Narrative of a Voyage to India; of a Shipwreck on board the Lady Castlereagh; and a Description of New South WalesCramp, W. B.
History
Narrative of a Voyage to India; of a Shipwreck on board the Lady Castlereagh; and a Description of New South Wales
Cramp, W. B.
India -- Description and travel; Lady Castlereagh (Ship); New South Wales -- Description and travel; Voyages and travels
I endeavoured as much as possible that my ill state of health should
not keep me from my employment, but attended to it very assiduously;
which I persevered in till the 27th of March, when the doctor informed
me, that I had better leave the Presidency or I should endanger my
life, as the hot winds generally set in in the middle of April, which
frequently prove very dangerous to European invalids.
On the 2nd of April, after having previously obtained my passport and
a guard of twelve Seapoys, I proceeded on my route, and towards
evening arrived at Tukea, where, owing to my ill state of health, I
was compelled to stop two days.
On the 12th I arrived at Ouronty, which is S. W. by W. of Nagpore,
about 100 miles. The town is very large, and is surrounded by a brick
wall; the houses are built of brick, and are generally three stories
high. The inhabitants are Mussulmen. In the afternoon I went to the
palace of the Rajah, (Rajah ram.) His palace outside is very dirty,
owing to his guard making fires against the walls for cooking. On my
desiring to see the Rajah, I was conducted through a long dreary
passage, with the walls, to all appearance, covered with grease and
filth, at the end of which is a large court-yard, which has a very
different appearance, the Rajah's apartments being all round; at the
end were six Peons waiting to conduct me to his highness, with silver
staves, about eleven feet long, with a device of Mahomet on the top;
on my introduction to the Rajah's apartment, he was sitting
cross-legged with his hooker; at my entrance he arose and made three
salams in token of respect to the British nation. After questioning me
where I was going to, and my reasons for so doing, he presented me
with two camel-hair shawls, by placing them across my shoulder; then
taking his leave.
On the following day, I proceeded on my route, and on the 20th arrived
at Luckenwarry; where there is good encampment and water, and the
natives are principally Hindoos. Early on the following morning we
began to cross the Luckenwarry Ghaut; the roads were steep and not
above ten feet wide, and on each side a vacuity of about 250 feet
deep. The light in the lantern being extinguished, and the moon being
obscured, my horse, had it not been for the horse-keeper, would have
precipitated me to the bottom; I instantly dismounted, and the
horse-keeper led him till he was clear of the Ghaut. On the centre is
a large gate, which stands about forty feet high, and which, during
the war, had withstood a three months' siege.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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