190

BOGLIPOOR-PUHARREE SCHOOL.

The men escaped by swimming to the boat, but one of my servants called out to them," Aha! Dandee folk, take care! you are now in Hindostan! the people of this country know well how to fight, and are not afraid!"

The peasants here all walk with sticks as tall as themselves, and wear black, rough-looking blankets, thrown over their heads and shoulders. They are, I think, a more manly-looking race than the Bengalees, or at least the length and thickness of their beards, and their dark Circassian mantles, give them that appear

ance.

There are, I think, more buffaloes in proportion seen in Bahar than Bengal; but the number of cattle of all kinds is certainly greater.

Our day's course had hitherto lain through jeels and nullahs, and we had some little difficulties and delays in getting back to the Ganges, and afterwards from the Ganges to the branch on which Boglipoor stands. We could not reach this place, but stopped short of it at a rather pretty village, named Tingypoor, with some green, English-looking meadows, hedges of cactus, and tall, round-topped trees.

August 10.-I arrived at Boglipoor, or Bhaugulpoor, about seven o'clock in the morning, and found, to my great joy, my friends the Corries still there, established very comfortably in the circuit house (a bungalow provided in each of the minor stations for the district judges when on their circuit), which had been lent them by the judge and magistrate Mr. Chalmers. I breakfasted with them, and went afterwards with Mr. Chalmers to see the objects principally worth notice, the gaol, a very neat and creditable building, with no less than six wards for the classification of the prisoners, Mr. Cleveland's house and monument, and a school established for the Puharrees by Lord Hastings. Mr. Cleveland's monument is in the form of a Hindoo mut, in a pretty situation on a green hill. The land with which it was endowed, is rented by Government, and the cutcherry, magistrate's house, circuit house, &c. are built on it, the rent being duly appropriated to the repair of the building. As being raised to the memory of a Christian, this last is called by the natives "Grige," (Church,) and they still meet once a year in considerable numbers, and have a handsome "Poojah," or religious spectacle in honour of his memory.

The school is adjoining to the lines, and occupies a large and neat bungalow, one room in which is the lodging of the schoolmaster, a very handsome and intelligent half-caste youth; the other, with a large verandah all round, was, when I saw it, filled with Puharree sepoys and their sons, who are all taught to read, write, and cypher in the Kythee character, which is that used by

the lower classes in this district for their common intercourse, accounts, &c. and differs from the Devanagree about as much as the written character of western Europe does from its printed. The reason alleged for giving this character the preference is its utility in common life, but this does not seem a good reason for teaching it only, or even for beginning with it. No increase of knowledge, or enlargement of mind, beyond the power of keeping their accounts and writing a shop-bill, can be expected from it, inasmuch as there is no book whatever printed in it, except Mr. Rowe's spelling-book, and no single Hindoo work of any value or antiquity written in it. I urged this to the schoolmaster, who said that by and by, when they had made some progress in the Kythee, he might teach them the Nagree, but they might, I am convinced, easily learn both together, or if one at a time, then the printed character, as simpler, is to be preferred. In the Kythee I heard several, both men and boys, read fluently, and I could understand their Hindoostanee very well. They are described as quick and intelligent, fond of learning, and valuing themselves on their acquirements. This school was originally set on foot by Mr. Cleveland, but till Lord Hastings' visit had been shamefully neglected by his successors in office. It was revived by Lord Hastings, and is now very carefully and judiciously attended to by the adjutant, Captain Graham, an intelligent Scots officer, on whom the whole management of the corps has for the last five years devolved, the commanding officer, Captain Montgomerie, being in the last stage of a decline. The corps consisted originally of 1300 men, who for many years were armed with their country weapons, the bow and arrow. And it is an instance of Cleveland's sound judgment and discrimination, that he named for their first native commandant, in opposition to the remonstrances and entreaties of all the Zemindars of the place, a chief named Jowrah, who was the Rob Roy, or perhaps, more strictly speaking, the Roderic Dhu of the Rajmahâls, the most popular of all others among his own countrymen, and the most dreaded by the lowlanders. The choice was fully justified by the event, Jowrah having remained through life a bold, active, and faithful servant of the Company in different enterprises against outlaws, both in the Ramghur hills and his own mountains. After some years the men were armed with muskets instead of bows, and are now in all respects on the same footing with other native regiments, and equally available for general service. It had become a mere rabble, addicted to all sorts of vice and disorder, till Lord Hastings placed them on their present footing. In the first instance, he proposed to arm two companies with rifles, but the men disliked the service exceedingly, having a great objection to wear green; they now therefore are fusileers,

192

HILL CHIEFS.

but trained to light infantry manoeuvres, in which they are said to excel. Their numbers, however, are reduced from 1300 to 700, of whom 200 are not genuine mountaineers, but Hindoos from the plain, a mixture which is not found advantageous to the former, and which must, from their superstitions, materially impede the efficiency of the unfettered and unprejudiced Puharree; these last are said to be admirably adapted for soldiers, and to be very fond of the profession. Having no caste, and eating any food indiscriminately, they would be available for foreign service at a shorter notice than any Hindoo could be; accustomed to mountains and jungles, they would be extremely valuable on the eastern and northern frontier, as well as on the Nerbuddah and in Berar, and in the possible event of any general insurrection in India, it might be of great political importance to have a force of native troops who prefer (as these do) the English to the Hindoos, and whose native country occupies a strong and central place in the British territory,-a sort of little Tyrol.

At the school I met the present native commandant, one of Mr. Cleveland's surviving pupils, an old man, much reverenced by his countrymen, and who passes a great deal of his time there, being extremely proud of his people, and interested in their improvement. He has also the character of a smart and intelligent soldier. His influence has been very valuable in getting the school together again, much pains having been taken by a Portuguese or two in the neighbourhood to persuade the Puharrees from attending, or sending their children. Even now, though many of the younger children of the mountain-chiefs are sent, the eldest sons are kept away, owing to a notion circulated among them by these people, that they would forfeit the reversion of their pensions by receiving any benefit from the Company of another kind. This is an utter mistake, which Mr. Chalmers hopes to rectify, but it has already done some harm. Captain Graham is very popular among them, and by all which I hear, most deservedly so, and when once or twice he has talked of leaving them for some other regiment, they have expressed exceeding distress and concern. Those whom I saw were middle sized, or rather little men, but extremely well made, with remarkably broad chests, long arms, and clean legs. They are fairer, I think, than the Bengalees, have broad faces, small eyes, and flattish, or rather turned up noses; but the Chinese or Malay character of their features, from whom they are said to be descended, is lost in a great degree on close inspection. I confess they reminded me of the Welch; the expression of their countenances is decidedly cheerful and intelligent, and I thought two or three of their women whom I saw, really pretty, with a sort of sturdy smartness about them which I have not seen in their

lowland neighbours. These tribes have a regular administration of justice among themselves, by the ancient Hindoo institution of a "Punchaet," or jury of five old men in every village, and as I mentioned before, they remain free from all taxes, and are under the government of their own chiefs, but in all other respects they were great sufferers by Mr. Cleveland's death; all his plans for teaching them the simple manufactures, as well as for furnishing them with seeds and implements of husbandry, fell with him. Even the school was dropped. The pensions which had been promised to the Hill Chiefs in consideration of their maintaining peace and the authority of the Company in their districts, though regularly paid by the Supreme Government, never reached their destination, being embezzled on various pretences. And the old encroachments of the Zemindars on their frontiers were allowed to be renewed with impunity. The only man who, during this interval, appears to have done his duty towards these people, was Lieutenant (afterwards Colonel) Shaw, who was appointed to the command of the Rangers in 1787, and whose memory is still highly respected by them. He published an account (which I have not seen) of their customs, in an early volume of the Asiatic Researches.

Lord and Lady Hastings went on a short excursion into the hills in their return from the upper country, and were greatly interested by them and their highlands. Lord Hastings promised their chiefs to send a good stock of the most useful tools of husbandry (they have at present no implements of this kind but sharpened stakes) and a quantity of seed potatoes. He did not forget the promise, and Captain Graham heard him give orders for its performance after his return to Calcutta. But a sovereign can seldom do all the good he desires; nothing in fact was done, and the chiefs have since more than once complained that they were forgotten. They are, however, better off now than at any time since the death of Cleveland, for Mr. Chalmers, who is an active and honourable man, has seen justice done to them in the payment of their little stipends, which had frequently been embezzled on various pretences by the native agents; and Government are making a fresh survey of the debateable land, with a view to an equitable arrangement of the claims both of the Puharrees and the Zemindars, by which it is said the former will be great gainers. Mr. Chalmers, and Captain Graham, with Colonel Franklin, well known as an excellent Oriental scholar and antiquarian, who is inspecting field-officer of this district, think very favourably of the Puharrees. Notwithstanding their poverty, their living chiefly by the chace and always going armed, the general conduct both of chiefs and people has been orderly and loyal ever since their fathers swore allegiance. They are VOL. I.-25

hospitable according to their small means, and have no sort of objection to eat with or after Europeans. They are a little too fond of spirits, a taste which Cleveland unfortunately encouraged, by sending them presents of the kind, and allowing them to drink when at his house. Though accustomed to make predatory inroads on their lowland and hereditary enemies, among themselves they have always been honest; and what is an immense distinction indeed between them and the Hindoos, they hate and despise a lie more than most nations in the world. The soldiers who have committed any fault, own it readily, and either ask pardon or submit to their punishment in silence; in the Cutcherry, the evidence of a Puharree is always trusted more than that of half a dozen Hindoos, and there is hardly any instance on record of a chief violating his word. Though dirty in their persons in comparison with the Hindoos, they are very clean in their cottages, and their villages are kept free from the vile smells which meet us in those of Bengal. The men dislike hard work, and are chiefly occupied in hunting, but the women are very industrious in cultivating the little patches of garden round their villages. They are also generally chaste, and it no doubt contributes to keep them so, that the premature and forced marriages of the Hindoos are unknown; that their unions take place at a suitable age, and that the lad has generally to wait on the lass during a pretty long courtship. They make very good and faithful household servants, but are not fond of the way of life, and do not agree well with their Hindoo fellow domestics. Both men and women are intelligent and lively, but rather passionate, and they differ from most of the Hindoos, in being fond of music, and having a good ear. Captain Graham has instructed some of their boys as fifers, and found them apt scholars. They are fond of pedigree and old stories, and their chiefs pique themselves on their families. No clanship, or feudal subjection, however, appears to exist. If a man is dissatisfied with the head of his village, there is nothing to prevent his removal to another. In short, Emily, they are Welch, and one of these days I will take you into their hills, to claim kindred with them!

Mr. Corrie has obtained a little vocabulary of their language, which, certainly, differs very remarkably from the Hindoostanee, and I am told from the Bengalee. The old commandant, who has been on service towards the Berar frontier, says he could converse perfectly with the Bheels and Gooand tribes, so that they are apparently different branches of the same great family which pervades all the mountainous centre of India, the "Gaels" of the east, who have probably, at some remote period, been driven from all but these wildernesses, by the tribes professing the brahminical faith.