THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Ex Libris SIR MICHAEL SADLER ACQUIRED 1948 WITH THE HELP OF ALUMNI OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION • xfSv\ N ■1 , ^*.^ ^M ^UJ^H • yCftr"^ Kjp- HHJfeJPJ i ^e^ ■ ■ a be ) i: JllltljOV of //// y ?"/s/////////0 -A r.) ZOWJDOJ) ■ TO ALEXANDER JAMES BERESFORD. THIRD SOX OF THOMAS HOPE, ESQUIRE, &c. &c. &c. MY DEAR MASTER B. I have the greatest pleasure in pre- senting you, by the permission of your dear mamma, this little book, because I know you are fond of reading the Travels of Alfred Campbell, and may therefore be pleased with those of Henry Delamere. I have lately heard from my friend, your tutor, that you are improving daily in every branch of your education, at which I re- a 2 629373 iv DEDICATION. joicc exceedingly ; not only because I love you, and wish you to grow up a learned and good man, but because I consider it particu- larly your duty to use extraordinary exertion, that you may prove yourself worthy of being the son of a father, whose splendid genius, extensive knowledge, and superior virtues, call upon his sons to follow his steps so far as they are able. With sincere desire and heart-felt hope that your future years may realize the promise of your childhood, I remain, my sweet little friend, Your affectionate and faithful servant, B. UoFLAND June 12, 1827. TO THE READER. In preparing a new edition of " the Young Cadet" for the present year, I have been in- duced to alter the original, in so far as to omit that account of the Burmese War which formed a great object of interest at the time it was written, but is now become less attractive. I have done this for the sake of giving my young readers abridged accounts of various places and circumstances, detailed in that ad- mirable new work, " Scenes and Characteris- tics of Hindostan," by Miss Emma Roberts, a 3 VI Her delightful volumes combine all the charm of fiction with the value of truth; and she will, I trust, pardon me for transplanting a few flowers from her brilliant and extensive garden, for the welfare of the young, to whom I ear- nestly recommend the source from which I have drawn, in order to give them pleasure and information. B. HoFLAND. Kensington, September 5, 1836. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Introduction to the Cadet's family.— Arrival of the impor- tant letter. — Feelings of a kind and virtuous family. — Religious resignation of the mother. — Sensible exhorta- tion of the father. — Inquiries of the children on the subject Page 1 CHAPTER II. The East India Company. — Their possessions, powers, and conquests. — History of Hindostan. — Irruptions of the Turks — Tamerlane's ferocity. — Hyder Ali. — Tippoo Saib. Extension of power in Asia Page 9 CHAPTER III. Character of Henry.— Anxiety of his parents. — Preparations for his removal. — Presents of the little ones. — Summons to the ship.— Sorrowful parting with his family— with his vin COW father.— They Bail.- S and recovery. — Arrive at Madeira. — Beautiful view of Funchal. — Proceed to St. Helena. — Ceremony of Crossing the Line. — Arrive in Chapel Valley Bay Page 21 CHAPTER IV. They arrive at the Cape of Good Hope. — History of this place. — Tremendous storm for some time prevents their landing. — Pleasant run from thence to Madras. — Henry's surprise at landing. — New trees, new birds. — A new world amund him Page 34 CHAPTER V. Henry writes to his parents. — His description of the Madras roads. — The Black and White Towns. — The inhabitants. — Pride of the Mahometans. — Grace of the women. — The Peons. — Dubashes. — Native troops. — Armenian gentlemen- — Wealthy natives. — Description of a pagoda. — Its hideous idols. — Affectionate conclusion. — Proceed to Ceylon Page 4G CHAPTER VI. Description of Ceylon. — Voyage to Bengal. — Enters the Hooghly River. — Calcutta. — Letter to John. — Description of the inhabitants.— Black Hole, and Governor Holwell's sufferings. — Jewish congregation. — Barrackpour. — Ilowdah elephants.— Letter concluded Page 57 CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER VII. Voyage to Berampore, — Moorshedabad. — Elephants. — Ruin ofGour. — Fakirs. — Monghyrand its springs. — Henry arrives at Benares. — Writes to his mother. — The streets, pagodas, Bramins, mosques of Benares. — Letter continued. — Henry removes to Cawnpore. — Method of travelling. — Description of Allahabad and Cawnpore. — Letter concluded . . Page 68 CHAPTER VIII. Henry's letter to his brother, with a description of the mode of living by the Anglo-Indians. — Numerous servants. — Large dinners.— Children. — Fetes of the natives, &c Page 76 CHAPTER IX. Henry's letter to his sister. — His commission. — Removal to Agra.— Mode of travelling.— Camp dinners.— Tigers in the jungles. — Henry's adventure with one. — Horrible murder by the Thugs Page 89 CHAPTER X. Letter from Oude. — Description of the splendid processions at the Buchra Eade, at Lucknow Page 102 CHAPTER XI. Henry to his father. — Delhi, its buildings and court. — Account of the Begum Sumroo. — Colonel Gardiner's marriage with a native. — Return to Bengal Page 1 1 1 NTENT9. CHAPTEB XII. Henry writes to his sister — Account of his journey to Bengal. — Escape from a Cobra Capello. — Arrival in Calcutta — Dancing girls.— Dancing serpents Page 117 CHAPTER XIII. Voyage to Bombay. — Madias. — l'ondicherry. — Goa, new and old cities. — Convent.— Tomb of Xavier. — Departure from Goa. — Arrive at Bombay. — Beautiful neighbourhood. — Good living and hospitality. — He determines to visit the ( !avea of Klora ; . . Page 1 2o • IIAPTER XIV. Sets out for Elora. — Visits Elephants. — Pleasant sail to Pan- well. — Proceeds on horseback. — The Ghauts. — The Temple of Karli. — Arrives at Poonah. — Pursues his way to the village of Elora Page 134 CHAPTER XV. Arrives at the excavations of Elora. — Temple of Key las. — Its insulated state, prodigious size, and elaborate finishings. — The area. — The obelisks. — Sphinxes. — Galleries and sta- tues. — Visits TeenTal. — Its grandeur, statues, &c. — Conti- nuation. — Temple of Visvacanna. — Temple of Jug Daut Pace 110 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XVI. Temple of Indra. — Leaves Elora, — Poonah, and burning of Malabar widows. — Aurungabad. — Splendid monument. — Aurungzebe. — Punishment of an Hindoo. — The Fakirs. — Festival at Poonah. — Conclusion Page 154 THE YOUNG CADET CHAPTER I. Introduction to the Cadet's family. — Arrival of the important letter. — Feelings of a kind and virtuous family. — Religious resignation of the mother. — Sensible exhortation of the father. — Inquiries of the children on the subject. " You have indeed a numerous and lovely family," said Mr. Wingrove to Mr. Delamere, as his lady and her eight children were quitting the dining-room ; " but you must frequently feel great anxiety on the subject of providing for so many, in such a manner as their birth and education entitle them to expect." " I am not without anxiety, my friend," re- turned Mr. Delamere, " but there is at present no painful solicitude in my mind on that ac- count, for I have always observed that those B Till: ^i oi;\<. i A.DET. young persons who belong to a numerous family do best in the world, from being compelled early in life to think for themselves, and act with energy and industry. I have brought up my eldest boy in such a manner, that I trust he will be a father to the girls if they should have the misfortune to lose me. He has been constantly told, that although he will be the possessor of my estate, he must take my duties along with it ; and that although he will be richer than his brothers, he will yet have more claimants on his justice and generosity. The younger have all been taught from the cradle, that in some way or other they must be self-dependent ; that on their own exertions alone they must rely to maintain their rank in society, since their lather can give them little besides the education neces- sary for their future advancement " " I could gather as much from the conversa- tion I held just now with the two little boys; for John told me he was designed for a lawyer, and he gave me proof of considerable classic attainment, whilst little William displayed great emulation in learning also, giving me a hint that he read chemistry, from which I conclude that he is designed for a physician : they are however too young for any thing to be de- cided upon. But whatdoyou mean to do with Henry I he is fifteen, and such a fine, well- grown boy, that he will soon be of an age to fix upon bis future plans i" THE YOUNG CADET. 4 " It is respecting him that I am most solici- tous : he is a clever, sprightly fellow, with such a spirit of enterprise about him, and such an in- satiate curiosity for exploring distant regions, that he seems born to be a traveller and a soldier; but as a retired country gentleman, and in the present happy state of peace, there appears little chance of my providing for him in that way to which his inclinations point." " But you have a friend, my dear Delamere, who lives in the busy world, and is not without the power of assisting your views. I like the boy exceedingly ; he is a fine, open-hearted, generous youth, has been, I well know, brought up in sound principles of religion and morality, and is full of that warm affection for his family which is likely to preserve him in those princi- ples which he imbibed from the lips of his pa- rents in the dear home of his early life : — yes ! yes ! I will not forget Harry." Mr. Delamere did not mention this conversa- tion to his son Henry, lest it should lead him to form hopes of a wild and desultory nature ; but when their kind visitor, Mr. Wingrove, had returned to London, he took more than com- mon pains to impress on the mind of the boy, a necessity for attending to his studies, of gaining, especially, a knowledge of geography beyond what he possessed, improvement in modern lan- guages, and the practice of mathematics so far as he was able. b 2 -1 TIIK Y(H NG CADKT. ( >ne evening, the following autumn, the family were all thrown into astonishment, and, indeed, temporary confusion, by the arrival of a letter from Mr. Wingrove to Mr. Delamere, present- ing him with a cadetship for Henry, who was re- quired to prepare himself as soon as possible for his appointment, as his friend proposed that he should sail, soon after Chrismas, in the Unicorn East Indiaman, bound for Calcutta. The idea of Henry going to leave them, and especially to go such a long long way, and to sail upon the wide ocean, awakened the utmost con- sternation in the minds of the younger child- ren ; and even John, the eldest, felt for a time overpowered by it, especially when he observed his mother look extremely pale, and saw that, as she bent over the little babe which lay upon her lap, tears, which she endeavoured to conceal, were dropping upon its head. His heart la- boured with manly and generous thoughts, and pressing closely up to his father, he said — " Dear father, do not let Henry go and leave us ! at least not for the sake of money, or any thing of that kind. You have often said, you hoped I should do my duty by my family ; let me give the first proof of fulfilling your wi-hes, by sharing the privileges of my birthright with dear Harry." " But don't let me refuse this cadetship. Oh, no ; pray let me go to the East Indies !" cried iry. " I thank you, dear John, a thousand THE YOUNG CADET. 5 times, for all the good you intend me ; and I hope I shall live to be as good a brother to the little ones as you are : but I must travel, I must light, I must get to be a man in the world, or it will break my heart." " But it will break my mother's heart to see you go," said John. Henry threw himself on his kness by the side of his beloved mother, and as he bound his arms round her and the innocent babe on her lap, looked inquiringly and almost tremblingly into her face, as if to beseech her consent to his departure. "My dear child," said Mrs. Delamere, sup- pressing her emotion as well as she was able, " I not only fully consent to your acceptance of this gift, but am truly grateful to the good friend who has procured it, and hope that you will hereafter so conduct yourself as to merit his kindness. I am now the mother of nine children, and cannot expect that they should all remain around me. It is the will of God that each should seek to establish himself, for it is the condition of our nature, and I can resign you to His providence, Henry, because I well know his eye is upon you every where ; and since not a sparrow falleth to the ground with- out his permission, surely my child will be under the highest, the only sure protection, whether present or absent." b 3 THE lOUNG CADET. " Thank you, dear, dear mother ! — go where 1 may, I shall never, never forget " Poor Henry could say no more, for his heart was too full, and whatever might have been his wishes a minute before, he now clung to his dear parents and sisters with an intensity of affection that seemed as if he found it impossi- ble to leave them. Mr. Delamere was much affected, and felt that it would be indeed a great trial to part with a child of so amiable and loving nature — one, too, whose gaiety of dispo- sition and sweetness of temper had made him the life of the house and the darling of every creature around him ; he struggled, nevertheless, with his feelings, and addressed himself to his two eldest sons with peculiar earnestness and tenderness. " Dear John, I hope Henry will never forget the proof of affection you wished to give him, nor the information I now give you both — that it is not in his power, as an honest man, to alien- ate his future possessions, even for the most generous purposes. He is the representative of an ancient house, and will one day be its head, and it is his duty to hold his property un- shackled and unembarrassed, so that all the branches of his family who need it, may lind a home and protector in his house, without injury to his own progeny, should behave one. He must be the master of many servants, the guardian to many dependents, the landlord to many ten- THE YOUNG CADET. / ants, the example to other gentlemen similarly situated, and also to many descendants, the children of those children around us. With so many duties to perform, you will see the neces- sity of not pressing 1 upon him beyond his powers ; of conceding to him all those natural rights which he holds from the laws of his country, and for the general benefit of the whole, more especially your sisters ; and I hope all my younger boys will, in a different but equally ef- fective manner, feel proud of going out, like Henry, into the world, and attaining independ- ence by honourable exertion." The countenance of each boy brightened up as they severally declared, " that they were de- termined they would try and be men as soon as they could," whilst Henry, whose dreams of the future were always the most sanguine, took the hand of his favourite sister, and promised " that he would give her a fortune at all events." " But, dear Henry," said the poor girl, as she clung fondly on his arm, " what is it to be a Cadet? What are you to do? Where are vou to go ?" " These are indeed very important questions, Selina," replied the youth, "and such as I must myself ask of my father ; for although I am sure Mr. Wingrove has done me a great service, I am certainly as ignorant of the nature of the obligations it imposes as you can be.'' " I will tell you all which 1 know of the 8 THE YOUNG CADLT. matter tomorrow,'' said Mr. Delamere, " for it is now time that we had family prayer, which will compose our spirits, and remind us how much it is our duty to beg a blessing on the new path which is opened for one of our circle so young and inexperienced as our dear Henry." THE YOUNG CADET. CHAPTER II. The East India Company. — Their possessions, powers, and conquests. — History of Hindostan. — Irruptions of the Turks. — Tamerlane's ferocity. — Hyder Ali. — Tippo Saib. — Ex- tension of British power in Asia. The following morning, it will be readily be- lieved that Mr. Delamere's chair was environed by several blooming children, who, although silent from modesty and respect, looked up to him with eyes that said, " Pray, father, what is a Cadet ?" " A Cadet is a youth sent out by the East India Company at their own expence (as to his voyage) to join their army ; where, when an op- portunity occurs, they will present him with a commission." " But what is the East India Company ?" said John. " It is a body of the greatest merchants in the world, John, who hold, by a charter from our government, immense possessions in Asia, levy armies, support a governor in the style of an emperor, and pay a prodigious revenue to the mother country. 10 THE fOUNG CADET. " But how did they get this country at first?" " In order to answer that question properly, my dear, it is desirable that 1 should give you a few of the leading historical facts respecting the country now become so interesting to us all, and of so much importance to Henry. Fetch your map of Asia and lay it on the table, as it will be useful and pleasant to see the re- lative situation of those count lie- 1 may have occasion to name, and I will then tell you, as briefly as I can, that which you desire to know." A gentle murmur of thanks, a close encircling of the kind father's seat, succeeded ; Mr. Dela- no ere then spread the map before them, and thus resumed his discourse to his lively, but attentive children. " Asia, which is the largest, as well as most illustrious quarter of the globe, (as being that in which man was first created, and where the glorious scene of his redemption took place,) is, you will perceive, divided into but a few immense empires, if we consider the riches, population, and power of each. The conse- quence of this extent of territory is, that the reigning sovereign and his court know little of the countries they govern, which are, in fact, ruled by deputies, under the names of Soubahs, Nabobs, and Rajahs, who oppress the subjects, rule them with despotic power, and when they have increased their own wealth and importance THE YOUNG CADET. 1 1 sufficiently for the purpose, rebel against then* head, or make war upon each other. " These remarks apply more particularly to the empire of the Moguls, or Hindostan, which you see, by the map, is bounded on the north by the mountains of Tartary and Thibet, on the east by Assam and Aracan, on the south by the sea, and on the west by the river Indus. It is a land rich in all the productions neces- sary for man, and was originally inhabited by a mild and ingenious race of men, who, with little e nergy as to the more important objects of life, were yet capable of pursuing elegant and useful arts." " Those were the Gentoos, 1 believe ?" said Selina. " They were, my dear ; these continue to be the principal inhabitants in point of number, but they have been conquered and overrun by the Mahomedans, who are called the Moors of Hindostan, and whose language it will be ne- cessary for Henry to acquire as soon as he is able. Several of you will recollect that Alex- ander the Great penetrated India as far as the Ganges, (and I dare say even William could tell me what the gigantic king Porus said to the great Grecian conqueror,) but he could not be said to subdue this noble country ; and we know but little of its internal situation till the year 1000 of the Christian era, when a terrible irruption of Mussulmen drove the sovereign 12 THE YOUNG CADET. from the capital, and established the religion of the Koran by the point of the sword." " That is the only way to do it," observed John in a low voice. His papa continued. " In 1398, Tamerlane, a Tartar prince, poured over the plains of Hindostan a flood of ruin. His furious hordes, directed by abilities that would have merited his appellation of ' the Great,' had they been properly directed, in their ferocious conquests exceeded all that ima- gination can conceive of destructive cruelty, and went far beyond their former invaders. Tamerlane was called from his labour of blood on the plains of Delhi, where he had secured immense treasures, to conquer Bajazet, Empe- ror of the Turks, whom he took prisoner, and is said to have confined ra an iron cage. He died in the midst of his glory in Egypt, which he had subdued also, and left the Mogul Em- pire to his successors, who managed it in the manner I have mentioned, each despot giving power to other despots, generally more tyran- nic than himself. From these arose, in 1 (>(>7, the famous Aurengzebe, who was a great and politic prince, capable of consolidating and ex- tending his mighty empire, and whose conduct, after he took possession of the throne, merited more praises than we can give to any of the progeny of Tamerlane. At his death, four of his grandsons disputed the throne, and the empire, weakened by these contentions, invited THE YOUNG CADET. 13 the incursions of the Mahrattas ; and it was no wonder that Nizam, a successful general against these invaders, became, in fact, the governor of the country, whose weak and quar- relsome princes afforded no rallying head for the people. A great country, my dear children, like a private family, should be at union with itself, if it would escape the evils of a foreign tyranny. " Nizam, it is said, invited Kouli Khan, the Persian monarch, to invade Hindostan, and we are assured this conqueror destroyed two hun- dred thousand Gentoos, and took no less a treasure than the value of two hundred and thirty-one thousand millions of our money, when he fixed the heir in the throne of his an- cestors at Delhi, This empire has since then fallen into that decay inevitable to its impover- ished state, and was again plundered in 1756. The city of Delhi was taken in 1803 by the British under General Lake, and continues a part of the possession of the East India Com- pany." "But, dear papa !" said little William, " you have not yet told us who that Company is, and what made them go to Asia among these strange people." " The whole ef the country I have spoken of, my dear child, was formerly known to us Europeans only through the traffic we had with them bv means of the Mediterranean, the c 14 THE YOUNG CADET. Red Sea, and the caravans which crossed tlie Arabian Deserts with merchandise, which they disposed of at Grand Cairo, Aleppo, Alexan- dria, and other Egyptian marts ; hut, in 1497, Vasca de Gama, an enterprising Portuguese, having succeeded in sailing round the Cape of Good Hope and reaching Calicut (at that time an extensive sovereignty), a new world was Opened for the enterprising spirit which was then set afloat by the discovery of America, and every important power endeavoured to avail themselves of it. " Portugal first obtained leave to plant a colony, for the purpose of mutual benefit to the two nations concerned, on this coast ; and Gama himself died viceroy of the Indian set- tlements which were the result of his discovery. France followed, but did not effect much, for the habits and genius of this great nation are not commercial. The government of the Unit- ed States, on the contrary, formed an East India Company, which have realized great wealth and power. England, you may be cer- tain, was not idle when others were busy, but for a long time circumstances were against her. Queen Elizabeth, in the latter part of whose reign the proposal for forming such a company originated, was grown too parsimonious to af- ford necessary aid ; and though carried into effect in the reign of James the First, yet it did not get sufficient parliamentary assistance THE YOUNG CADET. 15 till the beginning of the last century, since which time other beneficial acts have also pass- ed, and the immense increase of territory and wealth which has during that period accrued to this great body, and through them to this country, is now beyond belief." " But, dear papa !" cried little Frederick, " if they went there to trade with the natives, ought the company to fight with them, and take their cities and fields, as if they were enemies ?" " My dear child, wherever there is a con- flicting interest, it must needs be that offences will come. As I have already shewn you, this country has been always subject to wars among its subordinate princes, and such of those as made it the interest of our Company to assist them with money, men, or arms, could not fail to find them friends, whereby the opposite party were of course made enemies to the new comers. " The native soldiers are valiant, but so com- pletely undisciplined, that the value of our mi- litary tactics were soon appreciated, and we were of course courted by many native princes, though hated by others, and no doubt can arise but that these princes in their aggressions me- rited the chastisement they received. That many wrongs have been committed, that our people have exercised a haughty spirit towards those on whom they have intruded, I cannot c 2 1(> Till: YOUNG CAD; doubt ; but I also do firmly believe that the Gentoos, under our dominion, are better pro- tected, and more kindly treated, than by any of their native princes. The sense of justice, the rights which spring from good laws and good government, are so entirely unknown in that unhappy country, save by the British popula- tion, that one can scarcely consider any circum- stance which introduces a new order of thi: in any other light than a blessing." " I suppose we always beat them, if we fight at all ?" "Not always, for they arc much improved by being so frequently engaged with us ; be- sides, the French, when at war with us in Eu- rope, have afforded our enemies in the East instruction. Great numbers will sometimes carry the day, against even the finest troops and the highest courage. You recollect, that Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, are the three places where we were originally permitted to station ourselves. The latter place is the ca ■ pital of Bengal, and in 1750, Nabob Surajah Dowla, governor of that province, overpowered our garrison, and threw Colonel Holwell and his companions into a place named the Black- hole, where a hundred and twenty-three died of suffocation, only twenty-three surviving the sufferings of that horrible night. An account of this unparalleled act of barbarity was written THE YOUNG CADET, 17 by Mr. Holwell, who survived and became af- terwards governor. " With Hyder Ali, an usurper, and Tippoo Saib, his son. the Company contended for many years : they were sovereigns of Mysore, a country lying between the Carnatic and Cape Komorin, of which Seringapatam is the capital. In 1792, Lord Cornwallis laid siege to this city, and compelled Tippoo to pay an immense sum for its ransom, taking his two sons, then about the age of you, Charles and William, as hostages, till the treaty was fulfilled — a cir- cumstance the more affecting, as their mother, a very amiable woman, had died within a fort- night." " Surely, papa, that was very cruel?" cried the younger children. " Not so ; the usage of the country, and the faithlessness of the tyrant, rendered it neces- sary. Speaking of cruelty, I ought to tell you, that in taking the forts, no less than forty Europeans, the remains of five hundred, were found in one of Tippoo's dungeons, who, al- though prisoners of war, had been treated with the most horrid barbarity, being almost fa- mished by hunger, and maimed by torture. The innocent hostages were brought to the English camp, with all that gorgeous display of wealth for which the east has been so long celebrated ; they came in a howdah, borne by a milk-white elephant, the trappings of which c3 18 THE YOUNG CADET. were richly embroidered, and hung down to his feet, and were accompanied by the first mi- nister of the sultan, their father, and preceded by an immense cavalcade of soldiers and ser- vants. They were handsome boy--, and most splendidly clothed in silver muslins and tur- bans, with jewels, and their demeanour was dignified and interesting. Lord Cornwallis re- ceived them affectionately, presented them with watches, and, in short, made them as happy as he could do." "But what became of their father?" said Selina. " After his affairs were settled, and his sons returned to him, he renewed his aggressions against all his neighbours, and fell in 1799, when Seringapatam was finally taken by the British, and the crown restored to the legi- timate heir, whose ancestor had been dispossess- ed by Hyder Ali. Treasures and money, to the amount of more than a million sterling, were found in the palace of Tippoo ; but the jewels worn about his person, and which were inesti- mable, have never been brought forward : the body, when recognised, was stript of them. In these wars of the Mysore, the Duke of Wel- lington, then a very young man, laid the foun- dation of that knowledge, and exercised that courage, which rendered him afterwards the greater general in Europe. "The latest wars we have been engaged in THE YOUNG CADET. 19 were with the Burmese, a people whose domi- nions lie in the eastern peninsula. They had taken it into their heads, that they were the people destined to drive the British out of India, and therefore made an irruption on the neighbouring states, and took Rangoon. The end of this affair was, their utter discomfiture, the loss of the finest portion of their dominions, and the payment of a large sum of money, in order to prevent the violation of their capital, by the presence of the infidels. The higher orders are cunning, faithless, and tyrannical ; the lower, a most pitiable race, who found, in their invaders, that mercy and support, never afforded by their own government. Never did the British army prove its power of endurance, in addition to activity and courage, more fully than during their long suffering march into Burmah, under Sir Archibald Campbell, an excellent general, and most worthy man." " But, papa, did they get more money than paid their expences?" said Selina. "I apprehend not, my dear; the days of Indian wealth are gone by, although a great deal of shew and glitter may still be found, on state occasions, among the native princes, of which Henry's letters will, I trust, give you some account. I trust my son does not go out with any false ideas of amassing wealth, much less of wringing it out of the poor natives ; he goes to discharge certain duties, which will en- 20 THE YOUNG CADET. title him to a respectable situation in society, and rentier him eligible to that which is higher. God forbid that he should ever forget to protect and defend the right, so far as he is able — that he should become luxurious and extravagant, for that is the foundation of avarice and op- pression." " God forbid indeed !" ejaculated Henry, as the tears sprang to his eyes, and he silently grasped the hand of that dear father whose watchful care he felt at this moment to be alike dear and invaluable. THE YOUNG CADET. 21 CHAPTER III. Character of Henry. — Anxiety of his parents. — Preparations for his removal. — Presents of the little ones. — Summons to the ship. — Sorrowlul parting with his family — with his father. — They sail. — Sea-sickness and recovery. — Arrive at Madeira. — Beautiful view of Funchal. — Proceed to St. Helena. — Ceremony of Crossing the Line. — Arrive in Chapel Valley Bay. Mr. Delamere had little further opportunity for informing his young family on these points at present, for he deemed it necessary to give all his time to the improvement of that child who was so soon to be removed from him, whose education it was therefore necessary to complete, so far as time allowed, and whose principles it was his duty to render as stable as his early youth and pliant mind permitted. Henry was a courageous, high-spirited, and honourable boy, of a generous and cheerful temper, a compas- sionate, affectionate heart. He had been from his cradle brought up in the performance of religious duties, carefully instructed in scripture truths and the rites of the Established Church, of which his parents were worthy members and so dearly did he love those parents, that at this 22 THE YOUNG CADET. time the simple fear of grieving or offending them would preserve him in the path of virtue : but yet he was the source of much anxiety, for he was extremely young, full of those buoy- ant spirits and those agreeable qualities which expose gay hearts and pliant natures to temp- tation. Many a time would tears start into the eyes of his mother, when she beheld him eagerly preparing for his departure, or heard him des- cant on the pleasures in store for him ; and often would a sigh rise to the father's lips, when he reflected on the distance that would part his lively boy from the counsels which were wont to guide him. The younger children gazed in astonishment at the numerous articles provided for his ward- robe, and his amusement, during the long voy- age before him, and every one produced some- thing from his own little store, which might add to the pleasure of the traveller. One sister knitted a purse, another made a portfolio ; one little girl brought her doll as her best treasure, and her youngest brother his kite ; and as it would have grieved them to refuse their gifts, Henry took them to his mother, and in a voice full of extreme emotion, entreated her to put them carefully by, adding, " If ever I return, I will claim these presents of the children that gave them. Yes ! mother, these dear creatures and my sister Selina must be my care, if it please God to prosper me. My eldest brother THE YOUNG CADET. 23 must allow me the pleasure of sharing his duties, and being a kind of father to them. I shall not always be thoughtless little Harry, you know." At length the summons came, Henry must join his ship, now lying off Deal, and it was happy for all parties that not an hour could be lost. Mr. Delamere accompanied his son, but of all the rest of the family, leave must be taken. Servant after servant claimed attention, for they all loved Harry, whose faults and ro- gueries, whatever they might have been as a heedless boy, were all forgotten at this moment, and praises were mingled with lamentations on every side ; yet their kindness, though it really affected him, was not like that of the clinging, weeping sister, the quiet, silent, wringing pres- sure of his brother John's hand ; and what was even that to the low smothered tone with which his mother blessed him ? her fond kiss, her tearful smile, put to flight all his mustered resolution, and his father was obliged to lead the sobbing boy to the carriage, in a state of distress that for a short time was completely overpowering. Many hours had passed, the passion of grief had exhausted itself, and a few hours of un- broken sleep had recruited the faculties of our traveller, when he reached the sea-port from which he was to sail to another far distant country, and realize all the wishes of his in- quiring mind. It is however certain, that the 24 THE YOUNG CADET. idea of parting with his fondly-beloved, his deeply-venerated father, again affected him so severely, that he would gladly have resigned at this moment all his long-cherished wishes, if a sense of duty had not come to his assistance. He had the good sense to know, that having gone so far, he was bound to go farther ; and rousing all that was manly and firm in his na- ture, he determined neither to disgrace himself by retracting any of his former professions, nor wound the heart of his father, by sinking under the pain of parting, as he had clone in the first instance. This praiseworthy magnanimity in Henry became its own reward. He found his spirits rise when he went on board the ship, the sea- breeze seemed as inspiring as the cricket-ground at home had ever been, and he was again con- scious of his usual wishes for that destination he was called to fulfil; and when he found him- self strained for the last time to his father's bosom, he was enabled to say, " Pray tell my mother that I am very happy, dear father." The father whispered one word of approba- tion, and closed a scene he bore with difficulty by descending to the boat. There were other fathers, other partings, and other sufferers, but for a short time Henry forgot all the world save his own dear parent; and, when the last glance of his figure was completely gone, sought only to hide himself and his feelings THE YOUNG CADET. 25 from every eye, yet he had one sense of conso- lation in having quitted his father with forti- tude. The wind was favourable, the ship was un- der weigh next morning, and soon began to clear the Channel ; but poor Henry then began to experience that trouble to which new voya- gers are generally subject, and long before he lost sight of his native shores, suffered all the depressing sensations of sea-sickness. He had never known more than a day's illness within his memory, and that had been soothed by the tenderness of his mother, or amused by the playfulness of his companions ; and now, when he felt so much worse, to meet no attention, save that of a joke from his messmates, or as- sistance, except from a menial, at first struck him as hard to bear. He found that there were others who suffered equally, reflected that he had entered on a course which, whether of hard- ship or ease, was certainly of his own choosing, and remembered that its evils had been pointed out to him, and he had promised to meet them firmly ; he therefore set himself to endure, and bore his first trial with as much heroism, or more, than any other passenger. In the course of a fortnight, health and ap- petite returned, and the captain congratulated Henry on what he termed his resurrection. He now became capable of attending to what was around him, and was never weary of ad- D 26 Tin: i "i NG CADET. miring the noble vessel in which he sailed. The beauty, cleanliness, convenience, and even elegance of his floating home, the excellent fable, the pleasant company, the commanding yet protecting air of the captain, the friendly manners of the ladies, all struck him as being charming and delightful, and he began to wonder that any person could consider a long voyage disagreeable, unless, like himself, they had suffered from sea-sickness. This agreeable change had taken place about ten days, when he was one morning called on deck to hail that si<>'ht of land which even the oldest seaman greets with joy. He beheld Ma- deira rise from the bosom of the blue deep, like a rich gem embossed with emeralds. Every moment it became more and more appa- rent, the lofty mountains covered with forest wood, the grounds below covered with vines; and then the town of Funchal itself, the houses rising tier above tier, intermingled with churches and monasteries, met his view, and lie felt, as if this alone repaid him for all the sufferings of his voya This sensation greatly increased on entering the island, which presented on all Bides some- thing so totally different to every thing he had left in his own country, as to offer at once the gratification and the stimulus to curiosity. The city was populous and handsome, yet there was not a single carriage, except clumsy ears drawn THE YOUNG CADET. 27 by oxen. The very cornucopia of Nature ap- peared to be emptied here, in the quality and quantity of fruit : but even from this sight, grateful as it is in such a climate, he was with- drawn to gaze on a procession of monks, and a body of inhabitants, whose dark complexions, indolent gestures, and unknown language, gave him that sense of being for the first time in a foreign land, which all who have experienced it will remember. It so happened, that the ship in which Henry sailed was laden with stores for St. Helena, and the captain therefore lost as little time as pos- sible in taking in what was necessary at the Madeiras, and he desired the passengers to re- turn to the ship as soon as possible. Henry urged his wishes to examine the island, and es- pecially to climb the mountain of Rica Ruiva. " The thing is impossible," returned the cap- tain, " and were it not so, you would see no- thing but the sea, and you will have enough of that, I promise you. All the world knows, that Madeira was discovered by the Portuguese, who found it covered with wood, which they set on fire to clear it. They escaped with dif- ficulty, the fire burnt for seven years, and so fertilized the soil, that they afterwards raised an unequalled abundance of sugar and wine, the last of which continues excellent to this day. The inhabitants are mostly poor, or proud ; but it is a jewel of an island, and the prettiest d 2 28 THE YOUNG CADET. thing; in the Portuguese diadem, if thev knew how to polish it ; but don't stay to talk about it now." Henry returned reluctantly, and looked back with eyes that lingered on the beautiful novel- ties around him : it was now evening, and he saw a group of the lower inhabitants, who ap- peared to be vine-dressers, dancing under the shadows of the beautiful paibanco trees, to the sound of the Spanish guitar, and added to the beauty of the spectacle in the distance — -no wonder he was sorry to depart. The second part of the voyage proceeded less rapidly than the first, and Henry began to think the words of the captain true as to his having "enough of the sea;" but he was happy in the society of the passengers, who became more friendly with each other the farther they pro- ceeded ; and books in the early part of the day, and a dance on the deck in the evening, be- guiled the time ; whilst the store of luscious fruits taken in at Madeira preserved their health, in despite of the increasing heat which they now experienced. Every day would the heart of Henry anxiously revert to his dear home, the occupations and the improvement of its inhabitants, and birthdays, holydays, and visiting seasons, continued to awake in him the most lively interest ; he had no doubt that they all thought of him with as much tenderness as he remembered them, and he rejoiced in the THE YOUNG CADET. 29 belief that neither climate, country, nor circum- stances, could break the tie of affection which bound them to each other. After their continuing a steady progress some weeks longer, unmarked by any incident, Henry was one morning awakened by an un- common noise among the sailors, which, not- withstanding there was no enemy to dread, gave him the idea of preparation for an engage- ment. He had just begun to dress, that he might see what was stirring, when a sudden irruption was made into the cabin, and an old sailor, fantastically dressed up to represent Neptune, attended by various personages, whose appearance was rather comical than clas- sical, gave him to understand, " that the ship was then passing the line, and he must be immerged in the seas of the new hemisphere to make him free of the South." Henry had heard of this old joke, and gladly paid the fine, which was imposed on several passengers as well as himself, and gave the sailors their usual treat of grog on such occasions : but one young man who resisted underwent the penalty, and was roughly handled by the sea- men, and laughed at by the passengers for his obstinacy. Continual inquiries as to the state of their progress, conversations on Bonaparte, and re- newed diligence in gaining as much of the d 3 ■10 THE fOUNG CADET. Moors' tongue as. their situation admitted, filled up the time till they arrived within sight of St. Helena, which is seen from a great distance, Henry thought himself fortunate in seeing this remarkable place, which is not often visited by outward-hound ships ; and, young as he was, he could not forbear to reflect much on the fate of that great warrior, for whom this mighty rock formed first a prison, and now a tomb. As they drew near to this remarkable island, the difference betwixt it and the beautiful Ma- deira struck him forcibly. Sometimes it ap- peared like a stern-looking castle or fortress, rising in frowning grandeur ; at others, like a mass of broken rocks thrown by some sudden convulsion of Nature from the bottom of the deep ; but in no point of view could he con- ceive it to be the abode, much less the pleasant habitation, of man. " Ah !" said he to himself, " how must the hearts of gay Frenchmen and their wives have sunk within them, when from the deck they contemplated their future home ! at least their sacrifice was noble who followed the fortunes of a ruined master to such a me- lancholy exile; and whatever were the faults of him who so long embroiled Europe and spilled the blood of her sons like water, their attach- ment is honourable to those who gave and him who received it." THE YOUNG CADET. 31 In due time the vessel wound its way to the only point of entrance to the island, called Chapel Valley Bay, which is fortified not only by fifty large cannon, but by the perpetual dashing of prodigious waves, as if nature her- self denied access to her most inhospitable shores, which are at length only reached by a small boat, which lands a few men at a time in a little creek. The impression of desolation was aided in the mind of Henry at this moment by large flights of sea-birds, a gloomy atmo- sphere, and a threatening wind, which blew so strong as to have nearly prevented their land- ing at all, a circumstance by no means uncom- mon. When this difficulty was got over, those persons who had no merchandise to dispose of or to purchase, eagerly began to form into a party for the purpose of exploring the island, and as our young friend was one of them, he found himself more agreeably situated than at their last landing, as he had plenty of time for seeing any object of curiosity. For those who have been many weeks at sea, confined to one monotonous view, apparently cut off from the wide world, and placed upon an element capable of opening every instant and swallowing them alive, and when appearing most smooth and smiling, liable in a single hour to exhibit the most alarming change, the simple circumstance of feeling solid earth beneath their 32 THE YOUNG CADET. feet is a delightful change. They look round on all living creatures as a kind of new- found brethren, renew their acquaintance with houses and trees, feel their hearts glow with veneration at the sight of a church, and busy their minds with eager comparisons between the things they behold, and the dearer things which they remember. These emotions filled the mind of Henry with pure delight, as he pursued his way into the higher part of St. Helena, where every step which took him from the shore presented ob- jects of beauty, and conquered the impression of barrenness and desolation hitherto inspired. In fact, a rich though shallow coat of earth covers this mighty rock, which produces fruit- trees, feeds cattle, supplies wheat in small quan- tities, and vegetables in abundance. There are no forest-trees, but the vine has been propa- gated successfully ; and the ground is so broken into green hills and rich valleys, as to render views from the interior frequently very beauti- ful, and give the idea of a paradise in the mighty ocean, fenced in by a fortress of i. nable strength. In due time they reached the former home of Bonaparte, and were minutely informed of all those particulars which have been so often transmitted to Europe, that repetition is need- less, respecting the situation, the conduct, and THE YOUNG CADET. 33 death of Bonaparte. All viewed his grave with interest, and Henry felt again that plea- sure a traveller cannot fail to experience in actually viewing scenes of which he has heard much, and greatly desire to behold. 3 i THE YOUNG CADET. CHAPTER IV They arrive at the Cape of Good Hope. — History of tin's place — Tremendous storm for some time prevents their landing. — Pleasant run from thence to Madras. — Henry's surprise at landing. — New trees, new birds. — A new world around him. Tiie examination of St. Helena only quickened the desire to proceed in our young traveller, and lie \v;is not sorry to be summoned on board. They proceeded with somewhat of a brisk gale, and soon lost sight of the pinnacled rocks, ceased to talk of the dearness of provisions there, and the impositions of the natives, and began to look forward to their arrival at the ( !ape of Good Hope, which is always deemed a point of great importance. Henry borrowed from a lady Mickle's trans- lation of Camoen's Lusiad, a poem written on the discovery of India by Yasco de Gania, which lie read at this period with great pleasure ; but when he arrived at the description which is there given of the storms which took place off the Cape, for which they were steering, he could not help saying, that he thought the poet had made them too tremendous. THE YOUNG CADET. 35 " I shall be very glad," returned the captain, " if you continue to think so ; but as you have seen very little rough weather yet — for we had only a slight rocking even in the Bay of Biscay — 1 cannot allow you to be a judge. Not that I like the description of Camoens at all, for he must needs paint the spirit of the storm, by way of increasing its horrors and ugliness, and to my mind he had done far better in giving its natural effects, which every body can con- ceive, and which far exceed in grandeur and terror any conception of man ; in a very few words, our own service in the Prayer-book gives a better idea by half." A few days after this conversation, the joy- ful tidings of land being descried from the topmast was given, and Henry hastened with others to the deck, each holding a glass, for the purpose of descrying the welcome terra firma. In a short time they discovered the Table Mountain of the Cape of Good Hope, and before the sun went down, had the satis- faction of discerning not only that, but seve- ral othe^ prominent landmarks with the naked eye. The following morning Henry rose soon, impatient to observe all that could be seen, and anticipating a day of uncommon pleasure, because he apprehended it would be one of activity and diversity. To his great surprise, he found the captain giving various orders, with 36 '! HE Vl)! M. ( \ [:ET. a tone of such anxiety as bespoke in his care that pain rather than pleasure was expected ; and on looking up, he observed the mountain covered completely with light vapoury clouds, resembling snow. " You see," said the captain, " the Table is having the cloth laid upon it; and we sailors can assure you that it is a bad preparation for a dinner, should those fleecy-looking wind-mes- sengers descend ; depend upon it, we shall have one of those storms which caused the first name given to the place to be Cape Tormen- toso." " I believe the native inhabitants of all the land in our eye are the Hottentots ; but that, although the Portuguese were the first dis- coverers, it was the Dutch who first planted a colony : am I right ?" " You are. For many years, the Dutch, in their voyages to the Indies, used to land here to take in water and provisions, and the ships going out used to deposit their letters under a case of iron, covered by a stone, which the ships returning took home, and conveyed thus intelligence of their voyage to different parts. John Van Hiebeck, a surgeon, and a man of abilities, first conceived the idea of forming a better establishment, for the purpose of aiding his country, by a settlement, which being about midway from their possessions in India and Europe, might afford assistance to travellers THE YOUNG CADET. 37 from each country. His plan was adopted by their East India Company. Ships were sent out, the friendship of the natives ensured, Cape Town built, land granted to settlers on advan- tageous terms, and the place became wealthy, populous, and productive." " But did they incur no trouble from their savage neighbours ?" " For about ten years they were engaged in continual skirmishing to maintain their foot- ing, but after that became easy ; and during that time proved that the soil was well worth cultivation, and the climate favourable. Far- ther up the country there are many wild beasts, more particularly lions, tigers, leopards, and wolves, but they rarely come near the coast, where they have yet abundance of game, par- ticularly large herds of deer, and where the birds are numerous and beautiful, and, so far as I can learn, no country in the world boasts an equal number of curious plants. At a con- siderable distance from the coast, there is a settlement of the Moravians, who have made converts of a number of the natives, and whose collection of botanic curiosities is prodigious, being assisted in their researches by those sable brethren to whom they have imparted far better things." Whilst the captain had been imparting this information, the dense mists he had termed the " table-cloth " had crept down to the very foot E 38 THE YOUNG CADET. of the mountain, and quick blasts of wind coming from the land-side, whistled among the cordage, and violently shook the sails of the vessel, manv of which were now reefing. When summoned to breakfast, every face wore disap- pointment, and all the more experienced said it would be a day or two before they made the port — a thing which appeared to the novices next to impossible. They had, however, no time to dispute on the subject, for the wind suddenly rose tremendously high ; a sudden swelling of the waves communicated the idea that there was a wind below the surface of the sea, not less than over it, and a terrible confu- sion arose throughout the maritime dwelling. Soon after, black clouds overspread the face of heaven ; all sight of the deceitful coast was denied ; the waves, impelled by the wind, and rising every moment higher and higher, seemed to come as revengeful enemies from the land to forbid their approach ; and many were ex- tremely desirous that the captain should stand out for sea, and give up all intention of visit- ing such an inhospitable shore. In general, this gentleman, though firm and authoritative among his men, was not only gentle and con- ciliating in his manners, but of a disposition to comply with any request properly urged ; but, on the present occasion, Henry observed that he turned a deaf ear to all remonstrance and entreaty, and making up his mind to meet the THE YOUNG CADET. 39 difficulties before him, either enforced obe- dience or silence on all around. Henry, in despite of the greater objects of surprise and curiosity around him, could not forbear giving; his unqualified admiration to this conduct, which he considered not only praiseworthy in itself, but as affording a most salutary lesson to himself; and many a time did he inwardly ejaculate — " If ever I am called upon to hold the lives of others in my power, to combat with danger, or to enforce command, God grant I may act like Captain Murphy \" In a short time the storm so increased in its terrors, from the more rapid swell of the waves and the loud pealing of thunder, the vessel was pitched so violently, and her rigging was so injured, that many of the passengers gave themselves up for lost, and only one besides Henry was permitted to remain on deck, lest they should suffer for their temerity on the one hand, or impede the efforts of the seamen by their expressions of fear on the other. Henry had attended much to the working of the ship ever since they left Madeira ; he understood the sea- terms, and he now lent a willing and able hand to every manoeuvre for her preser- vation which was pointed out, whilst he kept his mind in that state of quiet endurance of evil, and calm expectation of good, which his father had frequently said was the only kind of courage to help a man in the time of need. e2 40 THE YOUNG CADET. Henry was aware that even he, young as he was, might, on the present occasion, practise this species of manly bearing, though he could not have done it on the field of battle ; for there, anger for the wound he had received, or revenge for the death of a companion, might, in addition to the arrogancy natural to a young impetuous soldier, have rendered him too eager to bo guarded, too venturesome to be wise. He had now to contend with danger in a way that rather asked the strength of forti- tude than of valour, yet it asked for exertion against that grief which was awakened bv tlie thoughts of home, that fear the existing terrors around him were likely to awaken ; but he ral- lied his mind, he lifted up his heart to God, and felt that, in the midst of this awful scene, he had a heavenly Protector, who was above all, and commanded all, and who, in another state of existence, would give him life eternal for present death. Often did he think on those words in the Psalms to which the captain had lately re- ferred, and acknowledge how admirably they depicted the state in which the vessel now stood, but he did not speak either of his recol- lections or feelings to him or to any one ; it was a time for acting, not talking ; and in those pauses from labour, when his thoughts could retire to his own breast, and, as it were, attend to their own business, he was THE YOUNG CADET. 41 aware that it was his duty, in deep humility, to prostrate his heart before God, submitting to his will, recommending also the souls of all that partook his situation. Night closed upon them, the thunder ceased, and the forked lightning- no longer showed those fearful abysses of the parting waves which had so long threatened to swallow them; but as the hurricane still raged, their danger appeared hidden from them only to render them the surer prey. Henry descended into the cabin, at length, to take some necessary refreshment, of which he stood in extreme need, and there found all the passengers as- sembled, in that state of fearful expectation, silent awe, and bitter sorrow, which bespake the etfect of their situation on different minds. It was a moment when all disguise was drop- ped, and some of high vaunting displayed miserable pusilanimity ; whilst, in several in- stances, timid women looked pale, but placid and resigned. It was to Henry a heart rend- ing scene, and affected him infinitely more painfully than the threatened death which he beheld above. There was something in the sublimity of the latter which was stimulating in its magnificence ; but the faint breathings of sighs, the wailings of fear, and even the quietness of the firm, were affecting and dis- tressing to his compassionate heart; and when, with great diflicultv, from the perpetual rock- e 3 42 THE YOUNG CADET. ing and pitching, he had obtained a little bis- cuit and swallowed a small portion of brandy, he returned to the deck. " You well deserve to carry good news to the poor wretches below," said the captain, " for you have proved yourself worthy an ad- miral's honour ; return, and tell them we have got on a good tack, and the breakers are sub- siding ahead. I thought this before I sent you down, but am now certain of it." Henry did not wait to hear the observations nor exclamations which followed this 4 i hi: fOl NG C \i>KT. lessons of any kind, and to study for the sake of improving my mind instead of finishing my task. " I was much struck with the Armenians at .Madras, and now admire the women a- well as the men. They are very pale, but their exes are large, dark, and expressive, their features full of intelligence and pensive softness. They wear on their heads a cap with jewels in front, like a tiara, over which they throw fine shawls, which, descending in graceful folds, veil their forms, yet add to their dignity. I have been to the Armenian church, and was much pleased with the air of deep devotion apparent in all the worshippers ; but the assumed splendour in the dnss of the priests, and the ceremonies of m rapping the Gospel in gold tissue, did not suit my taste, from being used to the plain good sense and simplicity of our own establishment; nevertheless, there was much to admire and ap- prove in all that I beheld, and the church itself is a neat plain building, well calculated lor a ( Ihristian temple. "I have also seen a little Jewish congrega- tion, which was very striking, for I could have fancied thai the Patriarchs themselves, in a state of Babylonish captivity, had been placed before me. Their long silver beards, handsome but marked features, and the kind of half- lighted, dungeon-like room where they assem- bled to read the Old Testament from an ancient THE YOUNG CADET. 65 manuscript volume, favoured this idea ; and as I gazed upon them, my very heart ached with the intense desire I felt, that they would come to that light which our Lord brought to a be- nighted world, and was offered Jirst to their fore- fathers — that instead of skulking in holes and corners to worship the true God, they would add to that worship, faith in His Son, and gratitude for His great sacrifice. " What a contrast was afforded, in both these places of worship, to a Hindoo pagoda and its hideous idols ! Compared to them, the Maho- metans' worship is really respectable ; and the veneration these people entertain for Abraham and Moses, seems to me a kind of connecting link between them and us, which one can never feel for the Gentoo idolaters, who, whilst they adhere, with the most obstinate stupidity, to their religion, yet appear to know its folly and frivolity, as the makers of idols continually re- commend them to the English, with ' Please to buy them for the children, masters.' Surely this is the height of folly. " At this time, the Holy Scriptures are print- ing here in no less than sixteen different dia- lects ; so that we may hope, in the course of another century, knowledge of the most im- portant truths will become general in this im- mense country, especially as upwards of an hundred schools are established by the Com- pany. o 3 - the more necessary for me, because you well THE YOUNG CADET. 07 know, dear John, that I was always given to hasty friendship, and got into more scrapes at school that way than any other boy, as you may remember, for you had no little trouble to get me out of them. Ah! my brother, when the remembrance of your kindness, or that of my beloved parents, comes over my mind ; when my happy home, the haunts of my childhood, or even the images of our dogs and horses, rise in my memory, for a time it completely over- powers me, and I feel as if I would give the whole wealth of the Indies twice told, to be with you again, and never, never leave you more. But do not be uneasy on my account ; these acute recollections do not last long ; and I soon shake off my sorrow, look round on the new world before me, and feel delighted with all it presents, and impatient to see more. " You shall hear from me as soon as I am stationary ; and in the mean time, with duty to my parents, and love to all the dear young ones, I am, my beloved John, affectionately yours, Henry Delamkre." 68 ill I - YOUNG CADET. CHAPTER VII. Voyage to Berampore, — Moorshedabad. — Elephants. — Ruins of Gour. — Fakirs. — Monghyi and its ^prin^s. — Henry arrives at Benares. — Writes to his mother. — The streets, pagodas, Bramins, mosques of Benares. — Letter continued. — Henry removes to,Cawnpore. — Method of travelling. — Description of Allahabad and C'awnpore. — Letter concluded. Not long after despatching this letter, Henry set out with an officer and company of troops in a budgerow (which is a long vessel with an awning, well calculated for river voyages), up the Hooghly for Berampore. He was exceed- ingly pleased with the views presented as the vessel fjentlv moved forward, and showed cha- racteristics of the country ; particularly when they saw a neat Indian village, where the elders were assembled under a group of trees, and the young men were driving home their Hocks of cream-coloured cattle, and the women bringing down their brazen urns to fill them with water, in the same way that Kebccca of old went forth to the well at eventide. He was also amused with the busy scene presented by the river it- self, as vessels of all forms and Bizes, laden THE YOUNG CADET. 69 with merchandise, and frequently managed by the most picturesque-looking navigators, were continually passing : many of them were covered with matting, and looked like floating cottages. From Berampore they proceeded to Menshe- dabad, a place of considerable importance, where minarets, domes, and palaces, conveyed the idea of a Moorish city in perfection. In the neighbourhood is the Meetie Jeel, or pearl lake, on which stands a superb palace, raised by Alinudy Khan. This magnificent place, built chiefly of the finest marble, was already in decay ; but whilst Henry was looking at it, and lamenting its ruins, he saw ten fine ele- phants brought down to the lake by their keep- ers, which diverted his attention. They were thin, and had an air of having also fallen from the high estate they once held in the palace ; but yet they marched with a proud step, as if conscious that they had belonged to royalty. They next stopped at Gour, or Guara, once the capital of Bengal, and showing ruins fifteen miles in length by three in breadth. This an- cient city flourished above seven hundred years before the birth of Christ ; but it is now gone down to the dust so completely, that it must be searched for to be found. The luxuriant foliage of India, with astonishing avidity covers the mouldering wall, and climbs the falling turret ; and although abundance of ruins mark the site Ttl THE YOUNCJ CADET. of Gour, when you reach the ground they oc- cupy, it is necessary to toil over bush and brake to arrive at them. A short time after leaving (Jour, Henry was shown the habitation of a Fakir, who had lived in Bolitude and silence a great number of years, and lately completed his self-imposed miseries by drowning himself in the sacred waters of the (ianges. The Fakirs are a class of persons to be met with all over Hindostan, who give up their lives to tormenting- themselves, in the hope of thereby securing immortal happiness. Some put live coals upon their heads, or hold them in their hands ; others sit in one posture till they lose all use of their limbs; twistings of hair, dislocation of joints, long fasts, severe immersions, the suffering of years, and the sa- crifice of life, are the common self-inflictions of these unhappy and deluded beings. The cotton plant, with its bursting pod, dis- closing that beautiful substance, which affords to us such various, elegant, and useful articles — the indigo shrub — the betel plant, and the graceful bamboo, all varied the way as thej proceeded to Monghyr, which is remarkable for a hot spring. It is gathered into a walled well, round which, as formerly at the Pool of Bethesda, numbers of cripples and sick people were assembled ; but the healing; stream was guarded by many stout healthy Bramins, who never suffered the pennyless to approach the THE YOUNG CADET. 71 stream ; and even when Henry had relieved a poor wretch, took the money instantly from him — a decisive proof of the hard-hearted ava- rice common to this celebrated caste. Henry now approached the celebrated city of Benares, having- passed Ghazipoor, and seen in its neighbourhood a mausoleum erected to the memory of the venerable Marquis Corn- wallis. As Benares is the finest city now left in the possession of the Gentoos, and a place which every Indian traveller desires to see, we shall offer Henry's own account of his view of it in a letter to his mother. " My dear mother, " I write to you from the very focus of oriental learning- and splendour — ' the land of roses, the garden of beauty.' It is, in truth, the most curious place you can con- ceive, and can only be seen in a palanquin, or on horseback ; for the streets are so narrow, and you find such crowds of people in them, that you are obliged to have a police trospee to clear your way, or you would not be able to get on at all. The houses are built of brick, and form a kind of labyrinth of lanes, being six or seven stories high, and frequently connected with each other by small bridges thrown across the street. These houses are painted in stripes, or ornamented with the Hindoo deities. The shops are all in distinct 7'2 Tim young c \iht. streets, according to their trades; in one are embroiderers of gold and Bilver muslin, which they do so beautifully, it would be a treat to the girls to see it ; in another are displayed the finest shawls ; a fourth is filled with jewels ; a fifth with jewel merchants. Several streets are entirely filled with the makers of brass idols, together with lamps, dishes, and vessels of the same metal, and these are really splendid. " You meet in the street numerous Bra- mins, in open palanquins with crimson cano- pies, or hackrees, drawn by two showy horses, with flowing manes, richly caparisoned. The women are beautifully formed — wear garments of the richest materials — walk gracefully, yet fetch their own water, and therefore form a striking feature in the population. The most remarkable, however, is that of the great num- ber of Hindoo youth of high caste sent to Be- nares for education. These do not reside in schools, or colleges, but board in the houses of the Bramins who instruct them, to the number of six or seven only. " I went into one temple dedicated to Maha- dena, which was externally covered with sculp- ture, and internally with flowers, and so far attractive ; but, considering the character of Benares as the seat of learning and religion, the pagodas are by no means grand or numerous. Adjoining this temple was a sacred spring, which 1 found guarded b\ :i fat. stupid-looking rj THE YOUNG CADET. 73 Bramin — as fine a picture of lazy pride and ig- norant dulness as you can well imagine. " I visited also a famous mosque built by Aurungzebe, in tbe heart of the city, of the very materials which had constituted their proudest pagoda, to commemorate the triumph of the crescent in India. What would this proud Mussulman have said, could he have known that the cross would so far have laid low his boasted acquisitions, as it has done in our time, and that his descendants and their oppo- nents would alike have crouched at the bidding of these ' Christian dogs' whom they despised with so much scorn, and, when opportunity offered, treated with such barbarity ! " I saw also a fine observatory built by a Hindoo rajah, who must have been of a very different description to any of his race ; and in the very heart of the city is a school founded by a wealthy Bramin, who is really a liberal man, and certainly not an enemy to Christian- ity ; so that it would be wrong not to allow him merit." # *' * # * (In continuatioji.) " Unexpected information has removed me from the neighbourhood of Benares to Cawn- pore, from whence I resolved to dispatch my letter. I have had a very pleasant journey, setting out after dark, and travelling in a palan- H 74 the rouNG cadet. quin, on which I could lie or sit, as I felt in- clined. My clothes were packed in neat hamp- ers, and the palanquin bad drawers, writing- desk, two or three books, and a lamp ; likewise a canteen convenience for meals. I stopped every day twice, to wash and take refreshment ; and found relays of bearers every ten or twelve miles, so that nothing could be more convenient and comfortable. " I saw in my course Allahabad, an ancient city near the confluence of the Ganges and the Jumna; near which I visited a subterraneous cavern, where, during the reign of Moorish persecution, the Gentoos retired to perform their own superstitious rites. Even now, mul- titudes of pilgrims crowd to the confluence of these sacred rivers, and every year there are some who voluntarily rush to death ; and when the swollen corpse rises again to the surface, it becomes the prey of the vultures which hover round the scene of sacrifice. AVho that be- holds such horrid spectacles, can forbear to desire the conversion of a people so unhappily blind to present happiness and eternal glory ! " Cawnpore is a noble-looking place, with numerous domes and cupolas, and a large in- closure for tombs, which is much more grand and solemn than any church-yard I have ever seen. The Mahometans are fond of walking in their cemetries at the hour of sunset ; and their serious deportment, flowing garments, and THE YOUNG CADET. VO stately step, suit well the solemnity of such scenes. Altogether, I am pleased with this town : there are ijood houses and bungalows* fine Howdashed elephants, gay barouches and tilburies ; and, on the whole, it seems a second Calcutta. " And now, dear mother, with love and good wishes to every one of my beloved brothers and sisters, and more gratitude to yourself and my excellent father than I have words to express, I must say farewell, &c. &c." * Garden houses. h2 76 THK YOUNG CADET. CHAPTER VIII. Henry's letter to his brother, with a description of the mode of living by the Anglo-Indians. — Numerous servants. — Largo dinners. — Children. — Fetes of the natives, &c. " Being now, my dear John, settled for a short time at Cawnpore, in the beautiful bun- galow of my father's friend, Colonel 8 , I think I cannot do better than give you some account of the things around me, as I under- stand, and indeed perceive, that the same services and circumstances take place in all the other houses where we visit. " 1 ought to tell you, in the first place, that the bungalow, or country house, where I am a bappy guest, is very large, and beautifully fur- nished; yet it is only built of cutcha, that is, unbaked mud, and covered with tiles. The rooms below are built en suite, and the doors kept open for circulation of air; but a sort of gauze work, formed of split bamboo, and co- loured green, is put up, to give some degree of privacy to each. The furniture is placed at some distance from the walls, to keep it from insects, which are very destructive; indeed there THE YOUNG CADET. 77 are neither looking-glasses nor curtains admit- ted, as they are found to harbour musquitoes and white ants, the plagues of every part of India. The floor is covered with chunam, over which is laid matting, and upon that a setringee, which is a kind of thick calico, made by the natives, and looking very handsome. The gar- den, upon which we look from the verandah which surrounds the bungalow, is very beau- tiful, and enriched with mangoes, plantains, melons, oranges, shaddocks, custard apples, and guavas, besides multitudes of beautiful flowers, such as I never saw at home, the perfume of which is equal to their beauty. " You have heard how many servants are necessary in Hindostan, even to an European ; I will name a few of the principal ; the head of them is a khansanah ; I believe he attends to all the confectionary and fiddle-faddle dishes at table, and then takes his place behind his master's chair. Every person in the family has a khidmatzu, who attends on them in the same way. Then there is the abdar, or butler, who cools the wine ; the hookah badar, who takes care of the colonel's pipe, and who, like his khansanah and abdar, is splendidly dressed, and stands at his back. Then we have two cooks and two maulsaulchees, who are Mussulmen, as the Hindoos can have nothing to do with the kitchen, on account of their religion forbidding the slaughter of any animal: indeed, they will h 3 76 THE YOUNG CADET. no' <'\rii touch a clean plate, in consequence of its having been defiled some time. '•The sirdar bearer is a Hindoo; betakes care of the oil, and two mate- assist in pull- ing the punkahs. The meter, or sweeper, is also a Hindoo, but of a low caste; but in my opinion he is worth all the rest, for he does what they leave undone. Then there is the ayah, and the metranee, her assistant, who are ladies' maids, and the dirzee. These are the house servants, to which must be added those who take care of the baba logue, or nursery, which are ten more, for the colonel has five children, and in every family here each child has two for its share. As every servant thus employed makes as much noise as possible, under pretext of amusing the child, and all the other servants exalt their voices, in order to be heard, I beg you will try to conceive how much noise must be submitted to in every gen- tleman's house who has a family ; but you will never be able to do it : when 1 was at home, leading all of you into mischief, our dear parents out — Sally scolding — the housekeeper insisting — and James laughing, it was all a mere nothing to the perpetual uproar of an Anglo-Indian establishment. " Our out-of-door servants consist of the bheestie, or water-carrier ; the two c/u/jirassies, who are a hind of running footmen; and being high-caste Bramins, always appear with swords THE YOUXG CADET. 79 by their sides. There are hurkarus, but they are a low people, who perform the same offices, and sit in the ante-rooms, to answer the question (qui hi), ' who waits V "Then there are mallees, who take care of the garden ; the dobhy, or washerman ; the berry wallah, who has the charge of goats or sheep ; and every horse must have his syce and grass-cutter. To this moderate account add eight bearers, four punkah-pullers, and extra helpers in each department, and you will see what an assemblage it will make, and how much noise must be inevitable. " I retract now what I said hastily, John, in an early letter, about the cunning and sel- fishness of the people who serve you, for I firmly believe that good masters make good servants here as well as elsewhere. In this family, such is the devoted affection of the servants, I am certain many of them would die for their employers ; and Colonel S assures me, the activity and honesty of his khansanak greatly assists his income. The syces, who frequently take valuable horses from one station to another, have never been known to fail in their duty, under so strong a temptation as the temporary possession of a valuable horse cer- tainly offers ; and even when they have been taken ill and died on the road, they have in many cases, by great exertions, placed their 80 111 li YOUNG CADET. charge in the hands of English persons, in order to ensure its safety. "Never boast in England of your hospitable entertainments, I mean so far as concerns the quantity of fare set before the company; for here we never have a few friends, without placing a dinner before them that would do for a corporation feast at Norwich. I have seen, at one time, a sirloin of beef, a saddle of mutton, ham, turkey, fowls, ducks, tongues, pigeon-pies, curry, &c. But it is no use re- capitulating ; the whole table is covered twice in this way, for the second course is little less substantial than the first. The worst part of the business is the great waste of victuals ; for as the Hindoo poor around will not touch it, the greatest part must inevitably be lost. " The wine is kept cool by wetted cloths tied round the necks of the bottles, like little petti- coats, the colour being contrived to tell the nature of the wine. They tell me, that the hurra khanas, or grand dinners at Calcutta, afford a very attractive spectacle, and remind the gazer of those baronial feasts of which we have read, but never seen ; but there can be no better description than that of Miss lxobcrts : — " ' In a hall, paved with marble, supported by handsome stone pillars, and blazing with lights, sixty guests perhaps are assembled; punkahs wave above their heads, and cholines THE YOUNG CADET. 81 of various kinds, some of peacock's plumes, others of fleecy cow- tails, mounted upon silver handles, are kept in continual agitation, to beat off the flies, by attendants beautifully clad in white muslin. At every third or fourth chair, the hookah, reposing on an embroidered carpet, exhibits its graceful splendours ; but unhappily the fumes of the numerous chillums, the steam of the dishes, the heat of the lamps, and the crowd of attendants, effectually counteract the various endeavours made to procure a free cir- culation of air.' " Here you have the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, before you ; though we may say, 'if not a feast, we have a hecatomb' be- fore us, the supply of good victuals will not suffice for comfort; indeed it helps to destroy it. <£ Balls here are very different from such meetings at home ; for so far from ladies being wall-flowers, they have^ach two or three gen- tlemen waiting for a chance of dancing with them. I suppose I must get a commission before I have any chance for a partner ; I am sure I am tall enough now. Every one here is fond of dancing, to the great surprise of the natives, who think it very foolish in people who are rich enough to hire dancers, who would do it for them. To judge by appearances, a good many English would indeed do little enough for themselves : the children here look B2 THE VOL' NO CADET. pale and languid, and are scarcely able to play or amuse themselves; and even when naturally clever, scarcely learn any thing. "All the country stations are called mafussil. I believe this of Cawnpore is (taken altogether) the most agreeable ; but the extreme delight and novelty I experienced at Benares, render my present pleasures comparatively tame, al- though I have many comforts here to which I was then a stranger. I will take the oppor- tunity of my present leisure, to say something of the fruits and trees peculiar to this country. " The first is the m.°ngo, which grows on a very beautiful stem, something like our walnut trees, but more graceful ; the blossoms grow in pyramidal bunches, and are followed by clusters of fruit, each attaining the size of a good pear. Whilst ripening, you see them on the same tree, all shades, from an apple-green to a glowing crimson. In some parts I understand a mango will attain the weight of two pounds; the skin is smooth, the flesh more cool and de- licious than the finest peach, and until the country of Tavoy was added to the possessions of the Company, it was considered the finest fruit India produced, but it now yields in honour to the mangostein, which has been thus described to me : — " The mangostein* grows upon a very orna- mental tree, about twenty feet high ; the leaves * See Mudic's admirable work. THE YOUNG CADET. 83 are large ; the flowers resemble those of the camellia japonica, and the general arrangement of the branches is beautiful and majestic ; the fruit, when ripe, is the size of an ordinary orange, the rind of a similar thickness, and thin membranes divide the pulp into six por- tions ; this pulp has been described to me by many as most exquisite, but none of them agreed as to the flavour ; it has not hitherto been transported out of its native soil. The durion is another Burmese fruit, and a verv singular one, being so noisome in its smell, it is a wonder any person ever ventured to taste it ; but having done so, the pure white pulp it encloses was found delicious, wholesome, and possessing so much of animal flavour, as to be sustaining also ; it is said never to pall on the appetite, and even to restore the tone of dis- ordered stomachs. When full grown, it is nearly as large as a man's head : it is covered with a kind of scales, and when too ripe, these burst, the pulp putrifies, and the seeds drop to the ground; these may be roasted like chesnuts, but they taste of turpentine and camphor, and smell as bad as the fruit, which I fancy is more like Harrowgate water than any thing else, from what I can learn. " I must not omit the bread-fruit, of which there are two kinds, the inferior being called jacca ; it is by no means a tempting thing, but affords a coarse food, not to be named with 84 THE YOUNG CADET. potatoes. After it comes the banano, of which the fruit is abundant, sweetish, but insipid ; it is said, that one acre of land will produce eighty thousand pounds weight of bananas, each being about half-a-pound. " The tamarind tree is very beautiful, being- very like our own acacias, and its acid juice an important addition to the luscious fruit. The papan is a fruit as large as a moderate sized melon. The pine-apple, the oranges of various kinds, and the Otaheite apple, are said to be imported ; but the pillaw, with its bag of nuts — the carambale, with its juicy berries like the grape, are, I believe, native. Figs, mul- berries, grapes, plums, and apples, are also to be met with in many places. " Now let me tell you a little about trees, for they arc here so splendid, as to make the whole country seem like one magnificent gar- den. The cotton tree deserves to be named first, on account of its usefulness ; it grows fifty feet high without a branch ; but after that, throws out numerous boughs covered with pur- ple flowers, which protect pods, in which lie the pure white cotton, which gives clothing to all, and food to thousands in its manufactory. Then comes the mulberry tree, which i'cctU the silk-worms, and we well know their value From the fibres of the cocoa-nut, excellent cordage for shipping is produced ; but I believe the natives here would give preference, even THE YOUNG CADET. 85 over all I have named, to those which produce oils, for as they kill no animals, these trees are required both for food and light. The sweet ponna tree, which is a forest tree covered with sweet-scented flowers, yields seeds, from which all the common lamp-oil is extracted. Then there is the castor-oil tree, and the phutwarrah, which produces abundance of nuts, from the kernals of which oil is extracted. I need not tell you that madda and indigo plants produce excellent dyes, and are cultivated to a great extent in India on that account. " Of the magnificent flowering shrubs and trees in this country, I can really convey no idea by words, any more than I could enable you to scent their perfume ; the fulness of blossoms and brilliance of colour may be shown by a painter, but cannot be described even by a poet. I will, nevertheless, confess to you, that the birds and insects please me even more than the flowers ; there is something in life and motion that is more endearing than can be found even in the finest productions of inani- mate nature. " The first hours of morning is the time when you see these winged flowers to the greatest advantage ; then, and again in the evening, every description of the parrot and parroquet, and many birds I cannot name, clothed in pur- ple, scarlet, and yellow, may be seen glancing from point to point, and appearing anxious to i 80 THE YOUNG CADET. shine in the sunbeams ; small doves, with pink breasts, blue jays, green pigeons, crested wood- peckers, and byahs, whose breasts are of the brightest vellow, together with Hv-eatchers, a bird of slender form and emerald- green colour, otter to the eye and the mind a source of the purest delight. The butterflies are every where abundant, and of very various descriptions, but always urf the tiger in- creased, ;md although no great dread pervaded the inhabitants of the female tent, yet Captain being assured that the body of a native, partly devoured, had really been seen within a little distance, thought it right to l«>ok alter the perpetrator of such deeds. Two other officers arose, and offered to accompany him, and I begged leave to join them, and we all took the arms necessary for the purpose. We were attended by three natives, sepoys, because they understand the habits of this ferocious animal, and are quick in detecting his lair. We had proceeded a very short way into the jungle, when one of them gave the alarm, and ( 'aptain , to whom 1 was speaking, pointed out to me what appeared like the twinkling of two bright glow-worms, from some brushwood op- posite. I then became instantly aware these were the glaring eyes of the tiger, but not see- ing his huge brindled form, was not sensible of the terror it was calculated to inspire; and though I prepared to fire, I very foolishly (in rav own mind) wished the creature to come out, and make sport for us; when, just as my piece went otf, he vaulted clean over my head (being on higher ground than that we occupied), and 11*1 seized on one of the native troops behind us. THE YOUNG CADET. 95 Captain , with admirable presence of mind, turned and lodged the contents of his piece in the body of the tiger, which fell dead upon his victim. There was a ball found in the animal's shoulder, which we thought must have been mine, and perhaps had been the cause of that tremendous spring which led to the poor man's death. On examining him, we found the bones of his head literally crushed by the fangs of the tiger. I cannot tell you how great a shock I experienced ; but we all agreed to say nothing on the subject till morning, lest apprehensions of further intrusion from such visitants should be awakened among the ladies. "If it were not for tigers and bears, the jungles would be perfect paradises— the beau- tiful antelopes, silver grey foxes, stately nyl- ghaus, together with innumerable birds, flowers, and shrubs, forming themselves into arcades and bowers; the patches of beautiful green- sward, sometimes covered by a venerable ba- nana, and his thousand pendant boughs through which sunshine and shadow alternately prevail, render these places charming. It is true, they have also many of the serpent tribe nestling in these green retreats, and the boa-constrictor arrives unmolested to a tremendous size in many of them ; and I must own I was not sorry, after our tiger adventure, to find myself reaching more immediately to the neighbour- hood of cities. Even here, however, jackals 9G i in: young cadet. prowl nightly, and their melancholy bowling's are much less endurable than the chattering of the monkeys in the jungles, which amused me very often, though they are an animal for which I have very little affection ; commend me to one good-natured terrier, in preference to even the most cunning of the tribe. " Nothing can be more exciting than the sports of India, since, in almost every case, they combine danger and difficulty, with the stimulants of novelty and exercise, and they are carried on amid the most luxuriant scenes the hand of nature ever spread for her crea- tures. Formerly, native princes, especially the Nawab of Bengal, would take the field against his four-footed subjects with a body-guard of cavalry, and himself and European guests, set out in splendid palanquins, followed by elephants, horses, and camels, to be used as occasion required. They were accompanied by greyhounds, hawks, and cheetahs, which are a small leopard trained to the chase, and wear- ing hoods like our carriage horses : these are always used for hunting the tiger ; but this sport is no longer carried on in this princely style ; nevertheless it is still noble and spirit- stirring in a great degree, and strikes a stran- ger the more, from the contrast it offers to the general languor of Anglo-Indian manners, and because ladies delight to witness these diver- sions, and to partake the inconveniences at- THE YOUNG CADET. 97 tending a bivouac in the jungles. There are no pheasants in Bengal, but the pea-chick supplies their place, and jungle fowl are also excellent for the table ; and it is by no means uncommon to make parties into a jungle, who agree to live only on the produce of their own exertions. For the purpose of tiger-hunting, elephants are required, since few horses can be brought to face the tyrant of the jungles ; in- deed the elephant frequently shrinks from an encounter. His great endeavour is to receive the tiger on his tusks, or crush him by his weight ; and hunters are not unfrequently placed in great danger, from the unwieldly animal throwing himself upon his side, in order to overwhelm the assailing tiger, which, if it does not fully answer, of course exposes the persons in the howdah to a twofold danger. " But there are, dear Selina, worse animals than tigers in India, the poison of whose tongues exceed in fatality its most insidious serpents. These are an organized body of mur- derers, called Thugs, or Phansegars, the busi- ness of whose lives it is to destroy, and afterwards rob their fellow-creatures. Certain portions of this most horrible and detestable body, make it their business to discover who among friends or strangers is about to travel ; of which they give information to others, who then fall in with the persons in question, it being common in India, for the sake of general safety, to make K 98 THE YOUNG CADET. such associations, and proceed in a body, as a security against wild beasts and robbers ; ;i third portion proceed in advance, to places pitched upon, where they prepare graves for their intended victims. On reaching the spot pitched upon, the men who have been associat- ing as friends and brothers with the unsus- pecting travellers, suddenly throw a prepared noose round the head of the unhappy man, and seldom fail to perpetrate instant death ; for al- though probably a stronger man and capable of resistance, the terrible facility obtained by practice, enables them in a short time to dis- patch alike the aged or the youthful object of their wicked designs. " So soon as thev are assured of his death, they proceed to strip the body and bury it, in some cases finding perhaps considerable booty concealed close to the person ; but in many in- stances they have practised upon travellers, with scarcely the means of purchasing a single meal. It appeared, from the confession of one of these wretches, whose horrible account was afterwards fully borne out by the relatives of the deceased, that within a short time they had thus destroyed forty-two persons. In several instances they were men of consequence, travel- ling with a number of attendants in palan- quins; and one person in particular, they followed four whole days before they could find the opportunity they sought. Another THE YOUNG CADET. 99 day they murdered six palanquin-bearers, two women, and two children, although well aware that a very few rupees and their cooking vessels were all they could possibly obtain. No other banditti, or thieves of any description, I have heard, or read of in any country, have com- mitted the most awful of all crimes with so much apathy and reckless depravity; indeed the burkings at Edinburgh were the only murders at all resembling these in the records of human atrocity. I ought here to remark, that the system was only exercised upon their own countrymen, considering that any British subject would be soon missed and rigidly sought ; they never appear to have ventured on a prey that was so likely to bring them into trouble. " These sanguinary deeds, if one may so term the extinction of life, with an especial care to shed no blood, generally took place in jungles, near to which probably a large party might be sitting, so that no suspicions of evil intention could arise, till the instrument of destruction was felt on the throat of the sufferer. This is said to have been a long damp napkin, twisted so as to occupy little room on the person of the Thug who used it. " I have been assured that there are five classes of murderers in Hindostan, found in dif- ferent parts of the country, and using different means for the same hateful and appalling end. In 1811 sixty-eight persons, called junadars, k2 100 THE YOUNG CADET. were proved to be murderers, through the means of deleterious drags; another band were expressly devoted to destroying the pilgrims to Jaggernaut. In every case, robbery was the end for which murder was committed, a circum- stance the more remarkable, because the da- coits or thieves of India are considered the most expert in the world ; they are so supple as to make their way into tents, even while the party are seated there, and stealing as it were their goods before their eyes ; of course they are the last of their own wicked class who have an excuse for their assassinations. " It is hoped that the methods taken by the Company's servants, by planting Chokies, or station-houses on the public reads, and by otherways guarding travellers, will, after a time, render these murders unavailing for their purpose, and thereby put an end to the attempt, in addition to prompt punishment of the guilty. Many a poor traveller has been reported as slain by tigers, that found his grave from the cruelty of his fellow man, who, when devoid of religious principle, is the most heartless, avaricious, and ferocious animal, that walks on earth. " We are now at Patna, which is a fine city, but with a very melancholy recollection attached to it; lor here forty British prisoners were invited, as friends, by MirCossiin, and butcher- ed by his troops in cold blood I have every THE YOUNG CADET. 101 reason to expect being sent to Oude myself, in a short time, therefore I have forborne relat- ing the account, which amused me in the jungles. Be assured, I will tell you whatever I think will entertain you, and believe me, ever your truly affectionate brother, &c. &c. k P. S. Never omit, dear Selina, to keep me as much as you can in the memory of the little ones ; however happily I may be situated, or however highly gratified, my heart is still with my family and my country; and anxiously do I hope to retain my present feelings, for there is a pleasure mingled with the pain they give me. I think I must be a better man for my attachment to those so near to me in blood, so much above me in virtue." 1<)'2 THE YOUNG CADET. CHAPTER X. Letter from Oude. — Description of the splendid processions at tin Buchra Endc, ;it Lucknow. "Here I am, dear John, at Lucknow, the only place now left which realizes the dreams of my school days, when I read the Arabian Night Tales till my head was almost turned. I have arrived just at the time of the celebra- tion of the Buckra Bade, which is a commem- oration of the offering of his son by Abraham ; but the followers of Mahomet maintain, that Jshmael, not Isaac, was the intended sacrifice. It is a season of great rejoicing; and benevo- lence ; for as numerous animals are offered in sacrifice, the richer Mahomedans Bupply their poorer brethren with goats and sheep for that purpose, and every house is blest with a plentiful feast. "The first preparation for this grand occa- sion is the Trashing and painting the elephants, also oiling their skins; after which they are decorated with embroidered jhools of the most costly descriptions, surmounted by howdahs of THE YOUNG CADET. 103 silver or beautiful enamel. The horses are ca- parisoned with equal splendour ; their tails are dyed scarlet, the saddles and stirrups are of so- lid silver, and they have costly necklaces, com- posed of medallions of rich beads, their heads being adorned with tufts of silk, which have a very picturesque effect. The camels are deco- rated in a similar manner. All the troops have new clothing ; and different regiments are dif- ferently arrayed, but all in a costly and striking costume ; and amongst them the warlike music of the dunkahs, or kettle drums, is constantly heard, and appears at this suitable. " The van was formed of the camels ; after which came the gunners ; then two troops of cavalry ; next, a body of suwars, in scarlet cloth, and caps of black lambskin ; these were followed by a body in grand barbaric costume ; after which arrived the most gorgeous part of the spectacle, the king and his court. The monarch himself was seated on a throne, in a triumphal silver car, canopied with crimson vel- vet, embroidered and fringed with gold, and drawn by four elephants, matched exactly in size and colour. The great men by whom he was followed had only two elephants each, but all glittered with gold and silver, gems and brocade. Their turbans were adorned with costly aigrettes of jewels, clasps, studs, and belts ; even their slippers were enamelled by gems ; and the rich tissues and beautiful shawls, 104 THE YOUNG CADET. in finely-flowing drapery, aided the general effect. Hound their chariots, chebdars, chu- pru'/ses, kurharies, and other stale attendants, brandished their scimitars, fanned the air with tliL-ir chowries, and shouted forth the titles of the puissant personages to whom they belonged. A cloud of irregular horse hovered on either side, tilting and curvetting in the most graceful manner ; and after them came the led horses of the king, splendidly caparisoned, and led by grooms in the richest liveries. " After these came the royal palanquin and paalkie, which are constructed entirely of wrought gold, and carried by bearers in long scarlet vests, embroidered with gold, and their turbans ornamented with the emblems of roy- alty. There was also a state carriage, of Englis-h make, drawn by eight black horses, and driven by an English coachman. Then came those English gentlemen in the king's suite, mounted upon elephants ; and the whole was closed by horse and foot soldiers ; those belonging to the Company with colours flying, and bands playing, while hundreds of ban- nerales of gold and silver tissue were flaunting in every direction. " "When this gorgeous multitude arrived at i!i place appointed, the cavalcade being pro- perly arranged, the king, who is about to offer his sacrifice, receives from the moollah, or high priest, a knife, which he plunges into the throat THE YOUNG CADET. 105 of a camel, prepared for the occasion. Tliis is followed by a discharge of cannon, and then it is considered that the religious part of the ce- remony is concluded, and the rejoicings of the dav are begun ; the animal thus slaughtered is prepared for the royal table, and happy is the courtier who is honoured with a share of it. " The festivities of the Buckra Ede are con- cluded by fireworks and illuminations in the town ; nautches and music are the amusements of the ladies in their zenanas ; and the king gives a spectacle of wild beast fights to his guests, at which I was surprised to see many British ladies present. I did not think they cut a good figure, in any sense of the word, for the spectacle was a very barbarous one, and their clothing looked shabby in substance, and inelegant in fashion, as contrasted with the rich material and flowing draperies around them. " The King of Oude sometimes will be pre- sent at the marriage of an European, and has sometimes given the bride away. On such occasions it is customary to give splendid pre- sents, but so rigid are the laws of the British government, that the bride is not permitted to accept them, and sees, with extreme mortifica- tion, trays of brocades, shawls, and jewels, offered to her sight, and then snatched away for ever. " At Delhi and Lucknow alone are to be seen such pageants as I have described ; but in every 106 THE YOUNG CADET. place the inhabitants have their seasons of fes- tival, connected with their religious ceremonies; and at this time they will frequently associate pleasantly on such occasions ; hut formerly they were scenes of quarrel and bloodshed, between Hindoos and Mussulmen. During the celebration of the Moharrun, although a fast of the most mournful kind, several splendid processions take place. It was instituted in honour of Hossein, and his death is dra- matically represented on the last day, and his funeral obsequies performed with great pomp, and an appearance of sorrow that is surprising. Even the poorest person will contrive to sub- scribe something towards the splendour of the funeral of their idolized hero, for whose achieve- ments I must refer you to books, those trea- sures you can always command, but which we rarely enjoy in comparison." C In continuation. J " I conclude my letter from Agra, whither I came by Dak, and from the incompetence of my bearers, had a very unpleasant and even dangerous journey; but 1 am already more than repaid by what 1 have seen of this en- chanting place — I call it so, on account of the beauty of the buildings, and the romantic and impressive character of its scenery. So far as I can learn, the society here, and their amuse- THE YOUNG CADET. 107 ments, are at a low ebb ; but I have personally no right to complain of inhospitality — indeed that is unknown in India. " You hare heard of the Taaje Mahal, the Palace Tomb built by the Emperor Shah Jehan, to the memory of his beloved wife, Moom Taza Mhal, to whom he declared, when dying, " that as she had surpassed all other women in beauty and virtue, so should her tomb surpass all others ;" and well did he fulfil his promise — ■ would that I could describe it to you properly ! " Imagine, dear John, a wild and desolate plain, in which you find a palace of red stone- inlaid with pure white marble, surmounted bj domes and open cupolas, and which seems to have been raised by the hand of an enchanter ; this is the gate of the Taaje Mahal only, and from its grandeur, symmetry, and elegance, is worthy to detain you from the principal object. Having passed through this majestic entrance, you find yourself in most delicious gardens, in which marble basins receive the tribute of nu- merous sparkling fountains, and at the end of a long avenue of graceful cypresses, the Taaje arises like a fairy palace. It is built of polished marble, so exquisitely white and shining, it might be mistaken for mother-o' -pearl. The mausoleum is placed upon a marble platform, but the place of actual sepulture is a chamber within the platform, around which are suites of apartments, with lattices of perforated marble 10K THE YOF.NO CADET. for the admission (jf air from the garden. At each of the four corners springs a lofty minaret — the centre is crowned by a dome, and the whole chaste and beautiful, yet strictly orien- tal. Never did affection devise so rich an of- fering 1 to the memory of the lamented one, by whose side his dust now reposes, after a reign of many disasters. To this emperor we owe our first settlement in Ilindostan, which was a grant of land in Bengal to an English physi- cian, whose skill had been beneficial to one of his daughters. He appears, therefore, to have been a man of kindly affections and generous disposition, not less than one of most magnifi- cent designs. " The mortus mnsjid, or pearl mosque, is so very beautiful and splendid a building, that many persons prefer it even to the palace tomb. Its richly-sculptured arcades, fine cloisters, ele- gant cupolas, all of white polished marble, when seen by moonlight, arc perfectly magical in their effects, and seem to transport you into a new and beautiful world, of which you had hitherto no conception. " The fort, the palace, the durbar, or hall of audience, are striking and beautiful, as well as costly proofs of the wealth, taste, and power of the princes who raised them ; but they fail in exciting great admiration after visiting the places 1 have first named. " The palace is very splendidly adorned with THE YOUNG CADET. 109 silver, spar, and other glittering substances; but what struck me the most, was the circum- stance of the pavement being cut into channels, for the purpose of allowiug a perpetual flow of water through them in the hot season, for that was truly a luxury to be envied. " The tomb of Utta ma Dowlah is within the compass of a morning drive from Agra ; and from the roof I saw the most splendid view on which my eyes can ever look. Near to it were the gardens of the Rambourgh, beautiful as those described in the Arabian Tales ; and for many a long mile the blue waters of the Jumma glided through a rich champaign country, whilst opposite, the city of Agra, with its bas- tioned fort, marble palace, broad ghauts, inter- mixed with trees, stands in all the pomp of eastern architecture ; whilst beyond, in silvery lustre, gleams the Taaje Mahal, rising above the darkly- waving cypresses, that speak of its funereal character. " I have never seen marble nearly so abun- dant as at Agra ; they tell me it is brought from Oodipore, and that Bundelkhund furnish- ed the precious stones, so freely used in the palace and other places. " Adieu, dear brother ! I am about setting- out for Delhi, or Shahjihanebad, from whence I will write ; but my accounts of it will neces- sarily be short, as my mission will conclude there, and a journey of immense length succeed. L ]10 THE YOUNG CADET. ISo matter, I am still in health, despite the heat of Agra, and the many evils which arise to blight our enjoyments, even in the most glorious scenes of Asiatic splendour. « &c. &c." THE YOUNG CADET. Ill CHAPTER XI. Henry to his father. — Delhi, its buil ,: ngs and court — Account of the Begum Sumroo. — Colonel Gardiner's marriage with a native. — Return to Bengal. " MY DEAR FATHER, " I write to you from the magnificent city of Delhi, the destruction of which by Na- dir Shah, I well remember you described to us one winter evening, when I little thought of ever seeing the place, whose riches so far ex- ceeded my ideas, and whose destruction drew tears from my eyes. Since then Abdallah took it, and gave it up to pillage ; and in the begin- ning of this century it was taken by Lord Lake ; but the British conqueror did not resemble the preceding ones. " Delhi is enclosed by walls of red granite, and entered by magnificent gateways ; groves of trees appear to surround it, beyond which, domes, mosques, minarets, and a palace of im- mense dimensions, are beheld, with the blue Jumma gleaming in the distance. l 2 112 THE YOUNG CADET. " The palace is named the Peacock Throne, and the audience-chamber said to be that de- scribed as — ' Oh if there be an Elysium on earth, It is this — it is this !' and certainly both that and the luxurious gar- dens which appertain to it, deserve all that can be said of them. The Chandery Choke, or principal street, is wide and handsome, Gre- cian piazzas, porticos, and pediments, frequently forming' the fronts of both Moslem and Hin- doo dwellings. The crowds I first witnessed at Benares, where the streets are narrow, is almost equally striking here, where animals of all kinds parade through the street, jingling their silver ornaments, and tossing their tuft- adorned heads. Delhi is full of great persons, and not one of them passes along without having his titles shouted forth by his followers, and these being aided by venders of every description, trumpeting elephants, neighing horses, and discordant musicians, the noise is intolerable. " To this nuisance is added a more than common portion of that general plague, dust. The aridity of the soil, the frequency of the fiery simoom, which lasts four months, and the neglect of the natives, renders this evil greater here than in any part of India ; and to that is added the plague of Hies, w bich are a THE YOUNG CADET. 113 kind of animated dust, trebling the inflictions of the former. " Since I came here, I have heard frequent mention of Colonel Gardiner, as a man of won- derful courage and abilities, who has gone through so many adventures, and achieved so many exploits, as to be the most remarkable man in Hindostan. He married a native Princess, who retains her religion and the habits of her country, and whose daughters are allowed to take the rank of their mother. " I have also heard much of the Begum Sumroo, now a very aged woman, but retain- ing her faculties and her activity in a wonder- ful manner. Early in life, this Princess, then a very young widow, married Sumroo, a Ger- man adventurer, whose name is stamped with eternal infamy, as the man who invited the English to the table of Cossim, at Patna, and murdered them. Being desirous of returning to Europe, much against the wishes of the Begum, she, by her intrigues, induced him, in a moment of alarm, to destroy himself, since when she has reigned alone, and has made the Company heir to her domini- ons. She has had no children to either of her husbands, so far as it is known. She is immensely rich, and very generous and hospita- ble ; but her character is stained with cruelty ; and though her political abilities are allowed, her charities extensive, and she has made the l • > » 1 14 THE YOUNG CADET. fortunes of numerous dependants, it is said she has not one sincere friend in her circle, though unquestionably 6he has made the fortunes of many. " One instance of her cruelty and revenge has been related to me, which places her in so diabolical a point of view, as to render ber detestable in my eyes. Being at one time jealous of a young slave, she caused a place to be dug under her apartment, into which the poor girl was thrust alive, and the aperture covered up. Knowing that all the inhabitants of the palace were grieved for a beautiful and probably very innocent creature, whose cries for mercy they could still hear, she caused her bed to be placed in the apartment, thereby guarding her victim, and enjoying her groans and sufferings. " Oh, how much pleasanter is to it speak of places than persons, when they are so wicked ! The Kuotah Minar, a tower two hundred and forty-two feet in height, which rises in the midst of the ruins of old Delhi, like a solitary mourner for its desolated brethren, is exc< ingly admired : but its founder and the time of its erection are unknown. Bentinck Square tells of its present occupiers, and is well worthy of the country which has erected it — a large quadrangle^ entered by four streets, presenting fronts of Doric columns with piazzas behind, is worthy the name of Delhi, and forms suitable THE YOUNG CADET. 115 abodes for those who are ' merchant princes,' like those of Tyre and Phoenicia. " I shall quit this splendid city without re- gret, but not the less rejoice that I have seen it, for the wide earth scarcely contains one so remarkable for its sufferings and its riches ; to this might be added the extraordinary perfec- tion to which its artificers of every description have arrived. From their nearness to Cashmere, a constant intercourse with that country is carried on ; the beautiful shawls woven in Cash- mere are embroidered in Delhi with silk or gold, and are considered the best all over India. The goldsmiths and jewellers produce work of a very superior description ; and the arti- zans in ivory are equally excellent. " From all I can learn, our missionaries in India (of whose piety, patience, zeal, and ac- tivity, too much cannot be said) are beginning to see some good arising from their indefatig- able exertions. The pilgrimages to Jaggernaut are fewer, and the horrors formerly practised greatly diminished. The Holy Scriptures, and many tracts explanatory of them, are diffused in various dialects ; and I cannot think so meanly of the intellect of the natives, as to sup- pose they will not in time revolt from the hideous idols by which they surround themselves, and with thankfulness accept the more merciful creed of that people, who, although too fre- quently ungracious in their manners, have un- 116 THE YOUNG CADET. questionably improved the condition of their country. The memory of many Englishmen is dear to the Indians, and their good deeds familiar to their minds. I believe if Hastings (the governor persecuted at home) had died here, he would have been held as a saint amongst them ; and I am happy to say, that our good king's sons (both the dead and living) are re- membered with the warmest esteem. Many of the natives wish that the Earl of Minister should become viceroy at Bengal ; and really it seems to me a very natural desire, and proper situation. Rut I am no politician, dear father, but only your truly grateful and very affection- ate son, &c. &c." THE YOUNG CADET. 117 CHAPTER. XII. Henry writes to his sister —Account of his journey to Bengal — Escape from a Cobra Capello. — Arrival in Calcutta. — Dancing girls. — Dancing serpents. " DEAR SELINA, " I am once more at Calcutta, for which I am very thankful ; for as the rainy season has begun since I set out on my long journey, I was exposed to such discomforts as you can form little idea of. The former part I performed by dak, and was by no means sorry to escape the glare and dust of Delhi, and regain the shade of the jungles ; but on reaching those parts of the country subject to the swelling of the streams from mountains in the neigh- bourhood, both myself and bearers were in a bad plight. They were, however, careful and courageous; I gave them many good words, and as much brandy as I could possibly spare, and we got on very well considering. As they could not in conscience drink out of my cup or glass, I could only pour the brandy into the palms of their hands. Once we were obliged 118 THE YOUNG CADET. to cross a very considerable river, upon a raft made of boughs, at a time when it was too dark to see how fragile a support was provided ; but as we were entering Bengal, I had the great good fortune to join a large party removing to JBarrackpoor, and able to lend me a tent. Here indeed I had so narrow an escape from danger of the most painful kind, that I must relate the incident, knowing that your grateful heart will ascend to Heaven in thankfulness for my pre- servation. " I had risen ; and as my slippers were close to my bed, had put my right foot into the nearest, when a khitmudgar, belonging to the party, entered to call me. The man saw my left foot extended towards the other slipper, on which he uttered a violent cry, and ran out of the tent to obtain assistance. I thought the man was seized with madness ; but, To ! from the slipper up rose a Cobra de Capello, or hooded snake, rearing its terrific head in nearly a straight line, at less than two feet distant from me, so that a single dart would have made me inevitably its victim. I dared not to move, even for security ; and you have no idea, my dear Selina, what long hours even minutes become in such a situation. Having no weapon of defence, no power to fly, without approaching my enemy still nearer, all I could do was to watch his motions, by fixing my eyes on the malignant stars which beamed in the head of THE YOUNG CADET. 1 19 this terrific creature. My power of doing this was ebbing away, and I certainly began to ex- perience those sensations ascribed to fascination, when one of my faithful bearers entered the tent with a bamboo cane, and cleverly killed the snake in a moment. Ah, poor fellow ; how richly did he repay to me that which he con- sidered extraordinary kindness, although it was in fact but common humanity. " I dare say you know the general form of this scourge of India ; but yet I send you a drawing of it, and a bit of the skin, which is beautiful and curious. These creatures are from three to eight feet long, and have two large fangs hanging out of the upper jaw ; the head and neck are covered with scales, and the eyes fiery. The one of which I speak was five feet only, and had coiled itself very closely, as you may suppose ; but its bite would not have been the less fatal to me because it was young. " You will not wonder that I hailed Calcutta as a dear home; and as I gazed on its white buildings, verdant environs, and noble river, it appeared to me a fairer abode than all I had beheld in my absence. In truth, I had the happiness of rinding there friends which would have made any place dear to me. It is only the stranger in a strange land that can know the value of a warm reception, or the charm at tached to the voice of a friend. 120 TIIE YOUNG CADET. " Being now pretty well recovered from the fatigue of my journey, and having had the pleasure of giviug decided satisfaction to my superiors, and got into a little better trim as to my clothing, I last night made one at a party given by Sir , where, for the first time, 1 saw a superior nautch, the best dancing girls in India being the performers. I assure you, these personages, when celebrated, are of great importance, for a lady who ranks as a prima donna with you, will cost two or three hundred rupees a-night, and will not go up the country for less than five hundred, which is sixty pounds of our money. They dress very splendidly, wearing silken trowsers, over which there is a very showy, full petticoat, richly embroidered, which flies out in their whirling motions, and gives great effect. Their feet and ankles are bare, but the latter are ornamented with rows of small silver bells, which thev move in ca- dence with their music ; and they have also castanets ill their hands, which they manage very adroitly. There are generally four of these females, who alternately relieve each other as they become exhausted with the fatigue of the dance, that being rendered extremely labo- rious from their custom of singing with it. I assure you, nothing can be more graceful and agile than the motions of these women, who are generally very handsome; indeed, if you can allow for the dark olive complexion, you would THE YOUNG CADET. 121 call them beautiful. Their fine tresses of hair, perfumed and adorned with fragrant flowers, their teeth of dazzling whiteness, shown be- tween small coral lips of delicate form, together with finely-modulated noses, soft yet brilliant eyes, and shapes of the most pliable and elegant construction, give them a right to this praise. When you can get them to dance to their own soft voices, it is really delightful to behold them ; but, unfortunately, they are always ac- companied by a parcel of fellows who play tam- tams, a most execrable kind of little drum, vile guitars, and abominable cymbals, and add to these a most intolerable roaring out with their own voices. These fellows, as they proceed, be- come so enamoured of their own noise, that their exertions, their gestures, and profuse per- spiration, are one moment excessively ludicrous, the next disgusting; they become absolutely convulsed, and make the most hideous grimaces you can conceive ; so that nothing in nature can be less accordant with the graceful or gay motions of the dancers who certainly merit a very different style of music. " To-day I have witnessed a dance of a very different description, that of serpents. These terrible, beautiful, but to me detestable crea- tures, are caught and tamed by a tribe of musical itinerants, who have the secret of drawing them out of their holes, catching them, and extracting the poison from them. Most M 122 THE YOUNG CADET. probably the art is very ancient, for you know in the Psalms we read of the ' deaf adder, that stoppeth her ear, and will not listen to the voice of the charmer.' I understand they use the tabor and pipe to draw the reptile from his hole ; but how they contrive to render him harmless, remains a secret to all but the initi- ated. So well do they manage it, that even the Cobra de Capello will spread his hood, spring at his master, and actually draw blood by the bite he inflicts on the leg, and the man remain uninjured, beyond the slight wound. At another time, a large serpent wound his muscular form round the man's leg and thigh, in the most terrific manner ; but, on a parti- cular tune being played, unloosed his gripe, and, retreating to his basket, indulged in a comfort- able nap, content with having earned his daily food. At the word of command, they will fight with each other, or perform those various con- volutions called dancing. Several gentlemen present admired their graceful movements ; but I must confess that it was to me a very dis- agreeable sight, and I was heartily glad when the men and their supple protegees were gone. My own affair with the Cobra de Capello was much too recent for any of his family to be agreeable in my eyes. Besides, I really do think that all the serpent tribe are singularly hateful to man ; and I know many brave men THE YOUNG CADET. 123 who are decidedly of my opinion, and consider it mere affectation and bravado in those who affect to admire this display of their beauty. It is not less certain that they give proofs of such intelligence that we cannot be surprised that our Lord called them wise, and that one should be pitched upon by the Evil Spirit as the vehicle of his designs, when he sought the ruin of man. " And now, my dear girl, I must say adieu, for I am again going on ship-board, ay ! and for a very long voyage too. Do not deceive yourselves, and think I am coming to England, though I am going to sail thitherwards. No, no ; many a long day must pass, before the dear shores of my native land meet my view ; but I am happy to say, that I am going to Bombay, where I shall be stationed for some time. I count myself singularly lucky in a cir- cumstance which will enable me to see so much of our settlements ; and it shall go hard with me, but I will go from thence to Elora, the most wonderful place in the world for its exca- vations. Captain Seely has written a very clever book about them, and I am impatient to see them ; and I understand the thing is much more practicable now than it was when he ac- complished it, owing to the increased power and influence of the Company in that quarter. Whatever I see, and wherever I may be, you m2 124 THE YOUNG CADET. will bo present to my thoughts ; and whatever I can relate to give you pleasure, be assured will never be omitted by " Your most affectionate, " Henry.'' THE YOUNG CADET. 125 CHAPTER XIII. Voyage to Bombay. — Madras. — Pondicherry. — Goa, new and old cities. — Convent. — Tomb of Xavier. — Departure from Goa. — Arrive at Bombay. — Beautiful neighbourhood. — Good living and /hospitality. — He determines to visit the Caves of Elora. [Henry to his brother John.] " Bombay. " Here I am, my dear brother, after such a delightful voyage, that had I not known what it was to see old Ocean in a rage, I never could have believed that so fair a mirror could have been so transformed. The whole voyage was a kind of coasting, as you may suppose ; and there were times when we enjoyed very beautiful views of the country. We put in at Madras, but for so short a time as not to afford me any new matter for observation. We also stopped at Pondicherry, with which I was much pleased, especially with the surrounding rice-ground, which exceeded any thing I have seen in India ; the port is, however, very bad ; we had great difficulty in landing, and after- wards in regaining our ship, the flux and reflux m 3 126 THE YOUNG CADET. of the tide on a sandy shore being very trouble- some and dangerous. " I was sorry not to see the Island of Ceylon again, but was highly gratified by being per- mitted to accompany a brother officer to the interesting city of Goa, where we stayed a day and night. There is an old and new town of Goa, and time was, that no European settle- ment in India could vie with this, the metro- polis of Portuguese possessions. The port is considered the finest in the Indies ; and no ex- pense has been spared to fortify it with castles and towers, which are abundantly furnished with good cannon. We entered the outer har- bour in a small coasting vessel, called a pata- mare, and rowed rapidly up a second reach, where stands modern Goa, in the appearance of which I was much disappointed. It is some miles below the old city, which was our object of curiosity, and it was necessary that we should apply to the governor here for per- mission to see it. We remarked that the in- habitants looked poor and indolent, yet proud and affected; and there appeared scarcely any thing going on amongst them indicative of that commerce they once undoubtedly enjoyed. " Having obtained permission, we proceeded, and were delighted with the thick plantations of the cocoa-nut (which is always graceful, that clothed the bank on either side of the water, and from the midsl of which we soon saw the THE YOUNG CADET. 127 churches and monasteries, the palaces and pri- sons, of Old Goa peering out. In this place the horrors of the Inquisition were for many- years practised in the most cruel manner, and it is therefore no wonder that it is forsaken as much as possible by all mankind. There is yet an air about it of great interest, the palaces of the archbishop and viceroy, a magnificent square (in the centre of which auto-da-fes have been performed), and the numerous convents, all wearing the appearance of loneliness and deso- lation, of decaying grandeur and melancholy seclusion, which, for the time we view them, cannot fail to awaken our regret. Besides, in this place repose the bones of Francis Xavier, called the ' Apostle of the Indies,' and whose zeal in the propagation of Christianity entitles him to our admiration and gratitude. Vasco de Gam a also, the brave adventurer who first weathered the Cape of Good Hope, and opened the way for the great Albuquerque (who made himself master of Goa), ended his days here, crowned with the honours he merited. " Our first business was to find our way to the Augustine convent, for whose superior we had a letter of introduction. Never shall I for- get the deep full sound of its melancholy vesper bell, as we entered the church, which was large and magnificent. Nothing could be more strik- ing than the contrast between the place of wor- ship and the small number of worshippers. The I '-' s THE YOUNG CADET. priest, the chanters, and even the tinkling bell used in their service, seemed oppressed by the silence of the place, and unequal to filling the vast cavity around them. " After prayers, whilst a servant was dis- patched with the letter, we walked round the cloisters, which are adorned with paintings in fresco, the subjects being generally the martyr- dom of the brethren of the order. On my ex- pressing a desire to find the tomb of Francis Xavier, a young sacristan led me to a dark chapel which contains it. It is richly orna- mented, but his ashes are said to be contained in a silver chest above, around which lamps of silver are hung. Below this are four reliefs, beautifully wrought in bronze, describing his preaching to the idolaters, his baptism of the converts, his persecution, and death. It was impossible not to feel affected by the memory of a man so nobly devoted to the cause of Christ, and to lament that he belonged to a church which could make the ground-work of his la- bours the foundation on which to raise the most terrible of all tribunals. " After leaving the tomb, we were conducted to the senior brother of the Augustine monks, who was polite even to offieiousness, and gave us some excellent Lisbon wine and biscuits. He was by birth an Indian, of a deep yellow complexion, and probably from a distant pro- vince, as the natives of Goa are of a shining THE YOUNG CADET. 129 black complexion. He was a man of no infor- mation whatever, as my companion, who spoke his language, assured me ; and indeed the way in which he carried and exhibited a large bunch of keys, showed me that he had much more of the old housekeeper about him than the student. He gave us, however, excellent beds, with fine linen, which in this sultry climate is a great luxury, and showed us every possible kindness. " The next morning we rose at the sound of the same deep-mouthed bell, and went down into the cathedral, where we found the canons in their stalls, the sacristans, vespers, and choristers in their places, and the dean offici- ating. One old Portuguese gentleman and our- selves constituted the congregation. After- wards we breakfasted with the monks, and then set out to inspect the city. Within a walk of two miles we saw seven fine churches, and found every where the complement of pastors belong- ing to the establishment, with their black or white robes, small caps, silk cassocks, red scarfs, and glittering vestments ; but where were their flocks ? In one place we saw a few common black native Christians, and in another a few Indian-Portuguese ; but the rest of the churches were desolate. " The convents, in like manner, are nearly deserted, not one of them having their bro- therhood complete. The palaces are sinking L -30 TIIE YOUNG CADET. rapidly, and grass grows all over the streets. The black natives are a fine grown people, of athletic frame, with curling hair, white teeth, and bright cunning eyes. The general cha- racter of the inhabitants of Goa is very bad : they are proud, indolent, fierce, and revengeful ; and the women are said to understand the prac- tice of poisoning but two well. Altogether, our little excursion was one of great interest and pleasure, and the return to our ship most delightful, in the views it presented on either side of this fine harbour ; the fortifications are indeed magnificent, and the channel, in run- ning up the country, divides it into beautiful little islands and bays, abounding with ver- dure. " On the third day after this, we arrived at Bombay, which, like Goa, was once in the pos- session of the Portuguese, and was given to Charles II. as a part of the marriage portion of his Queen. The clergy then resident ob- jected to the town being possessed by English heretics, and it was a long time before the affair was settled ; and when that was done, the crown found it best to make it over to the East India Company, who consider it their third settlement. " I was much pleased with the docks, on my arrival at Bombay, but the town did not strike me in the same way as Calcutta had done, but 1 saw in a moment, it was infinitely superior to THE YOUNG CADET. 131 Madras. A three weeks' stay has rendered me decisive in preferring it even to the former, for the rides about it are most beautiful. The mighty range of mountains called the Ghauts, or Gauts, which ran within a distance of about an average of fifty miles from the shore, all down this coast, have a wonderful effect on the landscape every where, and the different kind of building occasioned by such a variety of in- habitant, spread over the face of the country objects of the most curious and captivating na- ture, so that you are never wearied of inspect- ing them. " We have here ruinous convents and mo- nasteries, erected by its first conquerors the Por- tuguese, noble country-houses of Englishmen, Mahratta fortresses, Hindoo pagodas, and Ma- hometan mosques. The villages of the Hindoos are patches of rich cultivation, on which the eye rests with delight ; and we have groves of cocoa-nut and date trees, rich in all the luxuri- ant pride of vegetation. " If we turn our eyes toward the sea, we have a fine sandy beach and a beautiful isthmus in view, called Malabar Point, thickly studded with villas ; and within fourteen miles is a pleasant little island called Salsette, on which there is a military station ; so that we have a charming sea-breeze, and the most pleasant water excursions you can possibly conceive. " There is also another great advantage in 132 THE YOUNG CADET. Bombay over Calcutta, which affects persons with families very much, and is of consequence even to a young fellow like me. The servants in Bengal will only do one thing for you ; and, let the necessity be ever so urgent, not one of them will do the least piece of service, except that for which they are expressly hired ; so that an incredible number must be kept, which is in itself a great nuisance. The Bombay servant is precisely worth five of the Calcutta menials. Every material for the table is had in abundance, and very reasonable ; the houses are larger than the Calcutta houses ; but I have not hitherto thought the parties quite so pleasant which may be owing to the wider range in which hospitality is practised, and of which it would ill become me to complain. My whole mind is now bent on visiting the celebrated ex- cavations of Elora, which, so far as I can learn, far exceed what Belzoni has recited of those in Egypt, and even what Captain Mangles visited in Arabia Petraea. There is a work on the subject in the British Museum, which, you may remember, was shown to my father when we were with him : but we were then such little boys, I can remember but few of the plates ; nevertheless, the impression they made upon me remains the same, and I feel in- clined to encounter any dangers, rather than omit seeing them whilst I remain on this THE YOUNG CADET. 133 station.* I believe I am at present not more than three hundred miles from Elora, which lies within a few miles of Auringabad, which is itself well worth visiting. The great diffi- culty is that of reaching the place, the road to it being in the possession of the Mahrattas, who are a people so savage and uncivilized, that there is just cause to apprehend danger when travelling without a military guard. How- ever, I must venture ; and as we are now at peace, and apparently, indeed, in friendship with them, I must hope for the best. " Adieu ! believe me, your most affectionate brother, &c. &c. " Henry Delamere." * Mr. Daniell's Views, from Sketches by Mr. Wales, a most eiaboiute and magnificent work. 134 THE YOUNG CADET. CHAPTER XIV. Sets out for Elora. — Visits Elcphanta. — Pleasant sail to Tan- well. — Proceeds on horseback. — The Ghauts. — The Temple of Karli. — Arrives at Poonah. — Pursues his way to the village of Elora. [Henri/ to his brother John.'] " Elora. " Well, my dear John, here I am at last, and, oh ! how do I wish that you were with me, that we might gaze together at this most wonderful and stupendous of all the works of man, this Temple of Keylos ! I will, how- ever, not waste time and paper in exclama- tions, but proceed regularly to tell you how I have managed to effect my purpose, and ar- rive at a place where so few have arrived be- fore me. " I took Captain Seely's book for my guide, as I was certain he understood the route ne- cessary ; at least, I wished, as nearly as 1 could, to tread in his steps, and therefore I made it a point, in the first place, to go to the island of THE YOUNG CADET. 135 Elephanta, being thus far accompanied by many friends ; so that it was altogether the ex- cursion of a party of pleasure, such parties be- ing frequently made from Bombay. " The island has its name from a statue of an elephant, of immense proportions, carved out of the solid rock. It is of considerable elevation, and famous for the caves which are hewn in the living rock, and contain colossal figures of four of the principal Hindoo deities. The view from these caves is most magnificent, and better worth seeing than the caves them- selves ; for they are much injured by the admis- sion of water from the top ; and though sur- prising, are not to be named with any of the numerous temples in this place. However, the whole trip was delightful, and the sail we had passing by Salsette, and forward to Panwell, where I parted with my friends, I must always remember as the pleasantest voyage of my life. " I now began to travel by land, and, making the best bargain in my power, addressed myself for Poonah, which was nearly sixty miles dis- tant. My travelling accommodation was by no means good ; but a man who had travelled so much, was not likely to be easily frightened at deficient conveniences ; so I set out in good spirits, determined to make the best of every thing, being mounted on a tolerable pony, called here Tattoo, with two bullocks to carry my luggage, and their drivers. n 2 13G THE YOUNG CADET. "Tims equipped, I pushed on to Capooly, a poor village, where, having far outstripped my servant, and the provisions, I was at a great loss for food, which, however, I Bupplied in some measure by bathing, which is a refresh- ment of incalculable service in these hot cli- mates. To my great satisfaction, they came uj> before I set out again, and I determined for the future never to leave them so far behind. We passed the night in a tent at the foot of the Ghauts, and I never remember enjoying moon- light scenes more in my life, than in the novel and picturesque views around me. " The following day I began to ascend the pulses in the mountain before me, and was every where delighted with the wildness of the scenery around me, the freshness of the moun- tain air, and the sylvan objects occasionally pre- sented of little Hindoo farms. In the course of my journey, I saw several fine tanks, which are in this country often made as a public cha- rity ; and in a hot climate may deservedly rank with the greatest benefits a man can bestow on his fellow-creatures. They are often made by damming up an outlet, and not unfrequentlv finished at a prodigious expense of money and labour; but, unfortunately, there are no funds appropriated for repairs, from which circum- stance many of these noble works are going to decay. " I afterwards passed through the open coun- THE YOUNG CADET. 137 try to the mountain of Eknerah, where there is a large temple hewn out of the living rock, called the Temple of Karli. On entering this surprising place, I found a ponderous arched roof of solid stone, supported by two rows of pillars, the capitals of each surmounted by a well-sculptured figure of a male and female, seated, with their arms encircling each other, on the back of crouching elephants. The ves- tibule to this temple was very noble, having the sitting figure of Budah at the entrance. I thought this temple so far superior to the caves of Elephanta, that it quickened my desire of proceeding to Elora. My next place of halt was Teligaum, where I procured another Tattoo and some cold provisions, which I placed, along with my pistols, in my holster. I was anxious to get on to Poonah, where I had friends that would receive me ; and I could not expect my baggage to get up to me. " It so happened, that after a day of great fatigue, I entered Poonah just as the sun was descending in ail his glory ; and nothing could exceed the effect thus given to the appearance of a noble city, containing all the most striking features of oriental magnificence. The Rarbutti temple, Hindoo palaces, white terraced houses, castles and gardens, intermixed with the build- ings and shops of all descriptions, with open windows, and the goods exposed on declining platforms, formed a tout ensemble highly amusing. n 3 138 THE YOUNG CADET. This was animated by that variety of inhabi- tants always so striking; Arab horsemen, com- pletely armed, and mounted on tine chargers ; pretty Hindoo women, in milk-white vestments; Jews and Portuguese Christians ; state ele- phants and led horses, richly caparisoned ; and occasionally a British siphanee in his neat dress, altogether made a moving spectacle of the most lively description. " I was received at the house of my friends with all the usual hospitality of the country ; and after taking sufficient rest, I was provided by my friend, Captain S , with a fresh horse, new coolies, and a guard of siphanees ; and I set out for our military station at Seroon, and accomplished my journey of forty-two miles thither in one day. " Here again every civility was accorded me ; but it might truly be said, that after I left my friends here, I left the civilized world behind me. I had abundant opportunity for observing the ravages made by the Mabrattas among the peaceful Hindoo villagers, and se- veral parties of ISheels and other robbers (for this country abounds in organized bands of freebooters), frequently approached us. My band of siphanees always took care to show their arms on such occasions, and we did not experience any actual insult. The latter part of the journey was almost entirely through a [ungle, in which the Bheels find sung hiding- THE YOUNG CADET. 139 places ; and in the whole of my road I did not find one tolerable village till I arrived at that of Elora, which is about a mile distant from Elora itself. " This place is embosomed in trees, and in- habited by Bramins, and guarded by a body of Raypoots. The first place I entered was a pagoda, which, seated in a most romantic- looking spot, offered me that protection from the sun in which I stood greatly in need. A fine tank was before me, and a grove around me ; and here I waited till my baggage arrived, and the means of refreshment after a long hot ride were afforded me. " And now I must bid you adieu till to-mor- row, when I will resume my letter ; assured, that, although I have no means of conveying to you my own sensations of delight on finding myself so near the object of my desires, yet, that you will be pleased with the efforts of my pen and pencil, intended for your amusements." 140 THE YOUNG CADKT. CHAPTEH XV. Arrives at the excavations of ISlora. — Temple of Keylas. — Its insulated state, prodigious size, and elaborate finishings. — The area. — The obelisks. — Sphinxes. — Galleries and sta- tues. — Visits TeenTal. — Its grandeur, statues, &c. — Conti- nuation. — Temple of Visvacarma. — Temple of Juggernaut. [Henri/ in continuation.] " I well remember that Captain Mangles described his emotions as vivid in the extreme, when at a great distance he perceived a temple cut in the pinnacles of a rock in the desert, glittering in the sunbeams. Such were my sensations, when, after taking a hasty meal, I pushed forward with my attendants for the temples of Elora, nor can I describe the over- powering emotion which seized me, when I actually beheld the great temple of Keylas be- fore my sight. " The perfect calmness and deathlike tran- quillity of all around, the solitude of the ad- joining plains, the mountain before me, which, for more than a mile, is perforated in every part with Buch magical skill and power, thai THE YOUNG CADET. 1 -tl it. appears to have been the work of more than human hands, have an effect on the mind which renders wonder and delight even oppressive. The more I gazed, the greater was my asto- nishment ; and every step which brought me farther into the temple, rendered this unparal- leled perforation the more surprising. " Only think, John, of a stupendous temple, within a large open court, with all its parts per- fect and beautiful, completely detached from the neighbouring mountain by a spacious area all around, two hundred and fifty feet deep, and one hundred and fifty broad, yet all actually cut out, and from this very mountain ! The height is one hundred feet, the length one hun- dred and forty-five, the breadth sixty-two, and the doors, windows, staircases, all perfectly formed and polished ; containing five rooms divided by rows of pillars, figure galleries, or verandas, with not less than forty-two gigantic figures of the Hindoo mythology ; the three galleries containing and occupying between four and five hundred feet of excavated rock. Is it not beyond belief that the hands of man could effect such a work — that the mind should conceive it ? When one considers that the chisel alone could have been employed in effecting this elabo- ratework — an instrument soslowin its operation, and requiring, even for a single isolated statue, that niceness of admeasurement, you may re- 142 THE YOUNG CADET. member we once witnessed, in the attelier of Mr. Bebnei, in London, it appears inconceivable that such an extensive work, with so many various parts, and such copious details, could have been hewn out of the solid granite. W e can form no idea of the number of hands em- ployed, the rules by which the labour of each was adjusted, nor the expence incurred. Of one thing alone can we be certain, which is, that the country must have been in a far dif- ferent state to that it has enjoyed for many centuries. There must have been a prodigious population, profound peace, abundant wealth, an absolute prince, and numerous subjects well informed in those arts which are here exhibited so strikingly. " Within the court, and opposite to the ve- randas, stands ' Key las the Proud,' a mighty mass of rock ; but this I will leave, and carry you with me, as well as I can, through the temple itself. " We entered the area at the western front, passing through a handsome gateway. Here a variety of sculptured figures and ornaments, in high relief, arrest your attention, with the goddess Bhavani on the' right, (ianessa on the left, and two elephants with their trunks en- twined ; and here the whole area appears hewn out to make room for the grand temple. On either side there is a ledge of rock, which serves as a bridge for communicating with the great THE YOUNG CADET. 143 temple, and under this bridge is a communica- tion between the areas. A few feet beyond these are two large obelisks, eleven feet square, and forty-one feet high, the shaft at the base being seven feet ; so that, you see, they are larger than the famous Needles of Cleopatra.- " They are indeed beautiful objects, and are alone worth coming a long way to see. They are handsomely carved, and have had an ani- mal of some kind at the top of each. There are long ranges of apartments, on either side of this entrance, all covered with their absurd mythological stories, and frequently as inde- cent as they are ridiculous ; but the labour evinced in these specimens of ancient litho- graphy is not the less remarkable. We have now passed the gateway, and entered the body of the temple, on each side of which are two flights of stairs, which bring you to a portico ; on this are the figures of two sphinxes, which I thought very remarkable, as it seems a con- necting link between the ancient religion of this country and that of Egypt; and I have understood Sir Stamford Raffles found a sphinx at Java, which extends the supposition as to the diffusion of this belief over the East. "When you have seen these figures, you ascend three steps, and enter a separate room, in which the sacred bull Nundi is seen in a state of repose. You descend seven steps, and enter a kind of balcony, where the nobat (a l-i4 THE YOUNG CADET. large drum) and pipes are sounded at certain liuurs ; from this you have a tine view of the plain and the village of Elora, at a distance. The whole range of excavations standing upon a con.siderable elevation, and having a gentle acclivity, enjoy a beautiful prospect ; and when, leaving the outer view, you recross the pass- ages, and look down into the piazza below, with its numerous deities, the pillars, and tjie court, nothing can be conceived more picturesque in effect — it realizes all the fairy tales of our child- hood, in its grandeur and vastness. " The great hall of the temple is enriched by two gigantic Chubdars (*. e. keepers of silence), placed on either side of the door ; and the hall itself is divided by four ranges of pillars, the middle space being much wider than the rest. These noble pillars were to me the most beauti- ful objects ; for I have really not knowledge enough of the Hindoo mythology, and the attri- butes of its deities, to look with any pleasure or interest upon their hideous and disgusting forms. 1 have not the least doubt, but you, who read so much, know more about these gentry than I do, and therefore you will award them their places in a temple, which I grieve to think should have been dedicated to any thing so vile and hideous. " After wandering in the temple till the sun had set and the moon arisen, sheading her clear mild rays on this magnificent object, with that THE YOUNG CADET. 145 brilliancy of light and depth of shadow which give so much effect in works of this description, I was at length obliged to return to the' village, where my tent was pitched ; my servant pre- pared a curry, and the great fatigue I had undergone made me sleep soundly, in despite of that nervous irritability so generally pro- duced by the pleasure I had experienced. " The following morning I formed an ac- quaintance with an aged Bramin, who was will- ing to become my guide to Elora, as I was im- patient to visit the temples of Do Tal, and the arched temple of Visvacarma, preferred by some to that of Key las itself. " The first object to which my attention was drawn on my second visit, was Teen Tal, called also ' Rama S warning's Dwelling :' it is a vast excavation of three distinct stories, with massive pillars, rich sculpture, and fine flights of steps. The insular situation of Keylas gives it one ad- vantage over this wonderful work, but, in all other respects, it is not less surprising. There is a fine area, from which the whole front of three stories appears to the greatest advantage ; to each story are appropriated eight square pillars and two pilasters. The rooms are very line, and one contains a large figure of Siesha, who, the Bramin informed me, passed through seven incarnations, and in the last was born in the human shape. There were also very large figures of Angeri and Adnant, in a sitting pos- o ]Ai) THE YOUNG CADET. ture, the crown of their heads touching the ceil- ing within a few inches; every where through this excavation are fine cisterns of beautiful water. " On ascending the stairs, we found a large figure of C'uvera, the god of riches ; and facing the southern entrance, a large figure of Bey Doo, their immortal serpent, that assumed the human form : near to this curious subject were five gigantic brothers, sitting under a canopy of waving drapery, upheld by small figures. They have evidently received the highest finish the artist could bestow ; and my old Bramin gave me a lon»- account of their origin and deeds ; but all was so extremelv absurd, that it was im- possible to look in his venerable and intelligent countenance, and think that he could believe one word of the nonsense he uttered ; yet it is not less certain that he did, and there was something extremely imposing in his serious- ness. It is impossible for me to describe one half of the rooms and figures which I afterwards saw ; but I must not omit to mention, that in another place we found seven figures, sitting also under a canopy, and greatly resembling each other. Their faces were all painted witE oil and red ochre, which gave them a most lu- dicrous appearance. The principal one I un- derstood to be Sita, who was a virtuous damsel, that ran all the way to Ceylon, to escape from King Ravan : there are annual feasts in honour THE YOUNG CADET. 147 of her parity, and I understand she is a very popular person. " This excavation was altogether so very su- perior to any thing I had expected to see after Keylas (with the exception of Visvacarma), that when I arrived at the temple of Do Tal (or two stories), I thought it comparatively very poor ; 'tis true, I was now wearied, and even- ing was coming on, but yet I do not think it possesses any striking beauty. The area is a hundred and two feet long, the breadth forty- four feet ; the upper stories are in good order, but the lower ones injured. There are not many sculptured figures here, and only statues of Rama Chandra and his two brothers. In any other place, Do Tal would be a great won- der, but at Elora it becomes a secondary ob- ject ; it closed, however, my second day's search ; and as I now grew better satisfied from habit with our general safety, I caused my tent to be pitched near the mountain, and closed my eyes amid the proudest wonders of Elora. I need not tell you, for your own heart will, that you were, in one sense, constantly present with me during this day and the former, and that I sincerely regretted your absence, at the same time." $ * if. * # % o 2 I 18 THE Vol \'«. CADET. (In cmttiitiKitiou.) "Temple of Visvacarma. " 1 write to you now, my dear John, sitting under the mighty arch of the Temple of Visva- carma, after Bitting three hours opposite to it, in order to make the accompanying drawing ; for I am well aware, that in all matter- uf de- scription, the pencil goes far beyond the pen in conveying an accurate idea. But indeed, my dear brother, neither the one nor the other can convey to you an adequate notion of this stupendous excavation ; it penetrates more than a hundred and thirty feet into the solid rock, forming a deep and spacious temple, with a magnificent arched roof, apparently supported by a series of octangular pillars, which go com- pletely to the end. In front are immense figures of Visvacarma, who was the Vulcan of the Hindoo mythology, attended by Karli and ( 'anarah. " The area in front is about fifty feet, and on the basement floor is a kind of veranda, en- circling an apartment probably intended for an orchestra, as the cylindrical drums, pipes, and bells, are much used in the Hindoo worship. It is at all events, a beautiful apartment, and from it you enjoy the finest possible view of the temple. The roof is especially fine, being carved into ribs of stone, that have at once THE YOUNG CADET. 149 a light and strong appearance, and which rest on a beautiful projecting architrave, the foot of every one being adorned by a sitting figure of the most finished sculpture. The Temple of Karli somewhat resembles this, as does that of Elephanta, but neither of them can compare with it; for, in addition to the magnificent columns, there is a deep grand frieze connect- ing these massive supporters with the roof, which is covered with sculptured figures, in high relief; so that the whole is complete in all its parts, and is at once rich and light, massive and elegant. My admiration of this extraordinary production greatly delighted the old Bramin, who still continued to accompany me : he is certainly a very pleasing old man, and seems entirely free from that pride and obstinacy, which is so conspicuous in the in- habitants of great cities, of his own sacred caste. He expressed, with natural zeal, great sorrow for the desertion of these glorious temples, and great anger towards the memory of Aurungzebe, who had done his best to blow up some of these fine excavations with gun- powder ; and I shall never forget the horror of his countenance, when he told me of the sacri- lege committed by this conqueror. It appears, that on finding it impossible to effect this cruel and shameful purpose, the barbarian ordered his soldiers to slay a cow within the sacred walls of one of the finest temples, in conse- o 3 10<> THE rO MG CADET. quence of which it is defiled tor ever, and not one of tbe Hindoos would, on any account, ever enter the once sacred enclosure. To say the l THE YOUNG CADET. same pile with their husbands. As I never could, I am certain, prevail apon myself to attend a spectacle of this nature, 1 will relate to you the manner in which Captain S witnessed its performance. "The burning of a widow with her husband is called a Suttee, and is considered an act of the highest piety and grandeur, none but per- sons of family importance thinking of such a sacrifice. Captain S , hearing t hat such an exhibition was about to take place, thought it his duty to repair to the spot, and, if he could do so with any propriety, interfere to prevent it; but this he found to be impossible. The widow had been married a very short time — she was only twelve years of age, and the late husband was an ill-favoured man of fifty. At the time of his arrival, the funeral pyre was constructed in the form of an altar, decorated with large branches of trees, and upon it was laid the body of the deceased. A procession of Bramins were walking around, also a great number of their usual musicians beating tam-tams and cymbals, and the whole affair wore the air of a festival. " In a short time the victim widow appeared, walking between two Bramins, and followed by her relations: her youth, beauty, and the utter improbability that she was drawn to the awful sacrifice from love to the poor wretch before him, induced Captain S to press eagerly THE YOUNG CADET. 159 forward, and question the Bramins as to the validity of her death. All his objections were speedily over-ruled, by the assurance, ' that her death was completely voluntary, and not only enjoined by the shaster, but permitted, as a religious usage, by the government.' In doing this, he obtained a close view of the widow, whose completely stupifled air assured him that they had given her opium till her senses were nearly gone. When arrived at the pile, she took on" her costly ornaments, or rather tried to do so, for she had not the power, and was assisted by the women ; after which, a burning torch was placed in her hand, with which she was to set fire to the branches around her : she mounted the place, and sat down by the corpse; but how she used the torch could not be seen, for in a moment the whole place was simul- taneously fired by the assisting Bramins, and the tam-tams redoubled their discordant sounds, to drown the cries of the expiring woman, if, in her agonies, any such escaped her. " At another time, he saw a woman about to be burned alive in a pit with her husband, that being the mode used in some provinces : this poor creature was only eleven years old, and merely betrothed to her husband ; and at the time when he reached the place, her mother was hanging upon her in all the agonies of ex- treme distress, forming a spectacle that must have touched the heart of any human being, p 2 1 GO l 11 E YOUNG CADET. save that of a bigoted Bramin. Captain S had by that time learned, that, according to their own laws, a woman cannot burn till she is of full age (viz. sixteen), and that all opium is forbidden. As it was evident to all that she had been affected by taking this drug, and both her parents were present attesting her age, and it was known to all her neighbours that she was not yet a wife, he so protested against the ille- gality of the burning, that he finally rescued the victim, and rendered even the crowd sen- sible that he was right in so doing. " That some women burn willingly, there can be no doubt, but I believe they are very few in number. Captain Seely mentions one, who on being dissuaded, put her finger into the Hame, and held it there resolutely, to show she des- pised the pain ; but though ardent affection, family pride, and that heroism which is consist- ent with the gentlest natures, may sometimes thus operate, it is assuredly but very seldom ; and these unnatural murders may, with great truth, be laid at the door of the priests, who keep them up as a part of the ancient religion. They cannot be such fools as not to know, that if, in the course of providence, one parent is taken, the value of the other increases tenfold to the children; yet they shut their hearts to thel cries of nature, alike from the parents and offspring of the victim ; they immolate not oidy an innocent creature of life, by the THE YOUNG CADET. 161 severest of all tortures, but deprive age of its support, and youth of its protector. A more diabolical system of cruelty never held the sanction of law amongst any people upon earth. " Infanticide used to be very common ; but this crime, like the burning of women, is much on the decline; yet even now, if a man of high caste has a female child born, more than he can conveniently provide for, he does not hesi- tate to have the babe strangled, or killed by opium. It was once the practice to drown them, but the presence of the Europeans pre- vents this a good deal at this time. \N hen men were so sick as to be given over, they used to take them to the Ganges' banks, where the waters might flow over them, or crocodiles devour them, as it happened ; and in some parts, where the river is held more particularly sacred, this is still done, but it is by no means so common as it used to be. The pains taken by the Company to enlighten the minds of the natives, certainly has a happy effect, though the progress is slow. There are in fact few, very few, converts to Christianity ; but there is a general amelioration of prejudices, a con- sultation of their own judgment, rather than the absurd dogmas of their priests, which will in time lay a foundation on which to build up a pure religion ; and it appears to me as if, in this respect, it were better to travel p 3 162 Tin j 01 (JG < ami . slowly, than to ruin all by attempting too much. " In entering on this subject, I lost sight of my genera] journal-like style; the great inte- rest it necessarily excites in every mind must be my excuse. I must now tell you, that on quitting Eloru, I went to vi>it Aurungabad, which is only thirteen miles from the excava- tions, and a place of great importance. The first thing I found worthy of attention, was the tomb of the great Aurungzebe, in the little town of Koza, within two miles of Elora. This mausoleum is neither grand nor elegant, hut there were many lamps burning in it, and a number of Pirs (holy men) were guarding it. The tomb was covered with green velvet. having rich tassels, and fringe of the same colour, which is sacred in the eyes of Mussul- men. " Soon after this, I arrived at the astonish- ing fortress of Dowlutabad, a pyramidal rock, rising abruptly to the height of more than live hundred feet— it> insulated position and scarped sides offer a singular specimen of ingenuity and labour ; it i- defended by four walls, within each other, and the town within them ; but the most extraordinary thing is the for- tress in the upper works, which would insure destruction to any assailants who had carried the lower walls ; I mean, of course, to speak of the mode of warfare practised by Asiatics, THE YOUNG CADET. 163 who have indeed long considered Dowluta- bad as impregnable : our system of military- tactics has proved these hill-forts no longer available. " Leaving this striking object to the right, I pursued my way to Aurungabad, which I found a large but decaying city, bearing every mark of past glory and present dejection. The streets are wide, the mosques and caravanseras large and elegant, and the shops exposed to view so many costly articles of India produce, that even I was tempted to become a purchaser. A few groups of handsome-looking Mussulmen were standing about the streets, from whom I experienced much politeness in the way of answering my inquiries: but the whole place remind me of Goa ; it was indeed less deserted, less melancholy, and much less sacred, but it carried the same deplorable air of sinking into ruin. " I did not fail to examine the far-famed mausoleum of Rahea Doorany, the favourite wife of Aurungzebe, that being, indeed, a prin- cipal object in my visit to this city. It was built, I believe, nearly after the model of Taaje Mhal. In the first place, you pass a large gateway, covered with plates of embossed brass, and enter a court, in the centre of which is a piece of water, with thirteen fountains, all shaded by a profusion of beautiful trees. At the upper end, built on a terrace, stands the lf>4 THE YOUNG CADET. fabric, which is ascended by a few stops. The material of the building is white marble, and it is ornamented with the most exquisite trellis- work ; it is surmounted by a lofty dome ; the tomb is inclosed in the centre with an elegant screen of the most beautiful trellis-work, like the meshes of a fishing net; the delicacy of the chiselling is really beyond conception; and the tine marble wall inclosing the whole is chastely magnificent. The tomb itself corres- ponds with the superb edifice ; over it was thrown a covering of scarlet velvet, with a deep gold fringe ; the whole i-> said to have cost no less than ninety thousand pounds. "Such was the place consecrated to the memory of a wife evidently beloved with ten- derness, by a man of as savage and ferocious a character as any on record ! such was the ex- pense incurred by a man, whose descendants are at this moment supported by pensions from the Last India Company of merchants ! " The palace of Aurungzebe never was very magnificent, for he was a man more fond of power than show, and besides was very avari- cious, which rendered his expensive tomb the more remarkable. 1 have nothing, therefore, to say farther of Aurungabad, than thai 1 wit- nessed there the very painful and disagreeable ceremony of a Hindoo regaining his caste, who had forfeited it. " When a man has performed an act of THE \OUNG CADET. 165 apostacy, or in any way become denied, by which lie forfeits the honour of his birth, he may be restored, by having' two large hooks run into the flesh of his back, by which means he is fixed on a pole, which is itself placed hori- zontally upon another that is planted in the ground ; and by means of a rope at the oppo- site end to his own prostrate body, he is swung and twirled for the space of half an hour, when the act of penance is completed. " I have already mentioned the Fakirs, or men who live in perpetual misery. I have seen, in the course of this journey, several who have far exceeded all I could have conceived on the subject. One man was swinging by his heels in a tree over a slow fire ; another had held his arm in one posture, till the muscles were so stiff, he could not bring it down ; a third had an iron pin run through his tongue ; and I saw one man that had hopped on one leg with the other tied up, until it was contracted and perfectly useless. " At Poonah I have witnessed a much plea- santer spectacle, in the festival of the goddess Sita. It was really a gay kind of fete, for there were painted lanterns, wreaths of flowers, bands of dancers, and jugglers in abundance. These fellows used to be among the wonders of the East, but. since their curious feats have been exhibited in England, there is no need for me to describe them. I shall send off this long 1GG THE YOUiNO CADET. letter and the drawings, accompanied by my purchases at Aurungabad, in which every dear member of my family will find that I have re- membered them. It is true, that with the ex- ception of the shawl for my dear, dear mother there is little of value; and I may repeat our old nurse's adage in making my little offering — ' The gift is small, But love is all.' And truly that love is greater than I have the power to express. Far from being dimin- ished by distance, or diverted by circumstance, every day and every scene draws my mind still closer to you all ; and many an hour of plea- sant reverie do I enjoy, wondering whether you are all altered as 1 am, and trying to imagine how my sweet Selina looks in the dress of a woman, and lovely little William in that of a man. " Farewell once more ! present me dutifully and affectionately, as you know I desire to he to our inestimable parents, and all the rest ; and believe me, dear John, most sincerely yours, cVe. &c. "Henry De la mere." THE END. .1. BILLING, PEINTEB, WOKING, 31 THE HOFLAND LIBRARY: FOR THE INSTRUCTION AND AMUSEMENT OF YOUTH. ILLUSTRATED "WITH PLATES. 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Reflection. 11. Self-Denial. 12. Young Cadet; or, Travels in Hindostan. 13. Young Pilgrim; or, Alfred Campbell's Return. SECOND CLASS, in lMu ■>.— Price Is. 6rf. 1. Adelaide; or, Massacre of St. Bartholomew, 2. Affectionate BROTHERS. 3. Alicia and iitu Aunt; or, Think before you Speak. 4. Barb udos <; mi.. 5. Blind Fabmzb and his CuiLDP.r.v. li. Clergyman's Widow and hi B Xbl NG FaKILT. 7. Daughter-in-law, her Father, and Family. 8. Elizabeth and her three Beggab !!<>'. 1. 9. Good Granomothbb lnd heb Offspring, 10. Merchant's Widow and 111:11 young Family. 11. Rich Boys and Poob Hoys, and other Tales. 1 :'. The Si 13. Stolen Hoy; an Indian Tale. 1 1. \\'i i.i.i im ami his i m lb Ben. Voi s(, Cbusob; or, Shipwrecked B Published [by Aitignmeni of A. K. \'i •• - ARTHUB BALL, VIRTUE, S CO. 25, PATERNOSTEB BOW, n. 1 my, trint a, tnao street hit 1 . THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES 3 1158 00692 0119 tt UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 370 289