166 Twelve Years’ Military Adventure. [Frs. 
nected with this affair, there is one which is strongly characteristic 
of that habitual indifference to danger which is so common among Eng- 
lish soldiers. A private of the 69th had been placed sentry over the 
magazine :— 
“ In the midst of the work of slaughter, an officer, who was running for 
his life, passed him at his post, and, seeing him walking up and down with 
the utmost composure, hastily asked if he knew that the sepoys were mur- 
dering all the Europeans. ‘I thought as much,’ he replied. ‘ Why don’t 
you fly for your life then?’ exclaimed the officer. ‘ I was posted here,’ he 
said, ‘ and itis my duty to remain. I’ve six rounds in my pouch, and 1'l sell 
my life dearly.” The noble fellow was afterwards found dead on his post.” 
The captain is fond of a joke, and does not like it the less for being 
a practical one, as the following story will testify :— 
« Among my mathematical instruments, I had an inverting telescope, 
which I used sometimes to let my servants look through, that I might enjoy 
their surprise at seeing the world turned upside down, and, in particular, the 
astonishment they expressed, when they saw men and women walking on 
their heads, without their clothes falling down. It got about in the cantgn- 
ment that the engineer Saheb hada telescope which could turn people upside 
down, without the latter part of the phenomenon being generally known. 
So I used sometimes to amuse myself by pointing my glass at the women as 
they passed my window ; upon which they would run as fast as they could, 
holding their clothes down with both their hands.” 
He aceompanies the expedition to the Isle of Bourbon, and on his 
return is made aid de camp to Sir Samuel Auchmuty. The importance 
which this accession of dignity gives him in the eyes of some of his 
Madras acquaintances, and the respect they commonly pay to rank, is 
ridiculed humorously enough :— 
** Although I had generally been well received in society at Madras, yet, 
when I came to mount the aid-de-camp’s coat, I observed many persons eye 
me with a degree of consideration which I never could ebtain from them when 
inthe garb of a simple subaltern of engineers. Many a cordial greeting did 
I now receive, where once a simple nod was thought sufficient ; and many a 
whole handful of fingers would now be thrust into my palm, where formerly a 
couple of digits at most were brought forth to balance my five. This respect 
and attention paid to my new coat was not confined to the male sex ; so that, 
however I might have benefited, in many respects, by the change, my amour- 
propre was not much flattered, nor my estimation of mankind much raised, by 
the little peep into the human heart which J had thus obtained. In every 
society there will always be a certain number of low-minded persons, who 
pay no respect but to rank or riches. One family I recollect in particular at 
the Presidency, which was so notorious in this respect, that a trick which 
was played them by a captain of the navy whom they had offended, afforded 
considerable amusement, if not gratification, to the greater part of the Settle- 
ment. Expecting to meet this family at the assembly-rooms, he brought a 
young midshipman ashore with him, and introduced him as the Honourable 
Mr. so and so. As he anticipated, the bait took, and a set was immediately 
made at this sprig of nobility by the party in question. The daughters 
monopolized him as a partner during the eveuing. His daneing was admired, 
his face pronounced truly patrician, his manners considered superior, and even 
his gaucheries set down as the véritable ton. They begged as.a favour that the 
captain would allow him to stay ashore with them for a short time—they 
would take such care of him. To which the captain, after some demur, for 
“he was given into his special charge,’ consented. The next day Middy is 
taken round to see the lions, and to be introduced to their most fashionable 
acquaintance. His cocked hat is rather the worse for a sea voyage, and ‘his 
