The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-15

only woman who was present at the ter
rible siege of Delhi, which shocked the
stoutest hearts and drove men to madness.
Mrs. Tytler belongs to a race of soldiers.
Her father was an officer, her husband an
officer and she is mother of officers.
She is now IS years OF age, and fifty of
these years have been spent in Indian gar
risons. She is a pleasant little woman,
bright and intelligent.
81 was born in India" she said yester-
day. II am Hindustanee by instinct,
and pray to my Maker in that tongue.
have had an eyentful career. Ny mother
was woman of French descent, who
married my father in England. They re-
turned to India shortly after their mar
riage and few years later | was born.
Almost the first thing can remember is a
trip with my parents up the Ganges.
There was dreadful famine in the coun-
try at the time, and both banks of the
river were lined with human beings who
were dying of starvation. We went to
the assistance of some, but could afford
the poor wretches but little relief. In time
of famine the Ganges is fairly covered with
corpses or skeletons. This natives believe
the river is sacred. and all they pray for
is that their bodies may be washed in it's
waters after life has fed"
Mrs. Tytler then went to England to be
educated, and on her return to India she
heard of her fathers death. She was mar
ried to Colonel Robert c. Tyler soon after
and followed him into the fever-stricken
districts of the peninsula. The great ex-
perience of her life, however, was at the
massacre and siege of Delhi, where she
was the only woman with the troops.
81 look back upon that terrible period in
my history with pain and horror after all
these years." said Mrs. Tytler. II could
have escaped the sufferings that fell to my
lot afterward had | not decided TO remain
by my husbands side. He entreated ma
to leave Delhi while there was yet time.
but / declined to do so.
During the siege l lived with my two
children in cart covered with rugs. l
was doing nicely until June u, 1857, when
my son, whom l christened Stanley
Delhi-Force was born. 1t was a bright
moonlight night and the shells were fall
ing about us everywhere. All the clothing
had for the little stranger was piece OF
flannel. L was my own nurse, and had
little comforts to enjoy, but our danger
was SO imminent that did not think of
inconvenience.
During the time we were there I saw
men butchered by fiends as if they were cat
tie. | saw battallons moved down like
grass to the cry, No quarter Executions,
assassinations, crimes of every description
hardened to all we saw. My family had
escaped the massacre with poor supply
of clothing and of course we suffered ter
ribly. The bombardment was incessant,
and shells burst about us in every direc-
ton. Yet through it all my little baby
never winked an eye"
The story of Mrs. Tytler's life during the
great Sepoy rebellion reads like romance.
She gives curious explanation of the
causes that led to the mutiny the main
one being the alleged fact that the English
creased the cartridges for the Mohamme-
dan soldiers. Her husbands regiment de-
serted him almost to a man, but he was
well thought of by his officers, and as re-
suit they spared the lives of himself and
family.
Mrs Tytler will deliver the first of a
series of lectures at the old Young Men S
Christian Association Hall on Suffer street
this afternoon. She will relate remi-
niscences Of the rebellion and with the aid
of curios brought with her from India will
give an illustration of the scenes of horror
she saw and the privations endured for SO
many years.