\ 
 
 THE DEER'S LEAP.
 
 THE BOY'S BOOK 
 
 OF 
 
 MODERN 
 
 TRAVEL hj) ADVENTURE. 
 
 BY MERIDETH JOHXES, 
 
 AUTHOE OF "the CHILDKEN'8 BIBLE PICTUKE BOOK," ETC. 
 
 WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS BY WILLIAM HARVEY. 
 
 " Travellers tell strange tales.' 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 
 
 443 & 445 BROADWAY. 
 1864.
 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 It is very agreeable to me to be able to record 
 my obligations to those authors and publishers, 
 to whose courtesy I am indebted for permission 
 to make use of their works in preparing this 
 little volume. Without their matter, my own 
 words would have been of small avail. 
 
 For their kindness and liberality I beg to 
 offer to them my most cordial thanks. 
 
 M. J. 
 
 6227'49
 
 ILLUSTEATIONS. 
 
 PAGB 
 A. GROUP OF LAPLANDERS . . . , .18 
 
 THE deer's leap . .. . FroTiHspiece 45 
 
 CHINESE SOLDIERS SUMMONED TO A REVIEW . .91 
 
 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS "WASHING CLOTHES . . 140 
 
 GERARD THE LION HUNTER .... 1V4 
 
 CHASE OF THE EIDER DUCK .... 224 
 
 STRIKING THE WHALE ..... 269 
 
 CAPTURE OF THE WILD ELEPHANT , . . 310
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 T. GOING NORTH . . . . .9 
 
 II. A SOU'-WESTER ..... 24 
 
 III. FOREST LIFE — PLAY . . . . ,39 
 
 IV. FOREST LIFE PERIL .... 63 
 
 V. THE PRAIRIE . . . . .61 
 
 VI. JAPAN, AND HOW THE AMERICANS MADE THEIR WAY 
 
 INTO IT . . . . . 69 
 
 Vn. A CHINESE REVIEW . , . . .89 
 
 VIII. PIRATES ...... 97 
 
 IX. WINGED BULLS AND LIONS . . . .106 
 
 X. UP THE NILE ..... 131 
 
 XI. EASTERN CUSTOMS — PERFORMING QUARANTINE . 146 
 
 Xn. EASTERN CUSTOMS THE FAST AND FESTIVAL . 153 
 
 Xni. EASTERN CUSTOMS THE BATH . . .160 
 
 XIV. SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS . . . 164 
 
 XV. A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES .... 1*78 
 
 XVI. MEXICAN ROBBERS . . . .194
 
 6 CONTEISTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 XVII. AN ADYENTCRE IN THE MEXICAN WAR . . 204 
 
 XVIII. A GLIMPSE OF NORTTAT . . . 214 
 
 XIX. UP-HILL WORK ... . 233 
 
 XX. "''HiNGS OF Spain" — the bull fight . 249 
 
 XXI. HOW the BRAZILIANS AMUSE THEMSELVES . 255 
 
 XXII. A whale! a whale! . . . 264 
 
 XXni. HOW IT FARED WITH THE DOCTOR . . 2*74 
 
 XXIV. AVA — ITS KING AND PEOPLE . .281 
 
 XXV. FROZEN UP . • . . 313
 
 INTEODUCTION. 
 
 Books of Travel are now-a-days multiplied to a 
 wonderful extent. It would seem as thouffli all the 
 world were going abroad ; so numerous and diverse 
 in their wanderings are our modern travellers. 
 North, South, East, West, — no quarter of the earth 
 has been left unvisited. Discomforts and danerers 
 daunt them not ; nay, we are not sure whether people 
 are not most attracted to those spots where they are 
 likely to find the largest amount of difficulty. The 
 North Pole is not too cold, nor the Equator too hot, 
 for enterprising men, to go and see what is to be seen 
 there. The sea tempts one, dry land another. Sci- 
 ence, pleasure, religion, and humanity have alike 
 been on their travels, and among them have made 
 the circuit of the globe.
 
 8 rNTEODTTCnOK. 
 
 Fortunately, our wanderers in foreign lands have 
 not been selfishly disposed to keep their good things 
 to themselves ; but have brought back records of their 
 adventures to enlarge and correct our knowledge of 
 the distant places of the earth. So we will just take 
 a peep into some of their most striking pages, and 
 enjoy quietly, at our own firesides, what they have 
 provided for the entertainment of 
 
 "The [young] gentlemen of England, who live at home at ease!" 
 If we chance to meet with a little instruction 
 also, we shall none of us be the worse for it. 
 
 And first and foremost, let us begm with my 
 Lord Dufterin.
 
 A BOY'S BOOK 
 
 OP 
 
 Slahni ^xkM aiilr S^totntiirt 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 GOING NORTH.* 
 
 Here is one of the most spirited tilings of wliicli we 
 have heard for many a day : a voyage to Spitzbergen 
 and back, by way of Iceland, in a yacht. Who would 
 have thought of a mere pleasure trip to those grim 
 regions; or of breasting Atlantic rollers, and crunch- 
 ing Polar ice, with the slender bows of such a cockle- 
 shell as the Foam, eighty tons burden ? 
 
 The Atlantic was in one of his worst moods when 
 the gallant little vessel beat her way from the Hebrides 
 to that strange compound of lava, ice, volcanic ashes, 
 and scanty habitable country, that goes by the name 
 of Iceland ; so that the harbour of Reykjavik, in 
 
 * " Letters from High Latitudes." — Loed Dufferin. 
 1*
 
 10 GOING NORTH. 
 
 which the A^oyagers cast anchor, after some days 
 tossing, was indeed a haven of rest. Eeykjavik is a 
 small town, containing two streej;s of one-storied 
 wooden houses. It stands in a perfectly barren, tree- 
 less, and bushless plain of lava; and if spoken of 
 politely would be called the capital of Iceland ; for 
 that is what it really is. Only it sounds absurd to 
 dignify the home of some six or seven hundred people 
 with any such high-sounding title. Its only stone 
 building is the cathedral, which, small as it is, is 
 capable of containing nearly half the population ; and 
 within whose walls, on a Sunday, may be seen an odd 
 mingling of Parisian and Icelandic fashions. Some 
 of the ladies rejoice in real bonnets, with the rest of 
 their dress to match ; while the dark petticoat, sup- 
 ported by a silver belt, the silver-clasped waistcoat, 
 and elaborately silver - buttoned jacket of the re- 
 mainder, are surmounted by a close-fitting cap of 
 black silk, ornamented by a long dangling tassel ; 
 or by a quaintly shaped white linen head-dress, look- 
 ing more like a mitre than anything else. 
 
 No time, however, was to be lost here. And as 
 there are no roads in the island for wheel carriages, a 
 cavalcade of ponies was organized to carry the travel- 
 lers, bag and baggage, into the desert interior of the 
 country, to have a peep at the Geysers. These Gey-
 
 GOING NORTH. 11 
 
 sers are springs of boiling water, wliich periodically 
 boil over. That is, at intervals the water is shot up 
 into the air to a height of as much as two hundred 
 feet : a scalding - hot natural fountain. At times 
 stones are also ejected with it, as fi-om a cannon's 
 mouth, hurled violently on high, to fall back with a 
 splash into the basin whence the jets have sprung. 
 
 It was a two days' journey to these extraordinary 
 waters, camping at night, gipsy-fashion, on a little 
 grass-plot, where the tents, carried with them, were 
 pitched. The road lay across lava plains, or swelling 
 mounds, rising high into peaky mountains ; varied by 
 an occasional green valley, ornamented by as near an 
 approach to wood as this most sterile island can 
 boast of — that is, a few stunted bushes. Occasion- 
 ally, by way of change, there was a " taste" of bog ; 
 and thanks to the wondrous play of light and shade 
 in a mountainous country on a fine day, and the 
 extreme clearness of the atmosphere, the singular 
 features of Icelandic scenery were brought out with 
 picturesque effect during this little trip ; while scenes 
 of more tranquil beauty occasionally presented them- 
 selves amid the general dreary barrenness. 
 
 The immediate approach to the spring bore trace 
 of the strange operations going on beneath its sur- 
 face ; and, scampering through little pools that chil-
 
 12 GOING NORTH. 
 
 dren call puddles, of boiling water, and patches of 
 scalding mud, the sight-seers had at last the satisfac- 
 tion of peeping into the mouth, nay, down the very 
 throat of the largest Geyser, which was then in a 
 state of tranquillity. All that was to be seen was a 
 shallow rocky cavity, about seventy yards in circum- 
 ference, full to the brim of very hot water, steaming 
 high into the air. Lord DufFerin gives us what is 
 called a section of this basin, and the channel opening 
 into the bottom of it ; that is, such a view of it as 
 would be presented if we could really cut down 
 through the middle of it, and then look at the sev- 
 ered half The whole is very like the cup, with its 
 handle, Avith which cup-and-ball is played ; the cup 
 being considerably flattened, while the handle is 
 represented by the narrow funnel-like opening in the 
 lower part of the basin, through which some agency, 
 on which the learned are not agreed, forces the com- 
 pressed steam of these boiling springs, and causes 
 the violent explosion of water. 
 
 Tents were again pitched here, to await the pleas- 
 ure of the Geyser in treating them to a sight of his 
 performances. A little Geyser, conveniently at 
 hand, doing nothing but spouting in a mild sort of 
 way, was, perhaps for the first time in its life, set to 
 work to do duty as a camp-kettle ; the hot clay and
 
 GOING NOKTH. 13 
 
 another fiery opening were similarly pressed into the 
 service for kitchen work, and then the party could 
 afford to be patient, especially as game abounded in 
 the neighbourhood. 
 
 One of the smaller Geysers called stroJcr, or the 
 churn, can at any time be thrown into a sufficient 
 pet to produce a satisfactory explosion, by throwing 
 earth or stones down his throat. In a few minutes 
 after this has been done, he begins to heave, and 
 toss, and groan, and spit, xmtil all at once, with a 
 tremendous roar, there shoots into the air a tall 
 column of water, carrying with it the rubbish that 
 has caused all the disturbance. After this violent 
 outbreak it gradually siaks into rest again. 
 
 While waiting, day after day, for the eruption of 
 the great Geyser, several false alarms were given. 
 Occasionally it would send forth sounds like that of 
 artillery, that shook the very earth ; and then off ran 
 the sight-seers, only to be disappointed. 
 
 On the fourth day, a cry from their guides drew 
 them all hastily to the basin of the fountain ; where, 
 amid the thundering noise, a great agitation of the 
 water was perceptil5le. Suddenly a portion of it 
 heaved itself up, sank again, and then, amid a gush 
 of wreathing vapour, there burst forth a cluster of 
 jets, or rather columns, of clear water, that sprang
 
 14 GOmG NORTH. 
 
 into the air, one above the other, to a height of sixty 
 or seventy feet, before their sparkling crests curved 
 for the descent. The effect was striking and beauti- 
 ful in the extreme, and continued some minutes ; 
 when, the explosive force having worn itself out, tho 
 jets began to Avaver, then diminish, and finally sank 
 down again within the limits of the basin. 
 
 An astounding uproar again, in the night, caused 
 a rush of half-dressed sleepers once more to the basin. 
 But this time the Geyser must have done it on pur- 
 pose, just to see how soon every man of them could 
 be on his legs ; as, by the time they had gained his 
 margin, he quietly turned in for the night, leaving 
 them to do the same at their leisure. 
 
 Eeturning to Eeykjavik, caravan-like trains of 
 farmers were met, plodding, with their packhorses, 
 along the bridle-paths that traverse the rocky in- 
 terior. These were laden with their winter stores, 
 purchased in the small capital ; deals, ropes, bread, 
 rye or wheat flour, salt, soap, sugar, and almost every- 
 thing else needed for home use during the winter ; 
 all from Europe. The people live meagrely; dried 
 fish and rye bread forming the staple of their food, 
 and they suffer for their poor diet. 
 
 Time failed the travellers to visit the other well- 
 known wonder of this wonderful island, Mount Hecla,
 
 GOING NOETH. 16 
 
 whose three snow-tipped peaks were seen in the dis- 
 tance, looking as innocent, against the clear blue sky, 
 as though they were never in the habit of vomiting 
 fire, pouring lava floods along the earth, or doing any 
 other kind of mischief Hecla, however, as a mis- 
 chief-maker, must yield the palm to another volcano, 
 the Skapta Jokul, whose desolating effects almost 
 exceed belief. 
 
 It i^ situated amid a dreary district of four hun- 
 dred square miles of snow fields, broken by ridges of 
 ice never yet pressed by human foot. On the borders 
 of this district, about three-fourths of a century ago, 
 a light smoke was seen to spread itself, presently col- 
 lecting into dense columns, which drove down towards 
 the south, darkening that whole of that part of the 
 country. They were succeeded by clouds of ashes 
 and jets of fire leaping up in all directions through the 
 icy crust of the mountain. Then one of the largest 
 rivers in the island suddenly disappeared, after flood- 
 ing the plain with sulphurous-smelling water, and 
 sand ; its dried-up bed being, two days afterwards, 
 filled by a torrent of burning lava, which, overflowing 
 its banks, deluged the low country, scathing all before 
 it, and finally plunging its boiling stream into a large 
 lake. A few days more, and the lake, whose waters 
 had been displaced by the incursion of fluid rock.
 
 16 GOING NORTH. 
 
 brimmed over with its new element, which, divided 
 into two streams, resumed its dreadful march. The 
 one returned to the channel it had originally chosen, 
 and thence poured down a lofty ridge of rock ; the 
 other, choosing a new one, carried devastation and 
 destruction into the plain watered by the Hverfisfliot. 
 For forty and fifty miles did these fiery currents ex- 
 tend, covering a breadth of country varying from 
 seven to fifteen miles. Their depth was about thirty 
 yards, save, when choked between the high banks of 
 the river Skapta, the mass was heaped up two hun- 
 dred yards thick. 
 
 Thousands of acres of pasture land were buried 
 beneath sand and ashes, whose finer particles hung 
 suspended, cloud-like, over the island for an entire 
 year, and were swept in abundance as far as Shetland 
 and the Orkneys ; some say they even reached the shores 
 of England and Holland. And vast numbers of hu- 
 man beings and cattle perished by various deaths, 
 brought about by this most fearful display of the 
 powers of nature ; or rather, of the power of Him, 
 who, creating and supporting all things, at times 
 gives us to see how terribly He can also destroy ! 
 
 On board again, and, leaving Eeykjavik behind, 
 away flew the Foam northward ; and now among ice, 
 to the great discomfiture of the steward, who did not
 
 GOING NORTH. lY 
 
 love ice, nor indeed anything else that was disagree- 
 able. At first this was iieen in the distance : small, 
 dancing specks on the water, glittering in the sun, 
 gradually accumulating till the vessel had to make 
 her way through a complete fleet of miniature icebergs, 
 of every possible fantastic shape and colour. Very 
 beautiful they were to look at, and innocent enough to 
 begin with ; but, as the vessel pushed on still north, 
 they became larger, some rising thirty feet or more 
 above the sea level, and more thickly crowded togeth- 
 er, so as to cause both trouble and anxiety to the 
 crew. Indeed, it was almost a marvel she was not 
 crushed like an egg-shell, with such floating battering- 
 rams crashing against her bows, or, haply turning 
 aside, contenting themselves with rasping her sides. 
 
 In making Jan Mayen, between drift ice and the 
 solid belt on the Greenland coast, the little spanking 
 yacht, the first, we imagine, that ever picked her way 
 through those icy seas, was sorely put to it. And a 
 very delicate piece of manceuvreing it was, to carry 
 the fragile boat through " a sea as thickly crammed 
 with ice as a lady's boudoir is with furniture." Each 
 one to his post, with a keen eye and ready hand ; and 
 promptly obedient to her helm, (oh, the virtue of that 
 nrompt obedience, either in boy or boat!) the yacht 
 wound and twisted her way in and out among the
 
 18 GOING NORTH. 
 
 floating ice ; slipping out of danger here, contriving 
 to incur the least possible bump there, and finally 
 wriggling her way into rather less hazardous quarters. 
 A brisk run eastward for eight days, and, at 
 Hammerfest in Norway, w'e find ourselves encounter- 
 ing a group of Laplanders. There they are, the 
 women in a sort of surtout of white wooUen, bordered 
 with gay colours, green Turkish trousers, and rein- 
 deer skin boots, turning up at the toes after the man- 
 ner of our fashionable gentlemen some centuries back. 
 The head-dress is varied in colour, while its shape 
 almost defies description. Probably one of our crested 
 dragoon helmets, put on like a bonnet, that is, on the 
 back instead of the top of the head, would give the 
 best idea of it. The dress of the men is very similar, 
 with the exception, of course, of the bonnet, if we 
 must call it so, whose place is supplied by a red cap ; 
 both wear a knife in the girdle. This, w^e presume, 
 was their holiday, as well as summer costume, put on 
 for the grand occasion of coming to "town." To 
 beauty of feature they have the sUghtest possible pre- 
 tensions, at least according to our notions of beauty. 
 Large mouths, little noses, with eyes (destitute of 
 eye-lashes) set slanting towards them, like tliose of a 
 cat, and high cheek-bones, make up faces that we 
 should call excessively plain.
 
 A GROUP OF LAPLANDERS
 
 GOING NOKTH. 1& 
 
 Their principal means of subsistence are hiinting, 
 tisliing, and the produce of their flocks of rein-deer. 
 The rein-deer is food, clothing, furniture, almost every- 
 thing to the Laplander : it is his beast of burden, and 
 his locomotive. Only when a Lapp wishes to travel 
 "express," instead of harnessing the deer to his 
 sledge, he fastens on his own feet an enormously long 
 pair of skates, in which he glides over the frozen land, 
 much quicker than his rein-deer either could or would 
 take him ; for that intelligent animal wUl not permit 
 himself to be driven beyond his strength. The sledge 
 is in shape not unlike a canoe, only square at the end 
 where the traveller sits, instead of pointed ; and it is 
 considered to require no little dexterity to drive it 
 without upsetting both sledge and cargo. A very 
 slight leaning too much to one side or the other, and 
 the traveller will most likely find himself, if it be 
 winter, suddenly ploughing the snow Avith his nose, 
 instead of with the prow of his sledge, or perhaps left 
 behind with nothing but his legs sticking out of a 
 drift. The deer is driven by a single rein. Its chief 
 food is a kind of moss which abounds in the country. 
 
 The Laplander of the woods lives in tents in the 
 summer, and in winter builds his hut in a tree, like a 
 bird's nest ; moving about, gipsy fashion, as his fishing 
 or hunting may render needful. As the Foam sailed
 
 20 GOING NORTH. 
 
 about tiie fiords that so deeply indent the coasts, here 
 and there a blue curl of smoke, rising from some 
 sheltered and grassy spot among the rocks, would 
 show where, for a while, some of these wandering 
 people had pitched their tents. 
 
 Away again ! and this time in good earnest for 
 Spitzbergen, spite of fog, and cold, and ice all round. 
 Within sixty miles of land, one brief and beautiful 
 view was had of the spiky mountains, whence Spitz- 
 bergen derives its name ; pale, thin, lilac peaks, soon 
 lost, and as it was feared, for good, in mist and cloud. 
 
 The weather was bad ; opening after opening in 
 the ice was tried by the voyagers, only to find them- 
 selves in a trap out of which they had to sail back 
 again as they best could ; banging their poor little 
 boat against the masses, till it shook from stem to 
 stern. 
 
 At length, just when about to give it up in de- 
 spair, — after beating about a whole night, skirting the 
 ice Avith a gale in their teeth, Avhich instead of clear- 
 ing away the black fog that beset them, only seemed 
 to blow it down upon them, almost extinguishing the 
 faint midnight sun — open water was seen. Bringing 
 the vessel round with a rattle, they dashed into it 
 with all the sail they could carry ; and very soon the 
 pale lilac peaks were again Adsible, growing more
 
 GOING NOETH, 21 
 
 substantial in tlieir appearance as land was neared, 
 till, after eleven days' rough work of it, tlie schooner 
 quietly dropped anchor in English Bay, Spitzbergen. 
 It was the 6th of August, one o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, and the midnight sun shed a misty light upon 
 the ice, rock, and water, that in utter silence lay 
 around the voyagers : a silence unrelieved even by the 
 cry of a sea bird, or the beating of the surf upon the 
 shore, and broken only at intervals by the deep tliun- 
 der of a distant falling glacier. Beside themselves, 
 no living thing was visible ; not even the tiniest green 
 leaf was there to give token of life amid the barren 
 solitude. Jagged rocks were on either hand ; the 
 centre filled up by an enormous glacier or river of ice, 
 as are most of the valleys in the island. Some of 
 these glaciers are forty or fifty miles long, and nine 
 or ten broad, while their frozen fall into the sea leaves 
 a slippery precipice of many hundred feet iii height. 
 The slow, though inperceptible movement, given by 
 various causes to these frozen rivers, leads from time 
 to time to the fall of great masses of them. Dr. 
 Scoresby saw one as large as a cathedral go crashing 
 down four hundred feet into the sea : enough to sink 
 a fleet ! 
 
 Landing on a strip of black moss that lay between 
 the rocks and the sea, nothing but dreariness and
 
 22 GOING NORTH. 
 
 desolation met the eye. Huge logs of drift-wood, 
 deposited there by the gulf-stream in its sweep from 
 the American coast, strewed the shore. These were 
 mixed with sad indications of wreck : shattered tim- 
 ber, spars, an oar, a flagstaff. There also lay the 
 unburied, though coffined, remains of some poor sea- 
 man, who, a century before — for such was the date 
 sculptured on the decaying cross that marked the 
 spot — had been laid to his rest on the earth, whose 
 frost-bound surface denied him a grave ! 
 
 It was August, and bright sunshine ; yet the ther- 
 mometer remained below freezing point during the 
 five days spent in seeing what was to be seen in 
 Spitzbergen. This was not much : ice, glaciers, 
 jagged rocks, and such vegetation as there goes by 
 the name, and would scarcely deserve it elsewhere. 
 In the middle of the afternoon a thin plate of ice 
 formed even on the surface of the bay ; and, oddly 
 enough, instead of being brittle, as ice generally is, 
 it was tough, so that the motion of the water did not 
 break it up, but just caused it to bend up and down, 
 as the swell passed beneath it. 
 
 An inscription, to commemorate the visit of the 
 Foam to English Bay, was cut on a flag-stone ; this 
 was buried beneath a heap of stones, and, a small flag 
 being erected close to it, the vessel weighed anchor.
 
 GOESTG NORTH. 23 
 
 and was soon homeward-bound before a fine breeze. 
 Five days' sailing southwards made her quit of the 
 ice, to the satisfaction of all on board, who were be- 
 coming not a little weary of the ceaseless sight of it, 
 in all shapes and sizes, and of the frequent thumps 
 which it bestowed upon their smart schooner. A 
 Nor'-wester succeeded. A grand sight, if one can 
 forget the danger. " Eaising your eye above the 
 companion, the first sight which meets it, is an up- 
 right wall of black water, towering you hardly know 
 how many feet into the au-, over the stern. Like a 
 lion walking on its hind legs, it comes straight at 
 you, roaring and shaking its white mane with fury ; 
 it overtakes the vessel, the upright shining face curves 
 inward, the white mane seems to hang above your 
 very head : " and then, there is an end of the poor 
 little Foam ? Not a bit of it ; " ere it topples over, 
 the nimble little ship has already slipped from under- 
 neath, and, raging and bubbling on either side of her, 
 the unpausing wave sweeps on, and you see its round 
 back far ahead, gradually swelling upwards as it 
 gathers strength and volume for a new effort. " 
 
 Christiansand and Bergen were afterwards visited ; 
 and then the anchor of the adventurous little yacht 
 was once more dropped in English waters.
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 A SOU -WESTER. 
 
 Till within tlie last twenty years, when speedy com- 
 munication between distant places was desired, a 
 wooden machine was used, which, jerked by cords, 
 threw its arms about very like a mad windmill. The 
 different positions of these arms indicated different 
 words, so as to make up the required sentence. 
 
 Now, a flash of home-made lightning does the 
 work for us. The machine that accomplishes this is 
 called the electric telegraph. At first it was only 
 used for short distances ; then much longer ones were 
 found practicable ; till, in ten years after its being 
 brought into use, there were about fourteen thousand 
 miles of telegraphic wires, in England, Prussia, and 
 the United States. 
 
 All this was to carry messages over land. The 
 next step was to send them, not over, but through 
 the sea. A bundle of these wires, coated with gutta 
 percha to procect them from the water, and bound
 
 A SOU'-WESTER. 25 
 
 together, so as to form a cable, was sunk between 
 Dover and Calais, and found to act quite as well in 
 water as out of it. And then people began to think 
 that they naight send telegraphic messages of this 
 kind almost round the world. Quite recently one 
 of these cables has been laid down in the bottom of 
 the Atlantic, in order that we may have electric com- 
 munication with America. It was a bold idea ; and 
 the attempt to carry it out was found to be very much 
 more difficult than any of the wise people had ima- 
 gined. Three attempts had to be made before suc- 
 cess was attained ; and the disasters that attended 
 the second of them were so severe and discouraging, 
 as to make many people think it was hopeless to try 
 any more. 
 
 On the 10th of June, 1858, two ships, the Aga- 
 memnon, an English man-of-war, and the Niagara, 
 belonging to the United States, sailed with their 
 tenders, the Gorgon and Valorous, from Plymouth; 
 each carrying nearly fifteen hundred miles of cable, 
 which was to be gradually sunk in the sea, to form 
 the submarine telegraph. The places to be connected 
 by it were Valentia, in Ireland, and St. John's, New- 
 foundland ; these being the nearest points of land 
 between the two continents. From St. John's it 
 would only have to be carried across the Gulf of St. 
 2
 
 26 A SOU'-WESTEB. 
 
 Lawrence to reach the mainland. This cable, pre- 
 pared as we have described it, weighed a ton a 
 mile ; part of it was coiled on deck, and the remain- 
 der in the hold of each vessel. 
 
 It was charming summer weather as they steamed 
 out of the harbour; and, though heavily laden, fa 
 too much so, with a very awkward cargo, the idea 
 of danger to be encountered would have been laughed 
 at. The only fear, if fear there were, was, lest they 
 should not succeed in getting these three thousand 
 miles of heavy cable comfortably settled at the very 
 bottom, up hill, down dale, of the Atlantic. 
 
 " Uncertain as the weather " is a proverb ; and 
 our adventurers had full experience of its truth, as 
 only three days elapsed before they were doomed to 
 encounter one of the most violent and prolonged 
 storms that ever vexed those vast waters. 
 
 Some of those who were on board the AgamemTion 
 have given us a most thrilling account of the fearful 
 peril in which that ship was placed, during nine 
 days, and from it we shall construct our own nar- 
 rative.* 
 
 On the Saturday morning, when they had sailed 
 about five hundred miles towards the spot where 
 they were to meet the Niagara and commence oper- 
 * "Times" and "Standard" newspapers.
 
 A SOU'-WESTEE. 27 
 
 ations, the weather changed somewhat ; and, though 
 cold and dull, the brisk breeze that sprang up made 
 them thankful for the change, as it enabled them to 
 rake their fires out, and save their rather scanty- 
 stock of coals. The ship went merrily before the 
 wind, dashing the foam from her wet bows, and all 
 went cheerily. Noon, however, brought rising wind 
 and waves, a thickening horizon, and sinking ba- 
 rometer, that told too surely of coming storm — symp- 
 toms that only grew worse as the day advanced ; 
 though, despite of them and the appearance of some 
 of those birds of ill weather, known to sailors as 
 Mother Gary's chickens, no one on board dreamed 
 that at that season there could be anything of serious 
 storm. Sunday morning broke, a wretched com- 
 pound of rain and mist, through which the other 
 vessels of the squadron were xlimly visible; the blue 
 of the deep water was turned to a turbid foam, 
 while the ponderous waves came rolling on "like 
 hUls of water, with their tops all jagged and broken 
 by the fierce wind, and their white crests blown out 
 into a stream of feathery spray, that almost hid the 
 dark gulfs between them." Through these the ship 
 laboured and strained, now sliding down into the 
 dark deep, in which it seemed the white crested 
 waves that towered above must overwhelm her ; and
 
 28 A SOU'-WESTEK. 
 
 then rising again in a cloud of foam only to repeat 
 her descent into tlie gulf. Amid this burly-burly 
 of wind and waters — Ibe violence of the wind con- 
 verting the tigbtened rigging into a sort of gigantic 
 ^olian harp, wbile the flapping of the huge sails, 
 as they shifted, was hke thunder — divine service 
 was celebrated, the storm getting worse every minute. 
 The attendant vessels meanwhile dropped to wind- 
 ward, and, vanishing in the misty distance, were not 
 sighted again for more than a week, when the tem- 
 pest had spent itself. During Sunday night the 
 storm seemed to be at its height : the ship straining 
 as though she were going to pieces, and her upper 
 deck-beams, under their enormous weight of two 
 hundred and fifty tons of cable, gradually working 
 themselves loose, so as to let in water at every roll 
 of the vessel, and creaking and cracking like the 
 report of ordnance. The waves, too, striking the 
 bows, dashed in through the hawse-holes and ports, 
 hissing and winding their wet way into the cabins on 
 the main deck, which were flooded with water. Beds, 
 bedding, everything in them was water-sopped. 
 
 On Monday morning the gale moderated a little, 
 but it was for a very short time. By noon, when, 
 strangely enough, the sun shone brilliantly for about 
 half an hour, it blew, as though it never had blown
 
 A SOU'-WESTEE. 29 
 
 before ; and, all hands being sent aloft to close-reef ' 
 v the topsails, the Agamemnon scudded under bare 
 poles, the masts even then bending like "whip- 
 sticks;" while the violence of the wind seemed to 
 force down the waves, whose foamy crests were blown 
 off, and driven across the ship like snow-drifts. The 
 shifting of the deck-coil of cable, and the consequent 
 straining of the timbers, now became still more 
 alarming ; and an attempt was made to bolt it down 
 to the deck more securely ; for, had it worked itself 
 loose, as it threatened to do, the Agamemnon must 
 have gone to the bottom. 
 
 In this sort of Avay passed Tuesday, Wednesday, 
 Thursday, and Friday : heavy seas, drenching rain, 
 and blowing what the sailors call "great guns." 
 Saturday, after they had had nearly a week of it, 
 promised a little better, but turned out worse than 
 anything that had gone before, though that seemed 
 scarcely possible. Towards evening, a thin black 
 scud made its appearance to windward ; this gradu- 
 ally overspread the whole sky, and slowly, but stead- 
 ily, the storm prepared to do its worst. Under the 
 influence of the continual gale the sea had been get- 
 ting higher and higher each day ; but such waves as 
 now rolled around them, none of the crew had ever 
 seen before. Eising in steep, dark walls, to the
 
 30 A SOU'-TVESTEK. 
 
 height of fifty feet one moment, and the next break 
 ing over one another in a mass of foam, they rolled 
 on towards the ship with a noise that drowned even 
 the roaring of the wind. At one moment the Aga- 
 memnon would fall off into the trough of the sea, with 
 the waves rising half-mast high all round her, as if 
 they would close and swamp her altogether ; and in 
 the next she would be thrown high into the air, to be 
 dropped down on the next wave with a shock that 
 seemed to make every timber start. As she lay 
 over to each Avave, she seemed, for a moment, as 
 though she would never right herself ; and when she 
 did rise it was with a sudden jerk that sent every- 
 thing loose on board, buckets, ropes, ladders, to- 
 gether with bewildered sailors, pitching across deck, 
 only to be hurled, in a mass of confusion, back again 
 at the next lurch. Whether the masts would not go 
 over the side, too, was doubtful ; when, amid the 
 murky darkness — crash ! and away, in all directions, 
 flew a hundred-and-fifty tons of coal that had been 
 stowed on the main and lower decks. One man was 
 buried under them ; and, being jammed fast by a 
 beam, that had been placed to keep the coal from 
 shifting, having fallen upon and crushed his arm, 
 could only be extricated by the slow process of saw- 
 ing it through. Another, 4o save himself, laying
 
 A SOU'-WESTEB. 31 
 
 hold of one of the deck planks, which had been 
 strained asunder as the vessel lurched, was held as if 
 in a vice when she righted again, and had part of his 
 fingers crushed ofi". The hot soup in the galley, or 
 cooking place, was thrown out by the shock among 
 the prostrate group, scalding some of them severely. 
 Many were much hurt, and others had almost miracu- 
 lous escapes from injury ; one man being flung head- 
 first into the hold, without being the worse for it. 
 
 It was no easy matter, amid the perpetual roUing 
 of the vessel, that rendered it diflScult for any one to 
 keep his feet for a moment, to clear away this wreck 
 of lumps and sacks of coal, and stow them safely ; 
 while increasing danger threatened those on board, 
 from the coils of telegraph cable. The coil on deck 
 had actually worked the sides of the ship more than 
 an inch and a half from the deck ; and forty or fifty 
 miles of that in the hold had gradually got so loose 
 as not only to be in a state of almost hopeless en- 
 tanglement, but to be thrown about from side to side " 
 of the vessel, when she lurched, in a -way to capsize 
 her. It was a dreadful night ; the creaking, strain- 
 ing timbers of the ship, the tottering masts, threaten- 
 ing to go overboard at each heel of the vessel, the 
 howling wind, and awful waves, whose white tops 
 were visible for a moment, as some gust blew aside
 
 32 A SOU'-WESTEB. 
 
 the dark masses of cloud, and let in a watery gleam 
 of moonlight upon the wild scene : all seemed to 
 threaten inevitable destruction. There was very 
 little sleep among that weary crew ; all was wreck 
 and confusion in the cabins, with the water streaming 
 in faster than it streamed out ; and those who tried 
 their cots were pitched out of them again. The cap- 
 tain and most of the officers remained on deck, doiner 
 what could be done to save vessel and crew from utter 
 wreck, and a dreary, drowning death. 
 
 Monday morning broke. It would seem impossi- 
 ble that it should be worse than all that had gone 
 before ; and yet so it appeared. Their consort, the 
 Niagara, w^as occasionally visible through the scud ; 
 one moment on a monstrous hill of water, the next 
 quite lost to view as the Agamemnon went down be- 
 tween the waves. Suddenly it came on darker and 
 darker, and soon it was plain the good ship would 
 not stand much more of this sort of thing. The 
 masts were getting more and more shaky ; the mas- 
 sive coil on deck shifted and writhed about worse than 
 ever, with each movement of the vessel as it heaved 
 up, creaking and groaning, and then plunged down 
 again ; and none could doubt that, if things did not 
 mend, this wriggling and rending work must tear 
 her timbers asimder. Much water had already found'
 
 A SOU'-WESTER. 33 
 
 its way in, and flooded the lower parts of the ship so 
 completely as to render it difficult for the men to re- 
 main below, however urgently required. " Every- 
 thing went smashing and rolling about. By-and-by 
 she began to ship seas* Water came down the ven- 
 tilators near the funnel into the engine-room ; then a 
 tremendous sea struck her forward, drenching those 
 on deck, and leaving them up to their knees in 
 water." They seemed driven at last, after making 
 head against it so long, to put the ship round, and 
 let her run before the wind ; though even this course 
 was full of danger, as she ran the risk of having her 
 stern stove in by the tremendous force of the follow- 
 ing waves, and so of sinking water-logged. 
 
 One more attempt, however, was first made to re- 
 lieve her, by trying another " tack " — that is, sailing 
 in another direction ; though it was possible that in 
 " tacking " she might go to the bottom in ten minutes. 
 The word of command was roared out, almost inau- 
 dibly, amid the hubbub of wind and water, and the 
 vessel swung half around, broadside on to the waves. 
 That seemed the finishing stroke. All the rolling she 
 had had the day before was as nothing to what now 
 took place. Of the two hundred men on deck, down 
 went at least two-thirds, who were flung in heaps 
 from side to side with every roll ; while others swung 
 2*
 
 34 A SOU'-WESTEB. 
 
 to and fro, holding on by ropes. " Each time she fell 
 over, her main chains went deep under water ; the 
 lower decks were flooded, and those above could hear 
 by the fearful crashing, audible amid the hoarse roar 
 of the storm, that the coals had got loose again be 
 low, and had broken into the engine-room, and were 
 carrying all before them. During these rolls the main- 
 deck cod shifted over to such a degree as quite to en- 
 velope four men who were trying to wedge it with 
 beams of wood." One of them was seriously hurt, 
 making the forty-fifth on the sick list during this brief 
 but disastrous voyage. Once got, however, on this 
 " starboard tack," and things were no better ; a heavy 
 sea sweeping over the forepart of the vessel, and car- 
 rying away with it the massive woodworks that had 
 been placed to protect the machinery for delivering 
 the cable. There was nothing for it now but to run 
 before the vfind. 
 
 Steam and sad were at once put on, the course of 
 the vessel altered, and the Agamemnon dashed along 
 so as to leave behind the point she had been making 
 for, and, at a speed that saved her from the fate to 
 which it had been feared this movement would expose 
 her. Huge rolling waves still followed her, but for- 
 tunately did not so completely overtake her as they 
 would have done had she been slower. Their spray
 
 A SOU'-WESTER. 35 
 
 flew over her, and one great fellow came full bang 
 against her poop, drenching the cabin and all the 
 officers in it ; but a ducking was a trifle. This alter- 
 ation of the vessel's course was indeed a change for 
 the poor storm-tost fellows aboard of her ; for though 
 the ship still rolled excessively, it was with a more 
 regular motion than that which had knocked them 
 about so bitterly for the preceding nine days. — 
 Throughout the whole of that day the Agamemnon ran 
 before the wind. Next morning, to the extreme sur- 
 prise of those on board, not a trace was to be seen of 
 the fearful storm with which they had been so long 
 beset. The trancLuil sea and clear sky looked as if 
 they never could have done the mischief at which they 
 had been so busy the very day before ; the crew found 
 themselves comfortably on their way back to the sta- 
 tion, off Newfoundland, where they were to meet the 
 Niagara, and begin laying out their cable ; and all 
 hands were set to work to repair the damage done, 
 so. as to get the vessel into a little decent trim. 
 Clearing the cable in the hold was the most diffi- 
 cult business to be accomplished; the lumbering 
 mass having become much more entangled than they 
 had suspected it to be. But " where there's a will 
 there's a way," and even the cable was at last set 
 to rights ; the entangled portion, nearly a hundred
 
 36 A sou'- WESTER. 
 
 miles, being gradually drawn out, and coiled away 
 in diflfergnt parts of the ship. 
 
 Presently the other vessels, one after the other, 
 came in sight, after having parted company nearly 
 a fortnight. All had suffered from the storm; but 
 the poor Agamemnon had certainly had the worst of 
 it. The evening was beautifully calm, with a " rich 
 solemn sunset ; the horizon enveloped in those blue- 
 black clouds of vapour, which, even in the finest 
 weather, invariably are to be seen in an Atlantic 
 sky, and which, as the sun went down, reflected back 
 upon the water every imaginable tint of orange, 
 red, and purple. Even after it had finally sunk, 
 and night was closing in, the ships could still be 
 distinguished in the darkness by the deep red tint 
 reflected upon their sails by the clouds above. The 
 vessels looked the very picture of repose, with sails 
 thrown aback, hanging idly against the masts, and 
 flapping gently to and fro with the motion of the 
 swell." What a contrast with the scene presented 
 to them during the preceding nine days ! 
 
 Now was the time for doing what they had en- 
 countered so many perils to perform. To work they 
 went with a will. Boats were sent out, one end of 
 the Niagaras telegraphic cable was brought on board 
 the Agamemnon, fastened — ".spliced," the sailors call
 
 A sou'- WESTER. Si 
 
 it — to the end of her coil, and then being dropped, 
 so connected, overboard, the vast weight sank in the 
 still waters, while the two vessels gently steamed 
 away in opposite directions, the cable being run out 
 by machinery as they proceeded. All went well foi 
 a time ; but when three miles of it had been "payed" 
 out, a signal from the Niagara announced that the 
 cable had broken. And so this three miles, that 
 they had laid with so much trouble, was lost ; fof 
 the Agamemnon^s people had to cut off their end of 
 this portion ; that much cable being of less value 
 than the time that would have been required to 
 draw it in again from the ocean. 
 
 Again the splice was made, thirty-eight miles 
 of cable "payed," and again it parted. But when 
 it parted for the third time, the vessels steamed 
 home again to Queenstown Harbour, leaving about 
 five hundred miles of cable, lost, at the bottom of 
 the Atlantic. 
 
 The expedition sailed again in a few days; and, 
 after having again been somewhat knocked about 
 by the proverbially unruly Atlantic, actually suc- 
 ceeded in their extraordinary undertaking. Steam- 
 ing slowly from between the two points, each vessel 
 arrived with an unbroken cable at its destination. 
 And not many days elapsed before the message,
 
 38 A SOU'-WESTER. ♦ 
 
 wMcli eighteen hundred years ago was brought by 
 angels to this world, flashed along those telegrapliic 
 wires from England to America : " Glory to God in 
 the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men."
 
 CHAPTEE in. 
 
 FOREST LIFE PLAY.* 
 
 Between the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain 
 lies a broad tract of country, covered witli dense 
 forests abounding witli deer, and pierced by lakes 
 and streams, which, beautiful in themselves, are still 
 more attractive to many from their store of trout. 
 Hills, dales, wood, water, leafy trees, herbage, are 
 enough for some people ; others cannot be happy 
 amid them, without their rod and gun. 
 
 It was to this latter class that the party belonged, 
 who, one fine morning, found themselves in this 
 lovely district, bent on having a holiday ; guns, dogs, 
 fishing-rods, tents, all were there for a month's 
 scramble in the forest. Part of their equipment con- 
 sisted of two boats, one for themselves, the other for 
 their baggage, which was to be sent forward in ad- 
 vance, in order that tents might be pitched for the 
 night, wherever the little company might choose to 
 
 * " Wild Scenes in North America."— Hammond.
 
 40 FOREST LITE — PLAT. 
 
 rest, or linger for a shot. The boats used for this 
 purpose are small and very light ; for " rapids" — that 
 is, cataracts in miniature — interrupt many of the 
 American rivers ; and when the voyagers come to one 
 of these, the boatman pops his craft on his back, and 
 trots off with it to smooth water. 
 
 Sailing quietly up the river, the tents were pitched 
 the first night on the shores of Bound Lake, a fine 
 sheet of water aboiit twelve miles in circumference, 
 and surrounded by hills ; tall over-hanging trees 
 shading their encampment, which looked westward 
 over the lake. The accommodation within was prim- 
 itive enough ; their beds being made of green spruce 
 and fir boughs, while a bundle of the same, bound into 
 a faggot, served for a pillow. 
 
 WhUe enjoying the evening breeze in front of their 
 tents, a long Avake in the water, evidently caused by 
 some moving body, attracted their notice. Two of 
 the party set ofi" to make out what it was ; and find- 
 ing it was a deer swimming across, they turned it in 
 the direction of the camp. It bounded ashore close 
 to the tent, sprang right through the group assembled 
 there, and dashed into the thicket behind. A shout 
 greeted his advent among the hunters ; given with 
 such hearty good-will, that in his fright he leaped, 
 bleating, a dozen feet into the air, and plunging wild-
 
 FOREST LIPE — PLAT. 41 
 
 ly on, crossed tlie little isle with great jumps, the last 
 being into the water at the other side. 
 
 Next morning the boatmen were sent onward. with 
 the tents and baggage, while their masters made the 
 tour of this lovely little lake. Near its upper part is 
 a deep indentation, bordered by a luxuriant meadow, 
 of Nature's own making ; where the wild herbage, 
 and water-lilies that skirt its margin, afford a plenti 
 ful pasture for the deer. They were enjopng it ta 
 their heart's content: browsing away at grass and 
 flowers ; (that must be something like bread and but- 
 ter ; the grass, plain bread, the flowers, ornamental 
 and savoury butter ;) in utter ignorance, poor animals, 
 of the evil designs entertained against them by the 
 two-legged visitors who were so placidly watching 
 them round the corner. The light skiffs were noise- 
 lessly paddled to within a short distance of them, and 
 then, coming full into sight, away bounded four-legs 
 in a fright. 
 
 These boats may always be paddled very close to 
 the deer, by a clever fellow who \fi\\ take care to place 
 himself so that the wind shall not blow from him 
 to the animal ; otherwise the keen scent of the deer 
 would instantly make him aware of his dangerous 
 neighbour; to whom he Avould forthwith say good 
 bye, with more haste than ceremony.
 
 42 FOREST LITE — PLAT. 
 
 Camping again on an island in the Upper Sara- 
 nac, as the sun went down, the fish were jumping 
 about so temptingly in the quiet lake, that the boat 
 was rowed out to troll for the large dark trout. 
 These lake trout are not nearly so handsome as their 
 cousins of the stream and river ; but what is wanting 
 in beauty they make up in size, and in the sport 
 which they consequently afford the angler, who needs 
 De a skilful hand to land his fish after having hooked 
 him. 
 
 One of these large gentlemen was soon struck ; 
 and then began an exciting struggle. Fish, finding 
 he was caught, made off in a hurry to the middle of 
 the lake, bending the rod like a bow in his hasty 
 flight. But Angler was thoroughly up to him. 
 Holding hard on by the butt, he gave him a hundred 
 and fifty feet of line ; and by the time he had used 
 that up, Fish began to feel tired, though not so much 
 so as to prevent him holding back with all the dog- 
 ged determination of a mule, when an insinuating 
 effort was made to flraw him to the boat. The inti- 
 mation that he was wanted, was, however, one that 
 he found it impossible to resist. Then he tried a 
 furious rush forwards ; and, leaping fairly out of the 
 water, seemed to try to shake his jaw free from the 
 hook, dashing as fiercely down towards the bottom,
 
 FOREST LIFE — PLAT. 43 
 
 when he found it of no use. The reel sang again as 
 it whirled round with his efforts to release himself ; 
 but it was of no use, the skilful hand at the other 
 end of the line constantly and irresistibly urging 
 him towards the boat. At last he rose gasping to 
 the surface, and was drawn within twenty feet of his 
 persecutors ; when catching a sight of them, gave 
 strength to his previously passive terrors, and away 
 he darted through the water, a hundred and fifty feet 
 out. But fish against man has small chance, spite of 
 all his twistings and windings ; and the end of it 
 was, that he was handed by means of the landing 
 net, into the boat, a splendid ten pound trout! 
 Beautiful and tempting looked he in the clear water ; 
 but oh, ten times more beautiful and tempting looked 
 he on the breakfast table next morning ! A pleased 
 and happy, nay conceited man was his captor. 
 
 Pursuing their course — hunting, fishing, story tel- 
 ling — up Bog Eiver, the lower chain of ponds sur- 
 rounded by well Avooded hills was approached ; the 
 iver here becoming broad and shallow, with meadows 
 tretching away on either side. Here the oars were 
 shipped, and the boatmen paddled along, sitting in 
 the stern of the boats ; in each of whose bows stood 
 a marksman, rifle in hand : for deer, who fed quietly 
 on the borders of the winding stream, were now their
 
 44 FOREST LIFE PLAT. 
 
 game. Each one "vvlio failed to bring down his game 
 was to give place for some one else to try his hand, 
 and so on throughout their number, till they had se- 
 cured a deer. 
 
 As they stole noiselessly along the ins and outs 
 of the crooked river, a deer was suddenly seen to 
 start from among the reeds, and go dashing and 
 snorting across the shallow water almost close to the 
 head of the boat. Bang went one gun after him, 
 sending him at rather a brisker pace up hill among 
 the brushwood. Crack went, number two : the only 
 effect being to make him take rather longer jumps as 
 he bounded, snorting with terror, into the woods, 
 leaving his pursuers gaping and staring after him : 
 he had evidently had the best of it. 
 
 The first boat being discomfited, now gave way to 
 the second ; which speedily came in sight of another 
 deer daintdy cropping lilies on the river side. Pad- 
 dling noiselessly to within a few rods of him, long 
 and anxiously did the sportsman take aim ; but be- 
 fore he could draw the trigger, the deer looked up 
 nervously, lowered his long ears, and after one sec- 
 ond's disgusted gaze at his enemy, made for the shore 
 at the top of his speed. Ping went a rifle bullet after 
 him, but at random ; and the usual result of a ran- 
 dom shot ensued ; the deer was none the worse, only
 
 FOREST LITE — PLAY. 45 
 
 stimulated by the report into a more railway pace up 
 the bank, where he disappeared among the brush- 
 wood. All this was very bad. Two deer, three 
 shots, and venison as far off as ever. 
 
 It was now the third sportsman's turn. Gliding 
 quietly along till the boat was within fifteen rods of a 
 deer tranquilly browsing his pasture, up went the 
 rifle ; one moment's pause, and then the sharp report 
 rang out, and awakened the echoes of the shore and 
 surrounding hills. This time mischief was done; 
 the animal sprang into the air and bounded up the 
 steep as though unhurt, instantly disappearing among 
 the brushwood. There he was speedily found, a no- 
 ble fellow with branching antlers, but stone dead, the 
 ball having passed clean through him. 
 
 Enough for one day ; and beside, not loving kill- 
 ing for mere killing's sake, they had determined to 
 shoot no more deer than were needful to keep the spit 
 turning during their forest life. 
 
 They were right glad to rest on their rustic beds 
 that night, after the hot fatiguing day. Their van- 
 guard, too, had not been without his share of fatigue ; 
 having, in addition to the same long journey, some 
 parts of which he had had to traverse three times 
 over, killed two deer, whose flesh he had cut into 
 thin slips, and was drying it for future provender, in
 
 46 rOKEST LIFE PLAT. 
 
 the smoke of a Avood fire, kindled in a bark hut for 
 the purpose. This mode of preparing meat is called 
 "jerking" it. In very hot countries it is dried in the 
 sun, the long thin slips, from three to six yards long, 
 being hung in festoons on the branches of some neigh 
 bouring tree. 
 
 On the river just above the traveller's camp was-a 
 dam, constructed of large logs, and slenderer ones 
 laid cross-wise, on which brushwood and earth were 
 placed so as to make all tight. Entangled in this, a 
 fine young deer was found dead. The poor creature's 
 foot had slipped between the logs ; struggling to free 
 himself the leg was broken, and then he must have 
 perished of pain and hunger ; a worse death than that 
 from the hunter's rifle. 
 
 Going down stream in the morning, the trout 
 were abundant but shy. Hooks and baits were dan- 
 gled before them in the most tempting manner, but 
 not a single mouthful would any trout among them 
 take. Tired of this, a line, with a weight attached, 
 was let down quietly among them, with a number of 
 bare hooks tied to it. A sudden jerk, and one of the 
 largest was hooked by the tail, and, together with 
 some half dozen more, actually dragged out of the 
 water in this way, tail foremost I A novel mode of 
 catching fish, undoubtedly.
 
 FOEEST LIFE — ^PLAT. 4Y 
 
 Hitlierto the hunters had made no use of their 
 dogs. Game was so abundant that they were not 
 needed. One coursing match, however, was had with 
 them that ended pleasantly enough for the deer. The 
 dogs, doubtless, thought differently of it. 
 
 The deer was upon a small island in the lake by 
 which the hunters were camped ; and having stationed 
 their boats so as to prevent his reaching the shore, if 
 he took to the water, the dogs were sent to the island. 
 In less than five minutes the stillness was broken by 
 the sudden and fierce cry of the dogs, who had just 
 started their game. Away they went in full cry after 
 him, making the hills and woods ring again as he 
 swept along, doubling and winding, with them still at his 
 heels. Presently he made his appearance close to the 
 hunters ; who, caring more for the excitement of the 
 chase than the capture of the deer, received him with 
 such a volley of shouts and halloos, as fairly frightened 
 him back again into the woods, whence he had broken 
 cover. From that shelter, however, the dogs soon 
 chased him into tne water ; only to be driven back 
 again to dry land. A second attempt to take water 
 was again frustrated, and he retreated, baffled, to the 
 thickets. Thrice was he coursed round the island, the 
 hunters facing him wherever he attempted to escape. 
 At last he plunged desperately into the lake, and swam
 
 48 FOREST LIFE — PLAT. 
 
 towards the shore three quarters of a mile off, his torment- 
 ors contriving again to disappoint his design, and com- 
 pel him to land on a little shrub-covered island, not more 
 than half an acre in size, and that stood at about the 
 distance of half a mile down the lake. When he 
 neared this he sprang on the shore, franticly looking 
 on all sides for some hiding place, or means of escape. 
 None was to be had ; whichever way he turned, there 
 was one of the hunters a-head of him, shouting and 
 driving him nearly mad. This way and that rushed 
 the poor beast in vain, till in despair he took up his 
 post among the bushes that covered a knoll in the 
 middle of the island ; and there, after tossing his head 
 up and down, as he looked from one to another of his 
 enemies, he waited for what might come. He at 
 length quietly lay down. Fortunately for him the 
 hunters had had all they wanted, a coursing match; and, 
 satisfied with his performance, they rowed away, leav- 
 ing him to recover at leisure from his exertions. Once 
 rid of them, he swam to the main land, and speedily 
 disappeared among his own forests. 
 
 Let us see the hunters going to dinner, before we 
 
 eave them. There are pieces of moose, (a very clumsy 
 
 kind of deer peculiar to northern countries, and in 
 
 northern Europe called the elk,) and bear's meat, 
 
 spitted on long sticks before a roasting fire. Further
 
 FOREST LIFE — PLAY. 49 
 
 there are fresh trout from the lake, whether caught by 
 the head or tail does not matter ; the jerked venison 
 that we have heard of, and savoury salt pork ; all of 
 which, when ready for dishing, are placed on slices of 
 birch bark fresh peeled from the trees. While for 
 drmkables, there are tea, and excellent spring water, 
 into which people with whom cold water disagrees, 
 (there are such queer folks in the world,) may pop the 
 least possible dose of brandy. Those who, for once 
 and away, cannot contrive to make a dinner on such 
 materials, are recommended to keep out of the woods! 
 
 In this lake country, deer are sometimes hunted 
 by candlelight, A box, open in front, and large 
 enough to hold several candles, is placed on a post about 
 four feet high in the bows of the boat. The marks- 
 man sits on a low seat close behind this ; and then, 
 rowing noiselessly in the dark to where the deer are 
 feeding by the edges of the stream, a full blaze is 
 thrown upon the animal, while the hunter, who is quite 
 in the shadow, takes aim quietly, and "does" for him. 
 
 But deer, and moose, and bears, are not the only 
 " game " to be found in American forests. In some 
 of them, that comical little pig, the peccary, may be 
 met with ; and a fierce little beast he is too. His 
 teeth are as sharp as knives ; and woe be to man or 
 beast who comes within their reach ; for it is " no sur- 
 8
 
 50 FOREST LEFE — ^PLAT. 
 
 render" with the peccary. The creatures go about in 
 droves of from ten to fifty ; will attack anything, or 
 anybody that comes in their way, no matter how well 
 armed ; and, as they make a point of fighting it out 
 to the last, till there is not one piggy of their number 
 left, people who are acquainted with their manner 
 and habits generally prefer letting them alone. 
 
 Their mode of "camping" at night is particularly 
 droll. Selecting a large hollow tree, overthrown by 
 some storm of wind, the whole drove will get into it, 
 one after the other, bachcards, so that the last stands 
 guard, with his snout to the entrance. And it is 
 when they have betaken themselves to their lodgings 
 for the night, that the settler (to whose crops they are 
 terribly destructive) has his almost sole chance of de- 
 stroying them. 
 
 When he finds one of these hollow trees, he soon 
 ascertains whether or not the peccaries have chosen it 
 for their sleeping place. If they have, he waits with 
 as much patience as he can, for a regular dull, dark, 
 drizzling day ; for in such weather the peccaries, dis- 
 liking either a wet jacket, or wet feet, or both, do not 
 stir abroad, but remain in the retirement of their 
 hollow tree trunk. On such a day, therefore, the set- 
 tler, armed with his rifle, takes his stand at day-dawn, 
 directly opposite to what we may call the peccary's
 
 FOKEST LIFE— PLAT. 51 
 
 front door ; concealing himself cautiously among the 
 neighbouring bushes. Presently there is light enough 
 to see the nose and sharp eyes of the sentinel peccary. 
 Covering him with his rifle, the trigger is pulled ; and 
 with the ball in his brain, over head and heels tum- 
 bles poor piggy-wiggy, and there is an end of him. 
 Wakened by the explosion, another pops himself into 
 the opening to see what is the matter ; but a second 
 bullet finishes him in like manner. A third, a fourth, 
 even more, it is said, may be shot in this way, if the 
 man is only careful enough not to stir the bushes 
 among which he is hidden. If he do, there is an end 
 of the game ; out jumps the beast in the door-way, 
 with all the rest at his heels, and together they make 
 a grand charge at the sportsman, who finds a tree, or 
 a light pair of heels, his best defence against these 
 fierce and fearless animals. 
 
 A bear hunt in Texas, which is one of the places 
 where peccaries are found, was one day brought to a 
 very amusing termination by these small pests. The 
 bear, trying to climb a tree, as the hunters came up 
 to him, was surrounded by the dogs, who held him on 
 every side in such a manner as to render it difficult 
 to get a shot at him, for fear of wounding them. Bruin 
 was accordingly pitching them right and left, when 
 all at once a drove of peccaries dashed, grunting,
 
 52 FOREST LIFE — ^PLAI. 
 
 upon the whole group. The dogs- cuL dud slashed by 
 their -sallanous sharp teeth, slank off howling to their 
 masters. The poor bear found himself in worse hands 
 even than before ; and, roaring with pain, rolled about, 
 striking out at random in all directions with his huge 
 paws, at these new assailants : while from the hunters 
 themselves, half angry, half laughing, rose a general 
 cry of "Peccaries! run, run!" And sticking spurs 
 into their horses, they bounded off through the cane 
 brake, only too glad to leave the peccaries and the 
 bear to light it out between themselves.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 FOREST LIFE PERIL. 
 
 The huge forests of America and Canada are slowly 
 yielding to the axe of the backwoodsman. From 
 morning to night his broad keen blade glitters in its 
 relentless descent, and the bright flashing chips fly, 
 till down thunders one monarch of the woods after 
 another, whose only revenge on his destroyer, is the 
 leaving of a tormenting stump. Those stumps, dotted 
 here and there among his cleared land, are dreadfully 
 in the way of the ploughman, till time, or gunpowder, 
 completes their destruction, and enables him to achieve 
 that pride of his heart, a straight furrow. 
 
 But if the axe were the only means of turning the 
 woodland into corn-fields and pastures, or into what 
 may some day become so, the process would go on 
 much more slowly than it does. Fire plays no un- 
 important part in the destruction of the woods ; and 
 its fierceness, and the extent of its ravages, are such 
 as none can conceive, save those who have witnessed
 
 64 FOREST LIFE — PERIL. 
 
 them. Lightning strikes a dry tree, and kindles up 
 a blaze ; or, perhaps, the heaped-up cuttings and 
 brushwood left by the " lumberer " or backwoodsman, 
 are set on fire ; either accidentally, (possibly by a sj)ark 
 from the odious tobacco-pipe, which we can scarcely 
 forgive even in that comfortless place,) or purposely 
 to get rid of the rubbish ; and the conflagration runs 
 on for miles ; consuming not trees only, and the 
 frightened wild inhabitants of the forest, but, in its 
 unchecked fury, licking up the tender crops and the 
 homestead itself of the struggling emigrant : who is 
 too happy if he and his little ones can only escape 
 with their lives. 
 
 Fire is the best remedy for fires of this kind. That 
 sounds odd enough. Here, if we catch fire, we run 
 post-haste for the "engine," and should think any 
 one mad who prescribed fire instead of water. But the 
 meaning of it is, that the most effectual way of check- 
 ing the flames in these forest and bush fires is, to set 
 fire to the grass and brushwood sufiiciently in advance 
 of the great fire that is to be extinguished, to allow 
 them to be burnt out before the wave of flame comes 
 up to the place. If this can be managed — it requires 
 much care and adroitness, — the original fire, of course, 
 goes out for want of fuel, and there is an end of it. 
 But too frequently the intensity of the conflagration
 
 FOREST LIFE — PERIL. 55 
 
 baffles all attempts to stop it. In the hot season, 
 dead trees, broken branches, and decaying underwood, 
 are dry as tinder ; the resin and pitch in such trees 
 as the fir, give unconquerable fury to the flames, while 
 the violent wind, which is the natural result of a vast 
 body of intense heat, fans the whole into still stronger 
 combustion. A fire of this kind that took place in 
 one of our English possessions in North America in 
 1825, burnt on for the astounding distance of a hun- 
 dred and forty miles, and on both sides of a large 
 river. On one bank alone a breadth of more than 
 sixty miles was ravaged by it. 
 
 It appears that for several days previously the 
 woods had been on fire ; but, this being no infrequent 
 a thing, did not produce any alarm. Suddenly, how- 
 ever, a storm of wind arose, accompanied by so ex- 
 traordinary a sound, like distant thunder, proceeding 
 from the depths of the forests, as made the inhabitants 
 of the district fear that there was something worse 
 than the mere ordinary burning of the woods. The 
 sky also became obscured with the rollin> smoke ; and 
 speedily the surrounding woods flashed out into flames, 
 whose long forky tongues licked and twined in all 
 directions, around the tall boles of the forest trees, 
 and even leaped high into air thirty or forty yards 
 above their tops. Two towns were almost immediate-
 
 56 FOREST LIFE — ^PERIL. 
 
 ly involved in the fire, many of whose inhabitants 
 were suffocated or burnt to death, and others dread- 
 fully injured. Those who escaped death had no time 
 to save any of their property ; but, hurrying to the 
 banks of the river, sought in canoes, on rafts, logs of 
 timber, or indeed anything that would float, to make 
 their escape from the horrid death that threatened 
 them on shore. Nor, stripped of everything, were 
 they safe even there ; since the violence of the tempest 
 whirled aloft burning logs, fragments of houses, and 
 even trees, and dashed them, flaming, into the water. 
 Of how many of the backwoodsmen perished in the 
 forest where they had made their homes, no account 
 could be taken ; but it is supposed that altogether, at 
 least five hundred human beings lost their lives in 
 this dreadful fire. 
 
 One poor lumberer (a backwoodsman is so named 
 from his occupation of felling timber or lumber, as it 
 is called) had just built his "shanty" or log hut, and 
 was beginning to cut timber when the fire broke out. 
 He was told of it by some of his men who had passed 
 through the wood to bring provisions to the littl 
 camp ; but thought nothing of it, till one of them, 
 leaving the shanty for a minute, came back hastily 
 with news that the fire was a bad one, and within a 
 mile of the hut. They instantly looked out ; and as
 
 FOREST LrPE — PERIL. 67 
 
 far as ttey could see there was nothmg but fire, wav- 
 ing high, above tbe forest ; and whose roar, like that 
 of a gigantic furnace, was broken in upon from time 
 to time by the crash of falling trees. 
 
 Not a moment was to be lost. Without staying 
 to save an article, they ran to a small stream a little 
 way off. Some of them thought this would be a suffi- 
 cient check to the flames ; and so contented them- 
 selves with crossing it, and going a short distance 
 down its opposite bank, to a spot which they had for- 
 merly cleared. The lumberer, however, felt sure that 
 such a fire as that now raging behind them, would 
 soon leap the comparatively narrow thread of water ; 
 and, as safety was on neither bank, he adopted the 
 bold plan of taking refuge in the stream itself. "Wad- 
 ing into it, therefore, shoulder high, he took up his 
 post underneath a hanging bank, and awaited his 
 fate. 
 
 The flames advanced, consuming all before them, 
 and filling the sky with a lurid glare. Their hot 
 breath was almost stifling to the poor trembling 
 wretch in the river. Another minute, and the trees 
 overhead were a-light, and he forced, for safety, to 
 plunge his head under the water ; holding it there as 
 long as he could for suffocation, and then taking 
 
 breath for a moment. When he was able once more 
 3*
 
 58 FOEEST LIFE — TmLtL. 
 
 to stand erect, the flame was still raging onward be- 
 fore him. Behind, where it had passed, blackened 
 boles were stiU blazing ; mere stumps with all their 
 branches burnt off, and soon to die out for want of 
 fresh fuel. The poor man dared not for some hours 
 leave his watery fortress, but at last made good his 
 escape from the ruined neighbourhood. His log hut 
 and everything in it was of course destroyed, but, 
 happily for him, some of the provisions lying in a 
 cellar, escaped injury ; otherwise, after escaping fire, 
 he might have died of starvation, before he could 
 get away. His companions were lost in the burning 
 forest. 
 
 The lumberer himself told the story of his wonder- 
 ful escape to Major Strickland, who relates it in tho 
 man's own words in his account of his own life as a 
 settler in Canada. 
 
 Mr. Charles Murray, in his travels in !N'orth 
 America, describes this setting fire to the woods as 
 being done on purpose by Indians, in order to drive 
 himself and his companions from their hunting grounds. 
 In whatever direction they turned for sport, a light 
 was certain to be applied to the dry grass, and then 
 all was in a blaze. On more than one occasion, not 
 only was his sport spoiled, but his life endangered by 
 this practice. One day he had to take to the water,
 
 FOREST LIFE— ?-PERiL. SO 
 
 to escape from the flames, wHcli they had kindled in 
 the Avood for his particular accommodation. Another 
 time, seeing him cross the prairie to a wood where it 
 was supposed deer might be found, they fired the 
 grass in several places, and in such a direction that 
 the wind, which was rather high, might carry the 
 flames his way. Mr. Murray soon perceived that he 
 could not outrun the fire, and therefore adopted the 
 plan of which we have spoken, curing fire by means 
 of fire. He set the grass near him a-light, and then, 
 when it was burnt out, took up his post in the centre 
 of the bare space thus created. He had the satisfac- 
 tion of seeing that the Indians' fire could not pass its 
 circumference for want of fuel, but skirting it, seized 
 grass, and brushwood, and timber, and so carried the 
 conflagration onwards, leaving him safe, though half 
 suflbcated. 
 
 The very next day he went out in a different 
 direction, where there had not been any fire. But 
 his Indian friends were ready for him. As evening 
 drew on, slight columns of smoke were seen spiring up 
 out of the wood ; and presently the flames burst forth, 
 the old dry timber crashing down, and sending up a 
 shower of sparks. The flames crept here, along the 
 brushwood, and leaped up there, as they folded them- 
 selves round some resinous tree ; while huge clouds of
 
 60 rOEEST LITE — PERtL. 
 
 smoke, black and lurid, as they shifted about, cano- 
 pied the magnificent scene. 
 
 The Indians had the best of it, for they fairly 
 burnt out Mr. Murray and his sporting friends.
 
 CHAPTEE V, 
 
 THE PRAIRIE. 
 
 The ponderous buflfalo is the " game " of the North 
 American plains or prairies ; in some of which it still 
 abounds, notwithstanding the incredible destruction 
 which necessity, or mere wantonness, has wrought 
 among these beasts. Some idea of the killing that 
 goes on among herds of buffalo may be formed from 
 a knowledge of the circumstance of a hundred thou- 
 sand prepared skins — buffalo robes they are called— 
 being every year brought into Canada and the United 
 States, where they are much used as a defence from 
 the extreme winter cold of those countries. This is 
 in addition to any number that may be killed to pro- 
 vride the same covering for the Indians themselves, 
 who are as fond of it as their white neighbours are. 
 The buffalo is to them great gain ; they eat him, wear 
 him, and trade him away for the various articles of 
 use and luxury which their uncivilized wandering life 
 fails to provide for them, but the taste for which it by 
 no means extinguishes. 
 
 A traveller camping out in the prairies, heard one '
 
 62 THE PEAIRIE. 
 
 night a noise like distant thunder, but so prolonged 
 that he was certain it could not be that. Puzzled to 
 account for it, as it came nearer and nearer, he 
 listened with his ear close to the ground, and at length 
 became aware that it was the heavy tread of a herd of 
 ouffaloes on one of their usual migrations on the 
 plains ; and a momentary gleam of moonlight showed 
 him the prairie, black over with thousands upon thou- 
 sands of these huge beasts. How to escape their 
 headlong rush became a subject of no little anxiety, as 
 camp and all, placed in their immediate track, was in 
 danger of being borne away by the torrent. Hasten- 
 ing to his comrades, he roused them up ; and by dint 
 of repeated volleys from their muskets, aided by the 
 united screeches and yells of the whole party, they 
 succeeded in frightening the monsters into a different 
 path to that which led directly over their encamp- 
 ment, and thus escaped the chance of being crushed 
 to death. The herd, under this double salute, divided 
 into two ; one half thundering off to the plains, whUe 
 the other tramped through the adjacent river, where 
 their splashing and dashing, as they crossed the water, 
 was heard for hours. Such are the numbers in which 
 these great creatures roam about their native prairies. 
 It is said that the buffalo is not naturally a fierce 
 animal ; but its looks are against it. Its huge head,
 
 THE PKAIKIE. 63 
 
 and rough beard and mane, are not unlike those of a 
 lion, only much larger in proportion to the size of its 
 body. When urged to its speed these are tossed 
 about in what appears to be a most threatening man- 
 ner ; but the poor beast does not mean mischief, unless 
 his pursuers drive him to it ; and then, woe betide all 
 that come in his way ! 
 
 The Indians sometimes manage to slaughter even 
 the largest herds of buffaloes, in what may be called 
 a wholesale way. In order to make it intelligible, 
 some description of the nature of these j^rairies is 
 needful. They are, as has been said, vast undulating 
 plains, studded here and there with clumps of park- 
 like timber; but these plains are occasionally broken 
 up by great clefts or canons, which go suddenly, and 
 almost sheer down for many hundred feet. Mr. Ken- 
 dall, in his account of the Santa F6 expedition, re- 
 lates that he and his party were traversing one of 
 these plains, in which no break of the surface could 
 be perceived far as the eye could reach, when all at 
 once they found themselves on the brink of one of 
 these tremendous chasms. Its almost perpendicular 
 depth beneath their feet was near three hundred 
 yards, and it was from three to five hundred yards wide. 
 A slender stream, now hidden by some huge rock, 
 now bubbling again into view, coursed along the bot-
 
 64 THE PRAIEIE. 
 
 torn, wearing its channel into fantastic shapes. The 
 depth, and dark abrupt character of this rent in the 
 earth, made them ahnost sick as they looked down 
 into it ; the more so, perhaps, that there was no way 
 of continuing their journey but by crossing it. Had 
 they been made of india-rubber, they might have 
 rolled themselves up into balls and bowled down to 
 the bottom, with the utmost ease ; but even that would 
 have left them with the difficulty of getting up the ^ 
 other side, as apparently insuperable as ever. How- 
 ever, cross it they must ; and as, the day previous, 
 they had seen numerous footmarks of Indians, horses, 
 and buflfaloes leading in this direction, it was evident 
 that they had managed to pass it, and if they could, 
 60 might others. It was dangerous, but that could 
 not be helped ; so the steadiest and best behaved 
 hiorses and mules were first induced to begin the 
 perilous descent, those who were less to be trusted 
 bringing up the rear. There was one advantage at- 
 tending their steep downward course, and that was, 
 that, once in for it, and there was no turning back. 
 Onward they were obhged to go ; and amid clattering 
 stones, loosened by their tread, and that leaped and 
 bounded down before them, they at last reached in 
 safety the very bottom of this dreary ravine. 
 
 Here they rested for a while, as was evident their
 
 THE PEAIEIE. 66 
 
 predecessors the Indians had done ; various traces of 
 whose camp were scattered about. The track up- 
 wards and out of the cleft was presently discovered ; 
 and winding along the ravine till it was reached, 
 afforded ample opportunity for noticing the remark- 
 able and fantastic effects of the rushing waters that 
 coursed throughout it. Pillars, forts, battlements, 
 turrets, by turns presented themselves, till the 
 traveller might have imagined himself wandering 
 among the ruins of some deserted city. 
 
 Getting down was bad; getting up again was 
 worse. Guns, baggage, and horse furniture had to 
 be carried in the hand, Avhile the animals scrambled 
 up as they could. One of them struck against a piece 
 of rock that stuck out upon the path, and was hurled 
 down by the shock a distance of near twenty feet, 
 falling right upon his back. Of course he was given 
 up for lost ; but, thank you, Dobbin had no idea of 
 that. He just got up again, gave himself a shake, 
 and then trying it a second time, marched up as 
 steadily as any of them. The passage of this ravine 
 took them five or six hours ; by the middle of the 
 afternoon they had accomplished it, and were restored 
 to the upper world. Continuing their route on the 
 plain, they found that by the time they had left the
 
 68 THE PRAIBIE. 
 
 chasm a few hundred yards behind them, not tha 
 slightest trace of its existence was to be seen. 
 
 It is into chasms such as these that the mounted 
 Indians, spurring their half-wild horses to their ut- 
 most speed, drive the immense herds of buffaloes, 
 when they come upon them in a situation suitable for 
 this purpose. Urged onward by the yells and rapid 
 hoof-trampling behind them, headlong, and tumbling 
 over each other go the huge terror-stricken brutes, a 
 dark avalanche of beast-life, bounding from crag to 
 crag in the rugged descent, till, at the very bottom of 
 the caiion, lies a writhing, swelling heap of carcases, 
 a rich spoil for their savage pursuers to gloat over. 
 
 The bow and arrow is a formidable weapon for 
 the destruction of buffalo, in the hands of an Indian. 
 Some of the Pawnees will launch their arrows with 
 such force as to drive them almost up to the feathered 
 end in the animal's body. Nay, it is said that they 
 are sometimes shot clean through him, and left quiver- 
 ing in the ground beyond. 
 
 The ordinary way of shooting the buffalo by civil- 
 ized sportsmen, is either by hunting him or by stalk- 
 ing. The former is accomplished on horseback, bring- 
 ing him down at a long shot. The latter is done on 
 foot, creeping along from bush to bush, hiding here, 
 and dodging there, keeping in such a direction that
 
 THE PEAIIUE. 67 
 
 the wind may not. blow the scent of the hunter to his 
 game, in stealing upon him unawares. But there is 
 no object of the chase that takes so much killing as 
 the poor buflfalo. His enormous frame offers so wide 
 a range of other than fatal marks for a bullet, that 
 the chances are, save in skilful hands, that the 
 wretched animal may be riddled before he falls. A 
 well placed shot behind the shoulder will soon bring 
 down even his vast bulk ; and it should not be forgot- 
 ten that though we may, and must kill these crea- 
 tures, it is our duty to do so with as little suffering 
 to them as possible. A bungling sportsman deserves 
 to rank with a butcher; and not even with him, if 
 he is expert at his business. 
 
 Huntmg buffalo is not the only business of the 
 Indians of the prairie. The wild horse that scours 
 those boundless plains forms a still more exciting 
 chase. No popping at him with rifles, or twanging 
 bowstrings at him ; he must be taken alive and un- 
 injured. And my lord is not always so easily caught 
 as his pursuers would wish. If a troop of horses is 
 Been, the mode employed is that of forming a wide 
 circle round them by mounted Indians, who gradually 
 draw nearer and nearer to each other, driving the 
 horses before them, till their prey is within reach of 
 the lasso. The lasso is a long cord with a noose at
 
 68 THE PEAEBIE. 
 
 one end, which the Indians throw with wonderful 
 precision. This is skilfully thrown round the necks 
 of those who are thought best worth taking ; and the 
 Indians, riding off with their struggling, prancing 
 captives, soon succeed in making them understand the 
 value of obedience. They may kick, and plunge, and 
 rear, and caper, as they think proper ; but it is all of 
 no use. Between a powerful bit, tremendous spurs, 
 and a rider who sticks to his steed like wax, the no- 
 ble animal is effectually subdued, and henceforth must 
 follow the bidding of another, instead of his o^vn. 
 
 If there be but a solitary horse, or the hunters are 
 few, of course there is just a race for it, generally end- 
 ing in favour of the hunter ; who, it must be said, 
 occasionally receives a handsome kick or two from 
 his captive.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 JAPAN, AND HOW THE ASIERICANS MADE THEER WAY 
 
 INTO IT.* 
 
 Those strange people, the Japanese, who have so 
 long kept themselves to themselves, have at last been 
 dragged out a little from their hiding-place. For a 
 long period they abhorred all intercourse with other 
 nations. It may be doubted whether they like it any 
 better now ; but circumstances have thrust it upon 
 them. Thus it came about. 
 
 Some years ago three shipwrecked Japanese, land- 
 ed on Queen Charlotte's Island, on the north-west 
 coast of America, were rescued from the natives by an 
 agent of the Hudson's Bay Company, and sent to 
 England. From England they were sent to Macao, 
 in China, where, subsequently, four other Japanese, 
 wrecked in the Chinese seas, were sent. 
 
 It was thought that the sending these men home 
 to their own country might prove a favourable oppor- 
 
 * Hildreth's "Japan as it Is and Was."
 
 10 JAPAN, AND HOW THE AMERICANS 
 
 tunity for what had been so long desired : the open- 
 ing of commercial intercourse with Japan, and com 
 municating to its inhabitants some knowledge of the 
 Christian religion, which they hate intensely. A ves- 
 sel was accordingly fitted out for the purpose, by some 
 merchants of the United States, resident at Macao 
 and on the 27th July, 1837, the Morrison cast anchor 
 in the Bay of Jedo, the capital of Niphon, which 13 
 the largest of the group of Japanese Islands. 
 
 A number of boats soon made off to the ship ; but 
 their crews seemed scarcely to comprehend the request 
 that was made, in the Chinese language, for water, 
 provisions, and some oflBcial to be sent on board, to 
 whom the object of the American's visit might be 
 stated. The language seemed almost unintelligible 
 to them ; and of course it was equally difficult to make 
 out what they had to say. It was thought that they 
 wished the Americans to land ; but if this were cor- 
 rect, it must have been a treacherous invitation, as 
 during the night cannon were brought to bear on the 
 ship. The firing was too badly managed to do any mis- 
 chief ; still, it was thought better to get out of so un- 
 friendly a neighbourhood. The Morrison accordingly 
 set sail, followed by Japanese gim-boats, who fired 
 upon her with swivels, (these are guns mounted so as 
 to turn round in any direction,) but were prudent
 
 ilAPE THEIR "WAY INTO IT. 11 
 
 enough to back, whenever the vessel lay to in order 
 to bring them to close quarters. The Americans 
 then threw out a piece of canvas, on which was writ- 
 ten, in Chinese, that they had brought home some 
 shipwrecked men, and wanted to be supplied with 
 provisions and water. The canvas was picked up, 
 but it produced no answer, much to the disappoint- 
 ment of the poor Japanese on board. 
 
 Another bay was entered ; and presently a Japa- 
 nese official came on board, saying that the vessel had 
 been taken for a pirate, and preparation made to give 
 her a rough reception on that account. He was as- 
 sured this was not the case ; and then he consented to 
 receive a despatch for the Emperor, and endeavour to 
 have it laid before him. He furnished the Americans 
 with a pilot, and fresh water, and then took his leave. 
 The despatches were, however, returned ; and spite of 
 various civil messages brought to the vessel, it was 
 evident that the people on shore were anything but 
 friendly in their intentions. Long strips of blue and 
 white canvas were seen hung up from one tree to an- 
 other ; and, innocent as these might look, the Japa- 
 nese on board knew the meaning of them : that an 
 attack was to be made on the vessel, whose fire, hx 
 return, was to be received on these pieces of can- 
 vas. A most absurd means of defence at first sight ;
 
 72 JAPAN, AND HOW THE AilEEICANS 
 
 but it seems there were several rows of this canvas, 
 one behind the other, and being loosely hung up, 
 it would have at least some little effect in deadening 
 the shock of a cannon-ball. 
 
 Troops presently came in sight, who opened fire 
 upon the ship from both sides of the bay at once ; 
 and it was with considerable diflBculty that the Amer- 
 icans made their escape from these inhospitable peo- 
 ple.' The poor Japanese, who were thus prevented 
 from landing on their native shores, were both grieved 
 and indignant at the conduct of their countrymen ; 
 and two of them, in utter disgust at it, shaved their 
 heads, in token, as they gave their American friends 
 to understand, of "cutting" Japan, and all belonging 
 to it ! And they all had to sail back again to Macao. 
 
 In allusion to this attempt to get into their extra- 
 ordinary country, the Japanese, a few years after, put 
 forth a proclamation to this effect : that any ship- 
 wrecked Japanese, who were brought back by vessels 
 of any country, except those of Holland and China, 
 would not be allowed to land. Adding, that as their 
 own subjects were not permitted to examine the Japa- 
 nese coast, it was much less fit that foreigners should 
 be allowed to do it. 
 
 What was to be done with such obstinate people ! 
 
 In a couple of years after this, a British surveying
 
 MADE THEIE WAT INTO IT. 13 
 
 frigate entered one of the harbours of the empire ; and 
 though readily supplied with such provisions as were 
 wanted, her officers were very unwillingly allowed to 
 go on shore to take some astronomical observations. 
 
 The same year, 1845, an American vessel cruis- 
 ing in the neighbouring seas, rescued twenty-two ship- 
 wrecked Japanese sailors, half of them from their sink- 
 ing boat, and the remainder from a rock on which 
 they had clambered. The Japanese authorities con- 
 descended to allow these poor wretches to land ; but 
 only in consideration of the presumed ignorance of the 
 American captain of their laws on this point. In 
 future, he was assured, no such leniency would be 
 observed: those who brought them their wrecked 
 countrymen, might just take them back again. And, 
 having acquitted themselves of this amiable speech, 
 the ship's arms, which had been taken out of her on 
 her first arrival, were returned, and the vessel towed 
 out of the bay by a long string of boats. 
 
 Not discouraged by this point-blank intimation of 
 
 how little their company was desired, the Americans 
 
 made another attempt, in 1848, to get into Japan. 
 
 Tempting prospects of advantageous trading were 
 
 held out, but met with a most chilling reception. The 
 
 usual demand was made, that all arms on board should 
 
 be lodged with the shore authorities during the ves- 
 4
 
 14 JAPAIST, AXD HOW THE AMEEICAITS 
 
 sel's stay. But, with two or three men-of-war at their 
 heels, the commodore respectfully declined acceding 
 to that. The Japanese oflBcers, however, consented to 
 send a messenger to the Emperor, who should com- 
 municate to him the Americans' wish to have trading 
 relations with his subjects. An answer arrived in 
 the course of a few days. It was a flat refusal. No 
 particular disrespect to the Americans : they only 
 treated them as they treated everybody else ; and they 
 were desired to take themselves oif, with all conven- 
 ient speed. 
 
 And this was the sort of way in which, one after 
 another, English as Avell as Americans were treated. 
 Their wants, in the way of provisions and water, 
 were supplied ; and then they were told to sheer off. 
 
 In 1852, the persevering Americans again tried 
 their fate with the stubborn Japanese. A small fleet 
 •was rigged out for the expedition, and the command- 
 er set sail in no very amiable mood. People were 
 tired of being over civil to these supercilious islanders, 
 who were content with their own, and cared for no- 
 body else's wares. It was enough to make any one 
 angry to have his cotton goods, or goods of any other 
 kind, wet or dry, despised in this way. And Com- 
 modore Perry determined this time to carry matters 
 with a high hand.
 
 MADE THEIR WAY INTO IT. 15 
 
 The squadron cast anclior on the Japanese shores 
 in July, and were received with two or three cannon 
 shot ; whether by way of salute, or offence, does not 
 appear. Several boats, rowed in rather savage style, 
 by half-naked, shouting men, and having in the stern 
 of each a small black and Avhite flag, around which 
 were grouped some well dressed officers, with two 
 swords a-piece, immediately pulled off from shore, 
 and, coming alongside, wished to board the vessel. 
 The commodore, however, was on his high horse, and, 
 insisting much on his own high rank, declined receiv- 
 ing any one inferior to himself The principal au- 
 thority of the town must present himself, or none. 
 Finally, he condescended to receive the second in 
 rank, though he would not himself see him. His 
 lieutenant was quite good enough for that. The two, 
 through an interpreter, had a long conversation, in 
 which the Japanese was informed that the fleet had 
 come purposely to present a letter from their sover- 
 eign, the President, to that of the Japanese ; and that 
 some very great person must be sent on board to re- 
 ceive it. It Avas further added that the fleet would 
 not allow the Japanese guard-boats to swarm around 
 it, as had been the custom. And when the inquisi- 
 tive official proceeded, as usual, to ask all sorts of 
 questions about the vessels, what ports they came
 
 76 JAPAN, AND HOW THE AMERICANS 
 
 from, how many men they carried, and so on, lie waa 
 cut short by being told that such inquiries were con- 
 sidered impertinent. Finally, the Heutenant refused 
 to receive the customary notifications to all sorts of 
 vessels, that nobody wanted them at Japan ; so that 
 the crest-fallen official was obliged to tuck them up 
 again, and return on shore, feeling that he had at 
 last " caught a Tartar," — a feeling that was greatly 
 increased, when, coming back to try to get rid of the 
 letter which Avas to be fetched for the emperor, he 
 was informed that if the high official agreed upon, 
 did not come for it, the ships would sail further in, 
 and deliver it themselves! Upon which he went 
 away in a fright, promising everything that was re- 
 quired from him. 
 
 Great consultations now went on, on shore, as to 
 what was to be done with their troublesome visitors ; 
 the visitors, meanwhile, beguiling their leisure by 
 making surveys of the coast. They were told they 
 must not do this, as it was contrary to the laws of the 
 country ; to which they coolly replied, that if prohibit- 
 ed by the law of Japan, it was commanded by that of 
 America! It was noticed, during this survey, that 
 the defences of the country were very insignificant. A 
 few forts, mounting only fourteen guns among them, 
 about four hundred soldiers armed with matchlocks,
 
 MADE THEIR WAT INTO IT. 77 
 
 (a clumsy sort of musket,) and spears, and a liberal 
 allowance of canvas screens, formed all tliat were to 
 be^seen. 
 
 At length, after various negotiations and further 
 explorations of the coast, a meeting between the 
 American and Japanese officials was agreed upon : it 
 was to take place on shore. 
 
 At the time appointed, two of the American ves- 
 sels steamed in shore, where long lines of canvas 
 were seen hung up, as a sort of background to the 
 military force drawn up to receive them, and whose 
 gay banners fluttered in the sunshine. A good many 
 soldiers, both horse and foot, were also stationed be- 
 hind the canvas ; these latter most likely for use, in 
 case of need, while those in front were for show. A 
 number of boats, each with a red flag in the stern, 
 were ranged in a straight line close to the beach. The 
 hill-side was thronged Avith spectators. 
 
 As soon as the steamers came to anchor, which 
 was done broadside to the shore, in order to command 
 it, they were received by two richly dressed officials, 
 who put off in a boat to meet them. The Americans 
 then went ashore in fifteen boats, carrying upwards 
 of three hundred of them, who marched in procession 
 to the house — a temporary building run up for the 
 purpose — where the interview was to take place. The
 
 18 JAPAK, AND HOW THE AMEEICAKS 
 
 r 
 
 building was guarded by a troop of military, armed 
 with matchlocks, and old English Tower muskets ; in 
 front were stationed two old brass guns. The floor 
 of the first room was covered with white cloth, across 
 which was laid a strip of red carpet leading to an 
 inner room, the floor of which was entirely covered 
 with red cloth. This room was quite open in front, 
 and was hung with fine violet-coloured cloth, on which 
 were displayed the imperial symbols in white. On 
 one side were chairs for the American oflicers, on the 
 other sat two Japanese princes, who were appointed 
 to receive the letter for the emperor. They were 
 elderly men, magnificently robed in sUk, all gleaming 
 and sparkling with gold and silver embroidery. They 
 rose and bowed as the commodore entered, and then, 
 resuming their seats, proceeded to business. It was 
 transacted in the usual manner ; the letter was received, 
 and its bearers were desired to depart. The Ameri- 
 can commander rejoined, that he would return again, 
 and in all probability with more ships than he had 
 then with him ; and having, to the great disgust of 
 the Japanese, proceeded Avith their surveys of the 
 coast, they sailed away for awhile, on other business. 
 Determined, however, to force their way into 
 Japan, whether it was liked or not, an American 
 flpAt of nine vessels, steamers and others, under the
 
 MADE THEIR "WAT INTO IT. 19 
 
 same commander, Perry, deliberately cast anchor in 
 the bay of Jedo on the 12th of February, 1854, A 
 meeting with the shore authorities was with difficulty 
 secured ; and then, nine hundred well armed Amer- 
 icans, sailors and marines, being landed, were drawn 
 up in regular battle array on the beach to receive their 
 commodore. When he came on shore they presented 
 arms, the band struck up, a salute was fired, and he 
 walked, followed by his officers, between the lines, to 
 the house that had been erected for the interview with 
 the Japanese, The walls of this were covered with 
 painted screens and violet cloth hangings, the floor 
 with matting ; tables and benches covered with red 
 woollen were set out, and three braziers of charcoal 
 were placed upon the floor. The Americans and 
 dignified Japanese took their seats on these benches ; 
 the other Japanese officers followed their country's 
 fashion, and crouched upon their heels, as if they were 
 going to play at honey-pots ! The dress of the com- 
 missioners consisted of the usual wide oriental drawers 
 of rich silk, with a short upper garment, girt with a 
 silk sash, into which two swords were thrust. Their 
 straw sandals were left outside the house, according 
 to the Japanese custom. Like the Chinese, each wore 
 a pig-tail ; but it was a little wee-wee one, lying oddly 
 on the top of the head, instead of hanging down be-
 
 80 JAPA1!T, AND HOW THE AMEEICAK8 
 
 hind. Very ceremoniously was the interview carried 
 on ; such bowings and scrapings, and so much time 
 taken to do so little. After business, refreshments 
 were brought in, of a very disappointing character to 
 the hungry Americans. Tea, sweet cakes, fruit, and 
 rice-spirit, called saki, were all that was ofiered ; and 
 what was left, was "wrapped up and given to the visit- 
 ors to take away with them : this, which would be 
 bad manners in England, being good manners in 
 Japan. 
 
 Several other meetings took place, at Avhich the 
 Americans did not find much more use for their knives 
 and forks, (which, for fear of chop-sticks, they had 
 taken ashore with them,) than they had done at the 
 first interviews Fish-broth, shrimps, hard boiled eggs, 
 and oysters were served up to them on these occasions ; 
 and they were certainly more satisfying than the cake 
 and fruit, that had so dismayed them on a former 
 occasion. In return for their hospitality, the Japanese 
 oflScers were invited to dinner in the commodore's 
 vessel, where they enjoyed themselves amazingly ; 
 finding the champagne so agreeable that they drank 
 rather more than was good for them. 
 
 The conclusion of all these meetings, and eatings, 
 and drinkings was, that the Americans succeeded in 
 forcing the Japanese to trade with them, under certain
 
 MADE THEIR WAT INTO IT, 81 
 
 restrictions, which, were duly specified. And thus 
 Japan, which has so long been closed to the civilized 
 world, was at last opened to it; and may perhaps 
 (slowly, no doubt,) in time partake of its civilization 
 and Christianity. 
 
 Within fifteen days of Commodore Perry's depart- 
 ure, an American trading vessel presented itself to 
 take advantage of the new treaty, and was very well 
 received. The owner was frankly told, that his was 
 the first foreign vessel the Japanese had ever been 
 glad to see ; Perry ha\'ing more great guns, and fight- 
 ing men, than were at all agreeable to them. And 
 they now allowed one of their shipwrecked country- 
 men, brought in the Lady Pierce, to land, instead of, 
 as before, driving him away with threats of what they 
 would do to him, if he ventured to put his foot on shore. 
 
 The country around the harbour of Simioda, which 
 is one of those conceded to the Americans, is described 
 as being in a state of high cultivation, and yielding 
 rice, (which, with fish, is the chief food of the inhabi- 
 tants,) mUlet, Egyptian corn, maize, sweet potatoes 
 and the Qgg plant. The houses are constructed of 
 wood or mud-plastered wattles : sometimes both ma- 
 terials are combined. The outside is coloured blue 
 and white, chequerwise ; as are also the tiled roofs of 
 the' superior buildings : the others are thatched. 
 
 4-^
 
 82 JAPAN, AND HOW THE AMERICANS 
 
 They have no cellars ; but the floors are raised a 
 foot or two above the ground, (which has been beaten 
 hard and close,) and covered with straw mats or grass. 
 Some of their temples, (they are idolaters,) and their 
 principal houses, are built of stone. Each of these 
 has its place of burial ; by many of the graves ever- 
 greens are planted, and cups and joints of bamboo, 
 containing water, are placed by them. The houses 
 have no fireplaces, a small dish of charcoal being 
 placed in the centre of the room when warmth is re- 
 quired ; and round this the people squat upon their 
 heels. Some of the houses have kitchen gardens, and 
 a very few, ornamental ones, in which a fish pond, 
 some dwarfed trees, or stone carvings may be seen. 
 The windows are generally made of paper, and have 
 rather a forlorn appearance, as they are not unfre- 
 quently dirty, and torn into loop holes, for the chil- 
 dren to peep at what is going on outside. Ofiicials 
 have their coat of arms painted on a piece of cotton, 
 stretched across the house porch ; and everybody hangs 
 up a charm over his door, to protect the household 
 from evil spirits. 
 
 And now for a glance at a Japanese wedding. 
 They are a very ceremonious people, and on such an 
 occasion they come out in their full glory. 
 
 The match being agreed upon, the bride's outfit is
 
 MADE THEIE WAY INTO IT. . 83 
 
 prepared. A most misceilaneous jumble is this, con- 
 sisting of a wedding dress, white, with gold or silver 
 embroidery ; four other dresses of various colours, of a 
 superior kind ; a number of ordinary ones, one with 
 thick fur ; bed furniture, gloves, carpets, a silk cap, 
 a cotton one trimmed with fur, a bag of cosmetics, 
 another full of toothpicks; hair-ties, a hand mirror, 
 paper to wrap parcels in, musical instrimients, a harp, 
 a guitar, writing materials, tooth paste. The Japa- 
 nese married ladies wear their teeth black. A variety 
 of articles for the toilette ; razors ! a smoothing-iron, 
 wash-tub and basket, and clothes pins, a dagger, fans, 
 fire braziers and last — a small stand on which the 
 lady may set her elbows when she has nothing to do ! 
 These, and various other household utensils, being 
 provided, are forwarded to the bridegroom's house, 
 who, prudent man, gives a written receipt for them. 
 His hospitality is also extended to the bearers of the 
 chattels, who present him with a written list of them. 
 On the wedding day the bride proceeds in a sort 
 of large sedan, in which a person may sit or lie down, 
 to the house of the bridegroom. On one side the door 
 stands an old man, on the other an old woman, pound- 
 ing rice cakes in a mortar. These respectively wish 
 the bride may live a thousand, and ten thousand 
 years. After this their pounded cakes are mixed in
 
 84 JAPAN, AND HOW THE AMEKICANS 
 
 one mortar, and out of the compound, two cakes are 
 made, which are placed one upon the other in the 
 apartment where the ceremony is to take place. 
 
 The bridegroom, suitably dressed, receives the bride 
 in the entrance hall ; afterwards, one of the attend- 
 ants leads her into the principal room, and seats her 
 between two of her women. The bridegroom and his 
 friend — what we might call the groomsman — join her, 
 and the marriage form consists in drinking saki (rice- 
 spirit), after a peculiar fashion. The liquor is poured 
 out by two girls, whose jugs are each of them orna- 
 mented with a butterfly made of paper. One of them, 
 called the gii-1-butterfly, pours some of her saki into 
 the jug of the other or boy-butterfly, who then pours 
 it out into three bowls, from which the young couple 
 each drink three times, moving the bowls about hither 
 and thither in a certain manner. This done they are 
 married ; and their friends and relations entering, are 
 served with saki by the butterflies, in a way that is 
 also pointed out. Presents are next exchanged ; the 
 bridegroom gives the bride two embroidered robes, 
 one embroidered on a black ground, the other on a 
 i*ed, which the lady immediately puts on. The wed- 
 ding feast follows, and then the day's work is done. 
 
 In some families of high rank, the bride is fur- 
 nished with twelve dresses, one for each month of the
 
 MADE TSErft Wat into tt. 85 
 
 year : each of a different colour, and embroidered with 
 emblems of the particular month in which it is to be 
 worn. First, blue, worked with fir*trees and bam- 
 boos ; second, sea-green, with cherry-blossom and 
 butter-cups ; third, light red, with willow and cherry- 
 trees ; the fourth, pearl colour, with cuckoos and little 
 islands ; the fifth, a delicate yellow, with waves and 
 sword-grass ; the sixth, bright orange, with melons 
 and a gushing torrent ; these two being to be worn in 
 the rainy season. For the seventh month, a white 
 dress, with white and purple flowers ; for the eighth, 
 red, with sloe-leaves ; violet, with chrysanthemums, 
 for the ninth month ; for the tenth, olive, with harvest 
 emblems ; the eleventh, black, with icicles ; and for 
 the twelfth, purple, with emblems of snow. For the 
 greater state, each of these dresses is sent by itself, 
 on a horse. A few days after the ceremony, grand 
 wedding-dinners are exchanged between the two 
 famihes, and there is an end of the matter. 
 
 When a Japanese dies, he is dressed in his ordi- 
 nary clothes, suitable to the weather it may chance to 
 be. But his sash, instead of being tied as usual in a 
 bow, is fastened in two knots, to show that it is never 
 again to be loosed. An outer covering is placed over 
 this ; and then he is laid on a mat in the hall, where 
 food is presented to the cold lips, and his family
 
 86 JAPAN, AND HOW THE AMERICANS 
 
 mourn over him. Afterwards the body is placed on 
 its knees in its last receptacle, which is carried in pro- 
 cession, with flags and lanterns, into the temple. 
 The priests perform certain ceremonies there ; and 
 then it is taken, by the relatives only, to the grave, 
 where a priest awaits them, reciting hymns. The 
 dead is then consigned to the grave ; imless indeed 
 he has signified a wish to be burnt, in which case he 
 is carried to a furnace provided for this purpose, the 
 priest repeating hymns during the process. After- 
 wards the ashes are collected, sealed up in an earthen 
 vase, and then deposited in the grave. 
 
 The sons of the dead man, and all the women at- 
 tending his funeral, are dressed in coarse, undyed 
 dresses. The eldest son, as chief mourner, has also a 
 broad-brimmed slouching hat, made of rushes, and it 
 is contrary to etiquette for him to notice any one on 
 the occasion. The other attendants wear their or- 
 dinary clothing ; the men walk, the women are car- 
 ried in the kind of sedan that has been mentioned. 
 The days during which mourning is to be worn, are 
 limited to fifty for the higher classes ; the common 
 people do not always put it on : when they do, it is 
 only for a few days. During this mourning sea- 
 son, persons are expected to stay in their houses, 
 and neither to eat animal food nor drink saki.
 
 MADE THEIR WAY INTO IT. 87 
 
 Their nails must remain uncut, and their heads un- 
 shaven. 
 
 Two wooden tablets, on which are iuscribed the 
 name and virtues of the deceased, are carried in the 
 funeral procession. One of these is left at the grave, 
 the other is brought back and set up during the 
 period that mourning is worn, in the best room in the 
 house. There, fruit, sweatmeats, and tea, are put 
 before it ; and three times in the day, food is pre- 
 sented to it, as it would be to a living person. Two 
 candles constantly burn by it, and a lantern is hung 
 up on each side. For seven weeks the family and 
 servants pray before it morning and evening ; and 
 each week a priest attends for one hour to repeat 
 hymns. Every day during this time, the eldest son, 
 wearing his rush hat, and speaking to no one, goes to 
 pray by the grave ; where a little hut is built for a 
 servant, who keeps an account of all Avho visit it. 
 At the end of the seven weeks, the formal mourning 
 ceases, but bright colours are not to be worn for a 
 twelvemonth. The wooden tablet is removed to a 
 closet, where those belonging to the family ancestors 
 are kept. But each morning it is brought out, and 
 incense burned before it. 
 
 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, there 
 is a general festival in honour of ancestors. The tab-
 
 88 JAPAW. 
 
 lets are brought out, refreshments served to them, 
 and in the evening candles are lighted at the graves, 
 where food is also placed. In the middle of the 
 night these are removed, packed up in little straw 
 boats, with paper or cloth sails ; a light is placed in 
 each tiny bark, and then they are taken, with music 
 and shouting, to the water's edge, where they are set 
 adrift. These lights, dancing to and fro with the 
 movement of the water, form a most striking scene 
 amid the darkness. The ceremony is intended as a 
 sort of leavong-taking of the spirits of their friends.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A CHINESE REVIEW.* 
 
 The Abbe Hue, a Eomish missionary in China, had 
 two servants or assistants. One was a sort of com- 
 pound of schoolmaster and housekeeper ; a quiet little 
 man, who had been a tailor. The other, who was 
 near sixty years old, was gardener, chapel-keeper, 
 and cook ; his trade had been that of a smith. These 
 two presented themselves one day to their master 
 with anxious faces, and, telling him that a military 
 officer — what he should call an Inspector-General — 
 had come down from Pekin, the capital, to review the 
 troops, asked whether he would advise them to go. 
 The Abbe replied, that if they wished to go and see 
 the review they were quite at liberty to do so ; and 
 he would stay at home and take care of the house 
 while they were away. 
 
 " Well," said the taUor, " we have never been to 
 a review before : we have always managed to get ex- 
 
 * Hue's " Chinese Empire."
 
 90 A CHINESE REVIEW. 
 
 cused in some way or other ; but it is said that this 
 new General is so severe, that every one who does 
 not go, will be soundly beaten, and fined into the 
 bargain." 
 
 "Oh, if it be so," returned the Abbe, "I must 
 lock up the house and go too. " " As you please 
 about that," said the tailor ; " it is only we soldiers 
 who are obliged to go, or else get a beating. " " Sol- 
 diers ! " exclaimed the astonished priest, doubting 
 whether he had heard them right. But it was quite 
 true ; the tailor and the smith, — gardener, house- 
 keeper, cook, schoolmaster, chapel-keeper, — each of 
 them added also soldier to the long list of his other 
 avocations : though, as the tailor avowed, he had 
 never handled firearms since he was born, and was 
 frightened of touching either them or gunpowder, ia 
 any shape. 
 
 Military law, of course, must be obeyed. Besides, 
 as these Chinese were converts, it was more important 
 still to show their Pagan sovereign that Christianity, 
 which is very unwillingly received in China, does not 
 make bad subjects. 
 
 The day for the review arrived ; and having de- 
 molished a hearty breakfast, and drunk a considerable 
 quantity of hot wine* to keep up their courage, our 
 * Wine is drunk hot, not cold, in China.
 
 CHINESE SOLDIERS SUMMONED TO A liEVIEW.
 
 A CHINESE REVIEW. 91 
 
 two heroes proceeded to dress for the grand occasion 
 Their uniforms consisted of a loose-fitting black dress, 
 a kind of surtout bordered with red, on the back and 
 front of which was a piece of white cloth, upon which 
 the word soldier was written in large characters, i 
 order that there might be no mistake about the matter. 
 This was surmounted by a sugar-loaf cap made of 
 straw, on the top of which floated a tuft of red silk. 
 Nothing more was wanting to complete their military 
 character, save weapons. These consisted of a clumsy 
 musket for one, with bow and arrows for the other ; 
 and snatching them up they hastened away to the 
 field, their master following to see the fun. 
 
 Groups of such soldiers as our friends above, were 
 to be seen in all directions, making their way to the 
 spot where the review was to be held. Their arms 
 were of all sorts and sizes ; swords, bow and arrows, 
 muskets, lances, pitchforks, even saws fastened to 
 long poles, and small cannon, mounted, each one on 
 the backs of a couple of men — rather a novel kind of 
 gun-carriage. But, however 2i;mniform were the 
 military accoutrements of this mob of an army, there 
 were two species of arms in which not one of them 
 was wanting: the fan and pipe were at every man's 
 side, and some few of them had likewise brought their 
 umbrellas ! As for the fan, so essential an article
 
 92 A CHINESE REVIEW. 
 
 is it to a true Chinaman, that it is actually said, offi- 
 cers will go into action fanning themselves. 
 
 On a rising ground at one end of the plain a plat- 
 form was erected for the general officers and other 
 mandarins. Flags and streamers fluttered here ; there 
 were also lanterns, though it was mid-day; and a 
 huge red umbrella towered above all, to defend them 
 from the very scorching rays of a Chinese sun. The 
 great folks took their seats here comfortably in arm- 
 chairs, the Inspector-General included, with tea-things 
 and tobacco-boxes on small tables before them ; while 
 at one side stood a servant with a light for their wor- 
 ships' pipes! The different orders of these civil and 
 military officers — mandarins we call them, though the 
 Chinese themselves do not — are made known by the 
 button on the top of their caps. The first rank wear 
 a button of red coral ; the second, an ornamentally 
 cut button of the same kind ; a clear dark blue button 
 distinguishes the third ; a light blue, the fourth ; the 
 fifth have a transparent white button ; the sixth some- 
 thing like a white cornelian. The three remaining 
 ranks have copper buttons, gilded, and with some 
 kind of figure impressed upon them. 
 
 A cannon-shot announced the beginning of the 
 sham fight ; the general officers on the platform stop- 
 ping their ears when the match was applied, lest they
 
 A CHINESE REVIEW. 93 
 
 should be deafened by the explosion. A flag -n-as 
 then displayed on one of several forts constructed of 
 bamboo and paper, which had been erected in various 
 parts of the field ; drums sounded, and the troops 
 dashed forward to the charge, yelling terribly. It 
 was a scene of confusion ; each troop tried to keep to 
 its standard, but orderly evolutions seemed to be 
 something beyond their skill. The soldiers leaped, 
 and bounded, and wriggled about, now hiding them- 
 selves behind their shields, then darting forward sword 
 in hand, shouting amain, and seeming decidedly most 
 at home in the mixed hand-to-hand fight at the close 
 of the performance. Some of these warriors did noth- 
 ing but scamper confusedly, hither and thither, from 
 one side of the field to another, and the Abbe strongly 
 suspected that his two servants were among this nimi- 
 ber. 
 
 The movements of the troops were regulated by 
 flags, which were waved this way or that, according 
 as their advance, or retreat, or any other particular 
 evolution was required. The flags being at rest was 
 the signal to suspend hostilities, and then the whole 
 army came to a halt ; not, however, with the preci- 
 sion that would be seen at an English review, where, 
 at the bugle note, each advancing regiment suddenly 
 looks like a long straight wall, with a line of glitter-
 
 94 A CHINESE REVIEW. 
 
 ing steel above it. Our Chinese friends were content 
 if they got not very far from their appointed post, and 
 shouldered their miscellaneous, and rather rusty wea- 
 pons with the utmost complaisance possible. 
 
 The firing of the small cannon was the best part 
 of the entertainment. These, as has been said, are 
 carried each by two soldiers ; and when the piece is 
 to be fired they stand at a little distance one before 
 the other, so as to let it rest on their left shoulders, 
 the other hand being employed in keeping it steady. 
 Much accuracy of aim cannot be expected, with such 
 rests ; and fortunately the Chinese do not care about 
 that. If the gun is fired that is enough for them. 
 Where the ball goes to, is no concern of theirs. There 
 is a general order, that when these guns are fired off, 
 the men on whose shoulders they rest should have a 
 good pad of cotton wool in their ears. A humane 
 precaution, certaiuly, though a very droll one ; and 
 spite of it, it was evident from the faces they pulled 
 on this occasion, that they did not at all enjoy the 
 doing duty for a gun-stock. In such of their wars as 
 are carried on in countries where the camel is used a 
 a beast of burden, these cannons are mounted on thei. 
 backs — rather a more suitable place than those of 
 human beings. The camels are, we suppose, left to 
 take care of their own ears.
 
 A CHINESE REVIEW. 95 
 
 The spectacle came to a close by an attack being 
 made, with loud outcries, and much apparent confu 
 sion, on the bamboo and paper forts. These, as the 
 Abbe was informed, were all taken with unexampled 
 bravery ; and then, amid shouts of victory, the heroes 
 retired to repose upon their laurels. 
 
 In what was more properly the xeview, following 
 the sham fight, some of the regiments managed to go 
 through their exercises very respectably ; though as 
 these were of a very ridiculous character — to Euro- 
 pean eyes — the sight was more laughable than any- 
 thing else. 
 
 The tailor and the smith, on their return home, 
 were not in a position to afford their master much in- 
 formation about the evolutions in which they had 
 been engaged. They knew very little about them. 
 All that they did know was, that, having kept an 
 eye on some 'crack' corps, in a state of greater mili- 
 tary efficiency than themselves, (and, as they declared, 
 two-thirds of their neighbours,) they had just done as 
 they did; charged, advanced, shouted, danced, stood 
 on one leg, and so had got through with credit, if not 
 comfort. 
 
 China has, of course, a navy as well as an army, 
 and the sailors are quite a match for the soldiers. 
 Their vessels, or war junks, are not usually at all fit
 
 96 A CHINESE REVIEW. 
 
 for long voyages, and are chiefly used for coasting and 
 pirate hunting on the large rivers; the pirates not 
 seeming to care much for them. 
 
 The outsides of these junks are painted in all sorts 
 of fantastic ways. Sometimes the junk is made to 
 look — so far as painting can do it — like a bird or fish, 
 a snake or something of that kind ; the most general 
 ornament being two great, wide open eyes on the 
 prow. And unlike ourselves, who seem to delight in 
 giving all sorts of, not only ugly but unmeaning, 
 names to our ships, the name of the junk is with them 
 usually descriptive of it. Thus, one rowed by several 
 tiers of men, is called the Centipede ; the rows of oars, 
 when extended one above the other, being not unlike 
 the many feet whence that insect derives its name, 
 hundred feet. The HawFs Bill has both prow and 
 stern shaped like the bird's beak, and so on with 
 others. Inside, things are about as well ordered and 
 regulated as were the military movements at the re- 
 view: and occasionally, an actual house, very small 
 of course, is built on deck with stones.
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 PIRATES. 
 
 The Indian seas have long been noted for tlie pirates 
 by whom they are infested. Among the fiercest of 
 them are those who swarm on the coast of the large 
 and rich island of Borneo, and with whom our English 
 cruisers have sometimes had desperate encounters. 
 
 Some of these pirates will muster a fleet of four 
 hundred boats, called prahus, from ninety to a hun- 
 dred feet long, and propelled by two sets of oars, one 
 above the other, with a large sail for occasional use. 
 These boats carry each a long gun, with others that 
 can be made to turn in all directions, and are there- 
 fore called swivels. The fore part has a bullet-proof 
 bulwark. The pirates themselves are armed with 
 spears, large swords, and a peculiarly formidable 
 weapon, much used by the Malays, and called a kris. 
 This is a species of sword, whose crooked blade makes 
 it capable of inflicting a most severe wound. Dashing 
 along swiftly with their large and numerous oars, 
 5
 
 98 PIEATES. 
 
 these pirates not only attack and pillage trading ves- 
 sels, but, darting ashore, carry off the poor inhabitants 
 of the coast, whom they sell for slaves. 
 
 Such a complete business do they make of this 
 slave hunting, that they have actually a sort of har- 
 poon to catch slaves with, Avithout seriously injuring 
 them. It is a fork, the prongs of which are at such a 
 distance as will just allow a man's neck to be held 
 between them. This fork, if thrown at the person to 
 be taken, catches him by the neck, and, being then 
 pulled backwards, the barbs inside the prongs hold 
 him fast. 
 
 When worsted in sea encounters, these pirates 
 make their escape very cleverly. On the south side 
 of the island of Mindanae, (which lies on the north-east 
 of Borneo,) is a large lagoon — that is, a lake separa- 
 ted by a strip of swampy land from the sea — the en- 
 trance to which is concealed by thickets of the man- 
 grove tree. These trees are bent down in such a way 
 as to form a sort of path over the swampy bar, into 
 the lake ; and when defeated, the pirates, with the 
 utmost impetus of their powerful oars, force their 
 prahus up the slope of this path, so that the crew can 
 finally drag it over the bar into the lake itself. 
 Mounted guns defend these — tram roads, shall we 
 call them ? — ^into the lake ; so that any one attempt-
 
 PIRATES. 99 
 
 ing to follow, would find himself exposed to a brisk 
 cannonade. 
 
 When brought to close quarters, the pirates fight 
 desperately : as Malays, they are a fierce people, but 
 as Malay pirates, much worse. 
 
 Some few years ago a boat's crew from the Dido, 
 Captain Keppel, cruising in those seas for the pur- 
 pose of putting down piracy, had a rather sharp 
 set-to with them. 
 
 The ship's boat had given chase to three of these 
 prahus, but was distanced by them ; and at nightfall, 
 though the prahus were again in sight, finding they 
 could not get near them, the sailors pulled on shore. 
 They were all tired and hungry ; so, kindling a fire, 
 they cooked their supper, and then, making the boat 
 fast with her anchor, they lay down to sleep for the 
 night, with muskets ready loaded, and other arms at 
 hand. Early the next morning, when there was just 
 a gleam of the rising moon, one of the officers saw a 
 Malay dancing about on the boat's deck, and swing- 
 ing his kris about as though he were cutting off" heads 
 by anticipation ; for these wretches have a horrible 
 fancy for collecting human heads! The sight of a 
 strange white face startled him, however, and jumping 
 overboard, he hastily rejoined his companions ; so 
 hastily, that a volley from three or four guns, that cut
 
 100 PIBATES. 
 
 their rigging to bits, was the first notice that the rest 
 of the crew had of foes being close at hand. For- 
 tunately, owing to their all being laid down, this can- 
 nonading did the sailors themselves no harm. Jump- 
 ing up at the alarm, they saw they were attacked by 
 two large piratical prahus. A volley in return, and 
 slipping the cable, so as to get out a little from the 
 land, were the first things done : and then the marines 
 kept up so smart a fire as to leave the pirates no time 
 to reload. It was a deadly struggle ; for each side 
 knew that no mercy was to be expected from the 
 other. The shot-proof bulwarks of the prahus hin- 
 dered the full effect of the small arms from the Eng- 
 lish boat, so that they had to be blown away by round 
 shot, and then the slaughter was fearful. The prahus, 
 one on each bow, made an attempt to board the Eng- 
 lish boat, but were driven off" with dreadful loss. One 
 of them was soon in a sinking state, from the grape 
 and canister that had been poured into her ; the other 
 managed to sneak off", another prahu making its ap- 
 pearance, to tow it out of harm's way. 
 
 On boarding the stranded boat, it was found that 
 all the pirates who could do so, had thrown them- 
 selves into the water by way of making their escape. 
 They had only left the dead and dying, who, atro- 
 cious as had been their lives, still moved the pity of
 
 PIRATES. 101 
 
 their captors, in the last agonies of their painful 
 death. 
 
 Another English officer, who was commissioned to 
 destroy these pestilent fellows, found them very diffi- 
 cult to deal with. He pursued and took three of 
 their prahus — their crews running off when they saw 
 they had no chance of resistance. To the great sur- 
 prise, however, of the Englishman, these dreaded 
 prahus were found to be laden, in the most innocent 
 manner, with country produce ; nor were arms, or any 
 other trace of their occupation, to be found on board. 
 Supposing he had been mistaken in their character, 
 and had captured some harmless merchant boats, he 
 drew off his men, and left the prahus on shore. No 
 sooner had he done so than the pirates, for such in- 
 deed they were, returned to them, and were setting 
 sail to be off, when another officer arrived with orders 
 to bring one of the prahus to the English brig, that 
 the captain might satisfy himself as to what it really 
 was — a trading vessel, as its cargo would imply, or 
 one of the dreaded plunderers of the coast. 
 
 One of the prahus was accordingly rowed by its 
 own crew, under a guard, to the English vessel. But 
 no sooner was it made fast there, than the crew sprang 
 up, and drawing their knives, which had been cleverly 
 concealed, attacked their guard so savagely, that one
 
 102 PIEATES. 
 
 was killed, and all the rest severely wounded. One 
 of the pirates slew a seaman on deck, by thrusting his 
 spear through a port-hole ; and another determined 
 wretch was said to have seized the musket dropped by 
 a marine whom they had killed, and fired it off among 
 a group of ofiicers. Then cutting the cable that fas- 
 tened them to the brig, they rowed rapidly ashore, 
 hoping to escape in the dusk. The ship's boats were 
 however speedily manned, and in a few minutes had 
 overtaken and boarded the prahu, whose crew fought 
 desperately, thrusting their long spears through the 
 bamboos that composed the deck of their vessel, till 
 eventually every man of them was killed : the prahu 
 itself was sunk by the boat's gun. 
 
 The officer who commanded on the occasion, was 
 fortunate enough, before long, to almost destroy this 
 wasp's nest of robbers, man-stealers and murderers. 
 And with the help of Eajah Brooke we may hope that 
 ere long they will be entirely suppressed. 
 
 The Chinese too have their pirates ; but of a very 
 much more milk-and-water character than their Malay 
 neighbours, if Mr. Fortune's account of his adventures 
 with them, is to be taken as a specimen of their ordi- 
 nary way of doing business. They might have been 
 very mischievous, it is true, on this occasion, had they
 
 PIBATES. 103 
 
 only had their own cowardly countrymen to deal with ; 
 as it was, the affair was simply ludicrous. 
 
 Mr. Fortune^ a collector of specimens for the 
 Horticultural Society of London, was at the time on 
 board a Chinese junk, one of a trading fleet, which, 
 not being allowed by their own government to carry 
 arms, can of course offer no resistance to the pirates 
 who swarm on that coast. They had not been afloat 
 many hours before the captain came below hastily, to 
 tell his English passenger that pirates were in sight, 
 evidently preparing to attack them. The man's head 
 had for some days been so full of pirates, that he was 
 only laughed at for his pains, when he now announced 
 their appearance. Mr. Fortune, however, after look- 
 ing to his gun and pistols, went on deck to have a 
 peep himself at the suspicious craft. One glance was 
 enough ; pirates they certainly were, and the question 
 was, what to do with them, he being the only armed 
 man on board. Had there been only one boatful of 
 them he might have hoped to beat them off; but as 
 there were several, the old Chiuese pilot thought the 
 best thing they could do, would be to submit quietly. 
 This did not at all suit Mr. Fortune's views ; and in 
 the midst of the bustle and confusion, of men hurrying 
 hither and thither to hide their money and other 
 things of value, and put on their worst clothes, that
 
 104 PIRATES. 
 
 the less ransom miglit be exacted if captured, a broad- 
 side from the nearest junk, sent every man of them 
 except two at the hehn, below for shelter. These two 
 kept to their post, not because they were braver than 
 their companions, but simply because the Englishman 
 threatened to shoot them if they left it. 
 
 The pirates were yet too far off for their balls to 
 reach the junk ; so, those on board the latter, after 
 piling up a quantity of rubbish, for fear of being 
 brought down by some chance "long shot," spread 
 all their canvas, and, the wind being favourable, hoped 
 to out-sail their pursuers. But it was of no use, the 
 pirates gained upon them ; the next shot only just fell 
 short of the junk, and the third went over the heads 
 of the helpless crew. Yelling and howUng in the 
 most frightful manner, the pirates, who were now 
 within a few yards, poured in broadside after broad- 
 side, without doing much damage beyond that of 
 knocking about spars and sails, and frightening the 
 poor cowardly sailors. For, as each time the piratical 
 junks fired, they had to put up then- helm to bring 
 their broadside to bear on the Chinese, Mr. Fortune's 
 quick eye saw the movement, and instantly gave the 
 word of command to those on deck to lie down. Then, 
 when the balls had whistled harmlessly over their 
 heads^ he, with somewhat more of effect and precision,
 
 PIRATES. 105 
 
 gave the pirates the contents of his double-barrelled 
 gun. This manoeuvre was repeated several times, 
 killing and wounding so many of the pirates, as soon 
 made them glad to sheer off. 
 
 It was an extraordinary combat, one musket against 
 a number of ship's guns ; and guns coming off " sec- 
 ond best. " Though it must be owned the defeat was 
 altogether worthy of the people who, during the last 
 Chinese war, were advised by one of their mandarins 
 to arm themselves each with two swords ; the noise of 
 which, clattered together, would so frighten the barba- 
 rians, ("foreign devils" they call us!) as speedily to 
 drive them beyond sea. 
 
 5*
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 TVIKGED BULLS AND LIONS. 
 
 Winged bulls, and winged lions ! Those are strange 
 animals indeed. Yes, and they have not only wings, 
 but human faces, calm and stately looking, with 
 venerable beards hanging down, not to their Avaists, 
 because bulls and lions you know have no waists, but 
 in long curls on their broad chests. Venerable they 
 may well appear, for they are more than two thousand 
 years old ! 
 
 But indeed they are not real bulls and lions, they 
 are only sculptured ones that have been buried in the 
 earth for many, many centuries, and have been 
 brought from a far distant country by Mr. Layard. 
 Vast toil and trouble had he to dig them up and trans- 
 port them to England ; for their size and weight are 
 very great, and in the country from which they came 
 there are no smooth high roads, along which broad- 
 wheeled waggons may move as safely, if not as swiftly, 
 as a gentleman's carriage. Nor are there the crabs
 
 ■WINGED BULLS AJSD LIONS. lOY 
 
 and cranes and other sucli machines by which, in 
 England, enormous weights are picked up as easUy 
 as pins, and moved about with almost as much facility 
 as if they were small ones. 
 
 We read ia the Bible, that the prophet Jonah was 
 sent to the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian 
 Empire, to tell the inhabitants that within forty days 
 their city should be destroyed, on account of their 
 extreme wickedness. But the people repented of their 
 misdeeds, and made prayers to God, who then forgave 
 them, and did not suddenly, as He had threatened, 
 destroy their city. In process of time, however, the 
 city went to decay. Its vast size (it would have 
 taken a man three days to walk round it,) its stupend- 
 ous walls, which a heathen writer tells us were a hun- 
 dred feet high, broad enough for three chariots to run 
 abreast on them, and defended by fifteen hundred 
 lofty towers, and all its riches, could not save it from 
 being so utterly destroyed that for very long no one 
 knew even where it had stood. All that was known 
 was, that there had once been this great and popiilous 
 city, and that it no longer existed. The manner of 
 its destruction was utterly unknown. 
 
 Within the last fifteen years, however, the site of 
 this ruined and long buiied city has been discovered, 
 and many of its treasures brought to light. Among
 
 108 WIN-GED BULLS AND LIONS. 
 
 these are the winged creatures we have been describ* 
 ing. With Mr. Layard's help* we relate how they 
 were discovered, and launched on their voyage to 
 England to find a resting-place in the British Museum. 
 Taking with him a few Arabs, Mr. Layard set 
 them to dig among what he conceived to be the ruins 
 of this ancient city : this was in fhe neighbourhood 
 of Nimroud, a village on the Tigris, and about thirty 
 miles from Mosul, taking the distance in a straight 
 line. The winding of the river and the nature of its 
 navigation in the winter season made it a five hours' 
 journey for the traveller. They had not been long at 
 work before some fragments of sculpture were dis- 
 covered, which convinced him of the correctness of 
 his anticipations, and led to more extended researches. 
 Highly delighted, he returned to the miserable hovel 
 in which he had taken up his abode in the village, 
 and prepared for a longer stay there, by mending 
 with mud its broken walls, and propping up the roof. 
 Some little defence against weather was thus secured ; 
 and next day the work among the ruins was resumed 
 with more labourers. The Arabs were sorely puzzled 
 by any man thinking it worth his while to come and 
 dig up stones and other rubbish, as they deemed it. 
 And one of them, fancying himself wiser than the rest, 
 
 * Layard's " Nineveh and its Remains."
 
 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 109 
 
 carefully collected all tlie little bits of gilding, that 
 had got rubbed off some articles of ivory ; then beckon- 
 ing Mr. Layard aside, Avhere no one might observe 
 them, he presented these to him, saying, that he knew 
 well enough what was the object of the Englishman's 
 search, and presently they should find plenty of gold. 
 Only, he entreated him to say nothing about it to his 
 Arab workmen, or the matter would certainly come 
 to the Governor's ears ! 
 
 It was not long before the excavations brought 
 traces of a building to view ; which, as the earth and 
 rubbish were slowly removed, was discovered to be a 
 palace of the ancient kings of Assyria, and ornamented 
 with the richest sculptures. One morning Mr. Layard 
 having ridden to an Arab encampment at a little dis- 
 tance, was met on his return by two of his Arabs, 
 who were galloping on in a state of great excitement. 
 As soon as they came up to him they stopped, and, 
 uttering the usual Mahomedan exclamation : " There 
 is no God but God, " bade him hasten to the ruins, 
 for Nimrod himself (the founder of the city) had been 
 dug up. On arriving there, he found the workmen 
 standing round something that they had covered up 
 with their baskets, (in which they removed the earth,) 
 and upper clothing. These were drawn aside as he 
 approached, and to his delight exposed a gigantic
 
 110 WINGED BULLS AKD LIONS. 
 
 human head, well sculptured, and in excellent preser- 
 vation. This was a portion of one of the winged lions 
 now in England. All hands were set to work to clear 
 out the remainder of the figure ; and while busily en- 
 gaged, up rode a crowd of Arabs to whom their two 
 comrades had carried the news. " There is no God 
 but God, and Mahomed is his prophet," was their 
 wondering cry ivhen they saw what they could scarcely 
 believe to be wrought by human hands. Another 
 trench ere long brought to light a second lion. And 
 then, leaving a guard to protect them, Mr. Layard 
 treated his Arabs to a sheep for their supper, and a 
 regular merry-making to celebrate the event. Tid- 
 ings of it spread abroad in all directions, and brought 
 throngs of men, women, and children to the mound, 
 whence they might have a peep into the trenches 
 where these marvels were being brought to sight. 
 
 Unfortunately, the first Arab who got a glimpse 
 of the huge head, was so frightened, that, throwing 
 down his basket, he scampered ofi" as fast as he could 
 to the town of Mosul, telling everybody that he came 
 near, how they had dug up Nimrod himself! The 
 Governor, who had previously done all he could to 
 annoy and hinder Mr. Layard, was only too glad to 
 make use of this as another pretext for doing so. He 
 was not quite certain whether it was really Nimrod
 
 WINGED BULLS AKD LIONS. Ill 
 
 himself who had been found, or only his sculptured 
 figure, or indeed, who or what the original Nimrod 
 was ; but however it might be, he thought it an excel- 
 lent excuse for pretending to think that some one's 
 grave was being disturbed. So he sent word to Mr. 
 Layard that nothing more of that kind must take 
 place, and he wished the works to be entirely stopped. 
 
 This fancy of the Cadi's occasioned some interrup- 
 tion, as the matter had to be referred to his master at 
 Constantinople. A new Governor, however, was ap- 
 pointed in his place, and, with his permission, readily 
 given, the work was resumed under the superintend- 
 ence of a government official ; for the people could 
 not be persuaded that Mr. Layard was simply seeking 
 antiquities. They thought it was buried treasure 
 that he was hunting for, and of course were not dis- 
 posed to let him help himself freely to that. 
 
 It was now summer ; vegetation was parched uj), 
 and destroyed by locusts, and the intense heat made 
 it impossible to live in a tent. A sort of cavern was 
 accordingly scooped out in the face of a cliflf overhang- 
 ing the river ; and, shaded by branches of trees made 
 a tolerable dwelling place ; save for the annoyance of 
 reptiles and stinging insects, to which its peculiar na- 
 ture and situation subjected its inmate ! But indeed 
 comfort was not to be thought of in a place like that.
 
 112 •VVETGED BUXLS AKD LI0N8. 
 
 To other evils was also added that of violent storms oi 
 wind ; which, laden with suffocating clouds of fine 
 dust, swept over the heated plain, and compelled all 
 to hide themselves as they best could, from their fury. 
 Heavy timber, used in the excavations, was carried 
 away by one of these whirlwinds, and deposited several 
 hundred yards off; while the tents had vanished en- 
 tirely, leaving their contents strewed around. Still, 
 the works were carried on vigorously ; though the 
 limited amount of funds for their expense, which had 
 been placed at Mr. Layard's disposal, prevented his 
 employing many labourers on them. Walls, cham- 
 bers, groups of figures representing battles, sieges, 
 and other interesting subjects, were disclosed one 
 after the other. Digging onwards for some distance 
 in the direction of one of these walls, led them to the 
 body of the great winged bull, whose head had been 
 discovered the day before. The whole mass had fallen 
 against another sculpture, and been broken to pieces 
 by the accident. 
 
 Immediately after these discoveries, Mr. Layard 
 received from the Turkish government the much de- 
 sired permission, not only to continue his works at 
 his pleasure, but to remove to England any sculpture 
 that he thought fit. This was good news ; and 
 though very inadequately provided with funds for
 
 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 113 
 
 these expensive researclies, the removal of the annoy- 
 ing hindrances from ignorant and bigoted Turkish 
 officials that had so long harassed, and made him at 
 times doubtful as to the result of his labours, gave him 
 fresh energy for the use of such means as were in his 
 power. Another mound was accordingly opened, but 
 proved to be a ruin of more recent date than that on 
 which he had been so successfully engaged, and to 
 whose further exploration he accordingly returned. 
 His Arab workmen were exceedingly interested ia 
 the strange work to which the Englishman had set 
 them. As one piece of sculpture after another came 
 to light, they greeted it according to its subject. 
 Curses, and spitting on the ground (an eastern mode 
 of expressing abhorrence), saluted anything that they 
 fancied ay as an idol ; for the Mahomedans, with all 
 their false and repulsive doctrines, retain an intense 
 hatred of 'idolatry. A beardless figure would receive 
 a kiss from these rough Eastern " navvies," who took 
 for granted that it must be a lady ; while at times, in 
 the excitement of their work, they would throw oif 
 nearly aU their clothing, and toil away with their 
 baskets of earth, to a war-cry. 
 
 The next difficulty that Mr. Layard had to en- 
 counter, was the getting of his treasures to England. 
 The way in which this was to be done, was that of
 
 114 WINGED BUXLS AND LIONS. 
 
 sending them down the river Tigris to Bagdad, OJ 
 Busrah, whence they might be forwarded to Bombay, 
 and thence to England. The transport of the lions 
 and bulls and other large pieces of sculpture, was im- 
 possible at that time, for want of suitable materials ; 
 there was not even a rope strong enough to be had in 
 the country. Some packages of the smaller slabs 
 were therefore sent on bullock carts to the river, 
 whence they were floated on rafts to Bagdad, were 
 there placed on boats for Busrah, and ultimately 
 reached this country. 
 
 The result of this first arrival of the fruit of his 
 labours was, that more ample means were afforded 
 Mr. Layard, by the English government, for the prose- 
 cution of his plans ; and he soon had a little regiment 
 of workmen employed on the ruins. These were, as 
 before, Arabs, and what are called Nestorian Chris- 
 tians ; for Christianity has long been known and 
 practised in some parts of t^iat far-off country. A 
 number of tents were pitched for the former, and a 
 house built for the latter. The labourers were di- 
 vided into companies of two or four Nestorians, who 
 were to make the excavations ; and these were at- 
 tended by eight or ten Arabs to carry away the 
 earth and rubbish in baskets. Each company had its 
 overlooker, to see that there was no loitering ; as also
 
 ■WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 115 
 
 to give notice to Mr. Layard when any objects of in- 
 terest were unearthed. These now came to light rap- 
 idly ; many of them bearing such traces of fire as to 
 show that it had been one of the agents in the de- 
 struction of the city. * Some were so completely cal- 
 cined as to fall to pieces on exposure to the air. This 
 success was almost as gratifying to Mr. Layard's 
 Arabs, as it was to himself. For not only had they 
 become interested in their task, but their gains were, 
 for them, considerable, and had attracted numbers of 
 their friends and relations, who pitched their tents 
 among them : not as workers, but with the hope, not 
 a vain one, of receiving some little share of the wealth 
 which the wonder-working Englishman was scattering 
 about him. And in addition, they made preparations 
 for their simple agricultural labours ; constructing the 
 usual machines of poles and buckets, worked by oxen, 
 to raise water from the river, and digging channels to 
 receive and convey it to their fields and gardens. 
 
 So many people, even had they been more civilised 
 than they were, could not be crowded together with- 
 out occasional disputes and quarrels. These were 
 always referred to Mr. Layard, who settled them upon 
 the spot, without troubling the Cadi ; and generally 
 to the satisfaction of the Arabs themselves, who never, 
 save in one single case, refused submission to his
 
 116 "WnSTGED BULLS AND LlOIfS. 
 
 judgment. An Arab is not a little despotic in liia 
 own tent ; but even bere Mr. Layard effected some 
 improvement, by rendering wife-beating an amuse- 
 ment that could not, as formerly, be indulged in with 
 impunity. The severe punish'ment that he inflicted 
 for this misdemeanor, rendered the lives of the poor 
 women far more comfortable than they had been, and 
 earned for him their lasting gratitude, mingled witb 
 fear of what would become of them when he was gone, 
 and there would be no one left to protect them from 
 their husbands. The luxurious lives that they led 
 under his administration, — eating wheat bread, and 
 even meat, and butter, — together with their exemp- 
 tion from the stick, would make these poor creatures 
 feel, all the more bitterly, their relapse into poverty 
 and slavery, when the earth was filled in again on the 
 buried city, and the adventurous explorer had bidden 
 a last adieu to the scene of his labours. 
 
 About eleven in the morning, a halt was called 
 among the workmen ; and, seating themselves where 
 they had been at Avork, each took the meal brought 
 him from his tent by his children. This would 
 consist of a coarse loaf, with water to drink, a sort 
 of thick porridge made of millet, or a little wooden 
 bowl of boiled herbs seasoned with salt. In the spring, 
 for a treat, there might be sour milk and curds with
 
 WIKGED BULLS AIsT) LIOKS. Il7 
 
 the loaf. And wlien all was over, the little ones would 
 trip back again with the bowls and dishes. Occa- 
 sionally their employer would capture a pedlar with 
 fruit ; and, distributing his whole donkey-load of dates 
 or raisins among his labourers, made them all as 
 happy as kings. Occasionally they would, in return, 
 invite him to eat bread with them ; and then, with 
 the utmost gravity and decorum, they did the honours 
 of the feast, consisting, perhaps, of a few dates and 
 raisins, a bit of butter, and some cakes baked in the 
 ashes. The women had their little entertainments 
 given them by themselves ; as in that queer country, 
 men and women do not eat together. 
 
 The Nestorians lived apart from the Arabs, and 
 were strict in their observances as Christians. On 
 the Sunday they would not travel ; and their festival 
 days were kept in the same manner : one of their 
 clergy saying prayers, or leading a psalm among 
 them, in the trenches, while they devoutly knelt 
 around him. 
 
 Various circumstances now led Mr. Layard to 
 believe that it would be well to attempt the removal 
 of some of his large sculptures. The two great winged 
 lions that had guarded the entrance to one of the 
 stately chambers of the king's palace, were of too vast 
 size and weight to be removed at that time, owing to
 
 118 AVIKGED BULLS A>T) LIONS. 
 
 his inadequate funds. They were, therefore, covered 
 over with earth to protect them from injury, and left 
 to a future time. A lion and a bull, of somewhat 
 smaller mould and in better preservation than many 
 that had been unearthed, were selected for immediate 
 removal ; and Mr. Layard had to set all his wits to 
 work to contrive it. 
 
 The first thing to be done was to construct a large 
 strong waggon, on which they might be conveyed to 
 the river side. Wood for this had to be sent for to 
 the mountains, there being none but poplar to be had 
 in Mosul ; and this was of too light a texture for the 
 purpose required. A carpenter was accordingly de- 
 spatched on this errand, with directions to bring large 
 beams and thick planks of some kind of close-grained 
 wood. When this was procured it was worked up. 
 Each wheel was to be of solid wood, formed of three 
 pieces nearly a foot thick, joined together, and bound 
 with iron. A stout pair of iron axles, formerly used 
 for the same purpose, by Botta, a French explorer, 
 was purchased from the French Consul ; and across 
 these, beams, on which again were cross pieces, were 
 placed. Poles, rings, and hooks were affixed to various 
 parts of the waggon, in order that men as well as 
 beasts might help to pull the ponderous burden along. 
 Great was the admiration excited by this wonderful
 
 WINGED BUIiLS AND LIONS. 119 
 
 vehicle, the like of which had not been seen in Mosul. 
 Crowds came to see it ; and the Pasha's artillerymen, 
 who looked on, gave themselves airs, and pretended 
 to understand all about it, and to be willing to im- 
 part their superior knowledge to the gaping by-stand- 
 ers. But when by dint of two buffaloes drawing, and 
 a host of Chaldeans and Arabs pushing, the stately 
 machine rumbled over the crazy bridge of boats, on 
 its way to the ruins for its freight, the admiration of 
 the populace knew no bounds. High and low, civil 
 dignitaries, soldiers, merchants, everybody in fact, 
 hastened to watch its slow progress, leaving business 
 of every kind in Mosul to take care of itself If pop- 
 ular admiration had been all Mr. Layard cared for, 
 he had it to his heart's content that day. 
 
 Well, the waggon got to the ruins. But how to 
 get the huge blocks upon the waggon ? Their weight 
 had been somewhat lessened by cutting away some of 
 the stone from the under side ; but still it was exces- 
 sive, and there was of course no road, such as we call 
 a road, along which to drag either blocks or waggon. 
 A cutting, two hundred feet long, fifteen feet wide and 
 twenty deep, was in the first place made from the spot 
 where the bull stood, to the edge of the mound in 
 which the excavations had been made, and along 
 which the bull was to be dragged to the waggon, which
 
 120 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 
 
 stood at the foot of the mound. Before it could be 
 drawn along it had to be lowered on its back ; and 
 the danger during this part of the process, was of the 
 ropes giving way, and its being smashed by the fall. 
 Some ropes, sent purposely from Aleppo, were found 
 to be very slender : there was more trust in a pahn 
 hawser from Bagdad than in them. Blocks and screws 
 had been obtained from some English steamers in the 
 neighbourhood. 
 
 AH was ready by the 18th of March: the sculp- 
 tures being enveloped in mats and woollens, to protect 
 them as much as possible from the chances of a fall, 
 or the rasping of the cordage. The earth being dug 
 from under the bull, (leaving it held up by props,) 
 beams of wood, well greased, were laid down along 
 the trench that had been made, and extending from 
 the block to be removed, to the waggon. Across these 
 beams large rollers were placed, on which the mass, 
 after being lowered from its upright position, was to 
 be laid, and then dragged along the greased way. 
 Vast numbers were present, either to help or to watch 
 he operation ; and, each one being in his place, Mr. 
 Layard, who stood on the highest part of the mound, 
 so as to overlook all the proceedings, gave the signal 
 to begin. The wedges, that had kept the bull in its 
 upright position, were at once removed ; and then it
 
 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS, 121 
 
 was expected that it would swing forward, and be 
 sustained by the complicated arrangement of ropes ou 
 oae side, and gradually drawn forward by those on 
 the other. It did not, however, stir. Upon this, a 
 rope was fastened round it ; and the united efforts of 
 half-a-dozeii men easily upset it on its back, as de- 
 sired : the stout hawser which had been attached to 
 it to prevent its too sudden descent, creaking and 
 straining, and cutting its way part through the mass 
 of burnt earth round which its other extremity had 
 been passed. So far, so good. And the Arabs 
 screamed and danced with delight, while Mr. Layard 
 in vain tried to make himself heard above their din, 
 heightened by the drums and other noisy musical 
 instruments, with which the Kurds thought proper to 
 do honour to the grand event. Pelting them even, 
 with anything that came to hand, clods or bricks, and 
 so on, was of no use ; and things had to take their 
 chance. All went well, till the immense mass, being 
 almost down on the rollers, was supported alone by 
 the ropes behind. They then began to give way ; a 
 stretch, a creak, a crack, in spite of the water thrown upon 
 them, and down went the bull to the ground, a whole 
 posse of Arabs doing the same, at the other end of 
 the broken ropes. Fright made them all hold their 
 tongues for a moment. It was a very anxious one ; 
 6
 
 122 WINGED BUXLS AND LIONS. 
 
 but Mr. Layard, descending from his watch-tower into 
 tlie trench, expecting to find the block smashed, had 
 the satisfaction of finding it, not only uninjured, but 
 nicely popped down in the very spot where he had 
 wished it. The prostrate Arabs next picked them 
 selves up out of the dust, sprang on their feet again, 
 and laying hold of the women, who had gathered 
 round to see the show, led them off in a sort of frantic 
 dance, by way of expressing satisfaction with the way 
 in which things had gone so far. Such a yelling, 
 drumming, and piping, had not been heard for many 
 a day. When they had had enough of this sort of 
 rough play, the inexorable Mr. Layard set them to 
 work again. But it was only to get things into order 
 for the next day. Sun-down put an end to anything 
 further for that night. 
 
 The Arabs retired to their tents, cutting all sorts 
 of capers ; their Sheikh, or chief man, lingering be- 
 hind to try to make out what in the world the Eng- 
 lishman wanted with these stones. Could they be to 
 teach the English anything ? No ; their most won- 
 derful knowledge consisted in knowing how to make 
 knives, scissors, and printed cloths; it was certain 
 these sculptured images and slabs could not instruct 
 them how to make better articles of this kind. Per- 
 haps it was, as the Cadi had said, that as the Queen
 
 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 123 
 
 of England (like other Christians) said prayers to 
 images, they were to be set up in her palace for her 
 to worship. However it might be, — " God was 
 great" — and there was an end of the matter! 
 
 The night was spent in feasting and dancing. 
 Roast mutton, and boiled mutton, the two varieties of 
 an Arabian feast, were in profusion ; and, still kick- 
 ing about as though their limbs were hung on wires, 
 the throng repaired at early morning to the mound. 
 The bull, now laid upon the rollers, got along well 
 enough, and very soon reached the waggon, upon 
 which it was safely lowered. The buffaloes were then 
 yoked to it, to drag the load to the river ; but though 
 aided by men, pushing and pulling with all their 
 strength, they would not move a step. They there- 
 fore had to be removed, and replaced by willing men, 
 who started off in grand procession, Mr. Layard rid- 
 ing first to direct. Then came the strenuous drum- 
 mers and fifers ; who, if noise had been a motive 
 power, would have had the whole credit of the transit. 
 They immediately preceded the waggon, which was 
 drawn by about three hundred men harnessed to it, 
 in rows of half-a-dozen or thereabout ; all on full 
 stretch, and yelling with all their might. The pro- 
 cession was wound up by the women of the encamp- 
 ment, also yelling. The horsemen of the party dashed
 
 124 •WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 
 
 about, hither and thither, in front or behind, or any- 
 where else where they were not wanted; making 
 warlike demonstrations with their spears. 
 
 It was not long, however, before the triumphant 
 cavalcade " came to grief. " It is the custom in that 
 country to dig pits in the earth about the dwellings 
 of the people, to store away the grain for winter use, 
 covering them over lightly with branches of trees, and 
 mud-plastered stakes ; and into one of these pits, 
 empty of course, two of the waggon wheels popped ! 
 Pulling and yelling were of no use, though both were 
 liberally tried ; and, as night fell, they were obliged 
 to put off further efforts till next day, leaving a guard 
 over waggon and sculpture, lest any of the wander- 
 ing tribes should steal the ropes, and coverings of the 
 blocks. This was not a vain precaution, as in the 
 night the guard was attacked, but fortunately beat 
 off their assailants, after sustaining no worse damage 
 than one well aimed shot, which left its mark on the 
 bull's side. 
 
 Next day they succeeded in dragging the wheels 
 out of the pit ; and then the whole affair went on 
 smoothly till they got near the river. Here the yield- 
 ing sand proved as bad as the empty corn-pit ; the 
 wheels sticking fast in it, and giving an immense 
 amount of toil to extricate them. By night, however,
 
 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 125 
 
 the bull was safe at the river side, and left there in 
 charge of the Arabs, till the lion should be brought 
 down in a similar fashion, that both might travel 
 together to Bagdad. 
 
 The removal of the lion was effected in a couple of 
 days. Being cracked in several places it required 
 rather more care than the bull had done. 
 
 Mr. Layard intended sending both of them on 
 rafts to Busrah, where they might be embarked for 
 Bombay. As the raftsmen, however, were not used 
 to sailing further down than to Bagdad, they at once 
 declared his scheme to be impossible. Their "can't" 
 had no weight with the persevering antiquarian. He 
 instantly set a man to work, to construct such a raft 
 as he required. This was a framework of timber, 
 supported on inflated skins, lashed to it by flexible 
 twigs. It is the ordinary raft of the country ; but, 
 being required for a much longer journey than usual, 
 it had to be put together in a peculiar manner ; and 
 it was to make the builder follow out Ms plans in the 
 . matter, instead of the established ones for raft build- 
 ing, that Mr. Layard found so troublesome. He knew 
 that the air in these skins Avould gradually escape 
 on the voyage, so as to cause them to require re- 
 inflating before the raft reached Busrah. And as this 
 would, with his heavy cargo, be a diflBeult operation,
 
 126 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 
 
 witli the ordinary construction of these means of 
 transport, his raft had to be built after his own 
 pattern. 
 
 He got it made at last. Then, when all was 
 ready for embarkation, his amiable workmen " struck" 
 for higher wages ; and by way of showing their em- 
 ployer that they were really ia earnest, they began 
 packing up for their departure. It was very provok- 
 ing. But, as usual, the "strike" ended ia the work- 
 men being sent about their business, and the master 
 getting the help that he wanted, elsewhere. 
 
 The first raft (six hundred skins, of sheep or goats, 
 were used to float it !) was brought to the river side, 
 and the bull safely slid upon it. The lion was mounted 
 in a similar way on its raft ; and at nightfall both were 
 ready for their sail down the Tigris. Next morning 
 they got under way, and their discoverer was not 
 long after them, in leaving Nimroud. 
 
 Before leaving Nimroud, Mr. Layard had the lions 
 that were too large for removal at that time, covered 
 over with earth, to protect them from injury, either of • 
 weather, or Arabs, who have not much respect for an- 
 tiquities. 
 
 On his second visit to the buried city, he was able 
 to carry oflf even these huge creatures. The digging 
 a road through the ruins to get them to the waggons 
 
 i
 
 WIKGED BULLS AND LIONS. 127 
 
 was a most laborious work, and occupied three months. 
 When it was completed, the earth being thrown up 
 behind the sculptures, they were lowered down upon 
 it by ropes, and then transferred, by means similar to 
 those used in the first instance, to the waggons. Ow- 
 ing to the swampy state of the plain, occasioned by 
 violent rains, it took three days to convey each block 
 to the river side. Pushing behind, and hauling in 
 front, the Arabs soon became discouraged by the un- 
 wieldy mass sticking fast in the yielding soil. The 
 wheels sank in it, and as they could not be got out 
 again, it was decided that a gentleman present was 
 the cause of the accident ; and till he was gone not 
 one of them would put his hand to a rope. It was 
 necessary to humour them, however absurd they chose 
 to be : the gentleman was accordingly sent away, and 
 then they managed to draw the vehicle a few yards 
 further. Alas ! it again stuck fast ; and this time it 
 was evident that it was not the " ill luck " attaching 
 to Mr. Cooper (who had just been sent to the " right 
 about ") that had brought them to a stand-still. So 
 they suggested, that if an English lady who was on 
 the spot, would only be so good as to sit down upon 
 the unmanageable load, all would be sure to go well. 
 The lady amiably clambered up and took her seat as 
 requested ; but this remedy, like the other, only availed
 
 128 WINGED BULLS AND LIONS. 
 
 them for a short distance. Then it must be some* 
 body or other, in the throng around, that had ca&t 
 •what the Arabs called an " evil eye " on the under- 
 taking : or, as we might express it, had bewitched it. 
 And a suitable individual being pitched upon, as the 
 owner of this same " evil eye, " he was chased away 
 with more energy than politeness. Again a few yards 
 were gained, but that was all. It was stick-in-the- 
 mud again. Next, all the Sheikhs (those are the 
 chiefs among the Arabs) were reduced to the ranks ; 
 and a poor half-witted boy being dressed out in such 
 finery as came to hand, was elected to fill the vacant 
 office. Under bis presidency they pulled away with 
 such enthusiasm that the ropes broke ; and upon this, 
 down went the new young Sheikh, and up in his place 
 went an old man of ninety, who in his turn was 
 speedily disgraced; and the Arabs waxing angry, 
 with their repeated failures, threw the poor old man 
 down, threatening to drag the car over him. One 
 cause of this slow progress (in addition to those 
 arising from the nature of the soil, and the great 
 weight to be dragged over it) may be that, at length, 
 the different tribes of Arabs employed, got into such 
 a rage that they pulled against each other ; — a mode 
 of haulage that certainly was not adapted to promote
 
 WINGED BTTLLS AND LIONS. 129 
 
 Mr. Layard's views as to getting his treasure to the 
 river side. 
 
 The waggon and its precious contents were at 
 last got to the water ; but as the river was not then 
 high enough to float the rafts over the rapids and 
 shallows that lay between Nimroud and Bagdad, they 
 had to be left there awaiting its rise. When this did 
 take place, however, they got more water than they 
 wanted ; so sudden a flood occurred as to overwjielm 
 the lions, and leave them, when it subsided, buried in 
 mud. Here was another misfortune. Fortunately 
 they were no worse for their bath; but in placing 
 them on the raft one lion got split in two, and during 
 the night some mischievous person broke the nose of 
 the other. Their disasters were not yet at an end. 
 Between Bagdad and Busrah the embankments of the 
 river had burst, and made swamps and lakes of the 
 country through which it ran. In one of these one of 
 the rafts Settled down, and was left by the water, not 
 "high and dry," but low and damp. Its recovery 
 was despaired of at first ; but finally a small English 
 steamer was manoeuvred into the lake, the two pieces 
 of the broken sculpture raised from the raft, and, with 
 infinite labour, got on board two boats, which happUy 
 succeeded in bringing them off. 
 6*
 
 130 WDTGED BULLS AIO) LIONS. 
 
 Of the remainder of their journey Mr. Layard 
 gives U8 no account. We ourselves met one of them 
 taking some of the last steps of it, on rollers, in the 
 hall of the British Museum. Once within the reach 
 of civilization, and there is comparatively little diflB- 
 culty in moving even the heaviest masses.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 UP THE NILE. 
 
 The Nile-boat is a "slow coach" sort of conveyance, 
 no doubt : especially to those who are never content 
 without being whisked along at the rate of forty miles 
 an hour, accidents included. But it is sometimes 
 "more haste than speed." Our forty miles an hour 
 occasionally blow us up on the road ; a disaster against 
 which we can guarantee the Nile-boat, seeing she is 
 innocent of steam, and trusts only to her huge sails 
 or oars. 
 
 The wanderer in Egypt may certainly, if he likes, 
 put himself on board a steamer for a certain distance 
 on the Nile. But as steamers here, and steamers 
 there, are very much the same kind of thing, it would 
 be very little to the purpose for us to say anything 
 about the " fire-ship. " The real, original, genuine 
 Nile-boat is the Dahabiyeh ; and as this is not quite 
 such an every-day means of getting along — to us, at 
 least — we will give some description of it.
 
 132 CT THU 1STLE, 
 
 Here are some travellers going up the Nile. Lei 
 ns see how they set to work.* 
 
 In the first place, a boat is to be bargained for ; 
 for the natives, duly impressed with an idea of the 
 boundless wealth of us Europeans, are a little ad- 
 dicted to asking more than they should do for their 
 wares. Fortunately a newly cleaned and painted one 
 was found ; for these Nile-boats lie under a sad repu- 
 tation for being the very reverse of clean. It was 
 seventy feet long by ten broad, with two stout masts j 
 to the first, in the bows, a triangular sail as long as 
 the boat itself is attached; the other, in the stern, 
 supports a little one, a kind of baby triangle. The 
 space around the foremast belongs to the crew, who 
 cook their meals at a little brick furnace, and, when 
 the wind is fair, sit on the gunv-ale, singing by the 
 hour together ; one of them giving out the air, as we 
 should call it, and the rest joining in the chorus. 
 These songs are simple enough ; the solo performer 
 apparently making words out of his own head, to 
 every line of which follows, in good harmony, the 
 chorus: — Harj-liaijlee sah! If there be no wind, hal/ 
 of the crew will be on shore towing the boat, still 
 singing, however severe the toil may be. If the ves- 
 sel strikes on a sand bank — no uncommon accident — 
 
 * " Life and Landscapes from Egypt."— Bataed Tatlor,
 
 tfp THE inuE. 13S 
 
 they jump overboard and shove her off with theit 
 shoulders, to the chorus of Hay-haijlee sah! Or 
 perhaps the long oars have to be shipped ; and they 
 pull up stream, as before, to an interminable chant. 
 
 Where the mainmast should be, stands a stout 
 pole supporting a high wooden box, vrhich does duty 
 as kitchen, and whence issue the most marvellous 
 messes from the skilful hands of Salame the cook. 
 The cabin is built on deck, with a portico in front. 
 It is divided into two ; the main cabin, about ten feet 
 long, having a broad cushioned divan on each side, 
 which is sofa by day, and bed by night. A table 
 and camp-stools occupy the centre ; while the walls 
 are decorated with fire-arms and articles of loose over- 
 dress. The provision chests flank the approach to the 
 cabin, and are under the special protection of the 
 cook, who sleeps close to his treasure. Against the 
 back of the kitchen stands one of the huge earthen 
 jars of the country, filled with the sweet, though 
 brown, water of the Nile ; which, filtering through its 
 porous sides, drops cold and bright into a basin placed 
 under it. Butter, vegetables, and bread, have a place 
 in this cool corner, the bread and vegetables in a palm 
 basket of open work ; poultry and pigeons lodge on 
 the cabin roof, and, on rare and grand occasions, a 
 leg of mutton decorates the pole over which the deck
 
 184 UP THE NILE. 
 
 awning is spread. The captain and pilot sleep on the 
 roof of the cabin ; where the latter perches all day long, 
 " holding the long arm of the rudder, which projects 
 over the cabia from the high end of the stern : " the 
 new-fangled mode of steering by means of a wheel 
 being, we suppose, too new-fangled for these oriental 
 and barbarous boatmen. 
 
 But much was to be done in the furnishing and 
 victualling departments, before the travellers were 
 ready to " take the water." " The furnishing of a 
 NUe-boat," we are told, " requires much knowledge 
 of housekeeping." There are frying-pans to be had, 
 and stew-pans ; coffee-pots and tea-pots ; knives, 
 forks, spoons, towels, cups, ladles, and boxes ; tables, 
 chairs, quilts and pillows, mats and carpets ; gunpow- 
 der, charcoal, bread, butter, lard, flour, rice, macaroni, 
 oil, vinegar, pepper, and no end to the groceries. 
 And when you have got through this long list of 
 necessaries, in their proper quantities, about which a 
 new hand may make the most direful mistakes, you 
 may afford to take breath, and think seriously about 
 " putting to sea." 
 
 But before launching our travellers upon the broad 
 Nile, we must have one glance at them transacting 
 business in Cairo, whence they sailed, and where all 
 these preparations had to be made.
 
 UP THE NILE. 135 
 
 The correct way of going about there is on donkey- 
 back ; and so persevering are the drivers in offering 
 the services of their steeds, that the only way of get- 
 ting rid of them is to hire one. Mr. Taylor declares 
 that such was the throng before his hotel gate, of 
 braying asses, and shouting boys and men, that a 
 path through them had to be "whipped" for him by 
 a couple of servants. So he was obliged, Hke others, 
 to be in the fashion ; and fortunately met with some 
 one, who, on reasonable terms, engaged to have 
 *' strong and ambitious donkeys" ready for him, at 
 all hours of the day. " The donkeys," he says, " are 
 so small that my feet nearly touched the ground ; but 
 they are strong, and their gait, whether a pace or 
 a gallop, is light and easy. The drivers take great 
 pride in having high-cushioned, red saddles, and in 
 hanging bits of jingling brass to the bridles. They 
 keep their donlceys close shorn, and frequently beau- 
 tify them hj painting them various colours. The 
 first animal I rode had legs barred like a zebra's, and 
 my friend's rejoiced in purple flanks, while the under 
 part of its body was painted yellow. 
 
 "The passage of the bazaars seems at first quite 
 as hazardous on donkey-back as on foot ; but it is the 
 difference between knocking somebody down, and 
 being knocked down one's self. There is no use in
 
 136 tTP THE NILE. 
 
 attempting to guide the donkey, for he won't b© 
 guided. The driver shouts behind, and you are 
 dashed at full speed into a confusion of other donkeys, 
 camels, horses, carts, water-carriers, and footmen." It 
 is in vain that you attempt to check your desperate 
 driver; on you go, "dodging your head under a camel 
 load of planks ; your leg brushes the wheel of a dust- 
 cart ; you strike a fat Turk plump in the back ; you mi- 
 raculously escape upsetting a fruit-stand ; you scatter a 
 company of women," looking like spectres in the 
 white mask and long black robe that form their 
 costume ; " and at last reach some more quiet street, 
 with the sensation of a man who has stormed a bat- 
 tery. The cries of my driver amused me not a little : 
 ' The Howadji (merchant) comes ! Take care on the 
 right hand ! take care on the left hand ! man, 
 take care ! boy, get out of the way ! The How- 
 adji comes ! ' " Varied perhaps by " Mind your eye, 
 Ogirl!" 
 
 This peculiar form of address, this, that, and 
 the other, is customary in the Arabic language ; and 
 to Europeans, is at times very ludicrous, from the 
 contrast between the solemnity of the phrase, and the 
 trifling nature of its subject ; as thus : the traveller 
 calls out to a fisherman on the bank of the river, " 
 fisherman, have you any fish ■? " To which, holdiDg
 
 UP THE NILE. 13? 
 
 np a string of them, be replies : " Howadji, 1 
 have!" 
 
 As a sort of world's wonder, the boat, with all its 
 miscellaneous load, was actually ready to sail on the 
 day fixed. Vessels leaving our own shores, are un- 
 derstood often to " hang-fire " for some time, before 
 " going off." But at Cairo, a vessel's sailing at the 
 time appointed, was never before known. By sunset, 
 the craft had squeezed through the crowd of shipping, 
 and began slowly working its way between the palm 
 groves, cane-fields, or sandy wastes, varied by mud 
 villages, or the white tomb of a moslem saint, that 
 border the ancient river. 
 
 A quiet, luxurious life may be led in this same 
 Nile-boat. The travellers, whose route we are follow- 
 ing, took a stroll on shore first thing in the morning, 
 sketching and pigeon-shooting, as each liked best. 
 Then followed breakfast on board, lessons in Arabic, 
 and household cares, till dinner; after which came 
 coffee, and a lounge on deck till the glories of sunset 
 had passed into the brilliancy of an Egyptian night : 
 for in that part of the world, stars and planets shine 
 with such brightness as to cast shadows upon the 
 water. 
 
 Some thirty or forty miles beyond Thebes the char- 
 acter of the river changes considerably. It is " no
 
 138 UP THE NILE. 
 
 longer a broad lazy current, watering endless fields of 
 wheat, and groves, bounded in the distance by level 
 lines of yellow mountaia walls. It is narrower, clearer, 
 and more rapid ; and its valley, after the first scanty 
 wheat field, strikes the foot of broken and rocky 
 ranges. The mountains rise on either hand from the 
 water's edge, piles of dark sandstone, or porphyry 
 rock, sometimes a thousand feet in height, where a 
 blade of grass never grew ; every notch and jag in 
 their crests, every fissure in their sides," sharply de- 
 fined in an atmosphere clear as crystal. " Their hue 
 near at hand is a glowing brown, in the distance an 
 intense violet. On the western bank they are lower, 
 and the sand of the desert has heaped itself over their 
 shoulders, and poured down their sides even to the 
 water. In colour it is a tawny gold, and at sunrise 
 its glow equals that of the snow-fields of the Alps." 
 
 The Ethiopian Nile is still more beautiful — its 
 broad, clear current flowing between banks of the 
 most brilliant green vegetation, backed by palm groves 
 and majestic sycamores. These again give way to 
 graceful mountain ranges. Here, when the sun had 
 gone down and the wind fallen, leaving a gentle 
 breeze laden with the perfume of the bean-blossom, 
 the traveller would moor his boat to the luxuriant 
 western shore, and, choosing a pleasant spot beneatli
 
 UP THE NILE. 189 
 
 a lofty cluster of palms, spread his carpet and cushions 
 on the fine soft warm sand of the shelving river bank. 
 His boatmen would sit quietly smoking and chatting, 
 round a fire of withered palm leaves and branches of 
 mimosa, their white turbans and slender dark faces 
 gleaming picturesquely in the red fire light ; Avhile into 
 the willing ear of the traveller, his servant Achmet 
 would, night after night, pour long strings of inter- 
 minable Arabian-nights'-entertainment stories; va- 
 rying them by more solemn converse on religion, in 
 which both Christian and Mahomedan could agree 
 that there was but one God, and that He was a mer- 
 ciful Father to all His children. 
 
 On this part of the river, the hippopotamus was 
 seen for the first time; or rather the head of one, 
 which was quite enough, seeing it was a frightful 
 brute: the head some three feet broad from ear to 
 ear, with a mouth to match. It rose from the water 
 with a snort, as they neared it; the sailors, with a 
 sort of " stirring it up with a long pole" intention, 
 hallooing to it: " How's your wife, old boy?" "Is 
 your son married yet ? " and other inquiries of a simi- 
 lar nature. This shapeless mountain of a beast has 
 a great reputation among the Arabs for sagacity. In 
 illustration of this, they told the traveller that a 
 woman being engaged one day in washing clothes, in
 
 140 UP THE NILE. 
 
 the fashion of the country, that is, laying them on 
 smooth stones and then beating them with her feet, 
 saw a huge hippopotamus watching her from the river. 
 Presently he made for the shore ; upon which she fled 
 in a fright, lea'vdng the clothes behind her. The brute 
 quietly walked up to them, and imitating what he 
 had seen her doing, "pounded" them so heartily 
 with his own ponderous feet, that in a very short time 
 they were all stamped to bits. 
 
 Crocodiles were also seen at times, basking on the 
 sand-banks. Ugly creatures were these, and very big 
 also, some of them being upwards of twenty feet long. 
 On one occasion, they just dragged themselves lazily 
 into the water as the boat approached ; and then, 
 after it had passed, as lazily dragged themselves back 
 again. Another group, being startled out of sleep by 
 the shouts and menaces of the sailors, jumped into the 
 river in a fright ; the biggest of them, in his haste, 
 giving himself such a knock on the head as must have 
 made it ring. 
 
 The crossing of the Nubian desert from Korusko 
 to Aboo-Hamed, between which two places the Nile 
 forms a long loop, is performed on dromedaries. Of 
 this desert-journey travellers speak very differently ; 
 some find it delightful, in spite of being almost fried ; 
 others think it detestable. Much depends not only
 
 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS WASHING CLOTHES.
 
 UP THE NILE. 141 
 
 upon the mood in which a man may be, but on the 
 season that he chooses for his journey. The late Sir 
 William Peel, who crossed the desert intending to 
 reach Soudan in the interior, for the admirable pur- 
 pose of rescuing the black inhabitants of the country 
 from slavery, and telling them of a God who has made 
 us all, a Christ who has died for us all, found it a 
 miserable undertaking. But it was during the fierce 
 heats of the summer, and he had almost no provision 
 with him ; — a strange blunder of his servants, which 
 left him after his first dinner of onions and water, to 
 rice and coflfee for breakfast, and rice and tea for sup- 
 per, during the eight days that he was crossing its 
 rocky wastes and sandy plains. In the winter, or 
 after the violent rains that sometimes occur, the whole 
 aspect of this dreary tract is changed. 
 
 At Khartoum, which is still further " up the Nile, " 
 the river divides into two great branches, called the 
 Blue and White Nile. 
 
 The Nile is the great fertilizer of Egypt. At a 
 certain season in the year, its waters overflow the 
 river banks and spread themselves over the adjacent 
 country, not only filling the canals which are dug to 
 receive them, but leaving behind them, when they 
 retire, a deposit of mud, which enriches the soil. This 
 rising of the waters to the required height, is a subject
 
 142 UP THE NILE. 
 
 of much interest in Egypt. If they rise too high the 
 country is inundated, villages washed away, and em- 
 bankments, and the marks of separation between the 
 land of one man and that of another, destroyed. All 
 is confusion and ruin. If they do not rise high enough, 
 the produce of the land is burned up. The rising of 
 the river is measured upon a very ancient column of 
 red stone, called the Nilometer, that is, Nile-measurer. 
 When it ascends to a certain mark on this column, an 
 embankment, which separates the river from a canal, 
 dug to receive its overflow, and distribute it through- 
 out Cairo and its vicinity, is cut through with great 
 ceremony, and amid abundant rejoicings. 
 
 Mr. Curzon, in his "Visit to Monasteries in the 
 Levant," describes this ceremony, which took place 
 during his stay in Egypt. At that time, August 
 1833, the waters, which begin to rise about the middle 
 of June, and subside after the middle of September, 
 were so low as to awaken the most vivid apprehen- 
 sions of famine. The Nilometer was anxiously watched 
 from day to day, and at length, to the unbounded joy 
 of the whole population, the requisite depth was foun 
 to have been attained. A day was appointed for cut 
 ting the embankment, and early that morning, all 
 Cairo turned out, everybody eager to find the best 
 place for witnessing the ceremony.
 
 UP THE NILE. 143 
 
 The traveller and his friends being persons of im- 
 portance, were mounted on the Pasha's horses, whose 
 trappings were of crimson and gold ; and they made 
 their way, now through the crowd, now through lines 
 of Turkish soldiers, to a tent which had been pitched 
 close to the embankment, for the accommodation of 
 the Effendi, (who did duty for the Pasha on this 
 occasion,) and those whom he delighted to honour. 
 A divan, covered with velvet, was placed for the great 
 man himself ; carpets being spread on each side of it 
 for his guests, and the other officials present. Mr. 
 Curzon's place was by one whose green robes showed 
 that he was a descendant of the prophet Mahomet, and 
 who, eyeing his neighbour all over, superciliously drew 
 aside the hem of his long hanging sleeve, for fear of 
 its coming in contact with the " dog of a Christian" 
 by his side. Coffee and sherbet were handed to the 
 company previous to the arrival of the Effendi, whose 
 approach was presently announced by a military salute, 
 and the striking up of the regimental bands. First 
 marched a long troop of horsemen, military officers of 
 all ranks, in red and gold uniform, and whose breasts 
 glittered with diamonds. Dismounting at the tent, 
 these personages formed in two lines, between which 
 the Effendi rode on a fat grey horse, whose housings 
 were almost covered with ornaments of solid gold.
 
 144 UP THE NILE. 
 
 The most profound homage was paid him as he passed 
 through their ranks. Leaving his horse, an officer 
 held him by each arm, and helped him to his seat ; 
 where he sank down on the cushions, turning his hack 
 to the scene of operations, and smoking his long pipe 
 as though his life depended upon it. The uproar 
 meantime was tremendous ; fireworks of all sorts being 
 let ofi", notwithstanding it was day-light, volleys of 
 musketry and great guns fired, and the crowds screech- 
 ing and shouting with might and main. 
 
 A number of half naked Arabs, who were digging 
 away at the bank, now redoubled their exertions ; 
 stimulated no doubt by handfuls of small coin thrown 
 among them by an ofiicial. Of these, one of them 
 managed to catch more than his share, by spreading 
 out his trowsers on a couple of sticks, 60 as to receive 
 the descending shower. Soon water began to ooze 
 through the embankment, lumps of mud tumbled 
 down, a slender stream next trickled through, and the 
 Arabs splashed about, tugging and tearing at the 
 bank, up to their knees in water. All at once down 
 came the whole barricade, washing along before it 
 such of the workmen as had not scrambled out of the 
 ditch. The arches and parapets of Saladin's aqueduct 
 were crowded with women, who waved their kerchiefs, 
 and set up a strange wild cry of rejoicing, as the
 
 UP THE NILE. 145 
 
 current swept rapidly on, speedily filling the canal to 
 the level of the river. 
 
 The performance being at an end, the old Eflfendi, 
 who had sat with his back to it the whole time, not 
 turning his head either to the right or left, prepared 
 to depart. His oflBcers dragged him on the horse- 
 block, heaved him into the saddle, and then, amid 
 the thunder of artillery, and clang of music, the bril- 
 liant cavalcade, of which he was the head, rode off. 
 7
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 EASTERN CUSTOMS* — ^PERFORinNG QUARANTINE. 
 
 The Plague is a frightful and most deadly disease, 
 now chiefly confined to very hot, and very dirty coun- 
 tries. Strangely enough, hot countries often are very 
 dirty. One would have thought that in them, people 
 would be always dashing and splashing water about, 
 and sweeping dust out of doors. But this is very far 
 from being the case ; and so, in addition to other evils 
 arising from want of cleanliness, must be reckoned 
 that of having so fearful a malady as the plague among 
 them. It must be remembered that we in England 
 used to be liable to it, but have now long ago 
 washed, and swept, and improved it out of the 
 country. 
 
 Well, in those countries where Plague is apt to 
 show itself they are obliged to use many precautions 
 against ha\'ing it brought among them ; either by per- 
 sons who are actually suffering from it, or by infec- 
 
 * " Land of the Suracen." — Bayard Tatloe.
 
 PERFOEMING QUAEANTTfTE. 147 
 
 tion lurking in the clothing of those who may have 
 come from some place where it exists. One of these 
 precautions is to shut up, for a certain number of days, 
 persons coming from a suspected neighbourhood. If 
 the plague does not break out among them during 
 this period, they are supposed to be free from infec- 
 tion, and are then let out to go where they please. 
 This shutting up is called quarantine ; because, origi- 
 nally, it was always for forty days. It is not so long 
 now. 
 
 These quarantine regulations are often terribly an- 
 noying to travellers in the East. Egypt is one of the 
 countries which, being very hot and dirty, is liable 
 to plague ; and travellers going from it to other places 
 in the East are subjected to them. This is the sort 
 of way in which the process is conducted. 
 
 A vessel from Alexandria casts anchor in the 
 roads of Beyrout. That sounds rather ridiculous ; as 
 though a ship in some manner had got into the high- 
 way, and anchored herself on dry land. But the 
 word " roads " here means the shallow water in shore, 
 in which vessels can lie at anchor, safe from the sweep 
 of the open sea. Presently boats put off from land, 
 and coming alongside, the passengers are bidden to 
 embark themselves and their baggage in them to go 
 into quarantine. Five days is the time prescribed for
 
 148 EASTERN CUSTOMS — 
 
 those coming from Egypt ; and these include the days 
 on which they enter and leave the building appro- 
 priated for the purpose. Packages of all sorts and 
 sizes are now handed into the boats, into which the 
 passengers then descend, and are towed along by 
 smaller boats : for the sailors who row them along, 
 would not on any account remain in the same boat with 
 the suspected cargo of human beings, boxes, bags, and 
 bales ; not only for fear of catching the plague, but 
 for the certainty that if they did come into contact 
 with them, they must be content to share their im- 
 prisonment. Agents from the hotels on shore lurk 
 around them, just near enough to pitch on board the 
 quarantine boat, recommendations of their houses, and 
 lists of such household furniture as is absolutely need- 
 ful for the few days' detention, and which they are 
 anxious to procure for the travellers. For quaran- 
 tine accommodation is four bare walls, and nothing 
 more. 
 
 It is a long and hard row ; at last the boatmen 
 throw themselves into the water, and bring their 
 cargo close to the landing stairs, up which the sus- 
 pected passengers have the privilege of carrying their 
 own suspected goods and chattels. The fare for this 
 uncomfortable little voyage is dropped into a cup of 
 water ; for, being paid in suspected money, no one on
 
 PEEFOEMING QUARANTINE. 149 
 
 shore will toucli it, till it has first passed through this 
 purifying medium. Presently the people in charge of 
 the building, hearing that a boat-load of their pecu- 
 liar patients has arrived, make their appearance, and 
 take them to select their apartments — which also must 
 be paid for. Some of these are one-story houses, o^ 
 two rooms each ; one house rejoices in the magnificence 
 of two stories, and into this the small party of Chris- 
 tians pack themselves. But there is neither furniture 
 nor food in this inhospitable prison, for prison it really 
 is ; and we may as well call the unfortunate people, 
 who are performing quarantine, prisoners. Prisoners 
 of war, indeed, or something like it, seeing that, should 
 any one attempt to break out, the soldiers on guard 
 ■vyould shoot him down without the least ceremony ! 
 The tired, vexed, hungry prisoners make some inqui- 
 ries about these interesting matters, and are told that 
 people from the hotels in the city are waiting at the 
 gate to supply their wants. So, in charge of one of 
 the keepers, who screws himself up into as small com- 
 pass as possible as they pass him, and further barri- 
 cades himself with his stick as an additional precau- 
 tion against even their clothes touching him, they de- 
 scend to the gate ; every one whom they meet in 
 crossing the inclosure, giving them a wide berth. 
 At the gate are two screens, placed at a little dis-
 
 150 EASTERN CUSTOMS — 
 
 tance from each other, so as to prevent any one inside 
 touching the people outside. Through these they 
 must call out what they want. Some one is soon 
 found, who engages to find bedding, chairs, tables, 
 and what is almost more important, something to eat 
 for the hungry, and very angry people, who are con- 
 signed to this dismal receptacle, for the good of the 
 plague-fearing inhabitants of Beyrout. Long are they 
 kept wating; but wait they must, unless they can 
 make a meal oif a wheat-patch, within their pro- 
 scribed territory, and wash it down with the pure con- 
 tents of a well in the rock. This patch of wheat, and 
 some old geese, that walked in and out as they liked, 
 could not, the captives are gravely informed, convey 
 the plague to any one. At last dinner comes ! But 
 oh, dear, dear, even yet it has to be cooked. More 
 waiting, more patience ; sustained by a piece of bread, 
 and an onion, which has been purloined from the newly 
 arrived stores. When the meal is prepared, however, 
 either because the prisoners are desperately hungry, 
 or that Syrian cooks understand their art, it is found 
 inexpressibly good. Such soup, such lamb-steaks, 
 and oh, such a dish of larks ! as send them off to their 
 camp-beds, almost disposed to tolerate even quaran- 
 tine regulations. 
 
 This amiable feeling does not last long. Just
 
 PERFOEMING QUAEANTTNE. 151 
 
 when stepping into bed, a horrible suffocating smoke, 
 and still viler smell, comes floating up stairs, and 
 speedily diffuses itself so completely throughout their 
 rooms, as to set them coughing, like steam-engines 
 that had taken cold, and compel them to thro^y open 
 their windows to prevent being stifled. The authori- 
 ties are fumigating the suspected company with brim- 
 stone; to which, in some places, burnt feathers are 
 added, by way of increasing the pungency of the 
 remedy. The pure air, by which the prisoners are 
 surrounded, is supposed to blow away any seeds of 
 the plague that may have escaped destruction by the 
 brimstone. Articles of clothing, papers and letters, 
 are hung up so as to be freely exposed to it ; or are 
 perhaps subjected, like their unfortunate owners, to 
 fumigation : and even books are opened, for fear of in- 
 fection lurking between their pages. 
 
 A physician attends to examine the condition of 
 the captives ; but they are all apparently healthy, and 
 80 he just looks at them and takes his departure. His 
 second visit announces their release next morning. 
 He then looks intently at them, to be quite sure there 
 are no symptoms of the dreaded disease; but still 
 does not touch them. The fifth morning ends the 
 abominable imprisonment. Wide open fly the gates 
 of the quarantine station, and between files of soldiers
 
 152 EASTERN CUSTOMS — ^PERFOEMING QUARANTINE 
 
 the rejoicing captives marcli fortli triumphantly, to go 
 ■whither they •will. The building is speedily consigned 
 to its former condition of bare walls ; and they in due 
 time, receive another company of angry travellers, 
 ■who are possibly first starved for ■want of food, and 
 then certainly choked ■with brimstone, as were their 
 angry predecessors.
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 EASTERN CUSTOMS — THE FAST AND FESTIVAL. 
 
 The Ramadhan is a severe and long fast, lasting for 
 a month, observed by all Mahomedans, once a year. 
 During this period, no one who wishes to be considered 
 a good Mussulman eats during the day ; at sunset he 
 is permitted to do so to any extent that he thinks 
 proper. An hour or two of festivity follow the absti- 
 nence of the day ; then comes bed, from which about 
 two in the morning the people are aroused by a public 
 officer, in order that they may eat, and cram them- 
 selves if they think proper, in preparation for the 
 coming fast, which must rigorously extend from day- 
 dawn to sunset. 
 
 The twenty-fifth day of this fast is observed with 
 great ceremony. In the evening, the Sultan goes in 
 state to one of the principal mosques (a mosque is a 
 Mahomedan place of worship) in Constantinople ; and 
 grand illuminations take place, not only throughout 
 the city, but on board the vessels in the harbour, 
 7*
 
 154 EASTERN CUSTOMS — 
 
 called the Golden Horn : a name given to it, botli on 
 account of its shape, and of the abundant riches that 
 flowed through it in the days when the Turks were a 
 great people. 
 
 Mr. Bayard Taylor describes the celebration of 
 this day. 
 
 Taking a boat, he rowed out into the harbour, 
 where were many others, bent, like himself, on seeing 
 the illuminations from this, which is considered the 
 best, point for doing so. The scene was impressive. 
 Before him lay several large Turkish ships, their hulls 
 and spars traced in flame, in the dark background of 
 hills and sky. In another direction, the shores of the 
 harbour were aU alight with lamps ; while city-wards, 
 domes, minarets, and pillars, glowed brightly from out 
 the surrounding darkness. Even the guns on the 
 battery were illuminated ; and a crane on the wharf 
 was hung all over with lamps. The mosque to which 
 the Sultan was about to proceed was a perfect blaze 
 of light ; and between its lofty pinnacles shone out the 
 Turkish version of our " God save the king, " — "Long 
 life to you, Sovereign. " 
 
 A royal salute of cannon, rockets, and other fire- 
 works innummerable, announces that the Sultan has 
 taken boat, and is slowly advancing on the Bosphoms. 
 A barge with sixteen oars shoots darkly along, and
 
 THE PAST AND FESTIVAL. 155 
 
 suddenly glides into the vivid radiance of the blazing 
 mosque. Some figures are discerned under a canopy 
 in the stern, and all are eagerly wondering which is 
 the Sultan ; when another, and statelier barge, with 
 twenty-five oars pulled by vigorous arms, that make 
 it almost fly over the water, makes its appearance. 
 The royal emblems at the prow, and the splendour of 
 the canopy, underneath which are two solitary figures, 
 leave no room for mistake about the occupants of this 
 boat ; and in another instant the Sultan and his grand 
 vizier have landed and entered the mosque. 
 
 The roar of the cannon now ceased ; while blue 
 lights and red lights, yellow and green, glowed with 
 impaired lustre, giving the lamp-lighted ships and 
 buildings a chance of being seen. The Sultan's 
 prayers occupied him about an hour ; and then, re- 
 entering his boat, his stalwart rowers shot him swiftly 
 to the palace again, amid a renewed thunder of artil- 
 lery, and blaze of fireworks. The crowd was of course 
 immense, and somewhat tumultuous, like crowds in 
 general; partly because they could not help being 
 tumultuous, partly because the confusion afibrded an 
 excellent opportunity for picking pockets. Soldiers 
 and policemen were struggling with the unruly throng, 
 and not particularly displeased when the rush and 
 crush brought them into contact with an infidel, (that
 
 156 EASTERN CUSTOMS— 
 
 is the polite term they apply to us Christians,) he= 
 cause then they felt at liberty to relieve their pent- 
 up irritation by thumping him ! — ^blows being quite 
 good enough treatment for any unfortunate Christian, 
 who, on such an occasion, presumed to mix himself 
 up with the Faithful ; that being the term that good 
 Mahomedans reserve for themselves. 
 
 At the conclusion of the fast comes a festival, 
 called that of Bairam. This lasts three days, and 
 during it the Turks indemnify themselves for the dis- 
 comforts of the preceding season. They make com- 
 plete holiday of it, the shops are closed, and the peo- 
 ple, dressed in their best clothes, go about to see their 
 friends, or make excursions in the neighbourhood- 
 Much feasting goes on, as may be supposed. The 
 Sultan opens this festival season by a state visit to 
 one of the mosques ; leaving the palace at sunrise, 
 and proceeding thither attended by his guards, and 
 all the great oflScers, civil and military, of the king- 
 dom. These present a perfect blaze of gold-lace, em- 
 broidery, and jewels ; not only on their own uniforms, 
 but on the trappings of their horses. 
 
 The lowest in rank come first in the procession, 
 then those who are one degree higher ; and so on, till 
 at length three riderless horses splendidly caparisoned, 
 and led hy grooms, announce the approach of the
 
 THB FAST A5fD FESTTVAL. 161 
 
 sovereign^ His body-guard follow, in crimson uni- 
 forms, and having tall peacock's feathers in their 
 caps; some of them bear bunches of green feathers, 
 fastened to long poles. Surrounded by these feathers, 
 appears the Sultan himself, on horseback, solemn and 
 stately, and receiving the greetings and obeisances of 
 his subjects with the most profound indifference; 
 royal etiquette in that country requiring that he should 
 take no notice of them. A few members of his house- 
 hold close the long procession. 
 
 In about half an hour, the Sultan, this time riding 
 first, returns from the mosque to his palace. There 
 his household begin the ceremony of kissing his feet. 
 After they have performed this homage, leaving the 
 palace, the Sultan takes his seat on the throne which 
 has been placed on a rich carpet spread upon the 
 marble pavement before the building. Eound this the 
 Pashas take their stand. The chief of the Emirs, in 
 his green robe, then comes forward, and on bended 
 knees kisses his sovereign's foot ; backing out of the 
 royal presence, as is customary in all courts. The 
 other ofBcers follow in the same way, kneeling and 
 kissing, amid loyal shouts from the guard, who hyper- 
 bolically wish their sovereign may live a thousand 
 years. 
 
 When the grandees have gone through this pre-
 
 158 EASTERN CUSTOMS — 
 
 scribed form, the officers of inferior rank take their 
 turn. The Sultan's foot — >or boot rather-— is much 
 too good for them, who are obliged to be content with 
 an hour's kissing (among them) of his scarf, presented 
 to their faithful lips by a Pasha, who stands near the 
 throne. 
 
 The civil and military dignitaries being disposed 
 of, an imposing array of Mahomedan clergy, headed 
 by their high priest, advance to do their part of the 
 kissing. A difference again is made with them, and 
 they kiss away at the hem of the Sultan's mantle. 
 These priests are dressed in robes of all the colours of 
 the rainbow, which, with the addition of their jewels 
 and embroidery, cause them to rival the military in 
 brilliance. The chief priest wears a green robe, green 
 being a sacred colour among Mahomedans. The 
 pageant terminates with the presentation of the gov- 
 ernor of Mecca, supposed to be of the family of their 
 prophet, and the nearest of kin to him. But a ser- 
 vant's homage is not to be received from so distin- 
 guished a personage. Like the rest he bends to the 
 foot of the sovereign, who, raising him ere he is down, 
 greets him as an equal. 
 
 Under a heavy salute of artillery, that grandest of 
 all earthly noises, the much kissed Sultan then retires 
 to his palace on the beautiful Bosphorus, leaving his
 
 THE FAST AND FESTIVAL. 159 
 
 subjects of high and low degree, to carry on the 
 merry-making after their own fashion. 
 
 In former days it used to be almost as much as a 
 Christian's life was worth, to get inside one of these 
 Mahomedan mosques. Such profanation of all that a 
 follower of Mahomet holds sacred, was supposed to li 
 in the touch of one who follows Christ. The Turks 
 are less particular now, and all that it costs a Chris- 
 tian to visit their temples, is a large sum of money. 
 The principal mosque of Constantinople, that of Saint 
 Sophia, (the name means Holy or Divine Wisdom,) 
 was once, it will be remembered, a Christian church. 
 But for four centuries it has been desecrated to a false 
 worship ; those symbols that formerly indicated its 
 Christian character being now carefully obliterated. 
 Yet there is one mark of its new proprietors, which, 
 even if it were ever restored to its original designation, 
 need not be erased by the most devout worshipper of 
 that Divine Son of God, whom the followers of Maho- 
 met (acknowledging the eternal Father) place below 
 their own prophet. Bound its marvellous dome, which 
 rise's a hundred and eighty feet above the marble 
 pavement, runs this inscription from the Koran, or 
 sacred book of the Mahomedans : 
 
 " GOD IS THE UGHT OF THE HEAVENS AND 
 OF THE EARTH."
 
 CHAPTER Xm. 
 
 i 
 
 EASTERN CUSTOMS THE BATH. 
 
 A Turkish bath — that is being bathed with a ven- 
 geance ! Only listen to an account of the process. 
 
 Entering beneath a heavy stone arch, the bather 
 finds himself in a lofty apartment lighted from above, 
 round the sides of which are ranged a number of 
 couches, raised about five feet from the ground. In 
 the centre of this hall a fountain keeps up its ceaseless 
 play. The raised stone-work that supports the couches 
 placed across it, is covered with matting ; overhead 
 hang towels, not your plain vulgar "Russia" or 
 "Baden," such as tasteless English people rub them- 
 selves with, but towels resplendent with gay-coloured 
 borders. The bathing-man takes his patient to one 
 of these couches, and then the performance be- 
 gins. 
 
 Being prepared for the bath, a pair of wooden 
 clogs are put on, and thus equipped, the bather totters 
 into the first bathing-room. It is dimly lighted, like
 
 EASTERN CUSTOMS — THE BATH. 161 
 
 the first, from the top, and other bathers are seen lying 
 amid the steam, on low stone benches. The new 
 comer takes his place on one of these, feeling half suf- 
 focated by the damp warmth around him. To add 
 to the stifling atmosphere, a long Turkish pipe is 
 brought, and the bather begins his bath by smoking. 
 Next comes the bathing-man, to knead him all over 
 as if he were dough, and were going to be made into a 
 large loaf. When he is sufBciently kneaded, he 
 mounts his clogs again, and shuffles into an inner 
 apartment, still hotter and steamier than the one he 
 has left. Here the bathing-man souses him twice into 
 a stone basin of almost boiling water ; after which, 
 with hair gloves, he rubs him — no, that is scarcely 
 the word : he skins him all over — for with such energy 
 is this part of the operation carried on, that flakes of 
 the outer skin come ofi" under the strenuous applica- 
 tion of those formidable gloves. How very enjoyable 
 this must be ! The half-flayed bather has his tingling 
 frame soothed by a bowl of nearly scalding water, 
 which is dexterously thro^vn over him : this is followed 
 by one a little cooler, and this again by another 
 cooler still, until, by degrees, perfectly cold water is 
 poured over him. 
 
 The next step in the process makes one shudder. 
 The bath-man exchanges his bowls of innocent water
 
 162 EASTEEK CtJSTOMS — THE BATH. 
 
 for one filled Mith a fierce lather of soap ; not very 
 alarming in itself, certainly, but the use that he makes 
 of it is detestable. Dipping what the sailors call a 
 swab into these " suds " (which would do credit to any 
 washerwoman), Avhat in the world do you imagine he 
 does with it ? Why, dashes it right in the unfortu- 
 nate bather's face ! " Poor eyes and nose, and mouth 
 and chin," all in for it — breathing, smelling, sputter- 
 ing soap-suds ; and we all remember, from our ear- 
 liest days, of having our faces washed by other people, 
 what it is to get the soap in our eyes. The " swab" 
 having done duty on the face, to the utter dis- 
 may of the bather, if it be his first experience of 
 the delights of a Turkish bath, is afterwards more 
 appropriately applied to his body and limbs ; the 
 " lather" being finally cleared away with abundant 
 dashes of warm water, and a plunge into the scald- 
 ing tank. 
 
 Stepping again into his wooden shoes the bather 
 now returns to the outer apartment to undergo the 
 last part of the process of bathing. This consists in 
 having his arms, and legs, and fingers, indeed every 
 joint in his body, pulled till they snap; the whole 
 being wound up with a grand crack of his back-bone. 
 This delightful operation at an end, a Qup of cofiee 
 and the everlasting pipe console him, in some degree,
 
 EASTERN CUSTOMS — THE BATH. 163 
 
 for what he has undergone at the hands of that wretch 
 of a bathing-man : a nap on one of the couches fol- 
 lows ; and finally, rubbing his eyes, he resumes his 
 out-door garments, and walks forth a bathed man. 
 Such are the delights of a Turkish bath !
 
 CHAPTER XIV. • 
 
 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. 
 
 A CAT and her kittens rolling about upon the hearth 
 are not very likely to remind any of us of a lioness and 
 her cubs. And yet, meek, modest, milk-lapping 
 pussy, and fierce, growling, man-eating lion, are 
 really members of the same family; both belonging to 
 what naturalists learnedly call " the Felidae," that is, 
 the cat-tribe. Strip Mrs. Puss of her skin and mus- 
 cles, and when she is in her bones only, you see the 
 lion's skeleton in miniature. Watch her catch and 
 ill-treat a mouse, and you have a lively idea of the at- 
 tentions bestowed by the "monarch of the forest" 
 upon his victims, before devouring them. 
 
 Lions, however, like men, differ in their manners 
 and habits. Dr. Livingstone, one of our most recent 
 and adventurous travellers in South Africa, and whose 
 acquaintance with the lion extends to that division of 
 the continent alone, does not speak of him with half 
 the respect with which we have been accustomed to
 
 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. 165 
 
 mention the lordly beast. We have always deemed 
 him a most imposing personage. But meet him, says 
 our traveller — and others agree with him — ^by day 
 light, when he rarely ventures on the liberty of at- 
 tacking a man, and you will only see an animal 
 somewhat larger than a great St. Bernard dog, and 
 very like a dog in the face ; the snub-noses with which 
 our draughtsmen are ordinarily pleased to endow 
 lions, being not particularly true to nature. Cat 
 though the lion be, his face is not the specific part of 
 him that reveals the fact ; his nose being really long, 
 like that of a dog. When thus encountered he will 
 stare at you for a second or two, then walk slowly off, 
 looking askance at you occasionally, to see what you 
 are doing Avith yourself; and then, as soon as he 
 thinks you have lost sight of him, he " puts on his 
 steam," and disappears in a twinkling. Of course, if 
 you attack him, the most amiable lion will feel him- 
 self at liberty to return the compliment in his own 
 peculiar fashion ; but short of this, we are told that 
 there is much less danger of being devoured by lions 
 in South Africa than there is of being run over in the 
 streets of London. As for his roaring, of which so 
 many alarming things have been said, that is a very 
 inferior sort of production ; the ostrich making quite 
 as much noise, and of a kind which at a distance it is
 
 16^6 SOMETHING ABOUT LIOXS. 
 
 impossible t© distinguisli from the voice of the lion, 
 It is certainly true that the lion will eat men, but it 
 is at a pinch, when he can get nothing better. Game 
 he prefers, if it is to be had. But even here, as in his 
 encounters with human beings, he often comes oflF 
 " second best." "One toss from a bull buffalo would 
 kill the strongest lion that ever breathed ; " and he 
 not unfrequently falls a victim to the horns even of 
 the lady-buffalo, in righteous revenge for stealing her 
 children. The elephant, except it b6 a calf, he does 
 not attack ; for fear, we suppose, of being pounded to 
 death by those pillar-like legs. He takes to his heels 
 at the very sight of the huge rhinoceros, and has been 
 known to be kept at bay by a herd of oxen. Another 
 traveller adds a story of a lion being dragged by the 
 tail and ears out of a church, into which he had 
 walked in Daraara-land ; but the poor beast was so 
 nearly starved to death as to be incapable of making 
 much resistance. 
 
 Dr. Livingstone, hov/ever, had one rather brisk 
 encounter with a lion, which ought to have led him to 
 speak rather more respectfully of the whole race ; and 
 which we shall narrate, partly in illustration of the 
 cattishness of the beast. The people of the village of 
 Mabotsa were terribly harassed by lions, which, leap- 
 ing into the cattle pens by night, destroyed their
 
 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. 161 
 
 COWS, and even attacked tlie herds by day ; a circum- 
 stance so unusual, that the villagers pronounced them- 
 selves to be "bewitched." Having attacked the 
 enemy fruitlessly, their white friend headed the next 
 party against the marauders, knowing that if but one 
 of the beasts were killed, the whole troop would have 
 the wit to leave the neighbourhood. The lions were 
 discovered on a little woody eminence, and this was 
 surrounded by the hunting party, who began to work 
 their way up, drawing nearer to each other as they 
 did so, in order to discourage any attempt to dash 
 between them. A native who remained below with 
 Dr. Livingstone, seeing one of these lions presenting, 
 as he thought, a fair mark, levelled his gun at him, 
 and " the ball struck the rock on which the animal 
 was sitting. He bit at the spot struck, as a dog does 
 at a stick or stone thro'WTi at him, then leaping away, 
 broke through the opening circle, and escaped unhurt ;" 
 the natives being afraid to attack him. Their ranks 
 being closed up again as before, two other lions were 
 seen in the space inclosed ; but a shot could not be 
 got at them, for fear of wounding some of the party ; 
 and in their terror of the beasts, the natives allowed 
 these also to make their escape. Giving up the whole 
 affair as now hopeless, the Doctor and his companions 
 Bet off to the ^'illage again.
 
 168 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. 
 
 As they proceeded, however, one of the lions was 
 again seen, crouching on a bit of rock behind a bush, 
 not far from them ; and the Doctor, taking aim, be- 
 stowed the contents of both barrels upon him — the 
 bush, through which the charge passed, preventing 
 .their seeing the precise effect of it. Some symptoms 
 of rage, however, on his part, made them conclude he 
 was not unhurt ; and the Doctor was just preparing 
 to give him another shot, when he was startled by a 
 cry from his companions, and turned his head just in 
 time to see the lion springing upon him. Down came 
 the ferocious beast, and, seizing hi m by the shoulder, 
 both came tumbling to the lower ground together. 
 With a hideous growl in his very ear, the lion gave 
 his victim a shake, just as the cat does to her mouse 
 when she has caught it. Strange to say, though the 
 bone of the shoulder was crushed to pieces, and many 
 flesh wounds inflicted by the teeth, the Doctor felt no 
 pain, nor even fear ; and this he attributes to the effect 
 of the shake, which was that of producing a sort of 
 dreamy feeling, rendering him indifferent to every- 
 thing. The weight of the beast, who had planted one 
 huge paw on the back of his head, was, however, 
 intolerable ; and, trying to writhe himself from under 
 it, he saw one of the natives taking aim at the lion. 
 The gun missed fire, but it caused the lion to loose
 
 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. 169 
 
 his liold of the Doctor and fly at his new assailant. 
 Another man attempting to spear the brute, the lion 
 caught hold of him, but suddenly fell dead from the 
 effect of the bullets he had received. 
 
 But if the South African lion be not quite the sort 
 of thunderbolt we have been in the habit of consider- 
 ing all the individuals of this species, his brother of 
 the North makes ample amends for any of his deficien- 
 cies as an object of terror. There lions ai'e lions ; as 
 they have been from the days when they ravaged the 
 flocks of Numidian shepherds ; and gobble up men 
 and cattle with ferocious indifference. The lion's 
 mode of attack is various ; sometimes a bound at the 
 head of his victim, and one crunch does the business. 
 At other times he will, we suppose, amuse himself by 
 tantalizing his wretched prey with the hope of escape, 
 lying down before him or walking quietly at his side, 
 treating him to a sight of his teeth! Or, cat-like, 
 pretending to leave him, only to spring out upon him 
 at some unexpected point, and pat, and tumble him 
 over, just as if he were a mouse : a horrid preface to 
 the inevitable death at hand. The ravages of the 
 lion among cattle in Algeria are estimated by Jules 
 Gerard, the French " Lion Killer," to amount to ten 
 times the value of the tribute paid to government by 
 the Arabs living in districts where the king of beasts
 
 170 SOiEETHING ABOUT LIOXS. 
 
 is accustomed to wander. His life lasts from thirty 
 to forty years ; and during this time the cost of his 
 mouth to these poor people is supposed to he as much 
 as £8000 ! No wonder that he is fervently hated, 
 and profoundly feared. 
 
 Jules Gerard, whose narrative we must refer to, i 
 a French soldier, who, being with his regiment in 
 Algeria, turned, his skill as a hunter to good account, 
 in ridding the poor frightened Arabs of many of these 
 frightful destroyers of human and animal life. 
 
 On the evening of his arrival at the camp of 
 Guelma, he found the native troops, or Spahis, and 
 their friends, making sad complaints of the depreda- 
 tions committed among their flocks and herds by a 
 lion, whom they dared not attack. After listening to 
 their recital of all that this dreadful beast had done, 
 and was doing, the brave little Frenchman perfectly 
 astounded them by saying, very quietly, that he would 
 go and kill him, if they would find him a guide to his 
 haunts. A burst of ridicule greeted this proposal ; 
 among other gibes thrown at him, one being that Jie 
 might safely go, as he was so very little that the lion 
 would not tear him in pieces for fear of not finding 
 the bits again ! The presumptuous stranger, however, 
 persisted in his design ; and, finding he was bent 
 upon it, the Arabs set to work to help him, in their
 
 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. iVl 
 
 fashion. A large hole was dug in the ground, roofed 
 with trees, on which large stones were placed, and 
 the whole covered with damp earth. In this Gerard 
 was placed, the aperture by which he entered being 
 closed by a great stone ; and then he was left to watch 
 for the lion, who, his friends assured him would, most 
 likely drag him out of it after all. Post of honour it 
 might be, but it was not a particularly pleasant one, 
 as night after night was spent in his citadel, undis- 
 turbed save by jackals, or such insignificant game. 
 At length he had the satisfaction of finding that his 
 enemy was actually in the vicinity. A couple ot 
 hours' roaring — a roar compared to which the bellow- 
 ing of a mad bull was as the report of a pistol to 
 that of a cannon — established that fact ; while follow- 
 ing the lion's tracks by daylight equally proved that 
 to get a shot at him, the vile hole, with its poisonous 
 bait of a dead animal, must be exchanged for a night's 
 watch on the open plain. 
 
 Thither he accordingly repaired, accompanied by 
 a dozen Arabs, in full hunting, or perhaps it should be 
 rather said, marauding costume. The shoes, cumbrous 
 burnous, and haik, with its fastening of camel's hair 
 rope, are removed, the cap alone and shirt being re- 
 tained. This latter is tucked up above the knee into 
 a leathern girdle ; and then sword, gun, pistols and
 
 1^2 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. 
 
 their api^endages complete the equipment. On arriv 
 ing at one of the lion's resorts, they found a magnifi- 
 cent cluster of trees, standing so thick together as 
 though all were from one root. Underneath this 
 tangled foliage Gerard made his 'way, somewhat 
 reluctantly followed by such of his Arabs as had not 
 run away for fright, and saw traces enough of my 
 lord the lion, though himself was still invisible. 
 
 On returning to the camp, fresh complaints of the 
 lion's misdeeds awaited them. As to doing mischief, 
 he appeared to be everywhere ; as to finding him, he 
 was nowhere — at least not yet ; but what he had al- 
 ready done in seeking htm, procured for Gerard some 
 little more respectful treatment from his Arab ac- 
 quaintance than he had previously received from 
 them. 
 
 A fresh search for the beast, who had hitherto 
 eluded his hunters, now took place, but with no better 
 success than before. At length his tremendous roar 
 again saluted their ears ; and this time, man proved 
 more than a match for lion. When it died away, 
 Gerard (from whose entangled narrative we extricate 
 the story), with his two companions, took post in a 
 little opening in the wood ; their dog anxiously sniff- 
 ing the scent of this strange game, and then running 
 back frightened to his master. Next was heard the 
 
 ^o*^
 
 SOMETHING ABOUT LIONS. 173 
 
 crackling of fallen leaves as the beast strode along, 
 and approached his hidden enemies, who prepared to 
 receive him, not exactly with " fixed bayonets," but 
 certainly with " shouldered arms." 
 
 Nearer and nearer came the fierce brute, till at 
 last a bush almost close to the hunters was stirred by 
 the lion's movements. There was just light enough 
 from the western sky and clear stars for Gerard to 
 take aim, and that was all. Prefacing it by a few 
 growls, out burst the tremendous roar that had before 
 made the hunter's heart quake, and that now in that 
 night scene, almost overpowered him with its awful 
 sound. Raismg his huge head above the bushes about 
 him, the lion fixed his eye upon the himter, who 
 seized that moment to shoot him in the side of the 
 head, and then waited, dagger in hand, till the smoke 
 should disperse and show what he had achieved. But 
 the tremendous roar that issued from it was the beast's 
 last : when it cleared away, there he lay dead. It 
 was well for Gerard that a single shot ended the 
 business ! 
 
 So huge was this creature, that the united efforts 
 of the three could not turn him over ; and one man 
 alone could scarcely raise the massive head from the 
 ground. 
 
 And now the rejoicing Arabs bestowed upon the
 
 174 SOMETHIITG ABOUT UONS. 
 
 " dog of a Christian," as tliey had before civilly styled 
 him, the high-sounding title of "Master of Lions," or 
 " the Lion Killer." 
 
 Such is the danger of these encounters, according 
 to Gerard's experience of them, that his pious belief 
 is, that if the lion be slain, it is not the man who kills, 
 but the "invisible Hand that protects and guides 
 him." 
 
 The Frenchman is risfht : there is but one source 
 of strength and success in all our enterprises ; be they 
 lion-killing, fault-killing, or any other equally for 
 midable undertaking. 
 
 It must be borne in mind that Gerard slew lions 
 (we do not remember how many of them) neither for 
 sport nor gain, but to rid the country of a terrible 
 scourge. 
 
 The Arabs themselves, as well as the Africans, 
 kill their enemy — when they can — in a much less 
 dignified manner than did the lieutenant of Spahis. 
 They dig a pit for him, into which he is occasionally 
 obliging enough to tumble, and then we may be sure 
 they do not help him to get out again. 
 
 The way in which the Maidan Arabs of IMesopo- 
 tamia, in Asia, attack their lion is noticeable for its 
 boldness. There, we are told, a man will protect his 
 ri"-ht arm by binding strips of tamarisk wood round
 
 GERARD, THE LION HUNTER.
 
 SOMETHING ABOTTT LIOIS^S. 1Y5 
 
 it ; and then, grasping by the middle a short stick 
 pointed at both ends, he will go straight into the lair 
 of the beast. It springs upon him, open-mouthed, 
 when the stick, being adroitly thrust between his jaws, 
 so as to fix them open and render him harmless, he is 
 quietly shot with the other hand. They must be 
 clever fellows to gag a lion in this way. It certainly 
 sounds something like catching sparrows by putting 
 salt upon their tails. But several persons assured 
 Mr. Layard, who gives the account, that they had 
 se,en it done. 
 
 But if the lion of ISTorth Afiica be larger and 
 fiercer than that of the South, it is impossible for him 
 to be more intelligent than this latter. More than one 
 hunter's story is told, in which, face to face with his 
 prey, the lion has remained perfectly peaceable tdl the 
 man has attempted to load, or lay hands on his gun. 
 A threatening growl and an advance, that evidently 
 meant mischief towards the offender, was the result 
 of every attempt of the kind, until at length the beast 
 had growled and threatened himself out of sight of his 
 enemy. Such instances bear out Dr. Livingstone's 
 statements of the unwillingness of the South African 
 variety of this quadruped to attack men, if they will 
 only let him alone. 
 
 Gordon Gumming, the "Lion King" we believe
 
 176 SOMKTHIIJ^G ABOUT LIONS. 
 
 he called Limself, gives us anotlier story of this kind. 
 He says that, one day when hunting in South Africa, 
 he saw a lioness feeding on a carcase along with a 
 number of jackals, — giving a dinner party, it is to be 
 presumed. He pointed her out to his Hottentots, 
 who were for instantly spurring out of harm's way, 
 but that my lady lion, seeing this suspicious-looking 
 company, took to her heels instead, the jackals 
 scouring off in another direction. But if the lion was 
 not disposed to fight, Mr. Gumming was. Galloping 
 after her, she presently pulled short up and sat down, 
 with cool contempt turning her back to her pursuer, 
 just as a cat, on a high Avail, will occasionally treat a 
 yelping cur. Presently she turned herself round, 
 making as if she would attack him ; but, not seeing 
 any warlike demonstrations on the part of the hunter, 
 she quietly stretched herself upon the grass. 
 
 Her confidence in his peaceableness — if such in- 
 deed it was — was doomed to be but ill repaid. 
 
 Mr. Gumming and his men dismounted and pre- 
 pared their rifles, the lioness looking on as though she 
 did not like it, and would much prefer getting out of 
 their way. Seeing that to be impossible, however, she 
 appeared inclined to charge the party ; and as she was 
 advancing, preparatory to the spring, a rifle bullet 
 from one of the hunters struck her in the shoulder.
 
 SOMETHIKa ABOUT LIOXS. Ill 
 
 That was quite enougli to put lier up. Witn a tre- 
 mendous roar she dashed in upon the group, and, 
 seizing one of the Hottentots by the side, tore him 
 frightfully with her teeth and claws. When he saw 
 the spring, Mr. Gumming stood ready to give her a 
 second ball, as soon as she afforded him the chance. 
 This she soon did ; for, leaving her victim, she stalked 
 away sullenly, within a few feet of him. Up to his 
 shoulder went the rifle — crack — and there was an end 
 of the noble beast, who lay on the ground wallowing 
 in her own blood. 
 
 This gentleman is a capital shot, and a bold hunter. 
 But he appears to have had rather too strong a pro- 
 pensity for shooting, right and left, at everything that 
 came in his way. What is called the " taste for sport " 
 has been implanted in human beings for a wise pur- 
 pose — to prevent brute life getting the upper hand of 
 intelligent human life. But with the mere appetite 
 for killing, such as his pages, we fear, indicate, we 
 have no sympathy. Mercantile motives we presiune, 
 to a great extent, led to his wholesale slaughter of 
 wild beasts. Still we think him in some degree open 
 to censure. 
 
 8*
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 
 
 The map of Africa is beginning to present a very 
 different appearance from what it did some few years 
 ago, when we were young folks at our lessons. Then, 
 with the exception of its northern portion, you saw a 
 great blank, with a sort of border of inhabited country 
 round it. Congo, Guinea, Caffraria, Abyssinia, Nubia, 
 and some other old-fashioned and familiar names were 
 there ; but central Africa was equally unknown, and 
 unnamed. Now, however, the zeal and intelligence of 
 modern travellers are beginning to trace upon this 
 blank the names of places, rivers, mountains, and 
 lakes, and to bring home to us accounts of the inhabi- 
 tants of these hitherto unknown regions, with sketches 
 of the country, widely differing from what we had 
 formerly imagined, of the " burning plains of central 
 Africa." It is perfectly true that the country is hot 
 enough : a little hotter than we have occasionally had 
 it in England in this summer of 1858! But our
 
 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 179 
 
 notion of its sandy, desert-like character is fast giving 
 way before the authentic, if scanty, descriptions of 
 this portion of the continent, given by those who have 
 actually penetrated it, and found there lakes, streams, 
 wood, and cultivable ground, together with a climate, 
 apparently less deadly to Europeans than are some of 
 the coast districts. 
 
 But travelling in these regions is no joke. Uncom- 
 fortable ox-back — for the ox, there used instead of a 
 horse, does not appear a particularly agreeable beast 
 to bestride — or the ponderous waggon, dragged by a 
 " span" — twelve or twenty of these beasts — over Hght, 
 yielding soil, now sinking axle-deep, then nearly tilt- 
 ing over pieces of rock, are the modes of conveyance ; 
 while among the diflBculties that beset the traveller on 
 foot, may be enumerated, the having to force his way 
 through districts where vegetation abounds with spe- 
 cimens of what is called the' " wait-a-bIt " thorn — a 
 bush, each of whose thorns, shaped like a fish-hook, 
 will sustain a weight of several pounds. The travel- 
 ler, caught by these hooks, has no choice but to " wait 
 a-bit," till he has disentangled himself from their 
 formidable claws. 
 
 Of the native inhabitants of these central countries 
 sve have some interesting and entertaining accounts. 
 They are, most of them, excessively ugly ; at least,
 
 180 A CHAPTER OX SAVAGES. 
 
 according to our notions of ugliness : their broad, 
 flat, black, or coffee-coloured faces, not being im- 
 proved, as to beauty, by the tattooing, slits, and slashes 
 of various Icinds that are bestowed upon them ; while 
 their custom of filing the teeth to a point, makes their 
 smUe resemble the " grin of an alligator." Their 
 woolly hair, in some cases, is found growing in dis- 
 tinct tufts upon the head. Dr. Livingstone says that 
 his straight, silky hair was a standing wonder to 
 these people ; they would not believe it was hair ; 
 they said he had made himself a wig out of a lion's 
 mane. At length, convinced that it really grew where 
 it was, they came to the conclusion, that as " white 
 men live in the sea," his hair had been made straight 
 by the sea- water ! Most of them had never seen a 
 white man before in their lives ; and they were as 
 frightened at the sight of him, as any little child in 
 England is, by its first glance at a black one. In- 
 deed, it is an old story that our "black brothers" 
 represent the devil as white, in unconscious retaliation 
 of our making that evil spirit black : as though colour 
 could possibly have anything to do with wickedness ! 
 The little children nearly screamed themselves into 
 fits at sight of the traveller ; and when they were 
 naughty, their mothers threatened them with the 
 "white man," to bite them; just as in this country,
 
 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 181 
 
 some outrageously ridiculous nurses threaten their 
 small delinquents with the black man. 
 
 Vast swarms of locusts at times ravage the coun- 
 try, and are used as food by these people. They light 
 large fires in the tracks of the insects, which, scorched 
 as they fly over them, fall down, and are swept up fo 
 use ; or they are collected at night when at rest. 
 They are either eaten at once, slightly broiled, or 
 stowed away, dry, for future use, when the mode of 
 preparing them for food is to pound them small, and 
 then make them into a kind of gruel with boiling 
 water. 
 
 The first sight of a looking-glass is generally a 
 puzzle, as well as a delight, to a savage ; thoiigh its 
 effect, in some instances, is to convince even these 
 poor, uncouth objects, of their extreme plainness. 
 " Is that me"? " one of the women, who saw her own 
 features for the first time, would exclaim — " What a 
 big mouth I have ! " " My ears are as big as pump- 
 kin leaves ! " "I have no chin at all ! " or, " I should 
 have been pretty, but am spoiled by these high cheek- 
 bones ! "* This last remark seems to indicate that 
 the lady had some European idea of beauty. One 
 man, after contemplating his face for some time, and 
 twisting his mouth about in all sorts of ways, was 
 
 * Livingstone.
 
 182 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 
 
 overlieard saying to himself: " People say I am ugly; 
 and how very ugly I am indeed ! " While others, 
 after staring into the glass with all their might, would 
 give it a sudden turn round, supposing the face they 
 had seen was that of some one behind it. 
 
 Their general condition is one of great wretched- 
 ness. And yet, poor, dirty, undressed, ugly, uncivi- 
 lized, and unchristianized as they are, they have some 
 good qualities, even some notion of what Ave call 
 politeness, and are not nearly so stupid as we have 
 been in the habit of imagining them. Some of them 
 are able to defend their poor heathenish wrong-think- 
 ing, in a way that shows a considerable amount of 
 right-thinking, and that might somewhat perplex us 
 better instructed Christians to answer in a satisfactory 
 manner. 
 
 It is a belief among them, that the practice of 
 certain ceremonies will procure rain when it is wanted ; 
 and one of their rain-makers, when told that he claimed 
 a power belonging to God alone, that of sending rain 
 upon the earth, acutely replied, that he used his charms 
 and ceremonies precisely in the same way that his 
 white instructor, who was a physician, used medicines. 
 In both instances — that of procuring rain, and curing 
 a patient — it was God who eflfected what was done ; 
 but, just as the white doctor was in the habit of say-
 
 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES, 183 
 
 ing he had cured the patient, so he, the rain-doctor^ 
 said he had caused it to rain.* 
 
 Since Mr. Gordon Cumming's exploits in that 
 part of Africa, many sportsmen have been attracted 
 thither, in pursuit of what they deem rather nobler 
 game than is to be had on this side the world ; and, 
 having no notion themselves of hunting for hunting's 
 sake, exceedingly amused these African savages are 
 at the idea of adventurous Englishmen, who have 
 enough to eat at home, taking the trouble to go so 
 far, just to hurry and worry themselves after their 
 wild beasts. Their views of these matters are after 
 the fashion of the Chinese, who, watching a party of 
 ladies and gentlemen dancing, inquired: "Why do 
 you not let your servants do this for you ? " 
 
 The Kaffirs, of whom we have heard so much, and 
 who have fought us so stoutly at the Cape, appear to 
 be superior to all the other known tribes of Southern 
 Africa. The Bushmen are the most miserable : but, 
 bad as they are, they are not so bad as the poor 
 wretches whose antics were, not long ago, to be seen 
 in England for a shilling, and of whom, it is said, 
 they must have been " chosen, like costermongers' 
 dogs, on account of their ugliness, "t 
 
 The Bushmen are sometimes rather troublesome 
 * See Livingstone. t Livingstone, p. 49.
 
 184 A CHAPTER 0:N- SAVAGES. 
 
 neighbours to settlers, as they are extremely adroit at 
 stealing cattle ; and being light nimble fellows, slink 
 off so quickly that pursuit is not of much use. Be- 
 side, they have an awkward habit of shooting poisoned 
 arrows, with such precision and rapidity, as very soon 
 to make a complete pincushion of any one within bow- 
 shot ; and as each single arrow causes death, the pros- 
 pect of a whole sheaf of them being lodged in your 
 body, is one that does not particularly invite to close 
 quarters with these savages. 
 
 The Namaquas have a notion that the Bushwomen 
 have the power of changing themselves into any wild 
 animal they please ; and in proof of this, they relate 
 that one of then- own tribe w as once travelling with a 
 Bushwoman and her little child, when a troop of 
 zebras came in sight. The man, being hungry, bade 
 the woman turn herself into a lion, and catch one of 
 these zebras that they might have something to eat. 
 The woman told him he would be frightened if she 
 did ; but he answered that the only thing he feared 
 was being starved to death : she could not frighten 
 him. 
 
 But even as he spoke, something like a mane began 
 to show itself on the woman's neck ; her nails turned 
 to claws, and other alterations in her appearance took 
 place, that frightened him so terribly, that he hastily
 
 A CHAPTER OlSl SAVAGES. ,185 
 
 climbed a neighbouring tree to get out of her way. 
 Glaring at him like a wild beast, she dropped her 
 scanty clothing, and bounded into the plain, a perfect 
 lion rampant ! sprang in among the zebras, and tear- 
 ing one of them to the ground, crunched it and lapped 
 its blood. Then returning to where the child (which 
 she had put down before her transformation) lay cry- 
 ing, the man, from his tree, called out to her not to 
 hurt him, but to get back to her own shape as speedily 
 as possible. A regular lion-growl was the answer to 
 'his appeal ; but a little further entreaty brought her 
 by degrees to her own shape again, and, taking up 
 her child, she and her companion fed heartily on the 
 zebra she had hunted for him. 
 
 The Kaffirs are stout, stalwart fellows, who have 
 cost us a million of money in fighting, and might 
 perhaps have cost us a million more, but for their 
 incredible superstition, in having, at the command of 
 one of their wise men, destroyed all their own means 
 of living ; so that, famished and flying, they can now 
 do us no more mischief, and must submit, to save 
 their lives. Their principal weapon is a light but 
 strong lance, which they hurl with wonderful force. 
 They generally carry a bundle of these, and launch 
 them one after the other with great rapidity. 
 
 Among their superstitions is that of believing that
 
 186 A CHAPTEB ON SAVAGES. 
 
 the souls of their dead friends enter into the black 
 snakes of the country — reptiles that they, in conse- 
 quence, refuse to kill. An English lady, living at 
 Natal, was in her bath one evening, when she heard 
 a cry raised by her servants, of "a snake. " Know- 
 ing their superstitious fear of the creature, she hastily 
 threw on her dressing-gown and ran out to them, 
 when she saw one of these black snakes slowly gliding 
 towards the open door of her house. She bade the 
 Kaffirs kill it directly, with some sticks that lay about ; 
 but, after handing about the stick from one to another, 
 as though it burned their fingers, out came the truth : 
 the black snake would do them no harm, because it 
 was their brother, and kill it they would not; besides, 
 if they did, they would be bewitched. " And do you 
 think," said she, snatching up the stick, " I am going 
 to let your brother come into my house, and bite me 
 and my children ? Tliat for your brother, and tliat, 
 and that : " smashing at its head with all her strength, 
 as she spoke, and jumping out of its way, as it whirled 
 and whisked about. She succeeded, at last, in destroy- 
 • ing the fearful reptile ; and then she insisted on the 
 Kaffirs carrying away, on a couple of sticks, " the 
 remains of their departed relative ! " 
 
 Such a one must have been born for a settler ! 
 No wonder that, with such a spirit, and a fine, hand-
 
 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 187 
 
 some person, a KafBr was overlieard expressing his 
 admiration of her, after the fashion of his people, by 
 saying that he would give, we .do not remember how 
 many cows, for such a woman ! for in that ungallant 
 country, when a native wants a wife, he forthwith 
 buys her, and cows are the price. 
 
 The name Kaffir is from the Arabic, and signifies 
 unbeliever. It was first given to these people by Ara- 
 bians and other Mahomedans, who settled for trading 
 purposes on the eastern coast of South Africa ; and the 
 natives, we are told, do not like it. 
 
 From Africa to Australia is something of a jump ; 
 but on paper we can skip over seas and mountains and 
 continents, and so travel even faster than Jack the 
 Giant Killer in his seven-league boots. 
 
 The Australian savage is, perhaps, even more 
 wretched than his wretched brother of South Africa ; 
 though certainly between him and the Bushman there 
 is not much to choose. - He is a species of negro, with 
 not quite such negro features as the African ; nor has 
 he anything of the muscular strength of this latter. 
 With household cares he does not much trouble him- 
 self, seeing he rarely has any house at all. A large 
 piece of the bark of some neighbouring tree, propped 
 up so as to give him a little protection from the wea- 
 ther, satisfies the simple desires of his wandering life
 
 188 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 
 
 for shelter. His food is, to our ideas, vile. Tadpoles^ 
 roasted moths, grubs (esteemed a delicacy), with shark 
 and whale, in a state that caricatures the taste of some 
 of us Europeans who like our game "high," he fattens 
 upon, or rather starves upon. Nor is he, miserable 
 creature that he is, free from the horrible charge of 
 cannibalism : that is, of eating human beings. Of 
 his dress no account can be given, simply because he 
 has none to describe ; though it may be said that at 
 times he wears streaks of white paint, the most fashion- 
 able mode of disposing which is, down the back-bone 
 and along each rib, so as to look as if a skeleton were 
 chalked out on him. Stripes down the leg complete 
 his costume. 
 
 The Australian uses one weapon of a most peculiar 
 character, the boomerang. This is of wood, shaped 
 
 thus y^ ^\ ; and it possesses the very extraor- 
 dinary property of coming back again to its owner, 
 after the straightforward journey of two hundred feet 
 or more that it has taken when thrown by his sinewy 
 arm. There is no providing against a missUe of this 
 sort. It is almost as dangerous a weapon as the 
 crooked musket that would shoot round a corner ! 
 Whizz it goes far past you ; but don't flatter yourself 
 that you are safe on that account. No such thing: 
 it means to take you on its return ; and as the force
 
 A CHAPTER OlST SAVAGES. 189 
 
 that it acquires is such that, even after the backward 
 flight, it has been known to bury itself half a foot in 
 the earth, it may be imagined what a blow would be 
 received by man or kangaroo who came in its way ; 
 while among a covey of birds it deals out destruction 
 right and left. In hand-to-hand conflicts the sharp 
 edge of the boomerang makes it no bad substitute for 
 a sword. 
 
 Mr. Jukes, who was surgeon to a surveying expe- 
 dition on the shores of Australia, describes the 
 Australians' spear as being a most formidable weapon ; 
 and the womerah, or throwing-stick, enables them to 
 dart it much further and more forcibly than if only 
 thrown with the hand. The spear might look rather 
 innocent, for there was no iron in its composition. It 
 was composed of a long, light bamboo, into one end 
 of which a piece of hard wood, wrought to a fine point, 
 was thrust, and securely fastened with line made of 
 grass and gum. On the point of this was firmly tied 
 a nail, beaten very sharp, and turned up so as to 
 form a barb ; below it were two other barbs, made of 
 the spine of the stinging ray. When this horrible 
 weapon was launched into a man — it would sometimes 
 go right through him — the barbs held so fast, that 
 the attempt to draw out the spear, left them sticking 
 in his flesh. Of this they had sad proof. In a sud-
 
 190 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 
 
 den quarrel with the natives, one of the saUors haa a 
 spear thrown at him ; and the barbs remaining be 
 hind, when the surgeon tried to extract it, speedily 
 occasioned the poor fellow's death. The barbs in this 
 instance were only of bone. 
 
 These Australian savages are said to make very 
 good policemen ! In one or two districts of our col- 
 onies they have been enrolled under Europeans, and 
 prove smart, active, intelligent fellows, with a suffi- 
 cient appetite for fighting to make the rougher part 
 of their duties not overpoweringly disagreeable to 
 them. 
 
 Those among savage tribes to whom iron, as a 
 manufactured article, is unknown, have a very inge- 
 nious mode of procuring fire. Two pieces of wood are 
 taken, one of a hard kind, the other of a soft texture. 
 A small hole is made in the centre of the soft piece, 
 the sharpened end of the hard one, pressed firmly in 
 it, and then revolved between the hands, as if it were 
 a chocolate mill, till, very speedily, sparks are seen. 
 A little dried grass acts as tinder to catch these ; a 
 swing round in the air to fan them, and, at once, 
 there is a blaze. 
 
 We know not whether an Englishman would man 
 age this ; for in some things these savages are really 
 cleverer than we ; but some cold day next Christ-
 
 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 191 
 
 mas it would be worth any idle boy's wbile to get two 
 bits of wood, and try his hand at it. If he did not 
 get a fire, which is, we fear, very likely, he would 
 certainly warm himself by the exertion. 
 
 Some of the drollest things that travellers tell us 
 of these various savages, are about their notions of 
 European dress. Most of them eagerly desire this, 
 for they see how vastly superior to themselves the 
 white men are, and doubtless fancy that when they 
 have got our clothes, some portion of this superiority 
 goes with them. 
 
 A pair of stockings being given to a chief in one 
 of the Sandwich Islands, he and a friend made their 
 appearance, the next Sunday, at divine service, each 
 wearing one stocking on his hand and arm. And 
 there they sat, serene and dignified ; each one ele- 
 gantly supporting his head with the hand that had 
 the stocking on, so as to let the whole congregation 
 have a full view of it : just as a fine gentleman will 
 sometimes do, to show his diamond ring. On another 
 occasion a pair of trousers were instantaneously con- 
 verted into a jacket, by the simple process of thrust- 
 ing the arms iuto the legs, and fastening the rest of 
 the garment over the chest. That a jacket should be 
 put on wrong side before, and buttoned down a man's 
 back, is of course a very trifling mistake for one who
 
 192 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 
 
 had never seen a jacket before. Nor are the mistakes 
 confined to the gentlemen of the party. We have 
 heard of a missionary's wife making bonnets for some 
 of the great ladies under her charge, which were ex- 
 ceedingly admired by their happy wearers, and equally 
 coveted by those who were not fortunate enough to 
 possess them. One of these native ladies looked and 
 longed till she could bear it no longer; and ofi" she 
 rushed to the mission station to entreat that she 
 might have a bonnet herself. What was to be done 
 — it was Saturday evening — there was no time to 
 make the much desired article ; all that the missionary 
 lady had was the fore-part of a bonnet, wanting the 
 crown, which could not possibly be supplied for the 
 next morning's use. It was all right ! The appli- 
 cant warmly assured her that would do quite as well ; 
 and accordingly, next day, she made her appearance 
 at church, pleased and happy, wearing the peak of a 
 bonnet, with nothing behind. 
 
 It is really too bad to laugh at these poor creatures, 
 seeing that our ancestors, who were content with a 
 coat of paint, would have been quite as much puzzled 
 how to get into our modern coats, and trousers, and 
 bonnets. But we cannot help it, for all that. Who 
 could help laughing at the negro in his fuU dress.
 
 A CHAPTER ON SAVAGES. 193 
 
 whicli consisted solely of a cocked hat and pair of 
 shoes ? 
 
 There is one thing worth notice in the various ac- 
 counts of savage life that reach us ; and that is, that 
 where white men treat savages kindly, and as reason- 
 able beings, they will almost always meet with friendly 
 treatment in return. We say almost, for even among 
 civilized Christians, good deeds are sometimes returned 
 by bad ones : and we cannot expect uncivilized hea- 
 thens to be letter than ourselves. 
 9
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 MEXICAN ROBBERS.* 
 
 Leaving the buge, cold, comfortless inn, at Mocbitilte 
 at sunrise, the traveller's road wound up the hUl to 
 the table-land above. A few hours' riding here, 
 brought him to the picturesque little town of Magda- 
 lena, where be and bis horse were by no means indis- 
 posed for breakfast, and a couple of hours' rest. 
 When mounting again, he was asked whether he would 
 not have a guard, the road to Tequila, where he was 
 going, having so bad a reputation for robbers, that 
 travellers thither always took an escort ; for which, it 
 was added, each man was paid one dollar. 
 
 Whether our traveller was more courageous than 
 travellers in general, or whether he thought it was 
 only a pretence, in order to screw a few dollars out of 
 him, does not appear. But, however it might be, he 
 decidedly declined taking the offered guard, and then 
 rode off; the innkeeper complimenting him on his 
 
 * Bayard Taylor's "El Dorado."
 
 MEXICAN ROBBERS. 195 
 
 bravery, but adding, that be would most certainly be 
 attacked by robbers. 
 
 He bad not gone far before be met a treasure 
 convoy, a company of soldiers, guarding some mules 
 who were laden with coin. The officers of tbis convoy 
 rode fine borses, tbe men being on foot. They greeted 
 tbe traveller civilly, as tbey meant ; but, taking him 
 for an Englisbman, some of tbem, wbose knowledge 
 of tbe Englisb language was very imperfect, swore at 
 bim, under tbe impression tbat tbey were politely ad- 
 dressing bim witb our customary Englisb " How do 
 you do ? " 
 
 Tbe road now became narrow and winding, the 
 best place in the world, apparently, for robbers to at- 
 tack a lonely traveller. After leaving the treasure 
 convoy, be did not meet with a single creature ; but 
 his time was not yet come, and spite of the suspicious 
 looks of the pass, he got safely through it, and down 
 the hill-side to Tequila. Tbis was very satisfactory ; and 
 a very clever fellow he no doubt thought liimself, for 
 not having suffered his host at Magdalena to frighten 
 him into wasting his few dollars on a useless guard, 
 against imaginary robbers. Walking into the city's 
 only inn, he found but poor accommodation, a com- 
 pany of soldiers having arrived before him, and nearly 
 filled it up with themselves and their horses. It was
 
 196 MEXICAN EOBBEES. 
 
 hard work to get anything to eat ; hut at length he 
 was supplied with some slight refreshment, and, having 
 seen his heast fed, he tucked himself up for the night, 
 in the very uncomfortable quarters which were all that 
 he could obtain. 
 
 There was not much temptation to sleep long ; so 
 at sunrise he was up and off, without staying for 
 breakfast, either for himself or his horse, deferring 
 this till he reached Amatitlan. Here, at a wretched 
 little mud building, which did duty for hotel, he or- 
 dered such "entertainment" as was to be had for 
 " man and horse." When paying for what he had, he 
 offered a Mexican dollar, which was presently returned 
 to him, the woman to whom he had paid it, saying 
 that at a shop over the way it was pronounced a bad 
 one. Of course this might be, and he gave her an- 
 other. But when she returned a second time with 
 the same story, the traveller began to think that aU 
 was not right ; and, giving her a third dollar, he told 
 her that must do, as he would not give her any more. 
 At the shop to which the woman had been to change 
 the money, a number of dirty fellows sat drinking 
 mescal, a strong coarse spirit, peculiar to the country. 
 They asked the traveller to have some with them, and 
 when he declined, one of them said something about 
 its being " the last time," — a remark which, of course,
 
 MEXICAN EOBBEES. 197 
 
 conveyed no meaning to him to wliom it was ad- 
 dressed. 
 
 Leaving Amatitlan about ten o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, the road was exceedingly lonely ; not a creature 
 was to be seen, as the traveller looked around him. 
 Passing a deep gorge in the hills, he could not help 
 thinking to himself, that it would be a capital lurking- 
 place for robbers, and that it would not be a bad idea 
 to load his pistol. Before he could possibly do this, 
 however, there was a slight movement in the brush- 
 wood near him, and which covered the whole plain. 
 Turning to see what caused this, in an instant a 
 double-barrelled musket was pointed at him, so close, 
 and so well aimed, that he could almost look down 
 the barrels, and see the little wicked bits of lead lying 
 there ready for him. A fierce-looking Mexican, in a 
 pink shirt and white trousers, was the proprietor of 
 this weapon; a similar one, equally well directed, 
 glittered on the opposite side, while a third robber 
 "presented arms" in the rear. The unlucky horse- 
 man was surrounded, and so startled by the sudden- 
 ness of the attack, that he could scarcely obey the im- 
 perative command to throw down his arms. It was 
 repeated, with the addition of a second one to get off 
 his horse, and in such a manner as left him no choice, 
 especially considering that his arms consisted of one
 
 198 MEXICAN EOBBEES. 
 
 unloaded pistol. He had no difficulty in throwing 
 down this useless tool, which the robhers picked up, 
 and then bade the dismounted cavalier lead his horse 
 down the ravine, among some brushwood, which 
 screened them from the road. One of them then went 
 back to keep guard ; the others, pointing their muskets 
 at their victim, bade him lie down with his face to the 
 ground. They then bade him take oiF his coat and 
 waistcoat, and the leader of the robbers examined 
 them very closely, turning all the pockets inside out. 
 He pulled rather a long face when he foraged out the 
 traveller's purse, and found it very slenderly supplied 
 with money, asking angrily how it was that there was 
 so little. The truth was, that the prudent traveller 
 had only kept cash enough just to carry him to 
 Mexico, where his banker, on whom he had a cheque, 
 would replenish his stores. He pleaded with the rob- 
 bers for his papers, among which was the cheque in 
 question, and they willingly left him these, saying 
 they were of no use to them. 
 
 The examination of his clothing being at an end, 
 one of the robbers bade him place his hands behind 
 him ; and as the command was enforced by menaces 
 of his own hunting knife, which they had taken, it 
 was readily, if not cheerfully obeyed. His hands 
 were tied tight behind his back, with the horse's halter.
 
 MEXICAN EOBBEES. 199 
 
 and then, having got him safe, the robbers finished 
 their ■work leisurely. Spreading out this blanket which 
 he carried, the contents of his bags were all emptied 
 together into it, that they might select such articles 
 as they cared to carry off. Among those, were draw- 
 ing pencils, soap, thermometer, and his compass ; let- 
 ters, books, and papers were tossed aside. Shot- 
 pouch and powder-flask of course went bodily ; and 
 they further picked his pockets of some oranges and 
 cigars, humanely leaving him one of these last that he 
 might smoke, and suffocate, if not drown care. They 
 then proceeded to unfasten his spurs, pulled off his 
 boots, where they would have found a couple of pieces 
 of money which he had placed there for security, had 
 he not already spent them ; felt at his trousers for 
 anything that might have been sewed between the 
 lining and the cloth; and finally, taking the saddle 
 off the horse's back, opened the blankets to see what 
 there might be there. Having collected what they 
 wanted, they tied it all up in one of the blankets, and 
 then jeeringly asked whether they should take the 
 horse also. The patience of the ^oor plundered trav- 
 eller gave way at this ; and he answered pretty 
 smartly that they should not do that: he must, and 
 would have the horse to continue his journey. Besides^ 
 he would be of no use to them. No notice was takeu
 
 200 MEXICAN EOBBEKS. 
 
 of this reply, only they did not take the horse. Pink- 
 Shirt then resytned his double barrel and walked ofij 
 beckoning the other robber after him. Suddenly he 
 returned, and saying, " Perhaps you may get hungry 
 before night, here is something to eat," placed on the 
 grass, by the traveller, one of his own oranges and a 
 few little bread cakes such as are used in the country. 
 His unexpected generosity was of course received with 
 a profusion of thanks ; though the recipient did not ex- 
 actly see how, with his hands tied behind his back, 
 he was to manage to feed himself with the provision so 
 liberally supplied. The robbers, however, considered 
 that this was his aflfair, not theirs, and therefore bade 
 him farewell, cheerfully intimating that they were all 
 the better for having had the pleasure of making his 
 acquaintance. This was adding insult to injury: but 
 a man in the defenceless condition of our unfortu- 
 nate traveller must accept any impertinences that 
 his malicious neighbours may think proper to offer 
 him. 
 
 It was not particularly pleasant to be left thus 
 alone and bound, iit a cut-throat sort of neighbour- 
 hood. But, as the traveller had no one to help him 
 but himself, he began to twist, and turn, and wriggle 
 about, in the hope of loosening the knots of the cord 
 with which he was fastened. This was no easy mat-
 
 MEXICAN ROBBEES. 201 
 
 ter, as, being well used to perform the operation, the 
 robbers had one their work well. However, it is 
 said, " Nothing is denied to well-directed labour," and 
 ere long the truth of the proverb was apparent. Mr. 
 Taylor did not exactly "jump down his own throat," 
 — that would have been no use under the circum- 
 stances — but he did something almost as difficult ; he 
 managed to wrench his body through his arms. And 
 then, nibbling away at the knots with his teeth, ia 
 half an hour he was a free man. It was fortunate 
 his horse had not left him in the lurch. He caught 
 him, mounted, and rode off, seeing, as he did so, his 
 three friends disappearing in the distance. Had they 
 seen him, they might perhaps have returned, and pre- 
 vented his looking after them another time. 
 
 They had been so long in robbing him, that he 
 had had time to scrutinize the men's features ; and in 
 their leader, the one in the pink shirt, he recognized 
 one of the men who were hanging lazily about the 
 shop at Amatitlan, from which dollar after dollar was 
 returned to him as bad. The meaning of the trick 
 was evident now : it had been done to see how much 
 money the traveller had, in order to judge whether it 
 would be worth while to lie in wait for him. 
 
 As may be imagined, he let no grass grow under 
 his horse's feet ; peering round at every root and 
 9*
 
 202 MEXICAN KOBBEES. 
 
 clump large enougli to hid} a robber, as he galloped 
 along. A few miles from the scene of his own adven- 
 tures, he saw by the roadside some black crosses and 
 a gibbet, which marked the spot where, less than two 
 years previously, a gang of robbers had set upon and 
 murdered eleven soldiers and merchants. He had 
 escaped better than they. 
 
 At the first military station that he reached, he 
 made the guard acquainted with what had happened 
 to him, and gave them the means of identifying the 
 thieves if taken. But alas ! such things were of far 
 too common occurrence to excite much notice ; and in 
 no very amiable mood, he spurred his jaded steed 
 along to Guadalagara, considered the most beautiful 
 city in Mexico, where he might get his cheque cashed. 
 Being a perfect stranger there, he was indebted to a 
 good-natured old priest, who saw him wandering 
 about, for a direction to some honest inn, where he 
 might feel himself in safety. He told the people, on 
 alighting, that he had been robbed of all his money, 
 and could not get any more for several days. But 
 they kindly bade him not mind that ; he was welcome 
 to stay as long as he liked with them. And they 
 further told him he might be thankful that the rob- 
 bers had not taken his Hfe as well as his money and 
 goods.
 
 MEXICAJSr ROBBERS. 203 
 
 At Guadalagara lie got money for his cheque, and 
 speedily made good those deficiencies in his apparel 
 which had been created by the dexterous hands of the 
 robbers. After enjoying himself for a few days, he 
 took leave of his kind old hostess ; and, popping him- 
 self into the diligence, in due time arrived at his 
 journey's end in the city of Mexico.
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 
 AN ADVENTURE IN THE MEXICAN WAR.* 
 
 During the war between the United States and the 
 Mexicans, a small company of Americans was once 
 surrounded by the cavalry of the latter. One of these 
 Americans was a man well known to the Mexicans, 
 and much feared and disliked by them, for the part 
 which he had taken in the contest between the two 
 countries. He soon saw that he was recognized by 
 his captors ; and from the whispers that went round 
 among them, and the glances cast upon him, he felt 
 sure that faith would not be kept with him as a pris 
 oner, but that, the moment the principal Mexican 
 oflBcers had turned their backs, the guard would shoot 
 him down like a dog. One of the American officers 
 rode a remarkably fine horse, and as Henrie (that was 
 the name of the man of whom we have been speaking) 
 whispered his fears to him, the colonel at once pro- 
 posed that he should take his horse and try to make 
 his escape. 
 
 * Webber's " Hunter-Naturalist."
 
 AN ADVENTURE EST THE MEXICAN WAE. 205 
 
 The offer was eagerly accepted, and Henrie leaped 
 into the saddle, from whose holsters the pistols had, 
 fortunately, not been removed. He soon gave his 
 spirited charger the spur, which caused him to kick 
 and fling out in such a manner as to induce the guards, 
 between whom the prisoners rode, to draw off a little 
 on either side. This was precisely what Henrie 
 wanted; and having kept his steed prancing and 
 curvetting for awhile, in order to disarm suspicion, 
 he suddenly clapt spurs into him, and shot, like an 
 arrow out of a bow, from between the green-coated 
 files on either hand. A volley from their carbines 
 followed him ; but, hanging off his horse on one side, 
 holding by hand and foot, after the manner of the 
 Indians, so as to be completely hidden from his ene- 
 mies, it flew harmlessly over him. He had to pass 
 several squadrons of cavalry before he reached a gap, 
 or narrow valley, towards which he made ; but though 
 vigorously pursued by some hundreds of them, his 
 gallant steed soon outflew them, as with clanging 
 hoofs he galloped down the ravine. Two miles of 
 such a pace was quite enough for Henrie ; and as he 
 shot a-head they drew bridle and gave up the chase. 
 
 He had no idea whither the road which he had 
 taken at random, might lead; and very speedily it 
 brought him out upon the open plain, close to some
 
 206 AN ADVENTTJKE IN 
 
 buildings, "wliere, as he raced along, lie saw the green^ 
 coats hastily mounting to follow him. Looking behind 
 him as he dashed forward, he saw that this fresh party 
 of pursuers consisted of about ten lancers ; and, know- 
 ing that he could depend upon his horse, he drew up 
 so as to let them get within pistol shot of him. Think- 
 ing themselves sure of their prize, they advanced with 
 a shout ; but just as their commander called out to 
 him to surrender, Henrie, drawing a pistol from his 
 holster, shot the man dead. The soldier who was 
 close to his ofRcer's heels seeing this, attempted to 
 rein up ; but he was coming on at so furious a pace as 
 to render it impossible, and the moment he came 
 within range he, too, fell. The remainder, appalled 
 by the fate of their comrades, stopped short, leaving 
 Henrie to ride off at his leisure. 
 
 All that day he kept at full speed on his hazardous 
 flight ; for the coimtry was overspread with Mexican 
 troops, into the very midst of which he was several 
 times in danger of falling. The noise that these sol- 
 diers made while on march was often the only warning 
 that he had of their vicinity ; and then he would draw 
 off on one side and manage to conceal himself while 
 they passed him. He had no mind for a second en- 
 counter with them, if it could be avoided, seeing he 
 had fired off both his pistols, and had no means of
 
 THE MEXICAN WAE. 207 
 
 loading them again. Next day, wliile in a wild part 
 of the mountainous country, his horse fell down dead 
 under him, leaving him to pick his way on foot during 
 the night, — the only time at which he could then dare 
 to travel. During the day, he hid himself as well as 
 he could among the woods ; his only food being th 
 fruit of the cactus, of which he contrived to gather just 
 enough to keep life in him, till some of the scouts from 
 his own camp falling in with him, took him to head- 
 quarters. He was in a wretched plight ; his clothes 
 torn to shreds, his limbs wounded and bleeding with 
 forcing his way through the forest: he reeled with 
 exhaustion, and was almost speechless with thirst and 
 himger. He was safe, however, and recovered to take 
 part again in the war. 
 
 On another occasion Henrie was sent out with 
 three others to act as scouts. They proceeded some 
 distance on this expedition, without meeting any trace 
 of the Indians, who, emboldened by the attacks of the 
 Mexicans, had been making themselves rather trouble- 
 some. So they camped comfortably for the night, 
 determining next morning to ride each one in a dif- 
 ferent direction, see all that was to be seen, and re- 
 turn at night to the camp to compare notes. If it 
 should then turn out that none of them had seen any 
 trace of the enemy, they thought they might indulge
 
 208 AN ADYENTUEE IN 
 
 themselves for a few days witli a buflfalo-hunt ; buffaloes 
 appearing to abound in that district. 
 
 Next morning, each set out his own way. Henrie 
 jogged quietly on till noon ; when, rough soldier as 
 he was, and not knowing much about the picturesque, 
 he stopped to admire the beauty of the scene around. 
 Eight before him stood out a rugged mountain, some- 
 what in advance of the range by whose base he had 
 been travelling all the morning. Ever-green vegeta- 
 tion sprang up in the clefts of its sides, whose rocky 
 masses were shaped in all sorts of fantastic forms. 
 One of these appeared to be a gateway leading into 
 some huge cavern ; but on approaching, it was found 
 to be only a slant of the rock, beneath which a spring 
 bubbled up, ran its clear course over the white sand, 
 and then toward the hills, winding its way along their 
 feet. Far off to the left, and beyond this mountain 
 range, the undulating prairie stretched as far as eye 
 could reach, studded with clumps of the cactus tree ; 
 among which wandered deer, mustangs, (the native 
 horse,) and herds of the huge buffalo. 
 
 Henrie dismounted, and leaning on his horse stood 
 enjoying the sight ; when, turning his head he perceived 
 one of the droves of wild horses approaching him slowly. 
 They were at a great distance, and looked like any 
 other drove of wild horses ; yet he could not help
 
 THE MEXICAN WAE. 209 
 
 watching them more closely than that which they 
 seemed to be, appeared to warrant. He remembered 
 having noticed the foot-marks of, wild horses going at 
 a gallop ; this made him think some one must have 
 been chasing them, so that the Indians, whom he had 
 failed to see, might not be so far off after all. So he 
 kept watching the horses as they moved slowly on, 
 till at length he lost sight of them behind one of the 
 undulations of the prairie. They were out of sight so 
 long, that he had forgotten all about them, when sud- 
 denly they were seen again, galloping rapidly towards 
 him. He sprang into his saddle in a moment, think- 
 ing that possibly some Indians were hunting these 
 wild horses, and having hidden themselves in the deep 
 grass, had suddenly come upon the herd whom they 
 were now chasing with their lassoes. The lasso is a 
 long cord, witli a running noose at one end, and is 
 used by the Indians to catch wild horses. He con- 
 cealed himself behind a clump of trees, that he might 
 the better watch them ; and as they came nearer, 
 standing out in full relief against the sky, he clearly 
 saw that every one of these wild horses, as he had 
 supposed them to be, carried an Indian, hanging (as 
 they sometimes will do when approaching an enemy on 
 the prairie), by one hand and foot to the saddle. In 
 this way the body of the Indian is completely hidden
 
 210 AN ADVENTURE IN 
 
 by that of his horse, which bears the appearance of the 
 wild animal advancing at its "■ own sweet will," in- 
 stead of being urged along by a relentless and cunning 
 rider. 
 
 Wheeling round in a trice at this sight, Henrie 
 spurred away with might and main ; and the moment 
 the Indians caught sight of him, they vaulted into 
 their saddles, raised their war-whoop, and dashed after 
 him ; spreading out their ranks on the plain, so as to 
 hem him in. His only chance of escape lay in his 
 reaching and rounding the mountain, before their 
 outermost files gained it, so as to pin him there. The 
 Indians knew this as well as he ; and pursuers and 
 pursued strained every nerve in the life and death 
 race. Henrie, however, out raced his Indian friends, 
 and dashed into the wood, knowing they would not 
 follow him there, for fear of a surprise from his com- 
 panions. Still, not liking his neighbourhood, he rode 
 on as rapidly as he could for a few miles through the 
 woods. When he emerged from them into the open 
 country, he was a little puzzled as to where he was ; 
 for in his flight he had lost the bearings of the camp, 
 where he and the other troopers were to meet. He 
 rode hither and thither, trying to find the right track, 
 till, as night fell, he found his horse giving way after 
 the hard day's work. He therefore determined to
 
 THE MEXICAIT WAE. 211 
 
 rest till day-break by a little stream, whose course, if 
 followed, would, he knew, bring him back to the camp, 
 which he had now left far behind. So, unsaddling his 
 horse and turning him loose to get his supper on the 
 bit of meadow, sheltered on three sides by clumps of 
 trees, which he had chosen for his night's lodging, he 
 drank his fill of the clear cool water, and then wrapped 
 himself up in his blanket for a doze. A " long drink" 
 of cold water was not exactly the thing he would have 
 chosen for his own supper, if he might have been per- 
 mitted to please himself in the matter ; but he had 
 lost his provision-pouch in the chase, and he dared not 
 shoot any game for fear of betraying his hiding-place. 
 So he was fain to make the best of it, and sleep as 
 soundly as possible, that he might forget how very 
 hungry he was. 
 
 He was up and off to the camp early next morn- 
 ing, at a pace by no means so brisk as it was the day 
 before ; for both horse and rider were a little the worse 
 for their short commons. But this did not matter, as 
 he was now out of reach of the Indians. He soon 
 came in sight of the camping ground, and then, spurring 
 forward, pleased himself with thinking he should in a 
 few minutes be among his comrades. 
 
 No comrades were there to greet him. Across the 
 extinguished fire lay the dead body of an Indian war-
 
 212 A2T ADVENTUEE IN 
 
 rior; all around were marks of a deadly struggle, 
 here lay the stock of a soldier rifle, there the Indian's 
 arrows, with a shield and broken lance. But no 
 living thing was to be seen! Following the horse 
 tracks — they were those of both his friends and of the 
 Indians, the latter distinguishable by their being of 
 unshod horses — they brought him at length to a rising 
 ground ; whence cautiously peering do^vn below, he 
 saw about a mile off, a numerous company of Indians, 
 who had camped upon the plain. They saw him too ! 
 Now again it was a ride for life ; anc^, to make mat- 
 ters worse, he saw among his pursuers, (for they were 
 after him directly,) some who were mounted on his 
 companions' horses, which he well knew were as good 
 as his own. The half wild steeds of the Indians, he 
 might have hoped to distance. He turned at once 
 towards the wood for shelter, the savages yelling be- 
 hind him. He distanced them for awhile, and then 
 took his desperate resolve. Tlie rising, rolling cloud 
 of smoke, now near at hand, showed him that the 
 forest was on fire; and if he could dash through the 
 flaming woods he was safe. No Indian would follow 
 him there. At once he spurred on to meet the fire ; 
 and, half suffocated with its advancing smoke, dis- 
 mounted, tore up his blanket, bound one piece over 
 his horse's eyes, and with the other loosely covered
 
 THE MEXICAN WAS. 213 
 
 ms own face. This would keep out the thickest 
 smoke, while its coarse texture let through just air 
 enough to sustain life for a short time. Thus muffled 
 he miunted again ; and as the war-whoop of his 
 enemits rang in his ears, spurred and lashed his poor, 
 terrified, blinded beast into the fire. Scorching, 
 crackling, blazing through it — a few short moments of 
 agony, and then he bounds into the clear sweet air 
 beyond. The blazing wood has been past ; and, tear- 
 ing away those suffocating, yet life-protecting band- 
 ages, horse and rider are both saved. A yell of 
 triumph rises from the Indians, as they come up to the 
 spot where Henrie disappeared in the flames ; for those 
 amiable savages take for granted he has perished in 
 them, and they rejoice accordingly. 
 
 Nearly dead with thirst after that horrible passage 
 of the forest, Henrie led his poor trembHng horse 
 across the blackened, smouldering ground, even now 
 almost too hot to be borne. At length he could pro- 
 ceed no further ; however bad the condition of his 
 horse might be, his own was still worse ; and, throw- 
 ing himself on the back of the jaded animal, he urged 
 him onward. He was just at the point of fainting, 
 when the horse made a sudden rush down a bank : 
 there was a great splash, and both fairly rolled in the 
 cool delicious waters of tne flowing stream !
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 A GUMPSE OF NORWAY.* 
 
 A Norway farm has always its mountain pasture, to 
 "which the cattle are driven in the spring, and where 
 the butter and cheese are made, while the meadows 
 about the farm itself are given up to growing hay. 
 These mountain pastures, called " soeters," have gen- 
 erally huts, built of whole pine trees, squared with 
 the axe, and abounding with the needful dairy uten- 
 sils, though but scantily furnished for the wants of 
 their human occupants. They usually consist of only 
 one room, to answer all purposes, with a chimneyless 
 fire-place, and a dirty mud floor. 
 
 The one, however, into which we are going to 
 peep, is a rather more respectable specimen of this 
 kind of rural architecture. It has actually two 
 stories ; to the upper one the dairy folks clamber, by 
 means of a ladder; beneath, cows and pigs repose in 
 harmony together. This upper story projects two or 
 
 * " Forest Life in Norway and Sweden." — Kev. H. Newlajjo.
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 215 
 
 three feet beyond the lower one, in the manner of a 
 Swiss cottage ; and the low-pitched shingle roof stands 
 out about the same distance beyond it, so that the 
 whole building has much the appearance of a liuge 
 mushroom on its stalk. The barge-boards are orna- 
 mented with carving ; and texts of Scripture are 
 painted both upon them and the window-sills. The 
 mountain farm, too, is one of much greater size than 
 is ordinarily found, forty acres having been reclaimed 
 from the surrounding forest of pine, fir, and birch, 
 and inclosed by the rude wooden fence of the 
 country. 
 
 To this farm, and others in the neighbourhood, a 
 company of men, women, and cattle were making their 
 way one spring evening from the lower country ; the 
 men dressed in short round jackets, with rows of sil- 
 ver buttons, short brown trousers ornamented Avith red 
 tape, and bright blue stockings Avith crimson clocks. 
 The women wore red kerchiefs on their heads, the 
 ends hanging down their backs ; red or yellow boddices 
 with large silver brooches, and blue petticoats, gay 
 with red or yellow trimmings. The dairy utensils 
 were carried amongst them ; the women took the 
 pails, while the men were laden with all kinds of 
 things, finishing up with the great iron kettles, in 
 which they simmer the milk to make the cream rise
 
 216 A GLIMPSE OF NOKWAT. 
 
 more speedily. Baskets, set upon a pair of wheels, 
 and drawn by stout, but small ponies, were their light 
 carts, carrying rye meal for their grod, or gruel, 
 which is a staple dish in Norway ; quantities of dry 
 hard bread, and some very dirty sheep-skins. 
 
 Goats, sheep, and wee-wee cream-coloured cows 
 followed, now and then stopping to take a sly nibble 
 as they passed, at a particularly tempting looking bit 
 of grass. The party halted for the night at Torgen- 
 son's pasture, the extensive one we have been de- 
 scribing ; and soon all were at work. Some tethered 
 and hobbled cattle and sheep, to prevent their stray- 
 ing into the forest, where it would have been no easy 
 matter to find them again ; others, so abundant is 
 wood in Norway, chopped up whole trees to mend 
 fences, and such like work ; while blue smoke crept 
 among the foliage from huge fires, on which the ket- 
 tles were boiled, gipsy fashion, to make the everlast- 
 ing rye-gruel for their supper. And a merry supper 
 it was ; for the first setting out to the upland pasture 
 is always considered a sort of holiday time, notwith- 
 standing that hard work is plentiful. 
 
 By sunrise, all were astir again, from their dirty 
 sheep-skins, or wherever else they had slept ; the white 
 smoke again curled in slender columns among the 
 trees; then came breakfast on rye-gruel with new
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 2l7 
 
 milk — they would have liked it better had it been 
 actually going bad ! afterwards, those who were at 
 home went to their farm work, and the rest, each to 
 his own mountain pasture. The songs, the laughter, 
 and the tinkling of cow-bells grew faint and fainter 
 as the different companies took their way through the 
 deep shade of the forest ; amid which at last the sounds 
 died away. 
 
 There had been others than farm folks at the 
 soeter that night ; some ramblers after sport in the 
 shape of fishing, and shooting, having also made their 
 lodging at Torgenson's upland farm station. They 
 also, as the shadows began to shorten, shouldered their 
 knapsacks, and trudged along on their way. On the 
 banks of a mountain lake, however, the little party 
 came to a stand ; for the quick eye of one of them had 
 caught sight of a species of duck called the Northern 
 Diver, (which he greatly longed to possess,) floating 
 quietly on the water. Down they all went on the- 
 ground at once, fearing that, as they had seen the 
 duck, ducky might also have seen them ; in which 
 case there was small chance of " bagging " it, as the 
 bird is so quick, both in sight and motion, as to be 
 able to save itself by diving, after having seen the 
 flash of the sportsman's shot at it. 
 
 Creeping cautiously back a little, a council was 
 10
 
 218 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 
 
 held as to liow they should, get possession of so valu- 
 able a prize ; and, having an old hand among them, he 
 stationed one of the party, Avith gun ready cocked, 
 lying flat on a little ledge of rock whence he could get 
 a shot at the bird, if it would only come near enough. 
 The rest were sent to different posts on the edge of 
 the lake, which was a small one ; there, by a series 
 of slight noises, such as snapping twigs, and the like, 
 to induce the bird to edge away within shot of their 
 companion. 
 
 For half an hour after this latter had gently wrig- 
 gled himself to his post, the bird still sat as if asleep, 
 on the water. But it was wide awake for all that ; 
 as the quick movement of its neck and eye evidenced, 
 when one of the party came between it and the wind. 
 And though imperceptibly, (for it was only the lessen- 
 ing distance between it and a lily leaf on the water 
 that made them aware of it,) they perceived that it 
 was gradually floating within gun-shot. Presently it 
 stopped again, and it was needful to renew the small 
 disturbances that had set it afloat before. 
 
 " A slight snapping of dry wood just broke the 
 stillness ; again the sharp, anxious glance and the im- 
 perceptible motion were renewed ; another and another 
 snap, and now the water seemed to rise against the 
 bird's breast, and a slight wake to be left behind him.
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 219 
 
 At last a cap was raised, and responded to by two or 
 three others in different places ; suddenly the bird had 
 disappeared, the calm quiet water showing no trace of 
 anything having broken its surface. Half a dozen 
 eyes were anxiously on the look-out, but it was long 
 before the smallest sign rewarded them. At last, 
 many hundred yards from where they had lost sight of 
 it, a black spot was seen quietly floating on the water, 
 as though nothing had ever been the matter. Pres- 
 ently, again came the quick glance, the move, the 
 dive — then an anxious moment of watchfulness — then 
 a white puff of smoke, then a stream of hopping shot, 
 playing ducks and drakes across the water — then the 
 sharp ringing report caught up, and repeated by echo 
 after echo — and there lay the poor bird," fairly hit at 
 last. 
 
 Four or five ducks of a common kind, who had 
 been lurking somewhere or other, unseen, jumped up 
 in a fright on hearing all this pother. And they had 
 much better have sat still ; unless, indeed, they pre- 
 ferred getting into the game bags of the sporting 
 party, which was the result of their imlucky move- 
 ment. 
 
 The Diver was stowed away with much care ; this 
 bird being rare as well as beautiful. 
 
 The eider-duck, however, against which they next
 
 220 A GLIirPSE OF KORWAT. 
 
 turned out, has the merit of being abundant as well as 
 valuable. It is a native of Norway and other very 
 cold countries ; its beautifully soft down, of which we 
 are so fond, for pillows and coverlets, and, if very 
 luxurious, for beds also, being given it as a protection 
 from the icy cold of its northern haunts. 
 
 A great quantity of this down is collected on the 
 coast of Norway ; those who collect it waiting upon 
 the birds in their own nests, and transacting business 
 with them in a fashion which, it is to be feared, leaves 
 poor dilly-duck as little voice in the matter, as does 
 that of the sportsman, who shoulders his gun, and, 
 without leave, asked or given, coolly knocks her over 
 in the water. 
 
 Let us see how this same sport of duck-hunting is 
 carried on. 
 
 In the gray misty dawn of a summer's morning, 
 three boats containing our sportsmen, their rifles, and 
 plenty of cod-lines stowed away in safe corners, pushed 
 oft' noiselessly from the dockyard point of the harbour 
 of Christiansand. The water was like glass ; and at 
 that early hour the silence was unbroken, save by the 
 steady roll of the oars in the rowlocks, whose echo 
 was heard among the cliffs that skirted the " fiord" — 
 as those arms of the sea that run deep into the sharply 
 indented coast of Norway are called. Here and there
 
 A GLIMPSE OP NORWAY. 221 
 
 a seal popped up its black sliiny head, took a long 
 look at the boats, and then dipped down again, so 
 quietly as not even to ripple the surface of the water ; — 
 an act of curiosity, however, that cost one of them his 
 life. A sharp crack of a rifle, and down went Seal 
 deeper than ever he did in his life, and not to come 
 up again. It was a good shot, that gained for the 
 marksman a rebuke from his companion, who very 
 properly told him it was a shame to fire at what he 
 could not secure after he had killed it. 
 
 Before getting among the ducks, they stopped at 
 a shoal to get cod-bait, in the shape of large hmpets, 
 that were knocked off the rocks with boat-hooks, and 
 stowed away for use when they reached the fishing- 
 ground: for catching cod was to be the end of the 
 day's work. 
 
 After rowing awhile, the open sea was approached, 
 heaving and swelling with the ever restless roll of the 
 Atlantic ; and the three boats forming " line abreast, 
 at five or six hundred yards distance, pulled leisurely 
 along, keeping a bright look-out on every side. Calm 
 as it was, the swells were quite heavy enough to con- 
 ceal the boats entirely from each other, as from time 
 to time the huge mountains rolled between them." 
 They kept on in this way for about half an hour, 
 occasionally deceived by gulls and cormorants, which,
 
 222 A GLIMPSE OP NORWAY. 
 
 rising and falling with tlie swell on wbich they were 
 floating, were taken for their more fashionable neigh- 
 bours, the clucks. Suddenly, to westward, a dozen or 
 so of black spots were seen on the water, visible at 
 intervals, as they and the boats bobbed up and down 
 at the same time. Crescent-wise the boats rowed on 
 towards these black spots, which, as they were neared, 
 showed themselves unmistakeably to be ducks ; still 
 sitting quietly, and bobbing up and down w'ith the 
 swell of the water as before. A gun was already 
 levelled at them from the centre boat, (which, however, 
 was not so near them as the sportsmen thought,) when 
 " with one accord the dozen tails began to wriggle, 
 and at once the whole flock were under water, disap- 
 pearing as if by signal." The men now stretched out 
 with all their might ; and as they shot across the spot 
 where the ducks had gone down, marking the chain of 
 air-bubbles which their sudden disappearance had 
 made, they determined to wait thereabout for their 
 coming up again. Impatiently enough they waited ; 
 thinking what long-winded creatures eider-ducks must 
 be, as minute after minute slipped away and brought 
 no signs of their re-appearance. When lo, far to the 
 rear of one of the boats, there were the same dozen of 
 black spots, dancing up and down on the heaving 
 water as before, as though nothing had occurred to
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 223 
 
 disturb their tranquillity; for in truth "the ducks 
 had headed back under water, and the boats had 
 pulled over them." Again they were cautiously 
 approached by the boats, crescent-wise ; again aimed 
 at from the centre boat; "when the twelve tails again 
 wriggled simultaneously, and the twelve bodies went 
 under at once. This time, however, they rose within 
 shot of one of the boats ; but before a gun could be got 
 to bear upon them, they were under again." 
 
 So far, so good ; for these birds dive so rapidly 
 that the only chance of getting a shot at them in tlie 
 summer season, is to make them keep diving till they 
 are too much out of breath to dive any more. They 
 were rapidly getting into this condition now. " The 
 dive this time was a short one, though it carried them 
 out of shot, and one of the sportsmen, marking the 
 line of air-bubbles left on the surface, pulled on their 
 track and headed them back to" his friends. They 
 now rose among the boats, and one or two attempted 
 a heavy lumbering flight, which was speeddy stopped 
 by the fowling-pieces. The rest dispersed diving, 
 each his own way, and pursued by the boats inde- 
 pendently. 
 
 " The object of approaching them in a crescent is 
 to prevent the birds dispersing before they are too 
 much exhausted to dive far. A separated flock can
 
 224 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 
 
 seldom be marked, because it is more diflScult to catch 
 sigbt of one black spot than a dozen ; and if a flock 
 disperses early in the cbase, tlie chances are, that not 
 more than one or two ducks will be secured. 
 
 " The chase was now an ordinary affair, very like 
 rat-hunting ; the birds, confused and desperate, kept 
 poking their heads up in all sorts of unexpected di- 
 rections, and as their dives were now short, one or 
 other of the quick and experienced eyes were sure to 
 detect them. As for missing Avhen they were once 
 within shot, it was impossible to miss a bird nearly as 
 big as a goose, and almost as heavy on the wing. Ten 
 out of the twelve were bagged, and two only were un- 
 accounted for, having slipped away in the heat of the 
 chase. Three or four other flocks were sighted and 
 chased with various success ; some, taking alarm in 
 time, contrived to dive and swim ahead of the boats, 
 so as to elude them altogether ; some, startled by too 
 rapid ajiproach, dived before they had time to draw 
 together, and, breaking their order, appeared so many 
 black spots in difterent directions, most of which were 
 lost while pursuing others." Still, the spoils of the 
 party were considerable ; when suddenly a light cat's- 
 paw ruffled the surface, the black dots were no longer 
 visible as before on the water, and there was an end 
 to duck-hunting for that day. 
 
 *.
 
 CHASE OF THE EIDER DUCK.
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 225 
 
 *' Up sticks for the cod-ground," now exclaimed 
 one of the boatmen ; and, hoisting sail, they bore 
 away for the fishing-ground, a sunken island, though 
 with twenty fathoms water, a couple of miles from the 
 lighthouse. 
 
 Meanwhile all hands had got a desperate appe- 
 tite for breakfast ; so, running their boats in shore, te 
 one of those numerous islets with which these waters 
 are studded, they made a fire of the drift-wood which 
 abundantly fringes the Norwegian coast, and regaled 
 themselves, as men, after some hours' pulling about 
 and shouting, had a right to do. This little island 
 presented a rather remarkable sight. It was high and 
 rocky; and, clambering to the top of the cliff" under 
 which they had breakfasted, they saw half-a-dozen 
 peasants, who had been making hay of a miserable 
 coarse grass that grew there, carrying it down to their 
 great clumsy boats that were anchored at its foot. 
 Upon these they built up the hay in stacks ; and, tow- 
 ing them along by their whaling-boats, sailed home 
 to the mainland, some dozen miles off". It was wretched 
 stuff", such as a sleek English cow would have turned 
 np her nose at, but the best they could get for their 
 poor cattle. 
 
 The fishing-ground lay just oft" this island ; and 
 after spending the afternoon, hauling in little fish the 
 10*
 
 226 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 
 
 size of a whiting, the rock-cod of Norway, as fast aa 
 they could drop their lines, they came ashore again. 
 The haymakers, to whom they gave their fish, 
 were speedily splitting and drying it in the sun 
 for winter stock ; for, among the hard-living Norse 
 peasantry, these miserable little dried fishes are at 
 that season almost the only " relish " that they have 
 to their coarse rye-bread. 
 
 Wearied with their day's Avork, the shooting party 
 lounged luxuriously in a niche of the rock, till the 
 broad moon threw a wake of light on the now motion- 
 less waters ; then, betaking themselves to their boats, 
 they rowed stoutly along the fiord to the steamer 
 which was to take them on a visit to the Swedes. 
 
 Threading their way in and out among the innu- 
 merable little islands that crowd the shores of Nor- 
 way, they were struck with the beauty of the scenery 
 — the sternness and desolation which we of more 
 southerly Europe are apt to attribute to these northern 
 regions, having no place on these sheltered islets of 
 the southern coast, which glow with a luxuriance and 
 brilliancy of vegetation unknown even in our green 
 island. The brief and sudden simamer — for there is 
 no spring in Norway — brings out all nature fresh and 
 beautiful at once ; free frOm those frost-scathes that
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 22*7 
 
 too often dwarf and blacken the verdure of our own 
 country. 
 
 The outer range of these islands, barren and rocky 
 enough, and with an advanced guard of sunken rocks, 
 are in truth the coast defences of Norway. Her navy, 
 adapted to the peculiarities of the country, consists 
 chiefly of small vessels called gun-boats : and these 
 can dodge in and out among the rocky islets like 
 rabbits in a warren, effectually baffling the great lum- 
 bering men-of-war, with which other European powers, 
 when in a fighting mood, are pleased to cruise the seas, 
 and which usually find it impossible to pick their way 
 in among these natural barricades. 
 
 The thing, however, has been *done ; and it was 
 we persevering English, who, at the time when Nor- 
 way and England were at fisticuffs, contrived to per- 
 form the feat, to the unmeasured astonishment, as 
 well as discomfiture, of the Norse folk. The story is 
 worth telling. 
 
 Captain Stuart of the Dictator was at that time 
 cruising on the coast of Norway, with the amiable 
 intention of doing as much mischief as possible ; and 
 the coast-guard in these gun-boats were not a little 
 amused to think that a huge line-of-battle ship should 
 dream of catching their light boats, flying hither and 
 thither among the sheltering islands, in a water studded
 
 228 A GLIMPSE OF NOEWAT. 
 
 with sharp jagged rocks, lurking treacherously a fathom 
 or so beneath the surface. Spite of their laughing, how- 
 ever, the Dictator cruised on : taking soundings, and 
 correcting his charts, if the truth must be told ; and 
 that in charge of a quarter-master, who having been 
 mate of a coasting vessel, knew all the ins and outs of 
 that navigation just as well as the gun-boats did. 
 Each squadron of these gun-boats is generally in charge 
 of a frigate ; and one morning the old commander of 
 this latter, looking up as they were sailing about among 
 the islands as usual, saw, as he had done twenty times 
 before, the Dictator'' s mast-heads peering over the trees 
 of the island of Saxo. a 
 
 " What is the fellow after now ?" exclaimed he, as 
 the ship, squaring her yards, dashed into the channel 
 after him ; " if that's his game, he shall soon see what 
 Norway rocks are made of; he's a fine fellow, it's a 
 pity to sink him, but we must ; so here goes." But, 
 when free of the winding channel, there was the man- 
 of-war after them, safe and sound, and near enough 
 to treat them to three or four shots, that came hop- 
 hopping rather close after them. The long eighteen, 
 on the quarter-deck of the frigate, was hauled forward 
 to answer this salute ; and, by the time she was drag- 
 ged up, and laid, the ship had cleared the channel, 
 and put up her helm to follow the Norwegian. The
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 229 
 
 old commander was lotig in taking aim ; but it proved 
 a pretty good one : for, getting the ship's three masts 
 in a line before he pulled the lanyard, the shot rattled 
 among them in such style, cutting ropes and so on, 
 that, with sails flying loose, the ship was thrown out 
 of her course — generously (as she did so) giving the 
 frigate a broadside for her one shot. The smart man- 
 of-war's-men soon put her to rights again, bending 
 fresh sails, and making splices in a twinkling. But 
 by that time the frigate, beyond range, was dancing 
 in and out among rocks, as thick together as a shoal 
 of porpoises ; so that for the next quarter of an hour 
 or more it was nothing but " breakevs a-head," " rock 
 on the port bow," " a reef to star-board," and other 
 exclamations to match. The last of the rocks cleared, 
 they were in hopes that they had fairly shaken off 
 their pursuers ; nay, they took for granted she must 
 certainly be wrecked on one or other of these rocks. 
 Not a bit of it ; she wound her way through them 
 quite as well as the frigate, and rather faster too ; for 
 now her shot flew about their ears, and hopped along 
 deck like so many billiard balls. Both blazed away 
 at each other, and mischief was done on both sides. 
 
 The old commander of the frigate was as much as- 
 tonished at thus being followed in his zig-zag course, 
 as ever was rat with a ferret in his hole ; and in des-
 
 230 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 
 
 peration he bade the steersman take his vessel through 
 the Lyngor channel. Now, there was a rock in the 
 middle of this channel, which it was almost more than 
 the bargain, that they should pass safely themselves ; 
 but the certainty of wrecking the man-of-war upon it, 
 made him willing to take his chance. But just as 
 they were shaking out the main- sail, it split from top 
 to bottom, owing to having had a shot through it while 
 clewed up ; and the mizen top-mast coming clattering 
 about their ears, there was not much chance of escape 
 in that way. Still there was hope from the jagged 
 rocks, which were fearfully close upon themselves ; 
 and the big liner being deeper in the water than they, 
 had of course a better chance of sticking fast upon 
 them. The hull of the English vessel was at this 
 time hidden by a point of land, but those in the frigate 
 anxiously watched her sails, expecting every moment 
 to see she had struck. 
 
 Nothing of the kind ; on she came steadily as be- 
 fore, as though she were the Flying Dutchman him- 
 self. At the village of Lyngor, the channel turns at 
 right angles, and the heights on either hand, taking 
 the wind out of the frigate's sails, she was fairly 
 brought to a stand. As flight was impossible, the 
 order was passed to anchor, get out the boats, and 
 fight the Englishman where they were. But the
 
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 231 
 
 Englishman was beforehand with them. Coming into 
 sight round the point, not a cable's length from them, 
 there was a cluster of men on the bowsprit, who, leap- 
 ing on shore, made her bows fast with a hawser ; while, 
 her anchor, steadying her stern, she opened fire upon 
 them, as if from a battery. The first broadside of 
 grape came rattling among the frigate's boats and 
 knocked them to sticks ; and, the warp lying slack, 
 the frigate herself drifted end on to the next broad- 
 side, which tore up her decks, crashing and splinter- 
 ing them in all directions. It did not need many of 
 these storms of grape to make an end of the poor lit- 
 tle Norwegian; she was fairly crushed, and very soon, 
 as the smoke, which lay on the water, and hung upon 
 the trees, cleared a little, all that was to be seen of 
 the frigate were her top-masts, with saUs set, and the 
 blue and yellow pennant flickering over all. It had 
 gone down, colours flying ; and Captain Stuart, re- 
 specting a gallant enemy, woidd not allow the pennant 
 to be struck. 
 
 It must not be supposed that eider-ducks, and 
 northern divers, are the only attractions that these 
 northern regions hold out to sportsmen. A bear is 
 occasionally to be met with ; and then there is a grand 
 hunting match. The hunters go out in great num- 
 bers, and, spreading themselves over a considerable
 
 232 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY. 
 
 tract of country, gradually draw nearer and nearer to 
 each other, so as to drive any anunals inclosed in the 
 circle, within range of their guns. And then, they 
 blaze away at Bruin ; whose takiag to the water by 
 no means furthers his views as to escape, seeing that 
 marksmen, stationed in boats here and there, are 
 ready for him, to what point soever he may turn. It 
 is much to be feared that, altogether, they are " too 
 many" for him.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 UP-IULL WOEK. 
 
 On tlie north coast of Africa lie a group of islands, 
 called the Canaries, belonging to Spain. Teneriffe is 
 the largest of them, and is noted for its Peak, a moun- 
 tain nearly twelve hundred feet high. It was for- 
 merly a volcano pouring out streams of burning 
 lava, but has, for the present, retired from business, 
 there having been no eruption for the last sixty years. 
 Yet, if there be any truth in the proverb, that " Where 
 there is smoke, there must be fire," it is to be feared 
 that the sulphurous fumes sniffed by adventurous 
 travellers who scale its height, show too clearly that 
 the mountain has by no means finally abandoned its 
 bad practices. 
 
 In May, 185G, it was proposed to make astronom- 
 ical observations on the summit of some high moun- 
 tain. Teneriffe was the one decided upon, and Professor 
 C. P. Smythe, of Edinburgh, the Astronomer Eoyal 
 for Scotland, was chosen to carry out the experiment.
 
 234 UP-HILL "WORK. 
 
 His account of liis adventures will furnisli some 
 amusing sketches of how people, with particularly 
 heavy packages, climb mountains, and'Avhat life above 
 the clouds is like.* 
 
 In the beginning of July that same year, Mr. 
 Smythe arrived at Santa Cruz, the chief town of the 
 island, in Mr. Stephenson's yacht Titania, which had 
 been lent for the expedition, and having with him 
 scientific instruments of various kinds, including two 
 large and costly telescopes. Here arrangements were 
 made with the Spanish authorities for the disembar- 
 kation at Orotava, a port at the other side of the 
 island, nearer to the Peak than was Santa Cruz, and 
 indeed the only point from which its ascent can be 
 made. The vessel was accordingly taken round ; 
 and, on coming to anchor there, a consultation was 
 held as to where the astronomer should begin opera- 
 tions. It was finally determined that Guajara, a 
 height on the slope of the great mountain, and four 
 miles from the Peak itself, which was inaccessible, 
 should be the scene of his first experiment. 
 
 All very well ; but how to get there % with seventy- 
 nine packages of heavy astronomical instruments, 
 tents, furniture, building materials for huts, tools, and 
 all the numberless essentials for such exceedingly out- 
 * Teneriflfe : An Astronomer's Experiment.
 
 TJP-niLL -WOEK. 235 
 
 of-the-way mountain life. Unlooked for difficulties 
 sprang up on all hands. The station was too far off 
 for men to carry them, and the boxes too big to be 
 undertaken by any one mule ; while, if slung between 
 two, they would soon stick fast, the roads being so 
 narrow and crooked that such a group would be un- 
 able to turn the corners. What was the Englishman 
 thinking about? Send them up, then, by relays of 
 men? Yes, sixty or a hundred strong ones might 
 certainly do it, if you made a proper road for them ; 
 but as it is, they could no more get up than the mules, 
 however you placed your boxes : crossways, there was 
 not room for them, lengthways, how will you turn 
 corners ? And with that the muleteers were called in, 
 to see what they thought about it. A single attempt 
 to lift one of the boxes convinced half a dozen of them 
 that the thing was impossible, and that the gentleman 
 could know nothing about the mountain ! 
 
 Like the closing of Miss Ophelia's box, however, 
 the thing "had to be done" — and done it was, ulti- 
 mately. For the present, Mr. Smythe, like some 
 greater men, was content to submit to circumstances : 
 and, pushing aside the chests that contained the huge 
 astronomical instruments, the smaller packages were 
 arranged on the floor, so that the men might ascertain, 
 each one, what his mule could carry, and please him-
 
 236 UP-HILL TTOEK. 
 
 self how lie got up the mountain — so that he landed 
 it there safely. 
 
 Next morning, by daybreak, there was a pretty 
 clattering of men, mules, and horses on the pavement 
 before the inn. By the help of plenty of rope, the va- 
 rious packages were firmly lashed on the animals' 
 backs ; more regard being had to the safety of the 
 load, than as to whether the mule did, or did not, like 
 a tight waistband. The water-barrels were well 
 looked to, and stringent orders issued that the mule 
 who carried them should by no means be allowed to 
 straggle from his appointed place — close to the heads 
 of the expedition — for fear of the muleteers drinking 
 the water all up on the journey. Everything being 
 at length arranged, the astronomer and his party, in- 
 cluding his wife, mounted their horses ; and the long 
 procession began at once to mount the ascent, before 
 the wondering eyes of no inconsiderable proportion of 
 the inhabitants of Santa Cruz. Up and up, it wound 
 along the rough, narrow footpath, with stone walls on 
 either hand ; the gay coloured garments of the Span- 
 iards contrasting strikingly with the brown soil. Up, 
 up, through the open country, as it is called, though 
 cut up in every direction by stone walls, without 
 which, owing to the steepness of the incline, so sweep- 
 ing are the winter mountain torrents, that all the soil
 
 UP-HILL WORK. 237 
 
 of the gardens would he "carried away by the flood." 
 At a height of near three thousand feet, the travellers 
 and the clouds were abreast. Pull on, up, and through 
 them, and then halt to breakfast ; the soft masses of 
 cloud lying far beneath their feet, and cutting off the 
 country through which they had just travelled. 
 
 A weary journey was this going u]3 into the air, 
 now under a blazing sun that almost "burnt their eyes 
 out. The men began to straggle and lag behind, un- 
 der pretence of regirthing their mules, who were al- 
 most cut in two before leaving Santa Cruz. But, as 
 the forbidden water-barrel is always found with the 
 laggers, there are grave suspicions as to the truth 
 of their statements about slackened ropes; and 
 henceforth the barrel is compelled to travel between 
 two of the horses, under English, rather than Spanish, 
 guardianship. The road, too, gets worse, the footpath 
 being changed for a loose pumice soil — the product of 
 the volcano, — brown, burnt stones, and cinders, amid 
 which the travellers kick up the most cholving dust ; 
 while the mules, tired with the journey, and disgusted 
 with their burdens, are inclined to lie down and treat 
 themselves to a good roll : an operation by which the 
 condition of delicate scientific instruments is not likely 
 to be permanently improved. On, on, no stopping 
 under any pretence, save for one short half hour at a
 
 238 UP-HILL WORK. 
 
 spring ; for the appointed station must be reached be- 
 fore nightfall. Another struggle — hard, hot, and 
 dusty — among loose lava-stones, and sunset finds the 
 group on the summit of Guajara, nine thousand feet 
 above the level of the sea. 
 
 The muleteers discharged their cargoes as rapidly 
 as possible, and hastened down again to the spring ; 
 leaving Mr. Smythe, his wife, two sailors from the 
 yacht, two Spanish guides, and the vice-consul's 
 nephew, who had accompanied them, to make them- 
 selves " comfortable" in any way that best suited their 
 taste. With the skill of an old campaigner, the chief 
 set all hands to work ; and in less than a couple of 
 hours, two tents were rigged out, and the weary travel- 
 lers sat down to serious tea-drinking, before going to 
 rest after the toils of the day. 
 
 Next morning, a more secure settlement was to be 
 made, than could be efiected in the dusk of the pre- 
 ceding evening. The wind was calm at the time, but 
 those upper regions are liable to terrible blasts from 
 the south-west ; and unless they meant tents and all 
 to be blown overboard, some better protection must be 
 devised than pegging down tent-ropes, or even an- 
 choring themselves to the rocks around. Nothing but 
 stone walls would be a sufficient defence from the 
 " great guns " that were to be expected ; so within an
 
 TJP-HILL WOEK. 239 
 
 inclosure, formed by setting tlieir packages along-side 
 each other, this important work was speedily begun : 
 urged on by a communication from an experienced 
 friend below, who wrote them to " build their walls 
 high and strong, or the tents would be torn to rib- 
 bons." The Spaniard who brought the letter, looked 
 with w^onder and contempt at their flapping canvas 
 and straining tent-ropes, which were eVen then feeling 
 the influence of the dreaded south-wester. So, after 
 making things as tight as possible, a messenger was 
 sent down hill, to bring as many of the peasants as 
 he could, to hurry on the building of the stone inclo- 
 sure, within which their huts were to stand. 
 
 Meanwhile Avater fell short ; and as the mule de- 
 spatched to fetch it from the plain was long in return- 
 ing, Mr. Smythe, taking a couple of water cans, set 
 oflf to the spring where they had rested during their 
 ascent, to obtain some. While filling his tins, he 
 heard from below the tinkling of the goat-bells ; and 
 presently the flock came in sight, scrambling up the 
 rocks. Here was a chance of something better than 
 water ; so, emptymg one of his cans, he contrived to 
 make the herd boy understand that he wanted milk ; 
 for in Teneriffe they milk their goats, not their cows. 
 One after another was caught and milked; till at 
 length they evidently thought the stranger had got
 
 240 FP-HILL WORK. 
 
 more than enough, for the whole flock took to their 
 heels. Enough, however, was had to put fresh spirit 
 into the thirsty party on the hill-top ; and the walls 
 rose so rapidly, that at last the astronomer ventured 
 to set up one of his large telescopes — the largest was 
 still lying at Santa Cruz ; — and their household ar- 
 rangements began also to look a little more what the 
 sailors call " shipshape." A slab of lava was set up 
 for a table ; for a larger party, a plank on two boxes 
 was pronounced admirable ; and a fire-place built, in- 
 deed several, that the fire might be lighted in one or 
 other, according as the wind blew. The upper parts 
 of the tent were made to let down at pleasure, that 
 the air might temper the intense vertical heat. Fire- 
 wood was abundant ; occasional supplies of fruit came 
 from below, — figs, plums, and desperately hard pears, 
 and still more occasional ones of animal food — for that 
 is one of the last things that a Spanish peasant thinks 
 of eating. 
 
 Contemplating from that high point, far above the 
 clouds, the exquisite hues of the setting sun, a sudden 
 alarm was raised that the carpenter was missing. He 
 had gone ofi" for a walk in the middle of the day, and 
 as he had not been seen since, it was feared that he 
 had lost himself on the mountain. It was then rapidly 
 becoming dark ; so a large wood fire was lighted to
 
 UP-HILL WORK, 241 
 
 guide him, should he be within sight of the blaze. 
 But no carpenter made his appearance; nor next 
 morning either, when the party dispersed in various 
 directions to seek him. All were in great perturba- 
 tion, fearing he might have been killed by falling 
 down a precipice. Towards night, however, he made 
 his appearance, pale, and half delirious with the fright 
 he had had ; for the poor fellow was indeed lost, till 
 an old goat-herd found him quite worn out with hun- 
 ger and anxiety; and after giving him some milk, 
 and a rest in his hut, brought him up to the tent. 
 This gray-haired old peasant was a gentleman, for he 
 absolutely declined taking any money for the service 
 he had rendered ; and only accepted a few biscuits on 
 condition of vheir having some of his goat's mUk. 
 
 August brought with it a specimen of the storms 
 by which these upper regions are visited ; and some 
 droll pranks it played. One day a large piece of can- 
 vas, that was lying on the rock, was lifted up by the 
 wind, whirled about for a while, and then dropped 
 down flat as before, and almost in the very place. 
 Another time, when Mr. Smythe was quietly at work 
 within his four stone walls, a shower of pebbles and 
 dust was suddenly discharged at him ; and above the 
 noise of the wind rose a strange flapping and rustling, 
 which he presently found was caused by its having 
 11
 
 242 UP-HILL WOKK. 
 
 caught the corner of a large roll of blue cloth, (one 
 end of wliich was hanging out of the box where it was 
 kept,) and having, with a good twitch, unrolled every 
 inch of it, carried it bodily away. As soon as he 
 could get the dust out of his eyes so as to look about, 
 lo, there was their forty yards of blue cloth, calmly 
 sailing about in the sky, at such a height as to look 
 like a mere ribbon. It gyrated there for a while, 
 with its satellites of hats, caps, and some other trifles 
 that had gone up with it ; and then, when tired of 
 the heavens, it came calmly down again to earth, a 
 few hundred yards off. 
 
 Visitors from below ! — a crowd of men, women, 
 and children ; the latter dressed in white shirts and 
 drawers, picturesquely fastened round the waist with 
 a scarlet sash, and wearing broad hats ; all hale, 
 hearty, good-natured peasants. Wonderful rumours 
 had been afloat among these simple country folks, 
 concerning the strange gentleman on the hill-top; 
 who, as had been reported, had set up a telescope largo 
 enough to show the goats in the moon ! And they 
 had come to see whether it was really true. Much 
 delighted were they with all the wonderful things to 
 be seen in the tent, though disappointed as regards 
 the telescope ; which was not equal to showing them 
 even the Man in the Moon, a much larger body than
 
 UP-HILL 'WORK. 243 
 
 the goats. And after they had admired everything 
 to their heart's content, they set to work to prepare 
 their " gofio," the staple dish of the country. This 
 " gofio" is made by putting toasted Indian cornmeal, 
 and water, into a kid-skin bag ; the mouth is then 
 fastened up, and the bag well kneaded, and rolled 
 about upon a stone. When thought to be kneaded 
 enough, the paste, into which this process converts 
 the mixture, is taken out and eaten ; generally just 
 as it is ; sometimes milk, or a morsel of cheese, is used 
 with it : a simple dish enough, and one not likely to 
 tempt people to over-eat themselves. But our peasants 
 thought it vastly good, and, after having supped, 
 hastened away before sun-down. 
 
 Some of the scientific experiments carried on in 
 this mountain home, required a dark room for their 
 successful performance. But with such a sun shining, 
 as if for a wager, and directly over head, the diflBculty 
 was in making any room perfectly dark. Beneath its 
 beams, not only canvas, but even wood, became ac- 
 tually transparent ; while the porous stone let in sun- 
 beams, as if through a colander. The requisite effect 
 was only obtained by piling up on the roof large 
 quantities of the mountain broom, and lining the in- 
 side of the room with the blue cloth, which fortu-
 
 244 UP-HILL WORK. 
 
 nately had come down again after its journey into the 
 clouds. 
 
 Our astronomer was not even yet near enough to 
 the skies. Higher, higher was his cry; and nothing 
 would suit him but Alta Vista, another height of the 
 mountain, much nearer to the Peak itself, and beyond 
 which no hdrses could climb. All hands were at once 
 busy packing up and preparing for the removal ; not 
 the least interesting part of the work being the boil- 
 ing down, for its preservation during the heat of 
 travelling, of some gallons of goat's milk, which a 
 friendly Don had brought them the day before the 
 journey — a bit of cooking that took a long time ; as, 
 in their desire not to encumber themselves with much 
 baggage, they had only two small saucepans and one 
 coffee-pot in which to do all the boUing. As the tents 
 were struck and tied up tightly, there was no danger 
 of fire: fire, in that excessively dry and windy at- 
 mosphere, having all along been one of their standing 
 terrors. So they indulged themselves, that last night 
 on Guajara, with a jovial blaze, which crackled and 
 flickered, lighting up the swarthy faces of the mule- 
 teers who were collected for the morning's work ; and 
 who, smelling of bad tobacco, and worse garlic, stalked 
 about, scolding and grumbling, and, as before, vowing 
 that no possible mule could carry such burdens upon
 
 UP-HILL WOKK. 245 
 
 his back. They managed it, however, at last, for the 
 word impossible was not in Mr. Smythe's dictionary ; 
 and by nine o'clock next morning, all had bidden adieu 
 to Guajara, and were scrambling along over stones 
 and pummice, and around rough rocks, to Alta Vista. 
 It was only four mUes from their former station ; but 
 what sort of rough round-about road they had to travel 
 may be imagined, from the circumstance of their not 
 reaching it till about six o'clock in the afternoon. 
 Doubtless those big boxes, that frightened all the 
 muleteers in TeneriflFe, had not a little to do Avith their 
 being so long on the way. 
 
 On this point, nearly eleven thousand feet above 
 the level of the sea, they speedily established them- 
 selves. During the preceding week they had had 
 workmen there building their protecting walls, four 
 feet thick, it might have been to resist a cannon ball 
 rather than a puff of wind, and six feet high. These 
 formed a space in the centre for the great telescope, 
 with rooms all round, both for habitation and scientific 
 purposes. A fine extended view was had from this 
 point — principally, however, owing to its extreme 
 height — of cloud-land pierced by mountain peaks. But 
 perhaps the most interesting sight tbat it afforded them, 
 was that of the sugar-loaf cone once forming the es- 
 tremest summit of the great Peak itself; it was start-
 
 246 _ UP-HILL WORK. 
 
 lingly near, and indicated its turbulent volcanic nature 
 by darting out jets of vapour, like an impatient steam 
 engine. 
 
 Black lava on every side of them, tbe rocks near 
 at hand were shaped into the most life-like and gro- 
 tesque images of animals and human beings. There 
 was Don Quixote, here an old woman or rotund alder- 
 man, beasts, fishes, and last, not least. Lord Brougham 
 himself, gradually sliding on his back down the slope 
 of these extraordinary lava rocks. 
 
 Lofty as this pinnacle was, it was yet better de- 
 fended from the winds than the lower station ; and 
 hither it was therefore determined to bring the great 
 telescope of all, which had during this time been lying 
 helplessly in its cases at Santa Cruz. It was packed 
 in three huge boxes, which even Mr. Smythe found 
 impossible to transport on muleback. So, in the 
 presence of an admiring crowd of Spaniards, these 
 were opened, and their contents being distributed into 
 thirteen boxes, were, with some accidents by the way, 
 brought to the new observatory. There the instru- 
 ment was set up, and, being pointed at the moon, 
 showed all sorts of wonderful things ; we know not 
 what, only certainly, not what the Spanish peasants 
 down below had expected to see. 
 
 In ascending a lofty mountain, the character of
 
 UP-HILL WORK. 247 
 
 the vegetation changes, from perhaps tropical luxu- 
 riance at its foot, to Alpine sterility at its summit. 
 Alta Vista was above the range of vegetation of even 
 the most meagre kind; so that, instead of having 
 abundance of fuel, as at Guajara, where even the green 
 brushwood burnt brilliantly, the party had to depend 
 chiefly on a spirit-lamp; or, when down-right hard 
 work had to be done, such, for instance, as cooking 
 the tough Orotava beef, which the excessive dryness 
 of the mountain air had converted into something like 
 a piece of oak-plank, on Price's candle-lamp, which ac- 
 complished its purpose to perfection. This extreme 
 dryness of atmosphere at such an elevation proved a 
 great annoyance. It caused the finger nails to break 
 and split to a painful extent ; while wooden boxes 
 cracked and came unglued in the most distracting 
 manner. 
 
 The time for work, however, was soon passed ; and 
 a great deal of work had been done that we have not 
 thought it needful to mention. Autumn came, and 
 with it not only squalls of wind, which were to be ex- 
 pected, but torrents of rain, which nearly washed them 
 out of their beds. There was no help for it. Into 
 its thirteen boxes again went the great telescope ; and 
 on the 17th September a file of men and horses car- 
 ried the treasure down the mountain side to Orotava,
 
 248 FP-HnX -VVOITK. 
 
 previous to its re-embarkation on board tbe Titania; 
 leaving Mr. and Mrs. Smytbe and one attendant to 
 spend tbeir last solitary nigbt on Alta Vista. It was 
 time to be gone, for tbeir walls were dropping to pieces, 
 and next evening found tbem cosily lodged at Oro- 
 tava. Tbe yacbt was soon seen in tbe oflBng ; and, 
 ere long, pbilosopber and pbilosopbical instruments 
 were safe on board again, in full sail for England. 
 And tbere was an end to life above tbe clouds under 
 the smoking Peak of Tener^e.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 " THINGS OP SPAIN " — THE BULL-FIGHT. 
 
 A BULL-FIGHT does not strike us Englisli people as 
 being one of the pleasantest sights in the world ; but 
 tastes differ exceedingly as to what are agreeable 
 spectacles. The Spaniard thinks that tormenting a 
 bull by the hour together, and then killing him at the 
 end of it, is one of the finest entertainments in the 
 world. Nor is his pleasure at all diminished, nay, it 
 is rather heightened, by the circumstance of the bull's 
 tormentors being frequently wounded, sometimes 
 losing their lives in the combat. 
 
 These bull-fights are rather costly affairs, and are 
 therefore rarely exhibited, except in Madrid, Seville, 
 and some other of the great cities of Spain. At 
 I^Iadrid (celebrated for its royal palace, called the Es- 
 curial, one of the most magnificent in Europe), they 
 are on great occasions held in the Plaza Mayor, or 
 great square of the city. This amphitheatre holds 
 many thousand spectators, but is very inferior in 
 11*
 
 250 "things of SPAIK" — THE BULL-FIGHT. 
 
 appearance to that of Seville and other cities, where 
 these entertainments are given. 
 
 The centre of the arena, where the fight is to take 
 place, is strewed with sand, and it is surrounded by 
 seats rising one above the other, for spectators. The 
 fiercest bulls are chosen for the encounter, and, being 
 driven by horsemen, carrying spears, to the amphi- 
 theatre, all is ready for the show. 
 
 Now comes a procession of those who are to take 
 part in the fight, preceded by alguacUes — what we 
 call policemen — who are to keep order during the 
 spectacle. First march the picadors, who are to attack 
 the bull on horseback. They carry spears, and wear 
 silk jackets, and the old-fashioned broad-leaved Spanish 
 hats, as gaily trimmed as possible ; their legs being 
 defended by a sort of barricade of iron and leather, 
 capable of resisting the push of a horn, when the bull 
 makes his charge. The horses bestridden by these 
 parti-coloured heroes are often of the most wretched 
 description, mere broken-down hacks, utterly unable 
 to stand against the heavy charge of a great, big, 
 lumbering bull. After the picadors come the chulos, 
 those who fight on foot, dressed in a fantastic manner. 
 Next march the matadors, whose duty is to kill the 
 bull with one thrust of their sharp, straight swords, 
 after he has been sufficiently "baited" by the other
 
 "things of SPAIN" — THE BULI^FIGHT. 251 
 
 combatants; and the procession is wound up by a 
 team of mules, decked with ribbons, who are to drag 
 the poor dead bull out of the arena. 
 
 At the sound of a trumpet, the door of the inclo- 
 sure where the bulls are kept is thrown open, and 
 in stalks, or bursts, according to his mood, the first 
 victim. He is often at first stupified and dazzled by 
 the noisy crowd around him, glittering in all sorts of 
 bright colours. But a few seconds changes this ; and 
 shutting his eyes, and lowering his horns, he charges 
 the nearest of the picadors, who are stationed close to 
 the opening by which he has entered. He is received 
 on the picador's lance ; and, turning aside for a mo- 
 ment, makes another charge at the second horseman, 
 possibly with such fierceness as to bear both horse and 
 rider to the ground, horribly wounded. When this is 
 the case, cries of delight ring through the arena. The 
 poor picador tries to wriggle himself out of the way 
 of the bull, leaving his horse to bear the brunt of his 
 rage. And then the chulos, or footmen, come to his 
 assistance, shaking their gay cloaks before the bull, 
 and doing all they can to draw his attention from the 
 prostrate man to themselves ; trusting to their own 
 activity to spring over the barrier, if too closely pressed 
 by the enraged beast. If the horse be killed, the pica- 
 dor mounts another, and returns to the charge. If the
 
 252 "things Of SPAIN ^•-^TSE BrLL-FlGfif. 
 
 picador be killed, or too much hurt to enter the arena 
 again, another takes his place- 
 But the most barbarous part of the performance is 
 to come. If the bull be not yet slain, but has done 
 his work bravely, in upsetting men and horse?, till the 
 spectators asre tired of that particular kind of enter-* 
 tainmenty the footmen alone now take him in hand^ 
 They advance carrying landerillas; that is, barbed 
 darts, decorated with streamers of ribbon, and papers 
 of all the colours of the rainbow, snipped and cut in 
 various patterns. As the bull lowers his head to tosy 
 the chulos, these darts are, with a vigorous arm^ 
 planted in his neck, one on each side. And if, in 
 addition to the keen barbs at the point, these abomi- 
 nable darts are furnished with crackers, which explode 
 as soon as the weapon sticks fast in the quivering 
 muscles of the wretched beast, so as to add the pain 
 of fire to that of steel, the delight of the multitude, 
 old and young, rich and poor, knows no bounds. 
 
 But the trumpet-note is again heard. The chulos, 
 having stuck the miserable beast sufficiently full of 
 their torturing missiles, retire, and the principal per- 
 sonage in the fight advances to do his part in it. 
 This is the matador ; who, lightly and gaily dressed, 
 armed only with his sharp, straight sword, presents 
 himself to the president, or master of the ceremonies^
 
 "things OS- SPAIN"— <rHE BUtL-flGHt. 255 
 
 and, recemng his permission to kill the bull, at once 
 addresses himself to the task. In his left hand he 
 holds a small red flag, which he waves before the bull, 
 still further to irritate him s red being a colour that 
 no bull, be he Spanish or Englishj loves. The bleed 
 ing, maddened animal makes a fierce rush at this new 
 enemy ; Avho holding his sword straight before him, 
 receives the bull on its point. His own vehement 
 charge buries it deep in his body, behind the shoulder ; 
 and if the matador be skilful, death is instantaneous- 
 Down drops the slaughtered beast on the blood-stained 
 sand ; a gay burst of military music celebrates the im- 
 portant victory, and the gaily caparisoned mules 
 speedily drag him out, to be succeeded by another, 
 with whom the sartie round of torment is pursued, if 
 he be of strength and courage enough for it. If he 
 be a cowardly bull, who will not show fight, he is 
 hooted and belaboured by the heavy sticks of the mob, 
 and then handed over to be baited by dogs, previous 
 to being slaughtered in the way usually practised by 
 the butcher. Occasionally the matador is but a bung- 
 ler at his trade ; and then his aimless thrusts, one af- 
 ter the other, are received with a yell of disapproba- 
 tion, growing louder and louder with each successive 
 failure. 
 
 Seven or eight bulls are killed in this way before
 
 254 "things of SPAIN" THE BULL-FIGHT. 
 
 the Spanish gentlemen and ladies, as well as lower 
 classes, who equally enjoy the spectacle, have had 
 enough of it. On very grand occasions, occasionally 
 a ninth is added, and then all are in their glory. 
 
 Bull-fights are of very ancient origin. More than 
 two thousand years ago, they were practised by the 
 Greeks. The very vulgar mode (according to Spanish 
 notions) in which it alone existed as an amusement in 
 England, the fighting a bull with dogs, is fortunately 
 no longer known among us. The sooner our Spanish 
 friends follow our example, and get rid of their bull- 
 fights, (however much more gentlemanly they may 
 think them,) the better !
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 now THE BRAZILIANS AMUSE THEMSELVES.* 
 
 Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil, is a tolerably 
 large city, of chiefly two-storied stone houses, and 
 very narrow straight streets. The houses have no 
 pretension to architectural beauty, the want of which 
 is supplied (according to Brazilian taste) by the stucco 
 coating being occasionally coloured of various tints. 
 Blue, pink, with perhaps a touch of gilding, make up 
 a lively looking front. The roofs are tiled, with large 
 projecting cornices, and scarcely any visible chimneys. 
 The spouts for carrying off the rain discharge it, foun- 
 tain-wise, from the top of the house, as well as from 
 the numerous projecting balconies ; so that any one 
 desiring what is called a douche bath, may have one, 
 in Rio, on the cheapest terms possible. All that he 
 has to do, is to walk abroad in wet weather, and take 
 his station under the first of these spouts that strikes 
 his fancy. If he should wish afterwards to step into 
 
 * Ewbank's " Life in Brazil."
 
 25d sow THE BRAZILIAKS 
 
 the house to dry himself, he might, if a stranger, be a 
 little puzzled how to effect his object, for neither 
 knocker nor bell is to be seen, and to hammer away 
 at the door with his stick might seem an impertinence. 
 It would nevertheless be quite correct to announce 
 himself in this way. Should the people whom he 
 wishes to see, live in the upper part of the house, he 
 must, in oriental fashion, clap his hands, after he has 
 made good his entrance below ; and that will soon 
 bring some one to his help. 
 
 The streets are lighted by oil lamps ; and when 
 they are trimmed, instead of skipping up a ladder, as 
 is done with us, the lamp-lighter lowers them below 
 with a cord, snuffs, sets them all to rights, and then 
 hoists them up again. Water is well supplied to the 
 city by means of fountains ; and these are fed by an 
 aqueduct, which conveys it from the Corcovado moun- 
 tains, a distance of about four miles from the city. 
 
 One of the largest of these fountains is in the 
 Campo, a square said to be the dirtiest in the city, 
 where the senate-house and other public buildings 
 stand. And here there is a perpetual washing-day 
 going forward. More than two hundred washerwomen 
 are busily at work, splash, dash, soaping, wringing 
 out clothes, and then spreading them to dry on the 
 stunted grass : the oldest part of the city having all
 
 AMUSE THEMSELVES. 257 
 
 its washing done in this primitive way, and, accom- 
 panied, as may be believed, by an unlimited clatter of 
 tongues. 
 
 Kio is a city where a good deal of work goes on : 
 BUgar refining, tanning hides, distilling mm, spinning 
 cotton, and cutting diamonds. About half the pop- 
 ulation consists of black slaves, and these it is who 
 do most of the work ; the native Brazilians not having 
 much appetite for it. Perhaps that is the reason why 
 they lay it so heavily on their slaves. The poor crea- 
 tures are to be seen dragging and carrying enormous 
 loads. The trucks that are in use for conveying mer- 
 chandise about the streets are excessively heavy, and 
 yet on these half a ton weight, or a whole one, will be 
 placed ; two blacks are stationed in the shafts, with 
 one or two to push behind, or to pull the wheels round 
 by main force, and so they get along. The gangs 
 who bring bales of coffee to be put on shipboard, carry 
 them, though weighing a hundred and sixty pounds, 
 at a half run, singing meanwhile to the accompani- 
 ment of a rattle, carried by their foreman. Many of 
 them are killed by hard work in the course of ten 
 years. 
 
 But it is about play in Kio, not work, that we are 
 going to see what Mr. Ewbank has to tell us. 
 
 During several days he had noticed balls of all
 
 258 HOW THE BEAZILIAXS 
 
 colours, and about the size of an apple, exposed for 
 sale in the shops. What they were he did not know ; 
 while he was equally puzzled with little rolls of paper, 
 containing exceedingly fine powdered starch. What 
 in the world could they be for ? The explanation 
 came before long. 
 
 Sitting quietly at breakfast, one of his friends was 
 half suffocated and blinded bv the contents of two of 
 these papers being emptied upon him, followed by a 
 dash of some sort of liquid to make them stick. 
 Eaising his hand to his head, he ascertained that his 
 own locks had received a similar decoration, and, 
 jumping up to make his escape, he found the door 
 locked ; while from all sides starch and water were 
 shot at him by laughing foes, who informed him that 
 the Intrudo began the next day, and they were get- 
 ting their hands in for it. 
 
 This Intrudo is something like the merry-making 
 that takes place during the Italian carnival, when 
 people pelt each other with comfits, and drenches of 
 water. It takes place in February, and lasts for three 
 days : during which the great aim of the whole popu- 
 lation, rich and poor, high and low, is to dust and 
 sprinkle, and play all sorts of tricks on each other. 
 The coloured balls which Mr. Ewbank had seen, in 
 imitation of various fruits — pears, melons, apples,
 
 \ AMUSE THEMSELVES. 259 
 
 oranges, were made of wax, filled with eau-de-cologne, 
 or simple water. When thrown at any one, of course 
 the wax was broken, and he got a drenching with its 
 contents". 
 
 The first morning of the real Intrudo, one of his 
 ' friends, on rising, found his clothes sewed up, so that 
 he could not get into them; and it was a mark of 
 special forbearance that a dozen or so of these balls 
 had not been first placed inside, in order that, when 
 he did succeed in forcing his way in, he might have 
 received an unexpected bath. At breakfast, one had 
 salt in his coffee instead of sugar ; another found his 
 mouth full of tangles of thread, which had been drawn 
 backwards and forwards and all ways, through every 
 piece of two plates of toast. Shaking hands only pro- 
 cured a squash and a splash ; two balls being slily 
 crushed in the operation. The clergyman, out of re- 
 spect to his clerical functions, was deluged with eau- 
 de-cologne only, without the previous starch; and, 
 being a wise man, he speedily took himself ofi" to his 
 own rooms, otherwise (for that is one of the tricks of 
 this tricky festival) most of his valuables would have 
 disappeared, being sent for, in his name, by one or 
 other of his mischief-loving friends. One of the guests 
 got up to go, after a brisk fire had been carried on for 
 awhile. But he was kindly urged to resume his seat,
 
 260 HOW THE BRAZILIANS 
 
 crushing, as he did so, a number of the water balls, 
 ■which, with plenty of starch, had been placed there 
 ready to receive him ! He had the grace to take it 
 good-humouredly ; but when he was at last obliged to 
 leave, popping his hat upon his head, he hastily took 
 it off again, finding that it, as well as his chair, had 
 been made a receptacle for the everlasting flour and 
 water of the Intrudo. 
 
 When Mr. Ewbank went to his own room, he was 
 somewhat startled at seeing a lady, whom he did not 
 know, sitting quietly writing at his table. He stopped 
 short, and, finding no notice taken of him, spoke to 
 the person who had with such coolness taken posses- 
 sion of his apartment and writing materials. She 
 neither answered nor stirred. Then, stepping up to 
 her, the puzzle was explained. It was an Intrudo 
 trick ; the figure being made up of a bolster, dressed 
 out in gown, bonnet, mantle, sleeves, and everything 
 proper to a lady. The bolster-panic got over, he went 
 to his drawers for something ; and there found that 
 some one had been at the pains of sewing up the 
 sleeves and neck of every one of his shirts. Not 
 an article was there that had not been similarly 
 treated ! 
 
 Ladies and gentlemen are each as mischievous as 
 the other during these frolicsome three days, and are
 
 AMUSE THEMSELVES. 261 
 
 exceedingly adroit In throwing their victims oflF their 
 guard. They will show you that they really have 
 nothing in their hands, pretend to be tired, say that a 
 little fuu is all very well, but that it is now being 
 carried rather too far ; and by the time that you begin 
 to think they mean what they say, and have done 
 with their mischief, whish come a couple of balls 
 against your very face, accompanied by a plentiful 
 shower of starch. You fly at your persecutor, who 
 evades you, shrieking with laughter, drawmg out, in 
 his or her retreat, so many missiles in the shape of 
 balls and cartridges, that you begin to think they 
 must possess some conjuror's trick for producing the 
 inexhaustible supply. 
 
 Out-doors the same game was carried on, though 
 not quite so actively. One gentleman was rather in 
 a pet with the dusting and wetting his new clothes 
 had received ; but, as is usual in these carnival pleas- 
 antries, the best way is to take them good-humouredly. 
 Those who do not, only get an additional pelting for 
 their pains. Huge syringes, holding one or two 
 quarts, are used by the lower orders, with which to 
 compliment each other. The nearest gutter serves to 
 fill them ; and then, woe be to him who comes within 
 range of the tremendous tube. 
 
 On going to bed, Mr. Ewbank found that his
 
 262 HOW THE BRAZILIANS 
 
 friends had been tliere before him : there was no find- 
 ing a way in. The sheets and coverlet had been 
 sewed together, so as to form one large bag with 
 a smallish mouth ; and this was tucked under the pil- 
 lows. There was nothing but patience for it; so, 
 lighting his candle again, he sat down to rip the 
 elaborate needle-work, only too fortunate in not having 
 "half a bushel of balls" placed in the bottom of the 
 sack, ready for him by the time he had worked his 
 way into it. 
 
 Some of the tricks played off, are of a similar 
 character to those with which we used to celebrate the 
 1st of April ; and which were called making " April 
 fools" of people. A person is sent on some important 
 errand, as he thinks. But alas ! when he reaches his 
 journey's end, the despatch of which he is the bearer, 
 is only to the effect that the individual to whom it is 
 addressed wUl be good enough to send the simpleton 
 further ; to some other friend, who, keeping up the 
 joke, will gravely hand him on to somebody else. Or, 
 one is invited to dinner during these fatal three days ; 
 and has served up to him, something or other that has 
 dexterously been carried off from his own house, and 
 on which he unsuspectingly dines, little thinking that 
 the viands are his own. One gentleman, upon whom 
 this trick had been played, thought he would take a
 
 AMUSE THEMSELVES. 263 
 
 humorous revenge, by eating all before him, when 
 afterwards visiting this same neighbour. He went on 
 merrily enough, particularly when a large rich cake 
 was brought in ; it was his turn to laugh now. But 
 by the time it was nearly eaten, a roguish twinkle of 
 his neighbour's eye, or some such evidence of mischief 
 a-brewing, arrested his attention ; and then the mur- 
 der was out. It was his own cake, purloined from his 
 own larder, that he had been so mercilessly munching ; 
 and again the laugh was against him. 
 
 In the olden time still worse table-tricks were 
 practised. Wooden joints of meat, pies, puddings, 
 custards, and such things, made of sand and all sorts 
 of uneatable stuff, were served up, together with dishes 
 out of which frogs jumped. But things are not quite 
 so bad now. 
 
 This riotous sort of holiday is said to be of very 
 ancient origin. But that is all that is known about 
 it.
 
 CHAPTEK XXII. 
 
 A WHALE ! A WHALE !* 
 
 Our whaleman was a new hand on board ; and, being 
 very sea-sick, as well as very ignorant, was not a little 
 puzzled, when all bands were roused, in the dead of 
 night, to take in saU on account of the storm. The 
 clouds seemed to be flying all ways at once ; great 
 waves dashed against the bows of the staggering, 
 creaking vessel, and swept roaring along the decks as 
 he stumbled up from below, and, blinded with the 
 spray, gripped the first rope that he came near. He 
 did not know exactly what to do with it ; but, poking 
 about in the dark, with a friendly hint from one, and 
 a push from another, he managed at last to scramble 
 up to the yard-arm, and fumbled with the reef-point 
 to get it tied. Having got up, however, the next 
 thing was how to get down again. The vessel was 
 pitching about at an awful slant over the water — 
 Buch a slant that, had he dropped straight down from 
 
 ♦ "A Whaling Cruise."— R. BROvrNE.
 
 A whale! a whale! 265 
 
 his post, he wouW have plunged into it, instead of 
 finding himself on deck. Something dark was visible 
 in the direction in which he supposed the deck to be, 
 and to that he must try to make his way. How he 
 managed it nobody knows ; but down at last he was, 
 none the worse for his first visit aloft, save for sundry 
 bruises received from the rest of the crew, who, not 
 liking his slow way of getting to the ground, liad 
 taken the liberty of using him as a stepping stone in 
 their own more rapid descent. 
 
 Everything, however, has its beginning; and, 
 before long, the "green hand," as he was politely 
 called, began to understand something of his business. 
 The tackle for their fishery had to be got into trim as 
 they approached the whaling ground ; and busy enough 
 the crew were — sharpening lances and harpoons, with 
 which the creature (we must not call a whale a fish) 
 was to be killed, and the various tools for cutting him 
 up ; while, when the weather was fair, the boats were 
 lowered, and all the process of catching an imaginary 
 whale was gone through, to make them smart and 
 handy when they actually set to work. 
 
 The harpoon is the principal instrument for killing 
 
 the whale. It is a barbed iron, to which a long line 
 
 is attached. The line is coiled up in a case called the 
 
 tub, as neatly as possible, in order that, when the 
 
 12
 
 266 A whai:e! a whale! 
 
 ■whale dashes off on first feeling the smart of the har- 
 poon piercing through his blubber, it may run out 
 smoothly. This is of great importance ; as, from the 
 rapidity with Avhich the whale darts along, the slightest 
 catch of the line would upset the boat. Captain 
 Scoresby, who was engaged in the Greenland Whale 
 Fishery, gives an account of a melancholy accident of 
 this kind. All the ship's boats had been out in pur- 
 suit of whales ; and on their return he found that two 
 of them were missing. After some hours' anxiety, and 
 fruitless search for them, they were at length seen 
 pulling towards the vessel, when it was evident, from 
 the men's looks, that something was amiss. In answer 
 to inquiries, there was a sad story to be told. They 
 had rowed, among an unusually numerous "school" of 
 whales ; and one, rising near the boat, Carr, the har- 
 pooner, struck it. Unfortunately, however, it was 
 swimming towards them at the time; and, bounding 
 off, as usual, with immense velocity, after having 
 received the harpoon, the fish and boat in opposite 
 directions, caused the line attached to the harpoon to 
 be thrown out of its place. Its sudden pressure on ' 
 the boat's side, instead of stern, pulled it under water; 
 and the harpooner, seeing they were filling, laid hold 
 of the line, and tried to put it in its proper place. 
 But, alas ! in the attempt, a turn of the line got round
 
 i. whale! a whale! 267 
 
 the poor fellow's arm, instantly jerked him overboard, 
 and dragged him down to be seen no more. So sud- 
 denly did he disappear, that, when the boat righted 
 again, there was an exclamation of " Where's Carr "? " 
 None knew what had become of him, except the one 
 man who had actually seen his awful disappearance, 
 and who described it as being so instantaneous, that, 
 though he was looking at him at the time, he could 
 scarcely distinguish what it was that went overboard. 
 
 There are usually several boats despatched after a 
 whale ; and the first harpoon that strikes him, the line 
 remaining unbroken, entitles the boat's crew whence 
 it was launched, to the prize. The lance is not 
 barbed, and it is considerably longer in the shaft than 
 the harpoon. Like it, it has a line attached to it. The 
 use of this weapon is to kill the whale after he has 
 been harpooned. Two or three skilful thrusts, one 
 only sometimes, will accomplish this part of the work ; 
 and then the whale is towed alongside to be cut up, 
 and made into oil. 
 
 The instrument called a spade is used to cut holes 
 in the blubber, (that is, the fat outer part of the whale, 
 from which the oil is extracted,) in which the tow-rope 
 may be fastened ; or a staff, bearing a small flag, may 
 be set up, to mark out where the whale is to be found, 
 while the boats are in pursuit of another. It is also
 
 268 A whale! a whale! 
 
 used to cut off this same blubber and divide it into 
 pieces, small enough to be backed up by the minciug- 
 knife for the melting-pot : these large slices of blub- 
 ber, first cut off the whale, are called " blanket pieces." 
 Why, it is impossible to say ; perhaps it may be be- 
 cause they wrapped round the poor old whale's bones, 
 and kept him warm ! 
 
 Then there is a variety of knives for cutting up 
 the oil-producing part. Boarding-knives, blubber- 
 knives, and, lastly, mincing-knives, whose names suf- 
 ficiently indicate their use. When the slices are cut 
 up by these latter tools, as thin as possible — the 
 thinner the better — they are picked up by something 
 very like a hay-fork, and poked into the boUer. "When 
 the oil is sufiiciently boiled out of these, the refuse part 
 is used as fuel. 
 
 A shoal of whales is called a school, a name used 
 for any assemblage of some other kinds of fish ; as, for 
 instance, the little shell-fish called a cockle. After 
 chasing one of these schools all day, their spouts (that 
 is, the sort of fountain they send up into the air from 
 the blow-hole or nostril) were seen within a short dis- 
 tance — a welcome sight to the whalemen. "There 
 she blows ! " sang out the watch from the masthead. 
 " Where away? " " There away ! " " Boats ! " " Lower 
 away ! " and into the water three of them splash ; the
 
 ! STRIKING THE WHALE.
 
 A whale! a whale! 269 
 
 men stretching to their oars with all their might, till 
 soon the " spout " was seen right a-head. The whale, 
 however, thought proper to dive, and scull along some 
 distance below the surface ; so that, when he made his 
 appearance again nearly a mile off, it was a hard pull 
 after him. The wind had got up too ; and it was al- 
 together what sailors call "dirty weather." How- 
 ever, the men bent to their oars with a will, and were 
 soon near enough for the harpoon er to launch his tool 
 into the whale. A tremendous flourish of his flukes, 
 or tail, as he darted down, making the line sing as it 
 was whirled out after him, was the result. Presently 
 he came to the surface again to breathe ; and then the 
 lanceman was ready to despatch him. But the har- 
 poon had already done the work ; and, rolling over in 
 the water upside down, he was dead by the time that 
 the boats could pull up to him. 
 
 The squall that had been threatening now came on, 
 and made it no easy matter to get back to the ship 
 with their prize. It was nearly dark when they 
 reached her ; so that, after the whale had been made 
 fast alonside, the operation of cutting up had to be de- 
 ferred till daylight next morning. 
 
 Then it was, " All hands to the great cable ! " 
 What are called the " blanket pieces," M'hich weigh 
 a ton or more, are first cut off, beginning at the head
 
 2Y0 A whale! a whale! 
 
 and cutting on to the tail in a corkscrew fashion, the 
 ■whale being turned as required, by means of a wind- 
 lass. These blanket pieces, when they are hauled on 
 deck, are cut up with the spades into smaller ones, 
 called "blocks," to be ready for the chopping knife; 
 an instrument like the cook's chopper on a large scale, 
 and having two handles, one at each end. Sometimes 
 the whalemen have to stand on the whale's body while 
 they are cutting away at him ; and then they have a 
 sort of claw fastened to the soles of their shoes to pre- 
 vent their slipping. The huge head is next separated 
 from the body. A whale's head is very large ; and 
 in that of the sperm whale the upper jaw, being flat 
 at the end instead of tapering, like that of most fishes, 
 and beasts too, makes it look very like part of the 
 trunk of a tree cut straight through. The head con- 
 tains a large quantity, from ten to fifteen barrels, of 
 oil or spermaceti ; which is ladled out as it hangs by 
 the ship's side, unless it is small enough to be taken 
 on board, which is much the more economical way of 
 getting at its valuable contents. When the whale's 
 bones are thus picked clean, the carcase is cast adrift, 
 and soon sinks, owing to the want of its fatty cover 
 ing, which has considerable buoyancy in the water. 
 
 The blubber being all on board, the blocks are put 
 under the mincing knives, and when cut up iti thin
 
 A Whale! a whale! 271 
 
 slices are thrown into the boilers. These boilers al- 
 ready contain some of the oil taken out of the whale's 
 head, and soon there is a pretty bubbling and hissing 
 going on, as the thick smoke, Avrapping red flames, as- 
 cends, and almost hides topmasts and rigging from the 
 busy, broiling crew below. Ail is grease and dirt, 
 and smoke and hard work. Presently some one gets 
 up the bread, and, after soaking their biscuits in salt 
 water, they make them into fritters by throwing them 
 into the boiling oil; or, more luxuriously still, mix the 
 whale's brains with flour, and broil them in the caldron. 
 When the oil is all extracted, it is drawn off into a 
 cooler ; where, having stood for a time to let any dregs 
 fall to the bottom, its next remove is into barrels, 
 which are lowered into the hold, and stowed safe for 
 the voyage back again. 
 
 All whales, however, are not so easily captured as 
 was this one. Sometimes they will baffle a boat's 
 crew for half a day, and finally make their escape 
 with several harpoons in them. Or, perhaps, a tre- 
 mendous blow with the tail will toss the boat into the 
 air, and pitch out all the men into the water, to 
 do the best they can for themselves there. And 
 it is even on record that an ill-disposed whale has 
 actually made deliberate and repeated attempts to 
 sink a ship, by going full bang, head first, at it ; its
 
 272 A WHALE I A WHALE? 
 
 enormous bulk and vast strength rendering it no in» 
 eflBcient sort of battering-ram. 
 
 Another whale, of a different and much larger 
 species, encountered by our boat's crew, played them 
 the first trick we have mentioned in the list of dis- 
 agreeable things that a whale will sometimes do. 
 After having kept them hard at work for half a day, 
 he made off and left them in the lurch. 
 
 It was just twelve at noon when the watch at the 
 masthead raised the usual cry of " There she blows ! " 
 The boats were at once lowered, and almost imme- 
 diately the whale was seen rising to the surface of the 
 perfectly calm sea, to blow. The noise of the oars^ 
 and the captain's shouts from the shrouds, where he 
 had stationed himself, seemed to startle him ; and, 
 turning about, he sank slowly down, a harpoon that 
 was thrown, failing to reach him, as by that time he 
 was too far off to be struck. The disappointed har- 
 pooner drew in his tool, the whale meanwhile swim- 
 ming calmly about at a great distance below the 
 surface; where, however, he was distinctly visible, 
 owing to the clearness of the water. He soon rose, 
 spouting ; and the second harpoon, flung too far, only 
 grazed him, and sent him down again out of the way 
 of such unj^leasant company. Unluckily, he could not 
 stay below for ever, and the third time be came up.
 
 A WHALE I A WHALE I 273 
 
 the roar, and spouting blood, showed that the "weapon 
 had reached its mark ; and down again he imme- 
 diately plunged, dashing blood and spray all over the 
 boat. Then he darted off with such velocity, as nar- 
 rowly to miss smashing the boat against the ship's 
 side, as it was dragged after him by the line attached 
 to the harpoon ; and which was, as is usual, made fast 
 to the boat. When he rose, he again gave a tre- 
 mendous roar ; and, receiving the lance on his nose, 
 drove right on for the ship, still dragging the boat 
 after him, which must have been stove, had he not, 
 when within a very short distance, altered his course. 
 Another boat was now launched, and presently there 
 were three in pursuit of him ; the one that had thrown 
 the harpoon being carried along by his convulsive 
 movements at the rate of ten miles an hour. Before, 
 however, they could get near enough to use their 
 lances, he gave a roll over that snapped the harpoon ; 
 and there was an end of him. He was seen in the 
 dusk spouting blood, at some little distance off, but 
 it was too late to follow him. So there was nothing 
 for it but rowing back again. No fritters, either of 
 biscuit or whale's brains, for them that night. 
 12*
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 HOW IT FAKED WITH THE DOCTOR.* 
 
 In 1851 the English were at war with the Burmese, 
 who, in defiance of an arrangement for their safety, 
 unjustly and cruelly treated some of our fellow sub- 
 jects who were settled as merchants in Burmah. The 
 result of this war was, that the province of Pegu was 
 annexed to our Indian empire ; to the no small satis- 
 faction of its native inhabitants, who looked for more 
 merciful treatment from their Christian conquerors 
 than they were in the habit of receiving from their 
 Burmese masters. 
 
 During the course of this war, a message was one 
 day sent from the chief man of the city of Pegu to the 
 English General, to say that their enemies, the Bur- 
 mese, had attacked them and driven them all into the 
 jungle (or wild country), where they were in great dis- 
 tress and suffering; adding, that if he would only 
 send a small party of English troops to aid them, 
 they would be able to retake the town, 
 
 * Palmer's " Up and Down the Irrawaddi."
 
 HOW It FARED WTTH TOE DOCTOK. 215 
 
 ■ A war steamer, the Phlegetkon, was accordingly 
 sent to them, having on board a hundred and fifty of 
 our native Indian troops — who were at that time 
 " worth their salt," — a company of English marines 
 from Commodore Lambert's frigate, and some of that 
 fine corps, the sappers and miners, to throw up field- 
 works in case the town should not surrender to the 
 first assault. 
 
 Within twenty miles of the city, the steamer, first 
 thing one morning, ran aground ; and as there was 
 no getting her off", the river being very low, the troops 
 had to be sent forwards in boats ; three from the 
 frigate being already full of them, and towed behind 
 the steamer, which was not large enough to carry 
 them all. The Phlegethon^s three cutters were sufficient 
 to embark those on board of her ; and so the six boats 
 rowed away, the men fully armed, and having three 
 surgeons with them. 
 
 It was rather an exciting "pull" up the river, as 
 every moment an attack was expected from the Bur- 
 mese, whose gongs and war cries were heard on every 
 side. Occasionally friendly villages were passed, 
 whence all the fighting men had turned out to meet 
 the enemy, leaving only women and children, and 
 those who were too old to brandish a weapon. At 
 these villages they were greeted with shouts, and
 
 276 flow IT FAKKD triTH tHE T)OCtOE. 
 
 waving of wHte clotlis ; everybody crowdiag to tta 
 river banks to speed them to the city, Tvhicb they 
 hoped would soon yield to their grand English friends. 
 
 This boat journey up the river -was a most trying 
 one, in the fierce tropical heat, alike burning and stew-' 
 ing, of the climate in the plains bordering what is 
 called the delta of the Irrawaddi, The boats were 
 open, affording no protection from the heat over head j 
 while the regulation cloth uniform did not add to 
 the comfort of the parboiled limbs of the poor fellowa 
 embarked on this expedition. In such circumstances^ 
 it was no wonder that the surgeon in one of the boats 
 tumbled over in the bottom of it with a sun-stroke. 
 
 He lay there for a while insensible. Presently he 
 became aware of some one pouring water over him ;■ 
 a sailor being engaged in bahng it up with his hat, 
 and dashing it over the prostrate surgeon. Of course 
 he was of no more use in the aflfair, and had to be * 
 handed over at once to the hospital— a large Burmese 
 riceboat covered over with mats, and capable of ac- 
 commodating a hundred and fifty persons. This 
 hospital-boat was moored under a high bank crowned 
 by jungle, and the ruins of one of the villages de- 
 stroyed in the contest. It lay facing the besieged 
 town, but was considered quite safe, as there were 
 none of the Burmese on that side of the stream.
 
 flow IT I'AfiE© WITH i-HE JJOCTOB- 27t 
 
 The battle between the English and. the Burmese 
 was raging by this time ; the din of goings, the sharp 
 rattle of musketry^ with the deep bass note of an occa- 
 sional twelve-pounder, falling with painful distinct- 
 ness on the ear of the invalided man. At length, all 
 was still ; and the Indian attendants, or Coolies, in 
 the hospital-boat, squatted on their heels, lighted their 
 pipes, and prepared to make themselves comfortable^ 
 Just then a cabin boy from the English frigate, who 
 had been permitted to accompany the expedition for 
 the purpose of gratifying his curiosity as to what a 
 battle was really like, went to look out. He speedily 
 returned, and said something which the sun-struck 
 surgeon could not comprehend, but which evidently 
 alarmed the Coolies ; for they laid aside their pipes^ 
 went to the window next to the bank under which 
 the boat lay, and instantly bounded back, raising a 
 wild cry that the enemy were there, and close at hand. 
 
 It was too true ; for the next minute came a volley 
 that riddled the roof of the boat ; sending the bullets 
 flying in all directions about the poor sick man, whose 
 bed even was struck by them. Overboard sprang the 
 Coolies at once, the Burmese popping at them as they 
 bobbed up and down in the water. The surgeon and 
 cabin-boy were left alone under a sharp fire. The 
 latter managed to pull a little clothing on his half
 
 278 HOW IT FAKED WTTH THE DOCTOSi 
 
 delirious companion, dragged him to that side of the 
 boat furthest from the Burmese, and pointing up 
 stream to where their own boats, in charge of a mid- 
 shipman with seven or eight men, were aground, asked 
 him if he could swim so far. The surgeon answered 
 that he could ; and, imagining that the boy was follow- 
 ing, jumped at once into the water, bidding the boy 
 keep close to him. As he struck out for the boat, a 
 blaze of musketry opened upon him, as soon as he was 
 seen in the water ; but by keeping low down in it, so 
 as to present the least mark possible, he fortunately 
 escaped unhurt by the shower of balls that fell thickly 
 before, behind, and on every side of him. Had they 
 been better marksmen, and had superior muskets and 
 powder, he might not have got oflf so well. But their 
 fire-arms were miserable tools ; their mode of taking 
 aim, not with the stock of the piece at the shoulder, 
 as with us, but under the arm ; and every one man- 
 ufactured his own powder. Knowing all these cir- 
 cumstances, the swimmer felt less alarm than he would 
 have done had he been the target for more civilized 
 sharp-shooters. 
 
 He was, however, near fainting when he reached 
 the smallest of the boats, having only one man in her, 
 who dragged him on board, with the cheering intima- 
 tion that he believed it was all over with them!
 
 HOW IT FAEED WITH THE DOCTOR. 279 
 
 "However," continued he, "you stand by me, and' 
 I'll stand by you." He then sculled on, with hia 
 single oar, to the other boats, where the surgeon was 
 lifted into one of the largest, laid in the bottom, with 
 an ammunition box for his pillow, and enjoyed the 
 luxury of a screen over head, with which the boats 
 were now provided. Had there been one a little 
 earlier, he might have escaped being thus disabled 
 with that terrible sun-stroke. 
 
 The officer in command assured him that he was 
 quite safe Avhere he now was. It was not long after 
 his saying this, that whizz came another shower of 
 bullets, making a regular colander of their precious 
 awning, and striking everywhere, though happily 
 wounding no one. The Burmese who had attacked the 
 hospital-boat, seeing the surgeon's escape, had run 
 along the high bank, under which these boats were 
 moored, and were now firing right down upon them. 
 They were fair game, for they were stuck quite fast 
 aground, and the men too few in nimiber for one part 
 of them to keep up a fire on their assailants, while the 
 rest tugged, and toiled, and wrenched to get the boats 
 afloat. So all they could do, was to load, step into 
 the bows, and, raising his musket almost perpendicu- 
 larly, each one bring down his man from the high 
 bank over head. With skill, and good implements,
 
 ^80 aow rr fared •wrrs the ooctos. 
 
 scarcely a shot was thrown away on the part of the 
 English ; while their enemies, creeping cautiously to 
 the edge of the precipitous bank, and then hurriedly 
 letting off their pieces without staying to take aim, 
 before they ran away, did little mischief at first. 
 Making up, however, in number, what they wanted in 
 everything else requisite to make good shots, their fire 
 at length began to tell on the little group below. First 
 one received a flesh wound, just enough to put him 
 out of the list of combatants ; then another, taking de- 
 liberate aim from his station in the bows, at a Bur- 
 mese who was performing a war-dance at the edge of 
 the bank, evidently making it as insulting as he could 
 to the English, received a shower of balls in reply to 
 his one fatal shot. He turned round, walked delibe- 
 rately to where the surgeon was lying, laid his musket 
 down quietly, and, placing his hand on that of the 
 surgeon, said something to him. "Why, nonsense, 
 man," said the latter, " you're not hurt." He looked 
 up as he spoke. The pallid face and closing eyes told 
 too surely what was at work ; and, still holding the 
 surgeon's hand, the poor fellow instantly fell back and 
 died. A ball had struck him just above the collar 
 bone, and, dividing an artery, the man had thus 
 Bpeedily bled to death. 
 
 Presently the firing ceased, and the Burmese
 
 HOW IT FARED WITH THE DOCTOR. 281 
 
 seemed to be in consultation as to what should be dona 
 next. Possibly a charge down hill was contemplated ; 
 and with this possibility, the diminished little party 
 in the boats had a sort of idea that it was now or never 
 with them. There was the twelve-pounder in the 
 bow : should they load and fire that right off among 
 the savages'? No, it was impossible to elevate its 
 muzzle sufficiently to reach them ; the charge would 
 only plump into the bank, where it would do no good ; 
 and seeing it fired off harmlessly, would remove the 
 terror in which the enemy held great guns in general, 
 and which, in all probability, was the only thing that 
 kept them in check so far. The surgeon, however, 
 urged that a heavy fire of grape-shot, even into the 
 bank, would frighten them, by knocking it to pieces 
 under their feet. Besides, the report would be the 
 means of informing the rest of the troops, whose firing 
 had been heard at intervals all this time, though in 
 what direction was not known, of the danger in which 
 the boats and their guard were placed. 
 
 So the twelve-pounder was crammed with grape, 
 pointed as high as possible, and shot off at the bank ; 
 bat after two or three discharges, the Burmese got over 
 their fright, and would advance and fire upon those 
 who were loading the gun. Another man was ren- 
 dered useless by this means ; and then, partly through
 
 282 HOW IT PAEED WITH THE DOCTOll. 
 
 panic, partly through knowing that was their last re* 
 Bource, the crew, to a man, jumped overboard into the 
 river, and made for the jungle, among which they 
 might shelter themselves. The Burmese, when they 
 saw this, kept up a regular peppering of balls after 
 them. All, fortunately, went wide of the mark. The 
 surgeon being weak from his illness, was longer in the 
 water than the rest of the party ; so that by the time 
 he dragged himself out of it, covered with mud and 
 ooze, till he scarcely looked human, they were out of 
 eight. 
 
 He found himself in a tangled cane-brake, the only 
 passage through which, bore unmistakeable signs of 
 having been made by the heavy tramp of a tiger, and 
 that rather recently. However, it was a case of 
 " needs must ;" and, gathering up his feeble limbs, he 
 began plowtering through the jungle as well as he 
 could, fortunately falling in with one of the crew, who 
 had concealed himself in the same place. The man 
 dragged him on for awhile, till they met a party of 
 their own force ; but they had scarcely met, when a 
 sudden attack from the enemy dispersed them all ; 
 the unlucky surgeon, in his alarm, (he was little better 
 than insane with the sun-stroke !) taking to the water 
 again, and climbing up the very shore that he had 
 just left.
 
 HOW IT FAEED WITH THE DOCTOR. 283 
 
 He had not wandered far along tlie bank when he 
 encountered two Burmese fishermen, who were evi- 
 dently much more afraid of him than he was of them ; 
 for with a cry of alarm, as soon as they saw him, they 
 ran down the bank towards their little boat, which was 
 lying there. He, however, made demonstrations of 
 friendliness to them, Avhich they understood so far as 
 to help him into their boat, in which he had intimated 
 his wish to be taken to Kangoon : promising the men 
 all sorts of fine things if they would only row him 
 thither. Whether it was fright, or ill-will, did not 
 appear ; but the very first moment that he took his 
 eyes off them as they paddled along, they ran the boat 
 into the mud on shore, sprang out, and, running off 
 as hard as they could, left him to do the best he could 
 for himself. 
 
 He was almost, if not quite, at his wit's end now. 
 However, a poor native woman, whc$ with her child 
 was in the boat, and frightened to death at the sight 
 of him, at length plucked up courage enough to give 
 him a cup of water ; for which, in his distress, he had 
 begged as though he were begging for his life. This 
 put new strength into his frame, and made him feel 
 better prepared for whatever might happen next. 
 
 From the blackened remains of buildings here and 
 there on the bank, he was evidently in an unquiet
 
 284 HOW IT FAKED WITH THE DOCTOE. 
 
 neiglibourhood ; and presently, about eighty of the 
 enemy's men, distinguistied from the friendly natives 
 by wearing little red flags stuck through the ear, burst 
 through the brake, and stopped, staring and wonder- 
 ing, close to the boat. One of them in a red-laced 
 jacket, that looked as if it had once belonged to a 
 marine, a Burmese oflScer's gilt helmet, and armed 
 with musket and native sword, stepped forward ; and 
 in the extremity of his fear and danger, the poor half- 
 mad surgeon had just sense enough to remember, that 
 among these savages his best chance of safety lay in 
 pretending to be wholly mad. He acted his part to 
 admiration ; and, completely taken in by it, these 
 fierce Burmese humoured him, and even sufiered him 
 to take their arms from them. How long this might 
 have lasted, there is no knowing; for, just at that 
 moment the current of the fight brought a party ot 
 the 80th Foot that way, whose wild Irish shout was 
 the sweetest music the surgeon had heard for many a 
 day. He was not a little perplexed, though, as to 
 how he should make himself known. On board an 
 enemy's boat, so be-coated with mud as to be perfectly 
 unrecognizable, he had only to raise his head to be a 
 mark for fifty bullets, before his friends had a chance 
 of finding out their mistake. At length he ventured 
 to call out ; and, hearing an English tongue, some of
 
 HOW IT FAKED WITH THE DOCTOR. 285 
 
 them turned back, and, with a bayonet at his head, 
 asked him who he was. This did not look very prom- 
 ising ; but it was said there were Englishmen fight- 
 ing against them in the very town they were then at- 
 tempting to take. His uniform trowsers, however, 
 stood his friend in this dilemma ; and directly after- 
 wards one of the men recognized him as " the doctor ;" 
 wondering how in the world he had managed to get 
 there. Finding that he was really one of themselves, 
 they put him in a litter and carried him off. By dusk 
 the city was taken, the Burmese sent flying in all 
 directions, and the doctor going down stream again 
 with the boats, to rejoin the Phlegethon. They had 
 one alarm on their Httle voyage back ; the tide was 
 against them, and, finding they could make no way 
 against it, the boats were compelled, in the middle of 
 the night, to anchor in the stream. There were two 
 of them with nine men in each. Presently, the watch 
 heard what sounded like the distant rowing-chant of 
 the Burmese war-canoes — a sort of yelp, in which all 
 join at once, to enable them to keep time with their 
 paddles. These canoes are sometimes rowed by a 
 hundred men, so that the chant is audible at a con- 
 siderable distance. 
 
 Noiselessly drawing cutlasses, and seeing that 
 their firearms were all right, the crew waited in sus-
 
 286 HOW IT FARED WITH THE DOCTOK. 
 
 pense, to know whether the enemy would come down 
 upon them or not. It was too dark to see anything ; 
 so that they might be run down by the sharp-nosed 
 craft, or they might easily be passed, without being 
 seen. The canoe did pass : so close that the English 
 could have given them a dig with their oars, had they 
 been inclined to play jokes. They were, however, 
 too glad to remain invisible, and finally, all reached 
 the frigate in safety. 
 
 The little cabin-boy had had his share of adven- 
 tures. Seeing how the " doctor " was fired at when 
 in the water, he was afraid to follow, and so hid him- 
 self in the hold of the boat. When the Burmese took 
 it, of course the poor lad was soon brought to light ; 
 and, terrified by their ill treatment of him, he sprang 
 boldly into the stream, swam down it with the tide, 
 and was at last picked up, and safely lodged aboard 
 his own ship again.
 
 CHAPTEE XXIV. 
 
 AVA — ITS KING AND PEOPLE.* 
 
 After the conclusion of the late Burmese war, in 
 1853, the King of Ava sent an embassy to Lord Dal- 
 housie, the Governor-General of India, with the view 
 of promoting friendly feelings between the two coun- 
 tries. In return for this expression of good will on 
 the king's part, the Governor, a few months after- 
 wards, sent an envoy to him, as the bearer of a letter, 
 and sundry presents — as is the custom in the East. 
 This envoy. Major Phayre, was accompanied by sev- 
 eral officers, including Captain Yule, the Secretary, 
 (to whom we are indebted for our account of the mis- 
 sion), and other gentlemen ; and, by way of body-guard, 
 had a military escort of horse and foot, together with 
 the band of one of her Majesty's regiments. The 
 party embarked at Eangoon, on the 1st of August, 
 1855, and were towed up the Irrawaddi, on their way 
 to the capital of Ava. 
 
 * Yule'a "Mission to the Court of Ava."
 
 288 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 
 
 In order to do them the greater honour, the King of 
 Ava sent some of his great men to escort them on their 
 journey. These came on board at a village named 
 Menh'la, placed on a rising ground amid a beautiful 
 country, and noted as being one of the scenes of the 
 late war. There were three of them ; and as they had all 
 been in the embassy to Calcutta, they had the advan- 
 tage of not being entire strangers to their English 
 visitors. They made their appearance in considerable 
 state ; having several richly gilded war canoes in their 
 train, each one rowed by twenty or thirty big fellows, 
 dressed in black jackets, and wearing sugar-loaf hats 
 of bamboo. These boats had very high sterns, from 
 which floated the royal standard, of white and silver, 
 embroidered with a peacock, making as much of his 
 tail as possible. They were further ornamented with 
 drapery, the flimsiness of which was enough to make 
 one laugh, seeing it consisted of muslin and spangled- 
 net : fitter for a lady's drawing room than for the de- 
 coration of what may be called a " man-of-war." The 
 flag-staff is usually tipped with a ball of coloured 
 glass ; or, better still, with an English wine decanter ! 
 Such is the love of the Burmese for this particular 
 kind of ornament, that even a soda-water bottle has 
 been seen perched on the extreme point of a pagoda 
 roof. In this country, the place of honour is not, as
 
 AVA, ITS KJKG AND PEOPLE. 289 
 
 witli us, in the boat's stern, but in the bows; where 
 the great man takes his seat, a little raised, under a 
 canopy. With such reverence is this part of the vessel 
 regarded, that, on some of the English stepping 
 across the bows of a war canoe to reach another, a 
 sailor laid himself flat down upon the deck to pre- 
 vent it. 
 
 After an interchange of proper civilities, the pro- 
 cession again advanced up the stream ; the Burmese 
 dignitaries being in two barges, painted white, and 
 bearing the golden umbrellas which indicated their 
 rank. These barges, which afforded more comfortable 
 accommodation than the war canoes, were towed along 
 by them. 
 
 In this neighbourhood, the beautiful river on which 
 the embassy were embarked, was covered with boats, 
 of somewhat singular appearance. Looking at the 
 hulls sideways, it might be thought that the prow was 
 the stern ; so much lower is the former than the lat- 
 ter, which rises high in the air, not only in its upper 
 lines, but in its lower ones also; these being com- 
 pletely lifted up out of the water. But, strange as are 
 the hulls, the sails are stranger still. Imagine an 
 immense mainsail, (one of them contained nearly four 
 thousand feet of the light cloth used for this purpose,) 
 stretching right across the vessel, and so arranged on 
 13
 
 290 AVA, ITS iCING AND PEOPLE. 
 
 the little bamboo yard, that it blows out precisely like 
 a balloon. Nay, the best idea that could be formed 
 of these Burmese vessels, looking at them stem on, 
 would be gained by a peep at a balloon : the bulging 
 mainsail and the hull, occupying the respective places 
 of the inflated balloon and its car. " A fleet of them,' 
 says Captain Yule, " with their vast spreading wings, 
 and almost invisible hulls, looks like a flight of colos- 
 sal butterflies skimming the water." The scenery on 
 the banks of the river seems generally to have been 
 very pleasing; becoming, however, less rich as they 
 advanced into the interior. 
 
 At a village named Mengoon, (the name signifies 
 " the site of the rustic palace,") where the envoy halted 
 awhile, that his steamer might tow the Burmese escort, 
 and so aflFord a little rest to the weary arms aboard 
 the w^ar canoes, all the inhabitants came out to give 
 him a greeting; with flags flying, and the various dis- 
 cordant noises that go to the making up of a Burmese 
 band of music. Gilded boats, whose long and nu- 
 merous oars looked like the legs of that particularly 
 disagreeable insect the centipede, rowed round them ; 
 their crews filling the air with shouts and yells, aided 
 by cymbals, and other instruments equally well adapted 
 for making an outrageous din. To this agreeable 
 accompaniment, two or three men in each boat per-
 
 AVA, ITS KIKG AND PEOPLE. 291 
 
 formed a sort of war-dance of the most violent charac- 
 ter imaginable. 
 
 The length of each day's jom-ney up the river was 
 fixed by the Burmese themselves ; and this was gen- 
 erally such as to afford the English time for examining 
 any objects of interest as they passed; an arrangement 
 that was particularly agreeable, in traversing a coim- 
 fery so comparatively unknown as Burmah. At each 
 halting place they found suitable provision made for 
 their comfort. Magwe was one of these ; a town of 
 some size, consisting of one main street, and a num- 
 ber of smaller ones, and said to contain three thousand 
 houses. The inhabitants here seemed to be in doubt 
 whether their visitors came with peaceable intentions 
 or not ; for in the principal street many of them 
 were armed. Swords and guns were also displayed on 
 racks under the verandahs of the houses ; and such 
 cavalry as they possessed, in the shape of very small 
 horses, were paraded about the town. The shops, too, 
 were emptied of their goods, the women had hidden 
 themselves ; and altogether the people looked uncom- 
 fortable, and as though they did not know what to 
 make of it. This was unpleasant ; but it did not pre- 
 vent the mission making good use of their eyes, and 
 seeing all that was to be seen in and about the town 
 of Magwe. At night they Avere entertained with a
 
 292 AVA, ITS KIKG AND PEOPLE. 
 
 puppet-show, and a play ; eacli performance being ac« 
 companied by plenty of instrumental music, of a more 
 pleasing character than might have been anticipated 
 from a description of the instruments themselves — the 
 principal ones being of the drum and gong family ! 
 There is one peculiarity about these. The performer 
 sits in the middle of his instrument, distributing his 
 cuffs and blows all round him, as occasion requires ! 
 Imagine a man sitting up to the neck in a tub, wildly 
 flourishing his hands about him, and you have the 
 first, or what Captain Yule calls the drum-harmonican ; 
 for the player is within a circle of little drums, sus- 
 pended to the frame-work of the tub. The drums are 
 tuned by dabs of clay (smaller or greater, according 
 to the tone required) being stuck on with the thumb. 
 For the second instrument, fancy the player up to the 
 waist only in his tub, and surrounded by little metal 
 plates or gongs of varying size, on which he makes a 
 furious onslaught with drum-sticks. Among their in- 
 struments for what we may call chamber music, is one 
 whose tones are elicited by striking a series of bamboo 
 slips, strung harmonican fashion. One would think 
 that nothing better than the sound of two sticks, 
 struck together, would be brought out of this ; instead 
 of which we are told that it is one particularly mellow 
 and pleasing.
 
 AVA, ITS KING AXD PEOPLE. 293 
 
 The drum and gong instruments were placed on 
 each side of the stage in the theatre. The stage-lights 
 consisted of earthenware jars of petroleum ; that is, a 
 bituminous oil, which exudes from the earth into wells, 
 in a certain district on the banks of the Irrawaddi ; 
 or of cotton seeds soaked in the oil, set alight, and 
 refreshed from time to time by a ladleful of it, bestowed 
 by one of the performers. The play bore, in some of 
 its features, a ludicrous likeness to the Italian opera ; 
 much of it being sung after the manner of that enter- 
 tainment. Fond as the Burmese are of plays, they 
 are, however, still fonder of puppet shows ; and these 
 are much like puppet-shows all the world over. The 
 little figures were briskly jerked about by means of 
 strings ; and when they got entangled, a great brown 
 arm would be poked into the middle of a scene to free 
 them ; or, perhaps, two long legs, with no body to 
 them, Avould make their appearance among the little 
 groups, to set something right that had gone wrong 
 on the stage. 
 
 The next day's journey brought the travellers into 
 the petroleum neighbourhood: a fact testified to by 
 both nose and eyes. Gas-tar was the prevailing 
 odour ; and the vicinity abounded in earthen jars used 
 to hold the oil, and potteries in which they were made. 
 A visit was planned to the wells, which are situated
 
 294 AVA, ITS KEfG AND PEOPLE. 
 
 about three miles from the town, in a charmingly 
 picturesque neighbourhood. There are about one 
 hundred of these wells, standing pretty close together, 
 and varying from a hundred and eighty to two hun- 
 dred and seventy feet in depth. The opening at top 
 is about four feet square, and the whole length of the 
 shaft is cased with wood. The oil is drawn up in 
 earthen pots, which are let down by means of a wind- 
 lass ; when full, a workman or workwoman lays hold 
 of the rope, walks away down the hill, and up comes 
 the reeking vessel. This singular oil chiefly supplies 
 the lamps of all Burmah ; it is also used as a dressing 
 foi- wood. Those of us in England who burn Price's 
 Patent Candles also get the benefit of it, as it finds a 
 place in their manufacture. It is described as looking 
 like thin treacle, and not smelling unpleasantly in 
 the open air. In the confined space of the wells, it is 
 sometimes as overpowering as the gases in our coal- 
 mines ; and those engaged in sinking them are drawn 
 up senseless. The produce and extent of these wells 
 does not, according to Captain Yule's account, appear 
 to be nearly so great as has been stated by previous 
 writers. After visiting the wells, a walk was enjoyed 
 on the high ground north of the town : the tempera- 
 ture hitherto being singularly agreeable for a tropical 
 climate.
 
 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 295 
 
 Continuing their route up the river to Pagan, the 
 waters became more expanded ; in some places four 
 miles across, and studded with islands. The eastern 
 bank was very beautiful, gently undulating; the 
 valleys, abounding m stately trees, (among which the 
 cotton and fig-trees were of unusual size and beauty,) 
 and dotted with villages surmounted by the graceful 
 palm. The western shore throughout showed only 
 barren hills ; but their bleakness was relieved by the 
 green, woody isles that lay at their feet. As they 
 drew near Pagan, pagodas, of all shapes and sizes, 
 v/ere visible among the foliage. One of them was 
 shaped just like an old-fashioned wine decanter, broad- 
 er at the top than at the bottom, and then tapering 
 off suddenly into a sort of spire, that might stand for 
 the neck of the bottle. Was there ever so queer a 
 building"? One would instinctively look round for 
 a gigantic wine-glass to match it. It stands on an 
 elevation by the riverside, from which it is separated 
 by a number of ornamented walls, standing one within 
 another. 
 
 This city was once a place of importance ; the 
 Burmese themselves say, that for twelve hundred years 
 it was the seat of government ; and its former great- 
 ness may be imagined from the circumstance of its 
 wonderful ruins of temples, and other buildiags, ex-
 
 296 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 
 
 tending eight miles along the river, and occupying a 
 space of from three to four miles in width. Here the 
 travellers were received in a more imposing manner 
 than they had been at previous halting-places. There 
 were, as before, war-boats, golden umbrellas, stunning 
 music, to which the sturdy oarsmen shouted in chorus, 
 and dancing figures on the canoes, who flung their 
 arms and legs about, as though their object were to 
 shake them off. But the boats were more in number, 
 and better fitted out. In that of one of the officials 
 who came to receive the mission, were fifty men armed 
 with swords, and twenty with various kinds of fire- 
 arms ; the latter being alike only in one particular, 
 that of being double-barrelled. And, on approaching' 
 the shore, they found a troop of two hundred horse- 
 men drawn up to do them honour. The horses of the 
 country are merely small ponies ; and, as many of 
 these had their foals with them, it must be owned 
 that the cavalry did not make a very distinguished 
 figure on the occasion. In the theatre, where, as 
 usual, they were obliged to go, a chorus of maidens 
 from the adjacent villages treated them to a chant, 
 in praise of the king. " Happy and glorious ; long 
 to reign over us," was, it may be presumed, the burden 
 of their strain, which was a very agreeable one, till one 
 by one the voices died away, into rather a tedious solo.
 
 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 297 
 
 After leaving Pagan there was a slight detention, 
 owing to the mission being requested to wait till a de- 
 putation from court should arrive to take them thither. 
 Twenty-four hours passed, and the escort not arriving, 
 the envoy determined to wait no longer, but go on 
 alone. They had not proceeded many miles, however, 
 before a large fleet of war-boats was seen advancing 
 to meet them. In one of the most splendid of these, 
 rowed by fifty-six oars, was the Governor of the 
 queen's palace, the former Ambassador to Lord Dal- 
 housie, and who was the most gentlemanly official 
 they had yet seen. He wore an upper garment of 
 book muslin — the usual court undress. As the mis- 
 sion party steamed slowly along, the fleet divided into 
 two squadrons, one on the western, the other on the 
 east bank of the river. Altogether it was supposed 
 there were near nine thousand men aboard these boats ; 
 singing and yelling, according to their custom, to the 
 braying and banging of almost all kinds of horrible 
 instruments of music. The Governor himself — dressed 
 in muslin — was most gracious ; declaring that ever 
 since he had left India, he had never ceased praying 
 for all manner of good things on behalf of the Gov 
 ernor-General. The old gentleman meant well. He 
 was not to be literally understood, of course ; only 
 that he intended to be as friendly as possible with 
 13*
 
 298 AVA, ITS KIKG AOT) PEOPLE. 
 
 their new acquaintance. The coxswaia of his boat 
 was a very amusing personage — ^big, burly, self-im 
 portant, hectoring about in all the pride of superior 
 bulk and a new kilt. But alas! the great man 
 speedily " came to grief." When about to cast an 
 chor, things somehow went wrong; and, as he was 
 responsible, one of the grandees had only to lift his 
 finger, when straightway two naked vagabonds, car- 
 rying stout canes, and wearing red sugar-loaf hats, 
 the invariable attendants of great men in Burmah, 
 laid hold of him, and with kicks and cuflfs tumbled 
 him over, among the brick-bats and other rubbish at 
 the back of the building prepared for the reception of 
 the mission. 
 
 The woody lanes around this Burmese city of 
 Sagain looked very like English lanes — a pleasant re- 
 semblance, that was soon destroyed by a tropical 
 hedge-row of cactus, in place of our own thorn. These 
 lanes led to several villages, each occupied by those of 
 its own trade : paper-makers, smiths, and workers ia 
 marble. The paper-making is a rude process, very 
 similar to that in use among us before the introduc- 
 tion of machinery, which winds off, not only yards, 
 but miles of paper, drying it (on a steam cylinder), in 
 the process ; and the paper, when made, is only fit to 
 wrap up parcels.
 
 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 299 
 
 Here a still greater man than any of those who 
 had before met them, came, (under a red umbrella, 
 gilded ones being, in the vicinity of the capital, the 
 exclusive privilege of royalty,) to pay his respects to 
 the strangers. Astronomy was one of the subjects dis- 
 cussed between them ; and the Woongyi (such is his 
 title) said that he had never before heard of any country 
 where the sun never set during a part of the summer, 
 and only remained invisible for a very short time 
 during another season. He had been told by one of the 
 ofBcials present, that the envoy had said this was the 
 case ; and it was simply incredible to him. His no- 
 tion was, that in the centre of the universe was a 
 huge mountain, several millions of miles in height ; 
 around this, four large islands, one of them containing 
 Europe and Asia, were immoveably fixed, and the sun 
 circled outside them. And he slightly lost his temper 
 when his European friends denied the correctness of 
 his solar system ; adding, with warmth, that the Bur- 
 mese sacred books not only said that it was so, but 
 stated the precise height of the mountain. In the 
 main, however, he seemed pleased with his interview 
 with the English strangers ; the first who had ever 
 been honoured with a visit from so vei^ great a man 
 at that distance from the capital. 
 
 That same day came a train of servants, bringing
 
 300 AVAj ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 
 
 about thirty dishes of sweetmeats and other dainties, 
 from the palace. The dishes and covers were of mas-« 
 sive silver, the viands prepared under the eye of the 
 king's half sister, and they were seasoned with a most 
 gracious message from the king and queen. One of 
 these dishes, a mixture of chicken and pork, in a rice 
 paste, was found, as might be supposed, exceedingly 
 savoury ; as also was one of the sweet dishes, made of 
 some sort of bon-bon tied up in palm-leaves. This 
 was a daily present during the stay of the mission at 
 the building arranged for their reception at Amara- 
 poora ; the king expressing much anxiety that the 
 soldiers who formed the envoy's guard, should not be 
 forgotten in the distribution of these good things. 
 The house was framed of teak — a kind of timber that 
 is abundant in Burmah — with floors and walls of 
 bamboo. In front stood silver water jars, each large 
 enough to hold two men ! Silver ladles were laid 
 across their mouths, for the benefit of all thirsty 
 souls. 
 
 The ceremonial of their presentation to the king 
 had now to be arranged ; these barbarous potentates 
 being much more difBcult to please in such matters 
 than civilized ones are. In their ignorance, they 
 imagine themselves vastly superior to any other mon- 
 archs ; and consequently, can scarcely treat ambassa-
 
 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 301 
 
 dors with anytliing like common civility. This par- 
 ticular king of Ava, however, evidently wished to be 
 accommodating ; and so the arrangements were less 
 embarrassing than they would otherwise have been. 
 Some officials came to make a list of the Governor- 
 General's presents, previously to their being offered 
 to the king. These presents comprehended a hand- 
 some silver centre vase or wine cooler, (the Burmese 
 wrote it down a spittoon I ) suits of Indian armour, 
 ■wrought in gold, (which excited a little surprise, as 
 they said they knew the English did not wear such 
 things,) and various articles of jewellery. The latter 
 were much admired, especially an essence bottle, cut 
 out of a single topaz ; though, on the whole, the 
 jewellery was pronounced fitter for women than for 
 men. 
 
 After various tedious discussions as to what the 
 envoy and his companions should or should not do 
 when presented, some of the things required of them 
 being considered degrading, the important day arrived, 
 and some of the courtiers came to conduct them to the 
 palace. These gentlemen were, of course, in court- 
 dress, consisting of crimson velvet head-dresses, shaped 
 like mitres, and heavy, wide-sleeved robes to match. 
 It appeared to be considered correct to have this mitre 
 of so excessively tight a fit on the head, as to oblige
 
 302 AVA, ITS KTNQ AND PEOPLE. 
 
 the wearer to use a little slip of ivory (carried for the 
 purpose) in putting it on — as one uses a shoe-horn 
 for a tight shoe — and disposing his hair under it. In 
 the ear were worn small tubes of gold, shaped like a 
 trumpet. 
 
 After crossing the lake, which lay between the res- 
 idency and the palace, in the various boats belonging 
 to the mission — a gilded war-boat rowed by fifty Bur- 
 mese, and conveying the envoy and Burmese officials, 
 bringing up the rear — the party formed in procession 
 to proceed to the palace. 
 
 The boxes containing the presents for the king 
 were carried first, on frames of bamboo. Then came 
 four Arab horses, and an English carriage, also in- 
 tended for the king. The regimental band of the 
 29th followed ; after them marched a small company 
 of cavalry of the Indian army ; a detachment of an 
 infantry regiment with fixed bayonets ; the secretary 
 of the mission, Capt. Yule, on an elephant, carrying 
 the Governor-General's letter to the king, over which 
 the English flag floated ; and the envoy in a native 
 carriage, attended by two officials on elephants. The 
 procession was wound up by the other English officers, 
 on elephants, each one having a Burmese officer as his 
 companion in the howda. The howda has been weU 
 described as being like a decanter-stand perched on
 
 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 303 
 
 the elephant's back ; and is said to be much more 
 comfortable for those who, like Indians in general, are 
 accustomed to tuck up their legs under them when 
 they sit down, than it is for those who use chairs. 
 
 When the Union Jack was first displayed over the 
 Governor-General's letter, great disapprobation was 
 expressed about it, the chief official protesting he would 
 not proceed while it was flying. The envoy, however, 
 in his turn, assured them that he would not stir a step 
 without it ; so, as he had met with a more obstinate 
 man than himself, the Burmese magnate was obliged 
 to give way. 
 
 The procession advanced through lines of troops, 
 horse and foot ; some of the soldiers having flowers, or 
 branches of trees, stuck in the barrels of their muskets. 
 Mounted officers, on elephants, were studded among 
 them here and there. The ground was exceedingly 
 wet and dirty, owing to a deluge of rain the night 
 before ; so the Burmese foot soldiers stood on little 
 stools to keep their feet out of the mud : their officers 
 squatted on rather higher ones, each one having before 
 him — ^not the Governor-General's wine cooler, but 
 that for which it was taken, a spittoon ! — and various 
 other little articles supposed to add to his personal 
 comfort. 
 
 Just as the clock struck noon, the palace was en-
 
 804 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 
 
 tered, the Burmese taking off their shoes at the gate. 
 They would fain have made the English do so also ; 
 but they stoutly declined, at this point. A little fur- 
 ther on, and just before passing into the presence, 
 they were obliged to do it ; it would have been an 
 outrageous violation of etiquette to march up the dirty 
 staircase, otherwise than in their stocking feet. 
 
 When all had taken their places in the magnificent 
 hall of audience — a place not unlike a cathedral with 
 its columns and transepts — refreshments, consisting 
 of tobacco, sweetmeats, and perfumed water, were 
 served to the members of the embassy. Presently, 
 distant music, gradually drawing nearer, announced 
 the approach of the king. A company of foot soldiers 
 made their appearance, and, ranging themselves in 
 their appointed places, knelt down with clasped hands, 
 j)lacing their double-barrelled muskets between their 
 knees. As the last of this company passed through 
 the richly gilded doors, the throne, which was at one 
 end of the hall, looking something like a heathen 
 temple in miniature, was drawn a little back, and the 
 king was seen slowly ascending a flight of steps which 
 led to it, using his golden-scabbarded sword as a walk- 
 ing stick. As the royal upper garment, made of a 
 light-coloured silk, but so encrusted with jewels as to 
 leave little of the ground work visible, is said to wei"-h
 
 AVA, ITS KING AITD PEOPLE. 305 
 
 nearly one hundred pounds, it may be supposed its 
 wearer would require something to help him to climb 
 the stairs. The weight seems incredible ; but a Por- 
 tuguese gentleman attached to the court declared that 
 the statement was correct. His Majesty, after toiling 
 up to his elevated seat, squatted (in Burmese fashion) 
 on the left side of it ; leaving the right-hand cushion 
 for his queen, who followed, and amiably helped her 
 lord to that abominable invariable appendage of a 
 great man in Burmah, which the Governor's wine- 
 cooler was supposed to represent ; and which, with 
 some other little matters, was presented to her by her 
 attendants. As soon as the queen had tucked her- 
 self up, with her feet under her, she fanned herself 
 and the king for awhile ; her ladies then brought her 
 a cheroot, which she immediately fell to smoking. 
 Her dress, like that of the king, was covered with 
 jewels. 
 
 When the royal pair entered, the English took off 
 their hats, and the Burmese proceeded to offer homage 
 after their fashion. All of them went down on their 
 faces on the floor, looking as if they were "pointing" 
 his Majesty; while two lines of little royal princes, 
 that were squatting, all silk and brocade, side by side, 
 went over one upon another, as though they had just
 
 306 AVA, ITS KESTG AND PEOPLE. 
 
 declared that tliey " loved the Duke of Northumher 
 land!" 
 
 Priests in white robes, and mitres, then began a 
 Sanscrit chant (from behind a screen), invoking all sorts 
 of blessings upon the king. When this was ended, 
 some state business was transacted ; and then the let- 
 ter of the Governor-General, together with a list of 
 his presents, was read aloud by an official, whose name 
 signified "Eeceiver of the royal voice." His Majesty 
 then, through one of his attendants, inquired after the 
 health of the English ruler. The envoy answered that 
 the English ruler was well ; which reply was forth- 
 with repeated to the king by the " Eeceiver of the 
 royal voice : " not exactly as the envoy expressed it, 
 but in a style more agreeable to Burman court- 
 etiquette : — " By reason of your Majesty's great glory 
 and excellence, the English ruler is well, and there- 
 fore, with obeisance, I represent the same to your 
 Majesty." A few other questions were put; and, 
 being answered in a similar manner, the interview 
 terminated by the presentation to the officers of va- 
 > rious valuable articles — gold cups, jewels, and so on. 
 Presents thus received, cannot, according to the rules 
 of the "service," be retained by those upon whom 
 they are bestowed; but on this occasion the Governor- 
 General permitted each of the officers to keep one
 
 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 307 
 
 article, as a remembrance of his visit to the court 
 of Ava. 
 
 The king then rose, the queen helping him, and 
 using the sword to drag herself up. They disappeared 
 through the gilded doors, music was again heard, and 
 the weary, cramped Englishmen, unaccustomed to 
 squatting as they had been obliged to do throughout 
 the ceremonial, received a welcome permission to de- 
 part. Some of them had found it utterly impossible 
 to sit with their feet tucked up under them the whole 
 of the time ; but, as often as they relaxed in its severe 
 etiquette, one of the old courtiers looked daggers at 
 them. 
 
 A few days afterwards, the envoy had a less cere- 
 monious interview with the king, whom he found 
 lounging on a sofa, in rather more comfortable attire 
 than the hundred-weight jewelled coat. He now wore 
 a kind of silk kilt, a short Avhite cotton jacket, laced 
 over crosswise with the embroidery of some order, and 
 had a single fold of book muslin for a head dress. 
 Guards in red coats, and helmets, made of red papier- 
 mache, squatted outside the building. Music and 
 dancing were going on in another apartment. On the 
 king's left hand were half-a-dozen of the young 
 princes, crouching on the ground like little frogs, with 
 their noses almost touching it. At a little distance
 
 308 AVA, ITS KIKG AND PEOPLE. 
 
 were some artificial lotus flowers in vases. The king 
 bade the envoy look at these ; and as he did so, the 
 flower-buds suddenly opened and a sparrow flew out 
 of one of them. His Majesty looked pleased at the 
 success of this little trick, and the polite envoy did the 
 same ; one of the attendants informing him that each 
 bud had had a sparrow in it, but they had all managed 
 to escape prematurely, save the one he had just seen. 
 During this interview, which lasted an hour, one of 
 the king's children, about eighteen months old, tod- 
 dled in several times, entirely undressed, and clam- 
 bered up on papa's sofa. 
 
 Among the other entertainments liberally provided 
 for the gentlemen of the mission, was that of elephant- 
 taming ; a sport for which the Burmese have as great 
 a passion as the Spaniards have for bull-fights. 
 
 A space about eighty or a hundred yards square 
 ■was inclosed by a wall, twenty-five feet high, and as 
 many thick. In the centre of this was a platform for 
 spectators ; stout barricades were erected here and 
 there, as required for the sport. On reaching this in- 
 closure, about two dozen elephants, some with, others 
 without mahouts, or drivers, were seen standing some 
 four hundred yards off, having two wild elephants, 
 who had just been captured, in the centre of the group. 
 The tamed ones seemed quite to understand their part
 
 AVA, ITS KING AND PEOPLE. 309 
 
 of the business ; and " hustled " the captives, in the 
 direction of the in closure, with the most hearty good 
 ■will. When they got to the gate, one of the tame 
 ones, under the direction of its driver, passed through, 
 followed by a great hulk of a wild fellow. The gate 
 was instantly closed behind them ; the decoy stalking 
 demurely out at the opposite side. This piece of 
 treachery seemed to open the eyes of the poor wild 
 beast, and put him into a terrible passion. Bringing 
 his whole weight to bear upon the timbers that closed 
 the opening by which he had entered, he tried to beat 
 them down ; and then, finding this ineffectual, went 
 down on his knees to grub them up. Shouts and 
 blows from persons stationed on the palisade greeted 
 him in these attempts ; while others skipped nimbly 
 through openings in the frameworks, just large enough 
 to admit a man to poke and prick him with goads. 
 Turning round on these with a roar of rage, they 
 slipped as nimbly back again, leaving him to let 
 drive against the timbers, which shook under his heavy 
 charge. All this was vastly amusing to the specta- 
 tors, while it exhausted and wore out the spirit of the 
 badgered elephant — that being precisely the end 
 sought to be obtained. 
 
 When he appeared to be nearly tired out, one of 
 the mahouts managed to entice him into a cage, formed
 
 310 AVA, ITS KING AKD PEOPLE. 
 
 of strong timbers, where he was shut up. Here they 
 had him fast, for there was not room for him to turn ; 
 so that it was an easy matter to tie his legs together 
 and 23ut a conar on his neck : a rope being so ar- 
 ranged, that every time that he laid hold of the collar 
 with his trunk, to tear it oflF, its only result was that 
 of hurting himself. He was quite at their mercy, but 
 took it anything rather than quietly ; ripping up the 
 timbers Avith his tusks, going full bang against them, 
 stamping with rage, and trumpeting outrageously. 
 Strangely enough, however, the poor beast, suddenly 
 raising himself on his hind legs, fell down dead ; and 
 so there was an end of him. 
 
 The other elephant, which was a smaller one, was 
 rather differently treated. At a certain signal, the 
 tame elephants, who had kept him in their midst, at 
 once left him, and he was chased by nine or ten large 
 ones, whose drivers soon contrived to throw their 
 lassoes of hide round one of his hind legs. The free 
 ends of the cords were then fastened to a stake secure- 
 ly sunk in the ground, leaving the elephant a space 
 of about forty yards in which to move, while these 
 treacherous old tame elephants knocked him about, 
 poked him with their tusks, and hurried him hither 
 and thither till he was nearly distracted, and entirely 
 beaten. Two of them then took him between them
 
 CAPTURE OF THE WILD ELEPHANT.
 
 i
 
 AVA, ITS 'KING AND PEOPLE. 311 
 
 while he was secured ; after which he was led off, and 
 tied up, to be kept on short commons till he should 
 prove tame enough for service. 
 
 The poor baited elephant does not always come off 
 " second best " on these occasions. Sometimes he 
 turns with fatal rage on his tormentors, who pay, with 
 their lives, for the freedoms they have taken with him. 
 
 The gentlemen of the mission were also introduced 
 to the white elephant, who is one of the most impor- 
 tant personages in the kingdom ; having his own 
 "palace," and white umbrella — the peculiar symbol 
 of royalty — in addition to the ordinary gilded ones, 
 used by grandees. His trappings are of gold and 
 crimson, richly studded with bosses of pure gold, and 
 the most costly jewels. 
 
 The object of this embassy to the court of Ava 
 was to induce the king to enter into a treaty with the 
 English. This he could not be persuaded to do; 
 though the manner of its reception was such as to 
 show the most friendly feelings towards the English 
 government. The letter from the Governor-General 
 of India was, however, answered by one from his 
 Majesty; and this having been borne in procession 
 under eight gold umbrellas, to the envoy, the party 
 took their leave and sailed down the river again to 
 Rangoon : leaving one of the old grandees who had
 
 312 AVA, ITS KING ANT> PEOPLE. 
 
 had charge of them, wiping his eves on his kilt, and 
 protesting that he prayed daily for them, that they 
 might be preserved from " the ninety-six diseases and 
 the five enemies, and all evil of what sort soever ! "
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 FROZEN UP. 
 
 The North-West Passage was discovered in 1850, by 
 Captain M'Clure. 
 
 For more than three centuries, seamen had been 
 anxiously seeking this North-West Passage : that is, 
 a passage by water from the Atlantic to the Pacific 
 Ocean, along the northern extremity of North America; 
 and, owing to the intense cold of those frozen regions, 
 great hardships and dangers were endured in the 
 search. There the winter lasts for more than half the 
 year. During this season ships are fast frozen in the 
 ice, while the absence of the sun, for three months 
 together, adds to the dreariness of the arctic naviga- 
 tor's situation. When summer comes, hot though 
 the sunshine is for a brief period, it only partially 
 breaks up the ice, and navigation is, even then, often 
 both difficult and dangerous. 
 
 In 1845, Sir John Franklin and Captain Crozier, 
 with two ships, the Erebus and Terror, sailed from 
 14
 
 314 FEOZEN UP. 
 
 England for the purpose of seeking this North-West 
 passage ; but they have never returned ! Several 
 expeditions have been sent in search of them, both 
 from England and America. The one under Captain 
 M'Clure, as has been said, discovered that, in attempt 
 ing which. Sir John and his unfortunate companions 
 apparently perished. A record of an American one, 
 under Dr. Kane,* will afford us some interesting pic- 
 tures of life in the arctic regions. 
 
 Dr. Kane sailed from New York on the 30th May, 
 1853, in a little vessel of a hundred and forty-five 
 tons burden, with a small crew of eighteen men, and 
 with what seems rather a slender supply of stores for 
 wintering in the dreary regions to which he was bound. 
 His difficulties with the ice began rather early. By 
 the end of August, it was needful that he should seek 
 some safe spot for his ship to be frozen up in for the 
 winter. A light whale-boat was accordingly rigged 
 for the purpose, and a supply of pemmican put on 
 board. Pemmican is meat dried in the sun or the 
 smoke of a wood fire, then beaten small, and melted 
 fat poured in and among it ; after which, the whole 
 is pressed down as hard as possible, so as to keep good 
 for a long time. It is said not to be bad, eaten just 
 as it is ; but those who are dainty may mix a little 
 * " Arctic Explorations," by Dr. Kane.
 
 FROZEN UP. 315 
 
 flour and water witli it, and then boil tlie mess. 
 Served up in this way, an English cook might very 
 possibly call the dish one of minced beef. A buiFalo 
 robe was dealt out to each man to sleep in ; one extra 
 suit of day-furs was added, for the chance of anybody 
 getting a wet jacket ; woollen socks were stuck in 
 the girdle ; a tin cup and sheath-knife a-piece ; one 
 Boup pot and lamp, to do duty for all ; and the 
 " Forlorn Hope" was ready for her surveying expedi- 
 tion. 
 
 Sailing among ice, when you have to break it up 
 to get along at all, is not very easy work; so that 
 our boat's crew thought they had done pretty well to 
 accomplish about seven miles in the day. Wet, cold, 
 and hungry, the accommodations for the night, though 
 not very luxurious, were very welcome ; the buffalo 
 robes for bed, dry socks in place of wet ones, hot tea 
 and pemmican ; and then, for sleep ! But even the 
 " Forlorn Hope " was more forlorn than they had 
 anticipated. Within twenty-four hours they had to 
 leave her "high and dry" on the ice, sheltered by a 
 large hummock, and take to their sledge. ..And a few 
 days' journey, partly in it and partly on foot, con- 
 vinced them there was no better wintering place for 
 the brig than that in which they had left her. Back 
 again accordingly they hurried, and soon had the
 
 316 FEOZEN UP. 
 
 Advance (that was the name of their vessel) safely 
 frozen in for the winter. She was fast enough, cer- 
 tainly, for they never got the ship away ! And now 
 began the work of making themselves " comfortable " 
 for the long winter. 
 
 They were badly provided. They had no preserved 
 meats ; and the continued use of salt meat was, as 
 they afterwards found to their cost, the most certain 
 means of bringing on scurvy : a disease from which 
 sailors suffered dreadfully before the art of preserving 
 meats and vegetables fresh was discovered. The salt 
 junk was therefore cut as if for jerking, and soaked, 
 under the ice of a freshwater pond, that was fortunately 
 at hand. The salt fish and pickled cabbage were 
 treated in the same way. The vessel also had to have 
 her winter covering, to keep out as much of the cold 
 as possible ; and by dint of this, and fire, they managed 
 to get the very respectable heat of 65° in her down 
 below, while outside it was 25° below freezing point. 
 This is by no means the greatest degree of arctic cold* 
 it is sometimes from 60° to 70° below freezing point 
 — a cold of which we, in temperate climates, can form 
 no idea. Then there was a dog-house to bmld for the 
 dogs, Esquimaux and Newfoundland, that were to 
 draw their sledges on the ice ; for searching the coasts 
 in this way, for poor Franklin, was the stout-hearted
 
 FROZEN UP. 317 
 
 Americans' object. Troublepome animals were thosft 
 Esquimaux dogs, eating anything and everything that 
 came to hand. The doctor's specimens, even to a 
 bird's nest, all dirt, feathers, moss, and stones, Avere 
 gulped down at a mouthful ; and one of the creatures, 
 more enterprising than the rest, tried his hand, or 
 rather his jaw, at a feather-bed, which certainly was 
 " too big to swallow," if not " too hard to bite." 
 
 In order to lessen the load of the sledges on this 
 search, provisions were sent forward to various points 
 on the coast, and deposited there for the use of the 
 travellers. The sledge used for this purpose was a 
 large one, drawn by the men themselves; looking 
 (dressed in furs from head to foot) like so many danc- 
 ing bears. The stores sent, consisted chiefly of pem- 
 mican ; part of it in wooden boxes hooped with iron, 
 and the remainder in conical iron cases. The cases 
 are made in that form the better to resist the attacks of 
 the bear, who has a particular fancy for the depots of 
 provisions, which are often made in those wild regions 
 for the relief of the starving traveller, but too often 
 turn out solely for Bruin's benefit. The cache, as it 
 is called, is constructed by placing the stores in a deep 
 excavation ; heavy pieces of rock are placed upon 
 them, and smaller pieces, frozen into one solid mass 
 by having a mixture of sand and water poured over
 
 318 FEOZElSr UP. 
 
 tliem, are put over all : a sufBcient defence, as one 
 would suppose, but a most inadequate one, as it 
 proved ; for these very caches, relied upon for food on 
 the dreary sledge-journey, were found broken up. 
 Not a morsel of pemmican was left, except in the 
 iron cases, which, being round, with conical ends, had 
 slipped through the bear's teeth, and from under his 
 claws, as he tried to get at their contents ; pitching 
 them, eighty pounds weight though they were, in 
 every direction. A strong iron case containing spirit 
 was smashed to pieces, and a tin can full of liquid 
 was kneaded almost- iijto a ball, the bears' claws hav- 
 ing pierced the metal, and torn it up as with a chisel. 
 The beasts had their tastes too, it appeared. The salt 
 meat was untouched ; ground coffee was evidently a 
 favourite, as well as old canvas — the flag that had 
 been erected to take possession of the spot being eaten 
 to the very staff, while india-rubber cloth, defying 
 even their teeth, they had tied and twisted up into 
 the oddest imaginable hard knots. 
 
 Before setting out on the journey, both dogs and 
 master had to be trained to sledging ; and, whatever 
 the dogs might do, the driver found this not particu- 
 larly easy. If we just look at the whip used for the 
 team, we shall understand this all the better. 
 
 " The whip is six yards long, and the handle but
 
 FROZEN UP. 319 
 
 sixteen inches — a short lever to throw out such a 
 length of seal hide. Learn to do it, however, with a 
 masterly sweep, or else make up your mind to forego 
 sledge- driving ; for the dogs are guided solely by the 
 lash, and you must be able not only to hit any par- 
 ticular dog out of a team of twelve, but to accompany 
 the feat also with a resounding crack. After this, 
 you find that to get your lash back involves another 
 difficulty ; for it is apt to entangle itself among the 
 dogs and lines, or to fasten itself cunningly round bits 
 of ice, so as to drag you head over heels into the 
 snow." 
 
 When it is used rightly, the lash, unwinding '' its 
 slow length, reaches the end of its tether, and cracks 
 to tell you it is at its journey's end. Such a crack 
 on the ear, or forefoot, of an unfortunate dog, is sig- 
 nalized by a howl," whose meaning cannot be mis- 
 taken. 
 
 When all are perfect at their work, away they 
 dash over the ice ; now bounding over chasms in it, 
 cleared only by the pace at which they go, and which 
 occasionally jerks out an occupant ; now popping in, 
 perhaps dogs only, who scramble out as well as they 
 can. At times the whole concern goes in ; and then 
 there is a pretty entanglement of dogs, sledge, and 
 driver, all ploictering together in the icy water, till cut-
 
 320 PBOZEN UP. 
 
 ting traces liberates tbe former, driver drags liimself 
 out, possibly by belp of tbe ice, and tben manages to 
 fisb bis sledge out also. 
 
 Tbe lines by wbicb tbe dogs are attacbed to tbe 
 sledge are made of seal skin. Tbe Esquimaux man- 
 age to skin tbe seal in sucb a manner, spirally, as to 
 make only one long strip of it, from bead to foot. 
 Tbis, after being well cbewed by tbe women, and 
 tben rubbed witb grease, is bung in tbeir buts to 
 season. 
 
 None but natives bad before wintered in so bigb a 
 latitude as tbat in wbicb our-'sbip's crew were now 
 frozen up. One day a-board may serve as a specimen 
 of tbe rest. 
 
 At six in tbe morning tbe decks are cleaned, tbe 
 ice-bole, wbere tbe nets in wbicb tbe salt meat is 
 steeping, are bung, cleared out, and tbings generally 
 set to rigbts. Tben breakfast, on " bard tack," pork, 
 tea and coffee, frozen stewed apples, and raw potato ; 
 tbis last taken as tbe best means of cbecking scurvy, 
 wbicb, owing to tbe insufficiency of tbeir provisions 
 for sucb a climate, bad begun to sbow itself among 
 tbem. After breakfast, a pipe ! Wbo could grudge 
 it tbem under sucb circumstances ? Tben to work by 
 tbe ligbt of a lamp fed witb fat salt pork, round wbicb, 
 on tbree stools, sit as many pale-faced men, the
 
 FKOZEN UP. 321 
 
 officers, with their feet tucked up under them ; the 
 deck, at freezing point, being rather too cold for a 
 footstool. At noon, a tour among the men, to see that 
 all is right, and find them work enough to keep them 
 from getting either mutinous or low-spirited. Next, 
 for the doctor himself, the drill of his dogs ; which 
 last performance brings them to dinner — a meal very 
 like breakfast, save that pickled cabbage and dried 
 peaches take the place of tea and coSee. Eaw potatoes 
 as before; these, like doctor's stuflT generally, are de- 
 scribed as being by no means so agreeable to the 
 palate as they are useful to a disordered system. 
 " Grating it down nicely, leaving out the ugly red 
 spots liberally, and adding as much oil to it as I can 
 afibrd," says the doctor, "it is as much as I can do to 
 persuade the men to shut their eyes and bolt it, like 
 Mrs. Squeers' brimstone and treacle at Dotheboys 
 Hall. Two won't taste it." Dinner over, it is Lib- 
 erty Hall — sleep, work or play, till sixj Avhen the last 
 meal, something like the other two, only more scanty, 
 is served ; then cleaning up, and to bed again. For 
 fuel, three buckets of coal a-day: with brown stout 
 and sherry freezing in the cabin ! It is to be hoped 
 there was some warmth in bed to make amends! 
 Over head hang tubs of ice, chopped up with consid- 
 erable labour — for arctic ice is like granite — to melt 
 14*
 
 322 FROZEN UP. 
 
 into water for drinking. Once a week it is turn and 
 turn about at the observatory, (perched chilly on 
 a neighbouring eminence,) to make observations. And 
 then it is slipping and sliding, floundering and scram- 
 bling, and leaping with the ice pole, to get there and 
 back again! 
 
 A good part of the work in-doors consisted in 
 preparation for the sledging party, when the weather 
 should be mild enough to let them set out ; but with 
 faint hope of success attending it, as even the dogs 
 had been unable to bear up against that long, cold, 
 dark winter's night. Out of a pack of forty-four only 
 six were left. 
 
 June and July brought warmer weather ; and dogs 
 and men, in better condition, betook them to their 
 sledges, or walking parties. One of these latter en- 
 countered a she-bear, with her cub, upon whom they 
 at once set their dogs ; for bear meat is not reckoned 
 bad, even by people who are not on short commons, as 
 6ur unfortunate sailors were. The mother bear took 
 to her heels, but finding her young one could not keep 
 up with her, turned back to help it, putting her head 
 under its body, and so giving it a good hoist forward. 
 Then, facing the dogs, she kept them at bay, to give 
 the cub a chance of getting off, of which the poor 
 little stupid thing had no notion. It just stopped
 
 FROZEN UP. 323 
 
 where it fell, till slie came up, and again threw it to 
 some distance ; where, as before, it staid for her to 
 come and give it another Tioist. Sometimes she went 
 ahead, and tried to coax it to follow her, driving away 
 the dogs as they came up, and then pushing or fling- 
 ing it onwards as before. 
 
 The poor beast kept up this game for a mile and a 
 half; and then both she and her cub, tired with such 
 hard work, came to a stand-still. The fight between 
 her and the dogs now became something like a pitched 
 battle. Sitting upright on her haunches, with her 
 little one between her hind legs for safety, she fought 
 the dogs with her paws, roaring tremendously all the 
 time. Not daring to leave the cub, in order to pursue 
 her assailants, she would snap at the nearest dog, 
 " whirl her paws about like the arms of a windmill," 
 and go on, snapping and pawing, at all in turns, and 
 treating them to a sight of her formidable teeth ; out 
 of whose reach they were discreet enough to keep, 
 while bounding about her and tormenting her like so 
 many gad-flies. At length a good shot was got at 
 her — it had been difficult for some time, for fear of 
 hitting the dogs — and with a bullet in her head, from 
 Hans the Exquimaux, down she dropped, stone dead. 
 The dogs instantly sprang upon her ; when up jumped 
 the little bear, growling and fighting them so briskly,
 
 324 FKOZEN FP. 
 
 as from time to time to drive them back. A second 
 bullet brought it to the ground, but unfortunately did 
 not kill it ; so that there was the little wounded crea- 
 ture, still defending, as it appeared, its mother's body 
 — a painful sight. It was, however, speedily de- 
 spatched, and put aside for the men's own eating, the 
 old one furnishing a hearty feed for the dogs. 
 
 Their second bear was a more difficult capture. 
 With only one rabbit, and three ducks, in the way of 
 fresh meat, the cry of "A bear! a bear ! " was a very 
 welcome one. While the men were hastily loading, 
 Dr. Kane, snatching up his revolver, ran on deck, and 
 found that the dogs had attacked a middle-sized bear, 
 (with a four months' old cub,) who was treating them 
 in rather rough fashion. The dogs, he says, were 
 dancing around her, " and she, with wonderful alert- 
 ness, was picking out one victim after another, snatch- 
 ing him by the nape of the neck, and flinging him 
 many feet, or rather yards, by a barely perceptible 
 movement of her head. Tudla, our master dog, was 
 already hors de cmnbat; he had been tossed twice. 
 Jenny, just as I emerged from the hatchway, was 
 making an extraordinary somerset, of some eight 
 fathoms, and alighted senseless. Old Whitey, staunch, 
 but not bear-wise, had been the first in the battle ; he 
 was yelping in helplessness on the snow." The bear
 
 FKOZEN' UP. 825 
 
 now appeared to think she had got the best of it, and 
 so, coolly turned off to the beef barrels, which she l)e- 
 gan to turn over, snifBng at their contents. This 
 piece of quiet assurance was not to be borne; and a 
 pistol-shot took effect on the cub, which the mother 
 immediately placed between her hind legs, and, shoving 
 it along, made her way behind the beef-house. Here, 
 spite of a rifle wound she had herself received, she 
 clawed down (one cask at a stroke) the casks of frozen 
 meat, which were placed, barricade-fashion, round the 
 store, clambered up on them as they lay in confusion 
 about, and seizing a half-barrel of herrings, brought 
 it down in her mouth, with the evident intention of 
 eating that at home ; for off she set immediately. 
 This was too bad; and Dr. Kane gave her six buck- 
 shot from his pistol, by way of intimating his strong 
 dissatisfaction with her proceedings. Down she fell ; 
 but, rising again, endeavoured once more to get her 
 cub into its former place of safety, and carry it away. 
 "This time she would have escaped, but for the 
 new Esquimaux dogs, who ran in circles round her, 
 and when pursued, would just keep a-head, their com- 
 rades helping them occasionally by a nip at her hind 
 quarters. The poor animal was still backing out, yet 
 still fighting, carrying along her wounded cub, em- 
 barrassed by the dogs, yet gaining distance from the
 
 326 FBOZEN UP. 
 
 brig, when Hans and the doctor threw in the odds, in 
 the shape of a couple of rifle balls. She staggered in 
 front of her young one, faced us in death-like defi- 
 ance, and only sank when pierced with six more 
 bullets." 
 
 " The little cub " — she was taller than a dog, and 
 weighed a hundred and four pounds — sprang, as the 
 other had done, growling on its mother's body. It 
 was at last, however, noosed, muzzled, and chained, 
 snarling and snapping alongside the brig. 
 
 The pilfering habits of their Esquimaux friends 
 were a terrible annoyance to our frozen-up crew 
 Nothing was either too hot or too heavy for them to 
 help themselves to ; and when detected, they merely 
 laughed heartily, in the most good-natured manner 
 imaginable. At last, when lamp, boiler, cooking-pot, 
 the best dog in the pack, buffalo robes, and a quan- 
 tity of India-rubber cloth, in addition to the knives, 
 tin cups, and other such trifles as had preceded them, 
 were all walked oflf with, the thing became serious. 
 A party was marched out after the thieves, brought 
 them back in triumph, together with a load of their 
 walrus beef, by way of set-off for the loss incurred, and 
 after a five days' imprisonment, terms of peace were 
 agreed on between Christian and Esquimaux. The 
 latter promised that they would steal no more, but
 
 FROZEN UP. 32^ 
 
 would bring their friends fresh meat, (of which they 
 were too sadly in want, to aiford to quarrel with their 
 thieving visitors,) lend them dogs for their sledging, 
 and help them to find game. In return, the crew 
 engaged not to visit them with death, or sorcery, or 
 any other evil, but to give them pins, needles, knives, 
 bits of wood, thread, and other valuables ; especially 
 in return for fresh meat. 
 
 These poor ignorant creatures kept their engage- 
 ment faithfully ; and friends indeed, (for they were 
 friends in need,) did they afterwards show themselves 
 to these brave, suffering men. It was not much that 
 they could do ; their own manner of life was a very 
 uncertain one — starving one day, and cramming 
 another ; while their huts were wretched places, re- 
 volting to every one of the senses of a civilized being. 
 Yet, in their way, they showed hospitality and kind- 
 ness to their new friends, Avhom cold, hunger, and 
 distress, had rendered less sensitive than they other- 
 wise would have been, to the repulsiveness of Esqui- 
 maux home life. 
 
 One of the crew accompanied the Esquimaux on a 
 walrus hunt. The walrus, or sea-horse, is a huge 
 rowly-powly sort of beast, with a grim face, garnished 
 with tusks sometimes a yard long, who has his dwell- 
 ing in and upon those frozen waters. His curved
 
 328 FEOZEN UP. 
 
 tusks enable him to climb rocky and icy steeps, in 
 much the same way that a parrot's beak assists its 
 clambering. Walrus beef was highly prized, both by 
 sailors and Esquimaux ; and this was how they pro- 
 cured it. After listening attentively till the animal 
 was heard beneath the newly frozen water, the Es- 
 quimaux advanced in Indian file, towards the point 
 whence the sound proceeded ; and when within half 
 a mile of it, each man crawled on his hands and knees, 
 to what had recently been a waterhole, but was now 
 covered with young ice. In a few minutes five 
 walruses were seen, raising themselves from time to 
 time through this ice ; their vast bodies breaking it 
 up with a noise that might have been heard miles off. 
 If the walrus sees the hunter, the game is up ; so this 
 latter keeps alternately crawling, and lying flat down, 
 as the animal rises or sinks in the water, till he gets 
 close to him. Grasping his harpoon, to Avhich a long 
 coil of hide is attached, he waits till the walrus comes 
 puffing to the surface. One glance at the hunter, and 
 he plunges in again, but not before the weapon, 
 launched with steady aim, is buried under his flipper ; 
 and then the harpooner, scampering away as fast as 
 he can, runs out the coil in order to " play" his prize ; 
 the extreme end of the cord being firmly staked to 
 the ice.
 
 FROZEN UP. 32S 
 
 The wounded beast dashes about in all directions ; 
 breaking up the ice here and there, with his mad 
 plunges, as with his fore-flippers he tries to raise him- 
 self on its surface, barking, bellowing, and foaming at 
 the mouth with rage and pain. The hunter mean- 
 while follows his movements, staking down his line, 
 again and again, with every change of the beast's 
 position, till he can get a second harpoon into him. 
 The fight is sometimes long and uncertain. On this 
 occasion it lasted four hours ; the walrus, after sixty 
 lance wounds, making rushes at the Esquimaux when- 
 ever they came near him ; tearing off great tables of 
 ice with his tusks, and hocking himself fast to the ice 
 with them, with an unmistakeable " no surrender" 
 intention. He was, however, finally slain ; and the 
 Esquimaux, after their fashion, gorged themselves on 
 his raw flesh. 
 
 The bones of the walrus serve them for a variety 
 of purposes, in the place of wood. 
 
 The second winter in the ice was worse than the 
 first. Short of food, short of fire, short of everything ; 
 except a brave spirit of endurance, and devout trust 
 in God's mercy. Morning and evening, throughout 
 their sojourn in these polar regions, did these good 
 men pray together to Him ; though, as troubles and 
 difiiculties increased around them, their petition was
 
 330 FROZEN TTP. 
 
 clianged from " Lord, accept our gratitude, and bless 
 our undertaking," to " Lord, accept our gratitude, 
 and briug us safe back to our homes." For the get- 
 ting back again was at times doubtful, amid danger 
 and their own failing strength. 
 
 To keep something like warmth in them, in prepar- 
 ing the brig for their second winter, they borrowed an 
 idea from their Esquimaux friends ; and, cutting plenty 
 of moss and turf, placed a thick coating of it, well 
 squeezed together, over the quarter-deck, and all round 
 their cabin below. Peep in, and you will see that it 
 looks like a great long box, divided by shelves into 
 compartments, within which, well wrapped up in fiirs, 
 each man lies for the night. The finishing point of 
 going to bed, in that part of the world, consists in 
 creeping, feet first, into a huge blanket, or fur bag, 
 which is afterwards drawn together at the mouth, so 
 as to shelter the head. The passage from the hold to 
 this cabin was also well lined with moss, to which 
 were added as many obstructions (in the way of door 
 and curtains) to the entrance of cold air, as they could 
 contrive. The cutting out the frozen moss was ter- 
 ribly hard work ; but when it was accomplished, and 
 crammed here, and jammed down there, it answered 
 its purpose so well, that though their fuel (part of it 
 stripped from the ship's sides) was so scanty that
 
 FEOZEisr UP. 331 
 
 they dared not burn a fire the whole of the twenty- 
 four hours, they yet maintained a temperature of 45° 
 in-doors. 
 
 Men in health might have managed very well with 
 this. But, alas ! they were all suffering from that 
 most enfeebling disease, scurvy, which made them re- 
 quire a much greater degree of warmth, as well as 
 better food, than they could obtain. Cold, distress, 
 and disease made them take to eating raw meat; and 
 frozen walrus liver was esteemed a delicacy ! 
 
 Notwithstanding the extreme hardships they were 
 suffering. Dr. Kane made several sledge journeys, to 
 search the coast for some traces of Sir John Franklin ; 
 but as we know, found none. 
 
 At last, no more could be done. A third winter 
 could not be lived through. The brig remained in- 
 extricably fast in the ice ; and, to save their lives, it 
 became needful to abandon her, and make their way, 
 in sledges and their whale boats, to the nearest Danish 
 settlement. This was Uppernavik, on the coast of 
 Greenland ; whence, it was hoped, the annual trading 
 vessel might take them as far as the Shetland Isles, 
 on their way home. Preparations for this journey 
 had long been making. Clothing, sleeping-sacks, 
 provision-bags, had to be constructed ; their battered 
 boats to be overhauled, patched, and mended, so as to
 
 332 FROZEX UP. 
 
 be somewhat serviceable ; and, as the time drew near, 
 provisions had to be prepared. The biscuit was beaten 
 small, with a capstan bar, to make it take less room, 
 and then was tightly pressed down in bags. Beans 
 were boiled down into a mass for the same purpose. 
 Melted fat, and tallow — for the poor creatures used 
 tallow as seasoning to their wretched food — were 
 poured into bags to freeze. These, with some flour, 
 and a little meat biscuit, were their stores for travel- 
 ling. Some food was left behind in the brig ; which, 
 as long as distance rendered practicable. Dr. Kane 
 proposed fetching occasionally, with his light dog- 
 sledge : for the rest, their guns must provide them. 
 
 It was on a Sunday morning that they took their 
 last farewell of the dismantled and desolate-looking 
 brig. Prayers, and a chapter of the Bible were read ; 
 the portrait of Sir John Franklin, Avhich, till then, 
 had hung on the cabin wall, was taken down ; and, 
 after affixing to a conspicuous part of the vessel a 
 written statement of the reasons that had compelled 
 her abandonment, the little party withdrew, and 
 scrambled over the ice to their bt^ats. 
 
 Of the perils of that journey it needs not to speak : 
 sufiice it to say, that all were surmounted, and Upper- 
 navik reached. There they were joyfully welcomed ^ 
 and before they finally left the shores of Greenland,
 
 FROZEN UP. 333 
 
 a United States' steamer, sent in search of them, hove 
 in sight ; and, once on board, their troubles Avere at 
 an end. 
 
 Dr. Kane has since passed away from this world, 
 leaving behind him a noble example of courage, de- 
 voteduess, and piety. 
 
 THE END
 
 D. Appleltn & Company's Juvenile Works. 
 
 LIBRARY FOR MY YOUNG COUNTRYMEN* 
 
 This series is edited by the popular author of " Uncle Philip's 
 Tales." The volumes are uniform in size and style. 
 
 ADVENTURES OF CAPT. JOHN SMITH. By the author of 
 " Uncle Philip." 45 cents. 
 
 A DVENTUEES OF DANIEL BOONE. By do. 45 cents. 
 •pvAWNINGS OF GENIUS. By Anne Peatt. 45 cents. 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF HENEY HUDSON. By the 
 author of '• Uncle Philip." 46 cents. 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF HEENAN COETEZ. By do. 
 45 cents. 
 
 PHILIP RANDOLPH. A Tale of Virginia. By Maky Gektetoe. 
 45 cents. 
 
 ROWAN'S HISTOET OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 3 
 vols. 45 cents. 
 
 SOUTHEVS LIFE OP OLIVER CROMWELL. 45 cents. 
 The same, 9 vols., in a neat case. 
 
 TALES FOR THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CHILDREN* 
 
 A LICE FEANEXIN. By Maet Howitt. 45 cents. 
 /chances and changes. By Charles Buedett. 45 cents. 
 /^ROFTON BOYS (The). By Haeeiet Maetineait. 45 cents 
 TTvANGEES of DINING OUT. By Hks. Ellis. 45 cents. 
 •pvOMESTIO TALES. By Hannah More. 2 vols. 45 cents. 
 ■r>ARLY FRIENDSHIP. By Mes. Coplet. 45 centa. 
 Tj^ARMER'S DAUGHTER (The). By Mes. Cameron. 45 cent* 
 ■TMEST IMPRESSIONS. By Mes. Elus. 45 cents.
 
 8 D. Appleton §• Company's Juvenile WoiTcs. 
 
 /^ OLDMAKER'S TILLAGE. By H. Zschokke. 45 cents. 
 
 TTOPE ON, HOPE EVEE 1 By Maet Howitt. 45 cents. 
 
 T ITTLE COIN, MUCH CAPvE. By do. 45 cents. 
 
 r OOKING-GLASS FOE THE MIND. Many plates. 45 cent* 
 
 T OVE AND MONET. By Maet Howitt. 45 cents. 
 
 "11 MINISTER'S FAMILT. By Mes. Ellis. 45 cents. 
 
 •AIT OWN STOET. By Maet Howitt. 45 cents. 
 
 ■]4|T UNCLE THE CLOCKMAKEE. By do. 45 cents. 
 
 "VrETEE TOO LATE. By Chakles Bukdett, 45 cents. 
 
 IVrO SENSE LIKE COMMON SENSE. By do. 45 cents. 
 
 OCEAN WOEK, Ancient and Modern. By J. H. "Weight. 45 
 cents. 
 "pEASANT AND THE PEINCE. By H. MAETrNEAu. 45 cents- 
 
 "pOPLAR GEOVE. By Mes. Copley. 45 Cents. 
 
 Q OMEETILLE HALL. By Mes Ellis. 45 cents. 
 
 O OWING AND EEAPING. By Maet Howitt. 45 cents. 
 
 OTORT OP A GENIUS. 45 cents. 
 
 O TRITE AND THEITE. By do. 45 cents. 
 
 rpHE TWO APPEENTICES. By do. 45 cents. 
 
 nniRED OF HOUSEKEEPING. By T. S. Aethue. 45 cent* 
 
 rpWIN SISTERS (The) By Mes. Sasdham. 45 cents. 
 TTTHICH IS THE WISER? By Maet Howitt. 45 cents. 
 "1X7 HO SHALL BE GREATEST? By do. 45 cents. 
 TyOKK AND WAGES. By do. 45 cents. 
 
 lailVK'RSi i \ OF CALIFORNIA
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 jrm L9-42m-8,'49(B5573)444
 
 J61b The Boy's Book 
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILIT 
 
 Mill ! Ill 
 
 AA 000 191 560 2 
 
 G175 
 J6lb
 
 M 
 
 ,>■■« >>>,■» ^'.1%^