250 INDIAN 



wholesome practices,, which together with 

 the heat of the climate will soon wear out 

 an English constitution, and bring on pre- 

 mature old age. 



I began this chapter with observing that 

 the customs of the natives of India ought to 

 be attended to by Europeans,, and I shall 

 here remark that they did follow them in 

 many instances on their first settling there, 

 which they have now foolishly left off. One 

 in particular I shall mention, and that is 

 their dressing with cool and light apparel 

 during the hot weather. When I first arri- 

 ved in India, a broad cloth coat was scarcely 

 ever seen in the hot months, except on for- 

 mal visits. At that time the Governor-Ge- 

 neral, Earl Cornwallis, always set a good ex- 

 ample at his own table, by taking off* his coat 

 at dinner time, which was generally follow- 

 ed by all the company. When I left India 

 in 1809, broad cloth coats were worn at din- 

 ner in the hot months by almost all the Eu- 

 ropean inhabitants; which I conceive was ow- 



