First Impressions and Studies from Nature in Hindostan; embracing an outline of the voyage to Calcutta, and five years' residence in Bengal and the Doáb from MDCCCXXXI to MDCCCXXXVI

Preface

. It may almost be regarded as a condition of authorship, that every one who publishes a work, should believe it to contain at least something which is not to be found in any other ; that it opens some new avenue to knowledge, or that it fills some chasm in literature or science, which was never before so well supplied. The author of this work, therefore, hopes, that he may not be accused of unpardonable presumption, in confessing that he has been tempted to write and pub lish it by a conviction that it belongs to a class of productions which are rarer than I)

PREFACE.

. VI might be expected. It is a delineation of India and its society, Anglo-Indian and Native, exactly as they are, " nothing ex tenuating," and certainly not " setting down aught in malice ;" in short, it is as close an imitation as possible of the process whereby local scenery is depicted to the eye. India has now ceased to be an hermetically sealed country, and the distance between it and Europe is daily diminishing, through the facilities afforded to inter-communication. The pictures of India, therefore, which are now wanted, are not artificial and highly coloured ones, calculated, like a fairy tale, merely to recreate an idle hour ; but genuine portraitures, possessing, indeed, the attractions which must be always inherent even in the most servile description of a country, where the scenery, objects, and people are so different from those in Europe : for even the manners

PREFACE.

. VII of English residents in India, as is well known, imbibe peculiarities in the process of acclima tion. India, British India at least, must no longer be depicted in the shadowy colours of the Arabian Nights. Professional duties, co-operating with curiosity, having afforded the Author, during his residence in India, opportunities of seeing much of the country remote from the Presi dencies and from the ordinary track of European travellers, he has enjoyed facilities for more extensive observation than many who have passed a much longer time there. Of these facilities he has endeavoured to avail himself to the utmost; and if what he did observe, he has not expressed with the gravity of a tame journalist, if he has detailed con versations in a conversational style, and has treated some subjects in a tone which very sober readers may stigmatize as levity, his b I' R E F A C E. facts are not on that account the less to be relied upon.

The Author pledges himself to the public, that none of the contents of these volumes are fictitious. He extends this pledge to the characters and adventures recorded in them, — even the most extraordinary, — the agents in which are real personages ; though he has thought it his duty to substitute feigned names, and, by a few unimportant alterations of time and place, so to cloak the original, that offence might be given to none who have served him as studies. The history of Howard, for example, might be objected to as a fiction, on the ground of its improbability ; but it is true, as nearly true as relation by a second party will admit. The Author does not forget the axiom of the French satirist, " Le vrai pent quelquefois netre pas vraisemblable ;" but he confesses himself willing to renounce what- P R E F A C E. IX ever credit he might acquire by making the history more credible, for the more subordi nate, though not less coveted, merit of being a faithful reporter of facts.

It may be expedient to say a word in justification of the method he has pursued in writing Oriental names and words, lest he be suspected of deviating from the ordinary practice from mere affectation. Had there been a settled and uniform system of ortho graphy, founded upon a close approximation of the sounds of the European and Asiatic tongues, perhaps it might have been con venient to follow that system, even where not critically correct. But this is not the case, the orthography is perpetually fluctuating, the modes of spelling are almost infinite, and seldom approach the true sound. The Author, therefore, convinced that more atten tion is paid to this matter than formerly, both X

PREFACE.

. in Europe and India, has in all cases preferred adhering to the correct pronunciation, rather than continue corruptions, which, to those acquainted with the original language, are often absurd and vulgar. The graphic illustrations introduced are selections from a large collection in the Author's portfolio. The artist, and perhaps the general reader, will be sensible of the difficulty of adapting to so small a scale, elaborate and highly-finished drawings, with out injury to the subject. The selection has consequently been made, with reference to this consideration, from those subjects which possess an interest in their picturesque effect, or are likely to be recognised by those who are acquainted with the localities. The Author does not think himself precluded from saying that his portfolio contains more important and laborious specimens, which he l'REFAC E. XI may at a future time be induced to offer to the public.

The Hindu cosmogony, in common with that of many other nations, tells us that the Earth, and all things terrestrial, were formed from, or had their origin in, an egg ; which many ancient sculptures, allusive to the Crea tion, represent as having been cherished, and brought to its present form, by the fostering care ofthe Good Genius, incarnate as a serpent. The celebrated specimen of this device, sus pended in the temple of Hercules, at Tyre, exhibits the mundane egg enveloped in the genial folds of Agathodaimon, thus embodied, who is said to have broken the shell when the nucleus was mature. The Author, if he may be allowed to draw a parallel between great things and small, would make use of this allusion, in assuring his readers that his First Impressions would have remained a mere

PREFACE.

. ovum, had he not been induced, by the kind encouragement and indulgent opinion of his friends, to break the shell, and allow his work to go forth among the millions already in the firmament of a similar creation. A humble place is all he dares to hope for. T.B. PAGE 1 CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

Chapter I. The Voyage Out

First Appearances. — Characters on Board. — The Swallows. — A Veteran Officer. — Fugitive Fancies. — A Strange Coincidence. — An Original. — The Hell-fire Club. — Means of Suicide — Atheism. — Suicide and Resuscitation. — Confessions of an Atheist. — The Landsman's Footing. — Teneriffe and Palma. — Flying Fish, Medusae, &c. — Scraping Acquaintance. — Parental Authority. — An Interloper. — A Suspicious Sail. — Pirate Schooner. — Splicing the Main-brace. — A Ruse. — Clearing for Action. Hostile Manœuvres. — Showing the Hands. — A Man-of- War's Man. — Public Rejoicings. — Flirtation only a Pastime. — Chess and Ecarte. — Winning by the Odd Trick. — Swallows in a Squall. — An Arbiter. — Explanation and Concession

Chapter II. Marriage

A TAKE-IN ON BOTH SIDES. The Furlough. — The first Fete. — A Beauty and a Fortune. — Throwing up the first Parallel. — Mal-a-propos Entree. — Approach by Zig-zags. — Credit and Creditors. — An Ugly Outset. — A Comfortable Position. — A Dangerous CONTENTS. PAGE Rival. — The Discarded.— Popping the Question. — The Attorney. — The Nuptials.— A Benedict. — Duns and Difficulties. — Awkward Confessions. —Getting coolly out of a Scrape. — Walking off. — Diversions on Board. — A Hurricane. — Dead Calms after Storms — Retrospections 41

Chapter IV. Madras

Natives of the Coast of Coromandel. — Katamarans and Massulah Boats. — Candidates for Service. — Fort St. George. — Anecdote of Banks the Sculptor. — Monuments of the Marquis Cornwallis. — St. Thomas's Mount. — " A Midsummer Night's Dream." — A Subaltern's Home. — Eastern Luxuries. — The Surf. — Thoughts of Home. — A Fair Challenge. — Return on Board. — A Group. — Chit-Chat — Passing Opinions. — The Mamma. — Negus and a Hop. — Mr. Peter Quagmire, no Individual. — The Use of Language. — Rapid Passage across the Bay. Sagor Island. — Diamond Harbour. — Fort William The Hooghli 95

Chapter V. Calcutta

Debarkation. — A Palki — Letters of Introduction. Prognostics of Character. — Mine Host. — Advice from an Old CONTENTS. XV PAGE Stager — Marriage, no Option — Publishing the Banns. — A Friendly Hint — The Vice-President The Govern ment House. — Calcutta Society. — Balls and Re-unions. Words about Dress. — Fort William as a Residence. — The Adjutant A Madman's Vision Marriage made in Heaven. — Stealing a March on an Old Soldier. — Choice of Method and Material 124 VI. DUM DUM The Cantonment. — The Troops. — Dum Dum before the Days of Half-Batta. — The Church. — Sporting Parsons. — A Clerical Shift. — The Model Room, Theatre, Barracks, and other Public Buildings. — Bungalows. — The Mess- House and Library. — The Band. — The Monsoon. — Bursautti. — Cantonment Life. — Morning Exercise, Parade, the Toilet, &c. — Routine of Pastimes. — The Table. — Entertainment of Visitors. — India a Quicksand to Friendships. — A Bachelor's Speculations. — Advantages ofthe Station to Young Officers 151

Chapter VII. Juggurnaut

Cold Weather.— The Steamer— The Coast of Orissa — The Great Pagoda The Idols. — Self-immolation Concourse of Pilgrims. — Obscene Sculptures. — Vishnu Stolen from the Temple. — The Serais, Tanks, &c. — Preservation of the Temple during the Mohummedan Conquest. — Kanarak, the Black Pagoda. — Gigantic Architecture. — Hindu Infatuations, and Obscene Superstitions Return to Dum Dum CONTENTS. PAGE

Chapter VIII. Cantonments Again

Death of Howard A Martinet. — Polite Insolence. — A Drawn Game. — Illness and Home-sickness — The Commandant — Seniors and Juniors. — A Portrait. — The Levee. — Suicide. — Symptoms of Insanity. — The Koles. — Insurrections Military Expedition. — Two Men in Buckram. — Capture of a Stockade. — Live Carcases. — Resurrection- Men — Imitators of Death. — Impostors. — A Mourning Family Working Miracles. — Bacchanalians. — A Beer Drinker. — Habitual Excess. — " Dear Venom." — Consequences of Immoderate Libation Drinking discountenanced in the Army. — Drunkenness in the Ranks. — Feigned Sobriety. — The Test. — A New One proposed 186

Chapter IX. Voyage Up The Hooghli

Preparations for Departure A Fleet wrecked Indiscriminate Appropriation of Raiment Black and White. — Kassipore Ghat — Confusion of Tongues. — Corporal Donahoo and the Dandi. — A Ghost. — An Irish Acceptation — Budgerows. — Accommodation, Build, and Rig. — The Manji and Crew — Boats and Small Craft. — The Fleet.— Barrackpore — Methods of Progression Dangers and Delights. — The Picturesque. —Serhampore, Chandenuggur, and Chinsura — The Town of Hooghli. —The Sketch-book— Natives in Office— Shooting Kutwa. — Windfalls CONTENTS. XVII

Chapter X. Berhampore

PAGE An Invitation.-- A Poser The Billiard Table — Gambling. — Generosity in a Gambler. — Greenhorns. — Reforming Young Hands. — Thrice saved by a Pig. — Moorshedabad. — The Eina Mahal. — Jungeypore. — Children and Parria Dogs. — Depredations of the Canine Race. — Scavengers. — Funeral Obsequies 247

Chapter XI. Banks And Cities Of The Ganges

Entrance to the Ganges. — The Bhagaratti and Jellinghi. — Rajhmahal. — The Sungi-dullan. — Strength and Value of the Position neglected. — The Paharries. — A Bald Head respected by the Natives. — Ladies in Peril. — The General's Party Sikri Gulli. — A Rescue. — A Merry Meeting. — No end of Adventure. — Difficult Pass. — An Awkward Predicament. — Female Fortitude. — Crossing the Nulla. — A Tedious March. — Hasty Conclusions. — Kahalgang. — Romantic Scenery. — The Islands. — A Saint's Tomb. — Native Beauties. — Bhagulpore. — Patarghur. — Over-assessment. — CuriousTowers. — The Jhains. — The Rajhmahal and Bhagulpore range of Hills. — Jehanghira, the Fakhir's Rock — Religious Mendicants. — Pillage of the Fakhir's Treasure — The Ladies. — Monghir. — Manufactures. — Seetacoond, the Hot Springs. — Bar. — Landscape Scenery. — Patna. — Wealthy Natives. — The River Ghunduk. — Hajjipore. — Dinapore. — Bankipore. — The Gola. — The River Sone. — Charge of a Buffalo. — Hackeries and Bullocks CONTENTS. XVIII

Chapter XII. Ganges From Chuppra To Cawnpore

PAGE Chuppra.— River Gogra.— A Perilous Escape.— Alligators. — The Muggur. — Natives engaging an Alligator — The Ghurrial— Fish, Flesh, and Fowl — Buxar.— Ruins of Chounsa. Ghazipore. — Cenotaph of the Marquis Cornwallis.— Fields of Roses — Benares. — The Mosque. — Manufactures. — Bazaar. — Chunar. — Mirzapore — Scandal afloat. — Allahabad — Confluence of the Ganges and Jumna The Fort. — Pilgrims at Ablution — Wild Boar Shooting. — Arrival at Cawnpore 302

Chapter XIII. Cawnpore, And The March From Thence To Merat

The Station. — Review of Troops. — The Amateur Theatre. — The Stage.— A Ball. — Preparations for the March. — Departure from Cawnpore. — The Line of March. — Encampment of Horse Artillery. — Habits in Camp. — Military Array. — A Toofan and fearful Hailstorm. — Confusion of the Troop. — Unwelcome Orders. — The Soldier's Funeral — Chance-Visitors. — The art of Embellishment. — The History of Chutni. — Jocko, the Monkey- Doctor. — A Question. — A Monkey-Gamester. — A Lesson on Pronunciation. — The Choars, — Skilful Robbers. — Stealing the Sheets. — Ingenious Theft. — False Alarms. — Accidental Destruction of a Favourite. — Habits ofthe Choars — Horse-poisoning.. — The Route ... CONTENTS. XIX PAGE

Chapter XIV. Merat

The Cantonments. — Lines of the Troops. — The Begum Sumroo's Mansion.— The Ice-Pits. — Process of collecting and preserving the Ice. — The Church. — The Theatres. — The Masonic Lodge. — The Mess. — The Racket-court. — The Amateurs. — Professional Humbug. — Courting a new Acquisition. — A Manager. — Green-Room Scenes and Characters. — Rehearsals. — The Heroine's Fall.— Trials and Perplexities. — Pressing a Substitute. — The Apology of a Marplot 359

Chapter XV. Sporting Excursion In The Junguls

Preparations for the Campaign. — Choice of Season. — Crossing the Ganges. — A weary Fast. — A Hurricane, and the Consequences. — A first Essay in the Haoda. — The Haoda. — Mirchi the Shikarri, a Native Sportsman and Tiger-scout. — The Order of Battle. — The Advance. — Pursuit of the Tiger. — Signs of the Game. — The Find The Chase and Charge. — Arena of Combat. — The Death. — A Second Encounter. — Wild Boar-spearing. — Inexpediency of the wholesale Destruction of Game LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. Juggurnaut Frontispiece. 2. Chart of the Ganges, Jumna, &c page 124 3. Scene in Dum Dum Bazaar 160 4. Fakhir's Serai near Hooghli 242 5. Sutti's Tomb at Berhampore 247 6. Gateway at Rajhmahal 265 7. Ruins of the old Palace 266 8. The Sungi-dullan 266 9. Ruins at Bhagulpore 282 10. Jehanghira. — The Fakhir's Rock 286 11. Ruins east of Patna FIRST IMPRESSIONS. &C. &C. &C

Chapter I. The Voyage Out

A voyage across the high seas to or from India is, in most cases, so utterly monotonous and de void of excitement, that I would plunge in medias res with my arrival in Calcutta, had I nothing more stirring to depict than the little incidents usually occurring in the daily routine on board a merchant ship. The few pages, however, which embrace the narrative of my outward-bound voyage to Calcutta will be found to exhibit some strange and touching scenes, which I feel confident will excite the interest of my readers. Without further preamble, therefore, I will venture to weigh anchor. On the 20th of March 1831, we made all sail before a gentle breeze from the N.W. by N., and VOL. I. B during the day we continued to glide stealthily through the calm waters, until the evening sha dows closed between us and the shores of England.

That sinking of the heart which is perhaps expe rienced by all who quit their native land for the first time, would doubtless have been felt more acutely by all on board, had we not previously been detained for nearly a month close prisoners in Portsmouth, jsubject to all the suspense and ill-humour consequent upon a foul wind. During the few first days at sea, everything appears sufficiently uncomfortable ; nothing is ship-shape, the crew are scarcely sober, the pas sengers are still strangers to one another ; every man appears suspicious of his neighbour, and in clined to watch his actions rather than seek his acquaintance : this however quickly wears off, and as all hands shake down into the regularity of nautical hours, mutual courtesy and confidence take place of reserve ; and daily intercourse rapidly strengthens predilection or prejudice into friend ship or aversion.

After the first miseries of sea sickness are surmounted, men are compelled to seek each other's society for amusement, unless they should find sufficient occupation in keeping their respective positions during a capfull of wind. CHARACTERS ON BOARD. A few days of squally weather at the com mencement of our voyage effectually prevented our party from scraping acquaintance one with another, for most of them were, by the rolling of the ship and sickness, kept close prisoners in their own cabins. As the weather moderated, however, the gentlemen at first appeared on deck, or took their places at the cuddy table, one by one, with pale cadaverous visages, and enfeebled limbs ; — and then a sprinkling of the gentler sex, with blanched cheeks and streaming hair, was added to our party at table, until at last we mustered our full complement.

A strange diversity of character is to be met with in all mixed so cieties, but in very few situations can it be so fully developed as during a long voyage, where utter strangers, individuals from all classes, are thrown together, dependent upon each other, and in daily contact — not only every day, but all day. There were very few ciphers in our circle, very few who did not add some value to our collection of curiosities. Among the choicest of our strange birds were a whole family of Swallows — Mr. and Mrs. Swallow, three Misses Swallow, and a whole brood of smaller Swallows, both Misses and Mas ters, going back again to India in consequence of b the elder Swallow's indigo speculations having failed, or perhaps by reason of the bankruptcy of Palmer's House, whereby it is probable that the junior branches of the Swallow family were debarred the advantages of a home-education ; without which they could never expect to rival the elevated accomplishments of their more fortunate sisters.

Swallow was as singular in his manners as in his appearance, both being particularly uncouth. Though probably a man of small erudition, his own natural shrewdness and observation had sup plied him with an excellent stock of general in formation, which was ever at the service of his friends. Mrs. Swallow had certainly been pretty: her features were small and delicately moulded, her eyes dark and languishing, and her figure still retained traces of its youthful grace ; besides, she had a pretty little foot and a well-turned ankle, all in accordance with a brunette complexion, a purple lip, a small and beautifully-formed but sooty-looking hand, clearly indicative of a pedigree not purely occidental. Miss Swallow, Miss La vinia Swallow, and Miss Virginia Letitia Swallow, were nice-looking girls, and apparently of pleasing manners, as far as we were able to judge by dis- A VETERAN OFFICER. 5 tant observation ; for, alas !

Swallow the elder had refused to introduce his daughters to any of the ineligibles, and consequently two superannuated, bilious Koi Hies were the only happy swains who enjoyed the felicity of the young ladies' acquaintance. I have said they were nice-looking girls ; I do not mean that they were pretty, but that they were comfortable, tidy, well-dressed young ladies, anything but distingue, and rather too vigoureux to strike the refined fancy of an elaborately-appa relled writer, or even the less fastidious taste of an Addiscombe cadet. Among the rest of our fair fellow-passengers, several are deserving of notice in their proper places, but I am anxious to introduce to the reader those only who are essential to my narrative ; for this reason I pass without mention the two comical old Koi Hies before alluded to, though they were both of them good studies for a sketch.

I cannot, however, neglect to bring forward my peculiar friend, MajorVangricken, a fine old soldier who had lost his leg at Aracan, and a pretty good slice off the top of his cranium at Bhurtpore. Poor fellow! his memory shall be gently dealt with, for he has long since given a step to the subs of his corps. Vangricken was a man of gigantic stature, and great bodily prowess ; his features were small, but regular ; and his restless eye, significant of talent and acute inquisitiveness, bore also an expression of irritation, fully accounted for by the vague subjects of his conversation. His mental infir mity was easily discovered, but not without the exhibition of a strong though warped imagination, and the pitiable wreck of what had once been a well adorned and vigorous mind. His conversation emitted sparks of an original and vivid genius, and in every discussion he managed to amuse his listeners no less than he surprised them : he pos sessed that unaccountable, though by no means rare combination, of puerile simplicity in some things, with brilliant conception in others, together with powerful energy of inference and argument, so surprising in many instances of insanity.

The wildest speculations and most visionary schemes were grasped at by him with an avidity truly ludicrous : but then they were supported by a wonderfully plausible and imposing elo quence, which it required a close and mature investigation to expose. His favourite subjects were those of scientific and mechanical inven tions, which during his furlough he had laboured to advance at the sacrifice of his health and his FUGITIVE FANCIES. 7 means, without even the advantage of discovering the vanity of his impracticable designs. Had he lived during the reign of alchymy he would as suredly have plunged head and ears into the occult science, for he still believed in the existence of the elixir vitæ, and would have enlisted in the pursuit had he deemed any one human life of sufficient endurance to allow a hope of success.

There was one speculation upon which he had built his hopes of immortal fame, and which ever lastingly engrossed his speculative ingenuity; this all-absorbing project was no other than the prac ticability of adapting wings to the human body. He firmly believed in the possibility ofthe design, and had dissipated a considerable sum of money in London in endeavouring to realize this chimera. Another of his themes, infinitely more absurd, was the idea of training the larger tribes of the winged creation to the humility of taking a rider on their backs, to be governed like a horse, by bit and bridle ; or to the more complete degradation of submitting to become birds of burden, for the transportation of posts and packets. It is not im probable that these strange devices took root in his diseased imagination during his illness in Aracan, when his mind was possibly bent upon a THE VOYAGE OLT. return to his native country ; for even the plainest wishes of the heart become distorted pictures to the fevered brain of the suffering exile.

During the few first weeks of our passage, Van gricken had secluded himself much from our society upon the plea of sickness, and was there fore but little known to any of us ; we were how ever fully aware of his infirmity, and some of the most boyish and most heedless among us had commenced already a series of practical jokes for the purpose of drawing him out of his reserve. On one occasion, he had been closetted in his own cabin during the whole of the morning, and made his appearance at the dinner table iu a singular mixture of full-dress and deshabille, which I will not attempt to describe, lest I be thought to colour my picture rather too highly. As the ladies were about to withdraw from the table, Vangricken also rose, and begging their forbearance for a few seconds, requested that they would resume their seats, for that he had a word or two to say to them.

" Allow me, Captain, for one moment," said he; " ladies and gentlemen, I cry your indulgence for a brief period, while I relate to you the result of my studies this morning. I am about to A STRANGE COINCIDENCE. 9 recite one of the most astounding facts, one of the most incomprehensible of coincidences which has ever occurred since chaos arrayed herself in the bright robes of nature, and stood forth in the cha racter of the world. You have probably all of you become more or less acquainted with the maxims and various writings of the celebrated French philosopher Rochefoucault. I was this morning in deep meditation over his ' Memoirs of the Regency of Ann of Austria,' in the preface to which I stumbled upon a truth which will utterly disconcert the whole literary world. Hear me ; Rochefoucault — he was a duke mind you — died on a Saturday ; and I — I — Vangricken, the Van gricken, was born on a Tuesday."

He cast a glance of triumph round the listening circle, screwed up his mouth into an expression of the most profound importance, and turning a pirouette upon his wooden leg, strutted back to his cabin ; his exit being followed by the most flattering bursts of applause, and vociferations of encore ! encore ! But I have yet another character to introduce ; one whose history comprises a series of those sin gular events, which might naturally be attributed to the fancy of a romancer ; whose individuality was stamped with those more intense characteris tics which will invariably perpetuate the memory of a man either in honour or disgrace, according as he may have " ta'en the bend." This singular man was the life and soul of our party; he was an ensign of some ten years' standing, and had just been in England upon furlough, where, by his own account, he had been making the most of his time.

He shall be known to the reader as Charles Howard ; in addition to the advantages of a hand some person, he possessed a suavity and gaiety of manner truly fascinating, making his attentions peculiarly acceptable to the ladies ; and withal he was gifted with that rare endowment of the mind, a powerful and tenacious memory on all subjects. If he heard a song but once or twice, he would commit both the words and air to memory, and with a good voice and a ready wit, he would be sure to make a hit in singing it. A good story or a good argument he never forgot ; so that he was never at a loss for an illustration : moreover his style of telling his tale, or enforcing his opi nion, was whimsical and dramatic ; so that, all in all, he was a valuable acquisition as a companion during a long voyage. THE HELL-FIRE CLUB. 11 One morning Howard ran hastily on deck to see a shark hauled on board, and in the hurry of the moment had forgotten to put on his stock, an article of apparel which, I had noticed, he never dispensed with, even in the hottest weather.

My attention was at once attracted to a broad white scar, reaching from the under part of the left jaw, across the gullet, to the opposite side of the throat. I said to him immediately, " Howard, you have forgotten your stock." " Good God !" he cried, covering his throat with his hand ; " but it is no secret now to any one : if you will come below, I will tell you all about it. I followed him to his cabin, and he told me his story nearly in the following words. " From my first arrival in India, I led a hard life ; I drank recklessly, gambled eagerly, and betted rashly, so that I speedily ran myself in debt beyond all hopes of redemption; and the assistance afforded me by some of my friends in England served only to gain me at the time a temporary extension of credit, which of course ran me deeper in the slough.

" This state of things could not last for ever : the military Court of Requests had awarded half of my pay and allowances to my creditors, and more than once my property had been seized and sold for their benefit. Two of my intimates, who had led an equally dissipated life, suffered a similar disgrace, and we three came to a determination that as one remedy alone remained for our miseries, that remedy should be ours ; and the remains of our small joint-stock were forthwith produced to procure liquor. Brandy was our specific — it was our only means of drowning care. Maddened with the spirit, we cursed life and all its troubles, and forthwith entered into a solemn vow to wind up. "Some little dissension took place as to the best means to be applied, but it was at last decided that a large quantity of raw spirit should be pro cured, and placed upon the table, and that we should drink ourselves to death ; or if any one of the party survived, he should terminate his existence with the razor.

This compact we sealed by writing and signing our own death-warrants ; and these being placed upon the table, we applied ourselves to the spirits, having turned out all our servants, and otherwise carefully secured ourselves from interruption. " In thisaftair, I had, perhaps, less dread of con sequences than my companions. I was, and still am, a decided atheist ; I do not think they really ATHEISM. 13 were so at heart, although they professed to be such. I had no fears of a futurity, but I could see that at times they were moved by a strong dread. All weakness of this kind, however, was speedily dispelled by the maddening effects of the spirit, and was replaced by a dark and reckless determination to prosecute our purpose. "My own quarters were the scene of this affair. Having again and again replenished our glasses with the unadulterated spirit, we pledged each other with oaths and curses, which more than once made my own blood creep within my veins — at length, I sunk into a state of insensibility, which must have continued some hours, for when I par tially recovered my faculties, the grey dawn of day was just breaking upon this scene of wanton debauchery and madness.