The Sun.
London, England, 1819-01-05 00:00:00

LI FERARY REVIEW.

ACCOUNT of the PEOPLE of INDIA, their Character,
Alanncrs,ind Customs. By Abbe DUl3ol3,lllissioliar'y
in !le Mysore. In Quarto.

This work has the rare advantage of having
been composed in the midst of the people whom
i: describes. The Attthor, having sought refuge
in India from the horrors of the French Revoin-
lion, resided among the natives as a Missionary
for the space of nearly eighteen years, and availed
himself or this long,and familiar intercourse to
compile a distitmt account of Hindoo Custom
tool Manners. The manuscript was submitted to
some of the highest official characters in British
Jodi., and was pronounced by a vet y enlighteoed
Judge to he the most comprehensive and minute
account extant, in arty European language, of
the manners of the Llindoos. 'This commenda-
tion, btntowd withont.qualification or reserve,
appears to he the result of impartial comparison,
And the perusal of the work itself affords no
grounds to question its justice.
From tie abundant and varied store of informa-
tion which the Author has collected, it is evident
that the years of his long residence have beets
most actively and iodustrionsly employed. By
accommodating himself to the mode of life, and
in some degree to the prejudices of the Hindoos,
he appears to have conciliated their confidence,
and to have been admitted by them to that degree
of intimacy which was necessary for obtaining a
complete insight into their character. The ma-
terials are distributed in the order usually oh..
served in works of this nature, with such modifi-
cations as accorded with the peeoliar views of the
Author. In the detail of his descriptions he has
adopted that clear, animated, and inartifieial sye
for which-the best writers of his country are re-
lvbrated ; and there is a . tone of "placid gaiety
throughout, strongly indicative of that booyancy
cif n‘ttionai tempfttainent which has supported so
many of his companions in exile and misfortune.
It seldom rises above the pitch of polite and easy.
cooversation, and, without any ;appearance of
effort, produces a more vivid impression than
could have been effected by an eitahntare and formai
mode of diction. it may be fait iy exemplified by
the following picturesque sketch of the ilindoos.

" Veneral, the Hindus have the forehead
small, the face thinner and more meagre than the
Europeans ; and they are also very much inlet iur
to tkin in strength and other physical qualities.
They are lean, feeble, and incapable of typo!. -
ing the labours and fatigues which the other race
are habituated to.. The Brabmahs, in particular,
scarcely ever attempt any laborious effort Of the
body; and when they do, it is but moult:nutty.
This feebleness is, no:doubt, occasioned by the
mitore of the climate, as well as by the duality of
the food to which the greater number of Hindus
are restricted. In general, they eat nothing but
Seeds, or such insipid matters ; for, though 1110 Si
of them cultivate rice, which appears to be a pro-
duction of nature in the highest degree suited to
the use of man, and well adapted Co sustain his vi-
gonr,.the to tss of the people do not use it for
their ordinary fare. They are obliged to sell it,

to get what is necessary for paying their taxes,
to procure clothes, and supply their other do-
mestic "31115. -After rdisposing of their crop of
rice, nourish themselves, for the rest of the
year, in the best way they are able, upon the
vari,,us sorts of small seeds, similar to what are
given, in Europe to pigs or chickens ; and it were
to be wished that every Hindu had even this sorry
tare at his comma-ad.
". fire suite debility and tendency to degenerate,
which is so visible in the Hindus themselves, ap-
pear to involve all animal existence in that coun-
try, from the plant up to the human species. The
grass, vegetables, and fruits, are all sapless ; at
least, the greater part are devoid of the nourish-
ing qualities inherent in the sante productions of
nature in other countries.
" The domestic and wild animals, with the ex-
ception of the elephant and the tiger, are there
found in a degraded state, both as to ',alive vigour
and nutritive, properties. All eatable things, of
the n:ost succulent nature elsewhere, are insipid
Here.. Nature seems, in this region, to hare fa-
shioned all her productions animate or inanimate,
on a scale propottioned -to the feebleness of the
. people. What she has provided for the use or the
' service of a debilitated being, she has lowered in
• a corresponding degree.
'" The imbecility of the mind keeps pace • with
that of the body. There is no country, I believe,
where one meets with so many stupid or sills'
creatures i and, although in India there are to he
found nUmbers of persons of govd sense and int),
&rate talents; and even some who, by means ot a
good education, have distingnished themselves

advantageously amongst their countrymen, yet I
think it very doubtful whether, during the three
centuries in which the Europeans have been settled
in the country, they have ever discovered among
them one :rue genius.

" What they are, in point of courage, is well
known; their natural cowardice being every where
prove, bial.
Neither have they sufficient firmness of mind
to resist any application that may he made to them
on their weak side. Praise and flattery will in-
duce them to part witlyany thing they possess.
" They are not less devoid of that provident
spirit, which makes other mortals think of their
future warts and well-being, as much as of the
j~resent. Provided the Hindu has just enough to
support the vanity and extravagance of the day,
Ere never reflects on the state of misery to which
Le will be reduced on the morrow, by his osten7
tatiuus and empty parade. He sees nothing but
the present moment, and his thoughts never pe-
netrate into an obscure futurity.
Front this want of foresight, chiefly, proceed
the frequent and sudden revolutions iu the for-
tunes of the Hindus, and the rapid transitions
from a state of luxury and the highest opulence
to, the most abject wr'etchedness.
" They support such overpowering shocks of
I'm-time with intieli 'resignation and patience,—
Bat if would be erroneous to ascribe their tran-
epiThily,"Untfe'r such 'cir'eurnstances, to loftiness of
spirit or magnanimity; for it is the want of se();

sibility alone that prvents their minds from be-
ing affected by the blessings or miseries of life.
" It was probably with an intention to make
some impression on their unfeeling nature, and
to stimulate their imagination, that their histo-
ries, whether sacred ov profane, their worship
and laws, are so replenished with extraordinary
anti extravagant conceits.
" We must also ascribe to their phlegmatic
temper, more than to any perverseness ot dispo-
Sition, the want of attachment and gratitude
with tvhich the Hindus are justly repremcbed.—
No where is a benefit conferred so quickly for-
gotten as among them. That 3 entimem which is
roused in generous minds by the remembrance
of favours received, and which repays in some
measure the liberal heart for the sacrifices which
its dt sire to oblige so often requires it to make,
is quite a stranger to the .natives of India."
The same liveliness of colouring is observable
in the Author's view ot the personal qualities and
manners of the Brahmans

" It is easy to distinguish a member of this
cast, by a certain free and unembarrassed air,
something more easy and independent than is in
general to be met with in the other tribes. With-
wit betraying any appearance, of affectation,
their manner and movement sufficiently indicate
the consciousness they feel of their superiority in.
rank and origin. One may recognize them also
by their language, which is exempt front the low
and vulgar expressions in use among the othercasts.
Besides its superior purity and elegance, it is more
tinctured with the Sanserit. They have particular
phrases also, not employed by.t he Sudras. In pri-
vate conversation their discourse is diversified with
proverbial turns and allegorical allusions, htieflp
expressed. Possessing a great copiousness of
phrase, it often happens that, after learning their
language tolerably one is provoked to find
.that he cannot understand a word that passes be-
tween any patty of them, when conversing fami-
liarly with each other. In their talk, as well as
in their letters, they introduce a.thousand grace-
HI flights, which they know very well how to
apply. Indeed they rather exceed just bounds in
this resi,ect, as they have no moderation in the
extravagance of their compliments. They make
no scruple to elevate above all the gods those to
whom they direct their flattery ; and tit!), this is
but the first step in their fulsome adulation.
" But, to reverse the picture, and turn to their
hurt id and execrable foulness of language and
imprecations; they must be admitted to have a
more unbounded supply of these flowers of speech
than of the courteous sort. Fur, although the
BraliMarts pride themselves on their politeness
dad good education, they forget them both when
their passion is roused. Op these occasions, such
a torrent of the most indecent and obscene ex-
pressions issues from their impure mouths, that
one would be tempted to suppose they had made
a particular study of the language of invective and
insult."

SALE V the LATE QUEEN'S 140ft.SES and CARRIAGES.

Vesierday was ilia day appointed for the sale of
this property, at Tattersall's, and the yard was
crowded, either with purchasers, or the curious,
long before the sale commenced, but we did not
observe, throughout the day, any person of rank
among the numerous company assembled. What-
ever pat t of the property was bought for the No
bility, was purchased by cott►mission. Six of
the most valuable carriage horses were pur-
chased for the Earl of I-Lircourt, Master of
the Horse to the late Qaeen ; and one for
the Duke of Wellington. Mr. -Ramsbottom,
of Windsor, was also d considerable purchaser
and Alderman Wood, eye believe, bought a pair
of young hoses for his carriage. The horses in
general sold very high, and; in most cases, csm-
siderably above their value. For instance—horSes
upwards of 17 years of age sold for 70 and 80 gui-
neas each ; and several, that in the hands of the
dealer would not have fetched 101., sold for 50,
60, and 70 guineas each. The following are a
few of the ,most

Guineas.
Clianee
Lofty
Mason
Spanker
Spenst r
Spitler
Windinsh
Tbintail
Lion
St ringlialt

Years old.

The total produce of the whole fitly-five horses
was, 4,454/.

The carriages sold but indifferently, And mostly
ttmong the coachmakers. A sociable baronet'
landau, «•i'h three detached heads, brought only
0:i guineas. This carriage, within the last eigh-
teen months, cost 300 guineas altering and re-
pairing. The state chariot of the Master of the
Horse brought only 37 gdineas ; and the whole
eighteen carriages produced only 1,0771.

The most valuable of the late Queen's carriages,
a landau, recently built, was lett by her Majesty's
Will to M3datne Beckendottr, who retires with it
to Mecklenburg!), as soon as the whole at the af-
fairs are arranged.

CAUTION.--A set of fellows, having the appear-
. :ince of porters, have of late succeeded in prac-
tising a fresh mode of imposition on the public,
by standing at the corner of streets of public tho-
roughfares, plying as porters, carrying a knot on
their shoulders, and nith aprons, and wit°, on
being entrns•cd to carry any property, have ab-
sconded with it. On Tuesday last Mr. Marsden,
of Ilecres's•place, Hoxton, having a large quan-
tity of linen, &c. to send to a gentleman's house
in town, the servant was sent for a porter.
One of the above description of fellows was
found standing at the corner of a street, and
hired ; he was unable to carry the proper-
ty at one journey, and returned several times
for,the whole of it ; after which he returned for
the money agreed on, which was paid him, Mr.
Marsden thinking the property was safely deli-
vered. Shottly afterwards a message was for-
warded, to Mr. M. by the owner of the articles,
who felt surprised at not receiving them, and the
imposition of the fellow alluded to was discovered.
Information was given to the Police at Lambeth-
street, and by the activity of Freeman, the officer,
the villain was discovered, in consequence of the
wife' hieing pledged the whole of the property,
throughwhich they were traced.