The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at homeMaginn, William
General
The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at home
Maginn, William
Bushrangers; Military biography; Soldiers -- Conduct of life
[15] Officers of the army, in the transactions which may require the
interference of an agent, cannot be too much on their guard against
a set of pretenders who prowl about the Horse Guards for “clients,”
in order to lay them under heavy contributions. They are persons
of neither substance nor character: their usual practice is to
scrape acquaintance with military officers, and artfully learn their
intentions regarding exchanging, promotion, &c., and positively promise
to obtain their wishes. Thus they manage to draw money from the dupe,
which he finds very hard to get back again. They generally pretend to
be officers on half-pay; and some, I am sorry to say, are of that body.
The best house decidedly for the half-pay or pensions to do business
with, is Window’s, of Craig’s Court. It is a house of long standing--of
wealth and respectability; and officers will there be certain of
the most liberal treatment. Not only has he obliged the half-pay by
advancing their quarterly stipend, but, in many instances, a much
larger sum, without any indemnity, except the officer’s honour. In this
respect, Mr. Window far exceeds Cox and Greenwood: the latter are very
liberal: but their liberality is confined to the full-pay.
[16] The human body is divided into the head, the trunk, the superior
and inferior extremities.--_Syst. of Anat._
[17] O’Halloran, in his introduction to the history of Ireland, informs
us that the great military hospital attached to the antient palace of
Tara, was called “_the house of the Sorrowful Soldier_.”
[18] A name of reverence given to fairies.
[19] It was by some supposed that Collyer, the Bush-ranger, was the
same who for several years terrified the people near Dublin by his
robberies; but that is not the fact. Collyer, the Dublin desperado, was
not transported.
[20] A term given by the Bush-rangers to a dreary flat, called
“_Murderer’s Plains_.” The following statement, sworn before A. W. H.
Humphrey, Esq., Justice of Peace in New Norfolk, Van Diemen’s Land,
mentions this; and as the statement shows very strongly the daring
spirit of the Bush-rangers, I copy it.--It is from a daily journal,
called “_The Bengal Hurkaru_.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at home — John Shaqi
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