THE BABOO, AND OTHER TALES DESCRIPTIVE OF SOCIETY IN INDIA,

Is a posthumous work. Its author was a civilian in the Company's service, who left India on account of ill health, and died on his homeward voyage. The principal tale was composed on ship- board, to beguile the tedium of the passage, or to sooth the rest- lessness of a dying man. Though unfinished, or rather unrevised, it has been published by the author's widow, as a monument of his talent; and a very creditable one it is. The two shorter tales are slight, though well written. Baboo is not only an interesting novel, but a clear and clever sketch of society in Calcutta. We have distinctly brought before us the gorgeous luxury, the florid magnificence, but, sooth to say, the pervading dulness, of that splendid capital of the East. We see, too, the rather coarse case, the second-rate polish, and the appetite for scandal, which seem to mark a colonial society ; where the heat of the climate and the presence of much riches render labour irk- some and unnecessary ; whilst the impossibility, from legal restric- tions, of forming enduring ties in the colony, prevents men from regarding, it in any other point of view than a place of tem- porary banishment, which thew will enjoy whilst they remain, and quit as soon as they can. The brighter points too-.-the hospitality, the high sense of honour, the liberality both in money and poll- , tics—are not forgotten ; but, as they are not perhaps so strongly marked in nature, they are not quite so clearly developed in the book. Besides this, we catch glimpses of the arcana of govern- ment ; we see the mode in which an artful native arrives at wealth, by ministering to the extravagance of Europeans, till, by weaving his web skilfully round a high official, he becomes in reality a moving power of provincial government. Mixed with all this, there are occasional disquisitions on Ilindoo politics, which add a value to the book, though they rather stop the progress of the narrative.

We cannot well make extracts from the novel portion of the volumes, for they would scarcely be understood. We will pick out a few passages that will bear transplanting. Let us first take a specimen of the manner in which justice is sometimes adminis- tered by new arrivals. Yet Mr. Beauvoir had had a preliminary education. We suspect the autobiography of "Lucky Tom would afford some richer anecdotes than the following before he has been six months in India.

" Do you not think it a pity that these mysteries are not made a part of the education, which pretends to tit us for diplomatic and administrative service in this country ?" " I do indeed ; but as long as opinions clash upon the main points as much as they do now, a Professor of Oriental Territorial Economy could never be appointed at Ilayleybury. As long as our Governors and Counsellors change every five years, and at every change bring with theta a new creed in these matters, there can be no saying what may be the orthodox system fit to be taught to the rising generation of functionaries : but a Professorship of the Laws we administer and of the technical language used in our courts, ought long ago to have been established. At present, the Writer, as he is received from England, is abort as learned in Indian history as the Register, who arrives from Calcutta to take his place on the bench of civil justice, and try petty criminals for the first

time, is in the laws he has to administer. Of this I can tell you an agreeable anecdote, of which I was the hero. I was appointed Register of one of the Behar Zilla courts; and as I bad been for sonic months in a Calcutta office, I went boldly to Kucherree without any more previous knowledge of what I had to do there than that I should have to try some rascal fur sonic petty crime. I took my seat bravely on the bench, iu face of a wretched culprit, whose body was bent into the most abject form of supplication. The Serislitadar commenced business by informing use that this wretch was a Goreyt. Goreyt,' thinks Ito myself, ' what the deuce can that be ?' Till at last remembering that gaee and gooroo meant a cow in Ilindee, I settled it to my own satisfaction that he must be a cowherd, sent up probably for stealing. With this impression, I listened while a Monshee commenced reading. I fancied myself a good Persian scholar; and yet, when the man with professional rapidity and with a very loud voice, began, I felt myself turn pale. In short, I was sensible to my own mortifica- tion in every possible way, but had not the courage to show it. I dared not own in open court that I knew nothing whatever of the case I was trying. But as I Lad made up my mind that the prisoner was a cowherd, and had stolen cattle, I supposed all properly proved, and pretending to ruminate upon the judgment, gravely asked the Serishtadar what the magistrate generally awarded on these occasions. Five or six rattans,' was the answer. Ah ! said I, wishing to appear a little more strict, let this fellow have ten ; and as I gave the order, I thought it was a very lenient punishment for cattle-stealing. As soon as this was done, I immediately left the bench, and ran to ask the Judge the meaning of all that passed ;—when, to my utter dismay, I found that I had been flogging a deputy watchman, which is the English fur Goreyt, for not having caught a thief."

Here we have a bit of philosophy.

Ilia plans being thus laid, Captain Forester prepared himself to assume the character of a gay and unconcerned Lothario ; to suppress the thousand griefs and anxieties that weighed upon his breast ; to exchange courtesy, as with a stranger, with his forsaken betrothed ; and to meet, perhaps even to smile upon and to hold converse with the hated villain he knew to be a forger, whose deeds would involve thousands in ruin, and who was besides suspected on good grounds to have stolen the object of his early affections' and the child the offspring of her love. Who that lives in the world has not to learn to be a hypocrite?

Divines and moralists may preach and reason as they will; but surely this quality should he installed amongst the cardinal virtues, rather than decried and denounced : for what is the restraint with which they bid us to curb our passions and feelings, if unaccompanied by the command of feature and deportment, that shall prevent the suspicion that such feelings are entertained ! Little, truly, would be the intercourse of society, if every man saw in his neighbour's face, all the that rankled at his heart.

The last extract we can afford room fur, is a graphic sketch of the race-ground of Calcutta, with the commencement of the races.

The race-course of Calcutta presents a rather singular appearance during the meetings of the turf-club in December. Considering the size and the tone of English society. in this beautiful city, there is, perhaps, no part of the world to which the national taste has carried this popular amusement with less pro- portionate display than is to be observed in this Rome of the East. Patrons of the sport are not wanting ; the highest prices are given both for Arabian and English horses ; yet still the betting-stand is scantily attended ; and the equipages, which elsewhere constitute the gayest part of the show, seldom collect on the race mornings in such numbers as daily pace up and down the evening drive. On the morning which finds our narrative on the plain appropriated to this diversion, the sun had risen through one of those thick fogs which are so common at that season of the year, and which are rather singular in their appearance. It seems that, during the cold nights, a vapoury exhalation arises from the river, and from the numerous tanks, as well u from the grassy esplanade which surrounds the fort, nd separates it from the habitations; for these clouds, though extremely dense upon the plains both within and about the city, are seldom seen in the

streets, unless there is a current of air to drive in it thin mist for the collected fogs without. By the hour that the sun passes above the horizon, the vapour, which at this season is seldom disturbed by a night wind, lies so thick and close

to the ground, that while it completely envelops every object not above eight feet high ; trees, houses' and masts in the liver, raise their heads sometimes into an atmosphere perfectly clear. Such was the case on this particular occa- sion • and while the slanting rays of the early sun tinged the upper surfaces of the f'og. with hues of liquid gold, a considerable number of fashionables, col- lected m the upper gallery of the race stand, contemplated a vet y extraordinary prospect around them. The mist as yet had risen no higher than the lower windows of the building ; and the spectators above being in perfectly clear air, the whole plain before them was mapped in an impenetrable white shroud, like a snowy sea. Not an object was seen except the distant city, and the fort, which now appeared rising from the ocean ; and now and then the black hat of some valetudnutrian rider passed immediately under the gallery, who, indifferent to the races and to the crowd, boldly dared to gallop along the well-known in- ner course, whirls was always prepared and kept clear fur such equestrians of the morning. The sounds of equipages, the whips of coachmen, and the voices of people, collecting at the point of interest, were distinctly heard ; and as the eve wearied itself in vain to see any thing, the fancy recalled those scenes of en- chantment, wherein the voices of invisible crowds mock the sense with their

distracting tumult. •

As soon as the fog began to clear, the bell rang for the first race; but the numbers of foot passengers, pt incipally consisting of gaping natives, rushed to the paling to little purpose. Nothing was to be seen ; each ingnired of the other, and each knew nothing; until at last, in about five minutes, two horses, hardly matched, and whichhe'd been stated from a different point, were seen issuing out of the fog within twenty yards of the post, which they passed almost AS soon as they were seen. This afforded little entertainment, but enormous wagers, nevertheless, were won and lost.

In a quarter of an hour the whole plain was clear, and as the next horses were to start from the post, much amusement was anticipated. " Now, Miss Wyndham," cried Rivers, running across the course and stand- ing on the wheel of a yellow carriage, " Now, enter Pluto! Will you not ven- ture a pair of gloves for the red-and. yellow ?" " Is that your horse—a gray ?" " No, that's the enemy. In good order, by Jove—but be is heavy ; be looks like a beer-barrel standing on a four legged stool. Ab ! now look, Miss Wynde ham—look at my own Pluto; is he nut a prince of Arabs?" A beautiful chesnut horse, gallantly mounted by a dapper little- jockey in a red jacket with yellow sleeves, pranced into the inclosurc, and attracted all eyes. Eager to begin the contest, fur which he knew lie was heel forth ; his neck curved by the continued hold on the curb, his mane tied swish tail showing to advantage, while he curvetted and played in a checked canter, Pluto, tine pride of his master, wailed to attract universal admiration ; and even the cone clave of knowing ones examined his points and paces with more than usual scrutiny. The svounetry was perfect ; the animal possessed the compaot form, the small blood-head, the long clean pasterns of the Arabian breed ; but many a grave bead, on comparing his slender appearanee with the stout bony figure of Nimrod, his rival, shook, when they considered that the match was fur heats. The contrast of the two horses, as they came to the start, was not less re- markable. The gray walked slowly up on the inner side, but with his head erect and ears pricked, as if prepared for the signal. The chesmit's rider leaned back with the action of holding him, and the impetuous animal was con- tinually cantering short, and high, and turning from side to side, yet unable to raise his mouth from his chest, which is almost touched, through the pull on the bit, to which he was compelled to yield obedience. Ile snorted and panted to be off.

They arc at the post together—the signal is given—and the red-and-yellow jockey reversing. his position, and loosening the curb, away darts the gallant chesnut, and gains three lengths before Nimrod has got into his speed. "Fifty gold molturs he never catches him ! " cried Rivers, with almost a shout of exultation. The challenge was not taken, for the beauty of the start had gained him several new admirers, and be continued leading at the same ad- vantage, the rider of Nimrod evidently keeping his horse for the second heat, In excellent time the round was completed, amid Pluto proudly passed the win- ning.post, with the wary gray full three lengths behind him.

It will be seen from these extracts, that the writer has been trained in a good school ; and that if he wants some of the mo- dern point, he is free from the modern carelessness. But the whole production bears testimony to the superiority he who writes from the fulness of his mind possesses over him whose sources of inspiration are a bargain with his bookseller. There is indeed an impress of truth throughout the Baboo, which shows that the author was drawing from nature, not from fancy. The Indian characters are purely Indian, the Europeans Anglo-In- dians : the very story itself is colonial—the events could have oc- curred nowhere but in Hindostan.