the subject. But I would not, indeed, be understood to insinuate, that all who are met with in India in the character of religious devotees, are impostors. Many of them have been known to suffer, by way of expiation for their crimes, the greatest self-imposed tortures; trusting, that by a life of present misery they might, when death should arrive, be carried on angels' wings to dwell for ever in happiness with the houris of paradise. Sitting between two fires till half roasted-swinging from a tree by a hook through the back-pushing before them as the Mohammedans will do for hundreds of miles across a country down to the sea a little cart, on their hands and knees, in their pilgrimage to Mecca and holding a flowerpot in the hand, as a man does, in a sort of sacred enclosure or garden near to Bombay, till the roots have grown through the back of it, and his nails are like the talons of a bird; these and other such vain and useless penances are too well attested to require any confirmation from me. Many such deeds I have myself witnessed; for the stranger, upon landing in Bombay, generally takes an early opportunity of seeing some of these poor deluded creatures, who are to be met with in its vicinity.

In the centre of a large railed enclosure in the Fort, there is a very handsome monument erected to the Marquis of Cornwallis, who superseded the celebrated Warren Hastings in the office of governorgeneral of India. You seldom pass it without seeing groups of people lounging about it, or sitting on the

steps leading up to it; and the natives are very fond of throwing in under the dome, that protects the figure, flowers, and bits of coloured paper, and these have gradually accumulated in such heaps as almost to conceal two melancholy marble ladies, who are gazing sweetly on the besieger of Seringapatam. Upon making some enquiries, I learned, that these flowers, &c., were thrown in as offerings, and that the hero had been made an idol of by some of the Mohammedans-but this is not correct; they only resort hither to pray, because it is a quiet and retired place, and the poor Parsee has a better view from this elevated position of the rising sun. The town-hall forms one side of this square, and is certainly a very elegant building. At one end of it is the news-room and library, which contains some curious Hindoo deities, and other relics of Indian antiquity. A branch of the Royal Asiatic Society here holds its meetings. Close to the town-hall is an enormous circular tank, capable of supplying the whole garrison, and those who reside within the walls, with water, in case of any popular outbreak ; and about two hundred yards, and overlooking the harbour, is Bombay Castle, a strong substantial building, swarming with sepoys and officers. The Green, as this square is called, is prettily planted with rows of trees; and the old government-house, now turned into a secretariate, cathedral, and mint, stand near it.

The dock-yard at Bombay is always a very busy

scene, as the East India Company build all their steam and war-ships there, and numbers of the native labourers are employed in their construction; they are superintended by Scotch or English engineers, and, with the aid of their instructions, the machinery of these vessels, intended chiefly for the Indian navy, is there made and put together; formerly, it was sent out in a finished state, and of course at a great expense. As the harbour of Bombay is thought to be unequalled in British India, and so favourably situated for commerce, with the advantage of its deep tide-water, most excellent docks have been constructed for the accommodation of shipping. The forests of Malabar supply them with abundance of the finest teak timber for building purposes. There are three principal entrances into the Fort; fine, handsome, military-looking gateways, with guard-houses erected over their arches, and three or four sally-ports between them, that run under the massive fortifica tions, and cross the wet moat by a narrow foot-bridge. A strong embankment outside slopes down to the esplanade. They are all closed at nine o'clock, every evening, and opened at gun-fire (day-light), in the morning. Sentries are on guard here, night and day. Bombay has long been the nursery for our native sailors and soldiers; and the sepoy is proud of the rank which he sustains in our armies of the East; but neither he nor his superior officers can entirely give up old customs and habits; and when the duties of parade are over, and they return to their barracks,

you will commonly find them squatted in the centre of the room, eating their rice and curry out of chattees. Their pay is less than that of the English soldier, but their wants are fewer in comparison. No one can find fault with this arrangement, when we consider what our countrymen have often to suffer in this burning climate, banished as they are, for a period of twenty-one years, from their own happy land. How few, how very few are those who live to return with the regiment with which they went out! 'Tis true, we hear of such and such companies arriving at Chatham and elsewhere, from India, in good health, after that length of absence; but how many of those who originally composed it are to be found in its ranks? Yet, these circumstances do not appear to daunt the British soldier. He knows his pay will be good in India, and that, with care, he may lay by a little, every year, for old age, should it please Providence to prolong his life; for the Honourable East India Company are noble pay-masters to all their servants; and we often find in their employ many of England's bravest sons. I have heard it stated, that every soldier sent out to India costs the government £25 for the voyage alone. This enormous expense, with £90 allowed to every officer, may account for the length of the period during which they are required to remain in India.

Camels, buffaloes, and other large native animals, are not permitted to be led through the streets of Bombay, as they startle the horses; but groups of

them are met with outside on the esplanade, and give a truly Eastern character to the scene. I shall, however, have occasion to allude again to this gay place, as it appears in the hot season, when every stranger and resident able to command a buggy, turns out for an hour or two's drive before dinner.

There are two or three good weekly papers published in Bombay, and the same number in the Hindoostannee language. The art of printing has made great advance here, particularly the lithographic branch, which is well adapted to Eastern languages. But it is to be lamented, that Christians should use this valuable gift, for the dissemination of such works as the Koran, &c. Since I left Bombay, an Indian paper informs me, that 15,000 copies of this work have been lately worked off and sold at two rupees a copy. Formerly, the Koran could not be purchased for less than twenty or thirty rupees.