The next day, the party I was in learned that our destination was for Chitteldroog, about sixteen days’ march distance; and our poor wives and children following us, made the march more than wretched. We had every day given us our poor pittance of rice, with chiliq[[19]] and salt. The result of our journey was our grand subject; our wives were assiduous and indefatigable in their endeavours, which was no small consolation to us under the most dreary prospects; and such was their affection, that I am inclined to think some of them would have braved death in our stead. Every evening, when we came to a halting place, we were lodged in one of the Hindoo pagodas; and in one of these a circumstance occurred which may be worth relating.
On one occasion, being asleep in a closely confined hole, we were greatly alarmed, about two o’clock in the morning, by two large snakes crawling over us.[[20]] It is impossible for me to attempt a description of our sensations, particularly in the dark, and so crowded as we were. I conceive our noise, aggravated by our fears, was the cause of those creatures retiring; perhaps frightened as much as we were, as they troubled us no more. We represented this affair to the priests of the pagoda in the morning, who gave us a curious interpretation. When they understood the story, they smiled at our foolish fears, and added, that it was the most fortunate event that could have happened to us, and we might consider it as a happy omen. I leave the reader to judge the construction we put on their observations.
Three days after this curious visit, we arrived at Chitteldroog, a place situated on seven hills, and which might very easily be made impregnable. Many poor unfortunate wretches were put to death in this fortress, and several paid the debt of nature in the same prison to which we were sent. One week passed, when the smiths came and knocked off our irons; something was also added to our allowance: what a contrast in our minds, now, and fourteen days since! Here we were again distributed in four battalions, of the same description as we had joined five years before in Patam.
Of the other two parties, one was sent to Hyder Niger, and the other marched back to the capital. One only survived at the latter place, viz. Randal Cadman, whom I have before mentioned, and from whom we had the information of the fate of the rest. Two made their escape from Niger, of whom I have also spoken; and who met us at the Mahratta camp, with two females belonging to their party, who gave them to understand, amidst sighs and tears, that, shortly after they were gone, the rest had their throats cut! that they had lost their husbands, and found means to escape. They were in a wretched condition, but were seasonably and amply relieved by these humane men.
The confidence of the natives here, in our medical abilities, led several of us to take an advantage of their credulity, necessity being the prompter, for we were often in a state of starvation. One circumstance, among many, may suffice. The punishment, in India, of cutting off the nose and ears, is common, but they have a method of substituting a piece of their forehead for another nose: this operation is painful indeed! But to my subject: John Levesley, who had been taken in the same ship with myself, and who was a presumed doctor, undertook, for six rupees, to put a nose on a poor wretch’s face, who had lost his own fourteen years before. The ignorant man, believing in the abilities of this surgeon, consented to undergo the most painful operation, that he might accomplish the business. Accordingly, to work Levesley went. His first performance was, cutting a piece sufficiently large from the shoulder, and forming it in the shape he wanted it; this done, he immediately scarified the remains of the old nose, and sewed the part of the shoulder on. It remained for three weeks with every appearance of doing well; but, unfortunately, the stitches decayed, and the artificial nose fell off. The poor man, as his only alternative, demanded his six rupees; but he might as well have asked for Tippoo’s turban jewel.
Here three tedious years rolled over our heads, during which period we learned, that, previous to Hyder’s usurpation, this place was held by a rajah or prince, happy in his subjects, having a district to himself, as we were informed by some intelligent Hindoos; but in process of time, Hyder got possession of this strong fortress. In consequence of this revolution, a certain man of the cast of Bramins, whose covering I have often seen, lay in one spot fourteen years: he uttered scarcely any thing but imprecations against Hyder and his son Tippoo. The situation he was in was so low, that it appeared to me strange how he escaped destruction by inundations in the monsoon seasons. We were for three years in the pettah, or suburbs; but all of a sudden, our habitation, with the walls in which we were immured, being destroyed, we were removed into the lower fort, during which time, about nine months, we all saw this strange character, or the spot where he lay, rather; hearing him speak frequently, and once or twice seeing his hands. We often spoke to him, and sometimes he would reply, but at times he would not. When he did speak, he would either use abusive language towards Hyder, or ask for patamy.[[21]] We were informed that he had a guard over him six months prior to our arrival, in order to detect the imposition; but his supposed madness saved him, for the Mohammedans have a great respect for all of this description. Many strange stories were told about this singular person. All I shall add, is, that we were many months near him, both by night and day, he still continuing the same language, and lying in the same spot. We often laughed at the strange stories relative to this man; but, from auricular and ocular demonstration, we could not avoid believing some of them.
This place abounds with apes of the largest stature I ever saw, the ourang-outang excepted, and the natives do not injure, but rather indulge them. This made them bold, which was by no means an addition to our comfort; for we found it absolutely necessary to act on the defensive; one of our meals out of two being generally taken from us by these depredators; and such was their temerity, that a stout stick would scarcely alarm them. In short, we were forced to oppose cunning to cunning; they to steal our rooties, (cakes baked on a flat earthen pan,) and we to hinder them. They might frequently be seen in multitudes on their inaccessible hills, parading in squadrons; and various reports were handed to us relative to these creatures, but I pass them by as such. A brief description of one more curious animal, and I will resume my narrative.
We killed a snake at this place, not exceeding two feet in length; out of the middle of its belly grew an arm, similar to a human arm, from the elbow downwards; the whole of which was formed with the most exquisite delicacy. The joints, the nails, and every part belonging to it, equalled, if not exceeded, any thing I ever saw, in point of formation. I have often regretted I did not bring its skin home, as I had it in my possession; but at that time there was very little prospect of my bringing home my own. Numbers of the natives who saw this reptile, considered it as something ominous.
Often have I paraded in the most disconsolate manner, in the silence of those delicious nights peculiar to that country, and which are not to be described by the most masterly pencil; when the moon appears in the midst of the firmament with her beams gradually dispersed, surrounded by a soft curtain of clouds. But, alas! they were no beauties to me; the ever-prevailing impression still corroding my mind, with my heart ready to burst at the thought of being for ever cut off from all that were near and dear to me. I had no prospect, not the most distant hope, of ever seeing again my country, parents, friends, or one who was equally the object of my tenderest solicitude. I have digressed thus, in stating the ideas that continually preyed on my heart, because they were really grievous to me.
The melancholy hours we passed here would take a more able pen than mine to describe; in fact, I do not think any could do it justice. I have observed before, that we were all young, yet none of us dared sing “Rule Britannia,” or even hum it with impunity. We prohibited it between ourselves, under the impression of bitterness, and the idea of every hope being marred of ever seeing our country or friends again.