sweetly along the blue waters, her white sails swoln with majestic pride, and the eye of every one on board lingering (until it was lost in the distance) on that dear isle from which we were so rapidly departing. After this, we had a long and tedious voyage, in which much misery was experienced by all the troops on board, in consequence of the cruel and despotic conduct of our commanding officer. This gentleman is now no more; and, if it were on this account only, I should refrain from mentioning his name. For this, and other reasons, I shall withhold from the reader all detail of conduct which I have myself long tried to forget; and content myself by stating, in justification of the epithets applied by me to such conduct, that the cat-o -nine-tails was constantly at work; so much so, that Captain Larkins at length interfered, and protested "that. he would not have his quarter-deck converted into a slaughter-house, nor the eyes of the ladies on board disgusted with the sight of the naked back of a poor screaming soldier, every time they came upon deck." The distant low-land peeping from afar, and the company of little messengers from the myrtle-grove at length apprised us that we were in sight of the long-looked-for haven. The wind was contrary, and night had begun to throw over the silvery deep her sombre mantle, so that we were obliged to stand out to sea, to avoid getting into the currents that prevail near this land. Early in the morning it was dark and hazy, but at about ten o'clock it cleared up; the sun shed his bright beams over the Indian Ocean; the little harbinger of peace was again on the wing; and we again beheld the land : Joy is upon the lonely deep, Oh! welcome are the winds that tell Where far away the jasmines dwell, And where the myrrh-trees weep! Are tidings of the citron's home! All the passengers were now promenading the quarterdeck some viewing the beauty of the scenery; others : whispering sad notes of farewell love; and all anxiously looking forward to the moment of disembarkation. We were crowding all possible sail to get the ship safe into the river by night. The wind was fair, and the sky was spotless, save here and there some little white flying clouds, that seemed to dance about us." In an instant after the ship was thrown on her beam-ends, her gunwales under water, and passengers tumbling and rolling over each other. The crew had to struggle hard to keep her head above water. Every eye was wildly fixed on the captain, and every cheek wore a deat! like paleness. At last, away went her foretop-mast, top-gallant and royalmast, foreyard, main-royal-mast, main-top-gallant, and main top-mast; and her mizen-mast was much injured. In that short moment the cup of bliss was dashed from our lips, and we lay a complete wreck upon the water; but, the masts having gone, carrying every thing before them, and the ship having righted, every hand was as instantaneously set to work, and busily employed in remedying the evils and clearing the wreck. It was imagined at first that the ship had gone ashore; but, on trying the pumps, it appeared that she had made no water. We soon discovered that our misfortune was occasioned by what are termed, in those seas, white squalls. These come on without any previous indication; and, though of short duration, are so destructive while they last, that no ship under heavy sail can stand against them. These squalls are most frequent when the sky is clearest. They are supposed to be contained in those little white flying clouds, which, previous to the storm, are seen hovering over the ship, as though watching to catch the mariners off their guard. We were again obliged to stand out to sea; but we soon cleared away, and once more stood towards land. The day was rainy and hazy, when, through the darksome mists, we beheld a sail, and soon discovered, to our great joy, that it was the boat of a Calcutta pilot, who immediately came on board our vessel. On examining the mnasts, we discovered that the maintop-mast would not bear sail; therefore, splinters and stays were imme. diately put on. The day brightened up, but the wind blew strong; so, not being able to discover landmarks, we cast anchor for the night. The next morning we found that we were so close to land that we could see men walking on the sea-beach, and distinguish huts and towns in the distance. We weighed anchor early, and stood towards Saugar, the wind blowing a smart gale. At one time we approached so near the breakers that we expected to go ashore, and a few minutes after we shipped a tremendous sea, the major part of which went over the poop, and through the great cabin-windows, carrying trunks, boxes, beds, and every thing before it. I was on deck at the time: the ship's stern seemed to be fastened, and she shook much: but at last on she went. I have no hesitation in saying that her stern struck the ground, but no injury was done beyond sousing a few few trunks and beds. We at last reached Saugar in safety; but before we arrived there, our feelings were excited to a high pitch of sympathy by an interesting scene. Captain Larkins was standing on the poop, close by where I stood, with his glass at his eye, examining the ships which were lying at anchor, when he suddenly exclaimed, "I surely know that ship lying yonder; my eyes cannot deceive me, it's my old ship, the Warren Hastings." The pilot was requested to go within hail of her. All hands were upon deck; every eye fixed on the strange ship; and sailors and soldiers manned the rigging. The captain got the large speaking-trumpet, and bellowed out, "What ship, a-hoy?"-Answer, "The Warren Hastings-what ship are you?"Answer," The New Warren Hastings." Here the shouting of the crews of both ships was quite deafening. Our captain could not say a syllable more, but was so much affected as to shed a tear to the memory of his old ship, which he had manfully defended, but lost to some French ship-of-war. She had been retaken by some of our cruizers. A short time after this we came to anchor a little above Saugar; and the following day we were shipped on board sloops, and sailed up the river Hoogley, and in about a week came to anchor off Fort William, Calcutta, and were again placed on terra firma. We remained in the fort about a fortnight, and while boats were in prepa ration for our conveyance up the river Ganges, to our respective regiments, all was gayety and mirth. The monsoons, or rainy season, having commenced, we sailed from Calcutta, under the command of Colonel Wade, on the route to Cawnpore, where we arrived in safety in about three months, with the loss of seven or eight men drowned, and of a few others, who died from having eaten too freely of unripe fruit. CHAPTER XI. It is my intention to devote this chapter to a few practical hints to young men about to embark for India, either in the civil or military service. The remarks which I shall make, being the result of personal observation during a service of twenty-five years in that country, will not, I trust, be unacceptable, either to the young men themselves, or to their parents or guardians. As the whole chapter will be engrossed by this subject, which, to many readers, may prove wholly uninteresting, it seems fair at its outset to give them to understand what they are to expect, in order that an opportunity may be afforded them to "skip" if they think proper. First, as to the outfit for India. A gentleman came to me some few months since, and said, "I have been given to understand, Sir, that you have been a considerable time in the East Indies. I have an only son, now on the eve of embarking for that country, as a cadet; will you have the goodness to inform me what necessaries will be requisite for his passage? Some say it will cost two, some three, others, four hundred pounds. I should wish to make my boy comfortable, but if a large sum be required, it will place me in difficulties." I replied, "Sit down, Sir, and I will soon ease your mind on that head, by reducing the sum requisite to meet such demands, to something less than one hundred pounds." The following is a copy of the list I gave him, and this was on a splendid scale; the one half might, if there were an absolute necessity for it, suffice: 3s. each 0 12 0 4 dozen hand-towels 6 pair cotton loose sleeping-trousers 1 dozen half-cravats 4 black stocks 1 dozen pair of nankeen pantaloons or trousers 15s. per pair 6 pair of light shoes 2 pair of boots 2 pair of slippers 2 dozen pair of stockings 6 pair of worsted ditto 2 dozen pair of half-stockings 6 flannel shirts 2 black waistcoats 4 white waistcoats 2 dozen pocket handkerchiefs 2 pair of cloth pantaloons 2 black silk jackets for hot weather I cloth ditto 1 good dress coat 4 pounds of wax candles 10s. per pair 1s. per pair 8 0 3 0 2 0 0 080 1 4 0 11. per pair 4s. per pair 2s. per pair 3s. 6d. per pair 1 1 0 1 4 0 5s. each 1 10 0 The whole of these things being adapted for a warm climate, will form part of the young man's requisite stock for clothing in India, while other things would be found entirely useless on his arrival, as too heavy and warm for the country. The only thing that must be an actual loss would be the warm clothing taken out. Of these, but a change will be required. I have seen a cadet sell in India, for ten or twenty rupees, articles that must have cost his parents a hundred pounds, some of which he had never put on his back. If parents have money to give their sons, let it lay the foundation of a capital in India, on which to build a fortune. Money, on board a ship, leads youth to the gambling-table, thereby sowing the seeds of that destructive vice which may lead to his utter ruin. The monotonous life during an Indian voyage naturally turns the minds of warm-spirited youth to every species of amusement. Play is proposed by some artful VOL. 1.-12 |