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BOMBAY. 185 
alone counteract this beneficent arrangement of Providence. For 
the sake of the population of sixty millions, as well as for our own 
sake, we may therefore wish that the British influence in India may 
remain unshaken by external force, or internal dissatisfaction. 
A Society has been established at Bombay on a plan somewhat 
similar to the Bengal Asiatic Society, but it intends to limit itself 
to the present state of manners among the inhabitants, rather than 
to launch into ancient mythology, or the history of the country. 
Much I think may be expected from the active superintendence of 
Sir James Mackintosh, whose talents would throw a lustre on any 
society, and whose discourse on the first day of their meeting would 
have been heard with satisfaction by the father of Asiatic literature, 
by Sir William Jones himself. Sir James is ably supported by Mr. 
Duncan, who is, I believe, as learned as any European in the wild 
fancies of the Hindoo mythology, and was the writer of those 
papers, on the singular Hindoo customs at Benares, and the two 
fakeers that resided there, which were communicated by Sir John 
Shore to the Asiatic Society, but without stating from whom he had 
received the intelligence. To these are added the names of many 
other gentlemen, whose long residence in India, and known ac- 
quirements, may fairly justify an expectation in the public, that 
without rivalling their prototype at Calcutta, they may communi- 
cate much interesting information respecting that part of India 
which has come under their immediate observation. 
One of the greatest evils in India is the cheapness of spirituous 
liquors, which leads to a dreadful mortality among the European 
soldiers, particularly on their first arrival. The quantity allowed 
by Government is too great, if not totally useless. In the field, it is 
