GOVERNMENT HOUSE. 
255 
tic and culinary purposes, there is set apart in every 
house a room, in which is a number of large earthen 
jars. These are filled from the terraced roofs during 
the monsoons, and the water is preserved by an in- 
fusion of charcoal pounded small and thrown into 
each jar, which, by arresting the process of putre- 
faction, keeps the water sweet for any reasonable 
period. 
The most striking edifice in Calcutta is the Govern- 
ment house. The lower story forms a handsome solid 
basement, with arcades on every side. All the pillars 
are of the Ionic order, though one of the largest rooms 
in the building is supported by Doric columns so beau- 
tifully chunamed as to resemble the finest white marble. 
There are four wings, one at each corner of the house, 
connected by circular passages, by which means there 
is a free circulation of air all round. These wings 
contain the private apartments, the main structure 
being devoted to the several public rooms set apart 
for the despatch of Government business, and for those 
public entertainments for which the metropolis of 
British India has been long distinguished in the palace 
of her rulers. 
There are only two English churches in this large 
city, one of which appears in the engraving. It is a 
graceful structure, built by an officer of engineers, and 
does him great credit, as he has displayed a refined 
taste in the disposal of its architectural features. The 
other church is a much plainer building, and altoge- 
ther inferior. Although from Garden-house reach the 
city has an air of grandeur unequalled by any native 
town in India, it must nevertheless be confessed that 
