LIFE AT CALCUTTA
Magnificent entertainments at Calcutta—Dost Mahomet—Wreck of the
_Ferguson_—Preparations for Burmese campaign—Special favour shown to
soldiers of the 50th Regiment
AT Government House the balls were really magnificent, and well worth
seeing. The company, of English ladies and gentlemen and of military men
in resplendent uniforms, was numerous, but scores of native princes and
rajahs, and wealthy baboos in the most splendid dresses and covered with
jewels, also constantly attended these brilliant assemblies and gave a
wonderfully dazzling effect. The suite of dancing-halls was magnificent,
with marble floors, and with dozens of punkahs constantly going to keep
all cool and comfortable; and there the young and the gay danced at
their ease and without the usual European exertion, from eleven until an
early hour in the morning.
The most conspicuous and splendid person at all these parties was Dost
Mahomet, the ex-ruler of Afghanistan, who was then a State prisoner at
Calcutta. He and his numerous suite were paid the most marked and
courtly attentions by the Governor-General, and always invited to every
ball or dinner-party, and there, and everywhere else, he was received
and treated with all the honours due to a sovereign, and he gained by
his courtly manners and easy bearing the respect and goodwill of every
Englishman who came near him. He always appeared amongst the crowd in
his carriage, every morning and evening in the public course at Fort
William, and was invariably saluted by every officer and Englishman, and
all these greetings he returned with visible satisfaction. Many if not
all the British officers would have gone further and called upon him to
show their respect (for he was much liked by every one), but this was
forbidden by a Government order, and none but natives were permitted to
visit him; these visitors, however, were constant, many princes and
rajahs from all parts of India coming daily.
About this time I was invited by the Governor-General to spend a few
days with him at his country residence at Barrackpore, and on the first
day of my visit the newspapers announced the arrival of a ship from
Sydney. This was great news for me, for I made sure of a letter from my
dear wife, and having said so to Lord Auckland, I begged to be allowed
to take my leave. He most kindly pressed me to remain, and said he would
dispatch a man at once for my letters; but I was too impatient, so after
thanking them for their kindness I started in all haste for Calcutta,
but on my arrival found no letter for me. This was indeed a sad
disappointment, and my restless mind at once attributed this silence to
the worst and most melancholy cause. After a trying suspense of six
months, I received a letter from Major Serjeantson enclosing a long and
cheering one from my wife, assuring me of our dear boy Acland’s recovery
and perfect health, and that she and all the children were quite well
and had removed to Windsor, where she had taken a comfortable house. I
was again happy and most thankful, and my great desire was to write to
my wife to assure her of my joy, and my gratitude to God. But there was
then no prospect of any direct ship for Australia, so I was obliged to
write via London.
My present letter, sent through Major Serjeantson, was written in April,
three months after I had parted with my family, and it will be
remembered that when we left Sydney that officer remained there with his
own company and our sick then in hospital, and in expectation of
receiving and bringing on to Calcutta a number of recruits for the
regiment shortly expected from England. With these detachments and some
young officers, Major Serjeantson embarked at Sydney on board the ship
_Ferguson_ at the end of April; but while coming through Torres Straits
they were wrecked, and must have all perished, but for the fortunate
chance of two other ships being in company with them. These followed the
_Ferguson_, which took the lead through a narrow channel, and had just
time to bring up and anchor when she struck, and immediately fired guns
of distress. This happened before daylight, at four o’clock in the
morning. The boats from the other ships were immediately sent to assist,
but the sea began at once to break over the _Ferguson_, and for some
time so violently that the boats could not and dared not approach her,
and for a time they were obliged to keep at a distance, looking on only.
At last, during a lull, they managed to get a rope conveyed from the
_Ferguson_ to the boats, and by that means another and another. Her long
boat was then got into slings and hoisted over the side high up above
water. Mrs. Serjeantson and all the women and children were put into it,
and after a given signal it was lowered into the sea, the ropes from the
other boats having been made fast to it, and then it was hurriedly
hauled and dragged through the surf until it reached them in safety.
After many cheers they were taken to the other ships and made, so far as
possible, comfortable, but after that the sea became so rough that
nothing more could be done that day, and in continued fear and suspense
both parties remained watching each other until dark.
For the rest of that long sad night the agony and fears of both the
rescued and of those more numerous ones still on the wreck may be
imagined. It must have been a truly dreadful position. Happily, next
morning the sea was more settled, but still too rough and dangerous for
boats to go alongside, though by pluck and daring energy they managed to
get in succession under the bowsprit of the _Ferguson_, from which man
after man of the soldiers and crew were dropped into the boats without
any greater accident than a heavy sea breaking occasionally over some of
them. This was done from the duty muster rolls, every man in his regular
turn and without any confusion, and my dear friend Major Serjeantson,
and the captain, Verity, were the last who left the ill-fated
_Ferguson_—all reaching the other two ships in safety. But they
unfortunately lost nearly the whole of their baggage.
We had now been a few months in India, and some of our officers and many
of our men were sick in barracks and in hospital, and a considerable
number were suddenly carried off. Major Turner was the first officer who
died, and was soon followed by Ensigns Kelly and Heaton. This was during
the rainy season; when that passed away the regiment became more
healthy.
In October of the same year I was sent for by the Governor-General and
told there was every prospect of war with Burma, and that he feared an
attack on our position and garrison at Moulmein, in the Tenasserim
province, so he had determined to reinforce that station at once. He
then asked how soon I could get my regiment ready for embarkation. I
answered, “In an hour, without difficulty or inconvenience.” He smiled
and appeared much pleased, but said he thought that was impossible. I
replied that we were always ready, and could embark the same evening if
necessary. He then ordered me to go at once to the Marine Board, to put
myself in communication with them, and to let them know I was ready to
embark my regiment at the shortest notice, whenever the transports were
prepared to receive us. I did so, and was told I might make my
preparations and expect further orders in the course of that day or the
next. A few hours afterwards the orders were issued for the following
morning, and punctual to the hour we were at the wharf at daylight, and
there found boats to take us to our ships. Mine was a large Government
steamer, in which our headquarters and eight companies were embarked,
and the remaining two companies were received on board a sailing ship,
under command of Major Serjeantson, who had succeeded to a majority on
the death of Major Turner. Lord Auckland and his staff attended at the
wharf to see us off. My fine regiment was in the most splendid order—not
a man was absent, and all as steady as rocks—and reached our ships
without the slightest confusion or accident. I was afterwards told that
the Governor-General and his staff expressed their admiration of the
steady and soldier-like appearance of the regiment, and their wonder and
surprise at not seeing one drunken man amongst them; this was so unusual
at former embarkations that Lord Auckland actually asked whether Colonel
Anderson did not screen his drunken men by keeping them confined in the
Fort!
I shall not name the regiment which we relieved on our first arrival at
Fort William, but I saw them embarking at the same place, and I well
remember my amazement at seeing dozens of the men not only drunk but
most riotous and mutinous in conduct and language to their officers.
This reminds me of another most creditable contrast between the conduct
of the gallant 50th and what I was assured by the best authority had
been the conduct of another regiment and other corps previously
quartered in Fort William. On our arrival there I found the
standing-orders required that every soldier should return to the Fort by
sunset, and that none should be permitted, without written passes, to be
absent after that time. I considered this a most unnecessary check to
the recreations and reasonable enjoyment of good and well-behaved
soldiers, and represented this to the consideration of the principal
staff officer of the Fort, Colonel Warren; but all my arguments had no
effect on that stern and prejudiced officer, who had held his
appointment for many years, and strongly maintained that such were the
standing-orders of the Fort, and that they could not be changed.
Seeing I had no chance with Colonel Warren, I went direct to Lord
Auckland and stated my opinion to him. He heard me with attention, but I
soon saw he also was opposed to my wishes, and unwilling to deviate from
an old-established standing-order. I told him I thought it was a great
restraint upon good soldiers, and that I had heard the men of former
regiments in the Fort were in the habit of lowering themselves by ropes
and blankets from the walls into the moat, and so escaping; that, in my
opinion, such confinement was enough to make bad men worse, and that if
his lordship would only make the trial and trust me and my men, by
allowing me to give a certain number of written passes for a few hours
each night, I would pledge myself to be responsible for their good
conduct in town, and for their punctual return to the Fort at the hour
required. He hesitated for some time, and, though surprised at my great
confidence in my men, he at last gave in, and next day a general order
was issued “granting this indulgence on trial, at the special request of
Colonel Anderson.” That very evening I granted passes till eleven
o’clock, and continued to do so daily while we remained at Fort William,
without ever having cause to regret it. More than once Lord Auckland
expressed his perfect satisfaction and his approbation of the measure;
but I never heard if this indulgence was continued to other corps after
we left.
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