\ DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure %oom '/ V , » ( . ' t \ •4 TWELVE YEARS' MILITARY ADVENTURE IN THREE QUARTERS OF THE GLOBE : OR, MEMOIRS OF AN OFFICER WHO SERVED IN THE ARMIES OF HIS MAJESTY A>'D OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANV,. BETWEEN THE YEARS 1802 AND 1814, IN WHICH ARE CONTAINED THE CAMPAIGNS OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON IN INDIA, ANB HIS LAST IN SPAIN AND THE 60X7TH OF FRANCE. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. L NEW YORK : MOLD BY E. BLISS ; C. S. FRANCIS ; G. LONG J AVHITE, GALLAHEB & WHITE ; COLLINS & CO. ; COLLINS & HANNAY ; D. FELT ; WM. BURGESS, JR. ; O. A. ROOR, BACH ; N. B. HOLMES ; W. B. GILLEY ; G. & C. & H. CARVJLL ; A. T. GOODRICH. PHILADELPHIA T. DE SILVER ; J. GRIGG ; TOWAR & HOG AN. BALTOIORE W. & J. NEAL. BOSTON- RICHARDSON & LORD. 1829. J. SEYMOUR, } 0. FANSHAW, (d ■ , J I, vr k r .u t ■ CLAYTON & VAN NORDEN, > Pr»"'o'3 ^"^ Publishers for the Traac n. C SLEIGHT, ) Orders addressed to E. B. CLAYTON, New-York TO HIS GRACE IHE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. &tC. &iC. &IC. MY LORD DUKE, There is no one to whom I can, with so much [iropriet}', dedicate these Memoirs, as your Grace ; first, as being the most distinguished ornament of the Profession to which I belong ; and next, because I began and ended my Military career under your Orace. I have the honour to be, My Lord Duke, Your Grace's most obedient and most faithful servant, THE AUTHOR ADVERTISEMENT As in the composition of the following Memoirfc. the Author has borrowed no aid from fiction, he trusts that the matter will make up for the manner ; and, while he craves the indulgence of the learned Reader, he hopes to obtain the mercy of the Critk for the work of an unlettered Soldier^ CONTENTS # OP THE FIRST VOLUME. CHAPTER I. The Author is destined at an early age for the MiHtary Profes- sion. — Remarks on professional indicauons. — A Commission pro- cured for him at the age of nine years. — His feeUngfs on that occasion. — Its effects on his character. — He is obliged to retire on Half-pay. — Is sent to VVinckester School. — System of Education there; not adapted to slow boys. — Emblematical Device on the wall of the school-room. — Author chooses the second alternative. Is appointed a Cadet in the East India Company's service. — Is sent to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. — Commendable system pursued there. — Leaves Woolwich, and prepares for de- parture for India. 13 CHAPTER n. the Author embarks for India. — His feelings on that occasion. — His fellow passengers. — Mode of passing time on board. — Trick played on a passenger. — Voyage and arrival at Madras. . 20 CHAPTER HI. Appearance c.f Madras. — Landing. — Assailed by swarms of Na- tive Servants. — Amusements of Sailors ashore. — Author repairs to the Fort to deliver his credentials. — Remarks on entering the Fortress. — Reception at the Adjutant-i^eneraPs office. — Return to (he Hotel, and description of it. — Musquitoes. — Anecdote of a young lady. — Returns to the ship in search of his baggage. — Ex- tortion of the Massuli-boat boys. — Delivers his letters of Intro- duction. — Is invited to the house of the Chief Engineer. — (./booses the Engineer Corps. — Removes to quarters in the Fort. Society of the Presidency. — Anecdote of a Scotch Cadet. — Public day at a Regimental Mess 26 1* \l CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. GroanJless complaints of Oilicers at not getting into society. — La- dies. — Matrimonial Market. — Author studies the Hindoo religion, assisted by his native servants. — Ladies of India defended against the attacks of Mrs. Grahame. — Indian Fruits. — Author visits tlie Ceded Districts with a Committee of Survey. — Hill Forts. — Pa- goda of Trippety. — Return to the Presidency. — North-east Mon- soon. — Tanks 36 CHAPTER V. Symptoms of approaching hostilities. — Author joins the army near Vellore. — An Anglo-Indian Camp. — The March. — Baggage. — feeasts of burthen ; mode of urging them on. — System of living in Camp. — Anecdote. — Europeans too much disposed to beat Uieir servants. — Anecdote on that subject. — Ascent of the Ghauts, and change of climate. — Chittledroog. — Airs aflected by the Stafl and anecdote. — Anecdotes of Captain Grose. . , .43 CHAPTER VI. Arrival of the army at Hunyhur. — Joined by the Mysore detach- ment under General Wellesley. — Opinion then entertained of that Officer. — Anecdote respecting General Wellesley at the siege of Seringapatam. — Force detached under his command. — Commence the march for Poonah. — Cross the Toombudra. — De- serted state of the country. — Looties. — Hung when caught. — Bheels. — Officers' tents robbed. — Dexterity of these Thieves. — Cross the Kistnah. — Fort of Darwar. — Feudal Chiefs. — Their vi- sits. — Their retinues and cavalcades. — Description and appeai-- ance of the Mahratta villages. — Devastated state of the country. Scarcity of forage and mortality among the cattle in consequence. A turban-eating bullock. — Mode of supplying horses with grass. Pioneers, their activity and skill. — Artillery, — Elephants. — An- ecdotes of their sagacity 51 CHAPTER VII. Wild Beasts. — .lackals. Antelopes. — Coursing Foxes. — Duty on march. — Difficulty of obtaining information of the Roads. — Sys- tem of Espionage. — Hircarrahs. — Approach the Nizam's subsi"- diary force. — Colonel Stevenson. — Hill-F^ort of Sattarrah. — De- scendant of Sevagee. — ForcedmarchoftheCavalry to Poonah. — A Field of Battle. — Remarks on viewing the skeletons. — Arrival at Poonah. — Receive the Paishwohon his return. — The General pays him a formal visit. — Ceremony on that occasion. — The Paishwah and his Court, — Colonel Barry Close. — South-west Monsoon sets in. — The Army moves in the direction of Bombay, llardsliipa endured by it. — State of the Camp during a hejivy CONTENTS. Vll rain. — !yIoJe of securing the Tents. — Cotton-ground. — Mortality among the Cattle, — A march dunng heavy rain. — Encampment in hot weather. — WhirlwmJs. — Artificial mode of cooling Tents and also liquids. — Camp, pleasant in fine weather. — Joined by troops fi-om Bombay. — Major Malcolm. — Army moves in the di- rection of Ahmednaghur. — Stopped by a sudden fall of rain. — Its consequences. — A river comes down suddenly in the night, and carries away the washermen and their families. — The Author's brother engineer dies of a dysentery. — His character. — A mi lita- ry Funeral, and remarks on it. 63 CHAPTER VIII. Cause of the War in 1803. — riiege of Ahmednaghur. — Attack of the Pettah. — Arab Soldiers. — The Author's teelings on first going into action. — Fatal Duel. — Remarks on Duelling. — Ahmedna- ghur. — Progress of the Siege. — Mode of lighting the walls with blue lights. — Erection of Batteries. — Mode pursued. — Stone Shot. — Fort surrenders. — Execution of two Sepoys for plun- dering 75 CHAPTER IX. The Army quits Ahmednaghur — *Jro3siv uie Godavery river. — Ar- rives at Aurungabad. — Doscription ot that place. — Geaeral Wellesley visits the Resident at Scindia's court, Colonel Collins. liis equipage and appearance. — His opinion ot the Mahratta Armies. — Wretched state of the country. — Famine. — Conduct of the natives under their misery. — Deplorable scene witnessed by the Author. — Colonel Stevenson attacks and takes the fort of Jaulna. — The enemy's cavalry get into our rear. — Countermarch- es in consequence. — The enemy's infantry and guns ascend the Adjuntee Pass. — Colonel Stevenson surprises their horse camp, — .loined by a convoy of provisions. — The Army moves forward. — The enemy's cavalry effect a junction with their infantry. — The two British divisions arrive withiu a short distance of eack other. — Nizam's subsidiary force reviewed by General Welles- ley. — Colonel Stevenson. — Company's olficers of rank comparefl witli those of his Majesty. g3 CHAPTER X. General Wellesley separates the two British Divisions. — Ques- tion whether he was right in so doing. — Find ourselves un- expectedly within a few miles of the Enemy's Camp. — Their Position. — The General resolves to attack them. — His excellent dispositions for that purpose. — Battle of Assaye. — Anecdotes con- nected with it j]f) via CONTENTS. CHAPTER XI. Feelings after the Bailie. — bu.i» 'ous ol tne Regiments on Parade Sale of Officers* effecls. — Joined by Colonel Stevenson's corps. Scindia sues for peace. — Colonel Stevenson lakes possession ol Burhampoor. — Lays siege to Aaseerghur. — General Wellesley's division descends the Adjuntee pass, and enters Berar. — Descrip- tion of the country. — Wild hog hunting. — Assc-erghur surrenders. Enemy's Cavalry get iuto our rear, and endeavour to intercept our Convoys. — General Wellesley's division re-ascend* the Ad- iuntee pass in consequence. — Caplani Baynes, commanding the Convoy, repulses the attack ol the Enemy — Is joined by Gene- ral Wellesley's division. — Bnnjnries, and some account of them. Scindia's Vakeels arrive in our Camp, and negotiations set on foot. — Descent into Berar by the Bajoora pass. — A Suspension of Arms agreed upon with Scindia 104 CHAPTER XH. The two British Divisions u.uiea dl FaiHiiy. — The Berar Rajah's Army a short distance off. — Agreement made by Colonel Steven- son with them. — General Wellesley reconnoitres their Army. — Orders the British Force to advance. — Skirmish between parties of the Mysore and Enemy's Horse. — Battle of Aigaum. — I'art of the Army thrown into confusion at tlie outset. — Admirable prejence of mind and. knowledge oi human nature displayed by General Wellesley in restoring order. — Anecdotes connected with the Battle. . . 110 CHAPTER XHI. The Arm)' resumes its march to ui.! F-asluard. — Reaches Ellich- poor. — Entertainment given by the Nabob of that place. — Siege of Gawilghur resolved upon. — Description of that Fortress. — Adventure oftlie Author in proceeding thilher. — Description and anecdotes of his Horse. — Terror of a Guide on seeing the firing Irom the Fort. — Enter the Mountains. — Reach the Northern side of the place. — Progress of the Siege. — Fool-hardiness of an Officer. — Assault. — Despeiate resistance by a body of Rajpoots. Dreadful Carnage among the Enemy. — Cruel sport of our Euro- pean Soldiers. — Escape of the Author from a party of them. — The Rajpoots in garrison put their Women to death. — Captain .Tohnstone. — Superior zeal of European Officers in India. — Supe- riority of the British Regiments in India to those oftlie same ser- vice in Europe, — Both circumstances accounted for. — Booty. 118 CHAPTER XIV. R'eturji to Ellichpoor. — Resume our marcli towards Nagpoor. — ^ Vfito.e concluded with the Maliratta powers. — Panegyric on CONTENTS. 1%. Marquis Wellesley's policy. — Th# Army retraces its steps. — Plundering Expedition of the Pindarrees in our rear, attacked and routed. — The Author arrives at Poonah. — Is attacked by Guinea worms, and thereby prevented from accompanying General Wel- lesley to Bombay. — Festivities at Poonah. — Anecdote of a Pub- lic Dinner. — Horse-Races. — The Author returns with part of the Army to the Madras territories. — Sepoys bit by a mad Jackal. — Monsoon sets in. — The Detachment crosses the Kistnah in Bas- ket-boats. — Mode of dragging them across by horses. — Falls of Gogawk 130 CHAPTER XV. Ilie Author visits his brother at Bednore. — Feelings on that occa- sion. — Sets out for the Presidency. — Equipage of an Officer tra- velling. — Hindoo Women. — Jugglers and Tumblers. — Dancing Girls. — Dancing Snakes. — Fang teeth of venomous kinds. — Hab- its of Europeans travelling. — Indian Game. — Sporting. — Blood- suckers. — Pellet-bow. — Ingenious mode of catching Wild Ducks. The Author meets with an odd character. — Arrives at Nundid- roog. — Adventure there 137 CHAPTER XVI. The Author arrives at the Presidency. — Appearance of Madras af- ter the Monsoon. — Races. — The Author appointed to a situation at the Presidency. — Habits of the European Inhabitants. — State of Religion in India. — Mode of keeping the Sabbath. — Company's Chaplains. — Anecdote of one, — Native Christians. — Irreligious example set by the Europeans. — Portuguese in India. — Descrip- tion of Madras. — The Author is appointed to a situation in the Centre Division of the Army. — Description of Vellore. — Alliga- tors. — Tippoo Saib's Sons. — Mutiny at Vellore. — Anecdotes con- nected with it. — Colonel Gillespie 148 CHAPTER XVH. Conflicting opinions respecting the cause o) the Mutiny. — Religious prejudices of the Hindoos. — Remarks on Missionaries. — Execu- tion of Conspirators. — Remarkable occurrence on that occasion. Further Anecdotes connected with the Mutiny. — The Mysore Princes sent to Calcutta. — Extraordinary sensation produced in India by the Mutiny. — Death "of an Officer by falling down a well . 164 CHAPTER XVni. The Author ie appoint'^d to a situation at Bangalore. — Builds a new Cantonment. — Pleasant life led there. — Gambling in India. Melancholy instance of its e ects. — Jack Dillon. — System of Se- poy Regiments. — Various Anecdotes, .... ITC \ CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIX. Dispute between Sir Georg<( Barlow and the Company's Ofllcei The Author is sent to Pondichcrry amoag the Nonjurors. — De scription of Pondicherry. — Habit? of the French Inhabitants. — Author returns to Bangalore — Adventures on the road. — Ar- rives at Arnee. — Tomb of Colonel Harvey Aston. — Anecdotea of him. — The Author is ordered to Madras to take command of the Engineer Departmeut in the Expedition to the Isle. of Bour- bon. — Travels by Dawk. — Palanquin Bearers. — Arrives at the Presidency. . ITC CHAPTER XX. The Author sails with the exp .diUon lo Bourbon. — Hardships un- dergone by the Native Troops on board Ship. — Their prejudices with regard lo Cooking. — Comttry Ships. — Lascars. — Arrival at the Island of Rodriguez. — Description of the Island. — Coral Reefs. — Colonel Keating. — Author embarks in the Boadicea. — Commodore Rowley. — Captain Willoughby. — Joined by the rest of the Squadron 183 CHAPTER XXI. Landing at the Island oi Bourbon. — Loss oi lives in the surf. — Ac- tion of the 86th Regiment with the Enemy. — Defences of St. Denis, the Capital. — Island surrendered. , . . 188 CHAPTER XXII. Description of the Island o( Bouri)oii. — 'Vh^■ Author makes a Toui of the Island. Volcano. Pays brnl6. Creoles. — Slaves. — Attack of the Isle de la Passu near the Isle of France. — The French Squadron enters Port South East. — Attacked by four English Frigates. — All lost or taken. — The French recover the Isle de la Passe. — Judicious conduct of Commodore Rowley. — Capture of the Africaine. — Recovered by the Boadicea. — French rejoice at the death of Captain Corbel. — Capture of the Ceylon Frigate. — Retaken, together with her antagonist the Venus, by Commodore Rowley. — Exertions of the Navy in refitting the Ships. — Admiral Bertie arrives from ths Cape in the Nisus. — The Squadron sails for the Isle ol France. — The Author embarks on board the Boadicea — Is employed in reconnoitering the Coast. French gasconade. — The Expedition arrives from India. — Corp.s composing it 193 CHAPTER XXIII. Spot fixed upon for the Debm kution.— Lan'.);ng. — Progress of the Army towards Port-Louis.— -Adventure of the Author.— Action near Port-Louis.— Night Al£»rm. — Ridiculous occurrence. — Isl- and surrendered 20f'. CONTENTS. M CHAPTER XXIV. 'erms of Capitulation. — Arrival of Troojja from the Cape. — Cruel scene on board the Prison Ships. — Description of the Island, and of Port Louis. — Inhabitants. — The Author sails for, and arrives at Madras. — Is appointed Extra Aid-de-Camp to Sir Samuel Auchmuty, on the Expedition to Java.— His feelings on being appointed to the Staff. — Treated with greater consideration in consequence. — His remarks thereon, — Cburt paid to Rank. — Anecdote on that suhiect 209 TWELVE YEARS' JfllLITARY ADVENTURE. CHAPTER I. I'he Author is destined at an parly age for the Military Profession. Remarks on professional ia(licatiou=. — A Commission irocured for liim at the z^f of nine years. — His feelings on that occasion. Its effects on hi^ character. — He is obliged to retire on Half-pay. — Is sent to WiiK'hes»er School, — System of Education there; not adapted to slow boyo. — Emblematical Device on the wall of the school room. — Author chooses the second alternative. — Is appointed a Cadet in th<= East India Company's service. — Is ^eut to the Royal Military .\cadeiny at Woolwich. — Commendable system pursued there. — Leaves Woolwich, and prepares for departure for India. Out of a family of six boys it was proper that one should be devoted to the infernal gods ; and, as my dhoidders promised to be of the requisite breadth, and my head of the suitable thickness, I was cliosen as a fit offering ; or, in other words, I was selected for the mili- tary profession, as being the greatest dunce in the family. But, besides the above naUiral qualification for this knock-my-head profession, I must say that I was early seized with the red-coat mania, first caught, I believe, by accompanying a cousin when he went to mount guard at the castle of Dublin, and afterwards evinced in a predilection for painting soldiers on cards, and putting them through their manoeuvres on the table, in prefer, ence to any evolutions, however beautiful, which could be performed by the six-and-twenty letters of the alpha- bet. I also well recollect, that among the sons of my father's tenants I had a corps raised and disciplined after 2 14 TWELVE years' my own manner, which they used to call my racrgcd re- giment. Whether these early professional indications are to be de[)ended upon I know nur ; but I have no doubt my parents acted upon tliem in some degree ; tor one of my brothers was expressly fixed upon as the sai- lor of the family, because he was observed one day, through the key-h(jle of a room into which he had locked himself, busily employed in yo-hoing a table, which he had turned upside down for a ship ; and another was afterwards entered on tlie books of the Master-general of the Ordnance for the artillerj', because he used to spend all his pocket-money in buying little brass can- nons, and tiring them off', to the annoyance of my mo- ther's nerves. Had ;he opinions of the learned Doctors Gall and Spurzheim been then promulgated to the world, my parents would have had a comparatively easy task in the choice of professions for their children ; for they would, in that case, only have had to ascertain the pronai- nent bump in ihe cranium of each boy. As it was, they acted up to the best of their lights ; and whether they judged righily with regard to me, that is, whether I do really possess tb.e bump military, or murderous bump, which I conceive to be the same thing, will perhaps, be discovered in the following memoirs. With a view of getting me a good start in my profes- sion, a commission was purchased for me in a newly- raised regiment, it being intended, through the means of my maternal uncle, who commanded the corps, to have me kept on the strength until I had completed the usual quantum of education to capa<:itatc me for joining u marching regiment. I never shall forget the feelings with which, at nine -ears' old, I learned that I had tht> honour of bearing his Majesty's commission. I am convinced, to this day, that I grew some inches taller iu the course of the first twenty-four hours ; and to this early event in my life, I have no doubt, I owe a certain stiffness of carriage and military slrut, for which I have always been remarkable ; and to the tenor communica- ted by it to my ideas nuiy be attributed much of my present character, the predominant features of whicli MILITARY ADVENTURE. 15 are pride and a too exquisite, if not a morbid, sense of honour — qualities which I have found to stand in my way in my progress through life. Indeed it was not long before I began to find the feelings resulting from them rather inconvenient ; for if, in mv juvenile days, I had to resent plebeian insolence (to which my disposi- tion rendered me peculiarly sensitive,) I used to think it beneath me to employ any other than the lowest member of my frame ; so that frequently, while 1 was engaged in kicking the insensible breech of some base-born var- let, he was perhaps exercising his horny knuckles in a more effectual way on my patrician sconce, which, although I was no bad bruiser among njy equals in rank, my military pride would hardly allow me to protect with my hands, for fear of being caught in a boxing-match with a snob. That this early intimation of my being actually an officer did not serve to stimulate me in my studies, may also be easily conceived ; for, besides that I had no oc- casion, like other boys, to study for a profession which I had already attained, I could in no way discover of what use either musa or muscB could be to me as a sol- dier. While in this mood the Duke of York's regulations, prohibiting school-boys from holding commissions in the army came out ; and my military pride was lowered a peg or two by my benig placed on half-pay. But the miscliief was done, and thenceforth I was good for no- thing but to wear a cockade. My parents, however, wisely considering of what use it would be to me in my profession (as 1 have since ex- perienced,) had taken great pains to have me well in- structed in French ; for which purpose an Abbe resided constantly in our house during the holidays ; so that at the age of thirteen, I noi only spoke the language fluent- ly, but understood it well. Whether my head was so peculiarly constructed that it could not contain more than a certain quantum of learning at a time, or whether this principle is common to the human head generally, I •^hall not stop to inquire ; but the fact is, that, though I IG TWELVE YEARS had been by this lime for some years at a grammar school, I knew scarcely any thing of the classics. In this state I was sent as a Commoner to Winchester School, whore of course I distinguished myself in the way that might have been expected ; that is, by being almost always at the b(;ttom of my class. Not bv\t that an occasional flash of genius, or lucky hit (if you will have it,) would give me a momentary projection to the top ; but, alas ! only (o sink again, like other heavy bo- dies, to the level from which I had sprung. The " Lose three places" — " Lose three more" — " Go to the bot- tom" — of Dr. Gabell, still resounds in my ears. But indeed he was the worst master that could be imagined for a slow boy. He never would lend him a helping hand, but down he would keep him, loading him w ith im- positions (that isj tasks) till he had no time to get through either these or his lessons. He went to work like an unskilful Inmtsman, who, when the hounds come to a fault, will neither allow them to make iheir own cast, nor give them a lift in a cold scent, but will keep them with their noses down to the foiled ground till the scent is lost altogether. I have been kept on a holiday, with a few other victims of his mistaken discipline, for hours to- gether writing imposhions on his staircase, on a cold •winter's day, till the pen would drop out of my fingers. Had it not been for the under-master, I think I should have liked the school ; for there was a manly — I may say gentlemanly — feeling among the boys, and a degree of liberty was allowed to the commoners out of school hours, which suited my disposition. A circumstance happened here which will, in some measure, help to elucidate my character. It was usual at the close of the year to move the boys into the class next above them, excepting perhaps one br two who Avere not considered worthy of the step. On the publi- cation of -the classes for the ensuing year, I found my- self, as might have been expected, among the few ex- ceptions above-mentioned. For the first time in my life I felt ashamed of being a blockhead, and resolved by an effort to extricate mj self, if possible, from my ignomi- iSciti. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 17 nious state. With this determination I studiously con- cealed from my parents the disgrace I" had undergone ; and, when the vacation was over, went and stood up with the class ahove me, as it' 1 had been regularly promoted to it among the othei's. I kept my secret close, and put on so good a face, that nobody questioned my right to be tliere ; and I actually continued to keep my place in that class, while my less adventurous com- panions in disgrace remained in the class below. Most of my readers must know, or have heard of, the emblematical device which is painted on the wall of Win- chester school -room. At top is a mitre and crozier with the words ant disce under them ; beneath that a sword and an ink-horn, with the words aut discede ; lastly, a rod, with the remainder of the verse, manet sois tertia, eci^di. It was my lot to follow the middle course, and to take my departure, not however before I had received such a disproportionate share of the apple twigs* that I could easily distinguish, by the touch of the wood alone, all the gradations trom a golden pippin to a codling. When I had nearly reached my tifteenth year an alter- ation was made in the plan of my future life, and a cadet- ship for the artillery or engineers in the East India Com- pany's service was accepied tor me. As the situation was in great request, and one in which, to all appearance, an ample harvest of laurels nnd of lucre was to be reap- ed ; and as the army of the King was then afrather a low ebb, I cannot blame my parents for the part they took ; though it is almost certain that, had 1 continued in the service of his IVIajesty, I should now be very near the rank of general officer, instead of being a simple Cap. tain. But they acted for the best, and with no motive but my good. Indeed it is but a poor tribute to their pa- rental affection to say, that never were parents more devoted to the welfare of their children than mine. Al- though nothing could be closer than the union of their * At Winchester school four apple twigs tied to the end of a stick are used instead of the usual instrument of casti^-ation, a birch rod. " 2* 18 TWELVE years' hearts, every child (and they had not a few) seemed an additional link in the bond of their love. These formed so many points of union for their thoughts and afiections, and many a luxury was denied themselves that niorr might be expended on the education of their otispring. It was no fault of theirs if I did not profit by it. In order to prepare me for the shuation I had accepted it was necessary that I should be placed at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, where cadets for the East India Company's artillery or engineers were then received on the same footing as those of his Majesty ; but, as there was no vacancy just at that time, I was sent to an academy at Deptford, where I spent six months pleasantly enough, but learning only what I had after- wards to unlearn. The system of education at Woolwich was such as exactly suited my disposition. There were no compul- sory lessons ; but the obtaining a commission depended entirely on a youth's own exertions, and the more rapid his progress the sooner that object was attained. Thus interest was the self-apparent motive, and emulation the spur to action, while nothing like a dread of punishment galled the better feelings, or drew forth the worst pas- sions of our nature. Although supplied with the best masters in each department of instruction, the pupils were free to learn or not, as they chose ; but the conse- quences were obvious, natural, and certain. Indeed, I have often wondered that this principle is not more acted upon in our public schools ; for, surely, after a certain age, youth is capable of judging what is for its interest in so plain a case, and more likely to consult that interest through the exertion of free will, than when goaded on by the arm of power, on which the mind will then natur- ally throw all the trouble and responsibility of pushing it on, while it thinks only of indulging, as much as possi- ble, its natural propensity to idleness and pleasure. Be- sides forwarding the immediate object in view, I am of opinion that this plan of free agency in education must tend to imbue the mind with early notions of indepen- dence and self-confidence, both most essential qualities in MILITARY ADVENTURE. 19 the formation of a great character. Be this as it may, the system suited me ; and the fruits were such that, although a dunce at Winchester, I passed through the academy at Woolwich in a shorter time than any of my predecessors, and that without any great exertion of in- tellect. It might have been that I had more taste for mathematics than for the classics ; but still this will not by any means account for the entire revolution which took place in my habits of application. The effect which success in my studies had upon me was striking to nwself as well as to others. I believe my friends had given me up as an incorrigible blockhead, and it is not to be won- dered at if, in spile of self-love and vanity, I was tnyself borne away by the notion that my talents were far below mediocrity. But I seemed at once to be born into a bet- ter state of existence, and to take my place among a superior order of beings to that iu which I had already begun to class myself. I may here remark, that, although I got on extremely well in my mathematical studies (which, however, owing to the demand for oflicers to fill the engineer and artillery corps, did not then extend to the higher mathematics,) I cannot assert that I then fairly comprehended much of what I learned by rote. On leaving Woolwich I was only between sixteen and seven- teen. Whether at this age the mind, in general, is capa- ble of grappling with the mathematics I know not ; but I am convinced that in my case it was not, for, on taking up those studies afterwards, at a more mature age, I was surprised at the facility with which I comprehended prob- lems which I recollected to have puzzled me much Avhen I first attempted them. My course being com- pleted at W^oolwich, I took my departure duly qualified and empowered to kill, upon the most approved princi- ples of the art, such of my fellow-creatures beyond the Cape of Good Hope as should- presume to dispute the authority of the United Company of Merchants of Great Britain trading to the East Indies. In the interval allow- ed me to prepare for sailing, I retired to spend a few months in the bosom of my family, from which I was so ■ji^on to be separated, and which I was do<>TOe good listeners. Nor was our society without its Bobadil ; and many a marvellous tale of tigers, elephants, Cobra de CapelJos, Mysoreans, Malirattas, lire-eaters, and sword-eaters, have we youngsters listened to with open mouths, till repetition had rendered them too stale even for a sea stomach. Tliat there were some sensible well-inform- ed men among so many may be supposed ; and that there was a black sheep or two in the flock cannot be denied. One of tlie latter was a most plausible, smooth- tongued hypocrite, and the other the most impudent cut- and-come-again fellow I ever encountered. Happily for us, however, two things were wanting. There was neither a mischief-maker, nor a professed dueUist, so that we contrived to get to the endof our voyage without there being any balance on the score of honour to be settled with powder and ball. Alas! of these my iirst companions in the voyage of life, above three-fourths are already gone to their long homes ; some have died a soldier's natimtl death on the Held ofbattle; some have fallen victims to the climate; some few still toil on their way; some few, like myself, have preferred poverty with half a liver to riches without any ; and some few, and those few indeed ! have gained the object of their ambi- tion — a fortune ; but not one, perhaps with health to en- joy it, or the sense to know how to spend it. I shall not dwell upon the manner in which we passed our time on board ship — how we panted under the Line — how we rolled round the Cape, frequently with more soup in our laps than we could keep on our stomachs — how the back gammon-l)oard rattled from morning till night — how we paced the quarter-deck, when the judge and gen- eral did not take it all to themselves — how we fished ibr sharks — how wo speared dolphins, porpoises, and alba- eores; — nor shall I attempt to paint the pictured agonies of the dying dolphins, already so beautifully described by Falconer; nor the nobler and more potent struggles of the greedy, daring shark, to do justice to which would require the pen of a Homer. Neither shall I swell my MILITARY ADVENTURE. 25 pages with an account of the visit we i-eceived from Fa* ther Neptune on crossing the Line, with the ceremonial attending it, as that subject is stale ; nor detail all ihe jokes, practical and verbal, which we played upon each other, except one of the former; and if it amuses he reader half as much as it did me, I shall be content. There was a lazy tat fellow amongst us, who was always lolling or sleeping on the hen-coops, upon whom we re- solved to play a trick : so, seizing an opportunity when h»' was snug on his customary roost, we planted ourselves, w h buckets of water, just over him. At a signal given, hi' was jerked off the coop, and soused from head to foot with such a full and successive torrent of the briny fluid, accompanied by a cry of, " Man ovei'board ! Rope ! rope ! Down with the helm!" &c. that he actually struck out as if swimming for his life ; till a failure in the supply of wa- (er, succeeded by peals of laughter, brought him to a sense of his situation. The captain of our ship was a gentlemanly, liberal man, and did every thing in his power to render us com- fortable. He kept a good table, and seldom took advan- tage of a gale of wind to put us off with a sea-pie. For my part, my father having stipulated that I should be pro- vided with a cabin to myself, and having supplied me with abundance of books, my time was passed both pleasantly and profitably. Having had somewhat of a mathematical education, I frequently exercised myself in taking celes- tial observations with the officers of the ship, those of the East India Company's sei'vice being considered, of all others, the best navigators, although, from their being almost always in the open seas, their merit as seamen may not be equally great. We touched at Madeira just long enough for the captain to lay in his stock of London particular ; had upon the whole a good passage, nothing, that I can recollect having occurred beyond what is com- mon in similar vo) ages, and cast ailchor in Madras Roads in loss than five months after we quilted England. 26 TWELVE years' CHAPTER III. Appearance of Madras. — l^anJing;. — Assailed by swarms of Nalivt Servants. — Amusements of Sailors ashore. — Anthor repairs to the f'ort to deliver his cred-.ntiab. — Remarks on entering the Fortress, — II' ception at the Adjutant-generars oflice. — Return to the Hotel, and dcscri|ition of it. — Miisquitoes. — Anecdote of u young lady. — Returns to the ship in search of his bagirage. — Ex- tortion of th' Massnli-hoat hoys. — De'iv°r^ his letters of intro- duction. — Is invitiHl to the house otth Chief Engineer. — Chooses the Engiiiper Corps. — R moves to quarters in the Fort. — Soci- ety of the Presidency. — Anecdote of a Scotch Cadet. — Public day at a Regimental Mess. The most dreary spot in existence will always appear delightful to the eye fatigued with long gazing on the same object. Any novelty musr be charming to the mind wearied with a constant repetition of the same scenes ; any exercise must be refreshing to the body long pent up wiihin narrow limits. It is not, then, a matter of surprise that almost all navigators should paint the spot at which they first touch after a long voyage, more in the colours of imagination, than in those of re- ality ; as the el dorado of their ideas. Indeed it must require all this, and more, to describe the a[)proach to the coast of Coromandel as any thing strikingly beauti- ful. A few straggling cocoa-nut trees, rising out of the haze of a tropical horizon, are all that at first strikes the eye, till a closer appi'oximation shows a low line of coast, backed at a considerable distance by a range of moun- tains of no great height. But, when you have approach- ed sufficiently near to distinguish the buildings of Ma- dras, with Saint Thomas' mount in the back-ground, the coup d'ccil, may be pronounced, if not grand, at least novel and pleasing. Of catamarans, massuli-boats, &c. &c. I shall not attempt to give any description, as those subjects have MILITARY ADVENTURE. 27 long since been exhausted ; but, assuming that the reader is as much tired of the sea as I was, I shall e'en jump over surf and all, and carry him ashore as fast as I can. My feelings on landing I need not describe. They were, of course, not such as I should have experienced at set- ting foot on my natiN e soil ; but still they were far from vmpleasing. A new world was before me ; and a pocket full of letters of introduction was all I had to supply the place of home, parents, and friends. But hope, the morning star of life, shone on my path, and that was enough to.cheer the prospect. The swarm of natives who assail you on landing, with testimonials of character, as fair as had once been the paper on which they were written, each endeavouring to fix himself upon you as your dubash or factotum, and actually quarrelling like vultures for their prey, would give him who jiJges by the surface of things but an un- favourable opinion of the people among whom it is his lot to be thrown. Breaking our way through the crowd, I, and two or three of my shipmates threw ourselves into palanquins, and desired one of these officious gentlemen to show us to aa hotel. Proceeding thither, in this, to us, novel conveyanpe, we were nearly run over by a couple of drunken tars in a gig, who hiccuped out their excuses with a " Please your honour she won't steer." We also encountered two or three more of the same amphibious animals (tor there was a man of war in the roads,) jaunting about in palanquins, with a leg out of the door on either side, each attended by his dubash, who acted in the triple capacity of purse-bearer, guide, and mercury. Heedless wretches ! who think" to make up, by an hour's dissipation and extravagance, for months of slavery and privation. Having partaken of a luncheon (called tifm in India,) consisting of mullagatawny and grilled chicken, we set off on foot to the Fort, to deliver our credentials. One of those fine sun-shiny mornings which are occasionally experienced in India, (i. e. about three hundred and fifty days in the twelve months,) — adelightful westerly breeze, loaded with the refreshing warmth of one hundred milef 28 TWELVE years' of flat countiy (called a land-wind,) and a dry yt-Uow soil, which, while it reflected the brilliant rays of the sun, sent their genial heat even through the soles of oui- shoes — rendered our walk across the esplanade such as cannot be described, nor even imagined, unless by one who has enjoyed the promenade under a similar combi- nation of delightful circumstances. On entering Fort St. George, which being built on the best principles of tlie art, may be considered as a very strong place, 1 was not a little struck with the succession of outworks and draw-bridges, and the number of angular wall% and deep moats wiiich wc had to pass, and to which I had never before seen any thing similar, althougii it was all familiar to me on paper. Then tiiere was the stiff sentry meet- ing you at every turn, and ihe stifl' guard drawn out to salute the stiii" general. In short, ever}' thing within the garrison had an air of rigidity about it, which, though it might add to the " ponjp and circumstance of war," could not awaken any very pleasurable sensations, or excite any flattering anticipation, in those who felt that they were soon to become the objects, if not the victims, of its discipline. Strange ! thought I, that there should be so much greater a display of military parade in the estab- lishment of a company of merchants, than ever I have witnessed in any garrison belonging to his 15ritannic Ma- jesty in England ! I did not stop to consider, that the difference arose, not in the constitution of their military bodies, but in the situation in which they acted ; the one as members of a free country, the other as tools of a despotic government. The eri'ect thus produced on our minds was not at all lessened on entering the adjutant-general's ofSce, where, characteristically encased in a bomb-proof, on the sea face of the fort, sate this a»vfui functionary and -his de- puties, with their coats buttoned up to their chins, and the thermometer at 90", in all the stiflTness of starch, pipe- clay, pomatum, and importance. The feelings of awe with which we passed the thres- hold of this sanctuary of discipline were somewhat re- lieved by the address of Colonel Agnew, the then adju MILITARY ADVENTURE. 29 (ant-general, who, to considerable talent, joined, when it pleased him, a peculiar suavity of manner, which a letter of introduction drew forth more particularly to my- self, and which might have succeeded in setting us a lit- tie at our ease, if we hud not, at the same time, seen a young officer, who had come into the office on business, roughly reprimanded (India-Anglice wigged) by a zea- lous jack-in-office of a deputy, for presuming to have his neckcloth more than one twelfth of an inch above his stock: wiiicii exercise of authority, in apparently so trivial a circumstance, impressed us with a conviction that, however ihe individual in power might relax, the system was still one foreboding but little comfort to those who had exchanged liberty for a red coat. On taking our leave, we were told that tents would be pitch- ed on the glacis for the reception of the cadets in the course of the evening, and that every thing would be there provided for their accommodation, till forwarded to the Cadet Company, that praiseworthy institution (now very properly done away with,) M'here boys were kept together to make still greater boys of each other, instead of being sent off to their regiments to be made men of. As I had nothing to do with that concern, I preferred re- turning to my hotel in the Black Town, and in this per- haps I was wrong, for the place in which I had taken up my quarters proved to be really a hot hell, which admi- rable pun, notwithstanding Mr. Matthews has introduced it in his Trip to America, I have a right to call my own, being able to prove by two credible witnesses, now lucki- ly alive, that the same was u<.tered by me on this very occasion, full twenty years before the said Mr. Mat- thews ever crossed the Atlantic. Happily, Indian hos- pitality prevented the place being frequented by respec- fable persons ; for it was just such a hole as you would suppose a cannibal gourmand w^uld select for preparing the livers of such human geese as he intended should supply him witli the materiel of a paU de foie gras. Here I passed (he night in a bed which might be called a chop-house for musquitoes, where fresh teiuler Euro- pean flesh was regularly served up to them on the arri- 3* 30 TWELVE years' val of a fleet, just as Aldermen are regaled at Die City of London Tavern on the landing of a fresh batch of turtle from the West Indies. To be sure, there was some pretence of excluding these voracious animals by ■ what are termed musquito-curtains ; hut they onlv served like the walls of the tavern aforesaid, to exclude the vul- gar herd, while a set party of old hands, aware of the repast which awaited them, had taken care to secure a berth within. This tormenting insect, happily known by report only in England, is justly an object of dread to all new comers. A young lady from the Highlands of Scotland, having had her imagination worked upon during the voyage by the terrible descrij)tion given of it by the officers of the ship, who feel a pleasure in hoax- ing the griffins ; and having heard, by some means, that it had a proboscis or trunk, on seeing an elephant near the beach where they landed, exclaimed, as she caught the arm of one of the passengers for protection, " Is that the animal ye caw a muskeetee ?" But to return to myself; what Avith the incessant ef- forts of my tormentors, a dry tongue, and a feverish skin^ (the consequences of a slight jollification with a party of shipmates the preceding evening,) as may be supposed, I had but little sleep the first night of my ar- rival. The next morning, afier partaking of an Indian breakfast, consisting of fresh fish and green .tea, I re- turned to the ship in quest of my baggage. The mas- suli-boat boys, guessing that they had a Johnny New-. come {griffins they are called in India) to deal with, stopped the boat, apparently in a most dangerous situa- tion, between two of tho^e tremendous surfs, intimating that they would not move an inch if I did not give them a douceur ; with which piece of extortion, for want of the means of chastising them, and desirous to preserve myself from a ducking, I thought it best to comply. As soon as I had cleared my effects at the Custom-house, and lodged tlicm safely at the tavern, I set off in a pa- lanquin, to present some of my letters of introduction, without which a cadet would as soon think of embarking for India, as a soldier would of goinff into battle without MILITARY ADVENTURE. 31 ammunition, and of which I had not a few. One of the iirst I deUvered was to Colonel Trapaud, chief engineer, who kindly invited me to take up my abode at his house. Here then I was as comfortable (if that word can pos- sibly be applied to the native of a cold climate under the » 12th' degree of latitude at the hottest season of the year, suffering from the prickly heat by day, and from nius- quitoes by night ; well then, as much at my ease) as could be expected, in a garden-house about two miles from Fort St. George, in the month of July. My choice of a profession lay between the Engineer and Artillery Corps ; and I preferred the former, contrary, I must say, to the advice of by far the greater part of my friends ; for the promotion was then very rapid in the artillery, while the engineers were rather at a low ebb. Of this resolution, however, I have had since no cause to repent ; for, though in (he artillery I should in three years have been a Captain, which rank it took me ten years to attain in the engineers, yet, besides having a penchant for the latter service, the nature of the duty gave me a degree of liberty and independence unknown in the other branches of the mihtary profession, while it afforded better opportunities of acquiring a compe- tence — the chief object of every European who adven- tures beyond the Cape. Not wishing to be a burthen on my kind host, I re- moved, shortly after my appointment, to the engineers' quarters in the Fort, which, though they would be call- ed good in English barracks, afforded none of the means of enjoying either comfort or ease in a tropical climate. My military duties, which then only consisted in attend- ing the engineers' office for a few hours in the day to exhibit my talents at plan-drawing, &c. interfered not at all with a full enjoyment of the society of the settle- ment, to which my numerous letters of introduction pro- cured me access ; so that, in passing my evenings, I was luckily not thrown upon my own resources. Not having been of an age to mix mucli in company before I left England, I had no prejudices or preconceived no- tions of etiquette, to prevent my embracing f^ociety on j2 twelve years' its own terms. I did not expect that a member of coun- cil, or a general officer, should pay his respects to me betbre I accepted his hospitality. I regularly paid my court at the breaktast-tables of the great, it being the custom for persons of distinction to hold a kind of levee at that meal ; and I was a frequent guest at the houses , of almost all the principal inhabitants, civil and military; so that, with balls and parlies two or three times a week, I passed my time gaily enough. Others, better versed in the forms of high life, or naturally more fastidious, might quarrel with the system of society at Madras ; but youth are easily pleased, and may, in my opinion, with, out any sacrifice of independence, circumstanced as 1 was, fairly ])artake of the liospitality of those above them, although it cannot be in their power to return it. Indeed the contrary line of conduct, in my mind, betrays a want of sense. I recollect a young iScotch cadet, who liad probably read Macklin's Man of the World on the passage out till he had made up his mind not to be a Sir Pertinax, being invited, as usual, on joining his regi- ment, to breakfast with the conmianding officer, reply- ing ; " Nay, I thank ye, sar, I've tea and sugar of my ane at hame." Among other invitations to dinner, I received one from a shipmate,. whose regiment, one of his majesty's, formed part of the garrison. It was what is called a public day at the mess, when the members generally ask such of their friends as they please. My military reader will excuse me, if I give a description of it for the amuse- ment of my civil one. I arrived about seven o'clock, just as the drums were playing " Roast Beef of old England," the regular sig- nal that dinner is dishing. On my entrance, I found 'most of the officers and some guests assembled in the veranda, which extended along the front of the mess- room, some pacing up and down, and some lolling in chairs with their legs up against the pillars, frying to in- hale the last pulfs of the sea-breeze which had set in about three or four hours before. The guests were asked to take a glass of wine before dinner, and Madei- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 33 ra was handed round. Soon after, a fat portly native butler, with large ear-rings, announced the dinner, which was spread on a table extending the whole length of a long room, from the ceiling of which depended a pim- kah. A good display of plate, presented by the House of Assembly of some West India island where the regi- ment had been stationed, ornamented the board, at which the company were not long in seating themselves. Af- ter the usual removes of fish and soup, appeared a tre- mendous turkey, which, to use a sailor's expression, could easily have hoisted on board a full-sized Norfolk bird of the same species. Opposite to this by no means rara avis of a large diimer-party, (for an English club might just as well be without its parson, or a city feast Vvithout its turtle, as a public dinner in India without its turkey,) stood iis never-failing companion, a huge ham, in point of size as near a matc.i to the bird as the Euro- pean shops could supply. What the other dishes vyere I did not particularly nolice ; but of this wc may be pretty certain, that there was a tolerable sprinkling of curry and rice up and down the table. Each person was waited upon by his own servant, who stood behind his master's chair ; so that a regular rear rank was formed for the exclusion of the external air ; that which was exhaled by the lungs of the party and their betel- mouthed attendants being bandied about from mouth to mouth by the vibrations of the punkah. The work of destruction was not long in commencing, and a tolerably brisk fire was kept up by the front rank sitting, with this ditlerence from the field-day practice, that the rear- rank, instead of joining in the fire, only supplied the front rank with ammuniiion. If one who had read Bruce's Travels, but had known nothing of the costume of the natives of India, whoso long garments resemble those of women in our country, had been suddenly set down at an Indian moss-table, lie would actually have supposed liimself for a moment to be at the feast of Abyssinians described by that inge- nious traveller ; with this difierence, that the ladies em- ployed in cramming the males, instead of being seated 34 TWELVE years' between them, had taken post behind. The conversa- tion was much as usual at tables where there are no fe- males. Amidst the clatter of knives and forks and plates would now and then be heard, " Mootoo, take my plate for some turkey and ham" — " Brinji me the curry and rice, Ramsammy" — " x\ glass of wine, Hopkins ?" — " Will your friend join us ?" — " Thompson, we won't make a bridge of your nose" — " Colonel wants take a glass of wine with Master," &c. &c. The dinner passed ofl* as dinners in general do, and I observed no- thing particular, except that over the national dish of plum-pudding was emptied a bottle of cherry bounce. The cloth being removed, hookas made their appear- ance behind the chairs of some of the party — some, I say, for not many otficers can atTord that expensive ap- pendage, which, besides the cost of the chelum, the compound smoked, requires an attendant to itself. A squad of sergeants now entered with the orderly-books of their companies for the inspection of the officers, which drew forth a few " D n bores !" in sntto voce, no doubt in allusion to a drill the next morning. The room being cleared, and the bottles (among which Car. bonel in his magnum bonums stood conspicuous) mar- shalled in their places, the president gave " The La- dies," to which the band stationed in the veranda struck up " Kiss my Lady." Then came " The King," with the national anthem; "The Duke of York and the Ar- my" — Peace to his manes ! If the number of glasses of wine which have been swallowed to his health with hearty good will, for the third of a century that he had been commander-in-chief, could have conferred that blessing, he would have lived as long as the king, who, in his constitutional capacity, never dies..-^Then fol- lowed " The Duke of Clarence and the Navy," with " Rule Britannia ;" " The Honourable Company," tune, " Money in both pockets ;" " Lord Wellesley ;" " Lord Clive ;" " Lord Lake and the Army in India ;" and so on, through the regular set toasts ; when the president rose, and, with the usual premisal of " Oft' heel-taps, irentlemen," gave, as a bumper toast, " Genei-al Baird MILITARY ADVENTURE. 3t> and the heroes of Seringapatam." This was drunk standing, and in the three times three which followed, some sighs escaped to the memory of those of the re- giment who had fallen on that occasion. Then were given some toasts complimentary to persons present. " General and his Majesty's regiment ;" " Mr. Malony, your good health." Mr. Malony's health was re-echoed along the table, and Mr. Malony bowed, and bowed. " Admiral and the squadron in India." Lieut. of the Doris returned thanks. " General and the Hon. Company's regiment of Na- live Infantry'." Major Yellowchaps acknowledged the compliment, and in return gave " General and his Majesty's regiment," on which the Lieut. -Colonel and officers bowed, and the band struck up the regi- mental air. The volleys of toasts being now ended, an independent fire was kept up along the table, in the mo- mentary intervals of which miglit be heard the bubbling of the hooka, while the " Pass the bottle" of the presi- dent, " More wine, Mr. Vice," rose occasionally above the buz of con\ersation, which consisted mostly of "Jenkins of ours, and Tomkins of yours ;" till the pre. sident, with a rap on the table, commanding silence, begged to call on Captain for a song. The Cap- tain, after a few hems, sung a good song in good style, and received the acknowledgments of the company by a general thumping of fisfs on the table. Captain 's health and'song having been drunk, and the band having played a tune, whether by way of drowning the cries of the wounded bottles, which poured from their mouths tides of the purple fluid, or to conceal the non- sense that was spoken^^— for, in the language of Anstey, I freely coiifeES that I claret prcferr'd To all the genteel conversation I heard — I could not ascertain. Captain then called on some one else for a song; and so it went on, song, health, and tune, through the evening, till those who could not sing, as well as those who could, were com- 36 TWELVE years' pcllcd to contribute their quota to the general amuse- ment, either as the causes or the subjects of mirth. About ten o'clock the Colonel, his guest Major YeU lowchaps, and some others, having retired, a tew choice spirits closed in on the president, apparently determined to keep it up ; previously to which, however, suniry plates of olives, anchovy toast, and deviled biscuit, had disappeared ; and now the remains of the turkey made its appearance in the shape of a devil, to stir up a pret- ty hell in the already inllamed stomaciis of the party. After this, in spite of the admonuion of " No parish, gentlemen," from the president, who was bound to keep himself sober, regimental matters came under discus- ■ sion ; so, seizing the opportunity of a squabble between the adjutant and a subaltern on the propriety of the lat- ter being returned next for guard, I made my escape, but not without being followed by a volley of " Shabby fellow!" " Milk-sop !" " Cock-tail!" MILITARY ADVENTURE. 45 the front would be about two niiles, and the depth about half a mile ; the greater part of this parallelogram, not taken up by the regular tenis of the army, being cover- ed with the booths of the bazaar and the small tents oi the camp-followers. Imagine that over this space arc scattered bipeds of all shades, from the fair European down to the pariah, whose skin rivals the polish of War- ren's blacking, intermingled with quadrupeds of all sizes, from the elephant down to the dog, and you will have a tolerable idea of an Anglo-Indian camp. . The breaking up of such a camp is perhaps a more curious sight than the camp itself. Soon after the gene- ral has sounded the preparation to march, the tents dis- appear, and, in their place, an innumerable swarm of living creatures are seen busily moving about like a dis- turbed ant's nest ; or, to a person taking a bird's-eye view of the scene, it would seem as if an immense hatch of oviparous animals had just broken from their shells. Nor is the analogy to a colony of ants lessened, when after the beating of the assembly, the troops are seen moving off in military order, followed by endless files of baggage-animals and their numerous attendants. In marching, the baggage is supposed to move in a parallel column on the reverse flank of the army ; but, in general, when not close to an enemy, or within i-each of the preda- tory horse, the greater part follows the column of march in no very compact order : the rear-guard, which brings up the whole, has therefore, as may be expected, no very enviable duty in so hot a climate. Indeed, on a long march, it is frequently kept out till dark, in the endeavour to urge on the tardy followers, and their jaded, often half-starved, beasts. Excepting the tents of the Europeans, which were carried by elephants provided by the government, the baggage of the army, when I began my military career, was generally carried by bullocks, the com- mandants of native regiments having at that time the contract for supplying and conveying the camp-equipago of their corps. These latter animals are by no means hardy ; and unless supplied regularly with forage of straw or grain, are soon so weak as to be unfit for labour, 46 TWELVE years' besides being particularly subject to sore backs. Tlie scenes that occur in consequence on a long march are often amusing to those whose sensibility is not very acute. The various means adopted by the drivers to excite these unfortunate animals to accelerate their pace, or to rise when they have courted the aid of the road in support of their burdens, are ingenious and diverting : sometimes they may be seen twisiing the tail with their hands like a straw-rope, or squeezing it between two sticks ; at others stooping down and bitting it with their teeth ; while a lighted wisp of straw, tantamount to the red-hot poker of the Irish carman, is reserved for the ultima ratio. An amateur of the picturesque would here tind ample scope for the indulgence of an appetite for tlie ludicrous. The numbers of bullocks which die on a rapid march, -from a scarcity of forage, or daring a iiard night's rain — for they are particularly susceptible of cold — is scarcely credible. When I last served with the army, bullocks had given place to camels, whenever they could be pro- cured. These last are particularly adapted to the pur- poses of a campaign ; for, not only are they more hardy and better marchers than the bullocks, but their chief provender, branches of trees, may mostly be procured when other kinds of forage cannot, perhaps, he found at all. The quantity of baggage which accompanies an In- dian army will not excite so much surprise, when it is considered that large supplies of every article of con- sumption must be carried with it, there being no means of renewing your stock, excepting by convoys from the rear. Notwithstanding the quantity of necessaries and luxuries with which every one, according to his means, takes care to furnish himself at starting, it frequently happens, during a campaign, that those things which are considered essential to comfort are not to be had for love or money : consequently, immense sums are realized by suttlers who have taken advantage of a convoy to bring to the camp supplies of European commodities. When I first joined the camp there were no such things as regimental messes, as it was considered impossible to MILITARY ADVENTURE. 47 keep them up in the field, though I understand they have since become general ; but a tew othcers usually dined day and day about with one another, each contributing his small stock of ware to contain the provision, if not to decorate the board ; and, as every one sent his chair, knife and fork, and plate, there was no great trouble in laying out the table, provided the materials for consump- tion were procurable. This brings to my recollection a story, which will come in very a-prnpos here. An officer, whose stock of table-hnen had been com- pletely exhausted during the campaign — whether by wear and tear or accident I cannot say — had a few friends to dine with him. The dinner being announced to the party, seated m the aJ fresco drawing-room of a camp, the table appeared spread with eatables, but with- out the usual covering of a cloth. The master, who perhaps gave liimself but little trouble about these mat- ters, or who probably relied upon his servant's capacity in the art of borrowing, or, at all events, on his ingenuity in framing an excuse, inquired, with an angry voice, why there was no table-cloth .' The answer was, " Master not got ;" with which reply, at'ter apologising to his guests, he vvas compelled, for the present to put up. The next morning he called his servant, and rated Inm soundly, and perhaps beat him, (for I lament to say that this vvas ton much the practice with European masters in India,) for exposing his poverty to the company ; desir- ing him another time, if similarly circumstanced to say that all the table-cloths were gone to the wash. Another day, although the table appeared clothed in the proper manner, the spoons, which had probably found their way to the bazaar, perhaps to provide the verv articles ol which the feast was composed, were absent, whether with or without leave is immaterial. " Where are all the spoons ?" cried the apparently eni-aged master. " Gone washerman sar !" was the answer. Roars of laughter succeeded, and a teacup did duty for the soup, ladle. The probable consequence of this unlucky ex- posure of the domestic economy of the host, namely, a 48 TWELVE years' sound drubbing to the poor maty-boy, brings to mv mind an anecdote, which, being in a stori-telliiig vein, I can- not resist the temptation of introducing. It was related to me, with great humour, by one of the principals in the transaction, whose candour exceeded his fear of shame. He had been in tiie habit of beating his servajits, till one in particular complained that he would have him be- fore Sir Henry Gwillam, tiicn chief jiistice at Madras, who had done all in iiis power to suppress the disgrace- ful practice. Having a considerable balance to settle with his maty-boy on the score of punishment, but fear- ing the presence of witnesses, the master called him one day into a bungalow at the bottom of his garden, at some distance from tlie house. "Now," said he, as he shut the door and put the key in his pocket, " you'll com- plain to Sir Henry Gwillam, will you ? There is nobody near to bear witness to what you may say, and, with the blessing of God, I'll give it you well." " Master sure nobody near ?" asked the Indian. " Yes, yes, I've ta- ken good care of that." " Then I give master one good beating." And forthwith the maty-boy proceeded to put his threat into execution, till the master, being the weak- er of the two, was compelled to cry mercy ; which being at length granted, and tlie door opened with at least as much alacrity as it was closed, Maotoo decamped with- out beat of drum, never to appear again. But to return from this digression. It was customary for the person who found dinner one day to supply break- fast and tiffin, which on the march were thrown into one, the day after. In the composition of this meal the cold meat of the preceding dinner was of considerable use. It took place as soon as possible after the troops reached their ground ; for which purpose an active servant or two were dispatched with the mess-trunks and table on the best bullock or camel of the team ; and as the re- mainder of the baggage, among which were the tents, did not probably arrive for some time after, this meal was often spread under a tree. In the beginning of February the army ascended the Ghauts. Here the aUeration in cUmate was very appa- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 49 rent. The days were by no means disagreeably hot. and the nights cold enough to require the covering of a blanket. In fact, the difterence of temperature between any two spots depends more upon their height above the sea than on the degree of inclination of the sun's rays : 1000 feet of height making more difference than ten de- grees of latitude. We had now reached the table-land ©f Mysore, the climate of which may be considered, on the whole, pleasant. It partakes of both monsoons, with- out the extreme severity of either ; so that the high lands are capable of being cultivated without irrigation, which, however, is practised for rice, wherever the ground will admit of it. For this purpose, tanks are formed at inter- vals in the different valleys, by running dams across from one height to another. About the middle of February we reached Bangalore . a place well known in the wars of Lord Cornwallis, and since become an extensive cantonment for troops. Here was a large botanical garden supported by government. The plants, fruits, and vegetables, of most climates grow here, and many of them in perfection. Potatoes and cabbage, which, when t first arrived in India, were con- sidered rare articles (the former being procured from Bengal, and no larger than a walnut) had, after the estab- lishment of the cantonment, been produced in great abundance, and of excellent quality ; and before I quit- led the country, the potato of Mysore had become an ar. iicle of trade to most parts of India. The army halted a few days at Chittledroog, a hill-fort. also well known in the wars with Tippoo, then garrisoned by our ti'oops. It had a formidable appearance, and co- vered a great extent of ground, but was by no means so strong as many other hill-forts I had seen. As yet I had experienced nothing but the sweets of a camp life. The weather was pleasant, our supplies were abundant, and the duty to me was light ; for as we had not yet entered a hostile territory, there was little for an engineer to do. One thing, however, struck me as disagreeable, that was (he parade and nonsense kept up in the army, and whicl\, without adding to discipline, only served to create disgust 5 50 TWELVE YEARS' to the service. However hot the weather might be, qii officer could scarcely stir out of his tent without being buckled up in sword and sash, for fear of meeting some jack-in-office of a staff-officer, who, if he found hira straying out of his lines not altogether en miliiaire, would send him back to his tent with a flee in his ear. In truth, the airs which these favourites of fortune gave them- selves, towards those who continued to trudge on in the beaten path of their profession, were insufferable. I recollect about this time a brother officer of mine asking one of these upstarts, with whom he had formerly been on most intimaie terms, whether we should halt the next day ? "I really do not know the intentions of the gene- ral," was the reply. Returning to his tent somewhat disgusted with the airs of his former companion, and so- liloquizing on the nature of man, and the fantastic tricks which he plays, when " dressed in a little brief authori- ty," he was met by his maty-boy with the information that the army was to halt the next day. " Where did you learn that ?" said my friend. " Major M 'k washerman tell." So Major M could tell his wash- erman, that he miglit take advantage of the halt to blanch his linen, but he could not communicate it to an old friend ; althor.gh, from the situation of the army, it mattered not, in a military point of view, if the fact were known from one end of India to the other. This circum- stance reminds me also of a story which was told me of Captain Grose of the Madras army, who was killed at the 5iege of Seringapatam. He was son of C»rosc, the an- tiquary, whose talents he inherited, [fe was remarka- ble for his wit and humour, and his memory is still che- rished by all tiie lovers of ftm who knew him. Having had occasion to make some comnmnication to head-quar- ters, he was received much in the usual manner by one of the understrappers, who told him that no verbal com- munications could be received, but that what he had to say must be sent through the medium of an official letter. He happened, some days afterwards, to have a party dining with him, and among others were a few members of the stalF. In the midst of dinner a jack-as>? came MILITARY ADVENTURE. 61 running among the tent-ropes, exerting his vocal organs in a manner by no means pleasing to the company. Grose immediately rose, and thus addressed the intruder : " I presume, sir, you come from head-quarters. I re- ceive no verbal communications whatever, sir. If you have any thing to say to me, sir, I beg you will commit it to paper." The will which Captain Grose made the night before the storming of Seringapatam, under a presentiment of his fate was quite in character. It be- gan with the apostrophe of " O my nose !" and among other bet^uests contained the present of ;t wooden sword to an officer of rank to whom he bore no good will, and who was supposed not to be endowed with any su- perfluous quantity of personal valour. CHAPTER VL Arrival of tlic army at Hiirryhiir. — Joined by the Mysore detacli- ment under General VVellesley. — Opiiiioa then entertained ol that Officer. — Anecdote respecting General Wellesley at the siege of Seringapatam. — Force detached under his command. — Commence the march for Poonah. — Cross the Toombiidra. — De- serted state of the country. — booties. — Hung when caught. — Bheels. — Officers' tents robbed. — Dexterity of these Thieves. — Cross the Kistnah. — Fort of !")arwar. — Feudal Chiefs. — Their vi- sits. — Their retinues and cavalcades. — Description and appear- ance of the Mahratta villages. — Devasiated state of the country. Scarcity of forage and mortality among the cattle in consequence. A turban-eating bullock. — Mode of supplying horses with grass. Pioneers, their activity and skill. — Artillery. — Elephants. — An- ecdotes of their sagacity. The army kept increasing in force as we advanced to the frontier ; but nothing particular occurred till we reached Hurryhur, the terminaiion of the dominions of the Rajah of Mysore on the north. Here we were joined by the division of the army from Seringapatam under General Wellesley. The force then assembled amount, ed to about 20,000 fighting men. A detachment was immediately formed, and placed under the command of o^ TWELVE years' Major-General Wellesley, and another engineer officer and myself were directed to join it. This was the first time I had seen that extraordinary man, who has since proved himself the greatest commander of the age, and justly earned the title of the Invincible Wellington. He had only just attained the rank of Major-General ; but he had already, by his successful campaign against Doondiah, one of Tippoo's adherents, who iiad raised the standard of the Tiger after the tall of his master, ac- quired considerable reputation ; although but a short time before, at the siege of Seringapatam, an Untoward circumstance had nearly been the means of crushing in the bud that genius which has since so proudly blossom- ed forth to the glory of England,, and the fruit of which has been the liberaiion of Europe. As I have been often asked for an account of this affair, which has made some noise in the world to the disadvantage of his Grace, I shall lay before my reader the particulars, as communi- cated to me by the only person who could possibly give a fair account of the business, that is, the late Lieute- nant-Colonel M'Kenzie, of the Madras Engineers, who was then attached to Colonel Wellesley's division, and who accompanied him during the whole of the affair in question. Shortly after the investment of Seringapatam, Colonel Wellesley, who commanded what was called the Ni- zam's detachment, was ordered to dislodge the enemy from the ground intended as the scene of our operations- during the seige. The night appointed for this duty was particularly dark. Pushing on rather too eagerly with the light company of the 33d regiment, which had, by those means, got separated from the main body, he came suddenly on a work of the enemy's, who opened a heavy fire. The light company finding themselves unsuppor- ted, retreated rather precipitately, leaving Colonel Wel- lesley and Captain M'Kenzie by themselves. In this predicament they endeavored to regain their division ; but in the attempt, owing to the darkness of the night, they quite lost their way, and it was not till after gro- oing about for some hours that they succeeded in regain- MILITARY ADVENTURE. S3 mg the British camp, but without their division. Hav- ing proceeded to head-quarters, to report the state of affairs, Colonel Wellesley, hearing that General Har- ris was asleep, threw himsell' on the table of the di. ning tent, and, being much fatigued with the night's labour, fell fast asleep. The next in command had, in the interim, after the repulse of the head of the column, and the loss of the commander, thought it prudent to proceed no further, and made the best of his way back to the camp with the division. Arriving at the tent of the commander-in-chief to make his report, he was sur- prised to find his missing superior, fast locked in the arms of Morpheus, in the situation above described. This affair, of course, made considerable noise, and things were whispered about not at all to the advantage of Colonel Wellesley ; and it is to be supposed that the commander-in-chief must have partaken of this feeling towards the Colonel ; otherwise he would not have or- dered General Baird to undertake the attack which had failed the preceding night. General Baird most hand- somely requested that Colonel Wellesley might again be appointed to the duty, as he was convinced that the cir- cumstances which had caused his failure were purely accidental. Colonel Wellesley was accordingly direct, ed to make another attempt the night following, and suc- ceeded : yet, so poisonous is the breath of slander, and so rapidly is it wafted, if not by the loud trumpet of fame, at least by the low but quick \ ibrations of malice, that it required years of victory entirely to wipe away the im- pressions then received from the minds of those who are more ready to listen to evil than to good report. For my part, even before I heard Colonel M'Kenzie's ver- sion of the affair, 1 was of opinion that the fact of Colo, nel Wellesley's having fallen asleep on General Harris' table in the way he did, was a sufficient proof that he had not acted disgracefully ; for who, under that convic- tion, could have had his mind sufficiently at ease to yield himself up to sleep, if ever so overcome with fatigue ? Besides, any imputation of deficiency of courage must equally have applied to Colonel M'Kenzie, whose bra- 6* 54 TWELVE years' very and sang-froid in action were proverbial. This cir cumstance is a proof how much easier it is to make o breach in a soldier's reputation than to repair it ; for it is more than probable tiiat, had not Colonel VV'ellesley been so nearly allied to the Governor-General, he nevel' Would have had a chance of getting over this affair. The appearance and demeanour of General Welles- ley were such as at first sight to inspire confidence, which feeling was not diminished on a closer acquain- tance. All those who served under him looked up to him with that degree of respect, I might almost say of awcr- which, by combining an implicit obedience to his com- mands with an unbounded confidence in the wisdom ol his measures, was calculated to draw forth all the ener- gies of man in the execution of his orders. The force detached under General Wellesley con- sisted of his Majesty's 19th dragoons and tlvree regi- ments of native cavalry, the 74th and Scotch brigade. King's regiments, and six battalions of native infantry, with a proportion of ai'tillery, and a battalion of pio- neers. One brigade, composed of the 74th and three battalions of se])oys, was commanded by Colonel Wal- lace ; the other, consisting of the Scotch brigade and three battalions of sepoys, by Colonel Harness. The cavalry was commanded by Colonel Dallas, and the ar- tillery by Captain Beauman. To this force was attached a body of about 2,500 horse, belonging to the Rajah of Mysore, under the command of an old officer of expe- rience, and much attached to the British. These were called Silladar horse, and were of a much superior order to the Indian cavalry in general. On the 3d March we commenced our march for Poo- nah, and on the 12th crossed the Toombudra river, which bounds the territories subordinate to the Paishwah. Af- ter this we found the country in a great measure deser- ted, having been lately overrun by some of Holkar's ad- herent'?, one of whom, Amrut Row, a noted chief, con^ tinued to precede our force to finish the work of devas- tation. Forage, of course, became extremely scarce. We, however, received no other interruption than hav- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 55 ijig a few of our straggling foraging parties cut off by the Looty horse, who are a kind of semi-thieves and semi-soldiers, ever ready to assume either character as suits their purposes. Whenever such were caught in the act of plundering, the general, without hesitation, ordered them to be hung up to the rirst tree ; which sum- mary way of proceeding at the outset, I have no doubt, much contributed to preserve our camp from depreda- tions during the subsequent campaign. Of course it could not be expected that we should escape occasional visits from the Blieels, or professed robbers, who abound in this part of India, where the want of a regular gov- ernment enables them to practise their craft almost with impunity. These fellows are notoriously expert in the art of thieving. Indeed, it is not surprising that they should be so ; for they are brought up to the trade from their infancy. Several of the officers had their tents entered by a slit cut in the walls, and some articles of value carried oti*. They managed the business so well, that they were seldom caught in the fact, and even if you did chance to lay hold of them, they would slip through your hands like eels, being stripped quite naked., and oiled all over for that purpose. A remarkable in- stance of their ingenuity and dexterity in their art was related to me by an officer who witnessed the circum- stance. A bet was laid by a gentleman that he would procure a Bheel who should steal the sheet from under a persoH without waking him. The thing was effected in the following maimer : the Bheel approaching the person, who lay on his side, from behind, carefully fol- ded up the sheet in small compact plaits till it reached hie back ; then, taking a feather, he tickled the nose of the sleeper, who immediately scratched his face and rolled «ver on the other side, when with a slight effort he com- pletely released the sheet, and bore it ofl' in triumph. As far as Darwar, the country we had passed through, after quitting the Toombudra, had been the scene of General Wellesley's operations against Doondiah in the campaign of 1801. We crossed the rivers Gulpurba. and Mulpurba, both fordablc at (his sca?f)[i:i of the year ; oO TWELVE YEARS and about the end of March reached the banks of the Kistnah, where the General caused a redoubt to be thrown up, and garrisoned by a few companies of se- poys, as a post of coinmunicaiion with the Company's territories. The bed of ihe Kistnah was about 800 yards wide at this spot, and fordable at all points for some distance below the place where we crossed it. Between this river and the Toombudra we passed no towns of any consequence, except B(\japoor and Dar- war, the former nothinj^ but the ruins of a once famed city, which had I)een the cai>ital of the; kingdom of Bfja- poor. The latter was a fortress oJ" some strength, main- tained by an independent chief, who appeared very jea- lous of our approach. If had formerly sustained the attack of a small detachment of the Bombay army un- der Major Little, then acting as an auxiliary with the Paishwah's troops. After making a short halt on the banks of the Kistnah, the army continued its march for Poonah. The tract of country between the Toombudra and Poonah has long been under the dominion of the Mahrattas, although divided among a number of chiefs, each assuming supremacy in his own petty dominions ; in fact, exhibiting a kind of feudal system. Some of these viewed us with a degree of suspicion, keeping aloof, and shutting the gates of their fortresses against us ; but the majority, who were attached to the Paish- wah, manifested a friendly disjjosition, and exchanged civilities with the General. Tliese consisted chiefly in ceremonial visits, on which occasions the native chief, tains were accompanied by their principal oflicers and a considerable train of followers. The various military i^ostumes exhibited on these occasions might have sup- plied abundant subjects tor the pencil ; but as mine had other employment in the duties of my profession, I have no record of them left except in my memory, which will not supply me with the means even of describing them accurately. Sutlice it to say then, that, from the inter- mixture of howdaed elephants, led horses in gay trap- pings, Hircarrah camels, ornamental kettle-drums, &e. these cavalcades, or souwarrees, had a most picturesque MILITARY ADVENTURE. B7 appearance ; while the sound of instruments, more mar- tial than musical, joined to the stentorian voice of the person who runs before proclaiming the title of the chief, afforded the ear its full share in the amusement. On our part, these chiefs were received with military honours, having a salute of artillery fired for them, ac- cording to their rank. During tlie conference, the usual ceremonies of handing betel-leaf, sprinkling rose-water, &c. were gone through ; and presents, generally con- sisting of an elephant, and some ornament of jewelry for the turban of the chief, with shawls and kinkaubs to some of the principal officers, were distributed. On the occasion of the visit being returned by our commander, a squadron of cavalry generally formed his escort, and he was accompanied by the staff, brigadiers, and heads of departments, who received presents nearly corres- ponding with those presented by our chief. On one of these occasions I was not a little astonisiied to hear a fat fellow of a chieftain give vent to a savoury, sonorous eructation, right in our General's face, and was equally surprised to witness the apparent composure with which it was take* ; till a brother officer, more conversant with Indian customs, explained to me that it was the greatest compliment which could be paid by a native. Manners differ, and so do tastes, thought I ; fij|f it is a strange kind of favour to confer upon a man, to puff into his face the nauseous effluvia of a half-digested meal. In other respects their manners were dignified and polite. One of these chieftains, of the name of Goclah, who acted as the Paishwah's general in those parts, joined us with a body of 2000 horse, and continued to serve with us till the conclusion of the campaign. This is the same per- son who was killed in action against us, when command, ing the Paishwah's forces in the engagement with Gene- ral Smith in 1816. The country bordering our line of march, besides its recent devastation, had all the appearance of having been long exposed to hostile inroads ; for the villages, as well as the towns, were fortified in such a manner as to resist any force not accompanied by artillery, Tho oQ TWELVE years' walls were flanked by towers, and, though composed of mud, wore made, from fho tenacity of the materials, sufficiently scarped and higli to render them safe against a coup de main. They were capable of containing all the valuables, and live and dead stock, of the cultivators of the surrounding country ; so that nothing was to be seen without the barriers but the degraded outcast, who. his very touch being pollution, is compelled to seek pro- tection for his wretched hut under cover of the walls, where he performs the lowest offices of the community, among which, that of shoemaker, or worker in leather, is deemed the most degrading. Within the walls, or close under them, are large subterranean excavations for containing the grain, the mouths of which are so carefully concealed, that, to every force, which is to de- pend on the country througji which it marches for sub- sistence, it is necessary to attach a set of persons who make it their profession to discover these hidden grana- ries. These people carry with them a long iron rod, which they use in probing I he ground, and display con- siderable ingenuity and dexterity in accomplishing their object. Each village has its municipality «ind police, for an account of which, as well as all subjects con- nected with the constitution and history of the Mahratta Empire, I beg Igave to refer the reader to Sir John Mai- cohn's work on Central India, a book which cannot be too often read by those who wish to obtain an acquain- tance with India, or too much admired for the accurac)^ of its statements, and the enlightened principles^ which ji inculcates. Although it was during the months of March and April that we passed through this country, little or no seed had been sown, owing to the disturbed state in which it had been for a considerable time. The inhabi- tants had either emigrated or s!mt themselves up in gloomy despondency, and every thing denoted an ap- proaching famine. From the excellent dispositions of General Wellesley, the army was supplied with every thing requisite for the subsistence of the troops ; but from the exhausted state of the country, we experienced MILITARY ADVENTURE. 59 considerable difficulty in obtaining forage for our bag- gage-animals. In many cases, indeed, it was found ne- cessary' to take the thatch of deserted houses for this pur- pose. There was, therefore, as may naturally be sup- posed, considerable moffality among the bullocks, who appeared as usual, the greatest sufferers on this occa- sion. Here I cannot omit mentioning a curious circum- stance which I witnessed about this time, a consequence of the privation undergone by these unfortunate beasts. Lolling one day in my tent, ruminating on the hardships of a soldier's life, and on the shifts to which he is often reduced, my 6303 and my thoughts were naturally at- tracted to my poor cattle, who stood picketed at a short distance with nothing to chew but the cud of disappoint- ment, having waited since morning in eager expectation of the return of a foraging party. I observed one of these, whose well defined ribs bore testimony to the scanti_ ess of his fare, gradually stretching out his head to a turban, belonging to one of my servants, which happened to lie within the length of his tether. After giving it a turn or two with his nose, I suppose to ascer- tain the possibility of its being masticated, he seized the loose end in his mouth, and actually began to swallow it. He swallowed, and swallowed ; and as the volumi- nous folds of the turban unrolled, so fast did they disap- pear down the tliroat of the bullock, until, of at least ten yards of stufl", there remained only a small bit pen- dant from his jaws. I was so amused with the whole pi'ocess, that I could not find it in my heart to stop him ; i)Ut lay on my couch observing his operations for at least an hour. Another minute, and the turban, which had nearly reached its latter end, would have been safely deposited in the stomach of the bullock to be brought up for rumination at a favourable opportunity. Just at this critical moment the owner returned, when, looking about for his turban, he beheld the end dangling from the mouth of the animal. With an oath he flew at the bullock, and seizing the only visible portion of his garment, pulled and pulled, hand over hand, and oath upon oath, while the tattered, but still connected, cloth GO TUTILVE YEABS' came forth, like a measuring tape out of its case. The ?nan's rafre and gestures at the destruction of his turban, the beast's astonishment at the novel kind of emetic he was undergoing, and the attitudes of both, formed o scene absolutely irresistible. Notwithstanding the hardships undergone by the bag- gage-cattle of the army, every care was taken to supply those attaclied to the guns, a verv superior breed, for which we were indebted to a stud of bullocks established by Tippoo, and since kept up, in the best order, by General Wellesley, who had tlie command of Seringa- patam after its fall. In our former wars in India, great complaints had always been made of the inefficiency of the draught bullocks, by which the march of the troops was generally much delayed and obstructed ; but in this campaign, no interruption was ever caused by the guns, which could at any time outmarch the infantry. It might also be supposed by those accustomed only to European warfare, that the cavalry of the force must have suffered much Irom the scarcity of forage ; but this was not the case, for to every horse is attached a person for the purpose of cutting grass, which is found in sufficient quantity on the banks of rivers and tanks, even in the driest season ; and although the herbage may appear to be completely burnt up, still the roots, when dug up and washed, afford a nourishing food, which, with a daily allowance of about ten pounds of qram (a grain grown on purpose for cattle,) is sufficient to keep a horse in excellent condition. Of this latter article, however, it becomes very difficult to provide a sufficient quantity for an army, for it is impossible to Fcckon upon the supplies to be procured in a hostile country, generally laid waste by friend as well as foe. The officers, therefore, who have to depend on the bazaar are frequently put to great expence in feeding their cattle. At one time during this campaign it cost me nearly half my pay to keep my horse in grain alone. The weather being favourable, that is, inasmuch as there was no rain to impede our march, though the thermometer in the day-time was extremely high, being MILITARY ADVENTURE. Gl often up to 120^ in an officer's tent, and considerably higher in that of a private, we continued to advance as rapidly as we could without too much fatiguing the troops. The force was well supplied with pioneers, a body of which always preceded the column to remove all obsta- cles to its progress.. The activity and address of this corps was the admiration of the army. The country, however, presents but few impediments to military move- ments, excepting during the rainy season ; and little art or labour is required to make a road, even where none before existed. This may be said of the whole of the pe- ninsula of India above the Ghauts. At this period there was no regular corps of horse artillery belonging to the East India Company, but each corps of cavalry was provided with two guns, called gallopers. The rest of the guns were drawn by bullocks. To the battering train were attached a few elephants, to assist the guns over any obstacles which could not be surmounted by the ordinary means. These sagacious animals always apply their strength in the most effica- cious manner, either in pushing forward the guns with their foreheads, or lifting them up with their trunks, when the wheels have sunk into a deep rut or slough. They seem to possess an instinctive knowledge of the power of the lever, which they apply in pulling down trees that have been partly felled, in breaking branches for their food, &c. This latter process they effect, by taking one end of the branch in their trunk, laying the other end on the ground, and applying their foot to the intermediate part. Many instances of the manner in which they express the passions of hatred and love, of revenge and gratitude, are recorded. In fact, they iiave been well styled " the half-reasoning elephant." One example of their sagacity was related to me by an officer of artillery who witnessed the transaction. The battering-train going to the siege of Seringapatam had to cross the sandy bed of a river, that resembled other rivers of the Peninsula, which have during the diy sea- son but a small stream of water running through them, though their beds are mostly of considerable breadth, 6 02 TWELVE YEARS' s very heaNT' for draught, and abounding iu quicksandy. It happened that an artillery. man who was scatrd on the limber of one of the guns, by some accident foil ofl", in such a situation that, in a second or two, the hind wheels must have gone over him. The elephant which was stationed beiiind the gun, perceiving the predica- ment in which the man was, instantly, without* any warning from its keeper, lifted up the wheel with its trunk, aad kept it suspended till the carriage had passed clear of him. The attachment or dislike of elephants to their keepers, according to the treatment they re- ceive, is too well known to need illustration. I have myself seen the wife of a mohaut (for the followers often take their families with them to camp) give a baby in charge to the elephant, w hile she went on some busi- ness, and have been highly amused in observing the sagacity and care of the unwieldly nurse. The child, which like most children did not like to lie still in one position, would, as soon as left to itself, begin crawling about ; in which exercise it would probably get among the legs of the animal, or entangled in the branches of the trees on which he was feeding, when the elephant M'ould, in the most tender manner, disengage his charge, either by lifting it out of the way with his trunk, or by removing the impediments to its free progress. If the child had crawled to such a distance as to verge upon the limits of its range (for the animal was chained by the leg to a peg driven into the ground,) he would stretch out his trunk, and lift it back as gently as possible to the spot whence it had started ; and this without causing any alarm to the child, which appeared accustomed to the society and treatment of its Brogdignagian guardian. MILITARY ADVENTURE. CHAPTER VII. Wild Beasts. — Jackals, Antelopes. — Coursing Foxes. — Duty on march. — Difficulty of obtaining information of the Roads. — Sys- tem of Espionage. — Hircarrahs. — Ai^proach the Nizam's sul'si- diary force. — Colonel Stcv nson. — Hili-FOrt of Suttarrah. — De- scendants of Sf vagee. — Forced march of the Cavali y to Poonah. — A Field of Battle. — Remarks on viewing the skeletons. — Arrival at Poonah. — Receive the Paishwahon his return. — The General pays him a Ibrmal visit. — Ceremony on that occasion. — The Paishwah and his Court. — Colonel Barry Close. — South-west Monsoon sets in. — The Army moves in the direction of Bombay. Hardships endured by it. — State of the Camp during a hravy rain. — Mode of securing the T^nts. — Cotton-ground. — Mortality among the Cattle — A march during heavy rain. — Encampment in hot weathei. — Whirlwinds — Artificial mode of cooling Tents and also liquids. — Camp, 'pld'^iit in fine weather. — Joined by troops from Bombay. — Major Malcolm. — Army moves in the di- rection of Ahraednaghur. — Stopped by a sudden liall of rain. — Its consequences. —A river comes down suddenly in the night, and carries away the washermen and their families. — The Author's brother engineer dies of a dysentery. — His character. — A milita- ry Funerai, and remarks on it. The countiy bordering our line of march was not absolutely flat, but wliat might be called undulating. Ex- cept in the vicinity of towns or villages, there was very little timber, and even there it was scanty. It abounded in jackals, antelopes, and foxes ; but afforded little cover for any other species of wild beasts or game. The jack- uls are seldom seen in the day time ; but at night they prowl among the tents in large troops, howling and cry- ing with a noise something between that of a child and a dog. I never heard, however, of their doing any se- rious mischief. They will feed upon the bodies of dead and dying cattle, and will tear open new-made graves, to satisfy their hunger ; but they are not regarded as ob- Jects of terror. The antelopes are possessed of such speed, that it is ridiculous to attempt to chase them with dogs, unless you Khould be able to single out a young one from the herd ; 04 TWELVE YEARS^ and when taken they are good for nothing as an eatable, •which, indeed, may be said of ahnost all the game in India, excepting the wild hog, and the duck tribe. It is quite beautiful to see these animals conre bounding in whole troops across the head, or through the intervals ot the column, taking such springs that any one of them would clear a dense column of soldiers with fixed bayo- nets. The foxes, however, afford excellent sport in coursing. An English fox-huntcr will stare at this, and doubtless i'xclaim, " Course a fox !" wlule his whip rises mecha- nically over iiis head, as if it would, of itself, chastise on tiie spot such unsportsman-like conduct. But let me expostulate a little. We would not course them if»we could hunt them by any other means ; but in such a hot climate that is out of the question. Not only does the fox-hound fail ofi" altogether, after the first year from his arrival from England, but, even with the assistance of aniseed on a bagman, it has been found impossible to continue the chase for more than half an hour after sun- rise ; for as soon as Aurora has shaken the dew ofl* her locks no scent will lie. Many greyhounds are kept bj the officers for the purpose of coursing foxes. These afford much better sport than the hares ; though swit'ter for a short distance, the latter have not the bottom of the fox, which is of a smaller breed, and much fleeter than the English fox. The dogs in use are a cross between the English greyhound and the Polygardog, which is of the same species, but much stronger, and more ferocious, though not so swift. Without this cross, the English dog would degenerate in th'e climate ; and besides, he is not always possessed of sufficient courage to seize a fox. As the chaser and chasee are thus better matched than the greyhound and hare in England, and as there are no hedges to intercept the view, the sport is nmch superior in every respect. Often, indeed, the courses are so long that the dogs, being blown, reijuire the assistance of the liorsemen, who then push forward and endeavour to head the fox. In this manner, without any dog, but with the .assistance of another horseman, I have often nm down a MILITARY ADVENTURE. 65 tux, by alternately turning him from one to the other ; and once I eft'ected this by myself, not by heading the fox,, for by that he would have gained upon me, but by pursuing him at such a distance that he could not double without giving me an advantage over him ; till at last I completely tired him out. The horses generally used in the chase are of the Arab breed, well known for their speed and bottom, the only impediments you meet with m riding are from ravines, or channels, caused by the rushing of the waters from the higher grounds during the rams. These obsta- cles someiimes come upon you so suddenly as to require considerable activity in the horse, and dexterity in the rider, to clear or to avoid them. But there can be no sport without some degree of danger, which is, in fact, the spice of pleasure. In this fiianner many of the offi- cers would amuse themselves, even on the line of march, as the duty was not carried on so strictly but thar a few at a time were allowed to fall out for that purpose. In the course of the chase the fox would sometimes approach so near the column as to afford sport even to those whose duty retained them m the ranks. On this occasion, if ♦ he fox was nearly spent, there would be a general rush for the brush, in tlie contest for which not a livtle mirth was excited. The General himself often partook of the s;port, which he appeared to enjoy much. The foxes are generally found in the open country, lurking about the broken ground and ravines. Passing near the Fort of Darwar, we were joined bj' Captain Johnston of the Bombay engineers, who took command of this department. Of this officer I shall have to speak hereafter. Previously to his ari'ival, the duty had been very severe upon the engineers. Besides the regular duties of our profession, almost all the busi- ness usually conducted by the Quarter-master-general's department of an European army, except that of mark- ing out the camp, devolved upon us ; and that, in a country which had scarcely ever been crossed by an European force, was a business of no trifling difficulty. Our way was to be felt by information obtained on the G* OU TWELVE YEARS' spot ; every inch of the ground passed over was to be accurately surveyed, and pUins were to be made of every encampment. The difficulty of obtaining correct intbrma- tion in a strange part of India can be esjimated by those only who are well acquainted with the character of the natives. It is their policy to withhold every fact they possess, even though it cost them nothing to give it ; and to deceive you by every means in their power, even when they can themselves derive no apparent benefit tVom so doing. This observation applies particularly to the Mah- rattas. It is only by workuig on their fears, and by cross-questioning them separately, that you can come at the truth. Captain Johnston used to display an ability in this way, the results of which were sin-prising, and which rendered his services in the war particularly valu- able. The intelligence 'department the General kept to himself, but in that no great art is required. Plenty of gold is all that is necessary there, and all the world over. In no country is the system of espionage so well under- stood as in India. In fact, information is there a regu- lar mai'ketable commodity ; and there are professed deal- ers in it, just as in any other article. The same person, indeed, will often supply different parties with informa- tion of each other's movements. This is all fair, and no good general can complain of it. While his plans are in his own head, he need not fear his tnovements being known, provided he can obtain correct information of those of his enemy. The persons employed in carrying dispatches in India are called hircarrahs, and are gene- rally mounted on fleet camels, which will travel a great distance at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. But where great secrecy is required, footmen are generally employ, ed ; they go disguised as peasants, and have the most ingenious modes of concealing the papers with which they are intrusted. When we arrived at the Beemah river, a branch of the Kistnah, we found ourselves within a few marches of the Nizam's subsidiary force, under Colonel Steven- son ; and the Scotch brigade was sent to join it. On our march wc passed within sight of the hiJl-fort of Sat- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 67 tarrah, where the nominal head of the Mahratta empire, - and descendant of Sevagee, was confined, the Paishwah pretending to govern only in his name. When we had arrived within about sixty miles of Poonah, the general, hearing that Amrut Row, a chief of Holkar's, who was in possession of the capital, had resolved, on the approach of the British troops, to sack and burn it, determined to make an etfort for its relief. Leaving the infantry to proceed leisurely, he made a forced march on the night of the 19(h of April with the cavalry, and arrived on the following day, just in time to save the city from threatened destruction ; though without encountering the enemy, who retreated precipi- tately on receiving intelligence of our approaching force. Contiiuiing their march, the remainder of the army de- scended the Bhoor Ghaut, one of the passes in a range of hills which run parallel to the Moota-moola river^ and reached Poonah on the 23d of April. Within a few miles of this capital we passed over the ground where a battle had been fought in the preceding year by a part of the army of Scindia, joined to that of the Paishwah, against Holkar, which ended in the de- feat of the former. Considerable steadiness and disci- pline are said to have been displayed on this occasion by a brigade of infantry belonging to Scindia, drilled and officered by Europeans, which etfected its retreat in good order. It was reported that Holkar displayed some generalship in this action, although, if we might judge from the specimen we had of the Paishwah's troops, he could not have experienced any great resist- ance from them. The scene of action was strewed with the bones of men and horses ; for the natives are not verj- nice in burying their dead after an action. This was the first field of battle I had ever seen, and I confess that I con- templated the monuments of human ambition and folly there displayed with some degree of awe. The most philosophic remark which I made, nevertheless, was, that all the men to whom these skeletons belonged, seemed to have been kilkd by a blow oji the head, to t>8 TWELVE YEARS" which satre conclusion I had come from obscrviiifj that uU the skulls had cracks running across them, which I afterwards learnt were nothing more than the natural sutures of the human head. It is not always that con- clusions are formed ujjon more solid premises. Alter the above-metitioned battle the Faishwah was compelled to abandon his capital to the victors, and squght the protection of the British Government, by which he was hospitably received, and had the fortress of Severndroog given up to him for his residence. Here he remained till Poonah' was recovered by the force under General Wellesley ; shortly after which event he comnienced liis march towards bis capital, es- corted by a considerable force of British, and accom- panied by t'olonel Close, the resident at his Court. On the road he passed our force, which was drawn out to receive him with every mark of respect ; and, on the 13th of May, he resumed his seat on the musnud. Shortly afierwards our General paid a formal visit to his Highness, on which occasion he was attended by the principal officers of the army. Though I could not pretend to rank myself among the big wigs, (for I was perhaps the youngest officer in the army,) the General desired me, as well as the other engineer officers, al- ways to accompany him on these occasions. The pa- lace of the Paishwah was but a mean edilice according to our notions of architecture, and not very grand ac- cording to any other. On approaching his Highness we were ordered to take off our boots, a ccrcmon)' since dispensed with, as the uncovering the head of the European is now properly considered equivalent to the taking oft" the slippers of the native. Having come un- prepared for this part of the ceremony, the uncasing of my feet exposed the tattered state of my wardrobe in such a manner as to excite the risibility of the bystan- ders, from which disgrace I sought concealment in the crowd. The Paishwah was then about thirty years of age, and a man of mean appearance. He had no very splendid court about him. The city of Poonah was the largest and best built 1 had yet seen in India ; but stili MILITARY ADVENTURE. 69 a poor place when compared with an European town. If is situated on the banks of the Moota-moola, and, being backed by the hills we had just descended, its appear- ance was picturesque. The Moota-moola derives its name from the jimction of two rivers of the names of which it is compounded. At their conflux, about a mile above the town, are beautifully situated the house and gardens of the Resident. Here I experienced the hos- pitality of Colonel Barry Close, to whom I had letters of introduction. He was a man much looked up to, both in his civil and military capacity ; and deservedly so. He had been adjutant-general of the army at the siege of Seringapatam, to the fall of which he had mainly contributed. Of late he had had a most difficult card to play during the contentions among the Mahratta powers, and had acquitted himself in a manner highly satisfactory to the Governor-General. I doubt not he would have proved a great general, as well as a con- summate statesman, had fortune given him the opportu- nity to display his talents. We had scarcely reached Poonah before the south- west monsoon began to set in ; and, as no military ope- rations could then be carried on, the force made a march or two in the direction of Bombay, in order to be nearer to supplies from that Presidency, as well as for the ad- vantage of forage, the country in that direction being less exhausted than the vicinity of Poonah. Here we continued till the beginning of July, occasionally chan- ging our camp for the sake of the health of the troops, as the filth collected by a long stay in any spot would be apt to engender disease in an army where the followers are so numerous. Having no other covering than tents, we, of course, suifered not a little from the rain, against which even the best canvass was not proof. But when the rain was accompanied by high wind, the combination of the elements was irresistible. Many a time have our poor fellows had their tents lifted from over their heads, and been left exposed to the peK ting of the pitiless storm. I have myself been obliged, r>n more than one occasion, to summon mv servants in JU TWELVE years' the middle of the night to assist in supporting the tot- tering tent-pole, till, ail the pegs having given way from the moisture of the ground, I have been compelled to abandon the dripping pile of tent, baggage, and servants, and make my escape, drenched from head to foot, to seek the shelter of some neighbouring tent, which, from having .been better secured iJian my own, was enabled to ride out the storm. Tliis, wijen the thermometer is so low as it is during the monsoon, is no iriiling hard- ship. The mode of securing tents, when there is a probability of rain, is ingenious, and, except in extreme cases, generally eifectual. ()|)posite to each corner of the tent, outside the pegs, a longitudinal hole is dug, and in it is buried a branch of a tree or a bush, to which are attached the coi'ner tent-ropes after they have been passed roiuid the pegs. 'I'hese branches, of course, cannot be pulled out of the ground without considerable force, while their resistance is increased by rain, which renders the earth that covers them more ponderous. If, besides this, four strong ropes are carried from the top of the tent-pole to a considerable distance in the direc- tion of each corner, and fastened in the manner above- mentioned, a tent may be considered as secure. But there are few who have it in their power to take all these precautions ; and even then they are very much at the mercy of their servants, who will always do as lit- tie as they can help. Lest the rain should flow over the floor of the tent a small trench is dug close round the svalls, against which the earth is laid ; and this also pre- vents the wind or rain from beating under. If heavy rain should come on, when the camp is pitched in what is called cotton-ground, (by the wags denominated Holy Land,) a jet black soil, which, in dry weather, is full of large fissures, dangerous to ride over, but in rain a deep, almost bottomless puddle, then, in- deed, a scene is exhibited such as it is impossible ade- quately to describe. The plain is covered with pros- trate tents, (for the greatest precaution can hardly keep them standing on such a soil,) with dead and dying cat- tle half buried in mud, and with dripping, shivering « MILITARY ADVENTURE, 7i wretches, vainly crowding together for warmth ; for the torrents of rain prevents fires from being kept up as in a European bivouac. In short, all nature for the time wears the garb of desolation. The fiood-gates of the heavens are opened ; and man and beast, unprepared, both in constitution and habits, for bearing up against the combination of cold and moisture, sink at once into the extreme of wretchedness. Not only is there then great mortality among the cattle, but the dysentery which follows such exposure sweeps ofl* numbers of both troops and followers, European as well as native. Two or three times we found ourselves in the situation above described. This was a lesson to us never, if it could be avoided, to pitch our tents but on hard gravelly ground, which, however, we had, in many instances, great difficulty in finding. If, as it sometimes hap- pened, we were overtaken by rain on the march over a tract of this cotton-land, then a scene, more distress- ing, if possible, than the former took place. Such floundering and kicking, such swearing and beating, such biting of tails, and such biting the mud ! (for dust there was none) — in short, Bunyan's " Slough of Despond" was a joke to it. Nor is the camp in the hot season a much more envi- able situation. While the excessive heat — for the ther- mometer is sometimes as high as TiO'^ in the coolest tent — leaves you in a state of languor and exhaustion, the clouds of hot dust, gathered from the parched soil and borne along by the wind, and which no canvass can entirely exclude, are absolutely suftbcatiiig. Occasional, whirlwinds, called by the natives Devils, come sweeping along the plain, involving in their vortex tents, clothes, papers, and every article not possessing suflicient gra- vity to withstand them. The scenes occasioned by these pests are often ludicrous and diverting to those who happen not to be the suflerers ; particularly if one takes its course through the bazaar, or the small tents of the followers. These, being but slightly fastened, be- come an easy prey ; when the tents or booths, and their volatile contents, may be seen ascending in spiral whirls 72 TWELVE YEAR8' towards the heavens, followed by the exclamations ol" the owners, who are running to and fro in all directions in search of their scattered goods. If to the above an- noyances are added the fatigue and exhaustion undej-- gone in a march on a hot land-wind day, 1 will venture to assert, that no hardships experienced in European war- fare, except indeed during a severe winter's campaign, which does not often occur, can be compared with tliose endured by an Indian army in the field. P»'()i)le may talk of the luxuries of the East ; but, after all, what are they, but artificial means of obviating the efl'ects of heat ? — such as a cool glass of water on a hot day. They arc, in fact, almost all of a negative quality. " Sweet is pleasure after pain," says Dryden ; and in this sentence is comprehended the summit of an Euro- pean's enjoyment in the East, at least in the military branch of the service. Those officers who can aflbrd it, endeavour so to construct their tents as to render them impervious to the sun and dust : and this may in a great measure be efTecred by giving them double walls, as well as a fly. If, in addition to this, a mat, or tatfy, made of grass (sometimes of an aromatic herb called kuss-kuss,) be suspended during the hot winds at the door, in the direction of the wind, and kept constantly wet, so that the air may become cooled in its passage through it, while every other orifice is carefully closed, the atmosphere of the tent may be rendered tolerable. But there, are not many who can enjoy this luxury in perfection ; for it requires a man constantly at work to keep the tatty wet. All, however, have it in their power to take advantage of the dry wind in cooling water or wine (if they have it,) which is done effectually by sus- pending to the tent-ropes, bottles covered with wet cloths, or by exposing porous vessels filled with liquid to the action of the air. Although there are certain seasons, such as I have described, in which real hardships are undergone by an army in the field, yet it must be allowed that, for some part of the year, a camp life is by no means unpleasant^ provided that a person keeps his health, and that the marches are not so rapid as to harass the troops, or to MILITARY ADVENTURE. 73 prevent the officers from enjoying the sports of the field, for which most parts of India, in some shape or other, afford ample scope. But the heat during the day time, particularly in the tents of the soldiers, which, indeed, are perfect ovens at any season when the sun is out, renders Europeans liable to diseases of the liver, and all the minor attendant complaints, which, though they may not show themselves during active service, are sure to attack the troops when they come to halt. While we were encamped in the neighbourhood of Poonah, we were joined by his Majesty's 78th and 84tb Fegiments, two battalions of sepoys, and a proportion of artillery from Bomtiay. The former regunent, and a company of artillery, were attached to our force : the remainder were left in cantonments near Poonah. Here we were also joined by Major (now Sir John) Malcolm, an officer in the confidence of Marquis Weliesley, who continued wiih our force till the peace, as political agent on the part of the Governor-General. About the beginning of July, the monsoon having to. all appearance subsided, the army made a few marches in the direction of Ahrnednaghur ; but when within a march or two of that place, being overtaken by the rains, we were compelled to suspend our operations, and to seek, not shelter, for that was far distant, but such spots as were most favourable for encampment. The first notice we had of this last visit from the monsoon was by the sud- den swell of a small river near which we were encamp., cd, and in the bed of which the washermen of the army and their families had pitched their tents for the con- venience of the water, which, when the rivers are appa- rently dry, is obtained by digging holes in the sand. As the flood came down in the night, a considerable num- ber of these poor creatures were drowned, and most of ♦he linen of the army was washed away, to the no small annoyance of the officers. The rapidity with which the rivers ih the Peninsula of India are filled, can hardly be credited by those who have not witnessed it. Some, times, even in fine weather, a stream will come down in a dense column, and fill the bed up to the hnm, without 7 T4 TWELVE YEARS' any warning but the noise occasioned by the rush o{ water. This is generally caused by a sudden heavy rain about tlie source of the river, or by the bursting of some embankment lying within its course. Among the victims who fell a sacrifice to the hard- ships of this period, was Lieutenant Rowley of the engi- neers, a young man of the most amiable qualities and of first-rate talents. He was about six years my elder, and had considerable experience in his profession. While 1 naturally formed an attachment to him as my earliest companion in arms, I looked up to him as an example for imitation. To a steadiness above his years he joined an ardour and a zeal in his |)rofessiotial duties, which secured him the confidence and good-will of the general, who lent him one of his tents^uring his illness, as being more comfortable than his own, and who expressed great regret at his death. Poor fellow ! he expired in my arms. To one so young as myself, and unaccus- tomed to such scenes, this could not but be a most pain- ful circumstance ; b\i1, independently of this, I have always viewed a soldier's death, on any other than the bed of honour, as a most melancholy event. I could contemplate the havoc of battle with composure, for the field is a soldier's natural dea'Ji-bed : but to see that manly frame, the energies of which Avould have been gladly exerted in its country's cause, wasting away by degrees ; to see the soldier yielding by inches, and witli- painful reluctance, that life which he would willingly have surrendered in the field of battle ; to see death, which he had openly defied perhaps in many a blood) field, stealing upon liim unawares, has always been to me a painful sight. I followed my poor friend to the grave as chief mourner. There is a simplicity and a decency in a military burial, even in its plainest form, far surpassing in solenmity all the pomp and pageantry of the most sumptuous funeral in civil life. There, a number of hirelings, whose bodies only bear the'garbof woe, while their countenances, gestui'es, and manner, betray indifl'erence or a hackneyed observance of forms,, •render the last offices to the deceased : and a hired MILITARY ADVENTURE. 75 vehicle, still smelling of its last inmate, bears the body to the grave, from which perhaps the bones of some old tenant of the sod are displaced to make room for the new one, destined in process of lime to a similar ejectment. Here, the deceased soldier is borne to his last resting, place on the shoulders of his comrades ; the flag, under which he has fought and died, is the pall which covers . his remains ; the sword and otlier emblems of his pro- fession, which surmount the body, speak more than the most eloquent funeral oration to the heart of the specla- tor ; the martial music, in solemn cadence, disposes the soul to suitable emotions ; the fresh grave open, to re- ceive its tirst offering : the short, but aftecting, ritual is pronounced by the lips of a brother-soldier, perhaps in the faultering accents of friendship ; and the last volley seems to announce the entrance of the immortal part into the portals of eternity. CHAPTER VIII. tJause of the War in 1803. — Siege of Ahmednaghur. — Attack of the Petfah. — Arab Soldiers. — The Author's feeHngs on first going into action. — Fatal Due). — Remarks on Duelling. — Ahmedna- ghar. — Progress of the Seige. — Mode of lighting the walls with blue light?. — Erection of Batteries. — Mode pursued. — Stone Shot. — Fort surrenders. — Execution of two Sepoys for plun- dering. As I am now about to detail the operations of General Wellesley's force in the celebrated war with the Mah- rattas in 1803, it is proper that I should say a few words regarding ils origin. The ostensible cause was the in- terference of the British in the re-establishment of the supremacy of the Paishwah, at which the Mahratta chief, tains, Scindia and the Berar rajah, pretended to take umbrage ; but the real cause was the growth of French influence among those powers, and the vast increase iii numbers and discipline of their force under European adventurers. Monsieur Perron, who was in the service 70 TWELVE years' of Scindia, had alone a force of about 20,000 infandy, regularly disciplined, with a large park of artillery, for the support of which he had a district allotted to him in the Deccan. It is clear that such a state of things could not exist without endangering our empire ; therefore, liowever people may question flic justice of going to war, no one can doubt the policy of seizing the tirst opportu- nity of breaking the neck of this formidable power. About the beginning of August the weather cleared up, and on the Cth we opened the campaign in earnest, by investing the fortress of Ahmednaghur ; previously to which it was necessary to dislodge the enemy from the pettah or town. Three columns of attack were formed for this object : the lirst, consisting of two com. panics of the 78th regiment, supported by a battalion of sepoys, under the comm.aad of Colonel Harness ; the second, of two companies of the 74th regiment, similarly supported, under Colonel Wallace ; and the third, of the flank companies of the 74th, supported by a battalion of sepoys, under M;ijor Vesey. The first column was. to make the principal attack, and was directed against what appeared to be the most assailable part of the wall. The second was to attack the gateway, and, if practicable, to endeavour to blow it open. The third column was directed against the south-west angle of the pettah, and was intended more as a feint than as a real attack. On a signal given, the tirst column moved for- ward gallantly, and presently placed their ladders against the wall ; but, no sooner had a few men reached the top, than a stop was put to their progress ; tW it was found that the curtain was composed of -a simple wall, without any terre pleine, So that the assailants could not enter the town without dropping from the wall, which, from' its height, could not be attempted. In this situa- tion the storming party remained exposed to a destruc- tive flanking fire from the round towers, which were placed at intervals along the wall, and loop-holed from top to bottom, till a severe loss in officers and men com- pelled them to retire. The general., perceiving that the principal attack did ailLITARY ADVENTURE. 77 not appear to succeed as he expected, ordered the third column, which was directed to halt out of musket-shot, to advance. It did so in good style ; the men luckily placing their ladders agamst one of the towers, which they carried after a feeble resistance, and with no great loss, the greater part of the garrison having been called otf to oppose the principal attack. The second column had, in the interim, endeavoured to force the gate ; but, in the attempt, the artillery officer had been tiring shot at it, instead of running up his gun and blowing it open. This, however, was unnecessary ; for t;.e third column, under Major Vesey, iiaving entered tlie town, opened the gate to tiie rest, in doing whicli a poor sepoy of the 3d native infantry was killed by a shot from one of our guns tired at tlie gate, and found dead at the wicket. The garrison, being driven from ihe walls, retreated to the fort, not, however, without disputing tlie ground, in which they once or twice actually charged up to the bayonets of our Europeans. The troops employed against us on this occasion were chiefly Arabs, many of whom are kept m all tlie forts in this part of India, being particularly calculated for that kind of service. Though averse to discipUne, they possess individually great courage, and are remarkable for tlieir fidelity to those whom they serve. Being altogether mercenary troops, they may be seen on either side among opposing armies. This was the first time I had ever iieard the whistling of balls. The reader will perhaps expett that I should exultingly exclaim with Charles the Twelfth, "Henceforth this shall be my music !" But candour obliges me to confess that such a noble idea did not enter my thoughts ; for, however harmonious the balls may have sounded in the ear of the Swedish hero, to me they certainly did not convey the same degree ol' pleasure that I have since experienced from the voice of a Catalani, or from the bow of a LinJey. On the con- trary, the noise which they made, as they glanced past my head, raised about the precincts of my heart a kind of awkward sensation, not at all allied to pleasure, and partaking more of what is vulgarly called fear, but 7* IS TWELVE years' which, as a miUtary man, I dare not designate by that name. Our loss on this occasion was severe. Among the killed was a Captain Grant of the 78th regiment, who, at the time of the attack, was under arrest for having been engaged .in a duel with a brother officer, Avho fell in the encounter. The opponents had been intimate friends till the dispute which caused the fatal event. kSuch was the eflect on Captain Grant that he became careless of life, and, although incapacitated by his situa- tion for military' duties, he courted death on the first op- portunity, and Mas among the foremost that mounted the ladders. Thus were two officers of bravery and expe- rience lost to the service from a mistaken sense of ho- Hour. Not that I mean altogether to condemn the pi*ac- tice of duelling ; but on actual sei'vice it is the duty of a soldier to preserve his life for his country, and not to hazard it in personal encounter with his brother soldier. AVhere duty does not interfere, there are cases certainly in which the calls of honour are paramount, and in which a gentleman must expose his life for the good of society. But these are so rare, that the law very properly dis- countenances the practice of duelling. Still I must ad- mit that I think it a necessary evil, and one to v hich society is more indebted for its present polish than to all the systems of ethics that have been promulgated trom the foundation of the Avorld. To this practice, handed down to us from the chivalric ages, may be principally ascribed that mutual forbearance and courtesy wliich distinguish the upper classes in these times from those of any preceding period, and which, naturally descend, ing to the lower orders, has a beneficial etiect upon the manners of the people. This may be fairly inferred, by comparing the public speeches of modern orators with those of the most eloquoit among the ancients, >vhicli have been handed down to us, as well as by reference te the most famous poets of antiquity, whose heroes have invariably been bullies, with whom the tongue was a principal weapon. In short, there was then no such tiling known as that most noble of all titles, a gentleman,. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 79 for which a man of honour is indebted to no one but himself; which it is in the power of every educated person, possessed of the means of clothing himself re- spectably, to acquire and maintain ; which, bowing to nothing but to the law, and disowning all privileges but those of merit, makes the cadet fit company for the peer ; and which, by breaking down the lofty barriers of aristocracy, and reducing the self-intlated pride of money, has shown itself eminently calculated to promote the cause of liberty and of civilization throughout the world. Having said thus much in defence of the prac- tice of duelling, I may now add, that the good of which it may have been productive having had its full effect on society, it would be better if it were now altogether dis- continued. Indeed, I am happy to observe that the practice is quite on the decline, and that better and more Christian principles are fast superseding the laws of honour. Ahmednaghur was the principal hold of Scindia in (his part of the Deccan ; but a place of no great strength, (he works consisting of a single wall slrongly built of stone, and flanked with towers, having a deep dry ditch without any out-works. On the morning of ihe 9th the fortress was reconnoiired, and the south-west angle fix- ed on as the point of attack. The ground was a good deal broken thereabouts, and the approach was tavoured by the dry bed of a nullah, which ran within about four hundred yards of the walls, and the banks of which af- forded shelter from tiie fire of the enemy. During the night a battery for four iron 12 pounders was erected within about four hundred yards of the walls, and open- ed at daybreak. Our loss in constructing the battery was small, as the enemy were not aware of its exact situation, of which they could judge only by the noise^ though several carcases were thrown in the endeavour to discover what we were about. The walls were also occasionally lit up with blue lights, which, extending round the whole circumference of the parapet, had a most beautiful and brilliant appearance. This was done^ Tjrobably, in expectatior; of an assgtilt, thoagl\, for any 530 TWELVE years' other purpose, they were more injurious than usel'ul to the besieged, as they couid not illuniinute the ground to any distance. Tom-toms, horns, and other loud mar- tial instruments were occasionally sounded, to keep the garrison on the alert. The celerity wiiii which liatteries are erected by the English in India .vould astonish the regular stagers of Europe, who tb^ow the old German system of Muller. In India no such ru ies are attended to. Nearly three times the numl)er of hands allowed by Muller tor the construction of a battery are allotted to the work ; and, instead of a regular ditch being made in front of the parapet, as soon as the gauions are placed, the working party is set to til! up the colTre as fast as possible, i)y getting soil from any place where it can be most easily obtained. For this purpose a certain portion of the party is employed in digging where the soil is loosest, and the rest are posted in chains extending thence to the battery, to pass fhe baskets of earth as fast as they are filled. In this manner the cotire is gen- erally filled in less than (wo liours. The most expert of the engineer department are then employed in la\ing the embrasures, and picketing the fascines ; and the merlons of the battery are filled in the same manner as the coffre, persons standing on the top to receive and de- posit the baskets of soil, and io ram down the earth. The battery is thus generally completed two or three hours before day-break. The plailorms, of an ingeni- ous construction, requiring but little time or labour in fix- ing them, are then laid ; and the battery is given up to the artillery in time for them to run their guns in and to prepare for opening at djiy-break. While the work is going on, a picquet is posted in front of (he battery in some broken ground (if such is to be found,) in order to oppose, or give warning of, any sortie on the part of the garrison. No doubt, if the enemy could ascertain the exact situation of the battery, so as to bring their guns to bear on it, the number of men employed in the work would occasion considerable loss. But even if the spot were discovered at night, it would be impossible for the ?^rtillcry to lay their guns with sufTicicnt precision in the MILITARY ADVENTURE. 81 dark, so as materially to impede the work. But, when, as in Europe, the erection of a battery is prolonged to the second or third night, the enemy, by observing their practice during the day time, are enabled to bring their guns to bear efFectualiy on it after dark when the work has recommenced. During the 10th our batteiy was employed principally m knocking off the defences of the fort, which answered our tire, but not so as to cause us any great loss. To prevent as much- as possible the de- struction of lives from the fire of the enemy, the prac- tice is to post a man on ihe flank of the battery, whose business it is to give notice of every shot fired from such guns as are directed against the work at which he is stationed. He makes the signal the moment he per- ceives the flash of the gun, on which every man who happens to be exposed at the moment shelters himself till the shot has taken place or passed over. This how- ever cannot always be done ; for, where the fire is kept up with rapidity, or there are many guns engaged on each side, no effectual warning could be given, and the delay would be great. The mention of this practice re- minds me of a circumstance which occurred during the siege of Seringapatam. It happened that one of those enormous engines, called Malabar guns, was fired at our works. The man stationed on the flank of the battery for the purpose above-mentioned, seeing the flash, gave the usual signal, " Sliot !" A moment or two after, wards, seeing a large body taking its curving course through the air, he corrected himself by calling out " Shell !" As the ponderous missile (for it was an enor- mous stone -shot) approached, he could not tell what to make of it ; and his astonishment vented itself in the ex- clamation of " Blood and ouns, mortar and all !" On the night of the 10th our battery was lengthened for the hoviitzers, and an approach was carried from some broken ground in the rear to the bed of the nullah, whereby a tolerably secure communication was made between the camp and the battery, the flanks of which were extended so as to form a small parallel. During the 11th the heavy guns were employed in batterins; in 82 TWELVE years' breach, whilfc the howitzers were directed against the defences of the fort, or in opposing the fire of the ene- my. Ahhough towards evening the fire of our guns, a;^ far as we could see, had made considerable impression on the wall, yet, as the glacis appeared to cover the revete- ment more than is usual in forts constructed by the na- fives of India, it was thought that our guns could not sec sufficiently low to breach the wall effectually. It was therefore determined that during the night a lodgment should be made on the crest of the glacis innnediately in front of the breach, which, it necessary, might be turned into a battery to complete the breach, if not already practicable, and which, at all events, would serve to bring a fire on the breach, and support the storming party in case of an assault. This lodgment was to be formed with sand-bags, which were to be brought by strong pariies from the rear ; and the duty allotted to me was to remain with a select party on the spot to see them properly deposited. This was doubtless a most danger- ous piece of service, as the crest of the glacis was with- in pistol shot of the walls, from which a heavy fire would certainly be kept up. I confess I did not expect to sur- vive it ; so having a few hours to spare in the day, 1 em- ployed myself in settling my little affairs, leaving a few- tokens of affection to those I held dear, and commending my soul to God. Happily, however, just as we were going to work, an order came down to cease hostilities, as the fort had surrendered. Communications had been going on with the killedur during the day, but the opera- tions had not been suspended, as our General know the character of the natives too well to allow them to suc- ceed in their usual object, that of gaining time, by which, as the weaker party, they are sure that nothing can be lost, while something may be won. On the morning of the 12th the garrison, consisting of about 1200 men, chiefly Arabs, marched out with the honours of war, and we took possession of tlie place. Contrary to usage and good faith (for the fortress had not been taken by assault,) as well as in opposition to positive orders, some of the troops who had been ap- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 83 pointed to take possession of ihe place dispersed for the purpose of plunder. Two sepoys of the third native in- fantry having been detected in the fact, were, by orders of the General, hung up on each side of the gateway ; a measure which, it must be confessed, created some dis- gust at the moment, but which, at the outset of a cam- paign, was perhaps a necessary example for the sake of discipline, and a proper vindication of the British cha- racter for justice and good faith. CHAPTER IX. The Army quits Ahmednaghur — Crosses the Godavery river.— Ar- rives at Auruui,aV)ad. — Drscnplion of that place. — General Wellesley visits the Residfut at Scindia's court. Colonel Collins, Flis equipag;e and appearance. — His opinion of the Mahratta Armies. — Wretched state o( th'- country. — Famine. — Conduct of the natives under their misery. — Deplorable scene vi^itnessed by the Author. — Colonel Stevenson attacks and takes the fort of .Taulna. — The enemy's cavalry get into our rear. — Countermarch- es in consequence. — The enemy's infantry and guns ascend the Adjuntee Pass. — Colonel Stevenson surprises their horse camp. — Joined by a convoy of provisions. — The Army moves forward, — The enemy's cavalry effect a junction with their infantry. — The two British divisions arrive w;thin a short distance of each other. — Nizam's subsidiary force reviewed by General Welles- ley. — Colonel Stevenson. — Company's officers of rank compared with those of his Majesty. Having supplied the fort of Ahmednaghur with an adequate garrison, the army continued its advance into the Mahratta territories, and on the 29th August reached the banks of the Godavery, a river which traverses the peninsula from west to east, of about the same size as the Kistnah, and held equally sacred by Hindoo superstition. On the 27th, having arrived with- in a few miles of the city of Aurungabad, the General proceeded to that place in order ro hold a conference with Colonel Collins, the late British resident at Scindia's court. As usual on such occasions, I joined the cortege. On (Tur way to the encampment of the Resident we 84 TWELVE YEARS* passed through the town of Aurungabad, which was the largest city I had seen since we quitted Poonah. As it« name betokens, it was founded by Auruugzcbe, and was, during the latter years of his hfe, the chief residence of that monarch. It possesses no buildings of any conse- quence that I run call to mind, except a mausoleum erected over the remains of one of the founder's daugh- ters. It is a b' autit'ui structure, entirely of wliite mar- ble, justly admired for the elegance of its design, and for the skill and delicacy displayed in its execution, par- ticularly in the fretted work of which its \\ alls are mostly Composed. On reaching the tent of the Resident we were unex- pectedly received wiiii a salute of artillery, for such was the state maintained by ihis representative of John Com- pany (known in Bengal by the nickname of King Col- lins,) that he had a brigade of field-pieces, worked by native artillery-men, attached to his escort. In front of a noble suite of tents, which might have served for the Great Mogul, we were received by an insignificant, little, old-looking man, dressed in an old-fashioned military boat, white breeches, .sky-blue silk stockings, and large glaring buckles to his siioes, having his highly powdered wig, from which depended a pig-tail of no ordinary di- mensions, surmounted by a small round black silk hat, orriamented with a single black ostrich feather, looking altogether not unlike a monkey dressed up for Bartholo- mew fair. There was, however, a fire in his small black eye, shooting out from beneath a large, shaggy, pent, house brow, which more than counterbalanced the ridi- cule that his first appearance naturally excited. After the usual compliments, the principals retired into an inner tent, where matters not to be entrusted to vulgar ears were discussed. But the last words uttered by the little man, as they came forth from the tent, I well recol- lect. " I tell you, General, as to their cavalry (meaning the enemy's) you may ride over them wherever you meet them ; but tlieir infantry and guns will astonish you." As, in riding homewards we amused ourselves, the General among the rest, in cutting jokes at the expense MILITARY ADVENTURE. So of " little King Collins," we little thought how true his words would prove. Fi'om the time we quitted Poonah all signs of cultiva- tion ceased. The villages were mostly deserted, and such of the inhabitants as remained were exposed to all the horrors of famine. These forlorn wretches, of whom some, perhaps, had refused to emigrate, from an obsti. nate attachment to the soil of their birth, while others had lingered in hope till they had not strength to move, might be seen hovering round their dismantled dwellings in different degrees of exhaustion, from the first cra- vings of hunger to the later and more passive dejection of long privation. But still, amidst all this wretched- ness, there was nothing of violence in their despair. The victims seemed to await the approach of death with patience and resignation, if not with apathy. Whether this was the natural consequence of their situation, their mental energies having gradually sunk with their corpo- real strength, or whether it proceeded from the charac- ter of the " meek Hindoo," I cannot pretend to decide ; but this silent wretchedness gave, if possible, an addi-^^j^ lional gloom to a scene already truly heart-rending. This patience under suftering, this composure, and even sangfroid, within the jaws of death, are prominentcha- racteristics of the Hindoo, and ought, indeed, to jj^ to shame those among their conquerors, who, boasting higher attributes of courage and virtue, pretend to look down upon them with contempt. No one meets death with less apparent dread than the Hindoo ; and when imbued with a sense of honour, as among the military oasts, no one can display more heroism. I have repeat- edly seen them refuse quarter, when the European would have courted mercy even in chains. Wherefore, then, are we always victorious in our contests with them ' It cannot proceed, in every instance, fi'om superiority in. the art of war, for bodies of troops must sometimes »lash in such a way that discipline can avail neither party. The truth lies. in this, that the courage of the ' Hindoo is of a, passive nakire, while that of the Euro- pean is active ; the former being inert, has only its own 8 86 TWELVE years' weight to give it power ; the latter has activity to in- crease its momentum. Numberless were the spectacles of woe which wc witnessed at this period. One in particular has been. so deeply imprinted on my memory, that centuries of life would not efliice it. Being detached one day on duty to some distance from the camp, and returning home late, having outstripped my escort, I was unfortunate enough to lose my way. Niglit overtook me in tins unpleasant predicament, when, linding myself near one of those forlorn villages, I rode up to it to in(|uire my road. The moon had just risen, and showed me a group of famish- ed wretches seated under the walls of the village, sur- rounded hy the mortal remains of those, who, happily for them, had already preceded their comrades in the agonies of death, and whose earthly sufterings were closed. As I approached, packs of jackals, preying on the wasted bodies of the latter even before the eyes of the helpless survivors, ran howling away at the sound of my horse's f«et — their instinct teaching them that I wa*^ a* different kind of being from those scarcely living wretches whom they viewed more with greediness than fear — while the vulture, rising reluctantly from his bloody banquet, flapped his broad mngs in anger, and joined the wild chorus with discordant cries. The moon's pale light shed a suitably mournful tint over such a scene. Viewed in its silver beams, the dark bloodless countenances of the melancholy group assumed a hue perfectly unearthly, and which I can only compare to that in which the prince of darkness is painted by the imagination of youth ; while their sunken eyes, hallow stomachs, and emaciated frames, spoke the extremity of their wretchedness. I addressed a few words to them ; but the only answer I obtained was a sigh, accompanied by a mournful shake of the head, betokening the want of strength even to give utterance to speech. To urge them farther, or to intrude on them my worldly wants, would, I thought, have been a cruel mockery of their state ; so I hastened from a scene where my presence could not afford either consolation or relief. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 87 Numbers of famishing wretches followed our army for the sole purpose of existing on the offal of the camp. Scarcely were the cavalry lines cleared for the march, when crowds might be seen rushing towards the spot to gather from the dung of the horses such scanty portions , of grain as had passed undigested through their bodies ; while, to the honour of these poor sufferers be it spoken, scarcely any would, even to save their lives, so far tres- pass on their religious prejudices as to appease their hunger with the flesh of the many bullocks which, after every day's march, were left dying or dead on the ground. On the 2d of September, Colonel Stevenson attacked and took the small fort of Jaulna, without much loss. We were sufficiently near to hear the guns fired on that occasion. During the campaign I was in the habit of keeping a regular Journal of our operations (a practice which I would warmly recommend to every young pei'sOn simi- larly situated,) but this having unfortunately been lost, I am compelled to draw on a bad memory for materials to compose this part of my memoirs. It is true that I might apply to other sources to make up the deficiency, but by this means my narrative would probably lose a good deal of that freshness and originality in which lies the chief interest of such works. All, therefore, that I can recollect of this period is, that we made severq,! max'ches and countermarches, owing, I believe, to the movements of a large body of cavalry which Scindia and the Berar Rajah had detached to manoeuvre on our rear, in order to favour the advance of a large body of infantry and guns wliich were then in full mai'ch from the Deccan, or to divert us from advancing into the heart of their territories, by threatening our communications, and by menacing the Nizam's capital of Hydrabad. In a part of their object they seem to have succeeded ; for while we were endeavouring to counteract the move, ments of their cavalry, their infantry and artillery were enabled to ascend the Adjuntee pass. . This manoeuvre of their cavalry was not, however, accomplished without 38 TWELVE years' some loss on their part ; for on the 9th of September Colonel Stevenson succeeded by a rapid night march in surprising their camp, and although the loss they sus- tained on tliat occasion may not have been very great, still it must have left on them such an impression of the superiority of our discipline and valour as to have had a powerful influence on their subsequent conduct in the Held. Having failed to intercept any part of our sup- plies, the last convoy of which joined us on the 18th September, escorted by a battalion of the 4th native in- fantry under Colonel Hill, the enemy concentrated their force in the neighbourhood of Jalferabad, to which point the two British divisions now directed their march. I recollect that about this period I was at breakfast with the General, when a dispatch was brought to him from an officer in command of a small detachment. Af- ter reading it he burst into a laugh, and, throwing it down on the table, asked us if we could tell him where " so many miles on this side of such a place" was ; for that was the manner in which the writer intended to con- vey a notion of the position he was in. We need not say from which side of the Irish Channel he came. On the 21st of September, the Nizam's subsidiary be- ing within two miles of our division, the General rode over to inspect them, and to concert with Colonel Ste- venson the operations to be pursued. This division, which was in numerical force about the same as ours, though inferior as to Europeans (having only one King's regiment,) appeared in excellent order. The battalions, which, as belonging to a subsidiary force, had been kept up on the war establishment, were much superior in strength to those of our division. Colonel Stevenson was an officer of considerable ex. perience and talent, well known in the wars with Hyder and Tippoo, and who, in the campaign against Dhoon- diah Waugh, had acted in concert with General Welles- ley. Unfortunately Colonel Stevenson's health had been for some time on the decline ; and, without impair- ing the vigor of his mind, it prevented his displaying that personal activity which liad distinguished him in his MILITARY ADVENTURE. 89 earlier campaigns. In fact, this is a disadvantage un- der which the Company's officers of rank must often labour, when compared with those of his Majesty's ser- vice, who through favour or fortune have been raised to command while in the prime of life, and with constitu- tions unimpaired — qualifications sufficient to counterba- lance even the advantages of experience. CHAPTER X. Gefiefal Wellesley separates the two British Division?. — Ques- tion whether he was right in so doin». — Find ourselves un- expectedly within a few miles of the Enemy's Camp. — Tlieir Posit on. — The Geneial resolves to attack them. — His excellent dispositions for that purpose. — Eattl5 of Assaye. — Anecdotes con- nected with it. Our force being thus united and in face of a powerful enemy, it is a question how far General Wellesley was jiistified in dividing his army at this juncture. Indeed, had he then possessed the experience lie afterwards ob- tained of the discipline of Scindia's infantry, and of tlie efficiency of his artillery, or had he relied sufl^ciently on the information gr\en him by Colonel Collins, I much doubt whether he would have ventured on so Jiazardous a step. Tiie truth is, I believe, that he had obtained in- formation on which he thought he could rely, that, not- withstanding the late forward movement cjf Scindia, the confederate sovereigns had come to tlie'resolution of re- tiring, in order to focm a junction with the Berar Ra- jab's infantry and guns previously to giving battle ; and conceiving, I suppose, that either division of his army was capable of coping with the enemy's force when in retreat, he determined by a rapid movement on each Hank, to prevent the possibility of their gaining any of the passes in the range of hills which separated them from Berar in time to save their artillery ; while both divisions were to attack them on the 24th, should tiicy think proper to remain where thcv Avere. 8* 90 TWELVE YEARS' But in any case the manoeuvre was a dangerous one ; for it was in the power of the enemy, if not altogether bent on retreat, to throw, by a lateral movement, the whole of their force on either of the British divisioiis. Fortune, indeed, seems to have eflected this for them without any movement on their part ; for, on arriving at the village of Nulniah, after a march of fourteen miles, on the morning of the 23d of September, we found our- selves within about five miles of the enemy's camp, in- stead often, as we expected. It is true we were nearly that distance from the tovm of Jafferabad, where Scin- dia's army was said to be posted ; but then their army, which occupied a considerable space, had its right not less than three miles from that place. By these means we were not only fivS miles nearer to the enemy than it was calculated we shoyld have been from the informa- tion received, but Colonel Stevenson was, for the same reason, that distance farther off than he ought to have been. Finding matters in this predicament, and, hear- ing that the enemy were breaking up their camp (which must have been either for the purpose of retreat, or foi attacking us,) I think the General was quite right in moving on to the attack. After he had come to this de- termination, nothing could be more masterly than his dispositions for the battle, nor could any thing surpass the promptitude and decision with which he carried them into effect. On arriving at the village of Nulniah, where we were to have halted that day, the Quarter-master- general had, as usual, marked out the camp, and I was employed in rwy customary duty of surveying the ground, when an order came to withdraw the camp colours, as the division was moving onwards. Galloping up to the column, which had re-commenced its march, I soon as certained the cause. As I passed the old 19th dragoons, whose veteran eyes sparkled at the idea of being at the old work again, I was hailed by a friend, " My lad," said he, " your maiden sword will be well blooded to-day.'" These words made a deep impression on my mind, for they were the last I heard him utter. He fell nobly, at the head of his squadron. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 9l About 12 o'clock we came in sight of the enemy from a high ground, about a mile and a half in front of their camp. They appeared to be then in the act of striking their tents, and had not as yet taken up any military po- sition. Their encampmerrt extended about two miles between the rivers Kailna and Jouah, which, running parallel to each other, about a mile apart, joined about a mile and a half below their left. The space comprehend, ed in this parallelogram seemed to be covered by one living mass, compared to which our handful of men (for we had but 4,500 British troops in action, one battalion and the rear-guard having been left to guard the bag- gage and stores atNulniah,) was but as a drop to the ocean. As soon as their tents had disappeared, we observed their infantry drawn up in two lines parallel to the above- mentioned rivers, the left of their second line resting on the village of Assaye, which was only a short distance from the rivev Jouah, while their cavalry was formed in large masses on the right, extending as far as the vil- lage of Bokerdun. Having viewed their position for a short time, the Gene- ral resolved upon attacking their left wing in flank, ho- ping, by these means, to compensate, in some measure, for the smallness of his numbers, and to be able to throw their infantry and artillery into confusion before they could form a front to- oppose him ; while his own flanks, being covered by the two rivers, which, from the scar- ped nature of their banks, could be crossed by cavalry only at a few spots, the enemy's horse could not be brought into action without passing through their infan- try, a measure which, if attempted, would, in all proba- bility, throw their whole army into ineparable confu- sion. In conformity with this skilful mancEuvre, the column of infantry was directed towards a pass which crossed the river Kailna about half a mile below the en- emy's left wing, while the cavalry remained posted on the height where we firs*t came in sight of the enemy, to keep in check two large masses of horse, which, hav- ing passed the Kailna, had posted themselves about half a mile in our front. I was particularly struck at this 92 TWELVE years' time with the beauty of the line formed by our cavahy, and with the steady movement of the column of infantry, so unlike the usual order of march. It seemed as if each individual felt that this was to be the test of disci, pline against numbers, and that nothing but the utmost steadiness and determination could make up for the ap. pallinor disparity of force, of which, from the view we had of the enemy's army, every one had an opportunity of judging. Not a whisper was heard through the ranks ; our nerves were wound up to the pro|)er pi'ch, and every one seemed to know and to feel that there was no alternative but death or victory. Under such circumstances it might reasonably be supposed that even fear would make a man brave. As the infantry approached the river, the enemy's guns opened on it, but without much etfect. No soon- er, however, did the head of tiie column begin to ascend the opposite bank, than it was met by a shower of shot from a battery advanced near the bank of'tiie river for that purpose, which, continuing without intermission, caused us severe loss. At this time the General's or- dexly dragoon had the top of his head carried off by a cannon ball, but the body being kept in its seat by the valise, holsters, and other appendages of a cavahy sad- dle, it was some time before the terrified horse could rid himself of the ghastly burden, in the endeavour to ef- fect which he kicked and plunged, and dashed the poor man's brains in our face?, to our no small danger and annoyance. • This was rather an ugly beginning I thought. Being- ordered forward to examine the ground in the direction of the enemy, and to observe his movements, I had scarcely put my horse into a gallop, when, in passing- some broken ground, I unkennelled a fox, who, giving his brush a swing of defiance, set ofl' in the direction of the enemy. " Oho !" my lad, said I, " on any other oc- casion you would not have got off so easilj'"." Pursuing my way, I passed close to and within the enemy's vi-- dettes ; when, feeling for my sword, in case it should he necessarv, I found that I was without arms. I had left it MIUTARY ADVENTURE. 93 with my horse-keeper. It mattered not, however, for they were too much intent on their own business to med- dle with me. On gaining the top of the high ground be- tween the two rivers, I observed the enemy's infantry in the act of changing their front, and taking up a new position, with their right to the river Kailna and their left on the village of Assaye. This manoeuvre they were performing in the most steady manner possible, though not exactly according to Dundas ; for each battalion came up into the new alignement in line, the whole body thus executing a kind of echellon movement on a large scale. On returning to report this to the General, I found that, not supposing the enemy to be capable of such a manoeuvre in the face of an attacking force, he had, in conformity with his original intention of attack- ing them in flank, already formed the infantry in two lines ; while tlie cavalry, which, as soon as the infantry had crossed the river, had quitted its first position at a rapid pace, was drawn up as a reserve in the rear. The Mysore and Paishwah's horse were left on the opposite bank of the river to observe the movements of the ene- my's cavalry, and to prevent their crossing at the pass in our rear. As the enemy's guns came into position, they opened a well-directed fire on our little army, which, being drawn up in three lines, besides one of ammimition-tum- brils, presented a sure mark for their shot, which, if they passed over one. line, were certain to take elfect in ano- ther. As soon as the General was informed of the alte- ration in the enemy's position, he changed his order of battle, and, with the view of extending his front, ordered the picquets of infantry, which formed the right of the first line, to take ground to the right, so as to leave room for the two battalions of the second line to come up, while the 74th regiment, which was on the right of the second line, was ordered to obUque and form on the right of the picquets ; the cavalry being, at the same time, directed to file to the right as far as the river Jouah. Before this movement could be effected, however, the fire of the enemy's artillery became so destructive that 94 TWELVE years' no troops could long stand exposed to it. Indeed, not a moment was to be lost in closing with the enemy ; for already had some confusion been occasioned by the gun- bullocks and their drivers, who, unaccustomed to such work, had shown a disposition to do any thing but remain stationary ; while several field-pieces, which had been advanced to oppose those of the enemy, were already put hors de combat. The order, therefore, was given to move forward : the second line was directed to complete its movement during the advance ; and the cavalry to support our right wing, which was, of course, considera- bly outflanked. The two b.itt.ilions of the second line were not long in taking th^ir place in front ; but, owing to the oblique movement of the picquets being continued too long, not only was the 74th regiment prevented from gaining their flank, but these two weak battalions, on ap- proacliing the enemy's position, found themselves at a considerable distance from the rest of our infantry, and confronted by the whole of the enemy's left wing. This opening in the line was rendered still greater in conse- quence of the sepoy battalions, in the- endeavour to avoid the fire of the enemy's centre, having crowded in on the 78th regiment which formed our extreme left. At this time the fire of the enemy's artillery became, indeed, most dreadful. In the space of less than a mile, 100 guns, worked v/ith skill and rapidity, vomited forth deatli into our feeble ranks. It cannot, then, be a matter of surprise if, in many cases, the sepoys should have taken advantage of any irregularities in the ground to shelter themselves from the deadly shower, or that even, in some few instances, not all the endeavours of the offi- cers could persuade them to move forward. Notwith. standing this, the main body of the infantry continued to advance rapidly and in good order, and were not long in coming in contact with the enemy's right wing, which they forced through without difficulty, their infantry standing no longer than the guns fired, which, however, they did to the last, many of the gohimdauze having been •bayoneted in the act of loading their pieces. In, the mean time the picquets, on arriving within grape- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 95 shot distance of the enemy, had been so roughly hand- led, that they hesitated to advance, while the 74th regi- ment, which was in their rear, was prevented from charging, as no doubt this gallant regiment would have done, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, had its front only been clp.ar. Matters, however, remained not long in this state ; for the picquets, retiring in confusion on the 74th (as might have been expected,) left it expo- sed to the whole fire of the enemy's left wing, while a chosen body of horse, suddenly wheeling round the vil- lage of Assaye, charged it in flank, and almost com- pleted the destruction of this gaCBant band, which, though now reduced to the strength of not more than a good company, still clung round its colours, undaunted and unbroken. At tliis critical moment the cavalry under Colonel Maxwell, which had been directed to act ac- cording to circumstances, advanced rapidly over the ground where the 74th and picquets had been engaged, and charged through the enemy's left wing) under a shower of musketry and grape. Previously to this, however, the main body of our infantry, having, as I said before, forced its way through the enemy's right wing (several of the battalions of which had rather wheeled back on the centre of their line than been actually beaten oft' the field,) found itself, though victorious, in rather an awkward situation. Be- ing compelled to bring up its left shoulder, for tlae pur- pose of attacking the enemy's reserve, which was post- ed near the river Jouah, its left flank became, of neces. sity, exposed to the enemy's cavalry, and its right to the fire of their centre, which had faced about for that pur- pose ; while, from the non-appearance of the 74th and picquets, the General, who had advanced with the left wing, began to entertain serious apprehensions for their safety. " What is our cavalry about now ?" every one exclaimed. But the words were scarcely out of our mouths when we sav/ them, headed by the gallant 19th, fome pouring through the enemy's left wing like a tor- rent that had burst its banks, bearing along the broken and scattered materials which had opposed it. This 96 TWELVE YEARS' was a noble siglit, and to persons in our situation a most gratifying one. The whole of our line hailed it with a shout of triumph, and, advancing at double quick time, charged the enemy's reserve, and drove it across the Jouah. Elated with thfiir success, the sepoys now be- gan to disperse in pursuit of the Riipmy ; but happily the 78th stood their ground firmly, and thus prevented the enemy's horse, which still threatened our letl wing, from taking advantage of this imprudence. The recall being sounded, the infantry was formed on the bank of the river, while the cavalry continued the pursuit of the flying foe. '^ In the mean time the enemy's centre, which had re- mained untouched, closed in upon the ground before occupied by their left wing, and, uniting with such of their artillery and infantry as had been passed over un- hurt by our cavalry, formed itself into a kind of cres- cent, with its right horn resting on the river Jouah, and its left on the village of Assaye ; thus presenting them- selves in a fresh position on the flank of our infantry, on which, having collected a considerable number of their guns, they re-commenced a heavy tire. The battle was now to be fought over again, with this ditierence, that the contending forces had exchanged sides ; and, had the enemy's horse behaved with the least spirit, while our cavalry was absent in pursuit of their broken batta- lions, there is no guessing what the consequence might have been ; but, happily for us, they kept aloof. To oppose the enemy in their new position, the sepoy batta- lion on the right was immediately formed en potencc, and advanced against them, but without effect, being compelled to retire. Another was brought forward, and equally repulsed. Our cavalry, having, by this time, returned from the pursuit, and Ibrmed on our left, and the enemy's horse having disappeared before them, the general ordered the 78th regiment and 7th cavalry up to head a fresh attack against the enemy's infantry and guns, which still defended their position with obsti- nacy. No sooner, however, had he forjued the 78th regiment in line, in directing which his horse's leg was MILITARY ADVENTURE. 97 carried off by a cannon-shot, than the enemy, without awaiting the attack, commenced their retreat across the Jouah, which they passed in tolerable order before our troops could come up with them. Previously to this last attack, Colonel Maxwell had requested, and obtain- ed, permission, to attack a considerable body of infantry and guns, which, having formed part of the reserve, were seen reiiring in good order along the right bank ©f the Jouah. Wishing to be a close witness of a. charge of cavalry, I could not let slip such an opportu- nity ; so, seizing a sword which the General's horse- keeper had picked up on the field, I fell in among the files of the 19th dragoons. We were not long in com- ing up with the enemy, who, having formed with their left to the Jouah, steadily awaited our approach. The charge was sounded : we advanced with rapidity, amidst a shower of musketry and grape, which latter I could actually hear rattling among our ranks, and had already got almost within reach of the bayonets of the enemy, who still gallantly stood their ground, when, instead of dashing among their ranks, I suddenly found my horse swept round as it were by an eddy torrent. Away we galloped, right shoulders forward, along the whole of the enemy's line, receiving their fire as we passed, till, having turned our backs upon them, we took to our heels manfully, every one calling out, " Halt ! halt !" while nobody would set the example; till at last, a trumpet having sounded, we pulled up, but in complete disorder, dragoons and native cavalry pell-mell. On this occa- sion Colonel Maxwell fell pierced by a grape-shot. He was gallantly leading the charge, when he received his death-blow. Having involuntarily checked his horse, and thrown his arm back, when he received his wound, the soldiers immediately behind him, not knowing the cause, mistook the gesture for a signal to retire, and did vso accordingly. At least, this was the reason afterwards assigned for the failure ; and, if true, it shows how the fate of armies, and even of nations, may depend uponi the direction of a single shot. Another second or two, and we should have completed the overthrow of our op. 98 TWELVE years' ponents, who could not possibly have withstood the charge, drawn up as they were in line. Indeed, so near were we to them at the time we turned about, that seve- ral of the squadron oflicers, whose position is in front, had their horses wounded with bayonets. If I might be allowed to judge, I should say that the failure was chiefly owing to the manner in which we advanced against the enemy, having approached obliquely instead of directly perpendicular to their front, as we ought to have done ; by which means we glanced, as it were, past their line. Thus closed this memorable battle, one of the most bloody on record to the victors. Out of about 4,500 men in action, upwards of 2,000 were either killed or wounded, the former amounting to more than a third of the whole number, a circumstance unprecedented in warfare, though easily accounted for by the fact that the wounds were mostly inflicted by artillery. Although the Mysore and Paishwah's horse took no active part in the action, still the position in which they Avere placed, and the good countenance they maintained, prevented the enemy's cavalry from getting into our rear in any force. Some straggling parties, neverthe- less, succeeded in crossing the river, and cutting up such of our artillery as had not advanced with the line. Four oflicers of that corps and a considerable number of men were sabred at their guns. By a signal act ol' perfidy several were decoyed from under the gun-car- riages, where they had sought refuge, with otfers of quarter, and there inhumanly butchered. Among the slain I cannot help particularizing Cap- tain Mackay of the 4th native cavalry, commissary of cattle to the army. He had previously asked permis- sion of the General to head his squadron in case of au action, and had been positively refused. Instead, how- ever, of remaining with the baggage, as others similarly circumstanced did, by a noble act of disobedience he risked his commission and lost his life. Another, though not so fatal instance of the preva- lence of hono\ir over duty, deserves to be recorded. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 99 Lieutenant Serle, of the 19th dragoons, who was under an arrest at the time of the action for some disagree- ment with his commanding officer, joined his corps at the commencement of the batile, strictly speaking, in defiance of authority (for according to miUtary rule he then broke his arrest,) and, by his distinguished gal- lantry regained permission, without being put on his trial, again to wear that sword which he had so nobly used against the enemies of his country. In the course of the action I was twice struck by shot, but not in such a manner as to be returned on the list of wounded. The first was a graze in the wrist, which cut through my coat and shirt, but carried ajvay only a small portion of my skin. The next was from a spent grape-shot, which hit me in the pit of the stomach, so as to take away my breath. This, with the fright, caused me nearly to fall from my horse. I thought, of course, that I was shot through the body ; and, not liking to stoop my head for fear of driving the ball in farther, I groped about with my hand for th« hole, when, not finding any, 1 ventured to look down, and could hardly believe that I had escaped my death-wound ; though, as it may be supposed, I was not a little pleased to find that I was more frightened than hurt. During the hottest fire I observed several sepoys, who were either wounded or pretended to be so, crouching down with their backs to the enemy, in such a manner, that their knapsacks completely sheltered them from every thing but round shot. The Europeans had not this advantage, their packs being always carried for them in India ; but whenever they had them I never observed that they had ingenuity enough to make use of them in this way. What was the enemy's loss in men we could not ascertain ; but it could not have been very great ; for the number of the assailants was insufficient to have done much execution in their ranks. What was, how. ever, of infinitely more consequence, their battalions were dispersed and disheartened, while a noble park of artillery, consisting of upwards of a hundred guns, and several standards, were the trophies of this victory. 100 TWELVE years' These latter were chiefly picked up by the pioneei"? vhen burying the dead. Not seeing any intrinsic value in them they had given them lo their wives to make petti- coats of; from which ignoble purpose they were rescued to hang as memorials of British prowess in the church of Fort St. George, and perhaps from the dome of St. Paul's. The greatest part of Scindia's regular infantry, to the number of at least 12,000, were present in this action. by which a death-blow was given to tliat formidable force which had been disciplined by Perron, and officer- ed chietly by French, whose presence and influence in the Mahratta armies was the chief cause of the war. Perfon himself was not present, having, with many others, accepted the oflers of the supreme government to retire under the protection of the East India Company. Their infantry was on this occasion commanded by a Major Pohlman, a German, who had, I believe, not many European officers under him. One only was found dead on the field. Nothing c-uld surpass the skill or bravery displayed by tiieir gulunidauze, as our loss fully testified. \Vheu taken, their guns were all found laid a few degrees below the point-blank, just what they ought to be for the discharge of grape or cannister at a short distance ; while, so rapid was their fire, that the officers left behind with the baggage, and who were out of the sound of small arms, could not compare the report of the guns to any thing less than the rolling of musketryv The pieces, which were cast under the direction of Euro- peans, were all of 'the best kind, and equipped in the most efficient manner. What force of cavalry they had in the field we could not ascertain ; but this was of little moment, for, excepting the body which charged the 74tU regiment, they acted like cowards. They could not, however, have had less than 30,000 horses on the ground., Towards the end of the action several of the enemy's ammunition tumbrils, in which it is supposed they had left slow matches burning, blew up ; these dreadful ex- plosions, without doing much mischief, added not a little to the horror of the scene. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 101 The action was not over till sunset, although nothing like pursuit was attempted. Indeed we were sufficiently satisfied with the victory we had achieved, being too much fatigued with the day's work (for we had marched twenty miles previously to coming into action,) and too much taken up with attending to our wounded, lo think of anything else. I never shall t'orgetthe rush that was made for the river as soon as our sal'ety would admit of the sol- diers leaving their ranks ; here, notwithstanding that its scanty waters, from the number of the enemy killed in crossing its bed, were completely tniged with blood, few, among whom I cannot reckon myself, could resist the temptation to quench their burning thirst. This insatiable desire to imbibe liquid, accompanied by an almost equally strong disposition to get rid of it, I have observed to be a never-failing concomitant of danger, which, I suppose, causes the feeling of fear (or anxiety, if you will have it) thus to operate on certain organs of the frame. So instinctively do the old soldiers feel this, that, on crossing the river previously to the action, I remarked that they not only compelled tlie "puckauly man* to till his bags, but actually put a guard over hnn, with directions to bayonet hnn if he did not keep up w\X\\ his company. During the heat of action, and in the flush of victory, the mind could not dwell on the passing scene ; but when we had time to breathe and to look around us, the sight was indeed a melancholy one, notwithstanding the trophies with which we were surrounded. On passing over the ground where the 74th and picquets had been engaged, the carnage was dreadful, and the wounds in- flicted by the swords of the enemy's cavalry were such as I could have had no conception of. This was the only time I ever saw heads fairly cut off. Such a thing could not be done by our cavalry swords in their usual state ; for, however good the material may be, the con- stant drawing in and out of an iron scabbard soon blunts * A man with a bullock, carrying leather ba^ to contain water, attached to each cotnpaoy of soldiers. 102 TWELVE years' the edge : wlicrcas those of the native horsemen, thougb seldom ot\such good stuff as ours, by ne\er being drawn except for use, or for the purpose of being cleaned, are capable of inflicting a wound of ten times the depth, particularly when applied in the drawing manner usually practised by the Indian swordsmen. At this spot I witnessed a scene which I shall not easily forget. I was riding among the bodies of the poor 74th along with Captain (now Sir Colin) Campbell, who had a brother in that regiment, of whose fate he was ignorant, till he saw his corpse extended on the ground. The shock to his feelings, and the scene that Ibllowed, may be better conceived than described. This, I believe, was his only remaining brother of a large family who had all fallen in their country's cause. It has not been the lault of Sir Colin that he has survived to wear his well-earned laurels. He was but a subal- tern at the storm of the pettah of Ahmednaghur, where his distinguished gallantry attracting the notice of the General, he made him his brigade. major. Sir Colin is now a Major-general and K.G.B., while I am but a half. pay Captain. " Forttme de la guerre /" as the French say. But he is the last man I would envy. He is a good fellow, and long may he live to be an honour to his profession ! As a set oti" to this afl'ecting circumstance, I must describe a ludicrous scene which occurred about the same time, and which for a moment caused a ray of hilarity to cheer the gloom of the battle. field. A sur- geon, whose bandages had been exhausted by the num- ber of patients, espying one of the enemy's horsemen lying, as he supposed, dead on the ground, with a tine long girdle of cotton cloth round his waist, seized the end of it, and, rolling over the body, began to loose the folds. Just as he had nearly accomplished his purpose, up sprang the dead man, and away ran the doctor, both taking to their heels on opposite tacks, to the infinite amusement of the by-standcrs. This extraordinary in- stance of a doctor bringing a man to life, so opposite to the usual practice of the faculty, became the subject of a caricature ; «hjlc the story as may be supposed, long MILITARY ADVENTURE. 103 (•lung to this unfortunate son of Galen, who afterwards went by the name of " the resurrection doctor." Shortly after sunset there was an alarm which put us all on the alert. It arose from the sudden appearance of a body of horse, which had advanced under cover of a fog, to within a short distance of our line. They were a part of Scindia's cavalry, which had been ab- sent during the action, and were attracted by the firing to the field of battle. Finding how matters stood, they sheered ofi", and left us to our repose, if that could be called repose which was spent among the dying and the dead. As to myself, I lay dov/n with my horse's bridle in my hand, close to an officer of the 74th, who had lost his leg. He appeared in good spirits considering his si- tuation, and was so kind as to offer me a share of some brandy which his servant had brought up. In the morning I turned round .to repeat my thanks for his kindness, and to inquire after his wound. He was a (Corpse ! The enemy, as we afterwards learned, had not passed the night so quietly ; for, as it often happens in these cases, particularly with irregular troops, a panic seized them after dark, supposing us to be in pursuit, and they never stopped till they were safe at the bottom of the Adjuntee pass, having abandoned the only two guns which they carried off the field, and a considerable part of their baggage, which were afterwards picked up b\ Colonel vStevensofl'g division. 104 TWELVE YEARS' CHAPTER XI. Feelings after the Battle. — ijkt If ions of the Regpments on Parade. Sale ol Officers' effects. — Joined by Colonel Stewnson's corps. Sc-india sue? for peace. — Colonel Stevenson takes possession of Burhampoor. — Lays siefre to Asseerghur. — General Wcllejlcy's division descends ilie Adj.mtec pais, and enters Berar. — Descrip- tion of tlip country. — Wild hog hunting. — Assrerghur surrenders. Enemy"? Cavalry get inio our rear, and ''ndeavour to intercept our "Convoys. — General Wellesley's division re-ascends the Ad- juntee pass in consequence.— Captain Baynes, commanding the Convoy, repulses the atta<
  • roceeding thither I passed through a wild, but beauti- fully romantic country, abounding in rich views, in which the graceful bamboo-tree formed a principal tea- ture. When many of these trees grow together, as in a jungle or forest, and form, as they do, an impenetra- I)le thicket, the bamboo is by no means an agreeable object ; but, when scattered in clumps over the plain, like so many tliick plumes of ostrich feathers, they have a most pleasing effect. I have often thought, as I have \iewed them with delight, what an English gentlcmujl \\ ould give to have a few of them in his [uirk or lawn, 12* (38 TWELVE YEARS* The meeting of a brother in a distant clime is to the , heart as the fountain in the desert to the parched lips of the traveller. As the verdant circle which surrounds the gifted spot reminds the weary pilgrim of the country which he has left, so does the long looked-for moment of fraternal embrace, freshened by the springs of mcmorj'. assume the vivid tint of the days of our youtii. Wc breathe, as it were, the atmosphere of home ! Oh sweet delusion ! But alas '. how transitory ! how soon doe? reason — sad, sober reason — dash from our lips the Cir- cean cup ! But still there was enough of reality to make u.s happy. We were two links l)roken from the family chain ; and we clung the closer to each other, as there were none present to share our affections. We talked of days and scenes gone by — of the cheerful home— the happy holidays — the giddy games and dangerous feats of youth — the well remembered prank — even the chidings of parental authority, expressed in the " mighty well gentlemen" — "with the blessing of God \ou shaU have it," and other similar threats which followed de^ tected mischief. The " hoyty toyty" of the old grand- mother ; yea, the mighty bircli itself, fruitful souiye of tears, became, in the ever changing hand of Time, so many subjects of mirth. In short, we laughed till the tears chased each other down our cheeks as we rolled in convulsions on the floor. And, need I say it, often would the softer tear of giatitude steal from our eyes as we brought to mind all the instances of tender care and anxiety in the best of parents. But this could not last long. The time must come, as soon it did, when the gleams of sunshine must be changed for the vicissitudes of a wandering life. After spending two happy months, I bade adieu to ni}' brother, and bc-fit my steps towards the Presidency. Here I am then again en route, and, as I have but little else wherewith to amuse the reader, he shall e'en have a description of my travelling equipage and establish- ment at this period, which will convey to him a tolerably irood idea of tlie turn-out of a subaltern on the Madras MILITARY ADVENTURE. 139^; side of India. First, I had a tent twelve feet square^ having walls ahout six feet high, and a spacious fly above the roof, to catch a few of the solar rays en passant. Then I had (which was a cut above the common) a bell- tent for my servants and baggage. Now to carry the above I was obliged to have four bullocks, or one stout camel. The latter happened to be my lot, lucky sub ! Then I could not do without three bullocks, or one camel more, to carry clothes, liquors, cooking appara- tus,. &c. ; and, if I dispensed with coolies or porters, (troublesome things in a campaign, for they have this disadvantage compared with other beasts of burthen, that when it no longer suits them to remain, they are apt to leave you in the lurch,) I must e'en have ha 1 another camel, or an equal proportion of bullocks to cairy mess- trunks, table, bed, and the like. Then, as to servants^ I had a head-man cr butler, a Moor-boy who waited be- hind my chair at table, and helped me to dress ; a maty- boy who cleaned boots, shoes, knives, &c. and carried my chair; a cook, (if I did not belong to a mess,) a horse-keeper and grass-cutter (generally the wife of the former) for my horse, one lascai", for my tent, and one camel-keeper, or two bullock-drivers, for my team ; making a total, supposing coolies to be dispensed with, of eight or nine persons, one horse, three camels, or ten bullocks. The above however, it must be confessed, is the establisliment of a subaltern in easy circumstances : should his circumstances be rather uneasy, (as I believe are those of most subalterns of the line,) why he must spare a camel or its proportion of bullocks, and a ser- vant or two ; contenting himself, at the outside, with one shirt a day, and brandy pawny instead of wine. As to beer, if a subaltern attempts to taste it at his own ex- pense in the tield, I give him up as an incorrigible spend thrift. What are the equipage and establishments of 'he higher ranks may be inferred from the above. If you have one or two companions, the travelling in India is pleasant. On the well frequented roads, in the (Company's territories, you are generally provided with choultries, built purposely for European travellers ; 140' TWELVE years' which obviate the necessity of pitching your tents* But, if you fail to meet with this accommodation, you have your tents pitched in some shady grove, if such is to be found, near a tank, where, as you rechne on vour couch, you may contemplate the lazy Brahmin perform- ing his daily ablutions, or the elegant figures, the grace- ful carriage, and the becoming costume, of the women as they come to letch water ; lor the Hindoos have little of that jealousy of tlicir females which characterizes the suspicious Mussulman, whose habits and religion have taught liim to brutalize the softer sex. What is to be seen of that disgraceful feeling among the upper classes of Hindoos is doubtless copied from their former con- querors ; consequently the Hindoo women of the mid- (Uing and higher casts are remarkable for their chastity and modest demeanour, at least towards Eurojjeans. Sometimes a strolling juggler or band of tumblers will i'equest leave to exhibit their dexterity or agility before you ; when they will swallow their swords, make their ,snako& dance, and play such tricks witliout any fuss, and with so little apparatus, as would make the most scientific conjuror in Europe stare. The tumblers, too, will perform feats on a simple piece of sod which all Astley's or the Circus could not equal. Tlie snakes- used for dancing, although generally of the most venom- ous kinds, have their fiing-leeth extracted, so that they iire rendered perfectly innocuous. This footli is in shape like the claw of a dog, or the tusk of a buar, and fjas a liole running through it communicating with a bag !)f venom. It is capable of being moved up and down iu the jaw, like the cock of a gun lock ; commonly it lies close down below the level of the other teeth, M'ith the point downwards. But when the animal, is enraged if has the power of raising this tooth, so that, when lorced back by coming in contact with the part bitten, it presses on the bag, the venom of which then spouts through the hole of the tooth into the wound. You are also sometimes entertained with a visit from the dan- ring-girls of some neighbouring pagoda, who, in the intervals of their religious duties of dancing bclbrc MILITARY ADVENTURE. 141 their god, are permitted to pick up a little of the mani' mon of unrighteousness by all means in their power. These are generally accompanied by an uncommonly ugly old fellow, who, while he gives the time to their feet by thrumming with his fingers on a tom-tom, or a kind of drum, serves as a foil to their charms. Hin. dostan is the only country I ever was in where there is no such thing as national music. I never heard but one Hmdpstanee air that appeared to me to ha,V:e any music in.it ; this >vas called. Chundah's song, as being the tune to which a celebrated Hydrabad dancing-girl of that. name used to dance ; and I believe it owes most of its beauty and celebrity to the talents of the master of the band of the 33d regiment, who harmonized it. All Iheir musical instruments are the most barbarous dis- cordant things that can be imagined. In fact, they have no music in their souls. Should the country through which you are travelling be favourable for coursing, and you have dogs with youf that diversion is generally enjoyed during the day's march ; and, should it afford game, your gun supplies you with amusement after breakfast till you are tired ; when throwing yourself on your couch in a pair of loose thin trowsers, you read till it is time to dress for dinner. Few now give way to that pernicious practice of sle^- . ifljg- after tiilm, once so much the custom ai India. For my part, I never fell asleep in the middle of the day, unless from excessive fatigue, without waking with a, most unpleasant sensation, a sure, sign that it is not., salutary. The high grounds of India, when scattered over with underwood, generally supply abundanci of hares, par- tridges, and rock-pigeons, and sometimes iioriki,), which is almost the only bird in India, wild duck excepted, that has a true game flavour. It is, I think, of the s;.me spe- cies as the bustard, though much smaller, and more de- licately plumed. Few sportsmen think of using dogs to fmd their game ; for, except very early ia the morning, the scent does not lie. Two or three beaters supply their place. Perhaps the best shooting m India is that 142 TWELVE years' of snipes, which for some months after the monsoon, ard in great abundance under the banks of tanks in the faddy fields, (rice grounds,) or any other moist spot. About the middle of the day they lie well, and not flymg so ra])idly as the snipe in England, are an easy shot. 1 have known some expert shots kill as many as thirty couple in a day. But the sport is ver\' fatiguing, and, if long persisted in, dangerous ; for you have generally to wade up to your knees in mud and water, under a burn- ing sun. Very often, after a good day's sport, the slaughter has been so great that nothing is eatt- n but the trails of the birds, being either spread on toast or made into a pie. Indeed, except for a very short time in the season, the flesh of the bird is not very palatable. The numerous tanks in some parts of India furnish abundance of wild fowl, of almost every species. These are easily killed, and are often of excellent flavour. The mode which the natives sometimes adopt to catch them is in- genious and diverting. A man goes into the water with a chatty, that is, a large, round, thin earthen pot on his head, with holes in it, for him to see tJirough , and ad- vancing very slowly, with nothing but the chatty above water, generally succeeds in getting among the swim- ming flock without disturbing them. When there, he has nothing to do but to pull them under water by the legs one by one, and to doposit them in his bag, the other birds never suspecting but that their comrades have ta- ken a dive in search of food. Notwithstanding the fa- tigue undergone in sporting in India, there is a I'eeling of freedom attending it not to be experienced in more civi- lized and more closely inhabited countries, where the restrictions necessary to the preservation of game not only expose the qualified sportsman to frequent collision with surly keepers, but where even the privileged few, who have manners of their own, cannot enjoy the sport without being fenced round by steel-traps and spring- guns, and all the terrors of the law. Sporting in India is not, however, without its dangers ; for in the jungles you are apt to encounter a tiger rather suddenly ; but what is worse, (for the tiger will generally avoid you,) is MILITARY ADVENTURE. 143 the chance of treading on a snake, of which there are many venomous kinds in India, particularly the cohra de capello, as it is called by the Portuguese, or hooded snake, whose sting is certain death within the hour. Those officers who have no taste for field-sports must find the lite in India a dreary one, unless they are fond of reading or drawing, for both which occupations ample leisure is afforded, and for the latter abundance of novel and interesting subjects. I would therefore advise any young man who has the least taste for drawing, to study that pleasing art and most useful pastime, before he goes out to India. He should also lay in as much food for the mind as he can conveniently carry ; for, except at the Presidency, he will find no circulating hbraries to supply his appetite for reading. I recollect hearing that an officer, whose name I forget, was shut up for many years in one of Hyder's dungeons, with no companion but Johnson's Dictionary, of which, I should think, by the time his confinement was over, he must have been as much tired as the learned lexicographer himself, who pettishly compared his labours to those of a " fool, a drudge, or an ass." Some, who are too indolent for sporting, and too idle to read, will saunter forth with their pellet-bow, and make war upon that poor innocent reptile, the blood- sucker, an animal of the lizard species, somewhat like the camelion in shape, but of most disgusting appear, ance, having a frightful looking head with red pendent gills. These poor animals, instead of running off' when assailed, will stand bobbing their heads up and down, as if they thought to frighten their enemies away. Indeed, the first time I saw one, it eflTectually succeeded with me. The pellet-bow used on these occasions is constructed like a common bow, except that it has two strings, kept a short distance apart by a piece of stick, and connected in the centre by a piece of tape. In this tape the ball, generally composed of dried clay and oil, is deposited, and, being seized between the finger and thumb, is drawn back and fired just like an arrow. With the young practitioner there is the danger of hitting the thumb of 144 TWELVE YEARS' the hand which holds the bow ; and many a hard blow is sustained in this way, till practice has made perfect. Some persons are so expert in the use of this missile, that they will easily hit a crow flying at a moderate dis- tance ; and with such force is the pellet projected, that I knew a challenge given to encounter any person with a gun, provided the gunner was not to begin to load before the signal for combat ; and I have no doubt the bowman would have gained the day. I had once thouglitsof en. gaging in the glass-trade, and then making the tour of England to instruct schoolboys in the use of this inge- nious contrivance for breaking windows, and extinguish- ing lights, natural and artificial. In returning to the Presidency, I passed over nearly the same ground that I did in advancing with the army, except that I made a slight deviation from the direct road to visit an acquaintance at Nundydroog. This is a strong hill. tort, about thirty miles north of Bangalore. It was besieged and taken by a detachment from Lord Cornwallis' army in the first war with Tippoo. The cli- mate is here considered to be cooler than in any part of the peninsula; andonthetop ofthe mountain, which is very lofty, all the vegetables or fruits of Europe can be grown with facility. Here I just came in for the tail of the north-east monsoon, and was detained for some days by the hardest rain I ever remember, and through which I had a narrow escape of my life. I was lodged in a house which, having formerly belonged to a native, was, as is usual in the Mysore country, composed of mud walls, and a terraced roof of the same material. In the middle of the night, one of the walls supporting the raft- ers of the room in which 1 was asleep suddenly gave way, and the roof following it of course, I was complete- ly enveloped in the ruins. Fortunately for me, however, I was sleeping against the opposite wall, which, having remained firm, supported the timbers on that side, so that I was saved from being crushed to death. My alarm, on being awakened by the crash, may be conceived ; nor did it end here ; for, though my cries attracted the do- mestics, it was not till daylight that they could extricate MILITARY ADVENTURE. 145 me from my unpleasant situation : so that I remained some hours in dread that the rain, which continued to fell in torrents, and which now found its way to my bed, or the bungling attempts of my servants to effect a pas- sage for me, wt)uld cause the only prop that sheltered me from destruction to give way. Anticipating some- thing of the kind, I crept under the bedstead, where I remained on my hands and knees, in a puddle of water,, trembling and shivering, till morning. A few miles from Nundydroog I fell in with a comical old fellow in the shape of a conductor of ordnance (gun. doctor, as Blacky would call him,) who, in the few hours t spent in his company, afforded me a good deal of amusement. After my tents had been pitched, and I had breakfasted, I perceived him passing by on his jaded tattoo, attended by his black boy, who acted in the ca. pacities of cook, valet, and bullock-driver, and I sent to request him to stop and refresh himself: he willingly complied. In England the first words that are exchan- ged on meeting, after the usual salutations, have gene, rally reference to the weather ; and very properly so, for in such a climate what subject can furnish more va- riety, or be more interesting to all ! But, in India, ex- cept by giving vent to an occasional ejaculation, such as that with which the midshipman, in the warmth of his body, indulged his titled partner during a dance in the Madras dog-days, " Bloody hot, my lady !" suiting, at the same time, the action to the Avord, by passing the salt-water calico across his dewy forehead, no one but a new comer ever thinks of introducing a subject which, nine times out of ten, must lead to the reiterated remark of" fine sun-shiny mornmg !" But, in lieu of this con- fessedly dry topic, you generally ask a person on entering your house or tent, to take something to drink ; and, it must be acknowledged, that among the English in India a great deal more liquor is consumed in this way than is either beneficial to the stomach of the consumer or the pocket of the donor. This customary invitation having been accepted, a servant brought some wine and watei*, gnd my guest filled his tumbler half full of liquor. Con- 13 146 TWELVE YEARS* ceiving, from the cut of his jib and the colour of his bow- sprit, which was somewhat nibicund, tliat he was any thing but a walcr-drinker, I observed to Inia. (though the portion was considerably more than I should have taken myself,) that he took his wine and water rather weak. " By the powers, sir," said he, " I thought it had been brandy." He took a little more at my suggestion, but cast a look at llie water as if he thought the beverage already contained a fair quantity of the aqueous Huid. Before lie retired I persuaded him to take his dinner with me. Seeing some books on tlie table, he begged to bor- row one, to amuse himself till evening, more I believe, to show me his capability of reading it, than to gratify his inclination in doing so. I asked him how he liked poe- try. " Potry, sir ? No gref\iy?.s'< at potry." " Then you prefer prose ?" " As to that, I never heard of the book ; but if so be as it's any thing like Roderick Random, orthe Pilgrim's Progress, I'll just thank you for the loan of it." [ was not a little amused with the association, and ac- commodated him with the former, as the latter, I presume from want of taste, on my part, was not comprised in my travelling library. He retvu-ned at six, and entertained me over his grog with anecdotes ot the earlier campaigns cf the British in India, in whicli he had served as a private of ai'tillery. He was taken prisoner in Baily's defeat, and, by contri- ving to pass for an officer, escaped the fate of the unfor- tunate soldiers, whom that tyrant Hyder caused to be precipitated from the Mysore Tarpeian, the rock of Se- verndroog, as not worth ransom. The otliccrs were re- tained as a kind of hostages, ready to be sacrificed or li- berated as policy might dictate. My guest was con. fined with many others, among whom, I believe, was Sir David Baird, ("or many years in a dungeon in Seringapa- tam. This hole was so infested by rats and bandicoots, (a frightful animal pecuhar to the East Indies, in appear- ance between a rut and a pig, but of the former genus,) that their lives were nuide still more miserable by these vermin, which would demolish their scanty provision, even before their faces ; till, having devised an ingenious kind MILITARY ADVENTURE. 147 of trap for catching them, the captives were somewhat relieved from their intrusions. They would place a bait on the ground, and tiien lie down on their sides, with the elbow extended, and the arm brought up to support the head, in such a manner that, when the arm was lowered and stretched out, the hand would just reach the bait. In this way, having feigned sleep, they would watch the ap- proach of their foe, and while he was nibbling at the bait, they would, by a sudden jerk of the arm, to which the elbow-joint formed a kind of spring, descend upon him with the whole weight of their knuckles, with such force and celerity that he could seldom escape. In the Company's service a number of old soldiers are provided for by situations in the Ordnance, as every station or fort, however small, must have some one to take care of the stores. Most of these are married to lialf-cast women, and, being generally men who have stood the climate well, and whose stomachs have borne the fiery ordeal of the arrack-shop uninjured, they often live happily enough to a good old age. An European who conducts himself decently is sure to prosper in the Company's service, especially if he has had any education whatever ; for the majority that enlist (or rather^ that used to enlist) in their ser- %'ice, were such rascals, or such drunkards, as to be un- worthy of trust. A man of fallen .fortunes therefore, provided his constitution be good, cannot do better than enter this service even as a private, upon the principle of the Scotch Milhiaman, who, when asked why he pre- ferred volunteering into an English regiment, instead of one of his owrr national ones, replied, " They can aw read and write there." Many individuals have thus risen to high rank, and proved ornaments to their pro- fession, while some, whom fortune has ecjually favoured, it must be confessed, always bear the stamp of (heir low origin. One of the latter in particular I recollect, who, without boasting the noble parentage of Marshal Saxe, bore a strong resemblance to (hat ilistinguished captain in his literary attainments. From a private he had at- tained the highest rank in the service, and was esteemed 148 TWELVE YEARS' a good officer; but, unfortunately, his exalted statfon only served to make the deficiency of his education the more conspicuous. From among the many storie? told against him, I will select one as a specimen. Hav- ing had occasion to bring an officer to a court martial, for insubordinate conduct, one of the charges which he preferred was, " for Hying in my face," — a foul charge, it must be owned. Having experienced no other adventure worth relating on my journey, I shall e'en save the courteous reader the trouble of following me over some hundred miles of road, by at once landing myself safe at Madras ; and thus prevent the uncourtcous, who may not think himself bound to keep company with the author, unless when it pleases him, from wounding my auctorial amour propre. by skipping over my pages. CHAPTER XVI. riie Author aiTives at the Presidency. — Appearance of Madras at- ter tlie Monsoon. — Races. — The Author appointed to a fituatioji at the Presidency. — Ilabils of the European Inhabitants. — State of Rel';jion in Inarlicularly interesting in the spot, either technically or historically, it must be equally tedious to have to read such a description : I shall, therefore, I trust, be readily excused for giving no further account of IMadras than this ; that it consists of a very strong fort, built on the best principles of the art, a large and populous black town, inhabited by people of almost all shades, castes, and nations, with country-houses and gardens extending to the distance of many miles, occu- pied by the English ; and that it is, on the whole, a rich, populous, and very pretty place, particularly for a month after the monsoon ; in fact, worthy of being the capital of a large portion of the British dominions in India. After remaining about a year at the Presidency, 1 was ordered to what was called the centre division of / MILITARY ADVENTURE}. 153 the army, that I might superintend various works to be •carried on at three places within a short distance of each other, namely, Vellore, Arcot, and Chittoor. The first is a well-known fortress, rendered famous in recent times by the mutiny of the sepoys in 1806. The second is a large cavalry cantonment, near a town noted in the earlier times of the British in India. The last was a ruined fort, in the centre of some Polygar chiefs, and which it was intended to repair for the protection of one of the courts of justice to be established there. Here I was, in a great measure my own master. I had just ■sufficient occupation to prevent time from hanging heavily on my hands ; and, by passing from one of these stations to the other, I could change both scene and society at pleasure. At Arcot I had the satisfaction of enjoying the company of my old friends of the 19th dragoons, who were so kind as to give me a general in- vitation to their mess, (it being contrary to their rules to admit honorary members,) a privilege of which I gladly availed myself; for, besides the general respect which I entertained for that gallant regiment, there were some individuals in it with whom I was on terms of the closest intimacy. In this situation I may say I passed a happy life. The profits of my employment, although not such as to enable me to lay by money, were sufficient to make my circumstances easy. My conriiitution had as yet suffer- ed little from the climate ; and as my habits were tem- perate, I enjoyed good health, with only an occasional attack of the yellow monster, caused by the almost con- stant exposure to the sun, to which the duties of my profession and a fondness for field-sports subjected me. A few grains of calomel, however, laid on the scent, followed up by that expert whipper-in from Epsom, soon compelled the enemy to break cover. I had not been on this station above a few months, when the famous mutiny at Vellore broke out ; the cir- cumstances of which, I may say, in the words of the pious ^neas, (thanks to Dr. Gabell's apple twigs, and to rather sensitive, if not very shrewd parts, I am ena- / ^4 TWELVE years' •bled to quote them,) " Quaque ipse miserrima vidi," il falls within the scope of my memoirs to relate. Most providentially, I may add, it is in my power to relate them ; for nothing but accident prevented me tVoni being one of the sufferers on that melancholy occasion. Vellore was my head-quariers at tiiat period, and it was only a sudden call to inspect some of my works at Arcot that took me off a daj' or two before the catas- trophe. It will be necessary, before I proceed, to give a de- 'JB^ scription of the theatre on which this dreadful tragedy was acted. Vellore is a fortress of considerable anti- quity, situated about ninety miles from Madras, remark- able for the solidity of irs walls and the capacity of its ditch, which is renowned for the number and size of the alligators it contains. Though, of course, not built , on the European principles of fortification, it is never- theless considered a place of strength ; and, in conse- quence of the security afforded by the ditch and its voracious inb.abitants, it was deemed, after the capture of Seringapatam, a fit place for the confinement of the sons of Tippoo Sultan, wiio, with their families, were here maintained in a suitable manner, having had a handsome palace built for them, and every thing con- sistent with the security of their persons provided for their comfort. At the time ol" which I am treating, the garrison consisted of four companies of his Majesty's C9th regiment, two battalions of sepoys, and a few in- valid artillerymen. The mutiny, which, f lieiie\e, was only the root of a deep-laid plot, having ramifications more extensive than it was deemed prudent to acknowledge, w'as planned tc have broken out some days later than it actually did, in which case it would, in all probability have been accompanied by simultaneous movements in other sta- tions of the army. But (he appreliensious of discovery, from a circumstance which I shall hereafter mention, joined to the favourable oppornmity which presented itself, urged its premaUire explosion. This opportunity was afforded by the appointment of a field-day for one MILITARY ADVENTURE. 155 of the native battalions early on the morning of the 10th July, 1806 ; it being usual on these occasions for the sepoys, instead of remaining in their huts outside the walls, to sleep in their barracks or place of arms, in the fort, the night preceding, in order that they might bo read)' to get under arms without delay in the morning. This battalion was the 1st of the 23d regiment ; the other in garrison was the 1st of the 1st regiment — the ^rst and last numbers of the Madras army. It being the turn of the latter regiment to furnish the^ijf>rds, a large majority of the .sepoys composing the garn.. , were thus necessarily within the walls on the night in question. The immediate object of the mutineers was the massacre of all the Europeans in the garrison, and the keeping possession of the fort in thenameof Tippoo's descendants. What were the ulterior objects has been left, in a great measure, to conjecture ; for whatever information the government may have obtained on this point has been wisely kept secret. I believe that the plot was entirely a Mussulman plot ; and that, whatever might have been the discontent of the Hindoo sepoys, (afterwards to be worked upon,) they were not, upon this occasion, let into the secret, although intended to be employed as tools in the comsummaiion of the deed. The scheme was principally hatched in the 1st regiment, which was chiefly composed of Mussulmans ; and, when it was re- solved not to lose the opportunity already mentioned, the rftitive adjutant, who was one of the chief conspira- tors, contrived to put as many of his own faith on guard as he could ; while such of the accomplices as could not i)e introduced by these means, found some pretence for sleeping in the barracks on that night, without exciting suspicion. Nothing could be better planned than was the whole business, and nothing could have commenced with better success. About four o'clock, the battalion of the 23d regiment having fallen in on their parade by order of their native officers, as if preparatory to the drill, and ball-cartridge having been served out to them, as if for practice at the target, a body of the sworn muti- neers belonging to the 1st regiment, who had been told loQ TWELVE YEARS' off for that purpose, marched silently cTovrn to the maiU' guard, which was conipoaed partly of Europeans, the massacre of whom was to be the signal for the general movement. As soon as this party had approached suffi- ciently near to give assistance if necessary, the sepovs of the main-guard, who had previously loaded their pieces privately, presented them at the breast of their sleeping or unheeding comrades, and soon dispatched them. At the report of the firing some of the principal mutineers came running to the sepoy barracks, calling out that the European soldiers had risen and were mur- dering all the natives they could lay their hands on ; and that it was necessary that they should immediately march to the European barracks to put a stop to the business. Upon this the battalion on parade, the greater part of whom were Hindoos and ignorant of the plot, allowed themselves to be marched off, and drawn up round the G9ih barracks, into the windows of which they poured a volley over the heads of the scarcely awaked soldiers, on whom they continued to keep up an inces- sant fire. Meanwhile parties of the 1st regiment, among whom were the principal conspirators, proceeded to secure all the posts of importance, and a select band commenced the bloody work of massacring the Euro- pean officers, in which, unfortunately, they were but too successful. Having obtained possession of the powder- magazine and arsenal, the mulmeers were enabled to supply the sepoys, engaged in firing into the Eurof)eaa barracks, with ammunuion ; and, having also found two lield-pieces ready mounted, they brought them down into an unoccupied barrack immediately fronting that of the 69th, and thence opened a fire on the latter building. [n the mean time the Europeans, taken by surprise in this extraordinary manner, while naked and unarmed, and having no olficers with them, became quite paraly- zed, and lay crouching under their beds, or behind pillars, to screen themselves from the fire, without making any effort for their defence, except in the in- stance of a Serjeant or two, who, rallying a few of the stoutest hearts, kept possession of the gate, from which MILITARY ADVENTURE. IST rhey made some successful sallies. It is quite surprising that the mutineers did not at this time, make some seri- ©us attempts to force the gate. Had they done so the surviving Europeans must have fallen an easy prey. The fact, I believe, is that they were afraid. The same feeling which has gained, and still maintains, our em- pire in the East, was probably the means of saving it on this occasion. As it was, the leaders proceeded to take fheir measures as if they considered themselves in com- plete possession of the fort. They sent and brought forth Futteh Hyder, the second son of Tippoo, (who was ♦ he only one of the princes supposed to be at all impli- cated in the plot,) and proclaimed him in the Palace- square as Sultaun, and then hoisted, on the flag-staff of the fort, the standard of Tippoo which they had pre- pared for that purpose. Fortunately, however, the work of destruction had not been so complete as they wished ; and there were still left some European officers, who had contrived to elude the search of the murderers. A few of these had managed to assemble in a house near a corner of the European barracks, where they lay concealed till the fire slackened, the sepoys having probably begun to disperse for plunder. Watching their opportunity, when there were but few of the mutineers at that point, they made ' a rush for the barracks ; and having with the assistance of the soldiers inside, broken out one of the windowr frames, they entered. Here they found the men in the situation I have already described ; but, having succeed- ed with some difficulty in rallying them, and inspiring them with courage, they broke out two or three win- dows, and sallying forth, in number about 150, gained the ramparts, which were close by. Here, being joined by three officers of the 69th regiment, who occupied a liouse near the spot, and among whom was Captain Bar- row, who assumed the command, they foyght their way round to a cavalier at one angle of the fort, of which, having driven out the sepoys, they took possession. In this attack Captain Barrow was badly wounded and disa- bled, licaving a party in charge of the cavalier, thev 14 158 TWELVE years' contin\icd to drive the mutineers before them, along the rampart, till they reached the gate-way, behind wliich were some houses, where, having efFected a lodgment, their post was tolerably secure. Here, I grieve to state the fact, some of the officers, one of whom had displayed great energy and courage in rallying the men in the barracks, as well as m the subsequent proceedings, linding a rope which had been used to admit some ol the mutineers from without, sus- pended to the wall, thought Ht to witluiraw with some of (ho soldiers to the hill-ibrt, which was at the opposite end of the pettah or town. Happily, however, they could not persuade many of the men to accompany them. iS'early a hundred of the G9th, who, alter leav- ing the barracks, had behaved witli great spirit, j reter- red remaining with two assistant-surgeons. These two gallant young men, Jones and Dean, whose names de> serve a less perishable record than mine, leaving a par- ty to keep possession of the gate-way, boldly pushed forward along the ramparts with about sixty men, and after some hard fighimg, gained the flag-stall", from which they pulled down the rebellious standard. It was found to be nailed to the top of the staff", but a soldier of the 69lh gallantly mo concealed by a large bolster under his bed, while the murderers search, ed the room and the bed-clothes, for him. Conceive Avhat his feeling must have been at the time, when he heard their lect within a yard of his head ! One, and only one, instance of fidelity and humanity occurred, m the case of the wife of the garrison-sur- geon. On the breaking out of the business, a sepoy, whose wife had been nurse to one of Mrs. Pritchard's children, made his way into the house. Having direct- ed the husband to a place of concealment on the roof, he covered Mrs. Prhchard with his cloak, carried her 6ft' to his barracks, and, having concealed her under some old clothes, kept watch over her till the entrance of the dragoons compelled him to fly for his hfe. What be. came of this good faithful creature was never known. Most probably he fell among the others. Indeed, it is much to be feared that many innocent suffered on this occasion. Being too few to resist the general impulse, they felt themselves urged on by the crowd, if not ac tively to join, at least to seem to participate, in deeds which their loyalty disapproved, and at which their hearts revolted. The number of sepoys slain was very great. Up- wards of 800 bodies were carried out of the fort, besides those who w;ere killed after they escaped through the sally-port. During the pursuit of the sepoys, I was passing by the grand magazine of the fort, when I observed the door to be open ; fearing that some accident might hap- pen if it remained in that state, (for there were already some buildings on fire at no great distajice,) I dismounted for the purpose of securing the entrance by some means or other. What was my surprise to see issuing from it a party of dismounted dragoons, headed by an officer, with iron scabbards to their swords, and nails in Their boots, rattling and trampling over heaps of loo&e MILITARY ADVENTURE. 163 powder, with pistols cocked in their hands, ready to be discharged at any of the mutineers they might have found concealed therein ! A single spark would have blown us all to , I cannot say heaven, for I believe few of us were just then tit to enter tliat state of bliss. But, for the sake of the mi) ions of our profession who have preceded us in the path of glory or of honour, we may be allowed to hope that fate would not have con- signed us to the eternal torments of that region which a respect for tender ears will not permit me to name. The preservation of the fort of Vellore, and the de- feat of a plot, the consequences of which might have been fatal to our Indian empire, are mainly to be attribu- ted to the decision, promptitude, and gallantry of Colo- nel Gillespie, whose services were duly appreciated by his country, and by the East India Company, who voted him a handsome present. Next to him, I think those two assistant surgeons, whom I have already mentioned; however humble their stations, deserve the largest share of praise ; for, had it not been for them, the fort would have been abandoned to the mutineers long before Colo- nel Gillespie came up. As it was, they did not receive the credit due to them for their services ; which omission was chiefly owing to their having been engaged in that gallant attack which they made on the sepoys at thf. flag-staff, when Colonel Gillespie W'as hoisted up on the rampart, by which means they escaped his observation, at what appeared to hiiji the most rritiral mon^ent. 164 TWELVE YEARS' CHAPTER XVII. Conflicting opinions respecting the cause of the Mutiny. — Religious prejudice? of the Hintloos. — Remarks on Mis.-ionaries. — Extcu- tion of Conspirators. — Rclnarka^ k- occurrence on Ihut occasion. Further Aaecdoto' couner-t'id vvilh the Mutniy. — The Mysore Pfinceseeut to Calcuttti. — Extra(.T(.liniiry sensation produced in India by ilie Mutiny. — Death ofiiu Officer by falling down a well. Various were the opinions regarding the origin and cause of this celebrated nivitiny. Some attribute it to 1he general di.satf'ection of the sepoys, from a notion supposed to pervade their minds, that it was our inten- tion to make Christians of them. No doubt there had been, for some time past, a disposition evinced at the head-quarters of the armv, to make impolitic and unne- cessary encroachmenfs on their prejudices in regard to dress, «&tc. particularly in the proposed alteration of their turban, so as to assimilate it more to the cap of the Europeans, as well as in the prohibition to wear nuirks of casts on their forcbcads ; and there might also have been something to excite their suspicion in recent orders issued by the government respecting missionaries, religious tracts, &c. all which circum- stances were doubtless laid hold of by the enemies of the British Government, and magnified into a manifest disposition forcibly to convert the natives to Christianity. These measures aflbrded matter for mutual recrimi- nation between the Governor and Commander-in-chief, and were the cause that the Adjutant-General, Cotonel Agnew, was ordered home to answer for his share iq the business. But I firmly believe, after all, that the plot was entirely contined to the Mussulmans of the army, in fact, the Mahommedans are our natural enemies : fcif MILITARY ADVENTURE. 165 it is we chiefly that have supplanted them in the empire of India, and I am convinced that, at any time,' thej- would be willing and ready, one and all, to take their share in expelling us from the East. Had the Vellore business succeeded, I have no doubt there would have been a general rising of the Mussulmans throughout India. All they wanted was a good beginning. For some time previously to the breaking out of the mutiny an unusual number of fakirs, or religious beggars of the Mahommedan persuasion, had been observed travel- ling about the country, without exciting any suspicion. Doubtless many of these were emissaries, for the purpose of stirring up the natives to rebel against the British go- vernment. Indeed, some persons went so far as to be- lieve that some of them were agents of Buonaparte. That there was some degree of discontent among thf^ Hindoo sepoys may reasonably be supposed from what I have already mentioned. In fact, to show the means that were taken to work upon their minds, it Avill only be necessary to mention, that many of them were per- suaded into the belief that a new turn-screw, issued to the army about that time, which happened to be in the form of a cross, and which was to be worn suspended next the heart, was given them as a symbol of Chris- tianity. Still, at the trials which took place subsequent- ly to the mutiny, it did not appear that one of the Hin- doos was implicated in the plot, whatever part they might afterwards have taken, when it broke out. This discontent, however, which was generally allow- ed to have pervaded the Hindoo sepoys, though it might not have been productive of any immediate overt act prejudicial to our government, ought to be a warning to us how we interfere in the slightest degree with their re- ligious prejudices. Surely, while we keep the substan- tials of power to ourselves, we may afibrd to allow them to nibble a little at the parings. In fact, it is through these prejudices alone that we govern the Hindoos. The power which they possess of having their own way in matters which are of no importance to us, satisfies and occupies their minds, and thus they submit to be ruled in 166 TWELVE years' every thinfi else. It is both l;uida])le and proper that we should endeavour to extend tlie failh of C'hrist ; but in so doing we are not to endanger the power which alone supplies us with the means of effecting it. The system of sending missionaries to India, i.'i the state in whicii things were when I was in that country, would have been, in my opinion, not only labour lost, but, in truth, retarding tlie accomplishment of tlie object in view. In a country where there is little or no religion, missiona^ ries may be sent with safety and advantage. There they have a plain surface to work u})on, with no obstruction but the ignorance or bari)arism of the people ; but, where a form of religion already exists, and that religion has a hold on the minds of the people, it cannot be sup- posed that persons coming for the avowed purpose of supj)lanting that rehgion will be favourably received. On the contrary, the interests of many, and the preju- dices of all, will be roused to resist the encroachment. The only way, then, to convert such a people from their superstition is, to begin by educating them, or rather by causing them to educate themselves, so that they may be able to partake of the general civilization of the world. Only enlighten their minds, and they will throw aside their superstitions as a matter of course, and be ready to embrace the religion professed by the most polished portion of mankind. Then is the time to send in your missionaries; but, until this improvement is in progress, they are much belter out of the way. In short, till you have pulled down one edifice, you cannot pretend to build up another in the place of it. There is no doubt that, after we have made Christians of the people, we shall not long retain dominion in the East. But this is no argument why, as feliow.crratures, we should forbear to enlighten their understandings, or why, as Christians, we should withhold from them the blessings of the Gos- pel. The college in Calcutta is an excellent institution, but religion should not be allowed to be mixed up in it. Similar institutions, under professors of Hindoo and Ma- hommedan creeds, previously prepared for that purpose, should be established throughout India. But tliis would MILITARY ADVENTURE. 16T not suit the views of the Directors of the East India Company. Most of them know well what the conse- quences would be. As the strength of the sepoy battalions in garrison at Vellore at the time of the mutiny amounted to about 1,600 men, not more than 900 of whom were killed, a considerable number must have escaped at the time. The greater part of these, however, were afterwards ap- prehended in different parts of the Peninsula, chiefly through the means of the police, which, when the plot had failed, zealously exerted itself ui discovering the offenders. It is a question how far it would have gone, had the business turned out differently. As Burke justly observed, " our empire in India is one of opinion, not one of affection." Let the tide once set against us, and we shall soon be swept i'rom these regions. Those of the prisoners taken in this way, who could be identi- fied as having been at all active in the mutiny, were for- warded to Vellore, and there tried, as usual, by a court- martial composed of native officers. The greater part, after undergoing a useless confinement of some months, with the dread of death hanging over them, were libera- ted. Nineteen of the principal conspirators, or the most active agents in the catastrophe, were executed at Vellore, in various ways ; some by hanging, some by being shot, and others by beijig blown away from guns. It is a curious fact, and well attested by many persons present, that a number of kites (a bird of prey very common in India) actually accompanied the melancholy party in their progress to the place of execution, as if they knew what was going on, and then kept hovering over the guns from wliich the culprits were to be blown away, flapping their wings, and shrieking, as if in anti- cipation of their bloody feast, till the fatal flash, which scattered the fragments of bodies in the air ; when, pouncing on their prey, they positively caught in their talons many pieces of the quivering flesh before they could reach the ground ! At sight of this the native troops employed on this duty, together vnih the crowfl IG8 TWELVE years' which had assembled to witness the execution, set Op a yell of horror. Another circumstance, almost as extraordinary as the above, occurred in tlie case of a sepoy, who, sixteen days after the mutiny, was discovered in the inner part ef the arsenal, where he had concealed himself on the entrance of the dragoons, and where he hud remained during the whole of the time without tasting a morsel of food. Of course he was in the lowest state of exhaus- tion, and scarcely able to crawl ; nevertheless he re- covered. A short time before the breaking out of the plot, a Mahommedan sepoy of the 1st regiment gave informa- tion of the conspiracy to his commanding officer," Colo- nel Forbes, who, treating the business lightly, ordered a Court of Inquiry^ composed of native officers, to sit upon it. These, consisting chiefly of persons who were themselves conspirators, gave it as their opinion that the informer was insane ; and he was put in close confine- ment accordingly. The fear of similar informations being given was generally understood to be the cause that the mutiny broke out sooner than was at first intend, ed. The man was, of course, handsomely provided for by Government. In the course of this business a singular instance of courage, sense of duty, and determination, was evinced by a soldier of the 09th, who stood sentry over the maga- zine. In the midst of the work of slaughter, an officer, who was running for his life, passed him at his post, and, seeing him walking up and down with the utmost com- posure, hastily asked if he knew that (he sepoys were murdering all the Europeans. "I thought as much," he rephed. "Why don't you fly for your life then?" exclaimed the officer. " I was posted here," he said., " and it is my duty to remain. I've six rounds in my pouch, and I'll sell my life dearly." The noble fellow was afterwards found dead on his post. The investiga- tions which took place after the mutiny by order of the fiovernment, were not made public ; but, from what I MILITARY ADVENTURE. 169 <;ould learn, not more than one of the sons of Tippoo, namely Futteh Hyder, was at all implicated in the plot. As sooii, however, as it could be done with convenience, they were removed to Calcutta, where they have since remained. This was a politic measure in more respects than one ; for it not only removed them out of the reach of former friends and adherents of their family, but it appeared to throw the odium of the conspiracy upon them, instead of permitting it to rest on the native army, whose loyalty and attachment it would not have been pru- dent to question. This dreadful mutiny produced, as might be supposed, an extraordinary sensation throughout our Indian pos. sessions. No one knew how deeply rooted or extensive might have been the plot. The Europeans seemed to stand as it were on a volcano, one eruption of which had already been experienced, and which might be suc- ceeded by others, they knew not how soon. Indeed, it was a considerable time before this feeling altogether subsided. Not long after the mutiny I was witness of a shocking accident which lia^^ened to an officer who had escaped the massacx'e, only to lose his life, if not in so horrid, at least in a much more painful way. A fire had broken out in a village a mile or two from the fort, and the troops having been ordered out to assist in extinguishing it, I rode on, accompanied by this officer, to ascertain how the services of the soldiers could be best applied. When we had arrived within a short distance oi" the village, sve quitted the road, and struck across the fields. Riding at a gallop by the light of the conflagration, my com- panion suddenly disappeared from my side. I thought it extraordinary ; but attributed my having lost sight of him to some optical impediment caused by the glare of the fire : so I pursued my way. After the fire was got under, I was returning homeward nearly over the same ground that I had passed in coming, when I heard some- thing like a groan at a short distance. I listened : the noise was repeated, and seemed to issue from the bowels of the earth. I rode towards the spot whence it seem- 15 170 TWELVE years' ed to proceed, and saw before me something like a low wall. I dismounted, and I'uund that it was the parapet of a large well, from the bottom of which issued groans, like those of a man in distress, I immediately bethought me that it must be my missing comrade, who had fallen in at the moment I lost sight of him. I rode olf instant- ly to the nearest house, and procured a lantern and per- sons to assist'me. On lowering the lantern into the well, we saw my poor friend lying at the bottom, with his horse over him. With great difficulty we succeeded in getting him from under the horse, whose struggles ren- dered it a service of danger, and hoisted him up in a chair. When laid on the ground he repeatedly com- plained that he had a stone under his back. We look- ed, but no stone was there. The poor fellow's spine was broken. We had him taken home in a palanquin, but he only lingered in agony till next day, and then died. The horse had two legs broken, and was of course shot. How it happened that they were not both dashed to pieces, I cannot imagine, for the well was about forty feet deep, and lined with stone. There were marks in the parapet of the vteW, which showed that the horse Kad attempted to leap it. CHAPTER XVIII. The Author is appointed to a situation at Bangalore. — Builds « new Cantonment. — Pleasant life led there. — Gambling in hidia. Melancholy instance of its elTects. — Jack Dillon. — System of Se» poy Regiments. — Various Anecdotes. I REMAINED on this Station for some months longer • when, in consideration of my services at Vellore, on which the Government and Commander-in-chief were pleased to set a higher value than they strictly merited. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 171 I was ordered up to Bangalore to fix on the site, and prepare plans, for a new cantonment about to be estab- lished there on a large scale. As, however, my works below the Ghauts were yet in an unfinished state, I was allowed for the present to retain the superintendence of them ; so that I had altogether enough upon ray hands. My plans having been approved, I set to work with all possible despatch, and in less than a year had completed barracks for two regiments of Europeans, five regi- ments of natives, and a proportion of artillery, besides hospitals and other requisites. At Bangalore I con- tinued for about three years, making such additions to the buildings, that, before I left, it had grown into the first military station on the Madras estab- lishment ; while its climate, situation, and productions, contributed, wit'i its extensive society, to render it by far the pleasantest and most agreeable residence in the pe- ninsula. Since I left the country, it has increased both in size and beauty, and mav now be considered one of the largest and finest cantonments in India. The reader will excuse me for indulging in a little garrulity on the subject of this my architectural offspring. I consider myself, in fact, a little Romulus. The country round Bangalore being favourable for military evolutions, it has been made the school for military tactics on a large scale, while, at the same time, it has become the focus of pleasure. Besides the general amusemenfs of crick- et, and other similar pastimes, which the mildness of the climate for the greater part of the year enables the offi- cers and soldiers to enjoy in perfection, meetings are held annually, at which liie besi horses in India contest the prizes, and where the gay fair, if not already provided with partners for life at the Presidency, may be able to dance themselves into the good graces of the less fasti- dious beaux of the up-counlry. Those delightful things, pic-nics, were also common here. They were generally held a few miles from the cantonment, in some pleasant situation favourable for sporting. I lament, however, to state that gaming, that bane of society, would often in- trude itself into these parties, to poison a pleasant and innocent recreation. I abhor gaming : all pleasure, all 172 TWELVE YEARS' happiness, fly before it. He that can thoroughly onjo> it cannot have a sound hean, and he that makes a profif and a trade of it must have a thoroughly bad one. A worthy friend of mine used to express his dislike to high play, by saying, " I cannot possibly like to lose my own money, and I feel no pleasure in winning that of ano- ther." I must, however, say of those who are addicted to gambling in India, that every thing connected with it is there conducted on the fairest and most gentlemanly principles of which the vice is capable. I never saw- any thing like importunity to play where disinclination was decidedly expressed, or any attempt to allure inex- perienced youth. A remarkable instance to the contraiy occurred just before I left India ; which, without men- tioning the names of the parties, though creditable to both, I shall take the liberty of introducing here. A person high in authority m the Island of Ceylon, whose example and practice in this respect, were quite at variance with his general conduct, lost on one occa» sion at play, in his own house, a large sum of money, amounting, I believe, to some thousands of pounds, to a . young officer. The next morning he sent for the win- ner, and addressed him in these words : " Young man, I lost a considerable sum to you last night. I perceive that you are inexperienced in play, and this success may be your ruin. I will not pay you, therefore, unless you give me your word of honour that you will never play again for more than a certain sum." The conditions were complied with, and the young man received a draft for his money. A melancholy instance of the effects of gaming oc- curred while 1 was at Bangalore. Two officers played together. The one was a man hitherto respected and esteemed, the other of rather equivocal character. On meeting the following morning to arrange the balance, the latter brought in the former his debtor to a very large amount : the former denied that he owed him a farthing. The demand was persisted in, with the offer to bring witnesses to the fact ; but this only produced a reiteration of the denial, accompanied by gross personal MILITARY ADVENTURE. 173 abuse, repeated in such a. manner as to provoke the soi- disant creditor, who /would, gladly have avoided a per- sonal encounter, to send a challenge. They met ; and, what was strange in a person who had hitherto supported the character of a gentleman, when on the ground the party called out, but who was in this case virtually the challenger, loaded his reluctant antagonist with every abusive epithet calculated to rouse the feelings of man. In short, he seemed desirous of goading on his adver- sary to such a pitch that one or the other of them must fall. In this etibrt he succeeded. They fired six rounds, and at length he fell dead on the spot. Notwith- standing every prejudice that existed against the survi- vor. It was generally believed that in this instance he was in the right ; and so thought the court by which he was acquitted. Admitting this opinion to be just, what stronger proof of the dreadful etlect of gaming can be adduced ! Here was a man of unsullied character dri- ven, in a fit of desperation, to commit a dishonest ac- tion, and then to seal it with his blood, while he aimed at the life of another. Honour or life is not an uncom- mon sacrifice to this hellish vice ; witness the number of black-legs, and their victims, the suicides. But to lose both together is, it must be confessed, even in the annals of gammg, an unusual catastrophe. 1 always look back at the time I spent at Bangalore with pleasure. I built myself a handsome house ; I had plenty of horses and servants ; and I enjoyed most of the luxuries of the East, without degenerating into efie- minacy. It had been better for me if I had laid by something for a rainy day ; but I never had the knack of making the gold stick to my fingers. I mixed a good deal in society with the regiments in cantonments, par- ticularly the 59th regiment, commanded by a most gea- tlemanly, pleasant man. Colonel Gibbs, who was after- wards killed, as a Major-General. in the unfortunate ex- pedition of New-Orleans. In this corps there was an Irishman of the name of Dillon, who was the life of our society at Bangalore. Who that was ever in company with Jack Dillon could forget him ? Although but low iii 15* 174 TWELVE YEARS' the regiment, Jack was no chicken ; for he had seen something of tlie world, in which he had spent a tolera- ble fortune before he entered the army. Jack's was not the wit that delights some, is envied oi* feared by others, and comprehended by few ; but his was that rich native humour that suits all palates, from the pea. sant to the king, and is painful to none. He had a charming voice, and sung sweetly ; while a rich brogue enabled him to give hi.s national ditties, of which lie had no trilling stock, to perfection. I think I sec him now before me, with his tall Falstaft' figure, twisting that Proteus mouth of his into the falsetto of some fine- drawn melody, then expanding it into the arch-expres- .sion of some laughter-stirring, side-aching, burlesque, or giving scope to his full mellow tones in some joyou.s bacchanal.* Even now, I have some dozen odds and ends oi' songs of his, in my head ; and if ever I catch myself hum- ming a tune or warbling a lay, it is sure to be one of Jack Dillon's. He was the best humoured fellow in ex- istence, with no nonsensical pride about him ; but ever ready to give you his song or his joke in return for your claret. In short he was the soul of our festive board. Even in his low spirits, (for Jack was a little subject to the blue devils,) there was something irresistibly comi- cal. His dolefuls were any thing but contagious. There seemed to be, in such cases, a load of suppressed fun lurking in the sunken corners of his mouth, ready to burst forth at the first glimpse of sunshine, and which you always felt inclined to draw out by some attempt at fun of your own. A trick which Jack played us about this time I shall not easily forget. We were on a shoot- ing party in the country ; and having primed ourselves pretty well with sangaree at tiffin, it was proposed to play at "follow the leader." So up we got, Jack among the rest, whose portly corporation was cut out * Not in honour of Bctrhee, as a brother soldier of mine used to think, when, after a smoking-bout he said he had been sacrificing'^ to Bacchus. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 175 for any thing but such a game. The consequence was, that he got into many an awkward scrape, much to our amusement and his annoyance. Jack's turn to be leader came at last, after he was nearly fagged to death ; when, spying a dirty slimy horse-pond at a short dis- tance, he made straight for it, and plunged over head and ears into the filthy fluid. Honour compelled us to follow his example, and we came forth as black as coals. Luckily for us, either his compassion so far surpassed his love of fun, or he was so digusted with the nauseous elHuvia himself, that he led us without delay to a neigh- bouring tank, where we washed ofl' the effects of our foul immersion. I recollect seeing Jack lying wounded on the field of Cornells. " Oh Curnel, Curnel ?" said he to Colonel Gibbs, as the regim.ent passed on, " is this the way you go and lave a poor wounded soul lying on his back like a toortle !" Whether this exclamation was intended to excite our pity or our laughter, I can't say : but this I know, that it produced the latter. In vindica- tion of our humanity, however, I must add, that his wound was but a graze scratch on the head, and that he was more frightened than hurt. But here the scene must close. Poor Dillon, with many other fine fellows, not long aft:erwards fell a victhn to the climate of Bata- via. Many a breast will join with mine in heaving a sigh to the memory of poor Jack Dillon ! Upon the whole, the time I spent at Bangalore was the pleasantest part of my service in India. As there was a large force of native infantry stationed there, I had a good opportunity of observing the system pursued in that main branch of the service, on the fidelity of which depends the existence of our Eastern empire : and, I must say, I was not altogether satisfied with it. There was too evident a desire to copy the European regiments, in matters not really essential to the disci- pline of the native corps, but, at the same time, tending to produce discontent, and to diminish their attachment to the service. For instance, the frequent drills, pa- rades, and roll-calls, though absolutely necessary to preserve the Europeans, whose habits were any thing 176 TWELVE years' but temperate or quiescent, in any degree of order, were by no means so to the sober and domestic sepoy, who, fond of his ease, becomes disconteiu-ed when ha- rassed by unnecessary duty. I thought too, that the European officers carried themselves too high with the native officers, and did not encourage tl>eir visits, or seem to be so much pleased with their society as they ought to have been. The cavalry officers appeared to me to manage those matters better than those of the infantry. My building transactions with the natives gave mc some insight into their character, and into the mode of dealing with each other. Wherever money was in question, I found it to be a system of fraud and extortion, of bribery and corruption, from top to hot- torn ; and the only way to secure your owii interests at all, is to set these noxious elements in opposition to each other, that is, in fact, to set thief to catch thief. I used to be a good deal amused with the manner in which my head-man (who I suppose was as great a rogue as any of them) treated any person with' whom it was necessary that he should make a bargain for building materials, or the like. No matter how respectable the man might be in appearance, how valuable his time mighv be to him, or how far he might have come, he was sure to be kept waiting in the ante-room of the office for two or three days before his business was allowed to come on. Upon remonstrating with my functionary on the impropriety of keeping a respectable person dancing attendance so long, I received for answer, that it was necessary to lower him a peg or two ; or, in other words, to take the pride out of him, before he could be in a tit state to be treated with. Whether my man did this to show his consequence, or to extract a bribe from the contractor, or whether the reason assigned was the true one, I can- not pretend to say ; but I believe it was compounded of all three. It may amuse the reader to be informed that among my mathematical instruments, I had an inverting teles- cope, which I used sometimes to let my servants look through, that I might enjoy their surprise at seeing the MILITARY ADVENTURE. 171 world turned upside down, and, in particular, the aston- ishment they expressed, when they saw men and women walkmg on their heads, without their clothes falling down. It got about in the cantonment that the engineer Salieh had a telescope which could turn people upside down ; without the latter part of the phenomenon being generally known. So I used sometimes to amuse my- self by pointing my glass at the women as they passed my window ; upon which they would run as fast as they could, holding their clothes down with both their hands. Here, in the course of my professional duty, I wit- nessed an instance of natural eloquence which I cannot avoid repeating as the best sample of the figurative Ian- guage of the East that ever I heard. On one occasion the workmen engaged in my buildings struck for an ad- vance of wages. I proceeded to remonstrate with them, and, among other exhortations to bring them back to their duty, I asked whether I had not always regarded their interests as my own. " It is true," said one ad- vancing from the crowd, " master has always been a father to us ; yea, and more than a father ; for he has been to us as a mother also* But the child must cry before the mother diinks of offering it the breast." A melancholy accident happened in my department about this period, which distressed me a good deal. Owing to some tardiness on the part of the Paymaster at Arcot, I was not properly supplied with money for the work at that sv.iion. i sent therefore a considerable sum from Bangalore, under the charge of four peons belonging to my establishment. From some informa- tion obtained, these poor men were waylaid by a band of robbers and murdered. Besides the fear which I entertained of being made responsible for the money, I had to witness the distress, and to bear the reproaches, of the families of the sufferers, until I could find means to provide tor their support. In my application to the Government to be reamnerated tor the loss, I filled, at least, a sheet of foolscap with arguments in favour of my claim. After my native writer, or clerk, had copied the same, I asked if he understood it. " Oh, yes," said Ts^i 178 TWELVE years' he; "money lost; please give." This condensation ol' tny elaborate epistle almost cured me of long letter- writing. Being present at a court-martial about this time, I was much amused with the evidence of a young Irish offi. cer, who, when questioned, whether he had not given the lie to a certain person, replied, " No ; I only said, that eitlier he or the Colonel had told a lie, and that I was sure it wasn't the Colonel." CHAPTER XIX. Dispute between Sir George Barlow and the Gompany"s Officers. The Author is sent to Pondicherry among the Nonjurors. — De- Ecriplion of Pondicherry. — Habit? of the French Inhat»itants. — Author returns to Bangalore — Adventures on the road. — Ar- rives at Arnee. — Tomb of Cojonel Harvey Aston. — Anecdotes of him. — The Auihor is ordered to Madras to take command of the Engineer Department in the Expedition to the Isle ol Bour- bon. — Travels by Dawk. — Palanquin Bearers — Arrives at the Presidency. Towards the latter part of my residence at Banga- lore the dispute between Sir George Barlow and the officers of the army (which some are pleased to call a mutiny) occurred. Having been a rebel myself, I could say a good deal on this business, but that I think it a subject best buried in oblivion. That there were faults on both sides is certain ; but on which side tlie faults preponderated it is not for me to say. The presenta- tion of Sir George's famous test, in imitation of that of Cromwell to liis army, which I, among others, refused to sign, was tlie cause of my being sent to Pondicherry, where about 300 refractory officers were assembled. This gave me an opportunity of seeing the former capi- tal of the French possessions in the Peninsula. Al- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 179 though the fortifications, which had been strong and ex- tensive, had been razed after its capture by the British, and although it had lost all its political importance, still Pondicheny was a very pretty place. Unlike Madras in this respect, the Black and the White Town were united within the same walls. The whole was regu- larly laid out ; but the part next the sea, which was in- habited by the French themselves, and which contained all the edifices belonging to the Government, was ex- tremely well built, and resembled an European town more than any I had seen in India. The houses were constructed much on the same principle as those in France, and were not so well adapted to the climate as those of the English, though many of them were hand- some and commodious edifices. There were still many French families residing there under the protection of the British Government, from which most of them re- ceived pensions. These were chiefly of the old nobil- ity, who declined returning to their native country after the Revolution. In their intercourse with India the French went somewhat on the principle of coloniza- tion, while our policy is quite adverse to it. Thus Pon- dicherry, at the time I mention, formed a little distinct, community, composed of persons of all ages, of which the young and the gay formed, of course, no small por- tion : so that with the mixture of some English families which could afibrd to entertain, Pondicherry was an ex- tremely pleasant place, and for this reason much re- sorted to by the military from the neighbouring stations, who often preferred it to the ©residency ; for here the)" needed neither two epaulets, a staff coat, nor a letter of recommendation, but merely the manners and conduct of a gentleman, to be admitted, with the customary introduction, into an agreeable society, conducted on cheap and easy terms. The habits of the French are more suited to the cli mate than those of the English, and accordingly the\ appear to enjoy their health better. Many of the fami- lies have been settled here from the first formation of the factory, and they appear not to have degenerateii 180 TWELVE YEARS' I was myself in the house with five generations, the youngest member of which was a young lady of seven- teen. I did not see the great-great-grand dame, for she was bcd-ridden, but I was positively assured that she was alive in the house. The young lady was married not long afterwards ; but whether her venerable ancestor lived to see a greai-great-great-gTandchild, I did not hear. I was here particularly struck with the difference in the conduct of the French towards the nalivcs, from that of the English ; tlie former being condescending and kind, while the latter are generally impeTious and haught3\ Whether this arises from their helpless and dependent condition, or whetiier it proceeds from the natural character of the French, I cannot pretend to decide ; but probably it may originate partly in one and partly in the other of these causes. Although a third part of a century had elapsed since Pondicherry ceased to have any political importance, and though its Euro- pean inltabitants were reduced to the situation of mere dependents on the bounty of a foreign state, still a large native population, without any very obvious means of livelihood, whether by manufactures or otherwise, clung to its dismantled walls, as if loath to desert the de- scendants of those whom their fathers had served. This attachment, as well as that which appeared to ex- ist between master and man in their households, was a pleasing sight, and bore testimony to the amiableness of the French character. Having spent about two months at Pondicherry, as pleasantly as the circumstances under which we found ourselves there would admit, I retraced my steps to- wards Bangalore, in company with another oilicei*. Before we had proceeded many marches from Pondicher. ry we were overtaken by the raui, which came on sud- denly during the night. On attempting to resume our march in the morning, we found, about half a mile in our front, a river which was rendered impassable by the rain. We were, therefore, compelled to come to a hah, and, to add to our comfort, we found that we were on a MILITARY ADVENTURE. 181 small island about two miles in length, and one in breadth, wliere we were forced to remain for three days till the river subsided. During this time we killed suffi- cient game to supply ourselves with meat, and this, with the addition of a little biscuit which we carried with us. served us tolerably ; but such of our followers as were forbidden by their religion to eat any thing killed bj' others than persons of their own cast, were wholly des- titute of provisions, as we relied upon the villages where we halted for our daily supplies. Our horses and cattle, too, were without their usual allowance of grain. Having resumed our march, I stopped after a few days at the fort of Arnee, which was formerly a place of some strength, and where a large garrison used to be maintained. But, the works having been blown up by order of the government, it is no longer a station for troops, though containing large and commodious bar- racks. Here I saw a handsome tomb, erected to the memory of Colonel Harvey Aston, who fell in a duel with the Major of his regiment. He had seen a good deal of the world before he came out to India, had been a great fox-hunter, a pation of the fancy, and a leading member in the sporting circles. He had many good points about him ; was generous and brave ; but he had a most inveterate disposition to quizzing, which involved him in many personal encounters, whereby he obtained the reputation of a professed duellist. He used to tell a story of one of his affairs, which, though not at all creditable to himself, was the best satii'e on the practice of duelling that can well be imagined. " I was in the theatre one night," said he, "and, seeing a fellow eating apples in the box wliere there were some ladies, I took the liberty of poking one into his throat with my finger. The man struck me. I knocked him down, and gave him a sound drubbing (for the Colonel was a famous bruiser). He called me out. I shot him through the arm; and the fool called that satisfactmi." One of the few instances in wliich he was known to have been right, was on the occasion which proved fatal to him. On re- ceiving his antagonist's shot, which took effect in his 10 182 TWELVE years' hody, he staggered a few paces ; then, recovering him- self, he presented his pistol deliberately at his opponent, and said, " I could kill liini," (for he was a capnal shot ;) " but the last act of my life shall not be an act of re- venge !" Words sufficient to redeem a life of error ! On arriving at Bangalore I resumed my duties, but did not long remain there, being ordered down to the Presi- dency, to fill the situation of commanding enixineer on the expedition to the Island of Bourbon. As no time was to be lost in making my arrangements, I set off by dawk, that is, with it-luys of palanquin-bearers, and reached Madras in two days. In this manner you may travel from one end of India to the other at the rate of five miles an hour, without experiencing any fatigue, except from being mostly in a recumbent posture. The bearers generally change every twenty miles ; but. should you be going only a distance of forty miles or so, one set of bearers, twelve in number, with a man holding the flambeau, will carry you that distance in one night, during which you may sleep as snugly as if 5'ou were in your own bed. The palanquin-bearers used on the Madras side of India are bred in the northern Circars, (hat tract of country extending from Ganjam to Viza- gapatam. They are a fine race of people, with hand- some features and muscular frames. Among the Eng- lish the set of bearers for ordinary purposes is nine. A native is content with six, and is carried just as well ; and so would a Frenchman be, I dare say ; but John Bull must do the grand wherever he goes. The post throughout India is also conveyed by footmen, who tra- vel nearly six miles an hour. On my arrival at Madras I found the troops intended for the expedition to Bourbon all encamped on the espla- nade in readiness to embark, so that I had little time left ■mc for preparation. SIIUTARY ADVENTURE. 183 CHAPTER XX. i'he Author sails with the expedition to Bourbon. — Hardships un- dergone by the Native Troops on board Ship. — Their prejudices with regard to Cooking. — Couatry Ships. — Lascars. — Arrival at the Island of Rodriguez. — Description of the Isliind. — Coral Reefs. — Colonel Keating. — Author emV'arks in the Boadicea. — Commodore Rowley. — Captain Willoughby. — Joined by the rest of the Squadron. On the 8th of May, the expedition, consisting of two companies of artillery, the flank companies of his Ma- jesty's r^th and 33d regiments, his Majesty's 69th and 86th regiments, with a battalion of the 6th and another of the 12th native infantry, making a total of about 1700 Europeans and 1800 natives, being embarked in fourteen transports, set sail from Madras roads, under convoy of his Majesty's ships Diomede, Doris, and Ceylon. This was the first time for many years that any consi- derable body of Madras sepoys had been embarked for foreign service ; the alacrity with which they volunteered was therefore highly creditable to themselves, and a strong proof of their attachment to the service, and of their confidence in the British government ; for, besides being put to the pain of a separation from their families, they in general undergo great privations while on board ship. From the impossibility of giving them a separate place to cook in, the higher castes of Hindoos are obliged to live altogether upon dried provisions, while at the same time, from the privacy required in their ab- lutions, they are debarred from the usual habits of cleanliness, so essential to their health and comfort. I was stationed with my department on board one of 184 TWELVE years' the transports, a Bombay country'^ ship of about 900 tons. The merchantmen from that port are generally very fine vesbtis, being mostly employed in the China trade. They are built of teak at Bonibay, where there is an excellent building yard kept by a Parsee, who has recently added some fine ship^s to (be Briiish navy. The country traders are manned entirely by lascars, except a few fellows wilh bats, calling themselves ^\irtuguese, whose business it is to sieer the ship, und'M'ilie appella- tion of sea-cunnies. The ..tlkers are all English, and a prefty time they have of it wilh sucii crews. 1 was surprised, however, to see how well they got on, consi- dering that ihey have no hold whatever on their ship's companies beyond the natural ascendancy of Europeans over Asiatics. The lascars are excellent sailors, as long as they are not exposed either to cold or rain. But when either of these comes on, one European is worth a dozen of ihem. Tiiey are very active, dexterous, and handy, and climb the rigging like monkeys; but, after all, the vessels are obliged to be manned with twice the number of hands that would be necessary if they were Europeans. We were about thirty officers on board, and nearly a whole battalion of sepoys. We did not lay in any stock ; but the captain was allowed so much a head for our board ; and a very good table he kept. In fact these country skippers live like fighting-cocks ; and some of them amass tortunes in the trade. We made litile or no progress duriiig the first ten days, when a brreze springinjrr up carried us across the line, on the 26th of May, in longitude 92^. On the 7tli of June we fell in with the trade-wind, which continued without intermission till our arrival at the island of Rodriguez, the spot fixed upon for the rendezvous, where we anchored on the 20th of June. On entering the road-stead the whole fleet crossed the reef, instead of going through the passage, which was intricate ; two or three of the largest ships in conse- (juence struck, but witiiout receiving any injury. Our passage from Madras was more favourable thais MILITARY ADVENTURE. 185 could have been expected at the time of the year ; and the troops, though much crowded, were very heaUhy. The sepoys, to be sure, though not suffering from any actual complaint, looked rather dingy ; for they could neither be persuaded to take proper exercise, nor, though naturally cleanly people, to exert themselves in the least to bathe or wash. Had, therefore, the voy- age been of any length, they must have suffered severely from these causes. On the whole, hovvever, they got on as well as could have been expected, and bore their hardships, if not with ciieerfulness, at least with resig- nation. The island of Rodriguez is high, and can be seen from a considerable distance. It has little to recom- mend it, except as being a good wateiung-place, in which respect it has answered well for our squadron blockading the Mauritius, l)oth for the quantity and purity of its water, and for its position with regard to the Isle of France, from which it lies about sixty leagues to windward. When we were there it was cultivated only in a few spots by three French settlers and their families, who were allowed to remain unmolested. The island may, however, be turned to better account, for the soil is not bad, atid produces abundance of small timber, and several kinds of fruits and vegetables spon- taneously. Among these must he mentioned particularly, the cabbage-tree, a species of the cocoa-nut tree, the head of which very much resembles a cabbage in shape and taste. The island had only lately been garrisoned by troops from India, who, not having had time to culti- vate the soil, were then chiefly subsisted on salt provi- sions, with some scanty supplies of fresh meat from Madagascar or the Cape. They had, however, the advantage of excellent fish caught on the coral-reefs. These reefs, which surround most of the islands in this vicinity, are among the most curious productions of na- ture. They arc said to be formed by a kind of worm, but in what manner, or by what process, I never could discover. They extend sometimes for nearly a mile into the sea,. 16* ^86 TWELVE years' and are scarcely ever uncovered, being seldom within less than a foot or two of the surface of the water. Tlie)' lie perfectly horizouial, and have their sides so perpen- dicular, that vessels may sail close to them without danger. What a time must it not have taken for insects to form such a mass! In coral rocks 1 h'jd pictured to myself large clusters of that oeuutifal semi-transparent substance which we see pendant from Inihies' necks, in the shape of whittles and rattles ; and, as I had already anticipated in imagination the stores I should lay in for my juvenile friends, jny surprise and disappointment were not small when I first oeheld the thing itself, wdiich is noihmg more nor less than a dirty brown, hard, porous stone. We found stationed here two companies of his Ma- jesty's 56th regiment, two companies of the 2d Bombay native infantry, and 30th artillery, the same troops that were employed in the gallant and successful attack on St. Paul's, in the island of Bourbon, under the command of Commodore Rowley imd Colonel Keating. The lijjtter officer, sviio was to command our expedition, was absent on a cruize with the Commodore ; but, a frigate having been dispatched from India to apprize them of our ap- proach, they returned in a few dayg on board his Majesty's ship Boadicea. From this time till the day of our sailing we were occupied in making the necessary arrangements. The force, which, wiih the addition of the marines of the squadron, and such seamen as could be spared, amount- ed to about 4000 men, was told off into four divisions or brigades ; so that it cut a good figure on paper. The ships of war which convoyed us from Madras having returned to their station, on the 3d of July the fleet got under weigh, convoyed by his Majesty's ships Boadicea and Nereide ; the latter frigate, from the blockading scpiadron, having joined us the day before. Previously to sailing, part of the troops were moved into the frigates, as it was intended to embark as many of the expedition as possible in the men-of-war, and to place the remainder in tlie fastest-sailing transports. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 187 I accompanied Colonel Keating on board the Boa- dicea. This was the first time I ever sailed in a man- of-war. The Boadicea was a fine old English frigate of the first class, with a manly, gallant crew, and com- manded by a man who, whether we consider him as a member of society or an ofiicer, merited the highest praise, being beloved and respected by all who were associated or served with him. He had the happy art, which few possess, of keeping tight (he reins of authority, without relaxiji^- the bonds of affection. Such was Captain, now Admiral Sir Josias Uowle) . The Nereide was commanded by Captain Wilioughby, a man who thrust his head into every gun, and ran it against every stone wall, he could find from Cape Co- morin to Moscow. When I knew him, his face was cut and hacked in all directions ; and since then, I un- derstand, his Russian campaigns (for he was not con- tent with seii-fightini!;) have not left him an eye to see out of. While on the Cape station, whether in com- mand of the Otter sloop, of the dirty little l2.pounder frigate, the Nereide, he was the ierror of botli the Isles of France and Bourbon, on which lie used frequently to land, more, I beheve, by way of frolick than any ihing else. About noon on the 6ih, we fell in with his Majesty's ships Sirius, Magicienne, and Iphigenia, which had been directed to meet us about sixty miles to windward of the Island of Bourbon. Till evening we lay to, for the purpose of removing the troops trom the transports ; and, having made sail at sun-set, came in sight of the island about three o'clock the next morning. The following is a brief outline of the plan of attack. It was judiciously resolved to attack St. Denis, the capital of the island, and having secured which, there could be no doubt of the fall of all the subordinate places. In conformity with this intention, the chief part of the force, under the personal command of Colonel Keathig, was to be landed about five miles to the eastward of the tow'n. The troops composing this division were em- barked on board the Boadicea, Nereide, Magicienne, 188 TWELVE years' and Iphigenia frigates ; some few of the native troops remaining in the transports. The remainder of the force, under Colonel Fraser of the 86th, was to land at a place called Grand Chaloupe. about six miles to the westward of St. Denis ; and, in consequence of the difficulties of the road, they were to commence their debarkation about two hours before the other part of the force. The Sirius and two of the best sailing transports contained the troops lor this attack. CHAPTER XXI. f.anding at the Island of Bnurhon — Loss of lives in the surf. — Ac- tion of tlie 8Gtli Rei^'m^nt wit^ Ihe Enemy. — Defences of St. Denis, the Cajntiil. — I^lund surrondfred. Some of the ships being a great distance astern, the Commodore lay to at day -break, and continued so during a considerable part of the day, in order to allow the Sirius. and the two transports with her, to gain their ancliorage. This she effected about twelve or one o'clock, when the remainder of the fleet bore up, and anchored a little to the eastward of the river Des Pltiies. About two P. M. the troops composing the principal attack began to dis- embark ; but, unfortunately, there was at the time a very high surf running, which rendered the landing ex- tremely dangerous. Captain Willoughby led the de- barkation in a small schooner, which he immediately drove ashore. This example was followed by many of the ships' boats ; so that about 150 men were landed in &. short time ; but this was not effected without the loss of some lives, and the entire destruction of such boats as attempted it. The situation of the small band now on shore was pecuHarly distressing ; for nearly half the men had lost their arms, and scarcely a cartridge re- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 189 inained dry. To those who were still on board the ships, it was a melancholy and V4§xatious sight to wit- ness the distressin;-; state of their comrades, without be- ing able to afford them succour. Fortunately the weak- ness or timidity of the enemy prevented them taking advantage of their situation. Several small parties, however, approached, and commenced a straggling lire on our troops ; but the steady countenance of this small band, and the activity of their flanking parties soon caused 'he enemy to retire. About four P. M. the Commodore seeing the precari- ous state of affairs, made the signal for one of the trans- ports to run ashore, which was prcimptly obeyed. It was supposed that under her lee fiie !/oats might land fhe troops with safety ; but it did not appear to answer that end. Many of the boats, however, succeeded in reach- ing the shore towards sun-set, when the surf had a little subsided : so that by dark the troops ashore mustered about 300. This small body, in their crippled state, not being thought sufficiently strong to attempt an attack on the town, were directed to take possession of the post of St. Mary's about three miles to the eastward, which they effected during the night with a trifling loss. In the course of the night, most of the ships having troops on board dropped down towards Grand Chaloupe, where Colonel Keating now determined to land the re- mainder of the army, and to reinforce the attack on the western side of the town, which aupeared to have made some progress. Towards morning the party at St. Mary's was augmented by some more men from the Boadicea, and thus strengthened, they were directed to co-operate in the attack. It is now time to say something of the western attack. That pan of Colonel Eraser's brigade on board the Sirius, consisting of the 86th regiment and two companies of the Gth native infantry, commenced their debarkation about one o'clock, without waiting for the transports with the other troops. Having effected their landing with ease, and without opposition from the enemy, about two o'clock they commenced their march for St, Denis, 190 TWELVE years' by the high road leading from thence to St. Paul's. In the first part of the piarch they had to ascend a steep hill, on the summit of whicli was posted a small party of the enemy, who, after discharging their pieces, retired. Colonel Fraser met with little or no opposition during the remainder of the march, which lay over a mountain, ous country ; and about five P. M. his column reached the brink of the hill which overlooks the town of St. Denis, and is distant from it about a niile and a half. Here he thought it advisable to take post for the night, as the other division had not succeeded in landing, re- serving till morning tiie attack of the posts whicli he had been directed to assault. The principal post was a strong redoubt, or rather small fort, situated on an eminence about three quarters of a mile from the town, near the road leading from St. Paul's. There were also two batteries on the beach to the northward of the redoubt, intended for the defence of the bay. Between these posts and the town runs the river St. Denis, on each bank of which, at a short dis- tance, there is a high rocky precipice, following the course of the river till its junction with the mountains. In this consists the chief defence of the town on the western side. On the south it is covered by the side of the mountain, and its eastern face is open to the plain, but protected by redoubts at regular distances. At day- break on the 8th, Colonel Fraser began to descend the hill, during which the troops were gulled by the guns of the redoubt, as well as by some iield-pieces advanced from the town. When he had reached the plain, he found the enemy, to about the number of 300, all regu- lars, posted with their right to the redoubt, and their left thrown back to the river. He immediately attacked, and forcing their position at the point of the bayonet, took possession of the redoubt, which they had abandon, cd at the same time. He then sent parties to spike the guns of the batteries on the beach, agreeably to his in. structions, which service was executed without opposi- tion. Colonel Fraser, having established himself in the tcdoubt, and placed the 86th regiment under cover of MILITARY ADVENTURE. 19 J the eminence on which it was situated, sent the two companies of the 6th native infantry up the hill to cover his rear in case of any movement of Uae enemy from St. Paul's. The enemy kept up a smart fire on Colonel Fraser's position from some field-pieces in the town, by which they wounded several of our men, and killed one of their own officers who had been taken prisoner in the attack. This fire was answered by two guns taken in the redoubt, which were not spiked in such a manner but that they were soon rendered serviceable by a party of artillery attached to Colonel Fraser's column. About 8 A. M. Colonel Drummond, with a part of his brigade, consisting of 200 marines and 400 of the r2th native in- fantry, landed at Grand Chaloupe, and joined Colonel Fraser about one P. M. I came up with this party, hav- ing slept on board the Nereide frigate, which dropped down in the night to Grand Chaloupe. On our march towards St. Denis we met about 200 of the enemy, who had marched from St. Paul's by a path through the mountains, with the intention of reaching the capital ; but, after a little skirmishing, they retired. Shortly af- ter this, the flank battalion arrived, and other reinforce- ments continued to descend the hill till about 4 P. M. : when the enemy, perceiving that we were making dispo- sitions to attack the town, sent out a flag of truce to pro- pose a cessation of arms. Colonel Keating not being yet arrived. Colonel Fra- ser sent me into the town with the officer bearing the flag of truce, to inform the Commandant that, not being empowered to treat, he could not, in the absence of the commanding officer, take upon himself to agree to a suspension of hostilities, unless he were put in posses- sion of some of the posts on the opposite side of the river. But no sooner had I reached the Commandant's, having previously gone through the operation of being blindfolded on passing the defences, than I met Colonel Keating in the act of entering the house, having come at full gallop from Grand Chaloupe, and made his way, by some means or other, through the enemy's out-posts into the town. 192 TWELVE years' He began, in his usual brusque manner, by informing the Commandant, in broken French, that he was the identical Colonel Keating, connnandmg the expedition ; and that he had, contrarj lo the ordinary practice of war, come in person, in order that he might preserve the town and garrison ; for a column, with wh.ich he had not the power of communicating, was then advancing from St. Mary's, with orders ro attack the town without delay ; and that the only way to prevent the consequences was to surrender at discretion. The French Go\ ernor, a mild, quiet kind gf man, seemed not to understand this sum- mary way- of going to work. " Mais, Monsieur le Colonel" said he, " nous avons des bonnes posies." " Posts, or not posts," says Colonel Keating, " if you don't surrender this minute, I can't answer for your life." The Frenchman slirugfred his shoulders, repeated his observations, and attenipted to put on a determined air ; but this would not do. " There's a devil of a teliow commanding that column from St. Mary's," added the Colonel, " and your old friend Willoughby is there also." At the sound of the latter name the (iovernor started. A distant shot was now heard. " There they are, close to your gates," says Colonel Keating : you had better make haste ; you shall have fhe honours of war, and private property shall be rc-spected ; but nothing more." In short, the poor Governor was fairly bullied out of his island. Not bui what there were troops enough to take half a dozen such islands. At noon on the following day the 8Gth regiment took possession of the town ; and the garrison marched out, with the honours of war. The regular troops, which, on the whole island, did not amount to above 500 men, were by the terms of capitulation, to be prisoners of war, but the remainder of the force, which consisted of garde natlonale, were, after being disarmed, allowed to return to their homes. Our loss amounted in killed and wounded to about 90 men. The only officer killed was Lieutenant Monro, ol the 86th regiment. The enemy, it was supposed, did not suffer so much, though their loss in officers was great- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 103 er. The brunt of the business, as may be seen, fell on the 86th regiment, a weak corps, not amounting to above 400 men, which carried the enemy's position. Flanked as it was by a redoubt, and defended by artillery, with the greatest gallantry, although obstinately disputed by a body of regulars, who, in this instance, behaved very well. CHAPTER XXII. Description of the Island of Bourbon. — The Author makes a Tour of the Island. Voicano. F;iys bride. Creoles. — Slaves. — Attack of the Isle de la Passe n;iir the hie of Fiance. — The French Squa'iroa enters Port South East. — Attacked by four English Frigates. — All lost or taken. — The French recover the Isle de la Passe — Jw) ciotis conduct of Coinniodore Rowley. — Capture of tlie Afric line. — Rei;overrd by the Boadicca. — French rejoice at the death of Captain Corbe-t. — Capture of the Ceylon Frigate. — Retaken, together with lier antagonist the Venus, by Commodore Rowley. — Exertions of the Navy in relitting the Ships. — Admiral Bertie arrives from the Cape in the Nisus. — The Squadron sails for tlie Isle of France. — The Author embarks on board the Boadicea — Is employed in reconnoit ring the Coast. French gasconade. — The Expedition arrives from India. — Corps composing it. The Island of Bourbon is about 100 miles in circum- ference, and nearly round. Its model would resemble a cross-bun ; for it is, in fact, one great mountain, rising gradually from the sea, and intersected by two immense ravines or chasms crossing each other at right angles. On the western side is a volcano, which is in a constant state of ignition, but not subject to very frequent erup- fions. The last previously to our arrival took place, 1 believe, in 1802. The top of the island is seldom seen, being, from its great height, generally enveloped in clouds. Coffee is grown here in great abundance and of excellent quality. The island also produces some ■ 17 194 TWELVE YEARS' kinds of spices, and sufficient sugar lor its own consunip- tion. The chief grain grown is maize, or Indian corn, on wliich the planters feed their slaves, pigs, and poultry, of which two latter classes of animals the meat consum- ed on tiie island mosily consists, as there are very few sheep or black cattle. Almost every degree of climate may be experienced here, by varying your height from the sea; consequently the richer inhabitants generally have houses at some distance up the mountain, as well as in the towns and plantations near the co.isi. The capi- tal, St. Denis, is a neat well built town of wood ; but, as it lies on the wmdward side of t!ie island, iis roadstead is not safe. The Sown of Sf. Paul's has the advantage in this respect ; and, from lying to let^w^rd, i\^ roadstead, except lOT a short period of the year, is equivalent to a port. These are the only two towns of any size ; but there are several pretty villages on tne sea-coast all round the island. The interior is gen er illy covered with timber, and except in a tew soois, uncuhivated. Now, however, that there is a grea'er demand for the staple produce of the colon}', I have no doubr that a con- siderable part has been cleared, and planted with colfee. While here I made a tour of the ishm:! with Colonel Kea tng, and we were hospitably entertained by the principal planters, many of whom are of the old regime. These expressed themselves deligli'od to sec us, for we had not only turned out that revolutionary canaiUe, as they called the Buonapartists, with whom they lived in a state of enmity, but had opened to them a market for their produce. I apprehend, however, notwithstanding all their Bourbon zeal, that the latter was the more weighty consideration of the two. We were much pleased with our tour ; for the island abounded in beau- tiful and picturesque scenery. There is no road what- ever across the interior. The only communication is by the sea-coast, from which the road seldom deviates to any distance. Owing to the number of ravines, water-courses, and irregularities in the side of the mountain, the road is very hilly, and generally paved ; MILITARY ADVENTURE. 195 and, as the horses are never shod, it is impossible to go at any pace. The island is accessible in many spots during the greater part of the year ; but still, from the nature of its surface, it is capable of being defended with a small force, if judiciously applied. In this respect St. De- nis is not well chosen as the seat of Government ; for neither that nor St. Paul's is capable of defence. We parsed over what the French called the Pays hrul^ — a tract of lava, extending about eight miles along the coast under the volcano. We particularly noticed the course which the lava took in the last eruption. The trees of a large wood which it passed through were still standing, and the wind, as it whistled through their hollow decay, ed trunks, resembled the sound of many ditferent-toned flutes, or of a large ^olion harp. I was much struck with the manner in which the lava had rushed into the sea, forming, as it cooled, small promontories of all shapes. I would have made any sacrifice to have seen the two elements meeting. The Creole women of Bourbon are in general very beautiful, and their manners arc fascinating. Not so the men, who partake a- good deal of the Asiatic, both in character and appearance. Possibly the characteris- tics" of timidity and finesse, and the softness of feature and muscle, so unbecoming in the man, may prove the sources of attraction in the female. There is a consi- derable slave population, originally supplied from Ma- dagascar, but latterly supported chiefly by breeding, as our blockading squadron has of late prevented their importation. They are not by any means so fine a race as the Caffres of the western coast of Africa. They seem to be well treated, and appear happy, generally passing their leisure hours in dancing and singing ; and I should think that they are not worked half so hard as the free English labourer. But this is no proof that slavery is not a curse. On the contrary, I cannot conceive a stronger argument against the vile practice, than that it reduces its victims so low in the scale of beings as to • be contented and happy under so degrading a state of 19G TWELVE years' existence. I dare say it might be proved that, in many- cases, a horse was a happier creature than a man ; but are we for this reason to reduce man to tlie level of a beast ? The children of the slaves, as in the West In- dies, follow the state of their mothers, whatever the father may be ; so that it is not uncommon to see a very pretty girl, nearly as fair as an European, called a lie- gresse, while you will sometimes encounter a free wool- ly-headed black, the colour of your hat, who, if you ask him who his master is, will reply, " Moi, je suis hlanc comme vous." As soon as the island was captured, Mr. Farquhar, who had formerly been Governor of Malacca, was in- stalled as Governor, having accompanied the expedition for tliat purpose by the authority of the Governor-Gene- ral of India. Shortly after this, more effectually to blockade the Isle of France, it was resolved to attack a small island in the mouth of Port South-east, called the Isle de la Passe. With this view, a small expedition was fitted out at the Isle of Bourbon, and forwarded on board the Nere- ide to join Captain Pym, who with his own frigate, the Sirius, Magicienne, and Iphigenia, had returned to re- sume the blockade of the Isle of France. The attack succeeded completely ; and Captain Pym returned with the above-mentioned frigates to cruize otf Port Louis, leaving Captain Willoughby with the Nereide anchored near the Isle de la Passe. While there, the French frigates Bellone and Minerve, and Victor sloop with two Indiamen which they had captured, appeared oft' the island ; but, observing the British frigates oft" Port Louis, they steered for Port South-east. Not suspect- ing the state of things in this quarter, and being decei- ved by false signals made by Captain Willoughby, they stood straight into the harbour, and did not discover their mistake till the leading vessels were abreast of the island, from which and the Nereide a fire was opened'on them that caused the Victor immediately to .strike her colours, and come to an anchor. But the other vessels* MILITARY ADVENTURE. 197 j^tcepting the Windham Indiaman, which was somewhat astern, having a leading Avind, pushed on, and got safe into the harbour : the Bellone, at the same time, causing the Victor as she passed to cut her cable and follow. The Windham was shortly afterwards picked up by our squadron, and sent to St. Paul's. The French vessels were now all snug in port, and the Isle de la Passe was in our possession, so that they could not escape. Considering, therefore, that there was an expedition fitting out in India for the attack of the Isle of France, on the success of which all would fall together, I think I am fully justified in asserting, that the attack made by Captain Pym on the Frenca ships in this harbour, and which ended in the loss of four British fri- gates, and the re-capture of the Isle de lalPasse, was wanton and unnecessary ; and that of whatever benefit its success might have been to individuals, it could not possibly have been productive of any advantage to the service. But the consequences of the failure did not end here ; for it immediately gave the French the com- mand in those seas ; and if they did not derive all the benefit they might have done from their temporary as- cendancy, it is mainly to be attributed to the judicious and prudent conduct of Commodore Rowley, who, out of a fine squadron, had now only his own ship and the Otter sloop to support the British flag. The French immediately took the sea with three frigates and a cor- vette ; for which, as the Commodore was no match, he was compelled, after various manoeuvres, to bring up at St. Paul's, while he was endeavouring to fit out one of the transports as a man of war. Jn this state, while two French frigates were cruising in sight of the Isle of Boui^- bon, the Africaine frigate, Captain Corbet, made her appearance off St. Denis, havmg touched at Rodriguez, where she learnt the state of affairs. Perceiving the French ships in the offing, and hearing that the Boadicea was at St. Paul's, Captain Corbet sent over-land to the Commodore to inform him of his arrival, and that if he would make sail immediately, they could meet and attack the enemy. The Commodore lost no time in getting . 17* • 198 TWELVE years' under weigh in company with the Otter. The French ships were then about eight miles from the island ; but as Captain Corbet was to windward he soon closed with them. Not so the Boadicca, which Ivad to work up to windward. I rode out to the nearest point of land to the vessels, in order to view tlie action, which I thought would soon take place near the island ; but night came on, and there was little wind to bring up the Boadicea. When I saw them last. Captain Corbet appeared to be mancBuvering very judiciously, luffing up every now aiid then to give the enemy a broadside, which he was ena- bled to do from having the advantage in sailing, but not venturing to bring them to action while the Boadicea was about six miles to leeward. It appears, however, that he dli not long adhere to these cautious tactics ; for, by some means or other, about two o'clock in the morning, the Africaine found herself between the French ships just as the wind fell calm, the Boadicea being still four or five miles to leeward. The result is known. Captain Corbet was killed and the Africaine taken. In the morning the breeze that brought up the Boadicea carried off the French frigates, which aban- doned their prize to Commodore Rowley, by whom she was towed, dismasted, into St. Paul's. Captain Corbet was well known at the Isle of France, when he com- manded the Nereide on that station, where he was as much dreaded by the authorities as his successor Cap- tain Willoughby. So delighted were they to hear of his death, that an English officer, who was prisoner in the island, told me that he was dining with a large com- pany of French at Port Louis, (by express permission^) when an officer came rushing into the room, calling out, in a vehement tone and manner, " V Africaine est prise, el Corbet est tu^ /" At which the company rose sponta- neously, and clapped their hands. A few days at'ter the action the Ceylon frigate arrived off the Isle of France, having on board Lieutenant-General Abercrombie, who was appointed to command the expedition preparing against the Mauritius, together with the chief engineer. Colonel Caldwell. Not having heard of our disaster j?^ MILITARY ADVENTURE. 199 the Isle de la Passe, on reaching Port Louis, they were surprised to find none of our blockading squadron at their post, and still more so, when, peeping into the port they observed two of the enemy's ships get under weigh, and give chase to the Ceylon. Captain Gordon immediately bore up for the Island of Bourbon ; but, observing that one of the enemy's vessels in chase con- siderably outsailed the other, he thought, by shortening sail after dark, so as to allow the headmost ship to come up, that he should be able to beat the enemy in detail. This was a bold manoeuvre, considering that the Ceylon was of the smallest class of 18-pounder frigates ; and the result proved it ; for, after a smart action with the Venus frigate, in which both vessels were dismasted and unmanageable. Captain Gordon struck his colours to the Victor sloop, which had arrived and taken up a raking position under his stern. In the morning, the Boadicea, which had been attracted by the firing during the night, came out frpjii St. Paul's and picked up the two oppo- nents, which had drifted close under the island. The Victor sloop got off. There were now three dismasted frigates at St. Paul's, with . the better part of two crews : the commodore set to work to fit them for sea, by rigging them with jury- masts taken from the Iridiamen and Otter, ^^ith such ol their own as could be repaired. I think I never wit- nessed such indefatigable exertions as were made by the navy on this occasion. I could not have believed it possible that they could have stepped the new masts, rigged and got these ships ready for sea, in an open road- stead, and without any assistance from a dock-yard ; much less that it could be effected in so short a time. About the 10th of October, Admiral Bertie, in the Nisus, Captain Beaver, arrived from the Cape of Good Hope, and assumed the command of the squadron ; which, on the 15th, sailed for the Isle of France, com- posed of the following ships, Africaine, Nisus, Boadi- cea, Ceylon, and Nereide (late Venus French frigate). The Afncaine bore the flag of the Admiral, and in hei Lieutcnant-General Abercrombie also embarked. 200 TWELVE YEARS' On the 21st of October the squadron made the Isle of Franco, and much to their disappointment found no enemy to oppose them, the Frencli shi])s showing no disposition to quit the port. The Ceylon accordingly j-eturned to Bourbon, for the purpose of conveying the transports containing troops to Rodriguez, wliich was fixed upon as the general rendezvous for the expedition. ' On the 23d the Africaine, having on board the Adrni.* ral and General, sailed for Rodriguez, the other ships being left under the command of Commodore Rowley, to continue the blockade. I remained on board the Boadicea, having been appointed, with the master of that ship, to the duty of reconnoitering the coast, for the purpose of fixing upon the proper point of debarkation, (n order that we might approach the coast more effectu- ally we had a schooner placed at our disposal, in which we. used frequently to run the gauntlet of the enemy's batteries ; but generally wita a smart breeze, so that they could seldom get their shot to tell on us. In the day time wc mostly employed ourselves in taking bear- ings and soundings, and at night we used to grope about Jhe shore in a boat, frequently so close as to be hailed by the sentries ; and once we actually landed at the spot where the descent was afterwards effected, without be- ing observed. We found the strength of the Island, which consisted in the difficulty of landing, to be over- rated ; for at that time of the year the sea was so smooth on the lee-side that even on the reefs there was but little surf. My head-quarters were at this time on board the Boadicea, where I spent as pleasant a time as the hardships of the service in which I Avas engaged would permit. About this time the boats of the Hesper succeeded in capturing a schooner from France which was trying to . reach the Island. She had a Lieutenant and Aspirant uf the French navy on board, who behaved gallantly, but were not well supported by the crew. They were t)oth wounded. I was questioning a great stout fellow respecting the capture, when ho said, in the usual rho- MILITARY ADVENTURE. 201 domontade of his countrymen, " S'ih ^toient tons comme moi le hatbnent i{auroit pas ^U pri^." I heard afterwards that this very fellow was found crouching under the bowsprit of the schooner. A similar specimen of the national character was evinced in one of our guides, a French soldier who had been taken on board the Venus. On questioning him relative to the force in the island, he described some companies of grenadiers as " den fers coquins ;" add- ing at the same time, as a proof of his assertion, " Moi f^tois grenadier moiJ''' The fellow was about five feet nothing ! but the fact is, the French grenadiers are chosen, not for their size, but for having distinguished themselves. About the 22d of October, Admiral Drury, in the Russell 74, with six frigates, and liie Hesper sloop, hav- ing under his convoy a fleet of transports containing the troops for the expedition, arrived at Rodriguez. Hear- ing there of our disaster at the Isle de la Passe, he im. mediately pushed on with the men of war tor the Isle of France, in hopes of encountering the French squad- ron, which he naturally supposed to be there, and mas- ters of the sea in that quarter. In this expectation he was disappointed ; for, on the 25th he fell in with Ad- miral Bertie, who not only undeceived him on this point, but, to the Admiral's great chagrin, ordered him back to his. station, having taken his frigates from him. Adr miral Bertie then continued his course for Rodriguez, having detached the Cornelia frigate and Hesper sloop to reinforce the squadron off the Mauritius. At Rodriguez the General employed himself in ma- king the necessary arrangements for the attack, while he awaited the arrival of the transports from Bengal. This fleet did not make its appeai-ance until the 26th of November, at which time General Abercrombie, de- spairing of its arrival in time, had begun to deliberate whether he should, or should not, proceed to the attack of the Island with the troops he then had at his com« mand. The force now assembled amounted to about 10,000 men, chiefly Europeans, which, with seamen 202 TWELVE years' and marines from the squadron, could be augmented to about 12,000. The European regiments employed were, I believe, his Majesty's r2th, 22d, 59th, 60th, and 84th regiments, with two companies of the 56th regiment, flank companies of the 33d, s,'>me dismount- ed dragoons, and a due proportion of. the East India Company's artillery. What the native corps were I do not recollect ; but I think there were two battalions trom Bengal, and two from Madras, with a body ox pioneers, and a proportion of the Engineer dipartment under Colonel Caldwell, who had accompanied the General from the time he left Madras. Besides the above force, two regiments of Europeans were expected from the Cape of Good Hope to join the expedition. General Warde was second in command. AVho the brigadiers were, I do not now recollect. With as little delay as possible the whole fleet set sail from Rodriguez, and on the 28th fell in with Commo- dore Rowley, who, with the chief part of the blockading squadron, had been directed to meet them about 60 miles to windward of the Isle of France. While the Commodore was absent, I removed on board the !Nisus, in order that I might continue my reconnoissance. Duiing the greater part of the 28th the fleet lay to, in order not to approach within view from the Island before sunset, as well as to shift some of the troops from the transports to the blockading squadron. In the evening they made sail, and at sunrise on the following morning were within about ten miles of Round Island. . MILITARY ADVENTURE. 203 CHAPTER XXIII. Spot fixed upon for the Debarkation.— Landing.— Progress of the Army towards Port-Louis. — Adv^enture of the Author.— Action near Port-Louis. — Night Alarm. — Ridiculous occurrence. — Isl- and surrendered. The place' fixed upon for the debarkation of the army was close to leeward of Cape Malheureux, which spot, as I have already said, as well as the passage leading to it, had been previously well reconnoitred and sounded. To this point the fleet stood in with a light breeze, the most favourable that could be imagined. To gain the anchorage, the ships had to pass between Gunner's Coin and the main, where no English vessel had ever before ventured, and which was never attempted, even by the French themselves, unless in the last extremity. The undertaking was altogether bold and striking ; and the elements l.>eing propitious, the whole fleet came to an anchor about tliree quarters of a mile from the shore, without the smallest accident. About twelve o'clock the debarkation of the troops commenced, under the direction of Captain Beaver, with an attempted regularity, ridiculous enough, consi- dering that there was no enemy near to oppose our landing, and that the object, therefore, should have been to get ashore as fast as possible. Captain Beaver was the same oflicer who conducted the famous descent on Aboukir Bay, where he obtained, deservedly, great cre- dit ; but, in attempting to put the same system in prac- tice here, he did not consider how different the two cases were ; the one taking place on an open beach, with a powerful enemy to dispute the landing ; the other through narrow passages between coral reefs, with noi- «204 TWELVE years' thing in the shape of an enemy to be seen for miles. The spot was found to exceed our most sanguine expec- tations, most of the troops having landed without even wetting their feet. About two o'clock, the chief part of the army being landed, we began our march towards Port Louis. The first part of the route lay along the beach, and we did not fall into any regular road till we reached Grande Bay, about four miles from the place where we lapded, whence we took the higli-ruad to the capital. This led through a wood, impenetrable on both sides ; so that, having notliing to fear from an attack on our flanks, we pushed on as fast as possible, to gain the open country before the enemy could have time to throw any material obstacle in our way. This' I was con- vinced beforehand was of great consequence, and I therefore felt the more annoyed at the unnecessary de- lay in the commencement of the debarkation. When the head of the column had got about half way through the wood, which was three or four miles in length, I was anxious, as having the command of the guides on the expedition, to see my wa)"^ to the open country before dark. I pushed on, therefore, with half a dozen rifle- men ; but, just as we had reached the end of the wood, we came suddenly on a post of the enemy. The sentries immediately challenged, and discharged their pieces ; whereupon my party took to their heels, and the guides sought shelter in the wood. As soon as I could, I halted the men, and advanced a little in search of the guides, who presently can running headlong down the road, making such a noise, that in the dusk the riflemen mistook them for the enemy, and gave them a volley, when within a few yards. They both fell at our feet, but were happily taken up unhurt, though dreadfully frightened. Having made my report to General Warde, who com- manded the advance, the column moved on, headed by the light company of the 12th regiment, which, charg- ing the enemy with vigour, forced their position at the point of the bayonet. Our loss was trifling in this skir- mish. One otticer only was w ounded ; but the enemy MILITARY ADVENTURE. 205 suffered more, as we afterwards ascertained. It was nearly dark before we readied the skins of the wood ; we could not, therefore, see what force we had opposed to us ; but it was subsequently discovered to have been greater than we supposed at the time, though mostly composed of the garde nationale, or the militia of the Island. On quitting the wood, the road branched off in two di- rections, both leading to Port Louis, that on the left by Pamplemousses church, the other by the powder- mills. The column was halted for a short time, while the General deliberated which road he should take. Having resolved on proceeding by the latter, as it would keep us nearer to the sea-coast, and so facilitate our supplies from the ileet, the column was again put in mo- tion. About a mile further we discovered a well of wa- ter near a neighbouring habitation ; and liie General re- solved on hahing there for the night. Towards the lat- ter part of the march, the troops had been much distres- sed from thirst, as they had exhausted their canteens early in the day, and there was no water to be found on the road. So great, therefore, was the crowd at the well, that it served more to tantalize tlian to satiate the thirst of so large a body. Add to this, the rope attached to the bucket having broken, the men could only obtain water in small quantities, by lowering their canteens into the well. Although the army had not marched this day above eight miles, the head of the column did not reach its ground till 8 P. M. The sun was extremely powerful, and the troops, from having been so long- cooped up in ships, were less able to bear its effects. Some officers and men actually died of fatigue, joined 4f) the extreme heat and want of water. Among these, a poor fat Captain of ,an Indiaman, who accompanied the troops more from curiosity than any thing else, met his fate from a coup de soleil. At day-break the following morning the army was pul in motion, and about 8 A. M. the head column reached the powder-mills without encountering any enemy. As this spot afforded every convenience in point of water 18 209 iWELVE YEARS'" situation, &c. the General resolved to halt here for the day in order to refresh the troops. A strong position was, therel'ore, taken up for the army, which was drawn up in two lines, with its left to the powder-mills. This day's march was not ahove four miles ; and we were Still five or six miles distant from Port Louis. Aboul noon a par^y of the enemy, horse and foot, ap- peared for the purpose of reconnoitering our army. They attacked, and drove in our picquets, and advanced so as to fire into our lines. The riHemen of the .59th regi- ment, however, soon compelled them to retire. There were several men kilied and wounded on both sides in this affair. Genera) Decaen was present, and narrowly escaped, having had his horse wounded, and received a shot through tlie heel of his boot. During the day sup- plies arrived from the fleet ; so that, with some cattle found at the powder-mills, the troops fared tolerably. Soon after day-break of the ist of December, tjie ar- my resumed its march. We met v/illi no obstacle, until we reached the river des Pamplemousses, where we found a body of the enemy, with some guns, posted to oppose our progress ; to accomplish which the more ef- fectually they had in part destroyed the bridge. As the enemy appeared to be in force at this place, it was thought advisable to bring up two field-pieces, a few shot from which soon compelled our opponents to retire. The column, accordingly, continued its march, the troops passing over the beams of the bridge which had not been removed, and the guns tlirough the bed of tiic river in which there was but little water. We proceeded about a mile further without any obsta- cle ; but, on a})proachii\g Riviere Seche, we were a good deal annoyed by the enemy's sharp-shooters, the country being very favourable to that species of war- fare. Our flankers, however, prevented their much im- •peding our progress. At this time fell the gallant Co- lonel Campbell, while advancing at the head of the co- tumn. As soon as we began to debouch from the enclo- stires near Riviere Seche, we found the enemy drawn -up on the opposite bankj ready to dispute the passage. MILITARY ADVENTURE. 207 • The moment they perceived our troops, they began a heavy fire of grape and round shot on the column. It now^ became necessary to show the enemy a front ; and, as the ground admitted of our extending to the right only, the column wheeled, and proceeded to take ground in that direction. This manoeuvre was executed with promptitude, and tolerable regularity, considering that the troops were all the time exposed to a heavy fire of musketry and grape. The enemy, perceiving that part of our object was to turn their flank, pushed forward a body from their left to obstruct this manoeuvre ; but, be- ing encountered by the flank battalion, they were quickly sent to the right about. As soon as three or four corps had formed into line, we advanced upon the enemy, who did not wait to be charged, but fled with precipuation, leaving us in possession of their guns, consisting of two fi8ld-.pieces, and a howitzer. Although in this affair the enemy displayed neither courage nor address, yet, to the small part of our force engaged, it was highly creditable. The flank corps and the 12th regiment received the j)articular thanks of the General ; the latter, for the great steadiness with wliich they formed the line, when exposed to the close fire of the enemy. Our loss was not so great as might have been expected. Colonel Campbell of the 33d, and Major O'Keefe of the 12th, were the only oflicers killed. Both were much re- gretted. Colonel Campbell had commanded the ad- vance from the time we landed, and was always to be found at the head of the column, exposed on all occa- sit)ns to the enemy's sharp-shooters, for whom, being- mounted, he was a prominent mark. He fell a victim to his great zeal for the service, having been in vain soli- cited to dismount, or not to ride so forward. In pursuit of the enemy our troops advanced very near the lines covering tlie town, from which they were smartly cannonaded. They were, therefore, drawn out of range of the guns ; and the army took up a position in two lines, with its left on the Montagne Longue, on the summit of which a battalion was posted. 208 TWELVE years' At the same time that the army marched from the powder-miils, Colonel M'Lcod was detached with his brigade, for the purpose of taking the batteries and posts at Tortue and Tombeaux Bays, in order that a conunu. nication might be opened with the shipping. On reach- ing his destination, however, he found tliose posts alread} in possession of our seamen, the enemy having evacuated them the preceding day. He accordingly joined the army the same evening. In the course of tlie day most of the ships of war and some transports dropped down, and anchored in Tortue Bay ; by which means the army was supplied with every thing necessary for its sub- sistence. At night there was an alarm in camp, which had very nigh produced serious consequences. The soldiers, suddenly awakened from their sleep, were, in many in- stances, so unsteady as to tire off at random iheir pieces, which had, very imprudently, been let\ loaJed : and, in consequence, several casual'iies occurred in the front Une. Having contrived to squeeze myseh", with some other officers, into a house, I lay asleep at tiie time in my cloak on the door, dreaming, very naturaliy, of " Paul and Virginia,'' whose infant loves had sprung up and ripened in the very valley in which we were then lying, when I was suddenly awakened by a man falling head- long over me, bellowing out, " Charge bayonets !" ac- companied by a brisk fire of musketry. I seized my sword which lay at my side, sprung up on my legs, and had nearly plunged my weapon into the body of the in- truder before I had fairly gained my senses. I ques- tioned him hastily as to the alarm, but could get no go- herent answer. He had been awakened by the firing, 1 suppose, and from the vei'anda, where he had been asleep, probably dreaming at that moment of being closely engaged with the enemy, he jumped through the window, and lighted right upon me. The other otKcers being now awakened, each set otf to find his post, if the night, which was pitch-dark, would permit him. For my part, hearing the balls whizzing about, and having no particular post to go to, I preferred remaining where 1 iUILITARY ADVENTURE. 209 was, till the alarm had subsided, by which time it was too late to seek further repose. The cause of the alarm could not be ascertained ; but it could not have proceed- ed from the enemy, the picquets being all the time per- fectly quiet. On the following morning a flag of truce was sent by General Decaen to our camj), with an offer to capita- late ; and the articles being adjusted during the day, on the 3d «at noon, the grenadier companies of the army took possession of the lines. CHAPTER XXIV. I'erms of Capitulation. — Arrival of Triops from the Cape. — Cruel scene oa board the Prisoa Ship.?. — Do-cription of the Island, and of Port Louis. — hihabilants. — The Aati)or sails for, and arrives at Madras. — Is appointed Exira A- l-d';-Catnp to Sir Samuel Auchinuty, on the Expedition to Java. — His feelinsjs on being appointed to the Staff. — Treated with t^reiter consideration in consequence. — His remarks thereoti. — CJburt paid to Rank. — • Anecdote on that subject. Thus did this bugbear of an island fall into our hands, witli a loss of only aboui 160 men killed and wounded, a mere trifle compared with what was expected from the supposed natural strength of the island, and ihe boasted talents and courage of the great General Decaen. Cer- tainly the force employed was more than adequate to the undertaking, and the time of the attack well chosen; for at that season of the year -the water on the lee side of the island is perfectly smooth, which renders the debarka- tion easy in places where, at any other time, it would bo Impracticable. Tiie terms of capitulation differed little from what are Visually granted on such occasions, excepting (which is ihdf'ed a very material point) that 'the garrison, instead 18* 210 TWELVE years' of being prisoners of war, were to be sent to France at the expense of the British Government. This was cer- tainly much more than General Dccaen, from his slen- der means of defence, could possibly have anticipated. Of course, as it may be supposed, these terms were not much relished by the army : nor do I think that they were such as our country had a right to expect. On the other hand, it must be admitted that the fine season was far advanced, and the hurricanes might soon be expec- ted, when our fleet would be compelled to put to sea, leaving the army to carry on its operations alono. To this, however, if provisions had been landed, they would have been fully e(|ual, even though the place had not been open to a coup de main. But it was my opinion, and that of Colonel Caldwell, the chief engineer, who expressed the same to the Commander-in-chief, that, in half an hour after he chose to give the word to advance, the place would have been our own : and so, I believe, thought many others. The enemy had not above 3,000 men in garrison, a number quite insufficient to man their lines, even on one side of the town ; while itwovdd have been easy, through the means of the fleet, to have lan- ded a body of troops on the opposite side, where it was, if any thing, more assailable. Of the above number of men in garrison, 900 might have been regulars, with about as many seamen, the rest garde nntionaJe. We understood that they had not above 1,200 men opposed to us in the affair of the 1st, when the troops were com- manded by a General Vandermasse. On the day that the Island surrendered, his Majesty's; ship Phoebe, with five transports, arrived from the Cape, having on board his IMajesty's 72d and 87th regiments, with 100 artillery. Those troops, although not in time to partake in the glory of the capture, (if glory it could be called,) served probably to intimidate the enemy into an ea rly surrender of the island. Notwithstanding the terms they had obtained, some of the French pretended to be dissatisfied, and, on entering the town, I saw some groups of whiskered fellows sacre- *ng and ,\*'' ^