cheerless and dreary, will appear in a very short time indeed comfortable and lively. Much less furniture is needed to fit up a house genteelly in India than in Europe, as the climate requires every place to be as free from incumbrance as possible: a set of chairs, a pair of sofas, and a dinner and breakfast table, are the usual complement in the hall or large room generally used by the family, with a large sideboard in the anteroom or verandah. In the bed-room, you generally find a large fourpost bedstead, with gauze curtains to keep out the mosquitoes, footsteps to ascend it, a few chairs, dressing table and glass, a large almirah or wardrobe, and washing stand. The floors of all the rooms are covered with neat matting, made of fine grass, which when newly laid down gives a perfume somewhat similar to that which the evening breeze wafts from the hay-fields in England.

There are many persons who gain a comfortable livelihood by daily frequenting the auction-rooms, and purchasing any lots that go below par; these they never remove, but put them up again the next sale day, and so on, until a remunerating price is realized. A great quantity of damaged, or what is called rejected, ale is sometimes sold here, which is purchased by the keepers of the low taverns and punch-houses; and I believe that many lives are constantly sacrificed in consequence amongst the soldiers and sailors who frequent these grog-shops in Calcutta; such persons not being able to purchase the prime ale, which gene

rally fetches a rupee per bottle, and having for many months been deprived of their native favourite beverage, eagerly embrace the offer of a bottle of ale for four annas, or about sixpence. The consequence is, that after greedily swallowing several bottles, they are often seized with an attack of dysentery or cholera morbus; and I have known many obliged to be carried from these drinking bouts to the hospital, and some have died on their passage thither. I once tasted some ale thus purchased, and should certainly have preferred a glass of vinegar. In the same manner damaged cheese, hams, &c. are disposed of to the native shopkeepers, who retail them to the lower orders of Europeans, and it is surprising to see with what avidity their predilection for the produce of their own country, leads them to feast on these putrid remains of the once savoury viands from Yorkshire, Gloucester, or Cheshire.

Pine cheeses are the most common: these often times, from the long voyage, are so decayed that a shell about an inch thick is all that remains, the inside being completely gone. The native shopkeepers have a method of what is called, doctoring them. After cautiously cutting out a large diamond in the lines which cross the cheese, all the putrid remains are carefully scooped out, and the interior is then filled with a paste made from the scrapings of the shells of other damaged cheese, and the diamond being neatly fitted to its place, the late decayed pine-apple has the appearance and weight

newly-arrived prime article. I was thus ded more than once.

great number of horses and carriages of all iptions are disposed of weekly by auction. consist of the equipages of persons deceased urning to Europe, of fresh importations, as as of the stock of dealers and persons changheir studs, &c. The carriages of the high civil military servants of the Hon. Company are - the same as those used by the gentry in and. Those of the native Baboos are, genespeaking, of the same caste, but such as have laid aside by Europeans, consequently are f the old fashion build. The doctors comy use a very light chariot drawn by Birmah Es, whilst the middle classes of society prefer queen carriages, drawn sometimes by one, times by two horses, as their resources dictate. ies are in general use, with hoods so conted as to hang very forward and low; thus keep out the rays of the sun, and are by far leasantest vehicles for the roads about Cal; the principal streets are generally, from t ten o'clock in the morning till dusk, crowded them. The horses in highest repute are the bred English, which fetch great prices, but ɔt stand the climate long. Arab horses are ly imported, and are mostly used for saddle. fetch various prices, from four hundred to housand rupees each, but the greater part vhen first imported from between seven hun

dred to one thousand rupees each. The natives are very partial to the large Persian breed, but they are very unsightly, cumbrous animals. The Hon. Company have many large sales of casthorses from cattle bred for the army; from amongst these many valuable and useful animals are annually purchased by the European residents of Calcutta, at about twelve hundred rupees each, although many of them do not sell for more than three hundred rupees; but the hardiest animals are those brought from Pegu and Birmah. These thickset Stockey ponies are about twelve or thirteen hands high, and very fast in their trotting, which may rather be termed a shuffle than a trot. They stand their work in the hottest weather remarkably well, but are sometimes very intractable and restive. Most of them are what is called

very hard in the mouth. Many Javanese ponies are also used; these are small and hardy. The Sircars and natives of the lower order are content with tuttoos, or Indian ponies; which very much resemble what are called heath-croppers or forestponies in England. The horse I used was a present from a highly-esteemed friend. It was between an Arab and up-country breed, dapple grey, with black mane and tail; it was very docile, and remarkably good tempered to all except the grass-cutter, against whom the animal seemed to have taken a great antipathy. This he would manifest by snapping at him whenever he passed, and by striving to get at him if he caught sight of him

in the stable. The syce being ill, this man was obliged to perform his duties; and the first evening the grass-cutter led him to the door, the animal rose upon his hind legs, when putting his fore legs round the poor fellow's neck, he brought him down, and kneeling upon him tore off his turban, and if I had not ran to his rescue would no doubt have made free with his flesh: the man was considerably bruised, and shortly after, finding the beast's hatred of him insurmountably great, he left my service, and his successor proved to be as great a favourite as he had been the contrary. One very remarkable circumstance was, that Blucher, for so the horse was called, was not alarmed at fire, and it was a very fortunate thing for one poor woman that he was not.-A fire had broken out in the village close by, and was raging with great fury, as a brisk wind was stirring. At such times the natives are the most apathetic, cowardly beings that can be imagined, standing by and permitting their own and their neighbours' houses to fall a sacrifice to the devouring element, without the least attempt to stay its progress, or save their habitations from destruction. Yet, on many occasions, the presence, intreaties, and promises of Europeans have stimulated them to exertion, and much good has resulted from their activity. On the morning when this fire began, I mounted Blucher, and rode to leeward of the flames, which were travelling swiftly along a range of dwellings on each side the road. From one in the centre a