KIGOUES OF CAPTIVITY 317 
know that the Eajah purposely circulated the tale of his 
having compassed our destruction, and that it was believed 
'in India. Now, we have, happily, no cause for apprehension, 
but every reason to hope that our captivity is drawing to 
a close. 
My durance here has been somewhat of the vilest. 
Certainly the Sikkimites have left no way untried of making 
Campbell and me as wretched as possible. We are not allowed 
to stray ten yards from this miserable hovel in which we 
are immured, and we are debarred all correspondence and 
the power of laying our complaints before our own Govern- 
ment, or even before the Eajah. These people actually 
converse in Hes, — they think in hes — and I verily beheve 
that any appeal they may make to their own consciences 
is answered by a lie. Their utter mental degradation and 
distortion are inconceivable. I speak of the Bhotea authori- 
ties. The Lepcha population are a better set ; they sym- 
pathise with us and show us many a little kindness by 
stealth. The Lamas, too, who are somewhat more enhghtened 
than their rulers, are coming forward to a man, and repre- 
senting to the Eajah the peace and comfort in which they 
lived under Campbell's sway ; also that the Eajah is literally 
breaking his own head, for that when this outrageous conduct 
is answered, (as it must be and resented) by an appeal to 
arms, these people will assuredly come off second best. They 
have no muskets, their bows they handle very awkwardly, 
their long knives will be useless against Artillery. These 
warnings have already alarmed the Eajah, especially as 
we echo the same tale ; he would be thankful now to be 
rid of us, but how to do so is the question ! He has com- 
mitted himself fatally by the violence used towards our 
persons ; and as to the complaints he alleges agamst Camp- 
bell's public acts, the Superintendent, already appointed 
at Darjeeling, pursues, and will pursue, the same hne of 
conduct, nor could Campbell alter if he would. 
You would have been highly diverted by our schemes, 
especially for corresponding with one another ; for Campbell 
and I were confined separately and debarred all commu- 
nication. My Lepcha boys were so clever that we never 
failed to get httle wisps of paper conveyed to and fro between 
us. Now that we are together we get on much better, and, 
