the year, I believe, the climate is very pleasant. The
40th give a very good account of it. There is a great quantity of game
there, and some of the best hog-hunting in India. Mount Aboo, called the
Parnassus of India, is within fifty miles of it, and is a great place of
resort during the hot weather.

Should this expedition to China take place, which seems decided upon at
present, what an immense power the English will eventually have in the
East. In a few years, I have no doubt it may extend from Herat to the
most eastern parts of China, including all the islands in the adjacent
seas. Like the Romans, England seems to be extending her dominion
everywhere--"super et Garamantes et Indos, proferet imperium," and yet
what a row she kicks up about Russia. The French papers seem to be
rather jealous about Ghuzni. How the English papers butter it up! and
yet it was not half so brilliant an affair as Kelat, nor so hardly
contested; but very little is said about the latter.

Enclosed, I send you a view of the north front of Kelat, shewing the
gate by which we entered. It gives you a pretty good idea of the place,
and was drawn by Lieutenant Creed, of the Engineers.

I went yesterday to see a tank, about seven miles from this place, in
which are a great quantity of alligators, half tame. The tank in which
they are belongs to a Mahomedan temple, which is considered a very holy
one, and much resorted to, and these animals are kept there by the
priests of the establishment, in order to induce a greater number of
visitors. A calf was killed and thrown in among the scaly gentlemen, who
very soon demolished it. I never saw anything so loathesome and
repulsive as these monsters.

This letter goes by the "Hannah" packet, which sails this evening for
Bombay, and will, I hope, reach that place in time to go by the
"overland packet." I suppose you know that this is classic ground, and
the place from which Nearchus, Alexander's admiral, started on his
return to the Euphrates. I have no time for more. So, with love to all
at home,

Believe me your affectionate son,
T.W.E. HOLDSWORTH.

LETTER XIII.

Deesa, April 21st, 1840.

MY DEAR FATHER,--I received your letter, dated January 18th, about the
beginning of this month, while on our march from Mandavie to this place.
I see by the papers that the news of the taking of Kelat had readied
England, as I find my name mentioned in the "Western Luminary," which
came out in t