My march is a picturesque one (he writes). At this moment behind me
is my Mogul guard, some two hundred cavalry, with their splendid
Asiatic dress, and the sun's horizontal rays glancing with
coruscations of light along their bright sword-blades. Behind them
are three hundred infantry--the old bronzed soldiers of the
Thirteenth Regiment--the defenders of Jellalabad, veterans of
battle. So are the cavalry, for they charged at Meanee and
Hyderabad, where their scarlet turbans were seen sweeping through
the smoke--by their colour seeming to announce the bloody work they
were at. On these picturesque horsemen the sun is gleaming, while
the Lukkee hills are casting their long shades and the Kurta range
reflects from its crowning rock the broad beautiful lights. Below
me are hundreds of loaded camels with guards and drivers, rude
grotesque people, all slowly winding among the hills. Such is royal
life here, for it is grand and kingly to ride through the land that
we have conquered, with the men who fought. Yet, what is it all?
Were I a real king there would be something in it--but a mere
copper captain!
A fine picture of martial life in the East all the same, and when we
contrast it with a little bit of his experience a couple of days later,
we get the far-apart limits which held between them the nature of the
man. He is now writing from Schwan, where he has delayed his march two
days for the purpose of seeing justice done to the poor cultivators and
fishermen of that place.
_November 30th._--Still at Schwan, having halted to find out the
truth. The poor people came to me with earnest prayers,--they never
come without cause,--but they are such liars and so bad at
explaining, that were their language understood by me it would be
hard to reach facts. Yet, knowing well that at the bottom there is
gospel, that no set of poor wretches ever complain without a
foundation, here will I stay until the truth comes out, and relief
be given. On all these occasions my plan is a most unjust one, for
against all evidence I decide in favour of the poor, and argue
against the argument of the Government people as long as I can.
When borne down by proofs 'irrefragable,' like Alexander, I cut the
knot and give an atrocious verdict against 'clearest proof.' My
formula is this: punish the Government servants first, and inquire
about the right and wrong when there is time. This is the way to
prevent tyranny, to make the people happy, and to render public
servants honest. If the complaint is that they cheat Government,
oh! that is another question; then have fair trials and leniency.
We are all weak when temptation is strong.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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