeah will leave the White Eose with her
friends," said he, with a low deadly laugh, drawing
back his hand and aiming the knife at her bosom.

" Gracious God ! he is killing her ! " cried the
major, breaking furiously through the opposing
Indians. But at this critical moment the young
Comanche was beforehand with him. With a bound
he interposed himself between the chief's armed hand
and intended victim, tore Eosa from the grasp of
Tokeah, and hurled him back against the door with
such force that it flew into fragments.

" Tokeah is indeed a wild cat ! " cried he with
indignant disgust. "He forgets that he is a chief
amongst his people, and brings shame upon the
name of the red men. El Sol is ashamed of such a
father."

408 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

These Avords, spoken in the Pawnee dialect, had
an indescribable effect upon the old savage. He had
partly raised himself after his fall, but now again
sank down as if lifeless. Just then several file of
militia entered the room with bayonets fixed.

"Shall we take the Indian to prison1?" said
Lieutenant Parker.

The major stood speechless, both his arms clasped
round Rosa.

" Lieutenant Parker," said he, " support Eosa for a
moment : the Almighty Himself has protected her, and
it beseems not us to take vengeance." He approached
the old Indian, who still lay upon the floor, lifted him
up, and placed him against the wall. "Tokeah,"he
said, "according to our laws, your life is forfeited, and
the halter the least you deserve ; nevertheless, begone,
and that instantly. You will find your punishment
Avithout receiving it at our hands."

" He was my father, my unhappy father ! " ex-
claimed Eosa, and tottering to the Indian, she threAv
her arms around him. "Father of my Canondah,"
cried she, "Eosa Avould never leave you, but the
voice of her OAvn father calls. Forgive her Avho has
been a daughter to you ! "

The Indian remained mute. She gazed at him for
a Avhile Avith tearful eyes ; then turned to El Sol, and
bowing her head modestly and respectfully, took leave
of him, and left the house Avith her companions.

The young chief of the Comanches remained as in

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 409

a dream, till the major, with Eosa and the militia,
were already far from the estaminet. Suddenly he
came bounding after them, and placing himself before
Rosa, took her hands, pressed them to his breast, and
bowed his head so mournfully, that the witnesses of
the scene stood silent, sympathising with his evident
affliction.

" El Sol," whispered he, in a scarcely audible tone,
"has seen Eosa : he will never forget her."

And without raising his eyes to her face, he turned
away.

"As I live," exclaimed the squire, with some
emotion, " the noble savage weeps ! "

VIII.

An hour subsequently to this scene, the party of
Indians left the bayou in a canoe, and ascended the
Mississippi Upon reaching the mouth of the Eed
Eiver, they turned into it, and continued their route
up-stream. On the tenth day from that of their
departure, they found themselves upon the elevated
plain where the western district of Arkansas and
Louisiana joins the Mexican territory. To their
front were the snowy summits of the Ozark range,
beyond which are immense steppes extending towards
the Eocky Mountains. The sun sank behind the
snow-capped peaks, as the Indians landed at the

410 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT.

western extremity of the long table-rock, which there
stretches like a wall along the left bank of the Red
River. Leaving their canoe, they approached a hill,
or rather a mass of rock, that rises not far from the
shore in the barren salt steppe, and in whose side
exists a cave or grotto, resembling, by its regularity
of form, an artificial archway. Here, upon the imag-
inary boundary-line separating the hunting-grounds
of the Pawnees of the Toyask tribe from those of the
Cousas and Osages, they took up their quarters for
the night. El Sol ordered a fire to be made ; for
Tokeah, who had just left the warm climate of Lou-
isiana, shivered with cold. Their frugal meal de-
spatched, the Miko arid his Oconees stretched • them-
selves upon the ground and slept. El Sol still list-
ened to a legend related by one of the Comanches,
when he was startled by a distant noise. In an
instant the three warriors were upon their feet, their
heads stretched out in the direction of the breeze \vhich
had conveyed the sound to their ears.

" The dogs ! " murmured the young Comanche ;
" they bay after a foe in whose power it once was to
crush them."

The Oconees were roused from their slumber, and
the party hurried to the place where they had left
the canoe. The Miko and his warriors got in and de-
scended the stream; whilst El Sol and the two Coman-
ches crept noiselessly along the water's edge in the
same direction. After proceeding for about half a

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 411

mile, the canoe stopped, and the young chief and his
followers entered it, previously breaking the "bushes
growing upon the shore, so as to leave unmistakable
marks of their passage. They continued their pro-
gress down the river to the end of the table-rock, and
then, leaving the old man in the boat, El Sol and the
four warriors again landed, and glided away in the
direction of their recently abandoned bivouac. In
its vicinity were stationed a troop of twenty horses.
Of the Indians to whom these belonged, ten re-
mained mounted, Avhilst the remainder searched the
cave, and followed the trail left by its late occupants.
Crouching and crawling upon the ground, the better
to distinguish the footmarks dimly visible in the
moonlight, it might almost have been doubted
whether their dark forms were those of men, or of
some strange amphibious animals who had stolen out
of the depths of the river for a midnight prowl upon
the shore.

His ear against the rock, and motionless as a
statue, El Sol observed each movement of the foe.
Suddenly, when the Indians who followed the trail
were at some distance from the cave, he made a sign
to his companions, and, with a noiseless swiftness
that defied detection, the five warriors approached
the horses. A slight undulation of the plain was all
that now separated them from their enemy. El Sol
listened, gazed upwards at the moon's silver disc,
just then emerging from behind a snow - charged

412 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT.

cloud, raised himself upon his knee, and taking a
long and steady aim, nodded to his warriors. The
next instant five savages, pierced by as many bullets,
fell from their horses to the ground; a terrible yell
shattered the stillness of the night ; and with light-
ning swiftness El Sol sprang upon the terrified sur-
vivors, who, answering his war-whoop by cries of
terror, fled in confusion from the place. It needed
all the surprising rapidity and dexterity of the young
chief and his followers to secure six of the half-wild
horses, whose bridles, so swift and well-calculated
had been the movements of the Comanches, might
be said to fall from the hands of their slain riders
into those of the assailants. The remaining steeds
reared in extreme terror, and then, with neigh and
snort, dashed madly across the wide waste of the
steppe.

Springing upon the backs of the captured animals,
the Comanches galloped to the shore. Scarcely had
they entered the canoe, astern of which the horses
were made to swim, when the bullets and arrows of
the pursuing foe whistled around them.

"Will my son promise the Miko to be a good
father to the Oconees ? " said the old chief in a hol-
low voice, as they pulled out of range of the fire.

" A father and a brother," answered the Comanche.
" But why does my father ask ? He will dwell long
and happily with his children."

"Will El Sol swear it by the Great Spirit?"

THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 413

repeated the old man earnestly, but in a fainter
voice.

" He will," replied the young chief.

" Will he swear to bury Tokeah and his father's
bones in the grave of the warriors of the Comanches 1 "

" He will," said El Sol.

" So shall the white men not scoff at his ashes, nor
at those of his father," groaned the Miko. " But it
is the will of the Great Spirit that Tokeah should
not see the hunting-grounds of the Comanches; he
is doomed to die in the land of the pale-faces."

A rattling in his throat interrupted the old man ;
he murmured a few broken words in the ears of his
Oconees, who broke out into a Avild howl of lamenta-
tion. Still clasping to his breast the coffin contain-
ing his father's bones, he sank back in the boat in
the agonies of death. El Sol raised him in his arms,
but life had already fled. A bullet had struck him
between the shoulders, and inflicted a mortal wound.
In silent grief the young chief threw himself upon
the corpse, and long after the boat had reached the
opposite shore, he lay there, unmindful of aU but his
sorrow. Housed at length by the whispers of his
companions to a sense of the danger of longer delay,
he laid the body across a horse, and himself mount-
ing the same animal, took the road to the village of
the Pawnees. There, upon the following day, to the
wild and mournful music of the death-song, the little
party made its sorrowful entrance.

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