rtion to the east.

WRITERS' BUILDINGS

Occupying as it does the whole of the north side of Dalhousie Square
has been changed and altered out of all knowledge and recognition. It
was formerly, before Government took it over, a plain white stuccoed
building utterly devoid of any pretensions to architectural beauty,
and depending mainly for any chance claim to recognition on its
immense length. Its blank, straight up and down appearance was barely
relieved by several white pillars standing out rather prominently in
the centre of the building. It used to be occupied by shops and all
sorts of people, merchants, private residents, etc, etc. Some of the
rooms on the ground floor were let out as godowns. I lived there
myself for some months on my first arrival in Calcutta, and very
pleasant and airy quarters I found them. I recollect in the early
morning quite a number of small green paroquets used to fly all about
the place, and their incessant chatter and calls to each other made it
very bright and cheery. My rooms were on the top floor at the extreme
west end, next to where the Council chamber is now situated. I also
had in addition a very good dining room on the first floor. When the
Bengal Government acquired the property they erected an entirely new
facade of a totally different design from the original, built the
present long range of verandahs and Council chamber which they
completed in 1881-1882, and also threw out from the main block from
time to time the various annexes that we see abutting on to Lyons
Range.

[Illustration: _Photo. by Johnston & Hoffmann_ Frontage of Writers'
Buildings from East to West.]

[Illustration: _Photo. by J & H._ Distant view of Writers' Buildings,
taken before the Dalhousie Institute was built.]

Of course most of us know that Writers' Buildings in the days of Clive
and Warren Hastings was the home and resting place of the young
civilians on their first arrival in Calcutta, and who were then
designated Writers, from which fact there appears little doubt the
place derives its name.

One of the very earliest street alterations and improvements that
comes to my recollection was in Canning Street, just at the junction
of Clive Row, on the space of ground extending from the latter for
some distance to the east, and north as far as the boundary wall of
Andrew Yule & Co.'s offices, leaving but a narrow strip of a lane
running parallel to the latter and affording access to China Bazaar