of their religion; yet the Moulahs themselves appear far more devout in their acts of worship than the Brahmins do. When publicly engaged in prayer, they certainly do present an appearance which assuredly would put to shame most of our congregations, could they behold them, as their attention seems entirely engaged in the exercise: kneeling before the shrine with closed eyes, their prayers are offered, with seeming fervour, in long succession, and often during the time of worship they prostrate themselves, beating the ground with their foreheads. I remember seeing a Moulah and three of his disciples thus engaged for about half an hour, at the time when a ship, built in Messrs. Vrignon's dock-yard, for Shaik Abdallah, a Mogul merchant, was about to be launched. The Moulah was a venerable old man, with a large flowing grey beard, and with his disciples was neatly clad in white robes. They were engaged by Shaik Abdallah to pray for the safety of the vessel, in her future cruises over the watery main. Soon as the first shore was knocked away they began to pray, and continued till the vessel was safe at anchor in the flowing stream. The Moulah certainly did seem to be entirely absorbed in the exercise; but the disciples, who exactly followed him in his prostrations and all outward ceremonies, could not refrain from stealing a glance at the busy scene around.

Though the Mussulmans have no caste in reality, yet their intercourse with Hindoos has led

them to imagine that they have one, and this is often productive of a great many disputes in families where they are servants. They are far more dissolute in their habits than the Hindoos, and will freely drink any spirituous liquors that come within their reach; and this is generally the case with high and low; whereas, although some of the low castes and Pariahs among the Hindoos may do this, yet no Hindoo of caste or rank, except the Tuntras, will touch a drop of ardent spirits or wine. I once met two rich Mussulman merchants at the house of a ship-builder; they came in just after dinner, and very readily took seats at the table. The gentleman of the house said, “I suppose it is of no use to offer you a glass of wine?"—" Oh, no! no! no!" they both replied: "the followers of the Prophet must drink no wine." Very soon after this, one of them went out of the room, when the ship-builder, who seemed perfectly well acquainted with the manœuvre, said to the other, "You had better taste the wine-come, help yourself." To my great surprise, the Mussulman took a tumbler, instead of a regular wine glass, and filling it to the brim, drank it off: the other soon returned, when his friend went out, and exactly the same scene occurred again-thus they could not accuse each other.

Every Mussulman is allowed by his religion to have four wives, and as many concubines as he pleases; but in consequence of the expenses attendant on polygamy, very few, except their rich

men, have more than one wife. Among persons of rank, a very rigid exclusion of their wives from all society and the public gaze, is enforced; whilst the lower orders live much in the same manner as our peasantry do here.

Most of the servants in Calcutta have wives and families, either in some of the suburbs or up the country, for whose support a portion of their monthly wages is generally very punctually remitted. I have often been surprised to learn, that some of my servants, receiving only five rupees each per month, have been enabled regularly to transmit three of these to their wives and families at home, and that even out of that sum, full one half has been laid by for future support. This will appear strange to European ears, when it is added, that out of the two rupees (worth about two shillings each) he had to provide food and clothing for himself as no servants in India, except native Christian or Portuguese, will eat any thing that comes from their master's table, that is, openly, though, as future details will shew, they can do so privately.

Servants in India are a heavy burden on the mind, and a great tax on the purse. The high civil and military officers are obliged to support a number of attendants, who merely add to their splendour when in public, without being of the least use in the family: such are the chobdars, sotaburdars, and hurkarus. These men carry silver wands before the palanqueen, and bear letters or messages from

one person to another. In all families, hurkarus are employed; but these will do for dhurwans, or door-keepers, of a night: and the following are indispensably necessary to the establishment of a person of any pretension to gentility, viz. a khansaman, or house-steward-abdar, or water-cooler -sherabdar, or wine-manager-six or eight khitmutgars, or waiters at table-sirdar-bearer, and eight others--two or three bobajees, or cooksbheesties, or water-carriers-mhaters, or sweepers -out-of-door servants, grooms, &c. &c. &c., to a great number; custom and caste require persons in the middle rank of life in Bengal to keep a great many and even a missionary, whose object it is to do with as few as possible, is under the necessity of paying a bobajee or cook, a bearer, khitmutghar, mhater, dhurwhan, syce, grasscut, dhobee, and dhurghee. The salary of these averages at about five rupees per month. Many of the higher ranks of society have as many as a hundred, or a hundred and twenty servants, employed in their houses and gardens, not one of whom can be pronounced superfluous.

Such a train of servants is a continual source of vexation. Those who have to do with the table will commit such petty thefts as to elude observation, but which, constantly repeated, amount to a heavy tax in the course of a year: for instance, I had a box of tea opened, from which I took two seers (four pounds) and sent it to a friend; in about two months I wanted some for use, and then

found that, instead of four seers (eight pounds) about one seer (or two pounds) only remained. Now this theft had not been committed at one time, nor at twenty times, but daily; a small pinch had been taken every time the khitmutghar had access to the godown, so that its decrease had been, as it were, imperceptible. Having suspicion that such petty thefts were constantly carried on, I one night stopped the Mussulman servants as they were going home, at the gate, and ordered them to pull off their cummerbunds, when my suspicions were fully realized; small quantities of salt, sugar, tea, spice, quills, and a dessert knife, were carefully concealed in their folds. It would have been vain to have discharged them, as new servants would not only be a trouble, until initiated to the manners and customs of the family, but would most certainly follow the same plan. I therefore endeavoured to make them ashamed, and threatened to stop the value of all articles missed, out of their joint wages; at the same time ordering the dhurwhan to search them whenever they left the premises. Although they profess not to drink spirituous liquors, yet I found I could never leave any spirits in their way, without the quantity being considerably lessened. A gentleman called in one day, who wished for some brandy and water: I sent the servant to the cellaret, to get the brandy, and when done with, to take it back just after he had given me the keys and left the room, I heard a smash in the marble