Spring in Manipur--Visit to Kombang--Manipuri orderlies--Parade
of the Maharajah's guards--Birth of a daughter--An evening walk
in the capital--Polo--Visit to Cachar.
The spring in Manipur is a charming time, the nights are still cool,
though the days are hot, and abundance of flowering trees come into
blossom; among them one that attains a considerable size, called
in Manipuri "Chinghow." It has two kinds, one with pink and the
other white and pink flowers, Out in the hills are wild pears and
azaleas in abundance, and rhododendrons, while here and there are
beautiful orchids. The oak forests too are splendid with the fresh
young leaves, and every hill village has peach trees in flower, so
that it is a delightful season for marching, and one can be out from
morning till night. I took advantage of the fine weather, and early
in April again visited the Yoma range, and went along the road to
Jangapokee Tannah, as far as a place called Kombang, 4600 feet above
the sea. On my way there and back I halted at Haitoo-pokpee, 2600
feet above the sea, where the thermometer at sunrise stood at 55 and
56 degrees respectively; but the day between, when I was at Kombang,
it was 67 degrees at sunrise, the additional elevation raising the
thermometer. I noticed the phenomenon over and over again in Manipur,
and in the cold weather generally found the sunrise temperature lower
in the valley than in the hills. Upland valleys were sometimes colder
than that of Manipur, and now and then to the north I found very great
cold prevailing on high land, as at Mythephum. The day temperature
in the hills was invariably lower than that in the valley, in short,
it was more equable. The road to Kombang was pretty, but the place not
particularly so. The night I was there I heard the loud crackling of
a burning oak forest set on fire to clear the ground for one crop. It
is difficult to speak with patience of this abominable system, which
is gradually clearing the hills in Eastern India, and destroying
valuable timber, while it encourages nomadic habits in the tribes.
Whenever I went on an expedition into the hills, besides the usual
Manipuri Guard in attendance, four or five officers or non-commissioned
officers were told off to accompany me. Jemadars Thamur Singh, Sowpa,
Sundha, Thut-tot, and Thurung were those generally sent, excellent
men who never left me from morning till night, on the hardest
march. Many was the adventure we had together, and any one of them
could march fifty miles on end. They were well known throughout the
hill territory of Manipur. A bugler always formed one of my party,
and it was his duty to sound a lively quick march as we approached
our camp in the evening. Of course, he always got a special reward
from me on my return to headquarters.
One day the Maharajah invited me to attend a review of his regiment
of guards called the "Soor Pultun." I went, and he asked me whether
he should put them through their manoeuvres himself, or let one of
his officers do it. Not wishing him, as I thought, to expose his
ignorance, I suggested the last; but, to my surprise, he conducted
the parade himself very creditably, giving the word of command in
English with great clearness. The men's marching was poor, and the
step not free enough, but otherwise they did well. They were fairly
well up in the Light Infantry exercises of ten years back, and their
drill generally was a slight modification of that of 1859. On this,
as on most occasions, when an invitation was sent by the Maharajah,
it was conveyed by two or three officers of not lower rank than that
of subadar or captain, and generally by word of mouth. If I was away
in camp all communications were by letter, sometimes accompanied by
a verbal message.
On February 28th, 1879, we were gladdened by the birth of a little
daughter. Being a girl, her arrival did not cause as much excitement
as Arthur's, but when she was old enough to be carried out in a small
litter, all the population turned out to see her, and passers-by
would sometimes offer her a flower. How interesting our daily walks
were. Turning to the left, after leaving our gate by the guard-house,
we passed along by the wide moat surrounding the palace, and in which
as has been said the great annual boat races were held. There, might
be seen women washing their babies by the waterside in wooden tubs,
cut out of a single block bought for the purpose. At every step, if
in the evening, we passed or were passed by gaily clad women carrying
baskets of goods to sell in the great bazaar, "Sena Kaithel," i.e.,
Golden Bazaar, assembled opposite the great gate of the palace, the
picturesque structure already alluded to. In this bazaar the women
sat in long rows on raised banks of earth, without any other covering
in the rainy weather than large umbrellas. Here could be bought cloth
of all kinds, ornaments, rice, etc., fowls and vegetables. Dogs were
also sold for food. As a rule, articles of food other than fowls,
were more plentiful in the morning bazaar. Blind people and other
beggars would post themselves in different parts of the market,
and women as they passed would give them a handful of rice, or any
other article of food they possessed. Women are the great traders,
and many would walk miles in the morning, and buy things in the more
distant bazaars to sell again in the capital in the evening. It was
not considered etiquette for men too often to frequent the bazaars,
and few Manipuris did so, but crowds of hill-men were constantly
to be seen there, and it presented a very gay and animated scene,
the contrast between the snow-white garments of Manipuri men, the
parti-coloured petticoats of the women, and the many-coloured clothes
of the hill-men being very picturesque. Opposite the great gateway on
the right-hand side, Royal proclamations were posted up. There, too,
in presence of all the bazaar, offenders were flogged, generally with
the utmost severity. This was, I am sorry to say, rather an attractive
spectacle to foreigners. Going through the bazaar along a fine broad
road, the only masonry bridge in the country was seen crossing the
river, and on the opposite bank the road turned sharp to the left,
and went off to Cachar. Before crossing it, and to the left was a
piece of waste ground with a rather ill-looking tree in it, under
which men were executed. Opposite, and to the right of the road,
was the sight of the morning bazaar. Here I have seen boat-loads of
pine-apples landed, fruit that would have done credit to Covent Garden.
Between the Residency grounds, the "Sena Kaithel" and the great road,
was the famous polo ground, where the best play in the world might be
seen. There was a grand stand for the Royal family on the western side,
and one for myself on the north. Sunday evening was the favourite day,
and then the princes appeared, and in earlier days the Maharajah. In
my time one of the Maharajah's sons, Pucca Sena, and the artillery
major, were the champion players. In Manipur, every man who can muster
a pony plays, and every boy who cannot, plays on foot.
But to continue our walk. Passing the bazaar, we still skirt the
palace, meeting fresh groups and turning sharp round at one of the
angles of the moat, here covered with water lilies, come upon an
exceedingly picturesque temple once shaded with a peepul tree (Ficus
religiosa); this tree was torn off by the great earthquake of June
30th, 1880. Afterwards taking two turns to the right, and one to the
left, and crossing a most dangerous-looking bamboo bridge, we came upon
a piece of woodland on the opposite bank of the stream. This is the
"Mah Wathee," a bit of forest left as it originally was for the wood
spirits. It is now filled with monkeys, which are great favourites
with my children who have brought rice for them which causes great
excitement. But it is soon bedtime for the young monkeys, and the
river being deep, they spring on to the backs of their mothers who
swim across with them in the most human fashion. Saying good-night to
the monkeys, we go homewards, passing Moirang Khung, a tumulus said
to be the site of a battle between the Mungang and Moirang tribes; to
this day a Moirang avoids it. We pass a couple of boys riding jauntily
on one pony, determined to get as much pleasure out of life as they
can. Finally, we reach home in time for a game with the children,
and dinner.
I have alluded to the high esteem in which the game of polo was held in
this, its native home, and of the splendid play that could be seen on
Sundays. I never played myself, much as I should have enjoyed it. Had
I been a highly experienced player, able to contend with the best in
Manipur, I might have done so; but I did not think I was justified,
holding the important position I did, in running the risk of being
hustled and jostled by any one with whom I played: men whom I was
bound to keep at arm's length. Had I done so I should have lost
influence. I could not be hail-fellow-well-met, and though talking
freely with all, I at once checked all disposition to familiarity,
and people rarely attempted it.
Colonel McCulloch, it is true played, but he began life in Manipur
as an Assistant Political Agent, and also did not succeed to office
as I did, when our prestige had dwindled down to nothing.
In September 1879, hearing that Sir Steuart Bayley, Chief Commissioner
and Acting Lieut.-Governor of Bengal, was about to visit Cachar,
I went there to see him, performing the double journey including a
night there, in less than seven days. It was the first time I had
made the march in the rainy season, and I was greatly struck by the
extreme beauty of the scenery which was much enhanced by the number
of waterfalls, that a month later would have been dry. The masses
of clouds and the clearness of the air when rain was not falling,
added greatly to the effect, and I enjoyed the journey till I got
to the low-lying land. There the mud, slush, and great heat were
unpleasant. It was very satisfactory to be able to discuss the affairs
of Manipur with the Chief Commissioner, as though I was not then
directly under him, I was from my position very dependent on him,
and was anxious to hear his views on many subjects.