. tion of travellers; and officers and all individuals connected with the Honourable Company's government are particularly requested, in halting at Capooly, to refrain from disturbing religious Brahmans before alluded to, and to occupy the above bungalow, erected especially for their purpose." In an adjoining house, belonging to a Brahman, a lady of quality of the Poona court, on her way to the fort of Bassein, had taken up her abode. She was accompanied by a numerous suite, guarded by thirty horsemen and ten match-lock men: in her retinue were several females: her tents and baggage were carried by two elephants, eight camels, and several led horses. At Capooly is a very large tank, exceedingly well built, the sides lined and the banks paved with a fine stone; there are several flights of handsome steps leading to the water. It was excavated by the wisest and best of men, the celebrated Mahratta minister Nānā Furnavese, at an expense of about 12,000l. Nānā, though a Mahratta, and a person of the highest power, paid for both labour and materials. The tank occupies a quarter of a mile of ground. In this tank several young females, both beautiful and innocent, were bathing and playing, quite unconcerned at my near approach. Had they been spoken to they would have fled like the timid deer, or if only on a probable chance of * Fakeers and Hindoo mendicants are fed, but not lodged. pollution, they would have drowned themselves instantly, or stuck a dagger in their hearts. These are the same women who cheerfully burn themselves alive with the dead bodies of their husbands. Their life is that of pure innocence and chaste love. They are idolaters, and can neither read nor write, unsophisticated and untaught, yet possessing the highest moral attributes. True it is, they are heathens: but look at the educated European female, who commits adultery, nay, abandons her offspring, and, monstrous as it appears, lives in shameless prostitution in the face of open day with her paramour; while, as is sometimes the case, the deserted husband consoles himself with another man's wife. The Hindoos will not believe these things. How much more would their incredulity be excited on perusing a file of London papers, teeming with all crimes and atrocities; rapes, murders, incests, seductions, bestialities, sacrilege, arson, infanticide, suicide, child-stealing! We, forsooth, are a polished nation, and purpose reforming the Hindoos, poor creatures! It is a pity that such a virtuous, docile, affectionate, sober, mild, and good-tempered people should be calumniated by ignorance and hypocrisy. But a truce to moralizing. These girls were symmetry itself,―small, but exquisitely proportioned; their feet and hands slender and delicate; flowing and thick black tresses, daily washed and perfumed; small but remarkably regular features, piercing black eyes, good teeth, and a graceful and firm step. This is a correct picture of a Hindoo female just stepping out of a tank, arrayed in her graceful sari*, which they allow to dry on them. To these beauties of person we may add, the sweetest of dispositions, and most fervent affection to parents and relatives. As the Hindoo women never intermarry with strangers, or quit their native country, on seeing one family you see the nation. Deformed or rickety children are very rarely seen. After twenty-five years of age, the women get old and decay fast. They marry at twelve or thirteen years of age. * A light and elegant kind of drapery, often of silk, varying from four to six yards in length. It first folds round the waist, then, loosely passing between the legs, is brought across the back and over the right shoulder, gracefully covering part of the breast, but leaving the arms and legs uncovered. CHAPTER IV. Mahratta music-Quit Capooly-Ascent of the G'hat-Mountain scenery-Brinjarree encampment-Hindoo templeMagnificent views-Top of the G'hat-Hindoo portersPalkee bearers - Cundalla - Mahratta warfare-Tanks G'hāts and mountains-The Tanara G'hāt-Karli templeQuit Karli-Telligaum-Journey to Poona. AFTER making my arrangements for marching at earliest dawn, I retired to my humble pallet, but not until I had killed two large blue scorpions, that were perambulating the walls opposite the oil-light. Notwithstanding the fatigue of the day's journey, and in roaming about the neighbourhood, I in vain tried to sleep. The Mahrattas in my vicinity kept up such a confounded noise with the tam-tams, cymbals, and pipes, that to sleep was impossible. Whether the music was to serenade the "lady fair," or amuse themselves, or both, I know not to me it was any thing but the "harmony of sweet sounds." I addressed my Siphauee sentry, by asking him if the music was not intolerable? He, with great naïveté, replied, that he thought not, for Dekhaney music was very fine! Getting no consolation from him, a polite message to the Brahman, to play in a lower key, had the desired effect. It was not the sound of the instru ments, so much as the shrill and deep echo that the mountains, and particularly the water, returned back in melancholy reverberation. A little before day-break we commenced our formidable undertaking, of what appeared to be nothing less than scaling the mural sides of towering mountains. The road, after going some little distance, becomes very steep, lined with high banks, and interrupted by large stones and fragments of rock. The distance may be altogether six miles, but equal to treble that number in any thing like a good road. Proceeding onwards on foot, the path at an abrupt angle overhangs a frightful precipice and valley, covered with an eternal jungle, and where probably the foot of man never penetrated: here, in the very bottom, peeping out of the deep foliage, gleam the waters of a few meandering streams, which have their sources in unknown parts of the mountains. Beyond this immense hollow are seen the forms of vast mountains, towering away, as far as the eye can reach, in rude and magnificent outline, till they are lost in the clouds, or their continuity only known by their rent clefts and peaks, peering through the light-blue veil of mist. In some parts of the road the passage is guttered by little streams of water, that run gurgling down the precipitous fronts of the rock, affording a pleasing, soothing sound, as we trace our course through these sequestered spots. Not quite half way up, |