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forcing back a crowd, and then a faint shout would follow, whose accents might mean triumph or defiance.

I was already beginning to weary of expectancy, when I perceived, from the movement on the house-tops and the church tower, that something was going forward within the view of those stationed there. I had not to look long for the cause, for suddenly the harsh sharp beat of a drum was heard, and immediately after the head of a column wheeled from one of the side streets into the Rue St. Honore. They were grenadiers of the National Guard, and a fine body of men they seemed, as they marched proudly forward, till they came to a halt before the steps of St. Roch. Handkerchiefs were waved in salutation to them from windows and housetops; and cheering followed them as they went. A single figure at the entrance of "La Dauphine," stood observing them with his glass; he was an artillery officer, and took a long and leisurely survey of the troops, and then directed his eyes towards the crowded roofs, which he swept hastily with his telescope. This done, he sauntered carelessly back and disappeared.

The grenadiers were soon followed by the line, and now, as far as my eye could carry, I beheld vast masses of soldiery who filled the street in its entire breadth. Up to this all was preparation. Not a sight, or sound, or gesture indicated actual conflict, and the whole might have meant a mere demonstration on either side, when suddenly there burst forth a crash like the most terrific thunder. It made the very street tremble, and the houses seemed to shake as the air vibrated around them; a long volley of musketry succeeded, and then there arose a din of artillery, shouts, and small arms, that made up the infernal chaos. This came from the quarter of the river, and in that direction every eye was turned. I hurried to the back of the house in the hope of being able to see something, but the windows only looked into a court surrounded by tall buildings. Ere I returned to my place the conflict had already begun. The troops of the National Guard advanced, firing by sections, and evidently bent on forcing their passage up the street; and their firing seemed as if meant in declaration of their intentions rather than aggressively, since

no enemy appeared in front; when, no sooner had the leading files reached the opening of La Dauphine, than the artillery opened with grape and round shot. The distance could scarcely have exceeded forty yards, and the withering fire tore through the dense ranks, forming deep lanes of death! Smoke soon enveloped the masses, and it was only at intervals I could catch sight of the moving body, which still moved up! There was something indsecribably dreadful in seeing the steady march of men to inevitable destruction; and even their slow pace (for such was it of necessity, from the numbers of dead and dying that encumbered their path) increased the horror of the spectacle. A deadly musketry poured down from the tower of St. Roch upon the gunners.

The whole fire from housetops and windows was directed at them; but, fast as they fell, others took their places, and the roll of the artillery never slackened nor ceased for an instant. The shot rattled like hail on the walls of the houses, or crashed through them with clattering destruction. Wild and demoniac yells, deathshouts, and cries of triumph, mingled with the terrible uproar. Above all, however, roared the dread artillery, in one unbroken thunder. At last the column seemed to waver the leading files fell back-a moment's hesitation ensued-a fresh discharge of grape, at less than pistol range, tore through them; and now the word was given to retire. Shouts and cries poured from the housetops and parapets. Were they of encouragement or derision ?-who can tell? The street

now presented the horrid spectacle of indiscriminate carnage the guns were wheeled forward as the troops retired, cavalry charging on the broken masses while the guns were reloading. -the cavalcade of death rode past at a walk, the gunners firing steadily on, till the word was given to cease. The smoke cleared lazily away at last, and now no living thing was seen to stir in front: the long line of the Rue St. Honore presented nothing but the bodies of the dead. The housetops and parapets, too, were speedily deserted; for the houses were now forced by the infantry of the line, who, at every moment, appeared at the windows, and waved their shakos in token of victory. As I looked, a crash recalled my at

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tention behind me; and now the door of the bureau was in ruins, and four soldiers, with their bayonets at the charge, dashed forward. On seeing me alone and unarmed, they only laughed, and passed on to the upper story.

"Are you in charge here?" asked a young corporal of me.

"I belong to the bureau," said I, in reply.

“Place your books and papers un

der lock and key, then," said he, "and make your way to head quarters." "Where?"

"At the Tuilleries. There goes the Commander-in-Chief," added he, mechanically saluting, as a staff of officers rode by beneath.

"Who is that pale man in front, with the long hair ?" asked I.

"General Bonaparte," was the answer, "and few can handle artillery like him."

66 THE STORY OF MAIRWARA," AND "THE LABOURS OF COLONEL HALL.”*

In the "History of British India," we occasionally meet with passages which, while varying from its epic tone, commend themselves to our judgment as not less deserving of admiration than the spirit-stirring triumphs of that brilliant narrative. Amongst the most engaging of such episodes is the "Sketch of Mairwara." It tells of a wild and warlike race, famed for the ferocity of their forays a nation of Rob Roys and Robin Hoods-or something worse, partly Mussulmans, partly Hindoos, but so much laxer in their observances than either of these persuasions, as to be disavowed by both. Their mountain fastnesses were for ages the Adullam caves of the neighbouring lowlands, and, accordingly, their community grew up, recruited from the worst characters of the cities of the plain. Thus circumstanced, they became an organised robber-state, and continued for centuries, idle, independent, and unsubdued, plagued at frequent intervals by pestilence, or peeled by famine, until the year 1821, when they came into contact with our arms, and were reduced to subjection. Soon afterwards their districts were confided by the East India Company, with little either of interference or of aid, to the management of an officer, whose appointment affords a fresh instance of the marked discretion with which such selections are usually made, and who, in the perfect accomplishment of a task of signal difficulty, es

tablished his claim to be rated amongst the ablest officials of that well-served government. This was Colonel Henry Hall, C.B., at that time a captain acting with the army in Malwa and Rajpootana, under Sir David Ochterlony, and whose services and gallantry had attracted the notice, and elicited the commendations of his distinguished commander. Through the exertions of Colonel Hall, the robber system was put down, a native battalion was formed, roads were made, the passes were opened, traffic was encouraged, and a regular government was, for the first time, established throughout Mairwara. The Mairs. for so are these people named-were won over to abandon their demoralising habits, and by their own acts, in their own councils, to abolish their pernicious usages. Slavery was prohibited; infanticide, which it had been found so difficult to check elsewhere, was completely put an end to, and their peculiar and most barbarous of all savage customs, that of selling their mothers and wives, was wholly given up. A form of trial by jury was introduced, a jail was erected, and maintained without cost to the Company, and a system for the administration of justice was established, which was inexpensive, and so efficacious that, since the year 1824, the punishment of death has been in no instance inflicted, and but three persons have been transported. To secure a supply of water -the great want of these districts

"Sketch of Mairwara." By Lieut.-Col. C. J. Dixon, Bengal Artillery. 4to. Smith, Elder, and Co. London: 1850.

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and to husband it for the purposes of irrigation, the people were encouraged to sink wells, and taught to construct tank-embankments. Agriculture was improved, much waste jungle-land was brought into cultivation, new villages were built, and, in fine, through the labours of Colonel Hall, unremittingly pursued with quiet devotion for thirteen years, this people, once so wild, were reclaimed to fixed habits of industry and order, and are now living in security and comfort, defraying the charges of their own establishments, and yielding, willingly, a remunerating tribute to their benefactors and protectors, the Supreme Government. This is the sketch of a "Sketch," the crême de la crême of the "Sketch of Mairwara," made to bespeak the interest of our readers. As, however, we apprehend that their attention will not be very readily accorded to a faroff district, with an unknown heathen name, and that, possibly, our glowing picture of these happy valleys may have less the appearance of reality than of romance, we think it well to add that the "Sketch of Mairwara comes before us with unusual vouchers, as well for the substantial accuracy and unexaggerated truth of its averments, as for the importance of the labours which it records. The work was prepared by Colonel Dixon, the successor of Colonel Hall, in pursuance of an order of the Court of Directors of the East India Company, and printed at their expense, "chiefly," as the minute conveying their order states, "for the purpose of being circulated among all public officers who may have an opportunity of rendering similar services in other quarters." The better to secure the full effect of so good an example, it was ordered that the book should contain scientific plans, sections, and drawings of the most material works executed, founded on actual survey and measurement, without which their nature could hardly be understood, the difliculties encountered appreciated, or sufficient information given to enable others to construct like works in similar localities. The drawings of the specimens selected are accordingly given, with minute details of the mode of construction, rates of work, mode in which used, and all other circumstances. These details, however, embarrass the narrative, and with the plans, drawings, and illustra

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tions, render the book too high-priced for extended circulation. The main object of the Directors-the instruction of their own officers, may in this manner be best attained; but, besides instructing, it is good to encourage officers, a maxim which no public body can be more ready to assent to, than the Court of Directors. We, therefore, with all respect to them, submit that they may do more justice both to the individuals whose names are so honourably connected with Mairwara, and to themselves, by the simple step of having this cumbrous "Sketch denuded of its quarto honours, disencumbered of work-details and expensive attributes, and reduced to the compass of a railway volume. Thus may the labours of Colonel Hall meet, in the earnest applause of the public, the reward which will be at once most grateful to him, and most stimulating to others; thus, too, may the millions know that, besides gathering those laurels of which we are all so justly proud, extending our commerce, affording occupation, and amassing wealth, the East India Company, far from meriting the taunt of being indifferent to the internal condition of the country, is actively employed in improving it, and has been, for a length of time, unostentatiously engaged in the silent ministry of doing good.

Mairwara forms a portion of that mountain chain known by the name of the Arabala Hills, and running N.N.E. from Goozerat, to within a few miles of Delhi. It is bounded on the north by Ajmeer, separates Meywar on the east from Marwar on the west, and to the south has the hill possessions of Meywar. The territory is about a hundred miles in length, with a breadth of from twenty-five to thirty

"There are no rivers in this tract, and as the rain descending from the hills made its way to the plains with the force of a mountain torrent, agriculture was extremely precarious, since the crops only received advantage from the rain while falling. It will be shown, in due course, the arrangements that have been made to obviate the want of water for purposes of cultivation, by damming up the mountain streams, whereby the calamities arising from drought have been reduced to a minimum point. The soil, composed of the debris of the hills, mixed with decayed vegetation, is extremely fertile; the return from a beegab of wheat or barley being from ten to twelve mounds, while in

Marwar, and Meywar, immediately below the hills, the produce only ranges from six to eight mounds. The arrangements

adopted in the hills, of diking up the fields with walls of dry stone, whereby moisture is retained, and the decayed vegetation washed down from the hills arrested, conduce much to the fertility of the soil. The portion of the country now most productive, was, before the subjugation of the Mairs, a dense jungle, infested with wild beasts, and scarcely ever traversed by man, save along the foot-paths, which served as roads communicating between the few villages dispersed through the hills. At the time the army penetrated the tract, no single village was inhabited in what is now denominated Purgunah Bhaelaw, now consisting of twentyfive villages, only two of which had retained their inhabitants."-p. 2.

The Mairwara territory now under our control, belongs in unequal portions to the East India Company, to Meywar, and to Marwar. On the subjugation of the Mairs, the villages which had paid allegiance to these states were given up to them; but some of them proving too refractory, were subsequently made over to our management. The district, as at present constituted, consists of nine purgunahs, or divisions: of these, four belong to our Government and form, properly, part of the British territory of Ajmeer. They embrace one hundred and forty-three villages, and sixty-three hamlets, of which only eighteen were inhabited when the country first fell into the hands of Colonel Hall. Meywar owns three divisions, comprising seventy-six villages and thirteen hamlets. Their land is fertile, and has been much improved by the provision made for irrigation. Marwar has but two divisions, with twenty-one villages and four hamlets. These are mostly placed in mountain fastnesses, and have but little available land. One of the early objects of Colonel Hall was the making of roads.

"Formerly there was no carriage-road from Aboo to the southward, to Khurwah in Ajmeer, northwards across the hills. Over the passes of Dewair, Chapulean, Peeplee, Mundawur, and Kot-Kuran, a traffic on camels and bullocks could only pass under the protection of large military escorts. Commerce was, in consequence, subjected to much expense and interruption. The communication from Goozerat, or Marwar to Meywar, if not effected over these ghattas, was extremely circuitous, being carried on either through Ajmeer to the north, or al

together to the southward of the Arabala range. The reduction of the hill-tribes permanently open these lines of intercourse, thereby materially conducing to the interests of the adjoining state. Colonel Hall opened a road passing through the cantonment of Beawr, for cattle, over the Arabala range, in 1826. On the formation of the town of Nya Nuggur, in 1836, this pass was made practicable for wheeled carriages. It is now undergoing considerable improvement, and, with other plans, being carried out, the communication between Marwar and Meywar has been so much facilitated, that the route by Nya Nuggur has now become the great line of intercourse between the northern portion of Marwar to Malwa and the Deccan. The arrangements for protecting trade and travellers through the Mairwara hills are so good, that a robbery is a matter of very rare occurrence. When such cases happen, the onus of satisfying the injured parties rests with the village where the injury has been committed. Various other intermediate passes have been opened, and are frequented by all sections of the community without fear or apprehension. The heretofore much-dreaded Mair hills offer convenient routes of intercourse between the two great principalities of Meywar and Marwar, through their whole length; and life and property are much more secure, from the responsibility which devolves on the people, than while traversing any of the states of Rajwara."—pp. 3-4.

Whatever we know of the history of these mountaineers, was collected by Colonel Hall, from a comparison of such records as they possess with the depositions of their chiefs. The Mairs were no clerks, but though unacquainted with reading or writing, it was their usage to employ itinerant historians, who marked down the main events of their career. Through these sources, their origin has been traced to the twelfth century; and it that appears, as they grew in numbers, they became troublesome to the states around them, and were in consequence the objects of some very formidable expeditions; all of which, however, had the one result of being unsuccessful. This, their courage, their martial character, and the difficulties of their mountain fastnesses, render quite credible. From the year 1754 to 1800, repeated movements were made against them by princes of the Singh family. In 1807, Baleh Rao, a Mahratta, led a force of 60,000 men against them; but their whole population rose in arms, and attacking this numerous army, compelled it to retire. In 1810, and

again in 1818, they were assailed by other powers, who experienced the Jike fortune of defeat, and thus a long series of successes increased their confidence both in themselves and in the impregnability of their position.

În 1818, the city of Ajmeer, some twenty-five miles north of the frontier of Mairwara, was occupied by the British forces, who soon became aware that they were in the neighbourhood of marauders, whose audacity made it unsafe for any one to go beyond the eity walls after sunset. They were called, as we were told, Mairs, and lived by levying blackmail on the cultivators and chiefs around. It was at that period that we first heard of their existence. A young officer, on his own entreaty, obtained leave to go amongst these mountaineers and sketch their unknown hills. This was Captain, now Colonel Hall, who was thus the first European who trod their virgin soil, and whose name in the hereafter, was to be for ever associated with the history of their race.

An agreement was entered into with these Mairs, by which they bound themselves to abstain from plundering. This they observed only as long as they could not help it, and it became necessary to use compulsion. The hazardous task of gaining a knowledge of the features of the country and other information before attacking it, was undertaken by Captain Hall.

"With a view (says Colonel Dixon) to gaining the knowledge of the features of the country, so necessary for the successful conduct of military operations, a party of four officers, accompanied by a strong escort, of a company of infantry, a troop of cavalry, and a number of Hurkaras proceeded from Nusseerabad, via Loolooa to Shamgurh, in Mairwara. Of this party was Colonel (then Captain) Hall, of the Quartermaster-General's department, who afterwards was entrusted with the charge of the district, and who commenced the then apparently hopeless task of improving the morals of the Mairs. There was also an officer of engi neers, and the party was accompanied by Devee Singh, the Thakoor of Mussooda. Having proceeded thus far without molestation, they attempted to penetrate by the Jak Ghatta to Dilwara, but the Mairs collected in force and occupied the pass in front of them, and they were obliged to alter their route, and passed vid Sooraj poora to Khurwah, where they halted for the night. Some considerable robberies were committed during the night, and a chuprassie was re

ported to have been wounded; but no serious attack was made upon them, and the necessary local information having been gained, the party returned to Nusseerabad."—p. 19.

In this passage there is a small mistake. The escort was merely for Colonel Hall while reconnoitring, but wishing to see and learn more than he could, while so attended, he left the escort, and entered Shamgurh, the chief town of the Mairs, accompanied only by an officer of engineers. Their escape was providential, the Mairs being well aware that we were contemplating an attack upon them, and having, at the moment, actually sent an agent to inspect and report upon the British force. The account which their messenger gave on his return, does not do much credit to their intelligence department:

"The first thing (says Colonel Dixon) which he saw was a number of Sepoys undressed, bathing and eating; and observing so many of them with the Juneo, or Brahminical thread, across their bodies, he conceived the idea that the regiments were composed chiefly of Brahmins, seeing that in Rajpootana the distinction is almost entirely confined to that caste; and held them in light esteem accordingly. He next saw them in the evening, dressed in their red coats, and drilling on their respective parades: the exhibition seems to have fairly puzzled him, and on returning to his friends he reported that the British regiments were composed of Brahmins and women."

The Mairs had, before long, an opportunity of improving their acquaintance with these Brahmins and women. In 1819, a Sepoy force, with some light guns, mounted on elephants, was brought against them, and a simultaneous attack was made on two of their strongholds, Loolooa and Jak. The plan, which was framed by Colonel Hall, was perfectly successful, and the Mairs were again allowed to enter into an agreement binding themselves to good conduct for the future; this, however, they did not much regard, and in another year they were in open arms against us. It had by this time become manifest that all attempts to advance the prosperity of our pos sessions in Rajpootana would be unavailing, until the Mairs were reduced to order; and it was accordingly resolved on-first, to subdue, and then, if possible, to keep them quiet. Their subjection was attended with more of

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