Late in the month of January, 1819, we marched from Canterbury to Chatham, where our horses were taken from us, and our saddlery and arms carefully packed for a long voyage. We lingered here about a week, at the termination of which the route arrived; and an easy journey of eight miles carried us to Gravesend. There lay two fine Indiamen, the "Atlas," of 1200 tons, and the "Streatham," of 800; on board of which we were appointed to take our passage: and soon after midday on the 7th of February we were all, with our baggage, embarked. I need not describe the scene of discomfort and confusion which greeted us.

Even when she is not the bearer of troops, an Indiaman, making her last preparations for the outward trip, is, of all sea-going craft, the least inviting; and when to her ordinary lumber is added the presence of several hundred soldiers and their effects, the confusion is increased fourfold. Nevertheless, in the present, as in other instances, the inconveniences to which we were subjected soon passed away; and a considerate captain, and abundance of good cheer, rendered us not merely contented but merry.

I am not going to entertain my readers with a transcript from the ship's log; nor yet to describe what has been described a thousand times already,--the order of a landsman's life while voyaging from Gravesend to Calcutta. We had the usual alternations of foul and fair weather, and we had--or believed that we had--more than one narrow escape from foundering; once by reason of some neglect in stopping the hause-holes, through which the sea broke with resistless violence, and again, when in the tropics, we were taken aback in a heavy squall. At the crossing of the line Neptune and his train paid us their accustomed visit. Then was the ceremony of shaving gone through. Then were fire-engine, water-buckets, and slush-barrels brought into play. Then were men's tempers tried,--without in any case failing them,--and mirth and revelry kept the ship for a season in an uproar. Moreover, flocks of Mother Carey's pretty little chickens followed us round the Cape,--the huge albatross did not disdain to visit us,--and a bird called the booby, lighting on our yards, permitted himself to be knocked down with a stick or with the hand. Why should I speak of sharks, flying-fish, or dolphins,--why try to convey to such as have not looked upon the scene something like an idea of the tropical ocean, as well when it is calm and quiet in its might, as when the hurricane sweeps over it? All these are matters on which I cannot think of touching,--partly because they have no novelty about them,--partly because to be rightly understood they must be made the objects of men's outward senses; not offered as material on which the imagination may employ itself.

Neither is it worth while to go into a minute detail of the little accidents which befel in the course of our voyage; or the sports and amusements by which we cheated it of its tedium. We had men fall overboard and get drowned. We had one case of suicide,--where the victim of her own headstrong temper was a woman. We had a death or two, followed by the committal of the bodies to the deep; and we were all much solemnized as we watched their downward progress. On the other hand, the ship being supplied with a very fair band, it was our custom of an afternoon to get up a sort of universal ball to the sound of its playing. On these occasions the officers and other passengers, of whom several were ladies, used to dance on the quarter-deck; the ship's company did the same thing on the forecastle, and the soldiers and their wives footed it away merrily in the waist. On the whole, therefore, we got on pleasantly enough. Nor let me forget to mention the degree of respect which was invariably paid to the Lord's Day. As often as Sunday came round all hands,--seamen as well as soldiers, arrayed themselves in their best. They then assembled, at a given hour, upon the quarter-deck,--the soldiers occupying one side, the women and children the other, the seamen standing towards the booms, and the cabin passengers close to the cuddy, that they might accompany the captain, who, with great solemnity and reverence, read the morning service of the church. Neither did our sense of what was due to God's Sabbath end there. The day was a day of rest,--as much so, at least, as the nature of our situation would allow; for no more work was imposed upon the seamen than was absolutely necessary; and we were universally left to our own meditations.

In this manner a certain number of months ran their course, during the progress of which we not only never planted foot on shore, but never once cast anchor. It would be contrary to truth, therefore, were I not to acknowledge that we were getting heartily tired of our confinement on board of ship, when one day a voice from the masthead gave the joyous announcement of land on the starboard bow. There was an immediate rush to that side of the vessel, and hundreds of eyes wearied themselves in the endeavour to realize the promise which the look-out man had given. But the coast of Bengal, especially about the mouth of the Hoogley, is, as all the world knows, flat as well as barren; and though the breeze blew in our favour, and we steadily moved along, a good hour elapsed ere from the deck symptoms of what we sought could be discovered. At last, however, the glitter of a gilded pagoda in the sun attracted our attention. A loud and joyful shout rent the air; we heartily congratulated one another on the prospect of a speedy deliverance, and walked the deck for the remainder of the day in the highest state of excitement.

The anchor was dropped that night off the Pagodas, for the first time since our gallant crew had heaved it in Portsmouth harbour. By early dawn next morning we started again, and tiding along, found ourselves by-and-by abreast of the wild and tangled island of Saugor. How shall I describe the succession of wonders which from that time forth put in claims upon our attention? In the first place, every object on which the eye fell, the herbage, the buildings, the boats, and the people that manned them, had about them a character to which the mere power of novelty gave an indescribable interest. The first boat that boarded us contained four men, all black as ebony, and naked, except that a girdle was round their waists. These were regarded as persons of a very humble class, and we were right; but the next cargo that arrived bore themselves with so much dignity, that we felt as if we were in the presence of some native princes. They wore long loose robes of very white cotton, large turbans begilded and otherwise adorned, and moved about with a step so slow and measured, that it was impossible to divest oneself of a feeling of restraint, as often as one stood near them. My astonishment may therefore be conceived, when I saw one of the ship's officers seat himself on a gun-carriage forward, and a native prince produce an enormous razor and set about the process of shaving him. Neither did the matter end there. The same grave and reverend personage, after completing this process with the third mate, offered, with a profound salam, to give me a specimen of his skill, to which, with a laugh, I submitted. I had never been so well or so pleasantly shaved before, and I stuck to my original barber for several years afterwards.

The Hoogley becomes at a short distance from its mouth so beset with shoals and sandbanks that the large Indiamen are compelled to cast anchor; the passengers and goods being transferred to vessels of more inconsiderable bulk, are in them conveyed as far as Fort William. It was on the third day from our arrival off the Pagodas, that we got into a couple of brigs, which, taking advantage of every turn of the tide, bore us slowly on our way. Nothing could be more delicious than that voyage. The river becoming narrow as we receded from its mouth, introduced us to a succession of exquisite landscapes, every feature in which was to us as captivating as it was novel. Here embowered beneath the branches of the clustering banyan, over which would rise the stately stem of the cocoa-nut, might be seen some mosque or pagoda, or it might be the country-house of a native of rank; there a cluster of huts overshadowed by rich foliage, which was all strange to us, and therefore beautiful. Then again the country, though universally flat, was clothed in a livery of the freshest green; for we reached our destination in the very middle of the rains, and the verdure of the East, during the rainy season, is exquisite. But I must not continue these details; Indian scenery, like the scenery of other regions, must be seen, either in reality, or on the canvass, to be estimated aright. All the descriptions in the world would not excite in the reader's mind one distinct idea, wherefore I cease to weary him and myself by any further efforts to accomplish an impossibility.

There is nothing so tempting nor so dangerous to the European on his first arrival in the country as the fruit which is pressed upon him by the native dealers. A long confinement on board of ship, during the larger portion of which no luxury of the sort has come before him, gives additional value to the odoriferous poison in his eyes; and unless he shall have been forewarned against it, and possess over and above a large share of self-control, he is sure to eat in more than moderation, and to suffer. I ate, and I suffered; for the day before we reached the landing-place I was in a violent fever.

If you are ever taken ill in India, you are not, in cases like this, kept long in suspense as to the probable issue of your complaint. I was in bed with a raging fever one day, on the next I was sufficiently recovered to disembark with the baggage; and proceeded though not without a good deal of suffering, to take up my residence in Fort William. The fort itself is a magnificent structure, well defended with broad ditches, and covered by a succession of works, on which many heavy cannon are mounted. But the circumstance which attracts, in a principal degree, the stranger's admiration, is the exceeding care which is taken to keep it clean and well ventilated. Every day the sewers are washed out and sprinkled with quicklime; while, ere sunrise, the sweepers are at work, not only as often as occasion seems to require, but much more frequently. Moreover, the inmates of Fort William have other than human guardians of their health, so far, at least, as health is liable to be affected by the presence or removal of putrefying garbage. Every body has heard of the bird called the Adjutant, which walks about, respected, and therefore tame, and feeds upon carrion of every sort, from the body of the mouse up to the human frame, of which numerous specimens are, every tide, washed down the Ganges. A strange-looking creature he is--that Adjutant--with his bald head and his ashen-gray wings, and his portly form lifting his bald head nearly four feet above the surface of the earth. And then, when the heat of the day comes, away he goes into the skies, ascending so far that you can observe only the shadow of his form in the sunbeam.

The Adjutant is greatly respected by all classes of people, neither is he much of a plunderer; but this is more than can be said for a species of hawk which also frequents Fort William and its vicinity in great numbers. Nothing can escape the quickness and the daring of that depredator. If a cook pass from the cookhouse to the barracks, he will dart down upon the basket which the man carries on his head, and take possession at one swoop of its contents. Indeed I have seen a hawk fairly fasten upon a bone which a soldier was picking, and wrest it out of his hand and from between his teeth. Neither is the fort free from the visits of troops of jackals, which make their way through posterns and lower embrasures after nightfall, and break the sleep, besides awakening the fears of strangers, who have not become accustomed to them. The jackal, however, at least as we find hint here, is a very harmless and timid animal. He will run away with whatever morsels of animal food your own or your attendant's carelessness may have left in his way; but he never ventures to look man in the face, and flees from the barking of a watch-dog.

The buildings within the fort are very commodious and handsome. Besides some noble barracks, capable of containing at least 3000 men, and casemates where a like number may be lodged, there are the houses or apartments of all the functionaries, such as the governor, surgeons, storekeepers, chaplain, and so forth; with a church well-built and exceedingly commodious, an arsenal, and magazines out of number. I believe that the fort itself mounts, or is capable of mounting, 1000 pieces of cannon. It is likewise well stocked with small arms, shot, shells, powder, and other munitions of war; and is enriched, besides, with a very curious collection of native weapons, all of them taken during the progress of the struggles which raised the power of England in the East to the height which it now occupies. Then again the bazaar, portioned out into all manner of departments, and abounding in every article of which either native or European might be expected to stand in need;--the vegetable market, the fruit market, the stalls on which clothing was spread forth, the tables of the money-changers, and the money-changers themselves calling out, from amid their bags of gold, silver, copper, and shells, invitations for the visiters to deal with them; all these sights and sounds, and many more which I have not now leisure to describe, even if I minutely recollected them, kept both the outward senses and the inward thoughts constantly employed, and sent me home, day after day, full of wonder.

Nor let me forget, while endeavouring to convey to others some idea of the sort of impressions which a first acquaintance with Calcutta produced upon myself, to make mention of the style in which we, private soldiers, lived, and the degree of deference that was paid to us by the natives. For example, having reached our quarters greatly fatigued, and seeing a number of cane-bottomed beds or sofas arranged round the room, I slipped off my clothes with all speed, and throwing myself on one of them, soon fell asleep. I did not awake till about four in the morning, when there was a great bustle in the place. For a whole troop of natives entered, swept and washed out the room, spread some tables with nice clean cloths, and by-and-by brought in breakfast. Meanwhile, I went in search of my clothes; but, lo! they were gone. I inquired for them eagerly, and was yet in considerable alarm, when an Hindoo stooping down, began to unlace my boots; and before I could well conceive what it was that he meant to effect, they were both stripped from my feet. Well, thought I, if we are to pay for all this attendance, the king's allowance will not go far to keep us; but as I saw that others resigned themselves freely to what seemed to be their fate, I too gave way, and the natives held their course. The result was, that without any trouble to ourselves, we found our clothing and accoutrements cleaned, a sumptuous breakfast spread forth, and nothing more required from us but that we should partake, at our ease, of the goods which the gods provided. Exactly as the clock struck eight a dozen cooks entered, followed by as many servants, all of them bearing on their heads baskets of savoury viands, and with stewed steaks, eggs, white loaves, butter, and coffee, before us, the fault would have been entirely our own, had we failed to fare sumptuously. So it was likewise at dinner time. We had no trouble--no anxiety; for the same attentive natives once more covered our tables with every thing which in that climate is either usual, or accounted a luxury. I must confess, that my astonishment knew, at the outset, no bounds. Yet, it is marvellous how soon we become accustomed to usages, which, when first seen, surprise--or, it may be, vex us. I had not continued long in India ere not these marks of attention alone, but others of a more equivocal nature, were received by me as a mere matter of course. Certainly the Indian soil is that in which luxurious habits grow with a rapidity unknown elsewhere.

We had not been long at Fort William, ere Lor Moira, then governor-general, reviewed us; and we received orders to proceed to Cawnpore, whither we were to be transported in boats. I had never been in perfect health since we first entered the Hoogley; and now the sickness broke out on me with such violence that I was removed by the Doctor's direction to the general hospital. For eight-and-twenty days I continued in such a state, that my life was despaired of;-and the origin of the whole was my own imprudence in indulging too freely in the fruit of the country. Thanks to an excellent constitution, however, and the careful nursing which I received, the crisis of the fever passed, and I recovered; though not till my sufferings had taught me the lesson that the folly of an hour in matters affecting the body as well as the mind, not unfrequently lays up for him who is guilty of it, days, or months, or even years, of useless self-reproach.

I was still an invalid when the regiment embarked in the boats, which were to convey it by the channel of the Ganges to Cawnpore; and being unable to move, the doctor caused me to be carried in a palankeen, and lodged with the sick in the hospital barge. Of the commencement of the voyage, and of the circumstances attending it, I am therefore unable to speak, except upon the report of others. But long before we reached Dinapore, which is accounted, I believe, the half-way station, my health came back, and great was my enjoyment in consequence. I have certainly not much to say in commendation of our transports, whether allusion be made to their seaworthiness, or to the extent of accommodation which they afforded. Wretched affairs they were, being, like the country boats in general, almost on a level in their deck with the stream, and in every pore pervious to the water; no pitch being used in caulking, the loose cotton is soon pushed aside, and then through all the seams the water makes its way, giving ample occupation to one man in baling, and to another in the fruitless endeavour to stop up the yawning chasms with fresh material.

The current of the Ganges is, during the rainy season, very strong. Whole fields--do not mean the produce--ut the very soil of the flat country on either bank, are swept away by it; and if, as not unfrequently happens, the wind set in an opposite direction, the swell becomes tremendous, and the danger to the navigator is great. More than once it seemed to me that the destruction of the frail bark in which we had taken our passage, was inevitable. Yet the Bengalees are in their own way skilful navigators, and by some means or another they contrived to carry us through all our difficulties. Once, I remember, even they considered themselves in a very delicate plight. We arrived at an enormous lake, or inundation. The wind blew a hurricane--the waters were white with foam, and the very means of making fast the boats were wanting. After a good deal of hesitation, our crew faced the danger, and their gallantry carried them through; but there were other barges there which would not venture to follow the example, and these suffered severely. Happily no lives were lost; and we all arrived the same night at Dinapore.