feeling; and it has been increased of late years by the conduct of Lord Hastings to the old Emperor of Delhi, a conduct which has been pursued by succeeding administrations, but which entirely differed from the outward respect and allegiance which the Company's officers had professed to pay him, from Lord Clive downwards. The elevation of the Nawab of Oude to the kingly title, and Lord Hastings's refusal to pay him the same homage which all his predecessors had courted every opportunity of doing, and which even the Maharattas did not neglect when the late Shah Aullum was their prisoner, have awakened questions and scruples among the fierce Mohammedans about obeying an unbelieving nation, which were quite forgotten while the English Company acted as the servant and "Dewan" of the house of Timur. The behaviour of Lord Hastings was very disadvantageously contrasted in Benares with that of Warren Hastings, who, in the height of his power and conquests, gained infinite popularity by riding publicly through the city, as usual with the high functionaries of the court of Delhi, behind the howdah of the hereditary prince, with a fan of peacock's feathers in his hand. This, however, is a digression. I am satisfied from all I hear, that the natives of this neighbourhood have at present no idea that any interference with their religion is intended on the part of Government; that if any thing, they rather esteem us the more for shewing some signs of not being without a religion, and that any fancies of a different tendency which have

arisen on this subject, in Bengal or other parts of India, have been uniformly put into their heads by ill-designing persons among the Portuguese, halfcaste, or European residents. Nevertheless, all * my informants here, as well as in most other places where I have heard the question discussed, are of opinion that a direct interference on the part of Government with any of the religious customs of the country, (the suttees for example,) would be eagerly laid hold of and urged as the first step in a new system, by all who wish us ill, and that though it would probably not of itself occasion a rebellion, it would give additional popularity, and a more plausible pretext, to the first rebellion which such disaffected persons might find opportunity for attempting. Meanwhile I cannot learn that the Missionaries and schools which they establish, have excited much attention, or of an unfavourable nature. Their labours, after all, have been chiefly confined to the wives of the British soldiers, who had already lost caste by their mar riage, or to such Mussulmans or Hindoos as of their own accord, and prompted by curiosity, or a better motive, have come to their schools or Churches, or invited them to their houses. The number of these enquirers after truth is, I understand, even now not inconsiderable, and increasing daily. But I must say, that of actual converts, except soldiers' wives, I have met with very few, and these have been all, I think, made by the Archdeacon.

The custom of street-preaching, of which the

Baptist and other dissenting Missionaries in Bengal are very fond, has never been resorted to by those employed by the Church Missionary Society, and never shall be as long as I have any influence or authority over them. I plainly see it is not necessary, and I see no less plainly that though it may be safe among the timid Bengalees, it would be very likely to produce mischief here. All which the Missionaries do, is to teach schools, to read prayers, and preach in their Churches, and to visit the houses of such persons as wish for information on religious subjects. Poor Amrut Row, the charitable Ex-Peishwa (whose ashes I saw yet smoking on Ali Bhaee's Ghât as I passed it) was, I find, one of these enquirers. Mr. Morris, the Missionary, had received a message with his Highness's compliments, desiring him to call on him in the middle of the week, as he was " anxious to obtain a further knowledge of Christianity!" It is distressing to think that this message was deferred so long, and that, short as the interval which he had calculated on was, his own time was shorter still. Yet surely one may hope for such a man that his knowledge and faith may have been greater than the world supposed, and that, at all events, the feelings which made him, thus late in life, desirous to hear the truth, would not be lost on Him whose grace may be supposed to have first prompted it.

I received a visit from the Raja of Benares, a middle aged man, very corpulent, with more approach to colour in his cheeks than is usually seen in Asiatics, and a countenance and appearance not

unlike an English farmer. My few complimentary phrases in Persian being soon at an end, Mr. Brooke interpreted for me, and I found my visitor very ready to converse about the antiquities of his city, the origin of its name, which he said had anciently been Baranas, from two rivers, Bara and Nasa, which here fall into the Ganges, (I suppose under ground, for no such are set down on the map) and other similar topics. I regretted to learn, after he was gone, that he resided at some distance from the city on the other side of the river, and where I had no chance of returning his call; but I was told that he expected no such compliment, though he would be pleased to learn that I had wished to pay it him. The Maharaja's equipage was not by any means a splendid one; he had silver sticks, however, behind his carriage, and the usual show of spears preceding it, but no troopers that I saw. He is rich, notwithstanding, and the circumstances of his family have materially improved since the conquest of Benares by the English from the Mussulmans.

September 8.-I this morning went to some of the points in the city which I was most anxious to fix in my memory, which had indeed been a little confused by the multitude of objects which I saw yesterday. I rode a very pretty but hot and obstinate Java poney. These poneys bear a high price in India, and deserve it, as though little creatures, they are beautiful, lively, and very strong and hardy. I am told I was wrong in not bringing up my Arab, since I shall find a good horse abso

lutely necessary for my journey overland, and really good ones are very dear and difficult to procure. A Turkoman horse, if I can obtain one, is said to be the best for my purpose, since though not very fleet, nor handsome, they are strong, sure-footed, good-tempered, and, when not too much hurried, never tire. The horses of the Dooab and Rajpootana have been lately a good deal improved by an intermixture of English blood, and are generally tall and handsome, but are dear, and often very vicious, and on the whole better adapted for a hunt or a battle, than the patient and continued exertions of a long march.

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Nothing remarkable occurred during my ride in Benares this morning, except the conduct of a little boy, a student in the Vidalaya, who ran after me in the street, and with hands joined, said that I" had not heard him his lesson yesterday, but he could say it very well to-day if I would let him." I accordingly stopped my horse and sate with great patience while he chanted a long stave of Sanscrit. I repeated at proper pauses, good, good," which satisfied him so much, that when he had finished, he called out" again," and was beginning a second stave when I dismissed him with a present, on which he fumbled in his mantle for some red flowers, which he gave me, and ran by my side, still talking on till the crowd separated us. While he was speaking or singing, for I hardly know which to call it, the people round applauded him very much, and from the way in which they seemed to apply the verses to me, I suspect that