in Oude; though, not being Rajpoots, they would probably under ordinary circumstances have made as good soldiers as any others. The natives of India make excellent mercenaries, as they are so split up into nations and castes, that they can be easily played against one another; and have so little patriotism that they will serve whoever pays best. This is one great secret of the wonderful spread of the British power in India, and it was only on account of the negligence of the government, which recruited the Bengal army almost entirely from one caste, that it was possible for the instigators of the recent mutiny, to produce any unanimous and sympathetic action among the various regiments. Had the Bengal army contained men of all castes, and of several different nations, no general rising could ever have been planned, much less carried out, without the government receiving timely warning.

CHAPTER XI.

CALCUTTA.-CONCLUDED.

Life in Calcutta-My Friends there-The India Trade-Skill of the Natives in Commerce -Conduct of American Residents during the Revolt-Travelling in India-The Palanquin-" Marching"-Steamboats on the Ganges-Garrhee-dak-The Mail-cart.

I REMAINED about two weeks in Calcutta, during which I enjoyed myself very much. It is a pleasant place for a stranger during a brief sojourn, is the paradise of the English in the Mofussil, and life in Calcutta represents the extreme of luxurious enjoyment, in the popular imagination of Occidentals; yet, I must confess, that existence in the capital of India is marked by a wearisome monotony, which would be alone a sufficient counterbalance to the luxuries of a large establishment of servants and splendid dinners, even if the climate,· the reptiles, and the diseases were all put out of the question. Anything like society is almost impossible, where all the world goes to bed by half-past nine or ten, in other words, immediately after the dinner, which follows the evening drive-and where few will expose themselves to the sun's rays in the daytime, unless some urgent necessity calls them out of doors. There is no theatre, no public amusement of any kind; and the exile cannot even enjoy the pleasures of his family, if a married man, as it is necessary for the health, nay, the very life of his children, that they should be sent to Europe when five or six years old-earlier, if possible. The wearisome sameness of such an existence can scarcely be imagined. It is only surpassed by life in the Mofussil. Many a man who envies the Indian civilian his rich appointments, would gladly renounce all pretensions could he but experience for a month the unenviable life which they lead.

Many kindnesses and unexpected attentions gave me a most favourable impression of those gentlemen in Calcutta, whom it was my good fortune to meet. I was especially indebted to Colonel Mowatt and his amiable wife, and several officers of the artillery, to the mess of which branch of the service I was kindly introduced by Colonel Mowatt. Little did they or I anticipate at the time the fate which has since overtaken many of them. Colonel Mowatt had a high command at the siege of Delhi, and died there-of cholera, it was said, like so many others in prominent positions, including several generals-in-chief. Whether this was the case, and age, with the cares and anxieties of their position, brought on the chiefs the disease, from which the younger, but more exposed, officers entirely escaped, or whether they all perished by one of those subtle native poisons which simulate morbid action so well, will probably never be ascertained. Mrs. Mowatt, who was separated from her husband at the time of the outbreak, had to flee into the jungul, and wander there a week, exposed to every hardship. My friends among the younger officers whom I saw at Dum-Dum were nearly all at Meeruth during the mutiny at that place. Many perished there many have since died. Of the fate of the ladies, I am ignorant.

I also was shown much kindness by several English and American merchants, to whom I beg here to return my thanks.

The English merchants mostly do business as agents, or on commission. The day for making large and rapid fortunes in the East India trade passed away with the explosion of the colossal houses which took up the Calcutta trade on the abo lition of the Company's monopoly. The chances are now the same as in any regular commission business elsewhere Native capital is largely employed by the English houses, and in many instances the natives have gone into the European business in their own names. Their sagacity and shrewdness are far greater than those of Europeans, their resources are often very large, and were their honesty and fidelity in any way commensurate, they would no doubt soon do all the foreign

business in India. The natives have no idea of honour or truthfulness, and no regard for character-two defects which have hitherto stood very much in their way. They are, however, daily occupying a position of increasing importance in the commercial world of India.

There are a large number of Americans in Calcutta, and other parts of India, engaged in commercial and other pursuits. They live on terms of perfect friendship and equality with the English, and it would be difficult to find a pleasanter or more hospitable set of men. During the recent disturbances in Bengal, the American residents in Calcutta formed themselves into a military body and offered their services to the Governor-General, which were most gratefully accepted by his lordship. As long as alarm continued, they shared the duty of their English friends, and kept with them alternate watch and watch.

Having seen Calcutta pretty thoroughly, I began my preparations for a trip up-country-a plan which I had formed in China, but as to the feasibility of which I had at first entertained great doubts. Until within a few years there were no great roads opened in India, but since the completion of the Grand Trunk Road, which is fifteen hundred miles in length, from Calcutta to Peshawur, the extreme frontier station in the north-west, travelling has become comparatively rapid and easy. Under the old native rule, the roads were very few and bad. The only available conveyance was the palkee or palanquin, which continued to be employed by Europeans down to quite recent times, and is still used on all the lines of travel except the Trunk Road. Nothing can be more irksome than travelling in a palanquin, the confinement of which is intolerable during the heat of the day, so that the traveller must rest all day, and travel only at night for the greater part of the year. The only other way of travelling in old times was what is called "marching," much slower, but infinitely pleasanter than the palkee. Before the establishment of dâkbungalows by government, "marching" was the only way of making any considerable journey, and as it is still much employed when a whole family is on the move together, and by

the judges and other government officers in their circuits, I will describe the "march" of one of the officials as a specimen of this mode of locomotion. Every official in India has a number of tents, elephants, camels, &c., proportionate to the size of his establishment, always on hand. A day or two before he starts on his circuit, he informs his head servant of his intention, who makes all the necessary preparations. On the morning of the day the magistrate and his family start on elephants at four in the morning, but as soon as it becomes light enough to see the road, they dismount and continue the journey, either on horseback or in a carriage, where the road permits. By half-past seven they have arrived at their restingplace for the day, and the sun is now so hot that they are glad to take shelter in a small "breakfast-tent," which they find ready pitched, where breakfast is served up by the servants, who have preceded them on foot. Meanwhile the house they have left has been entirely stripped. Every article, however bulky, of utility or comfort, has been removed, and brought on by camels or on ox-carts, so that by the time breakfast is finished, and a cheroot or hookah has been smoked, the large tents, which answer in number and size to the rooms of the house, have been furnished, and the travellers have as comfortable a residence for the day as that which they have left. The encampment is generally set up in a tôp or grove, one of which is commonly to be found near the outskirts of every considerable native village. These tops are generally composed of mango trees, and offer a sufficient shade, even to the traveller who cannot afford the luxury of a tent.

Both these modes of travelling, which, until within a few years, furnished the only means of proceeding up-country, were so slow, that had there been no other conveyances, I should have been obliged to give up my trip; as the steamboats up the Ganges are much slower than even the palanquin, and are, moreover, very uncertain in the length of their pas sages.

Fortunately, however, I found that companies had been established to run regular carriages along the whole extent of