THE AUTHOR'S DEPARTURE FROM NERMUL AND ARRIVAL AT
NAGPORE--HIS DEPARTURE, AND ARRIVAL AT JAULNAH--THE AUTHOR'S
DEPARTURE FROM JAULNAH AND ARRIVAL AT POONAH, AND
DESCRIPTION OF THE VILLAGES WITH THEIR RELIGION--HIS ARRIVAL
AT BOMBAY, AND HIS DISTRESS--SKETCH OF BOMBAY AND ACCOUNT OF
THE PERSIAN RELIGION--HE JOINS THE HONOURABLE COMPANY'S SHIP
MARQUIS OF HUNTLY, AS CAPTAIN'S CLERK--HIS DEPARTURE FROM
BOMBAY AND ARRIVAL AT BENGAL.
After remaining two days, I proceeded on my route; and on the
following day arrived at Wadoor, a distance of fourteen miles, across
a long succession of hills, the roads over which are very rugged and
covered with stones; Wadoor lies in a valley, at the foot of a large
mountain, and is hardly perceivable from the top.
On the 20th December, we travelled along a beautiful and finely
cultivated country, the produce of which is cholum and paddy, which
grows in great quantities; the inhabitants are very civil, and
principally Moor men. On the 25th December, 1821, I arrived at
Nagpore, and on the same evening was seized with the Nagpore fever,
which is always accompanied by fits of the ague. The fever is supposed
to originate from the excessive heats of the day, and the extreme cold
of the night.
I endeavoured as much as possible that my ill state of health should
not keep me from my employment, but attended to it very assiduously;
which I persevered in till the 27th of March, when the doctor informed
me, that I had better leave the Presidency or I should endanger my
life, as the hot winds generally set in in the middle of April, which
frequently prove very dangerous to European invalids.
On the 2nd of April, after having previously obtained my passport and
a guard of twelve Seapoys, I proceeded on my route, and towards
evening arrived at Tukea, where, owing to my ill state of health, I
was compelled to stop two days.
On the 12th I arrived at Ouronty, which is S. W. by W. of Nagpore,
about 100 miles. The town is very large, and is surrounded by a brick
wall; the houses are built of brick, and are generally three stories
high. The inhabitants are Mussulmen. In the afternoon I went to the
palace of the Rajah, (Rajah ram.) His palace outside is very dirty,
owing to his guard making fires against the walls for cooking. On my
desiring to see the Rajah, I was conducted through a long dreary
passage, with the walls, to all appearance, covered with grease and
filth, at the end of which is a large court-yard, which has a very
different appearance, the Rajah's apartments being all round; at the
end were six Peons waiting to conduct me to his highness, with silver
staves, about eleven feet long, with a device of Mahomet on the top;
on my introduction to the Rajah's apartment, he was sitting
cross-legged with his hooker; at my entrance he arose and made three
salams in token of respect to the British nation. After questioning me
where I was going to, and my reasons for so doing, he presented me
with two camel-hair shawls, by placing them across my shoulder; then
taking his leave.
On the following day, I proceeded on my route, and on the 20th arrived
at Luckenwarry; where there is good encampment and water, and the
natives are principally Hindoos. Early on the following morning we
began to cross the Luckenwarry Ghaut; the roads were steep and not
above ten feet wide, and on each side a vacuity of about 250 feet
deep. The light in the lantern being extinguished, and the moon being
obscured, my horse, had it not been for the horse-keeper, would have
precipitated me to the bottom; I instantly dismounted, and the
horse-keeper led him till he was clear of the Ghaut. On the centre is
a large gate, which stands about forty feet high, and which, during
the war, had withstood a three months' siege.
Passing through the jungle between the villages of Currone and
Chickly, we were greatly surprised at seeing a large party on camels;
we hailed them and enquired who they were, but we could not by any
means obtain an answer; when finding they persisted in their
obstinacy, the Naigues suspected them of belonging to the party of
Sheik Dullah, a noted robber who had already committed many
depredations in that neighbourhood, and on our desiring them to move
to the left of us if they were friends, they made a sudden halt; the
sepoys then drew up in a line, and the followers began to guard their
baggage, but when they saw our number, they went off to the left of
us, grumbling.
On the 24th, we arrived at Jaulnah. It bears W. by S., of Nagpore,
distant 180 miles. On the following day, after I had taken sufficient
rest, I presented my passport to the Adjutant-General, and delivered
up the guard, having previously obtained another. Jaulnah is a large
town, surrounded by a brick wall, about twenty feet in height; the
houses are generally of brick, and from three to four stories; the
inhabitants are principally Hindoos, interspersed with Persians and
Mussulmen. The cantonment is the head quarters of the British army on
this side the Deccan.--Jaulnah has a civil and military government.
After staying two days, I proceeded on my route, and on the 19th of
May I arrived at Poonah. It bears S. S. E. of Bombay, and is in the
territories of the Peishwa: it is about forty miles distant from
Bombay. I took up my residence with a friend, commander of the
Sebundaries; during my route, I passed through Armigabad, Amednagur,
and Seroor; which is the residence of Europeans, and has detachments
of different regiments quartered at each town: their houses are in
general of brick and stone, their religion is Hindoo.
The Hindoos are divided into four tribes, first the Brahmin; second,
the Khatry; third, the Bhyse; fourth, the Sooders; all these have
their distinct sects, and cannot intermingle with each other; but for
some offences they are expelled their sects, which is the highest
punishment they can suffer. In this manner a kind of fifth sect,
called Pariah, is formed of the dregs of the people, who are employed
only in the meanest capacity. There is a kind of division which
pervades the four sects indiscriminately; which is taken from the
worship of their gods VISHNOU and SHEEVAH; the worshippers of the
former being named Vishnou bukht, and of the latter, Sheevah bukht.
Of these four sects the Brahmins have the superiority, and all the
laws show such a partiality towards them, as cannot but induce us to
suppose that they have had the principal hand in framing them. They
are not allowed the privilege of sovereignty; but are solely kept for
the instruction of the people. They are alone allowed to read the Veda
or Sacred Books. The Khatries or sect next in dignity, being only
allowed to hear them read, while the other two read the Satras, or
commentaries upon them; but the poor Chandalas are not allowed to
enter their temple, or to be present at any religious ceremony.
In point of precedence, the Brahmins claim a superiority even to
princes, the latter being chosen of Khatry or second sect. In fact the
Brahmin claims every privilege, and the inferior sects give place to
him; the Hindoos are allowed to eat no flesh nor to shed blood. Their
food is rice and dholl, and other vegetables, dressed with ghee (dholl
is a kind of split pea, ghee, a kind of butter, melted and refined to
make it capable of being kept a long time) and seasoned with ginger
and other spices. The food which they most esteem is milk, as coming
from the cow; an animal for which they have the most extravagant
veneration, insomuch that it is enacted in the code of Gentoo laws,
that any one who exacts labour from a bullock that is hungry or
thirsty, or shall oblige him to labour when fatigued, is liable to be
fined by the magistrates.
The Hindoos are remarkable for their ingenuity in all kinds of
handicraft; but their utensils are simple and in many respects
inconvenient, so that incredible labour and patience are necessary,
for the accomplishment of any work; and for this the Hindoos are
remarkable. The religion of the Hindoos is contained in certain books,
called Vedas; and, though now involved in superstition, seems to have
been originally pure, inculcating the belief of an Eternal Being,
possessed of every divine perfection. Their subordinate deities,
Brahma, Vishnou, and Sheevah, are only representatives of the wisdom,
goodness, and power of the supreme god Brahma; whom they call the
principles of Truth, the spirit of Wisdom, and the Supreme Being; so
that it is probable that all their idols were at first only designed
to represent these attributes: they believe in ten Avators, or
incarnation of the Deity, nine of which have taken place for the
punishment of tyrants, or removing some great natural calamity; and
the tenth is to take place at the dissolution of the universe. Several
of the Avators inculcate the transmigration of souls, and the ninth of
them, which forbids the sacrifices of animals, gave rise to the
religion of Gauda Boodma, or Fo.
Their deities are extremely numerous, and are generally supposed to
have first originated in Italy and Greece.
After stopping six days, I proceeded to Bombay, and on the 30th of May
I arrived there. After delivering my passport, I made application for
a ship for England, and was some time before I could get one; and the
great expense I incurred in living at a tavern, made me entirely
pennyless, so that I was forced to dispose of the shawls which I had
presented me by the Rajah of Omrouty, and for which I received three
hundred rupees each. But before I was finally settled, I had not above
ten rupees left.
Bombay is an island of Hindostan, on the west coast of the Deccan,
seven miles in length, and about twenty-one miles in circumference;
the ground is barren, and good water scarce; it was formerly
considered very unhealthy, but by draining the swamps and bogs the air
is much improved; the inhabitants are of several nations and very
numerous, but are principally Persians.
The religion of the Persians is, generally, Paganism, directed
principally by the priests of magi, men of strict austere life,
forbidding the use of either ornament or gold; making the ground their
bed, and herbs their food. Their whole time is spent in offering to
the gods the prayers and sacrifices of the people, as they only might
be heard.
The people are _Gentiles_; as to their religion, they worship the sun
and moon, and various heavenly bodies, from whom they suppose they
derive every blessing of light and warmth; and every morning they
gather themselves round the beech and present their morning oblations,
by pouring into the sea quantities of milk and odoriferous flowers,
and prostrating themselves with their faces to the earth, as a mark of
adoration to their rising deity (the sun.) Besides other gods which
the Gentiles worship, they are great idolaters of fire, which they
offer sacrifices to in time of peace, and carry it with them, as their
tutelar deity in time of war. Their adoration is so great, that the
first candle they see lighted, let it be in whose place it will, they
immediately stop and repeat a prayer. In their habitation they never
put it out after it is once lighted.
Besides the town of Bombay, which is about a mile in length, with mean
houses (a few only excepted), there is a capacious harbour or bay,
reckoned the finest haven in the east, where all ships may find
security from the inclemency of the different seasons. After remaining
here for the space of three months, I was engaged as captain's clerk
on board the Hon. Company's Ship Marquis of Huntly. We sailed from
hence July 25, 1820, and arrived at the new anchorage in nineteen
days' sail; soon after I went up to Calcutta on duty for the ship.
Calcutta, or _Fort William_, the emporium of Bengal, and principal
seat of India, is situated on the western side of the Hoogely river,
at about ninety-six miles from its mouth, which is navigable up to the
town for large ships. This extensive and beautiful town is supposed to
contain between four and five hundred thousand inhabitants. The houses
are variously built, some of brick, others of mud and cow-dung, and a
great number with bamboos (a large kind of reed or cane) and mats. The
bamboos are placed as stakes in the ground, and crossed with others in
different ways, so as to enable them to make the matting fast, when
for the roofing they lay them one upon the other, when a large family
lie in that small compass of about six feet square, which makes a very
motley appearance. The mixture of European and Asiatic manners
observed in Calcutta is wonderful; coaches, phaetons, hackeries,
two-wheeled carriages drawn by bullocks, palanquins carried by the
natives, and the passing ceremonies of Hindoos, and the different
appearance of the faquirs, form a diversified and curious appearance.
The European houses have, many of them, the appearance of palaces or
temples, and the inhabitants are very hospitable.
After the cargo was sent on board I returned to the ship, but on our
passage down the river we were compelled to lie out in the river,
owing to the great boar, as it is called; it is a quick overflowing of
the water, which rises in a great body and with such violence that it
breaks down all before it. It arises from the narrowness of the river,
and the force which it makes from the sea; in the course of two
minutes it rises to the height of four or five feet.
Lying in one of the creeks till the tide was turned, I was greatly
alarmed by the men getting into the boat in great disorder and
telling me that it was a crocodile which I had for a long time
observed, and mistaken for the hull of a tree. A crocodile is an
amphibious voracious animal, in shape resembling a lizard. It is
covered with very hard scales, which cannot but with difficulty be
pierced, except under the belly, where the skin is tender. It has a
wide throat, with several rows of teeth, sharp and separated, which
enter one another.
On my arrival on board every thing was in confusion, as we expected to
sail in a few days.