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MADHOO ROW, A TALE OF MALABAR.

ONE of the most profitable sources of revenue to the East India Company, in their Eastern possessions, is derived from the monopoly of tobacco, an article considered as an absolute necessity by the Hindoos, and the consumption of which is consequently greater than can be imagined. When the soil will admit of it, the poorest ryot portions off a corner of the land he rents, for the cultivation of this odious and tooth-colouring weed. Long ere the day dawns, the glow-worm lights of hundreds of cigars are seen dancing through the streets of the villages; and if it were not for the well-known effect of the leaf upon the nasal nerves, the Anglo-Indian, as he steals out thus early for his morning ride, might romantically conjure the lights into a few lingering fire-flies retiring to their" home of rest," which is generally found among the leaves and tender shoots of the feathery bamboos which skirt the villages.

At one of the principal stations in that faraway land, where the worldly wealth of man is pretty accurately ascertained by the deficiency of his liver, or the depth of mulligatawney colouring in his complexion-the exclusive right of sale of tobacco for the year 18-, had been rented to Ragavah Chitty and Velepah Moodily, two rich native merchants. According to the written agreement entered into by them with the local government, it was understood that they had the power of employing any number of peons*, for the prevention of smuggling, that they might deem necessary. Even in England this power is sometimes abused, and is frequently the cause of the most dreadful affrays; but in India, where the distinction of caste holds such strange sway over the mind of the idolater, and the unlimited use of bang is rather encouraged, the unlawful acts that have been perpetrated by revenue peons in the service of private individuals, under the pretext of detecting smugglers, is hardly to be credited; particularly when it is considered that they are under the jurisdiction of English law, and are subject to the same punishment that ever should await the murderer.

As soon as government had obtained from Ragavah Chitty and Velepah Moodily secu

An armed servant.

+ A kind of coarse opium, made from a small plant, called in Tamul, ganger chadey.

rity for the payment of their rent, the subject of the following sketch was selected by them as the most desirable person to command a body of peons, amounting to between two and three hundred, which was raised for the prevention of smuggling. Madhoo Row had long been known to the police as a most desperate and reckless character; proud of being a Mahratta, despising every other caste but his own, possessing all the qualities of his countrymen, brave, crafty, and overbearing; ready to commit every sort of violence and excess, and far more willing to wield the sword in a bad cause, and live upon plunder, than have recourse to the honourable and ample means which he possessed through his family. Over the undisciplined body intrusted to him, and which included men of every faith, he possessed a power that was as wonderful as it was alarming; the bigoted Bundoola, the brave Rajpoot, the marauding Pindarrey, the crafty but daring Mahratta, Hindoos of the highest caste, even the proud Mahommedan,—all were subservient, and ready to execute his slightest wish. As he was now quite independent of the police, and still smarting under several checks his lawless life had experienced, he rather sought to brave the government officers than to conciliate them; to show his own power, more than to serve his employers. He never moved abroad without an armed body of these revenue peons attached to his person. His Arab horse was caparisoned as if it belonged to a native nobleman; shouts were raised by his followers as he passed through the villages, and where respect was not shown to him by the inhabitants, houses were ransacked, under the pretence of discovering contraband goods, caste, sex, and feelings were disregarded, and property, sometimes life, fell a victim to his remorseless and cruel spirit. Complaints were made to the magistrates; by perjured witnesses he refuted them. Admonitions were offered; they were spurned. His employers were advised by government to check his daring career; he soothed and deceived them by promises, which were too easily listened to by those who were well aware that they, in a great measure, benefited by acts which improved the sale of their property, and struck terror into the heart of the smuggler. Once had Madhoo Row been brought to the bar on a charge of murder, and it was only owing to

a doubt existing in the surgeon's mind (one of the witnesses produced on the trial) as to whether the deceased died of the wounds received from the prisoner, or in consequence of his native medical attendant being deficient in knowledge, that the life of this daring culprit was preserved: this the jury specified in their verdict, and this the judge made known to MadhooRow upon his discharge, beseeching him to beware in future; and concluding his address in the following impressive words :~ “Prisoner, you are at liberty; but, ere you leave the court, let His word sink deep into your heart-whose word is law to the Hindoo as well as to the Englishman: He who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."

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The last words of the judge were still ringing in his ears, and an impression of gloomy foreboding had settled upon his manly and expressive countenance, as he stood under the shade of some far spreading banyan trees near his home, unconscious of where he was. This was a much loved spot; for often on the calm night had he sat and listened to the outpourings of the heart of one who, on his account, had sacrificed her caste, character, and family; he was all in all to her, and she loved him with the warmth and fondness of a woman; even then she watched him, had followed him, and had waited long and patiently to attract his attention. The neighing of his favourite steed Ulmas* startled him from his reverie, and now that an opportunity offered itself, she stretched forth her clasped hands towards his feet, a gesture expressive of respect, and said, "Dandam arya, (health to my lord,) may Luchsmi Sita, who loves you, approach ?" The single word" Asirvadam," (benediction,) with a slight wave of the hand, betokened compliance, and the next moment the timid but lovely Hindoo was in the arms of the dreaded Madhoo Row.

"The steps of my flower of Arulit are prosperous!" said the chief; "but whence comest thou, my Sita, and why those looks of alarm? You see me free;" then in a smothered tone of bitterness, he added, "Aye! free as the hunted tiger, whom all men are panting destroy; but by Mari Ammat, by Kalit, may their souls burn in Naraka§; my enemies shall rue this day. Tremble not, my

* Ulmas signifies Diamond of the Desert.

+ One of the trees sacred to Vishnu; the ninth Avatar.

Names of the goddesses of destruction, who delight in all bloody sacrifices.

The name by which the Hindoos designate the infernal regions.

own; you I would not harm; you are my world, the Swarga* to which my thoughts turn; the only thing I love."

"My soul, my life," she replied, "praise be to Parumahl for preserving you; my eyes are again made bright by your presence; long has your place been empty. I am now from the Pagoda at Meilapoor, where I made a vow to Iswaran to make over to her temple all I possess, if I was again permitted the happiness of beholding those blessed feet which are the true flowers of Niluphart; happiness is mine from this moment. Do not think I have not watched you since you left yonder hated city, and longed to cheer the heart of sorrow by the tongue of consolation; but fear fell coldly upon me, for it is against your caste for woman to venture on your thoughts."

"Feared! caste! what words are these, my Sita? dust be upon my house! Am I to make no sacrifice for you-who have given up the brother you loved-a caste even greater than my own-and for whom? A hated, despised"

"Hush, beloved Madhoo Row ; have you so soon forgotten your flower of Aruli, who is less than the least? Still I am guilty, dearest, for long ere you reached the areka grove that bounds the Lotus Lake, your steps were watched, and the earth you had pressed became a book, whereon my eyes pored, trying to read your thoughts; but come and rest, while I pluck sweet Mogray flowers and luscious Champa, for an offering to the God that hath restored thee to me."

Luchsmi Sita was the orphan daughter of a rigid and respected Brahmin, and was left at the age of sixteen in the charge of a brother, a few years older than herself, who was as strict and proud of his caste as he was fond of his sister: his love almost amounted to romance, and was unlike what is usually expressed by the Hindoos, who display little or no affection for their relations, unless from motives of interest, or when they really are in distress; and then relief is granted more from the knowledge that it is required of them by their religious tenets, than from that love (I might say instinct) which springs from the heart, and strengthens the ties of blood and relationship.

When Anuntya (Luchsmi's brother) was not employed in prayer or at the temple, he taught her botany and astronomy, acquirements in

* Heaven.

+ The Niluphar is the lily of the lakes, and considered by the Hindoos as the most beautiful of flowers.

which most of the natives of India, particularly the Brahmins, profess great proficiency. The more common attainments of reading and writing, by the laws of their religion females were not permitted to learn; such knowledge being supposed to belong exclusively to the devadasi, dancing girls, or slaves of the gods who are in the service of the templebred up for the most profligate purposes, and known to be of the most dissolute and abandoned habits. Her brother and her flowers were all Luchsmi Sita knew, all she cared for; her days were passed after the simple manner of her country: she was strict in the performance of her religious duties, and attentive to the customs of her caste. Regularly as the first rays of the morning sun touched the golden dome of the Iswaran Pagoda, this beautiful Hindoo, with the other Brahminy girls of the village, was seen ascending the 100 steps of the magnificent stone Thir Kolum*, which extended to the very entrance of the temple, bearing on their heads the bright lotas, or brazen vessels, destined to contain the thirtham, or holy water, required for the performance of poojaht during the day. The same tasteful but simple description of dress was worn by all —a long piece of plain or coloured muslin, the end of which is rolled several times round the waist, whence it flows in graceful folds to the ankle; the other end is drawn tastefully round the bosom so as to cover the back also, and serve as a veil; this is then all kept fast by a silver or golden zone, an inch and half in breadth, gradually increasing towards the centre. Having bathed and performed her morning devotions, as is the custom of the country, Luchsmi Sita would return, and as she passed through the little garden of her home, she would watch for a time the growing of her flowers, feed her birds, and sometimes seating herself in her favourite bower, listen to the wild and strange tales of other years from her old and faithful attendant. In the evening she was in attendance at the temple, where, having heard her brother expound the Vedas and the Shastrahs, she would again return to her loved spot of flowers, where, to add to the charms of the calm night, the golden Champa, sacred to Brahma, mingled its feverish and overpowering scent with that of the pure and delicate Mogray, with which the Hindoo girls adorn

Thir Kolum is a tank or pond of great extent, paved with granite, with frequently a small island in the centre, on which is built a temple subject to the chief one of the village.

+ Poojah signifies worship.

their hair. The Mampoo, too, was there, great Camdeo's arrow, with its honey-breathing sighs; heart-burning Nagkeser, and the tender Sitaphals. Here for hours would she sit, breathing the perfumed air, and gazing on the starry sky without another heart to turn to and meet her feelings. This life was too much made up of sighs and sameness, to please the wild romantic mind of the fawn-eyed Sita. She loved her birds and flowers, it is true, but she loved far more to listen to the tale of wars from Rama's page; of the wild mountain chief of olden times; of Rajpoot warriors, who. for the sake of obtaining the bur-mala (garland of marriage) from some high-born damsel, performed such feats, as even at the relation of them would cause the sparkling blood to leave the light transparent. olive of her cheek, and her bright eyes to be suffused with tears of excitement. One evening, after her old and faithful attendant had finished the tale of the brave Bala Ruksha and the maid of the Moothe Jhorna (pearldropping stream,) she turned to her, and exclaimed in a voice of enthusiasm, "Oh! why, Maiya, is our race so fallen; why does not some brave chieftain unsheath the tulwah, and earn a name great as Mount Maru?" "Hush, my girl," replied the old nurse, "nama Sivaya, (praise be to Siva,) these days are passed. What need have we of war or warriors, now the Sheemei Veleikar,* who resemble the Chintamanit, are our rulers. If the Moslem was on the musnud, our homes, our temples, might then require defence; but now the tulwah, the sankh, or the matchlock of Boondi would never be mentioned or heard of, if it was not for the daring Madhoo Row."

"And who is he, Maiya, that ever at his name you turn round, as if expecting his presence, and sink your voice."

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Narayana preserve me," said the old woman, "he is as powerful as the giant Ravana, equals Rama in feats of arms, and his power pervades the fourteen worlds."

"Chi! Chi! (Fie! Fie!)" replied Sita," fear causes you to exaggerate. In this, the Satya Yuga (age of peace), your hero can have no opportunity of displaying his uncommon prowess. Describe him to me, and I will judge if he is worthy of being ranked amongst the young heroes of the olden times."

Sheemei Veleikar, a name given by the Hindoos to the English, meaning, I believe," white men of the island."

† An imaginary stone noted in Hindoo Fables; it is supposed to procure everything that is good.

"Sita dear, question me no more; the drishti dosham (the evil influence) is upon me. Narayana preserve me; by the sacred herb Dharba, what thou askest portends evil. I have never seen the being I named, but have heard the village damsels speak in raptures of his face, his figure, his graceful horsemanship, his noble bearing, his prowess and feat of arms. Often, they say, does he pass through our village, the jewelled turban high above his followers, and looking prouder than any native prince." "By great Camdeo*," Sita replied, "he deserves to be one if he is really such as is reported. Why is he not a Brahmin ? that I might love and worship him."

"Forbear! forbear!" whispered Maiya; "he is a Mahratta, and scorns all castes.'

Three months from the time of this conversation taking place, Luchsmi Sita was in another home, under circumstances for which there was no excuse but the strongest infatuation in favour of a being, who to the world appeared cruel and remorseless. For the hated and stigmatised Madhoo Row she had sacrificed her caste, her brother, and her home. Should she be deserted by him who was now all in all to her, her punishment would be the most severe that a Hindoo could suffer; for, by expulsion from her caste, in consequence of her frailty, she would become debarred from all intercourse with her fellow-creatures; she would be bereft of her friends and relations, who would rather forsake her than share in her miserable lot, which would certainly be the consequence of their commiseration. Wherever she should appear, she would be scorned and pointed at as an outcast; and if she sank under this grievous curse, her body would be suffered to rot in the place where she died. Such was the fate that awaited the beautiful Hindoo, if any unforeseen event should snatch from her arms him whom she loved better than life; and such a misfortune seemed not unlikely to occur, when she thought of the affrays in which he was almost hourly engaged, and the narrow escapes which a moment before he sank to sleep he had so painfully described. With that gloomy foreboding, which a sense of danger impresses upon the excited imagination, often would she lie awake restless and unhappy; and in the deep stillness of the night, when only the breathing of the adored one by her side was to be heard, she would conjure to eyes dimmed with tears the memories of her

* One of the names for the Hindoo Cupid.

childhood: the little garden of her "own old home," which was once her world, would then appear deserted - her flowers withered; the birds, which so often had nestled in her bosom, pining for food. Her brother—he who had loved and watched her, was there; but oh! how changed - how worn, how bowed with sorrow. Sometimes she fancied she saw him dressed as a Vanaprastha Brahmin (penitent of the desert,) having forsaken his home and renounced all intercourse with mankind, in hopes, by continual prayer and purification in solitude, to atone in some measure for her crime; sometimes she saw him sick and exhausted on a pilgrimage to Kasi*, fraught with the same charitable intention. Then would she stretch forth her clasped hands towards Chandriah's + light, that streamed through the small casement of the room, and pour forth a prayer to her for assistance; till at length, sick and exhausted, her long dark eye-lashes, burdened with tears, would force her eye-lids to close, and she would gradually sink into a feverish sleep, too soon to be disturbed by Madhoo Row's preparation for his departure.

One night, being more than usually excited by the fears she had herself created, she remained awake until the dawning of the day, when she knew Madhoo Row had determined to leave the house bent upon an attack upon the smugglers. While he was in the act of priming a pair of English pistols which he possessed, she said, in a gentle tone: "Since you have sworn, dearest Madhoo Row, to be revenged for the death of your friend and comrade, Purneah, who fell in the last encounter with smugglers at Meilapoor, the lizard ‡ has not once chirped, and thrice have I heard the death foreboding Anda || scream. Indeed the drishti dosham is upon us; for my sake, dearest, forego your excursions for a day." "I cannot, Sita, for my life. This evening is the festival of Gauri, and my spies have just been here to inform me, that the band of smugglers I spoke of to you are to halt during the heat of the day in the great tope, near the village Singlandapooram, and taking advantage of the rejoicings and processions that take place this evening in celebration of our Goddess Parvati, intend introducing into their several store-houses some

*The Hindoo name for Benares.

+ Name for the moon, and worshipped as a goddess. The chirping of the lizard is always considered a fortunate omen, and no negociation or ceremony is undertaken unless it is heard.

Anda is a species of night hawk.

thousand maunds of tobacco. I must be abroad to prevent this; it is my duty, and nothing shall make me swerve from it."

True to his word, and regardless of Luchsmi Sita's protestations, he sallied forth, and ere the last glimmer of twilight had expired, was waiting with a chosen body of peons at the corner of one of the principal streets of Triplicane, through which he knew both the processions from the temple and that of the smugglers must pass. Long had he waited, impatient and excited, and still no signs of the smugglers. His appearance at this moment was truly picturesque: his shawl turban richly embroidered with gold, was fastened round his blackbearded chin by several strings of pearls, braided upon a piece of cloth in such a manner as to protect his cheek from a sword cut: a thick and quilted tunic, of the same shawl pattern as his turban, was kept close to his figure by a crimson and gold sash, and loose Moorish trowsers, also thickly quilted, completed the dress.* The same description of dress, but of coarser material, was worn by his followers, who stood around, close to his horse, which was gaily caparisoned, the stirrups and bit being of silver, and a collar of embossed silver plates encircling his neck, which, as he curveted impatiently, clashed with a martial sound.

At the conclusion of the festival of Gauri, a shapeless statue is erected in every village, composed of paste or grain. It is intended to represent the goddess Gauri or Parvati, the wife of Siva, and being placed under a sort of canopy, is carried about through the streets with great pomp, and receives the homage of the inhabitants, who flock to render it their adorations. Once had the procession passed the place where Madhoo Row and his followers were standing, and was about to do so again on its return to the temple for the performance of further ceremonies. Even on its first appearance, they did not suffer it to pass without some jeering remarks, both on the image and its attendants; but on this second interruption, as they considered it, they felt more inclined to stop its progress and create a riot, than to wait any longer for the expected band of smugglers. Unfortunately, just as the procession approached, one of the fireworks struck Madhoo Row's horse, which immediately reared up, and then bounding forward, rushed, notwithstanding an attempt was made to stop him, close to the image, and threw down one of the officiating Brah

This quilting, &c. is proof against any sword cut.

mins. Even by accident, for one of an inferior caste to assault or even to touch a Brahmin, is considered a crime which only the greatest penance can efface; but now that an outrage was committed, as they thought intentionally, and by one who had ever treated the religious ceremonies of the Hindoos with contempt, there were no bounds to their astonishment and rage. One Brahmin, who was nearest to him that had been injured, called down "Siva's curse upon the Pariah Mahratta," an indignity the disappointed and excited Madhoo Row immediately resented. Calling koloo, koloo, (slay, slay,) in a tone of frenzy to his followers, he rushed upon the unhappy offender, and struck him to the earth, and then, jumping from his horse, followed up his savage attack by repeatedly cutting his victim with his sword, while he was lying on the ground; at length he remounted his horse, and rode off to join his companions, who had pursued the frightened procession to the temple. In consequence of the command given by Madhoo Row, many had suffered by the attacks of his followers, but not one so severely as Anuntya, (for he it was who had fallen beneath the sword of Luchsmi's lover,) who was found some hours afterwards lying, apparently lifeless, on the spot where he had first been attacked by his savage foe. When he was taken to the English hospital, it was found that both his arms had been completely dismembered, and that his legs, in consequence of the dreadful wounds he had received, would most likely require amputation, if the fever produced by his situation could not be allayed: this proved to be impossible, and before a fortnight had expired, the unfortunate sufferer was a helpless trunk, without the power of moving or putting food into his mouth. As soon as it was known to the police authorities, who was the cruel author of the Brahmin's misfortunes, steps were taken for the apprehension of Madhoo Row, an undertaking which, from his known reckless and daring character, required the greatest caution and bravery; these qualities were not wanting in the police magistrate, who, in the most praiseworthy manner, undertook to accompany the police peons in search of the offender. In none of his accustomed haunts was he to be found, and they were beginning to be apprehensive that he had absconded, when word was brought that Luchsmi Sita had been observed carrying fruit and rice into the areka Tope*, which was only a short distance from

Areka is the betel nut, which is so much enjoyed by the natives of India. Tope, any cultivated wood.

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