the reports, and, if possible, to enrich himself by means of his
beautiful steeds, of which he had several; but this proved a ruinous
speculation, for ere he reached Bombay he lost two of the most valuable,
and being totally unacquainted with the tricks and chicanaries so
frequently resorted to by Europeans and others in the racing stables and
on the turf, he fell an easy prey to some of the sharpers that usually
infest the race course, so that by the end of the season he had not only
lost every horse that he brought with him, but likewise every rupee he
possessed. There were few of his countrymen on the Island, and they
either could not or would not assist him to return to Circassia. He had
brought with him, to see the wonders of the chief cities of the three
Presidencies, his wife and three daughters, the eldest only seventeen,
the youngest about fourteen. In his extremity he turned to the old
Eastern custom, still prevalent, that of selling his children; he had
applied to several European and native gentlemen, with whom he had
become acquainted on the turf, but without success. At length he fell in
with Sir Lexicon Chutny, to whom he had lost large sums of money during
that gentleman's visit to the Island. Here he found no difficulty, Sir
Lexicon having seen the beauty of the girls, and being assured by them
that, under the circumstances, they did not object to the transaction.
He used this precaution, well knowing, although they did not, that he
could not hold them to their bargain one moment after the purchase money
was paid, should they claim the protection of the police authorities;
besides, the poor girls had heard of similar cases to their own, in
their far distant home, and thought it must be so elsewhere. So the
arrangement was quickly completed, the horse dealer and his wife having
accepted the twenty-four hundred rupees, the price agreed upon for their
children, departed homeward. Nor did Sir Lexicon delay an hour longer
than was actually necessary in the Presidency of Bombay, but hastened
with all speed towards his estate at Pallamcotta, in Madras, taking his