Chambers Edinburgh Journal, Volume XVII., No 423, New Series. | Page 5

nation shall feast or starve for the next twelve months. It is pleasing to
add, that there are hopes of a change for the better in this state of
uncertainty of obtaining the necessities of life, which, in a case like this,

where so little depends upon the energy of single members of the
community, acts as a sure check upon the progress of civilisation.
Canals, excavated at a time when all India was one vast empire, but
since choked up and fallen into ruins, have been cleaned and repaired,
and new ones projected. A late order of government has led the way to
the Indus being constituted, instead of the Ganges, the highway from
Europe to the fertile and important provinces of North-Western
Hindostan. Commerce, in the pride of her prosperity, grows nice about
her roads, and she will soon take the Indus in hand, and put a stop to its
little irregularities. Mere art, perhaps, could do but little to remove the
impediments to the navigation of this immense river. This end could
only be obtained by taking advantage of the natural causes which have
made a deep channel in one part and a shoal out a few yards lower
down. Dame Nature, like dames in general, may be easily led if we can
only persuade her that she is acting of her own accord.
On we went, steaming, and smoking, and splashing more than ever,
buffeting against the muddy-looking stream, which, however, was
sometimes too much for us, so that we were fain to take advantage of
the still waters or back-current near the banks. The river being low at
this season, we ran aground, in spite of all the care of our Scindian pilot
and the Seedic leadsman, often enough to have wrecked a
moderately-sized navy. The leadsman was a rather pompous individual,
duly impressed with the importance of his position, in having charge of
the deep-sea line, which was something short of two fathoms in length.
He was stationed at the bows, and ever and anon proclaimed aloud the
depth of water in language that he fondly believed to be English. As we
dashed along in one fathom water, he seemed perfectly at his ease, and
drew the small lead from the river, and again tossed it before him with
a studied grace, turning round occasionally, with an air of affected
indifference, to read admiration in our eyes. As the water shoaled to
four feet, his brow contracted and his motions were quickened; when it
became three feet, he hurled the lead into the water, as the gambler
dashes down his last dice; and at last, as we grazed on the tail of a hank,
it was almost with a shriek that he yelled out, _'Doo foots_!' But our
hour had not yet come; and as the water deepened to beyond the four
yards that formed the extent of his line, he assumed his former
dignified ease, and leisurely made known that there was 'No

bot-t-a-a-m!'--an announcement which, although gratifying in one
respect, was yet somewhat startling.
But we did not always escape in this manner. Not to speak of minor
mischances, on one occasion we stuck hard and fast for twenty-four
hours, in spite of every attempt to extricate ourselves. Here was a
predicament for the captain! He had received instructions to make the
greatest speed on his trip; his passengers were all burning with
impatience lest they should be too late to acquire glory and
prize-money--the prize-money at all events; the military stores on board
were urgently required at Mooltan; and, worse than all, the lady began
to pout! This was the climax of his misfortune; and the skipper,
growing desperate, swore a mighty oath that if the obstinate little craft
would not swim through the water, she should walk over the land, and
we should see who would get tired of it first. Accordingly, an anchor
was carried forward to a spot some forty yards off, where the water was
deeper; the greater part of the passengers were made to jump overboard,
without even going through the formality of walking the plank; while
the remainder manned the capstan-bars. The chain-cable tightened, the
capstan creaked, and the paddles dashed round; but we did not stir an
inch till the natives, who had been so unceremoniously turned
overboard, began to apply the pressure from without, when, amidst
shouts and yells, and curses in a dozen different languages, we slid
along the surface of the bank until we reached a deeper channel. The
outside passengers then scrambled on board, and again we darted on;
while the captain took snuff with the triumphant air of a man who was
not to be trifled with, and informed the lady confidentially that she (the
steam-boat) was not a bad little