ORDERED TO CALCUTTA
50th Regiment ordered to India—Sudden death of one of my boys—Voyage to
India—First experiences of Calcutta
I CONTINUED to receive good accounts of our station from Scobie, and
nothing remarkable occurred during the remainder of that year, until I
visited Mangalore to see for myself what he was doing. Having procured
six weeks’ leave, I left Sydney with Major Serjeantson, and in a few
days reached Melbourne. We hired horses, and found our way in two days
to Mangalore. I then made a partial inspection of many of our flocks and
herds of cattle, and of the improvements that Scobie had made, and was
very much pleased with all I saw and heard, and especially with the
large increase of lambs and calves. Everything was most satisfactory. I
saw at once that I could not have a better manager, and therefore, with
the fullest confidence in him, renewed the contract for another year.
On my return to Sydney the first news I heard was that my regiment was
about to embark for India. I landed and hurried at once to the barracks,
and discovered this to be true, and all preparations already in progress
for our embarkation. I found my dear wife and children quite well, but
all very sad and excited, and wondering if I should be back in time.
This was about the middle of January, 1841, and I arranged with my wife
that she and the children should remain in New South Wales until I could
leave the service and return to them. We also settled that the two boys
should remain at Sydney College, and that my wife, with the other
children, should remove and live at Windsor (thirty miles from Sydney).
My two boys accompanied me to the ship, and ran back in all haste to be
in time at the College for their lessons, and no doubt got uncomfortably
heated; but they returned to their lodgings without complaining. About
two o’clock next morning we were roused by the landlord, who came to
tell us they were both very ill, and that we had better send a doctor
immediately. I at once went to our assistant-surgeon, Dr. Ellison, and
requested him to go as quickly as possible to see them; he did so, and
told us they had scarlatina, which was then very common in Sydney. They
became worse, and with the advice of the doctor we brought them home,
and now their dear mother gave her whole thought and attention to them;
but there was a continued change for the worse, and both became
insensible.
The 80th Regiment from Parramatta marched into our Sydney barracks. They
asked me and my officers to dine with them, and I went, with a very
heavy heart, as I was in great anxiety about my boys. Just as the cloth
was removed one of the waiters told me my servant wanted me, and on
going to him he said, without any preparation or hesitation, “Master
Johnny is dead, sir.” I ran home at once, and the sobs of my dear wife
confirmed the sad tale. I went with her into the room, and there they
both lay, the one dead, the other unconscious, yet I could scarcely
believe the fact, for our beloved Johnny was still warm. No medical man
was present when he died, nor was his mother or nurse aware that his
soul had fled, till they observed he had ceased to breathe. Our agony
and sorrow may be imagined but not described. We retired to bed but not
to sleep, and had not been long there before the nurse came and said
that she did not believe the child was dead, as he was still warm. I
instantly flew to the room, but, alas! her hopes were only a delusion.
Next morning we determined on removing the other children, and our good
friend W. H. Wright took them at once to his residence at Clarendon
House, near Windsor, where my wife was to follow them with our dear boy
Acland, should God in His mercy be pleased to spare him. After this sad
and most unexpected bereavement, our quarters became indeed a house of
desolation, and the more so from the fact that I was to leave my wife
alone and helpless in her sorrow and continued fears for our only son.
Our ships were now ready to sail, but were detained by contrary winds.
This delay gave me a little respite, and enabled me to go to Sir Maurice
O’Connell to submit to his consideration my helpless situation and my
grief, and above all the lonely position of my poor wife, and my hope
that he would grant me leave of absence pending my expected promotion,
and so allow the regiment to go on to Calcutta, where it would be under
the command of Major Ryan, who was to arrive from England at that time.
The general heard me with evident sympathy, and expressed his sincere
regret for me and for my wife, but would not grant my request. He said
that on delivering over my regiment in Calcutta I might then get leave
of absence and return, on sending in my application to retire from the
service by the sale of my commission. Our boy Acland continued in the
same uncertain state between life and death, and was still insensible
when I left.
Days and days did I brood over my fears and misery, and I could not
conceal my grief. My brother-officers and the ladies on board tried to
rouse and amuse me. They were gay without a care, and every evening
amused themselves dancing on the quarter-deck. Our voyage was unusually
long and tedious. The only cause of excitement which I can remember was
that while off Cape Lewin we caught an albatross one fine morning, with
a 50th button tied round his neck by a piece of string; this convinced
us our other ship, the _Lady MacNaughton_, must be ahead of us, and that
our unfortunate captive must have been handled by some of our people
before, for in no other way could a 50th button get attached to the neck
of an albatross on the wide ocean. Of course we let our prisoner go free
again.
On the 17th May we arrived and anchored in the Hooghly. Early next
morning we disembarked and marched into Fort William, and were welcomed
by Major Ryan and other friends. After this we endeavoured to make
ourselves as comfortable as we could in our respective quarters. Mine
were with Major Ryan, in a suite of very good and commodious rooms, but
the heat was so intolerable that we had neither comfort nor rest. We
suffered from the heat fearfully, though wearing only the lightest
possible clothing, and from utter exhaustion we expected almost every
moment to breathe our last. Next morning we had a visit from the fort
major, Major Douglass, who had been for many years in India, and he at
once asked us why our punkahs were not going. We said we did not know
how to work them. Then, observing our punkah wallas sitting idle in a
corner, he “pitched into” them, and abused them for not doing their
work; they at once answered they only waited for our orders, and then
commenced to pull. In a moment our rooms were full of refreshing and
pure air. We then could breathe freely, and from that hour became more
reconciled to our lot.
Major Douglass then asked me if I had visited Lord Auckland, the
Governor-General, and Sir Jasper Nicoll, the Commander-in-Chief. He
recommended me to go at once and report myself and pay my respects to
them. He then ordered a palkee and told the bearers to take me to
Government House, and then to the residence of Sir Jasper Nicoll, and
back to the Fort. I had to dress in full uniform; the heat was fearful;
my thick padded coat was most distressing to me, and I got alarmed,
having more than once heard of people being found dead in their palkees
from the heat. My bearers, quite unconscious of my fears, jogged on and
carried me in safety to the Commander-in-Chief’s residence. I was
received by Sir Jasper and Lady Nicoll, and after half an hour’s
conversation about my regiment and voyage I took my leave. At Government
House I was most kindly received by Lord Auckland and his sisters, and
our conversation was much on the same subject, and I then returned to my
quarters.
My first dinner at Government House appeared to me very imposing. The
grand apartments were truly splendid. There was a magnificent display of
plate—the countless native attendants were most brilliantly arrayed, and
all the Oriental splendour round us was dazzling in the extreme. Yet
with all this I sat without any dinner for some time, though every one
else was being waited on by one or two of their own kitmutgars. Not one
of these numerous servants offered to wait on me! At last the young lady
who sat at my right asked me if I had no kitmutgar present. I told her I
had not, as I was not aware that I could bring my servant to Government
House. She then begged me to allow hers to wait on me, and told me that
the custom was to take our kitmutgars to attend upon us, at all dinners
or other parties.
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