New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-16
BAYARD TAYLOR'S LETTERS.
THE BAY OF BENGAL-THE ISLAND OF Pc
NANG-SINGAPORE-v UP THE CHI
Of The y Y. Tribune.

Editorial Correspondence Of The n Y. Tribune.
Hone KONG, China Thursday March Il, l5j3
The Pekin was advertised to leave Calcutta at day
light so went down to Garden Reach, where she lay
the evening previous and passed the night on board
When went on deck the sun was rising broad AMI
red between the tail Australian pines on the bank steam
and smoke were letting out Of the steamers tunnels
crowds of natives with few Europeans, were gathered
on the shore and all the confusion of letting cables
bringing baggage at the last moment shouting from the
paddle boxes and ringing bells the orecaste showed
theteye were about TO start The steamer head was
swung around by the tide then running at the rate of
seven or eight knots an hour; upon two buoys
placed near the shore broke floats from the port
wheel and then started for the sea. little below
anchorage we passed the Bishops College, on the
western bank of the Hoody. 1t consists OF several
detached buildings of the hideOuS IndO Gothic style IN
roduced by the English. 1t is ostentatols instu
ton and of little practical in religious point OF
/ view.
We swept too rapidly past the beautiful residences
on both banks of the Neutrality-suspicious. white mansions
standing in lawns shaded with the mango, the cocoa
palm and the Australian pine, oyergrown with jungle
creepers, and surrounded with gardens gay with the
the crimson BoHgainra or the long white chalies of
the Dafura fInging the waters edge. Two miles fur
Their these evidences of taste and luxury disappeared
and the scattered villages of tie natives, WIN lew
patches of corn and around them. kept BACK le
primeyal Jungle Turning the angle OF Gar,ien Reach
We lost distant view of the Ochterlony Monument
the beacon of Calcutta, though the numbers OF native
and foreign craft with steamtugs ascending ana ne
scendng the river. still showed our proximity 10
mart Of commerce For some distance along the west
en bank the people brick makers; and the quaint
pyramids of yellow clay frequently rise above the tops
Of the cocoa trees. The Bengalees live in matched
bamboo huts, directly on the waters edge, with Il
dense rank wilderness behind them The cocOa-nut
palm the principal tree though the mango also flour
isles and the graceful area is sometimes seen IHe
cotton tree with its showers OF scarlet lllyshaped
blossoms is a most brilliant object, and spendldly stars
the deem green background of the jungle. Tigers are
abundant in these parts, and the river abounis WIN
crocodile but leave India without having seen either
of those beasts The green parrot screamed from the
tops of the palms, brown yultres swept azy through
the air and a few sea-gu skinned the waves, but no
more lerociOus animals met my eyes
About thirty miles down the river, we ran into
handsome three-masted schooner, carrying away her
bowsprt and cutting in twain OF orr quarter-DOats
We went slowly after this, for the ndvlgatlon
was becoming intricate, account of the breadth OF
the river and the frequency of sandbank The shores
being dead level and the jungle with which they are
covered not very lofty they soon sank 10 low green
line either side. aud the native villages ceased AS
far as Diamond HarbOr, about sixty miles below Gal.
cutta there is q good road on the eastern bank, and
telegraph stations at intervals The river here tour
miles broad and gradually widens as we approach the
sea We dropped down to kedgeree, on tie western
bank about sunset and there halted until the next
morning at ten, in order to St James, Bar with
the nood.tde As we were hosting anchor the smoke
Of steamer was deserted in the Ofng, and on nearer
approach she proved to he the TeHGserm, returning
rom Rancoon with Lord Dalhouse. the Governor
General and suite. on board.
While listening to the songs OF the Lascars and
Cinnamon, as they were getting up the anchor, was
struck with the resemblance of one OF their reralns to
one Of the songs of the Nile boatmen The rhythm
was trOchaic trmeter with redundant syllable pre-
cisely like the EddOOkkdn eth50Odd tdya OF the
Arabs The chorus of these Lascars was Peach
"seppanee Bombay-kd !" Give betelnut palms of
Bombay They sang in perfect accord and the air
was really very sweet and meodious The rhythm
was marked by strong accent on the long syllabes,
which seems TO be general custom of Eastern singers
Another simple and common measure with the Hin
docs is: Hathee-par h0Wddh, ghOra par jeen, (the
bowdah on the elephant, the saddle the horse,)
which corresponds TO that OF MOtherwells ballad;
Home came the saddle,
He neyermofe"
We crossed the mouth the river to SsugOr Island
quite sinking the western shore and after running past
its solitary lighthouse and dreaTy tiger unges stood
out for the Sandheads The extreme point OF Saugor
Island believed BY the HindOOs to mark the junction
OF the Gauges With the sea, and they accordingly
esteem il as one Of the hottest spots in India. At
one season of the year they flock hither in great mum
bers for the purpose OF bathing and Offering sacrifices
This was my last view of India, for although
threading the channels of the Sandheads and surround
ed BY the muddy of the Gunga, for two or three
hours afterwards no land was visible About noon we
discharged the pilot aud having fairly entered on the
broad Bay of Bengal headed for Penang
TIE voyage across the bay was remarkably pleasant
There wac profound calm in the air and the water,
ard our progress through il created but faint
blance OF a breeze. The mercury ranged from so 70
/ Incidence
luxury HAD been bruised, jolted, shaken and ex-
cited by my journey through India that the sweetness
OF the air. the repose of te sea, and the quiet move
meut Of our vessel exceedingly grateful aud re-
fIeshing There Only six other passengers. aud
each of possessed entire state-rOO-a great adj
vantage in voyage in the tropical seas. The captain,
red-haircd giant in appearance, one Of the frank
est hearest and most genial of commanders, aud the
other officers were quiet and genemanly in their man.
ners Among the passengers were Sir Lawrence Peel,
Chief Justice Of Bengal and Mr. Dorm, Secretary Of
the Board of Directors of the East India Company
After sailing two or three days across the Bay, to-
wards the Burmese coast We passed one night through
the Cocos Islands of the northern point OF the Great
Andanean. The next day the island of Maroon
dana single volcanic peak, which rises from the
water TO the Light of $500 feet. Its summit was hid
den in clouds and its sides completely covered with the
richest vegetation is singular that little should
be known of the Andaman Islands which lie 50 high up
the Bay of Bengal, almost the route between Cal
cutta and Eurmah The larger island is about hun
bred miles in length and has splendid harbor at its
northern extremity. The East India Company at one
tine attempted to make settlement there but failed
on account of Sickness among the colonsts The na-
tives of the islands believed TO be similar TO those
I Of New-Gunea, though consider them q branch
of tie Negro race II is said that they cannbals
but very little is known of their habits and modes of
/ life.
/ .nnroachip, the nromoutorv of Mal,cca We eaught