RESIDENCE AT CAWNPORE—THE DEWĀLĪ.
1830.—Āghā Meer the Nawāb—Elephants swimming
the Ganges—Cashmere Goats—Discontent of the
Soldiers—Buffaloes—Methodism—Desertion of Soldiers to
Runjeet Singh—Marks of age on stud-bred Horses—Abolition of
Sŭtēē—Pilgrim Tax—The Dewālī—The Phŭlŭ-hŭrēē Festival—Arrival
of Āghā Meer and his Zenāna—Vicious Horses—Turquoise mines in
Persia—Lament of the Hindoo Women—Burning the dead—The Mug
Cook—Brutal punishment—Plagues of Egypt—Conversion of Hindoo
Women—The Races—The Riding School—Kishmish Bakhshish—Apples and
grapes from Cabul—Arab Merchants.
1830, _Oct._—Mooatummud-ood-Dowlah, generally known as Āghā Meer, the
deposed Prime Minister to the King of Oude, Ghazee-ood-Deen Hyder, is
coming over to Cawnpore; his zenāna, treasures, two lacs of shawls,
&c. &c., have arrived on the other bank of the Ganges, escorted by the
military. The ex-minister has not yet arrived; and a large detachment of
the military from this station has been sent to escort him in safety to
the Company’s territories.
This morning, from the verandah, I was watching what appeared to be a
number of buffaloes floating down the stream, with their drivers; but,
as they approached, found them to be sixteen of Aghā Meer’s elephants
swimming over.
The distance from the Camp on the opposite side the river to our garden,
under which they landed, must be four miles, or more. Elephants swim very
low, and put down their trunks occasionally to ascertain if they are in
deep water. Their heads are almost invisible at times, and the mahāwats
strike them with the ānkus (goad) to guide them.
On reaching the bank just below our verandah, they set up a loud
_bellowing_, which was answered by those still struggling to get to land,
a work rather difficult to accomplish on account of the rapidity of the
river.
What would not the people at home give to see sixteen fine elephants
swimming four miles over a rapid river, with their mahāwats on their
backs, the men hallooing with all their might, and the elephants every
now and then roaring in concert! It was an interesting sight, and my
first view of their power in the water.
_2nd._—A friend, just returned from the hills, brought down with him some
forty Cashmere goats; the shawl goats, such as are found in the hills:
they die very fast on quitting the cold regions; he has lost all but
three females, which he has given to me; they will scarcely live in this
burning Cawnpore.
Report says the Governor-general has put off his journey for a month
longer; it is supposed he will, if possible, avoid this large military
station; the soldiers are in so discontented a state, he may perchance
receive a bullet on parade. The privates here have several times
attempted the lives of their officers, by shooting and cutting them down,
sometimes upon the slightest cause of complaint, and often without having
any to provoke such conduct.
_7th._—I have just returned from calling on a friend of mine, and
overheard the remarks of a gentleman, who was speaking of her to another;
they amused me.
“Really that is a noble creature, she has a neck like an Arab, her head
is so well set on!”
Buffaloes from Cawnpore swim off in the early morning in herds to the
bank in the centre of the river, where they feed; they return in the
evening of their own accord. The other evening I thought a shoal of
porpoises were beneath the verandah—but they were buffaloes trying to
find a landing-place; they swim so deeply, their black heads are only
partly visible, and at a little distance they may easily be mistaken for
porpoises.
Sometimes I see a native drive his cow into the river; when he wishes
to cross it, he takes hold of the animal by the tail, and holding on,
easily crosses over with her; sometimes he aids the cow by using one hand
in swimming.
“What is that going down the river?” exclaimed a gentleman. On applying
a telescope, we found fifty or sixty buffaloes all in a heap were
coming down with the stream, whilst ten natives swimming with them kept
thrashing them with long bamboos to make them exert themselves, and keep
all together: the natives shouting and urging on the animals, and the
buffaloes bellowing at every blow they received. At what a rate they come
down! the stream flows with such rapidity during the rains! This is the
first time I have seen such a large herd driven in this curious fashion.
Methodism is gaining ground very fast in Cawnpore; young ladies sometimes
profess to believe it highly incorrect to go to balls, plays, races, or
to any party where it is possible there may be a quadrille. A number of
the officers also profess these opinions, and set themselves up as New
Lights.
_9th._—I was remarking to an officer to-day, I thought it very unlikely
any one would attempt the life of the Governor-general. He replied: “The
danger is to be feared from the discharged sipahīs, who are in a most
turbulent and discontented state. Squadrons of them are gone over to
Runjeet Singh, who is most happy to receive well-disciplined troops into
his service.”
I have just learned how to tell the age of a stud-bred horse. All stud
horses are marked on the flank, when they are one year old, with the
first letter of the stud and the last figure of the year. Our little
mare, Lachhmī, is marked K. 0., therefore she was foaled at Kharuntadee
in 1819, and marked in 1820—making her age now eleven years.
_Oct. 10th._—I see in the papers—“A member in the House of Commons
expressed his satisfaction that so abominable a practice as that of sŭtēē
should have been abolished without convulsion or bloodshed. Great credit
was due to the noble lord at the head of the Government there, and to the
missionaries, to whom much of the credit was owing.”
How very absurd all this is, was proved to me by what came to my
knowledge at the time of the sŭtēē at Allahabad. If Government at that
time had issued the order to forbid sŭtēē, not one word would have been
said. The missionaries had nothing to do with it; the rite might have
been abolished long before without danger.
Women in all countries are considered such dust in the balance, when
their interests are pitted against those of the men, that I rejoice
no more widows are to be grilled, to ensure the whole of the property
passing to the sons of the deceased.
The Government interferes with native superstition where rupees are in
question—witness the tax they levy on pilgrims at the junction of the
Ganges and Jumna. Every man, even the veriest beggar, is obliged to give
one rupee for liberty to bathe at the holy spot; and if you consider that
one rupee is sufficient to keep that man in comfort for one month, the
tax is severe.
THE DEWĀLĪ.
_16th._—This is the great day of the Dewālī, celebrated by the Hindoos in
honour of Kālī, also called Kālee-pooja. This evening, happening to go
down to the river just below the verandah to look at a large toon-wood
tree lying in a boat, which some people had brought in hopes we should
purchase it, my attention was attracted to a vast quantity of lamps
burning on Sirsya Ghāt, and I desired the boatmen to row to the place; I
had never been on the river before, nor had I seen this ghāt, although
only a stone’s throw from our bungalow, it being hidden by a point of
land.
On reaching the ghāt, I was quite delighted with the beauty of a scene
resembling fairy land. Along the side of the Ganges, for the distance of
a quarter of a mile, are, I should think, about fifty small ghāts, built
with steps low down into the river, which flows over the lower portion
of them. Above these ghāts are, I should imagine, fifteen small Hindoo
temples, mixed with native houses; and some beautifully picturesque trees
overshadow the whole.
The spot must be particularly interesting by daylight—but imagine its
beauty at the time I saw it, at the Festival of Lights.
On every temple, on every ghāt, and on the steps down to the river’s
side, thousands of small lamps were placed, from the foundation to the
highest pinnacle, tracing the architecture in lines of light.
The evening was very dark, and the whole scene was reflected in the
Ganges. Hundreds of Hindoos were worshipping before the images of Mahadēo
and Gŭnéshŭ; some men on the ghāts standing within circles of light, were
prostrating themselves on the pavement; others doing pooja standing in
the river; others bathing. The Brahmans before the idols were tolling
their bells, whilst the worshippers poured Ganges water, rice, oil, and
flowers over the images of the gods.
Numbers of people were sending off little paper boats, each containing a
lamp, which, floating down the river, added to the beauty of the scene. I
saw some women sending off these little fire-fly boats, in which they had
adventured their happiness, earnestly watching them as they floated down
the stream: if at the moment the paper boat disappeared in the distance
the lamp was still burning, the wish of the votary would be crowned
with success; but if the lamp was extinguished, the hope for which the
offering was made was doomed to disappointment. With what eagerness did
many a mother watch the little light to know if her child would or would
not recover from sickness! The river was covered with fleets of these
little lamps, hurried along by the rapid stream.
The stone ghāts are of all shapes and sizes, built by the Cawnpore
merchants according to their wealth. Some are large and handsome—some
not a yard in diameter. A good one, with arches facing the water, is
put aside for the sole use of the women; and all were most brilliantly
lighted. The houses in the city were also gaily illuminated. But to see
the Dewālī in perfection, you must float past the temples during the dark
hours on Gunga-jee. I was greatly pleased: so Eastern, so fairy-like a
scene, I had not witnessed since my arrival in India; nor could I have
imagined that the dreary-looking station of Cawnpore contained so much of
beauty.
The goddess Kālee, to whom this festival is dedicated, is the black
goddess to whom human sacrifices are offered. This evening beholding the
pretty and fanciful adorations of the Hindoos, offering rice and flowers,
and sending off their floating lamps upon the river, I could scarcely
believe the worship could be in honour of Kālee.
I have seen no temples dedicated to her up the country. Her celebrated
shrine is at Kāli Ghāt, near Calcutta. A Hindoo often makes a vow,
generally to Kālee, that if she will grant his prayer, he will not cut
off a particular lock of his hair for so many years; at the end of
that time he goes to the shrine, makes pooja, and shaves the lock: at
particular times of the year, they say, piles of hair are shaved off at
Kālee Ghāt.
When we were residing in Chowringhee we heard of the body of a man, who
had been sacrificed to the goddess, having been found before the image
at Kālee Ghāt. It was supposed he was some poor wanderer or devotee,
possessing no friends to make inquiries concerning his fate. When a
victim is sacrificed, it is considered necessary to cut off the head at
one blow with a broad heavy axe.
At Benares I purchased thirty-two paintings of the Hindoo deities for one
rupee! and amongst them was a sketch of the goddess Kālee.
PHŬLŬ-HŬRĒĒ.
A figure of Kālee, exactly similar to the one purchased at Benares, and
attired in the same manner, I saw worshipped at Prāg under the name of
Phŭlŭ-hŭrēē (she who receives much fruit). She is worshipped at the total
wane of the moon, in the month Jyoishthŭ—or any other month, at the
pleasure of the worshipper. Her offerings are fruits especially. Animals
are sacrificed in her honour, and Jack-fruit and mangoes are presented to
her in that particular month.
The day after the worship the people carried the goddess in state down
to the river Jumna, and sank her in its deep waters: the procession was
accompanied by the discordant music of tom-toms, &c., and all the rabble
of Kydgunge. The image, about three feet in height, dressed and painted,
was borne on a sort of platform.
The goddess is represented as a black female with four arms, standing on
the breast of Shivŭ. In one hand she carries a scymitar; in two others
the heads of giants, which she holds by the hair; and the fourth hand
supports giants’ heads.
“She wears two dead bodies for ear-rings, and a necklace of skulls. Her
tongue hangs down to her chin. The heads of giants are hung as a girdle
around her loins, and her jet black hair falls to her heels. Having drunk
the blood of the giants she slew, her eyebrows are bloody, and the blood
is falling in a stream down her breast. Her eyes are red, like those of a
drunkard. She stands with one leg on the breast of her husband Shivŭ, and
rests the other on his thigh.”
Men are pointed out amongst _other animals_ as a proper sacrifice to
Kālee: the blood of a tiger pleases her for 100 years; the blood of a
lion, a reindeer, or a man, for 1000 years. By the sacrifice of three men
she is pleased for 100,000 years.
Kālee had a contest with the giant Ravŭna, which lasted ten years; having
conquered him, she became mad with joy, and her dancing shook the earth
to its centre. To restore the peace of the world, Shivŭ, her husband,
threw himself amongst the dead bodies at her feet. She continued her
dancing, and trampled upon him. When she discovered her husband she stood
still, horror-struck and ashamed, and threw out her tongue to an uncommon
length. By this means Shivŭ stopped her frantic dancing, and saved the
universe. When the Hindoo women are shocked or ashamed at anything, they
put out their tongues as a mode of expressing their feelings. Nor is this
practice confined to the women of the East alone, it is common amongst
the lower orders of the English.
_18th._—Āghā Meer, the ex-minister of Oude, has come over. His train
consisted of fifty-six elephants, covered with crimson clothing deeply
embroidered with gold, and forty gārees (carts) filled with gold mohurs
and rupees.
His zenāna came over some days ago, consisting of nearly 400 palanquins;
how much I should like to pay the ladies a visit, and see if there are
any remarkably handsome women amongst them!
_19th._—Mr. M⸺ rode my Arab Mootee on the course last night; how
beautiful he looked! not Mr. M⸺, but the horse; there was not a man who
did not turn to admire him; nor was there a horse that might compare with
my Pearl of the Desert.
In consequence of the number of troop horses with the artillery and
regiments of cavalry at this station, riding is almost dangerous,
especially in the early morning, when the horses are out for exercise.
You sometimes see a vicious native horse,—a man-eater, as they call
him,—walking with his eyes bandaged, and led by two natives, one on each
side his head; every now and then, a beast of this description will turn
restive, rear and fight with his fore-feet, and shout out lustily; when
such animals break away from their attendants, they attack other horses,
and become very dangerous. Some gentlemen at the station allow their
sā’īses to carry hog-spears to defend them from loose horses. To-day,
whilst our horses were out in the early morning for exercise, a troop
horse, that had broken loose, attacked our English-imported grey mare;
she galloped off, he pursued her, and the men could not secure him before
he had bitten her severely on the neck in several places, and had cut
her leg. I shall make my sā’īs carry a bamboo in future, lest my Arab
Trelawny should be attacked whilst I am on his back.
_20th._—In the evening I went with Mr. A⸺ to Sirsya Ghāt; whilst we were
sketching the mut’hs (Hindoo temples), about fifty women came down, two
by two, to the ghāt. After having burnt the corpse of a Hindoo by the
side of the Ganges, they came in procession, to lament, bathe, and put on
clean garments; one woman walked in front, reciting a monotonous chant,
in which the others every now and then joined in chorus, beating their
breasts and foreheads in time to the monotonous singing.
They assembled on the steps of the ghāt. Each woman wore a white chudda
(in shape like a sheet), which was wrapped so closely around her that
it covered her body and head entirely, the eyes alone being visible.
Standing on the steps of the ghāt, they renewed their lament; beating
their breasts, foreheads, and limbs, and chanting their lament all the
time; then they all sat down, and beat their knees with their hands in
time to the dirge; afterwards, they descended into the river to bathe
and change their clothes; such an assortment of ugly limbs I never
beheld! A native woman thinks no more of displaying her form as high
as the knee, or some inches above it, than we do of showing our faces.
This being rather too great an exhibition, I proposed to my companion to
proceed a little further, that the lovely damsels might bathe undisturbed.
_25th._—I have been more disgusted to-day than I can express: the cause
is too truly Indian not to have a place in my journal; I fancied I
saw the corpse of a European floating down the Ganges just now, but,
on looking through the telescope, I beheld the most disgusting object
imaginable.
When a rich Hindoo dies, his body is burned, and the ashes are thrown
into the Ganges; when a poor man is burned, they will not go to the
expense of wood sufficient to consume the body. The corpse I saw floating
down had been put on a pile, covered with ghee (clarified butter), and
fire enough had been allowed just to take off all the skin from the body
and head, giving it a white appearance; any thing so ghastly and horrible
as the limbs from the effect of the fire was never beheld, and it floated
almost entirely out of the water, whilst the crows that were perched upon
it tore the eyes out. In some parts, where the stream forms a little bay,
numbers of these dreadful objects are collected together by the eddy, and
render the air pestiferous, until a strong current carries them onwards.
The poorer Hindoos think they have paid all due honour to their relatives
when they have thus skinned them on the funeral pile, and thrown them,
like dead dogs, into the Ganges.
The Musulmāns bury their dead—generally under the shade of trees, and
erect tombs to their memory, which they keep in repair; they burn lights
upon the graves every Thursday (Jumarāt), and adorn the tomb with flowers.
_27th._—As we floated down the stream this evening, I observed the
first ghāt was lighted up, and looked very brilliant, with hundreds of
little lamps; the Dāndees said, it was not on account of any particular
festival, but merely the merchant, to whom the ghāt and temple belonged,
offering lamps to Gunga-jee.
_Nov. 8th._—My husband received an order to return to Allahabad; this
gave us much satisfaction.
_17th._—Mr. S⸺, of the Civil Service, told me to-day, speaking of the
Thugs, “It is about a year ago that Major H⸺, the assistant to the
agent for the Governor-general, had a narrow escape from a Thug. He was
sleeping in his tent at Powergong, a place between Saugor and Dinapore,
when a Thug entered, and put a noose over his head! The gentleman
stirred, and his nightcap prevented the noose slipping over his face; he
awoke, the Thug fled, leaving the noose in the tent, nor were they able
to secure him.”
Mr. S⸺ tells me he has seen, on the Nurbudda, numerous images in stone
of Bhawānī, and that they are very beautiful, she being one of the most
beautiful of the Hindoo idols! I have requested him to send me an image,
or a picture of the goddess, as the likenesses I have seen are any thing
but agreeable. He has been looking over my cabinet of curiosities, and
promises to send me some turquoise he procured at the turquoise mines
in Persia, as specimens of really good stones. He tells me, at those
mines you purchase the stones just as they come from the beds at two
rupees eight ānās a sēr, about five shillings for two pounds’ weight of
turquoise!
I gave him a rough emerald, one of five that I purchased of a native, who
found them in the Soane river, and brought them to the door for sale.
Another fire has taken place in the fort at Allahabad, and sulphur,
valued at two lacs of rupees, melted by the heat, ran over the square
like lava; fortunately the fire did not reach the powder magazine. This
is the second attempt that has been made within the space of a few weeks
to burn the fort; the discharged natives who used to work at the powder
mills are supposed to be the persons who kindled the fires.
The damage done by these fires is much greater than the saving which has
arisen to Government from cutting the pay of the men, or from dismissing
them; so much for economy!
_18th._—To-day, our Mug cook died suddenly after a short illness; the
corpse will be burned, and the ashes thrown into the Ganges; the man
came from Ava. The Mugs are reckoned better cooks than the Musulmāns. He
was an excellent _artiste_ and a good servant; we shall replace him with
difficulty. He professed himself a Hindoo, and during their festivals
would give money, and worship according to their fashion.
During the Muharrum he called himself a follower of the prophet; he gave
forty rupees to assist in building a Taziya, performed all the ceremonies
peculiar to the faithful, and was allowed to be considered a Musulmān for
the time; at the conclusion, when the Taziya was thrown into the river,
he became a Mug again.
_22nd._—With a westerly wind, and the thermometer at 65°, we Indians find
it very cold, the contrast to the hot winds is so great. I have worn a
shawl all the morning, and to-night, for the first time this year, we
have begun fires; and have had the horse-shoe table placed in front of
the fire-place, that we may enjoy the warmth during dinner-time. The room
looks so cheerful, it puts me into good humour and good spirits; I feel
so _English_, without lassitude, so strong and well. My husband has just
sallied out in his great coat to take a very long walk; and the little
terrier is lying under the table, watching a musk rat, which has taken
refuge in a hole under the grate.
_26th._—I have just heard of an occurrence at Lucnow, which is in true
native style. The Nawāb Hukeem Mehndee Ali Khan, the present minister,
poisoned the King of Oude’s ear against one of his people by declaring
that the man betrayed some state secrets and intrigues; the king
accordingly, without judge or jury, ordered the man’s head to be fixed,
and a heavy weight to be fastened on his tongue until the tongue should
be so wrenched from the roots that it should ever after hang out of his
mouth. This brutal punishment was inflicted some two or three months ago,
and the poor creature’s life has been preserved by pouring liquids down
his throat, as, of course, he is unable to eat at present. They have now
discovered the man is innocent! but what does it avail him? His accuser,
the Nawāb Hukeem Mehndee, is rich; money is power. The king is displeased
with the minister, I understand, for his misrepresentations; he is also
on bad terms with the resident,—they do not speak.
Any lady having a horror of the plagues of Egypt would not admire what
is going on at this moment; several lizards are peering about, as they
hang on the window frames, with their bright round eyes; a great fat
frog or toad, I know not which, is jumping across the floor, under the
dinner-table; and a wild cat from the jungles, having come in, has made
her exit through the window, breaking a pane of glass; a musk-rat is
squeaking in the next room, I must go and prevent the little terrier from
catching it: I do not like to see the dog foam at the mouth, which she
always does after killing this sort of rat.
_Dec. 1st._—A marriage has taken place this day, between the widow of the
Mug cook, a low caste Hindoo, old and ugly, and one of our khidmātgars, a
Mahommedān. On account of her caste the man cannot eat with her without
pollution; therefore, having taken her to a mosque, and the kurān having
been read before her, she declares herself a convert. The musulmān
servants have dined with her; she is now a follower of the prophet.
They are very fond of making converts, but the Hindoos never attempt to
convert any one; in fact, they will not admit converts to their faith,
nor will they embrace any other religion; here and there a woman becomes
a musulmāne, on her marriage with a man of that faith.
_5th._—To-day’s news is, that the Governor-general met the 3rd cavalry at
Allahabad, on their march from Cawnpore to Benares. His lordship reviewed
the regiment, and asked the officers to dinner; an invitation they all
refused. This annoyed his lordship very much, being the first display
of _resentment_ manifested towards him on his march by the army, and he
_ordered_ them to dine with him on pain of forfeiting their rank, pay,
and allowances, pending a reference to the Court of Directors. Of course
the officers obeyed _the order_; they were obliged to do so: what an
agreeable party the Governor-general must have had, with guests whom he
had forced to partake of the feast!
_Dec. 11th._—I went to the races at sunrise: the first race was between
two beautiful Arabs; Sultan looked so handsome at starting, and shot
ahead of the other, keeping him in the rear until he very nearly gained
the stand at the end of the three miles; of a sudden his speed relaxed,
the other horse came up, and passed the post just before him. Sultan
looked wild; the jockey dismounted; the horse fell, regained his feet
three times, reared with pain, and, falling again, died in the space of a
minute.
The Cawnpore races have been unfortunate; two years ago, a jockey was
thrown, and broke his neck on the spot. Last year, the favourite Arab
broke his hind leg and was shot: this year, Sultan has been killed, and
two other horses have gone lame.
_13th._—I accompanied some ladies to the riding-school of the 11th
dragoons, and, being much pleased, requested to be allowed to take
lessons with them; afterwards, riding there during those hours that
the school was unoccupied by the dragoons, formed one of our greatest
amusements. As for the corporal, the rough-rider of the 11th dragoons who
attends in the riding-school, his affections are quite divided between my
horse Trelawny and myself; I heard him say the other day, speaking of the
former, “I like that little chap, he looks so _innicent_.”
My sā’īs cannot accomplish putting me on my horse after the English
fashion; therefore, he kneels down on one knee, holding the horse in his
left hand, and the stirrup in the right; I step from his knee to the
stirrup, and take my seat on the saddle; rather a good method, and one of
his own invention.
_Christmas Day._—The house is gaily decorated with plantain trees,
roses, and chaplets of gaudy flowers, but no holly; we miss the holly
and misletoe of an English Christmas. The servants are all coming in
with their offerings,—trays of apples, grapes, kishmish, walnuts,
sugar, almonds in the shell, oranges, &c. The saddler, who is also a
servant, has brought five trays in honour of kishmish (Christmas); these
presents are rather expensive to the receiver, who returns kishmish
bakhshish (Christmas boxes) in rupees; the apples _au naturel_, brought
down at this time of the year by the Arab merchants from Cabul, are
rather insipid, yet the sight is very grateful to the eye; they are
large, fine, and of a roseate hue. The grapes, which are in small
round boxes, are picked off the bunch, and placed in layers of cotton.
The dates are excellent. Kishmish are small raisins without stones,
which have an agreeable acidity; they are known in England as sultana
raisins. These Arab merchants bring pattū, pushmeena, cashmere gloves
and socks, curiously illuminated old Persian books, swords and daggers,
saleb misree, and Persian cats, saffron, and various other incongruous
articles, which are all laden on camels, which they bring in strings, in
large numbers. The men are fine, hardy, picturesque looking personages,
independent in their bearing; and some of the younger ones have a colour
on their cheeks like the bright red on their apples. Their complexions
are much fairer than any I have seen in India.