T he Brahmins are the well known chief of the religious orders
o f the Hindoos, created by the deity Brimha from his
mouth, as his was the bufinefs to inftruift mankind in religious
duties, and the Brahmins alfo were permitted to read the vedas,
■or facred books. Their perfons were facred, and to kill a Brahmin
was one of the five fins inexpiable in this or the next world.
Every prieft muft be a Brahmin, but every Brahmin is not a
prieft. They mingle in feveral fecular employs. They are
prime minifters, embaffadors, and of other worldly bufineffes.
Notwithftanding they profefs an abhorrence to the fhedding of
blood, and never eat o f any thing that has had life in it, yet
they engage in the military line in different ftations *. Hurry
Punt was a Brahmin of the firft rank, and Purferam Bhow was
alfo a Brahmin, and yet both o f thefe were a ¿live leaders in the
Mabratta armies, which confederated with us in the late war
againft Tippoo\.
T he common drefs o f the Brahmins are fhort robes, which
do not reach below the knees; over their fhoulders is a loofe
mantle, and on their breaft hangs, from the left fhoulder, the
Zennar, or facred firing, made of a certain kind o f cotton.
They wear beards long and venerable. Their heads, like thofe of
other Hindoos, are fhaven, and only one long lock left behind J.
L e t me here mention the three other greater cajls, made by
Brimba. I refer to volume i. p. 56, for an account o f the
warrior, or Khatre, who was formed from his arms, and his
duty was to defend the people, to govern and to command.
* I)irom’s Campaigns, p. 7.
f Moore’s Narrative, p. 166, to which is annexed a very ridiculous tale.
± Sketches of the Hindoos, ii. p. 41.
8 T he
T he Bhyfe was created from his thighs and belly. His bufi- T h e Bhyse.
nefs was to fupply, by agriculture and traffic, the neceffaries of
life.
T h e Soodera he created from his feet, and to him devolved T he Soodera.
the duty to labor, to ferve, and to obey*. The Khatres alfo
have their Zennar, but it is diftinguifhed by the number of
threads : that caft having fewer threads than that o f the Brahmin,
and the Bhyfe than that of the Khatre; as to the Soodera,
none of them are permitted to wear that badge of diftinilion.
The Soodera is a moft numerous caft, confifting o f neap a hun-i
dred inferior cafts.
But to return to Calcutta.— The firft fort was built of brick, O l d F o r t a t
C a l c u t t a * and named Fort William, in honor of King William. Numbers
of people, attracted by the commercial advantages, flocked
to this new fettlement. The goods o f the provinces on the
Ganges were brought down to feed the luxuries o f the weft, and
thofe of Europe conveyed acrofs the vaft ocean to fupply the
new-acquired wants o f the eaft. I cannot trace the progreffive
increafe; let it fuffice to fay, that the prefent aumber o f inhabitants
amounts to five hundred thoufand. The Englifh quarter
is built in the moft elegant and fuperb manner in the European
ftyle ; and the buildings have more the appearance o f palaces
than the refidence of private perfons. Some that are built quite
on fpeculation will take a rent of a thoufand roupees, or £. 125
Englifh a year. A fine fet o f prints, lately engraven by Mr. Fho-
mas Daniell, fhew the moft fplendid parts of the city, and many
* Sketches of the Hindoos, i. p. 127.
o f