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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6ce821a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69510 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69510) diff --git a/old/69510-0.txt b/old/69510-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 889509e..0000000 --- a/old/69510-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8324 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Goa and the Blue Mountains, by Richard -Francis Burton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Goa and the Blue Mountains - or, Six months of sick leave - -Author: Richard Francis Burton - -Release Date: December 9, 2022 [eBook #69510] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Emmanuel Ackerman and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from - images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GOA AND THE BLUE -MOUNTAINS *** - - - - - - -GOA, AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; OR, SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE. - - - - -[Illustration: Printed by Hullmandel & Walton. - -COONOOR. FROM THE TRAVELLER’S BUNGALOW. - -London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.] - - - - - GOA, - AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; - OR, - SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE. - - BY - RICHARD F. BURTON, - LIEUT. BOMBAY ARMY. - AUTHOR OF A GRAMMAR OF THE MOOLTANEE LANGUAGE; - CRITICAL REMARKS ON DR. DORN’S CHRESTOMATHY OF THE PUSHTOO, - OR AFFGHAN DIALECT, ETC. ETC. - - LONDON: - RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, - Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty. - 1851. - - LONDON: - Printed by SAMUEL BENTLEY & CO. - Bangor House, Shoe Lane. - - - - - TO - MISS ELIZABETH STISTED, - THIS LITTLE WORK, - WHICH OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO HER - FRIENDLY SUGGESTIONS, - IS DEDICATED, - IN TOKEN OF GRATITUDE AND AFFECTION, - BY - THE AUTHOR. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - CHAPTER I. - - The Voyage 1 - - CHAPTER II. - - New Goa 22 - - CHAPTER III. - - Old Goa as it Was 40 - - CHAPTER IV. - - Old Goa as it Is 58 - - CHAPTER V. - - Return to Panjim 77 - - CHAPTER VI. - - The Population of Panjim 96 - - CHAPTER VII. - - Seroda 117 - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Education, Professions, and Oriental Studies 136 - - CHAPTER IX. - - Adieu to Panjim 154 - - CHAPTER X. - - Calicut 169 - - CHAPTER XI. - - Malabar 186 - - CHAPTER XII. - - The Hindoos of Malabar 203 - - CHAPTER XIII. - - The Moslem and other Natives of Malabar 230 - - CHAPTER XIV. - - The Land Journey 246 - - CHAPTER XV. - - First Glimpse of “Ooty” 269 - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Life at Ooty 287 - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Life outside Ooty 313 - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - Inhabitants of the Neilgherries 334 - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Kotagherry.—Adieu to the Blue Mountains 353 - - - - -[Illustration: MAP OF THE South Eastern & Western COAST of INDIA] - - - - -GOA, AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; OR, SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE VOYAGE. - - -What a glad moment it is, to be sure, when the sick and seedy, the tired -and testy invalid from pestiferous Scinde or pestilential Guzerat, -“leaves all behind him” and scrambles over the sides of his Pattimar. - -His what? - -Ah! we forget. The gondola and barque are household words in your English -ears, the budgerow is beginning to own an old familiar sound, but you -are right—the “Pattimar” requires a definition. Will you be satisfied -with a pure landsman’s description of the article in question. We have -lost our edition of “The Ship,” and to own humbling truth, though we -have spent many a weary month on the world of waters, we never could -master the intricacies of blocks and braces, skylights and deadlights, -starboards and larboards. But if we are to believe the general voice of -the amphibious race, we terrestrial animals never fail to mangle the -science of seamanship most barbarously. So we will not expose ourselves -by pretension to the animadversions of any small nautical critic, but -boldly talk of going “up-stairs” instead of “on deck,” and unblushingly -allude to the “behind” for the “aft” and the “front” instead of the -“fore” of our conveyance. - -But the Pattimar— - -_De suite_: you shall pourtray it from our description. Sketch a very -long boat, very high behind, and very low before, composed of innumerable -bits of wood tied together with coir, or cocoanut rope, fitted up with a -dark and musty little cabin, and supplied with two or three long poles -intended as masts, which lean forward as if about to sink under the -weight of the huge lateen sail. Fill up the outline with a penthouse -of cadjans (as the leaves of that eternal cocoanut tree are called) to -protect the bit of deck outside the cabin from the rays of a broiling -sun. People the square space in the middle of the boat with two nags -tethered and tied with halters and heel ropes, which sadly curtail the -poor animals’ enjoyment of kicking and biting; and half-a-dozen black -“tars” engaged in pounding rice, concocting bilious-looking masses of -curry, and keeping up a fire of some unknown wood, whose pungent smoke -is certain to find its way through the cabin, and to terminate its -wanderings in your eyes and nostrils. Finally, throw in about the same -number of black domestics courting a watery death by balancing themselves -over the sides of the vessel, or a fever by sleeping in a mummy case of -dirty cotton cloth— - -And you have a pattimar in your mind’s eye. - -Every one that has ever sailed in a pattimar can oblige you with a -long list of pleasures peculiar to it. All know how by day your eyes -are blinded with glare and heat, and how by night mosquitos, a trifle -smaller than jack snipes, assault your defenceless limbs; how the musk -rat defiles your property and provender; how the common rat and the -cockchafer appear to relish the terminating leather of your fingers and -toes; and, finally, how the impolite animal which the transatlantics -delicately designate a “chintz,” and its companion, the lesser -abomination, do contribute to your general discomfort. Still these are -transient evils, at least compared with the permanent satisfaction of -having “passed the Medical Board”—a committee of ancient gentlemen who -never will think you sufficiently near death to meet your wishes—of -having escaped the endless doses of the garrison surgeon, who has -probably, for six weeks, been bent upon trying the effects of the whole -Materia Medica upon your internal and external man—of enduring the -diurnal visitation of desperate duns who threaten the bailiff without -remorse; and to crown the climax of your happiness, the delightful -prospect of two quiet years, during which you may call life your own, -lie in bed half or the whole day if you prefer it, and forget the very -existence of such things as pipeclay and parade, the Court Martial and -the Commander-in-chief. So if you are human, your heart bounds, and -whatever its habits of grumbling may be, your tongue involuntarily owns -that it is a joyful moment when you scramble over the side of your -pattimar. And now, having convinced you of that fact, we will request you -to walk up stairs with us, and sit upon the deck by our side, there to -take one parting look at the boasted Bay of Bombay, before we bid adieu -to it, with a free translation of the celebrated Frenchman’s good bye, -“_Canards, canaux, canaille_,”—adieu ducks, dingies, drabs, and duns.[1] - -Gentlemen tourists, poetical authors, lady prosers, and, generally, all -who late in life, visit the “palm tasselled strand of glowing Ind,” as -one of our European celebrities describes the country in prose run mad, -certainly are gifted with wonderful optics for detecting the Sublime -and Beautiful. Now this same bay has at divers and sundry times been -subjected to much admiration; and as each succeeding traveller must -improve upon his predecessors, the latest authorities have assigned to -its charms a rank above the Bay of Naples—a bay which, in our humble -opinion, places every other bay in a state of abeyance. At least so -we understand Captain Von Orlich—the gentleman who concludes that the -Belochees are of Jewish origin, _because_ they divorce their wives. -To extract Bombay from the Bay of Naples, proceed thus. Remove Capri, -Procida, Ischia, and the other little picturesque localities around -them. Secondly, level Vesuvius and the rocky heights of St. Angelo -with the ground. Thirdly, convert bright Naples, with its rows of -white palazzi, its romantic-looking forts, its beautiful promenade, -and charming background into a low, black, dirty port, _et voici_ the -magnificent Bombahia.[2] You may, it is true, attempt to get up a little -romance about the “fairy caves” of Salsette and Elephanta, the tepid -seas, the spicy breeze, and the ancient and classical name of Momba-devi. - -But you’ll fail. - -Remember all we can see is a glowing vault of ultramarine-colour sky, -paved with a glaring expanse of indigo-tinted water, with a few low hills -lining the horizon, and a great many merchant ships anchored under the -guns of what we said before, and now repeat, looks like a low, black, -dirty port. - -We know that you are taking a trip with us to the land flowing -with rupees and gold mohurs—growing an eternal crop of Nabobs and -Nawwábs[3]—showing a perpetual scene of beauty, pleasure and excitement. - -But we can’t allow you to hand your rose-coloured specs. over to us. We -have long ago superseded our original “greens” by a pair duly mounted -with sober French grey glasses, and through these we look out upon the -world as cheerily as our ophthalmic optics will permit us to do. - -Now the last “nigger,” in a manifest state of full-blown inebriation, has -rolled into, and the latest dun, in a fit of diabolical exasperation, -has rolled out of, our pattimar. So we will persuade the Tindal, as our -Captain is called, to pull up his mud-hook, and apply his crew to the -task of inducing the half acre of canvas intended for a sail to assume -its proper place. Observe if you please, the Tindal swears by all the -skulls of the god Shiva’s necklace, that the wind is foul—the tide don’t -serve—his crew is absent—and the water not yet on board. - -Of course! - -But as you are a “griff,” and we wish to educate you in native -peculiarities, just remark how that one small touch of our magic slipper -upon the region of the head, and the use of that one little phrase “Suar -ka Sala” (_Anglicè_, “O brother-in-law of a hog!”) has made the wind -fair, the tide serve, the crew muster, and the water pots abound in -water. And, furthermore, when you have got over your horror of seeing a -“fellow-creature” so treated—and a “fellow subject” subjected to such -operation, kindly observe that the Tindal has improved palpably in manner -towards us;—indeed, to interpret his thoughts, he now feels convinced -that we are an “Assal Sahib”—a real gentleman. - - * * * * * - -Evening is coming on, the sea-breeze (may it be increased!) is freshening -fast, and Dan Phœbus has at last vouchsafed to make himself scarce. After -watching his departure with satisfaction—with heartfelt satisfaction, we -order our hookah up, less for the pleasure of puffing it, than for the -purpose of showing you how our servant delights to wander through heaps -of hay and straw, canvas, and coir rope, with that mass of ignited rice -ball, rolling about on the top of our pipe. You are looking curiously -at our culinary arrangements. Yes, dear sir, or madam, as the case -may be, that dreadful looking man, habited in a pair of the dingiest -inexpressibles only, excepting the thick cap on his furzy head—that is -our cook. And we dare say you have been watching his operations. If not, -you must know that he prepared for our repast by inserting his black claw -into that hencoop, where a dozen of the leanest possible chickens have -been engaged for some time in pecking the polls of one another’s heads, -and after a rapid examination of breast-bone, withdrew his fist full of -one of the aforementioned lean chickens, shrieking in dismay. He then -slew it, dipped the corpse in boiling water to loosen the feathers, which -he stripped off in masses, cut through its breast longitudinally, and -with the aid of an iron plate, placed over a charcoal fire, proceeded to -make a spatchcock, or as it is more popularly termed, a “sudden death.” -After this we can hardly expect the pleasure of your company at dinner -to-day. But never mind! you will soon get over the feeling _nolens_, if -not _volens_. Why, how many Scinde “Nabobs” have not eaten three hundred -and sixty-five lean chickens in one year? - - * * * * * - -We will not be in any hurry to go to bed. In these latitudes, man lives -only between the hours of seven P.M. and midnight. The breeze gives -strength to smoke and converse; our languid minds almost feel disposed -to admire the beauty of the moonlit sea, the serenity of the air, and -the varying tints of the misty coast. Our lateen sail is doing its -duty right well, as the splashing of the water and the broad stripe -of phosphoric light eddying around and behind the rudder, prove. At -this rate we shall make Goa in three days, if kindly fate only spare -us the mortification of the morning calms which infest these regions. -And we being “old hands” promise to keep a sharp look out upon the -sable commander of the “Durrya Prashad,” the “Joy of the Ocean,” as -his sweetheart of a pattimar is called. Something of the kind will be -necessary to prevent his creeping along the shore for fear of squalls, -or pulling down the sail to ensure an unbroken night’s rest, or -slackening speed so as not to get the voyage over too soon. As he is a -Hindoo we will place him under the _surveillance_ of that grim looking -bushy-bearded Moslem, who spends half his days in praying for the -extermination of the infidel, and never retires to rest without groaning -over the degeneracy of the times, and sighing for the good old days of -Islam, when the Faithful had nothing to do but to attack, thrash, rob, -and murder, the Unfaithful. - -Now the last hookah has gone out, and the most restless of our servants -has turned in. The roof of the cabin is strewed with bodies anything but -fragrant, indeed, we cannot help pitying the melancholy fate of poor -Morpheus, who is traditionally supposed to encircle such sleepers with -his soft arms. Could you believe it possible that through such a night as -this they choose to sleep under those wadded cotton coverlets, and dread -not instantaneous asphixiation? The only waker is that grisly old fellow -with the long white mustachios flourishing over his copper coloured -mouth like cotton in the jaws of a Moslem body. And even he nods as he -sits perched at the helm with his half-closed eyes mechanically directed -towards the binnacle, and its satire upon the mariner’s compass, which -has not shifted one degree these last two years. However there is little -to fear here. The fellow knows every inch of shore, and can tell you to -a foot what depth of water there is beneath us. So as this atmosphere of -drowsiness begins to be infectious, we might as well retire below. Not -into the cabin, if you please. The last trip the Durrya Prashad made was, -we understand, for the purpose of conveying cotton to the Presidency. -You may imagine the extent of dark population left to colonise her every -corner. We are to sleep under the penthouse, as well as we may; our -servants, you observe, have spread the mats of rushes—one of the much -vaunted luxuries of the East—upon our humble couches, justly anticipating -that we shall have a fair specimen of the night tropical. Before you -“tumble in” pray recollect to see that the jars of cold water have been -placed within reach, for we are certain to awake as soon after our first -sleep as possible, suffering from the torments of Tantalus. And we should -advise you to restore the socks you have just removed, that is to say, if -you wish the mosquitos to leave you the use of your feet to-morrow. - -“Good night!” - -The wish is certainly a benevolent one, but it sounds queer as a long -grace emphatically prefixed to a “spread” of cold mutton or tough -beefsteak, for which nothing under a special miracle could possibly make -one “truly thankful.” However, good night! - - * * * * * - -From Bombay southwards as far as Goa, the coast,[4] viewed from the sea, -merits little admiration. It is an unbroken succession of gentle rises -and slopes, and cannot evade the charge of dulness and uniformity. Every -now and then some fort or rock juts out into the water breaking the line, -but the distance we stand out from land prevents our distinguishing the -features of its different “lions,” such as Severndroog “the Golden -Fortress,” Rutnageree “the Hill of Jewels,” and the Burnt Islands,[5] -or Vingorla Rocks. The voyage, therefore, will be an uninteresting -one—though at this season of the year, early spring, it will not be -tedious. - -The ancient Hindoos have a curious tradition concerning the formation -and population of this coast. They believe that Parasu Rama, one of -their demigods, after filling the earth with the blood of the offending -Kshatriya, or regal and military caste, wished to perform an expiatory -sacrifice. As, however, no Brahmin would attend, his demigodship found -himself in rather an awkward predicament. At length, when sitting on the -mountains of Concan (_i.e._ the Sayhadree Range, or Western Ghauts), he -espied on the shore below, the putrefied corpses of fourteen Mlenchhas -(any people not Hindoos), which had floated there borne by the tides -from distant lands to the westward. Rama restored them to life, taught -them religious knowledge, and, after converting them into Brahmins, -performed his sacrifice. He afterwards, by means of his fiery darts, -compelled Samudra, the Indian Neptune, to retire several miles from the -foot of the Ghauts, and allotted to his _protégés_ the strip of land thus -recovered from the sea. From these fourteen men sprang the Kukanastha, -or Concanese tribe of Maharattas, and the pious Hindoo still discovers -in their lineaments, traces of a corpse-like expression of countenance -inherited from their forefathers. - - * * * * * - -We remarked that it was a glad moment when we entered the pattimar. We -will also observe that it was another when our sable Portuguese “butler,” -as he terms himself, ecstasied by his propinquity to home—sweet home, -and forgetting respect and self-possession in an _élan_ of patriotism, -abruptly directed our vision towards the whitewashed farol, or -lighthouse, which marks the north side of the entrance to the Goa creek. -And now, as we glide rapidly in, we will take a short military _coup -d’œil_ at the outward defences of the once celebrated Portuguese capital. - -The hill, or steep, upon which the farol stands, is crowned with -batteries, called the Castello de Agoada, as ships touch there to water. -There are other works, _à fleur d’eau_, all round the point. These -defences, however, are built of stone, without any embankments of earth, -and suggest uncomfortable ideas of splinters. In fact, a few gun-boats -would drive any number of men out of them in half an hour. The entrance -of the creek is at least two miles broad, and the southern prong, the -“Cabo de Convento,” is occupied, as its name shows, by a monastery -instead of a fort. Moreover, none but a native general would ever think -of thrusting an invading force through the jaws of the bay, when it might -land with perfect safety and convenience to itself a few miles to the -north or south. - - * * * * * - -“What are we pulling up for?” - -The Tindal informs us that we may expect a visit from the “Portingal -Captain,” who commands the Castello, for the purpose of ascertaining our -rank, our wealth, and our object in visiting Goa. He warns us to conceal -our sketch-book, and not to write too much; otherwise, that our ardour -for science may lead us into trouble. But, mind, we laugh him to scorn; -natives must have something mysterious to suspect, or expect, or affect. - -But here comes the officer, after keeping us waiting a good hour. He -is a rhubarb-coloured man, dressed in the shabby remains of a flashy -uniform; his square inch of blackish brown mustachio, and expression of -countenance, produce an appearance which we should pronounce decidedly -valiant, did we not know that valour here seldom extends below or beyond -the countenance. How respectfully our butler bows to him, and with what -fellow-feeling the same valuable domestic grasps the hand of that orderly -in shell jacket, but not in pantaloons, who composes the guard of his -superior officer! Behold! he has a bundle of _cigarettos_, made of the -blackest tobacco, rolled up in bits of plantain leaf; and he carries his -“weeds” in a very primitive cigar-case, namely, the pouch formed by the -junction of his huge flap of an ear, with the flat and stubby poll behind -it. As the favourite narcotic goes round, no Portuguese refuses it. The -Hindoos shake their heads politely and decliningly, the Moslems grimly -and with a suspicion of a curse. - -But we must summon our domestic to mediate between us and our -visitor, who speaks nothing but most Maharatta-like Portuguese and -Portuguese-like Maharatta. - -We begin by offering him a glass of wine, and he inquires of Salvador, -our acting interpreter,—“Why?” Being assured that such is the practice -among the barbarous Anglo-Indians, he accepts it with a helpless look, -and never attempts to conceal the contortions of countenance produced by -the operation of a glass of Parsee sherry, fiery as their own divinity, -upon a palate accustomed to tree-toddy and thin red wine. However, he -appears perfectly satisfied with the inspection, and after volunteering -an introductory epistle to one Ioaõ Thomas—_i.e._ John Thomas, a cicerone -of Goanese celebrity—which we accept without the slightest intention of -delivering, he kindly gives us permission to proceed, shakes our hand -with a cold and clammy palm, which feels uncommonly like a snake, and -with many polite bows to our servants, disappears over the side, followed -by his suite. Whilst the anchor is being re-weighed, before we forget -the appearance of the pair, we will commit them to the custody of the -sketch-book. - - * * * * * - -The old lateen creeps creaking crankily up the mast once more, and the -Durrya Prashad recommences to perambulate the waters as unlike a thing of -life as can be imagined. Half an hour more will take us in. Perched upon -the topmast angle of our penthouse, we strain our eyes in search of the -tall buildings and crowded ways that denote a capital: we can see nought -but a forest of lanky cocoa-nut trees, whose stems are apparently growing -out of a multitude of small hovels. - -Can this be Goa? - -Rendered rabid by the query our patriotic domestic, sneering as much as -he safely can, informs us that _this_ is the village of Verim, _that_ St. -Agnes, and proceeds to display his store of topographical lore by naming -or christening every dirty little mass of hut and white-washed spire that -meets the eye. - -Bus, Bus,—enough in the name of topography! We will admire the view -to-morrow morning when our minds are a little easier about John Thomas, a -house, &c. - -We turn the last corner which concealed from view the town of Panjim, or -as others call it, the city of New Goa, and are at last satisfied that we -are coming to something like a place. Suddenly the Tindal, and all his -men, begin to chatter like a wilderness of provoked baboons; they are -debating as to what part of the narrow creek which runs parallel with the -town should be selected for anchor ground. Not with an eye to our comfort -in landing, observe, but solely bearing in mind that they are to take in -cargo to-morrow. - -At length our apology for an anchor once more slides down the old side of -the Durrya Prashad, and she swings lazily round with the ebb tide, like -an elephant indulging in a solitary roll. It is dark, we can see nothing -but a broken line of dim oil-lamps upon the quay, and hear nought save -the unharmonious confusion of native music with native confabulation. -Besides the wind that pours down the creek feels damp and chilly, teeming -with unpleasant reminiscences of fever and ague. So after warning our -domestics, that instant dismissal from the service will follow any -attempt to land to-night, a necessary precaution if we wish to land -to-morrow, we retire to pass the last of three long nights in slapping -our face in the desperate hope of crushing mosquitos, dreaming of De Gama -and Albuquerque, starting up every two hours with jaws glowing like those -of a dark age dragon, scratching our legs and feet, preferring positive -excoriation to the exquisite titillation produced by the perpetual -perambulation, and occasional morsication (with many other -ations left -to the reader’s discrimination) of our nocturnal visitations, and in -uttering emphatic ejaculations concerning the man with the rhinoceros -hide and front of brass who invented and recommended to his kind the -pattimar abomination. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -NEW GOA. - - -Early in the morning, rudely roused by curiosity, we went on deck to -inspect the celebrated view of the Rio de Goa. - -The air was soft and fragrant, at the same time sufficiently cool to be -comfortable. A thin mist rested upon the lower grounds and hovered half -way up the hills, leaving their palm-clad summits clear to catch the -silvery light of dawn. Most beautiful was the hazy tone of colour all -around contrasted with the painfully vivid tints, and the sharp outlines -of an Indian view seen a few hours after sunrise. The uniformity of the -cocoa-nut groves, which at first glance appeared monotonous, gradually -became tolerable. We could now remark that they were full of human -habitations, and intersected by numbers of diminutive creeks. Close by -lay Panji, Panjim, Panjem or New Goa, with its large palace and little -houses, still dark in the shadow of the hill behind it. As for Goa Velha -(the Old Goa) we scarcely ventured to look towards it, such were our -recollections of Tavernier, Dillon, and Amine Vanderdecken, and so strong -our conviction that a day at least must elapse before we could tread -its classic ground. An occasional peep, however, discovered huge masses -of masonry—some standing out from the cloudless sky, others lining the -edge of the creek,—ruins of very picturesque form, and churches of most -unpicturesque hue. - - * * * * * - -Precisely at six A.M. appeared Mr. John Thomas, whose aristocratic proper -name, by the by, is the Señor Ioaõ Thomas de Sonza. After perpetrating -a variety of congees in a style that admirably combined the Moorish -salaam with the European bow, he informed us in execrable English that -“he show de Goa to de Bombay gentlemens.” We rapidly pass over the -preliminary measures of securing a house with six rooms, kitchen, stable -and back court, for fourteen shillings _per mensem_—a low rate of rent -for which the owner was soundly rated by his compatriots, who have -resolved that treble that sum is the minimum chargeable to Englishmen—of -landing our bag and baggage, which were afterwards carried to our abode -by coolies[6]—the primitive style of transportation universally used -here,—and finally of disembarking our steeds by means of a pigmy crane, -the manipulation of which called together a herd of admiring gazers. - -Then the Señor began to take command. He obligingly allowed us to -breakfast, but insisted upon our addressing a note to the aide-de-camp in -waiting to ascertain the proper time for waiting upon his Excellency the -Governor of Goa. This the Señor warned us was _de rigueur_, and he bade -us be prepared to face the burning sun between eleven and twelve, such -being the hour usually appointed. Then with our missive between his sable -fingers he performed another ceremonious bow and departed for a while. - -Just as the Señor disappeared, and we were preparing to indulge in our -morning meal _en deshabille_, as best suits the climate, an uncomely -face, grinning prodigiously, and surmounted by a scampish looking cap, -introduced itself through the open window, and commenced a series of -felicitations and compliments in high-flown Portuguese. - -Who might our visitor be? A medical student, a poet, or a thief? Confused -in mind, we could only look at him vacantly, with an occasional -involuntary movement of the head, respondent to some gigantic word, as it -gurgled convulsively out of his throat. He must have mistaken the sign -for one of invitation, for, at the close of his last compliment to the -British nation, he withdrew his head from the window, and deliberately -walked in by the door, with the usual series of polite bows. - -Once in the house, he seemed determined to make himself at home. - -We looked up from our breakfast with much astonishment. Close to -our elbow stood our new friend in the form of a tall ugly boy about -seventeen, habited in a green cloth surtout, with plaited plaid -unmentionables, broad-toed boots, and a peculiar appearance about the -wrists, and intervals between the fingers, which made us shudder at the -thought of extending to him the hand of fellowship. Rapidly deciding -upon a plan of action, we assumed ignorance of the _lingoa Baxa_,[7] and -pronounced with much ceremony in our vernacular, - -“Whom have I the honour to address?” - -Horror of horrors! Our visitor broke out in disjointed English, informed -us that his name was the Señor Gaetano de Gama, son of the collector -of Ribandar, and a lineal descendant from the Gran Capitaõ; that he -had naturally a great admiration for the British, together with much -compassion for friendless strangers; and finally, that he might be of -the utmost use to us during our stay at Goa. Thereupon he sat down, and -proceeded to make himself comfortable. He pulled a cigar out of our box, -called for a glass of water, but preferred sherry, ate at least a dozen -plantains, and washed down the sherry with a coffee-cup full of milk. We -began to be amused. - -“Have you breakfasted?” - -Yes, he had. At Goa they generally do so betimes. However, for the -sake of companionship he would lay down his cigar and join us. He was -certainly a good trencher-companion, that young gentleman. Witness his -prowess upon a plate of fish, a dish of curry, a curd cheese, a water -melon, and half-a-dozen cups of _café au lait_. Then after settling the -heterogeneous mass with a glass of our _anisette_, he re-applied himself -to his cheroot. - -We were in hopes that he had fallen into a state of torpor. By no means! -The activity of his mind soon mastered the inertness of the flesh. Before -the first few puffs had disappeared in the thin air, our friend arose, -distinctly for the purpose of surveying the room. He walked slowly and -calmly around it, varying that recreation by occasionally looking into -our bed, inspecting a box or two, opening our books, addressing a few -chance words to us, generally in the style interrogative, trying on our -hat before the looking-glass, defiling our brushes and combs with his -limp locks, redolent of rancid cocoa-nut oil, and glancing with fearful -meaning at our tooth-brushes. - -Our amusement now began to assume the form of indignation. Would it -be better to disappear into an inner room, send for Salvador to show -our _bête noire_ the door, or lead him out by the ear? Whilst still -deliberating, we observed with pleasure the tawny face of John Thomas. - -The Señor Ioaõ Thomas de Sonza no sooner caught sight of the Señor -Gaetano de Gama than his countenance donned an expression of high -indignation, dashed with profound contempt; and the latter Señor almost -simultaneously betrayed outward and visible signs of disappointment and -considerable confusion. The ridiculous scene ended with the disappearance -of the unsuccessful aspirant to ciceronic honours, a homily from John -Thomas upon the danger of having anything to do with such rabble, and an -injunction to Salvador never to admit the collector’s son again. - -“His Excellency the Governor General of all the Indies cannot have the -exalted honour of receiving your Excellency this morning, on account of -the sudden illness of Her Excellency the Lady of the Governor General of -all the Indies; but the Governor General of all the Indies will be proud -to receive your Excellency to-morrow—if Heaven be pleased!” said John -Thomas, tempering dignity with piety. - -Thank Goodness for the reprieve! - -“So, if the measure be honoured with your Excellency’s approval, we will -now embark in a covered canoe, and your servant will have the felicity -of pointing out from the sea the remarkable sites and buildings of New -Goa; after which, a walk through our celebrated city will introduce your -Excellency to the exteriors and interiors of its majestic edifices, its -churches, its theatre, its hospital, its library, and its barracks.” - -Very well! - -A few minutes’ rowing sufficed to bring our canoe to the centre of -the creek, along side and in full view of the town. Around us lay the -shipping, consisting of two or three vessels from Portugal and China, -some score of native craft, such as pattimars, cottias, canoes, and -bunderboats, with one sloop of war, composing the Goanese navy. - - * * * * * - -Panjim is situated upon a narrow ledge, between a hill to the south, and, -on the north, the Rio de Goa, or arm of the sea, which stretches several -miles from west to east. A quay of hewn stone, well built, but rather too -narrow for ornament or use, lines the south bank of the stream, if we may -so call it, which hereabouts is a little more than a quarter of a mile -in breadth. The appearance of the town is strange to the Indian tourist. -There are many respectable-looking houses, usually one story high, -solidly constructed of stone and mortar, with roofs of red tile, and -surrounded by large court-yards overgrown with cocoa-nut trees. Bungalows -are at a discount; only the habitations of the poor consist solely of -a ground floor. In general the walls are whitewashed,—an operation -performed regularly once a year, after the Monsoon rains; and the result -is a most offensive glare. Upon the eminence behind the town is a small -telegraph, and half-way down the hill, the Igreja (church) de Conceição, -a plain and ill-built pile, as usual, beautifully situated. The edifices -along the creek which catch the eye, are the Palacio, where the Governor -resides, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Contadorin or Accomptant’s Office, -and the Alfandega or Custom House. All of them are more remarkable for -vastness than neatness of design. - -“We will now row down the creek, and see the Aldeas or villages of St. -Agnes and Verim,” quoth our guide, pointing towards a scattered line of -churches, villas, and cottages, half concealed from view by the towering -trees, or thrown forward in clear relief by the green background. - -To hear was to obey: though we anticipated little novelty. On landing -we were surprised to find the shore so thickly inhabited. Handsome -residences, orientally speaking, appeared here and there; a perfect -network of footpaths ramified over the hills; in a word, every yard of -ground bore traces of life and activity. Not that there was much to -be seen at St. Agnes, with its huge, rambling old pile, formerly the -archiepiscopal palace, or at Verim, a large village full of Hindoos, who -retreat there to avoid the places selected for residence by the retired -officers, _employés_ of government, students, and Christian landed -proprietors. - -“And now for a trip to the eastward!” - -“What!” we exclaimed, “isn’t the lionizing to stop here?” - -“By no means,” replied John Thomas, solemnly; “all English gentlemen -visit Ribandar, Britona, and the Seminary of Chorão.” - -Ribandar is about two miles to the east of Panjim, and is connected -with it by a long stone bridge, built by the viceroy Miguel de Noronha. -It seems to be thriving upon the ruins of its neighbour, San Pedro -or Panelly, an old village, laid waste by the devastator of Velha -Goa—intermittent fever. From some distance we saw the noble palace, -anciently inhabited by the archbishops, and the seat of the viceroys and -governors, called the Casa de Polvora, from a neighbouring manufactory -of gunpowder. Here, however, we became restive, and no persuasion could -induce us to walk a mile in order to inspect the bare walls. - -Being somewhat in dread of Britona, which appeared to be a second edition -of St. Agnes and Verim, we compounded with John Thomas, and secured an -exemption by consenting to visit and inspect the Seminary. - -Chorão was formerly the noviciate place of the Jesuits.[8] It is an -island opposite Ribandar, small and thinly populated, the climate being -confessedly most unwholesome. We were informed that the director was -sick and the rector suffering from fever. The pallid complexion of the -resident pupils told a sad tale of malaria. - -The building is an immense mass of chapels, cloisters, and apartments -for the professors and students. There is little of the remarkable in -it. The walls are ornamented with abominable frescoes and a few prints, -illustrating the campaigns of Napoleon and Louis Quatorze. The crucifixes -appear almost shocking. They are, generally speaking, wooden figures -as large as life, painted with most livid and unnatural complexions, -streaked with indigo-coloured veins, and striped with streams of blood. -More offensive still are the representations of the Almighty, so common -in Roman Catholic countries. - -In the sacristy, we were shown some tolerable heads of apostles and -saints. They were not exactly original Raphaels and Guidos, as our black -friends declared, but still it was a pleasure to see good copies of -excellent exemplars in India, the land of coloured prints and lithographs -of Cerito and Taglioni. - -[Illustration: R. Burton delᵗ. Printed by Hullmandel & Walton. - -THE CATHEDRAL OF GOA. - -London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.] - -Ah! now we have finished our peregrinations. - -“Yes,” responded John Thomas; “your Excellency has now only to walk about -and inspect the town of Panjim.” - -Accordingly we landed and proceeded to make our observations there. - -That Panjim is a Christian town appears instantly from the multitude and -variety of the filthy feeding hogs, that infest the streets. The pig -here occupies the social position that he does in Ireland, only he is -never eaten when his sucking days are past. Panjim loses much by close -inspection. The streets are dusty and dirty, of a most disagreeable brick -colour, and where they are paved, the pavement is old and bad. The doors -and window-frames of almost all the houses are painted green, and none -but the very richest admit light through anything more civilized than -oyster-shells. The balcony is a prominent feature, but it presents none -of the gay scenes for which it is famous in Italy and Spain. - -We could not help remarking the want of horses and carriages in the -streets, and were informed that the whole place did not contain more than -half a dozen vehicles. The popular conveyance is a kind of palanquin, -composed of a light sofa, curtained with green wax cloth, and strung to -a bamboo pole, which rests upon the two bearers’ heads or shoulders. -This is called a _mancheel_, and a most lugubrious-looking thing it is, -forcibly reminding one of a coffin covered with a green pall. - -At length we arrived at the Barracks, a large building in the form of -an irregular square, fronting the Rio, and our British curiosity being -roused by hearing that the celebrated old thief, Phonde Sawunt,[9] was -living there under surveillance, we determined to visit that rebel on a -small scale. His presence disgraces his fame; it is that of a wee, ugly, -grey, thin, old and purblind Maharatta. He received us, however, with not -a little dignity and independence of manner, motioned us to sit down with -a military air, and entered upon a series of queries concerning the Court -of Lahore, at that time the only power on whose exertions the agitators -of India could base any hopes. Around the feeble, decrepit old man stood -about a dozen stalworth sons, with naked shoulders, white cloths round -their waists and topknots of hair, which the god Shiva himself might -own with pride. They have private apartments in the barracks, full of -wives and children, and consider themselves personages of no small -importance; in which opinion they are, we believe, by no means singular. -Their fellow-countrymen look upon them as heroes, and have embalmed, or -attempted to embalm their breakjaw names in immortal song. They are, in -fact, negro Robin Hoods and Dick Turpins—knights of the road and the -waste it is true, but not accounted the less honourable for belonging -to that celebrated order of chivalry. The real Maharatta is by nature a -thorough-bred plunderer, and well entitled to sing the Suliot ditty— - - “Κλεφτες ποτε Παργαν,”[10] - -with the slight variation of locality only. Besides, strange to say, -amongst Orientals, they have a well-defined idea of what patriotism -means, and can groan under the real or fancied wrongs of the “stranger” -or the “Sassenach’s” dominion as loudly and lustily as any Hibernian or -Gael in the land. - -We now leave Phonde Sawunt and the Barracks to thread our way through -a numerous and disagreeable collection of yelping curs and officious -boatmen. - -“Would your Excellency prefer to visit the hospital, the churches of St. -Sebastian and Conceição, the jail, the library, the printing-house, and -the bazaars now or to-morrow morning?” - -“Neither now nor ever—thank you—we are going to the promenade.” - -After a few minutes’ walk we came to the west end of Panjim, where lies a -narrow scrap of sea-beach appropriated to “constitutionals.” On our way -there we observed that the Goanese, with peculiar good taste, had erected -seats wherever a pretty _point de vue_ would be likely to make one stand -and wish to sit awhile. - -Had we expected a crowded _corso_, we should have been disappointed; -half-a-dozen mancheels, two native officers on horseback, one carriage, -and about a dozen promenaders, were moving lazily and listlessly down the -lugubrious-looking strand. - -Reader, has it ever been your unhappy fate to be cooped up in a wretched -place called Pisa? If so, perhaps you recollect a certain drive to the -Cascine—a long road, down whose dreary length run two parallel rows -of dismal poplars, desolating to the eye, like mutes at a funeral. We -mentally compared the Cascine drive and the Panjim corso, and the result -of the comparison was, that we wished a very good evening to the Señor, -and went home. - -“Salvador, what is that terrible noise—are they slaughtering a pig—or -murdering a boy?” - -“Nothing,” replied Salvador, “nothing whatever—some Christian beating his -wife.” - -“Is that a common recreation?” - -“Very.” - -So we found out to our cost. First one gentleman chastised his spouse, -then another, and then another. To judge by the ear, the fair ones -did not receive the discipline with that patience, submission, and -long-suffering which Eastern dames are most apocryphally believed to -practise. In fact, if the truth must be told, a prodigious scuffling -informed us that the game was being played with similar good will, and -nearly equal vigour by both parties. The police at Goa never interfere -with these little domesticalities; the residents, we suppose, lose -the habit of hearing them, but the stranger finds them disagreeable. -Therefore, we should strongly advise all future visitors to select -some place of residence where they may escape the martial sounds that -accompany such _tours de force_ when displayed by the lords and ladies of -the creation. On one occasion we were obliged to change our lodgings for -others less exposed to the nuisance. Conceive inhabiting a snug corner of -a locality devoted to the conversion of pig into pork! - - * * * * * - -“Sahib,” exclaimed Salvador, “you had better go to bed, or retire into -another room, for I see the Señor Gaetano coming here as fast as his legs -can carry him.” - -“Very well,” we whispered, slipping rapidly through the open door, “tell -him we are out.” And behind the wall we heard the message duly delivered. - -But the Señor saw no reason in our being out why he should not -make himself at home. He drew two chairs into the verandah, called -for cigars and sherry, fanned himself with his dirty brown cotton -pocket-handkerchief, and sat there patiently awaiting our return. - -We did not forcibly eject that Señor. The fact is, memory began to be -busily at work, and dim scenes of past times, happy days spent in our -dear old distant native land were floating and flashing before our -mental eye. Again we saw our neat little rooms at ⸺ College, Oxford, -our omnipresent dun, Mr. Joye—what a name for a tailor!—comfortably -ensconsed in the best arm-chair, with the best of our regalias in his -mouth, and the best of our Port wine at his elbow, now warming his -lean hands before the blazing coal fire—it was very near Christmas—now -dreamily gazing at the ceiling, as if £ _s._ _d._ were likely to drop -through its plaster. - -And where were we? - -Echo cannot answer, so we must. - -Standing in the coal-hole—an aperture in the wall of our -bedchamber—whence seated upon a mass of coke, we could distinctly discern -through the interstices of the door, Mr. Joye enjoying himself as above -described. - -Years of toil and travel and trouble had invested that coal-hole with -the roseate hue which loves to linger over old faces and old past times; -so we went quietly to bed, sacrificing at the shrine of Mnemosyne the -sherry and the cheroots served to us, and the kick-out deserved by the -Señor Gaetano de Gama, son of the Collector of Ribandar, and a lineal -descendent of the Gran Capitaõ. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -OLD GOA AS IT WAS. - - -“Señor,” said our cicerone, entering unannounced, at about ten A.M., -“it is time for your Excellency to prepare for an interview with his -Excellency the Governor-General of all the Indies; and if it meet with -your approbation, we can see the library, and the celebrated statue of -Alfonso de Albuquerque on our way to the palacio.” - -The horses were soon saddled, and the Señor was with some difficulty -persuaded to mount. _En route_ his appearance afforded no small amusement -to his fellow townsmen, who grinned from ear to ear seeing him clinging -to the saddle, and holding on by the bridle, with his back hunched, and -his shoulders towering above his ears like those of an excited cat. -The little Maharatta “man-eater”[11] was dancing with disgust at this -peculiar style of equitation, and the vivacity of his movements so -terrified the Señor, that, to our extreme regret, he chose the first -moment to dismount under pretext of introducing us to Albuquerque. - -The statue of that hero stands under a whitewashed dome, in a small -square opposite the east front of the Barracks. It is now wrapped up -in matting, having lately received such injuries that it was deemed -advisable to send to Portugal for a new nose and other requisites. - -The library disappointed us. We had heard that it contained many volumes -collected from the different religious houses by order of the government, -and thus saved from mildew and the white ants. Of course, we expected a -variety of MSS. and publications upon the subject of Oriental languages -and history, as connected with the Portuguese settlements. The catalogue, -however, soon informed us that it was a mere ecclesiastical library, -dotted here and there with the common classical authors; a few old books -of travels; some volumes of history, and a number of musty disquisitions -on ethics, politics, and metaphysics. We could find only three Oriental -works—a Syriac book printed at Oxford, a manuscript Dictionary, and a -Grammar of the Concanee dialect of Maharatta. - -Arrived at the palace, we sent in our card, and were desired to walk up. -We were politely received by an aide-de-camp, who, after ascertaining -that we could speak a few words of Portuguese, left the room to inform -the Governor of that prodigious fact, which, doubtless, procured us the -honour of an interview with that exalted personage. It did not last -long enough to be tedious, still we were not sorry when his Excellency -retired with the excuse of public business, and directed the aide-de-camp -to show us about the building. There was not much to be seen in it, -except a tolerably extensive library, a private chapel, and a suite -of lofty and spacious saloons, with enormous windows, and without -furniture; containing the portraits of all the Governors and Viceroys -of Portuguese India. The collection is, or rather has been, a valuable -one; unfortunately some Goth, by the order of some worse than Goth, has -renewed and revived many of the best and oldest pictures, till they have -assumed a most ludicrous appearance. The handsome and chivalrous-looking -knights have been taught to resemble the Saracen’s Head, the Marquis -of Granby, and other sign-post celebrities in England. An artist -is, however, it is said, coming from Portugal, and much scraping and -varnishing may do something for the De Gamas and de Castros at present so -miserably disfigured. - - * * * * * - -And now, thank Goodness, all our troubles are over. We can start as soon -as we like for the “ruin and the waste,” merely delaying to secure a -covered boat, victual it for a few days, and lay in a store of jars of -fresh water—a necessary precaution against ague and malaria. Salvador -is to accompany us, and John Thomas has volunteered to procure us a -comfortable lodging in the Aljube, or ecclesiastical prison. - -A couple of hours’ steady rowing will land us at old Goa. As there is -nothing to be said about the banks which are lined with the eternal -succession of villages, palaces, villas, houses, cottages, gardens, and -cocoa-nut trees; instead of lingering upon the uninteresting details, -we will pass the time in drawing out a short historical sketch of the -hapless city’s fortunes. - -It is not, we believe, generally known that there are two old Goas. -Ancient old Goa stood on the south coast of the island, about two miles -from its more modern namesake. Ferishteh, and the other Moslem annalists -of India allude to it as a great and celebrated seaport in the olden -time. It was governed by its own Rajah, who held it in fief from the -Princes of Beejanugger and the Carnatic. In the fifteenth century it -was taken by the Moslem monarchs of the Bahmani line. Even before the -arrival of the Portuguese in India the inhabitants began to desert their -old seaport and migrate to the second Goa. Of the ancient Hindoo town no -traces now remain, except some wretched hovels clustering round a parish -church. Desolation and oblivion seem to have claimed all but the name -of the place, and none but the readers of musty annals and worm-eaten -histories are aware that such a city ever existed. - -The modern old Goa was built about nineteen years before the arrival of -Vasco de Gama at Calicut, an event fixed by the historian, Faria, on 20th -of May, 1498. It was taken from the Moors or Moslems by Albuquerque, -about thirty years after its foundation—a length of time amply sufficient -to make it a place of importance, considering the mushroom-like rapidity -with which empires and their capitals shoot up in the East. Governed by -a succession of viceroys, many of them the bravest and wisest of the -Portuguese nation, Goa soon rose to a height of power, wealth, and -magnificence almost incredible. But the introduction of the Jesuits, -the Holy Tribunal, and its fatal offspring, religious persecution; -pestilence, and wars with European and native powers, disturbances -arising from an unsettled home government, and, above all things, the -slow but sure workings of the short-sighted policy of the Portuguese -in intermarrying and identifying themselves with Hindoos of the lowest -castes, made her fall as rapid as her rise was sudden and prodigious. -In less than a century and a half after De Gama landed on the shore of -India, the splendour of Goa had departed for ever. Presently the climate -changed in that unaccountable manner often witnessed in hot and tropical -countries. Every one fled from the deadly fever that raged within the -devoted precincts, and the villages around began to thrive upon the decay -of the capital. At last, in 1758, the viceroy, a namesake of Albuquerque, -transferred his habitual residence to Panjim. Soon afterwards the -Jesuits were expelled, and their magnificent convents and churches were -left all but utterly deserted. The Inquisition[12] was suppressed when -the Portuguese court was at Rio Janeiro, at the recommendation of the -British Government—one of those good deeds with which our native land -atones for a multitude of minor sins. - -The descriptions of Goa in her palmy days are, thanks to the many -travellers that visited the land, peculiarly graphic and ample. - -First in the list, by seniority, stands Linschoten, a native of Haarlem, -who travelled to the capital of Portuguese India about 1583, in company -with the Archbishop Fre Vincent de Fonçega. After many years spent in -the East, he returned to his native country, and published his travels, -written in old French. The book is replete with curious information. -Linschoten’s account of the riches and splendour of Goa would be judged -exaggerated, were they not testified to by a host of other travellers. -It is described as the finest, largest, and most magnificent city in -India: its villas almost merited the title of palaces, and seemed to be -built for the purpose of displaying the wealth and magnificence of the -erectors. It is said that during the prosperous times of the Portuguese -in India, you could not have seen a bit of “iron in any merchant’s house, -but all gold and silver.” They coined an immense quantity of the precious -metals, and used to make pieces of workmanship in them for exportation. -They were a nation of traders, and the very soldiers enriched themselves -by commerce. After nine years’ service, all those that came from Portugal -were entitled to some command, either by land or sea; they frequently, -however, rejected government employ on account of being engaged in -the more lucrative pursuit of trade. The viceroyalty of Goa was one -of the most splendid appointments in the world. There were five other -governments, namely—Mozambique, Malacca, Ormus, Muscat, and Ceylon, the -worst of which was worth ten thousand crowns (about two thousand pounds) -per annum—an enormous sum in those days. - -The celebrated Monsieur Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne, visited Goa twice; -first in 1641, the second time seven years afterwards. In his day the -city was declining rapidly,[13] and even during the short period that -elapsed between his two voyages, he remarked that many whom he had -known as people of fashion, with above two thousand crowns revenue, -were reduced to visiting him privately in the evening, and begging for -alms. Still, he observed, “they abated nothing, for all that, of their -inherent pride and haughtiness.” He pays no compliment to the Portuguese -character: “They are the most revengeful persons, and the most jealous of -their wives in the world, and where the least suspicion creeps into their -saddles, they rid themselves of them either by poison or dagger.” The -baron had no cause for complaint in his reception at Goa by the viceroy, -Don Philip de Mascaregnas, who “made him very welcome, and esteeming -much a pistol, curiously inlaid,” which the traveller presented to him, -sent for him five or six times to the Powder-house, or old palace. That -viceroy seems, however, to have been a dangerous host. He was a most -expert poisoner, and had used his skill most diligently, ridding himself -of many enemies, when governor of Ceylon. At Goa he used to admit no -one to his table—even his own family was excluded. He was the richest -Portuguese noble that ever left the East, especially in diamonds, of -which he had a large parcel containing none but stones between ten and -forty carats weight. The Goanese hated him, hung him in effigy before -his departure, and when he died on the voyage, reported that he had been -poisoned in the ship—a judgment from Heaven. - -Monsieur Tavernier visited the Inquisition, where he was received with -sundry “searching questions” concerning his faith, the Protestant. During -the interview, the Inquisitor “told him that he was welcome, calling -out at the same time, for some other persons to enter. Thereupon, the -hangings being held up, came in ten or twelve persons out of a room hard -by.” They were assured that the traveller possessed no prohibited books; -the prudent Tavernier had left even his Bible behind him. The Inquisidor -Mor[14] discoursed with him for a couple of hours, principally upon the -subject of his wanderings, and, three days afterwards, sent him a polite -invitation to dinner. - -But a well-known practice of the Holy Tribunal—namely, that of -confiscating the gold, silver, and jewels of every prisoner, to defray -the expenses of the process—had probably directed the Inquisitor’s -attention to so rich a traveller as the baron was. Tavernier had, -after all, rather a narrow escape from the Holy Office, in spite of -its civilities. When about to leave Goa, he imprudently requested and -obtained from the Viceroy, permission to take with him one Mons. de -Belloy, a countryman in distress. This individual had deserted from the -Dutch to the Portuguese, and was kindly received by them. At Macao, -however, he lost his temper at play, and “cursed the portraiture of some -Papistical saint, as the cause of his ill-luck.” For this impiety he was -forthwith sent by the Provincial Inquisitor to Goa, but he escaped the -stake by private interest with the Viceroy,[15] and was punished only by -“wearing old clothes, which were all to tatters and full of vermin.” When -Tavernier and his friend set sail, the latter “became very violent, and -swore against the Inquisition like a madman.” That such procedure was a -dangerous one was proved by Mons. de Belloy’s fate. He was rash enough -to return some months afterwards to Goa, where he remained two years in -the dungeons of the Holy Office, “from which he was not discharged but -with a sulphured shirt, and a St. Andrew’s cross upon his stomach.” -The unfortunate man was eventually taken prisoner by the enraged -“Hollanders,” put into a sack, and thrown into the sea, as a punishment -for desertion. - -[Illustration: R. Burton delᵗ. Printed by Hullmandel & Walton. - -VIEW OF OLD GOA FROM THE MANDOVA OR CREEK. - -London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.] - -About twenty-five years after Tavernier’s departure. Dellon, the French -physician, who made himself conspicuous by his “Relation de l’Inquisition -de Goa,” visited the city. By his own account, he appears to have excited -the two passions which burn fiercest in the Portuguese bosom—jealousy -and bigotry. When at Daman, his “innocent visits” to a lady, who was -loved by Manuel de Mendonça, the Governor, and a black priest, who was -secretary to the Inquisition, secured for him a pair of powerful enemies. -Being, moreover, an amateur of Scholastic Theology, a willing disputer -with heretics and schismatics, a student of the Old as well as the -New Testament, and perhaps a little dogmatical, as dilettanti divines -generally are, he presently found himself _brouillé_ at the same place -with a Dominican friar. The Frenchman had refused to kiss the figure -of the Virgin, painted upon the lids of the alms boxes: he had denied -certain effects of the baptism, called “flaminis,” protested against -the adoration of images, and finally capped the whole by declaring that -the decrees of the Holy Tribunal are not so infallible as those of -the Divine Author of Christianity. The horror-struck auditor instantly -denounced him with a variety of additions and emendations sufficient to -make his case very likely to conclude with strangling and burning. - -Perceiving a storm impending over him, our physician waited upon the -Commissary of the Inquisition, if possible to avert the now imminent -danger. That gentlemanly old person seems to have received him with -uncommon urbanity, benevolently offered much good advice, and lodged him -in jail with all possible expedition. - -The prison at Daman is described as a most horrible place; hot, damp, -fetid, dark, and crowded. The inmates were half starved, and so miserable -that forty out of fifty Malabar pirates, who had been imprisoned there, -preferred strangling themselves with their turbans to enduring the -tortures of such an earthly Hades. - -The first specimen of _savoir faire_ displayed by the Doctor’s enemies -was to detain him in the Daman jail till the triennial Auto da Fé at -Goa had taken place; thereby causing for him at least two years’ delay -and imprisonment in the capital before he could be brought to trial. -Having succeeded in this they sent him heavily ironed on board a boat -which finally deposited him in the Casa Santa.[16] There he was taken -before the Mesa, or Board, stripped of all his property, and put into the -_chambrette_ destined for his reception. - -Three weary years spent in that dungeon gave Dellon ample time to -experience and reflect upon the consequences of amativeness and -disputativeness. After being thrice examined by the grand Inquisitor, -and persuaded to confess his sins by the false promise of liberty held -out to him, driven to despair by the system of solitary imprisonment, -by the cries of those who were being tortured, and by anticipations of -the noose and the faggot, he made three attempts to commit suicide. -During the early part of his convalescence he was allowed the luxury of -a negro fellow-prisoner in his cell; but when he had recovered strength -this indulgence was withdrawn. Five or six other examinations rapidly -succeeded each other, and finally, on the 11th of January, 1676, he was -fortunate enough to be present at the Auto da Fé in that garb of good -omen, the black dress with white stripes. The sentence was confiscation -of goods and chattels, banishment from India, five years of the galleys -in Portugal, and a long list of various penances to be performed during -the journey. - -On arriving at Lisbon he was sent to the hulks, but by the interest of -his fellow-countrymen he recovered his liberty in June, 1677. About -eleven years afterwards he published anonymously a little volume -containing an account of his sufferings. By so doing he broke the oaths -of secrecy administered to him by the Holy Tribunal, but probably he -found it easy enough to salve his conscience in that matter. - -The next in our list stands the good Capt. Hamilton, a sturdy old -merchant militant, who infested the Eastern seas about the beginning of -the eighteenth century. - -The captain’s views of the manners and customs of the people are more -interesting than his description of the city. After alluding to their -habits of intoxication he proceeds to the subject of religion, and terms -both clergy and laity “a pack of the most atrocious hypocrites in the -world;” and, at the same time, “most zealous bigots.” There were not -less than eighty churches, convents, and monasteries within view of the -town, and these were peopled by “thirty thousand church vermin who live -idly and luxuriously on the labour and sweat of the miserable laity.” -Our voyager then falls foul of the _speciosa miracula_ of St. Francis de -Xavier. He compares the holy corpse to that of “new scalded pig,” opines -that it is a “pretty piece of wax-work that serves to gull the people,” -and utterly disbelieves that the amputated right-arm, when sent to Rome -to stand its trial for sainthood, took hold of the pen, dipped it in ink -and fairly wrote “Xavier” in full view of the sacred college. - -The poverty of Goa must have been great in Capt. Hamilton’s time, when -“the houses were poorly furnished within like their owners’ heads, and -the tables and living very mean.” The army was so ill-paid and defrauded -that the soldiers were little better than common thieves and assassins. -Trade was limited to salt and arrack, distilled from the cocoa-nut. The -downfall of Goa had been hastened by the loss of Muscat to the Arabs, a -disaster brought on by the Governor’s insolent folly,[17] by an attack -made in 1660 upon the capital by a Dutch squadron, which, though it -failed in consequence of the strength of the fortifications, still caused -great loss and misery to the Portuguese, and finally by the Maharatta -war. In 1685, Seevagee, the Robert Bruce of Southern India, got a footing -in the island, and would have taken the city had he not been— - - “Foiled by a woman’s hand before a broken wall.” - -The “Maid of Goa” was one Donna Maria, a Portuguese lady, who travelled -to Goa dressed like a man in search of a perfidious swain who had been -guilty of breach of promise of marriage. She found him at last and -challenged him to the duello with sword and pistol, but the gentleman -declined the invitation, preferring to marry than to fight Donna Maria. - -A few years afterwards the Maharatta war began, and the heroine excited -by her country’s losses, and, of course, directed by inspiration, headed -a sally against Seevagee, took a redoubt, and cut all the heathen in -it to pieces. The enemy, probably struck by some superstitious terror, -precipitately quitted the island, and the Donna’s noble exploit was -rewarded with a captain’s pay for life. - -We conclude with the Rev. Mons. Cottineau de Kleguen, a French -missionary, who died at Madras in 1830. His “Historical Sketch of Goa” -was published the year after his death. It is useful as a guide-book to -the buildings, and gives much information about ecclesiastical matters. -In other points it is defective in the extreme. As might be expected -from a zealous Romanist, the reverend gentleman stands up stoutly for -the inquisition in spite of his “entire impartiality,” and displays much -curious art in defending the Jesuits’ peculiar process of detaching the -pagans from idol worship, by destroying their temples and pagodas. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -OLD GOA AS IT IS. - - -The setting sun was pouring a torrent of crimson light along the Rio as -the prow of our canoe bumped against the steps of the wharf, warning -us that we had at length reached our destination. The landing-place is -a little beyond the arsenal, and commands a full view of the cathedral -and other conspicuous objects. The first glance around convinced us that -we were about to visit a city of the dead, and at once swept away the -delusion caused by the distant view of white-washed churches and towers, -glittering steeples and domes. - -As such places should always, in our humble opinion, be visited for -the first time by moonlight, we spent an hour or two in ascertaining -what accommodations the Aljube, or ecclesiastical prison, would afford. -Dellon’s terrible description of the place had prepared us for “roughing -it,” but we were agreeably disappointed.[18] The whole building, with -the exception of a few upper rooms, had been cleaned, plastered, and -painted, till it presented a most respectable appearance. Salvador, it -is true, had ventured into the garrets, and returned with his pantaloons -swarming with animal life. This, however, only suggested the precaution -of placing water-pots under the legs of our “Waterloo,” and strewing the -floor with the leaves of the “sacred grass,” a vegetable luxury abounding -in this part of the world. - -When the moon began to sail slowly over the eastern hills, we started -on our tour of inspection, and, as a preliminary measure, walked down -the wharf, a long and broad road, lined with double rows of trees, and -faced with stone, opposite the sea. A more suggestive scene could not be -conceived than the utter desolation which lay before us. Everything that -met the eye or ear seemed teeming with melancholy associations; the very -rustling of the trees and the murmur of the waves sounded like a dirge -for the departed grandeur of the city. - -A few minutes’ walk led us to a conspicuous object on the right hand -side of the wharf. It was a solitary gateway, towering above the huge -mass of ruins which flanks the entrance to the Strada Diretta.[19] On -approaching it we observed the statue of Saint Catherine,[20] shrined in -an upper niche, and a grotesque figure of Vasco de Gama in one beneath. -Under this arch the newly-appointed viceroys of Goa used to pass in -triumphal procession towards the palace. - -Beyond the gateway a level road, once a populous thoroughfare, leads -to the Terra di Sabaio, a large square, fronting the Se Primaçial or -Cathedral of Saint Catherine, and flanked by the Casa Santa. Before -visiting the latter spot we turned to the left, and ascending a heap -of ruins, looked down upon the excavation, which now marks the place -where the Viceregal Palace rose. The building, which occupied more than -two acres of ground, has long been razed from the very foundations, and -the ground on which it stood is now covered with the luxuriant growth -of poisonous plants and thorny trees. As we wandered amidst them, a -solitary jackal, slinking away from the intruder, was the only living -being that met our view, and the deep bell of the cathedral, marking the -lapse of time for dozens, where hundreds of thousands had once hearkened -to it, the only sound telling of man’s presence that reached our ear. - -In the streets beyond, nothing but the foundations of the houses could -be traced, the tall cocoa and the lank grass waving rankly over many a -forgotten building. In the only edifices which superstition has hitherto -saved, the churches, convents, and monasteries, a window or two, dimly -lighted up, showed that here and there dwells some solitary priest. The -whole scene reminded us of the Arab’s eloquent description of the “city -with impenetrable gates, still, without a voice or a cheery inhabitant: -the owl hooting in its quarters, and birds skimming in circles in its -areas, and the raven croaking in its great thoroughfare streets, as -if bewailing those that had been in it.” What a contrast between the -moonlit scenery of the distant bay, smiling in all eternal Nature’s -loveliness, and the dull grey piles of ruined or desolate habitations, -the short-lived labours of man! - -We turned towards the Casa Santa, and with little difficulty climbed to -the top of the heaps which mark the front where its three gates stood. -In these remains the eye, perhaps influenced by imagination, detects -something more than usually dreary. A curse seems to have fallen upon it; -not a shrub springs between the fragments of stone, which, broken and -blackened with decay, are left to encumber the soil, as unworthy of being -removed. - -Whilst we were sitting there, an old priest, who was preparing to perform -mass in the cathedral, came up and asked what we were doing. - -“Looking at the Casa Santa,” we answered. He inquired if we were -Christian, meaning, of course, Roman Catholic. We replied in the -affirmative, intending, however, to use the designation in its ampler -sense. - -“Ah, very well,” replied our interrogator. “I put the question, because -the heretics from Bombay and other places always go to see the Casa Santa -first in order to insult its present state.” - -And the Señor asked us whether we would attend mass at the cathedral; we -declined, however, with a promise to admire its beauties the next day, -and departed once more on our wanderings. - -For an hour or two we walked about without meeting a single human being. -Occasionally we could detect a distant form disappearing from the road, -and rapidly threading its way through the thick trees as we drew near. -Such precaution is still deemed necessary at Goa, though the inducements -to robbery or violence, judging from the appearance of the miserable -inhabitants, must be very small. - -At last, fatigued with the monotony of the ruins and the length of -the walk, we retraced our steps, and passing down the Strada Diretta, -sat under the shade of a tree facing the Rio. Nothing could be more -delicately beautiful than the scene before us—the dark hills, clothed -with semi-transparent mist, the little streams glistening like lines -of silver over the opposite plain, and the purple surface of the creek -stretched at our feet. Most musically too, the mimic waves splashed -against the barrier of stone, and the soft whisperings of the night -breeze alternately rose and fell in unison with the voice of the waters. - -Suddenly we heard, or thought we heard, a groan proceeding from behind -the tree. It was followed by the usual Hindoo ejaculation of “Ram! -Ram!”[21] - -Our curiosity was excited. We rose from our seat and walked towards the -place whence the sound came. - -By the clear light of the moon we could distinguish the emaciated form -and features of an old Jogee.[22] He was sparingly dressed, in the -usual ochre-coloured cotton clothes, and sat upon the ground, with his -back against the trunk of the tree. As he caught sight of us, he raised -himself upon his elbow, and began to beg in the usual whining tone. - -“Thy gift will serve for my funeral,” he said with a faint smile, -pointing to a few plantain leaf platters, containing turmeric, red -powder, rice, and a few other similar articles. - -We inquired into what he considered the signs and symptoms of approaching -dissolution. It was a complaint that must have caused him intense pain, -which any surgeon could have instantly alleviated. We told him what -medical skill could do, offered to take him at once where assistance -could be procured, and warned him that the mode of suicide which he -proposed to carry out, would be one of most agonising description. - -“I consider this disease a token from the Bhagwán (the Almighty) that -this form of existence is finished!” and he stedfastly refused all aid. - -We asked whether pain might not make him repent his decision, perhaps too -late. His reply was characteristic of his caste. Pointing to a long sabre -cut, which seamed the length of his right side, he remarked, - -“I have been a soldier—under your rule. If I feared not death in fighting -at the word of the Feringee, am I likely, do you think, to shrink from it -when the Deity summons me?” - -It is useless to argue with these people; so we confined ourselves to -inquiring what had made him leave the Company’s service. - -He told us the old story, the cause of half the asceticism in the East—a -disappointment in an _affaire de cœur_. After rising to the rank of -_naick_, or corporal, very rapidly, in consequence of saving the life of -an officer at the siege of Poonah, he and a comrade obtained leave of -absence, and returned to their native hamlet, in the Maharatta hills. -There he fell in love, desperately, as Orientals only can, with the wife -of the village Brahman. A few months afterwards the husband died, and it -was determined by the caste brethren that the relict should follow him, -by the Suttee rite. The soldier, however, resolved to save her, and his -comrade, apprised of his plans, promised to aid him with heart and hand. - -The pyre was heaped up, and surrounded by a throng of gazers collected -to witness the ceremony, so interesting and exciting to a superstitious -people. - -At length the Suttee appeared, supported by her female relations, down -the path opened to her by the awe-struck crowd. Slowly she ascended the -pile of firewood; and, after distributing little gifts to those around, -sat down, with the head of the deceased in her lap. At each of the four -corners of the pyre was a Brahman, chaunting some holy song. Presently -the priest who stood fronting the south-east, retired to fetch the sacred -fire. - -Suddenly a horseman, clad in yellow clothes,[23] dashed out of a -neighbouring thicket. Before any had time to oppose him, his fierce -little Maharatta pony clove the throng, and almost falling upon his -haunches with the effort, stood motionless by the side of the still unlit -pyre. At that instant the widow, assisted by a friendly hand, rose from -her seat, and was clasped in the horseman’s arms. - -One touch of the long Maharatta spur, and the pony again bounds, plunging -through the crowd, towards the place whence he came. Another moment and -they will be saved! - -Just as the fugitives are disappearing behind the thicket, an arrow shot -from the bow of a Rankari,[24] missing its mark, pierces deep into the -widow’s side. - - * * * * * - -The soldier buried his paramour under the tree where we were sitting. -Life had no longer any charms for him. He never returned to his corps, -and resolved to devote himself to futurity. - -It was wonderful, considering the pain he must have been enduring, to -hear him relate his tale so calmly and circumstantially. - -The next morning, when we passed by the spot, three or four half-naked -figures, in the holy garb, were sitting like mourners round the body of -the old Jogee. - -Strange the contempt for life shown by all these metempsychosists. Had -we saved that man by main force—an impossibility, by the by, under the -circumstances of the case—he would have cursed us, during the remnant -of his days, for committing an act of bitter and unprovoked enmity. -With the Hindoo generally, death is a mere darkening of the stage -in the mighty theatre of mundane life. To him the Destroyer appears -unaccompanied by the dread ideas of the Moslem tomb-torments, or the -horror with which the Christian[25] looks towards the Great Day; and -if Judgment, and its consecutive state of reward or punishment, be not -utterly unknown to him, his mind is untrained to dwell upon such events. -Consequently, with him Death has lost half his sting, and the Pyre can -claim no victory over him. - - * * * * * - -Old Goa has few charms when seen by the light of day. The places usually -visited are the Se Primaçial (Cathedral), the nunnery of Santa Monaca, -and the churches of St. Francis, St. Gaetano, and Bom Jesus. The latter -contains the magnificent tomb of St. Francis Xavier. His saintship, -however, is no longer displayed to reverential gazers in mummy or -“scalded pig” form. Altogether we reckoned about thirty buildings. Many -of them were falling to ruins, and others were being, or had been, -partially demolished. The extraordinary amount of havoc committed -during the last thirty[26] years, is owing partly to the poverty of the -Portuguese. Like the modern Romans, they found it cheaper to carry away -cut stone, than to quarry it; but, unlike the inhabitants of the Eternal -City, they have now no grand object in preserving the ruins. At Panjim, -we were informed that even the wood-work that decorates some of the -churches, had been put up for sale. - -The edifices, which are still in good repair, may be described in very -few words. They are, generally speaking, large rambling piles, exposing -an extensive surface of white-washed wall, surmounted by sloping roofs -of red tile, with lofty belfries and small windows. The visitor will -admire the vastness of the design, the excellence of the position, and -the adaptation of the architecture to the country and climate. But there -his praise will cease. With the exception of some remarkable wood-work, -the minor decorations of paintings and statues are inferior to those of -any Italian village church. As there is no such thing as coloured marble -in the country, parts of the walls are painted exactly in the style of -a small _cabaret_ in the south of France. The frescoes are of the most -grotesque description. Pontius Pilate is accommodated with a huge Turkish -turban; and the other saints and sinners appear in costumes equally -curious in an historical and pictorial point of view. Some groups, as -for instance the Jesuit martyrs upon the walls of Saint Francis, are -absolutely ludicrous. Boiled, roasted, grilled and hashed missionaries, -looking more like seals than men, gaze upon you with an eternal smile. -A semi-decapitated individual stands bolt upright during the painful -process which is being performed by a score of grim-looking heathen. And -black savages are uselessly endeavouring to stick another dart in the -epidermis of some unfortunate, whose body has already become more - - “Like an Egyptian porcupig” - -than aught human. One may fancy what an exhibition it is, from the -following fact. Whenever a picture or fresco fades, the less brilliant -parts are immediately supplied with a coating of superior vividness by -the hand of a common house-decorator. They reminded us forcibly of the -studio of an Anglo-Indian officer, who, being devotedly fond of pictorial -pursuits, and rather pinched for time withal, used to teach his black -servants to lay the blue, green, and brown on the canvas, and when he -could spare a leisure moment, return to scrape, brush, and glaze the -colour into sky, trees, and ground. - -Very like the paintings is the sculpture: it presents a series of -cherubims, angels, and saints, whose very aspect makes one shudder, and -think of Frankenstein. Stone is sometimes, wood the material generally -used. The latter is almost always painted to make the statue look as -unlike life as possible. - -Yet in spite of these disenchanting details, a feeling not unallied to -awe creeps over one when wandering down the desert aisles, or through -the crowdless cloisters. In a cathedral large enough for a first-rate -city in Europe, some twenty or thirty native Christians may be seen -at their devotions, and in monasteries built for hundreds of monks, a -single priest is often the only occupant. The few human beings that -meet the eye, increase rather than diminish the dismal effect of the -scene; as sepulchral looking as the spectacle around them, their pallid -countenances, and emaciated forms seem so many incarnations of the curse -of desolation which still hovers over the ruins of Old Goa. - - * * * * * - -We felt curious to visit the nunnery of Santa Monaca, an order said to -be strict in the extreme. The nuns are called madres (mothers) by the -natives, in token of respect, and are supposed to lead a very correct -life. Most of these ladies are born in the country; they take the veil at -any age when favoured with a vocation. - -Our curiosity was disappointed. All we saw was a variety of black -handmaids, and the portress, an antiquated lay sister, who insisted -upon our purchasing many rosaries and sweetmeats. Her garrulity was -excessive; nothing would satisfy her desire for mastering the intricacies -of modern Portuguese annals but a long historical sketch by us fancifully -impromptued. Her heart manifestly warmed towards us when we gave her the -information required. Upon the strength of it she led us into a most -uninteresting chapel, and pointed out the gallery occupied by the nuns -during divine service. As, however, a close grating and a curtain behind -it effectually conceal the spot from eyes profane, we derived little -advantage from her civility. We hinted and hinted that an introduction to -the prioress would be very acceptable—in vain; and when taking heart of -grace we openly asked permission to view the cloisters, which are said -to be worth seeing, the amiable old _soror_ replied indignantly, that it -was utterly impossible. It struck us forcibly that there was some mystery -in the case, and accordingly determined to hunt it out. - -“Did the Sahib tell them that he is an Englishman?” asked Salvador, after -at least an hour’s hesitation, falsification, and prevarication produced -by a palpable desire to evade the subject. - -We answered affirmatively, and inquired what our country had to do with -our being refused admittance? - -“Everything,” remarked Salvador. He then proceeded to establish the truth -of his assertion by a variety of distorted and disjointed fragments of an -adventure, which the labour of our ingenious cross-questioning managed to -put together in the following form. - -“About ten years ago,” said Salvador, “I returned to Goa with my master, -Lieut. ⸺, of the — Regt., a very clever gentleman, who knew everything. -He could talk to each man of a multitude in his own language, and all of -them would appear equally surprised by, and delighted with him. Besides, -his faith was every man’s faith. In a certain Mussulmanee country he -married a girl, and divorced her a week afterwards. Moreover, he -chaunted the Koran, and the circumcised dogs considered him a kind of -saint. The Hindoos also respected him, because he always eat his beef -in secret, spoke religiously of the cow, and had a devil, (_i.e._, some -heathen image) in an inner room. At Cochin he went to the Jewish place of -worship, and read a large book, just like a priest. Ah! he was a clever -Sahib that! he could send away a rampant and raging creditor playful as a -little goat, and borrow more money from Parsees at less interest than was -ever paid or promised by any other gentleman in the world. - -“At last my master came to Goa, where of course he became so pious -a Christian that he kept a priest in the house—to perfect him in -Portuguese—and attended mass once a day. And when we went to see the -old city, such were the fervency of his lamentations over the ruins of -the Inquisition, and the frequency of his dinners to the Padre of Saint -Francis, that the simple old gentleman half canonized him in his heart. -But I guessed that some trick was at hand, when a pattimar, hired for a -month, came and lay off the wharf stairs, close to where the Sahib is -now sitting; and presently it appeared that my officer had indeed been -cooking a pretty kettle of fish! - -“My master had been spending his leisure hours with the Prioress of -Santa Monaca, who—good lady—when informed by him that his sister, a -young English girl, was only waiting till a good comfortable quiet -nunnery could be found for her, not only showed her new friend about the -cloisters and dormitories, but even introduced him to some of the nuns. -Edifying it must have been to see his meek countenance as he detailed -to the Madres his well-digested plans for the future welfare of that -apocryphal little child, accompanied with a thousand queries concerning -the style of living, the moral and religious education, the order and the -discipline of the convent. The Prioress desired nothing more than to have -an English girl in her house—except, perhaps, the monthly allowance of a -hundred rupees which the affectionate brother insisted upon making to her. - -“You must know, Sahib, that the madres are, generally speaking, by no -means good-looking. They wear ugly white clothes, and cut their hair -short, like a man’s. But, the Latin professor—” - -“The who?” - -“The Latin professor, who taught the novices and the younger nuns -learning, was a very pretty white girl, with large black eyes, a -modest smile, and a darling of a figure. As soon as I saw that Latin -professor’s face, I understood the whole nature and disposition of the -affair. - -“My master at first met with some difficulty, because the professor did -not dare to look at him, and, besides, was always accompanied by an elder -sister.” - -“Then, how did he manage?” - -“Hush, sir, for Santa Maria’s sake; here comes the priest of Bom Jesus, -to return the Sahib’s call.” - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -RETURN TO PANJIM. - - -Once more the canoe received us under its canopy, and the boatmen’s oars, -plunging into the blue wave, sounded an adieu to old Goa. After the last -long look, with which the departing vagrant contemplates a spot where he -has spent a happy day or two, we mentally reverted to the adventure of -the Latin professor, and made all preparations for hearing it to the end. - -“Well, Sahib,” resumed Salvador, “I told you that my master’s known skill -in such matters was at first baffled by the professor’s bashfulness, -and the presence of a grim-looking sister. But he was not a man to be -daunted by difficulties: in fact, he became only the more ardent in the -pursuit. By dint of labour and perseverance, he succeeded in bringing -the lady to look at him, and being rather a comely gentleman, that was -a considerable point gained. Presently her eternal blushings gave way, -though occasionally one would pass over her fair face when my master’s -eyes lingered a little too long there: the next step in advance was the -selection of an aged sister, who, being half blind with conning over her -breviary, and deaf as a dead donkey, made a very suitable escort.” - -“Pray, how did you learn all these particulars?” - -“Ah, Sahib,” replied Salvador, “my master became communicative enough -when he wanted my services, and during the trip which we afterwards made -down the coast. - -“I was now put forward in the plot. After two days spent in lecturing me -as carefully as a young girl is primed for her first confession, I was -sent up to the nunnery with a bundle of lies upon my tongue, and a fatal -necessity for telling them under pain of many kicks. I did it, but my -repentance has been sincere, so may the Virgin forgive me!” ejaculated -Salvador, with fervent piety, crossing himself at the same time. - -“And, Sahib, I also carried a present of some Cognac—called European -medicine—to the prioress, and sundry similar little gifts to the other -officials, not excepting the Latin professor. To her, I presented a -nosegay, containing a little pink note, whose corner just peeped out of -the chambeli[27] blossoms. With fear and trembling I delivered it, and -was overjoyed to see her presently slip out of the room. She returned -in time to hear me tell the prioress that my master was too ill to wait -upon them that day, and by the young nun’s earnest look as she awaited my -answer to the superior’s question concerning the nature of the complaint, -I concluded that the poor thing was in a fair way for perdition. My reply -relieved their anxiety. Immediately afterwards their curiosity came into -play. A thousand questions poured down upon me, like the pitiless pelting -of a monsoon rain. My master’s birth, parentage, education, profession, -travels, rank, age, fortune, religion, and prospects, were demanded -and re-demanded, answered and re-answered, till my brain felt tired. -According to instructions, I enlarged upon his gallantry in action, -his chastity and temperance, his love for his sister, and his sincere -devotion to the Roman Catholic faith.” - -“A pretty specimen of a rascal you proved yourself, then!” - -“What could I do, Sahib?” said Salvador, with a hopeless shrug of the -shoulders, and an expression of profound melancholy. “My master never -failed to find out a secret, and had I deceived him—” - -“Well!” - -“My allusion to the sister provoked another outburst of inquisitiveness. -On this subject, also, I satisfied them by a delightful description of -the dear little creature, whose beauty attracted, juvenile piety edified, -and large fortune enchanted every one. The eyes of the old prioress -glistened from behind her huge cheeks, as I dwelt upon the latter part of -the theme especially: but I remarked the Latin professor was so little -interested by it, that she had left the room. When she returned, a book, -bound in dirty white parchment, with some huge letters painted on the -back of the binding, was handed over to me for transmission to my master; -who, it appears, had been very anxious to edify his mind by perusing the -life of the holy Saint Augustine. - -“After at least three hours spent in perpetual conversation, and the -occasional discussion of mango cheese, I was allowed to depart, laden -with messages, amidst a shower of benedictions upon my master’s head, -prayers for his instant recovery, and anticipations of much pleasure in -meeting him. - -“I should talk till we got to Calicut, Sahib, if I were to detail to you -the adventures of the ensuing fortnight. My master passed two nights in -the cloisters—not praying, I suppose; the days he spent in conversation -with the prioress and sub-prioress, two holy personages who looked rather -like Guzerat apes than mortal women. At the end of the third week a -swift-sailing pattimar made its appearance. - -“I was present when my master took leave of the Superior, and an -affecting sight it was; the fervour with which he kissed the hand of -his ‘second mother,’ his ‘own dear sister’s future protectress.’ How -often he promised to return from Bombay, immediately that the necessary -preparations were made! how carefully he noted down the many little -commissions entrusted to him! And, how naturally his eyes moistened as, -receiving the benediction, he withdrew from the presence of the reverend -ladies! - -“But that same pattimar was never intended for Bombay; I knew THAT! - -“My master and I immediately packed up everything. Before sunset all the -baggage and servants were sent on board, with the exception of myself, -who was ordered to sit under the trees on the side of the wharf, and -an Affghan scoundrel, who went out walking with the Sahib about eleven -o’clock that night. The two started, in native dresses, with their -turbans concealing all but the parts about their eyes; both carried naked -knives, long and bright enough to make one shake with fear, tucked under -their arms, with dark lanterns in their hands. My master’s face—as usual -when he went upon such expeditions—was blackened, and with all respect, -speaking in your presence, I never saw an English gentleman look more -like a Mussulman thief!” - -“But why make such preparations against a house full of unprotected -women?” - -“Because, Sahib,” replied Salvador, “at night there are always some men -about the nunnery. The knives, however, were only in case of an accident; -for, as I afterwards learned, the Latin professor had mixed up a little -datura[28] seed with the tobacco served out to the guards that evening. - -“A little after midnight I felt a kick, and awoke. Two men hurried me on -board the pattimar, which had weighed anchor as the clock struck twelve. -Putting out her sweeps she glided down the Rio swiftly and noiselessly. - -“When the drowsiness of sleep left my eyelids I observed that the two men -were my master and that ruffian Khudadad. I dared not, however, ask any -questions, as they both looked fierce as wounded tigers, though the Sahib -could not help occasionally showing a kind of smile. They went to the -head of the boat, and engaged in deep conversation, through the medium of -some tongue to me unknown; and it was not before we had passed under the -guns of the Castello, and were dancing merrily over the blue water, that -my officer retired to his bed. - -“And what became of the Latin professor?” - -“The Sahib shall hear presently. In the morning I was called up for -examination, but my innocence bore me through that trial safely. My -master naturally enough suspected me of having played him some trick. The -impression, however, soon wore off, and I was favoured with the following -detail of his night’s adventure. - -“Exactly as the bell struck twelve, my Sahib and his cut-throat had -taken their stand outside the little door leading into the back-garden. -According to agreement previously made, one of them began to bark like -a jackal, while the other responded regularly with the barking of a -watch-dog. After some minutes spent in this exercise they carefully -opened the door with a false key, stole through the cloisters, having -previously forced the lock of the grating with their daggers, and made -their way towards the room where the Latin professor slept. But my -master, in the hurry of the moment, took the wrong turning, and found -himself in the chamber of the sub-prioress, whose sleeping form was -instantly raised, embraced, and borne off in triumph by the exulting -Khudadad. - -“My officer lingered for a few minutes to ascertain that all was right. -He then crept out of the room, closed the door outside, passed through -the garden, carefully locked the gate, whose key he threw away, and ran -towards the place where he had appointed to meet Khudadad, and his lovely -burthen. But imagine his horror and disgust when, instead of the expected -large black eyes and the pretty little rosebud of a mouth, a pair of -rolling yellow balls glared fearfully in his face, and two big black -lips, at first shut with terror, began to shout and scream and abuse him -with all their might. - -“‘Khudadad, we have eaten filth,’ said my master, ‘how are we to lay this -she-devil?’ - -“‘Cut her throat?’ replied the ruffian. - -“‘No, that won’t do. Pinion her arms, gag her with your handkerchief, and -leave her—we must be off instantly.’ - -“So they came on board, and we set sail as I recounted to your honour.” - -“But why didn’t your master, when he found out his mistake, return for -the Latin professor?” - -“Have I not told the Sahib that the key of the garden-gate had been -thrown away, the walls cannot be scaled, and all the doors are bolted and -barred every night as carefully as if a thousand prisoners were behind -them?” - - * * * * * - -The population of Goa is composed of three heterogeneous elements, -namely, pure Portuguese, black Christians, and the heathenry. A short -description of each order will, perhaps, be acceptable to the reader. - -The European portion of Goanese society may be subdivided into two -distinct parts—the officials, who visit India on their tour of service, -and the white families settled in the country. The former must leave -Portugal for three years; and if in the army get a step by so doing. -At the same time as, unlike ourselves, they derive no increase of pay -from the expatriation, their return home is looked forward to with great -impatience. Their existence in the East must be one of endurance. They -complain bitterly of their want of friends, the disagreeable state -of society, and the dull stagnant life they are compelled to lead. -They despise their dark brethren, and consider them uncouth in manner, -destitute of _usage_ in society, and deficient in honour, courage,[29] -and manliness. The despised retort by asserting that the white Portuguese -are licentious, ill-informed, haughty, and reserved. No better proof -of how utterly the attempt to promote cordiality between the European -and the Asiatic by a system of intermarriage and equality of rights -has failed in practice can be adduced, than the utter contempt in -which the former holds the latter at Goa. No Anglo-Indian Nabob sixty -years ago ever thought less of a “nigger” than a Portuguese officer -now does. But as there is perfect equality, political[30] as well as -social, between the two colours, the “whites,” though reduced to the -level of the herd, hold aloof from it; and the “blacks” feel able to -associate with those who despise them but do so rarely and unwillingly. -Few open signs of dislike appear to the unpractised observer in the -hollow politeness always paraded whenever the two parties meet; but when -a Portuguese gentleman becomes sufficiently intimate with a stranger -to be communicative, his first political diatribe is directed against -his dark fellow-subjects. We were assured by a high authority that the -native members of a court-martial, if preponderating, would certainly -find a European guilty, whether rightly or wrongly, _n’importe_. The -same gentleman, when asked which method of dealing with the natives he -preferred, Albuquerque’s or that of Leadenhall Street, unhesitatingly -replied, “the latter, as it is better to keep one’s enemies out of -doors.” How like the remark made to Sir A. Burnes by Runjeet Singh, the -crafty old politician of Northern India. - -The reader may remember that it was Albuquerque[31] who advocated -marriages between the European settlers and the natives of India. -However reasonable it might have been to expect the amalgamation of the -races in the persons of their descendants, experience and stern facts -condemn the measure as a most delusive and treacherous political day -dream. It has lost the Portuguese almost everything in Africa as well as -Asia. May Heaven preserve our rulers from following their example! In our -humble opinion, to tolerate it is far too liberal a measure to be a safe -one. - -The white families settled in the country were formerly called Castissos -to distinguish them from Reinols. In appearance there is little -difference between them; the former are somewhat less robust than the -latter, but both are equally pallid and sickly-looking—they dress alike, -and allow the beard and mustachios[32] to grow. This colonist class is -neither a numerous nor an influential one. As soon as intermarriage -with the older settlers takes place the descendants become Mestici—in -plain English, mongrels. The flattering term is occasionally applied to -a white family which has been settled in the country for more than one -generation, “for although,” say the Goanese, “there is no mixture of -blood, still there has been one of air or climate, which comes to the -same thing.” Owing to want of means, the expense of passage, and the -unsettled state of the home country, children are very seldom sent to -Portugal for education. They presently degenerate, from the slow but sure -effects of a debilitating climate, and its concomitant evils, inertness, -and want of excitement. Habituated from infancy to utter idleness, and -reared up to consider the _far niente_ their _summum bonum_, they have -neither the will nor the power of active exertion in after years. - -There is little wealth among the classes above described. Rich families -are rare, landed property is by no means valuable; salaries small;[33] -and in so cheap a country as Goa anything beyond 200_l._ or 300_l._ -a-year would be useless. Entertainments are not common; a ball every six -months at Government House, a few dinner parties, and an occasional -_soirée_ or _nautch_, make up the list of gaieties. In the different -little villages where the government _employés_ reside, once a week there -is quadrilling and waltzing, _à l’antique_, some flirting, and a great -deal of smoking in the verandah with the ladies, who are, generally -speaking, European. Gambling is uncommon; high play unknown. The theatre -is closed as if never to open again. No serenades float upon the evening -gale, the _guitarra_ hangs dusty and worm-eaten against the wall, and -the _cicisbeo_ is known only by name. Intrigue does not show itself so -flauntingly as in Italy, and other parts of Southern Europe. Scandal, -however, is as plentiful as it always is in a limited circle of idle -society. The stranger who visits Goa, persuaded that he is to meet with -the freedom of manners and love of pleasure which distinguish the people -of the Continent, will find himself grievously mistaken. The priesthood -is numerous, and still influential, if not powerful. The fair sex has not -much liberty here, and their natural protectors are jealous as jailers. - -The ancient Portuguese _costume de dame_, a plain linen cap, long white -waistcoat, with ponderous rosary slung over it, thick striped and -coloured petticoat, and, out of doors, a huge white, yellow, blue, or -black calico sheet, muffling the whole figure—is now confined to the -poor—the ladies dress according to the Parisian fashions. As, however, -steamers and the overland route have hitherto done little for Goa, -there is considerable grotesqueness to be observed in the garments of -the higher as well as the lower orders. The usual mode of life among -the higher orders is as follows:—They rise early, take a cold bath, and -make a light breakfast at some time between seven and nine. This is -followed by a dinner, usually at two; it is a heavy meal of bread, meat, -soup, fish, sweetmeats, and fruits, all served up at the same time, in -admirable confusion. There are two descriptions of wine, in general -use; the _tinto_ and _branco_,[34] both imported from Portugal. About -five in the evening some take tea and biscuits, after awaking from the -siesta and bathing; a stroll at sunset is then indulged in, and the -day concludes with a supper of fish, rice, and curry. Considering the -little exercise in vogue, the quantity of food consumed is wonderful. The -Goanese smoke all day, ladies as well as gentlemen; but cheroots, cigars, -and the hookah are too expensive to be common. A pinch of Virginia -or Maryland, uncomfortably wrapped up in a dried plantain leaf, and -called a _cannudo_, is here the poor succedaneum for the charming little -_cigarita_ of Spain. The talented author of a “Peep at Polynesian Life” -assures us, that, “strange as it may seem, there is nothing in which a -young and beautiful female appears to more advantage than in the act -of smoking.” We are positive that nothing is more shocking than to see -a Goanese lady handling her _biree_,[35] except to hear the peculiarly -elaborate way in which she ejects saliva when enjoying her weed. - -The reader who knows anything of India will at once perceive the -difference between English and Portuguese life in the East. The former -is stormy from perpetual motion, the latter stagnant with long-continued -repose. Our eternal “knocking about” tells upon us sooner or later. A -Portuguese lieutenant is often greyheaded before he gets his company; -whereas some of our captains have scarcely a hair upon their chins. But -the former eats much and drinks little, smokes a pinch of tobacco instead -of Manillas, marries early, has a good roof over his head, and, above -all things, knows not what marching and counter-marching mean. He never -rides, seldom shoots, cannot hunt, and ignores mess tiffins and guest -nights. No wonder that he neither receives nor gives promotion. - -An entertainment at the house of a Goanese noble presents a curious -contrast to the semi-barbarous magnificence of our Anglo-Indian “doings.” -In the one as much money as possible is lavished in the worst way -imaginable; the other makes all the display which taste, economy, and -regard for effect combined produce. The balls given at the palace are, -probably, the prettiest sights of the kind in Western India. There is -a variety of costumes, which if not individually admirable, make up -an effective _tout ensemble_; even the dark faces, in uniforms and -ball dresses, tend to variegate and diversify the scene. The bands are -better than the generality of our military musicians, European as well -as Native, and the dancing, such as it is, much more spirited. For the -profusion of refreshments,—the ices, champagne, and second suppers, which -render a Bombay ball so pernicious a thing in more ways than one, here we -look in vain. - -The dinner parties resemble the other entertainments in economy and -taste; the table is decorated, as in Italy, with handsome China vases, -containing bouquets, fruits, and sweetmeats, which remain there all -the time. Amongst the higher classes the cookery is all in the modified -French style common to the South of Europe. The wines are the white -and red _vins ordinaires_ of Portugal; sometimes a bottle of port, or -a little bitter beer from Bombay, are placed upon the table. The great -annoyance of every grand dinner is the long succession of speeches which -concludes it. A most wearisome recreation it is, certainly, when people -have nothing to do but to propose each other’s healths in long orations, -garnished with as many facetious or flattering platitudes as possible. -After each speech all rise up, and with loud “vivas” wave their glasses, -and drain a few drops in honour of the accomplished _caballero_ last -lauded. The language used is Portuguese; on the rare occasions when the -person addressed or alluded to is a stranger, then, probably, Lusitanian -French will make its appearance. We modestly suggest to any reader who -may find himself in such predicament the advisability of imitating our -example. - -On one occasion after enduring half an hour’s encomium delivered in a -semi-intelligible dialect of Parisian, we rose to return thanks, and -for that purpose selecting the English language, we launched into that -inexhaustible theme for declamation, the glories of the Portuguese -eastern empire, beginning at De Gama, and ending with his Excellency -the Governor-General of all the Indies, who was sitting hard by. It is -needless to say that our oratory excited much admiration, the more, -perhaps, as no one understood it. The happiest results ensued—during our -stay at Goa we never were urged to address the company again. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE POPULATION OF PANJIM. - - -The black Christians, like the whites, may be subdivided into two orders; -first, the converted Hindoos; secondly, the mixed breed of European and -Indian blood. Moreover, these latter have another distinction, being -either Brahman Christians, as they ridiculously term themselves, on -account of their descent from the Hindoo pontifical caste, or common -ones. The only perceptible difference between them is, we believe, a -moral one; the former are justly renowned for extraordinary deceitfulness -and treachery. They consider themselves superior to the latter in point -of dignity, and anciently enjoyed some peculiar privileges, such as the -right of belonging to the orders of the _Theatins_, or regular clerks, -and Saint Philip Nerius.[36] But in manners, appearance, customs, and -education, they exactly resemble the mass of the community. - -The Mestici, or mixed breed, composes the great mass of society at Goa; -it includes all classes, from the cook to the government official. In -1835 one of them rose to the highest post of dignity, but his political -career was curt and remarkably unsuccessful. Some half-castes travel in -Europe, a great many migrate to Bombay for service and commerce, but the -major part stays at Goa to stock professions, and support the honour of -the family. It would be, we believe, difficult to find in Asia an uglier -or more degraded looking race than that which we are now describing. -The forehead is low and flat, the eyes small, quick, and restless; -there is a mixture of sensuality and cunning about the region of the -mouth, and a development of the lower part of the face which are truly -unprepossessing, not to say revolting. Their figures are short and small, -with concave chests, the usual calfless Indian leg, and a remarkable want -of muscularity. In personal attractions the fair sex is little superior -to the other. During the whole period of our stay at Goa we scarcely -ever saw a pretty half-caste girl. At the same time we must confess that -it is difficult to pronounce judgment upon this point, as women of good -mixed family do not appear before casual visitors. And this is of course -deemed a sign of superior modesty and chastity, for the black Christians, -Asiatically enough, believe it impossible for a female to converse -with a strange man and yet be virtuous. The dark ladies affect the old -Portuguese costume, described in the preceding chapter; a few of the -wealthiest dress like Europeans. Their education is purposely neglected—a -little reading of their vernacular tongue, with the Ave and other prayers -in general use, dancing, embroidery, and making sweetmeats,[37] are -considered _satis superque_ in the way of accomplishments. Of late years, -a girls’ school has been established by order of government at Panjim, -but a single place of the kind is scarcely likely to affect the mass of -the community. The life led by the fair sex at Goa must be, one would -think, a dull one. Domestic occupations, smoking, a little visiting, and -going to church, especially on the _ferie_, or festivals, lying in bed, -sitting _en deshabille_, riding about in a mancheel, and an occasional -dance—such are the blunt weapons with which they attack Time. They marry -early, begin to have a family probably at thirteen, are old women at -twenty-two, and decrepit at thirty-five. Like Indians generally, they -appear to be defective in amativeness, abundant in philoprogenitiveness, -and therefore not much addicted to intrigues. At the same time we must -record the fact, that the present archbishop has been obliged to issue -an order forbidding nocturnal processions, which, as they were always -crowded with lady devotees, gave rise to certain obstinate scandals. - -The mongrel men dress as Europeans, but the quantity of clothing -diminishes with the wearer’s rank. Some of the lower orders, especially -in the country, affect a full-dress costume, consisting _in toto_, of -a cloth jacket and black silk knee breeches. Even the highest almost -always wear coloured clothes, as, by so doing, the washerman is less -required. They are intolerably dirty and disagreeable:—verily cleanliness -ought to be made an article of faith in the East. They are fond of -spirituous liquors, and seldom drink, except honestly for the purpose -of intoxication. As regards living, they follow the example of their -white fellow-subjects in all points, except that they eat more rice -and less meat. Their characters may be briefly described as passionate -and cowardly, jealous and revengeful, with more of the vices than the -virtues belonging to the two races from which they are descended. In -early youth, especially before arriving at years of puberty, they evince -a remarkable acuteness of mind, and facility in acquiring knowledge. -They are equally quick at learning languages, and the lower branches of -mathematical study, but they seem unable to obtain any results from their -acquirements. Goa cannot boast of ever having produced a single eminent -literato, or even a second-rate poet. To sum up in a few words, the -mental and bodily development of this class are remarkable only as being -a strange _mélange_ of European and Asiatic peculiarities, of antiquated -civilization and modern barbarism. - -We before alluded to the deep-rooted antipathy between the black and -the white population: the feeling of the former towards an Englishman -is one of dislike not unmingled with fear. Should Portugal ever doom -her now worse than useless colony to form part payment of her debts, -their fate would be rather a hard one. Considering the wide spread of -perhaps too liberal opinions concerning the race quaintly designated as -“God’s images carved in ebony,” they might fare respectably as regards -public estimation, but scarcely well enough to satisfy their inordinate -ambition. It is sufficiently amusing to hear a young gentleman, whose -appearance, manners, and colour fit him admirably to become a band-boy to -some Sepoy corps, talk of visiting Bombay, with letters of introduction -to the Governor and Commander-in-chief. Still more diverting it is when -you know that the same character would invariably deduct a perquisite -from the rent of any house he may have procured, or boat hired for a -stranger. Yet at the same time it is hard for a man who speaks a little -English, French, Latin, and Portuguese to become the lower clerk of -some office on the paltry pay of 70_l._ per annum; nor is it agreeable -for an individual who has just finished his course of mathematics, -medicine, and philosophy to sink into the lowly position of an assistant -apothecary in the hospital of a native regiment. No wonder that the black -Indo-Portuguese is an utter radical; he has gained much by Constitution, -the “dwarfish demon” which sets everybody by the ears at Goa. Hence it is -that he will take the first opportunity in conversation with a foreigner -to extol Lusitanian liberty to the skies, abuse English tyranny over, -and insolence to, their unhappy Indian subjects, and descant delightedly -upon the probability of an immediate crash in our Eastern empire. And, -as might be expected, although poverty sends forth thousands of black -Portuguese to earn money in foreign lands, they prefer the smallest -competence at home, where equality allows them to indulge in a favourite -independence of manner utterly at variance with our Anglo-Indian notions -concerning the proper demeanour of a native towards a European. - -The native Christian is originally a converted Hindoo, usually of the -lowest castes;[38] and though he has changed for centuries his manners, -dress, and religion, he retains to a wonderful extent the ideas, -prejudices, and superstitions of his ancient state. The learned _griff_, -Bishop Heber, in theorizing upon the probable complexion of our First -Father, makes a remark about these people, so curiously erroneous, that -it deserves to be mentioned. “The Portuguese have, during a three hundred -years’ residence in India, become as black as Caffres; surely this goes -far to disprove the assertion which is sometimes made, that climate -alone is insufficient to account for the difference between the Negro -and the European.” Climate in this case had nothing whatever to do with -the change of colour. And if it had, we might instance as an argument -against the universality of such atmospheric action, the Parsee, who, -though he has been settled in the tropical lands of India for more than -double three hundred years, is still, in appearance, complexion, voice, -and manners, as complete an Iranian as when he first fled from his native -mountains. But this is _par parenthèse_. - -The native Christians of Goa always shave the head; they cultivate an -apology for a whisker, but never allow the beard or mustachios to grow. -Their dress is scanty in the extreme, often consisting only of a dirty -rag, worn about the waist, and their ornaments, a string of beads round -the neck. The women are equally badly clothed: the single long piece of -cotton, called in India a saree, is their whole attire,[39] consequently -the bosom is unsupported and uncovered. This race is decidedly the lowest -in the scale of civilized humanity we have yet seen. In appearance they -are short, heavy, meagre, and very dark; their features are uncomely -in the extreme; they are dirtier than Pariahs, and abound in cutaneous -diseases. They live principally on fish and rice, with pork and fruit -when they can afford such luxuries. Meat as well as bread[40] is holiday -diet; clarified butter, rice, water, curry, and cocoa-nut milk are -every-day food. - -These people are said to be short lived, the result of hard labour, -early marriages, and innutritious food. We scarcely ever saw a man -that looked fifty. In disposition they resemble the half-castes, but -they are even more deficient in spirit, and quarrelsome withal, than -their “whitey-brown” brethren. All their knowledge is religious, and -consists only of a few prayers in corrupt Maharatta, taught them by their -parents or the priest; these they carefully repeat three times _per -diem_—at dawn, in the afternoon, and before retiring to rest. Loudness -of voice and a very Puritanical snuffle being _sine quâ nons_ in their -devotional exercises, the neighbourhood of a pious family is anything -but pleasant. Their superiority to the heathen around them consists in -eating pork, drinking toddy to excess, shaving the face, never washing, -and a conviction that they are going to paradise, whereas all other -religionists are emphatically not. They are employed as sepoys, porters, -fishermen, seamen, labourers, mancheel bearers, workmen and servants, and -their improvident indolence renders the necessity of hard labour at times -imperative. The carpenters, farriers, and other trades, not only ask an -exorbitant sum for working, but also, instead of waiting on the employer, -scarcely ever fail to keep him waiting for them. For instance, on Monday -you wanted a farrier, and sent for him. He politely replied that he was -occupied at that moment, but would call at his earliest convenience. -This, if you keep up a running fire of messages, will probably be about -the next Saturday. - -The visitor will not find at Goa that number and variety of heathen -castes which bewilder his mind at Bombay. The capital of Portuguese India -now stands so low amongst the cities of Asia that few or no inducements -are offered to the merchant and the trader, who formerly crowded her -ports. The Turk, the Arab, and the Persian have left them for a wealthier -mart, and the only strangers are a few Englishmen, who pass through the -place to visit its monuments of antiquity. - -The Moslem population at Panjim scarcely amounts to a thousand. They -have no place of worship, although their religion is now, like all -others, tolerated.[41] The distinctive mark of the Faithful is the long -beard. They appear superior beings by the side of the degenerate native -Christians. - -Next to the Christians, the Hindoos are the most numerous portion -of the community. They are held in the highest possible esteem and -consideration, and no office unconnected with religion is closed to -them. This fact may account for the admirable ease and freedom of -manner prevalent amongst them. The Gentoo will enter your room with his -slippers on, sit down after shaking hands as if the action were a matter -of course, chew his betel, and squirt the scarlet juice all over the -floor, in a word, make himself as offensive as you can conceive. But at -Goa all men are equal. Moreover, the heathens may be seen in Christian -churches,[42] with covered feet, pointing at, putting questions -concerning, and criticising the images with the same quite-at-home -_nonchalance_ with which they would wander through the porticoes of -Dwarka or the pagodas of Aboo. And these men’s fathers, in the good old -times of Goa, were not allowed even to burn their dead[43] in the land! - -In appearance the Hindoos are of a fair, or rather a light yellow -complexion. Some of the women are by no means deficient in personal -charms, and the men generally surpass in size and strength the present -descendants of the Portuguese heroes. They wear the mustachio, but not -the beard, and dress in the long cotton coat, with the cloth wound round -the waist, very much the same as in Bombay. The head, however, is usually -covered with a small red velvet skullcap, instead of a turban. The -female attire is the saree, with the long-armed bodice beneath it; their -ornaments are numerous; and their caste is denoted by a round spot of -kunkun, or vermilion, upon the forehead between the eyebrows. - -As usual among Hindoos, the pagans at Goa are divided into a number -of sub-castes. In the Brahman we find two great subdivisions, the -Sashteekar, or inhabitants of Salsette, and the Bardeskar, or people of -Bardes. The former is confessedly superior to the latter. Both families -will eat together, but they do not intermarry. Besides these two, there -are a few of the Chitpawan, Sinart, Kararee and Waishnau castes of the -pontifical order. - -The Brahmans always wear the tika, or sectarian mark, perpendicularly, -to distinguish them from the Sonars, or Goldsmiths, who place it -horizontally on the forehead. They are but superficially educated, as -few of them know Sanscrit, and these few not well. All read and write -Maharatta fluently, but they speak the inharmonious Concanee dialect. - -Next to the Brahmans, and resembling them in personal appearance, are -the Banyans, or traders. They seem to be a very thriving portion of the -population, and live in great comfort, if not luxury. - -The Shudra, or servile class of Hindoos, is, of course, by far the most -numerous; it contains many varieties, such as Bhandan (toddy-makers), -Koonbee (potters), Hajjam (barbers), &c. - -Of mixed castes we find the goldsmith, who is descended from a Brahman -father and servile mother, and the Kunchanee, or Εταιρη, whose maternal -parent is always a Maharatta woman, whatever the other progenitor may -chance to be. The outcasts are principally Chamars, or tanners, and -Parwars (Pariahs). - -These Hindoos very rarely become Christians, now that fire and steel, the -dungeon and the rack, the rice-pot and the rupee, are not allowed to play -the persuasive part in the good work formerly assigned to them. Indeed, -we think that conversion of the heathen is almost more common in British -than in Portuguese India, the natural result of our being able to pay the -proselytes more liberally. When such an event does occur at Goa, it is -celebrated at a church in the north side of the creek, opposite Panjim, -with all the pomp and ceremony due to the importance of spoiling a good -Gentoo by making a bad Christian of him. - -We were amused to witness on one occasion a proof of the high importance -attached to Hindoo opinion in this part of the world. Outside the church -of St. Agnes, in a little chapel, stood one of the lowest orders of black -priests, lecturing a host of naked, squatting, smoking, and chattering -auditors. Curiosity induced us to venture nearer, and we then discovered -that the theme was a rather imaginative account of the birth and life -of the Redeemer. Presently a group of loitering Gentoos, who had been -strolling about the church, came up and stood by our side. - -The effect of their appearance upon his Reverence’s discourse was -remarkable, as may be judged from the peroration, which was very much in -these words:— - -“You must remember, sons, that the _avatár_, or incarnation of your -blessed Lord, was in the form of a rajah, who ruled millions of men. He -was truly great and powerful; he rode the largest elephant ever trapped; -he smoked a hookah of gold, and when he went to war he led an army the -like of which for courage, numbers, and weapons was never seen before. He -would have conquered the whole world, from Portugal to China, had he not -been restrained by humility. But, on the last day, when he shall appear -even in greater state than before, he will lead us his people to most -glorious and universal victory.” - - * * * * * - -When the sermon concluded, and the listeners had wandered away in -different directions, we walked up to his Reverence and asked him if he -had ever read the Gospel. - -“Of course.” - -“Then where did you find the historical picture you so graphically drew -just now about the rajahship?” - -“Where?” said the fellow, grinning and pointing to his forehead: “here, -to be sure. Didn’t you see those Gentoos standing by and listening to -every word I was saying? A pretty thing it would have been to see the -pagans laughing and sneering at us Christians because the Founder of our -Blessed Faith was the son of a Burhaee.”[44] - -Such reasoning was conclusive. - -If our memory serve us aright, there is a story somewhat like the -preceding in the pages of the Abbé Dubois. Such things we presume must -constantly be taking place in different parts of India. On one occasion -we saw an unmistakable Lakhshmi[45] borne in procession amongst Christian -images, and, if history be trusted, formerly it was common to carry as -many Hindoo deities as European saints in the palanquins. On the other -hand, many a Gentoo has worn a crucifix for years, with firm faith in -the religious efficacy of the act, yet utterly ignorant of the nature of -the symbol he was bearing, and we have ourselves written many and many a -charm for ladies desirous of becoming prolific, or matrons fearful of -the evil eye being cast upon their offspring. - - * * * * * - -On our return from old Goa to Panjim we visited an establishment, which -may be considered rather a peculiar one. It is called the Caza de -Misericordia, and contains some forty or fifty young ladies, for the most -part orphans, of all colours, classes, and ages. They are educated by -nuns, under the direction of a superior and a committee, and when grown -up, remain in the house till they receive and accept suitable offers of -marriage. - -Hearing that it was not unusual to propose oneself as a suitor; with a -view of inspecting the curiosities of the establishment, we repaired to -the Caza, and were politely received by the old lady at the gate. After -showing us over the chapel and other public portions of the edifice, -she perceived that we had some other object, and presently discovered -that we were desirous of playing the part of Cœlebs in search of a -wife. Thereupon she referred us to another and more dignified relic -of antiquity, who, after a long and narrow look at our outward man, -proceeded to catechise us in the following manner. - -“You say, señor, that you want a wife; what may be your name?” - -“Peter Smith.” - -“Your religion?” - -“The Christian, señora.” - -“Your profession?” - -“An ensign in H. E. I. Company’s Navy.” - -Not satisfied with such authentic details, the inquisitive old lady began -a regular system of cross-questioning, and so diligently did she pursue -it, that we had some difficulty to prevent contradicting ourselves. At -length, when she had, as she supposed, thoroughly mastered the subject, -she requested us to step into a corridor, and to dispose of ourselves -upon a three-legged stool. This we did, leaning gracefully against the -whitewashed wall, and looking stedfastly at the open grating. Presently, -a wrinkled old countenance, with a skin more like a walnut’s than a -woman’s, peered through the bars, grinned at us, and disappeared. Then -came half-a-dozen juveniles, at the very least, tittering and whispering -most diligently, all of which we endured with stoical firmness, feeling -that the end of such things was approaching. - -At last, a sixteen-year old face gradually drew within sight from behind -the bars. That was clearly one of the young ladies. Now for it.— - -“Good day, and my respects to you, senorita!” - -“The same to you, sir.” - -Hem! It is rather a terrible thing to make love under such circumstances. -The draw upon one’s imagination in order to open the dialogue, is alone -sufficient to frighten Cupid out of the field. It was impossible to talk -of the weather, in that country where it burns, deluges, and chills with -the regularity of clock-work. So we plunged at once _in medias res_. - -“Should you like to be married, senorita?” - -“Yes, very much, señor.” - -“And why, if you would satisfy my curiosity?” - -“I don’t know.” - -Equally unsatisfactory was the rest of the conversation. So we bowed -politely, rose from our three-legged stool, and determined to seek an -interview with the Superior. Our request was at last granted, and we -found a personage admirably adapted, in point of appearance, to play -dragon over the treasures committed to her charge. She had a face which -reminded us exactly of a white horse, a body answerable, and manners -decidedly repulsive. However, she did not spare her tongue. She -informed us that there were twelve marriageable young ladies then in the -establishment, named them, and minutely described their birth, parentage, -education, mental and physiological development. She also informed us -that they would receive a dowry from the funds of the house, which, on -further inquiry, proved to be the sum of ten pounds. - -At length we thought there was an opportunity to put in a few words about -our grievance—how we had been placed on a three-legged stool before a -grating—exposed to the inquisitiveness of the seniors, and subjected to -the ridicule of the junior part of the community. We concluded with a -modest hint that we should like to be admitted within, and be allowed a -little conversation with the twelve marriageable young ladies to whom she -had alluded. - -The old lady suddenly became majestic. - -“Before you are admitted to such a privilege, señor, you must be kind -enough to address an official letter to the mesa, or board, explaining -your intentions, and requesting the desired permission. We are people -under government, and do not keep a naughty house. Do you understand me, -señor?” - -“Perfectly, madam.” - -Upon which we arose, scraped the ground thrice, with all the -laboriousness of Indo-Portuguese politeness, promised compliance in our -best phraseology, and rapidly disappeared, resolving never to near the -Caza de Misericordia again. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -SERODA. - - -After an unusually protracted term of isolation and friendlessness, we -were agreeably surprised by meeting Lieutenants L⸺ and T⸺, walking in -their shooting-jackets, somewhat slowly and disconsolately, down the -dusty wharf of New Goa. - -It is, we may here observe, by no means easy for a stranger—especially -if he be an Englishman—to get into Goanese society: more difficult still -to amuse himself when admitted. His mother tongue and Hindostanee will -not be sufficient for him. French, at least, or, what is more useful, -Portuguese should be well understood, if not fluently spoken. As the -generality of visitors pass merely a few days at Panjim, call at the -palace, have a card on the secretary, rush to the ruins, and then depart, -they expect and receive little attention. There are no messes to invite -them to—no public amusements or places of resort, and private families -do not easily open their doors. Besides, as might be expected, the -Goanese have occasionally suffered severely from individuals terming -themselves “British Officers.” It were well too, had the offenders been -always of the male sex: unfortunately for our national reputation, such -is by no means the case. However, a stranger may be sure that with his -commission, some knowledge of languages, and any letter of introduction, -he will be most hospitably received in society, such as it is. - -The unlearned in such matters may be disposed to inquire whether there -are no resident Englishmen at Goa. - -Certainly, there are a few; but they are, generally speaking, of that -class who have made Bombay too hot for them. Once in the Portuguese -territory, they may laugh at the bailiff, and fearlessly meet the -indignant creditor. The cheapness of the locality is, to certain -characters, another inducement; so that, on the whole, it is by no means -safe to become acquainted with any compatriot one may chance to meet at -Goa. - - * * * * * - -Now it so happened that all three of us had been reading and digesting a -rich account of Seroda, which had just appeared in one of the English -periodicals. We remembered glowing descriptions of a village, inhabited -by beautiful Bayaderes, governed by a lady of the same class—Eastern -Amazons, who permitted none of the rougher sex to dwell beneath the -shadow of their roof-trees—high caste maidens, who, having been -compelled to eat beef by the “tyrannical Portuguese in the olden time,” -had forfeited the blessings of Hindooism, without acquiring those of -Christianity,—lovely patriots, whom no filthy lucre could induce to quit -their peaceful homes: with many and many etceteras, equally enchanting to -novelty-hunters and excitement-mongers. - -We unanimously resolved to visit, without loss of time, a spot so -deservedly renowned. Having been informed by our old friend John Thomas, -that we should find everything in the best style at Seroda, we hired a -canoe, cursorily put up a few cigars, a change of raiment, and a bottle -of Cognac to keep out the cold; and, a little after sunset, we started -for our Fool’s Paradise. - -Our course lay towards the south-east. After about an hour’s rowing along -the coast, we entered a narrow channel, formed by the sea and innumerable -little streams that descend towards the main, winding through a dense -mass of bright green underwood. It was a lovely night, but the thick -dew soon compelled us to retreat under the mats destined to defend our -recumbent forms. The four boatmen that composed the crew must have been -sadly addicted to sleeping on duty, for, although the distance was only -fifteen miles, the sun appeared high in the heavens next morning before -we arrived at the landing-place. A guide was soon procured, and under -his direction we toiled up two miles of a steep and rocky path, through -a succession of cocoa groves, and a few parched-up fields scattered here -and there, till at last we saw, deep in a long narrow hollow, surrounded -by high hills, the bourne of our pilgrimage. - -The appearance of Seroda is intensely that of a Hindoo town. Houses, -pagodas, tombs, tanks, with lofty parapets, and huge flights of steps, -peepul trees, and bazaars, are massed together in chaotic confusion. No -such things as streets, lanes, or alleys exist. Your walk is invariably -stopped at the end of every dozen steps by some impediment, as a loose -wall, or a deep drop, passable only to the well practised denizens of -the place. The town is dirty in the extreme, and must be fearfully hot -in summer, as it is screened on all sides from the wind. The houses -are raised one story above the ground, and built solidly of stone and -mortar: as there is no attempt at order or regularity, their substantial -appearance adds much to the strangeness of the _coup d’œil_. - -To resume our personal adventures. Descending the slope which leads -through the main gate we wandered about utterly at a loss what to do, or -where to go, till a half-naked sample of the Hindoo male animal politely -offered to provide us with a lodging. Our hearts felt sad at witnessing -this practical proof of the presence of _man_kind, but sleepy, tired, and -hungry withal, we deferred sentimentalizing over shattered delusions and -gay hopes faded, till a more opportune moment, and followed him with all -possible alacrity. A few minutes afterwards we found ourselves under the -roof of one of the most respectable matrons in the town. We explained our -wants to her. The first and most urgent of the same being breakfast. She -stared at our ideas of that meal, but looked not more aghast than we did -when informed that it was too late to find meat, poultry, eggs, bread, -milk, butter, or wine in the market—in fact, that we must be contented -with “kichree”—a villanous compound of boiled rice and split vetches—as -a _pièce de resistance_, and whatever else Providence might please to -send us in the way of “kitchen?” - -Rude reality the second!— - -We had left all our servants behind at Panjim, and not an iota of our -last night’s supper had escaped the ravenous maws of the boatmen.— - -Presently matters began to mend. The old lady recollected that in days -of yore she had possessed a pound of tea, and, after much unlocking and -rummaging of drawers, she produced a remnant of that luxury. Perseverance -accomplished divers other feats, and after about an hour more of half -starvation we sat down to a breakfast composed of five eggs, a roll of -sour bread, plantains, which tasted exactly like edible cotton dipped -in _eau sucrée_, and a “fragrant infusion of the Chinese leaf,” whose -perfume vividly reminded us of the haystacks in our native land. Such -comforts as forks or spoons were unprocurable, the china was a suspicious -looking article, and the knives were apparently intended rather for -taking away animal life than for ministering to its wants. Sharp -appetites, however, removed all our squeamishness, and the board was -soon cleared. The sting of hunger blunted, we lighted our “weeds,” each -mixed a cordial potion in a tea-cup, and called aloud for the nautch, or -dance, to begin. - -This was the signal for universal activity. All the fair dames who had -been gazing listlessly or giggling at the proceedings of their strange -guests, now starting up as if animated with new life rushed off to don -their gayest apparel: even the grey-haired matron could not resist the -opportunity of displaying her gala dress, and enormous pearl nose-ring. -The tables were soon carried away, the rebec and kettledrum sat down in -rear of the _figurantes_, and the day began in real earnest. The singing -was tolerable for India, and the voices good. As usual, however, the -highest notes were strained from the chest, and the use of the _voix -de gorge_ was utterly neglected. The verses were in Hindostanee and -Portuguese, so that the performers understood about as much of them as -our young ladies when they perform Italian bravura songs. There was -little to admire either in the persons, the dress or the ornaments of the -dancers: common looking Maharatta women, habited in the usual sheet and -long-armed bodice, decked with wreaths of yellow flowers, the red mark -on the brow, large nose and ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, -and chain or ring anklets, studded with strings of coarsely made little -brass bells. Some of them were very fair, having manifestly had the -advantage of one European progenitor: others showed the usual dark yellow -hue; the features were seldom agreeable, round heads, flat foreheads, -immense eyes, increased by the streaks of black dye along the thickness -of the eyelid, projecting noses, large lips, vanishing chins, and a huge -development of “jowl,” do not make up a very captivating physiognomy. A -few, but very few, of quite the youngest _figurantes_, were tolerably -pretty. They performed in sets for about four hours, concluding with the -_pugree_, or turban dance, a peculiar performance, in which one lady -takes the part of a man. - -Our matron informed us that Seroda contains about twenty establishments, -and a total number of fifty or sixty dancing-girls. According to -her account all the stars were at the time of our visit engaged at -Panjim, or the towns round about: personal experience enabled us to -pronounce that the best were in her house, and, moreover, that there -is scarcely a second-rate station in the Bombay Presidency that does -not contain prettier women and as good singers. The girls are bought in -childhood—their price varies from 3_l._ to 20_l._ according to the market -value of the animal. The offspring of a Bayadere belongs of right to -her owner. When mere children they are initiated in the mysteries of -_nautching_,—one young lady who performed before us could scarcely have -been five years old. Early habit engenders much enthusiasm for the art. -The proportion of those bought in distant lands to those born at Seroda -is said to be about one to five. Of late years the nefarious traffic has -diminished, but unhappily many are interested in keeping it up as much as -possible. - -Several of these _nautch_ women can read and write. Our matron was -powerful at reciting Sanscrit shlokas (stanzas), and as regards Pracrit, -the popular dialect, she had studied all the best known works, as the -“Panja Tantra,” together with the legends of Vikram, Rajah Bhoj, and -other celebrated characters. Their spoken language is the corrupt form of -Maharatta, called the Concanee,[46] in general use throughout the Goanese -territory; the educated mix up many Sanscrit vocables with it, and some -few can talk a little Portuguese. Their speaking voices are loud, hoarse, -and grating: each sentence, moreover, ends in a sing-song drawl, which -is uncommonly disagreeable to a stranger’s ear. These ladies all smoke, -chew betel-nut, drink wine and spirits, and eat fowls and onions, an -unequivocal sign of low caste. They do not refuse to quit Seroda, as is -generally supposed, but, of course, prefer their homes to other places. -Living being extremely cheap most of the money made by _nautching_ is -converted into pearl and gold ornaments; and these are handed down -from generation to generation. Some of the coins strung together into -necklaces are really curious. An old English five-guinea-piece may be -found by the side of a Portuguese St. Thomas, a French _Louis d’or_, and -a Roman medal of the Lower Empire. We should be puzzled to account for -how they came there, did we not know that India has from the earliest -ages been the great sink for Western gold. Many of the matrons have -collected a considerable stock of linen, pictures, and furniture for -their houses, besides dresses and ornaments. Our countrymen have been -liberal enough to them of late, and numerous, too, as the initials upon -the doors and shutters prove. Each establishment is violently jealous of -its neighbour, and all appear to be more remarkable for rapacity than -honesty. In spite of the general belief, we venture to assert that a -chain, a ring, or a watch, would find Seroda very dangerous quarters. As -a stranger soon learns, everything is done to fleece him; whether he have -five or five hundred rupees in his pocket, he may be sure to leave the -place without a farthing. This seems to be a time-honoured custom among -the Bayaderes cherished by them from immemorial antiquity. - - * * * * * - -When the rising shades of evening allowed us to escape from the house of -dancing, we sallied forth to view the abode in which Major G⸺ passed his -last years. The matron soon found a boy who preceded us to the place, -threading his way through a multitude of confused dwellings, climbing -over heaps of loose stones, walking along the walls of tanks, and groping -through the obscurity of the cocoa groves. At the end of this unusual -kind of walk, we found ourselves at the house, asked, and obtained leave -to enter it. There was nothing to attract attention in the building, -except a few old books; the peculiar character of its owner will, -perhaps, plead our excuse to the reader, if we dwell a little upon the -circumstances which led him to make Seroda his home. - -Major G⸺ was an officer who had served with distinction for many years -in a Native Regiment. He was a regular old Indian, one of the remnants of -a race which, like its brethren in the far west, is rapidly disappearing -before the eastward progress of civilisation in the shape of rails, -steamers, and overland communication. By perpetual intercourse with the -natives around him he had learned to speak and write their language -as well as, if not better than, his own. He preferred their society -to that of his fellow-countrymen: adopted the Hindoo dress; studied -their sciences, bowed to their prejudices, and became such a proficient -in the ritual of their faith as to be considered by them almost a -fellow-religionist. Having left England at an early age, with a store of -anything but grateful reminiscences, he had determined to make India his -country and his home, and the idea once conceived, soon grew familiar -to his mind. Knowing that there is no power like knowledge amongst a -semi-civilised people, and possibly inclined thereto by credulity, he -dived deep into the “dangerous art,” as the few books preserved at Seroda -prove. Ibn Sirin,[47] and Lily, the Mantras,[48] and Casaubon, works -on Geomancy, Astrology, Ihzar or the Summoning of Devils, Osteomancy, -Palmistry, Oneiromancy, and Divination. The relics of his library still -stand side by side there, to be eaten by the worms. - -Late in life Major G⸺ fell in love with a Seroda Nautch girl living under -his protection; not an usual thing in those days: he also set his mind -upon marrying her, decidedly a peculiar step. His determination gave rise -to a series of difficulties. No respectable Hindoo will, it is true, wed -a female of this class, yet, as usual amongst Indians, the caste has at -least as much pride and prejudice as many far superior to it. So Sita -would not accept a _mlenchha_ (infidel) husband, though she was perfectly -aware that she had no right to expect a _dwija_, or twice born one. - -But Major G⸺’s perseverance surmounted every obstacle. Several times the -lady ran away, he followed and brought her back by main force at the -imminent risk of his commission. At last, finding all opposition in vain, -possibly thinking to prescribe too hard a trial, or, perhaps, in the -relenting mood, she swore the most solemn oath that she would never marry -him unless he would retire from the service to live and die with her in -her native town. - -Major G⸺ at once sold out of his regiment, disappeared from the eyes -of his countrymen, bought a house at Seroda, married his enchantress, -and settled there for the remainder of his years. Many of the elder -inhabitants recollect him; they are fond of describing to you how -regularly every morning he would repair to the tank, perform his -ablutions, and offer up water to the manes of his _pitris_, or ancestors, -how religiously he attended all the festivals, and how liberal he was in -fees and presents to the Brahmans of the different pagodas. - -We were shown his tomb, or rather the small pile of masonry which marks -the spot where his body was reduced to ashes—a favour granted to him -by the Hindoos on account of his pious munificence. It is always a -melancholy spectacle, the last resting-place of a fellow-countryman -in some remote nook of a foreign land, far from the dust of his -forefathers—in a grave prepared by strangers, around which no mourners -ever stood, and over which no friendly hand raised a tribute to the -memory of the lamented dead. The wanderer’s heart yearns at the sight. -How soon may not such fate be his own? - -The moonlight was falling clear and snowy upon the tranquil landscape, -and except the distant roar of a tiger, no noise disturbed the stillness -that reigned over the scene around, as we slowly retraced our steps -towards Seroda. Passing a little building, whose low domed roof, many -rows of diminutive columns, and grotesque architectural ornaments of -monkeys and elephants’ heads, informed us was a pagoda, whilst a number -of Hindoos lounging in and out, showed that some ceremony was going -on, we determined to attempt an entrance, and passed the threshold -unopposed. Retiring into a remote corner we sat down upon one of the -mats, and learned from a neighbour that the people were assembled to -hear a Rutnageree Brahman celebrated for eloquence, and very learned -in the Vedas. The preacher, if we may so call him, was lecturing his -congregation upon the relative duties of parents and children; his -discourse was delivered in a kind of chaunt, monotonous, but not rude -or unpleasing, and his gesticulation reminded us of many an Italian -Predicatore. He stood upon a strip of cloth at the beginning of each -period, advancing gradually as it proceeded, till reaching the end of -his sentence and his carpet, he stopped, turned round, and walked back -to his standing place, pausing awhile to take breath and to allow the -words of wisdom to sink deep into his hearers’ hearts. The discourse was -an excellent one, and we were astonished to perceive that an hour had -slipped away almost unobserved. However, the heat of the place, crowded -as it was with all ages and sexes—for the ladies of Seroda, like the -frail sisterhood generally in Asia, are very attentive to their _dharma_, -or religious duties—the cloud of incense which hung like a thick veil -under the low roof, and the overpowering perfume of the huge bouquets and -garlands of jessamine with which the assembly was profusely decorated, -compelled us to forfeit the benefit we might have derived from the -peroration of the learned Brahman’s discourse. - -Our night was by no means a pleasant one; the Seroda vermin, like the -biped population, were too anxious to make the most of the stranger. -Early the next morning we arose to make our exit; but, alas! it was not -destined to be a triumphant one. The matron and her damsels, knowing us -to be English, expected us to be made of money, and had calculated upon -easing our breeches pockets of more gold than we intended to give silver. -Fearful was the din of chattering, objurgating, and imprecating, when the -sum decided upon was gracefully tendered to our entertainers, the rebec -and the kettle-drum seemed inclined to be mutinous, but _they_ were more -easily silenced than the ladies. At length, by adding the gift of a pair -of slippers adorned with foil spangles, to which it appeared the company -had taken a prodigious fancy, we were allowed to depart in comparative -peace. - -Bidding adieu to Seroda, we toiled up the hill, and walked dejectedly -towards the landing-place, where we supposed our boat was awaiting us. -But when we arrived there, the canoe, of course, was not to be found. It -was breakfast time already, and we expected to be starved before getting -over the fifteen miles between us and Panjim. One chance remained to -us; we separated, and so diligently scoured the country round that in -less than half an hour we had collected a fair quantity of provender; -one returning with a broiled spatchcock and a loaf of bread; another -with a pot full of milk and a cocoa-nut or two, whilst a third had -succeeded in “bagging” divers crusts of stale bread, a bunch of onions, -and a water-melon. The hospitable portico of some Banyan’s country-house -afforded us a breakfast-room; presently the boat appeared, and the crew -warned us that it was time to come on board. It is strange that these -people must tell lies, even when truth would be in their favour. This we -found to our cost, for wind and tide proved both against us. - -Six hours’ steaming and broiling under a sun which penetrated the matting -of our slow conveyance, as if it had been water within a few degrees -of boiling heat, brought us on towards evening. Seeing some difficulty -in rowing against every disadvantage, we proposed to our rascally -boatmen—native Christians, as usual—to land us at the most convenient -place. Coming to a bluff cape, the wretches swore by all that was holy, -that we were within a mile’s walk of our destination. In an evil hour, -we believed the worse than pagans, and found that by so doing we had -condemned ourselves to a toilsome trudge over hill and dale, at least -five times longer than they had asserted it to be. Our patience being now -thoroughly exhausted, we relieved our minds a little by administering -periodical chastisements to the fellow whom our bad luck had sent to -deceive and conduct us, till, at length, hungry, thirsty, tired, and -sleepy, we found ourselves once more in the streets of Panjim. - -Reader, we have been minute, perhaps unnecessarily so, in describing -our visit to Seroda. If you be one of those who take no interest in a -traveller’s “feeds,” his sufferings from vermin, or his “rows about the -bill,” you will have found the preceding pages uninteresting enough. Our -object is, however, to give you a plain programme of what entertainment -you may expect from the famed town of the Bayaderes, and, should your -footsteps be ever likely to wander in that direction, to prepare you for -the disappointment you will infallibly incur. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -EDUCATION, PROFESSIONS, AND ORIENTAL STUDIES. - - -Panjim and Margao (a large town in the province of Salsette, about -fifteen miles south-east of Goa), are the head-quarters of the -Indo-Portuguese muses. The former place boasts of mathematical and -medical schools, and others in which the elements of history, and a -knowledge of the Portuguese, Latin, English, French, and Maharatta -languages are taught gratis. The students are, generally speaking, -proficients in the first,[49] tolerable in the second, and execrable in -the third and fourth dialects above specified. As regards the Maharattas, -the study of its literature has been rendered obligatory by government, -which however, in its wisdom, appears to have forgotten, or perhaps -never knew, that certain little aids called grammars and dictionaries -are necessary to those who would attain any degree of proficiency in any -tongue. For the benefit of the fair sex there is a school at Panjim. -Dancing and drawing masters abound. Music also is generally studied, but -the Portuguese here want the “furore,” as the Italians call it, the fine -taste, delicate ear, and rich voice of Southern Europe. - -At Panjim there is also a printing office, called the Imprensa Naçional, -whence issues a weekly gazette, pompously named the _Boletim do Governo -do Estado da India_. It is neatly printed, and what with advertisements, -latest intelligence borrowed from the Bombay papers, and government -orders, it seldom wants matter. At the Imprensa also, may be found a -few Portuguese books for sale, but they are, generally speaking, merely -elementary, besides being extravagantly dear. - -Physic as well as jurisprudence may be studied at Margao. The same town -also has schools of theology, philosophy, Latin, Portuguese, and the rude -beginnings of a Societade Estudiosa, or Literary Society. The latter is -intended for learned discussion: it meets twice a week, does not publish -but keeps MS. copies of its transactions, and takes from each member an -annual subscription of about 1_l._ - -Upon the whole, education does not thrive in the Indo-Portuguese -settlement. It seldom commences before the late age of nine or ten, and -is very soon ended. After entering some profession, and coquetting a -little with modern languages and general literature, study is considered -a useless occupation. Moreover, if our observation deceive us not, -the description of talent generally met with at Goa is rather of the -specious and shallow order. A power of quick perception, an instinctive -readiness of induction, and even a good memory, are of little value when -opposed to constitutional inertness, and a mind which never proposes to -itself any high or great object. Finally, the dispiriting influence of -poverty weighs heavy upon the student’s ambition, and where no rewards -are offered to excellence, no excellence can be expected. The romantic, -chivalrous, and fanatic rage for propagating Christianity which animated -the first conquerors of Goa, and led their immediate descendants to -master the languages and literature of the broad lands won by their sharp -swords, has long since departed, in all human probability for ever. - - * * * * * - -The religion of Goa is the Roman Catholic. The primate is appointed -from home, and is expected to pass the rest of his life in exile. In -the ceremonies of the church we observed a few, but not very important -deviations from the Italian ritual. The holy week and other great -festivals are still kept up, but the number of _ferie_ (religious -holidays) has of late been greatly diminished, and the poverty of -the people precludes any attempt at display on these occasions. All -ecclesiastical matters are settled with the utmost facility. By -the constitution lately granted, the clergy have lost the power of -excommunication. The Papal see, who kept so jealous and watchful an eye -upon Goa in the days of her wealth and grandeur, seems now almost to -have forgotten the existence of her froward daughter.[50] As regards the -effect of religion upon the community in general, we should say that the -mild discipline of the priesthood has produced so far a happy result, -that the free-thinking spirit roused by ecclesiastical intolerance in -Europe, is all but unknown here. - -The priests always wear out of doors the clerical cap and cassock. -They are now very poorly provided for, and consequently lead regular -lives. The archbishop’s prison is almost always empty, and the amount of -profligacy which in Rome would be smiled at in a polite young abbate, -would certainly incur the severest penalty at Goa. It is said that the -clergy is careful to maintain the reputation of the profession, and -that any little peccadilloes, such as will and must occur in a warm -climate, and an order of celibataires, are studiously concealed from -public observation. As might be expected, the ecclesiastical party -prefers Don Miguel to Donna Maria, the favourite of the laity, the more -so as that “excellent son of Don John of Portugal,” were he even to -set his august foot on the floors of the Adjuda, would probably humour -them in such trifles as readmitting the Jesuits, and reestablishing the -Inquisition. The only objection to the holy profession at Goa is, that -the comparatively idle life led by its members offers strong inducements -to a poor, careless, and indolent people, who prefer its inutility to -pursuits more advantageous to themselves, as well as more profitable to -the commonweal. - -The ecclesiastical education lasts about seven years, three of which -are devoted to studying Latin, one is wasted upon moral philosophy, -dialectics and metaphysics, and the remainder is deemed sufficient for -theology. On certain occasions, students at the different seminaries -are taught the ceremonies of the church, and lectured in the Holy -Scriptures. There are two kinds of pupils, the resident, who wear the -clerical garb, and are limited in number, and the non-resident, who -dress like the laity, unless they intend to take orders. In this course -of education much stress is laid upon, and pride taken in, a knowledge -of Latin, whose similarity to Portuguese enables the student to read -and speak it with peculiar facility. Many authors are perused, but the -niceties of scholarship are unknown, good editions of the poets and -orators being unprocurable here. Few Goanese write the classical language -well; and though all can master the words, they seldom read deeply -enough to acquire the idiom. And lastly, the strange pronunciation of -the consonants in Portuguese is transferred to Latin, imparting to it -an almost unrecognisable sound. The clergy belonging to the country, -of course understand and speak the Concanee Maharattas. Sermons are -sometimes preached, and services performed in this dialect: it boasts of -a printed volume of oraçoens (prayers) dated 1660, for the benefit of -the lowest and most ignorant classes. - -The military profession is by no means a favourite one, on account of -poor pay and slow promotion. The aspirante, or cadet, enters the service -as a private, wears the uniform of that rank, and receives about 10s. -_per mensem_ for attending lectures. After learning Portuguese, the -course of study is as follows:— - -1st Term. Geometry, Trigonometry (plane and spherical), Geodesy and -Surveying. - -2nd Term. Algebra, differential and integral calculus. - -3rd Term. Mechanics, Statics, Dynamics, Hydrodynamics, Hydrostatics, -Hydraulics, &c. - -4th Term. Gunnery, Mining, Practice of Artillery. - -5th Term. Navigation and the Use of Instruments. - -6th Term. Fortification and Military Architecture. - -Infantry cadets study geometry and field-fortification during two or -three years. Those intended for the Artillery and Engineers, go through -all the course above mentioned, except navigation. Drawing, in all its -branches, is taught by professors who are, generally speaking, retired -officers superintended by a committee. After passing their examinations, -the names of the cadets are put down in the Roster, and they are -promoted, in due order, to the rank of alferez, or ensign. - -The total number of the Goanese army may be estimated at about two -thousand[51] men on actual duty, besides the Mouros, or Moors, who act as -police and guards at Panjim. The regiments are—two of infantry, stationed -at Bicholim and Ponda; two battalions of caçadores (chasseurs not -mounted), at Margao and Mapuca; a provincial battalion, and a corps of -artillery at Panjim. In each regiment there are six companies, composed -of between sixty and seventy men: a full band reckons thirty musicians. -The officers are about as numerous as in a British corps on foreign -service. - -The army is poorly paid;[52] the privates receive no salary when in sick -quarters, and the consequence is that they are frequently obliged to beg -their bread. We cannot therefore wonder that the European soldiery is -considered the least respectable part of the whole community. Most of the -officers belong to some family resident in India; consequently, they do -not live upon their pay. Moreover, they have no expensive establishments -to keep up, and have little marching or change of stations. - -The corps are seldom paraded; once every two days is considered ample -work during the cold season. Except on particular occasions, there are no -mounted officers on the ground, a peculiarity which gives a remarkably -“National Guard” like appearance to the field. They are well dressed, but -very independent in such movements as in carrying the sword, or changing -flanks: after a few manœuvres, which partake more of the character of -company than battalion exercise, the men order arms, and the captains, -lieutenants, and ensigns all fall out for a few minutes, to smoke a -leaf-full of tobacco, and chat with the commanding officer. They then -return to their places, and the parade proceeds. The appearance of -the privates on the drill-ground is contemptible in the extreme. The -smallest regiment of our little Maharattas would appear tolerable sized -men by the side of them; and as for a corps of Bengalees, it ought to be -able to walk over an equal number of such opponents, without scarcely -a thrust of the bayonet. Europeans and natives, in dirty clothes, and -by no means of a uniform colour—some fiercely “bearded like the pard,” -some with moustachios as thick as broomsticks, others with meek black -faces, religiously shaven and shorn—compose admirably heterogeneous -companies which, moreover, never being sized from flanks to centre, look -as jagged as a row of shark’s teeth. Drill is the last thing thought -of. The sergeant, when putting his recruits through their manual and -platoon, finds it necessary to refer to a book. When the pupils are not -sufficiently attentive, a spiteful wring of the ear, or poke between the -shoulders, reminds them of their duty. To do justice to their spirit, -we seldom saw such admonition received in silence; generally, it was -followed by the description of dialogue affected by two irritated -fishwives. So much for the outward signs of discipline. As regards the -effects of drill, the loose, careless, and _draggling_ way in which the -men stand and move, would be the death of a real English martinet. We -could not help smiling at the thought of how certain friends of ours who, -after a march of fifteen miles, will keep an unhappy regiment ordering -and shouldering arms for half an hour in front of their tents, would -behave themselves, if called to command such corps. - -Till lately, no books of tactics have been published for the instruction -of the Goanese army. At present there are several, chiefly elementary, -and translated from the English and French. The manual and platoon, the -sword exercise, and other small works were prepared by Major G⸺n, an -officer and linguist of some talent. We saw few publications upon the -subject of military law. Courts-martial are rare compared with the absurd -number yearly noted in the annals of the Indian army, where a boy of -eighteen scarcely ever commits a fault for which he would be breeched at -school, without being solemnly tried upon the charge of “conduct highly -unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.” - -To conclude the subject of the Goanese army, it is evident that there -are two grand flaws in its composition. The officers are compelled to -be scientific, not practical men, and the soldiers are half-drilled. -This propensity for mathematics is, of course, a European importation. -Beginning with France, it has spread over the Western Continent till at -last, like sundry other new-fangled fashions, it has been seized upon -and applied to the British army. Why a captain commanding a company, or -a colonel in charge of a battalion, should be required to have Geometry, -History, and Geography at his fingers’ ends, we cannot exactly divine. -With respect to drill, it may be remarked that, when imperfectly taught, -it is worse than useless to the soldier. We moderns seem determined to -discourage the personal prowess, gymnastics, and the perpetual practice -of weapons in which our forefathers took such pride. We are right to -a certain extent: the individual should be forced to feel that his -safety lies in acting in concert with others. At the same time, in our -humble opinion, they carry the principle too far who would leave him -destitute of the means of defending himself when obliged to act singly. -How many good men and true have we lost during the late wars, simply in -consequence of our neglecting to instruct them in the bayonet exercise! -And may not this fact in some wise account for the difficulty experienced -of late by disciplined troops in contending with semi-civilised tribes, -whose military studies consist of athletic exercises which prepare the -body for hardship and fatigue, and the skilful use of weapons that -ensures success in single combat? The English, French, and Russians -have, within the last fifteen years, all suffered more or less severely -from the undrilled valour, and the irregular attacks of the Affghans, -Arabs, and Circassians. - -Young aspirants to the honours which Justinian gives, have no public -schools to frequent, nor can they study gratis. In a community which so -decidedly prefers coppers to knowledge, this is perhaps one of the most -judicious measures imaginable for limiting the number of this troublesome -order. The law students frequent private establishments at Margäo, and a -course of two years is generally considered sufficient to qualify them -for practice. After a very superficial examination in the presence of a -committee composed of two judges and a president, they receive, if found -competent, a diploma, and proceed to seek employment in one of the courts. - -Justice at Goa, as in British India, seems to have adapted herself to the -peculiarities of the country much better than one might have expected -from a character so uncompromising as hers is generally represented to -be. The great difference between us and the Portuguese is, that whereas -we shoot and hang upon the authority of our civil and military courts, -no Goanese can be brought to the gallows till the death-warrant, -bearing her majesty’s signature, arrives from Europe,—a pleasant state -of suspense for the patient! Murder and sacrilege are the only crimes -which lead to capital punishment; for lesser offences, criminals are -transported to the Mozambique, or imprisoned in the jail—a dirty -building, originally intended for a Mint—or simply banished from Goa. - -Those covetous of the riches which Galen is said to grant, are prepared -for manslaughter—to use a Persian phrase—by a course of five years’ -study. They are expected to attend lectures every day, except on -Thursdays and Sundays, the principal religious festivals, and a long -vacation that lasts from the fifteenth of March to the middle of June. -On the first of April every year, the students are examined, and two -prizes are given. The professors are four in number, three surgeons -and one physician, together with two assistants. The course commences -with Anatomy and Physiology; during the second year Materia Medica -and Pharmacy are studied; the surgical and chemical branches of the -profession occupy the third; and the last is devoted to Pathology and -Medical Jurisprudence. The hospital must be visited every day during the -latter half of the course. It is a large edifice, situated at the west -end of the town, close to the sea, but by no means, we should imagine, -in a favourable position for health, as a channel of fetid mud passes -close under the walls. The building can accommodate about three hundred -patients and is tolerably but not scrupulously clean. It contains two -wards, one for surgical, the other for medical cases, a chapel, an -apartment for sick prisoners and a variety of different lecture-rooms. -After his four years of study, the pupil is examined, and either rejected -or presented with a diploma and permission to practise. - -The elementary works upon the subjects of Anatomy and Materia Medica are, -generally speaking, Portuguese; the proficient, however, is compelled -to have recourse to French books, which have not been translated into -his vernacular tongue. The English system of medicine is universally -execrated, and very justly. Dieting, broths, and ptisanes, cure many a -native whose feeble constitution would soon sink beneath our blisters, -calomel, bleeding, and drastic purges. As might be expected, all the -modern scientific refinements, or quackeries, are known here only by -name. We were surprised, however, by the general ignorance of the -properties of herbs and simples—a primitive science in which the native -of India is, usually speaking, deeply read. - - * * * * * - -The principal Oriental tongues studied by the early Portuguese in their -mania for converting the heathens were the Malabar, Maharatta, Ethiopic, -and Japanese, the dialects of Congo, and the Canary Isles, the Hebrew, -and the Arabic. The Portuguese Jews, in the fifteenth century, were -celebrated for their proficiency in Biblical, Talmudic, and Rabbinical -lore; and the work of João de Souza, entitled, “Documentos Arabios de -Historia Portugueza copiades dos originaes da Torre do’ Tombo,” is a -fair specimen of Orientalism, considering the early times in which it -was composed. Of late years, Portuguese zeal for propagating the faith, -depressed by poverty, and worn out by the slow and sure spiritual _vis -inertiæ_, which the natives of the East have opposed to the pious efforts -of Modern Europe, appears to have sunk into the last stage of decline, -and with it their ancient ardour for the study of so many, and, in some -cases, such unattractive languages. - -Our case is very different from theirs. In addition to religious -incentives, hundreds of our nation have more solid and powerful -inducements to labour held out to them. We fondly hope and believe -that the days are passed when Oriental study and ruin were almost -synonymous. Within the last few years we have more or less facilitated -the acquisition, and rifled the literature of between thirty and -forty eastern dialects—a labour of which any nation might be proud. -Our industry, too, is apparently still unabated. Societies for the -translation and publication of new works, Oriental libraries, and, -perhaps, the most useful step of all, the lithographic process, which has -lately supplanted the old and unseemly moveable types, are fast preparing -a royal road for the Oriental learner. It may be observed that the true -means of promoting the study is to diminish its laboriousness, and -still more its expense. So far we have been uncommonly successful. For -instance, an excellent and correct lithograph of Mirkhond’s celebrated -history, the “Rauzat el Safa,” may now be bought for 3_l._ or 4_l._; a -few years ago the student would have paid probably 70_l._ or 80_l._ for a -portion of the same work in the correct MS. - -At the same time we quite concur in the opinion of the eminent -Orientalist,[53] who declared, _ex cathedrâ_, that our literary -achievements in this branch bear no flattering proportion to the -vastness of our means as a nation. It is true, to quote one of many -hard cases, that we must send to Germany or Russia for grammars and -publications in the Affghan language, although the country lies at -our very doors. But the cause of this is the want of patronage and -assistance, not any deficiency in power or ability. There are many -unknown D’Herbelots in India, unfortunately England has not one -Ferdinand.[54] - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -ADIEU TO PANJIM. - - -At a time when public attention is so deeply interested in the twin -subjects of colonization and conversion, some useful lessons may be -derived from the miserable state of the celebrated Portuguese settlement; -even though our present and their past positions be by no means parallel -in all points, and though a variety of fortuitous cases, such as the -pestilence and warfare which led to their decadence, cannot or may not -affect our more extended Indian empire. - -The Portuguese, it must be recollected, generally speaking, contented -themselves with seizing the different lines of sea-coast, holding them -by means of forts, stations, and armed vessels, and using them for the -purpose of monopolising the export and import trade of the interior. -In the rare cases when they ventured up the country they made a point -of colonising it. We, on the contrary, have hitherto acted upon the -principle of subjugating whole provinces to our sway, and such has been -our success, that not only the Christian, but even the heathen, sees the -finger of Providence directing our onward course of conquest. - -Of late years, climates supposed to be favourable to the European -constitution, such as the Neilgherry hills and the lower slopes of the -Himalayas, have been discovered, tested, and approved of. Determined -to make use of them, our legislators have taken the wise step of -establishing barracks for the British soldiery in places where they may -live in comparative health and comfort during peaceful times, and yet -be available for immediate active service, whenever and wherever their -presence may be required. - -But we are not willing to stop here, we argue that such salubrious and -fertile tracts of country would form excellent permanent settlements for -half-pay officers, pensioners, worn-out soldiers, and others, who prefer -spending the remainder of their days in the land of their adoption. Here, -then, we have the proposed beginning of a colony. - -To the probability of extensive success, or public utility in such a -scheme, there are two important objections. - -In the first place, supposing the offspring of the colonists to be of -pure European blood, we must expect them to degenerate after the second -generation. All who have sojourned long in the southern parts of Europe, -such as Italy or Spain, must have remarked the deleterious effects of a -hot and dry climate upon a race that thrives only in a cold and damp one. -An English child brought up in Italy is, generally speaking, more sickly, -more liable to nervous and hepatic complaints, and, consequently, more -weakened in mind as well as body, than even the natives of the country. -If this remark hold true in the South of Europe, it is not likely to -prove false in tropical latitudes. - -But, secondly, if acting upon Albuquerque’s fatal theory, we encourage -intermarriage with the natives of the country, such colony would be -worse than useless to us. We cannot but think that the Hindoos are the -lowest branch of the Caucasian or Iranian family; and, moreover, that, -contrary to what might be expected, any intermixture of blood with the -higher classes of that same race produces a still inferior development. -Some have accounted for the mental inferiority of the mixed breed by a -supposed softness or malformation of the brain, others argue that the -premature depravity and excess to which they are prone, enervate their -bodies, and, consequently, affect their minds. Whatever may be the cause -of the phenomenon its existence is, we humbly opine, undeniable. Neither -British nor Portuguese India ever produced a half-caste at all deserving -of being ranked in the typical order of man. - -Our empire in the East has justly been described as one of opinion, that -is to say, it is founded upon the good opinion entertained of us by the -natives, and their bad opinion of themselves. In the old times of the -Honourable East India Company, when no Englishman or Englishwoman was -permitted to reside in India, without formal permission, the people -respected us more than they do now. Admitting this assertion, it is not -difficult to account for the reason why, of late years, a well-appointed -British force has more than once found it difficult to defeat a -rudely-drilled Indian army. We are the same men we were in the days of -Clive and Cornwallis; the people of India are not; formerly they fought -expecting to be defeated, now they enter the field flushed with hopes of -success. We cannot but suspect that the lower estimate they have formed -of their antagonists has more to do with their increased formidableness, -than any other of the minor causes to which it is usually attributed. -But if not contented with exposing individuals to their contempt, we -offer them whole colonies, we may expect to incur even greater disasters. -Every one knows that if the people of India could be unanimous for a -day they might sweep us from their country as dust before a whirlwind. -There is little danger of their combining so long as they dread us. Such -fear leads to distrust; every man knows himself, and, consequently, -suspects his neighbour, to be false. Like the Italians in their late war -of independence the cry of _tradimento_ (treachery) is sufficient to -paralyse every arm, however critical be the hour in which it is raised. -So it is in India. But their distrust of each other, as well as their -respect for us, is founded entirely upon their fear of our bayonets. - -In whatever way, then, we propose to populate our settlement, we place -ourselves in a position of equal difficulty and danger. Such colonies -would, like Goa, be born with the germs of sure and speedy decline, and -well for our Indian empire in general, if the contagious effects of their -decay did not extend far and wide through the land. - -The conversion of the natives of India to Christianity has of late years -become a species of excitement in our native country, and, consequently, -many incorrect, prejudiced and garbled statements of the progress and -success of the good work have gone forth to the world. Not a few old -Indians returned home, have been very much surprised by hearing authentic -accounts and long details of effectual missionary labour which they -certainly never witnessed. Our candour may not be appreciated—it is so -difficult for the enthusiastic to avoid running down an opinion contrary -to their own—we cannot, however, but confess that some years spent in -Western India have convinced us that the results hitherto obtained -are utterly disproportionate to the means employed for converting the -people. Moreover, study of the native character forces us to doubt -whether anything like success upon a grand scale can ever reasonably be -anticipated. We have often heard it remarked by those most conversant -with the deep-rooted prejudices and the fanatic credulity of the Hindoos -that with half the money and trouble we have lavished upon them they -could have made double the number of converts to their heathenism in -Europe. - -The splendid success of the Portuguese in converting the Hindoos, -was owing to two main causes, the first, their persecution,[55] which -compelled many natives to assume European names, adopt the dress, -manners, and customs of the West, and gradually to lapse, if we may use -the expression, into Christianity. After once entering a church, the -proselytes were under the strict surveillance of the Inquisition, who -never allowed a “new Christian” to apostatize without making a signal -example of him. In the second place, the Portuguese sent out in all -directions crowds of missionaries, who, as Tavernier informs us, assumed -the native dress, and taught under the disguise of Jogees and other -Hindoo religious characters, a strange, and yet artful mixture of the two -faiths. That these individuals sacrificed the most vital points of their -religion to forward the end they proposed to themselves, we have ample -proof; at the same time that they were eminently successful, is equally -well known. The virulent animosity that existed between the Jesuits -and Jansenists disclosed to astonished Europe the system of adaptation -adopted by the former, and Benedict XIV., by a violent bull, put an end -at once to their unjustifiable means, and their consequent successfulness -of conversion.[56] - -We by no means mean to insinuate that our holy faith is unfavourable to -the development or progression of the human species. Still it cannot be -concealed that, generally speaking, throughout the East the Christian -is inferior, as regards strength, courage, and principle to the average -of the tribes which populate that part of the world. His deficiency of -personal vigour may be accounted for by the use of impure meats, and -the spirituous liquors in which he indulges. The want of ceremonial -ablutions, also, undoubtedly tends to deteriorate the race. It may be -observed, that from Zoroaster and Moses downwards, no founder of an -Eastern faith has ever omitted to represent his dietetic or ablusive -directions as inspired decrees, descending from Heaven. Care applied to -public health, ensures the prosperity of a people, especially amongst -semi-barbarous races, where health engenders bodily vigour, strength -begets courage, and bravery a rude principle of honour. - -What Goa has done may serve as a lesson to us. She compelled or induced -good Hindoos and Moslems to become bad Christians. The consequence -has been the utter degeneracy of the breed, who have been justly -characterized by our House of Commons as “a race the least respected and -respectable, and the least fitted for soldiers of all the tribes that -diversify the populous country of India.” - -In conclusion, we have only to inform our reader that the opinions thus -boldly proposed to him are, we believe, those entertained by many of the -acutest judges of native character and native history. It is easy to -understand why they are not more often offered to public attention. - - * * * * * - -After addressing a note to the Secretary for permission to leave Goa, we -set out in quest of a conveyance; and deeply we had to regret that we did -not retain our old pattimar. The owners of vessels, knowing that we must -pay the price they asked, and seeing that we were determined to migrate -southwards, became extortionate beyond all bounds. At last we thought -ourselves happy to secure a wretched little boat for at least double the -usual hire. After duly taking leave of our small circle of acquaintances, -we transferred ourselves and luggage on board the San Ignacio awaiting -the pleasure of the Tindal—a hard-featured black Portuguese—to quit the -land of ruins and cocoa trees. Before preparing for rest we went through -the usual ceremony of mustering our crew, and ascertaining the probable -hour of our departure: we presently found, as we might have guessed, -that they were all on shore except a man and a diminutive boy, and that -consequently we were not likely to weigh anchor before 2 A.M., at least -five hours later than was absolutely necessary. As we felt no desire to -encounter the various Egyptian plagues of the cabin, we ordered a table -to be placed under the awning, and seated ourselves upon the same with -the firm determination of being as patient and long-suffering as possible. - -The night was a lovely one—fair and cool as ever made amends for a -broiling and glaring April day in these detestable latitudes. A more -beautiful sight, perhaps, was never seen than the moon rising like a -ball of burnished silver through the deep azure of the clear sky, and -shedding her soft radiance down the whole length of the Rio. The little -villages almost hidden from view by the groves of impending trees, whose -heads glistened as if hoar-frost had encrusted them; the solemn forms -of the towering churches, the ruins of Old Goa dimly perceptible in the -far distance, and nearer, Panjim, lying in darkness under the shadow of -the hills, all looked delightfully tranquil and peaceful. Besides, we -were about to bid adieu to scenes in which we had spent a pleasant hour -or two, and they are epochs in the traveller’s life, these farewells to -places or faces we admire. Will then the reader wonder if we confess -that, under the circumstances of the case, we really had no resource but -to feel poetically disposed? And, as happens in such cases, the Demon -of Doggrel emboldened by the presence of those two kindred spirits, the -naughty Herba Nicotiana and the immodest “Naiad of the Phlegethontic Rill -Cogniac,” tempted us so long and sorely, that he at last succeeded in -causing us to perpetrate the following - - LINES. - - Adieu, fair land, deep silence reigns - O’er hills and dales and fertile plains; - Save when the soft and fragrant breeze - Sighs through the groves of tufted trees; - Or the rough breakers’ distant roar, - Is echoed by the watery shore. - Whilst gazing on the lovely view, - How grating sounds the word “adieu!” - What tongue⸺ - -Aye, what tongue indeed? In an instant the demon fled, as our crew, in -the last stage of roaring intoxication, scaled the side of what we were -about poetically to designate our “bark.” A few minutes’ consideration -convinced us that energetic measures must be adopted if we wished to -restore order or quiet. In vain were the efforts of our eloquence; -equally useless some slight preliminary exertions of toe and talon. At -last, exasperated by the failure, and perhaps irritated by thinking -of the beautiful lines we might have indited but for the inopportune -interruption, we ventured to administer a rapid succession of small -double raps to the Tindal’s shaven and cocoanut-like pericranium. The -wretch ceased his roaring, rose from off his hams, and after regarding -us for a minute with a look of intense drunken ferocity, precipitated -himself into the water. Finding the tide too strong for him he began -to shriek like a dying pig; his crew shouted because he shouted, -sympathetically yelled the sailors in the neighbouring boats, and the -sentinels on shore began to give the alarm. Never, perhaps, has there -been such confusion at Goa since the Maharatta rode round her walls. Up -rushed the harbour master, the collector of customs, the military, and -the police—even his Excellency the Governor General of all the Indies, -did not deem it beneath his dignity to quit the palace for the purpose of -ascertaining what had caused the turmoil. The half-drowned wretch, when -hurried into the high presence, declared, in extenuation of his conduct, -that he had imprudently shipped on board the San Ignacio, an Inglez or -Englishman, who had deliberately commenced murdering the crew the moment -they came on board. The Governor, however, seeing the truth of things, -ordered him immediately to be placed in the nearest quarter guard till -midnight, at which time it was calculated that, by virtue of the ducking, -he might be sober enough to set sail. - -As we rapidly glided by the Castle of Agoada, all our crew stood up, and -with hands reverentially upraised, said their prayers. They did not, -however, pay much respect to the patron saint of the boat, whose image, a -little painted doll, in a wooden box, occupied a conspicuous position in -the “cuddy.” A pot of oil with a lighted wick was, it is true, regularly -placed before him every night to warn the vermin against molesting so -holy a personage: the measure, however, failed in success, as the very -first evening we came on board, a huge rat took his station upon the -saint’s back and glared at us, stretching his long sharp snout over the -unconscious San Ignacio’s head. One evening, as the weather appeared -likely to be squally, we observed that the usual compliment was not -offered to the patron, and had the curiosity to inquire why. - -“Why?” vociferated the Tindal indignantly, “if that chap can’t keep the -sky clear, he shall have neither oil nor wick from me, d—n him!” - -“But I should have supposed that in the hour of danger you would have -paid him more than usual attention?” - -“The fact is, Sahib, I have found out that the fellow is not worth his -salt: the last time we had an infernal squall with him on board, and if -he doesn’t keep this one off, I’ll just throw him overboard, and take to -Santa Caterina: hang me, if I don’t—the brother-in-law!”[57] - -And so saying the Tindal looked ferocious things at the placid features -of San Ignacio. - -The peculiar conformation of our captain’s mind, recalled to memory a -somewhat similar phenomenon which we noticed in our younger days. We were -toiling up a steep and muddy mountain-road over the Apennines, on foot, -to relieve our panting steeds, whom the vetturino was fustigating, _con -amore_, at the same time venting fearful imprecations upon the soul of -Sant’ Antonino Piccino, or the younger. - -At length, tired of hearing the cadet so defamed, we suggested that our -friend should address a few similar words to the other Sant’ Antonino—the -elder. - -“The elder!” cried the vetturino, aghast with horror. “Oh, _per Bacco che -bestemmia_—what a blasphemy! No, I daren’t abuse His Sanctity; but as -for this little _rufiano_ of a younger, I’ve worn his portrait these ten -years, and know by this time that nothing is to be got out of him without -hard words.” - -On the fourth day after our departure from Panjim, a swarm of canoes full -of fishermen, probably the descendants of the ancient Malabar pirates, -gave us happy tidings of speedy arrival. They were a peculiar-looking -race dressed in head-gear made of twisted palm leaves, and looking -exactly as if an umbrella, composed of matting, had been sewn on to the -top of a crownless hat of the same material. - -And now we are in the Malabar seas. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -CALICUT. - - -Can those three or four bungalows, with that stick-like light-house -between them and the half-dozen tiled and thatched roofs peeping from -amongst the trees, compose Calicut—the city of world-wide celebrity, -which immortalised herself by giving a name to calico? - -Yes; but when we land we shall find a huge mass of huts and hovels, each -built in its own yard of cocoas with bazaars, vast and peculiar-looking -mosques, a chapel or two, courts and cutcherries, a hospital, jail, -barracks, and a variety of bungalows. Seen from the sea, all the towns on -this coast look like straggling villages, with a background of distant -blue hill,[58] and a middle space of trees, divided by a strip of sand -from the watery plain. - -Calicut is no longer the - - Cidade—nobre e rica[59] - -described by Camoens’ tuneful muse. Some, indeed, declare that the -present city is not the one alluded to in the Lusiad. There is a -tradition amongst the natives of the country, that the ancient Calicut -was merged beneath the waves; but in the East, tradition is always a -terrible romancer. So we will still continue to believe that here old De -Gama first cast anchor and stepped forth from his weather-beaten ship, at -the head of his mail-clad warriors, upon the land of promise. - -D’Anville assigns two dates to the foundation of Calicut, the earlier -one[60]—A.D. 805—will suit historical purposes sufficiently well. There -is nothing to recommend the position selected. During the monsoon, no -vessel can approach the anchorage-ground with safety, and even in the -fine season many have been wrecked upon the reefs of rocks which line -the coast. Very little wind suffices to raise the surf: Nature has made -no attempt at a harbour, and the ships lying in an open roadstead, are -constantly liable to be driven on the sand and mud-banks around them. -Tippoo Sultan—a very long-headed individual, by the bye—saw the defects -of the situation, and determining to remove the town about six miles -southward to the mouth of the Beypoor, or Arricode river, where a natural -port exists, adopted the energetic measure of almost destroying the old -city, that the inhabitants might experience less regret in leaving their -homes. The Moslem emperor regarded Calicut with no peculiar good-will. -He and his subjects were perpetually engaged in little squabbles, which -by no means tended to promote kindly feeling between them.[61] On one -occasion, offended by the fanaticism of the Nair and Tiyar Hindoos, their -ruler pulled down almost every pagoda in the place, and with the stones -erected a splendid tank in the middle of the large open space where the -travellers’ bungalow now stands. Tippoo unfortunately failed in this -project of removal, and when the British became supreme in Malabar, the -natives all returned to their ancient haunts. Calicut, for many reasons, -is not likely to be deserted under the present rule: it is the point to -which all the lines of road which intersect the country converge; besides -it would now scarcely be worth our while to bring about so violent a -change for the purpose of eventual improvement. - -When old Nelkunda began to decline, Calicut rose to importance, probably -in consequence of its being in very early times the metropolis of the -Samiry Rajah (the Zamorin of Camoens), lord paramount of Malabar. Shortly -after the origin of Islam, it was visited and colonised by thousands of -Arabs,[62] who diffused energy and activity throughout the land. As -trade increased, Calicut throve because of its centrical position between -the countries east and west of Cape Comorin. Even in the present day, -although Goa, and subsequently Bombay, have left the ancient emporium of -Western India but little of its former consequence, commerce[63] still -continues to flourish there. The export is brisker than the import trade: -the latter consists principally of European piece goods and metals, the -former comprises a vast variety of spices, drugs, valuable timber and -cotton cloths. - - * * * * * - -We will now take a walk through the town and remark its several -novelties. Monuments of antiquity abound not here: the fort erected -by the Portuguese has long since been level with the ground, and -private bungalows occupy the sites of the old Dutch, French, and Danish -factories. We shall meet few Europeans in the streets: there are -scarcely twenty in this place, including all the varieties of civilians, -merchants, missionaries, and the officers belonging to the two seapoy -companies detached from the neighbouring station—Cananore. Most of the -residents inhabit houses built upon an eminence about three miles to the -north of the town; others live as close as possible to the sea. A dreary -life they must lead, one would suppose, especially during the monsoon, -when the unhappy expatriated’s ears are regaled by no other sounds but -the pelting of the rain, the roaring of the blast, and the creaking of -the cocoa trees, whilst a curtain of raging sea, black sky, and watery -air, is all that meets his weary ken. - -The first thing we observe during our perambulation, is the want of -the quadruped creation: there are no horses,[64] sheep, or goats, -and the cows are scarcely as large as English donkeys. Secondly, the -abundance of sore eyes, produced, it is supposed by the offensive glare -and the peculiar effect of the sun’s rays, which in these regions -are insufferable even to the natives of other Indian provinces. The -population apparently regards us with no friendly feeling, Moslem and -Hindoo, all have scowls upon their faces, and every man, moreover, -carries a knife conveniently slung to his waistband. Those dark-faced -gentlemen, in imitation European dresses, are familiar to our eyes: they -are Portuguese, not, however, from Goa, but born, bred, and likely to be -buried at Calicut. A little colony, of fifty or sixty families of the -race is settled here; they employ themselves either in commerce, or as -writers in the different government offices. - -The bazaars appear to be well stocked with everything but vegetables -and butcher’s meat, these two articles being as scarce and bad as the -poultry; fish and fruit are plentiful and good. The shops are poor; -there is not a single Parsee or European store in the town, so that all -supplies must be procured from the neighbouring stations. Everywhere the -houses are much more comfortably and substantially built than in the -Bombay presidency; the nature of the climate requires a good roof, and -as much shade on and around it as possible: the streets and roads, also, -look civilised compared with the narrow and filthy alleys of our native -towns in general. But we shall find little amusement in inspecting the -mass of huts and hovels, mosques and schools, gardens and tanks, so we -might as well prolong our stroll beyond the town, and visit the venerable -pagoda of Varkool. - -It is, you see, a building by no means admirable in point of outward -appearance; the roof is tiled, and there is little to excite your -curiosity in the woodwork. Its position is remarkable—perched upon the -summit of a pile of laterite rock rising abruptly from a level expanse -of sand. But it is great, very great, in its historical importance. -That edifice was one of the hundred and eight Maha Chaitrum, or temples -of the first order, built by the demigod Parasu Rama, upon this coast, -and dedicated to the Hindoo Triad. Equally notable it is for sanctity. -Early in the month of October, water appears bubbling from a fissure of -the rock, and this, learned Brahmans, by what test we know not, have -determined to be the veritable fluid of the Ganges, which, passing under -ground,[65] _viâ_ Central India, displays itself regularly once a year -to the devotees of Rama. Kindly observe that there is a crowd of Nairs -gathered round the temple, and that some petty prince, as we may know -by his retinue of armed followers, is visiting the shrine. We will not -venture in, as the Hindoos generally in this part of the world, and -the Nairs particularly, are accustomed to use their knives with scant -ceremony. Besides, just at present, they are somewhat in a state of -excitement: they expect a partial eclipse of the moon, and are prepared -to make all the noise they can, with a view of frightening away the -wicked monster, Rahu, who is bent upon satisfying his cannibal appetites -with the lucid form of poor Luna. - - * * * * * - -The present Samiry Rajah is a proud man, who shuns Europeans, and -discourages their visiting him on principle. Wishing, however, to see -some sample of the regal family, we called upon a cadet of the house -of Yelliah, an individual of little wealth or influence, but more -sociable than the high and mighty Mana Vikram.[66] After a ride of -about three miles, through lanes lined with banks of laterite, and over -dykes stretching like rude causeways along paddy fields invested with -a six-foot deep coating of mud, we arrived at the village of Mangaon. -The Rajah was apparently resolved to receive us with all the honours: a -caparisoned elephant stood at the gate of the “palace,” and a troop of -half-naked Nairs, armed as usual, crowded around to receive us. We were -ushered through a succession of courts and gateways—the former full of -diminutive, but seemingly most pugnacious cows—and at last, ascending -a long flight of dark and narrow steps, suddenly found ourselves in the -“presence.” Our Rajah was a little dark man, injudiciously attired in -a magnificent coat of gold cloth, a strangely-shaped cap of the same -material, and red silk tights. The room was small, and choked with -furniture; chairs, tables, clocks, drawers, washing-stands, boxes, -book-shelves, and stools, were arranged, or rather piled up around it, -with all the effect of an old curiosity-shop. The walls exhibited a -collection of the cheapest and worst of coloured prints—our late gracious -queen dangling in dangerous proximity to the ferocious-looking Beau -Sabreur, and La Belle Americaine occupied in attentively scrutinising -certain diminutive sketches of Richmond Hill, and other localities, -probably torn out of some antiquated Annual. Our host met us _à -l’Anglaise_—that is to say, with a warm, moist, and friendly squeeze of -the hand: he was profuse in compliments, and insisted upon our sitting on -the sofa opposite his chair. With the assistance of an interpreter—for -the Rajah understands little Hindostani, and we less Malayalim—some -twenty minutes were spent in conversation, or rather in the usual -exchange of questions and answers which composes the small-talk of an -Oriental visit. Presently we arose and took polite leave of our host, -who accompanied us as far as the door of his little den: the regal rank -and dignity forbidding him to pass the threshold. Not a little shuffling -and shrieking was caused by our turning a corner suddenly and meeting -in the gateway a crowd of dames belonging to the palace. They and their -attendants appeared as much annoyed as we were gratified to catch a sight -of Nair female beauty. The ladies were very young and pretty—their long -jetty tresses, small soft features, clear dark olive-coloured skins, and -delicate limbs, reminded us exactly of the old prints and descriptions -of the South Sea Islanders. Their _toilette_, in all save the ornamental -part of rings and necklaces, was decidedly scanty. It was the same -described by old Capt. Hamilton, who, when introduced at the Court of the -Samorin, observed that the queen and her daughters were “all naked above -the waist, and barefooted.” - -People are fond of asserting that native prejudices are being rapidly -subjugated by the strong arm of English civilization. We could instance -numerous proofs of the contrary being the case. Two hundred years ago -the white man was allowed to look upon a black princess in the presence -of her husband. How long will it be before such privilege will ever be -extended to him again in India? - - * * * * * - -On the way homewards our guide pointed out what he considered the great -lion of Calicut. It is a square field, overgrown with grass and weeds and -surrounded by a dense grove of trees. Fronting the road stands a simple -gateway, composed of one stone laid horizontally across two of the same -shape, planted perpendicularly in the ground. Not detecting instantly -any great marvel about the place we looked our curiosity for further -information. - -“In days of old a strong fort, and a splendid palace adorned that -spot—their only remains now those two mounds”—said the guide, pointing at -what appeared to be the ruins of bastions—“and that raised platform of -earth at the other end. Upon the latter a temporary festive building is -erected whenever a Rajah is invested with the turban of regal dignity, in -memory of the ancient dwelling-place of his ancestors, and the city which -is now no more.” - -We had half an hour to waste, and were not unwilling to hear a detailed -account of old Calicut’s apocryphal destruction. So we asked the man -to point out its former site. He led us towards the shore, and called -our attention to a reef of rocks lying close off the mouth of the little -Kullai River; they were clearly discernible as it was then low water.[67] - -“There,” said the guide,—a good Hindoo, of course—“there lies the -accursed city of Cherooman Rajah!” - -Our escort did not require much pressing to ease himself of a little -legendary lore. After preparing his mouth for conversation by disposing -of as much betel juice as was convenient, he sat down upon the ground -near the log of wood occupied by ourselves, and commenced. - -“When Cherooman Rajah, the last and most powerful of our foreign -governors, apostatizing from the holy faith of his forefathers, received -the religion of the stranger, he went forth as a pilgrim to the land of -the Arab, and dwelt there for several years.[68] - -“Our ruler’s return was signalized by a determination to propagate the -new belief throughout Malabar, and unusual success attended upon the -well-planned system of persuasion and force adopted by him. Thousands of -the slaves, the cultivators and the fishermen, became Moslems, many of -the Nairs, some of them men of high rank, and even a few of the Brahmans -did not disdain to follow their prince’s example. But the _Numboory_[69] -stood firm in his refusal to turn from the law of Brahma; he not only -toiled to counteract the monarch’s influence, but on more than one -occasion in solemn procession visited the palace, and denounced a curse -upon the Rajah and people of Calicut if the proselytising continued. - -“At length the chieftain, irritated by the determined opposition of the -priesthood, and urged on by his Arab advisers, swore a mighty oath that -he would forcibly convert his arch enemies. The person selected to eat -impure meat as a warning to his brethren was the holy Sankaracharya, the -high Brahman of the Varkool pagoda. - -“Slowly the old man’s tottering frame bowed, and trembling with -age, moved down the double line of bearded warriors that crowded -the audience-hall. At the further end of the room, upon the cushion -of royalty, and surrounded by a throng of foreign counsellors, sat -Cherooman, looking like a Rakshasa or Spirit of Evil. - -“Few words passed between the Brahman and the ruler. The threats of the -latter, and the scoffs of his myrmidons, fell unheeded upon the old -priest’s ears. - -“‘It is said that a Rajah is a sword in the hand of the Almighty—but -thou, Cherooman, art like the assassin’s knife. Since thou art thus -determined upon thine own destruction accompany me to the beach, and -there, unless before sunset the dread Deity I adore vouchsafe to show -thee a sign of his power, I will obey thine unhallowed orders.’ - -“The Rajah mounted his elephant, and followed by his mufties, his -wuzeers, and guardsmen, moved slowly towards the brink of the briny -wave. On foot and unattended, propping his faltering footsteps with a -sandal wand, the Brahman accompanied the retinue. And all the people -of Calicut, whose leaning towards the new faith made them exult in the -prospect of conversion being forced upon so revered a personage as the -old priest, informed of the event, hurried down in thousands to the -shore, and stood there in groups conversing earnestly, and sparing -neither jest nor jibe at the contrast between the champions of the two -rival faiths. - -“Sankaracharya sat down upon the sand where the small waves swelled and -burst at his feet. Muffling his head in a cotton sheet removed from -his shoulders, he drew the rosary bag over his right hand, and after -enumerating the Deity’s names upon his beads, proceeded to recite the -charm of destruction. - -“Presently, a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand rose like a sea-bird -above the margin of the western main. It increased with preternatural -growth, and before half an hour had elapsed it veiled the mid-day light -of heaven, and spread over the sky like the glooms of night. A low -moaning sound as of a rising hurricane then began to break the drear -stillness of the scene, and fierce blasts to career wildly over the -heaving bosom of the waters. - -“Still the Brahman continued his prayer. - -“Now huge billowy waves burst like thunder upon the yellow sands, the -zig-zag lightning streaking the murky sky blinded the eyes, whilst the -roar of the elements deafened the ears of the trembling crowd. Yet they -stood rooted to the spot by a mightier power than they could control. The -Rajah, on his elephant, and the beggar crawling upon his knees, all had -prepared for themselves one common doom. - -“Before the bright car of Surya,[70] the Lord of Day, borne by its -flaming steeds with agate hoofs, had entered upon their starry way, the -wavelet was rippling, and the sea-gull flapping his snowy wing over the -city of Cherooman the Apostate.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -MALABAR. - - -The province, now called Malabar, is part of the Kerula Rajya, the -kingdom of Kerula, one of the fifty-six _deshas_, or regions, enumerated -in ancient Hindoo history as forming the Bharata Khanda or Land of -India. It is supposed to have been recovered from the sea by the sixth -incarnation of Vishnu, who in expiation of a matricidal crime gave over -to the Brahmans, particularly to those of the Moonsut tribe, the broad -lands lying between Go-karna[71] and Kanya Kumari, or Cape Comorin. The -country is also known by the names of Malayalim, the “mountain land;” -Malangara and Cherun,[72] from the Rajahs, who governed it at an early -period. It is probably the kingdom of Pandion, described in the pages of -the classical geographers. - -By Malabar we now understand the little tract bounded on the north by -Canara, to the south by the province of Cochin, having Coorg and Mysore -to the east, and washed by the waves of the Indian Ocean on the west. -Marco Polo (thirteenth century)[73] speaks of it as a “great kingdom,” -and Linschoten (sixteenth century) describes it as extending from Comorin -to Goa. The natives assert that the old Kerula Rajya was divided into -sixty-four _grama_ or districts, of which only eight are included in the -present province of Malabar.[74] - -The whole of this part of the coast acquired an early celebrity from -the valuable exports[75] which it dispersed over the Western World. -Nelkunda, the chief port, is mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny: and the -author of the “Periplus” places it near Barake or Ela Barake, the -roadstead where vessels lay at anchor till their cargoes were brought -down to the sea. Major Rennell has identified the ancient Nelkunda with -the modern Nelisuram, as the latter place is situated twelve miles up -the Cangerecora River—a distance corresponding with that specified in -the “Periplus.” Vincent acutely guesses Ela Barake to be the spot near -Cananore, called by Marco Polo “Eli,” and by us Delhi[76]—the “Ruddy -Mountain” of the ancients. - -Malabar, from remote times, has been divided into two provinces, the -northern and the southern: the Toorshairoo or Cottah River forming the -line of demarcation. The general breadth of the country, exclusive of the -district of Wynad, is about twenty-five miles, and there is little level -ground. The soil is admirably fertile; in the inland parts it is covered -with clumps of bamboos, bananas, mangoes, jacktrees, and several species -of palms. Substantial pagodas, and the prettiest possible little villages -crown the gentle eminences that rise above the swampy rice lands, and -the valleys are thickly strewed with isolated cottages and homesteads, -whose thatched roofs, overgrown with creepers, peep out from the masses -of luxuriant vegetation, the embankments and the neat fences of split -bamboo interlaced with thorns, that conceal them. Each tenement has -its own croft planted with pepper, plantains, and the betel vine, with -small tufts of cocoas, bamboos, and that most graceful species of the -palm, the tall and feathery areca. These hamlets are infinitely superior -in appearance to aught of the kind we have ever seen in India; the -houses are generally built of brick or hewn stone and mortar, and those -belonging to the wealthy have been copied from the Anglo-Indian bungalow. -As the traveller passes he will frequently see the natives sitting at -their doors upon chairs exactly as the rustics of Tuscany would do. The -quantity of rain that annually falls[77] covers the ground with the bloom -of spontaneous vegetation; cocoa-trees rise upon the very verge where -land ends, and in some places the heaps of sand that emerge a few feet -from the surface of the sea, look bright with a cap of emerald hue. In -consequence of the great slope of the country the heaviest monsoon leaves -little or no trace behind it, so that lines of communication once formed -are easily preserved. Generally speaking the roads are little more than -dykes running over the otherwise impassable paddy fields, and, during -wet weather, those in the lower grounds are remarkably bad. Some of the -highways are macadamised with pounded laterite spread in thin layers upon -the sand; the material is found in great quantities about Calicut, and -it makes an admirable monsoon road, as the rain affects it but little on -account of its extreme hardness. The magnificent avenues of trees,[78] -which shade the principal lines, are most grateful to man and beast in a -tropical climate. On all of them, however, there is one great annoyance, -particularly during the monsoon, namely, the perpetual shifting to and -from ferries[79]—an operation rendered necessary by the network of -lakes, rivers, and breakwaters, that intersects the country. A great -public use could be made of these inconvenient streams: with very little -cutting a channel of communication might be run down the coast, and -thus the conveyance of goods would remain uninterrupted even during the -prevalence of the most violent monsoons. Water transit, we may observe, -would be a grand boon here, as carts are rare, cattle transport is -almost unknown, and the transmission of merchandise by means of coolies -or porters is the barbarous, slow, and expensive method at present -necessarily in general use. - -The practical husbandry of Malabar is essentially rude, and yet in few -countries have we seen more successful cultivation. The plough is small, -of simple form, and so light, that it merely scratches the ground; a pair -of bullocks, or a bullock and a woman or two, are attached to the log, -and whilst the labourer dawdles over his task, he chaunts monotonous -ditties to Mother Earth with more pious zeal than industry. The higher -lands produce the betel vine, cocoa, areca, and jack-trees,[80] together -with hill rice: the latter article is sown some time after the setting -in of the heavy rains, and reaped about September or October. The lower -rice-fields, lying in the valleys between the acclivities, are laid out -in little plots, with raised footpaths between to facilitate passage and -regulate the irrigation. They generally bear one, often two, and in some -favoured spots, three crops a year; the average is scarcely more than six -or seven fold, though a few will yield as much as thirty. The south-west -monsoon, which lasts from June to September, brings forward the first -harvest: the second is indebted to the south-east rains which set in -about a month later. The Sama (Panicum Miliaceum) requires the benefit of -wet weather; it is therefore sown in May, and reaped in August. The oil -plant Yelloo (Sesamum Orientale) and the cooltie or horsegram cannot be -put into the ground till the violence of the monsoon has abated. - - * * * * * - -The annual revenue of Malabar is about thirty lacs of rupees -(300,000_l._), land is valuable, the reason probably being that it is for -the most part private, not government property. - -When the Hindoo law authorizes a twelfth, an eighth, or a sixth, and -at times of urgent necessity even a fourth of the crop to be taken, -specifying the Shelbhaga, or one-sixth, as the rulers’ usual share, it -appears extraordinary that this province was exempted from all land-tax -till 913,[81] or A.D. 1736-7. We may account for the peculiarity, -however, by remembering that the country belonged, properly speaking, -to the Brahmans, who were, in a religious point of view, the owners of -the soil. Moreover, the avowed and legitimate sources of revenue were -sufficient for the purposes of a government that had no standing army, -and whose militia was supported chiefly by assignments of land. The -rulers, however, were anything but wealthy: many of their perquisites -were, it is true, by a stretch of authority, converted into the means -of personal aggrandisement, but the influence of the Brahmans, and the -jealousy of the chiefs, generally operated as efficient checks upon -individual ambition. - -Malabar has been subjected to three different assessments. - -1st. That of the Hindoo Rajahs. - -2dly. In the days of the Moslems, and, - -3dly. Under the British Government. - -We propose to give a somewhat detailed account of the chief items -composing the curious revenue of the Hindoo rajahs and chiefs in the -olden time. - - 1. _Unka_, battle-wager, or trial by single combat. Quarrels - and private feuds were frequent amongst the Nairs, especially - when differences on the subject of the fair sex, or any of - their peculiar principles of honour aroused their pugnacity. - It was not indispensable that the parties who were at issue - should personally fight it out. Champions were allowed by law, - and in practice were frequently substituted. The combatants - undertook to defend the cause they espoused till death, and - a term of twelve years was granted to them that they might - qualify themselves for the encounter by training and practising - the use of arms. Before the onset both champions settled all - their worldly matters, as the combat was _à l’outrance_. The - weapons used were sword and dagger: a small shield and a thick - turban being the only articles of defensive armour. This system - of duelling was a source of considerable revenue to the Rajah, - as he was umpire of the battle, and levied the tax in virtue - of his office. The amount of the fee varied according to the - means of the parties. Sometimes it was as high as one thousand - fanams.[82] - - 2. _Poorooshandrum_—a word literally meaning the “death of - the man”—a relief or sum of money claimed by the ruler from - Nadwallees,[83] Deshwallees, heads of guilds, holders of land - in free gift or under conditional tenure, and generally from - all persons enjoying Sthanum or official position in the state, - whenever an heir succeeded to a death vacancy. The chiefs of - provinces and districts, like the private proprietors, were - exclusively entitled to receive Poorooshandrum from their - own tenantry, as a price of entry paid upon the decease of - either party, lessor or lessee. Sometimes the chiefs claimed - the privilege of levying this tax from the Rajah’s subjects - living under their protection. It is supposed that the Hindoo - rulers were entitled, under the head of Poorooshandrum, to a - certain share of the property left by deceased Moslems, but the - prevalent opinion seems to be that in such cases there was no - fixed sum payable, and, moreover, that it was not claimed from - all, but only from those individuals who held situations or - enjoyed privileges dependent upon the will and favour of the - Rajah. This tax, so similar to one of our feudal sources of - revenue in the West, often reached the extent of one thousand - two hundred fanams. - - 3. _Polyatta Penna_, or degraded women, were another source - of profit to the Rajah, who exacted various sums from Brahman - families for the maintenance of such females, and for saving - them from further disgrace. These persons became partial - outcastes, not slaves in the full sense of the word; and - yet the rulers used to sell them to the Chetties, or coast - merchants. Their offspring always married into families of the - same degraded class, and, after a few generations, the memory - of their origin was lost in the ramifications of the race into - which they had been adopted. - - 4. _Kaleecha_—another feudal tax, answering to the Nuzzuranah - of Mussulman India. It consisted of presents made by all ranks - of people to the ruler on such occasions of congratulation and - condolence as his ascending the throne, opening a new palace, - marrying, and dying. The amount expected varied from two to one - thousand fanams. - - 5. _Chungathum_, or protection. Whenever a person wished to - place himself under the safeguard of a man of consequence, - he paid from four to sixty-four fanams annually for the - privilege. He might also make an assignment on particular lands - for the payment. The sum was devoted to the maintenance of a - kind of sentinel, similar to the belted official Peon of the - Anglo-Indian settlements, furnished by the protector to his - dependent. In cases of necessity, however, the former was bound - to aid and assist the other with a stronger force. - - 6. _Recha-Bhogum_—a tax differing from Chungathum only in one - point, viz., that the engagement was a general one, unlimited - to any specific aid in the first instance. - - 7. Under the name of _Uttudukum_, the Rajah was entitled to - the property of any person who, holding lands in free gift, - died without heirs; moreover, no adoption was valid without his - sanction. The feudal chiefs had similar privileges with respect - to their tenants. - - 8. _Udeema punum_—the yearly payment of one or two fanams, - levied by every Tumbooran[84] or patron from his Udian (client). - - 9. _Soonka_—customs upon all imports and exports by land or - sea. The amount is variously specified as two-and-a-half, - three, and even ten per cent. - - 10. _Yela_—the systematic usurpation of territory belonging to - the neighbouring rulers or chiefs, whom poverty or other causes - incapacitated from holding their own. The Hindoo Scripture - affirms that territorial aggrandisement is the proper object - and peculiar duty of a king. - - 11. _Kola_ or _Charadayum_—forced contributions levied - by Rajahs on occasions of emergency, according to the - circumstances of their subjects. - - 12. _Tuppa_—mulcts imposed upon those who were convicted of - accidental and unintentional offences. - - 13. _Pala_—fines taken in the same manner for intentional - crimes, according to their magnitude and the circumstances of - the criminal. They sometimes extended to a total confiscation - of property. - - 14. _Ponnarippa_—the sifting of gold. Gold dust generally was - a perquisite belonging to the Rajah or Nadwallee, as the case - might be. - - 15. _Udeenya Oorookul_, or shipwrecked vessels, which became - crown property. - - 16. _Chaireekul_, or private domains, which the Rajahs - possessed in proprietary right, acquired either by purchase, - lapses, or escheats. - - 17. _Aeemoola_ } Cows with three and five dugs. - 18. _Moomoola_ } - - 19. _Chengkomba_, or cattle that had destroyed life, human or - bestial. - - 20. _Kunnuda poolee_—beeves born with a peculiar white spot - near the corner of the eye. - - 21. _Ana-pidee_—elephants caught in the jungles. - - 22. _Poowala_—buffalos with a white spot at the tip of the tail. - - 23. _Koomba_—the tusks of dead elephants. - - 24. _Korawa_—the leg of a hog, deer, or any other eatable - animal killed in the jungles. - - 25. _Wala_ } The tail and skin of a tiger. - 26. _Tola_ } - - 27. _Kennutil punne_—a pig that had fallen into a well.[85] - -This system of aid and perquisites, rather than of taxes and assessments, -continued, as we have said before, till A.D. 1736. At that time the -invasion of the Ikkairee, or Bednore Rajah, to whom the Canara province -was then in subjection, obliged some of the rulers of Northern Malabar -to levy twenty per cent. on Patum, or rent. The part of the Palghaut and -Temelpooram districts, which belonged to the Calicut house, was subjected -to a land tax, under the name of Kavil, or compensation for protection. -With these exceptions,[86] Malabar was free from any land rent or regular -assessment proportioned to the gross produce before Hyder’s invasion in -A.D. 1777. - -Some are of opinion that, during Hyder’s life, the land-tax assumed, in -the Southern division of Malabar, the shape which it now bears in the -public records. Others attribute the principles of the assessment to -Arshad Beg Khan, the Foujdar, or commander of Tippoo Sultan’s forces in -Malabar, about A.D. 1783. His system was carefully examined by Messrs. -Duncan, Page, Bodham, and Dow, who, in 1792 and 1793, were appointed -commissioners to inspect and report upon the state and condition of the -country. To their laborious work[87] we must refer the curious reader, as -the subject is far too lengthy and profound to suit such light pages as -these. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE HINDOOS OF MALABAR. - - -When Parasu Rama, the demigod, departed this transitory life, he left, -as we said before, the kingdom of Malabar as a heritage to the priestly -caste. For many years a hierarchy of Brahmans governed the land.[88] At -length, finding themselves unable to defend the country, they established -Nair chiefs in each Nad (province), and Desha (village),[89] called -from their places of jurisdiction Nadwallee and Deshwallee. The main -distinction between them seems to have been, that whereas the latter -could not command more than a hundred fighting men, the Nadwallee never -went to battle with a smaller number than that under his banner; some few -led as many as twenty thousand vassals to the field. Both were bound to -conduct the affairs of their feofs, to preserve the peace of the country, -and to assemble and head their respective forces at the summons of the -Rajah. There does not appear to have been any limitation to the power -of settling disputes vested in these feudal superiors, nor were they -prohibited from taking fines and costs of suit;[90] parties appearing -before them had, however, a right of appeal to the Rajah. These dignities -were hereditary; still they may be considered political offices,—for, in -case of demise, the heir did not succeed without a formal investiture by -the ruler, and a relief, or fine of entry, taken in token of allegiance. -Like the feudal landowners of England, both the Nadwallee and the -Deshwallee were dependent upon the prince to whom they swore the oath -of fidelity. Neither of these dignitaries was necessarily owner of -all the landed property within his province or village boundaries: in -fact he seldom was so, although there was no objection to his becoming -proprietor by purchase or other means. They were not entitled to a share -of the produce of the lands in their jurisdiction, nor could they claim -the seignoral privileges, which the heads of villages on the eastern -coast, and many other parts of India, enjoy. Under the Deshwallee of -each village were several Turravattakara,[91] or chief burgesses. They -possessed a certain hereditary dignity, but no controlling authority. In -them, however, we may trace the germ of a municipal corporation, as their -position entitled them to the honour of being applied to on occasions -of marriages, deaths, religious ceremonies, and differences amongst the -vassals. When their mediation failed the cause went before the Deshwallee. - -The anarchy introduced by this complicated variety of feudalism soon -compelled the hierarchy to call in the aid of the Bejanuggur, or, as -it is commonly termed, the Anagundy government, and the latter, at the -solicitation of the Brahmans, appointed a Peroomal, or Viceroy, whose -administration was limited to the term of twelve years, to rule the -fair lands of Malabar. These governors, who are also known by the name -of Cherun,[92] were first appointed in the 3511th year of the Kali -Yug,[93] about A.D. 410. Seventeen of them, curious to say, followed each -other in regular succession. The last, however, Cherooman Peroomal,[94] -so ingratiated himself with his temporary subjects, that he reigned -thirty-six years, and, at the head of a numerous army, defeated the home -government, which attempted to dispossess him of his power, in a pitched -battle fought near the village of Annamalay.[95] Afterwards, becoming a -convert to Islam, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Before leaving India, -he divided the province among the seventeen chiefs[96] to whose valour -he was indebted for his success in war. These were the ancestors of the -present race of Rajahs. - -Malabar was soon torn with intestine feuds, arising from the power and -ambition of its host of rulers, and the Samiry, Samoory, or Calicut -Rajah, soon became _de facto_—if not _de jure_—the lord paramount. He was -a native of Poontoora, in the Coimbatore province, and derived his name, -Mana Vikram, from Manicham and Vikram—the two brothers present on the -occasion when Cherooman conferred dominion upon the head of the house. -His superiority was acknowledged until Hyder’s time, by all the chiefs -from the north point of Malabar to the south extremity of Travancore. - -After that Hyder had become regent of Mysore, he made use of the -following pretext for invading Malabar. The Palghaut Rajah, a descendant -from the Pandian sovereigns of Madura, terrified by the power of the -Samiry, had, in early times, sought the alliance of the Mysore state, -then governed by its Hindoo princes, and constituted himself a client -of the same by paying a certain annual sum for a subsidiary force to -be stationed in his territory. The ambitious Moslem, under colour of -avenging his ally and protecting him against the oppressions of the -Samiry and other princes, forthwith attacked them on their own ground. - - * * * * * - -The manner in which the Calicut house is and has been, from the days of -hoar antiquity, broken and divided, appears curious in the extreme. It -may be supposed that the Brahmans, jealous of the overgrown power of -one individual, in the person of the Samiry, endeavoured to temper its -force by assigning to the other members of the family certain official -dignities, together with concomitant privileges. It is also possible -that this partition might have taken place at the solicitation of the -princes, who naturally would wish to secure for themselves a settled and -independent subsistence. They were appointed to act as a council to the -reigning sovereign; they could check his authority as well as aid him in -his wisdom; and, finally, they were his principal officers, each having -separate and particular duties to perform. By this arrangement, in case -of the ruler’s demise, his heir would succeed to the throne without -any of the harassing disturbances and sanguinary contentions so common -amongst Asiatic nations. - -Where rank and property descend from father to son, there is little -difficulty in settling the succession. But when families remain united -for years under the Murroo-muka-tayum, or inheritance by the nephew -or sister’s son—the strange law which prevails among the Rajahs and -Nairs of Malabar—it becomes by no means an easy matter to ascertain who -is the senior in point of birth. The crafty Brahmans provided against -this difficulty by establishing a system of intermediate dignities, -which acted as a register, and by requiring a long interval of time, -during which each individual’s rights might be frequently discussed and -deliberately settled, to elapse between promotion from the inferior to -the superior grades. - -The head of the Calicut house, who may be supposed to occupy the position -of the first Samiry’s mother, is called the Vullia Tumbooratee,[97] or -principal queen. She resides in the Kovilugum, or palace of Umbadee. -Priority of birth gives a claim to this dignity, and the eldest of all -the princesses is entitled to it, no matter what be her relationship to -the reigning sovereign. The Umbadee is the only indispensable palace; -but, for the sake of convenience, an unlimited number of private -dwellings have been established for the junior princesses. Thus we find -the “new palace,” the “eastern palace” (relatively to the Umbadee), the -“western palace,” and many others.[98] The queen and princesses are -compelled to occupy the residences allotted to their several ranks; they -are also prohibited from holding any commerce with men of their own -family, as their paramours must either be of the Kshatriya[99] (military) -caste, or Numboory Brahmans, and may not be changed without the consent -of the Samiry and that of the whole body of near relations. - -The princes are taken according to their seniority out of the -above-mentioned Umbadees, and the eldest of all, when a death occurs, -becomes the Samiry. There are five palaces of state allotted to the -different princes—namely, the Samotree Kovilugum, or palace of the First -Rajah; the Yeirumpiree Kovilugum, or palace of the Yellia Rajah—the heir -apparent to the Samiry-ship; and three others, which are respectively -termed the “Governments of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Portions.” After -that a prince has been once established in any of these dignities, -his order of rank may be considered finally settled: he cannot be -superseded, but must, if he lives, rise step by step—each time with -formal investiture—till he attains the highest dignity. Whenever a -superior palace becomes vacant, he is duly installed in it, and succeeds -to the revenue arising from the landed property belonging to it. But he -cannot remove any of the furniture, or the gold and silver utensils, from -the inferior residence which he formerly occupied, as these articles -are considered public goods, and, as such, are marked with distinctive -stamps. Under all circumstances, however, the prince retains the right of -private property. - -The principles of the arrangement which we have attempted to describe, -not only exist in the Calicut house but pervade all the families of the -different Rajahs in Malabar. - -In the intercourse between the princes there is much ceremony, and, as -might be expected, little affection. No one is allowed to sit down in -the presence of a superior; all must stand before the Samiry, and do -obeisance to him with folded hands. - -According to a census taken in 1846, the different castes were enumerated -as follows in round numbers:— - - 1. Numboory Brahmans 5,500 - 2. Puttur, or foreign Brahmans 15,200 - 3. Nairs 370,000 - 4. Tiyars 340,000 - 5. Moplahs 315,000 - 6. Fishermen 15,300 - 7. Chermur, or serfs 160,000 - 8. Christians and other strangers 9,000 - --------- - Total 1,230,000[100] - - * * * * * - -Even in India, the land of ethnologic marvels, there are few races so -strange and remarkable in their customs as the people of Malabar. The -soil or the climate seems to have exercised some peculiar effect upon -its inhabitants: Hindoos as well as Moslems abound in peculiarities -unknown to their tenets and practices in other parts of the world. The -correctness of our observation will appear in the following sketches of -the different castes. - -The priesthood of Malabar is at present divided into two great classes; -the Numboory, Numoodree or Malabar Brahmans, and the Puttur, or families -of the pontifical stock that do not originally belong to the country. - -The Numboory is the scion of an ancient and celebrated tree. The well -known polemic Sankaracharya belonged to this race; he was born in the -village of Kaludee, in the 3501st, or, according to others, the 3100th -year of the Kali Yug. His fame rests principally upon his celebrated -work, the sixty-four _anacharun_, or Exceptions to Established Rules, -composed for the purpose of regulating and refining the customs of his -fellow religionists.[101] No copy of the institutes which have produced -permanent effects upon the people exists in Malabar. There is a history -of the saint’s life called Sankaracharya Chureedun, containing about -seven hundred stanzas, written by a disciple. - -The Numboory family is governed by several regulations peculiar to it: -only the eldest of any number of brothers takes a woman of his own caste -to wife. All the juniors must remain single except when the senior fails -in having issue. This life of celibacy became so irksome to the Brahmans -that they induced the Nair caste to permit unrestrained intercourse -between their females and themselves, it being well understood that -the priesthood was conferring an especial honour upon their disciples. -Probably in order to please the compliant Shudras the more, the Numboory -in many parts of the country changed their regular mode of succession -for the inheritance by nephews practised amongst the Nairs. As might be -supposed, the birth of female children is considered an enormous evil -by these Brahmans; their daughters frequently live and die unmarried, -and even when a suitable match has been found for them, their nuptials -are seldom celebrated till late in life, owing to the extraordinary -expense of the ceremony. Throughout India the marriage of a girl is -seldom delayed after her twelfth year; in Malabar, few Numboory women -are married before they reach the age of twenty-five or thirty. They -are most strictly watched, and all _faux pas_ are punished by a sort of -excommunication pronounced by the hereditary Brahman, with the consent of -the Rajah. The relations of the female delinquent are also heavily fined, -and such mulcts in ancient times formed one of the items of the ruler’s -revenue. - -There is nothing striking in the appearance of the Numboory. He is, -generally speaking, a short, spare man, of a dark olive-coloured -complexion, sharp features, and delicate limbs. His toilette is not -elaborate; a piece of white cotton cloth fastened round the waist, and a -similar article thrown loosely over the shoulders, together with the cord -of the twice-born, compose the _tout ensemble_. These Brahmans are solemn -in their manners and deportment, seldom appear in public, and when they -do, they exact and receive great respect from their inferiors in caste. A -Nair meeting a Numboory must salute him by joining the palms of the hands -together, and then separating them three successive times.[102] - -The Nairs[103] are a superior class of Shudra, or servile Hindoos, who -formerly composed the militia,[104] or landwehr, of Malabar. Before the -land-tax was introduced they held estates rent free; the only prestation -required from them was personal service; to attend the rajah, or chief, -on all official and religious occasions, and to march to battle under -his banner. When absent from their homes, they were entitled to a daily -subsistence, called Kole. Their arms were sword and shield, spear and -matchlock, with a long knife or dagger suspended behind the back by -a hook attached to a leathern waistband. Being now deprived of their -favourite pastimes—fighting and plundering—they have become cultivators -of the soil, and disdain not to bend over the plough, an occupation -formerly confined to their slaves. And yet to the present day they retain -much of their old military character, and with it the licentiousness -which in Eastern countries belongs to the profession of arms. In fact, -“war, wine, and women” appear to be the three ingredients of their -_summum bonum_, and forced abstinence from the first, only increases the -ardour of their affection for the last two. Although quite opposed to the -spirit of Hindoo law, intoxication and debauchery never degrade a Nair -from his caste. - -Wedlock can hardly be said to exist among the Nairs. They perform, -however, a ceremony called _kulleanum_, which in other castes implies -marriage, probably a relic of the nuptial rite. The Nair woman has a -Talee, or necklace, bound round her throat by some fellow-caste man, -generally a friend of the family; a procession then ambulates the town, -and by virtue thereof the lady takes the title of Ummah, or matron. -But the gentleman is not entitled to the privileges of a husband, nor -has he any authority over the said matron’s person or property. She is -at liberty to make choice of the individual with whom she intends to -live—her Bhurtao, as her protector is called, she becoming his Bharya. -The connection is termed Goonadoshum, words which literally signify -“good and bad,” and imply an agreement between the parties to take each -other for better and worse; it cannot be dissolved without the simple -process of one party “giving warning” to the other. In former times, the -lady used always to reside in her mother’s house, but this uncomfortable -practice is now rapidly disappearing. - -Another peculiar custom which prevails among the Nairs, is the -murroo-muka-tayum,[105] hereditary succession by sisters’ sons; or in -case of their failing, by the male nearest in consanguinity from the -father’s grandmother. The ancient ordinances of Malabar forbade a Nair -to leave his property by will to his offspring, and it was considered -unbecoming to treat a son with the affection shown to a nephew. Of late -years some heads of families have made a provision for their own children -during life time, but it has been necessary to procure the assent of the -rightful heirs to bequests thus irregularly made. When property is left -to sons, the division follows the general Hindoo law, with two essential -points of difference. In the first place, children inherit the estate of -the mother only; and, secondly, a daughter is, in certain cases, entitled -to preference to a son. Thus, a female can, a male cannot, mortgage or -sell land inherited from his maternal progenitor: after his death it must -revert to those who were co-heirs with him; and though a man is entitled -to the same share as his sister, his right to it continues only as long -as they live in the same house. - -The origin of this extraordinary law is lost in the obscurity of -antiquity. The Brahmans, according to some, were its inventors; others -suppose that they merely encouraged and partially adopted it. Its -effects, politically speaking, were beneficial to the community at -large. The domestic ties, always inconvenient to a strictly military -population, were thereby conveniently weakened, and the wealth, -dignity, and unbroken unity of interests were preserved for generations -unimpaired in great and powerful families, which, had the property been -divided among the several branches, according to the general practice -of Hinduism, would soon have lost their weight and influence. As it was -unnecessary that a woman should be removed from her home, or introduced -into a strange family, the eldest nephew on the sister’s side, when he -became the senior male member of the household, succeeded, as a matter of -course, to the rights, property, and dignity of Karnovun.[106] - -We suspect that the priesthood—those crafty politicians whose meshes -of mingled deceit and superstition have ever held the Hindoo mind “in -durance vile”—were the originators of the murroo-muka-tayum and the -goonadoshum. Both inventions, like many of the laws of Lycurgus, appear -the result of well-digested plans for carrying out the one proposed -object. They are audacious encroachments upon the rights of human nature; -and we cannot account for their existence by any supposition except that -the law-givers were determined to rear a race of warriors—no matter by -what means. As a corroboration of our theory, we may instance the fact -that these strange and now objectless ordinances are gradually giving way -to the tide of truer feeling. Already the succession of nephews has been -partially broken through, and in the present day the control of the heads -of families is nothing compared with what it was. - -There is a tradition among the Nairs, that anciently, the Samiry Rajah -was, by the law of the land, compelled to commit suicide by cutting -his throat in public at the expiration of a twelve-years’ reign. When -that ceremony became obsolete, another and an equally peculiar one -was substituted in its stead. A jubilee was proclaimed throughout the -kingdom, and thousands flocked from all directions to the feasts and -festivals prepared for them at Calicut. On an appointed day, the Rajah, -after performing certain religious rites, repaired to the shore, and sat -down upon a cushion, unarmed, bare-headed, and almost undressed, whilst -any four men of the fighting caste, who had a mind to win a crown, were -allowed to present themselves as candidates for the honour of regicide. -They were bathed in the sea, and dressed in pure garments, which, as well -as their persons, were profusely sprinkled over with perfumes and water -coloured yellow by means of turmeric. A Brahman then putting a long -sword and small round shield into each man’s hand, told him to “go in and -win” if he could. Almost incredible though it may appear, some cases are -quoted in which a lucky desperado succeeded in cutting his way through -the thirty or forty thousand armed guards who stood around the Rajah, and -in striking off the sovereign’s head. This strange practice has of late -years been abolished. - -The Nairs are rather a fair and comely race, with neat features, clean -limbs, and decidedly a high caste look. They shave the head all over, -excepting one long thin lock of hair, which is knotted at the end, and -allowed to lie flat upon the crown. Neither cap nor turban is generally -worn. Their dress consists of the usual white cotton cloth fastened round -the loins: when _en grande tenue_, a similar piece hangs round their -necks, or is spread over the shoulders. We have alluded to the appearance -of their females in our account of Calicut, and may here observe that -we were rather fortunate in having accidentally seen them. The Nair -is as jealous as he is amorous and vindictive: many travellers have -passed through the country without being able to catch one glimpse of -their women, and the knife would be unhesitatingly used if a foreigner -attempted to satisfy his curiosity by anything like forcible measures. - - * * * * * - -The Tian[107] of Malabar is to the Nair what the villein was to the -feoffee of feudal England. These two families somewhat resemble each -other in appearance, but the former is darker in complexion, and less -“castey” in form and feature than the latter. It is the custom for -modest women of the Tiyar family to expose the whole of the person -above the waist, whereas females of loose character are compelled by -custom to cover the bosom. As this class of Hindoo, generally speaking, -provides the European residents with nurses and other menials, many of -our countrymen have tried to make them adopt a somewhat less natural -costume. The proposal, however, has generally been met pretty much in the -same spirit which would be displayed were the converse suggested to an -Englishwoman. - -In writings the Tiyar are styled Eelavun. They are supposed to be a -colony of strangers from an island of that name near Ceylon. An anomaly -in the Hindoo system they certainly are: learned natives know not -whether to rank them among the Shudras or not; some have designated -them by the term Uddee Shudra, meaning an inferior branch of the fourth -great division. Their principal employments are drawing toddy, dressing -the heads of cocoa and other trees, cultivating rice lands, and acting -as labourers, horse-keepers, and grass-cutters; they are free from all -prejudices that would remove them from Europeans, and do not object -to duties which only the lowest outcastes in India will condescend to -perform. Some few have risen to respectability and even opulence by -trade. They will not touch the flesh of the cow, and yet they have no -objection to other forbidden food. They drink to excess, and are fond -of quarrelling over their cups. Unlike the Nairs, they are deficient in -spirit; they are distinguished from the natives of Malabar generally by -marrying and giving in marriage. Moreover, property with them descends -regularly from father to son. - -Throughout the province a sort of vassalage seems to have been -established universally among the Tiyar, occasionally among the Nair -tribes.[108] The latter would sometimes place himself in a state of -dependency upon some Rajah, or powerful chief, and pay Chungathum,[109] -or protection-money, for the advantage derived from the connexion. The -Tiyar willingly became the Udian[110] of any superior whose patronage -would guarantee him quiet possession of his goods and chattels. This -kind of allegiance by no means amounted to slavery. The Tumbooran -could not dispose of the person or property of his vassal, nor did the -private tie acquit an individual of any public duty to the Rajah or his -representatives upon emergent occasions. The patron was on all occasions -bound to defend, protect, and procure redress for his client—favours -which the latter acknowledged by yearly tribute, and by affording -personal service to his superior in private quarrels. To the present -day the Tian will immediately say who his Tumbooran is: the annual -offerings are still kept up, and though British law entitles all parties -to equality of social rights, it must be an injury of some magnitude -that can induce the inferior to appear against his patron in a court of -justice. Some individuals became vassals of the Pagoda, which, in its -turn, often subjected itself to fee a Rajah for the maintenance of its -rights and the defence of its property. - -The reader will remark how peculiarly characteristic of the nation -this state of voluntary dependency is. In European history we find the -allodialist putting himself and his estate in a condition of vassalage, -but he did so because it was better to occupy the property as a fief -incident to certain services than to lose it altogether, or even to -be subjected to pillage and forced contributions. But the Asiatic is -not comfortable without the shade of a patron over his head; even if -necessity originally compelled him to sacrifice half his freedom, habit -and inclination perpetuate the practice long after all object for its -continuance has ceased to exist. - - * * * * * - -The Chermur,[111] or serfs of Malabar, amongst the Hindoos, were entirely -prædial or rustic. The system of slavery is said to have been introduced -by Parasu Rama, as a provision for agriculture when he gave the country -to the Brahmans. We may account for it more naturally by assigning -its origin and referring its subsequent prevalence to the operation -of the ancient Indian laws. The rules of caste were so numerous and -arbitrary that constant deviations from them would take place in a large -community; and for certain offences freeborn individuals became Chandalas -(outcastes), and were liable to disenfranchisement. - -Servitude in Malabar offered few of the revolting, degrading, and -horrible features which characterized it in the ancient, mediæval, and -modern annals of the Western World. The proprietor never had the power of -life or death over a slave without the sanction of the feudal chief, or -more generally of the sovereign; he could inflict corporeal punishment -upon him, but old established custom limited the extent as effectually -as law would. Moreover, in this part of the globe serfs were born and -bred in subserviency, they had no cherished memories of rights and -comforts once enjoyed,—no spirit of independence conscious of a title -to higher privileges and indignant at unjust seclusion from them. In -their case slavery did not begin with the horrors of violent separation -from country and home, the cruelties of a ship-imprisonment, forcible -introduction to new habits and customs, food and dress, languages and -connections. They were not degraded to the level of beasts, nor were they -subjected to treatment of the worst description by strange masters, who -neither understood their natures, nor sympathized with their feelings. - -A proprietor in Malabar could always sell[112] his serfs with or -without the soil, but to remove them far from their homes would have -been considered a cruel and unwarrantable measure sufficient to cause -and almost justify desertion. Only in some castes the wives of slaves -might be sold to another master, and, generally speaking, parents were -not separated from their children.[113] They might, however, be let out -in simple rent, or mortgaged under certain deeds. The proprietors were -bound to feed their slaves throughout the year. The allowance on work -days was double the proportion issued at other times, but it was never -less than two pounds of rice to a male, and about three quarters of that -quantity to a female. In Malabar there have been instances of a Chermun’s -holding land in lease, and being responsible to government for paying its -taxes. In Canara it was by no means uncommon for slaves to have slips of -rice-fields, and small pieces of land given to them by their masters for -growing fruit and vegetables. When a slave possessing any property died, -his owner was not entitled to it, except in the cases when no lawful -heir could be found. In some places on the coast,[114] and near large -towns, the serfs were permitted, when not labouring for their proprietor, -to employ themselves in carrying grass, firewood, and other articles -to market. On great occasions they expected presents of clothes, oil, -grain, and small sums of money whenever the owner was wealthy enough to -distribute such _largesse_. And at harvest time they were entitled to a -certain portion of the produce, as a compensation for watching the crop. - -There are several castes of serfs who do not intermarry or eat with -each other. The Poliur is considered the most industrious, docile, -and trustworthy. Proprietors complained loudly of the pilfering -propensities displayed by the others. With the exception of the Parayen -and Kunnakun tribes, they abstain from slaying the cow, and using beef -as an article of food. All are considered impure, though not equally so. -For instance, slaves of the Polyan, Waloovan, and Parayen races must -stand at a distance of seventy-two paces from the Brahman and Nair: the -Kunnakuns may approach within sixty-four, and other servile castes within -forty-eight paces of the priestly and military orders. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE MOSLEM AND OTHER NATIVES OF MALABAR. - - -We are informed by the Moslem historians that their faith spread wide -and took deep root in the southern parts of Western India, principally -in consequence of the extensive immigration of Arabs. It may be observed -that the same cause which provided the Hindoos with serfs, supplied the -stranger with proselytes: a Rajah would often, when in want of money, -dispose of his outcastes to the Faithful, who, in such cases, seldom -failed to make converts of their purchasers. - -The Moplahs, or Mapillahs,[115]—the Moslem inhabitants of Malabar—are a -mixed breed, sprung from the promiscuous intercourse that took place -between the first Arab settlers and the women of the country. Even to -the present day they display in mind and body no small traces of their -mongrel origin. They are a light coloured and good looking[116] race of -men, with the high features, the proud expression, and the wiry forms -of the descendants of Ishmael: their delicate hands and feet, and their -long bushy beards,[117] show that not a little Hindoo blood flows in -their veins. They shave the hair, trim the mostachios according to the -Sunnat,[118] and, instead of a turban, wear a small silk or cloth cap -of peculiar shape upon their heads. The chest and shoulders are left -exposed, and a white or dyed piece of linen, resembling in cut and -colour the “lung” or bathing cloth of Central Asia, is tied round the -loins. The garment, if we may so call it, worn by the males, does not -reach below the calves of the legs, whereas the fair sex prolongs it to -the ankles. Unlike the Hindoo inhabitants of Malabar, the upper portion -of the female figure is modestly concealed by a shift buttoned round the -neck, with large sleeves, and the opening in front: according to the -custom of the Faithful a veil is always thrown over the head. - -The only peculiarity in the Moplah lady’s costume is the horrible -ornamenting of the ear. At an early age the lobe is pierced, and a bit -of lead, or a piece of Shola wood[119] is inserted in order to enlarge -the orifice. After a time the lobe becomes about the size of a crown -piece, and a circle of gold, silver, or palm-leaf, dyed red, white, or -yellow, is inserted into it—the distended skin of the lobe containing -and surrounding the ring. There is something peculiarly revolting to a -stranger’s eye in the appearance of the two long strips of flesh instead -of ears, which hang down on each side of the head in old age, when -ornaments are no longer worn. - -The countenance of the Moplah, especially when it assumes the expression -with which he usually regards infidels and heretics, is strongly -indicative of his ferocious and fanatic disposition. His deep undying -hatred for the Kafir[120] is nurtured and strengthened by the priests and -religious instructors. Like the hierarchy of the Moslem world in general, -they have only to hold out a promise of Paradise to their disciples as a -reward, and the most flagrant crimes will be committed. In Malabar they -lie under the suspicion of having often suggested and countenanced many a -frightful deed of violence. The Moplah is an obstinate ruffian. Cases are -quoted of a culprit spitting in the face of a judge when the warrant of -execution was being read out to him. Sometimes half a dozen desperadoes -will arm themselves, seize upon a substantial house, and send a message -of defiance to the collector of the district. Their favourite weapon -on such occasions is the long knife that usually hangs from the waist: -when entering battle they generally carry two, one in the hand, and the -other between the teeth. They invariably prepare themselves for combat -by a powerful dose of hemp or opium, fight to the last with frenzied -obstinacy, despise the most dreadful wounds, and continue to exert -themselves when a European would be quite disabled—a peculiarity which -they probably inherit from their Arab[121] ancestors. Like the Malay when -he runs a-muck, these men never think of asking for, or giving quarter, -they make up their minds to become martyrs, and only try to attain high -rank in that glorious body by slaying as many infidels as they can. At -times they have been eminently successful. On one occasion we heard of -a rencontre in which about a dozen desperate robbers, dropping from the -window of a house into the centre of a square, inopportunely formed by a -company of seapoys, used their knives with such effect upon the helpless -red-coats’ backs, that they ran away with all possible precipitation. The -result of a few such accidents is, that the native soldier cannot always -be trusted to act against them, for, with the usual Hindoo superstition -and love of the marvellous, he considers their bravery something -preternatural, and connected with certain fiendish influences. - -In former days, the Moplas played a conspicuous part among the pirates -who infested the Malabar coast. Marco Polo mentions that there issued -annually “a body of upwards of one hundred vessels,[122] who captured -other ships and plundered the merchants.” He alludes to their forming -what they called a ladder on the sea, by stationing themselves in -squadrons of twenty, about five miles from each other, so as to command -as great an extent of water as possible. But in the old Venetian’s -day, the corsairs appear to have been by no means so sanguinary as -they afterwards became. He expressly states, that when the pirates -took a ship, they did no injury to the crew, but merely said to them, -“Go and collect another cargo, that we may have a chance of getting it -too.” In later times, Tavernier describes them as blood-thirsty in the -extreme. “The Malavares are violent Mahometans and very cruel to the -Christians.[123] I saw a barefoot Carmelite friar, who had been taken by -the pirates, and so tortured, in order to obtain his ransom,[124] that -his right arm and one leg were shorter by one half than the other.” He -alludes to their audacity in attacking large armed vessels with squadrons -composed of ten or fifteen barques, each carrying from two hundred to two -hundred and fifty men, and describes their practice of boarding suddenly -and setting fire to the ship with pots of artificial fire. The style of -defence usually adopted was to prepare for them by closing the scuttles, -and swamping the deck with water, to hinder the fire-pots from doing -execution. - -The Moplahs being now deprived of their old occupation, have addicted -themselves, in some places, to gang-robbery and smuggling. The principal -contraband articles are tobacco and salt, both of which are government -monopolies.[125] To strengthen their bands, they will associate to -themselves small bodies of Nairs and villains of the lowest Hindoo -castes, who shrink from no species of cruelty and outrage. But, generally -speaking, especially in the quieter districts of Malabar, the Moplahs and -the Nairs are on terms of deadly enmity. The idolaters, who have been -taught to hate the Faithful by many a deed of blood, would always act -willingly against them, provided that our rulers would ensure subsistence -to their families, according to the ancient custom of the country.[126] -Both are equally bigoted, violent, and fond of the knife. In few parts of -the world there are more deadly feuds than in this province; and whenever -a Nair is killed by a Moplah, or _vice versâ_, the relations will steep -a cloth in the dead man’s blood, and vow never to lose sight of it till -they have taken revenge upon the murderer. - -Near the coast, the Moplahs are a thriving race of traders, crafty, -industrious, and somewhat refined by the influence of wealth. Those of -the interior cultivate rice and garden lands. Some few of the latter -traffic, but as they do not possess the opportunities of commerce -enjoyed by their maritime brethren, their habitations and warehouses -are not so comfortable, substantial, and spacious. Both of them have a -widely diffused bad name. Among the people of Southern India generally, -the word Moplah is synonymous with thief and rascal. All are equally -celebrated for parsimony, a Hindoo, as well as an Arab, quality, and for -rigid observance of their religious rites and ceremonies. The desire of -gaining proselytes is one of their ruling passions; consequently Islam is -steadily extending itself. The zeal of its followers is well supported by -their means, and the willingness with which they admit new converts, even -of the lowest and most despised classes, to perfect social equality with -themselves, offers irresistible attractions to many wretched outcastes of -Hinduism. They transgress the more laudable ordinances of their faith, -and yet cling fondly to its worse spirit. They will indulge to excess in -the forbidden pleasures of distilled waters and intoxicating drugs, in -immorality and depravity; at the same time they never hesitate to protect -a criminal of their own creed, and, to save him, would gladly perjure -themselves, in the belief that, under such circumstances, false oaths and -testimony are not only justifiable, but meritorious in a religious point -of view.[127] - -The faith professed by the Moplahs is the Shafei form of Islam. All -their priests and teachers are of the same persuasion; and such is their -besotted bigotry, that they would as willingly persecute a Hanafi[128] -Moslem as the Sunni of most Mussulman countries would martyr a heretic or -schismatic. No Sheah dare own his tenets in Malabar. We doubt whether the -mighty hand of British law would avail to save from destruction any one -who had the audacity to curse Omar or Usman at Calicut. They carefully -cultivate the classical and religious branches of study, such as Sarf -o Nahv, grammar, and syntax; Mantik, or logic; Hadis, the traditions -of the Prophet; and Karaat, or the chaunting of the Koran. They seldom -know Persian; but as they begin the Arabic language almost as soon as -they can speak, and often enjoy the advantage of Arab instructors, their -critical knowledge of it is extensive, and their pronunciation good. -The vernacular dialect of the Moplah is the Malayalim, into which, for -the benefit of the unlearned, many sacred books have been translated. -The higher classes are instructed by private tutors, and appear to be -unusually well educated. The priest has charge of the lower orders, and -little can be said in praise of the schoolmaster or the scholar. - -As regards testaments and the law of inheritance, the Moplahs have -generally adhered to the Koran; in some families, however, the succession -is by nephews, as amongst the Nairs.[129] This custom is palpably of -Pagan origin, like many of the heterogeneous practices grafted by the -Mussulmans of India upon the purer faith of their forefathers. Of course -they excuse it by tradition. When Cherooman Rajah, they say, became a -convert to Islam, and was summoned by Allah in a vision to Mecca, he -asked his wife’s permission to take his only son with him. She refused. -The ruler’s sister then offered to send her child under his charge. -The Rajah adopted the youth, and upon his return from the Holy City he -instituted the custom of murroo-muka-tayum, in order to commemorate the -introduction of Islam into the land of the Infidel. - - * * * * * - -The Mokawars, Mokurs, or as we call them, the Mucwars, are an amphibious -race of beings, half fishermen, half labourers:[130] generally speaking -Moslems, sometimes Hindoos. Very slight is the line of demarcation drawn -between them, and they display little or no fanaticism. It is common for -one or two individuals in a family to become Poothoo Islam, or converts -to the faith of Mohammed, and yet to eat, sleep, and associate with the -other members of the household as before.[131] - -In appearance these fishermen are an uncommonly ill-favoured race; dark, -with ugly features, and forms which a developist would pronounce to -be little removed from the original orang-outang. Their characters, in -some points, show to advantage, when contrasted with those of their -superiors—the Nairs and Moplahs. They are said to be industrious, -peaceful, and as honest as can be expected. A Mucwa village is usually -built close to the sea; the material of its domiciles consisting of -wattle or matting, roofed over with thatch; the whole burned to blackness -by the joint influence of sun, rain, wind, and spray. - - * * * * * - -Servitude amongst the Moslems partook more of the nature of social -fraternity, and was dissimilar in very essential points, to that of -the Hindoos. The slaves were always domestic, never prædial: instead -of inhabiting miserable huts built in the centre of the paddy fields, -they lived in the houses of their proprietors. They were efficiently -protected by law, for in case of ill-treatment, duly proved before the -Kazee, the complainant was either manumitted or sold to some other -master, and so far from being considered impure outcastes, they often -rose to confidential stations in the family. This is the case generally -throughout the Moslem world. - - * * * * * - -The native Christians do not constitute a large or influential portion -of the community in this part of India, although the Nestorians in very -early times settled and planted their faith on the western coast of the -peninsula. About the towns of Cannanore and Tellichery, there are a few -fishermen and palanquin bearers, called Kolakar and Pandee, said to have -migrated from the Travancore country. The other “Nussuranee (Nazarene) -Moplahs,” as the Christians are styled by the Heathen, are almost all -Catholics, either the descendants of the Portuguese, or converted by -them to Romanism. They reside principally in the large towns upon the -coast: unlike their brethren in Canara, they imitate the European -costume, and occupy themselves either with trade, or in the government -courts and cutcherries. They are notorious for dishonesty and habitual -intoxication.[132] - - * * * * * - -Amongst the many social usages and customs peculiar to the natives of -Malabar, the two following deserve some mention. There is a kind of -general meeting, called Chengathee koree, or the “Society of friends,” -established for the purposes of discussing particular subjects, and for -inquiring into the conduct of individuals. It is supported by the monthly -subscriptions of the members, and all must in regular turn—the order -being settled by lots—give an entertainment of rice, flesh, and fruit to -the whole party. As the entertainer is entitled to the amount of money -in deposit for the month, and the feast does not cost half that sum, -each member is anxious to draw the ticket with his name upon it as soon -as possible. In some places these convivial meetings are heterogeneously -composed of Nairs, Moplahs, and Tiyars; when such is the case, the master -of the house provides those of the other faith with raw food, which they -cook and serve up for and by themselves. - -The way in which “dinner parties” are given show some talent in the -combination of hospitality with economy. A feast is prepared, and all -the guests are expected to present a small sum of money, and a certain -number of cocoa-nuts, plantains, betel-nuts or pepper-vine leaves to the -master of the house. An account of each offering is regularly kept, and -a return of the invitation is considered _de rigueur_. Should any member -of society betray an unwillingness to make the expected requital, or to -neglect the gifts with which he ought to come provided, they despatch a -little potful of arrack, and the bone of a fowl, desiring the recusant -in derision to make merry upon such small cheer. The taunt is, generally -speaking, severe enough to ensure compliance with the established usages -of society. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE LAND JOURNEY. - - -Being desirous of seeing as much as possible of the country we preferred -the route which winds along the sea-shore to Poonanee, and then striking -westward ascends the Blue Hills, to the short mountain-cut up the Koondah -Range. Our curiosity, however, more than doubled the length of the -march.[133] - -No detailed account of the ten stages[134] will be inflicted upon the -peruser of these pages. The journey as far as Poonanee was a most -uninteresting one: we have literally nothing to record, except the -ever-recurring annoyances of being ferried over backwaters, riding -through hot sand fetlock deep, enduring an amount of glare enough -to blind anything but a Mucwa or a wild beast; and at the end of our -long rides almost invariably missing the halting place. Arrived at -the head-quarter village of Paulghaut, the victims of its deceptive -nomenclature,[135] we instituted a diligent inquiry for any objects of -curiosity the neighbourhood might offer; and having courted deceit we -were deceived accordingly. A “native gentleman” informed us that the -Yemoor Malay Hills, a long range lying about ten miles to the north -of the town, contains a variety of splendid _points de vue_, and a -magnificent cataract, which every traveller is in duty bound to visit. -Moreover, said the Hindoo, all those peaks are sacred to Parwati, the -mountain deity, who visited them in person, and directed a number of -small shrines to be erected there in honour of her goddesship. - -So after engaging a mancheel we set out in quest of the sublime and -beautiful. After winding for about three quarters of the total distance -through a parched-up plain, the road reaches the foot of a steep and -rugged hill overgrown with bamboos, and studded with lofty trees, whose -names and natures are— - - ⸺To ancient song unknown, - The noble sons of potent heat and floods. - -As we advanced, the jungle became denser and denser: there were evident -signs of hog and deer in the earths of those animals which strewed the -ground. Tigers and elephants, bisons and leopards, are said to haunt the -remoter depths, and the dry grass smouldering on our path proved the -presence of charcoal burners—beings quite as wild as the other denizens -of the forest. - -The difficulty of the ascent being duly overcome we arrived at the -cascade, and stood for a while gazing with astonishment at the prospect -of⸺a diminutive stream of water, trickling gently down the sloping -surface of a dwarf rock. Remembering Terni and Tivoli, we turned our -bearers’ heads homewards, not however forgetting solemnly to enjoin them -never to let a tourist pass by that way without introducing him to the -Prince of all the Cataracts. - -We were curious to see the fort of Paulghaut, once the key of Malabar, -the scene of so many bloody conflicts between the power of Mysore and -British India in the olden time.[136] A square building, with straight -curtains, and a round tower at each angle, with the usual intricate -gateway, the uselessly deep fosse, and the perniciously high glacis that -characterize native fortifications—such was the artless form that met -our sight. In the present day it would be untenable for an hour before a -battery of half-a-dozen mortars. - -Passing through the magnificent and most unhealthy Wulliyar jungle,[137] -celebrated at all times for teak and sport, and during the monsoon for -fever and ague, and dangerous torrents even more dangerously bridged, -we arrived by a rough and rugged road at Coimbatore, a place which every -cotton student and constant reader of the Indian Mail familiarly knows. -A most unpromising looking locality it is—a straggling line of scattered -houses, long bazaars, and bungalows, separated from each other by wide -and desert “compounds.” The country around presented a most unfavourable -contrast to the fertile region we had just quitted, and the high fierce -wind raising clouds of gravelly dust from the sun-parched plain, reminded -us forcibly of similar horrors experienced in Scinde and Bhawalpore. - -A ride of twenty miles along a dry and hard highway, skirted with -numerous and, generally speaking, ruinous villages, led us to Matypolliam -at the foot of the Neilgherry Hills—our destination. And now as we -are likely to be detained here for some time by that old offender the -Bhawany River, who has again chosen to assault and batter down part of -her bridge, we will deliberately digress a little and attempt a short -description of land travelling in the “land of the sun.” - - * * * * * - -For the conveyance of your person, India supplies you with three several -contrivances. You may, if an invalid, or if you wish to be expeditious, -engage a palanquin, station bearers on the road, and travel either with -or without halts, at the rate of three or four miles an hour: we cannot -promise you much pleasure in the enjoyment of this celebrated Oriental -luxury. Between your head and the glowing sun, there is scarcely half an -inch of plank, covered with a thin mat, which ought to be, but never is, -watered. After a day or two you will hesitate which to hate the most, -your bearers’ monotonous, melancholy, grunting, groaning chaunt, when -fresh, or their jolting, jerking, shambling, staggering gait, when tired. -In a perpetual state of low fever you cannot eat, drink, or sleep; your -mouth burns, your head throbs, your back aches, and your temper borders -upon the ferocious. At night, when sinking into a temporary oblivion of -your ills, the wretches are sure to awaken you for the purpose of begging -a few pice, to swear that they dare not proceed because there is no oil -for the torch, or to let you and your vehicle fall heavily upon the -ground, because the foremost bearer very nearly trod upon a snake. Of -course you scramble as well as you can out of your cage, and administer -discipline to the offenders. And what is the result? They all run away -and leave you to pass the night, not in solitude, for probably a hungry -tiger circumambulates your box, and is only prevented by a somewhat -superstitious awe of its general appearance, from pulling you out of it -with claw and jaw, and all the action of a cat preparing to break her -fast upon some trapped mouse. - -All we have said of the palanquin is applicable to its humble -modification. The mancheel in this part of the world consists merely of -a pole, a canvas sheet hung like a hammock beneath it, and above it a -square moveable curtain, which you may draw down on the sunny or windy -side. In this conveyance you will progress somewhat more rapidly than you -did in the heavy wooden chest, but your miseries will be augmented in -undue proportion. As it requires a little practice to balance oneself in -these machines, you will infallibly be precipitated to the ground when -you venture upon your maiden attempt. After that a sense of security, -acquired by dint of many falls, leaves your mind free to exercise its -powers of observation, you will remark how admirably you are situated for -combining the enjoyments of ophthalmic glare, febrile reflected heat, -a wind like a Sirocco, and dews chilling as the hand of the Destroyer. -You feel that your back is bent at the most inconvenient angle, and -that the pillows which should support your head invariably find their -way down between your shoulders, that you have no spare place, as in the -palanquin, for carrying about a variety of small comforts, no, not even -the room to shift your position—in a word, that you are a miserable being. - -If in good health, your best plan of all is to mount one of your horses, -and to canter him from stage to stage, that is to say, between twelve -and fifteen miles a day. In the core of the nineteenth century you may -think this style of locomotion resembles a trifle too closely that of -the ninth, but, trust to our experience, you have no better. We will -suppose, then, that you have followed our advice, engaged bandies[138] -for your luggage, and started them off overnight, accompanied by your -herd of domestics on foot. The latter are all armed with sticks, swords, -and knives, for the country is not a safe one, and if it were, your -people are endowed with a considerable development of cautiousness. At -day-break, your horse-keeper brings up your nag saddled, and neighing his -impatience to set out: you mount the beast, and leave the man to follow -with a coolie or two, bearing on their shoulders the little camp-bed, on -which you are wont to pass your nights. There is no danger of missing -the road: you have only to observe the wheel-ruts, which will certainly -lead you to the nearest and largest, perhaps the only town within a day’s -march. As you canter along, you remark with wonder the demeanour of the -peasantry, and the sensation your appearance creates. The women veil -their faces, and dash into the nearest place of refuge, the children -scamper away as if your countenance, like Mokanna’s, were capable of -annihilating a gazer, the very donkeys and bullocks halt, start, and -shy, as you pass them.[139] In some places the men will muster courage -enough to stand and gaze upon you, but they do so with an expression of -countenance, half-startled, half-scowling, which by no means impresses -you with a sense of your individual popularity. - -Between nine and ten A.M. you draw in sight of some large village, which -instinct suggests is to be the terminus of that day’s wandering. You -had better inquire where the travellers’ bungalow is. Sign-posts are -unknown in these barbarous regions, and if you trust overmuch to your own -sagacity, your perspiring self and panting steed may wander about for -half an hour before you find the caravanserai. - -At length you dismount. A horse-keeper rising grumbling from his morning -slumbers, comes forward to hold your nag, and, whilst you are discussing -a cup of tea in the verandah, parades the animal slowly up and down -before you, as a precautionary measure previous to tethering him in the -open air. Presently the “butler” informs you that your breakfast, a -spatchcock, or a curry with eggs, and a plateful of unleavened wafers, -called aps—bread being unprocurable hereabouts—is awaiting you. You find -a few guavas or plantains, intended to act as butter, and when you demand -the reason, your domestic replies at once, that he searched every house -in the village, but could procure none. You might as well adopt some -line of conduct likely to discourage him from further attempts upon your -credulity, otherwise you will starve before the journey’s end. The fact -is, he was too lazy to take the trouble of even inquiring for that same -butter. - -We must call upon you to admire the appearance of the travellers’ -bungalows in this part of the country. You will see in them much to -appreciate if you are well acquainted with Bombay India. Here they are -cleanly looking, substantially built, tiled or thatched tenements, with -accommodation sufficient for two families, good furniture, at least as -far as a table, a couch, and a chair, go, outhouses for your servants, -and an excellent verandah for yourself. There you may remember, with a -touch of the true _meminisse juvat_ feeling, certain dirty ill-built -ruinous roadside erections, tenanted by wasps and hornets, with broken -seats, tottering tables, and populous bedsteads, for the use of which, -moreover, you were mulcted at the rate of a rupee a day. The result of -the comparison will be that the “Benighted Land,”[140] in this point at -least, rises prodigiously in your estimation. - -A siesta after breakfast, and a book, or any such _passe-temps_, when you -awake, bring you on towards sunset. You may now, if so inclined, start -for an hour’s constitutional, followed by a servant carrying your gun, -and keep your hand in by knocking down a few of the old kites that are -fighting with the Pariah dogs for their scanty meal of offals, or you -may try to bag one or two of the jungle cocks, whose crowing resounds -from the neighbouring brakes. - -Dinner! lovely word in English ears, unlovely thing—hereabouts—for -English palate. The beer is sure to be lukewarm, your vegetables -deficient, and your meat tough, in consequence of its having lost -vitality so very lately. - -You must take the trouble, if you please, of personally superintending -the departure of your domestics. And this you will find no easy task. The -men who have charge of the carts never return with their cattle at the -hour appointed, and, when at last they do, there is not a box packed, -and probably half your people are wandering about the bazaar. At length, -with much labour, you manage to get things somewhat in order, witness -with heartfelt satisfaction the first movement of the unwieldy train, and -retire to the bungalow for the purpose of getting through the evening, -with the assistance of tea, and any other little “distractions” your -imagination may suggest. - -Before retiring to rest you might as well look to the priming and -position of your pistols. Otherwise you may chance to be visited by -certain animals, even more troublesome than sand-flies and white ants. -A little accident of the kind happened to us at Waniacollum, a village -belonging to some Nair Rajah, whose subjects are celebrated for their -thievish propensities. About midnight, the soundness of our slumbers was -disturbed by the uninvited presence of some half-a-dozen black gentry, -who were gliding about the room with the stealthy tread of so many wild -cats _in purissimis naturalibus_, with the exception of an outside -coating of cocoanut oil. One individual had taken up a position close to -our bedside, with so very long a knife so very near our jugular region, -that we judged it inexpedient in the extreme to excite him by any display -of activity; so, closing our eyes, we slept heavily till our visitors -thought proper to depart. - -Our only loss was the glass shade of a candlestick, which the thieves, -supposing to be silver, had carried into the verandah, where, we presume, -after discovering that it was only plated, they had thrown it upon the -ground and abandoned it as a useless article. We had, it is true, pistols -in the room, but as the least movement might have produced uncomfortable -results; and, moreover, we felt uncommonly like Juvenal’s poor traveller, -quite reckless of consequences as regarded goods and chattels, we -resolved not to be blood-thirsty. At the same time we confess that such -conduct was by no means heroic. But an officer of our own corps, only -a few weeks before, was severely wounded, and narrowly escaped being -murdered, not fifty miles from the scene of our night’s adventure, and we -had little desire to figure among the list of casualties recorded in the -bimonthly summaries of Indian news. - -You would scarcely believe the extent of benefit in a sanitary point of -view, derived from riding about the country in the way we have described. -Every discomfort seems to do one good: an amount of broiling and wetting, -which, in a cantonment, would lead directly to the cemetery, on the -road seems only to add to one’s ever-increasing stock of health. The -greatest annoyance, perhaps, is the way in which the servants and effects -suffer; a long journey almost invariably knocks up the former for an -unconscionable time, and permanently ruins the latter. - - * * * * * - -We are still at Matypolliam, but our stay will be short, as the bridge -is now nearly repaired. By weighty and influential arguments we must -persuade the Kotwal[141]—a powerful native functionary—to collect a -dozen baggage-bullocks and a score of naked savages, destined to act as -beasts of burden: no moderate inducement will make the proprietors of the -carts drive their jaded cattle up the steep acclivities of the hills. A -ridiculous sight it is—the lading of bullocks untrained to carry weight; -each animal requires at least half-a-dozen men to keep him quiet; he -kicks, he butts, he prances, he shies: he is sure to break from them at -the critical moment, and, by an opportune plunge, to dash your unhappy -boxes on the ground, scattering their contents in all directions. What -a scene of human and bestial viciousness, of plunging and bellowing, of -goading of sides, punching of stomachs, and twisting of tails! We must, -however, patiently sit by and witness it: otherwise the fellows will not -start till late in the afternoon. - -You would scarcely believe that the inmates of that little bungalow which -just peeps over the brow of the mountain, are enjoying an Alpine and -almost European climate, whilst we are still in all the discomforts of -the tropics. The distance between us is about three miles, as the crow -flies—eleven along the winding road. We must prepare for the change by -strapping thick coats to our saddle-bows, and see that our servants are -properly clothed in cloths and flannels. Otherwise, we render ourselves -liable to the _peine forte et dure_ of a catarrh of three months’ -probable duration, and our domestics will certainly be floored by fever -and ague, cholera or rheumatism. - -It is just nine o’clock A.M., rather an unusual time for a start in these -latitudes. But the eddying and roaring of Bhawany’s muddy stream warns -us that there has been rain amongst the hills. The torrents are passable -now; they may not be so a few hours later. So we will mount our nags, and -gallop over the five miles of level country, partially cleared of the -thick jungle which once invested it, to the foot of the Neilgherry hills. - -We now enter the ravine which separates the Oolacul from the Coonoor -range. A vast chasm it is, looking as if Nature, by a terrible effort, -had split the giant mountain in twain, and left its two halves standing -separated opposite each other. A rapid and angry little torrent brawls -down the centre of the gap towards the Bhawany river, and the sides are -clothed with thick underwood, dotted with tall wide-spreading trees. -After the dusty flats of Mysore, and even the green undulations of -Malabar, you admire the view with a sensation somewhat resembling that -with which you first gazed upon the “castled crag of Drachenfels,” -when you visited it _en route_ from monotonous France, uninteresting -Holland, or unpicturesque Belgium. Probably, like certain enthusiastic -individuals who have indited high-flown eulogies of Neilgherry beauty, -you will mentally compare the scenery with that of the Alps, Apennines, -or Pyrenees. We cannot, however, go quite so far with you: with a few -exceptions the views generally—and this particularly—want grandeur and a -certain _nescio quid_ to make them really imposing. - -Slowly our panting nags toil along the narrow parapetless road up the -steep ascent of the Coonoor Pass. The consequence of the storm is that -our pathway appears plentifully besprinkled with earth, stones, and -trunks of trees, which have slipped from the inner side. In some places -it has been worn by the rain down to the bare rock, and the gutters or -channels of rough stone, built at an average distance of fifty yards -apart to carry off the water, are slippery for horses, and must be -uncommonly troublesome to wheeled conveyances. That cart which on the -plains requires a single team, will not move here without eight pair of -oxen; and yonder carriage demands the united energies of three dozen -coolies, at the very least. As, however, its too-confiding owner has -left it to a careless servant’s charge, it will most probably reach its -destination in a state picturesque, if not useful—its springs and light -gear hanging in graceful festoons about the wheels. - -And now, after crossing certain torrents and things intended for -bridges—during which, to confess the truth, we did feel a little -nervous—our nags stand snorting at the side of the stream which forms the -Coonoor Falls. Its bottom is a mass of sheet rock, agreeably diversified -with occasional jagged points and narrow clefts: moreover, the water is -rushing by with uncomfortable rapidity, and there is no visible obstacle -to your being swept down a most unpleasant slope. In fact it is the kind -of place usually described as growing uglier the more you look at it, so -you had better try your luck as soon as possible. Wheel the nag round, -“cram” him at the place, and just when he is meditating a sudden halt, -apply your spurs to his sides and your heavy horsewhip to his flanks, -trusting to Providence for his and your reaching the other side undamaged. - -The Burleyar bungalow—a kind of half-way house, or rather an unfinished -shed, built on an eminence to the right of the road,—informs us that we -are now within six miles of our journey’s end. The air becomes sensibly -cooler, and we begin to look down upon the sultry steaming plain below -with a sensation of acute enjoyment. - -We might as well spend a day or two at Coonoor. Ootacamund is at least -ten miles off, and it is perfectly useless to hurry on, as our baggage -will certainly not arrive before the week is half over, even if it does -then. Not, however, at the government bungalow—that long rambling thing -perched on the hill above the little bazaar, and renowned for broken -windows, fireless rooms, and dirty comfortless meals, prepared by a -native of “heathen caste.” We will patronize the hotel kept, in true -English style, by Mr. Davidson, where we may enjoy the luxuries of an -excellent dinner, a comfortable sitting-room, and a clean bed. - - * * * * * - -A survey of the scenery in this part of the Neilgherries takes in an -extensive range of swelling waving hill, looking at a distance as if -a green gulf had suddenly become fixed for ever. On the horizon are -lofty steeps, crowned with remnants of forests, studded with patches of -cultivation, and seamed with paths, tracks, and narrow roads. There is -little or no table-land: the only level road in the vicinity is scarcely -a mile long. At the bottom of the hollow lies the bazaar, and upon the -rising knolls around are the nine or ten houses which compose the first -European settlement you have seen on the Blue Hills. - -Coonoor occupies the summit of the Matypolliam Pass, about five thousand -eight hundred and eighty feet above the level of the sea. The climate -is warmer than that of the other stations, and the attractions of an -occasional fine day even during the three odious months of June, July, -and August, fill it with invalids flying from the horrors of Ootacamund. -The situation, however, is not considered a good one: its proximity to -the edge of the hills, renders it liable to mists, fogs, and a suspicion -of the malaria which haunts the jungly forests belting the foot of the -hills. Those who have suffered from the obstinate fevers of the plains do -well to avoid Coonoor. - - * * * * * - -The day is fine and bright—a _sine quâ non_ in Neilgherry excursions,—if -the least cloud or mist be observed hanging about the mountain tops, -avoid trips!—so we will start off towards that scarcely-distinguishable -object, half peak, half castle, that ends the rocky wall which lay on our -left when we rode up the Pass. - -You look at Oolacul[142] Droog, as the fort is called, and wonder what -could have been the use of it. And you are justified in your amazement. -But native powers delight in cooping up soldiery where they may be as -useless as possible; they naturally connect the idea of a strong place -with isolated and almost inaccessible positions, and cannot, for the life -of them conceive, what Europeans mean by building their fortifications -on level ground. Hyder Ali and his crafty son well knew that the unruly -chieftains of the plains would never behave themselves, unless overawed -and overlooked by some military post which might serve equally well -for a watch-tower and a dungeon. We think and act otherwise, so such -erections go to ruin. - -Starting, we pursue a road that runs by the travellers’ bungalow, -descends a steep, rough, and tedious hill—where we should prefer a -mule to a horse—crosses two or three detestable watercourses, and then -skirting the western end of the Oolacul chasm shows us a sudden ascent. -Here we dismount for convenience as well as exercise. The path narrows; -it becomes precipitous and slippery, owing to the decomposed vegetation -that covers it, and presently plunges into a mass of noble trees. You -cannot see a vestige of underwood: the leaves are crisp under your feet; -the tall trunks rise singly in all their sylvan glory, and the murmurs of -the wind over the leafy dome above, inform you that - - This is the forest primæval— - -as opposed to a rank bushy jungle. You enjoy the walk amazingly. The -foot-track is bounded on both sides by dizzy steeps: through the -intervals between the trees you can see the light mist-clouds and white -vapours sailing on the zephyr far beneath your feet. After about an -hour’s hard work, we suddenly come upon the Droog, and clambering over -the ruined parapet of stone—the only part of it that remains—stand up to -catch a glimpse of scenery which even a jaded lionizer would admire. - -The rock upon which we tread falls with an almost perpendicular drop of -four thousand feet into the plains. From this eyrie we descry the houses -of Coimbatore, the windings of the Bhawany, and the straight lines of -road stretching like ribbons over the glaring yellow surface of the low -land. A bluish mist clothes the distant hills of Malabar, dimly seen upon -the horizon in front. Behind, on the far side of the mighty chasm, the -white bungalows of Coonoor glitter through the green trees, or disappear -behind the veil of fleecy vapour which floats along the sunny mountain -tops. However hypercritically disposed, you can find no fault with this -view; it has beauty, variety, and sublimity to recommend it. - -If an inveterate sight-seer, you will be persuaded by the usual arguments -to visit Castle Hill, an eminence about three miles to the east of -Coonoor, for the purpose of enjoying a very second rate prospect. Perhaps -you will also be curious to inspect a village inhabited by a villanous -specimen of the Toda race, close to Mr. Davidson’s hotel. We shall not -accompany you. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -FIRST GLIMPSE OF “OOTY.” - - -The distance from Coonoor to the capital of the Neilgherries is about -ten miles, over a good road. We propose, however, to forsake the -uninteresting main line, and, turning leftwards, to strike into the bye -way which leads to the Khaity Falls. - -Khaity is a collection of huts tenanted by the hill people, and in no -ways remarkable, except that it has given a name to a cascade which -“everybody goes,” &c. - -After six miles of mountain and valley in rapid and unbroken succession, -we stand upon the natural terrace which supports the little missionary -settlement, and looking over the deep ravine that yawns at our feet, -wonder why the “everybody” above alluded to, takes the trouble of -visiting the Khaity falls. They are formed by a thin stream which dashes -over a gap in the rock, and disperses into spray before it has time to -reach the basin below. As usual with Neilgherry cascades they only want -water. - - * * * * * - -Now as our disappointment has brought on rather a depressed and prosy -state of mind, we will wile away the tedium of the eight long miles which -still separate us from our destination, with a little useful discourse -upon subjects historical and geographical connected with the Neilgherries. - -The purely European reader will consider it extraordinary that this -beautiful range of lofty hills should not have suggested to all men -at first sight the idea of a cool, healthy summer abode. But we -demi-Orientals, who know by experience the dangers of mountain air in -India, only wonder at the daring of the man who first planted a roof-tree -upon the Neilgherries. - -From the year 1799 to 1819 these mountains were in the daily view of all -the authorities from the plains of Coimbatore; revenue was collected from -them for the company by a native renter; but, excepting Dr. Ford and -Capt. Bevan, who in 1809 traversed the hill with a party of pioneers, and -certain deputy surveyors under Colonel Monson, who partially mapped the -tract, no strangers had ventured to explore the all but unknown region. - -In 1814, Mr. Keys, a sub-assistant, and Mr. McMahon, then an apprentice -in the survey department, ascended the hills by the Danaynkeucottah -Pass, penetrated into the remotest parts and made plans, and sent in -reports of their discoveries. In consequence of their accounts, Messrs. -Whish and Kindersley, two young Madras civilians, availing themselves of -the opportunity presented by some criminal’s taking refuge amongst the -mountains, ventured up in pursuit of him, and proceeded to reconnoitre -the interior. They soon saw and felt enough to excite their own curiosity -and that of others. Mr. Sullivan, collector of Coimbatore, built the -first house upon the Neilgherries. He chose a hillock to the east of the -hollow, where the lake now lies, and after some difficulty in persuading -the superstitious natives to work—on many occasions he was obliged -personally to set them the example—he succeeded in erecting a tenement -large enough to accommodate his family. - -In the month of May, 1819, the same tourists from Coimbatore, accompanied -by Mons. Leschnault de la Tour, naturalist to the King of France, -repeated their excursion, and published the result of their observations -in one of the Madras newspapers. They asserted the maximum height of the -thermometer in the shade to be 74° at a time when the temperature of the -plains varied from 90° to 100°. Such a climate within the tropics was -considered so great an anomaly that few would believe in its existence. -At length the Madras Government determined to open one of the passes, -and the pioneer officer employed on this service deriving immediate and -remarkable benefit from the mountain air—he had been suffering from fever -and ague—hastened to corroborate the accounts of it already published. -The road was opened in 1821; some families then took up their abode on -the hills; the inveterate prejudice against them began to disappear, -and such numbers presently flocked to the region of health, that the -difficulty was to find sufficient accommodation. As late as 1826, Bishop -Heber complained that for want of lodgings he was unable to send his -family to the sanitarium. Incredulity received its _coup de grâce_ from -the hand of the Rev. Mr. Hough, a chaplain in the Madras establishment, -who in July, 1826, published in the Bengal Hurkaru, under the _nom de -guerre_ of Philanthropos, a series of eight letters,[143] describing -the climate, inhabitants, and productions of the Neilgherries, with the -benevolent intention of inducing the Government of India to patronize the -place as a retreat for invalids. - -Having “done” the history, we will now attempt a short geographical -account of the Blue Mountains. _En passant_ we may remark, that the -native name Nilagiri,[144] limited by the Hindoos to a hill sacred to -Parwati, has been extended by us to the whole range. - -The region commonly known by the name of the Neilgherries, or Blue -Mountains of Coimbatore, is situated at the point where the Eastern -and Western Ghauts[145] unite, between the parallels of 11° and 12° -N. lat., and 76° and 77° E. lon. Its shape is a trapezoid, for though -quadrilateral, none of its sides are equal or even: it is bounded on the -north by the table-land of Mysore, on the south and east by the provinces -that stretch towards the Arabian Sea; another range of hills forms its -western frontier. Its base covers a surface of about two hundred miles; -the greatest length from east to west at an elevation of five thousand -feet, is nearly forty-three, and the medium breadth at the same height, -is little less than fifteen, miles. The major part of the mass presents a -superficies of parallel and irregular hill and knoll, intersected by deep -valleys and precipitous ravines; a loftier chain, throwing off a number -of minor ridges, runs north-east and south-west, and almost bisects the -tract. In the loftier parts many small streams, such as the Pykarry, the -Porthy, and the Avalanche take their rise, and, after winding over the -surface, sweep down the rocky sides of the mountains, and fall into the -Moyar,[146] or swell the Bhawany River. - -[Illustration: R. Burton delᵗ. Printed by Hullmandel & Walton. - -TODA FAMILY AND VILLAGE. - -London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.] - -The Neilgherries are divided into four Nads, or provinces: Perunga Nad, -the most populous, occupies the eastern portion; Malka lies towards -the south; Koondah is on the west and south-west margin; and Toda Nad, -the most fertile and extensive,[147] includes the northern regions -and the crest of the hills. Many lines of roads have been run up the -easier acclivities; the most travelled upon at present are the Seegoor -Ghaut,[148] which enters from the Mysore side, and the Coonoor, or -Coimbatore Pass, by which, if you recollect, we ascended. - -Our Government asserts no right to this bit of territory, although the -hills belonged to Hyder, and what was Hyder’s now belongs to us. The -peculiar tribe called the Todas,[149] lay claim to the land, and though -they consent to receive a yearly rent, they firmly refuse to alienate -their right to the soil, considering such measure “nae canny” for both -seller and buyer. Chance events have established this superstition on a -firm footing. When Europeans first settled in the Neilgherries, a murrain -broke out among the Toda cattle, and the savages naturally attributed -their misfortune to the presence of the new comers. Sir W. Rumbold lost -his wife, and died prematurely soon after purchasing the ground upon -which his house stood—of course, in consequence of the earth-god’s ire. - -In August, 1847, there were a hundred and four officers on sick leave, -besides visitors and those residing on the Neilgherries. The total number -of Europeans, children included, was between five and six hundred. It -is extremely difficult to estimate the number of the hill people. Some -authorities give as many as fifteen thousand; others as few as six -thousand. - - * * * * * - -Now we fall into the main road at the foot of the zigzag, which climbs -the steep skirt of Giant Dodabetta.[150] Our nags, snorting and panting, -breast the hill—we reach the summit—we descend a few hundred yards—catch -sight of some detached bungalows—a lake—a church—a bazaar—a station. - -The cantonment of Ootacamund,[151] or, as it is familiarly and -affectionately termed by the abbreviating Saxon, “Ooty,” is built in a -punch bowl, formed by the range of hills which composes the central crest -of the Neilgherries. But first for the “Windermere.” - -The long narrow winding tarn which occupies the bottom of Ooty’s -happy vale, is an artificial affair, intended, saith an enthusiastic -describer, “like that of Como, to combine utility with beauty.” It was -made by means of a dam, which, uniting the converging extremities of -two hills, intercepted the waters of a mountain rivulet, and formed an -“expansive and delightful serpentine lake,” about two miles in length, -upon an average six hundred yards broad, in many places forty feet -deep, generally very muddy, and about as far from Windermere or Como -as a London Colosseum or a Parisian Tivoli might be from its Italian -prototype. Two roads, the upper and the lower, wind round the piece of -water, and it is crossed by three embankments; the Willow Bund, as the -central one is called, with its thick trees and apologies for arches, is -rather a pretty and picturesque object. The best houses, you may remark, -are built as close to the margin of the lake as possible. Turn your eyes -away from the northern bank; that dirty, irregular bazaar is the very -reverse of romantic. The beauties of the view lie dispersed above and -afar. On both sides of the water, turfy peaks and woody eminences, here -sinking into shallow valleys, there falling into steep ravines, the whole -covered with a tapestry of brilliant green, delight your eye, after the -card-table plains of Guzerat, the bleak and barren Maharatta hills, or -the howling wastes of sun-burnt Scinde. The back-ground of distant hill -and mountain, borrowing from the intervening atmosphere the blue and -hazy tint for which these regions are celebrated, contrasts well with -the emerald hue around. In a word, there is a rich variety of form and -colour, and a graceful blending of the different features that combine to -make a beautiful _coup d’œil_, which, when the gloss of novelty is still -upon them, are infinitely attractive. - - * * * * * - -The sun is sinking in the splendour of an Indian May, behind the -high horizon, and yet, marvellous to relate, the air feels cool and -comfortable. The monotonous gruntings of the frequent palanquin-bearers—a -sound which, like the swift’s scream, is harsh and grating enough, yet -teems in this region with pleasant associations—inform us that the fair -ones of Ootacamund are actually engaged in taking exercise. We will -follow their example, beginning at “Charing Cross,”—the unappropriate -name conferred upon those few square yards of level and gravelled ground, -with the stunted tree boxed up in the centre. Our path traverses the -half-drained swamp that bounds this end of the Neilgherry Windermere, -and you observe with pain that those authors who assert the hills to -be “entirely free from the morasses and the vast collection of decayed -vegetables that generate miasma,” have notably deceived you. In 1847, -there is a small swamp, formed by the soaking of some arrested stream, at -the bottom of almost every declivity. We presume the same was the case in -1826. Indeed, were the Neilgherries seven or eight hundred feet, instead -of as many thousands, above the level of the sea, even the Pontine -marshes would not be better adapted for the accommodation of Quartana -and Malaria. Before you have been long on the hills, you will witness -many amusing accidents occurring to new comers, who attempt to urge their -steeds through the shaking bogs of black mud, treacherously lurking under -a glossy green coating of grassy turf. - -“Probably it is to the local predilections for such diversion that I must -attribute the unwillingness of the authorities to remedy the nuisance?” - -We cannot take upon ourselves to reply, yes or no. The cantonment is by -no means scrupulously clean. The bazaar is at all times unpleasant, and, -during the rains, dirty in the extreme. Making all due allowance for the -difficulty of keeping any place where natives abound, undefiled, still -we opine, that the authorities might be much more active, in promoting -the cause of cleanliness, than they are. But, if report speak true, the -local government is somewhat out of temper with her hill _protégée_, for -spending her rupees a little too freely. - -There go the promenaders—stout pedestrians—keeping step in parties and -pairs. Equestrians ride the fashionable animals—a kind of horse cut down -to a pony, called the Pegu, Arabs being rare and little valued here. -And invalids, especially ladies, “eat the air,” as the natives say, in -palanquins and tonjons. The latter article merits some description. It -is a light conveyance, open and airy, exactly resembling the seat of a -Bath chair, spitted upon a long pole, which rests on the shoulders of -four hammals, or porters. Much barbaric splendour is displayed in the -equipments of the “gang.” Your first thought, on observing their long -scarlet coats, broad yellow bands round the waist, and the green turban, -or some other curiously and wonderfully made head-gear, which surmounts -their sooty faces, is a sensation of wonder that the tonjon and its -accompaniments have not yet been exhibited in London and Paris. Much -hardness of heart is occasionally shown by the fair sex to their unhappy -negroes. See those four lean wretches staggering under the joint weights -of the vehicle that contains the stout daughter and stouter mama, or the -huge Ayah who is sent out to guard those five or six ponderous children, -whose constitutional delicacy renders “carriage exercise” absolutely -necessary for them. - -Two things here strike your eye as novel, in India. - -There is a freshness in the complexion of the Sanitarians that shows -wonderfully to advantage when compared with the cadaverous waxy hue which -the European epidermis loves to assume in the tropics. Most brilliant -look the ladies; the gentlemen are sunburnt and robust; and the juveniles -appear fresh and chubby, quite a different creation from the pallid, -puny, meagre, sickly, irritable little wretches that do nothing but cry -and perspire in the plains. Another mighty pleasant thing, after a few -years of purely camp existence, is the non-military appearance and sound -of Ootacamund. Uniform has been banished by one consent from society, -except at balls and parties. The cotton and linen jackets, the turbaned -felt “wide-awake,” and the white jockey’s cap, with its diminutive apron, -intended to protect the back of the head from the broiling sun, are here -exchanged for cloth coats and black hats. Morning bugles and mid-day -guns, orderlies, and order-books, the “Officers’ call” and “No parade -to-day,” are things unknown. Vestiges of the “shop” will, it is true, -occasionally peep out in the shape of a regimental cap, brass spurs, and -black pantaloons, denuded of the red stripe. But such traces rather add -to our gratification than otherwise, by reminding us of A.M. drills, -meridian sword exercises, and P.M. reviews in days gone by. - -And now, advancing along the gravelled walk that borders the lake, we -pass beneath a thatched cottage, once a masonic lodge,[152] but now, -_proh pudor!_ converted into a dwelling-house. Near it, we remark a -large building—Bombay House. It was formerly appropriated to officers -of that presidency. At present they have no such luxury.[153] Taking -up a position above the south end of the Willow-Bund, we have a good -front view of the principal buildings in the cantonment. On the left -hand is the Protestant church of St. Stephens, an unpraisable erection, -in the Saxo-Gothic style, standing out from a grave-yard, so extensive, -so well stocked, that it makes one shudder to look at it. Close by the -church are the Ootacamund Free School, the Post-office, the Pay-office, -and the bungalow where the Commanding officer of the station transacts -his multifarious business. Below, near the lake, you see the Library, -the Victoria hotel—a large and conspicuous building—the Dispensary, the -subordinate’s courts, and the Bazaar. Beyond the church a few hundred -yards of level road leads to the “palace,” built by Sir W. Rumbold, -which, after enduring many vicissitudes of fortune, has settled down -into the social position of a club-house and place for periodical -balls. Around it, the mass of houses thickens, and paths branch off -in all directions. In the distance appears the wretched bazaar of -Kaundlemund—the haunt of coblers and thieves;—a little nearer is the old -Roman Catholic chapel; closer still, the Union hotel—a huge white house, -which was once the Neilgherry Church Missionary grammar school,—bungalows -by the dozen, and several extensive establishments, where youth, male -and female, is lodged, boarded, and instructed. On the southern side of -a hill, separated from the Kaundle bazaar, stands Woodcock Hall, the -locality selected for Government House, and, in 1847 at least, a most -unimportant place, interiorly as well as exteriorly. - -We will conclude our ciceronic task with calling your attention to one -fact, namely, that the capital of the Neilgherries is growing up with -maizelike rapidity. Houses are rising in all directions; and if fickle -fortune only favour it, Ooty promises fair to become in a few years one -of the largest European settlements in India. But its fate is at present -precarious. Should the Court of Directors be induced to revise the old -Furlough and Sick-leave Regulations, then will poor Ooty speedily revert -to the Todas and jackals—its old inhabitants. On the contrary, if the -_status quo_ endure, and European regiments are regularly stationed on -the hills,[154] officers will flock to Ootacamund, the settlers, retired -servants of Government, not Eurasian colonists, will increase in number, -schools[155] will flourish and prosperity steadily progress. The “to be -or not to be” thus depends upon the turn of a die. - - * * * * * - -The chilly shades of evening are closing rapidly upon us, and we know -by experience that some care is necessary, especially for the newly -arrived health-hunter. So we wend our way homewards, remarking, as night -advances, the unusual brilliancy of the heavenly bodies. Venus shines -almost as brightly as an average English moon in winter: her light with -that of the lesser stars is quite sufficient to point out to us the -direction of “Subaltern Hall.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -LIFE AT OOTY. - - -If a bachelor, you generally begin by depositing your household gods in -the club buildings, or one of the two hotels[156]—there is no travellers’ -bungalow at Ootacamund—if a married man, you have secured lodgings by -means of a friend. - -The Neilgherry house merits description principally because it is a -type of the life usually led in it. The walls are made of coarse bad -bricks—the roof of thatch or wretched tiles, which act admirably as -filters, and occasionally cause the downfall of part, or the whole of -the erection. The foundation usually selected is a kind of platform, a -gigantic step, cut out of some hill-side, and levelled by manual labour. -The best houses occupy the summits of the little eminences around the -lake. As regards architecture the style bungalow—a modification of the -cow-house—is preferred: few tenements have upper stories, whilst almost -all are surrounded by a long low verandah, perfectly useless in such a -climate, and only calculated to render the interior of the domiciles as -dim and gloomy as can be conceived. The furniture is decidedly scant, -being usually limited to a few feet of drugget, a chair or two, a table, -and a bedstead. The typical part of the matter is this. If the diminutive -rooms, with their fire-places, curtained beds, and boarded floors, -faintly remind you of Europe, the bare walls, puttyless windows and -doors that admit draughts of air small yet cutting as lancets, forcibly -impress you with the conviction that you have ventured into one of those -uncomfortable localities—a cold place in a hot country. - -So it is with life on the Neilgherries—a perfect anomaly. You dress like -an Englishman, and lead a quiet gentlemanly life—doing nothing. Not being -a determined health-hunter, you lie in bed because it passes the hours -rationally and agreeably, and you really can enjoy a midday doze on the -mountain-tops. You sit up half the night because those around you are -not shaking the head of melancholy, in consequence of the dispiriting -announcement that “the Regiment will parade, &c., at four o’clock next -morning” (A.M. remember!). At the same time your monthly bills for pale -ale and hot curries, heavy tiffins, and numerous cheroots, tell you, as -plainly as such mute inanimate things can, that you have not quite cast -the slough of Anglo-Indian life. - - * * * * * - -We will suppose that your first month in the Neilgherry Hills with all -its succession of small events has glided rapidly enough away. You -reported your arrival in person to the commanding officer, who politely -desired your signature to a certain document,[157] threatening you as -well as others with all the penalties of the law if you ventured to quit -Ootacamund without leave. The Auditor-General’s bill, which you received -from the Paymaster, Bombay, authorizing you to draw your salary from him -of the southern division of the Madras army, was not forwarded before the -first of the month, or it was forwarded but not in duplicate—something -of the kind must happen—so you were most probably thrown for a while -upon your wits, rather a hard case, we will suppose. Then you tried to -“raise the wind” from some Parsee, but the way in which he received -you conclusively proved that he has, perhaps for the best of reasons, -long since ceased to “do bijness” in that line. You began to feel -uncomfortable, and consequently to abuse the “authorities.” - -During your first fortnight all was excitement, joy, delight. You -luxuriated in the cool air. Your appetite improved. The mutton had a -flavour which you did not recollect in India. Strange, yet true, the -beef was tender, and even the “unclean” was not too much for your robust -digestion. You praised the vegetables, and fell into ecstasy at the -sight of peaches, apples, strawberries, and raspberries, after years of -plantains, guavas, and sweet limes. From the exhilarating influence of -a rare and elastic atmosphere you, who could scarcely walk a mile in -the low country, induced by the variety of scenery and road, wandered -for hours over hill and dale without being fatigued. With what strange -sensations of pleasure you threw yourself upon the soft turf bank, and -plucked the first daisy which you ever saw out of England! And how you -enjoyed the untropical occupation of sitting over a fire in June!—that -very day last year you were in a state of semi-existence, only “kept -going” by the power of punkahs[158] and quasi-nudity. - -The end of the month found you in a state of mind bordering upon the -critical. You began to opine that the scenery has its deficiencies—Can -its diminutive ravines compare with glaciers and seas of ice—the -greenness of its mountain-tops compensate for the want of snow-clad -summits, and “virgin heights which the foot of man never trod?” You -decided that the Neilgherries are, after all, a tame copy of the Alps -and the Pyrenees. You came to the conclusion that grandeur on a small -scale is very unsatisfactory, and turned away from the prospect with the -contempt engendered by satiety. As for the climate, you discovered that -it is either too hot in the sun or too cold in the shade, too damp or -too dry, too sultry or too raw. After a few days spent before the fire -you waxed weary of the occupation, remarked that the Neilgherry wood is -always green, and the Neilgherry grate a very abominable contrivance. -At last the mutton and pork, peaches and strawberries, palled upon your -pampered palate, you devoured vegetables so voraciously that pernicious -consequences ensued, and you smoked to such an extent that—perhaps -tobacco alone did not do it—your head became seriously affected. - -And now, sated with the joys of the eye and mouth, you turn round upon -Ootacamund and inquire blatantly what amusement it has to offer you. - -Is there a hunt? No, of course not! - -A race-course? Ditto, ditto! - -Is there a cricket-club? Yes. If you wish to become a member you will be -admitted readily enough; you will pay four shillings _per mensem_ for the -honour, but you will not play at cricket. - -A library? There are two: one in the Club, the other kept by a Mr. -Warren: the former deals in the modern, the latter in the antiquated -style of light—extremely light—literature. Both reading-rooms take in -the newspapers and magazines, but the periodical publications are a very -exclusive kind of study, that is to say, never at home to you. By some -peculiar fatality the book you want is always missing. And the absence of -a catalogue instead of exciting your industry, seems rather to depress it -than otherwise. - -Public gardens, with the usual “scandal point,” where you meet the ladies -and exchange the latest news? We reply yes, in a modifying tone. The sum -of about 200_l._, besides monthly subscriptions, was expended upon the -side of a hill to the east of Ooty, formerly overrun with low jungle, now -bearing evidences of the fostering hand of the gardener in the shape of -many cabbages and a few cauliflowers. - -Is there a theatre, a concert-room, a tennis, a racket, or a fives-court? -No, and again no! - -Then pray what is there? - -We will presently inform you. But you must first rein in your impatience -whilst we enlarge a little upon the constitution and components of -Neilgherry society. - -Two presidencies—the Madras and Bombay—meet here without mingling. -Officers belonging to the former establishment visit the hills for two -objects, pleasure and health; those of the latter service are always -votaries of Hygeia. If you ask the Madrassee how he accounts for the -dearth of amusements, he replies that no one cares how he gets through -his few weeks of leave. The Bombayite, on the contrary, complains loudly -and bitterly enough of the dull two years he is doomed to pass at Ooty, -but modesty, a consciousness of inability to remedy the evil, or most -likely that love of a grievance, and lust of grumbling which nature has -implanted in the soldier’s breast, prevents his doing anything more. -Some public-spirited individuals endeavoured, for the benefit of poor -Ooty, to raise general subscriptions from the Madras Service, every -member of which has visited, is visiting, or expects to visit, the -region of health. The result of their laudable endeavours—a complete -failure—instanced the truth of the ancient adage, that “everybody’s -business is nobody’s business.” Besides the sanitarians and the -pleasure-seekers, there are a few retired and invalid officers, who -have selected the hills as a permanent residence, some coffee-planters, -speculators in silk and mulberry-trees, a stray mercantile or two from -Madras, and several professionals, settled at Ootacamund. - -With all the material above alluded to, our circle of society, as you may -suppose, is sufficiently extensive and varied. Among the ladies, we have -elderlies who enjoy tea and delight in scandal: grass widows—excuse the -term, being very much wanted, it is _comme il faut_ in this region—and -spinsters of every kind, from the little girl in bib and tucker, to -the full blown Anglo-Indian young lady, who discourses of her papa -the Colonel, and disdains to look at anything below the rank of a -field-officer. The gentlemen supply us with many an _originale_. There -are _ci-devant_ young men that pride themselves upon giving ostentatious -feeds which youthful gastronomes make a point of eating, misanthropes -and hermits who inhabit out-of-the-way abodes, civilians on the shelf, -authors, linguists, oriental students, amateur divines who periodically -convert their drawing-rooms into chapels of ease rather than go to -church, sportsmen, worshippers of Bacchus in numbers, juniors whose glory -it is to escort fair dames during evening rides, and seniors who would -rather face his Satanic Majesty himself than stand in the dread presence -of a “woman.” We have clergymen, priests, missionaries, tavern-keepers, -school-masters, and scholars, with _précieux_ and _précieuses ridicules_ -of all descriptions. - -But, unhappily, the said circle is divided into several segments, which -do not willingly or neatly unite. In the first place, there is a line of -demarcation occasionally broken through, but pretty clearly drawn between -the two Presidencies. The Mulls[159] again split into three main bodies, -1, the very serious; 2, the _petit-sérieux_; and, 3, the unsanctified. So -do the Ducks, but these being upon strange ground are not so exclusive -as they otherwise would be. Subdivision does not end here. For instance, -the genus serious will contain two distinct species, the orthodox and -the heterodox serious. The unsanctified also form numerous little knots, -whose bond of union is some such accidental matters as an acquaintance -previous to meeting on the hills, or a striking conformity of tastes and -pursuits. - - * * * * * - -A brief account of the Neilgherry day will answer your inquiry about the -existence of amusement. We premise that there are two formulas, one for -the sanitarian, the other for the pleasure-hunter. - -And first, of Il Penseroso, or the invalid. He rises with the sun, -clothes himself according to Dr. Baikie,[160] and either mounts his -pony, or more probably starts stick in hand for a four mile walk. He -returns in time to avoid the sun’s effects upon an empty stomach, bathes, -breakfasts, and hurries once more into the open air. Possibly, between -the hours of twelve and four, his dinner-time, he may allow himself to -rest awhile in the library, to play a game at billiards, or to call -upon a friend, but upon principle he avoids tainted atmospheres as much -as possible. At 5 P.M. he recommences walking or riding, persevering -laudably in the exercise selected, till the falling dew drives him home. -A cup of tea, and a book or newspaper, finish the day. This even tenor -of his existence is occasionally varied by some such excitement as a -pic-nic, or a shooting-party, but late dinners, balls, and parties, know -him not. - -Secondly of L’Allegro, as the man who obtains two months’ leave of -“absence on urgent private affairs” to the Neilgherries, and the -Penseroso become a robust convalescent, may classically and accurately be -termed. L’Allegro, dresses at mid-day, he has spent the forenoon either -in bed or _en deshabille_, in dozing, tea-drinking, and smoking, or, if -of a literary turn of mind, in perusing the pages of “The Devoted,” or, -“Demented One.” He dilates breakfast to spite old Time, and asks himself -the frequent question What shall I do to-day? The ladies are generally at -home between twelve and two, but L’Allegro, considering the occupation -rather a “slow” one, votes it a “bore.” But there is the club, and a -couple of hours may be spent profitably enough over the newspapers, or -pleasantly enough with the assistance of billiards and whist. At three -o’clock our Joyful returns home, or accompanies a party of friends to -a hot and substantial meal, termed tiffin, followed by many gigantic -Trichinopoly cigars, and glasses of pale ale in proportion. - -A walk or a ride round the lake, is now deemed necessary to recruit -exhausted Appetite, who is expected to be ready at seven for another hot -and substantial meal, called dinner. And now, the labours of the day -being happily over, L’Allegro concludes it with prodigious facility by -means of cards or billiards, with whiskey and weeds. - -This routine of life is broken only by such interruptions, as a -shooting-party, an excursion, a pic-nic, a grand dinner, _soirée_, or a -ball. Short notices of these amusements may not be unacceptable to the -reader. - -There are many places in the neighbourhood of Ooty—such as Dodabetta, -Fair Lawn, and others—where, during the fine season, the votaries of -Terpsichore display very fantastic toes indeed, particularly if they wear -Neilgherry-made boots, between the hours of ten A.M. and five P.M. Much -innocent mirth prevails on these social occasions, the only remarkable -characteristic of their nature being, that the gentlemen generally ride -out slowly and deliberately, but ride in, racing, or steeple-chasing, or -enacting Johnny Gilpin. - -A more serious affair is a grand dinner. This truly British form which -hospitality assumes, may be divided into two kinds, the pure and the -mixed. The former is the general favourite, as, consisting of bachelors -only, it admits of an _abandon_ in the style of conversation, and a -general want of ceremoniousness truly grateful to the Anglo-Indian mind. -A dinner where ladies are admitted is, by L’Allegro, considered an -unmitigated pest; and those who dislike formality and restraint, scant -potations, and the impossibility of smoking, will readily enter into his -feelings. - -The Ootacamund _soirée_ happens about once every two months to the man of -pleasure, who exerts all the powers of his mind to ward off the blow of -an invitation. When he can no longer escape the misfortune, he resigns -himself to his fate, dresses and repairs to the scene of unfestivity, -with much of the same feeling he remembers experiencing when “nailed” for -a Bath musical reunion, or a Cheltenham tea-party. He will have to endure -many similar horrors. He must present Congo to the ladies, walk about -with cakes and muffins, listen to unmelodious melody, and talk small—he -whose body is sinking under the want of stimulants and narcotics, whose -spirit is fainting under the _peine forte et dure_ of endeavouring to -curb an unruly tongue, which in spite of all efforts will occasionally -give vent to half or three-quarters of some word utterly unfit for ears -feminine or polite. If, as the Allegri sometimes are, the wretch be -nervous upon the subject of being “talked about in connexion with some -woman,” another misery will be added to the list above detailed. He has -certainly passed the evening by the side of the young lady whom he first -addressed—his reasons being that he had not courage to break away from -her—and he may rest assured that all Ooty on the morrow will have wooed -and won her for him. Finally, he observes that several of his married -friends look coldly upon him, beginning the morning after the _soirée_. -Probably he endeavoured to compensate for his want of vivacity, by a -little of what he considered brilliancy, in the form of satire,—quizzing, -as it is generally called. The person for whose benefit he ventured to - - Tamper with such dangerous art, - -looked amused by his facetiousness, encouraged him to proceed by - - ⸺The smile from partial beauty won, - -and lost no time in repeating the substance of his remarks, decked, for -the sake of excitement, in a richly imaginative garb, to the sensitive -quizzee. - -There are about half-a-dozen balls a year on the Neilgherries, the cause -of their infrequency being the expense, and the unpopularity of the -amusement amongst all manner and description of men, save and except the -“squire of dames” only. This un-English style of festivity is also of two -kinds, the subscription and the bachelors’: the former thinly attended, -because 1_l._ is the price of a ticket, the latter much more numerously, -because invitations are issued gratis. The amusement commences with the -notes which the ladies indite in reply to their future entertainers, who -scrutinize all such productions with a severity of censure and a rigidity -of rule which might gratify a Johnson, or a Lindley Murray. And woe, woe, -to her who slips in her syntax, or trips in her syllabication! Then the -members of the club carve out for themselves a grievance, all swear that -it is a “confounded shame to turn the place into a hop-shop,” and one -surlier individual than the rest declares that “it shan’t be done again.” -At the same time you observe they endure the indignity patiently enough, -as it is a magnificent opportunity for disposing of their condemnable -though not condemned gooseberry. - -And here we pause for a moment in indignation at such a proceeding. -May that man never be our friend who heedlessly sets a bottle of bad -champagne before a fellow-creature at a ball! Heated and excited by the -dancing atmosphere around, the victim’s palate becomes undiscerning, -he drinks a tumbler when at other times a wine-glass full would have -been too much, and in the morning—aroynt thee, Description! Well do -we remember the bitter feelings with which we heard on one of these -occasions, two gentlemen felicitating each other upon the quantity of -sour gooseberry disposed of unobserved. Unobserved! we were enduring -tortures from the too observable effects of it. - -At eleven or twelve the ladies muster. The band—a trio of fiddlers, and -a pianist, who performs on an instrument which suggests reminiscences -of Tubal Cain—strikes up. The dancing begins—one eternal round of -quadrilles, lancers, polkas, and waltzes. There is no difficulty in -finding partners: the “wall-flower,” an ornament to the ball-room -unknown in India generally, here blooms and flourishes luxuriantly as -in our beloved fatherland. But if you are not a bald-headed colonel, a -staff-officer in a gingerbread uniform, or a flash sub. in one of Her -Majesty’s corps, you will prefer contemplating the festal scene from the -modest young man’s great stand-by—the doorway. About one o’clock there -is a break for supper—a hot substantial meal of course:—the dancing that -follows is strikingly of a more spirited nature than that which preceded -it. The general exhilaration infects, perhaps, even you. You screw up -your courage to the point of asking some smiling spinster if she “may -have the pleasure of dancing with you?” and by her good aid in action as -well as advice, you find out, with no small exultation, that you have not -quite forgotten your quadrille. - -At three P.M. the ladies retire, apparently to the regret, really to -the delight of the bachelors, who, with gait and gestures expressive -of the profoundest satisfaction, repair to the supper-room for another -hot and substantial meal. The conversation is lively: the toilettes, -manners, conversation and dancing of the fair sex are blamed or extolled -_selon_; the absence of the Bombay ladies and the scarcity of the Bombay -gentlemen are commented upon with a _naïveté_ which, if you happen to -consider yourself one of them, is apt to be rather unpleasant. Before, -however, you can make up your mind what to do, the cigars are lighted, -spirits mixed, and the singing commences. This performance is usually of -the style called at messes the “sentimental,” wherein a long chorus is a -_sine quâ non_, the usual accompaniments a little horse-play in different -parts of the room, and the conclusion a hammering of tables or rattling -of glasses and a drumming with the heels, which, when well combined, -produce truly an imposing effect. At length Aurora comes slowly in, -elbowing her way, and sidling through the dense waves of rolling smoke, -which would oppose her entrance, but failing therein, content themselves -with communicating to her well known saffron-coloured morning wrapper a -rather dull and dingy hue. Phœbus looks red and lowering at the prospect -of the dozen gentlemen, who, in very pallid complexions, black garments, -and patent leather boots, wind, with frequent halts, along a common road, -leading, as each conceives, directly to his own abode. And the Muses thus -preside over the conclusion, as they ushered in the beginning of the -eventful _fête_. - -“On the — of ⸺ the gay and gallant bachelors of Ootacamund entertained -all the beauty and fashion of the station in the magnificent ball-room of -the club. The scene was a perfect galaxy of light and loveliness, etc.” - - * * * * * - -You have now, we will suppose, almost exhausted the short list of public -amusements, balls and parties; you have boated on the lake; you have -ridden and walked round the lake till every nodule of gravel is deadly -familiar to your eye; you have contemplated the lake from every possible -point, and can no longer look at it, or hear it named, without a -sensation of nausea. You have probably wandered “over the hills and far -away” in search of game; your sport was not worth speaking of, but its -consequences, the headache, or the attack of liver which resulted from -over-exertion, _was_—. Perhaps you have been induced to ride an untrained -Arab at a steeple-chase, and, curious to say, you have not broken an arm -or even your collar-bone. What are you to do now? You wish to goodness -that you could obtain leave to visit the different stations in the low -country, but, unhappily, you forgot to have your sick certificate worded, -“For the Neilgherries and the Western Coast.” You find yourself cooped up -in the mountains as securely as within the lofty walls of your playground -in by-gone days, and if you venture to play truant, you will certainly be -dismissed the establishment, which is undesirable:—you are not yet over -anxious to return to “duty,” although you are by no means happy away from -it. - -Suddenly a little occurrence in your household affords you a temporary -diversion. You dismissed your Bombay servants, first and foremost the -Portuguese, a fortnight after your arrival at Ootacamund, because the -fellows grumbled at the climate and the expense:—they could not afford -to get drunk half as often as in the plains:—demanded exorbitant wages, -and required almost as many comforts and luxuries as you yourself do. -So you paid their passage back to their homes, and secured the usual -number of Madras domestics, men of the best character, according to -their own account, and provided with the highest, though more than -dubious testimonials. You found that the change was for the better. Your -new blacks worked like horses, and did not refuse to make themselves -generally useful. Presently, they, seeing your “softness,” began -to presume upon it. You found it necessary to dismiss one of them, -summarily, for exaggerated insolence. The man left your presence, and -stepped over to the edifice where sits in state the “Officer Commanding -the Neilgherries.” About half an hour afterwards you received a note, -couched in terms quite the reverse of courteous, ordering you to pay your -dismissed servant his wages, and peremptorily forbidding you to take the -law into your own hands by kicking him. But should you object to obey, as -you probably will do, you are allowed the alternative of appearing at the -office the next day. - -At the hour specified you prepare to keep your appointment, regretting -that you are not a civilian:—you might then have tossed the note into -the fire:—but somewhat consoled by a discovery, made in the course -of the evening, that the complainant has stolen several articles of -clothing from you. You walk into the room, ceremoniously bow and are -bowed to, pull a chair towards you unceremoniously, because you are not -asked to sit down, wait impatiently enough,—you have promised to ride -out with Miss A⸺, who will assuredly confer the honour of her company -upon your enemy Mr. B⸺ if you keep her waiting five minutes,—a mortal -hour and a half. When the last case has been dismissed, the Commanding -officer, after some little time spent in arranging his papers, nibbing -his pens and conversationizing with a native clerk about matters more -than indifferent to you, turns towards you a countenance in which the -severity of justice is somewhat tempered by the hard stereotyped smile -of polite inquiry. Stimulated by the look, you forget that you are the -defendant, till reminded of your position in a way which makes you feel -all its awkwardness. The Commanding officer is a great “stickler for -abstract rights,” and is known to be high-principled upon the subjects of -black skins and British law. So you, who expected, as a matter of course, -that the “word of an officer and gentleman” would be taken against that -of a “native rascal,” find yourself notably in the wrong box. Indignant, -you send for your butler. And now Pariah meets Pariah with a terrible -tussle of tongue. Complainant swears that he was not paid; witness oathes -by the score that he was. The former strengthens his position by cursing -himself to Patal[161] if he has not been swindled by the “Buttrel” and -his Sahib out of two months’ wages. The head servant, not to be outdone, -devotes the persons of his Brahman, his wife, and his eldest son, to -a very terrible doom indeed, if he did not with his own hands advance -complainant three months’ pay,—and so on. At length the Commanding -officer, who has carefully and laboriously been taking down the evidence, -bids the affidavits cease, and reluctantly dismisses the complaint. - -And now for your turn, as you fondly imagine. You also have a charge to -make. You do so emphatically. You summon your witnesses, who are standing -outside. You prove your assertion triumphantly, conclusively. You inform -the Commanding officer, with determination, that you are resolved to do -your best to get the thief punished. - -The Commanding officer hears you out most patiently, urges you to -follow up the case, and remarks, that the prosecution of the affair -will be productive of great advantage to the European residents on -the Hills. You are puzzled transiently: the words involve an enigma, -and the sarcastic smile of the criminal smacks of a mystery. But your -mental darkness is soon cleared up; the Commanding officer hints -that you will find no difficulty in procuring a fortnight’s leave to -Coimbatore, the nearest Civil station, for the purpose of carrying out -your public-spirited resolution. As this would involve a land journey -of one hundred miles—in India equal to one thousand in Europe—with all -the annoyances of law-proceedings, and all the discomforts of a strange -station, your determination suddenly melts away, and gentle Pity takes -the place of stern Prosecution; you forget your injury, you forgive your -enemy. - -You must not, however, lay any blame upon the Commanding officer; his -hands are tied as well as yours. He is a justice of the peace, but his -authority is reduced to nothing in consequence of his being subject -to the civil power at Coimbatore. A more uncomfortable position for a -military man to be placed in you cannot conceive. - -This little bit of excitement concludes your list of public amusements. -And now, again, you ask What shall you do? You put the question, wishing -to heaven that Echo—Arabian or Hibernian—would but respond with her usual -wonted categoricality; but she, poor maid! has quite lost her voice, in -consequence of the hard-talking she has had of late years. So you must -even reply to and for yourself—no easy matter, we can assure you. - -Goethe, it is said, on the death of his son, took up a new study. You -have no precise ideas about Goethe or his proceedings, but your mind -spontaneously grows the principle that actuated the great German. You are -almost persuaded to become a student. You borrow some friend’s Akhlak -i Hindi,[162] rummage your trunks till you discover the remnant of a -Shakespeare’s Grammar, and purchase, at the first auction, a second-hand -copy of Forbes’s Dictionary. You then inquire for a Moonshee—a -language-master—and find that there is not a decent one in the place. -The local government, in the plenitude of its sagacity, has been pleased -to issue an order forbidding examination committees being held at the -Sanitarium; so good teachers will not remain at a station where their -services are but little required. Your ardour, however, is only damped, -not extinguished. You find some clerk in one of the offices who can -read Hindostani; you set to—you rub up your acquaintance with certain -old friends, called Parts of Speech—you master the Verb, and stand in -astonishment to see that you have read through a whole chapter of the -interesting ethical composition above alluded to. That pause has ruined -you. Like the stiff joints of a wearied pedestrian, who allows himself -rest at an inopportune time, your mind refuses to rise again to its task. -You find out that Ootacamund is no place for study; that the houses -are dark, the rooms cold, and the air so exciting that it is all but -impossible to sit down quietly for an hour. Finally, remembering that you -are here for health, you send back the Akhlak, restore Shakespeare to his -own trunk, and, after coquetting about the conversational part of the -language with your Moonshee for a week or two—dismiss him. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY. - - -Speaking seriously, the dearth of diversion or even occupation at -Ootacamund, considerably diminishes its value as a sanitary station. It -is generally remarked, that a man who in other places drinks a little -too freely, here seldom fails to bring on an attack of delirium tremens. -After the first excitement passes away, it is apt to be succeeded by a -sense of dreariness and ennui more debilitating to the system than even -the perpetual perspirations of the plains. - - * * * * * - -The chief occupations for a visitor outside of Ooty are -curiosity-hunting, field-sports, and excursionizing. - -Of late years, the Neilgherries have been so exposed to the pickaxes -of indefatigable archæologists, that their huge store of curiosities -has been almost exhausted. Little now remains but the fixtures. In -many parts almost every hill is crowned by single and double cairns, -enclosing open areas, which, when opened, were found to contain numerous -pottery[163] figures of men and animals. There are some remarkable -remains which remind us of the Cromlechs[164] and Kistvaens[165] of -Druidism; all, however, have been rifled of the funeral urns and the -other relics which they contained. Vases holding burnt bones and -charcoal, brass vessels, spear heads, clay images of female warriors on -horseback, stone pestles, pots and covers ornamented with human figures -and curious animals, have been taken from the barrows that abound in -different parts of the Neilgherries. The ruins of forts and pagodas, -traces of buildings and manual labour, may be discovered in the darkest -recesses of ancient forests. Long and deep fosses, the use of which -cannot be explained, and diminutive labyrinths still remain the monuments -of ancient civilization. At St. Catherine’s Falls, near Kotagherry, the -natives show marks in the rock which they attribute to a certain hill -Rajah who urged his horse over the precipice to escape the pursuit of -his foes. The land is rich in such traditions. There is a name for every -hill;[166] to every remarkable one is attached some cherished legend. -Here we are shown the favourite seats of the Rishi, or saintly race, -who, in hoary eld, honoured the green tops of the Blue Mountains with -their holy presence. There, we are told, abode the foul Rakhshasa (demon) -tribe, that loved to work man’s mortal woe; and there, dwarfish beings, -somewhat like our fairies, long since passed away, lived in the dancing -and singing style of existence usually attributed by barbarians to those -pretty creatures of their imaginations. - -The Toda family—the grand depository of Neilgherry tradition—has -supplied our curiosity-hunters with many a marvel. But, let the young -beginner beware how he trusts to their information. The fellows can -enjoy a hoax. Moreover, with the instinctive cunning of the wild man, -they are inveterate liars, concealing truth because they perceive that -their betters attach some importance to extracting it, and yet cannot -understand the reason why they should take the trouble to do so. For -instance—we heard of a gentleman who, when walking near one of the -villages, saw some roughly-rounded stones lying upon the ground, and -asked a Toda what their use might be. The savage replied extempore, -that the biggest piece was, according to his creed, the grandfather of -the gods; another was the grandmother, and so on to a great length. He -received a rupee for the intelligence given; and well he won it. The -stones were those used by the young men of the hamlet for “putting” in -their leisure hours—a slender foundation, indeed, to support so grand a -superstructure of traditional lore! - -Antiquarians are everywhere a simple race: in India, “con tutto rispetto -parlando,” we are almost tempted to describe them as simpletons. Who does -not recollect the Athenæum sauce-jar which some wag buried in the ruins -of a fort, said to have been founded by Alexander the Great at Sehwan -in Scinde, and the strange theories which the Etruscan images upon that -article elicited from grave and learned heads? - - * * * * * - -Game is still plentiful in the Neilgherries. The little woods about -Ootacamund abound in woodcock, leopard,[167] and ibex. Near Coonoor, elk -and wild hog are to be met with, and to the east of Kotagherry there is -excellent bison-shooting. Elephants occasionally ascend the Koondah hills -to escape the fiery heat of the luxuriant jungles below the mountains. -Tigers are rare in these parts, and no one takes the trouble to attack -them: the cold climate ruins them for sport by diminishing their ferocity -and the chance of one’s being clawed. The wolf is not an aboriginal of -the hills: he sometimes, however, favours us with a visit, in packs, -gaunt with hunger and sufficiently fierce, for the purpose of dining -on the dogs. The small black bear, or rather ant-eater of the plains, -affords tolerable sport; but this Alpine region does not produce the -large and powerful brown animal of the Pyrenees and Central Asia. - -The peculiarity of Neilgherry hunting is, that nothing can be done by -means of beaters only—the plan adopted in India generally. Cocks cannot -be flushed without spaniels, and foxhounds are necessary for tracking -large game. The canine species thrives prodigiously on the hills, and -seems to derive even more benefit from the climate than the human dogs. -The crack sportsman from the plains must here abandon his favourite -pig-sticking, or exchange it for what he always considered the illicit -practice of hog-shooting. _En revanche_, he has the elk, the bison, and -the ibex. - -The Neilgherry Sambur, or elk,[168] is the giant of the cervine -race—often fourteen hands high, with antlers upwards of three feet long, -spanning thirty-two or thirty-three inches between the extremities. -In spite of this beast’s size and unwieldiness—some of them weigh -seven hundred pounds—they are sufficiently speedy to distance any but -a good horse. They divide their time between the mountain-woods and -the lower jungles, resorting to the former for the sake of the water, -and descending to the latter to get at the “salt-licks,” in which they -abound. Elk are usually met with in pairs, or in greater numbers, and -when once sighted are easily shot. The neck and the hollow behind the -shoulder are the parts aimed at, for these animals are extraordinarily -tenacious of life, and will carry off a most unreasonable number of -balls, unless hit in a vital region. The flesh is coarse, but makes -excellent mulligatawny, the shin-bones afford good marrow, the hoofs are -convertible into jelly, the tongue is eatable, and the skin useful for -saddle-covers, gaiters, and hunting boots. The head, stuffed with straw -and provided with eyes, skilfully made out of the bottom of a black -bottle, is a favourite ornament for the verandah or the mantelpiece. -Samburs are easily tamed: several of them may be seen about Ootacamund, -grazing with halters round their necks, almost as tame as cows. There are -several ways of hunting elk. On the hills skirting the Pykarry river, -where there is little swamp or bog, attempts have been made to run and -spear them. Some sportsmen stalk them; but the usual mode is to post the -guns, and then to make the beast break cover. Dogs are preferred to -beaters for this purpose, as their giving tongue warns one when the game -is coming, and the animal will almost always fly from his fourfooted, -whereas it often succeeds in charging and breaking through the line of -biped foes. Samburs, when wounded and closely pursued, will sometimes -stand and defend themselves desperately with tooth and antler; the “game -thing” then is to “walk into them” with a hunting-knife. - -Bison-hunting upon the hills is a most exciting sport, requiring thews -and sinews, a cool head and a steady hand. A charge of one of these -animals is quite the reverse of a joke: Venator had better make sure of -his nerve before he goes forth to stand before such a rush. The bison is -a noble animal. We have seen heads[169] which a strong man was scarcely -able to lift, and horns that measured twenty inches in circumference. -They are usually shot with ounce or two ounce iron or brass balls, and -plugs made by the hill-people, who cut a bar of metal and file it down -to the size required with the rudest tools and remarkable neatness. The -Hindoos, however, do not patronise bison-hunting, as they consider the -beast a wild species of their sacred animal. - -The word “ibex,” like the “jungle sheep”[170] of the Neilgherries, is -a misnomer: the denominated being the Capra Caucasica, not the Capra -ibex of Cuvier. It is to these hills what the chamois is to the Alps, -and the izzard to the Pyrenees. If you are sportsman enough to like -difficulty and danger, incurred for nothing’s sake, you will think well -of ibex-hunting. In the first place you have to find your game, and to -find it also in some place where it can be approached when alive, and -secured when dead. The senses of these wild goats are extraordinarily -acute, and often, after many hours of toil, the disappointed pursuer is -informed by the peculiar whistling noise which they make when alarmed, -that, warned of his proximity—probably by the wind—they have moved off -to safer quarters. Secondly, you must hit them—hard, too; otherwise you -will never bring about a dead stop. And, lastly, as they are addicted to -scrambling down and rolling over tremendous precipices—especially after -they have felt lead—you must either lose the beast or risk your neck to -bag the body. Not for the pot. The flesh is never eaten, but the stuffed -head is preserved as a trophy of venatic prowess. - -The hill people, when not employed in spearing and netting game on their -own account, will generally act as lookers-out and beaters. We are apt, -however, to be too generous with our money: the effect of the liberality -proving it to be ill-advised. Often it will happen to you—especially -during your first month’s sporting—that some black scoundrel rushes up -in a frantic hurry to report game trove, in the hope that you will, upon -the spur of the moment, present him with a rupee. And suppose you do so, -what is the result? It is sad weather; the clouds rain cats and dogs—to -use an old phrase—the wind is raw as a south-easter off the Cape; the -ground one mass of slippery mud. Do you look out of the window, roll your -head, dismiss the “nigger,” return to your fire, the “Demented,” and your -cigar. No! emphatically no!! You rush into your room, pull on shoes and -gaiters, don your hunting-garb with astonishing rapidity, catch up your -guns, roar for the favourite servant that carries them, and start in the -middle of the howling storm. Your eagerness to “get a slap at a bison” -incites you to cruelty: you think nothing of dashing into the first -village, and compelling a troop of half-naked wretches to accompany you. -Now mark the consequence of giving away that rupee in a hurry. The head -beater leads you up and down the steepest, the most rugged, stony, and -slippery hills he can hit upon, with the benevolent view of preventing -your making a fool of yourself to any greater extent. But when your stout -English legs have completely “taken the shine” out of those baboon-like -shanks which support his body, then he conducts you to some Shola,[171] -places you and your servant upon the top of an elevated rock commanding -a thorough enjoyment of the weather, and an extensive view of the ravine -through which the beast is to break cover, and retires with his comrades -to the snug cavern, which he held all along in mental view. There he sits -before a cosy bit of fire, occasionally indulging you with a view-halloo, -proving how actively the gang is engaged in discovering the game. Half -an hour has passed; you are wet through, “_jusqu’aux os_,” and the chill -blasts feel as if they were cutting their way into your vitals: still -your ardour endures. Another twenty minutes—your fingers refuse to uphold -the cocked rifle. - -“We really must go if they can’t find this beast in another quarter of an -hour, Baloo!” - -“Han, Sahib!—yes, sir,”—quavers forth your unhappy domestic, in a frozen -treble—“if the Sahib were to—to go, just now—would it not be good? It is -very cold—and—perhaps—they have been telling the Sahib lies.” - -Baloo is right. The head beater appears, followed by his attendant train. -He swears that it is a case of “stole away.” - -You feel that there is something wrong about that bison, by the way in -which the man’s eye avoided you. But probably a sense of justice prevents -your having recourse to the baculine discipline which, on any other -occasion, we should have advised you to administer with no niggardly hand. - -Sounders of hog are commonly found at certain seasons about Coonoor -especially. They are often shot, and more often missed, as their gaunt -forms boring through the high grass afford a very uncertain mark. If -Diana favour you, you may have the luck to come upon that beautiful -variety of the leopard tribe, the black cheeta, and wreak upon him the -revenge which his brethren’s ravages amongst your “bobbery-pack”[172] -has roused in your bosom. If you are proud of your poultry yard you will -never allow a jungle cat to pass without rolling her over: the large -fierce beasts are so uncommonly fond of ducks and fowls. The jackals[173] -on the hills are even more daring and impudent than they are in the -plains. Hares are so numerous and voracious that they will destroy any -garden, flower or kitchen, unless it is defended by a dwarf-fencing of -split bamboos. Your careful Malee[174] takes, moreover, the precaution -of surrounding your cabbages with a deep ditch in order to keep out the -huge porcupines that abound here. _En passant_ we advise every one who -has not tasted a _rôti_ of one of those animals to do so _sine morâ_, -not, however, forgetting to roll up the flesh in a layer of mutton fat, -and thus to remedy its only defect—dryness. Martins, polecats, mongooses, -and the little grey gilahri[175] of Hindostan, flourish on the hills; -there is also a large dark brown squirrel, with a huge bushy tail, but -the flying species, so common on the western coast, is not an inhabitant -of the Neilgherries. The woods are tenanted by several kinds of monkeys, -black and red, large and small: the otter is occasionally met with in the -fords of the Pykarry river. - -There are two varieties of the wild dog, one a large nondescript, with -a canine head, the body of a wolf, and a brush instead of a tail: the -other is a smaller beast of similar appearance. They generally hunt -in large packs, and the skill with which they follow up the game is -admirable. When pressed by hunger they are very ferocious. It is at no -time a pleasant sight to see fifty or a hundred of their ill-omened faces -glaring at you and your horse as you ride by them: especially after -you have heard certain well-authenticated anecdotes of their cannibal -propensities. When such rencontre does occur, the best way is to put a -bold face upon the matter, ride up to them, and use your heavy horsewhip -as well as you can: if you endeavour to get away they will generally feel -inclined to follow you, and as for escaping from them on horseback, it is -morally impossible. - -Another animal—though not a wild one—of which we bid you beware, is the -Neilgherry buffalo, especially the fine fawn-coloured beasts, belonging -to the Todas. Occasionally, as you are passing along the base of some -remote hill, you will be unpleasantly surprised by a sudden and impetuous -charge of a whole herd. Unless you have a gun with you, you must ride for -it. And _how_ you must ride will probably surprise you. We well recollect -a kind of adventure which once occurred to ourselves, when quietly -excursionizing in the vicinity of Ooty. Excited by the appearance of our -nag’s red saddle-cloth, some twenty huge beasts resolved to dispute with -us the right of passage through one of the long smooth lawns, which run -down the centre of the woodlands. At first they looked up curiously, -then fiercely. Presently they advanced, snorting rabidly, in a rude -line, a huge black bull the leader of the movement. The walk soon broke -into a trot, the trot became a gallop, the intention of the gallop, was -clearly a charge, and the consequences of a charge might have been -serious. We found little difficulty in escaping the general rush of our -assailants, by means of a sharp touch with the spur: one by one they -tailed off, stood looking at our decreasing form in angry disgust, and -returned to their normal occupation. But Taurus, the ringleader, seemed -determined upon mischief. He pursued us with the dogged determination -of a lyme hound: he had speed as well as bottom. Whenever we attempted -to breathe the pony, the rapidity with which our friend gained ground -upon us, was a warning not to try that trick too long. Close upon our -quarters followed the big beast with his curved horns duly prepared: his -eyes flashing fire, and his grunting snorts indicative of extreme rage. -We could scarcely help laughing at the agility with which the monstrous -body, on its four little legs, bowled away over the level turf, or at the -same time wishing that our holsters contained the means of chastising his -impudence. - -How long the recreation might have lasted, or how it might have ended -had not a long mud wall got between Taurus and ourselves, we cannot say. -He followed us for at least a mile, and seemed by no means tired of the -occupation. We were beginning to anticipate the pleasure of entering -Ootacamund at the top of our nag’s speed, with a huge buffalo at his -heels, and though we might have enjoyed seeing a friend in such novel -predicament, the thing lost all its charms, when we ourselves expected to -afford such spectacle to our friends. - -We should strongly advise all public spirited individuals immediately -after suffering from such a nuisance to find out the herdsman, and -persuade him by a judicious application of the cravache, to teach his -cattle better manners. He will be much more careful the next time he sees -a stranger ride by. - -Among the feathered tribes, the woodcock, probably on account of its -comparative rarity, is the favourite sport. Three or four brace are -considered an excellent bag, even with the assistance of good dogs, and -a thorough knowledge of their covers. Cock shooting lasts from November -to March. Partridges are rare, not being natives of the hills. Snipe, and -solitary snipe, abound in the swamps. Quails of both species, red and -grey,—the former especially—are found in the warmer localities, and when -properly tamed and trained, they are as game birds as those of the low -country. Our list concludes with peacocks, jungle[176] and spur fowl. - -After perusing our brief sketch of Neilgherry sport, you will easily -understand that to some ardent minds it offers irresistible attractions. -Officers have been known to quit the service, or to invalid solely -with the view of devoting themselves wholly to the _pleasures_ of the -chase. They separate themselves from their kind, inhabit the jungles -for weeks together, and never enter a station except for the purpose -of laying in a fresh store of powder and shot, calomel and quinine. -Attended by a servant or two, they wander about, rifle in hand, shooting -their meals—some curried bird—sleeping away the rabid hours of noontide -heat under some thick brake, and starting with renewed vigour as soon -as the slanting rays of the sun diffuse a little activity throughout -the animal creation. Sometimes breakfast is rudely interrupted by an -angry old tusker, who, in spite of his race’s proverbial purblindness, -detects the presence of an enemy, and rushes on trumpeting to do a -deed of violence. A “striped skin” will occasionally invite himself to -partake of the dinner, and when not treated with all possible ceremony -walks off with a raw joint in the shape of some unhappy black. There -is little to be gained by such a life. Government gives, it is true, a -reward of 7_l._[177] for every slaughtered elephant, and tiger-skins, -as well as ivory, find a ready sale: but no one can become a Crœsus by -the favour of Diana. Not much, however, do our adventurous sportsmen -think of lucre: they go on shooting through existence, only pausing at -times when the bites of the tree-leeches,[178] scorpions, centipedes, -and musquitoes, or a low fever, which they have vainly endeavoured to -master by means of quinine administered in doses sufficient to turn an -average head, imperiously compel them to lay up, till assailed by a Foe -against whom the dose and the rifle are equally unefficacious. Many are -almost blinded by the terrible glare and damp heat of the jungles: the -fetid swamps breed brain fevers as well as snipe, bisons have horns, and -cheetahs claws: so that such career, though bright enough in its own way, -is generally speaking at least as brief as it is brilliant. - - * * * * * - -Before the monsoon sets in, we will “get through,” as our Irish cousin -expressed himself at the Vatican, “the sight-seeing” in the neighbourhood -of Ooty. - -Maleemund, or, as others write it, Meyni, a favourite spot for pic-nics, -is a Toda village lying about three miles north of the grand station: it -affords you a pleasant ride through pretty woodlands, and a very inferior -view. Beyond it is Billicul, a little Berger settlement surrounded by -cultivation: here a resident on the hills has built a bungalow, and the -locality is often visited for the pleasure of contemplating the reeking -flats of Mysore. Striking across country into the Seegoor Pass, you may, -if you have any curiosity, inspect the Kulhutty Falls, certain cataracts -upon a very diminutive scale indeed. You must see the Pykarry river, a -deep and irregular stream flowing down a winding bed full of rocks, -rapids, and sand-banks: it supplies your curries with a shrunken specimen -of the finny tribe—alas! how different from certain fishes which you -may connect in memory with certain mountain streams in the old country. -The surrounding hills are celebrated for containing abundance of game. -An indefatigable excursionist would ride seven miles further on the -Goodalore road for the sake of the _coups-d’œil_, and to be able to say -that he has seen Neddiwuttun. All the pleasure he derives from this extra -stage along a vile path, is a sense of intense satisfaction that he is -not compelled to pass a night in the damp, dreary, moss-clad bungalow, -where unhappy travellers must at times perforce abide. Three miles from -Ooty, in the direction of the Koondah hills, you pass Fair Lawn, the -bit of turf which Terpsichore loves. Finally, after a long and dreary -stretch over a tiresome series of little eminences, after fording the -Porthy river, and crossing its sister stream, the Avalanche, by an unsafe -bridge, you arrive at the Wooden House,[179] whence sportsmen issue to -disturb the innocent enjoyments of elk and ibex, bison and elephant. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES. - - -There are five different races now settled upon the Blue Mountains:— - - 1. _Bergers_, the mass of the population; supposed to be about - ten thousand. - - 2. _Erulars_, } The wild men dwelling on the woody sides of - 3. _Cooroombars_, } the hills; about two thousand. - - 4. _Kothurs_, } The old inhabitants and owners of the land; - 5. _Todas_, } about three thousand. - -The Bergers, Vaddacars,[180] or, as the Todas call them, the Marves, -are an uninteresting race of Shudra Hindoos, that immigrated from the -plains in the days of Hyder or Tippoo. They attempt to invest their -expatriation with the dignity of antiquity by asserting that upwards of -four centuries ago they fled to the hills from the persecutions of Moslem -tyrants. This caste affects the Lingait or Shaivya[181] form of Hinduism, -contains a variety of sub-families, speaks a debased dialect of modern -Canarese, and still retains, in the fine climate of the Neilgherries, the -dark skin, the degraded expression of countenance, and the puny figure, -that characterise the low caste native of Southern India. They consider -the wild men of the hills as magicians, and have subjected themselves to -the Todas, in a social as well as a religious point of view, by paying -a tax for permission to occupy their lands. They have been initiated -in some of the mysterious practices of the mountaineers, and have -succeeded in infecting the minds of their instructors with all the rigid -exclusiveness and silly secrecy of their own faith. It redounds, however, -to their credit that they have not imitated the debauched and immoral -habits which their lords have learned by intercourse with strangers. -There is nothing remarkable in their dress, their manners, or their -habitations; they employ themselves in cultivating the soil and acting -as porters, beater labourers, and gardeners. - -The Erulars[182] and Cooroombars[183] are utter savages, very much -resembling the Rankaris of Maharatta Land and the Bheels of Candeish. -Their language, a kind of Malayalim, proves that they were originally -inhabitants of the plains, but nothing more is known about them. They -dwell in caves, clefts in the rocks, and miserable huts, built upon the -slopes of the mountains, and they support themselves by cultivation and -selling wax and honey. In appearance they are diminutive, dark men, -distinguishable from the highest order of Quadrumana by the absence of -pile upon their bodies, and a knack of walking on their hind legs. Their -dress is limited to about a palm’s breadth of coarse cotton cloth, and -their only weapon a little knife, which hangs from a bit of string to -the side. They are rarely seen. When riding about the wild parts of the -hills you occasionally meet one of these savages, who starts and stands -for a moment, staring at you through his bush of matted hair, in wonder, -or rather awe, and then plunges headlong into the nearest thicket. Man -is the only enemy the poor wretches have reason to fear. By the Todas, -as well as the Bergers, they are looked upon as vicious magicians, who -have power of life and death over men and beasts, of causing disease, -and conjuring tigers from the woods to assist them; they are propitiated -by being cruelly beaten and murdered, whenever a suitable opportunity -presents itself. The way in which this people will glide through the -wildest woods, haunted by all manner of ferocious foes, proves how fine -and acute the human senses are capable of becoming when sharpened by -necessity and habit. - -In investigating the origin of the Kothurs, Cohatars,[184] or Cuvs, -the usual obstacles,—a comparatively unknown language, and the want -of a written character,—oppose the efforts of inquirers. The palpable -affinity, however, between the Toda and Kothur dialects, proves that -both the races were originally connected, and the great change[185] that -has taken place in the languages, shows that this connection was by no -means recently dissolved. Why or how the separation took place, even -tradition[186] does not inform us; but the degraded customs, as well as -the appearance, dress, and ornaments of the Kothurs point most probably -to a loss of caste, in consequence of some unlawful and polluting action. - -The Kothurs show great outward respect to the Todas, and the latter -return the compliment more substantially by allowing their dependants -a part of the tax which they receive from the Bergers. They are an -industrious and hard-working race; at once cultivators and musicians, -carpenters and potters, bricklayers, and artizans in metal as well as in -wood. Their villages composed of little huts, built with rough wattling, -are almost as uncleanly as their persons. Every considerable settlement -contains two places of worship, for the men do not pray with the women; -in some hamlets they have set up curiously carved stones, which they -consider sacred, and attribute to them the power of curing diseases, if -the member affected be only rubbed against the talisman. They will devour -any carrion, even when in a semi-putrid state; the men are fond of opium, -and intoxicating drinks; they do not, however, imitate the Todas in -their illicit way of gaining money wherewith to purchase their favourite -luxuries. - -As the Toda[187] race is, in every way, the most remarkable of the -Neilgherry inhabitants, so it has been its fate to be the most remarked. -Abundant observation has been showered down upon it; from observation -sprang theories, theories grew into systems. The earliest observer -remarking the Roman noses, fine eyes, and stalwart frames of the savages, -drew their origin from Italy,—not a bad beginning! Another gentleman -argued from their high Arab features, that they are probably immigrants -from the Shat el Arab,[188] but it is apparent that he used the subject -only to inform the world of the length and breadth of his wanderings. -Captain Harkness discovered that they were aborigines. Captain Congreve -determined to prove that the Todas are the remnants of the Celto-Scythian -race, which _selon lui_, inhabited the plains, and were driven up to the -hills before the invading Hindoo; he even spelt the word “Thautawars,” to -sound more Scythic. He has treated the subject with remarkable acuteness, -and displayed much curious antiquarian lore; by systematically magnifying -every mote of resemblance,[189] and, by pertinaciously neglecting or -despising each beam of dissimilitude,[190] together with a little of -the freedom in assertion allowed to system-spinners, he has succeeded -in erecting a noble edifice, which lacks nothing but a foundation. -The metaphysical German traced in the irreverent traditions[191] of -the barbarians concerning the Deity, a metaphorical allusion to the -creature’s rebellion against his Creator; the enthusiastic Freemason -warped their savage mystifications into a semblance of his pet mysteries. -And the grammar-composing Anglo-Indian discovered unknown niceties in -their language, by desiring any two Todas to do a particular thing, then -by asking them how they expressed such action, and, lastly, by recording -the random answer as a dual form of the verb. - -When every one theorises so will we. The Todas are merely a remnant -of the old Tamulian tribes originally inhabiting the plains, and -subsequently driven up to the mountains by some event,[192] respecting -which history is silent. Our opinion is built upon the rock of language. - -It has been proved[193] that the Toda tongue is an old and obsolete -dialect of the Tamul, containing many vocables directly derived from -Sanscrit,[194] but corrupted into - - Words so debased and hard, no stone - Is hard enough to touch them on. - -Thus, for a single instance, the mellifluous Arkas-a-pakshi—the winged -animal of the firmament,—becomes Ha_kh_’sh-pa_kh_’sh, a bird. In grammar -it is essentially Indian, as the cases of the noun and pronoun, and the -tenses of the verb demonstrate; the days of the week, and the numerals, -are all of native, not foreign growth. The pronunciation is essentially -un-Indian,[195] true; but with grammar and vocabulary on our side, we can -afford to set aside, even if we could not explain away, the objection. -A great change of articulation would naturally result from a long -residence upon elevated tracts of land; the habit of conversing in the -open air, and of calling aloud to those standing at a distance, would -induce the speaker to make his sounds as rough and rugged as possible. -This we believe to be the cause of the Bedouin-like gutturalism, which -distinguishes the Toda dialect. We may observe that the Kothurs, who -work in tents, have exchanged their original guttural for a nasal -articulation; and the Bergers, who originally spoke pure Canarese, have -materially altered their pronunciation during the last century. - -The main objection to our theory is the utter dissimilarity of the -Toda, in all respects, physical as well as moral, to the races that -now inhabit the plains. This argument would be a strong one, could the -objector prove that such difference existed in the remote times, when -our supposed separation took place. It is, we may remind him, the direct -tendency of Hinduism to degenerate, not to improve, in consequence of -early nuptials, the number of outcastes, perpetual intermarriage, and -other customs peculiar to it. The superiority of the Toda, in form and -features, to the inhabitants of the lowlands may also partially be owing -to the improvement in bodily strength, stature, and general appearance -that would be effected by a lengthened sojourn in the pure climate of the -Blue Mountains. - -The Todas, as we have said before, assert a right to the soil of the -Neilgherries, and exact a kind of tax[196] from the Bergers. Their -lordly position was most probably the originator of their polyandry and -infanticide:[197] disdaining agriculture, it is their object to limit the -number of the tribe. According to their own accounts, they were, before -the date of the Berger immigration, living in a very wild state, wearing -the leaves of trees, and devouring the flesh of the elk, when they could -get it, and the wild fruits of the hills; this they exchanged for a milk -diet; they are now acquiring a taste for rice, sweetmeats, and buffalo -meat. - -The appearance of this extraordinary race is peculiarly striking to the -eye accustomed to the smooth delicate limbs of India. The colour is a -light chocolate, like that of a Beeloch mountaineer. The features are -often extraordinarily regular and handsome; the figure is muscular, -straight, manly, and well-knit, without any of that fineness of hand and -wrist, foot and ankle, which now distinguishes the Hindoo family, and the -stature is remarkably tall. They wear the beard long, and allow their -bushy, curly locks to lie clustering over the forehead—a custom which -communicates to the countenance a wild and fierce expression, which by -no means belongs to it. The women may be described as very fine large -animals; we never saw a pretty one amongst them. Both sexes anoint the -hair and skin with butter, probably as a protection against the external -air; a blanket wound loosely round their body being their only garment. -Ablution is religiously avoided. - -There is nothing that is not peculiar in the manners and customs[198] of -the Todas. Ladies are not allowed to become mothers in the huts: they are -taken to the nearest wood, and a few bushes are heaped up around them, as -a protection against rain and wind. Female children are either drowned in -milk, or placed at the entrance of the cattle-pen to be trampled to death -by the buffaloes. The few preserved to perpetuate the breed, are married -to all the brothers of a family; besides their three or four husbands, -they are allowed the privilege of a cicisbeo. The religion of the Toda -is still _sub judice_, the general opinion being that they are imperfect -Monotheists, who respect, but do not adore, the sun and fire that warm -them, the rocks and hills over which they roam, and the trees and spots -which they connect with their various superstitions. When a Toda dies, a -number of buffaloes are collected, and barbarously beaten to death with -huge pointed clubs, by the young men of the tribe. The custom, it is -said, arose from the importunate demands of a Toda ghost; most probably, -from the usual savage idea that the animal which is useful in this world -will be equally so in the next. - -The Toda spends life in grazing his cattle, snoring in his cottage, -and churning butter. The villages belonging to this people consist of, -generally speaking, three huts, made with rough planking and thatch; a -fourth, surrounded by a low wall, stands a little apart from, and forms -a right angle with the others. This is the celebrated Lactarium, or -dairy, a most uninteresting structure, but ennobled and dignified by -the variety of assertions that have been made about it, and the mystery -with which the savages have been taught to invest it. Some suppose it to -be a species of temple, where the Deity is worshipped in the shape of -a black stone, and a black stone, we all know, tells a very long tale, -when interpreted by even a second-rate antiquary. Others declare that it -is a masonic lodge,[199] the strong ground for such opinion being, that -females are never allowed to enter it, and that sundry mystic symbols, -such as circles, squares, and others of the same kind, are roughly -cut into the side wall where the monolith stands. We entered several -of these huts when in a half-ruinous state, but were not fortunate or -imaginative enough to find either stone or symbols. The former might have -been removed, the latter could not; so we must believe that many of our -wonder-loving compatriots have been deceived by the artistic attempts -made by some tasteful savage, to decorate his dairy in an unusual style -of splendour. Near each village is a kraal, or cattle-pen, a low line -of rough stones, as often oval as circular, and as often polygonal as -oval. The different settlements are inhabited, deserted, and reinhabited, -according as the neighbouring lands afford scant or plentiful pasturage. - - * * * * * - -Ye who would realise the vision of the wise, respecting savage happiness -and nomadic innocence—a sweet hallucination, which hitherto you have -considered the wildest dream that ever issued from the Ivory Gate—go, -find it in the remote corners of Toda land, the fertile, the salubrious. -See Hylobius, that burly barbarian—robust in frame, blessed with the -best of health, and gifted with a mind that knows but one idea—how to be -happy—sunning himself, whilst his buffaloes graze upon the hill side, -or wandering listlessly through the mazy forest, or enjoying his rude -meal of milk and rice, or affording himself the lazy luxury of squatting -away the rainy hours round his primitive hearth. What care has he for -to-day: what thought of to-morrow? He has food in abundance: his and his -brothers’ common spouse and dubious children, make up, strange yet true, -a united family; he is conscious of his own superiority, he claims and -enjoys the respect of all around him. The use of arms he knows not: his -convenient superstition tends only to increase his comforts here below, -and finally, when Hylobius departs this transitory life, whatever others -may think of his prospects, he steps fearlessly into the spirit-world, -persuaded that he and his buffaloes are about to find a better climate, -brighter scenes, and broader grass lands—in a word, to enjoy the fullest -felicity. Contrast with this same Toda in his rude log hut amidst the -giant trees, the European _pater-familias_, in his luxurious, artificial, -unhappy civilized home! - -But has not your picture of savage felicity its reverse? - -Yes, especially when uncivilized comes into contact with semi-civilized -or civilized life. Our poor barbarians led the life of hunted beasts, -when Tippoo Sultan, incensed with them for being magicians and anxious -to secure their brass bracelets, which he supposed were gold, sent -his myrmidons into their peaceful hills. They are now in even a worse -state.[200] The “noble unsophisticated Todas,” as they were once called, -have been morally ruined by collision with Europeans and their dissolute -attendants. They have lost their honesty: truth is become almost unknown -to them; chastity, sobriety, and temperance, fell flat before the strong -temptations of rupees, foreign luxuries, and ardent spirits. Covetousness -is now the mountaineer’s ruling passion: the Toda is an inveterate, -indefatigable beggar, whose cry, Eenam Kuroo, “give me a present!” no -matter what,—money, brandy, cigars, or snuff—will follow you for miles -over hill and dale: as a pickpocket, he displays considerable ingenuity; -and no Moses or Levi was ever a more confirmed, determined, grasping, -usurer. His wife and daughters have become vile as the very refuse of the -bazaar. And what can he show in return for the loss of his innocence and -happiness? True, he is no longer pursued by Tippoo, or the neighbouring -Polygars: but he is persecuted by growing wants, and a covetousness which -knows no bounds. He will not derive any benefit from education, nor -will he give ear to a stranger’s creed. From the slow but sure effects -of strange diseases, the race is rapidly deteriorating[201]—few of the -giant figures that abound in the remote hills, are to be found near our -cantonments—and it is more than probable that, like other wild tribes, -which the progress of civilization has swept away from the face of the -earth, the Toda will, ere long, cease to have “a local habitation and a -name” among the people of the East. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -KOTAGHERRY.—ADIEU TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. - - -What a detestable place this Ootacamund is during the rains! - -From morning to night, and from night to morning, gigantic piles of -heavy wet clouds, which look as if the aerial sprites were amusing -themselves by heaping misty black Pelions upon thundering purple Ossas, -rise up slowly from the direction of the much-vexed Koondahs; each, as it -impinges against the west flank of the giant Dodatetta, drenching us with -one of those outpourings that resemble nothing but a vast aggregation -of the biggest and highest Douche baths. In the interim, a gentle -drizzle, now deepening into a shower, now driven into sleet, descends -with vexatious perseverance. When there is no drizzle there is a Scotch -mist: when the mist clears away, it is succeeded by a London fog. The -sun, “shorn of his rays,” spitefully diffuses throughout the atmosphere -a muggy warmth, the very reverse of genial. Conceive the effects of such -weather upon the land in general, and the mind of man in particular! The -surface of the mountains, for the most part, is a rich and reddish mould, -easily and yet permanently affected by the least possible quantity of -water. Thus the country becomes impassable, the cantonment dirty, every -place wretched, every one miserable. - -All the visitors have returned to the plains, all the invalids that can -afford themselves the luxury, have escaped to Coonoor or Kotagherry. You -feel that if you remain at Ootacamund—the affectionate “Ooty” somehow or -other now sticks in your throat—you must be contented to sit between the -horns of a fierce dilemma. If you stay at home you lose all the pleasure -of life: if you do not, still you lose all the pleasure of life. In the -former case your eyes[202] will suffer, your digestion become impaired, -your imagination fall into a hypochondriacal state, and thus you expose -yourself to that earthly pandemonium, the Anglo-Indian sick bed. But -should you, on the contrary, quit the house, what is the result? The -roads and paths not being covered with gravel, are as slippery as a -_mât de cocagne_ at a French fair; at every one hundred yards your nag -kneels down, or diverts himself by reclining upon his side, with your -leg between him and the mud. If you walk you are equally miserable. When -you cannot find a companion you sigh for one; when you can, you probably -discover that he is haunted by a legion of blue devils even more furious -than those that have assailed you. - -It is impossible! Let us make up a party—a bachelor party—and hire a -bungalow for a month or two at Kotagherry. We do not belong to the tribe -of “delicate invalids,” nor are our “complaints liable to be aggravated -by internal congestions;” therefore we will go there as visitors, not -valetudinarians. - - * * * * * - -Kotagherry, or more correctly, Kothurgherry,[203] stands about six -thousand six hundred feet above the level of the sea, on the top of -the Sreemoorga Pass, upon a range of hills which may be called the -commencement of the Neilgherries. The station contains twelve houses, -most of them occupied by the proprietors: at this season of the year -lodgings cannot always be found. - -The air of Kotagherry is moister than that of Ootacamund, and the nights -and mornings are not so cool. We see it to great advantage during the -prevalence of the south-west monsoon. The atmosphere feels soft and -balmy, teeming with a pleasant warmth, which reminds you of a Neapolitan -spring, or an autumn at amene Sorrento. The roads are clean, the country -is comparatively dry, and the people look comfortable. For the first few -days you enjoy yourself much: now watching the heavy rain-clouds that -veil the summit of Dodabetta, and thinking with pleasure of what is going -on behind the mountain: now sitting in the cool verandah, with spy-glass -directed towards Coimbatore, and thanking your good star that you are not -one of the little body of unhappy perspirers, its inhabitants. - -But is not man born with a love of change—an Englishman to be -discontented—an Anglo-Indian to grumble? After a week spent at -Kotagherry, you find out that it has literally nothing but climate to -recommend it. The bazaar is small and bad, provisions of all kinds, -except beef and mutton, must come from Ootacamund. Rich, you complain -that you cannot spend your money; poor, you declaim against the ruinous -rate of house-rent and living. You observe that, excepting about half a -mile of level road, there is no table-land whatever in the place, and -that the hill-paths are cruelly precipitous. The houses are built at -considerable distances from one another—a circumstance which you testily -remark, is anything but conducive to general sociability. You have -neglected to call upon old Mrs. A⸺, who supplies the station with milk -and butter from her own dairy, consequently that milk and butter are cut -off, and therefore the Kotagherryites conclude and pronounce that you are -a very bad young man. Finally, you are _sans_ books, _sans_ club, _sans_ -balls, _sans_ everything,—except the will and the way, of getting away -from Kotagherry, which you do without delay. - -The determined economist, nothing daunted by the miseries of solitude and -fleas, finds Dimhutty[204] afford him ample opportunities for exercising -his craft. The little cluster of huts, from which the place derives its -name, lies in a deep hollow about a mile north of Kotagherry; it is -sheltered from the cold southerly winds by a steep hill, and consequently -the climate is at least three degrees warmer than that of its neighbour. -Originally it was a small station, consisting of five or six thatched -cottages belonging to a missionary society: they were afterwards bought -by Mr. Lushington, then Governor of Madras. That gentleman also built -a large substantial house, with an upper floor, and spared no expense -to make it comfortable, as the rafters which once belonged to Tippoo -Sultan’s palace testify. When he left the hills, he generously placed all -these tenements at the disposal of government, for the use of “persons -who really stand in need of lodging on their first arrival.” The climate -of Dimhutty has been pronounced highly beneficial to hepatic patients, -and those who suffer from mercurial rheumatism. Dr. Baikie, a great -authority, recommends it for the purpose of a “Subordinate Sanitarium -for European soldiers.” The unhappy cottages, however, after having been -made the subject of many a lengthy Rule and Regulation, have at last been -suffered to sink into artistic masses of broken wall and torn thatch, -and the large bungalow now belongs to some Parsee firm established at -Ootacamund. - -Three miles beyond and below Dimhutty stretches a long wide ravine, -called the Orange Valley, from the wild trees which formerly flourished -there. The climate is a mixture between the cold of the hills and the -heat of the plains: and the staple produce of the place appears to be -white ants. - -St. Katherine’s Falls, the market village of Jackanary, Kodanad or the -Seven Mile Tope,[205] and beyond it the sacred Neilgherry Hill are the -only spots near Kotagherry, with whose nomenclature Fame is at all -acquainted. But as one and all of them are equally uninteresting, we are -disposed to be merciful and to waive description. - - * * * * * - -The present appears as good as any other time and place for a few remarks -upon the climate of the Neilgherries, and a list of the travellers whose -footsteps and pens preceded ours. - -The mean annual temperature of Ootacamund is 58° 68´, about 30° lower -than that of the low country on the Coimbatore and Mysore sides. -The average fall of water is forty-five inches in the year; there -are nineteen days of heavy rain; of showers with fair intervals, -eighty-seven; cloudy, twenty-one; and two hundred and thirty-eight -perfectly fair and bright.[206] Frost generally appears about the -beginning of November, and ends with February; in the higher ranges of -the hills ice an inch and a-half thick is commonly seen. - -The first and most obvious effect of the Neilgherry climate on invalids -is to repel the blood from the surface, and to throw it on the internal -organs, by constricting the vessels of the skin and decidedly checking -perspiration and transpiration. The liver, viscera, head and lungs are -affected by this unequal distribution of the circulation, the effect -being increased in the case of the respiratory organs by the rarefaction -of the mountain air. The digestive powers seldom keep pace with the -increase of appetite which generally manifests itself, and unless the -laws of diet are obeyed to the very letter, dyspepsia, colic, and other -more obstinate complaints, will be the retributive punishment for the -infraction. Strangers frequently suffer from sleeplessness, cold feet, -and violent headaches. - -When no actual organic disease exists, and when the constitutional -powers are not permanently debilitated, Nature soon restores the balance -by means of slight reaction. Invalids are strongly advised on first -arrival to be particularly cautious about their hours, their diet, their -clothing, and their exercise. They should avoid exposure to the night -air, and never, indeed, be out after sunset: the reduction of temperature -which follows the disappearance of the sun must be felt to be understood, -and no one residing here for the sake of health would expose himself to -the risk of catching an obstinate cold by quitting a crowded room to -return home through the nocturnal chills. Medical men advise the very -delicate to wait till the sun has driven away the cold and moisture of -the dawn before they venture out, and to return from their morning walks -or drives in time to avoid the effects of the direct rays, which are -most powerful about 9 A.M. But in regulating hours regard must of course -be had to previous modes of life, and the obstinate early riser of the -plains should gradually, not suddenly, alter his Indian for English -habits. The diet of valetudinarians on the first ascent ought in a great -degree to be regulated by circumstances depending on the nature of each -individual’s complaint. In general, they are told to prefer light animal -and farinaceous food, eschewing pastry, vegetables, and cheese, and to -diminish the quantity of such stimulants as wine, spirits, and beer, -till the constitution has become acclimatized. In all cases, of whatever -description they may be, warm clothing is a _sine quâ non_: every -valetudinarian should, as he values his life, be provided with a stock -of good flannels, worsted socks, stout shoes, and thick, solid boots. -Exercise is another essential part of regimen at the Sanitarium. Riding -is considered more wholesome than walking, especially on first arrival, -as less liable to accelerate the circulation, to produce a feeling of -constriction in the chest, and to expose the body to chills. The quantum -of exercise should be increased by slow degrees, and when convalescence -has fairly set in, the invalid is advised to pass as much of his time in -the open air, during daylight, as his strength will permit him to do. - -To conclude the subject of climate. It cannot be too strongly impressed -upon the minds of our fellow-countrymen in Southern and Western India, -that in cases of actual organic disease, or when the debility of the -constitution is very great, serious and permanent mischief is to be -dreaded from the climate of these mountains. Many an officer has lost -his life by preferring the half measure of a medical certificate to -the Neilgherries to a home furlough on sick leave. The true use of the -Sanitarium is to recruit a constitution that has been weakened to some -extent by a long residence in the plains, or to afford a change of -air and scene when the mind, as frequently happens in morbific India, -requires some stimulus to restore its normal vigour. - - * * * * * - -The Rev. Mr. Hough was, as we said before, the first pen that called -the serious attention of the Anglo-Indian community to the value of the -Neilgherry Hills. His letters to the Hurkaru newspaper were published -in a collected form in 1829. Five years afterwards Captain Mignan, of -the Bombay army, sent forth a little volume, entitled “Notes extracted -from a Private Journal written during a Tour through a part of Malabar -and among the Neilgherries.” The style appears to be slightly tinged -with bile, as if the perusal of Mr. Hough’s flowery descriptions of the -mountain scenery had formed splendid anticipations which were by no -means realised. The _brochure_ is now quite out of date: the bazaar, -rates, roads, postage, rent, and number of houses—all are changed, -only remain the wretched state of the police therein chronicled, and -the “fatal facility” of finding bad servants. In the same year (1834) -Dr. Baikie’s well known book,[207] entitled “Observations on the -Neilgherries, including an Account of their Topography, Climate, Soil, -and Productions,” issued from the Calcutta press. The original edition -consisted, we believe, of only five hundred copies, and we cannot but -wonder that the book has not yet enjoyed the honour of a reprint. Lieut. -H. Jervis, of H. M. 62nd regiment, published by subscription, also in -1834, and dedicated to Mr. Lushington, the governor, a “Narrative of -a Journey to the Falls of Cavery, with an Historical and Descriptive -Account of the Neilgherry Hills.”[208] The book contains a curious -letter from Mr. Bannister, who states that, after a careful analysis -of the Neilgherry water, he was surprised to find no trace whatever of -saline, earthy, or metallic substance in it. - -In 1844-5, Captain H. Congreve, an officer in the Madras Artillery, -wrote in the “Madras Spectator,” the Letters upon the subject of the -Hills and their inhabitants, to which we alluded in our last chapter. -His pages are, in our humble opinion, disfigured by a richness of theory -which palls upon the practical palate, but the amount of observation and -curious lore which they contain makes us regret that the talented author -has left his labours to lie _perdus_ in the columns of a newspaper. Also, -in 1844, a valuable Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of -the Neilgherry Hills, with notices of the geology, botany, climate and -population, tables of diseases amongst officers, ladies, children, native -convicts, etc., and maps of the country compiled from the records of the -Medical Board Office, were published, by order of Government, at Madras. - -In 1847, when we left the Hills, a Mr. Lowry, who had charge of the -Ootacamund English Free School, was preparing to print a “Guide to, and -Handbook of, the Neilgherries, containing brief and succinct accounts of -the same, with statements of the accommodations there to be found, rents -of houses, expense of living, and other particulars useful to visitors -and residents.” We were favoured with a sight of the MS., and found that -it did what it professed to do—no small feat for a Handbook, by the bye. - -There is a great variety of papers and reports upon particular topics -connected with the Neilgherries, published in the different literary -journals and transactions of learned societies. The principal works -which elucidate minor details, are those of the Rev. Mr. Schmidt, upon -the Botany of the Hills, and the language of its inhabitants; the -“Description[209] of a singular aboriginal race, inhabiting the summit -of the Neilgherries, or the Blue Mountains of Coimbatore,” by Captain -Henry Harkness, of the Madras Army; and Notices upon the Ornithology of -this interesting region, by T. C. Jerdon, Esq., of the Madras medical -establishment. - - * * * * * - -And now for our valediction. - -We found little difficulty in persuading the officer to whose care and -skill the charge of our precious health was committed, to report that we -were fit for duty long before the expiration of the term of leave granted -at Bombay; so we prepared at once for a return-trip per steamer—it would -require _æs triplex_ indeed about the cardiac region to dare the dangers -and endure the discomforts of a coasting voyage, in a sailing vessel, -northwards, in the month of September—“over the water to Charley,” as the -hero of Scinde was familiarly designated by those serving under him. - -We started our luggage yesterday on bullock and coolie back. The morning -is muggy, damp, and showery: as we put our foot in stirrup, a huge wet -cloud obscures the light of day, and hastens to oblige us with a farewell -deluging. Irritated by the pertinacious viciousness of Pluvian Jove, we -ride slowly along the slippery road which bounds the east confines of -the lake, and strike off to the right hand, just in time to meet, face -to face, the drift of rain which sails on the wings of the wind along -the skirt of that—Dodabetta. Gradually we lose sight of the bazaar, the -church, the Windermere, the mass of bungalows. Turning round upon the -saddle, we cast one last scowl upon Ootacamund, not, however, without a -grim smile of joy at the prospect of escaping from it. - -Adieu ...! Farewell ... land of ...! May every ...! May ...! And when -..., so may ... as thou hast ... ourselves! - -To the industry of an imaginative reader we leave the doubtlessly -agreeable task of filling up the hiatus in whatever manner the perusal of -our modest pages may suggest to his acuteness and discernment. As some -clue to the mazy wanderings of our own ideas, we may mention that we -were, during the solemn moment of valediction, exposed to such weather as -has rarely been the fate of man with the exception of Deucalion and other -diluvian celebrities, to experience in this stormy world. - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] “Ducks” are the Bombayites in general: “Dingies” is the name -popularly given to the smaller specimens of native craft. The Dun and the -Drab are probably familiar to the reader’s ears. - -[2] Bombahia, the Portuguese P. N. of the town: it was probably suggested -by “Momba-devi,” as the place was called by the Hindoos after the patron -goddess of the spot. - -[3] The Nabob is the European, the Nawwáb the Asiatic, grandee. - -[4] Note for readers geographically disposed. - -This region, the Ariake of the Greeks, Kemkem of the Arabs, Kukan of the -Hindoos, Concan of the present possessors, and, as Vincent says, “the -pirate coast of all,” is well adapted for its ancient occupation by a -multitude of small ports, uninterrupted view along the coast, high ground -favourable to distant vision, and the alternate land and sea breezes -that oblige vessels to hug the shore. Moreover, the ports, besides being -shallow, are defended against large ships by bars; a defect from which -even Goa is not exempt, although Tavernier calls it “one of the finest -harbours in the world, rivalling those of Toulon and Constantinople.” The -pirates were protected by the strength of the inland country, and, like -the Greeks, had only to lie secure in port until they discovered their -prey. During the Monsoon they cultivated the ground, or lived peaceably -at home: when the fine weather set in, they launched their boats, and set -out in quest of adventure. Pliny notices the depredations they committed -on the Roman East India trade, and our early travellers are full of -horrible tales about them. - -It is curious to observe that the whole line of coast between the mouth -of the Euphrates and Cape Comorin, has been infamous for the piratical -propensities of the many and various tribes that inhabit it. The Persian -Gulf still requires the presence of our armed cruisers; the ancient -annals of Scinde enlarge upon its celebrity for robbery; the Coolies -of Kutch and Guzerat were known as pirates from Marco Polo’s time till -A.D. 1800; the Angria territory was a nest of thieves till we destroyed -their fleet; and Tavernier testifies that the natives of Malabar were not -inferior in enterprise to their northern brethren. - -[5] They lie in lat. 15° 52´ 30´´, about thirty-five miles from Goa, and -seven off the shore, from which they are separated by a deep channel. -The group consists of more than twenty small rocks, amongst which are -six or seven about as large as the Sirens Isles in the Gulf of Salerno. -The Greeks called them Σησεκρειεναι, which Mr. Hamilton understands -to signify “black rabbits;” and Vincent supposes them to have been so -termed, because in form they may be fancied to resemble those animals -crouching. - -[6] Porters and labourers. - -[7] The Portuguese tongue. - -[8] Their other great clerical establishment being the Seminary at -Rachol, a town which, when the Portuguese first came to India, was the -capital of the province of Salsette. In Tavernier’s time the Jesuits had -no less than five religious houses at Goa. - -[9] He raised the standard of revolt against the Indian government -spiritedly but unsuccessfully. - -[10] “All thieves at Parga.” - -[11] The name given to that breed of ponies on account of their -extraordinary viciousness. - -[12] At that time, however, this horrible instrument of religious tyranny -seems to have lost much of its original activity. When the dungeons were -thrown open there was not a single prisoner within the walls, and Mons. -de Kleguen asserts that no one then living remembered having seen an Auto -da Fé. - -[13] About the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch sent ships round -the Cape, and soon managed to secure the best part of the Eastern trade, -formerly monopolized by the Portuguese. - -[14] The Grand Inquisitor. - -[15] The Holy Office had power over all but the Viceroy and Archbishop, -and they did not dare openly to interpose in behalf of any prisoner, -under pain of being reported to the Inquisitor and his Council in -Portugal, and being recalled. Even the Papal threats were disregarded by -that dread tribunal. - -[16] No description of the building and its accommodations is given. -Captain Marryat’s graphic account of it in the “Phantom Ship,” must be -fresh in the memory of all readers. The novelist seems to have borrowed -his account from the pages of Dellon. - -[17] An Arab chieftain sent a civil request to the governor, desiring -liberty to buy provisions. The answer was a bit of pork wrapped up in -paper, and a message, that such was the only food likely to be furnished. -The chieftain’s wife, who was a Sayyideh, a woman of the Prophet’s -tribe, and a lady of proper spirit, felt the insult so keenly, that she -persuaded her husband and his tribe to attack Muscat and massacre all its -defenders. This event took place in 1650. - -[18] He calls it the “Aljouvar.” It is probably a corrupted Arabic word -الجبر Al-jabr, “the prison.” - -[19] The Straight Street, so called because almost all the streets of Goa -were laid out in curvilinear form. - -[20] St. Catherine was appointed patron saint of Goa, because the city -was taken by the Portuguese on her day. - -[21] Calling upon the name of the Almighty. - -[22] A particular class of Hindoo devotee and beggar. - -[23] Yellow is the colour usually chosen by the Hindoo when about to “do -some desperate deed.” - -[24] A “forester,” and generally a regular sylvan or savage man. - -[25] This is said particularly of the Eastern Christian, whose terror of -the tomb is most remarkable. - -[26] For a detailed list and description of the buildings, we must refer -readers to the work of Monsieur de Kleguen, alluded to in the third -chapter. - -[27] The large flowered jessamine. - -[28] The _Datura stramonium_, a powerful narcotic. - -[29] The European Portuguese can fight bravely enough, as many a bloody -field in the Peninsular war has testified. Their Indian descendants, -however, have never distinguished themselves for that quality. - -[30] Formerly, only the Reinols, as the Portuguese who came directly from -Europe were called, could be viceroys, governors of Ceylon, archbishops, -or grand inquisitors of Goa. Tavernier tells us that all the adventurers -who passed the Cape of Good Hope forthwith became fidalgos, or gentlemen, -and consequently assumed the title of Don. - -[31] As that “greatest hero of Portuguese Asia” governed for the short -space of six years a country of which he and all around him were utterly -ignorant, his fatal measure must have been suggested entirely by theory. - -[32] If our rulers only knew what the natives of Central Asia generally -think of a “clean shaved” face, the growth of the mustachio would soon be -the subject of a general order. We doubt much if any shaven race could -possibly hold Affghanistan. In Western Arabia the Turks were more hated -for shaving the beard than for all their flogging and impaling. - -[33] Compared with those of British India. Probably there are not three -fortunes of 500_l._ per annum amongst the half million of souls that own -the rule of the successor of the viceroys. A large family can live most -comfortably upon one-fifth of that sum. - -[34] Red and white wine: the latter is the favourite. - -[35] The Hindostanee name for the cannudo. - -[36] Goez, who travelled in India about 1650, says that he was surprised -to see the image of a black saint on the altars, and to hear that a black -native was not thought worthy to be a “religious” in this life, though -liable to be canonized when he departs it. - -[37] Bernier, the traveller, in 1655 remarks, that “Bengala is the place -for good comfits, especially in those places where the Portuguese are, -who are dexterous in making them, and drive a great trade with them.” In -this one point their descendants have not degenerated. - -[38] Many tribes, however, are found among them. Some have African -features. - -[39] Without the cholee or bodice worn by Hindoo and Moslem women in -India. - -[40] Leavened bread is much better made here than in any other part of -Western India; moreover, it is eaten by all those who can afford it. - -[41] Anciently, neither Moslem nor Jew could, under pain of death, -publicly perform the rites of his religion in any Indo-Portuguese -settlement. - -[42] At the same time we were not allowed to pass the threshold of the -little pagoda to the southward of the town. - -[43] Tavernier says of them, “the natives of the country called Canarins -are not permitted to bear any office but only in reference to the law, -_i.e._, as solicitors, advocates, and scriveners. If a Canarin happened -to strike a European, his hand was amputated.” - -[44] A carpenter, one of the lowest castes amongst Hindoos. - -[45] The Hindoo goddess of plenty and prosperity. - -[46] Opposite to the Desha, the pure dialect of Maharatta. They are about -as different as English spoken in the south of England and Lowland Scotch. - -[47] A celebrated Arabic author on the interpretation of dreams. - -[48] Magical formula and works on “Gramarye,” generally in the Sanscrit, -sometimes in the Pracrit, tongue. - -[49] As, however, the Maharatta is the mother tongue of the Goanese, -it communicates its peculiar twang to every other language they speak. -The difference of their Portuguese from the pure Lusitanian, is at once -perceptible to a practised ear. - -[50] And yet as late as 1840, the Government of Goa was obliged to issue -an order confiscating the property of all priests who should submit to -the Vicar-apostolic appointed by the Pope. - -[51] Francklin, who visited Goa in 1786, says that the army was about -five thousand men, two regiments of which were Europeans. Even in his day -the Home Government was obliged to send large sums of money annually to -defray the expenses of their Indian possessions. - -[52] A colonel receiving about 15_l._, an ensign, 3_l._ _per mensem_. - -[53] The translator of Ibn Batuta’s Travels. - -[54] Ferdinand, the second Duke of Tuscany, was the munificent patron of -the father of Western Orientalism. - -[55] When Vasco de Gama returned to India, part of his freight was “eight -Franciscan friars, eight chaplains, and one chaplain major, who were -instructed to begin by preaching, and, if that failed, to proceed to the -decision of the sword.” - -[56] The curious reader will find the subject of Jesuitical conversion in -India most ably treated in Sir J. E. Tennent’s late work on “Christianity -in Ceylon.” - -[57] A common term of insult. - -[58] The mountains distinctly visible from the sea off Calicut, in clear -weather, are the Koondah range of the Neilgherries, or Blue Hills. - -[59] “Noble and wealthy city.” - -[60] The later is A.D. 907. - -[61] In 1788, Tippoo was induced by ill-timed zeal or mistaken policy -to order the circumcision and conversion of the Malabar Hindoos, and -compelled the Brahmans to eat beef, as an example to the other inferior -castes. A general insurrection of the oppressed was the natural -consequence of the oppressive measure. - -Tradition asserts that there was a forcible but partial circumcision of -the natives of Malabar by the people of Arabia long before Hyder’s time. -So the grievance was by no means a new one. - -[62] Who, it may be observed, are the navigators and traders _par -excellence_ of the Eastern world. The Jews and Phœnicians generally -confined themselves to the Mediterranean and the parts about the Red Sea. -The Turks were an inland nation; the Hindoos have ever been averse to any -but coasting voyages, and the religion of Zoroaster forbade its followers -to cross the seas. But the Arab is still what he was—the _facile -princeps_ of Oriental sailors. - -As a proof of how strong the followers of Mohammed mustered on the -Malabar coast, we may quote Barthema, who asserts, that when the -Portuguese landed at Calicut, they found not less than fifteen thousand -of them settled there. Camoens also tells us how the friendly and -disinterested plans of his hero were obstructed and thwarted by the power -and influence of these infidel Moors. - -[63] Between September 1846 and May 1847, no less than eighty ships, -besides an immense number of pattimars and native craft touched at -Calicut. - -[64] Arab and other valuable horses cannot stand the climate,—a Pegu pony -is the general _monture_. The sheep intended for consumption are brought -down from Mysore. - -[65] Subterraneous streams are still as common in India as they were in -heathen Greece and Italy. - -[66] The dynastical name of the Samiry. - -[67] Captain Hamilton mentions his ship striking in six fathoms at -the mainmast on some of the ruins of “_the sunken town built by the -Portuguese in former times_.” But he hesitates to determine whether the -place was “swallowed up by an earthquake, as some affirm, or undermined -by the sea.” - -[68] A further account of Cherooman will be found in the twelfth chapter. -Ferishteh, the celebrated Moslem annalist, informs us that the Rajah -became a Mussulman in consequence of the pious exhortations of some Arab -sailors who were driven into the port of Craganore. Captain Hamilton -remarks that, “when the Portuguese first came to India, the Samorin of -Calicut, who was lord paramount of Malabar, turned Moslem in his dotage, -and to show his zeal, went to Mecca on a pilgrimage, and died on the -voyage.” The tradition handed down amongst the Moslems is, that the -Malabar Rajah became a convert to Islam in consequence of seeing the -Shakk el-Kamar, or miraculous splitting of the moon by Mohammed, and -that, warned by a dream, he passed over to Arabia. - -[69] See Chapter XII. - -[70] _Surya_, the Hindoo Phœbus. - -[71] _Go-karna_, the “Cow’s-ear,” a celebrated place of pilgrimage in the -Canara district. - -[72] _Cherun_ or _Chairun_ was one of the three kingdoms contained in -South India; the other two were Sholum (Tanjore) and Pundium (Madura). - -[73] We know not which to admire or to pity the more: this wonderful old -traveller’s accuracy and truthfulness, or the hard fate which gave him -the nickname of Messer Marco Milioni. Tardy justice, however, has been -done to his memory, and a learned Italian Orientalist, M. Romagnosi, -now asserts, that from his adventurous wanderings “scaturirono tutte le -speculazioni e teorie che condussero finalmente alla scoperta del Nuovo -Mondo.” - -[74] Paolino observes, that the term Malabar ought _not_ to be deduced -from the Arabic _mala_, a mountain, and _bahr_, a coast. And Paolino -is right; neither of those vocables are Arabic at all. The word is of -Sanscrit origin, derived from _malya_ (मल्य a mountain generally, but -particularly the ranges called by us the Western Ghauts), and _var_ -(वार, a multitude). The Persian word بار (_bar_), used in compounds, as -Zang-bar, the region of blacks, or Zanguebar, is palpably a corruption -of the said _var_. Thus the original Sanscrit term _malaya-desha_, the -mountain land, became in Persian and Arabic _Malbar_, or _Malibar_, and -hence our Malabar. A late editor of Marco Polo’s travels might have been -more cautious than to assert that “the very term is Arabic.” - -[75] Anciently described to be pepper, ivory, timber, and pearls. The -three former articles are still produced in great abundance. - -We may here notice that Vincent translates ξυλα σαγαλινα, “sandalwood,” -and supposes the word to have been originally written σανδαλινα. He is -wrong: the _tectona grandis_, or teak, called throughout Western India -_sag_ (σαγ), or _sagwan_, is alluded to. So also φαλαγγες σησαμηναι is -rendered “ebony in large sticks,” and in a note we are informed that it -is a corrupt reading, that wood of some sort is meant, but that _sesamum_ -is a herb. The σησαμ of the Greeks is manifestly the Indian _sisam_, or -black tree. - -[76] It is variously and incorrectly written Dely, Delly, D’illi, -and Dilla. The mountain derives its present name from a celebrated -Moslem fakir, Mahommed of Delhi, who died there, and is invoked by the -sea-faring people of the coast. Its Hindoo appellation is _Yeymullay_. No -stress therefore should be laid upon the resemblance between Mount Delhi -and the _Ela_ Barake of the Periplus. The identity of the two places -rests, however, on good local evidence. - -[77] Varying from eighty to one hundred and thirty-five inches per annum. - -[78] Unhappily the banyan has been selected, a tree which, though -sufficiently shady when its root-like branches are allowed to reach the -ground, is comparatively valueless as a protection against the sun, when -planted by a roadside. Also, it is easily overthrown by high winds, for, -after a time, the long and tenacious roots that uphold it rot off, and -the thin branches of young shoots that cling round the parent stem have -not the power to support its weight. A third disadvantage in the banyan -is, that in many places the boughs grow low, and a horseman’s head is in -perpetual danger. - -[79] The usual ferry-boat is a platform of planks lashed to two canoes, -and generally railed round. We know not a more disagreeable predicament -than half an hour’s trip upon one of these vessels, with a couple of -biting and kicking nags on board. - -[80] The botanical name of this tree is derived from the Malayalim -_adeka_, a betel nut. The English “jackfruit” is the Portuguese “jacka,” -a corruption of the native name _chukka_. - -[81] Of the Malayalim æra. It is called Kolum, from a village of that -name, and dates its beginning in A.D. 824, the time when a rich Nair -merchant adorned the place with a splendid palace and tank. Previous to -its establishment, the natives used a cycle of twelve years, each called -after some zodiacal sign. The months were also denoted by the same terms, -so that the name of the year and the month were periodically identical. - -[82] Equal to Cos. Rs. 250, about 25_l._ - -[83] See Chapter XII. - -[84] Tumbooran, in Malayalim, means a lord or prince. If a minor he is -termed Tumban. - -[85] Most of the matter contained in this chapter has been taken from -old and valuable papers preserved in the Nuzoor Cutcherry at Calicut. By -the kindness of the collector we were permitted to inspect and make any -extracts from them we pleased. - -[86] The reader must bear in mind that in Malabar, as in all other native -states, contributions carefully proportioned to the circumstances of the -parties so mulcted, were called for on every occasion of emergency. - -[87] In three vols. Printed at the _Courier_ press, Bombay. - -[88] Tradition obscurely alludes to a Rajah called Kerulam (probably from -his kingdom), who reigned sixty-three years after Parasu Rama. - -[89] In Sanscrit the word means a continent, country, or region: it is -used hereabouts in a limited sense, generally signifying a village. - -[90] The Hindoo law lays down five per cent. as the amount to be levied -from the plaintiff, ten from the defendant if cast in a suit, otherwise -he is exempt from any tax. Some of the Rajahs were by no means content -with such a moderate perquisite; the ruler of Cochin, for instance, never -took less than double the sum above specified. - -[91] Sometimes called Prumani and Mookoodee, “principal inhabitants.” - -[92] “Ruler of the land of Cherun.” See Chapter XI. - -[93] The current æra of the Hindoos. - -[94] See Chapter X. - -[95] In the present talook of Temelpooram. - -[96] Captain Hamilton—no great authority by the bye in such -matters—relates that the Samiry divided his territories between his four -nephews, and says that the partition led to long and bloody wars between -the brothers. He probably confounded a Moslem with the Hindoo tradition. - -[97] Tumbooratee, in Malayalim, a lady or princess; if a minor she is -termed Tumbatee. - -[98] The above four are the only recognised palaces. - -[99] Some of the present chieftains of Malabar style themselves -Kshatriyas, but by far the greater number derive their pedigree from the -intercourse of Brahmans with the royal ladies, who principally belong to -the Nair caste of Hindoos. - -[100] This gives upwards of two hundred souls per mile, estimating the -extent of Malabar at about six thousand square miles. - -[101] It ordained, for instance, that corpses shall be burned within -private premises, instead of being carried out for that purpose into the -woods, &c. - -[102] There is an abridged form of this salutation, which consists of -joining the hands and then parting them, at the same time bending the -fingers at the second joint. - -[103] This word generally follows the name of the individual, and seems -to be the titular appellation of the class. It is probably derived from -the Sanscrit Nayaka (a chief), like the Teloogoo Naidoo, the Canarese and -Tamul Naikum, and the Hindoo Naik. - -[104] Captain Hamilton makes the number of fighting men throughout the -province, of course including all castes, amount to one million two -hundred and sixty-two thousand. - -[105] Opposed to muka-tayum, the succession of sons. - -[106] The head of the house. - -[107] The masculine singular of this word is Tian (fem. Tiatti), in the -plural Tiyar. - -[108] The Moplahs, as strangers, and the merchants, tradespeople, and -professional men who had no fixed places of residence, did not engage in -this feudal relationship. - -[109] See Chapter XI. - -[110] The word Udian, in Malayalim and Tamul, literally signifies a -slave. Here it is used in its limited signification of vassal or client, -as opposed to the Tumbooran or patron. The word, however, would be -considered degrading to a Nair, and is therefore never applied to him. - -[111] “Sons of the soil,” from cher, earth, and mukkul, children. In the -masculine singular the word is chermun (fem. chermee), plural, chermur. - -[112] The price of a slave varied from 3_l._ to 8_l._ - -[113] In the Calicut district, half the children belonged to the mother, -or rather to her proprietor, and the other half to the father’s master; -the odd number was the property of the former. When both parents belonged -to one owner, he of course claimed all the offspring. - -[114] Generally speaking, the slaves in the maritime districts were in -better condition, and far superior in bodily and mental development to -their brethren in the interior. - -[115] There are three different derivations of this word. Some deduce it -from the pure Hindostani and corrupted Sanscrit word ma (a mother), and -the Tamul pilla (a son), “sons of their mothers,” the male progenitor -being unknown. Others suppose it to be a compound of mukkul (a daughter) -and pilla (a son), “a daughter’s son,” also an allusion to their origin. -The third is a rather fanciful derivation from Mokhai-pilla “sons of, or -emigrants from, Mocha,” in Arabia. - -[116] This description applies exclusively to the higher orders; the -labouring classes are dark and ill-favoured. - -[117] The genuine Arab, especially in Yemen and Tehamah, is, generally -speaking, a Kusaj, or scant-bearded man; and his envy when regarding -the flowing honours of a Persian chin, is only equalled by the lasting -regret with which he laments his own deficiency in that semi-religious -appurtenance to the human face. - -[118] The practice of the Prophet, whom every good Moslem is bound to -imitate, even in the most trivial and every-day occasions. - -[119] The _Æschynomene paludosa_, a wood of porous texture, which swells -when water is poured upon it. Lead is sometimes used to distend the flap -of the ear by its weight. - -[120] A name, by no means complimentary, applied to all who are not -Moslems. - -[121] The descendants of the Wild Man have at all times been celebrated -for obstinate individual valour, and enduring an amount of “punishment” -which seems quite incredible. - -[122] Manned in those days by Hindoos. Marco Polo tells us that the -people of Malabar are idolaters, and subject to no foreigner. - -[123] Who retorted by hanging them upon the spot, or throwing them -overboard. This style of warfare was productive of great barbarities. -There is a pile of stone rising above the sea, about seven leagues -north-west of Calicut, called the Sacrifice Rock, from the slaughter -of the crew of a Portuguese vessel which was captured by the Cottica -cruisers shortly after the settlement of the Christians in India. - -[124] The sum usually paid was from eight to ten shillings, a portion of -which went to the Rajah, part to the women who had lost their husbands in -these predatory encounters, and the remainder was “prize-money.” - -[125] Few would be disposed to consider the salt-duty a practical proof -of the enlightened nature of our rule in the East, and there is no one, -we believe, except a “crack collector,” who would not rejoice to see it -done away with, or at least much reduced. - -[126] The rajah was expected to grant lands to the families of those who -heroically bound themselves by solemn vow to fight till death against the -enemy. If the self-devoted escaped destruction, he became an outcaste, -and was compelled to leave the country. - -[127] This is the universal belief and practice of the more bigoted parts -of the Moslem world, and so deep-rooted is the feeling, that it acquires -a degree of power and influence truly formidable, and difficult to deal -with. - -[128] The natives of India generally belong to the Hanafi: the Arabs are -the principal followers of the Shafei sect. Both are Sunnis, or orthodox -Moslems, and there is little difference between them, except in such -trifling points as the eating or rejecting fish without scales, &c. - -[129] Except that a Moslem father may always allot a portion of property -during his lifetime to his children. - -[130] Usually they prefer the occupation of carrying the palanquin to any -other bodily labour. - -[131] Intermarriage, however, is not permitted. - -[132] The races above described are those settled in the country. The -fluctuating portion of the community is composed of the Europeans, the -soldiery and camp followers, Arabs and foreign Mussulmans, Banyans from -Guzerat, a few Parsees, and some boat loads of the half-starved wretches -that leave the Maldives and Laccadives in search of employment during the -cold season. - -[133] The Koondah road is about seventy, that _viâ_ Poonanee, one hundred -and sixty miles in length. - -[134] The pages of the Madras directories and road-books give ample -accounts of all the chief routes in the presidency. - -[135] Judging from the name, a stranger would suppose that the place -was called after some neighbouring Ghaut, or pass, in the hills. The -uncorrupted native appellation, however, is Palakad, from Kadu, a jungle, -and Pala, a tree used in dyeing. - -[136] For a detailed description of the sieges and captures of Paulghaut, -we beg to refer to a work entitled, “Historical Record of the H. E. I. -Company’s First European Regiment; Madras. By a Staff Officer.” - -[137] Anciently an excellent forest. The trees were felled, hewn into -rough planks, and floated down the Poonanee river at very little expense. -This valuable article has, however, been sadly mismanaged by us in more -ways than one. All the timber growing near the streams has been cleared -away, and as the local government will not lay out a few lacs of rupees -in cutting roads through the forests, its expense has been raised almost -beyond its value. Considerable losses in the dockyards have been incurred -in consequence of the old erroneous belief that “teak is the only wood in -India which the white ants will not touch.” The timber should be stacked -for at least eight years, three of which would enable it to dry, and the -remaining five to become properly seasoned. - -[138] The common country carts, called garees in other parts of India. -Here they are covered with matting, for the same reason that compels the -people to thatch their heads. - -[139] In Malabar the horse is perhaps as great an object of horror as the -rider, the natives are so little accustomed to see such quadrupeds. - -[140] The pet name for the Madras Presidency. - -[141] It is curious to see the different way in which the kotwals, -peons, and other such official characters behave towards the Bombay and -the Madras traveller. The latter escapes their importunity, whereas the -former, by keeping up his presidency’s bad practice of feeing government -servants, teaches them incivility to all who either refuse or neglect to -pay this kind of “black mail.” - -[142] Etymologists write the word “Hullicul,” deriving it from cul, a -rock, and hulli, a tiger, as formerly a stone figure of one of those -animals that had been slain by a chief single-handed, stood thereabouts. -There are several forts in other parts of the hills similar to Oolacul -Droog: some suppose them to have been built by Hyder Ali, others assign -an earlier date to them. - -[143] See Chapter XIX. for a further account of the work. - -[144] The “blue hill:” it lies near the Danaynkeucottah Pass, one of the -first ascended by Europeans. The visitors would naturally ask the natives -what name they gave to the spot, and when answered Nilagiri, would -apply the word to the whole range. The sacred mount is still a place of -pilgrimage, although its pagoda has long been in ruins. - -[145] The Eastern Ghauts begin south of the Cavery river, and extend -almost in a straight line to the banks of the Krishna. The western range -commences near Cape Comorin, and after running along the western coast as -far north as Surat, diverges towards the north-east, and is lost in the -valley of the Tapti. - -[146] The Pykarry becomes the Moyar river, and under that name flows -round the north and north-west base of the hills; it falls into the -Bhawany, which bounds the south and east slopes, and acts as the common -drain of every little brook and torrent in the Neilgherries. - -[147] Its extent is about twenty miles from east to west, and seven from -north to south. - -[148] The Seegoor Ghaut, which was almost impassable in Captain Harkness -and Dr. Baikie’s time, is now one of the easiest and best ascents. - -[149] See Chapter XVIII. - -[150] Dodabetta, or the “Great Mountain,” called by the Todas, Pet-, -or Het-marz. The summit is eight thousand seven hundred and sixty -feet above the level of the sea, and forms the apex of the Neilgherry -range. The vicinity of the giant has its advantages and disadvantages. -It is certainly a beautiful place for pic-nics, and the view from the -observatory on the top is grand and extensive. But as a counterpoise, the -lofty peak attracting and detaining every cloud that rolls up from the -coast during the rainy season, makes one wish most fervently that the -Great Mountain were anywhere but in its present position. - -[151] Ootacamund, Wootaycamund, or Wotay. “Mund” means a village in the -language of the hill people. Ootac is a corruption of the Toda vocable -Hootkh, a word unpronounceable to the Indians of the plain. The original -hamlet still nestles against the towering side of Dodabetta, but its -pristine inhabitants, the Todas, have given it up to another race, and -migrated to the wood which lies behind the public gardens. - -[152] It was established at Ootacamund under a warrant of constitution -from the Provincial Grand Lodge on the coast of Coromandel. - -[153] The Bombayites had, moreover, their own medical attendant, with a -hospital and the usual number of subalterns attached to it. There are -now but three surgeons on the hills, attending on one hundred and four -invalids, who are scattered over many miles of country. - -[154] The measure was advocated by Mr. Sullivan as early as 1828, but -financial, not common-sensical or medical, considerations have long -delayed its being carried into execution. - -[155] The principal schools now (1847) to be found at Ootacamund are four -in number, viz.:— - -1. The Ooty free school, established for the purpose of giving education -gratis to the children of the poor: it is supported by voluntary -contributions, and superintended by the chaplain of the station. The -number of scholars on the rolls is generally about thirty. - -2. Fern Hill, the Rev. Mr. Rigg’s boarding-school for young gentlemen. -It contains twenty-six pupils, varying in age from five to fifteen. Of -these, fourteen are the sons of officers in the service, and the rest are -youths of respectable families. Terms for boarders, 4_l._ _per mensem_, -the usual charges on the Neilgherries. - -3. An establishment for young ladies, conducted by Miss Hale and Miss -Millard. - -4. Ditto for young ladies and young gentlemen under ten years of age, -conducted by Mrs. James and Miss Ottley. - -Besides those above mentioned, several ladies receive a limited number of -pupils. - -The schools for natives at Ootacamund are— - - 1. The Hindostani school } Conducted by the Rev. Bernard Schmidt, D.D. - 2. The Tamul school } - -There are many other similar establishments for native children in -different parts of the hills. - -So that the pedagogue has not neglected to visit this remote corner of -his wide domains. - -[156] The Union and the Victoria. For bed and board the prices usually -charged are— - -For a lady or gentleman, 22_l._ _per mens._ - -Ditto for any broken period in a month, 16_s._ _per diem_. - -For children under ten years of age and European servants, 2_s._ _per -diem_. - -Native ayah or nurse, 1_s._ _per diem_. - -The expense of housekeeping is not great at Ootacamund. A single man may -manage to live for 20_l._ _per mensem_, comfortably for 30_l._ It is -common for two or more bachelors to take a house together, and the plan -suits the nature of the place well. - -Only be careful who your monsoon “chum” is! - -[157] The most stringent measures have been found necessary to prevent -gentlemen from committing suicide by means of elephant shooting in the -pestilential jungles below the hills. Besides, there is some little duty -to be done by the Madrassees on the Neilgherries: a convalescent list is -daily forwarded to the Commanding officer, reporting those who are equal -to such labours as committees and courts of inquest. - -[158] Large fans, suspended from the ceiling. - -[159] As the Madrassees are familiarly called. The cunning in language -derive the term from mulligatawny soup, the quantity of which imbibed in -South India strikes the stranger with a painful sense of novelty. - -[160] See Chapter XIX. - -[161] The region of eternal punishment. - -[162] “The ethics of India;” the Cornelius Nepos of Hindostani. - -[163] No inscriptions have as yet been discovered. The only coin we have -heard of was a Roman aureus, whereas in the cairns that stud the plains, -medals, of the Lower Empire especially, are commonly met with. - -[164] Consecrated stones. - -[165] The kistvaens, or closed cromlechs of the Neilgherries, are tumuli -about five feet high. The internal chamber is composed of four walls, -each consisting of an entire stone seven feet long and five broad, -floored and roofed with similar slabs. In the monolithe, constituting the -eastern wall, is a circular aperture large enough to admit the body of a -child. - -[166] The colonists have followed the example of the aborigines. Little, -however, can be said in favour of our nomenclature. There is a Snowdon, -without snow; a Saddle-back Hill, whose _dorsum_ resembles anything as -much as a saddle; an Avalanche Hill, without avalanches, and so on. - -[167] Dr. Baikie (in 1834) mentions that one of these animals had held -possession of a thick wood close to the cantonment for some years. The -same spot is still tenanted, it is said, by a cheeta, but whether it be -the original occupant, his ghost, or one of his descendants, men know not. - -[168] Not Buffon’s elk. It is the _Cervus Aristotelis_, or black rusa of -Cuvier; the “Shambara” of classical India; the Gavazn of Persia; and the -Gav i Gavazn of Affghanistan and Central Asia. - -[169] Upon this part Nature has provided the animal with a bony mass, -impenetrable to anything lighter than a grapeshot, occupying the whole -space between the horns, and useful, we should suppose, in forcing a way -through dense and thorny jungle. - -[170] This “jungle sheep” is the _Cervus porcinus_, the hog-deer or -barking-deer of Upper India, which abounds in every shikargah of -delectable Scinde. In Sanscrit it is called the Preushat (“sprinkling,” -in allusion to its spotted hide); in Hindostani, Parha; and in Persian, -the Kotah-pacheh, or “short hoof.” - -[171] A shola is a thick mass of low wood, which may be measured by yards -or miles, clothing the sides, the bottoms, and the ravines of the hills -and mountains. - -[172] _I.e._ ten or twenty dogs and curs, young and old, of high and low -degree, terriers, pointers, spaniels, setters, pariahs, and mongrels, -headed by a staunch old hound or two. - -[173] There is a large kind of solitary jackal whose cry is never -answered by the other animals of the same species: the sound somewhat -resembles the hyæna’s laugh, and has been mistaken for it by many. - -[174] Gardener. - -[175] A species of squirrel. - -[176] We have heard much about the difficulty of taming these birds. Some -go so far as to assert that they pine away and die when deprived of their -liberty. The Affghans seem to find nothing hard in the operation, as they -use the birds for fighting. They show excellent pluck, and never fail to -fight till death, although steel and silver are things unknown. - -[177] Seven pounds for a full grown, 5_l._ for a young animal. When the -reward is claimed the tusks must be given up. Tuskers, however, are not -often met with in these days. - -[178] Every swamp on and about the hills is full of small leeches,—the -lake also abounds in them,—which assail your legs, and swarming up the -trees, drop down your shirt collar to your extreme annoyance. They are -quite useless for medical purposes, as the bite is highly inflammatory. - -[179] The Maroo Bungla, or log-house, as the natives call the Avalanche -bungalow. - -[180] The first name is a corruption of the second, which is derived from -Vadacu, “the north,” these people having migrated from that direction. - -[181] The worship of the terrible and destructive incarnation of the -Deity. - -[182] Signifying the “unenlightened or barbarous,” from the Tamul word -Erul, darkness. - -[183] “Cooroombar,” or “Curumbar,” literally means “wilful, or -self-willed.” Sometimes the word mulu, a “thorn,” is prefixed to the -genuine name by way of epithet, alluding to the nature of the race. - -[184] So Captain Harkness writes the word, remarking, that “as this tribe -kill and eat a great deal of beef, it was no doubt intended by their -Hindu neighbours that they should be called ‘Gohatars,’ from go, a cow, -and hata, slaying.” “Cuv,” in the Toda dialect, means a “mechanic.” - -[185] Many of the words have been corrupted, and the pronunciation has -become nasal, not guttural, like that of the Todas. The Kothurs can, -however, express themselves imperfectly in Canarese. - -[186] All that we can gather from their songs and tales is, that -anciently they were the zemindars, or landed proprietors of the hills. - -[187] Todawars, Tudas, or Toders. Captain Harkness derives the word from -the Tamul, Torawar, a herdsman, and this is probably the true name of the -race. - -[188] The north-west parts of the Persian Gulf. - -[189] _E. g._ The peaks of the Todas are venerated by the Todas, as they -were by the Celto-Scythians. The single stone in the sacred lactarium of -the former, was the most conspicuous instrument of superstition in the -Druidical or Scythic religion. Captain Congreve asserts that the Toda -faith is Scythicism, _because_ they sacrifice female children, bulls, -calves, and buffaloes, as the Scythians did horses; that they adore the -sun (what old barbarians did not?), revere fire, respect certain trees -and bunches of leaves, worship the Deity in groves of the profoundest -gloom, and have some knowledge of a future state. He proves that the -hills are covered with vestiges of Scythicism, as cairns, barrows, and -monolithic altars, and believes them to have belonged to the early Todas, -inasmuch as “the religion of the Todas is Scythicism, and these are -monuments of Scythicism.” He concludes the exposition of his theory with -the following recapitulation of his reasons for considering the Todas of -Scythian descent:—1. Identity of religion (not proved). 2. Physiological -position of the Todas in the great family race (we are not told how it -resembles that of the Scythians). 3. The pastoral mode of life among the -Todas. 4. The food of the Todas, which consisted originally of milk and -butter (we “doubt the fact”). 5. Their architecture, religious, military, -and domestic, the yards of the Toda houses, their temples, their sacred -enclosures, their kraals for cattle, are circular, as were those of the -Celts, and, indeed, of most ancient people whose divinity was Sun, Light, -Fire, Apollo, Mithra, &c. 6. Their marriage customs and funeral rites are -nearly identical (an assertion). 7. Their ornaments and dress closely -approximate (ditto). 8. Their customs are generally similar (ditto). 9. -The authority of Sir W. Jones that the ancient Scythians did people a -mountainous district of India (_quasi_ irrelevant). 10. History mentions -that India has been invaded by Scythian hordes from the remotest times -(ditto). 11. Their utter separation in every respect from the races -around them. - -[190] Such as want of weapons, difference of colour, dissimilarity of -language. With respect to the latter point Captain Congreve remarks, -that “a comparison with the Gothic, Celtic, and other ancient dialects -of Europe is a great desideratum; but should no affinity be found to -prevail, I should not consider the absence detrimental to my views, for -this reason, that the people of Celto-Scythic origin having various -languages, have been widely dispersed.” After this, _Quid facias illi?_ - -[191] In many parts of the Neilgherries there is a large species of -solitary bee which the Todas declared incurred the displeasure of the -Great Spirit by stinging him, and was therefore condemned to eternal -separation from its kind. But as huge combs and excellent honey abound on -these hills, their savage inhabitants of course superstitionize upon the -subject of the bee. The Creator, they say, desirous of knowing how honey -is made, caught the animal, and she proving obstinate and refractory, -confined her by means of a string tied round the middle; hence her -peculiar shape! Is not this clearly a psychological allusion to the -powerful volition for which the fair sex is proverbially famous? - -[192] Not, however, by the victory of Brahmanism over Buddhism, as -some have supposed. The leading tenet of Buddha’s faith was the sin of -shedding blood, whereas the Todas practise infanticide and eat meat. -Moreover, there is a bond of union between them and those Anti-Buddhists -the Lingaits, who adhere to the religion of Shiva pure and undefiled. - -This Buddhistic theory rests upon the slender foundation that the Todas -call Wednesday, Buddhi-aum (Buddh’s day). But the celebrated Eastern -reformer’s name has extended as far as the good old island in the West. -It became Fo-e and Xa-ca (Shakya) in China; But in Cochin-China, Pout in -Siam; Pott or Poti, in Thibet; perhaps the Wadd of Pagan Arabia; Toth in -Egypt; Woden in Scandinavia; and thus reaching our remote shores, left -its traces in “Wednesday.” So say the etymologists. - -[193] By the Rev. Mr. Schmidt’s vocabulary of the Toda tongue. - -[194] Captain Harkness is egregiously mistaken when he asserts that -the dialect of his aborigines “has not the least affinity in roots, -construction, or sound, with the Sanscrit.” - -[195] In some points. Thus we find the Ain, Ghain, Fa and _Kh_a of the -Arabs, together with the Zha of the Persians. But the step from the -Indian अ to the Arabic ع, from घ (g’h) to غ, and from फ (p’h) to ﻑ, is -easily made; and the kha and zha belong to some Indian dialects as well -as to Arabic and Persian. - -It is supposed that the Toda language is still divided, like the Tamul, -into two distinct dialects, one the popular, the other the sacred; the -former admitting foreign words, derived from the Canarese, the latter a -pure form generally used by the priesthood. - -Most Todas can speak a few words of corrupted Canarese. - -[196] A share of the land-produce varying from one-third to one-sixth of -the whole, settled by the eye, and generally paid in kind. The Toda has -made himself necessary to the Berger; he must sow the first handful of -grain, and reap the first fruits of the harvest, otherwise the land would -be allowed to lie fallow, and the crop to rot upon the ground. - -[197] The polyandry practised of yore seems at present on the decline. -Infanticide, though said to have been abolished, probably holds its -ground in the remote parts of the hills. Near the stations the lives -of female children are spared with the view of making money by their -immorality. Old women are still by no means common. - -[198] For a more detailed account of them, we refer the reader to the -amusing pages of Captain Harkness. - -[199] A brother mason informs us, that “the Todas use a sign of -recognition similar to ours, and they have discovered that Europeans have -an institution corresponding with their own.” Hence, he remarks, “a Toda -initiated will bow to a gentleman, never to a lady.” - -But in our humble opinion, next to the Antiquary in simplicity of mind, -capacity of belief, and capability of assertion, ranks the Freemason. - -[200] What follows alludes particularly to the Todas living in the -vicinity of Ooty, Coonoor, and Kotagherry. - -[201] The habit of intoxication is now so fatally common amongst the -rising generation, that their fathers will not, it is said, initiate them -into their mysteries, for fear that the secret should be divulged over -the cup. - -[202] The faculty unanimously assert that the air of the hills is not -prejudicial to those suffering from ophthalmic disease. We observed, -however, that a large proportion of invalids complained of sore eyes and -weakness of sight, produced, probably, by the glare of the fine season -and the piercing winds of the monsoon. - -[203] The “hill of the Kothurs.” - -[204] The termination “hutty,” so common in the names of the hill -villages, is used to denote a Berger settlement, as “mund” means a Toda -hamlet. - -[205] Or tuft: it is so called from a clump of trees which crowns the -ridge of a high hill. - -[206] The Neilgherries are exposed to the violence of both monsoons, the -south-west and the north-east. The fall of rain during the latter is, -however, comparatively trifling. - -[207] It commences with a _résumé_, of the peculiarities of the hills, -and accounts of the three great stations; proceeds to a description of -the geography and geology, soil and productions, botany, zoology, and the -inhabitants of the Neilgherries, and discusses at some length the effects -of the climate upon the European constitution, sound as well as impaired. -The Appendix presents a mass of information valuable enough when the -work was published, but now, with the exception of the meteorological -and other tables, too old to be useful. Thirteen or fourteen years work -mighty changes, moral and physical, in an Anglo-India settlement. - -[208] The book contains one hundred and forty-four pages, enlivened with -a dozen lithographed sketches, and NOT enlivened by descriptions of -Poonamalee, Vellore, Laulpett, Bangalore, and Closepett. - -[209] A little volume of one hundred and seventy-five pages, containing -graphic sketches of the scenery, excellent accounts of the different -tribes of hill people, a weather-table from July to December, 1829, the -height of the principal mountains, and a short and meagre vocabulary of -the Toda language. - - THE END. - - LONDON: Printed by SAMUEL BENTLEY and Co., Bangor House, Shoe Lane. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GOA AND THE BLUE -MOUNTAINS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Burton. - </title> - - <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> - - <style> - -a { - text-decoration: none; -} - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -h2.nobreak { - page-break-before: avoid; -} - -hr { - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb { - width: 25%; - margin-left: 37.5%; - margin-right: 37.5%; -} - -hr.chap { - width: 65%; - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; -} - -img.w100 { - width: 100%; -} - -div.chapter { - page-break-before: always; -} - -p { - margin-top: 0.5em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -table { - margin: 1em auto 1em auto; - max-width: 40em; - border-collapse: collapse; -} - -table.inline { - margin: 0.5em auto 0 1em; -} - -table.inline tr:first-child td { - padding-bottom: 0.5em; -} - -td { - padding-left: 2.25em; - padding-right: 0.25em; - vertical-align: top; - text-indent: -2em; -} - -table.inline td { - padding: 0 0.25em 0 0; - text-indent: 0; -} - -.tdc { - text-align: center; - padding-top: 0.75em; -} - -.tdr { - text-align: right; -} - -.tdpg { - vertical-align: bottom; - text-align: right; -} - -.caption { - text-align: center; - font-size: 90%; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.caption-main { - text-align: center; - font-size: 125%; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.center { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.dedication { - text-align: center; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 3em; - text-indent: 0em; - line-height: 1.8em; -} - -.dedication .r { - margin-left: 12em; -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto auto 1em auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.footnotes { - margin-top: 1em; - border: dashed 1px; -} - -.footnote { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - font-size: 0.9em; -} - -.footnote .label { - position: absolute; - right: 84%; - text-align: right; -} - -.fnanchor { - vertical-align: super; - font-size: .8em; - text-decoration: none; -} - -.gothic { - font-family: 'Old English Text MT', 'Old English', serif; -} - -.larger { - font-size: 150%; -} - -.noindent { - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - right: 4%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; -} - -.poetry-container { - text-align: center; -} - -.poetry { - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -.poetry .stanza { - margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em; -} - -.poetry .verse { - padding-left: 3em; -} - -.poetry .indent0 { - text-indent: -3em; -} - -.smaller { - font-size: 80%; -} - -.smcap { - font-variant: small-caps; - font-style: normal; -} - -.allsmcap { - font-variant: small-caps; - font-style: normal; - text-transform: lowercase; -} - -.titlepage { - text-align: center; - margin-top: 3em; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.valign { - vertical-align: middle; -} - -.x-ebookmaker img { - max-width: 100%; - width: auto; - height: auto; -} - -.x-ebookmaker .poetry { - display: block; - margin-left: 1.5em; -} - -/* Illustration classes */ -.illowp100 {width: 100%;} -.illowp64 {width: 64%;} -.x-ebookmaker .illowp64 {width: 100%;} - - </style> - </head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Goa and the Blue Mountains, by Richard Francis Burton</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Goa and the Blue Mountains</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>or, Six months of sick leave</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Richard Francis Burton</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: December 9, 2022 [eBook #69510]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Emmanuel Ackerman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ***</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_i"></a>[i]</span></p> - -<p class="center larger">GOA,<br> -AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS;<br> -<span class="smaller"><span class="smaller">OR,</span><br> -SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE.</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_ii"></a>[ii]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_iii"></a>[iii]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="illus1" style="max-width: 43.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""> - <p class="caption">Printed by Hullmandel & Walton.</p> - <p class="caption-main">COONOOR.<br> - <span class="smaller">FROM THE TRAVELLER’S BUNGALOW.</span></p> - <p class="caption">London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_iv"></a>[iv]</span></p> - -<p class="titlepage larger">GOA,<br> -AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS;<br> -<span class="smaller"><span class="smaller">OR,</span><br> -SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE.</span></p> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smaller">BY</span><br> -RICHARD F. BURTON,<br> -<span class="smaller">LIEUT. BOMBAY ARMY.<br> -AUTHOR OF A GRAMMAR OF THE MOOLTANEE LANGUAGE;<br> -CRITICAL REMARKS ON DR. DORN’S CHRESTOMATHY OF THE PUSHTOO,<br> -OR AFFGHAN DIALECT, ETC. ETC.</span></p> - -<p class="titlepage">LONDON:<br> -RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,<br> -<span class="gothic">Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty.</span><br> -1851.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_v"></a>[v]</span></p> - -<p class="titlepage smaller">LONDON:<br> -Printed by <span class="smcap">Samuel Bentley & Co.</span><br> -Bangor House, Shoe Lane.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_vi"></a>[vi]</span></p> - -<p class="dedication"><span class="smaller">TO</span><br> -MISS ELIZABETH STISTED,<br> -<span class="smaller">THIS LITTLE WORK,<br> -WHICH OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO HER<br> -FRIENDLY SUGGESTIONS,<br> -IS DEDICATED,<br> -IN TOKEN OF GRATITUDE AND AFFECTION,<br> -BY</span><br> -<span class="r">THE AUTHOR.</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_vii"></a>[vii]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> - -</div> - -<table> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdpg smaller">PAGE</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER I.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Voyage</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER II.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>New Goa</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">22</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER III.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Old Goa as it Was</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">40</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER IV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Old Goa as it Is</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">58</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER V.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Return to Panjim</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">77</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER VI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Population of Panjim</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">96</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER VII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Seroda</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">117</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER VIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Education, Professions, and Oriental Studies</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">136</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER IX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Adieu to Panjim</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">154</a><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_viii"></a>[viii]</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER X.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Calicut</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">169</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Malabar</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">186</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Hindoos of Malabar</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">203</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Moslem and other Natives of Malabar</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">230</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XIV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Land Journey</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">246</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>First Glimpse of “Ooty”</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">269</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XVI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Life at Ooty</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">287</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XVII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Life outside Ooty</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">313</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XVIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Inhabitants of the Neilgherries</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">334</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc">CHAPTER XIX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Kotagherry.—Adieu to the Blue Mountains</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">353</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_ix"></a>[ix]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="figcenter illowp64" id="map-small" style="max-width: 18.75em;"> - <p class="caption"><b>Transcriber’s Note:</b> The map is clickable for a larger version.</p> - <a href="images/map.jpg"><img class="w100" src="images/map-small.jpg" alt=""></a> - <p class="caption-main">MAP<br><span class="smaller">OF THE</span><br> - <span class="gothic">South Eastern<br>& Western</span><br>COAST of INDIA</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h1>GOA,<br> -AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS;<br> -<span class="smaller"><span class="smaller">OR,</span><br> -SIX MONTHS OF SICK LEAVE.</span></h1> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1"></a>[1]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.<br> -<span class="smaller">THE VOYAGE.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>What a glad moment it is, to be sure, when the -sick and seedy, the tired and testy invalid from -pestiferous Scinde or pestilential Guzerat, “leaves -all behind him” and scrambles over the sides of -his Pattimar.</p> - -<p>His what?</p> - -<p>Ah! we forget. The gondola and barque are -household words in your English ears, the budgerow -is beginning to own an old familiar sound, but -you are right—the “Pattimar” requires a definition. -Will you be satisfied with a pure landsman’s<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_2"></a>[2]</span> -description of the article in question. We have -lost our edition of “The Ship,” and to own humbling -truth, though we have spent many a weary -month on the world of waters, we never could -master the intricacies of blocks and braces, skylights -and deadlights, starboards and larboards. -But if we are to believe the general voice of the -amphibious race, we terrestrial animals never fail -to mangle the science of seamanship most barbarously. -So we will not expose ourselves by pretension -to the animadversions of any small nautical -critic, but boldly talk of going “up-stairs” instead -of “on deck,” and unblushingly allude to the -“behind” for the “aft” and the “front” instead -of the “fore” of our conveyance.</p> - -<p>But the Pattimar—</p> - -<p><i>De suite</i>: you shall pourtray it from our description. -Sketch a very long boat, very high behind, -and very low before, composed of innumerable bits -of wood tied together with coir, or cocoanut rope, -fitted up with a dark and musty little cabin, and -supplied with two or three long poles intended as -masts, which lean forward as if about to sink under -the weight of the huge lateen sail. Fill up the -outline with a penthouse of cadjans (as the leaves -of that eternal cocoanut tree are called) to protect<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3"></a>[3]</span> -the bit of deck outside the cabin from the rays of -a broiling sun. People the square space in the -middle of the boat with two nags tethered and tied -with halters and heel ropes, which sadly curtail the -poor animals’ enjoyment of kicking and biting; and -half-a-dozen black “tars” engaged in pounding rice, -concocting bilious-looking masses of curry, and -keeping up a fire of some unknown wood, whose -pungent smoke is certain to find its way through -the cabin, and to terminate its wanderings in your -eyes and nostrils. Finally, throw in about the -same number of black domestics courting a watery -death by balancing themselves over the sides of the -vessel, or a fever by sleeping in a mummy case of -dirty cotton cloth—</p> - -<p>And you have a pattimar in your mind’s eye.</p> - -<p>Every one that has ever sailed in a pattimar can -oblige you with a long list of pleasures peculiar to -it. All know how by day your eyes are blinded -with glare and heat, and how by night mosquitos, a -trifle smaller than jack snipes, assault your defenceless -limbs; how the musk rat defiles your property -and provender; how the common rat and the cockchafer -appear to relish the terminating leather of -your fingers and toes; and, finally, how the impolite -animal which the transatlantics delicately<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4"></a>[4]</span> -designate a “chintz,” and its companion, the lesser -abomination, do contribute to your general discomfort. -Still these are transient evils, at least compared -with the permanent satisfaction of having -“passed the Medical Board”—a committee of -ancient gentlemen who never will think you sufficiently -near death to meet your wishes—of having -escaped the endless doses of the garrison surgeon, -who has probably, for six weeks, been bent upon -trying the effects of the whole Materia Medica upon -your internal and external man—of enduring the -diurnal visitation of desperate duns who threaten -the bailiff without remorse; and to crown the -climax of your happiness, the delightful prospect -of two quiet years, during which you may call life -your own, lie in bed half or the whole day if you -prefer it, and forget the very existence of such -things as pipeclay and parade, the Court Martial and -the Commander-in-chief. So if you are human, -your heart bounds, and whatever its habits of -grumbling may be, your tongue involuntarily owns -that it is a joyful moment when you scramble over -the side of your pattimar. And now, having convinced -you of that fact, we will request you to walk -up stairs with us, and sit upon the deck by our -side, there to take one parting look at the boasted<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5"></a>[5]</span> -Bay of Bombay, before we bid adieu to it, with a -free translation of the celebrated Frenchman’s good -bye, “<i>Canards, canaux, canaille</i>,”—adieu ducks, -dingies, drabs, and duns.<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> - -<p>Gentlemen tourists, poetical authors, lady prosers, -and, generally, all who late in life, visit the -“palm tasselled strand of glowing Ind,” as one of -our European celebrities describes the country in -prose run mad, certainly are gifted with wonderful -optics for detecting the Sublime and Beautiful. -Now this same bay has at divers and sundry times -been subjected to much admiration; and as each -succeeding traveller must improve upon his predecessors, -the latest authorities have assigned to its -charms a rank above the Bay of Naples—a bay -which, in our humble opinion, places every other -bay in a state of abeyance. At least so we understand -Captain Von Orlich—the gentleman who concludes -that the Belochees are of Jewish origin, -<i>because</i> they divorce their wives. To extract Bombay -from the Bay of Naples, proceed thus. Remove -Capri, Procida, Ischia, and the other little picturesque<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6"></a>[6]</span> -localities around them. Secondly, level -Vesuvius and the rocky heights of St. Angelo with -the ground. Thirdly, convert bright Naples, with -its rows of white palazzi, its romantic-looking forts, -its beautiful promenade, and charming background -into a low, black, dirty port, <i>et voici</i> the magnificent -Bombahia.<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> You may, it is true, attempt to get -up a little romance about the “fairy caves” of -Salsette and Elephanta, the tepid seas, the spicy -breeze, and the ancient and classical name of -Momba-devi.</p> - -<p>But you’ll fail.</p> - -<p>Remember all we can see is a glowing vault of -ultramarine-colour sky, paved with a glaring expanse -of indigo-tinted water, with a few low hills -lining the horizon, and a great many merchant ships -anchored under the guns of what we said before, -and now repeat, looks like a low, black, dirty port.</p> - -<p>We know that you are taking a trip with us to -the land flowing with rupees and gold mohurs—growing -an eternal crop of Nabobs and Nawwábs<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a>—showing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7"></a>[7]</span> -a perpetual scene of beauty, pleasure -and excitement.</p> - -<p>But we can’t allow you to hand your rose-coloured -specs. over to us. We have long ago -superseded our original “greens” by a pair duly -mounted with sober French grey glasses, and through -these we look out upon the world as cheerily as our -ophthalmic optics will permit us to do.</p> - -<p>Now the last “nigger,” in a manifest state of -full-blown inebriation, has rolled into, and the -latest dun, in a fit of diabolical exasperation, has -rolled out of, our pattimar. So we will persuade -the Tindal, as our Captain is called, to pull up -his mud-hook, and apply his crew to the task of -inducing the half acre of canvas intended for a -sail to assume its proper place. Observe if you -please, the Tindal swears by all the skulls of the -god Shiva’s necklace, that the wind is foul—the -tide don’t serve—his crew is absent—and the -water not yet on board.</p> - -<p>Of course!</p> - -<p>But as you are a “griff,” and we wish to educate -you in native peculiarities, just remark how that -one small touch of our magic slipper upon the -region of the head, and the use of that one little -phrase “Suar ka Sala” (<i>Anglicè</i>, “O brother-in-law<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8"></a>[8]</span> -of a hog!”) has made the wind fair, the tide -serve, the crew muster, and the water pots abound -in water. And, furthermore, when you have got -over your horror of seeing a “fellow-creature” so -treated—and a “fellow subject” subjected to such -operation, kindly observe that the Tindal has improved -palpably in manner towards us;—indeed, -to interpret his thoughts, he now feels convinced -that we are an “Assal Sahib”—a real gentleman.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Evening is coming on, the sea-breeze (may it be -increased!) is freshening fast, and Dan Phœbus -has at last vouchsafed to make himself scarce. -After watching his departure with satisfaction—with -heartfelt satisfaction, we order our hookah -up, less for the pleasure of puffing it, than for -the purpose of showing you how our servant delights -to wander through heaps of hay and straw, -canvas, and coir rope, with that mass of ignited -rice ball, rolling about on the top of our pipe. -You are looking curiously at our culinary arrangements. -Yes, dear sir, or madam, as the case may -be, that dreadful looking man, habited in a pair -of the dingiest inexpressibles only, excepting the -thick cap on his furzy head—that is our cook. -And we dare say you have been watching his operations.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9"></a>[9]</span> -If not, you must know that he prepared -for our repast by inserting his black claw into -that hencoop, where a dozen of the leanest possible -chickens have been engaged for some time in -pecking the polls of one another’s heads, and -after a rapid examination of breast-bone, withdrew -his fist full of one of the aforementioned lean -chickens, shrieking in dismay. He then slew it, -dipped the corpse in boiling water to loosen the -feathers, which he stripped off in masses, cut through -its breast longitudinally, and with the aid of an -iron plate, placed over a charcoal fire, proceeded -to make a spatchcock, or as it is more popularly -termed, a “sudden death.” After this we can -hardly expect the pleasure of your company at -dinner to-day. But never mind! you will soon -get over the feeling <i>nolens</i>, if not <i>volens</i>. Why, -how many Scinde “Nabobs” have not eaten three -hundred and sixty-five lean chickens in one year?</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>We will not be in any hurry to go to bed. -In these latitudes, man lives only between the -hours of seven <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> and midnight. The breeze gives -strength to smoke and converse; our languid minds -almost feel disposed to admire the beauty of the -moonlit sea, the serenity of the air, and the varying<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10"></a>[10]</span> -tints of the misty coast. Our lateen sail is doing -its duty right well, as the splashing of the water -and the broad stripe of phosphoric light eddying -around and behind the rudder, prove. At this -rate we shall make Goa in three days, if kindly -fate only spare us the mortification of the morning -calms which infest these regions. And we being -“old hands” promise to keep a sharp look out -upon the sable commander of the “Durrya Prashad,” -the “Joy of the Ocean,” as his sweetheart of a -pattimar is called. Something of the kind will -be necessary to prevent his creeping along the -shore for fear of squalls, or pulling down the sail -to ensure an unbroken night’s rest, or slackening -speed so as not to get the voyage over too soon. -As he is a Hindoo we will place him under the -<i>surveillance</i> of that grim looking bushy-bearded -Moslem, who spends half his days in praying for -the extermination of the infidel, and never retires -to rest without groaning over the degeneracy of -the times, and sighing for the good old days of -Islam, when the Faithful had nothing to do but -to attack, thrash, rob, and murder, the Unfaithful.</p> - -<p>Now the last hookah has gone out, and the most -restless of our servants has turned in. The roof -of the cabin is strewed with bodies anything but<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11"></a>[11]</span> -fragrant, indeed, we cannot help pitying the melancholy -fate of poor Morpheus, who is traditionally -supposed to encircle such sleepers with his soft -arms. Could you believe it possible that through -such a night as this they choose to sleep under -those wadded cotton coverlets, and dread not instantaneous -asphixiation? The only waker is that -grisly old fellow with the long white mustachios -flourishing over his copper coloured mouth like -cotton in the jaws of a Moslem body. And even -he nods as he sits perched at the helm with his -half-closed eyes mechanically directed towards the -binnacle, and its satire upon the mariner’s compass, -which has not shifted one degree these last two -years. However there is little to fear here. The -fellow knows every inch of shore, and can tell -you to a foot what depth of water there is beneath -us. So as this atmosphere of drowsiness begins -to be infectious, we might as well retire below. -Not into the cabin, if you please. The last trip -the Durrya Prashad made was, we understand, for -the purpose of conveying cotton to the Presidency. -You may imagine the extent of dark population -left to colonise her every corner. We are to sleep -under the penthouse, as well as we may; our -servants, you observe, have spread the mats of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12"></a>[12]</span> -rushes—one of the much vaunted luxuries of the -East—upon our humble couches, justly anticipating -that we shall have a fair specimen of the night -tropical. Before you “tumble in” pray recollect -to see that the jars of cold water have been placed -within reach, for we are certain to awake as soon -after our first sleep as possible, suffering from the -torments of Tantalus. And we should advise you -to restore the socks you have just removed, that -is to say, if you wish the mosquitos to leave you -the use of your feet to-morrow.</p> - -<p>“Good night!”</p> - -<p>The wish is certainly a benevolent one, but it -sounds queer as a long grace emphatically prefixed -to a “spread” of cold mutton or tough beefsteak, -for which nothing under a special miracle could -possibly make one “truly thankful.” However, -good night!</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>From Bombay southwards as far as Goa, the -coast,<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> viewed from the sea, merits little admiration.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13"></a>[13]</span> -It is an unbroken succession of gentle rises -and slopes, and cannot evade the charge of dulness -and uniformity. Every now and then some fort -or rock juts out into the water breaking the line, -but the distance we stand out from land prevents -our distinguishing the features of its different<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14"></a>[14]</span> -“lions,” such as Severndroog “the Golden Fortress,” -Rutnageree “the Hill of Jewels,” and the Burnt -Islands,<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> or Vingorla Rocks. The voyage, therefore, -will be an uninteresting one—though at this season -of the year, early spring, it will not be tedious.</p> - -<p>The ancient Hindoos have a curious tradition -concerning the formation and population of this -coast. They believe that Parasu Rama, one of -their demigods, after filling the earth with the blood -of the offending Kshatriya, or regal and military -caste, wished to perform an expiatory sacrifice. -As, however, no Brahmin would attend, his demigodship -found himself in rather an awkward predicament. -At length, when sitting on the mountains -of Concan (<i>i.e.</i> the Sayhadree Range, or Western -Ghauts), he espied on the shore below, the putrefied -corpses of fourteen Mlenchhas (any people not -Hindoos), which had floated there borne by the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15"></a>[15]</span> -tides from distant lands to the westward. Rama -restored them to life, taught them religious knowledge, -and, after converting them into Brahmins, -performed his sacrifice. He afterwards, by means -of his fiery darts, compelled Samudra, the Indian -Neptune, to retire several miles from the foot of -the Ghauts, and allotted to his <i>protégés</i> the strip -of land thus recovered from the sea. From these -fourteen men sprang the Kukanastha, or Concanese -tribe of Maharattas, and the pious Hindoo still -discovers in their lineaments, traces of a corpse-like -expression of countenance inherited from their -forefathers.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>We remarked that it was a glad moment when -we entered the pattimar. We will also observe -that it was another when our sable Portuguese -“butler,” as he terms himself, ecstasied by his -propinquity to home—sweet home, and forgetting -respect and self-possession in an <i>élan</i> of patriotism, -abruptly directed our vision towards the whitewashed -farol, or lighthouse, which marks the north -side of the entrance to the Goa creek. And now, -as we glide rapidly in, we will take a short military -<i>coup d’œil</i> at the outward defences of the once -celebrated Portuguese capital.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16"></a>[16]</span></p> - -<p>The hill, or steep, upon which the farol stands, -is crowned with batteries, called the Castello de -Agoada, as ships touch there to water. There are -other works, <i>à fleur d’eau</i>, all round the point. -These defences, however, are built of stone, without -any embankments of earth, and suggest uncomfortable -ideas of splinters. In fact, a few gun-boats -would drive any number of men out of them in -half an hour. The entrance of the creek is at -least two miles broad, and the southern prong, the -“Cabo de Convento,” is occupied, as its name shows, -by a monastery instead of a fort. Moreover, none -but a native general would ever think of thrusting -an invading force through the jaws of the bay, -when it might land with perfect safety and convenience -to itself a few miles to the north or south.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>“What are we pulling up for?”</p> - -<p>The Tindal informs us that we may expect a -visit from the “Portingal Captain,” who commands -the Castello, for the purpose of ascertaining our -rank, our wealth, and our object in visiting Goa. -He warns us to conceal our sketch-book, and not -to write too much; otherwise, that our ardour -for science may lead us into trouble. But, mind,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17"></a>[17]</span> -we laugh him to scorn; natives must have -something mysterious to suspect, or expect, or -affect.</p> - -<p>But here comes the officer, after keeping us waiting -a good hour. He is a rhubarb-coloured man, -dressed in the shabby remains of a flashy uniform; -his square inch of blackish brown mustachio, and -expression of countenance, produce an appearance -which we should pronounce decidedly valiant, did we -not know that valour here seldom extends below or -beyond the countenance. How respectfully our butler -bows to him, and with what fellow-feeling the -same valuable domestic grasps the hand of that -orderly in shell jacket, but not in pantaloons, who -composes the guard of his superior officer! Behold! -he has a bundle of <i>cigarettos</i>, made of the -blackest tobacco, rolled up in bits of plantain leaf; -and he carries his “weeds” in a very primitive -cigar-case, namely, the pouch formed by the junction -of his huge flap of an ear, with the flat and stubby -poll behind it. As the favourite narcotic goes round, -no Portuguese refuses it. The Hindoos shake their -heads politely and decliningly, the Moslems grimly -and with a suspicion of a curse.</p> - -<p>But we must summon our domestic to mediate -between us and our visitor, who speaks nothing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18"></a>[18]</span> -but most Maharatta-like Portuguese and Portuguese-like -Maharatta.</p> - -<p>We begin by offering him a glass of wine, and -he inquires of Salvador, our acting interpreter,—“Why?” -Being assured that such is the practice -among the barbarous Anglo-Indians, he accepts -it with a helpless look, and never attempts to conceal -the contortions of countenance produced by -the operation of a glass of Parsee sherry, fiery as -their own divinity, upon a palate accustomed to -tree-toddy and thin red wine. However, he appears -perfectly satisfied with the inspection, and after -volunteering an introductory epistle to one Ioaõ -Thomas—<i>i.e.</i> John Thomas, a cicerone of Goanese -celebrity—which we accept without the slightest -intention of delivering, he kindly gives us permission -to proceed, shakes our hand with a cold -and clammy palm, which feels uncommonly like -a snake, and with many polite bows to our servants, -disappears over the side, followed by his -suite. Whilst the anchor is being re-weighed, -before we forget the appearance of the pair, we -will commit them to the custody of the sketch-book.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The old lateen creeps creaking crankily up the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19"></a>[19]</span> -mast once more, and the Durrya Prashad recommences -to perambulate the waters as unlike a thing -of life as can be imagined. Half an hour more will -take us in. Perched upon the topmast angle of our -penthouse, we strain our eyes in search of the tall -buildings and crowded ways that denote a capital: -we can see nought but a forest of lanky cocoa-nut -trees, whose stems are apparently growing out of -a multitude of small hovels.</p> - -<p>Can this be Goa?</p> - -<p>Rendered rabid by the query our patriotic domestic, -sneering as much as he safely can, informs us -that <i>this</i> is the village of Verim, <i>that</i> St. Agnes, -and proceeds to display his store of topographical -lore by naming or christening every dirty little -mass of hut and white-washed spire that meets -the eye.</p> - -<p>Bus, Bus,—enough in the name of topography! -We will admire the view to-morrow morning when -our minds are a little easier about John Thomas, -a house, &c.</p> - -<p>We turn the last corner which concealed from -view the town of Panjim, or as others call it, the -city of New Goa, and are at last satisfied that we -are coming to something like a place. Suddenly -the Tindal, and all his men, begin to chatter like<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20"></a>[20]</span> -a wilderness of provoked baboons; they are debating -as to what part of the narrow creek which -runs parallel with the town should be selected -for anchor ground. Not with an eye to our -comfort in landing, observe, but solely bearing -in mind that they are to take in cargo to-morrow.</p> - -<p>At length our apology for an anchor once more -slides down the old side of the Durrya Prashad, -and she swings lazily round with the ebb tide, -like an elephant indulging in a solitary roll. It -is dark, we can see nothing but a broken line of -dim oil-lamps upon the quay, and hear nought save -the unharmonious confusion of native music with -native confabulation. Besides the wind that pours -down the creek feels damp and chilly, teeming -with unpleasant reminiscences of fever and ague. -So after warning our domestics, that instant dismissal -from the service will follow any attempt to -land to-night, a necessary precaution if we wish -to land to-morrow, we retire to pass the last of -three long nights in slapping our face in the desperate -hope of crushing mosquitos, dreaming of De -Gama and Albuquerque, starting up every two hours -with jaws glowing like those of a dark age dragon, -scratching our legs and feet, preferring positive<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21"></a>[21]</span> -excoriation to the exquisite titillation produced by -the perpetual perambulation, and occasional morsication -(with many other -ations left to the reader’s -discrimination) of our nocturnal visitations, and in -uttering emphatic ejaculations concerning the man -with the rhinoceros hide and front of brass who -invented and recommended to his kind the pattimar -abomination.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22"></a>[22]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.<br> -<span class="smaller">NEW GOA.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>Early in the morning, rudely roused by curiosity, -we went on deck to inspect the celebrated view of -the Rio de Goa.</p> - -<p>The air was soft and fragrant, at the same time -sufficiently cool to be comfortable. A thin mist -rested upon the lower grounds and hovered half -way up the hills, leaving their palm-clad summits -clear to catch the silvery light of dawn. Most beautiful -was the hazy tone of colour all around contrasted -with the painfully vivid tints, and the sharp -outlines of an Indian view seen a few hours after -sunrise. The uniformity of the cocoa-nut groves, -which at first glance appeared monotonous, gradually -became tolerable. We could now remark -that they were full of human habitations, and intersected -by numbers of diminutive creeks. Close -by lay Panji, Panjim, Panjem or New Goa, with its<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23"></a>[23]</span> -large palace and little houses, still dark in the -shadow of the hill behind it. As for Goa Velha -(the Old Goa) we scarcely ventured to look towards -it, such were our recollections of Tavernier, Dillon, -and Amine Vanderdecken, and so strong our conviction -that a day at least must elapse before we -could tread its classic ground. An occasional peep, -however, discovered huge masses of masonry—some -standing out from the cloudless sky, others lining -the edge of the creek,—ruins of very picturesque -form, and churches of most unpicturesque hue.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Precisely at six <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> appeared Mr. John Thomas, -whose aristocratic proper name, by the by, is the -Señor Ioaõ Thomas de Sonza. After perpetrating -a variety of congees in a style that admirably combined -the Moorish salaam with the European bow, -he informed us in execrable English that “he show -de Goa to de Bombay gentlemens.” We rapidly -pass over the preliminary measures of securing a -house with six rooms, kitchen, stable and back court, -for fourteen shillings <i>per mensem</i>—a low rate of -rent for which the owner was soundly rated by his -compatriots, who have resolved that treble that -sum is the minimum chargeable to Englishmen—of -landing our bag and baggage, which were afterwards<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24"></a>[24]</span> -carried to our abode by coolies<a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a>—the primitive -style of transportation universally used here,—and -finally of disembarking our steeds by means -of a pigmy crane, the manipulation of which called -together a herd of admiring gazers.</p> - -<p>Then the Señor began to take command. He -obligingly allowed us to breakfast, but insisted upon -our addressing a note to the aide-de-camp in waiting -to ascertain the proper time for waiting upon -his Excellency the Governor of Goa. This the -Señor warned us was <i>de rigueur</i>, and he bade us -be prepared to face the burning sun between -eleven and twelve, such being the hour usually -appointed. Then with our missive between his -sable fingers he performed another ceremonious bow -and departed for a while.</p> - -<p>Just as the Señor disappeared, and we were preparing -to indulge in our morning meal <i>en deshabille</i>, -as best suits the climate, an uncomely face, grinning -prodigiously, and surmounted by a scampish -looking cap, introduced itself through the open -window, and commenced a series of felicitations -and compliments in high-flown Portuguese.</p> - -<p>Who might our visitor be? A medical student, -a poet, or a thief? Confused in mind, we could<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25"></a>[25]</span> -only look at him vacantly, with an occasional -involuntary movement of the head, respondent to -some gigantic word, as it gurgled convulsively out -of his throat. He must have mistaken the sign for -one of invitation, for, at the close of his last compliment -to the British nation, he withdrew his -head from the window, and deliberately walked -in by the door, with the usual series of polite -bows.</p> - -<p>Once in the house, he seemed determined to -make himself at home.</p> - -<p>We looked up from our breakfast with much -astonishment. Close to our elbow stood our new -friend in the form of a tall ugly boy about seventeen, -habited in a green cloth surtout, with plaited -plaid unmentionables, broad-toed boots, and a peculiar -appearance about the wrists, and intervals -between the fingers, which made us shudder at the -thought of extending to him the hand of fellowship. -Rapidly deciding upon a plan of action, we assumed -ignorance of the <i>lingoa Baxa</i>,<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> and pronounced -with much ceremony in our vernacular,</p> - -<p>“Whom have I the honour to address?”</p> - -<p>Horror of horrors! Our visitor broke out in -disjointed English, informed us that his name was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26"></a>[26]</span> -the Señor Gaetano de Gama, son of the collector of -Ribandar, and a lineal descendant from the Gran -Capitaõ; that he had naturally a great admiration -for the British, together with much compassion for -friendless strangers; and finally, that he might be -of the utmost use to us during our stay at Goa. -Thereupon he sat down, and proceeded to make -himself comfortable. He pulled a cigar out of our -box, called for a glass of water, but preferred -sherry, ate at least a dozen plantains, and washed -down the sherry with a coffee-cup full of milk. -We began to be amused.</p> - -<p>“Have you breakfasted?”</p> - -<p>Yes, he had. At Goa they generally do so betimes. -However, for the sake of companionship -he would lay down his cigar and join us. He was -certainly a good trencher-companion, that young -gentleman. Witness his prowess upon a plate of -fish, a dish of curry, a curd cheese, a water melon, -and half-a-dozen cups of <i>café au lait</i>. Then after -settling the heterogeneous mass with a glass of our -<i>anisette</i>, he re-applied himself to his cheroot.</p> - -<p>We were in hopes that he had fallen into a state -of torpor. By no means! The activity of his -mind soon mastered the inertness of the flesh. -Before the first few puffs had disappeared in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27"></a>[27]</span> -thin air, our friend arose, distinctly for the purpose -of surveying the room. He walked slowly and -calmly around it, varying that recreation by occasionally -looking into our bed, inspecting a box or -two, opening our books, addressing a few chance -words to us, generally in the style interrogative, -trying on our hat before the looking-glass, defiling -our brushes and combs with his limp locks, redolent -of rancid cocoa-nut oil, and glancing with fearful -meaning at our tooth-brushes.</p> - -<p>Our amusement now began to assume the form of -indignation. Would it be better to disappear into -an inner room, send for Salvador to show our <i>bête -noire</i> the door, or lead him out by the ear? Whilst -still deliberating, we observed with pleasure the -tawny face of John Thomas.</p> - -<p>The Señor Ioaõ Thomas de Sonza no sooner -caught sight of the Señor Gaetano de Gama than -his countenance donned an expression of high indignation, -dashed with profound contempt; and the -latter Señor almost simultaneously betrayed outward -and visible signs of disappointment and considerable -confusion. The ridiculous scene ended -with the disappearance of the unsuccessful aspirant -to ciceronic honours, a homily from John Thomas -upon the danger of having anything to do with<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28"></a>[28]</span> -such rabble, and an injunction to Salvador never -to admit the collector’s son again.</p> - -<p>“His Excellency the Governor General of all the -Indies cannot have the exalted honour of receiving -your Excellency this morning, on account of the -sudden illness of Her Excellency the Lady of the -Governor General of all the Indies; but the Governor -General of all the Indies will be proud to -receive your Excellency to-morrow—if Heaven be -pleased!” said John Thomas, tempering dignity -with piety.</p> - -<p>Thank Goodness for the reprieve!</p> - -<p>“So, if the measure be honoured with your -Excellency’s approval, we will now embark in a -covered canoe, and your servant will have the -felicity of pointing out from the sea the remarkable -sites and buildings of New Goa; after which, a -walk through our celebrated city will introduce -your Excellency to the exteriors and interiors of its -majestic edifices, its churches, its theatre, its hospital, -its library, and its barracks.”</p> - -<p>Very well!</p> - -<p>A few minutes’ rowing sufficed to bring our -canoe to the centre of the creek, along side and in -full view of the town. Around us lay the shipping, -consisting of two or three vessels from Portugal and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29"></a>[29]</span> -China, some score of native craft, such as pattimars, -cottias, canoes, and bunderboats, with one sloop of -war, composing the Goanese navy.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Panjim is situated upon a narrow ledge, between -a hill to the south, and, on the north, the Rio de -Goa, or arm of the sea, which stretches several -miles from west to east. A quay of hewn stone, -well built, but rather too narrow for ornament or -use, lines the south bank of the stream, if we may -so call it, which hereabouts is a little more than a -quarter of a mile in breadth. The appearance of -the town is strange to the Indian tourist. There -are many respectable-looking houses, usually one -story high, solidly constructed of stone and mortar, -with roofs of red tile, and surrounded by large -court-yards overgrown with cocoa-nut trees. Bungalows -are at a discount; only the habitations of -the poor consist solely of a ground floor. In general -the walls are whitewashed,—an operation performed -regularly once a year, after the Monsoon rains; and -the result is a most offensive glare. Upon the -eminence behind the town is a small telegraph, and -half-way down the hill, the Igreja (church) de Conceição, -a plain and ill-built pile, as usual, beautifully -situated. The edifices along the creek which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30"></a>[30]</span> -catch the eye, are the Palacio, where the Governor -resides, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Contadorin or -Accomptant’s Office, and the Alfandega or Custom -House. All of them are more remarkable for vastness -than neatness of design.</p> - -<p>“We will now row down the creek, and see the -Aldeas or villages of St. Agnes and Verim,” quoth -our guide, pointing towards a scattered line of -churches, villas, and cottages, half concealed from -view by the towering trees, or thrown forward in -clear relief by the green background.</p> - -<p>To hear was to obey: though we anticipated -little novelty. On landing we were surprised to -find the shore so thickly inhabited. Handsome -residences, orientally speaking, appeared here and -there; a perfect network of footpaths ramified over -the hills; in a word, every yard of ground bore -traces of life and activity. Not that there was -much to be seen at St. Agnes, with its huge, -rambling old pile, formerly the archiepiscopal -palace, or at Verim, a large village full of Hindoos, -who retreat there to avoid the places selected -for residence by the retired officers, <i>employés</i> of -government, students, and Christian landed proprietors.</p> - -<p>“And now for a trip to the eastward!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31"></a>[31]</span></p> - -<p>“What!” we exclaimed, “isn’t the lionizing to -stop here?”</p> - -<p>“By no means,” replied John Thomas, solemnly; -“all English gentlemen visit Ribandar, Britona, and -the Seminary of Chorão.”</p> - -<p>Ribandar is about two miles to the east of -Panjim, and is connected with it by a long stone -bridge, built by the viceroy Miguel de Noronha. -It seems to be thriving upon the ruins of its neighbour, -San Pedro or Panelly, an old village, laid -waste by the devastator of Velha Goa—intermittent -fever. From some distance we saw the noble palace, -anciently inhabited by the archbishops, and the -seat of the viceroys and governors, called the Casa -de Polvora, from a neighbouring manufactory of -gunpowder. Here, however, we became restive, and -no persuasion could induce us to walk a mile in -order to inspect the bare walls.</p> - -<p>Being somewhat in dread of Britona, which -appeared to be a second edition of St. Agnes and -Verim, we compounded with John Thomas, and -secured an exemption by consenting to visit and -inspect the Seminary.</p> - -<p>Chorão was formerly the noviciate place of the -Jesuits.<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> It is an island opposite Ribandar, small<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32"></a>[32]</span> -and thinly populated, the climate being confessedly -most unwholesome. We were informed that the -director was sick and the rector suffering from -fever. The pallid complexion of the resident pupils -told a sad tale of malaria.</p> - -<p>The building is an immense mass of chapels, -cloisters, and apartments for the professors and -students. There is little of the remarkable in it. -The walls are ornamented with abominable frescoes -and a few prints, illustrating the campaigns -of Napoleon and Louis Quatorze. The crucifixes -appear almost shocking. They are, generally speaking, -wooden figures as large as life, painted with -most livid and unnatural complexions, streaked -with indigo-coloured veins, and striped with streams -of blood. More offensive still are the representations -of the Almighty, so common in Roman -Catholic countries.</p> - -<p>In the sacristy, we were shown some tolerable -heads of apostles and saints. They were not exactly -original Raphaels and Guidos, as our black -friends declared, but still it was a pleasure to see<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33"></a>[33]</span> -good copies of excellent exemplars in India, the -land of coloured prints and lithographs of Cerito -and Taglioni.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="illus2" style="max-width: 43.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""> - <p class="caption">R. Burton delᵗ. Printed by Hullmandel & Walton.</p> - <p class="caption-main">THE CATHEDRAL OF GOA.</p> - <p class="caption">London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.</p> -</div> - -<p>Ah! now we have finished our peregrinations.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” responded John Thomas; “your Excellency -has now only to walk about and inspect the -town of Panjim.”</p> - -<p>Accordingly we landed and proceeded to make -our observations there.</p> - -<p>That Panjim is a Christian town appears instantly -from the multitude and variety of the filthy -feeding hogs, that infest the streets. The pig here -occupies the social position that he does in Ireland, -only he is never eaten when his sucking days are -past. Panjim loses much by close inspection. The -streets are dusty and dirty, of a most disagreeable -brick colour, and where they are paved, the pavement -is old and bad. The doors and window-frames -of almost all the houses are painted green, and none -but the very richest admit light through anything -more civilized than oyster-shells. The balcony is -a prominent feature, but it presents none of the -gay scenes for which it is famous in Italy and Spain.</p> - -<p>We could not help remarking the want of horses -and carriages in the streets, and were informed that -the whole place did not contain more than half<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34"></a>[34]</span> -a dozen vehicles. The popular conveyance is a -kind of palanquin, composed of a light sofa, curtained -with green wax cloth, and strung to a -bamboo pole, which rests upon the two bearers’ -heads or shoulders. This is called a <i>mancheel</i>, and -a most lugubrious-looking thing it is, forcibly reminding -one of a coffin covered with a green pall.</p> - -<p>At length we arrived at the Barracks, a large -building in the form of an irregular square, fronting -the Rio, and our British curiosity being roused by -hearing that the celebrated old thief, Phonde Sawunt,<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> -was living there under surveillance, we -determined to visit that rebel on a small scale. -His presence disgraces his fame; it is that of a -wee, ugly, grey, thin, old and purblind Maharatta. -He received us, however, with not a little -dignity and independence of manner, motioned us -to sit down with a military air, and entered upon a -series of queries concerning the Court of Lahore, -at that time the only power on whose exertions the -agitators of India could base any hopes. Around -the feeble, decrepit old man stood about a dozen -stalworth sons, with naked shoulders, white cloths -round their waists and topknots of hair, which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35"></a>[35]</span> -the god Shiva himself might own with pride. They -have private apartments in the barracks, full of -wives and children, and consider themselves personages -of no small importance; in which opinion -they are, we believe, by no means singular. Their -fellow-countrymen look upon them as heroes, and -have embalmed, or attempted to embalm their -breakjaw names in immortal song. They are, in -fact, negro Robin Hoods and Dick Turpins—knights -of the road and the waste it is true, but not -accounted the less honourable for belonging to that -celebrated order of chivalry. The real Maharatta -is by nature a thorough-bred plunderer, and well -entitled to sing the Suliot ditty—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“Κλεφτες ποτε Παργαν,”<a id="FNanchor_10" href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a></div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">with the slight variation of locality only. Besides, -strange to say, amongst Orientals, they have -a well-defined idea of what patriotism means, and -can groan under the real or fancied wrongs of the -“stranger” or the “Sassenach’s” dominion as loudly -and lustily as any Hibernian or Gael in the land.</p> - -<p>We now leave Phonde Sawunt and the Barracks -to thread our way through a numerous and disagreeable -collection of yelping curs and officious -boatmen.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36"></a>[36]</span></p> - -<p>“Would your Excellency prefer to visit the -hospital, the churches of St. Sebastian and Conceição, -the jail, the library, the printing-house, and -the bazaars now or to-morrow morning?”</p> - -<p>“Neither now nor ever—thank you—we are -going to the promenade.”</p> - -<p>After a few minutes’ walk we came to the west -end of Panjim, where lies a narrow scrap of sea-beach -appropriated to “constitutionals.” On our -way there we observed that the Goanese, with peculiar -good taste, had erected seats wherever a pretty -<i>point de vue</i> would be likely to make one stand -and wish to sit awhile.</p> - -<p>Had we expected a crowded <i>corso</i>, we should -have been disappointed; half-a-dozen mancheels, -two native officers on horseback, one carriage, and -about a dozen promenaders, were moving lazily and -listlessly down the lugubrious-looking strand.</p> - -<p>Reader, has it ever been your unhappy fate to -be cooped up in a wretched place called Pisa? If -so, perhaps you recollect a certain drive to the -Cascine—a long road, down whose dreary length -run two parallel rows of dismal poplars, desolating -to the eye, like mutes at a funeral. We mentally -compared the Cascine drive and the Panjim corso, -and the result of the comparison was, that we<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37"></a>[37]</span> -wished a very good evening to the Señor, and went -home.</p> - -<p>“Salvador, what is that terrible noise—are they -slaughtering a pig—or murdering a boy?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing,” replied Salvador, “nothing whatever—some -Christian beating his wife.”</p> - -<p>“Is that a common recreation?”</p> - -<p>“Very.”</p> - -<p>So we found out to our cost. First one gentleman -chastised his spouse, then another, and then -another. To judge by the ear, the fair ones did -not receive the discipline with that patience, submission, -and long-suffering which Eastern dames are -most apocryphally believed to practise. In fact, -if the truth must be told, a prodigious scuffling -informed us that the game was being played with -similar good will, and nearly equal vigour by both -parties. The police at Goa never interfere with -these little domesticalities; the residents, we suppose, -lose the habit of hearing them, but the -stranger finds them disagreeable. Therefore, we -should strongly advise all future visitors to select -some place of residence where they may escape the -martial sounds that accompany such <i>tours de force</i> -when displayed by the lords and ladies of the -creation. On one occasion we were obliged to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38"></a>[38]</span> -change our lodgings for others less exposed to the -nuisance. Conceive inhabiting a snug corner of a -locality devoted to the conversion of pig into -pork!</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>“Sahib,” exclaimed Salvador, “you had better -go to bed, or retire into another room, for I see -the Señor Gaetano coming here as fast as his legs -can carry him.”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” we whispered, slipping rapidly -through the open door, “tell him we are out.” -And behind the wall we heard the message duly -delivered.</p> - -<p>But the Señor saw no reason in our being out -why he should not make himself at home. He -drew two chairs into the verandah, called for cigars -and sherry, fanned himself with his dirty brown -cotton pocket-handkerchief, and sat there patiently -awaiting our return.</p> - -<p>We did not forcibly eject that Señor. The fact is, -memory began to be busily at work, and dim scenes -of past times, happy days spent in our dear old -distant native land were floating and flashing before -our mental eye. Again we saw our neat little -rooms at ⸺ College, Oxford, our omnipresent -dun, Mr. Joye—what a name for a tailor!—comfortably<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39"></a>[39]</span> -ensconsed in the best arm-chair, with the -best of our regalias in his mouth, and the best of -our Port wine at his elbow, now warming his lean -hands before the blazing coal fire—it was very near -Christmas—now dreamily gazing at the ceiling, as -if £ <i>s.</i> <i>d.</i> were likely to drop through its plaster.</p> - -<p>And where were we?</p> - -<p>Echo cannot answer, so we must.</p> - -<p>Standing in the coal-hole—an aperture in the -wall of our bedchamber—whence seated upon a -mass of coke, we could distinctly discern through -the interstices of the door, Mr. Joye enjoying himself -as above described.</p> - -<p>Years of toil and travel and trouble had invested -that coal-hole with the roseate hue which loves to -linger over old faces and old past times; so we -went quietly to bed, sacrificing at the shrine of -Mnemosyne the sherry and the cheroots served to -us, and the kick-out deserved by the Señor Gaetano -de Gama, son of the Collector of Ribandar, and a -lineal descendent of the Gran Capitaõ.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40"></a>[40]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.<br> -<span class="smaller">OLD GOA AS IT WAS.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>“Señor,” said our cicerone, entering unannounced, -at about ten <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, “it is time for your -Excellency to prepare for an interview with his -Excellency the Governor-General of all the Indies; -and if it meet with your approbation, we can see -the library, and the celebrated statue of Alfonso de -Albuquerque on our way to the palacio.”</p> - -<p>The horses were soon saddled, and the Señor was -with some difficulty persuaded to mount. <i>En route</i> -his appearance afforded no small amusement to his -fellow townsmen, who grinned from ear to ear seeing -him clinging to the saddle, and holding on by -the bridle, with his back hunched, and his shoulders -towering above his ears like those of an excited cat. -The little Maharatta “man-eater”<a id="FNanchor_11" href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> was dancing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41"></a>[41]</span> -with disgust at this peculiar style of equitation, and -the vivacity of his movements so terrified the Señor, -that, to our extreme regret, he chose the first -moment to dismount under pretext of introducing -us to Albuquerque.</p> - -<p>The statue of that hero stands under a whitewashed -dome, in a small square opposite the east -front of the Barracks. It is now wrapped up in -matting, having lately received such injuries that it -was deemed advisable to send to Portugal for a new -nose and other requisites.</p> - -<p>The library disappointed us. We had heard -that it contained many volumes collected from -the different religious houses by order of the government, -and thus saved from mildew and the -white ants. Of course, we expected a variety of -MSS. and publications upon the subject of Oriental -languages and history, as connected with the -Portuguese settlements. The catalogue, however, -soon informed us that it was a mere ecclesiastical -library, dotted here and there with the common -classical authors; a few old books of travels; some -volumes of history, and a number of musty disquisitions -on ethics, politics, and metaphysics. We -could find only three Oriental works—a Syriac -book printed at Oxford, a manuscript Dictionary,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42"></a>[42]</span> -and a Grammar of the Concanee dialect of Maharatta.</p> - -<p>Arrived at the palace, we sent in our card, -and were desired to walk up. We were politely -received by an aide-de-camp, who, after ascertaining -that we could speak a few words of Portuguese, -left the room to inform the Governor of that prodigious -fact, which, doubtless, procured us the -honour of an interview with that exalted personage. -It did not last long enough to be tedious, still -we were not sorry when his Excellency retired -with the excuse of public business, and directed -the aide-de-camp to show us about the building. -There was not much to be seen in it, except a -tolerably extensive library, a private chapel, and -a suite of lofty and spacious saloons, with enormous -windows, and without furniture; containing -the portraits of all the Governors and Viceroys -of Portuguese India. The collection is, or rather -has been, a valuable one; unfortunately some Goth, -by the order of some worse than Goth, has renewed -and revived many of the best and oldest pictures, -till they have assumed a most ludicrous appearance. -The handsome and chivalrous-looking knights -have been taught to resemble the Saracen’s Head, -the Marquis of Granby, and other sign-post celebrities<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43"></a>[43]</span> -in England. An artist is, however, it is -said, coming from Portugal, and much scraping and -varnishing may do something for the De Gamas -and de Castros at present so miserably disfigured.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>And now, thank Goodness, all our troubles are -over. We can start as soon as we like for the -“ruin and the waste,” merely delaying to secure -a covered boat, victual it for a few days, and -lay in a store of jars of fresh water—a necessary -precaution against ague and malaria. Salvador is -to accompany us, and John Thomas has volunteered -to procure us a comfortable lodging in the Aljube, -or ecclesiastical prison.</p> - -<p>A couple of hours’ steady rowing will land us -at old Goa. As there is nothing to be said about -the banks which are lined with the eternal succession -of villages, palaces, villas, houses, cottages, -gardens, and cocoa-nut trees; instead of lingering -upon the uninteresting details, we will pass -the time in drawing out a short historical sketch -of the hapless city’s fortunes.</p> - -<p>It is not, we believe, generally known that there -are two old Goas. Ancient old Goa stood on the -south coast of the island, about two miles from -its more modern namesake. Ferishteh, and the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44"></a>[44]</span> -other Moslem annalists of India allude to it as a -great and celebrated seaport in the olden time. -It was governed by its own Rajah, who held it in -fief from the Princes of Beejanugger and the Carnatic. -In the fifteenth century it was taken by -the Moslem monarchs of the Bahmani line. Even -before the arrival of the Portuguese in India the -inhabitants began to desert their old seaport and -migrate to the second Goa. Of the ancient Hindoo -town no traces now remain, except some wretched -hovels clustering round a parish church. Desolation -and oblivion seem to have claimed all but -the name of the place, and none but the readers -of musty annals and worm-eaten histories are aware -that such a city ever existed.</p> - -<p>The modern old Goa was built about nineteen -years before the arrival of Vasco de Gama at -Calicut, an event fixed by the historian, Faria, on -20th of May, 1498. It was taken from the Moors -or Moslems by Albuquerque, about thirty years -after its foundation—a length of time amply sufficient -to make it a place of importance, considering -the mushroom-like rapidity with which empires and -their capitals shoot up in the East. Governed by -a succession of viceroys, many of them the bravest -and wisest of the Portuguese nation, Goa soon rose<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45"></a>[45]</span> -to a height of power, wealth, and magnificence -almost incredible. But the introduction of the -Jesuits, the Holy Tribunal, and its fatal offspring, -religious persecution; pestilence, and wars with -European and native powers, disturbances arising -from an unsettled home government, and, above all -things, the slow but sure workings of the short-sighted -policy of the Portuguese in intermarrying -and identifying themselves with Hindoos of the -lowest castes, made her fall as rapid as her rise -was sudden and prodigious. In less than a century -and a half after De Gama landed on the shore of -India, the splendour of Goa had departed for ever. -Presently the climate changed in that unaccountable -manner often witnessed in hot and tropical -countries. Every one fled from the deadly fever -that raged within the devoted precincts, and the -villages around began to thrive upon the decay of the -capital. At last, in 1758, the viceroy, a namesake -of Albuquerque, transferred his habitual residence -to Panjim. Soon afterwards the Jesuits were expelled, -and their magnificent convents and churches -were left all but utterly deserted. The Inquisition<a id="FNanchor_12" href="#Footnote_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> -was suppressed when the Portuguese court<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46"></a>[46]</span> -was at Rio Janeiro, at the recommendation of the -British Government—one of those good deeds with -which our native land atones for a multitude of -minor sins.</p> - -<p>The descriptions of Goa in her palmy days are, -thanks to the many travellers that visited the land, -peculiarly graphic and ample.</p> - -<p>First in the list, by seniority, stands Linschoten, -a native of Haarlem, who travelled to the -capital of Portuguese India about 1583, in company -with the Archbishop Fre Vincent de Fonçega. -After many years spent in the East, he returned -to his native country, and published his travels, -written in old French. The book is replete with -curious information. Linschoten’s account of the -riches and splendour of Goa would be judged exaggerated, -were they not testified to by a host of -other travellers. It is described as the finest, -largest, and most magnificent city in India: its -villas almost merited the title of palaces, and -seemed to be built for the purpose of displaying -the wealth and magnificence of the erectors. It -is said that during the prosperous times of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47"></a>[47]</span> -Portuguese in India, you could not have seen a -bit of “iron in any merchant’s house, but all gold -and silver.” They coined an immense quantity of -the precious metals, and used to make pieces of -workmanship in them for exportation. They were -a nation of traders, and the very soldiers enriched -themselves by commerce. After nine years’ service, -all those that came from Portugal were entitled to -some command, either by land or sea; they frequently, -however, rejected government employ on -account of being engaged in the more lucrative -pursuit of trade. The viceroyalty of Goa was one -of the most splendid appointments in the world. -There were five other governments, namely—Mozambique, -Malacca, Ormus, Muscat, and Ceylon, -the worst of which was worth ten thousand crowns -(about two thousand pounds) per annum—an -enormous sum in those days.</p> - -<p>The celebrated Monsieur Tavernier, Baron of -Aubonne, visited Goa twice; first in 1641, the -second time seven years afterwards. In his day -the city was declining rapidly,<a id="FNanchor_13" href="#Footnote_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> and even during<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48"></a>[48]</span> -the short period that elapsed between his two -voyages, he remarked that many whom he had -known as people of fashion, with above two thousand -crowns revenue, were reduced to visiting him -privately in the evening, and begging for alms. -Still, he observed, “they abated nothing, for all -that, of their inherent pride and haughtiness.” He -pays no compliment to the Portuguese character: -“They are the most revengeful persons, and the -most jealous of their wives in the world, and where -the least suspicion creeps into their saddles, they rid -themselves of them either by poison or dagger.” -The baron had no cause for complaint in his reception -at Goa by the viceroy, Don Philip de Mascaregnas, -who “made him very welcome, and esteeming -much a pistol, curiously inlaid,” which the traveller -presented to him, sent for him five or six times to -the Powder-house, or old palace. That viceroy -seems, however, to have been a dangerous host. -He was a most expert poisoner, and had used his -skill most diligently, ridding himself of many -enemies, when governor of Ceylon. At Goa he -used to admit no one to his table—even his own -family was excluded. He was the richest Portuguese -noble that ever left the East, especially in -diamonds, of which he had a large parcel containing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49"></a>[49]</span> -none but stones between ten and forty carats -weight. The Goanese hated him, hung him in -effigy before his departure, and when he died on -the voyage, reported that he had been poisoned in -the ship—a judgment from Heaven.</p> - -<p>Monsieur Tavernier visited the Inquisition, where -he was received with sundry “searching questions” -concerning his faith, the Protestant. During the -interview, the Inquisitor “told him that he was -welcome, calling out at the same time, for some -other persons to enter. Thereupon, the hangings -being held up, came in ten or twelve persons out -of a room hard by.” They were assured that the -traveller possessed no prohibited books; the prudent -Tavernier had left even his Bible behind him. -The Inquisidor Mor<a id="FNanchor_14" href="#Footnote_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> discoursed with him for a -couple of hours, principally upon the subject of his -wanderings, and, three days afterwards, sent him -a polite invitation to dinner.</p> - -<p>But a well-known practice of the Holy Tribunal—namely, -that of confiscating the gold, silver, and -jewels of every prisoner, to defray the expenses of -the process—had probably directed the Inquisitor’s -attention to so rich a traveller as the baron was. -Tavernier had, after all, rather a narrow escape from<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50"></a>[50]</span> -the Holy Office, in spite of its civilities. When -about to leave Goa, he imprudently requested and -obtained from the Viceroy, permission to take with -him one Mons. de Belloy, a countryman in distress. -This individual had deserted from the Dutch to the -Portuguese, and was kindly received by them. At -Macao, however, he lost his temper at play, and -“cursed the portraiture of some Papistical saint, as -the cause of his ill-luck.” For this impiety he was -forthwith sent by the Provincial Inquisitor to Goa, -but he escaped the stake by private interest with -the Viceroy,<a id="FNanchor_15" href="#Footnote_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> and was punished only by “wearing -old clothes, which were all to tatters and full of -vermin.” When Tavernier and his friend set sail, -the latter “became very violent, and swore against -the Inquisition like a madman.” That such procedure -was a dangerous one was proved by Mons. -de Belloy’s fate. He was rash enough to return -some months afterwards to Goa, where he remained -two years in the dungeons of the Holy Office, “from -which he was not discharged but with a sulphured<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51"></a>[51]</span> -shirt, and a St. Andrew’s cross upon his stomach.” -The unfortunate man was eventually taken prisoner -by the enraged “Hollanders,” put into a sack, and -thrown into the sea, as a punishment for desertion.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="illus3" style="max-width: 43.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/illus3.jpg" alt=""> - <p class="caption">R. Burton delᵗ. Printed by Hullmandel & Walton.</p> - <p class="caption-main">VIEW OF OLD GOA FROM THE MANDOVA OR CREEK.</p> - <p class="caption">London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.</p> -</div> - -<p>About twenty-five years after Tavernier’s departure. -Dellon, the French physician, who made himself -conspicuous by his “Relation de l’Inquisition -de Goa,” visited the city. By his own account, he -appears to have excited the two passions which -burn fiercest in the Portuguese bosom—jealousy -and bigotry. When at Daman, his “innocent -visits” to a lady, who was loved by Manuel de -Mendonça, the Governor, and a black priest, who -was secretary to the Inquisition, secured for him -a pair of powerful enemies. Being, moreover, an -amateur of Scholastic Theology, a willing disputer -with heretics and schismatics, a student of the Old -as well as the New Testament, and perhaps a little -dogmatical, as dilettanti divines generally are, he -presently found himself <i>brouillé</i> at the same place -with a Dominican friar. The Frenchman had refused -to kiss the figure of the Virgin, painted upon -the lids of the alms boxes: he had denied certain -effects of the baptism, called “flaminis,” protested -against the adoration of images, and finally capped -the whole by declaring that the decrees of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52"></a>[52]</span> -Holy Tribunal are not so infallible as those of the -Divine Author of Christianity. The horror-struck -auditor instantly denounced him with a variety of -additions and emendations sufficient to make his -case very likely to conclude with strangling and -burning.</p> - -<p>Perceiving a storm impending over him, our -physician waited upon the Commissary of the Inquisition, -if possible to avert the now imminent -danger. That gentlemanly old person seems to have -received him with uncommon urbanity, benevolently -offered much good advice, and lodged him in jail -with all possible expedition.</p> - -<p>The prison at Daman is described as a most -horrible place; hot, damp, fetid, dark, and crowded. -The inmates were half starved, and so miserable -that forty out of fifty Malabar pirates, who had been -imprisoned there, preferred strangling themselves -with their turbans to enduring the tortures of -such an earthly Hades.</p> - -<p>The first specimen of <i>savoir faire</i> displayed by -the Doctor’s enemies was to detain him in the -Daman jail till the triennial Auto da Fé at Goa had -taken place; thereby causing for him at least two -years’ delay and imprisonment in the capital before -he could be brought to trial. Having succeeded in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53"></a>[53]</span> -this they sent him heavily ironed on board a boat -which finally deposited him in the Casa Santa.<a id="FNanchor_16" href="#Footnote_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> -There he was taken before the Mesa, or Board, -stripped of all his property, and put into the <i>chambrette</i> -destined for his reception.</p> - -<p>Three weary years spent in that dungeon gave -Dellon ample time to experience and reflect upon -the consequences of amativeness and disputativeness. -After being thrice examined by the grand -Inquisitor, and persuaded to confess his sins by -the false promise of liberty held out to him, -driven to despair by the system of solitary imprisonment, -by the cries of those who were being -tortured, and by anticipations of the noose and -the faggot, he made three attempts to commit -suicide. During the early part of his convalescence -he was allowed the luxury of a negro fellow-prisoner -in his cell; but when he had recovered -strength this indulgence was withdrawn. Five or -six other examinations rapidly succeeded each other, -and finally, on the 11th of January, 1676, he was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54"></a>[54]</span> -fortunate enough to be present at the Auto da Fé -in that garb of good omen, the black dress with -white stripes. The sentence was confiscation of -goods and chattels, banishment from India, five -years of the galleys in Portugal, and a long list -of various penances to be performed during the -journey.</p> - -<p>On arriving at Lisbon he was sent to the hulks, -but by the interest of his fellow-countrymen he -recovered his liberty in June, 1677. About eleven -years afterwards he published anonymously a little -volume containing an account of his sufferings. By -so doing he broke the oaths of secrecy administered -to him by the Holy Tribunal, but probably he found -it easy enough to salve his conscience in that -matter.</p> - -<p>The next in our list stands the good Capt. Hamilton, -a sturdy old merchant militant, who infested -the Eastern seas about the beginning of the -eighteenth century.</p> - -<p>The captain’s views of the manners and customs -of the people are more interesting than his description -of the city. After alluding to their habits -of intoxication he proceeds to the subject of religion, -and terms both clergy and laity “a pack of -the most atrocious hypocrites in the world;” and,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55"></a>[55]</span> -at the same time, “most zealous bigots.” There -were not less than eighty churches, convents, and -monasteries within view of the town, and these were -peopled by “thirty thousand church vermin who -live idly and luxuriously on the labour and sweat -of the miserable laity.” Our voyager then falls -foul of the <i>speciosa miracula</i> of St. Francis de -Xavier. He compares the holy corpse to that of -“new scalded pig,” opines that it is a “pretty piece -of wax-work that serves to gull the people,” and -utterly disbelieves that the amputated right-arm, -when sent to Rome to stand its trial for sainthood, -took hold of the pen, dipped it in ink and fairly -wrote “Xavier” in full view of the sacred college.</p> - -<p>The poverty of Goa must have been great in -Capt. Hamilton’s time, when “the houses were -poorly furnished within like their owners’ heads, -and the tables and living very mean.” The army -was so ill-paid and defrauded that the soldiers were -little better than common thieves and assassins. -Trade was limited to salt and arrack, distilled from -the cocoa-nut. The downfall of Goa had been hastened -by the loss of Muscat to the Arabs, a disaster -brought on by the Governor’s insolent folly,<a id="FNanchor_17" href="#Footnote_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> by an<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56"></a>[56]</span> -attack made in 1660 upon the capital by a Dutch -squadron, which, though it failed in consequence of -the strength of the fortifications, still caused great -loss and misery to the Portuguese, and finally by -the Maharatta war. In 1685, Seevagee, the Robert -Bruce of Southern India, got a footing in the -island, and would have taken the city had he not -been—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“Foiled by a woman’s hand before a broken wall.”</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The “Maid of Goa” was one Donna Maria, a -Portuguese lady, who travelled to Goa dressed like -a man in search of a perfidious swain who had been -guilty of breach of promise of marriage. She found -him at last and challenged him to the duello with -sword and pistol, but the gentleman declined the -invitation, preferring to marry than to fight Donna -Maria.</p> - -<p>A few years afterwards the Maharatta war began, -and the heroine excited by her country’s losses, -and, of course, directed by inspiration, headed a -sally against Seevagee, took a redoubt, and cut<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57"></a>[57]</span> -all the heathen in it to pieces. The enemy, probably -struck by some superstitious terror, precipitately -quitted the island, and the Donna’s noble -exploit was rewarded with a captain’s pay for life.</p> - -<p>We conclude with the Rev. Mons. Cottineau de -Kleguen, a French missionary, who died at Madras -in 1830. His “Historical Sketch of Goa” was -published the year after his death. It is useful as -a guide-book to the buildings, and gives much information -about ecclesiastical matters. In other -points it is defective in the extreme. As might be -expected from a zealous Romanist, the reverend -gentleman stands up stoutly for the inquisition in -spite of his “entire impartiality,” and displays -much curious art in defending the Jesuits’ peculiar -process of detaching the pagans from idol worship, -by destroying their temples and pagodas.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58"></a>[58]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.<br> -<span class="smaller">OLD GOA AS IT IS.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>The setting sun was pouring a torrent of crimson -light along the Rio as the prow of our canoe -bumped against the steps of the wharf, warning us -that we had at length reached our destination. -The landing-place is a little beyond the arsenal, and -commands a full view of the cathedral and other -conspicuous objects. The first glance around convinced -us that we were about to visit a city of the -dead, and at once swept away the delusion caused -by the distant view of white-washed churches and -towers, glittering steeples and domes.</p> - -<p>As such places should always, in our humble -opinion, be visited for the first time by moonlight, -we spent an hour or two in ascertaining what -accommodations the Aljube, or ecclesiastical prison, -would afford. Dellon’s terrible description of the -place had prepared us for “roughing it,” but we<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59"></a>[59]</span> -were agreeably disappointed.<a id="FNanchor_18" href="#Footnote_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a> The whole building, -with the exception of a few upper rooms, had been -cleaned, plastered, and painted, till it presented a -most respectable appearance. Salvador, it is true, -had ventured into the garrets, and returned with -his pantaloons swarming with animal life. This, -however, only suggested the precaution of placing -water-pots under the legs of our “Waterloo,” and -strewing the floor with the leaves of the “sacred -grass,” a vegetable luxury abounding in this part of -the world.</p> - -<p>When the moon began to sail slowly over the -eastern hills, we started on our tour of inspection, -and, as a preliminary measure, walked down the -wharf, a long and broad road, lined with double -rows of trees, and faced with stone, opposite the -sea. A more suggestive scene could not be conceived -than the utter desolation which lay before -us. Everything that met the eye or ear seemed -teeming with melancholy associations; the very -rustling of the trees and the murmur of the waves -sounded like a dirge for the departed grandeur of -the city.</p> - -<p>A few minutes’ walk led us to a conspicuous<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60"></a>[60]</span> -object on the right hand side of the wharf. It was -a solitary gateway, towering above the huge mass -of ruins which flanks the entrance to the Strada -Diretta.<a id="FNanchor_19" href="#Footnote_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> On approaching it we observed the -statue of Saint Catherine,<a id="FNanchor_20" href="#Footnote_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a> shrined in an upper -niche, and a grotesque figure of Vasco de Gama in -one beneath. Under this arch the newly-appointed -viceroys of Goa used to pass in triumphal procession -towards the palace.</p> - -<p>Beyond the gateway a level road, once a populous -thoroughfare, leads to the Terra di Sabaio, a large -square, fronting the Se Primaçial or Cathedral of -Saint Catherine, and flanked by the Casa Santa. -Before visiting the latter spot we turned to the left, -and ascending a heap of ruins, looked down upon -the excavation, which now marks the place where -the Viceregal Palace rose. The building, which occupied -more than two acres of ground, has long -been razed from the very foundations, and the -ground on which it stood is now covered with the -luxuriant growth of poisonous plants and thorny -trees. As we wandered amidst them, a solitary<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61"></a>[61]</span> -jackal, slinking away from the intruder, was the -only living being that met our view, and the deep -bell of the cathedral, marking the lapse of time -for dozens, where hundreds of thousands had once -hearkened to it, the only sound telling of man’s -presence that reached our ear.</p> - -<p>In the streets beyond, nothing but the foundations -of the houses could be traced, the tall cocoa -and the lank grass waving rankly over many a -forgotten building. In the only edifices which -superstition has hitherto saved, the churches, convents, -and monasteries, a window or two, dimly -lighted up, showed that here and there dwells some -solitary priest. The whole scene reminded us of -the Arab’s eloquent description of the “city with -impenetrable gates, still, without a voice or a cheery -inhabitant: the owl hooting in its quarters, and -birds skimming in circles in its areas, and the raven -croaking in its great thoroughfare streets, as if -bewailing those that had been in it.” What a contrast -between the moonlit scenery of the distant -bay, smiling in all eternal Nature’s loveliness, and -the dull grey piles of ruined or desolate habitations, -the short-lived labours of man!</p> - -<p>We turned towards the Casa Santa, and with -little difficulty climbed to the top of the heaps<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62"></a>[62]</span> -which mark the front where its three gates stood. -In these remains the eye, perhaps influenced by -imagination, detects something more than usually -dreary. A curse seems to have fallen upon it; not -a shrub springs between the fragments of stone, -which, broken and blackened with decay, are left -to encumber the soil, as unworthy of being removed.</p> - -<p>Whilst we were sitting there, an old priest, who -was preparing to perform mass in the cathedral, -came up and asked what we were doing.</p> - -<p>“Looking at the Casa Santa,” we answered. He -inquired if we were Christian, meaning, of course, -Roman Catholic. We replied in the affirmative, -intending, however, to use the designation in its -ampler sense.</p> - -<p>“Ah, very well,” replied our interrogator. “I -put the question, because the heretics from Bombay -and other places always go to see the Casa Santa -first in order to insult its present state.”</p> - -<p>And the Señor asked us whether we would -attend mass at the cathedral; we declined, however, -with a promise to admire its beauties the -next day, and departed once more on our wanderings.</p> - -<p>For an hour or two we walked about without<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63"></a>[63]</span> -meeting a single human being. Occasionally we -could detect a distant form disappearing from the -road, and rapidly threading its way through the -thick trees as we drew near. Such precaution is -still deemed necessary at Goa, though the inducements -to robbery or violence, judging from the -appearance of the miserable inhabitants, must be -very small.</p> - -<p>At last, fatigued with the monotony of the ruins -and the length of the walk, we retraced our steps, -and passing down the Strada Diretta, sat under the -shade of a tree facing the Rio. Nothing could be -more delicately beautiful than the scene before us—the -dark hills, clothed with semi-transparent mist, -the little streams glistening like lines of silver over -the opposite plain, and the purple surface of the -creek stretched at our feet. Most musically too, -the mimic waves splashed against the barrier of -stone, and the soft whisperings of the night breeze -alternately rose and fell in unison with the voice of -the waters.</p> - -<p>Suddenly we heard, or thought we heard, a -groan proceeding from behind the tree. It was -followed by the usual Hindoo ejaculation of “Ram! -Ram!”<a id="FNanchor_21" href="#Footnote_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64"></a>[64]</span></p> - -<p>Our curiosity was excited. We rose from our -seat and walked towards the place whence the -sound came.</p> - -<p>By the clear light of the moon we could distinguish -the emaciated form and features of an old -Jogee.<a id="FNanchor_22" href="#Footnote_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a> He was sparingly dressed, in the usual -ochre-coloured cotton clothes, and sat upon the -ground, with his back against the trunk of the tree. -As he caught sight of us, he raised himself upon -his elbow, and began to beg in the usual whining -tone.</p> - -<p>“Thy gift will serve for my funeral,” he said -with a faint smile, pointing to a few plantain leaf -platters, containing turmeric, red powder, rice, and -a few other similar articles.</p> - -<p>We inquired into what he considered the signs -and symptoms of approaching dissolution. It was -a complaint that must have caused him intense -pain, which any surgeon could have instantly alleviated. -We told him what medical skill could do, -offered to take him at once where assistance could -be procured, and warned him that the mode of -suicide which he proposed to carry out, would be -one of most agonising description.</p> - -<p>“I consider this disease a token from the Bhagwán<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65"></a>[65]</span> -(the Almighty) that this form of existence is -finished!” and he stedfastly refused all aid.</p> - -<p>We asked whether pain might not make him -repent his decision, perhaps too late. His reply -was characteristic of his caste. Pointing to a long -sabre cut, which seamed the length of his right -side, he remarked,</p> - -<p>“I have been a soldier—under your rule. If I -feared not death in fighting at the word of the -Feringee, am I likely, do you think, to shrink from -it when the Deity summons me?”</p> - -<p>It is useless to argue with these people; so we -confined ourselves to inquiring what had made him -leave the Company’s service.</p> - -<p>He told us the old story, the cause of half the -asceticism in the East—a disappointment in an -<i>affaire de cœur</i>. After rising to the rank of <i>naick</i>, -or corporal, very rapidly, in consequence of saving -the life of an officer at the siege of Poonah, he and -a comrade obtained leave of absence, and returned -to their native hamlet, in the Maharatta hills. -There he fell in love, desperately, as Orientals only -can, with the wife of the village Brahman. A few -months afterwards the husband died, and it was -determined by the caste brethren that the relict -should follow him, by the Suttee rite. The soldier,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66"></a>[66]</span> -however, resolved to save her, and his comrade, -apprised of his plans, promised to aid him with -heart and hand.</p> - -<p>The pyre was heaped up, and surrounded by a -throng of gazers collected to witness the ceremony, -so interesting and exciting to a superstitious -people.</p> - -<p>At length the Suttee appeared, supported by her -female relations, down the path opened to her by -the awe-struck crowd. Slowly she ascended the -pile of firewood; and, after distributing little gifts -to those around, sat down, with the head of the -deceased in her lap. At each of the four corners -of the pyre was a Brahman, chaunting some holy -song. Presently the priest who stood fronting the -south-east, retired to fetch the sacred fire.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a horseman, clad in yellow clothes,<a id="FNanchor_23" href="#Footnote_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a> -dashed out of a neighbouring thicket. Before any -had time to oppose him, his fierce little Maharatta -pony clove the throng, and almost falling upon his -haunches with the effort, stood motionless by the -side of the still unlit pyre. At that instant the -widow, assisted by a friendly hand, rose from her -seat, and was clasped in the horseman’s arms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67"></a>[67]</span></p> - -<p>One touch of the long Maharatta spur, and the -pony again bounds, plunging through the crowd, -towards the place whence he came. Another moment -and they will be saved!</p> - -<p>Just as the fugitives are disappearing behind the -thicket, an arrow shot from the bow of a Rankari,<a id="FNanchor_24" href="#Footnote_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a> -missing its mark, pierces deep into the widow’s side.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The soldier buried his paramour under the tree -where we were sitting. Life had no longer any -charms for him. He never returned to his corps, -and resolved to devote himself to futurity.</p> - -<p>It was wonderful, considering the pain he must -have been enduring, to hear him relate his tale so -calmly and circumstantially.</p> - -<p>The next morning, when we passed by the spot, -three or four half-naked figures, in the holy garb, -were sitting like mourners round the body of the -old Jogee.</p> - -<p>Strange the contempt for life shown by all these -metempsychosists. Had we saved that man by main -force—an impossibility, by the by, under the circumstances -of the case—he would have cursed us, -during the remnant of his days, for committing an<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68"></a>[68]</span> -act of bitter and unprovoked enmity. With the -Hindoo generally, death is a mere darkening of the -stage in the mighty theatre of mundane life. To -him the Destroyer appears unaccompanied by the -dread ideas of the Moslem tomb-torments, or the -horror with which the Christian<a id="FNanchor_25" href="#Footnote_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a> looks towards the -Great Day; and if Judgment, and its consecutive -state of reward or punishment, be not utterly unknown -to him, his mind is untrained to dwell upon -such events. Consequently, with him Death has -lost half his sting, and the Pyre can claim no victory -over him.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Old Goa has few charms when seen by the light -of day. The places usually visited are the Se -Primaçial (Cathedral), the nunnery of Santa Monaca, -and the churches of St. Francis, St. Gaetano, and -Bom Jesus. The latter contains the magnificent -tomb of St. Francis Xavier. His saintship, however, -is no longer displayed to reverential gazers in -mummy or “scalded pig” form. Altogether we -reckoned about thirty buildings. Many of them -were falling to ruins, and others were being, or -had been, partially demolished. The extraordinary<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69"></a>[69]</span> -amount of havoc committed during the last thirty<a id="FNanchor_26" href="#Footnote_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a> -years, is owing partly to the poverty of the Portuguese. -Like the modern Romans, they found it -cheaper to carry away cut stone, than to quarry it; -but, unlike the inhabitants of the Eternal City, they -have now no grand object in preserving the ruins. -At Panjim, we were informed that even the wood-work -that decorates some of the churches, had been -put up for sale.</p> - -<p>The edifices, which are still in good repair, may -be described in very few words. They are, generally -speaking, large rambling piles, exposing an -extensive surface of white-washed wall, surmounted -by sloping roofs of red tile, with lofty belfries and -small windows. The visitor will admire the vastness -of the design, the excellence of the position, -and the adaptation of the architecture to the -country and climate. But there his praise will -cease. With the exception of some remarkable -wood-work, the minor decorations of paintings and -statues are inferior to those of any Italian village -church. As there is no such thing as coloured -marble in the country, parts of the walls are painted<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70"></a>[70]</span> -exactly in the style of a small <i>cabaret</i> in the south -of France. The frescoes are of the most grotesque -description. Pontius Pilate is accommodated with -a huge Turkish turban; and the other saints and -sinners appear in costumes equally curious in an -historical and pictorial point of view. Some groups, -as for instance the Jesuit martyrs upon the walls -of Saint Francis, are absolutely ludicrous. Boiled, -roasted, grilled and hashed missionaries, looking -more like seals than men, gaze upon you with an -eternal smile. A semi-decapitated individual stands -bolt upright during the painful process which is -being performed by a score of grim-looking heathen. -And black savages are uselessly endeavouring to -stick another dart in the epidermis of some unfortunate, -whose body has already become more</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“Like an Egyptian porcupig”</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">than aught human. One may fancy what an exhibition -it is, from the following fact. Whenever -a picture or fresco fades, the less brilliant parts are -immediately supplied with a coating of superior -vividness by the hand of a common house-decorator. -They reminded us forcibly of the studio of an -Anglo-Indian officer, who, being devotedly fond of -pictorial pursuits, and rather pinched for time<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71"></a>[71]</span> -withal, used to teach his black servants to lay the -blue, green, and brown on the canvas, and when he -could spare a leisure moment, return to scrape, brush, -and glaze the colour into sky, trees, and ground.</p> - -<p>Very like the paintings is the sculpture: it presents -a series of cherubims, angels, and saints, -whose very aspect makes one shudder, and think of -Frankenstein. Stone is sometimes, wood the material -generally used. The latter is almost always -painted to make the statue look as unlike life as -possible.</p> - -<p>Yet in spite of these disenchanting details, a -feeling not unallied to awe creeps over one when -wandering down the desert aisles, or through the -crowdless cloisters. In a cathedral large enough for -a first-rate city in Europe, some twenty or thirty -native Christians may be seen at their devotions, -and in monasteries built for hundreds of monks, a -single priest is often the only occupant. The few -human beings that meet the eye, increase rather -than diminish the dismal effect of the scene; as -sepulchral looking as the spectacle around them, -their pallid countenances, and emaciated forms seem -so many incarnations of the curse of desolation -which still hovers over the ruins of Old Goa.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72"></a>[72]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>We felt curious to visit the nunnery of Santa -Monaca, an order said to be strict in the extreme. -The nuns are called madres (mothers) by the -natives, in token of respect, and are supposed to -lead a very correct life. Most of these ladies are -born in the country; they take the veil at any age -when favoured with a vocation.</p> - -<p>Our curiosity was disappointed. All we saw was -a variety of black handmaids, and the portress, an -antiquated lay sister, who insisted upon our purchasing -many rosaries and sweetmeats. Her garrulity -was excessive; nothing would satisfy her -desire for mastering the intricacies of modern Portuguese -annals but a long historical sketch by us -fancifully impromptued. Her heart manifestly -warmed towards us when we gave her the information -required. Upon the strength of it she led us -into a most uninteresting chapel, and pointed out -the gallery occupied by the nuns during divine -service. As, however, a close grating and a curtain -behind it effectually conceal the spot from eyes -profane, we derived little advantage from her -civility. We hinted and hinted that an introduction -to the prioress would be very acceptable—in -vain; and when taking heart of grace we openly -asked permission to view the cloisters, which are<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73"></a>[73]</span> -said to be worth seeing, the amiable old <i>soror</i> replied -indignantly, that it was utterly impossible. -It struck us forcibly that there was some mystery in -the case, and accordingly determined to hunt it out.</p> - -<p>“Did the Sahib tell them that he is an Englishman?” -asked Salvador, after at least an hour’s hesitation, -falsification, and prevarication produced by a -palpable desire to evade the subject.</p> - -<p>We answered affirmatively, and inquired what -our country had to do with our being refused admittance?</p> - -<p>“Everything,” remarked Salvador. He then proceeded -to establish the truth of his assertion by a -variety of distorted and disjointed fragments of an -adventure, which the labour of our ingenious cross-questioning -managed to put together in the following -form.</p> - -<p>“About ten years ago,” said Salvador, “I returned -to Goa with my master, Lieut. ⸺, of the — -Regt., a very clever gentleman, who knew everything. -He could talk to each man of a multitude -in his own language, and all of them would -appear equally surprised by, and delighted with -him. Besides, his faith was every man’s faith. In -a certain Mussulmanee country he married a girl, -and divorced her a week afterwards. Moreover, he<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74"></a>[74]</span> -chaunted the Koran, and the circumcised dogs considered -him a kind of saint. The Hindoos also -respected him, because he always eat his beef in -secret, spoke religiously of the cow, and had a -devil, (<i>i.e.</i>, some heathen image) in an inner room. -At Cochin he went to the Jewish place of worship, -and read a large book, just like a priest. Ah! he -was a clever Sahib that! he could send away a -rampant and raging creditor playful as a little -goat, and borrow more money from Parsees at less -interest than was ever paid or promised by any -other gentleman in the world.</p> - -<p>“At last my master came to Goa, where of course -he became so pious a Christian that he kept a priest -in the house—to perfect him in Portuguese—and -attended mass once a day. And when we went to -see the old city, such were the fervency of his -lamentations over the ruins of the Inquisition, and -the frequency of his dinners to the Padre of Saint -Francis, that the simple old gentleman half canonized -him in his heart. But I guessed that some -trick was at hand, when a pattimar, hired for a -month, came and lay off the wharf stairs, close to -where the Sahib is now sitting; and presently it -appeared that my officer had indeed been cooking -a pretty kettle of fish!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75"></a>[75]</span></p> - -<p>“My master had been spending his leisure hours -with the Prioress of Santa Monaca, who—good lady—when -informed by him that his sister, a young -English girl, was only waiting till a good comfortable -quiet nunnery could be found for her, not -only showed her new friend about the cloisters and -dormitories, but even introduced him to some of the -nuns. Edifying it must have been to see his meek -countenance as he detailed to the Madres his well-digested -plans for the future welfare of that apocryphal -little child, accompanied with a thousand -queries concerning the style of living, the moral -and religious education, the order and the discipline -of the convent. The Prioress desired nothing more -than to have an English girl in her house—except, -perhaps, the monthly allowance of a hundred -rupees which the affectionate brother insisted upon -making to her.</p> - -<p>“You must know, Sahib, that the madres are, -generally speaking, by no means good-looking. -They wear ugly white clothes, and cut their hair -short, like a man’s. But, the Latin professor—”</p> - -<p>“The who?”</p> - -<p>“The Latin professor, who taught the novices -and the younger nuns learning, was a very pretty -white girl, with large black eyes, a modest smile,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76"></a>[76]</span> -and a darling of a figure. As soon as I saw that -Latin professor’s face, I understood the whole nature -and disposition of the affair.</p> - -<p>“My master at first met with some difficulty, -because the professor did not dare to look at him, -and, besides, was always accompanied by an elder -sister.”</p> - -<p>“Then, how did he manage?”</p> - -<p>“Hush, sir, for Santa Maria’s sake; here comes -the priest of Bom Jesus, to return the Sahib’s -call.”</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77"></a>[77]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.<br> -<span class="smaller">RETURN TO PANJIM.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>Once more the canoe received us under its -canopy, and the boatmen’s oars, plunging into the -blue wave, sounded an adieu to old Goa. After -the last long look, with which the departing -vagrant contemplates a spot where he has spent -a happy day or two, we mentally reverted to the -adventure of the Latin professor, and made all -preparations for hearing it to the end.</p> - -<p>“Well, Sahib,” resumed Salvador, “I told you -that my master’s known skill in such matters was -at first baffled by the professor’s bashfulness, and -the presence of a grim-looking sister. But he was -not a man to be daunted by difficulties: in fact, -he became only the more ardent in the pursuit. -By dint of labour and perseverance, he succeeded -in bringing the lady to look at him, and being -rather a comely gentleman, that was a considerable<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78"></a>[78]</span> -point gained. Presently her eternal blushings gave -way, though occasionally one would pass over her -fair face when my master’s eyes lingered a little too -long there: the next step in advance was the selection -of an aged sister, who, being half blind with -conning over her breviary, and deaf as a dead -donkey, made a very suitable escort.”</p> - -<p>“Pray, how did you learn all these particulars?”</p> - -<p>“Ah, Sahib,” replied Salvador, “my master became -communicative enough when he wanted my -services, and during the trip which we afterwards -made down the coast.</p> - -<p>“I was now put forward in the plot. After two -days spent in lecturing me as carefully as a young -girl is primed for her first confession, I was sent up -to the nunnery with a bundle of lies upon my -tongue, and a fatal necessity for telling them under -pain of many kicks. I did it, but my repentance -has been sincere, so may the Virgin forgive me!” -ejaculated Salvador, with fervent piety, crossing -himself at the same time.</p> - -<p>“And, Sahib, I also carried a present of some -Cognac—called European medicine—to the prioress, -and sundry similar little gifts to the other officials, not -excepting the Latin professor. To her, I presented<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79"></a>[79]</span> -a nosegay, containing a little pink note, whose -corner just peeped out of the chambeli<a id="FNanchor_27" href="#Footnote_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a> blossoms. -With fear and trembling I delivered it, and was -overjoyed to see her presently slip out of the room. -She returned in time to hear me tell the prioress that -my master was too ill to wait upon them that day, -and by the young nun’s earnest look as she awaited -my answer to the superior’s question concerning the -nature of the complaint, I concluded that the poor -thing was in a fair way for perdition. My reply -relieved their anxiety. Immediately afterwards -their curiosity came into play. A thousand questions -poured down upon me, like the pitiless pelting -of a monsoon rain. My master’s birth, parentage, -education, profession, travels, rank, age, fortune, -religion, and prospects, were demanded and re-demanded, -answered and re-answered, till my brain -felt tired. According to instructions, I enlarged -upon his gallantry in action, his chastity and -temperance, his love for his sister, and his sincere -devotion to the Roman Catholic faith.”</p> - -<p>“A pretty specimen of a rascal you proved yourself, -then!”</p> - -<p>“What could I do, Sahib?” said Salvador, with -a hopeless shrug of the shoulders, and an expression<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80"></a>[80]</span> -of profound melancholy. “My master never failed -to find out a secret, and had I deceived him—”</p> - -<p>“Well!”</p> - -<p>“My allusion to the sister provoked another outburst -of inquisitiveness. On this subject, also, I -satisfied them by a delightful description of the dear -little creature, whose beauty attracted, juvenile -piety edified, and large fortune enchanted every one. -The eyes of the old prioress glistened from behind -her huge cheeks, as I dwelt upon the latter part of -the theme especially: but I remarked the Latin -professor was so little interested by it, that she had -left the room. When she returned, a book, bound -in dirty white parchment, with some huge letters -painted on the back of the binding, was handed -over to me for transmission to my master; who, it -appears, had been very anxious to edify his mind -by perusing the life of the holy Saint Augustine.</p> - -<p>“After at least three hours spent in perpetual -conversation, and the occasional discussion of mango -cheese, I was allowed to depart, laden with messages, -amidst a shower of benedictions upon my master’s -head, prayers for his instant recovery, and anticipations -of much pleasure in meeting him.</p> - -<p>“I should talk till we got to Calicut, Sahib, if -I were to detail to you the adventures of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81"></a>[81]</span> -ensuing fortnight. My master passed two nights -in the cloisters—not praying, I suppose; the days -he spent in conversation with the prioress and sub-prioress, -two holy personages who looked rather like -Guzerat apes than mortal women. At the end of -the third week a swift-sailing pattimar made its -appearance.</p> - -<p>“I was present when my master took leave of -the Superior, and an affecting sight it was; the -fervour with which he kissed the hand of his -‘second mother,’ his ‘own dear sister’s future protectress.’ -How often he promised to return from -Bombay, immediately that the necessary preparations -were made! how carefully he noted down the -many little commissions entrusted to him! And, -how naturally his eyes moistened as, receiving the -benediction, he withdrew from the presence of the -reverend ladies!</p> - -<p>“But that same pattimar was never intended for -Bombay; I knew <span class="smcap">that</span>!</p> - -<p>“My master and I immediately packed up everything. -Before sunset all the baggage and servants -were sent on board, with the exception of myself, -who was ordered to sit under the trees on the side -of the wharf, and an Affghan scoundrel, who went -out walking with the Sahib about eleven o’clock<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82"></a>[82]</span> -that night. The two started, in native dresses, -with their turbans concealing all but the parts -about their eyes; both carried naked knives, long -and bright enough to make one shake with fear, -tucked under their arms, with dark lanterns in -their hands. My master’s face—as usual when he -went upon such expeditions—was blackened, and -with all respect, speaking in your presence, I never -saw an English gentleman look more like a Mussulman -thief!”</p> - -<p>“But why make such preparations against a house -full of unprotected women?”</p> - -<p>“Because, Sahib,” replied Salvador, “at night -there are always some men about the nunnery. -The knives, however, were only in case of an accident; -for, as I afterwards learned, the Latin professor -had mixed up a little datura<a id="FNanchor_28" href="#Footnote_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a> seed with the -tobacco served out to the guards that evening.</p> - -<p>“A little after midnight I felt a kick, and awoke. -Two men hurried me on board the pattimar, which -had weighed anchor as the clock struck twelve. -Putting out her sweeps she glided down the Rio -swiftly and noiselessly.</p> - -<p>“When the drowsiness of sleep left my eyelids I -observed that the two men were my master and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83"></a>[83]</span> -that ruffian Khudadad. I dared not, however, ask -any questions, as they both looked fierce as wounded -tigers, though the Sahib could not help occasionally -showing a kind of smile. They went to the -head of the boat, and engaged in deep conversation, -through the medium of some tongue to me -unknown; and it was not before we had passed -under the guns of the Castello, and were dancing -merrily over the blue water, that my officer retired -to his bed.</p> - -<p>“And what became of the Latin professor?”</p> - -<p>“The Sahib shall hear presently. In the morning -I was called up for examination, but my innocence -bore me through that trial safely. My master -naturally enough suspected me of having played -him some trick. The impression, however, soon -wore off, and I was favoured with the following -detail of his night’s adventure.</p> - -<p>“Exactly as the bell struck twelve, my Sahib and -his cut-throat had taken their stand outside the -little door leading into the back-garden. According -to agreement previously made, one of them began -to bark like a jackal, while the other responded -regularly with the barking of a watch-dog. After -some minutes spent in this exercise they carefully -opened the door with a false key, stole<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84"></a>[84]</span> -through the cloisters, having previously forced the -lock of the grating with their daggers, and made -their way towards the room where the Latin professor -slept. But my master, in the hurry of the -moment, took the wrong turning, and found himself -in the chamber of the sub-prioress, whose sleeping -form was instantly raised, embraced, and borne off -in triumph by the exulting Khudadad.</p> - -<p>“My officer lingered for a few minutes to ascertain -that all was right. He then crept out of the room, -closed the door outside, passed through the garden, -carefully locked the gate, whose key he threw away, -and ran towards the place where he had appointed -to meet Khudadad, and his lovely burthen. But -imagine his horror and disgust when, instead of the -expected large black eyes and the pretty little rosebud -of a mouth, a pair of rolling yellow balls -glared fearfully in his face, and two big black lips, -at first shut with terror, began to shout and scream -and abuse him with all their might.</p> - -<p>“‘Khudadad, we have eaten filth,’ said my master, -‘how are we to lay this she-devil?’</p> - -<p>“‘Cut her throat?’ replied the ruffian.</p> - -<p>“‘No, that won’t do. Pinion her arms, gag her -with your handkerchief, and leave her—we must -be off instantly.’</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85"></a>[85]</span></p> - -<p>“So they came on board, and we set sail as I -recounted to your honour.”</p> - -<p>“But why didn’t your master, when he found out -his mistake, return for the Latin professor?”</p> - -<p>“Have I not told the Sahib that the key of the -garden-gate had been thrown away, the walls cannot -be scaled, and all the doors are bolted and -barred every night as carefully as if a thousand -prisoners were behind them?”</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The population of Goa is composed of three -heterogeneous elements, namely, pure Portuguese, -black Christians, and the heathenry. A short description -of each order will, perhaps, be acceptable to -the reader.</p> - -<p>The European portion of Goanese society may -be subdivided into two distinct parts—the officials, -who visit India on their tour of service, and the -white families settled in the country. The former -must leave Portugal for three years; and if in the -army get a step by so doing. At the same time as, -unlike ourselves, they derive no increase of pay -from the expatriation, their return home is looked -forward to with great impatience. Their existence -in the East must be one of endurance. They complain -bitterly of their want of friends, the disagreeable<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86"></a>[86]</span> -state of society, and the dull stagnant -life they are compelled to lead. They despise their -dark brethren, and consider them uncouth in manner, -destitute of <i>usage</i> in society, and deficient in -honour, courage,<a id="FNanchor_29" href="#Footnote_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a> and manliness. The despised -retort by asserting that the white Portuguese are -licentious, ill-informed, haughty, and reserved. No -better proof of how utterly the attempt to promote -cordiality between the European and the -Asiatic by a system of intermarriage and equality -of rights has failed in practice can be adduced, than -the utter contempt in which the former holds the -latter at Goa. No Anglo-Indian Nabob sixty years -ago ever thought less of a “nigger” than a Portuguese -officer now does. But as there is perfect -equality, political<a id="FNanchor_30" href="#Footnote_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a> as well as social, between the two -colours, the “whites,” though reduced to the level<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87"></a>[87]</span> -of the herd, hold aloof from it; and the “blacks” -feel able to associate with those who despise them -but do so rarely and unwillingly. Few open signs -of dislike appear to the unpractised observer in -the hollow politeness always paraded whenever the -two parties meet; but when a Portuguese gentleman -becomes sufficiently intimate with a stranger -to be communicative, his first political diatribe is -directed against his dark fellow-subjects. We were -assured by a high authority that the native members -of a court-martial, if preponderating, would -certainly find a European guilty, whether rightly -or wrongly, <i>n’importe</i>. The same gentleman, when -asked which method of dealing with the natives -he preferred, Albuquerque’s or that of Leadenhall -Street, unhesitatingly replied, “the latter, as it is -better to keep one’s enemies out of doors.” How -like the remark made to Sir A. Burnes by Runjeet -Singh, the crafty old politician of Northern India.</p> - -<p>The reader may remember that it was Albuquerque<a id="FNanchor_31" href="#Footnote_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a> -who advocated marriages between the -European settlers and the natives of India. However<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88"></a>[88]</span> -reasonable it might have been to expect the -amalgamation of the races in the persons of their -descendants, experience and stern facts condemn -the measure as a most delusive and treacherous political -day dream. It has lost the Portuguese almost -everything in Africa as well as Asia. May Heaven -preserve our rulers from following their example! -In our humble opinion, to tolerate it is far too -liberal a measure to be a safe one.</p> - -<p>The white families settled in the country were -formerly called Castissos to distinguish them from -Reinols. In appearance there is little difference -between them; the former are somewhat less robust -than the latter, but both are equally pallid and -sickly-looking—they dress alike, and allow the -beard and mustachios<a id="FNanchor_32" href="#Footnote_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a> to grow. This colonist class -is neither a numerous nor an influential one. As -soon as intermarriage with the older settlers takes -place the descendants become Mestici—in plain -English, mongrels. The flattering term is occasionally -applied to a white family which has been settled<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89"></a>[89]</span> -in the country for more than one generation, “for -although,” say the Goanese, “there is no mixture of -blood, still there has been one of air or climate, -which comes to the same thing.” Owing to want of -means, the expense of passage, and the unsettled -state of the home country, children are very seldom -sent to Portugal for education. They presently -degenerate, from the slow but sure effects of a -debilitating climate, and its concomitant evils, -inertness, and want of excitement. Habituated -from infancy to utter idleness, and reared up to -consider the <i>far niente</i> their <i>summum bonum</i>, they -have neither the will nor the power of active exertion -in after years.</p> - -<p>There is little wealth among the classes above -described. Rich families are rare, landed property -is by no means valuable; salaries small;<a id="FNanchor_33" href="#Footnote_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a> and in -so cheap a country as Goa anything beyond 200<i>l.</i> or -300<i>l.</i> a-year would be useless. Entertainments are -not common; a ball every six months at Government -House, a few dinner parties, and an occasional<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90"></a>[90]</span> -<i>soirée</i> or <i>nautch</i>, make up the list of gaieties. In -the different little villages where the government -<i>employés</i> reside, once a week there is quadrilling -and waltzing, <i>à l’antique</i>, some flirting, and a great -deal of smoking in the verandah with the ladies, -who are, generally speaking, European. Gambling -is uncommon; high play unknown. The theatre is -closed as if never to open again. No serenades -float upon the evening gale, the <i>guitarra</i> hangs -dusty and worm-eaten against the wall, and the -<i>cicisbeo</i> is known only by name. Intrigue does -not show itself so flauntingly as in Italy, and other -parts of Southern Europe. Scandal, however, is -as plentiful as it always is in a limited circle of -idle society. The stranger who visits Goa, persuaded -that he is to meet with the freedom of manners -and love of pleasure which distinguish the -people of the Continent, will find himself grievously -mistaken. The priesthood is numerous, and still -influential, if not powerful. The fair sex has not -much liberty here, and their natural protectors -are jealous as jailers.</p> - -<p>The ancient Portuguese <i>costume de dame</i>, a plain -linen cap, long white waistcoat, with ponderous -rosary slung over it, thick striped and coloured -petticoat, and, out of doors, a huge white, yellow,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91"></a>[91]</span> -blue, or black calico sheet, muffling the whole figure—is -now confined to the poor—the ladies dress -according to the Parisian fashions. As, however, -steamers and the overland route have hitherto done -little for Goa, there is considerable grotesqueness to -be observed in the garments of the higher as well as -the lower orders. The usual mode of life among -the higher orders is as follows:—They rise early, -take a cold bath, and make a light breakfast at some -time between seven and nine. This is followed -by a dinner, usually at two; it is a heavy meal -of bread, meat, soup, fish, sweetmeats, and fruits, -all served up at the same time, in admirable confusion. -There are two descriptions of wine, in -general use; the <i>tinto</i> and <i>branco</i>,<a id="FNanchor_34" href="#Footnote_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a> both imported -from Portugal. About five in the evening some -take tea and biscuits, after awaking from the siesta -and bathing; a stroll at sunset is then indulged -in, and the day concludes with a supper of fish, -rice, and curry. Considering the little exercise in -vogue, the quantity of food consumed is wonderful. -The Goanese smoke all day, ladies as well as gentlemen; -but cheroots, cigars, and the hookah are -too expensive to be common. A pinch of Virginia -or Maryland, uncomfortably wrapped up in a dried<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92"></a>[92]</span> -plantain leaf, and called a <i>cannudo</i>, is here the -poor succedaneum for the charming little <i>cigarita</i> -of Spain. The talented author of a “Peep at -Polynesian Life” assures us, that, “strange as it -may seem, there is nothing in which a young and -beautiful female appears to more advantage than -in the act of smoking.” We are positive that -nothing is more shocking than to see a Goanese lady -handling her <i>biree</i>,<a id="FNanchor_35" href="#Footnote_35" class="fnanchor">[35]</a> except to hear the peculiarly -elaborate way in which she ejects saliva when enjoying -her weed.</p> - -<p>The reader who knows anything of India will -at once perceive the difference between English -and Portuguese life in the East. The former is -stormy from perpetual motion, the latter stagnant -with long-continued repose. Our eternal “knocking -about” tells upon us sooner or later. A Portuguese -lieutenant is often greyheaded before he -gets his company; whereas some of our captains -have scarcely a hair upon their chins. But the -former eats much and drinks little, smokes a pinch -of tobacco instead of Manillas, marries early, has -a good roof over his head, and, above all things, -knows not what marching and counter-marching -mean. He never rides, seldom shoots, cannot<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93"></a>[93]</span> -hunt, and ignores mess tiffins and guest nights. -No wonder that he neither receives nor gives promotion.</p> - -<p>An entertainment at the house of a Goanese -noble presents a curious contrast to the semi-barbarous -magnificence of our Anglo-Indian “doings.” -In the one as much money as possible is lavished -in the worst way imaginable; the other makes all -the display which taste, economy, and regard for -effect combined produce. The balls given at the -palace are, probably, the prettiest sights of the -kind in Western India. There is a variety of -costumes, which if not individually admirable, make -up an effective <i>tout ensemble</i>; even the dark faces, -in uniforms and ball dresses, tend to variegate and -diversify the scene. The bands are better than -the generality of our military musicians, European -as well as Native, and the dancing, such as it is, -much more spirited. For the profusion of refreshments,—the -ices, champagne, and second suppers, -which render a Bombay ball so pernicious a thing -in more ways than one, here we look in vain.</p> - -<p>The dinner parties resemble the other entertainments -in economy and taste; the table is decorated, -as in Italy, with handsome China vases, containing -bouquets, fruits, and sweetmeats, which remain there<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94"></a>[94]</span> -all the time. Amongst the higher classes the cookery -is all in the modified French style common -to the South of Europe. The wines are the white -and red <i>vins ordinaires</i> of Portugal; sometimes a -bottle of port, or a little bitter beer from Bombay, -are placed upon the table. The great annoyance -of every grand dinner is the long succession of -speeches which concludes it. A most wearisome -recreation it is, certainly, when people have nothing -to do but to propose each other’s healths in long -orations, garnished with as many facetious or flattering -platitudes as possible. After each speech -all rise up, and with loud “vivas” wave their -glasses, and drain a few drops in honour of the -accomplished <i>caballero</i> last lauded. The language -used is Portuguese; on the rare occasions when the -person addressed or alluded to is a stranger, then, -probably, Lusitanian French will make its appearance. -We modestly suggest to any reader who may -find himself in such predicament the advisability -of imitating our example.</p> - -<p>On one occasion after enduring half an hour’s -encomium delivered in a semi-intelligible dialect of -Parisian, we rose to return thanks, and for that -purpose selecting the English language, we launched -into that inexhaustible theme for declamation, the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95"></a>[95]</span> -glories of the Portuguese eastern empire, beginning -at De Gama, and ending with his Excellency -the Governor-General of all the Indies, who was -sitting hard by. It is needless to say that our -oratory excited much admiration, the more, perhaps, -as no one understood it. The happiest results ensued—during -our stay at Goa we never were urged -to address the company again.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96"></a>[96]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.<br> -<span class="smaller">THE POPULATION OF PANJIM.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>The black Christians, like the whites, may be -subdivided into two orders; first, the converted -Hindoos; secondly, the mixed breed of European -and Indian blood. Moreover, these latter have another -distinction, being either Brahman Christians, -as they ridiculously term themselves, on account -of their descent from the Hindoo pontifical caste, or -common ones. The only perceptible difference between -them is, we believe, a moral one; the former -are justly renowned for extraordinary deceitfulness -and treachery. They consider themselves superior to -the latter in point of dignity, and anciently enjoyed -some peculiar privileges, such as the right of belonging -to the orders of the <i>Theatins</i>, or regular clerks, -and Saint Philip Nerius.<a id="FNanchor_36" href="#Footnote_36" class="fnanchor">[36]</a> But in manners, appearance,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97"></a>[97]</span> -customs, and education, they exactly resemble -the mass of the community.</p> - -<p>The Mestici, or mixed breed, composes the great -mass of society at Goa; it includes all classes, from -the cook to the government official. In 1835 one -of them rose to the highest post of dignity, but his -political career was curt and remarkably unsuccessful. -Some half-castes travel in Europe, a great -many migrate to Bombay for service and commerce, -but the major part stays at Goa to stock professions, -and support the honour of the family. It would be, -we believe, difficult to find in Asia an uglier or more -degraded looking race than that which we are now -describing. The forehead is low and flat, the eyes -small, quick, and restless; there is a mixture of -sensuality and cunning about the region of the -mouth, and a development of the lower part of the -face which are truly unprepossessing, not to say -revolting. Their figures are short and small, with -concave chests, the usual calfless Indian leg, and a -remarkable want of muscularity. In personal attractions -the fair sex is little superior to the other. -During the whole period of our stay at Goa we<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98"></a>[98]</span> -scarcely ever saw a pretty half-caste girl. At the -same time we must confess that it is difficult to -pronounce judgment upon this point, as women of -good mixed family do not appear before casual -visitors. And this is of course deemed a sign of -superior modesty and chastity, for the black Christians, -Asiatically enough, believe it impossible for a -female to converse with a strange man and yet be -virtuous. The dark ladies affect the old Portuguese -costume, described in the preceding chapter; a few -of the wealthiest dress like Europeans. Their -education is purposely neglected—a little reading -of their vernacular tongue, with the Ave and other -prayers in general use, dancing, embroidery, and -making sweetmeats,<a id="FNanchor_37" href="#Footnote_37" class="fnanchor">[37]</a> are considered <i>satis superque</i> -in the way of accomplishments. Of late years, a -girls’ school has been established by order of government -at Panjim, but a single place of the kind is -scarcely likely to affect the mass of the community. -The life led by the fair sex at Goa must be, one -would think, a dull one. Domestic occupations,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99"></a>[99]</span> -smoking, a little visiting, and going to church, especially -on the <i>ferie</i>, or festivals, lying in bed, sitting <i>en -deshabille</i>, riding about in a mancheel, and an occasional -dance—such are the blunt weapons with -which they attack Time. They marry early, begin -to have a family probably at thirteen, are old women -at twenty-two, and decrepit at thirty-five. Like -Indians generally, they appear to be defective in -amativeness, abundant in philoprogenitiveness, and -therefore not much addicted to intrigues. At the -same time we must record the fact, that the present -archbishop has been obliged to issue an order forbidding -nocturnal processions, which, as they were -always crowded with lady devotees, gave rise to -certain obstinate scandals.</p> - -<p>The mongrel men dress as Europeans, but the -quantity of clothing diminishes with the wearer’s -rank. Some of the lower orders, especially in the -country, affect a full-dress costume, consisting <i>in -toto</i>, of a cloth jacket and black silk knee breeches. -Even the highest almost always wear coloured -clothes, as, by so doing, the washerman is less required. -They are intolerably dirty and disagreeable:—verily -cleanliness ought to be made an article -of faith in the East. They are fond of spirituous -liquors, and seldom drink, except honestly for the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100"></a>[100]</span> -purpose of intoxication. As regards living, they -follow the example of their white fellow-subjects in -all points, except that they eat more rice and less -meat. Their characters may be briefly described as -passionate and cowardly, jealous and revengeful, -with more of the vices than the virtues belonging to -the two races from which they are descended. In -early youth, especially before arriving at years of -puberty, they evince a remarkable acuteness of -mind, and facility in acquiring knowledge. They -are equally quick at learning languages, and the -lower branches of mathematical study, but they -seem unable to obtain any results from their acquirements. -Goa cannot boast of ever having produced -a single eminent literato, or even a second-rate poet. -To sum up in a few words, the mental and bodily -development of this class are remarkable only as -being a strange <i>mélange</i> of European and Asiatic -peculiarities, of antiquated civilization and modern -barbarism.</p> - -<p>We before alluded to the deep-rooted antipathy -between the black and the white population: the -feeling of the former towards an Englishman is one -of dislike not unmingled with fear. Should Portugal -ever doom her now worse than useless colony -to form part payment of her debts, their fate would<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101"></a>[101]</span> -be rather a hard one. Considering the wide spread -of perhaps too liberal opinions concerning the race -quaintly designated as “God’s images carved in -ebony,” they might fare respectably as regards public -estimation, but scarcely well enough to satisfy their -inordinate ambition. It is sufficiently amusing to -hear a young gentleman, whose appearance, manners, -and colour fit him admirably to become a -band-boy to some Sepoy corps, talk of visiting -Bombay, with letters of introduction to the Governor -and Commander-in-chief. Still more diverting it is -when you know that the same character would invariably -deduct a perquisite from the rent of any -house he may have procured, or boat hired for a -stranger. Yet at the same time it is hard for a -man who speaks a little English, French, Latin, and -Portuguese to become the lower clerk of some office -on the paltry pay of 70<i>l.</i> per annum; nor is it -agreeable for an individual who has just finished -his course of mathematics, medicine, and philosophy -to sink into the lowly position of an assistant -apothecary in the hospital of a native regiment. -No wonder that the black Indo-Portuguese is an -utter radical; he has gained much by Constitution, -the “dwarfish demon” which sets everybody by the -ears at Goa. Hence it is that he will take the first<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102"></a>[102]</span> -opportunity in conversation with a foreigner to -extol Lusitanian liberty to the skies, abuse English -tyranny over, and insolence to, their unhappy Indian -subjects, and descant delightedly upon the probability -of an immediate crash in our Eastern empire. -And, as might be expected, although poverty sends -forth thousands of black Portuguese to earn money -in foreign lands, they prefer the smallest competence -at home, where equality allows them to indulge -in a favourite independence of manner utterly -at variance with our Anglo-Indian notions concerning -the proper demeanour of a native towards a -European.</p> - -<p>The native Christian is originally a converted -Hindoo, usually of the lowest castes;<a id="FNanchor_38" href="#Footnote_38" class="fnanchor">[38]</a> and though -he has changed for centuries his manners, dress, and -religion, he retains to a wonderful extent the ideas, -prejudices, and superstitions of his ancient state. -The learned <i>griff</i>, Bishop Heber, in theorizing upon -the probable complexion of our First Father, makes a -remark about these people, so curiously erroneous, -that it deserves to be mentioned. “The Portuguese -have, during a three hundred years’ residence in -India, become as black as Caffres; surely this goes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103"></a>[103]</span> -far to disprove the assertion which is sometimes -made, that climate alone is insufficient to account -for the difference between the Negro and the -European.” Climate in this case had nothing whatever -to do with the change of colour. And if it -had, we might instance as an argument against the -universality of such atmospheric action, the Parsee, -who, though he has been settled in the tropical -lands of India for more than double three hundred -years, is still, in appearance, complexion, voice, and -manners, as complete an Iranian as when he first -fled from his native mountains. But this is <i>par -parenthèse</i>.</p> - -<p>The native Christians of Goa always shave the -head; they cultivate an apology for a whisker, but -never allow the beard or mustachios to grow. Their -dress is scanty in the extreme, often consisting only -of a dirty rag, worn about the waist, and their -ornaments, a string of beads round the neck. The -women are equally badly clothed: the single long -piece of cotton, called in India a saree, is their -whole attire,<a id="FNanchor_39" href="#Footnote_39" class="fnanchor">[39]</a> consequently the bosom is unsupported -and uncovered. This race is decidedly the -lowest in the scale of civilized humanity we have<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104"></a>[104]</span> -yet seen. In appearance they are short, heavy, -meagre, and very dark; their features are uncomely -in the extreme; they are dirtier than Pariahs, and -abound in cutaneous diseases. They live principally -on fish and rice, with pork and fruit when -they can afford such luxuries. Meat as well -as bread<a id="FNanchor_40" href="#Footnote_40" class="fnanchor">[40]</a> is holiday diet; clarified butter, rice, -water, curry, and cocoa-nut milk are every-day -food.</p> - -<p>These people are said to be short lived, the result -of hard labour, early marriages, and innutritious -food. We scarcely ever saw a man that looked -fifty. In disposition they resemble the half-castes, -but they are even more deficient in spirit, and -quarrelsome withal, than their “whitey-brown” -brethren. All their knowledge is religious, and -consists only of a few prayers in corrupt Maharatta, -taught them by their parents or the priest; these -they carefully repeat three times <i>per diem</i>—at -dawn, in the afternoon, and before retiring to rest. -Loudness of voice and a very Puritanical snuffle -being <i>sine quâ nons</i> in their devotional exercises, -the neighbourhood of a pious family is anything<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105"></a>[105]</span> -but pleasant. Their superiority to the heathen -around them consists in eating pork, drinking toddy -to excess, shaving the face, never washing, and a -conviction that they are going to paradise, whereas -all other religionists are emphatically not. They -are employed as sepoys, porters, fishermen, seamen, -labourers, mancheel bearers, workmen and servants, -and their improvident indolence renders the necessity -of hard labour at times imperative. The carpenters, -farriers, and other trades, not only ask an -exorbitant sum for working, but also, instead of -waiting on the employer, scarcely ever fail to keep -him waiting for them. For instance, on Monday -you wanted a farrier, and sent for him. He politely -replied that he was occupied at that moment, but -would call at his earliest convenience. This, if you -keep up a running fire of messages, will probably be -about the next Saturday.</p> - -<p>The visitor will not find at Goa that number and -variety of heathen castes which bewilder his mind -at Bombay. The capital of Portuguese India now -stands so low amongst the cities of Asia that few or -no inducements are offered to the merchant and the -trader, who formerly crowded her ports. The Turk, -the Arab, and the Persian have left them for a -wealthier mart, and the only strangers are a few<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106"></a>[106]</span> -Englishmen, who pass through the place to visit its -monuments of antiquity.</p> - -<p>The Moslem population at Panjim scarcely -amounts to a thousand. They have no place of -worship, although their religion is now, like all -others, tolerated.<a id="FNanchor_41" href="#Footnote_41" class="fnanchor">[41]</a> The distinctive mark of the -Faithful is the long beard. They appear superior -beings by the side of the degenerate native Christians.</p> - -<p>Next to the Christians, the Hindoos are the most -numerous portion of the community. They are -held in the highest possible esteem and consideration, -and no office unconnected with religion is -closed to them. This fact may account for the -admirable ease and freedom of manner prevalent -amongst them. The Gentoo will enter your room -with his slippers on, sit down after shaking hands -as if the action were a matter of course, chew his -betel, and squirt the scarlet juice all over the floor, -in a word, make himself as offensive as you can -conceive. But at Goa all men are equal. Moreover, -the heathens may be seen in Christian -churches,<a id="FNanchor_42" href="#Footnote_42" class="fnanchor">[42]</a> with covered feet, pointing at, putting<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107"></a>[107]</span> -questions concerning, and criticising the images -with the same quite-at-home <i>nonchalance</i> with -which they would wander through the porticoes of -Dwarka or the pagodas of Aboo. And these men’s -fathers, in the good old times of Goa, were not -allowed even to burn their dead<a id="FNanchor_43" href="#Footnote_43" class="fnanchor">[43]</a> in the land!</p> - -<p>In appearance the Hindoos are of a fair, or rather -a light yellow complexion. Some of the women -are by no means deficient in personal charms, and -the men generally surpass in size and strength the -present descendants of the Portuguese heroes. They -wear the mustachio, but not the beard, and dress in -the long cotton coat, with the cloth wound round -the waist, very much the same as in Bombay. The -head, however, is usually covered with a small red -velvet skullcap, instead of a turban. The female -attire is the saree, with the long-armed bodice -beneath it; their ornaments are numerous; and -their caste is denoted by a round spot of kunkun, or -vermilion, upon the forehead between the eyebrows.</p> - -<p>As usual among Hindoos, the pagans at Goa are -divided into a number of sub-castes. In the Brahman<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108"></a>[108]</span> -we find two great subdivisions, the Sashteekar, -or inhabitants of Salsette, and the Bardeskar, or -people of Bardes. The former is confessedly superior -to the latter. Both families will eat together, -but they do not intermarry. Besides these two, -there are a few of the Chitpawan, Sinart, Kararee -and Waishnau castes of the pontifical order.</p> - -<p>The Brahmans always wear the tika, or sectarian -mark, perpendicularly, to distinguish them from the -Sonars, or Goldsmiths, who place it horizontally on -the forehead. They are but superficially educated, -as few of them know Sanscrit, and these few not -well. All read and write Maharatta fluently, but -they speak the inharmonious Concanee dialect.</p> - -<p>Next to the Brahmans, and resembling them in -personal appearance, are the Banyans, or traders. -They seem to be a very thriving portion of the -population, and live in great comfort, if not luxury.</p> - -<p>The Shudra, or servile class of Hindoos, is, of -course, by far the most numerous; it contains many -varieties, such as Bhandan (toddy-makers), Koonbee -(potters), Hajjam (barbers), &c.</p> - -<p>Of mixed castes we find the goldsmith, who is -descended from a Brahman father and servile -mother, and the Kunchanee, or Εταιρη, whose maternal -parent is always a Maharatta woman, whatever<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109"></a>[109]</span> -the other progenitor may chance to be. The outcasts -are principally Chamars, or tanners, and Parwars -(Pariahs).</p> - -<p>These Hindoos very rarely become Christians, -now that fire and steel, the dungeon and the rack, -the rice-pot and the rupee, are not allowed to -play the persuasive part in the good work formerly -assigned to them. Indeed, we think that conversion -of the heathen is almost more common in -British than in Portuguese India, the natural result -of our being able to pay the proselytes more liberally. -When such an event does occur at Goa, it is -celebrated at a church in the north side of the -creek, opposite Panjim, with all the pomp and ceremony -due to the importance of spoiling a good -Gentoo by making a bad Christian of him.</p> - -<p>We were amused to witness on one occasion a -proof of the high importance attached to Hindoo -opinion in this part of the world. Outside the -church of St. Agnes, in a little chapel, stood one of -the lowest orders of black priests, lecturing a host of -naked, squatting, smoking, and chattering auditors. -Curiosity induced us to venture nearer, and we then -discovered that the theme was a rather imaginative -account of the birth and life of the Redeemer. -Presently a group of loitering Gentoos, who had<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110"></a>[110]</span> -been strolling about the church, came up and stood -by our side.</p> - -<p>The effect of their appearance upon his Reverence’s -discourse was remarkable, as may be judged from -the peroration, which was very much in these -words:—</p> - -<p>“You must remember, sons, that the <i>avatár</i>, or -incarnation of your blessed Lord, was in the form -of a rajah, who ruled millions of men. He was -truly great and powerful; he rode the largest -elephant ever trapped; he smoked a hookah of -gold, and when he went to war he led an army the -like of which for courage, numbers, and weapons -was never seen before. He would have conquered -the whole world, from Portugal to China, had he -not been restrained by humility. But, on the last -day, when he shall appear even in greater state -than before, he will lead us his people to most -glorious and universal victory.”</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>When the sermon concluded, and the listeners -had wandered away in different directions, we -walked up to his Reverence and asked him if he -had ever read the Gospel.</p> - -<p>“Of course.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111"></a>[111]</span></p> - -<p>“Then where did you find the historical picture -you so graphically drew just now about the rajahship?”</p> - -<p>“Where?” said the fellow, grinning and pointing -to his forehead: “here, to be sure. Didn’t you -see those Gentoos standing by and listening to every -word I was saying? A pretty thing it would have -been to see the pagans laughing and sneering at us -Christians because the Founder of our Blessed Faith -was the son of a Burhaee.”<a id="FNanchor_44" href="#Footnote_44" class="fnanchor">[44]</a></p> - -<p>Such reasoning was conclusive.</p> - -<p>If our memory serve us aright, there is a story -somewhat like the preceding in the pages of the -Abbé Dubois. Such things we presume must constantly -be taking place in different parts of India. -On one occasion we saw an unmistakable Lakhshmi<a id="FNanchor_45" href="#Footnote_45" class="fnanchor">[45]</a> -borne in procession amongst Christian images, and, -if history be trusted, formerly it was common to -carry as many Hindoo deities as European saints in -the palanquins. On the other hand, many a Gentoo -has worn a crucifix for years, with firm faith in the -religious efficacy of the act, yet utterly ignorant of -the nature of the symbol he was bearing, and we -have ourselves written many and many a charm for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112"></a>[112]</span> -ladies desirous of becoming prolific, or matrons -fearful of the evil eye being cast upon their offspring.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>On our return from old Goa to Panjim we visited -an establishment, which may be considered rather a -peculiar one. It is called the Caza de Misericordia, -and contains some forty or fifty young ladies, for -the most part orphans, of all colours, classes, and -ages. They are educated by nuns, under the direction -of a superior and a committee, and when -grown up, remain in the house till they receive and -accept suitable offers of marriage.</p> - -<p>Hearing that it was not unusual to propose oneself -as a suitor; with a view of inspecting the curiosities -of the establishment, we repaired to the Caza, -and were politely received by the old lady at the -gate. After showing us over the chapel and other -public portions of the edifice, she perceived that we -had some other object, and presently discovered -that we were desirous of playing the part of Cœlebs -in search of a wife. Thereupon she referred -us to another and more dignified relic of antiquity, -who, after a long and narrow look at our outward -man, proceeded to catechise us in the following -manner.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113"></a>[113]</span></p> - -<p>“You say, señor, that you want a wife; what -may be your name?”</p> - -<p>“Peter Smith.”</p> - -<p>“Your religion?”</p> - -<p>“The Christian, señora.”</p> - -<p>“Your profession?”</p> - -<p>“An ensign in H. E. I. Company’s Navy.”</p> - -<p>Not satisfied with such authentic details, the -inquisitive old lady began a regular system of cross-questioning, -and so diligently did she pursue it, -that we had some difficulty to prevent contradicting -ourselves. At length, when she had, as she -supposed, thoroughly mastered the subject, she requested -us to step into a corridor, and to dispose of -ourselves upon a three-legged stool. This we did, -leaning gracefully against the whitewashed wall, and -looking stedfastly at the open grating. Presently, -a wrinkled old countenance, with a skin more like a -walnut’s than a woman’s, peered through the bars, -grinned at us, and disappeared. Then came half-a-dozen -juveniles, at the very least, tittering and -whispering most diligently, all of which we endured -with stoical firmness, feeling that the end of such -things was approaching.</p> - -<p>At last, a sixteen-year old face gradually -drew within sight from behind the bars. That<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114"></a>[114]</span> -was clearly one of the young ladies. Now for -it.—</p> - -<p>“Good day, and my respects to you, senorita!”</p> - -<p>“The same to you, sir.”</p> - -<p>Hem! It is rather a terrible thing to make love -under such circumstances. The draw upon one’s -imagination in order to open the dialogue, is alone -sufficient to frighten Cupid out of the field. It -was impossible to talk of the weather, in that -country where it burns, deluges, and chills with -the regularity of clock-work. So we plunged at -once <i>in medias res</i>.</p> - -<p>“Should you like to be married, senorita?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, very much, señor.”</p> - -<p>“And why, if you would satisfy my curiosity?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know.”</p> - -<p>Equally unsatisfactory was the rest of the conversation. -So we bowed politely, rose from our -three-legged stool, and determined to seek an interview -with the Superior. Our request was at last -granted, and we found a personage admirably -adapted, in point of appearance, to play dragon -over the treasures committed to her charge. She -had a face which reminded us exactly of a white -horse, a body answerable, and manners decidedly -repulsive. However, she did not spare her tongue.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115"></a>[115]</span> -She informed us that there were twelve marriageable -young ladies then in the establishment, named -them, and minutely described their birth, parentage, -education, mental and physiological development. -She also informed us that they would receive -a dowry from the funds of the house, which, -on further inquiry, proved to be the sum of ten -pounds.</p> - -<p>At length we thought there was an opportunity -to put in a few words about our grievance—how -we had been placed on a three-legged stool before -a grating—exposed to the inquisitiveness of the -seniors, and subjected to the ridicule of the junior -part of the community. We concluded with a -modest hint that we should like to be admitted -within, and be allowed a little conversation with -the twelve marriageable young ladies to whom she -had alluded.</p> - -<p>The old lady suddenly became majestic.</p> - -<p>“Before you are admitted to such a privilege, -señor, you must be kind enough to address an -official letter to the mesa, or board, explaining your -intentions, and requesting the desired permission. -We are people under government, and do not -keep a naughty house. Do you understand me, -señor?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116"></a>[116]</span></p> - -<p>“Perfectly, madam.”</p> - -<p>Upon which we arose, scraped the ground thrice, -with all the laboriousness of Indo-Portuguese politeness, -promised compliance in our best phraseology, -and rapidly disappeared, resolving never to near the -Caza de Misericordia again.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117"></a>[117]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.<br> -<span class="smaller">SERODA.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>After an unusually protracted term of isolation -and friendlessness, we were agreeably surprised by -meeting Lieutenants L⸺ and T⸺, walking -in their shooting-jackets, somewhat slowly and disconsolately, -down the dusty wharf of New Goa.</p> - -<p>It is, we may here observe, by no means easy for -a stranger—especially if he be an Englishman—to -get into Goanese society: more difficult still to -amuse himself when admitted. His mother tongue -and Hindostanee will not be sufficient for him. -French, at least, or, what is more useful, Portuguese -should be well understood, if not fluently spoken. -As the generality of visitors pass merely a few days -at Panjim, call at the palace, have a card on the -secretary, rush to the ruins, and then depart, they -expect and receive little attention. There are no -messes to invite them to—no public amusements<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118"></a>[118]</span> -or places of resort, and private families do not easily -open their doors. Besides, as might be expected, -the Goanese have occasionally suffered severely from -individuals terming themselves “British Officers.” -It were well too, had the offenders been always of -the male sex: unfortunately for our national reputation, -such is by no means the case. However, -a stranger may be sure that with his commission, -some knowledge of languages, and any letter of -introduction, he will be most hospitably received in -society, such as it is.</p> - -<p>The unlearned in such matters may be disposed -to inquire whether there are no resident Englishmen -at Goa.</p> - -<p>Certainly, there are a few; but they are, generally -speaking, of that class who have made Bombay -too hot for them. Once in the Portuguese territory, -they may laugh at the bailiff, and fearlessly meet -the indignant creditor. The cheapness of the -locality is, to certain characters, another inducement; -so that, on the whole, it is by no means -safe to become acquainted with any compatriot one -may chance to meet at Goa.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Now it so happened that all three of us had been -reading and digesting a rich account of Seroda,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119"></a>[119]</span> -which had just appeared in one of the English -periodicals. We remembered glowing descriptions -of a village, inhabited by beautiful Bayaderes, -governed by a lady of the same class—Eastern -Amazons, who permitted none of the rougher sex -to dwell beneath the shadow of their roof-trees—high -caste maidens, who, having been compelled to -eat beef by the “tyrannical Portuguese in the olden -time,” had forfeited the blessings of Hindooism, -without acquiring those of Christianity,—lovely -patriots, whom no filthy lucre could induce to quit -their peaceful homes: with many and many etceteras, -equally enchanting to novelty-hunters and -excitement-mongers.</p> - -<p>We unanimously resolved to visit, without loss -of time, a spot so deservedly renowned. Having -been informed by our old friend John Thomas, that -we should find everything in the best style at -Seroda, we hired a canoe, cursorily put up a few -cigars, a change of raiment, and a bottle of Cognac -to keep out the cold; and, a little after sunset, -we started for our Fool’s Paradise.</p> - -<p>Our course lay towards the south-east. After -about an hour’s rowing along the coast, we entered -a narrow channel, formed by the sea and -innumerable little streams that descend towards<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120"></a>[120]</span> -the main, winding through a dense mass of bright -green underwood. It was a lovely night, but the -thick dew soon compelled us to retreat under the -mats destined to defend our recumbent forms. The -four boatmen that composed the crew must have -been sadly addicted to sleeping on duty, for, -although the distance was only fifteen miles, the -sun appeared high in the heavens next morning -before we arrived at the landing-place. A guide -was soon procured, and under his direction we -toiled up two miles of a steep and rocky path, -through a succession of cocoa groves, and a few -parched-up fields scattered here and there, till at -last we saw, deep in a long narrow hollow, surrounded -by high hills, the bourne of our pilgrimage.</p> - -<p>The appearance of Seroda is intensely that of -a Hindoo town. Houses, pagodas, tombs, tanks, -with lofty parapets, and huge flights of steps, peepul -trees, and bazaars, are massed together in chaotic -confusion. No such things as streets, lanes, or -alleys exist. Your walk is invariably stopped at -the end of every dozen steps by some impediment, -as a loose wall, or a deep drop, passable only to the -well practised denizens of the place. The town is -dirty in the extreme, and must be fearfully hot<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121"></a>[121]</span> -in summer, as it is screened on all sides from the -wind. The houses are raised one story above the -ground, and built solidly of stone and mortar: -as there is no attempt at order or regularity, their -substantial appearance adds much to the strangeness -of the <i>coup d’œil</i>.</p> - -<p>To resume our personal adventures. Descending -the slope which leads through the main gate we -wandered about utterly at a loss what to do, or -where to go, till a half-naked sample of the Hindoo -male animal politely offered to provide us with a -lodging. Our hearts felt sad at witnessing this practical -proof of the presence of <i>man</i>kind, but sleepy, -tired, and hungry withal, we deferred sentimentalizing -over shattered delusions and gay hopes faded, -till a more opportune moment, and followed him -with all possible alacrity. A few minutes afterwards -we found ourselves under the roof of one of -the most respectable matrons in the town. We -explained our wants to her. The first and most -urgent of the same being breakfast. She stared at -our ideas of that meal, but looked not more aghast -than we did when informed that it was too late to -find meat, poultry, eggs, bread, milk, butter, or -wine in the market—in fact, that we must be contented -with “kichree”—a villanous compound of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122"></a>[122]</span> -boiled rice and split vetches—as a <i>pièce de resistance</i>, -and whatever else Providence might please to -send us in the way of “kitchen?”</p> - -<p>Rude reality the second!—</p> - -<p>We had left all our servants behind at Panjim, -and not an iota of our last night’s supper had escaped -the ravenous maws of the boatmen.—</p> - -<p>Presently matters began to mend. The old lady -recollected that in days of yore she had possessed -a pound of tea, and, after much unlocking and -rummaging of drawers, she produced a remnant of -that luxury. Perseverance accomplished divers -other feats, and after about an hour more of half -starvation we sat down to a breakfast composed of -five eggs, a roll of sour bread, plantains, which -tasted exactly like edible cotton dipped in <i>eau -sucrée</i>, and a “fragrant infusion of the Chinese -leaf,” whose perfume vividly reminded us of the -haystacks in our native land. Such comforts as -forks or spoons were unprocurable, the china was a -suspicious looking article, and the knives were -apparently intended rather for taking away animal -life than for ministering to its wants. Sharp appetites, -however, removed all our squeamishness, and -the board was soon cleared. The sting of hunger -blunted, we lighted our “weeds,” each mixed a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123"></a>[123]</span> -cordial potion in a tea-cup, and called aloud for -the nautch, or dance, to begin.</p> - -<p>This was the signal for universal activity. All -the fair dames who had been gazing listlessly or -giggling at the proceedings of their strange guests, -now starting up as if animated with new life rushed -off to don their gayest apparel: even the grey-haired -matron could not resist the opportunity of displaying -her gala dress, and enormous pearl nose-ring. -The tables were soon carried away, the rebec and -kettledrum sat down in rear of the <i>figurantes</i>, -and the day began in real earnest. The singing -was tolerable for India, and the voices good. As -usual, however, the highest notes were strained -from the chest, and the use of the <i>voix de gorge</i> -was utterly neglected. The verses were in Hindostanee -and Portuguese, so that the performers understood -about as much of them as our young ladies -when they perform Italian bravura songs. There -was little to admire either in the persons, the dress -or the ornaments of the dancers: common looking -Maharatta women, habited in the usual sheet and -long-armed bodice, decked with wreaths of yellow -flowers, the red mark on the brow, large nose and -ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, and chain or -ring anklets, studded with strings of coarsely made<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124"></a>[124]</span> -little brass bells. Some of them were very fair, -having manifestly had the advantage of one European -progenitor: others showed the usual dark -yellow hue; the features were seldom agreeable, -round heads, flat foreheads, immense eyes, increased -by the streaks of black dye along the thickness of -the eyelid, projecting noses, large lips, vanishing -chins, and a huge development of “jowl,” do not -make up a very captivating physiognomy. A few, -but very few, of quite the youngest <i>figurantes</i>, were -tolerably pretty. They performed in sets for about -four hours, concluding with the <i>pugree</i>, or turban -dance, a peculiar performance, in which one lady -takes the part of a man.</p> - -<p>Our matron informed us that Seroda contains -about twenty establishments, and a total number -of fifty or sixty dancing-girls. According to her -account all the stars were at the time of our visit -engaged at Panjim, or the towns round about: -personal experience enabled us to pronounce that -the best were in her house, and, moreover, that -there is scarcely a second-rate station in the Bombay -Presidency that does not contain prettier -women and as good singers. The girls are bought -in childhood—their price varies from 3<i>l.</i> to 20<i>l.</i> -according to the market value of the animal.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125"></a>[125]</span> -The offspring of a Bayadere belongs of right to her -owner. When mere children they are initiated -in the mysteries of <i>nautching</i>,—one young lady -who performed before us could scarcely have been -five years old. Early habit engenders much enthusiasm -for the art. The proportion of those -bought in distant lands to those born at Seroda is -said to be about one to five. Of late years the -nefarious traffic has diminished, but unhappily -many are interested in keeping it up as much as -possible.</p> - -<p>Several of these <i>nautch</i> women can read and -write. Our matron was powerful at reciting Sanscrit -shlokas (stanzas), and as regards Pracrit, the -popular dialect, she had studied all the best known -works, as the “Panja Tantra,” together with the -legends of Vikram, Rajah Bhoj, and other celebrated -characters. Their spoken language is the corrupt -form of Maharatta, called the Concanee,<a id="FNanchor_46" href="#Footnote_46" class="fnanchor">[46]</a> in general -use throughout the Goanese territory; the educated -mix up many Sanscrit vocables with it, and some -few can talk a little Portuguese. Their speaking -voices are loud, hoarse, and grating: each sentence,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126"></a>[126]</span> -moreover, ends in a sing-song drawl, which is uncommonly -disagreeable to a stranger’s ear. These -ladies all smoke, chew betel-nut, drink wine and -spirits, and eat fowls and onions, an unequivocal -sign of low caste. They do not refuse to quit -Seroda, as is generally supposed, but, of course, -prefer their homes to other places. Living being -extremely cheap most of the money made by -<i>nautching</i> is converted into pearl and gold ornaments; -and these are handed down from generation -to generation. Some of the coins strung together -into necklaces are really curious. An old English -five-guinea-piece may be found by the side of a -Portuguese St. Thomas, a French <i>Louis d’or</i>, and -a Roman medal of the Lower Empire. We should -be puzzled to account for how they came there, did -we not know that India has from the earliest -ages been the great sink for Western gold. Many -of the matrons have collected a considerable stock -of linen, pictures, and furniture for their houses, -besides dresses and ornaments. Our countrymen -have been liberal enough to them of late, and numerous, -too, as the initials upon the doors and -shutters prove. Each establishment is violently -jealous of its neighbour, and all appear to be more -remarkable for rapacity than honesty. In spite<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127"></a>[127]</span> -of the general belief, we venture to assert that a -chain, a ring, or a watch, would find Seroda very -dangerous quarters. As a stranger soon learns, -everything is done to fleece him; whether he have -five or five hundred rupees in his pocket, he may -be sure to leave the place without a farthing. -This seems to be a time-honoured custom among -the Bayaderes cherished by them from immemorial -antiquity.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>When the rising shades of evening allowed us -to escape from the house of dancing, we sallied -forth to view the abode in which Major G⸺ passed -his last years. The matron soon found a boy who -preceded us to the place, threading his way through a -multitude of confused dwellings, climbing over heaps -of loose stones, walking along the walls of tanks, and -groping through the obscurity of the cocoa groves. -At the end of this unusual kind of walk, we found -ourselves at the house, asked, and obtained leave -to enter it. There was nothing to attract attention -in the building, except a few old books; the peculiar -character of its owner will, perhaps, plead our excuse -to the reader, if we dwell a little upon the circumstances -which led him to make Seroda his home.</p> - -<p>Major G⸺ was an officer who had served with<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128"></a>[128]</span> -distinction for many years in a Native Regiment. -He was a regular old Indian, one of the remnants -of a race which, like its brethren in the far west, -is rapidly disappearing before the eastward progress -of civilisation in the shape of rails, steamers, and -overland communication. By perpetual intercourse -with the natives around him he had learned to speak -and write their language as well as, if not better -than, his own. He preferred their society to that -of his fellow-countrymen: adopted the Hindoo -dress; studied their sciences, bowed to their prejudices, -and became such a proficient in the ritual -of their faith as to be considered by them almost -a fellow-religionist. Having left England at an -early age, with a store of anything but grateful -reminiscences, he had determined to make India -his country and his home, and the idea once conceived, -soon grew familiar to his mind. Knowing -that there is no power like knowledge amongst a -semi-civilised people, and possibly inclined thereto -by credulity, he dived deep into the “dangerous -art,” as the few books preserved at Seroda prove. -Ibn Sirin,<a id="FNanchor_47" href="#Footnote_47" class="fnanchor">[47]</a> and Lily, the Mantras,<a id="FNanchor_48" href="#Footnote_48" class="fnanchor">[48]</a> and Casaubon,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129"></a>[129]</span> -works on Geomancy, Astrology, Ihzar or the Summoning -of Devils, Osteomancy, Palmistry, Oneiromancy, -and Divination. The relics of his library still -stand side by side there, to be eaten by the worms.</p> - -<p>Late in life Major G⸺ fell in love with a -Seroda Nautch girl living under his protection; -not an usual thing in those days: he also set -his mind upon marrying her, decidedly a peculiar -step. His determination gave rise to a series of -difficulties. No respectable Hindoo will, it is true, -wed a female of this class, yet, as usual amongst -Indians, the caste has at least as much pride and -prejudice as many far superior to it. So Sita -would not accept a <i>mlenchha</i> (infidel) husband, -though she was perfectly aware that she had no -right to expect a <i>dwija</i>, or twice born one.</p> - -<p>But Major G⸺’s perseverance surmounted every -obstacle. Several times the lady ran away, he -followed and brought her back by main force at -the imminent risk of his commission. At last, finding -all opposition in vain, possibly thinking to -prescribe too hard a trial, or, perhaps, in the relenting -mood, she swore the most solemn oath -that she would never marry him unless he would -retire from the service to live and die with her -in her native town.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130"></a>[130]</span></p> - -<p>Major G⸺ at once sold out of his regiment, -disappeared from the eyes of his countrymen, bought -a house at Seroda, married his enchantress, and -settled there for the remainder of his years. Many -of the elder inhabitants recollect him; they are -fond of describing to you how regularly every morning -he would repair to the tank, perform his ablutions, -and offer up water to the manes of his -<i>pitris</i>, or ancestors, how religiously he attended -all the festivals, and how liberal he was in fees -and presents to the Brahmans of the different -pagodas.</p> - -<p>We were shown his tomb, or rather the small -pile of masonry which marks the spot where his -body was reduced to ashes—a favour granted to -him by the Hindoos on account of his pious munificence. -It is always a melancholy spectacle, the -last resting-place of a fellow-countryman in some -remote nook of a foreign land, far from the dust -of his forefathers—in a grave prepared by strangers, -around which no mourners ever stood, and over -which no friendly hand raised a tribute to the -memory of the lamented dead. The wanderer’s -heart yearns at the sight. How soon may not -such fate be his own?</p> - -<p>The moonlight was falling clear and snowy upon<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131"></a>[131]</span> -the tranquil landscape, and except the distant roar of -a tiger, no noise disturbed the stillness that reigned -over the scene around, as we slowly retraced our steps -towards Seroda. Passing a little building, whose low -domed roof, many rows of diminutive columns, and -grotesque architectural ornaments of monkeys and -elephants’ heads, informed us was a pagoda, whilst -a number of Hindoos lounging in and out, showed -that some ceremony was going on, we determined -to attempt an entrance, and passed the threshold -unopposed. Retiring into a remote corner we sat -down upon one of the mats, and learned from a -neighbour that the people were assembled to hear -a Rutnageree Brahman celebrated for eloquence, and -very learned in the Vedas. The preacher, if we -may so call him, was lecturing his congregation upon -the relative duties of parents and children; his -discourse was delivered in a kind of chaunt, monotonous, -but not rude or unpleasing, and his gesticulation -reminded us of many an Italian Predicatore. -He stood upon a strip of cloth at the -beginning of each period, advancing gradually as -it proceeded, till reaching the end of his sentence -and his carpet, he stopped, turned round, and -walked back to his standing place, pausing awhile -to take breath and to allow the words of wisdom<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132"></a>[132]</span> -to sink deep into his hearers’ hearts. The discourse -was an excellent one, and we were astonished to -perceive that an hour had slipped away almost unobserved. -However, the heat of the place, crowded -as it was with all ages and sexes—for the ladies -of Seroda, like the frail sisterhood generally in -Asia, are very attentive to their <i>dharma</i>, or religious -duties—the cloud of incense which hung -like a thick veil under the low roof, and the overpowering -perfume of the huge bouquets and garlands -of jessamine with which the assembly was profusely -decorated, compelled us to forfeit the benefit we -might have derived from the peroration of the -learned Brahman’s discourse.</p> - -<p>Our night was by no means a pleasant one; the -Seroda vermin, like the biped population, were too -anxious to make the most of the stranger. Early -the next morning we arose to make our exit; -but, alas! it was not destined to be a triumphant -one. The matron and her damsels, knowing us -to be English, expected us to be made of money, and -had calculated upon easing our breeches pockets -of more gold than we intended to give silver. Fearful -was the din of chattering, objurgating, and imprecating, -when the sum decided upon was gracefully -tendered to our entertainers, the rebec and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133"></a>[133]</span> -the kettle-drum seemed inclined to be mutinous, -but <i>they</i> were more easily silenced than the ladies. -At length, by adding the gift of a pair of slippers -adorned with foil spangles, to which it appeared -the company had taken a prodigious fancy, we -were allowed to depart in comparative peace.</p> - -<p>Bidding adieu to Seroda, we toiled up the hill, -and walked dejectedly towards the landing-place, -where we supposed our boat was awaiting us. But -when we arrived there, the canoe, of course, was -not to be found. It was breakfast time already, -and we expected to be starved before getting over -the fifteen miles between us and Panjim. One -chance remained to us; we separated, and so diligently -scoured the country round that in less than -half an hour we had collected a fair quantity of -provender; one returning with a broiled spatchcock -and a loaf of bread; another with a pot full of -milk and a cocoa-nut or two, whilst a third had -succeeded in “bagging” divers crusts of stale bread, -a bunch of onions, and a water-melon. The hospitable -portico of some Banyan’s country-house afforded -us a breakfast-room; presently the boat appeared, -and the crew warned us that it was time to come -on board. It is strange that these people must -tell lies, even when truth would be in their favour.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134"></a>[134]</span> -This we found to our cost, for wind and tide proved -both against us.</p> - -<p>Six hours’ steaming and broiling under a sun -which penetrated the matting of our slow conveyance, -as if it had been water within a few degrees -of boiling heat, brought us on towards evening. -Seeing some difficulty in rowing against every disadvantage, -we proposed to our rascally boatmen—native -Christians, as usual—to land us at the most -convenient place. Coming to a bluff cape, the -wretches swore by all that was holy, that we were -within a mile’s walk of our destination. In an evil -hour, we believed the worse than pagans, and found -that by so doing we had condemned ourselves to -a toilsome trudge over hill and dale, at least five -times longer than they had asserted it to be. Our -patience being now thoroughly exhausted, we relieved -our minds a little by administering periodical -chastisements to the fellow whom our bad luck had -sent to deceive and conduct us, till, at length, -hungry, thirsty, tired, and sleepy, we found ourselves -once more in the streets of Panjim.</p> - -<p>Reader, we have been minute, perhaps unnecessarily -so, in describing our visit to Seroda. If you -be one of those who take no interest in a traveller’s -“feeds,” his sufferings from vermin, or his “rows<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135"></a>[135]</span> -about the bill,” you will have found the preceding -pages uninteresting enough. Our object is, however, -to give you a plain programme of what entertainment -you may expect from the famed town of the -Bayaderes, and, should your footsteps be ever likely -to wander in that direction, to prepare you for the -disappointment you will infallibly incur.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136"></a>[136]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.<br> -<span class="smaller">EDUCATION, PROFESSIONS, AND ORIENTAL STUDIES.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>Panjim and Margao (a large town in the province -of Salsette, about fifteen miles south-east of Goa), -are the head-quarters of the Indo-Portuguese muses. -The former place boasts of mathematical and -medical schools, and others in which the elements -of history, and a knowledge of the Portuguese, -Latin, English, French, and Maharatta languages are -taught gratis. The students are, generally speaking, -proficients in the first,<a id="FNanchor_49" href="#Footnote_49" class="fnanchor">[49]</a> tolerable in the second, -and execrable in the third and fourth dialects above -specified. As regards the Maharattas, the study -of its literature has been rendered obligatory by -government, which however, in its wisdom, appears<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137"></a>[137]</span> -to have forgotten, or perhaps never knew, that certain -little aids called grammars and dictionaries are -necessary to those who would attain any degree of -proficiency in any tongue. For the benefit of the -fair sex there is a school at Panjim. Dancing and -drawing masters abound. Music also is generally -studied, but the Portuguese here want the “furore,” -as the Italians call it, the fine taste, delicate ear, -and rich voice of Southern Europe.</p> - -<p>At Panjim there is also a printing office, called -the Imprensa Naçional, whence issues a weekly -gazette, pompously named the <i>Boletim do Governo -do Estado da India</i>. It is neatly printed, and what -with advertisements, latest intelligence borrowed -from the Bombay papers, and government orders, it -seldom wants matter. At the Imprensa also, may -be found a few Portuguese books for sale, but they -are, generally speaking, merely elementary, besides -being extravagantly dear.</p> - -<p>Physic as well as jurisprudence may be studied at -Margao. The same town also has schools of theology, -philosophy, Latin, Portuguese, and the rude -beginnings of a Societade Estudiosa, or Literary -Society. The latter is intended for learned discussion: -it meets twice a week, does not publish -but keeps MS. copies of its transactions, and takes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138"></a>[138]</span> -from each member an annual subscription of -about 1<i>l.</i></p> - -<p>Upon the whole, education does not thrive in the -Indo-Portuguese settlement. It seldom commences -before the late age of nine or ten, and is very -soon ended. After entering some profession, and -coquetting a little with modern languages and -general literature, study is considered a useless -occupation. Moreover, if our observation deceive -us not, the description of talent generally met -with at Goa is rather of the specious and shallow -order. A power of quick perception, an instinctive -readiness of induction, and even a good -memory, are of little value when opposed to constitutional -inertness, and a mind which never proposes -to itself any high or great object. Finally, -the dispiriting influence of poverty weighs heavy -upon the student’s ambition, and where no rewards -are offered to excellence, no excellence can be expected. -The romantic, chivalrous, and fanatic rage -for propagating Christianity which animated the -first conquerors of Goa, and led their immediate -descendants to master the languages and literature -of the broad lands won by their sharp swords, has -long since departed, in all human probability for -ever.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139"></a>[139]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The religion of Goa is the Roman Catholic. The -primate is appointed from home, and is expected to -pass the rest of his life in exile. In the ceremonies -of the church we observed a few, but not very important -deviations from the Italian ritual. The -holy week and other great festivals are still kept -up, but the number of <i>ferie</i> (religious holidays) has -of late been greatly diminished, and the poverty -of the people precludes any attempt at display -on these occasions. All ecclesiastical matters are -settled with the utmost facility. By the constitution -lately granted, the clergy have lost the power -of excommunication. The Papal see, who kept so -jealous and watchful an eye upon Goa in the days -of her wealth and grandeur, seems now almost -to have forgotten the existence of her froward -daughter.<a id="FNanchor_50" href="#Footnote_50" class="fnanchor">[50]</a> As regards the effect of religion upon -the community in general, we should say that the -mild discipline of the priesthood has produced so far -a happy result, that the free-thinking spirit roused -by ecclesiastical intolerance in Europe, is all but -unknown here.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140"></a>[140]</span></p> - -<p>The priests always wear out of doors the clerical -cap and cassock. They are now very poorly provided -for, and consequently lead regular lives. The -archbishop’s prison is almost always empty, and -the amount of profligacy which in Rome would be -smiled at in a polite young abbate, would certainly -incur the severest penalty at Goa. It is said that -the clergy is careful to maintain the reputation of -the profession, and that any little peccadilloes, such -as will and must occur in a warm climate, and an -order of celibataires, are studiously concealed from -public observation. As might be expected, the -ecclesiastical party prefers Don Miguel to Donna -Maria, the favourite of the laity, the more so as that -“excellent son of Don John of Portugal,” were he -even to set his august foot on the floors of the -Adjuda, would probably humour them in such trifles -as readmitting the Jesuits, and reestablishing the -Inquisition. The only objection to the holy profession -at Goa is, that the comparatively idle life led -by its members offers strong inducements to a poor, -careless, and indolent people, who prefer its inutility -to pursuits more advantageous to themselves, as well -as more profitable to the commonweal.</p> - -<p>The ecclesiastical education lasts about seven -years, three of which are devoted to studying Latin,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141"></a>[141]</span> -one is wasted upon moral philosophy, dialectics and -metaphysics, and the remainder is deemed sufficient -for theology. On certain occasions, students at the -different seminaries are taught the ceremonies of -the church, and lectured in the Holy Scriptures. -There are two kinds of pupils, the resident, who -wear the clerical garb, and are limited in number, -and the non-resident, who dress like the laity, -unless they intend to take orders. In this course of -education much stress is laid upon, and pride taken -in, a knowledge of Latin, whose similarity to Portuguese -enables the student to read and speak it -with peculiar facility. Many authors are perused, -but the niceties of scholarship are unknown, good -editions of the poets and orators being unprocurable -here. Few Goanese write the classical language -well; and though all can master the words, they -seldom read deeply enough to acquire the idiom. -And lastly, the strange pronunciation of the consonants -in Portuguese is transferred to Latin, imparting -to it an almost unrecognisable sound. The -clergy belonging to the country, of course understand -and speak the Concanee Maharattas. Sermons -are sometimes preached, and services performed -in this dialect: it boasts of a printed -volume of oraçoens (prayers) dated 1660, for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142"></a>[142]</span> -the benefit of the lowest and most ignorant -classes.</p> - -<p>The military profession is by no means a favourite -one, on account of poor pay and slow -promotion. The aspirante, or cadet, enters the -service as a private, wears the uniform of that rank, -and receives about 10s. <i>per mensem</i> for attending -lectures. After learning Portuguese, the course of -study is as follows:—</p> - -<p>1st Term. Geometry, Trigonometry (plane and -spherical), Geodesy and Surveying.</p> - -<p>2nd Term. Algebra, differential and integral calculus.</p> - -<p>3rd Term. Mechanics, Statics, Dynamics, Hydrodynamics, -Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, &c.</p> - -<p>4th Term. Gunnery, Mining, Practice of Artillery.</p> - -<p>5th Term. Navigation and the Use of Instruments.</p> - -<p>6th Term. Fortification and Military Architecture.</p> - -<p>Infantry cadets study geometry and field-fortification -during two or three years. Those intended -for the Artillery and Engineers, go through all the -course above mentioned, except navigation. Drawing, -in all its branches, is taught by professors who<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143"></a>[143]</span> -are, generally speaking, retired officers superintended -by a committee. After passing their examinations, -the names of the cadets are put down in the -Roster, and they are promoted, in due order, to -the rank of alferez, or ensign.</p> - -<p>The total number of the Goanese army may be -estimated at about two thousand<a id="FNanchor_51" href="#Footnote_51" class="fnanchor">[51]</a> men on actual -duty, besides the Mouros, or Moors, who act as -police and guards at Panjim. The regiments are—two -of infantry, stationed at Bicholim and Ponda; -two battalions of caçadores (chasseurs not mounted), -at Margao and Mapuca; a provincial battalion, and -a corps of artillery at Panjim. In each regiment -there are six companies, composed of between sixty -and seventy men: a full band reckons thirty -musicians. The officers are about as numerous as -in a British corps on foreign service.</p> - -<p>The army is poorly paid;<a id="FNanchor_52" href="#Footnote_52" class="fnanchor">[52]</a> the privates receive -no salary when in sick quarters, and the consequence -is that they are frequently obliged to beg -their bread. We cannot therefore wonder that the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144"></a>[144]</span> -European soldiery is considered the least respectable -part of the whole community. Most of the officers -belong to some family resident in India; consequently, -they do not live upon their pay. Moreover, -they have no expensive establishments to -keep up, and have little marching or change of -stations.</p> - -<p>The corps are seldom paraded; once every two -days is considered ample work during the cold -season. Except on particular occasions, there are -no mounted officers on the ground, a peculiarity -which gives a remarkably “National Guard” like -appearance to the field. They are well dressed, -but very independent in such movements as in -carrying the sword, or changing flanks: after a few -manœuvres, which partake more of the character of -company than battalion exercise, the men order -arms, and the captains, lieutenants, and ensigns all -fall out for a few minutes, to smoke a leaf-full of -tobacco, and chat with the commanding officer. -They then return to their places, and the parade -proceeds. The appearance of the privates on the -drill-ground is contemptible in the extreme. The -smallest regiment of our little Maharattas would -appear tolerable sized men by the side of them; -and as for a corps of Bengalees, it ought to be able<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145"></a>[145]</span> -to walk over an equal number of such opponents, -without scarcely a thrust of the bayonet. Europeans -and natives, in dirty clothes, and by no means -of a uniform colour—some fiercely “bearded like -the pard,” some with moustachios as thick as -broomsticks, others with meek black faces, religiously -shaven and shorn—compose admirably -heterogeneous companies which, moreover, never -being sized from flanks to centre, look as jagged -as a row of shark’s teeth. Drill is the last thing -thought of. The sergeant, when putting his recruits -through their manual and platoon, finds it necessary -to refer to a book. When the pupils are not -sufficiently attentive, a spiteful wring of the ear, -or poke between the shoulders, reminds them of -their duty. To do justice to their spirit, we seldom -saw such admonition received in silence; generally, -it was followed by the description of dialogue -affected by two irritated fishwives. So much for -the outward signs of discipline. As regards the -effects of drill, the loose, careless, and <i>draggling</i> -way in which the men stand and move, would be -the death of a real English martinet. We could -not help smiling at the thought of how certain -friends of ours who, after a march of fifteen miles, -will keep an unhappy regiment ordering and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146"></a>[146]</span> -shouldering arms for half an hour in front of their -tents, would behave themselves, if called to command -such corps.</p> - -<p>Till lately, no books of tactics have been published -for the instruction of the Goanese army. -At present there are several, chiefly elementary, -and translated from the English and French. The -manual and platoon, the sword exercise, and other -small works were prepared by Major G⸺n, an -officer and linguist of some talent. We saw few -publications upon the subject of military law. -Courts-martial are rare compared with the absurd -number yearly noted in the annals of the Indian -army, where a boy of eighteen scarcely ever commits -a fault for which he would be breeched at -school, without being solemnly tried upon the charge -of “conduct highly unbecoming an officer and a -gentleman.”</p> - -<p>To conclude the subject of the Goanese army, -it is evident that there are two grand flaws in its -composition. The officers are compelled to be -scientific, not practical men, and the soldiers are -half-drilled. This propensity for mathematics is, -of course, a European importation. Beginning with -France, it has spread over the Western Continent -till at last, like sundry other new-fangled fashions,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147"></a>[147]</span> -it has been seized upon and applied to the British -army. Why a captain commanding a company, or -a colonel in charge of a battalion, should be required -to have Geometry, History, and Geography at his -fingers’ ends, we cannot exactly divine. With -respect to drill, it may be remarked that, when -imperfectly taught, it is worse than useless to the -soldier. We moderns seem determined to discourage -the personal prowess, gymnastics, and the -perpetual practice of weapons in which our forefathers -took such pride. We are right to a certain -extent: the individual should be forced to feel that -his safety lies in acting in concert with others. At -the same time, in our humble opinion, they carry -the principle too far who would leave him destitute -of the means of defending himself when obliged -to act singly. How many good men and true have -we lost during the late wars, simply in consequence -of our neglecting to instruct them in the bayonet -exercise! And may not this fact in some wise -account for the difficulty experienced of late by -disciplined troops in contending with semi-civilised -tribes, whose military studies consist of athletic -exercises which prepare the body for hardship and -fatigue, and the skilful use of weapons that ensures -success in single combat? The English, French,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148"></a>[148]</span> -and Russians have, within the last fifteen years, all -suffered more or less severely from the undrilled -valour, and the irregular attacks of the Affghans, -Arabs, and Circassians.</p> - -<p>Young aspirants to the honours which Justinian -gives, have no public schools to frequent, nor can -they study gratis. In a community which so decidedly -prefers coppers to knowledge, this is perhaps -one of the most judicious measures imaginable -for limiting the number of this troublesome -order. The law students frequent private establishments -at Margäo, and a course of two years is -generally considered sufficient to qualify them for -practice. After a very superficial examination in -the presence of a committee composed of two judges -and a president, they receive, if found competent, -a diploma, and proceed to seek employment in one -of the courts.</p> - -<p>Justice at Goa, as in British India, seems to have -adapted herself to the peculiarities of the country -much better than one might have expected from a -character so uncompromising as hers is generally -represented to be. The great difference between -us and the Portuguese is, that whereas we shoot -and hang upon the authority of our civil and military -courts, no Goanese can be brought to the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149"></a>[149]</span> -gallows till the death-warrant, bearing her majesty’s -signature, arrives from Europe,—a pleasant state of -suspense for the patient! Murder and sacrilege are -the only crimes which lead to capital punishment; -for lesser offences, criminals are transported to the -Mozambique, or imprisoned in the jail—a dirty -building, originally intended for a Mint—or simply -banished from Goa.</p> - -<p>Those covetous of the riches which Galen is said -to grant, are prepared for manslaughter—to use a -Persian phrase—by a course of five years’ study. -They are expected to attend lectures every day, -except on Thursdays and Sundays, the principal -religious festivals, and a long vacation that lasts -from the fifteenth of March to the middle of June. -On the first of April every year, the students are -examined, and two prizes are given. The professors -are four in number, three surgeons and one physician, -together with two assistants. The course -commences with Anatomy and Physiology; during -the second year Materia Medica and Pharmacy are -studied; the surgical and chemical branches of the -profession occupy the third; and the last is devoted -to Pathology and Medical Jurisprudence. The hospital -must be visited every day during the latter -half of the course. It is a large edifice, situated<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150"></a>[150]</span> -at the west end of the town, close to the sea, but -by no means, we should imagine, in a favourable -position for health, as a channel of fetid mud -passes close under the walls. The building can -accommodate about three hundred patients and is -tolerably but not scrupulously clean. It contains -two wards, one for surgical, the other for medical -cases, a chapel, an apartment for sick prisoners and -a variety of different lecture-rooms. After his four -years of study, the pupil is examined, and either -rejected or presented with a diploma and permission -to practise.</p> - -<p>The elementary works upon the subjects of -Anatomy and Materia Medica are, generally speaking, -Portuguese; the proficient, however, is compelled -to have recourse to French books, which have -not been translated into his vernacular tongue. -The English system of medicine is universally -execrated, and very justly. Dieting, broths, and -ptisanes, cure many a native whose feeble constitution -would soon sink beneath our blisters, calomel, -bleeding, and drastic purges. As might be expected, -all the modern scientific refinements, or -quackeries, are known here only by name. We -were surprised, however, by the general ignorance -of the properties of herbs and simples—a primitive<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151"></a>[151]</span> -science in which the native of India is, usually -speaking, deeply read.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The principal Oriental tongues studied by the -early Portuguese in their mania for converting the -heathens were the Malabar, Maharatta, Ethiopic, -and Japanese, the dialects of Congo, and the -Canary Isles, the Hebrew, and the Arabic. The -Portuguese Jews, in the fifteenth century, were celebrated -for their proficiency in Biblical, Talmudic, -and Rabbinical lore; and the work of João de -Souza, entitled, “Documentos Arabios de Historia -Portugueza copiades dos originaes da Torre do’ -Tombo,” is a fair specimen of Orientalism, considering -the early times in which it was composed. Of -late years, Portuguese zeal for propagating the faith, -depressed by poverty, and worn out by the slow -and sure spiritual <i>vis inertiæ</i>, which the natives -of the East have opposed to the pious efforts of -Modern Europe, appears to have sunk into the last -stage of decline, and with it their ancient ardour -for the study of so many, and, in some cases, -such unattractive languages.</p> - -<p>Our case is very different from theirs. In addition -to religious incentives, hundreds of our nation -have more solid and powerful inducements to labour<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152"></a>[152]</span> -held out to them. We fondly hope and believe -that the days are passed when Oriental study and -ruin were almost synonymous. Within the last -few years we have more or less facilitated the acquisition, -and rifled the literature of between thirty -and forty eastern dialects—a labour of which any -nation might be proud. Our industry, too, is apparently -still unabated. Societies for the translation -and publication of new works, Oriental -libraries, and, perhaps, the most useful step of -all, the lithographic process, which has lately supplanted -the old and unseemly moveable types, are -fast preparing a royal road for the Oriental learner. -It may be observed that the true means of promoting -the study is to diminish its laboriousness, -and still more its expense. So far we have been -uncommonly successful. For instance, an excellent -and correct lithograph of Mirkhond’s celebrated history, -the “Rauzat el Safa,” may now be bought for -3<i>l.</i> or 4<i>l.</i>; a few years ago the student would have -paid probably 70<i>l.</i> or 80<i>l.</i> for a portion of the same -work in the correct MS.</p> - -<p>At the same time we quite concur in the opinion -of the eminent Orientalist,<a id="FNanchor_53" href="#Footnote_53" class="fnanchor">[53]</a> who declared, <i>ex cathedrâ</i>, -that our literary achievements in this branch<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153"></a>[153]</span> -bear no flattering proportion to the vastness of -our means as a nation. It is true, to quote one -of many hard cases, that we must send to Germany -or Russia for grammars and publications in -the Affghan language, although the country lies -at our very doors. But the cause of this is the -want of patronage and assistance, not any deficiency -in power or ability. There are many unknown -D’Herbelots in India, unfortunately England -has not one Ferdinand.<a id="FNanchor_54" href="#Footnote_54" class="fnanchor">[54]</a></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154"></a>[154]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.<br> -<span class="smaller">ADIEU TO PANJIM.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>At a time when public attention is so deeply -interested in the twin subjects of colonization and -conversion, some useful lessons may be derived -from the miserable state of the celebrated Portuguese -settlement; even though our present and -their past positions be by no means parallel in -all points, and though a variety of fortuitous cases, -such as the pestilence and warfare which led to -their decadence, cannot or may not affect our more -extended Indian empire.</p> - -<p>The Portuguese, it must be recollected, generally -speaking, contented themselves with seizing the different -lines of sea-coast, holding them by means of -forts, stations, and armed vessels, and using them -for the purpose of monopolising the export and -import trade of the interior. In the rare cases -when they ventured up the country they made<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155"></a>[155]</span> -a point of colonising it. We, on the contrary, -have hitherto acted upon the principle of subjugating -whole provinces to our sway, and such has -been our success, that not only the Christian, but -even the heathen, sees the finger of Providence -directing our onward course of conquest.</p> - -<p>Of late years, climates supposed to be favourable -to the European constitution, such as the Neilgherry -hills and the lower slopes of the Himalayas, have -been discovered, tested, and approved of. Determined -to make use of them, our legislators have -taken the wise step of establishing barracks for the -British soldiery in places where they may live in -comparative health and comfort during peaceful -times, and yet be available for immediate active -service, whenever and wherever their presence may -be required.</p> - -<p>But we are not willing to stop here, we argue -that such salubrious and fertile tracts of country -would form excellent permanent settlements for -half-pay officers, pensioners, worn-out soldiers, and -others, who prefer spending the remainder of -their days in the land of their adoption. Here, -then, we have the proposed beginning of a -colony.</p> - -<p>To the probability of extensive success, or public<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156"></a>[156]</span> -utility in such a scheme, there are two important -objections.</p> - -<p>In the first place, supposing the offspring of the -colonists to be of pure European blood, we must -expect them to degenerate after the second generation. -All who have sojourned long in the southern -parts of Europe, such as Italy or Spain, must have -remarked the deleterious effects of a hot and dry -climate upon a race that thrives only in a cold and -damp one. An English child brought up in Italy -is, generally speaking, more sickly, more liable to -nervous and hepatic complaints, and, consequently, -more weakened in mind as well as body, than -even the natives of the country. If this remark -hold true in the South of Europe, it is not likely -to prove false in tropical latitudes.</p> - -<p>But, secondly, if acting upon Albuquerque’s fatal -theory, we encourage intermarriage with the natives -of the country, such colony would be worse than -useless to us. We cannot but think that the -Hindoos are the lowest branch of the Caucasian or -Iranian family; and, moreover, that, contrary to -what might be expected, any intermixture of blood -with the higher classes of that same race produces -a still inferior development. Some have accounted -for the mental inferiority of the mixed breed by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157"></a>[157]</span> -a supposed softness or malformation of the brain, -others argue that the premature depravity and -excess to which they are prone, enervate their -bodies, and, consequently, affect their minds. Whatever -may be the cause of the phenomenon its existence -is, we humbly opine, undeniable. Neither -British nor Portuguese India ever produced a half-caste -at all deserving of being ranked in the typical -order of man.</p> - -<p>Our empire in the East has justly been described -as one of opinion, that is to say, it is founded upon -the good opinion entertained of us by the natives, -and their bad opinion of themselves. In the old -times of the Honourable East India Company, when -no Englishman or Englishwoman was permitted to -reside in India, without formal permission, the -people respected us more than they do now. Admitting -this assertion, it is not difficult to account -for the reason why, of late years, a well-appointed -British force has more than once found it difficult -to defeat a rudely-drilled Indian army. We are -the same men we were in the days of Clive and -Cornwallis; the people of India are not; formerly -they fought expecting to be defeated, now they enter -the field flushed with hopes of success. We cannot -but suspect that the lower estimate they have<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158"></a>[158]</span> -formed of their antagonists has more to do with -their increased formidableness, than any other of -the minor causes to which it is usually attributed. -But if not contented with exposing individuals to -their contempt, we offer them whole colonies, we -may expect to incur even greater disasters. Every -one knows that if the people of India could be -unanimous for a day they might sweep us from -their country as dust before a whirlwind. There -is little danger of their combining so long as they -dread us. Such fear leads to distrust; every man -knows himself, and, consequently, suspects his neighbour, -to be false. Like the Italians in their late war -of independence the cry of <i>tradimento</i> (treachery) -is sufficient to paralyse every arm, however critical -be the hour in which it is raised. So it is in India. -But their distrust of each other, as well as their -respect for us, is founded entirely upon their fear -of our bayonets.</p> - -<p>In whatever way, then, we propose to populate -our settlement, we place ourselves in a position of -equal difficulty and danger. Such colonies would, -like Goa, be born with the germs of sure and speedy -decline, and well for our Indian empire in general, -if the contagious effects of their decay did not -extend far and wide through the land.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159"></a>[159]</span></p> - -<p>The conversion of the natives of India to Christianity -has of late years become a species of excitement -in our native country, and, consequently, -many incorrect, prejudiced and garbled statements of -the progress and success of the good work have gone -forth to the world. Not a few old Indians returned -home, have been very much surprised by hearing -authentic accounts and long details of effectual -missionary labour which they certainly never witnessed. -Our candour may not be appreciated—it -is so difficult for the enthusiastic to avoid running -down an opinion contrary to their own—we cannot, -however, but confess that some years spent in -Western India have convinced us that the results -hitherto obtained are utterly disproportionate to -the means employed for converting the people. -Moreover, study of the native character forces us -to doubt whether anything like success upon a -grand scale can ever reasonably be anticipated. We -have often heard it remarked by those most conversant -with the deep-rooted prejudices and the -fanatic credulity of the Hindoos that with half -the money and trouble we have lavished upon them -they could have made double the number of converts -to their heathenism in Europe.</p> - -<p>The splendid success of the Portuguese in converting<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160"></a>[160]</span> -the Hindoos, was owing to two main causes, -the first, their persecution,<a id="FNanchor_55" href="#Footnote_55" class="fnanchor">[55]</a> which compelled many -natives to assume European names, adopt the dress, -manners, and customs of the West, and gradually to -lapse, if we may use the expression, into Christianity. -After once entering a church, the proselytes -were under the strict surveillance of the -Inquisition, who never allowed a “new Christian” -to apostatize without making a signal example of -him. In the second place, the Portuguese sent out -in all directions crowds of missionaries, who, as -Tavernier informs us, assumed the native dress, and -taught under the disguise of Jogees and other -Hindoo religious characters, a strange, and yet -artful mixture of the two faiths. That these individuals -sacrificed the most vital points of their -religion to forward the end they proposed to themselves, -we have ample proof; at the same time that -they were eminently successful, is equally well -known. The virulent animosity that existed between -the Jesuits and Jansenists disclosed to astonished -Europe the system of adaptation adopted by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161"></a>[161]</span> -the former, and Benedict XIV., by a violent bull, -put an end at once to their unjustifiable means, and -their consequent successfulness of conversion.<a id="FNanchor_56" href="#Footnote_56" class="fnanchor">[56]</a></p> - -<p>We by no means mean to insinuate that our -holy faith is unfavourable to the development -or progression of the human species. Still it cannot -be concealed that, generally speaking, throughout -the East the Christian is inferior, as regards -strength, courage, and principle to the average of -the tribes which populate that part of the world. -His deficiency of personal vigour may be accounted -for by the use of impure meats, and the spirituous -liquors in which he indulges. The want of ceremonial -ablutions, also, undoubtedly tends to deteriorate -the race. It may be observed, that from -Zoroaster and Moses downwards, no founder of an -Eastern faith has ever omitted to represent his -dietetic or ablusive directions as inspired decrees, -descending from Heaven. Care applied to public -health, ensures the prosperity of a people, especially -amongst semi-barbarous races, where health engenders -bodily vigour, strength begets courage, and -bravery a rude principle of honour.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162"></a>[162]</span></p> - -<p>What Goa has done may serve as a lesson to -us. She compelled or induced good Hindoos and -Moslems to become bad Christians. The consequence -has been the utter degeneracy of the breed, -who have been justly characterized by our House -of Commons as “a race the least respected and respectable, -and the least fitted for soldiers of all the -tribes that diversify the populous country of India.”</p> - -<p>In conclusion, we have only to inform our reader -that the opinions thus boldly proposed to him are, -we believe, those entertained by many of the acutest -judges of native character and native history. It -is easy to understand why they are not more often -offered to public attention.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>After addressing a note to the Secretary for permission -to leave Goa, we set out in quest of a -conveyance; and deeply we had to regret that we -did not retain our old pattimar. The owners of -vessels, knowing that we must pay the price they -asked, and seeing that we were determined to -migrate southwards, became extortionate beyond -all bounds. At last we thought ourselves happy -to secure a wretched little boat for at least -double the usual hire. After duly taking leave -of our small circle of acquaintances, we transferred<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163"></a>[163]</span> -ourselves and luggage on board the San Ignacio -awaiting the pleasure of the Tindal—a hard-featured -black Portuguese—to quit the land of -ruins and cocoa trees. Before preparing for rest -we went through the usual ceremony of mustering -our crew, and ascertaining the probable hour -of our departure: we presently found, as we might -have guessed, that they were all on shore except a -man and a diminutive boy, and that consequently -we were not likely to weigh anchor before 2 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, -at least five hours later than was absolutely necessary. -As we felt no desire to encounter the various -Egyptian plagues of the cabin, we ordered a table -to be placed under the awning, and seated ourselves -upon the same with the firm determination of being -as patient and long-suffering as possible.</p> - -<p>The night was a lovely one—fair and cool -as ever made amends for a broiling and glaring -April day in these detestable latitudes. A more -beautiful sight, perhaps, was never seen than the -moon rising like a ball of burnished silver through -the deep azure of the clear sky, and shedding -her soft radiance down the whole length of the -Rio. The little villages almost hidden from view -by the groves of impending trees, whose heads -glistened as if hoar-frost had encrusted them; the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164"></a>[164]</span> -solemn forms of the towering churches, the ruins -of Old Goa dimly perceptible in the far distance, -and nearer, Panjim, lying in darkness under the -shadow of the hills, all looked delightfully tranquil -and peaceful. Besides, we were about to bid adieu -to scenes in which we had spent a pleasant hour or -two, and they are epochs in the traveller’s life, -these farewells to places or faces we admire. Will -then the reader wonder if we confess that, under -the circumstances of the case, we really had no -resource but to feel poetically disposed? And, as -happens in such cases, the Demon of Doggrel emboldened -by the presence of those two kindred -spirits, the naughty Herba Nicotiana and the immodest -“Naiad of the Phlegethontic Rill Cogniac,” -tempted us so long and sorely, that he at last succeeded -in causing us to perpetrate the following</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="center">LINES.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Adieu, fair land, deep silence reigns</div> - <div class="verse indent0">O’er hills and dales and fertile plains;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Save when the soft and fragrant breeze</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Sighs through the groves of tufted trees;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Or the rough breakers’ distant roar,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Is echoed by the watery shore.</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Whilst gazing on the lovely view,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">How grating sounds the word “adieu!”</div> - <div class="verse indent0">What tongue⸺</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165"></a>[165]</span></p> - -<p>Aye, what tongue indeed? In an instant the -demon fled, as our crew, in the last stage of roaring -intoxication, scaled the side of what we were about -poetically to designate our “bark.” A few minutes’ -consideration convinced us that energetic measures -must be adopted if we wished to restore order or -quiet. In vain were the efforts of our eloquence; -equally useless some slight preliminary exertions of -toe and talon. At last, exasperated by the failure, -and perhaps irritated by thinking of the beautiful -lines we might have indited but for the inopportune -interruption, we ventured to administer a rapid -succession of small double raps to the Tindal’s -shaven and cocoanut-like pericranium. The wretch -ceased his roaring, rose from off his hams, and after -regarding us for a minute with a look of intense -drunken ferocity, precipitated himself into the -water. Finding the tide too strong for him he -began to shriek like a dying pig; his crew shouted -because he shouted, sympathetically yelled the -sailors in the neighbouring boats, and the sentinels -on shore began to give the alarm. Never, perhaps, -has there been such confusion at Goa since the -Maharatta rode round her walls. Up rushed the -harbour master, the collector of customs, the military, -and the police—even his Excellency the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166"></a>[166]</span> -Governor General of all the Indies, did not deem -it beneath his dignity to quit the palace for the -purpose of ascertaining what had caused the turmoil. -The half-drowned wretch, when hurried into -the high presence, declared, in extenuation of his -conduct, that he had imprudently shipped on board -the San Ignacio, an Inglez or Englishman, who had -deliberately commenced murdering the crew the -moment they came on board. The Governor, however, -seeing the truth of things, ordered him immediately -to be placed in the nearest quarter guard -till midnight, at which time it was calculated that, -by virtue of the ducking, he might be sober enough -to set sail.</p> - -<p>As we rapidly glided by the Castle of Agoada, all -our crew stood up, and with hands reverentially -upraised, said their prayers. They did not, however, -pay much respect to the patron saint of the -boat, whose image, a little painted doll, in a wooden -box, occupied a conspicuous position in the “cuddy.” -A pot of oil with a lighted wick was, it is true, -regularly placed before him every night to warn the -vermin against molesting so holy a personage: the -measure, however, failed in success, as the very first -evening we came on board, a huge rat took his -station upon the saint’s back and glared at us,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167"></a>[167]</span> -stretching his long sharp snout over the unconscious -San Ignacio’s head. One evening, as the weather -appeared likely to be squally, we observed that the -usual compliment was not offered to the patron, -and had the curiosity to inquire why.</p> - -<p>“Why?” vociferated the Tindal indignantly, “if -that chap can’t keep the sky clear, he shall have -neither oil nor wick from me, d—n him!”</p> - -<p>“But I should have supposed that in the hour -of danger you would have paid him more than -usual attention?”</p> - -<p>“The fact is, Sahib, I have found out that the -fellow is not worth his salt: the last time we had -an infernal squall with him on board, and if he -doesn’t keep this one off, I’ll just throw him overboard, -and take to Santa Caterina: hang me, if -I don’t—the brother-in-law!”<a id="FNanchor_57" href="#Footnote_57" class="fnanchor">[57]</a></p> - -<p>And so saying the Tindal looked ferocious -things at the placid features of San Ignacio.</p> - -<p>The peculiar conformation of our captain’s mind, -recalled to memory a somewhat similar phenomenon -which we noticed in our younger days. We were -toiling up a steep and muddy mountain-road over -the Apennines, on foot, to relieve our panting steeds, -whom the vetturino was fustigating, <i>con amore</i>, at<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168"></a>[168]</span> -the same time venting fearful imprecations upon -the soul of Sant’ Antonino Piccino, or the younger.</p> - -<p>At length, tired of hearing the cadet so defamed, -we suggested that our friend should address a few -similar words to the other Sant’ Antonino—the -elder.</p> - -<p>“The elder!” cried the vetturino, aghast with -horror. “Oh, <i>per Bacco che bestemmia</i>—what a -blasphemy! No, I daren’t abuse His Sanctity; but -as for this little <i>rufiano</i> of a younger, I’ve worn -his portrait these ten years, and know by this time -that nothing is to be got out of him without hard -words.”</p> - -<p>On the fourth day after our departure from -Panjim, a swarm of canoes full of fishermen, -probably the descendants of the ancient Malabar -pirates, gave us happy tidings of speedy arrival. -They were a peculiar-looking race dressed in head-gear -made of twisted palm leaves, and looking -exactly as if an umbrella, composed of matting, -had been sewn on to the top of a crownless hat -of the same material.</p> - -<p>And now we are in the Malabar seas.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169"></a>[169]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.<br> -<span class="smaller">CALICUT.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>Can those three or four bungalows, with that -stick-like light-house between them and the half-dozen -tiled and thatched roofs peeping from amongst -the trees, compose Calicut—the city of world-wide -celebrity, which immortalised herself by giving a -name to calico?</p> - -<p>Yes; but when we land we shall find a huge -mass of huts and hovels, each built in its own -yard of cocoas with bazaars, vast and peculiar-looking -mosques, a chapel or two, courts and -cutcherries, a hospital, jail, barracks, and a variety -of bungalows. Seen from the sea, all the towns -on this coast look like straggling villages, with a -background of distant blue hill,<a id="FNanchor_58" href="#Footnote_58" class="fnanchor">[58]</a> and a middle<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170"></a>[170]</span> -space of trees, divided by a strip of sand from the -watery plain.</p> - -<p>Calicut is no longer the</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Cidade—nobre e rica<a id="FNanchor_59" href="#Footnote_59" class="fnanchor">[59]</a></div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">described by Camoens’ tuneful muse. Some, indeed, -declare that the present city is not the one alluded -to in the Lusiad. There is a tradition amongst -the natives of the country, that the ancient Calicut -was merged beneath the waves; but in the East, -tradition is always a terrible romancer. So we -will still continue to believe that here old De Gama -first cast anchor and stepped forth from his weather-beaten -ship, at the head of his mail-clad warriors, -upon the land of promise.</p> - -<p>D’Anville assigns two dates to the foundation of -Calicut, the earlier one<a id="FNanchor_60" href="#Footnote_60" class="fnanchor">[60]</a>—<span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 805—will suit historical -purposes sufficiently well. There is nothing -to recommend the position selected. During the monsoon, -no vessel can approach the anchorage-ground -with safety, and even in the fine season many have -been wrecked upon the reefs of rocks which line the -coast. Very little wind suffices to raise the surf: -Nature has made no attempt at a harbour, and the -ships lying in an open roadstead, are constantly liable<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171"></a>[171]</span> -to be driven on the sand and mud-banks around -them. Tippoo Sultan—a very long-headed individual, -by the bye—saw the defects of the situation, -and determining to remove the town about six miles -southward to the mouth of the Beypoor, or Arricode -river, where a natural port exists, adopted the -energetic measure of almost destroying the old city, -that the inhabitants might experience less regret -in leaving their homes. The Moslem emperor regarded -Calicut with no peculiar good-will. He and -his subjects were perpetually engaged in little -squabbles, which by no means tended to promote -kindly feeling between them.<a id="FNanchor_61" href="#Footnote_61" class="fnanchor">[61]</a> On one occasion, -offended by the fanaticism of the Nair and Tiyar -Hindoos, their ruler pulled down almost every -pagoda in the place, and with the stones erected -a splendid tank in the middle of the large open -space where the travellers’ bungalow now stands.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172"></a>[172]</span> -Tippoo unfortunately failed in this project of removal, -and when the British became supreme in -Malabar, the natives all returned to their ancient -haunts. Calicut, for many reasons, is not likely to -be deserted under the present rule: it is the point -to which all the lines of road which intersect the -country converge; besides it would now scarcely be -worth our while to bring about so violent a change -for the purpose of eventual improvement.</p> - -<p>When old Nelkunda began to decline, Calicut -rose to importance, probably in consequence of its -being in very early times the metropolis of the -Samiry Rajah (the Zamorin of Camoens), lord paramount -of Malabar. Shortly after the origin of -Islam, it was visited and colonised by thousands of -Arabs,<a id="FNanchor_62" href="#Footnote_62" class="fnanchor">[62]</a> who diffused energy and activity throughout<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173"></a>[173]</span> -the land. As trade increased, Calicut throve because -of its centrical position between the countries -east and west of Cape Comorin. Even in the present -day, although Goa, and subsequently Bombay, -have left the ancient emporium of Western India -but little of its former consequence, commerce<a id="FNanchor_63" href="#Footnote_63" class="fnanchor">[63]</a> still -continues to flourish there. The export is brisker -than the import trade: the latter consists principally -of European piece goods and metals, the -former comprises a vast variety of spices, drugs, -valuable timber and cotton cloths.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>We will now take a walk through the town and -remark its several novelties. Monuments of antiquity -abound not here: the fort erected by the -Portuguese has long since been level with the -ground, and private bungalows occupy the sites of -the old Dutch, French, and Danish factories. We -shall meet few Europeans in the streets: there are -scarcely twenty in this place, including all the -varieties of civilians, merchants, missionaries, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174"></a>[174]</span> -the officers belonging to the two seapoy companies -detached from the neighbouring station—Cananore. -Most of the residents inhabit houses built -upon an eminence about three miles to the north of -the town; others live as close as possible to the -sea. A dreary life they must lead, one would -suppose, especially during the monsoon, when the -unhappy expatriated’s ears are regaled by no other -sounds but the pelting of the rain, the roaring of the -blast, and the creaking of the cocoa trees, whilst a -curtain of raging sea, black sky, and watery air, is -all that meets his weary ken.</p> - -<p>The first thing we observe during our perambulation, -is the want of the quadruped creation: there -are no horses,<a id="FNanchor_64" href="#Footnote_64" class="fnanchor">[64]</a> sheep, or goats, and the cows are -scarcely as large as English donkeys. Secondly, the -abundance of sore eyes, produced, it is supposed -by the offensive glare and the peculiar effect of -the sun’s rays, which in these regions are insufferable -even to the natives of other Indian provinces. -The population apparently regards us with no -friendly feeling, Moslem and Hindoo, all have scowls -upon their faces, and every man, moreover, carries<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175"></a>[175]</span> -a knife conveniently slung to his waistband. Those -dark-faced gentlemen, in imitation European dresses, -are familiar to our eyes: they are Portuguese, not, -however, from Goa, but born, bred, and likely to be -buried at Calicut. A little colony, of fifty or sixty -families of the race is settled here; they employ -themselves either in commerce, or as writers in the -different government offices.</p> - -<p>The bazaars appear to be well stocked with everything -but vegetables and butcher’s meat, these two -articles being as scarce and bad as the poultry; fish -and fruit are plentiful and good. The shops are -poor; there is not a single Parsee or European -store in the town, so that all supplies must be -procured from the neighbouring stations. Everywhere -the houses are much more comfortably and -substantially built than in the Bombay presidency; -the nature of the climate requires a good roof, and -as much shade on and around it as possible: the -streets and roads, also, look civilised compared with -the narrow and filthy alleys of our native towns -in general. But we shall find little amusement in -inspecting the mass of huts and hovels, mosques -and schools, gardens and tanks, so we might as well -prolong our stroll beyond the town, and visit the -venerable pagoda of Varkool.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176"></a>[176]</span></p> - -<p>It is, you see, a building by no means admirable -in point of outward appearance; the roof is tiled, -and there is little to excite your curiosity in the -woodwork. Its position is remarkable—perched -upon the summit of a pile of laterite rock rising -abruptly from a level expanse of sand. But it is -great, very great, in its historical importance. That -edifice was one of the hundred and eight Maha -Chaitrum, or temples of the first order, built by the -demigod Parasu Rama, upon this coast, and dedicated -to the Hindoo Triad. Equally notable it is -for sanctity. Early in the month of October, water -appears bubbling from a fissure of the rock, and -this, learned Brahmans, by what test we know -not, have determined to be the veritable fluid of the -Ganges, which, passing under ground,<a id="FNanchor_65" href="#Footnote_65" class="fnanchor">[65]</a> <i>viâ</i> Central -India, displays itself regularly once a year to the -devotees of Rama. Kindly observe that there is a -crowd of Nairs gathered round the temple, and that -some petty prince, as we may know by his retinue -of armed followers, is visiting the shrine. We will -not venture in, as the Hindoos generally in this -part of the world, and the Nairs particularly, are -accustomed to use their knives with scant ceremony.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_177"></a>[177]</span> -Besides, just at present, they are somewhat in a -state of excitement: they expect a partial eclipse -of the moon, and are prepared to make all the noise -they can, with a view of frightening away the wicked -monster, Rahu, who is bent upon satisfying his -cannibal appetites with the lucid form of poor -Luna.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The present Samiry Rajah is a proud man, who -shuns Europeans, and discourages their visiting him -on principle. Wishing, however, to see some sample -of the regal family, we called upon a cadet of the -house of Yelliah, an individual of little wealth or -influence, but more sociable than the high and -mighty Mana Vikram.<a id="FNanchor_66" href="#Footnote_66" class="fnanchor">[66]</a> After a ride of about -three miles, through lanes lined with banks of -laterite, and over dykes stretching like rude causeways -along paddy fields invested with a six-foot -deep coating of mud, we arrived at the village of -Mangaon. The Rajah was apparently resolved to -receive us with all the honours: a caparisoned -elephant stood at the gate of the “palace,” and a -troop of half-naked Nairs, armed as usual, crowded -around to receive us. We were ushered through -a succession of courts and gateways—the former -full of diminutive, but seemingly most pugnacious<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_178"></a>[178]</span> -cows—and at last, ascending a long flight of dark -and narrow steps, suddenly found ourselves in the -“presence.” Our Rajah was a little dark man, -injudiciously attired in a magnificent coat of gold -cloth, a strangely-shaped cap of the same material, -and red silk tights. The room was small, and -choked with furniture; chairs, tables, clocks, -drawers, washing-stands, boxes, book-shelves, and -stools, were arranged, or rather piled up around -it, with all the effect of an old curiosity-shop. -The walls exhibited a collection of the cheapest -and worst of coloured prints—our late -gracious queen dangling in dangerous proximity -to the ferocious-looking Beau Sabreur, and La -Belle Americaine occupied in attentively scrutinising -certain diminutive sketches of Richmond Hill, -and other localities, probably torn out of some -antiquated Annual. Our host met us <i>à l’Anglaise</i>—that -is to say, with a warm, moist, and friendly -squeeze of the hand: he was profuse in compliments, -and insisted upon our sitting on the sofa -opposite his chair. With the assistance of an interpreter—for -the Rajah understands little Hindostani, -and we less Malayalim—some twenty minutes -were spent in conversation, or rather in the usual -exchange of questions and answers which composes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_179"></a>[179]</span> -the small-talk of an Oriental visit. Presently we -arose and took polite leave of our host, who accompanied -us as far as the door of his little den: the -regal rank and dignity forbidding him to pass the -threshold. Not a little shuffling and shrieking was -caused by our turning a corner suddenly and meeting -in the gateway a crowd of dames belonging -to the palace. They and their attendants appeared -as much annoyed as we were gratified to catch a -sight of Nair female beauty. The ladies were very -young and pretty—their long jetty tresses, small -soft features, clear dark olive-coloured skins, and -delicate limbs, reminded us exactly of the old prints -and descriptions of the South Sea Islanders. Their -<i>toilette</i>, in all save the ornamental part of rings and -necklaces, was decidedly scanty. It was the same -described by old Capt. Hamilton, who, when introduced -at the Court of the Samorin, observed that -the queen and her daughters were “all naked above -the waist, and barefooted.”</p> - -<p>People are fond of asserting that native prejudices -are being rapidly subjugated by the strong -arm of English civilization. We could instance -numerous proofs of the contrary being the case. -Two hundred years ago the white man was allowed -to look upon a black princess in the presence<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_180"></a>[180]</span> -of her husband. How long will it be -before such privilege will ever be extended to -him again in India?</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>On the way homewards our guide pointed out -what he considered the great lion of Calicut. It -is a square field, overgrown with grass and weeds -and surrounded by a dense grove of trees. Fronting -the road stands a simple gateway, composed of -one stone laid horizontally across two of the same -shape, planted perpendicularly in the ground. Not -detecting instantly any great marvel about the place -we looked our curiosity for further information.</p> - -<p>“In days of old a strong fort, and a splendid -palace adorned that spot—their only remains now -those two mounds”—said the guide, pointing at -what appeared to be the ruins of bastions—“and -that raised platform of earth at the other end. -Upon the latter a temporary festive building is -erected whenever a Rajah is invested with the -turban of regal dignity, in memory of the ancient -dwelling-place of his ancestors, and the city which -is now no more.”</p> - -<p>We had half an hour to waste, and were not -unwilling to hear a detailed account of old Calicut’s -apocryphal destruction. So we asked the man<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_181"></a>[181]</span> -to point out its former site. He led us towards the -shore, and called our attention to a reef of rocks -lying close off the mouth of the little Kullai River; -they were clearly discernible as it was then low -water.<a id="FNanchor_67" href="#Footnote_67" class="fnanchor">[67]</a></p> - -<p>“There,” said the guide,—a good Hindoo, of -course—“there lies the accursed city of Cherooman -Rajah!”</p> - -<p>Our escort did not require much pressing to ease -himself of a little legendary lore. After preparing -his mouth for conversation by disposing of as much -betel juice as was convenient, he sat down upon -the ground near the log of wood occupied by ourselves, -and commenced.</p> - -<p>“When Cherooman Rajah, the last and most powerful -of our foreign governors, apostatizing from the -holy faith of his forefathers, received the religion -of the stranger, he went forth as a pilgrim to the -land of the Arab, and dwelt there for several -years.<a id="FNanchor_68" href="#Footnote_68" class="fnanchor">[68]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_182"></a>[182]</span></p> - -<p>“Our ruler’s return was signalized by a determination -to propagate the new belief throughout -Malabar, and unusual success attended upon the -well-planned system of persuasion and force adopted -by him. Thousands of the slaves, the cultivators -and the fishermen, became Moslems, many of the -Nairs, some of them men of high rank, and even a -few of the Brahmans did not disdain to follow their -prince’s example. But the <i>Numboory</i><a id="FNanchor_69" href="#Footnote_69" class="fnanchor">[69]</a> stood firm -in his refusal to turn from the law of Brahma; -he not only toiled to counteract the monarch’s -influence, but on more than one occasion in solemn -procession visited the palace, and denounced a curse -upon the Rajah and people of Calicut if the proselytising -continued.</p> - -<p>“At length the chieftain, irritated by the determined<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_183"></a>[183]</span> -opposition of the priesthood, and urged on -by his Arab advisers, swore a mighty oath that he -would forcibly convert his arch enemies. The person -selected to eat impure meat as a warning to his -brethren was the holy Sankaracharya, the high -Brahman of the Varkool pagoda.</p> - -<p>“Slowly the old man’s tottering frame bowed, and -trembling with age, moved down the double line of -bearded warriors that crowded the audience-hall. -At the further end of the room, upon the cushion -of royalty, and surrounded by a throng of foreign -counsellors, sat Cherooman, looking like a Rakshasa -or Spirit of Evil.</p> - -<p>“Few words passed between the Brahman and the -ruler. The threats of the latter, and the scoffs of -his myrmidons, fell unheeded upon the old priest’s -ears.</p> - -<p>“‘It is said that a Rajah is a sword in the hand -of the Almighty—but thou, Cherooman, art like the -assassin’s knife. Since thou art thus determined -upon thine own destruction accompany me to the -beach, and there, unless before sunset the dread -Deity I adore vouchsafe to show thee a sign of his -power, I will obey thine unhallowed orders.’</p> - -<p>“The Rajah mounted his elephant, and followed -by his mufties, his wuzeers, and guardsmen, moved<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_184"></a>[184]</span> -slowly towards the brink of the briny wave. On -foot and unattended, propping his faltering footsteps -with a sandal wand, the Brahman accompanied -the retinue. And all the people of Calicut, -whose leaning towards the new faith made them -exult in the prospect of conversion being forced -upon so revered a personage as the old priest, informed -of the event, hurried down in thousands -to the shore, and stood there in groups conversing -earnestly, and sparing neither jest nor jibe at the -contrast between the champions of the two rival -faiths.</p> - -<p>“Sankaracharya sat down upon the sand where -the small waves swelled and burst at his feet. Muffling -his head in a cotton sheet removed from his -shoulders, he drew the rosary bag over his right -hand, and after enumerating the Deity’s names -upon his beads, proceeded to recite the charm of -destruction.</p> - -<p>“Presently, a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand -rose like a sea-bird above the margin of the western -main. It increased with preternatural growth, and -before half an hour had elapsed it veiled the mid-day -light of heaven, and spread over the sky like -the glooms of night. A low moaning sound as of -a rising hurricane then began to break the drear<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_185"></a>[185]</span> -stillness of the scene, and fierce blasts to career -wildly over the heaving bosom of the waters.</p> - -<p>“Still the Brahman continued his prayer.</p> - -<p>“Now huge billowy waves burst like thunder upon -the yellow sands, the zig-zag lightning streaking the -murky sky blinded the eyes, whilst the roar of the -elements deafened the ears of the trembling crowd. -Yet they stood rooted to the spot by a mightier -power than they could control. The Rajah, on his -elephant, and the beggar crawling upon his knees, -all had prepared for themselves one common doom.</p> - -<p>“Before the bright car of Surya,<a id="FNanchor_70" href="#Footnote_70" class="fnanchor">[70]</a> the Lord of Day, -borne by its flaming steeds with agate hoofs, had -entered upon their starry way, the wavelet was rippling, -and the sea-gull flapping his snowy wing -over the city of Cherooman the Apostate.”</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_186"></a>[186]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.<br> -<span class="smaller">MALABAR.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>The province, now called Malabar, is part of -the Kerula Rajya, the kingdom of Kerula, one of the -fifty-six <i>deshas</i>, or regions, enumerated in ancient -Hindoo history as forming the Bharata Khanda or -Land of India. It is supposed to have been recovered -from the sea by the sixth incarnation of -Vishnu, who in expiation of a matricidal crime gave -over to the Brahmans, particularly to those of the -Moonsut tribe, the broad lands lying between Go-karna<a id="FNanchor_71" href="#Footnote_71" class="fnanchor">[71]</a> -and Kanya Kumari, or Cape Comorin. The -country is also known by the names of Malayalim, -the “mountain land;” Malangara and Cherun,<a id="FNanchor_72" href="#Footnote_72" class="fnanchor">[72]</a><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_187"></a>[187]</span> -from the Rajahs, who governed it at an early -period. It is probably the kingdom of Pandion, -described in the pages of the classical geographers.</p> - -<p>By Malabar we now understand the little tract -bounded on the north by Canara, to the south by -the province of Cochin, having Coorg and Mysore -to the east, and washed by the waves of the Indian -Ocean on the west. Marco Polo (thirteenth century)<a id="FNanchor_73" href="#Footnote_73" class="fnanchor">[73]</a> -speaks of it as a “great kingdom,” and -Linschoten (sixteenth century) describes it as extending -from Comorin to Goa. The natives assert -that the old Kerula Rajya was divided into sixty-four -<i>grama</i> or districts, of which only eight are -included in the present province of Malabar.<a id="FNanchor_74" href="#Footnote_74" class="fnanchor">[74]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_188"></a>[188]</span></p> - -<p>The whole of this part of the coast acquired an -early celebrity from the valuable exports<a id="FNanchor_75" href="#Footnote_75" class="fnanchor">[75]</a> which -it dispersed over the Western World. Nelkunda, -the chief port, is mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny: -and the author of the “Periplus” places it near -Barake or Ela Barake, the roadstead where vessels -lay at anchor till their cargoes were brought down -to the sea. Major Rennell has identified the -ancient Nelkunda with the modern Nelisuram, as -the latter place is situated twelve miles up the -Cangerecora River—a distance corresponding with<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_189"></a>[189]</span> -that specified in the “Periplus.” Vincent acutely -guesses Ela Barake to be the spot near Cananore, -called by Marco Polo “Eli,” and by us Delhi<a id="FNanchor_76" href="#Footnote_76" class="fnanchor">[76]</a>—the -“Ruddy Mountain” of the ancients.</p> - -<p>Malabar, from remote times, has been divided -into two provinces, the northern and the southern: -the Toorshairoo or Cottah River forming the line -of demarcation. The general breadth of the -country, exclusive of the district of Wynad, is -about twenty-five miles, and there is little level -ground. The soil is admirably fertile; in the -inland parts it is covered with clumps of bamboos, -bananas, mangoes, jacktrees, and several species of -palms. Substantial pagodas, and the prettiest possible -little villages crown the gentle eminences -that rise above the swampy rice lands, and the -valleys are thickly strewed with isolated cottages -and homesteads, whose thatched roofs, overgrown -with creepers, peep out from the masses of luxuriant<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_190"></a>[190]</span> -vegetation, the embankments and the neat fences -of split bamboo interlaced with thorns, that conceal -them. Each tenement has its own croft -planted with pepper, plantains, and the betel vine, -with small tufts of cocoas, bamboos, and that most -graceful species of the palm, the tall and feathery -areca. These hamlets are infinitely superior in appearance -to aught of the kind we have ever seen -in India; the houses are generally built of brick -or hewn stone and mortar, and those belonging -to the wealthy have been copied from the Anglo-Indian -bungalow. As the traveller passes he will -frequently see the natives sitting at their doors -upon chairs exactly as the rustics of Tuscany would -do. The quantity of rain that annually falls<a id="FNanchor_77" href="#Footnote_77" class="fnanchor">[77]</a> -covers the ground with the bloom of spontaneous -vegetation; cocoa-trees rise upon the very verge -where land ends, and in some places the heaps of -sand that emerge a few feet from the surface of -the sea, look bright with a cap of emerald hue. -In consequence of the great slope of the country -the heaviest monsoon leaves little or no trace -behind it, so that lines of communication once -formed are easily preserved. Generally speaking<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_191"></a>[191]</span> -the roads are little more than dykes running over -the otherwise impassable paddy fields, and, during -wet weather, those in the lower grounds are remarkably -bad. Some of the highways are macadamised -with pounded laterite spread in thin layers upon -the sand; the material is found in great quantities -about Calicut, and it makes an admirable monsoon -road, as the rain affects it but little on account -of its extreme hardness. The magnificent avenues -of trees,<a id="FNanchor_78" href="#Footnote_78" class="fnanchor">[78]</a> which shade the principal lines, are most -grateful to man and beast in a tropical climate. -On all of them, however, there is one great annoyance, -particularly during the monsoon, namely, -the perpetual shifting to and from ferries<a id="FNanchor_79" href="#Footnote_79" class="fnanchor">[79]</a>—an<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_192"></a>[192]</span> -operation rendered necessary by the network of -lakes, rivers, and breakwaters, that intersects the -country. A great public use could be made -of these inconvenient streams: with very little -cutting a channel of communication might be run -down the coast, and thus the conveyance of goods -would remain uninterrupted even during the prevalence -of the most violent monsoons. Water -transit, we may observe, would be a grand boon -here, as carts are rare, cattle transport is almost -unknown, and the transmission of merchandise by -means of coolies or porters is the barbarous, slow, -and expensive method at present necessarily in -general use.</p> - -<p>The practical husbandry of Malabar is essentially -rude, and yet in few countries have we seen more -successful cultivation. The plough is small, of -simple form, and so light, that it merely scratches -the ground; a pair of bullocks, or a bullock and -a woman or two, are attached to the log, and -whilst the labourer dawdles over his task, he -chaunts monotonous ditties to Mother Earth with -more pious zeal than industry. The higher lands -produce the betel vine, cocoa, areca, and jack-trees,<a id="FNanchor_80" href="#Footnote_80" class="fnanchor">[80]</a><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_193"></a>[193]</span> -together with hill rice: the latter article is sown -some time after the setting in of the heavy rains, -and reaped about September or October. The -lower rice-fields, lying in the valleys between the -acclivities, are laid out in little plots, with raised -footpaths between to facilitate passage and regulate -the irrigation. They generally bear one, often -two, and in some favoured spots, three crops a -year; the average is scarcely more than six or -seven fold, though a few will yield as much as -thirty. The south-west monsoon, which lasts from -June to September, brings forward the first harvest: -the second is indebted to the south-east rains which -set in about a month later. The Sama (Panicum -Miliaceum) requires the benefit of wet weather; it is -therefore sown in May, and reaped in August. The -oil plant Yelloo (Sesamum Orientale) and the cooltie -or horsegram cannot be put into the ground till the -violence of the monsoon has abated.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The annual revenue of Malabar is about thirty -lacs of rupees (300,000<i>l.</i>), land is valuable, the -reason probably being that it is for the most part -private, not government property.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_194"></a>[194]</span></p> - -<p>When the Hindoo law authorizes a twelfth, an -eighth, or a sixth, and at times of urgent necessity -even a fourth of the crop to be taken, specifying -the Shelbhaga, or one-sixth, as the rulers’ usual -share, it appears extraordinary that this province -was exempted from all land-tax till 913,<a id="FNanchor_81" href="#Footnote_81" class="fnanchor">[81]</a> or <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> -1736-7. We may account for the peculiarity, however, -by remembering that the country belonged, -properly speaking, to the Brahmans, who were, -in a religious point of view, the owners of the soil. -Moreover, the avowed and legitimate sources of -revenue were sufficient for the purposes of a -government that had no standing army, and whose -militia was supported chiefly by assignments of -land. The rulers, however, were anything but -wealthy: many of their perquisites were, it is true, -by a stretch of authority, converted into the means -of personal aggrandisement, but the influence of -the Brahmans, and the jealousy of the chiefs,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_195"></a>[195]</span> -generally operated as efficient checks upon individual -ambition.</p> - -<p>Malabar has been subjected to three different -assessments.</p> - -<p>1st. That of the Hindoo Rajahs.</p> - -<p>2dly. In the days of the Moslems, and,</p> - -<p>3dly. Under the British Government.</p> - -<p>We propose to give a somewhat detailed account -of the chief items composing the curious revenue -of the Hindoo rajahs and chiefs in the olden -time.</p> - -<p>1. <i>Unka</i>, battle-wager, or trial by single combat. -Quarrels and private feuds were frequent -amongst the Nairs, especially when differences on -the subject of the fair sex, or any of their peculiar -principles of honour aroused their pugnacity. It -was not indispensable that the parties who were -at issue should personally fight it out. Champions -were allowed by law, and in practice were frequently -substituted. The combatants undertook -to defend the cause they espoused till death, and -a term of twelve years was granted to them that -they might qualify themselves for the encounter -by training and practising the use of arms. Before -the onset both champions settled all their -worldly matters, as the combat was <i>à l’outrance</i>.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_196"></a>[196]</span> -The weapons used were sword and dagger: a small -shield and a thick turban being the only articles -of defensive armour. This system of duelling was -a source of considerable revenue to the Rajah, -as he was umpire of the battle, and levied the -tax in virtue of his office. The amount of the -fee varied according to the means of the parties. -Sometimes it was as high as one thousand -fanams.<a id="FNanchor_82" href="#Footnote_82" class="fnanchor">[82]</a></p> - -<p>2. <i>Poorooshandrum</i>—a word literally meaning -the “death of the man”—a relief or sum of money -claimed by the ruler from Nadwallees,<a id="FNanchor_83" href="#Footnote_83" class="fnanchor">[83]</a> Deshwallees, -heads of guilds, holders of land in free gift or under -conditional tenure, and generally from all persons -enjoying Sthanum or official position in the state, -whenever an heir succeeded to a death vacancy. -The chiefs of provinces and districts, like the -private proprietors, were exclusively entitled to -receive Poorooshandrum from their own tenantry, -as a price of entry paid upon the decease of either -party, lessor or lessee. Sometimes the chiefs -claimed the privilege of levying this tax from -the Rajah’s subjects living under their protection. -It is supposed that the Hindoo rulers were entitled,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_197"></a>[197]</span> -under the head of Poorooshandrum, to a certain -share of the property left by deceased Moslems, but -the prevalent opinion seems to be that in such cases -there was no fixed sum payable, and, moreover, that -it was not claimed from all, but only from those -individuals who held situations or enjoyed privileges -dependent upon the will and favour of the Rajah. -This tax, so similar to one of our feudal sources of -revenue in the West, often reached the extent of -one thousand two hundred fanams.</p> - -<p>3. <i>Polyatta Penna</i>, or degraded women, were -another source of profit to the Rajah, who exacted -various sums from Brahman families for the maintenance -of such females, and for saving them from -further disgrace. These persons became partial -outcastes, not slaves in the full sense of the word; -and yet the rulers used to sell them to the Chetties, -or coast merchants. Their offspring always married -into families of the same degraded class, and, after -a few generations, the memory of their origin was -lost in the ramifications of the race into which they -had been adopted.</p> - -<p>4. <i>Kaleecha</i>—another feudal tax, answering to -the Nuzzuranah of Mussulman India. It consisted -of presents made by all ranks of people to the -ruler on such occasions of congratulation and condolence<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_198"></a>[198]</span> -as his ascending the throne, opening a new -palace, marrying, and dying. The amount expected -varied from two to one thousand fanams.</p> - -<p>5. <i>Chungathum</i>, or protection. Whenever a -person wished to place himself under the safeguard -of a man of consequence, he paid from four -to sixty-four fanams annually for the privilege. -He might also make an assignment on particular -lands for the payment. The sum was devoted to -the maintenance of a kind of sentinel, similar to -the belted official Peon of the Anglo-Indian settlements, -furnished by the protector to his dependent. -In cases of necessity, however, the former was -bound to aid and assist the other with a stronger -force.</p> - -<p>6. <i>Recha-Bhogum</i>—a tax differing from Chungathum -only in one point, viz., that the engagement -was a general one, unlimited to any specific aid in -the first instance.</p> - -<p>7. Under the name of <i>Uttudukum</i>, the Rajah was -entitled to the property of any person who, holding -lands in free gift, died without heirs; moreover, no -adoption was valid without his sanction. The -feudal chiefs had similar privileges with respect -to their tenants.</p> - -<p>8. <i>Udeema punum</i>—the yearly payment of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_199"></a>[199]</span> -one or two fanams, levied by every Tumbooran<a id="FNanchor_84" href="#Footnote_84" class="fnanchor">[84]</a> -or patron from his Udian (client).</p> - -<p>9. <i>Soonka</i>—customs upon all imports and exports -by land or sea. The amount is variously specified -as two-and-a-half, three, and even ten per cent.</p> - -<p>10. <i>Yela</i>—the systematic usurpation of territory -belonging to the neighbouring rulers or chiefs, whom -poverty or other causes incapacitated from holding -their own. The Hindoo Scripture affirms that -territorial aggrandisement is the proper object and -peculiar duty of a king.</p> - -<p>11. <i>Kola</i> or <i>Charadayum</i>—forced contributions -levied by Rajahs on occasions of emergency, according -to the circumstances of their subjects.</p> - -<p>12. <i>Tuppa</i>—mulcts imposed upon those who -were convicted of accidental and unintentional -offences.</p> - -<p>13. <i>Pala</i>—fines taken in the same manner for -intentional crimes, according to their magnitude -and the circumstances of the criminal. They sometimes -extended to a total confiscation of property.</p> - -<p>14. <i>Ponnarippa</i>—the sifting of gold. Gold dust -generally was a perquisite belonging to the Rajah -or Nadwallee, as the case might be.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_200"></a>[200]</span></p> - -<p>15. <i>Udeenya Oorookul</i>, or shipwrecked vessels, -which became crown property.</p> - -<p>16. <i>Chaireekul</i>, or private domains, which the -Rajahs possessed in proprietary right, acquired -either by purchase, lapses, or escheats.</p> - -<table class="inline"> - <tr> - <td>17.</td> - <td><i>Aeemoola</i></td> - <td>}</td> - <td rowspan="2" class="valign">Cows with three and five dugs.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>18.</td> - <td><i>Moomoola</i></td> - <td>}</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>19. <i>Chengkomba</i>, or cattle that had destroyed -life, human or bestial.</p> - -<p>20. <i>Kunnuda poolee</i>—beeves born with a peculiar -white spot near the corner of the eye.</p> - -<p>21. <i>Ana-pidee</i>—elephants caught in the jungles.</p> - -<p>22. <i>Poowala</i>—buffalos with a white spot at the -tip of the tail.</p> - -<p>23. <i>Koomba</i>—the tusks of dead elephants.</p> - -<p>24. <i>Korawa</i>—the leg of a hog, deer, or any other -eatable animal killed in the jungles.</p> - -<table class="inline"> - <tr> - <td>25.</td> - <td><i>Wala</i></td> - <td>}</td> - <td rowspan="2" class="valign">The tail and skin of a tiger.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>26.</td> - <td><i>Tola</i></td> - <td>}</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>27. <i>Kennutil punne</i>—a pig that had fallen into -a well.<a id="FNanchor_85" href="#Footnote_85" class="fnanchor">[85]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_201"></a>[201]</span></p> - -<p>This system of aid and perquisites, rather than -of taxes and assessments, continued, as we have said -before, till <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1736. At that time the invasion -of the Ikkairee, or Bednore Rajah, to whom the -Canara province was then in subjection, obliged -some of the rulers of Northern Malabar to levy -twenty per cent. on Patum, or rent. The part of the -Palghaut and Temelpooram districts, which belonged -to the Calicut house, was subjected to a land tax, -under the name of Kavil, or compensation for -protection. With these exceptions,<a id="FNanchor_86" href="#Footnote_86" class="fnanchor">[86]</a> Malabar was -free from any land rent or regular assessment proportioned -to the gross produce before Hyder’s invasion -in <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1777.</p> - -<p>Some are of opinion that, during Hyder’s life, -the land-tax assumed, in the Southern division of -Malabar, the shape which it now bears in the public -records. Others attribute the principles of the -assessment to Arshad Beg Khan, the Foujdar, or -commander of Tippoo Sultan’s forces in Malabar, -about <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1783. His system was carefully examined -by Messrs. Duncan, Page, Bodham, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_202"></a>[202]</span> -Dow, who, in 1792 and 1793, were appointed commissioners -to inspect and report upon the state and -condition of the country. To their laborious work<a id="FNanchor_87" href="#Footnote_87" class="fnanchor">[87]</a> -we must refer the curious reader, as the subject is -far too lengthy and profound to suit such light -pages as these.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_203"></a>[203]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.<br> -<span class="smaller">THE HINDOOS OF MALABAR.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>When Parasu Rama, the demigod, departed this -transitory life, he left, as we said before, the -kingdom of Malabar as a heritage to the priestly -caste. For many years a hierarchy of Brahmans -governed the land.<a id="FNanchor_88" href="#Footnote_88" class="fnanchor">[88]</a> At length, finding themselves -unable to defend the country, they established -Nair chiefs in each Nad (province), and Desha -(village),<a id="FNanchor_89" href="#Footnote_89" class="fnanchor">[89]</a> called from their places of jurisdiction -Nadwallee and Deshwallee. The main distinction -between them seems to have been, that whereas -the latter could not command more than a hundred<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_204"></a>[204]</span> -fighting men, the Nadwallee never went to battle -with a smaller number than that under his banner; -some few led as many as twenty thousand vassals -to the field. Both were bound to conduct the affairs -of their feofs, to preserve the peace of the country, -and to assemble and head their respective forces -at the summons of the Rajah. There does not -appear to have been any limitation to the power -of settling disputes vested in these feudal superiors, -nor were they prohibited from taking fines and -costs of suit;<a id="FNanchor_90" href="#Footnote_90" class="fnanchor">[90]</a> parties appearing before them had, -however, a right of appeal to the Rajah. These -dignities were hereditary; still they may be considered -political offices,—for, in case of demise, -the heir did not succeed without a formal investiture -by the ruler, and a relief, or fine of entry, -taken in token of allegiance. Like the feudal -landowners of England, both the Nadwallee and -the Deshwallee were dependent upon the prince -to whom they swore the oath of fidelity. Neither -of these dignitaries was necessarily owner of all<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_205"></a>[205]</span> -the landed property within his province or village -boundaries: in fact he seldom was so, although -there was no objection to his becoming proprietor -by purchase or other means. They were not -entitled to a share of the produce of the lands -in their jurisdiction, nor could they claim the -seignoral privileges, which the heads of villages -on the eastern coast, and many other parts of -India, enjoy. Under the Deshwallee of each village -were several Turravattakara,<a id="FNanchor_91" href="#Footnote_91" class="fnanchor">[91]</a> or chief burgesses. -They possessed a certain hereditary dignity, but -no controlling authority. In them, however, we -may trace the germ of a municipal corporation, as -their position entitled them to the honour of being -applied to on occasions of marriages, deaths, religious -ceremonies, and differences amongst the vassals. -When their mediation failed the cause went before -the Deshwallee.</p> - -<p>The anarchy introduced by this complicated -variety of feudalism soon compelled the hierarchy -to call in the aid of the Bejanuggur, or, as it is -commonly termed, the Anagundy government, and -the latter, at the solicitation of the Brahmans, -appointed a Peroomal, or Viceroy, whose administration<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_206"></a>[206]</span> -was limited to the term of twelve years, -to rule the fair lands of Malabar. These governors, -who are also known by the name of Cherun,<a id="FNanchor_92" href="#Footnote_92" class="fnanchor">[92]</a> were -first appointed in the 3511th year of the Kali -Yug,<a id="FNanchor_93" href="#Footnote_93" class="fnanchor">[93]</a> about <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 410. Seventeen of them, curious -to say, followed each other in regular succession. -The last, however, Cherooman Peroomal,<a id="FNanchor_94" href="#Footnote_94" class="fnanchor">[94]</a> so ingratiated -himself with his temporary subjects, that -he reigned thirty-six years, and, at the head of a -numerous army, defeated the home government, -which attempted to dispossess him of his power, -in a pitched battle fought near the village of -Annamalay.<a id="FNanchor_95" href="#Footnote_95" class="fnanchor">[95]</a> Afterwards, becoming a convert to -Islam, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Before -leaving India, he divided the province among the -seventeen chiefs<a id="FNanchor_96" href="#Footnote_96" class="fnanchor">[96]</a> to whose valour he was indebted -for his success in war. These were the ancestors -of the present race of Rajahs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_207"></a>[207]</span></p> - -<p>Malabar was soon torn with intestine feuds, -arising from the power and ambition of its host -of rulers, and the Samiry, Samoory, or Calicut -Rajah, soon became <i>de facto</i>—if not <i>de jure</i>—the -lord paramount. He was a native of Poontoora, -in the Coimbatore province, and derived his name, -Mana Vikram, from Manicham and Vikram—the -two brothers present on the occasion when Cherooman -conferred dominion upon the head of the -house. His superiority was acknowledged until -Hyder’s time, by all the chiefs from the north point -of Malabar to the south extremity of Travancore.</p> - -<p>After that Hyder had become regent of Mysore, -he made use of the following pretext for invading -Malabar. The Palghaut Rajah, a descendant from -the Pandian sovereigns of Madura, terrified by the -power of the Samiry, had, in early times, sought -the alliance of the Mysore state, then governed by -its Hindoo princes, and constituted himself a client -of the same by paying a certain annual sum for -a subsidiary force to be stationed in his territory. -The ambitious Moslem, under colour of avenging -his ally and protecting him against the oppressions -of the Samiry and other princes, forthwith attacked -them on their own ground.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_208"></a>[208]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The manner in which the Calicut house is and -has been, from the days of hoar antiquity, broken -and divided, appears curious in the extreme. It -may be supposed that the Brahmans, jealous of -the overgrown power of one individual, in the -person of the Samiry, endeavoured to temper its -force by assigning to the other members of the -family certain official dignities, together with concomitant -privileges. It is also possible that this -partition might have taken place at the solicitation -of the princes, who naturally would wish -to secure for themselves a settled and independent -subsistence. They were appointed to act as a -council to the reigning sovereign; they could -check his authority as well as aid him in his -wisdom; and, finally, they were his principal officers, -each having separate and particular duties -to perform. By this arrangement, in case of the -ruler’s demise, his heir would succeed to the throne -without any of the harassing disturbances and -sanguinary contentions so common amongst Asiatic -nations.</p> - -<p>Where rank and property descend from father -to son, there is little difficulty in settling the succession. -But when families remain united for years -under the Murroo-muka-tayum, or inheritance by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_209"></a>[209]</span> -the nephew or sister’s son—the strange law which -prevails among the Rajahs and Nairs of Malabar—it -becomes by no means an easy matter to ascertain -who is the senior in point of birth. The crafty -Brahmans provided against this difficulty by establishing -a system of intermediate dignities, which -acted as a register, and by requiring a long interval -of time, during which each individual’s rights -might be frequently discussed and deliberately -settled, to elapse between promotion from the -inferior to the superior grades.</p> - -<p>The head of the Calicut house, who may be -supposed to occupy the position of the first Samiry’s -mother, is called the Vullia Tumbooratee,<a id="FNanchor_97" href="#Footnote_97" class="fnanchor">[97]</a> or principal -queen. She resides in the Kovilugum, or -palace of Umbadee. Priority of birth gives a claim -to this dignity, and the eldest of all the princesses -is entitled to it, no matter what be her relationship -to the reigning sovereign. The Umbadee is the -only indispensable palace; but, for the sake of -convenience, an unlimited number of private dwellings -have been established for the junior princesses. -Thus we find the “new palace,” the “eastern -palace” (relatively to the Umbadee), the “western<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_210"></a>[210]</span> -palace,” and many others.<a id="FNanchor_98" href="#Footnote_98" class="fnanchor">[98]</a> The queen and princesses -are compelled to occupy the residences -allotted to their several ranks; they are also prohibited -from holding any commerce with men of -their own family, as their paramours must either -be of the Kshatriya<a id="FNanchor_99" href="#Footnote_99" class="fnanchor">[99]</a> (military) caste, or Numboory -Brahmans, and may not be changed without the -consent of the Samiry and that of the whole body -of near relations.</p> - -<p>The princes are taken according to their seniority -out of the above-mentioned Umbadees, and the -eldest of all, when a death occurs, becomes the -Samiry. There are five palaces of state allotted to -the different princes—namely, the Samotree Kovilugum, -or palace of the First Rajah; the Yeirumpiree -Kovilugum, or palace of the Yellia Rajah—the heir -apparent to the Samiry-ship; and three others, -which are respectively termed the “Governments of -the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Portions.” After that -a prince has been once established in any of these -dignities, his order of rank may be considered<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_211"></a>[211]</span> -finally settled: he cannot be superseded, but must, -if he lives, rise step by step—each time with -formal investiture—till he attains the highest -dignity. Whenever a superior palace becomes -vacant, he is duly installed in it, and succeeds -to the revenue arising from the landed property -belonging to it. But he cannot remove any of -the furniture, or the gold and silver utensils, from -the inferior residence which he formerly occupied, -as these articles are considered public goods, and, -as such, are marked with distinctive stamps. Under -all circumstances, however, the prince retains the -right of private property.</p> - -<p>The principles of the arrangement which we have -attempted to describe, not only exist in the Calicut -house but pervade all the families of the different -Rajahs in Malabar.</p> - -<p>In the intercourse between the princes there is -much ceremony, and, as might be expected, little -affection. No one is allowed to sit down in the -presence of a superior; all must stand before the -Samiry, and do obeisance to him with folded -hands.</p> - -<p>According to a census taken in 1846, the different -castes were enumerated as follows in round -numbers:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_212"></a>[212]</span></p> - -<table> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">1.</td> - <td>Numboory Brahmans</td> - <td class="tdr">5,500</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">2.</td> - <td>Puttur, or foreign Brahmans</td> - <td class="tdr">15,200</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">3.</td> - <td>Nairs</td> - <td class="tdr">370,000</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">4.</td> - <td>Tiyars</td> - <td class="tdr">340,000</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">5.</td> - <td>Moplahs</td> - <td class="tdr">315,000</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">6.</td> - <td>Fishermen</td> - <td class="tdr">15,300</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">7.</td> - <td>Chermur, or serfs</td> - <td class="tdr">160,000</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">8.</td> - <td>Christians and other strangers</td> - <td class="tdr">9,000</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"></td> - <td class="tdr">Total</td> - <td class="tdr">1,230,000</td> - <td><a id="FNanchor_100" href="#Footnote_100" class="fnanchor">[100]</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Even in India, the land of ethnologic marvels, -there are few races so strange and remarkable in -their customs as the people of Malabar. The soil -or the climate seems to have exercised some peculiar -effect upon its inhabitants: Hindoos as well -as Moslems abound in peculiarities unknown to -their tenets and practices in other parts of the -world. The correctness of our observation will -appear in the following sketches of the different -castes.</p> - -<p>The priesthood of Malabar is at present divided -into two great classes; the Numboory, Numoodree -or Malabar Brahmans, and the Puttur, or families -of the pontifical stock that do not originally belong -to the country.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_213"></a>[213]</span></p> - -<p>The Numboory is the scion of an ancient and -celebrated tree. The well known polemic Sankaracharya -belonged to this race; he was born in -the village of Kaludee, in the 3501st, or, according -to others, the 3100th year of the Kali Yug. His -fame rests principally upon his celebrated work, -the sixty-four <i>anacharun</i>, or Exceptions to Established -Rules, composed for the purpose of regulating -and refining the customs of his fellow religionists.<a id="FNanchor_101" href="#Footnote_101" class="fnanchor">[101]</a> -No copy of the institutes which have produced -permanent effects upon the people exists in Malabar. -There is a history of the saint’s life called -Sankaracharya Chureedun, containing about seven -hundred stanzas, written by a disciple.</p> - -<p>The Numboory family is governed by several -regulations peculiar to it: only the eldest of any -number of brothers takes a woman of his own -caste to wife. All the juniors must remain single -except when the senior fails in having issue. This -life of celibacy became so irksome to the Brahmans -that they induced the Nair caste to permit -unrestrained intercourse between their females -and themselves, it being well understood that the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_214"></a>[214]</span> -priesthood was conferring an especial honour upon -their disciples. Probably in order to please the -compliant Shudras the more, the Numboory in -many parts of the country changed their regular -mode of succession for the inheritance by nephews -practised amongst the Nairs. As might be supposed, -the birth of female children is considered -an enormous evil by these Brahmans; their -daughters frequently live and die unmarried, and -even when a suitable match has been found for -them, their nuptials are seldom celebrated till late -in life, owing to the extraordinary expense of the -ceremony. Throughout India the marriage of a -girl is seldom delayed after her twelfth year; in -Malabar, few Numboory women are married before -they reach the age of twenty-five or thirty. They -are most strictly watched, and all <i>faux pas</i> are -punished by a sort of excommunication pronounced -by the hereditary Brahman, with the consent of -the Rajah. The relations of the female delinquent -are also heavily fined, and such mulcts in ancient -times formed one of the items of the ruler’s -revenue.</p> - -<p>There is nothing striking in the appearance of -the Numboory. He is, generally speaking, a short, -spare man, of a dark olive-coloured complexion,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_215"></a>[215]</span> -sharp features, and delicate limbs. His toilette -is not elaborate; a piece of white cotton cloth -fastened round the waist, and a similar article -thrown loosely over the shoulders, together with -the cord of the twice-born, compose the <i>tout -ensemble</i>. These Brahmans are solemn in their -manners and deportment, seldom appear in public, -and when they do, they exact and receive great -respect from their inferiors in caste. A Nair -meeting a Numboory must salute him by joining -the palms of the hands together, and then separating -them three successive times.<a id="FNanchor_102" href="#Footnote_102" class="fnanchor">[102]</a></p> - -<p>The Nairs<a id="FNanchor_103" href="#Footnote_103" class="fnanchor">[103]</a> are a superior class of Shudra, or -servile Hindoos, who formerly composed the militia,<a id="FNanchor_104" href="#Footnote_104" class="fnanchor">[104]</a> -or landwehr, of Malabar. Before the land-tax was -introduced they held estates rent free; the only<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_216"></a>[216]</span> -prestation required from them was personal service; -to attend the rajah, or chief, on all official and -religious occasions, and to march to battle under -his banner. When absent from their homes, they -were entitled to a daily subsistence, called Kole. -Their arms were sword and shield, spear and matchlock, -with a long knife or dagger suspended behind -the back by a hook attached to a leathern waistband. -Being now deprived of their favourite -pastimes—fighting and plundering—they have -become cultivators of the soil, and disdain not to -bend over the plough, an occupation formerly -confined to their slaves. And yet to the present -day they retain much of their old military character, -and with it the licentiousness which in Eastern -countries belongs to the profession of arms. In fact, -“war, wine, and women” appear to be the three -ingredients of their <i>summum bonum</i>, and forced -abstinence from the first, only increases the ardour -of their affection for the last two. Although quite -opposed to the spirit of Hindoo law, intoxication -and debauchery never degrade a Nair from his -caste.</p> - -<p>Wedlock can hardly be said to exist among the -Nairs. They perform, however, a ceremony called -<i>kulleanum</i>, which in other castes implies marriage,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_217"></a>[217]</span> -probably a relic of the nuptial rite. The Nair -woman has a Talee, or necklace, bound round her -throat by some fellow-caste man, generally a friend -of the family; a procession then ambulates the -town, and by virtue thereof the lady takes the title -of Ummah, or matron. But the gentleman is not -entitled to the privileges of a husband, nor has he -any authority over the said matron’s person or -property. She is at liberty to make choice of the -individual with whom she intends to live—her -Bhurtao, as her protector is called, she becoming -his Bharya. The connection is termed Goonadoshum, -words which literally signify “good and -bad,” and imply an agreement between the parties -to take each other for better and worse; it cannot -be dissolved without the simple process of one party -“giving warning” to the other. In former times, -the lady used always to reside in her mother’s -house, but this uncomfortable practice is now -rapidly disappearing.</p> - -<p>Another peculiar custom which prevails among -the Nairs, is the murroo-muka-tayum,<a id="FNanchor_105" href="#Footnote_105" class="fnanchor">[105]</a> hereditary -succession by sisters’ sons; or in case of their -failing, by the male nearest in consanguinity from -the father’s grandmother. The ancient ordinances<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_218"></a>[218]</span> -of Malabar forbade a Nair to leave his property -by will to his offspring, and it was considered unbecoming -to treat a son with the affection shown -to a nephew. Of late years some heads of families -have made a provision for their own children -during life time, but it has been necessary to procure -the assent of the rightful heirs to bequests -thus irregularly made. When property is left to -sons, the division follows the general Hindoo law, -with two essential points of difference. In the -first place, children inherit the estate of the mother -only; and, secondly, a daughter is, in certain cases, -entitled to preference to a son. Thus, a female -can, a male cannot, mortgage or sell land inherited -from his maternal progenitor: after his death it -must revert to those who were co-heirs with him; -and though a man is entitled to the same share as -his sister, his right to it continues only as long as -they live in the same house.</p> - -<p>The origin of this extraordinary law is lost in -the obscurity of antiquity. The Brahmans, according -to some, were its inventors; others suppose -that they merely encouraged and partially adopted -it. Its effects, politically speaking, were beneficial -to the community at large. The domestic ties, -always inconvenient to a strictly military population,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_219"></a>[219]</span> -were thereby conveniently weakened, and -the wealth, dignity, and unbroken unity of interests -were preserved for generations unimpaired in great -and powerful families, which, had the property been -divided among the several branches, according to -the general practice of Hinduism, would soon have -lost their weight and influence. As it was unnecessary -that a woman should be removed from -her home, or introduced into a strange family, the -eldest nephew on the sister’s side, when he became -the senior male member of the household, succeeded, -as a matter of course, to the rights, property, and -dignity of Karnovun.<a id="FNanchor_106" href="#Footnote_106" class="fnanchor">[106]</a></p> - -<p>We suspect that the priesthood—those crafty -politicians whose meshes of mingled deceit and -superstition have ever held the Hindoo mind -“in durance vile”—were the originators of the -murroo-muka-tayum and the goonadoshum. Both -inventions, like many of the laws of Lycurgus, -appear the result of well-digested plans for carrying -out the one proposed object. They are audacious -encroachments upon the rights of human nature; -and we cannot account for their existence by any -supposition except that the law-givers were determined -to rear a race of warriors—no matter by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_220"></a>[220]</span> -what means. As a corroboration of our theory, -we may instance the fact that these strange and -now objectless ordinances are gradually giving way -to the tide of truer feeling. Already the succession -of nephews has been partially broken through, and -in the present day the control of the heads of -families is nothing compared with what it was.</p> - -<p>There is a tradition among the Nairs, that -anciently, the Samiry Rajah was, by the law of the -land, compelled to commit suicide by cutting his -throat in public at the expiration of a twelve-years’ -reign. When that ceremony became obsolete, another -and an equally peculiar one was substituted -in its stead. A jubilee was proclaimed throughout -the kingdom, and thousands flocked from all directions -to the feasts and festivals prepared for them -at Calicut. On an appointed day, the Rajah, after -performing certain religious rites, repaired to the -shore, and sat down upon a cushion, unarmed, bare-headed, -and almost undressed, whilst any four men -of the fighting caste, who had a mind to win a -crown, were allowed to present themselves as candidates -for the honour of regicide. They were bathed -in the sea, and dressed in pure garments, which, -as well as their persons, were profusely sprinkled -over with perfumes and water coloured yellow by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_221"></a>[221]</span> -means of turmeric. A Brahman then putting a -long sword and small round shield into each man’s -hand, told him to “go in and win” if he could. -Almost incredible though it may appear, some cases -are quoted in which a lucky desperado succeeded -in cutting his way through the thirty or forty thousand -armed guards who stood around the Rajah, -and in striking off the sovereign’s head. This -strange practice has of late years been abolished.</p> - -<p>The Nairs are rather a fair and comely race, with -neat features, clean limbs, and decidedly a high -caste look. They shave the head all over, excepting -one long thin lock of hair, which is knotted -at the end, and allowed to lie flat upon the crown. -Neither cap nor turban is generally worn. Their -dress consists of the usual white cotton cloth -fastened round the loins: when <i>en grande tenue</i>, a -similar piece hangs round their necks, or is spread -over the shoulders. We have alluded to the appearance -of their females in our account of Calicut, -and may here observe that we were rather fortunate -in having accidentally seen them. The Nair -is as jealous as he is amorous and vindictive: many -travellers have passed through the country without -being able to catch one glimpse of their women, -and the knife would be unhesitatingly used if a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_222"></a>[222]</span> -foreigner attempted to satisfy his curiosity by anything -like forcible measures.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The Tian<a id="FNanchor_107" href="#Footnote_107" class="fnanchor">[107]</a> of Malabar is to the Nair what the -villein was to the feoffee of feudal England. These -two families somewhat resemble each other in -appearance, but the former is darker in complexion, -and less “castey” in form and feature than the -latter. It is the custom for modest women of the -Tiyar family to expose the whole of the person -above the waist, whereas females of loose character -are compelled by custom to cover the bosom. As -this class of Hindoo, generally speaking, provides -the European residents with nurses and other -menials, many of our countrymen have tried to -make them adopt a somewhat less natural costume. -The proposal, however, has generally been met -pretty much in the same spirit which would be -displayed were the converse suggested to an Englishwoman.</p> - -<p>In writings the Tiyar are styled Eelavun. They -are supposed to be a colony of strangers from an -island of that name near Ceylon. An anomaly in -the Hindoo system they certainly are: learned<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_223"></a>[223]</span> -natives know not whether to rank them among -the Shudras or not; some have designated them by -the term Uddee Shudra, meaning an inferior branch -of the fourth great division. Their principal employments -are drawing toddy, dressing the heads -of cocoa and other trees, cultivating rice lands, and -acting as labourers, horse-keepers, and grass-cutters; -they are free from all prejudices that would remove -them from Europeans, and do not object -to duties which only the lowest outcastes in India -will condescend to perform. Some few have risen -to respectability and even opulence by trade. They -will not touch the flesh of the cow, and yet they -have no objection to other forbidden food. They -drink to excess, and are fond of quarrelling over -their cups. Unlike the Nairs, they are deficient -in spirit; they are distinguished from the natives -of Malabar generally by marrying and giving in -marriage. Moreover, property with them descends -regularly from father to son.</p> - -<p>Throughout the province a sort of vassalage -seems to have been established universally among -the Tiyar, occasionally among the Nair tribes.<a id="FNanchor_108" href="#Footnote_108" class="fnanchor">[108]</a><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_224"></a>[224]</span> -The latter would sometimes place himself in a -state of dependency upon some Rajah, or powerful -chief, and pay Chungathum,<a id="FNanchor_109" href="#Footnote_109" class="fnanchor">[109]</a> or protection-money, -for the advantage derived from the connexion. -The Tiyar willingly became the Udian<a id="FNanchor_110" href="#Footnote_110" class="fnanchor">[110]</a> of any -superior whose patronage would guarantee him -quiet possession of his goods and chattels. This -kind of allegiance by no means amounted to -slavery. The Tumbooran could not dispose of the -person or property of his vassal, nor did the private -tie acquit an individual of any public duty to the -Rajah or his representatives upon emergent occasions. -The patron was on all occasions bound to -defend, protect, and procure redress for his client—favours -which the latter acknowledged by yearly tribute, -and by affording personal service to his superior -in private quarrels. To the present day the -Tian will immediately say who his Tumbooran is: -the annual offerings are still kept up, and though -British law entitles all parties to equality of social<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_225"></a>[225]</span> -rights, it must be an injury of some magnitude that -can induce the inferior to appear against his patron -in a court of justice. Some individuals became -vassals of the Pagoda, which, in its turn, often -subjected itself to fee a Rajah for the maintenance -of its rights and the defence of its property.</p> - -<p>The reader will remark how peculiarly characteristic -of the nation this state of voluntary dependency -is. In European history we find the allodialist -putting himself and his estate in a condition of -vassalage, but he did so because it was better to -occupy the property as a fief incident to certain -services than to lose it altogether, or even to be -subjected to pillage and forced contributions. But -the Asiatic is not comfortable without the shade -of a patron over his head; even if necessity originally -compelled him to sacrifice half his freedom, -habit and inclination perpetuate the practice long -after all object for its continuance has ceased to -exist.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The Chermur,<a id="FNanchor_111" href="#Footnote_111" class="fnanchor">[111]</a> or serfs of Malabar, amongst the -Hindoos, were entirely prædial or rustic. The system<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_226"></a>[226]</span> -of slavery is said to have been introduced by -Parasu Rama, as a provision for agriculture when -he gave the country to the Brahmans. We may -account for it more naturally by assigning its origin -and referring its subsequent prevalence to the operation -of the ancient Indian laws. The rules of -caste were so numerous and arbitrary that constant -deviations from them would take place in a large -community; and for certain offences freeborn individuals -became Chandalas (outcastes), and were -liable to disenfranchisement.</p> - -<p>Servitude in Malabar offered few of the revolting, -degrading, and horrible features which characterized -it in the ancient, mediæval, and modern annals of -the Western World. The proprietor never had -the power of life or death over a slave without -the sanction of the feudal chief, or more generally -of the sovereign; he could inflict corporeal punishment -upon him, but old established custom limited -the extent as effectually as law would. Moreover, -in this part of the globe serfs were born and bred -in subserviency, they had no cherished memories -of rights and comforts once enjoyed,—no spirit of -independence conscious of a title to higher privileges -and indignant at unjust seclusion from them. -In their case slavery did not begin with the horrors<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_227"></a>[227]</span> -of violent separation from country and home, the -cruelties of a ship-imprisonment, forcible introduction -to new habits and customs, food and dress, -languages and connections. They were not degraded -to the level of beasts, nor were they subjected -to treatment of the worst description by -strange masters, who neither understood their natures, -nor sympathized with their feelings.</p> - -<p>A proprietor in Malabar could always sell<a id="FNanchor_112" href="#Footnote_112" class="fnanchor">[112]</a> his -serfs with or without the soil, but to remove them -far from their homes would have been considered -a cruel and unwarrantable measure sufficient to -cause and almost justify desertion. Only in some -castes the wives of slaves might be sold to another -master, and, generally speaking, parents were not -separated from their children.<a id="FNanchor_113" href="#Footnote_113" class="fnanchor">[113]</a> They might, however, -be let out in simple rent, or mortgaged under -certain deeds. The proprietors were bound to feed -their slaves throughout the year. The allowance -on work days was double the proportion issued at<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_228"></a>[228]</span> -other times, but it was never less than two pounds -of rice to a male, and about three quarters of that -quantity to a female. In Malabar there have been -instances of a Chermun’s holding land in lease, and -being responsible to government for paying its taxes. -In Canara it was by no means uncommon for slaves -to have slips of rice-fields, and small pieces of land -given to them by their masters for growing fruit -and vegetables. When a slave possessing any -property died, his owner was not entitled to it, -except in the cases when no lawful heir could be -found. In some places on the coast,<a id="FNanchor_114" href="#Footnote_114" class="fnanchor">[114]</a> and near large -towns, the serfs were permitted, when not labouring -for their proprietor, to employ themselves in -carrying grass, firewood, and other articles to market. -On great occasions they expected presents of -clothes, oil, grain, and small sums of money whenever -the owner was wealthy enough to distribute -such <i>largesse</i>. And at harvest time they were entitled -to a certain portion of the produce, as a compensation -for watching the crop.</p> - -<p>There are several castes of serfs who do not -intermarry or eat with each other. The Poliur is<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_229"></a>[229]</span> -considered the most industrious, docile, and trustworthy. -Proprietors complained loudly of the pilfering -propensities displayed by the others. With -the exception of the Parayen and Kunnakun tribes, -they abstain from slaying the cow, and using beef -as an article of food. All are considered impure, -though not equally so. For instance, slaves -of the Polyan, Waloovan, and Parayen races must -stand at a distance of seventy-two paces from the -Brahman and Nair: the Kunnakuns may approach -within sixty-four, and other servile castes within -forty-eight paces of the priestly and military orders.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_230"></a>[230]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.<br> -<span class="smaller">THE MOSLEM AND OTHER NATIVES OF MALABAR.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>We are informed by the Moslem historians that -their faith spread wide and took deep root in -the southern parts of Western India, principally -in consequence of the extensive immigration of -Arabs. It may be observed that the same cause -which provided the Hindoos with serfs, supplied -the stranger with proselytes: a Rajah would often, -when in want of money, dispose of his outcastes -to the Faithful, who, in such cases, seldom failed -to make converts of their purchasers.</p> - -<p>The Moplahs, or Mapillahs,<a id="FNanchor_115" href="#Footnote_115" class="fnanchor">[115]</a>—the Moslem inhabitants -of Malabar—are a mixed breed, sprung<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_231"></a>[231]</span> -from the promiscuous intercourse that took place -between the first Arab settlers and the women of -the country. Even to the present day they display -in mind and body no small traces of their mongrel -origin. They are a light coloured and good looking<a id="FNanchor_116" href="#Footnote_116" class="fnanchor">[116]</a> -race of men, with the high features, the proud -expression, and the wiry forms of the descendants -of Ishmael: their delicate hands and feet, and -their long bushy beards,<a id="FNanchor_117" href="#Footnote_117" class="fnanchor">[117]</a> show that not a little -Hindoo blood flows in their veins. They shave -the hair, trim the mostachios according to the -Sunnat,<a id="FNanchor_118" href="#Footnote_118" class="fnanchor">[118]</a> and, instead of a turban, wear a small -silk or cloth cap of peculiar shape upon their heads. -The chest and shoulders are left exposed, and a -white or dyed piece of linen, resembling in cut<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_232"></a>[232]</span> -and colour the “lung” or bathing cloth of Central -Asia, is tied round the loins. The garment, if -we may so call it, worn by the males, does not -reach below the calves of the legs, whereas the -fair sex prolongs it to the ankles. Unlike the -Hindoo inhabitants of Malabar, the upper portion -of the female figure is modestly concealed by a -shift buttoned round the neck, with large sleeves, -and the opening in front: according to the custom -of the Faithful a veil is always thrown over the -head.</p> - -<p>The only peculiarity in the Moplah lady’s costume -is the horrible ornamenting of the ear. At -an early age the lobe is pierced, and a bit of lead, -or a piece of Shola wood<a id="FNanchor_119" href="#Footnote_119" class="fnanchor">[119]</a> is inserted in order to -enlarge the orifice. After a time the lobe becomes -about the size of a crown piece, and a circle of -gold, silver, or palm-leaf, dyed red, white, or yellow, -is inserted into it—the distended skin of the lobe -containing and surrounding the ring. There is -something peculiarly revolting to a stranger’s eye -in the appearance of the two long strips of flesh -instead of ears, which hang down on each side of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_233"></a>[233]</span> -the head in old age, when ornaments are no longer -worn.</p> - -<p>The countenance of the Moplah, especially when it -assumes the expression with which he usually regards -infidels and heretics, is strongly indicative of his -ferocious and fanatic disposition. His deep undying -hatred for the Kafir<a id="FNanchor_120" href="#Footnote_120" class="fnanchor">[120]</a> is nurtured and strengthened -by the priests and religious instructors. Like the -hierarchy of the Moslem world in general, they -have only to hold out a promise of Paradise to their -disciples as a reward, and the most flagrant crimes -will be committed. In Malabar they lie under -the suspicion of having often suggested and countenanced -many a frightful deed of violence. The -Moplah is an obstinate ruffian. Cases are quoted -of a culprit spitting in the face of a judge when -the warrant of execution was being read out to -him. Sometimes half a dozen desperadoes will -arm themselves, seize upon a substantial house, -and send a message of defiance to the collector -of the district. Their favourite weapon on such -occasions is the long knife that usually hangs -from the waist: when entering battle they generally -carry two, one in the hand, and the other<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_234"></a>[234]</span> -between the teeth. They invariably prepare themselves -for combat by a powerful dose of hemp or -opium, fight to the last with frenzied obstinacy, -despise the most dreadful wounds, and continue -to exert themselves when a European would be -quite disabled—a peculiarity which they probably -inherit from their Arab<a id="FNanchor_121" href="#Footnote_121" class="fnanchor">[121]</a> ancestors. Like the -Malay when he runs a-muck, these men never -think of asking for, or giving quarter, they make -up their minds to become martyrs, and only try -to attain high rank in that glorious body by slaying -as many infidels as they can. At times they -have been eminently successful. On one occasion -we heard of a rencontre in which about a dozen -desperate robbers, dropping from the window of -a house into the centre of a square, inopportunely -formed by a company of seapoys, used their knives -with such effect upon the helpless red-coats’ backs, -that they ran away with all possible precipitation. -The result of a few such accidents is, that the native -soldier cannot always be trusted to act against -them, for, with the usual Hindoo superstition and -love of the marvellous, he considers their bravery<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_235"></a>[235]</span> -something preternatural, and connected with certain -fiendish influences.</p> - -<p>In former days, the Moplas played a conspicuous -part among the pirates who infested the Malabar -coast. Marco Polo mentions that there issued annually -“a body of upwards of one hundred vessels,<a id="FNanchor_122" href="#Footnote_122" class="fnanchor">[122]</a> -who captured other ships and plundered the merchants.” -He alludes to their forming what they -called a ladder on the sea, by stationing themselves -in squadrons of twenty, about five miles from each -other, so as to command as great an extent of -water as possible. But in the old Venetian’s day, -the corsairs appear to have been by no means so -sanguinary as they afterwards became. He expressly -states, that when the pirates took a ship, -they did no injury to the crew, but merely said to -them, “Go and collect another cargo, that we may -have a chance of getting it too.” In later times, -Tavernier describes them as blood-thirsty in the -extreme. “The Malavares are violent Mahometans -and very cruel to the Christians.<a id="FNanchor_123" href="#Footnote_123" class="fnanchor">[123]</a> I saw a barefoot<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_236"></a>[236]</span> -Carmelite friar, who had been taken by the pirates, -and so tortured, in order to obtain his ransom,<a id="FNanchor_124" href="#Footnote_124" class="fnanchor">[124]</a> -that his right arm and one leg were shorter by one -half than the other.” He alludes to their audacity -in attacking large armed vessels with squadrons -composed of ten or fifteen barques, each carrying -from two hundred to two hundred and fifty men, -and describes their practice of boarding suddenly -and setting fire to the ship with pots of artificial -fire. The style of defence usually adopted was to -prepare for them by closing the scuttles, and swamping -the deck with water, to hinder the fire-pots from -doing execution.</p> - -<p>The Moplahs being now deprived of their old -occupation, have addicted themselves, in some -places, to gang-robbery and smuggling. The principal -contraband articles are tobacco and salt, -both of which are government monopolies.<a id="FNanchor_125" href="#Footnote_125" class="fnanchor">[125]</a> To<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_237"></a>[237]</span> -strengthen their bands, they will associate to themselves -small bodies of Nairs and villains of the -lowest Hindoo castes, who shrink from no species -of cruelty and outrage. But, generally speaking, -especially in the quieter districts of Malabar, the -Moplahs and the Nairs are on terms of deadly -enmity. The idolaters, who have been taught to -hate the Faithful by many a deed of blood, would -always act willingly against them, provided that -our rulers would ensure subsistence to their families, -according to the ancient custom of the country.<a id="FNanchor_126" href="#Footnote_126" class="fnanchor">[126]</a> -Both are equally bigoted, violent, and fond of the -knife. In few parts of the world there are more -deadly feuds than in this province; and whenever -a Nair is killed by a Moplah, or <i>vice versâ</i>, the -relations will steep a cloth in the dead man’s blood, -and vow never to lose sight of it till they have -taken revenge upon the murderer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_238"></a>[238]</span></p> - -<p>Near the coast, the Moplahs are a thriving race -of traders, crafty, industrious, and somewhat refined -by the influence of wealth. Those of the interior -cultivate rice and garden lands. Some few of the -latter traffic, but as they do not possess the opportunities -of commerce enjoyed by their maritime -brethren, their habitations and warehouses -are not so comfortable, substantial, and spacious. -Both of them have a widely diffused bad name. -Among the people of Southern India generally, -the word Moplah is synonymous with thief and -rascal. All are equally celebrated for parsimony, -a Hindoo, as well as an Arab, quality, and for -rigid observance of their religious rites and ceremonies. -The desire of gaining proselytes is one -of their ruling passions; consequently Islam is -steadily extending itself. The zeal of its followers -is well supported by their means, and the willingness -with which they admit new converts, even of -the lowest and most despised classes, to perfect -social equality with themselves, offers irresistible -attractions to many wretched outcastes of Hinduism. -They transgress the more laudable ordinances of -their faith, and yet cling fondly to its worse spirit. -They will indulge to excess in the forbidden pleasures -of distilled waters and intoxicating drugs,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_239"></a>[239]</span> -in immorality and depravity; at the same time -they never hesitate to protect a criminal of their -own creed, and, to save him, would gladly perjure -themselves, in the belief that, under such circumstances, -false oaths and testimony are not only justifiable, -but meritorious in a religious point of view.<a id="FNanchor_127" href="#Footnote_127" class="fnanchor">[127]</a></p> - -<p>The faith professed by the Moplahs is the Shafei -form of Islam. All their priests and teachers are -of the same persuasion; and such is their besotted -bigotry, that they would as willingly persecute a -Hanafi<a id="FNanchor_128" href="#Footnote_128" class="fnanchor">[128]</a> Moslem as the Sunni of most Mussulman -countries would martyr a heretic or schismatic. -No Sheah dare own his tenets in Malabar. We -doubt whether the mighty hand of British law -would avail to save from destruction any one who -had the audacity to curse Omar or Usman at -Calicut. They carefully cultivate the classical and -religious branches of study, such as Sarf o Nahv,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_240"></a>[240]</span> -grammar, and syntax; Mantik, or logic; Hadis, the -traditions of the Prophet; and Karaat, or the -chaunting of the Koran. They seldom know Persian; -but as they begin the Arabic language almost -as soon as they can speak, and often enjoy the -advantage of Arab instructors, their critical knowledge -of it is extensive, and their pronunciation -good. The vernacular dialect of the Moplah is the -Malayalim, into which, for the benefit of the unlearned, -many sacred books have been translated. -The higher classes are instructed by private tutors, -and appear to be unusually well educated. The -priest has charge of the lower orders, and little -can be said in praise of the schoolmaster or the -scholar.</p> - -<p>As regards testaments and the law of inheritance, -the Moplahs have generally adhered to the Koran; -in some families, however, the succession is by -nephews, as amongst the Nairs.<a id="FNanchor_129" href="#Footnote_129" class="fnanchor">[129]</a> This custom is -palpably of Pagan origin, like many of the heterogeneous -practices grafted by the Mussulmans of -India upon the purer faith of their forefathers. Of -course they excuse it by tradition. When Cherooman -Rajah, they say, became a convert to Islam,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_241"></a>[241]</span> -and was summoned by Allah in a vision to -Mecca, he asked his wife’s permission to take his -only son with him. She refused. The ruler’s -sister then offered to send her child under his -charge. The Rajah adopted the youth, and upon -his return from the Holy City he instituted the -custom of murroo-muka-tayum, in order to commemorate -the introduction of Islam into the land -of the Infidel.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The Mokawars, Mokurs, or as we call them, the -Mucwars, are an amphibious race of beings, half -fishermen, half labourers:<a id="FNanchor_130" href="#Footnote_130" class="fnanchor">[130]</a> generally speaking -Moslems, sometimes Hindoos. Very slight is the -line of demarcation drawn between them, and they -display little or no fanaticism. It is common for -one or two individuals in a family to become -Poothoo Islam, or converts to the faith of Mohammed, -and yet to eat, sleep, and associate with -the other members of the household as before.<a id="FNanchor_131" href="#Footnote_131" class="fnanchor">[131]</a></p> - -<p>In appearance these fishermen are an uncommonly -ill-favoured race; dark, with ugly features, -and forms which a developist would pronounce to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_242"></a>[242]</span> -be little removed from the original orang-outang. -Their characters, in some points, show to advantage, -when contrasted with those of their superiors—the -Nairs and Moplahs. They are said to be industrious, -peaceful, and as honest as can be expected. -A Mucwa village is usually built close to -the sea; the material of its domiciles consisting of -wattle or matting, roofed over with thatch; the -whole burned to blackness by the joint influence -of sun, rain, wind, and spray.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Servitude amongst the Moslems partook more of -the nature of social fraternity, and was dissimilar -in very essential points, to that of the Hindoos. -The slaves were always domestic, never prædial: -instead of inhabiting miserable huts built in the -centre of the paddy fields, they lived in the houses -of their proprietors. They were efficiently protected -by law, for in case of ill-treatment, duly -proved before the Kazee, the complainant was -either manumitted or sold to some other master, -and so far from being considered impure outcastes, -they often rose to confidential stations in the -family. This is the case generally throughout the -Moslem world.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_243"></a>[243]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The native Christians do not constitute a large -or influential portion of the community in this part -of India, although the Nestorians in very early -times settled and planted their faith on the western -coast of the peninsula. About the towns of Cannanore -and Tellichery, there are a few fishermen -and palanquin bearers, called Kolakar and Pandee, -said to have migrated from the Travancore country. -The other “Nussuranee (Nazarene) Moplahs,” as -the Christians are styled by the Heathen, are almost -all Catholics, either the descendants of the Portuguese, -or converted by them to Romanism. They -reside principally in the large towns upon the -coast: unlike their brethren in Canara, they imitate -the European costume, and occupy themselves -either with trade, or in the government courts and -cutcherries. They are notorious for dishonesty and -habitual intoxication.<a id="FNanchor_132" href="#Footnote_132" class="fnanchor">[132]</a></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Amongst the many social usages and customs -peculiar to the natives of Malabar, the two following<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_244"></a>[244]</span> -deserve some mention. There is a kind of -general meeting, called Chengathee koree, or the -“Society of friends,” established for the purposes -of discussing particular subjects, and for inquiring -into the conduct of individuals. It is supported -by the monthly subscriptions of the members, and -all must in regular turn—the order being settled -by lots—give an entertainment of rice, flesh, and -fruit to the whole party. As the entertainer is -entitled to the amount of money in deposit for -the month, and the feast does not cost half that -sum, each member is anxious to draw the ticket -with his name upon it as soon as possible. In -some places these convivial meetings are heterogeneously -composed of Nairs, Moplahs, and Tiyars; -when such is the case, the master of the house -provides those of the other faith with raw food, -which they cook and serve up for and by themselves.</p> - -<p>The way in which “dinner parties” are given -show some talent in the combination of hospitality -with economy. A feast is prepared, and all the -guests are expected to present a small sum of money, -and a certain number of cocoa-nuts, plantains, -betel-nuts or pepper-vine leaves to the master of -the house. An account of each offering is regularly<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_245"></a>[245]</span> -kept, and a return of the invitation is considered -<i>de rigueur</i>. Should any member of society betray -an unwillingness to make the expected requital, or -to neglect the gifts with which he ought to come -provided, they despatch a little potful of arrack, and -the bone of a fowl, desiring the recusant in derision -to make merry upon such small cheer. The taunt -is, generally speaking, severe enough to ensure compliance -with the established usages of society.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_246"></a>[246]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.<br> -<span class="smaller">THE LAND JOURNEY.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>Being desirous of seeing as much as possible of -the country we preferred the route which winds -along the sea-shore to Poonanee, and then striking -westward ascends the Blue Hills, to the short mountain-cut -up the Koondah Range. Our curiosity, -however, more than doubled the length of the -march.<a id="FNanchor_133" href="#Footnote_133" class="fnanchor">[133]</a></p> - -<p>No detailed account of the ten stages<a id="FNanchor_134" href="#Footnote_134" class="fnanchor">[134]</a> will be -inflicted upon the peruser of these pages. The -journey as far as Poonanee was a most uninteresting -one: we have literally nothing to record, except the -ever-recurring annoyances of being ferried over -backwaters, riding through hot sand fetlock deep,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_247"></a>[247]</span> -enduring an amount of glare enough to blind anything -but a Mucwa or a wild beast; and at the end -of our long rides almost invariably missing the halting -place. Arrived at the head-quarter village of -Paulghaut, the victims of its deceptive nomenclature,<a id="FNanchor_135" href="#Footnote_135" class="fnanchor">[135]</a> -we instituted a diligent inquiry for any objects -of curiosity the neighbourhood might offer; and -having courted deceit we were deceived accordingly. -A “native gentleman” informed us that the Yemoor -Malay Hills, a long range lying about ten miles to -the north of the town, contains a variety of splendid -<i>points de vue</i>, and a magnificent cataract, which -every traveller is in duty bound to visit. Moreover, -said the Hindoo, all those peaks are sacred -to Parwati, the mountain deity, who visited -them in person, and directed a number of small -shrines to be erected there in honour of her -goddesship.</p> - -<p>So after engaging a mancheel we set out in quest -of the sublime and beautiful. After winding for -about three quarters of the total distance through a -parched-up plain, the road reaches the foot of a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_248"></a>[248]</span> -steep and rugged hill overgrown with bamboos, and -studded with lofty trees, whose names and natures -are—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">⸺To ancient song unknown,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The noble sons of potent heat and floods.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">As we advanced, the jungle became denser and -denser: there were evident signs of hog and deer -in the earths of those animals which strewed the -ground. Tigers and elephants, bisons and leopards, -are said to haunt the remoter depths, and the dry -grass smouldering on our path proved the presence -of charcoal burners—beings quite as wild as the -other denizens of the forest.</p> - -<p>The difficulty of the ascent being duly overcome -we arrived at the cascade, and stood for a while -gazing with astonishment at the prospect of⸺a -diminutive stream of water, trickling gently down -the sloping surface of a dwarf rock. Remembering -Terni and Tivoli, we turned our bearers’ heads -homewards, not however forgetting solemnly to -enjoin them never to let a tourist pass by that way -without introducing him to the Prince of all the -Cataracts.</p> - -<p>We were curious to see the fort of Paulghaut, once -the key of Malabar, the scene of so many bloody -conflicts between the power of Mysore and British<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_249"></a>[249]</span> -India in the olden time.<a id="FNanchor_136" href="#Footnote_136" class="fnanchor">[136]</a> A square building, with -straight curtains, and a round tower at each angle, -with the usual intricate gateway, the uselessly deep -fosse, and the perniciously high glacis that characterize -native fortifications—such was the artless -form that met our sight. In the present day it -would be untenable for an hour before a battery of -half-a-dozen mortars.</p> - -<p>Passing through the magnificent and most unhealthy -Wulliyar jungle,<a id="FNanchor_137" href="#Footnote_137" class="fnanchor">[137]</a> celebrated at all times -for teak and sport, and during the monsoon for -fever and ague, and dangerous torrents even more<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_250"></a>[250]</span> -dangerously bridged, we arrived by a rough and -rugged road at Coimbatore, a place which every cotton -student and constant reader of the Indian Mail familiarly -knows. A most unpromising looking locality -it is—a straggling line of scattered houses, long -bazaars, and bungalows, separated from each other -by wide and desert “compounds.” The country -around presented a most unfavourable contrast to -the fertile region we had just quitted, and the high -fierce wind raising clouds of gravelly dust from the -sun-parched plain, reminded us forcibly of similar -horrors experienced in Scinde and Bhawalpore.</p> - -<p>A ride of twenty miles along a dry and hard -highway, skirted with numerous and, generally -speaking, ruinous villages, led us to Matypolliam at -the foot of the Neilgherry Hills—our destination. -And now as we are likely to be detained here for -some time by that old offender the Bhawany River, -who has again chosen to assault and batter down -part of her bridge, we will deliberately digress a -little and attempt a short description of land travelling -in the “land of the sun.”</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>For the conveyance of your person, India supplies -you with three several contrivances. You -may, if an invalid, or if you wish to be expeditious,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_251"></a>[251]</span> -engage a palanquin, station bearers on the road, and -travel either with or without halts, at the rate of -three or four miles an hour: we cannot promise -you much pleasure in the enjoyment of this celebrated -Oriental luxury. Between your head and -the glowing sun, there is scarcely half an inch of -plank, covered with a thin mat, which ought to -be, but never is, watered. After a day or two you -will hesitate which to hate the most, your bearers’ -monotonous, melancholy, grunting, groaning chaunt, -when fresh, or their jolting, jerking, shambling, -staggering gait, when tired. In a perpetual state -of low fever you cannot eat, drink, or sleep; your -mouth burns, your head throbs, your back aches, -and your temper borders upon the ferocious. At -night, when sinking into a temporary oblivion of -your ills, the wretches are sure to awaken you -for the purpose of begging a few pice, to swear -that they dare not proceed because there is no -oil for the torch, or to let you and your vehicle -fall heavily upon the ground, because the foremost -bearer very nearly trod upon a snake. Of course -you scramble as well as you can out of your cage, -and administer discipline to the offenders. And -what is the result? They all run away and leave -you to pass the night, not in solitude, for probably<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_252"></a>[252]</span> -a hungry tiger circumambulates your box, and is -only prevented by a somewhat superstitious awe of -its general appearance, from pulling you out of it -with claw and jaw, and all the action of a cat -preparing to break her fast upon some trapped -mouse.</p> - -<p>All we have said of the palanquin is applicable -to its humble modification. The mancheel in this -part of the world consists merely of a pole, a canvas -sheet hung like a hammock beneath it, and -above it a square moveable curtain, which you -may draw down on the sunny or windy side. In -this conveyance you will progress somewhat more -rapidly than you did in the heavy wooden chest, -but your miseries will be augmented in undue -proportion. As it requires a little practice to -balance oneself in these machines, you will infallibly -be precipitated to the ground when you -venture upon your maiden attempt. After that -a sense of security, acquired by dint of many falls, -leaves your mind free to exercise its powers of -observation, you will remark how admirably you -are situated for combining the enjoyments of ophthalmic -glare, febrile reflected heat, a wind like -a Sirocco, and dews chilling as the hand of the -Destroyer. You feel that your back is bent at<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_253"></a>[253]</span> -the most inconvenient angle, and that the pillows -which should support your head invariably find -their way down between your shoulders, that you -have no spare place, as in the palanquin, for carrying -about a variety of small comforts, no, not -even the room to shift your position—in a word, -that you are a miserable being.</p> - -<p>If in good health, your best plan of all is to -mount one of your horses, and to canter him from -stage to stage, that is to say, between twelve and -fifteen miles a day. In the core of the nineteenth -century you may think this style of locomotion -resembles a trifle too closely that of the ninth, but, -trust to our experience, you have no better. We -will suppose, then, that you have followed our advice, -engaged bandies<a id="FNanchor_138" href="#Footnote_138" class="fnanchor">[138]</a> for your luggage, and started -them off overnight, accompanied by your herd of -domestics on foot. The latter are all armed with -sticks, swords, and knives, for the country is not -a safe one, and if it were, your people are endowed -with a considerable development of cautiousness. -At day-break, your horse-keeper brings up your -nag saddled, and neighing his impatience to set<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_254"></a>[254]</span> -out: you mount the beast, and leave the man to -follow with a coolie or two, bearing on their -shoulders the little camp-bed, on which you are -wont to pass your nights. There is no danger -of missing the road: you have only to observe the -wheel-ruts, which will certainly lead you to the -nearest and largest, perhaps the only town within -a day’s march. As you canter along, you remark -with wonder the demeanour of the peasantry, and -the sensation your appearance creates. The women -veil their faces, and dash into the nearest place -of refuge, the children scamper away as if your -countenance, like Mokanna’s, were capable of annihilating -a gazer, the very donkeys and bullocks -halt, start, and shy, as you pass them.<a id="FNanchor_139" href="#Footnote_139" class="fnanchor">[139]</a> In some -places the men will muster courage enough to stand -and gaze upon you, but they do so with an expression -of countenance, half-startled, half-scowling, -which by no means impresses you with a sense -of your individual popularity.</p> - -<p>Between nine and ten <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> you draw in sight -of some large village, which instinct suggests is to -be the terminus of that day’s wandering. You<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_255"></a>[255]</span> -had better inquire where the travellers’ bungalow -is. Sign-posts are unknown in these barbarous -regions, and if you trust overmuch to your own -sagacity, your perspiring self and panting steed -may wander about for half an hour before you -find the caravanserai.</p> - -<p>At length you dismount. A horse-keeper rising -grumbling from his morning slumbers, comes forward -to hold your nag, and, whilst you are discussing -a cup of tea in the verandah, parades the -animal slowly up and down before you, as a precautionary -measure previous to tethering him in -the open air. Presently the “butler” informs you -that your breakfast, a spatchcock, or a curry with -eggs, and a plateful of unleavened wafers, called -aps—bread being unprocurable hereabouts—is -awaiting you. You find a few guavas or plantains, -intended to act as butter, and when you demand -the reason, your domestic replies at once, that -he searched every house in the village, but could -procure none. You might as well adopt some line -of conduct likely to discourage him from further -attempts upon your credulity, otherwise you will -starve before the journey’s end. The fact is, he -was too lazy to take the trouble of even inquiring -for that same butter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_256"></a>[256]</span></p> - -<p>We must call upon you to admire the appearance -of the travellers’ bungalows in this part of the -country. You will see in them much to appreciate -if you are well acquainted with Bombay India. -Here they are cleanly looking, substantially built, -tiled or thatched tenements, with accommodation -sufficient for two families, good furniture, at least -as far as a table, a couch, and a chair, go, outhouses -for your servants, and an excellent verandah -for yourself. There you may remember, with a -touch of the true <i>meminisse juvat</i> feeling, certain -dirty ill-built ruinous roadside erections, tenanted -by wasps and hornets, with broken seats, tottering -tables, and populous bedsteads, for the use of -which, moreover, you were mulcted at the rate -of a rupee a day. The result of the comparison -will be that the “Benighted Land,”<a id="FNanchor_140" href="#Footnote_140" class="fnanchor">[140]</a> in this point -at least, rises prodigiously in your estimation.</p> - -<p>A siesta after breakfast, and a book, or any -such <i>passe-temps</i>, when you awake, bring you on -towards sunset. You may now, if so inclined, start -for an hour’s constitutional, followed by a servant -carrying your gun, and keep your hand in by knocking -down a few of the old kites that are fighting -with the Pariah dogs for their scanty meal of offals,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_257"></a>[257]</span> -or you may try to bag one or two of the jungle -cocks, whose crowing resounds from the neighbouring -brakes.</p> - -<p>Dinner! lovely word in English ears, unlovely -thing—hereabouts—for English palate. The beer -is sure to be lukewarm, your vegetables deficient, -and your meat tough, in consequence of its having -lost vitality so very lately.</p> - -<p>You must take the trouble, if you please, of -personally superintending the departure of your -domestics. And this you will find no easy task. -The men who have charge of the carts never return -with their cattle at the hour appointed, and, when -at last they do, there is not a box packed, and -probably half your people are wandering about -the bazaar. At length, with much labour, you -manage to get things somewhat in order, witness -with heartfelt satisfaction the first movement of -the unwieldy train, and retire to the bungalow -for the purpose of getting through the evening, with -the assistance of tea, and any other little “distractions” -your imagination may suggest.</p> - -<p>Before retiring to rest you might as well look -to the priming and position of your pistols. Otherwise -you may chance to be visited by certain -animals, even more troublesome than sand-flies and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_258"></a>[258]</span> -white ants. A little accident of the kind happened -to us at Waniacollum, a village belonging to some -Nair Rajah, whose subjects are celebrated for their -thievish propensities. About midnight, the soundness -of our slumbers was disturbed by the uninvited -presence of some half-a-dozen black gentry, who -were gliding about the room with the stealthy tread -of so many wild cats <i>in purissimis naturalibus</i>, -with the exception of an outside coating of cocoanut -oil. One individual had taken up a position -close to our bedside, with so very long a knife so -very near our jugular region, that we judged it -inexpedient in the extreme to excite him by any -display of activity; so, closing our eyes, we slept -heavily till our visitors thought proper to depart.</p> - -<p>Our only loss was the glass shade of a candlestick, -which the thieves, supposing to be silver, -had carried into the verandah, where, we presume, -after discovering that it was only plated, they had -thrown it upon the ground and abandoned it as a -useless article. We had, it is true, pistols in the -room, but as the least movement might have produced -uncomfortable results; and, moreover, we felt -uncommonly like Juvenal’s poor traveller, quite -reckless of consequences as regarded goods and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_259"></a>[259]</span> -chattels, we resolved not to be blood-thirsty. At -the same time we confess that such conduct was -by no means heroic. But an officer of our own -corps, only a few weeks before, was severely -wounded, and narrowly escaped being murdered, -not fifty miles from the scene of our night’s -adventure, and we had little desire to figure among -the list of casualties recorded in the bimonthly -summaries of Indian news.</p> - -<p>You would scarcely believe the extent of benefit -in a sanitary point of view, derived from riding -about the country in the way we have described. -Every discomfort seems to do one good: an amount -of broiling and wetting, which, in a cantonment, -would lead directly to the cemetery, on the road -seems only to add to one’s ever-increasing stock -of health. The greatest annoyance, perhaps, is -the way in which the servants and effects suffer; -a long journey almost invariably knocks up the -former for an unconscionable time, and permanently -ruins the latter.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>We are still at Matypolliam, but our stay will -be short, as the bridge is now nearly repaired. -By weighty and influential arguments we must<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_260"></a>[260]</span> -persuade the Kotwal<a id="FNanchor_141" href="#Footnote_141" class="fnanchor">[141]</a>—a powerful native functionary—to -collect a dozen baggage-bullocks and -a score of naked savages, destined to act as beasts -of burden: no moderate inducement will make -the proprietors of the carts drive their jaded cattle -up the steep acclivities of the hills. A ridiculous -sight it is—the lading of bullocks untrained to -carry weight; each animal requires at least half-a-dozen -men to keep him quiet; he kicks, he butts, -he prances, he shies: he is sure to break from them -at the critical moment, and, by an opportune -plunge, to dash your unhappy boxes on the ground, -scattering their contents in all directions. What -a scene of human and bestial viciousness, of plunging -and bellowing, of goading of sides, punching of -stomachs, and twisting of tails! We must, however, -patiently sit by and witness it: otherwise -the fellows will not start till late in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>You would scarcely believe that the inmates of -that little bungalow which just peeps over the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_261"></a>[261]</span> -brow of the mountain, are enjoying an Alpine and -almost European climate, whilst we are still in all -the discomforts of the tropics. The distance between -us is about three miles, as the crow flies—eleven -along the winding road. We must prepare for -the change by strapping thick coats to our saddle-bows, -and see that our servants are properly clothed -in cloths and flannels. Otherwise, we render ourselves -liable to the <i>peine forte et dure</i> of a catarrh -of three months’ probable duration, and our -domestics will certainly be floored by fever and -ague, cholera or rheumatism.</p> - -<p>It is just nine o’clock <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span>, rather an unusual -time for a start in these latitudes. But the eddying -and roaring of Bhawany’s muddy stream warns us -that there has been rain amongst the hills. The -torrents are passable now; they may not be so -a few hours later. So we will mount our nags, -and gallop over the five miles of level country, -partially cleared of the thick jungle which once -invested it, to the foot of the Neilgherry hills.</p> - -<p>We now enter the ravine which separates the -Oolacul from the Coonoor range. A vast chasm it -is, looking as if Nature, by a terrible effort, had -split the giant mountain in twain, and left -its two halves standing separated opposite each<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_262"></a>[262]</span> -other. A rapid and angry little torrent brawls -down the centre of the gap towards the Bhawany -river, and the sides are clothed with thick underwood, -dotted with tall wide-spreading trees. After -the dusty flats of Mysore, and even the green -undulations of Malabar, you admire the view with -a sensation somewhat resembling that with which -you first gazed upon the “castled crag of Drachenfels,” -when you visited it <i>en route</i> from monotonous -France, uninteresting Holland, or unpicturesque -Belgium. Probably, like certain enthusiastic individuals -who have indited high-flown eulogies of -Neilgherry beauty, you will mentally compare the -scenery with that of the Alps, Apennines, or Pyrenees. -We cannot, however, go quite so far with -you: with a few exceptions the views generally—and -this particularly—want grandeur and a certain -<i>nescio quid</i> to make them really imposing.</p> - -<p>Slowly our panting nags toil along the narrow -parapetless road up the steep ascent of the Coonoor -Pass. The consequence of the storm is that our -pathway appears plentifully besprinkled with earth, -stones, and trunks of trees, which have slipped from -the inner side. In some places it has been worn by -the rain down to the bare rock, and the gutters or -channels of rough stone, built at an average distance<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_263"></a>[263]</span> -of fifty yards apart to carry off the water, -are slippery for horses, and must be uncommonly -troublesome to wheeled conveyances. That cart -which on the plains requires a single team, will -not move here without eight pair of oxen; and -yonder carriage demands the united energies of -three dozen coolies, at the very least. As, however, -its too-confiding owner has left it to a careless -servant’s charge, it will most probably reach -its destination in a state picturesque, if not useful—its -springs and light gear hanging in graceful -festoons about the wheels.</p> - -<p>And now, after crossing certain torrents and -things intended for bridges—during which, to -confess the truth, we did feel a little nervous—our -nags stand snorting at the side of the stream -which forms the Coonoor Falls. Its bottom is a -mass of sheet rock, agreeably diversified with occasional -jagged points and narrow clefts: moreover, -the water is rushing by with uncomfortable rapidity, -and there is no visible obstacle to your being swept -down a most unpleasant slope. In fact it is the -kind of place usually described as growing uglier -the more you look at it, so you had better try -your luck as soon as possible. Wheel the nag -round, “cram” him at the place, and just when<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_264"></a>[264]</span> -he is meditating a sudden halt, apply your spurs -to his sides and your heavy horsewhip to his flanks, -trusting to Providence for his and your reaching -the other side undamaged.</p> - -<p>The Burleyar bungalow—a kind of half-way -house, or rather an unfinished shed, built on an -eminence to the right of the road,—informs us that -we are now within six miles of our journey’s end. -The air becomes sensibly cooler, and we begin to -look down upon the sultry steaming plain below -with a sensation of acute enjoyment.</p> - -<p>We might as well spend a day or two at Coonoor. -Ootacamund is at least ten miles off, and it is -perfectly useless to hurry on, as our baggage will -certainly not arrive before the week is half over, even -if it does then. Not, however, at the government -bungalow—that long rambling thing perched on -the hill above the little bazaar, and renowned for -broken windows, fireless rooms, and dirty comfortless -meals, prepared by a native of “heathen caste.” -We will patronize the hotel kept, in true English -style, by Mr. Davidson, where we may enjoy the -luxuries of an excellent dinner, a comfortable -sitting-room, and a clean bed.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>A survey of the scenery in this part of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_265"></a>[265]</span> -Neilgherries takes in an extensive range of swelling -waving hill, looking at a distance as if a green -gulf had suddenly become fixed for ever. On the -horizon are lofty steeps, crowned with remnants of -forests, studded with patches of cultivation, and -seamed with paths, tracks, and narrow roads. -There is little or no table-land: the only level -road in the vicinity is scarcely a mile long. At -the bottom of the hollow lies the bazaar, and upon -the rising knolls around are the nine or ten houses -which compose the first European settlement you -have seen on the Blue Hills.</p> - -<p>Coonoor occupies the summit of the Matypolliam -Pass, about five thousand eight hundred and eighty -feet above the level of the sea. The climate is -warmer than that of the other stations, and the -attractions of an occasional fine day even during -the three odious months of June, July, and August, -fill it with invalids flying from the horrors of Ootacamund. -The situation, however, is not considered -a good one: its proximity to the edge of the hills, -renders it liable to mists, fogs, and a suspicion of -the malaria which haunts the jungly forests belting -the foot of the hills. Those who have suffered from -the obstinate fevers of the plains do well to avoid -Coonoor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_266"></a>[266]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The day is fine and bright—a <i>sine quâ non</i> in -Neilgherry excursions,—if the least cloud or mist be -observed hanging about the mountain tops, avoid -trips!—so we will start off towards that scarcely-distinguishable -object, half peak, half castle, that -ends the rocky wall which lay on our left when we -rode up the Pass.</p> - -<p>You look at Oolacul<a id="FNanchor_142" href="#Footnote_142" class="fnanchor">[142]</a> Droog, as the fort is called, -and wonder what could have been the use of it. -And you are justified in your amazement. But -native powers delight in cooping up soldiery where -they may be as useless as possible; they naturally -connect the idea of a strong place with isolated and -almost inaccessible positions, and cannot, for the -life of them conceive, what Europeans mean by -building their fortifications on level ground. Hyder -Ali and his crafty son well knew that the unruly -chieftains of the plains would never behave themselves, -unless overawed and overlooked by some -military post which might serve equally well for a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_267"></a>[267]</span> -watch-tower and a dungeon. We think and act -otherwise, so such erections go to ruin.</p> - -<p>Starting, we pursue a road that runs by the -travellers’ bungalow, descends a steep, rough, and -tedious hill—where we should prefer a mule to a -horse—crosses two or three detestable watercourses, -and then skirting the western end of the Oolacul -chasm shows us a sudden ascent. Here we dismount -for convenience as well as exercise. The -path narrows; it becomes precipitous and slippery, -owing to the decomposed vegetation that covers it, -and presently plunges into a mass of noble trees. -You cannot see a vestige of underwood: the leaves -are crisp under your feet; the tall trunks rise -singly in all their sylvan glory, and the murmurs -of the wind over the leafy dome above, inform -you that</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">This is the forest primæval—</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">as opposed to a rank bushy jungle. You enjoy the -walk amazingly. The foot-track is bounded on -both sides by dizzy steeps: through the intervals -between the trees you can see the light mist-clouds -and white vapours sailing on the zephyr far beneath -your feet. After about an hour’s hard work, we -suddenly come upon the Droog, and clambering over -the ruined parapet of stone—the only part of it<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_268"></a>[268]</span> -that remains—stand up to catch a glimpse of -scenery which even a jaded lionizer would admire.</p> - -<p>The rock upon which we tread falls with an -almost perpendicular drop of four thousand feet -into the plains. From this eyrie we descry the -houses of Coimbatore, the windings of the Bhawany, -and the straight lines of road stretching like -ribbons over the glaring yellow surface of the -low land. A bluish mist clothes the distant hills -of Malabar, dimly seen upon the horizon in front. -Behind, on the far side of the mighty chasm, the -white bungalows of Coonoor glitter through the -green trees, or disappear behind the veil of fleecy -vapour which floats along the sunny mountain -tops. However hypercritically disposed, you can -find no fault with this view; it has beauty, variety, -and sublimity to recommend it.</p> - -<p>If an inveterate sight-seer, you will be persuaded -by the usual arguments to visit Castle Hill, an -eminence about three miles to the east of Coonoor, -for the purpose of enjoying a very second rate -prospect. Perhaps you will also be curious to -inspect a village inhabited by a villanous specimen -of the Toda race, close to Mr. Davidson’s hotel. -We shall not accompany you.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_269"></a>[269]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.<br> -<span class="smaller">FIRST GLIMPSE OF “OOTY.”</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>The distance from Coonoor to the capital of the -Neilgherries is about ten miles, over a good road. -We propose, however, to forsake the uninteresting -main line, and, turning leftwards, to strike into -the bye way which leads to the Khaity Falls.</p> - -<p>Khaity is a collection of huts tenanted by the -hill people, and in no ways remarkable, except that -it has given a name to a cascade which “everybody -goes,” &c.</p> - -<p>After six miles of mountain and valley in rapid -and unbroken succession, we stand upon the natural -terrace which supports the little missionary settlement, -and looking over the deep ravine that yawns -at our feet, wonder why the “everybody” above -alluded to, takes the trouble of visiting the Khaity -falls. They are formed by a thin stream which -dashes over a gap in the rock, and disperses into<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_270"></a>[270]</span> -spray before it has time to reach the basin below. -As usual with Neilgherry cascades they only want -water.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Now as our disappointment has brought on -rather a depressed and prosy state of mind, we -will wile away the tedium of the eight long miles -which still separate us from our destination, with -a little useful discourse upon subjects historical -and geographical connected with the Neilgherries.</p> - -<p>The purely European reader will consider it extraordinary -that this beautiful range of lofty hills -should not have suggested to all men at first sight -the idea of a cool, healthy summer abode. But -we demi-Orientals, who know by experience the -dangers of mountain air in India, only wonder at -the daring of the man who first planted a roof-tree -upon the Neilgherries.</p> - -<p>From the year 1799 to 1819 these mountains -were in the daily view of all the authorities from -the plains of Coimbatore; revenue was collected -from them for the company by a native renter; -but, excepting Dr. Ford and Capt. Bevan, who in -1809 traversed the hill with a party of pioneers, -and certain deputy surveyors under Colonel Monson, -who partially mapped the tract, no strangers<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_271"></a>[271]</span> -had ventured to explore the all but unknown -region.</p> - -<p>In 1814, Mr. Keys, a sub-assistant, and Mr. -McMahon, then an apprentice in the survey department, -ascended the hills by the Danaynkeucottah -Pass, penetrated into the remotest parts and -made plans, and sent in reports of their discoveries. -In consequence of their accounts, Messrs. Whish and -Kindersley, two young Madras civilians, availing -themselves of the opportunity presented by some -criminal’s taking refuge amongst the mountains, -ventured up in pursuit of him, and proceeded to -reconnoitre the interior. They soon saw and felt -enough to excite their own curiosity and that of -others. Mr. Sullivan, collector of Coimbatore, built -the first house upon the Neilgherries. He chose a -hillock to the east of the hollow, where the lake -now lies, and after some difficulty in persuading -the superstitious natives to work—on many occasions -he was obliged personally to set them the -example—he succeeded in erecting a tenement -large enough to accommodate his family.</p> - -<p>In the month of May, 1819, the same tourists -from Coimbatore, accompanied by Mons. Leschnault -de la Tour, naturalist to the King of France, repeated -their excursion, and published the result<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_272"></a>[272]</span> -of their observations in one of the Madras newspapers. -They asserted the maximum height of -the thermometer in the shade to be 74° at a time -when the temperature of the plains varied from -90° to 100°. Such a climate within the tropics -was considered so great an anomaly that few would -believe in its existence. At length the Madras -Government determined to open one of the passes, -and the pioneer officer employed on this service -deriving immediate and remarkable benefit from the -mountain air—he had been suffering from fever and -ague—hastened to corroborate the accounts of it -already published. The road was opened in 1821; -some families then took up their abode on the -hills; the inveterate prejudice against them began -to disappear, and such numbers presently flocked -to the region of health, that the difficulty was to -find sufficient accommodation. As late as 1826, -Bishop Heber complained that for want of lodgings -he was unable to send his family to the sanitarium. -Incredulity received its <i>coup de grâce</i> from the -hand of the Rev. Mr. Hough, a chaplain in the -Madras establishment, who in July, 1826, published -in the Bengal Hurkaru, under the <i>nom de guerre</i> -of Philanthropos, a series of eight letters,<a id="FNanchor_143" href="#Footnote_143" class="fnanchor">[143]</a> describing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_273"></a>[273]</span> -the climate, inhabitants, and productions -of the Neilgherries, with the benevolent intention -of inducing the Government of India to patronize -the place as a retreat for invalids.</p> - -<p>Having “done” the history, we will now attempt -a short geographical account of the Blue Mountains. -<i>En passant</i> we may remark, that the native name -Nilagiri,<a id="FNanchor_144" href="#Footnote_144" class="fnanchor">[144]</a> limited by the Hindoos to a hill sacred -to Parwati, has been extended by us to the whole -range.</p> - -<p>The region commonly known by the name of -the Neilgherries, or Blue Mountains of Coimbatore, -is situated at the point where the Eastern and -Western Ghauts<a id="FNanchor_145" href="#Footnote_145" class="fnanchor">[145]</a> unite, between the parallels of -11° and 12° N. lat., and 76° and 77° E. lon. Its -shape is a trapezoid, for though quadrilateral, none<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_274"></a>[274]</span> -of its sides are equal or even: it is bounded on -the north by the table-land of Mysore, on the -south and east by the provinces that stretch towards -the Arabian Sea; another range of hills forms its -western frontier. Its base covers a surface of about -two hundred miles; the greatest length from east -to west at an elevation of five thousand feet, is -nearly forty-three, and the medium breadth at the -same height, is little less than fifteen, miles. The -major part of the mass presents a superficies of -parallel and irregular hill and knoll, intersected -by deep valleys and precipitous ravines; a loftier -chain, throwing off a number of minor ridges, runs -north-east and south-west, and almost bisects the -tract. In the loftier parts many small streams, -such as the Pykarry, the Porthy, and the Avalanche -take their rise, and, after winding over the surface, -sweep down the rocky sides of the mountains, and -fall into the Moyar,<a id="FNanchor_146" href="#Footnote_146" class="fnanchor">[146]</a> or swell the Bhawany River.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="illus4" style="max-width: 43.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/illus4.jpg" alt=""> - <p class="caption">R. Burton delᵗ. Printed by Hullmandel & Walton.</p> - <p class="caption-main">TODA FAMILY AND VILLAGE.</p> - <p class="caption">London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1851.</p> -</div> - -<p>The Neilgherries are divided into four Nads, or -provinces: Perunga Nad, the most populous, occupies<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_275"></a>[275]</span> -the eastern portion; Malka lies towards the -south; Koondah is on the west and south-west margin; -and Toda Nad, the most fertile and extensive,<a id="FNanchor_147" href="#Footnote_147" class="fnanchor">[147]</a> -includes the northern regions and the crest of the -hills. Many lines of roads have been run up the -easier acclivities; the most travelled upon at present -are the Seegoor Ghaut,<a id="FNanchor_148" href="#Footnote_148" class="fnanchor">[148]</a> which enters from the -Mysore side, and the Coonoor, or Coimbatore Pass, -by which, if you recollect, we ascended.</p> - -<p>Our Government asserts no right to this bit of -territory, although the hills belonged to Hyder, and -what was Hyder’s now belongs to us. The peculiar -tribe called the Todas,<a id="FNanchor_149" href="#Footnote_149" class="fnanchor">[149]</a> lay claim to the land, and -though they consent to receive a yearly rent, they -firmly refuse to alienate their right to the soil, considering -such measure “nae canny” for both seller -and buyer. Chance events have established this superstition -on a firm footing. When Europeans first -settled in the Neilgherries, a murrain broke out -among the Toda cattle, and the savages naturally<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_276"></a>[276]</span> -attributed their misfortune to the presence of the -new comers. Sir W. Rumbold lost his wife, and -died prematurely soon after purchasing the ground -upon which his house stood—of course, in consequence -of the earth-god’s ire.</p> - -<p>In August, 1847, there were a hundred and four -officers on sick leave, besides visitors and those -residing on the Neilgherries. The total number of -Europeans, children included, was between five and -six hundred. It is extremely difficult to estimate -the number of the hill people. Some authorities -give as many as fifteen thousand; others as few -as six thousand.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Now we fall into the main road at the foot of the -zigzag, which climbs the steep skirt of Giant Dodabetta.<a id="FNanchor_150" href="#Footnote_150" class="fnanchor">[150]</a> -Our nags, snorting and panting, breast<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_277"></a>[277]</span> -the hill—we reach the summit—we descend a -few hundred yards—catch sight of some detached -bungalows—a lake—a church—a bazaar—a -station.</p> - -<p>The cantonment of Ootacamund,<a id="FNanchor_151" href="#Footnote_151" class="fnanchor">[151]</a> or, as it is -familiarly and affectionately termed by the abbreviating -Saxon, “Ooty,” is built in a punch bowl, -formed by the range of hills which composes the -central crest of the Neilgherries. But first for the -“Windermere.”</p> - -<p>The long narrow winding tarn which occupies the -bottom of Ooty’s happy vale, is an artificial affair, -intended, saith an enthusiastic describer, “like that -of Como, to combine utility with beauty.” It was -made by means of a dam, which, uniting the converging -extremities of two hills, intercepted the -waters of a mountain rivulet, and formed an “expansive -and delightful serpentine lake,” about two -miles in length, upon an average six hundred yards -broad, in many places forty feet deep, generally<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_278"></a>[278]</span> -very muddy, and about as far from Windermere -or Como as a London Colosseum or a Parisian -Tivoli might be from its Italian prototype. Two -roads, the upper and the lower, wind round the -piece of water, and it is crossed by three embankments; -the Willow Bund, as the central one is -called, with its thick trees and apologies for arches, -is rather a pretty and picturesque object. The -best houses, you may remark, are built as close to -the margin of the lake as possible. Turn your -eyes away from the northern bank; that dirty, -irregular bazaar is the very reverse of romantic. -The beauties of the view lie dispersed above and -afar. On both sides of the water, turfy peaks and -woody eminences, here sinking into shallow valleys, -there falling into steep ravines, the whole covered -with a tapestry of brilliant green, delight your eye, -after the card-table plains of Guzerat, the bleak and -barren Maharatta hills, or the howling wastes of -sun-burnt Scinde. The back-ground of distant hill -and mountain, borrowing from the intervening atmosphere -the blue and hazy tint for which these -regions are celebrated, contrasts well with the -emerald hue around. In a word, there is a rich -variety of form and colour, and a graceful blending -of the different features that combine to make a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_279"></a>[279]</span> -beautiful <i>coup d’œil</i>, which, when the gloss of -novelty is still upon them, are infinitely attractive.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The sun is sinking in the splendour of an Indian -May, behind the high horizon, and yet, marvellous -to relate, the air feels cool and comfortable. The -monotonous gruntings of the frequent palanquin-bearers—a -sound which, like the swift’s scream, is -harsh and grating enough, yet teems in this region -with pleasant associations—inform us that the -fair ones of Ootacamund are actually engaged in -taking exercise. We will follow their example, -beginning at “Charing Cross,”—the unappropriate -name conferred upon those few square yards of -level and gravelled ground, with the stunted tree -boxed up in the centre. Our path traverses the -half-drained swamp that bounds this end of the -Neilgherry Windermere, and you observe with pain -that those authors who assert the hills to be “entirely -free from the morasses and the vast collection -of decayed vegetables that generate miasma,” have -notably deceived you. In 1847, there is a small -swamp, formed by the soaking of some arrested -stream, at the bottom of almost every declivity. -We presume the same was the case in 1826. -Indeed, were the Neilgherries seven or eight hundred<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_280"></a>[280]</span> -feet, instead of as many thousands, above the -level of the sea, even the Pontine marshes would -not be better adapted for the accommodation of -Quartana and Malaria. Before you have been long -on the hills, you will witness many amusing accidents -occurring to new comers, who attempt to -urge their steeds through the shaking bogs of black -mud, treacherously lurking under a glossy green -coating of grassy turf.</p> - -<p>“Probably it is to the local predilections for -such diversion that I must attribute the unwillingness -of the authorities to remedy the nuisance?”</p> - -<p>We cannot take upon ourselves to reply, yes or -no. The cantonment is by no means scrupulously -clean. The bazaar is at all times unpleasant, and, -during the rains, dirty in the extreme. Making all -due allowance for the difficulty of keeping any -place where natives abound, undefiled, still we -opine, that the authorities might be much more -active, in promoting the cause of cleanliness, than -they are. But, if report speak true, the local -government is somewhat out of temper with her hill -<i>protégée</i>, for spending her rupees a little too freely.</p> - -<p>There go the promenaders—stout pedestrians—keeping -step in parties and pairs. Equestrians -ride the fashionable animals—a kind of horse cut<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_281"></a>[281]</span> -down to a pony, called the Pegu, Arabs being rare -and little valued here. And invalids, especially -ladies, “eat the air,” as the natives say, in palanquins -and tonjons. The latter article merits some -description. It is a light conveyance, open and -airy, exactly resembling the seat of a Bath chair, -spitted upon a long pole, which rests on the shoulders -of four hammals, or porters. Much barbaric -splendour is displayed in the equipments of the -“gang.” Your first thought, on observing their -long scarlet coats, broad yellow bands round the -waist, and the green turban, or some other curiously -and wonderfully made head-gear, which surmounts -their sooty faces, is a sensation of wonder that the -tonjon and its accompaniments have not yet been -exhibited in London and Paris. Much hardness -of heart is occasionally shown by the fair sex to -their unhappy negroes. See those four lean -wretches staggering under the joint weights of -the vehicle that contains the stout daughter and -stouter mama, or the huge Ayah who is sent out -to guard those five or six ponderous children, whose -constitutional delicacy renders “carriage exercise” -absolutely necessary for them.</p> - -<p>Two things here strike your eye as novel, in -India.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_282"></a>[282]</span></p> - -<p>There is a freshness in the complexion of the -Sanitarians that shows wonderfully to advantage -when compared with the cadaverous waxy hue -which the European epidermis loves to assume in -the tropics. Most brilliant look the ladies; the gentlemen -are sunburnt and robust; and the juveniles -appear fresh and chubby, quite a different creation -from the pallid, puny, meagre, sickly, irritable little -wretches that do nothing but cry and perspire in -the plains. Another mighty pleasant thing, after a -few years of purely camp existence, is the non-military -appearance and sound of Ootacamund. -Uniform has been banished by one consent from -society, except at balls and parties. The cotton -and linen jackets, the turbaned felt “wide-awake,” -and the white jockey’s cap, with its diminutive -apron, intended to protect the back of the head -from the broiling sun, are here exchanged for -cloth coats and black hats. Morning bugles -and mid-day guns, orderlies, and order-books, the -“Officers’ call” and “No parade to-day,” are things -unknown. Vestiges of the “shop” will, it is true, -occasionally peep out in the shape of a regimental -cap, brass spurs, and black pantaloons, denuded of -the red stripe. But such traces rather add to our -gratification than otherwise, by reminding us of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_283"></a>[283]</span> -<span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> drills, meridian sword exercises, and <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> reviews -in days gone by.</p> - -<p>And now, advancing along the gravelled walk -that borders the lake, we pass beneath a thatched -cottage, once a masonic lodge,<a id="FNanchor_152" href="#Footnote_152" class="fnanchor">[152]</a> but now, <i>proh pudor!</i> -converted into a dwelling-house. Near it, we remark -a large building—Bombay House. It was -formerly appropriated to officers of that presidency. -At present they have no such luxury.<a id="FNanchor_153" href="#Footnote_153" class="fnanchor">[153]</a> Taking up -a position above the south end of the Willow-Bund, -we have a good front view of the principal buildings -in the cantonment. On the left hand is the Protestant -church of St. Stephens, an unpraisable -erection, in the Saxo-Gothic style, standing out -from a grave-yard, so extensive, so well stocked, -that it makes one shudder to look at it. Close by -the church are the Ootacamund Free School, the -Post-office, the Pay-office, and the bungalow where -the Commanding officer of the station transacts his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_284"></a>[284]</span> -multifarious business. Below, near the lake, you -see the Library, the Victoria hotel—a large and -conspicuous building—the Dispensary, the subordinate’s -courts, and the Bazaar. Beyond the church -a few hundred yards of level road leads to the -“palace,” built by Sir W. Rumbold, which, after -enduring many vicissitudes of fortune, has settled -down into the social position of a club-house and -place for periodical balls. Around it, the mass of -houses thickens, and paths branch off in all directions. -In the distance appears the wretched bazaar -of Kaundlemund—the haunt of coblers and thieves;—a -little nearer is the old Roman Catholic chapel; -closer still, the Union hotel—a huge white house, -which was once the Neilgherry Church Missionary -grammar school,—bungalows by the dozen, and -several extensive establishments, where youth, male -and female, is lodged, boarded, and instructed. On -the southern side of a hill, separated from the -Kaundle bazaar, stands Woodcock Hall, the locality -selected for Government House, and, in 1847 at -least, a most unimportant place, interiorly as well -as exteriorly.</p> - -<p>We will conclude our ciceronic task with calling -your attention to one fact, namely, that the capital -of the Neilgherries is growing up with maizelike rapidity.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_285"></a>[285]</span> -Houses are rising in all directions; and if -fickle fortune only favour it, Ooty promises fair to -become in a few years one of the largest European -settlements in India. But its fate is at present -precarious. Should the Court of Directors be induced -to revise the old Furlough and Sick-leave -Regulations, then will poor Ooty speedily revert -to the Todas and jackals—its old inhabitants. -On the contrary, if the <i>status quo</i> endure, and -European regiments are regularly stationed on the -hills,<a id="FNanchor_154" href="#Footnote_154" class="fnanchor">[154]</a> officers will flock to Ootacamund, the settlers, -retired servants of Government, not Eurasian colonists, -will increase in number, schools<a id="FNanchor_155" href="#Footnote_155" class="fnanchor">[155]</a> will flourish<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_286"></a>[286]</span> -and prosperity steadily progress. The “to be or -not to be” thus depends upon the turn of a die.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The chilly shades of evening are closing rapidly -upon us, and we know by experience that some care -is necessary, especially for the newly arrived health-hunter. -So we wend our way homewards, remarking, -as night advances, the unusual brilliancy of the -heavenly bodies. Venus shines almost as brightly -as an average English moon in winter: her light -with that of the lesser stars is quite sufficient to -point out to us the direction of “Subaltern Hall.”</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_287"></a>[287]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.<br> -<span class="smaller">LIFE AT OOTY.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>If a bachelor, you generally begin by depositing -your household gods in the club buildings, or one -of the two hotels<a id="FNanchor_156" href="#Footnote_156" class="fnanchor">[156]</a>—there is no travellers’ bungalow -at Ootacamund—if a married man, you have -secured lodgings by means of a friend.</p> - -<p>The Neilgherry house merits description principally<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_288"></a>[288]</span> -because it is a type of the life usually led -in it. The walls are made of coarse bad bricks—the -roof of thatch or wretched tiles, which act -admirably as filters, and occasionally cause the -downfall of part, or the whole of the erection. -The foundation usually selected is a kind of platform, -a gigantic step, cut out of some hill-side, -and levelled by manual labour. The best houses -occupy the summits of the little eminences around -the lake. As regards architecture the style bungalow—a -modification of the cow-house—is preferred: -few tenements have upper stories, whilst -almost all are surrounded by a long low verandah, -perfectly useless in such a climate, and only calculated -to render the interior of the domiciles as -dim and gloomy as can be conceived. The furniture -is decidedly scant, being usually limited to a few -feet of drugget, a chair or two, a table, and a bedstead. -The typical part of the matter is this. If -the diminutive rooms, with their fire-places, curtained -beds, and boarded floors, faintly remind you -of Europe, the bare walls, puttyless windows and -doors that admit draughts of air small yet cutting -as lancets, forcibly impress you with the conviction -that you have ventured into one of those uncomfortable -localities—a cold place in a hot country.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_289"></a>[289]</span></p> - -<p>So it is with life on the Neilgherries—a perfect -anomaly. You dress like an Englishman, and lead -a quiet gentlemanly life—doing nothing. Not -being a determined health-hunter, you lie in bed -because it passes the hours rationally and agreeably, -and you really can enjoy a midday doze on -the mountain-tops. You sit up half the night -because those around you are not shaking the head -of melancholy, in consequence of the dispiriting -announcement that “the Regiment will parade, &c., -at four o’clock next morning” (<span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> remember!). At -the same time your monthly bills for pale ale and -hot curries, heavy tiffins, and numerous cheroots, -tell you, as plainly as such mute inanimate things -can, that you have not quite cast the slough of -Anglo-Indian life.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>We will suppose that your first month in the -Neilgherry Hills with all its succession of small -events has glided rapidly enough away. You -reported your arrival in person to the commanding -officer, who politely desired your signature to a -certain document,<a id="FNanchor_157" href="#Footnote_157" class="fnanchor">[157]</a> threatening you as well as others<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_290"></a>[290]</span> -with all the penalties of the law if you ventured -to quit Ootacamund without leave. The Auditor-General’s -bill, which you received from the Paymaster, -Bombay, authorizing you to draw your -salary from him of the southern division of the -Madras army, was not forwarded before the first of -the month, or it was forwarded but not in duplicate—something -of the kind must happen—so you were -most probably thrown for a while upon your wits, -rather a hard case, we will suppose. Then you -tried to “raise the wind” from some Parsee, but the -way in which he received you conclusively proved -that he has, perhaps for the best of reasons, long -since ceased to “do bijness” in that line. You -began to feel uncomfortable, and consequently to -abuse the “authorities.”</p> - -<p>During your first fortnight all was excitement, -joy, delight. You luxuriated in the cool air. Your -appetite improved. The mutton had a flavour -which you did not recollect in India. Strange, yet -true, the beef was tender, and even the “unclean” -was not too much for your robust digestion. You<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_291"></a>[291]</span> -praised the vegetables, and fell into ecstasy at the -sight of peaches, apples, strawberries, and raspberries, -after years of plantains, guavas, and sweet limes. -From the exhilarating influence of a rare and elastic -atmosphere you, who could scarcely walk a mile in -the low country, induced by the variety of scenery -and road, wandered for hours over hill and dale -without being fatigued. With what strange sensations -of pleasure you threw yourself upon the soft -turf bank, and plucked the first daisy which you -ever saw out of England! And how you enjoyed the -untropical occupation of sitting over a fire in June!—that -very day last year you were in a state of -semi-existence, only “kept going” by the power -of punkahs<a id="FNanchor_158" href="#Footnote_158" class="fnanchor">[158]</a> and quasi-nudity.</p> - -<p>The end of the month found you in a state of -mind bordering upon the critical. You began to -opine that the scenery has its deficiencies—Can -its diminutive ravines compare with glaciers and -seas of ice—the greenness of its mountain-tops -compensate for the want of snow-clad summits, and -“virgin heights which the foot of man never trod?” -You decided that the Neilgherries are, after all, -a tame copy of the Alps and the Pyrenees. You -came to the conclusion that grandeur on a small<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_292"></a>[292]</span> -scale is very unsatisfactory, and turned away from -the prospect with the contempt engendered by -satiety. As for the climate, you discovered that -it is either too hot in the sun or too cold in the -shade, too damp or too dry, too sultry or too raw. -After a few days spent before the fire you waxed -weary of the occupation, remarked that the Neilgherry -wood is always green, and the Neilgherry -grate a very abominable contrivance. At last the -mutton and pork, peaches and strawberries, palled -upon your pampered palate, you devoured vegetables -so voraciously that pernicious consequences -ensued, and you smoked to such an extent that—perhaps -tobacco alone did not do it—your head -became seriously affected.</p> - -<p>And now, sated with the joys of the eye and -mouth, you turn round upon Ootacamund and -inquire blatantly what amusement it has to offer -you.</p> - -<p>Is there a hunt? No, of course not!</p> - -<p>A race-course? Ditto, ditto!</p> - -<p>Is there a cricket-club? Yes. If you wish to -become a member you will be admitted readily -enough; you will pay four shillings <i>per mensem</i> -for the honour, but you will not play at cricket.</p> - -<p>A library? There are two: one in the Club,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_293"></a>[293]</span> -the other kept by a Mr. Warren: the former deals -in the modern, the latter in the antiquated style -of light—extremely light—literature. Both reading-rooms -take in the newspapers and magazines, but -the periodical publications are a very exclusive -kind of study, that is to say, never at home to -you. By some peculiar fatality the book you want -is always missing. And the absence of a catalogue -instead of exciting your industry, seems rather -to depress it than otherwise.</p> - -<p>Public gardens, with the usual “scandal point,” -where you meet the ladies and exchange the latest -news? We reply yes, in a modifying tone. The -sum of about 200<i>l.</i>, besides monthly subscriptions, -was expended upon the side of a hill to the east -of Ooty, formerly overrun with low jungle, now -bearing evidences of the fostering hand of the -gardener in the shape of many cabbages and a few -cauliflowers.</p> - -<p>Is there a theatre, a concert-room, a tennis, a -racket, or a fives-court? No, and again no!</p> - -<p>Then pray what is there?</p> - -<p>We will presently inform you. But you must -first rein in your impatience whilst we enlarge -a little upon the constitution and components of -Neilgherry society.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_294"></a>[294]</span></p> - -<p>Two presidencies—the Madras and Bombay—meet -here without mingling. Officers belonging -to the former establishment visit the hills for two -objects, pleasure and health; those of the latter -service are always votaries of Hygeia. If you ask -the Madrassee how he accounts for the dearth of -amusements, he replies that no one cares how he -gets through his few weeks of leave. The Bombayite, -on the contrary, complains loudly and bitterly -enough of the dull two years he is doomed -to pass at Ooty, but modesty, a consciousness of -inability to remedy the evil, or most likely that -love of a grievance, and lust of grumbling which -nature has implanted in the soldier’s breast, prevents -his doing anything more. Some public-spirited -individuals endeavoured, for the benefit -of poor Ooty, to raise general subscriptions from -the Madras Service, every member of which has -visited, is visiting, or expects to visit, the region -of health. The result of their laudable endeavours—a -complete failure—instanced the truth of the -ancient adage, that “everybody’s business is nobody’s -business.” Besides the sanitarians and the -pleasure-seekers, there are a few retired and invalid -officers, who have selected the hills as a permanent -residence, some coffee-planters, speculators<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_295"></a>[295]</span> -in silk and mulberry-trees, a stray mercantile or -two from Madras, and several professionals, settled -at Ootacamund.</p> - -<p>With all the material above alluded to, our -circle of society, as you may suppose, is sufficiently -extensive and varied. Among the ladies, -we have elderlies who enjoy tea and delight in -scandal: grass widows—excuse the term, being -very much wanted, it is <i>comme il faut</i> in this -region—and spinsters of every kind, from the little -girl in bib and tucker, to the full blown Anglo-Indian -young lady, who discourses of her papa -the Colonel, and disdains to look at anything below -the rank of a field-officer. The gentlemen supply -us with many an <i>originale</i>. There are <i>ci-devant</i> -young men that pride themselves upon giving -ostentatious feeds which youthful gastronomes -make a point of eating, misanthropes and hermits -who inhabit out-of-the-way abodes, civilians on the -shelf, authors, linguists, oriental students, amateur -divines who periodically convert their drawing-rooms -into chapels of ease rather than go to church, -sportsmen, worshippers of Bacchus in numbers, -juniors whose glory it is to escort fair dames -during evening rides, and seniors who would -rather face his Satanic Majesty himself than stand<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_296"></a>[296]</span> -in the dread presence of a “woman.” We have -clergymen, priests, missionaries, tavern-keepers, -school-masters, and scholars, with <i>précieux</i> and -<i>précieuses ridicules</i> of all descriptions.</p> - -<p>But, unhappily, the said circle is divided into -several segments, which do not willingly or neatly -unite. In the first place, there is a line of demarcation -occasionally broken through, but pretty -clearly drawn between the two Presidencies. The -Mulls<a id="FNanchor_159" href="#Footnote_159" class="fnanchor">[159]</a> again split into three main bodies, 1, the -very serious; 2, the <i>petit-sérieux</i>; and, 3, the unsanctified. -So do the Ducks, but these being upon -strange ground are not so exclusive as they otherwise -would be. Subdivision does not end here. -For instance, the genus serious will contain two -distinct species, the orthodox and the heterodox -serious. The unsanctified also form numerous little -knots, whose bond of union is some such accidental -matters as an acquaintance previous to meeting -on the hills, or a striking conformity of tastes -and pursuits.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_297"></a>[297]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>A brief account of the Neilgherry day will answer -your inquiry about the existence of amusement. -We premise that there are two formulas, -one for the sanitarian, the other for the pleasure-hunter.</p> - -<p>And first, of Il Penseroso, or the invalid. He -rises with the sun, clothes himself according to Dr. -Baikie,<a id="FNanchor_160" href="#Footnote_160" class="fnanchor">[160]</a> and either mounts his pony, or more -probably starts stick in hand for a four mile walk. -He returns in time to avoid the sun’s effects upon -an empty stomach, bathes, breakfasts, and hurries -once more into the open air. Possibly, between -the hours of twelve and four, his dinner-time, he -may allow himself to rest awhile in the library, -to play a game at billiards, or to call upon a friend, -but upon principle he avoids tainted atmospheres -as much as possible. At 5 <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> he recommences -walking or riding, persevering laudably in the -exercise selected, till the falling dew drives him -home. A cup of tea, and a book or newspaper, -finish the day. This even tenor of his existence -is occasionally varied by some such excitement as -a pic-nic, or a shooting-party, but late dinners, -balls, and parties, know him not.</p> - -<p>Secondly of L’Allegro, as the man who obtains<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_298"></a>[298]</span> -two months’ leave of “absence on urgent private -affairs” to the Neilgherries, and the Penseroso become -a robust convalescent, may classically and -accurately be termed. L’Allegro, dresses at mid-day, -he has spent the forenoon either in bed or <i>en deshabille</i>, -in dozing, tea-drinking, and smoking, or, if -of a literary turn of mind, in perusing the pages of -“The Devoted,” or, “Demented One.” He dilates -breakfast to spite old Time, and asks himself the -frequent question What shall I do to-day? The -ladies are generally at home between twelve and -two, but L’Allegro, considering the occupation -rather a “slow” one, votes it a “bore.” But there -is the club, and a couple of hours may be spent -profitably enough over the newspapers, or pleasantly -enough with the assistance of billiards and whist. -At three o’clock our Joyful returns home, or accompanies -a party of friends to a hot and substantial -meal, termed tiffin, followed by many gigantic -Trichinopoly cigars, and glasses of pale ale in proportion.</p> - -<p>A walk or a ride round the lake, is now -deemed necessary to recruit exhausted Appetite, -who is expected to be ready at seven for another -hot and substantial meal, called dinner. And now, -the labours of the day being happily over, L’Allegro<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_299"></a>[299]</span> -concludes it with prodigious facility by means of -cards or billiards, with whiskey and weeds.</p> - -<p>This routine of life is broken only by such interruptions, -as a shooting-party, an excursion, a -pic-nic, a grand dinner, <i>soirée</i>, or a ball. Short -notices of these amusements may not be unacceptable -to the reader.</p> - -<p>There are many places in the neighbourhood of -Ooty—such as Dodabetta, Fair Lawn, and others—where, -during the fine season, the votaries of Terpsichore -display very fantastic toes indeed, particularly -if they wear Neilgherry-made boots, between the -hours of ten <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> and five <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> Much innocent mirth -prevails on these social occasions, the only remarkable -characteristic of their nature being, that the -gentlemen generally ride out slowly and deliberately, -but ride in, racing, or steeple-chasing, or -enacting Johnny Gilpin.</p> - -<p>A more serious affair is a grand dinner. This -truly British form which hospitality assumes, may -be divided into two kinds, the pure and the mixed. -The former is the general favourite, as, consisting -of bachelors only, it admits of an <i>abandon</i> in the -style of conversation, and a general want of ceremoniousness -truly grateful to the Anglo-Indian -mind. A dinner where ladies are admitted is, by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_300"></a>[300]</span> -L’Allegro, considered an unmitigated pest; and those -who dislike formality and restraint, scant potations, -and the impossibility of smoking, will readily -enter into his feelings.</p> - -<p>The Ootacamund <i>soirée</i> happens about once every -two months to the man of pleasure, who exerts all -the powers of his mind to ward off the blow of an -invitation. When he can no longer escape the misfortune, -he resigns himself to his fate, dresses and -repairs to the scene of unfestivity, with much of -the same feeling he remembers experiencing when -“nailed” for a Bath musical reunion, or a Cheltenham -tea-party. He will have to endure many -similar horrors. He must present Congo to the -ladies, walk about with cakes and muffins, listen -to unmelodious melody, and talk small—he whose -body is sinking under the want of stimulants and -narcotics, whose spirit is fainting under the <i>peine -forte et dure</i> of endeavouring to curb an unruly -tongue, which in spite of all efforts will occasionally -give vent to half or three-quarters of some word -utterly unfit for ears feminine or polite. If, as the -Allegri sometimes are, the wretch be nervous upon -the subject of being “talked about in connexion -with some woman,” another misery will be added -to the list above detailed. He has certainly passed<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_301"></a>[301]</span> -the evening by the side of the young lady whom -he first addressed—his reasons being that he had -not courage to break away from her—and he may -rest assured that all Ooty on the morrow will have -wooed and won her for him. Finally, he observes -that several of his married friends look coldly upon -him, beginning the morning after the <i>soirée</i>. Probably -he endeavoured to compensate for his want -of vivacity, by a little of what he considered brilliancy, -in the form of satire,—quizzing, as it is -generally called. The person for whose benefit -he ventured to</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Tamper with such dangerous art,</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">looked amused by his facetiousness, encouraged him -to proceed by</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">⸺The smile from partial beauty won,</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">and lost no time in repeating the substance of his -remarks, decked, for the sake of excitement, in a -richly imaginative garb, to the sensitive quizzee.</p> - -<p>There are about half-a-dozen balls a year on the -Neilgherries, the cause of their infrequency being -the expense, and the unpopularity of the amusement -amongst all manner and description of men, -save and except the “squire of dames” only. This -un-English style of festivity is also of two kinds,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_302"></a>[302]</span> -the subscription and the bachelors’: the former -thinly attended, because 1<i>l.</i> is the price of a ticket, -the latter much more numerously, because invitations -are issued gratis. The amusement commences -with the notes which the ladies indite in -reply to their future entertainers, who scrutinize -all such productions with a severity of censure and -a rigidity of rule which might gratify a Johnson, -or a Lindley Murray. And woe, woe, to her who -slips in her syntax, or trips in her syllabication! -Then the members of the club carve out for themselves -a grievance, all swear that it is a “confounded -shame to turn the place into a hop-shop,” and one -surlier individual than the rest declares that “it -shan’t be done again.” At the same time you observe -they endure the indignity patiently enough, -as it is a magnificent opportunity for disposing -of their condemnable though not condemned gooseberry.</p> - -<p>And here we pause for a moment in indignation -at such a proceeding. May that man never be our -friend who heedlessly sets a bottle of bad champagne -before a fellow-creature at a ball! Heated -and excited by the dancing atmosphere around, the -victim’s palate becomes undiscerning, he drinks -a tumbler when at other times a wine-glass full<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_303"></a>[303]</span> -would have been too much, and in the morning—aroynt -thee, Description! Well do we remember -the bitter feelings with which we heard on one of -these occasions, two gentlemen felicitating each other -upon the quantity of sour gooseberry disposed of -unobserved. Unobserved! we were enduring tortures -from the too observable effects of it.</p> - -<p>At eleven or twelve the ladies muster. The -band—a trio of fiddlers, and a pianist, who performs -on an instrument which suggests reminiscences of -Tubal Cain—strikes up. The dancing begins—one -eternal round of quadrilles, lancers, polkas, and -waltzes. There is no difficulty in finding partners: -the “wall-flower,” an ornament to the ball-room -unknown in India generally, here blooms and flourishes -luxuriantly as in our beloved fatherland. But -if you are not a bald-headed colonel, a staff-officer -in a gingerbread uniform, or a flash sub. in one of -Her Majesty’s corps, you will prefer contemplating -the festal scene from the modest young man’s great -stand-by—the doorway. About one o’clock there -is a break for supper—a hot substantial meal of -course:—the dancing that follows is strikingly of -a more spirited nature than that which preceded -it. The general exhilaration infects, perhaps, even -you. You screw up your courage to the point of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_304"></a>[304]</span> -asking some smiling spinster if she “may have the -pleasure of dancing with you?” and by her good -aid in action as well as advice, you find out, with -no small exultation, that you have not quite forgotten -your quadrille.</p> - -<p>At three <span class="allsmcap">P.M.</span> the ladies retire, apparently to the -regret, really to the delight of the bachelors, who, -with gait and gestures expressive of the profoundest -satisfaction, repair to the supper-room for another -hot and substantial meal. The conversation is -lively: the toilettes, manners, conversation and -dancing of the fair sex are blamed or extolled <i>selon</i>; -the absence of the Bombay ladies and the scarcity -of the Bombay gentlemen are commented upon with -a <i>naïveté</i> which, if you happen to consider yourself -one of them, is apt to be rather unpleasant. Before, -however, you can make up your mind what to -do, the cigars are lighted, spirits mixed, and the -singing commences. This performance is usually of -the style called at messes the “sentimental,” wherein -a long chorus is a <i>sine quâ non</i>, the usual -accompaniments a little horse-play in different parts -of the room, and the conclusion a hammering of -tables or rattling of glasses and a drumming with -the heels, which, when well combined, produce -truly an imposing effect. At length Aurora comes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_305"></a>[305]</span> -slowly in, elbowing her way, and sidling through -the dense waves of rolling smoke, which would -oppose her entrance, but failing therein, content -themselves with communicating to her well known -saffron-coloured morning wrapper a rather dull and -dingy hue. Phœbus looks red and lowering at the -prospect of the dozen gentlemen, who, in very -pallid complexions, black garments, and patent leather -boots, wind, with frequent halts, along a common -road, leading, as each conceives, directly to his -own abode. And the Muses thus preside over the -conclusion, as they ushered in the beginning of the -eventful <i>fête</i>.</p> - -<p>“On the — of ⸺ the gay and gallant -bachelors of Ootacamund entertained all the beauty -and fashion of the station in the magnificent ball-room -of the club. The scene was a perfect galaxy -of light and loveliness, etc.”</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>You have now, we will suppose, almost exhausted -the short list of public amusements, balls and parties; -you have boated on the lake; you have ridden -and walked round the lake till every nodule of gravel -is deadly familiar to your eye; you have contemplated -the lake from every possible point, and can -no longer look at it, or hear it named, without a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_306"></a>[306]</span> -sensation of nausea. You have probably wandered -“over the hills and far away” in search of game; -your sport was not worth speaking of, but its consequences, -the headache, or the attack of liver which -resulted from over-exertion, <i>was</i>—. Perhaps you -have been induced to ride an untrained Arab at a -steeple-chase, and, curious to say, you have not -broken an arm or even your collar-bone. What are -you to do now? You wish to goodness that you -could obtain leave to visit the different stations in -the low country, but, unhappily, you forgot to have -your sick certificate worded, “For the Neilgherries -and the Western Coast.” You find yourself cooped -up in the mountains as securely as within the lofty -walls of your playground in by-gone days, and if -you venture to play truant, you will certainly be -dismissed the establishment, which is undesirable:—you -are not yet over anxious to return to “duty,” -although you are by no means happy away from it.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a little occurrence in your household -affords you a temporary diversion. You dismissed -your Bombay servants, first and foremost the Portuguese, -a fortnight after your arrival at Ootacamund, -because the fellows grumbled at the climate and the -expense:—they could not afford to get drunk half as -often as in the plains:—demanded exorbitant wages,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_307"></a>[307]</span> -and required almost as many comforts and luxuries -as you yourself do. So you paid their passage -back to their homes, and secured the usual number -of Madras domestics, men of the best character, -according to their own account, and provided with -the highest, though more than dubious testimonials. -You found that the change was for the better. Your -new blacks worked like horses, and did not refuse -to make themselves generally useful. Presently, -they, seeing your “softness,” began to presume -upon it. You found it necessary to dismiss one -of them, summarily, for exaggerated insolence. -The man left your presence, and stepped over -to the edifice where sits in state the “Officer Commanding -the Neilgherries.” About half an hour -afterwards you received a note, couched in terms -quite the reverse of courteous, ordering you to pay -your dismissed servant his wages, and peremptorily -forbidding you to take the law into your own hands -by kicking him. But should you object to obey, as -you probably will do, you are allowed the alternative -of appearing at the office the next day.</p> - -<p>At the hour specified you prepare to keep your -appointment, regretting that you are not a civilian:—you -might then have tossed the note into the fire:—but -somewhat consoled by a discovery, made in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_308"></a>[308]</span> -course of the evening, that the complainant has -stolen several articles of clothing from you. You -walk into the room, ceremoniously bow and are -bowed to, pull a chair towards you unceremoniously, -because you are not asked to sit down, wait -impatiently enough,—you have promised to ride -out with Miss A⸺, who will assuredly confer the -honour of her company upon your enemy Mr. B⸺ -if you keep her waiting five minutes,—a mortal hour -and a half. When the last case has been dismissed, -the Commanding officer, after some little time spent -in arranging his papers, nibbing his pens and conversationizing -with a native clerk about matters more -than indifferent to you, turns towards you a countenance -in which the severity of justice is somewhat -tempered by the hard stereotyped smile of polite -inquiry. Stimulated by the look, you forget that -you are the defendant, till reminded of your position -in a way which makes you feel all its awkwardness. -The Commanding officer is a great “stickler -for abstract rights,” and is known to be high-principled -upon the subjects of black skins and British -law. So you, who expected, as a matter of course, -that the “word of an officer and gentleman” would -be taken against that of a “native rascal,” find -yourself notably in the wrong box. Indignant, you<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_309"></a>[309]</span> -send for your butler. And now Pariah meets -Pariah with a terrible tussle of tongue. Complainant -swears that he was not paid; witness oathes by the -score that he was. The former strengthens his -position by cursing himself to Patal<a id="FNanchor_161" href="#Footnote_161" class="fnanchor">[161]</a> if he has not -been swindled by the “Buttrel” and his Sahib out -of two months’ wages. The head servant, not to be -outdone, devotes the persons of his Brahman, his -wife, and his eldest son, to a very terrible doom -indeed, if he did not with his own hands advance -complainant three months’ pay,—and so on. At -length the Commanding officer, who has carefully -and laboriously been taking down the evidence, -bids the affidavits cease, and reluctantly dismisses -the complaint.</p> - -<p>And now for your turn, as you fondly imagine. -You also have a charge to make. You do so emphatically. -You summon your witnesses, who are -standing outside. You prove your assertion triumphantly, -conclusively. You inform the Commanding -officer, with determination, that you are -resolved to do your best to get the thief punished.</p> - -<p>The Commanding officer hears you out most patiently, -urges you to follow up the case, and remarks, -that the prosecution of the affair will be productive<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_310"></a>[310]</span> -of great advantage to the European residents on -the Hills. You are puzzled transiently: the words -involve an enigma, and the sarcastic smile of the -criminal smacks of a mystery. But your mental -darkness is soon cleared up; the Commanding -officer hints that you will find no difficulty in -procuring a fortnight’s leave to Coimbatore, the -nearest Civil station, for the purpose of carrying -out your public-spirited resolution. As this would -involve a land journey of one hundred miles—in -India equal to one thousand in Europe—with all -the annoyances of law-proceedings, and all the -discomforts of a strange station, your determination -suddenly melts away, and gentle Pity takes the -place of stern Prosecution; you forget your injury, -you forgive your enemy.</p> - -<p>You must not, however, lay any blame upon the -Commanding officer; his hands are tied as well as -yours. He is a justice of the peace, but his authority -is reduced to nothing in consequence of his -being subject to the civil power at Coimbatore. A -more uncomfortable position for a military man to -be placed in you cannot conceive.</p> - -<p>This little bit of excitement concludes your list -of public amusements. And now, again, you ask -What shall you do? You put the question, wishing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_311"></a>[311]</span> -to heaven that Echo—Arabian or Hibernian—would -but respond with her usual wonted categoricality; -but she, poor maid! has quite lost her voice, in consequence -of the hard-talking she has had of late years. -So you must even reply to and for yourself—no -easy matter, we can assure you.</p> - -<p>Goethe, it is said, on the death of his son, took -up a new study. You have no precise ideas about -Goethe or his proceedings, but your mind spontaneously -grows the principle that actuated the -great German. You are almost persuaded to become -a student. You borrow some friend’s Akhlak -i Hindi,<a id="FNanchor_162" href="#Footnote_162" class="fnanchor">[162]</a> rummage your trunks till you discover the -remnant of a Shakespeare’s Grammar, and purchase, -at the first auction, a second-hand copy of Forbes’s -Dictionary. You then inquire for a Moonshee—a -language-master—and find that there is not a -decent one in the place. The local government, -in the plenitude of its sagacity, has been pleased -to issue an order forbidding examination committees -being held at the Sanitarium; so good teachers will -not remain at a station where their services are but -little required. Your ardour, however, is only -damped, not extinguished. You find some clerk in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_312"></a>[312]</span> -one of the offices who can read Hindostani; you set -to—you rub up your acquaintance with certain old -friends, called Parts of Speech—you master the Verb, -and stand in astonishment to see that you have read -through a whole chapter of the interesting ethical -composition above alluded to. That pause has -ruined you. Like the stiff joints of a wearied -pedestrian, who allows himself rest at an inopportune -time, your mind refuses to rise again to its -task. You find out that Ootacamund is no place -for study; that the houses are dark, the rooms cold, -and the air so exciting that it is all but impossible -to sit down quietly for an hour. Finally, -remembering that you are here for health, you send -back the Akhlak, restore Shakespeare to his own -trunk, and, after coquetting about the conversational -part of the language with your Moonshee for a -week or two—dismiss him.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_313"></a>[313]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.<br> -<span class="smaller">LIFE OUTSIDE OOTY.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>Speaking seriously, the dearth of diversion or -even occupation at Ootacamund, considerably diminishes -its value as a sanitary station. It is -generally remarked, that a man who in other places -drinks a little too freely, here seldom fails to bring -on an attack of delirium tremens. After the first -excitement passes away, it is apt to be succeeded -by a sense of dreariness and ennui more debilitating -to the system than even the perpetual perspirations -of the plains.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The chief occupations for a visitor outside of -Ooty are curiosity-hunting, field-sports, and excursionizing.</p> - -<p>Of late years, the Neilgherries have been so exposed -to the pickaxes of indefatigable archæologists, -that their huge store of curiosities has been almost<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_314"></a>[314]</span> -exhausted. Little now remains but the fixtures. -In many parts almost every hill is crowned by -single and double cairns, enclosing open areas, -which, when opened, were found to contain numerous -pottery<a id="FNanchor_163" href="#Footnote_163" class="fnanchor">[163]</a> figures of men and animals. There are -some remarkable remains which remind us of the -Cromlechs<a id="FNanchor_164" href="#Footnote_164" class="fnanchor">[164]</a> and Kistvaens<a id="FNanchor_165" href="#Footnote_165" class="fnanchor">[165]</a> of Druidism; all, however, -have been rifled of the funeral urns and the -other relics which they contained. Vases holding -burnt bones and charcoal, brass vessels, spear heads, -clay images of female warriors on horseback, stone -pestles, pots and covers ornamented with human -figures and curious animals, have been taken from -the barrows that abound in different parts of -the Neilgherries. The ruins of forts and pagodas, -traces of buildings and manual labour, may be discovered -in the darkest recesses of ancient forests.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_315"></a>[315]</span> -Long and deep fosses, the use of which cannot be -explained, and diminutive labyrinths still remain -the monuments of ancient civilization. At St. -Catherine’s Falls, near Kotagherry, the natives show -marks in the rock which they attribute to a certain -hill Rajah who urged his horse over the precipice -to escape the pursuit of his foes. The land is -rich in such traditions. There is a name for every -hill;<a id="FNanchor_166" href="#Footnote_166" class="fnanchor">[166]</a> to every remarkable one is attached some -cherished legend. Here we are shown the favourite -seats of the Rishi, or saintly race, who, in hoary eld, -honoured the green tops of the Blue Mountains with -their holy presence. There, we are told, abode the -foul Rakhshasa (demon) tribe, that loved to work -man’s mortal woe; and there, dwarfish beings, -somewhat like our fairies, long since passed away, -lived in the dancing and singing style of existence -usually attributed by barbarians to those pretty -creatures of their imaginations.</p> - -<p>The Toda family—the grand depository of Neilgherry -tradition—has supplied our curiosity-hunters<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_316"></a>[316]</span> -with many a marvel. But, let the young beginner -beware how he trusts to their information. The -fellows can enjoy a hoax. Moreover, with the instinctive -cunning of the wild man, they are inveterate -liars, concealing truth because they perceive -that their betters attach some importance to extracting -it, and yet cannot understand the reason -why they should take the trouble to do so. For -instance—we heard of a gentleman who, when -walking near one of the villages, saw some roughly-rounded -stones lying upon the ground, and asked a -Toda what their use might be. The savage replied -extempore, that the biggest piece was, according to -his creed, the grandfather of the gods; another was -the grandmother, and so on to a great length. He -received a rupee for the intelligence given; and -well he won it. The stones were those used by -the young men of the hamlet for “putting” in -their leisure hours—a slender foundation, indeed, -to support so grand a superstructure of traditional -lore!</p> - -<p>Antiquarians are everywhere a simple race: in -India, “con tutto rispetto parlando,” we are almost -tempted to describe them as simpletons. Who does -not recollect the Athenæum sauce-jar which some -wag buried in the ruins of a fort, said to have been<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_317"></a>[317]</span> -founded by Alexander the Great at Sehwan in Scinde, -and the strange theories which the Etruscan images -upon that article elicited from grave and learned -heads?</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Game is still plentiful in the Neilgherries. The -little woods about Ootacamund abound in woodcock, -leopard,<a id="FNanchor_167" href="#Footnote_167" class="fnanchor">[167]</a> and ibex. Near Coonoor, elk and wild hog -are to be met with, and to the east of Kotagherry -there is excellent bison-shooting. Elephants occasionally -ascend the Koondah hills to escape the fiery -heat of the luxuriant jungles below the mountains. -Tigers are rare in these parts, and no one takes the -trouble to attack them: the cold climate ruins them -for sport by diminishing their ferocity and the -chance of one’s being clawed. The wolf is not an -aboriginal of the hills: he sometimes, however, -favours us with a visit, in packs, gaunt with hunger -and sufficiently fierce, for the purpose of dining -on the dogs. The small black bear, or rather -ant-eater of the plains, affords tolerable sport; but<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_318"></a>[318]</span> -this Alpine region does not produce the large -and powerful brown animal of the Pyrenees and -Central Asia.</p> - -<p>The peculiarity of Neilgherry hunting is, that -nothing can be done by means of beaters only—the -plan adopted in India generally. Cocks -cannot be flushed without spaniels, and foxhounds -are necessary for tracking large game. The canine -species thrives prodigiously on the hills, and seems -to derive even more benefit from the climate than -the human dogs. The crack sportsman from the -plains must here abandon his favourite pig-sticking, -or exchange it for what he always considered the -illicit practice of hog-shooting. <i>En revanche</i>, he -has the elk, the bison, and the ibex.</p> - -<p>The Neilgherry Sambur, or elk,<a id="FNanchor_168" href="#Footnote_168" class="fnanchor">[168]</a> is the giant of -the cervine race—often fourteen hands high, with -antlers upwards of three feet long, spanning thirty-two -or thirty-three inches between the extremities. -In spite of this beast’s size and unwieldiness—some -of them weigh seven hundred pounds—they are sufficiently -speedy to distance any but a good horse. They<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_319"></a>[319]</span> -divide their time between the mountain-woods and -the lower jungles, resorting to the former for the -sake of the water, and descending to the latter to get -at the “salt-licks,” in which they abound. Elk are -usually met with in pairs, or in greater numbers, -and when once sighted are easily shot. The neck -and the hollow behind the shoulder are the parts -aimed at, for these animals are extraordinarily -tenacious of life, and will carry off a most unreasonable -number of balls, unless hit in a vital region. -The flesh is coarse, but makes excellent mulligatawny, -the shin-bones afford good marrow, the hoofs -are convertible into jelly, the tongue is eatable, and -the skin useful for saddle-covers, gaiters, and hunting -boots. The head, stuffed with straw and provided -with eyes, skilfully made out of the bottom -of a black bottle, is a favourite ornament for the -verandah or the mantelpiece. Samburs are easily -tamed: several of them may be seen about Ootacamund, -grazing with halters round their necks, -almost as tame as cows. There are several ways -of hunting elk. On the hills skirting the Pykarry -river, where there is little swamp or bog, attempts -have been made to run and spear them. Some -sportsmen stalk them; but the usual mode is to -post the guns, and then to make the beast break<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_320"></a>[320]</span> -cover. Dogs are preferred to beaters for this purpose, -as their giving tongue warns one when the -game is coming, and the animal will almost always -fly from his fourfooted, whereas it often succeeds in -charging and breaking through the line of biped -foes. Samburs, when wounded and closely pursued, -will sometimes stand and defend themselves desperately -with tooth and antler; the “game thing” -then is to “walk into them” with a hunting-knife.</p> - -<p>Bison-hunting upon the hills is a most exciting -sport, requiring thews and sinews, a cool head and a -steady hand. A charge of one of these animals is -quite the reverse of a joke: Venator had better -make sure of his nerve before he goes forth to stand -before such a rush. The bison is a noble animal. -We have seen heads<a id="FNanchor_169" href="#Footnote_169" class="fnanchor">[169]</a> which a strong man was -scarcely able to lift, and horns that measured twenty -inches in circumference. They are usually shot -with ounce or two ounce iron or brass balls, and -plugs made by the hill-people, who cut a bar of -metal and file it down to the size required with the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_321"></a>[321]</span> -rudest tools and remarkable neatness. The Hindoos, -however, do not patronise bison-hunting, as they -consider the beast a wild species of their sacred -animal.</p> - -<p>The word “ibex,” like the “jungle sheep”<a id="FNanchor_170" href="#Footnote_170" class="fnanchor">[170]</a> of -the Neilgherries, is a misnomer: the denominated -being the Capra Caucasica, not the Capra ibex of -Cuvier. It is to these hills what the chamois is to -the Alps, and the izzard to the Pyrenees. If you -are sportsman enough to like difficulty and danger, -incurred for nothing’s sake, you will think well of -ibex-hunting. In the first place you have to find -your game, and to find it also in some place where -it can be approached when alive, and secured when -dead. The senses of these wild goats are extraordinarily -acute, and often, after many hours of toil, -the disappointed pursuer is informed by the peculiar -whistling noise which they make when alarmed, -that, warned of his proximity—probably by the -wind—they have moved off to safer quarters. -Secondly, you must hit them—hard, too; otherwise<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_322"></a>[322]</span> -you will never bring about a dead stop. And, -lastly, as they are addicted to scrambling down and -rolling over tremendous precipices—especially after -they have felt lead—you must either lose the beast -or risk your neck to bag the body. Not for the -pot. The flesh is never eaten, but the stuffed head -is preserved as a trophy of venatic prowess.</p> - -<p>The hill people, when not employed in spearing -and netting game on their own account, will generally -act as lookers-out and beaters. We are apt, -however, to be too generous with our money: the -effect of the liberality proving it to be ill-advised. -Often it will happen to you—especially during your -first month’s sporting—that some black scoundrel -rushes up in a frantic hurry to report game trove, -in the hope that you will, upon the spur of the -moment, present him with a rupee. And suppose -you do so, what is the result? It is sad weather; -the clouds rain cats and dogs—to use an old phrase—the -wind is raw as a south-easter off the Cape; -the ground one mass of slippery mud. Do you -look out of the window, roll your head, dismiss the -“nigger,” return to your fire, the “Demented,” and -your cigar. No! emphatically no!! You rush -into your room, pull on shoes and gaiters, don -your hunting-garb with astonishing rapidity, catch<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_323"></a>[323]</span> -up your guns, roar for the favourite servant that -carries them, and start in the middle of the howling -storm. Your eagerness to “get a slap at a bison” -incites you to cruelty: you think nothing of dashing -into the first village, and compelling a troop of -half-naked wretches to accompany you. Now mark -the consequence of giving away that rupee in a -hurry. The head beater leads you up and down -the steepest, the most rugged, stony, and slippery -hills he can hit upon, with the benevolent view of -preventing your making a fool of yourself to any -greater extent. But when your stout English legs -have completely “taken the shine” out of those -baboon-like shanks which support his body, then he -conducts you to some Shola,<a id="FNanchor_171" href="#Footnote_171" class="fnanchor">[171]</a> places you and your -servant upon the top of an elevated rock commanding -a thorough enjoyment of the weather, and an -extensive view of the ravine through which the -beast is to break cover, and retires with his comrades -to the snug cavern, which he held all along -in mental view. There he sits before a cosy bit of -fire, occasionally indulging you with a view-halloo, -proving how actively the gang is engaged in discovering<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_324"></a>[324]</span> -the game. Half an hour has passed; you -are wet through, “<i>jusqu’aux os</i>,” and the chill -blasts feel as if they were cutting their way into -your vitals: still your ardour endures. Another -twenty minutes—your fingers refuse to uphold the -cocked rifle.</p> - -<p>“We really must go if they can’t find this beast -in another quarter of an hour, Baloo!”</p> - -<p>“Han, Sahib!—yes, sir,”—quavers forth your -unhappy domestic, in a frozen treble—“if the -Sahib were to—to go, just now—would it not be -good? It is very cold—and—perhaps—they have -been telling the Sahib lies.”</p> - -<p>Baloo is right. The head beater appears, followed -by his attendant train. He swears that it -is a case of “stole away.”</p> - -<p>You feel that there is something wrong about -that bison, by the way in which the man’s eye -avoided you. But probably a sense of justice -prevents your having recourse to the baculine discipline -which, on any other occasion, we should -have advised you to administer with no niggardly -hand.</p> - -<p>Sounders of hog are commonly found at certain -seasons about Coonoor especially. They are often -shot, and more often missed, as their gaunt forms<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_325"></a>[325]</span> -boring through the high grass afford a very uncertain -mark. If Diana favour you, you may have -the luck to come upon that beautiful variety of -the leopard tribe, the black cheeta, and wreak upon -him the revenge which his brethren’s ravages -amongst your “bobbery-pack”<a id="FNanchor_172" href="#Footnote_172" class="fnanchor">[172]</a> has roused in your -bosom. If you are proud of your poultry yard you -will never allow a jungle cat to pass without rolling -her over: the large fierce beasts are so uncommonly -fond of ducks and fowls. The jackals<a id="FNanchor_173" href="#Footnote_173" class="fnanchor">[173]</a> on -the hills are even more daring and impudent than -they are in the plains. Hares are so numerous -and voracious that they will destroy any garden, -flower or kitchen, unless it is defended by a dwarf-fencing -of split bamboos. Your careful Malee<a id="FNanchor_174" href="#Footnote_174" class="fnanchor">[174]</a> -takes, moreover, the precaution of surrounding your -cabbages with a deep ditch in order to keep out -the huge porcupines that abound here. <i>En passant</i> -we advise every one who has not tasted a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_326"></a>[326]</span> -<i>rôti</i> of one of those animals to do so <i>sine morâ</i>, -not, however, forgetting to roll up the flesh in a -layer of mutton fat, and thus to remedy its only -defect—dryness. Martins, polecats, mongooses, -and the little grey gilahri<a id="FNanchor_175" href="#Footnote_175" class="fnanchor">[175]</a> of Hindostan, flourish -on the hills; there is also a large dark brown -squirrel, with a huge bushy tail, but the flying -species, so common on the western coast, is not an -inhabitant of the Neilgherries. The woods are -tenanted by several kinds of monkeys, black and -red, large and small: the otter is occasionally -met with in the fords of the Pykarry river.</p> - -<p>There are two varieties of the wild dog, one -a large nondescript, with a canine head, the body -of a wolf, and a brush instead of a tail: the other -is a smaller beast of similar appearance. They -generally hunt in large packs, and the skill with -which they follow up the game is admirable. When -pressed by hunger they are very ferocious. It is -at no time a pleasant sight to see fifty or a hundred -of their ill-omened faces glaring at you and your -horse as you ride by them: especially after you -have heard certain well-authenticated anecdotes of -their cannibal propensities. When such rencontre -does occur, the best way is to put a bold face upon<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_327"></a>[327]</span> -the matter, ride up to them, and use your heavy -horsewhip as well as you can: if you endeavour -to get away they will generally feel inclined to -follow you, and as for escaping from them on horseback, -it is morally impossible.</p> - -<p>Another animal—though not a wild one—of -which we bid you beware, is the Neilgherry buffalo, -especially the fine fawn-coloured beasts, belonging -to the Todas. Occasionally, as you are -passing along the base of some remote hill, you will -be unpleasantly surprised by a sudden and impetuous -charge of a whole herd. Unless you have -a gun with you, you must ride for it. And <i>how</i> -you must ride will probably surprise you. We -well recollect a kind of adventure which once -occurred to ourselves, when quietly excursionizing -in the vicinity of Ooty. Excited by the appearance -of our nag’s red saddle-cloth, some twenty -huge beasts resolved to dispute with us the right -of passage through one of the long smooth lawns, -which run down the centre of the woodlands. At -first they looked up curiously, then fiercely. Presently -they advanced, snorting rabidly, in a rude -line, a huge black bull the leader of the movement. -The walk soon broke into a trot, the trot became -a gallop, the intention of the gallop, was clearly<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_328"></a>[328]</span> -a charge, and the consequences of a charge might -have been serious. We found little difficulty in -escaping the general rush of our assailants, by -means of a sharp touch with the spur: one by -one they tailed off, stood looking at our decreasing -form in angry disgust, and returned to their -normal occupation. But Taurus, the ringleader, -seemed determined upon mischief. He pursued us -with the dogged determination of a lyme hound: -he had speed as well as bottom. Whenever we -attempted to breathe the pony, the rapidity with -which our friend gained ground upon us, was a -warning not to try that trick too long. Close upon -our quarters followed the big beast with his curved -horns duly prepared: his eyes flashing fire, and his -grunting snorts indicative of extreme rage. We -could scarcely help laughing at the agility with -which the monstrous body, on its four little legs, -bowled away over the level turf, or at the same -time wishing that our holsters contained the means -of chastising his impudence.</p> - -<p>How long the recreation might have lasted, or -how it might have ended had not a long mud wall -got between Taurus and ourselves, we cannot say. -He followed us for at least a mile, and seemed by -no means tired of the occupation. We were beginning<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_329"></a>[329]</span> -to anticipate the pleasure of entering Ootacamund -at the top of our nag’s speed, with a huge -buffalo at his heels, and though we might have -enjoyed seeing a friend in such novel predicament, -the thing lost all its charms, when we ourselves -expected to afford such spectacle to our -friends.</p> - -<p>We should strongly advise all public spirited -individuals immediately after suffering from such -a nuisance to find out the herdsman, and persuade -him by a judicious application of the cravache, to -teach his cattle better manners. He will be much -more careful the next time he sees a stranger -ride by.</p> - -<p>Among the feathered tribes, the woodcock, probably -on account of its comparative rarity, is the -favourite sport. Three or four brace are considered -an excellent bag, even with the assistance of good -dogs, and a thorough knowledge of their covers. -Cock shooting lasts from November to March. -Partridges are rare, not being natives of the hills. -Snipe, and solitary snipe, abound in the swamps. -Quails of both species, red and grey,—the former -especially—are found in the warmer localities, -and when properly tamed and trained, they are -as game birds as those of the low country. Our<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_330"></a>[330]</span> -list concludes with peacocks, jungle<a id="FNanchor_176" href="#Footnote_176" class="fnanchor">[176]</a> and spur -fowl.</p> - -<p>After perusing our brief sketch of Neilgherry -sport, you will easily understand that to some -ardent minds it offers irresistible attractions. Officers -have been known to quit the service, or to -invalid solely with the view of devoting themselves -wholly to the <i>pleasures</i> of the chase. They -separate themselves from their kind, inhabit the -jungles for weeks together, and never enter a station -except for the purpose of laying in a fresh -store of powder and shot, calomel and quinine. -Attended by a servant or two, they wander about, -rifle in hand, shooting their meals—some curried -bird—sleeping away the rabid hours of noontide -heat under some thick brake, and starting with -renewed vigour as soon as the slanting rays of -the sun diffuse a little activity throughout the -animal creation. Sometimes breakfast is rudely -interrupted by an angry old tusker, who, in spite -of his race’s proverbial purblindness, detects the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_331"></a>[331]</span> -presence of an enemy, and rushes on trumpeting -to do a deed of violence. A “striped skin” will -occasionally invite himself to partake of the dinner, -and when not treated with all possible ceremony -walks off with a raw joint in the shape of some -unhappy black. There is little to be gained by -such a life. Government gives, it is true, a reward -of 7<i>l.</i><a id="FNanchor_177" href="#Footnote_177" class="fnanchor">[177]</a> for every slaughtered elephant, and tiger-skins, -as well as ivory, find a ready sale: but no -one can become a Crœsus by the favour of Diana. -Not much, however, do our adventurous sportsmen -think of lucre: they go on shooting through existence, -only pausing at times when the bites of -the tree-leeches,<a id="FNanchor_178" href="#Footnote_178" class="fnanchor">[178]</a> scorpions, centipedes, and musquitoes, -or a low fever, which they have vainly -endeavoured to master by means of quinine administered -in doses sufficient to turn an average -head, imperiously compel them to lay up, till assailed -by a Foe against whom the dose and the rifle<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_332"></a>[332]</span> -are equally unefficacious. Many are almost blinded -by the terrible glare and damp heat of the jungles: -the fetid swamps breed brain fevers as well as -snipe, bisons have horns, and cheetahs claws: so -that such career, though bright enough in its own -way, is generally speaking at least as brief as -it is brilliant.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Before the monsoon sets in, we will “get through,” -as our Irish cousin expressed himself at the Vatican, -“the sight-seeing” in the neighbourhood of -Ooty.</p> - -<p>Maleemund, or, as others write it, Meyni, a favourite -spot for pic-nics, is a Toda village lying -about three miles north of the grand station: -it affords you a pleasant ride through pretty woodlands, -and a very inferior view. Beyond it is Billicul, -a little Berger settlement surrounded by cultivation: -here a resident on the hills has built a -bungalow, and the locality is often visited for the -pleasure of contemplating the reeking flats of -Mysore. Striking across country into the Seegoor -Pass, you may, if you have any curiosity, inspect -the Kulhutty Falls, certain cataracts upon a -very diminutive scale indeed. You must see the -Pykarry river, a deep and irregular stream flowing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_333"></a>[333]</span> -down a winding bed full of rocks, rapids, and -sand-banks: it supplies your curries with a shrunken -specimen of the finny tribe—alas! how different -from certain fishes which you may connect in -memory with certain mountain streams in the old -country. The surrounding hills are celebrated for -containing abundance of game. An indefatigable -excursionist would ride seven miles further on the -Goodalore road for the sake of the <i>coups-d’œil</i>, -and to be able to say that he has seen Neddiwuttun. -All the pleasure he derives from this -extra stage along a vile path, is a sense of intense -satisfaction that he is not compelled to pass a -night in the damp, dreary, moss-clad bungalow, -where unhappy travellers must at times perforce -abide. Three miles from Ooty, in the direction -of the Koondah hills, you pass Fair Lawn, the -bit of turf which Terpsichore loves. Finally, after -a long and dreary stretch over a tiresome series -of little eminences, after fording the Porthy river, -and crossing its sister stream, the Avalanche, by -an unsafe bridge, you arrive at the Wooden House,<a id="FNanchor_179" href="#Footnote_179" class="fnanchor">[179]</a> -whence sportsmen issue to disturb the innocent -enjoyments of elk and ibex, bison and elephant.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_334"></a>[334]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.<br> -<span class="smaller">THE INHABITANTS OF THE NEILGHERRIES.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>There are five different races now settled upon -the Blue Mountains:—</p> - -<table> - <tr> - <td>1.</td> - <td><i>Bergers</i>,</td> - <td></td> - <td>the mass of the population; supposed to be about ten thousand.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>2.</td> - <td><i>Erulars</i>,</td> - <td>}</td> - <td rowspan="2" class="valign">The wild men dwelling on the woody - sides of the hills; about two thousand.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>3.</td> - <td><i>Cooroombars</i>,</td> - <td>}</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>4.</td> - <td><i>Kothurs</i>,</td> - <td>}</td> - <td rowspan="2" class="valign">The old inhabitants and owners of the - land; about three thousand.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>5.</td> - <td><i>Todas</i>,</td> - <td>}</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>The Bergers, Vaddacars,<a id="FNanchor_180" href="#Footnote_180" class="fnanchor">[180]</a> or, as the Todas call -them, the Marves, are an uninteresting race of -Shudra Hindoos, that immigrated from the plains -in the days of Hyder or Tippoo. They attempt to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_335"></a>[335]</span> -invest their expatriation with the dignity of antiquity -by asserting that upwards of four centuries -ago they fled to the hills from the persecutions of -Moslem tyrants. This caste affects the Lingait or -Shaivya<a id="FNanchor_181" href="#Footnote_181" class="fnanchor">[181]</a> form of Hinduism, contains a variety of -sub-families, speaks a debased dialect of modern -Canarese, and still retains, in the fine climate of -the Neilgherries, the dark skin, the degraded expression -of countenance, and the puny figure, that -characterise the low caste native of Southern India. -They consider the wild men of the hills as magicians, -and have subjected themselves to the Todas, -in a social as well as a religious point of view, by -paying a tax for permission to occupy their lands. -They have been initiated in some of the mysterious -practices of the mountaineers, and have succeeded -in infecting the minds of their instructors -with all the rigid exclusiveness and silly secrecy -of their own faith. It redounds, however, to -their credit that they have not imitated the debauched -and immoral habits which their lords have -learned by intercourse with strangers. There is -nothing remarkable in their dress, their manners, -or their habitations; they employ themselves in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_336"></a>[336]</span> -cultivating the soil and acting as porters, beater -labourers, and gardeners.</p> - -<p>The Erulars<a id="FNanchor_182" href="#Footnote_182" class="fnanchor">[182]</a> and Cooroombars<a id="FNanchor_183" href="#Footnote_183" class="fnanchor">[183]</a> are utter savages, -very much resembling the Rankaris of Maharatta -Land and the Bheels of Candeish. Their language, -a kind of Malayalim, proves that they were -originally inhabitants of the plains, but nothing -more is known about them. They dwell in caves, -clefts in the rocks, and miserable huts, built upon -the slopes of the mountains, and they support -themselves by cultivation and selling wax and -honey. In appearance they are diminutive, dark -men, distinguishable from the highest order of Quadrumana -by the absence of pile upon their bodies, -and a knack of walking on their hind legs. Their -dress is limited to about a palm’s breadth of coarse -cotton cloth, and their only weapon a little knife, -which hangs from a bit of string to the side. -They are rarely seen. When riding about the wild -parts of the hills you occasionally meet one of these<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_337"></a>[337]</span> -savages, who starts and stands for a moment, staring -at you through his bush of matted hair, in wonder, -or rather awe, and then plunges headlong into the -nearest thicket. Man is the only enemy the poor -wretches have reason to fear. By the Todas, as -well as the Bergers, they are looked upon as vicious -magicians, who have power of life and death over -men and beasts, of causing disease, and conjuring -tigers from the woods to assist them; they are -propitiated by being cruelly beaten and murdered, -whenever a suitable opportunity presents itself. -The way in which this people will glide through -the wildest woods, haunted by all manner of ferocious -foes, proves how fine and acute the human -senses are capable of becoming when sharpened -by necessity and habit.</p> - -<p>In investigating the origin of the Kothurs, Cohatars,<a id="FNanchor_184" href="#Footnote_184" class="fnanchor">[184]</a> -or Cuvs, the usual obstacles,—a comparatively -unknown language, and the want of a written character,—oppose -the efforts of inquirers. The palpable -affinity, however, between the Toda and Kothur<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_338"></a>[338]</span> -dialects, proves that both the races were originally -connected, and the great change<a id="FNanchor_185" href="#Footnote_185" class="fnanchor">[185]</a> that has taken -place in the languages, shows that this connection -was by no means recently dissolved. Why or how -the separation took place, even tradition<a id="FNanchor_186" href="#Footnote_186" class="fnanchor">[186]</a> does not -inform us; but the degraded customs, as well as the -appearance, dress, and ornaments of the Kothurs -point most probably to a loss of caste, in consequence -of some unlawful and polluting action.</p> - -<p>The Kothurs show great outward respect to the -Todas, and the latter return the compliment more -substantially by allowing their dependants a part -of the tax which they receive from the Bergers. -They are an industrious and hard-working race; -at once cultivators and musicians, carpenters and -potters, bricklayers, and artizans in metal as well -as in wood. Their villages composed of little huts, -built with rough wattling, are almost as uncleanly -as their persons. Every considerable settlement -contains two places of worship, for the men do not<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_339"></a>[339]</span> -pray with the women; in some hamlets they have -set up curiously carved stones, which they consider -sacred, and attribute to them the power of curing -diseases, if the member affected be only rubbed -against the talisman. They will devour any carrion, -even when in a semi-putrid state; the men -are fond of opium, and intoxicating drinks; they -do not, however, imitate the Todas in their illicit -way of gaining money wherewith to purchase their -favourite luxuries.</p> - -<p>As the Toda<a id="FNanchor_187" href="#Footnote_187" class="fnanchor">[187]</a> race is, in every way, the most -remarkable of the Neilgherry inhabitants, so it has -been its fate to be the most remarked. Abundant -observation has been showered down upon it; -from observation sprang theories, theories grew into -systems. The earliest observer remarking the Roman -noses, fine eyes, and stalwart frames of the -savages, drew their origin from Italy,—not a bad -beginning! Another gentleman argued from their -high Arab features, that they are probably immigrants -from the Shat el Arab,<a id="FNanchor_188" href="#Footnote_188" class="fnanchor">[188]</a> but it is apparent -that he used the subject only to inform the world of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_340"></a>[340]</span> -the length and breadth of his wanderings. Captain -Harkness discovered that they were aborigines. -Captain Congreve determined to prove that the -Todas are the remnants of the Celto-Scythian race, -which <i>selon lui</i>, inhabited the plains, and were -driven up to the hills before the invading Hindoo; -he even spelt the word “Thautawars,” to sound -more Scythic. He has treated the subject with -remarkable acuteness, and displayed much curious -antiquarian lore; by systematically magnifying -every mote of resemblance,<a id="FNanchor_189" href="#Footnote_189" class="fnanchor">[189]</a> and, by pertinaciously<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_341"></a>[341]</span> -neglecting or despising each beam of dissimilitude,<a id="FNanchor_190" href="#Footnote_190" class="fnanchor">[190]</a> -together with a little of the freedom in assertion -allowed to system-spinners, he has succeeded in -erecting a noble edifice, which lacks nothing but -a foundation. The metaphysical German traced -in the irreverent traditions<a id="FNanchor_191" href="#Footnote_191" class="fnanchor">[191]</a> of the barbarians concerning<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_342"></a>[342]</span> -the Deity, a metaphorical allusion to the -creature’s rebellion against his Creator; the enthusiastic -Freemason warped their savage mystifications -into a semblance of his pet mysteries. And -the grammar-composing Anglo-Indian discovered -unknown niceties in their language, by desiring -any two Todas to do a particular thing, then by -asking them how they expressed such action, and, -lastly, by recording the random answer as a dual -form of the verb.</p> - -<p>When every one theorises so will we. The Todas -are merely a remnant of the old Tamulian tribes -originally inhabiting the plains, and subsequently -driven up to the mountains by some event,<a id="FNanchor_192" href="#Footnote_192" class="fnanchor">[192]</a> respecting<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_343"></a>[343]</span> -which history is silent. Our opinion is -built upon the rock of language.</p> - -<p>It has been proved<a id="FNanchor_193" href="#Footnote_193" class="fnanchor">[193]</a> that the Toda tongue is -an old and obsolete dialect of the Tamul, containing -many vocables directly derived from Sanscrit,<a id="FNanchor_194" href="#Footnote_194" class="fnanchor">[194]</a> but -corrupted into</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Words so debased and hard, no stone</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Is hard enough to touch them on.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Thus, for a single instance, the mellifluous Arkas-a-pakshi—the -winged animal of the firmament,—becomes -Ha<i>kh</i>’sh-pa<i>kh</i>’sh, a bird. In grammar it -is essentially Indian, as the cases of the noun and -pronoun, and the tenses of the verb demonstrate;<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_344"></a>[344]</span> -the days of the week, and the numerals, are all of -native, not foreign growth. The pronunciation is -essentially un-Indian,<a id="FNanchor_195" href="#Footnote_195" class="fnanchor">[195]</a> true; but with grammar and -vocabulary on our side, we can afford to set aside, -even if we could not explain away, the objection. -A great change of articulation would naturally -result from a long residence upon elevated tracts -of land; the habit of conversing in the open air, -and of calling aloud to those standing at a distance, -would induce the speaker to make his sounds as -rough and rugged as possible. This we believe -to be the cause of the Bedouin-like gutturalism, -which distinguishes the Toda dialect. We may -observe that the Kothurs, who work in tents, have -exchanged their original guttural for a nasal articulation; -and the Bergers, who originally spoke<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_345"></a>[345]</span> -pure Canarese, have materially altered their pronunciation -during the last century.</p> - -<p>The main objection to our theory is the utter -dissimilarity of the Toda, in all respects, physical -as well as moral, to the races that now inhabit the -plains. This argument would be a strong one, -could the objector prove that such difference existed -in the remote times, when our supposed separation -took place. It is, we may remind him, the direct -tendency of Hinduism to degenerate, not to improve, -in consequence of early nuptials, the number of -outcastes, perpetual intermarriage, and other customs -peculiar to it. The superiority of the Toda, -in form and features, to the inhabitants of the lowlands -may also partially be owing to the improvement -in bodily strength, stature, and general appearance -that would be effected by a lengthened -sojourn in the pure climate of the Blue Mountains.</p> - -<p>The Todas, as we have said before, assert a right -to the soil of the Neilgherries, and exact a kind of -tax<a id="FNanchor_196" href="#Footnote_196" class="fnanchor">[196]</a> from the Bergers. Their lordly position was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_346"></a>[346]</span> -most probably the originator of their polyandry and -infanticide:<a id="FNanchor_197" href="#Footnote_197" class="fnanchor">[197]</a> disdaining agriculture, it is their object -to limit the number of the tribe. According -to their own accounts, they were, before the date of -the Berger immigration, living in a very wild state, -wearing the leaves of trees, and devouring the flesh -of the elk, when they could get it, and the wild -fruits of the hills; this they exchanged for a milk -diet; they are now acquiring a taste for rice, sweetmeats, -and buffalo meat.</p> - -<p>The appearance of this extraordinary race is peculiarly -striking to the eye accustomed to the smooth -delicate limbs of India. The colour is a light chocolate, -like that of a Beeloch mountaineer. The features -are often extraordinarily regular and handsome; the -figure is muscular, straight, manly, and well-knit, -without any of that fineness of hand and wrist, foot -and ankle, which now distinguishes the Hindoo family, -and the stature is remarkably tall. They wear the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_347"></a>[347]</span> -beard long, and allow their bushy, curly locks to -lie clustering over the forehead—a custom which -communicates to the countenance a wild and fierce -expression, which by no means belongs to it. The -women may be described as very fine large animals; -we never saw a pretty one amongst them. Both -sexes anoint the hair and skin with butter, probably -as a protection against the external air; a blanket -wound loosely round their body being their only -garment. Ablution is religiously avoided.</p> - -<p>There is nothing that is not peculiar in the -manners and customs<a id="FNanchor_198" href="#Footnote_198" class="fnanchor">[198]</a> of the Todas. Ladies are -not allowed to become mothers in the huts: they -are taken to the nearest wood, and a few bushes -are heaped up around them, as a protection against -rain and wind. Female children are either drowned -in milk, or placed at the entrance of the cattle-pen -to be trampled to death by the buffaloes. The -few preserved to perpetuate the breed, are married -to all the brothers of a family; besides their three -or four husbands, they are allowed the privilege of -a cicisbeo. The religion of the Toda is still <i>sub -judice</i>, the general opinion being that they are -imperfect Monotheists, who respect, but do not<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_348"></a>[348]</span> -adore, the sun and fire that warm them, the rocks -and hills over which they roam, and the trees and -spots which they connect with their various superstitions. -When a Toda dies, a number of buffaloes -are collected, and barbarously beaten to death with -huge pointed clubs, by the young men of the tribe. -The custom, it is said, arose from the importunate -demands of a Toda ghost; most probably, from -the usual savage idea that the animal which is -useful in this world will be equally so in the next.</p> - -<p>The Toda spends life in grazing his cattle, -snoring in his cottage, and churning butter. The -villages belonging to this people consist of, generally -speaking, three huts, made with rough planking -and thatch; a fourth, surrounded by a low wall, -stands a little apart from, and forms a right angle -with the others. This is the celebrated Lactarium, -or dairy, a most uninteresting structure, but ennobled -and dignified by the variety of assertions -that have been made about it, and the mystery -with which the savages have been taught to invest -it. Some suppose it to be a species of temple, where -the Deity is worshipped in the shape of a black -stone, and a black stone, we all know, tells a very -long tale, when interpreted by even a second-rate -antiquary. Others declare that it is a masonic<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_349"></a>[349]</span> -lodge,<a id="FNanchor_199" href="#Footnote_199" class="fnanchor">[199]</a> the strong ground for such opinion being, -that females are never allowed to enter it, and that -sundry mystic symbols, such as circles, squares, and -others of the same kind, are roughly cut into the -side wall where the monolith stands. We entered -several of these huts when in a half-ruinous state, -but were not fortunate or imaginative enough to -find either stone or symbols. The former might -have been removed, the latter could not; so we -must believe that many of our wonder-loving compatriots -have been deceived by the artistic attempts -made by some tasteful savage, to decorate his dairy -in an unusual style of splendour. Near each village -is a kraal, or cattle-pen, a low line of rough -stones, as often oval as circular, and as often polygonal -as oval. The different settlements are inhabited, -deserted, and reinhabited, according as the -neighbouring lands afford scant or plentiful pasturage.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_350"></a>[350]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Ye who would realise the vision of the wise, -respecting savage happiness and nomadic innocence—a -sweet hallucination, which hitherto you have -considered the wildest dream that ever issued from -the Ivory Gate—go, find it in the remote corners -of Toda land, the fertile, the salubrious. See -Hylobius, that burly barbarian—robust in frame, -blessed with the best of health, and gifted with -a mind that knows but one idea—how to be happy—sunning -himself, whilst his buffaloes graze upon -the hill side, or wandering listlessly through the -mazy forest, or enjoying his rude meal of milk and -rice, or affording himself the lazy luxury of squatting -away the rainy hours round his primitive -hearth. What care has he for to-day: what thought -of to-morrow? He has food in abundance: his -and his brothers’ common spouse and dubious -children, make up, strange yet true, a united family; -he is conscious of his own superiority, he claims -and enjoys the respect of all around him. The -use of arms he knows not: his convenient superstition -tends only to increase his comforts here -below, and finally, when Hylobius departs this -transitory life, whatever others may think of his -prospects, he steps fearlessly into the spirit-world, -persuaded that he and his buffaloes are about to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_351"></a>[351]</span> -find a better climate, brighter scenes, and broader -grass lands—in a word, to enjoy the fullest felicity. -Contrast with this same Toda in his rude log hut -amidst the giant trees, the European <i>pater-familias</i>, -in his luxurious, artificial, unhappy civilized home!</p> - -<p>But has not your picture of savage felicity its -reverse?</p> - -<p>Yes, especially when uncivilized comes into contact -with semi-civilized or civilized life. Our poor -barbarians led the life of hunted beasts, when -Tippoo Sultan, incensed with them for being magicians -and anxious to secure their brass bracelets, -which he supposed were gold, sent his myrmidons -into their peaceful hills. They are now in even a -worse state.<a id="FNanchor_200" href="#Footnote_200" class="fnanchor">[200]</a> The “noble unsophisticated Todas,” -as they were once called, have been morally ruined -by collision with Europeans and their dissolute -attendants. They have lost their honesty: truth -is become almost unknown to them; chastity, sobriety, -and temperance, fell flat before the strong -temptations of rupees, foreign luxuries, and ardent -spirits. Covetousness is now the mountaineer’s -ruling passion: the Toda is an inveterate, indefatigable -beggar, whose cry, Eenam Kuroo, “give me a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_352"></a>[352]</span> -present!” no matter what,—money, brandy, cigars, -or snuff—will follow you for miles over hill and -dale: as a pickpocket, he displays considerable ingenuity; -and no Moses or Levi was ever a more confirmed, -determined, grasping, usurer. His wife and -daughters have become vile as the very refuse of -the bazaar. And what can he show in return -for the loss of his innocence and happiness? True, -he is no longer pursued by Tippoo, or the neighbouring -Polygars: but he is persecuted by growing -wants, and a covetousness which knows no bounds. -He will not derive any benefit from education, nor -will he give ear to a stranger’s creed. From the -slow but sure effects of strange diseases, the race -is rapidly deteriorating<a id="FNanchor_201" href="#Footnote_201" class="fnanchor">[201]</a>—few of the giant figures -that abound in the remote hills, are to be found -near our cantonments—and it is more than probable -that, like other wild tribes, which the progress -of civilization has swept away from the face -of the earth, the Toda will, ere long, cease to have -“a local habitation and a name” among the people -of the East.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_353"></a>[353]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.<br> -<span class="smaller">KOTAGHERRY.—ADIEU TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>What a detestable place this Ootacamund is -during the rains!</p> - -<p>From morning to night, and from night to morning, -gigantic piles of heavy wet clouds, which look -as if the aerial sprites were amusing themselves -by heaping misty black Pelions upon thundering -purple Ossas, rise up slowly from the direction of -the much-vexed Koondahs; each, as it impinges -against the west flank of the giant Dodatetta, -drenching us with one of those outpourings that -resemble nothing but a vast aggregation of the -biggest and highest Douche baths. In the interim, -a gentle drizzle, now deepening into a shower, now -driven into sleet, descends with vexatious perseverance. -When there is no drizzle there is a -Scotch mist: when the mist clears away, it is -succeeded by a London fog. The sun, “shorn of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_354"></a>[354]</span> -his rays,” spitefully diffuses throughout the atmosphere -a muggy warmth, the very reverse of genial. -Conceive the effects of such weather upon the land -in general, and the mind of man in particular! -The surface of the mountains, for the most part, -is a rich and reddish mould, easily and yet permanently -affected by the least possible quantity of -water. Thus the country becomes impassable, the -cantonment dirty, every place wretched, every one -miserable.</p> - -<p>All the visitors have returned to the plains, -all the invalids that can afford themselves the -luxury, have escaped to Coonoor or Kotagherry. -You feel that if you remain at Ootacamund—the -affectionate “Ooty” somehow or other now sticks -in your throat—you must be contented to sit -between the horns of a fierce dilemma. If you -stay at home you lose all the pleasure of life: -if you do not, still you lose all the pleasure of -life. In the former case your eyes<a id="FNanchor_202" href="#Footnote_202" class="fnanchor">[202]</a> will suffer, -your digestion become impaired, your imagination<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_355"></a>[355]</span> -fall into a hypochondriacal state, and thus you expose -yourself to that earthly pandemonium, the -Anglo-Indian sick bed. But should you, on the -contrary, quit the house, what is the result? The -roads and paths not being covered with gravel, -are as slippery as a <i>mât de cocagne</i> at a French -fair; at every one hundred yards your nag kneels -down, or diverts himself by reclining upon his -side, with your leg between him and the mud. -If you walk you are equally miserable. When -you cannot find a companion you sigh for one; -when you can, you probably discover that he is -haunted by a legion of blue devils even more -furious than those that have assailed you.</p> - -<p>It is impossible! Let us make up a party—a -bachelor party—and hire a bungalow for a month -or two at Kotagherry. We do not belong to the -tribe of “delicate invalids,” nor are our “complaints -liable to be aggravated by internal congestions;” -therefore we will go there as visitors, not valetudinarians.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>Kotagherry, or more correctly, Kothurgherry,<a id="FNanchor_203" href="#Footnote_203" class="fnanchor">[203]</a> -stands about six thousand six hundred feet above -the level of the sea, on the top of the Sreemoorga<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_356"></a>[356]</span> -Pass, upon a range of hills which may be called -the commencement of the Neilgherries. The station -contains twelve houses, most of them occupied by -the proprietors: at this season of the year lodgings -cannot always be found.</p> - -<p>The air of Kotagherry is moister than that of -Ootacamund, and the nights and mornings are not -so cool. We see it to great advantage during the -prevalence of the south-west monsoon. The atmosphere -feels soft and balmy, teeming with a pleasant -warmth, which reminds you of a Neapolitan spring, -or an autumn at amene Sorrento. The roads are -clean, the country is comparatively dry, and the -people look comfortable. For the first few days -you enjoy yourself much: now watching the heavy -rain-clouds that veil the summit of Dodabetta, and -thinking with pleasure of what is going on behind -the mountain: now sitting in the cool verandah, -with spy-glass directed towards Coimbatore, and -thanking your good star that you are not one of -the little body of unhappy perspirers, its inhabitants.</p> - -<p>But is not man born with a love of change—an -Englishman to be discontented—an Anglo-Indian to -grumble? After a week spent at Kotagherry, you -find out that it has literally nothing but climate<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_357"></a>[357]</span> -to recommend it. The bazaar is small and bad, -provisions of all kinds, except beef and mutton, -must come from Ootacamund. Rich, you complain -that you cannot spend your money; poor, you -declaim against the ruinous rate of house-rent and -living. You observe that, excepting about half a -mile of level road, there is no table-land whatever -in the place, and that the hill-paths are cruelly -precipitous. The houses are built at considerable -distances from one another—a circumstance which -you testily remark, is anything but conducive to -general sociability. You have neglected to call -upon old Mrs. A⸺, who supplies the station -with milk and butter from her own dairy, consequently -that milk and butter are cut off, and therefore -the Kotagherryites conclude and pronounce -that you are a very bad young man. Finally, you -are <i>sans</i> books, <i>sans</i> club, <i>sans</i> balls, <i>sans</i> everything,—except -the will and the way, of getting -away from Kotagherry, which you do without -delay.</p> - -<p>The determined economist, nothing daunted by -the miseries of solitude and fleas, finds Dimhutty<a id="FNanchor_204" href="#Footnote_204" class="fnanchor">[204]</a><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_358"></a>[358]</span> -afford him ample opportunities for exercising his -craft. The little cluster of huts, from which the -place derives its name, lies in a deep hollow about -a mile north of Kotagherry; it is sheltered from -the cold southerly winds by a steep hill, and consequently -the climate is at least three degrees -warmer than that of its neighbour. Originally it -was a small station, consisting of five or six -thatched cottages belonging to a missionary society: -they were afterwards bought by Mr. Lushington, -then Governor of Madras. That gentleman also -built a large substantial house, with an upper -floor, and spared no expense to make it comfortable, -as the rafters which once belonged to Tippoo -Sultan’s palace testify. When he left the hills, he -generously placed all these tenements at the disposal -of government, for the use of “persons who -really stand in need of lodging on their first -arrival.” The climate of Dimhutty has been pronounced -highly beneficial to hepatic patients, and -those who suffer from mercurial rheumatism. Dr. -Baikie, a great authority, recommends it for the -purpose of a “Subordinate Sanitarium for European -soldiers.” The unhappy cottages, however, after -having been made the subject of many a lengthy -Rule and Regulation, have at last been suffered to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_359"></a>[359]</span> -sink into artistic masses of broken wall and torn -thatch, and the large bungalow now belongs to some -Parsee firm established at Ootacamund.</p> - -<p>Three miles beyond and below Dimhutty stretches -a long wide ravine, called the Orange Valley, from -the wild trees which formerly flourished there. The -climate is a mixture between the cold of the hills -and the heat of the plains: and the staple produce -of the place appears to be white ants.</p> - -<p>St. Katherine’s Falls, the market village of Jackanary, -Kodanad or the Seven Mile Tope,<a id="FNanchor_205" href="#Footnote_205" class="fnanchor">[205]</a> and -beyond it the sacred Neilgherry Hill are the only -spots near Kotagherry, with whose nomenclature -Fame is at all acquainted. But as one and all of -them are equally uninteresting, we are disposed -to be merciful and to waive description.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The present appears as good as any other time -and place for a few remarks upon the climate of -the Neilgherries, and a list of the travellers whose -footsteps and pens preceded ours.</p> - -<p>The mean annual temperature of Ootacamund -is 58° 68´, about 30° lower than that of the low -country on the Coimbatore and Mysore sides.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_360"></a>[360]</span> -The average fall of water is forty-five inches in -the year; there are nineteen days of heavy rain; -of showers with fair intervals, eighty-seven; cloudy, -twenty-one; and two hundred and thirty-eight -perfectly fair and bright.<a id="FNanchor_206" href="#Footnote_206" class="fnanchor">[206]</a> Frost generally appears -about the beginning of November, and ends with -February; in the higher ranges of the hills ice -an inch and a-half thick is commonly seen.</p> - -<p>The first and most obvious effect of the Neilgherry -climate on invalids is to repel the blood -from the surface, and to throw it on the internal -organs, by constricting the vessels of the skin and -decidedly checking perspiration and transpiration. -The liver, viscera, head and lungs are affected by -this unequal distribution of the circulation, the -effect being increased in the case of the respiratory -organs by the rarefaction of the mountain air. The -digestive powers seldom keep pace with the increase -of appetite which generally manifests itself, -and unless the laws of diet are obeyed to the -very letter, dyspepsia, colic, and other more obstinate -complaints, will be the retributive punishment -for the infraction. Strangers frequently<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_361"></a>[361]</span> -suffer from sleeplessness, cold feet, and violent -headaches.</p> - -<p>When no actual organic disease exists, and -when the constitutional powers are not permanently -debilitated, Nature soon restores the balance by -means of slight reaction. Invalids are strongly -advised on first arrival to be particularly cautious -about their hours, their diet, their clothing, and -their exercise. They should avoid exposure to the -night air, and never, indeed, be out after sunset: -the reduction of temperature which follows the disappearance -of the sun must be felt to be understood, -and no one residing here for the sake of -health would expose himself to the risk of catching -an obstinate cold by quitting a crowded room -to return home through the nocturnal chills. Medical -men advise the very delicate to wait till the -sun has driven away the cold and moisture of the -dawn before they venture out, and to return from -their morning walks or drives in time to avoid -the effects of the direct rays, which are most powerful -about 9 <span class="allsmcap">A.M.</span> But in regulating hours regard -must of course be had to previous modes of life, -and the obstinate early riser of the plains should -gradually, not suddenly, alter his Indian for English -habits. The diet of valetudinarians on the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_362"></a>[362]</span> -first ascent ought in a great degree to be regulated -by circumstances depending on the nature -of each individual’s complaint. In general, they -are told to prefer light animal and farinaceous -food, eschewing pastry, vegetables, and cheese, -and to diminish the quantity of such stimulants -as wine, spirits, and beer, till the constitution has -become acclimatized. In all cases, of whatever -description they may be, warm clothing is a -<i>sine quâ non</i>: every valetudinarian should, as he -values his life, be provided with a stock of good -flannels, worsted socks, stout shoes, and thick, solid -boots. Exercise is another essential part of regimen -at the Sanitarium. Riding is considered more -wholesome than walking, especially on first arrival, -as less liable to accelerate the circulation, to produce -a feeling of constriction in the chest, and to -expose the body to chills. The quantum of exercise -should be increased by slow degrees, and when -convalescence has fairly set in, the invalid is advised -to pass as much of his time in the open -air, during daylight, as his strength will permit -him to do.</p> - -<p>To conclude the subject of climate. It cannot -be too strongly impressed upon the minds of our -fellow-countrymen in Southern and Western India,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_363"></a>[363]</span> -that in cases of actual organic disease, or when the -debility of the constitution is very great, serious -and permanent mischief is to be dreaded from the -climate of these mountains. Many an officer has -lost his life by preferring the half measure of a -medical certificate to the Neilgherries to a home -furlough on sick leave. The true use of the Sanitarium -is to recruit a constitution that has been -weakened to some extent by a long residence in the -plains, or to afford a change of air and scene when -the mind, as frequently happens in morbific India, -requires some stimulus to restore its normal vigour.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The Rev. Mr. Hough was, as we said before, the -first pen that called the serious attention of the -Anglo-Indian community to the value of the Neilgherry -Hills. His letters to the Hurkaru newspaper -were published in a collected form in 1829. Five -years afterwards Captain Mignan, of the Bombay -army, sent forth a little volume, entitled “Notes -extracted from a Private Journal written during a -Tour through a part of Malabar and among the -Neilgherries.” The style appears to be slightly -tinged with bile, as if the perusal of Mr. Hough’s -flowery descriptions of the mountain scenery had -formed splendid anticipations which were by no<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_364"></a>[364]</span> -means realised. The <i>brochure</i> is now quite out of -date: the bazaar, rates, roads, postage, rent, and -number of houses—all are changed, only remain -the wretched state of the police therein chronicled, -and the “fatal facility” of finding bad servants. -In the same year (1834) Dr. Baikie’s well -known book,<a id="FNanchor_207" href="#Footnote_207" class="fnanchor">[207]</a> entitled “Observations on the Neilgherries, -including an Account of their Topography, -Climate, Soil, and Productions,” issued from the -Calcutta press. The original edition consisted, we -believe, of only five hundred copies, and we cannot -but wonder that the book has not yet enjoyed the -honour of a reprint. Lieut. H. Jervis, of H. M. -62nd regiment, published by subscription, also in -1834, and dedicated to Mr. Lushington, the governor, -a “Narrative of a Journey to the Falls of -Cavery, with an Historical and Descriptive Account<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_365"></a>[365]</span> -of the Neilgherry Hills.”<a id="FNanchor_208" href="#Footnote_208" class="fnanchor">[208]</a> The book contains a -curious letter from Mr. Bannister, who states that, -after a careful analysis of the Neilgherry water, he -was surprised to find no trace whatever of saline, -earthy, or metallic substance in it.</p> - -<p>In 1844-5, Captain H. Congreve, an officer in -the Madras Artillery, wrote in the “Madras Spectator,” -the Letters upon the subject of the Hills and -their inhabitants, to which we alluded in our last -chapter. His pages are, in our humble opinion, -disfigured by a richness of theory which palls upon -the practical palate, but the amount of observation -and curious lore which they contain makes us regret -that the talented author has left his labours to lie -<i>perdus</i> in the columns of a newspaper. Also, in -1844, a valuable Report on the Medical Topography -and Statistics of the Neilgherry Hills, with notices -of the geology, botany, climate and population, -tables of diseases amongst officers, ladies, children, -native convicts, etc., and maps of the country compiled -from the records of the Medical Board Office, -were published, by order of Government, at Madras.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_366"></a>[366]</span></p> - -<p>In 1847, when we left the Hills, a Mr. Lowry, -who had charge of the Ootacamund English Free -School, was preparing to print a “Guide to, and -Handbook of, the Neilgherries, containing brief and -succinct accounts of the same, with statements -of the accommodations there to be found, rents of -houses, expense of living, and other particulars -useful to visitors and residents.” We were favoured -with a sight of the MS., and found that it did what -it professed to do—no small feat for a Handbook, -by the bye.</p> - -<p>There is a great variety of papers and reports -upon particular topics connected with the Neilgherries, -published in the different literary journals -and transactions of learned societies. The principal -works which elucidate minor details, are those of -the Rev. Mr. Schmidt, upon the Botany of the -Hills, and the language of its inhabitants; the -“Description<a id="FNanchor_209" href="#Footnote_209" class="fnanchor">[209]</a> of a singular aboriginal race, inhabiting -the summit of the Neilgherries, or the Blue -Mountains of Coimbatore,” by Captain Henry Harkness,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_367"></a>[367]</span> -of the Madras Army; and Notices upon the -Ornithology of this interesting region, by T. C. -Jerdon, Esq., of the Madras medical establishment.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>And now for our valediction.</p> - -<p>We found little difficulty in persuading the officer -to whose care and skill the charge of our precious -health was committed, to report that we were fit -for duty long before the expiration of the term -of leave granted at Bombay; so we prepared at -once for a return-trip per steamer—it would require -<i>æs triplex</i> indeed about the cardiac region to -dare the dangers and endure the discomforts of a -coasting voyage, in a sailing vessel, northwards, in -the month of September—“over the water to -Charley,” as the hero of Scinde was familiarly -designated by those serving under him.</p> - -<p>We started our luggage yesterday on bullock -and coolie back. The morning is muggy, damp, and -showery: as we put our foot in stirrup, a huge -wet cloud obscures the light of day, and hastens to -oblige us with a farewell deluging. Irritated by -the pertinacious viciousness of Pluvian Jove, we -ride slowly along the slippery road which bounds -the east confines of the lake, and strike off to the -right hand, just in time to meet, face to face, the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_368"></a>[368]</span> -drift of rain which sails on the wings of the wind -along the skirt of that—Dodabetta. Gradually we -lose sight of the bazaar, the church, the Windermere, -the mass of bungalows. Turning round upon -the saddle, we cast one last scowl upon Ootacamund, -not, however, without a grim smile of joy at the -prospect of escaping from it.</p> - -<p>Adieu ...! Farewell ... land -of ...! May every ...! -May ...! And when ..., -so may ... as thou hast ... -ourselves!</p> - -<p>To the industry of an imaginative reader we -leave the doubtlessly agreeable task of filling up -the hiatus in whatever manner the perusal of our -modest pages may suggest to his acuteness and discernment. -As some clue to the mazy wanderings -of our own ideas, we may mention that we were, -during the solemn moment of valediction, exposed -to such weather as has rarely been the fate of man -with the exception of Deucalion and other diluvian -celebrities, to experience in this stormy world.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 class="nobreak">FOOTNOTES</h2> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> “Ducks” are the Bombayites in general: “Dingies” is -the name popularly given to the smaller specimens of native -craft. The Dun and the Drab are probably familiar to the -reader’s ears.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> Bombahia, the Portuguese P. N. of the town: it was probably -suggested by “Momba-devi,” as the place was called -by the Hindoos after the patron goddess of the spot.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> The Nabob is the European, the Nawwáb the Asiatic, -grandee.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="label">[4]</a> Note for readers geographically disposed.</p> - -<p>This region, the Ariake of the Greeks, Kemkem of the -Arabs, Kukan of the Hindoos, Concan of the present possessors, -and, as Vincent says, “the pirate coast of all,” is well -adapted for its ancient occupation by a multitude of small -ports, uninterrupted view along the coast, high ground favourable -to distant vision, and the alternate land and sea breezes -that oblige vessels to hug the shore. Moreover, the ports, -besides being shallow, are defended against large ships by bars; -a defect from which even Goa is not exempt, although Tavernier -calls it “one of the finest harbours in the world, rivalling -those of Toulon and Constantinople.” The pirates were protected -by the strength of the inland country, and, like the -Greeks, had only to lie secure in port until they discovered -their prey. During the Monsoon they cultivated the ground, -or lived peaceably at home: when the fine weather set in, -they launched their boats, and set out in quest of adventure. -Pliny notices the depredations they committed on the Roman -East India trade, and our early travellers are full of horrible -tales about them.</p> - -<p>It is curious to observe that the whole line of coast between -the mouth of the Euphrates and Cape Comorin, has been infamous -for the piratical propensities of the many and various -tribes that inhabit it. The Persian Gulf still requires the -presence of our armed cruisers; the ancient annals of Scinde -enlarge upon its celebrity for robbery; the Coolies of Kutch -and Guzerat were known as pirates from Marco Polo’s time -till <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1800; the Angria territory was a nest of thieves -till we destroyed their fleet; and Tavernier testifies that the -natives of Malabar were not inferior in enterprise to their -northern brethren.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="label">[5]</a> They lie in lat. 15° 52´ 30´´, about thirty-five miles from -Goa, and seven off the shore, from which they are separated -by a deep channel. The group consists of more than twenty -small rocks, amongst which are six or seven about as large as -the Sirens Isles in the Gulf of Salerno. The Greeks called -them Σησεκρειεναι, which Mr. Hamilton understands to signify -“black rabbits;” and Vincent supposes them to have been -so termed, because in form they may be fancied to resemble -those animals crouching.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="label">[6]</a> Porters and labourers.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="label">[7]</a> The Portuguese tongue.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="label">[8]</a> Their other great clerical establishment being the Seminary -at Rachol, a town which, when the Portuguese first came -to India, was the capital of the province of Salsette. In -Tavernier’s time the Jesuits had no less than five religious -houses at Goa.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="label">[9]</a> He raised the standard of revolt against the Indian -government spiritedly but unsuccessfully.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_10" href="#FNanchor_10" class="label">[10]</a> “All thieves at Parga.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_11" href="#FNanchor_11" class="label">[11]</a> The name given to that breed of ponies on account of -their extraordinary viciousness.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_12" href="#FNanchor_12" class="label">[12]</a> At that time, however, this horrible instrument of religious -tyranny seems to have lost much of its original activity. -When the dungeons were thrown open there was not a single -prisoner within the walls, and Mons. de Kleguen asserts that -no one then living remembered having seen an Auto da Fé.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_13" href="#FNanchor_13" class="label">[13]</a> About the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch sent -ships round the Cape, and soon managed to secure the best -part of the Eastern trade, formerly monopolized by the Portuguese.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_14" href="#FNanchor_14" class="label">[14]</a> The Grand Inquisitor.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_15" href="#FNanchor_15" class="label">[15]</a> The Holy Office had power over all but the Viceroy and -Archbishop, and they did not dare openly to interpose in -behalf of any prisoner, under pain of being reported to the -Inquisitor and his Council in Portugal, and being recalled. -Even the Papal threats were disregarded by that dread -tribunal.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_16" href="#FNanchor_16" class="label">[16]</a> No description of the building and its accommodations -is given. Captain Marryat’s graphic account of it in the -“Phantom Ship,” must be fresh in the memory of all readers. -The novelist seems to have borrowed his account from the -pages of Dellon.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_17" href="#FNanchor_17" class="label">[17]</a> An Arab chieftain sent a civil request to the governor, -desiring liberty to buy provisions. The answer was a bit of -pork wrapped up in paper, and a message, that such was the -only food likely to be furnished. The chieftain’s wife, who -was a Sayyideh, a woman of the Prophet’s tribe, and a lady -of proper spirit, felt the insult so keenly, that she persuaded -her husband and his tribe to attack Muscat and massacre all -its defenders. This event took place in 1650.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_18" href="#FNanchor_18" class="label">[18]</a> He calls it the “Aljouvar.” It is probably a corrupted -Arabic word الجبر Al-jabr, “the prison.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_19" href="#FNanchor_19" class="label">[19]</a> The Straight Street, so called because almost all the streets -of Goa were laid out in curvilinear form.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_20" href="#FNanchor_20" class="label">[20]</a> St. Catherine was appointed patron saint of Goa, because -the city was taken by the Portuguese on her day.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_21" href="#FNanchor_21" class="label">[21]</a> Calling upon the name of the Almighty.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_22" href="#FNanchor_22" class="label">[22]</a> A particular class of Hindoo devotee and beggar.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_23" href="#FNanchor_23" class="label">[23]</a> Yellow is the colour usually chosen by the Hindoo when -about to “do some desperate deed.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_24" href="#FNanchor_24" class="label">[24]</a> A “forester,” and generally a regular sylvan or savage -man.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_25" href="#FNanchor_25" class="label">[25]</a> This is said particularly of the Eastern Christian, whose -terror of the tomb is most remarkable.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_26" href="#FNanchor_26" class="label">[26]</a> For a detailed list and description of the buildings, we -must refer readers to the work of Monsieur de Kleguen, alluded -to in the third chapter.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_27" href="#FNanchor_27" class="label">[27]</a> The large flowered jessamine.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_28" href="#FNanchor_28" class="label">[28]</a> The <i>Datura stramonium</i>, a powerful narcotic.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_29" href="#FNanchor_29" class="label">[29]</a> The European Portuguese can fight bravely enough, as -many a bloody field in the Peninsular war has testified. Their -Indian descendants, however, have never distinguished themselves -for that quality.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_30" href="#FNanchor_30" class="label">[30]</a> Formerly, only the Reinols, as the Portuguese who came -directly from Europe were called, could be viceroys, governors -of Ceylon, archbishops, or grand inquisitors of Goa. Tavernier -tells us that all the adventurers who passed the Cape of Good -Hope forthwith became fidalgos, or gentlemen, and consequently -assumed the title of Don.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_31" href="#FNanchor_31" class="label">[31]</a> As that “greatest hero of Portuguese Asia” governed for -the short space of six years a country of which he and all -around him were utterly ignorant, his fatal measure must have -been suggested entirely by theory.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_32" href="#FNanchor_32" class="label">[32]</a> If our rulers only knew what the natives of Central -Asia generally think of a “clean shaved” face, the growth of -the mustachio would soon be the subject of a general order. -We doubt much if any shaven race could possibly hold Affghanistan. -In Western Arabia the Turks were more hated -for shaving the beard than for all their flogging and impaling.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_33" href="#FNanchor_33" class="label">[33]</a> Compared with those of British India. Probably there -are not three fortunes of 500<i>l.</i> per annum amongst the half -million of souls that own the rule of the successor of the -viceroys. A large family can live most comfortably upon -one-fifth of that sum.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_34" href="#FNanchor_34" class="label">[34]</a> Red and white wine: the latter is the favourite.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_35" href="#FNanchor_35" class="label">[35]</a> The Hindostanee name for the cannudo.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_36" href="#FNanchor_36" class="label">[36]</a> Goez, who travelled in India about 1650, says that he -was surprised to see the image of a black saint on the altars, -and to hear that a black native was not thought worthy to -be a “religious” in this life, though liable to be canonized -when he departs it.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_37" href="#FNanchor_37" class="label">[37]</a> Bernier, the traveller, in 1655 remarks, that “Bengala -is the place for good comfits, especially in those places where -the Portuguese are, who are dexterous in making them, and -drive a great trade with them.” In this one point their descendants -have not degenerated.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_38" href="#FNanchor_38" class="label">[38]</a> Many tribes, however, are found among them. Some -have African features.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_39" href="#FNanchor_39" class="label">[39]</a> Without the cholee or bodice worn by Hindoo and -Moslem women in India.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_40" href="#FNanchor_40" class="label">[40]</a> Leavened bread is much better made here than in any other -part of Western India; moreover, it is eaten by all those who -can afford it.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_41" href="#FNanchor_41" class="label">[41]</a> Anciently, neither Moslem nor Jew could, under pain of -death, publicly perform the rites of his religion in any Indo-Portuguese -settlement.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_42" href="#FNanchor_42" class="label">[42]</a> At the same time we were not allowed to pass the threshold -of the little pagoda to the southward of the town.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_43" href="#FNanchor_43" class="label">[43]</a> Tavernier says of them, “the natives of the country called -Canarins are not permitted to bear any office but only in reference -to the law, <i>i.e.</i>, as solicitors, advocates, and scriveners. -If a Canarin happened to strike a European, his hand was -amputated.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_44" href="#FNanchor_44" class="label">[44]</a> A carpenter, one of the lowest castes amongst Hindoos.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_45" href="#FNanchor_45" class="label">[45]</a> The Hindoo goddess of plenty and prosperity.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_46" href="#FNanchor_46" class="label">[46]</a> Opposite to the Desha, the pure dialect of Maharatta. -They are about as different as English spoken in the south of -England and Lowland Scotch.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_47" href="#FNanchor_47" class="label">[47]</a> A celebrated Arabic author on the interpretation of dreams.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_48" href="#FNanchor_48" class="label">[48]</a> Magical formula and works on “Gramarye,” generally -in the Sanscrit, sometimes in the Pracrit, tongue.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_49" href="#FNanchor_49" class="label">[49]</a> As, however, the Maharatta is the mother tongue of the -Goanese, it communicates its peculiar twang to every other -language they speak. The difference of their Portuguese from -the pure Lusitanian, is at once perceptible to a practised ear.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_50" href="#FNanchor_50" class="label">[50]</a> And yet as late as 1840, the Government of Goa was -obliged to issue an order confiscating the property of all priests -who should submit to the Vicar-apostolic appointed by the -Pope.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_51" href="#FNanchor_51" class="label">[51]</a> Francklin, who visited Goa in 1786, says that the army -was about five thousand men, two regiments of which were -Europeans. Even in his day the Home Government was -obliged to send large sums of money annually to defray the -expenses of their Indian possessions.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_52" href="#FNanchor_52" class="label">[52]</a> A colonel receiving about 15<i>l.</i>, an ensign, 3<i>l.</i> <i>per mensem</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_53" href="#FNanchor_53" class="label">[53]</a> The translator of Ibn Batuta’s Travels.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_54" href="#FNanchor_54" class="label">[54]</a> Ferdinand, the second Duke of Tuscany, was the munificent -patron of the father of Western Orientalism.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_55" href="#FNanchor_55" class="label">[55]</a> When Vasco de Gama returned to India, part of his -freight was “eight Franciscan friars, eight chaplains, and one -chaplain major, who were instructed to begin by preaching, -and, if that failed, to proceed to the decision of the sword.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_56" href="#FNanchor_56" class="label">[56]</a> The curious reader will find the subject of Jesuitical conversion -in India most ably treated in Sir J. E. Tennent’s late -work on “Christianity in Ceylon.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_57" href="#FNanchor_57" class="label">[57]</a> A common term of insult.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_58" href="#FNanchor_58" class="label">[58]</a> The mountains distinctly visible from the sea off Calicut, -in clear weather, are the Koondah range of the Neilgherries, -or Blue Hills.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_59" href="#FNanchor_59" class="label">[59]</a> “Noble and wealthy city.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_60" href="#FNanchor_60" class="label">[60]</a> The later is <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 907.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_61" href="#FNanchor_61" class="label">[61]</a> In 1788, Tippoo was induced by ill-timed zeal or mistaken -policy to order the circumcision and conversion of the Malabar -Hindoos, and compelled the Brahmans to eat beef, as an example -to the other inferior castes. A general insurrection of the oppressed -was the natural consequence of the oppressive measure.</p> - -<p>Tradition asserts that there was a forcible but partial circumcision -of the natives of Malabar by the people of Arabia -long before Hyder’s time. So the grievance was by no means -a new one.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_62" href="#FNanchor_62" class="label">[62]</a> Who, it may be observed, are the navigators and traders -<i>par excellence</i> of the Eastern world. The Jews and Phœnicians -generally confined themselves to the Mediterranean and -the parts about the Red Sea. The Turks were an inland -nation; the Hindoos have ever been averse to any but coasting -voyages, and the religion of Zoroaster forbade its followers -to cross the seas. But the Arab is still what he was—the -<i>facile princeps</i> of Oriental sailors.</p> - -<p>As a proof of how strong the followers of Mohammed mustered -on the Malabar coast, we may quote Barthema, who -asserts, that when the Portuguese landed at Calicut, they -found not less than fifteen thousand of them settled there. -Camoens also tells us how the friendly and disinterested plans -of his hero were obstructed and thwarted by the power and -influence of these infidel Moors.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_63" href="#FNanchor_63" class="label">[63]</a> Between September 1846 and May 1847, no less than -eighty ships, besides an immense number of pattimars and -native craft touched at Calicut.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_64" href="#FNanchor_64" class="label">[64]</a> Arab and other valuable horses cannot stand the climate,—a -Pegu pony is the general <i>monture</i>. The sheep intended -for consumption are brought down from Mysore.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_65" href="#FNanchor_65" class="label">[65]</a> Subterraneous streams are still as common in India as -they were in heathen Greece and Italy.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_66" href="#FNanchor_66" class="label">[66]</a> The dynastical name of the Samiry.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_67" href="#FNanchor_67" class="label">[67]</a> Captain Hamilton mentions his ship striking in six fathoms -at the mainmast on some of the ruins of “<i>the sunken -town built by the Portuguese in former times</i>.” But he hesitates -to determine whether the place was “swallowed up by -an earthquake, as some affirm, or undermined by the sea.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_68" href="#FNanchor_68" class="label">[68]</a> A further account of Cherooman will be found in the -twelfth chapter. Ferishteh, the celebrated Moslem annalist, informs -us that the Rajah became a Mussulman in consequence -of the pious exhortations of some Arab sailors who were driven -into the port of Craganore. Captain Hamilton remarks that, -“when the Portuguese first came to India, the Samorin of -Calicut, who was lord paramount of Malabar, turned Moslem -in his dotage, and to show his zeal, went to Mecca on a -pilgrimage, and died on the voyage.” The tradition handed -down amongst the Moslems is, that the Malabar Rajah became -a convert to Islam in consequence of seeing the Shakk el-Kamar, -or miraculous splitting of the moon by Mohammed, -and that, warned by a dream, he passed over to Arabia.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_69" href="#FNanchor_69" class="label">[69]</a> See <a href="#CHAPTER_XII">Chapter XII.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_70" href="#FNanchor_70" class="label">[70]</a> <i>Surya</i>, the Hindoo Phœbus.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_71" href="#FNanchor_71" class="label">[71]</a> <i>Go-karna</i>, the “Cow’s-ear,” a celebrated place of pilgrimage -in the Canara district.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_72" href="#FNanchor_72" class="label">[72]</a> <i>Cherun</i> or <i>Chairun</i> was one of the three kingdoms contained -in South India; the other two were Sholum (Tanjore) -and Pundium (Madura).</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_73" href="#FNanchor_73" class="label">[73]</a> We know not which to admire or to pity the more: this -wonderful old traveller’s accuracy and truthfulness, or the hard -fate which gave him the nickname of Messer Marco Milioni. -Tardy justice, however, has been done to his memory, and a -learned Italian Orientalist, M. Romagnosi, now asserts, that -from his adventurous wanderings “scaturirono tutte le speculazioni -e teorie che condussero finalmente alla scoperta del -Nuovo Mondo.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_74" href="#FNanchor_74" class="label">[74]</a> Paolino observes, that the term Malabar ought <i>not</i> to be -deduced from the Arabic <i>mala</i>, a mountain, and <i>bahr</i>, a coast. -And Paolino is right; neither of those vocables are Arabic at -all. The word is of Sanscrit origin, derived from <i>malya</i> (मल्य -a mountain generally, but particularly the ranges called by us -the Western Ghauts), and <i>var</i> (वार, a multitude). The Persian -word بار (<i>bar</i>), used in compounds, as Zang-bar, the -region of blacks, or Zanguebar, is palpably a corruption of the -said <i>var</i>. Thus the original Sanscrit term <i>malaya-desha</i>, the -mountain land, became in Persian and Arabic <i>Malbar</i>, or -<i>Malibar</i>, and hence our Malabar. A late editor of Marco Polo’s -travels might have been more cautious than to assert that -“the very term is Arabic.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_75" href="#FNanchor_75" class="label">[75]</a> Anciently described to be pepper, ivory, timber, and pearls. -The three former articles are still produced in great abundance.</p> - -<p>We may here notice that Vincent translates ξυλα σαγαλινα, -“sandalwood,” and supposes the word to have been originally -written σανδαλινα. He is wrong: the <i>tectona grandis</i>, or teak, -called throughout Western India <i>sag</i> (σαγ), or <i>sagwan</i>, is alluded -to. So also φαλαγγες σησαμηναι is rendered “ebony -in large sticks,” and in a note we are informed that it is a -corrupt reading, that wood of some sort is meant, but that -<i>sesamum</i> is a herb. The σησαμ of the Greeks is manifestly -the Indian <i>sisam</i>, or black tree.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_76" href="#FNanchor_76" class="label">[76]</a> It is variously and incorrectly written Dely, Delly, -D’illi, and Dilla. The mountain derives its present name from -a celebrated Moslem fakir, Mahommed of Delhi, who died -there, and is invoked by the sea-faring people of the coast. -Its Hindoo appellation is <i>Yeymullay</i>. No stress therefore -should be laid upon the resemblance between Mount Delhi -and the <i>Ela</i> Barake of the Periplus. The identity of the two -places rests, however, on good local evidence.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_77" href="#FNanchor_77" class="label">[77]</a> Varying from eighty to one hundred and thirty-five inches -per annum.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_78" href="#FNanchor_78" class="label">[78]</a> Unhappily the banyan has been selected, a tree which, -though sufficiently shady when its root-like branches are allowed -to reach the ground, is comparatively valueless as a -protection against the sun, when planted by a roadside. Also, -it is easily overthrown by high winds, for, after a time, the -long and tenacious roots that uphold it rot off, and the thin -branches of young shoots that cling round the parent stem have -not the power to support its weight. A third disadvantage in -the banyan is, that in many places the boughs grow low, and -a horseman’s head is in perpetual danger.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_79" href="#FNanchor_79" class="label">[79]</a> The usual ferry-boat is a platform of planks lashed to -two canoes, and generally railed round. We know not a more -disagreeable predicament than half an hour’s trip upon one of -these vessels, with a couple of biting and kicking nags on board.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_80" href="#FNanchor_80" class="label">[80]</a> The botanical name of this tree is derived from the -Malayalim <i>adeka</i>, a betel nut. The English “jackfruit” is -the Portuguese “jacka,” a corruption of the native name -<i>chukka</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_81" href="#FNanchor_81" class="label">[81]</a> Of the Malayalim æra. It is called Kolum, from a village -of that name, and dates its beginning in <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 824, the -time when a rich Nair merchant adorned the place with a -splendid palace and tank. Previous to its establishment, the -natives used a cycle of twelve years, each called after some -zodiacal sign. The months were also denoted by the same -terms, so that the name of the year and the month were -periodically identical.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_82" href="#FNanchor_82" class="label">[82]</a> Equal to Cos. Rs. 250, about 25<i>l.</i></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_83" href="#FNanchor_83" class="label">[83]</a> See <a href="#CHAPTER_XII">Chapter XII.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_84" href="#FNanchor_84" class="label">[84]</a> Tumbooran, in Malayalim, means a lord or prince. If a -minor he is termed Tumban.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_85" href="#FNanchor_85" class="label">[85]</a> Most of the matter contained in this chapter has been -taken from old and valuable papers preserved in the Nuzoor -Cutcherry at Calicut. By the kindness of the collector we -were permitted to inspect and make any extracts from them -we pleased.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_86" href="#FNanchor_86" class="label">[86]</a> The reader must bear in mind that in Malabar, as in all -other native states, contributions carefully proportioned to the -circumstances of the parties so mulcted, were called for on -every occasion of emergency.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_87" href="#FNanchor_87" class="label">[87]</a> In three vols. Printed at the <i>Courier</i> press, Bombay.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_88" href="#FNanchor_88" class="label">[88]</a> Tradition obscurely alludes to a Rajah called Kerulam -(probably from his kingdom), who reigned sixty-three years -after Parasu Rama.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_89" href="#FNanchor_89" class="label">[89]</a> In Sanscrit the word means a continent, country, or region: -it is used hereabouts in a limited sense, generally signifying -a village.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_90" href="#FNanchor_90" class="label">[90]</a> The Hindoo law lays down five per cent. as the amount -to be levied from the plaintiff, ten from the defendant if cast -in a suit, otherwise he is exempt from any tax. Some of the -Rajahs were by no means content with such a moderate perquisite; -the ruler of Cochin, for instance, never took less than -double the sum above specified.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_91" href="#FNanchor_91" class="label">[91]</a> Sometimes called Prumani and Mookoodee, “principal inhabitants.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_92" href="#FNanchor_92" class="label">[92]</a> “Ruler of the land of Cherun.” See <a href="#CHAPTER_XI">Chapter XI.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_93" href="#FNanchor_93" class="label">[93]</a> The current æra of the Hindoos.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_94" href="#FNanchor_94" class="label">[94]</a> See <a href="#CHAPTER_X">Chapter X.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_95" href="#FNanchor_95" class="label">[95]</a> In the present talook of Temelpooram.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_96" href="#FNanchor_96" class="label">[96]</a> Captain Hamilton—no great authority by the bye in such -matters—relates that the Samiry divided his territories between -his four nephews, and says that the partition led to -long and bloody wars between the brothers. He probably -confounded a Moslem with the Hindoo tradition.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_97" href="#FNanchor_97" class="label">[97]</a> Tumbooratee, in Malayalim, a lady or princess; if a -minor she is termed Tumbatee.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_98" href="#FNanchor_98" class="label">[98]</a> The above four are the only recognised palaces.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_99" href="#FNanchor_99" class="label">[99]</a> Some of the present chieftains of Malabar style themselves -Kshatriyas, but by far the greater number derive their -pedigree from the intercourse of Brahmans with the royal ladies, -who principally belong to the Nair caste of Hindoos.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_100" href="#FNanchor_100" class="label">[100]</a> This gives upwards of two hundred souls per mile, estimating -the extent of Malabar at about six thousand square miles.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_101" href="#FNanchor_101" class="label">[101]</a> It ordained, for instance, that corpses shall be burned -within private premises, instead of being carried out for that -purpose into the woods, &c.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_102" href="#FNanchor_102" class="label">[102]</a> There is an abridged form of this salutation, which consists -of joining the hands and then parting them, at the same -time bending the fingers at the second joint.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_103" href="#FNanchor_103" class="label">[103]</a> This word generally follows the name of the individual, -and seems to be the titular appellation of the class. It is -probably derived from the Sanscrit Nayaka (a chief), like the -Teloogoo Naidoo, the Canarese and Tamul Naikum, and the -Hindoo Naik.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_104" href="#FNanchor_104" class="label">[104]</a> Captain Hamilton makes the number of fighting men -throughout the province, of course including all castes, amount -to one million two hundred and sixty-two thousand.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_105" href="#FNanchor_105" class="label">[105]</a> Opposed to muka-tayum, the succession of sons.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_106" href="#FNanchor_106" class="label">[106]</a> The head of the house.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_107" href="#FNanchor_107" class="label">[107]</a> The masculine singular of this word is Tian (fem. Tiatti), -in the plural Tiyar.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_108" href="#FNanchor_108" class="label">[108]</a> The Moplahs, as strangers, and the merchants, tradespeople, -and professional men who had no fixed places of residence, -did not engage in this feudal relationship.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_109" href="#FNanchor_109" class="label">[109]</a> See <a href="#CHAPTER_XI">Chapter XI.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_110" href="#FNanchor_110" class="label">[110]</a> The word Udian, in Malayalim and Tamul, literally signifies -a slave. Here it is used in its limited signification of -vassal or client, as opposed to the Tumbooran or patron. The -word, however, would be considered degrading to a Nair, and -is therefore never applied to him.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_111" href="#FNanchor_111" class="label">[111]</a> “Sons of the soil,” from cher, earth, and mukkul, children. -In the masculine singular the word is chermun (fem. chermee), -plural, chermur.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_112" href="#FNanchor_112" class="label">[112]</a> The price of a slave varied from 3<i>l.</i> to 8<i>l.</i></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_113" href="#FNanchor_113" class="label">[113]</a> In the Calicut district, half the children belonged to the -mother, or rather to her proprietor, and the other half to the -father’s master; the odd number was the property of the -former. When both parents belonged to one owner, he of -course claimed all the offspring.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_114" href="#FNanchor_114" class="label">[114]</a> Generally speaking, the slaves in the maritime districts -were in better condition, and far superior in bodily and mental -development to their brethren in the interior.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_115" href="#FNanchor_115" class="label">[115]</a> There are three different derivations of this word. Some -deduce it from the pure Hindostani and corrupted Sanscrit -word ma (a mother), and the Tamul pilla (a son), “sons of -their mothers,” the male progenitor being unknown. Others -suppose it to be a compound of mukkul (a daughter) and pilla -(a son), “a daughter’s son,” also an allusion to their origin. -The third is a rather fanciful derivation from Mokhai-pilla -“sons of, or emigrants from, Mocha,” in Arabia.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_116" href="#FNanchor_116" class="label">[116]</a> This description applies exclusively to the higher orders; -the labouring classes are dark and ill-favoured.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_117" href="#FNanchor_117" class="label">[117]</a> The genuine Arab, especially in Yemen and Tehamah, is, -generally speaking, a Kusaj, or scant-bearded man; and his -envy when regarding the flowing honours of a Persian chin, is -only equalled by the lasting regret with which he laments his -own deficiency in that semi-religious appurtenance to the -human face.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_118" href="#FNanchor_118" class="label">[118]</a> The practice of the Prophet, whom every good Moslem is -bound to imitate, even in the most trivial and every-day occasions.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_119" href="#FNanchor_119" class="label">[119]</a> The <i>Æschynomene paludosa</i>, a wood of porous texture, -which swells when water is poured upon it. Lead is sometimes -used to distend the flap of the ear by its weight.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_120" href="#FNanchor_120" class="label">[120]</a> A name, by no means complimentary, applied to all who -are not Moslems.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_121" href="#FNanchor_121" class="label">[121]</a> The descendants of the Wild Man have at all times been -celebrated for obstinate individual valour, and enduring an -amount of “punishment” which seems quite incredible.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_122" href="#FNanchor_122" class="label">[122]</a> Manned in those days by Hindoos. Marco Polo tells us -that the people of Malabar are idolaters, and subject to no -foreigner.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_123" href="#FNanchor_123" class="label">[123]</a> Who retorted by hanging them upon the spot, or throwing -them overboard. This style of warfare was productive of great -barbarities. There is a pile of stone rising above the sea, about -seven leagues north-west of Calicut, called the Sacrifice Rock, -from the slaughter of the crew of a Portuguese vessel which -was captured by the Cottica cruisers shortly after the settlement -of the Christians in India.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_124" href="#FNanchor_124" class="label">[124]</a> The sum usually paid was from eight to ten shillings, a -portion of which went to the Rajah, part to the women who -had lost their husbands in these predatory encounters, and the -remainder was “prize-money.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_125" href="#FNanchor_125" class="label">[125]</a> Few would be disposed to consider the salt-duty a practical -proof of the enlightened nature of our rule in the East, and -there is no one, we believe, except a “crack collector,” who -would not rejoice to see it done away with, or at least much -reduced.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_126" href="#FNanchor_126" class="label">[126]</a> The rajah was expected to grant lands to the families of -those who heroically bound themselves by solemn vow to fight -till death against the enemy. If the self-devoted escaped destruction, -he became an outcaste, and was compelled to leave -the country.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_127" href="#FNanchor_127" class="label">[127]</a> This is the universal belief and practice of the more bigoted -parts of the Moslem world, and so deep-rooted is the feeling, -that it acquires a degree of power and influence truly -formidable, and difficult to deal with.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_128" href="#FNanchor_128" class="label">[128]</a> The natives of India generally belong to the Hanafi: the -Arabs are the principal followers of the Shafei sect. Both are -Sunnis, or orthodox Moslems, and there is little difference between -them, except in such trifling points as the eating or -rejecting fish without scales, &c.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_129" href="#FNanchor_129" class="label">[129]</a> Except that a Moslem father may always allot a portion -of property during his lifetime to his children.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_130" href="#FNanchor_130" class="label">[130]</a> Usually they prefer the occupation of carrying the palanquin -to any other bodily labour.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_131" href="#FNanchor_131" class="label">[131]</a> Intermarriage, however, is not permitted.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_132" href="#FNanchor_132" class="label">[132]</a> The races above described are those settled in the country. -The fluctuating portion of the community is composed of the -Europeans, the soldiery and camp followers, Arabs and foreign -Mussulmans, Banyans from Guzerat, a few Parsees, and some -boat loads of the half-starved wretches that leave the Maldives -and Laccadives in search of employment during the cold season.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_133" href="#FNanchor_133" class="label">[133]</a> The Koondah road is about seventy, that <i>viâ</i> Poonanee, -one hundred and sixty miles in length.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_134" href="#FNanchor_134" class="label">[134]</a> The pages of the Madras directories and road-books give -ample accounts of all the chief routes in the presidency.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_135" href="#FNanchor_135" class="label">[135]</a> Judging from the name, a stranger would suppose that -the place was called after some neighbouring Ghaut, or pass, in -the hills. The uncorrupted native appellation, however, is Palakad, -from Kadu, a jungle, and Pala, a tree used in dyeing.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_136" href="#FNanchor_136" class="label">[136]</a> For a detailed description of the sieges and captures of -Paulghaut, we beg to refer to a work entitled, “Historical -Record of the H. E. I. Company’s First European Regiment; -Madras. By a Staff Officer.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_137" href="#FNanchor_137" class="label">[137]</a> Anciently an excellent forest. The trees were felled, -hewn into rough planks, and floated down the Poonanee river -at very little expense. This valuable article has, however, -been sadly mismanaged by us in more ways than one. All -the timber growing near the streams has been cleared away, -and as the local government will not lay out a few lacs of -rupees in cutting roads through the forests, its expense has -been raised almost beyond its value. Considerable losses in -the dockyards have been incurred in consequence of the old -erroneous belief that “teak is the only wood in India which -the white ants will not touch.” The timber should be stacked -for at least eight years, three of which would enable it to dry, -and the remaining five to become properly seasoned.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_138" href="#FNanchor_138" class="label">[138]</a> The common country carts, called garees in other parts of -India. Here they are covered with matting, for the same -reason that compels the people to thatch their heads.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_139" href="#FNanchor_139" class="label">[139]</a> In Malabar the horse is perhaps as great an object of -horror as the rider, the natives are so little accustomed to see -such quadrupeds.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_140" href="#FNanchor_140" class="label">[140]</a> The pet name for the Madras Presidency.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_141" href="#FNanchor_141" class="label">[141]</a> It is curious to see the different way in which the kotwals, -peons, and other such official characters behave towards -the Bombay and the Madras traveller. The latter escapes their -importunity, whereas the former, by keeping up his presidency’s -bad practice of feeing government servants, teaches -them incivility to all who either refuse or neglect to pay this -kind of “black mail.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_142" href="#FNanchor_142" class="label">[142]</a> Etymologists write the word “Hullicul,” deriving it -from cul, a rock, and hulli, a tiger, as formerly a stone figure -of one of those animals that had been slain by a chief single-handed, -stood thereabouts. There are several forts in other -parts of the hills similar to Oolacul Droog: some suppose them -to have been built by Hyder Ali, others assign an earlier date -to them.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_143" href="#FNanchor_143" class="label">[143]</a> See <a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">Chapter XIX.</a> for a further account of the work.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_144" href="#FNanchor_144" class="label">[144]</a> The “blue hill:” it lies near the Danaynkeucottah Pass, -one of the first ascended by Europeans. The visitors would -naturally ask the natives what name they gave to the spot, -and when answered Nilagiri, would apply the word to the -whole range. The sacred mount is still a place of pilgrimage, -although its pagoda has long been in ruins.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_145" href="#FNanchor_145" class="label">[145]</a> The Eastern Ghauts begin south of the Cavery river, and -extend almost in a straight line to the banks of the Krishna. -The western range commences near Cape Comorin, and after -running along the western coast as far north as Surat, diverges -towards the north-east, and is lost in the valley of the Tapti.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_146" href="#FNanchor_146" class="label">[146]</a> The Pykarry becomes the Moyar river, and under that -name flows round the north and north-west base of the hills; -it falls into the Bhawany, which bounds the south and east -slopes, and acts as the common drain of every little brook and -torrent in the Neilgherries.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_147" href="#FNanchor_147" class="label">[147]</a> Its extent is about twenty miles from east to west, and -seven from north to south.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_148" href="#FNanchor_148" class="label">[148]</a> The Seegoor Ghaut, which was almost impassable in Captain -Harkness and Dr. Baikie’s time, is now one of the easiest -and best ascents.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_149" href="#FNanchor_149" class="label">[149]</a> See <a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">Chapter XVIII.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_150" href="#FNanchor_150" class="label">[150]</a> Dodabetta, or the “Great Mountain,” called by the Todas, -Pet-, or Het-marz. The summit is eight thousand seven hundred -and sixty feet above the level of the sea, and forms the -apex of the Neilgherry range. The vicinity of the giant has -its advantages and disadvantages. It is certainly a beautiful -place for pic-nics, and the view from the observatory on the -top is grand and extensive. But as a counterpoise, the lofty -peak attracting and detaining every cloud that rolls up from -the coast during the rainy season, makes one wish most fervently -that the Great Mountain were anywhere but in its present -position.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_151" href="#FNanchor_151" class="label">[151]</a> Ootacamund, Wootaycamund, or Wotay. “Mund” means -a village in the language of the hill people. Ootac is a corruption -of the Toda vocable Hootkh, a word unpronounceable -to the Indians of the plain. The original hamlet still nestles -against the towering side of Dodabetta, but its pristine inhabitants, -the Todas, have given it up to another race, and migrated -to the wood which lies behind the public gardens.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_152" href="#FNanchor_152" class="label">[152]</a> It was established at Ootacamund under a warrant of -constitution from the Provincial Grand Lodge on the coast of -Coromandel.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_153" href="#FNanchor_153" class="label">[153]</a> The Bombayites had, moreover, their own medical attendant, -with a hospital and the usual number of subalterns -attached to it. There are now but three surgeons on the hills, -attending on one hundred and four invalids, who are scattered -over many miles of country.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_154" href="#FNanchor_154" class="label">[154]</a> The measure was advocated by Mr. Sullivan as early as -1828, but financial, not common-sensical or medical, considerations -have long delayed its being carried into execution.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_155" href="#FNanchor_155" class="label">[155]</a> The principal schools now (1847) to be found at Ootacamund -are four in number, viz.:—</p> - -<p>1. The Ooty free school, established for the purpose of giving -education gratis to the children of the poor: it is supported by -voluntary contributions, and superintended by the chaplain of -the station. The number of scholars on the rolls is generally -about thirty.</p> - -<p>2. Fern Hill, the Rev. Mr. Rigg’s boarding-school for young -gentlemen. It contains twenty-six pupils, varying in age from -five to fifteen. Of these, fourteen are the sons of officers in the -service, and the rest are youths of respectable families. Terms -for boarders, 4<i>l.</i> <i>per mensem</i>, the usual charges on the Neilgherries.</p> - -<p>3. An establishment for young ladies, conducted by Miss -Hale and Miss Millard.</p> - -<p>4. Ditto for young ladies and young gentlemen under ten -years of age, conducted by Mrs. James and Miss Ottley.</p> - -<p>Besides those above mentioned, several ladies receive a -limited number of pupils.</p> - -<p>The schools for natives at Ootacamund are—</p> - -<table class="inline"> - <tr> - <td>1.</td> - <td>The Hindostani school</td> - <td>}</td> - <td rowspan="2" class="valign">Conducted by the Rev. Bernard - Schmidt, D.D.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>2.</td> - <td>The Tamul school</td> - <td>}</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>There are many other similar establishments for native children -in different parts of the hills.</p> - -<p>So that the pedagogue has not neglected to visit this remote -corner of his wide domains.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_156" href="#FNanchor_156" class="label">[156]</a> The Union and the Victoria. For bed and board the -prices usually charged are—</p> - -<p>For a lady or gentleman, 22<i>l.</i> <i>per mens.</i></p> - -<p>Ditto for any broken period in a month, 16<i>s.</i> <i>per diem</i>.</p> - -<p>For children under ten years of age and European servants, -2<i>s.</i> <i>per diem</i>.</p> - -<p>Native ayah or nurse, 1<i>s.</i> <i>per diem</i>.</p> - -<p>The expense of housekeeping is not great at Ootacamund. -A single man may manage to live for 20<i>l.</i> <i>per mensem</i>, comfortably -for 30<i>l.</i> It is common for two or more bachelors to -take a house together, and the plan suits the nature of the -place well.</p> - -<p>Only be careful who your monsoon “chum” is!</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_157" href="#FNanchor_157" class="label">[157]</a> The most stringent measures have been found necessary -to prevent gentlemen from committing suicide by means of -elephant shooting in the pestilential jungles below the hills. -Besides, there is some little duty to be done by the Madrassees -on the Neilgherries: a convalescent list is daily forwarded to -the Commanding officer, reporting those who are equal to such -labours as committees and courts of inquest.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_158" href="#FNanchor_158" class="label">[158]</a> Large fans, suspended from the ceiling.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_159" href="#FNanchor_159" class="label">[159]</a> As the Madrassees are familiarly called. The cunning in -language derive the term from mulligatawny soup, the quantity -of which imbibed in South India strikes the stranger with -a painful sense of novelty.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_160" href="#FNanchor_160" class="label">[160]</a> See <a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">Chapter XIX.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_161" href="#FNanchor_161" class="label">[161]</a> The region of eternal punishment.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_162" href="#FNanchor_162" class="label">[162]</a> “The ethics of India;” the Cornelius Nepos of Hindostani.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_163" href="#FNanchor_163" class="label">[163]</a> No inscriptions have as yet been discovered. The only -coin we have heard of was a Roman aureus, whereas in the -cairns that stud the plains, medals, of the Lower Empire especially, -are commonly met with.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_164" href="#FNanchor_164" class="label">[164]</a> Consecrated stones.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_165" href="#FNanchor_165" class="label">[165]</a> The kistvaens, or closed cromlechs of the Neilgherries, are -tumuli about five feet high. The internal chamber is composed -of four walls, each consisting of an entire stone seven feet -long and five broad, floored and roofed with similar slabs. In -the monolithe, constituting the eastern wall, is a circular aperture -large enough to admit the body of a child.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_166" href="#FNanchor_166" class="label">[166]</a> The colonists have followed the example of the aborigines. -Little, however, can be said in favour of our nomenclature. -There is a Snowdon, without snow; a Saddle-back Hill, whose -<i>dorsum</i> resembles anything as much as a saddle; an Avalanche -Hill, without avalanches, and so on.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_167" href="#FNanchor_167" class="label">[167]</a> Dr. Baikie (in 1834) mentions that one of these animals -had held possession of a thick wood close to the cantonment -for some years. The same spot is still tenanted, it is said, by -a cheeta, but whether it be the original occupant, his ghost, -or one of his descendants, men know not.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_168" href="#FNanchor_168" class="label">[168]</a> Not Buffon’s elk. It is the <i>Cervus Aristotelis</i>, or black -rusa of Cuvier; the “Shambara” of classical India; the Gavazn -of Persia; and the Gav i Gavazn of Affghanistan and Central -Asia.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_169" href="#FNanchor_169" class="label">[169]</a> Upon this part Nature has provided the animal with a -bony mass, impenetrable to anything lighter than a grapeshot, -occupying the whole space between the horns, and useful, we -should suppose, in forcing a way through dense and thorny -jungle.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_170" href="#FNanchor_170" class="label">[170]</a> This “jungle sheep” is the <i>Cervus porcinus</i>, the hog-deer -or barking-deer of Upper India, which abounds in every shikargah -of delectable Scinde. In Sanscrit it is called the Preushat -(“sprinkling,” in allusion to its spotted hide); in Hindostani, -Parha; and in Persian, the Kotah-pacheh, or “short hoof.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_171" href="#FNanchor_171" class="label">[171]</a> A shola is a thick mass of low wood, which may be -measured by yards or miles, clothing the sides, the bottoms, -and the ravines of the hills and mountains.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_172" href="#FNanchor_172" class="label">[172]</a> <i>I.e.</i> ten or twenty dogs and curs, young and old, of high -and low degree, terriers, pointers, spaniels, setters, pariahs, and -mongrels, headed by a staunch old hound or two.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_173" href="#FNanchor_173" class="label">[173]</a> There is a large kind of solitary jackal whose cry is never -answered by the other animals of the same species: the sound -somewhat resembles the hyæna’s laugh, and has been mistaken -for it by many.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_174" href="#FNanchor_174" class="label">[174]</a> Gardener.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_175" href="#FNanchor_175" class="label">[175]</a> A species of squirrel.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_176" href="#FNanchor_176" class="label">[176]</a> We have heard much about the difficulty of taming these -birds. Some go so far as to assert that they pine away and -die when deprived of their liberty. The Affghans seem to find -nothing hard in the operation, as they use the birds for fighting. -They show excellent pluck, and never fail to fight till -death, although steel and silver are things unknown.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_177" href="#FNanchor_177" class="label">[177]</a> Seven pounds for a full grown, 5<i>l.</i> for a young animal. -When the reward is claimed the tusks must be given up. -Tuskers, however, are not often met with in these days.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_178" href="#FNanchor_178" class="label">[178]</a> Every swamp on and about the hills is full of small -leeches,—the lake also abounds in them,—which assail your -legs, and swarming up the trees, drop down your shirt collar -to your extreme annoyance. They are quite useless for medical -purposes, as the bite is highly inflammatory.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_179" href="#FNanchor_179" class="label">[179]</a> The Maroo Bungla, or log-house, as the natives call the -Avalanche bungalow.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_180" href="#FNanchor_180" class="label">[180]</a> The first name is a corruption of the second, which is -derived from Vadacu, “the north,” these people having migrated -from that direction.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_181" href="#FNanchor_181" class="label">[181]</a> The worship of the terrible and destructive incarnation of -the Deity.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_182" href="#FNanchor_182" class="label">[182]</a> Signifying the “unenlightened or barbarous,” from the -Tamul word Erul, darkness.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_183" href="#FNanchor_183" class="label">[183]</a> “Cooroombar,” or “Curumbar,” literally means “wilful, -or self-willed.” Sometimes the word mulu, a “thorn,” is prefixed -to the genuine name by way of epithet, alluding to the -nature of the race.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_184" href="#FNanchor_184" class="label">[184]</a> So Captain Harkness writes the word, remarking, that -“as this tribe kill and eat a great deal of beef, it was no doubt -intended by their Hindu neighbours that they should be called -‘Gohatars,’ from go, a cow, and hata, slaying.” “Cuv,” in -the Toda dialect, means a “mechanic.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_185" href="#FNanchor_185" class="label">[185]</a> Many of the words have been corrupted, and the pronunciation -has become nasal, not guttural, like that of the Todas. -The Kothurs can, however, express themselves imperfectly in -Canarese.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_186" href="#FNanchor_186" class="label">[186]</a> All that we can gather from their songs and tales is, that -anciently they were the zemindars, or landed proprietors of the -hills.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_187" href="#FNanchor_187" class="label">[187]</a> Todawars, Tudas, or Toders. Captain Harkness derives -the word from the Tamul, Torawar, a herdsman, and this is -probably the true name of the race.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_188" href="#FNanchor_188" class="label">[188]</a> The north-west parts of the Persian Gulf.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_189" href="#FNanchor_189" class="label">[189]</a> <i>E. g.</i> The peaks of the Todas are venerated by the -Todas, as they were by the Celto-Scythians. The single -stone in the sacred lactarium of the former, was the most -conspicuous instrument of superstition in the Druidical or -Scythic religion. Captain Congreve asserts that the Toda -faith is Scythicism, <i>because</i> they sacrifice female children, -bulls, calves, and buffaloes, as the Scythians did horses; -that they adore the sun (what old barbarians did not?), -revere fire, respect certain trees and bunches of leaves, worship -the Deity in groves of the profoundest gloom, and have -some knowledge of a future state. He proves that the hills -are covered with vestiges of Scythicism, as cairns, barrows, -and monolithic altars, and believes them to have belonged to -the early Todas, inasmuch as “the religion of the Todas is -Scythicism, and these are monuments of Scythicism.” He -concludes the exposition of his theory with the following recapitulation -of his reasons for considering the Todas of Scythian -descent:—1. Identity of religion (not proved). 2. -Physiological position of the Todas in the great family race -(we are not told how it resembles that of the Scythians). 3. -The pastoral mode of life among the Todas. 4. The food of -the Todas, which consisted originally of milk and butter (we -“doubt the fact”). 5. Their architecture, religious, military, -and domestic, the yards of the Toda houses, their temples, their -sacred enclosures, their kraals for cattle, are circular, as were -those of the Celts, and, indeed, of most ancient people whose -divinity was Sun, Light, Fire, Apollo, Mithra, &c. 6. Their -marriage customs and funeral rites are nearly identical (an -assertion). 7. Their ornaments and dress closely approximate -(ditto). 8. Their customs are generally similar (ditto). 9. -The authority of Sir W. Jones that the ancient Scythians did -people a mountainous district of India (<i>quasi</i> irrelevant). 10. -History mentions that India has been invaded by Scythian -hordes from the remotest times (ditto). 11. Their utter separation -in every respect from the races around them.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_190" href="#FNanchor_190" class="label">[190]</a> Such as want of weapons, difference of colour, dissimilarity -of language. With respect to the latter point Captain Congreve -remarks, that “a comparison with the Gothic, Celtic, -and other ancient dialects of Europe is a great desideratum; -but should no affinity be found to prevail, I should not consider -the absence detrimental to my views, for this reason, -that the people of Celto-Scythic origin having various languages, -have been widely dispersed.” After this, <i>Quid facias illi?</i></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_191" href="#FNanchor_191" class="label">[191]</a> In many parts of the Neilgherries there is a large species -of solitary bee which the Todas declared incurred the displeasure -of the Great Spirit by stinging him, and was therefore -condemned to eternal separation from its kind. But as huge -combs and excellent honey abound on these hills, their savage -inhabitants of course superstitionize upon the subject of the -bee. The Creator, they say, desirous of knowing how honey -is made, caught the animal, and she proving obstinate and -refractory, confined her by means of a string tied round the -middle; hence her peculiar shape! Is not this clearly a -psychological allusion to the powerful volition for which the -fair sex is proverbially famous?</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_192" href="#FNanchor_192" class="label">[192]</a> Not, however, by the victory of Brahmanism over Buddhism, -as some have supposed. The leading tenet of Buddha’s -faith was the sin of shedding blood, whereas the Todas practise -infanticide and eat meat. Moreover, there is a bond of union -between them and those Anti-Buddhists the Lingaits, who adhere -to the religion of Shiva pure and undefiled.</p> - -<p>This Buddhistic theory rests upon the slender foundation -that the Todas call Wednesday, Buddhi-aum (Buddh’s day). -But the celebrated Eastern reformer’s name has extended as -far as the good old island in the West. It became Fo-e and -Xa-ca (Shakya) in China; But in Cochin-China, Pout in Siam; -Pott or Poti, in Thibet; perhaps the Wadd of Pagan Arabia; -Toth in Egypt; Woden in Scandinavia; and thus reaching our -remote shores, left its traces in “Wednesday.” So say the -etymologists.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_193" href="#FNanchor_193" class="label">[193]</a> By the Rev. Mr. Schmidt’s vocabulary of the Toda tongue.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_194" href="#FNanchor_194" class="label">[194]</a> Captain Harkness is egregiously mistaken when he asserts -that the dialect of his aborigines “has not the least -affinity in roots, construction, or sound, with the Sanscrit.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_195" href="#FNanchor_195" class="label">[195]</a> In some points. Thus we find the Ain, Ghain, Fa and -<i>Kh</i>a of the Arabs, together with the Zha of the Persians. But -the step from the Indian अ to the Arabic ع, from घ (g’h) to غ, -and from फ (p’h) to ﻑ, is easily made; and the kha -and zha belong to some Indian dialects as well as to Arabic -and Persian.</p> - -<p>It is supposed that the Toda language is still divided, like -the Tamul, into two distinct dialects, one the popular, the -other the sacred; the former admitting foreign words, derived -from the Canarese, the latter a pure form generally used by -the priesthood.</p> - -<p>Most Todas can speak a few words of corrupted Canarese.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_196" href="#FNanchor_196" class="label">[196]</a> A share of the land-produce varying from one-third to -one-sixth of the whole, settled by the eye, and generally paid -in kind. The Toda has made himself necessary to the Berger; -he must sow the first handful of grain, and reap the first fruits -of the harvest, otherwise the land would be allowed to lie -fallow, and the crop to rot upon the ground.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_197" href="#FNanchor_197" class="label">[197]</a> The polyandry practised of yore seems at present on the -decline. Infanticide, though said to have been abolished, probably -holds its ground in the remote parts of the hills. Near -the stations the lives of female children are spared with the -view of making money by their immorality. Old women are -still by no means common.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_198" href="#FNanchor_198" class="label">[198]</a> For a more detailed account of them, we refer the reader -to the amusing pages of Captain Harkness.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_199" href="#FNanchor_199" class="label">[199]</a> A brother mason informs us, that “the Todas use a sign -of recognition similar to ours, and they have discovered that -Europeans have an institution corresponding with their own.” -Hence, he remarks, “a Toda initiated will bow to a gentleman, -never to a lady.”</p> - -<p>But in our humble opinion, next to the Antiquary in simplicity -of mind, capacity of belief, and capability of assertion, -ranks the Freemason.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_200" href="#FNanchor_200" class="label">[200]</a> What follows alludes particularly to the Todas living in -the vicinity of Ooty, Coonoor, and Kotagherry.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_201" href="#FNanchor_201" class="label">[201]</a> The habit of intoxication is now so fatally common -amongst the rising generation, that their fathers will not, it is -said, initiate them into their mysteries, for fear that the secret -should be divulged over the cup.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_202" href="#FNanchor_202" class="label">[202]</a> The faculty unanimously assert that the air of the hills -is not prejudicial to those suffering from ophthalmic disease. -We observed, however, that a large proportion of invalids complained -of sore eyes and weakness of sight, produced, probably, -by the glare of the fine season and the piercing winds of the -monsoon.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_203" href="#FNanchor_203" class="label">[203]</a> The “hill of the Kothurs.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_204" href="#FNanchor_204" class="label">[204]</a> The termination “hutty,” so common in the names of the -hill villages, is used to denote a Berger settlement, as “mund” -means a Toda hamlet.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_205" href="#FNanchor_205" class="label">[205]</a> Or tuft: it is so called from a clump of trees which crowns -the ridge of a high hill.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_206" href="#FNanchor_206" class="label">[206]</a> The Neilgherries are exposed to the violence of both monsoons, -the south-west and the north-east. The fall of rain -during the latter is, however, comparatively trifling.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_207" href="#FNanchor_207" class="label">[207]</a> It commences with a <i>résumé</i>, of the peculiarities of the -hills, and accounts of the three great stations; proceeds to a -description of the geography and geology, soil and productions, -botany, zoology, and the inhabitants of the Neilgherries, and -discusses at some length the effects of the climate upon the -European constitution, sound as well as impaired. The Appendix -presents a mass of information valuable enough when -the work was published, but now, with the exception of the -meteorological and other tables, too old to be useful. Thirteen -or fourteen years work mighty changes, moral and physical, in -an Anglo-India settlement.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_208" href="#FNanchor_208" class="label">[208]</a> The book contains one hundred and forty-four pages, enlivened -with a dozen lithographed sketches, and <span class="smcap">not</span> enlivened -by descriptions of Poonamalee, Vellore, Laulpett, Bangalore, -and Closepett.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_209" href="#FNanchor_209" class="label">[209]</a> A little volume of one hundred and seventy-five pages, -containing graphic sketches of the scenery, excellent accounts -of the different tribes of hill people, a weather-table from July -to December, 1829, the height of the principal mountains, and -a short and meagre vocabulary of the Toda language.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<p class="titlepage">THE END.</p> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smcap">London</span>: Printed by <span class="smcap">Samuel Bentley</span> and Co., Bangor House, Shoe Lane.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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