Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1800-07-14
MISCELLANY.
DESCRIPTION Of CALCUTTA.
81 an AMERICAN.

al
+ atthis fpot. RS convenience for commerce was.
probably, the chief circumRance coniulted in the
rhoice. Health feems to have wholly efcaped
he attention ofthe European coionifs, in their
shoce of ftlements, both in the eaRern and
vefern hemifpheres. Ifther ftuaton we're IA.
vpnrabe TO navigation, and trade, and defence.
aanfweIed their end. Whether il were fuch as
y allow them TO purfue their fchemes and enjoy
hrir paios, by permitting them to live, was new
Thought of, and fubiequent experience never
pa pduced them to correct their original error.
lz.Few or no perions come to India but with a
lew of leaving it. They regard il as a place
a n temporary fojurn, and they hope to elnde the
Etal effeets OF the climate by the ihortne(s of
f. heir RaY.
Il Batavia and Calcutta, By beirg placed in The
MIDI of marines and pools, were extremely IN
vhoelome Happily for the Portuguese adven-
ar frrers. Goa and Machao were Hands which
could BE- rendered inialubrious only by their
own negligence.
h. The Engiiih owe their refid-nce az Calcutta
[ % the caprice Of Job Channock, the company's
agent. They tell Us that he was Influenced in
5 bis choice By grove Of trees that grew here
Shade was no doubt delightful in this climate !;
bur to be governed in the choice of an emporium
BY the vicinity Of grove, is TO be fwaYed by a
FRANCE motive. The eafy and extenfive navipa-
ZION of this river, and the wealth of the adjacent
provinces, mght have furniIhed him with much
+ Rrcnger reafons.
Z Z Job Channock was, probably, liitle aware of
he confeqaences Of his choice. He found here
r. mean fraggng village, called Covindpour,
eoniai8g of two or three hundred COTTAGES.
Thee we've dwellings built Of clav, tof which The
tenacity was augmented by MIXTURE Of Rrawl
and covered from the weather BY rows OF BAN
boos. Thsf- dwellings conli0ed Of one room,
without flooring, window or chimney, and ihel.
tsred families of eight or ten fqualed, eaaciated
creatures, waited by dileaie, and difguaine by
their flthinefs.
This herd has been infenfibly increared by the
incrsafe Of the Euglih power and dominions.
Their Preient humber has never been accurately
computed. It vaguely, and probably CHROME
oudy, aligned 70 be half million. If 10. il Is
inferior, with regard TO population, only 10
Paris and London among European cities.
Among this number vait majority are &C
Rupid, INDECENT, and fqualed in their perfons and
dwellings, as the villagers Of Govendpour.
Streets crooked, dirty, and feldon more than
eight feet wide, clofely crouded On each Gde ~
huts of one ltery, tan or twelve feet high walls
OF mud, tolerably fnooth, of "a light brown
colour, and hardened into kind Of haf brick by
the rays OF tropical fun /; roofs Of mating or
Bamboo, iteeP and conical, arc the obieas thar
gererally Preient theInfelves. The fcene, how
eyer, IS TAR from being absolutely uniform.
q Even in the quarter of the Gentoos, the fupe.
rior wealth Of individuals is fometimes fhewnbv
T sinbAiuting imall brick inhead of rude and III.
| tempered clay, and BY "a fne. the building 70
two Tories. The vulgar are their own ferva,,s.
and, of coufequence, every mental and domef
&c Office is tranfa6ed in one room. Every
cut-of door engagement is performed By them.
ielves. and on foot.
The fortunate few, and Especially the EnoliG
on the contrary divide their habitarions into diff,
ferent tories and apartments The lover forv
Is abandoned TO cooks, and coolies. and nalan.
qnn-bearers, while the fecond floor i apnronri
ated to ParOur, dining room, and cbamber
Among theft, whatever function can he oer.
formed by another, devolves upon f.rvants
Their food is purchafed, cooked, and r. before
mem, without any exertion of their own
Their clothes are managed in the fame name
heir We pipes are filed and held by \ n,eni,l
ltthey go out on buiinefs or pleaiure. ,bs,, ~
borne upon mems fhoulders: and eve-v rn.1
levted TO feat, is relieved from every toil hc,
mat OF eating and talking, by his own 6Ody Ter.
h VazI. who IS ported at his elbow.
81. Inc Enghh quarter Prefents fpeaacle very
olHeient from that OF the natives. Here the
nreets are vide, regular, and clean. The
nsuie' are OF good materials, lofty and fpacious
eTraees' broad and fecure, and of brick. com
poe the roofs. Every objea acquires new do.
nitY and value BY contrsd with the penury and
sln:anneis Of the neighbouring quarters. Every
4ooJed reminds US that we are in land divided
between people oPPofite in manners, cuaorns.
and privileges between race Of FOREIGN con-
queTors and brood Of indigenous AAyes.
IL me city owes its infalubriy partly to na,ur,,
ana lrfemediAbe caufes, partly to the Gltbv
III habIts and fnnArlitinn nf de 49,. - I'D