784 
turn the discourse to another sub- 
ject, without giving the speaker the 
smallest offence., This venerable 
man died at the age of; seventy.” 
In. this strain, does this amiable 
writer criticise his contemporary au- 
thors; men far inferior to himself, 
either in judgment, knowledge of 
the warld, or even literature— 
Perhaps it may be owing to this 
candour, and mildness of disposi- 
tion, that he has treated some parts 
of the misconduét of the English, as 
magistrates, with so lenient a hand, 
He deems their. conduct meritorious, 
upon the whole, and their govern- 
ment advantageous ; though the Ma- 
hommedans of rank, whom it has 
displaced from all the more lucra- 
tive official situations, are, perhaps, 
the only class of men whose circum- 
stances it has injured. One disad- 
vantage arising from our situation 
in. India, he has scen and laments, 
which arises from the temporary re- 
sidence of individuals in the country, 
and the proportionably small, inter- 
est they can) feel in its welfare—, 
Men, he observes, ;who leave their, 
native country with the sole view of 
acquiring an ,,independency,) and 
then to return to it, can have little 
inducement, to confer upon their 
_ temporary residence any permanent 
improvements. The meritorious 
business, of planting topes, digging 
wells, making roads, and various 
employments suitable for the wealthy 
part of the community, individuals 
will seldom undertake in a country 
which they hope soon to leave.— 
As the Europeans, according to our 
system, have not been allowed to 
colonize in India, there can be no 
doubt of the justice of Golam LHos- 
sein’s remarks on this particular.— 
Of injustice and corruption, as 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
judges, he entirely acquits our coun- 
trymen ; and of cruelty and oppres- 
sion, as rulers, he brings not the 
slightest imputation: from his inti- 
mate acquaintance with this subjeét,. 
and his bias, if he felt any, being 
wholly against us,’ we may applaud 
our countrymen, for haying obtain- 
ed this honourable: testimony of, 
their character... From. want) of 
knowledge in the language, which 
frequently has: happened to. junior 
servants, he does accuse them some- 
times of suftering themselves to be 
imposed upon by their banyans and 
sircars ; nor does he conceal, that 
injustice is sometimes committed 
through their interference. Persiam 
writings and books are not commit- 
ted to the press, and disseminated 
by publication, as in Europe. This: 
author’s manuscripts, for -many 
years, were handed about privately 
among the natives: he could, there- 
fore, have no fear of giving offence’ 
to the English, by what he brought 
forward. This is, indeed, apparent, 
from many strictures he has written’ 
abundantly severe ; nor does there 
seem any intention to please, by 
flattery, in a work that was never 
submitted to the perusal of the Eng- 
lish: the praises of general God- 
dard, and of many other individuals 
to be found in these volumes, are no’ 
exception to this remark, since they 
are evidently the effusions of sin- 
cerity and gratitude ; and some of 
them, as that of Mr. Fullarton, 
were written long after the parties. 
concerned had left the country.— 
Without having any knowledge of 
civil liberty in the abstraét, this au- 
thor possessed the fullest enjoyment 
of it; and, from this circumstance, 
his testimony has become of so great 
importance. 
Customs. 
