a more plausible pretext, to the first | posed; 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. 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 expeishwa (whose ashes I saw yet smoking on Ali Bhaee's Ghât as I passed it), was, I find, one of these inquirers. 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 distress-tures, they are beautiful, lively, and ing 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 sup 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 pony. These ponies bear a high price in India, and deserve it, as, though little crea very strong and hardy. I am told I was wrong in not bringing up my Arab, since I shall find a good horse absolutely 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; | I had the pleasure to find Mr. Melville, since, though not very fleet nor hand- who had just arrived from Ghazeepoor. some, they are strong, sure-footed, He and Mr. Macleod offered again to good-tempered, and, when not too take me to Benares, which, as they said, much hurried, never tire. The horses I had only half seen. I was, however, of the Dooab and Rajpootana have thoroughly tired with the days of bustle been lately a good deal improved by I had gone through. On Sunday I had an intermixture of English blood, and three services, on Monday one, the conare generally tall and handsome, but secration of the burial-ground, besides are dear, and often very vicious, and, the school-examination. On Tuesday on the whole, better adapted for a hunt I had been sight-seeing from five till or a battle than the patient and conti- nearly ten o'clock; to-day I was out an nued exertions of a long march. almost equal time, similarly employed, besides a regular evening drive, and receiving and paying visits, while all the intervals between these engagements were occupied with reading and answering a large mass of papers from Bishop's College, Madras, and Calcutta. I therefore begged leave to postpone my further researches till my next visit. To see it as it deserves, indeed, Benares would require a fortnight. 66 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 it was a complimentary address which he had been instructed to deliver the day before, but had missed his opportunity. If so, I am glad he did not lose his labour; but the few words which, from their occurrence in Hindoostanee, I understood, did not at all help me to his meaning. This evening I dined with Mr. Sands, one of the circuit judges, at whose house My boats arrived this morning off the mouth of the small river which leads to Secrole; but as the state of the weather was such as to make it probable it would soon be almost dry, they were sent on to Rajaghât, and thence proceeded directly to Chunar, whither I was advised to go myself by land. The weather has, indeed, been such as is very seldom experienced at this time of year, and such as threatens to be very unfortunate, not only for my voyage, but for the country. No rain has fallen for many days; the wind has blown steadily and very hot from the west, and everything foretells a speedy termination of the "bursat," or rainy season. In consequence I shall have a very laborious and slow tracking on the river; and, what is much worse, the tanks are barely half full, the country but imperfectly irrigated, and famine, murrain, and all their attendant horrors, may be looked for. God avert such calamities from this poor country! CHAPTER XIII. BENARES TO ALLAHABAD. Chunar-Intense Heat-Trimbuk-jee-Hindoo Temple-Confirmation-Invalids-Departure from Chunar-Large Fish-Retrospect of Benares-Quarrel between Hindoos and Mussulmans-Sitting Dhûrna-Natives' Opinions of English Governors-Allahabad-Fort-Jumna Musjeed-Confirmation-Preparations for marching-Festival of Rama and Seeta. town; the castle, with its Union flag, is such as would be greatly admired, but not at all out of place, in any ancient English seaport; and much as I admire palm-trees, I felt glad that they were not very common in this neighbourhood, and that there were, in point of fact, none visible, to spoil the home character of the prospect. But such a sun, thank heaven! never glared on England as this day rained its light SEPTEMBER 10.-The events of yester- | like those of a small English country day are not worth recording. Mr. Macleod had promised to drive me in his gig half way to Sultanpoor, and at five o'clock this morning he was at my door. My palanquin had been sent on before, so that I had the advantage of making a quicker progress, as well as of enjoying his interesting conversation for about seven miles, when the carriage-road ended in a little nullah, where we found the palanquin waiting for me, in which I proceeded to Sul-nings on Chunar. I thought myself tanpoor, where I found a boat in readiness to convey me to Chunar, at which place I was to be Colonel Alexander's guest. The view of Chunar is, from the river, very striking. Its fortress, which is of great extent, formerly of first-rate importance, and still in good repair, covers the crest and sides of a large and high rock, with several successive enclosures of walls and towers, the lowest of which have their base washed by the Ganges. On the right, as we approached it, is seen a range of rocky and uneven hills, on the left a large Indian town, intermingled with fine round-headed trees, with some very good European habitations, and a tall Gothic tower like that of a parish church in England, which belongs in fact to the Mission Church, and is an imitation of that in Mr. Corrie's native village. The whole scene is entirely English; the mosques and muts are none of them visible in this quarter; the native houses, with their white walls and red tiled roofs, look exactly fortunate in getting housed by ten o'clock, and before the worst came on, but it was still enough to sicken one. There was little wind, and what there was was hot; and the reflection and glare of the light grey rock, the light grey castle, the light grey sand, the white houses, and the hot bright river were about as much as I could endure. Yet, I trust, it is not a little that overpowers me. Breakfast, however, at Colonel Alexander's, and a good draught of cold water, set me quite up again, and I was occupied the rest of the morning in obtaining details of the school and mission from Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Bowley. We dined with Colonel Robertson, the commandant of the fortress and station, and met a very large party, including, among others, Sir G. Martindell, the general in command at Cawnpoor; he is a fine, mild, unaffected old officer, with an experience of India, and particularly the upper provinces, scarcely shorter than Mr. Brooke's, and perhaps more various and extensive. In the evening Colonel Alexander | rudely made, and pretty much like drove me in a gig a little way into the garden-rollers, which are piled up in country, which is really pretty. The great numbers throughout the interior European dwellings are all on the side of the fort, and for which the rock on of a steep slope, covered with wood which the fort stands affords an inexand gardens, with their drawing-room haustible quarry. These, which are verandahs opening for the most part on called "mutwalas" (drunkards) from a raised terrace. Behind, and rising their staggering motion, are rolled over still higher up the slope, is the native the parapet down the steep face of the town, the houses all of stone and mostly hill, to impede the advances and overof two stories, generally with verandahs whelm the ranks of an assaulting army; in front let out into shops, the whole and when a place has not been regunot unlike a Welsh market-town, but larly breached, or where, as at Chunar, much larger, and probably containing the scarped and sloping rock itself fifteen thousand people. Beyond is an serves as a rampart, few troops will open country, intersected by a broad so much as face them. Against a nanullah, with a handsome Gothic bridge, tive army, Colonel Robertson said, and beyond this an open extent of rocky Chunar, if resolutely defended, would, and woody country, which is a good he thought, be impregnable; and, exdeal infested by wolves and bears, but cept in one quarter, it would stand no seldom visited by a tiger. The bears contemptible siege against an European rarely do any harm unless they are force. Even there the rock which comfirst attacked. The wolves are, appa- mands it might easily be so much lowrently, more daring and impudent than ered as to prevent any danger; and the in Russia; they are said frequently to stone of which it consists is so valucome to the houses and sheepfolds, and able, that the neighbouring Zemindars sometimes even attack and carry off had offered to cart it away at their children. The inhabitants of Chunar own expense, provided Government will not admit that it deserves the would give up the duty now laid on character which it usually bears, of Chunar-stone when transported to difexcessive heat; but if this day and ferent parts of India; but the offer was night were a fair specimen, I have declined. certainly felt nothing to equal it. It happily grew cooler towards morning, and I got a few hours' good sleep, which I much needed. On the top of the rock of Chunar, and within the rampart, is a considerable space, covered with remarkably fine English hay-grass, now nearly ripe September 11.-This morning Co- for cutting, several noble spreading lonel Robertson called to take me to trees, and some excellent houses for the the fort, which well repays the labour, officers, few of whom, however, when though this is not trifling. The site not on duty, remain here, the reflection and outline are very noble; the rock of the sun from the rock being very on which it stands is perfectly insu- powerful, and the expense of bringing lated, and, either naturally or by art, water for the tatties great. Within bordered on every side by a very awful this principal circle, and on a still precipice, flanked, wherever it has been higher point, are two inner fortificapossible to obtain a salient angle, with tions, one containing the Governor's towers, bartizans, and bastions of va- house, the hospital, and the state-prison, rious forms and sizes. There are a now inhabited by the celebrated Magood many cannon mounted, and a haratta chieftain Trimbuk-jee, long the noble bomb-proof magazine for pow-inveterate enemy of the British power, der, which has been lately in a great measure stripped for the supply of the Birman war. Colonel Robertson, however, told me that the ammunition on which he should most depend for the defence of Chunar are stone cylinders, and the fomenter of all the troubles in Berar, Malwah, and the Deckan. He is confined with great strictness, having an European as well as a Sepoy guard, and never being trusted out of the sight of the sentries. Even his bedchamber the ceremonies of his idolatry, his garden, and the gossip which his servants pick up for him in the town of Chunar. Avarice seems at present his ruling passion. He is a very severe inspector of his weekly accounts, and one day set the whole garrison in an uproar about some ghee which he accused his khânsaman of embezzling; in short, he seems less interested with the favourable reports which he from time to time receives of his family, than with the has three grated windows open into the verandah which serves as guard-room. In other respects he is well treated, has two large and very airy apartments, a small building fitted up as a pagoda, and a little garden shaded with a peepul-tree, which he has planted very prettily with balsams and other flowers. Four of his own servants are allowed to attend him, but they are always searched before they quit or return to the fort, and must be always there at night. He is a little, lively, irritable-banking accounts by which they are looking man, dressed, when I saw him, accompanied. Much as he is said to in a dirty cotton mantle, with a broad deserve his fate, as a murderer, an exred border, thrown carelessly over his tortioner, and a grossly perjured man, head and shoulders. I was introduced I hope I may be allowed to pity him. to him by Colonel Alexander, and he received me courteously, observing that he himself was a Brahmin, and in token of his brotherly regard, plucking some of his prettiest flowers for me. He then showed me his garden and pagoda, and after a few common-place expressions of the pleasure I felt in seeing so celebrated a warrior, which he answered by saying with a laugh, he should have been glad to make my acquaintance elsewhere, I made my bow and took leave. He has been now, I believe, five years in prison, and seems likely to remain there during life, or till the death of his patron and tool, Bajee Row, may lessen his power of doing mischief. He has often offered to give security to any amount for his good behaviour, and to become a warmer friend to the Company than he has ever been their enemy, but his applications have been vain. He attributes, I understand, their failure to Mr. Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay, who is, he says, "his best friend, and his worst enemy," the faithful trustee of his estate, treating his children with parental kindness, and interesting himself, in the first instance, to save his life, but resolutely fixed on keeping him in prison, and urging the Supreme Court to distrust all his protestations. His life must now be dismally monotonous and wearisome. Though a Brahmin of high caste, and so long a minister of state and the commander of armies, he can neither write nor read, and his whole amusement consists in In the last inclosure of the fortress, on the very summit of the mountain, and calculated to make a defence even after all the lower works had fallen, are several very interesting buildings. One of them is the old Hindoo palace, a central dome surrounded by several vaulted apartments, with many remains of painting and carving, but dark, low, and impervious to heat; on one side of this is a loftier and more airy building, now used as an armoury, but formerly the residence of the Mussulman governor, with handsome rooms and beautifully carved oriel windows, such as one reads of in Mrs. Radcliffe's castles. A little further on in the bastion is an extraordinary well or reservoir, about fifteen feet in diameter, and cut to a great depth in the solid rock, but the water of which is not sufficiently good to be used, except in case of necessity. In front of the Hindoo palace, in the pavement of the court, are seen four small round holes, just large enough for a man to pass through, below which is the state prison of ancient times. Well is it for Trimbuk-jee that his lot is thrown in better days! This is a horrible dungeon indeed, with neither light, air, nor access, except what these apertures supply to a space of forty feet square. It is now used as a cellar. But the greatest curiosity of all remains to be described. Colonel Robertson called for a key, and unlocking a rusty iron-door in a very rugged and ancient wall, said he would show me the most holy place in all India. Taking off his |