Ir is not without reluctance that the author of the
following pages ventures upon the hacknied assurance
that they were "not intended for the public eye,"-
and yet in their original form such was strictly the case. For their
present hazardous appearance, however, he will seek neither excuse
nor shelter behind "partial friends" or "indulgent critics," but
trust to a brief explanation of the circumstances and motives which

tempted him into print, for pardon and indulgence.

Some nine years gone, in fulfilment, as the work states, of an old promise, he indited, for the amusement of a revered parent, a lengthy, and very rudely embellished epistle, (which, from its inconvenient extent, he was induced to copy and stitch up in the form of a small pamphlet) descriptive of Anglo-Indian domestic life in Calcutta, in so far, at least, as his limited observation and crude notions at that time enabled him.

Nearly a sufficiency of time had elapsed for the writer to forget his epistolary labours, with all their transgressions, when he was awakened to a recollection and a sense of them both by being informed that his "Sketches had been going a tour" of friends in London, Wales and the Isle of Man.-The recollection, or rather the newly created sense of their manifold blunders, the desire of an opportunity to correct them, but far more the anxiety to carry out a thought which had suggested itself of effecting this object in a manner which, by substituting Type for Quills, should at once be more acceptable to failing powers of sight, and stand as earnest, at least, of a desire to do honour, however trifling, to a beloved parent, were the sole incentives to the perils of publication. The possession of a private Lithographic press, which would enable the author to make the labours of the book as exclusively as it was possible, the work of his own hands, and so add to its interest in a Mother's feelings, offered another feature to the temptation.

The absence of any other mode of executing illustrations in India need hardly be explainto an Indian community-but home English readers may not be familiar with the fact of the almost non-existence of the fine arts in this country;-engraving for other than cards, nameplates and small maps, being unknown. Had the motive, therefore, for exclusive labour not even existed, its necessity would not have been the less in force.

Scarcely, however, had the first eight pages passed into type when death deprived the

author at once of the best of parents, and of the only reward he had desired for his laboursher gratification.

Thus disappointed of a fond hope, it was only left him to complete and dedicate to her memory that which had been intended should contribute to her amusement. Should the issue of his task, (the labour of hours snatched from other duties over the protracted space of eight years) be deemed worthy such an end, the writer will not have lost all reward :-if otherwise, his regret will be, not that of the author, but the son, whose offering has fallen short of that which was due as memorial to one whose excellencies fell not short of anything which could adorn and grace

THE MOTHER.

WITHIN two months of the original issue
of this little work, the author, to his surprise,
was called upon to prepare a second and
larger edition. The first form, accordingly,
had just been re-completed when letters from
England urged its publication at home, with
the advantages of London skill and material,
and the beauties of wood Engraving in place of
the coarser and difficult medium of Lithography.
The issue of the attempt was a vexatious failure.
Accident threw the work into the wrong hands;
and the result was a series of engravings, the
majority of which were inferior to the author's
own rough lithographs.-Circumstances at this
time taking him home, proceedings were stayed
till his arrival. But in vain. There was no re-

medy-and no recompense-except "dear bought
experience," and the opportunity which was
afforded of personally forming a more satisfac-
tory artistic connection in behalf of another and subsequent
publication. But the London edition of the present little
work was, at the sacrifice of considerable cost, abandoned.
For various considerations the Calcutta Edition, however, had
only been reduced in number, and not relinquished. It was
therefore to be resumed on the author's return
to India; but as a
task of this kind

could be pursued only at times of leisure, and a variety of circumstances continued altogether adverse to that leisure, the prosecution of the work was delayed during the protracted period -a break which may readily be detected between pages 80 and 81.

of six years, It is probable that other indications of this hiatus will be discoverable than those which belong to mere paper and type, and the retention of the juvenile character of the original composition; but they will, it is believed, arise more from something like an antiquated air which the absence of that modern tone, and of any reference to various modern features which have been created by the Rebellion of 1857-8, than from any serious deficiency or inaccuracy of facts. The memorable events of that Rebellion, and the vast political changes they have wrought, appear to cut off what may be called old India-India under the "time honored" rule of the East-India Company, and modern India under the sceptre of Queen Victoria, by an indefinite and great gulf.

Though, however, life in India, generally, has doubtless undergone various mutations which might be anticipated as the fruit of the great "Revolt,"-domestic life, with which, principally, these pages are concerned, has been unaffected by it, except by the raising of rents,—an addition to our municipal staff of the Tax gatherer,-by some changes of feeling, far less to be marvelled at than regretted, between the European master and native servant—and in various matters of economy which are occasionally remarked upon in foot notes in the latter pages of the book.

But the changes induced by the course of social improvement, which will likewise be observed to have occurred during the past two years, are remarkable, and demand such notice as record of events and revision of the text, alike require. India has not only ceased to be the El Dorado of early days, but, in a measure, the Terra incognita of a much later period. The "gorgeous realms of Ind," though still their

"Fiction and fancy" have been roughly scared from the soil. Its romance, culminating in the terrific and appalling, has been followed, after dramatic fashion, by the sudden re-rising of the curtain upon scenes and doings-men and manners of modern comedy, or 'work-a-day' life. Even the voyage to our shores has been robbed of its terrors and cut short to a month's duration. To one who now travels by the stormy cape,' full half a score take their tickets 'via Paris' and Marseilles for Malta-roll in First Class' carriages over the Desert, and are driving on the strand of Calcutta ere, probably, the long sea voyager has reached the Equator in the Atlantic!-Railways, stimulated by every requirement and prudential consideration, are fast traversing the land in various and extensive directions. The East-India Railway, with the Howrah terminus of which Calcutta is now connected by its Ferry and Station,' already carries the traveller uninterruptedly as far as Bhagulpore. On the city side the Eastern Railway is fast progressing in its line towards Dacca.-The Electric Telegraph stretches its attenuated arms over the whole length and breadth of the land, and far beyond it into Burmah. -The dim and wretched oil lamps, which erst made 'darkness visible' in our streets, have given place throughout the town to the brilliant Gas-burner, which seems rapidly obtaining admission into our private dwellings,-to the comfort of their inmates,-the economizing of cocoa-nut oil, and hence, it is believed, grief and displeasure of the house Bearers!-The old and cumbrous Punkah, delineated in the text, has given place to one of far lighter, more neat, and equally efficacious form-a single pole with a deep fringe,-a modern innovation upon old methods of raising the wind' which is no grief to the house Bearer.-The number of ships which now bring the welcome Ice supplies to our shores has increased from two to eight, and sometimes

same.

ten in the year!-Side paths, and some of them pavemented, are being added to our city roads ; handsome corrugated iron porticoes, extending over their breadth to shop doors, attract and protect the visitants, and extensive Drainage works have been at least commenced-but when they will be ended seems not so clear.-The rickety old Kuranchee' has somehow-and no one knows how-vanished from the view!-and its place is supplied by a description of palkee garee, known as the Dum-Dummer,' to which the unfortunate ponies have been transferred with only an increase to their suffering-because the more tempting conveyance leads to an increase of imposition on their strength. In connection with them, however, it is gratifying to mention one other long-hoped-for step in our social advance-the establishment of a 'Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals;' and amongst the more important means to this end is certainly the formation of good roads, towards which, efforts, however slow, are at least in progress, as some justification for Taxes that have been laid upon carriages and horses.-With the influx of Europeans of mixed classes into the country, Hotels of various degrees of respectability have increased in number. Wine and spirit merchants, also, (an advance in the wrong direction)-have more than doubled theirs-but, as some consolatory "bread to all this sack," Provisioners and Confectioners, and indeed other trades, have done the In addition to large Bakeries at Howrah, extensive biscuit manufactories are rearing their lofty chimnies and European-like fronts at Seebpore on the other side of the river; and there, also, with its clock tower, as though indicative of the marvels which time and machinery are effecting amongst us, is another in progress, and the first enterprize of its kind, for the preparation of aerated bread, at the rate, we are led to expect, of 3000 loaves a day. Travelling by dâk palkee, on all the great public roads, has been nearly superseded by carriage conveyances belonging to three different Dâk Companies :-The Tea cultivation in our provinces of Cachar and Assam is in the full bloom of success and prosperity-the produce actually bringing higher prices than China teas of the same quality :-The oft-mooted question of Brewing in India-that is for Bengal-remains much as it was;-nothing has been done, but in the North-West Provinces very much has been done." There ought (says the great Times') to be no obstacle in the way of Indian Breweries," on the ground of belief, as implied elsewhere in the same article-that " turnips and primroses could be grown in India as naturally as Indigo or Poppies ;"-and the North-West has in effect responded to the compliment by the successful production at Kussowlie and Simla of the hop plant. The produce, however, not being in sufficient quantity for the demand at the Kussowlie Brewery, which is declared to be a very successful speculation,-supplies are, it appears, obtained from England-and the beer and porter brewed have been thought by one North-West writer to be better adapted for this climate than that brought out from home! At Simla, also, a Brewery we are told has very lately been opened, larger than either of those at Mussourie and Kussowlie, and the experimental Hop plantation in connection with it has been successful. The produce of these places, however, has not reached Calcutta; but for our city consumption, though Bass and Alsopp hold their ancient supremacy and heavy rates, other home and less expensive Brewers are pressing successfully forward.

6

What else may press forward ere even this reach the public eye-what other local changes in the condition of a city and community in a state of rapid transition, it is impossible to anticipate; but with the Train to whirl us into the mofussul, or to the hills,--with hydraulic Punkahs that, with economy, are to cool us night and day without ceasing, and Khuskhus Tatties that are self-drenching, and all without manual labour;-with the promised and perfect drainage of our city, the streams of limpid water that are sometime to come down to us from the springs in the Kurruckpore hills,-and, in short, with the innumerable other springs of comfort that are to arise around us-the unnumbered appliances floating either already in our coming ships, or in the brains of the ingenious-the enterprising and the speculative-Indian life ought indeed to undergo those changes which shall bring all that may be barbaric-and half that is oppressive, to an end.