The Press.
London, England, 1858-09-11 00:00:00

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THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 11, 1858. 879 11
;
the Revolt" that he was quietly preparing for hai," (thia is it), says the driver as he pulls up opposite !
fittraturt. the labour of the day when "a slip of paper" was the thatched, green venetianed house, all fleas and filth,
placed on his table ; it was the Mofussilite Extra, called dak bungalow, and you feel that one night's carriage
dak is done.
published at Agra, May 11. The "wounded
officer" says :—" There is a Delhi Extra, a slip The real object of the book, however, is rather
A Escape from the Mutinies in Oudh. By a
"of paper, I saw at the colonel's. It only says to give the English public in a popular manner
Wounded Officer. Two Vols. " that the mutineers left Meerut, but they had a correct idea of many points that have been
Service and Adventure with the Khakee Ressalah. ~ not got to Delhi," &c. This is unpardonable discussed of late years with more vehemence
than knowledge. The Brahminism of many old
By R. 11. Wallace Dunlop. - carelessness, which is not redeemed by the con-
six Months in British Burmah. By Christopher fusion of dates a little further on, where it is said commanding officers, the injudicious concessions
" Lucknow had gone, and now the oarrison, re- to the sepoys, the hutting allowances, the fa-
T. Winter.o vouritistn shown towards native commissioned
"diced in number, were forced to intrench," as
London : Bentley. if this were the case in the early part of May, al-
officers, and the superior advantages so unjustly
A VERY suspicious-looking craft is the one we though it was the night of the 30th when the conferred upon the civil service, are all treated
have first to overhaul. If' not actually a pirate, regiments in the cantonment broke out. Nor is with unmistakable ability and sound judgment.
she sails at least under false colours, thereby it quite intelligible how a Brahmin Fakeer, The high expectations entertained by the sepoys
incurring the risk of rough treatment. The title dwelling in the mountains of Nepaul, should and the general population of Oudh previous to
would naturally lead one to expect an authentic stand in such apprehension of the " cruel Mus- the annexation of that kingdom are contrasted
narrative of adventures really undergone, sulmans" in the village below—the writer seems with their subsequent disappointment on expe-
weighted perhaps with sagacious reflections on to have forgotten the almost impassable Terai. riencing the dilatoriness and costly injustice of our
the causes and consequences of the Indian In addition to these laches, the two short stories law courts. The English magistrates, indeed,
mutinies. This conclusion, however, would be told by the doctor have already appeared in were generally popular, and laboured to the s
erroneous, for the book is clearly the production print, and ought not to have been incorpo- utmost to do their duty, but they were over-
of a professed littiirateur, one who has tra- rated without a note to that purport. But, worked, and consequently compelled to leave too
veiled up-country, though probably not a resi- passing lightly over these and similar de- much power in the hands of their corrupt Amlah,
dent in the East. But whoever may be the fects—possibly the result of a double paternity— or native officials. The folly of adopting the
scribe to whom we are indebted for these two we frankly admit that this is one of the most Persian character and flowery language is exem.
plified in the general inattention exhibited with
very readable volumes, he is one who entertains natural and interesting fictions based on a mili-
no respect for Horatian canons, but commences tary career in India with which we happen to reference to the high-flown proclamation that
the story of his hero's escape from Oudh with the be acquainted. The narrative of the two Sikh announced the fall of 'Sebastopol :
Peninsular campaigns of that hero's father. No campaigns is full of life and incident, and the "Isaw yesterday," said Waller, " this proclamation stuck
fewer than six chapters are taken up with the great battles of Sobraon and Goojerat are de- up in our quarter-guard, all over the bazaar, and in the
history of "my " boyhood and a general intro- scribed with considerable animation. There are native city ; and every bit of it was printed in the Persian
racter, and cram full of hard Arabio words. Why do
diction to "my " family,—consisting of "my " also some graphic pictures, taken from the life— not the Government issue a thing that the poorest and inost
parents, Major and Mrs. Villars, "my " elder such, for example, as the following pen-and-ink ignorant can read and understand ? Here in India there are
brother Henry, and "my " sisters Jane and sketch of the City of Palaces : one hundred and fifty million Hindoos, all more or less un-
-44
Ella. Henry turns out a regular ne. er-do- Little had occured in the way of alterations or improve- derstanding the Nagari character and plain Hindostani, and
weel," and is eventually compelled to sell out. rnents in this city, since the time I had first seen it. Still yet they print off thousands of these proclamations in
There is something very natural in his occasional the old smells, wretched oil lamps, green turf, red roads, Persian characters, using Arabic nouns and numerals ;
appearances on the scene, with his filthy black and
os were still the , ver thinsame caoilttle fe
odorogusedin about. Then around me
and they only use these letters whereas there are not ten million Mussulmans in India,
"
pipe, whenever he stands in need of " the fat, filthy, mealy-mouthey d and mean' muslin-covered babe ,
rolling in wealth, but "I do not know," I replied, " about the proportion of
governor's " assistance—a contingency of some- without the heart to spend it, or to be generous. Passing Hindoos to Mussuloe ans, but believe it is at least fifteen to
what frequent recurrence. Being not only the under my windows is a thing upon wheels, somewhat one. But don't you see how everything, even the answers
firstborn, and a sickly child to boot, but ten between a fly arid a post chaise, panels broken, the C to sepoys' petitions, is wrapped up in this so-called court
years old before a second olive-branch was put springs rusty and worm eaten. Wheels with broken tire language. Why, they emanate from the civil authorities,
arnde,mwir:tubsoumtanylspotkweos. To
tdhragdit, are
btiedkind with crassd who are surroundedb by cringing Mussulmans, and in those
forth, Master Ilenry was of course petted and
agb:t
andtli this
rsltudusoedf
their
ohebier
spoilt by his mother, a weak and indolent woman, broken-knee'deP ponies,e driven bye ae naked cooly. backed, grass
teheeecournteltaningugLilbtiZerirsthlleirsBtbalekinedg.
whose feeble individuality is skilfully portrayed own such a vehicle ? None, I answer, but a Bengal baboo. descent, endeavoured to prove it by the large admission of
throughout the tale. The younger brother Behold him inside with three others; each if possible Persian and Arabic words. We adopted the system, and as
l'hilip naturally detests his tyrannical senior, richer and meaner than his neighbour. These are the a civilian likes to talk fine, and to show off his acquaintance
" Dutts "or " Seals " whose millions are laid out to great with Hafiz, he permits Persian to he almost entirely used
who eventually succeeds also in disgusting his advantage, not in the funds, not in charities or even rail- in his court ; and Government, which is, after all, all civi-
sisters by his cowardice and coarse tobacco. roads. }View ! five per cent., that would be too absurd. liana, believe it is the language of the country."
Finally, on his father's death, he consents to No, more likely to unfortunate cultivators in the districts, F,qually truthful is the following statement of the
emigrate to Canada, philosophically observing from which, perhaps, a few hundreds per cent. may be
that, being tired of England, he would as soon go obtained ;or in the bazaars to hard-working petty dealers,
belief of Indian Mahommedans with re rd to the ga
whoseltb earningsfo are swallowed up to satisfy the lust for relation of the European powers towards Turkey,
and shoot there as elsewhere. Manly and healthy
anyis
of. Nothinga public
work.co ul d I
No
eoe ;moans
uat f
sasl all which is looked upon as the suzerain of theWest:—
occupations there produce their usual fruit. His aw large scale, in° rt
the rwe
heart softens towards his kindred, and he sends furies, no bridges, but what were either the work and pro- Sometimes a little group of non-commissioned officers
and men would gather round, and ask me questions re-
to his brother in India some bright feathers for party of Government or that of Englishmen. Here and
!f a
Nrvd
si ni
ag luitur
or
ar,
salmon flies, with the characteristic acknowledg- there a wretched, mortar-covered, ill-built temple, showed thees inE tit hliesibr opinion thatwss countytbs
iloys t ,next
ow e tor
power-
meat that he does not think him such a bad thheaatvesnombe
devotinght ot i Lalal
shtnasdllthoorutfohnt
stfobsinolothttthe wayltho
fel in theY world. They knew that Se had opposed Turkey,P
fellow after all. There is one delicious little to a tempyle for his gods, Pend to make ass-ugreanecne wealth and been beaten in some great fort on the sea, " but had
she not taken slot of Sahibs prisoners, and showed them
touch, however, that really deserves to be noticed. sure, directs his bloated carcase to be burned on Hol-y
off to the Mussulmans? There was a very strong fort,"
On Philip's first return to Europe, he is desirous Gnnga's shore, and his ashes cast into the muddy river.
they said, " in the country of Room or Turkey, which we
of taking his family by surprise, and considers Equally good is the descriptionof " pa Ile le- had defended and lost ; and now that Room wanted to have
for an • instant whether he shall knock or go in gharrie" travelling on the Grand Trunk Road : peace, the people of . Walayut . and France agreed also."
at the side door : As natives are always gentlemen, none of them openly
A sickly tough fowl having been caught, was killed and
showed that they disbelieved my statements, " that the
I bad just determined on the side door, when from the eaten, all within half-an-hour ; then having the carriage
peace was sued for by Russia, and that Turkey and France
shrubbery came yelping at me some ugly cur. Another well provided with beer, brandy, biscuits, and cheroots,
ad had enough!" They would, as the first bugle rang out
Instant, and a kick, well directed, had sent him howling away I started for the Puniaub, just as the intensely hot n
for mess, retire to their evening duties, respectfully
kick again ; but net before my exclamation of " Take that, May sun sunk below the yellow horizon. All that night
luting me, but still confident in their own minds that the
you brute, you're Henry's, I'll bet a penny," reached the we galloped on, changing horses every six miles. Down
err of my sister Ella. the low hills we rushed at a pace good even for England traditional story oft Roomfwtabe s the trlude one—whichsth is, that
By the way, this favourite sister Ella appears to in
cornerits palmy
rp ,
1 CZ
hi
strangen
gdeysvehicNleowsw
turnr
as f
oar precipitous rec
moment,ipitous xi
belnnigmisore oer lees sreusbjsect to her,w andr ere forceed csonu nbt:itne sg
required to lend their armies and navies for Turkey's use.
escape_ the "effacing fingers" of all-devouring and seems unsettled as to whether it shouldy turn over or
Russia has broken away from this thraldom, and at times
Time. She is described as "a tall fine girl," 44 ink_ go on. Again is seen that great roaring sun, looking
pudent," and " boisterous," when she could not hotter even than when parted with the night before. makess.
byinroadsf upon Turkey.F This Russian war was
Now we pass groups sitting or sleeping by the wayside. a
ca se ee these, and
believers
u . France, as in
have numbered fewer than twent -ei ht duty bound, helped the true in ejecting the new
Here beneath this spreading peepul, smoke a dozen dark-
And there are worse 3r
g autumns.comers. Of course as soon as this was
anachronisms than this. eyed men, talking in whispers, and glancing suspiciously
Philip at an end, and we, small fry, were dismissed by Turkey.
returns to Chepstow in 1849, and the day from beneath the shade of their huge turbans or greasy-
after becomes Of Captain Villars' adventures in the Terai,
involved in a somewhat acrid dis- hair. Now are horsemen armed from head to font, their
cussion on Indian matters with Mr. Jones, the wiry vicious-looking cattle, all fretting as the rider's hand and in Gurhwal, until his safe arrival at Naince
philanthropical" memb •
er for Monmouthshire tightens the rein, and with his armed beet presses the T I
1 animal to caper as the Englishman passes. Now in parties
a, we forbear to speak. If not exactly true,
Who talks of Cobden's pamphlet on the Burmah of eight or ten are sepoys, some in uniform, and al!at least devoidof
they are
war and the annexation of Peu—the proclama- respectfully saluting as they are passed. Then the harsh probabilities, and will, no doubt, prove more
tint' to that effect not being issued till the 20th horn says there is something before its on the road, and amusing to a large majority of readers than a bare
of Dec for us room must be left. We pass them, strings of heavy statement of unromantic facts.
ember, 1852. There are likewise other
inae • wheeled carts, the bullocks staggering under the weight of
inaccuracies which tell a inst
. ga the genuineness bales of cotton. Oh, how hot it is! The very crows gasp The second book on our list contains some
of the talc.meerutmu t. For instance, it is said that the open•mouthed on the sweet smelling mowali trees near ; capital sketches of Sikhs and Ghoorkas, by H.
my was made known to the officers of but there is no help for it, the staging bungalow is yet G. Keene, Fsq C Swhose
, .s . ~ rhythmical contri-
the 75th ten miles away. Now the white-eyed screw just put into •
buttons to Blackwood are well known and gene-
fantry Native Infant —th 76th N • I
Ty e Native n-
throughout shafts refuses to move, and half feverish you are forced to
rally admired. Mr. Dunlop, we believe, is
a the first volume—by means of •
jump out of the carriage to avoid going with it down the
Delhi Extra. There was no Delhi Extra ever sloping bank, on which the road is raised. In another brother of the two young ladies who startled the
published, for th '
e simple reason that almost as soon moment the carriage is got upon the road. uninjured, and staid British public, a short time since, by "A
as the news ofthe I ' the screw galloping at racing pace, the driver yelling; and Timely Retreat from Meerut," and some half-
Im • • A eerut massacre reached the
penal city, the Delhi Gazette remisesp were the traveller, having at the risk of his neck scrambled in
dozen years ago he distinguished himself by the
gutted and destroyed. But the idea was taken as he best could, proceeds; now another change of horses,
capture of a robber-chieftain in fair fight. Ile
from mr. iuk and suddenly we see in a sort of square field or compound,
Pi who mentions in his ,' ;Cotes on at the end of a straggling village; a bun " Y bungalow. ih ; has now come forward to rescue from oblivion
I ilibm...—__ _____—...asirtarosiNNlNlONlMA