English traveller, and
that we could plainly see, from the nature of the passage, that it was a
secret inlet to the great palace, for some dark and murderous purpose.
This he denied with all the effrontery of which these people are
capable, and we parted on no very friendly terms. This same old fellow
accounted for the earthquake having visited the city of Ougein in the
following happy manner. He said that a white man had sojourned there
some three or four years, subsisting on the gifts of the benevolent. "He
spoke fluently all the Oriental tongues, was affable, and became
generally esteemed. Having accumulated some money, he built a little
temple, and, in two or three years, gained a considerable number of
converts to his religion, and became so powerful in his arguments, and
so persuasive in his discourses, that the Brahmin priests held a
consultation. The result of this meeting was never published, for it was
on that day--that long-to-be-remembered day--that the great visitation
overtook this city, engulfing myriads of its inhabitants. This was a
mark of their god's displeasure for permitting this ancient city to be
defiled by the erection of a Christian temple. The temple was wholly
swallowed up; but, Sir, strange to say, some one short minute before
this, the white man had gone to a small school in a distant village, and
escaped the catastrophe. On the same eve, however, he disappeared, and
naught has been heard of him since that day--a day registered in blood
in the annals of this ancient city."

We visited every place about Ougein worth seeing, and in the evening
returned to our tents, where our hospitable general had, as usual,
provided a sumptuous dinner, with every luxury of the season. On the
following morning we stood towards Saugar, _via_ Bopaul and Belsah, old
Pindaree haunts; but nothing of moment occurred on the road, save that
some of our servants lost their way in the night, and were never more
heard of by us. There can be little doubt that they had fallen victims
to banditti, for which this part of the country is notorious.

We soon arrived safe at Saugar, where we were met with open arms by our
affectionate wives. At this station all was now merriment and joy. Such
is the life of a soldier! He no sooner furls his victorious banner, and
sheaths his blood-stained sabre in the scabbard of peace, than, amid the
revels of the fascinating and the gay, or in the more calm, but far
sweeter enjoyment of dome