which has brought an evident change in the quality of the trade of Bengal, I am not autho rized, by any specific knowledge, to say, that a general injury has been felt by the country; perhaps, the losses which have been sustained are counterpoised by the augmentation of the cargoes, though of a different species, which are now transported, annually, to Europe.

HAVING already noticed the large influx of European specie, or bullion, in this country, and the cause of the cessation of this traffic, I will offer some desultory sentiments, on the subject of the diminution of the coin in Bengal, of which, grievous complaints have long existed. During the Mahometan administration, private wealth was usually expended on the spot where it had been acquired; and though severity and oppression might have been exercised in the accumulation, yet, by its quick circulation, through the many chanuels of luxury, the country at large was improved and embellished, without any decrease of the general currency. It may be urged, that the expenditure of Europeans, in their public and private buildings, has, adequately, supplied the wants of the artisan and labourer. But, I am led to hazard an opinion, that this amount falls much short of that applied by the preceding princes to the construction of mosques, baths, Hindoo tem

ples, grand reservoirs of water, spacious gardens, together with a variety of costly private edifices. These modes of expence are neither adapted to the genius, or inclination of Europeans, who have no religious passion to gratify, nor are they impelled, by patriot zeal, to raise monu ments of grandeur in India; but holding themselves the moveable tenants of the day, they are eager to reach their native home, that they may there enjoy the fruits of their labour.

As the remittance of English property to Europe could not be sufficiently attained, by means of public bills, the servants of the Company, and private merchants, have been often driven to the necessity of exporting specie, though such a medium be attended with heavy loss; or they are induced to throw their cash into foreign funds, whereby their enemies, or at least, their rivals, are enriched. The injurious tendency of this limitation of public remittance, having been so severely felt, and repeatedly represented to the superior Government in England, it is to be expected that the channel of conveying property from India, will be opened in so efficient a manner, that the necessity of pursuing, in future, the destructive alternative of exporting gold and silver, or employing foreign agents, will be, wholly, obviated. As the private cash taken up in

India will be invested in Indian produce, and sent to Europe, for the express purpose of discharging the bills drawn; the position is clear, excepting in the event of unforeseen calamity, that the sales of the cargoes, in Europe, will enable the East-India Company to discharge the requisite payments. In testimony of the vast inherent resource of Bengal, it is necessary to observe, that the wealth of this province, which has supported, by its millions, the Coromandel and Malabar coasts, foreign and domestic wars, and the trade of China and Bencoolen, must have been accumulated in the space of sixty or seventy years.

FROM the period of Aurungzebe's death *, until nearly the date of our territorial establishments in India, when the Moghul Empire still preserved a large possession of its power, the balance of the revenues of Bengal was punctually conveyed, in specie and † bills, to the Imperial treasury. The remittance of this amount has been known to cause so great a scarcity of money, that many persons, possessed of even large property, have incurred difficulties, in defraying their domestic expences, Though the maritime commerce of Bengal does

This Prince died, A. D. 1707.

† A crore of rupees, or million sterling, has been sent in the course of one year from Bengal to Delhi.

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not maintain the vigour which accompanied it, whilst the Europeans were confined to the coasts of India, and exercised simply the profession of merchants, a brisk and important trade is yet carried on at Calcutta. The advantageous traffic that subsisted formerly between this port and Pegue, Siam, and the Malay islands, now feebly remains; and, unless some favourable change is speedily effected, bears the appearance of a total failure. Though these branches of commerce, silver bullion, gold-dust, and precious stones, were introduced into Bengal; from whence, in return, raw and wrought silks, coarse cotton cloths, opium, and salt-petre, were exported. It hath also been alleged, that, within these late years, the maritime trade of Bengal has received a check from an embargo, or, what is tantamount, an excessive high duty laid on the importation of foreign salt. This restriction has reduced the number of ships, and lessened the considerable exportation of grain, which, before that period, annually took place at the port of Calcutta yet, though it may have injured the exterior commerce, the revenue of the Ganges sålt has been increased, by this restriction, to an amount never produced at any former period. It is painful, perhaps not just, to expatiate on the defects, or the misfortunes of a country,

and hold them out to public view; without proposing remedies for the ills that are exhibited. The scantiness of my local knowledge, will only permit me to say, that as the welfare of the British dominion in India, ultimately depends on the prosperity of Bengal, no labour should be thought irksome, no rational plan left untried, which may improve its revenue, or encourage its trade.

On the 29th of May I arrived at Berham pore. In this cantonment, which is large and commodious, are stationed three regiments of Sepoys, and a battalion of Europeans. On the 15th of June, made an excursion to Mooreshedabad, and its environs, that I might view the theatre on which those interesting schemes had been agitated, which, after a series of intrigue and bloodshed, advanced the English to the dominion of a wealthy kingdom.

Ar the distance of a mile below the city, and on the opposite bank of the river, stands the burying place of Ali Verdy Khan, known also in India by the name of Mahobut Jung; a man, who, by his abilities as a soldier and a statesman, raised himself from a private condition, to the Subahdarry of Bengal. He maintained an obstinate war with the Mahrattas, for the space of eight years, and was, after an obstinate