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DEDICATED BY

HKU MOST GRACIOUS

AUTHORITY TO

MAJESTY THE QUEEN.

THE

INDIAN EMPIRE:

HISTORY, TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, CLIMATE, POPULATION, CHIEF CITIES AND PROVINCES ; TRIBUTARY AND PROTECTED

STATES ; MILITARY POWER AND RESOURCES ; RELIGION, EDUCATION, CRIME ; LAND TENURES ;

STAPLE PRODUCTS ; GOVERNMENT, FINANCE, AND COMMERCE.

WITH A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE

MUTINY OF THE BENGAL ARMY ; OF THE INSURRECTION IN WESTERN INDIA ; AND AN EXPOSITION

OF THE ALLEGED CAUSES.

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BY R. MONTGOMERY MARTIN,

AUTHOR OF THE " HISTORY OF THE BRITISH COLONIES," F,TC.

ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS, PORTRAITS, AND VIEWS.

VOL. III.

INDIA DELINEATED, IN A SERIES OF ENGRAVINGS EXHIBITING THE SCENERY OF THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS, AND VIEWS OF THE PRINCIPAL PLACES IN INDIA; WITH LETTERPRESS DESCRIPTIONS, BY MISS EMILY ROBERTS.

THE LONDON PRLXTING AND PUBLLSHING COMPANY, LIMITED

97, 98, 99, & 100, ST. JOHN STRKKT. LONDON; AND f>i, DEY STREET, NEM' YORK.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS.

THE KEEREE PASS.

One of the most agreeable diversities that can occur in the life of a European resident in Hindoostan, is a visit to the Hills — the common term applied in India to the lower ranges of the Himalaya Mountains. Many are driven from the plains to try the effects of a more bracing climate for the recovery of health ; but there are some to whom a love of the picturesque, and a restless desire to seek amusement in ever-varying change of scene, prove the chief incentive for a tour into the recesses of the mighty and mysterious range that forms the northern boundaiy of our Indian empire. The favourite and most exciting route, when undertaking such an expedition, is by Saharunpore, a frontier town of the province of Delhi (sometimes called the threshold of the hill districts), whence it is usual to penetrate through the valley of the Deyrah Dhoon, to the interior of the Himalayas, and the sources of the Jumna and the Ganges.

On commencing a journey towards the valley, the road of the traveller is through the Keeree Pass; and this lovely portal to a new country gives delightful promise of the scenery beyond. The distant view which may have been already caught of the great Himalaya, from a spot in the neighbourhood of Saharunpore, is of that dreamy, poetical description, which, though full of beauty, presents little that is definite, and only excites curiosity. From tliis spot two inferior belts, divided from each other by deep intersecting vales, appear to rise tier above tier, the pyramidal snow-capped heights, which seem to lift themselves into another world, crowning the whole with almost awful majesty. From the site mentioned, the mountain-ranges have all the indistinctness that belong to the land of faerie, and which, leaving the imagination to luxuriate in its most fanciful creations, invest the scene with a species of enchantment. The pure, dazzling whiteness of the regions of eternal snow, give' occasionally a cloud- like appearance to the towering summits, and may almost induce the belief, that they indeed form part of the heaven to which they aspire ; while, in other states of the atmos- phere, they stand out in bold relief, catching the rays of the sun, and reflecting a golden tint, or rearing their lofty points, white with the unsullied snow of ages, they proclaim, that while all elge on earth is liable to change, themselves endure, immutable and for ever.

Upon entering the Keeree Pass, the distant view of the true Himalaya — the birth- place and abode of the gods of Hindoostan — is lost, and the scene becomes one of the softest beauty imaginable; the devious valley winds amongst rocky eminences, richly clothed with stately trees. At every step forward the landscape changes its features; and, though its character still remains the same, presents so great variety of forms — of crag and precipice, wild rock, deep forest, and luxuriant valley — that the traveller is lost in pleasurable amazement; — now exulting with that joy which the exile alone can feel when suddenly encountering some point of resemblance to a Avell-knoAvn object near a far-off home — now struck with wonder by some dazzling specimen of native growth. Here, for the first time, is beheld, in all its native luxuriance, the giant creeper [Scandent banhinia), with justice termed the monarch of its tribe. This enormous parasite winds its snake-like stem — which attains the size, and somewhat resembles the body, of the boa-constrictor — round the trunks of the forest-trees, either mingling their flowers with its foliage, or flinging them from the festoons which it forms from branch to

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branch as it travels along. The rich scent of these superb blossoms, together with that of the baubool, fills the air with perfume, and gratifies at once both sight and smell.

There are two halting-places in the Keeree Pass : one, the Mohun Chokee, at the entrance; the other, the Shoupore Chokee, within the pass, which extends to a length of upwards of six miles. A party of tourists, when consisting of several persons, having with them a numerous cortege — comprising horses, elephants, and bullocks, for the con- veyance of baggage — presents an imposing appearance ; and the usual encampment at the Mohun Chokee becomes extensive and picturesque, when animated by groups of attendants, assembled round their fires — the horses and elephants picketed under the trees, and the bullocks reposing on the ground.

Advancing from this spot, the traveller approaches the low hills, which compose, as it were, the outworks of the Himalaya. Of these, the elevation varies from 500 to 900 feet above the plains, and about 2,500 above the level of the sea. The thick forest and brushwood with which they are clothed are full of peacocks ; and, amidst game of less importance, the tiger is fouud ; while hares, and the black and grey partridge, literally swarm around. There are, however, parts of the woody ranges beyond Keeree, so strongly infected with poisonous exhalations, that at the worst season they are deserted even by the brute creation; monkeys, tigers, every species of quadruped, and even the birds, urged by some instinctive warning, quit the deadly spot, and seek a resting-place in distant and more healthy neighbourhoods.

THE GANGES, ENTERING THE PLAINS NEAR HURDWAR.

Emerging from the Keeree Pass, the road proceeds in the direction of Hurdwar [Hari-dwar, the Gate of Vishnu), near the point at which the sacred waters of the Ganges enter the plains of Hindoostan. The scenery around Hurdwar affords some of the most splendid landscapes which are to be found on the bright and beautiful river whose majestic course is diversified by so many interesting objects. The town stands at the base of a steep mountain, on the verge of a slip of land reclaimed from the forest, and surrounded on all sides by thick jungle. The leafy fastnesses of the Deyrah Dhoon appear immediately above the pass ; and below, the uncultivated wastes of the Terraic stretch their wildernesses for many miles. The locality about Hurdwar has for ages been held in high veneration by the worshippers of Vishnu, and the town itself is one of the most frequented resorts of Hindoo pilgrims, who flock thither from all parts of India, to perform their devotions in the mystic stream at the moment of its emancipa- tion from the untrodden recesses of the vast Himalaya, in whose profound solitudes the infant waters spring from their everlasting fount.

To behold the Ganges at the moment in which its faith-inspiring current bursts into freedom from its mountain boundary, and glides in one broad stream along the plain, is to the exhausted devotee who has endurecT weeks, perhaps months, of fatigue and privation consequent upon a painful and hazardous journey, an ample recompense for all his toil and suffering. He gazes enraptured on the holy river, and, gathering up his failing strength to the task, presses onward, but too happy to yield up life with the first plunge of his body in the hallowed wave. Guided by faith in the doctrine of his race, the worshippers of Bramah believe that a blessed immortality is secured to the person who shall thus end his earthly career ; and, consequently, many who are wearied of life, or are anxious to enter scenes of purer enjoyment, will cheerfully commit suicide, or, if too weak to perform the act themselves, will prevail on their nearest friends to accelerate the progress of dissolution by leaving their bodies to float do>vn the sacred stream, while their souls are absorbed in the Divine Essence.

It is at this point of emergence from the hills that persons journeying from a great dis- tance are anxious to fill their jars with water, that their homes may be hallowed by a portion of the sacred element. Rich and pious Hindoos, who inhabit the provinces remote from this spot, spend large sums of money in procuring it by means of messengers, who are

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employed specially for the purpose. The water-pots are oftentimes conveyed to their desti- nation in a picturesque manner, being enclosed in a framework decorated with flowers and feathers, and slung upon bamboos resting on the shoulders of long files of men, who will convey it thus, without contamination, for several hundred miles. The bearers of the sacred fluid, althfmgh enjoying immunity from danger from all other enemies, are yet frequently waylaid and murdered by the Thugs, who consider murder to be an act of duty towards their goddess Bliowannee, the destructive power; and who will murder the poorest victim that falls in their way, to propitiate their deity, and induce hef to provide them with richer sacrifices.

Beyond the point at which the Ganges enters the plains, to its final junction with the ocean (a distance of 1,200 miles), it flows smoothly and placidly along, occasionally vexed and ruflSed by tempest; or, assuming an alarming degree of velocity when swollen by the melting of the snows, its strong current glides with the speed of an arrow. There are, however, bo cataracts in its long descent towards the sea, the fall being somewhat less than a foot a mile, through a channel which varies in width very considerably in diff'erent places, and at particular seftsons ; until, as the mighty river approaches the ocean, it spreads out its waters afar, pouring them forth in a flood ten miles broad. The Ganges is not fordable below its confluence with the Jumna at Allahabad ; but though it may be crossed by men and animals at several places previous to its junction with that tributary, the navigation is not interrupted from the spot in which it enters the plains. Its rise is seldom above thirty-two feet ; but when it reaches this height, it spreads over the adjacent country like a sea, inundating the low land, and frequently destroying whole villages ; those that remain, rising like islands in the midst of the watery waste. The waters of the Ganges are so charged with earthy particles, that when the floods begin to subside, the quantity of alluvial matter deposited is inconceivably great ; and an instance is recorded in which a branch of the river was filled up nearly to a level with the adjacent country in the space of a Aveek, the material deposited being equal to 900,000,000 solid feet. Between the mountains and the sea, the stream of the Ganges is augmented by the contributions of eleven large rivers, some of which are equal in magnitude to the Rhine, and none are less than the Thames. Its extreme length, from its source to the sea, is estimated at 1,560 miles.

HURDWAR.

The town of Hurdwar, which is small, but well built, is adorned with several commodious ghauts, constructed of cut freestone, descending by long flights of steps to the river. It consists chiefly of one principal street, running north and south, parallel with the course of the water, and composed of handsome houses belonging to rich merchants and Brahmins from every part of India. Many of the best edifices of Hurdwar have their foundations laid in the bed of the sacred river.

The roofs of the houses at this place are generally covered by troops of monkeys, who are held in much veneration in every stronghold of Hindoo superstition, and are, con- sequently, suS"ered to increase in such unchecked abundance, that they become an intolerable nuisance to their protectors, it being difficult to prevent their intrusion into the most private apartments.

The resident population of Hurdwar being small, the accommodation for pilgrims and others, who repair in great numbers to the place at certain seasons, is of a temporary description only, the wealthy portion of the pilgrims being alone indulged with the shelter of a roof over them ; the remainder of the vast multitude whom religion, pleasure, or business brings to the spot, being content to bivouac under canvas, or beneath the shadows of the trees. At an adjacent town named Kunkul, there are, however, numerous serais for the accommodation of strangers, consisting of long, low, quadrangular

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buildings, surrounded with suites of small apartments, in which human and animal life mingle together in one confuted mass of noise, disorder, and excitement.

During the fair (of whic^ we shall presently speak), on either side of the approach to Hurdwar, for a distance of two miles, are to be seeu large and handsome tents belonging to the civil and military officers of the Company, who repair thither on duty; while others who visit the place for amusement only, avail themselves of the shelter of the same encampment. These canvas abodes are diversified by the more substantial residences of rich natives, sheltered by large mango groves, and beautified with rare and magnificent flowers ; and so great is the necessity for temporary habitations during the fair, that artificers resort to the place from a considerable distance, in order to construct houses of thatch and grass mats, on a bamboo frame.

This celebrated fair is yearly held in the month of April, and lasts nearly a month. It is attended by pilgrims and traders from all parts of India — the first impelled by devo- tion to perform their ablutions in the sacred river; the other by a desire to profit' by the opportunity presented by the vast assemblage, for mingling business with devotion. The auspicious moment for the observance of the religious portion of the affair is calculated by the Brahmins ; who aver, that a great increase in the efficacy of the rite is derivable from its performance when Jupiter is in Aquarius, or the Sun enters Aries — which happens every twelfth year.

The climate of Hurdwar, during the early part of April; is exceedingly variable from four in the afternoon until nine or ten on the following day: the wind generally blows from the north or east, over the snowy mountains, rendering the air delightfully cool : daring the intermediate hours, however, the thermometer frequently rises to 94° ; and the clouds of dust arising from the concourse of people and cattle, add considerably to the annoyance sustained from the heat.

The Ganges, during the rainy season, is a mile in width at Hurdwar, pursuing its course between low woody islands, some of which afford very commodious camping- ground. On the west bank the eye rests upon a ridge of hills* rising to the height of 600 feet, covered with thick brushAvood mingled with trees. These hills are cleft in many places into rugged and deep ravines, which afford cover to numerous wild animals. The background of the landscape is formed of part of the range of blue mountains, from 6,000 to 8,000 feet in height, which conceal the base of the Himalaya or snowy region, and fill up the distance in the most magnificent manner possible.

THE PILGRIM FAIR AT HURDWAR.

It is difficult to convey an adequate idea of the grandeur and beauty that render Hurdwar one of the places most worthy of a traveller's attention in India, or to attempt to describe the diversified swarms of animate creation that, in the form of men and beasts of every race and clime, cover the whole ground around the holy station during the annual festival of the pilgrims at Hurdwar, in April. Horse-merchants from Bokhara and Cabool occupy the stony, central portions of the river; while those from Torkistan take up quarters behind the houses of the town. Elephant dealers incline to the suburbs for the sake of fodder ; but, morning and evening, traverse the roads with their studs, each elephant having a bell attached to its neck to give warning of approach. Buneas, or gram-sellers ; Hulwaes, or confectioners ; cloth, shawl, and toy-merchants, occupy the roadside, close to the town; their dwelling-places being interspersed with enclosures containing piles of barley and straw, heaped up and ready for sale.

On the sides of the hill to the west, thousands of Seik families are clustered, with their huts, tents, camels, bullocks, mules, and horses, crowded together in wild confusion. Near these are the tents of the better order of visitors, in groups of two or three, and constructed of white or striped canvas, gaily fringed and ornamented with scalloped

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borderings of scarlet cloth. There, also, are the tents of the superior horse-dealers, Arab or Persian merchants, who have brought animals of the purest breed, for which they demand enormous prices. Men are there, too, with bears, leopards, tigers, deer of all kinds, monkeys, Persian greyhounds, beautiful cats, and rare birds for sale. In short, there are collected at this fair, samples of the most rare, beautiful, and costly of the productions of the East, natural and artificial ; while Europe also contributes largely to the stock of valuable merchandise brought to this great mart for distribution among the swarming races of Hindoostan.

The crowding and confusion of buyers and sellers; the native groups in every imaginable variety of costume — some shining in cloth of gold, and surrounded by followers richly arrayed ; others less expensively, bat picturesquely, dressed, and many half-naked or wildly clad — all mingled together, among priests, soldiers, and religious mendicants — half beggar, half bandit; with here and there a cluster of Europeans mounted upon elephants, and affecting to look with supreme contempt upon the scene around them — exhibit altogether a combination of individualities that no other place in the world is capable of presenting. As may be easily imagined, the noise baffles all description.

During the time of the fair, the neighbouring roads are crowded by thousands of travellers in every description of vehicle, and mounted on elephants, bullocks, and camels, on horseback and on foot, and of all ages, complexions, and costumes. As they pass the pagodas on their way, the air resounds with shouts of " Mahadeo Bol !" which is repeated from front to rear, until the distant echoes take up the note, and the welkin rings with the cry of " Bol ! Bol \" The fair and the ghaut divide the attention of persons whom mere curiosity has drawn to the spot. In the ghaut immense crowds succeed each other without intermission; the vast influx of people thronging to the river-side, especially at the auspicious moment in which ablution is considered most efficacious. This ceremony has, until of late years, been generally productive of serious accident. Formerly a narrow avenue led from the principal street to the ghaut; the rush through this was tremendous, and numerous lives were lost — not fewer than seven hundred having fallen a sacrifice in one day to the enthusiastic zeal with which the devotees pressed forward to the river. The road has, however, been widened, and a convenient ghaut constructed by direction of the government ; and the pilgrims at Hurdwar have since been able to perform an essential rite of their religion without danger.

The Brahmins are, of course, conspicuous in the throng: they collect the tribute, but do not otherwise exercise their sacerdotal functions, the bathing being performed without any peculiar ceremony : there are also a vast number of mendicants of every description, many being, from their filth, their distortion, or their nakedness, the most disgusting objects imaginable. The utter absorption of every faculty in the duty performed by the bathers, who are only intent upon saturating their bodies with the sacred waters, oft'ers an extraordinary contrast to the listless, indifferent air of the European spectators, who, lazily reposing on their elephants, survey the scene at a convenient distance. A few missionaries distributing copies of the Scriptures translated into the various dialects of the East, are the only types of European intelligence that appear to take an interest in tlie scene around them.

Frequently, upon this occasion, a large congregation of the magnates of the land is assembled at Hurdwar. The Begum Sumroo, during her lifetime, would often make her appearance, with a retinue of 1,000 horse and 1,500 infantry. Here, also, was wont to assemble the Nawab of Nujibabad, the Rajahs of Ghiiosgarh, Uchet, and Sadwa; the Putteeala rajah and his vakeel, whose attendants were distinguished by their light yellow turbans and sashes ; and the Rajah of Balespoor in the mountains : all of whom, the latter especially, making it a point to traverse the fair mornings and evenings. The Balespoor rajah usually appeared seated on a remarkably tall elephant, in a large howdah overlaid with plates of solid silver glistening in the sun, and covered with a pointed dome-like canopy of scarlet, supported on four silver pillars richly embossed. He wore a large Avhite conical turban; and amongst the jewels that adorned his person were two enormous pearls, set as ear-rings, the hoops being of gold three inches in diameter. A servant sat behind him, waving slowly, backwards and forwards over his head, a splendid chowric, or feather-fan, as an emblem of rank. Many of his relatives followed upon elephants

THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

caparisoued in various degrees of splendour, surrounded by horsemen showily dressed and accoutred, capering and curvetting about. Besides these were the usual rabble route on foot (the constant attendants upon Eastern sovereignty), crowding in the rear, heedless of the vicious animals rearing and leaping on all sides, as their riders fired off muskets, matchlocks, and pistols, and made the adjacent hills reverberate with the sound.

Among these wild but truly Oriental pageants, Rhutz (four-wheeled carriages) abound at the fair, the roofs covered with white linen or scarlet cloth, and terminating with ornaments of gold or silver : these are chiefly occupied by women, six or eiglit of whom are crowded into one veliicle; small curtained apertures at the sides, enabling them to snatch hasty glances at the multitude around, without themselves being visible. Troops of danciug-girls also establish themselves at Hurdwar during the fair, and are to be seen performing either in front of the houses, or in the interior of the dwellings of the rich inhabitants.

As soon as darkness sets in, the whole of the river, the town, and the inhabited portion of the forest, present a continuous blaze of illuminations, the display being varied by occasional bursts of fireworks. Nothing can be more pleasing than the effect of the lamps, sparkling and gleaming between the trees ; while the islands and woody shores of the river are distinctly marked by innumerable vessels of oil, kindled and sent floating down the stream.

At these immense annual gatlierings the peace of the promiscuous multitude is usually preserved by a large detachment from the Sirmoor battalion of Goorkas, or hill-rangers, who come down from their quarters at Deyrah Dlioon, and garrison one of the islands in the centre of the river, where they are out of the way, and yet sufii- ciently near to prevent disturbance. A considerable body of police, with the civil magistrates, are also present to enforce regulations for the preservation of order.

MUSSOOREE, OR MUSSOURL

Leaving Hurdwar, the traveller may proceed up the valley of the Dhoon to the village of Raj poor, at the foot of the secondary chain of the Himalaya. Part of the road con- ducts him through a thick forest of lofty trees, among which will be found the rhododen- dron in full bloom : the underwood is composed of richly flowering plants, and the air laden with the fragrance of the corunda, whose white staiTy blossoms are redolent with perfume. In some places the road forms itself into an avenue, the branches of the trees meeting overhead. In this beautiful valley, part of which is watered by a clear stream, shaded by alders, the turf is enlivened by the amaranth, a bright scarlet and pink flower, and several species of the ranunculus. There are also found large bushes of sage springing from a carpet of thyme, which gives out its aromatic odour to eveiy breeze.

The town of Deyrah, in this valley, is the station of the Goorka battalion of hill- rangers, whose faithful and energetic services through the war of the sepoy revolt, has been frequently and justly acknowledged by every commander under whom they have fought. It has long been selected for the residence of the political agent of the province, and has many advantages to boast of. Deyrah is celebrated for a temple, sacred to the memory of a Hindoo devotee by whom it was founded ; but the chief claim of this individual to favourable recollection, arises from the fact of his having constructed a handsome stone tank, which occupies an acre of ground, and is an ornamental as well as useful boon to the inhabitants.

The ascent from Deyrah to Raj poor is so gradual as to be hardly perceptible ; but from the latter place it becomes more abrupt, the road winding along the sides of precipices of the most romantic character, craggy with rocks, and richly clothed with trees that descend to the bottom of deep and almost unfathomable ravines, through

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which, however, the ear can detect the sound of gushing waters, as they pursue their course througli channels impervious to the eye of man.

Rajpoor is an exceedingly pretty village, sufficiently elevated to admit of a clear and unobstructed view of the ever- beautiful Dhoon : near it are some natural curiosities worth visiting, one being the dripping rock of Shansa Dhare. From a precipitous height of overhanging cliff a stream desceuds in perpetual showers of crystal, each drop pro- ducing a petrifaction : and the cHff being worn away by the continual action of the water, assumes a cavernous appearance, formed entirely of spar. In this natural temple a Brahmin has erected an altar, dedicated to Mahadeo (the Great God.) Opposite to this, in another direction, is a spring containing a large proportion of sulphureous particles, rising out of a mass of limestone, and tinging the adjacent stones with its colouring matter. At INIala Pani, in the vicinity, is a monument erected to the memory of General Gillespie and the officers who fell before the fortress of Kalunga, in the Goorka war of 1815.

The summit of the ridge on which Rajpore is situated, is elevated 8,000 feet above the level of the sea, and from its utmost height a glorious burst of landscape is presented ; the plains below stretching far and wide, bounded on either side by the Jumna and the Ganges, which, at a distance of forty miles apart, pursue their tortuous career until their silvery traces are lost in the meeting skies. After winding for several hundred miles in a south-easterly direction, these beautiful rivers unite — the Jumna throwing itself into the Ganges at Allahabad ; thus enclosing an extensive tract of country, called the Dooab, which, by their fertilising waters, is rendered one of the most productive districts in India.

Turning in another direction to the mountain scenery, height rises upon height, intersecting valleys appear interminable, and the mind is wrapped in astonishment and awe, as the gigantic wonders of the vast scene are unfolded. Mussooree, the site of a station which is now one of the chief resorts of visitors from the plains, stands at an elevation of 7,500 feet above the level of the sea, and is situated on the southern face of the ridge called the Landour range, overlooking a village of that name, which has been selected for the establishment of a military sanitarium for officers and soldiers of the Bengal army who may have lost their health in the plains. Mussooree, in consequence of the great resort of invalids, is rapidly increasing in size and importance ; but the dwellings erected by the European residents have been compared, not inaptly, to gulls' nests on the side of a cliff. There is so little table-land — the level plain, composed of a few square yards, being chiefly cut out of the rock — that the foundations of many of the cottages are built up with masonry at the edge of precipices, and there is scarcely an enclosed piece of ground rouud any dwelling. The roads are narrow, and in many places scooped out of the sides of steeps of the most fearful-looking nature; yet, so speedily does the eye become accustomed to the appearance of danger, that ladies gallop along them without experiencing any apprehension.

The Mussooree heights are composed of transition limestone, very craggy and bold, and argillaceous schistus, the slate exceedingly crumbling; there is also a large vein of trap in its valleys. No great expense is incurred in the building of houses at Mus- sooree; the abundance of timber in its immediate vicinity affording all necessary wood- work in inexhaustible quantities, among which the oak and rhododendron — the latter attaining the size of a forest-tree — are prominent. Some Europeans have been rather unfortunate in the site of their houses; others, more happily placed, are sheltered from the north wind, which, passing over the snowy mountains, exercises a chilling influence over everything exposed to its keen blasts. The trees on the northern side of the range are stunted and withered ; but luxuriance and beauty characterise the south — the one side being covered with rhododendrons, rich with flowers; while the other is gloomy, with a clothing of sombre pines.

The rhododendron tree bears a magnificent crimson flower, and forms one of the most beautiful as well as the most prominent features of the scene. The cherry, pear, and barberry are also found. The first European mansion constructed at Mussooree belonged to a Colonel Young, commanding a Goorka corps stationed in the Dhoon. It was called by the undignified appellation of the Potato-garden, in consequence of a plantation of that useful vegetable ; and remained for years the only habitation of the kind upon the hill. The house was prettily situated, perched upon the summit of one of

8 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

the lower kuolls, that duster together, and rise one above the other from the Mus- sooree range.

The neighbouring valleys and ridges afford to the lovers of field-sports, domiciled at Mussooree, abundant opportunities for procuring every sort of game, although there is doubtless some difficulty in the pursuit of it. The pheasants are exceedingly numerous, and of great size and beauty.

The station assumes a very interesting appearance at night, with the lights from its numerous houses spi'inkled about the hill-sides, and the fires which native servants kindle on the ground wherever they can find space. Many of the builders of houses among the Mussooree hills appear to have been solely influenced in the choice of a site by the prospect it commands ; others, however, have looked more to the eligibility and convenience of the situation as regards water ; for though the mountain streams may be heard, and are even seen, meandering through the bed of the ravine immediately below the windows, they are not accessible but with much cost of time and labour; and the necessary supply of water frequently becomes very expensive, on account of the carriage.

Estates here are purchased or rented on lease from the rajah of the district, Avho is very willing to let to strangers, land which has hitherto contributed little or nothing to his annual revenue. Spots thus taken are indicated by a board bearing the proprietor's name, who thus frequently possesses himself of a large and beautiful estate, consisting, perhaps, of a whole hill covered with forest-trees, and stocked with abundance of game ; of which he is sole master, subject only to some regulations which have been found necessary to prevent the wanton demolition of timber. In the dearth of amusement, it has been known that the cutting down trees, either for fuel, or merely for the purpose of watching their fall, has formed the employment of vacant minds ; but of late years, such senseless pastime has been restricted ; and those who would have disregarded the appeal of taste and propriety, have been compelled to bow to the prohibitory mandate of superior authority.

THE ABBEY AND HILLS FROM NEAR MUSSOOREE.

Although the general appearance of Mussooree might have been much improved by more tasteful arrangements on the part of the early residents, yet there are many habita- tions in the locality which possess a considerable portion of picturesque beauty j and amongst these the mansion which, with greater regard for European associations than for local propriety, has been entitled '' The Abbey,'' stands conspicuous.

The abbey at Mussooree occupies a very commanding site, apart from all other habitations, on the extreme summit of a rugged mountain. During the fine weather, the prospects obtained from its elevated situation much more than compensate for any disadvantage; but, in the wet season, it is completely enveloped in mist, and damp clouds penetrate through every aperture. The intrusion of fog into a house is sufficiently disagreeable ; but in these altitudes the clouds take the same liberty ; and suddenly, if sitting in an apartment with the door or window open, the inhabitants often find themselves wrapped in a very poetical but very inconvenient garment. The storms, also, experienced in these elevated situ-ations are exceedingly terrific ; occasionally they rage below the residence, encircling some sublime peak of the Landour range; but at other limes they pour their unbroken fury on the devoted mansion and its terrified inhabitants — the thunder peals amidst the snow-storm, while lightning flasltes around like a continuous sheet of fire, and a tremendous hurricane threatens destruction to whatever opposes its progress.

The extent of mischief occasioned by these elementary conflicts is often very great in :hese exposed regions; and it is with fear and trembling that, after the fury of the storm has passed by, the inhabitants venture forth to survey the havoc that traces its path.

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On one side are seen trees torn up by their roots; on another are rocks wrenched from their foundations, and precipitated down the side of the mountain, carrying with them, in their descent to some dark abyss, the soil and vegetation in their path. Sheep and poultry are scattered about lifeless, crushed by the descending mass; and it has occa- sionally happened, that human life also has been found equally insecure among these alpine heights.

In consequence of the frequent mutations of Anglo-Indian society, the abbey has more than once changed its owner, but has always been considered a desirable property, notwithstanding its exposure to all the winds of heaven. It is scarcely pos>ible to have a finer or moi'e extended view than that which is commanded from the windows. The gigantic Clioor is visible to the right, capped with snow, which remains unmelted during the greater part of the year ; while, on every side, hills and valleys, in endless succession, present flcjurishing villages, surrounded with rich cultivation, scattered hamlets, and thick forests. To the left, a partial glance at the Dhoon and the plains beyond close the prospect; while, in the distance, the river Jumna can be seen threading the mazes of the champaign country, and marking its course by a thread of silver.

During the months of July and August the rain falls almost incessantly, and the inhabitants of Mussooree are compelled to find amusement within the shelter of their homes. At this period the views from the abbey are naturally circumscribed ; but good fires impart a glow of genial warmth and comfort to the weather-bound ; and whenever the sky clears up, the most beautiful effects are visible in the scenery, either wholly or partially unveiled by the sunbeams breaking through the clouds. A lover of nature domiciled in one of these altitudes will always find something to interest him and command attention in the numerous changes which take place in different states of the atmosphere, imparting endless variety to scenery always sublime. Sunrise is accom- panied by the highest degree of splendour in these alpine regions, lighting up the mountain- brows with gold, and flinging over the snowy range afar off those gorgeous hues which only the hand of nature can display. Then, as the rai>ts curl upwards, and the veil is drawn from the face of the earth, the distant towns and villages gradually appear, and give to the rich and varied landscape the charm of almost fairy-like beauty. Such are amongst the attractions of the hill station of ]Mussooi'ee.

THE HIMALAYAS— SNOWY RANGE FROM LANDOUR.

The Himalaya Mountains, signifying by name "the abode of snow," form the tremendous barrier which, stretching from the Indus on the north-west, to the Brama- pootra on the south-east, divides the plains of Hiiuloostan from the wilds of Thibet and Tartary. This chain of mountains comprises numerous ranges, extending in different directions west of the Indus. One of its ramifications, running in a still more westerly direction, is known to the Afghans by the name of the Hindoo- Koosh, the whole stupendous range being merely broken by the Indus. From the north-east point of Cashmere it takes a south-eastern course, stretching along the sources of all the Punjab rivers, except the Sutlej, where it separates the hilly portion of the Lahore province from those tracts which have been designated, in modern geography. Little Thibet. Still pursuing the same direction, it crosses the heads of the Ganges and. Jumna, and forces their currents towards a southward channel. Farther east, the chain is supposed to be less continuous, it being the generally received opinion that it is penetrated by the Gunduck, the Arun, the Cosi, and the Teesta rivers. Beyond the limits of Bootan, the course of the chain extending into an unexplored country, it can be traced no longer; but the supposition is in favour of its running to the Chinese sea, skirting the northern frontier of the provinces of Quangsi and Quantong, and lessening in height as it approaches the east. The portion of this extensive chain which borders HindoostaD, HI. c

10 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTllATED.

rises to an elevation far exceeding that of any other mountains in the world, in some places forming an impassable barrier to the countries beyond, and rendering their extent a matter of conjecture only. The breadth of the snowy chain varies in different parts between the Sutlej and the Ganges; but it has been estimated at about eighty miles from the plains of Hindoostan to those of Thibet. The heights of this splendid barrier are •unsurmountable by man; but in some places, the beds of rivers which intersect it afford access to its wild and gloomy fastnesses; and as a few have succeeded in penetrating the gigantic mass, there is a possibility that the efforts of science and daring combined, may vet force a passage through the rocks and snows of these desert wastes. The ranges of hills, extending in a southerly direction from the Himalaya, are divided into numerous principalities to the eastward of the Sutlej — Sirmoor, Gurhwal, Kumaon, Nepaul ; and manv others are to be found, several of which were unknown to the European inhabitants cf India previous to the Goorka wars of 1815.

The plains of India may with justice be deemed one vast prison, in whicii the sun, aided at one period of the year by the hot winds, acts the part of gaoler. It is only during a brief interval in the morning and evening, that exercise can be taken with impunity, except during the cold season ; and even then a carriage or a horse is required. Emancipation, therefore, from these restraints — a feeling of power to wander at will in the open air, and the invigorating influence of a bracing atmosphere, combine to render individuals, on their arrival at Mussooree, like captives newly liberated from a dungeon, or schoolboys breaking loose from their forms.

From Mussooree a road has been cut at the elevation of 7,000 feet above the sea level, that completely encircles the height chosen for the sanitarium of Landour; per- mitting the residents to make an easy excursion of about four miles, either on horseback or on foot ; every step of the way being fraught with objects of beauty and interest.

In no place can the snowy range of the Himalaya be seen to more advantage than from the western side of Landour ; the distance being about thirty miles. From this point it rises with a majesty and distinctness which is in some measure lost when the traveller, at a nearer approach, becomes shut in as it were amid lofty peaks, which circum- scribe his view; and where, in consequence of the extraordinary purity of the atmos- phere, they, especially soon after sunrise, appear to the eye much nearer than they really are. The intermediate country is then veiled in mist, spreading like a lake; and the snowy eminences beyond, rising from its margin, when lighted up by the slanting rays of the sun, seem as if they could be gained by an easy effort: it is not until those silvery mists have cleared away, and the sun shines out with broader splendour, revealing the true state of the case, that the illusion is dispelled. Dhawallaghiri (the white mountain), in which the river Gunduck has its source, is considered to be the most lofty of these peaks : its height has not been exactly determined ; but accounts that are esteemed accurate, render it 27,400 feet above the level of the sea, Jumnoutri and Gungoutri, whence the Jumna and the Ganges have their birth, are next in proportion, both exceed- ing 24,000 feet ; but the last-named is the most highly honom-ed by the natives, some of whom affirm, that on its topmost summit Mahadeo has erected his throne; while others reverence the whole mountain as the god.

Villages are to be found at an elevation of 14,000 feet; but dwelling at this altitude is not healthy, and the inhabitants have a wretched and attenuated appearance. Culti- vation has been carried, in some places, 500 feet higher; and vegetation does not totally cease until stopped, at the height of 16,000 feet, by that eternal barrier of snow which asserts supreme donainion over the sullen wastes above.

From another point of Landour the eye embraces the splendid range of mountains through which the sacred river forces its impetuous course — now fretting along a narrow channel, which it has worn amid tiie rocks; and now flinging itself down in glittering volumes from ridge to ridge ; until at length, emerging from the hills, it is seen winding and wandering along the level country in curves of beauty, which the eye may trace until they are lost in distance.

From the crest of the Sowa Khola ridge, at a short distance from Landour, the whole valley of Deyrah Dhoon, the small Sewalik range which encloses it to the south, and the dim plains of Saharunpoor still further in the distance, burst upon the deliglited vision ; the snowy mountains forming a magnificent background, and the monarch of the

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secondary belt — the sublime Choor — standing out in bold relief; while in the vast expanse of plain, the silver lines of the Ganges and Jumna are seen shining through the haze.

SNOWY RANGE FROM TYNEE.

In India, it has long been considered a natural consequence of the position, that all adventurous persons who take up their head-quarters at any of the hill-stations, should make excursions through the mountain passes beyond; and it has not uufrequently happened that some, more enterprising than others of the migratory tribe, have pene- trated to the sources of the Ganges and the Jumna. When projecting a tour in the Himalayas, with the latter object in view, it is always desirable that a party of three or more Europeans should unite, each providing himself with some eight or ten servants, who in turn require the assistance of a strong corps of coolies, or porters. They must provide themselves with tents, sure-footed ponies, and chairs, called jliampans; the bearers who carry them on their shoulders on poles, being called jhampanis. It is not always easy to induce the natives to engage in these expeditions. Despite their servile obsequiousness, they look upon the Feringhees — who are not content with the comforts they might enjoy under a good roof, and voluntarily expose themselves to hardships and privations solely from an absurd admiration of mountains, rocks, trees, and horrid snows — as little better than madmen. Accordingly, the instant that any disastrous circumstances occur — when food and fuel become scarce, the cold intense, and the prospect threatening — a general strike is almost certain to take place ; and these mutinies are only suppressed by returning fine weather, the opportune acquisition of a fat sheep, or the materials for a good fire; discontent gradually subsiding under the genial influence of sunshine, roast mutton, or even the blaze without the meat.

The perils to be encountered from cold, hunger, and rebellion, are notorious among travellers ; but a natural ardour in the pursuit of the picturesque renders such contin- gencies of minor importance ; and the tourists should start from Mussooree in good spirits, and with a determination to accomplish the object for which they set out. Very shortly after the commencement of their travels, they will reach the spot whence the accompanying view was taken.

Tynee, or Marma, stands at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, and affords an opportunity for enjoying in full perfection the sublimity of mountain scenery. The foieground of the vast picture is composed of a ridge richly covered with timber (the growth of ages), and contrasting, by its dark foliage, with the barer eminences around, which, rising in all directions, appear as if the tumultuous waves of a stormy ocean had suddenly been frozen into solidity; while the forest, standing forth in the midst, looks like a peninsula stretching far iuto the billows. Beyond this wild and confused sea of mountains, arise, in calmer majesty, vast towering piles of stainless snow, which, from Avhatever point they may be viewed, never fail to inspire sentiments of admira- tion and of awe. The higher cluster of white peaks near the centre are those of Bunda- pooch, above Jumnoutri, the source of the Jumna. To the right are the Rudra Hima- laya, near Gungoutri, whence springs the Ganges; and still further to the east, the loftiest of the peaks, tlie Dhawallagliiri, may sometimes be discovered at a distance of 250 miles, rearing its snowy coronet, and looking down from its height of 27,000 feet upon the pigmy world below; wliile far to the east and west, the hoary tributaries of the giant mountain stretch their snowy eminences in space until they melt into air, and are lost to Straining sight. Although the distance from the spot whence this view is taken, to the nearest mountains of the snowy range, is not more than thirty miles, it requires a fatiguing journey of many days to reach them, and involves a route of at least ninety miles. Several persons have succeeded in forcing a passage to the northward of those hills ; but the peaks themselves are yet untrodden by human feet.

12 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

In the progress of tlie journey the scene becomes wild, and frequently impressive, the vallev narrowing as the travellers advance, and the rocks on either side rising with greater abruptness : the stream which flows along the path is sometimes boiling over rocks, making a sea of foam ; at otliers diving into ravines, and gurgling amidst impene- trable darkness. Occasionally, the savage landscape is relieved by spots of a calmer nature — the castle of some mountain rajah crowning with picturesque beauty a lofty crag, with greensward beneath sloping down to the water, embellished with scattered trees, and approached over a carpet of thyme studded with flowers of every hue, whose fragrance is borne upon the loitering air. The scene changes, and the travellers are sur- roiunled with precipitous rocks— the level space circumscribed to a few yards; and cascades are roaring and tumbling about in every direction. One particular day's march may be described as peculiarly attractive.

The first part conducts the tourists through a narrow gorge, walled on either side by fantastic rocks, and wooded with fine alders, the stream rolling deep beneath their feet; while the path is overhung by dreadful precipices, toppling crags now and then threatening to follow the huge fragments that have already fallen, and to crush whatever impedes their progress : then the scene widens, and a natural terrace shaded by splendid mulberry-trees, off'ers rest and repose — the rocks scattering themselves around, and being traversed at one place by a foaming cataract. Ascending a steep and rugged eminence, up rock and crag, another halting-place of table-land is readied, adorned with fine cliesnut-trees, and commanding an extensive view backed by the snowy ranges; while immediately below appears a rich confusion of waterfalls, wild preci- pices, and luxuriant foliage. The air here is delightfully cool and bracing; and the meal that awaits the tourists in their halting-place will be heartily enjoyed.

From this point the savage aspect of the route is seldom relieved by scenes of gentle beauty; the ranges of hills, crossing and apparently jostling each other in unpai'elleled confusion, being all rugged, steep, and difficult to thread ; some divided from the rest by wide but rough valleys, their summits crowned by forests of venerable growth ; while others, more sharp and precipitous, are nothing more than ravines descending suddenly to an appalling depth — bare solid rocks, several hundred feet in height, or dark with wood, and apparently formed by the torrents that, in the course of ages, have worn for themselves a passage through these gloomy passes. In such a country, cultivation is difficult; small patches of ground can alone be reclaimed from the wilderness, and agriculture is carried on with unremitting toil for very inefficient results.

THE VILLAGE OF NAREE.

"Wherever human habitation is found in the course of a tour through the Himalaya, ample proof is afforded of the inveterate nature of the prejudice entertained by the people of the mountains against personal cleanliness ; and yet the Puharies (as the hill people are called), though, perliaps, not equal in mental capacity to the inhabi- tants of the plains, exhibit no want of intelligence, and are easily made to comprehend the means of procuring for themselves additional comforts to their scanty stock : but there is one quality essentially necessary to render them agreeable to European visitors — which is unteachable ; and that is. cleanliness !

Dirt, and all its odious concomitants, appear to give zest to the existence of the Puharie; and thus, while strangers pause to admire the picturesque appearance of their villages, the ingenuity displayed in the construction of the houses, and the convenient arrangement of some of the interiors, they are deterred from anything approaching to close contact either to men or dwellings, by the vermin and horrible smells that invariably accompany both.

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The number of houses composing the village of Naree is small; the primitive hamlets of the hill districts not usually exceeding twenty-five or thirty, and the families being in the same proportion. The advantages of the division of labour not being yet under- stood, all the mechanical arts belonging to one trade are carried on by the same indi- vidual, who transmits his occupation to his descendants. The greater number of these mountaineers call themselves Rajpoots — i.e., descendants of rajahs; but they are not able to show any legitimate claim to the title — a degenerate race, seldom springing from warlike ancestry. From whatever circumstance it may be caused, it is clear they do not exhibit the intrepidity, hardihood, and enterprise which usually characterise people who inhabit alpine regions; but their timidity and apathy are not so offensive as their total want of manly sentiment. Notwithstanding the absence of refinement of feeling in the Hindoo character generally, the people of the plains manifest a high sense of honour: their marriages may be contracted without respect to that mutual affection which seems so requisite for the security of domestic happiness; but they regard female chastity as an essential; and, if not so easily roused to jealousy as the Mohammedans, will not brook dishonour, and will sacrifice themselves, and those nearest and dearest to them, rather than see their women degraded. On the hills, on the contrary, no sort of respect is paid to the sex : women are looked upon as expensive articles, since every man must purchase his wife; and in order to diminish the cost attendant upon the acquisition and support of the domestic slave, four or five brothers will join in a partnership for the joint possession of the woman. The demand being small, it is generally supposed that the infanticide common to many of the Rajpoot tribes is practised chiefly with regard to daiighters; since the proportion of unmarried females in the bouses of their parents, is far less than it would be if the number of female children reared bore any proportion to that of the males. The Hindoo of the plains, though sunk in sensuality, occasionally evinces some susceptibility of high feeling; but nothing of the kind can exist amidst a people who, like the Puharies, can neither understand or appreciate the charm of female purity ; Avhile the women, so long as the abominable system of polygamy prevails (which, from time immemorial, has been established in the Himalaya), must inevitably remain in their present abject and unnatural condition.

THE BRIDGE AT BHURKOTE.

In travelling through the hill districts, tourists are continually surprised into a remark respecting the changeful nature of the scenerj'' on their line of march ; and it is difficult to attempt even a brief description of the country without frequent repetition of the observations to which such sudden alternations in the landscape naturally give rise. Ascending or descending, the transitions from heat to cold, and vice versa, are fre- quently very sudden and unexpected — the tourist being sometimes annoyed by the incumbrance of clothing while passing through a Jeep and sunny valley, and envying the freedom of the native attendants, who make no scruple of divesting themselves of every superfluous garment ; at other times, and within a few hours, actually shivering with cold.

The features of the landscape are subjected to equally striking mutations : a horrid region of barren rocks, bare and bleak, without a trace of vegetation, surmounted by beetling cliffs frowning in uin-eclaimed sterility, afford an awful portraiture of desolation and famine. No living creature is to be seen in these dismal solitudes — neither bird nor beast intruding on the rugged wild. The pass threaded, some steep and rocky pathway is ascended, when, gaining the summit of a ridge, the traveller looks down for several hundred feet upon a tangled scene — trees scattering themselves between the rocks, through which an impetuous torrent rushes with dasii and foam: anon emerging into green and smiling pastures, enamelled with flowers, and shaded with fruit-trees ; amid

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14 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

which some interesting memorial of the ingenuity and industry of man meets the eye; such, fur instance, as the bridge at Bhurkote, which, in its vray, is a perfect specimen of the architecture of the Himalayan engineers.

When, as in the case of the stream at Bhurkote, the space is too wide to be spanned bv single trees, the banks on either side are brought nearly to a level by means of stone buttresses of solid construction ; these are surmounted by rows of stout beams laid close to each other, one end projecting about one-fourth of their extreme length across the stream, and the other firmly secured to terra firma. Over them another row of beams is placed, projecting still further, and supported by those below; and in this manner the sides are raised, floor a1)ove floor, until the vacant space between may be crossed by single planks. The whole is very skilfully put together — neither glue, nails, or ropes being employed; the absence of those articles, and the tools which a European work- man would consider necessary for any structure of the kind, being supplied in a very ingenious manner by contrivances that are quite sufficient for the purpose. Even the masonry is occasionally bound together with a framework of wood, employed as a subssti- tute for mortar, and so admirably managed as to give great strength and solidity to the fabric. The platform across is furnished on either side with rails; but although they afford some appearance of safety, the springing motion of the planks, and the rapidity of the current that hurries along the rocky bed beneath, render considerable steadiness of brain necessary in crossing. This bridge is constructed of a species of larch, and the river is shaded by some very fine alders, which here attain a gigantic size.

VIEW NEAR KTJRSALEE.

Approaching Kursalee (a well-built village on the route to the glen of the Jumna), the immense assemblage of mountains — range swelling upon range — again forcibly suggests an idea of the waves of a mighty ocean lashed into fury and rearing their billows on high, until, suddenly checked by an All-powerful hand, they cease their wrath, and are stilled into sullen, motionless majesty. The clothing of these hill-sides favours the idea, by adding considerably to their wave-like appearance, and presenting altogether a chaotic mass of wild and singular grandeur.

The road to the village passes through a noble forest, in which the oak and the rhododendron mingle freely with the pine; and, on emerging from the woody labyrinth, opens abruptly upon the Jumna, as it sweeps round the base of a lofty mountain covered with wood to its topmost height. Descending thence to a little valley, the route lies along the side of geiitle eminences in a high state of cultivation ; amid which, shaded by a grove of fruit-trees, stands a temple in one of the most beautiful situations imaginable — an opening between the neighbouring hills, at the same time, aff'ording a fine view of the snowy mountains, and of a cascade that conveys their welcome tribute to the plains. The valley, in addition to its natural beauties, has a neat appearance — the evidence of human occupation. Apricots in abundance, of the largest size, offer their juicy ripeness to the hand, and enclosures of flowering hedge-rows contribute their fragrance to enhance the charms of the prospect.

The scenery of the glen of the Jumna is, without question, exceedingly beautiful, and scarcely to be paralleled through.out the mountain-range. One portion of the route from Kursalee is up a steep ascent, winding through woods of o-^k and rhodo- dendron, which extend a whole mile. Upon reaching the summit, a grand prospect of the snowy peaks is obtained from Bundapooch to the right, and Bachunch to the left — the view below being wide and varied, showing the course of the Jumna to the south- west, until it is lost in distance. The mountain-ridge now traversed is white with snow; but many of the surrounding peaks, which rise still higher, are, on account of their greater steepness, and shaft-like summits, of the most deep and sombre hue. Descend-

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ing from this elevation, a beautiful tract of forest land, of a perfectly new character, spreads out before the traveller — the trees being ash, sycamore, horse-chesnut, bamboo, and the wild pomegranate, which here grow in rich luxuriance, at the elevation of 6,867 feet above the level of the sea.

At a short distance from Kursalee is a celebrated hot spring, issuing from the bed of a torrent that falls into the Jumna, at a place called Banass. This torrent bursts from the cleft of one of a range of mountains which hem in a small valley, or rather dell, and rushes down, in one unbroken volume, from a height of eighty feet. The hot spring rises from the base of an opposite mountain, and mingles its waters with those of its colder but more impetuous neighbour. The water is of scalding temperature, and will not admit of the immersion of the hands or feet for a single moment, the thermometer standing at 144° when placed in the nearest part of the spring to the rock from whence it issues. The water is pure and tasteless; but the stones it flows over are dis- coloured, and encrusted with a black substance. The rocks from which it issues are all quartz, surrounded by gneiss and mica schist on every side, except that on which the torrent falls. This spot is considered by the Hindoos to be exceedingly holy, and the devotees are frequently rapt in a pious ecstasy, happy in the belief that they have secured the road to heaven by offering worship in this extraordinary dell.

The width of the channel allowing the river to spread at this place, renders the stream less tumultuous than either above or below; and its comparatively tranquil surface forms a pleasing contrast to the furious tributary which rushes headlong into it. The rocks, piling themselves one above another in fantastic confusion, are a shelter for thousands of pigeons, which, when disturbed, flock out in clouds ; and, amid a scene so fitting for such a guest, the gigantic elk of the mountains finds a favourite haunt. The country around partakes of the same wild and savagely-romantic character. Paths, rough and dangerous, ascend and descend along the sides of precipitous heights, down to ravines whose gloom is never dispelled by the rays of the sun; then, winding upwards, they lead to a halting-place on some rugged ledge, or natural terrace, where the hunter may take his stand and watch for an opportunity to slay the musk deer, which, though scarce and shy, are sometimes within his reach; while the tourist, in search of the picturesque, looks from heights, of hundreds, or even thousands of feet, to trace the course of some wandering stream, ere it flings itself in echoing cascades to some dark abyss below. The foliage of these tremendous solitudes harmonises well with the character of the scene— luxuriant, sombre, and heavy; but enlivened by magnificent clusters of white roses, and enriched by the innumerable family of ferns, which, mingled with a bright variety of flowers, spring, as it were, to welcome the footsteps of man.

KURSALEE.

The village of Kursalee stands at the height of 7,860 feet above the sea-level, and is one of the largest of the class usually found in the Himalaya, consisting of at least thirty houses, with a population amounting to about 300 persons. It is seated on a plain ox considerable dimensions, on the left bank of the rocky ravine which forms the channel of the Jumna, surrounded by an amphitheatre of mountains, piled one upon another — some dark with rock and forest, and others shining in all the bright resplendence of eternal snow. The village is reached by an extremely steep and rugged road. Although the winters are severe, and the temperature always low, Kursalee is a place not only of great beauty, but of abundance; being cultivated into a perfect garden well wooded with luxuriant fruit-trees, which, while they add attraction to the landscape, are pleasingly associated with ideas of wealth and comfort among those who live beneath tlicir shade.

Kursalee, notwithstanding its limited population, is a flourishing village, full of temples and Brahmins — the latter always establishing themselves in great numbers near

16 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

haunts in most repute witli pilo^rims resortinoj to the sacred sources of the Jnrana and the Ganges ; from wliose pockets the holy fraternity contrive to pick a very tolerable subsistence. Some of the temples at Kursalee are said to have been miraculously raised by the gods themselves^ and, of course, acquire superior sanctity from that circum- stance. Thev are adorned, according to the zeal and means of the devotees, with orna- ments of varied description; among which are musical instruments, and rude images of every imaginable form and material. The horns of deer are also favourite decorations, both of temples and tombs, among the people of the hill districts, who attach some peculiar virtue to such sylvan trophies, and believe tliat they exercise mysterious influence over their present and future fortunes. In addition to the worship of the numerous deities introduced by the Brahmins of the plains, these mountaineers have a verv extensive catalogue of superstitions peculiarly their own; and they offer religious worship to a variety of symbolical representations of good or evil beings, which their imaginations have invested with productive and controlling power. The cow is reverenced by all; although its sacred character does not exempt it from hard work; it being employed in the laborious operations of agriculture, in the manner pursued by the more ortliodox Hindoos of the plains; but in the hills it is better treated, and is fed and tended with much greater care than the ill-used animal mocked by the worship of the former, who often, despite their veneration, prove cruel task-masters to the sacred animal.

Some fine pieces of land, attached to the village, are wholly appropriated to the main- tenance of the temples and their priests; and the images in some of the places used for worship, are remarkably well executed. At Lakha Kundul (a beautiful village near Kursalee), a religious edifice, dedicated to the Pandoo deities of EUora, contains a bullock couchant, in black marble, of life-size, sculptured with astonishing fidelity and masterly execution, by some hand that has perhaps been powerless for ages, as it bears indications of very remote antiquity.

The people of Kursalee have become much accustomed to the visits of European strangers on their route to the source of the Jumna; and it is the custom for the principal inhabitants to come out to meet the pilgrims, of whatever religion, who pass through the village. The Hindoos of these districts are exceedingly tolerant in their faith, and are, generally speaking, eager to extend the benefits to be obtained from their gods to everybody that comes in their way. Accordingly, all who choose to submit to the operation, are daubed on the forehead with a distinguishing mark of yellow ochre, denoting the peculiar sect of the operator; into which the bedaubed disciple is supposed to be admitted or regenerated l)y the act. The Hindoo servants of European strangers joyfully avail themselves of such a testimonial of their near approach to what they con- sider one of the most holy places in the world. Christian tourists of course dispense with the ceremony ; but while they omit the mark of reverence for the pagan deities of the place, the hill people are far from appreciating their reasons for refusal, and do not believe that motives of science or mere curiosity can have induced them to expose them- selves to toils and dangers which, in their opinion, religious zeal is alone sufficient to account for.

VIEW ON THE JUMNA— THE SANGHA BRIDGE, NEAR JUMNOOTREE, OR JUMNOUTRL

Though the distance from Kursalee to Jumnootree is only eight miles, the difficulties and hazards of the route render it a very arduous journey for European tourists. Starting from the usual resting-place, at a short distance from the former village, they very soon enter upon a tortuous, uneven path of varied altitude, sometimes having nothing but a notched tree by which to ascend to a traversable ledge above them; at others, compelled to wander backwards and forwards, through the shallow bed of a

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The length of tie Junmais 680 Bifles : on it are sitTia-ted the cities of DelH and Agra, tlie "principal seats of the preaent insrarrectioii .

THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED. 17

stream, as either side offers the prospect of better footing; and not unfrequently havino- to pursue their route, step by step, on stones projecting from the midst of the torrent that crosses the direct line of progress. This devious way, however, is at length amplv compensated for by a succession of exceedingly beautiful cascades ; the Jumna being here, in several places, joined by tril)utary streams, tumbling from immense heights, and the precipitous masses of rocks on either side possessing a still greater degree of noble grandeur. Completely shut in by these mountain-ranges, which rise abruptly on both sides of the narrowing stream, the traveller can now only catch occasional glimpses of the snowy peaks beyond. The course of the river is here little more than a mere chasm in the rock, cut and worn by the action of the water in its continuous flow through bygone ages. In some places, the solid masses, on either side, rise almost perpendicular to an extraordinary height, and are occasionally so far overhanging, as to render the opening at the top more narrow than the space below; forming a dark pass — the foliage of trees springing from clefts and shallow beds of earth, meeting at the summit. At each step the path becomes more difficult and laborious : deep pools oblige the traveller to mount to the top of a precipice, and presently to leap down again from before heights too steep to be surmounted ; while, at every movement, the danger of being precipitated into the rapid waters, boiling and foaming below, is increased. • Then again it becomes necessary to clamber up loose fragments of cliff of a gigantic size, which appear to have been tumbled from above purposely to block the way ; and then to scramble through a shifting sea of crumbling stones bedded in quagmire, and exceedingly difficult to pass where trees, that are occasionally laid along to form a pathway, are wanting.

It is not very often that the traveller in the Himalaya will find himself accommo- dated with such a bridge as the one already described at Bhurkote ; and repairs being considered as works of supererogation throughout the greater part of Asia, the chances are strongly against his crossing even that after a very few years of use.

The most common contrivance in the hill districts, when the stream is sufficiently narrow to admit of its employment, is the sangha, the rudest of all rude conceptions of bridge architecture. No one being at the trouble to repair a work that is for the use of every one, these sanghas are usually in an exceedingly perilous condition; and side rails being quite out of the question, the narrow footway, only sufficient to admit of the passage of one traveller at a time, offers a method of crossing a torrent that is neither easy or agreeable. Where two projecting rocks are found facing each other, they are employed as the supports of a couple of fir-trees, the ends resting on either side. Upon these a pathway is constructed of boughs laid transverse, without any fastening or care in the arrangement of them to prevent gaps, or secure a level footpath. So long as the traveller can keep in the centre of this awkward apology for a bridge, he may be tolerably safe ; but the moment that he places his foot either to the right or to the left, he is in danger of being precipitated into the torrent below, by the bough on which he is treading tilting up at the 0[)posite end. Persons possessing the very steadiest head, find their nerves severely tried in these difficult passes : few can look upon the impetuous current beneath them, and preserve any accuracy of vision : the best plan, therefore, is to fix the eyes upon some object on the opposite side, and to walk firmly and steadily along, since there is neither parapet nor guiding rail ; and, in a high wind, the frail bridge is so fearfully swayed, that even the mountaineers themselves refuse to cross it. Many accidents, of course, occur; and, as not only men, but baggage of various kinds is occasionally conveyed across, it would be surprising if they did not. The Mussulman servants and Hindoos from the plains, who attend the tourists upon these excursions, look upon the tottering expedient Vt^ith undisguised horror; and nothing but a sense of shame, and the fear of ridicule, can induce them to make an attempt to cross.

It is not every European who sallies from the hill-stations on an exploring expe- dition, that fulfils his original intentions: many find the difficulties and dangers of the enterprise too great to be compensated by the mere beauties of the landscape ; and turn back — some on the very threshold of the undertaking, and others before they have pro- ceeded half-way. Long ere the point to which the travellers have now attained is reached, they will be obliged to dispense with their ponies and jhampans — the greater and most perilous portion of the journey being necessarily perf )rmed on foot.

As the source of the Jumna is approached, the cold is frequently excessive, the III. n

18

THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

thermometer, in the shade, being below the freezing point; but the exertion necessary to progress is generallv of a nat\ire to render tlie state of the temperature of little moment. The glen of the Jumna now becomes narrower and darker at every step, and the precipices, on either side, more steep, more lofty, and of a still more awful character. Ttie Brahmins^, who never fail to derive some advantage from their distinctive calling, here volunteer their services as cicerones; the coolies who accompany the tourists, having got so far, will of course now determine to avail themselves of the crowning advantages of the pilgrimage ; and a numerous train of fakeers, hunting in pack to participate in the great present anticipated by the chief Brahmin, from the burra buxies, generally swell out the train of the European travellers, who, in their further progress, must emulate the monkeys as they scramble on hands and knees, Avith every contortion of body, while clinging and climbing the very steepest ascent that it is possible for human beings to sui'- mount. Upon gaining a breathing-place, they will presently find themselves upon a spot accounted eminently holy, as being the portal of the sacred source of the Jumna. A small shrine or temple, dedicated to Bhyram Jhee, and called Bhyram Ghati, is erected at this spot. A Brahmin is in perpetual attendance, and signifies his watchfulness by continually striking upon a bell. The prospect from Bhyram Ghati is surpassingly grand : being immediately above the glen of the river, the loftj^ ridges that enclose it can be traced nearly as far as the plains : immediately opposite, bare and bleak precipices arise, rearing their lofty and sterile peaks to an astonishing height; w'hile, to the north- east, the western angle of Bundapooch stands out glittering in its snowy mantle; and, nearly in front, immense masses of frozen snow — amongst which the infant Jumna is cradled — are piled in majestic grandeur.

Whilst recovering breath, and enjoying the glorious prospect, the devotees of the party usually employ themselves in gathering an offering for the shrine, from the flowers that adorn the wild and desolate spot. The difficulties of the approach evidently precluded the pious architects of this place from any great attempt at ornament ; and the altar is, consequently, of a very rude description, being a mere collection of loose stones, put clumsily together, and enclosing a few idols of most wretched workmanship. And yet to these men bow ! Strange it is, that having so grand a shrine, so wonderful a temple, made by the Deity himself in the midst of the sublimest portion of his creations, man should disregard the fitness of the scene for that instinctive homage which the least religiously inclined Christian would off'er to the mighty Author of the surrounding wonders, and blindly stoop to adore the misshapen works of his ow^n feeble and ill-employed hands.

FALLS OF THE JUMNA.

The glen of the Jumna — a deep and winding valley, sunk amidst a most chaotic confusion of mountains — is inconceivably wild and grand throughout the whole of its course to the plains. In many places the river struggles through narrow passages, formed by the angles which project into its bed ; and the torrent, when circumscribed in places scarcely twenty feet wide, boils and foams so fearfully, that to gaze upon it causes the brain to whirl, and sight and sense would probably fail if contemplated for many minutes without strong assurance of security. A remarkable fall of the river is shown in the accompanying sketch, at a short distance below its source, near the point at which it receives a very considerable tributary stream. The latter may be traced to its moun- tain birthplace, winding over the rocky platform in graceful, noiseless undulations ; its gentle murmuVings, together with those of other rivulets speeding to the same point, being lost in the roar of the Jumna, which comes raging and thundering onwards, until it falls with prodigious force into a basin it has formed in the solid rock, whence it again springs in a sea of foam, and pursues its turbulent course towards

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THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED. 19

the plains, first precipitating its raging torrent down an abyss that yawns fright- fully below.

The Jumna flows in a southerly direction throngh the province of Giirhwal, where, at Kalsee Ghaut, in 30° 30' N. lat., it is joined by the Toiise ; which latter, though a much more considerable stream, loses its name at the point of junction. Notwith- standing the rocks and rapids that impede the course of these rivers, it has been considered possible that timber might be floated down them ; an undertaking which, if accomplished, would render the liills immensely profitable to the government or to private speculators, since the surrounding regions are, in many places, so thickly covered, that one single square mile might furnish timber for a navy ; and the growth of an entire mountain, would, it is asserted, suffice for all the navies iu the world.

VIEW ABOVE JUMNOOTREE— SOURCE OF THE JUMNA.

By dint of untiring perseverance, and no small exertion of bodily strength, the travellers may at length find themselves on the confines of eternal snow. As they approach Jumnootree, the river is seen gliding under arches of ice, through which it has woru its passage ; until at length, these masses having become too hardly frozen to yield and mingle with the current, the stream itself can be no longer traced ; and here, therefore, is seen, if not its actual source, at least the first visible stage of its existence. It is rarely possible to suppress emotion at the successful accomplishment of a pilgrimage to a spot so deservedly celebrated, by enterprise that few people have the opportunity of exerting, and still fewer the nerve to undertake ; and tourists^ therefore, may well congratulate each other on the achievement, when, at last, they stand on the congealed pavement of unsullied snow that is spread before the birthplace of the mountain torrent. The glen at this place is not more than from thirty to forty feet in width, and the rocks on either side are of the noblest dimensions, crowned with dark, luxuriant foliage; while the impracticable region beyond — solemn, majestic,' and wonderfully beautiful — seems to proclaim the hopelessness of mortal effort to penetrate the mysteries veiled by its frozen barrier.

The most sacred spot near the source of the river is upon the left bank of the glen, where a mass of quartz and silicious schist rock sends forth five hot springs into the bed of the river, boiling and splashing furiously. When mingled with the icy-cold stream of the Jumna, these smoking springs form a very delightful tepid bath; and pilgrims, after dipping their hands in the hottest part, perform much more agreeable al)lutions where the temperature off'ers a desirable medium between the scalding water above and the chilling stream below. It is u^^ual here with the devotees to make an ofi'ering of money to the divinity of the river, which, of course, finds its way to the pouch of the officiating Brahmin, who, in return, prays over the bathers, and marks them on the forehead, iu the most orthodox fashion, with the sacred mud of the Jumna.

The height of the snow bed at Jumnootree is about 10,000 feet ; and, in the month of October, when a portion of the snow dissolves at this place, it is sometimes possible to advance a little nearer to the real source than at any other period. Crossing to the spot whence the water emerges, is a work of some difficulty ; but when ac- complished, the infant river is seen divided into three streams, each forming a separate waterfall, and flowing over steep, green hills. The lower of these is surmountable, but not without danger, as the stones are loose, and slip from under the feet. The most direct stream of the river does not arise from any part of Bundapooch, but from the mountain-range that runs off it to the westward. Standing at Jumnootree, these small streams are perceptible before their junction into one fall, which loses itself under a mass of snow, whence it again issues near the hot springs before mentioned.

The forest stretches at least 1,500 feet above the snowy bed of the Juniua, before

THE INDIAN EMPIEE ILLUSTRATED.

vegetation is entirely forbidden by the frosts of the giant heights above. The geologist may make, at Juranootree, a very interesting collection for his cabinet, as beautiful specimens of garnet, shorl, and tourmaline crystals are found. There is a considerable quantity of talcose gneiss rock; but the greater proportion is a coarse gneiss ; while the granite'suinmits of the mountain peaks rise to the height of 10,000 feet above.

After indulo-in" in the gratification which the sublime prospects of this interesting place afford, travellers usually proceed to satisfy some of those cravings of appetite that forcil)lv recall thera to a sense of their terrestrial nature. Fortunately, one of the first duties that a native of India undertakes to perform at a halting-place, is to kindle a fire, and commence preparations for a meal. Such of the Hindoos as bring rice with them, boil it over the hot springs by enclosing it in a cloth, and suspending it at the end of a stick. In the vent of the chief spring, which issues with great force from a fissure in the rock, the temperature of the water is about 194°. Several of these hot springs are found along the course of the Jumna; for which, according to native belief, the world is indebted to the merits of an exceedingly devout Brahmin, who was favoured by the gods with these hot-water fountains for his special use, whenever he found the w-ater of the river too cold for the comfortable performance of his ablutions. At his request, the boon was perpetuated for the benefit of future devotees.

The difficulties likely to be encountered in getting back to Kursalee, are rarely con- sidered previous to the attempt to reach Jumnootree; or the probability is, such attempts would be of rare occurrence, since, practically, they are infinitely more serious than any met with on the approach. In the course of the first day's journey by the do^vn- ward route, the Jumna has to be crossed more than thirty times : it is also necessary to slide down places previously scrambled up; and to leap gaps that are much more easily passed from the other side. But the retrograde journey is not without its charms. The spots on which the traveller occasionally rests, offer, in their soft loveliness, a pleasing contrast to the rugged horrors of many portions of the scene behind — the beautiful mingling largely with the sublime. Sometimes he is seated upon banks of violets of the richest blue, surrounded by luxuriant vegetation of fruit and flower — the strawberry spreading itself far and wide, and raspberry, blackberry,' and black currant bushes forming a perfect garden ; while the influence of the scene is exquisitely soothing and refreshing : at another point, the sudden turn of an angle brings the wayfarer in imme- diate contact with the snow ; which, smooth and hard, is unbroken by human tread, and glitters in its unsullied purity: and thus, surrounded by the wild and magnificent scenery of the mountain-ranges, the descent by a new route towards Kursalee is accomplished.

THE JHOOLA, OR ROPE BRIDGE.

Tourists having crossed the various streams and rivers of the mountain districts in, as they imagine, every possible sort of way — that is, by fording, swimming, on the trunk of a tree, by the sangha, or by the commodious structure at Bhurkote — must also be initiated into a new method of getting over a stream by means of the jhoola. The natives perform the operation with great apparent ease: to strangers it is not unaccom- panied with difficulty, and occasionally with danger; and the following is the process of crossing the Tonse — a tributary of the Jumna — by the jhoola.

Upon approaching the river, which is too deep to be fordable, it will be seen that the bank on which the travellers stand is consideral)ly higher than that on the opposite side of the river. From this elevated ground a three-stranded rope, about as thick as a man's wrist, is attached to a log of wood secured among the rocks. The rope being then stretched across the river, is passed through the prongs of a fork, or wooden prop, planted firmly in the ground; and being now divided into three strands, is secured to the trunk of a tree, kept in its place by heavy stones. Upon this rope, well twisted and

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THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED. 21

greased, is placed a semicircular slide of hollowed wood, with two handles, to which a loop is attached. In this novel conveyance the traveller seats himself, and, holding; by the handles, is launched from the higher to the lower bank of the river with astonishin<? celerity; a thin cord at the same time remains attached to the slide, from either side of the river, for the purpose of recovering it, or of pulling the traveller from the lower to the higher bank.

Other jhoolas in the mountains vary a little in their construction : half-a-dozeu stout worsted ropes are stretched across the river, and fastened to a projecting buttress on either side. On these ropes runs a block of wood, which is drawn backwards and forwards to either side of the stream, by means of strings attached to it. There are other loops which pass round the body of the passenger, who, thus secured, swings off from the buttress, and is hauled across. In this manner goats and sheep are conveyed one by one; and though the danger appears to l)e considerable, it is only realised, in fact, by the chance of having to trust to a rope that has seen too much service. If the apparatus be new, and sufficiently strong to bear the weight placed upon it, there is not the least peril in this metiiod of getting across the deep and rapid rivers of the Himalaya: but such a fortunate accident must not always be depended upon ; and fatal results have occasionally been produced through the fragile state in which the jhoolas are permitted to remain.

The existence of the river Tonse was not known to Europeans previous to the year 1814. Losing its name in the Jumna (which it trebles in size previous to its junction with that stream), it is one of the most considerable of the mountain-torrents. When it issues from its bed of snow, at an elevation of 12,784 feet above the level of the sea, it flows in a volume thirty feet wide, and three deep — maintaining its dignity of character until its confluence with the river Jumna; which should, if rivers had their just rights, have been considered its tributary, and have borne its name.

GUNGOOTREE, OR GUNGOUTRI-THE SACRED FOUNT OF

THE GANGES.

When sufficiently recovered from the fatigue and bruises attendant on the journey to the source of the Jumna, it is not an unusual occurrence for European tourists to arrange an expedition from Kursnlee to the springs of the Ganges at Gungootree, in the Himalaya. The shortest route from Kursalee to that place may be traversed in four days; but as it is the most difficult one, the natives always endeavour to dissuade travellers from taking it, recommending, in preference, a lower and more circuitous, but more easily accessible path. The former road leads over an arm of the Bundapooch mountain, which separates the valleys, or rather channels, along which the sacred rivers hurry from their icy birthplace. The greater part of the tract is desert and uninhabited, conducting the wayfarer through regions of rock and snow, destitute of the habitation of man, or of supplies for his use : by this route, also, there is danger that fuel may be wanting for that necessary solace to the weary— a blazing fire ; a serious object when the necessity for dispensing with everything like superfluous baggage, obliges the traveller to find shelter for the nigiit as best he can, in caves and clefts of the rocks. One of the most formidable evils reported of this route, is the bis-ka-kowa, or poisonous wind, said to blow over the highest ridge of the mountains, and to bring with it exhalations from noxious plants on the borders — a very natural supposition among a race ignorant of the causes of atmospheric infltiences at so great an elevation. Having prudently determined upon the longer route, the travellers will proceed on the descent to a village named Nangang, which when, after encountering some slight diffi- culties, they at length reach, will aff'ord prospects that amply compensate for the incon- veniences sustained in the approach to them. Below is spread a rich and cultivated scene; hanging terraces (common to the hills) wavitig with grain, and waterld by

23 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

sparkling streams which wind along the bases of high ridges covered with wood, and sometimes shooting up into peaks crowned with foliage. Bej^ond these, the giant moun- tains appear in all their sublimity — some having their crests mantled with snow; others clothed with majestic forests of venerable timber ; and, again, some bleak, bare, and barren, rising in gloomy majesty from the bosom of green and sunny slopes which smile below them. Between these different ranges are deep ravines, dark with impenetrable forests, and rendered more impressively mysterious by the wild music of the torrents that roar through their hidden depths ; while presently their streams issue into open day, and are seen winding round green spots richly covered with fruit-trees and glorious flowers. Such, or nearly such — for every traveller sees them under a different medium, and from a varied point of observation — are the prospects which beguile the tourists as they slip, rather than walk, down the almost precipitous side of the moujitain. Nan- gang forms the first halting-place on the route to Gungootree; to reach which several davs' march have yet to be endured, with more mountains to climb — more forests to thread — more rocky streams to ford. A diversity in the timber is now apparent ; the tree most abundant being the chesnut, of which there are here many of most magnifi- cent growth. Plenty of game is found at this elevation ; among which is the monal, a feathered wonder of the Himalaya; and several varieties of the pheasant tribe, which flutter amongst these vast solitudes, and often pay welcome tribute to the guns of invading strangers.

On the line of march from Nangang, several delightful halting-places are reached — - grassy teri*aces carpeted w^ith strawberry-plants and wild flowers ; amongst \vhich the cowslip, the primrose, and the buttercup, unite to recall vivid thoughts of fields at home. Leaving tliis luxuriant vegetation, the road approaches the summit of a ridge covered with snow, and presenting the appearance of a spot hemmed in on all sides with thick- ribbed ice — vast, chilling, and impassable. Emerging from this semblance of an arctic prison, the path descends through the snow to the boundary line between the districts of the Jumna and the Ganges. The extreme limits of these river territories are marked in the manner usually adopted in rude and desolate places, by huge heaps of stone, many of which have been collected together by Europeans, who have sought thus to comme- morate their pilgrimage and their success.

The next point of great interest is the stinimit of a ridge M'hence the first view of the Ganges is obtained; a sight which never fails to raise the drooping s[)irits of the Hindoo followers, and excites no small degree of ciUhusiasra in the breasts of European travellers also. The sacred river, as seen from this height, flows in a dark, rapid, and broad stream ; and though apparentl}^ at no great distance, must still be reached by several toilsome inarches. From a height about two miles above Gungootree, the first glimpse is obtainable of that holy place, which lies sequestered in a glen of the deepest solitude — lonely, and almost inaccessible to man ; for few there are who persevere in surmounting tlie difficulties of the approach. A considerable distance has now to be traversed over projecting masses of rough stones — flinty, pointed, and uncertain ; many being loose, and threatening to roll over the enterprising individual who seeks a foothold amongst them. Sometimes the face of the rocks has to be climbed from cliff to cliff; at others, where there is no resting-place for hand or foot, ladders, formed of notched trees, are placed in aid of the ascent ; while awful chasms, and precipitous ravines, are only crossed by some frail spar, flung loosely across from side to side. These frightful rocks might suffice to form insurmountal)le obstacles to any invasion of the holy place ; but religious enthusiasm on the one hand, and scientific research, stimulated by curiosity, on the otlier, render the barrier inadequate for the purpose' of resisting the efforts of man. The difficult nature of the access, however, prevents any great concourse of pilgrims, whose less fervent, devotional requirements may be satisfied by resorting to altars more easily attainable upon the lower stream of the hallowed river.

The grandeur of the scene that opens upon the travellers as they at huf stand upon the threshold of Gungootree, cannot be described by words. Rocks piled upon rocks in awful grandeur, their summits broken into points, and rising upon one another in indescribable confusion, enclose a glen of the wildest character; at the extremity of which the mighty Ganges — beautiful in its every haunt, from its birthplace to its junction with the ocean — pours its infant waters over a bed of shingle, diversified by jutting

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THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

rocks, and eveu here sliadowed by the foliage of some fine old trees. The devotee who

uudoubtingly believes that every step he has taken towards the SQurce of tlie holy river which, from his childhood, he has l)eeii taught to look upon as a deity, will lead him towards eternal beatitude — seldom terminates his pilgrimage at Guiigootree, because the true source of the stream is actually to be found much higher in the mountains, and amidst solitudes still less accessible to man. Stimulated by the fervour of relio-ious zeal or goaded forward by the ever-craving requirements of science, these silent recesses liave, however, been invaded ; and the true birthplace of the Ganges no longer remains a mystery to the world.

Long before the commencement of the present century, the upward course of the Ganges had been traced, by Hindoo devotees, to the great range of the Himalaya : and it was believed by them to have its origin in a vast and inaccessible lake, far north of that chain, through which it passed by a su))terraneoiis passage into India. The opening whence it issued on the south side of the mountains, was called by the pilgrims Gan- goutri, or the Cow's Mouth — an appellation it still retains. The portion of the river supposed to be on the north side of the range, had been approached at some remote period by Lama surveyors of Thibet ; but their researches terminated at a ridge of mountains that skirt the south and west of the Lama's territory, and all that intervened between that point and Guni^outri was purely conjectural. A few years since, scientific and political reasons combined to induce the government of Bengal to depute Captain Hodgson, of the 10th native infantry, to survey the upper portion of the Ganges ; and that officer, in pursuit of his mission, on the 31st of May, 1817, descended to the bed of the river, and saw the Ganges issue from a low arch at the foot of a vast bed of frozen snow. It was bounded on each side by rocks ; but in the front, over the debouche, the mass was nearly perpendicular; and from the river to the surface the height was above 300 feet. From the brow of this curious facade of snow, Avhich lay in distinct layers, as if marking each accumulating year, numerous large and hoary icicle:s were suspended. The width of the stream was about twenty-seven feet, and its depth from ten to eighteen inches; the height of the arch being barely sufficient to let the water pass from its cavernous recess. The altitude of the spot Avas computed at 12,914 feet above the level of the sea ; and the height of an adjoining peak, which Captain Hodgson called St. George, was estimated at 22,240 feet.

A pilgrimage to Gungootree is accounted one of the most meritorious actions that a Hindoo can perform ; and, in commemoration of a visit to this holy place, some pious Goorka chieftain has left a memorial of his achievement and his devotion in a small pagoda, erected, in honour of the deity of the place, on a platform of rock, about twenty feet higher than the bed of the river. The Brahmins who have the care of this temple, are accommodated with habitations in its close vicinity; and there are a few sheds for the temporary residence of pilgrims, many of whom, however, are content with such shelter as the neighbouring caves afford. The usual ceremonies of bathing, praying, and marking the forehead, are religiously observed at this place ; the officiating Brahmin taking care that the fees are duly paid. Notwithstanding the stern and solitary nature of his retreat, at some periods of the j'ear he may be said to lead a busy life — conversing with devout pilgrims, and carriers of the sacred water to distant lands, who require the authentication of his seal to verify the purity of their much-coveted burdens.

Like all the large rivers of the torrid, and the adjacent parts of the temperate zones, the Ganges is subject to periodical inundations, both from the melting of the snow on the southern declivities of the Himalaya, and from the heavy rains that fall during the monsoons.

KHANDOO, ON THE ASCENT TO THE CHOOR.

The Choor is the most lofty eminence belonging to the secondary Himalaya, running south of the great snowy range ; and, from whatever point it may be seen, forms a grand

24. THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED,

and prominent object, towering majestically towards the skies, amid a host of satellites. Progressing from the south-east, the road conducts to the village of Khandoo, situated about 9,000 feet above the level of the sea. The principal building in this villnge is a religious edifice, occupying the right in the engraving, and differs little in character from the generality of temples dedicated to the numerous idols of the Himalaya. It is rather more lofty than the rest of the houses; the cornices are decorated with a fringe of wooden pendants, and the timber employed in its construction is elaborately carved. Generally it is not difficult for European travellers, in want of such accommodation, to obtain a lodging in the outer vestibule of a temple; but at Khandoo, and some other places, the villagers will not permit the holy shrines to be thus desecrated. Their reli- gious worship chiefly consists in offerings of flowers, sweetmeats, and grain, upon the altars, w ith occasional saltatory exhibitions, when the deities are exhibited to the people for adoration.

In the inferior ranges of these hills, the leopard, and other mountain cats, are very common ; and the hyena is also frequently found ; but the great potentate of the Himalaya forests and fastnesses, is the bear. This monster attains a great size, and would be very formidable were he as bold as he is savage ; which, fortunately for tourists, he is not. The scenery of this portion of the mountains is of superlative loveliness, and the traveller wanders, without effort, among shady and secluded dells, sheltered from the sun by overhanging rocks, festooned with ivy and creepers, and diversified by clumps of holly and wild cherry. Now he enters an open space of greensward, surrounded by patches of wild rose — scenting the fairy dell with their delicious perfume; while a little silvery stream bubbles from the rocks above, and meanders over the elastic turf — its course defined by belts of violets and cowsHps, and ferns of every variety, which dance gracefully in the breeze, and lave their feathered heads in the tiny wave as it sparkles on its way to join a sister streamlet, and mingle with the distant torrent.

VILLAGE OF ROGHERA, NEAR THE CHOOR.

This pretty and picturesque village is distinguished for the remarkable height and luxuriance of a species of larch, which botanists designate as the pinus deodora. The group represented in the accompanying engraving affords a good specimen of the character of this fine tree, which attains an almost incredible height in some parts of the hill districts— the tallest of those delineated measuring 160 feet; but it is asserted, that some are to be found 180 feet in height, . •

The Choor mountain, from its great altitude and peculiar situation, presents every variety of vegetation that mountainous regions afford; and it is scarcely necessary to proceed further to become thoroughly acquainted with the leafy products of the hills of Hindoostan, The bases of the mountains are carpeted with flowers, anemones, and ranunculuses, mingling with the violet, the cowslip, and the daisy; while the forest scenery is rich and luxuriant to the highest degree. The rhododendon, with its profuse and brilliant scarlet blossoms, is succeeded by oak, walnut, birch, elm, and, lastly, pines. The highest of the two peaks of the mountain being covered for a considerable part of the year with snow, is destitute of verdure; and the lower one, composed of immense granite blocks, is also bare of trees. Where the snow has melted, it reveals stunted shrubs of juniper and currant; but a little lower down, at an elevation of 11,500 feet, the most splendid pines in the world rear their majestic heads. The ferns of these ranges are peculiarly beautiful, and in great variety; while fruits of every kind abound.

THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED. 25

THE CHOOR MOUNTAIN.

The height of the loftiest peak of this magnificent mountain is ascertained to be 12,149 feet above the level of the sea, being the most considerable of the range south of the Himalaya, between the Sutlej and Jumna rivers. From its commanding position, it separates and turns the waters of Hindoostan, the streams rising on the southern and eastern face being forced into the direction of the Pabar, the Giree, the Tonse, and the Jumna, which find their way over the great plain into the bay of Bengal; while those that have their sources to the north and the west, are forced towards the Sutlej and the Indus, and, uniting in the last, pour their waters into the Arabian sea. During a great part of the year, the Choor is hoary with snow; and, in bad weather, intense cold is experienced at a considerable distance below the highest peak. Travellers will here find themselves in a region of ice ; and, when the scene is lighted up by the rising moon, may be charmed by the novel eflFect produced by floods of molten silver, which shed their soft radiance over the carpet of stainless snow. Moonlight — ever beautiful — amid these snowy masses assumes a new and more exquisite form of enchantment. The rugged peaks, stern and chilling as they are, lose their awful character, and become resplendent as polished pearl : the trees, covered with pendant icicles, seem formed of glittering spar; and the face of nature being thus wholly and beautifully changed, imagination suggests to the contemplative mind the presence of another world — beautiful, calm, and tranquil ; but cold, still, and deathlike. From such a dream, however, the storms that frequently rage through these solitudes will rudely awaken the enthusiast by suddenly destroying the serenity of the landscape, which, in an instant, becomes enveloped in clouds that, upon some capricious change of the atmosphere, again roll away like a drawn curtain, and reveal the cold, bright, and pearly region beyond. To be overtaken by a snow-storm in crossing the Choor, is one of the least agreeable incidents of a tour amidst the hills ; but such frequently happens to be the fate of travellers in these regions.

In a recent instance, some tourists had proceeded satisfactorily thus far; but their journey was not completed without a fair share of the vicissitudes of travel. While marching rather wearily along, the aspect of the heavens changed — the clouds darkened — and, presently, down came a heavy storm of hail, followed by a dense fall of snow. On seeking their tents, they were found bending beneath the flaky burden, which also lay several feet in thickness upon the ground ; while no wood could be procured without immense difficulty. Having no fire, there could be no cooking; and the night was passed in a miserably freezing condition by the whole party. Morning dawned only to show a fresh fall of snow, and a prospect of more ; for if the fleecy shower ceased for a few minutes, the change merely developed a sullen black canopy above, threatening to overwhelm everything with its gathered burden ; but the adverse elements were not the only obstacles to enjoyment. Loud rose the cries of mutiny in the camp of the adventurous travellers ; many were the groans of their followers (the native coolies), who did not scruple to vent their feelings in expressive, but fortunately unintelligible, language ; while some Mohammedan servants, paralysed and aghast at a predicament so new to them, looked unutterable things. As long as the snow lasted, there was no possibility of doing anything to effect an improvement in the wretched condition of the party, patience being the only alternative from suffering; which it was folly to attempt to teach men dragged into so disagreeable a dilemma against their own consent. The wind all this time continued to blow intensely cold and sharp, adding materially to the sufferings of the unfortunate half-clad native servants ; but at length, about noon, the clouds began to break away, and to reveal patches of blue sky, and most welcome glimpses of sunshine : in another hour the heavens became clear and genial, and then some efforts were made to render the situation more endurable. Persuasion, threats, and tempting offers of reward, lavishly distributed, at length induced the half- frozen followers to bestir themselves in real earnest. Having braced their energies to the encounter, and procured sufficient fuel, fires once more blazed in the camp ; and though the cold was still severe, its bitterness was alleviated by the influence of the warm potations that were m, E

26 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

gratefully imbibed, and cheerfulness pervaded the encampment, until sound and refreshing sleep obliterated all recollection of the storm.

The weather still continuing to improve, the travellers rose in the morning with renovated spirits ; and notwithstanding the fierce intensity of the cold, and the difficulties which the large masses of snow encumberiug the path threw in their way, they proceeded vigorously onward, sometimes sinking to the waist, and at all times knee- deep in snow, which, concealing the danger of a road over rough and unseen blocks of granite, frequently threatened to precipitate them into some abyss in which life or limb would be perilled. The servants, loaded with baggage, lagged far behind on their unwelcome journey ; and their masters were obliged to be content, the following- night, with a sort of canvas awning rather than a tent (as only a portion of the latter was forthcoming), and to make a scanty meal of tea and hastily-kneaded cakes of flour.

The servants who had accompanied them from the plains looked upon these occa- sions as the very images of despair ; they were completely at fault, knowing not what to do in so unaccustomed a difficulty, and feeling utterly incapacitated for exertion by the effects of the frost, which shot bolts of ice into their hearts, and froze the very current in their veins. It was impossible not to sympathise with them in their distress as they lay upon the cold ground, when it was recollected how active those same men had been during the burning hot winds, which peeled the skin from the European face, and obliged every one not habituated to an Indian sun to seek shelter from its scorching influence.

JERDAIR.

The small and obscure village of Jerdair stands upon the slope of a mountain in the province of Ghurwal — a tract of country extending, on the north-east, to the summit of the Himalaya ; on the north-west to the banks of the Sutlej ; and bounded on the east and south by the province of Delhi. The general aspect of the country is exceedingly mountainous, and difficult of cultivation ; yet parts of it are tolerably fertile; and, though now but thinly peopled, Ghurwal retains the vestiges of mighty works, the achievements of former possessors of the soil. The sides of many of its hills exhibit a succession of terraces, of very solid construction ; and upon the surfaces thus produced, water necessary for the cultivation of rice is still retained. Several branches of the Ganges flow through the valleys of this highly picturesque country, which is regarded with peculiar veneration by the people of Hindoostan, in consequence of its containing the holy ground from which the waters of the true Ganges issue into open light. Formerly this province comprehended all the territory extending to Hurdwar, and stretched eastward to the borders of Nepaul : it is now restricted within much narrower limits.

Notwithstanding its extreme elevation, the climate of Ghurwal, owing to its south- western aspect, is very mild ; and though the site of the village of Jerdair presents little more than a bleak and barren waste, the greater part of the province is richly clothed with trees. In many places the productions of the temperate and the torrid zones meet and mingle : the tiger makes his lair upon the confines of eternal snow ; and the elephant is enabled to endure the severity of the climate by a provision of nature unknown to animals of his species in warmer latitudes — namely, by a shaggy covering of hair.

The inhabitants of Jerdair, like those of the province generally, are termed Khayasa ; and all boast descent from Rajpoots of the highest caste, and are therefore exceedingly scrupulous in their eating, and in their regard for the sacred cow. They will not sell one of those animals except upon assurance that the purchaser will neither kill it himself, nor suffer it to be killed by another: their prejudices prevent them from keeping

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poultry ; and travellers must bring sheep with them for food, or be content to live on fish and game, both of which are exceedingly abundant.

Many of tlie views of mountain scenery which open as the footpaths wind round projecting points, are magnificently sublime. The high ledges of the rock are the haunts of the chamois, and eagles have their eyries on hoary peaks, inaccessible to the depredations of man. Ghurwal is celebrated for a peculiar breed of ponies, called " ghoouts^' — rough, stunted, and shaggy, but exceedingly sure-footed, and well adapted to carry a traveller in safety along the dizzy verge of narrow pathways, from which the eye endeavours in vain to penetrate the darkness of the abyss below.

GRASS-ROPE BRIDGE AT TEREE.

The village of Teree, in the province of Ghurwal, is a small and insignificant place, distinguished only by the romantic scenery that surrounds it, and its bridge, which, suspended in mid-air, throws a graceful festoon over the rapid and rock-bound stream below.

Suspension-bridges, formed of grass ropes — the simple and elegant invention of the rude mountaineers of the Himalaya — are of great antiquity in the provinces where they are found, and may be supposed to have given the original hint for the chain-bridges of Europe. The bridge at Teree is a beautiful specimen of its class, the adjacent scenery on either side of the river, adding much to its picturesque effect. In some of the hill districts, where the natural advantages of the country are not so great, the bridge is suspended from scaffolds erected on both banks of the stream. Over these are stretched ropes of great thickness, to afford on each side a support for the flooring, which is formed of a ladder, wattled with twigs and branches of trees, and attached to the balustrade by pendent ropes. The main ropes are extremely slack, and, where the banks are not very high, the centre of the bridge is sometimes within a foot of the water ; but even at this trifling altitude, the danger from immersion is very great, since the current of the mountain streams runs with such impetuosity, that the best swimmer would find considerable difficulty in efi"ecting a safe landing. The ropes of the bridge at Teree are constructed from the long coarse grass which grows on the sides of the hills ; each is about the size of a small hawser, and is formed with three strands. They are obliged to be renewed constantly ; and even when in their best condition, the passage across is, from its altitude, rather a perilous undertaking. Some very melancholy acci- dents have occurred to European visitors upon the fragile bridges among the hill districts.

But there are still more extraordinary methods resorted to by the natives who reside near Rampoor, on the banks of the Sutlej. The river at this place is about 200 feet broad, and, during the summer months, is crossed by a jhoola or swing bridge, Avhich is erected in May, and is usually employed until the early part of September ; after Avhich time there is no bridge, but the passage across the river is effected upon the hide of a buffalo or bullock, inflated with air, on which a single person, together with the ferr}'- man, can be conveyed. The latter throws himself on his breast athwart the skin, and directs its course by the rapid action of his feet in the water, assisted by a paddle three feet in length, which he holds in his right hand. He thus crosses the stream with ease; but it is sometimes necessary to launch two or three skins together, in order more effectually to stem the force of the current. The passenger by this conveyance sits astride the back of the ferryman, resting his legs on the skin ; and the tail and legs of the bullock being left entire, serve to support and prevent him from being wetted. There is some danger of the bursting of the skin, in which event the passenger finds himself in a disagreeable predicament ; for the velocity of the current is so great, and the river so full of rocks, that an expert swimmer would hardly succeed in reaching

28 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

tbe shore. When natives of rank desire to cross the river during the season that the ihoola is relieved from duty, a commodious seat is improvised by lashing two or more skins together, and then placing a charpoy, or common bedstead, across them ; which, although not very dignified in appearance, is always found to answer the purpose for which it is designed.

The province of Ghurwal chiefly consists of an assemblage of hills in close con- tio-uity, the distance between each range being exceedingly circumscribed, and not a spot is to be seen that would afford room for an encampment of 1,000 men. Some of the ranges are covered with wood, and wear an aspect of eternal verdure ; among them, the arbutus and other flowering trees attain to great perfection, and the polyandria monogynia, which grows to the height of forty feet, and loads the air with most fragrant perfume. In other places, ridges of bare rock are piled upon each other; and the whole is wild, broken, and overrun with jungle. There is but little cultivation, and the revenues of the province have always been inconsiderable.

It is reported by a native writer, that the district, in consequence of its poverty, was for many years exempted from tribute. Akbar, however, not being willing that any of his neighbours should escape a mulct, demanded from the chief of Ghurwal an account of the revenues of his raj, and a chart of the country. The rajah being then at court, repaired to the presence the following day ; and, in obedience to the imperial command, presented a true but not very tempting report of the state of his finances ; and, as a correct representative of the chart of his country, facetiously introduced a lean camel, saying — " This is a faithful picture of the territory 1 possess — up and down, and very poor.'' The emperor smiled at the ingenuity of the device, and told him, that from the revenue of a country realised with so much labour, and in amount so small, he had nothing to demand. The province, however, subsequently paid an annual tribute of 25,000 rupees.

JUBBERAH.

The village of Jubberah lies to the north of the Mussooree and Marma ridges, on the route from the latter to the source of the Jumna. The hills at this place have the regular Himalaya character — a three-quarter perpendicular slope to a hollow, whence abruptly a similar eminence rises. From the summit of a neighbouring promontory may be obtained one of those striking views which so much delight the lovers of the picturesque ; but which, though they fill the bosom with strange and thrilling sensations, are unfitted for canvas. The pure white pyramid of one of the highest of the snowy range, towers in bold relief to the clear heaven, which it seems to touch, contrasting grandly with the dark hills in front; yet with a transition so abrupt, that persons who never beheld so novel an effect, would fancy the attempt to pourtray it as some eccen- tric whim of the artist. A very common remark applies peculiarly to the scenery of the Himalaya — namely, that the most usual Oriental sky is often thought to be an exagge- ration when its mellow beauty is represented on canvas or paper ; and yet, in reality, no painting can afford a just idea of its glory.

The skies of England, though not without their charms, and producing occasionally some fine effects, do not suggest the slightest notion of this mountain hemisphere, with its extraordinary variety of colours — its green and scarlet evenings, and noon-day skies of mellow purple, edged at the horizon with a hazy straw colour. It is impossible, in fact, to travel through the Himalaya without perpetually recurring to the rich and changeful hues of its skies ; every day some hitherto unnoticed state of the atmosphere producing some new effect. This is particularly the case at dawn ; for while the lower world is immersed in the deepest shade, the splintered points of the highest ranges, which first catch the golden ray, assume a luminous appearance, flaming like crimson lamps along

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the heavens; and as yet they seem not to belong to earth, all below being involved in impenetrable gloom. As daylight advances, the whole of the chain flushes with a deeper hue — the grand forms of the nearer mountains emerge, and night slowly with- drawing her veil, a new enchantment pervades the scene : the effects of the lights and shadows are now not less beautiful than astonishing, as they define distant objects with a degree of sharpness and accuracy that is almost inconceivable. Until the sun is high up in the heavens, the lower ranges of the mountains appear to be of the deepest purple hue; while other summits, tipped with gold, start out from their dark background in bold and splendid relief. A new and sublime variety is also afforded when a storm is gathering at the base of the snowy chain ; and dark rolling volumes of clouds, spreading themselves over the face of nature, impart an awful character to the scene.

One of the most delightful spots in the vicinity of Jubberah, is found on a rocky platform, scooped by the hand of nature, in the precipitous side of a lofty mountain. Above the level, crag has piled itself on crag, the interstices being clothed with luxuriant foliage : from the rifts in the sides of the mountain, forest trees lift their spreading branches to extraordinary heights; while below, creepers, of countless variety and exquisite beauty, fling their garlands and festoons in graceful undulations over the ground. In front of this platform are a chaotic confusion of hills, some separated from tlie rest by deep and narrow ravines ; while others run off into long ridges, whose rami- fications are interminable.

VIEW AT DEOBUN.

Travellers in the Himalaya must early accustom themselves to the most dangerous and slippery means of crossing the deep ravines or mountain torrents that it is possible for man, in an artificial state, to imagine; and the bridge represented in the accom- panpng plate, over a tremendous rocky chasm at Deobun, is one of the expedients for getting over a difficulty that seems almost as much fraught with peril as the abyss it spans. Habituated from infancy to the sight of the steepest and most formidable preci- pices in the world, the mountaineers of the Himalaya are indiff'erent to circumstances that produce giddiness in the heads of those who may have hitherto traversed com- paratively level ground. The cattle of these mountains, also, guided by some extra- ordinary instinct, can make their Avay in safety over the frail and slippery bridges which at some places span rapid streams, and, at others, are thrown across deep ravines. Morning and evening the flocks and herds may be seen passing the narrow footways ; and, accustomed to their daily path, they will cross to their distant pastures, or to their way home, without any human being to direct them. To the great difficulty of com- munication that exists in the hill districts, it is possible the low intellectual state of the mountaineers of the Himalaya may, perhaps, in a great measure be attributed.

Linng in isolated circles, apart from each other, and separated by frightful preci- pices or gloomy ravines, the people of the hills have little opportunity for acquiring information by any interchange of ideas with their neighbours, and they grovel on through life without an effort to improve their condition, or a desire to increase the facilities of access to the adjoining districts ; and the number of Europeans who visit the hills for health or amusement, is too small to effect much in the way of example, except in the immediate Aicinity of the stations which they have themselves established.

30 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

THE VILLAGE OF MOHUNA.

The village of Mohuna is situated upon a high ridge in the secondary Himalaya, stretch- ing between the Tonse and the Jumna, which, at this place, is called Deobun, and gives its name to a tract lying to the north-westward of Landour. The ridge itself is charac- terised by many of the beauties peculiar to these mountain streams, and presents a succession of rugged rocks piled grandly upon each other, entwined with lichens and creepers of every kind and hue, and affording, at intervals, large clefts, whence spring the giant wonders of the soil — magnificent trees of immense growth and redundant foliage.

The lofty, precipitous, and almost inaccessible rocks above the village, are the favourite haunts of the musk-deer, a denizen of these mountains, and highly prized by hunters, who recklessly scale the apparently insurmountable crags, and risk life and limb to secure this scarce and much-coveted species of game. English sportsmen in the hills often obtain a fair shot at the animal ; but the natives have another and surer method of securing the prize. No sooner is a musk-deer espied, than the people of the nearest village are informed of the fact, and the whole population being interested in the intelligence, it is conveyed with extraordinary celerity through the hills. The country being thus up, a cordon is formed round the destined victim ; heights are climbed that appear to be perfectly impracticable ; and men are to be seen perched like eagles upon the steepest points and pinnacles. The moment that the whole party have taken up their position, the assault is commenced by hurling down large fragments of stone ; and presently, the shouts and cries of the hunters so bewilder the affrighted animal, that he knows not where to run. Meantime he is wounded — the ring closes round him — he seeks in vain for some opening, and, in the desperation of his terror, would plunge down the first abyss ; but there, also, he is met by horrid shouts ; while, struck to the earth by some overpowering blow, he sinks to rise no more. The musk-deer are seldom met with lower than 8,000 feet above the level of the sea ; and every attempt to keep them alive in a state of captivity has failed.

The natives of these districts are generally goodnatured and obliging, and may be easily managed by kindness : the women are particularly attentive to the Europeans who wander among the mountains, and are said to manifest a very amiable conside- ration for their comforts.

VALLEY OP THE DHOON.

To the European tourist unsatiated by previous wanderings among the wild and magnifi- cent scenery of the Himalaya, the varied and extensive views obtained from the Mus- sooree hills, afford daily sources of healthy and picturesque enjoyment. Among these heights, rugged and sometimes intricate footpaths conduct to points from whence the range of vision embraces romantic glens and amphitheatres of rocks, scattered over the beautiful valley of Deyrah Dhoon, which stretches out in the distance, intersected by the Ganges, pursuing its course towards the plains in devious windings that occasionally burst into sight, and glitter in the suulike streams of molten silver. Beyond this, the eye ranges boundlessly over space, the distance being softened into the tint of the at- mosphere, and rendering it impossible to distinguish the line of horizon that separates the heavens from the earth.

The close vicinity of the valleys of Kearda and Deyrah Dhoon to Mussooree, renders the latter station particularly eligible for parties who' seek excitement in the pursuit of

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THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED. 31

tigers. The surrounding forests abound with bears, leopards, and wild elephants ; but they live in comparative safety, since the coverts are so heavy, and so completely cut up by deep and precipitous ravines, that they are inaccessible to the mounted sportsman. Lower down, however, where the tiger chiefly roams, elephants may be brought against the tawny monarch of the wilds. A battue of this kind, when there are several elephants in the field, and a proportionate number of scouts and beaters, affords a wild and animated picture, in strict keeping with the juugle scenery. The adventures of a small party of Europeans from Mussooree, in connection with a tiger hunt in this locality, are always a source of interest ; and the story of one expedition of the kind may be described in illustration of the fact.

When arranging for a field-day among the denizens of the jungle, men are sent forward upon the look-out, to take their position upon the trees near the ap- pointed scene of action, being thus, by their elevation and experience, enabled to give information of the whereabout of the animal sought for; which though often charging with great spirit when first aroused, generally endeavours to change its original quarters for a lair of greater security. The Europeans referred to, having received intelligence that three tigers had taken possession of a particular spot, proceeded to beat down the banks of a ravine for several hours, without finding any trace of them, and were beginning to suspect they had been misinformed, when, coming to a patch of very tall jungle-grass, they stumbled upon the remains of a bullock, half- eaten, and exhibiting unmistakable indications that the gourmand had not long risen from his meal ; thus affording hopes that the unexpected and unwelcome visitors were at no great distance from his after-dinner retreat. Advancing, accordingly, through the jungle, the leading elephant presently began the peculiar kind of trumpeting which indicates uneasiness, and plainly showed that the intruders were not far from the object of their search ; besides which, several deer had started off about 300 yards in advance of the party, in evident terror — affording another indication of proximity to the animal sought for. At length a distant view of an enormous tiger was caught, as he endeavoured to cross a ravine; and one of the party fired at him a long shot, which only had the effect of accelerating his pace. The elephants now pushed on ; two more shots were fired, and suddenly the tiger fled across an open space in front of his pursuers, who followed as rapidly as possible, crossing and crashing through the bed of a nullah, to which the animal had betaken himself. While thus in full chase, two fresh tigers got up growling angrily, almost under the feet of the sportsmen ; and, after the discharge of a few shots, haughtily and slowly retired to cover. Presently the glare of an eye piercing through some brushwood betrayed the retreat of one of the monsters ; and a ball, aimed with excellent precision, passing through his brain, he fell without an effort to resent the insult offered to him in his native haunts. The second tiger was also dispatched in a very short time, though it took several shots to stretch him on the ground ; but the third was still abroad, and apparently as yet unhurt. Upon arousing him for the third time, the brute went off again in good style, but considerably ahead. At length a long shot from a rifle struck him, and the infuriated animal turned and charged his assailants gallantly, fortunately offering too fair a mark to be missed by them ; and thus, just as he crouched to spring upon the foremost elephant, a well- aimed bullet stopped its career, and it fell lifeless. On that day the party retm'ned to their camp in great triumph, with three royal tigers borne by the baggage ele- phants, and presenting a cavalcade that Landseer might not have thought unworthy of his pencil.

On the following day the same persons proceeded along the Dhoon, without any intention of looking for tigers, but with a hope to obtain some deer on their way. While beating some lemon-bushes, to their great surprise an immense tiger broke cover, and went oft' before they could get him within range. A considerable space of open country, interspersed with swamps, and bounded by a thick forest, formed the hunting-ground on this occasion ; and the success of the sport depended on their turning the animal before he could reach the forest : the pedestrians of the party were therefore directed to climb the trees, and to shout with all the power of their lungs if the tiger approached their stations. Meantime the animal had been lost sight of; but his pursuers were guided to the vicinity of his lair by a flock of vultures perched upon u tree — a

32 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

tolerably sure indication that the royal larder was at no great distance. The cover here was exceedingly heavy, and great difficulty was sustained in beating ; but, after some time, a sudden glimpse of a tawny stripe through the jungle-grass, gave assur- ance that the search had not been in vain. The elephants now began to trumpet forth their apprehensions with increased vigour, but the hunters pushed forward, being warned, by the shouts of the people in the trees, that the tiger was making for the forest. Turned at all points, the creature doubled back, and got into a long narrow strip of high jungle-grass, which was separated from a dense wood on the right by about twenty yards of bare bank, and divided from the heavy covers he had abandoned by a pool of clear water. The sportsmen immediately beat up this strip, leaving an elephant on the bank to prevent a retreat to the forest. Presently the tiger got up about 200 yards ahead, and again doubling back, one of the party had a fair shot, which brought him on his haunches, until another ball made him move off to some broken ground, where he took up his last position. As the party advanced, the noble animal was seen in the grandeur of his rage, lashing his tail, roaring, and grinding his teeth, preparatory to a charge ; and, on firing again at him, the provocation was com- plete, and his rage became furious. With a roar that made the whole dell echo, he sprang forward upon the party, the whole of whom fired simultaneously, and the splendid animal fell lifeless at the very feet of the elephants.

THE CITY AND FORTRESS OF NAHUN.

The city of Nahun is situated forty-six miles north-west of Saharunpoor, and is the capital of the small province or raj of Sirmoor. The place, though small, is considered one of the best designed and handsomely built cities in India, and is approached through a very picturesque, well-watered, and finely-wooded valley, which the city, from its position on the summit of a rock, commands. The country round about is intersected with valleys and ravines, clothed in the richest luxuriance of foliage and verdure ; the Deyrah Dhoon stretching out in the distance to the south-east, and the comparatively low belts of hills in the neighbourhood afi'ording very pleasing specimens of mountain scenery. The road leading to the town is exceedingly steep and narrow, and is cut in a precipitous ascent, which, however, is surmountable by elephants, even when encumbered by baggage. On entering the place, the streets have the semblance of stairs, so numerous ai-e the steps occasioned by the unevenness of the rock on which they range ; yet the inhabitants of the place may be seen riding about on horseback, and mounted on elephants, as if the place were a perfect level. Within view of the city is the fortress of Tytock, 4,854 feet above the level of the sea ; which cost the lives of four British oflicers in its capture during the Goorka war. The fall of those brave men is com- memorated by a lofty obelisk, which marks their graves, and presents an object of melancholy interest to wanderers who come suddenly upon the remote resting-places of their countrymen. Nahun is considered to be healthy, though rather inconveni- ently warm, notwithstanding its elevated position at upwards of 3,000 feet above the sea-level.

The late rajah of Nahun was rather proud of his killar, or fortress, which is of imposing appearance, and contiguous to the city, and he seldom omitted to invite Euro- pean strangers that might be in the vicinity, to pay him a visit and inspect his troops, the latter being neither very numerous or highly disciplined ; their uusoldierlike appear- ance readily accounting for the facility with which the more martial Sikhs and Goorkas possessed themselves of the territory of their chief. This rajah, who was indebted to British aid for the rescue of his dominions from the Goorkas, was always exceedingly polite and attentive to Europeans, and readily afforded them every assistance while within his territory.

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Few things could be more absurd than the interviews which occasionally took place between the small native potentates of India and the civil or military Europcaa travellers, that by chance found themselves passing through a remote rajahship. The tourists, when pounced upon for a visit of ceremouy, were usually in the deplorable state of dishabille natural to travellers among the wild scenery of the hill districts, and might consider themselves supremely fortunate if they possessed a decent coat at hand to exhibit upon the occasion. A long journey had, in all probability, sadly deteriorated the appearance of the cattle and the followers; and the traveller might feel perfectly willing, and even desirous, to relinquish the honour about to be conferred upon him; but he could have no choice. The rajah, on the other hand, was anxious to exhibit as a personage of importance; and having given due notice of his intended visit, would pay his respects to the fugitive representative of Great Britain, with all the pomp and circumstance he could command. The cavalcades on such occa- sions were sometimes exceedingly picturesque, and afforded a striking display of elephants handsomely caparisoned, ornamented howdahs and litters, gaudily-dressed troopers, and crowds of men on foot, brandishing swords, silver maces, and rusty matchlocks ; while the deep and rapid sounds of the kettle-drums, and the shrill blasts of the silver trumpets, came upon the ear in wild and warlike melody. It was indispensably neces- sary, notwithstanding the numerous discrepancies appearing in the make-up of the reception by the multitude of ragged followers, and the consciousness of the unfitness of well-worn travelling costume as accessories to a \dsit of state, that the much-honoured stranger should preserve a steady countenance, since any indulgence of the risible faculty would, upon such an occasion, have given mortal offence ; and by no effort at explanation, would levity of manner be attributed to other than intentional insult. The sensitiveness of the rajah of Nahun might possibly have been increased by the fact of his impoverished condition, the territories of which he was chief consisting merely of the thinly-peopled and scantily-cultivated mountainous regions between Deyrah and Pinjore, and his revenues being, consequently, of very inadequate amount on which to support the state of an independent chieftain.

BOWRIE, RAJPOOTANA.

Ruined villages, of which, even prior to the revolt of 1857, there were already an abun- dance in India, are not, however, more plentiful than are the hill fortresses of the upper provinces, and of other parts of the country where mountain defences are possible. In such localities, it seems as if every little rajah or petty chief had, at some time or other, climbed an eminence, and intrenched himself within walls of mud or stone, according as his means would enable him, and opportunities for the purpose served : his eagle's nest was then garrisoned by troops of adherents or retainers, armed with spears and bows, and rusty matchlocks, and every household became invested with a military character. Nor was this without sufficient cause, since when not engaged in combating an invading stranger, these chieftains were constantly at feud with each other, and had no security for life or property except when fortified upon heights they deemed inaccessible to a hostile force. The native idea, that safety was best found at great elevations, has doubtless greatly improved the appearance of the countiy in the hill districts ; and whatever modern fortifications of European construction may have gained in strength, they have certainly lost in picturesque effect, as is quite evident when the bastions and towers of the Mohammedan era are compared with the fortifications of the present age.

The country comprehended under the name of Rajpootana, embraces so many dis- tricts, that every variety of scenery is to be met with in it ; but though the valley of Oodipoor, and other equally beautiful portions, are celebrated for the exquisite loveliness of their landscapes, the general character of the country is that of sterility. The

III. F

34 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

landscape, therefore, represented in the plate as surroundinoj the fortress of Bowrie, may be considered a favourable specimen, as wood and water, which fail in many other tracts, are there abundant. Tiie banian supplies its uralirageous foliage to the scene ; and the one represented in the engraving may suffice to give an accurate idea of the manner in wliich a whole grove is produced from the parent stem — each of the pendant fibres, upon reaching the ground, taking root, and affording support to the branch from which it has descended; thus enabling it to push out further, and fling down other supports, until at length a wide area round the original trunk is formed into avenues, which some- times cover several acres of ground. The natives, who regard this beautiful product of their country with great veneration, will never willingly consent that a banian tree shall be cut down or mutilated. The small fig produced by the banian, furnishes nutritious food to immense multitudes of monkeys, squirrels, peacocks, and various other denizens of the forests, who live among the branches of this father of trees ; and, from the protec- tion it thus affords to the inferior classes of the animal creation, it is not surprising that Hindoos should look upon it as a natural temple, and be inclined to pay it divine honours.

On the banks of the Nerbudda, a tree of this species covered a tract of ground 2,000 feet in circumference ; and only the principal stems (250 in number) were counted within that range. Travellers often seek the shelter of these natural pavilions; and the religious tribes of Hindoos are particularly fond of resting beneath their umbrageous canopy. Under many such, a resident Brahmin may be found; and in few instances are the devotees without an attendant priesthood.

MAKUNDRA, MALWA.

The small, dilapidated, but picturesque village of TNIakundra, of which the principal street is shown in the accompanying plate, is situated in the valley of Boondee, about thirty-eight miles from Kotah, the capital of the state of that name, and to whose rajah it belongs. Makundra derives its principal claim to celebrity from its being the pass through which, in the summer of 1804, a brigade of English troops, under General Monson, was compelled to retreat after an encounter with Jeswunt Rao Holcar, and to seek safety by a difficult march to Agra. The village is beautifully situated in a valley of circular form, and not more than three-quarters of a mile in diameter. The hills on every side are nearly precipitous; and the pass, defended at the north and south ends by lofty stone walls and gates, guarded by chowkeedars in the service of the rajah of Kotah, is the only means of communication for many miles through the mountain ridge that divides Malwafrom the state of Harravali, in Ajmeer.

In the retrograde movement to which reference has been made, it appears that General Monson was oflFered shelter in this pass by the rajah of Kotah; but the valley had too much the appearance of a trap, to permit the cautious soldier to avail himself of the offer of a prince whose fidelity he could not be assured of; and he preferred the chances of open warfare to the risk of being surrounded in a defile, in which a treacherous and vindictive enemy would have every advantage. The retreat was therefore continued; and though, from the numerous obstacles that had to be encountered in penetrating a wild and difficult country, it was attended wiih many hardships and losses, still it was considered a masterly evolution, and one that reflected gieat credit upon the discipline and good conduct of the little force concerned. In India, uninter- rupted good fortune is essential, if the favourable opinion of the natives is to be preserved; and in the neighbourhood of Makundra, the retreat is still spoken of as a flight, to which some degree of obloquy is supposed to attach — the inhabitants, in refer- ring to the affair with Holcar, always describing it to have happened at the time " wdien Monson ran away [" Fortunately, the prestige lost by the occurrence has since been

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restored, and the adjacent hills and pass have resounded with British shouts of triumph; a force under General Donkin having, not long afterwards, fallen in with the van of Kurreem Khan's horde of Pindarries, near Makundra, which they completely routed, taking the caparisoned elephant of the chief, with his favourite wife and all his baggage. The gallantry of the captors of course secured to the lady the highest degree of deference and protection ; but tlie rest of Kurreem Khan's effects were speedily appropriated by the victors. The spoil underwent a very summary process, being sold by a sort of drum-head auction on the spot, and the pi'oceeds were forthwith divided among the parties interested — the most certaiu as well as the most speedy method of securing prize-money ; but a process l)y no means satisfactory to prize agents.

Makundra had frequently been the theatre of Pindarrie warfare, and the haunt of Bheel robbers, and other wild predatory tribes, inhabitants of the hills, who, like the generality of mountaineers in the East, consider plundering to be their lawful occupa- tion ; but since the dispersion and subjection of the Pindarries, and the entire settlement of Malwa and its adjacent districts, this celebrated thoroughfare has often been the scene of murders still more appalling than those formerly perpetrated by the armed and mounted freebooters, who would gallop into a village and put to the sword all who were unable to effect their escape from the sudden and furious onslaught. The Pindarries at least waged open warfare, and travellers acquainted with their danger pi'ovided against it by assembling in large bodies, and furnishing themselves with weapons of defence. In the apparently peaceable state in which the country reposed after the Pindarrie war had terminated, these precautions were abandoned, and solitary travellers, or small parties, set forward upon long journeys, unconscious that theu' path was beset by assassins, from whom neither riches nor poverty were a protection.

From the time of the first invasion of India by the Monghols and Tartars, the whole of the upper provinces of India have swarmed with a class of banditti, or murderers, called Thugs, or Phansegars, from their dexterity in strangling their victims. These men have secret signs, by which they become known to each other while mingling in communities perfectly unsuspicious of the desperate courses in which they are engaged. During a part of the year they remain quietly in their own homes, engaged in culti- vating the land ; but, at tlie end of the rainy season, each village sends out its gang, and parties of from ten or a dozen, to thirty, collect together, and, in the guise of travellers, pursue their way towards the central provinces. They are totally witliout weapons, and are careful to avoid every appearance which might excite alarm — the instrument with which they perpetrate their murders being nothing more than a strip of cloth. While journeying along the high roads they mark out for destruction all whom they fall in with that do not present a very formidable appearance, following their victims for several days, until they come to a place in which they may conveniently effect their purpose. In lonely parts of the country very little time is lost. A select number of the band (called Lughaes) go forward and dig the graves; those who, by their dexterity and strength, have attained the distinction of being strauglers (Bhuttotes), slip the cloth round the necks of the doomed, whose bodies are stripped in an instant, and carried off to the place selected for interment. In more populous districts greater precaution is used. The murder is generally deferred until nightfall; and the custom adopted in India, of bivouacking in the open air, greatly facilitates the design of the murderers.

Travellers usually carry along with them the materials for their simple repast ; they kindle fires on the ground', prepare their cakes of meal, and sit down to the enjoyment of their pipes. The Thugs, who by means of their Sothaes, or inveiglers, employ the most insinuating arts to entice persons pursuing the same route to join their company, appear to be employed in the same preparations; but, at a given signal (generally some common and familiar word, such as " bring tobacco"), the work of death commences, and is perfected often in full view of some neighbouring village. Nothing, however, occurs which could give a distant spectator an idea of the tragic scene enacting before his eves: one or two persons are seen singing and playing on the tomtom, in order to impart an air of careless festivity to the group, and to drown any cry that might escape the victims. The murders are simultaneously performed upon all the party marked out for destruction, and the dim and fast-fading twilight involves the whole scene in impenetrable obscurity. The bodies are hastily deposited iu the ground, and fires are

36 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

immediately kindled upon the spot, to prevent the traces of newly-turned earth from being discernible. When the accumulation of booty becomes large, a detachment is sent off with it to some convenient depot, where it is sold or otherwise disposed of for the benefit of the gang. Pedestrian travellers in India often carry valuable property about with them, both in money and ornaments; and as appearances are often deceitful, the Thugs make no distinction, and seize upon those who bear the marks of poverty as well as upon persons of substance, accompanied by baggage and attendants. They are careful not to attack the inhabitants of a place through which they may have to pass, as a person missing from a village would possibly lead to their detection. Months may elapse after the victims of Thuggee have mouldered in their graves, before suspicion of their fate has risen in the minds of their relatives, in consequence of the immense dis- tance which wavfai-ers in India traverse to their various destinations, and the slowness of their method of traveUiug.

This terrible race of assassins have agents and abettors among the inferior members of the police, who are known to furnish them with important intelligence, and to use the most artful endeavours to explain away appearances which might tend to criminate them. The institution still exists ; but the energetic measures of late taken by govern- ment, with a view to its thorough eradication from the soil of India, will probably, at no distant period, have the effect of putting an end to the practice of Thuggee by the worshippers of Bhowanee, the " destroyer."

TRAVELLERS AND ESCORT IN KATTEAWAR.

The name of Katteawar is frequently applied by the natives to the whole of the penin- sula of Guzerat, which is situated principally between the 21st and 24th degrees of north latitude, and is bounded on the north by the province of Ajmeer, on the south by the sea and the province of Aurungabad, on the east by Malwa and Kandeish, and on the west by a sandy desert, the province of Cutch, and the sea. The south-western quarter of the proAince approaches the shape of a peninsula, formed by the gulfs of Cutch and Cambay ; and the interior is inhabited by various tribes of professed robbers, who prey not only upon their peaceable neighbours, but also on one another; and, being all well mounted, they extend their depredations to a considerable distance, and render travelling, unless in large and well-armed companies, very insecure. The influence of European association may, in some trifling degree, have repressed this tendency to lawless appropriation ; but, being accustomed for ages to a predatory life, the natives of this district are very reluctantly compelled to relinquish habits congenial to their nature, and never fail to return to them upon every favourable occasion. They are a bold, warlike race, but not numerous — a circumstance partly owing to the practice of female infanticide.

The predatory disposition of the inhabitants of Katteawar (or Guzerat), renders it necessary, as before observed, that those who undertake long journeys among them should travel well protected. The scene represented in the plate shows a pai*ty of travellers, with their escort, just arriving at the halting-ground, which has been chosen on a plain, thickly scattered over with the remains of tombs and other edifices. The sepulchres of India are so completely devoid of those features that in other countries naturally render them distasteful to the living, that travellers seldom make any objec- tion to take up their temporary abode among them, as wells are generally found in their vicinity; and the localities selected are usually pleasant; while, during the greater portion of the year, the nights in India are so remarkably fine, that the shelter afforded by a pavilion open (as the one in the plate) to all the winds of heaven, proves quite sufficient for comfort. Fires are then speedily lighted for the evening bivouac, animals unloaded, and the baggage piled in some place that oficrs the greatest chance of security.

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A cloak or blanket, or at most a thia mat or mattress, suffices for a bed; and, altogether, a night encampment in India often embraces more of comfort than persons unacquainted with the climate and the manners of the people can readily imagiue possible.

The people of Katteawar trouble themselves but little about the distinctions of caste. Rajpoots by descent, and children of the sun, they worship that luminary; but while equally superstitious with the Hindoos, they are certainly not influenced by the same excess of religious zeal. The province is famous for a breed of horses which is esteemed throughout India ; and its camels, which come from Marwar (a district in the north of Guzerat), are also considered the finest in India, being taller, more muscular, and of a more tractable disposition than any other of their species.

ZANGHERA, OR THE FAKEER'S ROCK— ON THE GANGES.

The river Ganges, in its progress through the plains, waters many spots of remarkable beauty ; but in the Avhole course of its brilliant career, it can scarcely boast a more splendid landscape than that in which the rocks of Zanghera form a prominent feature. Standing boldly out in the stream, near a place called Sultangunge, in the proAdnce of Behar (about ninety miles east of Patna), this picturesque pile forms a beautiful object. It consists of several masses of grey granite, heaped one upon the other in an irregular manner, forming ledges and terraces, which have become the sites of numerous small temples. In some places, a crevice in the side of the rock has afforded room for the roots of magnificent trees to shoot upwards, and crown the romantic height with bright foliage.

Zanghera is supposed to have been, in former times, connected with the mainland by an isthmus ; but the action of the river, in its ceaseless rolling towards the sea, has long since Avorn a passage for its waters between the rock and the shore, and the former is now completely isolated. From time immemorial the spot has been reputed eminently sacred, and a succession of fakeers have established themselves upon it, who derive a considerable revenue from the offerings of pious voyagers and tourists on the river. At the back of the rock, a ghaut, or landing-place, has been constructed, whence rude stairs conduct the pilgrims who are desirous to perform their orisons at the hallowed shrine, to a temple at the summit, dedicated to Naryan, who reigns here as principal deity of the place. An idol of the myth adorns the temple that crowns the romantic pile ; and his image, with those of Vishnu, Seeva, and other gods of the Hindoo pantheon, is carved on different parts of the rock.

The chief fakeer of this singular establishment preserves a dignified seclusion; and when, upon rare occasions, he condescends to reveal himself to suppliant devotees, seems as motionless and silent as the idol he worships. At such times he appears seated on a tiger- skin, and is unencumbered with any covering except the chalk and ashes that form his sacer- dotal garment, and with which he is profusely smeared, to the intense admiration of his fol- lowers. This personage has, however, numerous disciples and attendants, who, by their noisy importunity, make up for the silence of their chief, and are at the trouble of exactir.g tribute, or endeavouring to do so, from all who pass the rock, whatever may be tlicir creed or country. These fellows watch the boats upon the river, as they approach either way, and pushing out from the rock whenever the state of the water will permit, follow the voyagers with noisy importunities until a satisfactory contribution has been obtained ; but when the Gauges is full, and the current, strengthened by the melting of the snow, comes down in an impetuous flood, there can be no loitering under the rock of Zanghera; and a vessel sailing up with a strong wind against this tide, makes rather a perilous navigaticm as it stems the rapid waters. In going down the Ganges at such a time, the rock is passed by the voyager as if he were an arrow shot from a bow, and

38 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

it is only possible to snatch a transient glance of its picturesque beauty ; but when the river is low, and the current flows gently, it cau be viewed at leisure; and many persons, under such favouring circumstances, laud, that they may obtain a momentary glance at the grim deity of the temple, and its no less repulsive high priest.

Zanghera stands at the very portal of Bengal, a district differing very widely from the high table-land of Hindoostan proper. The arid plains and bare cliflPs that, except during the season of the rains, give so drear}' an aspect to the upper provinces, are now succeeded by fields of never-fading verdure; as the damp climate of Bengal maintains vegetation in all its brilliance throughout the year — the period of the rains being only marked by a coarser and ranker luxuriance, proceeding from the redundance of plants that overspread the soil, Zanghera, thus happily placed between the rugged scenery of the upper provinces and the smiling landscapes of Bengal proper, partakes of the nature of both; the Ganges spreading itself like a sea at the foot ot" the rock on one side, while on the other a wide expanse of fertile country lays revealed, having for a background the low ranges of hills that separate Behar from Bengal.

COLGONG— ON THE GANGES.

The remarkable cluster of rocks at Colgong — about a day's sail below Zanghera — claims prominent notice amidst the exceedingly picturesque scenery of the Ganges. In the rainy season, the mighty river rushes through them with frightful turbulence, spreading out its broad waters like an ocean, of which the projecting points of Colgong and Pater- gotta form an extensive and beautiful bay, surroundt^d by an amphitheatre of hills.

These rocks are esteemed holy by Hindoo devotees, and are sculptured in many places with rude effigies of their gods. Wild garlands, formed by the luxuriant creepers of the soil, fling their rich wreaths over the rugged faces of the crags ; and tangled shrubs spring from wherever a shallow bed of earth permits them to take root. The luxury of rich foliage can scarcely at any place be seen to greater advantage than from the rocky islets of Colgong, which overlook woods spreading in all directions on the opposite shore ; while beyond, the Rajmahal hills gleam with the purple glory of the amethyst. These crags are the haunts of numerous birds : pigeons nestle in the trees ; and, on the slightest alarm, myriads of small waterfowl rush out in snowy flocks, and add, by their noisy flight, to the animation of the scene ; while the numerous flotillas of native craft, of strange but highly picturesque construction, serve hourly to increase the beauty of the surrounding view.

Colgong is the occasional habitation of a fakeer, but is not the settled residence of any recluse of celebrity, as is Zanghera. Here there are no regular temples, although a rude shrine has been shaped out of one of the largest blocks of granite that croAvn the summit of the rock to the westward of the group. There are also caverns in these islets; and it is seldom that either a living or dead specimen of the religious mendicants that swarm over India, is not to be found among them.

All the mooring-places Mithin a day's sail of Colgong, are distinguished for their surpassing beauty; and the whole voyage hence, down to Calcutta, conducts the tourist through a region of enchantment. Rajmahal, a once royal city on the Ganges, about sixty- five miles north-west of iMoorshedabad, particularly merits the attention of all who have any taste lor charming scenery; and the ruins of its once splendid palaces add a melancholy interest to the landscape that surrounds them. The origiu of this city is lost in the obscurity of ages ; but it is certain that it has possessed importance and dignity as the capital of Bengal, during a long succession of princes, who })rofusely embellished it with tasteful architecture. The stone principally found in these interesting remains is a red granite, and its colour, decayed by age, harmonises with the foliage in which vast masses of it are embedded. Occasionally, some remains of mai'ble — the favourite mate-

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rial of the luxurious Moo;uls, brought into use about the period of Akbar — are met with. Among the relics of its past maguificerice is a hall of noble dimensions, erected by the Sultan Shuja, the brother of Aurungzebe — lined throughout with costly marbles ; but which, of late years, has been employed as a receptacle for coals to supply the steamers that navigate the river.

The reverence for the dead, which is a distinguishing trait of the natives of India, is strongly manifested in the lonely tombs that occupy the heights around Rajmahal. Wherever the traveller comes upon one of those mausoleums, however neglected and apparently deserted the place may be, he is certain to find traces of pious care from human hands. The precincts of a tomb may, perhaps, be the haunt of a solitary jackal, or other beast of prey, too little accustomed to man's intrusion to be alarmed at his approach; and yet, even when it would seem the prowling savage was sole tenant of the wild, the newly-swept pavement, strewed with fresh flowers, shows that some human being has recently performed a pious task. It is not always possible to guess who has been at the pains to keep the shrine free from the pollutions of bats and birds ; but occasionally, scarcely more human in his outward form than the wild animals that range amidst these solitudes, some attendant fakeer will slowly advance to sight, his long, matted locks, and the distinguishing marks of his caste and calling (chalk and dirt), forming his sole attire. Money to a personage so totally independent in the way of clothing and lodging, if not of food also, would appear to be perfectly superfluous ; but though not always solicited, it is never rejected; and considering that where there are no garments there can be no pockets, the rapidity with which an offered rupee vanishes is truly marvellous.

SEIKS HALTING NEAR THE SUTLEJ— THE "KOH-I-NOOR."

The native suwarree, or train of a great personage in India, has always formed a pic- turesque and animated pageant ; but through the depressed condition of many of the native chieftains, in consequence of the changes of the last half-century, none, in point of magnificence, could of late years compare with those of Runjeet Sing, a chieftain that, in his progresses, was always accompanied by a glittering train of martial folloAvers, whose flashing swords had w^on for their master the broad lands and tribute of many warlike tribes that surrounded the state of which he was the dreaded ruler.

Runjeet Sing, like other native potentates, when seen in public, w\as always attended bv hawk and hound, his falconers bearing the royal birds upon their wrists, and having a pack of dogs led before him. Surrounded by a brilliant cavalcade, composed of superb- looking men, mounted upon stately elephants or fiery steeds, and shining in all the barbaric splendour of polished weapons, jewels, and gold, his encampment, or halting- place, realised the beau ideal of Asiatic grandeur and romance. In the annexed plate the hoary warrior, who has alighted from his elephant in the midst of a group of his principal officers, is represented as halting under the shade of an immense banian ; while the troops forming his ordinary escort are passing the resting-place of their chief, towards the Sntlej, on the opposite bank of which is a fortified Seik town — the snowy peaks of the Himalaya, at a distance of 120 miles, l)eing visible from the spot.

The elephants, camels, and horses of this extraordinary personage were always of the finest breed, and of great beauty. Among the latter animals, he retained, with much pride, a nol)le horse presented to him by Lord William Bentinck, during the time he held the governor-generalship. This fine creature was of the Suffolk breed, usually emploved as beasts of draught in the great brewing establishments of London ; but in the hands of the Seik chieftain, it was promoted to the dignity of some- times carrving the formidable Runjeet himself, who, in consequence of its immense size and breadth, distinguished it by the appellation of Hathee-sa-ghora ^or Elephant- Horse.)

40 THE INDIAN EMPIIIE ILLUSTRATED.

Upon occasions of state, at one period of his career, Runjeet Sinoj, whose dress was at all times resplendent with jewellery, seldom appeared without Avearing, on some part of his gorgeous attire, the remarkable diamond that has since excited so much curiosity in this country, under the title of the " Koh-i-noor, or Mountain of Light," which, since his relinquishment of it, has become a brilliant addition to the diamonds belonging to the Queen of England. The history of the method by which the maharajah himself became possessed of the jewel, is as follows : —

In September, 1812, the queens of Shah Shuja and Zeraaun Shah, of Cabool, took refu"-e from the troubles of their country, and were received in Lahore with great demonstrations of regard. Shuja, a deposed king, having been made a prisoner by treachery, was conveyed by the governor of Attock to his brother, who at the time ruled over Cashmere. Two grand objects of Runjeet's ambition and avarice — the possession of that celebrated valley and of the " mountain of light'' — appearing now to be brought by fortuitous circumstances within his grasp, he determined, if possible, to make the attain- ment of the one a pretext for insisting upon the concession of the other; and, with this view, he gave the queen to understand that he was resolved to espouse the cause of her husband in the most chivalrous manner, to liberate him from his confinement, and bestow upon him the fort of Rotas, with sufficient territory for the maintenance of his dignity. The afflicted lady, overjoyed and gratified, expressed her deep appreciation of the intended kindness ; and it was then delicately hinted by her attendants, that in order to stimulate her powerful friend to immediate action, it would be advisable to present him with the Koh-i-noor — a gem he had particularly admired. Tlie queen had some suspicion excited by the proposition ; but, with great presence of mind, declared herself quite certain, that the moment her husband found himself at liberty, he would be but too happy to gratify the wishes of the invaluable friend who had sympathised in his distress; but that, at the moment, the precious jewel was in pawn at Candahar for two lacs pf rupees. Runjeet Sing affected to believe the representation so made; but having exhibited his anxiety to possess the diamond, it became necessary to prevent its being dispatched to a place of security ; and, therefore, throwing aside the chivalric character he had assum.ed for the occasion, he first threw the confidential servants of the unfor- tunate princesses into close confinement, and then surrounded the abode of their mis- tresses with sentinels, who had orders to search every person that should attempt to pass them. This step not having the desired effect, Runjeet resorted to one yet more unjus- tifiable and unmanly, and deprived the ladies and their household of all supplies, either of food or water, for two days. The betrayed princesses still holding out, the Seik chief became at length ashamed of continuing a system that could only terminate in the death of two royal ladies who had claimed his hospitality, and whom he had assured of protection ; and was fain to be content with a promise of the jewel, to be redeemed when the imprisoned monarch to whom it belonged should be put in possession of Rotas. Runjeet Sing now began to work in earnest, and having entered into an alliance with the ruler of Afghanistan, they agreed to send a large force into Cashmere (which had rebelled), to subdue the country, and to obtain the liberation of Shah Shuja.

The expedition was successful ; but it cost Runjeet Sing rather dearly, many of his Seiks perishing in the snow ; and his ally, Futty Khan, deriving the greater share of advantage from the campaign. The latter chieftain having installed his brother in the government of the valley, the Seik was for the present obliged to be content with the person of the royal captive, who was conveyed to his family at Lahore. The success of the expedition furnished a fair pretext for the renewal of the inhospitable demand for the great diamond ; and the king vainly endeavoured to elude the sacrifice, by professing his willingness to fulfil the promise made by his wife, when the restoration of his territory should enable him to redeem the coveted prize. Runjeet, impatient of delay, became incensed at each obstacle to the gratification of his avarice, and at once threw off the mask : he imprisoned his unfortunate guests, threatened them with severe and irksome treatment, and, as a commencement, kept the whole of them without food for several days. Perceiving resistance to be useless. Shah Shuja at length yielded, stipulating for a sum of money and a mouth's time to pay off the Joan on the diamond, and recover possession of it. This was promptly acceded to by the wary Seik, who well knew how easily he could repossess himself of money advanced to a prisoner : he therefore produced

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THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED. 41

the two lacs required without hesitation, and a day was appointed for the surrender of the Koh-i-noor.

The day arrived ; Shah Shuja, the representative of a line of kings, sat in dignified silence opposite his avaricious and false friend, whose family, raised to power by a freak of fortune, could only trace their descent from thieves. It is said that for a whole hour the unfortunate monarch gazed impressively upon the robber-chief, without speaking, and that Runjeet Sing, whom this mute eloquence had failed to move, at length desired somebody acquainted with the Persian language to remind his majesty of the purpose for which they had met. The Shah, without opening his lips, " spoke with his eyes," to an attendant, who retiring, returned with a small parcel, which he placed between the two great men. The envelopes were quickly removed, and the jewellers who were in attendance in the presence, recognised the diamond, and assured their despotic master that the veritable Koh-i-noor was before him.

Having so far triumphed, nothing now remained but to repossess himself of the two lacs, and this was speedily accomplished. Runjeet at once dispatched a picked body of his satellites to the residence of his unfortunate guests, with orders to bring away, without any reservation, the whole of the money and jewels belonging to the party. Those commands were literally obeyed : not only was every ornament taken, but rich dresses also, and such swords, shields, and matchlocks as were mounted in gold or silver. The robber-chief appropriated everything he thought worthy of retention, to his own use, and sent back to the owners those articles he considered of little or no value; observing, at the time, to his people, that " it was useless to get a bad name for such rubbish." Nothing more being procurable, and some feeling of remorse or policy preventing him from taking the lives of those he had so shamefully plundered, Runjeet Sing allowed the females to escape to Loodiana, where, after some time, they Avere joined by their husbands, on whom the British government settled an annual allowance of 50,000 rupees (£5,000), which they continued to enjoy in security for many years.

THE TOMB OF SHERE SHAH, SASSERAM.

Among the vestiges of Asiatic grandeur that still invest the scenery of Hindoostan with great historical interest, the temples and tombs that have been designed to perpetuate the memory of individuals who, from age to age, have exercised dominion over, and have alternately been the scourge and the benefactors of their people, are eminently entitled to notice. Of such edifices, the mausoleum of the Afghan chief. Shore Shah, at Sasseram (a town of the province of Bengal, about 38 miles south of Buxar, and 360 from Calcutta), still affords a remarkable example. The warlike potentate, for the reception of whose mortal remains the immense pile was raised, ascended the throne of Delhi in 1540, having succeeded, by force and by treachery, in expelling from that throne the Hindoo emperor Humayun, one of the most venerated sovereigns of his race. The mausoleum of the usurper, as represented in the plate, is built in the centre of an immense tank, upon a square platform, surrounded by a terrace, approachable from the water on all sides by handsome flights of steps. The building is protected by a high embankment, constructed of the earth displaced for the foundation of the vast pile ; and the four angles of the platform are occupied by low dome-crowned towers. The mausoleum itself is of an octagoual form, and consists of two stories surmounted by a dome, each tier having a flat terrace running round it, adorned with small pavilion-shaped turrets open at the sides, and terminated by cupolas ; the central dome is similarly crowned, the cupola being in this case supported on four slender pillars, producing an air of lightness and elegance which contrasts with the stern massiveness of the substructure. The whole edifice is constructed of stone from the neighbouring hills, and thereby forms an exception to the usual character of Mohammedan architecture ; while the fact vouches for the antiquity of |

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43 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

the building, as, at the period of its erection, marble had not yet been employed in the erection of Mohammedan structures of any kind. The interior of the mausoleum contains several sarcophagi, in which the remains of the fortunate Afghan, and some members of his family, are enshrined.

A majestic solemnity pervades the vicinity of this remarkable structure, whose dark grey walls and mouldering turrets are grouped around the dome-crowned chamber that holds the remains of the most remarkable personage of his day; but the redundance of foliage that now springs through the interstices which time has worn in the basement of the tomb, affords certain indication of its approaching destruction ; and there is little doubt that, unless the shrubs are speedily removed, the foundations will ultimately become undermined by their roots, and that, in a few years, the shapeless ruins of the once magnificent structure will fill up the surrounding tank or reservoir. The building was formerly connected with the mainland by a bridge of five arches, long since destroyed : a portion of the remains are shown in the accompanying plate. In the absence of a bridge or boat, the natives gain access to the platform of the mausoleum by inserting the four legs of a charpoy (or bedstead) into earthen v.essels, called Kedgaree pots, which float the raft so formed ; and then seating themselves upon it, they paddle over, taking care, however, not to strike the jars, as a single fracture would inevitably consign the voyagers to the bottom of the reservoir.

The death of Shere Shah has been variously accounted for by the native historians ; some of whom aver that, being an expert marksman and fond of fire-arms, he made an essay, with his own hands, of the capacity of a large piece of ordnance sent to hira from Bengal; but the gun, being too heavily charged, burst when the match Avas applied, and a fragment striking the emperor, killed him on the spot. Ferishta, the historian, attributes the occurrence to the efiect of a wound received by the emperor during his siege of the hill fortress of Kallinger, in Bundelcund, in 1545 ; and, in relating the particulars of the catastrophe, says — " The warlike monarch, though desperately wounded, allowed not his spirit to share in his bodily sufferings, but still continued to cheer on his troops to the attack. The place was vigorously assaulted; and, in the evening, the dying moments of the soldier were soothed by intelhgence of its reduction. Exclaiming, ' Thanks to Almighty God !' he breathed his last amidst the lamentations of his victorious army."

The original patronymic of Shere Shah was " Ferrid f but having in early youth distinguished himself by acts of heroic daring, in the presence of the Sultan Mahmood, his name was changed by that prince to Shere Khan (the Lion Knight, or chief.) He is represented by his biographers as ambitious, cruel, and perfidious, but possessing great abilities for government, and ever earnest in promoting measures for the welfare of the people over whom he had acquired dominion. Among other great works, commenced or perfected by him during his brief reign, was the construction of a main road from the eastern extremity of Bengal to the fort of Rotas, which he had built between the Indus and the Jhelum, extending a distance of above 3,000 miles. Along this road caravansaries were erected at convenient stages, and furnished, by his command, with provisions, to be gratuitously supplied to poor wayfarers, and with attendants of proper castes for his Hindoo as well as Mohammedan subjects. Mosques also were built, and wells dug, along the route ; the entire distance being planted on each side with fruit trees, for the refresh- ment and shelter of travellers ; thus encouraging commerce, by afltbrding merchants from distant countries unusual facihties for travelling and for the transportation of their goods.

Turning from the remote past to the immediate present, we find that, at an eariy period of the sepoy revolt of 1857, Sasseram, in common with the adjacent districts, was subjected to continual alarm by the movements of the mutinous troops, as they approached to, or receded from, the vicinity; but it was not until the beginning of August of that year that the town was actually invaded by the rebels. On the 8tli of that month, a force of 2,000 men, consisting of the mutineers from Arrah and other places, attacked and plundered the town, destroying all they could not carry away with them. A gallant resistance was maintained for six hours by the townspeople, led by a native in the service of government, named Shah Kubeer Ooddeen Ahmed ; and ulti- mately the rebels withdrew in the direction of Mirzapoor, with the loss of twenty killed, and a great number wounded. Shah Ahmed, who had thus presented an honourable exception to his race, received the thanks of government for his loyal and gallant

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conduct, and was subsequently appointed an honorary magistrate in the district of Shaha- bad ; but, as the circumstance of his being the head of a rehgious institution, rendered it impossible to confer on him any other honorary title, the lieutenant-governor of Ben"-al recommended that a substantial reward should be provided for him out of the forfeited estates of Koer Sing, when the exact position of those estates should be ascertained.

THE CITY OF BENARES.

There are few cities of the Eastern world, however splendid they may be, that present so great a variety of attractive objects at a glance as Benares {Cashi, or the splendid), for ages regarded as the holiest of the sacred cities of Hiudoostan. The total absence of all regular design, the infinite diversity of the styles of architecture, the continual mixture of the stern and solemn with the light and fantastic, give an indescribable variety to the scene; but the effect of the whole is magnificent, and many of the details are of almost inconceivable beauty.

Benares is situated in the east part of the province of Allahabad, and on the north- west bank of the Ganges, which at this place makes a noble curve of three or four miles, the city occupying the convex side. It is called by the Hindoos of the present era Varmiaschi, in addition to its ancient appellation. The Brahmins assert that their holy city {Cashi) was originally built of gold ; but, for the sins of the people, it was changed into stone ; and that a further increase in the wickedness of its inhabitants, has since converted a great part of it into clay. It was for many years the most populous city in India.

The annexed view is taken from the upper part of the city. The minarets of Aui'ungzebe's mosque appear in the distance, and below them is one of those stately and fortress-like mansions that, a short time since, were to be met with in every part of India, though now, through the occurrences of the past two years, for the most part to be found in ruins. Beyond the minarets, to the left, the residence of the Peishwa is visible, towering above the other edifices; and although there is no garden or pleasure-ground attached to this palace, the building affords a fair specimen of the habitations of wealthy Hindoos. Only on one side, next the street, are there outer windows ; the range of building on that side containing seven spacious apartments rising over each other, the rest of the chambers opening upon covered galleries which surround three sides of a small court ; the communication between the different stories being as follows : — A single flight of stairs leads from the lower to the upper apartment, which must be crossed before the next flight is reached — a mode of construction that accords with the jealous precautions of the inmates. Several of the apartments are furnished with bedsteads peculiar to the Mahrattas — being a platform of polished Avood slightly curved, and suspended from the ceiling at an easy distance from the ground ; the panels and pillars of the rooms are richly carved, their decorations being composed of rich carpets and silver vessels of various descriptions, elaborately wrought. The ghauts, or landing-places at Benares, are incessantly thronged with people, some of whom are busy lading or unlading the native vessels that are employed in the commerce of this grand mart of Hiudoostan proper; while others are drawing water, performing their ablutions, or engaged in prayer; for notwithstanding the multiplicity of their temples, the religious worship of the Hindoo is always offered in the open air.

Although the view of Benares from the river is considered beautiful, yet no correct idea of the city can be formed without penetrating to the interior, threading its mazy labyrinths, and catching a bird's-eye view from some towering height. This opportunity is afibrded ))y the minarets of tiie numerous mosques that are built about the place; but j the ascerit is seldom attempted, unless by those who are not afraid of encountering fatigue, and risking some degree of danger; the open cupola or lantern at the top being

44 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

gained by steep and narrow stairs, and the apertures for the admission of light and air at the summit being left totally unguarded : few persons can look down from these dan- i gerous apertures witliout encountering a very paiivful degree of dizziness and terror. '

After winding through lanes and alleys, so narrow that a single individual must be jostled by every person lie meets, and where a Brahmanee bull — an animal privileged to roam wheresoever he chooses — may block up the passage, and render it impassable during his pleasure, the astonishment is great, when it is perceived that the closeness of the city j is chiefly confined to its avenues. Looking down, as the city spreads itself like a map ; before him, the tourist is surprised by the stately gardens and spacious quadrangles \ that occupy the ground between the high buildings that line the narrow streets. Some of these secluded retreats are remarkably beautiful, surrounded by cloisters of stone, decorated with a profusion of florid ornament, and flanked by high towers, from whence the most delightful prospect imaginable may be obtained of the adjacent country, with its fertile plains and ever-shining rivers. Others, smaller, are laid out in parterres of flowers, with fountains in the centre ; and all are tenanted by numerous birds of the brightest plumage.

Many of the principal habitations in Benares occupy extensive portions of ground ; and the seclusion desired by Asiatics in their domestic residences, is completely attained by the mode of building generally adopted, the walls being high, and the towers strong, enabling the females to enjoy something more than the partial glimpse of the heavens, to which the greater portion of Hindoostanee women are confined. It is not an uncom- mon circumstance for the rajahs and chiefs of India, whose residences are at a great distance from Benares, to build or purchase an habitation in the holy city, to which they may repair during the celebration of the festivals of their idols, and where, also, they may finally spend their last days on earth — since those who die at Benares in the odour of sanctity, and in favour with the Brahmins, are assured of immediate absorption into the divine essence.

Although the rooted hatred entertained by the followers of the prophet against every species of idolatry, incited them to promulgate their own creed by fire and sword, where- soever their victorious armies penetrated, the desecration of the holy city was not eS'ected until the reign of Aurungzebe, which commenced in 1658. That emperor h.aviug deter- mined to humble the pride of the Brahmins, levelled one of their most ancient and most venerated temples with the ground, and forthwith erected on its site a mosque, whose slender spires, shooting upward amidst the golden expanse that surrounds them, seem to touch the skies. In a city so crowded with splendid architectural objects, it required some bold and happy innovation upon the prevailing features, to produce a building which should eclipse them all ; and this was happily efl'ected by the mosque of Aurungzebe.

Previous to the erection of this trophy of the Mogul conquest of Hindoostan, the Brahmins pretended that their city could not be affected by any of the changes and revolutions which distracted the world, of which it formed no part, being the creation of Seeva after the curse had gone forth, which brought sin and sorrow upon earth ; and ever upheld by the point of his trident. The priesthood have, however, been forced to abate some of their lofty pretensions, since Moslem temples have been raised beside the shrines of their deities ; and blood, besides that required for sacrifices, has been, and still continues to be, shed within the precincts of their city.

The reputation for sanctity which this city possesses in the estimation of all Hindoos, renders it an especial point of attraction to pilgrims from most parts of Lidia. A great number of these devotees being exceedingly poor, subsist wholly upon charity, and are, consequently, often reduced to a state of the most abject misery. Many of the native residents of Benares are men of extraordinary Avealth, and, as diamond merchants and bankers, have occasionally rendered great service to the state by facilitating the monetaiy transactions of the East India Company.

Benares is also celebrated as having been, in ancient times, a principal seat of Brah- minical learning, and its educational status has not been deteriorated by the rule of its English masters. At the time of the establishment of the British empire in India, the schools of Benares wei'c found to be in a declining condition ; but an impulse was shortly afterwards given to the progress of native intelligence, by the establishment of tha

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Hindoo Sanscrit college, in 1791, to which an English class was added in 1827. An unfortunate notion that prevails among the native teachers (many of whom are eminent scholars), that were they to accept any remuneration for their labours, all the religious merit of teaching the Vedas would be lost, restrains them from receiving any benefitl'rom the professorships attached to the institution; and as they will not accept payment from their scholars, they are chiefly dependent upon the donations and pensions of the rajahs and wealthy pilgrims who visit the sacred city. For the above reason, the Hindoo college has never flourished to the extent anticipated by its founders.

During the present century many schools have been established in Benares, both by the assistance of the government, and the endowments of native benefactors. In 1843, the province contained six important scholastic foundations, under the inspection of a council of education, established at Calcutta in the previous year. Of these, three were at Benares ; namely, the Sanscrit college, the English seminary, and the branch school : the other three were severally at Ghazepoor, Azimghur, and Goruckpoor; and, in the whole of them, there were about 1,300 pupils, most of whom were Hindoos, Many of these native children were instructed in the English, Persian, and Hindoostanee languages, as well as in the other elementary branches of useful education. The London, and other missionary associations, have of late years given considerable attention to the city of Benares, as an important central station for their operations in the religious instruction of the natives of Hiudoostan. The government of Benares has been virtually exercised by the English since 1775, the rajah holding merely a nominal authority, and being a stipendiary of the government.

The accustomed quiet of Benares was rudely disturbed in the month of June, 1857, by an unexpected outbreak of the 37th regiment of native infantry, which led to the disarming of that corps, and to a conflict between it and her raajesty^s troops under Colonel Neill, in the evening of the 4th of that month. In the rencontre that ensured. Captain Guise, of the irregular corps, with several subalterns, were killed. The state of the European residents was, for some time, one of great peril, and the loss of property incalculable.

The extraordinary influence which the British government had for a long time possessed in India, was in no place more strikingly displayed than at Benares, where the Brahmins were formerly undisputed lords of the ascendant, and might commit any act they pleased with perfect impunity ; for the Mohammedans, though leaving a proud and defiant emblem of their triumph in the mosque before mentioned, did not make any permanent conquests in the immediate neighbourhood of the holy city. The privileges of a Brahmin are not recognised by the law of the British courts of judicature when they militate against the peace of society or the safety of individuals; and thus, if a murder be proved against him, he must now suff'er for the crime as another felon would do ; and although all suicides cannot be prevented, they are far less frequently perpetrated than formerly. The curious custom of "sitting dhurna," formerly common among Hindoos, has not, for many years, been practised to so great an extent at Benares as in other parts of India, where debts have been recovered, and grievances redressed, by the most extra- ordinary means which the weak ever devised to obtain justice from the strong. la sitting "dhurna," the oppressed party, either singly or in numbers, clothed in mourning attire, with ashes on the head, sit down in some spot convenient to the residence of the debtor or oppressor, refusing to eat or sleep until they shall obtain justice. The enemy thus assailed is compelled, by the prejudices of his religion (if a Hindoo), to abstain from food also, until he can come to a compromise, the blood of the person dying under this strange infliction being upon his head. Even Christians, whose consciences have not been so tender upon the subject, have felt themselves awkwardly situated when a " dhurna'^ has been enacted at their doors, especially at Benares, where, upon one occasion, nearly the whole population assumed the attitude of mourning, sitting exposed to the weather, and to the danger of starving, to procure the repeal uf an obnoxious tax.

Benares is famous for several manufactures, and is one of the great marts of the riches of tlie East. Diamonds, pearls, and other precious gems, are brought hither from all Asia, with shawls, spices, gums, and perfumes. It is only at Benares, and very few other places, that the finest products of the looms of Dacca are procurable. Hindoostanee females of rank delight in attiring theuiselvcs in drapery of a texture so thin and trans-

46 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

parent as scarcely to be visible, except when folded many times together. This is called " nio-ht-dew :" and it is related, that a certain king, objecting to the indecency of his daughter's apparel, was told that she had clothed herself in several hundred yards of muslin. This delicate article is enormously expensive, and, happily, has not yet found its way to the markets of Europe.

HINDOO TEMPLE, BENARES.

The history of the pagoda, in the annexed engraving, is precisely similar, in many respects, to that of other buildings of equal beauty and antiquity in India The foundation has been gradually undermined, and the structure it should have supported has sank into the river whose banks it once adorned. The antiquity of this temple is shown by the pointed mitre-like domes that surmount the towers; the round, flattened cupolas, as seen in the mausoleum of Aurungzebe at Sasseram, not having been introduced into Hindoo architecture until after the occupation of the country by the ]\Iogul invaders.

At an early hour in the morning, the officiating priests of the different temples of Benares commence their daily duties. Some repeat passages from the Vedas (sacred books), for the edification of those who bring holy water from the Ganges, to pour upon the idols, or who come to make offerings at the shrines; while others strew flowers around the sacred precincts. Baskets filled with floral treasures, magnificent in size and splendid in hue, are brought for sale to the gates of the temple, the pavements of which are strewed with large red, white, and yellow blossoms, which would form the most brilliant natural carpet in the world, were it not for their destruction by the streams of sacred water that are poured down on all sides while the idols are receiving their cus- tomary ablutions.

Priests are but men all the world over ; and it is not therefore a surprising fact, that some of these temples maintain a set of dancing-girls, who reside in apartments appro- priated to their use, belonging to the establishment. These ladies, who are generally selected for their beauty, are not required to be perfectly immaculate, and are not the less esteemed for a slight defection from the strict rules of morality, in the intervals of leisure between their attendance at religious processions and festivals. Another feature connected with the temples of Hindoostan, consists of crowds of beggars of every descrip- tion, who block up the avenues to pagodas in particular favour with the devotees. Many of these mendicants are of the most hideous and repulsive description, maimed and distorted, some by the effects of accident, but mostly by the severe inflictions they impose upon themselves by their religious zeal, and by the endurance of which they acquire a reputation for extraordinary sanctity. Whatever opinion a European may entertain as to that acquisition, he cannot for a moment hesitate to admit their claim to extraordinary filthiness and disgusting ugliness. Numbers of these miserable Avretches have no covering M'hatever, except a coating of mud and chalk, with which they bedaub and smear themselves; their long untrimmed beards and shaggy hair being matted with filth of the vilest description. Others there are amongst them who are steady and well clad — who demand alms after the fashion of the mendicant of Gil Bias, and would consider themselves degraded if they condescended to obtain a livelihood by industr}', or any other way than that recognised by their peculiar craft.

In the courts of some of the principal pagodas, it is not uncommon to find a fat Brahmanee bull comfortably established. These pampered and petted beasts are suftered to roam at their pleasure through the bazaars, where they help themselves to the grain or vegetables that may be within their reach. No one dare refuse them the food they select, nor may molest them ; and, unless under very peculiar circumstances indeed, few would be desirous to dispute the road with an animal so rigidly protected by law, as well as by its own strength. Sometimes these Indian Joves in disguise, will lie down across a

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streetj and, grown lazy by high feeding, will refuse to rise for hours. In this state of affairs, the Hindoo has no alternative but to wait patiently until the sacred brute shall move of his own accord : but the IMohamraedans and Christians of the place, who have less consideration for its sanctity than for its flavour, try a more summary mode of freeing themselves from the obstruction, and do not hesitate to apply their sticks to the venerated hide in their way. It is not denied that the irreverence of the lower classes of both religions sometimes extends so far, that if the darkness of the night favours thera upon such occasions with the opportunity, they will quietly lead the animal away to a sequestered spot, where, having administered the coup de grace, they for several days afterwards fare sumptuously upon the sacred carcass.

Notwithstanding the sanctity that is accorded by the Hindoos to the whole species, the bulls taken under the protection of the priesthood are alone exempted from mal- treatment. A worshipper of Brahma, though he would not kill an ox or a cow for the world, seldom has any reluctance to starve or overwork it, if it is to his advantage or convenience to do either. All the animals belonging to the city of Benares, or any place under the exclusive dominion of the Hindoo priesthood, are secure from violence; but there are a few peculiarly sacred, which go under the name of Brahmanee. The bulls have already been mentioned; there are also Brahmanee ducks and lizards. Of the former, an interesting tradition is still received among the devout Hindoos, who believe them to be animated by the souls of human delinquents, transmigrated into the bodies of those birds, and punished by an extraordinary affection for each other, which renders separation a source of the most poignant anguish. The male and female, it is said, are compelled, by a mysterious instinct, to part at sunset; the}'' fly on the opposite sides of the river, each supposing that its mate has voluntarily abandoned its nest, and imploring the truant to return by loud and piercing cries. The pitiable condition of these mourners has excited the compassion of the Brahmins, who have thrown the (sgis of their name over the unfortunate beings thus cursed by the gods.

BOODH MONUMENT NEAR BENARES.

The extraordinary monument, of which a representation is given in the accompanying plate, stands near the European station of Secrole, about four miles distant from Benares, and is an oject of great curiosity ai.d interest to all antiquax'ian travellers. This tower is about 150 feet in circumference, and its remains are yet above 100 feet in height. It is solidly constructed, the lower part having a casing of large blocks of stone neatly joined together, well polished, and decorated near the base with a broad band, on which is carved the figure of Boodh, in a curiously formed medallion, richly enwreathed with foliage and flowers. Around the sub-story of the tower arc a series of projections, advancing about eight inches beyond the solid wall, and each having a niche in the upper part. Three of these are shown in the engraving; but the ornaments of the remainder of this remarkable structure (if, indeed, it possessed any) have been swept away by the remorseless hand of time. The upper portion of the ruin has been supposed to be an addition of a period more recent than the original structure, being built of brick; the casing of stone (if it ever had one) having disappeared, and the ruinous state of the summit affording no clue to its original design and formation. The monument is, however, acknowledged to be Boodhist, and is imagined to have been of a pyramidical or glol)ular shape; the forms of these holy places being always similar to the gigantic mounds that, in the early ages, were raised over the ashes of the dead.

The foundations of a'very large building are yet to be traced, at about the distance of 200 yards from the tower; and it has been supposed that, in remote times, the priests belonging to the adjacent temple had here a religious establishment, it being the custom to congregate in bodies in the neighbourhood of these temples. These remains, some

48 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

fifty years since, attracted the attention of several scientific gentlemen, at that time resident in the European cantonments of Secrole, and they commenced an active investi- gation of the spot. Their labours were, after some time, rewarded by the discovery of several excavations, filled with an immense number of flat tiles, having representations of Boodh modelled upon them in wax.

The temples of the Boodhists are mere torahs, or buildings, to commemorate the actions of men. In their deity there is no all-pervading influence : he is supposed to maintain a quiescent state — untroubled by the government of the world, and wholly unconcerned about the aff'airs of men. The followers of Boodh imagine that, although their t^od takes no interest in the good or evil actions of his creatures (which are rewarded and punished in this world — prosperity being the universal consequence of virtue, and misfortune the constant attendant upon vice), that sanctity of a very superior order, extraordinary acts of self-denial, and the good wrought by the reformation of their brethren, secure to the devotee rigidly performing such duties, the power of working miracles, and, after death, a certain degree of those ^tod-like attributes which may be employed to influence the destinies of mankind. The religious worship of the Boodhists is duly paid to these saints ; and the time-defying towers, which aff"ord conclusive proof of the' wide dissemination of their doctrines, and are found in opposite quarters of the globe, are said to contain either the bodies, or some relic — such as a tooth, or portion of the hair — of these holy persons.

The religion of the Boodhists is perfectly unimpassioned and soulless : their notions of eternal bliss are confined to the absence of all care and pain ; and their supreme being is represented as slumbering over a busy world, in which he takes no interest. The silver and marble images of this quiescent deity, occasionally met with, have familiarised Europeans with the objects that the disciples of Boodhism render homage to. The figure is that of a human being in a state of meditation, or rather, perfect abstraction. The posture is always that of repose — the hands folded over the knees, and the features imperturbably composed. The semblance is invariably that of the human species ; and there are not any of the fantastic and absurd devices of the Hindoos resorted to, to convey ideas of superior bodily and intellectual powers. Although belonging to a diff'erent creed, the ground on which a similar temple at Sarnat stands, is esteemed by the Brah- mins as more highly blessed than any in the neighbourhood of the holy city of Benares.

CAWNPOOR.

This blood-stained town of the Upper Provinces of Bengal, whose name is associated with infamies by which the indignation of the whole civilised world has been aroused, is situated on the western bank of the Ganges, about 52 miles south of Lucknow, and 123 north-west of Allahabad. Like many other Oriental towns, Cawnpoor, previous to the terrible events of June and July, 1857, had a picturesque, if not an imposing appearance from the river, and might boast of edifices that had some claim to architectural beauty; but in the punishment brought upon it and its inhabitants through an act of unparalleled treachery, and the cold-blooded slaughter and nameless horrors by which that treachery was consummated, many of the most attractive features of the place have been sadly and irreparably defaced. It still, however, owing to its great length along the bank of the Ganges, occasionally presents to view some interesting specimens of Hindoo scenery, interspersed with isolated temples and mosques, embedded in magnificent foHage. Two of such temples, crowned with the mitre-shaped dome common to the sacred architecture of Hindoostan before the Mohammedans had possessed themselves of the country, are represented in the accompanying engraving — the white building on the left of which is a house belonging to a wealthy native ; and in the far distance, on the right, are the remains of two bungalows, formerly occupied by European residents.

The view of the town on the land side is very limited, being almost entirely obstructed by a low ridge crowned with wood, which skirts the sandy plain that separates the town

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from the cantouments. The ancient, or native, and the modern, or European towns, closely adjoin each other, and, together, extend for ahout six miles along the river bank, which, for the greater portion of the distance, was formerly studded with the substantial and almost palatial residences of the wealthy natives, intermingled Mith temple, and mosque, and ghaut, and the bungalows of Europeans in the civil and mili- tary service of the Company. The portion of the town stretching back inland, con- sisted of an heterogeneous mass of buildings, chiefly constructed of unbaked mud, and possessing no particular features of interest. Amidst this mass, however, were some residences of Europeans and wealthy inhabitants, composed of brick or other durable material, and generally surrounded by pleasant gardens, by which they were detached from the bulk of the toAvn. The principal edifices of the European town of Cawn{)Oor, previous to the revolt of 1857, were a church, a free school, military hospital, theatre, assembly-rooms, custom-house, and gaol. Of these buildings, the one in which the free school was located seems to have been the first erected, the establishment having been placed on a permanent footing, under the auspices of Lord Amherst, in 1823. Chi'ist- churcli, in the immediate vicinity of the focmer, was but of recent erection, the religious services of the protestants of Cawnpoor having been for many years performed alternately in the riding-house of the royal dragoons, and in a bungalow hired for the purpose at the other end of the cantonments; through the parsimony of the government, and the apathy, or avarice, of the protestant community, which withheld the funds necessary for the erection of a church — to the great scandal of professing Christians, in the estima- tion of the native residents. The assembly-rooms and theatre were two very fine buildings, particularly the latter, which was entirely surrounded by a corridor, supported by pillars of the Ionic order. Of the two last-mentioned edifices, the first — which had been converted into shambles, in which English women and children were ruthlessly massacred bv order of the ferocious and cowardly traitor, Nana Sahib, on the night of the 16th of July — has been razed to the ground, having a stone placed on its site, which records the execrable and unexampled act of butchery there perpetrated. From the centre of the town, an avenue of magnificent trees extends to the race-course, on the western side of the grand trunk road to Allahabad j and this route constituted the usual evening drive of fashionable society at Cawnpoor.

The cantonments, which are irregular in form, extend over a space of ground six miles in length, by two in breadth, and formerly presented a very agreeable diversity of houses, gardens, and })ark-like grounds, intermingled with the barracks and magazines, &c., of the military. During the events to which reference has been made in connection with the sepoy revolt, this portion of Cawnpoor suff"ered greatly : but it will be for ever memorable as the spot, on a portion of which was the intrenchment so gallantly im- provised and defended by General Sir Hugh Wheeler and his heroic band, against tlie assaults of overwhelming'numbers, during a period of twenty-two days; for the greater part of which the terrors of famine were added to the calamities of war, and the shrieks of agonised mothers and dying children mingled with the crash of falling walls and the yells of an enemy, human only in outward form, and regardless of all the usages of civilised warfare.

Previous to the revolt of 1857, the cantonment often contained, in addition to its European and military population, some fifty or sixty thousand native inhabitants. The native infantry here stationed, were generally encamped in the cool season, on which occasion there were regular streets and squares of canvas, stretching over a vast space of ground : each regiment was provided with its bazaar ; and in the rear, and far beyond the lines of tents, were the bivouacs of the camp-followers of every kind, who usually congregated in immense numbers. All these, with the families of Europeans, and those of the military officers in their bungalows and lodges, contributed to give great animation to the cantonment. The accommodation provided was equal to the reception of seven or eight thousand troops of all arms ; but the number actually sta^ tioned at Cawnpoor rarely amounted to more than half of that force; and when the revolt broke out, on the 4th of June, 1857, the troops in cantonment, both native and European, did not altogether exceed 3,845 men, of whom 240 only were English.

The Ganges at Cawnpoor forms the boundary line between the territory of the East India Company, on the western bank of the river, and the kingdom of Oude on the Jll. . H

50 THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED.

opposite side ; and, subsequent to the annexation of that kingdom, the military impor- tance of Cawnpoor, as a frontier station, had considerably diminished : still, from the great extent of the cantonments, and other causes, there uas always a great amount of military duty to be performed at Cawnpoor; and it was, consequently, not a favourite station : there were also many temptations to expense common to all large towns, that are not thrown in the way of young officers on joining inferior stations; but those inconveniences were perhaps almost compensated for by the opportunity for association with a better class of residents, the facility that existed for procuring books and other articles from Europe, and the pleasure of constant intercourse with persons proceeding up and down the country ; all which advantages afforded an agreeable variation from the usual monotony of a provincial station.

Although Cawnpoor is situated in the Dooab, which is celebrated for its richness of soil and fertility, the country immediately around it is one wide waste of sand. At Nawaubgunge, a short distance from the northern extremity of the cantonments, the houses occupied by the civilians are seen in the midst of sterility; and, at the other extremity, the same characteristics of soil prevail; the encamping-ground being abso- lutely treeless and leafless, and frequently presenting the appearance of the mirage. The cantonments, which are much broken by ravines, are, on the contrary, thickly planted ; and being interspersed by native temples and village-like bazaars, they afford a variety of interesting drives. The houses, though principally bungalows, were built upon a very large scale, and their general appearance was much improved by the addition of circular ends, stuccoed with chunam, and of a dazzling whiteness. Many of such bungalows contained splendid suites of apartments, fitted up Avith much elegance ; and all were furnished with fire-places after the European style, the severity of the weather in the cold season rendering a blazing hearth absolutely necessary for comfort. In the European gardens, all the vegetables common to the West are raised without difficulty in the cold season, with the exception of broad or Windsor-beans. Fruit is abundant, and the bazaars were well supplied with butchers'-meat, poultry, and game. It is needless to remark, that the outrages committed by the rebellious soldiery and their followers, during the brief interval in which they held the place, and the result of the means taken for their punishment, has frightfully changed the general appearance and condition of Cawnpoor.

AGRA.

The city of Agra is the capital of the Anglo-Indian province similarly named, and the official seat of the lieutenant-governor of the North-Western Provinces of Bengal. It is situated on the south-west bank of the river Jumna, 115 miles S.S.E. from Delhi, and 185 N.W. of Cawnpoor. Its origin is supposed to be traced to a very remote antiquity; and, by the Hindoos, it is asserted to have been the scene of the avatar, or incarnation of their god A'ishnu, under the name of Parasu Rama. Having, probably through the lapse of ages, dwindled from its original importance, Agra, at the close of the fifteenth century of the Christian era, was little better than an inconsiderable village. At length its natural attractions brought it under the notice of the emperor Akber, who chose it for the site of a royal residence, and gave it the name of Akbarabad. Under this name it flourished as the seat of the Mogul government until 1674, when the emperor Shah Jehan removed the imperial court to Delhi; and from that period, Agra, or Akbarabad, has progressively again declined in importance.

Agra was wrested from the sovereignty of the Moguls by the Mahratta chief Madajcc Sindia, in 1784, and continued in the possession of the victors until the year 1803, when, after a short but vigorous siege, the city was taken by the English forces under Lord Lake. It has since remained in the hands of the British government, and is the seat of a civil establishment for the collection of revenue and the administration of justice. The

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cit}'- rises from the river in the form of a vast semicircle, surrounded by a wall of red granite, and a ditch of considerable width. The houses generally are of stone, and lofty, but the streets are scarcely of sufficient width to admit the passage of a carriage through them. A few years since, the city contained about 700 mosques, and an equal number of baths. Among the buildings within the walls, are a fort and some remains of a palace of the Mogul emperors; and on the opposite side of the river are a number of ancient tombs and other buildings, of extraordinary architectural beauty. Independent of the desolation caused by recent events at Agra, in connection with the sepoy revolt of 1857, a great portion of the edifices within and around the city wall, have been, for many years, in a state of dilapidation ; in short, the pristine extent and splendour of the city was only to be traced by the number and variety of the ruins, which spread themselves around on every side. Vast tracts, covered with old buildings, the remains of wells, and frag- ments of walls, which originally flourished in the midst of verdure and under the shade of forest trees, now only render the wide waste of sand, which has swallowed up all vegetation, still more desolate. The country between the fort and the Taj Mahal (a superb mausoleum erected by Shah Jehan) is a perfect desert ; and visitors, after winding their way through an arid plain, only diversified by sand-heaps and crumbling masses of stone, come, as if by enchantment, upon the luxuriant gardens which still adorn the mausoleum, where the mighty emperor, and the beautiful partner of his throne and empire, sleep together in undisturbed repose.

The marble cupola on the left of the engraving, crowns a beautiful musjid, or mosque, attached to the Taj. Beyond, flanked by its slender minarets, the Taj itself appears ; and, in the distance, the eye rests upon the cupolas and turrets of the magnificent gateway that forms the principal entrance to this terrestrial paradise. Constant irrigation is necessary in India to preserve the beauty of gardens, which soon disappears if not con- tinually refreshed by the revivifying stream. The pleasure-grounds belonging to the Taj Mahal are watered daily, and they are clothed in perpetual verdure; while the surround- ing country is a parched wilderness.

The beautiful arched gateway and square tower on the right of the plate, opens into an enclosure of considerable extent, between the plain and the gardens of the Taj. Many buildings of the same design skirt the gardens, and some were fitted up for the residences of European families during the rains. The superior elegance of the native architecture often rendered it a subject for regret, that so few of the deserted buildings in the vicinity of Agra had been adapted to the use of the European inhabitants ; not more than three or four of the mosques and tombs having been fitted up for their comfortable occu- pation, while the far greater number are lodged in excessively ugly bungalows, built with the old bricks which cover miles of the suburbs of Agra, and which can be had for the trouble of collecting them.

The church belonging to the