APPROACH TO CALCUTTA. 21 A❝Saees," or groom, ran by the side of each horse, and behind one of them were two decent looking men with long beards and white cotton dresses, who introduced themselves as my "Peons" or "Hurkarus;" their badges were a short mace or club of silver, of a crooked form, and terminating in a tyger's head, something resembling a Dacian standard as represented on Trajan's pillar, and a long silver stick with a knob at the head. We set out at a round trot; the saeeses keeping their places very nimbly on each side of us, though on foot, along a raised, broadish, but bad road, with deep ditches of stagnant water on each side, beyond which stretched out an apparently interminable wood of fruit-trees, interspersed with cottages some seemed to be shops, being entirely open with verandahs, and all chiefly made up of mats and twisted bamboo. The crowd of people was considerable, and kept up something like the appearance of a fair along the whole line of road. Many were in bullock-carts, others driving loaded bullocks before them, a few had wretched poneys, which, as well as the bullocks, bore too many and indubitable marks of neglect and hard treatment; the manner in which the Hindoos seemed to treat even their horned cattle, sacred as they are from the butcher's knife, appeared far worse than that which often disgusts the eye and wounds the feelings of a passenger through London. Few women were seen; those who appeared had somewhat more clothing than the men,-a 22 APPROACH TO CALCUTTA. 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, flatroofed, 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 ARRIVAL AT CALCUTTA. 23 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 24 ARRIVAL AT CALCUTTA. every thing 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 plaister, covered with mats; the ceilings of bricks, plaistered 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. |