BOOK NOTICES.

Evening Star, Issue 7443, 11 February 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOOK NOTICES.

The Confessions of a Thug. By the late Colonel Meadows Taylor, C.S.I. (new edition). Kegan, Paul, French, and Co., London ; James Horsburgh, George street, Dunedin. This work, just reprinted, was originally published in 1839, and created more than ordinary interest, as it disclosed a phase of society in the East so barbarous and cruel as to have had no parallel in the social development of the Western nations. India, so far as conquered, was under the dominion of the East Indian Company ; while the inhabitants of the vast area still under the control of the Native Princes were distracted by their rapacity, tyranny, and jealousy for each other. Intercommunication was slow and dangerous, through there being no roads suitable for wheel carriages. All transit of goods was effected by pack saddles on droves of oxen driven by armed horsemen, and bands of robbers, very often sharing their plunder with the chiefs themselves, infested the country. The discovery of an associated sect of plunderers and murderers named Thugs startled England about the year 1812. They had formed themselves ages ago into a religious sect, and justified their atrocities under the plea of sacrificing their human victims to their goddess, whom they worshipped under the name of Kali. The following extracts from Wheeler’s ‘History of India ’ give an intimation of the method of procedure adopted by this fanatical sect in the prosecution of their horrid murders in the nominal dominions of the Great Mogul; but their misdeeds were not confined to that empire. They had ramifications throughout India, and there is reason to believe beyond its boundaries. Wheeler says : I very European traveller found it necessary to hire from twenty to thirty horsemen, who carried bows and arrows, or else swords and bucklers. . . . The brigands were not, as a r de, professed thieves, but Rajput outlaws or rebels, so-called Rajas, who were content to mulct a traveller or a caravan, and then escort the party in safety through their respective territories. . . . There were, however, pro-frs-ional thieves, afterwards known as Thugs, who infested Gur.erat, and especially haunted the imperial high road between Agra and Delhi. They went about disguised as peaceful travellers, and made acquaintance with those they found on the way, and beguiled the time wdh conversation until they all rested under a shady tree. Suddenly, at a signal from the chief, every Thug threw his noose round the neck of his allotted victim, and strangled him, rifled him, and buried him with a rapidity which defied detection. Sometimes a handsome damsel, with dishevelled liair, appeared sitting at the wayside, weeping and moaning over her misfortunes Compassion and admiration m ; ght tempt a traveller to speak to her, but if so ho was doomed. She soon had the noose round his throat, and either strangled him on the spot or stunned him until her comrades came up and finished the work of murder.

We give these extracts to confirm the statement by the author that, apart from the connecting links necessary to a sustained narrative, the facts are strictly true. To the more youthful among us probably the name of “Thug” is scarcely known. To the honor of liritisli rule, not only this, but other cruelties of heathenism and Mahommedanism, have been stamped out in India. The task was difficult, but it has been accomplished. When the work of Colonel Meadows was first published, although people read with avidity his thrilling narratives, they were received with doubt, as it was thought impossible that such an organisation for such a purpose could exist even among more barbarous people than those of India. It soon became manifest, however, that the evil was not exaggerated. It was put down with a strong hand, and now security reigns where thieves abounded. The narrative is of thrilling interest. 77k Silence of Dean Maitland. By Maxwell Gray. Kegan, French, and Co., London ; James Horsburgh, George street, Dunedin. It would be a work of supererogation to offer any comments upon a novel which appeared in weekly parts in the columns of this journal. The interest with which each weekly instalment was looked forward to was the best of the literary merit of the work, which, however, we may add, was equally appreciated in Great Britain. It must be considered now a standard work, and no doubt many will like to have the opportunity of reading it without those interruptions w Inch necessarily occur when an interval of a week breaks the thread of the plot and requires an effort of memory to recall the connection.

The two works form part of a series similarly and elegantly bound in cloth and issued by the publishers as au “ Indian and Colonial series. ” Nor must it be supposed that this designation is meaningless, for the series is published to enable readers in the colonics to possess themselves of these excellent works at a cheap rate, while at Home the original high published price is maintained.