17 OCTOBER 1835, Page 17

THR ORIENTAL ANNUAL.

Tan two former volumes of this elegant yet solid Annual were chiefly devoted to the Presidencies of Madras and Bengal. The present volume nominally embraces Bombay ; and completes the first series of a work which is unrivalled in its class, for the per- manent interest and instructive character of its matter, for the unity and completeness of its design, for the clearness and strength of its composition, as well as for the splendour of its illustrations and of its more mechanical adornments. In the present, as in the former publications, the matter of Mr. GAUNTER'S descriptive account is not a tour, but the impres- sions and the striking incidents of a tour, intermingled with individual portraiture and historical episodes. Hence, per- haps, the peculiar character of his Annual. It has the teality of a mere book of travels without its dryness, and some of the spirit of fiction without its untruth. Subjecting the manner of the volume before us to the same test as the matter, there appears to be a very considerable improvement. The style has more of spirit and freedom, the author has acquired a greater com- mand over his materials, and some of them are of a [solder kind than the responsibility of his new situation allowed Mr. CAUNTER at first to use. On the other hand, with the skill he has acquired attnething of the craft of the writer. The assault of Seringapa- tam, from MILL, and the history of the Angrias, though interest- ing in themselves, have too little of novelty to be fittingly intro- duced into the pages of a work like the Oriental Annual. It has been stated, that, for the sake of regularity, the subject of the volume is nominally Bombay. The city itself, however,. claims but a small portion of attention. The first chapter opens with the voyage of our author from Bengal to Madras; during which the vessel was overtaken by a hurricane, of which there is a graphic description. Passing silently over the course of his former route, save when a character or circumstance worth no- tice is met with, our tourist conducts us to Madura, the celebrated seat of Hindoo science and learning in the palmy days of the East. After lingering among these melancholy monuments of departed greatness, giving an account of the literature which was studied at Madura, and telling some anecdotes of the pro- fessors and princes who flourished there, Mr. CAUNTER proceeds to Seringapatatn. From this fever-breeding city he crosses the Gliauts, in his progress towards the coast of Malabar ; and halt- ing in the territory of the late Coorg Rajah, is entertained by Mtn with the utmost magnificeace,---native gymnastics, combats of wild beasts, juggling of an extraordinary excellence, and other exhibitions, being displayed for his amusement. Quitting the court of this prince, lie embarks at Cochin fur Muscat on the Persian Gulf; and driven thence by the excessive heat, returns to Bombay,—with an account of which and of its vicinity the vo- lume concludes.

Our quotations come from what strikes us as being the most novel part of the work—the games of the Mysore. Here is a gladiatorial exhibition, quite in a classical way.

• MAN AND TIGER COMBAT.

The next scene was of a far more awful character. A man entered the arena armed only with a Coorg knife, and clothed in short trousers, which barely covered his hips, and extended half way down the thighs. The instru- ment which he wielded in his right hand was a heavy Liege, something like the coulter of a plough, about two feet lung, awl full three inches wide, gra. dually diminishing towards the haudle, with which it formed a right-angle. This knife is used with great dexterity by the Coorgs ; being swung round in the hand before the blow is inflicted, and then !nought into coutact with the object intended to be struck with a force and effect truly astounding.

The champion who now presented himself before the Rajah was about to be opposed to a tiger which he volunteered to encounter almost naked, and armed only with the weapon I have just described. He wai rather tall, with a slight figure, but his chest was deep, his arms long and muscular. His legs were thin, yet the action of the muscles was perceptible with every movement 3. whilst the freadum of his gait and the few contortions he performed prepara- tory to the bazardeus enterprise in which he was about to engage, showed that he possessed uncommon activity, combined with no ordinary degree of strength. The expression of his countenance was absolutely sublime when he gave the signal for the tiger to be let loose ; it was the very concentration of moral energy—the index of a high and settled resolution. His body glistened with the oil which had been rubbed over it in ol der to pm °mote the elasticity of his limbs. He raised his arm for several moments above his head when he made the motion to admit his enemy into the area. The bats of a large cage were instantly lifted from above ; a huge royal tiger sprang forward and stood before the Georg, waving his tail slowly backward and forward, electing the hair upon it, and uttering a suppressed huwl. Time auinial first !oiled at the nun, then at the gallery where the Rajah and his court wereeeated to see the sports, but did not appear at all easy in its present state of freedom: it was evidently confounded at the novelty of its position. After a short survey, it turned suddenly round and bounded into its cage ; from which the keepers, who stood above, beyond the reach of mischief, tried to force it, but in vain. The bars were then dropped, and several crackers fastened to its tail, which projected through one of the intervals.

A lighted match was put into the band of the Coorg, the bars were again raised, and the crackers ignited. The tiger now darted into the arena with $ terrible yell; and while the crackers were exploding, it leaped, turned, and writhed as if in a state of frantic excitement. It at length crouched in a corner, gnarling as a cat dues when alarmed. Meanwhile its retreat had been cut off by securing the cage. During the explosions of the crackers, the Coorg stood watching his enemy, and at length advanced towards it with a slow but firm step. The tiger roused itself and retreated, the fur on its back being erect, and its tail apparently dilated to twice the usual size. It was not at all disposed to commence hostilities, but its resolute foe was not to be evaded. Fixing his eyes intently upon the deadly creature, he advanced with the same measured step, the tiger retreating as before, but still presenting his front to its enemy. The Coorg now stopped suddenly; then moving slowly backwaid, the tiger raised itself to its full height, curved its back to the necessary segment for a spring, and lashed his tail, evidently meditating mischief. The man continued to retire; and so soon as he was at so great a distance that the fixed expression of his eye was no longer distinguishable, the ferocious brute made a sudden bound forward, crouched, and sprung with a short, sharp growl. Its adver- sary, fully prepared for this, leaped actively on one side, amid as the tiger reached the ground, swung round his heavy knife and brought it with irresistible force upon the animal's hind leg, just above the joint. The bone was instantly se- vered, and the tiger effectually prevented from making a second spring. The wounded beast roared ; but turning suddenly on the Coorg, who had by this time retired several yards, advanced fiercely upon him, his wuunded leg hang- ing loose in the skin, showing that it was broken. The tiger, now excited to a pitch of reckless rage, rushed forward upon its three legs towards its adver- sary, who stood with his heavy knife upraised, calmly awaiting the encounter. As soon as the savage creature was within his reach, he brought down the ponderous weapon upon its head with a force which nothing could resist, laid open the skull from ear to ear, and the vanquished foe fell dead at his feet. He then coolly wiped the knife on the animal's hide, made a dignified ealaam to the Rajah, and retired amid the loud acclaruations of the spectators.

Passing over the Hindoo quarter-staff and wrestling, (though both are graphically described,) as well as a battle between a lion and a buffalo, let us take an account of a style of boxing, more ancient than the Olympic games or probably than Greece.

A pair of native Mysore boxers then appeared before the Rajah to exhibit their skill in an art practised upwards of two thousand years ago in Europe, and perhaps even before that period in Asia. These boxers are called Jetties, from the instruments, a sort of ccestus, with which the right hand is armed. It is made of buffalo-born, with four sharp projections like knuckles. There is a fifth, near the little finger, of greater prominence than the rest. These horny knobs are very sharp ; and a blow inflicted with this instrument, if de-

livered with the full force of a muscular man, would cleave open a man's skull; but as it is placed upon the fingers between the lower joints and the main

knuckles of the hand, the fingers passing through a narrow opening below the knobs just large enough to receive them when the fist is doubled, and the in- strument thus secured, the power of hitting is considerably lessened. A heavy blow would probably dislocate the fingers of the sti iker, from the awkward position of the weapon, which does not cover the knuckles, hut, as I have said, is fixed immediately between them and the finger-joints. The mode of hitting is by a sharp perpendicular cot, which instantly makes an incision, and lays the flesh open to the bone. The Jetties are never allowed to strike below the head ; but wrestling forms the principal feature of their contests, which are decided more byl:their skill in this art than by the use of the (argils; that being a mere accessory, though in truth a most formidable one, as the patties are frequently so disfigured in these encounters that, when they ate over, scarcely a feature re- mains perfect.

A good deal of skill is displayed in these combats, and sometimes a consider- able petite] elapses before a successful blow isstruek ; the combatants being very dextrous in defending their heads from the stroke of that formidable weapon with which their right hands are armed. They are generally fine men, perfect models in shape, and larger than the generality of Hindoos. They arc a dis- tinct caste, and their profession is traced as far back as the remotest historical records of Mysore. Their choicest champions exhibit yearly at the great festi- val of the Duperah, when many couples of them contend et the sante time be- fore their prince. They are much feared by the peaceable inhabitants of the neighbourhood in which they dwell, though a race, I believe, in general of sober habits ; lint the circumstance of their possessing the means of inflicting sum- mary chastisement upon aggressors, forces a kind of constrained outward respect from those around them, who inwardly despise both their caste and their occu- pation, which in every country is a degraded one. The native princes have at all times given great encouragement to these and similar stern trials of skill ; and though the reward obtained by the vanquisher falls far short of the punish- ment received, still, such is the stimulus imparted by the mere ambition of ob- taining the approbation of their prince, that these men will occasionally undergo an almost incredible degree of infliction merely to gain his smile, accompanied with the trifling though more substantial reward of a few rupees. The two Jetties who now entered the arena were young men of fine forms, about the middle height, neither very robust nor very museular, but with frames remarkable for compactness and admirable proportion. Their attitudes were imposing, and they exhibited a natural grace and apparent refinement altogether different front those persons who pursue occupations of a similar character in

Europe. They approached each other, holding op and crossing their left arms,

and putting themselves into position for the strife. They shortly separated, making various motions with the left hand, and frequently shifting their posi- tion with great activity, in order to withdraw attention front the meditated point of attack ; but their eyes were mutually fixed upon each other with a keen and intense expression nothing could divert. Several blows, struck with the rapidity of lightning, were as successfully parried ; and it was difficult to guess upon which side the advantage was likely to turn, so equally did they ap- pear to be matched. Every now and then, they mutually produced a short clapping noise, by striking the palm of the left hand upon the muscles of the right arm. This was frequently repeated ; and although several minutes elapsed be- fore any decisive blow was struck, yet it was by no means uninteresting to see the activity which they displayed, and the fine muscular development of their well- proportioned limbs, as they moved before each other with the intense earn- estness of men seeking to obtain superiority in manual skill. An opportunity was at length afforded to one of the combatants, who, rush- ing upon his adversary, hit him a smart blow upon the cheek, laying it open to the bone. The wounded man suddenly stooped and lifted his adversary in the air; when be received another blow upon the crown from the crestus, which in An opportunity was at length afforded to one of the combatants, who, rush- ing upon his adversary, hit him a smart blow upon the cheek, laying it open to the bone. The wounded man suddenly stooped and lifted his adversary in the air; when be received another blow upon the crown from the crestus, which in a moment covered his neck and shoulders with blood. He, however, succeeded in throwing his man ; who, in rising received in his turn a gash on the temple, that again sent him backward. The rapidity with which he sprang upon his legs was surprising. Both the men now closed, and planted several successful blows; by which they were shortly so disfigured that It made me quite sick to behold them; when the Rajah,7et the anxious solicitation of one of the com- pany, in which we all eagerly united, gave the signal for them to desist. They were both liberally rewarded for the skill and courage they had shown; with which they were so well satisfied, that one of them said he should be very happy to receive a similar punishment every day, if it were to be followed by a similar recompense.

The various feats ofjuggling with which the games concluded are the most singular we ever met with; displaying a dexterity of hand and flexibility of muscle before which the performances of all our "professors" fade away. But enough has already been taken ; the reader who requires more must seek the book.

We should bid farewell to the Oriental Annual with regret, but we learn from the preface, that though the series is finished, the work itself is not at an end. It is to reappear in the ensuing season, with another class of subjects, but still connected with the East. From a closing note, we are glad to find that the suc- cess of Mr. CAUNTER has surpassed his expectations. But happi- ness is never unmixed. Unable to take away his profit, some calumnious persons have tried to deprive him of praise, and have raised a report that be is not the writer of his own book, but merely the arranger of materials collected by his brother; a state- ment which he denies with more earnestness than such a charge required.