“Captain Avebury, do you say that you speak the Hindu tongue?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you acquire it through self-study?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have a particular interest in the country?”
“No, sir. I enjoy languages and, while on board, I made a study of as many as I could find texts for.”
“What other languages do you speak?”
“Arabic, Malay, Spanish, and extremely poor Chinese – the dialect of the southern coast. There was a c******n on one of my commands.”
“Yes, yes. We have noted that from the lists. Now, was this Lieutenant Bright also a studious fellow?”
“No, sir.”
“Did he not accompany you about your business in the port of Bombay?”
“No, sir. I took with me some able seamen who were familiar with the local traditions.”
“So Lieutenant Bright had no direct knowledge of your activiti
