A Fly on the Wheel; or, How I helped to govern India

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the oath. (Seep. 253.) [_Vo)i(ispiece. J A FLY ON THE WHEEL OR HOW I HELPED TO GOVERN INDIA. BY LIEUT.-COL. THOMAS H. LEWIN, ADTHOE OF " WILD TBIBES OF THE SOCTH-WESTEEN " HANDBOOK OF THE TIBETAN LANGUAGE," I ETC. ETC. ETC. LONDON: W. H. ALLEN & CO., 13 WATEELOO PLACE, PALL MALL. S.W. 1885. (.ill rights reserved.) CONTENTS. Pag(fc CHAP. 1.— Looking Back (1857-58) . . . / 1 CHAP. IL— Central India. (1859) . . . < 45 CHAP. III. — The Indian Police Service (1861-62) 84 CHAP. IV.— Hazaribagh (1862-63) . . .108 CHAP. V.— Hazaribagh— continued (1863-64) . 128 CHAP. VI.— Noacolly (1864-65) . . . .156 CHAP. VIL— Chittagong (1864-65) . . . .184 CHAP. VIII.— The Shendus (1865-66) . . . 225 CHAP. IX. — The Hill Tracts of Chittagong (1866-67) 278 CHAP. X. — The Hill Tracts of Chittagong — continued (1867) .... 315 CHAP. XL — The Hill Tracts of Chittagong — continued (1867-68) .... 353 CHAP. XII.— The Lushai Expedition (1871-72) . 383 CHAP. XIII.— Conclusion ©0 mi ratfe, TRUEST FRIEND, BEST COMPANION, AND THE DEAR MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN, I DEDICATE THIS BOOK.

" Jours a la fois heureux et triste, jours devores par le travail et l'enthousiasme, jours comme nn n'en voit qu'une fois dans la vie." Lacordaire. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Pai_e. The Oath Frontispiece Map of the Chittagong District ....... 1 The Slaoghter-House at Cawnpore 8 Native Soldier thrown from the Parapet . . . - . .15 Nana Sahib's Servants hanged .... 25 Sonthal Harvest Dance 124 Noacolly Police Boats 165 Chandraguna 278 A Kumi Maiden 305 Sirthay 4.33 Mac of Demagree

Chapter I. Looking Back

1857-58. I have arrived at the midmost stage of life ; and now, before quitting the table-land of maturity and striking down to the lower level of old age, I am minded to look back, while I am still able to gaze at the past, with vision undimmed by age or infirmity. I come of old Kentish stock, who for three genera tions had sent sons to India ; and therefore it was a natural start in life when one of my Indian uncles obtained for me a cadetship in the Bast India Com pany's service, and I was in due course started out with a dozen other youngsters, my college-mates from Addiscombe, bound for Calcutta, on the 9th September 1857, the year of the Indian Mutiny. We had heard rumours in England, before starting, of insurrection in Bengal, but the disturbance was thought to be local, and not of general importance ; and after the final wrench from home ties, and the quick ensuing superlative wretchedness of sea-sickness, we reached the Mediterranean, our youthful minds much elated with the sense of our own individuality, and troubled only by insatiable appetites ; sea and sky, present and future, alike undimmed by any fleck of cloud, any presage of evil omen.

At Malta, however, serious news awaited us, news that struck home to our boyish hearts, and brought us face to face with the stern realities of life and death. The province of Bengal was in a flame of revolt from end to end ; the entire Bengal army was in open mutiny ; and, what stirred us most, the batch of cadets which had preceded us to Bengal by a few months only, young fellows we had all known, and with whom we had played cricket within the year — they, our schoolfellows, had been surprised and mas sacred at Allahabad, as they sat at mess. The know ledge and fear of death as a thing possible to ourselves had hitherto been unknown to us ; but now it came very near as we realised -the dreadful scene. The cheerful mess-table, with its lights, and white cloth sparkling with silver and wine ; and then in a flash the windows filled with the black threatening faces and murderous eyes of the mutineers, as they sur rounded the mess-house, from which not one of the poor lads escaped alive.

The fun of our voyage was gone. The glories and wonders of Alexandria and Cairo; the crossing of the pathless desert sands, strewn with skeletons of animals and shapeless masses of rock, over which we jolted heavily in our mule drawn vans ; the dry burning heat of the Red Sea and the moist clinging warmth of the Indian Ocean and Ceylon ; the strange new human creatures that swarmed round the ship, importunate for alms, as we stopped for coaling : all passed before our eyes like a dream, as obstacles and delays in our now tedious journey. The fever had seized us ; the desire to fight, the wish for vengeance was in our blood. We wanted one thing only — to reach quickly the land where our comrades and friends had so treacherously been murdered. It was a relief when at last the low, muddy banks of the Hoogly came in view.

The pilot climbed on board, and we slowly steamed up the river and dropped anchor off the City of Palaces. I even now shudder to recall the chill feeling of loneliness and home-sickness with which I sought the bare, cheerless room assigned to me in the cadets' quarters in Fort William. Alone in a strange land ; my fellow pas sengers had scattered and gone their respective ways on landing ; my fellow cadets even, had found friends to meet them, while 1 went alone to the Fort Adju tant, to report my arrival, and inquire to what regiment of the Bengal army I was likely to be posted. "Army ! — regiment ! " was the reply. " There is no Bengal army ; it is all in revolt. You will be sent off to the front at once, and perhaps attached to some Queen's regiment. Provide yourself with a camp bedstead and a chillumchee, and wait for orders."

I saluted and left the presence of my superior officer, deeply pondering as to the possible nature and qualities of a " chillumchee," but not venturing to inquire further. However, I must obey orders ; so with some misgivings I entrusted myself to some palanquin-bearers, who jogged off with me to the bazaar, whence I returned triumphant, with my chil- 1 * lumchee, or brass washing-basin, borne helmet-fashion on the head of a dusky porter, who followed in the wake of my novel conveyance. The bedstead I did not purchase, grudging the expense out of my slender purse. Next morning I learnt that I and four other cadets were to proceed to Chinsurah, to join Her Majesty's 34th Regiment, which was under orders for Cawnpore. We were each allowed 150 lbs. weight of luggage ; and I ruefully parted with the rest of my belongings, which I did not see agam for a year and a half.

On reaching Chinsurah and reporting myself to the Adjutant of the 34th, 1 was posted to C company, and the same day we were booked by railway to Raneegunge, and marched to a standing camp. There, two other cadets and myself were allotted an empty tent, and, rolling ourselves up in our cloaks, we lay down on the bare ground and slept profoundly. From Raneegunge, I set off with a lieutenant and fifteen men of the 34th Regiment, by horse-dak, in wretched jolting vehicles. The order was given for the men to load their rifles, and we pushed on night and day, changing horses every ten miles. At Benares we joined forces with a detachment of the 82nd Regiment, and, leaving our horse-daks, we proceeded in bullock-wagons. I engaged a servant at Benares, who added much to my comfort, and at Allahabad I had the satisfaction of drawing my first pay — my last, too, for many months — and invested promptly the greater part of it in the purchase of a pony.

I had found the slow, dusty progress of the bullocktrain most weary and monotonous, and one evening, to beguile the tedium of the way, I rashly displaced the driver of my wagon and determined to try my hand at driving the quiet-looking beasts. There was no driving-seat, the driver having to squat on the pole to which the oxen were yoked. I seated myself accordingly, and sought to apply the simple means I had seen the driver use to increase our speed. It looked so easy, to screw the tail round a bit and give a gentle dig with the goad. I had no difficulty in setting them going ; but, alas ! it was the old story of the salt-mill over again. I had no power to stop them. Away went the heavy wagon, swaying and groaning in the ruts of the road. The lieutenant from the wagon in front turned in astonishment to see what had happened ; but I, luckless charioteer, had enough to do clinging to the pole, where I with difficulty kept my seat.

The road lay along a steep embankment, and, checked by the wagon in front, down the slope my bullocks plunged, dragging me and the wagon after them. Shouts filled the air as we left the track, and I, thrown from my uneasy perch, clung on for dear life underneath the pole, with the great wheels thundering on either side of me, whde in front lay the deep precipitous chasm of a water course, in which we seemed doomed to end our career. To my inexpressible relief, the beasts seemed to object like myself to this conclusion, and wisely stopped short on the brink, while I hastened to recall the driver, and, much crestfallen, lay down meekly inside the wagon, sore with kicks and bruises, and fully convinced that I had no vocation for driving bullocks. The driver resumed his place, and we were soon jogging along again on the right track, and with the bullocks' bag of bran for a pillow, and all the wraps I could muster to keep out the cold night air, I made myself as comfortable as circumstances allowed.

It was all so strange and new. In the dim light of the swinging oil-lamp I could see my sword and revolver hanging to the wagon-tilt over my head, along with the wood-pigeon which I had shot just before dark, while at the far end of the wagon, the dusky form of my servant squatted motionless on my solitary portmanteau. Outside the stars shone brightly, throwing a pale light on the gloomy jungle and waving trees, which formed a black wall on either side of our long train of wagons. All was silent, save for the groaning of the heavy lumbering vehicles, and the guttural sounds by which the drivers cheered and urged on the patient oxen, or an occasional order given among the soldiers who guarded our train. So short a time it seemed since I was in England, among the dear familiar faces ; and now how changed, how strange !

But it was best not to encourage such thoughts, and, resolutely knocking out the ashes of the pipe which had recaUed them, and, closing the heavy canvas curtain of the cart, I betook myself to sleep. When I awoke it was early morning, and the cart was standing still. I puUed aside the curtain and looked out. The long line of dusty-tilted wagons had halted in a quiet stretch of white sandy road ; the drivers were squatting together in groups, smoking and warming themselves round a small fire which they had lit from straw and wayside rubbish ; while the great white oxen, who had toiled so patiently through the night, stood sleek and silent, munching their chaff. All was quiet, strangely quiet, in fact ; for where were all the soldiers ? I jumped out, buckling my sword and revolver hastily round my waist, and sought my comrades.

We had halted near a group of low whitewashed huts, built native-fashion, with closed court-yard. At the main entrance stood the stump of a large tree, round which our men were grouped, their excited gestures and low voices showing that something unusual had occurred. I walked hastily towards a group of my brother officers, who stood near the mouth of an old well. " What is it ? " I asked. " Where are we ? " The answer startled me by the cold intensity of its tone. " We are at Cawnpore, and this is the Slaughter-house ! " It is twenty-six years now since I stood beside that well, and saw the mass that lay down in the darkness, which I knew to be the bodies of my countrymen and women. Clothes and other rubbish had been thrown down after the thin covering of earth which the first relay of soldiers sent to relieve Cawnpore had thrown over the poor bodies, and to us it seemed that we saw the actual white-clothed women and children who had been thrown into that dark pit.

The shock remains with me, a never to-be-forgotten horror. The court-yard was about forty feet square, with numerous small rooms opening off it. It was still strewn with shreds of clothing, leaves of books, and some human hair. On the walls were splashes of blood and marks of sword-cuts, many so low down on the walls that they must have been aimed at little children, or at poor crouching women shrinking from the blows. " WE ARE AT CAWNPORE, AND THIS IS THE SLAUGHTER-HOUSE ! " Is it possible to wipe out the memory of that fatal 15th of July 1857, when, with the sounds of the British guns on their ears telling of help near at hand, these hapless helpless ones were ruthlessly slaughtered? Outside, the English soldiers anxiously pressing on to help, fighting against fearful odds, ten to one against them ; inside, two butchers, Mahom medans by religion, told off to their ghastly work.

The doors were shut ; two were enough against those helpless, starving, unarmed people. Presently one wretch came out to get a fresh sword, his weapon being blunted, returning quickly to complete his task. After another interval the blood-stained butchers reappeared, carrying two wounded children, leaving behind them no living thing. Shall these two die also ? Alas ! there is no mercy ; and the Nana's emissary, standing at the door, orders the executioners to dash out their brains against the old tree, so that not one may escape. The English troops under General Havelock came too late. There was no help for the dead. The horror of this place laid hold on us all soldiers and officers, most of us newly arrived from England. The men clustered together, swearing deep oaths of vengeance against the whole race of those who were guilty of such atrocities. 1 had never before seen men stirred by strong passion, their faces white and set, and their eyes gleaming with fierce blood -eagerness.

Who can wonder if the revenge taken was stern and pity was scanty ! Inside the slaughter-house, kicked into a dark corner, lay a Bible (I have it beside me now), dirty and blood stained. In it was written the name Anthony Dickson Home, and the words, " Read Psalm lvi. J. E. H." I turned to the Psalm and read, " And they cried unto God, and there was none to help them." Next morning I went to see General Wheeler's entrenchment, where our folk made their first stand. It was wonderful they had held out so long. The place was literally riddled by shot and shell, and had been ill-chosen for defence. Poor things ! poor things ! We marched slowly on, and camped close to the town of Cawnpore. Tents were provided for us by the Commissariat department, and here we waited for the rest of the regiment, which arrived rapidly in small detachments.

Sir Colin Campbell, with the main army, had pressed on to relieve the beleaguered garrison at Lucknow, leaving General Windham, of Crimean renown — " Redan Windham," as he was caUed — at Cawnpore, with a small but daily growing force, to guard the bridge of boats over the Ganges, and main tain communications with Allahabad. Windham' s task would have been comparatively easy as far as the rebels were concerned, as they were fully occupied at Lucknow ; but he was threatened in flank by a formidable foe — the native army of the State of Gwalior, which sided against us, and, 10,000 strong, was now said to be on the point of attacking our position at Cawnpore. General Windham's force to oppose this attack may have numbered, all told, some 1,500 men. It was made up of small parties like that with which I had arrived, drafts from the 34th, 82nd, and 88th Regiments, and from the Rifle Brigade, which had been pushed up from AUahabad as fast as possible.

There was also a small contingent of Madras troops, under General Carthew, with four 9-pounder guns manned by Madrasees, and two 9-pounders with English gunners. This small force was encamped on the glacis of an entrenchment, or tete du pont, which had been thrown up hurriedly on the river side to protect the bridge of boats. On the 17th of November, General Windham marched his whole force out and took up a fresh position some few miles nearer Gwalior, where the road crosses the Ganges canal. Here we remained quiet until the 26th, when we fell in before daybreak for the attack. We ate what was left from the last night's rations, drank some hot tea, and then marched in the dark across the canal bridge into the open country beyond, not knowing where we were going or what we were going to do, but with a growing feeling that we should soon see fighting.

We marched along cheerily in the excitement of this thought for some two miles, when the day began to break, and the band was heard to play at the head of the column. "We shall be at 'em directly," muttered the weather-beaten captain who commanded my com pany. " The General would never play the music were we not in sight of the enemy." Presently we halted, and " the music " marched to the rear, and with the 88th Connaught Rangers leading, on we marched again. Bang went a heavy gun, and over our heads came the whizz of a round shot, a greeting from the enemy. The details of General Windham's engagement are well known. What follows here is taken from my diary, and is given as the purely personal experiences of a young lad of eighteen, recording his first fight. I felt my heart jump as the shot rushed past, and watched my neighbours, tightening my waist-belt as I saw them do.

I recalled all that I had been told of the sensations of others, and our old Major's dictum, that " in going into battle we are all of us frightened, but we don't all of us show it," so I resolved not to show it. The Colonel now gave a loud command, in obedience to which our left wing moved rapidly off to the left. Bang went another gun. This time they had got the right range, and the round shot tore through our column, knocking over two or three poor fellows. The cries of strong men in agony are very dreadful to hear ; but there was no time to think, or to offer help. " Extend into skirmishing order to the left ! " Away we went, extending our line, but at the same time rushing on at the double, advancing on our unseen foe. In front was a high bank, and, as our long line of men clambered up and over it, a small bugler-boy at my side fell forward.

"Hold up, my lad," said I, stretching out my hand to help him to climb. Great God ! the boy was dead. Without a sign or cry he had fallen on his face, and as I raised him the blood welled forth from his mouth on to the green earth. " Forward ! " was the cry, while the bullets hissed through the air so close and quick that death seemed certain. The flask at my side was smashed by a ball, and men began to drop right and left as we ran forward. But now we saw our enemy. In front of us stretched a broad sandy plain, and some five hundred yards off, on the further side, were hundreds of dark men in red coats, looking like toy soldiers in the clear distance, who ran hither and thither, with little puffs of white smoke breaking out at intervals along their line. It was a curious spectacle. The noise of the musketry was tremendous.

I heard someone say that the enemy were retiring, and still we pressed on. Suddenly there was a cry of " Cavalry ! cavalry ! Form square ! " and hur riedly our scattered companies formed themselves into square, the front ranks kneeling with fixed bayonets, while the men behind them kept up the fire. " Reserve your fire, men ! " shouted the Colonel ; and as he spoke, out of a field of high mustard or sugar-cane, I know not which, came a mass of horse men, urging their horses at full speed straight on to the square. Surely, I thought, this means annihi lation. " Stand firm, my lads ! " came the Colonel's voice. " Ready ! " Then, after a slight pause as the cavalry neared us, " Fire ! " WThen the smoke cleared, there lay many men and horses on the ground, and the rest were scattered and flying right and left of us.

Then on again, advancing in skirmishing order, till we arrived tired and breathless at a wall, where we were allowed a brief respite. Some fifty or sixty of us stood behind the wall, regaining our breath, and surveying ruefully the ground on the other side, where for a few hundred yards it was literally swept by three of the enemy's guns, busily served, as we could see, under cover of some mud huts beyond. Clearly, those guns had to be taken, for their fire, passing over our heads, raked heavily the main body of the troops ; but our men did not like the job. " Here comes the Colonel," said a man beside me; and looking back, I saw Colonel Simpson of " ours " on his grey horse crossing the plain. For a moment I thought he was down, as a well-aimed round shot fell right between his horse's legs, raising a cloud of dust ; but on he rode safely, and was soon with the rest of us under the wall.

The officers clustered round for orders. " Rally the men," he said. " Those guns must be taken, and there is no time to lose." Away went the officers down the line. Then with a cheer and a long breath, off we went from our friendly shelter into the iron hailstorm of grape-shot and bullets. No matter who fell ; on, on with a rush, — and the guns were ours ! After this we got scattered. No one seemed to know what was to be done next. I followed those about me, and found myself in a village. A shot from the houses killed one of our men. " I see the beggar ! " shouted a soldier, and the house was quickly surrounded. There was a cry of " Here he is ! " answered by the yet fiercer demand from the men outside, "Don't kill him ! " and the poor wretch was thrown from the parapet or roof of the house on to the glittering bayonets fixed to receive him.

" Damn it all, men, don't be cowards ! " shouted the Adjutant. " Kill, but don't torture." We now got into order to retreat on our old quarters, whence we had set out in the early morning. Weary, and thirsty, and exhausted by the heat, I saw four or five men struggling for a mouthful of muddy water in a roadside puddle. Great talk had we young cadets over the day's doings, as with infinite zest we fought our battle over again. Chief among the incidents of the day was the cavalry charge, and much did we admire the bravery of the dusky officer who had led his men right up to the muzzles of our guns, paying forfeit with his life. " THE POOR WRETCH WAS THROWN FROM THE PARAPET." We reached our camp between four and five in the afternoon, and at six o'clock I lay down in my clothes dead tired, and thankful that it had not fallen to my lot to go on picquet duty, as some of my less fortu nate comrades were required to do.

At six o'clock the next morning we were paraded, and stood on our stiff, weary legs until ten o'clock, waiting with piled arms while General Windham reconnoitred the enemy's movements. Soon after ten the sound of guns reached us as they attacked our position, and the 88th and 82nd Regiments moved off to the left, leaving us, the 34th, to hold some mud houses, to skirmish to the front, and to try and pick off some of the enemy's gunners. We left our camp standing, and I cast a lingering look on the tent that contained all my worldly belongings, which, alas ! I never saw again. The time went on, and the grape and musketry fell thick among us, not doing much harm, until at midday came the order to retreat, and it gradually dawned upon us that we were getting the worst of it. A rumour spread that the Nana Sahib had joined the enemy with 25,000 men, against which force we were powerless.

So we marched back through the deserted streets of Cawnpore, catching a glimpse here and there of some affrighted native scuttling away for bare life, and reached the entrenchments as night fell. A handful of biscuits and some rum and water were served out for supper, and we slept on the ground rolled up in our cloaks, each man at his post. I was restless from an intense feeling of dirt and discomfort. Never had I remained unwashed for so long a time ; but why think of washing, with barely enough water to drink ? In the early morning we were marched out by companies, and piled arms under some trees just beyond the glacis of the entrenchment. We were to have another hard day, it was said. Very soon came the command in a hoarse whisper, " Fall in ! Stand to your arms ! " And off we marched, to occupy and dispute the passage of the main roads leading to the entrenchment.

My regiment was stationed close by the bridge over a small stream, beyond which lay the church of Cawnpore — or, rather, its walls, for the church had been plundered and wrecked during the first defence under General Wheeler. Company after company defiled right and left along the bank, and we comprehended that the stream was to be our line of defence, and this bridge the key of the position. On the far side of the stream extended a wide sandy plain, with no cover but the church walls, and some mud huts, and clumps of trees at about 800 yards' distance, among which we could see figures moving. We were soon employed in making a barricade across the bridge-way by means of broken carts, with planks, railings, or whatever we could lay our hands on. I and some others were carrying the wheel of a cart to add to the obstruction, when whiz ! a round shot came into the midst of us, and we fell about like a heap of wooden soldiers.

I staggered to my feet again, much surprised at finding myself alive, and even more astonished that none of my comrades were hurt. We had been knocked over by the rushing wind of the shot, which must have passed right through the midst of us. Among the distant trees we could see the enemy's guns, which thenceforth kept up a steady fire on our position, and we watched the round shot as sometimes, after striking the ground, they came hopping towards us like lively cricket-balls. "Arrah! the playful little varmints ! they hops about like St. Patrick's pig in a thunderstorm," quoth an Irishman who was sitting close by under cover of a mud wall ; when crash came one of the "varmints" through the wall, knocking him head over heels, and breaking his fire-lock " all to smithereens," as he expressed it, but without doing him any further injury.

The fire grew hotter as the day wore on, and we on the bridge were ordered to lie down, while two Madras guns were brought up to return the fire, without much effect in checking that of our opponents. Towards four o'clock we began to get the worst of it, and being largely out-numbered, our small force was driven in on both flanks. The enemy now came pouring down, and occupied the church on our left, where they brought a gun to bear on the bridge at close quarters, loading with grape, pushing the gun out round the corner to fire, and drawing it back to reload under cover. From the church, from the houses, from every available cover, the fire concentrated on the bridge, whfle our men replied with spirit, although we had many casualties. Three of our subalterns were hit, one killed. The noise of the firing, the shouts and cries, were terrible.

The men, so long exposed to this terrific fire, began to waver. " They are surrounding us ! " came the cry. " Never mind, my boys ! " cried the Colonel. •' We 've got to keep this bridge, if we die for it ! " and he, standing up in the midst of the shower of bullets, lit a cheroot as quietly as if he had been at home. I admired that man, and he certainly gave us new courage. The hardest sort of fighting is to stand still and be shot at. One can fight or fire but to do nothing is a severe ordeal for nerve and courage. Our surgeon had established himself under cover of a mud wall hard by, and was tending the wounded as calmly as if he were in Netley Hospital. The Brigadier, General Carthew, was brought in to have his wound dressed, just as I was helping to carry one of our poor fellows who had been badly hit.