topics: |  history | india | kanpur | british-raj

Harriette Ashmore was a talented writer, and also an artist.  This book
describes their stay in India from September 1833 to January 1838.
In December 1833 they joined the regiment at Chinsurha, and proceeded on a
long march to Cawnpore.

Her husband is most likely William Ashmore, referred to in these
Gazette proclamations of 1841 and 1849:

Dec. 29 1840
	16th [Foot] - Lieut. W. Ashmore to be Capt. without purchase. vice
		Colley, deceased;

21st August 1849
	16th Foot, Captain William Ashmore to be Major,
	     by purchase, vice Brand, who retires. Dated

about the 16th foot:
from regt. North Devon.  Adjutant-General's Office, 1848:

	1832 The Sixteenth regiment remained at Chinsurha
	1833 until December, 1833, when it commenced its march for Ghazepore:
	     while on the march its destination was altered for Cawnpore;
	1834 on the 7th of February, 1834, it had the misfortune to lose its
	     commanding officer, Colonel Hook, who died at the camp at Secrol
	     Benares, when the command again devolved on Major Campbell: on the
	     28th of February the regiment arrived at Cawnpore.

These incidents match the narrative here. 



 
The Ashmores' bungalow in Kanpur cantonment, ca. 1838.
Pencil sketch by Henrietta.

Excerpts

We anchored off Calcutta on the 16th of September, after having been nineteen
weeks on board.  [Their ship, "The Protector", was lost in 1838, when it went
down with 170 on board.]

CHAPTER III : CALCUTTA

What an extraordinary place is Calcutta! one cannot comprehend it for awhile;
and the stranger feels bewildered amidst such a variety of attractions as meet
the eye.

A ball was given at the Government House, a few weeks after our arrival in
Calcutta ...

About 1400 persons sat down to supper; but the immense number of servants who
were in attendance (although on this occasion they were limited to those
belonging to Government House, for, if I mistake not, all private ones were
forbidden the entree,) must have swelled the number of individuals in those
spacious rooms to nearer 3000 than 2000, including the native guard, bands,
officers, and aides-de-camp in attendance. 

Books of all descriptions are plentiful enough in Calcutta, and in the upper
provinces all the military stations are extremely well supplied with book
clubs and regimental libraries: in some of the out-stations, it is true,
there may be a scarcity; but the resident civilians generally take care to
surround themselves with every thing which can conduce to their comfort, and
it must be acknowledged that a well stocked book-case is not the least
requisite.

On our first arrival in India, the mosquitos were most annoying; my feet,
ankles, and hands, were in such a dreadful state of irritation as
to throw me into a fever; added to them, were the innumerable cockroaches
which filled our sleeping as well as our bathing apartments. It may appear
ridiculous, but after sunset I really dared not move about the rooms either
with or without a light; for their hard wings were perpetually striking upon
the matting of the floors, and they seemed to follow me wherever I
went. During the whole of my residence in India, I never met with so many
cockroaches again; and I attribute their superabundance on this occasion, to
the temporary disuse in which the bath room may have remained; as, on its
being first used, these to me horrible creatures issued forth en masse from
the spout whence the water was to escape, and in an instant the floor and
every article in the room was literally covered with them. On the following
morning I took the precaution to desire the bhestie to discharge one entire
skin of water into the aperture, when they immediately made a rush to get
out, but in vain; and I had the cruel satisfaction of seeing them driven down
by the flood, and half a hundred crows at the outside, busy eating them up as
fast as they could pick them out of the water.

The crows, too, are innumerable all over India, and most impudent;
they have grey heads and necks, and are much smaller and more insignificant
in appearance than the handsome black bird which we are accustomed to call by
that name in England. The crow of India attacks every helpless creature,
living or dead; I have seen one take a piece of cake from the hands of a
child of four or five years of age, heedless of the little creature's
cries. One morning, several of our party were seated in a verandah at
Cawnpore, taking our early coffee, when, having placed mine upon the
footstool on which my feet rested, an impudent crow actually perched for a
moment on the footstool, and bore away a biscuit from the saucer. 

The "hurgila," or what is commonly known by the name of "Adjutant bird,"
stalks about the quadrangles and ramparts of the fort; and, except at certain
seasons of the year, is to be seen in considerable numbers. Nothing is too
hard or scarcely too large for its maw; and I have seen one in the act of
gorging a dead cat of no very trifling dimensions. Once, indeed, I was
attracted to the window by a more than usual clamour; when I discovered an
unfortunate "adjutant" surrounded by a cloud of crows, who were menacing him
and screaming in a terrific manner. On inquiry, I found that the transgressor
had swallowed an invalid or disabled crow; for which offence the whole
fraternity were thus showing their displeasure. After the rainy season, these
birds disappear to build their nests in marshes and jungles; a few of the
aged- and infirm only remain, and continue to act as scavengers until the
return of hot weather

The principal Ghat at Calcutta is very striking, and generally crowded with
natives, either bathing in the river or busily engaged in traffic; whilst
innumerable ships lie in the basin directly opposite the city, and form an
interesting view from Fort William and the public drive. The Course, which is
the Mall of the capital of Bengal, is filled with carriages and equestrians
for two or three hours after sunset, and is graced by a tolerable sprinkling
before his rise...

The houses in Calcutta, when lighted for the evening meal, present a very
striking appearance: the rooms are always extremely large, and lofty in
proportion; their numerous doors are all open, or covered only with thin wire
gauze, or light bamboo screens, to keep out intruding birds or flies,
admitting light and air from the surrounding apartments. The walls are
generally white, to which are attached
brackets to support wall-shades, in which the finest cocoa-nut oil is
consumed, and which are in such abundance as to emit a perfect blaze of
light. The floors are covered with fine Calcutta matting, which, though at
first unpleasant to the tread, after a short time becomes agreeably
luxurious. The drawing-rooms and libraries are very handsomely furnished, but
to a stranger appear somewhat empty; this, however, is a defect of which he
soon finds reason to approve. The large verandahs which surround the upper as
well as lower stories, afford an agreeable lounge, when the external air is
more endurable than the artificial breath of the punkah; whilst the variety
and number of servants give an air of state and dignity to the mansion, which
we scarcely expect to find in the residence of a commoner.

On entering the dining-room, one is struck with the load of viands which
crowd the table, over which a huge punkah noiselessly waves to and fro. Until
the family approach, its motion is scarcely perceptible; but no sooner is any
one within its influence, than it is pulled in a more energetic manner; and
an immense relief is felt after the fatigue of walking from another
apartment, and being for a few moments without this important
requisite. Behind each chair, stands a whiskered, moustached, and turbaned
domestic, with his arms closely folded across his bosom, or opened only to
adjust the chair most conveniently as his master or mistress becomes seated,
and to arrange a napkin, which he then places in the hands or upon the
knee. A foot stool is before each chair, and is an indispensable comfort
to the Anglo-Indian. p.77

The English lady is surprised to see so much beer consumed by females in
India; but I have been told that such is more commonly the case up the
country than in Calcutta; and some residents in the latter place remark, that
a " Mufussilite" is known by a partiality for this beverage: however this may
be, it is quite allowable and usual for a gentleman to request the "pleasure
of taking beer or wine with a lady," which would certainly have a droll
effect in England.

I have heard of a lady in Calcutta, who used to restrict herself to a dozen
bottles of Allsop's or Basse's ale per diem; but I cannot vouch for the
accuracy of this statement, being totally unacquainted with the person in
question: I was, however, very much astonished to see four, five, or six
glasses of light but exhilarating Champagne quietly disposed of, in addition
to other wines, by some ladies, at dinners or ball suppers; and I fear it is
too true that many of them seek by such means to remove the extreme
depression of spirits and lassitude which are superinduced by the
climate. 88

The hookah

Towards the termination of dinner, the Hookah makes its appearance, and
attracts the attention of the stranger by the bubbling noise which the air
creates in passing through the water.

The " Hookah badah " has the entire care of this luxury, and generally takes
great pride in having it in high perfection. If the "chillum" be good, its
aromatic perfume is extremely agreeable: in England, it would be
overpowering; but through the large rooms of India, its fragrance is wafted
by the punkah, and it was ever most acceptable to my olfactory nerves.

Ice

We chanced to arrive in India almost simultaneously with one of the first
importations of ice from America; it was most amusing to see the anxiety with
which it was sought after. 

The ice in question was brought out as a means of preserving a large
quantity of American apples in good condition for the Calcutta market, when
the ice unexpectedly proved a more lucrative species of merchandise than
the fruit.

By local boat "Panchway" from Barrackpur

On one occasion, we made an excursion to Calcutta, for the purpose of
attending a large and very crowded ball at Government House, in honour of
King William the Fourth's birthday. 

Floating bodies

Having lain down in the Panchway (for it contained no benches), we proceeded
on our way to Calcutta; but the tide was against us, and our voyage very
tedious. Here, again, we witnessed the effects of the Hindoo manner of
disposing of their dead. A body floated past, to which our attention was at
first drawn by the sight of a vulture standing upon some floating substance
in the river: on examination, we found that it had fixed its talons in the
naked body of some poor Hindoo, and was tearing the flesh off with its beak;
a flight of carrion birds were screaming and flying around it, each one ready
to dart down and carry away a part of the mangled prey. 89

Two young officers, who were on their way up the river to Cawnpore, when we
were there, had nearly lost their lives from the consequences of a very
unpardonable curiosity.

The account received by ourselves was this; — They had discovered the dead
body of a Hindoo floating near their boat, on an occasion when the "Dandies,"
or boat's crew, were at their dinners, and had foolishly been tempted to
occupy a weary hour in hauling it into the boat, and in dissecting it. No
sooner did the crew, who were all Hindoos, discover the profanation, than
they attacked the Englishmen very violently, and by their cries and
imprecations brought a strong body of natives from a neighbouring
village to their assistance, who were quite ready to enforce instant
compliance with their demand, that the body should be restored to the water;
in fact, the young men were glad enough to comply with the very moderate
requisition, and were thankful to escape the punishment which their
thoughtless violation of religious prejudice but too richly merited.

Nautch girls at Chandernagore

Nov. 14. — A few evenings since we went to a Nautch at the house of a wealthy
"Baboo," at Chandernagore. To ourselves, the scene was novel and amusing ;
but there is so much monotony in these entertainments, that one does not feel
much inclination to attend them frequently.

With some difficulty we made our way, through a dense crowd of natives, into
a large apartment, the centre of which was reserved for the singers and
dancers.

Two females were performing when we entered, and we were requested to be
seated. Immediately afterwards, our host, as a token of welcome, presented us
with bouquets of orange flowers from a golden basin which was carried in the
arms of a negro, black as jet, and very richly dressed; another servant
followed with attar of roses, which he rather sparingly dispensed upon our
handkerchiefs, although he
took care that each guest should have a little.

The dancing girls were enveloped in red gauze scarfs embroidered with gold,
and wore very full and long white trowsers; their voices, which were
moderately harmonious, kept a monotonous time and tune with three
odd-looking instruments composed of the skins of enormous gourds, which
might be said to resemble the guitar as much as the violin; there was also
a kind of drum beaten at one end with the fingers or palms of the
hands. The men who performed upon them stood close behind the dancers, and
regarded them with great attention, as if ready by the music to give effect
to their words and gestures. Whilst singing and dancing, the Nautch girls
seemed to be occupied in adjusting their attire, in folding it across the
bosom, or in concealing, uncovering, and again partially and coquettishly
concealing their faces: their motions were of a shuffling kind, and very
far from graceful; occasionally they contrived to show their feet, which,
as well as their ears, noses, fingers, and arms, were laden with ornaments:
upon the whole, as far as regarded them, I could discover nothing to
admire...

Fireworks at Bandel

On the evening of the 26th of November we went to an exhibition of fireworks
at Bandal: they were supplied by a devout Roman Catholic, in honour of her
patron saint, and were very beautiful and varied in design. Many of them were
Chinese, but the greater part had been manufactured in Chinsurah. I thought
them superior to any which I had seen at Vauxhall; but as during our
residence in India we saw many which far excelled them, I shall refrain from
describing any of them in particular. The crowd of natives was as usual
immense; but invited guests were allowed to enter convent walls, and ascend
to the top of the house, whence we had a superb view of the river, the
illuminations, and (what was equally interesting when seen from a little
distance) of the myriads of human beings who were congregated together.

[even today, Chandan-nagar is famous for its fireworks and the
 electrical decorations that enliven every durga puja pandal in kolkata. ]

March to Cawnpore - Departure

Our heavy baggage, such as tables, chairs, couches, sea-chests, &c., were to
be sent by water, for which purpose we required a 500 maund boat, and with
them we sent stores of wines, beer, and groceries. This boat was placed under
the charge of peons, and insured.

We were amused by the tractabilily and obedience to orders, evinced by the
elephants which were to be employed in carrying the tents and baggage of the
soldiers: when we met them, the mahouts of several ordered them to make their
salaams, which they did by throwing their trunks above their heads; and when
the word was again given, they all marched off in regular order, to deposit
their loads in the barrack yard. These burdens consisted of young branches of
trees, which they had fetched from a distance for their evening's repast.


[ ... ]
on the morning of the 28th of February we entered Cawnpore.

Chapter VIII: Arrival at Cawnpore

It was on a beautiful morning that we entered this place; the sun had not
risen, when the appearance of a regiment of native cavalry on parade warned
us of our approach to one of the largest military cantonments in the British
possessions; a little further, and we came in view of the quarters occupied
by another company's regiment of horse, which regiment was also at exercise
upon the plain; then the horse artillery barracks appeared in the distance,
and also those occupied by H. M. 16th Lancers, with the bungalows of the
officers, the hospital, and riding school.

Having passed all these, we entered upon the public course, which in the
evenings presents so gay a scene; and after having advanced about a couple of
miles, we reached the infantry lines. p.213

...[  ]
 feeding. We had then to engage a fresh household, with the dissatisfaction o

Engaging servants : false character chits

There is something droll in the ceremony of engaging servants in the
East. Whilst lounging upon a sofa, or under the shade of a verandah, you
are informed that an applicant has appeared for a vacancy, which may chance
to have occurred in your household; the careless "ana, do" (let him come)
gives acquiescence to his approach, and with profound salaams, the stranger
presents a chit or note of recommendation from the last master or mistress
he may have served, or sometimes half a dozen chits: these may or may not
be genuine, but I am inclined to think, that, in this case also, "griffs"
are the most imposed upon, as they are not at first aware how easily a
counterfeit can be obtained, either by being purchased at the bazaars, or
by being borrowed, or hired from an accommodating friend. 

The only secure plan is, to keep the chits in your own possession, and not to
return them until the servant quits your service. But let me here say a word
against the cruel injustice of withholding a chit altogether, whatever be the
misconduct which might tempt the master to inflict such a punishment; for if
once fairly obtained, it is surely the property of the unfortunate being who
may have served a good master well, but who, with feelings common to all
mankind, may have been led to resent the unchristianlike conduct of a
tyrannical and overbearing man. There is, I believe, a heavy fine for
defacing or writing over a chit; but many a poor wretch has been sent adrift,
without being able to prove the loss of one withheld or destroyed; and thus
has lost the character which he had, perhaps, justly earned, and which was to
him, as they feelingly express themselves, his "Khana," or food. p.214-5


Ludicrous events sometimes occur from the unchecked violence of rage...
I one day saw a young married lady, who had not been exposed to the
Indian climate quite long enough to form a sufficient excuse for her
irritation, so incensed at a Khitmatgar for doing something, which, in
her imperfect knowledge of the language, she had not known how to tell
him not to do, that she hurled a volume which she was perusing at the
man's head: fortunately for both parties she missed her aim, and the
Khitmatgar, to my no small amusement, picked up the book, smoothed its
ruffled pages, and, with a respectful salaam, returned it into her
hand, merely saying that it was "khurab dustoor," bad custom.

Replying "that which we imagine you wish us to make"

The remark of a converted heathen to a Church Missionary preacher struck me
as being particularly just. "You know not," he said, "you cannot comprehend,
half the deceitfulness of our hearts. When you address us, we think not for
an instant of making any reply, but that which we imagine you wish us to
make; whatever have been our actions, our words, or our thoughts, we
unhesitatingly deny them all to gain your approval; the very idea of truth is
totally unknown to us."

Nothing can exceed the ignorance and stupidity of the Ayahs in general, and
it is some time before an English lady feels reconciled to trust her children
to their management: they have, nevertheless, some good qualities: many of
them are really faithful, and become attached to their infant charges; whilst
others will be grossly careless, and, unless closely watched, will (like some
bad English nurses) administer opiates clandestinely.

Daily routine

The early drive before the sun has risen, the subsequent slumber, the bath
and breakfast, follow each other in quick succession: the garden is,
perhaps, looked into for a few minutes, or a walk in it preferred to the
drive; but, generally speaking, its beauties are left to be admired by the
"Malee," who, however, never fails to bring its produce each
morning. Fruit, vegetables, and herbs, according to the seasons of the
year, are neatly arranged in baskets, and accompanied by bouquets of
flowers, carefully selected, but somewhat formally disposed: these latter
are consigned to the taste of the bearers, whilst the former are taken
possession of by the Khan-saman, to reappear under different forms at
breakfast, tiffin, and dinner.

About the breakfast hour, a good deal of animation generally prevails; the
"gosht wallahs" vie with each other in the disposal of their meat, and bring
baskets full of joints to the verandahs, — anxiously making the best bargains
in their power. These are often accompanied by other salesmen, who present
game of various kinds, wild or tame fowl, fish, &c.

Cool watered Tatties

From the month of April to the setting in of the cold season, unless an
occasional exception occur during the rains, the entire bungalow is closed
from the hour of the rising to the setting of the sun; not a breath
of external air must intrude, the tatties are fixed and watered, no ray of
unshrouded light is admitted; and to a person who enters from the glare
without, the bungalow appears for many minutes to be in total darkness.

This is, however, a luxurious period of the day: a glass of iced water or
claret, having succeeded to the fish, eggs, and rice, the hands having been
well plunged in cold water, and the toils of the breakfast-table over, the
Anglo-Indian removes himself from the influence of one punkah to that of
another, and, stretched upon a sofa, takes his hookah and his book. The
children, if such there be, are by this time in a state of quiescence; each
one, attended by its own bearer, has fallen asleep in the midst of its
neglected playthings; the bearer continues to use the hand punkah, until he
can carry his charge to the cold mat which is spread upon the allotted bed; a
large punkah can then be pulled over several sleepers; the liberated bearers
go to dinner or to repose* the Ayahs roll themselves in their chudders,. and
stretch their full lengths upon the floor around the children's beds, and
throughout
the whole bungalow a delightful stillness reigns, save when the bhesties
throw fresh water on the tatties, or some one, less indolent than the rest,
calls to the punkah wallahs to pull harder.

Until three o'clock, visitors may, in general, find admittance; but after
that hour, the tiffin being over, many ladies indulge in dishabille, and
retire to their own dressing-rooms, where, extended on a sofa, they again
lounge away the indolent hours, until the bath and toilet once more demand
their attention: to these the drive again succeeds, and an eight or nine
o'clock dinner concludes their day.

Amidst all this, the Dirzee appears to have been overlooked. This very useful
person is seated in an apartment which is the least obscure, or, at most
seasons of the year, on a verandah; a sheet is spread under him, on which are
placed his work and implements; and to him is taken every article of wear,
which can require a stitch or an alteration; to him the bearer takes his
master's clothes, immediately as they are brought in by the "dhobie," and
before him the Ayah disposes her lady's or children's apparel.

Some of these men are admirable dressmakers, and imitate to a nicety whatever
is set before them, although they are not very clever in original invention:
their voices are seldom heard; the quantity of work they get through is very
considerable; and it is only when the hour of twelve justifies their
departure for awhile, that they are seen to creep noiselessly through the
rooms. Nevertheless, upon these poor creatures some persons are disposed to
vent much of their ill-humour; and, amongst the unladylike occupations of the
females in the East, that of scolding the Dirzee ranks, according to common
report, as a daily and favourite occurrence. p.226

Church sermons in the heat

A handsome church has been erected under the auspices
of the present Bishop of Calcutta, who consecrated it, as well as a very
pretty chapel of ease, in the early part of 1837. Both these were built by
voluntary subscriptions, raised amongst the resident Civilians and regiments
of the station, assisted by the Government, and by handsome donations from
the Bishop and a few others. The cost of the former was computed to amount to
twenty-five thousand rupees, or about two thousand five hundred pounds; whilst
the latter was built for considerably less than one thousand pounds, — the
expense being expected to be covered by seven hundred. During the hot months,
service was very thinly attended: the troops were marched to church at break
of day, or very shortly afterwards; but although many parts of the liturgy
were omitted, and the sermons were in general very short; and although
punkahs were kept in motion the whole time, and every attempt made to keep
the building cool; before
the conclusion of the service the heat was generally perfectly intolerable;
and after all, the men had to march home under a powerful sun. The evening
service was, upon the whole, more endurable,—more especially as, at that
period, men and officers were allowed to dispense with a few punctilios of
dress, and thus enjoy a certain degree of comfort.

It was during the early part of our residence at Cawnpore, that a certain
gallant brigadier, whose punctilious regard to military discipline was
sufficiently well known, once incurred the danger of total annihilation, by
entering the church bungalow during the time of prayers, when unfortunately
his wandering glance discovered that a half-stifled Sub had, unwitting of his
presence, ventured to allow a more free evaporation, by unbuttoning his
jacket. This transgression called for reprehension, and received it
accordingly in the next Garrison orders.

A Tuffaun, or sand-storm p.231

No sooner had the hot winds completely set in, than we had a splendid
specimen of a genuine Nor-wester in full force. These tuffauns, as they are
here called, know no half measures;
on they come, wrapping the whole face of the country in darkness, and
spreading alarm and destruction far and near.

On this, the first occasion of our witnessing the visitation, our attention
was drawn to it by the appearance of mountains of sand, which occupied nearly
one third of the horizon: for awhile they seemed stationary, although, in
fact, they were advancing with tremendous rapidity: the edges reflected the
rays of the declining sun, and exhibited every variety of tinge. We gazed in
astonishment; nor could we easily believe that what we saw was not a range of
solid mountains newly sprung up at the command of that Almighty Being, who at
the first had created the world. Soon they evidently drew nearer, and
appeared like a rolling mass, which threatened to entomb us: we lingered as
long as we dared: the phenomenon was new to us, and we were scarcely aware of
its power. The doors and windows of the bungalow had already been secured by
the servants; one only being held open in readiness for our ingress: the
storm approached, and we ran for shelter into the house: at that moment I
recollected
that a tame but imprisoned jackal, with which I had often amused myself, was
exposed to the violence of the storm, and unable to escape; I hastened to
secure it, but had well nigh fallen a victim to my inexperience: the tempest
had already reached the compound, when I was literally pulled into the house
by the servants; in an instant we were in total darkness, — the monstrous
cloud was passing over and around us, driven on by an irresistible wind,
which sounded like a continued peal of thunder;— it was truly awful!—not a
creature stirred within the house: the Ayah was seated on the ground, with
our infant on her lap, whilst I clung to the arm of my husband: had the last
dread day arrived, my bewilderment could scarcely have been greater. The
total darkness lasted on this occasion for about five minutes; the blackness
then changed to a sandy yellow, which gradually died away. The compound
presented the appearance of desolation; the trees were covered with sand, and
many of their boughs were broken, while every article of furniture in the
house bore witness to the visitation.

Hot winds and sand storms

We saw many sand-storms during our residence in India; once or twice
we were exposed to their influence in an open
carriage, when it was only with the greatest difficulty that we could prevent
an over-turn. One evening, the carriage of an acquaintance was blown into a
ravine, and another had its pannels shattered by concussion with a
gate-post. The anticipation of a storm during the evening's drive always
cleared the course in a few minutes. If the Band happened to be playing,
great was the hurry-skurry, — carriages driving off, buggyheads hastily
raised, gentlemen calling to their syces, mounting their steeds and galloping
in every direction, whilst the musicians, nothing loth, seized each one his
book and his instrument, and scampered away to his quarters. After the
termination of a sand-storm, nothing was more common than to find the entire
range of huts, which were occupied by the servants, totally divested of their
" Choppas," [FN: Thatched roofs] whilst the poor creatures in their interior
were exposed to the violence of the storm; and in doors, when the announcement
was made that a tuffaun was
at hand, and the servants hastened to secure each avenue, the children,
terrified at the sudden darkness, would cling to their bearers or ourselves
for protection; my first anxiety was to assemble them within my reach, and
thus await the passing of the storm.

Tuffauns are often followed by a tremendous fall of rain, which is
particularly acceptable, during this parched season, whilst the air is of a
sickening heat; the atmosphere, however, after all, is not much cooled, as it
sometimes literally rains hot water.

A dreadful famine p.236

I never saw the ravages of famine so dreadfully  displayed as at
Cawnpore. A great scarcity having occurred in the interior, the poor Ryots, or
farmers, were unable to support themselves and their families; the multitude of
beings, who had been able to earn a scanty subsistence in the fields during
other years, were at this time thrown out of employment; provisions became
extravagantly dear; the failure of so many crops deprived them of subsistence,
and wretchedness succeeded: it was then that thousands of these poor creatures
sought the towns, and were seen crowding every avenue to the
cantonments. Cawnpore was filled with them: those who had youth and health
brought in their aged and infirm relatives — poor disabled creatures, who had
for many years never left their hovels; disease and famine rendered them
scarcely able to crawl along the parched roads, under an almost vertical sun,
and, when arrived, they depended entirely upon charitable contributions for
support. 

Under every wall, they assembled in crowds, taking up their position,
and merely changing from one side of the road to the other, as the trifling
shade afforded relief; and, thus established, they kept up a constant moaning
and crying, or, as passengers drew near, raised an urgent clamour for alms;
their miserable appearance setting forth a claim which few could resist.

On three or four occasions, we passed the dead and dying stretched on the
road-side: their attenuated frames bore but too certain testimony of the
immediate cause of their destruction. One morning, we saw a poor wretch on
the public road, who was still breathing, but so feebly, that it was evident
his troubles were nearly over; a few miserable rags hung around him, but no
one had lingered to see life depart, or to pay the last sad offices to the
dead; he was only about half a mile from the cantonment, whither, doubtless,
his fellow-travellers had passed forward, totally unmindful of his condition,
but anxious to ameliorate, if it were possible, their own misery. 236-7

Another morning, we saw a human body slung across a bamboo, which two men
carried on their shoulders: the head and arms were dangling on one side,
while the legs hung down on the other, and her long hair (for it was the
body of a female) descended, filthy and matted, from her head. She was being
conveyed to the river, into which the inanimate form would be carelessly
thrown.

Dead and dying on the roads

On each occasion that we saw the dead or dying on the roads, Pariah dogs and
birds of prey were lingering near: they were, however, scared away by those
employed by the authorities to convey the corpses from public view; for none
others would approach them, as only those of the lowest caste would touch the
body of the poor emaciated wanderer.

At length, when work was provided for all who were able and willing to
labour,—thousands finding employment in the construction of a tank of immense
size, and in the repair of the public roads, — the number of beggars
considerably diminished: then were to be seen groups of the aged, and of
infants, watching the movements of their more active relatives; the former
exhibiting every disablement and disease to which humanity can well be
subjected, but the latter active and naked, scampering about near their
parents, or gambolling together, apparently forgetful of their recent
privations.



On the evening of the 24th of January, 1838, we embarked for England... 330