LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2215, 1 April 1881, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE ADVENTURES OP A LADY AMONG THE NAG AS [“ Chambers’ Journal.”] ( Concluded.) They did this twice, then joining hands men in the inner ring, and women in the outer danced ronnd furiously, and suddenly broke off into small parties; and whilst the warriors, weary from their long and hurried journey, retired to rest, the women and those who had not joined in tho foray cut np tho gayals, and prepared the evening feast. The foregoing, which is but a faint description of the frightful and disgusting scene, was not over till past noon. I had been apparently forgotten while it lasted, I lay tied to the stratoher, without the least shelter from the sun, a silent and horrified spectator of th : s shocking spectacle. The sun had raised blisters over my face, neck, and shoulders. I was taken to the chief’s house and liberated ; bat being unable to move, I was carried into a corner and there deposited, where I soon became unconscious. Raging fever set in, and all I remembered for some time was incessant drumming, and night made hideous with debauchery and diabolical rites and noises. But whether it was really so I cannot state positively, for I was light headed many days ; and when I recovered sufficiently to notice occurrences, I had lost all reckoning, and knew neither the date of tho month nor the days of the week, nor the duration of my illness. For days and weeks I lingered between life and death, and I fear I did pray for death more than once, for the agony I suffered, not only bodily but mentally, was fearful. How I lived throngh it all I do not know. Tho chief’s wife, whose child I had tended, poured congou or rice water down my throat twice or thrise a day, but beyond this I took no nourishment for upwards of a month ; and from a rather comely and plump young woman, I became the most fearful scare.row possible, reduced to mere skin and bone, and in this state, though scarcely able to stand, I had to toil and work like the other women. Whilst 1 was with them, which I ascertained afterwards was close upon six months, the horrors of the date of my arrival were frequently repeated, for there was a general and most unexpected rising amongst the Hill people. Police [there were none ; the troops were too few and too scattered to be of any use, so the savages had it pretty mnch their own way. All this time I had never heard a word of my husband. I knew hiq Indomitable character, and was sate he would not be satisfied with mere rumors or surmises, but would search for me till he ascertained beyond a doubt whether I was dead or alive, and would rescue mo or die in the attempt. I had now learned some of the Naga language, but did not let any of them knew of my knowledge ; and now and then I was cheered by hearing them say a force was advancing into the Hills ; but, alas ! my exaltation was shortlived, for the commandant, who was a very inefficient officer, allowed himself to be surprised and beaten back with severe loss ; and sad to say, amongst the heads brought in by the savages, I recognised one as that of poor young S , who had but lately joined the regiment and who had been our guest but nine months before. On another occasion, I recognised two brothers, tea-planters, who had lived about twenty miles from ns, and who, it appears, had made a desperate resistance before being overpowered by numbers, and slain. Whenever the raiders returned, how my heart sank with dread ! for I feared to find amongst their ghastly trophies the head of my dear husband. _ The savages seldom brought back any captives ; they only oared for heads ; but occasionally, when they came across a young girl, they brought her back with them. All those hitherto brought in were from a different part of the district from ours, and I neither knew them nor they of my husband ; but at last a young Eurasian girl, whom I had known, or rather seen, in Nazareh, was brought in ; and throngh her I learned that my husband was alive, bnt nearly heartbroken, and that he was serving with Captain O —’a force, and exposing his life recklessly, and extremely savage with his commander for his incompetence and want of skill. But, said the girl, it was rumored that & general officer, with fresh troops from Calcutta, was shortly expected; that Captain C had been recalled ; and that although an immediate attack on the ravages was forbidden, B -, of the 3rd Light Infantry, a well-known resolute and efficient officer, with a part of his regiment, had been sent to keep up a strict blockade, and that ho had established posts along the base of the hills, about fifteen miles off. I think the Nagas looked upon me as a harmless idiot, for they allowed me to wander about the stockade without hindrance ; and I learned that though apparently Impregnable on three faces, yet that a cooret passage existed iu the north face, by which they could retreat in case of need. My heart was aching to rejoin my husband, especially when X learned he near ; so I determined to escape. 1 did not now refuse the food set apart for me, but for a week or ten days husbanded my strength, and ate and drank all they offered me. Bnoyed up by hope, my health greatly Improved, and my strength came back rapidly. My own scanty clothes had worn off my back ’ong ago, and I was now dressed like a Naga woman, with only a shift and petticoat ; I had neither shoes nor stockings, yet I made up my mind to try to escaps directly the nights were sufficiently dark for that purpose; and I was further assisted by another orgie of the savages, who had again surprised a post, brought home heads, and had another heavy drink and debauch. Whilst the devilry was at its height, commending myself to an all-powerful Ruler, I stepped into the secret passage, and fled not only for my life but for dear liberty, home and husband. I knew enough, of Captain B ——■ s character to be sure tbat if I succeeded in reaching his camp, and he learned the secret of the passage by which I had escaped, he would be anxious to surprise the enemy’s stronghold. I was doubtful whether my strength would enable me to reach his outposts ; but I was sare I never could guide tho troops back, even if I had the courage to return to such a detestable spot. So I took a bundle of cotton with mo, and left a little hero and there from the end of the secret passage to the main pathway, which led down the ghaut. Although the night was pitchy da-k, I had no diffien’ty, once I was ont of the secret passage, in finding the path down to to the plains ; and the distance between it and the stockade was barely a quarter of a mile. Where the path diverged, 1 stuck a forked stick with a good handful of cotton In it and pointing towards tho direction to be taken. I knew wild beasts abounded in these jungles ; but so joyous was I at the idea of escape, I gave them no heed, but hurried down as fast as my unprotected feet would carry me. I had anticipated a good five hours* march ; but imagine my delight when I was challenged by a Goorkha of the 3rd Light Infantry (now the 44th Light Infantry; before I had been two hours on the journey. I could have hugged the ugly but brave little soldier ; but as I was to all intents and purposes a Naga in dress and dirt, he would not allow mo to pass his post, and 1 was at a loss what to do, and all but crying, when I heard my own husband’s voice asking what the row was about ! Regardless of the sentry, I rushed forward, and crying. “ Oh, Willie, don’t you know me ?” fell into my husband’s arms, and barely escaped a thrust made at mo by th honest little Goorkha, who thought X was some witch of a Naga intent on mischief ! It woold be useless trying to describe the next few moments. Half crying, half laughing, I clung tn my dear one, thankful to feel his protecting arms once more round me. and told him in a few words what I had suffered, and how I had escaped. He thought tee news so important that ho urged me to see Captain B at once, utterly unfit though I was to see any civilised being. Ho told me the information I could give might bo the making of him and Captain B ; that our garden wan destroyed, and wo all but penniless; and if he could render Government some important service ho might got employment. So, for his dear sake, I instantly consented, and In a marvellously short time B was in our hut. I told him of the revelry in tho enemy’s camp, of the secret passages, and the means I had adopted of pointing out the route to it, and also of all the horrors 1 had witnessed. My transient strength had been already overtaxed. I was dead-beat, my husband persuaded me to lie down, and in a few moments I was fast asleep, tho first really refreshing and happy sleep I had had during tho past six months. Ho sooner was I asleep than my husband offered to lead

the stormers—they were short of officers, owing to sickness and casualties—and Captain B decided to capture the enemy’s post by a coup de main, and within half-an-hour, one hundred and fifty Goorkhas under Willie, with a reserve of another hundred and fifty under Captain B himself, were en route. They found the forked stick as I had described, and the cotton scattered about led them direct to the secret passage, and they were inside the stockade before a single Naga suspected the presence of an enemy. The troops entered just before daybreak, when the savages were In their most profound sleep, and but few escaped the vengeance they so well merited. It appeared that Captain B - , finding the Nagaa slipping throogh his lines, owing to their extent, had drawn the cordon closer on the enemy, and I had thus fortunately found his _ outposts so mnch nearer than I had anticipated. Our loss was not severe—only a few men ; but my poor husband was severely wounded ; and when I awoke from nearly fifteen hours’ sleep and found him lying in the hut a mass of bandages, and with scarcely strength to speak to me, I was nearly beside myself, and was very nearly upbraiding him for having left me and risked his life ; but Captain B came in, and told me my husband had b'-haved in the most gallant manner, and that he had recommend him for a commission- Carefnl nursing soon brought Willie round ; and when he was able to move wont to Seebsangor, where, what with being with my husband, and seeing kindly European faces round me, and happiness Instead of despair staring me In the face, I improved so much, that In three months people declared I was as bonnie as before my misfortunes. Three days after Captain B ’s successful attack and destruction of the principal stronghold of the Nagas, the Brigadier arrived j but instead of praising that gallant officer he reprimanded him for disobedience of orders in attacking the enemy; which so disgusted B , that ha accepted an appointment offered him in the civil branch of the administration of the province; in which he greatly distinguished himself, and rose to the highest posts. He was (■iso somewhat consoled by a private letter from the Commander-In-Chief, praising him highly for his promptitude and gallantry, and regretting that he was unable publicly to notice his claims in the faoe of the General’s division orders, but that he would do so indirectly ; and also that ho bad mnch pleasure In recommending my husband for a commission to the directors of the Honorable the East Indian -’ompstiy, which he received iu due time ; and though he began bis military service somewhat late in life, his subsequent career in the Sutlej and Punjab wars, on Lord Raglan’s staff in the Crimea, and during the mutinies, are too well known to need repetition. He rapidly rose to be a field-officer, a C.B. and V.C. for conspicuous bravery in the field ; but he fell as a gallant officer should, with his face to tho foe, in the final assault on Lucknow ; and I, his widow, shall ever remembsr the canae which led to hta career as a soldier, and the harrowing period passed by me as a captive amongst tho Nagas.