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his home. Suspecting that a careful watch would be kept during the day, the police authorities determined, in order to ensure success, to postpone their approach until the night-fall, when the proprietor of the tope had consented to point out the different paths through which the object of their pursuit might escape. About twelve o'clock at night, the party, consisting of nine men, approached the tope. As had been pre-concerted, six peons were stationed at the different avenues, while the two remaining accompanied the magistrate towards the centre of the tope; it was then dark, and the sea breeze blowing freshly through the trees, prevented their footsteps from being heard. Just as they had entered the wood the moon rose bright and full, and enabled them, as they moved cautiously on, guided by the light that came occasionally through the thinner branches overhead, to distinguish for some distance before them. Sometimes they fancied the gleaming firefly a taper hastily extinguished; their tread fell softer, and their hearts beat quicker; but the instant return of the dancing insect, even brighter than before, proved how easily their excited imaginations had been deceived. Sometimes, in the plaintive moaning of the wind through the branches of the casserina trees, they fancied they heard the low sweet tones of Luchsmi Sita warning him she loved. Sometimes the low chirping whistle of the night-hawk made them think they had been betrayed, and that it was a signal for attack and murder.

A quarter of an hour of this close search had hardly passed, when the magistrate, who was in front of the other two, raised his left hand with the palm turned towards them, betokening them not to advance, and with the other, which held a sword, he pointed to where the moonbeams, coming obliquely through an opening in the thick foliage, ran in a bright stream for some distance under the covering into a much thicker part of the wood, which would not have been visible if the light had not fallen in that direction. On every other side the darkness was intense, and only assisted in more plainly disclosing that one spot where the objects of their search were; it seemed as if the finger of heaven pointed out the abode of guilt, and smiled upon their futile attempts to escape. At the first glance only Luchsmi Sita was to be seen; but on a more careful examination, the dreaded Madhoo Row appeared reposing by her side, while she, poor girl, having thrown her chadda or veil over his face and body, to protect him from the

annoying attacks of insects which swarm the woods in this tropical clime, sat like a startled fawn, watching for any danger that might threaten him. The light streamed full on her beautiful face, the expression of which varied at every movement of her graceful head, as she turned slowly from side side, in hopes of catching the slightest noise; her large bright eyes glistened with excitement, rendered more striking by the shade that fell on them from her long dark lashes; the full lips of her small mouth were partially withdrawn from over the whitest teeth, to assist her breathing, which now appeared to come heavily from her panting bosom. One wild scream, which rung through the wood, too plainly told the tale that all her watchfulness had been in vain, and that Madhoo Row was in the power of those whose authority he had so long braved and despised. The limbs which a moment before lay slackened in languid repose, were nerved with sudden agony, to strive for life. The pulses that beat so calmly, while his hand lay locked in her's, throbbed to bursting: a sick faintness seized him; his imagination became confused from the sudden change; but there was still the certain knowledge of danger, which, either from an imperfect recollection of his situation on a similar occasion, or from some other cause, made him recur on the instant to the words of the judge on his former trial," he that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Ere the morning dawned, he was in prison, chained, and in darkness. Still did that devoted girl attend him; when he slept, it was her lap which formed his pillow; it was her hand which fanned the air to keep him cool; it was her voice which cheered him when he awoke; and when hungry, it was her hand which dressed and brought his food, her mournful eye that watched him still.

The trial commenced; there were few witnesses to call, but the evidence produced before the grand jury was known to have been so conclusive, that no hope of life, it would have been supposed, could have presented itself to the prisoner; yet, when he appeared at the bar, the daring manner in which he pronounced "nán shaiyáh máttane" (I am not guilty,) seemed to prove that he at least had confidence in the saying, "while there is life there is hope:" and when it was considered that death in its most terrible form hovered over the unhappy culprit, his proud firmness appeared strange and unnatural, and obtained for him that involuntary respect, which

a manly and fearless manner always produces on the mind. During the whole of the trial, he stood with his arms folded and his eyes fixed upon the witness box, occasionally turning to answer the questions of the interpreter who stood near the judge. His dress was, on this occasion, precisely that of a high caste Hindoo: a plain white turban; his tunic of the finest and whitest muslin, with the red and gold sash; and over his shoulders was carelessly thrown a shawl of the richest pattern; the Moorish trowsers were thrown aside, and the saffron-coloured cloth worn by the Brahmins was wrapped in folds round his legs; the only ornament he wore was a diamond ring, of immense size and value. The first witness that was to be called, and the principal one, was the victim of his ferocious attack. Immediately the jury had been impannelled, Anuntya was summoned; all eyes were for a moment turned to the part of the court where he would enter, and then as quickly withdrawn to watch what effect his entrance would have upon the prisoner. For a moment there was a dead pause, and then a confused low murmuring expressive of pity and horror at the spectacle which presented itself. Borne in the arms of three men appeared the wretched limbless Anuntya; as it was impossible to place him in the witness-box, he was brought, by the permission of the judge, and seated upon the table where the barristers were. A more pitiable object cannot be conceived; he could not have been more than twenty-eight years of age; of a mild and most pleasing expression of countenance; beautiful features; and, to judge of what remained, his frame, although slight, must have been particularly well made. What was he now? A mere trunk; the body alone remained. Here was one of God's creatures, young, in health, and universally esteemed, in a moment, by the hand of a fellow being, deprived of all the enjoyments that this life can afford. He was unable to make the slightest movement without assistance; even his food it was necessary should be placed in his mouth by another person. And when it is considered that he was a Brahmin; that the cause of his suffering was produced by an individual of a lower caste; that he was quite unable to perform the many daily duties required of him by a superstitious religion, upon which he firmly believed not only his well-being in this world but his future state depended, an object more worthy of pity cannot be imagined. Yet even in this state there were wretches VOL. II.NO. I.

C

found who deliberately and willingly undertook to put to death this defenceless creature, if he did not swear in the most sacred manner to abscond, and not appear at the trial of Madhoo Row; such was the power that this man possessed over the minds of some of his followers! Fortunately the police authorities were apprized of this circumstance, and took care to lodge Anuntya in a secure home, where he could not be again molested, and could have his food dressed by trust-worthy persons; for when he first arrived even in this place of refuge an attempt was made to poison him.

As soon as Anuntya had been sworn, according to the custom of the country, by swallowing the Toolooshey*, and repeating the oath spoken by the Pandarum, the counsel for the prosecution, Mr. N- arose, and desired him to turn to the prisoner, and swear that he was the man who, on the night of Sept. 18—, had reduced him to his present unhappy state. The intense excitement in the court at this moment is not to be described; crowded as it was, a pin might have been heard to fall; the loud booming surf, that broke every half minute with a sullen crash upon the shore, within twenty yards of the building, did not appear to affect the crowd with the least fear that the slightest whisper would be lost. Every eye was fixed either on the prisoner or the witness, every nerve upon the stretch; their breathings even restrained to catch the answer to the question upon which life or death-everything depended; whether Madhoo Row should meet with his due deserts, or again be permitted to go abroad and commit excesses, which kept the country around in perpetual alarm. Either from fear, or recollection of what he had suffered, perhaps from the strangeness of his situation, Anuntya, when he had slowly turned his calm, mild countenance upon the prisoner, did not appear immediately to recollect him, and although there was not a word uttered, not a whisper breathed, nor a look changed, and everything remained in the same intense silent excitement, still a spectator felt that there was an indescribable sensation excited in the court, which, if not counteracted in some way, would burst forth in loud expressions of disappointment. In a kind encouraging voice Mr. N again repeated the question, through the interpreter: "Witness, do you recognise the prisoner at the bar?"

* The leaf soaked in water of the Toolooshey Sheddey, one of the sacred shrubs, which is excessively bitter,

and is always administered by the Pandarum (or priest) to any person about to take an oath.

At this moment the anguished sobs of the unhappy Luchsmi Sita, who was known to have accompanied Madhoo Row to the court house, were distinctly heard amidst the sullen roar of the surf; a few eyes were turned to see whether the judge was likely to make any remark on this interruption to the general silence, but his thoughts appeared fixed upon what was to be the answer of Anuntya, who shrank when he heard the tones of distress, and immediately, as if possessed with a peculiar feeling of dislike to the cause of them, in a clear hurried tone replied, “Am, aiyah, arandan," yes, sir, that is the man. Every one present again breathed freely, the excitement was at an end; everything had fallen out as every body had said, every body had thought, and every body had wished; they were not mistaken in their judgment, and they were satisfied. The remainder of the evidence elicited from this witness was a mere repetition of what has already been related. He spoke of the feast of Gauri; of the procession; the place where Madhoo Row and his followers were standing, on their first circuit of the village of Triplicane; mentioned the display of fireworks which it was their custom to exhibit on such occasions; described the prisoner's dress; and in the most clear and satisfactory manner, the rush of his horse, and the way in which his companion was thrown down; avowed the expressions he had made use of towards the prisoner; and lastly, directed their attention to the shoulder of the right arm, which he stated was the cut which he first received, and which brought him to the earth; he had no recollection of what took place afterwards. Although the writer of this kept his eyes fixed on the prisoner during the whole of this interesting examination, in hopes of observing some change, some quiver of the muscles about the face, when his eyes met those of his victim, and when Anuntya recognised him, there was not the slightest appearance either of pity or remorse. He stood calm and erect, his arms folded, and his head a little lowered on his breast, watching the witness as a tiger does its prey, with his large eyes gleaming brightly and fiercely from underneath his dark and heavy brow. When asked, at the conclusion of Anuntya's examination, whether he had any question to put, he replied "None, I never saw the witness before to my knowledge; "the observation was not heeded, and the trial proceeded. The witnesses that followed merely spoke to his identity, and to his being the person that attacked Anuntya. Dr. L

who was the last witness for the prosecution described the state in which the poor Brahmin was brought to the hospital, and of his being obliged, in consequence of the dreadful wounds he had received, to amputate the sufferer's legs, one of which, in addition to the sword cuts, appeared to have been greatly injured by the hoofs of a horse, which it was concluded was Madhoo Row's. The prosecution here closed, and the prisoner was asked what he had to say in his defence. Without unfolding his arms he turned to the interpreter, and for the first time during the trial raised his eyes towards the judge. He commenced by denying the charge, stating that he was not the person who had committed the assault for which he was brought to the bar; that it was a conspiracy against his life in consequence of the strict manner in which he had fulfilled the duties required of him by his employers, the tobacco renters. He appealed to the magistrate, if smuggling had not greatly diminished since he had been employed in its prevention, and if a great number of idle persons were not in consequence thrown out of employment, who looked upon him as the principle cause of their misfortunes. "These, these are the men," he said, "that have perpetrated the crime; and to wreak their vengeance, as well as to escape punishment, they have accused me. It is well known that I was at my house on the eighth of September, and did not attend at the feast of Gauri as has been stated. When I find credit given to such men- men who are known to be my enemies, of a different caste, and who by my conviction will be enabled to return to their old trade of smuggling, I am not surprised at the little chance there appears of my being acquitted. I feel I am alone; that I have no one to defend me; that your lordship already sides with the world against me. Go not with the stream; enquire the character of the different witnesses, and they will be found more capable of committing the crime of which I am accused. If Anuntya was brought to the earth, as he states, by the first blow, delivered by a man on horseback who rushed suddenly upon him, how is it possible he should be able to speak with certainty as to the person? many of my countrymen wear the same description of dress, and on a dark night in a crowded procession, it is not easy to distinguish one from another. Mighty sir, you who possess all good qualities, protect your slave from the enmity of the world. I am a poor man, and place my trust in you; it is said Englishmen are just-let it appear

so; my life, my soul rests upon your shadow, may it never be less; peace be upon you; Innam nan yenna cholloo? what more can I say?"

His defence was delivered in a clear, manly tone, in his own language, and translated by the interpreter to the court as he proceeded. Hopeless as was his case, he made no appeals farther than those which are used by his countrymen on every occasion, and are the result of manners more than feeling; he rather appeared to glory in his unfriended state, and to have more confidence in a frank, bold denial of the charge brought against him, than in a cringing, supplicatory address. When he had concluded, Sir

ob

served, "Prisoner, you state in your defence, that on the night of September-you were at home and did not attend at the feast of Gauri, in the village of Triplicane; have you any witness to prove the truth of your assertion?" After a short enquiry it appeared that Luchsmi Sita was the only person he could produce to prove an alibi. The poor girl had followed Madhoo Row to the court-house, and had made her way through the immense crowd that had collected round the doors, but finding she was not able to approach near enough to the bench to hear the trial, had sunk down exhausted and dispirited within the court, but sufficiently near the bar for her sobs to be distinctly heard between each crash of the surf, the sound of which was made more impressive and sullen by the contrast. On being informed that she was required to give her evidence before the judge, she arose apparently wild and distracted, ignorant of what they asked, but willing to execute any order that might be given. Some friend whispered to her, that she was required to speak in favour of her lover; immediately her tears were wiped away, her face brightened with a smile to think how well she could perform such an office, and how bright the result might be. She hastily arranged her dress, and the muslin chadda * was thrown gracefully over her dark bright hair, which was arranged (together with her dress) with that care which respect to him she loved and the forms of her religion required: it was parted in the centre of her well-shaped forehead; and the two ends being brought round, were rolled into a ball, and placed over the left ear, and the ball covered with a circular plate of ornamented gold, slightly hollowed out to receive it. Her scarlet muslin dress was tastefully disposed in folds about her person, and kept fast by a plain broad

Kind of veil.

gold zone round her small waist: on her arms, which were bare beyond her shoulders, she wore a profusion of gold and jewelled bangles; and when she moved, the tinkling gold ornaments that encircled her well-turned ankles, rang with a musical sound. Having been placed in the witness-box, and sworn according to the custom of her country, a few unimportant questions were asked to give her encouragement. Until then she had kept her head down, the veil partially covering her face; but when they asked whether she was acquainted with the prisoner, her veil fell as she looked up, and disclosed the most beautiful face that the writer of this narrative ever beheld her large swimming fawn eyes were wild and tremulously bright with excitement: the dark, straight, pencilled eyebrows, which extended far over each temple, and assisted in giving effect to the most delicately chisselled nose, were now slightly raised with surprise at the question, and served to increase the interesting expression of the countenance of this lovely Hindoo. For a moment she gazed upon the prisoner, who returned her pitying look with an appealing expression, and then, turning to the judge with eyes suffused with tears, answered boldly in the affirmative.

Her look and tone were immediately changed to those of pride and confidence, as if she gloried in acknowledging the prisoner, and felt certain that no danger could await him, if she spoke boldly and all she knew in his favour. She little knew, poor girl,

to what Madhoo Row had summoned her to swear: there had been no schooling, no preconcerted plan; her being called upon to give evidence was as unexpected by herself as it was by the prisoner. His defence (if it could be so called) was the thought of the moment, resulting from the strict examination of the witnesses produced upon the trial, and from the fact having been acknowledged, both by the judge and the counsel for the prosecution, that a great deal too much had been said to the prejudice of the prisoner elsewhere. When in prison he had scorned and laughed at employing any one in his defence; and appeared to look forward to the result of his trial, if not with confidence, certainly without fear. He saw his danger now; it was impossible Luchsmi Sita could prove the alibi, and of this he was aware, and of the injury her strict examination would most likely do his cause. But he was saved the pain of having himself publicly convicted of making a false defence, by an occurrence as painful as it was unexpected. Luchsmi Sita, not appearing precisely acquainted with the

charge brought against the prisoner, having only heard from him that in an affray (which she had concluded was with the smugglers,) a man had been severely wounded, Mr. Ndetermined, before he commenced the examination, to make her acquainted with the principal circumstances relative to the trial; he therefore proceeded, in a distinct tone, to restate the case, without uttering a word to prejudice the court against the prisoner; to all of which Luchsmi Sita attentively listened. But when the victim of Madhoo Row's attack was pointed out to her, she was observed to make a slight start; her whole frame trembled, her eyes appeared almost to start from their sockets, and to become fixed and horrorstruck upon seeing Anuntya: for an instant she stood with her lips apart, gasping for breath, and then, as if nature made one desparate struggle to free itself, she gasped forth in a loud convulsive sob," yen tammeyah !” (my brother) and sank upon the ground. She was immediately borne out of the court, apparently lifeless. The poor girl's expression of speechless terror appeared to have been communicated to every one present; not a word was spoken; the judge sat motionless; the counsel for the prosecution still stood with his eyes bent upon the spot where the witness a moment before had stood. Some looked towards the unhappy Anuntya, who, it appeared, had been in some measure prepared for this disgraceful disclosure, having recognised his sister upon her first appearance; others attentively surveyed the prisoner, who appeared, for the first time during his trial, deeply affected, although he did his utmost to conceal his feelings; but the deep sigh which came struggling heavily from his breast, and the parched lips, which his tongue vainly attempted to soften, too plainly showed the state of his mind and body: his eyes, expressive of the strongest concern, had followed the inanimate body of Luchsmi Sita as it was carried out of the court; but when it was no longer visible, he again folded his arms, and surveyed the court with a sullen, revengeful look. After a time, life again appeared to return to those present, and the awful silence which had followed this painful scene was broken by the judge, who, after a few questions, began, in an impressive but subdued tone, to sum up the case this he did with great care and impartiality, recapitulating the whole of the evidence that had been adduced upon the trial; explaining at considerable length the nature of the new law*, under which the ⚫ It was immediately after the passing of Mr. Peel's

Act.

prisoner was tried; and considerately bringing forward those points to the notice of the jury, that appeared in the slightest degree to bear favourably upon the case of the unhappy man. In conclusion, he implored the jury not to allow any reports which they might have heard elsewhere, to have the slightest influence in determining their verdict—a verdict on which depended the life of a fellow-creature, against whom, he was sorry to confess, there existed a very strong feeling. "Dismiss this feeling," said the judge in those impressive words which I shall never forget, "and 1 charge you, as you will one day answer it at the bar of the last judgment, where you, and I, and all must appear, deliver your verdict according to conscience and truth."

The event of the trial must already have been anticipated. The jury, after a short de liberation, returned a verdict of guilty.

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It was late on the morning after the trial, when the unhappy Luchsmi Sita came to her senses, and found herself in a low mean room, in the house of her old and faithful nurse, Maiya, by whom she was attended. She had recovered several hours previously from that perfectly lifeless state, which had followed the painful recognition of her brother in the court-house, but had still lain apparently insensible of the cause of her afflictions: sometimes she would rise suddenly, and leaning on her hand, gaze wildly about the room; and then, as if forgetting the motive of the exertion, sink slowly back upon her bed, muttering to herself prayers for Madhoo Row's speedy return, whom she appeared to think, as in days gone by, was abroad engaged in performing the duties allotted to him by his employers. Throughout the whole night the kind attendant of her youth watched by the poor girl's side, delicately avoiding any remark that might affect her feelings, but soothing her by kind words, and anxious to seize upon any opportunity that might present itself, for commencing a conversation upon any subject, however indifferent. After various unsuccessful attempts, poor old Maiya at length brought some cold rice for her mistress to eat, and as she presented it, spread on a plate formed of several leaves of the sacred tree ravi*, (which is supposed to procure

* So sacred is this tree, (called Arassamura in Ta mul,) that it is thus addressed in prayer:-" Thou art the king of trees; thy root resembles Brahma; thy branches are like Siva; thou grantest peace, the remission of sins, and a blessed world after death, to those who have honoured thee in their lives by the ceremonies of the cord and of marriage; to those who have offered thee sacrifices, have gone round about thee, and have honoured thee. Destroy my sins, and grant me a happy world after death."

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