SCENES IN OUDE.
New Year’s Day—Meeting of the King of Oude and the
Governor-General—Visit of Lord William Bentinck to Lucnow—A
Native Christian—Elephant, Tiger, Buffalo, and Bear
Fights—Constantia—Beautiful Buildings—Departure of the
Governor-General—The Padshāh Bāgh—The Royal Hummām—The King’s
Stables—The Party at the Residency—Dil-Kushā—Zoffani’s
Picture—Doves released from Captivity—The Menagerie—A Zenāna
Garden—Letter of Introduction to the Begams at Delhi—Gardner’s
Horse—The Sorrows of the Begam.
1831. _Jan. 1st._—New Year’s Day was celebrated with all due honour at
home, the party separating at 4, A.M.; punch _à la Romaine_ and fine ices
making men forget the lapse of time. The people here are ice-making mad;
I flatter myself I understand the mystery of icefication better than any
one in India.
_5th._—The view from our verandah is remarkably good; the King of Oude,
Ghazee-ood-Deen Hyder, has pitched his tent on the opposite side of
the Ganges, and has constructed a bridge of boats across the river. In
attendance upon him, they say, there are 2000 elephants, camels, and
men in proportionate number; the sides of the river swarm with troops,
animals, and tents.
Early on the morning of the 6th, the Governor-general, Lord William
Bentinck, arrived at Cawnpore; and her Ladyship received the station. We
paid our devoirs; and, in conversation with Lady William on the subject
of the zenāna of the King of Oude, I excited her curiosity so much by my
account of Tajmahŭl, that I feel convinced she will pay her a visit on
her arrival at Lucnow.
_7th._—We were invited to breakfast with the Governor-general, with whom
the King of Oude was to breakfast in state. We rode to the tents—but
let me commence the narrative from the dawn of day. Long before sunrise
the guns and drums in the king’s encampment announced that all were in
preparation to cross the bridge of boats. About 7 A.M. an enormous train
of elephants, camels, and troops crossed over, brilliantly decorated, and
proceeded to the camp of the Governor-general. We then cantered off—I on
the Bokhara grey, who became very impetuous; but, although surrounded
with elephants, camels, galloping horses, and guns firing, I never lost
my courage for an instant: nevertheless, I will play no such game again,
it is too hazardous.
Lord William met the king half-way, and having been invited to enter the
royal howdah, he took his seat on the king’s elephant, and they proceeded
together to the breakfast-tent through a street of dragoons, infantry,
&c. Lady William, with all her visitors assembled around her, was in the
tent awaiting the entrance of the great people; on their arrival, after
the usual embracings and forms were over, we proceeded to breakfast.
The whole scene was one of extreme beauty. The magnificent dresses of the
natives, the superb elephants, covered with crimson velvet embroidered
with gold, the English troops, the happy faces, and the brilliant day,
rendered it delightful.
After breakfast Lord William received all visitors who asked for a
private audience in a separate tent: my husband made his sālām, and
requested permission to visit Lucnow in his Lordship’s train; having
received a kind affirmative, we returned home.
_8th._—The Governor-general returned the king’s visit, and, crossing the
bridge of boats, breakfasted with his majesty on the territories of Oude.
_10th._—Lady William gave a ball to the station.
_11th._—His lordship was invited to dinner—and dined with the eleventh
dragoons, he being their colonel; the next day the Governor-general’s
party commenced their march to Lucnow, the king having quitted the day
before.
_18th._—Having sent on our camels and tents beforehand, we started for
Lucnow, intending to drive the whole distance in one day, for which
purpose we had laid eight buggy horses on the road, the distance being
only fifty-five miles.
Going over the sandy bed of the Ganges, the horse being unable to drag
the Stanhope, we mounted an elephant, which took us some miles; being
obliged to return the elephant, we got into a native cart drawn by
bullocks, and so arrived at the spot where the second horse was laid.
But the horses found it almost impossible to get through the sand, the
country had been so much cut up from the multitudes that had crossed and
recrossed it. In consequence night overtook us in the middle of Oude
without a tent or food, and a dark night in prospect; whilst debating
where to find shelter, we espied a tent in the distance, which proved to
be an empty one belonging to a friend of ours, and there we took up our
quarters.
A boy came forward, and saying, “I Christian,” offered to procure a
chicken and give us a curry, which we ate off red earthen dishes, with
two bits of bamboo as a knife and fork, after the style of chop-sticks. I
must not forget to mention, that after our repast, Christian came forward
and repeated the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer in Hindostanee; he repeated
them like a parrot, but, judging from his answers when questioned, did
not appear at all to comprehend his newly-acquired religion.
The sutrāengī, the cotton carpet of the tent, served to defend us from
the cold during the night; and the next morning we recommenced our
journey, but did not reach Lucnow in time to join the dinner-party at the
Residency, to which we were invited to meet Lady William Bentinck.
Our camels, tents, and horses had gone on in advance. On our arrival,
I found the camel that carried my trunks had fallen down in crossing
part of the river, and both my finery and my journal were soaked in the
stream; much damage was done to the wardrobe—and, as for the journal,
it was quite mouldy and almost illegible: for the benefit of distressed
damsels in a similar predicament, I give a receipt to restore the colour
of faded writing, to which I had recourse with good success on this
occasion[63].
_18th._—The Governor-general breakfasted with the king. The whole party
quitted the Residency on elephants most beautifully clothed, and were
met half-way by his majesty. The scene was magnificent. The elephants,
the camels, the crowds of picturesque natives, the horsemen, and the
English troops, formed a _tout ensemble_ that was quite inspiring. The
Governor-general got into the king’s howdah, and proceeded to the palace,
where breakfast was laid in a fine service of gold and silver. After
breakfast we proceeded to a verandah to see various fights, and, having
taken our seats, the order was given to commence the tamāshā.
THE ELEPHANT FIGHTS.
The river Goomtee runs in front of the verandah; and on the opposite side
were collected a number of elephants paired for the combat. The animals
exhibited at first no inclination to fight, although urged on by their
respective mahāwats, and we began to imagine this native sport would
prove a failure.
[Illustration: ELEPHANT FIGHTS
فاني پارکس]
At length two elephants, equally matched, were guided by the mahāwats on
their backs to some distance from each other, and a female elephant was
placed midway. As soon as the elephants turned and saw the female they
became angry, and set off at a long swinging trot to meet each other;
they attacked with their long tusks, and appeared to be pressing against
each other with all their might. One elephant caught the leg of the other
in his trunk, and strove to throw his adversary or break his fore-leg.
But the most dangerous part appeared to be when they seized one another
by their long trunks and interlaced them; then the combat began in good
earnest. When they grew very fierce, and there was danger of their
injuring themselves, fireworks were thrown in their faces, which alarmed
and separated them, and small rockets were also let off for that purpose.
The situation of a mahāwat during the fight is one of danger. The year
before, the shock of the combat having thrown the mahāwat to the ground,
the elephant opposed to him took a step to one side, and, putting his
great foot upon him, quietly crushed the man to death!
Sometimes the elephant will put up his trunk to seize his opponent’s
mahāwat and pull him off: skill and activity are requisite to avoid the
danger.
The second pair of elephants that were brought in front of the verandah
hung back, as if unwilling to fight, for some time; several natives, both
on horseback and on foot, touched them up every now and then with long
spears to rouse their anger. One of the elephants was a long time ere he
could be induced to combat—but, when once excited, he fought bravely;
he was a powerful animal, too much for his adversary—for having placed
his tusks against the flank of his opponent, he drove him before him
step-by-step across the plain to the edge of the river, and fairly rolled
him over into the Goomtee. Sometimes a defeated elephant will take to the
water, and his adversary will pursue him across the river.
The animals are rendered furious by giving them balls to eat made of the
wax of the human ear, which the barbers collect for that purpose!
The hair on the tail of an elephant is reckoned of such importance, that
the price of the animal rises or falls according to the quantity and
length of the hair on the tail. It is sometimes made into bracelets for
English ladies.
A great number of elephants fought in pairs during the morning; but, to
have a good view of the combat, one ought to be on the plain on the other
side the river, nearer to the combatants; the verandah from which we
viewed the scene is rather too distant.
When the elephant fights were over, two rhinoceros were brought before
us, and an amusing fight took place between them; they fought like pigs.
The plain was covered by natives in thousands, on foot or on horseback.
When the rhinoceros grew fierce, they charged the crowd, and it was
beautiful to see the mass of people flying before them.
On the Goomtee, in front of the verandah, a large pleasure-boat belonging
to his Majesty was sailing up and down; the boat was made in the shape of
a fish, and the golden scales glittered in the sun.
The scene was picturesque, animated, and full of novelty.
In an inclosed court, the walls of which we overlooked, seven or eight
fine wild buffaloes were confined: two tigers, one hyena, and three bears
were turned loose upon them. I expected to see the tigers spring upon
the buffaloes, instead of which they slunk round and round the walls
of the court, apparently only anxious to escape. The tigers had not a
fair chance, and were sadly injured, being thrown into the air by the
buffaloes, and were received again when falling on their enormous horns.
The buffaloes attacked them three or four together, advancing in line
with their heads to the ground. I observed that when the buffaloes came
up to the tiger, who was generally lying on the ground, and presented
their horns close to him—if the animal raised his paw and struck one of
them, he was tossed in a moment; if he remained quiet, they sometimes
retreated without molesting him.
The bears fought well, but in a most laughable style. The scene was a
cruel one, and I was glad when it was over. None of the animals, however,
were killed.
A fight was to have taken place between a country horse and two tigers,
but Lady William Bentinck broke up the party and retired. I was anxious
to see the animal, he is such a vicious beast; the other day he killed
two tigers that were turned loose upon him.
Combats also took place between rams: the creatures attacked each other
fiercely—the jar and the noise were surprising as head met head in full
tilt. Well might they be called battering rams!
_21st._—We visited Constantia, a beautiful and most singular house, built
by General Martine; it would take pages to describe it; the house is
constructed to suit the climate; ventilation is carried up through the
walls from the ground-floor to the top of the building, and the marble
hall is a luxurious apartment. The king having refused to give General
Martine the price he asked for Constantia, the latter declared his tomb
should be handsomer than any palace in his Majesty’s dominions. He
therefore built a vault for himself under the house, and there he lies
buried; this has desecrated the place, no Musulmān can inhabit a tomb.
The monument stands in the vault; a bust of the general adorns it. Lights
are constantly burned before the tomb. The figures of four sipahīs large
as life, with their arms reversed, stand in niches at the sides of the
monument. In the centre of the vault, on a long plain slab, is this
inscription:
“Here lies Major-General Claude Martine, born at Lyons, 1735;
arrived in India a common soldier, and died at Lucnow, the 13th
December, 1800.
PRAY FOR HIS SOUL.”
Claude Martine was a native of the city of Lyons. He was originally a
common soldier, and fought under Count Lally; he afterwards entered
the service of the East India Company, and rose to the rank of a
Major-general. He died possessed of enormous wealth, and endowed a noble
charity in Calcutta, called La Martinière.
The house is a large and very singular building; a motto fronts the
whole, “_Labore et Constantiâ_,”—hence the name of the house.
Returning from this interesting place, we proceeded on elephants to see
the Roomee Durwāza, a gateway built at the entrance of the city, on the
Delhi road, by Ussuf-ood-Dowla; it is most beautiful and elegant, a copy
of a gate at Constantinople.
Near this spot is the Imām-Bārā, a building almost too delicate and
elegant to be described; it contains the tomb of Ussuf-ood-Dowla, the
second king of this family. Within the court is a beautiful mosque.
We were delighted with the place and the scene altogether—the time being
evening, and the streets crowded with natives.
_22nd._—The Governor-general quitted Lucnow at daybreak. On account of
some points of etiquette respecting the queen-mother and the king’s
favourite wife, Gosseina, Lady William Bentinck did not visit the royal
zenāna.
This day we visited a palace called Padshāh-i-Takht, containing the
king’s throne and the banquetting-rooms, a delightful place; on quitting
it we crossed the river to a new house and garden, built by the present
king, called Padshāh Bāgh; of which I must give a description, it being
the most luxurious palace I have seen in India.
A large space has been enclosed as a garden within a high wall; it
contains three houses and two gateways; the first house is a most
delightful one, all you can wish for in such a climate as this; beautiful
rooms, with six fountains playing in them, and everything in fairyland
style; then such an hummām! or steam baths, containing rooms heated to
different temperatures, the heat of each increasing until you arrive at
the steam bath itself.
The apartments are built of white variegated marble, and the roofs
arched; the rooms were so delightful, we felt every inclination to remain
in the hummām, the temperature was so luxurious.
Crossing from this palace to the centre of the garden, we entered
another elegant building, supported on white marble pillars, beautifully
finished, and adorned and furnished with crimson and gold.
On the left of the garden is a third palace, sacred to the ladies of
the zenāna; this house is built of marble, and covered with flower-work
of pounded tālk (talc), which has exactly the appearance of silver,
giving an eastern style to the place. There are two handsome gateways, a
steam-engine to supply the fountains, and a superb tiger in a cage. Every
luxury of life may be contained within the walls of this garden; it is at
present scarcely finished, but displays great taste and beauty.
On our return we visited the king’s stables, and saw 200 horses, amongst
which were some very fine Arabs. His Majesty has 500 horses in his
private stables. This day was one of much fatigue; we were on elephants,
and exposed to the sun throughout the whole day.
_23rd._—Mr. M⸺ invited us to quit our tents, and come into the Residency,
giving us the apartments vacated by the Governor-general, which are
delightful; and here we are installed with some most agreeable people.
First and foremost, our kind host the Resident; Mr. G⸺, the Resident of
Nagpore; Mr. H⸺, the Resident of Delhi; and Col. Gardner, a most charming
old gentleman;—but he will require pages to himself, he is one of _many_
thousand.
But I can write no more—my aide-de-camp, a young Bhopaul Chieftain, is in
attendance, to invite me to ride with the Resident. This little native
chief is a fine intelligent boy about fourteen years of age; he rides
well, on a small horse covered with silver ornaments; and his own dress,
with two and sometimes three swords at his waist, is so curious, I should
like to have his picture taken. The young chief, with his followers,
often attends me on horseback to do my bidding.
The king has a charming park near Lucnow, called Dil-Kushā, or “Heart’s
Delight,” filled with game; deer, nil-gā’ī, antelopes, bears, tigers,
peacocks, and game of all sorts; the drive through it is most agreeable,
the road being kept constantly watered: the house is good, and very
convenient. His Majesty visits the place often for shooting.
Just beyond the park is a second park called Beebeepore, formerly the
residence of Mr. Cherry, who was murdered at Benares.
_24th._—I took a steam bath in true oriental style, which was very
delightful; when the pleasing fatigue was over, I joined a party, and
proceeded to Daulut Khāna, a palace built by Ussuf-ood-Dowla, but now
uninhabited, except by some of the ladies and attendants of the old
king’s zenāna.
We went there to see a picture painted in oil by Zoffani, an Italian
artist, of a match of cocks, between the Nawāb Ussuf-ood-Dowla and the
Resident, Colonel Mordaunt; the whole of the figures are portraits; the
picture excellent, but fast falling into decay.
The next place visited was the country-house of one of the richest
merchants in India, a place called Govinda Bāgh. It is one of the
handsomest houses I have entered, and beautifully furnished, with fine
mirrors and lustres; its painted ceilings are remarkably well done, and
have a very rich effect; the pillars also in imitation of porphyry look
extremely well. The owner, Govind Lall, lives in a mean dirty house, in
one of the meanest gulīs (lanes) in the city, that his wealth may not
attract robbers or cause jealousy.
_25th._—My husband accompanied the Resident and a party to breakfast with
the King, and I called on my charming friend, Mrs. F⸺, in cantonments.
In the evening I accompanied the Resident, in his barouche, drawn by four
fine horses, round the grounds of Dil-Kushā. The carriage was attended by
an escort on horseback; when it passed the guards, arms were presented,
and trumpets blown: and sometimes men with baskets of birds running by
the side of the carriage, let them fly whenever they caught his eye, in
the hope of some reward being thrown to them for having liberated their
captives in compliment to the great man.
To release captive birds propitiates the favour of heaven. A great man
will release prisoners from jail when he is anxious for the recovery of a
relative from illness, or to procure an heir!
The Jānwar Khāna, a menagerie filled with wild beasts, animals of every
sort, and birds in profusion, next attracted my attention. You may talk
of Le Jardin des Plantes, but the Jānwar Khāna at Lucnow is far better
worth visiting. There was an immense Doomba sheep, with _four_ horns, and
such a tail! perfectly enormous.
We paid a visit to the tomb of Saadut Ulee Khan, the king’s grandfather,
a beautiful building, near which is the tomb of the begam, both worth
seeing.
_20th._—I rode with the Resident to his country-house, a short distance
from Lucnow, situated in the midst of delightful gardens; there are about
twenty of these gardens, filled with fine tanks, wells, and beautiful
trees; the Resident contemplates turning them into a park.
_28th._—We went over a zenāna garden; the house, dedicated to the ladies,
was a good one, situated in a large garden surrounded by a high stone
wall. The orthodox height for the four walls of a zenāna garden is,
that no man standing on an elephant can overlook them. The building is
surrounded with fine trees; and a fountain played before it, in which
gold and silver fish were swimming. Near it was an avenue, in which was
a swing, the invariable accompaniment of a zenāna garden. The season in
which the ladies more particularly delight to swing in the open air is
during the rains. I cantered back to the Residency at ten A.M.; the sun
was warm, but I thought not of his beams.
After breakfast, I retired to write my journal (knowing how much pleasure
it would give her for whom it was kept), although I had that delightful
man, Colonel Gardner, to converse with; such a high caste gentleman!
how I wish I had his picture! He is married to a native princess, and
his grand-daughter is betrothed to one of the princes of Delhi. The
begam, his wife, is in Lucnow, but so ill that I have been unable to
pay my respects to her. Colonel Gardner has promised me, if we will
visit Agra or Delhi next year, which we hope to do, he will give me
letters of introduction to some of the ladies of the palace, under
which circumstances I shall have the opportunity of seeing Delhi to the
greatest advantage.
A very fine corps of men, called Gardner’s Horse, were raised by him;
single-handed nothing can resist them, such masters are they of their
horses and weapons. I told him, I was anxious to see good native riding,
and feats of horsemanship; he said, “An old servant of mine is now in
Lucnow, in the king’s service; he is the finest horseman in India. I gave
that man 150 rupees a month (about 150_l._ per annum) for the pleasure
of seeing him ride. He could cut his way through thousands. All men who
know any thing of native horsemanship, know that man: he has just sent
me word he cannot pay his respects to me, for if he were to do so, the
king would turn him out of service.” I asked why? He answered, “There is
such a jealousy of the English at court: as for the king, he is a poor
creature, and can neither like nor dislike. Hakīm Mehndie the minister
rules him entirely, and he abhors the English.”
It is a curious circumstance that many of the palaces in Lucnow have
fronts in imitation of the palaces in Naples and Rome, &c.; and the real
native palace is beyond in an enclosed space.
Being tired with writing, I will go down and talk to Colonel Gardner;
should no men be in the room, he will converse respecting the zenāna, but
the moment a man enters, it is a forbidden subject.
Lucnow is a very beautiful city; and the view from the roof of the
Residency particularly good.
I am fatigued with my ride through the sun; nevertheless, I will go out
on an elephant this evening, and view all the old part of the city. I
like this barā sāhib life; this living _en prince_; in a climate so fine
as this is at present it is delightful.
The subjects of his Majesty of Oude are by no means desirous of
participating in the blessings of British rule. They are a richer,
sleeker, and merrier race than the natives in the territories of the
Company.
What a delightful companion is this Colonel Gardner! I have had the most
interesting conversation with him, which has been interrupted by his
being obliged to attend his poor sick wife, as he calls the begam. She
is very ill, and her mind is as much affected as her body: he cannot
persuade her to call in the aid of medicine. A short time ago, she lost
her son, Allan Gardner, aged twenty-nine years: then she lost a daughter
and a grandson; afterwards a favourite daughter; and now another young
grandson is dangerously ill. These misfortunes have broken her spirit,
and she refuses all medical aid. That dear old man has made me weep like
a child. I could not bear the recital of his sorrows and sufferings. He
said, “You often see me talking and apparently cheerful at the Resident’s
table, when my heart is bleeding.”
We have had a long conversation respecting his own life, and I have been
trying to persuade him to write it. He says, “If I were to write it, you
would scarcely believe it; it would appear fiction.” He is gone to the
sick begam. How I long for another _tête à tête_, in the hope of learning
his private history!
He must have been, and is, very handsome; such a high caste man! How he
came to marry the begam I know not. What a romance his love must have
been! I wish I had his portrait, just as he now appears, so dignified and
interesting. His partiality flatters me greatly.