The Express.
London, England, 1857-10-19 00:00:00

SEQUESTERED PLACES.

There are teeny sequestered places in India—even
in the Deccan at this day—where the inhabitants
have never seen a European. They have heard of
She British, of course ; and in every hamlet there is
somebody whose father or grandfather was engaged
in some war prosecuted by the English, or had stood
by the wayside to see the white-faced strangers go
by. On the strength of what they have heard
they have made public games and dance, in imita-
tion of British manners, about as faithful as the
representation of an English lady's dancing which
Cheeks Metcalfe saw in the Ghauts. We have near
our own shores (in Ireland) an island where the
people clothe and worship a stone, and pray to it for
wrecks ; and their notion of " the Saxon" is some-
what unlike the Saxon's own ; and in the same
way, in the hollows of the °bouts; and in the wilds
at Malwa, and the swamps of eastern Bengal, and
the bul-pasees leading into Nepanl, there are whole
esttlessants in which a white face has never been
sees, and where the Saxon's mind and man-
ners are wholly misapprehended. Here the
people are living as they can, with always
plenty to complain of, like the rest of
the world, bat with this marked feature, that
there is always most to complain of where the Euro-
peans have not been. In one place there is tyranny
and corruption among the village officials, and the
poor cultivator protests against extortion, while the
hereditary office•holders appeal in their turn against
the hard hand of the native collector, or the en-
croachments of some neighbour. On the whole,
tillage improves, probably, and old men tell of land
being won from the jungle; and there are strange
rumours afloat that ere long there will be no more
famines, because there will be water within every-
body's reach, and also ways of bringing the surplus
grain of one place to the empty granaries of another.
The dread is, that when the poverty is lessened the
security will be lessened too. Will not the hill-
robbers come down, and roast the people's feet, or
otherwise torture them, till they have got all the
wealth of the place, or satisfied themselves that
there is none? Thus is the native rural life pared
batmen hope and fear, alternate hunger and ful-
ses, with strifes and amusements to pass the time.
Elsewhere there are wide barren plains where
the sight of Englishmen is common enough; but
always as travellers. Within the vast horizon there
are innumerable groups of ruins, showing that this
sandy desert was once covered with cities. The
existing race live in huts built in among theme ruins,
and in their daily business per through marble co-
lonnades, reeing pillar after pillar crumble and fall ;
or they thread a labyrinth of tanks full of dust, and
unroofed mosques. Here and there some gilding
glitters under the sun, and snowy cupolas or parapets
seem to cut clear into the deep blue sky, while only
the birds go in and out, and wild creatures harbour
among the rubbish. Here the Europeans come,
either to explore, or on their way to some native
court, or their own residency. Their presence is
very imposing, from the length and obsequiousness
of their train of followers. Sometimes the stranger
attends to the sick ; and at all events the sick try
the experiment whether he will or not. Sometime.
he will hear their complaints, and may be going his
rounds to observe the state of affairs and redress
'brume. But occasionally he comes only to explore
the old buildings ; and then it is a lucky day for the
oldest inhabitant, or the one with the best memory,
who can tell what race built here first, and what
became of the Ilindoos when the Moguls came upon
them, and which mosques were built by this, and
which by that Mohammedan ruler. In some of
these reined cities there has been such a jumble of
faiths ap to our own time, that Mussulman inhabi-
tants have offered up flowers and other sacrificial
articles forbidden in the Karin, while the poor
Hindoos worshipped in the mosques, supposing it to
be all right to do homage in any sacred place.—
" H. 14." in the Daily News.

CORNISH Si r Enntrions.—Drowned men are
still herd to " bail their own WAS" 12 stormy weather,
seasthe spot whirs they perished. The Death-ship" still
muds Yto ehore—tall, dark, .q s-etgpd, with black NM*
spinet wind end de the omen of ro-
t= up
Isighs. Sturdy sailors, their limb. distorted by
anwp as disamatisw, will even now ascribe their sufferings
--ay, sad sweet to the tele in court-do the wicked practices
01031130 aid wen* When they have met on the hilbside,
waving her slick in the alt. Minas, almost es superstitious
Luesilizanesogzsy stets; wars, like their
Geister ; bat Lear immke-groend the ado of the
" the agivito of Jews, and is week to
the mire the Roma 1111q1110111-110 at *est Yr. Liege-
ley Mils us; ft my, havever. he Nate* whether the whom
hes set • male mod., arigua, unlmown to the Mein times-
sakes, and is primps coneeded with them Jan who
cannsonly farmed or wrought the mines make the Pk*
typos kings. We hardly matime to canting* smcmg •
esperentioue manor the use el the divining rod, provin-
dolly termed " Dowsing." tregvently teseeted to at
=to discover metallic miss, teat lOW even of our
readers should tan um with prveumplesus unbelief.
Bat the roost inveterate and most mischievous ef weiviving
delude* is that of " ill-widting " and "overlookieg," which
Is needy identical with the evil eye of the Last, the Jetta**
of the Neapolitans. A Moister look or a muttered ewer
ales of dieseinteet, *carefully treasured op by the object of
• la, and say mieslisnos which (Akers set down to the score at
.111-Wshsau." And, prectedy as at Naples, the faculty is
thought***llhareditory. We reesember • gang of
*lmo loss lsms, araprmat asss the Loafer=
sad tom* issuer pima* vidswis, ast boss say passe*
shisteassa *sir Wool* babas. bat hissass they wan s-
alepes**lll-Wilt the salapilmorin ywalutioa. Ms add*
at • howsias OW the law* prophyludis. W.
hew saga Um wiled en ways dears, vaamlti setsdlawas,
sod was, sad hi sas balsam w the intact a kesegh geol.
The why, ohm gassawasd, alto* • pktioesphie moth
but ewe* the litessehos to the **ems of hls ; she
dasisd, heed, thst her husband might have " fll-wishsts"
Idle the pal; which was likely enough.— Qoar *rip Be-
, la% WM amber.