Part 2 (2/2)
Burton, however, and soo all the same, and a tandee to the race ht before the college dignitaries; but the dons having lectured Burton, he began lecturing theht not to be treated like children As a consequence, while the other offenders were merely rusticated, Burton was expelled [53] Hewith a sense of injustice,” though where the injustice comes in, it is difficult to see His departure from Oxford was characteristic He and Anderson of Oriel, one of the other offenders, hired a tandee, and then with ”a cantering leader and a high-trotting shaft horse” they rode through the High Street, and so on to London, Burton artistically perfor adieux to his friends and kissing his hands to the shop girls About the same tie Thus Burton got his oay, but he long afterwards told his sister, Lady Stisted, that beneath all his bravado there lay a deep sense of regret that such a course had been necessary
Chapter III April 1842-20th February 1847, Sind
8 To Bombay, 18th June 1842
On his arrival in London, Burton, in order to have an hour or two of peace, coolly told his people that he had been given an extra vacation, ”as a reward for winning a double first” Then occurred a quite un-looked-for sequel His father insisted on giving a dinner in honour of the success, and Burton, unwillingly enough, became the hero of the uests revealed the precise truth--with the result of an unpleasant scene; but eventually it was deee the surplice for the sword The Indian Service having been selected, a commission was purchased for 500, and Burton presently found hiiment, Bombay Native Infantry Delirious with joy, he applied hiorously to Hindustani under a dirty, suist, named Duncan Forbes While thus employed he made the acquaintance of two persons who just them enjoyed a remarkable reputation, namely John Varley [54], the water colour painter and occultist, and the Rev Robert Montgoot fair prices for his pictures, but the expenses of a numerous family kept hiy,” and eventually made it a kind of second profession Curious to say, some of his predictions came true, and thanks to this freak of fate he obtained more fanosticated,” says Burton, ”that I was to becohtway Burton buried hiical and cabalistic books [56], studied the uncanny arts, and becainery,” but his own prophecies generally proved to be of the Moseilima type; that is to say, the opposite invariably happened--a fatality that pursued hiomery, hom also he became acquainted, was the fashi+onable preacher and author whoh Review Burton's aunts, Sarah and Georgiana, [57] ith the crowd to his chapel, ranked the author of ”Satan, a Poem,” rather above Shakespeare, and probably few reater nu been sworn in at the East India House, Burton went down to Greenwich, whence on 18th June, 1842, after being ”duly wept over,” he, in company with his beautifully built bull-terrier of renowned pedigree, set sail for Boe, which lasted fourpart in the quarrels of the crew This was the year of the hans and the disastrous retreat of the British froers on reaching Bohanistan They learnt that the prestige of the British arn was ended
To Burton, who had counted on being sent to the front, this was a burning disappointment He found Bombay marvellously picturesque, with its crowds of people from all parts of the world, but before many days had passed he fell ill and had to be transferred to the Sanitarium, where he made the acquaintance of an old Parsee priest who assisted him in his Hindustani Even in these early days we find hi material of the kind that was to be utilised in his Arabian Nights He was struck, for exaes of henna whose powerful and distinctive odour loaded the atrey-headed crows that swooped down on dead and even dying animals
9 Baroda The Bubu
After six weeks' rest, having received orders to join his regied soe thither in a small vessel called a pattymar It took them four days to march from the Tankaria-Bunder raphically describes the scenery through which they passed ”The ground, rich black earth was covered with vivid, leek-like, verdigris green The little villages, with their leafy huts, were surrounded and protected by hedge ht veil, as of Danificent trees were tipped by peacocks screaht to the son” The sharp bark of the led with the bray of the conch Arrived at Baroda, he lodged hialow, and spent his tiround He threw himself into his studies with an ardour scarcely credible--devoting twelve hours a day to Hindustani, and outwearying two munshi+s
At that time it was quite the custoular unions with the Hindu women Every individual had his Bubu; consequently half-caste children were not uncommon; but Burton was of opinion that this es It connected, he says, ”the white stranger with the country and its people, gave hiht hie”
Like the rest, Burton had his Bubu Still, he was no voluptuary
Towering ambition, enthusiasm, and passion for hard work traes, not ara given whole days and nights to the tender pages of Euclid
Indeed, he was of a cold nature, and Plutarch's reh otherwise he was very hot and hasty, yet was he hardly moved with lust or pleasure of the body” When the officers were not on the drill ground or philandering with their dusky loves, they aers, and the countless birds hich the neighbourhood abounded The dances of the aphish-looking Nautch girls, dressed though they were in ust rather than pleasure The Gaikhose state processions were gorgeous to a wonder, occasionally inaugurated spectacles like those of the old Rohts between various wild ani” was universal, and Burton, who as a lad had patronised this cruel sport, hi”--of which he speaks affectionately, as one ht between Bhujang and the fancy of a certain Mr Ah ”after prayers,” may be read by those who have a taste for suchdied, Burton gave it alalow, and the facetious enquired whether the little le-faced little veteran and despot, Sir Charles Napier, generally known froin,” and from his irascibility as ”The Devil's Brother,” and after the ith Sind, the chief event of which was the battle of Meeanee (February 21st), where Sir Charles and Major Outrarew alh he did not actually see his hero till so to Punch the news of the battle was transmitted to headquarters in one word: ”Peccavi” A quarrel then broke out between the great English leaders, and Western India was divided into the two opposing ca with the latter In April, Burton returned to Bombay to present hi passed with honour [59]
he returned to Baroda, where he experienced all the inconveniences attendant on the south-west ht and day he lay or sat in a wet skin; the air was alive with ants and other winged horrors, which settled on both food and drink, while the dust storms were so dense that candles had to be burned in orously to Gujarati [60], the language of the country, and also took lessons in Sanskrit
”I soon,” he says, ”becaer can with the practice of Hinduism I carefully read up Ward, Moor, and the publications of the Asiatic Society and eventually my Hindu teacher officially allowed me to wear the Brahminical thread” He learnt so the Tota-kahani [61], which gave him a taste for ”parrot books,” [62] on which he became an authority; while the study of the Baital-Pachisi led to his writing Vikram and the Vampire [63] All this application caused his fellow officers to call hih, in after years, Burton often ly against the Roman Catholic priesthood, and the cenobitic life of the monks, yet at times he had certain sympathies with Ro the services of the garrison chaplain, he sat under the pleasant Goanese priest who preached to the caust he visited Bo passed with distinction, he once more returned to Baroda--just in tiiment, which was ordered to Sind
10 Karachi Love of Disguise
On board the See was performed, he made the acquaintance of Captain Scott, nephew of the novelist--a handsome man ”with yellow hair and beard,” and friendshi+p followed Both were fond of ancient history and romance, and Burton, who could speak Italian fluently and had knowledge of the canalization of the Po Valley, was able to render Scott, whose business was the surveyal of Sind, the precise assistance he just then required Burton also formed a friendshi+p with Dr John Steinhauser, afterwards surgeon at Aden Then, too, it was at Karachi that he first saw his hero, Sir Charles Napier
Though his ferocious temper repelled some, and his Rabelaisisms and kindred witticisms others, Sir Charles won the admiration and esteem of almost all who knew him It was from him, to some extent, that Burton acquired the taste, afterwards so extraordinarily developed for erotic, esoteric and other curious knowledge Napier intensely hated the East India Company, as the champions of his detested rival, Major Outram, and custos of Leadenhall Street,” while Burton on his part felt little respect for the effete andbody whose uniform he wore and whose pay he drew
Karachi [64], then not e, was surrounded by walls which were perforated with ”nostril holes,” for pouring boiling water through in tie There were narrow lanes, but no streets--the only open place being ato the absence of sewers the stench was at tireat shallow artificial pond which abounded in huge sleepy crocodiles, sacred animals which were tended by a holy fakir, and one of Burton's amusements was to worry these creatures with his bull terrier
Tired of that pastime, he would muzzle a crocodile by means of a fowl fastened to a hook at the end of a rope, and then ju ride [65] The feat of his friend, Lieutenant Beresford, of the 86th, however, waseven than that Here and there in the pond were islets of rank grass, and one day noticing that the crocodiles and islets made a line across the pond, he took a run and hopped from one crocodile's back on to another or an islet until he reached the opposite side, though rily as he passed