The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-20

more tuel you see buried In the ashes. most foul
stencil fills the air. AT all hours Of the day corpses
are brought down, and the unseemly lcvity of the
naked wretcbes who stir up the fuel and more espe-
ciaIly when they show ysu the body by running q
pole into it's side would hasten your departure, did
YOU not arrest your steps to gaze upon the hungry
hock Of ravens and crows and carbon kites who ap-
proach the corpses before the lire has ceased to
burn, within close proximity, 70 seize upon
the least atom saved from the flame. Hundreds
OF them were within few feet, intently peer
ing into the ashes, while the more dignifed ad
utants perched upon the house tops and on the
walls, waiting for their share of the entertainment.
No one molests them, for the birds are sacred and
eat up the filth about the city. When too poor to
boy the privilege Of burning their relatives they
let the tide wash them of the beach some of them
perhaps, before the lite has left the body and they
are hoated of TO sea. have often heard the cap
tans Of ships tell of the bodies foulng the anchors
and the sickeniag stencil that arose in cleaning
them when some half dozen had lodged there;
and whenever I drank the water of the Hoogly,
eaten curry, or fish at breakfast, could but be
reminded OF the shrimp traps and fish bait'' of
which bad 50 many times heard. The engineer
board the Fiery Cross on allnding TO the sub
ject, suddenly taken i'll for his imagination was
stronger than his stomach. have seen little, but
all wish to see, of Indian worship. IL 10 an in
tricate ceremony. Brahm is the paternal ancestor,
the head deity; and be has three sons who oficate
IN their respective spheres Brahma creates, Vishna
preserves, and SILVA destroys, each acting for him.
SELF, and each worshipped for his particular power
three born the millions Of gods that are wor-
shipped through the empire-animal and vegetable,
animated and inanmate, alive and dead, in the
water and On the land. In India everything that
~ born everything that lives everything that dies
represents some emblem Of their religion; and when
and wherever that religion has been interfered with
has given rise TO much bitter feeling and involved no
little danger Sir William Bentinck abolished suttee
or the self immolat Of widows the funeral pile Of
their husbands, and his bronze monument stands
cut in bold relief TO tell you OF the act But 1t would
be difficult to ascertain il IN some instances this prac
nce is not still followed. Although they consider,
believe, a COW more sacred than a woman, yet /
saw q small heifer give up her helpless life TO the
sacrifice. No Governor General has abolished the
forturing customs where devotees go through the
most painful operations, to show their lose OF their
religion and how devout is their worahip; with
irons through the body they swing round aa1 round,
mt down steel instruments, torture their limbs
into the most excrutatingly painful positions, AMI
20 through all the horrors Of the ipquisition.
Next month, in April, some Of those days when
she torture Is the worship will give the stranger the
opportunity Of witnessing that which do not care
behold, for already have seen enough to disgust
ne with the common people, their hahlt5 their GUS
TOMS their dress, their treachery, their Implicitly
and their religion. enk able bodied Chinaman, in
appearance to say the Least is worth half a dozen
natives Of Bengal; for as ace, the former are far
Notwithstanding the troops of native shopkeepers
and tradesmen always lowering about you, there are
plenty OF Europeans ready to take your money.
English tailors English BARRIERS, English hatters
and English jewellers, English hotels and English
druggists all exercise their ingenuity in properly
representing their respective callings. The ex-
change mart, as they term 1t, contains little Of
every thing-a perfect salmag sfndi.
You can purchase anything you please, from an
India rubber coat to penny whistie-from ladys
wOi K box to q gentemans dressing case; and the
prices are moderate bought several beautiful
silver ornaments made by the artisans OF Cuttack-
bracelets, bouquet holders, breast pins and sundry
nicknacks many OF which were OF exquisite work
manship. Just At the present time the exchange is
being cleared preparatory TO the opium sale, which
comes on the 18th OF every month, sight am
sorry shall not witness, for IL ls one of the noted
exhibitions Of Calcutta. The opium from Benares
and Patna is sold here at public auction, by the
Honorable Company, through salared auctloneer,
Catalogues early circulated and the purchasers
from the country are early in town. As Q chest OF
Patna passes like bank note, no sampling or ex-
animation takes place. Looking from an elevation
in the room you see q most extraordinary spectacle
all Rations-sll European races are represented.
In the Stock Exchange and the Bourse you may
see the latter but at the opium sales room only can
you see the grand mixture Of races
Gambling IN q natural vice among the Indians,
and they enjoy beyond anything else the peculiar
excitement Of the opium mart; and II Is the motley
appearance Of the bidders, combined with the con-
fusion Of tongues, and the strong odors that arise
from the perspring crowd that marks the place.
Jews and Gentiles are wild in their manner; and
Greeks Armenians, Persans, mingled in with
native Indians OF many dialects; and Engiishmen,
and all the representatives OF the continent OF
Europe Of Asia and Of Africa, wrough. up TO the
greatest possible excitement by the sharp bidding
and the quick auctioneer, who seems 10 be ubiqui-
tons The bells Of London and o. Paris are not
thr,nced with more reckless men, for the amounts
are heavy and one bid will make or lose fortune.
Much Of the gambling takes place in the bazaar be.
fore the sale. But cannot wst I'll Monday, and
must content myself with hearsay.
IN the afternoon made myself martyr 70 cuti-
osity, and assembled 10 the top OF the 0chterlony
Monument, up SEINE two HUNDRED stone sfeps. l
Bunker Hill, for this treadmill, always mounting
upwards motion, completely paralysis ones legs
mine fairly ached. Once on the summit, yon are
repaid for the task; for here you have the cnhre
city OF Calcutta--the old and the ncw-and the
burbs, for miles and miles, spread out before you
Ia great profusion. With q good glass you may
range over large space Of territory; all the public
buildings stand boldly out and the nat rooted houses
Of the Europeans offer little 70 grow poetical upon
would not form an opinion Of Calcutta from simply
riding through its streets; but after you have yeS
ed il from al elevated position, YOU can but foIm
The conclusion that Il is very much overrated There
are many beautiful residences, 70 BE- sure; but
whole Calcutta has no more right - possess the
high sounding name OF City OF Palaces than
Singapore has 70 be called the +" City of Churchoi,
or Melbourne the City Of Warehouses" Sbangh n
possesses equally extensive mansions. and BATAVIA
many that are superior. Afteryou have enjoyed the
look OF nature and Of 1T your steamer steams to
the mooring al Garden Beach-after You have been
20 Barrackpore, and some VI the ounry seats n
Ballygunqe-after y0u have visited The most a.
tractlve places In the suburbs you shoud ride round
the circular road where the ancient wall and moat
were constructed g. bar out the tobber horsemen OF
the Naharatta; you should spend few hours In
wandering through the native tJsn; yoa should
look carefully st toe dirty, stained, radewed az
pearance OF the city holdings where rain aBd oli
mate have made the painting profession lucrative,
you should notice some 81 The less active Of =.
- 49, Tiwt nwI frtxn Nra4A
20 rocks a cagrion kites and regiments %
adjuiants you should lat the hot red sand look u
ground aud building fully stamp IL influence On
your iancy-you should see all these, and then tell
me IL The simple fact u residences being isolated
and walled IA, i sufficient 70 give Calcutta the name
&c the Palace City. More porperly il might be called
a city % mud ana plaster, where the squsrenese ~
the architecture and the uncean, unsldy look *
the paint or whitewash II the most noticeable. One
thing, however, none can dispute. aud that i toe
greatness Of ts commerce, increasing With every
moon. The march IL empire has changed tie
village Of Indian huts into a city. The little
l..x.a n fra&a has IN ii