81 
greatest share in my friendship of any man in the 
world, is at the same time of my way of thinking 
in matters of religion. 
In my last I informed you of my present situa- 
tion, and that I was much pleased with it. Iam 
assistant to Mr. Kyles Irwin, whose Travels over- 
land, and his Eastern Eclogues, you may have read*. 
The Nabob’s countries being assigned over to the 
Company in the year 1781, for five years, has 
given them the absolute sovereignty of it for that 
time. This district is the most southern of the 
Nabob’s country, and is one of the largest and 
finest. Mr. Irwin is intrusted with the entire go- 
vernment of the revenue, and has with that all the 
judicial authority in his hands of a country 
miles in circumference. He is exceedingly worthy 
of his trust, and is perhaps the brightest example of 
integrity and zeal in office that ever graced India. 
He might with the utmost ease, and secrecy too, 
make one or two hundred thousand pounds, but he 
will not make a sixpence beyond his pay ;—a mar- 
ried man too, with a family. His whole time is taken 
up in making the country produce such a revenue, 
and establishing such a government, as may do credit 
to the Company’s management. You see there are 
some honest men even on the corrupt shores of 
Hindostan ;—would to God there were enough to 
make me charge you with uncharitableness in your 
opinion of our general depravity! Under such a 
* Also author of Adventures in a Voyage up the Red Sea, and 
in a Journey through the Desarts of Thebais—See Annual Re- 
gister for 1780, p. 40-54. 
VOL. I. G 
