Narrative of the Life and Travels of Serjeant B–

While we lay at Punamalee, Paddy L – , of our regiment, drowned himself in a tank, at the back of the barracks, upon a Sabbath morning. This man was going along with us for Europe, with a bad discharge, in consequence of having made himself unfit for further service by shooting off his hand, for which dreadful outrage against the laws of both God and man, as well as against his own body, he was sentenced to receive corporal punishment; to be kept in confinement during his stay with the regiment; and to be sent home with a blank discharge. He had also been frequently confined, after we came here, for different crimes; and once while he was in the Cungie-house,17 having obtained a light, on pretence of lighting his pipe, he set fire to the place, attempting to burn both it and himself; and it was with considerable difficulty that his life, at that time, was saved, being taken out half suffocated, and as black as a chimney-sweep. I cannot inform the reader what were his diabolical motives for drowning himself; but we need not wonder much at it, when he was so depraved as to commit such crimes as I have mentioned, and indeed many others which I decline noticing; only this I will say, that "destruction and misery are in the way of such people, and the way of peace they have not known;" and no marvel that "their feet run into evil, and make haste to shed blood, seeing they have no fear of God before their eyes."

While here also I received a letter from Serjeant Gray, giving us the melancholy intelligence of his wife having had a severe attack of the flux, and of that disorder terminating in her dissolution, and earnestly soliciting me to send him a word of consolation, and an advice suited to the particularly trying circumstances in which he was placed; to which request I most readily complied in the best way I was able. My wife and I were much affected at the unexpected news; and no wonder, considering that great intimacy which had always subsisted between our families ever since the time I received Doddridge's Rise and Progress in Hydrabad. Our attachment to one another was such, that during the time the regiment was in Trichinopoly, when our huts were at a considerable distance, we very seldom passed a day, if duty would permit, without being in one another's company, and frequently we even dined together; and this friendship subsisted until we left the regiment, when we had truly a sorrowful parting; but we then little imagined that one of us was so near the eternal world. Surely the language of Divine Providence to us at this time was, "Be ye also ready, for at such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." Surely this is an important, universal, and perpetual admonition, "O that we were wise, that we understood this, that we would consider our latter end." My letter no sooner reached the regiment, than Mrs. Copwick seeing it, wrote off immediately to Punamalee, requesting me very kindly "to send her also a word of advice before our embarkation; adding, that although she had not forgotten my former counsels, yet she had a great desire to have something from me in writing, that would not only refresh her memory, but also excite her gratitude to her heavenly Father, who had used me as an instrument, that Christ might be formed in her soul, and that it might also be a help to support her mind, under her severe trials, and encourage her to a continuance in well-doing, trusting that at last she might receive the end of her faith, even the salvation of her soul."

I need scarcely inform the Christian reader with what joy I received this delightful letter, and with what comfort and enlargement of heart I answered it; all that I shall say is, that I wish God may bless every mean which I have been enabled to use for her eternal advantage, and that we may finally meet again upon the right hand of the judge, when he which soweth, and they which reap, shall rejoice together.

I have since learned from good authority, that Serjeant Gray has followed his wife to the narrow house appointed for all living, and that Mrs. C.'s wicked husband is also gone from our world, dying as he had lived, and that God, in his kind providence, has provided a friend who took an interest in the welfare of his widow, and obtained a place for her in the family of a respectable clergyman in the country, to take the superintendence of his children, having made ample provision both for her and the orphans. In their happy experience, therefore, was that promise fulfilled18, "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let your widows trust in me."

My dear reader, you may naturally enough think that the writer of this little work is very defective in his duty, when he has travelled so many hundred miles in India, and has scarcely so much as even dropped a hint of the appearance of the country, the customs and manners of its inhabitants, their religion, &c.; but my reason for this is, that I may make this work appear as regular and satisfactory as possible; for I have designedly delayed entering upon these things until I was just going to take farewell of the country. And now, as I am going to take a long, and, I hope, a last adieu of that part of the world, where I have suffered much, and, I bless God, have enjoyed much, I will attempt a very brief account of these, in their regular order, before I step on board ship, and close my bodily eyes – for ever perhaps – upon this scene.

CHAPTER XI

Country.– I do not mean here to give you a particular description of the various parts of India through which I have travelled, but rather attempt a very brief sort of general representation of it: and I will say that it is, comparatively, sandy and barren; for water, which is so essential to the fertilizing of the soil, is in most places very scarce; and no wonder, when it is generally six or seven months in the year without a shower of rain. And were it not for a plan adopted by the natives, where there are no rivers, by far the greater part of the country, now peopled, would be uninhabitable; but during the monsoon, or rainy season, the inhabitants, having prepared large tanks for its reception, get these amply stored during the heavy rains; which I have often seen fall in such abundance as to inundate the country so that the communication betwixt villages, (which are always built upon rising ground,) had to be carried on by boats or canoes. I say, when these tanks are filled, it secures to them, humanly speaking, the succeeding harvest. The event is celebrated with great rejoicings; but I shall not waste your time and my own, in attempting to describe these ostentatious parades, but desire rather that you would turn over your Bible, and look at Belshazzar's mob of musicians, described in the 3d chapter of Daniel, for you will there find the description of a similar band; and it is very easy to conceive, in your own mind, a number of black people following them. I will rather give you a sketch of the manner in which their crops are produced, which will be more entertaining and instructive.

After, therefore, having these tanks well replenished, and before they begin to plough their rice-fields19, (which must be always nearly level,) they flood them with water for a day or two, to soften the ground; and, to effect this, they have recourse to the following expedient: they erect a thick post about twelve feet high, at the top of which there is a strong lever, somewhat like the handle of our pump wells, only much longer, and to that end to which you may suppose the sucker of the pump attached, they fasten a rope or chain, of a sufficient length to reach the water, and, at the end of this rope or chain, they have a large iron bucket, and a person ready, at the side of the tank, to guide and empty it into the furrows or ridges, (Psalm lxv. 9th verse and downward,) which are formed in the rice-fields for the reception of the water, and also to conduct it over the surface of the whole plain that they intend to water. At the other end of the lever another person is appointed to tread on it, so as to raise up or let down the bucket to the person, as I said, who stands at the bottom to guide and empty it; and, to prevent the feet of the drawer from slipping, there are a number of knobs or blocks of wood nailed upon that part of the handle which he treads. These water-engines are frequently erected by the side of a growing tree; but when this is not to be had, there are two large uprights placed close by the supposed pump, and spaked across, so that the person may not only ascend and descend upon this kind of ladder, but also have a security from falling, while he is following his employment. This is the mode of watering fields, I may say, universally adopted in India, where I have travelled; but there is another kind of water-engine, which I understand is generally used in Egypt, and some other countries, which is managed by the motion of a wheel. In this wheel there are a number of steps, and the person treading upon these turns the wheel round until the rope or chain has elevated the bucket to a level with the soil intended to be watered; but whether the one or the other plan be adopted, it is a laborious and scanty manner of watering cultivated grounds of any extent. If the inhabitants of these parched countries were obliged to adopt this mode for their gardens only, it would be comparatively trifling labour; but when a person takes a view of a very extensive field, which must be kept two or three inches deep all the time the rice is growing, (and only when they wish the rice to harden is it taken off,) I say, if we consider this, the reasoning of the inspired historian, in showing the superiority of the land of Canaan to that of Egypt, will be very evident.

Deuteronomy xi. 10. "For the land whither thou goest to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: but the land whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven; a land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year."

Although I have said that the country is comparatively sandy and barren, yet I say, that many parts of it also, which are situated on the banks of rivers, are very fertile. The finest parts of India that I have seen are near the Kistna and Tamboothera; these rivers supplying their neighbourhood abundantly, give it a very fresh and delightful appearance; and, O! how it cheers the spirits, and invigorates the eye of the "wayfaring man," to come into the view of a considerable tract of country, covered with woods and various kinds of herbage, after having travelled days, or even weeks, and scarcely ever seen any object to relieve the fatigued eye; but, on the contrary, every thing to offend and hurt it; nothing presenting itself on any side but glistening sand, scraggy bushes, the shining arms of the soldiery, and the dazzling exhalations of the morning dews. Surely, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is: for he shall be as a tree, planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh; but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." The analogy of this figure is simple and beautiful, and the application natural and easy, from what I have been stating, to the pious and reflective mind.

Manners, Customs, &c.– The complexion of the Hindoos is black; their hair is long; their persons in general are straight and well-formed, and their countenances open and pleasant. The dress of the men amongst the higher ranks is a white vest of silk, muslin, or cotton, girt with a sash; the sleeves are very long; and the upper part of the garment contrived to fit, so that the wearer's shape may be seen; their trowsers descend so low as to cover their legs; they wear slippers down in the heel, and peaked at the toes, into which they put their naked feet. The dress of the women amongst the higher or middle ranks, is a piece of white calico tied about the waist, which reaches to their knees; and the vest is thrown across their shoulders, covering the breasts and part of the back; their hair, like that of the men, is tied up in a roll, and adorned with jewels, or toys; they wear pendants in their ears, and several strings of beads round their necks; they also wear rings upon their fingers and toes, and bracelets upon their wrists and ankles.

The Hindoos are, in general, very sober, and abstain from all animal food. The Brahmins, in particular, never eat any thing that has had the breath of life: curees of vegetables are their common diet; the chief ingredients of which are turmeric, spices, and the pulp of the cocoa-nut. They esteem milk the purest food; and venerate the cow almost as a divinity.

In manners, they are effeminate, luxurious, and taught to affect a grave deportment. This initiates them early in the arts of dissimulation; so that they can caress those whom they hate, and even behave with kindness to those whom they intend to murder20. The common salutation is, by lifting one or both hands to the head, according to the quality of the person saluted; but no person salutes with the left hand singly.

On visiting amongst friends, the master of the house never rises to receive his visitor, but requests him to come and sit down beside him on the carpet or floor; and the betle-nut-box is presented to him, as we do our snuff-boxes. This betle-nut is used in the same manner as we do tobacco; and both the men and the women take it indiscriminately.

Dancing girls are generally engaged at public entertainments to amuse the company. They adorn their necks with carcanets, their arms with bracelets, and their ankles with small gold or silver chains. The dance of these women is a cadenced movement, performed to the sound of a drum, (called a tum-tum,) which a person beats upon with his fingers, and accompanies with a song, that, to a person possessed of any taste, is truly barbarous. The mode of beating time is with a small bell, or cymbal, which the dancing-master holds in his hand. This bell, or cymbal, he beats against the edge of another of the same kind, which produces a brisk vibrating sound, which animates the dancers, and gives precision to their movements. They, however, display no elegant attitudes, but are full of gesture; and the motion of their arms seems to occupy their whole attention.

The manner of drinking among the Hindoos is remarkable. They religiously avoid touching the vessel with their lips, but pour it into their mouths, holding the vessel at a distance. Their notion is, that they would be polluted by drinking any stagnant liquid. Thus, they will drink from a pump, or any clear running stream, but not out of a standing pool. On a march, when any of the natives made their appearance with their jimbos, (a small vessel, generally of brass or earth,) we were driven by thirst sometimes to leave the ranks, and entreated them to permit us to drink; but it was always in vain; and if any of us took the vessel by force into our hands, either to swallow its contents, or to draw water for ourselves, they broke it to pieces, and raised the hue and cry that they were polluted and ruined; and any soldier so acting would expose himself to a severe flogging. But I have known some instances, wherein some of those people, possessed of more generous minds and liberal sentiments, have given us to drink, when we held our hands at each side of our mouth, while they poured the water into them, holding the jimbo about half a yard above our head; but, in this case, we were more satisfied externally than internally.

The houses in Hindostan are for the most part very mean; in front of these houses are sheds on pillars, under which the natives expose their goods for sale, and entertain their friends. No windows open towards the streets, and even the palaces of their princes have not any external elegance. The marriages of the wealthy Hindoos are conducted with the utmost splendour and extravagance. The little bride and bridegroom, who are frequently only three or four years of age, are for several nights carried through the streets, richly dressed, and adorned with the finest jewels their parents can procure, preceded by flags, music, and a multitude of lights. The astrologer having fixed on a fortunate hour, they are taken to the house of the bride's father, and being seated opposite to each other, with a table between them, they join their hands across it, and the priest covers both their heads with a kind of hood, which remains spread over them about a quarter of an hour, while he prays for their happiness, and gives them the nuptial benediction; after which, their heads are uncovered, and all the company are sprinkled with perfumes, and the evening concludes with a magnificent entertainment for the friends who attend.

The Hindoo women, in general, treat their husbands with great respect; and very few are ever known to violate the marriage bed. They begin to bear children at twelve years of age, and sometimes younger; but they seldom have any after they are thirty; and frequently before that time they lose their bloom, and begin to fade. With respect to the funerals of the Hindoos, some of them bury the body, and others burn it. The ceremony of burning is performed in the following manner: – Having washed and dressed the corpse, the relations and friends carry it on a bier to a small distance from the town. This is usually done the next day; but if a person die in the morning, his body is always burnt the same evening; for, in this country, a corpse will not keep long. The funeral pile is usually made near some river or tank; and if he be a person of rank, great quantities of fragrant wood are mixed with the fuel. As soon as the corpse is placed upon the pile, and some prayers muttered by the attending Brahmin, the fire is applied at one of the corners, when it soon blazes up, and consumes the body to ashes.

The horrid practice of widows burning themselves along with the corpse of their deceased husbands is losing ground very fast in India; and there is scarcely ever an instance of it now known in our settlements; and, as far as I could learn, when performed at all, it is chiefly confined to the Brahmin cast.

Religion, &c.– The religion of the Hindoos is all contained in the sacred books called Vedas. These books are supposed to have been the work, not of the supreme God himself, but of an inferior deity called Brimha. They inform us that Brahma, the supreme god, having created the world by the word of his mouth, formed a female deity, named Bawaney, who brought forth three male deities, named Brimha, Vishnu, and Seeva. They say that Brimha was endowed with the power of creating all things, Vishnu with that of cherishing them, and Seeva the power of restraining them. They say also, that Brahma himself endowed mankind with passions and understanding to regulate them; while Brimha created the inferior beings, and afterwards employed himself in writing the Vedas, and gave these to the Brahmins to be explained. These Brahmins are allowed to be the most honourable tribe amongst the Hindoos, and are alone appointed to officiate in the priesthood, like the Levites among the Jews. They alone are allowed to read the Vedas or sacred books; and to them are committed the instruction of the people. There are several orders of these Brahmins: those who mix in society are not unfrequently of depraved morals; and we need not wonder that it should be the case, when they are taught by their religion that the water of the Ganges will effectually wash away all their sins. Those Brahmins who live secluded from society, are men of very weak minds, or enthusiasts, who give themselves up to indolence and superstition. The Chehteree, or second caste, is next in rank to the Brahmins; and from this caste their Nabobs, or Princes, are always chosen.

The Bice, or Banians, who compose the third class, are those people whose profession is trade and merchandise. They have no particular religion, unless it be adherence to truth in their words and dealings. They are the great factors by whom the trade of India is carried on; and, as they believe in the transmigration of souls, they eat no living creature, nor kill even noxious animals, but endeavour to release them from the hands of others who may be intending to destroy them. I have seen them feeding the mice and bandicauts with grain or rice in the bazaar.

The Soodera, or fourth class, is the most numerous, and comprehends all labourers and artists. These are divided into as many orders as there are followers of different arts; all the children being invariably brought up to the profession of their forefathers.

The temples of the Hindoos (called by them pagodas) are large, but disgusting stone buildings, erected in every capital, and are under the direction of the Brahmins. The pagoda of Seringham, near the place where we crossed the Cavery, and which we passed on our way to Trichinopoly, is allowed to be the most stupendous, and is held the most sacred of any building of the kind in India, that of Chillambraum excepted. This pagoda is situated about a mile from the western extremity of the island of Seringham, formed by the division of the great river Cavery into two channels. It is composed of seven square inclosures, one within the other, the walls of which are twenty-five feet high, and four thick. These inclosures have each four large gates: the outer wall which surrounds this pagoda is between three and four miles in circumference, and its gateway to the south is ornamented with pillars, several of which are single stones, thirty-three feet long, and about four in diameter. The walls of this building is covered outside with the most hideous figures, likenesses of which are to be found neither "in heaven above, nor on the earth beneath, nor in the waters under the earth;" so that persons would not literally be guilty of a breach of the second command if they were to fall down and worship them, – such as men with elephants' heads, serpents with men's heads, bullocks with women's head and breasts, &c. and monsters which I have never before nor since seen or heard of, and these painted in the most glaring colours. Here also, as in the other great pagodas of India, the Brahmins live without subordination, and slumber in a voluptuousness which knows no wants. This pagoda is about four miles from Trichinopoly.

There are several sects among the Hindoos, but their differences consist rather in external forms than religious opinions. They all believe in the immortality of the soul; a state of future rewards and punishments; and transmigration of souls. The virtues of charity and hospitality exist amongst them, both in theory and practice, towards those of their own caste. They say that hospitality is commanded to be exercised even towards an enemy; and they use this simile, "the tree doth not withdraw its shade from the wood-cutter, or water-drawer, nor doth the moon withhold her light from the chandalah." These pure doctrines, however, are intermixed with many vile superstitions. The Hindoos pray thrice in the day, at morning, noon, and evening, turning their faces towards the east. Fruits, flowers, incense, and money, are the usual offerings to their idols; but, for the dead, they offer a particular sort of cake called punda. They all seem to pay an extraordinary veneration to fire, and always wash before meals.

There is a religious order among the Hindoos, called Fakirs: these are a kind of begging friars, who make vows of poverty, and seem insensible both to pleasure and pain. They generally live upon the bounty of the smaller kind of merchants; and I have seen them often carrying a small copper jimbo, (vessel,) in the form of a water-melon, when they were begging through the bazaars. These Fakirs, to obtain the favour of Brahma as they suppose, suffer the most dreadful tortures; and the austerities which some of them undergo are incredible to those who have not been eye-witnesses of them: some of them stand for months upon one foot, with their arms tied to the beam of a house, by which means their arms settle in that posture, and ever after become useless; some sit in the sun, with their faces looking upwards, until they are incapable of altering the position of their heads; and I even saw one in Bangalore, who had a large sort of iron grating fixed upon his neck, that had not stretched himself upon a bed, or even upon the ground, for two years. But the people, in all these cases, deem it an act of piety to encourage and support them.