they saw them, but reasoned with them on the absurdity of punishing themselves for an act in which they had no share, and which they had done their utmost to prevent or avenge. This prevailed, and after much bitter weeping, it was resolved that Ganges was Ganges still, that a succession of costly offerings from the laity of Benares might wipe out the stain which their religion had received, and that the advice of the judges was the best and most reasonable. Mr. Bird, who was one of the ambassadors on this occasion, told me that the scene was very impressive and even awful. The gaunt squallid figures of the devotees, their visible and apparently unaffected anguish and dismay, the screams and outcries of the women who surrounded them, and the great numbers thus assembled, altogether constituted a spectacle of wo such as few cities but Benares could supply.

Yet even this was exceeded by a spectacle of a kind almost similar, which Benares offered on another occasion. Government had then, unadvisedly, imposed a house-tax of a very unpopular character, both from its amount and its novelty. To this the natives objected, that they recognised in their British rulers the same rights which had been exercised by the Moguls, that the land-tax was theirs, and that they could impose duties on commodities going to market, or for exportation: but that their houses were their own,-that they had never been intermeddled with in any but their landed property, and commodities used in traffic, and that the same power which now imposed a heavy and unheard of tax on their dwellings, might do the same next year on their children and themselves. These considerations, though backed by strong representations from the magistrates, produced no effect in Calcutta; on which the whole population of Benares and its neighbourhood determined to sit "dhurna" till their grievances were redressed. To sit "dhurna," or mourning, is to remain motionless in that posture, without food, and exposed to the weather, till the person against whom it is employed consents to the request offered; and the Hindoos believe that whoever dies under such a process becomes a tormenting spirit to haunt and afflict his inflexible antagonist. This is a practice not unfrequent in the intercourse of individuals, to enforce payment of a debt, or forgiveness of one. And among Hindoos it is very prevailing, not only from the apprehended dreadful consequences of the death of the petitioner, but because many are of opinion, that while a person sits dhurna at their door, they must not themselves presume to eat, or undertake any secular business. It is even said that some persons hire brahmins to sit dhurna for them, the thing being to be done by proxy, and the dhurna of a brahmin being naturally more awful in its effects than that of a soodra could be. I do not know whether

there is any example under their ancient princes of a considerable portion of the people taking this strange method of remonstrance against oppression, but in this case it was done with great resolution, and surprising concert and unanimity. Some of the leading brahmins sent written handbills to the wards in Benares nearest the college, and to some of the adjoining villages, declaring very shortly the causes and necessity of the measures which they were about to adopt, calling on all lovers of their country and national creed to join in it, and commanding, under many bitter curses, every person who received it to forward it to his next neighbour. Accordingly it flew over the country like the fiery cross in the "Lady of the Lake," and three days after it was issued, and before Government were in the least apprised of the plan, above 300,000 persons, as it is said, deserted their houses, shut up their shops, suspended the labour of their farms, forbore to light fires, dress victuals, many of them even to eat, and sate down with folded arms and drooping heads, like so many sheep, on the plain which surrounds Benares.

The local government were exceedingly perplexed. There was the chance that very many of these strange beings would really perish, either from their obstinacy, or the diseases which they would contract in their present situation. There was a probability that famine would ensue, from the interruption of agricultural labour, at the most critical time of the year. There was a certainty that the revenue would suffer very materially from this total cessation of all traffic. And it might even be apprehended that their despair, and the excitement occasioned by such a display of physical force, would lead them to far stronger demonstrations of discontent than that of sitting dhurna. On the other hand, the authorities of Benares neither were permitted, nor would it have been expedient, to yield to such a demand, so urged. They conducted themselves with great prudence and good temper. Many of the natives appeared to expect, and the brahmins perhaps hoped, that they would still further outrage the feelings of the people, by violently suppressing their assemblage. They did no such thing, but coolly reasoned with some of the ringleaders on the impossibility that Government should yield to remonstrances so enforced. They however told them expressly, in answer to their inquiries, that if they chose to sit dhurna, it was their own affair; and that so long as they only injured themselves, and were peaceable in their behaviour to others, Government would not meddle with them. They did not omit, however, to bring a strong body of Europeans from Dinapoor and Ghazeepoor, to the neighbouring cantonment, without appearing to watch the conduct of the natives, or putting it into their heads that they suspected them of violent intentions. At last the multitude began to grow very hungry, and a thunder shower which fell made them

wet, cold, and uncomfortable. Some of the party proposed a change of operations, and that a deputation of 10,000 should be sent to address the Governor-General personally. This was eagerly carried by a majority heartily tired of their situation, and the next question was, how these men should be maintained during their journey? when one leading brahmin proposed a tax on houses. A string was here struck which made the whole instrument jar. "A tax on houses! If we are to pay a tax on houses after all, we might as well have remained on good terms with our Government, sitting under our vines and fig-trees, and neither

hungry nor rheumatic." A great number caught at the excuse for a rupture, and rose to go home, but the remainder determined that all should go to the Governor, every man at his own charge. The seeds of disunion were already sown, and the majority absented themselves from the muster which was held three days after. From ten to twenty thousand, however, really assembled with such provisions as they could collect, and began their march, still unmolested by the magistrates, whose whole conduct was wise and merciful; they well calculated that provisions would soon fall short, and travelling become wearisome, and merely watched their motions at some distance with a corps of cavalry. They knew that hunger would make them plunder, and that the hilly and jungly road from Benares to the neighbourhood of Burdwan, afforded few facilities for the subsistence of so great a multitude. Accordingly, in a few days they melted away to so small a number, that the remainder were ashamed to proceed. The supreme Government followed up their success most wisely by a repeal of the obnoxious tax, and thus ended a disturbance which, if it had been harshly or improperly managed, might have put all India in a flame.

Benares being in many respects the commercial, and in all, the ecclesiastical metropolis of India, I was not surprised to find persons from all parts of the peninsula residing there. But I was astonished to hear of the number of Persians, Turks, Tartars, and even Europeans who are to be met with. Among them is a Greek, a well-informed and well-mannered man, who has fixed himself here for many years, living on his means, whatever they are, and professing to study the Sanscrit. I heard a good deal of him afterwards in Allahabad, and was much struck by the singularity and mystery of his character and situation. He is a very good scholar in the ancient language of his country, and speaks good English, French, and Italian. His manners are those of a gentleman, and he lives like a person at his ease. has little intercourse with the English, but is on very friendly terms with the principal Hindoo families. He was once an object of suspicion to Government, but after watching him for a VOL. I.-36

He

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long time they saw nothing in his conduct to confirm their suspicions, and during Lord Hastings's first Pindarree war, he voluntarily gave, on different occasions, information of much importance. So few Europeans, however, who can help it, reside in India, that it seems strange that any man should prefer it as a residence, without some stronger motive than a fondness for Sanscrit literature, more particularly since he does not appear to meditate any work on the subject. He was a partner in a Greek house in Calcutta, but is now said to have retired from business. There is also a Russian here, who by a natural affinity lives much with the Greek. He is, however, a trader, and has apparently moved in a much humbler rank of society than his friend.

Though Benares is the holy place of India, the brahmins there are less intolerant and prejudiced than in most other places. The eternal round of idle ceremonies in which they pass their time, is said to have produced, in many of them, a degree of weariness of their own system, and a disposition to inquire after others which does not exist in Calcutta. I was told that the Archdeacon, when here, was an object of great interest and respect with them; and had he resided longer, it is probable that he would have had more converts than at Agra. It is also, generally speaking, loyal, and well affected to the Company's Government, though its inhabitants, being in fact superior in rank, wealth, and education, to those of the average of Indian towns, talk more of public men and public matters.

I was curious to know what Governors of India had stood highest in their good opinion, and found that they usually spoke of Warren Hastings and Lord Wellesley as the two greatest men who had ever ruled this part of the world, but that they spoke with most affection of Mr. Jonathan Duncan. "Duncan sahib ka chota bhaee," "Mr. Duncan's younger brother," is still the usual term of praise applied to any public man who appears to be actuated by an unusual spirit of kindness and liberality towards their nation. Of the sultan-like and splendid character of Warren Hastings, many traits are preserved, and a nursery rhyme, which is often sung to children, seems to show how much they were pleased with the Oriental (not European) pomp which he knew how to employ on occasion.

"Hat'hee pur howdah, ghore pur jeen,
Juldee bah'r jata Sahib Warren Husteen!!"

Of Lord Hastings I have not found that they have retained any very favourable impression. Yet the extent of his conquests, and his pleasing manners during his short visit, must, I should think, have struck them.

Allahabad stands in perhaps the most favourable situation which India affords for a great city, in a dry and healthy soil, on a triangle, at the junction of the two mighty streams, Gunga and Jumna, with an easy communication with Bombay and Madras, and capable of being fortified so as to become almost impregnable. But though occasionally the residence of royalty, though generally inhabited by one of the Shah-zadehs, and still containing two or three fine ruins, it never appears to have been a great or magnificent city, and is now even more desolate and ruinous than Dacca, having obtained, among the natives, the name of "Fakeer-abad,” "beggar-abode." It may, however, revive to some greater pros perity, from the increase of the civil establishment attached to it. It is now the permanent station (the castrum Hybernum) of the Sudder Mofussil commission, a body of judges whose office is the same with regard to these provinces as that of the Sudder Dewannee Udawlut for the eastern parts of the empire. The necessity for such a special court had become very great. The remoteness of the Sudder Dewannee had made appeals to it almost impossible, and very great extortion and oppression had been committed by the native agents of the inferior and local courts, sometimes with the connivance, but more often through the ignorance and inexperience of the junior magistrates and judges. They, when these provinces were placed under British governors, having been previously employed in Bengal and Bahar, naturally took their Bengalee followers with them, a race regarded by the Hindoostanees as no less foreigners than the English, and even more odious than Franks, from ancient prejudice, and from their national reputation of craft, covetousness, and cowardice. In fact, by one means or other, these Bengalees almost all acquired considerable landed property in a short time among them, and it has been the main business of the Sudder Mofussil Udawlut, to review the titles to all property acquired since the English Government entered the Dooab. In many instances they have succeeded in recovering all or part of extensive possessions to their rightful heirs, and the degree of confidence in the justice of their rulers, with which they have inspired the natives, is said to be very great. They make circuits during all the travelling months of the year, generally pitching their tents near towns, and holding their courts under trees, an arrangement so agreeable to Indian prejudices, that one of these judges said it was, in his opinion, one main source of their usefulness, inasmuch as an Indian of the humbler class is really always under constraint and fear in a house, particularly if furnished in the European manner, and can neither attend to what is told him, nor tell his own story so well as in the open air, and amidst those objects from which all his enjoyments are drawn. At Allahabad, however, where