Reminiscences of an Indian Official. By General Sir Odour Cavenagh,
K.C.S.I. (Allen and Co.)—This record of an Indian career is as interesting in substance as it is unaffected in style. The Addiscombe cadet arrived at Calcutta in December, 1837, fully resolved to win his "way to the rank of General and K.C.B." General he became in due course, and K.C.S.I., which is perhaps the next best thing, in the way of appended capitals, to the much-coveted symbols of the older order. He wisely lost no time in qualifying him- self for an interpretership, and in 1841 was appointed interpreter to the 41st Regiment. His military service was short, but active. At the battle of Maharajpore he lost his left leg, shot off just abovethe ankle; and at Budiwal he received a severe wound in the left arm. Thus disabled, he sought civil employment, and in 1847 was appointe4mperintendent of the ex-Ameers of Scinde,—a position of trust and importance, re- quiring no small amount of knowledge, discretion, and tact to discharge its duties satisfactorily. An interesting account is given of the Talpore dynasty, furnished by the Ameers themselves, and their version of the events which led up to the famous battle of Meeanee, seems fully to justify the policy of Sir Charles Napier. Meer Shahdad, the instigator of the fatal attack of the Beloochees upon Captain Ennis, relates the story of the battle from the Scindian point of view ; and as he was the Moltke of Scinde, the narrative has an historical value. In 1850, Captain Cavenagh was ordered to take political charge of the Nepalese mission to England headed by Tang Bahadur. The principal difficulty be had appears to have been that of getting the Ambassador to be punctual to his appointments. Nor was it always an easy matter to guard his charges against various attempts at extortion, especially in France, to which country the Embassy proceeded after having seen as much of England and Scotland as the authorities deemed snffioient. Sir Orfeur gives Jung Bahadar a fairly good character, and believes
that he would eventually, had he lived, have materially assisted us in opening up intercourse with Tibet. His was the first mission from a Hindoo State that had ever crossed the ocean or visited Europe. In 1859, apparently—for Sir Orfeur is singularly chary of dates—the quondam superintendent of the Ameers was appointed Governor of the Straits Settlements, and with his resignation of that important and honourable post after seven years' tenure, his active career came to an end. Sir Orfeur has been no careless observer of men and things during his long and varied service ; his recollections are always interesting ; his remarks, especially upon the causes of the Indian Mutiny, display mach political insight ; and he writes with a sim- plicity that at once wins him the reader's sympathy and trust.
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