ONE of the servants of the house in which I lived, having asked permission to go on a visit to his friends who resided at a considerable distance from Calcutta, Mr B. gave him a week's leave of absence for the purpose. Next day, however, the man was observed lounging about the premises in the most unconcerned manner possible, and, when questioned as to his movements, he replied, "time enough, Sahib, no hurry; it will do to-morrow." He had not seen his family for six months, and, though anxious to visit his home, he indolently loitered away two out of the seven days given him before he thought of moving.

This incident served as a text to me, and, from it, as from a startingpoint, I set about exploring the peculiarities and mysteries of the Hindoo character. The character of a people may be profitably studied on the page of history, but it is more correctly learned in their national customs. If we were to rely on physiognomy as our guide in arriving at a true estimate of the Hindoo character, we should probably be correct in some of our surmises, but we should certainly be wrong in others. Their appearance speaks of nothing but mildness, gentleness, and innocence. But their innocence is indolence, their gentleness-apathy, and their mildness-cunning. Their climate has unnerved their bodies of vigour, and robbed them of all strength of moral character. It has been observed, that even Europeans, who go out to India early in life, become enervated by the climate, and deteriorate both in body and mind. On the plain of Hindostan are millions of effeminate creatures called men, but with

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less real claim to the name than the inhabitants of any other country on the face of the globe. The remark most frequently made respecting them is, that they are children of a larger growth. They are of a light and slender form, weak and puny in appearance, and destitute of all courage. An English sailor in his drunken frolics often scatters, with his single arm, a whole crowd of the natives on the ghauts. It is not to be supposed however, that it is of such stuff as these degenerate Bengalees, that our Sepoys, or Indian troops, are composed. They are generally hill-country men-Rajpoots-fine looking men, of great strength and daring, not unfrequently men of high caste, and sometimes even of the order of Brahmins. But in Bengal, the men-old and young-are boyish-looking creatures, and the old women are like faded girls. To add to their uselessness, they cannot undergo the exertion of thinking. You must tell a servant the same thing over again and again, day after day. It would be folly to expect that they could remember it. The common conversation of the people testifies to the narrowness of their intellects, and the limited range of their faculties. When a group of the common people squat down on their hams to chat together, all their talk is of rice and pice (farthings), rupees and Khannah (dinner); and, among the women, their husbands, I believe, forms a third topic of conversation. A criminal about to be hanged a few years ago, was asked if there was any thing he particularly desired before leaving the world? "Yes," he said, "I never saw a great heap of rupees together; and of all things I should like to have that pleasure before I die."

The indolence so characteristic of the Hindoos, receives an illustration from a common saying of theirs, to this effect-it is better to walk than to run; it is better to stand than to walk; it is better to sit than to stand; it is better to lie down than to sit; it is better to sleep while lying down than to lie awake; it is better to smoke the hookha than to sleep; and it would be supreme felicity to be able to lie down to smoke the hookha, and to sleep, all at one and the same time.

The same truth is evident from the manner in which they now submit to the yoke of a foreign power, and have for ages submitted to one foreign power after another. Were a particle of spirit left in them, they could not so tamely as they do yield themselves up to the domination of foreign conquerors. But they care not what becomes of their country, if they themselves but obtain a subsistence. Inhabiting one of the finest regions in the world, their wants, which are but few, are easily supplied. Two meals of curry and rice, and a few bananas, constitute their daily food; and, as for clothing, they cannot possibly spend above sixpence each annually. But their beautiful climate and fertile soil, though a blessing in one respect, have proved fatal to them in another, by depriv ing them of all physical and moral energy, and rendering them contented with their inferior condition. They seem not to look beyond the supply of their immediate necessities. And the foreigner who will provide for their wants when starving, and take them into his service, becomes to them as a god. Nothing testifies more strongly to their abject debasement and servile submission than such language as this, which has been actually heard from them on such occasions:- "Thou art my God,

for thou hast given me rice, and so kept me alive." Painful as such a degrading feature in their character is, and dishonouring both to God and man, it is capable of further proof. An English bishop was once making a tour of inspection among the Church Missionary Schools in India. On one occasion, his attendants were addressing him as usual in a style of adulation as "my Lord,"-" your Lordship," when one of the youths present, thinking to improve upon this form of address, actually called him "my God." The bishop was of course greatly shocked, and forbade his friends from using his titles in the hearing of the people.

The apathy of the national character is seen in the want of all patriotic feeling and action. Each individual looks to himself and to his own selfish interests alone. No improvement ever takes place unless prompted by foreign advice, or by the promise of foreign aid. It would seem to be the destiny of this country, that it should be preserved from destruction only by being successively conquered. Without the firm governing hand of some foreign power, society here could not exist. It is seen still further, in the patience and imperturbability with which the people resign themselves to inevitable calamities. When any misfortune occurs to them, they soon and easily console themselves with the reflection that it was their fate, that it was written on their foreheads, and that they could not escape their destiny. If their present wants are only satisfied, they seem to give themselves no concern for the morrow, and in the midst of the greatest straits, or on the occurrence of some distressing accident, they will sit down in groups on the ground, to the enjoyment of their pipes, in the most cool and unconcerned manner possible.

As a national characteristic, however, this is most strikingly evident in the contentment with which they submit to British domination, and in the ease with which this vast continent is ruled by a comparative handful of Saxons. The prestige of British power in India, has been sometimes placed in jeopardy by rash enterprizes, but, up to the present moment, it is still culminating. And it is this fact, doubtless, the almost unvarying success which has attended our arms in the east, which has overawed the people, crushed opposition, and evoked at least an external appearance of submissiveness to our rule.

Let us look for a moment at the strange and anomalous position which we hold in that country. Our East Indian Empire is truly a wonderful spectacle-the glory of Britain, and the admiration of the world. That a multitude of nations, containing 150,000,000 of human beings, should be ruled by 40,000 Englishmen,-for that is about the whole number of civilians, officials, and military, belonging to this country in India,—is one of the most extraordinary facts in the present state or in the past history of the world. The only parallel to it is to be found in the few millions of Tartars, who have for two hundred years past ruled over three hundred millions of Chinese. India, however, is held by us, fully as much by moral power as by physical force. And notwithstanding all the abuse which the East India Government continually receives, there must be a vast amount of administrative ability and justice,-great wisdom and talent-supporting the foundations of our empire in the east. It is true that we have three great armies in the three

Presidencies of Madras, Bombay, and Bengal, each numbering about 80,000 men, but the power which has contrived to attach so many native troops to our sway, for the maintenance of our ascendancy in India, is a power which has never been displayed by any other kingdom in the world. What may be the ultimate fate of our East Indian possessions, it would be hard to guess. Our position there being unprecedented in its nature, and our power being unparalleled in its extent, it would be difficult to form any conjecture as to its tenure. The natives say that it was by their ships that the Feringhees or Franks came, and that it is to our ships we shall one day be compelled to retire.

Although there is great passive endurance about the Hindoos, and although they submit to our presence and to our control, believing it to be the will of heaven that we should rule over them, yet there cannot be a doubt as to the existence of much ill feeling in the minds of the people against their foreign conquerors. Notwithstanding the fact that they are now more secure of their lives than they ever were before under their native rulers or under any other foreign power, although rice is cheap, and they enjoy peace, and prosperity, and safety, and the rights of private property are respected, and justice is impartially administered, -and they freely acknowledge these benefits,-yet there is probably not a man in India but would rejoice at the overthrow of English supremacy, and the expulsion of the Frank from Indian soil. But as to taking any steps to accomplish this desired result, seems to be altogether beyond their thoughts. That they leave to the appointment of heaven. Some have supposed that the Eurasians, a large and increasing class in India, will one day give laws to that country. But this half breed, the descendants of European fathers and Asiatic mothers,-whence comes their name, Eur-asians, are characterized by none of the energy of their sires, and possess in abundance the indolence and apathy of the natives.

One very remarkable feature in the mental conformation of the people of India, is their highly imaginative and metaphysical turn of mind. They take the greatest delight in fictitious tales and wild romances, and they believe them all to be quite true. Their fervid imaginations easily enable them to dispense with all ordinary rules of logic, and even with the restraints of probability and common sense. Arabian tales are greedily devoured, are accepted as gospel, and are constantly repeated among them. They thus possess the most distorted, false, and fantastical ideas of the universe. The mysteries of the invisible world have an intense charm to them, and an immensely strong hold upon their minds. Nothing on this subject is too incredible or absurd for their belief, especially when it is asserted with an air of confidence and gravity. Hence in no country in the world are there so many outrageous fanatics, stark-staring-religious madmen, and perfectly sincere and enthusiastic devotees. The tendency of the national mind is to speculate on things of an abstract nature, and at any hour of the day a Hindoo will eagerly commence talking to you about the nature of the gods, and the nature of the universe, and delight in advancing pantheistic speculations and metaphysical quibbles. They seem to derive the greatest enjoyment

from the absurd fables of their mythology. The monstrous fictions, which they greedily swallow, respecting their gods, are a never-failing subject of mirth to them. The recital of the mysteries of their religion is one of their chief diversions, and it would almost appear as if they regarded everything in it as really intended to minister to their amusement. A student of one of the Indian languages thus writes:-"I was once reading to my pundit an account of Siva, with a thousand heads, and a body enwreathed with snakes, dancing in the sky; and I expected that he would see the gross and painful absurdity of it all. But it threw him into an ecstasy of enjoyment. It seemed to him an amiable condescen- sion in Siva to make himself ridiculous."

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Truthfulness and honesty are virtues to which, without any libel, it may be said, the Hindoos are strangers. To listen to themselves on this topic-all are liars, society is bankrupt, and every person is in debt to every other person. If I do not tell lies how shall I get through the world," is a common saying. To listen to Europeans,-the natives calmly rob you while you are looking at them, and cheat you before your very eyes. Should you send a servant with ten pieces of money to the bazaar, to purchase anything for you, he will keep at least one piece to himself, as a sort of commission for his trouble. Strange to say, every servant in the whole country does this, and you cannot get a man who will do otherwise. They regard what they take in this manner as a perquisite, to which they are entitled, over and above their wages. Should you go to the market yourself and make your own purchases, the shop-keeper speedily finds out who you are, and deducts a certain amount from you, which sum he keeps and gives to your servant at another time. You are sure to be cheated to a certain extent in every purchase you make. The sum of which you are thus defrauded is called dustoorie, and the people scarcely think the transaction a sin.

A story is sometimes told in India, illustrative of the universal prevalence of the exaction called dustoorie. An Indian Rajah found that his prime minister cheated him, by taking a commission on every thing bought for the prince's use. The Vizier defended himself from the charge of embezzlement on the plea of prescriptive right, and affirmed that all the prince's subjects did the same thing. To prove the truth of this, the prince called one of his servants, gave him a gold mohur,— worth thirty-six shillings, and told him to go and buy a cow.

"What did you pay for this cow?" demanded the prince, in the presence of the Vizier.

"So many rupees, and so many annas," replied the servant, naming the amount.

"And what have you charged for yourself by way of dustoorie ?” "So many annas."

He next sent another servant with a rupee, to buy a sheep..

"Have you kept dustoorie for yourself from this rupee?”

" "Yes."

He then sent another servant with an anna to buy a few mangoes. "Have you got your dustoorie ?"

"Yes."