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can pay for the -a consummation stench of the localhovels made only of Thon a very light diet the relatives shorten the tuiling the mouth and nosHoogly. The religious rites we in the hands of certain brahang intrusted to the members of a thriving trade. Two bodies were ably insufficient piles of fuel, when fetid, deadly, odour of the fumes, om stench of piles of human bones, on which birds of prey were feeding, cries of pain from the poor wretches in ened me with the place, and made me

tongue, readily appropriating words from all languages; but has regular declensions and conjugations. Being only used, in the greater part of India, between people who speak different languages, it is, of course, poor in words, and has no literature. I said above, that it was vernacular, in parts of Hindoostan. This expression may be misunderstood, as the term Hindoostan is incorrectly used here, to designate the whole peninsula of India. It, really, only describes the country north of the Nurbudda, west of Benares, and east of the Sutlěj, and is often, if not generally, used in a still more contracted sense those of the Rajpootana states, which are within these limits, and even the dominions of Scindiah, not being commonly considered a part of Hindoostan. The term Hindoo, also, it should always be remembered, is appropriate to a religion, and not to a race. The peninsula of India is inhabited, and always has been, by men of various races, different languages, and subject to numerous independent sovereigns. Their only tie is caste, which is at once, a bond connecting together a certain number, and insulating them from all others. There is no approach to a feeling of common nationality among the inhabitants of the various countries into which India is divided, and in none of the native languages is there a word answering to "India," or "an Indian."* think I am not wrong in saying that there is far less sympathy between a Bengalee, a Hindoostanee, a Punjabee, and a Děkkunee, than between the same number of individuals picked out of the most dissimilar countries in Europe. Were these facts more generally known, they might remove some misconceptions with respect to the recent mutiny in India.

I

*The word India was formed by the Romans, from the name of the river "Indus"-in the native language "Sind."

CHAPTER X.

CALCUTTA-CONTINUE D.

Roasting Human Bodies-Adjutants in Calcutta-Unpaid Scavengers-Early Rising— The Morning Drive-"The Strand"-Clothing-Country around Calcutta-"Stations"-Dum-Dum-Artillery Mess-An Ameer of Sind-Barrackpoor-The Sepoys -Too much Petted-Some Causes of the Mutiny.

ONE of the most remarkable sights in Calcutta, is the "Burning Ghât;" a piece of ground on the river's bank, in the upper part of the city, used for the incremation of the dead. It is about a hundred feet square, surrounded on three sides by brick walls, eighteen or twenty feet high. On the fourth side toward the river it is open. The enclosure is unpaved and slopes to the water's edge, near which the funeral pyres are erected. At the upper end, against the wall, are miserable huts where those sick Hindoos, who can pay for the privilege, come to die near the sacred Gunga-a consummation which must be materially hastened by the stench of the locality, the exposure of lying in wretched hovels made only of mats, and the custom of keeping them on a very light diet indeed. In some very obstinate cases, the relatives shorten the agonies of their dying relations by stuffing the mouth and nostrils with the sacred mud of the Hoogly. The religious rites connected with the burning are in the hands of certain brahmuns, the practical details being intrusted to the members of a peculiar caste, both drive a thriving trade. Two bodies were burning and frizzling on miserably insufficient piles of fuel, when I visited the place, and the fetid, deadly, odour of the fumes, the horrid, dissecting-room stench of piles of human bones, half covered with flesh, on which birds of prey were feeding, with the groans and cries of pain from the poor wretches in the sheds, soon sickened me with the place, and made me

glad to leave. I have before mentioned that the bodies are generally only half burned. When all the wood that the relatives have paid for has been consumed, the roasted carcase is thrown into the river, and floats away or not, according to the tide. In either case, it is at once pounced on by the loathsome carrion birds, which sit on the wall of the enclosure, motionless as statues, waiting till their meal be cooked. These birds are called hurgilas, but have been nicknamed adjutants by the foreigners from the solemnity and stiffness of their carriage. They form quite a feature of Calcutta, standing motionless on the roofs of houses, and even in the streets and squares. They look like a cross between the stork and vulture, stand about three feet high, and measure about eight from tip to tip. They have a disgustingly roomy pouch under the bill, and are altogether horrid looking creatures. Their demeanour is particularly calm and sedate, and they will stand motionless for hours in the most frequented squares, probably reflecting on the possibility of their soon making a meal on the passers-by. They will let you come as near them as you like, having no fear of man, as a city regulation prevents their being molested. This immunity they owe to their being the only scavengers, except the other carrion birds, of which there are great numbers in Calcutta. No such birds are seen in China, where the dead are all buried, and everything else on which they feed is carefully collected, and made into manure, or turned to some useful purpose. The filthy condition of Indian towns and villages contrasts most disadvantageously with Chinese towns; I do not believe that there are any cleaner cities in the world than the latter, if the narrowness of the streets and the absence of drainage be taken into account.

Europeans in India keep very different hours from those in China. Every house in Calcutta is shut up by ten o'clock, and the whole city is asleep. In this respect the habits of foreigners depend very much upon those of the natives. In China, where the Chinese like to sit up late, foreigners conform, and do not go to bed before twelve, getting up very late. In Bengal, however, all the servants leave their mas

ter's house by ten, or before, to go to their own homes-and rise very early in the morning, customs which the Europeans are forced to imitate. Up-country, the natives keep later hours, but the requirements of the service compel the officers to rise before day-break, when parade takes place, and in consequence they generally retire to bed by nine o'clock in the evening.

The custom of rising early in Calcutta, enables the residents to get a ride before breakfast-the early morning being the only part of the day, until after sunset, when exercise is possible in the Indian climate. From five till seven in the morning the Maidan is covered with ladies and gentlemen on horseback; but the greatest show is in the evening, from half-past five to seven. Between these hours, every one in Calcutta, who can muster any vehicle, betakes himself to the Strand, which is then as crowded as Hyde Park in the season. The equipages are, some of them, very handsome, but entirely English in style, even when they belong to rich natives. The coachmen are all natives, and generally wear long beards. They drive remarkably well. Each carriage has as many saeeses or grooms, as there are horses. They are Moosulmans of a peculiar caste, and wear a short tight-fitting jacket and flat turban, the lower part of the body being covered by a tightly wound dhotee which leaves the legs bare. They carry in their hands the chouree, or tail of the Thibet goat, fitted with a short handle; with this, running along side of the horses, they brush away the flies. These saeeses will run for almost any distance with a carriage, or after the horse upon which their master rides, and up-country their endurance is often put to severe tests. In Calcutta, however, as the roads in the Maidan are very crowded, the saeeses are generally allowed to sit on the footboard. Beside the neat turn-outs of the Europeans, one sees on the Strand the equipages of the rich natives, which are also in the English style, but much gayer, each carriage being often accompanied by six or eight servants, including a "silver-stick." The owner of all this splendour will sit alone on the back seat of the carriage, divested of all clothing, if a Bengalee baboo, except a fine