Christians too, but could not face expulsion from the regiment.1 Hence the Bishop's reference to Mr. Fisher's high character in his letter to the Governor-General. Up to Lord Canning's time,2 in 1860, there was no change in the public attitude of political fear, leading to intolerance to Christianity, on the part of the Government of India. Bishop Heber's satisfaction with Mr. Fisher's zeal and success is best reflected in his Journal :— "18th December 1824. "This morning I proceeded to Meerut, and was met at a little distance from the town by Mr. Fisher, the chaplain (whom I had once, many years ago, heard preach at Knaresborough), and two of his sons, one a chaplain on the Company's establishment, the other a lieutenant in the same service, and some officers of the troops in garrison." "19th December. "The church was consecrated this day with the usual forms. The congregation was very numerous and attentive, the singing considerably better than at Calcutta, and the appearance of everything highly honourable both to the chaplain and military officers of this important station. I had the gratification of hearing my own hymns, Brightest and best,' and that for St. Stephen's day, sung better than I ever heard them in a church before. It is a remarkable thing that one of the earliest, the largest, and handsomest churches in India, as well as one of the best organs, should be found in so remote a situation, and in sight of the Himalaya Mountains. The evening service was very well attended; and this is the more creditable, inasmuch, as I have elsewhere observed, all who then come are volunteers, whereas attendance in the morning is a part of military parade." "22nd December. "I went with Mr. Fisher to a small congregation of native Christians, to whom, not being able to give them a service on Sunday, he reads prayers and preaches on this day. About twenty people were present; one, the 'naik,' or corporal, whom, in consequence of his embracing Christianity, Government very absurdly, not to say wickedly, disgraced by removing him from his regi 1 Reminiscences of Seventy Years' Life, Travel, and Adventure, London (Elliot Stock), 1893. 2 See Conversion of India, p. 117. ment, though they still allow him his pay. He is a tall, stout, plain-looking man, with every appearance of a respectable and well-behaved soldier. Another was Anund Musseeh, a convert of Mr. Corrie's, who has a good deal distinguished himself as a catechist at Delhi, and on whom Mr. Fisher wants me to confer ordination. He is a tall, coarse-looking man, without much intellect in his countenance, but is said to be very eloquent and well-informed, so far as a knowledge of Hindostani and Persian enables him. I had, afterwards, repeated conversations with him, and was pleased by his unassuming and plain manner." "23rd December. “This morning I breakfasted with General Reynell. In the evening Mr. Fisher read prayers and preached to a tolerably numerous congregation, it being his custom to have service of this kind every Wednesday and Friday." "24th December. "This day I confirmed about two hundred and fifty people, young and old, of whom between forty and fifty were natives converted to Christianity by Mr. Fisher. Surely all this is what we could hardly expect in so remote a part of India, and where no Englishman had set his foot till the conquests made by Lord Lake and Sir Arthur Wellesley." "25th December. "Christmas Day. A very large congregation, and above two hundred communicants." "26th December. "I preached, and after evening service confirmed twelve persons who had not been able to attend on the Friday." "27th December. "I received a present of fruit from the Begum Sumroo, together with a civil message, expressing a hope to see me at Sirdhana, to which I returned an answer in an English letter. Though she herself does not understand the language, she has many people about her who do, particularly Colonel Bryce, who acts as a sort of Resident at her court." "28th December. "I set off from Meerut. Here I mounted Nedjeed-did I ever tell you the name of my little Arab horse before?—and pursued my journey, escorted by five of Colonel Skinner's irregular cavalry, the most showy and picturesque cavaliers I have seen since I was in the south of Russia. . . . Colonel Alexander Skinner is a good and modest, as well as a brave man. He had just devoted 20,000 sicca rupees to build a church at Delhi.” At Delhi the reception of the Bishop by the titular Emperor was notable. In a letter to Lord Amherst, Heber described him as "The poor old prince, whose name was, in the time of our boyhood, associated as 'Great Mogul,' with every possible idea of wealth and grandeur. The palace, though dismally dirty and ruinous, is still very fine, and its owner is himself a fine and interesting ruin. His manner, and, I understand, his general character, is one of extremely courteous acquiescence and resignation, and in essential points he has unquestionably good reason to think himself fortunate in the hands into which he has fallen." This was the fallen Emperor Akbar Shah, the immediate successor of Shah Alum, whom Lord Lake had delivered from his thraldom to the Marathas, and who died in 1806. From that year to 1837 Akbar Shah reigned only in the palace, receiving a lakh of rupees a month, besides what the Marathas had left to his father. Akbar's eldest son, whom also Heber saw on this occasion, became the Emperor Bahadur Shah, who allowed himself to be put at the head of the rebel movement in 1857, caused the murder of Christians, and was removed to Rangoon, where he died in 1862. The Journal describes the reception in detail: "The 31st December was fixed for my presentation to the emperor, which was appointed for half-past eight in the morning. Lushington and a Captain Wade also chose to take the same opportunity. At eight I went, accompanied by Mr. Elliott, with nearly the same formalities as at Lucknow, except that we were on elephants instead of in palanquins, and that the procession was, perhaps, less splendid, and the beggars both less numerous and far less vociferous and importunate. We were received with pre sented arms by the troops of the palace drawn up within the barbican, and proceeded, still on our elephants, through the noblest gateway and vestibule which I ever saw. It consists, not merely of a splendid Gothic arch in the centre of the great gate tower, but, after that, of a long vaulted aisle, like that of a Gothic cathedral, with a small open octagonal court in its centre, all of granite, and all finely carved with inscriptions from the Koran, and with flowers. This ended in a ruinous and exceedingly dirty stable-yard! where we were received by Captain Grant, as the Mogul's officer on guard, and by a number of elderly men with large gold-headed canes, the usual ensign of office here, and one of which Mr. Elliott also carried. We were now told to dismount and proceed on foot, a task which the late rain made inconvenient to my gown and cassock and thin shoes, and during which we were pestered by a fresh swarm of miserable beggars, the wives and children of the stable servants. After this we passed another richly-carved, but ruinous and dirty, gateway, where our guides, withdrawing a canvas screen, called out, in a sort of harsh chant, 'Lo, the ornament of the world! Lo, the asylum of the nations! King of Kings! The Emperor Akbar Shah! Just, fortunate, victorious!' We saw, in fact, a very handsome and striking court, about as big as that at All Souls, with low, but richly-ornamented buildings. Opposite to us was a beautiful open pavilion of white marble, richly carved, flanked by rose bushes and fountains, and some tapestry and striped curtains hanging in festoons about it, within which was a crowd of people, and the poor old descendant of Tamerlane seated in the midst of them. "Mr. Elliott here bowed three times very low, in which we followed his example. This ceremony was repeated twice as we advanced up the steps of the pavilion, the heralds each time repeating the same expressions about their master's greatness. We then stood in a row on the right-hand side of the throne, which is a sort of marble bedstead richly ornamented with gilding, and raised on two or three steps. Mr. Elliott then stepped forwards, and, with joined hands in the usual Eastern way, announced, in a low voice, to the emperor who I was. I then advanced, bowed three times again, and offered a nuzzur of fiftyone gold mohurs in an embroidered purse, laid on my handkerchief, in the way practised by the Baboos in Calcutta. This was received and laid on one side, and I remained standing for a few minutes, while the usual court questions about my health, my travels, when I left Calcutta, etc., were asked. I had thus an opportunity of seeing the old gentleman more plainly. He has a pale, thin, but handsome face, with an aquiline nose, and a long white beard. His complexion is little, if at all darker than that of a European. His hands are very fair and delicate, and he had some valuable-looking rings on them. His hands and face were all I saw of him, for the morning being cold, he was so wrapped up in shawls that he reminded me extremely of the Druid's head on a Welsh halfpenny. I then stepped back to my former place, and returned again with five more mohurs to make my offering to the heir-apparent, who stood at his father's left hand, the right being occupied by the Resident. Next, my two companions were introduced with nearly the same forms, except that their offerings were less, and that the emperor did not speak to them. "The emperor then beckoned to me to come forwards, and Mr. Elliott told me to take off my hat, which had till now remained on my head, on which the emperor tied a flimsy turban of brocade round my head with his own hands, for which, however, I paid four gold mohurs more. We were then directed to retire to receive the khelats (honorary dresses) which the bounty of the Asylum of the World' had provided for us. I was accordingly taken into a small private room, adjoining the zanana, where I found a handsome flowered caftan edged with fur, and a pair of commonlooking shawls, which my servants, who had the delight of witnessing all this fine show, put on instead of my gown, my cassock remaining as before. In this strange dress I had to walk back again, having my name announced by the criers (something in the same way that Lord Marmion's was) as 'Bahadur, Boozoony, Dowlut-mund,' etc., to the presence, where I found my two companions, who had not been honoured by a private dressing-room, but had their khelâts put on them in the gateway of the court. They were, I apprehend, still queerer figures than I was, having their hats wrapped with scarfs of flowered gauze, and a strange garment of gauze, tinsel, and faded ribands flung over their shoulders above their coats. I now again came forward and offered my third present to the emperor, being a copy of the Arabic Bible and the Hindostani Common Prayer, handsomely bound in blue velvet laced with gold, and wrapped up in a piece of brocade. He then motioned to me to stoop, and put a string of pearls round my neck, and two glittering but not costly ornaments in the front of my turban, for which I again offered five gold mohurs. It was, lastly, announced that a horse was waiting for my acceptance, at which fresh instance of imperial munificence the heralds again made a proclamation of largesse, and I again paid five gold mohurs. It ended by my taking my leave with three times three salaams, making up, I think, the sum of about threescore, and I retired with Mr. Elliott to my dressing-room, whence I sent to her Majesty the Queen, as she is generally called, |