Page:Lord Amherst and the British Advance Eastwards to Burma.djvu/72

 jungle. At first she was not missed, but when the smoke subsided it was discovered she was not on the pile, the mob became furious, and ran into the jungle to look for the unfortunate young creature, dragged her down to the river, put her into a dingy, and shoved off to the middle of the stream where they forced her violently overboard, and she sunk to rise no more.'

'It is a miserable reflection,' says the writer, and indeed one can well imagine what the horror of such events must have been happening within a few hundred yards of home. At any time of public mortality these sacrifices rise enormously in numbers.

All through the diary these miserable histories alternate with episodes like chapters out of the Arabian Nights. Here, for instance, is the visit of Ráj Garoo (illustrated with a clever sketch in pen and ink). He is supposed to be a priest of eminent sanctity, and enormous wealth, and appears with a long suite of attendants. On entering the Audience Chamber and being presented to the Governor-General he did not bow or make any obeisance, but a slight motion of both hands which meant his blessing.

'We were all surprised to see so good-looking and young a man, who appeared under thirty-five, with a very benevolent smile and a dignified manner. He said in Persian that his first pleasure and duty in life was to pay his adorations to Jagannáth, which he was on his road to do, and the next object, which was both a duty and a pleasure, was to pay his respects to the Governor-General, who accordingly returned a courteous answer. After some complimentary conversations Lord Amherst put a long string of pearls round his visitor's