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Reviews Of New Books
filled the double post of governor-general and commander-in-chief with the salary of one office only- ~ fbund British India in a very imsatisfactbry position . The number of troops at his disposal was very small , the treasury was nearly empty , and , most important of all , the relations with the native princes were on a very insecure basis . From the entries made at this time in hi s diary , it is quite clear that he was fully sensible of the difficulty of his situation , and that he anticipated that war inwhichhe wassosoon tobe involved . The incursions of the Pindarries—an association of tribes of various
countries and different religious principles , conducted by chieftains who had played no inconsiderable part in the Mafyratta wars—which had hitherto been unchecked , became of such an alarming extent that the governorgeneral , almost in self-defence , and in order to prevent these invasions , * which" he states , in a despatch sent at the time to his country , had for two years ravaged the Madras dependencies with circumstances of
unexampled horror , " was obliged to draw the sword , and commence hostilities Scindiah and other Mahratta chiefs , ever ready to strike a blow at the British power , which they had always regarded with jealousy and dread , conceiving this to be a favourable moment for revolt , joined the banditti , and determined to make a bold stand . When , however ., the English troops reached the vicinity of his capital , Scindiah ' s courage failed , and he retired
from the city with his artillery . He was pursued and defeated , and after having several times narrowly escaped with his life , he surrendered himself to Sir John Malcolm ; and eventually , in consideration of a handsome pension , renounced all claim whatever to the government of the district of Pooiiah . The Pindarries were also worsted in many actions , and their bands of cavalry , as expert in the use of the lance and management of the horse as the Parthians of old , nearly annihilated . The remnants of these bands
the humane policy of the Governor-General removed to the plains of Goruckpoor and Bopal , where they quietly settled down and relinquished their predatory habits . The Marquis of Hastings makes but slight mention of these achievements , which redound so much to his fame , but rather fills the pages of his diary with observations on the manners and customs of the natives , and descriptions of the country through which he passed . From amongst these descriptions we eagerly seek out any which refer to
those places , to which our attention has been lately so painfully directed . We find him at Agra gazing , with wonder and admiration , at the lofty walls and huge blocks of stone of the fort or rather castle there , the excellent construction of which , he observes , extorts one ' s acknowledgment of much scope of mind in both the plan and execution ; " but of ¦ its merits as a fortification he appears to have had no opinion . Futtehghur he describes as situated in the centre of a fertile plain , and surrounded on all
aides with rich crops of golden corn , and dark groves of mango trees . At Cawnpore he stopped three days , and paid a visit to the nawab of Fnrracabad . He also passes through Benares , and halts for a day or so , at Delhi ; but the entries under these heads seem unusually meagre , and bare . It is much to he regretted that this diary was not carefully edited , and that notes , which would have rendered its fragmentary notices moxe
intelligible and useful , were riot appended ; but even in its present form , it is very interesting , and those who open its volumes will not be disappointed . The book abounds with descriptions of the animal and vegetable productions of the East , of the strange ceremonies of that strange sect , the Brahmins , and will impart a vivid idea of the manners aud customs of the Hindoo race , but it goes no further . To the political aspect of India , at the commencement of " the nineteenth century , it gives us little clve , and to the causes of the present rebellion , none whatever . In conclusion we may
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Reviews Of New Books
filled the double post of governor-general and commander-in-chief with the salary of one office only- ~ fbund British India in a very imsatisfactbry position . The number of troops at his disposal was very small , the treasury was nearly empty , and , most important of all , the relations with the native princes were on a very insecure basis . From the entries made at this time in hi s diary , it is quite clear that he was fully sensible of the difficulty of his situation , and that he anticipated that war inwhichhe wassosoon tobe involved . The incursions of the Pindarries—an association of tribes of various
countries and different religious principles , conducted by chieftains who had played no inconsiderable part in the Mafyratta wars—which had hitherto been unchecked , became of such an alarming extent that the governorgeneral , almost in self-defence , and in order to prevent these invasions , * which" he states , in a despatch sent at the time to his country , had for two years ravaged the Madras dependencies with circumstances of
unexampled horror , " was obliged to draw the sword , and commence hostilities Scindiah and other Mahratta chiefs , ever ready to strike a blow at the British power , which they had always regarded with jealousy and dread , conceiving this to be a favourable moment for revolt , joined the banditti , and determined to make a bold stand . When , however ., the English troops reached the vicinity of his capital , Scindiah ' s courage failed , and he retired
from the city with his artillery . He was pursued and defeated , and after having several times narrowly escaped with his life , he surrendered himself to Sir John Malcolm ; and eventually , in consideration of a handsome pension , renounced all claim whatever to the government of the district of Pooiiah . The Pindarries were also worsted in many actions , and their bands of cavalry , as expert in the use of the lance and management of the horse as the Parthians of old , nearly annihilated . The remnants of these bands
the humane policy of the Governor-General removed to the plains of Goruckpoor and Bopal , where they quietly settled down and relinquished their predatory habits . The Marquis of Hastings makes but slight mention of these achievements , which redound so much to his fame , but rather fills the pages of his diary with observations on the manners and customs of the natives , and descriptions of the country through which he passed . From amongst these descriptions we eagerly seek out any which refer to
those places , to which our attention has been lately so painfully directed . We find him at Agra gazing , with wonder and admiration , at the lofty walls and huge blocks of stone of the fort or rather castle there , the excellent construction of which , he observes , extorts one ' s acknowledgment of much scope of mind in both the plan and execution ; " but of ¦ its merits as a fortification he appears to have had no opinion . Futtehghur he describes as situated in the centre of a fertile plain , and surrounded on all
aides with rich crops of golden corn , and dark groves of mango trees . At Cawnpore he stopped three days , and paid a visit to the nawab of Fnrracabad . He also passes through Benares , and halts for a day or so , at Delhi ; but the entries under these heads seem unusually meagre , and bare . It is much to he regretted that this diary was not carefully edited , and that notes , which would have rendered its fragmentary notices moxe
intelligible and useful , were riot appended ; but even in its present form , it is very interesting , and those who open its volumes will not be disappointed . The book abounds with descriptions of the animal and vegetable productions of the East , of the strange ceremonies of that strange sect , the Brahmins , and will impart a vivid idea of the manners aud customs of the Hindoo race , but it goes no further . To the political aspect of India , at the commencement of " the nineteenth century , it gives us little clve , and to the causes of the present rebellion , none whatever . In conclusion we may