deacon Barnes to resign as soon as his ten years are expired, and his hope that he may be permitted to receive his pension from the date of such resignation. By all which I hear of him in India, he is well deserving of any favour which ministers may be able to shew him.

Should the friend who now addresses you sink to his last sleep by some jungle side, I have often thought (your kindness encourages me to take this liberty) that few men would be better qualified from experience, and good sense, and good character, to give satisfaction to the Clergy and Governments of India. If I am spared to see him, which I hope to do in February next, I may, perhaps, give you more information.

You will have learned, from a former letter, my intention of setting out on a visitation of Bengal, Bombay, and possibly Ceylon, and the date of my present will shew you that I am already advanced some little way in my journey.

Two thirds of the vast area of Dacca are filled with ruins, some quite desolate and overgrown with jungle, others yet occupied by Mussulman chieftains, the descendants of the followers of Shah Jehanguire, and all of the "Lions of war," "Prudent and valiant Lords," "Pillars of the Council," "Swords of Battle," and whatever other names of Cawn, Emir, or Omrah, the court of Delhi dispensed in the time of its greatness. These are to

me a new study. I had seen abundance of Hindoo Baboos and some few Rajas in Calcutta. But of the 300,000 inhabitants who yet roost like bats in these old buildings, or rear their huts amid their desolate gardens, three-fourths are still Mussulmans, and the few English, and Armenian, and Greek Christians who are found here, are not altogether more than sixty or eighty persons, who live more with the natives, and form less of an exclusive society than is the case in most parts of British India. All the Mussulmans of rank whom I have yet seen, in their comparatively fair complexions, their graceful and dignified demeanour, particularly on horseback, their shewy dresses, the martial curl of their whiskers, and the crowd, bustle, and ostentation of their followers, far outshine any Hindoos; but the Calcutta Baboos leave them behind toto cœlo, in the elegance of their carriages, the beauty of their diamond rings, their Corinthian verandahs, and the other outward signs of thriving and luxury. Yet even among these Mahommedans, who have, of course, less reason to like us than any other inhabitants of India, there is a strong and growing disposition to learn the English language, and to adopt, by degrees, very many of the English customs and fashions.

The most whimsical instance of imitation, is, perhaps, that of Mirza Ishraf Ali, a Zemindar of 100,000 acres, and with a house like a ruinous convent, who in his English notes, signs his here

ditary title of " Kureem Cawn Bahadur" in its initials, K. C. B.

Many of the younger Mussulmans of rank, who have no hope of advancement either in the army or the state, sooner or later sink into sots, or kindle into decoits and rebels. As a remedy for this evil, I have heard the propriety suggested of raising corps of cavalry of the same description, but of smaller numbers than those of Skinner and Baddely, which might be commanded by the natives of highest rank, but kept in the Company's pay, and assimilated, as much as possible, to the rest of the army. They might easily, it was said, be stationed so as not to be dangerous, and at the same time to render regular troops disposable for other purposes. The idea somewhat resembles that of Forbes, before the year 1745, for raising Highland regiments, and, perhaps, it may be true that the best way to make men loyal, is to make them respectable and comfortable, while to keep them employed is most likely to keep them out of mischief. They are not, however, the great men only, who are inclined to copy the English; a desire of learning our language is almost universal even here, and in these waste bazars and sheds, where I should never have expected any thing of the kind, the dressing-boxes, writing-cases, cutlery, chintzes, pistols, and fowling-pieces, engravings, and other English goods, or imitations of English, which are seen, evince how fond of them the middling and humbler

classes are become. Here, too, a knowledge of the Christian Scriptures, in spite of the Abbé Dubois, is rapidly increasing. A Baptist Missionary has established a circle of twenty-six day schools, containing more than 1000 boys, who all read the New Testament as their daily task, without any objection being made, and had the Church of England Societies a Missionary at present to spare, he might in a month double the number. Of all these, indeed, few will be directly converted, but these examples, as well as my own experience, (and I think I am now able to form an opinion) convince me that the Hindoostanee version, at least, is neither unintelligible nor contemptible. If Christian David, indeed, is to be believed, and I believe him to be a very honest man, nothing can exceed Dubois's mendacity and ignorance even with regard to Malabar and Coromandel. But of these countries I trust to know more hereafter.

I have staid longer in Dacca than I intended, owing to the sad and severe illness of my poor friend Stowe, who two days before we arrived, imprudently exposed himself to the two worst poisons of the climate, by wading through a marsh while the sun was yet high. He has been twelve days ill, and is yet in a very precarious state. His illness, indeed, prevented me from writing some days ago, but he is now asleep, and I have fled to England, shall I say? or Wales? for it is Llangedwin in which my fancy always contemplates you with most pleasure. Wherever you are, Heaven bless you all, and may you sometimes think of one, who

11

though now actually in "India beyond the Ganges,"

is, and ever must be,

Dear Wynn,

your obliged and affectionate friend,

REGINALD CALCUTTA.

TO MRS. R. HEBER.

Dacca, July 16, 1824.

MY DEAR LOVE,

All I can say to-day is, that the two sur

have prayed with poor Stowe every day, at his request, since his illness began; indeed, we had always read the Psalms and Lessons together on board our boat. On Sunday, by his own anxious wish, he received the Sacrament. He is now quite calm, and resigned to God's will, which must, of itself, be a favourable circumstance for his bodily

restoration.

July 17th.

You must prepare poor Miss Stowe for the worst, if that can be called the worst, which will be to her brother, I hope and believe, a gate of everlasting happiness. He is yet in the full possession of his intellects, and so strong, considering all he has gone through, that I have been persuaded with difficulty to cease to hope. I shall