material of the kinkob is silk, and threads of pure gold. Being exclusively used for panjama, the pieces are only 41 yards long. It brings from 50 rupees to 150 rupees the piece.

Benares is one of the great-opium depôts, the other being Patna. The Company's plantation is 87 miles from the city, but I did not care to visit it, as the poppy was not ripe. Opium is a Government monopoly in the east of India, and all private growers must sell their drug to the Company's agent at a fixed rate. In the west of India, however, that is to say, the Malwar country, private cultivators are allowed to sell to whom they will, only paying a duty to Government.

7*

CHAPTER XV.

ALLAHABAD "THE CITY OF GOD."

Arrival at Allahabad-Zubburdustee-Seekhs-Hindoostanees-Fort at Allahabad-An Invisible River-Sooltan Khooshroo's Surai-Hindoostanee Wells-Allahabad to Cawnpoor-Bullock Trains-Elephantiasis.

LEAVING Bĕnares on the evening of the seventh of November, I found myself next morning on the north bank of the Ganges, opposite the city of Allahabad, which is situated on a narrow tongue of land between the Jumna and Ganges, at their point of junction. The position of Allahabad is not unlike that of New York, except that it is not an island. The fort, which is a large structure with high red stone walls, occupies a position corresponding to that of Castle Garden.

The Ganges was low, not more than a mile wide, and it took us a couple of hours to push the garrhee across the sandy bed of the river, from which the water had receded. Arrived at the river's bank, I found that the bridge of boats which connects the city with the northern bank of the Ganges, had been opened to allow of the passage of some boats loaded with troops.

Arrived at Allahabad, I put up at a tolerable hotel kept by a native, and drove in a buggy to the fort, to present a letter of introduction to Captain Russell, the Commandant. On the way I counted fifty-three native drays, employed compulsorily by Government to aid in the preparations for the expected visit of the Commander-in-chief, the late General Anson, who was then on a tour of inspection. The Government in India take by force anything that is required for the public service, whether belonging to natives or English, paying at a fixed rate, which is generally very fair. This system

seems to us harsh and tyrannical, but has always been usual under previous Governments, who, however, seldom made any payment for what they took. The natives do not think this custom oppressive, as they consider it the height of folly for any one to pay, when he can avoid so doing; and have always a tendency to appropriate their neighbour's goods and services zubburdustee (by force) whenever they have the power so to do. When we were going from Agra to Bombay, our followers used constantly to steal vegetables growing in the fields; take, by force, food from the bazar, and press the services of villagers as guides. We found it almost impossible to restrain them, or to convince them that there was any wrong in what they did. The aggrieved villagers used also to take things very coolly, so that it was only rarely that their depredations became known to us.

Outside the fort a regiment of Seekhs were encamped. They are the best soldiers in India, and have proved themselves the most reliable in the recent revolt. In appearance they would be an honour to any army in the world. It is impossible to imagine a greater discrepancy than exists between the proud, martial, rough-spoken Seekh, and the mildlooking commercial and courtly Bengalee. The difference in appearance, of the races who inhabit India, is even greater than between the different nations of Europe. The national peculiarities have been, I suppose, perpetuated by the institution of castes. I was now regularly in Hindoostan, Benares being generally considered the boundary between that country and Bengal. The features of the people were more regular and finely cut than lower down the country, but the complexion of the lower classes was very dark-in many cases quite black. The costume worn here was entirely different from that of Bengal, which consists of voluminous folds of pure white muslin wound gracefully around the body. In Hindoostan the men dress in a long, tight-fitting cassock, (chupkun) and panjama or trowsers. I have before described this dress as worn by the Moosulman khitmutgrás at Calcutta ; it was in fact introduced by the Mahommedan conquest, but has now become the general costume of Hindoostan. The

Hindoos, however, do not wear panjama, but keep the dhotee, and their chupkuns open on the right breast instead of the left. The Hindoostanee women generally wear very tight panjama, and a scarf (saree) wound around the upper part of the body and over the head. The material of the dress of both sexes is bright-coloured calico. In cold weather the women often wear a thick blue or green petticoat over the panjama. In Hindoostan men always wear turbans, which are small and generally bright-coloured, but in Bengal it is usual to go with the head quite uncovered. In cold weather the Hindoostanees wrap themselves in cotton quilts precisely resembling, in make and appearance, what we call "comfortables" in America.

The fort at Allahabad is, as I have said, situated at the extremity of the town, at the junction of the Jumna and Ganges. It was an old native stronghold, but has been so entirely remodelled that the armoury alone bears any traces of its former masters. Captain Russell, whom I found in his office, showed me all over the place, which covers many acres of ground. I saw, among other things, a siege-train which had been got ready before the annexation of Oude, in case that any of the strongholds of the country should hold out. Under the fort are extensive catacombs, into which we penetrated for some distance. They contain shrines of several gods, and two or three Mahadeos. There is also, in the court of the fort, a shaft of stone about fifty feet high, and covered with an inscription in one of the old languages of India. The kind of stone of which this pillar is made, shows that it must have been brought from an immense distance. Only two similar columns are known in India.

I afterwards drove through the city, which is as large a place as Benares, but not so handsome. There are none of those fine brown-stone residences which I admired so much in Benares. The houses are all low and small, and in the Moosulman style of architecture, which prevails throughout Hindoostan.

Allahabad is considered by the Hindoos as one of the most

sacred localities, being a place where three rivers join.* Only two of these rivers, however, are visible; the third is supposed to flow direct from heaven, and here, unseen by mortal eyes, to add its celestial waters to those of the sacred Gunga. There is a great religious festival held every year at this place, where the Brahmuns make an immense amount of money, since they have, as elsewhere, the entire control of the bathing ghat, and make all pay well for the privilege of washing away their sins in the purifying waters of the Ganges. They have also the monopoly of shaving, which is very profitable, as every one who is shaved at this fair gains a thousand years of Paradise for every hair removed.

The principal sight at Allahabad, beside the fort, is the Surai and Gardens of Sooltan Kooshroo. They may have been founded by that monarch, who died seven hundred years ago, but certainly the present buildings are much more modern. The surai is a quadrangle, about 500 feet square, surrounded by a high stone wall, against which are cloisters, affording shelter to travellers, while their camels occupy the centre of the court. Every town, and most large villages, in India, have at least one of these surais, built either by some rich individual, or by government. They are always free to all comers.

On one side of the surai is one of those noble gateways which form so striking a feature of Saracenic architecture. It is nearly sixty feet high, and about fifty feet deep, and leads to the gardens, which contain six or eight acres of land, and are well kept. At the further end of the garden are three tombs, raised over a princess and two princes. The tombs are of stone, about forty feet square, surmounted by marble domes, and raised on stone chubootras, fifteen feet from the ground, so that their fine proportions are seen to great advantage.

The public wells are among the prettiest objects in the towns

* Its former name was Deeg, which, I believe, means "the junction" in Sanscrit. It was called Allahabad, or "the city of Allah," by the Moosulman invaders, who were much struck with its situation, and were very fond of changing the names of towns which they conquered.