It is to be lamented that Government have never adopted a plan I long ago offered, of employing the convicts in clearing away a sufficient tract around Diamond Harbour, which is now peculiarly unhealthy, and is the grave of full one-fourth of the crews of the India Company’s, and other ships, that generally are moored there for months.
I am aware that objections have been stated in regard to clearing away the forests in theSoonderbunds, on account of their being considered a natural defence in that quarter; but, without entering upon the policy, or otherwise, of such a retention of that ‘wilderness of all wildernesses,’ there does not appear to me any sound reason for suffering the principal naval station to be backed and flanked by woods and swamps, from which disease is poured forth amidst our unfortunate countrymen.
I have been assured, that, taking one year with another, full three hundred European sailors die of diseases incident to the laying up of ships for a while in the river, of whom, the larger portion are taken ill at, or below, Diamond Harbour.
Those who have occasion to pass through the Sunderbunds, which can be done by water only, ought to be extremely careful not to venture ashore, unless at some of the little towns, whose vicinity may afford some security against the attacks of tigers, by the jungle having been partially cleared away. The romantic scenery, every where inviting the eye, should not be permitted to allure the traveller from his state of safety; nor should the abundance of game, especially of deer, lead him among those coverts in which danger equally abounds.
Nor are the waters less devoid of mischief: sharks, of an uncommon size, are every where numerous and greedy; while their competitors,the alligators, not only infest the streams, but often lie among the grass and low jungle, waiting for a prey, with which, so soon as seized, they plunge into the water.
Instances have been know, both of tigers swimming off to board boats, and of alligators striking thedandies(boatmen) out of the boats, with their tails, and snapping their victims up with a nimbleness fully proving the falsehood of that doctrine, which teaches to escape from the crocodile by running out of the right line, ‘because the animal cannot turn to follow!’
If those who either gave, or believed in, such advice, were to see with what facility an alligator can turn about, or with what agility he can pursue,and catch, the large fishes that abound in the great rivers of India, the folly would be so self evident, as to cause an immediate dereliction of so preposterous an opinion.
Besides, thekoomeer, or bull-headed alligator, which, generally speaking, is the only kind to be seen in brackish waters, is peculiarly fierce and active; far more so than could be supposed, at first sight, of an amphibious animal of thelacertatribe, (for it is nothing more than an immense lizard, or guana,) whose length has been thirty feet, and whose girth has equalled twelve feet.
Such is the ravenous disposition of thekoomeer, that it will not hesitate to seize cattle that proceed to drink of the river water whereit is fresh; but this does not often happen; the places where cattle proceed to slake their thirst, being, for the most part, rather shallow, so that an alligator, sufficiently formidable for such an attack, could not lie concealed. It has fallen within my way to see some oxen that had been seized by the head, or by the fore leg, but which had either been rescued by their drovers, or had succeeded in escaping from their merciless enemy: they were all so lacerated as to be completely disfigured!
The size of a boat may make much difference regarding the time required to make the Soonderbund-passage: generally from ten to twelve days will elapse in making the shortest cut in abudjrowof from twelve to sixteen oars; while a lightpulwar, that can pass through the lesser creeks, and make way against the tides, which are extremely intricate, on account of the numerous channels that wind in every direction, may perhaps get through in seven or eight days. Much will depend on the route: if Dacca, or any part of the Megna, be the destination, full ten days will be requisite, but if the Comercolly track, which opens into the Ganges nearly opposite to Nattore, be followed, the great body of the wilderness will be avoided, and the fertile districts of Jessore, Mahomedpore, and Comercolly, will be passed through with facility and gratification.
It does not appear that any accurate survey has been taken of the Soonderbunds, further than to ascertain the several channels, and to lay down the bearings of particular shoals, which run for many miles off the coast, presenting, on the whole, a most intricate and dangerous approach to vessels even of small burthen; though, with proper care, ships of great size may be carried into the Rogmungul, the Hooringattah, and the Mutwallah rivers, where they may ride in perfect safety.
Mr. Benjamin Lacarn, many years back, explored the passage at the back of Saugur Island, and presented to the Government in India very accurate draughts of the soundings and bearings; from which he enabled the Board to judge of the practicability of resorting to that passage, with more safety and convenience than now exists, in respect to those channels that lie to the westward of Saugur.
The spot selected for the reception of vessels was called New Harbour, and the stream leading to it from Culpee was designated Channel Creek. It is to be presumed, that, notwithstanding the plan has not been carried into effect, although occasionally resorted to, the merits of the suggestion must have been considerable, as the Company have thought it but just to remunerate that gentleman’s abilities and research, by an annuityof £600., which has been lately raised to £1000.
Several objections have been urged against the adoption of New Harbour, of which some may be cogent; but, from all I have ever heard on the subject, it appears to me, that the reasons given for rejection exist at least as formidably in the western channels, where some of the advantages offered by New Harbour are totally wanting.
The time will probably arrive, when Saugur Island, instead of being a desolate waste, inhabited by various wild animals, may present a rich expanse of agriculture, destined for the support of an industrious population, inhabiting those shores so favorably situated for extensive commerce, and so highly protected by nature against foreign incursion. The channels leading past it, on either side, are narrow, and certainly might be defended by a very small force against a powerful fleet.
Many opinions, and some bold assertions, have been offered regarding the Soonderbunds. Some consider the immense wilderness that borders the coast, to be of no great antiquity, and pretend, that probably one hundred years would be too much to allow for the duration of that soil, whereon such stupendous forests of noble trees are now to be seen.
That the whole of the country south of theGanges, from Bogwangolah to Saugur, and in the other direction to Luckypore, &c., was formerly covered by the ocean, may be readily believed, both from the nature of the soil in general, and from the various marine productions to be found occasionally, when wells are dug to any considerable depth.
The ancient city ofGour, of which only an immense assemblage of ruins, covering full thirty square miles, are to be seen, stood not very far from Mauldah.
That able geographer, Major Rennell, states it to have been the capital of Bengal 730 years before Christ, and that it was deserted in consequence of a pestilence; that it formerly stood on the banks of the Ganges, from which it is now distant nearly five miles; the river having, as is very common in that quarter, changed its course: the Mahanuddy, which passes within two miles of it, is navigable throughout the year. Many parts ofGourare now full twelve miles from the Ganges.
The following extract from Major Rennell’s Memoirs, pages 55-6, may serve to illustrate the position I have to assume regarding the Soonderbunds: he says, ‘Taking the extent of the ruins ofGourat the most reasonable calculation, it is not less than fifteen miles in length, (extending along the old bank of the Ganges,) and from two to three in breadth.Several villages stand on part of its site: the remainder is either covered with thick forests, the habitations of tigers, and other beasts of prey, or is become arable land, whose soil is chiefly composed of brick-dust.
‘The principal ruins are a mosque, lined with black marble, elaborately wrought, and two gates of the citadel, which are strikingly grand and lofty. These fabrics, and some few others, appear to owe their duration to the nature of their materials, which are less marketable, and more difficult to separate, than those of the ordinary brick buildings; and are transported to Moorshadabad, Mauldah, and other places, for the purpose of building. These bricks are of the most solid texture of any I ever saw; and have preserved the sharpness of their edges, and the smoothness of their surfaces, through a series of ages.
‘The situation of Gour was highly convenient for the capital of Bengal and Bahar, as united under one government; being nearly centrical with respect to the populous parts of those provinces, and near the junction of the principal rivers that compose that extraordinary inland navigation for which those provinces are formed; and, moreover, secured by the Ganges, and other rivers, on the only quarter from which Bengal has any cause for apprehension.’
Here I feel at a loss; for the author hasevidently been deficient in that perspicuity which characterizes his work; it does not appear to me what quarter is meant in this instance; the greater part of Bengal being divided fromGourby that same river, the Ganges, which is here described as a protection toGouragainst incursions from Bahar. If this be not the Major’s meaning, I can find no other; at all events, the passage is incongruous.
Setting, however, that matter at rest, as being irrelevant on this occasion, I shall proceed to observe, that throughout the Delta of the Ganges, which forms an area of full twenty thousand square miles, (it being nearly a right-angled triangle, whose sides average about two hundred miles,) we have not one vestige of remote date!
It has, no doubt, been asserted by some travellers, and I have heard several of the natives declare, that, in some parts of the Soonderbunds, ruins of great extent are to be seen. These are said to be the remains of cities which formerly flourished on the borders of the ocean, but were abandoned in consequence of the depredations of theBurmans, orMuggs, who inhabited the country lying south of Chittagong, and who have, within the last fifteen years, called to our memory that such a nation was still in existence.
Admitting the existence of such reputedruins, we have no right to place them to the account of the earlier ages; we have no records of their existence; the whole of the details that have hitherto been offered to the world, either by native traditionists, or European surveyors, give no account of any such fragments; while, on the other hand, every presumption is in favor of the whole Delta being comparatively modern.
Major Rennell, at page 347 of his Memoirs, observes in a note, that ‘a glass of water taken out of the Ganges, when at its height, yields about one part in four of mud. No wonder then that the subsiding waters should quickly form a stratum of earth; or that the Delta should encroach upon the sea.’ If we estimate the course of the Ganges, (setting apart the Barampooter,) at fifteen hundred miles, and take its mean width at half a mile; which is, indeed, reducing that magnificent flow of water to a mere stream, we have then a surface of seven hundred and fifty square miles, of which, one fourth is said to be mud, or matter light enough to be kept suspended by the violence of the current. This should give nearly two hundred square miles of soil.
The foregoing computation proves the Delta to contain twenty thousand square miles; therefore, if Major Rennell’s hypothesis be correct, the whole of the Delta might havebeen formed in one hundred years; taking the depth of the river, when at its highest, to be equal to the depth of the soil. But, if we recollect that probably many fathoms of sea were filled up by the encroachment that thus took place, we may be correct in allowing ten times that period,i.e.a thousand years, for the completion, or, rather, for the gradual accumulation, of so extensive an addition to theterra firmaof Asia.
At page 348, Major Rennell argues very strongly, though unintentionally, perhaps, in support of my hypothesis, thatGourformerly stood on the borders of the ocean, and was, probably the Tyre of Hindostan. He says, ‘As a strong presumptive proof ofthe wandering of the Ganges, from the one side of the Delta to the other, I must observe, that there is no appearance ofvirginearth, between the Tipperah Hills on the east, and the province of Burdwan on the west; nor on the northtill we arrive at Dacca and Bauleah.’
Uniting all these points, and agreeing with Major Rennell that the Ganges discharges, on a medium, 180,000 cubic feet of water in a second, we may easily imagine that the present Delta has been formed by the sedimentary portion propelled forward in constant succession, until it gained the highest level to which the annual inundation could raise it; after which,the black mould on the surface must have been produced by the constant accumulation of vegetable matter that rotted thereon.
It is a curious, but well known, fact, that from Sooty to that part of the Cossimbazar Island which lies nearest to the tide’s way, the whole is obliged to be preserved from inundation by an embankment, called thepoolbundy, maintained at a very great and regular expence; an obvious demonstration that the present course of the Hooghly has not been settled many centuries; for almost all rivers, long subject to such overflows as those we witness in Bengal, ultimately raise their banks, by an annual deposit of matter, to such a height as afterwards prevents their streams from passing over into the adjacent country.
There can be little doubt, that the city of Gour stood on a spot which, in very ancient times, was washed by the sea; and we may, without being accused of credulity in the extreme, admit the great probability of the Ganges having then debouched into thesinus, or bay, at that same spot.
Nor should we doubt, that those sands, which are, at this day, so dangerous to navigation, from Balasore to Chittagong, will, at some remote period, be encreased and raised, so as to become, in the first instance, islands; and, ultimately, parts of the continent; the presentchannels serving for the courses of future rivers, which, in so loose a soil, may, like the Ganges in our times, be subject to changes of locality, whenever the floods may prove so impetuous as to open new beds, and cause the streams to be diverted into them.
The Sunderbunds, whatever may be their date or origin, present, at this day, a most inhospitable aspect, and give, exteriorly, a feature to the country which by no means corresponds with the interior: they are, in truth, a hideous belt of the most unpromising description, such as could not fail to cause any stranger who might be wrecked on that coast, and who should not proceed beyond the reach of the tide, to pronounce it ‘a country fit for the residence of neither man nor beast.’
When Major Rennell remarked, ‘that they furnish an inexhaustible supply of wood for boat building;’ he might have added, ‘of timber for ship building.’ Many very large vessels have been launched from this quarter, but, no pains having been taken to season the timber, it was not to be expected they should prove so durable as they might have been rendered by due precautions in that particular. Nor is the wood itself of the best quality for naval architecture; for, though it is very strong, and to be bent with facility to any necessary form, it, being extremely subject to be worm-eaten, proves a great draw-backon its being brought into more general use, unless for such vessels as are intended to be coppered: for such, thejarroolmay answer, as may also thesoondry; both which abound in every part of the Sunderbunds.
The whole coast, from Balasore to Chittagong, has at times been occupied by a class of natives calledMolungies, who manufacture salt from the sea-water. The produce of the severalchokies, or manufactories, is immensely valuable, as has already been shewn, and suffices for the consumption of the whole population of all the Company’s dominions, besides what is exported into those of the Nabob Vizier, &c. About thirty-five years ago, salt used to be sold at a rupee, or a rupee and a half, per factory maund of 72lb.; which might average about one half-penny per lb.; but, since the Company monopolized the manufacture, and imposed a heavy duty, the price of salt has gradually risen to about four rupees per maund.
The importation of salt, by sea, is prohibited, except under partial or temporary licences; but it is brought from the mines to the northward of Delhi in large quantities, though not of so good a quality, it being generally very bitter, especially theSalumbah, or more opaque rock-salt, which is far less serviceable for curing meat than theSamber; both these kinds are brought insmall prismatic masses, and, though in common use among the natives of the upper provinces, are never, except from necessity, allowed to appear at the tables of Europeans, though employed in their culinary preparations.
Salt is also obtained, but not of a prime quality, by piling up large quantities of the sand forming the beds of rivers, after the waters have subsided into very narrow channels. On these heaps water is poured in abundance, and, being afterwards drained into reservoirs, the salt either chrystalizes by solar heat, or by being boiled in large iron pans, similar to those used for chrystalizing sugar from the expressed juice of the cane.
In travelling by water, many points, totally unheeded by European tourists, are necessarily to be attended to previous to departure. I have already warned my readers, that no furnished house, no lodgings, no public vehicles, no inns, and, in short, no preparation for the lodgment or convenience of temporary sojourners, are to be expected in any part of India; with the exception of the taverns and punch-houses already described. Therefore, when an excursion is to be made by water, abudjrowmust be hired, which may commonly be effected either by what is called ‘teekah,’ or so much for the trip, according to the distance, with some allowance for demurrage; or the vessel may be hired at a certain monthlysum; generally taken at ten rupees per oar. Sometimes return-budjrowsare to be had at a cheaper rate: whichever way the bargain may be made, the person hiring has nothing to do with the pay, or provision, of the several men employed in navigating the vessel.
The following Table of Allowances granted by the Company to officers, and others, proceeding, according to orders, from one station to another, will be both useful to those who may be proceeding to the East, and serve to give a general idea of the periods required, in ordinary seasons, taking the year round, for a boat’s reaching her destination, and returning to the place she quitted. The allowance likewise includes whatever may be intended for not only thebudjrow, but for an attendant baggage-boat, and a cook-boat.
TABLE OF ALLOWANCEFORBUDJROWS AND BOATS.
TABLE OF ALLOWANCEFORBUDJROWS AND BOATS.
TABLE OF ALLOWANCE
FOR
BUDJROWS AND BOATS.
Officers are entitled to the allowance forbudjrowsand boats only in the following instances: viz.
When posted to corps on their first joining the army.
When ordered to proceed, by water, upon any duty.
When removed,without their own application, to supply vacancies in the corps to which they are removed.
When water conveyance is not practicable, the difference ofbattais to be drawn, calculating from the day of appointment, and allowing ten miles for daily progress.
Where no ascertained rate is given, officers are to draw at the rate of ten miles against, and fourteen with, the current, for each day’s progress. The following may be considered the general standard; by which extraordinary cases are likewise governed.
It is proper to remark in this place, that a boat may, at most seasons of the year, proceed to Berhampore, (provided the river be open,) in about seven or eight days. The distance by water is nearly double that by land, owing to the winding course of the river, which formerly could competite with that passing under Lucknow; which, owing to the mazes of its course, received the name of ‘Goomty,’ or winding.
Within the last twelve or fifteen years, many of the narrow isthmuses have been cut through, whereby the distance from Moorshadabad to Calcutta has been reduced full twenty miles; some yet require the aid of art, to perfect what the hand of time seems preparing for the still further abbreviating the passage by water: probably, in the course of twenty years, the river may be brought into a tolerable line; but, how long it will remain so, is another consideration; as the soil is every where, except about Rangamatty, (i.e.the red soil,) a few miles below Berhampore, so loose as to be totally unqualified to restrain the violent current which prevails in every part during four months in the year.
The passage to Chittagong can rarely be performed in a commonbudjrow, a great part of it being across the mouth of the Megna, indeed, in an open sea, subject, at least, to very heavy swells, if not to squalls, such as give much troubleeven to those who are on board substantial sloops, and other vessels coming under the description ofsea-boats. However, during the cold months, an adventurousmanjywill sometimes make the trip with hisbudjrow, provided a handsome gratuity be offered on such a hazardous occasion.
The best mode is to embark at Calcutta on board one of the Chittagong traders, of which some are commonly on the point of sailing, and to make a sea trip at once, in a secure, and tolerably pleasant manner. It is true, this mode does not offer all the conveniences of a good largebudjrow; but that is balanced by the safety and celerity with which the voyage is made. Abudjrowwill rarely complete the trip to Chittagong under three weeks; whereas, a coasting sloop will commonly perform it in as many days, after quitting the pilot, either in the northerly or southerly monsoon; the coast being east, with a very little southing.
After abudjrowhas been offered for hire, it will be but common prudence to send a carpenter on board to search her bottom, and to place a servant on board for a day and a night, to ascertain how much water she may take in during that time. Some of the best, in appearance, are extremely rotten, and can only be kept afloat by constant baling, in consequence either of the depredations of worms, or of the number ofyears they may have been built. Some are neat and clean, others are filthy in the extreme; some are supplied with good Venetians, lockers, curtains outside the windows, &c., &c.; while not a few, though not totally destitute of such conveniences, offer them in a most miserable state of wretchedness and of inutility. The roofs of nine in ten do not keep out water.
It will, on every occasion, be indispensably necessary to make memoranda of the terms on which thebudjrow, &c., may be taken; and to obtain from themanjya written agreement; the want of which may prove unpleasant, either in consequence of any misunderstanding, or from any attempt that may be made to impose upon such Europeans as may not be supposed to have sufficient knowledge of the ordinary routine of such affairs, to secure them from depredation.
The masts, sails, rigging, &c., of the vessel should be carefully over-hauled; and, in particular, great care should be taken that one or two goodghoons, or track ropes, of sufficient length, be on board; since a defect in this branch of equipment will inevitably produce great delay, and, in strong currents, subject the boat to imminent danger.
Let it be remembered, that, whatever the number of oars paid for may be, so many actual boatmen there ought to be, exclusive of themanjy,or steersman, and thegoleah, or bowman: it is a very common deception to count the latter in among the rowers, because he sometimes sits to an oar fitted out for him on the very prow of the vessel, when there is no occasion for his standing to throw theluggy, or bamboo-pole, whereby the boat is kept clear of banks, shoals, stumps, &c.
When an engagement is made of theteekah, or job-kind, themanjywill, for his own sake, endeavor to get away as speedily as possible, and will ordinarily make sure of a good crew, in order that his money may be the sooner earned; but, when paid by the month, there will be no end to excuses, delays, and evasions: thedandieswill generally be wanting in number, and their quality be very indifferent.
The best mode, on such occasions, is to apply to the police, which, under proper circumstances of established criminality, will put apeon(or messenger) on board, at the expence of the delinquent, and make such a change in the posture of affairs as cannot fail to please the employer. This is a safe and efficacious mode of proceeding; whereas, when justice is taken into the hands of the person hiring the boat, and that abuse and blows are dealt out, under the hope of gaining the point, the grounds of complaint are laid, and thedandies, so far from doing their duty, will either abscond wholly, or secretethemselves in such manner as effectually to impose an embargo.
I do not mean to say, that sometimes a recourse to themanualmay not be advisable, or even peremptorily necessary; but such must be adopted with extreme caution, and with such a mixture of resolution and conciliation, as may produce the desired effect, without establishing a character for brutality, or unnecessary harshness. If, during the trip, occasion for complaint should arise, it is best to refer the matter to any persons in office, whether native or European, who may be within a suitable distance. Themanjieshave an insuperable antipathy to this mode of proceeding, because it deprives them of all grounds for justification, or representation; the want of which, in the hearing of an European magistrate, speedily induces to their corporal punishment; while, in the estimation of acutwal, or chief of a village, it is sure to subject them to some pecuniary loss, whether by fine, by deduction from the sum to be paid as hire, or by having to maintain one or morepeons, according to the nature of the offence.
Mostbudjrowshave two apartments, exclusive of an openverandain front; the latter is on a level with the dining apartment, but the chamber, which is more towards the stern, rises one or two steps above their level, in consequence of the form of the vessel’s stern: beyond allthere is usually a small privy, which, being still more elevated, is ascended by other steps.
As the chamber contracts considerably towards the after-part of its floor, it will be necessary to ascertain whether a small cot (i.e.a bedstead) can stand in that part of thebudjrow, without inconvenience; as also whether the height, between the floor and the roof, may admit of the bed-posts being erected. If the space should not allow them to be elevated, they must be unshipped, either by taking off their hinges, or by drawing them forth from their sockets, and the curtains must be suspended from hooks, nails, &c., driven for that purpose into the beams that support the roof.
Though floating on a large river, whose waters are celebrated for their virtues and purity by the whole population of Hindostan, it will, nevertheless, be indispensably necessary to take on board a good largeg’oulah, or jar, which may be lashed to the mast, and be used as a depot for such water as may be intended for culinary purposes, or for beverage. In a few hours it will have settled thoroughly, and should then be drawn off as required into smaller vessels, calledkedjeree-potsby Europeans, but by the nativesgurrahs.
Whence the former designation originated I never could learn, but conclude it resulted either from the supplies of crockery furnishedto our shipping atKedjeree, or from the very common circumstance of that preparation of rice, split peas, &c., calledkitchurry, which may often be seen boiling, wholesale, in vessels of this description, for the supply of a dozen, or more, ofdandies, &c.
The forepart of everybudjrowis decked, and furnished with two hatchways, with appropriate coverings: the whole of the part under the deck, which reaches from theverandato the stern, is generally considered by themanjyas a privilege, of which he rarely fails to avail himself, when it is possible to render the trip a trading voyage. Against this too much precaution cannot be adopted; for not only will thebudjrowbe so heavily laden as to draw more water, (an object of considerable importance,) but to track with far greater difficulty, and to leak very abundantly.
If any contraband trade can be carried on with tolerable safety, it is usually in this manner; because, owing to the general deference paid by the custom-house officers, andchokey-peons, in every part of the country, to European gentlemen, and to their equipages, few, or none, will attempt to search abudjrowunder hire: the facility with which goods can be landed, is such as to obviate, almost totally, any danger to be apprehended in the performance of that part of the adventure.
Government has, it is true, placed a number of checks on this kind of fraud; but, unhappily, it is out of its power to go so far into the remedy as would put a total stop to illicit commerce, without subjecting their own servants, of whatever rank, to the intrusive, and ultimately insolent, researches of those natives by whom they should, on every occasion, be treated with the utmost respect and consideration. It is inconceivable with what secresy, and caution, the manjies act on such occasions. An instance is within my knowledge, of a gentleman hiring abudjrowat Patna, to proceed to the Presidency, but it was in vain that he importuned themanjy, day after day, and hour after hour, to complete his crew, and to have all in readiness for embarkation: at length, all was adjusted, and the vessel proceeded in high style.
The gentleman was unaccountably drowsy, and often wondered at the rapidity with which he seemed to be making his passage, but was not displeased to find himself so speedily floated towards the place of destination: it was in vain that he endeavored to prevent themanjyfrom stopping at Chandernagore, a French settlement, about twenty-two miles from Calcutta; when, to his great surprize, he saw several boxes of opium, which had been concealed in various parts of thebudjrow, and particularly under the floors, handed out to somesircarswhowere at theg’haut, or landing-place, anxiously awaiting her arrival.
However unpleasant the above-mentioned cargo might have proved, it cannot be compared with the truly offensive practice common among all the boat-men of Hindostan, of cutting such fish as they may purchase, catch, or steal, into slices, and hanging them over the quarters to become sun-dried. This custom should never be tolerated on any account; not only because the effluvia are cruelly distressing, but, that, wherever it is allowed to obtain, all the rats are sure to be attracted from whatever boats, or banks, may come in contact with thebudjrow: once in, Old Nick cannot get them out; except by emptying the vessel completely, and fumigating her with sulphur; or by sinking her for a while, so as to drown the vermin, of all descriptions, that harbour in the numberless recesses, chinks, &c., to be found in every quarter of an oldbudjrow.
When a single gentleman is intent on proceeding on the most economical and expeditious plan, he will find it best not to have even a cook-boat in his suite; but should confine himself entirely to whatever convenience hisbudjrowmay afford. If this plan is acted upon, the several boxes, &c., may be arranged within the cabins, or, at the utmost, under the deck; taking care, however, to debar thedandiesfromvisiting that part of the vessel, by placing stout battens, or bamboo-laths, across, by way of confining them to the fore hatchway, down which they ordinarily keep their cloaths, fire-wood, &c., &c., and, occasionally, make achoolah, or hearth and fire-place, of mud, whereon to cook the victuals of the crew; an operation performed by one of thedandies, who, on that account, is exempted from all ordinary duties, and who is generally capable of serving up an admirably well-savored curry.
The after-part of the hold is commonly spacious enough to hold a tent of ordinary dimensions; but it may become a question how far it would be prudent to put camp equipage in the way of the rats, which would, probably, for the sake of shelter in the vicinity of the culinary operations, soon burrow into the hearts of the packages, and do inconceivable damage. If, however, no other place can be allotted for the reception of a tent, and the weather be such as not to warrant its being stowed upon the poop, no alternative is left, and the risk of destruction, or, at least, of very serious injury, must be met with resignation.
Though not indispensably necessary, a tent of some kind will be found extremely convenient, when proceeding by water to any distant station, especially during the hot season. As the boat-men usually come to about sun-set, or,perhaps, a little earlier, if any favorable situation, or the proximity of some large town, should invite, a small tent may easily be taken ashore, and pitched on the elevated bank, where the freshness of the air, and the wide range of prospect, prove a most comfortable relief to a person who, during the day, may have been obliged to remain under the heated roof of a cabin, whereof the windows were closed to keep out the sun, hot winds, and flying sand.
Many gentlemen have one small boat employed chiefly in going forward with such a convenience, and which, after the bed, &c. may be shipped at day-break on board thebudjrow, that no delay may arise in departing, waits to receive the baggage left on the spot, with which it proceeds at such a rate as soon makes up for the detention: a boat of this kind is extremely useful in many instances, but especially in procuring supplies from an opposite bank, for going to or from shore in shoal water, for towing abudjrowin strong waters, for carrying out an anchor, or rope, to warp by, &c., &c.
Where only abudjrowand such a small boat are employed, the latter generally has achoolah, or hearth, &c., prepared within it under a small thatch. She commonly has to carry the proper supply of dry fire-wood; that obtained on the way being, with few exceptions, green, and causing the viands to acquire a very smoky, unpleasantflavor. The poultry are also usually conveyed on the thatch of the cook-boat, in smalltappahs, or cages, made of split bamboos: this part of the stock may consist of a dozen of fowls, with a few ducks, and a goose or two; and, occasionally, is accompanied by one or two milch goats, which, being supplied with foliage cut for that purpose, during the day, and being sent to some verdant spot when the boat comes to in the evening, rarely fail to furnish milk enough, of a very superior quality, for the morning and evening tea.
The traveller must not expect to be supplied with beef, mutton, or veal, as he may proceed, in any part of the country, except at military or civil stations: there he may, perhaps, be enabled to purchase a sufficient supply of meat to make some variety in his diet as he passes from one station to another; but, unless in some very particular situations, he must content himself with poultry of various kinds, but chiefly chickens, and with kids, of which the meat is excellent. He may, at some of the principal towns where Mussulmans reside, here and there fall in with a butcher, who can furnish a joint ofkussy(i.e.cut-goat); or he may perchance pick up a tolerable sheep, which may, at all events, serve for gravy, and supply his pointers and spaniels with two or three days’ substantial provision.
The mention of cutting up a sheep for suchpurposes, may appear extraordinary to the European reader, but it must be recollected, that such sheep are rarely worth more than two shillings, that in some parts the country swarms with them, and that their wool is not valuable, owing to its being lank, coarse, harsh, and not of a strong fibre: it is, indeed, more like that hair which grows upon many horses that are turned out during the winter, and comes off by handfuls as the spring advances.
The boats employed for carrying baggage are of two kinds;woolachsandpatellies: the former are built in the lower provinces, with round bottoms, and often draw much water; the latter are chiefly of up-country build, have flat bottoms, and are clinkered; this construction suits them admirably to the shallows, which, after the rainy season, abound in all the rivers beyond the tide’s way, and especially at a distance from the sea.
Some of thewoolachsused by the more opulent native merchants are capable of bearing from fifteen hundred to three thousand maunds, (i.e.from eighty to a hundred and twenty tons,) but their medium may be taken at from four to eight hundred maunds, which is also the general measurement ofpatelliesin the common employ of grain-merchants, &c.: many are to be seen of full two thousand maunds, but such are calculated for the great rivers only; not but that inthe channels abundant depth of water may be found, so deep, indeed, that several ships, of five hundred tons burthen, have been built at Patna, which is, by water, six hundred miles from the sea; but those channels are so crooked, and the currents so strong, as to render it very difficult for the ordinary number ofdandies, proportioned to the tonnage, to navigate such unwieldy boats with safety and expertness,
The best size for a baggage-boat to attend upon abudjrow, especially in proceeding against the stream, may be from three hundred to five hundred maunds: observing, that thepatellyis by far better calculated for shallow water, and for the conveyance of horses, than awoolach; but, being so low in the water, the former is rather subject to be swamped in rough water, and, owing to its construction, is very apt to become hog-backed, and, ultimately, to give way in the middle; an accident which seldom or never happens to the latter.
When horses are to be carried in boats, as is very commonly done, it becomes necessary to make a platform, at about a foot from the bottom of the boat, consisting of brush-wood, mats, and soil: the thwarts being rarely a yard asunder, one must be taken out to make a stall of sufficient width; therefore, if three or four horses are put on board the same boat, a corresponding number of thwarts must be withdrawn.When the animals are about to be embarked, the thatch opposite the stall must be raised high enough to allow a horse to leap in without danger, from the bank.
This operation is often attended with considerable difficulty; for some horses are extremely averse to enter upon the solid platform of a large substantial ferry-boat, such as that at Ghyretty, even when placed on a level therewith, by means of a fixed, or moveable pier. When, therefore, it is considered how many obstacles seem to oppose the admission of a horse into a covered boat, when, probably, he is standing above his knees in water, and has to rise, under every disadvantage, over the boat’s gunwhale, it will not appear surprizing that many hold out for hours, notwithstanding every effort on the part of thesyces, (or grooms,) and that a large portion are severely lamed in the attempt.
It is curious to observe how very quiet and temperate horses become after embarkation! In such a situation, they seem to forget that wonderful propensity they invariably display when on shore, to attack each other, even when at a considerable distance; but, though parted by only a few feet, they become so tractable while in a boat, that their natures seem to undergo a complete change.
Notwithstanding this periodical, or, rather, local, timidity, it will be proper to secure thatpart of the boat’s side against which a horse may be able to kick; many instances having occurred of fiery steeds driving their hooves through the planks, which are not always very sound, and, even if undecayed, are generally by far too thin to resist so severe an operation: more than onepatellyhas foundered outright, with all the contents, in consequence of such an accident; the best mode of preventing which, is, by fastening a quantity ofjow(an aquatic species of fern,) to the inside, as a lining, whereby the planks may be secured from injury.
When a vessel is tracked against the stream, it is usual for thedandies, or boatmen, to go ashore, each furnished with a club of bamboo, about two feet in length, to which a piece of strong cord is fastened at one end; at the same time, theghoon, or track-rope, is veered out from a pulley in the mast head, or from a block lashed thereto, to as great a length as the situation may demand; commonly, from about seventy to a hundred and fifty yards may suffice, though, in very shoal water, mixed with deeps, or, where the ground is foul, even a greater length may be requisite.
Theghoonis about two inches round, and is made of white rope well laid: if made of tarred rope, it would prove too heavy, and oppose great resistance, by its want of elasticity, to theexertions of thedandies, each of whom, fixing the end of his cord to it, and resting the bamboo club over his shoulder, so that it may act, in some measure, as a lever, proceeds at an easy pace, his body leaning well forward, each following at about four feet behind the other. The foremost at the track-rope has a great advantage over his followers; he not being subject to the numerous checks and vibrations occasioned by the frequent impediments, whether bushes, banks, masts of other vessels, &c., which operate very forcibly on those whose cords are attached to that part of the rope in his rear.
The number ofdandiesat a track-rope may be too many, as well as too few; except when a boat can keep close to the shore, and theghoonmakes but a very small angle from the line of her progress: then, all the power that can be given certainly proves efficient; but, when the angle between the boat’s direction and the rope becomes considerable, it is evident the whole labor falls on a very few of the leadingdandies; in fact, all but those few are then compelled to liberate their cords from theghoon, otherwise they must be inevitably dragged out into the stream, unless those cords were many fathoms, instead of only four or five feet, in length.
The greater part of the trading boats use a different apparatus for tracking; in them, eachdandyis supplied with a fine cord, about as thick as a swan’s quill, made of a fine kind of long grass calledmoonje, which, when wetted, and twisted into this kind of tackle, becomes firm and elastic; though it will not answer for cordage in general. Eachdandyhas about seventy yards of line, the inner end of which fastens to a stout rope, reeved, the same as theghoon, at the mast-head, and long enough to be let out amply where requisite.
The other end of the line is coiled up by eachdandyrespectively, who fastens his bamboo club by its cord, at such part of themoonjeline as may be let out; generally a small quantity of coil being reserved, which hangs down either over eachdandy’sbreast or shoulder. By this means, each man tracks separately, and cannot be idle without themanjyinstantly detecting him; the several lines form so many rays from the mast-head, and are capable, when equally strained, to bear an immense burthen.
Nothing can be more unpleasant than having to pass aghautwhere numbers of boats are lying: on such an occasion, a man is sent up to the mast-head of each, in succession, for the purpose of passing theghoon; which, when liberated from one, swings on to another, causing a severe shock to the hinderdandyof the tracking party. Some use a very simple device for passing theghoonover their mast-heads: thisconsists merely of a kind of fork, made by tying the end of theghoon, of each vessel respectively, then at rest, to a long bamboo, about a quarter of the length down. Theghoonbeing pulled, the bamboo is raised, and carries with it that of the boat in motion: a man then slips the latter over the mast-head with great facility.
It is not always that the people on board boats, laying atghauts, will turn out to pass theghoon; on which occasions, words are rarely of much avail. I always found that apellet-bow, which sends clay-balls to about a hundred yards distance with considerable force, produced an instantaneous effect; the first shot rattling against the matted sides of a vessel’s interior, rarely failing to cause wondrous activity on the part of her crew; though, now and then, it has been necessary to repeat the operation, before the desired effect could be produced.
I strongly recommend to all gentlemen travelling by water, that they insist on themanjiesof their several boats carrying a small flag, of some obvious distinction, at their mast-heads: this prevents them from lying to, and concealing their vessels amidst a forest of masts, as they are very apt to do, when intent upon a clandestine trading voyage. Besides, as in the course of a day’s tracking, and especially when sailing, it is very common for abudjrowto getmany miles a-head, such a device then becomes a guide as to the propriety of coming to for the night, or, intermediately, for dinner, &c.
The number of miles which can be run over in the course of a day in abudjrow, will necessarily vary according to circumstances, guided by the quantity of water in the river, the direction and force of the wind, and the competency of the crew. I cannot do better, in this place, than offer the words of Major Rennell. At page 360 of his Memoirs, he says, ‘From the beginning of November, to the middle, or latter end of May, the usual rate of goingwiththe stream, is forty miles in a day of twelve hours; and, during the rest of the year, from fifty to seventy miles. The current is strongest while the waters of the inundation are draining off; which happens, in part, in August and September.’
In a former part, I remarked that the rivers generally rise a few inches in May; which is to be attributed to the melting of the snow on those hills where the Ganges and Barampooter have their source. Both those rivers, which have their rise at the base, but on opposite sides, of the same mountain, and, after separating to full twelve hundred miles asunder, unite, and form that immense volume of water called the Megna, receive a supply from the same quarter, and at the same time: we cannot, however,expect the force of their currents to be encreased much before the rains are fairly set in, which may be, generally, about the 10th of June, when their waters do, indeed, roll impetuously; so much, that many a boat has proceeded from Patna to Monghyr, a distance of one hundred measured miles by land, and full one hundred and twenty by water, between day-break and sun-set.
Major Rennell adds, ‘Seventeen to twenty miles a day, according to the ground, and the number of impediments, is the greatest distance that a largebudjrowcan be towed against the stream, during the fair season; and, to accomplish this, the boat must be drawn through the water, at the rate of four miles and a half per hour, for twelve hours. When the waters are high, a greater progress will be made, notwithstanding the encreased velocity of the current; because, the filling of the river-bed gives many opportunities of cutting off angles and turnings; and, sometimes, even large windings, by going through creeks. As the wind, at this season, blows upwards,’ (i.e.against the current,) ‘in most of the rivers, opportunities of using the sail frequently occur.’
It must not be supposed, from the foregoing, that the boat actually makes a progress of four miles and a half within the hour: far from it, thedandiesrarely walk more than two miles inthat time, but the velocity of the current being taken into account, would shew, that, if a log were to be heaved, the difference between the log and the boat’s advance would give the result alluded to by the Major, whose general correctness cannot be too much admired.
In using the sail, infinite changes take place; sometimes it is full, then again close-hauled, and, perhaps, ultimately, lowered on a sudden, according as the course of the river may change; and this some twenty or thirty times within the day. But when the reaches lie tolerably fair, that opportunity offers, as sometimes happens for a whole day together, and that the wind is brisk in favor, abudjrowwill run off from four to six miles within the hour. The river is often so low as to render the navigation very tedious, even under all the above favorable circumstances, by forcing themanjyto abide by the strong deep waters, and to wind in among the sands, which cause the channel to change its direction very frequently.
During the rains, and especially in the cold months, travelling by water is extremely pleasant with the stream; but, whatever facilities may be afforded, in any shape, I cannot say that any trip upwards, at whatever season, afforded me the smallest gratification. What with tracking, getting aground, remaining long among eddies, in which human carcases werefloating in all the various stages of putrefaction, the dust flying, &c., &c., nothing butennui, or impatience, can reasonably be expected.
Here and there a walk may be taken; but he who ventures ashore must be watchful to embark before thebudjrowmay be obliged to put far out for the purpose of passing some endless shallow; otherwise, he may have to walk under a vertical sun, through bushes, or over ploughed, or muddy, lands, and among ravines, for many an hour, before the opportunity many offer for getting on board: to crown the whole, he may, perhaps, come to somenullah, or small stream, over which no conveyance is to be had, either by bridge or boat!
My zeal for bringing home a few birds, or a hare, has often decoyed me into scrapes of this kind, and caused me to utter many an imprecation against the river, for winding, themanjy, for going on, and my own folly, for subjecting myself to such unpleasant circumstances. I must freely confess, that, in this respect, ‘experience didnotgive wisdom;’ for, after full a thousand and one such disappointments, I felt, at the last, just as eager as ever, to silence suchchuckores(a species of grouse) as had the insolence to crow within my hearing!
The navigation of the large rivers is rather more hazardous than among those of less breadth. When it is considered, that theGanges runs for upwards of a thousand miles through a country nearly level, and whose undulations are scarcely perceptible, except in a few places where the hills come down to the water’s edge, as at Sickregully, Pointee, Colgong, Chunar, &c., it must appear obvious that but little shelter can be expected from these squalls, called ‘north-westers,’ which, from the end of February until the setting in of the rains, occur almost daily, and blow with considerable violence. Even when under a high bank, it will require much care, and good tackle, to prevent abudjrowfrom being blown out into the middle, where, if she is top-heavy, as is too often the case, and the proper means be not taken to keep her head to the wind, she will stand a chance of being overset.
Fortunately, the approach of a squall is always strongly indicated by the black appearance above the horizon, and by the distant lightnings: when such are sufficiently characterized to leave little doubt of the storm’s passing that way, shelter should be sought in some creek, or under some high bank, of firm appearance, where thebudjrowshould be well secured by hawsers, carried out, and made fast to, substantial stakes driven into the ground by means of large malls, with all which every boat should be amply provided.Luggies, (or bamboo-poles,) ought to be carried out on the lee-side, for the purposeof resisting the wind, and causing the upper parts of the vessel to bear up duly against the severe gusts which commonly usher in the gale.
If the vessel is on a lee-shore, theluggiesmust, of course, be between her and the bank, to prevent her from bumping against it, and the anchor should be carried out to windward, into deep water, to keep her from being forced ashore: a danger particularly to be apprehended on long shelving sands; where many a well-conditioned boat has had her bottom beat out, by the force with which the surges, coming across an expanse of perhaps a mile, or more, have dashed her against the hard sand.
Such situations are peculiarly hazardous, and ought to be avoided most carefully: the misfortune is, that, from eagerness to get forward, and from the hope that a north-wester may be either moderate, or pass another way, folks, in general, keep pushing on, and allow many a secure asylum to be passed very imprudently! Those who have experienced the effects of a violent squall about Sheerness, may be proper judges of what is to be expected from a most furious gale, which often continues for an hour, or more, in a river which may be said generally to flow between banks full two miles asunder, and which are, in most parts, from three to five, in some, full seven, miles apart!
About Bengal, especially in the Sunderbund-passages,decoits, or water-robbers, are sometimes numerous. These often assemble in fleets, composed of long narrow boats, rowing from twelve to thirty oars, or paddles, at pleasure, and carrying from thirty to sixty, or seventy, men. Sometimes their fleets have been so formidable, and have so effectually put a stop to all commerce, as to call the attention of government, and to demand the presence of a strong establishment, backed by liberal offers of rewards, before the rivers could be resorted to in safety. Between Dacca and Backergunge, among the islands formed by the several minor branches of the Ganges, and by the innumerable creeks, with which the banditti are perfectly familiar, it has often been impossible for any boat to make its way, even for a few miles, without being boarded by thesedecoits.
As to rewards, little good is to be expected from them; the system adopted by the marauders is such as to render abortive any lures of that description. Where all participate, all will be found faithful to the cause, whether virtue or vice be the leader; and, where localities are such as to afford perfect security from the common run of pursuers, and where numbers render the association too formidable to admit any hope of success on the part of small detachments; in such instances, rewards can rarely produce the smallest benefit.
Wherever a boat, or even a fleet, may come to for the night, it will be indispensably necessary to keep a sharp look-out against thieves, who, appertaining to the several villages in the neighbourhood, rarely fail to assemble, during the night, under some bold chief, and to make an attempt to plunder by main force. It is scarcely to be credited to what a height this daring species of robbery has been, at times, carried. Were no other occasion existing, this would amount to ample cause for obtaining, if possible, a guard of sepoys, for the purpose of protecting the boats; but, strange to say, it is sometimes necessary to compel the villagers to sell their poultry, &c., to passengers, both by land and by water, although not simply a liberal, but an exorbitant remuneration is offered.
This does not proceed from unwillingness to make money, nor to sell the article in question, but merely from a spirit of opposition which pervades a large portion of the native population, who are often too adverse to contribute to the comfort, or, more properly, to the existence, of Europeans. It must seem curious that our countrymen are allowed to reside among a people of such a disposition, so far out-numbering, and possessed of such easy means of extirpating, us, with very little previous arrangement.
In saying this, I do not mean to accuse the natives of India of being so debased, so immoral,or so vindictive, as they have been represented by many gentlemen, especially some divines who have lately returned from the East, and whose opinions breathe by no means the spirit of that sublime religion they would coerce the natives to adopt. Taking all points into consideration, and viewing the nature of the country conjointly with the nature of their laws, and of their former government, I think we have by far more to admire than to censure, in a race of people, who, notwithstanding some highly remarkable instances of depravity, may be classed among the most innocent, and most industrious, of worldly inhabitants!!!
This is saying much, but nottoomuch, of a nation whose government absolutely tolerates thieving as a regular profession, and which has been known to make a very free use of the talents of its subjects for the purposes of obtaining plunder, or of gratifying its pique and resentment. I much fear, that, if such were the case with us, and that, if, instead of being ruled by a virtuous king, we were placed under a buccaneering monarch, we should by no means find so many pleas of extenuation as the natives of Hindostan can justly boast!
The truth of this position, in itself so reasonable, is made more fully evident by the obvious difference subsisting between the Company’s and the Vizier’s dominions. In the former, thedepredations committed are always nocturnal, and of that description to be expected under the foregoing circumstances; in the latter, the speculation is infinitely more open, more systematic, and more extensive.
That considerable amelioration must have taken place under our government, is to be proved, from the safety with which travellers may proceed by land throughout the country, when compared with the extreme danger attendant upon a journey through any part of the Vizier’s territory; wherein almost every well presents the horrid spectacle of the mangled bodies of those who become victims to the sanguinary hordes of robbers that infest every part of that prince’s dominions.
On this account, every gentleman proceeding by land, from one to another station, should make a point of obtaining a small guard of a naik and four, or even of two, sepoys, whose presence will generally prove a considerable check on the adventurous disposition of the villagers in that quarter. This precaution will not, however, alone be sufficient; application should be made to thejemmadar, or head-borough, of each village where the party may encamp, for a certain number ofchokey-dars, (watchmen,) proportioned to the number of tents, horses, &c., and the whole of the property of every description should be nominally put under the charge of the menthus furnished, observing, that the regular pay, which may be from four to six pice, or halfpence, for each, should be punctually paid to thejemmadarwhen the camp breaks up the next morning, and that every item is found to be in a state of safety.
Whencoolies(i.e.porters) are wanted, to carry the beds, tables, &c, of a party, application should be made, in like manner, to thejemmadar; and when, after arrival at the next stage, they may be discharged, it will be proper to be attentive to the regular payment of every individual thus furnished; otherwise, the servants to whom it may be entrusted to discharge them, will generally withhold a large portion, or even the whole, of what may have been ordered.
By thus regularly attending to matters of this description, the villagers will come forward with more alacrity; though, it must be confessed, they are generally very unwilling to engage ascoolies; which is not to be wondered at, since thejemmadarsgenerally extort from them at least half their earnings on such occasions: the evil being incurable, as matters now stand, must be borne as gracefully as our feelings may allow; and we must remain content with the reflection of doing justice ourselves, though we know for certain that our liberality, in the end, flows into a wrong channel.
When practicable, it is highly expedient toobtain from the European collector’s office, or even from any of the natives under his immediate authority, who may be deputed to, or resident at, such places as lie near the road, arhahwaunah, or pass-port, wherein it should be set forth, that, whatever necessaries, orcoolies, orchokey-dars, ordowraws, (guides,) may be requisite, should be furnished by suchjemmadarsof villages as should be called upon for supplies of the above description. This always ensures respect and attention, and causes the whole of the persons, to whom it is addressed, to be vigilant in the discharge of their duties, lest complaints should be preferred to the collector, who would speedily summon them to his court, and punish them in a suitable manner.
However audacious the thieves, whether house-breakers, or collectors on the highways, may be, they very rarely make an immediate attack on Europeans. This, no doubt, proceeds from the sense they entertain of the importance we attach to the safety of our countrymen, the murderer of whom would be assuredly detected, and suffer the full sentence of the law. Besides, all the people of Hindostan know, that, with the exception of watches, which, for want of pawn-brokers, and accomplices skilled in the melting of metals, are of no use to the predatory tribe, Europeans never carry about with them any thing valuable. No gentlemanever has money about him; though his servants sometimes have, in their waists, a few rupees, intended for such disbursements as cannot be delayed without inconvenience.
Hence, the boxes, &c., of gentlemen, are generally aimed at, because the cash and valuables are contained in them; for the same reason, the most confidential servants are most commonly selected as objects of attack. Your true Hindostanee robber is, in general, very active, robust, and capable of great deception: he will patrole about a tent, during a dark night, in the manner of a dog, or of a jackal; the howl of which he can, perhaps, imitate so well as to deceive the sentries, and throw them completely off their guard.
If allowed to approach a tent, he will select that side where several servants are asleep under the fly, or awning, and gradually insinuate himself into the interior, either by passing under the walls, or between the overlaps; if such cannot be easily effected, he draws hischoory, (knife,) which is sharpened for the occasion, and makes a slit in the cloth, or canvas, large enough to pass his body through, when, in the most cautious manner, and retaining his breath as much as possible, he gropes about for those articles which, during the day-time, he had seen deposited in some particular part of the tent, and, after making an opening large enough forhis purpose, or by opening one of the doors, he watches the opportunity for escaping with his booty.
The attempt to seize a thief under such circumstances, is extremely hazardous, and ought to be strongly reprehended. Being perfectly naked, and having the body highly lubricated with oil, it is impossible to grasp him in any part; while, on the other hand, he must be expected to use his knife very freely, under the determination of escaping.
I recollect a curious circumstance that happened in 1783, at Bankypore, when the tent of a staff-officer was entered, during the night, by a fellow of this description, who, it being moon-light, and one part of the tent only closed by acheek, was discovered by the gentleman as he lay in bed. Seeing his property on the move, he sprang up to disengage a hog-spear that was tied up to that pole of themarqueewhich was nearest the bed; but the thief got the start of him, by seizing the officer’s sword, which was suspended by a hook that buckled on to the other pole. The adventurer being thus armed, prevented the gentleman from getting possession of the spear: after one or two menacing flourishes, he darted out of the tent, sword in hand, and was speedily beyond the reach of pursuit.
Another very ludicrous circumstance occurredsome years antecedent to the above. A gentleman who inhabited a smallbungalow, on the banks of a river, and who was very ill of that complaint ‘the liver,’ for which he was under a course of mercury, perceived, in the dusk of the evening, a thief prowling about the apartment in which he was sitting. The fellow was extremely industrious: and threw a number of articles, not even sparing the bed-linen, out at a window that stood open. The gentleman affected to take no notice, but resolved, when the thief should follow his booty, to take him by surprize, while in the act of collecting them from under the window.
This was, by no means, an imprudent resolution, as it appeared probable that the rogue might be secured, at the same time that the property should be recovered. At length, after having thrown out whatever was convenient to his purpose, and having peeped out of the window, the thief made suddenly towards the gentleman, and snatched from his head a beautiful shawl, with which he skipped out of the window.
This feat demanded instant action; the gentleman called lustily for his servants, who, awaking from their slumbers, ran to obey the vociferated summons, and were just in time to see a smalldingy(or boat) pulling away to theopposite bank, with the goods, the thief, and his accomplices, on board!
All who travel by land, should be on their guard never to allow jugglers, or show-men, of whatever description, to enter their tents; which they will endeavor to do, under pretence of shewing off their mummeries, with the intention of ascertaining the posture of whatever moveables may be within. In this, they are sometimes mistaken; it being usual to have all boxes, camp-baskets, &c., assembled about the foot of the tent-pole, at night, and to secure them by means of a chain passing through their respective handles, &c.; the ends of the chain being furnished with a padlock.
In fair weather, the safest mode is to have all the things moved out of the tent, and placed in a heap, under charge of a sentry, who then need pay little attention to any other object, as the thieves are most intent on those trunks, &c., which they suppose to contain money, plate, &c.: as to articles of apparel, they are of little value, and would, probably, lead to discovery; the handles of swords, and breast-plates, of officers, being generally of solid silver, may be placed among the furtive desiderata, therefore, should be placed in a state of security.