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

confident, we were extremely anxious; scouts were hourly arriving from the road to the Great Rungeet, and if our troops had

advanced, the Dewan might have made away with us from pure fear.

Illustration--LEPCHA SEPOYS. TIBETAN SEPAYS IN THE BACK-GROUND.

In the forenoon he paid us a long visit, and brought some flutes, of which he gave me two very common ones of apricot wood from Lhassa,

producing at the same time a beautiful one, which I believe he

intended for Campbell, but his avarice got the better, and he

commuted his gift into the offer of a tune, and pitching it in a high key, he went through a Tibetan air that almost deafened us by its

screech. He tried bravely to maintain his equanimity, but as we

preserved a frigid civility and only spoke when addressed, the tears would start from his eyes in the pauses of conversation. In the

evening he came again; he was excessively agitated and covered with perspiration, and thrust himself unceremoniously between us on the

bench we occupied. As his familiarity increased, he put his arm round my neck, and as he was armed with a small dagger, I felt rather

uneasy about his intentions, but he ended by forcing on my acceptance a coin, value threepence, for he was in fact beside himself

with terror.

Next morning Campbell received a hint that this was a good

opportunity for a vigorous remonstrance. The Dewan came with Tchebu Lama, his own younger brother (who was his pony driver), and the

Lassoo Kajee. The latter had for two months placed himself in an

attitude of hostility opposite Dorjiling, with a ragged company of

followers, but he now sought peace and friendship as much as the

Dewan; the latter told us he was waiting for a reply to a letter

addressed to Mr. Lushington, after which he would set us free.

Campbell said: "As you appear to have made up your mind, why not

dismiss us at once?" He answered that we should go the next day at all events: Here I came in, and on hearing from Campbell what had

passed, I added, that he had better for his own sake let us go at

once; that the next day was our great and only annual Poojah

(religious festival) of Christmas, when we all met; whereas he and

his countrymen had dozens in the year. As for me, he knew I had no

wife, nor children, nor any relation, within thousands of miles, and it mattered little where I was, he was only bringing ruin on himself by his conduct to me as the Governor-General's friend; but as

regarded Campbell, the case was different; his home was at Dorjiling, which was swarming with English soldiers, all in a state of

exasperation, and if he did not let us depart before Christmas, he

would find Dorjiling too hot to hold him, let him offer what

reparation he might for the injuries he had done us. I added: "We are all ready to go--dismiss us." The Dewan again turned to Campbell, who said, "I am quite ready; order us ponies at once, and send our

luggage after us." He then ordered the ponies, and three men,

including Meepo, to attend us; whereupon we walked out, mounted, and made off with all speed.

We arrived at the cane bridge over the Great Rungeet at 4 p.m., and to our chagrin found it in the possession of a posse of ragged

Bhoteeas, though there were thirty armed Sepoys of our own at the

guard-house above. At Meepo's order they cut the network of fine

canes by which they had rendered the bridge impassable, and we

crossed. The Sepoys at the guard-house turned out with their clashing arms and bright accoutrements, and saluted to the sound of bugles;

scaring our three companions, who ran back as fast as they could go.

We rode up that night to Dorjiling, and I arrived at 8 p.m. at

Hodgson's house, where I was taken for a ghost, and received with

shouts of welcome by my kind friend and his guest Dr. Thomson, who

had been awaiting my arrival for upwards of a month.

Thus terminated our Sikkim captivity, and my last Himalayan exploring journey, which in a geographical point of view had answered my

purposes beyond my most sanguine expectations, though my collections had been in a great measure destroyed by so many untoward events.

It enabled me to survey the whole country, and to execute a map of

it, and Campbell had further gained that knowledge of its resources which the British government should all along have possessed, as the protector of the Rajah and his territories.

It remains to say a few words of the events that succeeded our

release, in so far as they relate to my connection with them.

The Dewan moved from Cheadam to Namtchi, immediately opposite

Dorjiling, where he remained throughout the winter. The supreme

government of Bengal demanded of the Rajah that he should deliver up the most notorious offenders, and come himself to Dorjiling, on pain of an army marching to Tumloong to enforce the demand; a step which would have been easy, as there were neither troops, arms, ammunition, nor other means of resistance, even had there been the inclination to stop us, which was not the case. The Rajah would in all probability have delivered himself up at Tumloong, throwing himself on our mercy, and the army would have sought the culprits in vain, both the spirit and the power to capture them being wanting on the part of the people and their ruler.

The Rajah expressed his willingness, but pleaded his inability to

fulfil the demand, whereupon the threat was repeated, and additional reinforcements were moved on to Dorjiling. The general officer in

command at Dinapore was ordered to Dorjiling to conduct operations: his skill and bravery had been proved during the progress of the

Nepal war so long ago as 1815. From the appearance of the country

about Dorjiling, he was led to consider Sikkim to be impracticable

for a British army. This was partly owing to the forest-clad

mountains, and partly to the fear of Tibetan troops coming to the

Rajah's aid, and the Nepalese* [Jung Bahadoor was at this time

planning his visit to England, and to his honour I must say, that on hearing of our imprisonment he offered to the government at Calcutta to release us with a handful of men. This he would no doubt have

easily effected, but his offer was wisely declined, for the Nepalese (as I have elsewhere stated) want Sikkim and Bhotan too, and we had undertaken the protection of the former country, mainly to keep the Nepalese out of it.] taking the opportunity to attack us. With the

latter we were in profound peace, and we had a resident at their

court; and I have elsewhere shown the impossibility of a Tibet

invasion, even if the Chinese or Lhassan authorities were inclined to interfere in the affairs of Sikkim, which they long ago formally

declined doing in the case of aggressions of the Nepalese and

Bhotanese, the Sikkim Rajah being under British protection.* [The

general officer considered that our troops would have been cut to

pieces if they entered the country; and the late General Sir Charles Napier has since given evidence to the same effect. Having been

officially asked at the time whether I would guide a party into the country, and having drawn up (at the request of the general officer) plans for the purpose, and having given it as my opinion that it

would not only have been feasible but easy to have marched a force in peace and safety to Tumloong, I feel it incumbent on me here to

remark, that I think General Napier, who never was in Sikkim, and

wrote from many hundred miles' distance, must have misapprehended the state of the case. Whether an invasion of Sikkim was either advisable or called for, was a matter in which I had no concern: nor do I offer an opinion as to the impregnability of the country if it were

defended by natives otherwise a match for a British force, and having the advantage of position. I was not consulted with reference to any difference of opinion between the civil and military powers, such as seems to have called for the expression of Sir Charles Napier's

opinion on this matter, and which appears to be considerably

overrated in his evidence.

The general officer honoured me with his friendship at Dorjiling, and to Mr. Lushington, I am, as I have elsewhere stated, under great

obligations for his personal consideration and kindness, and vigorous measures during my detention. On my release and return to Dorjiling, any interference on my part would have been meddling with what was

not my concern. I never saw, nor wished to see, a public document

connected with the affair, and have only given as many of the leading features of the case as I can vouch for, and as were accessible to

any other bystander.]

There were not wanting offers of leading a company of soldiers to

Tumloong, rather than that the threat should have twice been made,

and then withdrawn; but they were not accepted. A large body of

troops was however, marched from Dorjiling, and encamped on the north bank of the Great Rungeet for some weeks: but after that period they were recalled, without any further demonstration; the Dewan remaining encamped the while on the Namtchi hill, not three hours' march above them. The simple Lepchas daily brought our soldiers milk, fowls, and eggs, and would have continued to do so had they proceeded to

Tumloong, for I believe both Rajah and people would have rejoiced at our occupation of the country.

After the withdrawal of the troops, the threat was modified into a

seizure of the Terai lands, which the Rajah had originally received as a free gift from the British, and which were the only lucrative or fertile estates he possessed. This was effected by four policemen

taking possession of the treasury (which contained exactly twelve

shillings, I believe), and announcing to the villagers the

confiscation of the territory to the British government, in which

they gladly acquiesced. At the same time there was annexed to it the whole southern part of Sikkim, between the Great Rungeet and the

plains of India, and from Nepal on the west to the Bhotan frontier

and the Teesta river on the east; thus confining the Rajah to his

mountains, and cutting off all access to the plains, except through the British territories. To the inhabitants (about 5000 souls) this was a matter of congratulation, for it only involved the payment of a small fixed tax in money to the treasury at Dorjiling, instead of a fluctuating one in kind, with service to the Rajah, besides exempting them from further annoyance by the Dewan. At the present time the

revenues of the tract thus acquired have doubled, and will very soon be quadrupled: every expense of our detention and of the moving of

troops, etc., has been already repaid by it, and for the future all will be clear profit; and I am given to understand that this last

year it has realized upwards of 30,000 rupees (3000 pounds).

Dr. Campbell resumed his duties immediately afterwards, and the

newly-acquired districts were placed under his jurisdiction. The

Rajah still begs hard for the renewal of old friendship, and the

restoration of his Terai land, or the annual grant of 300 pounds a

year which he formerly received. He has forbidden the culprits his

court, but can do no more. The Dewan, disgraced and turned out of

office, is reduced to poverty, and is deterred from entering Tibet by the threat of being dragged to Lhassa with a rope round his neck.

Considering, however, his energy, a rare quality in