Himalayan Journals, vol 2, J. D. Hooker [small books to read txt] 📗

subscribe to; he also wanted to know from me how Campbell would be likely to behave. I refused to answer any

questions till I should be informed why I was myself made prisoner; on which he went away, leaving me still guarded. My own Sirdar then explained that Campbell had been knocked down, tied hand and foot,

and taken to his tent, and that all his coolies were also bound, our captors claiming them as Sikkimites, and subjects of the Rajah.

Shortly afterwards the three returned, the Soubah looking more

spectral than ever, and still more violently agitated, and I thought I perceived that whatever were his plans, he had failed in them.

He asked me what view the Governor-General would take of this

proceeding? and receiving no answer, he went off with the Tchebu

Lama, and left me with the third individual. The latter looked

steadily at me for some time, and then asked if I did not know him.

I said I did not, when he gave his name as Dingpun Tinli, and I

recognised in him one of the men whom the Dewan had sent to conduct us to the top of Mainom the previous year (see vol. i. chapter xiii).

This opened my eyes a good deal, for he was known to be a right-hand man of the Dewan's, and had within a few months been convicted of

kidnapping two Brahmin girls from Nepal,* [This act as I have

mentioned at v. i. chapter xv, was not only a violation of the

British treaty, but an outrage on the religion of Nepal.

Jung Bahadoor demanded instant restitution, which Campbell effected; thus incurring the Dingpun's wrath, who lost, besides his prize, a

good deal of money which the escapade cost him.] and had vowed

vengeance against Campbell for the duty he performed in bringing him to punishment.

I was soon asked to go to my tent, which I found pitched close by;

they refused me permission to see my fellow-prisoner, or to be near him, but allowed me to hang up my instruments, and arrange my

collections. My guards were frequently changed during the night,

Lepchas often taking a turn; they repeatedly assured me that there

was no complaint or ill-feeling against me, that the better classes in Sikkim would be greatly ashamed of the whole affair, that Tchebu Lama was equally a prisoner, and that the grievances against Campbell were of a political nature, but what they were they did not know.

The night was very cold (thermometer 26 degrees), and two inches of snow fell. I took as many of my party as I could into my tent, they having no shelter fit for such an elevation (12,590 feet) at this

season. Through the connivance of some of the people, I managed to

correspond with Campbell, who afterwards gave me the following

account of the treatment he had received. He stated that on leaving the hut, he had been met by Meepo, who told him the Soubah had

ordered his being turned out. A crowd of sepoys then fell on him and brought him to the ground, knocked him on the head, trampled on him, and pressed his neck down to his chest as he lay, as if endeavouring to break it. His feet were tied, and his arms pinioned behind, the

wrist of the right hand being bound to the left arm above the elbow; the cords were then doubled, and he was violently shaken. The Singtam Soubah directed all this, which was performed chiefly by the Dingpun Tinli and Jongpun Sangabadoo.* [This was the other man sent with us to Mainom, by the Dewan, in the previous December.] After this the

Soubah came to me, as I have related; and returning, had Campbell

brought bound before him, and asked him, through Tchebu Lama, if he would write from dictation. The Soubah was violent, excited, and

nervous; Tchebu Lama scared. Campbell answered, that if they

continued torturing him (which was done by twisting the cords round his wrists by a bamboo-wrench), he might say or do anything, but that his government would not confirm any acts thus extorted. The Soubah became still more violent, shook his bow in Campbell's face, and

drawing his hand significantly across his throat, repeated his

questions, adding others, enquiring why he had refused to receive the Lassoo Kajee as Vakeel, etc. (see chapter xviii).

The Soubah's people, meanwhile, gradually slunk away, seeing which he left Campbell, who was taken to his tent.

Early next morning Meepo was sent by the Soubah, to ask whether I

would go to Yakla pass, or return to Dorjiling, and to say that the Rajah's orders had been very strict that I was not to be molested,

and that I might proceed to whatever passes I wished to visit, whilst Campbell was to be taken back to the Durbar, to transact business.

I was obliged to call upon the Soubah and Dingpun to explain their

conduct of the previous day, which they declared arose from no

ill-feeling, but simply from their fear of my interfering in

Campbell's behalf; they could not see what reason I had to complain, so long as I was neither hurt nor bound. I tried in vain to explain to them that they could not so play fast and loose with a British

subject, and insisted that if they really considered me free, they

should place me with Campbell, under whose protection I considered

myself, he being still the Governor-General's agent.

Much discussion followed this: Meepo urged me to go on to Yakla, and leave these bad people; and the Soubah and Dingpun, who had exceeded their orders in laying hands on me, both wished me away. My course

was, however, clear as to the propriety of keeping as close to

Campbell as I was allowed, so they reluctantly agreed to take me with him to the Durbar.

Tchebu Lama came to me soon afterwards, looking as stolid as ever,

but with a gulping in his throat; he alone was glad I was going with them, and implored me to counsel Campbell not to irritate the Amlah by a refusal to accede to their dictates, in which case his life

might be the forfeit. As to himself, the opposite faction had now got the mastery, there was nothing for it but to succumb, and his throat would surely be cut. I endeavoured to comfort him with the assurance that they dared not hurt Campbell, and that this conduct of a party of ruffians, influenced by the Dewan and their own private pique, did not represent his Rajah's feelings and wishes, as he himself knew;

but the poor fellow was utterly unnerved, and shaking hands warmly, with his eyes full of tears, he took his leave.

We were summoned by the Dingpun to march at 10 a.m.: I demanded an

interview with Campbell first, which was refused; but I felt myself pretty safe, and insisting upon it, he was brought to me. He was

sadly bruised about the head, arms, and wrists, walked very lame, and had a black eye to boot, but was looking stout and confident.

I may here mention that seizing the representative of a neighbouring power and confining him till he shall have become amenable to terms, is a common practice along the Tibet, Sikkim, and Bhotan frontiers.

It had been resorted to in 1847, by the Bhotanese, under the

instructions of the Paro Pilo, who waylaid the Sikkim Rajah when

still in Tibet, on his return from Jigatzi, and beleagured him for

two months, endeavouring to bring him to their terms about some

border dispute; on this occasion the Rajah applied to the British

government for assistance, which was refused; and he was ultimately rescued by a Tibetan force.

In the present case the Dewan issued orders that Campbell was to be confined at Tumloong till he himself should arrive there; and the

Rajah was kept in ignorance of the affair. The Sepoys who met us on our approach to Tumloong on the 3rd of November, were, I suspect,

originally sent for the purpose; and I think that the Amlah also had followed us to Rungpo with the same object. Their own extreme

timidity, and the general good-feeling in the country towards

Campbell prevented its execution before, and, as a last resource,

they selected the Singtam Soubah and Dingpun Tinli for the office, as being personally hostile to him. The Dewan meanwhile being in Tibet, and knowing that we were about to visit the frontier, for which I had full permission and escort, sent up the Tibetan guard, hoping to

embroil them in the affair; in this he failed, and it drew upon him the anger of the Lhassan authorities.* [In the following summer

(1850), when the Rajah, Dewan, and Soubah, repaired to Choombi, the Lhassan authorities sent a Commissioner to inquire into the affair, understanding that the Dewan had attempted to embroil the Tibetans in it. The commissioner asked the Rajah why he had committed such an

outrage on the representative of the British government, under whose protection he was; thus losing his territory, and bringing English

troops so near the Tibet frontier. The Rajah answered that he never did anything of the kind; that he was old and infirm, and unable to transact all his affairs; that the mischief had arisen out of the

acts and ignorance of others, and finally begged the Commissioner to investigate the whole affair, and satisfy himself about it.

During the inquiry that followed, the Dewan threw all the blame on

the Tibetans, who, he said were alone implicated: this assertion was easily disproved, and on the conclusion of the inquiry the

Commissioner railed vehemently at the Dewan, saying:--"You tried to put this business on the people of my country; it is an abominable

lie. You did it yourselves, and no one else. The Company is a great monarchy; you insulted it, and it has taken its revenge. If you, or any other Tibetan, ever again cause a rupture with the English, you shall be taken with ropes round your necks to Pekin, there to undergo the just punishment of your offence under the sentence of the mighty Emperor."] The Soubah, in endeavouring to extort the new treaty by

force, and the Dingpun, who had his own revenge to gratify, exceeded their instructions in using violence towards Campbell, whom the Dewan ordered should be simply taken and confined; they were consequently disgraced, long before we were released, and the failure of the

stratagem thrown upon their shoulders.

During the march down to Laghep, Campbell was treated by the

Dingpun's men with great rudeness: I kept as near as I was allowed, quietly gathering rhododendron seeds by the way. At the

camping-ground we were again separated, at which I remonstrated with the Dingpun, also complaining of his people's insolent behaviour

towards their prisoner, which he promised should be discontinued.

The next day we reached Rungpo, where we halted for further

instructions: our tents were placed apart, but we managed to

correspond by stealth. On the 10th of November we were conducted to Tumloong: a pony was brought for me, but I refused it, on seeing that Campbell was treated with great indignity, and obliged to follow at the tail of the mule ridden by the Dingpun, who thus marched him in triumph up to the village.

I was taken to a house at Phadong, and my fellow traveller was

confined in another at some distance to the eastward, a stone's throw below the Rajah's; and thrust into a little cage-like room. I was

soon visited by an old Lama, who assured me that we were both

perfectly safe, but that there were many grievances against Campbell.

The Soubah arrived shortly after, bringing me compliments, nominally in the Rajah's name, and a substantial present, consisting of a large cow, sheep, fowls, a brick of tea, bags of rice, flour, butter, eggs,