The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-02 00:00:00

INGENIOUS FRAUDS ON THE INDIAN HENRY CRABB ROBINSON
'GOVERNMENT. I -

A. revenue 'Circular, just published, informs us of a
tathei ingenious dodge practised by the natives of this
country to obtain the Government rewards for the destruc•
tion of wild beasts. As soon as a tiger or other large
animal is killed, the skin is taken off, the real skull taken
out, a false one substituted, and a reward obtained.
The real skull is then also produced with some flesh
adhering to it, proving it to have been freshly killed,
and another reward is given. But the process is carried
still further. Whole skulls are manufactured by pieces
being joined together, covered with a compound of ghee
and putrid flesh slightly coloured with some liquid
resembling blood, and skin being stretched over
this when (moist, holes are made for the ears, eyes, and
nostrils, and the deception is complete. Another method
is to insert tiger's teeth into the skulls of jackals and dogs,
and then cover them with tiger skins, and even this has
been found sufficient to deceive the unsuspicious and
ignorant officials. The Board of Revenue have now
sanctioned a fresh scale of rewards for full-grown, and
half the same rates for young beasts,,at the same time
pointing out that these rewards are only to be paid on the
production of a complete skin and skull, the latter to Le
invariably destroyed in the presence of the district officer,
or his deputy, or assistant, and the district officer is to
ascertain that his subordinates are fully qualified to tell a
real_skull from a made-up specimen.—Englishman,

Mr. Crahb Robinson was known to everybody who had
he entry to literary society in London. He was the
friend, or at all events was acquainted with, the chief
writers of this country for three-quarters of a century,
and yet he himself scarcely put pen to paper.
This diary of his, full as it is of interest, nevertheless
has no pretensions as a finished literary work.
Writing was not his forte. Talking was. His
friend, Walter Savage Landor, no mean judge, used
to say of him that he was the best talker living ; and there
is many a man still young, still on the sunny side of 35,
who can hear testimony to the truth of this statement.
Many a youthful barrister or physician can tell of the
choice Sunday morning gatherings when they used to
gather round his table in Russell-square, and listen to the
tales of other times and other men which their octo-
genarian host would tell. He lived to the grand old age
of 02, and preserved his faculties to the last. If he was
less active of brain,less vivacious of tongue than of old, he
was not less kind of heart. It was but a little
while before his death that, hearing of a heavy
pecuniary misfortune which had befallen a young and
distant relative of his, he made a long omnibus
journey to see her, and to offer his sympathy and aid. He
was one of those rare instances in which a philanthropy
cosmopolitan in its sympathy was not on that account the
less vigorous towards the individual sufferer. A parsimo-
nious man may be eloquent in denouncing slavery. Mr.
Robinson was one of the earliest and most vehement
opponents of slavery, yet he was one of the most liberal
of private benefactors. It is needless to say that the con-
versation of a man who, naturally a good talker, had
for topics his personal reminiscences of Goethe, Wieland,
Byron, Wordsworth, Erskine, Wilberforce, and countless
other great men, was most interesting. That interest ex-
tends to the three goodly volumes which lir. Sadler has
edited. These volumes are based upon Mr. Robinson's
journals to 1810, a regular diary begun in 1811, and con-
tinued till within five days of his death, thirty volumes
of journals of tours, reminiscences extending to 1843,
miscellaneous papers, and a large number of letters. In
writing all these numerous volumes be was governed by
the thought that, though he had not the literary ability to
give him such a place among English authors as he could
have desired, be might be of service in keeping a record o
his inter views with the great men with whom he came in
contact.

Henry Crabb Robinson was the youngest son of a
Suffolk tanner. He was brought up among strict Dis-
senters ; but the dreary Sundays, with their long sermons
in chapel and " Matthew Henry" at home, early disgusted
him with that form of religion. He took up early with
Libera! views and something more, and was, while quite
a young man, thought sufficiently dangerous by Robert
Hall to be anathematised. Robinson resented the
anathema in a long letter, which Hall acknowledged and
answered in a gentlemanly manner, and the two were
afterwards friends. He was, without being consulted, sent to
an attorney's office, and moved about from one to another
for some years, without making any progress in his pro-
fession. In truth, he did not love it ; and when,
in his 23rd year, he came into an income of one
hundred pounds a year by the death of an uncle,
he set out on his travels. In 1800 he went
to Gerrrany, and after many months of wandering, set-
tled for a time at Jena, and became a student of the
university. He remained over five years in Germany.
In 1807 (he was then 32 years old) he became correspon-
dent for the Times at Altona. But the naval coalition
against England, tis hich induced the English Govern-
ment to seize the Danish fleet, compelled Robinson to
leave Holstein. On his return to England he was
appointed foreign editor of the Times,and then correspondent
for the same paper in Spain during the Spanish revolu-
tion, but left that country after the retreat of Sir John
Moore. He joined the Bar in 1813, rather late in life,
and went the Norfolk Circuit. There he had remarkable
success. But his love for his profession being slight
and his ambition small, he retired after fifteen
years, having earned enough to keep him in easy
circumstances for the rest of his life. He then
gave himself up to literary pursuits, and to social and
political reforms. He was one of the most earnest anti-
slavery orators ; he was one of the founders of London
University and of University College. The rest of his
life passed tranquilly and happily away. His friendships
were numerous, his friends famous, and thus it comes to
pass that the three volumes of the " Diary " make some of
the best reading that has been offered to the public for
many a day. We give a few extracts. They are but very
small samples of the store of information with which
the " Diary " abounds.