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PANDURANG HARI, 
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 A HINDOO 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR GEO. B. WHITTAKER, 
 AVE-MARIA LANE. 
 
 1826. 
 
LONDON. 
 
 PRINTED BY COX AND BAYLIS, GREAT QUEEN STREET. 
 

 11 
 
 
 ,5 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Nothing can be more irksome to the 
 European than the society of the inhabi- 
 tant of Hindustan. His conversation is 
 monotonous, and little calculated to relieve 
 the tedium caused by that enervating 
 indolence, which, in a tropical climate, 
 overpowers the European, and is also a 
 marked portion of the native character. If 
 a native visit you, his call is not that of 
 friendship ; but always has some interested 
 motive at bottom, or the hope of obtaining 
 some personal benefit. The learning, ta- 
 lent, and virtue which a European may 
 possess are no objects of attraction with 
 vol. i. b 
 
VI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 him — they are of no value in his eyes,' 
 and the crowd of natives who may flock 
 around his door are drawn thither by 
 the charm of his power, as agent of the 
 government — as resident, collector, or judge. 
 If they do not expect, through his means, 
 to obtain some insignificant situation that 
 they may turn to profit, the very circum- 
 stance of his admission of them as visi- 
 tants gives them considerable consequence 
 in the eyes of their countrymen, of which 
 they do not fail to take advantage. Where 
 the will of the ruler is regarded as law 
 (which, from time immemorial, has been 
 the case in the East), power is the great 
 idol of adulation ; to live in its shadow con- 
 fers influence; its smiles are equivalent 
 to the satisfaction of no very limited am- 
 bition ; and this holds good, in its degree, as 
 far as regards the lowest officer of the ruling 
 authority. Such is a distinguishing feature 
 of the natives of India, and of the Mahrattas 
 more especially; and the characteristic is 
 
INTRODUCTION. Vli 
 
 noticed here, in order to mark an exception 
 to the general rule. 
 
 The editor of this work, in travelling 
 through the Deccan, had the singular good 
 fortune to meet with a native who possessed 
 but little of the selfish character of his 
 countrymen. His visits were disinterested 
 in every respect, and they were uni- 
 formly met with that pleasure which, in 
 European society, is always exhibited, upon 
 the reception of a generous friend. In his 
 conversation there was nothing like deceit ; 
 for, ill resembling the generality of his 
 countrymen, he left his mask at home. 
 There was no affected humility in his man- 
 ner; no servile and flattering epithets, so 
 disgusting to European minds of any 
 strength : he was, in short, the best speci- 
 men of the native character the editor ever 
 saw; and his society was a thing of value, 
 in proportion to its extraordinary rarity in 
 that part of the world. The name of this 
 native was Nanna; of the family of the indi- 
 b2 
 
vni Introduction. 
 
 vidual of that name, mentioned hereafter as 
 the friend of Pandurang Hari. In the con- 
 versations which frequently took place — 
 conversations which will be remembered to 
 the last hour of life with pleasure — more 
 knowledge of the people of Hindustan was 
 gleaned, than could have been acquired by 
 the longest residence in the country, in the 
 character of a simple observer. Speaking 
 one day of the governments of India, and 
 of the number of small states into which 
 it was and is divided, my friend mentioned, 
 that the succession to the sovereignty was 
 often a subject of quarrel and bloodshed. 
 Usurpers, persons of the reigning family, 
 and claimants distantly related to a defunct 
 sovereign, by their disputes had occasioned 
 much unhappiness to the people. Just 
 claims had been made by individuals whose 
 lives were spent in the lowest occupations, 
 in search of subsistence, or who had been 
 driven into concealment and obscurity to 
 secure their own existence; the reigning 
 
INTRODUCTION. IX 
 
 despot endeavouring to keep down all 
 claimants to the throne, or one of them 
 endeavouring to persecute to destruction 
 another, who might be nearer than himself 
 to a musnud of which the speedy vacation 
 was expected. 
 
 One day this native friend put into the 
 editor's hand a MS., written in the Mali- 
 ratta tongue, saying, " As you wish to he 
 acquainted with some of the adventures of 
 the better class of natives, and with the 
 Mahratta character in particular, this will 
 enable you to form your own opinion, and 
 shew them as they are. You will discover 
 the shifts and modes of subsistence which 
 even the higher castes may be driven to 
 adopt, and the strange vicissitudes of life 
 often occurring in a country, where every 
 thing depends upon the will of superiors in 
 power — where, except in religious obser- 
 vances and customs, there is a constant 
 change, and the rajah of to-day may be 
 the ryot of to-morrow." 
 b3 
 
X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 After perusing the MS. of his friend, the 
 editor thought a free translation of it into his 
 own language would not be uninteresting to 
 his countrymen ; he therefore set about the 
 task, in doing which he has tried to render 
 the language as simple and unpretending as 
 the original, and to give the story as he 
 received it; neither clothed in picturesque 
 local description, nor heated by passion, be- 
 yond that which the languid temperament of 
 the Hindoo will sanction; for even love with 
 him is little more, if any thing, than a 
 blind instinct. The reader must not, there- 
 fore, expect to revel in scenes of heroic or 
 chivalric adventure; but to peruse the his- 
 tory of a distinguished native individual, 
 in its vraisemblance and characteristic sim- 
 plicity. 
 
 To render the work as intelligible and 
 clear as possible, advantage has been taken 
 of an editor's license, and alterations have 
 been made (but only such as appeared abso- 
 lutely necessary) to anglicize the narrative. 
 
INTRODUCTION. XI 
 
 Some of the editor's Indian friends will be 
 able to confirm the truth of many of the 
 leading details, because they must discover 
 allusions to real facts, which have taken 
 place, to their own knowledge, in our Eastern 
 empire. 
 
 The editor is aware that a description of 
 the Asiatic character has been before now 
 given to the public, and he has seen the 
 observations of travellers upon it. He 
 knows that the secluded Brahmin has been 
 regarded by the hasty visitant with admira- 
 tion ; and does not, therefore, marvel at the 
 warmth of colouring in which it has been 
 often the fashion to clothe his quiet, and, 
 therefore, as supposed, devoted and vir- 
 tuous character. It is with astonishment, 
 however, that he has known persons, long 
 resident in India, employ their pens in the 
 same manner; and he wonders how men 
 of talent can have resided years among this 
 people, and have been so completely duped 
 by plausibilities. Perhaps they never were 
 
Xll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 at the pains to penetrate be\ond the mere 
 external picture, and judged of the truth 
 by the appearance. Hindoo simplicity of 
 character has been praised, and the virtue 
 of the women held up as a model to the 
 world (not regarding its powerful protec- 
 tion under a reign of castes); and a pic- 
 ture has been drawn, such ag the world 
 never yet saw, and never will see, of a 
 pure, virtuous, open, generous people, in- 
 habiting a country governed for ages by the 
 most despotic barbarians, ground into the 
 dust by a host of lesser native officials, and 
 steeped in the most deplorable ignorance 
 and superstition. Meanness, cunning, cow- 
 ardice, and self-interest, are almost neces- 
 sary, under such a system, to carry on ex- 
 istence ; and these have been their resources, 
 accordingly, for ages. The free mountain 
 peasant of Switzerland is the pure and sim- 
 ple man, because he may live without the 
 necessity of a recourse to such vices; — the 
 Hindoo never can. If the European, who 
 
INTRODUCTION. Xlll 
 
 has been deeply conversant with the Hindoo 
 character in all situations, were to speak out, 
 he would confess that the apparent simpli- 
 city and humility of the Brahmin is a garb 
 of hypocrisy, to look well among the peo- 
 ple, and carry on his influence ; but that he 
 is, in reality, selfish, vicious, and intent 
 only upon blinding the credulous for his 
 own ends. Let the Hindoo be seen at va- 
 riance with his neighbour, or in any situation 
 where his hatred is excited, and he will 
 be found relentless in his anger and cow- 
 ardly in his revenge. Watch him at a 
 moment when he has a chance of turning a 
 single rupee, by almost any means, and let 
 it be said, if his disregard of all but his ob- 
 ject, his meanness and duplicity in pur- 
 suing it, can be exceeded ! Nevertheless, 
 in a country where the law has so long been 
 the will of the strongest, it must be granted 
 that the want of morality and principle is 
 no great phenomenon. 
 
 Englishmen who have written so much in 
 
XIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 favour of the natives, it may be boldly pro- 
 nounced, never mingled in situations where 
 their private contests and private conduct 
 with each other could be clearly observed. 
 The editor went amongst them prejudiced 
 in their favour: a few years undeceived 
 him. From the rajah to the ryot, with the 
 intermediate grades, they are ungrateful, in- 
 sidious, cowardly, unfaithful, and revenge- 
 ful. This much the editor thinks it neces- 
 sary to say, to account for the colouring 
 and acts of some of the characters in the 
 ensuing narrative ; without which its authen- 
 ticity might be questioned, by some who 
 have read the eulogizers of the natives of 
 Hindustan ; but, most assuredly, an Hin- 
 doo would hardly treat as matter-of-fact, 
 without comment or apology, many of his 
 own vices, as Pandurang does, if they were 
 not common-place to him, and inherent in 
 the national character. 
 
 The editor apologizes for saying so much 
 upon this subject. It was needful to say 
 
INTRODUCTION. XV 
 
 something, and be has been as concise as he 
 well could upon such a topic ; and has now 
 no more to do than to beg the reader's in- 
 dulgence, for the execution of his share of 
 labour in the present publication. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Hitherto it has been customary, with 
 those who write a history of their lives and 
 adventures, to commence with a minute de- 
 tail of all the circumstances connected with 
 their earliest years — their family, birth, and 
 education. I would most willingly follow 
 preceding examples in this respect, had my 
 history resembled that of other men ; but, 
 unfortunately, I was a long period of my 
 life in utter ignorance to whom I was under 
 obligations for my introduction into the 
 
 vol. i. /n b 
 
2 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 world, so that any information I may sub- 
 sequently have acquired respecting my 
 parentage can hardly be said to belong to 
 the first part of my history, as it would 
 clearly do to that of the generality of 
 mankind. This singularity, therefore, in 
 the very outset of my existence, and the 
 wish I have to adhere as closely as possi- 
 ble to the regular order of events, must 
 be my apology to the reader for my not 
 saying any thing here upon these points, or 
 even hinting just now who I discovered my 
 parents to be; I shall only thereby keep 
 the public in the dark for a time on this 
 subject, as I was once kept myself. Should 
 any part of it betray an impatient curiosity 
 as to these matters after I have begun, I 
 must entreat it to keep my example in view, 
 and practise a little Hindoo patience, trust- 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 3 
 
 ing to my promise of disclosing these im- 
 portant secrets in due time and place. 
 
 My earliest sense of existence, as well as 
 I can remember, was severely painful. I 
 have a clear recollection of an Hindoo, 
 advanced in years, stooping down and ex- 
 tricating me from the hoofs of a troop of 
 bullocks and horses, where I had been left 
 by some one who evidently made my safety 
 a matter of small account. One of the ani- 
 mals, beneath which I was wallowing, had 
 crushed my tender arm with its hoof, and 
 set me, naturally enough, screaming and 
 roaring with all my might. My deliverer 
 took me to his tent, and bound up my 
 bruised limb. I remember well his features 
 and dress : he was a Mahratta, and a man 
 of some consequence, travelling in the dis- 
 trict upon business. On his head he wore 
 b 2 
 
4 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 a large white turban, tied under the chin ; 
 a stuffed coat, dirty boots, and a tremen- 
 dous sword dangling at his side. He deli- 
 vered me to a servant, who pestered me 
 with questions which I could not answer ; 
 demanding who I was, whence I came, who 
 were my parents? to which, of course, I 
 was unable to make any other reply than 
 media towak n,hae (" I know not"). I then 
 heard the servants disputing about my age. 
 One said I was four years old, another five; 
 at length the last number seemed to be de- 
 cided upon. I next heard them debate 
 upon my caste ; and one of them perceiving 
 the red mark upon my forehead, said I was 
 a true Hindoo. It was to my good fortune 
 he made this declaration, as I was deemed 
 worthy of being noticed in consequence; 
 for had I been of a different caste than I 
 
PANDURANG HaRI. O 
 
 was — that of Choomar or Sudra, for ex- 
 ample — I should have been left to starve, 
 or been glad to herd with my old compa- 
 nions, the bullocks, once more. I was now 
 taken to the presence of my deliverer, hav- 
 ing been instructed by his servants to say, 
 as soon as I came near him, ram, ram, 
 Ma,ha,raj{ "your most obedient, my lord !") 
 Whether I pronounced this salutation ill, 
 or with proper confidence, I cannot now 
 tell, but it was very kindly noticed by the 
 Mahratta Ma,ha,raj. He ordered me to be 
 clothed, and to have a red turban given me. 
 I can even now remember the effect this 
 treatment of me by the master produced on 
 the servants : they immediately behaved 
 kindly to me, styling me baba sahib, Ma,ha,- 
 raj d,hunne, as if addressing their lord him- 
 self. My young mind soon became elated 
 b 3 
 
6 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 by this attention, and my childish pride 
 grew intolerable. I discovered that as long 
 as I possessed the master's favour, I might 
 act as I pleased among his inferiors. In 
 short, I at last considered myself his son, 
 and he gave me the name of Pandurang 
 Hari. 
 
 I will now pass over the term of my in- 
 fancy, which was employed in learning to 
 read and write — my preceptor being a ma- 
 houhut, or elephant-driver — and will take 
 up my adventures from the period of my 
 completing my sixteenth year. At this time 
 Holkar, the great Mahratta chieftain, as- 
 sembled his army; and a division of it was 
 commanded by my benefactor, Sawunt Rao 
 Gopal Rao. There was no expectation en- 
 tertained that we should come to an engage- 
 ment for many months, although prepara- 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 7 
 
 tions were at that moment deemed necessary. 
 I had made a considerable proficiency in my 
 studies, which pleased Sawunt Rao, and I 
 soon found the advantage of my acquire- 
 ments. My benefactor's chief carcoon, or 
 clerk, allowed me to sort out and direct 
 despatches to officers at a distance who 
 belonged to the command of the great 
 Sawunt Rao. The consequence this gave 
 me in the eyes of Sawunt's dependants was 
 wonderful. A boy soon came to offer his 
 services as my kullum dani, or inkstand- 
 bearer; another as my chitree burdarl^ov 
 umbrella-carrier ; and when I mounted on 
 my tattoo, or pony, I could at any time 
 have commanded the attendance of a dozen 
 grooms, so many pressed forward to offer 
 me their services. I accepted two, and a 
 slipper-bearer, but was greatly concerned 
 b 4 
 
8 PANDURANG HAltl. 
 
 to know how I was to pay them their wages. 
 I consulted the carcoon, who laughed in 
 my face, and demanded if I was mad to 
 think of giving wages to those nimuk hurdm 
 (rascals). " No, no, Pandoo," said he, 
 " let them wait on you, and in a few years 
 you may be able to provide for them under 
 our government; however, as you may 
 want money, it will be a good plan to get 
 Sawunt Rao Ma,ha,raj to grant you some 
 to give these fellows, and you can keep it 
 yourself. As to paying those scoundrels, it 
 would be as absurd as flinging your money 
 into- the river." It will recur to the reader 
 that I had now been some years with 
 Sawunt Rao, and having been gradually 
 initiated in Mahratta roguery, it will not 
 be matter of surprise that I entered into 
 this scheme with true Hindoo delight. 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 9 
 
 Success attended my first attempt, and the 
 carcoon pronounced I should soon make 
 my fortune. He advised me to neglect no 
 opportunity of fingering money : "For," 
 said he, " Pandoo, there is nothing in this 
 world equal to rupees. Get them, and you 
 will get every thing. We shall have rare 
 plunder at the ensuing battle." I here ven- 
 tured to observe that the tables might be 
 turned upon us, and we ourselves get plun- 
 dered, instead of being the plunderers. 
 " O Pandoo, ' he replied, twisting his 
 mustachios, " you little know the Mahratta 
 valour ! In the field every man has the 
 power of the many-armed Vishnu : no na- 
 tion can resist us; we are world-conquerors! 
 You will soon see whether I speak truth 
 or not." 
 
 On the ensuing day we marched ; and 
 b 5 
 
10 PANDURANG HARU 
 
 when I observed the war-elephants in ter- 
 rific panoply, and heard the roar of the 
 nagarrahs or state-drums ; when I saw the 
 long-drawn plain covered with soldiers, 
 both horse and foot, all busy in martial 
 preparation, I gave in my own mind im- 
 plicit credit to the resistless valour of the 
 Mahrattas, and began to plan how I should 
 dispose of my rupees and plunder, as soon 
 as I should gain possession of them. On 
 arriving at our halting-place, I attended, as 
 was customary, to make my obeisance to 
 my master. He ordered me to wait in his 
 tent while he eat his dinner. I seized this 
 opportunity of sitting in a corner, and, 
 sending for my inkstand and papers, I made 
 a great shew of business. During his din- 
 ner, Sawunt Rao never once noticed me ; 
 but afterwards, when smoking his hookah, 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 11 
 
 he exclaimed, " Ah, Pandoo, what — can 
 you write ?" I answered in the affirmative, 
 and shewed him some specimens, with 
 which he appeared highly pleased. He 
 dictated several letters to me, and sent or- 
 ders by me to different officers outside the 
 tent. He next desired me to admit to his 
 presence any individuals who had com- 
 plaints to make or orders to receive, as he 
 was then at leisure to attend to business of 
 that nature. I withdrew, and waited in a 
 small tent through which all must pass 
 before they could enter the presence of the 
 Ma,ha,raj. I had not been there long before 
 a complainant * appeared, and urged me 
 to obtain an audience for him. I, of course, 
 gave myself great airs, and roundly asserted 
 
 * Chiefs, like Sawunt Rao, have in the East cogni- 
 zance both of civil and military affairs. 
 B 6 
 
12 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 that the Ma,ha,raj was sleeping, and would 
 not be disturbed. The complainant seemed 
 to know how to awaken both servant and 
 master. Slipping a handful of rupees into 
 my hand, he promised me double the 
 amount if he succeeded. I now softened 
 my manner, and condescended to say : " I 
 will see if I dare wake Ma,ha,raj, but I 
 really fear for my life, yet for your sake I 
 will risk every thing." ' The Ma,ha,raj was 
 still smoking his hookah when I entered* 
 and I at once opened my business. I was 
 ordered to admit the complainant, and was 
 sent for presently myself and desired to take 
 down his business in writing. I did so, but 
 was not yet as adroit as I should have been 
 in putting my words quickly together, 
 though I would not on any account confess 
 my want of skill. I went on scribbling any 
 
PANDUKANG ilARl. 13 
 
 thing that came uppermost in place of the 
 poor man's story, and when I had done I 
 knew as little about it as before I began. 
 Fortunately I could see, by my master's air 
 and manner, he was as indifferent to the 
 merits of the case as myself, and therefore 
 I felt very little uneasiness upon the sub- 
 ject. The complainant was dismissed with 
 assurances of receiving justice. I took care 
 to follow him, and abuse him for his long 
 tale, declaring my fingers were stiff with 
 taking it down. The poor dupe had saga- 
 city enough to discover there was one me- 
 dicine which never fails to cure rigidity of 
 the joints in such cases, and he accordingly 
 applied his silver ointment to my hands 
 once more. The cure was instantaneous ; I 
 promised him every thing, and assured 
 him his enemy should be trampled to death 
 
14 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 by an elephant, if he desired it. I then or- 
 dered him to call at the carcoon's on the 
 following day, when all should be settled, 
 but reminded him that this official must 
 finger the rupees as well as myself, at least 
 in equal proportion. So saying, I withdrew 
 to count over my money. According to 
 my advice, he did not neglect to appear at 
 the carcoon's; but that sagacious officer 
 having been informed of the petitioner's in- 
 terviews with me, ordered him to quit his 
 presence. He once more came to me, and 
 I endeavoured, by assurances and promises, 
 to keep alive hopes which I very well knew 
 were doomed to be disappointed. He took 
 his leave of me, bowing so low as to knock 
 his forehead on the ground. 
 
 Day after day passed over, and still Hy- 
 batty (such was the petitioner's name) re- 
 
PANDURANG HAIU. 15 
 
 mained unnoticed. He was even rudely 
 treated by the official hirelings who lounged 
 around the tents. Far from resenting such 
 conduct towards him, I rather encouraged 
 it ; for Hybatty had become my second 
 shadow whenever I appeared abroad. At 
 length, losing all patience, I angrily bade 
 him return to his village and trouble me no 
 further, as the Ma,ha,raj would attend to 
 the petition when it suited his convenience. 
 Hybatty gave me a look that spoke 
 stronger things than language could do, 
 and hurried from my presence. 
 
It) PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 As yet there appeared no probability of a 
 battle taking place ; nevertheless, our army 
 was kept up in full force and constant 
 readiness for it. Our tents were pitched 
 on the side of a river, while a majestic ban- 
 yan-tree spread itself over a rising ground 
 at a short distance. Thither, in the cool 
 hour of the evening, I was accustomed to 
 go, and remain alone in reflection upon my 
 dependent circumstances. " Unhappy be- 
 ing that I am!" thought I; "neglected by 
 parents who still remain unknown to me, 
 though destiny has flung me in the way of 
 the good Sawunt Rao, what claim have I 
 upon him or upon any fellow-creature ? 
 
PANDURANG IlARl. 17 
 
 Mv very existence depends upon his ; 
 should he die, what will become of me ? 
 Should he frown upon me while living, 
 adieu to all consequence with those around 
 me ! To obtain an honest livelihood is 
 impossible ; no trade is so unprofitable as 
 honesty. It is very hard that, with the 
 inclination to be just and upright, I should 
 be compelled by the circumstances of my 
 life to be a rogue. Could I but amass a 
 few thousand rupees, I would lose no time 
 in settling at Indore as a corn or grain- 
 merchant; — and then,'' thought I, rising up 
 with delight, " I will be honest for the 
 rest of my days," I had just finished 
 making this notable resolution for conduct- 
 ing my future life, when I saw a little way 
 off the figure of a tall man, muffled up in 
 shawls. He was looking every where 
 
18 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 around him, with a countenance full of 
 suspicion, as if he feared lest his actions 
 would be observed. He did not see me 
 it was evident, and I became very curious 
 to know the cause of his extraordinary ap- 
 pearance, and the object he had in parad- 
 ing about in that spot in the dusk of the 
 evening. I immediately climbed up into 
 the banyan-tree, and hid myself among its 
 luxuriant foliage. The person whose steps 
 I had been watching now approached the 
 sacred tree, and having performed puja* 
 to a stone deity at its foot, proceeded to 
 unmuffle himself from his shawls, carefully 
 folding them up and placing them under 
 the tree. He now squatted down, and be- 
 gan to grumble in a low tone, " Not here ! 
 I am too early ! I can wait until he comes. 
 
 * Worship. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 19 
 
 I know my information is correct. He 
 comes here every evening to meditate some 
 fresh villany, no doubt." Here he paused, 
 and my breathing paused too ; for he could 
 have meant no one but myself, I having 
 been the only constant lounger under that 
 sacred tree at the evening hour. " Who 
 can this man be !" thought I; "perhaps he 
 is some one acquainted with my parents." 
 On this idea suggesting itself, I was on the 
 point of descending from my hiding-place, 
 and begging him to satisfy my curiosity; 
 but I was luckily deterred from my inten- 
 tion by hearing him again talking to him- 
 self, and saying, " Well, as I could not 
 obtain redress, and was plundered for at- 
 tempting to assert my rights, this dagger, 
 thanks to Hanoomun,* has given me ven- 
 
 * The name of an idol in the form of a monkey. 
 
20 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 geance. My enemy is quiet enough, unless, 
 he has met with a god in the mota boivrie.* 
 That young villain, Pandurang Hari, shall 
 keep Tulsajee company." There he stopped, 
 and I almost fell from the branches of my 
 refuge with fear, when I discovered this 
 man to be no other than the petitioner who 
 so handsomely rewarded me on his coming 
 to demand justice of my master. His case, 
 notwithstanding his bribes, and the profuse 
 way in which he distributed his nugd,j- re- 
 mained entirely neglected to that hour. 
 Fancy may depict, but I cannot put into 
 language, the fear I felt, and the breathless 
 terror that came over me, when I reflected 
 that the creaking of a branch or the rust- 
 ling of a leaf might betray me. The even- 
 ing was still and silent as the grave. A cold 
 * Deep well. f Ready cash. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 21 
 
 perspiration stood on my forehead ; the in- 
 sect that fluttered around me, whose wing 
 at another time would have been inaudible, 
 seemed now to fill my ears with its hum, 
 so alive was I to the minutest sounds. I 
 soon heard Hybatty mutter slowly to him- 
 self again : " The young villain — the young 
 villain ! to take my rupees, to neglect and 
 insult me ! Thanks to Siva and Brahma, 
 I want not their help now, I am paid with 
 the silver bangles * of my enemy and his 
 cash to boot !" A little while after this 
 he arose, and went to a peepal-tree a short 
 way off, where he appeared busy about 
 something, I could not well make out what. 
 He was delving in the earth ; and, as I 
 afterwards found, burying his ill-gotten 
 treasure. He now halted, as if unwilling 
 * Rings worn about the wrists. 
 
°Z°Z PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 to leave the place while there was a chance 
 of my visiting it. He returned to the sa- 
 cred tree again, and I heard the words, 
 " Pandurang Hari — dagger — his greedy 
 heart," disjointedly uttered. He afterwards, 
 raising his voice, said, " I swear by the holy 
 cow * never to give up my revenge, though 
 I pursue him to Oogein, and from thence 
 to Delhi, and from Delhi to Cape Cormo- 
 rin; I will not rest till I have taken his 
 blood." In a few minutes he muffled him- 
 self up in his shawls as before, and went his 
 way. His departure was a reprieve to a 
 condemned criminal — I seemed rescued 
 from a suffocation worse than death. Once 
 more my lungs got into full play, and my 
 limbs appeared to be relieved from the 
 heavy weight which oppressed them. When 
 * A solemn Hindoo adjuration. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 23 
 
 my enemy had disappeared, I descended 
 from my hiding-place, and did not deem 
 myself secure, until I had joined my com- 
 rades in the camp. " It is well," thought 
 I, as soon as I had gained a place of se- 
 curity, iC it is well I can turn the tables 
 upon my enemy. He has confessed a mur- 
 der ; and as I am to have no peace while he 
 lives, I will try if I have not wit and inte- 
 rest enough to get him put out of the way. 
 We shall see whether I cannot save him his 
 journey to Oogein, Delhi, and Cape Cor- 
 morin !" 
 
 When I reflected how corrupt all per- 
 sons in authority were, I feared that, after 
 all I could do, there would be but a small 
 chance of beholding my foe dangling from 
 a tree, while he could command money 
 enough to fee the farmer of the district, 
 
24 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 whose mercy was generally extended, even 
 for the most flagrant crimes, to those who 
 could purchase their impunity. The dis- 
 trict farmers were compelled from necessity 
 to raise money by every opportunity, and 
 they never neglected their interests; for 
 when a new one had not been a month in. 
 his district, he was every hour liable to be 
 superseded by a successor, who had agreed 
 to pay the Ma,ha,raj a higher sum for the 
 office. On this account the actual occu- 
 pant turned all robberies and murders to 
 account, and never executed any who could 
 purchase their lives, while the poor were 
 sent into the other world without mercy. 
 V Thus justice was regulated, as it is in most 
 countries, by individual caprice or expe- 
 diency, instead of certain immutable prin- 
 ciples, which should make it the same thing 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 25 
 
 every where. I considered, therefore, that 
 this mercenary principle in our government 
 might tell against me after all, if I ap- 
 peared active in the business, and my ene- 
 my should afterwards escape by paying a 
 fine to the farmer: for it was likely I 
 should thus incur his threefold vengeance, 
 and hasten my own destruction. What 
 plan to pursue now became a matter of the 
 utmost importance. " The tiger," I rea- 
 soned to myself, " must be deprived of his 
 claws, and the lion of his teeth, before we 
 can combat with them successfully. My 
 enemy's treasures are his claws, and they 
 are in my power. Fool that I am ! are 
 they not buried under the peepal-tree, 
 where I saw him grubbing in the earth ?" 
 I accordingly set off for the spot, and 
 vol. i. c 
 
26 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 pulling out my dagger, tried the earth 
 around the roots of the tree for some time 
 in vain. I was j ust on the point of giving 
 up the search, when it struck against a hard 
 substance, which I discovered by the scanty 
 light of the dawn (for I had taken no rest 
 during the night) to be a brass pot, tied 
 round with leather at the top. I could 
 find nothing else; so closing up the hole 
 and levelling the earth, I returned to my 
 tent, lit my lamp, and proceeded to ex- 
 amine what I had found. First, there 
 were the silver bangles of Tulsajee, the 
 murdered man : these were worth two hun- 
 dred rupees at least. Then there were 
 gold mohurs* tied up in long narrow 
 bags, which the victim of my foe had, as is 
 * An eastern coin. 
 
PANDURANG HAIU. 27 
 
 customary, bound round his waist for con- 
 venience in travelling, after the Mahratta 
 manner. I then came to silver rupees, and 
 women's ornaments of the usual kinds : the 
 ?iuth, or nose-ring ; the boogrie, or ear-pen- 
 dants; the toolsee, or necklace; kurrun, 
 p,hool, or ear-ornaments; the bajoo-bund, or 
 armlets, with many rings all of gold, be- 
 sides loose pearls and copper pice.* " Well, 
 Pandoo," thought I to myself, " you have 
 indeed made the most you could expect 
 of your enemy !" I justly considered, 
 from the rank of the fellow in life, that 
 this must be all the wealth he had in the 
 world, ill-gotten as it was. I calculated 
 the whole to be worth two thousand ru- 
 pees, and I dug a hole under the mat on 
 which I slept, and there deposited my trea- 
 * A small coin. 
 c2 
 
 » 
 
28 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 sure. Having done this, I lay down to 
 weigh what step should be taken next, 
 and to fix upon the most certain and safe 
 method of bringing my foe, Hybatty, to 
 the gibbet. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 29 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 The next morning I bent my way to- 
 wards the village where my enemy resided. 
 The first step I took, consistently with the 
 plan I had laid down for myself, was to 
 wait upon the principal and heads of the 
 village. These men of authority being 
 aware I was a hoogorie, or one attached to 
 the suite of a great man, received me with 
 due respect. I longed for a good pair of 
 mustachios to twirl about and exhibit my 
 consequence; but, unfortunately, I was 
 only eighteen years old, though in appear- 
 ance at least four years more, and was 
 obliged, for lack of length in those dignified 
 appendages, to content myself with twist- 
 c3 
 
30 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 ing about my shawl with an air of self- 
 importance, and so as to exhibit my person 
 to the best advantage. I then opened the 
 purport of my visit, by stating that I was 
 come to inquire into the complaint of a 
 person named Hybatty, against a man 
 called Tulsajee, and desiring the com- 
 plainant might be sent for. It will be 
 easily guessed that this was my old enemy, 
 who so pleasingly intimated his good- will 
 towards me under the banyan-tree. He 
 drew back on first seeing me, as if he had 
 rather have not met me there. I appeared 
 wholly unconscious of his harbouring any 
 ill-design against myself, and immediately 
 addressed him, saying, "My good friend, 
 you may now see I have not forgotten your 
 cause, which would have been attended to 
 much sooner, could I have secured the ear 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 31 
 
 of the Ma,ha,raj ; but his time has been so 
 occupied with political correspondence, that 
 he has really had no leisure to think of any 
 thing else. You may now state your case, 
 and justice shall be rendered you." Hy- 
 batty, — for he it was, — looked aghast at this 
 unexpected condescension, and gave me a 
 glance so peculiar in character, and yet so 
 very far from agreeable, that I felt more 
 than ever anxious to do him the kindness I 
 had in store for him. It appeared as if he 
 looked through my intentions, and sus- 
 pected all was not as fair as it seemed to be, 
 without his being able to fathom my de- 
 signs. Hesitating a little at first, he soon 
 launched out more fluently against his 
 enemy, Tulsajee, as if the latter had really 
 been in the land of the living ! He re- 
 peatedly urged me to summon him, and 
 c4 
 
32 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 see if he dared to deny any part of what he 
 should urge against him. I replied, " I am 
 sure he cannot deny any part of your as- 
 sertions : however, let him be summoned." 
 This devil Hybatty looked in my eyes more 
 hellish than I thought it possible for a hu- 
 man being to do, on hearing the order 
 given. After some delay, a message was 
 sent from the friends of Tulsajee, saying 
 he had left the village on a journey, and his 
 family had not heard of him since he set 
 out. "Oh, it is well," I replied (address- 
 ing myself to the village authorities) ; " we 
 cannot help it ; when he returns, assemble 
 a punchayet,* and give this cause patient 
 attention, seeing that Hybatty has justice." 
 Having said this, I took my departure. The 
 reason for my acting thus was, lest, upon 
 * A court of jurymen five or more in number. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 S3 
 
 conviction of the murder, Hybatty should 
 accuse me of not attending to his com- 
 plaint, and make my negligence a plea for 
 the act which he had committed. I now 
 proceeded to the maamulut-dar, or farmer of 
 the district, and mentioned my suspicion 
 that Tulsajee was murdered, and who the 
 murderer was. " This affair," said I, " will 
 put a few rupees into your pocket, as Hy- 
 batty, the murderer, has money I am cer- 
 tain ; so you may fine him to the tune of 
 five hundred rupees at least. He may 
 plead poverty, but do not heed what he 
 says ; and as he knows a fine will get him 
 clear, he will not be at the trouble of de- 
 nying the crime ; or, should he do so, I can 
 help you to evidence that shall bring it 
 home to him." The farmer thanked me 
 repeatedly for my consideration of him in 
 c 5 
 
34 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 giving this intelligence, and promised to 
 proceed against Hybatty, without compro- 
 mising me by mentioning my name. In a 
 few days I heard of his apprehension, that 
 the farmer had charged him with the crime, 
 but that he stoutly denied all knowledge of 
 it. I immediately visited the farmer, had 
 a secret interview with him, and desired 
 him to tax the prisoner with the crime 
 again, and to tell him he had flung the 
 body into the mota bowrie. The farmer 
 was astonished how I could tell him so 
 much about it, and, I thought, almost re- 
 garded me as an accomplice. I told him 
 he should learn all as soon as the affair was 
 finally settled. Hybatty was then taxed 
 with the crime again, and told the place 
 where he had concealed the body. Upon 
 this, and supposing the farmer knew every 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 35 
 
 thing, he confessed, and said he was the 
 farmer's humble servant (meaning he would 
 pay any fine the farmer might demand of 
 him). I was not present, but had an agent 
 at the trial. The fine was fixed at a thou- 
 sand rupees, because, as the farmer after- 
 wards informed me, there was a better 
 chance of getting five hundred clear, by an 
 appearance of lenity in remitting half of 
 the original sum levied. 
 
 Hybatty, now completely in my toils, and 
 little aware of his poverty, immediately con- 
 sented to pay the rupees. Being in cus- 
 tody, he sent for his son, and, on his arrival, 
 directed him where to find the money. The 
 son set off, and I was malicious enough to 
 wish I had again been in the peepal-tree, to 
 witness and enjoy his disappointment. In 
 the mean time, Hybatty sat smoking, con- 
 c6 
 
36 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 fidently chewing his beetle, and cracking 
 his jokes. The body of Tulsajee had just 
 been fished up from the well or mota bow- 
 rie, and was exhibiting to the populace, 
 with the throat cut, and a stab in the heart ; 
 while, to enable the murderer to secure the 
 silver bangles with greater expedition, both 
 hands had been severed at the wrists. The 
 culprit's son now approached, with rueful 
 face and heavy footsteps, to the place of his 
 father's durance. Being admitted, his tale 
 was soon told — for he had not been a mo- 
 ment in the prison before a most dismal 
 yell was heard from its interior, — a more 
 piercing shriek than ever struck a mortal 
 ear before ! Sobs and groans succeeded, — 
 then supplications ; and, when these were 
 found of no avail, oaths and curses were 
 dealt out liberally against those who had 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 37 
 
 defrauded him. My name was on Hybatty's 
 lips among the rest; but little did he 
 think the plunderer of his property was so 
 near him. The intelligence of his inability 
 to pay his fine was speedily carried to the 
 farmer, who, before long, made his appear- 
 ance, with a new rope and two dheers,* and 
 in a few minutes Hybatty was a corpse. I 
 then returned to my tent, reflecting, as I 
 went along, on the events which had just 
 passed. " What have I done ?" thought I : 
 " I have extorted money from an unhappy 
 and injured man, under the false pretence 
 of obtaining redress for him; I have 
 neglected him, though I accepted his pre- 
 sents ; I have driven him to desperation, 
 made him a murderer, robbed him of his 
 property, and betrayed him to death!" I 
 
 * Low-caste men, employed as public executioners. 
 
38 
 
 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 now thought, but in vain, to ease my con- 
 science by the consideration that my victim 
 was deserving of death, having been a mur- 
 derer. But the truth that, but for my 
 neglect of him, he would not have stained 
 his hands with blood, ever came uppermost. 
 I contrived, however, to console myself that 
 I had acted in self-defence. Hybatty had 
 sworn to take my life, and I made that 
 serve me as a justification. Besides, a great 
 religious festival was at hand ; and a dip in 
 the river, with the offering of a cocoa-nut 
 to the god and a trifle to the Brahmins, 
 would purify me, and effectually remove my 
 uneasy sensations. 
 
 Scarcely was the foregoing happy con- 
 clusion drawn, when a band of armed men 
 surrounded me, and, without assigning a 
 reason, hurried me away to a place of con- 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 39 
 
 finementj in a tent well guarded within and 
 without. My terrified features must have 
 condemned me, for I in vain attempted to 
 assume a look of careless innocence, as I 
 was not insensible of its value at such a 
 moment. The commotion of my mind be- 
 trayed itself in my countenance. My tongue 
 became parched, and fixed to the roof of 
 my mouth ; my eyes were cast down ; if I 
 attempted to speak, the faculty of language 
 seemed to have deserted from my command, 
 and I imagined every one around must re- 
 gard me as a wretch, knowing (so fear led 
 me to think) that my most secret thoughts 
 and actions lay unmasked before them. 
 When these feelings had subsided a little, I 
 began to take breath, and consider what 
 charge could be proved against me, and to 
 hope I should find no great difficulty in 
 
40 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 clearing myself. I determined to explain 
 the whole affair to the Ma,ha,raj. I was 
 well aware, however, that I must get over 
 my first extortion from the unhappy pe- 
 titioner in the best way I could, by soften- 
 ing or concealing the extent of it. The 
 whole of the first night I was left, well 
 guarded, to my solitary feelings and to re- 
 pentance. Early in the morning I was 
 awoke from disturbed rest by cries of Ms, 
 kis (clear the way!), and ordered roughly 
 to arise and appear before the Ma,ha,raj, 
 who was sitting in his tent, surrounded by 
 all the tokens of Mahratta dignity. On my 
 arrival before him, what was my horror on 
 seeing the son of the murdered Tulsajee 
 wringing his hands, beating his breast, and 
 calling me at the same time his father's 
 murderer ! Opposite to him was Hybatty's 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 41 
 
 son, behaving in the same manner, and 
 charging me with the murder of his parent. 
 I was overwhelmed with their accusations ; 
 and perceiving the carcoon with his papers 
 and inkstand close by, I begged him, for 
 the love of Vishnu and Brahma, to inform 
 me what was the meaning of such accumu- 
 lated charges. Instead of a friendly reply 
 from him, or even a recognition of his late 
 deputy, he gruffly commanded me to be 
 silent, and most consequentially passed by 
 me. This was a dreadful blow to my hopes, 
 and I fell to the ground insensible. When 
 I recovered, I found myself on my own mat 
 in my tent, guards being stationed without. 
 I now considered what was best to be done 
 to avert the impending storm. Could I 
 not bribe the carcoon? This I thought a 
 happy expedient, and I would willingly 
 
42 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 have bestowed upon him all Hybatty's 
 treasure if he would but ensure my safety. 
 I then proceeded to examine the place 
 where I had deposited this treasure, — but 
 what was my dismay when I found it gone ! 
 Bangles, pearls, money, ornaments, — all 
 had disappeared ! I cursed my ill-luck, 
 and laid myself down once more to rumi- 
 nate on this fresh disaster. " What a piece 
 of retribution ! " thought I : " little did I 
 dream, when wishing I could witness the 
 disappointment of Hybatty's son, at finding 
 his treasure gone from under the peepal- 
 tree, that I should so soon experience the 
 horrors of the same situation." I recollected 
 the yells and shrieks and curses of Hy- 
 batty, and even imitated him, though not 
 quite as audibly, I groaned with internal 
 anguish, and vented many a mental curse 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 43 
 
 on my own avarice and folly. To be ac- 
 cused of two murders, also, was more than 
 I could get over; I thought the guilt of one 
 enough for any mortal, but the double 
 charge almost bent me to the earth. I still 
 imagined that, could I but get a hearing 
 of the Ma,ha,raj and explain matters, I 
 might escape the load of ignominy heaped 
 upon me. But yet it was most probable I 
 should be hanged without such an oppor- 
 tunity being allowed me, and I should pe- 
 rish with every imputation remaining upon 
 my head. I had, however, no remedy but 
 patience, and I made up my mind at last 
 to await my fate calmly, be it whatever it 
 might. 
 
44 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 The morning slowly broke; and when 
 the sun had arisen, I was ordered to pre- 
 pare for the eventful interview, which I 
 pictured full of horrors. I was again 
 ushered into the presence of my master. 
 The Ma,ha,raj was smoking his hookah. 
 He fixed upon me his dark eye, flashing 
 with anger, and exclaimed, " Serpent as 
 you are ! instead of protecting the subjects 
 of the world-conquering Holkar, you have 
 stained your hands in their blood — you 
 have committed outrageous crimes." I re- 
 plied, " This, my lord, I deny : I am no 
 murderer." "Do you dare deny being an 
 accomplice in the murder of that boy's 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 45 
 
 father?" said he, pointing at Tulsajee's 
 son. " I do, my lord," was my reply again. 
 " Think not to blind me by equivocation ; 
 you know the hand that inflicted the mortal 
 wound — you were the accomplice of the 
 assassin," said the Ma,ha,raj, his eyes flash- 
 ing fire as he spoke ; " mock me not — were 
 not the man's bangles in your possession — 
 buried under your own mat, in your own 
 tent, by your own hand ?" — " This, my 
 lord," I answered, "I do not deny." — 
 " You knew they were the bangles of Tul- 
 sajee ?" — " I had good grounds for thinking 
 they were, and that the poor man was indeed 
 murdered." — " Then, wretch ! you were 
 implicated. Prepare yourself for the fate 
 of your partner in blood, Hybatty." I at- 
 tempted to explain and shew my innocence ; 
 but the Ma,ha,raj interrupted me, waving 
 
46 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 his hand and crying, " The bangles, the 
 bangles! off with him!" All present, — 
 amongst whom were my old friend the car- 
 coon, and the two sons of the dead men, 
 cried out, " Aye, aye ! the bangles, the 
 bangles ! positive proof — all is clear !" I 
 was now hurried away. At the door of the 
 tent, the carcoon asked the attendants if 
 any dheers or maungs* were at hand, in 
 my hearing. Most fortunately for me there 
 were none, or this scoundrel clerk would 
 have soon had me pendant from the next 
 mango-tree. Once more alone, I gave my- 
 self up for a lost man, seeing no chance of 
 escape. Having gone to the entrance of my 
 tent to beg a little water, and ask permis- 
 sion to perform my ablutions before I left 
 this world, I was rudely thrust back by my 
 * Low-caste men, usually employed as executioners. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 47 
 
 guards, but not before I had seen my late 
 groom mounted upon my pony, with my 
 slipper-bearer behind him, both in travel- 
 ling order. They grinned impudently on 
 seeing me, and in tones that cut me to the 
 soul with mortification, exclaimed, " ram, 
 ram, Ma,ha,raj," at the same time spurring 
 my pony, and scampering off — the by- 
 standers relishing the joke. " Well, if I 
 am to be hanged, the sooner the better, and 
 then it matters not who has my tattoo," 
 said I to myself: but I could not help taking 
 a lesson from the conduct of these rascals, 
 who, when I was in power, were grovelling 
 cleaners of the beast which they now be- 
 strode, and would have licked the dust off 
 my feet ! — This had just happened, when 
 my inkstand-bearer made his appearance. 
 " What '" said I, " are you not off also ? 
 
48 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 I expect I shall see you march presently 
 with my inkstand under your arm !" — " No, 
 no," he answered ; " we must use the inkstand 
 better, and save your life. Sit down, and 
 draw up a petition to Sawunt Rao imme- 
 diately. Keep not a single thing from him, 
 as you value your life ; and, if you are not 
 really guilty, there is a chance of your still 
 coming off in a whole skin. The Ma,ha,raj 
 would not have noticed this affair at all; 
 but they who govern are desirous at this 
 moment of conciliating all ranks of the 
 people, and of giving them the semblance 
 of protection." I thanked him, and in- 
 quired how this too/an or storm had arisen. 
 " Why, you must know," said he, " the 
 carcoon's boy is my friend, and I learned 
 from him that the car coon has been a long 
 time narrowly watching you, and that he 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 49 
 
 felt jealous of your influence. He also 
 abused you for not sharing several presents 
 you obtained with him. Your absence at 
 the village for two successive days aroused 
 his suspicion that you were making a harvest 
 and excluding him from the profits. His 
 suspicions were strengthened by seeing the 
 farmer's hircarrah, or messenger, bring a 
 letter for you, which he unfortunately took 
 to the carcoon's tent instead of your's. The 
 latter ordered his horse, reached the far- 
 mer's house before you, and there gained 
 some valuable information.; for he returned 
 before Hybatty was hanged, and went alone 
 to your tent. In a short time it was ru- 
 moured that the murdered men's bangles 
 had been found under your mat." I in- 
 quired if any other articles were mentioned 
 to have been found there besides the ban- 
 
 VOL. I. D 
 
50 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 gles. He replied, none: the carcoon had 
 reported that the bangles only had been 
 deposited there. I now comprehended the 
 motives of the carcoon. He thought I 
 should deny the fact of the bangles being 
 there, and that not a word of the treasure 
 would proceed from my lips. Thus having 
 got me out of the way by means of the 
 dheers, he should be able to keep undisturbed 
 possession of treasure worth eighteen hun- 
 dred rupees, after he had restored the ban- 
 gles to the son of Tulsajee. I also saw 
 clearly not a moment must be lost, and 
 instantly drawing up a petition to my late 
 benefactor, I forwarded it by the faithful 
 inkstand-bearer for presentation. In it, I 
 intreated the Ma,ha,raj, if he doubted my 
 statement, to question Hybatty's son, and 
 ask him if his father did not send him for 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 51 
 
 money to fee the farmer, and particularly 
 as to the spot to which he was sent, and it 
 would be seen I had spoken the truth. I 
 did not fail to state, that with the bangles 
 were many othe^r articles of value, and I had 
 reason to believe forty gold mohurs, in a 
 small narrow bag, had been plundered from 
 Tulsajee, and that the carcoon dared not 
 deny my assertions. I represented that this 
 man had a design to ruin me in his estima- 
 tion, and also to take my life, in order that 
 he might enjoy the fruits of his plunder 
 without molestation. I solemnly assured 
 the Ma,ha,raj that I was only actuated by 
 self-defence in depriving Hybatty of his ill- 
 gotten wealth; and that, now he was no 
 more, I had not the least objection to the 
 son of Tulsajee having possession of his 
 father's property. I concluded by referring 
 d 2 
 
 a OF ILL lib. 
 
59, PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 the Majha,raj to the farmer of the district, 
 who himself heard Hybalty confess the 
 murder, without implicating me or any other 
 person as an accomplice. 
 
 When I had despatched this important 
 petition, I felt more at ease. The Ma,ha, 
 raj read the paper, and instantly ordered 
 the carcoon to be seized and searched. He 
 was too old a hand at such matters to be 
 found with the treasure upon his person, 
 and nothing but the bangles were discover- 
 ed. Tulsajee's son deposed to several other 
 articles which his father had about him 
 when murdered ; and this, together with 
 the suspicious circumstances of the carcoon 
 going alone to my tent, induced all the 
 country round to place credit in my asser- 
 tions, especially as I consented to give up 
 the treasure. I was now set at liberty, and 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 53 
 
 immediately fell down on my face before 
 the Ma,ha,raj, who really shewed pleasure 
 that he was able to let me go free. He 
 severely lectured me for neglecting to bring 
 Hybatty's case before him originally, which, 
 had I so done, would have saved bloodshed to 
 others and hazard to myself. The carcoon 
 was ordered to restore whatever articles the 
 son of Tulsajee could recollect his father to 
 have had, when he was murdered and 
 plundered by Hybatty. The son gave in 
 an amazingly long list of things, which I 
 was well aware never formed part of the 
 treasure I had brought away. After Tul- 
 sajee's son had given in this list, the son of 
 Hybatty put in one still longer, concerning 
 articles buried under the peepal-tree which 
 belonged to his family, independent of what 
 d 3 
 
54 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 belonged to Tulsajee. Both these knaves 
 had been suborned against me by the car- 
 coon, and, in consequence of his promise of 
 reward and restitution of the articles of 
 value, had consented to become complain- 
 ants against me. They acted their parts 
 as mourners with true Mahratta hypocrisy 
 on the first day of my examination, as I 
 have before shewn. Now, when the tables 
 were turned, they were anxious to become 
 my friends. My evidence also was neces- 
 sary to bear them out in their enumeration 
 of the articles buried by Hybatty, which 
 they sought to recover of the carcoon. On 
 their making out their claims, one said, 
 " Was there not a nuth ?" I nodded assent. 
 " Was there not a silver beetle-nut box?" 
 said the other; and again I signified in the 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 55 
 
 affirmative. " And was there not a gold 
 chundun har?"* I responded, "Yes; worth, 
 I should think, three-hundred rupees." 
 The carcoon was all this while in a situa- 
 tion better to be imagined than described. 
 He found out that he had made a very 
 unprofitable seizure in my tent, and, at the 
 rate we were going on, we must ruin him. 
 I revelled in the anguish he felt at every 
 nod I gave. I knew his life's blood was not 
 dearer than the treasure I was drawing 
 from him. His evident perturbation added 
 to my delight, and the thought of his en- 
 deavour to deprive me of life for a few 
 rupees prevented my having any mercy 
 upon him. As I nodded to every bare- 
 faced lie of his two tormenters, I felt as if I / 
 partook a fresh draught of a cordial elixir 
 * Large necklace. 
 D 4 
 
56 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 that almost made life perfect happiness. 
 The list was at length swoln to four thou- 
 sand rupees instead of two thousand, the 
 sum of which the carcoon had possessed 
 himself. He was ordered to make the whole 
 good to the last pice, and to be imprisoned 
 until he had so done. I was now dismissed 
 from my service in a civil capacity, and 
 appointed clerk to a paugah, or corps of 
 five thousand men, and so removed entirely 
 from Sawunt Rao. This was very morti- 
 fying to my pride ; but I was, after all, well 
 off to escape with my life, besides punishing 
 my old friend, the carcoon. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 5Tj 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 I had just entered upon my new service, 
 and presented myself to the Sudar, Khun- 
 deo Rao Baboo Rao, when despatches ar- 
 rived with orders for us to march for Indore, 
 Holkar's capital. We set out as soon as 
 was practicable after the receipt of the 
 order ; and here it may not be amiss if I 
 endeavour to delineate a Mahratta army, 
 the first time I saw it in marching trim. 
 A Mahratta army consists in general of 
 horse and foot of every neighbouring nation, 
 religion, and costume. In truth, it makes 
 a very motley appearance, as it is under no 
 discipline, and destitute of a regular uni- 
 form. Few of the men in the same line, 
 D 5 
 
.58 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 either cavalry or infantry, have weapons of 
 a like form. Some are armed with sword 
 and shield, others with matchlocks or mus- 
 kets; some carry bows and arrows, others 
 spears, lances, or war-rockets. Many are 
 expert with the battle-axe, but the sabre is 
 indispensable to all. The men in armour, 
 of whom there are many to make up the 
 variety, cut a very curious appearance. A 
 helmet covers, not only the head and ears 3 
 but protects the shoulders. The body is 
 cased in iron network, or in a thick quilted 
 vest. They give the preference to a straight 
 two-edged sword before the curved one 
 used by the Persians and Arabs. They 
 have no regular commanders, according to 
 the rule of seniority. The principal officers 
 are called jummahdars, some of whom com- 
 mand five thousand horse ; others, with the 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 59 
 
 same title, but five hundred. Every rajah, 
 prince, or leader, is responsible among the 
 Mahrattas to the Peeshwa, or head of the 
 empire, for his general conduct. He pays 
 tribute for his district, and attends when 
 summoned with his quota of men, which is 
 regulated by his wealth and population. 
 He is supreme in command over his corps, 
 which is attached alone to him and to his 
 fortunes, and adheres to whatever party he 
 supports. The Mahratta camps display a 
 variety of standards and ensigns. Each 
 chief is distinguished by his own. Red is 
 the prevailing colour, cut in the shape of a 
 swallow's tail, and decorated with zurree 
 puttah (gold and silver tissue). 
 
 After a fatiguing march, we reached In- 
 dore, the capital of Jeswunt Rao Holkar, 
 whose subject and servant I then was. 
 d 6 
 
60 PANDURANG HAIll. 
 
 Mulhar Rao Holkar, one of the comman- 
 ders in the army of the first Peeshwa, was 
 instrumental in extending the conquests of 
 the Mahrattas to the northward ; and, ac- 
 cording to the usual policy of the Mahratta 
 government, received a portion of territory 
 in the province of Malwa for the support of 
 his troops. This happened in 1736, and 
 laid the foundation of the authority of the 
 Holkar family ; for as the oldest prince and 
 family of the primary government declined, 
 that of the principal viceroys, according to 
 the usual custom, became independent. 
 Mulhar Rao Holkar died in 1766, and was 
 succeeded by his nephew, Tuccage Holkar. 
 This prince governed until 1797, leaving 
 four sons, Cashee Rao, Nuilkar Rao, Eitho- 
 gee Rao Holkar, and Jeswunt Rao Holkar. 
 The two first were alone born to him by his 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 6l 
 
 wife. Cashee Rao succeeded Tuccage as 
 the eldest. A dispute soon arose, however, 
 between Cashee Rao and his brother, 
 Nuilkar Rao, who claimed an equal share 
 in the inheritance ; and they both repaired 
 to Poonah, for the purpose of settling their 
 dispute by the intervention of the Peeshwa. 
 Dowlut Rao Scindea at that time exercised 
 a despotic authority over the Peeshwa, and 
 looked upon the opportunity as highly 
 favourable for adding the possessions of the 
 Holkar family to his own. Having made 
 his terms with Cashee Rao, he surprised and 
 slaughtered Nuilkar Rao, and nearly all his 
 attendants, at Poonah, in 1797. The wife 
 of Nuilkar, being left in a state of preg- 
 nancy, produced a son named Khundeo 
 Rao. Scindea obtained possession of the 
 infant, retained Cashee Rao in a state of 
 
62 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 dependence, and proposed to govern the 
 Holkar dominions in his name. The other 
 brothers, Eithogee, and Jeswunt Rao, who 
 had attached themselves to Nuilkar Rao, 
 were at Poona when the latter was mur- 
 dered. Eithogee fled to Kolapor, where he 
 was taken in open hostility, sent to Poona, 
 and put to death. Jeswunt Rao made his 
 escape to Nagpore, and for some time found 
 a shelter there. But the intrigues of Scindea 
 at length prevailed, and the rajah placed 
 him in confinement, from which he con- 
 trived to make his escape. He then fled to 
 a place on the Nerbudda. Scindea, at that 
 time too deeply engaged in securing an 
 ascendancy at Poona, had not leisure to 
 pursue the fugitive, and probably deemed 
 his resources too contemptible to excite 
 serious apprehension. This remissness gave 
 
PANDURANG Hx\Rl. 60 
 
 Jeswunt Rao time to apply the means, 
 which are always at hand in India, for col- 
 lecting an army of adventurers by the pros- 
 pect of plunder. It was not until 1801 that 
 Scindea became alarmed in good earnest at 
 the progress of Jeswunt Rao, and began to 
 collect an army on the Nerbudda. In con- 
 sequence of this determination on the part 
 of Scindea, we were ordered to proceed to 
 Indore. 
 
 Our preparations were now complete, 
 and we were confident of success. For my- 
 self I would much rather have been allowed 
 to stick by pen and ink, than be forced to 
 handle the sword and shield; but all were 
 required to do their best. Our cavalry was 
 a strange rabble, mounted on tall and short 
 horses of every kind and colour. Saddles 
 were always slipping off for want of girths ; 
 
64 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 strings, fastened to any old pieces of iron by 
 way of bits, supplied bridles ; old turbans 
 served for martingales, and tent-ropes for 
 cruppers. A most villainous medley of 
 every clumsy shift under the sun was seen 
 on all hands. The infantry were just as 
 wretchedly accoutred as the cavalry ; every 
 thing was wanting, and nothing regular. 
 Here voices might be heard roaring out for 
 ball, and there for muskets or arms. Those 
 who were not fortunate enough to procure 
 any weapon at all, supplied the deficiency 
 by a bamboo-pole with a bit of iron at the 
 top, which they dignified with the designa- 
 tion of birchee or spear. It came to my lot 
 to serve out to these ragamuffins the neces- 
 sary accoutrements : but they who gave the 
 order to me to do so, never calculated on 
 the scantiness of the magazines ; in conse- 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 65 
 
 quence I was complained against a hundred 
 times a day for what it was not in my 
 power, nor in that of my superiors, to 
 prevent. One said I would not give him 
 a sword: another that I refused him a 
 shield. This man said that " Pandurang " 
 withheld a spear from him; and that as- 
 serted, he could get neither weapon nor 
 answer from me. In vain did I explain again 
 and again, that no more arms were left in 
 the arsenal ; I ended but to begin the same 
 excuse again, and was wearied to death 
 with my office. This was not the only 
 inconvenience I had to encounter; I was 
 in continual fear of being blown to pieces 
 by the rascals who had the care of the 
 ammunition, and went swaggering about, 
 with their matchlocks lighted, amid piles 
 of loose gunpowder, of which they took no 
 
66 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 more notice than if they had been heaps of 
 sand or sawdust. As evening approached, 
 I fancied I should obtain a little rest, when 
 an order came out for me to pay the 
 soldiers, in order to encourage them for 
 the approaching battle. This I found a 
 most arduous task. I had a list of their 
 names, but it was so incorrect as to be use- 
 less to me. The rogues took advantage of 
 several of their names being alike, and press- 
 ed upon me with such avidity that I believe 
 I paid some of them twice or thrice over. 
 At the end of the payment there was a 
 deficiency of money, and I left many un- 
 paid. More complaints were then made 
 against me, but it was in vain I explained ; 
 I was ordered to make good the deficiency. 
 This was just as possible for me to do as to 
 raise a thunder-storm. The vagabonds, 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 67 
 
 who were unfortunate in not getting their 
 money, stuck to me like leeches, perfectly 
 satisfied in their own minds that I had 
 pocketed their pay. I walked off" as fast 
 as I could; but they dogged me about 
 every where, muttering their dissatisfaction, 
 and asking how they were to fight with 
 empty bellies ? One would fling away his 
 cartouch-box, saying he wanted white 
 powder, and would have none of the black. 
 At length I determined to look big, and 
 swore, by all the deities in the Vedas, I 
 would have them blown from a mortar; 
 that they should await my pleasure; and 
 that, if one approached my tent after the 
 evening gun, they should see I would put 
 my threat into effect. A dead silence en- 
 sued among them; but, every now and 
 then, one of them would tap his empty 
 
68 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 belly, and point to his mouth, thus making 
 their half-starved condition the plea for 
 their boldness ; and I must allow their com- 
 plaints were but too well founded, and they 
 were justified in their importunity. Pity 
 was all I had to give them; and I cheered 
 them with the hope of plunder on the mor- 
 row, and the certainty of a glorious victory. 
 At length I left them as forlorn as they 
 came. 
 
 Soon after > the jummahdar sent for me, 
 and inquired if there were sufficient arms 
 and accoutrements for the troops, or rather 
 for his own fifteen thousand men. " Is it 
 possible there can be any deficiency, my 
 lord," I replied, " in this glorious country ? 
 I could have equipped ten times the num- 
 ber, if it were necessary. Never were men 
 so well furnished with abundance of death- 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 69 
 
 inflicting weapons as those of your paugah." 
 — " That's well, Pandoo," said he ; " we 
 have every thing complete you see." — 
 " Very true, my lord," I replied ; " the 
 whole world cannot again exhibit such an 
 arsenal as that of his Highness Jeswunt 
 Rao Holkar." — " Have we not a noble 
 arsenal?" — "You have, indeed, my lord," 
 I replied. The jummahdar was much 
 pleased at my flattery, while I laughed all 
 the time the conversation lasted. On my 
 taking leave, the jummahdar asked, in a low 
 voice, and with a* very significant look, if 
 the pay were plentiful as the arms and am- 
 munition. I told him every man had ru- 
 pees enough to stuff his pillow with, if he 
 chose, and that they were all in high spirits, 
 eager for the hour of battle. He seemed 
 highly delighted, and bade me be early at 
 
70 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 his side the next day, for Scindea might be 
 hourly expected. It was now nine in the 
 evening, and dark; not a soul of the half- 
 starved unpaid soldiers was near, and I 
 began to flatter myself with a good night's 
 rest. I had just concluded my supper, 
 when I heard an unusual bustle outside my 
 tent, and was struck by hearing voices in all 
 directions, crying out, " a jasoos, a jasoos " 
 (a spy, a spy). " Put irons upon him im- 
 mediately," I exclaimed ; and it was done. — 
 In the mean time, I repaired to the jum- 
 mahdar to inform him of the discovery. He 
 was half asleep, and on hearing the purport of 
 my visit at that hour, seemed angry at being 
 disturbed for such a trifle. I asked his par- 
 don, desiring to know what should be done 
 with the spy. " Why, hang him instantly," 
 he replied; and dropped again into his 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 71 
 
 doze. This was full authority enough for 
 me. I went and issued the necessary orders, 
 which were immediately carried into effect, 
 and then retired to my bed, highly pleased 
 at having so well completed my duty, and 
 being perfectly satisfied with my own con- 
 duct. 
 
 The eventful day at length dawned. I 
 awoke early, and opening my tent, looked 
 abroad; all was dark and misty. I went 
 to call a servant, and proceeded groping 
 my way to his tent, rather than seeing it. 
 Between my tent and his was a mango-tree ; 
 and as I crept under its branches, I felt 
 something touch my face, which, on laying 
 hold of it, I discovered to be the body of the 
 spy whom we had hanged on the preceding 
 night. Fortunate was it for me I escaped 
 being seen to come in contact with the 
 
72 PANDURANGHARl. 
 
 corpse ; for in that case I should have been 
 deemed contaminated, and have had to un- 
 dergo several troublesome purifications. I 
 awoke my servant, and we talked of the 
 spy, not being able to guess who he was, 
 as, in fact, no examination of the unhappy 
 wretch had been thought about. On leaving 
 the tent, I saw my faithful inkstand-bearer, 
 who had by his advice aided me in my diffi- 
 culties respecting the murder of Tulsajee. 
 He made a significant signal to me, the 
 cause of which I did not understand. By 
 this time there was light, and the sun was 
 just shewing itself, so that it was easy to 
 distinguish the features of a human being. 
 The inkstand-bearer approached me, and 
 asked if I knew whom I had ordered to be 
 executed the evening before. I observed, 
 that it was only a spy ; and then it occurred 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 73 
 
 to me that I had taken no steps to discover 
 whether the man whom I had put to death 
 were really a spy or not. " Do not be 
 alarmed," said the inkstand-bearer ; " we 
 shall be all busy enough to-day, and no one 
 will be able to inquire whether you have 
 done right or wrong. I, for one, can an- 
 swer, you have cut short the career of a 
 villain, who has but met the fate he merited 
 a little earlier than he might otherwise." 
 — " Who can it be ?" said I. By this 
 time we were pretty close to the mango- 
 tree ; when my companion, without making 
 a reply to my question of who it could be, 
 bade me look up and see if I did not 
 remember that long meagre face. " Good 
 heaven !" I exclaimed, " the carcoon — it is 
 Govindah, my old enemy !" There he 
 hung, as cadaverous and ghastly as in his 
 
 VOL. I. E 
 
74 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 life, if it were possible; and yet I thought 
 death had, on the whole, improved his per- 
 sonal appearance. " How can this be !" 
 I exclaimed ; " pray explain, my good fel- 
 low — tell me how it can have happened/' 
 I then hurried him with me to my tent, 
 where, being seated, he proceeded to in- 
 form me that the carcoon had been closely 
 guarded from the day he was ordered to 
 restore the property of Tulsajee, valued at 
 four thousand rupees ; that upon his arrival 
 at Indore, his family came to him, and ad- 
 vised him to pay the money and get out of 
 confinement ; but he persisted in declaring 
 he had not a rupee in the world ; in short, 
 nothing except the two bangles. His uncle 
 and family, including his mother, made 
 up the sum with great difficulty, and 
 brought it to him. He promised to pay 
 
PANDURANG HARl. J5 
 
 the amount, and endeavour to recover his 
 character. The greedy miser, however, 
 reflecting upon the subject, deemed the 
 four thousand rupees a singular mark of 
 divine favour towards him, thanked his 
 tutelar idol, and, securing the money about 
 his person, contrived to give his guards the 
 slip. He hoped to pass the camp under 
 favour of the evening, and to go none knew 
 whither, not even himself. He had not 
 proceeded far before some of the troops 
 who got no pay that day, and were prowl- 
 ing about for whatever they could lay 
 their hands upon, surrounded and robbed 
 him of his booty, which was sufficiently 
 ample to compensate them for their loss of 
 pay. The carcoon told them he should 
 complain of them to the jummahdar; and 
 .seeing him go that way, they shouted out 
 e 2 
 
76 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 " a spy ! a spy ! " This artifice succeeded, 
 and they who had robbed him, gagged him 
 instantly in the dark, so that, I believe, he 
 was suffocated before he was hung. Thus 
 the carcoon, my enemy, by a singular con- 
 catenation of circumstances, suffered the 
 very fate he was so ready in awarding me. 
 Independently of this, I could feel no 
 pity for the cold-blooded rascal, who ac- 
 cepted from his family a sum of money 
 it impoverished them to raise, in order 
 to restore his character, and then broke 
 prison that he might decamp with it. The 
 ingenuity of the drunken soldiers to prevent 
 the carcoon's making a complaint amused 
 me highly. With my little regard for the 
 subject of their trick, I must say, that, 
 on the whole, I was rather gratified by it 
 than otherwise. I therefore determined to 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 77 
 
 pass the business over in silence ; and, lest 
 the family of the unfortunate man should 
 hear of the circumstance, and make a stir 
 at head-quarters, I deemed it prudent to 
 have the body cut down and buried without 
 delay. 
 
 By this time it was all alive in the camp, 
 which had been a little space before so 
 deathly still. As the day advanced, cla- 
 mour, turmoil, and preparation increased. 
 The drums roared, on every hand, the call 
 to arms. The war-elephants, caparisoned 
 and ready, yelled with impatience, and 
 towered loftily over all other living ob- 
 jects. The neighing of horses, the clash of 
 arms, the buzz of impatient voices, the 
 sounds of command, the inarch of the irre- 
 gular and confused masses to their stations, 
 was a new and impressive scene to my eyes, 
 e 3 
 
78 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 that now, for the first time, witnessed the 
 bustle and excitement of the moment pre- 
 vious to battle. Soon the firing of guns, at 
 first slow and irregular, then more rapidly, 
 convinced me the work of death had begun 
 in some quarter; and it seemed speedily 
 extending itself towards the station of my 
 troop, which I had joined well mounted, 
 and with which I remained with a fluttering 
 heart in awful suspense. The current of 
 battle now rolled close to me, and action 
 soon took away all reflection, for we had 
 enough upon our hands. Our men were all 
 lean kine, and too scantily fed to be much 
 heavier than skeletons. Our horses were 
 in little better condition ; and when Scin- 
 dea's cavalry came down upon us, we were 
 knocked off on the ground before we could 
 strike a blow. In vain I tried to rally and 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 79 
 
 remount my men. I succeeded in prevail- 
 ing upon a few only to rally : the best part 
 of them turned tail and fled, without once 
 looking behind. Thus the division to which 
 I was attached was speedily disposed of. 
 Our infantry getting mixed with the cavalry 
 that had been driven back by Scindea, was 
 taken by it for the infantry of that chief, 
 instead of our own ; and the sabre began to 
 cut away upon them as if they were a field 
 of joanee (standing corn.) I laboured in 
 vain to rectify the mistake, and stay the 
 carnage of our own men : my voice was lost 
 in the scene of death and discord, the rush 
 of rockets, and the groans of the dying. 
 How long this scene might have continued 
 before it could have been put an end to I 
 cannot tell, if the attention of the cavalry 
 had not been drawn to something which, 
 £ 4 
 
80 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 even in the heat of battle, was truly appal- 
 ling to the sight, and made them, even 
 there, think of self-preservation. A wounded 
 elephant rushed in among them. Mad with 
 the pain of a ball he had just received, he 
 rolled his unwieldy bulk through and over 
 the slashed infantry, and among the terri- 
 fied horse. Beast and rider were over- 
 turned and crushed beneath his tread, and 
 all that lay in his path became victims to 
 his fury. This effectually put a stop to the 
 havoc the cavalry had begun, as the horses 
 took fright and bore their riders off the 
 scene of action, leaving their own broken 
 infantry to be trampled to death by the 
 enraged beast, — at least, that part of it which 
 they had not kindly mangled themselves. 
 At this moment the cavalry of Scindea 
 charged our artillery, and captured it all, 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 81 
 
 together with our baggage. This was 
 decisive. Jeswunt Rao Holkar saw his 
 world-conquering heroes disperse in every 
 direction, and the battle terminated in leav- 
 ing Scindea no enemies in view, the pur- 
 sued soon leaving their conquerors far in the 
 rear; the virtue of leanness, which served 
 us so ill in the battle, being now of singular 
 service in making our escape. 
 
 In this my first battle I escaped unhurt ; 
 but I was sorry to find this was not the case 
 with my old benefactor : he was not ex- 
 pected to survive the severe wounds he had 
 received more than a few hours ; and when 
 we halted, which, finding our enemies pur- 
 sued us but a short distance, was not a long 
 time after the battle, I went to see him. 
 He had received three musket balls in the 
 shoulder, and a sabre-cut in the neck, 
 e 5 
 
82 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 while a spear had been driven through his 
 thigh. No one knew what to do or how to 
 treat his wounds. He was perfectly cool 
 and collected, recognizing me. immediately, 
 and pointing to a small box, which he or- 
 dered to be opened. From this box he 
 ordered a silver kurdoorah * to be taken. 
 This, he said, had been found upon me 
 when I was rescued from among the bul- 
 locks. " You may some day find out by it, 
 Pandoo/' said he, "who are your parents." 
 I kissed his hand, and my tears flowed fast 
 upon it; I recollected the protection this 
 best of all the Mahrattas had afforded me 
 in the most helpless circumstances of life. 
 His family arriving at that moment, I with- 
 drew with a heavy heart. The Brahmins 
 prayed, his relations uttered loud lamenta- 
 
 * A chain for the waist. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. S3 
 
 lions, and the doctors prescribed ; but 
 Sawunt Rao died. 
 
 As soon as the grief of Sawunt Rao's 
 relatives had somewhat abated, I visited his 
 widow and her brother to condole with 
 them ; and before I quitted them, I begged 
 they would take charge of the kurdoorah 
 left me by the deceased. They readily pro- 
 mised me it should be preserved with the 
 family valuables. This was highly to my 
 satisfaction ; and giving it to them, I re- 
 spectfully bade them "farewell !" 
 
 e 6 
 
84 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 Holkar, after his disaster, so quickly re- 
 paired the losses he had sustained near In- 
 dore, that he found himself, early in 1802, 
 able to commence fresh operations. He 
 determined, however, to change the scene 
 of action from Malwa to Poona. Cashee, 
 his brother, who had been allowed to repair 
 to Kandeish, had for some time shewn 
 symptoms of a disposition to join in making 
 war upon Scindea. In order to preserve 
 the dominions of the Holkar family, Jes- 
 wunt Rao determined to liberate, if possible, 
 the infant Khundeo Rao; and as Cashee 
 Rao was, from natural imbecility, unable 
 to govern, he determined to proclaim the 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 85 
 
 infant head of the family; and accordingly, 
 as his uncle, demanded possession of his 
 person. He likewise stated that he should 
 himself take the administration of the go- 
 vernment, and should march upon Poona 
 to obtain justice of the Peeshwa, who had 
 long been in a state of the most abject sub- 
 jection to Scindea. Before the middle of 
 1802, Holkar, according to his threat, took 
 the field with a well-disciplined force, com-, 
 pared with that which had so lately been 
 beaten by his enemy. Soon after we com- 
 menced our march to the south. 
 
 Scindea was fully alive to the danger 
 which threatened his interests at Poona, and 
 detached a large portion of his army under 
 one of his most able generals, towards that 
 place. This force arrived in the vicinity of 
 Poona in time to effect a junction, unmo- 
 
86 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 lested, with the troops of the Peeshwa. I 
 took care, having learned something from 
 my past experience, that I would not want 
 money and ammunition again. Our army 
 was indeed a formidable one : our last de- 
 feat was a sad scene of confusion and dis- 
 grace, and we had to regain our credit. 
 The day of my second battle approached, 
 and we were far more efficient than on the 
 first, and every thing was in the best order. 
 On this occasion we commenced with a 
 smart cannonade, which was continued for 
 three hours, until my jummahdar, with 
 his cavalry, supported by the rest of the 
 sirdars, charged Scindea's line of infantry, 
 and putting them to the rout, obtained a 
 decisive victory. We then pushed on for 
 Poona ; but, when only a few miles from 
 its walls, the Peeshwa sent to propose terms 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 87 
 
 of accommodation, which Holkar at once 
 rejected : we had, therefore, another battle 
 to fight. We lost no time, and our cannon 
 again roared over the plains, to the Peesh- 
 wa's discomfiture. He fled from the field, 
 leaving in the hands of his minister certain 
 engagements he wished to effect with the 
 English. Holkar followed, in hopes to get 
 the Peeshwa into his power ; but we were 
 too slow in our motions to cut him off. Our 
 leader wished to get the Peeshwa, to make 
 the same use of him as Scindea had done. 
 Holkar, the Peeshwa's minister, and the 
 English at Poona, held consultations, and 
 endeavoured to bring about an accom- 
 modation between the two parties, the 
 particulars of which I could not learn. 
 Holkar and Scindea., however, again be- 
 came friends, and united themselves with 
 
88 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 the Berar Rajah ; while, during these ami- 
 cable arrangements, the English escorted 
 the Peeshwa back again to Poonah, and 
 placed him upon the musnud once more. 
 This happened about seven months after 
 our victory. The object of Holkar^ Scin- 
 dea, and the Berar Rajah entering into 
 this confederacy, was to subvert the alliance 
 formed between the English and the Peesh- 
 wa. It was now evident we should have 
 to encounter the Topee Wallas* who 
 would give us more trouble, according to 
 report, than we had had yet, and in a way 
 to which we were unaccustomed. Scindea 
 and Holkar being united, I was put upon a 
 new footing, and had the command of 200 ca- 
 valry, following Scindea's army in its march. 
 At Assaye we opposed a great English ge- 
 
 * English troops. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 89 
 
 neral. He attacked our left wing, and we 
 changed the position of our guns and in- 
 fantry. The English advanced to the 
 attack; our fire was dreadfully destructive 
 to them, and we so thinned the right of their 
 line, that a body of our cavalry was induced 
 to charge it, of which number I was one. 
 We thought ourselves to be doing business 
 pretty satisfactorily, until we found that the 
 enemy's cavalry was in reserve to intercept 
 us. They repulsed us with great slaughter. 
 Those English are large powerful men, and 
 the weight of their sabres almost annihi- 
 lated my poor troopers. They unhorsed 
 numbers of us merely by riding against 
 us. I was so served for one, and, with 
 many others, feigned myself dead. Our 
 army being routed, fled, and the English 
 pursuing them, left the guns they had cap- 
 
90 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 tured in their rear. These I proposed to 
 turn upon them ; we got up and did so with 
 great effect. It was clear we made our shot 
 tell pretty well, for a body of the Topee 
 Wallas, with their general at their head, 
 rode up to put a stop to the firing. The 
 general had his horse killed under him. 
 At this time our troops still hovered about 
 one part of the English line. At length 
 we fled, leaving ninety-eight pieces of can- 
 non and seven standards in the hands of 
 the English, with 1,200 of our men killed. 
 
 After this fatal defeat nothing prospered 
 with us. Assyghur and Burhampoor were 
 taken, and every thing seemed lost. Scin- 
 dea at last sent Goparrah, one of his offi- 
 cers, to the English, and the latter selected 
 me to accompany him. We proceeded to 
 the English army, and had a conference 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 91 
 
 with the genera], who was dressed in a long 
 red coat covered with gold. Many of his 
 sirdars were equally well arrayed, and 
 were attending him at the time. This was 
 the first time I had ever been so near a 
 white person. The general sat on a 
 throne,* and we upon the carpet, as usual. 
 It struck me as most extraordinary to see 
 them wearing shoes and boots when walking 
 on a carpet, just the same as if they had 
 been on the open plain. I saw one of the 
 sirdars filthy enough to spit in his hand- 
 kerchief, and then put it into his pocket 
 again, which nearly turned me sick. Go- 
 parrah felt full as much disgust as I did at 
 the sight. The general first demanded our 
 credentials : but we had none to produce ; 
 and this made us liable to be turned out of 
 * The natives so call a chair. 
 
92 PAtfDURANG HARI. 
 
 the camp disgracefully; but we were suf- 
 fered to remain until the time necessary for 
 sending to our master for them had elapsed. 
 These documents were necessary to verify 
 our powers to treat, and without them we 
 ought not to have been sent. In the in- 
 terim, Scindea despatched a letter, stating 
 that he had determined to forward another 
 commission, and disavowing Goparrah and 
 myself. This was a most cruel trick to 
 play us, as we might have been justifiably 
 hanged up as impostors. But the English 
 commander was well aware of the tricks of 
 our sovereign, and believed our assertions, 
 adding, he was fully convinced the master 
 and not the servants were to blame. He 
 informed us of our dangerous situation, and 
 dismissed us. 
 
 More battles succeeded. That of Argaum 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 93 
 
 was the next, where we lost thirty-eight 
 pieces of cannon, and finally scampered off, 
 as at Assaye. I now thought fortune had 
 for ever forsaken us. Gewilghur, a strong 
 fort, was taken from us, and I clearly 
 saw the English had every advantage, and 
 nothing was left us of which to boast. The 
 Rajah of Berar made a separate treaty 
 with the English, and we were left to sus- 
 tain the conflict alone. Scindea, at last, was 
 obliged to make terms with his enemies. 
 He ceded Broach in Guzerat, Ahmednugur 
 in the Deccan, and other strong places, to- 
 gether with a vast extent of valuable terri- 
 tory. My old master, Holkar, though he 
 engaged to join the other chiefs, had 
 hitherto abstained from active operations 
 himself in the war against the English. I 
 had become quite a partizan of Scindea, 
 
94 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 for Holkar had no objection to letting his 
 officers help Scindea's cause, though he 
 himself deemed it prudent to keep aloof. 
 He always pretended great friendship for 
 the English ; he was, however, discovered 
 by them, and intelligence reaching them of 
 his having murdered three persons on a 
 false accusation, they determined to take 
 away his dominions and give them to Scin- 
 dea. The latter was of course delighted at 
 this prospect : I was in the mean time obliged 
 to devote my services to the defence of the 
 fort of Deeg. The English are perfect 
 war-tigers ; they drove us out, and we fled 
 to Bhurtpoor, leaving our cannon behind 
 us. The loss of Deeg was a sad blow to 
 Holkar and the Rajah of Bhurtpoor, who 
 had joined us, and still kept the city. This 
 place was eight miles in extent, and sur- 
 
PANDURANG HAlii. 95 
 
 rounded by a mud wall of great thickness 
 and height. A broad ditch filled with 
 water was at the foot of the wall, and the 
 fort was situated near the eastern extremity, 
 mounted with a numerous artillery. The 
 whole force of Rungeed Sing was thrown 
 into it, while we were forced to entrench 
 ourselves under the walls. The English 
 opened their batteries, and fired on the fort 
 for two days. At night we stockaded the 
 breach effected during the day. At length 
 they advanced to the storm as if nothing 
 could overcome their perseverance. They 
 crossed the water that lay between them 
 and the walls, and gained the foot of the 
 breach, surmounting every difficulty. Here 
 they made many wonderful efforts without 
 success. Again and again they boldly 
 but ineffectually attempted to mount. We 
 
96 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 tumbled them back again, and made dread- 
 ful havoc, which we rejoiced exceedingly 
 to witness; their chief sirdar was killed 
 in leading them on. Day after day, with 
 unabated perseverance, they attempted to 
 gain their object, and as often failed. Once 
 they were very near it, for the colours of 
 one of their native regiments were planted 
 within a short distance of the summit of 
 our walls. We repulsed them, however, 
 with terrible slaughter. On the following 
 day they renewed the attack ; and we dis- 
 charged grape shot, logs of wood, and pots 
 of combustibles upon them, killing and 
 knocking down all who attempted to ascend. 
 They were at last forced to retire, and we, 
 enjoying our victory, feasted ourselves day 
 and night. But, notwithstanding our brave 
 defence, we were ultimately obliged to come 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 97 
 
 to terms with our foes, and peace was con- 
 eluded between Holkar, Scindea, and the 
 English. We now returned to Indore, where 
 my services were no more wanted, and I was 
 ordered to go about my business ; but I was 
 not singular in being treated thus, and 
 therefore could not complain. 
 
 I had now to consider what was to be 
 done ; Sawunt Rao no more, and not one 
 being in the world with whom I could make 
 interest to get a situation. My stock of 
 cash hardly amounted to 100 rupees — a very 
 small sum to begin the world with again. 
 I parted with my sword, but retained my 
 kuttar or dagger, and muffling up my head 
 in a white shawl, I took my departure from 
 Indore. About five miles from the city I 
 reached the hut of a Gossein.* but hesitated 
 * A religious mendicant. 
 
 VOL. I. F 
 
98 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 about going near its miserable inhabitant. 
 These scoundrels are the pest of the neigh- 
 bourhood where they reside. Their habit 
 is the only thing from which they can claim 
 a semblance of virtue. They profess poverty, 
 but grasp at every good thing they can lay 
 their hands upon, wherever they go. They 
 are clothed in a ragged mantle, and carry 
 a long pole, and a mirchal or peacock's 
 tail. They never leave off importuning 
 every class and order of people they see, 
 and even threaten, if they find it will best 
 answer their purpose, in case their rapacious 
 demands are not satisfied. I was anxious 
 to inquire my way to Poona, and reluc- 
 tantly tapped at his wicket, calling " Oh 
 Baba, oh Majvajraj? No one replied, and 
 opening the wicket, I discovered thick smoke 
 issuing through the roof and over the door- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 99 
 
 way. I felt alarmed lest the hut should be 
 on fire ; and thinking that, if I entered, I 
 might be of some service in extinguishing 
 the flames, I crawled in ; for so small was 
 the entrance, it even required dexterity to 
 accomplish the getting through it. I could 
 not see nor breathe for the smoke, though 
 I could not discover any flame. At last I 
 perceived a spark or two of fire, and on 
 approaching to extinguish it, I stumbled 
 over something that seemed to be the body 
 of a man, dead or alive. I lost not a moment 
 in putting out what fire was there, and 
 examining further, found a body, covered 
 with ashes and dirt, apparently lifeless. I 
 dragged it into the open air ta ascertain the 
 truth, and found it was a wretched Gossein, 
 the probable inhabitant of the hut. The 
 air, assisted by a little water, restored the 
 f2 
 
100 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 body to animation. He opened his eyes, 
 exclaiming " drry, any" an exclamation of 
 surprise, and then relapsed into insensibility. 
 More cold water flung in his withered face, 
 revived him, and he asked " who it was that 
 thus disturbed his slumbers ?" I explained 
 to him his danger, and that but for me he 
 would have been suffocated or burned to 
 death. He made no other reply than a de- 
 mand for alms. I dared not discover all my 
 wealth, but gave him a few pice, pleading 
 my poverty for not bestowing more. I saw 
 he had been eating bang,* and this readily 
 accounted for his insensibility and heavy 
 sleep. He made no inquiry as to the safety 
 of his habitation, nor once inquired if the 
 fire had gone out of itself. I demanded the 
 road to Poona. He heeded me not, but 
 * A preparation of opium. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 101 
 
 continued mumbling to himself as if count- 
 ing money. I repeated my questions, and 
 lie answered by asking what I wanted at 
 Poona. He could not have put a more 
 puzzling query to me at that moment, as I 
 could not tell my business there myself. I 
 spoke the truth, therefore, when I said " I 
 did not know ; I have been turned out of 
 Holkar's service, and am searching my for- 
 tune elsewhere." He ruminated some time, 
 and then said, " Holkar is mad, Scindea is 
 a fool, and Badjeroa, the Peeshwa, is both 
 foolish and mad at the same time. Cringe 
 no more to them or their underlings for 
 bread. Have you not Brahma the creator, 
 Vishnu the protector, and Siva the destroyer 
 for masters — aye, better masters than they ? 
 Throw aside all your notions of pomp and 
 parade, and take up your mirchal, your 
 f 3 
 
102 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 pole, and your wallet, and follow me. If 
 you must go to Poona, I will accompany 
 you; there are fools enough there, and we 
 may reap a pretty harvest." On saying this, 
 he produced those emblems of religious 
 mendicity — the peacock's tail, the pole, the 
 wallet, and leopard's skin to swing at my 
 back. 
 
 I had often heard that these Gosseins 
 realized great sums of money, and thinking, 
 in my destitute situation, it might lead to 
 some good, I determined to try the advice 
 given me. My religious friend now equipped 
 me in the proper way, but first stripped 
 me, and in so doing discovered my hoard of 
 rupees tied tight around my waist. He 
 made no remark whatever on seeing them, 
 but proceeded to grease, me all over, from 
 head to foot, and then covered me with 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 103 
 
 ashes and dirt. My hair lie tied up on the 
 crown of my head. Then I had the staff of 
 my order put into my hand, together with 
 the peacocks tail ; the wallet and skin were 
 slung over my shoulders ; and thus arrayed, 
 I followed my preceptor to Poona, he 
 being equipped in a manner similar to my 
 own. I found on the road that my tutor's 
 name was Gabbage Gousla, and he ap- 
 peared to be a character pretty well known 
 every where ; each traveller we met calling 
 out, " Bam, Bam, Gabbage f" upon which 
 Gabbage always bellowed forth some bitter 
 complaint of hunger and poverty, and ge- 
 nerally cheated the credulous traveller of 
 his rupees. He remarked to me how callous 
 the people were become, since the war, to 
 his warnings and invocations of Ram and 
 Seeta ; " therefore," said he, " we must cut 
 f4 
 
lOif PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 ourselves, and let the blood flow plentifully; 
 for it is considered as much as their lives are 
 worth, to be the cause of spilling our blood," 
 — "True," said I, "but I really hope we 
 shall not be obliged to have recourse to this 
 severity." — " Well, let it be prepared at all 
 events," said he; "here is a very sharp 
 knife ; you need only draw the edge across 
 your arm and the business is done." We 
 entered Foona through a street of banyan 
 shops. " Here is a harvest for us !" said 
 Gabba£e. We then stationed ourselves 
 opposite a shop where grain was selling, 
 and Gabbage began singing out pretty 
 loud : — " Ram, Budjunta Ram, Sadjoo Bud- 
 gelis Seeta Ram — Ram, Ram, Seeta Ram:" 
 No money coming, he repeated the same 
 words again, adding, " Rass, Pandoo, 
 rassf — cut, Pandoo — cut." I must own I 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 105 
 
 did not relish this business at all. It appeared 
 I was to have all the pain, and very little 
 of the profit; so that, when he repeated the 
 words '• cut, Pandoo — cut," I said " Cer- 
 tainly, Ma,ha,raj,"and gave him a slice on the 
 arm. He instantly set up a dreadful howl, 
 scarcely equalled by that of Hybatty when 
 he found his treasure and life lost together 
 irrecoverably. The old villain charged me 
 instantly with attempting his life. He told 
 the people we had saved a few rupees 
 between us, which I carried about with me ; 
 that being our joint property, I wished hjs 
 death, that I might possess them all myself. 
 I was immediately surrounded, my rupees 
 taken from me, and I was carried before a 
 great Brahmin, who was at the head of the 
 police of the city. There I was stigmatized 
 as a murderer, and had great difficulty in 
 f5 
 
106 PANDURANG HAUL 
 
 persuading them I was not one. The 
 sanctity of my profession, however, saved 
 me from condemnation or long imprison- 
 ment; but I was ordered to quit Poona 
 directly, which no inclination of my own 
 was wanting to second, as quickly as I 
 could get away. I had thus the comfort of 
 being parted from the old impostor Gab- 
 bage, and his profession, which was some 
 consolation in my heavy misfortune ; I had 
 seen quite enough of both to disgust me. 
 But though I had the world all before me ; 
 I knew not where to go, naked and des- 
 titute as I was. My first step was to wash 
 myself from the filth in which I was covered, 
 and to clean my hair from the matted dirt 
 Gabbage had plastered upon it. For this 
 purpose I proceeded to a large tank near 
 the road, and bathed myself deliciously — 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 107 
 
 never did water seem so grateful to me. 
 Hunger now was my next inconvenience, 
 and I determined to combat it as long as I 
 could. But I was in no long time obliged 
 to resign the contest, and lie down under a 
 tree to rest, — I felt so faint from want. 
 I had not lain long when I heard a jingling 
 of bells, by which I knew bullocks were 
 approaching, and I determined to suppli- 
 cate their driver for a morsel to relieve my 
 suffering. He drew near, and on my telling 
 him my state, he slowly unloosed his wallet, 
 sat down beside me, and shared between us 
 his coarse brown aps* He then asked me 
 whither I was going ? I told him it was a 
 matter of perfect indifference to myself; 
 I cared not where I went. On this he told 
 me he was going to Bombay ; that he was 
 * Coarse bread. 
 F 6 
 
108 PANDUHANG HARl. 
 
 employed by a shopkeeper of the Topee 
 Wallas to drive bullocks with goods to the 
 Englishmen at Poona, and was then re- 
 turning; that if I chose, I should go with 
 him, and he would advise me to look out 
 for some employment at that place. He 
 also assured me that wages were good, and 
 regularly paid. 
 
 I now considered within myself, and 
 asked the driver what I could do there, 
 and what employ I could get. He told me 
 I might become a palankeen bearer, and get 
 seven and a-half rupees a month — a rate of 
 wages not to be refused ; or I might labour 
 at the cotton works, where I might get ten ru- 
 pees in the same time ; or at the wet-docks ; 
 or be a gardener; I might else be a peon, wear 
 a badge, and have some little authority in 
 the bazaar; or turn sepoy in the Com- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 1011 
 
 pany's service. To the last proposal I at 
 once put a negative; I had lately seen enough 
 of fighting. The driver said he had left 
 me to my choice as to employment ; and I 
 replied that if he could get me the situation 
 of peon, or messenger wearing a badge, I 
 should prefer it. He said he thought he 
 could, but I must not expect to be a go- 
 vernment peon at once, and I had better 
 begin by serving his master, the shopkeeper, 
 first; that I should have little to do, and 
 it might lead to promotion. I instantly 
 agreed to the proposal. I had a good 
 chance of success ; for his wife's brother was 
 chief packer in the warehouse, and the chief 
 packer was on good terms with the head 
 carpenter, and the latter was related to one 
 of the under clerks, who was very intimate 
 with the head clerk, as the latter was with 
 
110 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 the Topee Wallas, all of whose business he 
 managed for them, and such interest could 
 not fail. I could scarcely suppress a smile 
 at the ladder by which the fellow designed 
 I should mount to a peonship. I told him 
 it must succeed. He then asked me what I 
 would give him in that case. I told him 
 half my month's wages. " Say three months," 
 he replied, " and I am your man. My 
 name is Nursoo, and you may put up at 
 my house. I have no place but the veran- 
 dah or the cow-shed for you to sleep in, but 
 this you must not mind — do you agree?" 
 I answered, " Certainly;" reflecting on my 
 miserable lot. We then proceeded to 
 Bombay, and I assisted him to drive his 
 cattle along the road. 
 
 In the course of our journey I inquired 
 who this Company was of whom we heard so 
 
PANDURANG HARI. Ill 
 
 much. There were the Company's territory, 
 the Company's sepoys, and Company's 
 hookimis, or orders, talked of wherever I 
 went. He said that, according to some 
 accounts, he had heard the Company was an 
 old Englishwoman, aunt to the king of the 
 Topee Wallas, and that she had got so 
 much money she might buy the whole 
 world, were she not over anxious to have 
 our country first. Then again he told me 
 that some of the Topee Wallas say " John 
 Company,"* and he knew that John was a 
 man's name, for his master was called John 
 Brice, but he could not say to a certainty 
 whether " Company" was a man or wo- 
 man's name. Finding he could give me no 
 account on which I might rely, I asked no 
 more questions on the subject, as Nursoo 
 * For joint company ; a corruption. 
 
112 PANDURANG HARJl. 
 
 seemed to possess but a scanty information 
 respecting it. 
 
 At last we arrived at Parwell, where we 
 left our bullocks and took boat for Bombay. 
 In a short time we saw the city and fort. 
 The vessels surprised me by their size ; they 
 were indeed a fine sight — such flags, and 
 standards, and guns, and tall masts, and 
 white sails, as I had no idea of before. The 
 fort struck me much by its beauty; but 
 when I got inside it, I could not help express- 
 ing my astonishment at finding the large 
 square filled with bales of cotton. " Why 
 don't they take them away ?" I asked with 
 some surprise of my companion. Nursoo 
 answered, " Remove them, indeed ! they are 
 the very heart and soul of the Topee 
 Wallas; they get their rupees by them — 
 let them alone for trading, my friend." I 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 113 
 
 was going to say it was wrong not to keep 
 the fort clear for resisting an attack : but I 
 checked myself, as it might not be prudent 
 to shew too much military knowledge. At 
 length we reached Nursoo's house. I spread 
 my mat in the verandah, and having eaten 
 some rice bread, soon fell asleep. 
 
 Whilst my friend was making interest for 
 me with the packers, carpenters, and clerks, 
 I had abundant leisure to make my obser- 
 vations upon the country and its inhabi- 
 tants. Bombay is an island containing every 
 description of human beings: Hindoos, 
 Parsees, Musselmen, Jews, Turks, Arme- 
 nians, Arabians, Portuguese, and English- 
 men. The Parsees were very numerous, and 
 very fine men ; ingenious, and enterprizing, 
 but extravagant, fraudulent, and the most 
 abominable liars in India, or second only to 
 
114 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 the Mahrattas. The English had a go- 
 vernor, whom 1 saw, together with a ge- 
 neral and judge, who wore dresses made 
 differently one from the other. The first, 
 a blue coat, cut with two tails ; the second, 
 a red coat; and the third, a black, save 
 when on the seat of justice, and then he 
 had a red loose gown like an Arab, and 
 covered his head with white ashes, which 
 recalled my friend Gabbage Gousla to my 
 mind again. The shops abounded in the 
 most beautiful things in the world for sale. 
 Many of these were quite new to me, and I 
 never had a knowledge of the use of them: 
 all was grand and beautiful in my eyes, 
 the more when it is considered that I had 
 just emerged from amid tumult, strife, and 
 misery. I lounged at the barbers' shops, 
 drank toddy with the Mahrattas, talked 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 113 
 
 with the Musselmen, and finally went home 
 to learn my fate from Nursoo, and whether 
 a place could be obtained for me. I found 
 that, in a few days, I should have a chance 
 of succeeding; and I borrowed eight ru- 
 pees of him upon interest, on the strength 
 of my prospects. I agreed very well with 
 Nursoo and his family, the latter consisting 
 of a boy and two girls. I even blessed my 
 good fortune, that had conducted me to a 
 place of quiet and rest, such as I had never 
 before, enjoyed. 
 
116 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 After a delay of a few days, Nursoo in- 
 formed me lie had secured the situation 1 
 desired. I therefore got in readiness to 
 take upon myself the duties of my new 
 office, and accompanied him to the place 
 where the goods of my employer were 
 kept. I had not been there long before I 
 saw the Topee Walla shopkeeper, who, to 
 my surprise, was in a constant bustle, angry 
 with all around him, and talking in bad 
 Hindustanee to one, and in his own lan- 
 guage to another. His face was quite pale, 
 and he appeared much distressed by the 
 intense heat. I was introduced to his no- 
 tice by the head clerk, M,hadaje Sinor, 
 
PANDUftANG HARI. 117 
 
 between whom and my new master some 
 conversation passed in English, the purport 
 of which I did not comprehend. I was 
 then invested with a red belt, having a 
 brass plate attached to it, on which some 
 Topee Walla or English characters were 
 engraven. My business was to wait at the 
 door, carry about notes, and accompany the 
 coolies from house to house with articles 
 from the shop. I had not been more than 
 a year in this situation when I became 
 heartily sick of a service, in which there 
 was no chance of profit beyond my wages, 
 and very little of promotion. The Topee 
 Walla seldom spoke to me, and when he 
 did, it was as if he were addressing a dog. 
 It mattered not, however, as I could never 
 make out a syllable of his bad Hindustanee. 
 I could perceive by his manner, notwith- 
 
118 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 standing, that he thought me a butt, against 
 which he might vent his anger with im- 
 punity. One day, after he had been in 
 one of his angry and insulting fits, I began 
 to consider how I should quit a service I 
 detested, when the clerk gave me a note 
 to take to " the gentleman who lived in a 
 tent on the Esplanade." I did as I was 
 commanded. The Topee Walla Sahib read 
 it, and his countenance changed with anger, 
 which I could see was about to fall upon 
 me. I waited patiently, till he furiously 
 asked me how I dared stand at his tent 
 waiting an answer. He darted from his 
 seat upon me like a tiger would upon his 
 prey, struck me with his fist on the side 
 and face, and finished by kicking me out 
 of the tent. I was so surprised, I could 
 not strike him in return nor defend myself; 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 119 
 
 but I returned to my master, and told him 
 of the usage I had received. He told me 
 he would have the officer punished. My 
 master did so; and I learned that the 
 officer was fined 100 rupees. The note I 
 bore him contained a bill, as I afterwards 
 found, which he could not then pay; and, 
 instead of venting his rage on the money- 
 lender, he chose to do it upon the bearer of 
 the demand. I determined not to forget 
 the usage I got from this man. 
 
 In a short time my master was obliged 
 to reduce his establishment, and discharged 
 me ; but, at my request, obtained a place 
 for me as peon in a house of agency. Here 
 I found one of the best and kindest masters, 
 and most generous and liberal men I ever 
 
 saw. His name was K n. He kept 
 
 race-horses, carriages, and dogs ; gave great 
 
1<20 PANDURANG HAIU. 
 
 dinner-parties, and seemed to have every- 
 thing money could command. I could not, 
 however, make much profit here, nor did I 
 feel I was made of consequence enough in 
 my own opinion. I was still unsatisfied; 
 I wished to get into a police office, and be- 
 come a government peon. I at length 
 made friends with the clerk in that office, 
 
 and on the first vacancy left Mr. K n, 
 
 and took upon myself the badge of my new 
 place. Here I felt myself more at home. 
 I could hasten or retard the business 
 of a complainant in proportion to the 
 rupees he put into my hand. Then, when 
 in attendance, to superintend the punish- 
 ment of the rattan, I could mitigate or 
 increase the pain, in the execution of the 
 sentence, according to the sum given me. 
 At night, none were so zealous and attentive 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 121 
 
 as I was in apprehending rioters and 
 thieves who could not pay ; but those were 
 sure to be let off who could. The Par- 
 sees will find money to prevent any of 
 their caste being disgraced. When any of 
 this tribe were implicated in a crime, I 
 foiled not to exact pretty high fees for 
 their escape. By these means I laid by a 
 few hundred rupees, and hired a house, and 
 an old woman to cook for me. I buried 
 my money in an inner chamber, where the 
 old creature was not permitted to enter. 
 
 There were so many persons implicated 
 in various irregularities, that my master 
 had plenty of business falling to his share 
 in the morning, and I had constant oppor- 
 tunities of bringing myself to his notice. 
 He thought all was going on excellently 
 well in his department, and I did not un- 
 
 vol. I. G 
 
122 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 deceive him, as I was certain the state of 
 things could not endure long. This con- 
 sideration made me the more exorbitant 
 in my exactions. Month after month 
 passed away, and still all remained calm. 
 I converted my cash into gold bangles, 
 necklaces, and silver rings, that I might 
 be in readiness to decamp with my wealth 
 about my person, should a storm arise. I 
 even now applaud my caution; for in a 
 short time a storm did arise, though not 
 in our office, and by a chain of events 
 it implicated us. The person at the 
 head of the treasury was in the habit of 
 entrusting the keys of the money-chests 
 to the chief clerk, named Shackje, and 
 simply contented himself with reckoning 
 the balance remaining every Saturday. 
 Shackje was too much of a Mahratta not 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 123 
 
 to turn this confidence to account. As 
 soon as the treasurer was gone, having 
 counted his money previously, Shackje 
 and others concerned admitted the mer- 
 chants and shroffs of the town, and let 
 them take the Company's money, paying 
 interest for the use of it to Shackje and 
 Co., under promise of bringing money for 
 an hour or two to replace what was want- 
 ing on the following Saturday, when the 
 treasurer counted the cash again. Some 
 person, who was dissatisfied with his share 
 of the plunder, informed the treasurer of 
 these doings. The latter kept the whole a 
 secret, nor once allowed the clerks to guess 
 he was well acquainted with their proceed- 
 ings. Saturday approached, the money 
 was counted, and found right, as the 
 books shewed it ought to be ; and when it 
 g 2 
 
124 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 was locked up again, the treasurer took 
 away the keys, saying, that in future he 
 should keep them himself. A thunderbolt 
 striking Shackje could not have stunned 
 him more ; he well knew the consequences. 
 His master did not appear to notice his 
 confusion at all. In an hour or two the 
 unlucky clerk was surrounded by banians, 
 soucars, and shroffs, as numerous as flies 
 settling upon a carcase. No money could 
 be had. In the bazaar, houses failed, shroffs 
 and soucars stopped payment, ruin ap- 
 peared every where, and trade was stag- 
 nant: the merchant-borrowers and mo- 
 ney-lenders all were aghast. 
 
 The management of the Topee Walla 
 treasurer, in securing to his employers all 
 their money, was excellent ; any other line 
 of conduct would have rendered the loss 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 125 
 
 irrecoverable. No Mahratta could have 
 done better or exceeded in ingenuity and 
 sagacity this English treasurer. Shackje 
 was an intimate acquaintance of Filchajee, 
 the head clerk in our police-office, and at 
 this time was frequently at his house. Both 
 these specimens of Mahratta virtue sent 
 for me. They gave me a paper myste- 
 riously folded, desiring me to find out a 
 Byraggee or religious mendicant, famous 
 for his skill in magic, and deliver it to him. 
 I found him accordingly, but had pre- 
 viously thought proper to read the com- 
 munication. It enclosed a request that he 
 would bewitch the treasurer, and put him 
 to death by a charm ; and if common con- 
 juration could not effect the object, the 
 magic of the sword was to be practised. If 
 successful, they agreed to give him 200 
 g3 
 
126 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 rupees. The byragge was nearly in dark- 
 ness when I entered his cell. Giving him 
 the letter, he went to a window to read it ; 
 and the light falling on his countenance 
 discovered, to my surprise, the old vaga- 
 bond, Gabbage Gousla. It was he whom 
 they had bribed to commit murder, and a 
 better man could not have been selected 
 for such a purpose. I muffled myself up 
 as well as I could to prevent detection. He 
 returned no written answer, but desired I 
 would tell my employers their business 
 should be done, but they must send the 
 rupees. I left him and reported his reply. 
 They had a long consultation ; at last the 
 rupees were produced, and I was despatched 
 with the bag. I thought it would be a sin 
 not to pocket fifty of the two hundred, and 
 trust to my ingenuity to deceive the old 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 127 
 
 villain. Arrived at his cell, I told him my 
 masters had determined on sending him 
 only 150 rupees, until the business was 
 done. — " What business ?" said he, with 
 a peculiar quickness. " How should I 
 know ?" I replied ; " I only gave their 
 words." — " Well," he observed, " it shan't 
 be long ere I get the remainder." On re- 
 pairing to the office the following day, I 
 found all in confusion. Gabbage had been 
 seized, and the papers found upon him. 
 Shackje was apprehended, but he stoutly 
 denied all knowledge of the matter. The 
 police-master was assiduous in endeavour- 
 ing to find out the conspiracy. The trea- 
 surer, whose life was implicated in the 
 affair, was no less so. Gabbage was silent, 
 and was remanded. On the following day 
 the affair was pursued still further. The 
 g 4 
 
128 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 head of the police talked very lightly on 
 the subject, and seemed to wish to impress 
 on the public, that he looked upon the 
 whole affair as a jest, or as a nonsensical 
 Hindoo conjuration, scarcely worth notice. 
 Gabbage was again examined; and, to my 
 dismay, stated, that I had brought him the 
 note, mentioning my name, and thus im- 
 plicating me. I now found he had recog^ 
 nized me, when I little suspected it. I 
 was immediately seized, imprisoned, and 
 left to my own reflections. The day of 
 trial arrived, and Shackje was brought 
 before the court ; but when they came to 
 the cell of Gabbage, he was not to be 
 found. The cunning old rascal had effected 
 his escape; by what mode could not be 
 discovered. The Mahrattas attributed it 
 to his skill in magic; and so prepossessed 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 129 
 
 were they with this notion, that not one of 
 them would attempt to hunt for him, be- 
 lieving it an utter waste of labour. The 
 place of trial was crowded; Shackje, Fil- 
 chajee, Gumbiah, and myself were charged 
 with conspiracy to murder the treasurer. 
 The two first were found guilty, and sen- 
 tenced to imprisonment and to public whip- 
 ping. Gumbiah and myself, being con- 
 sidered as ignorant tools, were acquitted. 
 The police, however, had orders to ferry 
 us across the water to the Mahratta coun- 
 try; and we were threatened with punish- 
 ment, if we ever shewed ourselves in Bom- 
 bay again. Previous to our sailing from 
 Bombay, we heard that the police-master 
 had been committed to prison on the charge 
 of receiving a bribe from Shackje, to 
 screen him from the storm raised against 
 g 5 
 
130 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 him. How this matter terminated I never 
 learned. 
 
 Gumbiah, who was ordered to be sent 
 away with me, was a peon in the treasury- 
 office, and, as well as Shackje, was now 
 ruined. We looked very foolish when 
 placed in the boat that was to convey us 
 away. Nursoo, the bullock-driver, my old 
 friend, was absent; so I could not take 
 leave of him. When we arrived at Par- 
 well, my companion and myself proceeded 
 towards the Ghauts, intending to go to 
 Poona, where I hoped I should not now 
 be recognized. I had about 800 rupees 
 on my person, which I concealed from 
 the sight of Gumbiah, who made several 
 attempts to discover if I was as poor as 
 himself. " I know," he said, " you had 
 money, as well as all the peons in the 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 131 
 
 police-office, who were reported to be rich V" 
 I said in reply, " it was true ; but all were 
 not as unfortunate as myself." He then 
 wanted to know what I had done with my 
 money. I told him I had buried it in my 
 house ; from which, being so suddenly re- 
 moved, I had not time to take it. He said 
 I was very unlucky to lose my money, and 
 that whoever found it would be very for- 
 tunate. No further conversation took place 
 respecting it. On arriving at our halting- 
 place we found a lodging, eat our rice, and 
 retired to rest, intending to proceed early the 
 next morning on our journey. On waking 
 I missed Gumbiah ; he was no where to be 
 found, and I did not doubt he had retraced 
 his steps to Bombay, for the purpose of 
 trying to get at my buried treasure. I 
 enjoyed a hearty laugh at the fellow's 
 g6 
 
132 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 avarice, and figured to myself his dis- 
 appointment, and the risk he incurred on 
 entering Bombay again. — " Vishnu protect 
 him," said I to myself, " though he be gone 
 on a fool's errand." I began to ascend the 
 Ghauts, and had already proceeded some 
 distance, thinking how I should dispose of 
 my wealth to the best advantage, when I 
 beheld a body of horse approaching. Now, 
 whether they were Pindarees or regular 
 native troops — friends or foes, I was 
 equally sure of being plundered. I had 
 not a moment to spare ; to conceal my 
 person was impossible, and the conceal- 
 ment of my treasure was nearly as difficult. 
 I proceeded, however, to the foot of a 
 mango-tree, and there dug a hole, and 
 deposited my little all, keeping no orna- 
 ment but one silver ring on my person. I 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 133 
 
 had good reason to applaud my foresight ; 
 for the horsemen were Pindarees, who, 
 when they came up, stripped me, searched 
 me for plunder, and finding nothing, or- 
 dered me to be their guide to a particular 
 village. " Alas, my poor treasure ! and 
 must I leave it, and in such a dangerous 
 place, too, hardly earned as it was ! I shall 
 be again moneyless !" I was thus inwardly 
 complaining, when the stroke of a sabre 
 on my shoulder stopped all further thoughts 
 respecting my lost treasure. " Scoundrel," 
 said the fellow as he struck me, " where 
 are you leading us? By the holy cow, 
 if you go wrong I will make you a head 
 shorter !" I again pleaded my ignorance 
 in vain, and we pursued our way until we 
 arrived near a fort. The Pindarees declared 
 I was playing the part of a traitor; and 
 
134 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 some of them proposed to hang me, lest I 
 should betray them to the English. I 
 swore no English were near, and that I 
 detested them. They renewed the cry, 
 " Hang him ! hang him !" and I certainly 
 was never nearer execution before. We 
 were now between two deep ravines, and 
 just turning a corner, when a hundred 
 muskets were opened upon us at once. 
 Down dropped the Pindarees and their 
 horses with them — there was no escape. 
 Those who did not fall on receiving 
 the first volley, galloped off, some from, 
 and others into, the jaws of the enemy. 
 Among the latter I was one, though for- 
 tunate enough to escape with a wound in 
 my shoulder, which gave me great pain. 
 The enemies who thus attacked us were 
 the English, garrisoning the fort ceded to 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 135 
 
 them by the Peeshwa. Spying us first from 
 the battlements, they had lain in ambush 
 for us in the ravine. 
 
 I was taken care of and attended by a 
 doctor, who extracted the bullet, and dress- 
 ed my wound. The doctor's mild behaviour 
 and tolerable knowledge of the language, 
 induced me to explain to him that I was no 
 Pindaree, as he might observe, and had not 
 even a sword with me, nor any offensive 
 weapon. He promised to represent my case 
 to the commander, and did so. I was sum- 
 moned to attend the officers of the garrison, 
 when I told them the truth as to my falling 
 in with the Pindarees, and how rejoiced I 
 was at their being dispersed. The com- 
 mandant promised to let me go when my 
 wound was healed, and in the mean while 
 sent me among his own servants. The fa- 
 
136 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 mily of the officer in command consisted of 
 himself, his wife (an English lady), and one 
 daughter, whom we called Jane Bebee, her 
 real name was Juliana; but Jane being more 
 adapted to the pronunciation of the Hin- 
 doo, we always knew her by that appella- 
 tion. Her father had a number of horses, 
 among which I almost lived. I paid so 
 much attention to their department, that he 
 took a great liking to me. Among his stud 
 was a small pony of a jet black colour, on 
 which the lovely Jane used to ride ; but in a 
 very strange manner, having both her legs 
 on one side of the horse. The poor animal 
 was accustomed to it, and so the young lady 
 and pony agreed perfectly well. I took 
 great pleasure in cleaning or superintending 
 the cleaning of this pony, or tattoo, as we 
 call it, and gave Miss Jane high satisfac- 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 137 
 
 tion, which her beautiful eyes never failed 
 to display. Never were features more re- 
 gular and beautiful than hers : I could gaze 
 upon them from sunrise to sunset, and still 
 admire. Jane Bebee spoke Hindostanee a 
 little, and frequently praised me for the care 
 taken of her pony, or, as she called it, her 
 dear Mottee. At such times I would bow 
 to the earth, lay my hand on my heart, and 
 say I was her slave. In short, so much did 
 I think about her, and so little of my bu- 
 ried gold, that when I recovered of my 
 wound, I forgot to demand my liberty. I 
 had only recovered from one wound to re- 
 ceive another more severe. " Oh, Jane Be- 
 bee," I exclaimed to myself, " thy fetters 
 bind me here stronger than those of thy 
 father !" Fool that I was to cherish such 
 notions — a poor Hindoo vagabond like me ! 
 
138 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 All I could do was to curse my destiny, and 
 admire in silence my beautiful mistress. One 
 day she had gone out of the fort to ride, 
 and remaining longer than usual, her family 
 became alarmed at her absence. 1 was des- 
 patched to find out the cause; when (I 
 never shall forget that moment) I met her 
 at the gate of the fort bleeding and insen- 
 sible, borne on a litter. The pony, her 
 favourite, had flung her off upon rocky 
 ground. I was eager to learn whether she 
 was dangerously hurt. I found her arm 
 was broken, and she had received several 
 bruises on the head. I ran to the doctor, 
 followed by a second messenger, crying, 
 " Doctor, doctor, Jane Bebee is no more !" 
 and he proceeded to the assistance of the 
 lovely sufferer. Many days elapsed before 
 she recovered the effects of her accident ; 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 139 
 
 but when she first made her appearance, I 
 eagerly embraced the opportunity of mak- 
 ing my salaam, which she acknowledged by 
 a most gracious smile. A length, wearied 
 and despairing from the hopeless contem- 
 plation of an object that could not live for 
 me, I deemed it best to separate myself 
 from the spot, and bury, if possible, all my 
 remembrance of her. 
 
 I now began to direct my thoughts to my 
 buried treasure, and was ruminating on the 
 first step to be taken to obtain leave to de- 
 part from the good commandant, when some 
 of the sepoys, with whom I had contracted 
 an intimacy, informed me that they were 
 i^oing to be relieved and marched back to 
 Bombay. The commandant and his family 
 alone were to remain. The new corps that 
 came to take their place before they depart- 
 
140 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 ed, I saw march in ; and among the officers 
 was the man who had treated me so ill on 
 presenting him a letter from my master on 
 the esplanade. I felt all my Mahratta spirit 
 of revenge burn within me at the sight; 
 and I determined to remain longer in the 
 fort, to enable me to carry my threat of 
 vengeance into execution. How I should 
 accomplish it, I left to destiny. This officer 
 seldom noticed any of the native men ; and 
 if he had condescended to cast his eyes 
 upon me, I should have little feared a re- 
 cognition. I observed that he went very 
 frequently to the commandant's, and this 
 made caution on my part doubly necessary. 
 I soon found that Jane Bebee was the star 
 of attraction there, and it quickly became 
 rumoured that he had demanded her in 
 marriage of her father, who had declined the 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 141 
 
 proposed honour. I rejoiced at his dis- 
 appointment, as it saved me much trouble, 
 for I had secretly determined she never 
 should be his. I knew not how I should 
 have been able to prevent it ; but to do so 
 I was resolved, cost what it would. I swore 
 by the holy cow, that the lieutenant, of all 
 other men, should never wed her. Whether 
 Jane felt much disappointment I cannot tell ; 
 I could not perceive that she did, or that 
 her health or spirits were at all affected by 
 her father's decision. The lieutenant's visits 
 were now less frequent than usual ; one 
 day, however, he came and continued a 
 long time, and on leaving the house I ob- 
 served him slip something, which I doubted 
 not was money, into the hand of the ayah, 
 or serving-woman of Jane. Significant nods 
 were exchanged, but not a word spoken; 
 
142 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 and the officer went his way. " Well," 
 thought I, " good fortune attends me in- 
 deed. This must be looked into narrowly. 
 Now or never is my time for revenge." My 
 first step was to make friends with the ayah. 
 For this purpose I purchased some fresh 
 betel-nut and pawn-leaf, which I folded 
 into the shape of a cane tipped with gold 
 leaf. Thus furnished with the key of in- 
 timacy, I soon found an opportunity of 
 seeing her alone, and began my attack by 
 praising her beauty and presenting her with 
 the gold- tipped pawn-leaf. This was to be 
 plastered over with fine chunam, and the 
 preparing it conveniently rendered it ne- 
 cessary for the ayah to squat herself down, 
 which action was the prelude to confidential 
 chat. I presented my silver chunam-box, 
 the contents of which she readily devoured 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 143 
 
 when she had spread them on the leaf. I 
 began by praising her mistress, and touched 
 upon the proposals she had received from 
 the officer, lamenting the father's refusal. — 
 " Aye, aye," said the ayah, spitting out 
 her pawn-juice, " lovers don't mind what 
 fathers say." — " But in this," I said, " they 
 must mind." — " Not if I can help it," said 
 the ayah. — " I would I could help also," 
 said I, hypocritically. — " You can then," 
 said she, " and be rewarded, too, into the 
 bargain." — " You know I would do any 
 thing for Jane Bebee." — She replied, " I 
 think I may trust you ;" and I swore by 
 the holy cow to keep her secret. She then 
 commenced a relation of the plans deter- 
 mined upon by the mistress, though first 
 suggested by the lieutenant, and supported 
 by the ayah. " You know," said the ayah, 
 
144 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 " that the drawbridge on the north-side 
 of the fort, when lowered, brings you to 
 the sally-port ?" I nodded assent. " Well, 
 then, the sally-port being open, you enter 
 the commandant's garden." — " True," said 
 I ; "go on." — " Into the garden, you know, 
 Jane Bebee's window looks. Now, if you 
 can get a ladder into the garden, the lieu- 
 tenant will mount it, take away his mistress, 
 proceed to Seroor, and there marry her. 
 Her father will see the propriety of con- 
 senting, when they have been so long to- 
 gether ; or at least of forgiving them, when 
 the marriage is concluded." — " Get me the 
 key," I said, " and I am the man you 
 want. Success is certain : but when is the 
 time fixed ?" — " To-morrow night, at twelve 
 o'clock," was the reply. " If we can get 
 the keys of the drawbridge and sally-port, 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 145 
 
 no other difficulty remains." — " If you suc- 
 ceed," said I, " when will you give them 
 to me ?" She replied, " at eight o'clock the 
 next evening." We then agreed I should 
 meet the lieutenant at the stables at eight 
 o'clock, going there before gun-fire, and 
 not approach the fort again until twelve ; 
 then suffer him to ascend the ladder, await 
 his descent^ take away the ladder again and 
 conceal it, lock the sally-port, swim the 
 ditch, and enter the fort early in the 
 morning. For this, three hundred rupees 
 were to be mine. I agreed to every thing, 
 and I left her. 
 
 I had now to consider how I might best 
 take my revenge on the officer. I did not 
 wish to touch his life, but only to involve 
 him in some serious trouble for the insults 
 and disgrace he had inflicted upon me. 
 
 VOL. I. H 
 
146 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 After turning over the matter for some 
 time, it struck me at last that the best 
 method would be to suffer the lieutenant 
 to mount the ladder, and then remove it; 
 lock the sally-port, and, retiring, give the 
 alarm of thieves: the commandant must 
 then, I imagined, discover the lieutenant in 
 his daughter's room. No better plan ap- 
 pearing practicable, I determined to enforce 
 this. The evening came, the gun fired, and 
 I was at my post. The ayah came trembling 
 with the keys, and I set off before the gates 
 were closed, the lieutenant following my 
 steps in silence. I proceeded to the spot 
 where the ladder lay, and we sat down op- 
 posite each other, the lieutenant every now 
 and then inquiring how time went. The 
 first bell tolled twelve. Up we went, he 
 helping me to carry the ladder. The draw- 
 
PANDURANG HAR'l. 14<7 
 
 bridge was unlocked by the ayah from with- 
 in, and the sally-port unclosed. We then 
 entered the garden, placed the ladder, and 
 the lieutenant mounted to the window. He 
 had no sooner entered than I, eager to ac- 
 complish my plans, began to lower the 
 ladder, without in my hurry reflecting 
 upon its weight ; while bending under it 
 my foot slipped, and down it came with 
 a loud crash, breaking a lower window 
 in its fall. Aware of my danger, I arose 
 quickly, but only to fall again, for the cen- 
 tinel on the ramparts seeing me, levelled 
 his musket and shot me in the leg. The 
 alarm was given — blue lights burned — and I, 
 nearly unable to move, knew that to remain 
 was certain death ; I therefore made shift 
 to hobble off on one leg, shutting and 
 fastening the sally-port, and crossing the 
 h2 
 
148 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 bridge as expeditiously as I could. I had 
 scarcely reached the other side of the moat 
 when I saw lights, both outside and inside 
 the walls of the fort. I heard hammering at 
 the sally-port from within, and voices call- 
 ing in every direction. Alarm-guns were 
 firing, and every thing seemed in confu- 
 sion. My leg was in horrible pain; and 
 creeping among the bushes, I at last found 
 a hollow tree, into which I got and hid 
 myself, half dead with fear, and hardly 
 venturing to breathe. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 149 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Scouts every hour passed my hiding- 
 place, and I heard them mention my name, 
 as being the only one absent from the fort. 
 At last a party of sepoys rested themselves 
 close to the tree where I was concealed. 
 " Here is a pretty toofan !"* said one of 
 them. " Aye," said the other, -' a greater 
 one took place in the Buna Sahib's house !" 
 — " What was that ?" said the first speaker. 
 ;< Why, the commandant rushed through 
 the house with his pistols, and firing was 
 heard in his daughter's room. The women 
 screamed, the men scuffled, but how the 
 poor lieutenant got off I cannot tell." — 
 * Storm. 
 H 3 
 
150 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 " Lieutenant I" said the first, " was he 
 concerned?" — 6i Why yes, to be sure, he 
 wanted to carry off Jane Bebee ; but her 
 screams led her father to suppose he was 
 an unwelcome visitor, and he must be shot, 
 J think, for I heard them call out for the 
 doctor. A pretty toofan indeed has been 
 raised I" 
 
 I was really concerned to find that the 
 poor lieutenant had come off so badly in 
 his beloved's apartments. The sepoys were 
 soon hailed by their companions, and left 
 the spot, to my great joy. My wound now 
 gave me exquisite pain, which was notwith- 
 standing hardly severe enough to quell the 
 pangs of hunger. All being quiet, I 
 emerged from my hiding-place, and set off, 
 without knowing whither to direct my steps 
 or how to travel, for I could not walk with- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 151 
 
 out great difficulty. What with hopping 
 and limping I contrived to reach a brook, 
 on the banks of which I rested and quench- 
 ed my thirst, which was increased by my 
 wound. Though bound up in the best 
 manner I was able, it did not abate in the 
 pain it gave me. I had not remained there 
 long, when I perceived a poor man driving 
 some asses laden with firewood and bricks. 
 I asked him for something to eat, and he 
 produced his humble fare of bread, cold 
 rice, and onions, which seemed to me a 
 most delicious repast. He told me he was 
 going to Poona, and seeing I was lame, 
 offered me one of his asses to help me on. 
 The good-natured creature was anxious to 
 learn by what accident I was necessitated to 
 walk in such circumstances : but it may be 
 supposed I was not very eager to satisfy his 
 ii 4 
 
152 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 curiosity, particularly as I had been residing 
 with the English ; we therefore journied 
 on in mutual silence. I found, to my great 
 joy, we were travelling on the road where I 
 had buried my treasure, and fallen in with 
 the Pindarees. I was sadly perplexed how 
 to get rid of my companion, or how to 
 search for my treasure without his discover- 
 ing me. I thought of several plans to leave 
 him for a short time, but of none that were 
 likely to be successful. At length we ap- 
 proached the spot; and I begged the man 
 to rest a little, as I felt much fatigued. He 
 acquiesced, and sat down under the tree 
 on the very spot where my treasure was 
 concealed. I did not dare to satisfy my 
 curiosity by searching for it. At length the 
 driver proposed we should proceed. I 
 begged him to do so, and I would follow and 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 153 
 
 try to overtake him. " No, no, my friend," 
 replied the provoking fellow, " I cannotallow 
 you to be racing after me ; you could not 
 overtake me, and then would be obliged to 
 remain all day and night in the open air; 
 if you are determined to rest another hour, 
 I will do so too." I thanked him for his 
 kindness, but heartily cursed his untoward 
 conduct. His good-nature was most ill- 
 placed at that moment. We sat another 
 hour, and my curiosity increased irresistibly 
 to know whether my riches were safe. The 
 ass-driver insisted on helping me upon one 
 of his beasts, and I refused as civilly as I 
 could, saying that I had determined to re- 
 trace my steps whence I came. I then bade 
 him adieu, with many thanks for his kind 
 assistance. " What !" said he, " will you 
 return to the place where you were wound- 
 h 5 
 
154 PANDtJRANG HAR1. 
 
 ed, and rush into the very jaws of destruc- 
 tion ? Impossible ! you must do no such 
 thing." 
 
 I assured him I should do so, upon which 
 he offered to lend me an ass, and to accom- 
 pany me, saying he would drive the laden 
 beasts to a village about one coss distance, 
 and accompany me when he had secured 
 them there. This was music to my ears, 
 and I immediately thanked him, acquiescing 
 in the arrangement. The moment he was 
 out of sight I began to dig for my wealth ; 
 but had only turned up a few handfulls of 
 earth, when the neighing of a horse struck 
 my ears, and turning round I saw a com- 
 pany of sepoys, headed by an officer on 
 horseback, approaching slowly towards the 
 tree. My fears told me no time was to be 
 lost, and with difficulty I clambered up 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 155 
 
 among the boughs, which, on account of its 
 being the rainy season, were very thickly 
 covered with foliage. The party came close 
 to the tree, and I discovered that the men 
 wore the same uniform as those in the 
 fort whence I had escaped. " I am very 
 certain," said one, " I saw a fellow near 
 this tree." — " So did I," said another. " It 
 must have been a ghost," said a third. 
 '• Let us wait and see him rise from the 
 earth," exclaimed a fourth. They were on 
 the point of marching away, when to my 
 terror up came the ass-driver, inquiring of 
 the sepoys if they had seen a man near the 
 tree, or met him on the road. They in^ 
 quired what sort of man ; on which the ass- 
 driver described me with the most mortify- 
 ing accuracy, not forgetting the wound in 
 my leg. The officer and men asked him a 
 H 6 
 
156 FANDURANG HARI. 
 
 hundred questions respecting the lame man, 
 all of which he answered with a strict ad- 
 herence to truth. Surely, thought I, this 
 fellow was destined to be my ruin. The 
 soldiers consulted together, and it was re- 
 solved a party should remain there, in hopes 
 of discovering the fugitive. My feelings can- 
 not be described. Evening came, and still 
 they kept their post ; the ass-driver alone 
 made his bow and separated. I now exe- 
 crated the officious fellow, whose unac- 
 countable perseverance in aiding me had 
 drawn me into this scrape. The sepoys 
 were still sitting beneath the tree, when 
 one of them amused himself with digging 
 up the earth with his bayonet close to where 
 my deposit lay. How my heart beat ! I 
 trembled and perspired at every pore. 
 Digging deeper and deeper, the rascal at 
 
PANDUItANG HAR1. 157 
 
 length hooked up a gold bangle. They 
 quietly divided the spoil between them, to 
 the very last article, and could hardly con- 
 tain their joy. To see my treasure thus 
 stolen before my eyes, was too much. But 
 for the pertinacious ass- driver, I might 
 have found it safe as I left it. To think 
 that there I lay, skulking up in the tree like 
 a stupid owl, to witness such a scene, quite 
 overcame me. Losing all presence of mind, 
 I vented my anguish at the sight, in a loud 
 continuous groan. The sepoys started up, 
 and cried " BJiooh, bjiooh! arry, arry /" 
 This cry of " a ghost " reached the ears of 
 the officer, who bid his men fire into the tree, 
 and that would bring him down, if there ; 
 but if in the ground he must be left to him- 
 self. The sound of the ramrods clanking 
 in the barrels of the muskets seemed my 
 
158 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 death-warrant. I cried out instantly, 
 " Sahib, Sahib /—Sir, Sir ! spare me !" On 
 this he laughed heartily, and said to his men, 
 " I told you we should soon bring down 
 the ghost. 1 ' I descended immediately, and 
 was surrounded by the seapoys, who, with 
 loud exclamations of surprise, pronounced 
 me to be the very Pandoo who had given 
 them so much trouble at the fort. My 
 arms were immediately pinioned, and a file 
 of men ordered to guard me with unceasing 
 vigilance. 
 
 I now bitterly repented my selfishness, in 
 not discovering my treasure before the ass- 
 driver ; had I done so, and given him a 
 ring or two, the rest would have been still 
 my own. I now attributed the fellow's care 
 of me to his curiosity, or suspicion of some- 
 thing, at my wanting to get rid of him on 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 159 
 
 that spot; he might have easily judged I 
 had something in view which I did not 
 wish a second person to witness. Had 
 my avarice not prevented my making him 
 a confidant, every thing would have been 
 well ; but it was now too late to derive any 
 benefit from the discovery, except as to the 
 lesson it afforded me for the future. 
 
 I determined to explain to the officer my 
 unfortunate condition, and beg him to re- 
 lease me, and restore me my money. I told 
 him I had been promised money by the 
 lieutenant, to aid him in his plans of elope- 
 ment with the commandant's daughter; 
 that the fear of my life, on having been dis- 
 covered in the garden of the fort, induced 
 me to abscond, and that I had no other 
 design or designs in view. Finally, that I 
 was an unfortunate man, who had been 
 
160 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 taken by the Pindarees, and captured with 
 them, and that before meeting them I had 
 buried my money under the tree. The 
 officer told me that he believed my story 
 about the fort, as the lieutenant and ayah 
 told exactly the same ; but as to the money 
 and ornaments, I told a wilful lie. I so- 
 lemnly asserted the truth of what I said, 
 and enumerated the articles which I saw 
 the sepoys take away. " Point me out the 
 two men," said the officer. I told him I 
 thought I could, and they were ordered 
 before me for the purpose; but their simi- 
 larity in dress and appearance so perplexed 
 me, I could not succeed ; I looked at them, 
 one and one, without success. He then told 
 me he had no orders to detain me ; that he 
 and his party were going to Seroor for the 
 pay of the battalion, but that he must keep 
 
PANDURANG HARl. l6l 
 
 me till he could write and obtain an answer 
 from the fort how to act. As to the tale of 
 my money, he said it was too much like a 
 Mahratta lie to be believed, particularly as 
 I could not recognize the men who took it. 
 Saying this, he ordered me away, and bade 
 the party to proceed to Poona that night. I 
 was hurried along well guarded. 
 
 We reached Poona at the time fixed, 
 and on passing over the wooden bridge, I 
 again saw my tormentor the ass-driver, 
 quietly driving his animals into the town. 
 " So," said he to the sepoys, " you have 
 caught him — is he a thief, a traitor, or a 
 murderer ?" — " Neither," they replied, 
 " only a jungle fowl we caught at roost." 
 The ass-driver grinned, and cast a look at 
 me, which said, " You had much better 
 have trusted me !" I did not speak, but 
 
162 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 with downcast eyes followed my guard in 
 silence. In a day or two we marched for 
 Seroor, where having received the money 
 for pay, we returned again to Poona, and 
 here the officer received instructions to re- 
 lease me. I in vain renewed my supplica- 
 tions respecting my money — they were 
 disregarded, and I was turned adrift in the 
 vast city of Poona, with no means of ex- 
 istence, and no employment. 
 
 When I entered Poona the first time in 
 company with the villain Gabbage Gousla, 
 I passed through Ahmednugur, Seroor, 
 Louee, Corygaum, and Shikarpoor, a road 
 barren and waste, having only a few wretched 
 hamlets scattered over the extensive plains 
 which we crossed in our route. Milk bushes 
 or prickly pear surrounded the hovels of 
 poverty and wretchedness, that, erected of 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 1 63 
 
 posts and mud, afforded little or no protec- 
 tion against the heavy rains of the monsoon. 
 On entering Poona, therefore, after cross- 
 ing the river at the Sangam, or junction of 
 the Moota and Moola streams, the contrast 
 was remarkable between the misery of the 
 former habitations and the splendour of the 
 city. These my adventure in the Gossein 
 character allowed me no time to observe, 
 and now I had unfortunately too much 
 leisure for the purpose. Upon the hill to 
 the left of the city, I saw the ancient 
 Temple of Parvati,* encircled with trees, 
 its summits glittering in the rising sun. 
 The deep solemn sound of the najarrahs 
 from among the recesses of the sacred en- 
 closure, proclaimed that the hour of worship 
 had arrived, and I felt a strong desire to lay 
 * The wife of M,hadeo. 
 
164 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 my humble offering at the foot of the holy 
 altar. Few people were to be seen in the 
 bazaar at that early hour, and I continued 
 to make my observations on the buildings 
 around me. They were far more magni- 
 ficent than any in the part of India to 
 which I had been accustomed. Beyond 
 the bazaar the houses were lofty, and 
 erected part of the way up the walls with 
 stone and strong cement, to repel thieves, 
 who easily effect an entrance into mud or 
 plaster-built dwellings. These houses were 
 terraced ; but many, close to them, being 
 tiled, gave the city a look of great irregula- 
 rity. In the central part I came to an 
 immense reservoir of water, with an ever- 
 flowing fountain in the midst. To live in 
 Poona, near it, must I thought be happi- 
 ness itself. The houses here were large, but 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 165 
 
 had a dull and heavy appearance when they 
 were not whitewashed. They were con- 
 structed of a solid wood framework, filled 
 up with hewn stone, generally granite. The 
 wood-work was beautifully carved after 
 various devices, together with the ends of 
 the beams. The windows were neatly 
 closed with shutters to keep out the heat ; 
 but nothing cheerful appeared to be going 
 forward within. A lazy Mahratta peon 
 squatted at most of the doors, and here and 
 there a Brahminee woman was employed 
 drying clothes on the terraces. Some of the 
 buildings had not a single window next the 
 street, but were built round a small, square, 
 and gloomy court, from whence all the light 
 and air entered. The doors were folding, 
 low, and substantial, and led to staircases 
 so narrow, that only one person could 
 mount them at a time. 
 
166 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 In the centre of the city stood the palace 
 of the Peeshwa, who was named Bajee Rao 
 Pundit Purdhaun Behauder. It was fortified 
 with regular bastions, curtains, and towers : 
 between two of the latter were enormous 
 and massy gates. It seemed to me as if the 
 place must be impregnable to the most 
 formidable enemy. The palace itself I had 
 not an opportunity of seeing, until a curious 
 concatenation of circumstances, which shall 
 by and by be unfolded to the reader, intro- 
 duced me within its precincts. On many 
 of the walls around me were drawn figures 
 of Gunputty,* of elephants, and peacocks 
 with tails of most enormous expansion. In 
 a short time the streets were peopled with 
 
 * Gunputty, or Ganessa, a favourite idol of the Mah- 
 rattas. That captured by the English from the Peeshwa 
 in 1819 was of solid gold, with diamonds for eyes, and 
 covered with jewels. It was valued at £50,000. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 167 
 
 Gosseins and Fakirs; women with copper 
 vessels fetching water from the reservoir; 
 Brahmins proceeding to the temples to per- 
 form their sacred offices ; horsemen pranc- 
 ing about with well-trained animals ; and 
 porters and labourers carrying goods to 
 market. The pavement of the street being 
 rough, the carriages or waggons, drawn by 
 bullocks with bells around their necks, 
 must not be unnoticed : their noise almost 
 deafened me ; but I had no place of refuge 
 to fly to from their distracting sounds. 
 
 Night arrived, the evening gun fired at 
 ten o'clock, and I was still a wanderer 
 in the streets. I went on until, turning a 
 corner, I was laid hold of by two rough 
 fellows, who ordered me to give an account 
 of myself. What I said was not deemed 
 satisfactory, and I was hurried to the Ha- 
 
168 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 beshee Kotwall, the Abyssinian police 
 master. This man instantly demanded of 
 me 100 rupees, as a fine for being in the 
 streets after gun-firing. In vain I pleaded 
 ignorance of the laws. Finding I could 
 not pay that sum, he ordered me to be 
 instantly flogged, and turned into the su- 
 burbs. This cruel sentence was carried 
 into effect, to my surprise and indignation, 
 and I secretly vowed revenge. 
 
 One day a circumstance occurred, which 
 gave me a glorious opportunity of wreaking 
 my vengeance on him, and providing for 
 myself at the same time. Disconsolate and 
 miserable, I was prowling about the suburbs, 
 and had sat myself down on a stone at the 
 back of a solitary and mean looking dwell- 
 ing — the night was dark, and every thing 
 still, when fancying I saw a light in the house, 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 169 
 
 I kept my eye on the window in which it 
 had appeared. It was now gone, and a 
 strange bustle attracted my attention from 
 the interior. I heard a scream — a groan — 
 and then all seemed hushed again to the 
 stillness of the grave. I determined to 
 see whether any thing further arose out of 
 this unaccountable disturbance. The clock 
 struck eleven, and I had heard nothing 
 more — twelve, and all was still silent. At 
 length I observed the shutters of the old 
 window grate on their rusty hinges. I 
 changed my position, to be less in danger 
 of observation, and kept anxiously watching 
 the motions of the inhabitants within. I 
 distinctly heard a person say " Noko 9 noko" 
 or, "no, no; don't, don't," and voices of 
 several persons mumbling in so low a tone 
 as to preclude my comprehending a single 
 
 VOL. I. i 
 
170 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 sentence. At length a heavy substance was 
 thrown out, and fell on the ground hot 
 many yards from where I stood. It seemed 
 to be a body, whether dead or alive I could 
 not tell. I thought that presently some 
 one would come out of the house to remove 
 the victim, to do which a circuit must be 
 made. To be caught there, I was sure, 
 would in such a case be dangerous to me ; 
 yet I was anxious to know if the body were 
 lifeless, and whether that of man or woman. 
 I felt the head, and the length and quantity 
 of hair convinced me it was a woman's, and 
 I fancied it breathed. All this was the 
 affair of a moment. Lifting up the body, 
 I threw it across my shoulders, and hastened 
 to the river. There, by applying water to 
 the temples, and wetting the mouth and 
 lips of the unfortunate creature, I found to. 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 171 
 
 a certainty that she breathed, and rejoiced 
 greatly at my success. I was again taking 
 up my burthen to get to some place more 
 secure, when I saw lights in the direction 
 of the house I had just quitted. Not a 
 moment must be lost. I boldly dashed into 
 the river with the suffering female, and 
 succeeded in gaining the opposite bank in 
 safety. There was a straw stack near, and 
 implements of husbandry. I conveyed the 
 sufferer to the further side, to secure the 
 less chance of discovery from her pursuers. 
 I made the easiest bed I could for her with 
 such materials, laid her on it, and crept 
 cautiously round to observe the motions of 
 the persons in search. 
 
 I now saw lights approach the river, 
 and come down immediately to the bank 
 opposite me. These lights, far from being 
 i 2 
 
172 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 of service to those in pursuit, only served 
 to exhibit them to the pursued. I plainly 
 saw some of them were Gosseins, and more 
 than once fancied that one of them was the 
 wretch Gabbage Gousla. " Surely earth 
 never before bred such a fiend !" thought I ; 
 " his life seems spent in deeds of crime the 
 most atrocious !" They were now close on 
 the opposite bank of the river, and I could 
 distinctly hear them speak. " She must be 
 dead," said Gabbage; for it was him in 
 truth. " If strangling did not destroy her, 
 the fall from the window must have done 
 so," said a second voice; " and even if she 
 plunged into the river, after being able to 
 reach it, she is drowned." — " But what 
 must we tell Trimbuckje Danglia ?" said 
 Gabbage. — " Why tell him the deed is 
 done !" — " But, if she appear again ?" — 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 173 
 
 " Why, then," said Gabbage, " woe be lo 
 us ! But we stay too long here dallying ; 
 some one may discover us. Vishnu save us 
 from Habeshee Kotwall, the police-master !" 
 They then moved off, and I sneaked back 
 to my charge, who seemed getting to herself 
 rapidly. I dreaded the approach of day, 
 but did not deem it prudent to rest 
 until I had found some hut, where I might 
 deposit the woman whom fortune had thus 
 flung in my way. I proceeded to the first 
 village, and tapped at the door of a hut, 
 when a voice within, answered " Koun hue .?" 
 — Who is there ? I requested succour for a 
 poor half-murdered woman, assuring the 
 speaker he should be rewarded if he admit- 
 ted her. The owner opened the door, and 
 " begged I would not saddle him with my 
 difficulties — that he had no money to bribe 
 i 3 
 
174 PANDURANG HA.111. 
 
 his way at court should he be accused." I 
 assured him there was no danger, and he 
 reluctantly consented to accompany me to 
 the place where the unfortunate female 
 lay. We lifted her up, and conveyed her 
 to the cottage, where he promised he would 
 take every care of her, and if possible keep 
 it a profound secret that he had such a 
 charge under his care. I gave him a rupee, 
 not having more than five for myself, and 
 promised him I would return in the evening, 
 directing him what to do for the female, 
 and to keep her on a soft bed, by which 
 means she would recover quicker. 
 
 I hastened back to the city, that I might 
 be there before the morning dawned. I 
 reached it long before the shops were 
 opened, and sat down outside a grain- 
 dealer's shop. He opened his house soon 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 17^ 
 
 after sunrise, and accosted me with " Holla, 
 brother ! what, so early in the markets !" — 
 " Indeed," I replied, " it is from necessity ; 
 not having eaten any thing yesterday, I am 
 famished, and require a pylee* of rice." 
 He eyed me in a curious way, measured out 
 the rice, took my money, but said not a 
 syllable. I cooked my rice in a shed not 
 far off, and then proceeded into the heart of 
 the city. On arriving at the palace, I per- 
 ceived a woman bathed in tears, beating 
 her breast, and crying aloud for justice. I 
 inquired of the bystanders what she wanted, 
 and why she was so overwhelmed with grief. 
 They replied " that she was crying for 
 justice, as her niece, there was good reason 
 to think, had been murdered; she was at 
 any rate carried off, and robbed of her orna- 
 * A measure. 
 I 4 
 
176 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 ments." It immediately struck me that 
 her niece was the unhappy girl under my 
 protection. I considered it impolitic to 
 approach the old woman; but waited for 
 more information as to the particulars of the 
 transaction. m It appeared her cries had 
 reached the ear of the Peeshwa, who was 
 informed of the cause. Habeshee Kotwall 
 was summoned to his presence, and while 
 so closeted I thought I would take the op- 
 portunity of asking something about this 
 just and able superintendent of police at 
 Poona. Habeshee* Kotwall was so called 
 from his birth-place and police situation 
 combined. He was born an Abyssinian, 
 and a most ferocious villain he was in per- 
 
 * Abyssinians are called in India, Habeshees. Habesh 
 is the native name of Abyssinia. Habeshee means a 
 native of Habesh, or, for shortness, Habshee. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 177 
 
 sonal appearance. He had once been a 
 jummahdar in the army, where he had sig- 
 nalized himself by brutal courage. At the 
 termination of the war he was provided for, 
 by having a civil situation given to him, 
 and was reported to be in great favour with 
 the Peeshwa, over whom he had at one 
 time a great ascendancy. How far he 
 would have gone in this respect, it is not 
 easy to say, had he not been supplanted by 
 a still greater villain than himself, Trim- 
 buckje Danglia, who, from the meanest 
 court office, pushed himself into the place of 
 slipper-bearer to the Peeshwa, which situa- 
 tion he held for ten years, and then rose to 
 be sword-bearer. From this time he, being 
 constantly about the person of the imbecile 
 Peeshwa, contrived to supersede Habeshee 
 Kotwall. Between these rivals the bitterest 
 i5 
 
178 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 hatred existed, though it was a hatred 
 mixed with mutual fear. When they met 
 in the street, they eyed each other with 
 deep venom. One stood for ever in the 
 other's way to preferment. Insinuations 
 were constantly poured into the Peeshwa's 
 ear by Trimbuckje against Habeshee, and 
 in the reverse way by the latter. But both 
 being considered useful men, little attention 
 was paid to their mutual malice and its 
 results. Habeshee was the dread of the 
 whole city ; a herd of wild beasts could not 
 cause it more terror. The woolly-headed 
 Trimbuckje was little less feared than 
 Habeshee. The only difference was that the 
 latter carried on his nefarious practices at a 
 distance, while the former did his in the very 
 eyes of the Peeshwa. Habeshee was an 
 open and avowed rogue : Trimbuckje was 
 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 179 
 
 sly and designing; a cool, relentless mur- 
 derer. He had been employed, as some said, 
 in that very capacity by the Peeshwa him- 
 self, who often found it convenient to get 
 troublesome subjects out of the way. 
 
 While Habeshee was closeted with the 
 Peeshwa, the " aswary" or suite of Trim- 
 buckje, arrived at the palace. He himself 
 was informed ere he alighted from his 
 horse, that Habeshee was closeted with the 
 Peeshwa. His anger, as if not conspicuous 
 enough in his face, made his fingers tingle 
 till they grasped his sword-hilt. Had 
 Habeshee been near, he could hardly have 
 escaped. I learned afterwards the cause of 
 his anger on this occasion. Proclamations 
 were issued, and rewards offered for the 
 discovery of a girl, named Sagoonah, who 
 had mysteriously disappeared. The police 
 
180 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 and Habeshee were on the alert. I could 
 not fathom the reason why the Habeshee 
 evinced such extraordinary zeal on the oc- 
 casion. I was also more at a loss to account 
 for Badjeroa, the Peeshwa, taking up the 
 affair so seriously as to interfere personally. 
 But why did Trimbuckje evince such anger 
 on finding Habeshee with the Peeshwa? I 
 could only at last solve the doubt by recall- 
 ing the words of Gabbage the night of the 
 intended murder ; and I became convinced 
 that Trimbuckje was implicated in that 
 black affair. The Habeshee might be aware 
 of his rival's guilt, and desirous of bringing 
 it home to him, and working his downfall. 
 It soon struck me that all my conjec- 
 tures might be verified or falsified by Sa- 
 goonah herself; and I proceeded to the 
 village where I had left her ; for Sagoonah, 
 
PANDURANG HAItl. 181 
 
 I had no doubt, it was that I had rescued. She 
 was still senseless ; and I removed from her 
 throat a small bead-necklace, the only orna- 
 ment remaining upon her, in order to relieve 
 her throat, which bore the marks of the fin- 
 gers of those who had attempted to destroy 
 her. Suspended to the necklace was a copper 
 box or talisman, in which a gold rupee was 
 probably deposited, or some other trifle, as 
 is customary among Mahratta women. Of 
 this necklace I took great care, as likely to 
 afford a cue to the elucidation of the affair. 
 In the evening the female recovered her 
 speech, but not sufficiently to relate her 
 story. She was a most beautiful girl, and 1 
 became much interested in her restoration. 
 
 I now went again to the city, and found 
 that Habeshee had gathered together, from 
 all quarters, magicians, conjurors, and 
 
182 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 astrologers, offering high rewards, in the 
 name of the Peeshwa, to any one who 
 should discover the murderers of Sagoonah. 
 The idea of personating a magician in- 
 stantly struck me ; but, first, it was neces- 
 sary to know a little more myself, before I 
 could pretend to give information to others ; 
 and, secondly, to choose what party I 
 should serve — the Habeshee orTrimbuckje ; 
 so that I might turn my art to the best 
 advantage. I also became more anxious for 
 Sagoonah 's recovery, and returned to her 
 immediately ; I found her better, and able 
 to speak. Her first inquiry was how she 
 came to the cottage. I explained every 
 minute particular to her, and impressed 
 upon her mind the danger of appearing in 
 Poona, and that her enemies would now, 
 more than ever, seek to destroy her. She 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 183 
 
 was convinced by my reasoning; and I 
 begged her to inform me how she got into 
 the hands of the villains from whom I res- 
 cued her. 
 
 She sat up, and began, as well as her 
 strength would permit, to state as follows : — 
 " My name is Sagoonah : my father was a 
 merchant, who failed, and shortly after 
 died. My mother followed him as a suttee*, 
 from which nothing could deter her: she 
 died on the funeral pile. I had been be- 
 trothed several years before my parents 
 died; but the boy who was to have been 
 my husband left Poona with his father, 
 and was never again heard of. I was, 
 therefore, excluded from entering into any 
 new alliance, and have lived ever since with 
 my aunt, my father's sister, in a retired 
 
 * A widow who burns herself on her husband's death. 
 
184 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 part of the city, near the Motee Baugh or 
 Park Garden, where there is a pleasure- 
 house belonging to the Peeshwa. One day, 
 Badjerao came to the garden ; and I, 
 being anxious to see the royal cavalcade, 
 exposed myself at the window, not thinking 
 the misery I entailed upon myself by so 
 doing. As the Peeshwa returned, he looked 
 up at the window, where I was again posted 
 to see him return. Evening arrived ; I had 
 thought no more of the Peeshwa and his 
 elephants. My aunt was unfortunately 
 absent, having gone to a village at some 
 distance to remain two days. While I sat 
 alone, a man, muffled up, entered the house; 
 and, after flattering me, declared he came 
 from the Peeshwa, who, having seen me, 
 had become enamoured of my person, and 
 was anxious to place me in his harem. I 
 
PANDURANG HAUL 
 
 185 
 
 refused the honour, and said I would rather 
 die than consent to it. He then left me, 
 saying, ' I should soon hear more.' The 
 following morning Trimbuckje Danglia 
 came: I was aware of the purport of his 
 visit, and knew he was the pander for his 
 master; so I covered my face with my 
 shawl. He began proclaiming his master's 
 liberality, the number of ornaments his 
 women wore, and which he had bestowed 
 upon them. I refused the offer sternly, as 
 before, and in my earnestness let fall the 
 covering from my face. Trimbuckje gazed 
 a moment in silence at me, and then auda- 
 ciously made the same kind of proposal for 
 himself. He offered to convey me to his 
 village in Kandeish, and to deceive the 
 Peeshwa by a report of my flight from Poona. 
 I replied scornfully, { the Peeshwa shall 
 
186 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 know this before sun-set; I will expose 
 you to bis resentment. Leave me ! ' He 
 went away, muttering curses. I deter- 
 mined to inform the Peesbwa of his con- 
 duct; and in the evening was proceeding 
 to the palace for the purpose, when a boy 
 overtook me, and inquired if my name was 
 Sagoonah. I told him 'yes;' and he then 
 said, ' you must come with me ; your aunt 
 is dying in a house in the suburbs, and has 
 sent me for you.' This scheme answered 
 too well. I followed him to the dwelling 
 whence you took me, and was surrounded 
 instantly by four Gosseins, who attempted 
 to strangle me, having robbed me of all 
 my ornaments, and then thrown me out of 
 the window — the rest of my story you know. 
 I have not a doubt but the Gosseins were 
 agents of Trimbuckje, who wished to pre- 
 
PANDURANG HARL 187 
 
 vent my informing his master of his con- 
 duct." 
 
 In return, I told her I thought she 
 was mistaken ; for I had motives for not 
 agreeing in her too correct opinion. It 
 was dangerous for me to let any one know 
 of what I was informed ; and, next, I had 
 not determined whether Habeshee or Trim- 
 buckje should be the victim of my magical 
 skill. I had settled in my own mind to 
 enter the service of the survivor ; and I had 
 therefore to consider who was likely to re- 
 main longest in power. The inhabitants 
 of Poona, I well knew, only waited for an 
 opportunity to ruin Habeshee. If, then, I 
 could make it appear he was directly or 
 indirectly concerned in the murder of Sa- 
 goonah, that crime, and the other com- 
 plaints that would pour in upon him, must 
 
188 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 effectually crush him, To ruin him, I 
 must have access to Trimbuckje, and se- 
 cure half the reward offered, and a pro- 
 mise of being retained in his service. The 
 disguise I should put on to act the magi- 
 cian, would, when removed, prevent any 
 recognition of my person. Before I pro- 
 ceeded in my plan, I thought of Sagoonah, 
 with whom I was deeply enamoured, and 
 determined, if possible, to sue for her hand; 
 " but will she consent," thought I, " if I 
 am in the service of the villain Trim- 
 buckje?" These considerations induced 
 me to shake her opinion, that he was her 
 persecutor, and to fix it upon Habeshee, 
 who had inveigled her to the house, that he 
 might rob her of her ornaments. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 189 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 I now entered Poona again, and pro- 
 ceeded to Trimbuckje's residence, begging 
 a conference with the owner, as having 
 something important to communicate. I 
 •was desired to wait in the verandah. At 
 length I was informed Trimbuckje would 
 see me, but that I must submit to be dis- 
 armed. I readily assented, and gave up 
 my dagger. I then followed a servant up 
 and down several very narrow staircases, 
 one after another, until I came to a door 
 half open; and saw Trimbuckje sitting 
 cross-legged on the floor, with papers be- 
 fore him, and a large figure of Gunputty, 
 
190 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 with the elephant's trunk, fastened to the 
 wall over his head. His hookah stood be- 
 side him, and he wore a sort of skull cap, 
 with a muslin coat and short breeches. His 
 two-edged sword lay near him, and before 
 him an unsheathed dagger. I bowed to 
 this " prince of darkness," whose com- 
 plexion was of the colour of his heart. He 
 desired the servant to withdraw, and told 
 me to shut the door and sit down. Having 
 obeyed, he began by saying, " he supposed, 
 that, having pushed my interest with Habe- 
 shee Kotwall and failed, I was come to 
 solicit his assistance to aid me at court." 
 I replied, " No, my lord, I am come to 
 make proposals for crushing this Habeshee 
 so effect ually, that no one will ever apply 
 again for his interest there." Trimbuckje's 
 eyes brightened as he looked me full in 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 191 
 
 the face, and doubtingly inquired if I could 
 really accomplish what I proposed? I 
 told him I could; and he desired me to 
 name my terms. I told him " 4000 ru- 
 pees were offered to bring home the murder 
 of Sagoonah to the guilty party; and I 
 ought to have double, if I bring the charge 
 home to a man innocent of it." — " Inno- 
 cent," said he ; " is not Habeshee guilty of 
 the crime?" — " I know he is not," I an- 
 swered, looking him full in the face at the 
 time : " and I know who is." Trimbuckje 
 cast down his eyes, and could not face me, 
 but seemed inclined to anger. I bade him 
 be calm ; I did not intend to betray him ; 
 but I whispered in his ear " Gabbage Gousla 
 Gossein ;" from which he was convinced I 
 knew more than I ought. " Well," said 
 he, " you require 4000 rupees if you fix 
 
192 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 the charge on Habeshee ?" I replied that 
 " I did, and a promise that he would pro- 
 vide for me about his person or in his vil- 
 lage." I then represented how impossible 
 it would be for him to deceive me ; when, 
 to shew he was in earnest, he opened a 
 chest and took out 1 000 rupees, which he 
 gave me in part payment of the reward. He 
 next asked me how I proposed to act? I 
 told him " in the disguise of a magician ; 
 that I should get introduced to the Kotwall ; 
 and if, by such means, I should establish 
 my accusation, I intended to be allowed 
 to pronounce the result of my conju- 
 ration before the Peeshwa himself. I did 
 not fail to urge that, before commencing 
 operations, as many petitions must be 
 obtained as possible by him, Trimbuckje, 
 from the inhabitants, complaining of Habe- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 193 
 
 shee's conduct; so that, together with my 
 accusation, his disgrace and punishment 
 must be certain." I also bid him mind, 
 that when the Peeshwa gave orders to 
 search Habeshee's house, a durbar, or police- 
 officer, should have men in waiting, and a 
 confidential person be employed to search 
 the Kotwall's gar dee or pillow, where he sits 
 in his durbar, and bring to the Peeshwa's 
 presence whatever may be found there ; and 
 that no other proof would be necessary: 
 for, though not actually guilty of the crime 
 imputed to him, he had been guilty of a 
 thousand equally bad ; and the public good 
 required that he should no longer oppress 
 the city. Trimbuckje was highly pleased 
 with my cunning stratagem, and promised to 
 fulfil all my instructions. I took care to 
 carry away the rupees given me, and to 
 VOL. i. K 
 
194 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 take and lodge them in the cottage to 
 which I had conveyed the lovely Sagoonah. 
 I must confess I felt some hesitation at 
 first, and feared I was going rather too 
 far in fixing on Habeshee the horrible crime 
 of murder; but I reflected on the infamy of 
 his character, his universal conduct, and 
 his cruel usage of me, who had committed 
 no crime ; this removed every compunc- 
 tion from my mind respecting him. Taking, 
 therefore, the necklace of Sagoonah with 
 me, I proceeded to Poona early the fol- 
 lowing morning, having previously provided 
 myself with a magician's dress. I put it 
 on in a field, that the owner of the cottage 
 might not witness my metamorphosis. v It 
 consisted of a long white coat of muslin 
 hanging down to my heels, and gathered in 
 at the waist, so that the upper part ap- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 19«5 
 
 peared like an abundance of petticoats, and 
 being new, rustled as I went along. On my 
 head was a high stiff red cap, with snakes 
 painted all over it. A red shawl, in the 
 shape of a belt, was tied with a high knot 
 on my left side. A long Persian kuttar was 
 stuck in my belt, and a brass chain around 
 my middle. I wore high-heeled shoes, and 
 had a bell in my hand to imitate the Jun- 
 gum priests. 
 
 Thus accoutred, I entered Poona, and 
 sat down at a barber's shop, as if fatigued 
 with long travel. The people that came in 
 stared at me : as they well might, for I must 
 have cut a most singular appearance. The 
 barber asked me if I wished to be shaved. 
 I replied, " Magicians, my friend, must 
 nominate the day of shaving, not the 
 barbers. If you would take my advice, my 
 k2 
 
196 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 friends, do not allow a hair to be removed 
 from your heads to-day." Saying this, I 
 rang my bell, and cried out, " Arry, arry, 
 kuhea tegasta leta tula set buradia chugnhum 
 set phraw aguhum;" words in which there 
 is no meaning all. " Pray, sir," said the 
 barber, " is that Sanscrit, or what lan- 
 guage?" — "May be it is Jadoo,"* I re- 
 plied, in a solemn and deep voice. The 
 poor barber's customers took the alarm, so 
 superstitious were they all, and glided out 
 of the shop, one by one, leaving myself and 
 the barber there alone. The poor fellow 
 did not much thank me for depriving him 
 of his customers, and begged me to leave 
 his shop, or he should be ruined ; adding, 
 "if you are a magician, there is plenty of 
 work for you at the Kotwall s Chowryf in 
 * Magic. f Police-office. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 197 
 
 the market-place." — " Fellow," I replied, 
 " let those who want me seek me." — " Arry, 
 arry" said the barber, " I did not seek you, 
 and why did you come to my shop ?" — 
 " Dolt !" I answered ; " do you think I 
 came hither from choice — that chance led 
 me ? No : it is written in the great Pu- 
 dubmishtah Veebeeshunah long ere you or I 
 were born, that we this day should meet. 
 Your face was described in those mystic pages 
 as accurately as if a skilful painter had 
 drawn your features, and doubtless destiny 
 ordained this day for our meeting, that I 
 might prevent the havock you would other- 
 wise have made on the chins and heads of 
 misguided men. Shave but another man, 
 and you will surely die. The terrified n,hae, 
 or barber, put up his razors and quitted 
 the house, leaving me sitting and mumbling 
 k 3 
 
198 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 nonsense in the middle of the room. Thou- 
 sands of people came in all directions to 
 look at me. Even Brahmins were con- 
 founded. At last I heard a cry of " Make 
 way," and the barber entered, bringing with 
 him a jummahdar of police. I felt alarmed, 
 fearing my schemes would get me another 
 flogging, instead of heaping riches and ho- 
 nours upon me. The jummahdar, however, 
 to my great joy, made me a profound bow, 
 and begged me to accompany him to his 
 master's office, he having heard of my ar- 
 rival, and having a matter of great diffi- 
 culty in his hands, which required my skill 
 to explain. " Friend," I replied, " let thy 
 master come himself; I rise for no hireling." 
 Away went the jummahdar, and soon re- 
 turned with Habeshee Kotwall himself in a 
 splendid palanquin, with trumpeters, sword- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 199 
 
 bearers, and chobdars* running before 
 him. The air resounded with the vocifera- 
 tions of " Make way for the eater of moun- 
 tains and the swallower of rivers — the 
 mighty and merciful Habeshee Kotwall, 
 Buchardar !" I could scarcely refrain from 
 laughing at the last epithet bestowed on the 
 most merciless of vagabonds. In came the 
 most merciful, when, in a moment, awe- 
 struck at my appearance, he bent down 
 to the earth, and begged me to exert my 
 skill in the divine art of magic, in an affair 
 of great importance. I informed him the 
 day was not propitious — but in vain; he 
 implored me to come to his house or to the 
 chowry. " To the latter, if you please," 
 said I. " I cannot go to your house, you 
 * Bearers of silver sticks. 
 K 4 
 
200 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 are an Abyssinian. A palkee * was got 
 ready, and I was placed in it with great 
 pomp and parade ; and Habeshee, not think- 
 ing how he was aiding the work of his own 
 destruction, arrived at the office. I was led 
 to the seat of honour, the magistrate's 
 own gardee or seat. It was a carpet with 
 a pillow to lean the back against. The 
 office or chowry was crowded to excess. I 
 felt alarmed at my own impudence; and still 
 more, lest one of many eyes present should 
 discover my manoeuvres yet. I took an op- 
 portunity of slipping the bead-necklace of 
 Sagoonah into the covering of the pillow, 
 and felt certain no one saw me. I then de- 
 manded the reason why I was summoned 
 there. The Kotwall placed himself near 
 
 * Palanquin. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. "201 
 
 me, and explained the case, taking care 
 to hint that Trimbuckje Danglia had 
 been seen at Sagoonah's house on the 
 morning of her disappearance. " This, in- 
 deed, looks bad," said I, " as respects 
 Trimbuckje. What am I to receive for 
 my pains?'' The Kotwall said, "4000 ru- 
 pees were offered by the Peeshwa." — " Give 
 them to me," I said; "but he refused, yet 
 had no objection to give me half, the re- 
 mainder to follow when the business was 
 done. I stipulated that I should be allowed 
 to report to the Peeshwa, personally, the 
 result of my incantations. The Kotwall 
 agreed to this, and asked me where I would 
 perform my magic rites. I informed him 
 that any room in the chowry would do, 
 provided I could be alone, and furnished 
 with the necessary articles. I demanded 
 k 5 
 
202 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 a chafing dish, charcoal, eggs, ghee, a 
 living black-legged fowl, limes, and two 
 needles, with hot and cold water, and some 
 earthen pots. The collection of these ar- 
 ticles caused some delay, and no little sur- 
 prise, in the bazaar. I thought that a peep 
 at the sun would help the mystery: so, 
 whilst the articles were procuring, I begged 
 to be allowed to go into the open air. 
 Room was made for me to pass ; and then, 
 standing in the verandah, I made an ob- 
 servation of the sun through a bit of paper 
 with holes in it. Now and then I shook 
 my head in a grave and mysterious manner ; 
 then I suddenly appeared to see some- 
 thing delightful, and muttered some sen- 
 tences of gibberish. The populace ap- 
 peared as if they could worship me; and 
 numerous were the exclamations and praises 
 
PANDURANG HARI. '203 
 
 of wisdom which saluted my ears. At 
 length the articles I required came, and I 
 went to work, killed the poor black-legged 
 fowl, and swallowed the raw eggs, burned 
 the ghee, and stuck two needles through 
 the limes. I then gave notice that the 
 business was complete, and begged to be 
 allowed to go to the palace to report it to 
 the Peeshwa. 
 
 As I left the Kotwall's office, the Habe- 
 shee took the opportunity of whispering in 
 my ear, and asking if I had borne in mind 
 the circumstance of Trimbuckje having 
 been seen at Sagoonah's house on the day 
 of the supposed murder. To mislead him 
 the more I said, " Trimbuckje is a sad 
 man," shaking my head. The Habeshee's 
 eyes sparkled with pleasure at this, and 
 showed he enjoyed the idea of ruining his 
 k 6 
 
204< PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 inveterate foe. A numerous suite prepared 
 to accompany me to the palace, and we 
 sallied forth in great pomp. Arrived at 
 the royal residence, the Habeshee descried 
 his enemy Trimbuckje, and exclaimed in 
 his hearing, "Now let the guilty tremble !" 
 Trimbuckje grinned a horrible smile, but 
 did not deign to utter a word. 
 
 The Peeshwa, after some little delay, 
 summoned me to his closet, and having 
 bowed seven times, he ordered me to be 
 seated. His highness had commenced con- 
 versation, when a door, which I had just 
 perceived, directly behind the Peeshwa, 
 opened quickly, and was again quickly and 
 cautiously closed. The shutting caused the 
 Peeshwa to turn round his head, and ask 
 " koun hue?" who is there? No answer 
 was returned, and the Peeshwa arose ; and, 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 205 
 
 opening it, became satisfied no one listened. 
 He desired me to report on my incanta- 
 tions, and truly inform him of the result. 
 I could have wished for an hour's delay to 
 collect myself, and summon resolution to 
 relate the mysteries of my pretended con- 
 juration. I had entered the closet with 
 unshaken impudence, and with unheard 
 effrontery was perfectly ready to answer all 
 questions, and tell as many lies as were 
 needful, when the opening of that door 
 unmanned me ; for, before it closed, J 
 caught the wrinkled visage of Gabbage 
 Gousia, though it was but a hurried glance. 
 I could not be deceived ; such a face could 
 not be forgotten when once seen. Con- 
 scious of the deceptive part I was acting, I 
 concluded some counter-plot was laid for 
 my ruin, and began to repent the crooked 
 
206 PANDURANG HARl, 
 
 path I had taken to arrive at promotion. 
 The idea of treachery on the part of Trim- 
 buckje, or a discovery by Habeshee, placed 
 me in such a state of tremour, that, instead 
 of conducting myself like an arch magician, 
 I must have seemed an arrant fool. The 
 Peeshwa was impatient at my long silence, 
 and urged me to disclose the name of him 
 who had murdered Sagoonah. " Ah !" I 
 thought to myself, " that is the question ; I 
 must give an ambiguous answer." I there- 
 fore entered into a discourse on the science 
 of magic, taking care to bring up frequently, 
 that, after the most diligent study during 
 one's entire life, cases would occur wherein 
 we erred; that magicians were sometimes 
 deceived by the cunning of worldly men ; 
 and the study of the art was considered in 
 those days extremely precarious. Too much 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 207 
 
 was expected from students, whose occasional 
 failure was by capricious persons construed 
 into wilful deception. This often placed 
 the character, and even lives, of magi- 
 cians in jeopardy. All this time I was 
 weighing the policy, or otherwise, of ruin- 
 ing the Habeshee, and whether it would 
 not be better to accuse Trimbuckje. I 
 feared, however, that the latter would ex- 
 culpate himself, and put me to death for 
 the false imputation I had thrown upon 
 him. I had no doubt Gabbage was listening 
 at some crevice, probably deputed by Trim- 
 buckje, who was naturally suspicious, and 
 dreaded treachery on my part ; so that if I 
 accused him, some counterplot would be 
 ready to work my ruin. Perhaps the visage 
 of Gabbage was thrust upon me as a warn- 
 ing, to beware of my conduct as respected 
 
208 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 his employer. I every minute felt more 
 perplexed. My joints weakened, and my 
 limbs trembled under me ; my head was in 
 a maze, and I perspired at every pore. So 
 much was I agitated, that the Peeshwa 
 could not help seeing it, and asked me 
 what was the matter. " Oh, your High- 
 ness," said I, " the Habeshee knew this was 
 an unpropitious day, for I told him so, but 
 he insisted on my incantations being com- 
 menced, and these emotions are the re- 
 sult.' ' — " I tell you then," said the Peesh- 
 wa, " that if this is all the result of your 
 labours, you may quake a little more, for 
 by all the gods in the holy Vedas, if you 
 have made a dupe of me and the whole 
 city, you shall be a clog for an elephant in 
 half an hour, and this will effectually pre- 
 vent your practising similar acts of decep- 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 20 ( J 
 
 tion again !" I said, in answer, " Most 
 high and mighty Prince, I have not prac- 
 tised any deception, neither dare I attempt 
 a fraud on your wisdom, or brave your re- 
 sentment ; as well might the traveller fling 
 himself into the jaws of the tiger, or the 
 feeble mouse defy the indefatigable cat !" — 
 " Give a reply," said the Peeshwa, " who 
 murdered Sagoonah ? Trifle no longer, or I 
 shall prove the more cunning magician of 
 the two, and pronounce that you yourself 
 did it." Not a moment was to be lost, and 
 I summoned resolution to accuse Habeshee 
 Kotwall, in a very low tone of voice. — 
 " Wherefore," said the Peeshwa, " could 
 you not have told me so an hour ago?" 
 No answer could I make, but sat silent, in 
 indescribable agony of mind and body. 
 The Peeshwa now said, " You assert that 
 
210 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 Habeshee Kotwall is the murderer ; give us 
 some proof, my friend, that what you say 
 is true." — " If your Majesty," I replied, 
 " will send and seize Habeshee, in the first 
 place, and then search his house and office, 
 they will somewhere discover a bead-neck- 
 lace, having a copper box or talisman sus- 
 pended to it, containing a small piece of 
 money. This was the property of the mur- 
 dered girl, and may be recognized and 
 sworn to by the aunt, with whom she lived." 
 — " Where, or in what place will this be 
 found?" said the Peeshwa. That I told 
 him should be disclosed to the person whom 
 his Highness deputed to make the search, 
 but first the Kotwall must be seized, or he 
 would escape. 
 
 The Peeshwa then rose, and demanded, 
 opening the door, who waited in attendance. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 211 
 
 The officer of the body guard appeared, and 
 received orders to secure the Habeshee ; who 
 was, as he well might be, utterly confound- 
 ed. Instead of seeing the ruin of his enemy, 
 he felt it fall upon himself. This was a 
 reverse he little expected, and falling on the 
 ground, he uttered a deep mournful cry of 
 anguish, which I confess pricked my con- 
 science not a little. The groans of poor 
 Habeshee, though totally disregarded by his 
 guards, were music to the ears of Trim- 
 buckje Danglia. He gave me to under- 
 stand by a wink, perfectly significant, that 
 he had despatched a man to search the pil- 
 low. I attempted to give a nod of exulta- 
 tion in reply, but, from my dread and 
 anxiety, could convey to him any thing 
 i-ather than the hope of success. Alarm 
 was painted on his countenance, nor could 
 
212 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 he refrain from making through the crowd 
 to come near me. Had I been really a 
 magician, the first use I should have made 
 of my art would have been to transport 
 myself from this nest of villainy. Trim- 
 buckje having reached my elbow, whisper- 
 ed to me, " Beware how you deceive me !" 
 and giving me no time to reply, mingled in 
 the crowd. He had scarcely gone when 
 the Peeshwa strutted by me, dressed in his 
 durbar apparel, looking like a gaudy pea- 
 cock. When sufficiently near to me, he 
 also said, with a look of dreadful import, 
 " Beware how you deceive me !" Never 
 was real or pretended magician in a more 
 awful predicament. 
 
 Time flew on, and the searchers of Habe- 
 shee's house did not return. I felt con- 
 vinced some circumstances, which I could 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 213 
 
 not foresee, occasioned this unexpected de- 
 lay. At last I saw a man whisper some- 
 thing in the ear of Trimbuckje ; who, 
 catching my eye, shook his head, by which 
 I understood the officer had searched and 
 found nothing, no necklace was forthcoming. 
 When it was Understood there had been a 
 failure, the Habeshee party were rejoiced 
 beyond measure, and vented curses on my 
 head, styling me a vile impostor and mur- 
 derer. The report was soon conveyed to 
 the Peeshwa, who summoned me to his 
 closet once more. " How dare you enter 
 my palace to mock me?" said the enraged 
 Peeshwa, " am I to be made the laughing- 
 stock of the whole city ? did I not tell you 
 to beware how you deceived me ?" A crowd 
 of persons were standing behind the Peesh- 
 wa, apparently enjoying my confusion. Not 
 
214 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 having a word to say for myself, I deter- 
 mined to confess the whole at once, and 
 throw myself on the Peeshwa's mercy. 
 
 I had just cleared my throat to begin a 
 relation of the whole transaction, and all 
 the circumstances of the murder, not fear- 
 ing even Trimbuckje himself, when, on 
 raising my eyes, I beheld the awe-inspiring 
 visage of old Gabbage, thrust between the 
 shoulders of two men who were behind the 
 Peeshwa, and immediately in my front. I 
 became speechless, and cast down my eyes, 
 for the countenance of Gabbage seemed 
 reading my innermost thoughts, and saying 
 at the same time, " do if you dare !" There 
 was no resource, and I felt myself obliged 
 to adhere to my first story. I therefore 
 summoned courage to address the Peeshwa : 
 " True it is, most puissant Prince ! I have 
 
PANDURANG HAlll. 215 
 
 mistaken the spot where the proof was con- 
 cealed, but you will remember I said this 
 was an unpropitious day." — "And so, v inter- 
 rupted the Peeshwa, " you shall find it. 
 Guards, secure him. Ho ! there, let an 
 elephant be in readiness ; we will shew the 
 magician how to come to a decision with- 
 out any long ambiguous harangues !" At 
 this moment the Habeshee sent word, re- 
 questing he might be allowed to enter the 
 presence. His request was granted, and 
 in came the Abyssinian, who, after bowing 
 to the earth seven times more than he 
 would have done at any other moment, as- 
 serted his innocence of the murder, and 
 ignorance of the person of the murdered, 
 declaring I was an impostor of the worst 
 character. That I had agreed to implicate 
 Trimbuckje Danglia at first for a bribe of 
 
216 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 500 rupees ; " but," continued the Habeshee, 
 " I scorned to take so great an advantage 
 of my enemy, and refused to give this pre- 
 tended magician the money. I told him he 
 might discover the guilty person, for him 
 alone was our royal master anxious to pu- 
 nish." This barefaced lie of the Habeshee 
 came upon me like a thunder-clap. What- 
 ever hopes I before entertained of pardon, 
 they were after this utterly annihilated. 
 Rousing myself, I exclaimed, " It is false — 
 the Habeshee himself hinted his wish to me 
 that I should accuse Trimbuckje, nor did I 
 seek any reward beyond that offered by 
 your Highness." 
 
 An officer now whispered to Trimbuckje, 
 and he again to the Peeshwa, when the lat- 
 ter addressed Habeshee as follows : iC Habe- 
 shee Kotwall, in consideration of your mi- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 217 
 
 iitary services during the war, I promoted 
 you to a situation in this city, with a salary 
 and emoluments sufficient, not only to main- 
 tain you, but to enable you to accumulate 
 wealth. You would then have supported 
 my dignity, and have risen to still higher 
 honours. I regret to say, that your passion 
 for acquiring money has been so great, as to 
 banish from your mind the regard which 
 you ought to have had for my service. My 
 subjects have been abused, trampled upon, 
 and robbed even within the verge of the 
 judgment-seat of the court, built for their 
 protection. Too true it is, that I have now 
 before me petitions from several hundred 
 families which you have plundered and re- 
 duced to beggary. Your principal harvest 
 seems to have been the ornaments of un- 
 offending women, whom you have forced 
 
 VOL. I. L 
 
218 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 into holes below your office and stripped 
 of their jewels.* Now it is too certain 
 these accusations are founded in truth ; nor 
 can you say that they arise from or out of 
 the enmity unfortunately in existence be- 
 tween you and Trimbuckje Danglia. I say 
 these charges are true : for though the ar- 
 ticles we searched for in your house and 
 office are not discovered, yet we have found 
 chests containing gold ornaments and pearls, 
 too valuable for you to have purchased in a 
 fair and honest manner. In the present 
 affair you have borne an active part, although 
 none of the murdered girl's jewels were 
 found upon you or in your house. There 
 is a probability the bead-necklace may yet 
 be discovered ; and before I decide on the 
 
 * There ivas such a character as Habeshee Kotwall in 
 the East, who committed dreadful crimes. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 219 
 
 fate of the magician, I shall wait an hour. 
 Whether it be forthcoming or not, the 
 sentence I shall pass upon you is, that for 
 your unheard-of cruelties and robberies, 
 you be trampled to death by an elephant. 
 To prevent your insulting me by a reply or 
 extenuation, I command that your tongue 
 be cut out on the spot." 
 
 This sentence was no sooner pronounced 
 than executed. Habeshee was deprived of 
 his lying tongue, and I trembled so much 
 for mine that the bystanders could scarcely 
 refrain from laughter. 
 
 It was arranged that one elephant should 
 do the business for both of us, and the exe- 
 cution of Habeshee was delayed until the 
 expiration of the hour allotted for the dis- 
 covery of the necklace ; during which time, 
 poor Habeshee lay groaning and bleeding 
 
 L 2 
 
220 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 like a half-sacrificed sheep at the butcher's 
 stall. I must confess, that when he made so 
 bad a use of his tongue as to attempt an 
 accusation against me of ruining Trim- 
 buckje, I was not much grieved at hearing 
 the order given to deprive him of it. He 
 could not now utter a word, should the 
 necklace be forthcoming ; for he might have 
 urged the possibility, as well as the pro- 
 bability, of my having concealed the trinket 
 in his pillow for my own views. It was 
 therefore fortunate for me he could not 
 speak ; nor had he (and what fallen courtier 
 ever has ?) one friend to speak in his behalf. 
 The hour had now nearly expired, when 
 a noise on the staircase drew my attention. 
 " The necklace — the necklace !" was mur- 
 mured around; and, to my great joy, I be- 
 held Trimbuckje's messenger enter the room 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 221 
 
 with the identical article. Sajoonah's aunt 
 was in waiting, and we were again sum- 
 moned before the Peeshwa. The aunt de- 
 posed to the necklace having been her 
 niece's as well as the talisman. The Peeshwa 
 ordered the talisman to be opened — much 
 against the aunt's will, who declared it 
 would bring ill-luck and misfortune on her 
 
 niece, she would have said; and then 
 
 burst into tears. " She is dead," said the 
 Peeshwa, " she can fear ill-luck no more ; 
 let it be opened." While this was going 
 on, I sat a little more at my ease than I 
 had done all the day before, and began a 
 mysterious mumbling, to attract the atten- 
 tion of the bystanders. I drew circles on 
 the ground with my fingers — cut one of 
 them, and let three drops of blood fall on 
 the copper talisman. Even the Peeshwa 
 l 3 
 
222 PANDURANG HAKI. 
 
 himself now wavered about opening it, and 
 asked me if he should do so. I replied 
 that, having sprinkled it with my blood, no 
 harm could now result from such a step, 
 and I would open it, if he gave me leave. 
 He nodded assent. A gold rupee was dis- 
 covered in it, and two grains of wheat 
 wrapped in a scrap of paper, on which 
 something was written, — this paper I con- 
 cealed. I presented the two grains and the 
 rupee. The Peeshwa desired to know how 
 the necklace had been found at last. The 
 officer of his guard came forward, and de- 
 posed, that being commissioned to search 
 the Habeshee's house, nothing was found 
 there ; and that he then proceeded to the 
 chowry, and made the most minute inquiry 
 respecting it. " At last I ordered all the 
 household to be called, and explained to 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 2%3 
 
 them that I was searching for a bead-neck- 
 lace ; desiring, if any one of them had the 
 same, to deliver it on pain of death. The 
 deputy Ferash bashee (carpet-spreader) 
 came forward and said, he had the neck- 
 lace, and could produce it : that, to-morrow 
 being the festival of the Til Sunkeraut, he 
 was ordered by the Kotwall to sweep or 
 clean the chowry, and put on the best pil- 
 low-cases, and that he set about doing it the 
 moment the Kotwall and magician were 
 gone to the palace. In fitting the new case 
 to the Habeshee's pillow, something fell to 
 the ground : it was a bead-necklace ap- 
 parently of no value ; and considering his 
 daughter would be pleased with it, he car- 
 ried it home to her. On my application, he 
 sent to her to deliver it up, which she did 
 l 4> 
 
224 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 immediately, and it is the same I delivered 
 to your Highness." 
 
 During the preceding account I sat puffed 
 up with consequence, and begged permis- 
 sion to retire, having occasion to go into 
 Cabul, and to set off the same night. The 
 Peeshwa granted me leave to depart, though 
 he seemed sorry he could find no ground 
 for subjecting me to the same punishment 
 as the Habeshee. I got away, however, as 
 soon as I could, followed by a crowd of 
 persons who looked upon me as a god. The 
 aunt of Sagoonah wished to approach me; 
 and pushing through the crowd, fell at my 
 feet, begging me to relate the particulars of 
 the murder. I dared not undeceive her at 
 this moment, and in public; I therefore 
 whispered her to meet me at nine o'clock at 
 
PANDURANG HARI. KZb 
 
 the Mottee Baugh, or pearl-garden : she as- 
 sented, and I walked away, followed by the 
 crowd. Where to go I knew not, but 
 passing the barber's shop again, I thought 
 I might as well sit there until the curiosity 
 of the mob was over. " Arry," said the poor 
 shaver, " what again, in the name of Brah- 
 ma, has brought you here?" Why now, I 
 told him, I wanted to be shaved, as the sun 
 had set, and no ill-luck could happen, un- 
 less he drew blood, when woe would befal us 
 both. The barber now begged to be ex- 
 cused, saying his hand shook so violently 
 he could not answer the not giving a gash 
 or two. This, instead of dispersing, but in- 
 creased the crowd — all begging their neigh- 
 bours to come and see the barber shave the 
 conjuror. As I really needed shaving, I 
 repented of having so much alarmed the 
 l 5 
 
226 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 barber, and conceived that if we could but 
 disperse the crowd, the barber might still 
 operate without shedding blood. I called 
 out, " The consequences of drawing blood 
 will be fatal to those who witness it, as well 
 as to myself and the operator. Beware 
 therefore, my friends !" The rascals heed- 
 ed me not at all, and there we sat — the 
 barber trembling in one corner, and I half- 
 dying with repressed laughter in the middle 
 of the shop. The greatest annoyance to 
 me was, that it approached to eight o'clock, 
 and I was to meet Sagoonah's aunt at nine. 
 There seemed no hope of the mob leaving 
 the shop-door until gun-firing, which would 
 disperse them. I therefore called to the 
 barber, who came up to me trembling. I 
 whispered him, and inquired if he could 
 direct me any back way to get off, and I 
 
PANDURANG HARI. %Tj 
 
 would not compel him to shave me, that I 
 could manage until the next day, and pro- 
 mised not to revisit his dwelling again. 
 He told me, that if I went into his back- 
 yard and clambered over a low wall, I 
 should find myself in a lane which would 
 take me into or out of the city, which ever 
 way I was inclined to turn. I followed his 
 advice, he telling the crowd I should come 
 back again. Heartily rejoiced at finding 
 myself at liberty and alone, I threw off my 
 dress and tore it in pieces, and also my cap, 
 muffling my head up in my shawl ; the 
 clock struck nine,* and I hastened to the 
 garden. 
 
 * An English clock on the top Of the Peeshwa's palace. 
 
 l6 
 
228 PANDURANG HARI, 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 The dwelling-house of Habeshee lay in 
 my way to the spot fixed upon for meeting 
 the aunt of Sagoonah. As I passed, I 
 heard moaning and lamentation, from which 
 I judged that the dreadful sentence pro- 
 nounced upon him had been carried into 
 execution. I hurried past the scene of woe, 
 and proceeded to the garden. The woman 
 awaited my coming. I took her towards 
 the tank, and sitting down, informed her 
 that her niece lived, and was recovering. I 
 explained how I had found her, but did not 
 inform her who was really the author of the 
 outrage. Promising to be guided by me 
 in the means to be adopted for shielding 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 229 
 
 Sagoonah from the power of the Peeshwa 
 and the villany of Trimbuckje Danglia, 
 she was still most anxious to see her niece. 
 I consented to their having an interview. 
 She was overjoyed at the prospect of meet- 
 ing her again, having concluded her dead, 
 and she arose and followed me. We went 
 towards the suburbs, and had just cleared 
 the city when the night-gun was fired. 
 We quickened our steps, and reached the 
 cultivator's cottage. Sagoonah was much 
 pleased at my return, fearing something 
 might have happened by my long absence. 
 When I informed her who was my com- 
 panion, the poor girl burst into tears, call- 
 ing me her preserver. She clasped her 
 aunt's neck, exclaiming, "My beloved 
 mousee (aunt), do I once more behold thee !" 
 Being weak for want of food, I begged 
 
230 PANDUUANG HARI. 
 
 the coombie, or cultivator, to give me some 
 bread and rice, and I enjoyed the homely 
 fare with a keen relish. The lovely Sa- 
 goonah offered me water which had been 
 just fetched from the well, and that with a 
 modesty of expression that charmed me 
 beyond measure. She asked who had been 
 discovered to be the guilty men in making 
 the attack upon her : I told her, the Habe- 
 shee. She said, she had imagined it must 
 be Trimbuckje; and I re-asserted that the 
 Habeshee was the person who caused her 
 to be waylaid, but at the same time im- 
 pressed upon her mind the necessity of 
 concealment, for fear of the Peeshwa. I 
 told both Sagoonah and her aunt that I ex- 
 pected to get a situation in Kandeish, and 
 that the best way would be for them both 
 to accompany me. I promised to protect 
 
PANDURANG HARI. c 23l 
 
 them from all danger as far as I could, and 
 that they had better pass for my mother and 
 sister, as discovery would thereby be nearly 
 impossible. The eyes of the beautiful Sa- 
 goonah shewed how much she was pleased 
 at my proposal, and told her acquiescence 
 in the justice of what I said. Her aunt 
 alone remained to be consulted, before the 
 resolution was acted upon. In the morn- 
 ing we consulted the aunt, who approved 
 the plan ; and we agreed to set out as soon 
 as I had secured my promised place. 
 
 I now went again to the city. I cut my 
 mustachios close, and wore a white turban, 
 intending to get shaved in my way. By 
 doing this, wearing short breeches and a 
 common white coat, I hoped to prevent 
 any recognition of my late character of 
 magician. While I was changing my coat, 
 
232 pandurang hari. 
 
 I found the slip of paper which had been 
 concealed in Sagoonah's talisman. Neither 
 Sagoonah nor her aunt could give me any 
 clue to the mystery ; for neither could read. 
 The sentence seemed to me in a singular 
 character. Neither aunt nor niece were 
 aware that the talisman had contained any 
 thing of the kind. The former, however, 
 recollected that the father of Sagoonah had 
 desired it should not be opened until she 
 attained her twentieth year. I took great 
 care of it, determining to get some learned 
 Brahmin to decypher the sentence, which was 
 very short, and badly written. Taking leave 
 of my fair friends, I walked to Poona, and 
 passed into the city by the wooden bridge. 
 
 The first place I entered was a barber's 
 shop; and, inquiring the news, the barber 
 began to tell me all he had heard about 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. %33 
 
 the magician ; to which he added a thou- 
 sand exaggerations. He declared ten mur- 
 dered women had been found in the cellar of 
 the Habeshee's house, and that the magician 
 had smelt them when taken to the chowry : 
 that the people thought the magician little 
 less than a god, who had visited the city to 
 rid them of so great a tyrant. He told me 
 the particulars of Habeshee's execution ; 
 adding, that, before he was tied to the ele- 
 phant's foot, he made a full confession of 
 his enormities. I was much amused at 
 this addition, when I remembered the poor 
 wretch had lost his tongue, and could not, 
 therefore, conveniently make either con- 
 fessions or denials. I pretended ignorance, 
 however, of the whole transaction, paid my 
 two pice, and departed. Trimbuckje was 
 at home, and gave me an audience. " In- 
 
234 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 deed, my friend," said he, " you were 
 nearly ruined by your plan of the necklace. 
 Had it not been found, the Peeshwa would 
 have condemned you to die/' — " But now 
 we have succeeded," I said, " I am come 
 to claim my reward. Money I do not 
 want ; but some situation, by which I may 
 obtain an honest livelihood." — " Honest !" 
 said Trimbuckje, with a grin. " Well, 
 would you wish to be employed here or at 
 a distance ?" I told him, for some time at 
 a distance ; but that I should hold myself 
 in readiness to obey his instructions, when- 
 ever he should require them. He assented 
 directly, and wrote a letter, to which he 
 affixed his seal, desiring me to deliver it to 
 Venkut Rao Bhugrunt, his collector of re- 
 venues on his estate at Kandeish. It con- 
 veyed the order for me to be enrolled as a 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 235 
 
 sub-collector, telling me he could not then 
 do more for me. In all probability, Trim- 
 buckje, knowing how well I was informed 
 of his villanies, was on that account more 
 punctual in the fulfilment of his promise 
 than he would have been otherwise. 
 
 My next step was to search out some 
 learned priest to decypher the mysterious 
 scrap of paper found in the necklace. I 
 was informed that there lived in Poona a 
 celebrated ascetic, renowned for his auste- 
 rity and learning : his name was Purrum 
 Teeshoo, Nowhauthge M,hadeo. I found 
 him out, and paid him a visit at his resi- 
 dence. He was reclining on a bed of iron 
 spikes reading a book, and returned my 
 salutation, seeming perfectly at his ease — 
 indeed as much so as I should have felt on 
 the softest cushions. I shewed him the 
 
236 PANDURANG HARf. 
 
 paper, begging him to decypher and ex- 
 plain the writing to me. He took it and 
 mumbled over the words several times. 
 He then said "It is Pudiha, or verse, and 
 the language is pure Sanscrit," adding, 
 " where did you get it?" This was a ques- 
 tion for which I was not prepared ; I feared 
 either to deceive him, or refuse to give any 
 account of it — at last I said I had found it 
 in a copper talisman." " Aye," said he, 
 *' it may be so, for it mentions a talisman ;" 
 and repeated these words, which explained 
 the meaning, as follow : — 
 
 Let her who doth this Taweey* wear, 
 Guard against the Gossein's snare. 
 
 I paid the learned personage five rupees^ 
 and took my paper, pretending to be disap- 
 
 * Talisman. 
 
PANDURANG HAItl. 237 
 
 pointed. I informed him I had hoped it 
 would have shewn me where to discover 
 some hidden treasure. He smiled, and 
 giving me his blessing, I departed, ponder- 
 ing in my mind what could be the meaning 
 of the warning, who wrote it, and why 
 Sagoonah should be persecuted by a Gossein. 
 It was indeed true that she had fallen into 
 the hands of my friend Gabbage, and but 
 for me would have breathed her last; but 
 this could hardly be the object, and final 
 intent of the warning. I thought it my 
 duty, however, to put her upon her guard 
 against those wandering miscreants, but still 
 I feared there was much evil in reserve for 
 her from the hands of these men. At length 
 I reached the cottage of the cultivator and 
 explained to the females the meaning of 
 the words on the paper. They were much 
 
238 PANDURANG HARi. 
 
 alarmed, and fear shewed itself in their 
 faces. The aunt said Sagoonah's father 
 was ruined by these wretches, who had 
 vowed to persecute his race ; but until the 
 attack on Sagoonah in Poona, they had 
 not molested her. The threat which preyed 
 upon Sagoonah's father, and brought him 
 to the grave, had been too little heeded by 
 his relatives. " What cause of offence,'* 
 said I to the aunt, " could your brother 
 have given the Gossein?" She replied, 
 " he brought him to justice for some crime, 
 and the Gossein was punished, on which he 
 made the vow. Sagoonah was about three 
 years old when her father brought her home 
 the necklace and talisman, given him, as 
 he said, by a dear friend for his daughter ; 
 desiring the talisman should not be opened 
 until she had attained her twentieth year. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 239 
 
 The talisman has been opened, and she is 
 but sixteen — I fear for the consequences." 
 I now endeavoured to convince her, that as 
 Sagoonah did not voluntarily open it, no 
 blame could on that account fall upon her, 
 and begged her to think nothing more 
 about it. 
 
 I now proposed that we should set out 
 on our journey to Kandeish, as I had secured 
 a situation, and that we should not delay 
 beyond the following morning. No oppo- 
 sition being made to the measure on their 
 parts, I executed the necessary arrange- 
 ments for travelling. I hired a bullock and 
 ponies, and went to rest dreaming of happi- 
 ness and Sagoonah; before daybreak we 
 quitted the cultivator's. Sagoonah and her 
 aunt were mounted on tattoos or ponies, 
 but I preferred walking until the sun had 
 
240 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 risen. The bullock accompanied the caval- 
 cade laden principally with the driver's 
 goods, having nothing of consequence of 
 our own with us. I had previously made a 
 long bag into which I thrust my rupees, 
 and this was all the baggage with which I 
 was personally troubled. The owner of the 
 ponies and bullock walked with me, and 
 seemed very anxious to enter into conver- 
 sation. He asked several impertinent ques- 
 tions, and once or twice it struck me I 
 remembered his voice, but could not bring 
 at once to my recollection where — so much 
 was my mind occupied with plans and views 
 for the future. He evidently knew me, 
 and his manner and my taciturnity made 
 me very distant with the fellow : my reply 
 in scanty monosyllables did not, however, 
 seem to damp his eagerness for conversation. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 241 
 
 He jabbered away incessantly. At length, 
 after praising his cattle, he said, " do you 
 know, 1 met with a very curious adventure 
 not long ago.' 1 " Indeed !" I replied drily. 
 " Aye," he resumed, " and one I have often 
 laughed at since, too, over and over again. 
 As I was driving my asses close to the 
 
 village of ." He need have said no 
 
 more to recall him to my recollection, even 
 in the strongest fit of absence. I at once 
 knew my companion, and accounted for his 
 impertinent curiosity. It was the very ass- 
 driver through whose means I lost my trea- 
 sure, after my escape from the fort. I now 
 made no attempt to interrupt him in a 
 tale that so deeply concerned me ; but was 
 subjected to the mortification of listening 
 to the wretch calling me all the opprobrious 
 names, and they were not a few, that his 
 vol. I. M 
 
242 PANDURANG HAIII. 
 
 native tongue admits of. He concluded by 
 observing, "I knew the rascal was after 
 something he wished to conceal from me, 
 so I stuck to him like a leech." Here he 
 burst into a hearty laugh at his own pene- 
 tration, and at the embarrassments of the 
 poor wounded scoundrel. He clapped his 
 hands in exultation, when he told me how 
 the sepoys seized the villain, as he called 
 him. He dwelt long upon the story, 
 drawling it out to add to my mortification. 
 I interrupted him by asking if he knew 
 why the traveller wished to be left alone ? 
 He said, because upon seeing him come 
 with his arms tied into Poona, he had ques- 
 tioned one of the sepoys respecting the 
 vagabond, and the men informed him that 
 he had money concealed under the mango 
 tree, and that the soldiers had dug it up 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 243 
 
 and taken possession of it. " At this," 
 continued the ass-driver, " I laughed im- 
 moderately, because, had the greedy miser 
 confided the secret to me, I would have 
 given him every assistance, trusting to his 
 liberality for a reward. Instead of this he, 
 in shaking off the cat, fell under the paw of 
 the tiger. Was not the fellow rightly 
 served? Was he not a covetous, greedy, 
 mean, and ungrateful knave, after the assist- 
 ance I had given him ?" I replied he was 
 certainly an over-cautious man, and in- 
 quired what became of him afterwards; 
 the ass-driver answered, " He was flogged 
 in Poona, and expelled as a vagabond, and 
 I have heard nothing of him since. I should 
 like to set my eyes upon him again to joke 
 him for his cursed avarice." I said, that 
 perhaps he would not put up with such 
 m 2 
 
244 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 jokes and insults; he might carry a dagger 
 in his girdle. " Then," said the driver, 
 " I should be very careful to hold my 
 tongue and make him a low bow — one 
 would not be spitted for a joke, however 
 good it may be." I told him he would in 
 doing thus act very wisely. 
 
 To avoid further annoyance from this 
 impertinent fellow, I mounted my tattoo 
 and joined the women, begging them to 
 keep their faces well muffled up. This 
 caution was indeed highly necessary, for 
 soon the troublesome driver came alongside 
 us riding on his bullock. He began to peep 
 and peer at the females, and try to draw 
 them into conversation. I here thought it 
 time to put in a word, and bid him keep in 
 the rear, his proper place, and when we 
 wanted him we would call him. Nuthoo 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 245 
 
 Bhae nuihoo majee ghirrut teen tattoo, or 
 " what a great man I am!" he exclaimed, 
 and sullenly obeyed my order. I deter- 
 mined, the moment we arrived at Ahmed- 
 nugur, to discharge the insolent fellow and 
 hire fresh cattle. I kept my intention to 
 myself, and we jogged on quietly, the driver 
 singing as he went, and often, for want of 
 some one else to talk to, conversing with his 
 bullock, which he called heera. * The 
 aunt now and then spoke to her niece to 
 quicken her pace, saying, " chul pooree chul," 
 or " walk on, hasten my girl." On hearing 
 which the driver sang, "Ding pooree ding 
 kuppal a che bing, bing gela p 9 hootoon pooree 
 gela oothoon." Sagoonah would sometimes 
 say " arry mousee !" (oh my aunt !) Upon 
 which the impudent driver, who had a scrap 
 * Diamond. 
 M 3 
 
246 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 of song — a cant saying ready for every oc- 
 casion, would sing out " Mousee tooptousee, 
 tooput, pur lee arlee mousee" This was as 
 much as to let us know he heard all, and 
 was fully aware of the relationship of one of 
 the women with the other, and then he 
 would chant the well known song of " Chota 
 Chota Muchulee" 
 
 At last the aunt saying to me, O Beta ! 
 (oh my son) the fellow vociferated, " Ramje 
 he beta dra so b,hee Musselman ka sheeree- 
 pooree k,hata njiue maungtee tokra nan- 
 ka ;" the meaning of which is, that a 
 Hindoo woman was permitted by the god 
 Ramje to bear a son, but it was a Mussel- 
 man's, and the proof of its being so was, its 
 refusing to eat the common sheeree-pooree, 
 or Hindoo pap, and calling out for a lump 
 of bread. This was extremely insulting to 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 247 
 
 me, as it was intended to throw a slur on 
 my caste ; indeed, he might as well have told 
 me I was only half and half bred, neither 
 Hindoo nor Mahommedan. I became irri- 
 tated at the insinuation, and riding up to 
 him, gave him a blow which knocked him off 
 his bullock. He returned it, and this ex- 
 asperated me beyond measure. At it we 
 went, each pulling off the other's turbans, 
 and belabouring each other like two demons ; 
 the women were screaming all the time as 
 if murder was taking place. At length I 
 threw the rascal down, and kneeling on his 
 breast, bade him ask my pardon, which he 
 did very reluctantly. Matters becoming 
 more placable after this, we continued our 
 journey, the ass-driver keeping a profound 
 silence. I now determined to send him 
 about his business at Seroor instead of 
 M 4 
 
248 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 Nugur, and pushed on for that place, where 
 we arrived late in the evening. Seroor 
 was a cantonment of the English ; I was 
 therefore under no apprehension of a 
 renewal of our combat. I now proceeded 
 to a house appointed for travellers, where I 
 left the females, and then went to the kot- 
 wall of the place, begging him to procure 
 fresh cattle for us, to be in readiness early 
 on the following morning. He gave me a 
 promise of them, and I was quitting him 
 after thanking him for his attention to my 
 request, when up came the Poona ass-driver, 
 bleeding at the nose, his coat torn, and 
 turban off, bellowing aloud for justice. He 
 complained of having been treated with 
 great barbarity. I inwardly rejoiced to see 
 the fellow had been chastized well, as I 
 supposed, by some one who had less mercy 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 249 
 
 on him than myself. The kotwall demanded 
 who had beaten him, and to my astonish- 
 ment he pointed me out as the person, and 
 declared it was only because he sang and 
 for nothing else, and that the two good-for- 
 nothing women with me fell upon him also 
 and beat him as he then was. " Arry, arry 
 basree" exclaimed he, or " what will be- 
 come of me ? I shall die !" The fellow made 
 me stare with surprise at this base fabrica- 
 tion. I proceeded to explain the truth to 
 the kotwall ; stated how the fellow had 
 insulted me, and how we scuffled a little ; 
 but assured him no blood was drawn, and 
 that it happened two hours previous to our 
 entering Seroor. I added, that it was on 
 account of the fellow's insolence I had de- 
 termined to hire fresh cattle from Seroor. 
 The kotwall asked where I was going : I 
 m 5 
 
250 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 told him to Kandeish; that I was in the 
 service of Trimbuckje Danglia, and the 
 bearer of letters to his head collector or 
 T,hu seeldam there. On hearing this the 
 kotwall treated me with the utmost polite- 
 ness. When the ass-driver saw this, and 
 that he was likely to be sent away as he 
 came, or punished for his falsehoods, he 
 cried out, " It's all false, your honour; 
 that fellow is no more in the service of 
 Trimbuckje Danglia than I am : he is a 
 runaway prisoner escaped from the English. 
 I will swear I saw him, not a month ago, in 
 charge of the English sepoys, with his arms 
 tied behind him. I tell the truth, and 
 would advise your honour to deliver him 
 over to the English general here ; who will 
 reward both you and I for so doing." I was 
 now utterly confounded, as I fancied the 
 
PANDURANG HARI. C 25L 
 
 fellow had not recognized me. Had I en- 
 tertained a contrary idea, I should not have 
 quietly put up with his insolence so long as 
 I did. The kotwall bade me give an account 
 of myself, because, if what the fellow said 
 was true, he must deliver me to the English. 
 I assured him it was true, but that I did not 
 feel myself obliged to give an account of 
 the manner in which I became the prisoner 
 of the English ; but assured him I had been 
 honourably released, and that I should have 
 no objection to explain the transaction to 
 the general himself. Upon this the kotwall 
 declared it was his duty to report the case 
 to the bazaar-master, and let him act as he 
 thought fit. I was helpless, and sat down 
 in the chowry guarded by several peons, 
 while the kotwall went to the bazaar-master. 
 After some time the kotwall returned, 
 M 6 
 
252 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 saying " the bazaar-master was gone out 
 to dine, and, therefore, nothing could be 
 done before morning. This was an unex- 
 pected mortification, hoping to be well on 
 my journey before the sun rose. I was 
 alarmed too for Sagoonah and her aunt, 
 and the anxiety they must suffer in my long 
 absence. I cursed the malevolent ass-driver 
 a hundred times, lamenting the ill fortune 
 that had thrown me a second time in his 
 way, and a second time brought me into 
 trouble. Patience was now my only remedy. 
 I requested one of my guards to send a 
 messenger to the place where I had left 
 Sagoonah, to inform her I should be de- 
 tained, but would meet her in the morning. 
 The man having promised to send the fore- 
 going message, I felt more at rest. The 
 driver petitioned to be allowed to go at 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 253 
 
 large : which was granted him upon getting 
 a banian to be bound for his appearance the 
 following morning. The kotwall retired 
 to his dwelling, and I was left well guarded 
 at his office. The night seemed dreadfully 
 long, and, though fatigued by my journey, I 
 could not get an hour's sleep. The morning 
 at length arrived. Hour after hour passed 
 away, and still the kotwall did not appear. 
 I was out of patience, restless, and dis- 
 quieted. When ten o'clock arrived the 
 kotwall made his appearance, and desired 
 me to accompany him to the police master's 
 house. The driver was in waiting to prefer 
 his charge. On the accusation being made 
 and the ass-driver's examination concluded, 
 I was called upon to make my statement. 
 I did not deny the fact of having been in 
 
254 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 the custody of the English, and professed 
 my readiness to explain every particular to 
 the general. The police-master advised me 
 to make the explanation to them, because, 
 if satisfactory, there could be no occasion 
 for troubling the general on the subject. 
 I begged that the ass-driver might not in 
 that case be present, as I did not wish all 
 the world to know my private history and 
 misfortunes. My request being complied 
 with, I related all the circumstances that 
 befell me at the English fort, with my 
 escape and capture, and my release by the 
 officer under orders from his superiors. The 
 police-master laughed heartily at the ob- 
 stinate perversity of the ass-driver, and the 
 affair at the fort with Jane Bebee. He 
 assured me he had heard all the particulars 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 255 
 
 before from the officer who apprehended 
 me, and was fully aware of the order having 
 been given for my release. 
 
 My mind was now considerably eased of 
 its fears of further delay. I asked to be 
 allowed to prosecute my journey : the po- 
 lice-master consented, and ordered me to 
 be set at liberty immediately. I then pro- 
 ceeded to the durhm sallah, or place where 
 travellers put up, and where I had left the 
 two females. As I went along s I began to 
 think I was the most unfortunate person in 
 existence ; for, that I never proceeded 
 twenty miles, east, west, north, or south, 
 without some unpleasant adventure — I 
 seemed born to misfortune. I finally con- 
 soled myself with the hope of better times, 
 and anticipated a quiet, uninterrupted jour- 
 ney for the rest of the way I had to go. 
 
256 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 On reaching the durhm sallah, I saw no 
 one but an old Mahommedan, smoking 
 his hookah in a corner. I of course con- 
 cluded that Sagoonah and her aunt would 
 be found inside the building. I went in, 
 and looked around, but could get no tidings 
 of the females : I inquired, but they were 
 not to be found. I returned to the Mussel- 
 man, and asked if he had seen two females 
 leave the place. He replied in the nega- 
 tive. I was, indeed, at a loss to comprehend 
 the meaning of their mysterious disappear- 
 ance. I sallied forth to the bazaar, making 
 inquiries of all I met respecting them, but 
 without success ; not a soul could give me 
 any information that might serve as a clue 
 to discover my fair friends. It began, at 
 last, to strike me that some treachery had 
 been practised towards them while I was in 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 257 
 
 confinement. My suspicions were natu- 
 rally directed to the malicious cattle-driver 
 having practised some trick upon them. 
 I proceeded again to the kotwall, and 
 begged him to apprehend that scoundrel, 
 mentioning my suspicions. The kotwall 
 immediately sent in search of him; but 
 he was no where to be found, both he, his 
 bullocks, and tattoos, having moved off. I 
 imagined he must have placed the women 
 on his cattle, and taken the road either to 
 Kandeish or back to Poona, deceiving them 
 with assurances of acting by my orders. 
 The kotwall furnished me with some horse- 
 patrol, and parties were sent off in every 
 direction. I headed one that proceeded on 
 the road to Ahmednugur. As we were cross- 
 ing the ferry of Gornuddi, I asked the 
 ferryman whether two women had crossed 
 
258 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 the river early in the morning. He an- 
 swered in the affirmative, " very early," and 
 told me that two men were with them, one 
 of whom was a gossein. " A gossein ! " 
 thought I ; " then all is lost." The boat- 
 men told me they went on the Nugur road, 
 and that they were on foot. I pushed for- 
 wards with my party till we came to a 
 village, where I summoned the potail or 
 head man, and inquired if two men, one of 
 them a gossein, and two women, had gone 
 that way? He replied, " no;" but that a 
 gossein had come there very early, badly 
 wounded. He related that he had been 
 waylaid by robbers, but he was ignorant 
 which way the gossein had gone after- 
 wards. 
 
 I now felt convinced that the women 
 were somewhere in the neighbourhood, and 
 
PANDURANG HARI. %59 
 
 begged him to let me have some villagers 
 to search the fields and ravines. He imme- 
 diately complied: and, with six sturdy 
 coombies, or cultivators, I set out in search : 
 they were well-armed with sticks and 
 staves. After ranging the country for some 
 time without success, on passing through a 
 deep ravine, I fancied I heard moaning and 
 cries of distress ; my followers heard the 
 same sounds, and we pushed forward to 
 the point from whence they seemed to come. 
 At the end of the ravine was a cave, from 
 whence the cries issued ; and what was my 
 concern on entering it, to behold Sagoonah 
 tied to a stake, together with her aunt, 
 unable to move or extricate themselves ! 
 On seeing me, Sagoonah uttered a scream 
 of joy. We speedily liberated them, and, 
 bringing them water, recovered them from 
 
260 PANDUltANG HARI. 
 
 the effects of their fear and suffering, so 
 much as to enable them to tell me by what 
 means they came into that situation, and 
 how they were left in such singular and 
 painful circumstances. The aunt said, "We 
 were greatly alarmed at your long absence ; 
 and I proposed going in search of you, 
 when a peon from the kotwall's chowry 
 came to us, and told us you had sent him 
 to say you were detained, but would be 
 with us in the morning. We were quite 
 satisfied on receiving this information, and 
 ate our supper without suspicion of the mis- 
 chief brooding over us. At four in the morn- 
 ing the cattle-driver, and another person 
 muffled up, so that we could not observe of 
 what caste he was, came to us. The driver 
 said, 6 Mother, your son has sent me to tell 
 you he cannot procure fresh cattle, and you 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 261 
 
 must therefore travel on with mine. He 
 desires that, to save time, you will cross 
 the ferry, and he will meet you on the 
 other side of the river.' ' I inquired who 
 the person was that accompanied him? He 
 told me only a choomar,* to shew him the 
 way, as it was not daylight, and he was 
 afraid he should lose his road. Not sus- 
 pecting any trick, we got ready ; and, pack 
 ing up our pots and pans, we accompanied 
 the driver and his companion over the 
 ferry. The latter was still muffled up, so 
 as to prevent any observation of his fea- 
 tures; he never spoke, and I should have 
 judged him a young man. When we had 
 crossed the ferry, I remarked there were 
 neither tattoos nor bullocks with us; but 
 the driver said we should find them at the 
 * A low-caste man employed as a guide. 
 
262 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 village, about a coss distant. I thought 
 this rather strange. We still walked on, 
 but no village came in view; and I was 
 hesitating what to do, when Sagoonah 
 came up to me, and whispered that the 
 driver's companion was a gossein. I im- 
 mediately cried out ' Treachery !' and said 
 I would not proceed one step further till 
 my son came up. The driver then seized 
 me in his arms, whilst the Gossein did the 
 same by Sagoonah ; and they carried us 
 into the sugar-cane fields, and from thence 
 to this cave. We screamed and called in 
 vain : it was too early an hour for us to be 
 heard by any travellers. The driver then 
 produced cords, and, tying us to this stake, 
 began to plunder me of my ornaments. 
 An altercation now took place between the 
 two robbers about the plunder, the gossein 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 263 
 
 saying the booty was his ; but if the driver 
 would wait until we should arrive at the 
 end of our journey (not mentioning the 
 place) he should be rewarded. The driver 
 said he was too old to be imposed upon by 
 a gossein, and insisted on his reward upon 
 the spot. The gossein refused to allow 
 him even a copper pot. The driver then 
 proceeded to take all the goods he could 
 lay his hands upon, and snatched at my 
 necklace : upon this the gossein fell upon 
 him ; but the driver escaped, and threw a 
 copper pot at the head of his antagonist, 
 which cut him over the temple, and brought 
 a torrent of blood. ' Woe be to thee that 
 hast shed my blood !' cried the gossein. 
 ' Aye, aye,' replied the driver, that non- 
 sense may do very well in Poona, my friend, 
 but not here — here we are but man and 
 
264 PANDURANG HARI, 
 
 man : if you do not grant me all I ask, I 
 will draw more of your precious blood ; for 
 I know you mean to cheat me ! ' then un- 
 sheathing a dagger, he plunged it into the 
 gossein's side, who fell, as I thought, life- 
 less. We screamed and shrieked aloud, 
 whilst the driver packed up our baggage, 
 tore off my ornaments one by one, and 
 finally decamped. The gossein recovered 
 in a little time, and found he could lose his 
 sacred blood without dying. He at length 
 got up, holding his side, which he tied 
 round with a cloth, and walked away, say- 
 ing, ' I go to a vyd or doctor, and shall be 
 with you again in a few hours.' On his 
 departure, we continued to scream as loud 
 as we could, but were nearly exhausted 
 when you came to our assistance." 
 
 It appeared to me, from this account, 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 265 
 
 that the driver had effected all this villany 
 between the hours of four and ten in the 
 morning; and had had the audacity to ap- 
 pear quite cool and collected at the police- 
 master's, to bear witness against me, hoping 
 to revenge himself upon me most effec- 
 tually — though he was a little out in his 
 calculations ; and, when I was set at liberty, 
 he lost no time in absconding. 
 
 vol. 1. N 
 
266 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 CHAP. XL 
 
 The impression produced in my mind 
 by the events detailed in the last chapter 
 was, that the gossein had plans in view 
 which were by no means developed. The 
 seizure of a few paltry gold ornaments, or 
 the pots and pans of the women, were not 
 objects of sufficient account to interest him 
 so deeply : he must have been the agent of 
 some other person at a distance, who had 
 employed him there, and to whom he would 
 have conducted his prisoners. Who this 
 was it was not easy to determine ; but it 
 became us to lose no time in returning to 
 Seroor. Upon our way back, while making 
 inquiries at the village, we learned that the 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 267 
 
 gossein had again made his appearance ; 
 but, upon hearing that we had been there 
 and had pursued the track leading to the 
 cave, he had taken himself off, no one 
 knew whither. I was angry with the po- 
 tail for not detaining him : he urged in his 
 defence, that he had no orders to do so. It 
 might have been expected that, knowing 
 we were in pursuit of the fellow, he would 
 have acted on his own discretion ; but the 
 fact was, the potail was awed by the sanc- 
 tity of the gossein's character, and had no 
 inclination to get into trouble on my ac- 
 count. 
 
 We reached Seroor at last, where it be- 
 came necessary to rest that night. I first 
 secured cattle, and then purchased a good 
 two-edged sword, and a brace of English 
 pistols, which I well loaded ; as I was 
 
 N 2 
 
26$ PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 determined to resist, to the last drop of my 
 blood, any persons who molested us during 
 our future progress. Thus armed, we left 
 Seroor the next day, and reached Ahmed- 
 nugur without experiencing any interrup- 
 tion, either from the insolence of cattle- 
 drivers, or the intrusion of gosseins. Re- 
 maining the night at Ahmednugur, we 
 started early the following morning for 
 Kandeish. No event worthy recording 
 happened, until we were within an easy 
 march of the place of our destination. The 
 distance from Nugur to Kandeish being too 
 great for us to make one march of it, we 
 proceeded as far as we could, and halted — 
 purposing to start the following morning, 
 and thus terminate our journey. We stop- 
 ped for the night at a village surrounded 
 with trees, which gave it an aspect pecu- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 269 
 
 liarly retired and pleasing. Finding the 
 carriage of my pistols about my person 
 inconvenient, and not apprehending dan- 
 ger, as we were within ten coss of our final 
 destination, I unloaded them, and gave them 
 into the charge of the cattle-driver. We 
 slept sound at the village, till the chirping of 
 birds awoke me, by which I concluded that 
 it was daybreak; and therefore called to 
 my fair companions and to the driver, re- 
 questing them to get ready for travelling. 
 Sagoonah hereupon observed, that the night 
 appeared very short ; and but for the chirp- 
 ing of the birds, she could not have be- 
 lieved it to be already morning. 
 
 We very soon put ourselves in order for 
 starting ; and, though it appeared unaccount- 
 ably dark, we sallied forth from the village. 
 It seemed as if the morning was strangely 
 n 3 
 
270 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 dilatory in making its appearance. Both Sa- 
 goonah and her aunt yawned, and were not 
 at all refreshed with the sleep they had 
 taken. I began^ before we had got a coss 
 from the village, to think of returning, and 
 was opening my lips to propose it, when 
 suddenly six men started from a thicket, 
 and surrounded us so suddenly, that I had 
 no time to draw my sword. The women 
 screamed, and were terrified to death ; and 
 the driver fell flat on his face, begging that 
 his life might be spared. The robbers soon 
 got possession of my sword, and we now 
 remained entirely at their mercy. Too late 
 I repented bitterly the not having reloaded 
 my pistols ; but repentance was useless. 
 They could take nothing from the women, 
 who had been pretty well plundered by 
 the gossein and his accomplice ; but from 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 271 
 
 me they carried away my long bag of ru- 
 pees, being all I was worth in the world. 
 Having got what I possessed, they next at- 
 tacked the driver, who had only a pair of 
 silver bangles; and these they forced off 
 his hands with such violence, as to lacerate 
 them terribly. Next they stole the bells 
 from the neck of the bullock, and the dri- 
 ver's coat and shoes, which with my sword 
 and pistols comprised every thing we had 
 worth taking : they then left us. We now 
 returned again to the village. There was 
 no appearance of daylight, though half an 
 hour had elapsed since we first started : 
 this was unaccountable to us all. I began 
 to fancy the world was about to be for ever 
 darkened, or that some mystery I could not 
 penetrate had enveloped us. On reaching 
 the village, I went to the potaiPs house : he 
 n 4 
 
272 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 and all his household were snoring aloud, 
 as if it had been the dead of night : — it was 
 with some difficulty I awoke him. At 
 length he came to his door, and I told him 
 I was a traveller, who had put up at his 
 village the preceding night, and that, on 
 prosecuting my journey, I had been robbed 
 of all my property. He replied, " If you 
 will be so rash as to set out on such a 
 journey in the dead of night, you must 
 expect to be robbed.'' — " Dead of night !" 
 I exclaimed ; " what do you mean ? — I 
 heard the birds chirping in the trees, and 
 felt assured morning was about to dawn." — 
 a 4 rr y /» exclaimed the potail ; " you have 
 fallen in with the T,hugs /"' Upon in- 
 quiring who they were, he told me a 
 class of persons in that part of the coun- 
 try, who lived by plundering travellers ; 
 
PANDURANG HaR}. %13 
 
 and, to avail themselves of the dark- 
 ness of the night, the better to con- 
 ceal themselves and carry on their pre- 
 datory schemes with surer success, they 
 mounted into the trees and shook the 
 branches. The birds at roost on them, 
 being thus disturbed, begin immediately to 
 chirp, as if it were near daybreak ; and 
 thus travellers, who are resting for the 
 night in villages or farm-dwellings, are 
 too often deceived, and fall an easy prey. 
 I told the potail I was sorry he had not 
 given me that piece of information the day 
 before, and I should not have been a suf- 
 ferer. He remarked, that it was then the 
 middle of the night, and it wanted full four 
 ghurries * before the birds would chirp, pro- 
 vided the T,hugs did not again molest 
 
 * Half-hours, or near about. 
 N5 
 
274 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 them before their time. I apologized for 
 disturbing him further; but I could not 
 help asking him if I had no chance of re- 
 covering my property: to which he re- 
 plied, " There was none; and he would 
 advise me to go to sleep, and think no 
 more about my money, but consider I was 
 well off in escaping with life." 
 
 I now returned to where I had left the 
 females, and explained how we had been 
 deceived by the T,hugs. Sagoonah ob- 
 served, that she had felt herself very little 
 refreshed by sleep when I awoke her to 
 proceed on our journey ; and, in short, we 
 talked so much of the deception and rob- 
 bery, that to sleep again was out of the 
 question. It was very fortunate this cir- 
 cumstance occurred so near our ultimate 
 place of destination; otherwise, I should 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. '2^5 
 
 have had no money to defray the necessary 
 expenses of the road. When the birds 
 again chirped, and we were certain it was 
 dawn, we set out. Sagoonah advised me 
 to go to the potail again ; and, as an addi- 
 tional precaution, to ask him if it were now 
 really day: she said this with a sly and 
 arch look, of which I could clearly com- 
 prehend the import. We continued our 
 journey further unmolested, and reach- 
 ed Trimbuckje's village in safety. I hired 
 a house for Sagoonah and her aunt, and 
 took lodgings for myself some distance off, 
 saying that they were my mother and sister. 
 I then presented my credentials to Venkut 
 Rao, who received me very courteously, 
 and appointed me under-secretary, or de- 
 puty-carcoon, in the revenue department, 
 which brought me in a salary of 100 ru- 
 n 6 
 
276 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 pees a month. I resolved to live as 
 quietly as possible, get into no disputes, 
 and make no extortionate demands from 
 the ryots or inhabitants, and particularly 
 not to cheat my master. 
 
 Every thing passed away very well for 
 the first month. I determined to make 
 proposals of marriage to Sagoonah, to 
 whom I was a constant visitor. The aunt 
 saw but one objection, which was, that her 
 niece had been betrothed when a child to 
 another person. I urged the certainty of 
 that person's death, but in vain : the fear 
 of uniting her niece with me, whilst the 
 fate of him to whom she had been be- 
 trothed was undecided, was an insurmount- 
 able barrier to our hopes. I say our hopes, 
 because the sparkling eyes of my loving 
 Sagoonah told me, as well as words could 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 277 
 
 have done, the interest I held in her affec- 
 tions. I obtained, both from her and 
 her aunt, a solemn promise that her hand 
 should never be given to another; and 
 that if, in three years more, no tidings 
 of him to whom she had been betrothed 
 were heard, the advice of some holy Brah- 
 min should be taken, or a Shastree consulted 
 as to the propriety of our marriage. With 
 this I was obliged to content myself, very 
 sorely against my inclinations, but there 
 was no help for it. 
 
 I did not neglect to keep my fair friends 
 on their guard against the " gossein's 
 snare." I requested them never to admit 
 one of the tribe into their dwelling, and 
 never to be outside their habitation after 
 sunset. They were also, even in the day- 
 time, to be accompanied by my peons. 
 
5278 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 They scrupulously obeyed my instructions ; 
 and for six months every thing passed 
 away as smoothly as I could expect or 
 desire. At length it became my turn to 
 go out into the district, to collect the 
 revenue from the cultivators and inhabi- 
 tants; and as we had lived so securely 
 for many months, I had almost lost every 
 apprehension respecting their safety during 
 my absence. I informed Sagoonah of the 
 necessity for my departure, and renewed 
 my cautions, begging them to be ever on 
 the watch to guard against treachery. I 
 moreover informed them, that I should not 
 send even my most confidential servant to 
 them ; and, that if they were summoned 
 at all in my name, they must apprehend 
 mischief. In case I should wish them to 
 meet me at any time,, a messenger should 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 2? 9 
 
 bear the ring I then wore. By these pre- 
 cautions, I trusted I should guard against 
 the snares of our enemies — my fair friends 
 promising to use every additional precau- 
 tion that offered itself for adding to their 
 security. I then took my farewell, with a 
 foreboding heart : I fancied it was the last 
 time I should ever behold my Sagoonah. 
 The separation came over my heart like a 
 cold blight; and, in despite of reason 
 and every thing I could urge against it, I 
 was overcome with a degree of melancholy 
 that seemed closely allied to the despair 
 of hopes for ever extinguished. 
 
 After I left Sagoonah, I appointed a 
 trusty person to give me immediate informa- 
 tion, should he observe any thing occur 
 to excite suspicion during my absence, and 
 let me know, at intervals, how things went 
 
280 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 on. The hour of departure arrived, and I 
 set off on my duties. Nothing worthy of 
 record took place in the district to which I 
 went ; and I had the satisfaction of hearing 
 all remained right at home, some days after 
 I had been absent. One month only, how- 
 ever, had elapsed, when a special courier 
 came to me from Trimbuckje Danglia, de- 
 manding my presence instantly on a most 
 important affair. So urgent was the busi- 
 ness, that I deemed it necessary to set out 
 for Poona from the place where I received 
 the summons, fearing a return home first 
 would occasion too great a delay. I de- 
 spatched a messenger to Sagoonah, inform- 
 ing her of my summons to Poona, its ur- 
 gency, and directing her to keep up a com- 
 munication with me, if needful. On reach- 
 ing Poona, I found Trimbuckje and his 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 281 
 
 household in great confusion, and making 
 preparations for marching. What most 
 confounded me was, to see his house 
 guarded by English soldiers. I soon 
 learned that Trimbuckje had, since I left 
 Poona, and at the instigation of the 
 Peeshwa, murdered a Shastree on his way 
 from the court of Guikowar in Guzerat, to 
 Badgerao: that the English had taken 
 up the cause of justice, as the murdered 
 man was proceeding on political affairs in 
 which they were concerned; and that they 
 insisted on Trimbuckje being delivered 
 over to them, promising not to take his life. 
 Trimbuckje denied the crime ; but I found 
 that though he did not murder the Shastree, 
 yet he employed a gossein to do it for him 
 (Gabbage, no doubt), and that the Peeshwa 
 had promised Trimbuckje land and a 
 
282 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 jaghire for life. Trimbuckje promised a 
 thousand rupees to a gossein, and the latter 
 employed a third party for five hundred 
 rupees, and this third party, a gang of vil- 
 lains who did the business for two hundred. 
 The Peeshwa was obliged to accede to the 
 demand of the English, and to deliver up 
 his minister, promising to look after his 
 affairs, and to lose no time and spare no 
 pains in effecting his speedy liberation. I 
 found I was summoned to accompany Trim- 
 buckje to Thannah, a fort in the island 
 of Salsette, near Bombav. I was told I 
 had come at a fortunate moment, as the 
 prisoner was to set off that night. I should 
 not probably have been required ; but many 
 of the sycophants who had surrounded him 
 in his prosperity, skulked from him on the 
 setting of his glory, so that only two of his 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 283 
 
 retainers besides myself remained. Gabbage 
 was left in the Deccan to carry into effect 
 both his master's schemes and his own. I 
 hoped he would have accompanied us to 
 Thannah, and felt great uneasiness at learn- 
 ing he was not to go. Trimbuckje was 
 much pleased at seeing me, and appeared to 
 be in good spirits, though, being guarded 
 by two sepoys, he durst not be as communi- 
 cative as he would, perhaps, have been 
 otherwise. I assured him I was ready to 
 attend him any where, and vowed everlast- 
 ing fidelity to so kind a master. In the 
 evening we set off for Thannah, proceeding 
 at the slow rate of ten coss only in a day. 
 The names of the other two attendants who 
 accompanied Trimbuckje, were Nanna and 
 Juntoo, both old and tried servants. 
 
 As we proceeded on our journey, I felt 
 
284 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 miserable at the thought of what would 
 become of Sagoonah during my absence. 
 I dared scarcely suffer the thought to cross 
 my mind, and had great difficulty to con- 
 sole myself with the reflection, that, if I did 
 not like Trimbuckje's service, which, as he 
 might be a prisoner many years, did not 
 promise to be either agreeable or profitable, 
 I could at any time quit him, and proceed 
 where fortune might lead me. We reached 
 Thannah on the day fixed, and were de- 
 livered over to the commandant, an aged 
 and worn-out man, but very affable and 
 good-tempered. He placed European in- 
 stead of native sentinels over us, at which 
 we were much pleased, as we could enjoy 
 uninterrupted conversation without being 
 understood. I found Trimbuckje not with- 
 out hopes of effecting his escape ; and he 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 285 
 
 frequently said, he relied on my cunning 
 to accomplish it. We were allowed to 
 walk in the fort every evening, at which 
 time the commandant's horses were led out 
 to exercise. I should have previously men- 
 tioned, that the old commandant had been 
 removed, and was succeeded by a younger 
 and more active man. His horses, then, 
 they were that I saw led out about the fort. 
 One evening, being near his horse-keeper, 
 I recognized in him my old friend, Nursoo, 
 the quondam bullock-driver, who procured 
 me the peon's situation at Bombay. The 
 recognition was mutual, and productive of 
 mutual surprise. I dared not appear too 
 intimate with him, lest the European sen- 
 tries should entertain suspicion, which 
 might frustrate all my plans for effecting 
 my master's liberation. Day after day I 
 
286 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 met and conversed with Nursoo; and I 
 hinted to Trimbuckje my acquaintance with 
 him. I said, I hoped, through Nursoo's 
 means; to accomplish our object, and set 
 him at liberty. He was highly pleased, 
 and vowed to reward me most liberally, if 
 it could be accomplished. 
 
 I found, upon sounding Nursoo, that, like 
 most Mahrattas, he was very ready to finger 
 the gold ; and, without being understood by 
 our guards, we comprehended each other 
 pretty well before we separated. I saw that 
 a better man than Nursoo could not have 
 been discovered to assist in such a scheme, 
 and I speedily reported to Trimbuckje 
 how ready and necessary a tool he was. 
 Trimbuckje praised my ingenuity highly, 
 and rang the old changes of flattery and 
 reward. I conceived it would be desirable, 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 287 
 
 nay absolutely necessary, to obtain the co- 
 operation of our friends in the Deccan, 
 and to apprize them as soon as possible of 
 the chance we had of effecting Trimbuckje's 
 escape. He himself thought it could be 
 easy to send a letter through Nursoo, who 
 must be trusted in the affair, and could 
 easily find a messenger to carry it ; and he 
 determined to write at once, until I told 
 him the very day and hour must be fixed, 
 that his friends might be ready on the other 
 side of the water with horses, or means of 
 rapid conveyance. Trimbuckje acquiesced 
 in my plan, which I contrived to mature 
 with Nursoo, who agreed to serve us for five 
 hundred rupees ; two hundred and fifty to be 
 paid down on the spot, and the rest when we 
 reached the Deccan in safety. Nursoo was to 
 accompany us. The two hundred and fifty 
 
288 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 rupees were raised and paid with difficulty, 
 and a letter despatched to the Deccan to 
 give notice to our friends. 
 
 The commencement of the rainy season 
 had arrived, and Nursoo, as the nights were 
 become dark, proposed that the attempt 
 should be made then, and all was arranged 
 accordingly. He told us we must be con- 
 tented to remain behind, and that when our 
 master was flown we should be released. 
 I did not much like this part of the affair, 
 but there was no help for it, and we ac- 
 quiesced. Trimbuckje's bathing-place was 
 upon the ground-floor, and he usually 
 visited it every evening at seven o'clock. 
 It was agreed that, instead of going directly 
 into the bathing-place, he should strike into 
 a passage on the left, where there was a low 
 window through which he might get out. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 289 
 
 On the outside, Nursoo would take care to 
 leave a long bamboo basket-work covering, 
 composed of leaves used by the cultivators 
 of rice during the rainy season. Trimbuckje 
 was to divest himself of his clothes, and 
 using this covering, walk out of the fort 
 before the eight o'clock gun fired, after 
 which time the gates would be shut. To 
 prevent the immediate discovery of his es- 
 cape, I was to arrest the attention of the 
 centinel (who never intruded into the 
 bathing-room, but remained at the end of 
 the passage), by singing some Hindustanee 
 songs, and conversing with him in that 
 language as well as I could. Nanna and 
 Suntoo were both informed of the plot, and 
 Trimbuckje duly initiated into the part he 
 was to take. The day arrived, and Nursoo 
 found means to let me know he had met 
 vol. L o 
 
290 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 with a man in the bazaar, named Gabbage, 
 a gossein, who drew him into conversation, 
 and asked him his name. On hearing it 
 was Nursoo, and that he was in the service 
 of the commandant of the fort, he called 
 him on one side, and told him all was in 
 readiness on the other side of the water. 
 Nursoo desired him to be on the look-out 
 before eight o'clock, and then left him. That 
 this was no invention of Nursoo's I knew, 
 by his mentioning the name of Gabbage. 
 It gave me great pleasure also to find that 
 he was not playing his tricks in another 
 quarter, where I had reason to fear him 
 more sensibly. Evening came, and Trim- 
 buckje went to bathe as usual. The cen- 
 tinel and myself were left at the end of the 
 passage, and I amused him with some of 
 the songs I had heard from the ass-driver, 
 whom the reader cannot have forgotten, 
 
PANDURANG HAIII. #91 
 
 clapping my hands to mark time and to 
 make a noise. In a little while the sentry 
 began to be anxious respecting his prisoner. 
 He said he thought he was unnecessarily 
 long in the bath. I said it was not wonder- 
 ful, for the morrow was a great holiday, and 
 therefore, it was necessary to perform long 
 and frequent ablutions. The sentry, how- 
 ever, was not to be so deceived, and pushing 
 past me into the bathing-room, he gave 
 the alarm of his prisoner's escape. Pre- 
 sently came officers, soldiers, servants, and 
 lights from all quarters : but in vain — the 
 prisoner was off. We were examined and 
 re-examined; but we declared we were 
 ignorant of the means by which Trimbuckje 
 effected his escape: we were alternately 
 threatened and coaxed, to no purpose. I 
 was immoveable ; but Nanna mentioned that 
 o2 
 
29% PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 Nursoo, the horse-keeper, was implicated* 
 Parties were sent in search of him, and all 
 the shops in the town were unsuccessfully 
 ransacked to find him out. The prisoner 
 had, indeed, effected his escape beyond the 
 reach of pursuit. It was discovered that he 
 must have actually passed the two sentries 
 at the gate ; though, when they were ques- 
 tioned, they stated that no one but a poor 
 black cultivator had gone that way, little 
 dreaming that he was the prisoner in ques- 
 tion. His covering was found not many 
 yards from the gate of the fort. Farther 
 search was then made along the ramparts ; 
 and a rope fixed to a gun, and a pair of 
 shoes were found, which were proved to 
 belong to the horse-keeper* Still opinions 
 were divided as to the manner in which 
 Trimbuckje effected his escape ; for, on 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. C IQS 
 
 searching the ramparts the first time no 
 ropes or shoes were discovered ; so that 
 whoever they belonged to must have lowered 
 himself, and disappeared, just in time to 
 get clear. 
 
 The circumstance of a state prisoner 
 quietly walking out of the gate of a fort 
 is almost an unparalleled incident, and 
 certainly shews the great laxity of those on 
 duty, or it could never have happened. 
 There seemed to me to be a want of the 
 following very simple precautions ; namely, 
 the providing every conveniency upon the 
 same floor that the prisoner lodged ; having 
 guards of an equal number of sepoys and 
 Europeans, and causing the gates to be 
 closed sooner as the evenings drew in, in- 
 stead of doing so at a fixed hour. None 
 of these precautions being observed, it is not 
 o 3 
 
294 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 wonderful plans should be laid, and a pri- 
 soner walk off over the same road that 
 other persons travel. In the mean time our 
 scheme had succeeded to the fullest extent 
 we could desire. Unfortunately, myself and 
 the servants were still detained ; but Trim- 
 buckje was safe. In two months afterwards 
 we were released; but my profits in the 
 transaction were yet to come, and I had 
 a long journey to travel before I could ex- 
 pect my promised reward — a reward, indeed, 
 such as I little apprehended. 
 
 When the orders were received, and we 
 were at liberty — Nanna, Suntoo, and myself 
 — we found ourselves pretty nearly in the 
 same circumstances of destitution, and 
 agreed to travel in company : we, more- 
 over, were all bound to the same destina- 
 tion at Kandeish. We had not long set 
 
PANDURANG HARI. %Q5 
 
 out before we deviated from the high road, 
 and travelled amid jungles and ravines. 
 Being on foot, our progress was but slow. 
 It was still the rainy season, and we were 
 frequently drenched to the skin before 
 night-fall. One night, Suntoo called me 
 aside, and proposed that we should again 
 deliver Trimbuckje into the hands of the 
 English, as great rewards were offered for 
 his apprehension. Though I spurned the 
 idea of turning traitor, I dared not express 
 my indignation, lest Suntoo should watch 
 his opportunity, and get me out of the way, 
 to prevent my informing against him. I 
 therefore appeared to come completely into 
 his plans, but urged several reasons for 
 delay before we put our scheme into exe- 
 cution. I said, " in the first place, let us 
 get all we can for delivering Trimbuckje 
 o 4 
 
296 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 from prison ; this done, we may enter upon 
 our plans for obtaining a reward of the 
 English, and get him in again." — " An ex- 
 cellent plan !" said the traitor ; " let it be 
 so ; and mind, we agree to share the profits 
 between us." 
 
 We arrived at last within three days' 
 march of Kandeish, and were plodding 
 through jungles and ditches, when we heard 
 the sound of horses' feet, and had soon cause 
 for alarm, when a horde of Pindarees 
 rushed towards us. In an instant they 
 began searching our persons, and, not find- 
 ing any plunder, we indulged the hope we 
 should be suffered to depart; when the 
 chief of the party ordered our arms to be 
 tied behind us, and bade us follow the 
 troops. Resistance was vain; and Nanna, 
 Suntoo, and myself were led like three 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 297 
 
 malefactors by one of the troopers. They 
 now penetrated a very thick bamboo jungle. 
 A dreadful storm arose while we were in 
 the midst of it. The thunder rattled and 
 roared over our heads, and the lightning, 
 shedding for an instant an intense bright- 
 ness, left the darkness between every flash 
 tenfold more deep. Now it seemed to run 
 along the furniture of the horses, or from 
 rider to rider, hanging about their arms, 
 and standing on their sword points. One 
 man was struck dead, and another lost his 
 sight. The rain came down in torrents, 
 and the violence of the wind caused the tall 
 bamboos to bend almost to the earth, creak- 
 ing and cracking with a singular and at 
 times a mournful sound, which added to 
 the impressive effect of the scene. There 
 was but one path through the jungle, — so 
 o 5 
 
298 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 that to mistake our way, even under these 
 circumstances, was not easy. After a long 
 exposure to the fury of the storm, we ar- 
 rived at the gate of a low and ruined for- 
 tress. Our party hailed its inmates, and we 
 were answered by the sound of a large 
 nugarrah* placed over the gateway. The 
 doors were quickly opened, and we entered 
 into shelter. The horses of the troop were 
 tied up in sheds projecting from the walls 
 of the great court-yard, and we were led 
 up a narrow staircase, until we reached a 
 spacious apartment illuminated by a single 
 iron lamp. A fire was immediately kindled, 
 and- supper got ready. The troop consisted 
 of one hundred; fifty of these constituted 
 the party with which we unfortunately fell 
 in. To gratify the appetites of the band, a 
 * Kettle-dram. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 299 
 
 large wooden bowl filled with rice was 
 brought in and placed in the midst ; from 
 whence all fed indiscriminately, and without 
 ceremony in regard to caste. We were 
 consequently obliged to wait until the Pin- 
 darees were all satisfied, and then we were 
 told we might devour what they had left. 
 To us, who were totally unaccustomed to 
 such impure feeding, the idea of touching a 
 dish from which an indiscriminate rabble 
 had fed was inconceivably disgusting. We 
 therefore refused the proffered honour, 
 begging to be allowed a little raw rice, to 
 cook as we pleased. Some of them made ob- 
 jections to our request as being too indulgent. 
 At last a young man, of a somewhat better 
 appearance than the others, came up to 
 me and said, " Be patient and you shall 
 have all you desire."' I thought I remem- 
 o 6 
 
300 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 bered his person, though I had not a full 
 view of his countenance when he spoke, 
 and the chamber was gloomy and ill-lighted. 
 I thanked him for his attention, and he 
 went away promising to procure us the rice. 
 On his return he had a lamp in his hand, 
 and I saw, to my agreeable surprise, that it 
 was my old inkstand-bearer, who had been 
 of such service to me under my early pro- 
 tector, Sawunt Rao. He did not know me 
 at first, nor did I give him to understand 
 that I recognized him. He said that he 
 and two of his comrades were appointed to 
 guard us, either within or without the fort. 
 He told us we were expected to enlist in 
 the troop and become Pindarees, and en- 
 deavoured to persuade us to agree, as a 
 contrary course might perhaps cost us our 
 lives. 
 
JPANDURANG HARl\ 301 
 
 " When you have eaten your rice," said 
 the inkstand-bearer, " I will give you an 
 account of the kind of life which I have led 
 here." We occupied one corner of the 
 great room, where we cooked and soon 
 devoured our rice. The storm had abated 
 without, though the rain continued to beat 
 against the walls of the building. The 
 horde seemed well supplied with liquor, 
 which we learned was a prize lately seized 
 from some bullock-drivers of Bombay. Or- 
 ders were then given by the chief of the 
 troop that we should be secured in a small 
 room, and that our three guards were to 
 sleep in the apartment. We were accord- 
 ingly conducted thither, without delay, by 
 our guard, consisting of the inkstand-bearer 
 and the two who attended us before. Both 
 the latter seemed in bad health and low 
 
302 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 spirits. When we were placed in security, 
 I made myself known to the inkstand- 
 bearer : he was much surprised, and par- 
 ticularly anxious to know by what strange 
 vicissitude of fortune I had become his 
 prisoner. My history was too long, and 
 contained too many important secrets for 
 me to volunteer it in a public narration ; but 
 I assured my former friend, that I would 
 one day give it him in private. I asked 
 who his companions were, and what made 
 them appear so dejected. He replied, he 
 could give me no information respecting 
 them ; that they had joined the troop only 
 a month before, and one of them had never 
 been observed to smile, or ever wear an 
 aspect of cheerfulness. At this moment 
 Suntoo exclaimed, " Were there ever such 
 unfortunate beings as we are, to be caught 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 303 
 
 and made Pindarees against our inclina- 
 tions !" — " Indeed," said Nanna, " we are 
 the most unlucky men in the world !" — " I 
 will answer for it," exclaimed the inkstand- 
 bearer, " your misfortunes fall far short of 
 what I have endured !" — " And mine," 
 said one of our downcast guards, " exceed 
 not only your's, but those of any other 
 person in the world !" — " Mine excepted," 
 said our third guard. Here the inkstand- 
 bearer observed, u that, as each seemed to 
 be of opinion that he himself was the greater 
 sufferer from adversity, the best way would 
 be for each, in turn, to relate his adven- 
 tures, and let the prisoners be umpires to 
 decide the question. To this no objection 
 was made by any of the parties ; the most 
 low-spirited of the two Pindarees saying, he 
 had no objection ; and the other, that he 
 
304 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 hoped all who heard him would take warn- 
 ing from the follies he should show he had 
 partaken in, and be cautioned against the 
 villany practised towards him by designing 
 persons. It was now urged, that, as we 
 were fatigued by our long march, and the 
 night was advanced, we should first endea- 
 vour to gain some repose, and postpone 
 the relation of the stories till the next 
 evening; and to this all assented. 
 
 The following morning was cloudy and 
 gloomy : I could only learn that we were 
 in the Chandor jungles, but in what part I 
 was unable to discover. The buildings 
 appeared to be of great extent; but, as all 
 the windows looked inwards, round a court, 
 I could see nothing of the distant country. 
 During the day my friend the inkstand- 
 bearer, whose name was Mahadeo, told me 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 305 
 
 that Scindea was befriending the Pindaree- 
 hordes ; and that, in a short time, a grand 
 blow would be struck, by which the Eng- 
 lish would be driven out of India ; that, to 
 enable them to effect this object, it was 
 necessary to increase their numbers ; and it 
 was ordered that all persons that were met 
 with should be pressed into the service, and 
 be made to assist in attacking the common 
 enemy of their country. My friend told 
 me, in addition, that I had better make 
 the most of the situation I was in ; that 
 my duties would be trifling, and very pro- 
 fitable ; that I should only be expected 
 to rob and kill, eat and drink. " A 
 very honourable employment !" I said to 
 him in reply. " As to honourable,'' he 
 rejoined, "what is the practice of all our 
 Rajahs and Mahal-rajahs, Peeshwas, and 
 
306 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 Sottans ? — do they not call themselves the 
 fountains of all justice ! — rob, cheat, ty- 
 rannize over and murder whomsoever they 
 please ; and that, too, when there is no ne* 
 cessity for such acts — when they can do 
 without them, and possess means of exist- 
 ing honestly ! Are not we now acting 
 under their immediate sanction? Must we 
 not live somehow ? and what does it signify 
 how? Were you deputy-carcoon again, 
 you would spare no exertions to fleece a 
 poor coombie of a rupee, in a sneaking, 
 underhand manner ; whereas, now you may 
 go to work in a noble and manly style, 
 more worthy the manners of the East !" 
 
 The arguments of my old friend, I must 
 confess, seemed to me to be unanswerable, 
 yet, as is always the case with persons so 
 situated, I attempted a reply in extenuation, 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 807 
 
 by observing how repugnant my feelings 
 were to the committal of murder. " In- 
 deed ! my old master," said he; " and who 
 put Hybatty to death ? who hanged the 
 carcoon, under the pretext that he believed 
 him a spy ? Under the rose, I got into a 
 scrape about this same hanging exploit of 
 yours, as you will hear, when I relate my 
 history to you." — u Well but, my good 
 friend," I answered, " the two instances 
 you quote were not cool unprovoked mur- 
 ders; the first I hanged because I heard 
 him swear by the holy cow he would have 
 my life ; and the second, in the dark, agree- 
 able to superior orders."' — " And these men's 
 deaths preyed heavily on your mind, no 
 doubt?" he interrupted. — " Why, no, in 
 truth, I cannot say I was much concerned 
 at their fate ; but I must at the same time 
 
308 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 say, that I will never commit cool, deliberate 
 murder on unoffending persons."-—" Well, 
 then," he replied, " you shall rob, and we 
 will kill afterwards — you will then be the 
 genuine Pindarree ; or we will first run the 
 fellows through, and leave you to plunder 
 them. This division of labour will make 
 the thing more easy, and save you any 
 scruples !" — " I imagine that division of 
 spoil forms no inconsiderable part of a Pin- 
 daree's duty." — " Aye," said he, " fair di- 
 vision or actual separation is the law among 
 them." I asked his meaning, as not clearly 
 comprehending the import of his speech, 
 and what he meant by " actual separation !" 
 He, in reply, drew his hand across the back 
 part of his neck with a very significant 
 look, which together I could not easily mis- 
 understand. The only hope I could secretly 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 309 
 
 entertain of escape was, that if I turned 
 Pindaree, I must be furnished with a horse, 
 which would afford me the means, when op- 
 portunity occurred, of decamping from the 
 troop. 
 
 The second evening came. The troop, 
 as before, partook of their mess like so many 
 ravenous hogs. We were once more ac- 
 commodated with permission to cook and 
 eat by ourselves. When we retired to rest, 
 I reminded the Pindarees of their promise 
 to relate their histories ; and my old friend, 
 Mahadeo, the inkstand-bearer, immediately 
 began. 
 
310 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE FIRST PINDAREE. 
 
 " Though I am at present but a va- 
 gabond Pindaree, I can assure you all, 
 without any deviation from truth, that I 
 can boast both of purity of caste and dig- 
 nity of extraction. My father was brother 
 to the Rajah of Satarah, though not the 
 elder son ; unfortunately another, far his 
 senior, aspired to the musnud in case the 
 reigning rajah died without issue. Never- 
 theless, my father was determined to assert 
 his claims, and to dispute the right of his 
 elder brother, by casting a slur upon his 
 caste, and insisting that my uncle was the 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 311 
 
 son of a Dobin, or washerwoman. His mo- 
 ther not being alive when he so sagaciously 
 discovered this stain on his brother's title, 
 she could not be appealed to, to decide the 
 matter. Unluckily for my poor father's 
 hopes, my uncle obviated the difficulty, by 
 producing, or procuring at least, twenty 
 witnesses, who were ready to swear to his 
 immaculate blood. This eldest brother had 
 also a son, on whom my father did not look 
 with a very delighted eye; he invariably 
 styled my hopeful cousin the Dobee-poora, 
 or washerwoman's boy. This youth I never 
 had the felicity of seeing ; for, though about 
 mine own age, he lived a great way from my 
 juvenile residence. My uncle frequently 
 came to our town, and was for ever involved 
 in disputes with my father; and so miserable 
 did the latter contrive to make him, that at 
 
312 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 last he determined to quit the part of the 
 country where we lived, and retire to live 
 as far as possible from his brotherly torment. 
 Before he took this step, he made a pro- 
 posal to a high caste Brahmin to give his 
 daughter to my cousin. My father hearing 
 this, made similar proposals on my behalf. 
 The Brahmin, fancying my uncle was nearer 
 the possession of the sceptre than my father 
 or my father's son, accepted my uncle's pro- 
 posal in preference. This so enraged my 
 father, that he vowed the most dreadful 
 vengeance on his brother and the boy his 
 son. The ceremony of the betrothing was 
 performed between my cousin and the Brah- 
 min's daughter, during which time my fa- 
 ther remained at home, and kept me with 
 him, not willing that we should be seen 
 after he had sustained so great a mortifica- 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 313 
 
 tion. After the ceremony, my uncle and 
 his son went afar off to reside, as they had 
 previously determined. 
 
 " About this time I discovered that my 
 father passed much of his time wrapped in 
 meditation, and often heard him muttering 
 to himself things which I could not com- 
 prehend, his arms folded, and brow heavy 
 and clouded. He frequently absented him- 
 self from home all night, and on one occa- 
 sion remained away three successive days. 
 Upon his return, I perceived he was wound- 
 ed. He gave out that he had been at Indore 
 for the purpose of meeting his brother Se- 
 vaje, who had requested him to do so by 
 letter ; that, returning together, they were 
 waylaid and furiously attacked by robbers ; 
 that he escaped, but that his unhappy bro- 
 ther and nephew had been assassinated. 
 
 VOL. I. P 
 
314 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 My father pretended to grieve over his bro- 
 ther's fate, and declared he would become a 
 sunyasse,* and retire from the world. As 
 soon as he recovered from his wounds, he 
 was impatient to set out ; and one day taking 
 me by the hand, he led me out of the back 
 door of the house. We proceeded through 
 lanes and crooked streets into the fields, 
 walking at a rapid rate, and never looking 
 behind us. We continued our journey until 
 night came on, when we penetrated a thick 
 jungle, in the heart of which we discovered 
 a cave. On entering this gloomy abode, 
 my father vociferated, " Ho ! Baba-gossein 
 Baba !" Upon which a weak, but hollow 
 
 * Persons who leave their families and friends, and 
 pretend devotion to some particular god upon the least 
 misfortune : they are clothed in red, and wear high-heeled 
 wooden shoes. They are also styled gosseins. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 315 
 
 voice, answered, " Hah b^hae," or, what, 
 brother ? My father then uttered some 
 words wholly unintelligible in my ears, on 
 which an aged gossein opened a small 
 wicket and let us in. Immediately on en- 
 tering, my father fell down prostrate and 
 kissed the feet of the venerable sunyasse, 
 and made me do the same. The old man 
 raised us up and gave us some rice to eat, 
 which he had by him ready prepared : from 
 this I guessed that our arrival was not 
 unexpected by our host. 
 
 " This sunyasse was indeed a strange 
 being. He seemed a living skeleton, with- 
 out teeth, and bent double from age and 
 hardship; his hair was long, matted to- 
 gether, and stained purposely of a dirty 
 brown colour; his nails were as long as 
 p 2 
 
316 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 the talons of a bird of prey, and his toes 
 were bowed inwards, while their nails fur- 
 rowed the earth deeply at every step he 
 took. One hand and arm remained erect 
 over his head; in fact, the arm was no 
 longer a living member, owing to disuse, 
 and the fixed position in which he had kept 
 it for years, having vowed never to allow it to 
 resume its natural, nor indeed any different 
 position again. Pointed upwards from the 
 shoulder to which it belonged, with its 
 shrivelled look, it had the effect of giving 
 its owner a character not belonging to 
 the race of men — strange and supernatural. 
 Not a rag of clothing covered his frightful 
 anatomy, and his shrivelled and dried skin 
 was smeared from head to foot with dirt and 
 ashes. By these mortifications, he fancied 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 317 
 
 he should propitiate the deity. My father 
 beheld him with reverential awe, and I my- 
 self with inexpressible disgust. 
 
 " In one corner of the sunyasse's cave 
 was Gunputti the idol, large, with an ele- 
 phant's trunk ; and Mahadeo, and Parvati his 
 wife, were carved in the rock immediately 
 opposite. I concluded that the purport of 
 my father's visit to this miserable fanatic, 
 was as much to gain instruction as for se- 
 curity. Having eaten some rice, the old man 
 began to mumble prayers in a sepulchral 
 tone ; then to fall on the ground before the 
 god, and keep dabbling in water. My 
 father imitated him with the utmost exact- 
 ness, and made me follow the example. I 
 was heartily glad when these numerous 
 ceremonies, and their still more numerous 
 genuflexions were ended, as the stones on 
 p 3 
 
318 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 which they were made I found painful 
 enough to my bones. A dead silence now 
 took place for a full hour : the old gossein 
 first breaking it by crying out, as loud as his 
 crazy voice would permit, " SudasheoV* 
 and then desiring my father to say, Bom 
 Mahadeo. My father did all he was desired, 
 and then they continued for another hour, 
 calling out, one of them i Sudasheo, 5 and 
 the other, my father, roaring out 'Bom 
 Mahadeo,' until they were both exhausted. 
 As soon as the gossein had recovered a 
 little he rang a small bell, trimmed his 
 lamp, and bade us follow him. We now 
 entered an inner cell, where stood the figure 
 of Siva.j- The gossein desired us to do as 
 we saw him do : this was to fall down nine 
 
 * The name of an idol, 
 f The destroyer. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 319 
 
 times before the idol. This troublesome 
 business being over, and when I hoped there 
 was nothing more left for me to do, the old 
 wretch presented us with a copper vessel 
 filled with blood — whether human or not, I 
 cannot say to this day. We were directed 
 to take each of us a mouthful, and squirt it 
 out into the idol's face. My father obeyed 
 with great gravity ; but when it came to my 
 turn, I was in such haste to get rid of the 
 filthy mouthful, that I let the whole go, not 
 into the face of the idol, but into the eyes of 
 our preceptor. My father immediately felled 
 me to the ground, apologizing a thousand 
 times over to the gossein for my conduct. 
 I yelled, cried, and begged forgiveness, pro- 
 mising to hit the mark better next time. 
 My father was told to repeat the disgusting 
 oblation sixteen times, and I was ordered to 
 p 4 
 
320 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 follow his example. I succeeded, from fear, 
 in getting nearly through with the total 
 number, in despite of my stomach's repeat- 
 ed warnings. At last I was no longer able 
 to subdue its rebellious impulses, and Siva 
 received, not the contents of my mouth 
 alone, but both together. Indeed, nature 
 had effected wonders in enabling me to resist 
 so long the horrid doses of blood, which 
 would have disgusted a tiger. The gossein 
 now set up a frightful yell; and my fa- 
 ther, to appease his wrath and satisfy his 
 own anger, once more levelled me with the 
 earth. Siva, the destroyer, had been de- 
 filed, and it became necessary for the sun- 
 yasse to purify his godship : for this pur- 
 pose, he fetched water, oil, sandal-wood, 
 and red ochre, muttering a prayer between 
 each application. Sundry cocoa-nuts were 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 3 C 2\ 
 
 then offered, with prayers and moanings ; 
 and after another hour spent in purifying 
 the idol from the contamination I had cast 
 upon him, the sunyasse conducted us back 
 to the outer apartment. He now produced 
 a cauldron, lit a fire, and poured into the 
 vessel water, blood, resin, oil, ghee, and 
 rice ; he then sprinkled brimstone into the 
 fire, the blue flame of which, shining upon 
 his countenance, gave me a full view of its 
 cadaverous hideousness ; so horrible and 
 ghastly a being till then I had never beheld. 
 Terror crept coldly over me ; my heart was 
 chilled with a secret fear, and the hue given 
 to the gossein's face by the brimstone, im- 
 pressed me with the idea of his not being a 
 creature of this world. Even my father's 
 hardened countenance bore an expression, 
 if not of terror, of awe, and wonder, at 
 p 5 
 
322 PANDURANG HAlll. 
 
 the sight. The sunyasse next produced a 
 string made of horse-hair and fine cotton, 
 which he dipped in his infernal cauldron, 
 muttering blessings or curses, I could not 
 tell which. He then, with a pair of tongs 
 drawing it from the cauldron, bathed it in 
 blood, drew it through his toes, and then 
 soused it once more in the charmed pot, 
 where he suffered it to remain about half 
 an hour. Then taking off the cauldron, he 
 poured its contents at the feet of Gunputti, 
 leaving the string at the bottom of the pot, 
 which he cut in two pieces, one longer than 
 the other. After this, he formed the sacred 
 string worn by the Brahmins, gosseins, 
 and many Hindoos. One of these strings 
 was designed for my father, and one for 
 myself. He desired us to take off our old 
 strings and cast them into the fire ; and this 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 323 
 
 being done, he invested us with those he 
 had just consecrated, telling us that as long 
 as we preserved them pure and entire, and 
 never removed them from our bodies, we 
 should rest in perfect security, safe from the 
 attacks of enemies, and unhurt by the shafts 
 of malice, or even the incantations of witch- 
 craft. He then presented my father with 
 some of his own hair, consecrated in the 
 same manner the string had been, and he 
 ingeniously, with his one hand only, wove it 
 into my father's locks. This, he told him 
 was an additional security ; and as long as 
 he wore it interwoven with his own, all his 
 schemes, objects and desires should prosper. 
 We now stripped, by his order, and were 
 rubbed over with ashes from the fire over 
 which the cauldron had been heated. My 
 father's eyebrows were scored with red ochre 
 p 6 
 
324 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 as well as mine, and this, with large dabs of 
 red paint on our naked bodies, finished at 
 length our consecration, of which I was 
 heartily tired. We were now told we might 
 go to rest, and depart on the following 
 morning. I was indeed happy to find a 
 quiet corner any where, in which I might 
 obtain a few hours of comfortable repose. 
 
 " The morning again dawned ; but my 
 sleep had not refreshed me : horrid dreams 
 annoyed me through the night. Idols, 
 Brahmins, devils, and sunyasses, visited 
 my slumbers by turns. I was flung from 
 rocks and down precipices ; now lifted up 
 to the sky, and whirled about with surpris- 
 ing velocity — or thrown into black gulphs, 
 where I appeared falling amid thick and 
 bottomless darkness ; now I was held in the 
 hand of Siva, or grasped in the talons 
 
l'AN'DURANG HARI. 325 
 
 of a misshapen demon. One time I fancied 
 
 I was boiling in the sunyasse's cauldron, and 
 
 then swimming in a river of blood. These 
 
 terrors, caused by a hurried imagination 
 
 from what I had seen, combined with an 
 
 empty stomach, prevented the refreshment 
 
 commonly arising from rest. Well or ill, 
 
 however, I was summoned early enough to 
 
 attend my father, who had taken leave of 
 
 his tutor, and now bade me to do the same. 
 
 He ordered me to make my salaam to the 
 
 holy man, and then we set out on our travels, 
 
 completely metamorphosed from what we 
 
 had been on the preceding day. I was much 
 
 concerned to see my father in his present 
 
 circumstances : before, he had a manly, 
 
 warlike appearance ; now he looked a most 
 
 mean, abject wretch, covered with filth and 
 
 ashes. His hair straggled wild, stained 
 
326 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 brown, and his body was bedaubed with 
 paint, while he had only a rag to cover him. 
 I could not see myself, it is true, but I could 
 fancy how I looked. The more I did so, 
 the more I detested myself, and the pro- 
 fession into which my father had forced me 
 to enter. We had not proceeded many 
 coss on our journey before I formed the 
 resolution of decamping, and leaving my 
 wise father to enjoy the pleasures and pro- 
 fits of his new mode of life alone. It was 
 not long before an opportunity occurred 
 favourable for carrying my resolution into 
 effect. We were met by a gang of gosseins, 
 who invited us into a cavern, where they 
 ate opium and smoked ganza, until they 
 were all stretched insensible on the ground. 
 Finding how profound their sleep was, I 
 lost not a moment in carrying my intention 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 327 
 
 of decamping into effect. Arising softly, I 
 unbarred the wicket, sallied forth, and from 
 that hour to this have never seen nor heard 
 any thing of my sagacious father. 
 
 " The first thing I did on gaining my li- 
 berty was to proceed to a tank, and wash my- 
 self clean from the paint and ashes with 
 which I was plastered. I took care, however, 
 to preserve the sacred string ; and thus pu- 
 rified, and in appearance a poor cultivator's 
 son, I begged my way to Holkar's capital, 
 Indore, where I served in his Highness's 
 stables. I next entered the service of a 
 banian, and then of a tailor. From them 
 I went as boy to a carcoon, hoping through 
 this last service to obtain a footing in the 
 royal durbar. My court speculation, how- 
 ever, served me to little purpose. One of 
 the carcoons, to whom I had made myself 
 
328 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 useful, promised to get me made deputy- 
 foujdar, or under-runner in the police de- 
 partment : I bowed to the earth before him 
 upon having this kind offer, but still lin- 
 gered month after month in idleness. At 
 length the place became vacant, and I en- 
 tertained reasonable hopes of success, I 
 never omitted an opportunity of standing in 
 the way of the head carcoon, but to no 
 purpose. I smiled and bowed, and bowed 
 and smiled, in vain — he seemed to have for- 
 gotten both myself and his promise. I de- 
 termined to remind him of it; and pro- 
 ceeding through the bazaar towards the pa- 
 lace for that purpose (for he transacted his 
 business there), I saw a procession attended 
 by the peons of the police department ; and 
 on inquiry, learned, to my great mortifica- 
 cation, it was the newly appointed deputy- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 329 
 
 fqujdar, who had been presented at court, 
 and was just installed into his office. This 
 was a cutting disappointment to me, and 
 with downcast eyes I sauntered toward the 
 palace, in the hope some other place was in 
 reserve for me. I could not gain admit- 
 tance ; but was obliged to wait outside all 
 day till the carcoon appeared. The only 
 notice he took of me was to desire I would 
 get out of his way, and I was forced to obey 
 the command. Presently all my friends, 
 who heard me speak of my promised good 
 fortune, called me boor ke luddoo, or the 
 great man's sport. 
 
 " Being now thoroughly disgusted with 
 all around me, I went to my lodging, which 
 was at a baker's shop. The baker's wife 
 was scolding and rating him about money 
 matters ; and I soon discovered that I was 
 
330 PANDURANG HARJ. 
 
 the unfortunate cause, the wife insisting 
 upon the propriety of his compelling me to 
 pay. I approached them, and promised to 
 settle the next day : how, or by what mi- 
 racle, I was to fulfil this promise I knew 
 not. The woman now lowered her tone, 
 and the man proceeded with his business. 
 I was additionally mortified by this accident, 
 and sought my forlorn garret with no very 
 enviable feelings. I now began to consider 
 what I should do, or how evade my pro- 
 mise of payment. After much cogitation, 
 I made up my mind to decamp; but to 
 effect this with success, it was necessary I 
 should avail myself of the present moment. 
 Softly, therefore, unbarring the door of my 
 room, I groped my way down the narrow 
 staircase which led to it, and found myself 
 close to the baker's chamber. I distinctly 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 331 
 
 heard him and his wife conversing. Money 
 was the subject ; and I heard the woman say, 
 " when we get the ten rupees from the 
 lodger, we shall have a round hundred, you 
 know." — " Aye," said the husband, " but I 
 fear we shall have no chance of getting 
 them." — "No chance!" replied the wife, 
 " if he does not pay us the first thing in 
 the morning, I will claw his eyes out — that 
 I will."—" If," said the baker, " his eyes 
 would sell for five rupees a-piece, I would 
 help you ; but as they are not saleable ar- 
 ticles, let us be content with the gold buried 
 in the hole in the inner room, and send him 
 about his business." — " No, it shan't be so," 
 said the woman ; " if he must go about his 
 business, he shall go with a dozen rattans 
 on his back, for I am determined to get him 
 punished as an impostor." This agreeable 
 
332 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 piece of information determined me not to 
 await the tender mercies of the baker's wife. 
 I immediately descended the stairs, and 
 cautiously entering the inner room, I groped 
 about in search of the treasure, and I be- 
 lieve examined every hole until I came to 
 one where I thought the money must be 
 concealed. I thrust in my hand with great 
 eagerness ; but withdrew it again with still 
 more, for I had thrust it into a heap of 
 burning ashes, which caused me intolerable 
 pain. It was, in fact, a small oven, where 
 the baker's wife prepared the light cakes, 
 which were her exclusive manufacture. The 
 pain I suffered was so great, and my right 
 hand so utterly useless, that, though in- 
 clined to search further, I had not the 
 power ; with my left, therefore, as softly 
 as I could, I unbolted the door, and reached 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 333 
 
 the verandah, when I thought I was beyond 
 the reach of danger, entirely forgetting the 
 dog that watchfully guarded the outside. 
 On my stepping out, up he sprung, and 
 commenced hostilities by a dreadful bark- 
 ing ; and set a whole pack in the street at 
 the same unwelcome noise. I had not a 
 moment to repent of the mode by which I 
 had so thoughtlessly attempted to abscond. 
 I stood still a moment, not knowing which 
 way to turn or what to do. The baker, 
 aroused by the barking, vociferated " Who 
 is there ?' Waiting a moment, and getting 
 no reply, his wife began to scream out, 
 " Thieves ! thieves !" upon which, I made 
 a bolt and ran down the street. The night 
 rounds, alarmed at the noise the dogs made, 
 and the cry of " thieves !" rapidly ap- 
 proached me. I dared not pass them, lest 
 
334 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 suspicion should attach to myself; but with 
 tolerable presence of mind, I called out to 
 the patrol, " Come within, my friends, 
 there are no less than twenty thieves broke 
 into Mahadaje, the baker's shop ; for hea- 
 ven's sake, come and help us !" Off they 
 went, thinking I was following them ; but 
 I took care to turn down a narrow alley, 
 and seek refuge in a shed full of cows and 
 buffaloes. How I longed to be in the open 
 fields ! This was impossible until daylight, 
 for the city gates were shut, and would not 
 be opened until then. I had not long been 
 in my place of concealment when the night 
 watch passed, searching for the baker's 
 lodger, who had stolen all the money and 
 decamped. " The rascal !" said one, " I 
 wish we could find him." — " Well," said 
 another, " and if we could, what should we 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 335 
 
 do?"— "Do," replied the first, " why, take 
 the baker's money from him, and let him 
 go." — " And give the baker the money ?" — 
 " No, no," said the first, " I warrant we 
 should know how to dispose of that amongst 
 ourselves.' ' — " That's right," exclaimed 
 three or four voices at once ; " but how has 
 the fellow escaped us ? — it must have been 
 he who called to us to assist the baker." — 
 " He is a cunning fellow," said another, 
 " he quite deceived me." — " He made fools 
 of all of us," said a number of voices to- 
 gether; " but, if we find him, we will make 
 him repent his knavery." — " We shall never 
 find him," said a single voice ; " let us go 
 on and search, however." I now found, 
 from the sound of their voices, that they 
 were moving away from the spot where I 
 
336 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 had concealed myself, to my no small satis- 
 faction. 
 
 " Before daylight appeared, a part of 
 Holkar's army, commanded by Sawunt Rao 
 Baboo Rao, passed by my place of conceal- 
 ment. Nothing could happen more op- 
 portunely for my deliverance. I waited 
 until the camp-followers, that usually flock 
 in the rear, should make their appearance. 
 It was not long ; and this class of persons 
 being as numerous as the detachment it ac- 
 companied, I contrived, under cover of the 
 dawn, to slip in amongst them without ob- 
 servation, and thus effect my escape from 
 Indore. No one can imagine the joy I felt 
 at being once more in the open fields. The 
 detachment at length halted at a village 
 about ten coss from the city ; and when 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 337 
 
 people had time to ask questions, I was re- 
 peatedly asked who I was, first by one, and 
 then by another; and to every person I told 
 a different story. First, I was the son of 
 a soldier ; next, of a suttee ; and then of a 
 baker. I repented mentioning the latter 
 trade ; for one of my inquisitors, first look- 
 ing hard at me, asked me if I knew a baker 
 named Mahadaje. I replied in the nega- 
 tive — for that was the name of him from 
 whom I had absconded. The fellow re- 
 marked, it was somewhat strange I should 
 not know the chief baker of Indore. I re- 
 plied, that I had never said I baked in In- 
 dore, as I was never there for more than 
 one hour in my life. " What !" said my 
 questioner, " did you not join us there ?" 
 I answered, "No; I joined you at the 
 village about four coss from Indore. " : — 
 VOL. i. £ 
 
338 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 " Indeed ! then it was at the village you 
 baked, was it?" he rejoined. " No," said 
 I ; " I sold liquor there."—" Well, my 
 friend," remarked the other, " I think I 
 never was in company with such a liar be- 
 fore, as thou art ! It happens that my uncle 
 is the sole liquor-seller in the village, being 
 the only man licensed to do so by go- 
 vernment ; and, as to your selling a bottle 
 there — you would as soon dare to mock 
 royalty itself to its face ! Thus, fully satis- 
 fied that your tale of being a liquor-mer- 
 chant is false, I am justified also in doubting 
 the correctness of your baking-story." I 
 was now in utter confusion, and thought I 
 could get out of the scrape by stating that 
 I was a liquor-maker only, but feared de- 
 tection in my brewing as well as in my 
 baking. I could not tell what more to say 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 33 ( J 
 
 feo satisfy the inquirer, whom I heartily 
 wished to the devil during the colloquy; 
 when I perceived a Mahratta carcoon un- 
 horsed, and the animal running away at full 
 speed. I did not lose a moment in flying 
 to the assistance of the fallen man, and thus 
 put a stop to any further examination. I 
 found the carcoon much hurt. He was 
 sensible of my attention, and desired me 
 to keep close to him ; by doing which, I 
 avoided a repetition of my brewing and 
 baking conversations. My attention to the 
 fallen man was not lost, for he appointed 
 me his inkstand-bearer, and I remained in 
 his employment : so that, whatever inclina- 
 tion my inquisitorial friend might have had 
 to renew the conversation and prosecute his 
 inquiries further, he was too much over- 
 awed, by knowing I was one of the lowest 
 o 2 
 
340 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 of the low on the ladder of power. I kept 
 my situation as long as my master retained 
 his, which was about two months from that 
 time, when he was turned adrift, for rea- 
 sons which I did not learn. Fearing my 
 old enemy might annoy me again, I volun- 
 teered my services as inkstand-bearer to a 
 young, acting, under-deputy assisting-clerk, 
 named Pandurang Hari, and was accepted. 
 Pandoo, though not high in office, ranked 
 among the favourites of our Maharaj Sa- 
 wunt Rao. This was, therefore, protection 
 sufficient for me, and I served without any 
 hope of wages." — [During this part of the 
 narration, the Pindaree gave me several 
 looks, which no one but ourselves could 
 understand, the other Pindarees not being 
 aware we had ever before met.] — " I served 
 this vagabond, Pandoo, for some time, until 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 341 
 
 he also lost his situation, by concerning 
 himself too deeply in a hanging affair, and 
 he narrowly escaped the halter : but the 
 fellow's ingenuity saved him. It appeared 
 that he had buried some ornaments under 
 his bed belonging to a man who had been 
 murdered. These ornaments his principal 
 in office, named Govindah, had ferreted out, 
 and got into his possession. Pandoo gave 
 so good an explanation of the manner by 
 which they had come into his possession, 
 and expressed himself so ready to give them 
 up to the son of the murdered man, that he 
 escaped; and the carcoon was ordered to 
 make good the amount, which exaggeration 
 increased from two thousand to four thou- 
 sand rupees: thus, Govindah was a loser. 
 Pandoo was sent to a paugah, and I re- 
 mained idling about. I was wandering I 
 «3 
 
342 PANDURANG HAR1. 
 
 know not whither, reflecting on the fate of 
 Govindah, whom I hated — because, but for 
 him I should have reaped a golden harvest, 
 having spent two entire days in persuading 
 a client what a useful man of business I was, 
 and what interest I possessed, and how much 
 I had it in my power to assist him. The 
 envious Govindah came up, just as I was 
 about to finger the cash : he threatened 
 to annihilate me, and ruin the petitioner; 
 moreover, informing the latter I was a mere 
 cheat, who could not give him the smallest 
 assistance. I was, therefore, the enemy of 
 Govindah ; and it was by my means chiefly 
 that Pandoo got off as well as he did. Pre- 
 vious to our first engagement with Scindea, 
 while we were in camp at Indore, some sol- 
 diers, dissatisfied with the smallness of their 
 pay, and others disconcerted at getting none 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 343 
 
 at all, were idling about the camp ; I joined 
 them, and heard the detail of their griev- 
 ances, as they were making their mutual 
 complaints. At that moment we saw a man 
 stealing cautiously along, as if wishing to 
 evade notice ; he had a bundle in his hand, 
 and his turban was tied under his chin — a 
 sure sign he was going to run away. The 
 hungry soldiers rushed upon him like ra- 
 venous beasts of prey — gagged and rifled 
 him of four thousand rupees, which he had 
 in a bag concealed about his person. I 
 came in for my share ; and what was my 
 surprise at discovering, in the unlucky 
 wight we had pillaged, Govindah the car- 
 coon ! He had escaped from prison, al- 
 though his friends had raised the money to 
 pay his fine ; but, instead of doing so, the 
 mean villain was endeavouring to decamp 
 
344 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 with it in his possession. We were at a loss 
 how to dispose of the fellow, when one of 
 the soldiers, more ingenious than the others, 
 called out, ' A spy ! a spy !' This succeeded 
 admirably ; and, by a strange chain of events, 
 Pandurang Hari was the person who issued 
 orders for his immediate execution, not be- 
 ing at all aware who the man was. I took 
 care not to undeceive him, for I saw the 
 carcoon recognized me, and I should have 
 to answer for being concerned in robbing 
 him : the sooner he was removed, therefore, 
 the better. I hastened the execution of the 
 unlucky wretch, and he was hung up with- 
 out loss of time. On the following morning, 
 early, Pandoo was moving about the camp, 
 when I unfolded the circumstance to him 
 of the pretended spy being no other than 
 Govindah, whom we had both such good 
 
PANDURANG HAR1. 345 
 
 cause to detest. He desired me to conceal 
 the body as quick as possible, lest inquiry 
 should be made into the matter. That very 
 day was the day of the battle, and I did not 
 anticipate any very active search for the 
 dead man, nor any outcry at seeing a corpse 
 dangle from a tree, when there were so many 
 to be seen every where around. I neglected 
 Pandoo's advice to bury the body immedi- 
 ately, thinking that, if necessary at all, after 
 the engagement would be time enough." 
 
 The Pindarees here growing sleepy, as 
 well as myself (for it was after three o'clock 
 in the morning), we agreed to defer hearing 
 the remainder of the tale until the next 
 evening. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BY COX AND BAYXIS, GREAT QUEEN STREET. 
 
K 
 
 •a 
 
 ^ 
 
 v 
 
 ... 
 
 
 
 WILLIAM GEORGES SONS, 
 Top Corner Park Street. BRISTOL.