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we may conceive of a Grecian city fula. In this part of India they are delicately framed, their hands t in particular are more like those of tender females; and do not appear to be, what is confidered a proper proportion to the reft of the perfon, which is ufually above the middle fize. Correfpondent to this delicacy of appearance are their manners, mild, tranquil, and fedulously atten tive: in this last respect they are indeed remarkable, as they never interrupt any perfon who is fpeaking, but wait patiently till he has concluded; and then anfwer with the moft perfect respect and composure.

From the fhip a ftranger is conveyed on fhore in a boat of the country, called a Maffoolah boat; a work of curious conftruction, and well calculated to elude the violent shocks of the furf that breaks here with great violence; they are formed without a keel, flat bottomed, with the fides raised high, and fewed together with the fibres of the cocoa-nut tree, and caulked with the fame material; they are remarkable light, and are managed with great dexterity by the natives; they are ufually attended by two kattamarans, (rafts) paddled by one man each, the intention of which is, that, fhould the boat be overfet by the violence of the furf, the perfons in it may be preferved. The boat is driven, as the failors fay, high and dry; and the paffengers are landed on a fine fandy beach; and immediately enter the fort of Madras.

The appearance of the natives is exceed

in the age of Alexander. The clear, blue, cloudless sky, the polished white buildings, the bright fandy beach, and the dark green fea, prefent a combination totally new to the eye of an Englishman, just arrived from London, who, accustomed to the fight of rolling maffes of clouds floating in a damp atmosphere, cannot but contemplate the difference with delight; and the eye being thus gratified, the mind foon affumes a gay and tranquil habit, analogous to the pleafing objects with which it is furrounded.

Some time before the fhip arrives at her anchoring ground, she is hailed by the boats of the country filled with people of bufinefs, who come in crowds on board. This is the moment in which an European feels the great diftinction between Afia and his own country. The rustling of fine linen, and the general hum of unusual conversation, prefents to his mind for a moment the idea of an affembly of females. When he afcends upon the deck, he is struck with the long muflin dreffes, and black faces + adorned with very large gold ear-rings and white turbans. The firft falutation he receives from thefe ftrangers is by bending their bodies very low, touching the deck with the back of the hand, and the forehead three times.

The natives firft feen in India by an European voyager, are Hindoos, the original inhabitants of the Penin

* This dress is in India ufually worn both by Hindoos aud Mahomedans, and is called Jammah; whence the dress well known in England, and worn by children, is usually called a jam.

The complexions of the people on the coaft of Coromandel and to the southward, are confiderably darker than those to the northward. It is alfo to be observed, that the native Hindoos are generally darker than the Muffulman, who originally came from Tartary and Perfia. The latter may in fact be called a fair people; and I have even feen many of them with red hair and florid complexions. It is a well known fact, that when a Tartar or Perfian family has refided in India for a few generations, their complexions have confiderably deepened. The Mogul family of the house of Timoor, I understand, are of a deep olive complexion.

It has been obferved of the arms frequently brought to this country, that the gripe of the fabre is too small for most European hands.

exceedingly varied, fome are wholly naked, and others fo clothed, that nothing but the face and neck is to be discovered; befides this, the European is ftruck at first with many other objects, fuch as women carried on men's fhoulders on pallankeens, and men riding on horfeback clothed in linen dreffes like women: which, united with the very different face of the country from all he had ever feen or conceived of, excite the strongest emotions of furprife!

The fettlement of Madras was formed by the English, at or about the middle of laft century, and was a place of no real confequence, but for its trade, until the war was fo ably carried on by General Stringer Lawrence, from the years 1748 to 1752; and which originated from the Claims of Chunda Saib, in oppofition to our ally Mahomed Ally Cawn, the prefent Nabob of Arcot; from which period the English may be confidered as Sovereigns.

Fort St George or Madras, rifes from the margin of the fea, and is allowed by the ableft engineers to be a place of confiderable ftrength. It was planned by the ingenious Mr Robins, the author of Lord Anfon's voyages, who was eminent for his general and philofophical, as well as for his mathematical knowledge. Since his time many works have been

added.

In Fort St George are many handfome and fpacious ftreets. The houfes may be confidered as elegant, and particularly fo from the beautiful material with which they are finished,

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the chunam. The inner apartments are not highly decorated, prefenting to the eye only white walls; which, however, from the marble like appearance of the ftucco, give a frefunefs grateful in fo hot a country. Ceilings are very uncommon in the rooms. Indeed it is impoffible to find which will refift the ravages of that deftructive infect the white ant. Thefe animals are chiefly formidable from the immenfity of their numbers, which are fuch as to deflroy, in one night's time, a ceiling of any dimenfions. I faw an inftance in the ceiling to the portico of the Admiralty, or Governor's houfe, which fell in flakes of twenty feet fquare. It is the wood work which ferves for the bafis of the ceilings, fuch as the laths, beams, &c. that these infects attack; and this will ferve to explain the circumftance I have juft mentioned.

The houses on Choultry plain * are many of them beautiful pieces of architecture, the apartments fpacious and magnificent. I know not that I ever felt more delight, than in going on a vifit to a family on Choultry plain, foon after my arrival at Madras, in the cool of the evening, after a very hot day. The moon thone in its fullest luftre, not a cloud overcaft the sky, and every houfe on the plain was illuminated. Each family, with their friends, were in the open porticoes, enjoying the breeze. Such a scene appears more like a tale of enchantment than a reality, to the imagination of a flranger juft arrived.

GENERAL

*The country near Madras is a perfect flat, on which is built, at a fmall diftance from the fort, a fmall Choultry; these are public buildings found all over Hindoftan, and are of Hindoo origin, they are in fact analogous to thofe buildings called caravanferais, well known through Asia. They have been erected and endowed by the liberality of Princes, or the benevolence and piety of individuals. A Bramin generally attends them who adminifters relief to the poor and diftreffed, who are frequently fupplied also with a mat to lie on, tanks, or refervoirs of water, or wells, are commonly near them.

GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE COAST OF BENGAL-TOWN

OF CALCUTTA.

FROM THE SAME.

of the

HE on the entrance of the Ganges, or Houghly River (this being only a branch of the Great Ganges) is rather unpromising, a few bushes at the water's edge, forming a dark line, juft marking the diftinction between ky and water, are the only objects to be feen. As the ship approaches Calcutta the river narrows; that which is called the Garden Reach, prefents a view of handsome buildings, on a flat furrounded by gardens; thefe are villas belonging to the opulent inhabitants of Calcutta. The veffel has no fooner gained one other reach of the river than the whole city of Calcutta burfts upon the eye. This capital of the British dominions in the east is marked by a confiderable fortrefs, on the fouth fide of the river, which is allowed to be, in ftrength and corre&tnefs of defign, fuperior to any in India. On the foré ground of the picture is the watergate of the fort, which reflects great honour on the talents of the engineer -the ingenious Colonel Polier. The glacis and efplanade are feen in perfpective, bounded by a range of beautiful and regular buildings; and a confiderable reach of the river, with veffels of various claffes and fizes, from the largest Indiamen to the fmallest boat of the country, clofes the scene.

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A European lands here in the midst of a great city, without paffing the outer draw-bridges of a fort: here are not centinels with the keen eye of fufpicion, no ftoppage of baggage. The hofpitality which a ftranger experiences from the inhabitants, and particularly from those to whom he is recommended, correfponds exactly with the freedom of his admif

fion into the

and the kindness

which I experienced on this occafion from my much lamented friend Henry Davies, Efq. late Advocate General of Bengal, can never be forgotten.

The city of Calcutta extends from the Western point of Fort William, along the banks of the river, almost. to the village of Coffipoor; that is about four and a half English miles. The breadth in many parts is confiderable. The streets are broad; the line of buildings, furrounding the two fides of the efplanade of the fort, is magnificent; and it adds greatly to the fuperb appearance, that the houses are detached from each other, and infulated in a great space. The buildings are all on a large fcale, from the neceffity of having a free circulation of air, in a climate the heat of which is extreme.. The general approach to the houfes is by a flight of steps, with great projecting porticoes, or furrounded by colonades or arcades, which give them the appearance of Grecian temples; and indeed every houfe may be confidered as a temple dedicated to hofpitality.

Calcutta, from a fmall and inconfiderable fort, which yet remains (and in which is the famous black-hole, fo fatal to many of our countrymen in 1756), and a few ware-houses, was foon raised to a great and opulent city, when the government of the kingdom of Bengal fell into the hands of the English. For its magnificence, however, it is indebted folely to the liberal fpirit and excellent taste of the late Governor General; and it must be confeffed, that the first house was raised by Mr Haflings which deferves the name of a piece of architecture; in fact, it is even in a purer ftyle

ftyle than any that has been built fince, although it is on a smaller scale than many others.

The mixture of Europe and Afiatic manners, which may be observed in Calcutta, is curious;-coaches, phatons, fingle-horfe chaifes, with the pallankeens and hackeries of the natives the paffing ceremonies of the Hindoos-the different appearances of the fakirs-form a fight perhaps more novel and extraordinary than any city in the world can pre fent to a ftranger.

From the apparent state of a country, a juft eftimáte may generally be formed of the happiness or the mifery of a people. Where there is neatnefs in the cultivation of the land, and that land tilled to the utmost of its boundaries, it may reasonably be fuppofed that the government is the protector, and not the oppreffor of the people. Throughout the kingdom of Bengal it appears highly flourishing in tillage of every kind, and abounding in cattle. The villages are neat and clean, and filled with fwarms of people.

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There are few objects to attract the attention of the curious traveller from Calcutta, until he reaches the plains of Plaffey. This fpot to every reflecting Englishman must be highly interesting, when he confiders that on this theatre, in the month of June 1757, was difputed the exiftence of his countrymen in Bengal, even as merchants. The great abilities difplayed by Lord Clive previous to the battle of Plaffey, as well as in that action, both as a general and a politician, undoubtedly entitle him to the high reputation which is attached to his memory; fince on that plain was laid the foundation of an empire in India, the influence of

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which has extended over a larger tract of country, and greater numbers of people, than have been united under any one government fince the time of Aurungzebe.

At Plaffey is a house which was once a hunting feat of the Nabob of Bengal; it is diftant from Calcutta aboutfeventy English miles, and fomewhat more than thirty from Moorfhedabad. In Moorfhedabad there are few buildings of note; the most confiderable is the remains of the Cutterah. This was formerly a public feminary for men of learning among the Muffelmans; but it has long fince gone to decay. It confifts of a large fquare area, each fide of which is fomewhat more than 70 feet in length, furroun ded by a cloyster, divided into fingle rooms, crowned with a dome, and one window in each. In the center on the fide oppofite the entrance was a mofque, raifed confiderably above the buildings on either fide; the extreme angles on that fide where the mofque was fituated are terminated by two towers, rifing feveral feet higher than the rest of the building.

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This building was erected by Jaffier Cawn, the Nabob of Bengal, in the early part of the prefent century; who, from the mildnefs of his manners, his love of learning, and strict attention to juftice, was the most pular nobleman who ever held that of fice in Bengal under the Mogul government. Moorfhedabad was the feat of his refidence, and to this place he invited men of talents. On the oppofite fide of the river is the tomb of Aliverdi Cawn, the grandfather of Suraja Dowlah, fo well known for his hatred to the English, and his conduct to his prifoners on the taking of Calcutta in 1756. This is an oblong

* When the fort of Calcutta was clofely befieged by Suraja Dowlah, Mr Drake, the governor, and many others, with feveral ladies of the fettlement, efcaped to the English Thips then lying off the town, and which ships fell down as low as Fulta, one third of the

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THE HE boats ufed by the natives for travelling, and alfo by Europeans, are the budgerows, which both fail and row; they have in general from twelve to twenty oars. Thefe boats vary in their fize according to the condition of their owners; fome may be about fixty feet in length, having very high fterns; many of them twelve feet from the water's edge, and quite sharp at the upper -point; in the center they are broad, having a confiderable bearing in the water, and quite fharp forward. They are fteered with a large paddle or oar, extending ten feet from the ftern; and there is generally one maft in the center, on which is hoisted a large fquare fail; they have likewife a topmaft, on which is a fquare fail

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During the ufurpation of Aliverdi Cawn, his wars with the Marhattas, who were continually over-running the country, left him little leifure for the embellishment of the city, however he might have been disposed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INDIAN BUDGEROWS, OR TRAVELLING BOATS.

FROM THE SAME.

for fine weather. These boats are ill calculated to go near the wind, and indeed are dangerous, from the great weight abaft; they are, however, extremely commodious, having in the center a fmall verander, or open portico, opening by a door into a handfome room, lighted by a range of windows on each fide. This is the dining or fitting room, within which is a convenient bed-chamber, generally containing a fmall clofet; the height of the fitting room is ufually from feven to nine feet. Befides this boat, a gentleman is usually attended by two others; a pulwah, for the accommodation of the kitchen, and a fmaller boat, a paunchway, which is deftined to convey him either on fhore or on board, as it frequently happens

diftance to the mouth of the river, where they remained for seven months in the greatest diftrefs, both for provifions and every other article of neceffaries. Mr Gregory, a gentleman fince well known in the political world, and particularly for his knowledge in India affairs, and many years a Director of the East India Company in London, ventured in a very heavy gale of wind, in a country boat, to pafs Calcutta, and proceeded to Chardenagore, to folicit affiftance from the French governor, who received him with all the perfonal politenefs that is the mark of that nation, but without offering any thing to remove the diftrels of the English at Falta. From the French Mr Gregory proceeded to the Dutch fettlement at Chinfurah, where he was received with unaffected good manners and friendliness. After relating the diftreffes his countrymen laboured under, the Dutch governor prepared for their relief; and his lady went round the fettlement and procured linen and other articles, for the accommodation and comfort of the ladies, and, in the courfe of two days, the governor dispatched a floop, under the care of Mr Van Staten, their commander in chief, to the English, loaded with feveral articles of provifions, many chefts of wine, and twenty leaguers of arrack, for the ufe of the people. At the fame time this humanity was fhown to the people on board the hips, the governor's house was fo filled with the diftreffed that had escaped from Calcutta, that he and his family were obliged to fleep on board a budgerow in the river. The name of the Dutch governor, Mr Adrian Bislam, must ever be remembered by the English wi.h respect.

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