borne on men's heads. It was contained in twenty or thirty miniature houses, arranged so as to form a quadrangle, with a temple in the centre.

I passed a number of houses illuminated for marriage fes tivities, and from one of them there came the sound of a flute more shrill and piercing, I have no doubt, than any other flute in the world. Its tones were so intensely shrill as to become tangible. They were shot out of the open windows like barbed arrows, and whenever any one struck you it was followed by a keen sense of pain. They flew whistling down the street, rattling against the walls, transfixing all civilized. ears and torturing all susceptible nerves. I shudder, even now, to think of the smarts I endured while passing that house.

The Wadya family, to which my host belonged, have been for more than half a century the ship-builders of Bombay. The vicinity of the teak forests has occasioned the building of several ships of the line for the British Navy in the dockyard there. The first of these, the Minden, has been in service for nearly fifty years, and her condition still attests the excellence of her construction. It was between her decks, while lying off Fort McHenry, that Francis Key wrote our "Star-spangled Banner." The present head-builder, Hirjeebhoy Merwanjee, had on the stocks at the time of my visit, two steamships of eighteen hundred tons each. He was nearly three years in England, studying his profession, and has published a work in English, giving his views of English institutions and society. The Government has done much for the natives in the establishment of such institutions as the Grant Medical College, the Elphinstone Institution, and

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The amount ex

others, but much still remains to be done. pended for educational purposes in the Bombay Presidency, is about £12,500, which is insufficient to support any general system of instruction. The Board of Education consists of three English residents and three natives; in its operation it embraces instruction in the Mahratta and Guzeratee, as well as the English and Hindostanee languages. The Elphinstone Institution has at present about 1,400 scholars, the great proportion of whom are studying in the English department. They are, however, first required to pass in the vernacular languages. The respect in which such men as Mountstuart Elphinstone and Sir Charles Forbes are held by the natives, shows how truly they appreciate every effort for their improve ment, and how eagerly they would respond to any measure which had their good in view.

The more intelligent of the natives took advantage of the approaching renewal of the East India Company's Charter (which expired in April, 1854), to form associations and draw up memorials for presentation to Government, in which they represented the disadvantages of the present system in its effect on the native population. The movement was rather too late to be productive of much effect, but it was interesting as showing the temper of the native subjects in India. I saw none of the memorials except that of the Bombay Association, which was drawn up by Dr. Bhawoo Dajee. It was an admirably written document, moderate and respectful, but at the same time firm and dignified in its tone, stating with great clearness the causes of complaint, and suggesting means of redress.

CHAPTER V.

THE BANGHY Ꮯ Ꭺ Ꭱ Ꭲ .

Preparations for Departure-Warnings-Filial Gratitude-The Banghy Cart-A NightGallop through Bombay-The Island Road-Ferry to the Mainland-Despotism of the Banghy-Cart-Morning Scenery-The Bungalow-Breakfast-The Sun as a Physician-An Army of Bullocks-Climbing the Ghauts-Natural Pagodas-The Sum mit-A Kind Sergeant-The Second Day-Resemblance to Mexico-Natives and Villages-The Menagerie Man in Egypt-An English Cantonment-Dhoolia-The Lieutenant and his Hospitality-A Rough Road-Accident-Waiting in the JungleThe Bullock-Cart-Halt at Seerpore.

As I was bound for China, and could spare but a very short time for my journeys in India, I remained only a week in Bombay. The information given me by my English friends did not furnish a very satisfactory prospect of visiting Delhi. and the Himalayas, and reaching Calcutta, within the space of two months, without a much greater expenditure of money than I was prepared to make. The usual mode of travelling had up to that time been by palanquin, a mode as costly as it is disagreeable. The post-road to Agra, however, had recently beer made passable for a small cart which carried the mails, and just before my arrival a banghy-cart had commenced running from Bombay to Indore, a distance of 375 miles, or about

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half way to the former city. A banghy means, I believe, a package, or something of that sort, and the cart answers to a package-express. Mr. Cowasjee Ruttonjee, the contractor, assured me that the trip would positively be made within six days, travelling day and night. The fare was four annas (twelve cents) per mile, or nearly $47, exclusive of expenses by the way. This, for India, was considered cheap travelling, and I resolved to make a trial of it. I was obliged to give up the idea of taking a servant with me, and to trust entirely to about twenty words of Hindostanee, which I had picked up on board the Achilles. Many were the evil predictions made to me by most of my English friends: "You can never stand the fatigue; you can get nothing to eat; you will be perfectly helpless if any thing happens," etc. But an old officer, who had travelled not only over all India but nearly all the world, wisely comforted me. "Never mind what these people say," said he; "they are accustomed to travel luxuriously, with retinues of servants. Depend upon it, you will get along without the least difficulty."

I sent my heavy baggage by the steamer to Calcutta, limiting myself to two small carpet-bags, which was all that Cowasjee would take in his cart. My Hindoo servant, with the one red and two white stripes on his forehead, procured me a native tailor, who made me several pairs of pantaloons, of a shape so remarkable that I have not been able to wear them, to this day. Perhaps as I grow older, my form will ap proach nearer to the standard of Hindoo Art, and they will then become serviceable. The striped servant looked very forlorn and disconsolate, as he carried my carpet-bags from Pallanjee's Hotel to the Express Office, on the evening of the

3d of January. "O my master!" he bewailed: 'I am werry sorry to part with you. You are my father, and I am your son. O my father, I shall never forget you!" Considering that he was of a dark-brown complexion, forty years old, and rather ill-favored, I was not anxious to accept the relationship, but, not to be wanting in parental regard, I gave him nearly double the wages agreed upon. Not only did he show no gratitude, but importuned me for more—so little filial affection is there in India!

The banghy-cart was in readiness before Cowasjee's office, when I arrived. It was a square, springless buggy, with a white canvas top, and extremely heavy shafts and wheels. My baggage and the packages for the interior were stowed in the body of the vehicle, the driver and I took our seats, Cowasjee inclined his body and touched his Parsee mitre, and away we dashed into Monument-square. A groom ran at the horse's head till we were fairly under way, and then climbed upon the box behind us. We went out of the gates of the Fort, crossed the esplanade, and entered the busy native town, where we encountered two marriage processions. The red torches glittered on pearls and gold embroidery, on the silver pyramids of the dowry, and the rainbow silks of the women. Our horse, frightened by the noise of the drums and cymbals dashed off furiously, making directly for a blank wall, before which several persons were passing. The driver seemed powerless, and we came instantly upon the wall, catching one of the natives between it and the wheel. I sprang forward, seized the reins and drew the horse around just in time to save the man's life, though not, I fear, to prevent his being badly injured. The horse now started at a mad gallop down the