It! .-^ 1^1'^ i;;.';';!;^ li:' Liii CIass_^Tl^ (oL CAPTAIN ELERS 12^>Regt: MEMOIRS OF GEORGE ELERS Captain in the 12th Regiment of Foot (1777— 1842) TO WHICH ARE ADDED Correspon^ence an& otber papers witb (Benealoap an& IRotes Edited from the Original MSS. BY LORD MONSON and GEORGE LEVESON GOWER With Two Portraits and Map NEW YORK D. APPLE TON AND CO 1903 ~n [Ali rights reseat ed\ H s M i .T INTRODUCTION The MS. of these Memoirs of Captain George Elers, of the 12th Regiment of Foot, was found in the library at Burton Hall by my relative, Mr. George Leveson Gower, to whom I am also in- debted for his assistance in preparing this volume for publication ; and as they seemed to me to present a truthful and interesting picture of life in society and in the Army at the end of the eighteenth and at the beginning of the nineteenth centuries, I decided on publishing them. Captain Elers had renewed early in 1841 his acquaintance with my grandfather, the sixth Lord Monson (then Mr. William Monson), with whom he was connected through the family of Debonnaire. My grandfather, who succeeded to the title by the death of his cousin in October of that year, sub- sequently rendered certain services to Captain Elers. Captain Elers died at St. Heliers, in Jersey, in January, 1842, from a stroke of apoplexy, having appointed Lord Monson his heir and executor ; but the inheritance was not a profitable one, as prac- tically his sole means of subsistence was a trifling annuity from his cousin, Mrs. Tennant. In fact, [v] VI INTRODUCTION bcyund a few watches and a little jewellery (now in my possession) he had only a small sum of ready cash at the time of his death. Lord Monson sub- sequently erected a tablet to his memory. A genealogical table, showing the author's rela- tionship to my grandfather, will be found at the end of the volume, as well as a map of India, showing the different places mentioned in the narrative. With reference to the correspondence which follows the Memoirs, and which, together with them, came into my grandfather's possession, a selection has been made of such letters as would seem to possess enough interest to justify their publication. Of the letters from the Duke of Well- ington, that written in India when he was Colonel Wellesley (stated by the Captain to have been written in 1802, but which is dated November 19, 1 801) corroborates the statements made by Captain Elers in his autobiography of his intimacy with the Duke in early days ; whilst those addressed to Captain Elers by his cousin. Miss Maria Edge- worth, may confidently be expected to possess a certain attraction for all who admire the writings of that talented authoress. I am also fortified in my estimate of the interest of the Memoirs by the testimony of Miss Edge worth herself, as expressed in one of her letters. After careful consideration, it has seemed to me better to leave the text as it was written by the author, with the exception of a few necessary verbal INTRODUCTION vii alterations. The course of his narrative is, it is true, occasionally somewhat involved and discon- nected, but the inconvenience attendant upon this is, in my opinion, outweighed by that of attempting to rearrange the order of the text without always being in possession of sufficient materials to give one complete assurance that such a task has been carried out with perfect accuracy. I have further felt that it was preferable not to introduce changes into the author's somewhat peculiar style, except where this was absolutely necessary for ready com- prehension. Such changes would, to my mind, rob the narrative of much of the quaintness which brings out so well the character and idiosyncrasies of the author. The valuable footnotes to the Memoirs and cor- respondence are contributed by my friend, the Rev. Arthur Roland Maddison, Canon of Lincoln Cathe- dral, to whom my warm thanks are due for the care and interest which he has given to a task which he is so admirably qualified to fulfil. A few notes have been added by Mr. Leveson Gower, these being distinguished from Canon Maddison's by the editorial signature. MONSON. Burton Haij,, Lincoln, March 19, 1903. CONTENTS CHAPTER I . , , • rAf.E Author s birth — His two brothers — German ancestry — fjueen Henrietta Maria — Elector of Maintz— Queen Christina of Sweden— Staffordshire Potteries — John Philip and David Elers — Josiah Wedgwood — Grand- father's marriage — J Jourton — Father's marriage — Gordon riots — Northamptonshire— School at Chis- wick— Lord Lyndhurst - - - - 1-18 CHAPTER H Dr. Barrow's school — The middy schoolboy — Liston, the actor — Oxfordsliire — Cousin Sophia — Oxford — Blen- heim — Hungerford Elers gazetted to the 43rd Regiment .-..-. 19-31 CHAPTER HI Edward Elers enters the Navy — The Queen and lid- ward's miniature — Mother dies — Her jewels — Gazetted to the 90th Regiment — Exchanges into the I2th — Sartorial splendours — Colonel Aston - -32-38 CHAPTER IV Joins his regiment at Newport — Placed in light infantry company — A pugnacious Irishman — Embarks for India — Lady passengers — The Prince of Wales's commendation— The wine limit — An unlucky ac- complishment .... - 39-50 [ix] X CONTKNTS CHAPTER \' i'ai;k Crossing the Line — Arrival at the Cape — Captured Dutch men-of-war — Dutch fare — Constantia — Colonel Arthur W'ellesley — His gratitude — A timely loan — Arrival at Madras — Fort St. George — The Nabob of Arcot — A Minden veteran — Lord Hohart, Governor of Madras — A lovely termagant - -51-^7 CHAPTEK \'I Expedition against Manila — A naval hero — Penang — Expedition abandoned — Captain Winstone's death — Return to India — Camp life — Conjeveram pagodas — Tanjore — \'ellum — Suttee — Revolution at Tanjore — Arnee — A regimental c^uarrel — A duel in Ceylon — Colonel Aston killed in a duel - - - 68-S9 CHAPTER \I1 Ill-healthy- Vellore — Pass of Amboor — To Seringapatam — Just too late for its fall — A palace hospital — Saved by port-wine — 'Old Sour Crout ' — The lottery of the service — Another lottery of ;^"20,ooo — ^Mrs. Tennant — Baffled hopes — Restoration of lawful Rajah of Mysore — Prize-money — The doctor and the diamonds — Colonel Wellesley's foiled night attack — General Pmrd's generosity — The Duke of York and General Harris — A cure for snake-bites — Dr. Scheltky's death — St. Thome — Rejoins regi- ment ------ 90-ioS CHAPTER \ III Colonel Harcourt — Lieutenant Price broken — Cotiote expedition — An engagement — Jungle fever — Talat- cheri — With Colonel Wellesley from Cannanore — A dangerous journey — A strange accident — The Rajah of Coorg — At Seringapatam with Wellesley — Hunting with cheetahs — A court-nuutial — Welles- ley's gallantries . . - . 109-126 CONTENTS xl CHAPTER IX 5- AGE A riding wager — Trichinopoli — Racing — A duel — Gets his captaincy — Losses in the Funds — Colonel Brown — Pondicherri — Adventure with a cobra - 127- 141 CHAPTER X Athletics — Pet tiger and alligator — Colonel Wellesley's terrier — Bhil robbers — A servant's honesty — By sea to Vizagapatam — Fight between the Centurion and French frigates — Colonel Harcourt at Cuttack — Chicken hazard — Juggernaut — Calcutta — Lord Wellesley — A billiard match — Tigers on Saugor Island — Back to Madras — Atrocity at Travancore — Lord Lake's siege of Bhurtpore — General Welles- ley's K.C.B. — The Duke of Clarence and Mr. Calcraft — Aston at Ranelagh — Aston's duel with Sumner — Surcouff - - - . 142-170 CHAPTER XI Court-martial — A duel for a song — Arrested by mistake — On duty with the 73rd Regiment — James Balfour of Whittingehame — Lord Cornwallis — Sails for England on the Hawkeshivy — Dodging Admiral Linois— A Brazilian convict station — News of Tra- falgar and Austerlitz - - - 171-184 CHAPTER XII Bribing the Customs — ' Drinking gold ' — An eccentric sportsman — Sport in Yorkshire — The London season — Mrs. Colston's at Ampthill — Charles Fox at Woburn — Cheltenham — Discovery of a Titian — An awkward rejoinder — The Duke of York — Dinner to Lord Wellesley - . . . 185-205 CHAPTER XIII Miss Gardner and Lord Chartley — A miserable marriage — Lord Chartley's flight — Lady Chartley elopes — xii CONTENTS I'AGE Sir Thomas Picton — Torture in Trinidad — The Isle of Wight — A calumnious clergyman — Society at Colonel Thornton's - - - - 206-220 CHAPTER XIV Recruiting at Ipswich — Ordered to Maidstone — Return to Ipswich — A sporting parson — Pictures at Didling- ton — A large inheritance — The maid's ^50 note — A swim for the rods — Hawking at Didlington — Disgust at cock-fighting — A gardener's familiarity — Orwell Park and Wherstead Lodge — A rascally butler — Admiral Vernon and grog — The Duke of Cambridge and Baron Linsengen - - - 221-240 CHAPTER XV Brettenham Park — A disputed succession — Lord Salis- bury — Lady Mary Beauclerk's flirtation — A sup- posed son of the Prince of Wales — ^400 lost on one card — ' My lord ' for one day — A marriage after six refusals — A billiard match — A Jacobean house — An accomplished woman — Kean the actor — Mrs. Keeley — Kerrison, ' the honest miller ' — A martinet — A groom's tricks .... 241-257 CHAPTER XVI Young the tragedian — Kitty Stephens — A carriage acci- dent — Dr. Andrews' suicide — Ordered to Maldon — Major Elers' death — Ill-luck in promotion — Maria Edgeworth — Sends in his resignation — His engage- ment broken off — A blessing in disguise - 258-269 Correspondence .... 270-308 Genealogy of the Debonnaire and Elers Families - 309 Appendix ------- 310 Index _-_---- 313 ILLUSTRATIONS Captain Elers, i2th Regiment - - Frontispiece Major Hungerford Richard Elers - To face page 272 Sketch-map showing Places in India mentioned in THE Narrative - - - At end of Volume AUTHOR'S NOTE These recollections of my life, family, and connec- tions are written for the information of my nephew, Edward Hungerford Delaval Elers, commonly called Napier, a Captain in the 46th Regiment, by his uncle, GEORGE ELERS {forjuerly a Captain in the i 2th Regiment). Seymour Place, September 19, 1837. CHAPTER I Author's birth — His "two brothers — German ancestry — Queen Henrietta Maria — Elector of Maintz — Queen Christina of Sweden — Staffordshire Potteries— John Philip and David Elers — Josiah Wedgwood — Grandfather's marriage — Bourton — Father's marriage — Gordon riots — Northamptonshire — School at Chiswick — Lord Lyndhurst. On May 14, 1777, in Great Russell Street, Blooms- bury Square, I first saw the light, an elder brother, Hungerford Richard, having preceded me by four years. I was about four years old when my mother gave me a brother named Edward, while I flourished under the name of George. These were all the children my mother ever had. The old baronial family of Elers were long settled in the northern parts of Lower Saxony, where many places preserve lasting memorials of the fact by the names they bear, as Elersdorf, Elerswolf, Elersdorpt, and others of similar terminology. In Hamburg some hereditary posts of honour and distinction were long held by the family ; one of them was Admiral of their Fleet, which during the exist- ence of the Hanseatic League in its full vigour was the most considerable maritime force in Europe. He married a daughter of the Prince of 1 2 ELERS MEMOIRS Baden, in Germany, some of the honours of which family the son of that marriage asserted his right to in a long and expensive lawsuit, which in the Aulic Council of the Empire was determined against him. Disgusted with the decision, the family suddenly removed into Holland, where my great- great-grandfiither, Martin Elers, was born, in the year 1621, and in 1650 married a daughter of Daniel van Mildert, a merchant of eminence, who brought with her a large fortune. Van Mildert was a person of such mercantile importance that the Queen of Charles I., Henrietta Maria, during her residence in Holland in the time of her misfortunes, occa- sionally resided with him, and his little daughter, afterwards the wife of Martin Elers, recollects sitting in Her Majesty's lap eating sweetmeats at her father's table. This Martin Elers afterwards went as Ambassador from Holland to the Emperor of Germany. The eldest son of this marriage was my great-grandfather, John Philip, a godson of the Elector of Maintz,^ of the illustrious family of Schon- brunn, who is honourably mentioned in Lord Claren- don's History. This John Philip associated much with men of science ; was a great chemist, and the intimate friend and associate of Joachim Becker, the most distinguished person in chemical researches of his time, and of whom Boerhave, in his 'Chemical Lectures,' speaks with the greatest respect and ^ The Elector of Maintz was instrumental in raising a subsidy for Charles II. during the Commonwealth. ANCESTRY 3 regard. Their pictures were mutually exchanged, and some of his books were dedicated to my great- grandfather. The celebrated Christina, Queen of Sweden, was his godmother, and held him in her arms at the baptismal font, and we had a family picture recording the fact. She treated him with the greatest kindness and affection, and constantly called him her cousin, in remembrance of his descent from the royal House of Baden. The Elector of Maintz presented him with a service of plate and his picture set round with large rubies and diamonds, which my grandfather possessed. This John Philip Elers was born at Utrecht, September 7, 1664, He had an elder brother named David, born at Amsterdam, June 13, 1656. He also was a man devoted to the sciences, and particularly to chemistry. He travelled all over Europe, and visited Moscow among other places. His brother, John Philip, also travelled a great deal, associating with men of science. Both of them being great chemists, they in Holland were taught, or found out, the secret of mixing clay, and on their settling in England they introduced it into Staffordshire, and imparted their discovery to Mr. Wedgwood, who there established his famous potteries, which are still in existence. On their arrival in England, about the time of the Revolution, they settled in Staffordshire, and took up their residence at a large house called Brada Hall, which they rented of Mr. Sneyd, of Keele, where my great-grandfather married Miss Elizabeth Banks, I — 2 4 ELERS MEMOIRS whose sister at that time was married to the Rev. lidward Vernon,^ an ancestor of the noble Baron of tliat title. The Prince of Orange, afterwards William III., honoured him with his esteem and friendship, and granted to a brother of his wife a pension of ;,^300 per annum. His sister Sarah was the second wife of Sir William Phipps, Governor of New England, who founded the present noble family of Mulgrave. My great-grandfather was married in Leicester- shire August 26, 1699, and soon afterwards went to reside at Battersea, in Surrey. In 1701 my great-grandfather removed from Surrey to Dublin, where he remained until his death in 1738. The other brother, David, resided in London, and was buried at Battersea, 1742. Whether my grand- father was born in England or Ireland I know not, but he finished his education at the University of Oxford,- and was considered a very accomplished scholar. He made the law his profession, and was called to the Bar soon after he left Oxford. Among other young" men of fashion, he was on terms of intimacy with a Mr. Grosvenor (about to be married to a young heiress), who asked him to accom- ^ Edward Vernon, son of John Vernon, and grandson of Sir Edward Vernon, Knt., of Houndshill, married Lettice, daughter of John Banks, of Uttoxeter, and was father of Rev. Edward Vernon, Rector of St. George's, Bloomsbury, who died unmarried - His name does not appear in the matriculation books of the University. AUTHOR'S GRANDFATHER 5 pany him into Oxfordsliire for the purpose of giving him his professional assistance in drawing up the marriage settlements. Mr. Grosvenor and the bride- elect quarrelled, and Mr. G., in joke, proposed that his friend should supply his place. And ' upon that hint he spake.' Miss Hungerford soon after became the bride of the young barrister, and brought him, with the old family seat of Bourton, an estate that then produced about ^1,500 per annum, and which at this time yields ;^6,ooo a year. On the marriage of my grandfather he relinquished his profession, his wife generally presenting him every year with a 'sweet little pledge,' while he sat in his library, like Dominie Sampson, enjoying the beauties of Homer, Sophocles, Euripides, etc., with his knees, in the winter months, literally in the fire, leaving the management of his estate to the steward and servants, and when money was wanted down came a f^ill of timber to supply immediate needs. Things could not long go on in this manner. The result was that my grandfather became in the cour.se of a few years much embarrassed. To relieve him my father, on coming of age, joined him in cutting off the entail of the estate, and it was all sold with the exception of the mansion and fifty acres of land surrounding it. His son, my father, Paul George Elers, entered the army, and the interest of Simon, Earl of Harcourt, a great and kind friend of our family, procured him an ensigncy, and afterwards a lieutenancy, in the 70th Regiment. 6 ELERS MEMOIRS On his marriage with my mother he retired on half- pay. I have reason to beheve that it was through the interest of Lord Harcourt that my grandfather obtained a pension of ^500 per annum on the Irish estabHshment after the loss of his estate. This kind-hearted nobleman accidentally lost his life in his park at Nuneham, in Oxfordshire, by falling into a well. I experienced much kindness from a relation of his when in the army, Major-General George William Richard Harcourt, a Lieutenant-Colonel of my regiment, who afterwards died Governor and Commander-in-Chief at St. Croix, West Indies. My father married, about the year 1772, Miss Elizabeth Debonnaire,^ of French extraction, whom he met at the house of his relations, the Miss Blakes, descendants of the famous Admiral, and also of the ancient family of my grandmother, the Hungerfords. There were in this family three or four sisters, all unmarried, and living in Great Russell Street. They kept much company, par- ticularly among their own family connections and relations. Among the latter I perfectly recollect the Duchess of Leeds ;- her mother, Mrs. Anguish ; ^ Elizabeth, daughter of John Debonnaire, of Bromley, married to Paul George Elers, at St. George's, Bloomsbury, July 16, 1772. - The genealogical details given by the writer are rather difficult to verify. His grandfather Elers is said to have married an heiress, Mary, daughter of Anthony Hungerford, of Black Bourton, County Oxford. Her mother was a Blake, and Richard Lovell Edge- worth, the writer's uncle by marriage, in his ' Memoirs ' (vol. i., p. 88), gives a graphic account of her, and also mentions the THE MISS BLAKES 7 Mrs. and Miss Hungerford (the latter afterwards married the Hon. General Crewe, and the son by that marriage is the present Lord Crewe) ; Mr. Miss Blakes of Great Russell Street, where he used to see Captain Elers. But in the ' Howard Papers,' written by H. Kent Staple Causton, a pedigree is given of the Blakes which seems at variance with the above. Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Sir Francis Blake, Knt., of Coggs, County Oxford, and Ford Castle, Northumberland, is said to have married Edward Digby Gerard Hungerford, of Black Bourton, son of Sir Edward Hungerford, Knt., by his third wife, Jane, daughter of George Digby, of Sandon, County Stafford, and relict of Charles, Lord Gerard, of Bromley. R. L. Edgeworth expressly mentions a portrait of Sir Edward Hungerford being at Black Bourton. Again, in Playford's ' Baronetage ' {sub Blake, of Twizel Castle), Miss Elizabeth Blake is said to have married simply Edward Hungerford, of Black Bourton, and to have had 710 issue. It must also be remembered that R. L. Edgeworth, in his account of his wife's father marrying the heiress of Black Bourton, alludes to some difficulty in the title to the property. Enough has been stated to show that some difficulty exists in making out a correct Hungerford pedigree. The connection with old Lady Moira, of which Miss Maria Edgeworth speaks, would be a strain even to Scotch cousinship, as the common ancestor must have lived in early medieval times. As for the Miss Blakes of Great Russell Street, their identity must remain a problem. They were elderly when R. L. Edgeworth, as a young man, frequented their house, and he was born in 1744, so that they must have been probably born early in the eighteenth century. But who was their father ? Not Sir Francis Blake, of Coggs, who died in 17 18, for he had seven daughters (coheirs), who all married. One of them married a Blake— Robert Blake, of Galway — and had a son created a baronet, Sir Francis Blake, of 8 ELERS MEMOIRS George Keate, a cousin, at that time known as an author ; Sir Francis Blake Delaval, a wild young man of fashion ; his friend, Mr. Edgeworth, married to an aunt of mine ; a Mr. Ogle ; a Mr. Foyle ; and Charles, Lord Dormer. All these were related to the old ladies, together with the Parkhursts, of Catesby Abbey, Northamptonshire. I was about three years old when I perfectly recollect seeing the encampment in the Museum Gardens, occasioned by the riots in London, in the year 1780.^ The next event that made a great impression upon me was getting a severe whipping from my father for ^walking across some iron bars in the yard, which, I recollect, caused great grief to my mother, as I did it at the particular request of my brother, and merely to oblige him. I had an Aunt Charlotte, married to the Rev. John Kerby, of Bulwick, Northamptonshire. They had no children, and soon after their arrival in London I accom- panied them, together with a Mr. and Mrs. Clark, of Bulwick Hall, into Northamptonshire. Soon after I was born I was sent into Hertford- shire to be nursed by a woman named Holmes, living at Berkhampstead, in that county. I perfectly Twizel ; but he died as late as 1780, and his children can all be accounted for. They may possibly have been daughters or grand- daughters of a brother of Sir Francis Blake, of Coggs, but this is pure conjecture. ^ The Gordon riots. FILKINS HALL 9 recollect my trip into Northamptonshire, and sleeping at an inn' on the road with the lady's-maid. I had several aunts, and they all married, with the exception of one, the eldest. Louisa married the Rev. Alexander Colston, of Filkins Hall, Oxon ; Maria, to Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Esq. ; Diana, to the Rev. R. Welchman ; Rachel, to Captain Hopkins, Royal Marines, killed on board the Bellerophon in Lord Nelson's action at the Nile ; and Amelia, married to J. Baldey, Esq., an officer in the Navy, lost at sea. With my uncle and aunt I became a great pet, and experienced every indulgence. I at that early age, little more than four, used to ride, with the groom, the horses to water in the village, without a saddle, and accompany my uncle shooting when I grew bigger. Nothing delighted me more than carrying home the game. Mr. and Mrs. Clark lived not more than a quarter of a mile from us, just through the village ; crossing a small stream of water, you entered their park. With them I passed whole days together, and called them uncle and aunt. Mrs. Clark had been married previously to Mr, Tryon, a gentleman of ancient family and fortune, and she had by him two sons, whose children are now living at Bulwick Hall. They had also a residence at St. Martin's, Stamford, and one winter I accompanied them thither, where Mrs. Clark presented me with the first boy's suit of clothes I ever wore. I full well recollect how im- lo ELERS MEMOIRS patiently I lay in bed the morning they came from the tailor's, waiting for my favourite maid to dress me in them. Mr. and Mrs. Clark were on terms of great intimacy with Brownlow, the ninth Earl of Exeter. He was jiarticularly fond of music, and I perfectly recollect staying a few nights at Burleigh to hear the celebrated Madame Mara sing there, where a large party of all the fashionables in the neighbourhood were staying. At this time Mr. Clark had not any deer in his park, while his fish-ponds were full of very fine carp. I remember Lord Exeter sending over to Bulwick Park a covered waggon filled with bucks and does ; and a large quantity of fish were conveyed to Burleigh to stock the ponds and stews in return. At Mr. Clark's I remember often seeing the present Earl of Westmorland and the late Countess ; Sir James Lowther, now Earl of Lonsdale ; the Earl of Harborough ; Sir Samuel Fludyer ; Lord Cardigan ; and many others. Lady Westmorland was very fond of driving a phaeton with four small ponies, and one evening, going through our village, her little postillions contrived to overturn the carriage, and threw out her ladyship and Lady Augusta Fane, the sister of Lord Westmorland. It happened Mr. and Mrs. Clark were at dinner at our house, and the two ladies came over to us, while an express was sent over to Apethorpe to inform Lord Westmorland of the accident. They fortunately were more frightened than hurt ; but they slept at BLATHERWICK 1 1 Bulwick that night, and returned home with his lordship in the morning. About three miles from us lived the Hon. Colonel and Mrs. Monckton, at Fineshade. Her maiden name was Adams, and she was an heiress. Her brother died, having acquired a large fortune in India in the military service ; report stated it at ;!^ 1 00,000. The Colonel had three daughters — fine young women. The eldest, Jane, died many years after I first saw them, unmarried. Elinor married the Earl of Harborough, and Mary Ann Sir George Pigott, Bart. They had an old French governess, a Madame Du Barre. They were very kind to me, and as I was a mere child I had the free entry into all their rooms. I used to spend several days together there. About a mile from us lived a Mr. O'Brien, at Blatherwick Hall. This gentleman had a large Irish as well as an English property,-^ and had a large family of children by an Irish woman of the name of Kitty Flannigan.- Mr. O'Brien gave them all his name, and the eldest was my playmate, and a sad pickle he was. When he was old enough he would go into the army ; he was soon sent to the West Indies, where the yellow fever finished him. His next brother, Stafford, after his father's death inherited the family estates. Many years after this, ^ Blatherwycke, in County Northampton, and Cratloe Woods County Clare, Ireland. ■^ Margaret Plenary. 12 ELERS MEMOIRS and some years after I returned from the East Indies, I went on a tour with Lord Earners into Northamptonshire, and among other gentlemen's seats we visited Mr. O'Brien's. I recollected many of the principal rooms, and particularly the nursery and stables ; but where were the laughing, squalling children .'* Some dead, and the rest married. They all married well, and some into noble families. Mrs. Stafford O'Brien was the Hon. Miss Noel, and, when I knew her, young, gay, and handsome. But since that she has become what they call very evangelical. To return to the scenes of my childhood. Not- withstandino^ the delioht I took in beatino- the covers after game, riding, fishing, etc., my education was not neglected. I was taught writing by an old schoolmaster of the name of Rowell, and by the time I was six years old could both read and write and repeat the first dozen pages of my * Accidence,' a little book that was destined afterwards to be the source of oreat torment and orief to me at the school I afterwards was sent to. Thus passed the really happy days of my childhood, indulged by my uncle, idolized by my aunt, and petted by the servants, when one fine day my mother arrived in a hack-chaise, and I was given to understand that I must be off for London with her in the course of a few days for the purpose of being sent to school. Of my poor mother I had not the smallest recollec- tion. She was very tall and thin and pale, and AUTHOR'S PARENTS 13 much marked with the small-pox, and in many other respects the reverse of my aunt, who was inclined to be fat, and had a fine colour. It was a heart- breaking parting for all of us except my mother. It was in the autumn of the year 1785 that we left these happy scenes of my childhood, and my mother and self arrived at my father's house in Great Russell Street on the evening of the second day. My father was a handsome, dark-bearded man, with remarkably fine white teeth, very good- natured, but very passionate. My mother was a most pious and excellent woman, but of a most irritable disposition, letting very little matters vex her ; and I feel conscious that from this unfortunate disposition of hers I was the source of great annoyance to her, not only as a child, but also when a big boy, the reflection of which has often, even to this hour, been a cause of bitter sorrow and repentance to me, for which, and all other of my numerous sins and trans- gressions, I beg pardon of Almighty God. I honoured and respected both my parents ; but from being separated from them ere I knew them, I never felt that unbounded affection and love for them that I felt for my dear Aunt Charlotte. Such are the impressions, never to be eradicated, of our childhood. On my arrival at home my two brothers were absent, the elder at a boarding - school, the younger, Edward, your father, at that time four years of age, on a visit with two of his aunts at 14 ELERS MEMOIRS Twickenham. Christmas at length arrived, which brought home my elder brother from school for the holidays, and my father went to Twickenham with me for my aunts and little brother. I remember it was a severe frost, and I rode upon the box with the coachman and was nearly frozen. I recollect my little brother Ned was a fine little fellow in petti- coats ; large blue eyes, a fine fair skin, and light straight hair, very saucy and very passionate, bold and daring — in short, a boy that any mother might well be proud of. My elder brother was a fine boy of twelve years old, and from having been at school at Mr. Crawford's at Chiswick for three years was in comparison to us quite a man, at least in know- ledge and experience. He took care during the holidays to give me my lesson how I was to conduct myself, and the line of conduct I was to pursue on my arrival at the school. On my first entree he told me it was indispensable that I should establish my character for courage by taking the very first opportunity of fighting a battle, at the same tirrie candidly telling me that if it was found out by any of the ushers or masters, a good flogging would be the consequence. With this pleasant assurance, one fine winter morning my father and mother took us both in a glass coach to Mr. Crawford's school at Chiswick. I had but one consolation : my little pockets were stuffed out with oranges, nuts, apples, and sweet- meats, and a large purse filled with half-crowns. SCHOOL AT CHISWICK 15 shillings, and six[)enccs. In the course of the first hour, on my arrival in the school-room, the head usher, a tall, pale-faced young man in the- last stage of consumption, by th(^ name of the Reverend Mr. Lancaster, took me by the hand, opened his desk, and pointing to a large rod, hoped I never should be better acquainted with it. The school- room was a large one, capable of holding 100 boys ; folding-doors divided it from the dining-room, which was also devoted to dancing, drawing, and fencing — twice a week. Monsieur Toutel presided over the first, Mr. Noble and his nephew over the second, and the justly celebrated Angelo taught us the use of the foils. The dwelling-house, a very large one, was devoted to the parlour boarders and as sleeping rooms for the rest of the boys. In the room in which my brother and self slept were about eight beds, each containing two boys ; among them were some very big ones. Among the oldest of the boys was one by the name of Holroyd, and he gave me to understand that I was to be his fag, and that among other things I was to do for him was to clean his shoes, and fetch his water in a large pitcher to wash himself with, and to do any other jobs that he might require. At first the novelty of the thing amused me, but afterwards, being obliged to get out of my warm bed half an hour earlier than the usual time of rising proved to be a hardship and a source of annoyance. Among other methods of tyranny which the elder boys practised upon the younger i6 ELERS MEMOIRS ones was to force them to strip tliemselves naked, go downstairs, and when the frost and snow had been on the ground to run round the playground three or four times while they lay snug in their warm beds. Tossing the little boys in blankets was another favourite diversion ; pulling off the bed- clothes and giving them what they called 'cold pigs ' another. All these freaks, they said, were to make them hardy and tough. It appeared to me very severe discipline, brought up as I was from my earliest recollection with so much care and in- duloence. I had been at school but a few days, when an opportunity offered to indulge my pugnacious dis- position, or rather to follow the instructions of my brother. During the hour allowed us for our breakfast and play, I got into a quarrel with a little boy about my own age of the name of Vansittart, and we adjourned to the playground, in front of a high wall where we used to play fives, to decide it. We had only fought two or three rounds, when one of the ushers captured us both and took us into the dwelling-house, where the master, Mr. Crawford, and his family were at breakfast. But instead of being punished I got caressed and praised, in con- sequence of some happy speech 1 made about my honoicr, and that I should not be thought a coward by the school on my first arrival. My next battle was with a little stout boy of the name of Richard Parry, one of the sons of the East India Director. THE PARRYS 17 There were several brothers at the school, but George was the elder, a fine, manly young fellow. He, seeing us quarrelling, took one in each hand, and declared we should settle it as sfentlemen. Whether I found Richard too strong for me, or was cowed by the presence of the elder brother, I can- not recollect, but I soon gave up the contest. Poor Richard afterwards went to India or China, and made and was left by his father an immense fortune ; married and left an only son, Thomas, a very fine young man, heir to all his wealth. George, the elder, I met afterwards in the East Indies; he is dead, with all his brothers, my school-fellows, with the exception of Henry, who is now living, and whom I have often the pleasure of seeing and talking over with him our schoolboy adventures. Henry had a brother, William, and those two, dressed precisely alike and with not above one year of difference in their age, I remember as distinctly as yesterday. As a proof of the strength of my recollection, I was breakfasting at Fladong's Hotel about three or four years ago with a friend of mine, when he said a Mr. Henry Parry from India was living there. I said I made no doubt it was my old school-fellow, and although he wore spectacles I instantly re- collected him. It was about forty-seven years since we had seen each other. Among other boys who in after-life rose to distinction was Copley, the present Lord Lyndhurst ; he was a tall boy of thirteen years of age. Also the two Fullers, the 2 1 8 ELERS xMEMOlRS eldest, William, killed at Waterloo. His brother Joseph, who went by the name of Sleepy Joe, is now Sir Joseph Fuller, commanding a regiment of infantry. The three Reads, the youngest of whom gave me a severe beating. The two younger Reads went to India, made large fortunes, and returned home ; and many others I now recollect who are too numerous to mention. I afterwards met several of my old school-fellows in civil and military situa- tions in the East Indies. I endured much cruelty from an Irish usher by the name of Sullivan. He had the charge of the little boys, and used to teach them the Latin grammar. This brute used to walk into the country of a Sunday afternoon, and amuse himself with cuttins;- from the hedq-es ash sticks sufficient to last for the week, until they got broken upon our little backs and arms. He then concluded his evening by getting drunk at some hedge ale- house, the effects of Which were visible on the next day, Monday ; for he was always half asleep the whole of that day, and being afflicted with an inveterate asthma, he had a most disgusting way of expectorating on the floor. This is the only instance I can mention of the severity of the under- masters, who were in general kind and good- tempered, particularly Mr. Crawford, who wore a large, bushy Johnsonian wig, and in person was not unlike, but not so tall as, the great lexicographer. I remained at school until the autum.!, when I went home ill with the measles, and before Christmas poor Mr. Crawford died of the dropsy. CHAPTER II Dr. Barrow's school — The middy schoolboy — Liston, the actor — Oxfordshire-— Cousin Sophia — Oxford — Blenheim — Hunger- ford Elers gazetted to the 43rd Regiment. Mv father after Christmas sent my brother and self as a half-boarder to the Rev. Dr. Barrow in Soho Square. I must conclude with my recollections of Chiswick, and in doing so must not forget a clean, respectable, middle-aged woman that attended the school twice a week with a wicker basket covered over with a white napkin, containing apples, oranges, ginger- bread, nuts, elecampane, and nice lollipops. Every Sunday a friend of my father's called upon my brother and myself, and took us into the village to a pastrycook, by name Rabbinell, and stuffed us with good things, afterwards bringing us home and invariably dismissing us with a shilling apiece in our pockets, which as constantly found its way into those of our friend Molly. Every Saturday night the junior part of the school underwent a thorough good scrubbing from two damsels standing and pre- siding over a large tub of water, with yellow soap and towels coarse enough for a mainsail of a man-of- [ 19 ] 2 — 2 20 ELERS MEMOIRS war. These two nymphs used to scrub us most unmercifully. ]\Iy skin was particularly tender and delicate, and the rough and pitiless Hannah caused me to roar out most lamentably. The ()ther girl was called Peggy — pretty, though slightly marked with small-pox. Our man-servant was called Billy Beaks, and with him I conclude my reminiscences of Mr. Crawford, of Chiswick. Dr. Barrow's school in Soho Square had from about eighty to a hundred boys. It was not of such aristocratic pretensions as that of Chiswick, yet there were a few boys of good family and connec- tions. Among them were the two Honourable Mr. Dormers (both of them succeeded to be Barons) ; William Jolliffe, father of the present Baronet ; Sir Philip Belson, long commanding the 28th Regiment, and one o^ the heroes of Waterloo ; a fine, brave, and clever boy of the name of Andrew Allen, his father an American loyalist, and he born in America (he was the great champion of the school) ; the two Durnfords, both afterwards Lieu- tenant-Colonels in the Guards ; the two Douglases, the elder of whom is a great favourite with the present Duke of Rutland, a good sportsman, and formerly a good gentleman rider at races, which obtained for him the name of 'Split-post Douglas,' from shaving the posts so close ; a boy called Boys, who left school for two or three months to go to sea, and joined as a jolly ' mid ' the Quec?i Charlotte just before Lord Howe's victory on June i. He got his DR. BARROW'S SCHOOL 21 l('g shfjt off in the action, and immediately he got well he returned to school to finish his education. You may suppose how all the boys stared when he stumped into school with his wooden leg, for he was so short a time absent he was scarcely missed. I shall never forget my astonishment. He afterwards rapidly attained the rank of Post-Captain, and died with the reputation of a good officer. vSoho Square has produced some good actors. Before my time Fawcett, Holman, and Morton (the celebrated dramatic author) received their education there. They are now all dead, the latter very lately. The inimitable Liston, about my own age, but I think one or two years my senior, I remember well. I have every reason to recollect him. The master, Dr. Barrow, a very good man, but severe and passionate when [)rovoked, was sitting at his desk gravely admonishing me from time to time for some fault of omission, or perhaps commission, when directly over and behind the Doctor's shoulder my eye was attracted by the grimaces of Liston, and I absolutely screamed with laughter. The conse- quence was a shower of hard blows from the enraged master, that made me scream to quite another tune. I once asked Liston if he recollected the circum- stance, but he has been too much accustomed to make people laugh to remember so trifling a cir- cumstance. We were allowed every Christmas to get up one of the plays of Shakespeare, together with a farce, which I believe gave the first impulse 22 ELERS MEMOIRS to the cclcbratetl actors I have mentioned in making the stage their profession. Tlie tragedy of ' Lear ' and the farce of * The Mayor oi' Garrett ' were the last pieces ever acted there. We afterwards had every Christmas speeches and orations, together with a prologue written by Dr. Harrow, instead of the play and farce, which were attended with too great a sacrifice of time to get up. Among the other boys were the two sons of Mr. Boswell, the author of the ' Life of Johnson.' These boys were clever, but with a strong Scotch accent. The eldest, Alexander, I had a battle with. I forget how it terminated ; but I dare say I was beaten, as he was both older and bigger than myself. Poor fellow ! he was killed in a duel a few years since (March 26, 1822). Me was created a Baronet August 16, 1 82 1. I had not been at school in Soho more than two months ere I was seized with a dangerous fever, and the celebrated Dr. Turton attended me. I was reduced so much that I had strong symptoms of consimiption, and I was sent into the country to a pretty house at Sunbury, where my two aunts, Amelia and Jane, resided. I was ordered to get up before breakfast, and walk about two miles to a farmhouse and drink warm milk from the cow ; then return home to breakfast, after which, about twelve o'clock, I had some famous jelly that went by the name of the Duke of Gloucester's, having been of service tc^ him on his recovery from some illness. UNCLE COLSTON 23 VVhal with fishin;^, cricket, riding a pony, bird- nesting, and a littlf-. reading, I contrived to pass away my time. The only drawback was that I had no playfeHows of my own rank, only one quiet, good boy of the name of Woodward, whose father was an honest carpenter in the village. He knew his place, and although I treated him with kindness and condescension, never forgot his situation or pre- sumed upon it. After having re-established my health, I returned home and resumed my studies at Soho Square. I perfectly recollect the PVench Revolution of 1 789, and how our morning paper was filled with it. At first, I remember, it was hailed with en- thusiasm, particularly the destruction of the Bastille. I well remember my brother and self going, under the care of our faithful servant, James Pearson, to Sadler's Wells to see the representation of the storming of the Bastille. In the course of the next summer the Rev. Alexander Colston, who had married one of my aunts, came on a visit to my father. He had lately lost his mother, and had come into large estates and ready money. He was a kind-hearted creature, and very good-humoured to us boys. One evening I was walking with him in the Museum Gardens, when he proposed to me to come down and spend my midsummer holidays at his house in Oxford- shire. I was delighted, and it was settled that I was to come down with my aunt and my cousin 24 ELERS MEMOIRS Louisa — a fine-grown woman of about twenty- four — in a post-chaise. He said: 'My dear George, you will be so happy ; there's your two cousins — Sophia, just sixteen, and Mary, fifteen — perfect little loves ! Then there's Edward, Alex- ander, Tom, and Will, your cousins. And we shall all be so happy. You will sing and dance with the girls, and ride and play billiards with the boys.' I was delighted with the anticipation oi' all this fun, and got my wardrobe all ready ; among other fashionable parts of my clothing was a pair of leather unmentionables that I had the greatest difficulty of getting into — a feat I accomplished not without assistance. Our servant, I recollect, fairly lifted me off the ground in the operation. And then the buttoning of them, and, when once buttoned, the difficulty of undoinQT ! After passing a sleepless night and encasing my- self with the utmost difficulty, the chaise arrived at the door. I shall never forget the lashing on of the trunks and the piling up of the bandboxes, hat- cases, etc., all belonq-ino: to the ladies, to astonish the country folks with the last London f^ishions ; and my poor, unfortunate little person wedged in between two (to me) large ladies in my tight leathers. Oh the misery I endured in a hot, broiling day in the month of June travelling seventy-two miles ! At last we arrived by supper-time, and two lovely girls and some of the young men were waiting to receive us. I shall never forget how much the)- LOVELY SOPHIA 25 made of me, for, not having any sisters, it was the first time in my life I was domesticated with any young ladies, with the exception of the Miss Moncktons when T was a mere child, and they were approaching womanhood. At this time I was just past fourteen years of age. My cousin Sophia was a lovely girl of sixteen, with most beautiful dark eyes, long hair in ringlets of the darkest brown hanging over her face and down her back, according to the fashion of the day, a skin delicately white, her cheeks like new-blown roses, and her figure slight and symmetrical. Mary was one year younger — a blonde, with a lovely complexion, and rather inclined to embonpoint; what, moreover, raised her in my estimation was the great likeness she bore to my dear aunt Charlotte Kerby. Not- withstanding all this, my heart was irrecoverably lost to Sophia. It seems that when my poor dear mother parted from me, she gave me into the special charge of my cousin Louisa, making her promise to see to my linen, and, above all, to attend upon me to my bedroom at night, and to see the candle taken away safely, as the maids always did at our house in town. I proposed to her, very innocently, that she should delegate this authority to my dear Sophia ; but she would not hear of it, as she said she had made my mother a promise, and that she would perform it. I gave up the point, and received a chaste salute as a reward for my docility. I think it was from my mother that I inherited an 26 ELERS MEMOIRS ear for music ; I am sure it was not from my father, notwithstanding his German descent. So I used to sing, accompanied by Sophia on the piano. She had a Httle thoroughbred mare she called Fanny, a little racer in miniature, and when she rode out, which was generally every day, I went with her on a smaller pony called Little Dick. Burford Downs were only about four miles off, where the famous racecourse called Bibury existed. Here we used to gallop and ride our races. It happened during the summer that I was down there that the musical meeting took place at Oxford. I really think it was on the occasion of the instal- lation of the late Duke of Portland as Chancellor. We formed a good party to go over there ; the distance was about twenty miles. I rode Sophia's beautiful pony, and she went in the carriage with her sisters and my aunt. I never shall forget how much the young ladies were admired by the young Oxonians, and what pride and delight I took in the prancing and curvetting of my little pony as we entered the High Street of Oxford, and turned into the inn, the Star and Garter, at that time the best inn in the town. I recollect, and, indeed, never can forget, the crowded theatre, filled with lovely women, and the attention paid to the orations of the different students. All was order and decorum. The next day was the music, and I recollect Billington, Mrs. Crouch, Signora Storace, and Kelly singing there with Harrison. BLENHEIM 27 We made a party to see the famous house and park at Blenheim. I never can forget the entrance into that princely residence. I had seen and lived at Burleigh, but this far surpassed it. The magni- ficent entrance out of the little town of Woodstock, and the palace instantly bursting on your view in front and on your right ; the superb and noble bridge, one arch stretching over the immense lake ; the deer grouped about the rich, verdant lawn ; the masses of noble trees in the distance ; and the broad, gravel, slightly-winding road up to the house, which was so hard that our carriage-wheels made no im- pression upon it, and not a leaf to be seen upon it, thirty gardeners being constantly employed about the pleasure-grounds — I thought all this perfect enchantment. I remember it was intensely hot, and we sought a delicious cool grotto near a cascade, and here with a book, reclined on the turf, lay a remarkably handsome young French nobleman. He got up with all the grace of a Frenchman in those days (soon after the Revolution), and announced himself as the Marquis de Romanville. He paid the most marked attention to my beautiful Sophia, and I could not but feel my inferiority and the contrast between the accomplished man and the little schoolboy. I was consoled, however, by the shyness of my lovely cousin, who never quitted my side. However, she acknowledged to me after- wards she had never seen any man with such elegant manners. And this I can very well 28 ELERS MEMOIRS believe, brought up as she was In rural retire- ment. After spending three or four days at Oxford, seeing all the lions, and escorted about by many of our young- friends — for two of my cousins belonged to Trinity — we returned home to dear Filkins Hall. At length my holidays terminated. It was arranged that a servant was to accompany me early in the morning (six o'clock) to the town of Lechlade, three miles off, to meet the London coach. After supper I took a final leave of the happy party. The three sisters slept in different beds in the same larQ^e room. Now, notwith- standing that I had both given and received many affectionate kisses from the young ladies at parting- after supper, I could not resist, as I passed their room door in the morning, just peeping in to take one last fond look. And there I saw them, all fast asleep. On tip-toe, without shoes, in I crept, and on the rosy lips of my lovely Sophia I breathed one kiss. I did not o-ive her time to scold, for I made a most hasty retreat. I never can forget how dull and monotonous my father's house appeared to me after the delightful five weeks I had spent at my uncle's. When at school I thought of nothing but Sophia. At the same desk sat with me a boy of the name of Glegg. He was about three years older than myself I confided to him my melancholy, and told him I no lonofer took delisfht in those amusements SOPHIA'S DEATH 29 that I once was so fond of. He said : ' I know what is the matter with you. I have experienced the same uneasiness. You are in love.' And so I certainly was. I have since thought I caught the infection rather early — little more than fourteen years of age. Lord Byron, I think, says he began at nine. However, so it was ; my time was come, and I took it as I did the measles — all in the natural way. I promised my fair cousin to write to her, and she sent me an answer filled with all the chit- chat of the day ; but all my professions of love she invariably used to laugh at, and said it was all fancy, that I should get over it, etc. I am con- vinced I never made the slightest impression upon her, or ever should have done, as I have since been informed by ladies who knew her well. After I went abroad she formed a most romantic attach- ment to a young lady by the name of Arabella Ross. At that time Lady E. Butler and the Hon. Miss Ponsonby lived in Wales together. Their affection, I presume, was founded on similar principles. I only received one letter from poor Sophia in the East Indies, in answer to one of mine. She wrote in good spirits, but said she was ill, with a bad cough. Very soon after I read of her death of a rapid consumption, and she died at Brompton at the early age of twenty-five, leaving the whole of her fortune to her friend, Miss Ross, for her life. My cousin Louisa married a clergyman of the name of Bell, and lived near Oxford. Mary married the 30 ELERS MEMOIRS Hon. George Browne, third son of the first Lord Kilmaine. My father was on terms of great friendship and intimacy with the family of Streatfield, an old Kentish family. Mrs. Streatfield, I think, was a natural daughter of the last Earl of Leicester. My father was executor to Mrs. Perry, of Penshurst Place in Kent, grandmother to the present Sir John Sidney, Hart. She was great-niece of the last Earl of Leicester.^ Hence, I suppose, his intimacy and friendship with Mrs, Streatfield, who was always very kind to myself and brothers. She had two daughters, one of them married to a Mr. Brace- bridge, who had an only daughter. Mrs. B. was a lovely woman, while her daughter was a very plain but clever girl. This was a great fault in the eyes of her grandmamma, Mrs. S., whose great weakness, like that of King James L, was the love of handsome young people. Her eldest daughter had a pale, intellectual countenance, very clever and accomplished, unmarried, and very intimate with the families of the Snows, the Ogles, and also with Porteus, Bishop of London, whom I used often to meet there. ^ Mrs. Perry was niece, not great-niece, of Josceline, seventh Earl of Leicester. Henry Streatfield, of Chiddingstone, Kent, married, at Enfield, Anne, natural daughter of Josceline, seventh Earl of Leicester, September 25, 1752; their daughter Harriet married Walter Bracebridge, second son of Abraham Bracebridge, of Atherstone, and died March 4, 1824. HUNGERFORD ELERS 31 My elder brother, Hungerford, had always a strong predilection for the Army, and at sixteen used constantly, whenever he could steal into the Park, to attend the reviews and drills of the Guards. I rather think he got one of them to teach him the manual and platoon exercise. It so happened that he expressed how much he should be delighted to get an ensigncy in a regiment in a conversation he had with Mrs. and Miss Streat- field. Lord Amherst at that time (1794) was Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and Miss Streat- field mentioned my brother's name to him and his great desire to become a soldier, adding that he was already one in a very essential point, that o^ knowing his duty and exercise by attending the drills in the Park as an amateur. This pleased the old General, and shordy after my brother saw himself gazetted to an ensigncy in the 43rd Regiment, under orders for the West Indies. At this time that country was afflicted with the yellow fever, and few escaped who went there. My poor mother was quite horror- struck. However, my brother did not go there at that time, but was ordered down to Shrewsbury to recruit. CHAPTER III l-Alwaid Elers enters the Navy — The Queen and Edward's minia- ture — Mother dies — Tier jewels — Ga/ctted to the 90th Regi- ment — I'^xehanges into the 12th — Sartorial splendours — C'olonel Aston. I r was about this time my poor father became in- volved in great pecimiary difficulties by becominer security for a friend for a large sum oi' money. His friend lied to the Continent, leaving my father answerable for his debts. My youngest brother at this time having long before evinced a desire to enter the Navy, and as it had become absolutely necessary we should (I mean we boys) be sent into the world to push oiu^ fortunes, Edward was fitted out for sea as a midshipman, and was confided to the care of Captain Moss, of the J/cn/za/t/ frigate, about to proceed to the North Seas. I believe this brave officer fell after, in one of Lord Nelson's actions. My brother Edward at this time was a tall, thin, pale-faced boy of about twelve or thirteen years old. He was the whole of a hard winter in the North Seas, feeding on salt beef and drinking his allowance of grog. He became in that crtiise a [32] EDWARD Ef.ERS 33 fine, handsome hoy, so j^rown and altered] for the better that his poor mother did not knrjw him. At this time an artist was painting a miniature of me, and my little brother accompanied me in his blue jacket, white trousers, dirk and cockade in his hat to the painte.r's house. The artist was so much pleased with his apj^earance that he made a water- colour drawing of him, which satisfied him so well that he sent it amc^ng other drawings to .Saint James's Palace for the inspection of Her Majesty and the Princesses. The Queen was delighted with the sketch of the little sailor, and asked many questions about his name, etc. My brother after- wards sailed with Captain Warre, and saw some figiuing. Me was one among the other gallant fellows who took a PVench vessel, and enclosed a tri - coloured cockade to my mother as a trophy. My poor mother had for many winters suffered very severely from asthma, and each winter it grew worse. The misfortunes of my father, added to the separation from her two children, I think, hastened her death. She died one evening after being confined lo her bed for about a week. This was about the middle of December, 1795. You may imagine my feelings, left alone by myself, my father and two brothers absent, no one but the three servants with me — the; faithful James Pearson, his wife, my mother's maid, and the cook. They (the females) were quite 3 34 ELERS MEMOIRS worn out by their attendance, and by a desperate effort I resolved to pass that night in sitting up in the same room with my poor dead mother as the hist mark of my respect to her. ]\Iy mother was buried in the vault of her family at Bromley, where her brother, John Debonnaire, was placed the September preceding. I wrote to my brother, who was then at Shrewsbury, and he came up to my mother's funeral. My aunt and cousin, the Debonnaires, were very kind to us during this melancholy period, and Miss Debonnaire,^ with the assistance of a Mr. Hutchinson, a worthy, good man, notwithstanding that he was a lawyer by profession, was my mother's trustee. He arranged the dis- posal of the lease and furniture of the house, as also of my mother's diamonds, the produce of which was to be divided amono- us three children. We were shamefully cheated with respect to the jewels. As a proof, there were three jewellers appointed to value the diamonds and trinkets. It so happened that a bracelet containing my father's picture, set round with sixty brilliants, a most exquisite painting by the famous Smart, was valued at ten guineas only. My brother expressed a wish to have this picture and bought it in. Many years after, on the death of my brother, this picture came into my possession, and I found that the diamonds were ^ ' My aunt' — i.e., Ann, ncc Tennant, wife of John Debon- naire; and 'cousin,' their daughter Anne, who married Wilham Tennant, of Little Aston Hall, County Stafford. THE HUTCHINSONS 2S worth four times that amount. If, therefore, this one article of small value was so far underestimated, how much must wc have lost upon earrings, neck- lace, etc., which were worth much more? I was between eighteen and nineteen when I lost my mother, and the little property I acquired by that sad event I could not receive until I was of age. The same kind friend who procured my brother his commission procured me one also through Mr. Green- wood, the Army agent. When our house was disposed of, I had an intro- duction to an old lady of the name of Leigh, who had a neat, small house in Store Street, Bedford Square. She resided with her unmarried daughter, an old maid. With these ladies I lodged until the month of April, I used to breakfast with them, and I had an invitation from my kind friend Mr. Hut- chinson to dine with his family and pass my time with them whenever I was disengaged. In those days, although seventy years of age, he could drink his wine and enjoy the company of young people, and his wife was just as good-humoured as himself. They had three daughters ; one a decided old maid, the second about thirty-two, and the youngest about twenty-eight. I used to ride about the town with the ladies in the morning, and played cards with them in the evening, generally getting home to Store Street by midnight. I was taught to expect that I should see my name in the Gazette very shortly, when to my great joy 3—2 36 ELERS MEMOIRS one Saturday in the month of March I saw : 'George Elers, gent., to be Ensign without pur- chase in the 90th Regiment.' I was highly pleased, and read it ovaT and over aoain — the first time I ever saw my name in print. I dare say there are many old officers who, if they confessed the truth, once felt as I did on a similar occasion. It was the fashion in those days to be dressed in the evening at the theatres in shoes and stockinofs and a cocked hat. I was already provided with the hat, and, as you may suppose, I lost no time in mounting the cockade and a rosette for my hair. Colonel Graham was our Colonel ; he raised the corps, became Lord Lynedoch, and is still alive. The regiment was stationed in the West Indies. I had not been a fortnight an Ensio^n when I had the offer of a lieutenancy in the 12th Regiment under Colonel William Picton, one of the Minden heroes. The two Lieutenant-Colonels were Henry Hervey Aston and Thomas Grey, the former about thirty-five, the latter about twenty-four. They were two of the handsomest men I ever saw, particularly Aston, who was so celebrated as a man of ton and fashion. Grey^ was the son of General Sir Charles Grey, and brother to the statesman, Earl Grey. I purchased this commission, and gave ^100 above the regulated price ; but it was a great step to get so early, and, besides, I had the advantage of a most particular ^ No ' Thomas Grey ' is to be found in the ' Peerage ' sub ' Earl Grey '; possibly it is an error for ' William.' JOINS I2TH REGIMENT 37 introduction to Colonel Aston, who, until his lamented death, ever treated me like a father. My outfit cost me about ^300. I had nothing to do but order what I wanted, and the bills were sent in to Mr. Hutchinson, who paid them. No officer, with the exception of Colonel Aston, had such a kit. I had six regimental jackets, besides dress- coats, great-coat, shirts about twelve dozen, and everything in the same proportion. My lieutenancy was dated April 12, 1796. I waited upon my Colonel, who at that time was living at Nerot's Hotel, King Street, St. James's. I was aware, even in those days, of the effect of first impressions, and took great pains to be dressed well on my first appearance before him. His features and fine figure I knew perfectly by sight. I was dressed in black coat and waistcoat, white worsted pantaloons, and neat Hessian half- boots, with a crape hat-band. I was ushered into his dressing-room, where he was putting the last finish to his toilet. I told him who I was. He shook me by the hand, eyed me most critically from head to foot, said I turned out well, and finished by asking me the name of my tailor. I was ashamed to confess it was an obscure one by the name of Weston, then not known, but after- wards the celebrated artiste for the Prince of Wales. He recommended me strongly to join my regiment without delay, adding : ' I shall be down myself in a day or two, and I should wish you to learn a little of your duty before we embark for the East Indies, 38 ELERS MEMOIRS to which place we are under orders,' I saw him step into his curricle with all the grace of an Apollo; he once more shook me by the hand, and told me I should make a very fair light infantryman, and wished me good-morning. CHAPTER IV Joins his regiment at Newport — Placed in light infantry company — A pugnacious Irishman — Embarks for India — Lady pas- sengers — The Prince of Wales's commendation — The wine limit — An unlucky accomplishment. In a very few days, by the kind assistance of one of my fair friends, Miss N. Hutchinson, every- thing was packed up in my trunks — canteens and camp equipage, with various letters of introduction and recommendation, among others one from Lady f3urnaby to Rear-Admiral Rainier, commanding the Indian Fleet ; Sir WilHam Burnaby, an old Post- Captain, was my brother Edward's godfather, and a very old friend of my father's. Lady Burnaby 's sister, a Miss Molyneux, afterwards was married to my first cousin. Dr. William Colston, who is now living, and has the excellent living of West Lydford, Somersetshire. I started by one of the Gosport coaches, and arrived at the Indian Arms at Gosport in the evening. The inn was all bustle and confusion — plenty of officers, like myself, on the route to join their respective regiments. My regiment was stationed at Newport, Isle of Wight. The next [39] 40 ELERS MEMOIRS morning I was much disgusted at the dirty bed and room I had been put into ; the chambermaid, I conclude, saw that I was a young Johnny Raw, and that anything would do for such a young one as me. I proceeded to Cowes, hired a chaise, and was put down at the Bugle. I inquired for the regiment, and was told that they were at exercise a short distance out of town. I strolled out to them, when I saw the regiment formed into square and a punish- ment taking place. I got into conversation with a handsome young officer I had seen in London with some friends of mine a few days before, though I then did not know who he was. He proved to be the Hon. John Meade, a son of the Earl of Clan- william. The punishment over, the commanding officer gave the word : ' Attention ! Numbers four, five, six, will stand fast. Remaining com- panies will wheel back four paces. Right about face! Quick march!' And then, as if by magic, the regiment was formed into open column of com- panies. The band struck up, the word ' Quick march!' was given, and I, by the side of my honourable friend, marched into Newport, keeping the step like an old soldier instead of a raw recruit. I shall never forget the shrillness of the fifes, the effect of the hollow, martial sounds of the drums which played, and on their ceasing at intervals being taken up by the band. I literally trod on air. The battalion having been dismissed, my new friend the Honourable introduced me to all the REGIMENTAL VETERANS 41 officers, I having previously told him my name and rank. The officers crowded round me, and dear old Jack Picton, the Major, came up to me, shook me by the hand, and said : ' You will, of course, join us at our mess at five o'clock ?' Next to him came up our paymaster and second, Captain Allen, together with the Captain of Grenadiers, Captain Craigie. All of these were the oldest veterans in the Service, and had served with the regiment at the siege of Gibraltar. I shall never forget their fine martial figures and swarthy complexions. Major Picton was the very image of his gallant brother, Sir Thomas, who fell at Waterloo, though not so tall — a compact, strong man of about forty years of age, and in height about 5 feet 9 inches. I dined at the mess, and notwithstanding that I drank wine with all the officers who were drinking wine, I did not get tipsy. I was sufficiently on my guard not to make a fool of myself on my first entrde. I observed that the officers who drank wine were chiefly the senior ones, and that the subalterns, chiefly very young men and almost all young Irish officers, had lately joined from Irish regiments reduced of very high number— I really think from a regiment numbering as high as 130. In the course of two or three days Colonel Aston joined the regiment, and redeemed his promise to me, for I was immediately appointed to the light infantry company. I was obliged to send up to London for a sabre and wings instead of epaulettes, 42 ELERS MEMOIRS iind lots of narrow gold lace for my scarlet waistcoat. We wore blue pantaloons edged with scarlet, hats covered over with the finest black ostrich feathers, with a stand-up feather composed of red and black. They looked v^ery handsome, but were expensive, particularly when those who could afford it had about three times the quantity they needed to wear. A ofood hard shower of rain soon took their smart- ness off, but they were only adopted by ourselves and the Soth Regiment expressly for the East Indies. I never shall forget the first time I saw Colonel Aston in his regimentals — his fine military figure, and all his appointments fitting so well. How many hundred officers have 1 since seen, but not one to be compared with his noble, chivalrous bearing, not even his friend Arthur Wellesley, now the great and illustrious Duke ! I was put in orders for the light company, commanded by Captain Woodall ; my brother subalterns were two Irishmen, George Nixon and Perceval. Colonel Aston exercised the regiment every morning for about a couple of hours, and the young subalterns were drilled by the second Major, Bellairs, a very kind, brave, but indifferent officer. He had been at Gibraltar, but he would have been sadly puzzled to put the regiment through any of the manoeuvres. I think at this time I puzzled the young men of the regiment and made the old ones smile. My looks and slight figure made me appear about sixteen, when in fact I was near nineteen ; A FIRE-EATING SUBALTERN 43 having, moreover, led a gay life in town, I had acquired quite the manners of one of the initiated in fashionable life, and was very different from the raw Irish lads who composed the greater part of the subalterns. One of them, of the name of George Eld Derby, a youth of about my own age, thus very gravely addressed the mess one evening after dinner : ' By Jasus, gentlemen, I am conscious you must have the meanest opinion of my courage. Here have I been no less than six weeks with the regiment, and the divil of a duel have I fought yet. Now, Captain Craigie, you are the senior Captain of the regiment, and if you plase I will begin with you first ; so name your time and place.' Now, very many of these subaltern officers were of the stamp of my friend Mr. Derby. So a man could not be too guarded in his conduct with such heroes. Nothing, however, occurred unpleasant previous to embarkation ; but in the two months spent on board some of the ships' quarrels occurred that were settled by an appeal to the pistols. Several duels took place at the Cape, but none terminated fatally, though some officers got badly wounded. We had no quarrels on board our ship. It is true that within three weeks of our arrival at Madras I received an insult, and immediately sent a challenge to the officer who had given it, and he very wisely made me a most satisfactory apology. My second was a regular Irish duellist, and he was perfectly satisfied with it, as well as myself. 44 ELERS MEMOIRS But to return once more to Newport and the charms of the island. I think their market-day was Saturday, when the rural beauties, with their fresh butter, eggs, and chickens, appeared in the market, blooming with youth, freshness, and inno- cence. What pleasant rides have I taken, and generally by myself, in the most unfrequented and romantic parts of the island, often dining in a fisher- man's hut or little, neat, sanded parlour off eggs and bacon and a pint of ale, attended by some of the rural beauties of the island! How well I remember Shanklin Chine, and, looking over the high cliff, contemplating the blue and sparkling sea that I was so soon to be fioatino- over to distant climes, in all probability never again to return ! But these melan- choly reflections were not of long duration. I had youth, health, and was naturally of a sanguine dis- position, and I had, moreover, money sufficient in my purse to bear all reasonable expenses, with some besides for my less affluent brother officers. I soon found out that some of the juniors found it a hard matter to pay their mess bills, for which I was extremely sorry. I believe it was generally thought that I was a man of fortune, from my apparent indifference to expefise and my anxiety of having the opportunity of purchasing a company. The first surmise was quite a mistake, for I kept in my pocket-book a regular account of my expenditure and receipts, only I took care that no one should know it. EMBARKATION 45 The day at length arrived for our embarkation. The two flank companies, the colours of the regi- ment, the band and Colonel Aston, were embarked on board the Rockingham, East Indiaman, 800 tons, the Hon. Hugh Lindsay commander. The other part of the regiment was distributed on board the Hawkesbury, Melville Castle, and Air lie Castle, all Indiamen of about the same size. I think the Fox frigate, Captain Malcolm, was to proceed with us to the Cape, and the Tremendous (74) into a certain latitude. For it was the very height of the war, and the Dutch fleet was at sea looking out for us. They must have been near us, as they arrived at the Cape only about ten days before us, and the first news we heard on our arriving there was that they had been all captured by Lord Keith. The bustle and confusion getting on board, which was in the first week in June, the decks covered with knapsacks, officers' baggage, etc., ducks, pigs, poultry, sheep, etc., all quacking, squeaking, crowing and baaing at the same time, was quite ludicrous. The chief officer showed us our cabin. Colonel Aston's cabin was divided from ours, and had a quarter gallery. We had the remaining part of the cabin, with a partition for the other part of the quarter gallery, for our own use and that of the officers of the ship. We were eleven officers stowed away in standing berths and cots in a cabin not more than, I should think, ten feet square, besides the rudder-head, which took up very considerable 46 ELERS MEMOIRS room. I swiino In :i cot, as well as Captain Craigie and the sufi^eon, Dr. Can^pbell ; JNIeade, Crawford, Robert Nixon, his Lieutenants, lay in the standing berths. Woodall, George Nixon, and Perceval were siowixl awav in the same manner, and iMisign King in a cot. This was our parly. In ilu^ morning we were attended by our servants, which just doubled the number of our party in the small cabin of ten leet square, or at most twelve. Eight o'clock was the hour o\' breakfast, three o'clock dinner, six o'clock tea and coflee. nine o'clock sui")per ; and meals were punctual to a minute. Both subalterns and men kept watch on deck, from eight to twelve, from twelve to four, with two what they call dog- watches — that is, two hours from four to six, and six to eight. After bre^d-ifast the men were put through the nianual and platoon exercise, and we had parades twice a dav. when every man was expected to be perfectly clean. A subaltern of the day was appointed whose duty it was to see the hammocks all stowed away on deck, the decks swept and perfectly clean, and the lights extin- guished at nine o'clock. We had among our passengers four ladies : two very tine girls, the two Miss Smiths, about seven- teen and nineteen, just come from the fashionable schools of London, Queen Square and Bloomsbury (they were the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Petrie, the second in Council at Madras) ; a Miss Payton and a Miss Chinnery, her friend — the fust a very LADY PASSENGERS 47 handsome old maid about thirty-six, the other a good-tempered but very plain girl of about my own age. The superiority of the two Miss Smiths was very obvious. Jemima, the eldest, was a most incorrigible flirt, very clever, very satirical, and aiming at universal conquest. Her sister, Hen- rietta, was more retiring, and I think more admired ; at least, I know Colonel Aston was much struck with her pretty little figure and lovely neck, and she afterwards made a conquest of the future hero, Colonel Arthur Wellesley, who arrived at the Cape with the 33rd Regiment a few months before us. Mamma Payton, too, had her admirers. She was very quiet and matronly, and rolled about her fine black eyes at dinner in every direction. Without being absolutely vulgar, she had no polish or refine- ment, and had evidently not been used to fashion- able company, while the two Miss Smiths clearly had. As to poor Miss Chinnery, no one ever thought of her. Poor soul ! she had neither beauty nor talent ; but she was good-natured and inoffen- sive, and thankful when she received attention. There were some fine young men going out as writers, particularly John Pyng. His father was afterwards Lord Torrington.^ He was about my age, and had seen the best and highest society. He was remarkably handsome and a favourite of the Prince of Wales. Writing of that illustrious ^ ' John Byng,' third son of the fifth Viscount Torrington; died in 181 1. 48 ELERS MEMOIRS personaoe, I cannot resist repeating — pardon my vanity — what I overheard him say to Lady William Russell in the crush-room at the Opera — ' Look, Lady William, at that handsome boy !' I was then about seventeen. I am conscious it is a great piece of ridiculous vanity recording this trifling circum- stance, which I hope will be the last, as it is the first, instance of such folly on my part. We had all our respective places at dinner — Captain Lindsay in the centre ; at his right hand were placed the two Miss Smiths, and on his left the other two ladies. Opposite the Captain sat Colonel Aston, and I on his left. Crawford and Captain Swinton (74th Regiment) sat together on my left. Poor Captain Lindsay a day or two after we were on board said : ' Gentlemen, I propose we should limit the consumption of wine to a pint per man. as I shall not have sufficient otherwise to last out the voyage.' Now, that ought to have been quite sufficient, but in those days it was the fashion to drink, and as our young gentlemen did not like to be limited to any particular allowance there was a dead silence. Captain Lindsay then said : 'It is not the wine I care for, but, as we are now fairly off, I have not the means of getting a fresh supply.' ' Pray don't make yourself uneasy on that head,' said Colonel Aston, 'as I happen to have about a couple of thousand pounds' worth in the fleet, and should you run short I shall be happy to supply you.' We heard nothino- further about the wine after that. SAMPSON WOOD 49 Our band played generally every day during dinner and in the course of the evening, when the other ships would sail close alongside of us and exchange a few words, they being attracted by the band and our young ladies. Twice a week we had dancing, and every Saturday night we drank a health to our sweethearts and wives, according to custom. I was always fond of singing, and had a friend who had the most beautiful tenor I ever heard. We used to meet at a friend's chambers in the Temple, and many is the merry night we passed there until morning warned us to depart. Our principal beverage was punch. My friend was only a clerk in the Stamp Office, but well connected, the protege of Mr. Tickell, patronized by Sheridan, Richardson, etc., and nephew to Mr. Sober, of Baker Street, Portman Square, with whom he lived. His name was Sampson Tickell Wood. He soon sang away the heart of Sarah Sober, his pretty cousin, and ran off with her and married her. Just at this time I mentioned to my kind friend Mrs. Streat- field the indiscretion of the youthful couple, and introduced the lovely Sarah and her .spouse to her and Miss S. The Bishop of London was enchanted with his singing, and through my introduction he at length found his way into Carlton House, and from his connection with Sheridan, together with his accomplishments, the junior clerk in the Stamp Office at Somerset House got into many of the gay parties that were given by His Royal High- 4 50 ELERS MEMOIRS ness. The consequence of all this was that my friend Sam oot into the Kino^'s Bench, and his pretty httle wife Sarah took the opportunity of again running away ; the partner of her flight this second time was Tom Thornhill,^ a young man of large fortune in Norfolk, who, after Sam's death, married her. I understand Thornhill paid Sam's debts and gave him £2,000 on the condition that he did not prosecute him. All this I learned on my return from India. I saw poor Sam after, but never spoke to him, as I did not approve of that sort of compromise. When we — that is, the fleet — were Ivins^ at the Mother Bank, Colonel Aston kept a sailing vessel, about thirty tons, in case the fleet should get under way, in readiness to convey him on board from Portsmouth, where Mrs. Aston was living. The nioht before we sailed I was walkinq^ the deck in the afternoon, when he said : ' Come, young one, will you come with me and take jvur /asl /ook at Portsmouth i^' (Poor fellow ! it was /lis /as/ /oo/\) I said I should like it much. When we arrived at Portsmouth, he said : ' Call upon me at nine o'clock at Hammond's, in the High Street, as I am now ooinq; to take leave of Mrs. Aston. Take care vou are not later, and go and amuse yourself till then.' I was punctual, and we went on board the yacht. He was silent all the time we were on board, and, I thought, melancholy. ^ 'Tom Thornhill,' Thomas Thornhill, of Fixby, County Yorks, and Riddlesworth, County Norfolk. CHAPTER V Crossing the Line — Arrival at the Cape — Captured Dutch rnen-of- war — Dutch fare — Constantia — Colonel Arthur Wellesley — His gratitude — A timely loan — Arrival at Madras — Fort St. George — The Nabob of Arcot — A Minden veteran — Lord Hobart, Governor of Madras — A lovely termagant. Thk next morning, June lo, we made sail. In the course of a few days we got into very warm weather — warmer than I ever felt it before. But we amused ourselves, some with walking the deck, others read- ing, some playing backgammon, others chess, the ladies playing on the piano or drawing. In short, it appeared quite a party of pleasure. We passed Madeira about twenty miles off, and saw the Peak of Teneriffe and the Cape Verd Islands. We only saw one small Portuguese vessel, which we boarded, and got some delicious oranges. W^e passed the equinoctial line, and went through the wonted ceremony of receiving old Neptune, and pay- ing the usual forfeit by those who passed it for the first time. Here we were becalmed for ten days or a fortnight. It was intensely hot, and we suffered from a most tormenting skin eruption called the prickly heat. At length the long-wished-for breeze [ 51 ] 4. — 2 52 ELERS MEMOIRS came, and we were once more in motion. Nothing can possibly be more grand and sublime than the rising and setting of the sun in these latitudes, and the moonlight nights are quite delicious. The phos- phoric particles in the sea are wonderful, and truly- beautiful. Off the Cape we experienced a gale, and the sea ran very high. It assumed a form I never before saw ; what they call the trough of the sea appeared at least a mile long between one wave and the next, which obliged us to fasten down our dead- lights. At length one fine morning the man at the masthead sang out ' Land ahead !' This was very early in the morning, and by sunset we had cast anchor in Table Bay, after a voyage of two months. It soon got dark, but the next morning I was up betimes, and the town and huge mountain looked as if hanging over the ship, although we were at least two miles distant. The houses looked very neat and white, though we were too far off to see any- thing very distinctly. The regiment did not disembark, but the officers were allowed to go on shore, and a few of the men by turns. We found the Bay full of ships of war : Lord Keith's squadron and the Dutch ships he had captured, together with our little fleet. I only recollect one of the Dutch ships, the Van Troinp, where were some officers of the Scotch Brigade. I went to dine with a Major Ewen of that corps, when it suddenly came on a gale of wind, and I was detained there all night. These gales often CAPE TOWN 53 come on very suddenly, and will in an instant lay a * 74 ' on her beam ends. I met two old school- fellows at the Cape ; one an Acting-Lieutenant on board the Van Tromp frigate, who had lost a leg in the service. His name was Fisher, and he was son to Dr. Fisher, who lived with Storace, the singer. The other, a young man, was a surgeon of the garrison who invited me to spend a few days at his quarters, and mounted me upon one of his unshod Cape horses. The horses are never shod. I found it pleasant riding out in the cool of the evening. We used to dine at the house of a Dutch officer by name of Scholts. It was very unpleasant sitting down to such immense quantities of meat swimming in oil, and such a variety of dishes, not one fit to eat, and the Cape wine was execrable. He kept a board and lodging house, where I occasionally met officers of our different regiments quartered at the Cape. There were the 33rd, newly arrived ; the Scotch Brigade ; the 78th ; 86th — all, like ourselves, destined for India, as also the 80th, a regiment very much resembling ours. I think it was raised by Lord Paget, the present Marquis of Anglesey. The only difference in dress was this : the 80th wore a white ostrich feather, and we black and red. These two regiments were, in point of uniform, exactly alike, and it is not to be wondered at, as Lord Paget and Colonel Aston were great friends, and both had the best possible taste in dress ; and I dare say they laid their heads 54 . ELERS MEMOIRS together to dress their reoriments as alike as possible. The regiments of the line in those days were very badly dressed, and on our arrival at Madras we were the pattern for all the East India regiments on the coast. Nothing could be more ludicrous ihan the dress of the Company's officers at that period, some wearing shoes and buckles on guard ; others shoe-strings, their facings not more than two inches broad ; epaulettes not fastened to the shoulder, but hanging down upon their breast. One of their Generals I have seen with a pair of black silk smalls and stockings to match, white waistcoat, and a General's red coat. The name of this officer was Sir Eccles Nixon. There were also at the Cape several regiments above the number of ninety-two that I cannot recollect, also the 28th Light Dragoons. We used to make up parties in large waggons to go into the interior. Some of ours went as far as eighty miles. The farthest I went was on horseback, broiling in the sun, as far as Constantia, the vineyard where they make the celebrated wine. The oranges here were delicious. In the evening we used to dance. Some of the Dutch girls were very pretty, and some wealthy. One of them fell in love with one of our subalterns, and offered herself and I know not how many thousand dollars to the young- gentleman. But they were not accepted. The slave girls are, in general, fine girls, and COLONEL WELLESLEY ^S some very fair, being the offspring of Dutchmen by native women. They (the proprietors) rather encourage than otherwise the intercourse between the officers and their slaves, as a matter of traffic. When Dutch women get married they are pretty, rosy girls of some shape ; but no sooner do they get married and have a family than they grow enormously fat and out of all grace and proportion. They are very fond, when young, of dancing. Captain Ruding, one of ours, a young man of ancient family, and heir to a Leicestershire estate of five thousand a year, just of age, fell in love with Jemima Smith, and after a ten days' courtship was led, nothing loth, to the altar. Captain Lindsay, on our arrival at the Cape, took a very commodious house in the town for himself and the four ladies. With their attraction the house was filled with all the principal officers, visiting and paying their respects from morning till night, among others the afterwards celebrated hero, Colonel the Hon. Arthur Wellesley, at that time (September, 1796) just turned twenty-seven years of age. At this time he was all life and spirits. In height he was about 5 feet 7 inches, with a long, pale face, a remarkably large aquiline nose, a clear blue eye, and the blackest beard I ever saw. He was remarkably clean in his person, and I have known him shave twice in one day, which I believe was his constant practice. His features always reminded me of John Philip Kemble, and, what is 56 ELERS MEMOIRS more remarkable, I observed, many years after, the great likeness between him and the performer. Mr. Charles Yoiino-, which he told me he had often heard remarked. He spoke at this time remarkablv quickly, with, 1 think, a very, very slight lisp. Me had verv narrow jaw-bones, antl there was a orcat peculiarity in his ear. which I never observed but in one other person, the late Lord Byron — the lobe of the ear uniting to the cheek. He had a par- ticular way, when pleased. o( pursing up his mouth. I have often observed it when he has been thinking abstractedly. He got his brevet rank oi' Colonel on May I. 1796. as did also his friend Colonel Aston ; but Aston was just senior to him. I believe they were both Lieutenant-Colonels o( 1 703. and were only three years in that rank. I believe Colonel Wellesley was very much in debt and embarrassed when he left England, and a small tradesman in Dublin was o\' great assistance to him by the loan of four or live hundred pounds, which on his arrival in India in due course of time was repaid ; and I have heard that on his return from India he walked into the shop of the trades- man, a boot and shoe maker, and asked him if he recollected him. The man said ' No.' 'Well.' said Sir Arthur, who was Secretary to the Duke of Richmond, ' can I be of any service to you ?' The man said : ' I want nothing for myself, but I have a son.' ' Give me his name,' said Sir Arthur ; ' you did me a kindness once, and I do not forget it.' He got A GENEROUS ACT 57 the man's son a place of ^^400 per annum. It gives me pleasure to record this anecdote of the Duke of Wellington, who has not a very tender or feeling heart. And in this instance I think he felt himself under an obligation to the man he did not forget, and it was his i^ride as well as principle, together with the man's answer, ' I want nothing for myself,' that determined Sir Arthur to provide so hand- somely for his son. I know of another instance of his liberality of which he told me himself, but with- out any ostentation, only froni my being a friend of the husband of the fair lady to whom his kind- ness and liberality were directed. Major William Ashley Sturt, of the 80th Regiment, a young man from the Guards, just before he left England, after committing all sorts of follies, concluded by marry- ing a beautiful woman of the establishment of a notorious woman living in Berkeley Street, a house much resorted to by men of fashion. Mrs. Sturt arrived in the year i8or at Madras without a sixpence. I at this time was living, on a visit with Colonel Wellesley, at a palace of Tippoo Sahib's, just outside the fort of Seringapatam. Major Sturt was with his regiment a great distance from Madras, and was far from rich, so in her distress, and being a stranger in a foreign country, she wrote to her old friend Colonel Wellesley, who by return of post sent her an order upon his banker for ^400. My dear friend Colonel Aston was on terms of great friendship with Colonel Wellesley, and introduced ^^ 58 ELERS MEMOIRS me to him, which is the only way I can account for his distinguishing me five years after in the way he did in preference to other officers of my regiment. After spending two months very pleasantly at the Cape, we proceeded to Madras under convoy of the old Trident, a 64-gun ship. We left behind us sick poor Lieutenant- Colonel Grey, who shortly after died there of an abscess. At Eton he received a blow from a cricket-ball, and that eventually caused his death. We carried on with us the 33rd Regi- ment, commanded by the Honourable Colonel Wellesley, destined for Calcutta. Colonel W. proceeded in the Princess Charlotte Indiaman. I had a very narrow escape, some years after, of being captured by the French in this vessel at Vizagapatam. We lost one of our ladies, Jemima Smith, now Mrs. Ruding, having embarked on board her husband's ship, the Melville Castle. We continued our voyage, and in about two months anchored in Madras Roads on January 9, 1797. The day was too far advanced to disembark that evening, so it was arranged that the regiment should land the next day after an early dinner. The appearance of Madras from the roads is not very interesting. The coast is flat both to the north and south as far as the eye can reach, relieved by no object save the cocoa-nut trees and palmyras, and the white foam from the tremendous surf constantly rolling in shore, the outer surf commencing at least 200 yards from shore. No ship's boat, I think, could possibly avoid MADRAS 59 being swamped at Madras. But they have very safe and commodious masulah boats, entirely made of the cocoa-nut tree, and manned by four or five Lascars, who sing in chorus a song that enables them to pull all together ; these boats they manage with a dexterity which no English sailor could equal. By way of additional security in case of a capsize, they are attended by two or three catamarans — long pieces of wood lashed together, on the top of which are perched two natives. They are in no danger of being drowned even if they fall off ; they float like cork. But the greatest danger is from the sharks that abound near the shore. We ate our last dinner on board the Rockingham, and the regiment landed on the beach of Madras between five and six o'clock in the evening. The men were marched into the barracks in Fort St. George, vacated by the 74th Regiment, while the officers received us on the beach and escorted us to their mess-room in the fort, where a very handsome dinner was provided for us. We had all of us previously dined on board of our respective ships ; this second dinner, followed up by large quantities of madeira and claret, had the natural effect of making many of us much the worse for it. Then came at a late hour the providing us with beds for the night. Each officer of the 74th seemed to vie with the other as to who should show us most hospitality. I was taken care of by a Lieutenant Macleod, the Adjutant of the regiment. And now 6o ELERS MEMOIRS my misery commenced from the mosquitoes. Not having been provided with mosquito-curtains, I was really devoured, hands, feet, and legs, and as for my face, when I looked in the glass I was swelled and disfigured to such a degree that I did not know myself. Colonel Aston was quite sorry to see me such a martyr, and sent me down some curtains which he had by him when he expected to go out to the West Indies. But the mischief was all done in one night. The torment I experienced from these insects drove me almost mad. I tore my flesh to pieces, particularly my legs and feet. These bites, from contact with the stocking, became small ulcers, the marks of which I now bear about me, and pre- vented me from wearing boots for many weeks, and of course I could not mount guard and take my turn of the garrison duty. We formed an excellent mess. We had, of course, our own regimental plate. We found two black men, brothers, who agreed to find us an excellent dinner, a dessert, and a pint of madeira each man for ten pagodas a head monthly ; also twice a week, Thursday and Sunday, a better dinner, consisting of European articles, such as hams, tongues, cheese, etc. But if we exceeded the allowance of wine, beer, etc., we had to pay extra. Thursday and Sunday were the days we received guests. Our members consisted of nearly the whole regiment, amounting to between forty and fifty officers. I have often seen on the days we had company our GARRISON LIFE 6i guests nearly three times out numbering ourselves. It once occurred to me that I sat up all night and went from the mess-table to the morning drill at five o'clock. But that happened to me but once. The drills, the guards, and the regimental duties of the subalterns were rather severe. For instance, the first five months, during the hottest part of the season, the regiment was formed in the fort, ready on the first dawn of day, when the gun was fired and the gates opened, to march out of the garrison and form on the glacis of the fort. After the reports were collected, we marched round several times both in slow and quick time, saluting, etc. Afterwards many of the eighteen manoeuvres were gone through. Then the senior officers were drilled by Major Picton and the junior by Major Bellairs. After that a few more manoeuvres, and then, the sun getting very powerful, we were marched back to our quarters. I used on getting to my quarters, when I breakfasted at home, to throw off all my clothes and lie down on my cot fairly done up and go to sleep. I was obliged to get up and dress at twelve to attend the Major to practise the sword exercise for an hour ; then home, undress, and lie down for a couple of hours ; then dress again for a three o'clock dinner, and at five the regiment again formed for exercise, when we continued till it was too dark. And this system continued with little intermission until the month of July, when we were delighted at the prospect of the regiment going on an expedition 62 ELERS MEMOIRS to capture the island of Manila in conjunction with other troops. As I have before mentioned, I had a few letters of introduction to the people of Madras. I got some dinners, and that was all. I presented my letter to the old Admiral from Lady Burnaby. He said to me : ' Young gentleman, you are in the Army, and I can be of no use to you. Had you been in the Navy, from the regard I have to Lady Burnaby, I would have taken care of your promotion.' Now, if my poor brother Edward had had the good fortune to have delivered this letter to the Admiral instead of me, he would have been pushed on to the rank of a Post-Captain instead of dying, after hard and gallant services, a Lieutenant. Such are the lucky or unlucky events of our lives. The earden-houses about Madras are for the most part inhabited by the Civil Servants, who live in as much luxury as the climate will allow. Their houses vary in splendour according to the means of their occupiers. For instance, a Member of Council will have a house like a man of large fortune in this country, while the Writer will have a much smaller one, consisting of an entrance-hall, wherein he dines and breakfasts, and two bedrooms, one on each side. The largest and best houses are all built on the ground-floor. None of the houses have ceilings, but cloth of pure white is the substitute. But these substitutes for a ceiling are only used in the best houses by the Civil Servants, who live in every i LIFE AT MADRAS 63 respect better than the subaltern ranks of the Army. Glass windows are seldom used in India, but Venetian blinds and doors are substituted for them to get the benefit of the current of air. I have seen glass doors and windows at Negapatam and Pondi- cherri, the former a Dutch settlement and the latter a French one ; but even there they are not common. The sea-breeze sets in about 2 p.m. and continues until about 4 a.m. Nothing can be more refresh- ing than that delightful breeze. Every house has a veranda attached to it, where the custom is to take exercise by walking in the extreme heat of the day. The thermometer in the coolest part of the morning is generally in the shade as high as 72°, and increases to 82°. In an officer's tent it generally is from 90° to loo^ and in the tents used by the private soldiers at least 10° higher. When the sea-breeze dies away at night the heat is insupportable, and the stings of the mosquitoes enough to drive one mad. I was truly miserable the first three years I was in India ; my last thought as I lay down to sleep, and the first when I awoke, was England. After that period I got more reconciled to the country. I used to ride in the evening, when we relaxed in our drill, upon the Mount Road and in its environs. The perfume from the hedges was delightful, and the trees are always green and flourishing, notwithstanding the constant heat and never-failing sun. The birds and little gray squirrels are quite tame. I had one of the latter, 64 ELERS MEMOIRS who used very often to sleep for hours in my coat- sleeve, even when on parade. I had also a small monkey, which was very amusing with its tricks. My dear friend Colonel Aston had only four horses — a pair of large bay horses which he used to drive in the curricle he used in England, wherein I used sometimes to ride, and two saddle horses ; one, a dark iron gray, was a heavy, quiet horse, remark- ably steady with troops — he was called Blucskin — and the other was a very fine gray Arab, bought of Colonel Winch of the 36th for 500 pagodas, and named Diomed. This horse afterwards became the property of Colonel Wellesley, and was left to him by Colonel Aston just before he fought his last and fatal duel. India in these days is as well known as the Continent of Europe. I shall not, therefore, enter into any particular detail of it, particularly to you, who have passed four or five years there in a similar situation as myself. I have only mentioned my first impressions. How well I recollect the old Nabob of Arcot taking his evening drive on the Mount Road in an old-fashioned English post-chaise with black postillions, his long and venerable white beard, his yellow complexion, turban, and silk dress ! He always made every officer he met a profound salaam. He lived in some state about two short miles from the fort, at or near a place called St. Thome. The Mount was distant from Madras about ten miles. Here was the station of the GENERAL FLOYD 65 Artillery, and also of the 22nd Light Dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Stapleton Cotton, since for his long and gallant services to his country ennobled as Viscount Combermere. The Major was the Honourable George de Grey, afterwards Lord Walsingham. This unfortunate nobleman was, together with his lady, burnt to death about six or seven years since at their house in Harley Street. He fell asleep, and the candle ignited the curtains of the bed. De Grey, when I first knew him, was not above twenty years of age. Colonel Cotton was about five or six years older. The Colonel was regarded as a good regimental cavalry officer, and was considered so by the old veteran, General Floyd, commanding the cavalry, who had served as a cornet at the famous Battle of Minden, where my regiment was one of the six who gained a glorious victory over the French, August i , 1759. We used to have the words ' Minden' and 'Gibraltar' on our regimental colour, and the latter on our breastplates, a great and proud distinction in those days. In these times, under the great modern hero, there is scarce a reo"iment in the service that has not at least half a dozen such honourable memorials. When my Colonel, General William Picton, received the command of the 12th Regiment, he went to Court to return his thanks for the honour conferred upon him by George HL His Majesty said : ' You must thank Captain Picton, who com- manded the Grenadiers of the 12th Regiment at the 5 66 ELERS MEMOIRS Battle of Minden.' I have seen the original return of the killed and wounded on that glorious day. They were very severely handled, very few escaping being either killed or wounded. When we arrived at Madras we found Lord Hobart the Governor of the settlement. He had lately lost his wife, formerly a Mrs. Adderley. With her arrived Miss A. and her brother. Miss A. was one of the most beautiful young creatures I ever saw, and married only a few months later Captain Gardner^ of the Navy. He was son to Lord Gardner, the Admiral. I never in my life saw any woman with so beautiful a complexion. When in England I thought Lady Charlotte Campbell very lovely, but she was far surpassed by Mrs. Gardner. They lived very unhappily together ; they soon after left India, and on their passage home they had so violent a quarrel that she flung his picture on the deck, stamped her foot upon it, and threw her wedding-ring into the sea. There was also a Mrs. Campbell, the wife of Captain C. of the Company's Artillery — a very fine woman. Both these ladies were much admired by Colonel Aston. There was a good deal of what the ladies call flirtation going on among these ladies with their admirers, but nothing more — at least, not at that ^ ' Captain Gardner,' Hon. Alan Hyde Gardner, afterwards second Lord Gardner. Married, March 9, 1796, Maria Elizabeth, only daughter of Thomas Adderley, of Innishannon, County Cork. Divorced 1805. She married, secondly, Henry Jadis. AN ELOPEMENT 67 time. They both went home at the same time, if not in the same ship. The lovely Mrs. Gardner afterwards eloped with Mr. Jadis. It is only a few years since a child, born before a formal separation took place, tried to establish his claim to the Gardner peerage. But he lost his claim after a long and severe investigation. It all turned on the possibility of the period of gestation extending to ten months. We used to have very pleasant balls at the Mount. Colonel Aston often drove me over to them, and we used to sleep at Colonel Cotton's house. CHAPTER VI Expedition against Manila — A naval hero — Penang — Expedition abandoned — Captain Winstone's death — Return to India — Camp life — Conjeveram pagodas — Tanjore — Vellum— Suttee — Revolution at Tanjore — Arnee — A regimental quarrel — A duel in Ceylon — Colonel Aston killed in a duel. It was the beginning of the month of August, 1797, when an expedition was prepared to proceed against Manila. I never shall forget the considerate kind- ness of Colonel Aston respecting my comfort on that occasion. I could not get any native servant willing to embark with me. They have a prejudice against going on board ship. I was embarked on board H.M.S. Trident, 64 guns, Captain Milner. Only half the regiment was to proceed at first with the first division. I remember our Captain- Lieutenant was Captain William O'Brien, the present Marquess of Thomond. He was on board the same ship with me, a truly noble and high-spirited young- man, a great favourite of mine, universally beloved and respected by the regiment. Colonel Aston sent me a Portuguese servant, but he was so stupid he was not of the smallest use to me. I was obliged to get one of our men to attend upon me. I did [68 ] PENANG 69 not require much — merely cleaning my boots and slinging my cot, fetching water, etc. I messed with the Lieutenants in the gun-room ; Captain O'Brien messed with Captain Milner. There were several large Indiamen taken up for the troops, some of 1,500 tons burthen. I had a very comfortable berth in the gun-room — so cool, and no mosquitoes, it appeared quite a paradise. I found the officers excellent good fellows, the senior Lieutenant a short, sturdy young man, whom I have often heard say that if ever he got into action he never would strike his colours, whatever disparity of force should exist. He blew his ship up after in action, when he could no longer defend her against a superior force. This young hero's name was Rowe. The second Lieutenant's name was Gordon, a gendeman, quite young. And the third, Houston, a remarkably handsome young Scotchman, and a great favourite of the Duke of Hamilton's. The Lieutenant of Marines' name was Wilson. The master was an old man, as was the surgeon. All the rest were little more than boys, but good officers. We had a pleasant voyage of about three weeks to Prince of Wales Island, or Penang, as it is sometimes called ; we found here the 33rd Regiment and other troops from Bengal. The settlement of Penang lies at the foot of high land, covered with jungle that looks very beautiful from the sea. It is inhabited by Malays and Chinese. At this time it had not been an English setdement above ten 70 ELERS MEMOIRS years, and was then in its infancy. I renewed my acquaintance with Colonel Wellesley. The troops were not disembarked, but the officers and a few men were allowed to go on shore. I slept on shore two or three times. Some of the Madras native regiments were encamped there. In consequence of the hostile demonstrations on the part of Tippoo Sultan, the Governor-General was obliged to give up his intention of proceeding against the Manilas, and we had to lie quietly in the roads of Penang until the monsoon was over on the coast of Coro- mandel. The monsoon commences about the middle of October, and it is not safe for ships to enter the Madras roads ere the first week in January. So we all led a very quiet, stupid life on board our respective ships until the middle of December, when we of the coast troops returned to Madras. My chief recreation was visiting the opposite shore of Kedah, shooting pigeons and sea-gulls, visiting the troopships, fishing out of the stern gallery, sometimes bathing at the foot of a delicious waterfall under the shade of the palmyra, the plantain, and other Asiatic trees. This lovely bath was situated about two or three miles from the town. The approach to it was up the mountains, and all under the shade of large forest trees. It is, indeed, a truly delicious retreat. No one ever visited Prince of Wales Island without going there. A change took place before we left Penang with respect to the quartering of the troops on board the WINSTONE'S DEATH 71 ships. I was sent on board the Princess Mary, an extra Indiaman of 500 tons, commanded by Captain Nash, and manned solely by Lascars, with the exception of the officers. The ship appeared so small, so dirty, the duty done so slovenly both by men and officers, so very different from the smartness and discipline of a man-of-war, that it formed a miserable contrast. It was only for about three weeks, but they passed long and wretchedly. On arriving on shore my kind friend Captain Ruding gave me a room in his house. I forgot to mention during our short stay at Penang that we lost one of our Captains, Thomas Hayward Winstone, of an old family in Gloucestershire, and related to my friend Sir Thomas Hayward of Berkshire. He drank very hard. I had spent the evening with him only a few nights before. He allowed the land wind to blow upon him during his sleep. He awoke ill, and never recovered. I saw him as he lay dead ; he had a most stern and severe expression in his countenance. He was opened, and his liver was entirely decayed. His complexion was very similar to Colonel Aston's. His funeral was a military one, the first I ever attended. It made a great impression upon me at the time, he being the first officer we had lost since leaving England. Alas ! the loss of how many more shall I have to recount ! I had not been on shore many days when I was taken ill with a decided attack of liver. I was ill 72 ELEKS MEMOIRS about three weeks, and after having taken repeated doses of calomel I recovered. At this time, about Tebruary, 179S, some of the old regiments, such as the 36th, 52nd, and 75th Regiments, were ordered home. And some of our officers, being heartily sick of India, effected an exchange. Among those who \ci\ were Captains Ruding and O'Brien. In them I lost two kind friends. Alas ! in after-life what different fates awaited them — one the heir- apparent to ;^5,ooo per annum, the other pre- sumptive heir to an Irish earldom! They each of them succeeded to the fortune and honours they were heirs to, but with far different results. My dear and kind friend Colonel Aston, ever mindful of my comfort, bought a horse of Lieutenant Meade for me, together with a new saddle and bridle, as we received orders to proceed to garrison Tanjore, a distance of about two hundred miles from Madras. O'Brien was much beloved by the regiment, and he was very much attached to it. But he had too much at stake to stay longer in so precarious a situation as the East Indies. He had a very narrow escape in the West Indies a short time before. The Hank companies of the army in 1 794 were embarked at Cork for the West Indies. Both of ours went, and Lieutenant O'Brien went also. Our llank companies stormed St. Lucia, and those who were not killed all died of the yellow fever in nine months, with the exception of O'Brien and two of the private soldiers. O'Brien, when he left the regiment, presented some CAMI^ IJKK 73 little memorials of his regard to those officers with whom he was most intimate. 'I"o me. he ^ave an emerald j)in, which I preserved for ten years, and happened to prov<; to him the care I had taken of it by wearing it at Ascot races, where by chance I m(;t him. It was stolen a few days after this c>ut of my shirt. We marched out of i'ort St. George at gun-fire one morning the latter end of the month of I'ebruary, and encamped on Chc;ultry Plain, in the vicinity of the fort. Thus I made my debut under canvas in the East. I startc-d with a very modest establish- ment : a head servant, a second ditto, a boy to carry my chair, and coolies for my cot, talkie, etc., a Cooderry currah and grass-cutter. 'I'hese two native servants were for the purpose of attending upon one hor.se, the only one I had. The novelty of a camp life amused me much at first. We were obliged to be up before daylight ; the bugle .sounded an hour before dawn. The Lascars were then busily at work knocking loo.se the tent-pegs, the servants [jacking up the trunks, attending their masters and helping them to dress, loading the bullocks with trunks, etc. In the course of another hour the second bugle .sounds. The regiment is formed in marching order, the drums and fifes begin to play, and the officers are shortly after allowed to mount their horses and ride by the side of their companies. The Quartermaster and his staff precede the regiment, and fix the encampment 74 ELKRS MKMOIRS about niiu\ ten. or twoKo miles from the last oToiiiul, accordiuiT as ho tiiuls favourable around. One thino- is indispensable : the vicinity of water, and it should be near a village. We had a fine lari;e mess tent, and our mess man gave us a good dinner i^very dav. as he used to do in quarters. In the eveuiug the \illagt.M-s used to come out to our lines tc» indulge their curiosity. ottcMUimes accom- panied by the dancing-girls, particularly if in the neighbourhood of any celebrated pagodas. I think it is about thirty miles from Madras we came to the celebrated pagodas oi' Conjeveram. They are, from their size, architecture and magnificent tanks, really wonderful objects oi' curiosity. Immense quantities oi' monkeys inhabit these pagodas, where they are considered quite sacred, and jiniip about these temples in perfect security. We arrived at Pondicherri, and encamped in the neighbourhood. And here was stationed a native reii'imeiit I had met at Tenant: ; with some ot the officers I renewed my acquaintance. At this place I acquired the accomplishment o\' swimming, taught me by one of my company. 1 was very fond oi this refreshing exercise, but never felt comfortable, from my constant dread of water-snakes and alligators. I was bathing once in the vicinity oi' Tanjore, and heard my servant in earnest conversation with an old Brahmin. I asked him the subject of their conversation. He said : ' Brahmin say, master, that he knows an o/i/ alliofator that has lived in this tank mm TANJORE 75 upwards of one hundred years.' I never bathed there afterwards. We at length arrived at Tanjore. An immense fort it was, and with a still larger pettah. There was a regiment of Native Infantry doing duty in that part, commanded by a Colonel Innis. Colonel Aston had a very good quarter in the. fort, which had an excellent garden attached to it, with a fine vineyard. The grapes abounded there, and it was a source of great profit, I have heard, to officers wh('>se object it was to make and save money. Not so with the liberal, noble-minded Aston, The weather on our first arrival was dreadfully hot, and the nights were most oppressive ; we were worn out by the heat of day, and unable to get any refreshing sleep from the closeness of the nights, as no cool sea-breeze was to be had here. It was here that Colonel Aston got an attack of liver complaint. I used often to dine with him in his room and take his horse out for exercise in the evening. I think he began to get tired of the climate and the monotony of the life, and I believe, had peace been permanently established in India, he calculated being at home in the summer of 1799, and had made arrangements to that effect. But man proposes and God disposes. His sun was nearly set. About seven miles from Tanjore was a military station called Vellum. There our flank companies were removed under Major Picton, It was a wild and cheerless place, situated on a large, sandy plain. 76 KLERS MKMOIRS the few rocks in the neighbourhood infested with large snakes of the most danoerous description, among others the cobra de capello, the most veno- mous. After being bit, if no appHcation is made, you die in half an iunir. These snakes are ot a dirty brown, and are generally from 5 feet to 7 feet in length. When irritated they expand a fleshy substance from each side of the head, which is marked like a pair of spectacles. They throw themselves upright, and can then spring some distance upon you. I had the most miraculous escape of being bitten by one some years after. During my short stay at this dull and miserable station I had the opportunity of seeing a young- widow burn herself by the side of her deceased husband. The funeral pile was about 10 feet high ; in the middle of the pile lay her deceased husband, an old and miserable-looking man. The devoted victim was a young creature about seventeen, dressed in white, with all her jewels on and various ornaments of gold. There was a confused noise of singing and shouting, intermixed with the sound of tom-toms — that is, a sort oi' small drum — and at intervals the hollow and sonorous sound oi' eong-s and trumpets. The priests and her friends crowded round her, all speaking to her at once, apparently to distract her attention and to prevent her shrinking at the last moment from sacrificing herself. There was a small tank of water close to the funeral pile. They led her to this. 1 was very near her when SUTTEE 77 I saw her quietly take the jewels from her ears, her nose, unclasp her gold bracelets, as well as the bang^les from her ankles and every ornament she had on, which were received by her relations. She then stepped into the water, divested herself of her clothes of pure white, and replaced them with clothes of a yellow colour. She then performed her ablu- tions, came out of the water, and unassisted walked three times round the pile, followed by the priests and her friends, who at this period appeared to be more urgent and loud in their discourse to her to distract her attention. vShe then, unassisted, mounted the pile, laid herself down by the side of her husband, and put his head under her arm, turning herself towards them. They then sprinkled large quantities of oil and straw on the pile. The fatal fire was then applied, and amid loud shouts and while the fire reached her I distinctly heard her utter the words ' Narina, Narina.' F"ortunately, during this horrid ceremony a very high wind was blowing, and I consoled myself in the hope that she was suffocated ere she suffered much pain. I was very near her during the different parts of the ceremony, and could have saved her life by merely touching her, as she would then have been defiled, and would not have been permitted to have the honour of sacrificing herself. But in saving her life I stood the chance of being torn to pieces, and I certainly should have been brought to a court- martial for disobedience of orders, for the English 78 ELERS MEMOIRS in those days were strictly forbidden to meddle with the customs and prejudices of the natives. In the neighbourhood of Vellum, on the arid and sandy plains, small stones abound which, in course of ages, get chipped at the angles by accident. These, if given to a lapidary and cut and polished, produce a stone frequently of value, and in polish and lustre far superior to our Bristol stone. I used to amuse myself collecting these sometimes. Major Picton had a leash oi' English greyhounds, and we used at earlv dawn to take the do^^s out and run fo.xes and jackals. They run for a mile or two very swift, but I have got several severe falls by my horse oettinor into false oround and holes and coming^ suddenly across watercourses and ravines. An important revolution occurred during our stay at Tanjore. The old Rajah was deposed, and the young one, by the name of Suffrajeh, brought up and educated by a German missionary of the name of Schwartz, was placed on the musnud in his room. At this time he was one of the handsomest natives I ever saw. This revolution took place without any confusion, noise, or bloodshed, and, I believe, had justice on its side, which is not always the case in political revolutions. The young Rajah — about twenty-four — gave us a grand dinner according to the English custom, and as soon as the dessert was placed on the table he was led into the room by Colonel Aston and the Civil Resident, Benjamin Torin, and took his seat at the centre of the table, SUFFRAJKH RAJAH 79 between the two. I shall never forget the splendour of his dress. It reminded me of the Sultans, Caliphs, and Princes I used to read of in the ' Arabian Nights' Entertainments.' His turban was richly decorated with jewels, and he had an ornament somewhat like a heron's feather entirely composed of diamonds issuing from his turban. He had a close jacket of the richest kincob, a splendid sash, in which was stuck his dagger, ornamented with precious stones, and also a scimitar, the handle and scabbard of which were similarly ornamented. lift spoke English very well, and was dignified and graceful in his manners. All the officers got presents ; the Colonel got a splendid star, and the other officers according to their rank. I got a cloth of gold sufficient for a dress. All went off extremely well. This ceremony took place soon after we left Vellum. Mr. Benjamin Torin, the Civil Resident, lived a short distance from the Fort of Tanjore. He had come out for the second time in the same fleet that we came in to India. My kind and good guardian, Mr. Hutchinson, who had a house in the vicinity of Englefield Green, where Mr. Torin's family had long resided, was so kind, unknown to me, as to mention my name to him. The consequence was Mr. Torin never gave a dinner-party that I did not get a card of invitation to meet all the senior officers, and among the rest Colonel Aston. These two dons used to endeavour to outdo each other in the elegance of their entertainments, and they 8o ELERS MEMOIRS always, as if by nuitual constant, invited me to them. It was during our stay at Tanjore we lost two officers : Lieutenant Cassidy and Lieutenant William Gahan, the latter one of the finest young men in the reeiment. He was much lamented. Our men during- our stay at Tanjore were very sickly ; every evening we had two or three funerals. I used to amuse myself by looking at the Hindoo women bathing themselves morning and evening, and fetching their water in brass vessels upon their heads, holding and balancing them most gracefully with one hand, the other hanging down or holding up the robe clinging wet and tightly round their symmetrical figures. Here from early dawn till the shades of night were females of all ages, from the child of ten to the venerable matron. What practice for the chisel of a Canova or a Thorwaldsen ! Nothing could be finer than the busts of these women, and as far as the knees they were perfect ; but their legs were in general faulty. They had not that lovely roundness that distinguishes the legs of the European women. Yet their hands and feet were certainly small. The large tank, with some hundred or more steps leading to the water, was just opposite to my quarter, and I used to amuse myself by endeavouring to copy their Grecian attitudes and graceful figures. It was at this place that I acquired great skill in shooting with a pellet bow. I could with some certainty hit anything WtMltmmmmm^m^BamM ARNEK 8 1 twenty or thirty yards off. I one day espied one of our officers' servants squatting down smoking a cheroot. I fired, and hit the poor fellow in the mouth. Away vanished the extinguished weed. I was delighted, and laughed very heartily at the man's astonished looks ; but I never after repeated the foolish experiment. We received orders to march from Tanjore to a station called Arnee about the month of October, as the army was to be formed in that neighbourhood lo be in readiness to act against Tippoo Sultan if he did not comply with certain requisitions made to him by Government in February ensuing. We arrived at Arnee during the rains, and here, un- fortunately, my dear Colonel Aston left the regiment, and proceeded on leave to Madras, leaving the regiment under the command of Major Picton. Among the officers we received in exchange from other regiments was a Lieutenant Hartley of the 36th. He was a middle-aged man, and from having been some years in the country had acquired a good deal of local information and experience. He was a fine looking fellow, with honest and blunt manners and good temper. He was frequently consulted by the Colonel on matters connected with different customs pursued by the 36th Regiment, and by degrees acquired some influence and favour with the Colonel. Most unfortunately for the latter, they corresponded during this temporary absence of the Colonel from the regiment. It appears that Lieutenant Hartley 6 82 ELERS MEMOIRS had some difference with Major Allen, who was our paymaster, on the subject of his accounts, and represented the business in his letters to Colonel Aston in his own way. Colonel Aston in his reply to Hartley said : ' If Major Allen has used you as you say, I think he has not treated you liberally,^ or words to that effect. There is no doubt that Colonel Aston, when he made use of this term, never dreamed that Hartley would have so far abused his confidence as to read his letter to different officers of the regiment, which he did ; and this coming to the ears of Major Allen, a man of a high sense of honour, he immediately consulted his friend and countryman. Major Picton. Major Picton at once issued an order for all the officers to assemble at his quarters to investigate the difference between Major Allen and Lieutenant Hartley. And that result proved from the in- vestigation that Major Allen's accounts were perfectly clear with Lieutenant Hartley, and that he (the Major) did not merit the observation Colonel Aston made upon Hartley's representation. The minutes of this court of inquiry were immediately forwarded to Colonel Aston, who in a state of great excitement made up his mind to join his regiment at once, for the purpose of issuing a very severe order against Major Picton for presuming to take advantage of his (Colonel A.'s) temporary absence to call a meeting of the officers without his sanction. But previously to doing this he consulted his friend COLONEL WELLESLEY'S ADVICE 83 Colonel Wellesley, and showed him the order he intended to issue. Colonel Wellesley said to him : ' You have asked my advice. By no means issue the order.' Aston replied : ' I have made up my mind, and will do it.' ' Then why, if you had made up your mind to do so, consult me on the subject ?' And they left each other mutually dissatisfied. Colonel Wellesley related this conversation to me two years afterwards. Colonel Aston, on joining the regiment, issued the order. Major Picton im- mediately applied for leave of absence, to consult his friends as to what course he ought to take. It was during his absence that I lived a good deal with the Colonel at a bungalow he had a short distance from the fort of Arnee, and Colonel Cotton, who commanded the 22nd Light Dragoons at Arcot, came over and passed a few days with Colonel Aston. Colonel Cotton asked permission for me to return with him to spend a few days in hunting and shooting, and I then saw my dear Colonel alive for the last time. After dinner on that day the conversation turned on a fatal duel that had just taken place in the island of Ceylon. The circumstances were rather remarkable, but I forget the parties' names. The person who gave the offence received the fire of his adversary, and then, apologizing to him, acknowledged he had been to blame. But he had no sooner done this than he addressed the second of his adversary, and said : ' But you, sir, I have an account to settle with. 6—2 84 ELERS MEMOIRS You insulted me in the manner in which you delivered your friend's message. Be so good as to take his place and give me satisfaction for the insult.' He did so, and was shot dead the hrst fire. Colonel Aston remarked that if such results oftener took place, fewer duels would be fought on frivolous occasions. In the course of the evening, soon alter coffee, some pistol-bullets lying on a table, someone of the party took one up, observing what an un- pleasant thing it would be to have one in one's body. Poor Aston, with a foreboding tone, as I thought, replied : ' That has been the fate of many better than you or I.' After spending a very pleasant ten days at Arcot with Colonel Cotton, one evening as we were drinking our wine an express arrived from Arnee statino- that Colonel Aston had that mornino- (Sunday) fought a duel with Major Allen, and had been shot, but that he still lived. The Colonel and I were much distressed at this unfortunate news, and ere the day dawned we were on our horses on our route to Arnee. I had not the nerve to enter his bedroom, but I heard his dreadful Qroans all over the house. He sometimes said : ' I can bear pain, but sickness unmans me.' I used to attend the doctor's report every hour in the day. From the first they gave little hope of his recovery, until about the fifth day, when the extreme pain began to subside, and there appeared some faint hopes of him. But this cessation of pain was occasioned by ASTON'S DEATH 85 mortification having taken place, and at about six o'clock in the evening of the seventh day he ceased to exist. Colonel Wellesley arrived two or three days after the duel, and I heard Aston say : ' Ah, my dear Arthur, is it you ? I shall now die happy.' Immediately after his death, I went to the couch he was lying on, attended by Dr. Campbell, the surgeon. He turned down the sheet that covered him and pointed to where the bullet had entered his side. It was a dark and livid mark, not a hole, but the skin split in a triangular form, on a level with and 6 inches from the navel. The bullet went throup-h the liver and passed entirely through the vertebra of the backbone, then took an oblique direction downwards, and lodged in the muscles of the hip. Major Picton sent him a challenge on the Saturday preceding, and he met him, attended by Captain Craigie as his second. Major Picton's second was Lieutenant Crawford. Major Picton's pistol missed fire, and he threw it down on the ground in a rage. The Colonel told him to ' try again.' The seconds very properly would not allow this, and, on Colonel Aston's firing in the air, they would not allow the business to proceed further. They shook hands, but the Colonel said : ' Remember, the order must stand ; no rescinding.' He afterwards said : ' Well, Picton, you and your friend must come and dine with me to-day, and all must henceforward be forgot.' The next day was Sunday, and on that day it was customary for the captains of their com- 86 ELERS MEMOIRS panics to wait on the commanding officer with the state of their companies. Major Allen, who was only a major by brevet, presented his at the break- fast-table, and remained until every officer had retired. When alone with Colonel Aston, he said : ' I wish to consult you, Colonel, about exchanging out of the regiment. From certain unpleasant cir- cumstances that have lately occurred I find my situation, after the reflections you have applied to me, not what it was.' Colonel Aston said : 'If you ask my opinion, I think, as senior Captain, you would be wrong to quit the regiment ; and with respect to your feelings, I am ready to atone in any way you wish.' ' Will you, then, give me a meeting ?' demanded Allen. * Certainly, instantly. But allow me to say you have been very tardy in demanding it. I have been some days with the regiment without assuming the command of it, to give you and others who feel aggrieved an opportunity of satisfying themselves.' Previously to going out, which was very shortly arranged, he sent for the Adjutant, and desired him to go to all the officers and to say that if any one of them felt themselves aggrieved he was ready to satisfy them instantly, one after the other, and finish the business altogether. The Colonel and Captain Craigie happened to arrive on the ground a few minutes before Captain Allen and his second, an assistant-surgeon of the name of Erskine. Captain Allen apologized for keeping him waiting, adding : ' I am sorry, upon ASTON'S FUNERAL 87 my soul, Colonel Aston, it should ever come to this.' Colonel Aston merely said : ' Take your ground, sir.' The distance was measured. Allen fired, and from the circumstance of the Colonel standing per- fectly upright with his pistol levelled, the seconds concluded that the ball had passed him. The Colonel dropped his pistol arm, and said : ' I am wounded, but it shall never be said that the last act of my life was that of revenge.' Poor Allen ran up, threw himself on the ground, and was quite overcome by sorrow and remorse. The Colonel was assisted into his palanquin, and met one of his officers, a Lieutenant Falla, soon after himself killed before Seringapatam. ' Well, Falla,' said the Colonel, ' I have got a confounded lick in the guts, but I hope I shall get over it' I have seen many dead men, but never saw one that looked like poor Aston. He appeared just as though he were asleep — his long, dark eyelashes closed, and the sweetest smile upon his lips. It seemed to give the assurance that his immortal soul had taken its flight to the realms of bliss. The passage from death to the grave is very rapid in that warm climate, and ere twenty-four hours had expired he was in his last earthly resting-place. He, of course, had a military funeral ; his own regiment and a native regiment and a company of the artillery attended. Minute guns were fired, and every de- monstration of respect paid. His beautiful Arab charger was hung with crape, and his boots pendant 88 ELERS MEMOIRS trom iho holsters. When ihc body was brought out ot the house the horse was staiulino- near the door. At the siolu oi' the coffin he started back, reared up. AWy] fell over. It appeared that evcMi the horse felt sensible that he had lost his master. rhere is no doubt that when Colonel Aston left England he had settled all his affairs by disposing oi' his property, but not that part which he had in India, consisting o\' horses, wine, plate, furniture, etc. These he left to his friend Captain Craigie, with the exception of the Arab horse Diomed, which he left to Colonel Wellesley. He also desired that my note of hand to him for a considerable sum misfht be destroyed, as well as a miniature of a lady and several papers. These were thrown down a deep well in the garden. His stock oi' clothes, etc., that he bought in luigland was immense ; I have heard trom fifty to one hundred pairs of boots, I re- member on the passage out I had a painful boil on my arm ; the scar I have to this day. He lent me a loose jacket to wear. 1 said I was afraid I should deprive him oi it. as there were no laundresses on board ship. He said : ' Never mind ; 1 have two hundred more.' His tailors made for me when I returned home — the Croziers. of Panton Square — and they assured me they used to take him home thirty coats at a time. And if they did not fit exactly he used to kick them out of the room. Such a sensation his untimely death made that it was long the topic of conversation. In him I lost mm ALLEN'S DEAIH 89 the best and kindest friend I ever had. I should now have been, barring the casualties of war, a General, with orders and decorations, like many of those now wearing them, who were only subalterns when I had the rank of Captain. He always assured me I should be his A.D.C. The two Majors were placed in arrest, sent down to Madras, and tried by a court-martial. They were admonished, and Allen was tried in the Civil Court and acquitted. They both returned to their duty with the regiment. But poor Allen never held up his head afterwards. He died in less than three months of a raging fever. CHAPTER YII Ill-health — Vellore — Pass of Amboor — To Soringapatain — Jiist too late for its fall— A palace hospital — Saved by port-wine — 'Old Sour Crout' — The lottery of the service — Another lottery of ,^20.000 — Mrs. Tennant— Baflled hopes— Restoration of lawful Rajah of Mysore — Trize-money — The doctor and the diamonds — Colonel Wellesley's foiled night attack — General Baird's generosity — The Duke of York and Cieneral Harris — A cure for snake-bites — Pr. Scheltky's cieath — St. Thome — Rejoins regiment. Soon after the death of my dear friend Aston I lost both health and spirits. I joined the army, but kept my tent, from a violent attack of the liver, attended with burning fever. I had no palanquin ; none but officers of the highest rank could afford to keep one, and I was too ill to sit on my horse. Colonel Cotton and the Hon. Major de Grey were kind enough to send one of theirs to me every morning to convey nie to the new encampment. I oTQt as far as Vellore, when I was obliijed to qo into quarters while the army were halting for a few days, and when they marched I made an eftort to join them. I never shall forget the Pass of Amboor, surrounded by immense mountains : the hottest part of the season, an army of 25,000 men, and ten times [90]. ILL AT KISHNAGHERRY 91 that number at least accompanying it with bullocks, horses, elephants, etc., for the transport of the baggage, heavy artillery, etc. No clean water to be had but the colour of the dirtiest puddle, and this for a poor sick devil. I clung to the army as long as I could hold up my head, and when we came to the foot of the Ghaut that divides Mysore from the Carnatic I was ordered with other sick officers and men to proceed to the fort of Kish- nagherry. I was put down more dead than alive at the house of Scott Jackson, the paymaster of the district. He came out for the second time in the same fleet with myself. He received me in the most kind and hospitable manner. He was a gentle- manlike, elegant young man, and he paid me every attention. I had also two clever medical men to attend me — a Dr. McMorris, still living, and a Dr. Orde, long since dead. I had been living about a month with Jackson, when we heard news from the army. Among the casualties in my regiment was the death of poor Falla from a cannon-ball, a twelve-pounder, from the fort of Seringapatam, three miles distant from our trenches. It rolled in and buried itself in poor Falla's groin. It was the most remarkable wound ever seen, and the general conversation of the army, for the shot was not to be seen, the flesh swelling completely over it. George Nixon, Lieutenant of Grenadiers, lost his arm and part of his side by a rocket, and the same rocket struck the legs of his 92 ELERS MEMOIRS brother Robert, making a dreadful deep wound. George died, but Robert recovered, and is now living. There were two detachments of the army in our vicinity, or, more correctly speaking, only one — Colonel Read's. The other, under Colonel Brown, was several marches off, hastening to join Colonel Read, bringing up rice and other stores for the use of the army. I joined Colonel Read with other sick officers and men who were convalescent, but had to wait with Colonel Read for the junction of Colonel Brown several days. Had we proceeded alone without waitm^, we should have been present at the capture of that fortress. We arrived three days too late, and had the mortification of hearing the cannonade going on without being present at it. The long and fatiguing marches of this army caused me to have a relapse, as I had not perfectly recovered. I was seized with a confirmed dysentery, and on arriving with my regiment I was ordered into the palace of the Lai Bagh, which was one of the country palaces of Tippoo Sultan, converted into a hospital, in the gardens of which was a mosque shaded by cypress-trees, where lay the remains of his father, Hyder Ali, his wives and children, and lastly, deposited only a few days before, the body of Tippoo Sultan. These beautiful gardens, shaded with luxuriant trees and broad gravel walks, were dug with deep trenches, and yet from the hardness of the ground not sufficiently deep for graves for the poor soldiers who were carried when dead out of A PALACE HOSPITAL 93 the gorgeous palace to be interred In these ready- made graves, and from their being so very shallow the jackals came at night and pulled them out again. I have often seen an arm with the red sleeve hanging out of a grave, the soldiers always being buried in their uniforms. On my arrival sick at the palace I found all the private soldiers lying on the bare ground, some in the agonies of death. It was a shocking sight to behold. The heat and smell were dreadful. The upper rooms were assigned to the officers. Captain Buckeridge of ours and Lieutenant Perceval went into this hospital sick. They both died there ; indeed, few who breathed this pestiferous air ever came out alive. Fortunately for me I was obliged to return to camp, there not being any vacant corner to place me in. I thought it mattered very little where I died, for I did not expect to live more than a few hours. My inside appeared to be all gone, and part of the intestines absolutely given way. The whole camp teemed with death and contagion. The flies and insects settled upon everything that was eatable, and the bullocks and other animals dying continually, these flies were continually feasting upon their carcases, and then settled upon our faces and provisions. I lay in this deplorable state for two or three days, when a Lieutenant Ashton brought me a couple of bottles of port wine which he had purchased at some deceased officer's sale. From the moment I took two glasses of this precious wine 94 ELERS MEMOIRS I gradually recovered, all owing to its astringent and nourishing properties. This certainly saved my life. These two bottles of wine fetched a large price, such was the scarcity of wine in general, but more particularly port, which is never tasted in India but as medicine. On my arrival before Seringapatam I found a new Lieutenant-Colonel appointed from the 74th Regiment, known in that regiment by the sobriquet of 'Old Sour Crout.' Never did man merit the name better. He was a zealous, brave old man, and looked like a gentleman, but nothing pleased him. He was an old officer, and his name was Robert Shawe. He often used to boast that the Honourable Colonel Wellesley was his subaltern when he commanded the light infantry of the 76th Regiment. He was certainly, without any exception, the most peevish, waspish, disagreeable old gentle- man I ever fell in with, and the most difficult to please. How happy I was to leave his tent when- ever my duty obliged me to come in contact with him! He had a rich Milesian brogue. A favourite phrase of his was : ' Sir, don't spake when 1 am spakiiig.^ What a contrast to poor dear Aston ! At this time I was very near getting a company by purchase. A company became vacant in England, and old Shawe gave out an order that those subal- terns wishing and able to purchase should send their names into the orderly-room. I knew I had the money in England, but the whole sum (^1,500) PURCHASING A COMPANY 95 must be placed down immediately. It so happened that my name appeared to be the first for purchase, and I believe the only one. Old Shawe sent for me, and said : ' I persave, sir, you are the first officer for purchase. Where is your money.'*' 'In England, sir.' ' That will not do ; it must be lodged at a house of agency in Madras.' 'Very well, sir.' So I returned to my tent and thought of all my friends in India. None struck me so likely as my kind friend Benjamin Torin at Madras. I wrote to him explaining my situation, and told him I had that sum in the iMiglish Funds, and if he would take my bills on his friend Mr. Hutchinson, and advance me the money, I .should be eternally obliged to him. By return of post he sent me the kindest answer, saying he had lodged the sum of ;^ 1,500 for me in the house of Harrington and Co. of Madras. There was in the regiment a very deserving young Irishman of the name of Eustace, and a favourite of Colonel Aston's, chiefly from the circum- stance of his having, when quite a boy, been very near taken prisoner by the French on the Continent, and defending a gun very gallantly and narrowly escaping from the French. Major Craigie requested Eustace to go to me and beg me to resign my right to the purchase, as Major Craigie would arrange the purchase for him. I did not like to take the advantage which I had over him under the peculiar circumstances, and I resigned my right in his favour. 96 ELERS MEMOIRS I did not get my company for four years after this, and then by purchase, and Captain Eustace got his majority and Lieutenant-Colonelcy in a few years after for nothing, which I should have had if I hat! insisted upon my right to purchase the company. Such is the lottery oi' our service. Writing o( lotteries puts ine in mind of my first cousin, Miss Debonnaire, who was intimate with a Jew. a stockbroker of the name of Ricardi\ and father of the celebrated rich financier, a man un- rivalled in his way in the House of Conmions, who acquired an immense fortune by his financial skill and s^ood manaq-ement. She desired old Ricardo to purchase her a ticket in the lottery, and told him he should have half oi it. The old man took one of his little sons with him, and told the boy to purchase a ticket while he sat in the carriage. The boy hatl several tickets to choose from. He selected one. and this ticket came up a £20,000 prize. Miss Debonnaire gave Ricardo the ^,10,000. besides making many handsome presents. The little boy got a watch-chain and seals, value fifty guineas, Lady Curtis a handsome new carriage, and she sent me / 100. She soon after married her cousin. William Tennant. Esq., a widower with one only son, with a good estate in Staffordshire called Little Aston Hall, worth £6,000 or £y,ooo per annum. This gentleman, notwithstanding his hue estate, was in want ot /, 10,000. and on her marriage she made him a present oi' that sum ; the rest oi' her fortune MRS. Ti\NNANT 97 was settled ujjon herself. She had also a joinlurr; <^^ Zy^JO per annum, which, considering he had but one son and his large; fortune, was a very inade- quate j^rovision for her, particularly after her liberal conduct to him u|)on their marriagf;. They spent th(; honeymoon at Bath, and their turn-(nit was in the best style — -nev(T less than four hors('S and two post-riders. Vf;ry few men w(;re better judges of a hor.s(; than Mrs. Tennant, and her taste in building carriages was perfect. She never had a carriage more than three years at the utmost. I loulditch, of Long Acre, used to build for my uncle and aunt, and also f<;r my cousin Nancy, as we used to call her. She afterwards patronized Windus, a City man. Uuring her stay in Ijath she went into a bookseller's shop, where she purchased another ticket, and this proved a prize of ^5,000. Her husband did not survive his marriage more than two years, and his son shortly after married the lion. Charlotte Pelham, daughter of Lord Yarborough^ with whom he got a fortune of not more than /^ 15,000 or ^20,000, which is all, I believe, he ever received, though his lordship's fortune was ;^i 20,000 per annum. ^ Young Tennant in his (^arly years was a delicate and sickly child. Had he died, all his estates would have reverted to my cousin, Mrs. Tennant. And she said if they had we should have been her heirs. About a month after the siege a poor child about ' 'I'he writer slightly exaggerates Lord Yarborough's income. 7 98 ELERS MEMOIRS ten years old, found in the fort in rags and poverty, was proved to be a lineal descendant of the Prince who formerly ruled over the Mysore country, who, many years before, had been deposed by Hyder and had had his country taken from him. The English Government took this favourable oppor- tunity of restoring this poor child to the musnud of his ancestors. The city of Mysore is distant from Seringapatam about ten miles, and our regiment was selected to preside over his inauguration. It is the custom to give presents on such ceremonies, and on this occasion I got a shawl ; so that in the space of one year I was present at the restoration of two Rajahs. The army broke up, and we were marked down for Bangalore, whither we marched, and encamped on the glacis of the fort. I drew a bill on England for ;^300, and my kind friend Mr. Torin honoured it. I believe the reason I did this was that the officers having their prize-money to spend and I having none, having missed the storm by three days only, I could not do as they did. For had we not awaited the arrival of Colonel Brown's detachment, Colonel Read, whom I belonged to, would have been in time for the storminof. It was considered a very hard case by all the army, and after keeping us from receiving it for years, it was at length granted to us ; but I did not receive it until the year 1807, and without one shilling interest, which was our due. There are a certain class of people with an army PRIZE-MONEY 99 called prize agents. There Is no doubt this interest found its way into their pockets. The sum I re- ceived was about ^430 ; a Captain received ;^8oo, a Major ^2,000, a Lieutenant-Colonel ^4,000, a Major-General ^12,000, and the Commander-in- Chief one-eighth of the whole prize-money captured. The idea at first was that every officer in the army had made at least from ;^ 10,000 to ^20,000. And even General Baird, whom I dined with, expressed his disappointment at receiving so small a sum as ;i^i 2,000. He expected at the very least ^100,000. The wealth captured was enormous, and consisted of all sorts of property from every Court in Europe. There was splendid china from the King of France, clocks, watches, shawls of immense value, trinkets, jewellery from all nations, pearls, rubies, diamonds and emeralds, and every other precious stone made up into ornaments — even solid wedges and bars of pure gold. A soldier offered me one for a bottle of brandy. Many of the officers received part of their prize-money in jewels at a fixed valuation. I saw an emerald in its rough and uncut state valued at ;^200. Many of our soldiers acquired by plunder what would have made them independent for life if properly managed. I heard that one of them soon after the storm staggered under as many pagodas as he could carry — to the amount, it was said, of ;^[ 0,000. A soldier of the 74th Regiment got the best prize, consisting of two pairs of the Sultan's armlets, composed of large diamonds of an oval JLofO. 7—2 loo ELERS MEMOIRS shape, each diamond as large as a full-grown Windsor bean. This man had been confined sick in the hospital, and had come out of the sick list in time to be at the storm. Soon after May 4 Dr. Pulteney Mein, the surgeon, was called out of his tent to speak to this man, who said to him : ' Your honour, I have got some large white stones, and a black fellow has offered me 1,500 rupees for them. If you will give me that sum for them they are yours.' Mein was a liberal, honest, but wary Scotchman. He knew the value of 1,500 rupees ; he was not so sure of these white stones. After some hesitation he said : ' Well, it's like purchasing in the lottery ; I will give you your price.' Rumours soon spread in the army of the prize which he had got, and an order was published by the Commander- in-Chief for all officers to give up their plunder for the general benefit of the captors, Mein tied these valuables up in a muslin handkerchief, and wore them next his skin for upwards of two years. Meer Allum, a Mahratta prince, offered him an enormous sum for them. However, he realized upwards of ^2,000 per annum, nothing near what he had been offered by the prince ; and he was generous enough to give the soldier an annuity of ^200, which the poor man did not live long to enjoy. I often have mused upon what trifles will turn the scale and have an influence upon our future fortunes. Had Colonel Wellesley been an obscure soldier of A NIGHT ATTACK loi fortune, he would have been brought to a court- martial, and perhaps received such a reprimand for bad management as might have induced him in disgust to have resigned His Majesty's service, whereby one of the greatest soldiers England ever had would have been lost to the country. But Colonel Wellesley, fortunately for himself and his country, was brother to the Governor-General of India, and that was enough to wipe away any neglect or bad management, if any existed ; but which, in Colonel Wellesley's case, I believe did not exist, and might have happened to any man, however experienced and vigilant. Within a short distance of Seringapatam a large wood or tope lay between the fort and our army. The enemy were strongly posted there, and it was necessary to dislodge them. Colonel Wellesley was ordered on this service with the 33rd Regiment and a regiment of native infantry. The Colonel that evening had dined with General Harris, and at night he proceeded to execute the orders he had received to drive the enemy out and take possession of it. The night was dark as pitch forward, and in the rear towards our camp the fires and lights burnt brilliantly, which increased the darkness in front. The force under the Colonel moved towards the wood cautiously and silently, when suddenly a fire from all directions was poured in upon them. ' Where's Colonel Wellesley ?' resounded on all sides, and the Colonel was nowhere to be found. I02 ELERS MEMOIRS The officers were trying to find the Colonel, and the Colonel vainly cndeavoiirinix to find them. All was confusion, and they were surrounded both by friends and enemies firing on each other. Colonel Wellesley. finding it iniiiossible from the utter darkness oi' the night to discern any object, and despairing from this ever to form his force together, returned to camp, and repaired to the dining tent of General Harris c)vercome witli despair at his failure. He eagerly inquired lor the General. One of the servants said : * Master, General Sahib, gone to sleep.' In a state of distraction Colonel Wellesley threw himself, with all his clothes on, ofi the table (at which a few hours before he had dined), awaiting the dawn of day. General Harris, having received the report oi this untoicard business, immediately called his staff, and General Baird was sent for to take the command of a new force to dislodge the enemy. Baird said : ' No ; Colonel Wellesley has failed, not through the want of skill or bravery, but from circumstances. He is a young man, and if I supersede him it may cast a slur on his future career as a military man. Let him have the command by daylight, and I will answer for it he will carry the wood and drive the enemy out as well as I can.' The command was given to Wellesley, and he achieved it, as Baird foretold. The night attack which was so unfortunate was on April 5 ; and on May 4 the fort was stormed, and General Baird commanded the storming party liAIRirS bUPi'.KSKSSION 103 and took possession of \.hc fori, whf-.rc h<: n;mainf;(] as commandinj( officftr for ahoul l<:n days. I r<:f:f:iv(;rl all thf; former pari of this iiarrativ; from the (Colonel's N.\)S\., C^aptain I Inches, of the 74th Regiment. With respect to the unjust affair of th<-. sii|j(;rs<'.ding jjoor iJaird in the command of Serinj^apatam, I hf:ard it from (.(;lfjnel Wf-.llesley's own slalemcnl, in thf; aj^artment of the jjalace, thft iJowlet Ha;^di, where the sc-jif. occurred. Colonel Wcllesley said, in his rapid manner of speakin;^ : ' I went df;wn to I5aird one moinin;^ early, and foimfl him at hreakfast with his staff. " CJencral liaird, I am appointed to the command of .Seringapatam, and here is the order (jf General Harris." Haird imme- diately rose, and addressing his staff, said : " Come, gentlemen, we have no Umger any business here." ' Wellc.slf;y said: 'Oh, pray (mish your breakfast.' This is all that Colonel Wftllesley told me ahout thi.s curious scene. vSome two yc.ars afterwards, upon Cjeneral Harris's ntiirn fiomc:, and on attending th(i IJuk(; of York at one of his levees at the Horse Guards, Harris, who was not very quick in a difficulty, was asked quickly and suddenly by the Huke : ' Pray, (Jeneral Harris, what reason had you for superseding General liaird in the command of Seringapatam and giving it to a junior officer V Poor Harris stammered, and was at a loss U)Y a rejJy, and the Duke turned his back upon him, and began a convf^rsation with some officers. ll;iving received my /300 for my bill from I04 Kl.KRS MKMOIKS Mr. l\irin. tlio tirsl ihini; I did \v;is to buy a charger — iMvalry saddle. Gibson's bit. holsters all complete — for which 1 paid .C ^ -O. My horse, which I bought oi' iny^ l^iptain W'oodall, cost /. lOO. ami mv pony I exchanj^inl with Pr. Cimpbell for Colonel Aston's duelling pistols, as //•< r involve no chari;e for main- tenance, and 1 saved the keep oi the pony, and they completed my cavalry ecjuipment. Mv charger was full 15 hands high, colour a very dark chestnut, a beautiful shoulder, high cresi. a hollow back, very blood-like racing hind-cjuarters. with a showv blood tail. llis ha\ing a hollow back was a b.ul j>t)ini. but when one was on his back with a cavalry saddle and being well thrown on his haunches, nothing could be more delightful and cMsy to ride. \\v had gre.it spirit, but was ot good temper. 1 Ictt Hangalore lor Madras in companv with An old officer who went b\- tlu- name of Corucn Kippeu. I suppose from his holding that rank so manv years, for at the time I knew him he was a Captain of native cavalrv. lie was uncouth in his manners, but sociable. And he used to entertain nu^ during our journey with \arious Indian anecdotes. 1 afterwanls heard one oi him and CuMieral H.iird laughable enough. Vhc Cornet was a man oi' \-ery great curiosity ; he happened one day to be in General Haird's tent when he was answering some letters he ^ l>y ' my ' Captain the author evidently refers to Captain A\ oodall's being in command of tlie I-ight Infantry Company to which he himself belonged (see p. 4rV Kn. A COBRA'S nVVK 105 had just received from Enj^land. 'I'urning^ suddenly- round, he saw the Cornet peeping over his shoulder r(;af]in^ them. All the reproof he gave him was : ' Mr. Kippen, here are others of a later date !' On f>ur march one morning we observed at a dis- tance a grouf> rjf natives digging at a mound of earth, and one of them kneeling df)wn ; and as wc came up to the man he very suddenly withdrew his hand, having been bitten in the finger by a snake. In the course of two or three minutes the man began to feel great pain and sickness. The natives tied a bandage very tight round his arm, and applied a small gray stone to the punctures in his finger. In a few minutes he was relieved from the pain, and in the course of half an hour the stone was taken off the wound, and the man declared he felt quite well. I purchased this stone of the natives, and they told me if we had any milk and put the stone into the milk, it would cause the milk to bubble up as though it werf; boil- ing. They pulled th(! snake out of the hole, and it proved to be; a large cobra de capello. I drew my sword to kill it, but they would not allow me. They said that the man bitten would die if I killed the snake. The natives of India never kill them, and they ar(' generally worshipped and [;n-,s(*rved. A melancholy accident happened in the gardens of the palace. A doctor named Scheltky be- longed to the Scotch Brigade. Dr. Campbell, of my regiment, and Dr. Scheltky had their tents pitched close together near the hospital. Dr. S. one io6 ELERS MEMOIRS night came into Dr. Campbell's tent nearly undressed to smoke a cijjar and chat for half an hour before going to bed. On his return Campbell heard the doctor cry out : ' I have either been hit by a stone on the leg or I have been bitten by a snake.' Camp- bell brought a light, and in one corner of the tent lay coiled up a large snake. Campbell got his gun and killed it. It was not a cobra, but was most beauti- fully marked with rings as far as the centre of the body, and it had a long tail gradually ending in a point. Poor Scheltky died in great pain three days afterwards. There are about forty-seven or fifty different species of snakes in the East Indies, of which not more than seven are venomous. The cobra de monil is reckoned by the natives as the most deadly. It is not more than a foot and a half long. The snake-snatchers are in great dread of this snake. My friend the Cornet parted from me about forty or fifty miles short of Madras, and I was left to pursue my journey with only my servants for company. I missed the Cornet very much. I passed one or two days in a choultry, confined to it by incessant rain, it being the very middle of the monsoon, and my entry into the fort of Madras was very inauspicious. Turning short round, through the Wallagah Gateway, my horse, from the slippery state of the roads, slipped down on all fours. Neither of us, very fortunately, received any hurt. I know not what took me into the fort, for there REJOINS REGIMENT 107 was only one tavern, and that, like all others, very bad and ruinously expensive. I went finally to one of the taverns in the Black Town ; I found out that they were dirty and expensive, and not very respect- able, only frequented by unfortunate midshipmen, who had no friends to receive them ashore, and who spent in two or three days' residence more than what their pay amounted to in twice as many months. So I went out to live at St. Thome, about two miles from Madras, close to the sea. And here I found Captains Crawford and Nixon of ours, and Captain Dalrymple of the 74th, all living together most comfortably in a fine house. So I was in no want of society. After living here till the beginning of January, my regiment had moved from Bangalore into the Carnatic, and had arrived at a station called Walla- jahbad, forty miles from Madras. I joined my regiment at this station, got into a good quarter, and found a good billiard-table, a good regimental library, and excellent shooting and hunting. The snipes are capital eating. A good shot will bring home thirty brace a day. I never killed more than seven brace ; but I was not a good shot. The exercise in the heat of the sun is very hard work indeed, and trying to the constitution. We had moderate drills and evening parades, and in the middle of the day we amused ourselves visiting each other's quarters and gossiping under the long verandas. We had also a very good mess. We io8 ELERS MEMOIRS spent our time very pleasantly. I bought a beautiful little pony, so that I now had a good charger, and the pony was so quiet that I could shoot oft his back. Our regiment received orders about j une to march to Poonamallee, about fifteen miles from Madras, there to remain till further orders. It was reported that it was destined to go on an expedition to Batavia. I was first for detachment, and I was ordered to remain at VVallajahbad with the sick men, about fifty in number, and a guard of about twenty or thirty men, together with the assistant- surgeon. Dr, Erskine. and a sick officer, Lieu- tenant Langford. This poor man had only dined with us twice, when he took to his bed and died. I saw him when dead. He looked sad and sorrowful, dift'erent from Winstone, who had the most stern expression of feature, or from poor Colonel Aston, who looked as if he were asleep with a sweet smile. I buried this poor man by reading the Burial Service over him and firing three volleys over the grave. I had this melancholy office to perform over several of the soldiers. I found myself very dull here, separated from my regiment, though it was a source of great profit to me, as I made a considerable sum from the bazaar, from my situation as commanding officer over seventy or eighty men. CHAPTER VIII Colonel Harcourt — Lieutenant Price broken — Cotiote expedition — An engagement — Jungle fever — Talatcheri — With Colonel Wellesley from Cannanore — -A dangerous journey — A strange accident— The Rajah of Coorg — At Seringapatam with Wellesley — Hunting with cheetahs — A court-martial — Wellesley's gallantries. At length I received my orders to join, with all the sick, the headquarters of the regiment at Poonamallee, and there I heard to my great joy that old Sour Grout's appointment to our regiment was not approved of at home, and that he was to go back to his own corps, the 74th, and also that we might expect a fine young man to join us, a Lieutenant- Colonel George William Richard Harcourt,^ whose kind and amiable manners were to restore harmony and good-humour to the corps after poor Aston's melancholy business. In a very short time Colonel Harcourt arrived from England, bringing with him both officers and men for the regiment. He was a tall, thin young man of about twenty-eight years of age, with a pale face, slight and elegantly turned ^ George William Richard Harcourt, younger son of John Harcourt, of Ankerwyke, County Bucks. A Major-General in the Army ; died unmarried. [ 109 ] no M.l'RS Ml.MOlRS fii^uro. small aquiliiio noso. larvae whiskors and lii:;lu brown hair, wiihoui poxwUM'. Mis manners wiMi- portocily polislu\l. anJ ho soonu\l ui sa\ : ' 1 am como to mako \ ou all li.ippy aiul hoal all your dilToivncos.' llo had commanded [\\c .|oth Ko^^i- mont in tho Wost Indies, vind had boon wounvlod sovorolv somo short timo btMoro. llo broui;hl oul with him a voiing man as a sorvani, to whom \\c was much attaciiod. llo also brought out a fashion able curricle, which 1 sold for him two n ears later to Colonel WellesloN . lie arri\ed with plate, books, and exervthin^ in the best possible style. 1 was one ot" the hrst ofticers ot" the regiment he saw. and he seemed pleased with mv stud and paid me son\e compliments upon mv riding. We were all highly delighted with our new and voimg Colonel, and so ho appeared with us. \\\> were soon aitt r. to our great ai\novance. divided. Two companies werc> sent to sea, supj^osed destined, in companv with other troo['>s, tor Ivuax ia. and three lUlua' compai\ies were sent tv^ the southward, under Major Picton, against some turbuleiU Polygar Rajahs. The remaining" five companies with Colonel llarcourt. the tlank companvs band and colours, niarcluul t<> the Mysore countr\-. We had a \ery pleasant march through the C«\rnatic, and we kej^t up our mess until we arrived at the Ghauts, when it was too much trouble and diUicuhv tor our mess men to carry it on turther. and then W(.^ divii.led ourselves into small mess parties, and [iro\ ided tor oLH\selves AN (jlhlU'M {ikOKI'.N iii as wf.II as wf. could. iMy brother sub., Robert Sale, now a Colonel in the 13th Regiment, messed with me, and Colonel Harcourt and Captain Nixon and Crawford messed together, and they often gave us capital dinners and breakfasts. Duriii;^ ()\ir niareh, after we h;i.d entered the Mysorr: f.f^untry, an unfortunate disj^ute took place between a Lieutenant Price and Captain Nixon. I do not know the origin of the quarrel, but Price was a hot-headed young Irishman, and committed him- se;lf in a way that obliged Colonel Harcourt to jjut him und';r arrest. And he was in this situa- tion when Colonel Wellesley happened to come across us on his march down to the Carnatic, he being ajjpointed to proceed with troops destined to join Sir Ralph Abercromby in Egypt. Colonel Wellesley, who then commanded the troops in Mysfjre, gavrt f orders that a general court-martial shrjuld assemble for the trial of Lieutenant Price, and, poor fellow, he was broke. It was a most distressing sight seeing him every day riding with- out his sword, and, after the .sentence, deprived of his two epaulettes, being a Lieutenant of Grenadiers. All this scenft was distressing to Colonel Harcourt, but he was obliged to report what had taken place, with so unpleasant a result. This made Captain Nixon very unpopular with a few of the junior part of the regiment, and there was a hot young Irish assistant - surgeon, a Mr. Washington Price (no relation to the officer of that name who had been 112 I'lJ'.RS mi<:moirs broko), who was parlicularly violtMU against Nixon. A fierce quarrel broke out many nionllis after at Seringapatani. which ended in a duel at W'arriore, near rrichinopoli. in the Carnaiic. AlliM' marching lor some tinu^ about the Mysore ccnintry. w t,' werc> ordered to prociwl to ScM'ino.ipatam pre\ iousK to an armv ol about 5,000 n\c\\ beinj^ tornu\l under the command oi Colonel Stephenson, o( the Madras Cavalry, to proceed to the Cotiote country against the Raj.ih of that name. The army was divided into three brigades. Colonel llarcourt commandt.\l <>nc^ o[ them. C^^ur \\yc comi\ii\ies and the 7;ih Regiment were the iMrst Hriga^le. ami 1 was appointi\l Colonel Ilarcourt's lirigade- Major. The Cotiote country lies distant. I should supi>ose, from Seringapatam about sixty to eighty miles due west, and between it and Mysore lies a small territory called Coorg. the Rajah oi' which has tf'. the [pioneers wen; constantly einjjloyed, and (jur jjnjgress was very slow, nr^t more tlian a mile, or at most two miles an hour. A broad and rapid river ran on our I'Tt, and we could not sec,, from the thickness of the jungle, more than a few yards from our flanks. It was on January 9, 1801, that we, commenced hostilities. The road took a sharp turn to the left, and brcKjght us n(;arly in front and in view of this rapid and dee[; river, tlie name of which I forget, when from the opposite banks the enemy opened his fire from the tops of the trees upon our advanced guard, which was supjjorted by the Grenadiers of the I 2th ReginKtnt. We could not s(;e a man, but could j)erceive the fire from the toj> of the trees. Some of tlu; (jrf:nadiers |>lunged into the stream, but were obliged to return for fear of bf:ing drowned. We poured in platoon after platoon upon them, but could make no impression until we brought up a gun, and the juice of the grape by degrees silenced them. We did not lose many men, considering. I saw two of our Grenadiers lying lifeless, being .shot through the head, and several others lying dead. Colonel llarcourt took it very coolly, as he was accustomed to engageme,nts, laughing and taking his snuff as usual. As f(jr myself, I was very well content when it was all over and the rascals fairly off Our loss was very inconsiderable, not above thirty men altogether. 8 114 ELERS MEMOIRS On this march we established a strong- post on halting, and built a strong stockade there. The j30st and village were called Manantaudi. Here we remained three weeks, sending out strong parties to scour the country, and we used to have a good deal of bush fighting, and the natives used to fire at us from behind trees. One man of my company was shot through the lungs in this way ; the ball entered his chest and out at his back. The poor fellow died in the course of the night. He was close to me when he was shot. I had been with the army about three or four months upon this service when, in crossing a river one day, I suddenly got into deep water and fell in over head and ears. I was very hot at the time, and the next day I had a regular attack of what they call jungle fever. We had nearly effected our object. The enemy tied in all directions, and there was scarcely a man to be seen. Our men got sickly from this unwholesome country, where the sun never penetrated, and the miasma arising from the rotting vegetation proved very prejudicial to their health. We were, therefore, expecting every hour to receive orders to march and do the garrison duty of Seringapatam. We were not above forty miles from a place on the coast of Malabar called Talatcheri. And to this place I went for change of air. I found here a Mr. Waddell, of the Bombay Civil Service, who very kindly showed both myself, Colonel Harcourt, and Captain Crawford much COLONEL WELLESLEY 115 hospitable attention. These two onjy remained here a clay or two, when they returned to the regiment, leaving me to stay a few days more for the benefit of the sea-breeze. We had a Captain Macleod lately appointed to us, an old officer in bad health, living at Talatcheri. I called upon him, and saw a most beautiful Arab horse tied up in his yard. I fell in love with him, and Captain Macleod agreed to accept in exchange for this Arab a very handsome mare of mine, which I had bought of an officer of the 19th Light Dragoons, and for which I had paid 100 pagodas ; I also paid Captain Macleod about 70 pagodas extra. This Arab had a most beautiful head, a large dark eye like an antelope ; he was a silver-gray, with a dark mane, and long square tail of the same colour. He had broken knees, and was very apt to trip, but he was the quietest creature in the world. Often have I laid down by his side at night when he has been sleep- ing. He was just 14*2. This horse afterwards proved a little fortune to me. Colonel Wellesley having been superseded in command of the Indian force for Egypt by General Baird at Bombay, by order, I believe, of his brother at Calcutta, landed either at Talatcheri or Cannanore, attended by his A.D.C., Captain West, of the 33rd Regiment, and his Persian interpreter, Major Ogg, of the Com- pany's service. I saw him, and he said to me : ' Elers, I think it will be better for you to accom- pany me to Seringapatam, where I shall go directly, 8-— 2 ii6 ELERS MEMOIRS and where your regiment will follow to be stationed there, and you can live with me until they arrive.' I thanked him, and I joined him at Cannanore. I had with me my horses, servants, baggage, and camp equipage. Colonel Wellesley's health at this time was not very good. He had had a touch of the jungle fever in the Bullum country, and I believe at Bombay a violent eruption came out all over his body ; but when I saw him he was getting convalescent, but was rather subject to slight touches of fever and ague. No one but those who have experienced these attacks are sensible how they undermine the constitution. They will turn a young man's hair gray very soon. I was but twenty-four years old when my favourite servant Francis, a Portuguese Christian, said : ' Master getting quite old gentle- man. I see two, three, four gray hairs.' I said : * Pull them out, you rascal.' ' Oh no, master ; me pull out, tousa7td come.' Colonel Wellesley was just thirty-two, and I saw some about his temples mixed with his fine crop of light-brown hair. Colonel Wellesley had a magnificent tent to dine in. the largest I ever saw. It took thirty Lascars to raise it. When we left Cannanore we had only a guard of six troopers ; between us and our friend the Coorga Rajah's country lay part of our enemy's, the Cotiote country. Colonel Wellesley and I dashed on to- gether first, unaccompanied by his staff or the A PERILOUS RIDE 117 troopers, when he observed to me : * Now, Elers, if we are taken prisoners, I shall be hancred as being brother to the Governor-General, and you will be hanged for being found in bad company.' We had not to go above thirty miles, when we safely reached the territory of the Coorga Rajah. I felt my mind much relieved, for, notwithstanding the joking way in which the Colonel treated it, we should most assuredly have been put to death ; and in that case he would never have fought the Battle of Waterloo, or I recounted my adventures. Before I entirely take leave of this part of the Malabar coast, I must relate an accident that hap- pened to a man of the 77th Regiment. From the confined nature of the ground, overrun with jungle, it was difficult to find a vacant spot to pitch a tent, and there was no regularity in the pitching of the tents, officers' and privates' being close together. One day I was in Colonel Harcourt's tent, when a shot whizzed close by us. I ran out, thinking we were surprised ; but on inquiry I found that the armourers' forge of the 77th Regiment was pitched together with a tent where some tailors of the same regiment were at work close together. One of the armourers had a pistol to repair for an officer, and he, not aware that it was loaded, put it into the fire. It exploded, and the ball entered the temple of an unlucky tailor sitting at work in the next tent. It went in at one temple and out at the opposite ; but the poor tailor recovered from this extraordinary ii8 ELERS MEMOIRS wound, and I saw him alive and well six months after, but with the loss of both his eyes. On the night we arrived in the country of the Coorga Rajah we were sitting drinking our wine after dinner, congratulating ourselves that we had arrived there, when, looking through the tent doors, we saw the forest suddenly illuminated with torches, and many men carrying all sorts of game on bamboos. This was a present from the Rajah of Coorg to Colonel Wellesley, giving him a very small specimen of his day's sport, and hoping that he would spend a few days with him, as he was hunting his country. Among the specimens of the game sent were eleven elephants' tails, cut off that day ; a large snake ; a boa-constrictor, i6 feet in length, lashed to a long bamboo, and carried by six or seven coolies ; cheetahs, tigers, foxes, jackals, etc., and three immense carp. The Rajah had an annual hunt, and we happened to arrive on his hunting day. He sent his salaam, and said he should next day come and pay his respects to the Colonel. The next morning he sent two of his tents, and they were pitched close to ours. They were red and green striped. He also sent chess and backgammon boards of the handsomest sort, inlaid with ebony and ivory, and the chessmen of the finest kind, carved in ivory, with rose-water, betel, etc. The Rajah arrived soon after breakfast, preceded by a guard of about one hundred men, clothed in THE RAJAH OF COORG 119 green, and armed with bows and arrows, the Rajah himself mounted on a charger, with English boots and pantaloons, the rest of his dress Eastern. He was a man of middle age, and spoke a little English. The two chiefs got off their horses, and immediately embraced three distinct times. They then retired to their tents and conversed in Persian, Major Ogg acting as interpreter. In one part of the conversa- tion I admired Colonel Wellesley's quickness in detecting Major Ogg giving an erroneous inter- pretation to a speech of his to the Rajah. The Colonel was clever in quickly acquiring languages, but spoke none very correctly, and I believe this applies to his Spanish and Portuguese at the present time. The poor Rajah urged that he had ever been faithful to the English, his country and revenue small, that the Company took from him by way of kist 5,000 pagodas annually, and he wished the Colonel to intercede for him with the Governor- General to remit it altogether, which the Colonel, to the great joy of the Rajah, promised to do. He pressed the Colonel to spend a few days hunting with him, but the Colonel told him he was most anxious to arrive at Seringapatam, but he promised him he would visit him at a more favourable opportunity. They parted with mutual expressions of goodwill and friendship, and Colonel Wellesley, wishing to make him a present according to Eastern custom, was much puzzled what to give him, not being prepared. He gave him a handsome English 120 EI.ERS MEMOIRS ritie, which the Rajah was much pleased with, and said would be of L^reat use to him on his luintino excursions. Colonel Wellesley was so anxious to arrixe at ihe fort thai the two or lliree last nKuxhes were so lon^; and iMj^id that my servants and baggage were left behind, and I arrived at Seringapatam at the palace of the Dowlet Bagh without a single suit oi' clean clothes. He desired his head servant, an old fellow o\ the name oi X'ingetty. to give me w hatever oi his clothes I wanted, such as shirts, trousers and waistcoats, which fitted me verv well. and. above all. he ordered him to give me a good room and cot to sleep on. It was a back-room, and looked into the gardens of the palace. I was much pleased to lie down and recover from the fatigue I had gone through, for I was nearl)" knocked uy> lvo\u following the great man in his rapid movements. When the dinner-hour arrived he placed me on his left hand, and said : ' That is your place ;' and there I sat every day for the next three months. We sat in the centre of the table, his A. D.C.. Captain West, at the top oi' the table, and Captain Barclay, the Deputy Adjutant-General, at the bottom. This comprised the family, but there were always other officers, guests, altogether from eight to a dozen, every day. Colonel Wellesley kept a plain but good table. He had a very good appetite, and his favourite dish was a roast saddle of mutton and salad. This dish was placed opposite to him, and COLONEL WELLKSLEY'S TABLE-TALK 1 2 1 he generally made his dinner off it. He was very abstemious with wine ; drank four or five glasses with people at dinner, and about a pint of claret after. He was very even in his temper, laughing and joking with those he liked, speaking in his quick way, and dwelling particularly upon the few (^at that time) situations he had been placed in before the enemy, the arrangements he had made, and their fortunate results, all of which were applauded by his staff, who had shared in the glory and peril. This generally formed tlie topic of conversation after dinner. He was particularly severe upon any neglect of the commissariat department, and openly declared that, if he commanded an army, he should not hesitate to hang a Com^nissary for any derelic- tion of duty. He was very apprehensive of being superseded in his command of Mysore ; and when a General F"razer of the King's service had at that time just landed in India, he was apprehensive he might take his command from him. He said : ' We want no Major- Generals in Mysore.' I remember one day, on our march from Can- nanore, he received an overland despatch from I^ngland. The chief item of intelligence was that the Earl of Mornington, then Marquess of Wellesley, had received a pension of ;^5,ooo a year for his services and judicious arrangements with respect to the war with Tippoo Sahib. The next was a brevet giving the old Colonels the step of Major-Generals. He was all hope and animation. ' Do you happen 122 ELERS MEMOIRS to have an Army List. F.lers ?' I said 'Yes,' and I ran to my tent and fetched it for him, saying : ' 1 am sorry to tell you. Colonel, it does not include you as a Major-General. You are within about live or six. oi it.' He said sorrowfully : ' u1/y /lij^/iest ambi- tion is to be a Jfa/or-Crt'/ura/ in His Majesty's service.' This was uttered to me in May. iSoi. Fourteen years afterwards he had fought the Battle o\' Waterloo, conquered Bonaparte, was a Prince, a Duke, a Knight of the Garter. Grand Cross of the Bath, a Grandee of Spain, and a Grand Cross of. 1 believe, i^vtu-v order ot knighthood in luu'ope. His humble friend. I, lieorge Elers. at that time took his hand and said to comfort him : ' Never mind. Colonel ; the next brevet must bring you in, and in a few days you will have the command ot Seringapatam, where honour and wealth attend on you !' A few days after our coming to Seringapatam arrived rather a pretty cUid lively woman, a Mrs. Stephenson, the wife oi Colonel Stephenson, awaiting her husband's arrival from the Cotiote country. With his usual gallantry and politeness to the fair, apartments were assigned to the lady by the Colonel, and she made for some time a very pleasant addition to our circle. I used to go out sometimes with the Colonel on his elephant. He had a very handsome how- dah to it, and the elephant was entirely covered over with supertine scarlet cloth, hanging within CHKPTAH HUNTING 123 two f('f;t of the ^rounc]. I think thf- howdah was a present frfjm Colonel Close, of the Com- pany's service. When Colonel Wellesley was first appointed to the command of Seringapatam, Tip- ])()() Sahib's hunting' establishment was found in the fort, and thf-. Colonel wrote to Government about it. 'J he Government did not wish to be at the expense of keeping it up, and Colonel Wellesley kept them at his own charge. They consisted of several leopards and cheetahs, with their keepers, regularly trained for the purpose of hunting the antelope on the plains of Seringapatam. It is very well to see it once, but it is poor sport. 'I'he company go out on elephants and on horseback. The cheetahs are placed with their keepers on what are called hackerries, or small open carts drawn by bullocks ; they are hoodwinked and ready to be let slip when a herd of deer appear. The antelope is a very shy animal, and will not allow you to approach nearer than some two hundred yards. This having been accomplished, the hackerries stop, and the man takes the bandage off the cheetah's eyes. He leaps like a cat upon the ground, and sinks down upon his belly, wagging his tail. He fixes his eyes upon one particular deer, steals along for thirty or forty paces, and then crouches down. After doing this two or three times the herd take themselves off full gallop, all but one unfortunate, whose eyes have been fascinated by the cheetah. He endeavours to escape ; he makes a feeble effort, when the cheetah 124 ELERS MEMOIRS in a few bounds overtakes him and fastens upon him. The keeper runs up, throws the winkers over the cheetah's eyes, and preserves the antelope from being eaten up ; but Hfe is extinct. He takes out a knife, and, extracting the entrails, they are given to the cheetah as a reward for his pains. All the motions of a cheetah are exactly like those of a cat upon a lawn springing after birds. We had a billiard-table at the palace, and I used to play sometimes with Captain West. I once remember playing two games with Colonel Wellesley, in both of which I beat him. We used to get up early in the morning and attend the garrison parade, and Colonel Wellesley used, of course, to be saluted by the Guards as they marched off. His dress iit this time consisted of a /ou^ coat, the uniform of the 33rd Regiment, a cocked hat, white pantaloons, Hessian boots and spurs, and a large sabre, the handle solid silver, and the mounting of the scabbard of the same metal, but all gilt. He never wore powder, though it was at that time the regula- tion to do so. His hair was cropped close. I have heard him say he was convinced the wearing of hair powder was very prejudicial to health as impeding the perspiration, and he was doubtless right. Major Woodall joined our regiment about this time, bringing up with him a lady he had lately married •} she was a Miss Cochrane, a natural ^ Janet, widow of Major Thomas Woodall, of the 12th Regi- ment, married, June 8, 1S07, Sir George Tuite, Bart. A COURT-MARTIAL 125 daughter of the Earl of Dundonald, and now married to Sir George Tuite, Baronet. About this time an unpleasant business took place at Seringapatam, which obliged Colonel Wellesley to act as prosecutor at a General Court-Martial ordered to take place at Seringapatam upon three officers of the artillery of the Company's Service — viz., Lieutenant-Colonel Saxon, Lieutenant-Colonel Mandeville, and Captain Macintire. I believe the whole court-martial was composed of field officers drawn from all parts of the coast. I remember one, Colonel the Hon. G. St. John, and there were some field officers of the 84th and 86th. It made an addition to our dinner-table, but all the day the Colonel was occupied from ten o'clock until four at the court, and I saw little of him. The trials lasted a month, and the Colonel executed this unpleasant duty with all that tact and judgment which has so much distinguished him in after-times of much greater difficulty and importance. The charges laid to these officers were peculation and defrauding the Company at the arsenal of bell metal, etc., to a large amount. They were all sentenced to be dismissed the Service and sent home immediately. I was very sorry for the fate of poor old Saxon ; he had, I believe, risen from the ranks. Poor devil ! he had dined at the Colonel's table but a few days before he was put under arrest, little thinking what was so soon to happen to him. An officer by the name of F , of the 126 ELERS MEMOIRS artillery, was appointed to Captain Macintire's post bringing- with him a very young and rather prettx woman for his wife. Colonel Wellesley had at that time a very susceptible heart, particularly towards, I am sorry to say, married ladies, and his pointed attention to this lady gave offence to, not her husband, but to the aide-de-camp, who considered it hiohlv immoral and indecorous, and a coolness took place between West and the Colonel, and they did not speak all the remaining time I lived with the Colonel. Lady Tuite, then Mrs. Woodall, interfered in the same officious way, which the Colonel did not forget ; for in after-times, upon meeting him at a large party, when she held out her hand to shake hands with him, he put both his hands behind his back and made her a low bow. For my own part, I abhor the seduction of innocent girls, and think it wrong to intrigue with married women ; but if I witness anything going on between two people, and the husbafid does not see or choose to take notice of it, I think none but a father or a brother has a right to interfere. You are sure to get into a scrape and make enemies of all parties. And as for Colonel Wellesley, he never in these matters interfered with others, but, on the contrary, once kindly assisted me in a little affair of gallantry I had, but not with a married woman. But this was in a spirit of gratitude, I having assisted him on a like occasion. The Colonel, in after-life, proved most grateful to the lady, and provided by his interest for some of her children. CHAPTER IX A riding wager — Trichinopoli — Racing — A duel — Gets his captaincy — Losses in the Funds — Colonel Brown — Pondi- cherri — Adventure with a cobra. Having lived with the Colonel for about three months, and my regiment having established a good mess in the fort, I told him that if he would provide me with a good house I would not trespass on his hospitality farther. He gave me a good quarter, consisting of three rooms and offices for my servants and stables for my horses. I used to wait upon him occasionally with the report of the main guard, and at other times used to go uninvited to breakfast with him, when he invariably said, in his quick way : ' Elers, will you dine here to-day ?' I am sure he could not say I ever refused him. About this time, September, 1801, my friends Colonel Harcourt and Captain Crawford procured permission to visit Calcutta, the former to see his old friend the Marquess of Wellesley, and Captain Crawford on a trip of pleasure and curiosity. The Colonel had left the regiment but a short time when, about the beginning of October, we received orders to proceed to the Carnatic, to a station called [ 127 ] 128 ELERS MEMOIRS Trichinopoli. about two hundred miles south of Madras. Just previously to this I sold Colonel Wellesley the curricle Colonel Harcourt brought from England, and he was quite pleased with his purchase. He soon got a pair of horses to run In it. He said it was a much safer conveyance than a buggy, for where two horses could go, the wheels could follow. One night at the mess, just before we left Seringapatam, the conversation turned upon the powers of English horses on long journeys. I said I could ride my Arab horse fifty miles for three days in succession, even in that climate. My friend Sale offered to bet me 500 pagodas I could not do it. I laid the wager, and was to do it exactly one ivcck after our arrival at Trichinopoli. Having made the wager tJiis %vay, I made it very much against myself; but I finally overcame all difficulties, and won my wager with great ease. In the first place, it was the very height of the monsoon, raining sheets of water. I took my horse under the cover of my own tent during the night, and in the day he was, like his master, obliged to rough it. The pass — that is, the descent from the Ghauts down into the Carnatic — was full of sharp rocks, and there was great danger of laming my horse, besides either of us falling sick. However, we arrived all safe, and I got a piece of ground marked out all round a most extensive cantonment, measuring exactly six miles, and had my grooms ready to rub down, with water, etc., all ready, and I started one morning at one a.m. TRICHINOPOLI 129 and finished my first fifty miles with ease by five o'clock in the afternoon. In short, I completed my task with great ease and won my wager. On arriving at Trichinopoli, which is situated at the foot of an immense rock, we were placed in cantonments about a mile from the fort, at a place called Warriore. I found Major Picton here with the three companies that had been on service to the southward among the refractory Polygars, and also the two companies that had been to sea, to the east- ward, where they had gone as far as Batavia. We were all very happy to see each other again. About this time I heard from Colonel Harcourt, who said that he and Crawford were well and very happy, and were living with the Governor-General ; they were then to take a trip up the country, many hundred miles from Calcutta, visiting the upper provinces of Bengal. Major-General Brydges, a Company's officer commanding the Southern Division of the army, lived in the vicinity of Trichinopoli ; also an old gentleman of the name of Darke, formerly very rich, and to whom the Nabob of Arcot was indebted for many lakhs of rupees. He had one only daughter,^ married to General Floyd, who had been long stationed here in command of the 19th Light Dragoons. By this lady he had Julia, married to the great statesman, the present Sir Robert Peel, Bart. Captain Prescot, 1 Rebecca Juliana, daughter of Charles Darke of Madras. Married, January 29, 177 1, Sir John Floyd, Bart. 9 I JO ELERS MEMOIRS of the Artillery ; William Hawkins. Esq., of the Civil Service ; Colonel Browne, the officer command- ing the detachment proceeding to Sering-apatam ; Major Lennon and wife : Wallace and wife, a French lady, the former a civilian ; and Mr. Irwin and lady. his assistant, besides several other officers and their ladies, so that we had a very good society, and used to get up subscription balls that were very well attended. But our o;rand effort was establishingr some subscription races, and Captain l.aing. ot the Company's service, and Lieutenant King, oi ours, were the chief promoters oi some races here that wouki have done credit to anv town in E no-land. The General commanding set a good example by his liberal subscription, as also Mr. Hawkins, and all the officers composing the garrison. We collected a sum sufficient to give amusement for three days, with public breakfasts, ball, etc. The first day a plate of /" i oo was run for between Captain Laing's bay Arab, Little Jem ; Mr. Irwin's l^ragon, a bay Arab ; and Lieutenant Elers' gray Arab. Aboukir — two-mile heats. This was allowed to be one of the finest races ever run. I rode my favourite gray, and had never ridden a regular race before. The other two horses were ridden by men of the regiment who had been professed jockeys. The first heat I lost by not more than a head, and the second heat I won by the same distance. These heats were contested with Little Jem. The third horse, Mr. Irwin's, had no chance. Everyone HORSE-RACING 131 thought I was certain of winning. But I was very much exhausted, for my horse evinced, particularly in the second heat, a disposition to bolt, and I could scarcely keep him on the course, particularly within a few hundred yards of the winning--post, which was the more provoking. We went off for the third heat, and I evidently had it all my own way until I came to a certain spot ; 1 was at least six or seven lengths before Little Jem when my hands got cramped, my reins relaxed, and my horse swerved from the course, and Little Jem, I had the mortification to see, passed me in a canter and won the race. The owner of the third horse, Dragon, who, I believe, was distanced the second heat, came up to me and gave me a challenge to run the next day for a thousand pagodas, and said he merely lost the race by the badness of his jockey. I said * Done !' and it was settled to be run the next day. I well knew the great superiority of my horse, and that I only lost the race from the cramp I got in my hand. But to make this race certain I went immedi- ately to the man who rode Little Jem, and secured him to ride for me. The next day, just as the horses were saddling, Mr. Irwin began to quake, and he begged me to let the stake be only for one-half of the original bet. I did not like to take any advantage, and consented. I won the race with the greatest ease ; and on the third day I won with the same horse a handsome cup of /50, which I brought to the mess. It held 9—2 132 ELKRS MEMOIRS eight quart biHtlos. It was emptied several times on that night in honour ot' Aboukir. After the races we had an elegant breakfast, and afterwards dancing ; and we had amusements for the men. such as jumping in sacks and running after a pig with his tail soaj>ed. .And on the retirement oi the ladies we concluded the sports oi the day with chicken hazard. I won more rupees that day than I could well carry home, but which, as I recollect. I contrived to do. walking in the heat of the sun. as I had no conveyance. This was the happiest week 1 ever passed in India; everything seemed to prosper with me. I lived in the same quarter with Colonel Picton, and used always to breakfast with him. In the middle of the ciay we used to drive to the fort oi' Trichinopoli. where Mr. Hawkins had a capital house, a good billiard- table, good tiffins, and the house always full oi pleasant people. Among others was a worthy old man by name Peter Key ; he was a gray-headed, retired old Captain of Native Infantry. He came out for the second time with us in the same fleet, and used to call us ' his boys.' He lived a great deal with Mr. Hawkins. Mr. H. was a crood man. a great oddity, but much respected. He was an Irishman, and a brother to Adniiral Whitshed. and son to the late Bishop of Raphoe. About this time an unpleasant afl"air took place between Assistant-Surgeon Washington Price and Captain Nixon, arising from a quarrel which took A DUEL 133 place some months before at Seringapatam, Nixon came to me anrl borrowed my pistols, the brace that were Colonel Aston's. Mr. Price and he met, and Captain Nixon's shot took effect in the fleshy part of Price's hand, hit the stock of his pistol, and the ball lodged near the top of the arm and was cut out directly. And there the business ended. Captain Nixon soon after obtained leave and went home. We had not been at Warriore above six months when the regiment was moved to the barracks and cantonments formerly occupied by the 19th Light Dragoons on Trichinopoli plain, a short distance only from Warriore. There were no barracks for the officers, but they lived in detached bungalows wherever they could get them. Mr. Hawkins lent me a capital house and gardens of his called Belfont, something more than a quarter of a mile from the barracks and the same distance from the mess-room. But I had plenty of horses and a chaise. I think I had five horses at this time. One of them was a Pegu pony, black as jet, the most beautiful creature I ever .saw. He was one of three that Major Woodall brought from Pegu with him. He cost me a large price. I used always to ride him to parade, and at night he was always sent for me to the mess- room to bring me home. About this time poor Major Woodall left us sick for Madras. I bought a very pretty portable library from him, consisting of Bell's Plays and others, about sixty or seventy volumes, enclosed in wooden 134 ELERS MEMOIRS cases, with locks and keys, tliat shut up for travelling, besides a good deal of furniture, etc. Poor fellow ! he died shortly after at Madras. About this time (June, 1802) I received a letter from Colonel Harcourt, telling me he Was on his way overland to England with despatches of great im- portance from the Governor-General, and that I should see him back very shortly. He went, and did not remain in England more than three weeks. It was about three months after this that I received a kind letter from Colonel W^ellesley^ to say he had written to Mr. North, the Governor of Ceylon, to procure me a company in some Malay corps raised for His Majesty's service in the island of Ceylon, but that he had not received any answer. Colonel W^ellesley strongly recommended me to apply to my friend Colonel Harcourt to use his inHuence with the Governor-General for that purpose. I think there was a coolness between Colonel Wellesley and his brother the Marquess at that time, or I think he would have applied to him himself in my favour. Soon after this Major Picton, as commanding officer, received the intelligence that Captain Hast- ings Frazer had got promoted out of our regiment at home, and that his company was for sale. At this time I had three or four Lieutenants senior to me, among others one of the name of Cavendish, a distant relation of the Duke of Devonshire, and a connection of Lord William Bentinck, the Governor ' See p. 270. — Ed. PROMOTED CAPTAIN 135 of Madras. Poor Cavendish went down to Madras and endeavoured to interest his lordship in his favour, but without success. I cannot account for it, for Lord WiUiam I ever found very kind and ol)h";^ing to me as far as hospitality went. However, this company was kept vacant for some months to give Cavendish the chance of procuring the money, which was not acting fairly towards me, as I ought to have been a Captain of the early part of 1802 instead of May, 1803. I should have got the rank of a Brevet-Major before I quitted the Service if I had been a captain of 1802. Major Picton at length was obliged to forward my name to General Lake on May 6, 1803, ^^^^ "^Y promotion to the vacant company. At this time the Bengal army, under General Lake, was most actively employed in the great Mahratta war against Holkar, while General Wellesley was as much engaged against the other chieftain Scindiah, in the north-west part of India. General Lake was so much engaged that from the time my recommendation went off, the first week in May, we had no promotions published until the last week in November, when at length, to my great joy, I found myself in orders as a Captain in the 1 2th Regiment. I had reduced my little fortune very considerably, when I gave Mr, Hutchinson the most positive orders to sell out of the Pounds all the stock I had in the three per cents, I think it was just previous to the peace, or perhaps just after war was again 136 KLERS MEMOIRS declared, and when the people were threatened with invasion. However, the stocks, the three per cents, were down to 4S, and I believe they never were lower, and this reduced my little fortune nearly one- half. So I was determined, directly my recom- mendation went oil' for my promotion, that 1 would live with the greatest economy. 1 sold off my stud, in the first place, bu^^y, horse and harness, and dis- charged my Hookah Bedar. and lived very quietly at the mess. I still kept up a good tiffin and plenty of negus, called sangaree, for any officers that would call upon me. In tlie course of seven months I had saved considerably more than two hundred pounds, and continued to do so for some time. I asked leave to visit the coast about this time, and 1 went to Negapatam. and on my return called for a few days on a Captain Blackburne, the military resident at Tanjore. He had a good billiard-table, and played well. I found a Brahmin here who professed to paint miniatures, and I sat to him, and sent home the picture and a gold Frichinopoli chain as a present to my cousin, Mrs. Tennant. But she valued neither — the picture she gave to one of the Miss Hutchinsons, and the gold chain she gave to the Hon. Mrs. Tennant. Colonel Brown was so kind as to take charge of these things, and had the miniature very handsomely mounted on his arrival in England. Colonel Archibald Brown was a singular man. He was a Scotchman ; a fine, military figure, six feet high, very rich, very generous, very COLONEL ARCHIBALD BROWN 137 friendly, cv(^n to excess with his [jursr;. 1 le never stirred out of his fine large quarter, and saw very little company ; but kept a good table, and he took a great fancy to me — perhaps it was partly on account of our going up together to the siege of Seringa- patam. However, he was always delighted when I called upon him, but most particularly so when I would leave my own mess and call to dine with him, uninvited. We always dined tete-a-tete, when we had our cool bottle of claret, and he used to enter- tain me with his early adventures in India, the wars of Sir Eyre Coote, the defeat of Baillie's detachment, and the wars of Lord Cornwallis. Among his other military stories was one that took place about the year 1 795. He commanded a force that took a small Dutch settlement to the eastward. The Governor, a Dutchman, invited him to come and live with him and his family. He contracted a friendship with this man ; and lent him a considerable sum of money to pursue some mercantile speculation, which did not prove fortunate. The merchant when he borrowed the money gave the Colonel his bond for it. The pcjor merchant suffered much unhappiness at the debt he had incurred with Colonel Brown, and the little prospect he had of redeeming his bond. Colonel Brown, in the most generous way, said : ' My dear friend, do not make yourself uneasy. Here is the bond. I will now destroy it. If you are ever able to discharge it, do so. If not, I shall never ask you.' There was another instance of his 138 ELERS MEMOIRS generous nature. Mr. Hawkins was once reerettine his improvidence in his earHer career, which pre- vented him from returning home as others did with an independence. ' My dear Hawkins, share with me what I have got. I have enough for both of us.' So said this generous, excellent man Colonel Brown. I always felt happy in his society. His sentiments were so noble and chivalrous, they quite inspired one to emulate them. Colonel Brown returned home about the latter end of the year 1802, and when I returned in 1806 I found him living- in a good house in Sackville Street. When Colonel Brown left me in India I lost a sincere and kind friend, whose memory I shall ever honour. He died at his house in Curzon Street at an advanced age, leaving a sister and a nephew of the name of Knox, in a house of agency at Madras, the heir (sir) to his fortune. In May, 1803, I obtained leave of absence to visit Madras. I went in a palanquin, and visited Pondi- cherri on my way down, and put up at the commanding officer's house. Colonel Keith, a widower with one daughter, a lovely girl of about eighteen. I remained there one night and went to a ball. Colonel Keith gave me news oi' my elder brother, then a Captain in the 43rd Regiment. I believe he knew my brother in the West Indies. The journey down to Madras, a distance of two hundred miles, appeared very tedious ; and as I had but one set of bearers to my palanquin, I was many days on the way. At last I arrived at Madras, and after reporting myself at ^5o,ooo AT PIQUET 139 the Adjutant - General's office I waited on the Governor, Lord William Bentinck, lately arrived from England, My reception was very kind, and he asked me to come and dine with him the next day. I was introduced to Lady William and her brother, the Honourable Edward Acheson and Colonel Monckton, the two aides-de-camp of Lord William. I remember we had some of the finest Hermitage I ever drank. I went out to St. Thome, and lived at the garden house of Captain Kerby Dalrymple, where his brother, Captain D. of the 19th Regiment, was also living. Kerby Dalrymple was one of the Seringapatam prize agents, had sold out of the army, and had turned merchant. He kept his carriage, a post-chaise, and lived very hand- somely. When I was not engaged playing piquet with his brother, I used to go with Kerby to the fort in his carriage, and return in the evening. Captain Hugh Dalrymple was at that time a very fine player at this game, and I was a pupil of Major Picton's, with whom I used often to play from morning until night. Major Picton used to play whist and piquet for very large sums and with great success. This Hugh Dalrymple some years after arrived in England, and at Graham's Club he used to play with the celebrated Major Aubrey. The present Marquess of Hertford matched Dalrymple against Aubrey, and won of Aubrey ^40,000 and Dalrymple won of Aubrey ^10,000. It is not to be wondered that Dalrymple beat me, but I I40 ELERS MEMOIRS lost only a very trifling sum to him. With the regiment I used to play pools with Colonel Picton and Captain Crawford for small stakes. So I was in very good practice, and was a tolerable match for most players — that is to say for those who were not regular blacklegs. I returned to my regiment, and brought up with me a very handsome buggy and beautiful dun pony to run in it. Soon after my arrival, one night on returning from the mess, on getting into bed I had occasion to go into the garden. My servant Francis said : ' Pray stop, massa. Let me get lanthorn. Sometime bad snake bite massa.' I paid no attention to this prudent advice, and as I opened the door Francis put the lanthorn into my hand, by the light of which I saw, curled round the seat, an enormous cobra de capello. I instantly shut the door, loaded my gun, and on opening the door gently, he was laid coiled up in one corner. I shot at him and nearly cut him in two, and he gave a loud hiss and sprang out between me and Francis, and with large bamboos we despatched him. The next morning I cut off his head, and by way of experiment placed the leg of a live chicken between his jaws, and compressing them, inserted the fangs in the fleshy part of the chicken's thigh. The poor chicken did not live three minutes after. There never was a spot more likely for snakes than this garden, it was so luxuriant in vegetation, being well watered from a neighbouring spring. I had a most narrow escape of my life. COLONEL PATER 141 On the departure of General Brydges for England, the command of the Southern Division of the army devolved upon a Colonel Pater, a very good-natured but enormously fat man, of the cavalry. He and Colonel Picton were great friends. I recollect his orders were couched in the most ridiculous inflated language that made us all laugh. CHAPTER X Athletics — Pet tiger and alligator — Colonel Wellesley's terrier — Bhil robbers — A servant's honesty — By sea to Vizagapatam — Fight between the Centurion and French frigates — Colonel Harcourt at Cuttack — Chicken hazard — Juggernaut — Calcutta — Lord Wellesley — A billiard match — Tigers on Sangor Island — Back to Madras — Atrocity at Travancore — Lord Lake's siege of Bhurtpore — General Wellesley's K.C.B. — The Duke of Clarence and Mr. Calcraft — Aston at Ranelagh — Aston's duel with Sumner — Surcouff. About July, 1804, I received a letter from Colonel Harcourt, giving me an invitation to come and pay him a visit at Cuttack. He had been some time before appointed secretary to the Governor-General, when he was appointed to the command of about five thousand men sent against this country, lying about three hundred miles to the southward of Calcutta towards the Carnatic. He had built a good house at Cuttack, and was established there with a Staff and everything comfortable about him, and desired me to get six months' leave of absence and join him, when he would give me an Arabian horse to ride and furnish me with a hookah to smoke, which we were both very fond of. After procuring my leave of absence, I began to make preparations [ 142 1 A HOPEFUL YOUTH 143 by selling off my horses, buggy, furniture, hookah, books, only reserving a small quantity of plate, which I unfortunately took to Madras with me. I say un- fortunately, because I lost it (the plate) through doing a kind action. I lent it to a Captain of our regiment who, with his wife, had just arrived from England. He died a few months after, and his widow would not return it to me or pay me for it, and I had no acknowledgment to say it was lent and was to be returned. But she was not a lady, and was only living with him as his mistress. I also lost a new tent. I left it with the regiment, and Colonel Forsteen, at that time only a Captain, bought it, and placed the money in the paymaster's hands, a Lieu- tenant Jagger. He died, and I lost this also. I forgot to mention that when I sold off my stud the first time upon resolving to save all I could, a young, dashing civilian, a sad, wild young Irish boy, and a natural son of the Earl of Buckinghamshire, came into my stable and wanted to purchase the whole lot. I sold him two horses, and my favourite Arab horse, Aboukir, was one. I got his note of hand for 500 pagodas for them, which I never should have got but through a rich black man, who, to get ' master's favour,' as they say, cashed the bills. This hopeful youth's name was Ellis, and he died some years after a great deal in debt. I felt very sorry to leave the regiment. I felt a certain presentiment that I never should see it or the officers again. I loved the old regiment and many 144 ELERS MEMOIRS of the men. I used to practise manly oames with them in the heat of the sun. particularly the game of cricket, quoits, and a game called long bullets. At the latter game Sale could beat me, but at quoits there were only two men in the regiment could beat me, and they belonged to my own company — Sharpe, a Yorkshire man, and Ostler, an Essex man, who taught me. and also the art of swimming. I was in those days very active, and few could beat me at leaping, either over a garter or in distance. I could leap both backwards and forwards eighteen feet, when to my utter astonishment a man, by name Burchinhoft, of my company, beat me by five feet. Among other little pets I kept was a small tiger, which I had as soon as it could see. I remember it had a most unpleasant smell, rolling among the carrion its dam brought into its lair. I had also a small alligator, not more than a foot long. But of all my pets, my favourite was the most beautiful terrier I ever saw. He was small, jet black-and-tan, with a little white on his breast. I gave him the name of Jack, after the name of a very great pet and favourite of Colonel Wellesley's, a terrier who once followed Colonel W'ellesley to Chitteldroog from Seringapatam, a distance of more than a hundred miles. When the Colonel arrived at the foot of Chitteldroog, they fired a salute in compliment to him. The dog was frightened, and ran away, and the Colonel gave him up for lost. A few days after he received a letter from Seringapatam to say that BHIL ROBBERS 145 the do^ had found his way ?jack. In India then; are no beaten tracks or roads, which renders it the more, extraordinary. This little dog of mine accom- panied mf; by sea and land to Calcutta and back to Madras. Trichinopoli has ever been famous for robberies committed by a .set of thieves living in the hills, called Bhils. These robberies were of the most im- pudent and daring description. They strip them- selves entirely naked and oil themselves all over ; so if they are caught they slip through your fingers like an eel, and .so make their escape. A report was current that they entered the barracks where the 19th Light Dragoons lay one night and stole all their pistols, sabres, etc., when the men were a.sleep. We had not been in these quarters long when scarcely a night passed upon which they did not pay us a visit. They came to my stable and took a new saddle. It was bound round with a metal resem- bling silver upon the cantel of the saddle. They tore this off, and considerably damaged the saddle in doing so. I recovered the saddle. They had thrown it away among some rocks. They seldom came into the quarters in the night, but about two hours before daybreak, as they conclude people are generally sounder asleep at that time. Dr. Campbell one night was determined not to go to sleep all night, and having loaded his pistols, laid them on the chair by the bedside. At their usual hour they paid the doctor a visit. Two of them came into the bedroom, 10 146 ELERS MEMOIRS and the doctor began to snore, pretending to be fast asleep. They, thinking this was so, began to ex- amine the combs, razors, brushes, etc., very coolly, and after they had gratified their curiosity one of them took up a light trunk, put it on his head, and leisurely walked out of the room with it. His com- panion got another trunk, put it on his head, and followed. Dr. Campbell then jumped out of bed, and as the poor wretch was running away fired at him at the distance of a few paces. The ball entered his back and came out at his breast. After this he ran off so strong that Campbell thought he had not hit him. At last he fell. I saw him groaning and lamenting, lying under the shade of a milk hedge, crying out to us most piteously to cure him, and he would show us where all the thieves were and deliver up all the plunder. He did not die till sunset. After that we had no more robberies. While I was in the Mysore country I had a large sum of money belonging to the men of my company. I had it in a trunk, and gave it and the key to my head servant. One day the servant was not to be found ; he had been tired of long marches and a camp life, and had fairly run off I, of course, gave up all thoughts of finding my money ; he had taken the keys with him, and I was obliged to have the trunk broken open, and to my great joy the money was all safe. It was considerably more than a hundred pounds. The man thought that if he left the keys, a common and universal practice when a A FAITHFUL SERVANT 147 servant runs away, they might fall into bad hands, and I should have been plundered, and he would have had the credit of havinc^ robbed me. The native servants are generally great thieves, although some are as remarkable for their strict honesty and fidelity. It was my good fortune to possess one of the latter. He came to me to be hired while I was living with Colonel Wellesley. He was a Portu- guese Christian by the name of Francis. He was an ugly man, and I told him so. He said : ' Massa must not mind ugly face ; I got good heart, and will serve massa faithfully.' I took him, and he lived with me until I w(!nt on board the ship that carried me to England. On the deck of that ship, the Hawkesbury, he said with the tears in his eyes : * Massa, if I had not wife and children, I never would leave; massa, but go England with massa.' He was the best of servants, so clever, so faithful, and so honest. He understood the dressing of a hookah, and dressed mine for some years. I made him a present of my hookah among other things when I left India. He understood the care of horses, and was also a good cook. In short, he was as a servant quite invaluable. I shall now, after this long digression, resume my narrative. I took leave of my regiment at Trichinopoli on August 6, 1804, and proceeded in a palanquin to Madras. I took a passage in ih^ Princess Charlotte, East Indiaman (the same ship that brought Colonel 10 — 2 148 ELERS MEMOIRS Wellesley from the Cape) to Vizacraptitam, laden with I know not what cargo ; but she was proceed- ing to that place for the purpose of bringing down bales of longcloth to Madras, and we were to be con- voyed by the WilJiebiiina, of iS guns, under the gallant Captain Lambert. The Wilhelmina could only have protected us against privateers, which swarmed between Madras and Bengal. It was very lucky for us that we did not meet with Admiral Linois, who, in the JMaroigo^ of 84 guns, and two heavy French frigates, was cruising about for plunder, and arrived at Vizagapatam two or three days after I had safely landed at that station, and Captain Lambert, having safely conducted the Princess Charlotte to Vizagapatam, had started upon another cruise. Colonel Alexander Campbell, of the 74th Regiment, was the commanding officer of this station, and I lived at his house. I had been there about two days, when the Centuriou, of 50 guns, arrived for the purpose of protecting the Princess Charlotte with a valuable cargo of cloth for Madras. The Ce/iturion was at Madras, commanded by Captain Spratt Rainier, the Admiral's nephew ; he was, unluckily for him, left sick at Madras, and Com- mander Lind took the ship in charge on this occasion. I remember Captain Lind, who was an ugly little old-fashioned fellow of about fifty, dining with us on the day he arrived with his purser and one of his Lieutenants. According to my usual custom, I was up by day- A NAVAL ENGAGEMENT 149 li^ht, and, looking seaward, I saw thn^c large ships, hull down, standing in to the bay. Captain Lind with his i)urser had slept at the house of the I lonourable Alexander Murray, of the Civil Service, and after reporting what I saw to Colonel Campbell, I went to Mr. Murray, who with his wife and Captain Lind were at breakfast. Mr, Murray's house was situated very high above sea-level, and com- manded the view of the whole bay. I told Captain Lind of the ships, and he got \\\) from the table and looked at them through a glass. He said he could not make out what they were, but thought they looked very suspicious. He b(!gged Mr. Murray to lend him his carriage to convey him to the beach. After he was gone about half an hour, the .ships were getting very close to the Centurion. They approached one after the other, the two frigates first, when the first French frigate, running close alongside, discharged her guns at the Centurion, and I dis- tinctly saw her boats that were lashed upon her quarter lly up like chips. The Centurion soon got up her anchor, and we distinctly heard the cheers of the British sailors as they continued to pour their broadsides into the two P'rench frigates. The Centurion stood out to sea, engaging the two frigates at the same time. At this crisis we saw the Cen- turion tack and stand inshore. The purser and myself naturally concluded the Centurion would run ashore to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. He began to cut his capers about the room, ISO i<:lfrs mkmcmrs and said \\c was a ruiiu\l man. all iiis hard oarniiios lost. When iho CcMiuriof! was standing inshoiw wc saw Capiain l.ind under a lu\i\\ luv in a small boat i^ci on bovU-d. and instead of running the ship ashore, which we e\ery minute expected, he let his anchor i;o with sprin^^s on his cable close inshore. The I'^XMich trii;ates also came to .m anchor, but at a loiv^ and cautious distance, one on \.\\c qu.uler. the Marctt^o amidships, and the other tViL;.ue .iheid. Many of the shot went o\ er \.\\c CiJi/ur/o/:, and were found up the countr\ . I saw manv heavv shot oi' 6S pounds that wtMt,- atierw.iids broui^ht in. Soon after they took up this position they sent their boats .\nd look possession o\ ihc /^r/f/ic'ss Charlotte. A country ship called the Bunnxby xaw ashore, and soon wont to pieces in tlie surf Soon after the action commenced. 1 ran down to the beach awA oflered niy humble services to Colonel Campbell. He gave me the command ^^{ twi> ij-pounders. with some in\alid artillerymen to serve them. When the brench took possession \. the Indiaman some of the carpenters wcmv on board the Indi.un.m belonging- to the Coituric);, who had gone to ^k^ some work early in the morning ; and instead 'oi going <>\\ board again they pulled ashore, giving as an excuse that they were afraid i^f being taken prisoners. I'olonel Campbc^ll ordered me to take. these carpenters back to the Centurion, vUid to take charge ot his son. who was to go with me o\\ this service. We got on board the Centurion, and the , r* r:p"Fi':cTs oi-- tjii: action i^i fip.i jjf:rson I saw was Capt;i.)r) LiiiH, his Ticf: black will) \><)W(\cr aiui lii'. sliirl sl':r;v.s liir.k'vl up^ in a ni'/,t prfjfli^if>iis lif:;i.t. I If; s;iifl h': w;is vf.ry ^I;i/1 lo ^(':t Ills f:arpf:ntc.rs back, for Lh(; shi[> was making larj^f; (juantilif:s of watf:r, and thf;ir pumj>s were all at work. I saw tlu: rjftck torn u[) with J^rapc, anrl two port', on i\\(: larbo-irf) fjii;i.rtf:r kiiockf;d into on':, arul ;ill tlif:ir boats destroyf.d. I s;i.w tlif: rnc^uth of onrt of ifif. fnjns half takf.ri oii, whicli, on thf: ship rolling, sent it through thf; deck, and it canr-. out bf.twecn the legs of one of tlift men whr> was steering at the com- mf.ncemf-.nt of the action. One of thf, littKt middies showed me an escape he had by a round shot carrying aw;i,y fjart of his jacket. I saw several largf. trijnks of f lothes destroyerl by the shot. At K-.n^'lh, having executed rny orrlers and gratifierl my f;uriosity, I asked the Captain if he had any further orders for me, whf.n I tor>k my leavf.. I went rm .shore, and the hrench srjuadrf>n with thf.ir prizf. stood out to sea soon ;ift.':r I If:ft the Centurion. Consiflf;ririg the long tinif; the. Centurion was under fire lif:r Ifjss was very trifling. I have oft'-.n thought that wh^.n Colonel f^amj^bell wrote liis desjjatch to the Madras Government he might have mentioned my nam^; as having volunteered my humble .services to him. I'f^r I was mf;rely a visitor on leave of ab5,f;ncf:, and had no f>ccasion to do what I did. Captain Lind got his post rank and was made a C.B., and afterwards knighted, and his first Lieutenant a 0>mmander. The Centurion was obliged to go to liombay to be 152 ELERS MEMOIRS repaired, but not into dry dock. She soon after- wards proceeded to England, where she went under thorough repair ; a 68-pound shot was found buried under her counter. If this shot had rolled out at sea, she would have gone down stern foremost. I proceeded the rest of my journey, about two hundred miles, in a palanquin, stopping at the house of a Mr, Carr, a civilian at Balasorc, where I stayed one night. There I saw a beautiful woman, the daughter of Mr. Rock, who was married to my old school-fellow Henry Parry, living with Mr. Carr. She was very lovely and accomplished, but her mother was a native woman. I regretted this for the sake of Parry at the time, and I still more regret it now, having since renewed my acquaintance with him, and knowing his kind and affectionate disposi- tion. He has since united himself with an amiable woman, with whom he lives very happily. I at length joined Colonel Harcourt, who received me with the greatest kindness. He had built a large house and kept many servants, some of whom were in scarlet and gold with scarlet turbans, who, bearing large silver sticks, formed a lane upon all occasions of ceremony, particularly when we proceeded every day to dinner. I was quite astonished, not having seen anything of the kind all the time I was in India ; but when I arrived at the Government House at Calcutta, I saw exactly the same thing. So that this was adopting Lord Wellesley's princely style of living. I was introduced to all his Staff, a= WITH COLONEL HARCOURT 153 consisting of Lieutenant Ashe, his A.D.C. ; Major Andrews, Brigade Major ; Mr. Fortescue, a civiHan, a cousin of Lord Wellesley's ; Mr. Mclnnis, Persian interpreter ; and Major Brown of Calcutta, command- ing a small detachment of cavalry raised and formed by himself, something on the plan of our volunteers ; and, lastly, a Mr. Blunt of the Bengal Infantry, and Baron Kutzleben^ (a relation or connection of the present Lord Wrottesley), who was the junior A.D.C. This was our family, and we always had besides many officers of the fort and civilians to dine with us, together with their ladies, and we used sometimes to have a ball. We used to get up every morning by crun - fire and ride until the hour of breakfast. Colonel Harcourt gave me an Arab horse, but I did not much like him, and also a hookah and a Hookah Breda. Both the Colonel and myself were very fond of smoking ; the perfume is delicious, and very different from the horrid, vulgar smell of a pipe of common tobacco, which I abominate. I am not very fond of cigars, even when they are good, which at present is by no means common. More than one-half are spurious. I here formed an intimacy with an old Bengal civilian, a Mr. Melville, and I renewed this intimacy afterwards in England ; also with Mr. Grame, another civilian. I used to be very fond of riding a ' Son of Christian, Baron of Kutzleben, Minister to the Land- grave of Hesse Cassel, married, 1780, Dorothy, daughter of Rev. Sir Richard Wrottesley, Bart., grandfather of the first Lord Wrottesley. 154 M I'KS Ml-MOIKS bKu'k horse ot Mr. I'ortosciu^'s. oiu> tli.it he used to hum the wild hog with. lie was ex.ietlv like* an Riiglish horse. Awd torinerly beloui^ed to Lord l.aki* .IS .1 charger, and was ridden bv him .it tlu* b.itlli* i>r l.assw.iri'v. borteseui^ w.is a good horsiMn.m .md very tond ot spe.iring tlu* wild hog. .md w.is quiti^ an adept at the sport. 1 usi\l sonicninit^s to ride with l\'>lonel I lareoiirl upon his elephant, which is not a very pleasant convey. mce ; the motion is very fatiguing. Uhe countrv .ibout the tort of H.ir.ibettv. which was t.iken b\- .iss.iult b\ CoKmu^I ll.ucourt .i short time before 1 c.ime. is vcmv luwiri.mt. .ibound ing in rich p.isturt^d.md .md ver\ pleas.im to ride upon on account ot its lurt. One day alter litVm Major Andrews .md tlu^ Baron propostxi to me to pl.iv chicken h.i.-.u\l. I consented : 1 won ot both ot tluMU .i considerabU^ sum ot monev. tor which 1 w.is verv sorrv. p.irticul.ulv tor poor Kut.lebcMi, who w.is tour or tivi* ve.irs vounger th.m mvselt and .i protege ot Colotu4 ll.ircourt's. Init 1 was not to bl.imc\ .is they both teased mc* to [ilay ; .md beginning to \Aa\ owW tor a mere tritle. which they lost, .md the\- both wishing to gel back th.it little, aiul 1 not wishing \.o win their nuMU>v. we played double or ijuits, till tlu^v lost. Kut.leben ,^. ^;oo and Major Andrews .^,-50. I told iIumu to pay me whenever the\' plcMsed. aiul they gave nu* their bills in baiglind tor the sums, which were* iluly honoured on mv arrival tluM'e. On mv route up to Cutlack I s.iw the celebr.ited J(ir/,KRNA(iT J 55 I'agofJa of ]\\'./'j(:r\\;y\\\., wliiLhf;r Uif, ilinrJoo:, an: in thf; haLil of lakirj'/ lori'' r>ilt{rimaL{r;s from the n-.rnoi.f.M. p;)rt.', of fiid);i. to pay thf:ir <']';votions to the i'iol ;infl t.o procure Pioly vjuXf-r. They are :,orne- tirnf.s two yf.ars and upwards on these journeys. 'Vhcjc. -.ire. \)')()r, devoted rehVious enthusiasts at this pl^iee who undergo various self-infJieted punishments to [propitiate their gods, such as smearing themselves all over with hon^-.y and p;irtly hurying the^mselvf.s in thf. earth to h'-. e;itf:n up hy the flie',. <'Jthers will make a vow to raise their hand clenched ;i.hov': thf, head and n(:v<:r to hold it down again. 1 have seen one, of these men, his arm entirely withered away, nothing but the muscle and fjone appearing, and the n;).il') havin;^ in thf, course of yf.ars forced themselves throug}] his h;i.nds ;u)d ;i.pjjearing out at thr-, Lask of his hands, several inches through ; and they looked likf, the large claws of a hawk, only larger. Others will throw themselvfts down under the wheels of carriages, [particularly of an ^-.normous high one con- Uiining ih'j'r idol'. ; this immf:nse carriage, twenty to thirty i<:<-X in height, is drawn by hundreds of tlie natives in religious procession, and some of these fanatics will throw themselves under the wheels of this high carriage for the purpose of being crushed to death, while others will bury themselves alive to Sf;cure thf.ir salvation. Maving s[j':r)t u[jwards of two months with my frif.nd Colonel H;)rr,ourt, 1 [;ro[;osed to visit Calcutta, aiif] return from th;).L city by se.s. to Madras. Major 156 ELERS MEMOIRS Brown, who lived in the Writers' Buildings, was about to proceed there, and gave me an invitation to come and live with him. Colonel Harcourt gave me letters to most of Lord Wellesley's Staff — to Captain Doveton, commanding his bodyguard ; to Sydenham ; Colonel Shawe ; Colonel Calcraft. the Town Major ; Captain Bradshawe, A.D.C., and Captain Armstrong, A.D.C. 1 arrived at Calcutta December 13. The approach to P'ort William from the river is truly beautiful, the grass sloping down from the garden houses to the edge of the river, and large vessels an- choring close to the shore. The magnificent palaces, and, towering above them all, the Government House, that from the whiteness of the chunam had the appearance of marble, and the freshness of the grass on the esplanade of an evening, where all the fashion- ables meet in the cool of the evening in their carriages, palanquins, or on horseback, struck me, unused to such gay sights, as perfectly delightful. Here the company linger, enjoying the cool of the evening, until dusk, when they go home, where a good dinner and plenty of cool claret and Madeira are waiting for them. Major Brown was living as a bachelor, very quietly and very pleasantly. He was an agent for the salt-works, and he had also the command of a troop of volunteer cavalry in the service of the Governor. I presented my letter to the Town Major, who was celebrated all over India for the excellent — nay, luxurious — table he kept. He perfectly understood good living and the art of cookery, which he super- ,.^i-.i»i.di>»i»<M8 LORD WELI.ESLEY ,57 intended himself— at least, all those things which required to be attended to very particularly, such as roasting English hams and basting them with champagne. The first day I called upon him he asked me to dine with him. I was en- gaged to dine with Lord Wellesley. So he said : ' You had better not go there ; you will not get anything worth eating there. His cooks don't understand the thing.' Colonel Calcraft's dinners were truly recherchd. I never ate anything in India so good as the various delicacies of his table. I often used to dine with him. The first dinner I ate at Lord Wellesley's he placed me on his right hand, and the celebrated Indian diplomatist, Colonel Collins, was on his left. He gave me a very gracious and flattering reception, keeping me in continual conversation. The immense hall was brilliandy lighted. After drinking a moderate quantity of wine, coffee was introduced, after which he took my arm and walked about. At length we sat on a sofa, and he said : ' Captain Elers, I shall never give you any more formal invitations ; from this day a knife and fork will constandy be placed for you during your stay in Calcutta at my table.' How often have I since repented that I did not avail myself of his kind and flattering invitation! But my motive for not going was that I was living with Major Brown, and did not like to dine out unless upon some express invitation, and so leave the Major to dine by himself. 15S KLERS MEMOIRS I remember during; my stay ai Calcutla an oKl officer of the Artillery died at Calcutta, a connection of Major Hrown's. who recjuested me to 00 {o the station of the Artillery at Hum Dum and .utend the funeral, as he was too ill to ^c) himself, since it was at a distance ot ten or twelve mik\s. 1 also p.iid .1 visit to narrackpor(,\ a country residence oH the Governor. It consists o( a good house and a beautiful park, laid out quite in the English style. 1 used to go to the dinners and parties oi Sir George and Lady Barlow, Sir John and Lady Anstruther. etc. ; besides these pleasant dinners we had several balls and other parties in ciMistant succession. One evening, just before^ dinner. I sauntered into a public billiard-table close to the Writers' Buildings, where I\Lijor Brown lived, and I saw a gentleman dressed in the uniform of a Captain of an Indiaman. lie prt^ssed me \ery much to play a game with him. I told him 1 had not time to play more than a game, as I had not dined, ani.1 as I was living with a friend whom I did n(n lik(> to keep waiting. He then beo'Cjed me if 1 was disen^al:■ed to meet him there after dinner to play, which 1 agreed to. He was there punctual to his time. When we began to play he proposed to pla)- for gold moluus. which 1 told him was a great di\d too high a stake for me. .uul that 1 would not play for more than one rupee a game. 1 played for two or three hours, and continu- .dly lost, and. like all foolish young players, increased my bets as I lost, until at length, after having lost A lilLMAKI) MA'IC H '59 iiKjn; tliiui two liiiii(liv;(| nij>(;(:.s, I observed thai I thought he. ought to '^j^ivc mo. odds. 'l"o wliifli he. fiiadc. a sarcastic rcjjly llial lir did nol sec anylliing in my face to iiuliic't liiin to [dvc mc odds. I felt much annoyed at losiiij.^ my moiify and getting quizzed into the hargain, and yet something f)er- suaded nu; that I was the better player of the two. So I was resolved to persevere. I called for some Madeira and iced water, and, having refreshed myself, set to witli renewed vigour. I soon regained all I had lost, and had won of him three or four hundn-d nij>ees besides. lb: then ask(t(l me to give him odds, and I ret(jrted u|Mjn him the galling reply he had made to me. He played on, and as he lost increased his bets, till at length, towards morn ing, he was so beaten and jaded he proposed to leave off, and asked me to give him his rev<;nge the, next day, which I agreed to do. lie then gave me his card and address, and t(jld me h(; commanded the fo/m /'aimer, East Indiaman, taken up by the (iovernment to take the Persian Amba:,sa(lor up the Gulf, and that the (government was jjaying the owners daily an immen.s(; sum for demurrage. 1 le at this time owed me upwards of a thousand rupees. We met at about ten o'clock the next day and played until dinner, and again after dinner until very late;, I having continued to win, and he increasing his debt to me very considerably. We went on in this way for two or tliree days, when he said Ik; would try r>nce mf>re, and should he not be able to reduce his debt i6o ELERS MEMOIRS to me. he would leave off and come to some arraiioe- ment with me for the settlement of what he had lost. We met, and we played three or four hours, and eettino- still beaten, he said he had had enoufjh of it. At this time he had lost upwards of twenty thousand rupees, and to liquidate this sum he offered to pay not mi>re than one-third down antl the rest on his return from the Gulf — by bills. 1 expressed my dissatisfaction at this proceeding-. I told him. and with truth, that he had brought it all upon himself, as he had proposed and pressed me to play for large stakes, contrary to my habits ; and that I. having at first lost to him and requesting to receive very trifling odds to put us more on an equality, he had refused to do so ; that I had played on to give him a chance for several days to recover what he had lost ; and that having done so, instead of paying me, he offered me a comparatively trifling sum and bills for the remainder payable in Calcutta. I told him. more- over, that I was about to proceed to England, and that I might never see him again. I also added that my commission was a sufficient guarantee to him if he had won of me, and that I should have paid him any sum I had lost to him. In short, I told him I would not accept the terms. I went to my friend Colonel Calcraft, and told him the whole story. He said he would make every inquiry about him, and if he had the means of paying he should. In the meantime Captain Read sent to me a friend of his, who said, after paying me some compliments as to my giving LEAVES CALCUTTA i6i my opponent every chance of winning his money back : ' My friend is very much in debt and much embarrassed, and has a wife and child ; and he has commissioned me to say he will give you an order endorsed by Messrs. Alexanders of Calcutta to Messrs. Harington of Madras for 1,200 pagodas, provided you will give him an acquittance for the remainder.' My kind friend Calcraft made every inquiry, and having done so, he strongly advised me to accede to these terms, which I did, I heard after that if I had accepted his bills they would have all been paid, for he returned to Calcutta, got a large prize in the lottery, and was with his ship remark- ably lucky, made a great deal of money, took a fine house in London, set up his carriage and servants, went again to India in the John Palmer, and on returning home was wrecked off the Isle of France and perished ! One night at a ball I met Captain Felly, com- manding the Honourable Company's ship the United Kingdom. I got introduced to him, and he told me that if I was about to proceed to Madras he would give me a passage. He was a handsome, fresh- coloured young man about my own age, rather in- clined to be fat, and a brother of Major Pelly of the 1 6th Light Dragoons. I took leave of all my hospitable friends at Calcutta, and hired a boat to convey me to Diamond Harbour, where the India- man lay, a distance of 100 miles. The first night we came to anchor off Saugor Island, an island full II 1 62 ELERS MEMOIRS of jungle and infested with royal tigers. I heard them roaring all night long, and it is not unusual for them, when very hungry, to swim off to the boats and endeavour to get on board, which is not a very difficult thino^ to do if the boats are small, as was the case with mine. However, they made no attempt that nioht, and I ofot safe on board the United Khic'dow. I here found a Mrs. Maxtone, the wife of an old Madras civilian, and two young ladies, her daughters. And when we stood out to sea we fell in with a ship proceeding to Calcutta with Dr. Wybrow and his wife, the former belonging to the Regiment De Meuron of the Madras establishment. A boat put them on board of our ship, thereby saving them a great deal of trouble and loss of time. This poor lady, Mrs. Wybrow, encountered much prejudice at Madras in consequence of her husband, Mr. Wybrow, having kept a celebrated Columbine at the theatres, who had assumed his name, when he was quite a young man. I did everything in my power to show them attention and introduce them on my arrival at Madras. Captain Pelly lived very well on board, and kept an excellent table, and I thought would have married Caroline Maxtone, from the flirtation going on during our short voyage of three weeks. But it was not to be ; the young lady afterwards got married to a young civilian, well known by the name of Paddy M oore. I obtained leave to proceed on my private affairs OUTRAGJ^ IN TRAVANCORK 163 to England ; part of my regiment was doing duty at Seringapatam, and a detachment was sent into the Rajah of Travancore's country, where there was some disturbance. Some part of the regiment pro- ceeded by sea, coasting along the Malabar coast. A melancholy occurrence took place on this occasion. A boat full of men, under the command of Sergeant ^'ildsley (a capital drill, by-the-by, for the manual and platoon), was induced by th(t representatives of some of the Travancore people! to land at a village, saying that the regiment were landed and waiting for them two miles up the country. They landed, and were surrounded before they could make the smallest resistance ; their arms and knapsacks were taken from them, they were tied back to back and thrown into a deep tank, and, of course, all drowned, to the number of thirty. The regiment afterwards went to this village, where they took a dreadful revenge, sparing neither young nor old. I found that it was very uncertain when my leave would be received by the Commander-in-Chief of Madras from Lord Lake in Bengal, as his lordship was much engaged at the siege of Bhurtpore, where the natives had most obstinately beaten him off in three different attacks, and after all he did not succeed in reducing that fortress. It was reserved for my gallant friend Lord Combermere to effect that many years after. Under this uncertainty, and not wishing to be idle, I requested leave to do duty as a Captain in the 73rd Regiment, Lieutenant- 1 1 — 2 i64 F.l.KRS MEMOIRS Colonel Moneypenny cotnmaiulin^. 1 forgot lo mention lliat tliirlui; my slay in InMii^.il Sir ]o\\u and L.ulv I hcodosia Craddock arrived from I'-ng- land. ilie former as Commander in-Chief o( the Madras Army, bringing witii him Captain Rennel as his A.D.C. The i;ili Rei;in\ent also arrived at the same time, connnanded bv (.'olonc^l Siovin. They relieved H.M.'s 22nd in ilie duly oi' Vovi William. The 2 2i\d were commanded by a Colonel Mercer, a very tall man. Many oi' the men were from Essex, and were for the most part very young- lads. During my stay with Colont'l llaivourt at Cuttack, the famous retreat o\ the detachment under the Hon. Colonel Monson took place, after his en- deavour to form a junction with the army under Lord Lake. 1 his ftimous retreat, before an over- whelming force of the enemy, was the subject of conversation o( the whole army. At that time it did not occur to me that Colonel Monson had married a relation o\ mine in Calcutta some years before, and now a son by that marriage, W^illiam John Monson, is the heir-presumptive to that barony. It was a most unfortunate circumstance that Lord Lake, when he appeared before the fort oi' Hhurt- pore, which, by-the-by, was only a mud one, did not listen to the proposal of the Rajah. He offered to pay the expenses of the war with Holkar if Lord Lake would not persevere in his attack on this SIEGE OF nnURTPORE 165 fori, as he was determined to deff.nd it to thf. last extremity, and at the last moment to }>low the fort, himself, his wives, and children up before hf. would allow it to he taken from him. fl'-, madf; a resist- ance against the virt.orif>us army of Lord Lake that was without example in Indian warfare. The siege was going r;n in its full vigour when I was at Calcutta, and it was nr)t taken when I landed at Madras more than a month after. Lord Lake made three distinct attacks ujofji) it, and f:ach storm- ing [;arty was heatf.n off with dreadful lr;ss of life. Upwards cjf 5,000 nu-.n were killed and wounded, and the loss in officers was very great. The people at Madras made very long faces. It showed what natives were capable of in the way of resistance. Lord Lake-, after all, was ohli'^^ed to give up the conquest of this, as it at first appeared to him, insignificant fortre.ss. H.M.'s 76th Regiment suffered very considerable loss in these attacks, particularly the flank companies. At this time the Congreve rockets and shrapnel shells were not known, which, fortunately for Lorrl Combermere, were used by him in the reduction of this fort yf:ars afterwards. When Sir John Craddock arrived In India he informed me he had brought out the decorations of a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath for my friend Major-General Wellesley, and also the thanks of the House of Commons for his famous victory of the Battle of Assaye on September 23, i66 Fl.l'RS MIMOIRS 1S03. -^ sion is lokl ihai Sir ]o\\\\ i^ol Cumum.i1 Wolloslov's sorwuu 10 briui; liis niasit.M-'s iwit to him, aiul pLuxxl iho Star o( i\\c Ovdcv upon it Ivtoro ho i;ot up in iho niorniui;. and then oniovc\l Sir Arthur's suq">riso. 1 know I was onc^ ot tho first to i^ivo hin\ jov ot liis bUishing honours. li\ fact. I knew ho h.ul tho I'^rJer boforo ho did. 1 nuist hero rekue a storv tokl nie bv CoK^ncl CakTat't about our Kite oxcollcnt King. Wilh.un \V. \\ hen Caler.ift was in Kngland. on U\i\e ol absence, he attended niost ot" the tashivMiable piirties where tiie IVince ot" W.des was in the h.ibit of iioiui^". At that tin\e the Puchess of L^unberland i^ave kirge supper-jiarties. previous to which taro and other games of cii.uice were pkiyetl by tho voune" men of fisliion, and Cak^raft used to .ict as croupier for the Puchess. C'>ne night alter supper, the Puke o( Clarence, who .it th.it time had verv boisterous spirits, siukkMiK attacked C\il- craft. asking him to drink a glass of wine .ind m. iking use towards him oi' a most ottensix e expression. The ladies all stared, .ind the Puke again applied the ortensive appellation. A tlead silence took place when Calcraft rose, and, .iddressing II R. 11. said that whatever the ditference there might be with respect to their rank, he would not allow such otten- sive expressions to be applietl to him. .uul th.it if H.R. H. again niade use o\ them, consequences would ensue very unpleasant to both of them. The Prince oi' Wales, who happened to be present at THK DUKE OF UARKSCK j^y supper, got up, and in his dignified manner said : ' Mr. Calcraft, I insist that you instantly leave the room. Any disrespectful language applied to my brother in my presence 1 consider as an insult to my- .self.' Poor Calcraft was obliged to leave the room. The next day the Prince gave a grand dinner at Brighton, and all his particular friends were, of course, invited, and among them, but for this un- fortunate scene, would have been Calcraft ; how- ever, he thought he would go and take his chance of an invitation. He went down, but received no card, and was for some time excluded from all fetes given by the Prince. At length the Prince forgave him, and it was all forgotten. My kind and good friend Colonel Aston was, in the early period of his life, on terms of very great intimacy with the Prince after the busine.ss with Chifney the jockey at Newmarket, who rode one of H.R.H.'s hor-ses. As for the Duke of Clarence, he quite disliked him ; he said he never by any chance or accident spoke the truth. One day the Duke met him in St. James's Street, and said : ' Well, Aston, which way are you going .-*' ' First tell me,' said Aston, 'which way are you going.-*' ' Oh, I am going down St. James's Street.' ' Are you ?' said Aston ; ' in that case I am going up. Good-morning to you.' I have heard that when the Prince of Wales was informed of the death of poor Aston, the intimate friend of his youth, he was much affected, even to the shedding of tears. i68 1.L1:RS MEMOIUS Aston was iitiluckv In luMiig" onj^aoinl in so many duols, and people, ot" course, concliuloi.1. alllioui;li niislakcnlv. that hi^ was iiiiarrclsomo. lie was bv no moans so. but lie w.is \ orv tond ot quizzinj^" odd-lookini; jx^^plo. and h.iviuL; the ad\anl.ii;x^ oi birth, lortunc". youth, and tiL^uiv. ho thiniL^lu. per- haps, that people not h.uini; thest^ adyantaj^es were fair game. Henei^ the scrape he i;\>t into with ,in Irishman one ni^lu at Ranelai^h. Aston w him a most dreadful beating, and he then held him up towards the lights, and said ' he wouKl do.' The Irishman. o( coiH'se, called him out. and shot Aston through both cheeks, carrying .iw.iy one oi his double teeth. the Irishman yery ficetiously obserying that ' now //I' 7l'0u/(/ do.' What a narriny escajie this was for Aston ! Another duel he fought was with Mr. llmne Sumner. It was during the Ascc^t races. Riding ASTON'S FIGHTS AND l)UI«.I.S iCrj [>a.sl ihc liush I mi at Suiincs, Ik: s;iw Iwo bulif-.s, giggling aiuJ laughing, jf.aning out of ihc winflow ; he, happening lo have an orangf; in his hand, threw it at ihein, hiil missing thf.m, hit Mr. Sumner, who was in another p;irt of thf; room. Sumner came to thf- window in a gre.at rage, and said he. would givft five guineas to any man who would inform him who threw the orange*. ' Well, then, it was I who threw it,' said Aston. Down came .Sumner in a fury, puffing and blowing, and in the meantime Aston got off his horse, and .Sumner giving some language that gave offence, Aston pitched into him and beat him as usual. Of course a duel followed, and poor Sumner got hit on the hip. Aston had fought three other (hic.h in England, with the circumstances of which I am unacquainted. He once told me he had a battle with some impudent footmen at the Little Theatre in the Maymarket, who were insulting modest women by using indecent language as they were leaving the theatre. He cut onr; of his knuckles against the teeth of one of these mis- creants. It must, no rlr^uljt, have been very severe for him to have recollected so trivial an affair. On our passage down the Hay of liengal to Madras, Lieutenant Hentinck Doyle, of the .SV. Fiorenzo, a fme frigate, under the command of my friend Captain Henry Lambert, late in the com- mand of the, little IVilhelmzna, came on board oiir shijj, stating that they were cruising in the.se lati- tudes in the hope of falling in with the Psyche, lyo ELERS MEMOIRS a French frigate, commanded by a brave Frenchman, who had done our trade much harm by his enter- prise. His name, I think, was Surcouff. Captain Lambert fell in with him two days after, and took him by boarding ; Lieutenant Doyle headed the boarders. CHAPTER XI Court-martial — A duel for a song — Arrested by mistake — On duty with the 73rd Regiment — James Balfour of Whittinge- hame — Lord Cornwallis — Sails for England on the ffawkes- bury — Dodging Admiral Linois — A Brazilian convict station — News of Trafalgar and Austerlitz. During my stay at Madras I was ordered to attend, as a member, a general court-martial upon two officers of the 34th Regiment, Major Yeaman and Lieutenant Sands. The former was a Major by brevet only. I had seen these two officers tried in a civil court for murder before I went to Calcutta. They were tried before Sir Henry Gwillam at Madras for the murder of Captain Bull, of the 34th Regiment, who fell in a duel with Lieutenant Sands, to whom Brevet- Major Yeaman acted as second. After the Judge summed up the jury retired, and were absent one hour. They were both saved by the perseverance of a person of the name of Hope, a very rich merchant, who kept a European shop. This man had once been a private soldier in India, but had made a fortune of ^100,000. The whole jury wanted to bring in the prisoners guilty, but Hope saved them and brought the jury over to his [ 171 ] 1-: n 1-KS Ml-MOIRS sido, and ^wIuMi thov ».\unt^ imo court, llopo. who was the lorom.ui, prououiuwl ' Not ouilly.' A doad siloiioo prevailed. It was iwilly awful. 1 novor shvill forgot Sir Henry Ciwillani sayiui^ : 'Not ouihv ! A most nuTeitul iur\ ' Prisoners. ' \\c said. * ha*.l \ ou been found i^uillv, \ on n^^ver would have seen the sun rise again. Vou ha\ i^ h.ul a most narrow t\scaiH' o\ \ our li\ es. 1 el it be a warning to you." Captain Hull was a retnarkablv tine young man, and o\ very quiet and gentlemanlike manners ; but it was his misfortune to be scmu on a detachment with the abo\e otVicers, together with otluMs. who made themselves so disagreeable to him that he withdn^w his name from this detachnuMU mess. llu^v took offence at this, and desire«.l him to state his reasons for so doing. He gave as a reason that he was every dviy expecting a \oung ladv trom b'ngland to whom he was to be m.u'ried. and he wished to live more economicallv in ordt>r to nu\"t l\\c expense that he should necc^ssarilv incur. Ihev would not rc\-eive this as an excuse ; the\" said it was an attront to the whole mess, and the\ took up dict^ to throw who should call this poor voung man out and who shouKl be the second. The lot i'cW upon l.icnilenant Sands, and Major Veaman ,is the second. A laeutcMiant Johnson o\ the ^^.jth was secvMul to [toor (.\iptain Bull, who was killed at the fust Uvc. It excited imiversal indignation throughout the whole Tresi- dency. They were afterwards tried by a court- A SJNGi^R'S CONCi^rr 173 iiiarlial of which I was a mcnihf-r, anrl thf.y wen: brokf:. I also rf;co]lf:fjt a I jf.iJtc.naiil Moon: of the 34lh ly th^: same court. ;ir)d hrokf; for soiiif; offeru.':. II': was in a dreadful state of hf:alth, a.j)fj only survivf.d his sentencr: a short time. Of this court-martial, I remember (^olonf:ls I'aiicourt and iJodwell of thf: 34th were members amongst others, the former fathf:r to Major V., late a jjo|>ular M.W ColorH:l l*.'s end was very iiu-.lan- choly. lb; was assassinated commandinj^ thf, fort of Vellon: shortly after I jf.ft thf, rjountry in a ruuliiiy of the Sf',[joys. '['he field officers and (.^ai>tains of His Majesty's regiments pjave an invitation to Sir Arthur Wellesley to dinner on his rf.turn to b^n^land, and Lord William lif,ntinck was asked to iiv:et Fiim. 'I h'tn: was a Cajjtain Skf.rn-At of th'; 051^1 Kej/iment, an Irishman, a handsome and remarkably gentlemanlike youn^ man, but ve,ry tenacious of his dignity, and he took it into his hf;ad that Lord William had nf:;^lected him }>y not inviting him to some of his parties. It happenerl that Skf.rrett had a very fine voice, but invariably made it a j^reat favour to sing. Lord William and Sir Arthur Wellesley were sitting to- gether, and someone suggested asking Captain Skerrett to sing, as to which, as usual, he made a grr:at fuss and refused — 'Got a cold,' etc. At last someone said that if Lord William were to ask him he could not refuse, so an unfortunate A.D.C. went to .Skerrett and told hiin that Lord William wished 174 ELERS MEMOIRS to see him. l^p jumps the gallant Captain. 'You sent for me. nu lord ? What are your commands ?' * Pray sit down, Captain Skerrett. Sir Arthur Wellesley and myself have heard you sing an ex- cellent song, and hope you will do us the favour to sit down and give us one to-night.' This foolish young man, instead oi' doing as he was re- quested, considered himself highly affronted and his dignity compromised. So he jumped up and attacked the A.D.C. who brought the message to him. Lord William sent to the Town Major, a Major Thompson, and whispered to him to put Captain Skerrett under arrest, but not immediately, so that it might not interfere with the harniony o\' the company, but before Captain Skerrett left the room for the night, to prevent the possibility of his fighting a duel with the A.D.C. Now, I do not believe it was ever the in- tention of Skerrett to do this ; it was only to show his consequence and independence, and to mark that not even for the Governor would he condescend to sing. The evening, with this e.xception, passed off with great harmony, and a great deal of wine was drunk, and many got very tipsy; and unfortunately for me the Town Major got so d/i/id di-ujik that on my stepping into my palanquin he came up to me and put me under arrest, and insisted upon receiving my sword. In vain I assured him that my name was not Skerrett, that I had nothino- to do with the dis- agreement that had taken place between Captain S. and the aide-de-camp, and that he was acting under ARRESTED BY MISTAKE 175 an erroneous impression. Nothing would convince him, and I went to my quart(*r in Portuguese Sf[Ufire highly indignant and, from having drunk a large quantity of wine, in a state of great excitement. Unfortunately for me, I heard the sound of dice in one of the officers' quarters, where two subalterns were playing, onf. of th(;m an officer of the 73rd, the <^)th(;r of the 34th. I am sure both together by their united (efforts could not have paid me twenty pagodas had 1 won it. I sat down to play with th<:m, and foolishly lost a good deal, 'lliis was entirely owing to my excited feelings from wine, but more par- ticularly from the rage I was in by being [)ut under arrest by mistake ; and all this from the folly and conceit of Ca[)tain Skerrett in refusing to sing when asked by Lord William Bentinck. It created much merriment at my expense with Lord William, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and others, who were amused at the stu[)id drunken mistake of the Town Major, 'rhompsr)ri. / was the only sufferer, my usual good fortune in this busine.ss having deserted me. I did duty with the 73rd Regiment, and was an honorary membf:r of their mess. With the exception of somrt of the senior officers, they wen! by no means a pleasant set of people to be associated with. They were on very bad terms with each other. Colonel Moneypenny was a gentlemanlike man, and his Adjutant, Chamberlain, I liked ; I also liked Captains Morris and Gordon, and a few others, but there appeared 176 ELERS MEMOIRS to be no harmony among themselves. Taken indi- vidually, there was nothing exceptionable against any of them, but I never was happy amongst them, and I was almost glad that I got ill and was prevented from messing with them, or doing any more duty with them, during the last two or three months I was in India ; for 1 was detained waiting for the opportunity of getting off for many months, and did not go until September 10. I got a good quarter in the fort fronting the sea, and opposite Colonel Trapand's, of the Company's Engineers. This Colonel Trapand was quite a character. He was a remarkably small man, with a large face and a long nose, inclining to the Roman. He was to a certain degree clever and accomplished, quite a gentleman, by origin of an old French family, and he was very fond of drawing in water-colours, but in such a coarse way that his trees and water looked very like scene-painting. He was a great boaster — there was no ill-nature about him — to a certain degree very pompous, but he was very harmless and inoffensive. To me he was ever a source of great entertainment, and I was the last month or two very often with him, both at breakfast, tiffin, and dinner. In the cool of the evening I used to ride out with him in his post- chaise. There lived with him a good-natured Lieutenant of Engineers named Garrard ; he very unexpectedly went to England, and in the same ship that I did. BALFOUR OF WHITTINGEHAME 177 There was living at Madras at this time a civilian named James Balfour. He had been suspended the Service for taking a horse as a present from some of the natives. He got restored, and as I had parted with all my horses, he was so kind as to lend me one to ride, and I fed him. He was a great, tall, rough brute to ride, but he was better than none. The Honourable Basil Cochrane had for many years held the contract for supplying the Navy with meat, provisions, etc., and made a very handsome fortune; but he kept open house for every officer in the Navy, from the poor mid to the Post- Captain. This must have reduced his means of saving a very large fortune, which he might other- wise have done. My friend James Balfour, soon after I left India, got Cochrane's situation. He only held it a very few years, and he had made ^300,000, and left a Scotchman by the name of MacConnachy to act for him at an allowance of ^6,000 per annum. Balfour made this enormous fortune in about four years, as he told me. He bought a house in Grosvenor Square, became an M.P., and married a daughter of the Earl of Lauderdale.^ He did not, like Cochrane, keep open house, or, if he did, it was only the doors and windows. About a month before I left India the old veteran ^ James Balfour of Whittingehame, N.B., married Lady Eleanor Maitland, daughter of James, eighth Earl of Lauderdale; died 1845. 12 178 ELERS MEMOIRS the Marquess CornwalHs^ arrived on board the Medtisa frigate, under Sir John Gore. They had a remarkably quick passage out. The field officers and Captains got up a congratulatory address upon his return to India, the scene of his former active services as Governor and Commander, to which he returned a very suitable reply, adding that nothing could have induced him, at his advanced period of life, to have returned to India but the commands of his Sovereign and the wishes of the Court of Directors. He looked very healthy, with a fine florid complexion and a disagreeable cast in one of his eyes. He did not stay long at Madras, but proceeded to Bengal, where he died somewhere up the country soon after, I do not think he lived more than six weeks altogether after his arrival. During the last month I was at Madras some of the reofiments of Il.M.'s Service were ordered to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to Europe. All these regiments had served in India upwards of twenty years — viz., the 73rd, 74th, and 76th ; the two former came home at the same time that I did. I saw several regiments land at Madras about this time from England — viz., the 53rd, 59th, 66th, 67th, and 69th. Some of these went on to Bengal, but the 69th relieved the 73rd at Madras. My friend Captain Crawford at this time arrived at Madras, and he also had obtained leave to return to Europe. The last fortnight I spent in India was with a ^ Charles, first Marquess Cornwallis, died 1S05 SAILS FOR ENGLAND 179 worthy old surgeon whom I knew at Trichinopoh, who was at this time a member of the Medical Board, and as I had sold off everything I had, such as furniture, etc., he asked me to come and live with him at his garden-house, a mile or two from the fort. And there I remained with him, only going into the fort by way of passing the time until the hour of dinner. Captain Crawford and myself made a bargain with Captain Timbrell, of the Hawkesbury, for a passage, and we got a large cabin between us, where we slung our cots. It was the last aft on the starboard side. This cabin cost us something more than ^200 each, and part of the 74th Regiment's poor, worn-out old men came on board with us ; also the colours of the regiment, and Lieutenant-Colonel Swinton, com- manding officer. The officers were Captains Mein, Boswell Campbell ; Lieutenant White, and several others whose names I cannot recollect ; Captain Monteith, cavalry ; Garrard, Engineers ; Ritso, late Captain H.M.'s Service; Ensigns Garrard and Roebuck, Engineers ; Garrow, Civil Service ; Dr. Ainsley. We had also General and Mrs. Cunning- ham, Company's Service (the old General was absolutely dying when he came on board, but he lived for years after) ; two squalling brats of boys, a constant torment to their poor mother, who was quite worn-out nursing them and the poor old man, her husband, who was about forty years older than herself; a Mrs. Ure, the wife of a Dr. lire, of 12 — 2 i8o ELERS MEMOIRS Hyderabad, who had two fine children of three and four years old under her charge, the children of Colonel Kirkpatrick, of Hyderabad, by a Princess, to whom report said he was married. Her High- ness would not part with her children until ^ 10,000 had been settled upon each of them. They were a boy and a girl, and they had a faithful old black man, who was very fond of them, to attend upon them. Mrs. Ure had an infant of only a few months old, nursed by a young native woman, inimensely fat, and she had also a young European woman as her maid. The children of Kirkpatrick were consigned to their uncle, Colonel Kirkpatrick, of Nottingham Place. It was my fortune to have this black and white party consigned to my care on landing in England. Having taken leave of my good old friend Dr. Richardson, at whose house I had been living, and having given away my favourite little dog Jack to the youngest Miss Maxtone, I bade adieu to all my Madras friends, and went on board the Haivkcsbury, East Indiaman, accompanied by my faithful black servant Francis, who there, poor fellow ! took leave of me. We did not sail till the ne.Kt morning. It will be, perhaps, scarcely believed that I, who had been so miserable and pining to get home the first three years of my being in the country (and no poor Swiss ever felt more the absence from his native country than I did during those three years), was at the time I found the shores of Madras fast ADMIRAI. LINOIS i8i receding from my view affected even to tears. I felt as if I was leaving my only home and the only friends I had. I could scarce believe it possible that I could have such feelings until the actual moment arrived of our sailing. Captain Timbrell was an excellent Captain — none could be better. The chief mate, Mr. Johnstone, was rather consequential, and the second mate, Mr. Cowles, was a good-natured, honest fellow. We were under the convoy of Captain Draper, of the Weymouth frigate, a very troublesome gentle- man, fond of bullying the poor skippers under his command. We had the Baring, Indiaman, and the Montrose, under Captain Patterson, a young man. Nothing of consequence occurred till we got off the Cape, when we buried poor Lieutenant White of the 74th ; and as we experienced cold weather oft the Cape, the poor invalids of the 74th died daily. We spoke an American off the Cape, who told us he had spoken Admiral Linois and his squadron only a few days before, and that they were looking out for us. We bore down to the southward, and one night soon after the Montrose and ourselves agreed to cut and run, and not venture to go to St. Helena, for fear of meeting with Linois. We bore down to the Island of Fernand de Noronha, on the Brazil Coast, within three degrees of the equator. It is the Botany Bay of Portugal, and inhabited by 1,500 convicts, with a small military force. Not one woman on the island, and the most dreadful iS2 ELERS MEMOIRS crimes committed. 1 did lun land there, but visited a very small island about three niiles oiT, the only man upon which is a poor wretch banished there tor some horrible crime — perhaps murder -who receives from the larger island a week, or ton days' provisions at a time. I went on this island and stretched my legs lor about ten minutes one evening. On returnino- on board, there was a trreat swell, and our Indiaman. as the boat went under her stern, looked an enormous height out of the water. I had some ditticulty in getting on board again, li requires great activity to catch the e.xact moment when the wave lifts you up near the gunwale, aiul in .i nunnent you sink a dozen feet at least ; and if it is difficult for a man with /zco hands, what a difficulty it is for him who has but (V/i\ which was the case with poor Captain Boswell Campbell, who lost his arm in action, and was still suffering exquisite pain from some oi' the nerves that had been amputated ! He would cry out in agony in walking the deck if anyone came near him on the side on which he had lost his arm, and particularly when we arrived ofi" the Cape during the cold weather. This bra\e ofticer, who lost his arm at Assaye, had the misfortune to fall out o[' his berth two or three days before we arrived in England. He never came out oi' his cabin after- wards, and died at the moment when the man on the look-out hailed 'Land!' It was a most melan- choly sight to see the poor soldiers, three and four TRAFALGAR 183 in the course of iha week, and also three or four officers of the 74th, thrown overboard in thf;ir cots with a 24-pound shot placed at their feet, and the splash which followed as they sank into the deep. I'he men were sewn ujj in their hammocks, and made a similar exit. During the latter part of our voyage we ex- perienced v('ry bad weather, and were obliged to have the dead lights u]>, and were scarcely able to sit at dinner. We fell in with vast quantities of sea- weed from the Gulf of Florida, and had such adverse winds that it was thought at one time we should have been obliged to go to the West Indies. We fell in with a shi[; from FLngland that sent us some papers containing th(; interesting intelligence, and at the .same time melancholy news, of the Battle (jf Trafalgar, and simultaneously that of the great victory of Bonaparte at Austerlitz. My dear brother luiward, your brave father, at Trafalgar, was third Lieutenant of the Orion, 74, under Captain (now Admiral) Sir Edward Codrington. 1 think he com- manded on the main-deck, and towards the latter jjart of the action a 74 lay helpless with her bow- sprit across the broadside of the Orion. The men were about to pour a broadside into her from the guns of this deck, thinking she was a Frenchman, when my brother sang out that it was one of our own ships. My dear brother had fought a very gallant action about a year before in the Arrow, of 18 guns, i84 ELERS MEMOIRS against two frigates somewhere between Lisbon and Gibraltar. The Arrow was protecting a very large convoy. She was sunk alongside the frigates, and her officers and crew were sent prisoners to Alexandria. My brother was a prisoner six months, when he came home in a cartel and was appointed to the Orion a short time before Lord Nelson's last and celebrated action. He was unfortunately only Second- Lieu tenant of the Arroiu, or he would have been promoted, but Lloyd's voted him a sword. When the Arroiv went down, he swam with his writing-desk, the only thing he saved, on board the Frenchman ; and I heard him say that just before the action, seeing he must be taken, he went to his cabin and rigged himself out in his best clothes. There was a clergyman's wife on board going to join her husband, a Mrs. Miller, whom he was very kind and attentive to in her distress. My brother was also in Lord St. Vincent's action, February 14, 1797, as a mid on board the Prince George. He had also seen much boat service. CHAPTER XII Bribing the Customs — 'Drinking gold' — An eccentric sportsman — Sport in Yorkshire— The London season — Mrs. Colston's at Ampthill — Charles Fox at Woburn — Cheltenham — Discovery of a Titian — An awkward rejoinder — The Duke of York — Dinner to Lord Wellesley. Oh, what a delightful sight it was, the view of the white cliffs of dear England ! It was nearly ten long years since I last saw them. I was then nineteen years of age ; I was now, in February, within a few months of twenty-nine, the most interesting period of my life spent broiling in an unhealthy climate. Already at this early age my hair had begun to turn gray, my skin had grown the colour between an orange and a lemon, and my forehead had assumed wrinkles. But my health was tolerably good, and my spirits as buoyant as when I was nineteen. And when I recollected the officers and men of my own regiment whom I had followed to their graves, I could not help thinking of the mercy of Providence that had protected me through so many dangers both by sea and land, and allowed me once more to put my foot on my beloved country. None can possibly appreciate the love of their [ 185 ] 1 86 ELERS MEMOIRS native land but those that have been long separated from it. How often on the shores of India, par- ticularly at night or in the decline of day, have I cast my longing eyes to the horizon, watching the vessels that were sailing for dear old England ! And now once more to have arrived safe and sound, I felt truly grateful to my Creator. Immediately we saw the land, my friend Captain Crawford and Mr. Garrow availed themselves of some boat that stood out to us, and for some twenty guineas got put on shore, with a trunk each, some- where in Cornwall. Others landed nearer Ports- mouth. I was determined to take it very coolly, and resolved not to land till I arrived quietly at Ports- mouth. On the ship anchoring some four or five miles from Portsmouth, poor Mrs. Ure, who had her infant and the care of Colonel Kirkpatrick's children, together with a black servant, a black nurse, and an English maidservant, felt herself in a very helpless and unprotected state ; she had, she said, property in shawls, jewels, and other valuables to the amount of upwards of ^2,000 (and the Custom House officers were expected on board every minute), and all this property was liable to be seized. We were only allowed to take one trunk each on shore. She began to cry and bewail herself, so I told her to be comforted, that I would not leave her till I saw her safe in London with her friends, and would save all her property if I possibly could, but she must place the whole of it, with the key, under my care. I BRIBING THE CUSTOMS 187 had but twenty guineas in my purse to take me to London, and I asked her if she had sufficient to pay her expenses to London, for that I should want a good deal to bribe the Custom House officers so as to get her trunk passed. She told me she had plenty of money, and she begged me to arrange everything for her. I told her to put everything of value that she had in one large trunk with some changes of linen, etc. I then hired a large boat and got my black and white party safe on board with about three trunks altogether. When the boat grounded on the beach at Portsmouth, I leaped on shore. The Custom House officers seized our trunks and wheeled them off to the Custom House. Some of the officers, seeing the poor fat black nurse, handled her very roughly, thinking from her large size that she had shawls concealed about her person. She, poor crea- ture, not speaking a word of English and not under- standing their motives, got dreadfully alarmed. I had enough to do to calm her fears and take care of my party. I went to the first hotel that presented itself, which happened to be the Blue Posts. After dis- posing them all in safety, I ran off to the Custom House and saw the officers, who were examining some gentleman's trunk. He offered them one guinea to pass it. They were quite indignant at this ; it was as much as their place was worth. At last I got hold of one of the officers, and told him my wife was very ill, and that there were things in i88 ELERS MEMOIRS our two trunks that it was necessary that she could get at directly, and that I wanted to have the trunks passed immediately. I took hold of his hand, and, without saying a word or making any further ob- servation, slipped twenty guineas into it. He imme- diately ordered the doors to be closed, so that there was only a little light left, asked me for the keys, undid the trunks, looked at them directly, and declared (which was true enough) that he could nol see a single contraband article. He procured a truck and a man to wheel them to the hotel, took off his hat, and wished me good-morning. Mrs. Ure was delighted that I had saved her property, which I should certainly have lost if I had, like the gentleman, mentioiied a paltry bribe of two or three guineas. We slept at the Blue Posts that night, and the next morning, after eating a capital breakfast, we ordered two post-chaises and drove off in high spirits towards London, We slept at Guildford, and the next evening, at five o'clock, I delivered my charge over to Colonel Kirkpatrick in Nottingham Place. I remember the post-boy asking me where he should drive me to, and I really felt puzzled. I at first thought of going to Ibbettson's Hotel, but recol- lecting that I used sometimes when I was very young to dine at the New Hummums at Covent Garden, I ordered him to drive there. The first thing I did the next day was to go to my kind old friend Mr. Hutchinson. I left him 'DRINKING GOLD' 189 a hale, cheerful old man of seventy-two, drinking his wine and enjoying his joke even at that age. I found him in bed, so changed, a fine hectic colour in his face, a long gray beard, and most of his teeth gone, attended by a nurse. He, however, knew me, asked me to come and take up my quarters at his house, but looked grave and serious. I told him I was living at the New Hummums. I thanked him for his kindness, and told him I would come, as I used to do in my young days, to breakfast and dine, and would sleep at my hotel. For I thought my hours would not exactly suit a private family. And I had been, as I thought, too long out of old England, and was determined to have my fling. My friend Mr. Hutchinson, since I left England, had succeeded, by the death of his eldest son in the East Indies, to a large fortune, about ^100,000, and had a large house in Bloomsbury Square. His two younger daughters were married, and his eldest was still single, and took care of her old father. I shall never forget the old gentleman's as- tonishment the first day I dined there. A bottle of Madeira was standing next to me at dinner, and I mechanically seized and poured about half a tumbler of it, according to custom, into water, as we all do in India. Oh, the look of astonishment he gave ! ' Do you know, young gentleman, what you are doing ? Why, you might as well drink so much^o/d /' It was said exactly in the style of old Munden. I90 ELERS MEMOIRS One of the first persons I endeavoured to find out on my arrival in London was the Honourable Mrs. Aston. When her poor husband was lying dead I cut off a lock of his hair, had it placed in an elegant locket, and sent it to her. She had expressed her thanks to me by letter. I wrote to her sister, the Marchioness of Hertford, for her address. Lady H. wrote me a polite letter, saying that her sister was living in great retirement with her children at Temple Newsam. Yorkshire. I wrote to Mrs. Aston, and she sent me back a very kind letter.^ tellinof me how much she wished to see me and introduce me to her children. I went down to Mrs. Tennant, and the first words she said were : ' Well, George, what has brought you home ?' just as if I had left her the week before. I told her, having been absent ten years and buried my regiment twice over, I thought it was time to come. ' Well,' says she, ' you must not stay in this house one instant. I have a young lady dangerously ill with an infectious fever, and I expect her to die every hour.' Soon after this I happened to call on a cousin of ours, a starched old maid, a Miss Jellicoe,-^ and of all the days in the week it was of a Sunday, in the middle of Church service. It was very thoucrhtless and inconsiderate, I orant. but I heard she made some rude and unkind speech on the occa- sion, and I never called or saw her again ; however, ^ See p. :!75. — Ed. - Either Hannah or Sarah, daughter of William Jellicoe, by Sarah Debonnaire. aunt of the writer. COLONEL THORNTON 191 on her death, not many years since, I offered to pay her the respect of attending- her funeral. Soon after my arrival in England I fell into the company of the celebrated sportsman, Colonel Thornton, of Yorkshire. He was at this time labouring under great unpopularity from several causes, of which I was then ignorant. I only had heard of him through the Sporting Magazine, which I remember reading from a boy. But he had lost himself by many shabby tricks, and was, at the time I got acquainted with him, a good deal cut. He was, however, a man possessed of great wit, a first- rate sportsman, of unbounded hospitality and great conviviality, and had kept the first company, from the Prince of Wales downwards. He was hated by Mrs. Tennant, and she was angry with me for keeping company with him. At this time he had just sold his seat, Thornville Royal, which he bought of the Duke of York, to Lord Stourton for, I heard, ^^300,000. He was particularly civil to me, and used to send his grooms and horses for me to ride in the park ; and he asked me to go down with him into York- shire to a country seat of his called Falconer's Hall, about forty miles beyond York and on the Wolds. I set off in his carriage with a third person, an officer who had served with him in the York Militia when he commanded the regiment. We slept at the Fountain at Huntingdon, and I went into the inn-yard there, which I well remembered, having. 192 ELERS MEMOIRS about fifteen years before, when I was a boy, killed a sparrow there with a stone. I inquired after a fox that used to be kept chained in the yard, but poor Reynard was long since dead. The ne.xt night we slept at Doncaster, and the third we got to Falconer's Hall. It was a pretty box, consisting of a hall, a circular dining and drawing room, a bedroom opening into a pretty conservatory, where you could lie and see roses blossoming and the snow outside deep on the Wolds at the same time. It was the middle of March and bitterly cold, but we had magnificent fires, the finest hare soup I ever tasted, and dinners tolerably good, for the Colonel was never famous for dinners. He ate little himself; all he thought of was giving his friends lots of wine. He was a very extraordinary man ; he could sit up drinking night after night and sleep in his chair instead oi going to bed, and then get on his horse and hunt all day. At this time he was over sixty, and I, who was only twenty-eight, could hardly stand this. He had no less than sixty couple of beagles, and one ciay we took the whole pack out together. As they used to gallop down the hills, their white and yellow backs all close together, they looked like a sheet of water. I rode his best horses, and one day after dinner askeci him what he would take for a high-bred mare I had ridden in the morning ; she was bred by the celebrated Mr. O'Kelly, of Canon's, the owner oi the still more celebrated racehorse A FAMOUS MARE 193 Eclipse, and this mare was of his blood and sprung from him. Sh(' was like him, having white on one of her hind-legs, a bright chestnut, and dark spots on her hind-quarters, and a head small enough to go into a quart pot. She had run and won some races at York, ridden by the famous Buckle, and was so gentle that a lady riding her and being thrown by the saddle turning, she stood still till she remounted. She had run a four-mile heat in eight minutes. In India my Arab horse Aboukir was near three minutes fifteen seconds galloping two miles. I gave him 140 guineas for this mare, and I rode her up to London in six days, forty miles beyond York with- out one trip, which was wonderful. I visited Scarborough, Harrogate, and Bridlington, and arrived in London about the latter end of April. I went to the trial of Lord Melville in Westminster Hall, visited all the theatres, never missed the opera, and went on a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Lambert near Epsom at a pretty village called Woodmanstone during the race week. I shall never forget the beauties of this spring, the freshness and sweetness of the sweetbriar hedges round Woodmanstone, the lovely roses and the notes of the nightingale in the evening, and the society of Mrs. Lambert and of her lovely daughter, poor Jane Lambert, very lately dead. Mrs. L. was formerly Miss N. Hutchinson, who packed up and arranged all my trunks when I left England. During the height of the London season my two 13 194 ELERS MEMOIRS cousins, Louisa Bell and the Honourable Mrs. George Browne,^ both widows, arrived in London. I saw them at a hotel. I promised Mrs. Browne that I would come down and pay a visit to her and my aunt, who had a house at Ampthill, Bedfordshire, which pleased her much. Sir William Curtis,^ a distant relation of Mrs. Tennant, and a very old friend, asked me to come and see him at Cullard's Grove. He kept a capital table, and had a large cellar of fine and choice wines, and after dinner one day we went down into his cellar and tasted a lot of different vintages of port and claret. The present Emperor of Russia, Nicholas, has often tasted the wine out of these butts, pipes, and hogsheads during his stay at Sir William Curtis's, who showed him much attention during his stay in England. Sir William was very anxious I should be presented at Court by a cousin of Mrs. Tennant's, Lord Henniker,^ and offered to introduce me to him. Sir William's eldest son* at this time was just ^ Mary, daughter of Rev. Alexander Colston, of Filkins Hall. Married, 1801, Hon. George Browne, third son of John, first Lord Kilmaine. 2 Mrs. Tennant's great-grandfather, Timothy Tennant, had a daughter, Mary, married to Sir William Curtis, Bart., Lord Mayor of London. ^ Mrs. Tennant's great-great-grandfather, Rev. Richard Tennant, who died in 1682, had a daughter, Elizabeth, married to John Major, ancestor of Lord Henniker. * William, son and heir of Sir William Curtis. Married, 1803, Mary Anne, only child of George Lear, of Leytonstone, County Essex. THE LONDON SEASON 195 married to a lovely woman with a large fortune and still larger expectations, which were not fulfilled. He lived at that time in Bedford Square, but has now lived for many years in Portland Place, in one of the largest houses in the street, formerly Mrs. Broadhead's. Mr. Curtis gave concerts every Wednesday, and patronized the professionals for years until they gave themselves so many airs he was obliged to give them up. I remember meeting at some parties two pretty girls — one a blonde, a Miss Orme, the other a brunette, a Miss Cockerell, a daughter of Sir Charles. I remember paying a morning visit at their villa on the Harrow Road. At some of these parties I met three very fine women, sisters of the name of Neville. They lived in St. James's Street. My cousin Mary Browne introduced me to the two ladies Fitzpatrick,^ daughters of Lord Ossory. Their town house was in Grosvenor Place, and they lived when in the country close to my aunt and cousin at Ampthill Park, and were good neighbours. I at last left London in June, and rode down to Mrs. Colston's at Ampthill. They had a large, old-fashioned red-brick house with gardens and a paddock, and as it was situated in the town of Ampthill it was a great acquisition. I here saw grazing the same carriage-horses I remembered as almost colts twelve years before. A Mr. and Mrs. ^ Lady Anne and Lady Gertrude Fitzpatrick, daughters of John, second Earl of Ossory. Died unmarried. 13—2 196 ELERS MEMOIRS Smith and daughters lived at Aspley, about seven miles oft". He was a clergyman, and had the living. They were both of an excellent old family, and con- nected with some old families in the county, particu- larly the Butlers and the Charnocks. 1 used to ride over and dine there sometimes. I also wont to the Woburn sheep-shearing, and that year the little Marquess of Tavistock presided in the room of the Duke. I well recollect Francis, the late Duke, an uncommonly handsome man, who lost his life by what is termed strangulated hernia. A very simple remedy in surger)-, which could have been applied by any country doctor, would have saved his life. They sent to London, and the delay proved fatal. It was he. with other men of rank in the W hig in- terest, who first cut off their tails or queues, and left oft' hair-powder, with a heavy penalty if they ever resumed them. I think Charles Fox was of the party and Colonel Montgomery, who was afterwards shot in a duel by Captain Macnamara. While I remained at Ampthill I took a quack medicine to remove a thickness in the skin in the palms of the hands, very common to people who have lived long in warm climates, and which arises from impurity of the blood. The medicine I took was of a pink colour and called Spilbury's drops. It was of no service, but put me in a constant fever, as I believe the chief ingredient consisted of corrosive sublimate. My aunt and cousin did everything they could to CHELTENHAM 197 amuse me, but 1 found Ampthill very dull, and I longed to be again in the great world, as I had only twelve months' leave of absence, which would expire in September, and it was now the latter end of June, and nearly five months of that time was spent in the voyage. So I bade adieu to aunt and cousin, and returned to town once more. After spending another six weeks in London, I set off for Cheltenham, and rode my mare d(jwn in two days. I put up at the Plough, and afterwards went to board at the Miss Smiths in the High Street. This was the best house in the town, where I think I paid three guineas per week without wine or servants. I used to go and drink the waters every morning, ride out after breakfast with gay parties, and in the evening went to private parties, balls, and concerts. I got rather intimate with the Countess of Winterton,^ having known her daughter. Lady Elizabeth Richardson, in India. One night at the rooms I was dancing with a lady — I cannot recollect who it was, but it was some friend of Lady Elizabeth's. The Honourable Miss Duncan, who certainly had the precedence of my partner in point of rank, rather rudely pushed her down one couple. This so enraged my fair partner that she implored Lady Elizabeth to dance with me so that she (my partner) might be gratified by Lady Elizabeth, as the daughter of an Earl, taking precedence of Miss Duncan, the ' Elizabeth, daughter of John Armstrong, of Godalming. Married, 1778, Edward, first I-Larl of Winterton, as his second wife. I used tv> mtf«<^ tKo jM>Mty Mr^ R.^U' Miss l^rtw^t ihAi vi^As; her Aum. Mrs. Hii^^^inj^: thr HoiKHirAWe Mr^ \tuUins anvi her h,\nvl.^v\\e b\u \>M>^ mA:^n\Une s^isier, l^vK CKMxhiwk : a Miss Ol^rkMK Mrs. lawvl Ami her liuuihiers : LavU HAnrtett GiU; Sir Henrx- Smith: l.vvrvi \VijiU>wn.^ etv\x »nvi xve vise\l tv> make up OArvl-jwrties Ami liiile supi^ers AmvM\g vHirselves. I ^wssevi t\w tWvMVihs at Ohe)trnK.\m. when I \v;vie tv> n\y vvusin. A1e\AT>vier Cv>lstv>n, th,u I \>\H»ld v.vn\o And jwy hin\ a visit At Filkins HaII, the x^^rv hous^^ wherr I sj>ent two mivisummer hvMivU)-^ when 1 was tv^urteen Anvi t^fteei^ \^^^^s olvi. Filkit\s is aKhu twenty miles lV\^n\ CheltenhAm, AUvi sv> v^ne vUy. just Ivtv^re dinner, I rvxio int\> the vxld cvHirtyArvi And was ushen\l intx> the wt'lUknc^wn viining-rvx^nx. I s,uv lots of Kn*ely cvxisins tVvMW tV»urtwn downwAixis. Vhe dining room WAS nv^t AUert\i. b\u aH the other jxrincijwl rvxxms wn^re hUed with jwinting^ of the v>Ki ItAliAu mAstrrSv Mrs. Cv>lsion was a clextM. >\c.. t\iuOs\tevi wvMUAn, And v\ne dAy her Attention was ^mrAot^xi b\ a jxv^r John Ro>lK v>< the Or*»^x?. Cwt>. Ui; hb oUnw t\> ih<* tuk^ was i\v"< aIK»(vv\1 by the UvHi^e 04f l.ocvU. His vwly ohvKi» HAmd jAne lA«rA. «vk^ at tb/r \f\ciiir*i ; h waa a lovdy V^mu* ''/f th#; ^hfffA of I'tthiT). 'Wh*:r('. (\\(] y(fn pick up thtJi o\d j/iVyt of rjanva'v .-^ Th': jxy/r rnnn vtid : * In th/; rfyfm% ov#rr th^ %tniAft%, 7'h/:re ar#i pU^nty nv/r#r th^^re, roll^'/l up/ Mr», OAnUm U/%t no tinv; in examining th'; r^y^m, and th^m found }>^w#^m fifty and »ixty fine oJl'f;aif,tjnj^», chi'-ily of th", IvtViHn school, Sh'; j/r/t a man from Jy/ndon, who ofUtn-A h':r 2a'>» guin^ra* for th': two fir<>t fi'; ch'^m/L She g«^H th/rm all df^nfA and frumcA, and it ma/Je th': hfAj^^t \(>i/\t\(KM Uihind the hou%*',. It v/a'v one among hundrf'/h ajr of large whit/: gat/:«i at the Yx/tU/m of th<; padd'^x;k. When I was a Jx>y I ha/I carvf:d my initial G. K., and underneath S. <'^. I fr/und the tr^:/:, and the initials w^rre plain U^^ U: '/./^n, but overgrown with mo»<^] des^rrt of fruit, 200 ELERS MEMOIRS some tine old port, pretty rosy children and happy father and mother, with a little malmsey and other white wines to drink, with the nuts, filberts, and wal- nuts — with all these delightful combinations I really think a country fireside in the month of October is most enchanting. All this I had for a tleeting month, when 1 winged my way once more to the dark and ^*^^§Sy iiiodern Babylon about the month o{ the dismal November, iSoo. Having arrived in town. 1 met Major Gordon, of the 34th. and a Captain Williams, of the 74th. They told me they were boarding and lodging, but in a very unfashionable part of the town. I did not mind that, and for the sake oi their company — for I began to get tired o\ living at a hotel — I joined them. I forgot to mention that in the summer I contrived to spend a fortnight with my brother in barracks, at Brayborne Lees, Kent, where the 43rd Light Infantry were quartered. When I last saw the regiment they were at Hilsea Barracks (1796) ; they were then the worst dressed regiment I ever saw. Ten years after they were, without any excep- tion, the finest body of men I ever saw, so well dressed, and men all of the same height. In short, they were Light Infantry, and the officers all superb, such as Napier^ and Fergusson, now the finest and most celebrated officers in the Queen's service. The 43rd and the 52nd were the favourite regiments of Sir John Moore, and were formed under his eye. All ^ Sir William Napier, K.C.B., historian of the Peninsular ^^'ar. THE DUKE Oh YORK 201 the military world knows how they distinguished themselves under the illustrious Duke in the i^enin- sula, where my dear brother died as Major soon after the Battle of I'uentes d'Onor, on which occa- sion he commanded the 43rd Regiment. It was, I think, in 1806 that my brother Edward, your father, married Miss Younghusband, your mother. I think you were born about a year after at No. 24, Duke Street, Manchester Square. I recollect a great friend of your mother's, a Lady Trelawny. I remember your poor father, who had all the downright bluntness and honesty of a British sailor, making me laugh very much. Lady Trelawny was a large woman, and had got wet through in her thin kid shoes. Your mother had a particularly .small and pretty foot ; of course. Lady T. could not wear her shoes, and a new pair of my brother's were selected for her ladyship's use. Lady T. began to apologize about wearing his shoes. ' Oh, never mind, my lady ; it will stretch them for me — do them good ' ! Poor fellow ! he intended to be kind and civil. About the month of November I waited upon the Duke of York at his levee at the Horse Guards to ask for an extension of leave. After waiting a long time in an ante-room, my name was called out by the aide-de-camp in waiting. The door opened, then closed, and I found myself alone with the Duke. He was dressed in mourning for his uncle, the Duke of Brunswick. He was standing up with 202 ELERS MEMOIRS his back to the fire. He bowed, and motioned with his hand for me to sit down. I in very few words told him what I wanted, which was another year's leave of absence, as out of the original leave granted in India five months had been spent at sea. He told me he would speak to the Adjutant-General about it, and I thanked H.R. H., and was on the point of making my bow, recollecting how many prosy men he has to be bored by every week, and so had determined not to say one word more than what was necessary. But he made me sit down, and asked me many questions about the regiment, India, etc. At last he made me his bow, and I retired. I could not help admiring the perfect symmetry of his limbs, but he had got enormously fat since I last saw him. A few days afterwards, to my great mortification, I received a letter from the Adjutant saying that I had His Royal Highness's permission to remain in England, but that I must embark by the first fleet that sailed for India. A more unsatisfactory or stnpid answer it was not possible to receive. I could not sail for India until a fleet sailed, and I must necessarily remaifi in England until it did. I did not think it worth my while to trouble either myself or H.R. H. by any further application or remonstrance as to this stupid answer to my request, so I made up my mind to go by the first fleet. I forgot to mention that on my first arrival in England there was a little man of the name of Paul, DINNER TO LORD WELLESLEY 203 who had gone out to India as a mere adventurer, and who, in order to gain a name, wished to prefer some groundless and maHcious charges against Lord Wellesley and his government in India. I think he was an indigo-planter, and had acquired a fortune, and that Lord Wellesley had been of some service to him. He got into Parliament by means of his money, and Sir Francis Burdett patronized him ; but they afterwards had a quarrel, which ended in a duel. However, just when I arrived, meeting some of Lord Wellesley's friends, they asked me if I would put down my name as a subscriber to a dinner in honour of Lord Wellesley, to mark the respect and affectionate regard we had for his public services in India, and to counteract the dirty con- spiracy of the vulgar Mr. Paul, who in India could never presume to sit at the same table with his lordship, but in this country was made a tool of by some of Lord Wellesley's enemies. I said that I was only too happy, and that I had received so many kind favours both from him and his brother that I should be glad to have the opportunity of giving him twenty dinners. One hundred and fifty names were put down as subscribers ; a respectful letter was written to Lord Wellesley, expressive of their respect and affection for his person and his government, and to request that he would honour them with his company to dinner, and would bring with him fifty of his own friends whom he should invite to meet him. 204 ELERS MEMOIRS The invitation was accepted, and covers for 200 were laid at Willis's Rooms in the month of March, 1 806. Lord W. asked all the foreign Ambassadors, most of the leading men of the two Houses of Parliament, and the room was brilliantly lighted, and shone with a profusion of Stars, Orders, and Decorations. I never in my life saw anything so truly magnificent. All London was ransacked to procure all kinds of delicacies — turtle, venison, pines, melons, peas — in short, everything in and out of season. The band of the Guards attended, as also many celebrated singers of the day. Every- thing was well arranged. The dinner cost 2,250 guineas ; my share came to 1 5 guineas, which I paid into Morlands', the bankers. The tables were well arranged. One table went across the room, in the centre of which sat the Marquess, and on his right and left on each side were the Ministers and foreign Ambassadors and his own friends, to the number of fifty. There were two long tables running down each side of the room for us, and in the centre were placed the singers and the band. All the clever men who arranged this party divided themselves, and each took care of some dozen of us. I was in the division belonging to Gerald Wellesley, and I sat between the Honour- able General Phipps and General Cotton, and made them known to each other. Lord Mulgrave was of our party, and the General, his brother, introduced me to him. I found out that a relationship existed SIR THOMAS METCALFE 205 between Colonel Aston and General Phipps, and the General ever after honoured me with his friend- ship. General Cotton, I remember, pointed Sir Thomas Metcalfe^ out to me. It did not occur to me at the time that he had married a relation of my mother's. All went off in perfect harmony, and we did not separate until an early hour. ^ Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Baronet, married, 1782, Susannah Sophia, daughter of John Debonnaire and second cousin of the writer. CHAPTER XIII Miss Gardner and Lord Chartley — A miserable marriage — Lord Chartley's flight — Lady Chartley elopes — Sir Thomas Picton — Torture in Trinidad — The Isle of Wight — A calumnious clergyman — Society at Colonel Thornton's. On my first arrival in England I was introduced to a very young and delicate-looking girl, the only daughter and heiress to an immense fortune, a Miss Gardner, daughter of a Mr. and Mrs, Gardner, of Grosvenor Street, The father was a vulgar little man of low origin, I believe, who had run away with his wife, who was the daughter of a rich lawyer in the Isle of Ely at a place called Chatteris. Mrs, Gardner was decidedly mad, and as I sat at dinner I really did not feel comfortable with the knives in her hands. As to the daughter, poor little thing ! she had not one word to say for herself — very shy and innocent. My friend Miss Hutchinson used to say to me : ' There is a fine fortune )iow for you. How should you like to have Miss Gardner?' etc. ' 111 tell you what, Miss Hutchinson,' I said : ' I like Miss Gardner's /;'(7jr^eT/jr very much, and perhaps I might, if I knew the young lady better, like \\^x for herself ; but I am in England for a very short time, [ -'o6 ] A BID FOR AN HEIRESS 207 and I cannot afford to throw away time so prccifjus to me in dangling after a young lady that I have no chance of getting without assistance. Now it is in your power to put me in the way of putting her into a chaise and four, and I will marry her at all risks. If you will promise to give me your assistance, I will give you a draft upon my banker this moment for a thousand pounds.' Poor Miss H. was one of your conscientious, prudent ladies — no dash, no resolution. She thought there was no harm to make my mouth water by asking me how I should like a young lady with ^300,000. It was something like asking a little boy : ' How should you like, my dear, to have a nice little pony }' ' Very much, mamma.' ' Ah ! but, my dear, I am afraid to trust you. You must wait till you are a big boy,' etc. This tantalizing I think very cruel. So Miss Hutchinson acted towards me. ' Oh, she would not do such a thing for the world ! Such a breach of trust !' etc. Poor Miss Gardner was so watched by her parents that she never slept out of their room, and was scarcely ever out of their sight. Pretty chance had I, therefore, without the assistance of Miss Gardner's friend, the old maid. Miss Hutchinson had a sister married to a Dr. Curling, and he possessed a very pretty villa and grounds at Westbourne Green. This villa Lord Chartley,^ a son of the Earl of Leicester, rented of ^ George, Lord Chartley, afterwards Marquess of Townshend, married, 1807, Sarah, daughter and heir of William Dunn-Gardner, 2o8 ELERS MEMOIRS Dr. Curling, and Dr. C. had lodgings in St. James's Street. On the occasion of one of the Drawing-rooms the Doctor invited his lordship to come and partake of a breakfast at which there was a large party to see the ladies Qfo to Court, and he g-ave him a hint that Miss Gardner, a young lady, an heiress, would be there. Lord Chartley was somewhat in debt, and he took the hint directly. He was introduced in form. This took place about March, just as I was leaving London for the Isle of Wight to embark for India. Lord Chartley proposed for Miss Gardner, was accepted, and Mr. G. paid his debts, amounting to ^15,000, and gave his daughter ;^2 5,000, but settled on herself. I returned to town very un- expectedly from the Isle of Wight early in May, and on the 1 2th of that month Lord Chartley was married to Miss Gardner. It was not right of Dr. Curling ever to have introduced Lord Chartley to Miss Gardner. His lordship's character was notorious to the whole world, with the exception of the obscure Mr. Gardner, who, I think, had he known what all the world knew, never would have given his consent. Miss Gardner was married, but his lordship never consummated that marriage. Lady Chartley confided to a female friend the dis- gusting particulars of what had passed, and what she had suffered for nine months at Westbourne Green, of Chatteris. She left him in 1808, and went through a form of marriage with John Margetts, brewer, at Gretna Green, 1809, by whom she had a large illegitimate family. A WRETCHED MARRIAGE 209 where she confessed she had bitterly repented of ever having had the misery of being united to his lordship, and wisJmig that I had been the happy man instead. So I concluded that my name had been long before mentioned to her by her friend. Lady Chardey about nine months after her marriage, in a fit of anguish and despair, drove to her father's house, threw herself at his feet, claimed his protection, and disclosed scenes nearly equal to those for which the infamous Mervin, Lord Audley, was executed on Tower Hill in the reign of Charles I. Off went Mr. Gardner to Bow Street ; a warrant was granted against Lord C, who fled the country and has never appeared since. It was some- thing curious that a few months before he had brought an action against the proprietors of the Herald for libel, and had a verdict in his favour against them for ^2,000 damages. Lady Chardey lived with her father about six weeks, seeing no one but a Mr. Margetts, a brewer, I believe, who had formerly been an unsuccessful suitor for her hand. One night she ran away with this gallant hero, who put her into a hackney coach and drove about with her all night, not knowing where to take her, when towards morning they found themselves at the Spaniards at Hampstead Heath. They have lived together ever since, and there are many children now grown up, who have assumed the titles of the Townshend family. Lord Chartley's father, the 14 2IO ELERS MEMOIRS Marquess o( T..^ disinherited him, but Lord C. had an estate oi ,{'^,000 per annum in right of his mother. His next brother. Lord Charles Townshend, in- herited Raynham and all the family estates. The Marquess of Townshend disposed of his property in this way : He left Lord Charles ,:{, 5.000 a year out of his property in Norfolk, and he reserved the surplus o( his estates to form a fund for fourteen years, and after that period the whole oi' the estates were to be given up to Lord Charles, which would make his income /, 25,000 per annum. I afterwards got acquainted with Lord Charles at Major Elring- ton's. the commanding officer at the Tower, a con- nection of Lord Charles's, who had married his cousin, Miss Loftus, whom I have met at Sir Samuel Fludyer's in Suffolk. Lord Charles, in speaking of his brother's wife, said that after the death of his brother he made no doubt he should have great trouble in getting his title as Marquess Townshend, as it was a very difficult case ; but I sincerely hope, for the sake of the noble blood of the Townshends, that it will go in the legitimate line.- I took, as I thought, a last farewell of London and all my friends. Among the rest I went to Sir Thomas Picton, who invariably treated me with ^ The ^Marquess of Townshend was created in 17S4 Earl of Leicester. He succeeded to the Marquisate of Townshend in 1S07. - John Margetts, son of John Margetts by Sarah Lady Town- shend, nee Dunn-Gardner, was declared illegitimate by Act of Parliament, 1S43, after having claimed the title of fc^arl of Leicester, and sat as such for Bodmin, 1S41-43. SIR THOMAS PICTON 211 great kindness, I suppose chiefly from my being an old officer in the 12th Regiment, which quite belonged to the family of the Pictons. He used to say to me : ' I do not know what you have done to my old uncle, but he is quite wrapped up in you. I assure you, you are a great favourite.' This I felt very flattering, and I am sure Sir Thomas liked me, as he tried to get me on his Staff, and applied to the Commander-in-Chief for that purpose ; but without success, as I afterwards was put on the Recruit- ing Service, when old Dundas was Commander-in- Chief. Sir Thomas Picton was a brave soldier, a warm friend, but an inveterate and bitter enemy, and it did not matter however high the rank might be of the person whom he hated. He never forgave the Duke of Wellington about his brother's quarrel with Colonel Aston — not that I can bring to mind that Colonel Wellesley had anything to do with it at all. On the contrary, I know the Duke strongly advised Aston not to publish the order in question which led to his death. I have not a doubt that this was the ground of their differences in the Peninsula. I heard one day that in one of the Peninsular battles a division was performing prodigies of valour in the sight of the Duke. ' Well done, Fifth Division !' cried the Duke. ' Well done. Fifth Division, indeed !' said Sir Thomas ; 'it is my division, the Third! ' Oh, I thought it was the Fifth !' cried the Duke. ' You thought^ indeed f cried Sir Thomas, and rode proudly away. 14 — 2 212 ELERS MEMOIRS I only relate this anecdote to show the character of the man. Could there be one other nian in the whole British Army that would have made such a reply to the Duke of Wellington ? I do not mean to say that this was in good taste, but only to show the character of the man. Aftor the celebrated retreat from Inirgos. I called upon General Picton, He was in a great rage at what he called the treatment he had received. I did not like to presume to ask him who had given hint offence, but I suppose it was the Duke. ' I'll tell you what, Elers.' said he : *they may force me out — that I cannot help — but I will never serve again if I can avoid it.' Ministers, how- ever, knew his value, and so did the Commander- in-Chief, for they made him a Grand Cross oi the Bath : and the Duke of Wellington hiniself. well knowing" his invaluable services, applied for him to join his army on the last great occasion, the return of Bonaparte from Elba. I met poor Picton one day in Pall INIall. ' What's the news, Sir Thomas ?' ' Why, I have just now heard,' said he. ' that Bona- parte has escaped from Elba and is now in France.' I expressed my surprise and incredulity. ' Well.' said he, ' you have it as I have had it. and that is all I know about it.' These are the last words I ever heard from his lips, and the last time I ever saw him tilive. The next time I saw him was in the front parlour of his lodgings in Edward Street. Portman Square. Iving dead in his coffin, his sword scabbard bruised with shot, his boots uncleaned and stained PICTON'S FUNERAL 213 with the yellow mud of Waterloo, and his accoutre- ments lying about in confusion. It was doubtful whether the hero would have a public funeral, but his brother, the Rev. Edward Picton, told me that he would be buried quite privately, and that only his most intimate friends would be present. He flattered me much by requesting me to attend the funeral, which I did. There were about eight mourning coaches — the Honourable General Stewart and Sir Ewen Cameron, a general officer and most attached friend ; his aide-de-camp, Major Tyler ; Edward Picton ; and many others, I remember. He was buried in St. George's Chapel, Uxbridge Road, in a vault under the chapel. Old Sir Ewen put his hand on the coffin in the vault, the tears rolling down his cheeks : 'God bless thee, Tom Picton ! fare thee well.' It was a truly interesting and melancholy sight. Poor fellow ! when I first came home he was perse- cuted by General F and brought to trial for what they called torturing Louisa Calderon at the Island of Trinidad. This girl, a slave, was tried at Trinidad for theft. The Spanish laws were in force, and the girl being found guilty, she was sentenced, according to the Spanish laws, to stand upon a sharp peg for a certain time. It was a very common punishment for the Dragoons when I first entered the service, and it was called picketing. Colonel E had had some quarrel with General Picton, and out of revenge trumped up this charge against the General, lie had anticipated an 214 ELERS MEMOIRS acquittal, and had asked a very large party of his friends, includino- myself, to dinner at the British Hotel on the day of the trial. The trial lasted until past the hour of dinner. At length he arrived with his friends from the court at Westminster, saying that the trial was postponed until some witnesses could arrive from the West Indies. This was a certain way of ruining poor Picton by the dreadful expense, which was the chief motive that prompted Colonel F to pursue this course, as the Crown prosecuted, with no expense to F . We were all very sorry for poor Picton, and the Duke of Oueensberry, who was not at all acquainted with him, wrote and told him he was convinced he had been hardly used, and that his law expenses must be very great, and begged his acceptance of ;^5,ooo towards defraying the law charges. Picton wrote his thanks, but declined receivino: it, savino" he had an uncle, General William Picton, who would pay them for him. The Duke of Oueensberry after- wards left him in his will /" 10,000. He often used to say to me : ' That rascal F is a rank deception, and so he has been all his life.' On my going down to the depot at the Isle of Wight, General Picton gave me a letter of introduc- tion to Colonel Barlow, the commanding officer, and I was in consequence received with great attention by that officer and all the Staff of the depot. The depot was a short mile from the town of Newport, and we only had to attend a parade that did not last ISLE OF WIGHT 215 half an hour after breakfast. I got intimate with all the Staff, particularly with the present Sir William Boothby,' Baronet, a fine, handsome young man, just married to a dauc^hter of Lord Liverpool's ; Captain Bygrave, of the Staff, who knew my brother, having served with him in the West Indies ; Mr. and Mrs. Knyvett ; the Paymaster, and several others. The depot was full of officers and soldiers waiting for the opportunity of being sent out, like myself, to join their regiments in all parts of the world. About a mile from Newport lies the pretty village of Carisbrook. When I was a youngster, on my first joining my regiment I used often of an evening to walk out to this village across the fields. I used to observe a very happy family party who came every day to attend the market. This party con- sisted of a young man and his pretty young wife, the young man's mother, and her husband, a Captain in the Navy, a great deal younger than herself. They lived at Carisbrook in a pretty cottage covered with a large spreading vine and roses, and with many flowers in the little garden in front of the house, which was called Clatterford Cottage. They used to come into Newport, sometimes in a handsome post-chaise, and sometimes the young gentleman came with his blood horses, attended by his groom. I thought they appeared a truly happy family party, and one day I asked the groom the name of his ' Sir William iJoothby, Baronet, married Fanny, niece, not daughter, of Charles, first Earl of Liverpool. 2i6 ELERS MEMOIRS master. He said it was Edgeworth. I directly went up and introduced myself to him, and he said : ' I know your name well, and my mother, Mrs. Douglas, knew your father well, and will be delighted to see you ; you must come out and dine with us to-day without ceremony. We shall make no ceremony with you, as you are one of the family.' I went accordingly, and I think we dined at the early hour of four. I spent a very pleasant day, and returned home to my lodgings at Newport, having promised them often to visit them at their cottage. Douglas was a Captain on half-pay, and married Mrs. Edgeworth from pure affection, independently of her jointure, which, I suppose, was a good one, to judge by her son's fortune. During my stay at the depot in the Isle of Wight I was ordered to sit upon a general court-martial, and about that period I met a clergyman of the name of Chudleigh, whom I recollected, when a boy, staying at my Uncle Colston's house on a visit with my cousins, who were brought up with him both at Winchester College and afterwards at Oxford. In the course of conversation he spoke very disrespectfully of my cousin, Lieutenant-Colonel Colston, and I instantly, in a letter to the Colonel, mentioned what he had said. The Colonel at once came down to Newport to demand an explanation of Mr. Chudleigh, and this man, a disgrace to the cloth he wore, utterly denied ever having made use of the language I had reported to my cousin. The THE COLONEL AND THE PARSON 217 court-martial of which I was a member had closed their proceedings, but had not dissolved, and had I complied with Colonel Colston's wishes to have acted as his friend on this occasion, I should have been liable to have got into a very serious scrape, being on duty and not released from it. I ndependently of that, Mr. Chudleigh, who had the meanness to deny his own words, was not likely to fight, par- ticularly as he could shelter himself behind his cloth. At this time I had gone to Portsmouth to see a 74-gun ship launched, leaving word where I was to be found. On my return to Newport, Mr. Chud- leigh had left, and I never afterwards saw this calum- niator and pitiful liar. However, Colonel Colston, who is not, whatever his good qualities may be, very remarkable for good sense, thought proper to feel him- self ill-used by me, and we have never spoken since. Poor man ! I do not blame him, but he is under the control of his wife, who insisted that he should show fight, and was very bitter against me because I did not choose to run the risk of losing my commission to gratify her revenge against the miscreant Chudleigh. I remained at the depot about two months, expect- ing every day to be ordered to embark, when one day I got a letter from the Horse Guards that I was ordered to go on the Recruiting Service, and that my party was stationed at Ipswich, in Suffolk. Oh, how delighted I was ! Your^ father was now a Lieutenant ^ These Memoirs were addressed to the nephew of the author, the son of his younger brother, Lieut. Edward Elers, R.N. — Ed. 21 8 ELERS MEMOIRS on half-pay, and lived with your mother in a good house at Emsworth, about fourteen miles from Portsmouth, and his mother-in-law lived in the same village. It was a dull place, and the only neigh- bours he had were Navy people, vulgar, ill-bred, and illiterate. He used to make bitter complaints to me of his want of society. You were not above a year old at this time. I forget whether I paid him a visit before I went to town, but I know I did in August following, as I went on duty to the Isle of Wight about the latter end of September. I returned to town in excellent health and spirits, and took up my old quarters at the New Hummums. Colonel Thornton had at this time very serious thoughts of taking unto himself a wife, and, as chance would have it, I was the indirect means of his obtaining one. At this time he had an immense old-fashioned house in Lincoln's Inn Fields, once the property of Lord Kenyon. This he had purchased and filled with valuable paintings by old and modern masters. He had his horses, carriages, and servants in town, and he had another large house called Dorset House near Manchester Square, and a small house near Astley's Theatre, which he called 'The Boudoir.' At his house in Lincoln's Inn Fields he gave bad dinners but plenty of good wine, I used generally to dine there four days out of the seven, and there I met all sorts of people, consisting of actors, authors, painters, musicians, peers, boxers, poets, etc. Of the former I have met COLONEL THORNTON'S PARTIES 219 Kelly, Incledon,^ Munden, etc. ; Bowden, Reynolds, etc. ; Ashley, Attwood,'^ etc. ; Peter Pindar, '"^ Lord Scarborough, Lord Coleraine (the celebrated George Hanger) ;* Major Wilson, afterwards Lord Berners ; Daniel Mendoza r""' Messrs. Wichelo, Reinagle, Barrett, and Morland, these last celebrated painters, and a variety of others. What scenes of fun, wit, and humour I have witnessed at these parties ! I have not enumerated one-half of them, and there are now very few alive that used * to set the table in a roar.' There was one fine old gentleman called Tom Adkin. He had spent his fortune chiefly with the late Mr. Whitbread, and he had been for many years a pensioner of Mr. W. Lady Elizabeth W. much respected him, and attended him on his death- bed a few years since. He had kept in his youth the highest society, and was quite delighted when I told him I knew poor Colonel Grey, of the 12th Regi- ment. He gave me a letter to Lord Charles Fitz-Roy, who commanded at Ipswich, a great friend of Colonel Aston's, and he was civil to me ^ Michael Kelly and Incledonwere the most celebrated English tenors of their day. 2 Thomas Attwood, born 1767, died 1838 ; organist of St. Paul's Cathedral and the Chapel Royal. ^ ' Peter Pindar,' the noted satirist. * George Hanger, afterwards fourth Lord Coleraine. Well known as Colonel Hanger, a companion of the Prince Regent. Was the author of several pamphlets, and of his own ' Life, Adventures, and Opinions.' Died 1824. ^ Daniel Mendoza, the Jewish pugilist. 220 v^. ELERS MEMOIRS by asking me to his house during the Christmas holidays ensuing. I forgot to mention that when I left London for India I sold my thoroughbred mare ai Tattersall's. Buckle, the famous jockey, came all the way from Newmarket for the purpose of buying her ; but Colonel Thornton persuaded me to put off the sale, and to sell her to a friend of his, a turf man, who said afterwards that she was too slight for him. I therefore lost the opportunity of selling her to advantage, and she was knocked down for only thirty-eight guineas. Before I left London I went down to Ascot races with three ladies in a barouche — l\Irs. Sherston, wife to Mr. Sherston, Madras Civil Service ; Mrs. Roebuck, the mother of the present member of Parliament ; and her half-sister, a most lovely young girl, a Miss Stapleton. The two last long since went to Russia. On our return we dined at a private house at Bedfont. We had a most delightful party. CHAPTER XIV Recruiting at Ipswich — Ordered to Maidstone — Return to Ipswich — A sporting parson — Pictures at Didlington — A large in- heritance — The maid's ^50 note — A swim for the rods — Hawking at Didlington — Disgust at cock-fighting — A gardener's familiarity — Orwell Park and Wherstead Lodge — A rascally butler — Admiral Vernon and grog — The Duke of Cambridge and Baron Linsengen. After passing a gay month in London, I set off for Ipswich. I shall never forget how dull I felt the first two or three days. I did not know a single soul in the whole town. I had a recruiting party consisting of one poor old-fashioned sergeant, Dalrymple, an honest creature ; a corporal ; a drummer, fifer, and four or five privates. They were the first people I spoke to. The town of Ipswich at this time was full of military — the loth Light Dragoons, the 7th ditto, under Lord Paget, the West Suffolk Militia, Hertford ditto, etc. The inspecting field officer was old Colonel Sir William Aylett ; he was not much liked, but I got on with him very well, and also with his Adjutant, a Lieutenant Hutchinson. These were the two first people I knew, the former being my commanding officer. Lieutenant H. was a married man, and he [ 221 ] 222 ELERS MEMOIRS assisted me to procure lodgings, which I had much difficulty in finding. At last I got very good ones, drawing-room and two bedrooms. It happened that an old friend of mine whom I knew in the Company's service had lately got into the loth Dragoons — Harding, a son of Newman Harding of Essex, well known as a Master of Hounds. He introduced me soon after I arrived to all the loth, and I dined at their mess, and no longer found it dull or moped about the town by myself. I also got acquainted with a mad fellow by the name of Tom Brydges, the son and heir of old General Brydges of India. He ran away with his wife from a ball. Their united ages did not exceed thirty-two, and, as it turned out, she was a woman of good family, and had afterwards a very good fortune. He had just sold out of the 4th Dragoons, and his father allowed him ^700 a year. He kept an immense high tandem, and lived in lodgings with his wife. I had just formed these pleasant acquaint- ances, and was beginning to find myself comfortable, when I received a billet-doux from the Adjutant- General ordering me to repair to Maidstone to receive the volunteers and officers from the Militia who had volunteered into the line. Off I went, and arrived with my party at Maidstone, where I found many officers of the line, like myself, ready to receive their men. I put up at the Star Inn at Maidstone, where I found a handsome gold watch and chain and seals, that, on inquiry, I learnt belonged to the RECRUITING 223 landlord, who might have lost them by his careless- ness, had I not had the pleasure of restoring them to him, I received from the Suffolk Militia 100 fine fellows and two officers. The 12th Regiment is called the East Suffolk. We formed a mess at the Bell Inn, Maidstone, and I made there an acquaint- ance, which ripened into an uninterrupted friendship, which exists to this day, with Captain Watson, of the 69th Regiment. He is nephew to my friend Calcraft, whom I knew in India. He was long after this badly wounded in the 69th, where he held the rank of Major at the Battle of Waterloo. He was upwards of forty years in the service, never under arrest, taken prisoner at Bergen-op-Zoom, retired from the service with the rank of Lieutenant- Colonel in the army only, without pension, orders, or any reward — universally beloved and esteemed. But such is the fortune of some men. We were ordered to proceed with our men to Brayborne Lees, where Major Napier of the 50th commanded, and from thence to the Isle of Wight, in order to have them embarked for the East Indies. I marched all the way with my men, and delivered them over to General Taylor of my regiment, at that time commanding at the depot. This was a very troublesome service, particularly about their pay and accounts. At last I settled everything, and called on my kind friends at Clatterford Cottage, stayed a few days with them, and then paid a visit to my brother and your mother^ at Emsworth for a 1 Mrs. Edward Elers. — Ed. 224 ELERS MEMOIRS couple of days, returned to Portsmouth, and trom thence to London. I forgot to say that, during my short stay in the island, there was an annual ball held in September, called the Hunters' Ball. This I attended, and danced with Lady Torrington. She was livinof at a beautiful cottage in the Island. All the beauty and fashion of the Island were at this ball, and I spent a very pleasant evening. I got to Ipswich about the middle of November, and I found on my arrival about half a dozen of the volunteers whom I had selected to strengthen my recruiting party. I selected one tall, good-looking man for a servant, and I found by the assistance of these new recruits that I enlisted every now and then some raw country fellow. In the meantime I made further progress in the society of Ipswich. There was a reading-room, a coffee-room, and a billiard-table. All these rooms were open to all officers at the moderate subscription of one guinea per annum, and they were attended constantly by all the respectable part of the town as well as of the county. At the same house were held the monthly subscription balls, which were well attended by the military and the Ipswich and country folks. By this means I much extended my acquaintance, and made my time pass very pleasantly. There was a clergyman, an old bachelor, a man of good fortune and with a snug living, who was very fond of a game at billiards. One day he came into Ipswich with his servant and saddle-horses, and after we had A SPORTING PARSON 225 done our ^ame, he asked me to come home with him and dine ; and I rode his servant's horse to his rectory, about four miles from Ipswich, to Freston, on the banks of the river Orwell, a lovely country all round, and full of game which was strictly preserved. Mr. Bond, for that was his name, I found very hospitable ; he loved a glass of good port, was well read, fond of music, and strictly preserved a wood of his full of pheasants. His temper was irritable, and when excited, I have heard, very violent ; but I never through a long acquaintance ever had the slightest difference with him. The first day I dined with him, I found, over our wine, that he knew most intimately one of my schoolfellows, a Mr. Revell, who was married to a very charming woman, and lived at Englefield Green. He also knew a Mr. and Mrs. Henderson, the latter a cousin of mine ; and also the Rev. George Anguish of Norfolk, brother to the Duchess of Leeds, who were related to my old cousin, Mrs. Blake. All these were his intimate friends, and from that day he formed a friendship with me. My father and mother were on terms of great friendship with Sir Thomas and Lady Cullum, of Hardwick House and Bury, Suffolk, and the Dowager Lady Cullum used generally to spend six weeks with us every spring. Sir Thomas had a sister, the widow of Mr. Vernon of Orwell Park, and she had two children, John and Arethusa Vernon, about my own age, whom I recollect perfectly when 15 226 ELERS MEMOIRS a child. Mrs. Vernon was a schoolfellow of my mother's, and used also to visit us when she came to town. I told all this to Mr. Bond, who made Mr. Vernon acquainted with it, and Mr. V. called upon me and invited me to Orwell Park, which lay on the other side of the river, nearly opposite to Mr. Bond's ; Sir Robert Harland, who married Arethusa, sister to Mr. Vernon, lived on the opposite side to Mr. Vernon, at a place called Wherstead Lodge,^ about two miles from Ipswich. It was in the year i8oS that I got very intimate with Mr. Vernon and renewed the long intimacy with Sir Thomas and Lady Cullum, my father's old friends. My brother was also quartered at Colchester, so everything conspired to make me happy and comfortable. And to vary the scene I used to go every now and then a trip to London. On one of these jaunts I met Major Wilson, after- wards Lord Berners. He was the greatest oddity I ever knew. He asked me to go down to his seat at Didlington, and to go to the Swaffham races near there, where he had some horses to run. We set off in his barouche. He was a most remark- ably silent man, scarcely ever opening his lips, and this in a carriage, on a long journey, is not very pleasant. About sixteen miles from town we suddenly stopped at a handsome pair of gates. The bell rang, and we drove into a courtyard where there ^ Subsequently for some years, about 1S20, the residence of my grandfather, the first Earl Granville. — Ed. DIDLINGTON 227 was a fine mansion. We alighted, and he then said: ' This is my sister, Mrs. Russell.^ This is my friend, Captain Elers.' The Major was a man of few words. We sat down to a good dinner and good wine, and retired early to rest. Next morning after breakfast we took our departure. The name of this place is Stubbers. As we travelled with the Major's horses and two servants our journey was slow, and we reached Chesterford in the evening, where we slept, and got to Didlington to dinner on the following day. The house was an ancient family seat of the Wilsons, about four miles from Brandon and twelve from Thetford, beautifully wooded and watered. There was a fine sheet of water in front of the house, full of fish, and a heronry at the bottom of the lake. The dining-room had some old pictures, portraits of the family; Henry VIII., by Hans Holbein, in an old black carved frame ; the first Lord Berners in the reign of Henry VI. ; Sir Henry Guilford about the reign of James I. ; Lady Berners, who claimed the barony, and was allowed it by Parliament. She died in 1743, when the title sank into abeyance, and so remained until my friend the old Major was sum- moned by writ on May 7, 1832, as Baron Berners. I also noticed a small portrait, a profile of Henry V., and over the fireplace a large picture in three com- ^ Susanna, daughter of Henry William Wilson, of Uidlington, County Norfolk. Married, first, William Russell, of Stubbers, County Essex ; second, Rev. Roger Keddington. 15—2 228 ELERS MEMOIRS partments, very old. in antique carved frame, a Scripture piece — a knight kneeling- at the feet o( the Virgin, his helmet at his feet, his shield and arms emblazoned and also elevated on a tree, like a target. There were other paintings, but these were the most remarkable. Upstairs in one of the bedrooms was a tine Vandevelde. representing a ship of war. and in the long old gallery was an escutcheon of the arms of one of the old Dukes oi' Norfolk. The second Lord Berners in 14S5 married L.ady Catherine Howard. The old Major was descended in the female line from Thomas o( Woodstock, Puke o( Gloucester. He very seldom mentioned his Royal descent, but one day after dinner he showed me his long and illustrious pedigree, and gave me an enter- taining anecdote of what occurred to him one night after dinner at the Duke of Rutland's at Helvoir Castle. The Duke happened to say he was de- scended from the Plantagenets. and bore the Royal Arms in his shield. The old Major, who looked like a plain country gentleman, said : ' I am also descended from the Plantagenets, and can quarter the Royal Amis too.' The company all stared, in- credulous. However, he removed all doubt on the subject by producing his pedigree the next time he came to Belvoir Castle. The barony of Berners is one of the oldest in the peerage, there not being- above six more ancient. His manners and dress were simple and unaftected. He was always clean in his person and linen, but his clothes before dinner A WINDFALL 229 wen- of the oldest sort, often threadbare, and a hat with part of the brim torn off. You would not pick it off a dunghill. Ife^ was formerly a Captain in the 4th Heavy Dragoons, and got, I think, his rank of Major from commanding a troop of Yeomanry Cavalry ; he was afterwards made a Lieutenant- Colonel. A singular piece of good luck befell him while he was quartered at the .Swan Inn, Bedford, which he related to me. One morning, sitting at breakfast, a lawyer was announced, his pockets stuffed out with parchment deeds, etc. ' .Sir, is your name Wilson, of Didlington in Norfolk ?' ' Ye.s, sir.' ' Then, sir, I have come here to inform you that your namesake, Mr, Wilson of Allexton Hall, in Leicestershire, has died and left you his heir to everything he has in the world — ;^70,ooo in the Funds and his estates in Leicestershire, which bring in above ^^5,000 per annum.' The Major took it very coolly. He said he had not the pleasure of knowing his namesake. In the course of the day he got post-horses and went over to Mrs. Russell's at .Stubbers, in Essex. ' Ah, Robert,' she said, ' this is an unexpected pleasure.' He never opened his lips about his good fortune till he had made an impression upon his secoiid bottle of port, when he said, ' Mr. Wilson of Allexton has left me all his estates,' and this was all he said on the subject. Upon this good fortune he gave each of his brothers and sisters ;^3,ooo, and I think he had ^ Appointed Lieutenant in the 4th iJragoons 1778. 230 ELERS MEMOIRS altogether six o\' them. l\c was very kind and generous to his brothers and sisters, and, wlien he took it into his head, to persons in distress ; but I have known him to be very careful in casting up a bill at an inn, niaking you pay your share to the very sixpence. He once gave to a servant-girl at a country town what he thought was a one-pound note. It was (7//i-r ditnicr. The next day the girl took it to a shop to buy a i^own. The girl tliought it was a one-pound note, and when the man began to question her where she had got the tifty-pound note, for such it was, the poor girl began to stammer and blush, and was at last obliged to confess the Major had given it to her. The Major was sent for. He confessed he had given her the note by mistake, but desired that it might be restored to her, and bade her keep it. I used to be very fond of attending the racing stables and seeing the horses take their gallops, and I sometimes rode them ; but it was very fatiguing. He had a trainer very little better than a ploughman, but his horses were so good that he very often won. When I first knew him he had a horse called Juniper, an extraordinary animal. He had been badly ridden at first, and had got a habit of swerving just at the end of the race. He bought this horse's dam for ;!^i50, and her colt was the horse called Juniper, thrown into the bargain. This was nearly his d6but on the turf, and being so successful induced him to breed and run horses. He refused 2)^QtOO guineas for Juniper. I recollect one summer starting with STAMFORD RACES 231 him for Slaniford niccs, and wc took lluntingdrjn and Peterborough on our way. We travelled across th(; cf)uiilry in a bu^^y, anrl he sent his running hors(;s on before — I think there were thrf;e, to run at these three races. We wf.re very successful, and we were entertained by Sir Arthur Hazlerigg at Nosely 1 lall, County Leicester, where I saw two lovely Vandykes — Charles I., and Henrietta Maria. We stayed there twf> days, and thf,n went to Colonel and Mrs. Crump at Allexton Hall, she bein^^ his sister at Stamford. We had race dinners at the Oeor^e Inn, and Lord Exeter was the steward, and brought over a large party from Jjurleigh. I visited the Countess of Lindsey at Uffmgton, and in the (•vening I went to the rooms and danced with Lady Anna Maria Sherard and the two Miss Fludyers — both married after, one to the Earl of Onslow, the other to Lord Brownlow. Sir John Trollope intro- duced me, and .said they would make ca[Mtal wives. They were very amiable and very accomplished. We afterwards went to lilatherwycke Park, Mr. O'Brien's, and visited his brother-in-law, Mr. Hodgkin, at Tixover. We returned home across the country by the Isle of lily, Wisbech, and so to Downham in Norfolk. During our su[)per one night at the George at Stamford, Sir William Mansell and Sir William Twysden sent in their compliments, inviting us to su[jper upon stewed carp. We went in after supper. Mansell and I played backgammon, and Twysden and the Major at 2j;2 ELERS MEMOIRS the elegant i^anic o\ all lours. The two baronets beat us both, but we did not sutler nuich. On our arrival at Pidlington, after all these gaieties, it appeared so lovely— the smooth, trans- parent lake, the hsh sporting about, the freshness and scent of the tlowers, the nightingale singing in the evening, the herons tlying home from their daily fishing in Lincolnshire ; and the universal stillness all around proved a delightful contrast to the busy scene we had just left. I remember one day, just before dinner, we went out on the banks of the lake just for ten minutes to try our luck with our rods and lines. We had not been at this long before the butler canie to announce that dinner was on the table. We laid down our rods on the grass, leaving the lines in the water. We went to dinner, and, according to custom, we drank our usual allow- ance — three bottles. We then took a turn in the garden and so on to the lake ; coming to the spot where we left our rods, we found that they were gone, and saw them tloating upon the water in different directions. We called to the butler, and requested him to strip and fetch them out. But he had unluckily a bad cold, and begged to be excused. * Where are the two other men-serv^ants ?' said the Major. They were out in the village, and /u- was sure they would decline. ' Where are all the stable boys ?' They were all gone to bed. So at last the Major and myself were obliged to strip and swim into the middle of the lake for them, and were HAWKING 233 rewarded by landing two noble pike. We then ran in undressed to the house, and got some brandy-and- water to prevent our catching cold. The Major kejA hawks and two falconers, who once lived with Louis, King of Holland, and before that with Colonel Thornton in Yorkshire, and I was present when they recognised their old master. We used to fly at the herons as they came home^ in the evening singly from the fens in Lincolnshire. We used to go to a large field called Cranwick Field, a mile or more from their roost. The flight of the hawks was extremely interesting. The hawk saw the herons an immense way off. He flew off the falconer's fist and took an opposite direction, and if the wind favoured him, pursued the poor heron, who would mount high up in the air, the hawk after him, nearly out of sight. He would return rapidly to the earth, and the hawk and heron came down together to the ground, the poor heron screaming and mortally stricken. Flying at magpies produces great sport. The magpie, the most cunning of all the feathered tribe and most difficult to kill, never attempted to fly away, but would fall amidst the horsemen, and would dodge and hop about under the horses, frequently escaping that way. They would sometimes pretend to lie dead under the feet of the horses, and would thus escape. The poor partridges had a much worse chance. They would cry out when struck by the hawk and excite great pity. I am very fond of ' Probably from the heronry at Cressy Hall in Surfleet. :;4 M.l-KS Ml'MOlRS sport and of coursinor a hare ; but diivcily slu^ is caught luT cries are oxaoilv like* ihoso of a m-wK - born infaiu. vind I then wish inxsclt" a l\iuulrc\i miles otV. Wo had. when I nwis with nw roLiimont, otVicors fond of cook-tiohiiiig, and ii is n\ueh [>raclisod in pvUts ot" the b\ist. parlioularlv amon^ the Malays, who will stake their wi\ es. children, and e\ imi their own liberty upon the c^\ent ot" a battle. 1 had a man belonging- to mv compviny who pcMleetlv under- stood the training and healing of eoeks. and I Ikwo seen manv mains fought, but alw ays with great paii\ ; to see brave animals destroying thoniselves tor the amusement of man is great eruellv. The Major was tre^ited with gr(.\u respeet bv his serxants, but 1 saw one nii^ht a curious scene between him vuul an old a ver\ old — gardener, who had lived with his father and had known the Major tVom a boy. The Major was vcmn tond o( strawberries, and one day after diimcM- he tell in with the venerable old gardener toddling about. • Why don't you let n\e have more str.iwberries ?' 'You have enough.' ' Init 1 will have niore.' ' I tell you you /u2:y £V/(>//^v/. .md 1 would not let your old fuller have more if he was here.' The old gardener thought he was still talking to little Master Wilson tiftv vears back. The Major did not dis[nite the point turther, but turned awav smiling. The old family seat ot my friend John X'ernon was situated in the small vilLuje of Nacton. about ORWKrJ. PARK 235 four milf:s from Ipswich. The mansion was built of n;d Ijrick, and I iljirjk by th^: famous Admiral Vf-.rnon,' his ^^rcat-unck:, who 'took Porto J>;llo with six ships only.' Afterwards Mr. Vernon's uncle, who was Earl of Shipbrook and Baron Orwell, lived here. My friend John had a lon^ minority, ;i.r)d his guardians let the mansion, j/ardens, and [jark with de'-,r to the h.arl of Beverley for the small sum of five or six hundred jjer annum, and his estates were let on lon^ leases at very small rents. When I became intimate with him in 1808 the leases were nearly run out, which incrf:^sed his income from three to eight thousand a year. The front of this large house lost much of its grandeur by low white palings running all round it, the domestic offices, stabling, etc., which gave it a cockneyfied af>pearance ; at least, so it seemed to me. But the back of the house was lovely — a lawn, sloping to thf, river Orw(:]] ; on the right a small park, and on the If-.ft the park and house of Sir Pliilijj Broke, the brave commander of the Shannon, who with that vessel took the American frigate the Chesapeake. The house was comfortable but old- fashioned, and I have spent some pleasant days there. But he soon after parted with this old family seat to his brother-in-law. Sir Robert Harland, and received in exchange a modern-built mansion called Wherstead Lodge, on the other side ^ Edward, Admiral Vernon, was born in JO84, and died in 1757. }fe capitulated J'ortobello in 1739. 236 ELKRS MEMOIRS ol the C^Jrwoll, within two milos oi Ipswich. Sir RolxMi was, in t.un, disirosscd tor nionoy. Mr. \'oriK>n was vorv Ion*.! ot i;anu\ and W htMSU\ul coniprisct-l wood ani.1 land in a rin^ lonco ot upwards ot" 5.000 acres, whilo Orwoll Tark and llic laiul round it was hillo more than 400 acres. When Adniiral Wanon bought estates in Sutiolk, he purchased land wherever he could possibly i;et it, and he had small tarnis all o\er SutVolk ot' troni 100 to 200 acres. He had vilso a Inie estate and house on the borders ot" Canibridgeshirc called Thurlow Hall. One day the Duke o\ Cambridge was at Sir Robert's shootiui^". and the IHike said: ' It" 1 could alTord it I would buy W'herstead Lodi^e,' I believe that tirsi put it into the hcvid ot" John Vernon to exchange houses. As 1 said betore. Sir Robert was in want oi' ready money, and John \'ernon had none, but had many sm.dl larms scattered about with which he wishetl to part. He accordingly got ,{,So,ooo on mortgage, tor which he w.is to pay 5 pcv cent. This sum he gave Sir Robert, w ho w.is put into possession ot C^rwell T.u-k, whilst Mr. Vernon got Wherstead. Idiis was about 1S12. in the height oi' the w.u", when corn sold so high and estates let so well. In 1 81 5 the peace came; rents and the price of land tell. Vernon was paying 5 per cent, tor the money he borrowed, while his land lild not tetch him above 2 J per cent. Poor fellow ! he died in 181 8; and, had he lived, he would doubtless have MR. ]()\\N Vi'.RNON 237 ])r.(:n ri v(;ry (Jistr(;ssf:d man. Iff: If;fl his estates to L.uly I farbind ff)r her Wfc, aixl aftftr her to his cousin, the presf.iil Sir Thomas Cuihjm, and aflf.r hiin, if hf. died without male issue, to his cousin, Mr. Jf.nkins. / witnessed his will, and old .Sir Thomas said to mf. : ' I am sorry to hf:ar you say that, for you have gf>t no leg^acy.' Poor Vernc>n was a Ion fjy his .sf:rvants ; it used to fjreallacl< Jack,' as they call it in the cr^untry, jroin^ to the ljf:er cellar. ' C/od hless my soul !' he used to say, ' that ^reat " lilack Jack " is always on the roarl to the cellar and the .servants' hall, 'faylor.' 'I'his was the name o^ his valet and butler, who came to him without a second coat a few years before, and when Vernf>n died had bouj^ht farms to thf; amount of /^lo.ooo. ffe j^ave him the key of his winf. cellar, which contained wine to the amount of /5,rjoo. f>ut f often Iieard Vernon was sorry he had ever done this. Vernon used to set his man to watch that he was not cheated out of a ju^ of ale by a poor labourer, whftn he was cheated of hundreds by this very ff^llow, or how could he have b(;en j)Os.sessed of the money whoTewith tr) buy the estates which he [jurchasf^d } Vernon always said to me: * It is better to be: clieated by one than :;S ELKRS MKMOIRS In inanv." Ho liitlo iluniglu the cxioni to which lie was pUuKlorod by tliat oiu\ Tho house at Whorsioad was a nuHlorn oiu\ The windows and doors woro all cm down lo llio ground, and looked upon a lawn inicrsporsod with tlowors and shrubs, surrounded with eo\ ers full ot oame and overlooking the river C^rwell. The pheasants and hares used to sport before tlie windows as we were at breaktViSt and dinner. The hall was light and elegant, and a flight of freestone steps on either side oi it led up to the bedroonis, the double doors o\ which were faced with scarlet cloth, and the wainscots and wall were wliite picked out with a verv light blue. There was a drawing-room hiled up lightlv and elegantly with a beautiful Indian paper, pier-glasses to the ground. Florence vases and female figures were placed on the stands opposite the pier-glasses. They were of the purest alabaster, and were retk^cted back from the mirrors. A dining-room was the next room to this, of exactly the same shape and dimensions. C'^xer the chimney-piece was a whole-length portrait of Adniiral X'ernon in the identical coloured coat that obtained for him the sobriquet of 'Old drog ' by his sailors. It was what in those days was called a grogram colour. He considered that the sailors' drinking raw spirits was prejudicial to their health, and insisted that their runi should be niixed two-thirds with water, which has gone bv the name of grog in the Navy ever after. There was also another portrait of him in the WIIKRSTEAD LODGE 239 costume of a Turkish Admiral. These were the principal portraits in this room. There was a small rormi, called the Armoury, anrl heyf>nd lliat the lihrary, where Vernon and I used to din(- when by ourselves. Opposite the library was a sort of stat(- drawin^-room fitted up with a maroon pa[jer, very rich, with silk curtains to correspond and gold mouldings. This room was filled with fine old portraits of the resigns of William and Mary and Anne. Mr. Vernon's ancestor was Secretary of State to King William, and guided his hand in signing the Act of Settlement when he was dying. I lis uncle, General Vernon, left him a beautiful Venus by Titian, which was partly concealed by a green silk curtain. Vernon also had a bad copy of the Danae in his bedroom. I heard the late Sir William Rowley offer Vernon ;^ 1,500 for the Venus. Vernon, when he made his will, left about ^^20,000 among his cousins; but the estate being strictly entailed, and there being no ready money to pay the legacies, the legatees have never benefited one six- pence by the bequest, lieyond this drawing-room was a commodious bath. So fond was Vernon of the preservation of his game that it must have cost him ;!^i,ooo a year. At his grand battues I have seen a hundred brace of pheasants killed, and fifty brace of hares, besides partridges, woodcocks, rabbits, etc. The Duke of Cambridge passed two or three days at Wherstead when I was staying there. He was :40 Kl.KRS MFMOIKS doHi^hted wiii^ iho sport, and as scxmi as lu^ tirod Ivnh barR'ls his German yi>^vr placed a tVt^sh Uwded gun ill his hands. rho Puko hakl a narrow escape et" beiiii^ shot bv an old Cietman l^aren et the iiamc^ et binseui^en. a favourite ot' all the Royal b\unily. lie was near eiv^hiv vears ot" a^^e and almost blind, lie was very careless, and aUwivs walked with his i;un cocked. We were all advancing in line to spring woodcocks. A woodcock got up close to tlu^ ^.uMua\U And tlew down the line. The General tired, and the bird tell dead at the leet of the Puke. ' Well done. ".•.": O^ fit'/ it/ .'' cried 1 1 . R. 1 1 . CHAPTER XV Brettenharn 1'a.rk—A disputed succession — Ixjrd Salisbury — I>ady Mary lieauclerk's flirtation — A supposed son of the Prince of Wales — ^^400 lost on one card — ' My lord ' for one day — A marriaj^e after six refusals — A billiard match — A Jacobean house — An accomplished woman— Kean the actor — Mrs. Keeley — Kerrison, 'the honest miller' — A martinet — A groom's tricks. Among thf: rnosl intimaU: friends of Vernon was Georj/e Wenyeve of lirettenham Park, about fifteen miles from ()rv,<:]] I-'ark. He was younger than Vernon, };ui they were both Eton boys, and George Wenyeve was fond of preserving and shooting, Wenyeve asked me to come over with Vernon and spend a fe.w days to shoot at Brettenham. A pair of posters were put to Vernon's carriage, and I sat on the box of the carriage. Going through Ipswich the box gave way, and I was thrown under the horses and my knee under the fore-wheel of the carriage. The boy pulled up directly he heard the crack of the spring, or I should have inevitably been killed ; as it was I could not get my leg from under the wheel till the boy backed the carriage. Brettenham was an old-fashioned house, a poor ( 241 ] 16 24^ ll.KKS Ml-MOIRS jxirk, and in a heavy counuy ; bui ii hvul boon in the famllv of tho Wonyovos from the linio ot" i\\c Saxons, and ihov woro. without any mistviko, ihc oldest family in tho oouniy of SutVolk. Cu\Mi;o ai this time ^^iSoo"* was about iwonty-nino. His oufft sister. Uonriotta. lived with him. and a natural sister, married to a Mr. Marrie. uKuia^ed his tarm tor him. and they lived all together. Mr. Marrie was a Lieutenant in the Marines, and picked up his wife at Yarnunith. Awd afterwards. durino- Cieorge's niinoriiv. managed the iMeiten- ham property for him. which. I believe. *.lid Uvn ej>:ceed ,^,"2,000 a year. Inii he had a good cellar of wine, very fine carp and tench in the old ponds. plenty of ganie, and the fmest peaches and nectarines I ever ate. So that a nvin would not be quite starved in vi week here. Poor licorge caught his death about two years alter th.u. We were out shooting one very hot day in September, and he threw himself under a tree very much heated, and lay there till the servants brought out lunchec^n from the house, lie caught a violent cold and ne.irly lost the use of his limbs, and died about iSiJ. The world thought, of course, that his sister, born like hiniself in wedlock, would have succeeded to the estate that had been in the family for centuries ; but a will was found by the Marries declaring thv\t he lelt the estvUe to be divided between the two sisters. Soon after her brothers death Miss \\ en\ eve married Colonel lohn Carnac. of the Life Guards. MK. IJ'.Vi'.SON Vi-.kNON 243 who, Yirivln'j a t;istf; for law, dispuU:d thf; will. 1 say having a tast^; for l;i.w, ;i', I havf; heard h^; was originally brought, ujj Uj that profession. The Colon';! ':rr)|jIoyf:d ;i. frif;nd of his and min':, a Mr. ]>ovf;tt, a h;i,rri%t/:r, but thf:y could make nothing of it ; nf;thing could shake the validity of the will, though the Colonel rnr^re than insinuated that the will was forged. Vernon one day took me down to some friends of his living at Aldborough, on the coast, a Mr. and Mrs. Prior Johnson. There we stayed some ten days. They had also a good house at a place called liosmere, about seven miles from Ipswich, on the road to Hury. This house they rented of Sir William Middleton. They were hospitable and amiable, and Johnson did the honours of his house in the most sujjerior way. While staying there Cord Salisl^ury gave a ball and sujjjjer. His lordship was very rlroll and entertaining, fond of telling stories and making you laugh. I also met at my friend Johnson's a Mr. J>:veson Vernon, brother to the celebrated Lady C^rosvenor. 1 fe was a great oddity. He lay in b':d all thf; day, and about eleven o'clock at night would commence his ?;z^r;«z;2^ calls, previous to fjeating u[; his covers and shooting at twelve o'clock at night. He had some good estates in the neighbourhood of Aldborough. There is no doubt my friend Vernon and he ^ were sprung originally ^ Both descended from the Vernons of Haslingto.n : John Vernon in the male line, Ix-veson Vernon in the female. 16—2 244 ELERS MEMOIRS from the same ancestors, and as he had no heir, I have heard my friend John Vernon say he should not be surprised if one day he left him his estates. John had estates and good shooting near the town of Aldborough, called Knodgill, where we used to shoot. He had an old keeper there who had but one arm. In this neighbourhood, at Saxmundham, lived Mr. Dudley North, Lady Hyde Parker, Lady Sarah Bailey, and also the Crespignys of Aldborough ; so there was no want of society, and we formed many pleasant parties. About this time I recollect seeing Lady Mary Beauclerk,^ daughter of the Duke of St. Albans, at one of our balls at Ipswich. She was living at Lord Dysart's, at his seat at Helming- ham, and had a fortune of ^100,000. Lord Dysart had a corps of volunteers that used to be drilled in his park, and a little officer of the name of Saunders, a subaltern in the Derby Regiment of Militia, was sent over for that purpose. This little man, who looked very young, had a wife and two children. Lord Dysart asked him to dine at his table, and I am not certain but that he slept in the house. Lady Mary was quite young, not seventeen, when she used to walk with Saunders in the park and gave him every encouragement. But wishing to know as much of him as she could, she employed her maid, who got hold of a very material part of his history : 1 She was daughter of the sixth Duke of St. Albans by his first wife, Miss Moses. He married, secondly, 1802, Louisa Grace, daughter of John Manners and Louisa, Countess of Dysart. A SON OF THE PRINCE 245 that he was already married and had two children. This effectually put a stop to her flirtation. She afterwards, in 181 1, ran away with Lord Deerhurst. All the world knows how badly this match turned out, and Lord Deerhurst has no one to thank but himself When I was not with my friend Vernon I gener- ally lived a good deal with the loth. There was a nice handsome little man of the name of Captain Derby. He was the son of a niece of Lady Lade, and her sister was the Countess of Barrymore ;^ it was whispered that he was the son of the Prince of Wales. The Prince got him a writership in Bengal. Sir John Lade would not let him go. The writer- ship the Prince eventually gave to Mrs, Siddons' son, whom I saw at Calcutta. It is a very re- markable trait of the Prince that whenever he was fond of a man or took an interest in him, he was sure to get him sent abroad, perhaps to keep him out of mischief and temptation, and he (the Prince) con- fessed this to a friend of mine. Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer commanded the regiment. Lord Charles and Robert Manners were the two Majors. Quintin, Lord William Somerset, Goddard and Robarts, the banker's son, had troops. The handsome Count de Grammont, Bowen, Hon. Francis Stanhope, Williams, Fitzgerald, Simeon, etc., were subalterns. ^ Lady Lade is described as ' Mrs. Smith ' before her marriage with Sir John Lade, of sporting celebrity. The Countess of Barrymore was Anne, daughter of Jeremiah Coghlan. 246 ELERS MEMOIRS Of the /th Hussars I remember Kerrison, Denshire, Lovelace, Thornhill, Lumley, Probyn/ Waldegrave, Goodwin, etc. Of the 14th Dragoons were Felton Hervey, Major, and Colonel Talbot. Hervey lost an arm, and Talbot was killed in the Peninsula. Of the 1 6th Dragoons, Major Pelley, Lord Clinton and Belli Captains ; Lincoln Stanhope, a Major on the Staff with General Cotton, and various others I cannot recollect. I was on terms of intimacy with all of these whom I have named. We used to play billiards in the day and cards at night. The high players were Hervey, Lord Clinton, and Belli. The game was chiefly whist. I remember one night I was the partner of Lord Clinton, when I had only two cards remaining in my hand. The rubber depended on my playing the proper card. It was all a chance, and, unfortunately, I played the wrong one. It made a difference to Lord Clinton of ^400. He never scolded, only put his hand to his head. It was no fault of mine, for the chances were equal. I beg leave to explain that I was not playing for these high stakes, not more than guinea points ; quite high enough if you had a bad run. I recollect full well this night we played all night long, and until Lord Clinton's vis-d- vis came to the door of the White Horse Inn with four posters to take us the first stage to London. It was a dark morning in the month of November. His lordship and I mounted the box, and the snow ^ Afterwards drove the Reading coach ! — Note by the Author. PLAYING THE LORD 247 was on the ground. At Stratford the boy on the leaders fell, and had a narrow escape of being killed. His lordship's own horses were put to here to be driven by him, and as he was dressed exactly like a common coachman — drab coat, red plush waistcoat, and corduroy smalls — and I like a gentleman, it was agreed between us that I should play the lord, and I got ' my lorded ' all the way to Chelmsford, where the Honourable Captain Lygon, the present Earl Beauchamp, joined us at dinner. Here we slept, and got to Stephens's at four o'clock, where we all dined. There we saw Lincoln Stanhope, who gave us the news of his brother Fitz-Roy's^ marriage with Miss Wyndham, the daughter of my dear old friend Mrs. Hodges, I only stayed two days in town. About this time Mr. William Pole- was an Ensign in the Suffolk Regiment of Militia. I soon knew him, and became intimate with him from knowing his uncles. This young gentleman had just returned from Russia, and was sent as an Ensign into the Suffolks to keep him out of mischief. He was about twenty-one, very wild, but I did not think him half so clever then as he has since proved. At that time he had five hunters, some of which I used to ride. When his uncle went to Portugal he went on his staff, and was present at the Battle of Vimiera. 1 The Hon. and Rev. Fitz-Roy Stanhope married Caroline, natural daughter of the Hon. Charles Wyndham. - The well-known ' William Pole Tylney Long Wellesley,' after- wards fourth Earl of Mornington, 248 ELERS MEMOIRS He came home, and one day as he lay in bed he becfan to consider what he should do. He was in debt and ditiiculties. A sudden thouo;ht struck him. His mother was on terms of great intimacy with Lady Catherine Long, the mother of the rich heiress. He wrote to his mamma, and conjured her to do all in her power oi' putting" hini in Miss Long's company. He proposed six times and was refused. The Duke of Clarence at this time was besieging Miss Long, and to get rid of him she at last accepted Wellesley. He had fought a duel for her with Lord Kilworth, and that mic^ht have somewhat to do in his favour. Among the officers of the 7th Hussars was a Baron Schemedern ; he thought he could play at billiards, and o-ave me a challenoe. We agreed to play eleven games. I was backed to win, but I lost the first five games. The officers who had backed me all left the table, thinking- I must be beaten. But I won the six games running, and won my match and the ten guineas I was playing for. The Baron played another match, and lost that also. It was at i\Ir, \'ernon"s that 1 first met \'iscount Clermont, who came over to dine and shoot at a grand battue. I afterwards met him at a hawking- party with my old friend INIajor Wilson. Another very near neighbour oi' the Major's was John Merest, Esq., of Linford Hall, who married \'ernon's cousin, -Miss Jenkins. Merest had a fine estate in the Isle of Ely — good, rich land, which he SUFFOLK SOCIETY 249 sold for ^100 an acre, and he bought Linford for about ^80,000, merely for the sporting. A great deal of the land was not worth half a crown an acre, being so very light. In fact, his ^So,ooo did not yield him more than 2 per cent., and hardly that He got into Parliament. Then he let his house to the Earl of Shannon, and, I believe, finally sold it, and has lost so much money that I understand he has become a clergyman. Fortunately he has no family. I won twenty guineas of him upon the famous battle between Crib and Molyneux. Another neighbour of Major Wilson's was Lord Mountjoy, afterwards Earl of Blessington. He rented Oxburgh, the seat of Sir Henry Bedingfield, of that old Catholic family. It was afterwards let to the Marquess of Ormonde. We had also at Northwold, within a mile. Admiral Manby, with his pretty little wife and their two lovely daughters. The Admiral was, or rather had been, very handsome, and his name was mixed up with that of the Princess of Wales among many others. A few years since one of the Miss Manbys married a Mr. Dawes, a nephew of the celebrated Madame Feucheres, who was suspected to have shortened the life of the Duke of Bourbon. Among the families at Ipswich from whom I received much kind attention was that of jNIr. Fon- nereau,^ of Christ Church Park. The Rev. Charles ^ Rev. Charles William Fonnereau, born 1764. Lieutenant of the Conqueror under Admiral Rodney, 1782. I'ied 1840. 250 ELERS MEMOIRS Fonnereau had been a Lieutenant in the Navy, and served in that rank in Lord Rodney's victory over the French in 1782. Christ Church Park is situated in the town of Ipswich. You enter the premises by a small gate for foot passengers into a garden, the path of which leads up to a large, old-fashioned red-brick house, of the architecture of James I. It is to me quite a pleasure to view this old family antiquity. You enter the house by a small porch ; on each side are worm-eaten wooden seats. There is a fine old hall, round which runs a gallery, both hall and gallery full of old portraits of the reign of Elizabeth and James. The house, like all the houses of that day, is low, and the rooms are generally small, and you have continually, in enter- ing the rooms, to go up and down a couple of steps. I have observed this at Burleigh and also at Helmingham. At the back of the house lies the park with deer, and avenues of very fine oak and elm trees. I do not know whether it is a favour granted by the proprietor or as a matter of right, but the inhabitants enter Mr. Fonnereau's grounds at any time and at all seasons, passing close to the mansion house on their way to the park, and on a fine summer's evening, and particularly of a Sunday, it is crowded like Kensington Gardens. From Colonel Stisted, of an old Suffolk family, I received much kind attention, as also from Admiral Page, who served in the East Indies, while I was there, in the Caroline frigate. There was KEAN AND MRS. KEELEY 251 also a remarkably clever woman, the wife of a rich brewer of the name of Cobbold, who lived at the extremity of the town, at a place called The Cliff. She was a poetess, paintress, and a great patroness of talent and merit wherever she found it. And although she was not visited by the higher circles of the county, yet everyone knew her for her talents and respected her. She was very fond of patronizing the theatre, and all the profession that were de- serving of recognition, either from their character or their talents ; and here I met and dined with the celebrated tragedian Mr. Kean, who took me in his carriage to dinner with her and back to the theatre that evening, where he played Hamlet. We were both staying at the White Horse Inn. The present Mrs. Keeley, the clever actress, was brought up by Mrs. Cobbold. I recollect her as a little girl who used to come into the rooms, her arms and hands crossed over each other ; she would then drop a profound curtsey to the company, sit down on the music-stool, and commence her morning's lessons on the piano. Her father was an honest whitesmith in Ipswich of the name of Goward. I little thought that this shy little girl would have turned out such a clever actress. I have heard that her husband, Keeley, made his first appearance at the Surrey Theatre, and on his debut before the audience got so alarmed that he fairly ran off the stage, and did not appear any more that night. Mrs. Cobbold always gave a grand fete and supper on Valentine's 252 I'l KRS MKMOIRS l\i\" (o all ihc vomi^ jH\tplo of Ipswich. 1 vc- nu'inbor niccliiig ihoro Major K.oirison, ot iho ^tli 1 hissars. Major Korrlson was i\\c >o\\ o\ an honosi miller in Suttolk. \\c was inunonst^lv rich. Inn divsscd quite homely, and was ot simple manners ; he wore blue yarn stockings, thick shoes and silver buckles, cordurov smalls, a long waistcoat with flaps, and a drab coat. lie intended his son lo be brought u[i to his own iradr. but voung Kerrison would be a Pragoon. His father would not hear ot" it. At last young K. threatened to enlist, when some friends ot" his who took an interest in his welfare spoke very seriouslv to his father, and advised him to purchase a cornetcv tor his son. The old man was at last prevailed ujhmi. and a cornetcv was purchased in the 7lh Hussars, imder Lord Paget. Kerrison was universally beloved and respected by^ every bodv. He has j^roNed himself to be one oi' the best cavalrv otticers in the Service, has got a regi- ment, a baronetcy, an estate in Norf'i">lk of' no less than ,;{, 40.000 per annum all acquired bv his father, the honest miller — is the tather-ind.iw of two peers ot" the realm. ^ and is a member of" Parliament. A fViend of mine told me a \erv laughable story. One dav K.'s father wrote lo him to sav he would pay him a visit at Ipswich, where his regiment was ^ The writer might have said /////«•' peers ot" the reahn." Sir Edward Kerrison's daugliters married respectively Lord Henniker, Lord Stanhope, and Lord Hatcman. SIk SAMUKL FLUDYER 253 quartered. Poor Kerrison was ready to expire, for fear of being quizzed by the dasliing young officers of the 7th at his rich father's homely appearance. He t(Kjk flight and sought refuge at the house of my friend forty miles off, ^ind wrote to his father that he had gone away on duty. I remember we had a very pleasant [)arty staying with us at my friend Mr. Vernon's. Among the company was Sir Samuel Fludyer, whom I informed that I knew him when I was a very little hoy at Colonel Monckton's, at Fineshade Abbey, North- amptonshire. Sir Samuel said he lived on the borders of that county still, and in the same house ever since, and made me promise I would come down to Uffington House, which he rented for many years of the Duke of Ancaster, and afterwards of the Earl of Lindsey. It is within a short distance of Stamford, whither Sir Samuel sent his carriage to meet me. He was a staunch fox-hunter, and I used to go out with him with Lord Lonsdale's hounds. Lady V. was fond of playing battledore and shuttlecock, and we one day kept up the game upwards of on(' thousand without the shuttlecock falling to the ground, a feat I never before witnessed. Sir Samuel lived in very good style, and we went over to Mr. Tryon's at Bulwick Hall, where I thought of the days long since gone. I stayed three weeks with Sir Samuel, and then returned to my old quarters. The annual races in July never arrived, but I regretted the loss of my beautiful 254 I'll- RS MKMOIRS lu'lipsc racing marc. 1 make nol ilu' smallest doulu 1 should ha\o won iho Kiui^'s riaio. for iho horses in otMunal wcM'i^ nol \orv i;oo*.l. and wIumi a good one did come \\c was sure lo win. luniiHM-, I riMnombor, won {\\c Kinj^'s Plaio hero. Inii he was a tirst-nite horse. I had a ver\- tine and tasi-iroltinq- pony, what diey call a inie Sutlolk cob. When W'eddor- burne WebsliM^ won his ceUdirated match ol ridin^- on one horse from Ipswich lo W hilechapel Church. which is sixiv-nine miles, this litiK^ ponv accom- panied him tor tweniv miles, ridden bv Captain Perbv. ot" the loth. whose j>roperty he then was. \\\>bster piM't'ormed the distance within t'lve hours, and won a very lar^e sum — near ,;{. 2.000. 1 had at this time a bcauiitul grav mare lh.it 1 dro\"e in a bugoy — a very liij^hi one : she w.is also .1 most de- hi^htful saddlediorse. so extremely easy. She was all but thorouiihbred. .md would have made a com- plete lady's horse. 1 lost this delighit'ul .mimal by an accident soon after. I bought her of .1 Mr. Morant. ot the Somersetshin^ M ilili.i, tor the sm.iU sum o\ fortv ouiucMs. 1 le h.ul volunteered tor ihe 2olh KegimeiU. .md w.is soon .itier killed storming St. Seb.isti.m. About this time it was our ill-luck to have a general officer sent down lo Ipswich by the name oi' Achmd. He pretended to be a great m.iriinei, .md his great delight W.IS to m.ike everybody uncomlortable and miser.ible. under the pretence of zeal for His Majesty's St rvice. The poor unt'ortunate officers in command oi' rei:imenis were h.ir.issed lo de.uh bv this tyrant stowmakki<:t 255 inspf.clin^ llicir account', and locjkin^ into tlif: m(;n's kiiajjsacks, ;i.ii(l ;'/>iii^( roiinfl llic. men's barracks, and j)okin^ his nrjsc. inio e.vf:ry liolf and cr^rn'tr, f:n- dcavf^iirln^ to discover somclhinj^ lo find faiill with, lie was iinivfirsally d(;t(;stf;d. [\\. Ikis Lime 1h; had nothing to do witli nift, as I was under the; command of th(; insj)ectin^^ fi'Id officer, Sir WiHiam Aylf:tt, (!arly in iiest years of my life, taken alt(;gether. 'ilie only fjerson 1 knew near Stowmarket was i<(;ger Pettiward, I'Lsq.,^ of I'inborough I'ark, a frif;nd (jf Mr. Vf^rnrm's. I took up my (juarters at the. King's IIe,ad, and all the amusement I now had was my two horses, a brace of jjointers, fishing in a stream of water, and amusing myself sometimes seeing the j)ost-horses changing on the road to and from liury. My friend Johnson lived about fcKir miles off, at Bosmere, and Sir William Middleton at Shrubland Hall, who gave me a day's shooting, a gfjod dinner, and a bed occa- sionally ; a Mr. Rust, the srjuire of the town, was also very civil t(; me, and was very intimate with ' Koger Pettiward left his property in 1856 to a Mr. jolin liiissell, who assumed the name and arms of I'cttiward. 256 ELERS MEMOIRS Sir John Shelley. \vho lived at Ciippino-. at a short distance. There was also an old lawyer, ot the name o\ Marrvot. who lived in a snuj^ house in the town. He also invited me to his house, and gave me leave to shoot all over his grounds. It is true they were not very extensive, but I contrived to pick up a brace of birds whenever 1 went out ; and the farmers all around gave me leave to sport. There used to be a market dinner every Thursday for all the respectable and substantial farmers in the neighbourhood, and I used sometimes to dine with them, aiul used to win their hearts by mixing now and then with them. I could stand everything but their smoking, and to that I had an unconquer- able aversion. I used also generally to ride into Ipsw'ich once or twice a week, sometimes sleeping there and at other times returning on the same night. When I was engaged this way the time passed pleasantly enough, but when it happened that I passed the day. and particularlv the evening", alone at the King's Head, I was quite cfinuyi'. Nothing to do. no books to read, only the daily papers in the travellers' room, redolent with smoke and the fumes o'i tobacco. I got quite weary oi this spiritless life, and asked for a month's leave of absence. I got it, and went up to London, taking with me my favourite mare and buggy, and a very nice young man as a servant. I had turned away my former servant a short time before. He was in the habit of taking my horses GROOMS' MISBEHAVIOUR 257 out f:arly in ihc iiujriiing' before I was up, and riding them six miles off to a place called Grundisburgh, returning a little before nine to bring uf> my boots and hot water. The way I found this out was by going into the stable one morning before breakfast and finding a large, heavy horse bathed in sweat, the saddle not taken off, all over dirt and mire, smoking away. On that morning or the day afte.r h(t proved dead lai7i(! ; I was obliged tf; turn him out to grass for six months. The horse never got sound again, and I was obliged to sell him as a post-horse for ^28. This horse had cost me fifty guineas a few weeks before he was lamed. My friend Vernon lost a little blood thoroughbred horse just about this time from the ill-usage of one of his grooms. He was found in the stable with his fetlock broken in two, and had to be destroyed. My friend Mr. Johnson was served the following trick by a groom. Bosmere, where he lived, was about sixteen or eighteen miles from Hury. Me and Mrs. Johnson went over in their carriage, and their groom rode a valuable thoroughbred horse got by Sorcerer. The groom returned with them, and had got nearly home when he missed his watch, which he had left at the inn by accident ; he turned back to the inn full gallop, and returned home, the horse dead lame, having gone thirty-six miles in a short time. Such were the tricks which in those days servants played their masters, and I dare say they are not, many of them, much better now. 17 CHAPTER XVI Young the tragedian — Kitty Stephens — A carriage accident — Dr. Andrews' suicide— Ordered to Maldon — Major Elers' death — Ill-luck in promotion — Maria Edgeworth — Sends in his resignation — His engagement broken off — A blessing in disguise. I ARRIVED in town on the third day of my journey, and put up at the New Hummums, Covent Garden. At this time I was rather intimate with Mr. Charles Young, the justly celebrated tragedian. I used to drive him out, and he was quite delighted with the beauty of my mare and her great spirit, combined with great gentleness. Mr. Young at this time was a perfect enthusiast in music, and used to accompany himself on the piano and to sing Moore's melodies charmingly. He had not much power in the upper part of his voice, but the lower was deep and round, and by singing with exquisite feeling- he effected a great deal more than many professional singers with greater powers of voice. I used about this time to meet Miss Stephens, who visited his mother. She had just made her great impression on the town as Polly in the ' Beggar's Opera.' I have heard Mrs. Young say : [ -58 ] KITTY STEPHENS 259 ' Who would ever have thought that Kitty Stephens, who I recollect used to carry a pint of porter and cold meat for her father's dinner through the streets, should arrive at such fame and renown as a singer ?' Miss Stephens* father was at first a carpenter, and lived in some obscure place in the vicinity of Lambeth. Lanza the music-master first taught her to sing, but could make nothing of her. Mr. Thomas Welsh afterwards took her under his care, and made her the great singer she afterwards became. On her first coming out I met the master and his pupil in Long Acre, going to or returning from Covent Garden Theatre. He introduced me to her, and I thought her then a very plain young woman. I after used to meet her at Mrs. Young's, who lived with her son Charles in Duchess Street, Portland Place, just opposite her master, Mr. Welsh. Great pains must have been taken with the education of Miss Stephens after her debut at Covent Garden, for she has the most pleasing, lady- like manners, and her handwriting (a great test of the gentlewoman) is excellent. I had a relation of my own so much smitten with her charms that he made her an offer of marriage ; and I have in my possession her answer refusing him, but in the kindest and most amiable terms. My cousin was always on great terms of friendship with her and her brother, and they both spent some short time with him at his house in Northamptonshire, a very short time previous to his sudden death. As my cousin's 17 — 2 26o ELERS MEMOIRS representativ^e, I received a very friendly answer from her to a letter of mine. I requested her to mention whether I could send her anything of his that she would like to have in remembrance of him. She only asked for any book of his of little value. I sent her a small set of plays from his library. Miss Stephens used to live with her brother and her niece, Miss Johnson, in a small house in Connaught Terrace. She has ever borne an irreproachable name, and has lately married the Earl of Essex, who has for many years been much attached to her, and who, on the death of his wife early this spring (1838), shortly afterwards made her his Countess, with a settlement equal to her rank. And long may she live to enjoy it.^ I had the misfortune soon after my arrival in town to meet with a very severe accident, in August, 181 1. I had dined with two ladies at Barnes, the daughter and granddaughter of my dear old friend Mrs. Streatfield. The weather had been very sultry all day, and as I entered Park Lane it rained in tor- rents, with thunder and lightning, and dark as pitch. This irritated my mare, and made her very impatient to get home. The West Middlesex Waterworks Company had taken up the centre of Oxford Street near the Park, leaving a deep excavation and the ground thrown up on each side. There was a temporary rail thrown up, but the lanthorns were all blown out by the tempest, so that it was impossible ^ She died February 22, 1882, aged eighty-seven. A CARRIAGE ACCIDENT 261 to see your hand before you. I had proceeded about twenty yards down the street, when my off- wheel was raised upon the mound of earth. The mare suddenly dashed forward, the gig turned over, and I was pitched on to the pavement over my servant's shoulder. He was very lucky to escape with a slight hurt, but I had dislocated my right shoulder, and was cut severely about the face. The shafts having broken, the mare ran away at full speed for about 150 yards, when she was stopped by a groom, who had happened to be crossing the road, but not sufficiently arrested in her progress to prevent her, on meeting with some iron rails, attempting leaping over them. This she tried to do, and the spikes entered her chest. When, after a minute or two, I had recovered from the shock, I ran after my mare. I saw her lying motionless and bleeding, and seeing there was no hope, and to put her out of pain, I ordered her instantly to be destroyed. On returning back to the spot where the gig lay broken to pieces, I found I could not raise my right arm, and having been taken into a surgeon's close by, they discovered on examination that my shoulder was dislocated. It was very soon put in, and the accident having taken place so recently it had not had time to swell, and the pain was not very great, but quite enough. I afterwards walked to Stratford Place, whence a gendeman's carriage took me to Covent Garden, 262 I'XKKS MKMcMRS T\\c \\c\i d.w vcrv oarly in tin- mornino' 1 sent a moss.ii^i^ to Ch.ulcs Nouml; to icW him oi my accidotu. .IS I was iMii^ai;t\l to d'u\c witli him lo im^ot a musical partv at his hoiisc\ he ha\ iuj; iiivitod l>raham, Miss Stt^pluMis. and son laal oduMS on purposo to i;i\o mo a musical treat. At about nino o clock in the ntornini^ \ ouui^ came down lo see mo, and when ho arri\ i\l 1 was not dressed or washed after the accident, but was covtM-ed witli blood. Yoimo did not sav a word, but tOv>k i^tt his coat and tuckc\l up his shirt-sleeves. orderi\l hot water, towels. sponi;es. «.nc.. and i;ot me cleait linen on. and made me as comtortable as 1 could well 1h\ lie then broui^ht me a Or. Andrews, a cU'\er man. a triend o\ his. and who was the medical m.m attached to both the theatrcV'^. to see me. 1 was under his care for about three weeks, when I went to iMiL^hlon. nearly recovered trom m\' wounds, and L;etling bettiM- ot the ettects itf the dislocation. Pr. Andrews would not hear ot' any pecuniarv recompense. This excellent, kind-hearted man atterwards oave up all his theatrical practice to live with Mr. .md Mrs. Coutts as their physician, and he there lost his health by Mr. C\nitls, who was so old and so chillv, having his rooms kept up lo eighty dt^i^rees of heat. He got leave to go down to Hrighlon tor I'/.v u'tr^' Oft/v. He stayed one or two days over the time, and on knocking at Mrs. Coutts' door in Stratton Street, the servant told him Mrs. Coutts had no t'lnther occasion tor his services. Toor Auilrews MAJOR KLKRS" DEATH 263 went home anrl (]'-.stroyed himself. Mrs, Coutts' feelings coulfl not havf. been envied ! On my relurii from lirir^htoii I procfteded to Stcjwmarket, whf.n I found my [>;i.rty w(':re ordered to Maldrjn I>arr;ir;ks in T^ssex. To that plaee I repaired early in September, j8ii. Hitherto my military life had been one unvarif^d scene of pleasure and comfort, and I now look back with pride and satisfaction upon thf: fact that I was esteemed by all the commanding officers I had ever served under, and nc.vcr fot the slicrhtest censure from the Iforse Guards in all my various corresfjondence and com- munications with them. From the hour I set foot in Maldfjn iiarracks until the day I left it, sometime in January or heljruary, 181 2, my life was rendered miserable. There were nr;w stationed at the depot, besides tlie 12th, about onf, lumdred men, detach- ments of the following corps, viz., i6th, 17th, 24th, the strength of which cor[js were nearly equal to mine. I was at this fiorrid hole (Maldon) when I received the accounts of my poor brother's death in Spain, where he dif/1 o^ a fever aggravated by fatigue and worn out by his arrluous duty, l-or the last six weeks of his life he never slept under cover. His constitution gave way under the fever, which was originally caught at Walcheren. lie breathed his last in a waggon with General Drummond at Celerico, and he was so much honoured and respected by the 43rd Regiment, and was con- sidered so good an officer, that the regiment wore 264 ELERS MEMOIRS mourning for three successive days ; and this is a very unusual compliment to be paid to any officer, particularly when officers are dying in the regiment every month or two on actual and arduous service. It was at this period, the autumn of 181 1, that my regiment was stationed at Mauritius, and Captain Forsteen, the eldest Captain of my regiment, obtained a majority without purchase in one of the West India Regiments. This made me the senior Captain in the 12th Regiment, and very soon after this it was given out from the Horse Guards that a 2nd Battalion was immediately to be raised for the 1 2th Regiment. All my friends congratulated me on the certainty that I should become the oldest Major of the 2nd Battalion, having also served near ten years in the rank of Captain, when, to my great mortification, only one-half of the promotions took place that we anticipated — that is, one Major, five companies, and so in the same proportion with the subaltern ranks until the reo-iment had received from the militia or other sources 500 men, which did not take place until the September following, in 18 12. There was at that time a reo-ulation of the Duke ot York's that all officers, on being promoted into other corps, should positively join their regiments where- ever stationed, and Major Forsteen made a show of going to Portsmouth with the understanding that he would not embark for the West Indies. You may judge of the surprise and disappointment I felt when I saw the Gazette that announced him the senior A MARTINET 265 Major of the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Regiment. I could scarcely believe what I read. To add to my ill-luck, I lost my venerable old Colonel, General William Picton ; and Sir Charles Hastings,^ a natural son of the late Earl of Huntingdon, was appointed Colonel of the 12th. We also got an Irishman as a Lieutenant-Colonel, who directly joined at Maldon, and superseded me in the command, which I was not sorry for ; for the returns and signatures of the commanding officers, both by the week, fortnight, and month, were so numerous, and the responsibility of their correctness so great (and we had no assistance, neither Quartermaster nor Adjutant), that I was very glad to be super- seded in the command. Lieutenant- Colonel Stirke was about fifty years of age, and by birth an Irishman. He had risen to the rank of Major in the West India Regiments, and had seen but very little active service. He was a very indifferent regimental officer with respect to drilling or manoeuvring the regiment, but he was a very good pen-and-ink man with respect to all the interior details of a reoiment. We soon found him a very unpleasant commanding officer, and I, who had all my life been accustomed to be commanded by perfect gentle'tnen as well as good soldiers, found a ^ Sir Charles Hastings, created a baronet 1806, married Parnell daughter and heiress of Thomas Abney, of Willesley Hall, County Derby. His son, Sir Charles Abney Hastings, left his estates to the late Countess of Loudoun. 266 ELERS MEMOIRS remarkable contrast in Lieutenant-Colonel Stirke. The officers of West India Regiments were in general in those days a very queer set, and certainly Colonel Stirke was not an exception. But of all our misfortunes the greatest was that of having that brute Brigadier-General Acland stationed at Chelms- ford, about eight miles from us. He kept an orderly Dragoon, who was continually galloping backwards and forwards with reports and returns. He very often paid us visits of inspection, and his way of conducting himself was extremely similar to that pursued some years before by General Whitelock at Portsmouth, who was afterwards broke for cowardice. At this time I had formed an attachment to a very lovely and amiable young lady who was on a visit in Essex, about twenty-five miles from Maldon. I had obtained the permission of General Acland to visit this young lady and her friends for a couple of days. He knew the errand I was gone on, and as soon as he ascertained that I had left Maldon Barracks, he sent an orderly Dragoon after me with orders to return after I had been there a couple of hours and just as I was sitting down to dinner. The pretence was some trifling error in a meat return. Similar instances of tyranny were of daily occurrence. Wearied out by all this, I wrote to the Horse Guards for leave to visit London, determined never to come back again. That I had made up my mind to. My object was to obtain permission of Sir Charles MARIA EDGEWORTH 267 Hastings to join the ist Battalion at Mauritius. He would not listen to my wishes. The Marquess of Hastings was at this time going to India as Governor- General and Commander-in-Chief. A short time previous to this my cousin, Maria Edgeworth, who was on terms of the greatest friend- ship with the venerable Countess of Moira, who used to call her ' cousin ' from her grandmother being a Hungerford, wrote to me and enclosed one of Lady Moira's letters to her, wherein her ladyship offered to forward the interest of my poor brother the Major on account of his descent from that family, she en- joying several baronies of that family from a marriage that took place in 1482 with Lord Hastings. I wrote to my cousin telling her of my brother's death, and the great desire I had to go out to India upon the staff of the Marquess of Hastings, and that she must, of course, feel less embarrassment in making this application to Lady Moira as she had so lately inclosed me her ladyship's letter offering to forward the interest of any of her family. I felt certain of my success, when to my great mortification my uncle, Mr. Edgeworth, would not suffer the application to be made to her ladyship. The mother of the young lady to whom I was paying my addresses had an insuperable objection to my profession, as well as to the smallness of my fortune ; and as I had determined I never would join the depot at Maldon again, and not being able to obtain the Colonel of the reofiment's leave to 268 EI.ERS MEMOIRS proceed to India (much as I detested the destina- tion, anything — death itself — being preferable to re- turnino- to Maldon), in a fit of despair I was mad enough to send in my resignation of the Service to the Horse Guards. The Duke of York expressed his surprise, and held it back for three weeks to giv^e me the opportunity oi' thinking better of it. I had none of my military friends of rank to consult with or to whom I could explain my situation. General Harcourt was in the \W^st Indies and Sir Thomas Picton was in Spain. My fate was decided, and after having served sixteen years and purchased two ot my commissions out oi' the three, I received only /,'i,ioo tor them. Not having served twenty years, I coukl not sell the ensigncy, the regulation price being ^:/*400. I have already observed that one of the great objections the young lady's mamma had to my marriage with her daughter was my profession, and my being, of course, liable to be sent abroad, thereby separating her from her daughter. To my great surprise, having quitted the Service, one great im- pediment being removed, she then urged the objec- tion that I was now without any profession. In short, nothing could be more vacillating and un- determined than the old lady was in this business. I offered to settle half my little fortune upon the lady — /^.^,ooo out of the £6,000 which was all I had, together with every shilling her daughter possessed. All would not do, and the match was declared off. ENGAGEMENT BROKEN OFF 269 A more amiable girl could not possibly exist than the young lady the object of my affections, and she behaved throughout this unfortunate business with the most devoted attachment to me, and was ready to make the greatest sacrifices. I firmly believe, such is the goodness of Providence, that everything in the end is for the best. I found out afterwards that there was decided insanity in her family. One of her sisters destroyed herself, and two of her children are at this instant confined in a private mad- house. The young lady herself married a clergyman, and I have heard died raving mad during one of her confinements. All this misery I escaped. CORRI-SPONOHNCK Col. Wclh-shy io L\ipi. Elcn, i2ih Rc-gimnii. Bancalokk. .\\\-r. 19M, 1801. Dear Ellhks. 1 have received your letter of the 11th instant. I liave as yet received no answer to my appHcation to Mr. North in your favour, and I ratlier beHe\e. from circumstances which have occurred lately, that the Commander-in-Chief in India, and not the Govr. of Ceylon, will have the Patronage of the Malay regts. You should lose no time, therefore, in endcvivouring to prevail upon Col. Harcourt to apply in your favour to Genl. Lake. I heard from Col. Harcourt lately. He was with the Governor-General and at Patna. Believe me. Yours most sincerelw AKruiK Welleslev. Lr. Ellers. Xkvaoa, Avr. ::,/, iSii. De.\k Sik. 1 received by the last Post your letter of 18th October. I am concerned that I cannot apply for the Promotion of any Officer that does not belong to this Army, or who has not distinguished himself under my command in other Countries in such a manner as to give [ -Vo ] tok kkspondencp: 27 1 hirn, in rny opinion, a ol;i.irn upon tho Sf^rvic; which I can brin'j forward with hopes of success. i!^ver, Dear Sir, Yours most faithfully, WlJJ.INGTON. Cap'in. K/.kks, 1 2th I'oot, Middlex Barracks, Essex. The above letter I received from the Marrjuess of Wellington in Spain in i8ii, I did not belong to his arnny, and therefore could not distinguish rnyself. And in India, when he did command an arrny against Scindiah, I was with my Kegt. to the Southward, many hundred rniles from him. Gfc.0. Elers. Letter of Hh Grace the J Juke of IVellington to me, G. li. London, .sv/y/. 7, i'62'j. The Duke of Wellington presents his Compliments to Mr. Elers and has received his Letter. As the Commanding Officer of the 43rd Kegt. was not recommended for a Medal for the Jiattle of P'uentes d'Honor at the Period of the Battle, the Duke cannot now recommend that one should be granted to the Executors of Major Hungerford Elers who is dead. Can anything be more unjust than this decision ? The Duke of Wellington or the Commander-in-Chief, H.K.H. the Duke of York, pjublished a General Order to the effect that Officers commanding Regiments in a General Action should be entitled to receive Medals in honor of it. And that in case of their decease, their Heirs or Repre- sentatives were to receive them. Major Elers commanded the 43rd Regiment at the Battle of Fuentes d'Honor, which took place in May. He died early in August following. It is very likely the Order conferring Medals was not given out at that earl)' period of the War. 272 ELERS MEMOIRS However that fact may be, my brother never received the distinction. Ten years since I met Colonel William Napier in the Park, and I asked him who commanded the 43rd Regiment at the Battle of Fuentes (Colonel N. at that time was a Captain in that Regiment). He imme- diately replied : * Your brother commanded it, and very well and gallantly, for I saw him.' I then said : ' My brother never received the honorary Medal.' Napier said: * But you have got it.' I said : * No, for I was ignorant of the fact.' Napier then said : ' Write directly to Lord Fit2-Roy Somerset and mention my name. I will under- take to vouch to the fact.' I did so, and did not receive a satisfactory Answer. I wrote instantly to the Duke of Wellington. And the enclosed was the Answer I received ! In early life I received many kind attentions from the Duke of Wellington. I loved him then as a friend, I honour and revere him now as the greatest man England ever had at the head of her Army. Yet even the Duke has enemies. They would be but too happy to get hold of this anecdote. But I regard him too sincerely, and can only recollect him as the friend of my youth. Geo. Elers. My letter to the Duke of Wellington, enclosing one of his addressed to me when Arthur Wellesley ! Can this Man Jiave a Heart ! ! February, 1828. Impressed with sentiments of the most profound respect, I most earnestly request your Grace's attention to the following statement : In the year 1801 at Cannanore in the East Indies I had the distinguished honour of receiving an invitation from you to accompany you to Seringapatam, to which station my Regt. was on the point of proceeding, and for three months I had the distinguished honour of constantly UA..10TI HUNGERFORD RICHARD ELERS CORRESPONDENCE 273 sitting on your left hand at Your Grace's table. Finally, on my Regt. quitting Seringapatam for Trichinopoly, Your Grace most kindly wrote to Mr. North, the Governor of Ceylon, to procure me a Company in one of the Corps on the point of being raised on that Island. The inclosed letter, which you did me the honour of writing, will explain the reason I never benefited by your kindness. I subsequently purchased a Company in the 12th Regt., and in the year 1812, having served sixteen years, I was obliged from the situation of my private affairs (though not in a pecuniary point of view) to relinquish the service. I received only the regulated price of those Commissions I purchased ; not having served the prescribed term, I was debarred receiving the price of the Ensigncy. In the Year 181 1 I had the misfortune to lose my brother, Major Elers of the 43rd Regt. He died serving with the Army under Your Grace's Command in Spain, after a service of Twenty Years in that Regt., accompany- ing it in all its various services and never absent from it. From his unfortunate death the values of those Commis- sions are lost to me as his representative. Under the circumstances I have already had the honour of detailing, I humbly throw myself upon Your Grace's protection. And though I am perfectlj' sensible of my own demerits and the superior claims of the many brave men who have had the good fortune to have served so many years under Your Grace, yet still I respectfully submit, if I was worthy of your kind patronage so many years since (and I have the satisfaction to reflect I have done nothing to forfeit it in the intermediate time), and as in those days your power was not equal to }our kind intentions, may I not therefore cherish the hope to receive your patronage now that you are so deservedly placed, by your transcendent talents, the first Subject in the State ? All I ask is employment, and I would accept with 18 274 ELERS MEMOIRS gratitude any situation Your Grace would be pleased to confer upon me. As the enclosed letter is the only memorial I have of your past kindness, and as I have for twenty-six years constantly preserved it, I should consider myself obliged by its being returned. I have the honour to remain, My Lord Duke, with the greatest respect, Your Grace's most Obedient and Obliged Servt., Geo. Elers, Late Senior Capt. I2th Regt. His Grace the Duke of Wellington, K.G., etc, London, Feb. 28, 1288. The Duke of Wellington presents his Compliments to Mr. Elers, and begs leave to acknowledge the Receipt of his letter of this day. The Duke returns the inclosure, and regrets very much that he has it not in his Power to be of any service to him. London, /«;/6 28, 1836. The Duke of Wellington presents his Compliments to Mr. Elers, and is much obliged to him for his Letter of this day. The Duke has no occasion for a Newfoundland Dog, and will not deprive Mr. Elers of him.^ ^ This note is a reply to a letter addressed to the Uuke by Captain Elers, who had accepted the position of residuary legatee to a relative, the Rev. Thomas Speidell, Rector of Crick, Northamptonshire. Upon the death of that gentleman in 1836 Captain Elers experienced a grave disappointment, as his prospects of succeeding to a substantial inheritance gradually faded away as the number of debts payable out of Mr. Speidell's estate accumulated. Captain Elers was at a great loss to know what to do with a large Newfoundland dog which had belonged to Mr. Speidell. He first tried to get a lady who had jilted Mr. Speidell to take it, but she refused, although with many becoming CORRESPONDENCE 275 The Writer of this killed in a Duel the best and dearest friend I ever had — Henry Hervey Aston, the bosom friend of the Duke of Wellington, whose untimely death caused the Tears to flow from the eyes of the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV. — Geo. Elers. Tanjore, i2/'/zy«/j/[i798]. My dear Sir, I have directed your letter as you desired, and your boy will give you the Post Office Chit.^ I have also directed my Servant to inform your boy how to prepare the salubrious draft ; if he shd. err, do not lay your being poisoned to my door. Pray do not sell your horse ; report says we shall be under canvas almost immediately — Tippoo in the field, etc. In haste, with best regards to all the boys. Believe me, Yours very truly, G. Allen. The only letter I have of my dear Mrs. Aston' s, Widow of my ever dear Hervey Aston. She was one of the great Heiresses of Viscount Irvin and Sister of The Marchioness of Hertford, Lady Wni. Gordon, Lady Ramsden, and Mrs. Meynell. Templenewsam, near Leeds, Yorkshire, June ye i^th. Mrs. Aston returns Captain Elers many thanks for his very obliging letter, which she only received this morning. expressions of regret, on the ground that her premises were unsuitable and that her gardener refused to be responsible for the animal. Thereupon Captain Elers vainly endeavoured to induce the Duke to accept it. There is no trace of what became of the dog after the Duke's refusal to adopt it. — Ed. 1 Chit=letter.— Ed. 18—2 276 ELERS MEMOIRS Some years ago Lady Powis obtained a drawing of the Monument for Mrs. Aston, but if Captain Elers will allow her to have a copy of the drawint;- he has taken, Mrs. A. will feel infinitely obliged to him. The next time Mrs. Aston goes to Town she shall hope to have the pleasure of seeing Captain Elers, and intro- ducing the children of his lamented friend to him. From my dear friend Genl. Harcourt. I sensed on his Staff. He teas Secretary to the Marquess Wellesley in India and high in his Confidence. — Geo. Elers. Benares, ^fani^ 14, 1802. My dear Elers, I have received your various favours, and was most obliged by them. My letter to Picton informs him of an event as unex- pected as it is honourable to me : I am charged with Lord Wellesley's confidential dispatches to England, and which long ere this reaches your hands I shall be bearing toward that happy land ; ni)- stay will not exceed a fortnight or three weeks in England, when I shall return hither without fail — I must do so — therefore do not say, * / shall never come back." I will write to you from Calcutta, for which place I set out this evening by Dawke [dak],^ and shall reach it in five days. I cannot on this occasion omit assuring you of the happiness I shall feel on again seeing you. I am a fellow of few words on these occasions, but I thank my God that he has given me a heart to cherish the feeling of Friend- ship. God bless you. Ever yours most faithfully, G. Hakcourt. Lt. Elers, 12th Foot. ^ Dak=post.— Ed. COKRESi^ONlJENCE 277 Edceworjh Town, /any. 2^^, 18&8. Your affectionate letter and entertaining history pleased and interested all this family very much, my dear Cousin ; and I thank you for the trouble you took in writing it to me. My father desires me to tell you, that he thinks it a most favourable omen in a young man's character that he should desire to keep up relationships, and he begs that you will impress this idea of your character on his mind by your actions, as well as by your letters, by making your uncle's house your home whenever you visit Ireland. Let me add that, besides your uncle and your cousin Maria, you have an aunt here, who is very desirous to see you, and whose esteem and regard you will, I am persuaded, desire to obtain as soon as you are acquainted with her. You have a number of cousins here of all sizes, and of all ages, from my age to two year old. I will not describe them to you, because I hope you will soon come and judge of them for yourself. You will find this a very cheerful family, and a hospitable house, where I hope some of the kindness may be returned to you which so many of us have received in your house, from my uncle and aunt Elers. I am sure for my own part I have a very full and grateful recollection of their goodness to me when I was very ill, and when I must have been often a great inconvenience and trouble to them. I am, my dear Cousin, Your sincerely affectionate Makia Edgewokth. Captn. Elers, 12 Regt. Foot, Ipswich, Suffolk, England. Edgeworth Town, July loth, 181 1. My dear Cousin, I am much obliged to you for your affectionate letter, and for your full account of yourself and your brothers. I am much gratified by the kind things you 278 ELERS MEMOIRS say of my books, and very glad should I bo that my name could be of either pleasure or advantage to you. Vou mentioi\ my cousin. HuntitrforJ Elers. I am glad that the name Hungerford is preserved in the family. Do you know that by the Hungerfords we have the honour to be related to the Moira family ? The late excellent, admirable L;idy Moira (mother to Lord Moira^ had among eight barons' titles which she held in her own right that of Hungerford, and she signed herself E, Hastings- HMM^vr/en/- Moira. She for many years did me the honour to call me her fricnJ. and a high honour I thought it, not from her rank and titles, but from her merit. She was so good [as] to claim relationship with me. When I reed, your letter I wrote to Lady Granard (^hor daughter and Lord Moira "s sister^ and mentioned my cousin Hungerford Elers to her in hopes that at some time or other the name might be of use to him. 1 send you Lady Granard's answer. You must not let it out of your own hands, and return it to me by the tirst frank you get. All that relates to your brother is in the second page. The rest relates to a Mrs. Rawdon. who was a friend of my great-grandfather Edgeworth.^ of whom we have MS. Memoirs. My father wishes to know whether you have any of the old pictures that used to be at Black Borton — particularly a picture of Mrs. Hungerford and a picture of a baptism of your great-grandfather Elers with the Elector of Metz standing Godfather. And have you a bow and arrows and a pair of pointed shoes with chains for the knees which belonged to Sir Edward Hungerford ? Of him also there was a picture in the hLill at Black Borton and several pieces of armour. 1 N\ish I could have any one of these pictures copied. Have you any notes or Manu- scripts of my grandfather Elers ? My father has some ^ Colonel Francis Edgeworth. (See ' MemoifS of RicluiRi Lovell Edsreworth."^ CORRKSPONDKNCK 279 which he wrote for him when at Ojllef^e, and which are excellent. What are become of all the old pictures the Mrs. Blakes used to have ? As you are so j^'ood to take an interest about my works, let me be?,' that you will take the trouble to deny my being the author of the ' Match Girl,' or of ' Tales of Real Life,' which I hear somebody has pubHshed in the name of Mrs. or Miss Edge worth. There is also a person who takes the name of Theodore ]£dgeworth, and published the 'Shipwreck.' We know nothing of it or 0/ /n'w. All our works are published by Johnson. I send you an Epigram of my father's upon certain fashionable Scotch marriages and divorces. The lines have been attributed in England to Sheridan, and have been sent as Sheridan's by different people back from England to Ireland. My father thinks it a high honour to have anything of his writing attributed to so accom- plished and witty a writer : 'To ready Scotland boys and girls are carried liefore their time, impatient to be married. Soon wiser grown the selfsame road they run In eager haste to get the knot undone. The indulgent Scot, when ?2nglish law too nice is, .Sanctions our follies first and then our vices.' My father and Mrs. Edgeworth desire me to repeat their hopes that you will let us see you at Edgeworth Town whenever you come to Ireland. Believe me, my dear Cousin, Affecly. yours, Maria Edgeworth. Edgeworth Town, March 20th, 1833. I am much gratified, my dear Cousin, by your kind remembrance of me — so fresh from the year 1822, when I had the pleasure of seeing you at Lady Elizabeth Whit- 2 8o ELERS MEMOIRS broad's.' I am much ohlit;od for the trouble you have taken to bring up all the family history to the present times, and putting out of the question natural affection, which all Irish born or bred like myself {bred not born) have for kith ami kin, and cousin's cousins to the hundredth generation. Even if I had none of that natural touch in me, who could help feeling famih' pride and a glorified interest for relations who bear such names, for example, as Edward Hungerford Delaval Elers Napier ! I only wish that EJgficorth could have come into that train. Old Lady Moira.- mother to the late Marquis of Hastings, who showed me a pedigree she had made out for herself from .Eneas i^one link onh- wanting), was full as proud of signing H:t>:i^ir/orJ Hastings as of her great ^Encas connection. I have letters from her i^very entertain- ing, moreover) signed by the titles of all the eight baronies that centred in her body : and HitngerforJ was always written by her hand in large characters, conspicuous ; and when writing to me she drew an emphatic line beneath Hunger/or J, indicating, with her Ladyship's characteristic courtesy, her acknowledgment of the relationship — I mean connexionship, subsisting through the Hungerfords with your unworthy humble servant. Seriously, my dear cousin, I am truly glad to fmd that I am by the balers side connected somehow with the Napiers. I am much attached to both Mr. and Mrs. Richard Napier, and delighted to feel that I am drawn closer to them by their brother's kindness, and generous adoption of my cousins. I suppose you know all that I could tell \ou and more ^ Daughter of Charles, first Earl Grey. Married Samuel Whitbread, the eminent brewer. Died November, 1S46. - Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Theophilus. ninth Earl of Huntingdon, by the celebrated Selina, foundress of the ' Countess of Huntingdon's connection.' Her ancestor, Edward, second Lord Hastings, married Mary, daughter and heiress of Thomas, Lord Hungerford, Botreaux, Molines, and Moels. CORRKSPONDl^NCE 28 r of our Jjeddoes relations and Kiitf^s. The Monarch is going on prosperously I believe and hope, which is more than ever we believed or hojjcd of most Kings in our times — when they seem to be all up-side-down, and more than '/car of change perplexes monarchs.' Tom Beddoes, my nephew, eldest son of the celebrated Doctor, is somewhere wandering about Germany, but where exactly I cannot say. Wherever he is he is a man of genius — and that is enough for him. 1 have known nothing of him for some years, nor have any of his nearer relations as far as I can learn, except what the newspapers told us, that he was banished from some place in Germany for too much democratic eloquence as far as I could understand. Some address or letter of his appeared in the papers about the Emperor of Russia's resemblance to the Upas tree and a Colossus of snow. The Upas tree simile I presume the ICmperor might not relish if he knew what it meant. My nephew, Harry lieddoes, is a most amiable young Lieutenant in the Navy, and 1 love him and his profession and everything about them. lie is like his dear mother, who had her grandfather Edgewr^rth's genius, and the Elers' Hack-blue beautiful eyes and eyelashes, and original humour of her own, nnd a heart open as day to melting charity — all which her son, my dear Harry Beddoes, inherits from her. He is going to be married as soon as the necessary hundreds can be made out to a young lady whom he described to me (last post) as an angel, and who is an Eagle — at present, and will soon cease to be an Eagle, as soon as her mate intended can feather a nest for her. I am quite prepared to love her. Of our Coulson relations at Bristol I have heard much often, and always well from my sister King, whom I suppose you are acquainted with. One of her most intimate friends of the family of Bryce has married a Coulson, much to her own and my sister Emmeline's 2S2 ELERS MEMOIRS satisfLiction. I prosuino you know Zoe King and Emmolino, your young cousins of the Royal stock. I do not know whether you are interested for any of the brothers and sisters of Fanny — my dear Fann\-, ahas Mrs. Lestock \\'ilson. But I am sure you cannot help being interested for her, since you iiave lately sat an hour with her, as she informed me : and no one that had any taste or judgment (,as far as I am informed, at least), ever knew her so long without feeling some interest sprouting within them towards her — upon the strength of which I may mention that you have six half-blood relatives of her mother's children, four females (herself included), viz., Fanny, Harriet, Sophy, Lucy ; two males, Francis Beau- fort E., and Richard Fakenham E. Fanny married to Lestock Wilson, as you know. Harriet to the Revd. Richd. Butler, Vicarage Fain!, Ireland, and his parishioners, even Catholics, love him so much that they have printed their resolution to pay him his tithes. No children. Sophy — married to Barry Fox, Esq., Cloona, King's County : children in plenty, but not one too many, for they are all agreeable not only to their parents but to those who are not bound to find them so. Their names be Maxic'clL eldest son, from Ld. Farnham (Maxwell) an uncle. (I am not good at explaining these things. Excuse me.) Marianne — Charlotte and Willy. The two brothers of Fanny I have yet to account for. Francis Beaufort E.^ is married to a Spanish lady with beautiful eyes and a beautiful name, Rosa Florentina. Erollcs w^as her father's name. If you want to know further, inquire of Mrs. Lestock Wilson. They have one son lately born, William, and are li\ing very happily at Florence upon very little. But they have ^ His son. Antonio Eroles Edgewoith, is now owner of Edgeworths Town. « CORRKSPONDKNCE 283 all they want. He is one of the cleverest and most amiable men, doing nothing and capable of doing anything, that I ever knew — and all who know him I believe love him, at least I can answer for myself, Michael Pakenham E.' is on the high road to riches and fame in India at Ferrickabad, the fori of ioy — or words to that effect. He is a most persevering son, and if he escape the fever of the country will certainly be rich and happy. I>ut I fear I shall never live to see him again. And now, my dear cousin, I am sure you are or may be tired of me, and I will only add by best wishes for yourself. I condole with you on the loss of the chance of that ^4,000 per Annm. which might h;i.ve been yours if the lucky lady who lost her lover and gained ;f 10,000 by his death, also who had a ^^10,000 and £5,000 prize in the lottery, had but completed her good fortune by the timely death of her stepson. As you do not mention the amount of the legacy or the annuity she left to you after all, I still hope that you were not utterly disappointed. You make me proud of my cousin Hungerford. Col. William Napier's''' praise is a certain hope of honour with posterity. If ever I am again in London, I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing my pretty cousin Georgiana. I arn, my dear Cousin, Your affectionate Cousin, Makia Edgewokth. You will perceive by the date of this letter that I was not so dilatory in my thanks for }'our letter as may appear. But I cd. not sooner command a frank. George Ei.krs, Esqre., 15, Hookhams, Old Bond Street. * Michael Pakenham Edgeworth married, 1846, Christina, daughter of Dr. Hugh Macpherson, of Aberdeen, and had two daughters. ^ Colonel William Napier, afterwards .Sir William Napier, K.C.B., historian of he Peninsular War. 2S4 ELERS MEMOIRS Edgkwokih Town. .-/.v;,-/. :-f/!, 1833. My dfak Cousin. You have hoard I suppose of the death ot" your poor Cousin Mary Beddoes. She died the 30th July at Chfton. She had lon^; been a dreadful sufferer under a spine com- plaint and a complication of diseases. And the result of examination after her death proved that no medical power or skill could have done more thai^ prolong her sufferings. She \\"as a most amiable, resigned, truly good creature. Her sister Anna, who had devoted herself to her for years, is left without an object in a most pitiable situation. I do not mean pitiable as to worldly pecuniary circumstances, for those are affluent, but to be pitied for the loss of that which money can never supply and for which it can never make amends. My niece Anna and my nephew Henry Beddoes are immediately coming over to ;<>■ at Edgeworth Town. I hope soon to [see] my sister Harriet Eutler of Trim, who is Anna's favourite friend. Thank \ou for your account of the young hero Napier. 1 have looked over heaps of papers to tind the enclosed account of the Elers family for you. It contains all I know^ of the matter. It fell into my hands in a curious manner. 1 wont to see Jos. Wedgwood, of Etruria. The Wedgwoods are hereditary friends of mine. Mr. Jos. Wedgwood gave me this paper, which he said he found among his papers. I had occasion to apply to him when I was writing a book for young people which probably you never have seen, called ' Harry and Lucy concluJtd,' in which there is an account of the potteries. I applied to \\'edgwood for in- formation about them and about a Mr. Elcrs. who by-the- by is by mistake call[ed] Ellard in one of the Cyclopedias, who was the first person who established the potteries in Staffordshire. This Mr. Hlors was said to come from Germany. So in reply to my questions Mr. Wedgwood proved to me that this gentleman was my groat -grand- father. coRRi:spoNni':\CE 285 May Le, my dear Coz, your aristocratic blood may shudder at this discovery of which I am nevertheless proud. I send you the paper which your great-great- grandfather wrote at all events, and if you like to take a copy of it you may, and you rnay either send me back your copy or this paper — which you please. I shd. much prefer your copy because it would be written in such a beautiful and legible hand. I pray you at the same time to send me for my fee for the trouble of routing out this paper for you an Emblazon- ment of the Hungerford arms — 1 see them on your seal and should like to have such a one myself, but the im- pression of your seal is not sufficiently distinct to work from. I wish I had a drawing complete of the tomb you described. You may consider this wish as a very peculiar compli- ment from me, for it is main difficult to stir up in me any genealogical curiosity, tho' I have plenty of family pride as long as it gives me no manner of trouble. I am, my dear Cousin, very proud and justly of my Hungerford cousinship. Your affectionate Cousin, [Maria Edgeworth] .^ Please if you have not a franker at your command to ask Mr. Spring Rice'"^ of the Treasury to frank your packet to me. He will, for he is to me the most obliging of men and Ministers. Cai'T. Eleks, Hookham's Library, Bond Street. ' The autograph has been cut out from the original letter, but the handwriting proves its authenticity quite clearly. — Ed. '■^ Mr. .Spring Rice, afterwards the first Lord Monteagle, Died 1866. 286 ELERS MEMOIRS Edoeworth Town, April 27^/1, 1836. My dear Cousin, I have mended my pen before I began to write to you, but still have no hopes of writing as fair a hand to you as 3'ou write to me. Thank you very cordially for your most entertaining and interesting history, and thank you still more for being certain that I should sympathize with you and rejoice to hear of any good fortune that befalls you. But the main point still remains to be ascertained, and I pray you not to leave me in the agonies of doubt. Let me know to what your Residuary-legateeship^ entitles you — besides the carpet bag full of diamonds and pearls. You say you have been obliged to sell all. What do you mean by All — Do you mean all assets, all furniture and stock ? or all house and land ? If all house and land, what remains to you, Mr. Residuary ? I am afraid you would be in the condition of an Irish Residuary legatee. And I don't see the great reason you would have to bless your amiable departed cousin — at least for any worldly good he has done you (saving always the carpet bag). Pray write again and clear up this point, and tell me that I am very stupid and impertinent if you please and can, and I shall rejoice to hear it, and to have a compe- tent idea of your good fortune realized, and a Catalogue raisonne pray add of the black cases and their contents issuing from the carpet bag, which is like a thing in a fairy tale and worthy of Prince Fortunatus. A cousin of ours, Mrs. Anna Edgeworth, some years ago left me a legacy of a pair of superb diamond earrings, w^hich as I never wished to wear I turned into a market- house, which I believe is very useful to the poor and rich people who frequent our village market and fairs. I will have my cousin Anna's name put upon it sometime. I wish you would come and see it, though it is not the least worth seeing — and us — if you don't think that )'0u might ' To the Rev. Thomas Speidell. See note to p. 274. — Ed. CORRESPONDENCE 287 say the same of us at the end of your journey. Notwith- standing all you may see in the newspaper, ' there is no fear that your Honour's throat would be cut or a bullet put through your body if you would come to Ireland, please your Honour.' Believe me, Your affectionate and obliged Cousin, Maria Edgeworth. Pray answer this soon. Captn. G. Elers, 20, Seymour Place, Bryanstone Square. Deer. 1 8//?, 1836. My dear Cousin, To my shame I hear that I never wrote to thank you for your most entertaining letter and narrative which you sent me long ago at my own particular request. I really felt so much obliged that I thought I had written to say so. This you will please to set down to the natural propensity to blunder in your Irish cousin and [not] to any want of grateful regard. Alas ! I have nothing new or entertaining to tell you in return for your overflowing quantity. Our greatest interest in life at present hangs upon my two sisters, Fanny Wilson and Sophy Fox, who are with their mother at Clifton under Mr. King's care, as probably you know from my sister King. And our only hope is that Mr. King may be as successful as he is kind and skilful, and may do as much for these two most patient patients as he has done for my sister Lucy, whom he has quite restored and renovated. My dear Cousin, if you have, as I presume you must have, intercourse and influence with Sir Charles Metcalfe,^ 1 Son of Sir Theophilus Metcalfe, Bart., by Susannah Sophia, daughter of John Debonnaire. Born January 30, 17S5; Governor of Agra, Governor-General of Canada, Member of the Supreme Council of India ; created Lord Metcalfe, January, 1845 '■> <^^'ed, s.p., September, 1846. 1 wijih you wvuki |Hit ill a vw^rd tor \v>ur «>>u>iin. n\y hrv">ther Michael Pakenh;im Kdj^>\\\>rth, who is^ Assistant to Mr, CUrk. the Political A^^nt of the E. I. Compy. at AuibuUa \w.,tir the Hymalax'^iih mounti\ins\ All I w-ant \\>u to^iy i:? that he is \\>ur ivlati\x\ and th«\t he is ^anvi this \\»u may say with ivrtect truih^ a \viu\^ man of exct»llent character and highly esteeaned. He has been r.\x^ \x\\r? in India. It n>ay chance that Sir C. >{etcalfe may ha\\> it in his powxT to sorvv or i^ix^L' him pleasure by his notice, either per^^:-„v*.!y or by letters, and this is all I look to. We want nothing tor Takenham at present. Ho is as well off as can be. and situated just as he likes with Mr. Clarke [,\\>rthy man and valued friend, and in a healthy country- where he has the fun her advant;i^^ of beautiful flo\x>er^ VNXvds, insects to gratify his tastes for Forany and Entomo»lo^' — Tastes which keep in health and happine^ — and crvX>d tem^vr. temjvr lately tried by the loss of microscoi>e, telescojx^. all his Kx^ks of Rotany and Hortm Sux-ms, and all his 4 fa\-ourite hordes in a dis- turKince at Ballawulla. The extent of his losses at first he told iis was t4<^v\ Bi:t he has Kx?.n rewanied for his good temper by reco\\>r- ing all his hor?es, though in a starved condition. Miciv\?coix\ telescv^pe, Horttis 5kvjrse than the dogs as to any chance of reco\>?ring the j>rojvrty. \\> are at this moment at Ed^ewvnh Town in the heats of an election. Lord Forbes's death haviiig left a \'acancy in our County. The Conservatix-e Candidate, who is now hard at it, is my cousin Charles Fox vbrother-in-law to Sophy F., and brother of Barr\- Fox — nephews K>th of the late Earl Earn ham. 1 may mention, as I know all the EUeis like anything tending to genealog}.-\ How it ^\4ll end I don't know, but heartily hope, of course, for our own cv>usin. And besides being a pri\"ate COKHi.SrONOi.NCK 2^<^ \>\<:n.%firf'. thJH would Lo a public good, an thi'o is a /^r^^at ',fr(jg;^lc between O'C. \(y(.')ur\cM\ and Con?i^;rvativ';s, and the quiet of Ireland, and of all property and prmciplc, depends on the preservation of the spirit of order, religious, rrif^rai and {political, against the I>->rd of Misrule and the '.piril (A Catholic revolution, who in the form of prie-ftts is nov/ awfully at v/ork. f am, Yours affectionately, rny dear (jjhs'iti, Mahia Eix;iiwoi'7i/. Cakj, Kj,kk.s, 2^>, Scyrnour IMa^e, Ur/an'-zU/nc Sf{tih.rt:. This letter is s*;aled with my brother-in-law liutler''^ arms partly per pale with Edgeworth. KiA/Kv/oj'KJ 'i ov/s, MarcA /2M, /'53^. My j-iKAK Cousin, I have been absent from home at Trim with your eou'-j'n ffarriet Butler and her husband, v/herefore you have not sooner had my acknowledgments for your very kind and gratifying letter. 'J'he best way in which I could acknowlfxlge this to you I thought was by oVjeying your injggestion and writing to thank your good cousin, Mrs. Monson.* I leave my note open for you to judge whether it is what you wish and think proper — and if you approve fasten down the c3/:het volans C«'c) and present the note to Mrs. Mons^^n. I am not sure v/hether I have written to you since v/e heard from Pakenham of his having bef;n at the splendid rnarriaj^e of Runjut Twc; Singh's grandson, and of his re- ceiving from him fme hr^f^-h-As, Htc, and expressions of his respect for his character, and his mode of doing justice in his station. Pakenharn in one of his letters mentioned ' Anne, daughter f/ John Jjchxrtinaire, --iiit^rr of La/jy MeU^lfe, married, January 10, 1786, ifon. William Monvm, father r/f William John, sixth Lord .Monson. 19 290 ELERS MEMOIRS moreover u^nJ ^i great deal nioriovcr it seemed to him) that the Governor had been pleased to express his appro- bation of his conduct and chjiracter. As Takenhain said only tlw Governor I am not clear who he meant. \"erv likely it was Sir Charles Metcalfe. ^^"c are [none] of us quite sure whether it was before Sir C. Metcalfe let't India, and I have not my brother's letter to refer to. Sir Charles Metcalfe's honourable mention of him, however, in his letter to Mrs. Monson which you were so good [as] to repeat to me in your last letter, is everything we could wish and justifies my thanks to her. It is most true literally that we prefer for him such approbation to any advancement in situation. He is perfectly happy where he is — in a healthful situation near the Hymalaya mountains, and with a kind friend in his superior, Mr. Clarke, and I think he would be sorry to be removed as long [as] Clarke remains there. He is in the country of flowers, and being a great botanist, this is an everyday source of pleasure to him after his six hours of dut\ -work at C:ulurry.^ He will never be rich, but he will always be contented, happy and good. And I trust, my dear cousin, that some four years hence, when he is to have leave to come home, you will see him, and that he will have the satisfaction of thanking you in person. I am sorrN- you have been suffering by cold. But so has everybody, if that be any comfort. Cold comfort you'll say if you ever allow yourself so vile a thing as a pun. Do you know of any j-oung man whose funds can afiord to pay two hundred a year for having him well prepared for the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, and lodged and boarded for the years he is so preparing, in a very agreeable f;\mily, vi/., with my brother Francis E. and his Spanish wife, Rosa Florentina E., now residing at Clewer Cottage, near Windsor ? ' Cucherry=ot}ice. — En. CORRl-.Sl^ONDKNCK 291 If you know of such please mention your Cousin Francis K., and you will serve your friend and your friend's friends, whoever they may be, and oblige Your affectionate Cousin, Makia JC/-»ch worth,' Cak;n. Gkorgk PIj.krs, 20, Seymour i'laf.e, liryanstone Square. EnoEwo/nn Town, ;l/«y -jih, \'/,ip. My /jJvAK COUSJN, I omitted to enclose in my letter of yesterday these notes for iMr. iiurke, which it was the particular object of my letter to forward. I omitted also to say that if Mr. }3urke wishes to publish the motto I sent him he is at liberty to do fsoj, f^rovided he does not i^ut my name at full length to them, which I own I should not like to see to anything so trivial. Besides, my father advised me never to publish any rhymes, to content myself with plain prose. And I have given this true, reason to Joanna Baillie, even my dear friend Joanna, for not letting my name be put to her collection of Verses by friends for a charitable purpose. Whether you agree with my father and me or not, I am sure, my dear Coz, you will believe me quite sincere in what I say and not fishing for Compliments, and I tru.st therefore you will do and make Mr. Burke do as I desire. He may put at the bottom of the rnotto M. E. if he pleases, ?jecause nobody knows who M. E. is and there may be J 00 M. E's. But I do not desire to see sprawling under such lines the full length MAfiid. I must add a few words to say that it is far from my intention to ask for anything unreasonable, and that I have no doubt that my Son will conform to whatever may be thought proper for him. but >"ou will feel that a Noung man sent at so early an age and witlunit an\- experience to India, and residing for ten years as Aide-de-camp to the successive Governors, where the circumstances of his birth could not be kept secret, is not tit to be turned loose ui^on London, without employment, and without any explanation as to his future destination, and without any restraint or support but such as I can gi\e him. An intc'rcstiug letter of my Xephexc's. giving the Account of Napier's. Vietory over the Fleet of Don Miguel. — Geo. Elers. PUKr.ROOK, NE.\R PORTSMOUTH, ////)• \6f/t [1S33]. Mv nE.\K Uncle, As you will no doubt feel interested in the proceed- ings of Capn. Napier^ and my brother Charles,'- I lose no time in acquainting you with a few of the particulars we ^ Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B., Rear-.\dmiral, of Meirhistown Hall, Hants. Born March 6, 17S6. Died November 5, 1860. * Geor};e Charles Elers Napier, horn 1S12; entered the Navy llecenibcr 7, 1825 ; lost in H.M. frigate Avc/ti^er, December zo. 1S47. CORRESPONDENCE 299 have just received from them, rfJative to the brilliant affair which took place on the 5th Inst, off Cape St. Vincent, between the fleet of Don Pedro, under the command of Don Carlos di Ponza (my father's nom de guerre), and that of Don Miguel. We have just received letters from both, which corroborate the accounts j^iven in the papers of the action ; owing to the great disparity of forces the loss on the part of Don Pedro has been severe, two of the Captains killed, and nearly all the other officers wounded. My father escaped with a slight wound frf)m a crow}>ar ; (".harlf;y was not, however, so fortunate, as he n^ceived no less than six, inflicted by bayonets and sabres, lie was handled thus roughly on boarding one of the enemy's Line of battle ships (the Nao Rahina), where he and two others who succeeded in scrambling up first were left for several minutes unsup- ported. He, however, made the most of his time, as he killed four men with his own hand, when, unfortunately, his sword getting between the ramrod and barrel of a musket, he was disarmed and left to fight it out with his fists. Even then he succeeded in knocking down one fellow, and had seized a second by the throat when he was stunned by a blow on the head from the butt end of a musket. At this moment my father came up with the remainder of the boarding party and carried the ship. Their loss has been great, but at the time he writes it was not ascertained what was the exact amount. Their next opcratif)ns will, I should imagine, be on Lisbon, which, if it declares in favour of the Queen, will, I hope, put an end to the contest, and give us a chance of shortly seeing them both again safe and sound in England. My last accounts of my Kegt. were up to the beginning of Feby., when they expected daily to embark, as they had marched from Hyderabad and reached the coast. I have been daily looking out for them for the last two months, and do not know what to make of their non- arrival. 300 ELERS MEMOIRS We lost a Lieut.-Col. and a Captain a short time before I heard of them. The vacancy of the former has not been filled up, which I think is decidedly a hard case, as it occurred whilst the Regt. was still on foreign service. I am now so high up amongst the Captains, that I think it would be folly to think of exchanging, and I am, therefore, determined to take my chance and stick to the 46th. We have received a letter from Eliza, dated 15th Feby., announcing her safe arrival at Madras, where, at the time she wrote, she w'as already an old Indian of five days' standing. She was delighted with the place ; wrote in capital spirits and health, which I hope she may long enjoy. By the bye, in mentioning the loss of one of our Lieut.- Colonels, I forgot he was an old friend of yours ; it was no less than poor Col. Ogilvie, than whom a better-hearted man did not exist. Mrs. Ogilvie I saw on her way to London a couple of months ago. I do not know whether you were acquainted with her, but, poor thing, she is so much pulled down and altered by the death of her husband, of whom she was very fond, that I scarcely knew her. My mother and sisters are all quite well, but of course feel very anxious until they hear further accounts from Charles, who I hope and trust is doing well. He is to have the command of one of the captured vessels, and having had a noble opportunity of proving his personal courage, may now have occasions to show his talents as a naval man. I shall now conclude this scrawl, and believe me, my dear Sir, to remain. Ever sincerely yours, E. E. Napier.^ ' Edward Hungerford Delaval Elers Napier, born 1808 ; a Alajor- General. CORRESPONDENCE 301 My brother goes by the name of Captn. George Chorley^ of H.M.F.M. Service. Captain G. Elers, Hookham's Library, Bond Street, London. Extreme Outposts, S. Sebastian, May 13 [1836]. My dear Ellers, On the night of the fourth the army saUied out of the gates of S. Sebastian at 3 o'clock. The grey of the morning saw the first hues of the enemy taken, but many of our brave comrades lay stretched on the field : the light brigade, consisting of the 3d, 6th and rifles, then attacked the centre. This was a tremendous position, of course ; the enemy had no cannon, or the taking would have been impossible, but every house on each side of the road which was the object of contention was transformed into a battery, filled with Infantry, every window loopholed and bricked up. By the bye, one i8-pounder they had. This was the dreadfully disputed point. Col. Tupper led up the 6th to the attack ; they stood as long as they could, but were repulsed with great slaughter ; my cousin in charge of a company behaved as gallantly as ever Soldier did, and fell wounded in front of his company after two hours' hard fighting. Between 200 and 300 men fell before this position : still it remained untaken, and the 6th, I am sorry to say, as well as the rest of the light Brigade, refused to advance any farther. The Irish Brigade, consisting of the 7th, 9th, and loth Regts., attacked the left flank of the enemy's positions and gallantly took the first lines, though with great loss. The first Regiment, the only one of our Brigades that had landed, accompanied them ; the second lines, however, firmly resisted ; the ist charged the battery 3 times and were 3 times repulsed — the loth the same. The gth then attempted it, were repulsed and refused to return. Every one now despaired, though the Phcenix Steamer had opened a breach. The 302 ELERS MEMOIRS men were disheartened. At this critieal moment the S.iLimjrJc-r Steamer was seen to eiiter the Port, bearing the 4th and Sth on her decks; they disembarked, and company by company, as landed from the boats, marched along the sands, ascended the heights, joined the Army and formed. The hononr of attacking the battery was given to the l-'usiliers. The Adjutant-General came up to them, and addressing them, told them that every Regiment had been repulsed and that the honour of taking the batter}'^ remained for them ! We gave our loud Hurra ! and disdaining to tire a shot, we rushed up the hill at the point of the bayonet, burst thro' the breach, and in a moment the battery was ours ! ! I had the honour, niy old Friend, of leading the right wing upon this occasion, and my conduct having been approved of by the General, 1 was yesterday gazetted Bt. Lt. -Colonel. Adieu. Yrs ever, AucrsTrs Losack. r.S. ... I wish we were near one another, to take one another by the hand. . . . We expect to attack Passages in a few days : Ours only lost one Captain killed, and two Officers wounded in the charge. 76 British Officers were put hors de combat — 12 or 14 killed. In great haste and much Bugle blowing. Capt. Ellers, at Mr. Hookham's, Oki Boiul Street, London, EngLind. Miss LcSiuk's letter to mc giving the Account of the Storming the lines of St. Sebastian, ^th May. — G. E. PuxTON Hall, St. Neots, Huntshre, 15 May, 1836. My dear Sir, I have much pleasure in letting you know that I have received a letter from my Brother, part of which was COK]REVUSCA. JVoz: 20 [1S36]. My peak Ellers, For the future I have the pleasure to inform you that you may direct your letters to Major Losack. O.M. General's department, British Auxiliary Force, Spain. I am attached permanentl}- to Head Quarters, where all letters for the Legion are sent. This is the very Siberia of Spain, and as unlike the idea we in England form of the country as Scotland is to Italy. The inhabitants may possess more energy than those who live in the sunny plains of Andalusia ; they may be brave, hardier — but they are a set of as ignorant brutes as ever neglected the passing ages of civilization. You may take my word for it that we are generally disliked. The greatest part of the inhabitants is composed of Carlists, and even the others, when we leave this countr\-, will say that they could have done without us. tho' some few have acknowledged to me that the Queen's party tremble with fear directly we quit their towns, saying plainly that they have no confidence in the prowess of their own troops. Carlos has 20.000 men. and they are all troops far superior to the Queen's. The army of the Queen does not reach 30,000. Cordova, indeed, had the other day an affair in which he had the advantage, but I firmly believe that the enemy had not more than half his force. Who knows but in less than three or four months I may pick up my Lt. -Colonelcy in their ranks — I don't mean that I am going to turn Carlist ! but amidst the carnage of their ranks, as a few daj-s will see us at Vittoria, and early in the spring we shall come to blows. If you think we lead a pleasant life here you never were more mistaken in your conjectures. We suffer ever)- species of privation, and that is a sort of thing one gets no honour for, therefore my desire is to set about the thing in earnest and finish it, then let them put CORRESPONDENCE 305 us into some good towns as garrison for the remaining part of our service. But this is not likely, and as the French proverb has it, ' As I have drawn the wine I must drink it.' I do not give you much intelligence in this letter, as I have written a detailed account of my adven- tures in another quarter where you will see it. ViTTORiA, Dec. 7th. Three days' march ?jrought us here. Grand preparations were made for us, complimentary Arches, carpets hung out of the windows, and other follies ; we arrived, however, at six at night, and they could neither see us, nor we them. I always disliked vSpaniards, and I have not changed my opinion yet. I have not yet heard of any Spanish lady having taken an Englishman into her good graces ! Vittoria has one square, built like the Palais Royal, the rest are miserable dirty streets. We are badly lodged, badly fed, and no smiles to recompense us. I wish I was safe back again with my remuneration in my pocket. However, if the first affair gives me the cross and a Lt. -Colonelcy, it certainly would smooth things a little. I don't like this drudging on as a major : I think the second row of lace round my cuff looks more gentlemanly. But the fact is, if they were to make me Jesus Christ, I should not be content until I got the other step ! ! We are to have a ball here in a day or two — in my next you shall hear about it. I was at one at Bilbao, but that's a long while ago, when I was a poor devil of a captain in the Fusiliers. Give my best regards to Mrs. Hodges, and tell Mrs. F. that the Spanish Ladies are like her, quite insensible to all my most insinuating looks. I remain, my dear Filers, Always your friend, Augustus Losack. 20 3o6 ELERS MEMOIRS /Vr. 9///. The ball was as brilliant as splendid uniforms and a Tlicatre could make it, but no supper, which in my opinion rather spoilt the general effect. The women are damned ugly and I did not dance. Previous to the ball there was what I am sure they thought a glorious display of fireworks, a transparency bearing this inscription — VI\'EN LOS INGLESES — and for the benefit of we ignorant islanders they were kind enough to translate it, which they did in the follow- ing elegant manner, * The English, let them live.' If they call stopping two-thirds of our pay for three months letting us live — why, I've done. \\'oll. never mind, there is some difference between drilling and drudging in a regiment, and galloping in the midst of a gorgeous Staff, with a cocked hat and tremendous plume, and having nothing to do but to look full of business and impor- tance ! ! This is a sad world, my friend, in which those who most deserve are too often the least rewarded ; my sufterings. you know, have been lojig and mauy, and it is but just I should have my turn. Capt.\in Ellers, at Mr. Hookham's Library, Old Bond Street, London. Chart Lodge, ^/u/v, 1S41. MV DEAR Mk. ElEKS, . . . Your gallant relative carried his election gloriously, and notwithstanding in some respects the elections have not done much for the Whigs I consider the Corn laws are done for. It does not signify much whether the Tories or the Liberals bring it about, but I can easily see before 3 sessions are over — the restrictive policy must go by the board. I only suspect that, its usual, the delay will render very much larger concessions necessarv, than would be the case now. COKRKSJ^ON]Ji-:NCK 307 I''arowcll, my doar Mr. Elcrs, with every hope for the restoration of your health and that we may still enjoy some merry days together. l^eiieve me, Yours very sincerely, WiLLM. MONSON. Jamaica, 20th Dcrr., \'<'.a,\. My iJi'.Ak (Captain Eleks, I have four letters from you, three written in September and one in October. 'I'he last from Jersey and the others relating to your determination to go there. I trust that you may recover your usual health and strength and derive comfort from your residence in that beautiful Island. Your description almost tempts me to think of it as the place for my own retirement after my return to England, which I hope will take place in a few months, as I have sent in my resignation and requested to be relieved, having accomplished, according to my own notion, and I hope to the satisfaction of Her Majesty's Government, the purpose for which I accepted the Government of Jamaica. As I only came to render this service to my Gountry, there no longer exists any reason for my remaining, and I therefore wish to return Home, and presume that my application for permission will be complied with. Lord Monson will I am sure do Honour to his Title, and to any wealth that may accompany it ; and I cannot but rejoice at his accession to the Rank of his Forefathers. Believe me, My dear Capt. Elers, Yours very sincerely, G. T. Metcalfe. Captain Geo. Elers. Jersky, /««/. J, j?54: My dear Lord and GoUvSin, May it please the great disposer of all things to grant yourself. Lady Monson and all your family many 3o8 ELERS MEMOIRS happy returns of this day, I think I told you Curtis's Banking-house apprized me of your kindness to me. I hope you have reced. the expression of the sincere thanks I feel towards you for that kindness. I looked forward with delight and pleasure when I shall see you at Brighton and I hope also at Chart, when my Spirit of Prophecy will be fulfilled. When in answer to one of your hospit- able invitations to that place — I said, something like this : ' Wait awhile until we shall all meet there, under happier ' circumstances than at present.' From the first hour I saw you in Queen Ann St. I had a presentiment you would become what you now are. Your poor Mother used to say, ' For my part, I never built or anticipated. If it comes to pass, well and good.' You must have heard her say the same thing a hundred times. Last night We gave a Grand Ball in Honour of the Birth of The P. of Wales. All the Beauty and fashion of the Island were present. We turned the Theatre into the Ball-room. We had a superb Supper. The finest French Wines. The Theatre decorated with Regal Crowns, Flags, Laurel Transparencies, etc., etc. A fine Band in the Boxes, who were concealed from view by the decorations. It was a superb affair. I wish in the Summer you would all come. I would get you a good House, and shew you the Lions. You never tell me anything of Ly. A.^ or Mrs. S. or Sir Chas.^ Is he coming home ? Believe me, Your obliged Cousin, Geo. Elers. ^ Viscountess Ashbrooke. ^ Sir Charles Metcalfe. ELERS MEMOIRS 309 'in c5 c < D "mi; ^ ^ .«r ►- rrj f 1 ci rt ra ,£3 <—t'a e 5^ C annah Anson ford; 1760; X II II (U^'V l'^> 03 C ■- u ebon Kent 9, P Q d" . r- U ^ t\ -S >^c ^ i: -d D ?5 S tuo OTJ < John Nov. Nov., Bow. "H- . *^ au. bapt died ieda '^ x"-3 gsa-f^. §w^^ iiicTl^ 5 -Td o a H _4J rt 'c5 "5 J3 - c c -fi c J5 oU,c Q S o . tn ST o 'i a. •3j3.5i oJ ° ^ „•, j5 ra rt 1) ."ri -< rt.S O^vO it-H 5 C f 1? " Cl ^ '° c? S . ti 13 06 -^1 — .C/: T3 >-. IS (J O0^ °W C C tfl R o 2 c3 .C bo fa oJ 0'73_ CO . C 03 ^ 3 os.i: u ^ 3 T3 '"' ■.3>^ S^ W W . 00 « Q oT O .S o3 vO S <^ O C 03 4-. "^i t^ TO r^oo 03 3 G 73 ■ > 0) j- (U -* •-- '-^ T^kJ.Q'O „ W S..2 03 a, (U " ss p g .- s W « 0: Oj s fl -" ,/~ ^ j3 o3 Q « W-d -Hi oT f^ rrt ^ r^ ^ m ii (u tv. 3 "•^'H'^^^ hU ^^a'^- 13 NH uT. bOTS ;-! (U D 4) ? f3 ■J? ^?< --e r5 t3 £t3 c .-3 c"' — ' o > Ou-i-J O C M •" (J G (U (U ^ c ^ O C »^ ^ CO c ^ G c^ 0) ^ 1^ 03 C -O S vd , (—1 Xi ' ^ o3 d) r, w 00 50 — 3 OS vO '^ " a , 01 t>. Z 00 H-i -T3 W XJ 0) .« 00 U s (U Si br .r> o '' CO ^' 03 1^ t^ 3 r^oo W >-i 1-1 APPENDIX A List of the Officers who died during the Sixteen Years I was in the Regiment Lieutenant-Colonel Grey, Cape of Good Hope, November ..... 1796 Captain Winstone, Prince of Wales' Island, Novem- ber ...... 1797 Lieutenant Cassidy, Tanjore, April - - 1798 Lieutenant Swyer, Pondicherri, June - - 1798 Lieutenant William Gahan, June - - - 1798 Colonel Hervey Aston, December 23, at Arnee - 1798 Lieutenant George Nixon, killed Seringapatam - 1799 Lieutenant Thomas Falla, killed Seringapatam - 1799 Major Allen, at Seringapatam - - - 1799 Lieutenant Perceval, at Seringapatam - - 1799 Captain Buckeridge, at Seringapatam - - 1799 Assistant-Surgeon Bagot, at Seringapatam - - 1799 Ensign Walter Gahan, at Seringapatam - - 1799 Lieutenant Edwards, Chitteldroog - - - 1799 Lieutenant Langford, Wallajahbad - - 1800 Lieutenant Grace, at Cuddalore - - - 1800 Captain Whitlie, Pondicherri - - - 1800 Lieutenant Gordon, died at sea coming from Batavia- . - . . . 1800 Lieutenant Neville, died at sea coming from Batavia ..... 1800 Lieutenant Parker, died at sea to the southward - 1801 Major Woodall, at Madras - - . - 1802 [ 310] ELERS MEMOIRS 311 Lieutenant Shaw, at St. Helena - - - 1802 Captain Erlam, Trichinopoli - - - 1804 Dr. Campbell, fifty miles from Serin^'apatam - 1805 Lieutenant Charles Rist, Seringapatam - - 1805 Captain Cavendish, Seringapatam - - - 1805 Captain Moyna, Seringapatam - - - 1805 Captain Grant, Seringapatam - - - 1805 Captain Gainfort, Seringapatam - - - 1805 Lieutenant Jagger, Seringapatam - _ . 1805 Quartermaster Stewart, Seringapatam - - 1805 Paymaster Jenkins, Seringapatam - - - 1805 Lieutenant Purdon, Seringapatam - - - 1805 Major O'Keef, killed by cannon, Isle of I'Yance - 1809 Major Wilson, died at Ceylon - - - i8og Captain John Rist, shot himself, Chelmsford. Lieutenant-Colonel Forsteen, died suddenly in Berkshire. Captain McKedy, wrecked off coast of Portugal. Major-General Picton, found dead in bed, Wales. Major Frith, died in India. Major-General Taylor, Isle of Wight. Major-General Harcourt, St. Croix, West Indies. Lieutenant-Colonel Hardy, West Indies. Captain Kater, England. Robert Erskine, Surgeon, London - - - 1828 Together with upwards of 1,500 non-commissioned officers and private soldiers. INDEX Abkrcromby, Sir Ralph, iti Acheson, the Honourable Edward, A.D.C., and brother-in-law to Lord William Bentinck, 139 Acland, Brigadier-General, 254, 255, 266 Adderley, Mrs. See Hobart, Lady Adderley, Miss. See Gardner, the Honourable Mrs. Alan Ainsley, Dr., 179 Allen, Captain. See Allen, Major Allen, Major, 12th Regiment, 41, 82, 84, 86, 87, 89, 275 Amboor, Pass of, 90 Amherst, Lord, Commander-in- Chief, 31 Ampthill, 195-197 Ancaster, Duke of, 253 Andrews, Brigade Major, 153, 154 Andrews, Dr., 262, 263 Angelo, the fencing master, 15 Anglesey, Marquess of {see Paget, Lord), 53, 221, 252 Anguish, Mrs., 6 Anstruther, Sir John and Lady, 158 Apethorpe, Northamptonshire, 10 Arcot, 83, 84 Arcot, Nabob of, 64, 129 Armstrong, Captain, A.D.C. to Lord Wellesley, 156 Arnee, 81, 83, 84 Ascot races, 73 Ashbrook, Viscountess, 292 and note Ashe, Lieutenant, A.D.C. to Colonel Harcourt, 153 Ashton, Lieutenant, 93 Assaye, Battle of, 165, 182 Aston, Henry Hervey, Lieutenant- Colonel, X2th Regiment, 36-38, 41, 45, 47, 48, 50, 53, 57> 60, 64, 66- 68, 71, 72, 75, 78, 79, 81,82,90, 108, 167-169, 205; gets brevet rank of Colonel, 56 ; declines Colonel Wellesley's advice, 83 ; his two [3 duels and death, 84-87 ; his be- quests, 88 Aston, the Honourable Mrs., 50, 190, 275, 276 Attwood, Thomas, the organist, 219 and note Aubrey, Major, 139 Audle}-, Lord, 209 Austerlitz, Battle of, 183 Aylett, Colonel Sir William, 221, 255 Baden, daughter of Prince of, i Bailey, Lady Sarah, 244 Baird, General, 104, 105 ; disap- pointed with his prize-money, 99 ; generosity to Colonel Wel- lesley, 103; superseded by Colonel Wellesley, 105; supersedes Colonel Wellesley in command of Indian force for Egypt, 115 Balasore, 152 Baldey, J., R.N., 9 Balfour, James, of Whittingehame, 177 and note Bangalore, 98, 104, 107 Banks, Miss Elizabeth, marries author's great-grandfather, 3 Barabetty, fort of, 154 Barclay, Captain, Deputy Adjutant- General at Seringapatam, 120 Barlow, Colonel, commanding of- ficer of depot at Isle of Wight, 214 Barlow, Sir George and Lady, 158 Barnett, Miss. See Rolls, Mrs. Barrackpore, 158 Barrow, Rev. Dr. : his school in Soho Square, 19-23 Barrymore, Countess of, 245 and note Bastille, destruction of the, 23 Batavia, 108, no, 129 Bath, 97 5] JH ELERS MEMOIRS Beauchamp, Earl (see L3'gon, Cap- tain the Honourable), 247 Beauclerk, Lady Mary. See Deer- hurst, Viscountess Becker, Joachim, 2 Bedford, Francis, Duke of, 196 Bedingfield, Sir Henry, 249 Bell, Mrs. (ne'e Miss Louisa Colston), 24. 25, 29, 194 Bellairs, Major, 12th Regiment, 42, 61 Belli, Captain, i6th Dragoons, 246 Belson, Sir Philip, commanding 28th Regiment, 20 Bentinck, Lady William, 139 Bentinck, Lord William, Governor of Madras, 134, 135, 139, 173-175 Berners, Lord (see Wilson, Major), 12, 219, 226-234, 248 Beverley, Earl of, 235 Bhil robbers, 145, 146 Bhurtpore, siege of, 163-165 Biljury racecourse, 26 Billington, the singer, 26 Blackburne, Captain, military' resi- dent at Tanjore, 136 Blake, the Misses, 6 and note Blatherwj'cke, Northamptonshire, II, and note, 231 Blenheim Palace, 27 Blessington, Earl of (see Mountjoy, Lord), 249 Blunt, Mr., Bengal Infantry, 153 Boerhave, 2 Bond, Rev. Mr., Rector of Freston, 224, 225 Boothby, Sir William, Bart., 215 and note Boswells, the, sons of author of the ' Life of Johnson,' 22 Bourbon, Duke of, 249 Bourton, Oxfordshire, 5-7, 278 Bowen, Lieutenant, loth Regiment, 245 Boys, a midshipman wounded on H.M.S. Qiieen Charlotte at the Battle of La Hogue, 20, 21 Bracebridge, Mr. and Mrs. Walter, 30 and note Brada Hall, Staffordshire, 3 Bradshawe, Captain, A.D.C. to Lord Wellesley, 156 Braham, the singer, 262 Broke, Sir Philip, R.N., com- mander of H.M.S. Shannon, 235 Bromley, Debonnaire fauiilj^ vault at, 34 Brown, Colonel Archibald, 92, 98, 130, 136-138 Brown, Major, of Calcutta, 153, 156-158 Browne, Honourable George, 30 Browne, Honourable Mrs. George {nee Miss Mary Colston), 24, 25, 29, 194 and note Brownlow, Lady (nee Miss Fludx'er), 231 Brunswick, Duke of, 201 Brydges, Major-General, E.I.C.S., 129, 140 Buckeridge, Captain, 12th Regi- ment, 93 Bull, Captain, 34th Regiment, 171, 172 Bulwick Hall, Northamptonshire, 8-11 Burdett, Sir Francis, 203 Burgos, retreat from, 212 Burleigh, 10, 27, 231 Burnaby, Lady, 39, 62 Burnaby, Sir William, 39 Butler, Lady E., 29 Bygrave, Captain, 215 Byng, the Hon. John, 47 and note Byron, Lord, first falls in love, 29; his peculiar ear, 56 Calcraft, Colonel, Town Major at Calcutta, 156, 160, 161, 166, 167 Calcutta, 156-161 Cambridge, Duke of, 236, 239, 240 Cameron, General Sir Ewen, 213 Campbell, Captain, E.I.C. Artillery, 66 Campbell, Captain Boswell, 4th Regiment, 179, 182 Campbell, Colonel Alexander, 74th Regiment, 148- 151 Campbell, Dr., surgeon to 12th Regiment, 46, 85, 104-106, 145, 146 Campbell, Lady Charlotte, 66 Campbell, Mrs., 66 Cannanore, 115, 116 Cape Town, 43, 45, 52, 54-55, 58 Cape Verde Islands, 51 Cardigan, Lord, 10 Carlton House, 49 Carnac, Colonel John, Life Guards, 242-243 Carnac, Mrs. John {nee Miss Hen- rietta Wenyeve), 242 Carr, Mr., 152 Cassidy, Lieutenant, 12th Regi- ment, 80 Catesby Abbe}', Northampton- shire, 8 Cavendish, Lieutenant, 12th Regi- ment, 134, 135 INDEX 315 Ceylon, S3, 134 Charles I., portrait of, by Vand3'ke, 231 Charlotte, Queen of England, 33 Chartley, Lady [nee Miss Dunn- Gardner). See Townshend, Mar- chioness of Chartley, Lord. See Townshend, Marquess of Cheltenham, 197, 198 Chinnery, Miss, 46-48 Chitteldroog, 144 Christchurch Park, Ipswich, 250 Christina, Queen of Sweden, 3 Chudleigh, Rev. Mr., 216, 217 Clarence, Duke of, 166, 167 Clark, Mr. and Mrs., of Bulwick Hall, Northamptonshire, 8-10 Clermont, Viscount, 248 Clinton, Captain lyord, i6th Dra- goons, 246, 247 Clonbrock, Lady, 19S Close, Colonel, of E.I.C.S., 123 Cobbold, Mrs., 251 Cochrane, Miss. See Woodall, Mrs., also Tuite, Lady Cochrane, the Honourable Basil, 177 Cockerell, Miss, 195 Codrington, Admiral Sir Edward, R.N., 183 Coleraine, Lord (see Hanger, George), 219 and note Collins, Colonel, 157 Colston, Alexander, 24, 198 Colston, Lieutenant-Colonel, 216, 217 Colston, Mrs. Alexander, 23, 195 Colston, Mrs. Alexander, junior, 198, 200 Colston, Miss Louisa. See Bell, ]\Irs. Colston, Miss Mary. See Browne, the Honourable Mrs. George Colston, Miss Sophia, 24-29 Colston, Rev. Alexander, of Filkins Hal], Oxfordshire, 9, 23 Colhton, Rev. Dr. William, of West Lydford, Somerset, 39 Combermere, Viscount (see Staple- ton-Cotton, Lieutenant-Colonel), 65, 67, 83, 84, 90, 163, 165, 204, 205, 246 Conjeveram, pagodas of, 74 Constantia, 54 Coorg, 112, 116-118 Coorg, Rajah of, 112, 11 8- 120 Coote, Sir Eyre, 137 Copley. 6>^ Lyndhurst, Lord Cornwallis, Marquess, 137, 178 and note Coromandel monsoon, 70 Cotiote, 112, 113, 116 Cotiote, Rajah of, 112 Coutts, Mr. and Mrs., 262 Cowes, 40 Craddock, Sir John, Commander- in-Chief at Madras, 164-166 Craigie, Captain, 12th Regiment, See Craigie, Major Craigie, Major, 12th Regiment, 41, 43, 46, 85, 86, 88, 95 Cratloe Woods, County Clare, 11, note Crawford, Captain, 46, 48, 85, 107, lit, 114, 115, 127, 129, 140, 178, 179, 186 Crawford, Lieutenant, 12th Regi- ment. See Crawford, Captain Crawford, Mr., his school at Chis- wick, 14-20 Crespign3s, the, of Aldborough, 244 Crewe, General, 7 Crewe, Lord, 7 Crib, the prize-fighter, 249 Crole, Mrs., 296-298 Crouch, Mrs., the singer, 26 Croziers, the, tailors of Panton Square, 88 Crump, Colonel, and Mrs., of Allex- ton Hall, Leicestershire, 231 Cullum, Sir Thomas, of Hardwick House, 225, 226, 237 Cumberland, Duchess of, 166 Cunningham, General, E.I.C.S., and Mrs., 179 Curling, Dr., 207, 208 Curling, Mrs. (nee Miss Hutchin- son), 207 Curtis, Lady, 96 Curtis, Mr. William, 194 and note, 195 Curtis, Sir William, Bart., of Cul- lard's Grove, 194 and note Cuttack, 142 Dai^rymple, Captain Hugh, 19th Regiment, 139 Dalrymple, Captain Kerby (brother of above), 74th Regiment, 107, 139 Darke, Miss Rebecca Juliana. See Floyd, Lady Darke, Mr. Charles, of Madras, 129 Dawes, Mr., 249 Debonnaire, John, 34 Debonnaire, Miss Anne. See Ten- nant, Mrs. William 3i6 ELERS MEMOIRS Deboiinaire. Miss Elizabeth. St't- Rlers, Mrs. Paul George Deboniiaire. Mrs. John (fi/r Miss Ann Tennant), 34 and note Deerluirst, Viscount, 245 Deerhurst, Viscountess (««'• Lady Mary Beauclerk), 244 and note, 245 De Grey, Major the Honourable Georg^e, 22nd Liglit Dragoons. StY Walsinghani. Lord Delaval. Sir Francis Blake, S Derby. Captain, lotli Regiment, 245". 254 Derby, George Eld, subaltern, 12th Regiment, 43 Devonshire, Duke of, 134 Diamond Harbour. i6i Didlington, Norfolk, 226, 227, 232 Dodwell, Colonel. ;4th Regiment, 173 Dormer. Lord, 8 Dormer, the Honourable Messrs., 20 Douglas. CajUain. R.N., 215, 216 Douglases, the, 20 Dovetoii. Captain, coinmatiding Lord Wollesley's bodyguaril, 15b Dowlett Bagh, palnce of 103, 120 Doyle, Lieutenant Bentinck, 169, 170 Draper, Captain, iSi Dum Dum, 15S Duncan, the Honourable INIiss, 197 Dundonald, Earl of. 125 LHinn-Gardner. INIiss. Sc'c' Chart- ley, Lady, and Townshend, Mar- chioness of Dunn-Gardner, Mr. William, 206, 20S, 209 DuTui-Gardncr, !\Irs. William, 206 Durnfords, the. 20 Dutch fleet, the, 45, 52 Dutch women at the Cape, their looks, 54, 55 Dysart, Earl of, 244 EdoeworTh, Miss Maria, 267, 277- 296 Edgeworth. Mr., of Carisbrook, Isle of Wight, 215. 216 Edgeworth, Richard Lovell, 6 note, 7 note, 8, 9, 267 Elba, Bonaparte's return from, 212 Elers' ancestry. 1-3 Elers. David, great chemist, con- nection with Wedgwood's Staf- fordshire potteries, 3, 4 Elers, Edward, autlior's brotlier, 13, 39, 217. 21S, 223: birtli. i; enters Royal Navy. 32 ; in action, 33 ; third Lieutenant of the Orian at Trafalgar, 183; in action on the AtnKc off Lisbon, 183 ; sent prisoner to Alexaiulria, 184 ; in Lord St. Vincent's action. Feb- ruary 14. 1797. on board the Prince Gtvrof, 184; marriage with Miss Younghusband, 201 Elers, George, birth, i ; ancestry, 1-8; childhood, 8-13; at Mr. Crawford's school at Chi.swick, 14-20; at Dr. Barrow's school in Soho Square, 19-23 ; visits the Colstons, 23- 28; death o( his mother, 33 ; gazetted to 90th Regiment, 36; becomes Lieu- tenant in 12th Regiment. 36; joins regiment at Newport, Isle of Wight. 39 ; embarks tor the Cape, 45: reaches Capetown. 52; reaches Matlras, 58; embarks tor Manila, 68; delayeil at Penang, 69; returns to Madras. 71 ; reaches Tanjore, 75 ; witnesses suttee. 76, 77 ; witnesses restoration of Snf- frajeh at Tanjore. 78, 79; arrives at Arnee, 81 ; delayed by illness on the march to Mysore, 91 : sick at Seringapatam, 92, 93 ; resigns his right to purchase coinp'^ny, 95 ; witnesses restoration of de- scendant of former Rajahs of Mysore. 98 ; marches to Banga- lore, 98; leaves for Madras, 104; at St. Thom^, Madras, 107 ; re- joins regiment at Wallahjahbad, 107; remains there in charge of sick, 108; rejoins regiment at PoonaTnallee, 109; marches to the Mysore country, no; expe- dition to Cotiote, 112; in action there, 113; at Talatcheri, 114: with Colonel Wellesley through Cotiote country, 116, 117; Rajah of Coorg's visit, 118, 119; at Se- ringapatam with Colonel Wel- lesley, 1 20- 1 26 ; wins ritling wager. 129 ; arrives at Trichinopoli. 129; wns horserace, 131 ; promoted Captain. 135 ; at Negapatam and Tanjore. 136; at Pondicherri and Madras. 138; kills a cobra. 140; visits Colonel Harcourt at Cut- tack, 142 ; loses his plate and tent, 143: athletic feats, 144; his pets, 144; his servant Francis, 147; leaves regiment, 147; lakes INDEX 3' 7 ]);irt in naval enp(aj1- ■ward VII.), 3fj8 Klers, Ilungerford Richard, 43rd Regiment, author's brother, 34, 138, 2orj, 20[, 271, 272; birth, i ; gazetted to ensigncy, 31 ; quar- tered at Colchester, 226; dies at Celerico, Spain, 263 ivlers, John Philip, great chemist, author's great-grandfather, 2, 4; connection with Wedgwood's Staffordshire potteries, 3, 284 Klers, Martin, 2 Idlers, Mrs. Ivdward (ntfe Miss Younghusltand), 20;, 223 Klers, Mrs. Paul Oeorge («Ar Miss Elizabeth Debonnaire), jmthor's mother, 12, 13; marriage, 6 note; death, 33 Klers, Paul George, 70th Regiment, author's father, 5, 13 ; marriage, 6; his pecuniary difficulties, 32 lillis, Mr., natural son of the Ivarl of iiuckinghamshire, 143 I^lrington, Major, commanding officer at the Tower, 210 P^ngle/ield Green, 79 lirskine, Dr., assistant- surgeon, I2tli Regiment, 86, 108 Kssex, Countess of {nre Miss Kitty vStephens), 258-26fj and note, 262 Kustace, Lieutenant, J2tli Regi- ment, 95, 96 Ewen, Major, of the Scotch Bri- garle, 52 Ivxeter, Marquess of, 231 Exeter, ninth Piarl of, 10 FAr^coNKR's Hali^, Yorkshire, 191, 192 Falla, Lieutenant, 12th Regiment, «7,9' I'ancourt, Colonel, 34tli Regiment, 173 P'ane, Lady Augusta, 10 P'ernand de Noronha, j8i I'"eucheres, Madame, 249 P'ilkins Ilall, Oxfordshire, 9, 28, 198-200 Fisher, Acting Lieutenant, R.N., 53 I'itzgerald, Lieutenant, /oth Regi- ment, 245 Fitzpatrick, the Ladies, 195 and note Fitz-Roy, Ivf^rd Charles, 219 P'^lannigan, Kitty (see Flenary, Mar- garet), J I P'lenary, Margaret (see Flannigan, Kitty), I J note P'loyd, General Sir John, Bart., J 9th Light Dragoons, 129 Floyd, Lady {nee Miss Rebecca Juliana Darke), 129 note Floyd, Miss Julia. See J'cc], Lady Fludyer, Sir Samuel, lo, 2JO, 253 Fludyer, the Misses. See Onslow, Countess of, and Brownlow, Lady iS ELERS MEMOIRS Founereau. the Kov. Charles Wil- liam, ot" CUristchviivh. Ipswich. 34g aiul iioto. ^50 Forstoou. Captain, uth Rogimeut. Sc-e" Forstoen, Coloticl Forsteen, Colonel. 14^;. rtvj. Fortesoue. Mr.. 153, 154 Fort St. Gt:H">nje, Madr.ts, 5^-67. 73. 106. U17 I'ort William, 156 Fox. Charles James, 196 Fra.'.er. Captain Hastings, i::th Revriment, 134 Frazer. Gener.il. i^i Fuller, Sir Toseph. iS Fuller. William. iS Gahan. Lientenant William, uth Rej^iment, So Ganlner, Admiral Lord. 66 Ganiner. Csptain the Honourable Alan. R.X., 66 and note Garvlner peera!>-e, claim to the. 67 Gardner, the Honourable Mrs. Alan («e IV.. :;q6-?ckS Gibraltar, sies^e of. 41. 4.;, 65 Gill. Lady Harriett. i9vS Goddard. Captain, loth Kooment. Gorvlon, Captain, 73rtl Regiment, Gonion, Gorvlon, 200 Gordon Riots, the. S Gore. Sir John. 178 Gosport. 39 Graham, Colonel of the 90th Reg^i- ment. >\v Lynedoch, Lord Graham's Club. 139 Gramo. Mr.. 153 Gramiiioiit. Lieutenant Count de. loth Regimetit. 245 Great Russell Street, i. 6 Grev, General Sir Charles, 36 Grey. Earl, 36 Grey, Thomas, Lieutenant-Colonel of the \2th Regiment, 36 and note, 58 Grosvenor. Mr.. 4. 5 Gw-illam. Sir Henry, Judge at Madras, 171, 172 Lieutenant, R.X.. 69 ilajor, 34th Regiment. H.\Mll.TOX. Duke of, 6>.) Haniivr. Gei-irge. X-v Coleraine, Lord Harborvnigh. Earl of, u% u Harcourt. Colonel. Sev Haroourt, ^lajor-General Georvj^ William Richard Hatcourt. Major-General George William Richanl, 6. m, 114, 115. 127-iJi), 15J-154. 15(1. jtv"^. J70. .'76: takes command of uth Regi- ment. 109 and note ; his ap- pearance and popularity. 1 10 ; commands brigade in Cotiote Expeditiotj. wi; his coolness unuer fire. 113: takes Lord Wel- lesley's despatches to luiglund, I ;4 ; appointed secretary to l.oal Wellesley, i4> Harcourt, Simon, Earl of 5, 6 Harland, L.ndy \H(r Miss Arethusa VernonV .:.:5, .;.:6. ^37 Harland, Sir Robert, J. '6, 235. 236 Harris, General. 10. 102; snubbed by the Puke of York, 103 ILnrrisoji, the singer, j6 HiU-tley, Lientenant, 36th Regi- ment. 81. 8j Hastitigs. Colonel Sir Charles. i.;th Regiineiu, .265 and note Hastings. Marquess ot". Governor- General of India. 267 Hawkins, William. E.LC.S.. 130, 132. 133. 137, 138 Hayward, Sir Thonuis. of Perk- shire. 71 Ha.lerigg. Sir Arthur, of Nosely Hall, Leicester. 231 Heuuiker. Lord. 194 and note Henriett.i Maria, (Jueen of Eng- land. 2 ; portrait of by Vaud> ke, Henry VIIL. his portrait by Hol- bein. 227 Hertford. ^Marchioness of. 190 Hertford. Marquess of, 139 Hervey. INlaJor Felton, 14th Dra- goons, 246 Higgins. Mrs.. 198 Hindoo women, their sjnnmetrical figures. 80 Hobart, Lad}- (ScY Adderlev, ;Mrs.), 66 Hobart, Lord, Governor of Madras, 66 Hodges, Mrs,, 247 Hodgkin, Mr., of Tixover. 231 Holbein, Hans, his portrait of Henrv VIIL, 227 INDEX 3^9 Ifolkar, 135, 164 Jlopkins, Captain, Royal Marines.g Iloul'iilch, of Ijon^ Acre, carriage Iniilder, 97 Jlouston, Ivieiit(;naiit, R.N., 69 llu'^hcH, Captain, 74th Regiment, A.J>.C. to Colonel Wclleslcy, 103 Hun^erford, Miss, marries author's jjatcrnal i^randfatlier, 5 Hutchinson, I/ieutenant, Adjutant to Sir Williani Aylett, 221 ilutcliinson. Miss, 35, 136, 2rj6, 207 ifutcliinson, Miss N. See I/ambert, Mrs. Hutchinson, Mr. (Mrs. P. G. Klers' trustee), 34, 35, 37, 79, 95, 135, 188, 189 ilyder Ali, 92, 98 iNCivEDON, the singer, 219 and note Innis, Colonel, 75 Ifjswich, 22J, 224 Irwin, Mr., 130, J3/ Jackson, Mr. Scott, 91 Jadis, Mr. Henry, 66 note, 67 Jaj(;^er, Jvieutenant, paymaster to J 2th Regiment, 143 Jellicoe, Miss, 1^) and note Jenkins, Miss. See Merest, Mrs. John Johnson, I.ieutenant, 34th Regi- ment, J72 Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Prior, of Aldljorough and Bosmere, 243, 2.55, 257 Joli ffe, William, 20 Juggernaut, 155 Kran, the tragedian, 25; Keate, George, 8 Kedah, 70 Keeley, Mrs., the actress, 25; Keith, Colonel, 138 Keith, Lord, 52 ; captures Dutch fleet, 45 Kelly, Michael, the singer, 26, 2/9 and note Kemble, John Philip, 55 Kerhy, Rev. John, of Bulwick, Northamptonshire, 8 Kerrison, Major, 7th Ilussars (after- wards Sir Kdward Kerrison), 246, 252, 253 Key, Captain Peter, Native In- fantry, 132 Kii worth, L<, 55 Lindsey, Countess of, 231 Lindsey, Earl of, 2.53 Linois, Admiral, 148, f8f Linsengen, Huron, 240 Liston, the actor, 21 Little Aston Hall, Staffordshire, 96 Long, Lady Catherine, 248 Ivong, Miss. See Wellesley, Mrs. William Pole Tylney I/jng Lonsdale, Earl of (see lyjwther, Sir James), 10 Iv^jsack, Lieutenant-Colonel, 301- 3rj6 JjfjUMi Bonaparte, King of Holland, 233 Ivowther, Sir James. See Lonsflale, Earl of Lygon, Captain the Honourable. See Beauchamp, Earl Lyndhurst, Ivord (5^^ Copley), 17 Lynedoch, Ivord (see Graham, Colonel), 36 McInnis, Mr., Persian interpreter to Colonel Harcourt, 153 320 ELERS MEMOIRS 'h Maciutire, Captain. K.I.C. Artillery, 123, 126 Macleod. Captain, 12th Regiment, 115 Maclooil. Lieutenant, Adjutant of 74tli Regiment, 59 McMorris! Dr.. 91 ISIacnamara. Captain, 196 jNIadeira, 51 ]Madras, 43. 54. 5S-60, 106, 107, 134, 138. 171 IVIahratta War. 135 IMaidslone. 222 INIaintz, Elector of. 2 and note, INIalcolm, Captain, R.N., tox frigate. 45 jManantaudi. 114 ^lanby, Admiral. 249 ^landeville. Lieutenant - Colonel. R.l.C. Artillery. 125 Manila, expedition against. 68. 70 Manners. INIajor Lord Charles, loth Regiment, 245 Planners. ISLajor Lord Robert. loth Regiment. 245 ]\Iansell, Sir William. 231 I\L\ra. INIadame, the singer, 10 ^largetts. ^Nlr., 209 and note. 210 IMarrie. I\Ir.. Lieutenant of the Marines. 242 IMaxtone, INIiss Caroline. Sec Moore. Mrs. Maxtone. Mrs.. 162 Meade, Lieutenant the Honourable John, 12th Regiment. 40. 46. 72 :Meer AUum. Mahratta Prince, 100 Mein, Captain. 74th Regiment, 179 Mein. Dr. Pulteney. 100 JMelville. Lord, his trial, 193 Melville. Mr., 153 Meudoza. Daniel, the pugilist, 219 and note Wercer, Colonel, 22nd Regiment, 164 Llerest. John, of Linford Hall, 24S. 249 Merest Mrs. John {nee Miss Jen- kins). 24S ^Metcalfe, Sir Charles, 2S7 and note, 307 Metcalfe, Sir Thomas, Bart., 205 and note iSIiddleton. Sir William, of Shrub- land Hall. 243. 255 IVIildert. Daniel van, 2 Milner. Captain, R.N., of H.M.S. Tf idctit, 68. 69 Minden, Battle of, 65, 66 IMoira. Countess of, 267, 27S, 280 and note iMolyneux, the prize-fighter, 249 iVIonckton, Colonel, of Fineshade, Northamptonshire. A.D.C. to Lord William Rentinck, il, 139, 253 ^Monckton. INIrs.. of Fineshade, Northamptonshire. 11 iSIoneypenny. Lieutenant-Colonel, 73rd Regiment, 164, 175 Monson. Colonel the Honourable William. 164 Monson, Lord (^cY^Ionson, William John), 306-30S Monson. W^illiam John, afterwards sixth Lord Monson, 164 ^lonteilh. Captian, 179 iNIontgoniery, Colonel, 196 IMoore, Lieutenant, 34th Regiment, 173 Moore, Mrs. (;/6 Stisted, Colonel, 250 Storace, Signora, the singer, 26, 53 Stonrton, Lord, 191 INDEX 3'^3 Stovin, Colonel, 17th Regiment, 164 Streatfielfl, Henry, of Chidding- stone, Kent, 30 note Streatfield, Miss, 30 and note, 31, 49 Streatfield, Mrs., 30 and note, 31, 49 Sturt, Major William Ashle}-," Both Regiment, 57 Sturt, Mrs. William Ashley, 57 SufTrajeli, Rajah of Tanjore, 78 Sumner, Mr. Home, 169 Sunbury, 22, 23 Surcouff, 170 Suttee, 76-78 Swinton, Captain, 74th Regiment. Sec Swinton, Lieutenant-Cf>lonel Swinton, Lieutenant-Colonel, 74th Regiment, 48, 179 Tahi.k Bay, 52 Talatclieri, 114, 1 15 Talbot, Colonel, 14th Dragoons, 246 Tanjore, 72, 74, 7.5, 78, 80 Tavistock, Marquess of, JO'S Temple Newsam, Yorkshire, 190 Teneriffe, Peak of, 51 Tennant, Honourable Mrs., 136 Ten n ant. Miss Ann. See Debon- naire, Mrs. John Tennant, Mrs. William («/ 1.3^. i9^J. 191 Tennant, William, of Little Aston Hall, Staffordshire, 96 Thomond, Marquess of (see O'Brien, Captain William), 68, 69, 72, 73 Thompson, Major, Town Major at Ma'lras, 174, 175 Thornville Royal, 191 Thornhill, Thomas, of Fixby, York- shire, 50 and note Thornton, Colonel, 191, 218, 220, 233 Tickell, Mr., 49 Timbrell, Captain, 179, i8r Tipj;oo .Sultan, 70, 81, 92, i2r, 123 Titian, Venus by, at Wherstead Lodge, 239 Torin, Benjamin, resident at Tan- jore, 78, 79, 9.5, 98, 104 Torrington, Viscount, 47 Torrington, Viscountess, 224 Townshend, Lord Charles, 2;o Townshend, Marchioness of {nee Miss Dunn-Gardner, afterwards Lady Chartley), 206-209, 207 note, 210 note Townshend, Marques.s of (see Chartley, Lord), 207-2/0 Townshend, Marquess of (see Lei- cester, Ivarl of), 207, 210 and note Trafalgar, JJattle of, 183 Trapand, Colonel, iv.LC. Engi- neers, 176 Travancore, 163 Trelawny, I^ady, 2or Trichinopoli, 128, 129, 132, 14.5, 147 Trinity College, (Jxforfl, 28 Trollojje, Sir John, 23; Tryon, Mr., of Bulwick Hall, 9, 253 Tuite, Lady (n^e Miss Janet Coch- rane, afterwards Mrs. Wood all), 124 and note, 126 Tuite, vSir George, Bart., 124 note, 125 Turton, Dr., 22 Twysden, vSir William, 231 Tyler, Major, A.D.C. to Sir Thomas Picton, 2/3 Urk, Dr. and Mrs., 179, 186-188 Vandvkk portraits of Charles L and Henrietta Maria, 231 Veil ore, 90, 173 Vellum, 75, 78, 79 Vernon, Admiral, 235 and note, 236, 238 Vernon, General, 239 Vernon, Miss Arethusa. See Har- lan d. Lady Vernon, Mr. John, 22.5, 226, 234- 239, 241, 243 and note, 244, 248, 253, 257 Vernon, Mr. Levcson, of Knodgill, vSuffolk, 243 and note Vernon, Rev. Ivdward, 4 note Vizagapatam, 148 Waddrm^, Mr., Bombay Civil Ser- vice, 1 14 Wales, Prince of (afterwards George IV.), 47-49, 166, 167, 245 Wales, Princess of 249 Wallajahbad, 107, kj8 Walsingham, Lord (see De Grey, Honourable George), 65, 90 Warre, Captain, R.N., 33 Warriore, 112, 129, 133 Watson, Captain, 69th Regiment. See Watson, Lieutenant-Colonel Watson, Lieutenant-Colonel, 223 Webster, Wedderburne, 2.54 Wedgwood, Mr., his Staffordshire potteries, 3, 284 Welchman, Rev. R., 9 324 ELERS MEMOIRS Wellesley, Colonel the Honourable Arthur. See Wellington, Duke of Wellesley, Gerald, 204 Wellesley, Marquess of, loi, 115, 127, 134, 157; made jNIarquess and gets pension after fall of Seringa- patani, 121 ; dinner to, 203-205 Wellesley, ]\Irs. William Pole Tvlne}' Long {nee Miss Long), 24S Wellington, Duke of, 58, 64, 70, 83, 85, 88, 94, 100, no. III, 128, 134, 270-274; arrives at the Cape, admires Miss Henrietta Smith, 47 ; his appearance, 55, 56 ; gets brevet rank of Colonel, 56 ; loan to, by a Dublin tradesman, 56, 57 ; generosity to Mrs. Sturt, 57 ; fails in night attack near Seringa- patam, loi, 102 ; his subsequent success, 102 ; supersedes General Baird in command of Seringapa- tam, 103 ; superseded by General Baird in conmiand of Indian force for Egj'pt, 115; his ill-health, 1 16 ; dangerous ride from Can- nanore through Cotiote country to Coorg with the author, 116, 117; meets Rajah of Coorg, 118, 119; his habits and conversation, 120, 121 ; his highest ambition to be Major-General, 122 ; his hunt- ing establishment, 123; his dress, 124 ; prosecutor at a general court-martial, 125; his suscep- tible heart, 126 ; his hospitality to the author, 127; engaged with Scindiah, 135; his dog Jack, 144; made G.C.B., 165-166; dinner to at Madras, 173; his quarrel with Sir Thomas Picton, 211 Welsh, Thomas, the music-master, 259 Wenyeve, George, of Brettenham Park, Suffolk.' 241, 242 Wenyeve, INIiss Henrietta. See Ca'rnac, Mrs. John West, Captain, 33rd Regiment, A.D.C. to Colonel Wellesley, 115, 120, 124, 126 Westmorland, Earl and Countess of, 10 Weston, tailor to the Prince of Wales, 37 Wherstead Lodge, 226 and note, 235, 236, 238, 239 Whitbread, Ladj- Elizabeth, 219, 280 and note Whitbread, Mr., 219 White, Lieutenant, 74th Regiment, 179, 18 r Whitshed, Admiral, 132 Wigtown, Lord, 198 and note William III., 4 W^illiams, Captain, 74tli Regiment, 200 Wilson, Lieutenant of Marines, 69 Wilson, Major. See Berners, Lord Wilson, Miss Susanna. See Russell, Mrs. William Wilson, Mr., of Allexton Hall, Leicestershire, 229 Winch, Colonel, 36tli Regiment, 64 Windus, carriage- builder, 97 Winstone, Captain Thomas Hay- ward, 12th Regiment, 71, loS Winterton, Countess of, 197 and note Woburn sheep-shearing, the, 196 Wood, Mrs. Sampson Tickell (nee Sarah Sober), 49, 50 Wood, Sampson Tickell, 49, 50 Woodall, Captain Thomas. See Woodall, Major Thomas Woodall, Major Thomas, 12th Regi- ment, 42, 46, 104 and note, 124, Woodall, Mrs. (nt'e Miss Janet Coch- raue, afterwards Lad}' Tuite), g.v. Wybrow, Dr. and Mrs., 162 Wyndham, INIiss. See Stanhope, Honourable Mrs. Fitz-Roy Y.\RBOROUGH, Lord, 97 and note Yeaman, Major, 34th Regiment, 171, 172 York, Duke of, 103, 191, 201, 202, 268 Young, Mr. Charles, the tragedian, 56, 258, 259, 262 Younghusband, Miss. See Elers, Mrs. Edward THE END BILLING AND SONS, LIMITED, PRINTERS, GUILDKORD ^-= an 84 jIADRAS St'ThoTwi Hcherri SketcTxMap SHOWING PLACES IN INDIA MENTIONED IN THE NARRATIVE Miles 84 88 92 Xj OadDrL: A ViTliaTn HimTKa Triann 1903 memoirs oF Georg"e Elers L ondoTL: "WmiaTnHFnnPTnartn.1903 sm OCT 12 1903 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 020 662 072 9