66

150

66

BOATS.

its front. It was, the Brahmin said, the tomb of a mussulman holy man. While we were passing on, several other villagers collected round us. Some of them seemed greatly amused with our unusual figures and complexion, and our imperfect Hindoostanee, but there was not the least expression of shyness, nor any real incivility. Abdullah said it was quite amazing to see how familiar the common people had become with Englishmen during the last twenty years. He remembered the time when all black people ran away from a white face, and the appearance of a single European soldier struck consternation into a village. They used to them now," he said, they know they no harm do." The countrypeople in this neighbourhood seem contented and thriving, for them, though of course their most flourishing condition would be reckoned deep poverty in England. The boats on this river are much neater than those on the Hooghly. Their straw tilts are better made, their sterns are not so unreasonably high, their sails less flimsy, nay, many of them are painted, and have copper or gilded eyes fixed into their bows, and on each side of the helm'. We had two beggars by the boat, the one an old man with a white beard, blind, and led by two boys, who were, he said, his children. I asked how old he was, but he did not seem to understand my question, merely answering that he had been blind forty years, and had lost his eyes soon after

1 These are not merely ornamental. Dr. Abel, when he accompanied Lord Amherst on his embassy to China, observed the same thing, and the Chinese justified it by saying, "No can see, No can savey."-ED.

he married. There are surprisingly few beggars in Bengal. Of those whom I have seen, the greater part have super-added some religious character to their natural claims on our pity. This old man, however, had nothing of the sort, and had merely asked alms as a helpless and unhappy being. I was heartily glad that I had come out provided. The other beggar was a Pariah dog, who sneaked down in much bodily fear to our bivouac, and was exceedingly delighted by a few pieces of mouldy toast which we threw him. He was like a large terrier, and would have been handsome had he been in better plight, and had he had any thing like the confidence and alacrity of his species in England. I have been often struck, and more than ever in these remote districts, by the variety of colours and breeds which Indian dogs display, and their similarity to many in Europe. Terriers and hounds, or something very like them, are however the most usual. Are they indigenous, or is it possible that their stock can have been derived from us? I should think not, considering the recent date of our establishment in the country, and the extreme smallness of our numbers any where but at Calcutta.

I forgot to notice that this morning, about eight o'clock, we experienced one of those accidents which are not infrequent in Indian rivers, and, in small or ill-built vessels, perilous. We were skirting pretty near the base of a high crumbling bank, whose top was at least thirty feet above us, when the agitation of the water caused by our oars, and the

motion of the vessel, dislodged some of the sandy brink, and immediately a large body of sand and loose earth, weighing perhaps several hundred weight, slipped down in a formidable avalanche into the water, half filled our cabin, and wetted me to the skin with the splash it raised, and though it would hardly have sunk us had it fallen on our deck, would doubtless have swamped the greater part of the boats we see around us.

June 25.-The river this day rapidly increased in size, and became very beautiful and interesting. The banks are still high and precipitous, but the vegetation which overhangs them is splendid, and some of the villages would be reckoned neat even in Europe. Several considerable indigo works also appeared on the banks; but the bungalows attached to them did not seem to be occupied by Europeans. We ascertained to-day that the tortoise of these waters is no contemptible eating, having some good turtle-soup at dinner. There was not, indeed, much green fat, but what there was was extremely sweet and good, without the least fishy taste, and the lean very juicy, well-flavoured meat, not unlike veal. We want, in fact, no comfort or luxury but bread, having had none eatable for many days back.

We stopped for the night at a beautiful village with splendid banyan and peepul-trees and surrounded by natural meadows and hedge-rows, so like English, that, but for the cocos, we could have supposed ourselves at home. The hedge-rows were of young toon-trees, which, to my surprise, I found

so like ash, as easily to be mistaken for it. Even the wood, when fresh felled, resembles ash, more than the dark colour which it bears when wrought into furniture in Calcutta. It differs, however, from ash, in being extremely heavy. The inner rind, which is white and glutinous, tastes like liquorice.

We passed through a large paddy field, which the villagers were diligently weeding, and which they had already got extremely clean. Part of it had evidently been eaten down by sheep or cattle, a practice apparently common in India. The path which we followed led us at length close to an indigo work, with a small but very pretty bungalow, which on enquiry we found was occupied by Mr. John Davies, belonging to the firm of Palmer & Co. I meant at first to call, but found, on entering the compound, that neither master nor mistress was at home, though there was a fine and numerous family of white children, and the usual swarm of black bonnes; &c. I thought of leaving my name, but did not like to give a man the trouble, on his return home, of coming late in the evening a considerable distance to the pinnace, which I knew would be the consequence of my doing so.

June 26.-Soon after day-light this morning we passed an empty pinnace, (empty at least of all but its crew,) proceeding from Dacca to Calcutta. From the Serang, whom I hailed in passing, I had the disappointment of hearing that we were still three days from the Burra Gunga, and eight from Dacca. It was, however, a satisfaction to find that

there was sufficient water, and that, (of which we had lately begun to entertain some suspicions,) our Serang really was in the right course.

About noon we passed a handsome upper-roomed house, with large verandahs, the property also, as the workmen near it told us, of Palmer and Co., but occupied by a Frenchman, one of their agents in the indigo trade. An old gentleman with powdered hair, and sundry other whites, male and female, came out, but disappeared again before we could hail them. I sent, however, one of my silversticks, with my compliments to the gentleman of the house, requesting him to send us some leaven to make bread with; and with the further request, that, if not inconvenient, he would favour us with a loaf. The answer came back, to my surprise, that they had no leaven in the house, and no bread! A singular answer to receive from a domiciliated European in decent circumstancs, and most of all from a Frenchman!

The river still continued to increase in size, and was now very little narrower than some parts of the Hooghly, the banks of less beauty than we have lately seen them. Our course for these last two days has been generally S. E. by E., the wind strongly against us, but the current as decidedly in our favour. The fishing-boats here have very few of them oars; they are moved by small paddles, with great swiftness and dexterity. We have had the mortification of seeing that they are unwilling to come near us, being, I apprehend, afraid that our dandees will seize their fish without payment.