March, 1848. CAMEL— MANGO— FAIR. 61 



camel, which is its constant companion over thousands of 

 leagues. In the valley of the Ganges I was told that 

 neither the animal nor plant flourish east of the Soane, 

 where I experienced a marked change in the humidity of 

 the atmosphere on my passage down the Ganges. It was 

 a circumstance I was interested in, having first met with 

 the camel at Teneriffe and the Cape Verd Islands, the 

 westernmost limit of its distribution ; imported thither, 

 however, as it now is into Australia, where, though there 

 is no Acacia Arabica, four hundred other species of the 

 genus are known. 



The mango, which is certainly the fruit of India, (as the 

 pine-apple is of the Eastern Islands, and the orange 

 of the West,) was now blossoming, and a superb sight. 

 The young leaves are purplish- green, and form a curious 

 contrast to the deep lurid hue of the older foliage ; 

 especially when the tree is (which often occurs) dimi- 

 diate, one half the green, and the other the red shades of 

 colours ; when in full blossom, all forms a mass of yellow, 

 diffusing a fragrance rather too strong and peculiar to be 

 pleasant. 



We passed a village where a large fair was being held, 

 and singularly familiar its arrangements were to my early 

 associations. The women and children are the prime 

 customers ; for the latter whirl-you-go-rounds, toys, and 

 sweetmeats were destined; to tempt the former, little 

 booths of gay ornaments, patches for the forehead, ear-rings 

 of quaint shapes, bugles and beads. Here as at home, I 

 remarked that the vendors of these superfluities occupy 

 the approaches to this Vanity-Fair. As, throughout the 

 East, the trades are congregated into particular quarters of 

 the cities, so here the itinerants grouped themselves into 

 little bazaars for each class of commodity. Whilst I was 



