Page:Letters from India Vol 1.djvu/357

 George and I came down to Calcutta at night very comfortably in the carriage. All the others settled it would be quite delicious to come up by moonlight in the boats, so they set off before us at eight o’clock. The steamer, which is a new one, refused to paddle before they were out of sight of the house, the tide was against them, and the result was that they did not arrive at Calcutta till three in the morning. However, they said it was very pleasant, except, who likes twenty hours’ sleep out of the twenty-four, and came to breakfast with a touching air of suffering heroism, as if he had watched several cold frosty nights. says all this proves that he is right in his hatred of Barrackpore, that nature opposes itself to his going. He tried the carriage, and the horse fell down; he tried the water, and the steamer failed; and now he has only two resources, either to go on an elephant and pay the fine which is levied on all private individuals riding an elephant through the streets, or else to look about Calcutta for a gigantic ayah, who will carry him backwards and forwards on her hip in the manner in which ayahs carry children.