Page:Letters from India Vol 1.djvu/223

 Sunday, August 7. Was so hot that nobody could go to morning church, and in the evening we went to the Fort Church, which was like a kettle of boiling water; but Mr. simmered out an excellent sermon while we were stewing.

Monday, August 8. Council day, and consequently I beat poor Mr. Shakespear a game of chess.

Dwarkanauth Tagore, a very rich native, had asked us to go and see his villa. He is a follower of Ram Mohun Roy; speaks excellent English; has built a regular English villa, with billiard-room, &c., and fitted it up with statues and pictures, and Copley Fieldings, and Prouts, and French china, &c.; and he asked us to name a day on which to see it. George was delighted, and named Monday; upon which all Calcutta got greatly excited, because the Governor-General was going to dine with a native. The fact of a native dining with a Governor-General is much more remarkable, and Dwarkanauth is one of the very few that would even sit by while we were eating. However, we only went to see the place, and went in par-