without reference to government, transmitted to the magistrate of Goruckpore. At the conclusion of the appointed time no steps whatsoever had been taken by the Nipalese toward a compliance with this requisition, nor did they manifest the smallest symptom of any such intention. Accordingly Mr. Martin (the Judge) advanced with a small force under Lieut.Colonel Richardson, and re-established the different thannahs; the Nipalese authorities, with what troops they had, retiring on his approach. For some time things went on in tranquillity; but when the troops had fallen back, to avoid the unhealthy season, which in that part of the country is particularly fatal to any race of men but the natives of the province itself, a Nipalese force descended from the hills; surprized the thannahs in the night-time-murdered and wounded a large proportion of the officers, the rest making their escape by flight. After all that had passed, an outrage of this sort might justly be considered as placing us at once in a state of actual war: but as no opposition had been made in the first instance to the establishment of the thannahs, it was considered just possible that the peaceable execution of that measure might have been owing to orders transmitted from Catmandoo, and that the subsequent attack was the unauthorized act of the local authorities on the frontiers; and the British government, anxious to avoid involving the country in hostilities to the last, made one more ap、 plication to the Rajah, to give him the option of disavowing this piece of violence, and of punishing the offenders-an application that proved as unavailing as the rest. It would be useless to add any comment to justify this war. It must be obvious to any person, that it was in the strictest sense of the words necessary and unavoidable, and that the forbearance of the British government was carried to the very uttermost extent to which it was right that it should go. The security of the inhabitants along the frontier had been destroyed our territories usurped our just demands, and our efforts at accommodation alike treated with contemptthe aggressions continued during the very progress of the discussions entered into by both states for the express purpose of investigating acts of the same unwarrantable violence-and finally, the British territory invaded by a military force, and the officers of the civil government murdered at their stations. If it is supposed in England, after all this, that it was was not indispensably necessary to have recourse to arms to protect our subjects, to preserve the integrity of our dominious, and to vindicate the dignity of the governmentthe ignorance which prevails as to Indian affairs, and the nature of our empire in this country, is much greater than I ever conceived. It is not necessary to detail to you the events of the war, as they are probably known to you through the medium of the newspapers. The plan of the operations originally projected was intended to bring it to a very speedy conclusion, and would doubtlessly have produced this result, had it been vigorously carried into exécution. The territory subject to Nipal consists of a mountainous tract of country, lying between Tibet and the valley of the Ganges, in breadth not exceeding one hundred miles, but in length stretching nearly along the whole extent of the northwest frontier of the British dominions. Below the hills they held possession of a portion of the plain of irregular width, distinguished by the name of the Nipal Turrye, but the period at which the acquisition was made is not ascertained. The general military character of the country is that of extreme difficulty. Immediately at the front of the hills the plain is covered with the Great Saul Forest, for an average width of ten or twelve miles; the masses of the mountains are immense, their sides steep, and covered with impenetrable jungle. The trenches in these ridges are generally water-courses, and rather chasms or gulfs than any thing that deserves the name of a valley. The roads are very insecure, and invariably pathways over mountains, or the beds of rivers, the usual means of transport throughout the country being by hill-porters. Notwithstanding this general description, spaces comparatively open and hollow, and elevated tracts of tolerably level land, are to be met with, but so completely detached as to contribute but little to facilitate intercourse. One of the largest and most fertile of these constitutes the valley of Nipal Prozee page 31.-Edit. per To the westward of Nipal, there supplies from the cultivated sp is a difficult tract, till the country again opens in the valley of Gorkah, the original possession of the present dynasty. Westward of this the country is again difficult, till it somewhat improves in the district of Kemaoon. Further to the westward lies the valley of the Dhoon,+ and the territory of Sue-na-Ghur; and further still, the more recent conquests, stretching to the village, in which Umar Sing, a chief of uncommon talents, commanded, and, indeed, exercised an authority almost independent. This description, slight as it is, will be sufficient to show you that it was impossible to combine the movements of a variety of columns from different points, with a view to concentration, and to force the enemy to a decisive battle for the fate of the country, and that a body of troops, acting in any one quarter, would become perfectly unmanageable if it exceeded a certain extent, from the nature of the roads, the scarcity of routes, such as they were, the total impracticability of maintaining any communication between the different columns into which it must have been divided, and the scanty supplies which could be drawn from a country so little susceptible of cultivation. At the same time the nature and form of his territory presented prodigious resources of defence to the enemy against any method of attack that should not aim at the immediate and simultaneous occupation of any point in which he could make a stand. It were to be apprehended, if the army succeded in forcing its way into the valley of Nipal, and in occupying the capital, that it would only transfer the war to the territory of Gorkah; that the dépôts would have to be transported to Catmandoo, for the prosecution of further operations, and that the whole of the mountains and impracticable regions by which these valleys are separated, would become the subject of serious and obstinate contention. The very same game might have been played afterward, with respect to the territory of Kemaoon, and to the westward, along the whole extent of their dominions-the enemy constantly falling back on fresh troops and fresh resources, drawing his An oval, about 15 miles long, and 10 broad. † See page 22.-Edit. disputing the difficult country by they were divided. It is perfectly obvious that the very same objections would apply to a plan of operations directed in the first instance against the body of troops serving under Umar Sing, on the banks of the Sutleje, with a view of penetrating eastward to the capital. An army entering the country between these points might possibly have succeded in occupying some portion of territory, but would have been perfectly nugatory as to the result of the war. It must speedily have turned either to the right or to the left, and to whichever side it its operations, it must have directed rear, aud its communications with the Company's provinces, completely exposed to the enemy's troops remaining in the other, and upon every one of those suppositions, it would have been impossible to bring the war to an end, without several campaigns, an evil which it was indispensable to avoid. These considerations determined the plan for the campaign, and it was proposed by a variety of operations undertaken at once, for the accomplishment indeed of separate objects, but these objects mutually facilitating each other, to wrest the country suddenly from them piecemeal. With this view, it was intended that the principal divisions of the army, under Major-General Marly, should move from Palna, on the capital, by the route of Etoude and Chusapanee, while a few, under Major-Gen. Sullivan Wood should penetrate into Gorkah by the route of Rootswild, and prevent the transfer of the war to the westward. The very same reasoning was applied in arranging the attack to be made on the troops serving in the western part of the enemy's dominions. A division under Colonel Ochterlony to advance from the Sutleje, was directed against the force under Umar Sing, and Major-General Gillespie, at the head of another, was to occupy the valley of the Dhoon and the territory of Suena-ghur, and cut off the conimunication with the capital and the resources to the eastward. As soon as these operations were sufficiently advanced, another column was to possess itself of Almorat and Kemaoon, and to open the routes between the different divisions. The chief circumstance to which the imperfect accomplishment of this plan is to be ascribed, was the total and unaccountable inactivity of the principal division during the whole season. In consequence of this, Major-General Sullivan Wood was left to carry on his operations, destitute of the assistance which its cooperation would have afforded as a diversion to the troops in his front. His feeble and unfortunate attempt totally failed in effecting any thing, and the influence which this part of the plan, directed against the heart of the enemy's country and the seat of the government, were expected to produce in weakening or paralyzing their efforts to the westward, altogether lost. At the same time, the early and unexpected fall of the gallant and lamented Major-General Gillespie, before the fort of Kalunga, and some unfortunate circumstances among the troops of that division, threw a damp over the operations in that quarter, and greatly retarded the progress of the service. In spite, however, of all those untoward events, the plan succeeded so perfectly in the only quarters where any efforts were made to carry it into effect, as fully to warrant the most confident expectation that it would have ensured the accomplishment of all its objects, had the divisions to the eastward been con'ducted with equal zeal and ability. Major-General Ochterlony, who had to contend with a country of great difficulty, band with an enemy, who, throughout the campaign, displayed a degree of energy, of genius, and of resource, unprecedented in a native leader, by a series of operations, combined with great adV dress, and executed with a vigour and prudence, which ensured success, graduSally forced him from post to post, and at Ylength cooped him up, and compelled him *to surrender in the almost inaccessible * fortress of Malown. This success put us oin possession of the more recent con quests of the Gorkahs between the Ganges hand the Sutleje, and produced the immedravdiate surrender of the fort of Jytuk, beefore which Major-General Martindel (who ing a force into Almorat and Kemaoon, with a view of placing the different divisions in communication, and completing the occupation of the country, had ac quired a greater degree of importance from the non-execution of the plan to the eastward, and had become a primary object of the campaign. A small force under Captain Hearny, had penetrated into this country, and was even rein forced and placed under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Nicolls, who conducted his operations with equal activity and ability. He detached one party after Husty Aule, the enemy's leader (who was retiring with a division of the army to occupy the strong parts of the country), under Major Paton, who defeated and killed him, and with the other he carried, himself, by assault, the city and fort of Almorat, and terminated his short and brilliant campaign and the war in that quarter, by a convention with the Gorkah chiefs, which relinquished to us the possession of all the country to the westward of the Gograh.* These successes will probably answer all the purposes which the war was intended to fulfil. It never was the intention to destroy either the existence or the independence of a state which is most usefully interposed between us and the dependencies of China; and they have lost at present at least as much territory as they are capable of sacrificing, consistently with the situation we wish them to occupy. The superiority of the British arms has been completely established, and perhaps a juster idea of the power and resources of a regular government conveyed to the natives by the actual progress of events, than they could have received from witnessing again an uninterrupted series of victory. They beheld with astonishment the steady progress of the war, in spite of difficulties and disasters, and the facility with which reverses were repaired, under which they themselves must have sunk. A man of con་་ siderable consequence said to me on one occasion," Of what use is it to fight with the English-beaten, or successful, they are always conquerors !" had been appointed to the command of Major-General Gillespie's division) had But, although the war has accomplishdo been long occupied, and with it the valleyed its political purposes, the merits of 1 of the Dhoon, and the territory of Sue- the original plan on which it was intendabna Ghurio si te monzinibs 24 *** In the mean time, the project of push See page 96,-Edit. Delivered to the Literary and Scientific Society at Java, on the 10th of September, 1815, 1, 19ów na atas, the air VARNOS BY THE HON. THOMAS STAMFORD RAFFLES, PRESIDENT. (Concluded from Page 356.) IT was my intention in this place to have attempted some sketch of the interesting and peculiar features of the Javanese character, with reference to those admirable institutions which distinguish the constitution of society among this people; but I have already trespassed too long on your kindness—and there are two subjects which have recently attracted my particular attention, and which, on account of their novelty, I am desirous of bringing to your notice. During my late tour through the Eastern Districts, I visited the Teng'gar mountains, on which it had been represented to me that some remains of the former worship of Java were still to be found, and accident threw me on the shores of Bali, while attempting to reach Banyuwangi. The simplicity of the people who inhabit the Teng'gar mountains, and the fact of such remains being still in existence in Java, is entitled to record; and I am aware that whatever information I may be able to communicate respecting Bali, however imperfect, will be accepted. TENG'GAR MOUNTAINS. known by the name of the Teng'gar mountains, we find the remnant of a people still following the Hindu worship, who merit attention not only on account of their being the depositaries of the last trace of that worship discovered at this day on Java, but as exhibiting a peculiar singularity and simplicity of character, 4 These people occupy about toforty villages, scattered along this range of hills in the neighbourhood of the Sandy Sea, and are partly under Pasuruan and partly under Probolingo. The scite of the villages, as well as the construction of the houses is peculiar, and differs entirely from what is elsewhere observed in Java. The houses are not shaded by trees, but built on spacious open terraces, rising one above the other, each house occupying a terrace, and being in length from thirty to seventy, and even eighty feet. The door is invariably in one corner, at the opposite end of the building to that in which the fire-place is built. The building appears to be first constructed with the ordinary roof, but along the front, is an enclosed veranda or gallery of about eight feet broad, with a less inclined To the eastward of Surabaia and on the range of hills connected with Gunung Da-piche in the roof, formed of bamboos, sar, and laying partly in the District of Pasuraun and partly in that of Probolingo, See page 234.-Edit. which are so placed as to slide out, either for the admission of air, or to afford a techannel for the smoke to escape, there being otherwise no aperture, except a small opening, of about a foot square, at one end of the building, above the fireplace, and which is built of brick, and so highly venerated, that it is considered sacrilege for any stranger to pollute it by the touch. Across the upper part of the building, rafters are run across, so as to form a kind of attic story, in which they deposit their valuables and instruments of husbandry. The head of the village takes the title of Petingi, as in the low lands, and he is generally assisted by a Kabayan; both elected by the people from their own village. There are four priests, who are here termed Dukuns, having charge of the sacred records. These Dukuns, who are in general intelligent men, have no tradition of the time when they were first established on these hills; from what country they came or who intrusted them with the sacred books to the faith contained in which they still adhere. These latter, they state, were handed down to them by their fathers, their office being hereditary, and the sole duty required of them being to perform the puja according thereto, aud again to hand them down in safety to their children. They consist of three compositions written on the Lontarleaf, describing the origin of the world, the attributes of the Deity, and the forms of worship to be observed on different occasions. Copies were taken on the spot; and as the language does not essentially differ from the ordinary Javanese, I hope at an early period to place the Society in possession of translations. In the mean time some notices of their customs, and of the ceremonies performed at births, marriages, and funerals, may be interesting. 郾 When a woman is delivered of her first child, the Dukun takes a leaf of the Alang Alang grass, and scraping the skin of the hands of the child and of the mother with it, as well as the ground, pronounces a short benediction. When a marriage is agreed upon, the bride and bridegroom being brought before the Dukun within the house, in the first place, bow with respect towards the south then to the fire-place-then to the earth, and lastly, on looking up to the upper story of the house, where the implements of husbandry are placed, perform the same ceremony. The parties then submissively bowing to the Dukun," he repeats a prayer commencing with the words, "Hong! Gendogo Bromo ang gas siwong'go nomo siwoho sany yang g'ni siro kang, &c."* while the bride washes the feet of the bridegroom. This cere-» mony over, the friends and family of the parties make presents to each of creeses, buffaloes, implements of husbandry, &c. in return for which the bride and bridegroom respectfully present them with betel-leaf. At the marriage feast which ensues, the Dukun repeats two puja, which will be found in the collection. The marriage is not consummated till the fifth day after the above ceremony-which delay is termed by the undang mantu. A similar delay is, in some cases, still observed by the Javanese in other parts of the island, under the term undoh mantu. On the death of an inhabitant of Teng'gar, the corpse is lowered into the grave, the head been placed to the south (contrary to the direction observed by the Mahometans), and bamboos and planks are placed over, so as to prevent the earth from touching it. When the grave is closed, two posts are planted over the body, one perpendicular from the breast, the other from the lower part of the belly. Between these two a hollowed bamboo is inserted in the ground, into which, during seven successive days, they daily pour a vessel of pure water, placing beside the bamboo, two dishes also daily replenished with eatables. At the expiration of the seventh day, the feast of the dead is announced, and the relations and friends of the deceased assemble to be present at the ceremony and partake of the entertainment, which is conducted as follows. An image of leaves, ornamented with variegated flowers, made to represent the human form, and of about a cubit high, is prepared and placed in a conspicuous place, and supported round the body by the clothes of the deceased. The Dukun then places in front of the garland an incense-pot, with burning ashes, and a *These prayers will be found at length in the Transactions of the Society-the word Hong, used by the Javanese at the commencement. of their invocations to the Deity, is doubtlessly the mystical Om of the Hindus. |