CALCUTTA. 
and almost cover the houses and gardens. In their profession of 
scavengers, the kites and crows are assisted during the day by the 
adjutant-bird, and at night by foxes, jackals, and hyenas, from the 
neighbouring jungles. The wines chiefly drank are Madeira and 
claret ; the former, which is excellent, during the meal ; the 
latter, afterwards. The claret being medicated for the voyage, is 
too strong, and has little flavour. 
The usual mode of travelling is by palanquins, but most gentle- 
men have carriages adapted to the climate, and horses, of which 
the breed is much improved of late years. It is universally the 
custom to drive out between sun set and dinner. The mussalchees, 
when it grows dark, go out to meet their masters on their return, 
and run before them, at the rate of full eight miles an hour, and 
the numerous lights moving along the esplanade produce a singular 
and pleasing effect. It was formerly the fashion for gentlemen to 
dress in white jackets on all occasions, which were well suited to 
the country ; but being thought too much an undress for public 
occasions, they are now laid asidefor English cloth. The architecture 
of all the houses is Grecian, which I think by no means the best 
adapted to the country, as the pillars, which are generally used in 
the verandahs, require too great an elevation to keep out the sun, 
during the greater part of the morning and evening, although the 
heat is excessive at both those periods. In the rainy season it is 
still worse, as the wet beats in, and renders them totally useless. 
The more confined Hindoo or Gothic architecture, would surely be 
preferable. 
On Lord Wellesley's first arrival in this country, he set his face 
decidedly against horse-racing, and every other species of gambling i 
