THE AUTHOR'S DEPARTURE FROM CUDDALORE AND ARRIVAL AT
PONDICHERRY--DEPARTURE THEREFROM, AND ARRIVAL AT MADRAS,
WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE SAME--ACCOUNT OF THE RELIGION,
CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS OF THE NATIVES--DEPARTURE FROM MADRAS,
ON HIS ROUTE TO NAGPORE,--ARRIVAL AT PONAMALEE, AND
DESCRIPTION OF THE SAME--HIS DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL AT
CUDDAPAH.
After I had thoroughly recovered, through the interest of a young
German widow, I obtained my acquittal from the ship, and then
proceeded to New Town for my passport. New Town lies about two miles
and a half E. N. E. of Cuddalore, and is the residence of the
Europeans in that neighbourhood; the houses of the Europeans are
generally built of brick and those of the natives of wood. The day
after I had obtained my passport I proceeded on my route and arrived
at Pondicherry the same evening.
Pondicherry is about four leagues in extent; the houses are built with
brick, but the Indians use only wood, in the manner which we call lath
and plaster. In a few days after I arrived in Madras, and took up my
residence with a friend in Pursevaulkum.
A few days after my arrival I proceeded with my friend to town.
Madras, or Fort St. George, is a fort and town of the peninsula, on
the coast of Coromandel. It is the principal settlement of the English
on the east side of the peninsula, and is a fortress of great extent,
including within it a regular well-built city. It is close to the sea
shore, from which it has a rich and beautiful appearance, the houses
being covered with a stucco, called _chunam_, which, in itself, is as
compact as the finest marble, bears as high a polish, and is equally
as splendid as that elegant material. There is a second city, called
Black Town, nearly four miles in circumference, separated from Madras
by the breadth of a proper esplanade. Madras, in common with all the
European settlements on this coast, has no port for shipping, the
coast forming nearly a straight line, and being incommoded with a high
and dangerous surf. The citadel is situated in the middle of the
White, or English Town, and is one of the best fortresses in the
British possessions. The town is also encompassed with a strong wall
of the same stone as that with which the citadel is built, and is
defended by bastions, batteries, half-moons, flankers, and mortars.
Opposite the west gate of the citadel are barracks and a convenient
hospital for the company's soldiers, and at the other end is a mint
where the company coin gold and silver.
I was shortly after engaged as an overseer in the Madras Advertiser
printing office, and as an assistant to the Madras Nautical Academy;
but not agreeing with my employer I left it, and obtained permission
to stop in the country as a free merchant.
Mr. M. R----, with whom I resided, used all his interest to obtain for
me some permanent situation under government, but it could not be
effected. At length, being tired of an indolent life, I opened a
school, which succeeded very well, when I was forced to relinquish
it, owing to my ill state of health the confinement and severity of
the weather brought on a languishing complaint, which would have
terminated in my death had I persisted in continuing in my present
employment.
My friend being obliged to quit Madras, left me and his brother in
charge of his house. My friends, during his absence, greatly
contributed to my amusement, and, in short, spared no expense. One
morning, passing through Vessory Bazar, I was greatly shocked at
seeing the nabob's elephant take up a little child in his trunk and
dash its brains out against the ground; the only reason that could be
observed was, that the child had thrown some pebble stones at it; and
the only redress the poor disconsolate mother could obtain was a gift
of fifty pagodas from the nabob, which is about equal to twenty pounds
sterling.
During my friend's absence his mother and brother were carried off
with the cholera morbus. The general estimate of deaths through the
settlement is at least three hundred and fifty in one day; the natives
have been known to sacrifice in one day and at one pagoda, fifty cocks
and fifty kids, to appease their angry gods, and, in fact, some of the
poor deluded creatures will go with a sword run through their cheeks
in the fleshy part, and kept hanging in that position for some days,
continually dance backwards and forwards through the different bazars;
others have the palms of their hands pierced with a sword; others have
their breasts burnt, and others again have an instrument run through
their tongue in order to calm the wrath of their offended deities; nor
can they, in their opinions, put themselves to sufficient torture.
Shortly after my friend returned, I went to reside with a friend at
Royaporum, south of Black Town, and soon afterwards I was engaged as
an examiner in the accountant-general's office. After I had been a
short time in this employ, I received an order to prepare for my
departure for Nagpore, in the service of his highness the Rajah. On my
return from the Fort St. George, I was greatly surprised at seeing an
old man standing with his bare feet upon two pieces of wood in the
form of a pair of pattens, with pointed pegs uppermost; he stood in
that position for several days, with the blood running in torrents,
and several of those who passed by gave him what their circumstances
could well afford. A few days after I was invited to witness an Hindoo
ceremony. We took our station at the top of a rich Persian's house,
opposite a spacious esplanade and contiguous to a large pagoda; in the
centre of the esplanade was fixed a capstern, with a pole about sixty
feet long, which was fixed so as to be occasionally raised or
lowered. Shortly after our arrival, a native, decorated with flowers,
proceeded slowly towards the pagoda with tom-toms, and all kinds of
Asiatic music; after he had prostrated himself in the pagoda, the
Brahmin, a kind of priest, struck his side with a leather thong till
it swelled to a considerable size, and then forced a butcher's hook
through his side; he then composedly walked to the machine, and
suffered himself to be fastened to a rope and suspended in the air
with no other support than the butcher's hook; he went at least three
times round a circle of about one hundred feet, and he kept his arms
continually in motion during the whole time, fencing and throwing
flowers among the bye standers, which were immediately picked up by
them and kept as a religious relic. This ceremony is performed yearly
for the purpose of those who have lost their cast, and may regain it
by voluntarily undergoing this treatment. Eleven of them went through
this torturing ceremony.
I now began to put myself in readiness for my departure. On the
morning of the 8th I dispatched my baggage and tents, together with a
guard of eight peons (native police), which my friends had obtained
for me, through their interest with the superintendent of the police.
By the time I had taken leave of all my friends, and thanked them for
their disinterested protection to a distressed seaman, I proceeded on
my route (after receiving several more marks of their favours, Mr.
C---- having presented me with an Arab horse, four baggage bullocks,
and five hundred rupees, besides several letters of introduction) at
eight o'clock in the evening. I travelled about five miles down the
Ponamalee Road, and stopped at a village a little below the main
guard, a small place with scarcely any fodder for the cattle. On the
following morning, at a very early hour, we proceeded on our march,
and arrived at Ponamalee about eight o'clock, where I found several of
my friends waiting to take leave, as they expected that Ponamalee
would have been the first stage.
After having taken farewell of each other they returned back to
Madras, and I hired for the day a small bungalow (or garden house)
opposite the fort, where I determined to stay. Ponamalee is about
fourteen miles W. S. W. of Madras. This small and beautiful town is
situated upon a rising ground, which commands an extensive view of the
adjacent country. The number of Europeans residing here is but few, as
it is entirely out of the road for traffic. There is a fort which is
situated upon a rising ground, and gives the village a romantic
appearance. It forms a complete square, and on each angle is a small
place erected in form of the body of a wind-mill, which was used
formerly for the purpose of solitary confinement when the troops were
quartered here, but is now occupied as lumber rooms; the fort is
garrisoned by pensioners. The grand entrance is on the south side,
and a small wicket is usually on the west. The fort is surrounded by a
large moat about thirty feet in depth, the water is very clear and
good, and is drank by the natives. The inner part is far from being
roomy, owing to the extreme width of the ramparts. There are two or
three small buildings for the use of the commanding officers, but now
the residence of a school-master and two sergeants; in the centre is a
small building with a dome on the top, which was used formerly for a
chapel, but is now converted into a school for the instruction of the
poor soldiers' children, and the two barracks are occupied by
pensioners.
On the following morning, about two o'clock, we prepared for our
journey, and in a few days arrived at Naggery, a distance of about two
hundred miles W. N. W. of Madras. The natives here are Hindoos, and
the village is remarkably clean. The pagoda, or place of worship, is a
fine large building, built in an oblong form, and beautifully gilt and
carved all round with monkeys and apes. The Hindoos, in their manner
of diet, are very abstemious, refraining from flesh; in fact, they
will not eat any animal food; they are very regular in their morning
ablutions, which they do by washing and marking themselves with chunam
in the centre of their foreheads, according to the mark of their
different casts. If any one neglects it he is immediately turned out
of the cast, and his relations disown him, nor will they permit him
once to enter their house. Such is their strictness, that the father
has refused to see his son and the mother her daughter; and if they
happen to perceive him at any distance they fly from him as they would
from a serpent, thinking that his touch would pollute them.
The roads here are very bad, being principally jungle; their principal
cultivation is paddy (a kind of oats). On my arrival at Nundihall I
was determined to rest for a couple of days, as two of my servants
were in a very ill state of health. Nundihall is a beautiful town, the
houses are built of brick, and are generally from three to four
stories high; the streets were very dirty, owing to the number of
paddy fields that surround the city, as the growth of it requires that
the earth should be completely covered with water. The natives are
generally Hindoos and Moors. The town is surrounded by a high brick
wall.
After leaving the town of Nundihall the roads were very bad, owing to
the quantity of stones, and hills which were very steep and difficult
to ascend. On the roads I had several disputes with the natives
passing through Wuntimuttall, owing to my servants and the peons
stealing the toddy from the trees. Toddy is a liquor which is
extracted from the top veins of the cocoa-nut trees, which runs
continually into a pot placed for that purpose. The liquor is very
pleasant, and is reckoned very wholesome when drank early in the
morning in a small quantity; if drunk in the heat of the day it causes
acidity in the bowels, and often is the cause of the death of many
Europeans. The natives drink it continually, and often get quite
intoxicated with it.
We arrived at Cuddapah on the 21st instant; it is a large and
commodious town, and is inhabited by Mussulmen. Cuddapah is situated
N. W. of Madras, one hundred and fifty-one miles distant, and the
general estimate of inhabitants is at about two hundred thousand. The
principal houses are built of brick and the inferior ones of mud.
The Mahometans divide their religion into two general parts, faith and
practice, of which the first is divided into six distinct
branches--belief in God, in his angels, in his scriptures, in his
prophets, in the resurrection and final judgment, and lastly, in God's
absolute decrees. The points relating to practice, are prayer with
washings, &c., alms, fasting, pilgrimages, and circumcision.
The Mahometans pray five times in twenty-four hours, viz.: in the
morning before sun-rise, when noon is past and the sun begins to
decline from the meridian, in the afternoon before sun-set, in the
evening after sun-set and before day is closed, and again in the
evening and before the watch of the night. They fast with great
strictness during the whole month of Ramadan, from the time the new
moon first appears, during which period they must abstain from eating,
drinking, and all other indulgences, from day-break till night or
sun-set.
The Europeans reside about two miles to the west of the native town,
and have commodious houses, with fine spacious gardens; they are built
of brick and much after the form of a gentleman's seat in England, but
on a larger scale. I proceeded to the house of the collector, and on
my road, my horse taking fright, I was thrown, and lost my purse
containing all my money. My distress was now indescribable. Being left
pennyless in the midst of a people totally destitute of Christian
feeling, and without the probable means of obtaining the common
necessaries of life, I arrived, in this miserable state of mind,
bordering on despair, at the collector's, Mr. Hanbury, and after
making him acquainted with my circumstances, he generously rendered me
his assistance, paid my servants' wages that were in arrear, and
kindly advanced what I thought sufficient to defray my expenses,
having previously sent my peons back to Madras, and supplied me with
fresh ones to proceed with me to Hydrabad.
On the following day the rain came down in torrents, accompanied with
thunder and lightning, which kept me within my tent and caused me to
exclaim with Dr. Henry, "O, ye lightnings, that brood and lie couchant
in the sulphureous vapours, that glance with forked fury from the
angry gloom, swifter and fiercer than the lion rushes from his den, or
open with vast expansive sheets of flame, sublimely waved over the
prostrate world, and fearfully lingering in the affrighted skies!" "Ye
thunders, that awfully grumble in the distant clouds, seem to meditate
indignation, and from the first essays of a far more frightful peal;
or suddenly bursting over your heads, rend the vault above and shake
the ground below with a hideous and horrid crack!" In the evening the
weather began to clear up, which induced me to walk out, when taking
two peons as a guard, I proceeded south of the town, on a beautiful
plain: the pleasantness of the weather, and the stillness of the
evening, tempted me to prolong my walk, and inspired my mind to
contemplate on the wonderful works of Providence, who had so lately
showered down his blessings upon me, in preserving me from want in the
midst of a heathen world. The sun had almost finished his daily
course, and sunk lower and lower till he seemed to hover on the verge
of the sky!
The globe is now half immured beneath the dusky earth; or, as the
ancient poet speaks, "is shooting into the ocean, and sinks into the
western sea." The whole face of the ground was overspread with shades,
and what the painters of nature call "dun obscurity." Only a few
superior eminences, tipt with streaming silver, the tops of groves and
lofty towers that catch the last smiles of day, were still irradiated
by the departing beams. But, O how transient is the destination--how
momentary the gift! like all the blessings which mortals enjoy below,
it is gone almost as soon as granted. How languishingly it trembled on
the leafy spire, and glimmered with dying faintness on the mountain's
sable brow! till it expired and resigned the world to the gradual
approaches of night.