pay his bills for him, and save him a world of trouble; which he
makes answer his purpose by deducting one _pice_, or about two per cent,
from every rupee you may order him to pay for you, and by charging a
_moderate_ per-centage on what he may be commissioned to procure for
"Master." It is astonishing how quickly these _circars_ find out when an
old customer or "Master" returns to Calcutta. I have been visited by
mine within an hour after reaching town. In one instance, I had come up
the river in an express boat, and had arrived as soon as the mail; but,
presently, in came Master's _circar_, bowing low, and "hoping Master
has had a pleasant voyage, and made too much money."

The mighty current of the sacred Ganges is now thoroughly conquered by
all-powerful Steam; and the Indian officer ordered up the river to join
his corps, can now perform in three weeks, the journey that, fifteen
years ago, would have taken him as many months. Never having travelled
in the river steamers, I can say nothing about the voyage; but, from
their being constantly filled with passengers and cargo, I presume they
give entire satisfaction. The fact of their carrying the European
traveller so much more rapidly than the native boats can do, through the
unhealthy Sunderbunds, is of itself sufficient to induce every wayfarer
to take advantage of them.

CHAPTER VIII.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

VOYAGE FROM SINGAPORE TO SYDNEY--PORT JACKSON--FIRST
IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BY SYDNEY--THE PUBLIC-HOUSE
NUISANCE--SYDNEY JURIES--CATTLE DEALERS--TOWN
IMPROVEMENTS--LAWYERS, DOCTORS, AND CLERGY.

Circumstances induced me, in the early part of 1836, to proceed to New
South Wales, where I passed three years; at the expiration of which I
returned to the Straits in much better health than I had enjoyed for
years before.

The voyage from Singapore to Sydney, _via_ Java Head and Bass's Straits,
occupies generally from sixty to seventy days; a much longer period than
it ought to do, considering the distance, but much time and space are
lost in getting southward from Java Head. Crossing the south-east
trade-wind, a ship makes nearly as much westing as she does southing,
and of course has all the former to run back again on getting the
westerly winds in the latitude of 38 deg. to 40 deg. south. We were unfortunate
in this part of our voyage, and got no westerly winds till we reached
the forty-first parallel of south latitude: from that point they took us