A Journey to Katmandu | Page 3

mighty a nation, and had had opportunities of securing the
support of her government, should he ever be driven to seek its aid.
* * * * *
The Atalanta, one of the oldest steam frigates in the Indian navy, had
been placed at the disposal of His Excellency, and, upon the evening of
the 9th of December 1850, was lying in the Colombo Roads, getting up
her steam as speedily as possible, while I was uneasily perambulating
the wooden jetty, which is all the little harbour can boast in the shape
of a pier, endeavouring to induce some apathetic boatmen to row me
over the bar, a pull of three miles, against a stiff breeze. It was bright
moonlight, and the fire from the funnel of the old ship seemed rushing
out more fast and furious in proportion as the boatmen became more
drowsy and immovable; finally they protested that it was an unheard-of
proceeding for anybody to wish to go on board ship on such a night at
such an hour, and insinuated that all verbal or pecuniary persuasions
would be alike unavailing. It is very evident that Colombo boatmen are
a thriving community; still they seem a timid race, for upon my having
recourse to threats containing fearful allusions, which there was not the
remotest possibility of my being able to carry into execution, a
wonderful revolution was effected in the feelings of the sleepers around
me; they forthwith began to unwind themselves from the linen
wrappers in which natives always swathe themselves at night like so
many hydropathic patients, and, converting their recent sheets into
turbans and waistcloths, they got with many grumblings into a tub-like
boat, just as the smoke from the steamer was becoming ominously

black. Their eyes once open, the men went to work in good earnest, and
an hour afterwards I had the satisfaction of walking the deck of the
Atalanta, which was going at her utmost speed, some seven knots an
hour.
In the morning we were off Point de Galle, and put in there for General
Jung Bahadoor, who, with some of his suite, had made the journey
thither by land.
All the world make voyages now-a-days; and nobody thinks of
describing a voyage to India any more than he would an excursion on
the Thames, unless he is shipwrecked, or the vessel he is in is burnt and
he escapes in an open boat, or has some such exciting incident to relate.
We were unfortunate in these respects, but in our passengers we found
much to interest and amuse us; and as everything regarding the
Nepaulese Ambassador is received with interest in England, a
description of the proceedings of one day, as a sample of the ten we
spent on board the Atalanta, may not be altogether uninteresting.
Time never seemed to hang heavy on the hands of the Minister Sahib,
for that was his more ordinary appellation; rifle practice was a daily
occupation with him, and usually lasted two hours. Surrounded by
those of his suite in whose peculiar department was the charge of the
magnificent battery he had on board, he used to take up his station on
the poop, and the crack of the rifle was almost invariably followed by
an exclamation of delight from some of his attendants, as the bottle,
bobbing far astern, was sunk for ever, or the three strung, one below the
other, from the end of the fore-yard-arm, were shattered by three
successive bullets in almost the same number of seconds. Pistol
practice succeeded that of the rifle, and the ace of hearts at 15 paces
was a mark he rarely missed.
Then the dogs were to be trained, and in a very peculiar manner; a kid
was dragged along the deck before the noses of two handsome stag
hounds, who, little suspecting that a huge hunting-whip was concealed
in the folds of their master's dress, were unable to resist so tempting a
victim and invariably made a rush upon it, a proceeding which brought
down upon them the heavy thong of the Minister Sahib's whip in the

most remorseless manner. That task accomplished to his satisfaction,
and not being able to think of anything else wherewith to amuse
himself, it would occur to him that his horse, having thrown out a splint
from standing so long, ought to be physicked. He was accordingly
made to swallow a quantity of raw brandy! It was useless to suggest
any other mode of treatment, either of horse or dogs. The General
laughed at my ignorance, and challenged me to a game of backgammon.
Occasionally gymnastics or jumping were the order of the day, and he
was so lithe and active that few could compete with him at either.
While smoking his evening pipe he used