The commander of our vessel went this morning to a market held in a neighbouring village, to purchase some trifles for the vessel; and it may show the poverty of the country, and the cheapness of the different articles, to observe, that having bought all the commodities which he wanted for a few pice,* he was unable in the whole market to get change for a rupee, or about two shillings. In the evening we again went on shore to another village, resembling the first in its essential features, but placed in a yet more fertile soil. The houses stood literally in a thicket of fruit-trees, plantains, and flowering shrubs; the muddy ponds were covered with the broad-leaved lotus, and the adjacent "paddy," or rice-fields, were terminated by a wood of tall coco-nut trees, between whose stems the light was visible, pretty much like a grove of Scotch firs. I here remarked the difference between the coco and the palmira: the latter with a narrower leaf than the former, and at this time of year without fruit, with which the other abounded. For a few pice one of the lads climbed up the tallest of these with great agility, notwithstanding the total want of boughs, and the slipperiness of the bark. My wife was anxious to look into one of their houses, but found its owners unwilling to allow her. At length one old fellow, I believe to get us away from his own threshold, said he would show us a very fine house. We followed him to a cottage somewhat larger than those which we had yet seen; but on our entering its little court-yard, the people came in much earnestness to prevent our proceeding farther. We had, however, a fair opportunity of seeing an Indian farmyard and homestead. In front was a small mud building, with a thatched verandah looking towards the village, and behind was a court filled with coco-nut husks, and a little rice straw; in the centre of this was a round thatched building, raised on bamboos about a foot from the ground, which * A small copper coin, about the value of our halfpenny.-ED. they said was a " Goliah," or granary; round it were small mud cottages, each to all appearance an apartment in the dwelling. In one corner was a little mill, something like a crab-mill, to be worked by a man, for separating the rice from the husk. By all which we could see through the open doors, the floor of the apartments was of clay, devoid of furniture and light, except what the door admitted. A Brahmin now appeared, a formal pompous man, who spoke better Hindoostanee than the one whom we had seen before. I was surprised to find that in these villages. and Mr. Mill tells me that it is the case almost all over India, the word "Grigi,” a corruption of " Ecclesia," is employed when speaking of any place of worship. Most of these people looked unhealthy. Their village and its vicinity appeared to owe their fertility to excessive humidity under a burning sun. Most of the huts were surrounded by stagnant water; and near the entrance of one of them they showed us a little elevated mound like a grave, which they said was their refuge when the last inundation was at its height. So closely and mysteriously do the instruments of production and destruction, plenty and pestilence, life and death, tread on the heels of each other! Besides tamarinds, cocos, palmiras, plantains, and banyans, there were some other trees of which we could not learn the European name. One was the neem, a tree not very unlike the acacia, the leaves of which are used to keep moths from books and clothes. Another I supposed to be manchineel,-a tree like a very large rhododendron, but not without flowers; its thick club-ended branches, when wounded, exuded a milky juice in large quantities, which the natives said would blister the fingers. We saw one jackall run into the woods: the cries of these animals grew loud and incessant as we returned to the ship, and so nearly resembled the voice of children at play, that it was scarcely possible at first to ascribe them to any other source. On our arrival at the vessel we found two Bholiahs," or large row boats, with convenient cabins, sent to take us up 66 such light winds, for the yacht to stem the force of the current. the river, as it was impossible, with | house in Russia, near some powder mills; here we found carriages waiting for us, drawn by small horses with switch October 10. At two o'clock this tails, and driven by postillions with afternoon, we set out for Calcutta in the whiskers, turbans, bare legs and arms, bholiahs, and had a very delightful and and blue jackets with tawdry yellow interesting passage up the river, partly lace. A “ Saees," or groom, ran by with sails and partly with oars. The the side of each horse, and behind country, as we drew nearer the capital, one of them were two decent-looking advanced in population; and the river men with long beads and white cotton was filled with vessels of every descrip- dresses, who introduced themselves as tion. Among these, I was again greatly my "peons," or "hurkarus;" their struck by the Maldivian vessels, close badges were a short mace or club of to some of which our boat passed. silver, of a crooked form, and terminatTheir size appeared to me from one ing in a tiger's head, something rehundred and fifty to near two hundred sembling a Dacian standard as repretons, raised to an immense height above sented on Trajan's pillar, and a long the water by upper works of split silver stick with a knob at the head. bamboo, with very lofty heads and We set out at a round trot; the saeeses sterns, immense sails, and crowded with keeping their places very nimbly on a wild and energetic looking race of each side of us, though on foot, along mariners, who, Captain Manning told a raised, broadish, but bad road, with me, were really bold and expert fellows, deep ditches of stagnant water on each and the vessels better sea-boats than side, beyond which stretched out an their clumsy forms would lead one to apparently interminable wood of fruitanticipate. Bengalee and Chittagong trees, interspersed with cottages: some vessels, with high heads and sterns, seemed to be shops, being entirely open were also numerous. In both these with verandahs, and all chiefly made the immense size of the rudders, sus- up of mats and twisted bamboo. The pended by ropes to the vessel's stern, crowd of people was considerable, and and worked by a helmsman raised at a kept up something like the appearance great height above the vessel, chiefly | of a fair along the whole line of road. attracted attention. There were many Many were in bullock-carts, others other vessels, which implied a gradual driving loaded bullocks before them, adoption of European habits, being a few had wretched ponies, which, as brigs and sloops, very clumsily and well as the bullocks, bore too many injudiciously rigged, but still improve- and indubitable marks of neglect and ments on the old Indian ships. Exten- hard treatment; the manner in which sive plantations of sugar-cane, and nu- the Hindoos seemed to treat even their merous cottages resembling those we horned cattle, sacred as they are from had already seen, appeared among the the butcher's knife, appeared far worse groves of coco-nut and other fruit- than that which often disgusts the eye trees, which covered the greater part and wounds the feelings of a passenger of the shore; a few cows were tethered through London. on the banks, and some large brickfields with sheds like those in England, and here and there a white staring European house, with plantations and shrubberies, gave notice of our approach to an European capital. At a distance of about nine miles from the place where we had left the yacht, we landed among some tall bamboos, and walked near a quarter of a mile to the front of a dingy, deserted looking house, not very unlike a country gentleman's Few women were seen; those who appeared had somewhat more clothing than the men, a coarse white veil or "chuddah," thrown over their heads without hiding their faces, their arms bare, and ornamented with large silver "bangles," or bracelets. The shops contained a few iron tools hanging up, some slips of coarse-coloured cotton, plantains hanging in bunches, while the ground was covered with earthen vessels, and a display of rice and some kind of pulse heaped up on sheets; in the midst of which, smoking a sort of rude hookah, made of a short pipe and a coco-nut shell, the trader was squatted on the ground. By degrees we began to see dingy brick buildings of more pretensions to architecture, but far more ugly than the rudest bamboo-hut,-the abodes of Hindoos or Mussulmans of the middle class, flat-roofed, with narrow casement windows, and enclosed by a brick wall, which prevented all curious eyes from prying into their domestic economy. These were soon after mingled with the large and handsome edifices of Garden Reach, each standing by itself in a little woody lawn (a "compound" they call it here, by an easy corruption from the Portuguese word campaña), and consisting of one or more stories, with a Grecian verandah along their whole length of front. As we entered Kidderpoor, European carriages were seen, and our eyes were met by a police soldier, standing sentry in the corner of the street, nearly naked, but armed with a sabre and shield,-a pagoda or two,-a greater variety of articles in the shops,-a greater crowd in the streets,—and a considerable number of "caranchies," or native carriages, each drawn by two horses, and looking like the skeletons of hackney coaches in our own country. From Kidderpoor we passed by a mean wooden bridge over a muddy creek, which brought us to an extensive open plain like a race-course, at the extremity of which we saw Calcutta, its white houses glittering through the twilight, which was now beginning to close in, with an effect not unlike that of Connaught-place and its neighbourhood, as seen from a distance across Hyde Park. Over this plain we drove to the fort, where Lord Amherst has assigned the old Government-house for our temporary residence. The fort stands considerably to the south of Calcutta and west of Chowringhee, having the Hooghly on its west side. The degree of light which now remained rendered all its details indistinguishable, and it was only when we began to wind through the different works, and to hear the clash of the sentries presenting arms as we passed, that we knew we were approaching a military post of great extent and considerable importance. We at length alighted at the door of our temporary abode, a large and very handsome building in the centre of the fort, and of the vast square formed by its barracks and other buildings. The square is grassed over, and divided by broad roads of "pucka," or pounded brick, with avenues of tall trees stocked with immense flights of crows, which had not yet ceased their evening concert when we arrived. We found at the door two sentries, resembling Europeans in everything but complexion, which, indeed, was far less swarthy than that of the other natives whom we had hitherto seen, and were received by a long train of servants in cotton dresses and turbans; one of them with a long silver stick, and another with a short mace, answering to those of the peons who had received us at the landing-place. The house consisted of a lofty and well-proportioned hall, 40 feet by 25, a drawing-room of the same length, and six or seven rooms all on the same floor, one of which served as a chapel, the lower story being chiefly occupied as offices or lobbies. All these rooms were very lofty, with many doors and windows on every side; the floors of plaster, covered with mats; the ceilings of bricks, plastered also, flat, and supported by massive beams, which were visible from the rooms below, but being painted neatly had not at all a bad effect. Punkas, large frames of light wood covered with white cotton, and looking not unlike enormous fire boards, hung from the ceilings of the principal apartments, to which cords were fastened, which were drawn backwards and forwards by one or more servants, so as to agitate and cool the air very agreeably. The walls were white and unadorned, except with a number of glass lamps filled with coco-nut oil, and the furniture, though sufficient for the climate, was scanty in comparison with that of an English house. The beds, instead of curtains, had mosquito nets; they were raised high from the ground and very hard, admirably adapted for a hot climate. I had then the ceremony to go through | of being made acquainted with a considerable number of my clergy. Among whom was my old schoolfellow at Whitchurch, Mr. Parsons, some years older than myself, whom I recollect when I was quite an urchin. Then all our new servants were paraded before us under their respective names of Chobdars,* Sotaburdars,* Hurkarus,* Khânsaman,† Abdar, Sherabdar, § Khitmutgars, Sirdar Bearer, and Bearers, cum multis aliis. Of all these, however, the Sircar* was the most conspicuous, tall fine looking man, in a white muslin dress, speaking good English, and the editor of a Bengalee newspaper, who appeared with a large silken and embroidered purse full of silver coins, and presented it to us, in order that we might go through the form of receiving it, and replacing it in his hands. This, I then supposed, was a badge of his office, but I afterwards found that it was the relic of the ancient Eastern custom of never approaching a superior without a present, and that, in like manner, all the natives who visited me offered a "nuzzur," or offering, of a piece of gold or silver money. * Agent.-ED. CHAPTER II. Calcutta-Description of Calcutta: Cathedral: Environs: Quay-Child-murder-Barrack poor: Menagerie-Female Orphan Asylum-Consecration of Churches-Nâch-Free SchoolBotanical Garden-Bishop's College-Native Female Schools-Distress among Europeans. OCTOBER 11.-In the morning as the day broke (before which time is the usual hour of rising in India), we were much struck by the singular spectacle before us. Besides the usual apparatus of a place of arms, the walks, roofs, and ramparts swarmed with gigantic birds, the "hurgila," from "hur," a bone, and "gilana," to swallow, larger than the largest turkey, and twice as tall as the heron, which in some respects they much resemble, except that they have a large blue and red pouch under the lower bill, in which we were told they keep such food as they cannot eat at the moment.* These birds share with the jackalls, who enter the fort through the drains, the post of scavenger, but unlike them, instead of flying mankind and daylight, lounge about with perfect fearlessness all day long, and almost jostle us from our paths. We walked some time round the square, and were amused to see our little girl, walking with her nurse, in great delight at the animals round her, but rather encumbered with the number of servants who had attached themselves to her. For her especial service, a bearer, a khitmutgar, a hurkaru, and a cook, were appointed, and there were, besides the two former, one of the silver sticks with her, and another bearer with a monstrous umbrella on a long *It has since been ascertained, by dissection, that this pouch has no connexion with the stomach, but has a very small tube opening into the nostril, through which it is supposed air is admitted to enable the bird to breathe when the orifice of the throat is closed by any large substance, which it attempts, for some time in vain, to swallow. At such time the pouch is in this way inflated with air, and respiration goes on unimpeded.-Ed. bamboo pole, which he held over her head in the manner represented on Chinese screens. My wife soon reduced her nursery establishment; but we afterwards found that it is the custom in Calcutta to go to great expense in the equipage of children. A lady told us she had seen a little boy of six years old, paraded in a pony phaeton and pair, with his "ayah," or nurse, coachman, "chattahburdar," or umbrella-bearer, a saees on each side, and another behind, leading a third pony, splendidly caparisoned, not in case the young sahib should choose to ride, he was too young for that, but, as the saees himself expressed it, "for the look of the thing." This, however, rather belongs to old times, when, as a gentleman assured me, he had himself heard, at the dinner party of one of the Company's civil servants, a herald proclaiming aloud all the great man's titles; and when a palanquin with the silk brocade and gilding, which then adorned it, frequently cost 3000 * rupees; at present the people are poorer and wiser. The approach to the city from the fort is striking; we crossed a large green plain, having on the left the Hooghly, with its forest of masts and sails seen through the stems of a double row of trees. On the right hand is the district called Chowringhee, lately a mere scattered suburb, but now almost as closely built as, and very little less extensive than, Calcutta. In front was the esplanade, containing the Townhall, the Government-house, and many *The highest price of an English built palanquin in the present day is 300 rupees.-ED. |