GANG-ROBBERY IN INDIA.

THROUGH the indefatigable exertions of Major Sleeman, new systems of gang-robbery have been brought to light, and active measures taken for their suppression. The exploits of these people have not yet been brought before the public, but preparations are making for the production of a work similar to the Ramooseeana, which will contain a great number of narratives and dialogues, all tending to illustrate the manners and habits of these singular banditti. The whole fraternity, which consists of great numbers, go under the general name of Budhuk, but it is divided into several distinct castes, viz. the Solunkee, Rathore, Chohan, &c. (which are distinctions of the races of Rajpoots), all of whom are hereditary thieves, the father instructing the son, and the profession thus descending from generation to generation. They inhabit the almost impenetrable forests which girt the northern border of the kingdom of Oude and run along the base of the Himalaya, and the banks of the river Chumbul. They have no fixed abodes, but construct temporary huts, of dried grass, reeds, &c., of so slight a description as to enable them to move off at a moment's warning, and to shift their quarters with a rapidity scarcely credible. If possible, they do not allow a Mohamedan to join their band; but they entertain few strictly Hindu prejudices, feeding upon nearly every species of animal, and being known by the term "Sear Khawars," or jackal-eaters. They drink spirits in large quantities. They speak a language peculiar to themselves, different from that of the Thugs, and having even a greater dissimilarity to Hindustanee; consequently, none of the people either of the towns or villages in any other part of India can understand a word they utter. Major Sleeman fortunately succeeded in apprehending a great number, who, upon assurance of indemnity from any species of punishment, were prevailed upon to become approvers; these persons are now maintained at the different offices attached to the poli tical agency under Major Sleeman, on the condition of their disclosing every particular concerning their brethren in the jungle. By the assistance of these people, the officers employed by Government have succeeded in apprehending considerable numbers, and there is little doubt that the whole system will in a short time be effectually crushed.

Previous to the departure of the Budhuky on an expedition, the jemadar, or leader, assembles the whole party, the number varying from forty to one hundred and fifty. A goat is then sacrificed, with numerous ceremonies; every individual dips his hand into the blood of the victim, and takes a solemn oath never to betray any member, invoking the gods in the event of such treachery to cause his own blood to flow in a similar manner. At the conclusion of these rites, the omens are taken, and this, as in Thuggee, constitutes an important part of the proceedings, as the success of the meditated dacoity must depend upon their being favourable, an evil augury preventing the expedition altogether. Should the auspices be fortunate, they hasten to disguise themselves, either as faqueers, or kanwarulees (the carriers of Ganges water); and when all is ready, one or two of the most active and enterprizing are selected as spies, who are employed in the inspection of the villages and towns in the neighbourhood of their line of march, in order to ascertain the residence of the most wealthy banker or merchant in the place. These men contrive to procure admission into the interior of the premises, and are occasionally a month in making themselves acquainted with the localities; when they have ascertained them, they retrace their steps to the place where the rest of the gang have been left in waiting, and report progress. The whole band imme

diately separates, each individual travelling by himself during the day, but the party meeting at night at a fixed point. In this manner they advance, always in disguise, until they arrive at the scene of their intended operations. When within a mile or two, they halt, for the purpose of preparing light ladders of bamboo, of rude construction, each person completing his work in a few minutes. They now also prepare torches, and one portion of the gang is told off to form the escalading party, and the one to which the breaking open the doors and windows is entrusted. Two other parties are directed to post themselves round the house, with instructions to cut down any of the townspeople who may be alarmed and come to the rescue, or oppose them in any way. These orders having been carried into effect, the signal is given; the torches are ignited at once, the ladders are planted against the walls, crow-bars, axes, and hatchets vigorously applied, amidst the shouts and yells of the besieging party. The terrified inmates, alarmed at the noise and the blaze of the torches, which flash into every aperture, endeavour to seek safety in flight, or by concealment in some hole or corner. Those who may be rash enough to attempt resistance are speedily disposed of, and few are fortunate enough to escape. No time is lost is seizing the booty, and when this is once obtained, the whole party decamp, travelling with the most extraordinary speed during the night, and in consequence getting to a great distance by break of day.

At their first halt, every individual belonging to the gang undergoes a strict search, for the purpose of detecting any attempt to secrete a portion of the spoils. Should any one of them be suspected after this examination, he is obliged to undergo an ordeal, being required to take a ball of heated iron in his hand; the conclusion, in the event of its burning the flesh, being that he is guilty. Upon the return of the party to their home, the whole booty is divided amongst the members, the jemadar, or leader, receiving his share first, and being reimbursed for the expenses he has incurred during the expedition. Every individual belonging to the gang, even to the infant in arms, receives his share; and should a dacoit die, or be killed during the foray, his widow is maintained until she marries again.

It is astonishing how very long these men contrived to keep their haunts and their occupation secret, the numerous robberies which they committed being imputed to persons living much nearer to the scene of action. It was the Budhuky who, nearly seven years ago, succeeded in plundering the Peishwa, who resides in confinement within a few miles of Cawnpore, one of the largest military stations in India. The party travelled from the Terai, all across Oude, in the manner before described. They had succeeding in gaining every item of necessary information concerning the situation and interior economy of the palace at Bithore, the place of the Peishwa's confinement, and they took their measures so well, that, notwithstanding its numerous inhabitants, and the guard at the gates, they surprised it one night, and carried off property amounting to upwards of three lacs of rupees. There is no difficulty now in obtaining every kind of information respecting the exploits or the peculiar organization of the Budhuky, as the approvers are perfectly willing to disclose all the secrets of their systems, speaking of the robberies which they have committed as capital jokes.

SOUTHGATE'S TOUR IN ARMENIA AND KURDISTAN.*

IN proportion as the countries and people of the East become better known to us, the descriptions of them by European travellers are drawn with more fidelity, the writers being less under the influence of their own imagination, and of a desire to exaggerate, which many are too prone to indulge where there is little chance of detection. Two centuries ago, a native of Europe, who had travelled in Eastern lands, was stared at as a prodigy, and the credulity of his countrymen afforded an almost irresistible temptation to throw an air of romance round his adventures, whilst his own sensations, when first in actual contact with people and objects so peculiar in their character and aspect, would frequently betray him into false opinions, and dispose him to listen with avidity to details with which the ignorant and designing natives of the countries in which he travelled, would be ever ready to fill his ears. The extravagancies we discern in the narratives of orientals, who have given to their countrymen accounts of their travels in Europe, will enable us to trace the sources of the absurdities of which the early European travellers were guilty, for they are referrable to the same origin. The facilities of locomotion, which have materially obviated the chief difficulty of travelling; the rapid march of civilization in many Eastern countries, the sensible decay of religious prejudices and antipathies there, and the increase of power which the states of Christendom have acquired of late years, in comparison with those of Islam, and which impart to every subject of the former a title to respect in the eyes of the latter, have all contributed to render the access from the West to the East easier and less dangerous than formerly. It is not too much to assert that the countries of the East, generally speaking, are now better known to Englishmen than those of foreign Europe were in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

We have been led to make these reflections upon reading Mr. Southgate's Narrative of a Tour in Armenia, Persia and the contiguous countries, including Kurdistan, which is distinguished by a degree of fidelity, candour, and freedom from the prepossessions of Western civilization, not very usual in travellers of the profession to which he belongs. The journey was performed in the execution of a mission, under the direction of the Board of Missions of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, one of its objects being, to examine the condition of the Eastern churches, and it appears that the American Board has, in consequence of Mr. Southgate's report, established a mission amongst the Jacobite Christians of Mesopotamia.

Mr. Southgate left New York in April 1836, and reached Constantinople. in July. Here he remained some time, in order to study the Turkish language, which is spoken not only throughout the dominions of the Sultan, but in the bazaars of Bagdad, Syria, and Egypt, and in the Southern and Western provinces of Persia, where it is vernacular. He now discovered a fact which many other travellers have remained ignorant of.

• Narrative of a Tour through Armenia, Kurdistan, Persia and Mesopotamia, with Observations on the condition of Mohamedanism and Christianity in those countries. By the Rev. HORATIO SOUT DATE. Two vols, London, 1840. Tilt and Bogue.

My instructions had pointed me to the necessity of daily and intimate intercourse with the people, as the grand means of accomplishing the objects of my mission. The necessity of such a course is apparent to all, but the real importance of my instructions in this particular I did not appreciate until I found myself in the midst of an Eastern population. At the end of my first month's residence in Constantinople, I might have promulgated my opinions on Turkish institutions and customs with the utmost confidence. At the end of three months, I began to perceive the fallacy of most of my conclusions; and when six months had passed, I found that I knew next to nothing of the object of my study. But one useful lesson I had learned. I saw that my first judgments had been inaccurate, because they had been formed from a false position. I had began to study the East with a Western mind. I had applied a standard of judgment which necessarily presented a false measurement. Maturer observation showed me the incorrectness of my results, and led me at once to the cause. I had assumed the office of a judge without having learned the rules of right judgment. I was framing opinions upon the institutions and character of a people of whose particular genius I knew nothing.

His good sense, which had taught him the source of his ignorance, pointed out the means of remedying it. He resolved to throw himself amongst the people; to retire as much as possible from Western habits and associations; to discard his own prejudices, and penetrate beneath those of the persons around them; he endeavoured to place himself in the position of an unprejudiced inquirer, considering his only object to be that of learning the truth, and "to throw off those antipathies which the Christian world has too freely cherished against the followers of Mohamed." The fruits of this judicious mode of preparation, during a two years' residence in the East, are seen in the volumes before us; in the author's rational and independent sentiments respecting men and things, an evidence of which is apparent in his estimate of the Mohamedan character: "I have never known a Musulman," he says, "sincere in his faith, and devout in his practical and religious duties, in whom moral rectitude did not seem an active quality and a lively principle."

We pass over Mr. Southgate's remarks upon Constantinople, upon the Turkish character, and upon the reforms introduced by the late Sultan, not, however, because they are deficient in interest, but in order to hasten to ulterior objects. He quitted the capital of Turkey, in June 1837, in a steamer, for Trebisond, where (although the Pasha was an orthodox Musulman, opposed to the new system) Mr. Southgate found "most gratifying instances of liberality of sentiment and freedom of inquiry" amongst the Mohamedan population, who converse freely and candidly on religious topics. It is a common sentiment amongst them, he says, that their religion is waning, and by some this is regarded as indicative of the approach of that season of universal apostacy, in which, as the Koran predicts, Jesus shall re-appear on the earth, and subdue all nations to Mohamed! The mosques throughout the empire are decaying, many are in ruins, and the traveller rarely meets with one newly erected or undergoing repair.

From Trebisond, he travelled to Erzeroum, whence he directed his course towards Tebriz, through Armenia and Kurdistan. He assumed the eos

tume of a native, and threw himself as much as possible into native society, which he strongly recommends from subsequent experience. A Western in Turkey, he observes, appearing as a Western, stands on more disadvantageous grounds than an Oriental in his home-garb does amongst us. If his object be to learn the East, he must become, in all lawful respects, an Eastern; he must know the language, he must wear the dress, he must perfect himself in the manners, of an Eastern. He need not deny his religion, he need not attempt to conceal that he is a foreigner; but he must not obtrude his national dissimilarities upon minds most sensitive to such distinctions.

His party soon came upon an encampment of Kurds, their tents formed of fine black wool. They experienced a hospitable reception from these children of the wilds, who displayed a knowledge of Turkish ceremony and etiquette; they were sociable without being noisy, and curious without rudeness. The men were large and robust, with fine open, cheerful counteBances. These are not, however, national traits. In the town of Moush, the Kurds who appeared in the streets were of a most ferocious and brutal aspect. They were mostly of a middle stature, with stout broad frames. Their faces were thin and dark, the nose hooked, the eye black and merciless, and their expression" fiend-like." The men were armed, the women and girls bore the burthens, and their faces wore the deepest impress of misery. The mountain Kurds are robbers by profession, and frequently plunder and sometimes murder the Armenian villagers. A party of these mountaineers, scouring the plains, came upon Mr. Southgate's little cafila; but the guide succeeded in diverting them from their design. These people are said to live without religion in the mountains, but to profess Mohamedanism in the plains; feuds and quarrels are frequent amongst them, and often end in bloodshed; mutual confidence is almost unknown, and they always wear arms for fear of each other. They are dastardly in character, seldom attacking armed travellers, but assaulting peaceful caravans and defenceless villagers. They are the chief impediment to travelling in these parts.

After a short repose at Bitlis, a place which is interesting from its antiquity and its delightful site and peculiar construction, our travellers departed, under the care of a Kurd, and in a few hours reached the Lake of Van, affording a noble prospect, a barrier of tall, rocky mountains rising in successive peaks, crowned with snow, on one side, whilst, on the other, the land sloped gently upwards to broken hills, the continuation of the Nimrod range, ending in the Sabhan, clothed with perpetual snow. The ancient writers, both Armenian and Greek, have pronounced the waters of the lake salt: Mr. Southgate found it brackish, but not very disagreeable to the taste. Here they met with some villages inhabited by Kurds, different from the wild mountaineers, following husbandry and resorting to tents only in the hot months; they were the best-looking peasantry Mr. Southgate saw in the East. They profess to be good Musulmans, but they have hardly any intelligible idea of their religion. On the borders of the lake, Asiat.Journ.N.S. VOL.33.No. 129.

C