their neighbours. They are, at present, on friendly terms with the British, but notwith. standing this circumstance, we deemed it necessary to travel with an escort of twentyfive armed horsemen, and as many Arab and Scindian foot, to protect our persons and property, either from their insults, or those of the Cotties, who are another tribe of freebooters, that reside more to the southward of the Sabrematty, and who scour the country large troops of horse, to plunder travellers, rob the villages of their cattle, and lay the whole country under heavy contributions.

From the known character of the Coolies, I was much surprised to find their lands in such a high state of cultivation, their villages. large and populous, and their fields enclosed and planted with mangoes and tamarinds.

Pleased with the country, we rode a few miles through their domains, along the banks of the Myhi. When we entered the Cambay districts, we found them considerably less cultivated, and in a much worse state of improvement. This failure in so important a matter to the well-being of any state, as agriculture most undoubtedly is, I attribute solely to the arbi

trary government of the present despotic nabob, whose laws are too cruelly oppressive to admit. of any encouragement being held out to agriculture or to population.

This oppression appears more lamentably obvious, when the traveller every where observes such wonderful natural fertility of soil, that a small share of industry would doubtless render this country equally productive and luxuriant with any other part of India. The soil is generally of a light fertile kind, which produces in great plenty every species of grain peculiar to those provinces, which lie on that side of India.

At a small distance from Cambay, we passed some delightfully sloping eminences, which were chiefly covered by the richest groves of luxuriant trees, and which commanded most charming prospects over all the surrounding plains. I have been induced to mention this circumstance, because throughout the whole province of Guzerat, I have not observed one rising ground that could deserve the name of an hill, at least since I left that eastern chain of mountains which separate it from the more interior parts of Hindostan.

The richly verdant prospects, which through.

out this highly favoured country, are every where presented to the eyes of the traveller, afford him a continual fund of amusement, and render his journey, which would otherwise be dreary and tedious, a delightful source of pleasure and instruction.

On account of the heaviness of the roads, we did not arrive at Cambay until ten o'clock. I had visited this place about six years before, and it was then in a very ruinous state, but now it was more so, and is at present rendered one vast scene of desolation. The infatuated nabob still continues his violent oppression, and loses his inhabitants, who fly to other states in order to find that protection which they have in vain. looked for from their own monarch. The milder governments of Jamboseer, and the neighbouring Purgunnas, usually afford assylums to such of the Cambayans as flee their country.

Wholly unmindful of the happiness of his subjects, and of the true interests of his successor, he consults only the immediate occasions of amassing wealth, without regarding, or cultivating those means, which could alone eventually ensure it. Oppression is always found to defeat its own ends. With respect to the nabobs

of India, it is particularly observable, and even in the more refined and civilized nations of Europe, it is found to have the same dreadful effects, of encreasing vice, destroying industry, and annihilating virtue, which alone can uphold any government for a long continuance. Those monarchs and princes of the earth, who suffer themselves to be blinded by an ungoverned sway of their lawless passions, and consult not the interests and happiness of their people, will one day or other find too late that the gnat can sting the lion too deeply.

From a long continuation of rigorous despotism, the Nabob of Cambay has ruined a once justly celebrated city; depopulated a rich and naturally luxuriant province; and rendered a few miserable wretches, who are yet too closely wedded to their native country, to leave it, comfortless and unhappy.

When he was made acquainted with our approach, he sent a very polite message, congratulating us upon our arrival at his court; and soon after, Myrza Mahommed, his naib or vizier, with several other principal Persians and Moguls, came to pay us a visit. We spent one evening with the naib, and, were most splendidly en

tertained after the Persian manner, with which I was till now unacquainted.

To this magnificent entertainment, Myrza had invited most of the principal Persians and Moguls of the court, with whose dresses, countenances, and conversation, I was much amused and interested. For some time before the supper was served up, the whole company sat upon a beautiful terras, laid out with great taste above the house, in order to enjoy the evening breeze, which is extremely refreshing after the sultry hours of the day are passed, and all the soft zephrs are scented with spicy odours, collected from the innumerable' odoriferous flowers and plants which bespangle all the plains of India. Here we were amused by the fine performances of different sets of Hindoo and Mogul dancing-girls, whose beautiful persons, through thin and transparent dresses, exhibited most exquisitely moulded forms; and whose bewitching gracefulness of dancing, contributed not a little to our pleasure. These beautiful girls sung in the most soft and harmonious strains I have ever heard, and rend. ered our pleasure still more delightful. During this part of our entertainment, the attendants brought pistachio-nuts, almonds, and other dried