Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHATTER IV. 1837. FIRST VISIT TO THE HILLS. Mb. Eussell, after quelling the insurrection, departed for Madras, where his services received the warmest thanks of the government. Mr. Stevenson then resumed his authority, and he immediately despatched Lieutenant Macpherson upon a mission, of which the latter has given the following account1:— ' On the very day on which authority was restored to him, Stevenson asked me to undertake a mission of survey and inquiry into the unexplored country with respect to which it was of the last consequence that correct information should be obtained, saying " that he thought me alone capable of such service." The unhealthy season had set in, and all had fled or were flying from the scene. The general demurred to the exposure of the troops necessary for my support, to that deadly climate. Stevenson said, " the information which you will procure will be of more consequence than the health of an army." The day of my departure into that country was amongst the happiest of my life. I succeeded in my objects beyond expectation, but was struck down by fever and blindness, for I was worn out by the hard exertions of three preceding months. But the idea that T had at length achieved some small amount of good, that I had made the first step towards the redemption of mytime, and the first blessed step towards home, made suffering lighter than I have known many pleasures. I thought I had accomplished what in the common course of things the government could not possibly entirely overlook, and I expected such recognition of my hard, dangerous, and most difficult service as would lead to employment, were it in that den of pestilence itself—but employment on which I might raise so much character as would bear me home ; for my view since I left England ha...