Recollections of Thirty-nine Years in the Army

Kurumnassa-?Incidents of the river trip-?By Grand Trunk Road-?Hospitable Brahmins-?Louis Napoleon-?Deobund-?Saharunpore-?J

visited the great novelty of that day, the palace of glass situated in Hyde Park, in which was held the International Exhibition, progenitor of a long series as it was destined to be. No time was lost in completing arrang

junior officers unacquainted with duties required of them. In a quarrel between soldier and sailor the knife was used, fortunately without fatal result. The death-roll included on

food and drink handed to and passed from each to other as best could be under the circumstances; decks washed from stem to stern by heavy seas, the ship running before the wind; sky so thick that "sights" were impracticable, and so our exact position left conjectural for the

s of country boats. Within a few days after arrival there, cholera attacked our young recruits, many of whom, as also the wives of some

y storm wave and hurricane, by which several ships, among them the steamer Powerful, were wrecked. Two days were occupied in passing along the narrow creeks that interse

ance with Hindoo rites. He it was who instigated, in April, 1848, the murder of Vans Agnew and Anderson, and headed the revolt which led to the siege and capture of that fortress by British forces, and proved to be the first act in the sec

putation, however, would seem to be of modern date,-?namely, October 23, 1764, when the forces of Mir Cossim were defeated by those under Major Munro;116 pursued by them to that river, in which many of th

to us. As this the dry season advanced, the size of the once mighty stream diminished, shoals became numerous, boats ran aground, delay and other inconvenience the consequences. On one such occasion several recruits from the particular boat con

equal to. Early in December we marched out of the-?to me-?familiar place. Nine days thereafter, arrived at Cawnpore, the terrible story in connection with which was in the not distant future. Here my wife had her fir

connected with it, they being in the act of partaking of a meal as I entered, the particular dish called "phillouree." Of it accordi

before him, dissolved the ministry and courts of law; has thrown himself on the people, and intimated his readiness to

landestinely occurred. On the former suttee ground stood in its centre a temple; a series of small minarets of peculiar device indicate spots on which immolation of widows had taken place. The priests readily admitted u

s are distributed throughout India, and to various European countries. The process of acclimatization was particularly interesting; so also was the care with which plants of temperate climates

were passed by means of bridges of boats such as are common on Indian rivers; over the fourth a bridge had been erected, so elegant in construction as to claim general admiration. Through its arches rushed currents of sparkling water, in the eddies and s

e, for the double purpose of repairing equipage and exchanging draught animals where necessary. According also to th

he halting places of Noor Jehan, otherwise Noor Mahal, on her journey from Delhi to Lahore. Those remains seemed

several men being killed in the catastrophe, besides many injured. In the first Punjab war the Sikhs made a rush upon the station, set fire to and d

ation occurring as we proceeded, the crops consisting of wheat and grain (dolichos). The village of Ferozeshah, half concealed by groves, had yet some remains of entrenchments and batteries, behind and on which the Sikh guns were placed. Along the ground for a considerable distance in front of that position lay scattered and ble

on,120 British occupation of the Punjab took place. At one time a sandy plain, it had become bea

more marches and we encamped close to Lahore, capital city of that province; our camp pitched on ground where in former times had stood cantonments of troo

" whose romantic history interested some of our number, if not all. Thence to Goojeranwallah, birthplace of Runjeet, "Lion of the Punjab," and anciently the Buddhistic capital o

and the period still unrun of service in that country. That of my own position was reckoned at ￡100 for each year so before us; thus my exchange cost six and a half times that amount, in addition to which the cost of passage, added to other unavoidable expenses, placed me on the debit side to the extent of ￡1,180, all of which, having had to be "raised" as best I could, was an incubus to be got r