six magnificent silver candlesticks, which, at the time of my visit, had just arrived from France, where they had been made to order. The Begum herself lies under a splendid tomb of marble, standing in one of the aisles, and enclosed by an iron palisading. An Italian priest is attached to the church; and a clerk, who acts as Latin master to a school in connection with it. Priest, clerk, and school are alike supported by a fund left by the Begum for that purpose.

Dyce Sombre's estate lies near the church. It is a large one. A little "oil of palm " induced the old man in charge to admit me to an inspection of the dwelling-house. This is very spacious, handsomely though scantily furnished, and decorated with a number of excellent paintings, among which are several of Dyce himself, which he has sent out from Italy, where he had them executed. The museum of the late general of the Begum's troops was also shown me : a pretty collection.

After having walked through several suites of apartments, I left the estate, and strolled through the town of Sardanah. Here, however, I saw nothing particularly noticeable, except one or two old natives* with rosaries and crosses round their necks, indicating their profession of the Roman Catholic faith. There were also some native boys, to whom I heard wicked eyes, and the remains of beauty in her features. She is possessed of considerable talent, and readiness in conversation, but only speaks Hindostanee. Her soldiers and people, and the generality of the inhabitants of this neighbourhood, pay her much respect on account both of her supposed wisdom and her courage; she having during the Mahratta wars led, after her husband's death, his regiment very gallantly into action, herself riding at their head into a heavy fire of the enemy. She is, however, a sad tyranness, and, having the power of life and death within her own little territory, several stories are told of her cruelty, and the noses and ears which she orders to be cut off. One relation of this kind according to native reports, on which reliance, however, can rarely be placed, is very horrid. One of her dancing girls had offended her, how I have not heard. The Begum ordered the poor creature to be immured alive in a small vault prepared for the purpose, under the pavement of the saloon where the nâtch was then celebrating, and, being aware that her fate excited much sympathy and horror in the minds of the servants and soldiers of her palace, and apprehensive that they would open the tomb and rescue the victim as soon as her back was turned, she saw the vault bricked up before her own eyes, then ordered her bed to be placed directly over it, and lay there for several nights, till the last faint moans had ceased to be heard, and she was convinced that hunger and despair had done their work."

* Sleeman mentions the remarkable fact that "a good many of the Europeans that lie buried in the Sirdhana cemetery had lived above a hundred years."

the schoolmaster teaching Latin. I remember nothing more of Sardanah, save that I found it an awkward matter to get back thence to Meerut, as it was about twenty miles distant, and evening had set in before I set out, and there was not a glimpse of light in the heavens, and the road was dirty and rough. However, I arrived safely at my quarters.

A visitor to Meerut, going with a companion to call on a family in an outlying district, tells us of a strange encounter with monkeys. He says: "We overtook a tribe of large monkeys. I should say there were as many as four hundred; and each carried a stick of uniform length and shape. They moved along in ranks or companies, just, in short, as though they were imitating a wing of a regiment of infantry. At the head of this tribe was an old and very powerful monkey, who was, no doubt, the chief. It was a very odd sight, and I became greatly interested in the movements of the creatures. There could be no question that they had either some business or some pleasure on hand; and the fact of each carrying a stick led us to conclude that it was the former upon which they were bent. Their destination was, like ours, evidently Deobund, where there are some hundreds of monkeys fed by a number of Brahmins, who live near a Hindoo temple there, and perform religious ceremonies. This monkey regiment would not get out of the road on our account, nor disturb themselves in any way; and my friend was afraid to drive through their ranks or over any of them, for when assailed they are most ferocious brutes, and armed as they were, and in such numbers, they could have annihilated us with the greatest ease. There was no help for us, therefore, but to let the mare proceed at a walk in the rear of the tribe, the members of which, now that we were nearing Deobund, began to chatter frightfully. Just before we came to the bungalow, they left the road, and took the direction of the temple." The travellers learned from one of the servants of their host that "about every five years that tribe comes up the country to pay a visit to this place; and another tribe comes about the same time from the up-country--the hills. They meet in a jungle behind the old Hindoo temple, and there embrace each other as though they were human beings

and old friends who had been parted for a length of time. I have seen in that jungle as many as four or five thousand. The Brahmins say that one large tribe comes all the way from Ajmere, and another from the southern side of the country, and from Nepaul and Tirhoot. There were hundreds of monkeys here this morning, but now I do not see one. I suppose they have gone to welcome their friends." And so it proved, for the travellers went to see them. "There could not have been fewer than eight thousand, and some of them of enormous size. I could scarcely have believed that there were so many monkeys in the world, if I had not visited Benares, and heard of the tribes at Gibraltar. Their sticks, which were thrown together in a heap, formed a very large stack of wood. What is this?' my friend said to one of the Brahmins. 'It is a festival of theirs, sahib,' was the reply. Just as Hindoos, at stated times, go to Hurdwar, Hagipore, and other places, so do these monkeys come to this holy place.' 'And how long do they stay?' 'Two or three days; then they go away to their homes in different parts of the country; then, attend to their business for four or five years; then, come again, and do festival; and so on, sir, to the end of all time. You see that very tall monkey there, with the smaller ones on either side of him?' 'Yes.' 'Well, sir, that is a very old monkey. His age is more than twenty years, I think. I first saw him fifteen years ago. He was then full grown. His native place is Meerut. He lives with the Brahmins at the Soorj Khan, near Meerut. The smaller ones are his sons, sir. They have never been here before; and you see he is showing them all about the place, like a very good father.""

A

CHAPTER XIII.

THE RIDE TO AGRA.

THE CITY OF AKBAR AND THE TAJ.

ND now, having received an offer of an appointment on the clerical staff of the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces at Agra, I was allowed to anticipate the arrival of my discharge from the Army, and to proceed to that city. Resolving to make it an equestrian journey, I bought myself a horse, and, taking leave of all my old comrades, and bidding farewell to all other friends, on May 14th set out on the road. My heart was filled with joy and with pleasurable anticipation.

I rode that day to Haupper, a distance of twenty-five miles. Soon after my arrival I found my horse lame, and was obliged to seek a veterinary surgeon. Happily one of the Government Studs was at Haupper, and on my consulting the Officer in charge he most kindly undertook the care of my steed, invited me to his house, and insisted on my remaining with him till the animal had recovered. I was glad under the circumstances to accept his generous hospitality.

My friend introduced me to his brother Officers, and I was for some days, I suppose, quite the lion of that little community. And now, as I had nothing else to do, I fell in love! Yes, strange to say, Cupid, who had hitherto spared me, now levelled his arrows at my heart. A young lady, the daughter of a gentleman of Haupper, was my captor. Within a few days I addressed her in

SONG

Maiden, I'll love thee
For ever and ever,
Never forsake thee,
Never, oh, never!

Not e'en though misfortune and sorrow be mine;
For how, blest with thee, can I ever repine?
Nor yet though soft pleasures should tempt me away,
For what, without thee and thy smile, were they?
Never, oh, never

Will I resign thee,
If thou, sweet maiden,
Only wilt mine be !

Come, let me teach thee

While we are roying,

Maid, I beseech thee,
How I am loving!

Not with an infant and feeble affection,
Nor with a love that age fills with dejection;
But with a spirit whose vigour doth cherish
In hope an affection which never can perish!
Nought under heaven

Esteem I above thee;
Thus, pretty maiden,

Thus, do I love thee!

Sweetly respond, then,
Fondest and dearest,

'Tis the soul's language,

Love, which thou hearest !

To me give that heart which is ever revealing
A tenderness vain to seek longer concealing;

Let thy fancy no longer continue a rover,

But come and find rest in the arms of thy lover;

Then, lovely maiden,

My rapturous kisses
Fully shall tell thee

In loving what bliss is!

I was presently told, however, that the consideration of my suit must be, for a while at least, deferred.

And so, as my

horse was now well, I sorrowfully took my leave.

On May 20th I bade adieu to Haupper. Intending to make up for lost time, I had resolved on riding that day to Allyghur (sixty miles); and to accomplish this had borrowed two horses of my host, hired a couple of native ponies, and sent on my own horse to the station nearest Allyghur, directing that the others, save one, should be also taken in advance, and placed at regular distances along the road, so that on my arrival at each stage I might find a relief awaiting me. The first thirty miles I accomplished on my friend's two