they start, after making a breakfast from rice and vegetable curry, and get no other repast except a little dry rice, until five or six o'clock, P. M., when they lay-to for the night, sometimes wading for miles waist-deep in water, all the time exposed to the scorching rays of a tropical sun; I have several times seen them drop from sheer exhaustion; their pay is only three or four rupees per month. Many pinnaces are constantly passing up and down the rivers, these are more like European craft, and are used by the higher and more influential members of the Honourable Company's service, and by the wealthy merchants and planters. From their ship-like build they are able to weather the roughest gale, and ride in safety when all other boats fall a sacrifice to the fury of the storms, which sometimes suddenly surprise them. I once beheld a boat laden with about thirty native passengers suddenly overtaken by a north-wester in the middle of the river, and as a sail was set, in a few minutes she was capsized by the gale ;-there were many dinghies lying at the Ghaut, and several pushing about along shore, but none put out to save their drowning fellow creatures; as most of the poor creatures could swim a little, some of them would evidently reach the shore in safety, whilst others were buffeting the waves in a sinking state. I said to the boatmen, who were quietly gazing at them, "Why do you not go out to pick them up?" The answer was, "What shall I get by that?" It was vain to reason with them, I knew the only way to move them was, to promise buckshish-this had a magical effect, and every dinghy was soon out picking up the parties. I believe only two persons were drowned, though had not the boats gone out several others must have perished. Yet these boatmen would not have moved an inch to have rescued them from destruction, unless sure of recompence for their trouble. Verily "the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.” CHAPTER II. "I do not say there is not aught to please The COSTUMES-AUCTION ROOMS HORSES --DE NATIVE STRUCTIVE FIRES-RAVAGES OF WHITE ANTS PALM TREES-DANGEROUS SITUATION OF A SOLDIER -INSTINCT OF SMALL RED ANTS. To the newly-arrived European, Calcutta presents an interesting spectacle. The Esplanade is adorned with numerous princely buildings, amongst which the Government House, and Town Hall are very conspicuous. Within these few years a very commodious quay has been constructed, the whole length of the city, from Chandpaul Ghaut to Chitpore, and ships of large burden are moored close alongside. The costumes of the motley groupes, which are beheld thickly studded in every place, delight the eye from their total disconformity to any thing before witnessed. The white dresses, and scarlet, blue, purple, violet, or pink cummerbunds or girdles, and turbands, with which the Mussulman servants are invested, give a brilliant effect to the passing scene; whilst the snow-white muslin robes of the Pundits, Sircars, and Banyans are deeply contrasted by their own swarthy skins, and the sombre appearance of the almost naked coolies by whom they are surrounded. Palanqueens, coaches, buggies, and hackries, all busily employed, fill the principal streets, and swarm around the auction rooms, of which there are generally two alternately open for the sale of all sorts of Asiatic and European commodities: they are conducted on a liberal and honourable plan, and certainly are of great utility and convenience, not only to the residents of Calcutta, but also to visitors from the upper provinces, who without loss of time can provide themselves with every necessary article of furniture or viands, and when about to return can send all back to the auction, and thus get a clearance without much risk of loss. These auction rooms are the rendezvous of all ranks of society, but when we speak of auction rooms our readers must not figure to themselves any places at all like the apartments used for sale rooms in London. As you enter the premises, a great number of vehicles stand in rows, waiting for their respective Sahibs, with crowds of native syces and bearers attendant on them, whilst coolies waiting to be employed sit in groupes smoking a hubble-bubble in rotation, or perhaps quarrelling about the division of the pice received for some job lately performed. Beneath a large corridor, supported by several rows of pillars, stand the horses and carriages for sale, as also all sorts of household furniture, wines, liquors, and cases of European goods. In a spacious apartment, behind this, the sale is held, which commences about ten o'clock: the auctioneer is supported on his right by a crier, commonly a native Portuguese, and on his left by a Hindoo Sircar. On a stage before him a native exhibits the lots, and another Sircar receives the cash paid for goods delivered. On each side is a raised gallery for European buyers, and seats rising one above the other in the front, are appropriated to the native merchants. When a lot is put up, the crier keeps calling the price bidden with stentorian lungs, until a nod from the auctioneer, who sits at his ease, causes his hammer to fall, and it is surprising how many lots they get through in the course of the six hours they are employed. Attached to the same rooms are large godowns, or warehouses for the reception of goods, one of which is appropriated as a shop, where you can purchase goods of any sort, either European or Indian, quite as cheap as at any of the Bazaars in Calcutta. These auctions are very convenient to new comers, as after taking a house, of which there are always plenty waiting for tenants, a person can resort to them and immediately supply himself with sufficient furniture, &c. to commence house-keeping; and the coolies, who are in waiting, will transport the articles immediately to the chosen residence; and thus the rooms, which a few hours before were |