ded by British officers, and a native seldom
attains the rank of a commanding officer,--not because he is incapable
of performing this duty, but rather because the English do not trust him
implicitly.

[Illustration: SIKH CAVALRY MAN.]

The bulk of the people belong to the Arian race, as we do; with the
exception of the complexion, which is a little darker, their features
are the same as ours. Occasionally a Hindoo may have red hair, but never
blonde hair and blue eyes. Comparing the higher and the lower classes,
the complexion of the former is lighter, and their bodies are better
built and statelier than those of the lower or laboring classes, who
also have a darker skin. The English language is used at the court and
in all official circles, and the men of the higher classes among the
natives speak and read English.

The plain of Bengal, in which Calcutta is situated, is triangular in
form, each side being about one thousand miles in length. It is bounded
by the Bay of Bengal, the Indian ocean, the Bay of Persia, and the
Himalaya mountains. The soil is very rich, and, having been cultivated
for thousands of years, it still produces two or three fair crops a year
without fertilization or proper cultivation. As the Nile in Egypt
deposits a rich sediment over its valley, so does the river Ganges carry
from the mountains a whitish, slimy silt, which it deposits during its
annual overflow in the plains of Bengal. This silt is a great
fertilizer, and thus nature supplies what poor husbandry fails to
provide.

It is not my intention to give a description of India and its wonderful
people, but simply to give some pen pictures of scenes and incidents
which came within the range of my observation and experience during the
year and a half which I stayed there. I shall therefore ask the reader
to follow me on my daily walks of life as well as to some of the fetes
and entertainments where I was a guest, and on my travels through the
wonderful country. I had a chance to come in contact with all classes,
as the rank to which my official position entitled me not only opened
the doors of the palaces and temples to me, but also paved my way to the
humblest houses.

[Illustration: STREET IN CALCUTTA.]

India has over five hundred cities. Of these Calcutta is the largest,
and has a population of about eight hundred thousand. It is called "the
city of palaces," but only certain portions of the city deserve that
name. Owing to the w