Nov. 1849. CONFINED WITH DR. CAMPBELL. 213 



Meepo to Campbell, heartily glad to end a parley which 

 had lasted for an hour and a half. 



I found my friend in good health and spirits, strictly 

 guarded in a small thatched hut, of bamboo wattle and 

 clay : the situation was pretty, and commanded a view of 

 the Ryott valley and the snowy mountains ; there were 

 some picturesque chaits hard by, and a blacksmith's forge. 

 Our walks were confined to a few steps in front of the hut, 

 and included a puddle and a spring of water. We had 

 one black room with a small window, and a fire in the 

 middle on a stone ; we slept in the narrow apartment 

 behind it, which was the cage in which Campbell had 

 been at first confined, and which exactly admitted us 

 both, lying on the floor. Two or three Sepoys occupied 

 an adjoining room, and had a peep-hole through the 

 partition- wall. 



My gratification at our being placed together was 

 clamped by the seizure of all my faithful attendants except 

 my own servant, and one who was a Nepalese : the 

 rest were bound, and placed in the stocks and close 

 confinement, charged with being Sikkiin people who had 

 no authority to take service in Dorjiling. On the contrary 

 they were all registered as British subjects, and had during 

 my travels been recognised as such by the Rajah and all 

 his authorities. Three times the Soubah and others had 

 voluntarily assured me that my person and people were 

 inviolate; nor was there any cause for this outrage but 

 the fear of their escaping with news to Dorjiling, and 

 possibly a feeling of irritation amongst the authorities at 

 the failure of their schemes. Meanwhile we were not 

 allowed to write, and we heard that the bag of letters 

 which we had sent before our capture had been seized and 

 burnt. Campbell greatly feared that they would threaten 



