CONOLLY'S OVERLAND JOURNEY TO INDIA.

HAVING subjected this work to the potent test of a reperusal, after

the lapse of years,—when the attractions of mere novelty had faded, when its information was no longer new, and the mind was

fresh from FRASER'S Persia, and not oblivious of other travellers who have visited countries closely resembling those described by Lieutenant CONOLLY,—we are able to more than reiterate any former praise, and to recommend the work as one of the most en-

tertaining and informing of Asiatic books of travels. The per- sonal adventure has sufficient interest to keep alive the expectation of the reader ; and it furnishes a natural thread to string together sketches of manners and character, which have much of the spirit of a comedy, whilst they inform us respecting the social, mental, and moral condition of tribes and nations with whom events are yearly bringing us into closer contact. For the powers of turning his opportunities to account, and faithfully and pleasantly describing what he saw, Lieutenant

CONOLLY is indebted to his own abilities. His travelling compa- nion, KERAMUT Am, a Syud of India, versed in the languages, religions, and customs of Asia, was, as we formerly remarked, a

means of his mingling freely and advantageously amongst the people. But the great cause of his excellence was that which ori- ginates most excellent things—adversity and necessity. He did not travel like an Elchee (ambassador), every want supplied whet° there were people to supply it, and mixing only with the great ones of the land ; nor did he even journey as a Milord Anglais with plenty of money and attendants. On the contrary, he was first robbed by the Toorkmuns of the Desert ; and then, having con- tracted debts at Meshed, which miscarriages prevented him from discharging, he was detained there till some merchant undertook to relieve him on his personal security : and so he passed from Meshed to Heraut, and from Heraut onwards, a kind of living pledge on the road, and a fixture in cities till some one would re- deem him.

Apart from the mere narrative of his journey,—the route of which was from London to the frontiers of Persia by way of Petersburg ; next through the whole of Persia, with a diver- sion into the Tartar desert, and thence across Cabul and the other frontier states of India, lately the scene of actual or ap- prehended war,—Lieutenant CostoLials book may be resolved into four acts. The first, was his adventure in the Toorkmun desert; which he entered to pursue a journey to India by the

same route the Russians must follow, if they do not (as for the present there appears little likelihood of their doing) use Persia as a catspaw. Having, however, been suspected as a spy by some Persian and Toorkmuu chiefs, and deemed to be in the posses- sion of immense wealth, he was betrayed by his guides, plundered

of his property, and, with his companions, led about the desert; from which they were only freed by a succession of lucky circum- stances, skilfully improved by the Lieutenant's travelling friend the Syud. Returning to Astrabad, the party joined a caravan to Meshed the Holy ; a place whither crowds of pilgrims constantly resort from all parts of Asia, and where their detention, for want of money, however unpleasant, enabled them to study Asiatic life at their leisure : and this forms act the second. Having pawned

themselves to a merchant, at usurious interest, for means to defray their debts, they were allowed to join the army of the Prince of Heraut, then on its return to that city ; where the third act passed,

in various adventures with friends, officials, and money-lenders. Disengaged from his difficulties by a patriarchal merchant, whose dealings had often taken him into India and made him acquainted with the English, the fourth act consists of the incidents occur- ring, and characters encountered in a journey and sojourn amid the wild country and wilder tribes of Affghaunistan, Candahar, Beloochistan, and Sinde, till the British dominions were reached.

In the course of the narrative, much direct or incidental infor- mation is conveyed concerning the features of the country, its political condition, and the extent and nature of its commerce, as well as some relating to its geography. But the essential quality of the work is Asiatic character; whether displaying itself in modes of expression and forms of compliment, ways of living or of deal- ing, political or moral conduct, thought, belief, or behaviour. Remarking that the book is a mine of agreeable reading, we will at once allow our author to speak for himself, with no further re- mark than may suffice to render him intelligible.

Here is an opening hint for future travellers how to get on in Tartary, derived from Lieutenant CoNow.v's dear-bought experience amongst the Toorkmun tribe.

If I were to navel again in such countries in the ilisguiee of a native, I would take the character of a poor one; but I think that a European can hardly hope

to escape detection ; for, though he may be conversant with the idioms of the language, his made of delivery, his manner even of sitting, walking, or riding, in short, his tout cosemble, is different from that of an Asiatic; and the way care that he takes not to betray himself, gives him an air that causes him to be noticed. A man niay, I think, get on best in the character of a French or Italian doctor. The itinerant gentry are sometimes time with ; and, as their country is supposed to be somewhere about the antipodes, they are not viewed

with distrust. Among people SO ignorant, a Sangrado may pass for a great hakeem ; the simp'eet medicines will cute most of their ailments, and you may

tell those who are beyond your skill, that it is not their fate to be cured just then. No character will gain you such good treatment ; and it has this great advantage, that it does not oblige you to conceal your religion, or what is worse,

to affect the Mahommuilan. You may freely use the names of their most esteemed hakeems,—Sultrat and Bokrat, Loleman and Alum Alice Seine; few will question you ; but if you should happen to meet a man of as great preten- sionsus yourself, and he should begin to try you with queries, ask him whether

a shivering fever is a cold or hot disease. - You need not be harassed with apprehensions of putting a patient to death in an unusual manner, such as running a lancet through a vein into an artery, for if you deem phlebotomy requisite, you order a barber to come and operate; ard though it may startle you to see him open a seam halfway up the patient's arm, you may rest assured he will not draw ton much blood. Then for physic, the stronger you can venture to administer it, the greater your reputation. "(Jo pout tuer deux ou trois dans one armee," as Signor Turconi observed, "mats ca arrive toujouis !"

In looking at the credibility of the following story, the reader must bear in mind that Persia is, or was, parcelled out into petty principalities, for the numerous sons of the monarch, each of whom bad his vizier and court ; the prince being often among the most Ignorant of men, according to the account of their subjects ; and their ministers, though generally skilful in tha ways of Iran, not over-learned in those of foreign countries.

A VIZIER ON TIIE COOMPANEE.

Prince Ahmuil Ali Nleerza fully justified the accounts we had beard of him ; Ito received us with an afteetation uf dignity which he had not the manners to support, and repeated the set speech about the honour and probity, &e. of the English, after the Vuzeer, who, leaning on a long stick, stood below the window at which his nominal lord was seated. The Shahzadeli wished to know whether I was a servant of the King of England or of the Coompanee. "Of the latter, themselves the devoted servants of his Majesty the King of England, and Em- peror of the Seas.' "—" Coompaner cite rhea lair asked the Prince; " What is the Company?" I was about to explain the mystery of the twenty-four stools, when the Vozeer confidently answered, that Sir John Malcolm was the Company. I would have corrected him ; but no, he was quite positive. "Ask toe," said he, with the air of a man entirely master of his subject, "ask me, I possess information on that score; Sir John Malculin first came as Elchee to the King of Kings, and then went to Bombay and became Coompanee." It was plain th it any assertions on my part would be lost ; so, considering that the Honounable Court might be more unworthily represented, I suffered the Yuzeer to abide in his conceit, and bore the reproach of not knowing so much about pay own country as did a man who bad never left Wm

JEWS AT MESHED.

I did not venture to the public baths of Meshed, fearing to offend the people, and so lose the liberty which I enjoyed of walking where I would about the city; but 5Iesliedee-Norouz, who, in his love for liquor, had lost no time mu making himself acquainted with those who had it, introduced us to some Jews, one of whom, the son of their Ketkhoda, gave me the entrt'e of their bath, which was heated twice a week. There are about one hundred families of Jews in Meshed. They are chiefly engaged in petty traffic; and, though not rich, their situation is respectable competed with that of their brethren in the cities of Tehraun arid Isphaban, who go about, as in European countries, selling and exchanging old garments; but they are not without a share of the indignities that are entailed on their race. They may not pass the pale of the sanctuary, neither may they put foot within the college-squares in which good men are buried ; on their clothes, however new, they must wear a patch at the breast ; their caps must not be of the same form as those worn by true believers, and they dare not return abuse much less a blow given by a Mohummudao, so that even children of the faithful race throw stones and dirt at them in the streets, unchecked by their parents, who think it a very meritorious act to worry the SOW of an unbeliever. I one morning saw a fakeer take an old Jew by the beard as if be would have pulled it from his face, and accuse him of having been party to belling him some years before to the Tuorkmuns; nor did he release the terrified old man till he promised to pay a few reels; the crowd

looking on as Englishmen do attadger-baiting, and thinking it capital sport. • • • •

We became very intimate with this people; and in many of their houses I ob- served much to contradict their outward appearance of poverty. On one occa- sion I was invited to a wedding in their quarter. At evening I was introduced to a company, who were seated in a square, on a broad terrace, having before them trays containing burnt almonds, pistachio-nuts, and confectionery, with flasks of arrack, which they drank from small cups in such immoderate quanti- ties, that I expected to bee them lose their 'ewes; but it merely appeared to have the effect of exciting them. The seat of honour was kept for the bride- groom, a most uninteresting youth, who, looking very touch ashamed of him- self, entered with a boy on either hand aiming a discordant epithalainiuns; and when he had taken hie place next to his father at the heed, the company eve- rally complimented him. Meat and broth was then brought in, and when it had been partaken of, health was wished to the bridegroom, and to his father the host ; bumpers of arrack were tossed down, and some of the company, get- ting up one after another, danced a ridiculous sort of pas seul. It was next proposed to sing ; and some of the best performers being called upon, sang from the Paaline of David very sweetly. The audience were frequently moved to tears ; and once, when a young man sang a psalm, which by Mehdee Bete translation I knew to be that (even in our language) most beautiful one, "By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down, vea, we wept when we rememberid Zion," they sobbed aloud. They were all somewhat under the influence of their potations ; but men in their situation must ever be affected by the beau- tiful words of the Psalmist, and it was easy to believe their grief sincere.

Although the temporary interest which invested Heraut is lessened by the raising of the siege, yet as it promises to be a base of future operations, we will take this opportunity to quote the (le- scription of it.

Heraut is a well-fortified town, three quarters of a mile square, comprising four thousand dwellinghouses, twelve hundred shops, seventeen caravan-eras, and twenty baths, besides many moqpres, and fine public reservoirs of water.. It contains about forty-five thousand inhabitants, the majority of whom are Sbealis; and there may be one thousand Ilindoos settled there, and forty families of Jews. The outside wall is thickly built upon a solid mound farmed by the earth of a wet ditch, which, filled by springs within itself, goes entirely round the city. There are five gates, defended each by a small outwork ; am' ma the ninth side is a strong citadel, also surrounded by a wet ditch, which overlooks the town.

The interior of Ileraut is divided into quarters, by four long bazaars covered with arched brick, which meet in a small domed quadrangle in the centre of the city. The town itself is, I should imagine, one of the dirtiest in the world. Many of the small streets, which branch from the main ones. are built over, and form low dank tunnel:, containing every offensive thing. No drains having been contrived to carry off the rain which falls within the walls, it collects and stagnates in ponds which are dug in different parts of the city. The iceidents cast out the refuse of their houses into the streets, and dead cats and dogs are commonly seen lying upon heaps of the vilest filth. In a street which we were obliged to pass through to get at the bazaar, lay for many days a dead hone, surrounded by bloated doge, and poisoning the neighbourhood with its unwhole- some effluvia. More could be said about the bestiality of the citizens ; but as it is not a choice theme. I will not enlarge upon it. " Rom ust," 6. It is the custom," was the only apology I beatd, even firma those who admitted the evil : my wonder was hose they could live ; but, as the Ankhoond-zuleh oh,. served, The climate is fine, and if dirt killed people, where would the Aff- ghauns be?" Candaliar is quite as ditty a pace ; and Catibul, the " city of a hundred thousaud gardens," is said to be little better.

POLICE AT HERA IA%

The strangest item in the account (of the revenue) was the sum of a be o Heraut rupees, said to be the rent from the police ; so that our visiter, Meeiza Agha, had to make a profit upon this sum, by charging the inhabitants fir the ptotection of his night-watch, by taxing wine and gatnbling-houses, and levying penalties upon every sort of immorality. real or pretended, he not being likely to want evidence of any offence that he might choose to affix upon a person able to pay a fine. In bad seasons, lie was obliged to stretch a point cr two to make up his rent, sure of support from the Shah ; and the monarch sometimes made him his instrument for performing an act of violence with a show of jus- tice. Not long before our arrival, they had carried into execution the following ingenious scheme for plundering a very respectable and wealthy merchant who had come to the city. As he was too prudent a person to give the authorities any just cause of offence, Meerz, Agin gave a dancing-girl money to make her way into the man's house at night awl cieate a disturbairce; be took care to be in the way, and when the noise commenced, entered the house with a party of myrmidons, and took the stranger prisouer, for acting immerally awl making an uproar ; nor was the man released until he hail paid a very he ivy fine. In the lock-up house in the baz tar there were generally one or two offenders sen- tenced to punishment on a certain day, who continually shouted out entreaties to the passers-by to contribute a trifle towards the SUM required for their re- lease, and they often obtained it.

DUNS AT HERAUT.

Our residence at this beautiful place would have been delightful, had we net been exposed to the many evils attendant ou poverty. The money which we had obtained at Meshed only sufficed to pay our debts there; Gholam Reza, the Yezd merchant, would not advance a sues more ; and " a commander of ten" of Carnraun's horse, who, with great show of goodnature, hail forced a loan of fifteen gold ducats upon the Spiel during the march, having acqiuired considerable doubts of our solvency, in consequence of the kotwil's unprohtable visit, used to walk up daily to know if we meant to pay Irian when his cash has came due ; and never would leave us until we had propitiated him with a cup of tea. The Wed merchant also pressed us unfairly for his money; for, alarmed at the place he had come to, lie wished to depart with all speed ; and seeing us unmoved by his insinuations that there was small chance of our inessenger's escaping the dangers of the road front Telaraun, even if he had been despatched thence with money, he set a limit of relations upon us, who scrupled not to hint that they considered us little short of swindlers. One of his uncles, a must ill-favoured old man, would sit dhurna in our room the whole morning, occasionally asking gruffly how and when we meant to pay his nephew ; and when answered that the term of payment had not arrived, he would endeavour to make himself as unpleasant as possible, by calling for water to drink, and then alincest putting our servant upon his oath that I hail not touched the vessel in which it was brought, taking the opportunity of saying something sarcastic under pretence of apology.

If at Meshed money was with difficulty to be got, at Heraut it was a still scarcer commodity ; merchants were alarmed at a demand for ten tenuous, and shook their heads at the mention of a bill on Persia or Hindomitin. We had pawned every thing that would be taken in pledge, no news of our messenger came, winter was approaching, and our prospects were altogether so gloomy that we did not like to think upon them.

ASIAT/C MODE OF RAISING THE WIND.

When Alohummud Azeem Khan (brother to the famed Affghaun Vuzeer Futteh Khan) was Governor in Cashmere, Ahdoollab Khan, who attended at his court, offered to give him eight thousand rupees for all the wind that blew over Cashmere. The Governor, reasoning like Mertoun, that "since every

thing in the universe iii bought and sold, the wind should not be ex if a purchaser can be found," and partner, no doubt, in the 'Many thatceredllowed, accepted the offer, and permitted Abdoollah Khan to issue a preelenetton, warning all people that he had bought the wind of Cashmere, and threatening to punish any one who should winnow his grain, or in any other way use it without his permission. The order at first excited ainueement ; but when the Governor, who hail affected to think it a joke, said that he bad been taken .4- vantage of, but that he must be as good as his word, and allowed Abdoollah Khan severely to fine those who ever presumed to fly a pigeon without pur- chasing his licence, the purport of the bargain was understood. The Cash- meriane had been too long familiar with oppression nut to know the only mesas

of lightening its chains, and they subscribed a large sum of money to induce AbdooIlah Khan to allow "the wind of heaven " to blow freely on them again ; the Governor promising that such another spell should not be put upon it.

A PERSIAN ON THE ENGLISH IN INDIA.

We fell into conversation with a Persian stranger, who, according to what we could discover of his condition, was a gentleman of the Zand family, tra- velling pour se distraire. In two minutes Keraumut Ali and the stranger be- came RS old friends, cracking their jokes, and complimenting each other on their wit : a little persuasion induced the traveller to turn his pony's bead, and go back with us one stage; and I do not remember many pleasanter evenings than this which we passed in his society. Khoosroo, as the stranger styled himself, was a tall, very handsome, and good- humoured looking man, with a beard worthy of one who claimed descent from a late royal family. He had travelled through Toorkestaun, part of Atfghaun• istaun, and the Punjaub, and was full of very entertaining anecdote relating to his travels. From the little be had seen ot English society at the outpost of Loodeeana, he undertook to describe the ways and means of the Feringees who ruled over India ; and if his remarks were severe, they were very amusingly made.

" The Feringees," he commenced, " are, I beg leave to represent, by no means a pleasant people to be among ; for they have nothing to say for them. selves, and, considering that they are unbelievers, have more damaugh" than enough. One of their sirdars, learning that I was a great traveller, sent to in- vite me to visit him ; so I went, and S3W a great little man, who was very civil, but 0.9 khooshk as a stick. Ile seated me on a chair near him, and gave me tea, which, I beg leave to state, they make deliciously; he then asked me whether I

had not visited this and that place, and when I answered bulli,t he rejoined, • Ha! ' We sat thus for some time. First came in one captim and then another captan; they looked at me and at each other, and every now and then delivered themselves of a syllable or two; while one man was pacing up and down the room as if he was possessed. At last some of them gave their hand to the master of the house, and went away ; so I thought I might as well take leave also.

" I have learned that formerly these men were a small tribe of merchants,

servants to the kings of this country ; but now, maledictions on their fathers ! they have it all their own way. The secret of their rule is this: They have information of every thing that passes everywhere, and they make the most of the news. If two men quarrel about a country, they step in to adjust the dis- pute, and turn both out."

The Afighauns, whose capital is Heraut, greatly resemble the Scottish Highlanders in their clans, the fidelity of the chieftains to the family of their sovereign, and in their blood feuds.

Revenge for blood is, with an Affghaun, a duty which is rendered sacred by long custom, and sanctioned by his religion. If immediate opportunity of retaliation should not present itself, a man will dodge his foe fur years, with the cruel purpose ever uppermost in his thoughts, using every cunning and treachetous artifice to entrap or lull him into confidence, arid thinking it no shame to attack him in a defenceless state. The public leave men to settle their own quarrels, not interfering, except, perhaps, in the ease of a long. cherished feud between fainilies which affects the interests of the community ; and then they induce the man whose turn it is to retaliate, to accept the price of blood. • • •

Moat.' Moliummuil, our Ileraut frietul, told me the following story, the circum. stances of which he said lie could vouch for, as they occurred in I; house which was close to one that he formerly lived in at Candahar, the females of which were intimate with his own. A Doorraunee of the neighbouthood of Caudahar had a blood- feud with a young man whom he had long vainly watched, in the hope of finding him off his guard. At last he heard that his enemy had sent sweetmeats to the house of a resident of Candahar, as a preliminary to espous- ing his daughter, upon which lie left his village, and came privately into the city. The Atighauns, as before mentioned, have a custom called Naumzaud 13azee, (trystir,g)—the lover being secretly admitted to interviews with his

mistress, which frequently last until a late hour in the night. The avenger watched in vain for an opportunity, till the very night before the wedding ; when he gained access to a court adjoining that ot the house in which the girl lived, and boring a bole through a wall, lay in wait there with his matchlock. In the evening the lover came as usual to tryst. He had that day sent the customary present of the bridal dress and ornaments, but his betrothed, "through modesty, had declined examining them before all her female acquaint- tance ; " and when the young man asked it she approved of her trousseau, the mother explained this, and called her away to look at it then. This was late on the night : the moment she went out, the blood avenger took aim at his victim as he sat on a low couch, and in perhaps the happiest moment of his life, shot him dead.

A PERSIAN STORY.

Many owners of gardens near cities in this country are accustomed to charge a certain sum to visiters, who are allowed to enter and eat fruit a discrition the Persians, who must invent a joke upon every thing, declare that at Caubul the eaters of fruit are weighed on entering arid on coining out of the gardens, and charged for the difference; and they tell how that a certain wag put stones in his pocket, which he threw away in the garden, so that when he had eaten his fill of fruit, and was weighed on coining out, he was found lighter than when he had gone in,—a problem which long puzzled the wise men of "the city of a hundred thousand gardens."

The author's remarks on the probabilities of a Russian invasion of India, and on the obstacles or assistance they would meet with, have been somewhat extended; but the additions are of a general character. We may remark, however, that Lieutenant Co- ?mum's foresight has been justified by events. In discussing the subject of Affghaunistan and Cabul generally, he enforced the view which advocated raising up those countries into power under one head; a plan which appears to be now acted upon, and was the excuse for the Persian siege of Heraut. He also foretold that Russia would incite Persia to undertake that enterprise, as the possession of the city would be necessary as a bolsi§ for any con- templated invasion of India through Persia. Mr. CONOLLIC also seemed to entertain little doubt of their success : but, luckily, the promptitude and decision of the Indian Government have put this question at rest, and Russia must look to Tartary as her line of march.

• Pride, or self sufficiency. j. Dry, stiff. Yes.