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CHAPTER VI. 
December 6.— After various disappointments and changes of plan, 
I took my passage in the Olive, Captain Matthews, going with rice 
to Columbo. On the sixth of December, I went on board the 
Charles transport, for conveyance down the river, accompanied by 
Mr. Salt, and attended by my English servant, and a Portuguese, who 
was a native of Madras. Mr. Graham was so obliging as to join us in a 
vessel of his own. We weighed anchor at day -light, and proceeded 
on our way. We passed the remains of Fort Mornington, built at 
the junction of the Roopnaram with the Hoogly, for the purpose 
of commanding the navigation, but which has been abandoned in 
consequence of the unhealthiness of the situation. The former 
river here forms a very large sheet of water, but has many shoals ; 
and as it directly faces the approach from the sea, whilst the 
Hoogly turns to the right, frequently occasions the loss of vessels, 
which are carried up it by the force of the tide. The eddy, caused 
by the bend in the Hoogly, has here formed the most dangerous 
sand in the passage to Calcutta, called the James and Mary, around 
which the channel is never the same for a week together. There is 
not probably a worse navigation in the world than that from Sorgur 
to Calcutta. It is so changeable, that every dry season a regular 
survey is obliged to be made, and even that is not sufficient to 
prevent accidents, though the pilots are skilful and well paid ; for 
