View source for Mizoram, 1872: Rescue of Mary Winchester

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|colspan="0"|<div style="font-size:100%">
This article is an extract from <br/>


'''THE LUSHAI EXPEDITION '''  <br/>
1871-1872<br/>

BY<br/>
R.G. WOODTHORPE.<br/>
LIEUT. ROYAL ENGINEERS.<br/>

LONDON:<br/>
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, <br/>
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.<br/>

1873.<br/>
*****<br/>
''Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees ''<br/> 
''with the contents of this article.''<br/>
''Secondly, this has been scanned frcm a bcck. You can hclp by ''<br/> 
''send!ng the correcled vcrsion/ additional information to ''<br/>  
the Facebook community, [http://www.facebook.com/Indpaedia Indpaedia.com]. <br/> ''All information used will be duly acknowledged.'' 
 
</div>
|} 
[[Category:India|M ]]
[[Category:Places|M ]]
=Rescue of Mary Winchester=
The classis, being principally Hindus, and pos- 
sessing strong caste prejudices, had frequently 
driven away with much harshness any Lushai 
who ignorantly approached too close to their 
cooking-pot or fire-place, while preparing their 
food. It is not unlikely, therefore, that this 
lordly invader had endeavoured to make the 
Lushais get out of his way, and that the latter 
had resented this insult in the usual manner 
with the dad. 

This was the explanation tendered by an officer 
of great experience among the natives, and though 
another worthy officer disposed of this argument 
entirely to his own satisfaction by the simple and 
laconic reply of ** Bosh," I cannot help thinking 
that there was a good deal of probability, to say 
the least, in it. 

The Lushai, a fine spirited-looking youth, re- 
turned to Kungnung with a metua in the after- 
noon, was recognised, admitted at once that 
he had done the deed, and was apparently sur- 
prised to find himself tied up as a prisoner, 
remarking that when Poiboi heard how he had 
been treated it would be bad for us. 
==Escape of A Captive==
I made a sketch of him as he sat bound out- 
side the guard-room, evidently objecting to this 
enforced "sitting for his portrait." His whole 
attitude, and the vigilant look in his eyes, re- 
minded me strongly of some noble wild animal 
held captive, eagerly watching for the slightest 
opportunity of escape ; and such an opportunity 
presented itself to him, or rather he made it for 
himself the very next day, when, the troops having 
left Kungnung, his Goorkha guard was exchanged 
for one of Sappers and Miners, who were left 
behind to occupy the place. 

The Goorkhas, in the Jynteah and Cossyah Hill 
wars, had learnt, from sad experience, how easily 
a Hillman will escape if not carefully bound and 
watched, and had paid no attention to Simlam's 
signs that he was too tightly tied. These how- 
ever he repeated to the less experienced and more 
tender-hearted Sappers, and they loosed his bonds 
slightly. 

He then signed for some covering, and they 
put a rug over his shoulders. 

Suddenly, taking advantage of a moment when 
the sentry had relaxed his vigilance, this Lushai 
Davenport Brother, flinging off rug and bonds 
together, and clearing the guard*-house at a bound, 
disappeared into the jungle, before his discomfited 
guards could recover from their astonishment, to 
offer any opposition. He was to have been sent 
to Cachar, to be imprisoned there. His escape, 
however, probably saved us from a great deal of 
" political complications." 

On the 1st February, the General and staff 
with Mr. Edgar, and the advanced detachments 
of the 22nd and 44th regiments, marched out of 
Kungnung along the western face of Muthilen. 
The path was narrow, and on a steep hillside, 
broken hero and there by rocks and landslips. 

At length, after a weary toil under a hot sun, 
a little stream was reached where the force waited 
for a short time, refreshing themselves with the 
clear cold water, while a small party went on to 
find, if possible, a better camping ground ahead. 
This they did, and at five p.m. the troops reached 
the banks of a swiftly running stream, with 
a gravelly bed, the water cold as if iced. 

Lofty hills rose on all sides; and the eleva- 
tion of the site was about five thousand two 
hundred feet. The atmosphere was very dsxnp 
and cold, the thermometer going down during 
the night to thirty-nine degrees. The gloom of 
the virgin forest seemed never to have been 
penetrated by the sun's rays. 
==Bats In A Bamboo==
The huge forest trees were festooned with 
moss and creepers, and a curious bamboo was 
found here, which we saw nowhere else; each 
joint having a ring of thorns round it, and 
the joints seldom more than eight inches apart. 

In cutting some of these to build our huts, we 
found enclosed between the joints of a bamboo, 
four little bats, alive. How they came there, 
how long they had been there, and how being 
there they would, without our assistance, ever 
have got out, I leave to be explained by those 
who know all about the curious stories of toads 
found in coal, for I confess myself unable to 
solve the mystery. The joints of the bamboo 
certainly seemed perfectly air-tight, for there was 
no perceptible opening. 

We had only time to construct hasty cantos of 
boughs and leaves ; and we soon discovered the 
disadvantages of attaching the framework of the 
maichaus to that of the walls of the canto, as 
the slightest movement on the part of any one 
sleeper communicated a. vibration to the whole 
structure that soon aroused all the other occupants. 

I awoke in the middle of the night with a 
sensation of cold about my head, and hearing an 
unusual noise close to my ear. I looked up, and 
perceived by the light of the many camp-fires 
struggling through the mist, in which the giant 
moss-grown trunks loomed vast and weird, that 
a large gap had been made in the leafy wall, and 
putting out my hand it came in contact with a 
pony's head. I gave it a blow, and it went away, 
but shortly afterwards I heard sounds the reverse 
of blessing proceeding from a hut near. 

In the morning we found that the offender, 
who had disturbed our repose, was an officer's 
pony, which had got loose, and gone round the 
camp, devouring each hut in turn, till the sleeper 
within was aroused and drove it away. 

A heavy dew fell in the morning, and very 
glad everyone was to get some hot tea and 
depart. 

Here we received the news of Simlam's escape. 
About nine a.m., the force commenced the on- 
ward march for Chelam, Poibors chief village, 
which we expected to reach that evening. The 
march was pleasant enough for the first four 
or five miles, lying along the east face of Leng- 
teng, through light forest, with grass and 
fern undergrowth. There were a great many 
orchids on the trees, but not in bloom ; and in 
one place we saw a young fir springing up 
through the grass. 
==Touching Scene==

The road passed over several precipices, down 
which dashed little mountain streams; at one 
of the most romantic of these, we were over- 
taken by Darpong, and a large number of 
Lushais bringing the metuas and elephant tusks. 

Among them came Bhoma, a Kholel man, 
with a captive Naga woman, whom he had taken 
from Munipur in 1869. A most touching scene 
ensued. Mr. Edgar, through his interpreter, 
informed her, in an affecting speech, that she 
might consider herself free to return with her 
liberators to the land of her birth. 

To the surprise of everyone, however, instead 
of expressing joy, she took her pipe out of her 
mouth, burst into a torrent of tears, and falling 
on Bhoma's shoulder, declared, in broken lan- 
guage, that he had ever been kind to her, and, 
like Mrs. Micawber, that " she could never, 
never desert him." Unlike Mr. Micawber, poor 
Bhoma could not reply, *^ I am not aware, my 
love, that anyone wishes you to do so," for not 
only was a stony-hearted Political wishing it, 
but apparently urging her to do so. However, 
her distress was evidently real, and though nei- 
ther young nor pretty, the sight of her tears 
moved even that gentleman at last, and he de- 
clared, in another feeling address, that he would 
not constitute himself the Lord Penzance of the 
Lushais, nor come between her and the object 
of her elderly affections. This faithful one, then 
relieved from her suspense, walking hand in 
hand with her nearly lost Lushai lord, followed 
us on to Chelam. 

During our march, we crossed, about two p.m., 
a fine stream called the Saivar, at an elevation 
of three thousand seven hundred feet, and 
after a short ascent came upon a large open 
park-like plain, still covered with the stubble of 
recent cultivation. From this the ascent was 
very steep through old jooms to the hill above, on 
the other side of which was Chelam, at an ele- 
vation of five thousand eight hundred feet. 
==Poiboi’s Stronghold==
At length, after a severe climb, in rounding a 
spur, we came in full view of Foiboi's stronghold. 
It was a large village. 

Poiboi's own house stood high above the others, 
which rose in tiers on each side of broad streets, 
stretching away down . the slopes of the hill in 
all directions. There were about two hundred 
houses, the whole enclosed in a stiff timber 
stockade. 

Beyond this village rose two other peaks, on 
which stood two smaller villages, also stockaded, 
and containing between them some three hun- 
dred houses. 

No Lushais being seen, the troops marched 
into the principal village. Near the gate was a 
timber platform, with the usual posts capped with 
skulls ; among them, on a lofty pole, one human 
skull, marking the grave of a departed warrior ; 
others were scattered along the paths between 
the three villages. 

These had not long been deserted, as the fires 
were still smouldering, and trays, half filled with 
grain, were lying about. The houses were 
speedily told off to the different corps, and every- 
one commenced his arrangements for the night. 

In the middle of these, we suddenly heard 
great shouts and uproar and much squeaking ; 
and running out to see what was the matter, we 
beheld a most ridiculous sight. The Kookie and 
other Hill coolies, haying got rid of their loads, 
had discovered a &w pigs trying to hide away 
under some of the houses in a by-street, and 
in hunting these they succeeded in unearthing a 
great many more. 

Emerging from under the houses, and hurrying 
down the steep and narrow street, went the pigs, 
and after them, in full cry, armed with every 
variety of weapon, sticks, daos, kookries, rushed 
the coolies pell-mell ; tumbling over each other 
in their eagerness, and whacking at each unfortu- 
nate porker as it was overtaken. 

Some were killed at once; others, generally 
prize- sows, whose forms were not adapted to feats 
of agility, being quickly overtaken, had their four 
feet tied together despite their remonstrances, 
and bamboos being passed between their legs, 
they were carried off to be killed and cut up at 
leisure. 
==Consumption of Frizzled Pork==
Great was the consumption of frizzled pork that 
night ; some of it, as we shall see, being wasted 
in the way described by Charles Lamb as leading 
to the discovery of the excellence of that viand 
when so cooked. 

This little excitement was soon over; and we 
again returned to our abodes. My chief, two officers 
of the 22nd, and myself occupied one of the town 
halls, a fine commodious, though slightly airy build- 
ing, with an immense fireplace, in which the ashes 
were still smouldering. This fireplace was in the 
centre of the room, and sunk about a foot below the 
general level of the floor, thus affording many com- 
fortable sittings all round the fire. The principal 
drawback was the unsound state of the floor, which 
at one time caused the sudden disappearance from 
our gaze of a kitmutgar with part of the dinner, 
which we could ill-afford to lose ; however, we did 
very well, and about ten p.m. turned in, very glad, 
after a rather hard day's work, to get to rest. 

We had not been to sleep an hour before the 
alarm of fire was given, and starting up we found 
that the lowest houses in one of the streets were 
in flames ; and the wind blowing upwards, great 
fears were entertained as to the probable de- 
struction of the whole village. The houses were 
dry and closely packed, and a single spark, or 
bit of smouldering tinder, carried by the breeze 
into the thatch, was sufficient to set a house on 
fire at once. 

The only thing to be done was to try to stay the 
progress of the fire by pulling down and removing, 
as far as possible, the most inflammable portions, 
such as the thatch, matting, &c., of the houses 
nearest the fire. Considerable exertions were 
made by all, and eventually proved successful, 
aided by a fortunate change in the direction of 
the wind, which carried the sparks harmlessly 
down the hill-side. Then, having covered the 
smouldering mass with earth, and leaving some 
Sepoys to see that the fire did not break out afresh, 
everyone went back to his quarters. 

Among the officers attached to the Column, 
there was one who was a great enthusiast for 
colours, and possessed great appreciation of 
effects. Watching the fire, lighting up with its 
ruddy glare the sky, the village, and the forms 
of men rushing to and fro, he exclaimed, " Mag- 
nificent I magnificent I put it all in gamboge !'* 
to which a grinning friend of his, passing at the 
moment, rejoined, " If you would put it all out 
with gamboge, it would be more to the purpose 
just now." 
==Prudence of A Native Boy==
I found that my boy, with a forethought not 
often met with in natives, had refrained from 
running to see the fire, and had packed up every- 
thing ready for an instant move, as he had done 
once before on the first alarm in the attack on 
Tipai Mukh, as if he expected that, the moment 
the Lushais appeared, we should all get into boats 
and sail gaily away. 

On this occasion his prudence involved some 
delay in getting to bed again, as all the bedding 
had to be unrolled and re-arranged. It was pro- 
bable that the fire was caused by some of the 
Kookies roasting their pork; and indeed, even 
while the fire was raging, and it was a toss up 

whether the whole village did not go, I saw some 
coolies, sitting under the eaves of a house, cook- 
ing over a big fire, and the flames were within an 
inch of the dry thatch when I perceived them, 
fortunately. 

It was thought at first that this conflagration was 
the work of an incendiary ; but that was most un- 
likely, as Poiboi had consented to our occupying 
the village provided no damage was done to it. 

Of the two hundred houses in the village, only 
twenty-five, and one of the town-halls, were burnt 
or destroyed, as before related. 

Poiboi's house was similar to the one described 
in the Chapter on the Lushais ; the gable end was 
completely covered with skulls, among which 
was the finest pair of metua's horns we saw 
anywhere, as well as some magnificent specimens 
of sambar's antlers. 

The house itself was in rather a ruinous state, 
and being built on sloping ground, the front 
verandah was raised about twelve feet, and the 
sloping ramp of logs up to it decidedly dangerous. 
Rice, Indian corn, yams, herbs, &c., gourds 
of pig's lard, and large clay vessels of wine, 
were found in most of the houses.