Page:Lord Amherst and the British Advance Eastwards to Burma.djvu/68

 thermometer is ninety-two, but the air is fresh. They start in the early mornings, sailing between beautiful banks, passing native towns and villages, curious temples and buildings, and are once driven aground in a storm. Then they come to the ever famous plains of Plassey. In the evening the ladies go on shore for a walk by the indigo plantations, they collect a few insects and plants, but it is soon too dark to go further. On July 3, 1825, they are still proceeding on their way to Murshidábád, and the Nawáb of Bengal sends them boats full of fruit and flowers, as do the Resident and Agent at Murshidábád. On the 4th they anchor at Berhámpur, and greatly admire the place and the buildings among the groves. A few miles further on they enter the town of Murshidábád, full of beautiful buildings with line trees upon the banks. It seemed to be composed of native huts. There were, however, some large handsome buildings belonging to the Babus, and an immense number of Hindu temples of various forms, most of them extremely beautiful; the dome of one of these was ornamented with numerous conical small domes, which had a rich and new effect. The Rájá of Bengal has a large house upon the banks, he is a child of nine years old under protection of the Government, he is already crowned, and is about to be affianced to his cousin. On July 7, 1825, they are still sailing agreeably on the river, and they meet a large herd of bullocks swimming across the stream, their drivers swimming