Sept. 2nd.—A number of beautiful butterflies have been caught for me in the garden; they are attracted by the lucerne grass, as well as the flowers. Some are very rich in colour, and very delicate. Amongst the insects collected, the most curious are the locusts, and the leaf-grasshopper—a marvellous insect! an immense grasshopper, with two wings exactly like narrow leaves, of a beautiful spring green, and two wings beneath them of the most delicate gauze. One might imagine two narrow leaves had been fastened on as wings to a grasshopper!
On the 11th of this month, the sāhib was appointed collector at Allahabad: the comfort of holding a fixed situation is great, and we rejoice exceedingly.
Our great Bengal Lion Rajah Ramohun Roy appears to have created no small sensation on the other side of the water. He is one of the few well-educated natives we possess, and is, decidedly, a very remarkable person. He holds his title of Rajah from the king of Delhi, the great Mogul, whose ambassador he is to the British Court in a suit versus John Company.
Extract from a homeward-bound letter.
“The Mem sāhiba’s present fureur, for she always has one darling passion for the time, is making a collection of butterflies and coleopteræ, she is deeply read in taxidermy, and we have, besides, many other prepared subjects, such as tigers, and hyenas’ skulls, alligator’s skeleton whole; a delightful little pet in spirits of wine, a young crocodile, skin and all. Then there is ‘The Bottle of Horrors!’ containing cobra de capello, scorpions, lizards, millepieds, centpieds, grillus monstrosus, and I know not what. Mephistopheles himself would be affrighted; and I, the Faust of this Margaret, am sitting in a quiet unconcern, smoking my cigar, as happy as if I was one of the party in the bottle, the daily object of admiration!”
NARRATIVE OF OOMEID THUG.—(August 10th, 1832.)
The following is a narrative of the Thugs, translated from the ‘Indian Gazette,’ and the ‘Agra Ukbar,’ dated 10th October, 1832.
“In the month of Koar, I do not recollect the year, I, with five others, went to Lochun Singh, jamadar in Muoza Seeapore, Purguna Bethoor. This village was about twelve cos from Kusooapore, the place where we lived. Having assembled a gang of thirty-one men, including the jamadar, we set off towards Lucnow. The braying of an ass and the sound of a peacock necessarily arresting our ears, we took them for good omens, and breakfasted under a tree. On the same day we fell in with three travellers of the Rajpoot caste, proceeding from Lucnow to Etawa. We put up for the night together, agreeing to travel together the next morning. While it was dark, we took our journey in company with the travellers; and as we passed a well, finding the opportunity friendly to our purpose, we fell upon and killed the travellers; and throwing their bodies into the well, we went forward. Our booty amounted to 200 rupees in cash, and some other property, which we divided, and took the road to Cawnpore. On the road we met two travellers proceeding from Jeypore to Lucnow; we travelled back with them to the village whence we had started; and having remained there for the night, we set off the next morning while it was dark with the travellers. Meeting with a well on the road, we asked the travellers to rest awhile and smoke; and while smoking they were struck with nooses, and strangled. We threw the bodies into the wells. The spoil, amounting to rupees in cash 250, and other property, we divided. After this occurrence Lochun, jamadar, hearing that his wife was delivered of a son, proposed our going to our homes for a time, and we accordingly dispersed.”
SECOND ENTERPRISE OF OOMEID THUG.
“About a year ago, in the month of Phagoon, I left my home in Kussooapoor, in company with twenty-two other Thugs, and hearing the sound of an owl, which we regarded as a good omen, we sat down to breakfast, and then took the road to Etawa. Alighting at an inn (sarae) in the night, we found a traveller there, proceeding from Kalpee to Jypoor. My son Gunesh (who was afterwards sentenced to be hung) gained him over to our party, and we set off together the next morning; and travelling towards Agra, we halted at night in the sarae of Juswuntnugar: leaving which place, we stopped near a tank, and in the act of helping some tobacco to the traveller, he was strangled with a noose. His body we threw into the tank. The booty consisted of one brass lota and one thalee, some clothes, and fifteen rupees in cash: these we divided. We arrived next at Huteepoor, and put up in the inn there. Here we fell in with five travellers, proceeding from Jeypoor to Lucnow; of them, two were of the Koormee caste, two Aheers, and one Kuhar. We persuaded them that we were likewise travellers, and were on our way to Lucnow. They readily joined us; and thus, next morning, we started together; and as we were passing by a well, we asked the travellers to rest awhile, and smoke tobacco; and while smoking, we strangled them with nooses, and threw their bodies into the well. The booty, consisting of 100 rupees in cash, and some clothes and utensils, we divided.