Chapter I: Front Matter

WITH

THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS

IN

QUARTERS, CAMP, AND ON LEAVE.

BY

GENERAL E. H. MAXWELL, C.B.,

AUTHOR OF “GRIFFIN AHOY!”

LONDON:

HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1883.

_All Rights reserved._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS.

My first Experiences in the Regiment--Toby White--The Castle
Guard--Changes in Ireland--Donnybrook Fair--Half-a-crown’s
worth of Fighting--Ordered to Malta--Affairs in
Syria--Irishmen and Scotchmen--Transports--A Cruel
Joke--Amusements at Malta--Cruise to Candia and Greece--An
old Colonel’s opinion of Rome and its Ruins--Dépôt at
Paisley--Firing a Salute at Dumbarton Castle--March
from Stirling to Aberdeen--Illustrious Tom and the
Blotting-books--Reminiscences 3

CHAPTER II.

IN THE WEST INDIES.

Tralee--A Venturesome Feat--Old Pate--An Irish Cornet--Paddy
Oysters--Ordered to Barbadoes--Grenada--Captain Astley’s
Creole--St. George’s--Land-crab Catching--Turtle-turning--A
Jigger Toe--Recollections of Trinidad--Halifax, Nova
Scotia--Burning of the Barracks--Lobster-spearing--Present
of a Bear--Smuggling Bruin on Board--Our Pet in the Zoo 23

CHAPTER III.

ENGLAND AND THE CONTINENT.

Return to England--Paris--English and French Officers--Un
véritable Rosbif--Plum Poudin--Touching Courtesy--Isle
of Wight--Parkhurst Barracks--Election at Cowes--A Tipsy
Driver--Camp at Chobham--Visitors to the Camp--The Rev.
Dr. Cumming--In the Manufacturing Districts--Ordered
to the East--Generous Conduct of the Cunards--War
Ditties--Scutari--A Wrestling Match--A Good Story--A Fairy
Scene--The Sultan’s Wife 45

CHAPTER IV.

IN TURKEY AND THE CRIMEA.

Enchanting Scene--Loss of Baggage-horses--Sir George Brown’s
Order--Identification of Lost Horses--Dealings with the
Peasantry--Foraging--Cholera in Bulgaria--Disagreeable
Mistake--Dr. Shegog--Devotion to his Work and Sudden
Death--Death of an Officer--Embarkation at Varna--The
Black Sea Fleet--Kind Soldiers--Our first Scare in the
Crimea--Kindness of Lord Raglan--An Outlying Picquet--Story
of a Connaught Ranger--Capture of Balaclava--A Serious
Mistake 65

CHAPTER V.

THE PUNJAUB.

Sent Tumbling into a Ditch--Sir Houston
Stewart--Ordered to England--Fearful Accident on
H.M.S. _Belleisle_--Lisbon--Cholera--A Magnificent
Regiment--The _Ulysses_--A Scotch Captain--A Long
Farewell to England--Cape Pigeons--The Albatross--Arrival
in India--Perplexing News--Our Position in
India--Servants--Ordered to the Punjaub--Agra--Installation
of the Star of India--Showers of Meteors--Durbar 85

CHAPTER VI.

DELHI.

By Train to Delhi--The Railway Station in 1866--Bridge of
Boats--Palace of Delhi--The Jumna--Musjid--Reminiscences
of Delhi--Valuable Copy of the Koran--Autobiography
of Sultan Baber--Mausoleum of Sufter Jung--March
in Cold Weather--Luxurious Tents--Soldiers’ Wives
in India--Kurnal--Government Stud--Christmas in
India--Umballah--Tremendous Storm--Umritsur--March into
Rawul Pindee 103

CHAPTER VII.

THE AMEER OF CABUL.

Rawul Pindee--Expedition to Cashmere--Indian
Heat--Visit of the Ameer of Cabul--Lady in a
Riding-habit--Death of Bishop Milman--Absurd
Statement--Peshawur--Chokedars--Nowshera--Horse-dealers--
M’Kay--Wild Scene--March to Cashmere--Murree--Faithless
Coolies--Daywal--Terrors of my Bearer 123

CHAPTER VIII.

CASHMERE.

March to Kohalla--Crossing the Jhellum--Accident to
a Boat--Ascent of the Dunna Pass--Barradurries, or
Refuges--Tomb of a Young Cavalry Officer--Sudden
Storm--Chikar--The Doctor--An Early Start--Wonderful
Tomasha Walla--Backsheesh--The People of Cashmere--Heavy
Taxation--Treaty 145

CHAPTER IX.

THE VALE OF CASHMERE.

Medical Science in Cashmere--Long and Fatiguing March--
Chikoti--Fort of Oree--Faqueers--Bridge of Ropes--An Old
Friend--Playful Monkeys--Temple of Bhumniar--Primitive
Fishing--Barramula Pass--The Happy Valley at
last--Formation of the Vale of Cashmere--Change in Mode
of Travelling--Dongahs--Herons--The Walloor Lake--Fort of
Srinagur--Pug and the Afghan Warrior--The Murderer of Lord
Mayo 165

CHAPTER X.

THE MAHARAJAH.

Chowni--Srinagur--Wooden Bathing-houses--Baboo Mohas
Chander--Our Future Domicile--‘Me come Up’--Our
Shikarrah--Summud Shah, the Shawl-merchant--Ancient
Temples--The Manufacture of Cashmere Shawls--Dinner with the
Maharajah--A Nautch--The Maharajah’s ‘Hookem’--Lord Mayo’s
Fête at Agra--Uninvited Guests--Rising of the Lake--The
Poplar Avenue--The Pariah Dog--Cause of the Flood 187

CHAPTER XI.

VALLEY OF THE SCIND.

Journey to the Nishat Bagh--Floating Gardens--Superfine
Joe--Isle of Chenars--Inscription--Nightingales--Sudden
Storm--Sunbul--An Irishman’s Dinner--The Guardian of the
Lake--Ganderbul--Noonur--Engagement of a Shikarree--An
Irishman losing his ‘Presence of Mind’--A Holy Man--Crossing
a Rickety Bridge--Valley of the Scind--Bears 207

CHAPTER XII.

THE RESIDENT OF CASHMERE.

Gond--Officer of the Connaught Rangers--A State
Prisoner-- Our Gascon Captain--Silvertail--M’Kay on
Eastern Mountain Scenery--The Walloor Lake--Palhallan--Our
Chokedar--Taken for Wandering Jugglers--Vale of Gulmurg--Our
Camping-ground--A Favourite Excursion--Hospitality of the
Resident of Cashmere--Polly the Pug--Calling the Mares
home--Hindoos and Animal Suffering--Effects of Campaigning
on Servants 227

CHAPTER XIII.

TRAVELLING IN CASHMERE.

Visit to Islamabad--Avantipore--Kunbul--Pitching our
Camp--Travelling Camp Fashion--Palace of Sirkari Bagh--Anut
Nag, the Sacred Spring--Shawl Manufactory--Visit to the
Garden at Atchibul--Irish Acuteness--Pleasure-garden--Picnic
in the Ruins of Martund--Sacred Spring of the Bowun--A
Pundit eager for Backsheesh--Expedition to the Lolab--Review
of the Maharajah’s Troops 249

CHAPTER XIV.

FAREWELL TO CASHMERE.

Last Wanderings in Cashmere--Lalpari--Return to Murree--A
Murree Cart--Return to Military Life--Fever in the
Regiment--Death of M’Kay--Ordered to Agra--Intelligence
of Elephants--Goats--Regimental Pets--A Drunken old
Goat--Hunting Rebels--The Value of a Flogging--Sapient
Jackdaws--Painful Tidings--Brigadier Nicholson--English
Stores--Lahore--Flight of Locusts--Flocks of Geese 271

CHAPTER XV.

THE HIMALAYAS.

Agra--Letter-writers in Bazaar--A Dilemma--The Rajah of
Ulwar--The Taj-Mahal--Deserted City of Palaces--Futtehpore
Sekri--Railway Travelling--The Sewallic Range--The
Himalayas--The Snowy Range--Dehra--The Training
Season--Cholera--Proclaiming Banns of Marriage--Presages of
a Storm 291

CHAPTER XVI.

OUR FINAL JOURNEY.

Indian Hospitality--Reminiscences of Hindostan--My
Bearer--A Spinster in a Dilemma--Deollalee--Our Final
Journey--Bombay--Voyage in the _Jumna_--Escape of a
Minar--Loss of a Parrot--Return to England--Escapade of a
Young Officer--Anecdote 313

CHAPTER I.

THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS.

MY FIRST EXPERIENCES IN THE REGIMENT--TOBY WHITE--THE CASTLE
GUARD--CHANGES IN IRELAND--DONNYBROOK FAIR--HALF-A-CROWN’S WORTH
OF FIGHTING--ORDERED TO MALTA--AFFAIRS IN SYRIA--IRISHMEN AND
SCOTCHMEN--TRANSPORTS--A CRUEL JOKE--AMUSEMENTS AT MALTA--CRUISE
TO CANDIA AND GREECE--AN OLD COLONEL’S OPINION OF ROME AND
ITS RUINS--DEPOT AT PAISLEY--FIRING A SALUTE AT DUMBARTON
CASTLE--MARCH FROM STIRLING TO ABERDEEN--ILLUSTRIOUS TOM AND THE
BLOTTING BOOKS--REMINISCENCES.