HOURS IN HINDOSTAN.

BY J. R. ADDISON.

THE TANK.

It is not an unusual practice in Bengal to bring up the children of your servants under your own roof, and, training them to servitude from their earliest age, make them, as soon as they are old enough, parts of your establishment. Natives thus brought up are not only found to be in general the best servants, but also the most attached. The wife of Tom Saunders, a good-hearted fellow, who lived in Writers' Buildings, had reared from extreme childhood the daughter of an old ayah (a nurse), who had died in her service. The girl thus brought up was about fourteen years of age when I first visited the family; and certainly, if ever I saw a beautiful native, she was the person I should have pointed out as that being. Her manner was mild and modest, her form perfect. Her love for her mistress was a something bordering on adoration; no wonder, then, that Mrs. Saunders prized her almost as her own child.

Some of my readers may not be aware that the Writers' Buildings of Calcutta stand in a part of the town called Tank Square, from the circumstance of the centre being occupied, like St. James's Square, in London, by a noble reservoir. As we have no pumps in the metropolis of Bengal, and few wells, the water used formerly to be taken from the river, and car

ried in goat-skins by the beestees (water-bearers) to the differ ent houses of their masters. When, however, Calcutta began to increase in size, this was found a terrible inconvenience, some parts of the city being nearly a mile from the stream; so, in course of time, they formed the present tank, about a quarter of a mile from the river, which supplies more than half the town with water.

One day, when I called on Saunders, I was rather astonished to hear that many natives, some few animals, together with several inanimate objects, had lately and unaccountably disappeared from the neighbourhood, and that on the preceding day the body of a black man had been discovered in the square dreadfully mangled, evidently destroyed by some ferocious beast of prey. The marks of the wound did not correspond with those which could have been inflicted by a jackal's tooth; nor was it possible, even in its most dreadful state of starvation, that such an animal would dare to attack a human being. A tiger could scarcely be in the city unknown. What animal, then, could thus have fallen upon and destroyed the unfortunate man? It was a question which every one asked, but no one could solve. Considerably mystified, I left the house, promising to call on the following morning.

In compliance with my pledge, my palanquin jolted up to Writers' Buildings next day. The family were in a state of agony and terror beyond my power to describe. Jumma (the girl of whom I have already spoken) had disappeared. She had left the house at five in the morning to draw some water for her mistress; since that hour (it was now three o'clock in the afternoon) she had not been seen or heard of. To suppose she had wilfully deserted from the service of her she loved so well, to fancy she had been persuaded to elope, was beyond belief. Her fate was wrapped in mystery. Like a true Englishman, I instantly suggested that she might have committed suicide; not that she had any cause to urge her to such an act; but, as this dreadful crime more often arises from sudden madness than any premeditated scheme, I could

not help thinking that the poor girl might have destroyed herself during an attack of temporary insanity.

Saunders instantly sent punes (messengers) off in all directions; but each returned, after a short search, without hearing of the unfortunate Jumma. As a last resource, by my advice, it was settled that on the following evening the tank in the middle of the square should be dragged. I agreed to superintend the operation, and accordingly repaired to the spot at the time appointed.

At least a hundred men were in attendance with drag-nets, not of small meshes like ours, but strong and large ones, made of very thick cord. The signal was given, and the sweeping commenced. For a time nothing opposed their exertions. At length a jerk, a sudden plunge almost tore the nets from their hands. The natives stood aghast, as they were fully aware that there could be no large fish in this reservoir; but, by dint of scolding, and the offer of an extrá sum, I persuaded them to drop in still stronger tackle, and continue to drag the pond. It was soon evident that they had something extraordinary in their power, which, if allowed to remain longer in its proper element, might manage to get away. I therefore desired them instantly to haul the captive they had made on shore. This they did after some difficulty. No word can describe the alarm of the poor Indians, or my astonishment on finding that they had entangled within their nets an alligator some fourteen feet long!

How this animal could have got into the tank was, indeed, a puzzle to every one. That it should have been generated in this pond was highly improbable; that it should have existed for so long a time (it was at least six or seven years old,) undiscovered, was almost impossible. Yet the only other position was equally astounding, namely, that it had crawled through half the town, and travelled unseen from the river to the reservoir. On these heads there was a general difference of opinion; which party was right Heaven alone can tell. Suffice it to say, that the monster was soon despatched, and taken out of the nets. He was cut up before us all. With sickening horror I looked on; but when I saw

a human arm dragged from its inside, when I beheld, and actually recognised the bangles of poor Jumma still encircling it, I could bear no more. I had not even courage to communicate the fact to Saunders. I jumped into my palanquin, and darted off to the fort, sick, and disgusted in body and mind.

THE SNAKE-CHARMER.

I confess, when I heard that the snake-charmer had arrived in the cantonment, I was quite delighted. Curious beyond measure to behold a specimen of his powers, I repaired early to the Commandant's, where I had agreed to breakfast, and afterwards became one of the spectators of his attempts to entrap, by fascination, some of these reptiles. It had long been suspected that Colonel E-'s garden was infested by more than one of these dreaded monsters; we therefore repaired thither, where we found the juggler awaiting us. The man had nothing extraordinary in his appearance-nothing attractive in his eye or manner. He was as common looking a native as I had ever seen. To what caste these people belong I know not; I rather suspect a very low caste.

When we entered the enclosure, we at once desired him to set about his task, which he did thus :-He placed himself immediately in front of the hole in which one of the serpents was supposed to lurk, placing at the same time a kedgereepot (an earthen jar) near him, and desiring his assistant to cover the reptile with it on a certain signal being given. He then took from his kummerband (sash) a small pipe, which he instantly began to play on, in a style which, I confess, seemed to me anything but likely to charm. Its noise was that of the smallest and shrillest-sized fife, only differing from that instrument in being played upon at the end, in the same manner as a flageolet. The tune he performed was monotonous and disagreeable.

For about ten minutes, the piping of our juggler, which he accompanied with strange contortions, had no effect, and we

were once or twice on the point of turning away, when he entreated us by his looks to remain, and watch the result. At the end of that time we could see, by the fixedness of the man's eye, that he saw his victim approaching; in another instant the head of a large cobra capella peered from the hole. We naturally shrank back. The charmer, however, seemed rather delighted than dismayed as the monster emerged from its earthy home. Presently its whole length appeared, A' more magnificent snake, I had never seen; and I must adf mit that it seemed fascinated by the juggler, who now slowly retreated a few paces, to show his power. As he moved, the serpent moved; when he stopped, the serpent did the same! The eye of the snake seemed magnetically riveted on that of the charmer, depending on, and watching his every movement. The man assured me afterwards that, had he ceased to play for a single instant the cobra capella would have sprang on him, and destroyed him. I certainly never saw anything more curious; but I must confess that the very close proximity of this death-dealing monster was by no means pleasing to my feelings.

When the man (followed at about five yards' distance by the snake,) arrived at a smooth spot in the middle of the garden, he suddenly squatted down, and began to play louder; and more energetically than before. The animal paused for a moment, then raising itself, stood upright, reared on its tail, in the same position as that which it often assumes previous to making the fatal spring. Imagining this to be the case, a trembling shudder went round that portion of the party who had never before witnessed a similar exhibition. The old hands, the regular Qui Hi's (a 'nickname given to Bengalees,) stood perfectly unmoved. They were aware of what was about to follow. The snake, thus painfully poised, began a sort of bounding up and down, keeping its eyes steadily fixed on the musician, almost in time to the tune he was playing. Europeans, who have never visited British India, may doubt the fact; but those who have been in the East will bear me, out in the truth of the following assertion. The cobra ca pella actually danced for several minutes on its tail, appa

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