LUCKNOW. 
129 
Ganges, a few miles below Benares. It is called 
Goomty from its serpentine course; and there are 
many smaller rivers flowing through the Gangetic 
plain which have the same name and for the same 
reason. 
As in all the large cities of Hindostan, the greater 
part of the streets in Lucknow are so narrow as barely 
to admit the passage of an elephant,, and very filthy. 
The different palaces of the Newaub, and indeed most 
of the public buildings., are structures of considerable 
splendour. The Imaum Barrah, completed in the 
year 1784 by Asoph ud Dowlah, is considered infe- 
rior only to the edifices erected by the Mahomedan 
emperors. The architecture is loaded, though not 
crowded, with ornament. This building contains a 
single room a hundred and sixty-seven feet long 
and broad in proportion. There is one remarkable 
feature in this structure : no wood has been employed 
in its erection, it being built entirely of brick. During 
the Presidency of Mr. Hastings, Lucknow was, per- 
haps, next to Benares, the richest and most populous 
city of Hindostan. 
A few days after our arrival, together with other 
English residents, at Lucknow, we received from the 
Newaub, who was very rich and as hospitable as he 
was wealthy, an invitation to a sort of public break- 
fast ; after which we were to be regaled by the sight 
of several novel contests between some of the strongest 
elephants in the prince’s stables,. About ten o’clock 
we accordingly repaired to the palace, where a sump- 
tuous entertainment was provided. It was laid out 
with Oriental magnificence in a large room with a 
