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come to Howrah about once in a quarter of a year, to see if there were any new residents; if So, he would go to their houses in a palanqueen, attended by servants, and by false representations generally used to extract a gold mohur, or even fifty rupees, from their purses. Petitions, as I have before stated, are presented every day, and sometimes on the most trivial occasions. I have given a specimen of one in page 114; I will now add another, from a native living close by the Mission Bungalowe at Doorgapore, who had received much kindness from Mr. Eustace Carey. He had a small piece of ground near my house, which he cultivated by keeping a mollee. The native who owned the next piece, cut a small branch of a Guava tree down, which hung over his garden, and when the mollee went into his premises to abuse him for the act, he ordered him off the premises. This circumstance gave rise to the following petition, which I have copied faithfully, both as it regards composition and orthography.

"Doorgapore, 17th June, 1826.

"Reverend Sir,

"With due submission I regreat to state before your Reverences Goodness-that since Revd. E. Carey was in the Countrey by whom I was pretected and my poor family, but, since his departure to England for his health I am left quite destitute of a friend support and all. Which has

induced me to crave your reverences goodness for a protector.

"A man who is well known in the court of suberbs of Calcutta & twenty-four Pergunnahs, this very man who has taken that freedom to come & cut the fence of my ground which is the other side of the water at Sulkea near the bazaar and also presumed an attempt to chase after my Malley with an axe who through the violence & seem to observe that he was outragious being alarm made his

scape.

"Therefore I hope your Reverences goodness will take in your consideration and be gracious good to inspect in to this for me and I appeal to your judgement weather is Laughful or Unlaughful. "This kind Humanity will ever be remembered with profound humble gratitude and thankful and I hope Reverend Sir Prayers of this Petition will be effectull and your Petitioner will ever offer up his prayers for your Reverence's Heath Weath and further Wellfar

P. C."

Lawsuits would often occur amongst the rich natives, (who are all fond of litigation,) from similar occurrences to that which this petition refers to; and they have been known to spend a hundred thousand rupees in an equity cause about a small fence. I need not say, that the barristers and attorneys generally make fortunes in a short time. Some splendid sums have been realized by barristers, who have become popular in the course of

a few years. Such was the case, I believe, with Messrs. Fergusson and Turton, and indeed many others. The solicitors of Calcutta are respectable in their profession, and have very large practice generally.

The Court House is a noble building, on the side of the Esplanade, near to the Town Hall. Every means is used to keep the air cool, by the use of tatties and punkahs; yet still it is most exhausting and fatiguing for judges, counsel, and attorneys, who have to remain long in court, especially in the hot season, from the number of natives who crowd the place when any particular cause is about to be decided. Indeed, at that season, a breath of cool air would be a luxury any where. So true is the remark made by Colonel Pennington to Bishop Heber, viz. " that the real luxuries of India are cold water and cold air, when they can be procured.”

CHAPTER XXI.

"Come on-yet pause-behold us now
Beneath the bamboo's arched bough,
Where, gemming oft that sacred gloom,
Glows the geranium's scarlet bloom,
And winds our path through many a bower
Of fragrant tree and giant flower;
The ceiba's crimson pomp display'd
O'er the broad plantain's humble shade,
And dusk anana's prickly blade;
While o'er the brake, so wild and fair,
The betel waves his crest in air."

HEBER.

MORNING'S RIDE-BULLOCKS FRIGHTENED-GIGANTIC CREEPER-JACKALS-MANGOOSE AND SNAKE-IDOL

TEMPLES

-SQUIRRELS-PADDY FIELDS- BIRDSELEPHANT LOADED-TODDY TREES-DHOBEE WASHING-PAWN GROUNDS-SIRCAR'S HOUSE-SCHOOLDEVOTEE-RAJAH AND TRAIN-NATIVE SCHOOL BOYS -VARIOUS TRAVELLERS

CONVICTS-BAZAAR

NATIVE CHAPEL-SERMON-AND CONVERSATION.

To rise early and enjoy the cool air of the morning, by taking a ride before the sun attains its full power, is considered highly important and beneficial by all classes of Europeans in India. Soon as the morning gun is fired, the ghorawallahs or

syces begin to saddle the horses, and prepare the coach, buggy, or chaise; and whilst it is yet quite dusk, (the gun being fired the moment the first gleam of twilight appears in the horizon,) the sleeping sahib is roused by the gruff voice of the sirdar bearer at the chamber door, announcing the hour; and in a few minutes the neighing or trampling of the horse is heard at the door. Whilst objects are as yet indistinctly viewed through the partial twilight, the parties begin to move; the white dresses of the horsemen being most conspicuous objects amidst the gloom which reigns around; the light rapidly increases, as the twilight is much shorter than in England. At Howrah the scenery is far more rural and strictly native in the ride than it is on the Calcutta side. For no sooner do we leave the puckah road of the village, to enter the lanes and jungles, than all traces of European population are in a few minutes completely lost; as the road for a few hundred yards leads through a thickly planted grove, beyond which the plantations and rice fields are seen.

Perhaps my readers will go with me in idea whilst I retrace a morning ride. As we turn into the glade, see how gracefully the tall bamboos overarch our path; the fertile plain we have just passed on our left is called the old school ground; the large four turreted building at its extremity is the Orphan School House, now deserted; it is the same edifice that presents so striking an appearance as vessels approach Calcutta. The lower

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