Pull, oh! pull! Use your strength,
Raise your shoulders, By the favour of God,
Press your feet. By the Saint’s assistance
The boat will sail, She is a pretty boat:
The steersman’s a warrior. The water is deep,
The mast is tall. She will reach in safety.
Beat the drum Of King Acbar,
The port is attained By the favour of God.
Another specimen runs thus:--
Peer Putta! Jug ditta,
Nuggur Tatta! Panee mitta.
Julla kejye, Tanee lejge,
Tan tumasha: Bunder khasa,
Bundur koochee. Murd Beloochee.
Bundur maryo, Rub dekkaryo.
Moolk Hubeebee. Rub a rubbee.
_Translation._
Hail, Peer Putta! Who has seen the world,
Hail, city of Tatta! The water is sweet.
Pull together, Pull at once,
Pull for joy. The port is good,
Tho’ the harbour is small. The men are Beloochees.
Behold the harbour tower, Which God has shown us.
The country is God’s, By God we came.
As we discovered the mosques of Sehwun, the boatmen in their joy beat a
drum, and chanted many of these verses, which had a pleasing sound on
passing the base of the Lukkee mountains, that present a rocky buttress
to the Indus on approaching Sehwun.
~Sehwun, its antiquity.~
The town of Sehwun stands on a rising ground, at the verge of a swamp,
two miles from the Indus, close to a branch of that river called
Arul, which flows from Larkhanu. It has a population of about 10,000
souls, and is commanded on the north side by a singular castle or
mound of earth. Sehwun is sometimes called Sewistan, and is a place
of antiquity. There are many ruined mosques and tombs which surround
it, and proclaim its former wealth; but it has gradually gone to decay
since it ceased to be the residence of a governor, who here held his
court in the days of Moghul splendour. As it stands near the Lukkee
mountains, I believe it may be fixed on as the city of Sambus, Raja
of the Indian mountaineers, mentioned by Alexander. The Sindomanni
cannot refer to the inhabitants of Lower Sinde, which is always called
Pattala, and its ruler the “prince of the Pattalans.” Sindee is the
modern term for the aboriginal inhabitants.
~Pilgrimage of Sehwun.~
Sehwun has considerable celebrity and sanctity from the tomb of a holy
saint of Khorasan, by name Lal Shah Baz, who was interred here about
600 years ago. The shrine stands in the centre of the town, and rests
under a lofty dome at one end of a quadrangular building, which is
handsomely ornamented by blue painted slabs, like Dutch tiles, that
give it a rich appearance. A cloth of gold, with two other successive
palls of red silk, are suspended over the sepulchre, and on the walls
which surround it are inscribed in large Arabic letters the praises
of the deceased, and extracts from the Koran. Ostrich eggs, peacocks’
feathers, beads, flowers, &c. complete the furniture of this holy spot;
and pigeons, the emblems of peace, are encouraged to perch on the
cloths which shade the remains of departed virtue. The miracles of Lal
Shah Baz are endless, if you believe the people. The Indus is subject
to his commands, and no vessel dares to pass his shrine without making
a propitiatory offering at his tomb. Thousands of pilgrims flock to
the consecrated spot, and the monarchs of Cabool and India have often
visited the sanctuary. The drums which proclaim the majesty of the
saint are a gift from the renowned persecutor Alla-o-deen, who reigned
A.D. 1242; and the gate, which is of silver, attests the homage and
devotion of a deceased Ameer of Sinde. The needy are daily supplied
with food from the charity of the stranger; but the universal bounty
has corrupted the manners of the inhabitants, who are a worthless
and indolent set of men. The Hindoo joins with the Mahommedan in his
veneration of the saint, and artfully insinuates “Lal” to be a Hindoo
name, and that the Mahommedans have associated with the faith of their
prophet the god of an infidel creed. A tiger, once the tenant of the
neighbouring hills, partakes of the general bounty in a cage near the
tomb.
~Castle of Sehwun, its antiquity.~
By far the most singular building at Sehwun, and perhaps on the
Indus, is the ruined castle which overlooks the town, and is in all
probability as old as the age of the Greeks. It consists of a mound of
earth sixty feet high, and surrounded from the very ground by a brick
wall. The shape of the castle is oval, about 1200 feet long by 750 in
diameter. The interior presents a heap of ruins, and is strewed with
broken pieces of pottery and brick. The gateway is on the town side,
and has been arched: a section through it proves the whole mound to be
artificial. At a distance this castle resembles the drawings of the
Mujilebe tower at Babylon, described by Mr. Rich in his interesting
Memoir.
The natives afford no satisfactory account of this ruin, attributing
it to the age of Budur-ool-Jamal, a fairy, whose agency is referred
to in every thing ancient or wonderful in Sinde. It is to be observed,
that the Arul river passes close to this castle; and we are informed
by Quintus Curtius that, in the territories of Sabus Raja, (which I
imagine refers to Sehwun,) “Alexander took the strongest city by a
tunnel formed by his miners.” A ruin of such magnitude, standing,
as it therefore does, on such a site, would authorise our fixing on
it as the very city “where the barbarians, untaught in engineering,
were confounded when their enemies appeared, almost in the middle of
the city, rising from a subterraneous passage of which no trace was
previously seen.” So strong a position would not, in all probability,
be neglected in after-times; and in the reign of the Emperor Humaioon,
A.D. 1541, we find that monarch unable to capture Sehwun, from which
he fled on his disastrous journey to Omercote. His son Acbar also
invested Sehwun for seven months, and after its capture seems to have
dismantled it. There are many coins found in the castle of Sehwun; but
among thirty I could find no trace of the Greek alphabet. They were
Mahommedan coins of the sovereigns of Delhi.
~Mound of Amree.~
About eighteen miles below Sehwun, and on the same side of the river,
is the village of Amree, believed to have been once a large city, and
the favourite residence of former kings. It is said to have been swept
into the Indus. Near the modern village, however, there is a mound of
earth, about forty feet high, which the traditions of the country point
out as the halting-place of a king, who ordered the dung of his cavalry
to be gathered together, and hence the mound of Amree! There are some
tombs near it, but they are evidently modern.
We halted four days at Sehwun. The climate was most sultry and
oppressive: the thermometer stood at 112°, and did not fall below 100°
at midnight, owing to scorching winds from the west, where the country
is bleak and mountainous. The lofty range which runs parallel with the
Indus from the sea-coast to the centre of Asia, is joined by the Lukkee
mountains south of Sehwun, and thus excludes the refreshing breezes of
the ocean.
We quitted Sehwun on the 4th with difficulty, for we could not procure
men to drag our boats. The mihmandar, though he was the vizier’s
son, and acted under the seal of the Ameer, could not prevail on the
Calendar, or priest of the tomb, who said that no such order had been
ever given, and he would not now obey it. Some persons were seized:
his people drew their swords, and said that, when no longer able to
wield them, they might go. We knew nothing of the matter till it was
over, as it was entirely a private arrangement of Syud Tukkee Shah, the
mihmandar. When the men heard they were to be remunerated for their
trouble, they came of their own accord before we sailed. Every thing in
Sinde being effected by force under despotism, the watermen of Sehwun
fled the town, or took up their abode in the sanctuary, when they saw
the “jumtee” approach, believing, as usual, that services would be
required of them gratuitously.
~Congratulations from Khyrpoor.~
On the day after quitting Sehwun, we were met by Mahommed Gohur, a
Belooche chief, and a party, the confidential agents of Meer Roostum
Khan, the Ameer of Khyrpoor, who had been sent to the frontier, a
distance of eighty miles, to congratulate us on our arrival, and
declare their master’s devotion to the British Government. We hardly
expected such a mark of attention in Sinde, and were therefore
gratified. The deputation brought an abundant supply of sheep, flour,
fruit, spices, sugar, butter, ghee, tobacco, opium, &c. &c., on which
our people feasted. Sheep were slain and cooked; rice and ghee were
soon converted into savoury viands; and I believe all parties thanked
Meer Roostum Khan as heartily as we did, nor did I imagine that this
was but the commencement of a round of feasting which was daily
repeated so long as we were in his country, a period of three weeks.
Mahommed Gohur was a decrepit old man, with a red beard. He wore a very
handsome loongee round his waist. He did not recover from his surprise
throughout the interview, for he had never before seen an European.
~Address the Ameer of Khyrpoor.~
In return for Meer Roostum Khan’s kindness, I addressed to him a
Persian letter in the following terms, which will serve as a specimen
of the epistolary style used by the people of this country, which I
imitated as closely as possible.:--
(After compliments:) “I hasten to inform your Highness that I have
reached the frontiers of your country in company with the respectable
Syud Tukkee Shah, who has accompanied me on the part of Meer Morad
Ali Khan from Hydrabad. As I have long since heard of your Highness
from those who pass between Cutch and Sinde, it forms a source of
congratulation to me that I have arrived in your dominions, and brought
along with me in safety the presents which have been graciously
bestowed on Maha Raja Runjeet Sing by His Majesty the King of England,
mighty in rank, terrible as the planet Mars, a monarch great and
magnificent, of the rank of Jemshid, of the dignity of Alexander,
unequalled by Darius, just as Nousherwan, great as Fureedoon, admired
as Cyrus, famed as the Sun, the destroyer of tyranny and oppression,
upright and generous, pious and devout, favoured from above, &c. &c.:
may his dominion endure for ever!
“It is well known that when a friend comes to the country of a friend
it is a source of much happiness, and I have therefore written these
few lines; but when I have the pleasure of seeing you, my joy will be
increased.
“I had written thus far, when the respectable Mahommed Gohur, one of
those enjoying your Highness’s confidence, arrived at this place,
to acquaint me with your professions of respect and friendship for
the British Government, bringing along with him many marks of your
hospitality. Need I say I am rejoiced? Such civilities mark the great.”
~Character of the people.~
A voyage of ten days brought us to Bukkur; but we landed a few miles
from that fortress, to prepare for a visit to Khyrpoor and its chief,
who had made us so welcome in his country. We saw much of the Sindians
on our way up the river, and did every thing to encourage their
approach by granting free admission on board to the commonest villager
who wished to view the horses. The body of the people are little
better than savages, and extremely ignorant; their spiritual guides
and Syuds, or the followers of the prophet, however, showed knowledge
and independence. I happened to ask a party of Syuds to what Ameer
they were subject: they replied, “We acknowledge no master but God,
who gives us villages and all we desire.” I was struck with the family
likeness that prevails throughout this class in Sinde; for it is not
to be supposed that a tribe so numerous has lineally descended from
the prophet of Arabia. The beggars of Sinde are most importunate and
troublesome. They practise all manner of persuasion to succeed in their
suit for alms; tear up grass and bushes with their mouths, and chew
sand and mud to excite compassion.
With the better orders of society we had frequent intercourse and
conversation. Some of them felt interested about the objects of our
mission to Lahore. They did not give us much credit for sincerity in
sending it by a route which they believed never to have been passed
since the time of Noah. They were full of enquiries regarding our
customs. Our Khyrpoor friend, Mahomed Gohur, was particularly horrified
at our arrangements for getting a wife, and begged me in future to let
my beard grow. The knowledge of this individual I may describe, when he
asked me if London were under Calcutta: he was, however, a pleasant
man; I delighted to hear him sing the praises of the soldiers of Sinde,
who, he said, differed from all the world in thinking it an honour to
fight on foot. The feelings of pity which some of the people displayed
for us were amusing: they were shocked to hear that we cleaned our
teeth with hogs’ bristles. I was frequently asked to lay aside the
English saddle, which they considered quite unworthy, and worse than a
seat on the bare back of the horse.
~The Indus: names for it.~
The Indus in this part of its course is called Sira, in distinction
from Lar, which is its appellation below Sehwun. These are two Belooche
words for north and south; and of the name of Sirae, or Khosa, a
tribe inhabiting the desert on the east, we have thus a satisfactory
explanation; as these people originally spread from Sira, in the upper
course of the Indus. Mehran, a name of this river, familiar to the
Indians and foreigners, is not used by the natives of the country. The
water of the Indus is considered superior, for every purpose of life,
to that drawn from the wells of Sinde. When taken from the river it is
very foul; but the rich keep it till the mud with which it is loaded
subsides. There are few ferry-boats on the Indus; and it is a curious
sight to see the people crossing it on skins and bundles of reeds.
A native will often float down to a distance of fifteen or twenty
miles, accompanied by a whole herd of buffaloes, preferring this mode
of travelling to a journey on the banks. From Sehwun upwards they kill
the “pulla” fish by nets suspended from the bow of small boats, which
are, at the same time, the habitations of the fisherman and his family.
The wife, who is generally a sturdy dame, pulls the stern oar to keep
the vessel in the middle of the stream, often with a baby in her arms,
while the husband kills the fish. One would not have expected to find
porpoises so far from the sea; but they are to be observed sporting in
the river as high as Bukkur; they are more grey than those in the salt
water.
~Visited by the Vizier of Sinde.~
I should have mentioned, that before reaching Bukkur, we were visited
by the Nawab Wulee Mahomed Khan Lugharee, one of the viziers of Sinde,
who had travelled from Shikarpoor to meet us. We found him a decrepit
old man of seventy-two, on the verge of the grave. He treated us with
particular kindness, and quite won our hearts by his attentions. He
gave me a horse and a rich loongee. He said in the plainest terms that
the Ameer had had evil counsel to detain us so long in Sinde, and
that he had written urgently to his Highness not to commit himself
by such a step. We had now a good opportunity of seeing a Belooche
chief on his native soil. He came with a splendid equipage of tents
and carpets, accompanied by three palankeens, and about 400 men. A
set of dancing girls were among his suite; and in the evening we were
compelled, against our inclination, to hear these ladies squall for
a couple of hours, and, what added to the disgust of the scene, they
drank at intervals of the strongest spirits, to _clear their voices_,
as they said, until nearly intoxicated. It was impossible to express
any displeasure at this exhibition, since the gala, however much out of
taste, was got up in the hope of adding to our amusement. The people
with us, who now amounted to 150, were sumptuously entertained by the
Nawab, who kept us with him for two days.
~Vizier of Khyrpoor.~
On the morning of the 14th we disembarked near the small village of
Alipoor, and were met by the vizier of Meer Roostum Khan, who had come
from Khyrpoor to receive us. His name was Futteh Khan Ghoree, an aged
person of mild and affable manners, and of peculiar appearance from a
snow white beard and red hair. Our reception was cordial and kind; the
vizier assured us of the high satisfaction with which his master had
heard of our arrival, for he had long desired to draw closer to the
British government, and had never yet had the good fortune to meet any
of its agents. He said that Meer Roostum Khan did not presume to put
himself on an equality with so potent and great a nation, but hoped
that he might be classed among its wellwishers, and as one ready to
afford his services on all occasions. Futteh Khan added that Khyrpoor
formed a separate portion of Sinde from Hydrabad, a fact which he
begged I would remember. I was not altogether unprepared for this
communication, for I judged from his previous efforts to please that
the ruler had some object in view. I assured the vizier of my sense
of his master’s attentions, and promised to talk on these matters
after our interview. He brought a palankeen to convey me in state to
Khyrpoor, a distance of fourteen miles, to which city we marched on the
following day.
~Ameer of Khyrpoor.~
After what I have already stated, our interview with Meer Roostum Khan
may be well imagined: he received us under a canopy of silk, seated
on a cushion of cloth of gold. He was surrounded by the members of
his family, forty of whom (males), descended in a right line from his
father, are yet alive. There was more state and show than at Hydrabad,
but as little attention to order or silence. We exchanged the usual
complimentary speeches of like occasions. I thanked his Highness for
the uniform attention and hospitality which we had received. Meer
Roostum Khan is about fifty; his beard and hair were quite white,
and the expression of his countenance, as well as his manners, were
peculiarly mild. He and his relatives were too much taken up with our
uniforms and faces to say much; and he begged us to return in the
evening, when there would be less bustle and confusion, to which we
readily assented. I gave him my watch before leaving, and sent him a
brace of pistols and a kaleidescope, with various articles of European
manufacture, with which he was highly delighted. The crowd was hardly
to be penetrated, but very orderly: they shouted as we approached; and
nothing seemed to amuse them so much as the feathers of our hats. “Such
cocks!” was literally the expression. For about 200 yards from the
palace (if I can use such a term for the mud buildings of Sinde) there
was a street of armed men, and among them stood thirty or forty persons
with halberds, the foresters or huntsmen of the household.
~Audience of leave.~
In the evening we again visited the Ameer, and found him seated on a
terrace spread with Persian carpets, and surrounded, as before, by his
numerous relatives. He made a long address to me regarding his respect
for the British government, and said that I had of course learned his
sentiments from his vizier. He looked to our Mihmandar from Hydrabad,
who I found had been doing every thing in his power to prevent our
meeting at all, and then changed the conversation. The Ameer asked
innumerable questions about England and its power, remarking that we
were not formerly so military a nation; and he had heard that a few
hundred years ago we went naked and painted our bodies. On our religion
he was very inquisitive; and when I informed him that I had read the
Koran, he made me repeat the “Kuluma,” or creed, in Persian and Arabic,
to his inexpressible delight. He said that our greatness had risen
from a knowledge of mankind, and attending to other people’s concerns
as well as our own. He examined my sword, a small cavalry sabre, and
remarked that it would not do much harm; but I rejoined, that the age
of fighting with this weapon had passed, which drew a shout and a sigh
from many present. There was so much mildness in all that the Ameer
said that I could not believe we were in a Belooche court. He expressed
sorrow that we could not stay a month with him; but since we were
resolved to proceed, we must take his state barge, and the son of his
vizier, to the frontier, and accept the poor hospitality of a Belooche
soldier, meaning himself, so long as we were in the Khyrpoor territory.
I must mention that the hospitality, which he so modestly named,
consisted of eight or ten sheep, with all sorts of provisions for 150
people daily, and that while at Khyrpoor he sent for our use, twice a
day, a meal of seventy-two dishes. They consisted of pillaos and other
native viands. The cookery was rich, and some of them delicious. They
were served up in silver. We quitted Khyrpoor with regret, after the
attentions which we had received. Before starting, the Ameer and his
family sent to us two daggers, and two beautiful swords with belts
ornamented by large masses of gold. The blade of one of them was valued
at 80_l._ To these were added many cloths and native silks; also a
purse of a thousand rupees, which I did not accept, excusing myself by
the remark that I required nothing to make me remember the kindness of
Meer Roostum Khan.
~Sindian rule.~
Mr. Elphinstone has remarked, “that the chiefs of Sinde appear to be
barbarians of the rudest stamp, without any of the barbarous virtues,”
and I fear that there is too much truth in the character, though the
Khyrpoor family exhibited little to show themselves deserving of the
stigma; but the chiefs of this country live entirely for themselves.
They wallow in wealth, while their people are wretched. Professing an
enthusiastic attachment to the religion of Mahommed, they have not even
a substantial mosque in their territories; and at Hydrabad, where
the town stands on rock, and indeed every where, they pray in temples
of mud, and seem ignorant of elegance or comfort in all that concerns
domestic arrangement. The Beloochees are a particularly savage race of
people, but they are brave barbarians. From childhood they are brought
up in arms; and I have seen some of the sons of chiefs who had not
attained the age of four or five years strutting about with a shield
and a sword of small size, given by the parents to instil into them,
at that early period, the relish for war. This tribe composes but a
small portion of the Sindian population; and while they are execrated
by the peaceable classes of the community for their imperious conduct,
they, on the other hand, hate the princes by whom they are governed.
It would be difficult to conceive a more unpopular rule, with all
classes of their subjects, than that of the Ameers of Sinde: nor is
the feeling disguised; many a fervent hope did we hear expressed, in
every part of the country, that we were the forerunners of conquest,
the advance-guard of a conquering army. The persons of the Ameers are
secure from danger by the number of slaves which they entertain around
their persons. These people are called “Khaskelees,” and enjoy the
confidence of their masters, with a considerable share of power: they
are hereditary slaves, and a distinct class of the community, who marry
only among themselves.
~Bukkur.~
We marched to Bukkur on the morning of the 19th, which is a fortress
fifteen miles from Khyrpoor, situated on an insulated rock of flint
on the Indus, with the town of Roree on one side and Sukkur on
the other. It was not to be supposed that the Ameer would give us
permission to visit this fancied bulwark of his frontier, and I did
not press a demand which I saw was far from agreeable; but we had
good opportunities of examining the place while passing it, both on
shore and on the river. The island is about 800 yards long, of an oval
shape, almost entirely occupied by the fortification, which looks
more European than most Indian works: it is a beautiful object from
the banks of the Indus; its towers are mostly shaded by large full
grown trees, and the tall date drops its weeping leaves on the mosques
and walls. There are several other islets near it, on one of which
stands the shrine of Khaju Khizr, a holy Mahommedan, under a dome that
contributes to the beauty of the scene. The Indus rolls past Bukkur
in two streams, each of 400 yards wide, and the waters lash the rocks
which confine them with noise and violence. During the swell, the
navigation of this part of the river is dangerous, though the boatmen
of Bukkur are both expert and daring. The town of Roree, which faces
Bukkur, stands on a precipice of flint forty feet high, and some of
its houses, which are lofty, overhang the Indus. The inhabitants of
these can draw up water from their windows; but a cut road in the rock
supplies the citizens with this necessary of life without risking
their lives. The opposite bank of Sukkur is not precipitous like that
of Roree. A precious relic, the lock of Mahommed’s hair, enclosed in
a golden box, attracts the Mahommedan pilgrim to Bukkur, though the
inhabitants are chiefly Hindoos.
~Grave predictions.~
On the banks of the Indus we had a curious interview in the evening
after our arrival with the Vizier from Khyrpoor, who had been sent by
Meer Roostum Khan to escort us thus far, and see that we were furnished
with boats. After requesting to be received privately, he renewed
the subject of our first conversation, and said that he had been
instructed by his master to propose a solemn treaty of friendship with
the British government on any terms that might be named: he then ran
over the list of neighbouring states which owed their existence to an
alliance,--the Chief of the Daodpootras, the Rawul of Jaysulmeer, and
the Rajah of Beecaneer, &c. &c. and then concluded with a peroration
full of gravity, that it was foretold by astronomers, and recorded
in his books, that the English would in time possess all India, a
prediction which both Meer Roostum and himself felt satisfied would
come to pass, when the British would ask why the chiefs of Khyrpoor had
not come forward with an offer of allegiance. I tried to remove, but
without effect, the sad prognostications of the minister, and declared
my incompetency to enter on such weighty matters as a treaty between
the states, without authority and before receiving a written statement
under the Ameer’s seal. I said that I would make known the wishes
that had been expressed to my government, which would be gratified to
hear they had such friends, which seemed to please the diplomatist;
he begged that I would bear in mind what had passed, and exacted a
promise that I would write to him when gone, and so water the tree of
friendship, that the object might be ultimately effected,--“for the
stars and heaven proclaimed the fortune of the English!”
~Amusing incident.~
This was not the only incident of interest that occurred at Bukkur:
we had a visit from an Afghan nobleman of rank, who had been on a
mission to the Governor-General from the late Shah Mahmood of Herat,
and was now on his return to his native country, by the way of Sinde
and Mekran, the dissensions of dismembered Cabool preventing his
passing by the usual route. He was one of the finest natives I ever
saw, and had a flowing beard reaching to his waist: he was full of
Calcutta and its wonders, and had adopted many of our customs. He rode
on an English saddle; but said he had just found out that it was partly
made of hog’s skin, and brought it to beg my acceptance of it, for he
dared not take such a thing to his country, and would not again use
it. I civilly declined the offer, and regretted that the information
regarding the materials of the saddle had been traced to me; for, as he
liked our fashions, it was a pity he could not carry them to his own
country. Previous to the envoy’s leaving us, he begged I would give him
an English brush, which I did with pleasure; but I did not consider it
necessary to add that, in addition to the skin of the unclean beast, he
would now have the bristles. He went away in great good humour with his
gift, for which he offered me his palankeen.
~Mihmandar.~
I was sorry that I should have been the means of giving uneasiness to
the Afghan; for it seems that he acquired his knowledge regarding the
construction of his saddle from our Sindian Mihmandar, Tukkee Shah,
who had taunted him with uncleanness. This person was a Syud, one of
the strictest Mahommedans I ever met. He was a son of Meer Ismael
Shah, and of Persian descent. We found him intelligent and learned,
and his polished manners made us regret the loss of so agreeable a
companion. He left us at Bukkur, to take temporary charge of the
Shikarpoor district during the absence of his brother, the Nawab.
The character of this person was singularly disfigured by Mahommedan
bigotry and superstition; while sceptical and dispassionate on all
other topics, there was no miracle too absurd for his credence in
religion. Among other fables, he assured me that when the Imam Hoosein
had been beheaded by the Yezeedees, and a Christian reproached them
for murdering their Prophet, one of them fell on him; the man,
instantly seizing the head of the Imam, placed it on his breast, and
it pronounced the well-known words, “There is no God but one God, and
Mahommed is his prophet;” which immediately silenced this Mahommedan
Judas!
~Alore, or Arore, the ancient capital.~
While at Bukkur, I visited the ruins of Alore, which is said to have
been once the capital of a mighty kingdom, ruled by the Dulora Rae,
and on which Roree, Bukkur, and Sukkur, have risen. It extended from
the ocean to Cashmeer, from Candahar to Kanoje, and was divided into
four vast viceroyalties: the harbour of Diu, in Kattywar, is expressly
mentioned as one of its sea-ports. It sunk under the Mahommedan arms
so early as the seventh century of the Christian era, when subdued
by the lieutenant of the Caliph of Bagdad, Mahommed bin Cassim,
who invaded India, according to a Persian manuscript, in search of
ornaments for the seraglio of the Caliph.
The particulars of its history are to be found at great length in the
Chuchnama, a history of Sinde in Persian believed to be authentic, and
so called from the ruler of Alore, a Brahmin, by name Duhr bin Chuch.
The ruins of Alore are yet to be discovered in a rocky ridge four miles
south-east of Bukkur, and are now marked by an humble hamlet, with some
ruined tombs. A low bridge with three arches, named the “Bund of Alore
or Arore,” constructed of brick and stone, alone remains of all its
greatness. It is thrown across a valley, which in by-gone years formed
the bed of a branch of the Indus, from which the waters fertilised the
desert, and reached the sea by Omercote and Lucput,--a channel through
which they still find egress in a great inundation.
The description of the battle which overwhelmed the city of Alore, and
terminated the life and reign of the Dulora Rae, affords some clue to
the manners of the age. The Brahmin appeared with a train of elephants,
on one of which he was seated, with two females of exquisite beauty
to supply him with wine and the betel nut. The Mahommedans, unable to
oppose these animals, retired from the field to provide themselves with
combustibles: they filled their pipes, and returned with them to dart
fire at the elephants, which fled in dismay and disorder[8]. The Raja
fell in the action, and his two virgin daughters, “more beautiful than
the morn,” were despatched to Bagdad as fit ornaments for the seraglio
of the vicegerent of the Prophet. The story of these ladies deserves
mention. On their arrival at the holy city, they averred that the
General had dishonoured them in the fever of victory, and the mandate
for his death was forthwith despatched by the Caliph. The innocent
Moslem, sewed up in a raw hide, was transported from the East to
Arabia; and when his bones were produced in the seraglio, the daughters
of Duhr bin Chuch freely confessed the falsehood of their accusation,
and expressed their readiness to die, having avenged their father’s
murder. They were dragged to death in the streets of Bagdad.
~Alore the kingdom of Musicanus.~
~Larkhanu, of Oxycanus. Minagur as Tatta, not Bukkur.~
We have recorded the splendour of Alore, ruled by Brahmins so late as
the seventh century of our era; and history, I think, identifies it
with the kingdom of Musicanus, which Alexander found to be governed
by Brahmins, and the richest and most populous in India. Here it was
that that conqueror built a fort, as “the place was commodiously
situated for bridling the neighbouring nations,” and where Mahommed bin
Cassim a thousand years afterwards subdued the Brahmins who revolted
from the Macedonians. Its prosperity at this late period confirms the
probability of its former wealth. Bukkur is the ancient Munsoora[9],
and has likewise been supposed to be Minagur, which I believe is
erroneous. The second Arrian, in his Periplus, speaks of that city as
the metropolis of Sinde, to which the cargo of the ships was carried
up by the river “from Barbarike, a port in the middle branch of the
Indus.” It has apparently escaped notice, that Minagur is to be
identified with Tatta, as proved by a singular but convincing fact.
The Jhareja Rajpoots of Cutch, who trace their lineage from Tatta,
invariably designate it in these days by the name of Sa-Minagur, of
which Minagur is evidently an abbreviation. I look upon the identity
of Tatta and Minagur as conclusive, though the author of the Periplus
never mentions Pattala. In Reechel we may also have the harbour of
Barbarike. The historians of Alexander do not inform us of the name
of the country of Musicanus, but only of its ruler. The position of
Larkhanu, on the opposite side of the Indus, is well marked as the
country of Oxycanus, which was famed for its fertility, since Alexander
despatched from hence his superannuated soldiers, by the country of the
Archoti and Drangi, to Carmania, or Kerman. The great road westward
branches from Larkhanu, and crosses the mountains to Kelat by the pass
of Bolan, which is the route to Kerman. The modern inhabitants of the
Indus have no traditions of the conquest of the Macedonians to assist
the enquirer in a subject that excites among civilised nations such
intense curiosity.
FOOTNOTES:
[8] It would appear from this, that they smoked in that age: it must
have been _bang_, or hemp, since tobacco was unknown till the discovery
of America.
[9] Ayeen Acbaree.
CHAP. IV.
THE COUNTRY OF BHAWUL KHAN.
~Quit Bukkur.~
On the 21st of May we set sail from Bukkur, having exchanged our boats
for another description of vessel, called “zohruk,” not in use in
Lower Sinde. They are of an oblong square shape, rounded fore and aft,
and built of the _talee_ tree, clamped with pieces of iron instead of
nails, an operation which is performed with great neatness. Some of the
vessels exceed eighty feet in length, and twenty in breadth. They are
flat-bottomed, and pass quicker through the water than the _doondee_,
though they have but one mast. By the description of boats in which
Alexander transported his cavalry, I understand the “zohruk,” which is
well suited for the transport of troops. Arrian describes it “as of
a round form,” and says that they received no injury on leaving the
Hydaspes, when the long vessels were wrecked. Their peculiar build has
doubtless arisen from the occurrence of such rapids as the Macedonians
experienced at the junction of the Acesines and Hydaspes.
~Curiosity of the people.~
The curiosity of the people on the banks of the Indus was intense. One
man in the crowd demanded that we should stop and show ourselves,
since there had never been a _white-face_ in this country before, and
we were bound to exhibit, from the welcome which we had received: he
had seen Shah Shooja, he said (the ex-king of Cabool), but never an
Englishman. Need I say we gratified him and the crowd, of which he
was the spokesman? “Bismilla,” “in the name of God,” was their usual
exclamation when we appeared, and we daily heard ourselves styled
kings and princes. The ladies were more curious than their husbands.
They wear ear-rings of large dimensions, with turquoises suspended or
fixed to them; for these stones are of little value in the vicinity of
Khorasan. Among the women, I should note the Syudanees, or Bebees, the
female descendants of Mahommed: they go about veiled, or rather with a
long white robe thrown over their entire body, having netted orifices
before the eyes and mouth. They are all beggars, and very vociferous
in their demands for alms: one set of them, (for they go about in
troops,) when they found I did not readily meet their demands, produced
a written paper from the shrine of Lal Shah Baz, at Sehwun, to hasten
my charity! Father Manrique, in his journey by the Indus some centuries
ago, complains “of the frail fair ones” who molested him by the way.
In the present age, the dress of the courtezans, who are to be met in
every place of size in the country, would give a favourable idea of the
wealth of Sinde; and it is one of the few, if not the only, amusements
of the inhabitants to listen to the lascivious songs of these people.
They are a remarkably handsome race, and carry along with them a spirit
of enthusiasm in their performance unknown to the ladies of Hindoostan.
~Beloochees of Sinde.~
Three days after quitting Bukkur, we came in sight of the mountains of
Cutch Gundava, distant about a hundred miles from the right bank of the
Indus; the most remarkable peak was named Gendaree. We here entered a
country inhabited by various Beloochee tribes, long addicted to piracy
and plunder; but their spirit has been destroyed by the growing power
of the Khyrpoor chiefs. They offered no opposition or insult; and many
came to pay us a friendly visit. Their manner of saluting each other,
which indeed prevails among all the Beloochees, is somewhat peculiar.
On approaching, they seize the stranger’s hand, and touch the right
breast with the right shoulder, and the left with the left, and follow
up the words “welcome” with half a dozen such sentences as, “Are you
happy? Is every thing right? Are all well, great and small, children
and horses? You are welcome.”
~Sinde frontier, farewell letters.~
A very few days brought us beyond the reach of these Beloochees,
and the dominions of Sinde; for we anchored thirty miles north of
Subzulcote, the frontier town, on the evening of the 26th, on the
line of boundary between the Khan of the Daoodpootras and the Ameers
of Sinde. Our progress had been exceedingly rapid; for we had a
favourable breeze, and often followed the lesser branches of the Indus
to escape the violence of the stream. The boats sailed with celerity;
for we came one hundred and twenty miles by the course of the river
in six days against the stream. We here had a farewell feast from
the Khyrpoor Ameer and Meer Nusseer Khan, the son of the principal
Ameer, who had shown us marked civility throughout the journey.
After the people had fared sumptuously, our boats were crowded like
sheepfolds. I addressed valedictory letters to both the Ameers and
their chief ministers, besides several replies to other persons;
for the “_cacoethes scribendi_” seemed to have beset the nobles of
the land; and I had received, in one day, no less than six letters.
These productions were full of metaphor and over-strained expressions
of anxiety for our health and safety, with trite sayings about the
advantages of friendship, and a letter being half an interview. There
is no difference between the manners of Europe and Asia so striking
as in correspondence. The natives of the East commit the writing and
diction of their compositions to a native secretary, simply telling him
to write a letter of friendship, congratulation, or whatever may be the
subject, to which he affixes his seal, sometimes without a perusal.
If the signet is not legible, one may often try in vain to find out
his correspondent; for he never names himself in his letter. In my
epistles, I told the Khyrpoor chief that his friendship and kindness
had brought us without an accident, and with unprecedented speed,
against the mighty stream of the Indus; and I thought it as well, for
the edification of the Hydrabad Ameer, to add, that _the Indus was
a navigable river_ from the ocean, and had abundance of water every
where! I did not quit Sinde favourably impressed, either with his
character or policy; but we should not try such a man by an European
standard, and he doubtless opposed our choice of the route by the Indus
on sufficiently good grounds. I parted from our Khyrpoor friends really
with reluctance; for their hospitality and kindness had been great,
and it was with difficulty that I was permitted to reward the boatmen.
The Mihmandar said that he had been ordered to prohibit it; and his
master only desired to please the British Government. This person was
very inferior to our former companion the Syud; but, if less learned
and intelligent, he had the more sterling qualities of sincerity and
honesty: his name was Inayut Khan Ghoree.
~Sindian escort.~
We here dismissed, and with regret, our Sindian escort, which had
followed us from the mouths of the Indus. They seemed to have become
attached to us, and followed us in our walks and rides with unusual
alacrity; as we were leaving, they accompanied us to the water’s
edge, with loud cries of thanks for our kindness and prayers for
our welfare. They consisted of twenty-four men; twelve of whom were
Beloochees and the rest Jokeeas, a tribe of mountaineers near Curachee.
We had not, I am sure, done much to deserve such gratitude; for they
had only received an additional month’s pay (eight rupees each) to
take them back to their country, a distance of three hundred and
fifty miles. Some of them begged to accompany us to Lahore; but, on
the same principle that they had been hired in Sinde, it would be
proper to enlist natives of the new country we were entering, and I
civilly declined their request. These men used to kill game for us;
and were ever ready to anticipate our wishes. Their honesty we found
unimpeachable; and we never lost any thing in our progress through a
strange country, protected by strangers on whom we had no tie, and who
had been brought from the fields to enter our service.
[Illustration: NATIVES OF SINDE.
Lith^d. for Burnes’ Travels into Bokhara,--by Day & Haghe Lith^{rs}. to
the King.
John Murray Albemarle S^t. 1834.
_On Stone by L. Haghe._
_Capt^n. R. M. Grindlay del^t._
]
~Fish diet.~
~Manners, &c. Costume.~
The natives of the neighbouring countries, and the higher class of
people in Sinde, have a singular notion regarding the fish diet of
the inhabitants. They believe it prostrates the understanding; and,
in palliation of ignorance in any one, often plead that “he is but a
fish-eater.” The lower order of the Sindians live entirely on fish and
rice; and the prevailing belief must be of an old date, as they tell
an anecdote of one of the Emperors of Delhi who addressed a stranger
in his court with the question from whence he came; he replied, from
Tatta, and the king turned away his head. The stranger, recollecting
the prejudice against his country, immediately rejoined, that he was
not a “fish-eater.” I am not prepared to state how far a fish diet
may affect the intellect of the Sindian, but I certainly remarked the
prolific nature of the food in the number of children on the banks of
the Indus. The greatest fault which an European would find with the
people of Sinde is their filthy habits. They always wear dark-coloured
garments from religious motives; but the ablutions of the Prophet are
little attended to. People must be in easy circumstances, I believe, or
cease to feel want before they adopt habits of cleanliness. The change
of costume in the people, announced already a change of country. Since
leaving Bukkur, we had met many Afghans and natives of the kingdom
of Cabool. The boots of some of these strangers, made of variegated
leather, ribbed, in some instances, not unlike the skin of the tiger,
formed an extraordinary dress for a long-bearded old man.
~Quit Sinde. Bhawul Khan’s country~.
In the evening of the 27th we quitted Sinde, and ascended the river for
a few miles, where we were met by Gholam Kadir Khan, a Nuwab and person
of high rank, who had been sent to welcome us by Bhawul Khan, the chief
of the Daoodpootras, in whose country we had now arrived. He was a
little, pot-bellied old man, with a happy expression of countenance;
and he said that he was sent to communicate the delight with which his
master hailed our approach. He brought a most kind message--that a
fleet of fifteen boats had been collected, and was now in readiness to
convey us through the Daoodpootra country, while the Khan had fitted up
a boat expressly for our accommodation. He brought likewise a purse of
a hundred rupees, which he said he had been desired to send me daily:
this I declined, saying, that money was useless where every necessary
and luxury of life was furnished by his master’s hospitality. We soon
got on easy terms with our new hosts, and weighed anchor next evening
for the frontier village, where we halted. Many Daoodpootras came to
see us; they differ in appearance from the Sindians, and wear turbans
formed of tight and round folds of cloths.
~Quit the Indus.~
On the 30th of May our fleet, now swelled to eighteen boats, quitted
the Indus at Mittuncote, where it receives the united waters of the
Punjab rivers; and, as if to remind us of its magnitude, the stream
was here wider than in any other part of its course, and exceeded 2000
yards. We took a last farewell of its waters, and entered the Chenab or
Acesines of the Greeks. Alexander sailed down this river to the Indus;
but no tradition of that event is preserved on its banks. The Sindians
point to Cabool as the theatre of his exploits, where Sikunder the
Persian achieved many memorable deeds. In the East, as in the West,
there have not been wanting ages of darkness to draw a mist over truth,
and substitute, in poetical language, the fables of an Eastern country
for one of the most authentic facts in ancient history--the voyage of
Alexander on the Indus. Mittun is a small town, about a mile distant
from the Indus, and occupies, I imagine, the site of one of the Grecian
cities, since the advantage of its position for commerce attracted the
attention of Alexander.
~Elevated houses of Sinde.~
~Effects of the Indus on the climate.~
In Lower Sinde the pastoral tribes live in reed houses, and rove from
one place to another. In these parts of the Indus they dwell in
habitations elevated eight or ten feet from the ground, to avoid the
damp and the insects occasioned by it. These are also built of reeds,
and entered by a ladder. They are small neat cottages, and occupied by
wandering tribes, who frequent the banks of the river till the season
of inundation. Herodotus mentions that the Egyptians slept in turrets
during the rise of the Nile. The inhabitants have strange notions
regarding the influence of the Indus on the climate. They believe that
it gives out a perpetual breeze; and they, therefore, seek a habitation
near it, for the heat of Sinde is most oppressive. The father of
history expressed his belief that such also was the case with the Nile;
and it is curious that a similar opinion should be entertained by the
people of Sinde. I can readily understand that a vast volume of running
water would cool the banks of a river: the heat is said to increase on
receding from the Indus.
~Chenab or Acesines.~
We reached Ooch, where the joint streams of the Sutlege and Beas, here
called the Garra, fall into the Chenab. The name of Punjnud, or Five
Rivers, is unknown to the natives; and we now navigated the Chenab
or Acesines of the Greeks, the name of the five rivers being lost in
that of the greater stream. It is curious to observe that this fact
is expressly mentioned by Arrian:--“The Acesines retains its name till
it falls at last into the Indus, after it has received three other
rivers.” The Sutlege, or Hesudrus, is not mentioned by Alexander’s
historians. These united rivers form a noble stream; and the banks of
the Chenab are free from the thick tamarisk jungles of the Indus. They
were studded with innumerable hamlets, particularly towards the Indus;
for the rich pasture attracts the shepherd.
~Incident.~
Our arrival at Ooch had been so much earlier than was anticipated as to
give rise to an incident which might have proved serious. The troops
of Bhawul Khan were encamped on the banks of the river, and in a dusky
day our numerous fleet was mistaken for the Seik army, which had been
threatening to invade his territories. A discharge of a cannon and some
musquetry arrested the progress of our advanced boat. The mistake was
readily discovered, and the chagrin and vexation that followed afforded
us some amusement. I thought that apologies and regrets would never
have ceased.
~Ooch.~
~Arrival of Bhawul Khan.~
The town of Ooch stands on a fertile plain at a distance of four miles
from the Acesines, beautifully shaded by trees. It is formed of three
distinct towns, a few hundred yards apart from each other, and each
has been encompassed by a wall of brick, now in ruins. The population
amounts to 20,000. The streets are narrow, and covered with mats as a
protection from the sun; but it is a mean place. We were accommodated
in a garden well stocked with fruit trees and flowers, which was an
agreeable change from our confined boats. When preparing for a journey
to visit the Khan,--who was absent at Dirawul, in the desert,--we were
surprised by the arrival of a messenger, with the information that he
had reached Ooch from a distance of sixty miles, that he might save us
the trouble of coming to him, and evince his respect for the British
Government. The messenger brought us a deer, which the Khan had shot,
and of which he begged our acceptance, with forty vessels of sherbet,
and as many of sweetmeats and preserves; also a bag containing 200
rupees, which he requested I would distribute in charity, to mark the
joyful event of our arrival.
~Interview with him.~
On the morning of the 3d of June we visited Bhawul Khan, who had
alighted at a large house outside the town, a mile distant: he sent
an escort of his regular troops, with horses, palankeens, and various
other conveyances,--one of which deserves description. It was a sort
of chair, covered with a red canopy of cloth, supported by two horses,
one in front and the other behind, and the most awkward vehicle that
can be imagined; for it could be turned with difficulty, and the
horses did not incline to such a burden. We passed a line of soldiers,
about 600 in number, dressed in uniforms of red, blue, white, and
yellow; and then entered the court yard, under a salute of eighty
guns. The passages were lined with officers and chiefs; and we found
the Khan seated in an area spread with carpets, attended only by about
ten persons: he rose and embraced us. He made particular enquiries
regarding Mr. Elphinstone, who, he said, had been the means of raising
up a sincere and lasting friendship between his family and the British
Government.
Bhawul Khan is a handsome man, about thirty years of age, somewhat
grave in his demeanour, though most affable and gentlemanlike; during
the interview he held a rosary in his hand, but the telling of the
beads did not interrupt his conversation. He dilated at length on the
honour which Runjeet Sing had had conferred upon him in receiving
presents from the King of Great Britain; nor did he, in any way,
betray his feelings towards the Lahore chief, though they are far from
friendly. The Khan, unlike most natives, seemed to avoid all political
subjects. He produced his matchlock, and explained to us his manner
of hunting deer, his favourite sport; and expressed a strong wish
that we should accompany him to his residence in the desert. We left
him quite charmed with his kindness, and the sincere manner in which
he had shown it. In the evening the Khan sent for our perusal the
testimonials that had been given to his grandfather by Mr. Elphinstone,
which are preserved with great pride and care in the archives of his
government. For my own part, I felt equal satisfaction to find the
English character stand so high in this remote corner of India, and the
just appreciation of the high-minded individual who had been the means
of fixing it.
~Merchants at Bhawulpoor.~
During our stay at Ooch, we were visited by some of the principal
merchants of Bhawulpoor, who had followed the Khan. The intelligence
of these people, and extent of their travels, surprised me. Most
of them had traversed the kingdom of Cabool, and visited Balkh and
Bokhara: some had been as far as Astracan; and they used the names
of these towns with a familiarity as if they had been in India. They
had met Russian merchants at Bokhara, but assured me that they never
came to the eastward of that city. The intervening countries they
represented as perfectly safe, and bestowed the highest commendations
on Dost Mahommed, of Cabool, and the Uzbeks, who encouraged commercial
communication. These merchants are chiefly Hindoos, whose disposition
peculiarly adapts them for the patient and painstaking vocation of a
foreign merchant. Some of them are Jews, who retain the marks of their
nation in all countries and places.[10]
~History of Ooch.~
We continued at Ooch for a week. The place is ancient, and highly
celebrated in the surrounding countries from the tombs of two saints
of Bokhara and Bagdad. The Ghorian emperors expelled the Hindoo Rajas
of Ooch, and consigned the surrounding lands to pious Mahommedans.
The tombs of the two worthies I have named are handsome, and held in
much reverence by the people; they are about five hundred years old,
and tradition is silent regarding the history of the place beyond that
period. The posterity of these saints enjoy both spiritual and temporal
power to the present day; but, instead of ministering to the wants of
the inhabitants, who are needy and poor, they waste their fortunes
in the chase, and retain hounds and horses for their amusement. An
inundation of the Acesines, some years back, swept away one half of the
principal tomb, with a part of the town; and, though the return of the
river to its original bed is attributed to the miraculous interference
of the deceased saint, the people have, as yet, failed to testify their
gratitude by repairing his tomb. The town of Ooch stands on a mound
of earth or clay, like the city of Tatta, which I judge to have been
formed by the ruins of houses. The Chenab has swept away a portion of
the mound; and the section of it which has been thus exposed seems to
support the conjecture which I have stated.
~Visit from Bhawul Khan.~
On the 5th of June we had a visit from Bhawul Khan. He insisted on
coming in person to see us; and sent a large tent to be pitched by our
garden, in which we received him. He sat for about an hour; and put
numerous questions regarding the manufactures of Europe. The chief is
of a mechanical turn of mind; he produced a detonating gun, which had
been made under his directions from an European pattern, and certainly
did credit to the artificer; he had also manufactured the necessary
caps and fulminating powder. He expressed, at this interview, much
satisfaction with the presents which we had sent him; they consisted
of a brace of pistols, a watch, and some other articles. The Khan came
in an open sort of chair, to which we conducted him on his departure.
He was attended by about a thousand persons; and I observed that he
distributed money as he passed along. After the visit, our Mihmandar
brought us presents from the Khan; they consisted of two horses richly
caparisoned with silver and enamel trappings, a hawk, with shawls and
trays of the fabrics made at Bhawulpoor, some of which were very rich;
to these were added a purse of 2000 rupees, and a sum of 200 for the
servants; and, last of all, a beautiful matchlock, which had its value
doubled by the manner in which it was presented. “The Khan,” said the
messenger, “has killed many a deer with this gun; and he begs you will
accept it from him, and, when you use it, remember that Bhawul Khan is
your friend.”
~Audience of leave.~
In the evening we had a parting interview with Bhawul Khan. I gave him
a handsome percussion gun; and assured him, what I felt most sincerely,
that we should long remember his kindness and hospitality. He embraced
us on our leaving him; and intreated us to write to him and command his
services. The courtiers and people were as polite as their chief.
We left Ooch on the following morning, and pitched our camp at the
junction of the Chenab with the Garra, or united streams of the Beas
and Sutlege.
~Mountains of Sooliman.~
The country about Ooch is flat and exceedingly rich; there are many
signs of inundation between the town and the river. The dust was
most intolerable; but it always cleared up towards evening, and we
saw the sun set in splendour behind the mountains of Sooliman across
the Indus, eighty miles distant. They did not appear high, and were
not distinguished by any remarkable peaks. It is a little below the
latitude of Ooch that they assume a direction parallel to the Indus,
which they afterwards preserve. We lost sight of the range on our
voyage to Mooltan the day after leaving Ooch.
~Embouchure of the Sutlege.~
On the morning of the 7th we passed the mouth of the Sutlege, and
continued our voyage on the Chenab to the frontiers of Bhawul Khan,
which we reached on the evening of the 8th. The Chenab receives the
Sutlege without turmoil, and appears quite as large above as below the
conflux. The waters of either river are to be distinguished some miles
below the junction by their colour: that of the Chenab is reddish; and,
when joined by the Sutlege, the waters of which are pale, the contrast
is remarkable. For some distance the one river keeps the right, and the
other the left, bank; the line of demarcation between the two being
most decided. The nature of the soil through which the Chenab flows,
no doubt, tinges its waters. This peculiarity is well known to the
natives, who speak of the “red water,” but none of the ancient authors
allude to the circumstance. The nature of the country between Ooch and
the Indus has been mistaken, as it is never flooded. Several decayed
canals, if cleared, would yet lead the water of the Chenab to the
Indus, and may account for Major Rennell’s conducting that river into
the great stream, so many miles above the true point of union, until
the geographical error was rectified by the mission to Cabool.
~The Mihmandar.~
We parted with our Mihmandar, Gholam Cadir Khan, before passing into
the Seik territory. We had seen a great deal of him, and found him
well informed on all such subjects as he could be supposed to know.
He carried four or five historical works with him, among which was
the Chuchnamu, or History of Sinde, to which I have alluded, one or
two books on medicine, and some volumes of poetry: yet he made a most
particular request, at our last interview, that I would tell him the
secret of magic, which he was certain we possessed. I assured him of
the error under which he laboured: “But,” said he, “how is it that
you have had a favourable wind ever since I met you, and performed a
twenty days’ voyage in five, when a breath of air does not sometimes
stir in this country for months?” I told him that such was the good
fortune of the English. When the Nawaub found me wanting in the black
art, he whispered that he himself was a dealer in spells and magic;
but very sensibly added, that he had no faith in his own incantations,
high as they stood in the opinion of others; though it was not his
part to say so. He begged I would give him some medicine to prevent
him growing fatter; but neither regular exercise, nor vinegar, which
I prescribed, seemed to suit his taste. What a whimsical creature man
is. In Sinde, every person of rank seeks for rotundity to support his
dignity; and but a few miles from that country, the “martyr to obesity”
is considered unfortunate.
There is little cordiality subsisting between the Seiks and Bhawul
Khan; and it was with the utmost difficulty that I prevailed on the
Nawaub to let us proceed to the Seik camp, a distance of six miles,
in the boats belonging to his master. “The Seiks,” he said, “are my
master’s enemies, and no boat of ours shall cross their frontier.”
He at last assented, on my becoming answerable for the return of the
vessels.
~Runjeet Sing’s country.~
A few hours’ sail brought us to the place of rendezvous late at night,
and the fires of the soldiers blazing in the darkness only increased
our anxiety to meet our new friends. It was the camp of the party which
had been sent from Lahore to await our arrival, and had long expected
us. Immediately on landing, we were received by Sirdar Lenu Sing, who
came with considerable state on an elephant, and was attended by a
large retinue. The Sirdar was richly dressed, and had a necklace of
emeralds, and armlets studded with diamonds. In one hand he held a bow,
and in the other two Persian letters in silken bags. He congratulated
us, in the name of Maharajah Runjeet Sing, on our arrival, and had been
desired by his Highness to communicate that he was deeply sensible of
the honour conferred upon him by the King of England, and that his army
had been for some time in readiness on the frontier, to chastise the
barbarians of Sinde, who had so long arrested our progress. He then
delivered to me the letters which appointed himself as our Mihmandar,
in conjunction with two other persons; presenting at the same time
a bow, according to the custom of the Seiks. On the ceremony being
terminated, the Sirdar and several others placed bags of money at my
feet, amounting to about 1400 rupees, and then withdrew.
The first intercourse with a new people can never be destitute of
interest, and the present was far from being so.
These Seiks are tall and bony men, with a very martial carriage: the
most peculiar part of their dress is a small flat turban, which
becomes them well; they wear long hair, and from the knee downwards
do not cover the leg. When the deputation had withdrawn, an escort of
regular troops attended to receive orders, and sentries were planted
round our camp. It was novel to hear the words of command given in the
French language.
~Exhibition of the dray horses.~
No sooner had the day broke, than the Maharajah’s people evinced much
anxiety to view the dray horses, and we had them landed for exhibition.
Their surprize was extreme; for they were little elephants, said
they, and not horses. Their manes and tails seemed to please, from
their resemblance to the hair of the cow of Thibet; and their colour,
a dappled grey, was considered a great beauty. It was not without
difficulty that I replied to the numerous questions regarding them;
for they believed that the presents of the King of England must be
extraordinary in every way; and for the first time, a dray horse was
expected to gallop, canter, and perform all the evolutions of the
most agile animal. Their astonishment reached its height when the
feet of the horses were examined; and a particular request was made
of me to permit the despatch of one of the shoes to Lahore, as it was
found to weigh 100 rupees, or as much as the four shoes of a horse in
this country. The curiosity was forthwith despatched by express, and
accompanied by the most minute measurement of each of the animals, for
Runjeet Sing’s special information. The manner in which this rarity was
prized, will be afterwards seen, when it is gravely recorded, that the
new moon turned pale with envy on seeing it!
~Civilities.~
Our own comforts were not forgotten among their wonder and admiration,
for the attentions of the people were of the most marked description.
Our Mihmandar said that he had the strictest injunctions regarding
our reception; and he rigidly acted up to the spirit of the following
document, which will best show the distinguished and kind manner we
were treated in the territories of Maharajah Runjeet Sing.
~Purwanu of Runjeet Sing.~
COPY OF THE MAHARAJAH’S “PURWANU,” OR COMMAND TO HIS OFFICERS.
“Be it known to Dewan Adjoodia Pursad, Monsieur Chevalier Ventura, and
the great and wise Sirdar Lenu Sing, and Lalla Sawun Mull, Soobadar
of Mooltan, that when Mr. Burnes reaches the frontier, you are
immediately to attend to all his wants, and previously despatch 200
infantry and the lancers, under Tajee Sing, to Julalpoor, that they
may be ready on his arrival as an honorary escort; and you are at the
same time to make known your own arrival in the neighbourhood. When
Mr. Burnes approaches, you are immediately to despatch an elephant,
with a silver houda, in charge of the Dewan, who is to state that the
animal has been sent for his own express use, and then ask him to be
seated thereon, which will be gratifying, as the friendship between
the states is great.
“When Mr. Burnes has mounted the elephant, then shall the Sirdar Lenu
Sing, and Sawun Mull, seated on other elephants, approach, and have
an interview with that gentleman, paying him every manner of respect
and attention in their power, and congratulating him in a hundred ways
on his safe arrival from a long and distant journey, distributing at
the same time 225 rupees among the poor. You are then to present a
handsome bow, and each of you eleven gold Venetians, and conduct the
gentleman to the halting-place, and there set before him 1100 rupees,
and fifty jars of sweetmeats. You are then to supply the following
articles: grass, grain, bran, milk, eggs, fowls, sheep (doombus),
curds, vegetables, fruit, roses, spices, water-vessels, beds, and
every other thing that may be necessary, in quantities without bounds,
and be neglectful and dilatory in nothing. When you visit, you are
to parade the two companies and the horse, and salute, and then place
guards according to Mr. Burnes’ pleasure.
“When you reach Shoojuabad, you are to fire a salute of eleven
guns, and furnish every thing as before directed, and present 1100
rupees, with sweetmeats and fruits, and attend to every wish that is
expressed. If Mr. Burnes desires to look at the fort of Shoojuabad,
you are to attend on him and show it, and see there is no obstruction,
and that no one even raises his voice.
“On reaching Mooltan, you are to conduct Mr. Burnes with great
respect, and pitch his camp in whatever garden he shall select; the
Huzooree, the Begee, the Shush Muhl, or the Khass wu Am, or any other.
You are then to present him with a purse of 2500 rupees, and 100 jars
of sweetmeats, and fire a salute of eleven guns from the ramparts of
the fortress. When you have complimented him on his arrival, you are
to suggest for his consideration, whether he would not like to halt at
Mooltan for five or six days after his long journey, and act entirely
as he desires; if he wishes to view the fort, you three persons are
to attend him, and allow no one to make a noise, and take most
particular care that the Nihungs, and such other wrong-headed people,
are kept at a distance.
“In quitting Mooltan, you are to load 100 camels with provisions for
the supply of Mr. Burnes to Lahore, and Soobadar Sawan Mull is to
attend him in person for the first stage, and after taking leave,
repair to the camp of Monsieur Chevalier Ventura. Sirdar Lenu Sing and
Dewan Adjoodia Pursad, together with Futih Sing Ramgurree, accompanied
by an escort of two companies and the lancers, shall attend Mr.
Burnes, and proceed by easy stages to Lahore, despatching daily
notice of his approach. At Dehra, Syudwulla the Kardar is to present
1100 rupees, with the usual sweetmeats; and you are all directed to
remember, in every instance, and at all times, the great friendship
which subsists between the two states.”
There is at all times much display and hyperbole in affairs of this
description throughout the East; but in the present instance it will
be observed, that the Maharajah not only evinced his liberality in
other matters, but in throwing open to our inspection the strong holds
of his country, which can be duly appreciated by those only who have
experienced the extreme jealousy of most Indian governments. The Seik
Sirdars in attendance on us were likewise most communicative; and this
is the more remarkable, as it could not have escaped the Maharajah,
that in taking the unfrequented tract we had followed on the Indus we
were seeking for new information, after the spirit of our country.
FOOTNOTE:
[10] It was my conversation with these men which made me decide on
undertaking the journey to Central Asia, which I afterwards performed.