300 



G A N G E T I C H I N D O O S T A N. 



" with blotches of a livid color, and the corpfe in a few hours 

 " turns quite black and corrupted. At this time fluxes prevale, 

 «' which may be called bilious or putrid, the better to dillin- 

 *< guifli them from others, which are accompanied with an in- 

 « flammation of the bowels. In all tliofe difeafes at Bengal, 

 ** the lancet is cautioufly to be ufed." 



Abulfazel is filent about Calcutta, fo we give over enquiry 

 after the antient hiftory. The date of the origin mull be from 

 ourfettlement, in 1690, by Job Charnock, agent to our Company ; 

 who, after an a6l of grace from Aurengzebe for all murders, 

 felonies, Sec. committed on his fubje6ts, permitted us to build 

 a fort on this fpot. He had been imprifoned by the Nabob, and 

 fcourged, for which he determined on revenge. A flitted by 

 the number of EngliJJj then in the river, he raifed an in- 

 furredion, and actually defeated the garrifon at Hoogly, and 

 committed great excefles. It w^as this probably made it necef- 

 fary for him to have the pardon juft mentioned. He is fpoken 

 of with great afperity by Haiuiltoji, in his fecond volume ; he 

 makes him a perfed: favage. But to him we owe this important 

 fettlement. 

 „, ^,„ One sood deed of C;^^r«o^/^'s will ferve to introduce a very 



VV IVES SELc O 



DEVOTED TO auticut attd Angular cuftom, which might have been perhaps 

 better mentioned before, that very antient one, of wives de- 

 voting themfelves to the excruciating death of burning on the 

 lofs of their huflaands. Men frequently finifhed their days in 

 that manner on being feized with a tadium of life, or the ap- 

 prehenfion of a change of fortune, after a long courfe of hap- 

 pinefs. Calanus the Brahmin^ who followed Alexander out of 



India^ 



