Page:Narrative of a journey through the upper provinces of India etc. (Volume III.).djvu/408

366 the models furnished by their Mahommedan conquerors.

We are now engaged, as you are aware, in a very expensive and tedious war, in countries whither the Mahommedans were never able to penetrate. This tediousness, together with the partial reverses which the armies have sustained, has given rise to all manner of evil reports among the people of Hindostan, and to a great deal of grumbling and discontent among the English. After all, I cannot myself perceive that there is any body to blame. Every body cried out for war in the first instance, as necessary to the honour of the Government, and murmured greatly against Lord Amherst, for not being more ready than he was to commence it. Of the country which we were to invade no intelligence could be obtained; and in fact our armies have had little to contend with, except a most impracticable and unknown country. It is unfortunate, however, that after a year and a half of war we should, except in point of dear-bought experience, be no further advanced than at the beginning, and there are very serious grounds for apprehending, that if any great calamity occurred in the East, a storm would follow on our north-western and western frontier, which, with our present means, it would be by no means easy to allay. Something, however, has been gained; if we can do little harm to the Birmans, it is evident, from their conduct in the field, that, beyond their own jungles, they can do still less harm to us. And the inhabitants of Calcutta, who, about this time last