Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/169

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atream, the numerous epires and vast extent ofthe city which has a population cf over 600,000. Ti is situsted on a broad piain on the lett bank and but little r-leed above the Hoo” ghly, 100 miles {rom its mouth, and extends nearly five miles along the shore. Abova “Garden Rasch,” au ovr right is the resi- devee of thecx King of Oude. Thegrotcds have @ frontage of helfa mile on the river, and ineluds several deisched palaces vast in siz? and gandy in deesratious. Amorg them is s Mogae, whose gilt dome sur- mouated by a crescent glitters Iu the sun. ‘ Here the King keeps up a muste conrt upen ¥~ + Ww an allowances of two Ines of rupees, $100,000, amonth from the government. Ho is ssid to be a profligate old scamp, with a hundred ov lore wives, and is surrounded by a set of native princca and rejahe, who are alto- gether 2 bad lot. Always notarious for de- bauchery, he kag now becime infamous fer hie vices. Although his income iy over 8 million dollars 3 year he spends nearly double that sum, and rune ao recklessly into debt that tha government kas lately ap- pointed s gusrdian to eheck his extrava- gance.

‘Wa snehor opposite the “‘old fort Ghaut,” an Indian word signifying steps, the public landing, which riees in a bread flight of stone steps fram th? water's edge to the tap of the back, The deck fs Instantly awarm: ing with tke native Bergslese boatmen who ehatter like a letof black-birds. A dozen or more seiza my baggage, hurry it intoa bost and ins few minuYes Tamon the soil of Indiz. As toon as the boat touches the jetty a dozen more of these black fellows, tall and glender, whoee long, lerk arms and spindle lees make them leok Hke a flock of half starved crowe, pounce Upon my trunks, carry them up the steps sud pile them ons gharry. It ia useless to contend, so T quist- . ly subrait, and climb mto the carrlago for

protection. Fhe megpies surraund the gharry, each clamorous after pay for a eer- vice which a single Irish porter ctuld easily have performed in two minutes. Not one of these coolies hag any other clothing than asirip of dirty white cotton cloth arcund the loins. Thad preeured from the pur- Ber of the shipa handful ef copper coin which 1 szatter at random among the erewd and shtut to the driver to go ou, In a guarter of an hour we reach the Great Eastern Hotel,” where I am saluted by another crowd of Coolies seemingly identical with those I