The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-11
due course Of time to become the judicial and exeeu.
tive ruler of aOm0 lar diatr,ct

due course OF time to become the judicial and exeeu
tive ruler Of some large district
The wealth Of the city has always Moved into the
hands OF merchants and officials, VINO hasten homo
buildings and the fort and few onartabe instiiu-
49, therefore, but little to be The fort
IS or very great extent, mounts 800 guns, contains
three or Jour churches anu great many blocks OF
barracks anu stocShonses, ana Is supposed TO be
work of great strength. 1t IS surrounded by broad
moat and TO get inside 1t has to pass over ssy
eral drGwbfldges aud through two three covered
archwaYs. The garrison consists Of whatever Euro
pean troops may he stationed 10 Calcutta, togetner
with several regiments OF Sikh sepogs. Many pco-
pie suppose that somewhere In precincts II the
famed Black Hole; but this Is mistake, as that
was IN The Companys old factory In what Is now the
business section OF the city ana disappeared some
1ILy years ago. There Ia, however, q suoIerraaean
passage upwards OF mile IN length whlea cominu-
nicates With the Government House SO that tho
Governor II threatened with any peril can at once
ensconce himself IN q place OF security. But no
one Is allowed to explore this passage without the
special PERMISSION OF The authorities.
Every one who comes TO Calcutta goes as matter
OF course 10 SEQ tue '5even Tanks the residence OF
Hindoo gentleman, three miles IRON Lne city,
and when is courteously thrown open TO the pubic.
rue grounds are very carefully kept, and boast a
rhinocer0s and some fish, tame that like those OF
Berlin, they eat out OF your hund. But the house
itself Is far more interesting Very large sums OF
money have been expended IN making it worthy
expression OF the wealth OF It's owner Ine walls
adorned With many really good paintings, aad the
rooms are filed with costly knlck knacSs picked up
durln0a VISIT In Europe It's however, curious TO see
how strangely Hlnd0o cultivated taste has arranged
these various treasures. A valuable OIL painting.
JowI with CHI ap French print q aLiic At the MAJ 4.
Diile;" handsome and artlstic clock wOrta some
four or Ave thousand francs, standing beautiful
BUM CABINET, IS nanked on either side b. smali
bookcases, whose shelves are occupied by cheap ana
dnapida!e1 English novels, tbs spons or London
boOkstalls.
Calcutta has q very handsome cathedral and
bishop who gets the moderate snpend or $4,000
year. heber was once bishop OF Calcutta, aud MS
remains now lie In this cathedral beneath meiao-
rial slatue OF himself, which bears the pie
scrlptiOn, "lleber'-a very striking contrast 10
the trunpet-tongued tablets that cover the Walls OF
the church near by.
From commercial point or view Calcutta is,
beyond all douo for The present. the busiest city
India bombay Is running neck and neck with ner
IN the annual trade statistics and last year mad
sterling the advantage; but ai4 Oo50oo or
xloO0J,OuO or the imports OF Bombay are not ner-
Cnandlse out specie. 10 pay Tor cotton. There can
be no ooubt thas III wealth and commerce Calcutta
Is the first city in India What her population Is It
Impossible 10 estimate correctly. mo last
celsus made 1t only 100000; but ii Is, IN
lavt, probably nearer loo 600. In extent
sac IS, about two miles square; one side
fronts the Hoogy, and canal runs around TIE
other three, moving ut eacn END into the river.
he assessed value OF tbs real estate wAtcn about
two-tnlrS or tue real value IS lN lac3 (5,U0J 900,
ald the municipal revenue twenty Laos (sl.oJo oJo.)
ihefe Is bitter lear always iurSins In the nliud
OF Calcutta nlasnate tnal ct some time or otief
the ioogly VIII ailt up, 30 that some 1ne inolniug
people Will lind Their communication with the sea
cut on. rhi uneasness has lasted for many many
years DUNG which the channel mas bccu INSTANTLY
changing; but navigation Is no moro dilIcu,t tuan
IL has always been. But the foOgiy may, OF course,
close up aud when one secs the molly waters IL TIE
Gauges. charged as they are with sacred mud IL
seems almost surprising that they should now ALL
Sone smart spectators few yeas ago, on tao
strength OF this ALARM founded port some twenty
mlles lower down the river, ut place called Can
ming and announced their intention OF dlvertng lhc
Whole trade Of Calcutta TO tneir settlement. snares
III the c0npany-for, OF course, the thing appeared
In the shape of company limited lauuity-were
eagerly taken up, and at one time rose to rdleu-
lousy hign price. Experience however, has shown
tNlL Wlike III CdIcuLtil Involvement she Ds
OF access 1t is possible to iye at the now rort Caa
ming 1t Is only possible TO die. The ships consigned
there lost almost the whole OF their with lever
IN lew days; even sailors, reckless as Lhey usually
are, deserted their vessels rather than s5af rnere,
ana the company Itself has lost its stan over ana
over again. The Soadelbunns, as the mouths OF the
Gangetic delta are termed are only hap.@hle Dy
tigers and niggers. It is now clear that europeans
can exist ut no point OF the river lower LDan
the present site OF Calcutta. SHARES IN the Port
Canning Company have sunk to a Terc nominal
rate.
Life in Calcutta reaches a high standard
OF specific gsyety. Onlc,as and merchants,
OF whom the white population almost eA-
clusvely consists, seem to think That the tcuufe
both OF existence and wealth IL on douotlui basis,
AM, therefore resolve to make the most OF the
snine while IL lasts. Dinner partics balls aud ex-
travagant personal luxury OF every description are
almost the sole ann ana end OF an ordinary calcutta
iile: OhlciaIs as rule. are 10 consequence neaviy
In debt and the merchants Of Calcutta eajoy but u
doubtful reputation for STABILITY, though tney have
not yet sunk III this respect ~ the level OF bombay.
during the not season. when the government ana
Tie Governor General have together removed "
Snlla, away up In the liimalayas, and whea ia. IN
clement heat shuts everybody up In their houses be-
tween an hour after sunrise and On hour before st-
SET the tone OF the place Is comparatively du i; bat
1t L. perhaps. hyeiIer tnan most other Eagsl clcs
would be under the same conditions. And the grand
'.socla ceremony" Of Calcutra-tbe evening dave On
the strand and the stroll about the band
the same sacred regularity as ever. There
Is scarcely merchants CLERK In Calcutta who does
not Keep buggy, and at I'VE or six O'Clock, whsa
the heat OF the DAY has finally passed, every Euro
pean in The city who Is In coed health and WHOSE
morse Is not sick, turns out Tor SPIN" Neither
cattle nor vehicles would make much OF show Oh
tAe Lloomingdale road, but sucn A. they are they
are made the most OF. Ana then after hail aoat
drive most OF the carriages draw up at the gates Of
begins Tor all those young ladies vino, Lav ns
proved too poor or too plain or too '1ast' Tor tao
English market, have been shipped 10 India 10 taNc
Their last chance or "going on"
No one should leave Calcutta without eyporln.
the native quarters OF the town. or AZ any TAX
Ing stroll through one OF the bazaars. Wna1 he
VIII see VIII be an Instructive commentary upoa the
oStentatIous wealth OF the dominant race lnd Inc
few lucky Hindoo noolemen and merchants Nto
have checrfnliy accepted the British ruie 1hat
India has always been the same theatre OF oppres-
sion Is no doubt true; but there must DC
great difference between being bea : or harden
for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF an Amen race aud making
the same eyea greater sacrifices for tile beneug
born prince" especially when the gains OF laes
latter were expended In elduriag monuments Oh tue
national latin anu genius.
How wreScEed 1tny and miserable are the novels
OF the native poor only appreciated by per-
sonai inspection. inc dwellings, consist neraly ot a
few poles! supporting a roof OF tliatcn. Ihe sides
arc projected from the wind and rain by matllag
There are no windows, taoagh tnis bat of little
consequence as the front 10 generally left open.
Inc moor is OF carth Beyond a few copper chattics
and two or tnree mats there IA no furniture. Every
house IS used as a store Oh some KIND, tie goods
being exposed on a lew planks. In extent ines,
erectons are, perhaps on an average ten To fifteen
feet square, anu each one IL the home Oh six or
more oil human beings. Tue dirt Is inuescribapie
anu tae stencil dsyustingly offensive. On the street.
In front these dwellings, perhaps one OF Lne most
common sights tnaJ can be witnessed are a cougie
OF Hindoos freeing each otners hair from yormil.
THIS Is Tue happg coalition OF ninety -nae per cent
OF the 200 900, COO OF India.