Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/197

 Cawnpore a large army ef Sepeys, com: manded by Nana Sahib, besieged the hand: ful of British troops and half caste residents, and foreed them st last to surrender, with the propiise of being permitted to embark ou thé river. Bat before they could leave the shore fire was opened upon them, snd only two escaped alive, In snother part of the town, where several hundred invalid aoldisrs and women and children were col- lected, all were elanghtered, and their bodice, yet warm, thrown into an old well.

My first vieltin Csawnpore was to this spot, where now ona Yaised mound is a besutiful memorial, erected over the wil'. Zt consists cf a high stone platform, on which stands a marble statue of » female with wings, designed by Bsren Marochetti. This is surrounded by a stone gothic ecreen ot beautiful design and workmanship. Near by sre the tombs of thosa who fell at Cawn- pore during the mutiny. There are many Kameless, gtass-grown mounds, among which are shrubs and flowers. The keeper of the place pointed out eome patches of ground where the grass but feebly spreuted, and whieh resembled the ‘fairy rings” one sometimes secs in country placse, and said, “These are the places where the little ebil- dren sre buried, the grass won’t grow here if I water it svyeree much. Jt seems to ma aa if the curse of Ged is on the spot, and ou the men who committed the horrible deed.’” A large tract of ground weatly Isid ont and beautifully kept, called the Memorial Gar- den, aurrounds the epot, and no native igs allowed under any eunsideration to enter the erelosure,

From Cawnpore there is a branch road, forty-two miles to Luckuow, the capital of Oude, which contains a population of over 300,600 people. Itisa purely orients] city of great extent and very picturesque ap~- pearsnes, Bore properly than any other place in India itis entitled to the name of the “City of Palaces.

Approsching ths city from the railway station, a miledistant, the picture waa like adream offairy land. Majestic buildings, apparently af white marble, crowned with Somes of burnished gold, scores of pinns- cles snd minarets, many of them very high and graceful, spacious groands filled with choice ehrvbbery and flowers, made the firat impression very gratifying. But a nearer view destroyed much of the illusion, Whatata distance seemed the purest mar- ble turned to whitewashed brick and plaster,