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CHAPTER XXV
GINGEE AND ITS GHOST.
The quality of gold is known by means of the touchstone ; the strength of a bull is known by the weight it will carry ; the character of a man is known by his sayings ; but there is no means by which we can know the thoughts of a woman.–Sloka.
Gingee, the old rock fortress of North Arcot, is not as easy of access as towns like Cuddalore and Pondicherry, which stand upon lines of railway. It is, therefore, not visited by the ordinary tourist. The Government official who goes through the district with his servants and tents has an opportunity of seeing it in the performance of his duty. Mr. Henry Sewell, with whom I was staying, had just returned from one of his periodical tours. His wife had accompanied him, and she had much to say about the old fort that was of interest.
The fortifications extend over three rocky hills that are in close proximity to each other. Being perched up on high, the fort has not suffered such terrible things at the hands of its enemies as Fort St. David, which stands on level ground. Gingee was once a place of great strength ; it was the home of the ancestors of Sivajee, but not his birthplace, as has sometimes been stated. As early as the year 1382 it was a stronghold of importance. The date of its foundation is not known ; it is conjectured that it was built early in the fourteenth century. There is a legend connected with the event which ascribes the
