was crowded into that labyrinth of lofty alleys, rich with shrines, and minarets, and balconies, and carved oriels, to which the sacred apes clung by hundreds. The traveller could scarcely make his way through the press of holy mendicants, and not less holy bulls. The broad and stately flights of steps, which descended from these swarming haunts to the bathing-places along the Ganges, were worn every day by the footsteps of an innumerable multitude of worshippers.* The schools and temples drew crowds of pious Hindoos from every province where the Brahminical faith was known. Hundreds of devotees came thither every month to die; for it was believed that a peculiarly happy fate awaited the man who should pass from the sacred city into the sacred river. Nor was superstition the only motive which allured strangers to that great metropolis. Commerce had as many pilgrims as religion. All along the shores of the venerable stream lay great fleets of vessels laden with rich merchandise. From the looms of Benares went forth the most delicate silks that adorned the balls of St. James's and of the * Appendix A.

Petit Trianon; and in the bazaars, the muslins of Bengal and the sabres of Oude were mingled with the jewels of Golconda and the shawls of Cashmere. This rich capital, and the surrounding tract, had long been under the immediate rule of a Hindoo prince (the Rajah of Benares) who rendered homage to the Mogul emperors. During the great anarchy of India, the lords of Benares became independent of the court of Delhi, but were compelled to submit to the authority of the Nabob of Oude. Oppressed by this formidable neighbour, they invoked the protection of the English. The English protection was given; and at length the Nabob Vizier, by a solemn treaty, ceded all his rights over Benares to the Company. From that time the rajah was the vassal of the government of Bengal, acknowledged its supremacy, and engaged to send an annual tribute to Fort William.'

Benares was of old renowned as the principal seat of Brahminical learning. Robertson, in his History of India, speaks of it as the Athens of the East, the residence of the most learned Brahmins, and the centre of their

science and literature; and Sir Robert Barker, an early visitor, has described an observatory there, said to have been erected by the Emperor Akhbar,* in which were astronomical instruments of large dimensions, constructed with great skill and ingenuity. Mr. Davis, who was judge and magistrate of the district about the period of this narrative, and who will be found to perform a conspicuous part towards the conclusion of it, profited by his residence there to investigate the astronomical science of the Brahmins. He was the first Englishman who applied a knowledge of their sacred language to an examination of their books. The results of his researches were discussed by Mr. Cavendish, in the Philosophical Transactions, and are known to all who feel interested in the early history of the science to which they relate.† A Hindoo Sanscrit College, established in the year 1791, and supported by the British government, has continued to prosper to the present day.

* The observatory was really built by Jysingh, Rajah of Jypore, about the year 1700. See Asiatic Researches, vol. v. p. 177.

Cited by Robertson in his History of India, Note LXVIII.

As the crowded streets of an Asiatic town possess few attractions for Europeans, the residences of the English at Benares are chiefly erected at Secrole, a short distance from the city. In style they somewhat resemble the villas and country seats of our English gentry, with such modifications as may be demanded by the climate. Insulated within their own grounds, the four sides are open to the winds, while a plentiful supply of Venetian blinds serves to exclude the excess of the sun's rays. The height does not generally exceed one story above the ground floor; but the flat roofs afford space for extensive terraces with parapets, which in some cases are approached by narrow winding stairs, surmounted by a trapdoor. This mode of construction is particularised here, because it will be found to exercise a considerable influence on succeeding events.

Benares was the scene of one of the most remarkable adventures of Warren Hastingsone in which he rashly exposed himself to great personal peril, but extricated himself with equal resolution and skill. The transaction, which, from its dubious character, formed one of the

principal charges against the British proconsul on his return home, was briefly this.

6

The governor-general had instituted a claim against the Rajah Cheyte Singh of some hundred thousands of pounds sterling, and he followed up the excuses or evasions of the rajah by force. He visited Benares, and there, notwithstanding the personal submissions and protestations of the unfortunate Cheyte Singh, had him arrested by two companies of troops in his own capital. This extreme measure, accompanied as Hastings was by a mere handful of troops, soon led to an insurrection among the subjects of the outraged prince. The building,' relates Mr. Macaulay, in which he had taken up his residence was on every side blockaded by the insurgents. But his fortitude remained unshaken. The rajah from the other side of the river sent apologies and liberal offers. They were not even answered. Some subtle and enterprising men were found, who undertook to pass through the throng of enemies, and to communicate the intelligence of the late events to the English cantonments. It is the fashion of the natives of India to wear large ear-rings of gold. When they travel, the rings are laid aside, lest the