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fort and luxury of a Bengal encampment. For, although I can- 

 not much enter into it, I assure you here is a constant succession 

 of amusements for morning, noon, and all night long. The for- 

 mer is occupied in hunting, shooting, cock-fighting, and dog-right- 

 ing. Feasting at dinner from one till three o'clock, when horse- 

 races commence, quite in the English style, on a very good 

 course. Between the heals, fighting-rams, dancing-bears, ladies 

 running races on elephants, and more varieties than I can tell you 

 of, fill up the intervals. When the horse-race finishes, the company 

 leave the stage, to drink tea in an adjoining tent, from whence they 

 retire to their respective bungalos, to dress for the ball ; which is 

 given every evening by subscription from the principal officers in 

 the commandant's bungalo; a large mansion, excellently suited to 

 the purpose. A concert sometimes precedes the dance before 

 supper, an entertainment equally elegant and abundant. After 

 which dancing, singing, music, and masques continue until four in 

 the morning. These festivals have already lasted four days, they 

 are to terminate to-morrow ; a fortunate circumstance for the 

 principal actors, who I should imagine would not hold out much 

 longer. We purpose returning to Surat in a few days, and sailing 

 from thence for Bombay about the beginning of September." 



Extracts on leaving Bombay. 



"The enclosed, my dear Forbes, is the promised 

 letter to my best friend, to whom you want no introduction. Take 

 yours in your hand, and tell mine he is as worthy a man as ever 

 left India ; a character congenial to his own : that 1 sincerely wish 



