Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Seite 723

GRENADES, GUNS, AND CANNON
683
a stick by means of which a rapid
through
rotatory motion is given to the disk, which flies off and
inflicts a severe cut on any one that it strikes.
Large grenades or squibs are also frequently used, eight
or ten inches long, and armed at one end with a keen- edged
crescent -shaped blade. These are fired off horizontally, and
are used to produce confusion amongst bodies of cavalry.
They are less effective than our hand grenades, but carry
very much further. According to Hindu authors, these
grenades, called vanams, were used in very early times.
The Bamayana speaks of Rama's vanam as one of his most
important weapons. It is therefore to be inferred that gun-
powder was known in India in very early times. It is quite
this is passed
certain that the Hindus possessed the secret of compounding
explosive substances long before the invasions of Tartars or
they can hardly have been aware of the
which these inflammable materials can pro-
duce when enclosed in a metal tube
it was reserved for
those who conquered this peaceable nation to teach them
the power of this agent of destruction.
The Hindus still use the pike, the dagger, and the sword.
The last is at present their favourite weapon, and they have
fencing-masters who can teach them to use it with great
Europeans.
Still
terrible effect
:
skill.
The gun is also much used by them, although in their
hands it is not a very deadly weapon. Until quite recently
they only used matchlocks, and their gunpowder was ex-
tremely bad, as indeed it is even at the present time.
Amongst Hindu soldiers musketry practice is unknown., as
their princes consider that it is a useless expense to employ
powder for this purpose.
Europeans have recently introduced bronze and cast-iron
cannon. In former times Indian cannon were made of iron,
and were of enormous calibre. From these wretched guns
they fired stone balls more than a foot in diameter. They
took no trouble whatever to learn how to aim. I have read
in a manuscript written nearly eighty years ago that the
Rajah of Tanjore, having declared war against the Dutch,
sent an army to besiege their fortress at Negapatam.
When
it drew near, the Dutch tired an ill-directed salvo from the
top of the ramparts.
The Rajah's
troops, observing that