iftent of the kingdom of Bengal fell into the hands of the
Engliih.- For its magnificence, however, it is indebted folely
ta d16 liberal fpirit and excellent.tafte of the late-Governor
General p and it muft be confeffed, that the firft hpufe’Was
raifed by Mr. Haftings-which deferves the name of a piege of
architecture: in fad, it is even in a purer ftyle than any that
has been built fince, although it is on. a fmaller fcale than
many:othersv
T he mixture of European and Afiatic manners, which
may be obferved in Calcutta, is curious :— eoaches, phaetons,
fingle-horfe chaifes, with the pallankeens and hackeries of
the natives— the paffing ceremonies of the-Hindpos— the different
appearances of the fakirs— form a fight perhaps more
novel and extraordinary than any city in the world can prefent
to a ftranger. Some views In the city of Calcutta, publifliedby
Mr. Daniel, are highly to be commended for their accuracy,.
A f e w weeks after my arrival in Bengal, an opportunity
offered itfelf, which I immediately embraced, to make drawings
of part of die country, as high as Mongheir, on the
Ganges, a diftance of three hundred. Engliih miles \ and I
proceeded on this journey in. the middle of the month of
April-following, by dauk bearers (in a pallankeen) or pallan-
keen carriers, Thefe are perfons hired by government, and
fixed at the feveral ftages or polls for facilitating travelling s
each ftage, on an average, may be ten Engliih miles. The
number ofiperfonsi are.ufüalLy nine,* with-tw^ additional men
or boys,' - to .carry1, baggag^and-. lights, i in' thfc? nighty's, called
moffoljees, from, the-name,oft;thej'hghts^moffol.
F rom *the apparent ftate Ofi^country,- a.juft èftiihatè may
generally be formed o f ;th«foappiriefs on the; mifery)©£laifeed*
pie. Wheye ^.thëré' is - nëktnefs' JinAthe-ciildvatiaiihf^the land,
andlthar’landj dflêd!5td<.thé-%tMbih?öMtsihdTihdanesihi^rrmyj
reafonably ‘be- fdp^ofed 'th'ad th e . '^o^Wdiehttis- the'-protêdor;
and not^tAe -oppreffor, óf'thp* people. - Throughout^thet'King^-
döiïuof 'Bengal ife appears 'highlyfiOi#iihiüg- irt!;illag ^ q£ eyfery
■bind, - and .'abounding. im cattle .i' J The '.villages are Jnèatf and
clean/ and- filled' with fwarms xöf - people.■?
T h e b e ’1 are1 fefe 'objdélsJ tp* afetd' théVM-tëriteon'-[oft. the
cürious traveller • from .Calcutta,'• uritihife rifekch'és1 \the;.plains
of PlaiTey. This fppt tó every refiedihg Englifliinari muft
be highly inteFefting,' when he;corifiders that on this-‘theatre,
in the month of June', 1757, was 'difputed the exifteri.ee of
his'- countrymen in Bengal, even as- mêfchaïits. The' great
abilities difplayed -by Lord Clive'1 previous Ato-* the-battle' of
Plaifeyi-' ks-welTaS- in that' adiori,-bfc>th as--a-general and a
politician, • undoubtedly ‘entitle hirie tö'the &i|;bA reputation
■ #hich is attached to his memory ^firice’ on • that plain was
laid the foundation of an empire in India, -the influence1 of
which has extended over a-larger trad of country.'and greater