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1875-1880. MADRAS PRESIDENCY—FINALE
Return to Madras—Death of
Lord Hobart—Lord Pigot's tomb and story—Inter. regnum—Duke of
Buckingham—H.R.H. the Prince of Wales—Commandersin-Chief—Famine—A relief
camp—Ootacamund—Fever among British troops - Thebaw—Affghanistan—Sir N.
Chamberlain as Envoy—Young soldiers versus old—Suggested scheme—Medical
system—Inspection tours—New barracks—. Calicut - Cannanore - Maliaporarn
- Bangalore - Bellary - Secunderabad - "Confidential" reports—Indication
of illness—" New brooms "—Official demeanour—In the hills—Pleasant
recollections—Back at Portsmouth—Finale.
WE embark on the Meca. A
week passes; we land at Madras, bearing with us pleasant recollections
of friendly hospitality received during our now bygone "Trip to Burmah."
The death of Lord Hobart,
Governor of the Presidency, was an event regretted by those of us who
had come to know his amiable though retiring character, and much
sympathy was expressed towards the widowed Lady Hobart on her
bereavement. The remains of the deceased were carried to the tomb with
all the pomp and ceremony due to the high office he had occupied, and
estimation in which he was generally held, the coffin committed to the
tomb in St. Mary's Church, Fort St. George.
While clearing out a
place for the purpose, the workmen came upon the coffin of Lord. Pigot,
whose death took place in 1776, and whose place of burial, if not
intentionally concealed, had long since ceased to be remembered. The
story of his death was thus resuscitated, and reference made to history
relating how the Council deposed him, how he was arrested by the
Commander-in-Chief, placed in confinement, and there forcibly kept
during eight months, at the end of which he died. No wonder that this
audacious proceeding on the part of the chief actors in the drama
produced astonishment and indignation at home.
An interregnum followed,
during which the senior member of Council became head of the Government,
the headquarters of which, together with those of the
Commander-in-Chief, were shortly thereafter transferred to Ootacamund,
where they remained until the following "cold" season, as it is called
in Madras.
In the latter part of the
year arrived His Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, appointed
Governor. On the occasion of his landing, together with his daughters,
the three Ladies Grenville, there was an immense gathering at the pier
to receive the distinguished party. The assemblage comprised His
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, staff, high military officers, and
heads of departments, a guard of honour, Government and municipal
officers, representatives of the native princes and nobility, and, in
addition, a large concourse of the community.
The arrival of the Prince
of Wales was an important event in the history of Madras. During the
stay of His Royal Highness at the provincial capital, the best
endeavours of all classes, official and nonofficial, natives and
British, were directed to manifest duty and loyalty to the Heir
Apparent. In addition to official entertainments and receptions given by
Governor and Commander-in-Chief, the civil society, native princes and
community, did all they could to do honour to him and to themselves on
the occasion.
The next events of
importance in reference to official affairs in Madras comprised a change
in the head of the Army, Sir Frederick Haines being moved to Simla, and
succeeded by Sir Neville Chamberlain. The departure of the former was
much regretted by all classes, military, civil, and non-official; all
honour and welcome were given to the latter, whose great military
reputation and high character were known to and acknowledged by all.
In 1877 the Madras
Presidency, as well as other parts of India, was visited by famine,
large numbers of natives falling victims, notwithstanding the exertions
by the Governor and officers acting under the orders of His Grace to
combat the misfortune. Private associations and individuals added their
endeavours to those by Government; missionary bodies provided for large
numbers of orphans and other victims, with the result that many
"converts" were added to their lists. The necessity for extended and
improved systems of irrigation being shown, steps were taken in both
directions. While not a few of the ancient methods had been abandoned,
the modern substitutes were, in some instances, far from effectual for
their purpose. Now also an important financial measure was adopted : a
special fund against famine was established, the equivalent of eight
million pounds sterling set aside for that purpose, and if some time
thereafter that fund was otherwise absorbed, its original devisers and
founders had passed from office before the change in question took
place.
In obedience to orders, I
visited a camp situated a few miles from the city of Madras for the
reception and care of sufferers from the famine, the object being the
somewhat technical one of making a report on the phenomena of
starvation. In tents provided for their accommodation lay prostrated
men, women, and children in all stages of absolute starvation. Carts
were bringing in from the surrounding districts persons who, while
proceeding along the highways in search of food and other aid, had
fallen exhausted, and so lay on the roadsides. Altogether, the sights
presented were very sad.
There being a prospect
that Ootacamund would shortly become the permanent seat of the
Presidency Government, His Grace the Governor appointed a Committee,' of
which I was senior member, to inquire into and report upon the general
condition of that place. The subject was carefully gone into, the
respects pointed out in which improvements were suggested, the nature of
those improvements given in detail. In due time our report (written by
me) was officially submitted; it passed through the usual official
channels, and, having done so, was not acted upon. Years have passed
away since then; the public prints record that evils have occurred at
this beautiful locality which, it is safe to believe, would have been
averted had our recommendations been carried out; those evils, moreover,
definitely predicted in that report.
Another subject on which
it fell to my lot to submit a report, related to the prevalence of
fevers among our troops: a duty which caused myself much unpleasantness,
inasmuch that practical experience was brought into somewhat violent
collision with pure theory. All that need be noticed in this place is
that, according to what is called the "scientific" school, the actual
cause of those affections is dirt, and apparently dire alone. According
to the practical school, the causes are various, including the youth of
the men, translation to an alien climate and alien conditions, exposure,
indiscretions, etc. In accordance with the views first-named, numerous
works to which the term "sanitary" was applied were undertaken at a cost
to the Indian Government of many thousands, nay millions, of rupees.
According to the second, many of those expensive improvements have been
without their intended result, nor have they in any degree touched the
root and origin of the evil, comprised in the general conditions just
named.
The king of Burmah having
died, the legal heir Thebaw was duly acknowledged his successor. No
sooner had he attained to power than acts of maladministration and of
atrocity drew upon him extreme displeasure of the Indian Government.
Milder measures having proved ineffectual, a military force was sent to
his capital, with the result that in due time it was captured, he
himself deposed, and brought to India as prisoner of State. For a
considerable time before that expedition was dispatched, preparatory
arrangements for such a contingency had been as far as practicable
matured—those of the department under my own supervision included.
Relations between the
Government of India and the Ameer of Affghanistan had been in a more or
less strained condition since 1873, when "after the return of Noor
Mahomed Shah from Simla, the Ameer's language was very unsatisfactory"
to Lord Northbrook. "A sum of £100,000 placed to the Ameer's credit at
Peshawur by the British Government was allowed to remain there, and
never drawn." During the early months of 1878 the general state of those
relations was much discussed in military society and in civil, two
different views being expressed regarding it: the one by officers and
others of long Indian experience and practical acquaintance with
frontier matters; the other, chiefly by those of shorter Indian
experience, and less practical acquaintance on the border.
Later in that year, our
much-esteemed Commander-in-Chief, Sir Neville Chamberlain, was ordered
by Lord Lytton to proceed as Envoy to Sheer Au, the Ameer. He did so,
and now the Madras command fell during his absence to General Elmhirst,
formerly of the 9th Foot, a good officer and amiable man. After much
ineffectual negotiation by Sir Neville Chamberlain, in the hope of
averting armed intervention, Lord Lytton declared war against the Ameer.
Forces were meanwhile being gathered for the purpose of the campaign,
the 67th Regiment with some other troops being sent from the Madras
Presidency. Their equipment and the general arrangements for active
service had to be provided under orders of the responsible officers
concerned, of whom I was one. In due time, Sir Neville was received with
welcome hack from the important, but unhappily futile, mission upon
which he had been sent.
While the general subject
of young soldiers versus old was occupying the War Office authorities,
the opinions held regarding it from personal experience of certain
senior officers were called for, mine among them. To a number of
definite questions, definite answers were submitted by us individually;
but the tone of all was identical,—namely, that for the purpose of field
service in India men of mature growth, and who had already been some
years in the country, were most capable of withstanding the wear and
tear incidental to war. Sufficient grounds for that opinion are casually
stated in reference to incidents relating to the Mutiny campaign, and to
the Siege of Paris.
In connection with the
same subject, the question arose whether or not advantage might accrue
from the introduction of a double system of recruiting; namely, short
service for home, long service for India. Some of us elaborated a series
of calculations, the outcome of which was that on the score of expense,
including pensions, the latter scheme would be more economical than the
system, then as still in operation, involving as it does the constant
influx and efflux of men to and from India, the maintenance of expensive
systems of transport, hill stations and sanatoria. This, however, is but
one among several points relating to the important question now touched
upon.
The process of
"divorcing" medical officers from regiments had become general,
notwithstanding representations and protests from men of long
experience. In the early part of the nineteenth century, the defects
incidental to "general" hospitals and methods relating thereto having
declared themselves in the Peninsular campaign, what was called the
regimental system was introduced in addition to, and partial
supersession of that method, the better to meet the requirement
professionally of the several classes pertaining to regiments. With the
abolition of that system a retrograde step is taken, to the serious
disadvantage of the soldier and all other persons concerned. No
sufficient reason exists why the double system, staff and regimental,
should not continue as before, and so fulfil alike the purposes of war
and of peace.
Inspection duty to
military stations within the command occupied the greater part of each
"cold" season. In the performance of this somewhat invidious function,
the agreeable far outbalanced the unpleasant, hospitality and every
consideration by the officers with whom I came in contact going far to
make each such tour a pleasure trip.
Barracks, hospitals, and
other buildings for accommodation or other use by soldiers had recently
been erected in accordance with plans and instructions formulated by the
Sanitary Commission in Calcutta, of which I was a member, as already
mentioned In the majority of instances they had been in use by the
troops during six to eight years; but so far, liability to endemic
illness of their occupants showed no decrease statistically from what
had occurred among occupants of "the old style" of barracks. With regard
to several other matters connected with them, evidence was apparent that
anticipations by that Commission had yet to be realized.
Beyond the objects of
routine duty there was much of interest connected with the majority of
places visited. On the west coast the history of what are now civil or
military stations carries us back to a period when Tadmor in the
wilderness, the ancient Palmyra, was a depot for merchandise and goods
imported in the days of Solomon from this part of India. It was off
Calicut, at which there is now stationed a small force of British
troops, that in May, 1498, Vasco da Gama came to anchor after a voyage
of eleven months from Lisbon. In 1509, Albuquerque having failed in one
attack upon that place proceeded to Goa, which he captured, and has ever
since that time remained in Portuguese possession.
Cannanore, situated
further up along the Malabar coast, is also a place of great antiquity,
though now of small importance. From the days of Pliny, and long before
then, the inhabitants of the whole district so named were known to be
sea robbers and wreckers. At the present day, however, the descendants
of those early pirates may be seen quietly at study, and learning useful
handicrafts in the establishments belonging to the Basel Mission, which
are in a very flourishing condition, if we can form an opinion on the
subject from a cursory visit to them.
An isolated military post
is Maliapuram, situated in a district mostly covered with dense jungle,
at the distance of a night's journey from Calicut. The result to rue of
the trip there and back through malarious forests was an attack of
illness, recovery from which was due to the hospitable attentions
received from Mr. and Mrs. Wigram. The object of the little garrison
alluded to is to preserve peace among the Moplas, a manly, lawless race,
whose descent is believed to be from Arab sailors who, in ancient times,
formed connections with native (Tier) women. They are noted for their
zeal as Mahomedans, for the rapidity with which "risings" take place
among them, and the bloodshed incidental to those occasions.
Bangalore has been
already mentioned in these notes. The large cantonment for British
troops, in respect to completeness of arrangements, is unsurpassed in
India. In near proximity to it is the residence of the representative of
Government at the Court of Mysore.
From this place the
routine usually is to proceed to Bellary, situated in the centre of the
Indian Peninsula. Smaller than Bangalore, yet of considerable
importance, it is the military centre of the Berar district, assigned in
1853 to the Government of India represented by Lord Dalhousie on account
of certain subsidies then in arrear on the part of the Nizam.
Secunderabad, perhaps the
largest military station in India, is situated at a distance of nine to
twelve miles from Hyderabad. That important native city was visited
after duty had been gone through, the visit performed on elephants, a
guard of sowars furnished for our safe conduct; nor was the precaution
unnecessary, if an opinion could be gathered from the expression of
men's countenances as we proceeded along the narrow winding streets. Our
excursion was varied by a short trip by stearn launch on the Meer Alum
tank, and afterwards by a short visit to the mosques at Golconda.
An unpleasant duty
connected with my position, but one which fortunately had only at rare
intervals to be performed, was that of reporting otherwise than
favourably on officers within my sphere of superintendence. Such
occasions only arose at the periodical inspections, and then the method
I adopted was to read to the officer concerned the portion of the usual
official report relating to the particular point commented upon,
requesting him at the same time to furnish his explanation regarding it,
so that the explanatory document should be transmitted together with the
adverse comment. Otherwise, as it seemed to me, an injury would be
inflicted without the officer concerned being aware of the grounds or
extent of it, and without an opportunity being afforded him to defend
himself. In fact, the whole system of "confidential" reports is open to
very grave objection, as by their very nature they more or less "strike
a man in the dark."
In some instances,
fortunately of rare occurrence, it was found that an officer, previously
known to be zealous, painstaking, and otherwise efficient, suddenly
displayed impatience of administrative control, and in other respects
brought himself unpleasantly before the authorities. In the course of
experience I came to know various instances in which the sudden change
alluded to was in reality the premonitor of illness; others in which it
was the first indication of actual disease; consequently I was at the
outset prepared to look upon such a change in one or other of these
lights. This remark may apply to all classes or officers, more
especially in the tropics, and I believe that much unnecessary
disciplinary severity towards individuals under such circumstances could
be with advantage exchanged for more considerate methods.
In my own branch of the
general service, and in others, I had various opportunities of seeing
the results of so-called "sweeping" reforms by "new brooms" and
particular officers whose moving principle seemed to be that whatever
is, is wrong, and therefore must be abolished. Happily for the personal
comfort of all concerned, and for the benefit of the service as a whole,
the great majority of administrative officers have learnt that reasons
are forthcoming, if sought for, to account for whatever may not be at
first sight evident in reference to particular modes of routine;
therefore the officer of experience, as opposed to the mere "reformer,"
endeavours, in the first place, to ascertain the nature of those
conditions, and having done so, to introduce slowly and gradually such
changes as altered conditions may suggest.
There are certain other
points relating to administration which I may note. I had long ago
become aware that in conducting duties, the making of promises other
than such as could there and then be performed is a bad one;
circumstances are apt to arise which render it quite impossible to carry
out those made in anticipation. In such cases great disappointment and
often chagrin to the officer concerned was the result. Very bitterly as
a young man had I felt rough and cavalier action towards me by senior
and official superiors. It was accordingly my endeavour to avoid similar
demeanour towards my juniors. In communicating expressions of official
dissatisfaction, it was an object of my endeavour to avoid giving such
an expression the tone of personality.
During the greater part
of the five years comprising my tour of service in the Madras
Presidency, my family occupied a house in Ooty, for by that almost
loving abbreviation was Ootacamund known. There my wife and daughter
remained continuously, their occupation and enjoyment comprising horses,
dogs, a farmyard, and garden. Thither in the hot season I repaired, as
one of the officials entitled to that great privilege; and there, while
carrying on departmental duties, I was able to participate in the
various occupations and enjoyments special to the place. Among those
were rides, drives, excursions, and picnics, visits to various
Government and other gardens and plantations, including tea gardens;
while to a lover of nature there was a never-failing source of interest
in the phases of plant and animal life as we rode or walked along the
various mountain faces by which the station was encircled.
Society was pervaded by a
spirit of sociability and friendliness; that tone given to it by its
leaders, the Ladies Grenville and Lady Chamberlain. Official duty was
conducted in a spirit of kind consideration between officials, at the
same time that it was well and honestly performed. It was, then, with
great regret that my period drew to a close; that having ended, my
"relief" arrived. My five years in the Madras Presidency were indeed
"the green spot" in my somewhat long period of service. In December,
1879, I embarked for England.
In the early days of
January, 1880, we landed at Southampton, whence we proceeded to
Portsmouth, to which district I found myself again appointed. It was now
the dead of winter. The rapid change from the heat of Madras to the
bitter cold of this part of England caused severe illness in the person
of my dear wife—a circumstance which gave rise to a fellow-feeling for
the many soldiers' wives and children who undergo the same transition
between extremes, but without sufficient provision in clothing and other
requisites to enable them to withstand its effects. The routine of duty
was much the same as it had been some ten years previous; the one
respect in which a change was visible referred to my own special
department, into which alterations introduced seemed to tend neither to
the well-being of the soldier nor comfort of the officer.
My period of service drew
to a close under the terms of a recently issued Royal warrant.
Arrangements were made accordingly for handing over to a successor
duties the performance of which had become in a manner second nature to
me, so much so that their cessation was looked forward to as a blank in
prospect. In the early days of April the Army Estimates for the current
year were published. In accordance with them I was one of six to whom
was authorized the reward for "Distinguished Military Services." On May
25, as the clock struck the hour of noon, I resigned my seat to the
officer ordered to relieve me. In the succeeding Gazelle the
notification appeared that I was placed on retired pay. My active career
was ended.
[P.S.—In the Jubilee
Gazelle, 1897, the distinction of K.C.B. was conferred upon me. On
August 11 following, at Osborne, Her Most Gracious Majesty was pleased
to invest me with the Insignia of the Order. On December 2 I had the
additional honour of receiving the Jubilee medal, transmitted by command
of the Queen, to be worn in commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of
Her Majesty's Reign.] |
