burlesques-第42节

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delighted　with　the　account　of　my　victory　over　the　elephant　（whose

trunk　I　use　to　this　day）；　that　he　said；　'Let　him　be　called

GUJPUTI；'　or　the　lord　of　elephants；　and　Gujputi　was　the　name　by

which　I　was　afterwards　familiarly　known　among　the　natives；the

men；　that　is。　　The　women　had　a　softer　appellation　for　me；　and

called　me　'Mushook；'　or　charmer。



〃Well；　I　shall　not　describe　Delhi；　which　is　doubtless　well　known　to

the　reader；　nor　the　siege　of　Agra；　to　which　place　we　went　from

Delhi；　nor　the　terrible　day　at　Laswaree；　which　went　nigh　to　finish

the　war。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　we　were　victorious；　and　that　I　was

wounded；　as　I　have　invariably　been　in　the　two　hundred　and　four

occasions　when　I　have　found　myself　in　action。　　One　point；　however；

became　in　the　course　of　this　campaign　QUITE　evidentTHAT　SOMETHING

MUST　BE　DONE　FOR　GAHAGAN。　　The　country　cried　shame；　the　King's

troops　grumbled；　the　sepoys　openly　murmured　that　their　Gujputi　was

only　a　lieutenant；　when　he　had　performed　such　signal　services。

What　was　to　be　done？　　Lord　Wellesley　was　in　an　evident　quandary。

'Gahagan；'　wrote　he；　'to　be　a　subaltern　is　evidently　not　your　fate

YOU　WERE　BORN　FOR　COMMAND；　but　Lake　and　General　Wellesley　are　good

officers；　they　cannot　be　turned　outI　must　make　a　post　for　you。

What　say　you；　my　dear　fellow；　to　a　corps　of　IRREGULAR　HORSE？'



〃It　was　thus　that　the　famous　corps　of　AHMEDNUGGAR　IRREGULARS　had

its　origin；　a　guerilla　force；　it　is　true；　but　one　which　will　long

be　remembered　in　the　annals　of　our　Indian　campaigns。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



〃As　the　commander　of　this　regiment；　I　was　allowed　to　settle　the

uniform　of　the　corps；　as　well　as　to　select　recruits。　　These　were

not　wanting　as　soon　as　my　appointment　was　made　known；　but　came

flocking　to　my　standard　a　great　deal　faster　than　to　the　regular

corps　in　the　Company's　service。　　I　had　European　officers；　of

course；　to　command　them；　and　a　few　of　my　countrymen　as　sergeants；

the　rest　were　all　natives；　whom　I　chose　of　the　strongest　and

bravest　men　in　India；　chiefly　Pitans；　Afghans；　Hurrumzadehs；　and

Calliawns：　for　these　are　well　known　to　be　the　most　warlike

districts　of　our　Indian　territory。



〃When　on　parade　and　in　full　uniform　we　made　a　singular　and　noble

appearance。　　I　was　always　fond　of　dress；　and；　in　this　instance；

gave　a　carte　blanche　to　my　taste；　and　invented　the　most　splendid

costume　that　ever　perhaps　decorated　a　soldier。　　I　am；　as　I　have

stated　already；　six　feet　four　inches　in　height；　and　of　matchless

symmetry　and　proportion。　　My　hair　and　beard　are　of　the　most

brilliant　auburn；　so　bright　as　scarcely　to　be　distinguished　at　a

distance　from　scarlet。　　My　eyes　are　bright　blue；　overshadowed　by

bushy　eyebrows　of　the　color　of　my　hair；　and　a　terrific　gash　of　the

deepest　purple；　which　goes　over　the　forehead；　the　eyelid；　and　the

cheek；　and　finishes　at　the　ear；　gives　my　face　a　more　strictly

military　appearance　than　can　be　conceived。　　When　I　have　been

drinking　（as　is　pretty　often　the　case）　this　gash　becomes　ruby

bright；　and　as　I　have　another　which　took　off　a　piece　of　my　under…

lip；　and　shows　five　of　my　front　teeth；　I　leave　you　to　imagine　that

'seldom　lighted　on　the　earth'　（as　the　monster　Burke　remarked　of　one

of　his　unhappy　victims）；　'a　more　extraordinary　vision。'　　I　improved

these　natural　advantages；　and；　while　in　cantonment　during　the　hot

winds　at　Chittybobbary；　allowed　my　hair　to　grow　very　long；　as　did

my　beard；　which　reached　to　my　waist。　　It　took　me　two　hours　daily　to

curl　my　hair　in　ten　thousand　little　cork…screw　ringlets；　which

waved　over　my　shoulders；　and　to　get　my　moustaches　well　round　to　the

corners　of　my　eyelids。　　I　dressed　in　loose　scarlet　trousers　and　red

morocco　boots；　a　scarlet　jacket；　and　a　shawl　of　the　same　color

round　my　waist；　a　scarlet　turban　three　feet　high；　and　decorated

with　a　tuft　of　the　scarlet　feathers　of　the　flamingo；　formed　my

head…dress；　and　I　did　not　allow　myself　a　single　ornament；　except　a

small　silver　skull　and　crossbones　in　front　of　my　turban。　　Two　brace

of　pistols；　a　Malay　creese；　and　a　tulwar；　sharp　on　both　sides；　and

very　nearly　six　feet　in　length；　completed　this　elegant　costume。　　My

two　flags　were　each　surmounted　with　a　red　skull　and　cross…bones；

and　ornamented；　one　with　a　black；　and　the　other　with　a　red　beard

（of　enormous　length；　taken　from　men　slain　in　battle　by　me）。　　On　one

flag　were　of　course　the　arms　of　John　Company；　on　the　other；　an

image　of　myself　bestriding　a　prostrate　elephant；　with　the　simple

word；　'Gujputi'　written　underneath　in　the　Nagaree；　Persian；　and

Sanscrit　characters。　　I　rode　my　black　horse；　and　looked；　by　the

immortal　gods；　like　Mars。　　To　me　might　be　applied　the　words　which

were　written　concerning　handsome　General　Webb；　in　Marlborough's

time：





　　　　〃'To　noble　danger　he　conducts　the　way；

　　　　　　His　great　example　all　his　troop　obey；

　　　　　　Before　the　front　the　Major　sternly　rides；

　　　　　　With　such　an　air　as　Mars　to　battle　strides。

　　　　　　Propitious　heaven　must　sure　a　hero　save

　　　　　　Like　Paris　handsome；　and　like　Hector　brave！'





〃My　officers　（Captains　Biggs　and　Mackanulty；　Lieutenants　Glogger；

Pappendick；　Stuffle；　&c。；　&c。）　were　dressed　exactly　in　the　same

way；　but　in　yellow；　and　the　men　were　similarly　equipped；　but　in

black。　　I　have　seen　many　regiments　since；　and　many　ferocious…

looking　men；　but　the　Ahmednuggar　Irregulars　were　more　dreadful　to

the　view　than　any　set　of　ruffians　on　which　I　ever　set　eyes。　　I

would　to　heaven　that　the　Czar　of　Muscovy　had　passed　through　Cabool

and　Lahore；　and　that　I　with　my　old　Ahmednuggars　stood　on　a　fair

field　to　meet　him！　　Bless　you；　bless　you；　my　swart　companions　in

victory！　through　the　mist　of　twenty　years　I　hear　the　booming　of

your　war…cry；　and　mark　the　glitter　of　your　scimitars　as　ye　rage　in

the　thickest　of　the　battle！*





*　I　do　not　wish　to　brag　of　my　style　of　writing；　or　to　pretend　that

my　genius　as　a　writer　has　not　been　equalled　in　former　times；　but

if；　in　the　works　of　Byron；　Scott；　Goethe；　or　Victor　Hugo；　the

reader　can　find　a　more　beautiful　sentence　than　the　above；　I　will　be

obliged　to　him；　that　is　allI　simply　say；　I　WILL　BE　OBLIGED　TO

HIM。G。　O'G。　G。；　M。　H。　E。　I。　C。　S。；　C。　I。　H。　A。





〃But　away　with　melancholy　reminiscences。　　You　may　fancy　what　a

figure　the　Irregulars　cut　on　a　field…daya　line　of　five　hundred

black…faced；　black…dressed；　black…horsed；　black…bearded　menBiggs；

Glogger；　and　the　other　officers　in　yellow；　galloping　about　the

field　like　flashes　of　lightning；　myself　enlightening　them；　red；

solitary；　and　majestic；　like　yon　glorious　orb　in　heaven。



〃There　are　very　few　men；　I　presume；　who　have　not　heard　of　Holkar's

sudden　and　gallant　incursion　into　the　Dooab；　in　the　year　1804；　when

we　thought　that　the　victory　of　Laswaree　and　the　brilliant　success

at　Deeg　had　completely　finished　him。　　Taking　ten　thousand　horse　he

broke　up　his　camp　at　Palimbang；　and　the　first　thing　General　Lake

heard　of　him　was；　that　he　was　at　Putna；　then　at　Rumpooge；　then　at

Doncaradamhe　was；　in　fact；　in　the　very　heart　of　our　territory。



〃The　unfortunate　part　of　the　affair　was　this：His　Excellency；

despising　the　Mahratta　chieftain；　had　allowed　him　to　advance　about

two　thousand　miles　in　his　front；　and　knew　not　in　the　slightest

degree　where　to　lay　hold　on　him。　　Was　he　at　Hazarubaug？　was　he　at

Bogly　Gunge？　nobody　knew；　and　for　a　considerable　period　the

movements　of　Lake's　cavalry　were　quite　ambiguous；　uncertain；

promiscuous；　and　undetermined。



〃Such；　briefly；　was　the　state　of　affairs　in　October；　1804。　　At　the

beginning　of　that　month　I　had　been　wounded　（a　trifling　scratch；

cutting　off　my　left　upper　eyelid；　a　bit　of　my　cheek；　and　my　under

lip）；　and　I　was　obliged　to　leave　Biggs　in　command　of　my　Irregulars；

whilst　I　retired　for　my　wounds　to　an　English　station　at

Furruckabad；　alias　Futtyghurit　is；　as　every　twopenny　postman

knows；　at　the　apex　of　the　Dooab。　　We　have　there　a　cantonment；　and

thither　I　went　for　the　mere　sake　of　the　surgeon　and　the　sticking…

plaster。



〃Furruckabad；　then；　is　divided　into　two　districts　or　towns：　the

lower　Cotwal；　inhabited　by　the　natives；　and　the　upper　（which　is

fortified　slightly；　and　has　all　along　been　called　Futtyghur；

meaning　in　Hindoostanee　'the…favorite…resort…of…the…white…faced…

Feringhees…near…the…mango…tope…consecrated…to　Ram'）　occupied　by

Europeans。　　（It　is　astonishing；　by　the　way；　how　comprehensive　that

language　is；　and　how　much　can　be　conveyed　in　one　or　two　of　the

commonest　phrases。）



〃Biggs；　then；　and　my　men　were　playing　all　sorts　of　wondrous　pranks

with　Lord　Lake's　army；　whilst　I　was　detained　an　unwilling　prisoner

of　health　at　Futtyghur。



〃An　unwilling　prisoner；　however；　I　should　not　say。　　The　cantonment

at　Futtyghur　contained　that　which　would　have　made　ANY　man　a　happy

slave。　　Woman；　lovely　woman；　was　there　in　abundance　and　variety！

The　fact　is；　that　when　the　campaign　commenced　in　1803；　the　ladies

of　the　army　all　congregated　to　this　pla