I secured a passage m the French steamer “ Meinam ”
to start for Madras in the course of the following
week. 6
Of Calcutta I have very little to say—everybody
has heard of the black hole of 1756, and the horrible
sufferings which only few survived. The town differs
but little from any other of similar size in Europe ; it
has its Viceregal palace of considerable architectural
pretensions, a p a rk -ra th e r bare, and not like an
English park—containing a number of large tanks, and
some fine broad roads called the “ Course,” where the
fashionable world take their airing about sunset, stared
a t by a fraction of the lower classes. Here is a string
of elegant and well-appointed carriages, each accompanied
by three or four servants in Indian livery,
white coat and trousers,with coloured sash and turban-
there a wealthy Mohamedan in a showy sort of
dressing gown and white or green turban, luxuriously
reclining m an old-fashioned barouche; again a large
carriage crammed foil of a Hindu family, the men in
white, a shawl thrown over the shoulder and an embroidered
skull cap on their heads, giving them a veiy
rakish appearance, the women all rings and tinsel, but
their servants often dress even more absurdly. One
of these carriages passed me, with a coachman seated
on a scarlet hammercloth, the very counterpart of those
one still occasionally sees in Hyde Park, decked out
in a heavy blue cloth cloak, with a triple cape in
broad stripes of scarlet and gold, and a chimneypot
hat sporting a cockade. Presently there is a
general move, and, lo and behold! the viceregal
party in a landau with escort, all in scarlet on 'snow
white horses, heave in sight; there is a great stir
amongst the carriages as well as equestrians, of whom
there is a goodly show, but all unnecessary, for off
they go in another direction, a very pretty sight as
they wind round to the other, side and gradually
disappear.
Another day I visited the botanical garden, which is
really very pretty; in it the flora of India is well represented,
and there is plenty of running water to moisten
the thirsty soil; also a Chinese pagoda in carved black-
wood of seven stories, with the usual gilt ornament on
the top, which from a distance resembles a pope’s
tiara. Gas lamps illuminate the garden after sunset,
and a military band strikes up, much to the relief of
ayahs and children; meanwhile, the moon rises, and
those who crave for food jog home to enjoy a good
dinner, much aided by the flapping of a punkah.
Indian cooks, as a rule, know how to tempt the
appetite; excepting only the French artiste, there is
no better cook in the world.