March 3, 1808, I was married to Mrs. Allan. This is the circumstance I told you to mark before we left England, after I had obtained liberty from Colonel Stewart for her to go with her husband. But I had then very little knowledge that I was taking out a wife for myself, and one too, that was to be the means in the hand of Divine Providence of prolonging my days, for had it not been for her nursing care, I must, in all human probability, have gone the way of hundreds of the regiment, as I had much severe trouble after I was joined to her. She had no children, save one daughter that was left at home with her grandfather, whom I may have occasion to speak of afterwards. I was in a very poor state of health when married to her; for the complaint I caught in the frigate had never left me, and I really had at that time more need of a doctor than a wife; but I knew her to be an excellent woman, and as she had no objections to me as a husband, I could have none against her as a wife; but happily for me I found in her both a doctor and a wife, and I daily recovered and enjoyed a tolerable state of health for some time.
May 22.—The government at Madras being informed by our returns that we were in a very bad state of health, sent an order for us to proceed to Sadras, a seaport, for the benefit of our health. At this time we could not muster five hundred effective men in a regiment upwards of a thousand strong; but we were now doomed to still more lamentable misfortunes, for more than three hundred men fell sick the first day's march; chiefly of brain fevers, attended with a dreadful discharge from the bowels, and twelve men belonging to the regiment died the same day: six of whom marched to the ground with their arms and accoutrements. The heat was intense, with scarcely a breath of air, and any that there was, was as hot as if it had issued from a baker's oven. One of our men who had formerly been in the country fourteen years, with the 74th regiment, said that he never recollected of having suffered so much in one day from heat. Many of the men had recourse to throwing water upon themselves, but they could get no relief from this expedient, because it was quite warm; and what added much to their distress, was the utter want of perspiration. My wife also suffered much from a checked perspiration, and I thought of a method that gave her great relief, which was this; I dipped a hand towel in water, and gave it a slight wring, and stood over her while she lay upon the ground, waving it backward and forward; this, from the quick evaporation, cooled her greatly, and gave her considerable relief. My comrades also, to whom I mentioned it, derived similar benefit from this plan. The men who were very bad, were taken into marquees erected on purpose for them; but this expedient, which gave many who were not very ill considerable relief, was of no use to them. All that the surgeon (for we had only one with us) could do for them, was to let blood at the temples, and having filled two large marquees with those who were worst, the rest had to assist one another in their tents the best way they could; but at last the doctor falling ill himself, had recourse to bleeding his own temples by the assistance of a looking-glass, and lay down amongst the rest of the sick men. Thus, being deprived of all medical assistance, and many of the men running about mad, and others dying in the marquees before the Colonel's eyes; he was so overcome by the sight that he could not refrain from tears. The poor unhappy creatures who were attacked with this temporary derangement, had in general some idea that they were not in their own country. One of these runaways being asked where he was going, said, that he was going to Europe; and added, that if he was once there, he would soon be well again. However, when the cool of the evening arrived, a number of the men got considerably better; about mid-day when the men were in such an alarming state, the Colonel had sent off an express to the commandant of Wallajahbad, describing the melancholy situation of the regiment; and we immediately received medical assistance, and more doolies and waggons to carry the sick, with an order to return to our barracks. This was welcome news for us; and we accordingly returned to Wallajahbad the next day, carrying along with us one hundred and fifty sick men who were unable to march.
September 4.—We had prayers read for the first time since we came to this country, by the adjutant, who had fifty pagodas a-month for doing the duty of chaplain. But this was, I think, little short of making a mock of the divine ordinances; for here was truly, "like people, like priest." Oh for an opportunity of hearing a good sermon, from the mouth of a godly minister of Jesus Christ. "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."
November 4.—My good friend Colonel Stewart left us, in consequence of liberty received from the government, to return to his native country for the benefit of his health; as he had long been labouring under a severe liver complaint. I was truly sorry for his departure, as I thought his loss to me could never be repaired; but I was in this happily mistaken; for he recommended me to the particular notice of Colonel Conran, his successor, who treated me constantly with the greatest kindness; although the men generally formed a very bad opinion of him at first, for he used to take out the triangles to evening parade; and if any of the men were unsteady in the ranks, he tried them by a drum-head court martial, and flogged them upon the spot; but this was not because he delighted in punishment, but to make the regiment steady and attentive, which they were not out of the need of. He was, to give him his due, "a terror to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well."
January 13, 1809.—We left Wallajahbad, in consequence of a route to proceed to Bangalore. This was a very melancholy day for many. We could not avoid thinking of the great number of our comrades whom we left behind; having, in little more than one year, formed a grave-yard of about two hundred men, women, and children! but after we had proceeded on our march four days, we were countermanded, and sent again to Madras.
February 3.—We took the duty of the garrison from the 30th regiment, which marched out, and we occupied their barrack. Not long after we came here, I was visited with a severe fever. I now found a kind friend in Colonel Conran; for he paid great attention to me during my illness; sending me fowl, wines, sugar, and even fruits, which he thought would be beneficial in my disorder. He even came in person frequently to see me, and ordered the Doctor to attend me in my own room, which he appointed for me himself; and, by the blessing of God upon the use of means, I recovered in about three weeks. While we lay in Madras, there arose a disturbance among the Company's troops; and it being reported that they intended to attack the fort, the artillery were ordered to provide a sufficient quantity of ammunition for their reception, which was distributed proportionally to each gun; but it was never required, for they were wiser than to make such a foolish attempt. The insurrection in the high country, however, getting rather serious, an order was issued for an army to be formed to suppress it. This mutinous spirit was said to have been excited by the Governor taking away the staff situations of a number of the Company's officers, in different forts through the country, making one do the duty of two, and sending the other to his regiment in his former situation. For instance, in many of these forts there were (what is called) a fort-adjutant and a quarter-master of the fort: now, one of these had to do the duty of both, for which he received no more than his former pay. The sepoys (native soldiers) were not in much better humour; for they were dissatisfied because they did not receive the pay of European soldiers, saying, that as they did the same duty, and were exposed to the same hardships, they were entitled to the same allowances. On the other hand, the government stated, that European soldiers had removed from their own country, and should therefore be distinguished from natives of this country, who besides could live much cheaper. However, this statement did not satisfy them; and from less to more, they proceeded so far as to take some of the forts into their own possession, and were headed by Company's officers of the dissatisfied party. Things could not remain long in this state of confusion; and to compel the mutineers to desist from their purpose of destroying all order amongst the forces, an army was formed at three different stations, to proceed to the high country in various directions. Our Colonel being a man of great military skill, was appointed to command the centre division of the army, which was formed at St. Thomas's Mount, seven miles from Madras, upon the 8th day of August, 1809. This division of the army consisted of ten pieces of artillery, two regiments of horse, the Royal Scots, 66th and 89th Europeans, two hundred pioneers, and the 8th and 20th regiments of native infantry.
An order was also issued by our commanding officer for all the heavy baggage, women, and boys, to be left at Madras. This was sorrowful news for the married people, and my wife was much grieved to hear them, particularly as I was then but weakly, and not very able to encounter the hardships to which I would thus be exposed. She was therefore eager to go with the regiment, that she might know the worst of it. I tried all I could to dissuade her from going, but in vain; and, in short, she being a stout healthy woman, and having no children to incommode us, she was permitted to go, to my great benefit, as well as her satisfaction; for truly, had it not been for her, it would have fared but badly with me upon the march, as I will afterwards make appear.
CHAPTER VI.
August 27.—We entered the territories of the Poligars. At this pass we were met by three of the Company's revenue collectors flying for shelter to our army, having been robbed of all their wealth by a party of the rebels. We here see the dreadful condition of a country, where all laws, divine and human, are put at defiance. We received a visit from the Nabob of this district of country, who is tributary to our government, accompanied with all his retinue. He himself, and suite, were mounted on elephants, upon the back of which was placed a square tower, covered with crimson velvet; but the greater part of his guards were upon horseback, and those of them who were upon foot carried a kind of pike twelve feet long, which they manage with great dexterity. When they wish to strike an object, they place the one end of the pike upon the right arm, and after giving it a powerful throw, they immediately pull it back by a coil of rope which is held in their left hand, the one end of which rope is of course fastened to the pike. This country is very mountainous, and abounds with tigers and wild boars, (particularly the latter;) but there is a species of dog here that is a mortal enemy to the wild boar; and but for these useful creatures, the natives would often run great dangers from their bold and ferocious attacks. Our officers killed one at this camp-ground, which I saw: it was nearly equal in size to one of our middle-sized hogs, but apparently much more active, with terrible tusks.
September 21.—For this some time past we have been marching through woods, and jungles, and by impassable roads, until our pioneers made them passable, by cutting trees, and covering them with sods, so that there might be a passage for the guns and bandies[4]; and it was very seldom that we could get any victuals to buy for money; because, as we advanced, the natives left their villages, and retired to the hills, carrying all their cattle and effects with them, not being quite sure whether we were friends or foes.