A LADY'S LETTERS FROM MADRAS.

TRE writer of these Letters is a young married lady, who accom- panied her husband to India. Shortly after their arrival at Madras, the husband was appointed Zillah or District Judge of Rajah- mundry, a station on the banks of the Godavery, where the Europeans are few, and the natives not much affected by com- munication with Europeans. In two years the gentleman ad- vanced another step : but belbre the family could settle down under their new honours, the failing health of the children com- pelled the mother to depart with them to England. On her voyage out and during her Indian sojourn she corresponded with her family, freely pouring out every thing ;hat struck her, especially in manners and character ; and this volume consists of her actual letters, with the omission of passages relating to private affairs. The great merit of the book is its freshness, liveliness, and character. It may be said with truth, that the mind of the writer is both young and feminine ; not without a tincture of narrowness of view and prejudice—a consequence, probably, of having lived in a provincial or exclusive set. These qualities detract from the in- terest of the early letters, descriptive of the voyage ; where familiar net to say commonplace occurrences are handled as if they were unexampled events, and that with a forced smartness. As soon as she arrives in India, her very qualities furnish her with novel ma- terials. She observes matters which men do not regard, and often cannot see, and which women of a more masculine turn of mind would leave unnoticed, or notice in a different style. Another ad- vantage possessed by these letters is that of freshness. They are written while the impression was new and vivid ; representing things as they struck a young woman immediately from England, not as they might have struck her had she endeavoured to reproduce them years afterwards, when daily habit had blunted her perceptions. Our fair writer, too, is a person of sense and spirit, whose mind expands with the occasion, and who resolutely struggled against the enervating influence of the climate, which overwhelms such numbers. Studying theage, she was brought into direct contact with na- tive teachers; religiously disposed, she took an interest in the native character and the Indian missionaries; anxious with her husband to elevate the youthful mind, and to break down the Hindoo super- stitions if not to insinuate Christianity, she employed herself in preparing books for a school at Rajahmundry, as well as in super- intending its working. To the topics which these pursuits gave rise to, may be added descriptions of the country and the manner of living, with some rather smart and sharp sketches of the Anglo- Indian character and style of behaviour and feeling. In short, this lady's Letters from Madras may be recommended as furnishing the most agreeable and racy sketches of daily domestic life in India that have yet appeared ; for though much below Miss ROBERTS in range of subject, breadth of view, artistical skill, and unprejudiced estimate, she gives a more thoroughly English notion of India ; and from the circumstances under which she wrote, her composition possesses more naivete and freshness.

Whether her picture either of the Anglo-Indians or of the na- tives is to be implicitly received, may admit of considerable question. We make no doubt about the accuracy of her state- ments; but we have less dependence on the soundness of her inferences, and have some suspicion as to whether she is able to perceive the whole truth, or whether it was ever presented to her. Like elicits like. For example, the "boys" of the service might have more qualities and loftier aspirations than she could see in them, because she only saw them as they were travelling, and tra- velling at an awkward age, under awkward circumstances—youth fresh from England, intruding on the hospitality of a stranger, and a stranger of official rank : nor was a young woman in her position well placed for developing such powers as they might possess. Her dark-toned picture of the narrowness, self-sufficiency, and caste-like notions of the Anglo-Indian servants, both military and civil, may have more of truth, for they bear some resemblance to MASSON'S Sketches, and to some traits which the gentlemen in question have given under their own hands ; though we still think our fair writer saw many of them to disadvantage' trying them by an English test, without having the means of developing their Anglo-Indian capabilities. Of the natives we are tolerably sure that her judgment is partial. She only had intercourse with hangers-on for patronage, or men who were looking to her husband for some kind of favour : she heard them express themselves in a broken English, ludicrous in itself and alien to their modes of thinking ; their minds were applied to subjects of which they had no practical knowledge, and of which the images around them would only enable them to form false inferences.

That childishness to a high degree often predominates in the native character, may be readily conceived,—though the most experienced and able Orientalists do not seem to feel it in their communications with men of the world : but if an European of

average ability and information were placed in circumstances totally new, it is probable that he too might seem weak and silly. We wonder what the judgment of the natives really is upon English ladles?

These points go to the conclusions, not to the agreeableness of the work ; and even as regards conclusions they rather affect the whole truth than little truths. For example, this sketch of the unfortunates who came on board at the Cape, is, we dare say, as accurate as it is vivacious ; but we think the gentlemen upon whom India depends for heroes and statesmen must have had more in them, though a sea-voyage might not bring it out.

ANGLO-INDIANS AT SEA.

The passengers we took in at the Cape were chiefly officers in the Indian army ; who went out as cadets, before they had learned much, and since that time had pretty well forgotten the little they knew. They might have been divided into two classes—those who knew their declensions, and those who did not. They were particularly fond of grammatical discussions, and quite eager about them ; such as whether any English words were really derived from the Latin ; whether regiment is to be considered as a word of three syllables or two ; whether lunatic comes from the French, because " loon " is French for moon, &c. They used also to extend their acquirements by the study of navigation. After breakfast, the captain and officers always took an observation of the sun, technically called " taking a sight." Then the passengers all began doing the same privately called " taking a look." They were a capital set, ?pi. things in their attitudes, with their glasses, all peering up into the sky, a in chasse for the sun and moon. However, they were all very civil, and inoffensive, and unobjectionable ; and I hope they are all as happy on shore as we are.

ANGLO -LYDIAN BEHAVIOUR TO NATIVES.

We have had a great many visits from natives to welcome A— back again, or, as they say, " to see the light of master's countenance, and bless God for the henour!' One—a gentleman, in his black way—called at six in the morning : he left his carriage at the gate, and his slippers under a tree; and then finding we were going out riding, he walked barefoot in the dust by the side of our horses, till "our honours" were pleased to dismiss him. Another met us, got out of his carriage, kicked off his shoes, and stood bowing in the dirt while we passed ; then drove on to the house, and waited humbly under the verandah for an hour and a half, till we were pleased to finish our ride. * * •

These natives are a cringing set, and behave to us English as if they were the dirt under our feet ; and indeed we give them reason to suppose we con- sider them as such. Their servility is disagreeable; but the rudeness and con- tempt with which the English treat them are quite painful to witness. Civility to servants especially seems a complete characteristic of grOnage. One day I said to my ayah, (a very elegant lady in white muslin,) "Ayah, bring me a glass of toast-and-water, if you please." She crept to the door, and then came back again, looking extremely perplexed, and whined out, "What mistress tell ? I don't know.' "1 told you to bring me some toast-and-water." "Toast-water I know very well, but mistress tell if you please; I don't know if you please." I believe the phrase had never before been addressed to her.

DINNER-PARTIES AT MADRAS.

We have been to one or two large dinner-parties; rather grand, dull, and silent. The company are generally tired out with the heat and the office- work all day before they assemble at seven o'clock ; and the houses are greatly infested by mosquitoes, which are in themselves enough to lower one's spirit and stop conversation. People talk a little in a very low voice to those next to them; but one scarcely ever hears any topic of general interest started, ex- cept steam-navigation. to be sure, "few changes can be rung on few hells ;" but these good folks do ring on "the changes in the service," till I cannot help sometimes wishing all their appointments were permanent. At an Indian dinner all the guests bring their own servants to wait upon them, so there is a turban'd sultan-like creature behind every chair. A great fan is going over our heads the whole time, and every window and door open; so that, notwith- standing the number of people in the room, it is in reality Cooler than an English dining-room. What would grandmamma say to the wastefulness of an Indian dinner? Every body dines at luncheon, or, as it is here called, tiffut- time ; so that there is next to nothing eaten, but about four times as much food put upon the table as would serve for an English party. Geese and turkies and joints of mutton for side-dishes, and every thing else in proportion. All the fruit in India is not worth one visit to your strawberry-beds. The inge- nious French at Pondicherry have contrived to cultivate vines ; but the En- glish say nothing will grow, and they remain content to waste their substance and their stomach-aches on spongy shaddocks and sour oranges, unless they send to Pondicherry for grapes, which the French are so obliging as to sell at a rupee a bunch. After dinner, the company all sit round in the middle of the eat gallery-like rooms, talk in whispers, and scratch their mosquito-bites. Sometimes there is a little music, as languid as every thing else. Concerning the company themselves, the ladies are all young and wizen, and the gen- tlemen are all old and wizen. Somebody says France is the paradise of married women, and England of girls ; I am sure India is the paradise of middle-aged gentlemen. While they are young, they are thought nothing of—just supposed to be making or marring their fortunes, as the case may be; but at about forty, when they are "high in the service," rather yellow, and somewhat grey, they begin to be taken notice of, and called "young men." These respectable persons do all the flirtation too, in a solemn sort of way, while the young ones sit by, looking on, and listening to the elderly gen- tlefolks discussing their livers instead of their hearts.

A NATIVE ON RELIGION.

This man is a sort of half-Heathen, half-Deist, like most of those who have associated much with Europeans but he declares that his religion is just the same as ours, only that there are four grades of religion, suited to different orders of minds,—idolatry being the lowest, and proper for the common people ; but more educated persons see what the idols are intended to represent, and they progress through all the different grades till they arrive at the highest, when they understand every thing, and find all religions alike, and all true, only different ways of representing the same thing. A— says he has argued with him till he is tired, but that it is of no use; he always answers, ' Yes, Sar ; that all same what I say.'

CIVIL AND MILITARY LADIES.

For the last few days we have been occupied with company again. A regiment passed through, and we had to dine all the officers, including a lady ; now they are gone. I perceive the officers' ladies are curiously different from the civilians. The civil ladies are generally very quie t, rather languid, speaking in almost a whis- per, simply dressed, almost always ladylike and comae-it-put, not pretty, but pleasant and nice-looking, rather dull, and give one very hard work in pump- ing for conversation. They talk of "the Governor,' "the Presidency," the "overland," and "girls' school at home," and have always daughters of about thirteen in England for education. The military ladies, on the contrary, are always quite young, pretty, noisy, affected, showily dressed, with a great many ornaments, mauvais ton, chatter incessantly from the moment they enter the house, twist their curls, shake their bustles, and are altogether what you may call "Low Toss." While they are alone with me after dinner, they

talk about suckling their babies, the disadvantages of scandal, "the officers," and "the regiment "; and when the gentlemen conic into the drawing-room, they invariably flirt with them most furioualy.

NATIVES ON THE PRAYER-BOOK AND IDOLATRY.

I do not work very hard, and no Moonshee has any idea of teaching, but I just pick his brains a little by way of amusement. He is a Bramin, and-, like all of them, very fond of questioning and discoursing. He has now read my Prayer- book straight through from beginning to end, and with great admiration ; but he says the finest words in the book are, "Maker of all things visible and in- visible "; those, he says, are "very great words indeed." Now be is reading the Bible. Be told me that a learned Bramin came to pay him a visit and to look over his new Bible. The Bramin said that all the words against graven images were "good and very true words," and that it was certainly a "sense- less custom" for a man to bow down to a stone; but that still it was neces- sary to keep images for the Sudras, (low-caste people,) for fear they should not believe in any God at all. That is their constant argument. They never de- fend their idols, nor own that they worship them, any more than Roman Ca- tholics will allow that they worship the saints.

NATIVE ERROR.

Moonsbee asked me today whether the Governor of Madras was really the wisest man in England. He supposed that the Governors were always picked out for being the wisest men that could be found in the country.

THE OFFICIAL TYPE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

There was an old Bramin here in prison for debt ; he would not eat any thing for fear of defilement, and was literally starving himself to death. A— found that he could allow him to live in a separate house guarded by Peons, and therefore removed him out of the gaol; and now the poor old creature has taken again to his food. The post-office writer came to have a chat about the mat- ter, as he generally does when there is any such trifle of news. I asked him whether he did not think the Dewan a very foolish man to have run the risk of killing himself rather than eat in a prison. "Yes," he said, "too much foolish; but that man all same one jungle beast—never been in one Govern- ment-office, never read the regulations !" They look upon employment in a Government-office as the height of human dignity, and strut to and from the Court-house like so many turkey-cocks.