tle more than three feet, a circumstance that reflects the highest credit both on the architect and the materials of the building, when we consider that it has resisted the strongest hurricanes for so many hundred years. main entire are about fifty; diate ones are worn away. porphyry, which appears to have been intended for support as well as ornament, as the stones, about two feet in length, oné in breadth, and nearly a foot in thickness, support each other by means of tenons formed in the stone itself, and they in several instances stand firm, although the brick work has fallen from them; while they are really firm however, they assume so threatening an aspect from their appearing loose, that the visitor is almost afraid of being crushed beneath them.

The steps of the staircase which re

but in many instances the intermeThe windows are formed of black

The Nutti Musjeed.

Proceeding southward, about half a mile cyond the Obelisk we came to a building, designated by the natives as the Nutti Musjeed, and by some Europeans termed, the China Mosque, from the bricks of which it is built being ornamented with various colours. This building however, has nothing of the mosque be yond some little resemblance in its external appearance; nor is there any thing within it, corresponding with the internal appear ance of the great Golden Mosque: it seems evidently intended for purposes of amusement. It is the most entire of any struc ture now remaining. Its extreme length from east to west is about seventy-two feet, its breadth about fifty-four, and its heighth about seventy. The outer walls, though nine feet in thickness, are formed of bricks extremely small, not exceeding four inches in length, three in breadth, and an inch and a half in thickness; but these bricks are so well made, and the cement is so firm, that the building has almost the solidity of stone. The surface of these bricks is painted yellow, white, green, and blue, in alternate succession; and the whole appears to have been finished with a neatness approaching to finery. The east, the north and the south sides, have three doors, forming nine in the whole; on the west

side it is closed. The arch of the middle door on each side is about eleven feet in height, the other two about nine feet high. The breadth is somewhat above six feet. On entering the east door, a partition wall presents itself, forming a space twelve feet in extent, and the whole breadth of the building. This marks the east as having been the front entrance, as this formed a kind of porch to the vestibule, in which probably servants remained. The space within these, forms a beautiful room about thirty-six feet square, the four walls closing above and forming a majestic dome, which, when illuminated, must have had a most pleasing appearance. The heighth of this spacious room we had no means of ascertaining exactly, but from its appearance it may be from forty to fifty feet. The building is so entire, that this room might now with ease be converted into a hall for the administration of justice, or for Divine worship. So spacious and lofty a room

without a pillar, beam, or rafter, none of us had ever seen; and when the antiquity of the building, the smallness of the bricks which compose it, and its present high state of preservation are considered, it seems evident that the art of building, as far as durability is concerned, was far better understood in Bengal formerly, than is indicated now by any modern edifice in the metropolis of India; and as there are cases, wherein durability is a consideration of the first importance, this circumstance deserves thought. Are European science and skill completely distanced by the former knowledge of a nation we are leady to deem only half civilized?

The South Gate.

By this time the ladies of our party felt themselves too much exhausted to proceed farther, upon which leaving them under the kind care of our friend Mr. A. four of us ascended the elephant, and proceeded to the South Gate, which formed the southern boundary of the city, and the arch of which still remains. This gate has a majestic appearance. The arch of it is thirty feet wide. It does not at present however, surmount the whole of the gateway; on the top it covers scarcely a third of that and even space,

that part of the arch which now remains, is in a tottering state. On each side is a piece of masonry sixty feet square, and in heighth nearly equal to the outside of the arch surmounting the gateway, which is somewhat better than sixty feet. There is an ascent on the west side, and a path worn, through which it is easy to ascend to the top of the gateway, which some of us did as far as its ruinous state would permit, and enjoyed thence a fine view of the country round. The masonry is united both on the east and the west side to a rampart of earth, which also rises to the heighth of sixty feet, and is covered with trees of various kinds. This rampart however would have formed but a feeble defence ag inst an army of Europeans, whatever it might be esteemed against an Indian army.

1

The Fort.

In our return we went a little to the westward to get a view of the Fort. In our way we passed over a bridge which appeared perfectly firm, though full a hundred feet in length. On how many arches it rests, we were unable to ascertain, as the small rivulet over which it was erected, is nearly dried up, and the place overgrown with shrubs and bushes; but its being in so high a state of preservation when it can have undergone no repairs for at least the last hundred years, evidently indicates the superior nature of its materials and workmanship. Advancing farther we passed by another mosque in pretty good preservation, but remarkable for nothing beside a tradition yet current among the inhabitants around, that when it was built, a man was immured alive in the cupola for offering violence to some female, possibly one of the royal family. We entered the Fort on the east side, took a slight view of the remaining wall northward of what, as already mentioned, has by some been deemed an inclosure for a Hindoo temple, and by others, in our opinion with far greater propriety, the remains of a royal palace. The north wall appears at a distance nearly a hundred feet high, for which we could assign no possible reason, if it were intended merely for an inclosure to a temple. Leaving on our left the tombs of the Mussul

man sovereigns which have been so often mentioned, we hastened, as our time was so far spent, to take a view of the north gate of the fort, which perhaps presents the handsomest appearance of any of the ruins now remaining. Its breadth on the outside is fifty-six feet, and its heighth, full sixty. Within, it consists of one long arch somewhat more than sixty feet long, which formed the entrance; and of two side arches, which have the appearance of vaults from their gloominess, and each of which would have contained to advantage nearly three hundred men, who, from the three arched openings on each side, about six feet wide, might have dreadfully annoyed an enemy even after he had forced the gate; while hidden by the three massy columns eight feet square, completely covered above, and sheltered behind and at the sides by the wall which divides the gateway from the rampart, and from its time-worn appearance now almost resembles a rock, they could scarcely have been assailed in return. We ascended the west rampart here, and proceeded as far on the top of the gateway as appeared safe. This rampart, which is full as high as that which formerly surrounded the city, appears still better calculated for defence. It is sloping within, but without it is perpendicular, as well as surrounded with a deep moat, at present filled with water, the alligators in which, add nothing to the sense of security felt by the traveller who visits this once far-famed capital.

Having thus taken a view of the principal ruins now remaining, we hastened to rejoin the rest of the company, whom we found most comfortably seated around a table spread, through the kindness of Mr. A. who had secretly ordered cooks there for the purpose, with all the vegetables in season and various kinds of flesh, among which we discerned the flesh of swine. Allured by the viands and the kindness of our host, we ourselves felt unable to ab. stain. In a few minutes however, as it grew late, we hurried the company away, ascended the elephant, and at five regained the house of our worthy friend Mr. E. after an excursion of seven hours, for the variety it afforded and the reflections to which it gave rise, to be numbered among the most pleasant we had ever enjoyed in India.

III. On the necessity of imparting the knowledge of Christianity to the Hindoos.

Although the value of Christian knowledge can never be properly appreciated, but by the person whose mind has been made fully sensible of his spiritual condition; any one may perceive the immense importance of those truths which form the essential parts of the Gospel, who duly weighs the language of our Lord, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."

The truths of Christianity, even where they are not to the mind as "the bread of life,'* produce a considerable influence favourable to the condition of men even in this life: he who has been educated in the belief of the divine purity, justice, and omniscience, of the divine clemency, of a providential superintendance extending to every individual, of the accountability of man, and of the certainty of a future state of rewards and punishments, is a good man in society exactly in proportion to the influence which these truths have over him; and their influence in all couditions is no doubt more or less felt by almost all nominal ChrisWho can tell how much more vicious the most depraved would be, were it not for the remembrance of these truths? Who can tell how much more disconsolate in affliction those would be who have lived the least under their influence? It is probable that men have been often saved from entire despair and consequent self-murder, either by the belief that they would by suicide plunge themselves into greater misery, or by a faint hope of some day obtaining the divine mercy, and a happy termination of all their sorrows. The value of divine truths to the

tians.

real Christian is strongly held forth in these and similar passages: "Thy word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my path." "All scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in

*“Man shall live by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of

God." Matt. iv. 4.