all directions; I see the swarthy natives moving around them, and
hear them chattering or singing their low monotonous song; everything
looks wild; I begin to indulge in all sorts of reveries--when a man
approaches with his hands clasped together, and, bending low before
me, says "Cana meg" (dinner-table). The peacock takes the place
of the reverie; visions of the partridges and oysters flit across
my mind; and I run to help in demolishing a most substantial and
well-earned meal. I then go to my palkee. The howling of the jackals
does not awake me, I am too well used to it; but at last, about two
o'clock in the morning, I was aroused by a sort of sniffing and a
scratch at the door. I guessed at once what it was, and debated for
an instant whether I should open it a little and try the effect of my
pistols, or call out so as to rouse my companions, or lie still and
leave him to himself. I determined on the latter; as, supposing I
had not killed him, my visitor might have come into my palanquin and
killed me before I could get assistance. I therefore lay quietly with
a pistol in my hand; and I felt much happier when I heard the bear at
last trot off.
Barripore, January 16, 1844.
[Sidenote: THE NEILGHUR HILLS.]
On Friday morning the magistrate and myself determined to ascend one
of the Neilghur hills. The doctor did not think it worth the fatigue,
and therefore shot partridges and wild-ducks for our breakfasts. We
started from our tents at about half-past five in the morning. For
about four miles our road lay through jungle, similar to that I have
already described.
As we emerged from this the effect was most extraordinary. We had
been suffering much from heat, and the sudden exclamation of both
of us was, "Oh, how very cold!" A chilling blast came down from
the hills, which entirely altered the temperature of the air; and,
moreover, the place where we now were can very rarely, if ever, be
reached by the sun. These causes produce a most singular effect upon
the vegetation. Behind us was a dense jungle of bamboos, brambles,
cacti, &c., through which it was most difficult to force a passage.
In front of us for nearly a mile--that is, extending to the foot of
the hills--the appearance was altogether different: not a bamboo nor
a cactus, not a bramble, scarcely even a thorn; the turf perfectly
smooth; the only plants a sort of laurel and a species of wild-apple;
and no two plants growing within four feet of each other. It was
like a wilderness or a shrubbery in a gentleman's park. We found
several marks of bears and also of elephants; and the natives were
rather unwilling to proceed. However, we led the way, with our guns
in our hands, and soon arrived at the foot of the hill. It rose very
suddenly, and in many places we had to climb for several feet up the
face of a smooth black rock, similar to that which I have already
mentioned.
We had no adventures beyond a tumble or two, but it was a most
fatiguing work; and the instant we reached the top we threw
ourselves down and called for a cigar and a glass of beer. This hill,
which is much the lowest of the whole range, is not, I suppose, more
than five hundred feet in height: it rises to a peak, the extreme top
being about six feet in diameter. Here we fired off our guns as a
signal to the doctor, and then commenced our descent.
At the bottom we were very glad to mount our horses and ride back to
the tent. It was a very clear morning, and you can hardly imagine
the wild magnificence of the scene from the top. Behind us lay the
thick jungle through which we had passed, with Balasore in the
distance, and the sea forming the background; in front, a wilderness
of brushwood, extending as far as the eye could reach; to the right
was a winding river, bordered by the graceful bamboo, with native
villages and patches of rice-fields on its banks; whilst to the
left, from the midst of the thickets, rose abruptly the other hills,
towering to the height of several thousand feet. All these ranges
belong to tributary rajahs, and are not the property of the English.
We were delighted with our excursion, and it has led to the proposal
of another, which we hope to accomplish, with the addition to our
party of the doctor and the master-attendant, as soon as I return
from Cuttack.
This second expedition is to be to the highest point visible from
Balasore. No human being has ever yet ascended it, and the natives
pretend that it is impracticable; however, we mean to try. I should
like to set my foot where no man has ever trodden. We shall go well
armed with guns, pistols, and swords; we are also each to carry a
hatchet and a billhook, to cut our way through the jungle.
We intend to take a barometer and thermometer in order to measure the
height, and go well attended by natives. It is said that this hill is
tenanted by all sorts of wild beasts, but we shall be too well armed
to fear them. The inhabitants are a very savage race, and offer up
human sacrifices; but they will hardly dare to attack white men. I
am very fond of these excursions; the exercise I consider good for
me--whilst at Guzzeepuddee I was ten or eleven hours on my feet each
day; and another great advantage is, that they cost nothing beyond
the price of powder and shot. I must now start for Cuttack. I found
in the jungle the skeleton of a small boa constrictor: it is perfect
except the lower jaw. I told one of my servants to take care of it.
When I returned to Balasore he had lost it; I said, if he did not
find it again I should deduct a rupee from his month's wages. His
answer was, "O representative of God, you are the father and the
mother of your slave, and you must do with him as you think fit."
However, he managed to find the skeleton.
Midnapore, February 1, 1844.
[Sidenote: BHABANESWAR AND CUNDEGANEE.]
When I returned to Cuttack the last time I found that my wife had
been rather poorly for some days; I therefore determined that I
would take her out for a little excursion. We accordingly sent out
a tent and all necessary apparatus, and then started with some
friends of ours--a Captain of Engineers and his wife, and a couple of
children--to explore two of the most extraordinary places in India,
Bhabaneswar and Cundeganee. At the former there are nine hundred and
ninety-nine temples, besides numerous tombs, &c.: at the latter place
some very high hills, perforated in every direction with artificial
caves; a palace, statues, and animals, cut out of the solid rock;
long inscriptions in some language now forgotten; images of gods, of
which the Hindus know nothing.
The trip did my wife a great deal of good; but almost immediately
after our return to Cuttack I was attacked by one of the fearful
diseases of the country. Fortunately I knew what it was by the
very first symptoms, and therefore went to the doctor at once. The
disease is what we call _liver_; in England it is called, I think,
inflammation of the liver. It is accompanied by a soreness in the
side and acute pain in the shoulder. The doctor immediately took
most energetic pains to reduce me both in size and in strength, and
he succeeded so well that all danger was soon over. Directly I was
better I was ordered change of air, starvation, and exercise.
February 15, 1844.
I feel quite well again: we start for the hills this afternoon. The
party consists of seven Europeans and about one hundred natives. It
happened rather curiously that the Rajah to whom the hill belongs
called here this morning on business: he is a very intelligent young
man. He has volunteered to accompany us, to supply us with elephants
if we wish to hunt upon the plain, and to provide us an escort of
five hundred men; so we shall go in state. He rode a magnificent
white horse with _pink eyes_. We each take a small axe, a pair of
pistols, and two guns.
But before proceeding I would enter into more particulars concerning
the excursion that we took for the benefit of my wife's health. On
Monday we all started at half-past five in the morning--Captain R.
and myself on horseback, and Mrs. R. and my wife in palanquins,
having their ponies led by their side. We had about one hundred and
twenty servants with us, Captain R. having a good deal of surveying
and other work to do.
As we went along the road he stopped to inspect the different
bridges, &c. We had one little adventure this morning. It seems
that some months ago a beyraghee, or mendicant, sat himself down by
the side of the road, a few miles from Cuttack, with nothing but
an umbrella to shade him from the sun. There he remained for some
weeks, subsisting on the charity of the pilgrims who were proceeding
to Juggernat'h. I should have mentioned that our road lay, for a
considerable distance, on the direct route for Pooree. After some
time the beyraghee made himself a little hut of wicker-work, after
the fashion of many of the Indian devotees. These baskets, as I may
call them, are just large enough to contain a man in a lying-down
position; they are, in fact, mere coverings.
By degrees the basket became a good-sized mud hut; then the beyraghee
began to enclose a small piece of ground, which he cultivated, and
built himself a granary of bamboo to contain the rice given him by
the pilgrims. Now, although a man with an umbrella does not much
matter, yet a hut with a little field, around which a village is
likely enough to spring up, cannot be allowed upon the roadside,
which belongs to Government.
The man had been warned, but paid no attention to what was said;
and accordingly, when we reached the spot, Captain R. directed the
chuprapees, or Government messengers, to pull down the fence and
destroy the hut, granary, &c. We sat on our horses while these men
obeyed the order. In a quarter of an hour the whole was level with
the ground. I knew that Captain R. was perfectly right, yet I could
not help pitying the poor man, who came and laid himself down at our
horses' feet, with his hands clasped over his head. Like many of the
beyraghees, he was entirely naked. They are a worthless, wicked set
of men, and peculiarly obnoxious to Europeans. It was a singular
scene. Captain R. and myself, with our broad-brimmed hats, sitting
quietly on our sturdy ponies; a half-naked groom at the head of each;
the naked beyraghee at our feet; and a dozen chuprapees, in the
white native dress, with red badges, hewing the house and fence to
pieces, and scattering the remains on all sides under the grove of
mangoes with which the road was bordered. In the distance were the
palanquins, whilst the wild song of the bearers faintly reached our
ears.
[Sidenote: ENCAMPMENT AT BENGWHARRIE]
Nothing of interest occurred after this until we arrived at
Bengwharrie, a small village, where our tents were pitched under
a grove, or, as we call it, a "tope," of splendid trees. I have
already described the appearance of a private encampment; the only
difference here was that we had a greater number of men about us, and
more tents. Mine contains one room, about twenty-four feet square;
in the centre rises the high pole which supports our canvas house.
At each end are cloth doors, made to roll up. The tent has a double
fly or covering, one much larger than the other; it is like a small
one inside a large one. This tends to keep it warm at night, and
cool during the day; the outer fly forms a verandah round the inner
room. In the latter are two small camp bedsteads, a camp table, camp
chairs, &c. By camp bedsteads, &c., I mean such as will double up for
the convenience of carriage. In the verandah are our palanquins, a
chest of wine, beer, &c., some cooling apparatus, and various other
articles. At one side there is an entrance into a small tent, which
serves for a bathing-room.
After breakfast, we were very much interested in watching the
monkeys. The tope swarmed with a grey species, some of which appeared
almost as large as men. They are peculiarly sacred in the eyes of the
Hindus, who imagine that one of their gods once assumed a similar
form. They are called Hunnamuns, which was the name of that deity.
My wife and I stood at the door of the tent watching them for hours;
they do not appear to be afraid of men. Many of the females had young
ones with them, and they came and sat down close to us with their
little ones in their laps. First they would suckle them, then they
would hush them to sleep, or turn them over and over, pulling off
all the dirt that adhered to their skins, and making them clean and
comfortable.
A little farther off you would see four or five males picking the
fruit off a low bush, and chattering to one another all the time.
Then a half-grown one would jump down, and give a hard pull at an old
one's tail, for which he generally received a good box on the ear,
unless he was nimble enough to get out of the way in time; presently
one of the old fellows would get angry, and spring into the tree
after his little tormentor, and a regular chase would ensue. The
leaps they take are tremendous; they will often spring from the top
of a lofty tree into the middle of the next without falling.
I saw one of the females shot; it was a cruel sight, and struck all
the natives with horror. They refused to touch the dead body. The
ball did not kill her instantly, and she cried piteously, whilst
she pressed her little one to her bosom, and tried to get into the
tree. To the last she would not relinquish her young one, and died in
endeavouring to save it. I could not shoot a monkey, their actions
and their cries are so like human beings. I know of a case in which
an officer shot one, and the whole herd instantly sprang from the
trees and attacked him; it was with difficulty he was saved. They are
most interesting creatures.
[Sidenote: CROW-PHEASANT.]
In the evening I went out with my gun, accompanied by Captain R. I
got nothing, however, but some doves and some crow-pheasants; the
latter are not eaten by Europeans, though much relished by the
low-caste natives. It is a bird, as the name signifies, between a
crow and a pheasant. The colour is black, tinged with a deep dull
red. It has a long tail, and runs like a pheasant; but I believe that
its food is the same as a crow's, that is, carrion and animal food.
[Sidenote: GAME.]
On the Tuesday morning Captain R. was lazy, so I started by myself at
six o'clock to try and get some jungle-fowl. When I say by myself, I
of course mean with three or four servants. I, however, shot nothing
but a few doves and one green pigeon. The latter is a large bird, of
a pale-green colour, and is most delicious eating, which is more than
can be said of any of the game in India. The partridges are dry and
flavourless; the deer have literally not a particle of fat upon them;
the hares are fit for nothing but soup. A leveret is good, and so is
a very young peacock, but, old or young, they must be eaten the same
day that they are killed. By the by, the black partridge is pretty
good: it has a black neck, shading into deep red on the head; the
back is dark; the breast and tail are most beautifully covered with
minute white spots.
I may as well mention now that we shot the other day a double-spurred
partridge; it was of a dingy red colour, with a crest on its head;
the legs were bright red, and each armed with two long sharp spurs.
As I walked along I observed a bird of a species which I had never
seen before; I tried to shoot it, in order to have it stuffed, but
missed, and sadly frightened some monkeys who were in the same tree.
As far as I could judge, every feather was a bright blue, giving a
most splendid appearance to the bird.
[Sidenote: MANGO-BIRD.]
After breakfast Captain R. and I stood at the door of the tent
amusing ourselves with his air-gun. I killed with it three or four
birds, whose skins I should like to preserve; one especially, though
I believe I have before described it, namely, the mango-bird. I
fancy the European name is the golden oriole. It is of one uniform
brilliant yellow, with the exception of the head, which is perfectly
black. Its note is very peculiar, as indeed are the voices of many
of the Indian birds. I cannot describe the sounds on paper, but I
have learned to imitate many of them well enough to hold a long
conversation with them. Once or twice, when Captain R. wanted to
get near to a bird without being observed, he asked me to continue
talking to it. It is curious to observe them hopping from branch to
branch replying to my call, and looking round on every side for the
bird from which they suppose the sound to proceed.
On Tuesday evening Captain R. and I rode about four miles to try
and find some peacocks. His pony had hurt its foot, so he took
one of mine. We were going along quietly enough through some
rice-fields, when suddenly the pony he was on shied; he spurred it,
and it immediately reared and fell over backwards. Most fortunately
he managed to throw himself off, so as to escape being under the
horse, though, as it was, he got a heavy tumble. It is a very nice
pony, a little inclined to rear; but I am too heavy for it to do so
with me. I am getting thinner now. We came at last to a beautiful
bit of bamboo-jungle, where we dismounted, inside of which was a
paddy-field; in the centre were two fine cocks and five hens feeding.
Beckoning to the servants to stay behind, I crouched down on the
ground and crept slowly forward, until I came very near to the
jungle-fowl, when I cautiously raised my gun to fire; from some cause
or other it did not go off, though the cap exploded, and the birds
flew away. Now, a regular Indian sportsman would not fire at a bird
on the ground, but would first make a noise to frighten him, and
would then fire as he was flying away; however, I am not practised
enough for that, and like to get what they call a pot-shot whenever I
can.
[Sidenote: SPORTING.]
A little while ago a party of officers went out from Cuttack to
shoot. Their men were beating the jungle, when suddenly all the wild
cry ceased, and a man came gliding to where all the sahibs were
standing to tell them that there was a tiger lying asleep in his den
close at hand. A consultation was instantly held; most of the party
were anxious to return to Cuttack, but Captain B. insisted on having
a shot at the animal. Accordingly he advanced very quickly until he
came to the place, when he saw--not a tiger, but a large leopard
lying quite still, with his head resting on his fore paws. He went
up close and fired, but the animal did not move. This astonished
him, and on examination he found that the brute was already dead. One
of his companions had bribed some Indians to place a dead leopard
there and to say that there was a tiger asleep. You may imagine what
a laugh there was, though it was very wrong of the Europeans to
encourage the natives to say what was not true.
Since then a large party has been out from Cuttack on a shooting
excursion: they found five leopards, two sambres (the largest species
of deer), and four of the Indian bisons or ghyal, of whose horns I
have preserved a specimen. They however killed only one leopard.
But I must hasten on with my description. Captain R. and I proceeded
into the jungle, where we heard several peacocks; we separated,
creeping along in different directions. Presently I came to an open
space where some pea-fowls were feeding, but we did not succeed in
killing anything. The next evening we went to the same place, when
Captain R. shot a peacock. Towards dusk I was creeping along, when
suddenly I saw what appeared to me a fine peahen. I signed to my
men to be quiet, got as near as I could, fired, and shouted to my
followers to run and pick up the bird, for it was dead. An Indian
servant rarely loses his gravity; but in this instance they could not
restrain themselves when they found that instead of a pea-fowl I had
knocked to pieces the skull of an old cow which had been half-picked
by the vultures; in the dim light I had mistaken it for a bird.
[Sidenote: BHOHONESWAR.]
The next day we proceeded about ten miles farther to Bhalmacottee;
and on the day following, that is Friday, we started at five o'clock
in the morning for Bhohoneswar. On the way we passed the remains of a
very large old fort built of hewn stone. In one of the moats, which
was still full of water, I saw the remains of a pier of a bridge.
Bhohoneswar is a very ancient town, much more so than Pooree: it is
celebrated for containing nine hundred and ninety-nine temples. The
natives say that, had there been a thousand, Juggernat'h would have
taken up his abode here; but as there were not he preferred having a
new temple for himself at Pooree. The ancient city has disappeared,
and the town only consists of a few hundred mud huts. The temples
however remain--some perfect, others in ruins; some facing the street
of the modern town, others half hidden in the surrounding jungle. It
is a wonderful place, and I hardly know how to describe it.
At one extremity of the town is a tank, about half a mile square,
and of a great depth, entirely faced with huge blocks of black
iron-stone. In the centre of this stands a small temple, whilst the
sides are surrounded by others of greater or less size. At the end
next the town an enormous flight of steps leads down to the water,
where hundreds of pilgrims were hastening to wash themselves before
entering the great temple. The farther end is bordered by a dense and
lofty jungle, and in the distance is a splendid background of rugged
hills.
After leaving the burrah tellores (great tank) we walked through
a lane of temples, many of which were ruinous, until we came to
the grand sacred edifice of the place. The form of this, as indeed
of most of the others, is similar to that of Pooree. The temple
of Bhohoneswar is however larger, the principal tower being about
two hundred feet high. Like all the others, it is built entirely
of stone, and every block is most elaborately carved. The various
cornices, of elephants, horses, &c., are as beautifully executed as
if they had been done by the best European artists. The fretwork is
most delicate in its livery, and the many images, though representing
grotesque figures, are admirably carved. The whole forms one mass of
most splendid sculpture.
No description would enable the reader to form any idea of the
magnificence of this building. Many of the blocks of stone are
fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five feet in length, and thick in
proportion. It would be curious to discover by what means they were
ever raised to the height of above one hundred feet. This temple is
still sacred, and we were therefore not allowed to enter it, but we
examined the interior of several of the others. The lofty domes were
evidently constructed by a people who were ignorant of the use of
the arch; they are formed of overlapping stones, approaching nearer
and nearer together until they reach the top, where the whole is
surmounted by one enormous block.
[Sidenote: CUNDEEGURREE.]
We breakfasted in a small tent which we had sent forward to
Bhohoneswar, and then proceeded in our palanquins to Cundeegurree, a
distance of about seven miles. This latter place consists of three
hills surrounded by the most romantic-looking jungle. Our palanquins
were set down in what may be called a forest, at the foot of the
principal hill, and crowned by a small but very pretty white temple.
These hills are perforated in every direction with caves of various
dimensions, and reminded me most forcibly of the ancient Petra. Many
of the caves are inhabited by devotees and priests. The god whom
they worship is quite unknown to our Hindu servants: he is called
Persilat'h, and is the god of the Jains, who were a powerful race
that existed prior to the introduction of the Hindu religion. There
are very few of them now remaining. The god is represented as a naked
man, standing upright, with his arms hanging down by his sides. In
many of the caves are small images of this deity beautifully cut in a
dark-blue stone.
At the summit is a Jain temple, which has been rebuilt within the
last two hundred years. The Hindus say that the caves are the works
of demons. Above the entrances to many of them are long inscriptions
in a forgotten tongue. Several of the letters appear to resemble the
Greek; but most of them are different from any known language. The
entrance to one of the caverns is through the mouth of an enormous
lion's head, cut out of the solid rock: it is exceedingly well
executed. The pillars about the doorway are also cut out of the solid
rock. Within the lion's mouth is an inscription in two lines, which I
copied.