and trembled violently; and no one could say that the next minute would not be her last.

The injuries which the Terror sustained in this war with the solid element induced the commander to prepare for the worst. The carpenters, however, contrived to patch her up, and by caulking, the leaks were kept under.

a way,

As the season advanced, indications of mild weather appeared; flocks of ducks, gulls, and dovekies were seen. The ice, however, continued unaltered till the month of June, when the floe began to separate. The ship was at this time lying in such a position, that no fewer than twenty-six planks of her side could be counted from the fore-chains directly down to the ice. They now began to saw the ice, in order to assist in its disruption, and on the 11th July, "a loud rumbling notified that the ship had broken her icy bonds, and was sliding gently down into her own element." Her leaky and damaged state rendered constant pumping necessary, and the officers were unanimously of opinion " that nothing was left but to get the ship to England without delay." On the 13th, whilst employed in opening with saws and warps, they encountered the most serious peril of all: Then it was we beheld the strange and appalling spectacle of what may be fitly termed a submerged berg, fixed low down with one end to the ship's side, while the other, with the purchase of a long lever, advantageously placed at a right angle with the keel, was slowly rising towards the surface. Meanwhile, those who happened to be below, finding every thing falling, rushed or clambered on deck, where they saw the ship on her beam-ends, with the lee boats touching the water, and felt that a few moments only trembled between them and eternity. Yet, in that awful crisis, there was no confusion; the sails were clewed up and lowered; fresh men from former crews were stationed in the boats, which again were rather unhooked than lowered; the barge was hoisted out; and, with a promptitude and presence of mind which I shall ever remember with admiration, the whole five were provisioned and filled with arms, ammunition, and clothing, and veered astern clear of danger. Happily for us, there was a dead calm, which permitted us to examine the berg. At the only part along the side, where we could effectively act, it was found to be four fathoms thick, and along this it was determined to cut with the saw, if, providentially, time were spared us for the operation.

With the efforts of men working for their lives, the berg was disparted, and the ship righted.

The shocks she had sustained, the strains in every part, the twisting of her stern-post, and almost uselessness of her rudder, rendered it a matter of infinite difficulty to reach Lough Swilly, on the Irish coast, where, bound with a chain under the keel, the Terror, crazy, water-logged, and sinking, was run on a small sandy beach, the officers and crew, exhausted with toil, looking with delight on the green landscape before them.

A sketch of the fractured, battered stern-post is given at the end, from the pencil of first Lieutenant (now Captain) Smyth, to which the work is indebted for some excellent graphic illustrations of the perilous situations of the Terror.

HYDERABAD.

ALTHOUGH Runjeet Singh may be styled the only really independent prince. now reigning in India, there are other powers existing within the British territories with which, in consequence of the non-intervention system, we have very little to do. Comparatively speaking, notwithstanding its political importance, the districts under the rule of a Mohamedan prince, entitled the Nizam, are little known to the European world, nothing having occurred to attract public attention towards them since the establishment of peace throughout British India. Though formerly playing a very conspicuous part, and occupying a position which materially affected our interests in this portion of the world, the sovereign of Hyderabad excites little interest at the present period. The territories which he holds arose out of the ruins of an empire long established by the Mohamedan invader of India, but which, subjected to numerous mutations, had flourished and decayed under succeeding princes, and at length, divided into several petty states, became an easy conquest to the arms of Aurungzebe, and subsequently fell almost wholly under the power of the Mahrattas. An alliance with the British Government has secured tranquillity to a country formerly distracted by foreign wars and civil dissensions; but left almost entirely to its own jurisdiction, it certainly has not advanced much in the way of improvement, or shown that there is any reasonable chance of the attainment of any new light by the unassisted efforts of the natives of India, whose religion and whose political government have proved so inimical to the advance of knowledge or the spread of information. The traveller journeying over this large and interesting province, sees little save decay and ruin on every side; cities deserted, or now nothing more than heaps of stones, and large tracts, capable of cultivation, lying waste, neglected, and barren. Although table-land, the rocky and hilly character of the province renders it highly picturesque, while its architectural remains are scarcely to be surpassed by those of any other part of India, however magnificent. The Mohamedan conquerors of Hindostan, who established the Bhamanee empire, have left in the district of Golconda, in which they flourished, memorials of their splendour, which excite the admiration and amazement of the spectator, as he compares the riches and luxury of former ages with the poverty and misery now so strikingly apparent.

A few marches distant from the city of Hyderabad, on the Bombay side, the face of the country is covered with rocks, projecting from the surface of the earth, and surrounded by soil which, though scanty, appears to be productive. Journeying onwards, you come to Puttun Churroo, the site of an ancient town, now only indicated by the fragments of temples of black granite, and the name of Puttun, which signifies a city, and which is only bestowed upon places of considerable extent. Rambling amongst these ruins, one of our party observed a figure of black granite, which appeared to be an image of Boodh. Here, also, were several of those beautiful yet melancholy mementos of former greatness, so characteristic of a country subject to many changes of masters, Mohamedan tombs of black granite, which appeared to have been the spoils of Hindu temples of greater antiquity; a curious reverse, still more strongly exemplified at a place of the same name, Puttun, the ancient Hindu capital of Guzerat, where superb temples of marble were heaped together for the foundations of Mohamedan buildings, which, in their turn, have been thrown down, forming an inexhaustible quarry of materials for the Hindu erections of Asiat.Jour.N.S.VOL.26.No.104.

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the present Mahratta Government. As we proceeded, the surface of the country became more striking, the plain being diversified by ranges of rocky hills, composed of enormous masses of black granite, so fantastically heaped together, that the arrangement might have been supposed the production of art, were it not evident that no human power could be adequate to the task. The natives account for these extraordinary piles of rock by attributing them, according to their usual method, when they see any thing, either natural or artificial, which exceeds their comprehension, to the workmanship of the gods. "The great architect of the universe," they say, "having completed the earthly portion of his creation, threw the chips and refuse materials on the spot where we now stand." This ingenious solution of the mystery does not, however, convey any adequate idea of the extraordinary manner in which these gigantic pinnacles are raised, one huge rock being piled upon another, all evidently distinct masses, the upper one in general the largest of the whole, and apparently requiring no greater impetus than the touch of a child's finger to roll headlong down, and bring the whole fabric after it.

The party, astonished by a scene so unexpected and so singular, made frequent halts while contemplating these strange and stupendous freaks of nature, and moving slowly along, entered a valley enclosed by hills of the same description, rising to a very considerable height, in dark and rugged majesty. It is scarcely possible for the imagination of a poet to conceive any thing more wildly sublime than the gloomy grandeur of this amphitheatre, with its black, bare, and awful peaks frowning upon the arid soil beneath. A small party of the Nizam's horse gave a still more poetical character to the scene. These wild, martial, and always distinguished figures, glittering with polished arms and arrayed in gorgeous colours, afford groupes of warriors, to which the eyes of Europeans, and Englishmen in particular, are wholly unaccustomed the effect they produce in such scenes as the one described is almost startling, carrying the mind back to distant ages, or bewildering it with fantastic notions of an unreal world. It required no great stretch of fancy to convert the whole into a scene of enchantment, to look upon this Valley of the Shadow of Death, as it might justly be denominated, as the work of some mighty magician, and the squadron, whose chargers' hoofs made the rocks reverberate, as the leaders of some chivalric enterprize destined to deliver an imprisoned beauty from surrounding spells. Every thing, indeed, was in keeping with this idea, for beneath the shelter of a large tree, growing in the centre of this valley, the only one to be found within many miles, was seated one of those nondescript beings who always figure in a fairy tale. Knights in search of adventures are sure to encounter either a decrepid hag or an old man, having their abode on the confines of the habitable world, creatures" so withered and so wild in their attire," that they look not as if they belonged to humanity. The sole tenant of this wilderness was a Mohamedan devotee, who had built himself a hut under the tree before-mentioned, and who bestowed his benediction and a draught of pure water upon all true believers who passed along. The valley, at its termination, in addition to its natural defences, has been strengthened by art. A wall, crowned by a rampart, with loop-holes for the admission of weapons, being built across, forming no contemptible barrier in times of trouble to this approach to Hyderabad. In passing this outwork, the rocky character of the scene still continues, and defiling through ranges of the same black granite, the small European kafila, or caravan, produced a very picturesque effect, as the equestrians in front, and the attendants with their various beasts of burthen, elephants, camels, and

bullocks, wound along the dark and sullen way. Strangers to the country, we had not been prepared for the interesting objects to be encountered in the line of march, and it was with almost gasping surprise that, emerging from the rocky labyrinth, we gazed on the tombs of the kings of Golconda, as they burst upon the astonished sight. Not a blade of grass was to be seen, nor a living object, not even a bird upon the wing disturbing the solemn character of the scene; the air was perfectly still, the blue sky serene, and all nature seemed sunk into profound repose. And there in the distance, vast and majestic, in desolate magnificence, stood those splendid piles, sacred to the memory of mighty kings, harmonizing finely with the stupendous rocks of which they seemed fragments hewn into forms, and speaking to the heart with a silent eloquence more forcible than words. Long and eagerly, with breathless admiration, the party gazed upon this wondrous prospect, numerous and indescribable emotions crowding upon the mind, the heart swelling with painful yet pleasurable feelings, and the whole soul wrapt, as it were, in a sort of ecstasy.

Far from subsiding upon a nearer approach, a sensation of awe impressed every mind. The breakfast of the party had been laid out under the colonnade of one of the inferior buildings, and after gazing in silent wonder for some time on the splendid groupes which stretched their towers and domes widely over the plain, forming a perfect City of the Dead, we walked across, and entered one of the most stately of these mausoleums. At first, in looking upwards to the lofty dome, crowning the immense cathedral-like space below, our very footfalls seemed to reproach us for violating the sanctity of the resting-place of the regal clay, long consigned to unbroken solitude. Each word was spoken in a whisper; but even the low sounds that escaped us, heightened by the echoes of this vast edifice, arose almost like a requiem, in solemn murmurs; and when sufficiently accustomed to the strange position in which we found ourselves to speak in our natural voices, they acquired a grand harmonious tone, in perfect unison with the place and the purpose to which it had been dedicated. Immediately sending for their flutes, two of the party commenced a solemn strain, which pealed upwards to the lofty dome with nearly the effect and the sound of an organ. When we consider the great reverence for the dead shown by all classes and persuasions in India, it is difficult to account, even when taking the wars and tumults which have devastated the province into consideration, for the desecration and abandonment of these superb remains, which occur within a short distance of the city and fortress of Golconda.

How dazzling are the visions which the very name of this far-famed place conjures up in the mind! Even the least imaginative person must feel his spirit stirred within him at the recollections attached to“ all Golconda's vaunted gold," whence, in a great measure, our ideas of the riches and glory of the East have been derived. Although the name of Golconda, in consequence of the reputation of its diamonds, which were supposed to have been dug from inexhaustible mines in its vicinity, is more familiar to the English reader than that of any other place in India, its actual history is very little known, while, during a long period, it has wholly ceased to attract public attention. There can be no doubt that, from the time of the erection of the surrounding districts into a separate kingdom, which was accomplished by the followers of the Patan Feroze Shah, long before the establishment of the Moghul empire, until its impolitic subjection by Aurungzebe, who, in destroying its independence, weakened the Mohamedan powers, Golconda was a place of great importance. The history of this division of the Bhamanee empire, written by

Ferishta, is filled with almost marvellous accounts of the riches and grandeur of the long succession of kings who ruled over this province, and the splendid tombs belonging to the monarchs and their relations of the Cootub Shah dynasty, which have formed the subject of these pages, sufficiently attest its former magnificence. Too solidly constructed to share in the ruin around, the proud mausoleums of the descendants of the founder of the kingdom of Golconda lift their regal heads majestically still, though despoiled of their costly accessories, the revenues for the maintenance of an attendant priesthood, and the parks and gardens with which they were surrounded. Desolate and abandoned to the ravages of time, they rear their stately domes and pinnacles on the bare plain, no outward defences now existing to ward off the approaches of any assailant, who through ignorance or wantonness may hasten the progress of decay. The most ancient of these tombs is not more than three hundred years old, but they have been subjected to so many and such barbarous attacks, that nothing save the great solidity of their walls has preserved them from utter ruin. Each mausoleum stands in the centre of a spacious quadrangular platform or terrace, approached on all sides by flights of steps, entering upon a rich arcade formed of an equal number of pointed arches on each front, aud finished with a lofty balustrade, and a minaret at each angle. The body of the building, also quadrangular, rises about thirty feet above the upper terrace of this arcade, and is also surrounded by a balustrade flanked with minarets of smaller dimensions than those below; from the centre of this portion of the building springs the dome, forming, by its magnitude, a distinguished feature in a structure equally remarkable for the splendour and the symmetry of its proportions. The principal material employed is grey granite, ornamented in some parts with stucco, and in others with the porcelain tiles for which India was at one time so famous. The colours retain their brilliancy to the present day, and the extracts from the Koran, formed of white characters on a polished blue ground, have all the richness of enamel. There is a mosque attached to each of these tombs, which formerly possessed the privileges of sanctuary; and these religious edifices not only supported a considerable number of priests, but also afforded a daily meal to the neighbouring poor. The surrounding gardens were beautifully planted, and adorned with many fountains, altogether forming a delicious retreat during every season of the year, and being particularly grateful in the hot weather. Though bereft of these attractive features, they have lost nothing of their grandeur, and perhaps the very desolation with which they are surrounded produces a more powerful effect upon the mind than if the hand of man was still visibly employed in their preservation. Not so richly ornamented as the monumental remains at Allahabad in Guzerat, their magnitude and solidity strike at once upon the eye, and produce a stronger impression upon the mind than could be effected by the most elaborate sculpture. These tombs were erected at a great expense, some of them being said to have cost £150,000. The enamelled work with which they are ornamented, is reported to have been the production of artists brought from China for the purpose; but there is every reason to believe that these decorations are of native workmanship, similar ornaments being to be found at Beejapore, Agra, Behar, Bengal, and other places. Although it is very evident that attempts have been made to injure these splendid mausoleums, the greater number, notwithstanding the destructive influences to which they have been exposed, are still in a high state of preservation. Having outlasted a period of great danger, we may hope that such superb specimens of the architecture of a former age, - specimens which we cannot expect to see equalled, since science and labour