CALCUTTA. 



lity. During the rapid increnfe of tliis town, difeafcs were 

 fatal to thoulands, and particvdarly, according to the ttfti- 

 mon-"- of Dr. Liiid, among fuch as liad lately arrivtd from 

 Europe. Hamilton mentions an inllancc, from Iiis own 

 knovvled:;e, of 400 luivials in fix months, at a period when 

 all the Englirti relldcnt here did not cxcctd i:co. Bcfidcs, 

 when tliis Ipot was cliofen, cvt-rv man was allowed to build 

 as bell Anted his cnnvenicnce and tafte, without regard to 

 the difpofition of the \Thole ; and, th^rrefore, the different 

 houfes bore no refeinblance to one another either in their 

 pofition or archittCture. From this fmall and unproniiling 

 beginning, Calcutta is now become a large, populous, and in 

 nianv refptfts, an elegant city. Tiic quarter inhabited by 

 tlie Englifli IS compofed entirely of brick, buildings, many of 

 which appear more like palaces than private houfes ; and 

 though they add much to the beauty of the place, they 

 would have a mucii better ellvft if tlie flreets wtre laid out 

 with greater iymmetry and order: but the rell of the citv, 

 and, indeed, much the greater part of it, confills of houfes 

 like thofe of the other Indian cities ; all of which are con- 

 ftrufled on the fame plun, witii very narrow, confined, and 

 crooked flreets, in which are interfptrfed an incredible uum- 

 lier of refervoirs and ponds, and a great many gardens. Some 

 few llretts are pavul with brick. Tlie houfes are varioudy 

 built ; fome with brick, others with mud, and a Hill greater 

 proportion with bamboos and mats ; and thefe different kinds 

 of edifices, being intermixed with one another, form a motley 

 appearance. Thofe of the latter kind are invariably of one 

 flory, and covered with thatch. The brick houfes ftldom 

 exceed two floors, and have flat terraced roofs. The two 

 former claffes far outnumber the lull, which are often fo 

 thinly fcattered, that iires, wliich frequently haopcn, do not 

 fometimes meet with the obllrui:lion of a fingle brick houfe 

 through a whole ftreet. The flruflure of tlie European 

 houfes ferves to fecnre them from fire ; as o-ily a fmall por- 

 tion of wood enters into the materials, for the partition- 

 walls, as well as the flat roofs, are clptfly conll runted of 

 brick and mortar, which laft article, under the denomination 

 of " Chnnam," the natives have brought to great perfec- 

 tion. The buildings of the place exti-nd full ;; miles along 

 the river, a' d about half as much in breadth from it. 

 Within the lalt 30 or 40 years, Calcutta is wonderfully im- 

 proved, both in appearance and in the falubrity of its air ; 

 for by draining the llreets and tilling up the ponds, they have 

 removed a vail furface of llagnant water, the exhalations of 

 which were particularly injurious. The local fuuation of 

 Calcutta, as we have already obferved, is not fortunate ; for 

 it has fome extenfive muddy lakes, and a vail forell clofc to 

 ir. More dill remains to be done before Calcutta can merit 

 the chai adler of a healthy town. In the middle of the city 

 a large open place has been left, in which there is a fpacious 

 tank or refervoir, covering upwards of 25 acres of ground. 

 It was dug hy order of the government, to provide the in- 

 habitants of Calcutta with water ; as in the dry feafou the 

 water of the Ganges becomes brackifh by the influx of the 

 tide, while that in the tank is very fweet and pleafant. The 

 number of fpiings which it contains prcfcrves the water 

 always nearly at the fame level. It is railed round, nor is 

 any perfon fullered to wafh iu it ; but all are at liberty to 

 take as much water from it as they like. Near this tank is 

 a handfome obelilk, ere<Eled by Mr. HoKvell, one of the 

 few furvivors in the tragic fccne of the black hole, of which 

 we fliall fubjoin an account ; it is about 50 feet high, in- 

 fcribed with the names of the perfons who died on this 

 execr.ible occafion, and whofc bodies were promifcuoufly 

 thrown, the next morning, into the ditch of the fort. A 

 little farther is the court-houfe, over which are two hand- 

 fome affembly-rooms. Clofe to the court-houfe is a theatre, 



where plays are fometimes performed. Btyond" this is 

 an Armenian church, wiiich i.s a large and noble building, 

 with a handfome lleeple. There is a fo an Englifli church 

 of modern conflruftion. The citadel, called " Fort Wil- 

 liam," is tituated about a quarter of an hour's walk fiom the 

 city, by the fide of the Ganges, in an extenfive plain. This 

 citadel is fuperlor in every point, as it reg.ird» llrength and 

 concClnefs of defign, to any fortrefs in India ; but it is 

 formed on too extenfive a fcalc to anfiver the ufcful pui pofe 

 intended, that of holding a poll in cale of extremity ; fince 

 the number of [roops required properly to garrifon it, could 

 keep the field. It was bi:gun in the year 1757, immediately 

 after the vitlory at Plaffey, which infureii to the Critifli an 

 unlimlttd influence in Bengal ; and it was the intention of 

 lord Clive to render it as permanent a-spoflible, Ijv providing 

 for all timeo a tenable poll. Flowever, he had no forefight 

 of the vafl expence attending it, which may perhapo. have 

 been equal to two millions llerliiig. It isa regular pcruagon, 

 with leveral outworks. The ramparts are built of brick, 

 ha'lway up, finiflied with clay, and faced with gazons. 

 Both the body of the fortrefs and the outworks arc fur- 

 rounded by a wet ditch, which has a finall cunclte, 6 or 7 

 fret deep, in the middle. The water from the Ganges may 

 be h.t into the moat, to the height of S fett, by means of 

 flood gates, of which there art two to each outwork, con- 

 llruded in fuch a manner, that if an enemy be mailer of one, 

 he cannot prevent both the main diieh, and thofe of the 

 other outworks, from retaining their water. If all the works 

 were mounted wiih cannon, there would be room for 6co 

 pieces o'f artillery. Within the fort are bomb-proof bar- 

 racks for 10,000 men. All the works are guaided by mines 

 and countermines. No fh'p can pafs up or down the 

 Ganges without being expoled to the fire of this fort ; nor 

 can any enemy approach by land without being difcerntd at 

 the dillance of 3 or 4 leagues. Tht'population of Calcutta 

 i? fuppofed to amount at prefent to more than half a million 

 of inhabitants ; and their dilftrent afpcdl and manners pnfent 

 a very pidlurefque and interelling fci.ne. The black Hin- 

 doo, the olive-coloured Moor or Mahometan, contrail with 

 the fair and florid countenances of the Eng'iflt ; and the 

 charms of the European damlel receive a foil from the dark 

 Hindoo beauties. " The mixture of European and Afiatic 

 manners," fays a traveller in India, " which may be obferved 

 ill Calcutta, is curious ; coaches, phaetons, finglc-horfe 

 chailes, with the palankeens and hackeries of the natives, the 

 pafling ceremonies of the Hindoos, the different appearances 

 of the Fakirs, form a fight more novel and extraordinary than 

 any city iu the world can prefent to a flranger." " To the 

 luxuries of the Aliatic (lays Mr. Pinkerlon) are added the 

 elegance anrt fcience of the Englilh life. Even the newf- 

 papers are drawn up with care, and printed with elegance ;" 

 and the Afiatic Society, inllituted by the late admirable fir 

 William Jones (in January 1784), may perhaps rival the 

 Academy of Infcriptions at Paris, ;f the papers of the latter 

 were adopted as a model. " The Afiatic RefeMrc'.ies, winch 

 arc the produdlions of this focietv, form a noble monument 

 of Britilh fcience in a diltant country." 



Calcutta is eminently dillinguifhed as the emporium of 

 Bengal, and the refidence of the governor-general of India. 

 It is alio the feat of julUce, under four judges, who difpenfe 

 judgment according to the laws of England. Its flouriihing 

 Hate may be afcribed, partly, among other caufes and cir- 

 cumllances that have contributed to it, to th-, unlimited tole- 

 ration which it affords to all forms of religion ; the Pagan* 

 being futfered to carry their idols in proeCiTion, the Mal.o- 

 metans not being dilcountenanced, and tlie Roman Calholics 

 being allowed a church. 



I'lie police of the city is chiefly commit ted to a fuperin. 

 8 tcndant 



