-
Articles/Ads
Article REVIEWS OF NEW BOOKS ← Page 4 of 4
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Reviews Of New Books
Cawnpore when discontent first began to exhibit itself ; and in accordance with the many writers who have lately written upon the causes of the rebellion , he rejects the notion that the a ^ the original cause of the mutiny . The province , as Is now well known , was in a state of the utmost misery and poverty when under the control of the native government ; and any severities which might have been exercised
by our administration , could scarcely have provoked any indignation on the part of the people when compared with the extortion and the cruelty of the king ' s officials and the taloogdars . Though the amount of good will and good feeling exhibited towards them by the Europeans is very little , still our rule has been to the native a golden age . Erorn their own government they could not expect , and never received , protection ; and finding that under our rule their lives and their property were , to a certain extent ,
secure , they regarded our accession to power as the advent of better times . Had we left them to the enjoyment of their own rights and privileges— -and had we been contented with gradual measures of educational reform , we should have had nothing to fear from them ; But impolitic and hasty measures were the order of the day ; and a succession of calamities has been the natural and inevitable result . When disaffection had once spread , there were plenty to fan the flame . The ex-king of Ondh , the taloogdars who
had been ejected for their ill treatment of the people and their extortions , besides yogis and fakeers- ~^ andered about the Indian continent , circulating absurd reports , which were eagerly swallowed by the ignorant and superstitious people . Everything that could tell against the English was welcomed , no matter how extravagant or absurd ;¦ and the threatened introductipn of the greased cartridge confirmed their fears . The account of the escape of the hero and his friends from Oudh is most graphic and exciting ;
but the narrative is too lengthy to repeat here even in brief . To break the story would be to spoil it . The companions , wandering day and night without a home , certainly endured fatigues and privations which are almost incredible . Living upon frogs , lizards , and chameleons—hiding in caves or beneath bowers formed of green leaves—boiling water in hollow stones to make frog soup—they contrived to sustain a miserable existence for some months , until at length , meeting with a fakir , they in the depth of tlieir
despair trusted to him , and were conducted in safety to Nynee Tal . Here they met with an Irish gentleman , who feasted them well on beer and roast beef , delicacies which they had not set eyes oh for many a day . The home of the fakir was a curious and picturesque spot . Perched on the top of a mountain , it consisted of a small hut ; a few gourds , an earthern pot , in which to boil water , and some firewood , constituting his household furniture . " From this place he would descend the hilly slope , and buy his
bread in the neighbouring town . This man not only behaved honourably towards them as we have said , but endeavoured as far as lay in his power , to render them comfortable while they remained with him . He made them cakes , he bought them good food , and even went so far as to procure blankets , which he obtained by begging one of one person , another of another person , hiding in each instance the one first procured . His continual and large demands at length excited the suspicion of the natives .
They hooted him , called him a friend of the Europeans , and declared that lie was collecting supplies for the Sahibs . The position of the English friends , therefore , with him was no longer safe , and they departed at his request ; he on his part could not be prevailed upon to receive any token of their gratitude , but finding them a guide , dismissed them with his blessing . The story is on the whole extremely entertaining , and will afford its readers an excellent picture of Anglo-Indian life .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Reviews Of New Books
Cawnpore when discontent first began to exhibit itself ; and in accordance with the many writers who have lately written upon the causes of the rebellion , he rejects the notion that the a ^ the original cause of the mutiny . The province , as Is now well known , was in a state of the utmost misery and poverty when under the control of the native government ; and any severities which might have been exercised
by our administration , could scarcely have provoked any indignation on the part of the people when compared with the extortion and the cruelty of the king ' s officials and the taloogdars . Though the amount of good will and good feeling exhibited towards them by the Europeans is very little , still our rule has been to the native a golden age . Erorn their own government they could not expect , and never received , protection ; and finding that under our rule their lives and their property were , to a certain extent ,
secure , they regarded our accession to power as the advent of better times . Had we left them to the enjoyment of their own rights and privileges— -and had we been contented with gradual measures of educational reform , we should have had nothing to fear from them ; But impolitic and hasty measures were the order of the day ; and a succession of calamities has been the natural and inevitable result . When disaffection had once spread , there were plenty to fan the flame . The ex-king of Ondh , the taloogdars who
had been ejected for their ill treatment of the people and their extortions , besides yogis and fakeers- ~^ andered about the Indian continent , circulating absurd reports , which were eagerly swallowed by the ignorant and superstitious people . Everything that could tell against the English was welcomed , no matter how extravagant or absurd ;¦ and the threatened introductipn of the greased cartridge confirmed their fears . The account of the escape of the hero and his friends from Oudh is most graphic and exciting ;
but the narrative is too lengthy to repeat here even in brief . To break the story would be to spoil it . The companions , wandering day and night without a home , certainly endured fatigues and privations which are almost incredible . Living upon frogs , lizards , and chameleons—hiding in caves or beneath bowers formed of green leaves—boiling water in hollow stones to make frog soup—they contrived to sustain a miserable existence for some months , until at length , meeting with a fakir , they in the depth of tlieir
despair trusted to him , and were conducted in safety to Nynee Tal . Here they met with an Irish gentleman , who feasted them well on beer and roast beef , delicacies which they had not set eyes oh for many a day . The home of the fakir was a curious and picturesque spot . Perched on the top of a mountain , it consisted of a small hut ; a few gourds , an earthern pot , in which to boil water , and some firewood , constituting his household furniture . " From this place he would descend the hilly slope , and buy his
bread in the neighbouring town . This man not only behaved honourably towards them as we have said , but endeavoured as far as lay in his power , to render them comfortable while they remained with him . He made them cakes , he bought them good food , and even went so far as to procure blankets , which he obtained by begging one of one person , another of another person , hiding in each instance the one first procured . His continual and large demands at length excited the suspicion of the natives .
They hooted him , called him a friend of the Europeans , and declared that lie was collecting supplies for the Sahibs . The position of the English friends , therefore , with him was no longer safe , and they departed at his request ; he on his part could not be prevailed upon to receive any token of their gratitude , but finding them a guide , dismissed them with his blessing . The story is on the whole extremely entertaining , and will afford its readers an excellent picture of Anglo-Indian life .