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ment to his memory-Cotgong-Peer Payntec, or Saint's town-Sickligullie-Fall of Pearls-Rajemahl-Jumma Musjid-Oodanulla-Bhaugretty river-Cossimbazar-Moor sheabad-Lake of pearls-palace-curious dwarf horses-sya-goos-tame fish-Duperah, a Hindoo festival-manner of celebrating it on the Ganges -singular boats-Plassey-Plassey-house and grove-variety of game-quantity destroyed on a shooting party-Baugretty and Jellinghy rivers-drowning of dying Hindoos-funeral dirges— dandies or boatmen on the Ganges-their mode of life-Chinsura, Chandernagore, Serampore,-arrival at Calcutta.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

SIR Charles Malet, as already mentioned, having made every arrangement necessary for our journey to Caunpore, we left Agra in the afternoon of the 21st of July, and made our first stage to Hemetpore, six coss distant. The country was neither interesting nor well cultivated; about half-way we crossed a deep narrow river, provided with a ferry-boat at the pass, and on arriving at Hemetpore, put up for the night under a large dome in the centre of a tank, and found it a comfortable accommodation.

The rainy season in this part of Hindostan commenced the beginning of June. So much had fallen when we left Delhi as to render our journey from thence to Agra extremely delightful, and clothe the country with fresh verdure. Having made arrangements to travel chiefly in palanquins, and proceed a morning and evening stage each day during the remainder of the journey, we set off at four the next morning for Ferozabad, where we arrived at nine, and halted until evening in a small mosque, about five hundred yards from the town, near a large pleasant garden. Ferozabad, seven coss from Hemetpore, is a large populous town, belonging to Hemet Bahauder, miserably infested by religious beggars.

When the sun declined we commenced our second stage of five

coss to Shakuabad; something more than half way we came to Muckenpore, the commencement of the territory belonging to Asuph-ul-Dowlah, nabob of Oude. The road was generally through a flat marshy country, abounding with water-fowl, except near the entrance of Shakuabad, where a gentle rise of hills diversified the prospect. We passed the night within the serai, and found the town noisy, populous, and full of prostitutes.

The next morning at day-break we left our disagreeable lodging, and travelling through a marshy country, and heavy rain, stopped a short time at a village to rest the bearers; but finding only wretched accommodation we were under the necessity of proceeding to Jesswant-Nugghur, fourteen coss from Shakuabad. It is a spacious town, well inhabited, but overrun with Fakeers and other mendicants, who might be usefully employed in cleaning the streets, which are filthy to the last degree. The general aspect of the district this day, though flat, was beautifully wooded, and abounded with antelopes.

On the 24th we left Jesswant-Nugghur before sun-rise, and travelling six coss through a beautiful country, and a good road, we reached Attowe, or Ettaya, at eight o'clock. Here we were accommodated with a large house in the midst of a garden, profusely stocked with roses, jasmin, tuberoses, and other flowers, varied by fruit-trees. The rain continuing very heavy, we passed the remainder of the day in this delightful situation, and at three the next morning proceeded to Buckeur, a small village at seven coss distance. The road was good, and the country beautiful; we stopped there eight hours, and then went on another stage of five coss to Adjut-Mhel, a large populous town, remarkably neat and

clean, with a good serai, and a pretty mosque in its centre. Here we passed the night, and early on the following morning continued our journey through a country richly adorned with groves of mangos and tamarinds. After travelling seven coss we reached Auriah, a neat and populous town, with a comfortable serai; but preferring a mango tope without the town, we unfortunately attracted the attention of two sets of dancing-girls, who annoyed us a long time; the more so, as they possessed neither beauty, grace, nor harmony. We left the grove and its sirens soon after three o'clock, and before sun-set arrived at Secundra, five coss from Auriah. The road was excellent and the country uncommonly beautiful, especially between Cojepore and Secundra; the former is remarkable for the ruins of a grand serai, and a noble tank, in a sad state of dilapidation. Secundra is surrounded by beautiful groves. We passed the night among some majestic ruins, on the margin of a large tank without the town, which contains nothing remarkable.

Soon after three o'clock on the next morning, we proceeded through a wild country to Tunwapore, a wretched village, almost depopulated, and affording no convenience for a traveller, except a shady clump of trees,, where we halted six or seven hours, and then renewed our journey to Akberpore, which we reached at sunset. The greater part of the road was through a country intersected by deep gullies, particularly near the river Singore, where we found a ferry-boat at the pass. After crossing it, we re-entered the ravines and gullies, at this season covered with jungle, or underwood, in full verdure. This irregular scenery differs widely from the rest of the country called the Dooab. Emerging from

these gullies about two miles from Akberpore, we entered a lovely plain, and reached the town by an excellent road. It is not easy to fancy a more delightful spot for the accommodation of an oriental traveller. The buildings are spacious, the groves shady and varied, and the prospects no less singular than magnificent. In our front was an ancient edifice, on the margin of an extensive lake, with a picturesque island in the centre; a building of modern architecture, never finished, adorned the brow of a hill half a mile further, near a large tank, environed by pagodas, mosques, minars, and other decorations, each deserving a particular description.

We left this delightful situation before three o'clock the following morning, and at seven reached Chechindee, seven coss from Akberpore: it is a large town, situated in a pleasant country, in a much better state of cultivation than any we have been lately accustomed to. The next stage brought us to Caunpore, a large cantonment belonging to the East India Company, on the west bank of the Ganges, situated in the Douab, literally two-waters, being that tract of country lying between the Jumna and the Ganges, over which we had now travelled from Agra to Caunpore, a distance of one hundred and seventy miles.

The whole road from Agra, on the banks of the Jumna, to Caunpore on the Ganges, being across the Douab, is through a flat country and a light soil, apparently fertile, and richly wooded, with beautiful mango groves, and other umbrageous trees. The inhabitants in general, both Hindoo and Mahomedan, are tall and handsome, with a peculiar neatness, I could almost say elegance, of form and feature. They are also reckoned remarkably brave

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