1809.] 
Gy aleahs ; it has since heen considerably 
increased, Cand tends greatly to the se- 
curity of travellers: 
I cannot pass the boundaries of Ben- 
gal, without making a few observations 
on the inhabitants. I may perhaps be 
accused of prejudice by those who have 
formed their opinions of them from books, 
written by the fire-side.in England, or 
from the warm eulogjums on na virtue 
and innocence, so repeatediy made 
during Mr, Hastings’s trial; but such as 
from observation, Jocal Puawiedue. and 
extensive dealings with the ¢énocent 
natives of Benyal, are the most com- 
petent judges of the justness of my ob- 
servations, “will, I think, generally allow 
that the picture is not over-charged. 
The Hindus, if not the aborigines of 
the country, have certainly inhabited 3 
from a very remote period of jacalney: 
and compose at this day full nine-tenths: 
of its population, which the lowest calcu-_ 
lation ‘estimates at sixteen a nillions. 
‘They are in general weak and effeminate ; 
the ‘rice and vegetables on which they 
principally subsist, give a delicacy and 
suppleness to their frames, which admir- 
ably adapts them for the easy labours of 
the loom, but render them very unfit for 
the purposes of war. Nature and edu- 
cation seem to have joined in making 
them effeminate, timid, and patient; 
polite, crafty, and deceitful, A Hindu, 
when transported with passion, vents 
his rage in a truly feminine manner; the 
tropes. and figures of a Billingsyate 
nympb, would appear courtly language, 
when compared with the foul and ob- 
scene reproaches that issue from his hips; 
but he is quickly silenced if a disposition 
appears of resenting his insolence by 
force. He is totally ‘devoid of all senti- 
ments of active humanity to his fellow- 
creatures, but remarkable for his ten- 
derness to animals of every description. 
‘This however does not proceed from any 
principle of compassion, but from ave 
stitious motives arising from his belief 1 
the Pythagorean system of transmigra- 
tion: their want of humanity to their 
‘own fellow-creatures eget ty amounts 
to passive cruelty ; for they will pass bya 
man with the greatest indifference who 
has just fallen into a fit before their 
faces, or.is perishing through the extre- 
mity of want, without the feast attempt 
to assist his distress. They affect to be 
very charitable, but real charity occupies 
Av part of their could bosums; thew do- 
avoid disgrace. 
Narrative of a recent Tour in India, 259 
nations are confined to their priests, and 
to those holy imposters who, under the 
appellations of Sunassies, Burraghees, 
and Jogees, impese on their credulit 
through the terrors of superstition. When 
i European inhabitants of Calcutta set 
1 foot a subscription towards erecting 
aud endowing an hospital for the relief 
of the sick aud indigent natives, the 
Ilindus, among whom are some of the 
wealthiest individuals in the world, were 
very backward indeed in their contri- 
butions; and the few who did subscribe: 
from motives of shame, on being urged 
and ridiculed by their European cone. 
nections, did it in so pitiful a manner, 
that it was a matter of surprize their do- 
nations were accepted. Their conduct on 
tls, as well as on many other occasions, 
placed the humanity of the Briush in- 
habitants in a more conspicuous point of 
view; this they themselves acknowledge, 
and profess the highest veneration and. 
respect for the nobler feelings by which 
we are actuated; but the example i 1s te@ 
bright for them to follow, and meek-eyed 
charity too liberal an inmate to nd reom 
in their sordid bosoms : they are fonder 
of imitating the follies ap Europeans, than 
their virtues. Near the seat of government 
they affect the same freedom of bela 
viour; but it descends into rudeness and 
licentiousness, without the generosity and 
independence of spirit. They are more 
eager in the pursuit of wealth than aa 
European, bat in the acquirement, they 
neither possess his activity nov his hos 
nesty. Their ideas of meum and tuum are 
very lax, consequently they are not very 
delicate i in the means they make use of to 
increase their riches; they seem to have 
no sense of the moral turpitude of the 
action, and if they avoid detection, they 
Previous to my arrival 
in India, 1 had heard and read so much 
of the innocent and oppressed natives, 
that [ was prepared to behold a virtuous 
race of people, sinking under the eru- 
‘elties of foreign iny aders, and appealing 
in vain to British justice, and British 
laws; but a residence of sixteen years 
amonest them, enabled me to develope 
the fallacy of such reports, and to observe 
the ease, comfort, and security, which 
they derive from the protecting influence 
of the British government, when com- 
pared with those who reside under the 
dominion of their own princes. 
(Lo be continued. ) 
MEMOIRS 
