The tables of postage, and of bangy carriage, contained in the Directory, will enable the reader to judge how far the charges are from being exorbitant: he will not fail to recollect, that the sums paid in Britain are very trifling, owing to the immense intercourse subsisting between the several parts of the kingdom, far beyond what exists in any part of India. Bath is the same distance from London that the cantonments of Berhampore are from Calcutta, viz. 106 miles: the former pays 8d. postage, the latter 4 annas, which is about the same sum: the other charges are considerably cheaper; viz. Allahabad, which is full five hundred miles from Calcutta, pays only 7 annas (about 13½d.); but this is on the great road, while the other is scarcely to be considered a thoroughfare, compared with what it was before the new road was cut through the Ramghur district to Chunar.
With the exception of such parts as may be infested by tigers, the post seldom or never fails of arriving within an hour of its appointed time; except, as has been observed, when the waters are out; in which case, many circuitous roads must be followed, whereby the way is considerably lengthened in the aggregate. Taking the average, a hundred miles per day may be run over by the dawk, or post, in fair weather. Each mail-bag is conveyed by an hirkarah, (or runner,) who is attended by one or two doog-doogy-wallahs, or drummers, who keep up a kind of ‘long-roll,’ as they pass any suspicious place. Ordinarily, two mosaulchees, or link-bearers, accompany each dawk; and, where tigers are known to commit depredations, one or two teerin-dauzes, or archers, are supplied, under the intention of protecting the party. But such puny aid is of no avail; for the onset of the tiger is too sudden, and too discomfiting, to allow any effort of consequence to be timously adopted: the very act of seizure is a death-blow, from which I never heard of any recovery; provided the unhappy victim were not so particularly situated as to prevent it from decidedly taking effect.
Here it may be needful to explain, that a tiger invariably strikes his prey with the fore paw, in so forcible a manner as often to fracture the skull; which, generally, is the object aimed at: many oxen have had their cheek bones shivered by the contusion. It sometimes happens, that the marks of one or two claws are to be seen, but they are generally en passant, and by no means the result of primary intention. The wrist of a tiger being often nearly two feet in circumference, may give some idea of the violence with which the coup de grace falls on the head of a human being! The mosauls, or flambeaux, are intended to intimidate the tigers, as are also the doog-doogies, but experience has shewn that, when hungry, tigers are not to be restrained by any such device: indeed, instances have occurred of the mosaulchees themselves being carried off. It would, nevertheless, be presumptuous to judge from such partial data, that many tigers are not deterred by the noise and fire accompanying the letter-carriers; on the contrary, there should rather seem a probability, that many young tigers, or such grown ones as may not be hungry, nor be attended by cubs, are frequently intimidated from those attacks they would make but for these precautions. A residence of two years at Hazary-Bang, the station for a battalion in the Ramghur district, enabled me to form a fair estimate of the dangers to which the dawk, and travellers in general, were subject. During some seasons, the roads were scarcely to be considered passable; day after day, for nearly a fortnight in succession, some of the dawk people were carried off, either at Goomeah, Kannachitty, Katcumsandy, or Dungaie; four passes in that country, all famous for the exploits of these enemies to the human race!
So few valuables are ever sent by the post, that thieves never attempt any depredations on the letter-bags. Hoondiés (i.e. banker’s drafts) would be of no use whatever to them; and as bank notes are not in general currency, no object is held out for enterprize of that description. Nor do the dawk-bangies, or parcel-dawks, offer any substantial inducement; for, even if any plate, or watches, or trinkets, were to be sent by such a conveyance, the want of a market, and the impossibility of confiding in any village jeweller, would render the act both hazardous and unavailing. Hence, the dawk generally proceeds in perfect safety, throughout every part of the country; while the bangies maybe considered equally secure; except, indeed, in some parts of the dominions of the Nabob Vizier of Oude, where a lawless uncontrolled banditti subject every passenger to contribution: this evil is fortunately on the decline, in consequence of our having assumed the reins of government.
It has frequently been asked why, in a country so completely under our control, we did not establish mails, similar to those in use throughout England. Before this can be effected, an immense revolution must take place, not only in the minds of the natives, but in the features of the country. At present, there appears no desire on the part of the inhabitants to communicate by land, farther than may be necessary for the purpose of attending hauts, (markets,) maylahs, (fairs,) or for the resort to certain places of worship, &c. For such purposes, a pedestrian trip suffices; or, at the utmost, a poney, worth only a few shillings, is either borrowed or hired. The contact of various casts, or sects, being considered a pollution, it is not to be supposed that a Hindu would like to be pent up, for hours together, with a Mahomedan, who makes no scruple of killing and eating a cow: or that the Mussulman would, in his turn, feel comfortable under similar circumstances, with a British kaufur, (unbeliever,) who, besides his condemnation of the prophet, makes no scruple of devouring ham and bacon wholesale! Admitting that all parties should be agreed to associate within the body of a stage-coach, still there would not exist intercourse sufficient to support the expences, in a quarter where horses are so dear, and where the necessary repairs could not, in case of accident, be promptly effected. Then, again, the roads must be suitably made, at an enormous expence, and be afterwards supported by heavy disbursements, or by a contribution of labor on the part of the land-holders, by no means agreeable to their feelings. All this may, in time, pass under a complete metamorphosis: the produce of the country will be more generally estimable; the people will relax greatly from the vigorous attention now paid to religious tenets; and, as their prejudices may give way to their true interests, will extend their speculations without fear or restriction. Those who may then inhabit India, will see roads, mails, and inns; whereas, at present, there are only pathways and runners, but no inns. There are, to be sure, seraies and choultries, for the accommodation of travellers, but these are mostly going fast to decay; and, at the best, can be viewed only as shelter for men and cattle; goods being usually left exposed to the weather. The bytearens, or female cooks, who ply, in more than one capacity, at such places, and who, on receiving money before-hand, buy and cook such victuals as may be ordered, or the place may afford, cannot be considered otherwise than as menials, and not to be classed with our inn-keepers; no, nor even with the poorest village retailer, ‘Lysunst to del in T, Koffy, and Tibaky!’
There is, however, a wide field for practical improvement; as may be fully understood from the following statement. The dawk rarely travels at a less expence than twenty-five rupees per month, for each stage of eight miles (four cosses) on the average. This sum is absorbed by a moonshy at each chokey, or relief at the end of a stage, who pretends to be very scrupulous in regard to ascertaining that all the parcels are right, but who, as I have repeatedly witnessed, is more intent on receiving little presents of ottah, (meal,) spices, &c., sent to him from the neighbouring villages, in return for letters conveyed by the dawk-hirkarahs, who are sometimes laden pretty heavily with such contributions. I speak from what I have been an eye-witness to repeatedly; as to hear-say, much more might be asserted. It appears to me that the above sum would carry on the system with double the speed, and double the efficiency. In lieu of sending off four, five, and six, men with the dawks, let a horseman convey the bags for about twelve miles, on an allowance of fifteen rupees per month for man and horse; and, during the rainy season, when the roads are deep, let a fresh horse be allowed for the several returns, instead of causing the same man and horse to return with the counter-dawks. On the above allowance a very good steed might be kept, the celerity of the dawk would be greatly encreased, and there would be no occasion for moonshies, except at such chokies as might be upon diverging roads, where it would be necessary to have the proper parcels sorted out, and delivered to the various branch-dawks.
Travelling in a palanquin by dawk, (i.e. post,) is effected much in the same manner as the despatch of the dawks. Bearers are stationed at the several stages, for the purpose of relief; each station, in general, supplying eight bearers, and a bangy, in all nine men, together with one or two mosaulchies for night stages. The expence of travelling in this manner will depend greatly on the distance: if only a short journey is to be made, such as may be compassed within eight or ten hours, nothing more is needful than to send on a set, or two, of bearers, who then receive their daily hire of four annas (8d.) each, while out from home; or, if there should exist the means of so doing, a hirkarah, (or messenger,) may be despatched to collect bearers at the several stages. In this manner, the relays may be properly supplied, and the cost will not amount to more than a rupee for three miles; equal to ten-pence a mile; whereas, in the ordinary mode of having bearers laid by the post-master, each mile will cost full one rupee, (i.e. 2s. 6d.,) besides various little disbursements by way of buxees, or presents, to every set of bearers in the journey: these may be fairly estimated at two rupees for every set, or relief, which, if the distances run by each should average ten miles, will be about twenty rupees (£2. 10s.) for every hundred miles. The ordinary rate of this kind of conveyance may be rated at four miles per hour during the cold season, three and a half during the hot season, and from two to three during the rains, provided the waters are not much out: otherwise, no estimate can be formed. The above includes stops.
The establishment of dawk-bangies for the conveyance of parcels, at rates in proportion to their weights respectively, has produced considerable convenience to those who reside at a distance from the Presidency. Until this plan was adopted, few could send small articles, such as trinkets, &c., to the Presidency, but under favor of some individual who might perchance be travelling thither, and who might possibly be some months on the way: the same inconvenience attended the return; so that it was not uncommon for a gentleman whose watch required inspection, to be four or five months deprived of its use. This is now done away, and a watch, &c. may be sent from Cawnpore to Calcutta, there undergo repair, and be returned with ease, in the course of a month, or less.
The same kind of convenience is, of course, afforded regarding books, and all other articles too bulky, or too heavy, to proceed by the dawk, but not of sufficient importance to induce the employment of a boat, or of a bangy, to convey them: nor, indeed, could a single bearer travel with a bangy more than twenty miles within the twenty-four hours; so that he would be full a month in going from Calcutta to Cawnpore; whereas, the dawk-bangies travel by relays of bearers, therefore can almost keep up with the dawk-hirkarahs, who carry the mail-bags suspended at the end of a stick over their shoulders.
The communication by water between Calcutta and the several subordinate stations, whether civil or military, is much resorted to; during the rainy season in particular. At that time, few are inaccessible to craft of some description, though but for a while: those immense falls of rain which cause the ravines to fill, and every little creek to become navigable for boats of ten or fifteen tons, swell the Ganges, and the other great rivers, to an astonishing height; causing them to run with awful velocity. The rivers generally rise in May, but a few inches only, in June, they often approach the summits of their banks, between which they fluctuate, rising and falling until the great swell, which takes place in August. Sometimes the river rises twice, sometimes thrice, or, even four times, during the season; but, in general, one ample inundation serves all the purposes of agriculture, provided the rains do not afterwards abate too suddenly in September, before the rice is cut. When such an untimely cessation takes place, it is attended with great mortality: the immense expanse of slime, suddenly exposed to the influence of the sun, then on the equinoctial, throws forth the most destructive miasma, whereby epidemics, of the most dangerous description, are propagated.