about forty young gentlemen then with me), they could not act the part of ghosts, as they had done formerly, without detection; and one man, who was detected in the act of imitating these nocturnal visitors, received a severe beating from Mr. G., one of my ushers, which probably had a great effect in staying their tricks. However, be that as it may, after the first twelve months I suffered comparatively little annoyance from the fakeer and his tree. Yet each day I could not but recall to mind the words of the prophet,-"They served their gods under every green tree; and under the thick trees they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings."

Of all the trees which abound in Bengal, the banyan is certainly the most noble. When full grown, it covers an area so large that a regiment of soldiers may find shelter from the heat beneath its wide-spreading branches. Bishop Heber says of one, on an island of the Nerbuddu, about twelve miles above Broach,-"Of this tree, which has been renowned ever since the first coming of the Portuguese to India, which is celebrated by our early voyagers and by Milton, and which the natives tell us, boasted a shade sufficiently large to shelter 10,000 horse, a considerable part has been washed away with the soil in which it stood, within these few years, by the freshes of the river, but enough remains, as I was assured, to make it

one of the noblest groves in the world, and well worthy of the admiration which it has received." As the branches of this friendly tree extend, fibres from them drop downward, till, reaching the ground, they take root, and become stancheons to support the boughs which gave them birth, and increase in magnitude as the branch needs support, until the tree itself forms quite a grove, having hundreds of stems and stocks, all united by continuous branches, affording shelter and support to numerous classes of monkeys and parrots, who sport and chatter in its upper regions; whilst the weary traveller and his beast, or a whole caravan and their attendant animals, may find a cool retreat from the piercing rays of the mid-day sun beneath its shade.

With much delight I have contemplated the wisdom displayed in the arrangement of trees, &c. in this and other parts of the earth, by the great Creator of all things. The cocoa-nut tree affords no refuge from the sun; thus the danger is avoided which would otherwise be incurred, if beneath its shelter, the weary pilgrim should seek repose, by the fall of its hard, weighty fruit: whilst the banyan and others, whose umbrage courts repose, produce small berries, the fall of which can endanger no one. And a tree is found in the deserts of Upper India, whose branches spread somewhat in the shape of a fan; and the trunk of which being pierced, produces instantly about a wine glass of clear refreshing liquor, nearly

as tasteless as spring water, but participating slightly of the flavour of the liquor obtained from a green cocoa nut. I saw one or two specimens of this tree in the Honourable Company's botanical garden, which seemed to thrive remarkably well. Beneath the shade of the banyan, the missionary frequently addresses the listening crowd of idolators; and there the Brahmin often holds his school. Several of these curious trees are found in the botanical gardens, one of which is the largest I ever saw; and as great care is taken that its shoots and fibres are not cropped by cattle, it grows more rapidly than those which are constantly exposed can be expected to do.

The Brahminy bulls are very fond of cropping these trees, and where many of these animals are ranging about, as is the case in Calcutta and its suburbs, very few large banyan trees can be found. The cow is a sacred animal with the Hindoo, and is worshipped with great veneration. Two of their principal deities are represented as seated on a bull, viz. Sivu and Parvuti. Yet, notwithstanding this professed veneration, I have often been grieved to witness the barbarity with which many of the hackry drivers treat the poor cattle which draw their vehicles. Sometimes their necks are most dreadfully wrung and galled by the wooden bar against which their humps press. Still no mercy is shown by their brutal masters: should they flinch from the yoke, an excruciating pang from the twist of the tail makes them spring forward

again; and whilst the rude wheels creak beneath the heavy loads imposed upon them, their cruel master sits perched in the front, with his chin upon his knees, inhaling the smoke of a well-charged hubble-bubble, which he holds with one hand, while he tortures his beasts with the other. On many occasions the rich natives turn loose a bull calf, branded with a particular mark, which denotes that he belongs to Siva; from that time he is a holy bull, or, as he is generally called, a Brahminy bull. Wherever he strays he meets with no molestation. To strike one of these animals is an enormous sin, and no Hindoo would on any account incur the penalties denounced against those who in the least degree misuse them. Hence they help themselves pretty freely to the grain, &c. which is exposed for sale in the bazaars, till most of them are as sleek and fat as well-fed oxen.

Some few years ago they multiplied so fast in Calcutta as to become great nuisances, and the authorities ordered a great number to be transported over the river to the Howrah side. This was done, and boat-loads of them arrived at the Ghaut, and were landed amidst the acclamations and salaams of the natives. But in a short time the whole of them were found in their old haunts round Calcutta, and then an inquiry took place to ascertain who had been wicked enough to transport them back again, the authorities forgetting that the widest and most rapid rivers are crossed with ease by the horned cattle of India. I was crossing the

Hooghley one clear moonlight night, just at the time of low water, and observed something swimming and blowing at some little distance, and making towards me. The first idea I had was, that it was an alligator, so I raised a bamboo oar upright, ready for action should he attempt to board; but just before he came in contact, one of the boatmen cried out that it was one of Siva's bulls, and we passed without fear. Instead of a bellow, they make a grunt something like a fat hog when disturbed; and oftentimes fight most severely, so that it is no uncommon thing to see them with only one horn. A remarkably docile one used to frequent my premises, and was a great favourite both with the young gentlemen and the servants, the former of whom would now and then mount on his back, and have a short ride. One evening, when I was over the water in Calcutta, a heavy storm came on, which prevented my return for some hours after the specified time at which I had ordered the syce to bring the horse to the Ghaut to meet me, so that when I landed, which was between eleven and twelve o'clock at night, I found no syce nor horse in waiting. As the roads then were not made puckah, they were remarkably dirty, being completely saturated by the shower which accompanied the storm. Whilst I stood ruminating on what was best to be done, the pet bull came by, and the idea immediately occurred of mounting him and riding through the mud. This I did, and at a very slow pace the animal carried me safely