among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah." * While, however, British Christians smile at the ignorant superstition of the Indian vulgar, there is a deification of second causes, which passes with us for philosophy, less superstitious, yet not less impious than that which imbodies them in the shape of imaginary agents.

To return to our narrative. From Kotah, in September, the Political Agent proceeded to the little court of Boondi, halting half way at the patrimonial mansion of the Regent. His reception there affords an insight into Rajpoot manners.

'Nandta is a fine specimen of a Rajpoot baronial residence. We entered through a gateway, at the top of which was the nobut-khaneh, or saloon for the band, into an extensive court having colonnaded piazzas all round, in which the vassals were ranged. In the centre of this area was a pavilion, apart from the palace, surrounded by orangeries and odoriferous flowers, with a jet-ď'eau in the middle, whence little canals conducted the water, and kept up a perpetual verdure. Under the arcade of this pavilion, amidst a thousand welcomes, thundering of cannon, trumpets, and all sorts of sounds, we took our seats; and scarcely had congratulations passed, and the area was cleared of our escorts, when, to the sound of the tabor and saringi, the sweet notes of a Punjabi tuppa saluted our ears. There is a plaintive simplicity in this music, which denotes originality, and even without a knowledge of the language, conveys a sentiment to the most fastidious, when warbled in the impassioned manner which some of these syrens possess. While the Mahratta delights in the dissonant droopud, which requires a rapidity of utterance quite surprising, the Rajpoot reposes in his tuppa, which, conjoined with his opium, creates a paradise. Here we sat, amidst the orange-groves of Nandta, the jet-d'eau throwing a mist between us and the groupe, whose dark tresses, antelope-eyes, and syrennotes, were all thrown away upon the Frank, for my teeth were beating time from the ague-fit.' p. 667.

The coup d'œil of the castellated palace of Boondi, from whichever side it is approached, is, perhaps, the most striking in 'India.' Throughout Rajwarra, which boasts many fine palaces, the Boondi-ca-mahl is allowed to rank first in point of grandeur of situation and of architecture. Col. Tod describes it as 'an 'aggregate of palaces,' intermingled with gardens, raised on gigantic terraces. Whoever has seen the palace of Boondi, he says, can easily picture to himself the hanging-gardens of Semiramis. After remaining here for a week, he proceeded through the Banda defile to the western frontier of the Hara country, where it borders upon the Jehajpoor district of Mewar,

* Isa. xlv. 7. Amos iii. 6; iv. 9, 10. Mic. vi. 9 might be referred to, but the Versions do not support the reading in the Authorized Translation.

occupied by the indigenous Meenas already referred to. Still suffering under incessant fever and ague, he entered the valley of Kujoori.

We are now,' he writes in his journal, in what is termed the Kirar; for so the tract is named on both banks of the Bunas to the verge of the plateau; and my journey was through a little nation of robbers by birth and profession; but their kumplas (bows) were unstrung, and their arrows resting in the quiver. Well may our empire in the East be called one of opinion, when a solitary individual of Britain, escorted by a few of Skinner's horse, may journey through the valley of Kujoori, where, three short years ago, every crag would have concealed an ambush prepared to plunder him. At present, I could by signal have collected four thousand bowmen around me, to protect or to plunder; though the Meenas, finding that their rights are respected, are subsiding into regular tax-paying subjects, and call out with their betters," Utul Raj!" (May your sway be everlasting!) We had a grand convocation of the Meena Naiks, and, in the Rana's name, I distributed crimson turbans and scarfs; for as, through our mediation, the Rana had just recovere the district of Jehajgurh, he charged me with its settlement. I found these Meenas true children of nature, who for the first time seemed to feel they were received within the pale of society, instead of being considered as outcasts. "The heart must leap kindly back to kindness," is a sentiment as powerfully felt by the semi-barbarians of the Kirar, as by the more civilized inhabitants of other climes.'-p. 674.

Our Author's return route to Oodipoor, subsequently led over the most fertile plains of Mewar, but which presented only a continuous mass of jungle and rank grass, interspersed with ruins. Traces of incipient prosperity were visible, but years would be required to repair the mischief of the preceding quarter of a century. At one place (Seânoh), the Colonel was met by the punchaet or elders of a town ten miles off, attended by about fifty of the most respectable inhabitants, who came to testify their happiness and gratitude.'

6

Hear their spokesman's reply to my question, "Why did they take the trouble to come so far from home?" I give it verbatim: "Our town had not two hundred inhabited dwellings when you came amongst us: now, there are twelve hundred. The Rana is our sovereign; but you are to us next to Purméswar (the Almighty). Our fields are thriving; trade is reviving; and we have not been molested even for the wedding-portion.* We are happy, and we have come to tell you so; and what is five coss, or five hundred, to what you have done for us?'—p. 683.

On the 27th of October, the Author reached his old encamp

* Tribute claimed by the Rana on the occasion of celebrating the marriage of his daughters.

ment on the heights of Toos, from which ground he resolved not again to stir, till he should start for the sea, to embark for the land of his sires: and he awaited only the termination of the monsoon, to remove the wreck of a once robust frame to a more 'genial clime.' But in the following July, an express arrived from Boondi, announcing the death of the Raja, from cholera, and conveying the earnest request that he would hasten to the court, the deceased prince having named the Author guardian of his infant heir. The appeal was irresistible; and in spite of heavy rains, a week's fatiguing march brought him once more to Boondi, where he assisted in the grand ceremony of raj-tilac, the inauguration of the young Rao Raja, which had been postponed till his arrival. After a long round of sacrifice, purification, and other preparatory rites, the representative of the British Government was requested to conduct the young Raja to the gadi or throne, placed in an elevated balcony overlooking the external court of the palace and a great part of the town.

The officiating priest now brought the vessel containing the unction, composed of sandal-wood powder and aromatic oils, into which I dipped the middle finger of my right hand, and made the tilac on his forehead. I then girt him with the sword, and congratulated him in the name of my Government, declaring aloud, that all might hear, that the British Government would never cease to feel a deep interest in all that concerned the welfare of Boondí and the young prince's family. Shouts of approbation burst from the immense crowds who thronged the palace, all in their gayest attire, while every valley re-echoed the sound of the cannon from the citadel of Tarragurh. I then put on the jewels, consisting of the sirpésh, or aigrette, which I bound round his turban, a necklace of pearls, and bracelets, with twenty-one shields (the tray of a Rajpoot) of shawls, brocades, and fine clothes. An elephant and two handsome horses, richly caparisoned, the one having silver, the other silver-gilt ornaments, with embroidered velvet saddle-cloths, were then led into the centre of the court under the balcony, a khelat befitting the dignity both of the giver and the receiver. Having gone through this form, in which I was prompted by my old friend the Mahraja Bickramajeet, and paid my individual congratulations as the friend of his father and his personal guardian, I withdrew to make room for the chiefs, heads of clans, to perform the like round of ceremonies: for, in making the tilac, they at the same time acknowledge his accession and their own homage and fealty. I was joined by Gopâl Sing, the prince's brother, who artlessly told me that he had no protector but myself; and the chiefs, as they returned from the ceremony, came and congratulated me on the part I had taken in a rite which so nearly touched them all; individually presenting their nuzzurs to me as the representative of the paramount power. I then made my salutation to the prince and the assembly of the Haras, and returned. The Rao Raja afterwards proceeded with his cavalcade to all the shrines in this city and Sitoor, to make his offerings.'

VOL. VIII.-N.S.

pp. 695, 6.

P

The Author remained at Boondi till the middle of August, and then departed for Kotah, where political occurrences detained him for three months of harassing anxiety and fatigue. He then resolved upon a tour through Upper Malwa, being desirous of visiting the falls of the Chumbul amid the dense forests of the Puchail district. In these savage wilds, he suddenly came in sight of the grand temple of Barolli, dedicated to Siva, and surrounded with subordinate edifices, which, both in their architecture and in the sculptured decorations, exhibit a purity of taste and beauty of execution far exceeding any other known specimen of Hindoo art, and justifying the conjecture, that Grecian artists must have been employed upon Indian designs.

History informs us of the Grecian auxiliaries sent by Seleucus to the Püar monarch of Oojein (Ozene), whose descendants corresponded with Augustus; and I have before suggested the possibility of the temple of Komulmair, which is altogether dissimilar to any remains of Hindu art, being attributable to the same people.' p. 712.

We are indebted to the pencil of Colonel Tod's accomplished relative and brother in arms, the late Major Waugh, for some very interesting views of these remarkable ruins. The falls of the Chumbul present a singular and magnificent phenomenon. The river, after expanding into an ample lake, finds no other outlet than a very deep and narrow chasm, which it seems to have opened for itself in the rock, and down which it dashes in a succession of rapids, till it reaches a spot where its stream is split into four distinct channels, each terminating in a cascade. An ample basin receives their waters, which are seen boiling round the masses of black rock that peep out amid the foaming surge rising from the whirlpools beneath. On escaping from this huge cauldron,' the waters again divide into two branches to encircle an isolated rock, on the northern face of which they re-unite, and form another fine fall, about 60 feet in height. The total descent is supposed to be rather less than 200 feet within the distance of about a mile. The bed of the river is afterwards contracted to the width of only 15 feet, but a considerable portion of the water, probably, obtains a subterranean outlet. The whirlpools are huge perpendicular caverns, 30 and 40 feet in depth, between some of which there is a communication under ground;' and for many miles down the stream towards Kotah, the rock is every where pierced with these caverns.

From this magnificent scene, the Author proceeded through the forest, by a road which it took several days to open, to Gangabheva (the Circle of Ganga), another famous temple in this wild and now utterly deserted region; taking its name from a circular basin fed by a perennial spring, and covered with the sacred lotus. The chief temple here evinces, Colonel Tod states,

the same skill and taste as the structures of Barolli, and the embellishments are similar; but it is 'many centuries more recent 'than those which surround it, in the massive simplicity of which we have a fine specimen of the primitive architecture of the 6 Hindus. From the annexed plates, these ruins would seem, however, to be far inferior to those at Barolli; and any opinions respecting their comparative date must be very uncertain.

Our Author subsequently visited the caves of Dhoomnâr, in Malwa, which form a subterranean town,' evidently surpassing in antiquity, he thinks, although not equalling in grandeur, those of Ellora, Carli, and Salsette, and highly worthy of a visit.—Our limits will not allow of entering into detail.

6

A phenomenon of a different description, a political curiosity, presented itself at Jhalra-patun (the city of bells),—' the only town in India possessing the germs of civil liberty in the power ' of framing their own municipal regulations;' and what is most remarkable, their commercial charter' was granted, not as a concession to liberty, but as an act of policy, by the most despotic ruler among the native chiefs,-the Regent of Kotah. In the short space of twenty years, a city of 6000 comfortable dwellings had been raised, with a population of at least 25,000 souls. This is now the grand commercial mart of Upper Malwa, and has swallowed up all the trade of the central towns between its own latitude and Indore. It is situated near the site of the ancient city of Chandravati (city of the moon); and the ruins of ancient temples, ghauts, &c. line for a considerable distance the banks of the rivulet Chandrabhaga, which flowed through it. The portals and ceilings of some of these temples are ornamented with sculpture of the most elaborate workmanship, recalling the minute tracery and grotesque details of some of our Gothic edifices. The oldest inscription which was met with bears date S. 748 (A.D. 692): it is very long, in that ornamented character peculiar to the Budhists and Jains throughout these regions, and is supposed by Col. Tod, to be a memorial of some Scythic or Tatar prince who was ." grafted into the Hindu stock. There were also found, a vast number of funeral memorials of the Jain priesthood; (one dated S. 1066, answering to A.D. 1010;) and in the modern town, stands an antique Jain temple, recently repaired, one of the 'hundred and eight temples the bells of which sounded in the ancient city. About two miles to the northward is the pass which forms the natural boundary of Harouti and Malwa, and the chief outlet between the Deccan and Northern India.'

6

Having halted in the valley for a few days, our Author returned by another route to Kotah, where he remained for six weeks to watch the results of the measures adopted. He then (in February) once more commenced his march for Oodipoor, taking Boondi in his way, and making a detour from thence to visit the