During our illness, or rather soreness, the clothes we had were taken from us, and coarse habits given us; but we were not, even yet, completely Mohammedanized, and therefore more evils were at hand. Four large coppers were brought into the square, accompanied by facquars or priests, worstards or schoolmasters, and a religious train,—to consummate the business, and make us genuine children of the Prophet. Each copper would, at least, contain one hogshead and a half of water, which was made unusually warm. The reason assigned for this, was, as we understood afterwards, that we had eaten a great quantity of pork in our time, and consequently were very unclean. Here was no small diversion for idle spectators, to see us jump out of the coppers half scalded; the facquars, in the midst of their prayers, suspending their ceremonies, and joining the guards in running after and bringing us back; for, by the time two were taken, they would be in pursuit of two more, who had made their escape from this terrific ordeal. In this we found some advantage; for during our short absence the water naturally cooled, so that we could at length stay in it until the prayers were finished by the priests. This continued three days successively, in conjunction with the confused prayers of the facquars, the threats of the guards, and our own apprehensions at this mode of scalding. These preparations and performances being ended, we were hailed as the children of the Prophet, and the favourites of the Nabob.
Now, exclusively of our mental feelings, we had every good in abundance; and thus they continued to treat us for three months; but, alas! our troubles had only just begun. About this time, 1783-4, Hyder Ali Cawn died. The more immediate cause of his death was an ulcerated back; and reports were then circulated in the capital, that towards the close of his life, when the ulcer was rapidly spreading, he, by advice, ordered several criminals at different times to be killed, in order to apply their livers to his sore. It is, however, but just to state, that for this I have no other authority than hearsay, though I have no reason to doubt that it might be truth.
We were now formed into a company, but having Dempster for our commander, was no small mortification to us; knowing him to be a base wretch, and a deserter from the Bengal Artillery. Dempster was a man of considerable abilities, and, as we soon learnt, had been a chaplain to one of the regiments at Gibraltar. This man, with a native named Abdel Gunney, both formerly officers in the Company’s service, was at the bottom of all the cruel treatment we received for the period of a year afterwards. We were now, every morning and evening, paraded before the palace in full Mohammedan dress; and this scoundrel would very frequently march us up and down before the English officers’ prisons, and particularly before that of the brave but unfortunate Colonel Bailey, of whose end I shall have to speak very shortly.
CHAP. III.
Accession of Tippoo Saib—Compelled to learn Military Exercise—Without Food two Days—Cruel Treatment for complaining—Ears bored, and marked as Slaves—Peace concluded—Left unclaimed by the British—Fate of some English Officers—Defeat and Capture of Colonel Bailey.
About this time, Tippoo Saib, who had succeeded his father, Hyder Ali,[[5]] sent an order to the killadare of Seringapatam to incorporate us in his four battalions of slaves—which was accordingly done; but we had no doubt it was so done through the malicious insinuations of Dempster, whom, after we knew, we treated with the most sovereign contempt. Here each individual was supplied with a stick of about four feet and a half long, as a substitute for a firelock; and our pay being shortened, we led wretched lives indeed; fabrications being circulated, and groundless complaints made against us, merely from a malignant antipathy. We did not at this time know much of the language; and when questioned relative to these complaints, many got severe beatings;[[6]] for our silence was generally construed into guilt.
Once we were kept without food for two days; and conscious we had done nothing to deserve it, we sallied forth to the durbar, (a seat of justice so called,) in order to exhibit a complaint of our grievances to the killadare; but Abdel Gunney, to whom I have adverted, learning our intentions, was before us, and intimated to the killadare to take care of his person, for that we were coming in a body, and he knew not for what purpose. This alarmed the governor; and we no sooner arrived, than we were surrounded by a battalion of Sepoys, and our interpreter, Clark, a lieutenant in the Company’s service, who had begun to speak, was knocked down, and beaten in a most shocking manner. While he lay on the ground, they put him in heavy irons, and took him away, nor do I recollect ever seeing him afterwards. All this time we were secured by the Sepoys, who had orders to prime and load, and to fix their bayonets; and all this against fifty-two defenceless boys. Judge of our situation, my good reader, at this crisis! We were seized, and each of us was bound with two new ropes, confining our hands behind us; and, to make us secure, a strong man enclosed our arms, and with his knee almost dislocated our shoulders: many of us had the marks in our arms for some years after. This done, we were wheeled to the right, then to the left, by the myre, or adjutant, in broken English, who would frequently, in the most contemptuous manner, cry out, “General Mathews,”—“Colonel Bailey,”—“Captain Rumney,” and repeat the names of many officers they then had in their custody, of whom I shall very soon give the reader an accurate account.
We were hauled in this degrading manner, until I and several more fainted; when I came to myself, we were all seated on the ground. I was bound between two lads, both midshipmen of the Hannibal, who told me, when I fell they fell, with most of the rest; those who did not, informed us, that so many falling, they were ordered to sit down. The skin of our breasts was like a drum head, and I am conscious to this day, if it had not been for the humanity of the durga, an officer equal to a sergeant, in slackening the ropes about twelve o’clock at night, very few would have survived till morning. This was done on his part at a great risk: may God reward him for it!
The next day we were ordered to be untied, one by one, and our heads to be again shaved, which was performed; our ears also were bored, and a slave’s mark was put in each of them. This being done, we were prohibited from speaking to each other in English, under pain of severe punishment. We were then marched, or led crawling, rather, to our square, where they gave those who could immediately make use of it, some food. Here we met every day, more or less, with severe treatment, until the year 1784, when a peace was concluded between the East India Company and Tippoo. This was a woful and heart-rending peace for us; but prior to my saying any thing on that head, I shall introduce the condition and fate of many of our brave officers; together with the fate of the unfortunate brachmins, as it fell immediately under my notice. And first, of Colonel Bailey, who was in leg-irons, with Captain Rumney, and Lieutenants Fraser and Sampson. The three latter had their throats cut at Mysore. Colonel Bailey appeared much emaciated; I rather think grief was the cause of destroying his constitution; for when he was insulted by Dempster, who took a pride in marching us before him, we could frequently see the tears trickle down his manly face. He was alone, after the captain and lieutenants were taken from him; but not long, for he was removed also, and we supposed very secretly, for we never could learn what became of him; and whether he died by poison, or a natural death, we could not positively ascertain; but we could easily believe the former. It may not be amiss here to say something relative to his defeat. The circumstances which led to this melancholy catastrophe are well known, therefore I shall only describe the manner, partly from the Encyclopædia, and partly from information I received at Patam, from several who survived that dreadful day.