1 86 THIRTY- FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



any part of India or Europe. On this point, I have only 

 to observe, that their transport should not be by the long 

 route round the Cape of Good Hope, but by the Red Sea and 

 the Mediterranean ; or, if possible, entirely overland ; be- 

 cause, unless they are in hermetically-sealed packa«jes, they 

 invariably suffer by a sea passage. I may further men- 

 tion, that my catalogue of Cashmerean plants is not by any 

 means complete, and that, should Heaven permit me to 

 fulfil my intention, of again visiting that country for a 

 couple of years, and then of returning to Europe, I shall 

 publish a Supplement to this work, in order to supply the 

 deficiencies, and therein state any occurrences of interest 

 which ray happen. 



Having passed the months of July and August in Cash- 

 mere, I left that beautiful country, on my way to Europe, in 

 the month of September, taking with me a quantity of 

 Cashmerean produce. After calling at Lahore, where I stayed 

 till the end of October, I passed the Sutlej, and went, via 

 Ferozepore, Loodiana, Umballa, Saharunpore, and Rajpore, 

 again to the hills, viz., to Mussoorie, in order to visit my 

 two daughters, whom I had placed at an educational institu- 

 tion there, which is under the direction of some French 

 ladies. I spent three days at that place, and then continued 

 my journey, passing from Meerut to Goormuckteesur, on 

 the Ganges ; where I had previously engaged a small vessel 

 to convey me to Calcutta. The voyage down the Ganges was 

 an exceedingly pleasant one, in many respects, and lasted two 

 months. Among the incidents which excited my attention 

 on the river, the relation of which may interest the reader, 

 was that, as we approached Bengal, I observed, on both banks 

 of the Ganges, a gradually increasing number of cane-mats, 

 coverlets, drinking vessels, &c., and also many sick persons 

 lying upon mats, &c. On inquiring the cause, I found that it 

 was the custom of the country, among the poorer classes, that 

 when a patient was supposed to be past all hope of recovery, 

 his relations conveyed him to the banks of the Ganges, so 

 that he might die in the vicinity of the sacred river. The 

 relations or friends of the patieuis, visit the spot, to 



