Narrative of the Life and Travels of Serjeant B—— — John Shaqi
Narrative of the Life and Travels of Serjeant B——Butler, Robert
History
Narrative of the Life and Travels of Serjeant B——
Butler, Robert
Butler, Robert, 1784- -- Travel -- India; India -- Description and travel
such a pride in showing themselves off, as they think, with these
butterfly ornaments; for they know no better: but it is truly a pity,
as well as a great sin, that the daughters of Zion in our own land
should so far follow their example, and expose themselves to the
judgments of the Lord for the sake of a few trinkets, as those women
did in the days of the prophet. Because it is very evident, that it
was the sin which these daughters of Zion contracted, by setting their
affections upon these vanities of ornaments, that was the cause of God
denouncing his judgments against them. It would surely be infinitely
better, to adorn themselves according to the direction of the apostle;
"whose adorning," said he, "let it not be that outward adorning of
plaiting the hair, and wearing of gold, or putting on of apparel; but
let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is,
in the sight of God, of great price."
While our regiment lay at Madras, we were infested by the natives
offering themselves for servants, and many of them did get into place;
but, I believe those that took them would have been much better
without servants, for they plundered them of what they could get, and
then went their way[2].
[2] Most of these fellows belonged to the thieving bazaar,
(a market here for receiving and selling stolen goods,) and
took this method of obtaining some booty. I think it is a
great shame (to say no worse of it) that such a place should
be protected by law; for the goods taken from us could not
be gotten from thence unless they were regularly paid for,
in the same manner as if we had never seen them; but if the
thief was caught before he reached the bounds assigned for
the bazaar, he could be prosecuted and punished. As a proof
of what I have stated, Captain M'Lean of our regiment had
his regimental coat stolen, and it was found there, but he
durst not touch it without agreeing with the bazaar man for
a certain sum. However, before I left the country, they were
much restricted, no goods being allowed to be publicly
exposed until four o'clock in the afternoon.
We lay in camp upon the south esplanade until the 20th, when we got
the route for Wallajahbad. This being our first march in the country,
we had our provisions and baggage carried free, but very few of us
thought much of the meat, and less of the liquor; for the arrack used
to be standing all night in cocoa-nut shells, and spilled upon the
ground in the morning when we marched. It would have been well for the
far greater part of our regiment, had this indifference to that liquor
continued; but, alas! it was far otherwise, as I yet may have cause to
observe.
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