28th.—A fine breeze bore us on until we anchored off the Bishop’s Palace, at which time a north-wester came on, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and heavy rain.
29th.—Arrived off Baboo Ghāt, Calcutta, after a most agreeable voyage from the Cape, which, I believe, was enjoyed by every one on board.
The “Robarts” was a fine vessel, one of the old teak Indiamen. With regret we saw the following extract in a newspaper in 1847:—
Wilful burning of an Indiaman.
“Considerable surprise has within the last day or two existed in the underwriters’ room at Lloyd’s, in consequence of the receipt of intelligence of the loss of another East India trader by fire, under circumstances that have justified the officers under whose command she was placed in apprehending the greater part of the crew on a charge of having maliciously occasioned the destruction of the ship. She was the ‘Robarts,’ of London, part the property of Messrs. Havisides and Co., of Cornhill, and was one of the old-fashioned teak-built Indiamen, of nearly 1,000 tons’ burden. She was deeply laden with cotton and other merchandize, which had been shipped at Calcutta, as well as a number of passengers, and was on the point of sailing when the calamity happened. The immense losses by fire that merchants and shipowners have within the last two years sustained in that port—for we believe no fewer than five large ships have been totally destroyed during that time—have led to every precaution on their part. The cargo of the ‘Robarts’ underwent a strict scrutiny before it was taken on board, and the ship’s hold was carefully overhauled, besides which extra lookers-on were appointed to watch the conduct of the crew. With the exception of the officers, the crew were composed of Lascars, nearly seventy in number; and here it is proper to mention, that in all instances where they are engaged to navigate a vessel, whether to England or elsewhere, they are entitled by the laws of that country to six months’ pay in advance. This has led to the disasters spoken of; the Lascars firing the ships to defraud the owners of their services, all the ships being destroyed a night or so before the day of their appointed sailing. The ‘Robarts’ dropped down the river on the 28th of June, and the passengers having come on board she sailed on the following day, the 29th, for China. The succeeding night saw the destruction of the vessel in the river. The passengers and most of the officers were buried in slumber when they were startled by the cries of ‘fire,’ and on their reaching the deck were not a little alarmed at finding such to be the case, for smoke was rolling up in dense volumes from the fore part of the vessel. The captain and chief officer went down to ascertain its locality, and finding the bulk of the fire apparently behind the starboard-chain box, or locker, water in copious quantities was immediately thrown down, the pumps being also got to work; notwithstanding, however, no effect was produced, but the smoke and heat increased, and the stench clearly showed the fire had extended to the cotton in the hold. The exertions were continued, but at four o’clock, four hours after the alarm was raised, Captain Elder seeing there was not the least chance of saving the ship, ordered the boats to be lowered, and having seen all hands and the passengers safe in them abandoned her to her fate. Fortunately for them another vessel, named the ‘Fatima,’ was coming down the channel, and took them on board to Kedgeree, where they were landed. It is unnecessary to observe that in a few hours the ‘Robarts’ was totally destroyed. The men who were charged with setting fire to the ship have undergone an examination, and are remanded. The result of the second day’s examination has not yet been received. The loss of the vessel and cargo is said to exceed £30,000. It is covered by insurances.”—Observer.
CHAPTER LXIV.
SKETCHES ON THE RIVER FROM CALCUTTA TO COLGONG.
Calcutta—Mango Fish—Lord Ellenborough recalled—Fall of Fish—The Hoogly—The Bore—Quitted Calcutta—Ishapūr—Chagdah—Happiness of Dying in Sight of the Ganges—Quitted the Tropics—Cutwa—Plassey—Berhampūr—Morus Indica—Jungipūr—Quitted the Bhagirathī—Night Blindness—Sikrī-galī—Herd of Buffaloes—Patturgatta Hill—Rocks of Colgong—An Ajgar—A Wild and Singular Scene.
1844, April 1st.—We took a house in Chowringhee, and found soon after that the cholera and small-pox were prevalent in Calcutta: how ill the dampness and the heat of this Bengal climate render me!—they destroy all energy. Calcutta is famous for its tapsi machhī (mango fish), in this month they are in perfection. “Mangoes and fish meet of necessity[44];” they come in at the same season, and the unripe mango is also used in cooking fish: the dāndīs bring them in small baskets fresh from the boats to the Course of an evening, and sell them twenty for a rupee, at the time a khansaman charges his master one rupee for five of them. Parties are made, to Fulta and Budge-Budge, down the river, to eat mango fish,—after the fashion of white-bait parties in town; they are excellent—smoked in the same manner as anwarī fish—for breakfast.
28th.—A fine fall of rain,—perhaps it will clear the air, and drive off the cholera, which is raging strongly at present.