'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎416] (435/622)

416
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
among whom we were in daily dread of assassination, but by
dint of determination at last, and with revolvers in our hands,
we took by force some native boats to convey us back to the
6 Comet.' The report had gone forth on board the steamer of our
dangerous position, and Holland was on the point of sending a
force to rescue us, when we returned."
The important task of continuing the revision of that portion
of McCluer's old survey of the west coast south of Bombay,
which had been begun by Montriou and Selby, on the appoint
ment of the latter as surveyor of Mesopotamia, was entrusted
to the able hands of Lieutenant A. Dundas Taylor, who, on the
1st of September, 1853, was appointed to the command of the
pattamar, 'Pownah,' as surveyor, with Lieutenant Sweny as
his assistant. In this old craft, and, subsequently, in the
pattamar, 4 Bheemah,' assisted by Mr. Sweny and Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer.
May, Bewsher, Williams, Lewis, Du Boulay, and Beddome,
he performed as admirable work, between the years 1853-59,
as any surveyor of his time. The survey, which was executed
on a " trigonometrical basis, with bases measured on shore, is
ence to the Albu Mahomed —' TJngus min Khanazir' (' lower than the pigs.')
I found Faasil encamped on the bank of a large stream, the head-quarters
of the tribe, and here was his harem, a square enclosure about one hundred
yards each way, on which were one hundred huts, that being the number
of his wives and slaves, while his own hall of audience, built outside, was the
largest I ever saw, and though constructed entirely of reeds and matting, was
thirty yards long and six wide. My companion and myself found that we
were the objects of continued suspicion and mistrust, and to such an extent were
we watched that all we could do in the way of mapping the part of the country
where we were, was done by placing a base line and obtaining angles and bear
ings by a prismatic compass. Nothing would have justified me in embroiling our
Grovernment with a Turkish tribe, and as an occurrence took place, which con
vinced me of the great distrust they entertained, and as to survey was impossible,
I rejoined the steamer I commanded where I had left her in the river some eight
miles distant. The occurrence to which I refer was this:—Faasil came to my
tent one morning, as was his wont, and asked me to come and walk a little with
him. We struck away from the encampment, and presently came to a grave.
Faasil clutched me by the arm, and looking steadily at me, said, ' Kaptan, what
is that ?' I at once detected the drift of his inquiry, so returning his fixed look,
I answered, ' That, Faasil, is a grave, where honest men sleep peacefully, and where
rogues are unquiet.' ' It is well answered,' he said, turned and walked back to
the encampment without another word passing between us. Among the P r ° v ^"
dential escapes I have had in my varied and wandering life, I have ever regarded
this as the most signal. A faltering word, and probably the knife of the savage
would have been deep in my breast." Captain Selby says of this trucu en
savage :—" I give one example of his stern justice. A woman was going to her nu
with some milk, when two men accosted her. c Oh, woman, give us of the ml •
She declined ; they took it from her and drank. She complained to Faasil. ^ e
sent for the men. ' This woman says you have taken milk from her. i Oj
wullah. Sheikh; it is a lie.' 'Answer, woman, carefully; did they take and
drink it?' 'They did.' ' Eip them open, said Faasil, 'and see.' It was done,
and sufficient traces of the milk found to establish the truth of the woman s s ory.
'It is well, woman,' said Faasil, 'that you have told the truth, or i would
have killed you and your whole family ?' " Of his end Lieutenant Col mgwoo
writes :—" Shortly after our escape, Faasil was slain by his own pepP 16 ' 1 ,
believed under the impression that he was a traitor, and had brougnt us
or at least had countenanced us in spying out the fat of the land.