144 Adventures of Naufragus. [Auo. 



"As evening drew to a close, we saw the Company's Gardens' to our left ; and 

 on our right ' Garden-Reach.' All at once, a scene of magic splendour, which took 

 possession of my senses, burst upon my view, and astonished me : the gorgeous 

 palaces, which were no more than the garden-houses of civil and military officers, 

 and merchants, were on a scale of magnificence totally unexpected by me; never 

 had I beheld, nor have I ever since beheld, the habitations of men so intensely 

 grand and imposing: the banks of the river, for a distance of three or four miles, 

 were studded with palaces, disposed in an irregular line, some of them having each 

 a peristyle of twenty-four columns, producing an inconceivably striking effect ; and 

 the landscape seemed to vie in richness with the buildings." 



* Tassit now proposed half an hour's recreation on shore, to which I joyfully 

 acceded, being anxious to tread the land of Bengal. Scarcely had I time to look 

 about me, on our landing, before my attention was arrested by a female form, of 

 the middle stature, who walked by us with an air of elegance and dignity which 

 surprised me. She was withal exceedingly lovely, and possessed, I thought, the 

 finest form I had ever seen, set off to great advantage by her native dress, a fold of 

 fine calico thrown loosely round her, yet gently compressing her waist, so as to 

 display her shape to the utmost possible advantage ; one end of the calico was 

 fastened with a pin to her jet-black hair; her ears were ornamented with large ear- 

 rings, and a profusion of trinkets ; her fingers covered with rings, and her wrists 

 with bangles ; while her feet, and finely proportioned ancles, were left bare. The 

 intensity of my gaze so far attracted her notice, that, to my delight, she smiled, but 

 disappeared almost at the same instant. With ecstacy 1 turned to Tassit. 'Ah, 

 my dear friend, did you behold that angelic figure ? tell me, what was she ? a 

 native princess perhaps the heiress of this princely mansion ? I am sure she must 

 be a being of some superior order.' ' Naufragus,' interrupted Tassit, ' you are 

 young have not yet entered the third age, that age which a poet of your country 

 pronounces to be as baneful to youth as sunken rocks to mariners: no, Naufragus, 

 she is no princess nor is she the heiress of yonder palace no, nor a being of a 

 superior order, as you vainly imagine ; but start not, she is neither more nor less 

 than a metrannee"* 



" If I was pleased at the external appearance of the city, as seen from the river, 

 how much was my expectation surpassed on beholding its interior ! The superb 

 buildings, the bustle of industry, the creaking of hackeries, or carts drawn by bul- 

 locks, the jostling of innumerable palanquins, the jabbering of the Bengallees and 

 palanquin-bearers, the novelty of their dress (nothing but a fold of white calico 

 thrown loosely over the body, and on the head a turban} altogether composed 

 a scene which so enchanted my imagination, that I could hardly divest myself of 

 the idea that I was in fairy land ; but my reverie was not long undisturbed, its 

 charm being dissolved by a constant attendance at the side of my palanquin of 

 importunate venders of books, sandal-wood boxes, bows and arrows, fans made 

 of peacocks' feathers, and oriental curiosities. 



44 We alighted at the house of Tassit's friend, a Mr. Wetzler, who received him 

 with open arms, and welcomed me most cordially, as his friend. But where, 

 where is my Sarsnee ?' said Tassit. A pair of folding-doors then flew open, and 

 a very lovely brunette appeared, and threw her arms very affectionately round 

 Tassit's neck. She was a sister of Mr. Wetzler' s, and I heartily congratulated my 

 friend on the prospect he had of possessing such a treasure. I wish I could gratify 

 my readers by setting off Tassit's person and features to advantage ; but in this 

 respect he was inferior to the charming woman whom he had chosen for his wife. 

 His good sense, however, and the excellence of his heart, made him entirely 

 worthy of her, and she loved him with an ardour seldom equalled. 



* As soon as the two lovers had exchanged caresses, and mutual congratulations 

 began to give way to sober conversation, we sat down to a table richly spread with 

 eastern and European delicacies, currees, hams, turkeys, and mellow East-India 

 Madeira. These are things well calculated to promote cheerfulness and good 

 humour; but we did not require any stimulus. 



"A female domestic employed to sweep the house. They are usually of the lowest 

 cast, denominated ' pariahs.'" 



