George Turnbull (1809-1889): Autobiography: Chapter 4

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Chapter 04. 1851. (pages 106-120). East Indian Railway.

1851. The first part of the line having been let under contract to Messrs. Burn and Co., whose managing man was Henry Burrowes, they were making preparations to commence as soon as we could give them possession of the land. I should have said the first part was let to Hunt, Bray and Elmsley; namely, the short portion from Howrah to a point north of Chandernagore ; the second part was let to Burn and Co., from the end of Hunt’s contract to a place near Pundoah, the whole distance being about forty miles.

January. On the 29th a letter came to me from Mr. Lushington, dated the Z4th, giving possession of the first piece of land for the East Indian Railway. 'Phis was an event of some consequence, as it solved the problem at last, and allowed us to make a beginning.

At this time there was some difficulty experienced as to the proper and best line on which the railway should be made. The sketch line originally made out was a line almost parallel with the Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Delhi; it was rather too obvious that the line was modelled oft' the Trunk Road. Most likely there had been no time to make trial surveys, or explore or search for any better route. This map was made, I think, in 1846. The objections to the direct route so indicated was, that it passed through a poor country most of the way, with no towns of importance until reaching Benares ; whereas a line going closer to, or up the valley of the .Ganges, would go through Monghyr, Bhaugulpore, Patna, Dinapore, Arrah, and other important places.

February. I was able to satisfy the Government that a line to Pundoah was common to any line that might be adapted, and so that was sanctioned ; and also a line to the Raneegunge coal fields must, in any case, be adopted, in extension of line to Pundoah. This latter received formal sanction on the 7th February, this year.

Major Kennedy was anxious to travel over the route along the side of the Ganges for some distance before he went home, and I was equally anxious to have, at any rate, a cursory view of the country; and so after due and careful preparation for such an arduous journey, we started from Serampore in three dak palkees at seven a.m. on the loth, the Major in one, I in the other, and Mr. De Cruz in the third. De Cruz being a native of the country, spoke the languages like a native, knew the country very well, and made himself very useful. I had a good opinion of him then, and long afterwards, but he turned out to be a rogue at the last, as shall be told hereafter, if I have patience and perseverance to continue this true story.

We had two “ banghies ” each, with provisions and clothes, intended for a long journey. Arrived at Kishnagur at twelve p.m., sixty-two miles from Calcutta,

Arrived at Bherampore on the iith at six p.m., at Rajmahal at eight p.m. on the i2th; Rajmahal by this route 196 miles from Calcutta. Travelling all night, arrived at Bhaugulpore at eight p.m. on the. 13th; at Monghyr at noon on the 14th—307 miles from Calcutta. Arrived at Patna at 5.30 a.m. on the 16th.

We left Patna for the Soane River at ii a.m., and arrived on the river bank in six hours ; distance, twenty-five miles . pace, four-one- sixth miles an hour. Stopped three hours examining the river and its banks, with a view to the proposed bridge. The Major was very curious as to the width of the river, and as I had a pocket-sextant with me—“ Troughton and Simm’s best,” and a 66 ft. tape, we soon measured a base line of about 20 chains in a rough way, and took the angles to a stumpy little tree on the opposite bank, making out the distance to be 5,350 ft., as noted in my book, which turned out to be very nearly correct when the cross sections were taken afterwards. The bridge, as built, is a very little short of one mile in length, or 5,280 feet.

We arrived at Patna again at seven a.m. on the 17th. The same men carried us there and brought us back; there were extra men, that is, in place of eight, there were twelve men to each palkee. The total distance was fifty miles, done in twenty hours, including a three hours’ rest at the Soane. The men, so far as I remember, were not at all distressed, but quite happy with their extra backsheesh.

After a visit to the city of Patna, its bazaar, and Mr. Pigou’s warehouse, where he deals in saltpetre, and other things, we started for Calcutta in our palkees, going south by Gyah to the Grand Trunk road, arriving at Serampore at six a.m., when I stopped at mj" home, and the Major and'De Cruz went on to Calcutta. This was on the 22nd, and so the journey was accomplished in twelve days. We slept in our palkees all the time, except one night in the dak bungalow at Bankipore.

able trip, and none of us were over-fatigued.

From Calcutta to Patna, by Rajmahal Patna to the river Soane, and back .. Patna to Gyah . .

Gyah to Dunwah on Trunk Road ..

Dunwah to Calcutta

This is nearly sixty-seven miles a day, including stoppages.

Next day was one of long conference with Major Kennedy and Mr. Stephenson about the best route; my opinion was strongly in favour of a route by Rajmahal and the valley of the Ganges.

Met Carnegie Boswell in Calcutta, z4th February. He had taken his passage in the “ Queen,” to go home by the long route round the Cape.

March 7th. Kennedy introduced me to Major W. E. Baker, the newly-appointed consulting engineer to Government, and we all dined together at Stephenson’s.

Took young Price out of the Martiniere to-day and brought him to Serampore, intending to bring him up as an engineer.

A very fine young man, W. Kinder, who was living with me in Serampore, was thrown from his horse on the i gth, and received some severe contusions, from which he never recovered. He was nephew of Mr. Smith, of Pearce and Smith, of London, much esteemed by all who knew him ; he would have made a good engineer, but it was not to be.

Mr. Marshman was then at Serampore, and very friendly; he was / then in full vigour of body and mind, editor of the “Friend of India,” in close converse with Government officials in Calcutta—a / very influential man in those days.

May. The work of searching out the best line up to Ranugunge was now carried on, and very hot and fatiguing it was in April and May, riding, and in palkees. Purser and Evans and I rode many miles, and settled on the best line we could devise.

Thermom. in shade in verandah, 104° at three p.m.; inside the house, 96°. 29th May.

The Bishop of Calcutta, Daniel Wilson, came to Serampore to reside about this time. Dr. Webb and I had got a house for him on the esplanade, beside the old Danish flagstaff’, with a fine view of the river, and Barrackpore on the other side.

The Bishop came out in 1832. He preached in the chapel the next Sunday; Mr. Eville was then chaplain. About forty people were in the chapel.

June. Thomas Leahy, who was a great help to me—was in charge at Chandernagore—became very ill, and went off by the “ Pacha” steamer to Singapore on the 13th June.

Mr. James Hunt, the contractor, was now living at Serampore. Mr. Marshman used to give dinners, and a note says: Hunt, and Mr. and Mrs. Bray, Mr. Buckland, &c., and I, dined with him now and then, Archdeacon Pratt, and officers from the barracks, on the other side of the river. It was rather hot work; the men wore white jackets and trowsers in those times.

16th. Breakfast with the bishop at Mr. Marshman’s. Dr. Webb ill, and did not appear. The bishop asked Marshman if he did not think it would be an excellent thing to have another bishop at Agra, which was a little wickedness on the part of the bishop, as he knew Marshman was a strong Baptist. Marsham am not a member of Parliament, and so am questions, or give opinions.”

The plan of Howrah station sent in on the

24th. Slator and Cubilt Rundle came and stayed all night, and M. E. Daniel came to dinner. Daniel was a pleasant fellow; he was then chief clerk, or secretary in the agent’s office. Some years afterwards he left the office to go into business on his own account. He was unfortunately drowned in the river at Rangoon, stepping into a boat from the ship’s side ; he missed his footing, slipped into the water, and was never seen again.

26th. Rode along the line with Daniels and Bray, and stopped , at Chandernagore, where Major Havelock was living, in Johnson’s Hotel. Visited Mr. Fox in the French prison; he had got into some squabble with a French sepoy, and the French authorities took him into custody and kept him in durance for a few weeks. He had comfortable quarters, and seemed rather to enjoy the fun of the thing.

July 7th. Left Serampore with Major Baker on a tour of inspection ; first night slept at Chandernagore ; next day along the line on horseback with W. Evans and Burrows, and slept at Pundooah dak bungalow. The Major had a fall from his horse on the Trunk Road, near Naksa, but was little the worse for it, and rode on all right next day. icth. Rode along the line to Burdwan ; examined site of bridge over the Banka Nuddy. i ith. Rode along banks of the river Damoodah, with Major Baker and Lieut. Impey, examining the experimental works for preventing the river from washing away the embankments. The plan was merely driving in rows of bamboos, twelve or fourteen feet long, into the sandy banks at right angles and sometimes parallel with the stream, and tying the tops together. This method was evidently doomed to failure, as the event proved. It was altogether too weak, ajjd the work was soon washed away.

sand, to divert the course of the stream and throw it off the embankments, but that was not tried. About 6,000 ft, of the river was protected with these bamboos.

Rode along the line during the next few days with Baker, sleeping at the various dak bungalows, Bood Bood. Purser joined us, and we settled about the river Tumbah crossing, stopping at Kyrasole, then Buktanuggur, river Singarrow, and Banscopa, where the bungalow intended for Purser Avas nearly finished.

17th to Mungulpore Colliery; women working a gin for raising coals; they all seemed Avell fed, fat and merry; they had brass bangles on their legs, or ankles, bracelets, nose rings, &c., and very slight clothing.

We came back by Palkie, stopping at Bufdwan, where I arranged with Purser about dividing the Avork into districts and other matters. Reaching Serampore at 9 a.m. on the 22nd, having been aAvay a fortnight, and did a good deal of work.

29th. A letter arrived from Thomas Leahy, dated Singapore, 28th June, sajing that he Avas to sail for Sydney, NCAV South Wales, next day.

30th. The steamer arrived at Calcutta with the mails, always an important event, as it happened only once a month in those days. Letters came from my brother William; from Sibella, my sister, Mrs. Cleverly, Hong Kong, dated 18th June; Richard Thomas, 19th June; J. M. Rendel, F. Burr— English letters, dated 17th June.

Mr. Ballard and Mr. Higginbotham arrived by this mail with letters of introduction. Their object Avas to see whether they could arrange a contract on behalf of the great English contractor, Mr. Brassey. They took a very unfavourable vieAV of things. The season of the year Avas against them, and they reported accordingly to Mr. Brassey, and he took no further steps about it. This, I thought then, and think still, Avas much to be regretted, as it would have conduced so much to the progress and rapid execution of the Avorks to have had them in such experienced hands ; and very likely it Avould have been a saving of money in the end.

August nth. Started Avith Higinbotham and Ballard to inspect the works, and they to see the country.

13th. We all breakfasted at Mugra Bungalow— viz.. Glass, Higinbotham, Ballard, Burrows, Goldsmid, and Paddy Bourne. Next day to Burdwan, and remained there a few days writing out specification of works, and settling with Evans and Purser about the works, and arrived at Serampore on the 22nd. I was unwell next day, and Mr. Sheridan soon told me it was an attack of dysentery. Restless and uneasy; three blisters on the abdomen, and no less than twenty-six leeches. 29th, Sheridan thought me in danger. Sent for Dr. Webb to consult with Sheridan ; and they thought a sea voyage would be the best to try, if I could be moved. Dr. Webb was very kind, and took me down to Calcutta, when Mrs. Webb received me most kindly.

September 2nd. My birthday—not a very lively one ! Sailed in the “Andrew Henderson” steam tug for a short trip to the Sandheads. Lieut, (now General) Beadle was also a passenger. 6th : arrived at Calcutta again, and to Dr. Webb, who pronounced me much better; but that I must make a trip to Ceylon, and, accordingly, I sailed in the “Oriental” on the Sth—Captain Powell. Reached Madras on the 13th and Point de Galle on the 18th. Mr. Bracken, the Collector of Customs at Calcutta, was one of the passengers, and he and I started next day by the mail coach from Point de Galle for Colombo. Left Point de Galle at 5 a.m., reaching Colombo at 4 p.m.—distance seventy-two miles. The drive is a beautiful one, a great part of the way through a grove of cocoa palm trees; the road nearly level and smooth and in good order. Breakfast at a place called Bentotte, a “ rest house,” about half way. Many beautiful flowers and shrubs, Gloriosa Superba growing wild—at least that was the name given to it by Mr. Bracken. There are many pretty villages on the way, and the people looked comfortable and well-to-do. We were amused with the sight of some dining in spring carts, with a small bullock trotting along at a good pace—they certainly kept up a speed of six miles an hour at the least.

Remained three days at Colombo, and enjoyed walking about inhaling the fine fresh sea breezes. A clean, quiet town. Dutch fort and other massive Dutch buildings. The races were about to take place, and so we could not get places in the coach to Kandy the ancient capital.

Met Mr. Piper from Melbourne, Australia. He had been a squatter, and was returning to England with a fortune ; also Mr. Vassa, an Armenian, a very clever intelligent man. Drove out with Bracken and Piper to see a Booddhist temple, about eight miles from Colombo. No great architectural beauty', but a fine figure of Bhord, of white marble, in a reclining position ; my note-book says about twenty-five feet in length.

Bracken and I returned to Point de Galle on the 22nd, just in time to catch the “ Hindostan,” which was lying in the harbour. Met Mrs. R. M. Stephenson at the Hotel at Galle on her way out to join her husband at Calcutta.

Embarked in the “ Hindostan,” Captain Harris, and sailed on the 23rd. The fare from Calcutta to Colombo and back was R4S0 ; for native servant, R115, making in all R568, or about £^6 for the trip. Captain Sewell came on board at Madras. General Whish was a passenger from Ceylon, he was then in very bad health.

29th. A strong gale of wind, with thunder and lightning, and rain. Meteoric lights appeared on the mastheads about 9 p.m., first on the truck of the mizzenmast, then on the main and foremasts. The wind shifted from N.W. to W. and S.W. The ship’s head was turned round, sails all taken in, and she ran before the wind.

Next day the wind went down, and ship again on her right course; no doubt we were on the skirts or verge of a cyclone. Arrived at Calcutta on the 30th.

October. Went ashore and breakfasted with my good friends Dr. and Mrs. Webb, and R. B. Boswell called and congratulated me on my escape. Then to R. M. Stephenson, who had got into his new house and office, and dined with him and Mrs. Stephenson. Conferred with Major Baker, then over to Howrah with Fox.

2nd. Rode with Slater, Major Baker, &c. along line, and inspected progress of creosoting tanks at Balli Khal, and so on to old quarters at Serampore, having been away a month and eight days. Dr. Sheridan thought I was in a very dangerous condition, and so did Webb. Purser told me that that they never expected to see me again.

George Kinder died at Calcutta on the 28th of August, about twenty-five years of age. He died of dysentery, and I was then ill with the same complaint. They did not tell me of it for fear of distressing me unnecessarily. I lamented his death and felt very sore about it, as I was in some way the means of bringing him out. He was the only son of his mother. A most amiable, intelligent young man, clever, and of extraordinary active habits and, most genial kindly disposition. His uncle was Mr. Smith, of the Copenhagen Hill Tunnel contract, whose books he kept and whose affairs he managed to a great extent. He was my assistant in the Serainpore office for some time, and did an immense quantity of work. He had a fall from his horse and never seemed to have recovered from the effects of it.

The following is a Table of the Temperature at Colombo, Ceylon, for the year 1850 :—

The abovi

in Colombo. It is remarkable as showing that there is a variation of little more than i° throughout the year. Occasionally, it is said, that the variation is under i° throughout the year.

October. Four assistant engineers arrived on the 20th of this month—namely, George Sibley, W. T. O. Palin, William Elliot, G. R. M. Elliot.

I arranged that Sibley should go to Chandernagore pro. iem.; Palin and G. R. M. Elliot to Evans at Burdwan, and William Elliot to Purser, on Remugunge District. Elliot did not like it, as he was in the same rank as Purser on the Great Northern Railway, but it could not be helped.

On the 6th, a letter from my brother William, saying that he had purchased Huntingtower for ^12,000, which seemed a very good bargain.

There was much discussion about this time as to the best wood for sleepers, great fears being entertained that the white ants would prove a source of great trouble and devour the timber in a short time. A large creosoting apparatus was brought out from England and erected at Balli Khal, with the intention of impregnating the native timber sleepers with the muttee tH or mineral oil from Rangoon. This proved only partially successful, as the sal wood, which was the chief kind of wood employed—and, in fact, the only wood that could be got in large quantities—was too hard for us to force the mineral oil into it to any depth. Also the mineral oil, which came in leather bottles from Rangoon, was viscid and untractable, and we could not give it sufficient fluidity.

The sa.1, as I have said, is the principal wood, because it can be had in large quantities, although the great demand of late years for railway purposes has very much diminished the supply. An excellent wood, hard and tough ; it is heavier than water, the rafts coming down the river require buoying up with bundles of bamboos. The weight of a cubic foot, from various experiments made by me at Serampore in 1852, is 64.7 lbs., water being 62.5 lbs. or 1,000 ounces.

Sal is said to be stronger than African oak, both as regards transverse strain and torsion. It is much used in shipbuilding and boatbuilding, and next to teak is certainly the most useful Indian wood. No doubt teak is the best for sleepers, but it is too expensive.

Experience showed that we need not have been so much afraid of the white ants, for they cannot stand any tremor and the passing of trains so shake the sleepers as to disturb them in their operations, and soon stop them altogether. They work under a cover of earth or clay, which they make for themselves on the surface of the wood which they intend to devour, and so protect themselves as in a tunnel or canopy in the most ingenious manner. Whenever this is disturbed or injured they cease working, but will begin again when the disturbance ceases. The “ sap-wood ” of sal is very perishable and soon decays, but the real or internal wood is very durable, so that sleepers made out of a young tree of twelve inches diameter, split or sawn in two, soon decay where sap-wood exists, but those cut out of large or roughly-squared logs, w'here there is little or no sap-wood, are very durable.

There are a great variety of woods in India. The following is a list of them, of which I have specimens collected at Moorghyr :— Teak, Sal, Sissoo, Assoon, Sitsal, Ebony, Morvah, Cuttahar, Kermah, Latorah, Byhara, Beejasal, Mangoe, Kussumber, Jammoon.

Next to sal the sissoo, perhaps, is the most serviceable. A tough, strong wood, something like our ash timber, much used for spokes and fellies of carts and naves of wheels, and some other similar purposes. Assoon also is good, but not so much in request as sissoo.

Immense quantities of sal sleepers were obtained from the Nepaul forests, mostly furnished by Mr. Herschell Dear, who took large contracts for supplying them, and executed them well. But the demand exceeded the supply, and in the end all deficiencies were made up by importing creosoted fir timber sleepers from England, and these have been found to answer every purpose, and are nearly as durable as they would be in England.

Strange that it should be profitable to carry timber from the banks of the Vistula and other parts of the North of Europe through the Baltic and the German Ocean to London, land it there, pass it through the creosoting apparatus, and then send it out to India round the Cape of Good Hope, land it at Calcutta, and send it i,ooo miles, and sometimes more, when it is placed on the railway in the shape of sleepers.

The Bishop, who was now living at Serampore, got together a committee for managing church business at the Old Danish, now the English Church. They were to meet every week. The committee consisted of Seville, the clergyman on the station, Messrs. Hunt, Cashman, Harcourt, and myself. The chief business was the raising subscriptions for repairing the building, which had become somewhat dilapidated. We all contributed, and the Bishop induced me to contribute a pulpit, which cost over R300. He was an excellent adept in the art of making people contribute, in fact it was diificult to refuse him as he put the matter, and on the whole I do not think he led any one to contribute more than he was able to give.

2 J st. Over the line with Major Baker, the Government consulting engineer, inspecting the works, which were now going on rapidly. Mr. Lushington (Charles Hugh) was appointed Agent, or rather the Commissioner, for acquiring possession of, and handing the land over to the Railway Company—a very good but somewhat pompous man, very painstaking, and, as I think, most conscientious in all his dealings with the natives.

Very heavy rain on the 23rd, which cooled the air down to 76°, making it pleasant and cool.

29th. Dined at Mr. Marshman’s with Captain Sherwill, and had a long talk about the route by Rajmahal. He had surveyed all that district on the Revenue Survey, and had much information to give. It was not then decided whether the line should go to the N.W. provinces by the Ganges Valley line or by a direct line as originally proposed in 1846.

Tenders for the new works—eleven in number—came in on the 31st. Mr. Stephenson came to confer about them; we then dined at Mr. Marshman’s.

November 4th. To Calcutta to Mr. Stephenson’s office, and we settled about the contracts: giving Sections A and B to Jackson, a short length near Pimdoah; Sections C and D to Ryan, between the last and Burdwan; Sections E, F, G, and H to Bum & Co.; Sections I, J, K, L, M, N and O to Hunt, and Emsley, up to Raneegunge. Slept that night at Slater’s home at Howrah, he was very poorly, and had clear indications of pulmonary disease.

7th. Met Bray and Emsley at Stephenson’s, and all matters were settled about their proposed contract; the firm was Hunt, Bray and Emsley. This was their first contract of any importance; they did not make much profit out of it, but they gained much valuable experience in Indian work ; eventually they all made large fortunes. Hunt and Emsley, some years afterwards, took the Jubbulpore Branch Contract, which made them rich, and Bray went over to Bombay and obtained a large contract on the Great Indian Peninsula Line, which made him rich also.

15th. Richard Thomas was staying with me at this time, and I enjoyed having him, and took him over the line on some of my frequent tours. He went away on the 22nd as first officer on board the “ Poppy,” an opium clipper bound for China.

December. There was some difficulty in making arrangements with the French authorities at Chandanagore for leave to go through the settlement there, which was, and still is, French territory. The matter was very soon concluded by Lord Dalhousie, then Governor General, who directed the line to be made outside the French boundary, which was easily effected by a slight detour, and all was made on British territory, including the Chandanagore Station.

On the I st I left Serampore on a long journey, to explore the country between Burdwan and Rajmahal, to select a line and to have trial levels taken; no easy matter, as we had no reliable maps to go upon except Tasson’s, one eighth of an inch to a mile, and Joseph’s map of the River Hooghley. Major Baker was with me most of the way from Burdwan. Left Burdwan on the 4th—the party consisting of Major and Mrs. Baker, Wm. Evans, De Cruz, and myself, all fully equipped, with tents, carts, coolies, and much bag and baggage.

5th. Encamped a few miles North of Surrool.

Sunday, the 7th. Spent the day at Elam Bazaar, on the River Adjai.

On the 8th William Elliot went home by P. and O. Steamer, being, as he said, tired of India, which was a great pity, as he was an able man and a good engineer.

12th. Reached Synthia, where Captain Sherwill was encamped, breakfasted with him and Mrs. Sherwill and his two sisters. We then mounted our elephants—the first time I had ridden on one, but not the last time. Sherwill and I were on the same animal; he kindly came a day’s journey with us to point out the country, and I enjoyed the whole thing exceedingly. Sherwill was excellent company, and all were in good spirits. In the course of conversation he mentioned Perth, and I asked him if he knew any one there. He said he had a friend there, James Morison, a Glassite— that he was a Glassite himself as well as his brother James, and told some amusing anecdotes about Perth and James Morison.

13th. Encamped at Doomra; the preceding day we had stopped at Suggendar. The march was along the eastern edge of the jungle on the verge of cultivation. There was abundance of wild fowl; we shot some whistling-teal. Here, we were told, were bears and occasional tigers, also leopards, hyenas, wolves, and we were certain of jackals, which were a nuisance in the night time. Some partridges met with also.

Sunday. Halted at Mullarpoor.

I Sth. We were at Mohaishpoona, a large village in the jungle, picturesque, with fine mangoe-trees, banian-trees, and cotton-trees, on the right bank of the River Bansloe, about no yards wide. Interview with the (jungly) Rajah of Sooltanabad, who lives here with a rabble of retainers. He promised us the loan of an elephant.

19th. Very long wearisome march of twenty-eight miles, going right and left zig-zag across the country, examining, as well as we could, east of Pakour, along edge of Jheels, immense flocks of wild fowl—the beautiful bird called the cyris, with light-fawn- coloured feathers and red bill, stands about three and a half feet high, very graceful in its movements ; herons, snipes, and innumerable paddy-birds.

20th. Reached our camp at Downapore, on the right bank of the Ganges, at 2 p.m., tired and hot, having been seven-hours on the elephant.

We then worked our way by Begumgunge, for eight hours over jungly ridge, and down to the indigo factory at Oodapore, then along the dak road by Ooduanallah to Rajmahal, and pitched our tents close to the old ruins of the palace. Rajmahal is a long straggling town or village nearly four miles long, in a wretched condition on the whole, trade seems to have left the place to a great extent. There is now a ghur or sand-bank dry between Rajmahal and the Ganges. The river changes its course and channel from time to time in a marvellous way. It will probably come close to Rajmahal at some future time—it may be next year, it may be twenty years hence.

On the 25th, being Christmas-day, we were at Musaha, west of Rajmahal, on the edge of an immense jheel. We went on as far as Sikragully, and I resolved to return and start Evans on the levelling and taking a section from Rajmahal downwards, as that seemed as much as could be accomplished this season. Major Baker parted with us here, and went on to Colgong.

27th, being Sunday, we were glad of a rest at Rajmahal. Mr. Pontet, the Superintendent of the Southal District, encamped near us, an amusing man; long in India, speaking Bengali and Southali languages like a native. He had a fire in his tent very ingeniously managed. He showed us a gold watch presented to him by Lord Dalhousie (Governor General), in recognition of his services. He was the brother, as he told us, of the famous Pontet, the cigar and tobacco merchant in Cockspur Street, London.

My notes, written on the spot on the above date, say “Rajmahal is a long straggling town, nearly four miles long, built on a low ridge of earth and stones. The Ganges has left the town opposite, which is now a sand-bank. The old Mahommedan Palace, now in ruins, is a very extensive building, built in a square, or rather rectangular, form, and seems to me about as large as Somerset House in London.” An English burying-ground in the palace enclosure has a monument in memory of a youth who died on board a steamer going up the Ganges.

There was no architectural beauty whatever in the ruins of the Rajmahal Palace, merely masses of brick walls, roofless, with curious passages in them. A large part of these ruins were ultimately handed over to the Railway Companj' by the Government, and were demolished and converted into ballast. Several miles of the line were thus provided for. The Calcutta newspapers took up the subject, and made a fuss about destroying interesting historical monuments ; but there was really nothing destroyed that was worth preserving.

29th. Left Rajmahal en route for Calcutta. The only way, in those times, was by palkee dak, round by Bherampore, and my palkee was put on board a native boat, which took me to Aurungabad for four rupees. Passed Oodanullah on the way, where there is an old bridge over the nullah. This place was the scene of a battle in the early days of British India. In 1757, Sooraja Dowlah fled up the river, after the battle of Plassy, in a small boat, in the hope of overtaking Mr. Law, the French officer whom he had dismissed at the mandate of Clive. But he never succeeded in joining him and his two hundred men and officers. Serajah Dowlah, the dethroned Nabob of Moorshedabad, landed at Rajmahal to prepare a meal, and unfortunately went to the hut of a Fakeer whose ears he had ordered to be cut off in the previous year. The man immediately gave information to those who were in pursuit of him, and he was conveyed back as a prisoner to Moorshedabad eight days after he had quitted it, and there assassinated on the night of his arrival, by order of Meerun, the son of Meer Jaffier, a youth said to be as heartless and abandoned as himself. Mr. Pontet insisted that Serajah Dowlah was captured at Oodanullah by Clive’s soldiers, but the above is the way the story is told byMarshman in his history of India. The conflict at Ooda, or Oodwanullah, was, I believe, between Clive’s troops and Mr. Law’s men on the retreat of the latter, but I have no books of reference at hand to settle the point.

Landing near Mr. Andrew’s indigo factory, where I was hospitably received, I soon got sixteen bearers for the palkee and started for Moorshedabad, or rather Bherampoor, the British military station adjoining it. Moorshedabad, the former capital of Bengal, is still a large town, with many fine mosques and temples and the Nawab’s palace, a spacious and imposing edifice in the classical (Greek) style of architecture, built not long since, by and from the designs of Colonel , of the Bengal Engineers. Being only of brick and plaster, and not kept in good repair, it has, or had then, a mean appearance about it.

The barracks at Bherampore, a short distance to the south of Moorshedabad, and on the left bank of the River Bhangiruttee, are of immense size, said to be capable of containing ten thousand European troops. They were then (1851) quite empty, but kept in good order. Two spacious and comfortable rooms were appropriated for use as a dak bungalow for travellers.

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