EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON IN BENGAL, 
711 
In process of time these services were commuted for annual rents, 
sometimes styled ward-penny, and waytfee, but commonly castle- 
guard rents, payable on fixed days, under prodigious penalties called 
sursizes. At Rochester, if a man failed in the payment of his rent 
and castle-guard on the feast of St. Andrew’s, his debt was doubled 
every tide during the time for which the payment was delayed. 
These were afterwards restrained by an act of parliament passed in 
the reign of king Henry Vlll. and finally annihilated, with the tenures 
by knight’s service, in the time of Charles II. Such castles as were 
private property were guarded either by mercenary soldiers, or the 
tenants of the lord or owner. 
Castles which belonged to the crown, or fell to it either by fo- 
feiture or escheat, circumstances that frequently happened in the 
distracted reigns of the feudal times, were generally committed to the 
custody of some trusty person, who seems to have been indifferently 
styled governor and constable. Sometimes also they were put into 
the possession of the sheriff of the county, who often converted them 
into prisons. That officer was then accountable, at the exchequer, 
for the farm or produce of the lands belonging to the place entrusted 
to his, care, as well as all other profits ; he was likewise, in case of war 
or invasion, obliged to victual and furnish them with munition out of 
the issues of his county ; to which he was directed by writ of privy seal. 
Extraordinary Phenomenon in Bengal. 
In August, 1770, a most alarming phenomenon appeared, of a 
large black cloud at some distance in the air, which sometimes 
obscured the sun, and seemed to extend a great way over and about 
Calcutta. The hotter the day proved, the low'er this cloud seemed to 
descend, and for three days it occasioned great speculation. The 
bramins pretended that this phenomenon, which was a cloud of 
insects, had been foretold by them ; and if ever they descended to 
the earth, the country would be destroyed by some untimely misfor- 
tune. They said, that, about fifty years before, there had been such 
another bad time, when the earth was parched for want of water ; 
and this cloud of insects made its appearance, though it came much 
lower the second time than it had done before. On the third day, 
the weather being very hot and cloudy, they descended so low that 
they could be plainly seen. They seemed to be about the size of a 
horse-stinger, with a long red body, large head and eyes, keeping 
close together like a swarm of bees, and to appearance flying quite 
on a line. None, however, w'ere caught, the people being over much 
frightened by the prognostications of the bramins. Whilst it rained, 
they continued in one position for nearly a quarter of an hour, then 
they rose five or six feet at once, and in a little time descended as 
much, until a strong n.w. wind blew for twm days successively. Dur- 
ing its continuance they ascended and descended, but more precipi- 
tately than before ; and next morning the air was quite clear.^ For 
some days before the cloud made its appearance, the frogs, toads, 
and insects, which during the rains made a continual noise through 
the night, disappeared, and were never heard nor seen, except in the 
river. 
