a foolish thing," he said; "sentiment had obscured duty. Every man should carry out the task assigned to him. I do not know that I could not have got through the streets of Lucknow with less loss of life. At any rate, I ought to have tried what I could do." This plainly-expressed regret seemed to me to do his character as much credit as the mistaken but noble impulse which called it forth.

These days were before the Bill-brought in by Sir Charles Wood-"for the abolition of Sir Barnes Peacock," and I visited the Legislative Council, which was, just then, a partially popular assembly. The members stood up, behind their respective desks, and spoke, with more or less point and fluency. Mr. James Wilson, as an old House of Commons habitué, was enabled of course, in some degree, like Dr. Johnson's lion, "to ravage without resistance, and roar without reply."

But there was an exception. The pale, small man, who occupied the chair, was possessed of an infinitude of calm self-reliance, and even the great Economist himself was obliged to admit that there was no over-riding Sir Barnes. I was "accommodated" with a seat on the Bench, during the remarkable trial of the "forged will" (Government v. Shibkrishnu and Others), when one of the richest and most influental Baboos in Calcutta was transported to the Nâf river for fourteen years, and Dr. Crawford sentenced to eight years' penal servitude. came, on which I was to start. to breakfast, on the river bank, and I was by him kindly put on board the steamship Simla.

At length the "mail-day " Harington drove me down with the Master Attendant,

APPENDIX

A FEW letters are added in this place, which either illustrate the narrative, or may perhaps interest, simply from the names subscribed to them.

I

The evening before I left Calcutta in 1860, Sir James Outram said to me at dinner :

"Did I ever mention your name in any dispatch ?" My reply was:

"I think not, sir, because I should have been sure to have had the fact told me, if I had not seen the notice myself."

He remarked that he had certainly meant to have done so. The subject dropped. But the next morning, when I was leaving, Sir James came out of his room, in his dressinggown, and presented me with the following letter, begging me to make any use of it I liked.

I have had it by me for many years, but have not shown it to any one, as I thought it too kindly expressed. Old age, however, removes these hesitations, and moreover, a highly distinguished man has put down, in the most popular book of 1897, a sentiment on this subject, which recommends itself to one's reason. "It is better," he says in effect, "to be thought egotistical than to seem ungrateful."

This, then, is a copy of the original which lies before me, in the Bayard's firm and clear handwriting.

"CALCUTTA,

"9th April, 1860.

"MY DEAR SHERER,-I cannot allow you to leave India without discharging a debt which I have long owed you, and which I ought not to have delayed till now to endeavour to repay.

"I am almost certain that in my writings to the GovernorGeneral, Commander-in-Chief, or Mansfield, while at the Alum Bagh, after we were released from the Bailey Guard, I gratefully recorded how much Havelock and I, and, indeed, the whole Lucknow force, were indebted to you for your exertions in our aid, while you were chief civil functionary at Cawnpore, during the trying time of our advance from thence to Lucknow, during the period we were shut up there, and afterwards, while we maintained the Alum Bagh position.

"The cordiality with which you worked with Bruce and other military men, to aid us with supplies, carriage, and intelligence, was the more praiseworthy and remarkable from the fact that your functions and authority, as head of the Civil Department, were interfered with, and trenched upon, by Neill, Havelock, and myself, having conferred powers on Major Bruce quite unusual, and such as might well have excited the jealousy and indignation of most men, and would have discouraged, if not disinclined, most men from heartily working with the military. Yet, so far from your taking offence, or relaxing in your endeavours to aid

us, you ever earnestly exerted your utmost influence in the district, and the most unwearied, unceasing, personal labours in our behalf. However little we may have said of it at this time, I can assure you, my dear Sherer, your hearty, cordial goodwill and friendly assistance were deeply felt by us all. I have often blamed myself for not having sent you an official acknowledgment of your services in aid of the Army at Lucknow, when I relinquished my command. I was then so overwhelmed with incessant calls on my attention that I overlooked it at the time; and the least I can now do is to express to you, in this private form, what I ought to have said officially, while yet I was in a position to address you officially.

"I wish you a pleasant voyage, and happy meeting with your family, with all my heart.

"Believe me,

"Very sincerely yours,

"J. OUTRAM."

II

GENERAL NEILL

ON HIS OWN MILITARY POLICE

"CAWNPORE, "27th August, 1857.

"MY DEAR SHERER,-If we had the men--soldiers-to send out, and take military possession of the country, all would be well. Your police could then go out and be efficient; but as we have not the men, and the country is

in the possession of the enemy, I may say, attempting to establish your police is not only useless, but risking the lives of men well-disposed to the state to no purpose. The murders and captures of your men at Sheorajpore and Bithoor prove this.1

"My idea is-it would be the height of cruelty, and very impolitic to risk any more men in the country to the northwest, and partly south of this, towards Calpee, until, by military force, the insurgents are put down.

"Having no soldiers to send out, the armed police, under military rule Bruce is getting together, is the best substitute. As regards your police between this and Allahabad, they have been most efficient, and it is wonderful they have stood. They ought to be supported by a detachment at Futtehpore, to be at the call of the civil power to act whenever insurgents may appear. It is trying these men very hard, and more to their credit that they stand to their posts with no military support to fall back upon between this and Allahabad.

"When the sanction of Government is requested [for his armed police], the reason why must be fully stated, as above. Most certainly the grounds for making the request will not be the inefficient state of the present police. I never intended such to be understood, for I consider your police, as far as it is established, quite efficient. What I did mean was, that no police was efficient in a country in possession of the enemy, where, as has occurred, your men have been overpowered and murdered by overwhelming

1 There is a little confusion here about names. Bruce lost the post at Bithoor.-J. W. S.