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1831.]

MR. URBAN,

Town of Ham in Picardy.

Feb. 15.

IN your last number you gave some interesting notices of the family of Prince Polignac, with whose name, whatever may have been his political errors, we now cannot avoid associating that interest which ever attends the "greatly fallen."

I herewith send you (Plate II.) a view of the fortress in which the ex-. Ministers of Charles. the Tenth are: now confined. Some modern views of Ham may, probably, have been published, although I have not met with them; but the present gives a general idea of the size and aspect of the place, and shows its wretchedly damp and marshy situation. It has been copied from the Topographia Galliæ of Caspar Merian, published at Frankfort in 1656.

Ham is in the ancient province of Picardy and comté of Vermandois, at about an equal distance from Peronne and St. Quentin. It stands, like those towns, on the banks of the Somme; and the affluence of a small river, called the Baine, combining with its flat situation, surrounds it entirely with marshes. It is thus rendered one of the strongest places in the country.

Before the year 876, Ham is said to have been the capital of a country called le Hamois. It long had lords of its name, of whom the last died before the year 1374. The lordship subsequently passed through the houses of Couci, d'Enghien, Luxembourg, Rohan, Vendôme, and Navarre, and was rejoined to the Crown when Henri IV. became King of France. In 1645 it came into the hands of the house of la Porte Mazarin.

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Ham has three parishes-St. Pierre, St. Martin, and St. Sulpice. A Mayor was established before the year 1188.

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The Castle was built and fortified by Louis de Luxembourg, known by the name of the Constable de St. Pol, about the year 1470. The principal tower, which is round, has walls thirty-six feet thick, a hundred in diameter, and the same in height.

There is a plan of the town in Merian's work; and among the drawings belonging to the King's collection in the British Museum (LXIX. 47) will be found two others. On one of them is a rough view of the town; and an elevation, section, and three plans of the tower of the Constable de St. Pol. GINT, MAG. February, 1831.

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In the year 1557, after the capture of St. Quentin's (the pillage of which, it will be remembered, Philip gave to his English allies*), the town of Ham was burnt by the French themselves, but the citadel fell into the power of the Spaniards.

In 1615 there happened another fire, occasioned by lightning; in which a hundred and twenty houses, and a church, were burnt, and many lives were lost.

. Towards the close of the last cen

tury, after Paris had fallen entirely under the dominion of the Republicans, the Royalist party had for some time their head-quarters at Ham; and in the Memoirs of the Prince of Conde, are several letters of members of the Royal Family, written during that pe riod, and particularly some in which the King's murder is alluded to, which are dated from Ham.

The late Ministers of France, Messrs. de Polignac, Peyronnet, Chantelauze, and Guernon Ranville, were removed from Vincennes at ten o'clock on the evening of the 29th of December. In the carriages were Lieut.-Colonel Delpiec, who is appointed Governor of the fort of Ham; Lieut.-Colonel Lavocat, of the national guard of Paris; Captain Guibout, an officer attached to the department of the Minister of War; and another officer of the national guard. General Daumesnil delivered up the prisoners to Lieut.-Colonel Delpiec. Messrs. de Polignac and Chantelauze were in the first carriage, and with them Lieut.-Colonel Delpiec and Colonel Lavocat. In the second were Messrs. de Peyronnet and Guernon Ranville, and with them the two other officers. The escort was composed of two squadrons of Hussars, who were relieved between La Villette and Le Bourget by two squadrons of Chasseurs. Detachments were also stationed on the road to the fort of Ham, where the prisoners arrived on the 30th, at noon.

Who shortly after paid the penalty of losing Calais. There was a castle named Hammes near Calais, which, with Guisnes, frequently occurs in the later records of the English dominion in France.

It was at first stated that M. de Polignac was to suffer separate confinement at Mont' St. Michael. It does not appear how far this was actually intended; nor, if intended, for what reason the purpose was changed.

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In a letter from Ham, dated the 6th of January, and inserted in a Paris paper, is an account of the expenses incurred for the ex-Ministers, and of the mode in which they are treated. Their breakfast costs a franc and a half each, their dinner five francs, and the service of their chambers a franc and quarter. Their washing is nine francs a month, and the whole monthly charge for the four prisoners amounts to about 966 francs, or somewhat less than 40%.; that is, about 470l. a-year. They are described as being well lodged, and well treated in every respect. They occupy four officers' rooms in the castle, the doors of which open into the same corridor or passage; and they are allowed to communicate when they please in a fifth room, which they make their dining-room.

The Sect and Nation of the Sikhs.

The following is an extract from another letter, dated Jan. 20:

The

"The garrison of this city and fortress, which before the removal of the ex-Ministers was composed of but one company of veterans, is now augmented to 700 men. fort is furnished with eight pieces of cannon, three of which are 8-pounders, three 12-pounders, and two of a large calibre. The corps of gens-d'armes has been tripled.

A house has been taken for their barracks. The town of Ham has now the appearance of a fortified place. The families of the accused are arriving in succession, and taking up their residence in the town. Madame Guernon Ranville, her son, and a nurse, arrived a few days since, and has taken apartments with the intention of remaining here. Mesdames de Perpignan have also taken a house from the Mayor of Ham, and are to pay a rent of 800 francs a-year. The furniture arrived here yesterday from Paris. It is said that Madame de Polignac would have been here ere this, only she was detained in making a proper selection of furniture. Madame de Chantelauze persists in occupy. ing her humble cell. The prisoners are all in pretty good health, with the exception of M. de Chantelauze, who is constantly troubled with rheumatism. The ex-Ministers seem to live on the best terms.'

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[Feb.

was a Kutree, residing near Jellinder, between the Sutlug and Beeah rivers, who, either through conviction of the fallacy of the religion in the profession of which he was born,-or from the vanity of wishing to attract attention,-or from the anticipation of attaching to himself numbers, equivalent generally to power and dominion in the times in which he lived, or from whatever motive, produced this result, -that his followers, after feeling their power, tried how they could apply it to the improvement of their temporal condition.

THE SECT AND NATION OF THE SIKHS.

THE following outline of the history of the Sikhs, as a sect and nation, is derived from a document written by Major George Birch, political assistant to Sir David Ochterlony; and, on his removal in 1817, nominated his successor in the affairs of the Sikhs, till the year 1822.

The founder of this extensive sect

For many years they wandered about the country, and were very troublesome to the Mogul government, by their depredations and assumptions: and it was frequently necessary to repress them by force. Nanuk, the founder, wisely ordained in the infancy of the establishment that arms should not be used. This ordinance was observed, until his tenth descendant, Gooroo Govin, finding they could not rise in their ambitious views without the sword, proclaimed the use of it meritorious and noble. Whoever applied it to their general cause was to be dignified by the name of Singh (or Lion); and their salutation to each other became "Wah Gooroo gee-kefutteh," or, Applause to the victorious Gooroo;" which is generally used to this day.

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The Fakeers, religious mendicants and priests of the Singhs, are called Eckallees. They are very insolent, turbulent, and licentious; delighting and exulting in bloodshed, in which their sacred character of Eckallee often saves them, in an astonishing manner, from punishment.

Nanuk was born in summut 1556; and this being 1872, makes it 322 years ago. He had two sons; but one of his disciples, named Ungut, succeeded to his spiritual office, after the age of seventy; and it is said that he commenced preaching his new doctrine at the age of sixteen. The third in succession was a disciple named Ummer Dhas; the fourth Ram Dhas; the fifth Urgun; the sixth Hurgovin; the seventh Hurroy; the eighth Hurkissun; the ninth Taig Bahadar; the tenth, Gooroo Govin.

The fourth priest, Ram Dhas, had two daughters, from whom are descended the present holy race, called Sodies. Nanuk's descendants are

The Sect and Nation of the Sikhs.

1831.]

called Baidees. Those called Shiheeds are so denominated from having exhibited particular acts of bravery and devotion in establishing Gooroo Govin's doctrine, relative to the use of the sword. The Nehungs are so called, merely from going naked.

The Sikhs admit converts from all religions. They are directed by the code, written by Nanuk, called the Grunth, to respect the Shaster, and to consider it the Divine law; to reverence and pay adoration to the Ganges, and to other places regarded holy by the Hindoos; also to revere the Cow: but to renounce idolatry. They are directed not to shave their beards or heads, to dress after a particular fashion, and to burn the dead.

The attempts of the Singhs to gain dominion were constantly frustrated, until about A.D. 1760, when the Subadar of Sirhind, named Zien Khan, who was a kind of Viceroy of the Mogul Sovereigns in the tract between the Jumna and Beeah rivers, having caused two of the sons of Gooroo Govin to be destroyed, the Sikhs were immediately roused to vengeance; and having assembled in great numbers, succeeded in killing Zien Khan, and -routing his forces. After this, the declining power of the Mussulman Government was unable to cope with them, and they established themselves so firmly, that they have continued to the present day increasing their re

sources.

According to the abilities and enterprise of individuals, chiefships, and independent as well as dependent states and communities, were established; and between the Jumna and Sutlug rivers there are at present four Rajahs; and a fifth chief, the Kythul, not inferior to them. But one of his ancestors having been honoured by their holy Gooroo with the appellation of Bhye (or Brother) the family have adopted that, as a distinction, rather than the name of Rajah. The first in rank and wealth is the Patialah Rajah; the second, Jeendh; the third, Ky

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thul; the fourth, Naba; the fifth, Munny Majra.

There are also many chiefs, styled Surdars; who have from two lakhs to twenty thousand rupees of annual revenue. These are the Chiefs of Ladwer, Rooper, Thanessur, Maloud, Umballah, Booreah, Ridhor, and others. Many are in a state of subserviency to the superior Chiefs, in the following degrees. Missildar is a landholder, whoobtained possession of some villages, but wanting the aid of a powerful neighbour, attached himself to some chief; and it became their mutual interest to remain combined. But no tribute or stipulation was entered into, nor had the superior anything to do with the internal arrangements of his ally.

Putteedars originated where several relations or friends united to make conquests, with from two hundred to two thousand horsemen, who engaged in the service, under the stipulation of all sharing the spoil, according to their ranks. Thus, when they gained possession of a tract, they first divided it into portions, according to the number of head-officers, or Surdars, whom they intended to establish. Under each of these were placed the horsemen, according to the revenue; some making conquests that yielded to each horseman about two hundred and fifty rupees annually; and others, not more than a hundred and thirty. The chief of the whole had a Surdarree share ; and the others were subservient to him.

Jageerdars are those to whom the chief gave lands out of his own share or possession; consequently resumable at pleasure.

The Sikh customs (for they have no law but the Shaster as to inheritance) are either Bradur-bund, or Choondabund (that is, Brother-bound, or Female-bound) in the division of possessions among sons. If the former has been the rule in the family, an equal division of territory and property between the sons takes place; and their mother or mothers are provided for out of their respective portions,

* Blue cloth, about forty yards, with holes to admit the legs, is fastened round the loins. Being on the spot, Sirkind," where the overthrow took place, I constantly heard Zien Khan mentioned, as I have related; and the Sikhs so abhor the Mussulmans for the destruction of their Gooroo's (or Priest's) sons, that it was a long time actively in practice, and is in a great degree to this day, that, to efface the site of the city and palace" (which were very splendid, belonging to the Mogul Viceroy) they ordered every Sikh traveller to take a brick away, at least two miles, as he passed.

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