brocades, gave Burton disgust rather than pleasure. The Gaikwar, whose
state processions were gorgeous to a wonder, occasionally inaugurated
spectacles like those of the old Roman arena, and we hear of fights
between various wild animals. "Cocking" was universal, and Burton,
who as a lad had patronised this cruel sport, himself kept a
fighter--"Bhujang"--of which he speaks affectionately, as one might of
an only child. The account of the great fight between Bhujang and the
fancy of a certain Mr. Ahmed Khan, which took place one evening "after
prayers," may be read by those who have a taste for such matters in
Burton's book Sind Revisited. [58] When Bhujang died, Burton gave it
almost Christian burial near his bungalow, and the facetious enquired
whether the little mound was not "a baby's grave."

His hero was the eagle-faced little veteran and despot, Sir Charles
Napier, generally known from his Jewish look as "Fagin," and from his
irascibility as "The Devil's Brother," and after the war with Sind, the
chief event of which was the battle of Meeanee (February 21st), where
Sir Charles and Major Outram defeated the Ameer, his admiration grew
almost to worship; though he did not actually see his hero till some
months later. According to Punch the news of the battle was transmitted
to headquarters in one word: "Peccavi." A quarrel then broke out between
the great English leaders, and Western India was divided into the two
opposing camps of Outramists and Napierists, Burton, of course, siding
with the latter. In April, Burton returned to Bombay to present himself
for examination in Hindustani, and having passed with honour [59]
he returned to Baroda, where he experienced all the inconveniences
attendant on the south-west monsoon. The rain fell in cataracts. Night
and day he lay or sat in a wet skin; the air was alive with ants and
other winged horrors, which settled on both food and drink, while the
dust storms were so dense that candles had to be burned in mid-day.
However he applied himself vigorously to Gujarati [60], the language of
the country, and also took lessons in Sanskrit.

"I soon," he says, "became as well acquainted as a stranger can with
the practice of Hinduism. I carefully read up Ward, Moor, and the
publications of the Asiatic Society... and eventually my Hindu teacher
officially allowed me to wear the Brahminical thread." He learnt some
of the Hindu text books by heart, including the Tota-kahani [61],
whic