Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-05-27
india.


One day, says the Southern Citizen, mankind will be
able to appreciate the tremendous British lying of our
AngloSaXon cousins all that relates to India Dude
for example, before the gade annexation of Lord Da
housie the best cultivated and the best governed
and much the wealthest part India 1t was so be-
it had so long kept out the common robbers of
the world. Even now, after the land has been swept by
furious campaign have the following description
of Dude from Russell, the Times correspondent who
went with Lord Clyde's column. AS Russell is an
Irishman he insists telling truth but he
on his way home He says
The country through which our column is advancing
is ertle-in Indian crops perhaps unrivaled and it is
cultivated to degree of perfection which capital and
science could not surpass. No scrutiny detect a
single weed in the fields of wheat and rice which are
spread far and wide Cleaner and more beautiful agr
culture the Lothians could not show. Without steam
pOWs sacriers chymcal laboratories, malodorous
manures, armories OF weapons the Hndoo manages,
by patient untrng hand labor aided by the rues ira
dtonal implements and traditional knowledge, to eX
tract from the alma mater the richest rewards of cereal
industry. In places where the water lies, making ees
Marshes the ground is left uncutvated but the long
tufted grass with which it is covered naturally yields
fine pasurage to domestic animals and gives shelter to
quantities OF game-anelopes deer, hares as well as
to iackals silver foxes and wolves The most striking
feature of the whole district however, is the absence of
towns, even villages. But in lieu of them collec
tions of cottages, with small Hindoo temple or Mus
sulman mosque and mud tort and strip of wild forest
and bushwood jee and tank The misery and vices,
ideness and discomfort engendered by large oriental
towns and cities thus obviated. Instead Of being
concentrated in spot the population is scattered all
over the face of the country. Look where you will in
this part of Dude, you will be to see two
pretty hamets in view at the feast each consisting of
only three four cottages, with out-houses and
Enclosures, fenced round by reed hurdles, filled in
with plated grass and reeds. The cottages are
onesored covered with good roofs of thatch or tiles
and very clean outside. almost amused at the in
dgnaton OF farmer from whose house drove away
set of rascaly camp-ellows, who pundering his
little store of grain and Of the robbery he seemed
to think nothing his complaint that these Mussul
mans should have violated the sacredness of Hindoos
cottage. Each cottage is surrounded by its own hurd
led enclosure within which the domestic Offices the
womens cottage, (f the proprietor has large family
the granary, the sorehouse, the catesheds and the
mill for expressing mustard oil, which is in common use
among the people-perhaps private WELL The thresh-
ing floor is frequently outside the village The whole
of the enclosed space is swept clean Dutch paror
the surface of the ground within being smOothed down
till it is like tile. The cottage roofs covered with
ncreeperS, pumpkins and coarse scrt of melon.
The ryot under good government ought to be happy
enough and Notwithstanding the crueties and oppression
to which he has been subjected in Dude, his material
condition. as indicated by the state of his dwelling and
farming, contracts by no unlavoraby with that
of the peasants of the most civilized parts of
Europe The absence of roads, of no great consequence
now, must prove serious obstacle to any extensive
export during the rainy season, and long after
wards The roads which do exist called by the
tives by name E. eek ," which signifies wheel mark.
They arbitrary tracks the country connecting
village with village The plans for opening the country
by good roads had just come into execution when the
mutny broke out, but it is to be hoped they will now
be actively pursued