disposed to assail it. Even within circle of its sway, and circumscribed on every side by the actual dominions of Britain, are spots where concealed enmity broods over its dark imaginings; where the seeds of disorder are ready strewn, and await only a favourable state of the political atmosphere to burst into life and activity. At various points within British India hatred of the Western stranger is unceasingly nourished, and dormant conspiracy waits its time. To meet danger wherever it may arise, the British Government maintains a noble army, but from the vast extent of country which must often be traversed before this efficient instrument of defence can be brought to bear upon the impending danger, such danger very often gathers strength from unavoidable delay, which greatly increases the difficulty, and greatly enhances the expense of resisting it. Let India be intersected by well-designed and well-constructed lines of railway, and the effect will be the same as that of doubling, and more than doubling, the numerical amount of its army. Before the power of steam and rail, time and space shrink into a small fraction of their former dimensions, and those who have the command of these conquering agents can give effect to their will, at the distance of hundreds of miles, with nearly as much facility as within their own immediate neighbourhood. Is any part of our Indian frontier threatened with danger-does any internal disturbance call for military interposition? troops in any number, and with any quantity of baggage, may be transported from one side of India to the other in less time than it now takes to move them from one province to that adjoining. The ground which now requires many weeks of tedious marching may be passed over in a few hours-and with this advantage that the troops will arrive at the point where they are wanted without fatigue, fresh and fit for action as though they had just turned out of a neighbouring barrack. It is a trite remark, that to ensure peace, a nation should always be prepared for war, and in this view railways in India more especially are capable of affording the best assistance towards maintaining peace, and consequently towards maintaining the security of the Government.

To provide the means of defence against external and internal enemies must ever be the first object of all wise governments, and railways, we have seen, furnish the best auxiliaries for this purpose. But there is another point of view to which the subject particularly addresses itself to the rulers of India. The larger portion of the revenue of the Government is derived from the land. Whatever tends to increase the value of land already cultivated, or to bring into cultivation land lying waste, will tend to the enrichment of the Government treasury, will conduce to placing the finances of India in a sound and flourishing condition, and to render the taxes more productive without impoverishing those who pay them. Such is the tendency of railways, and on this ground, next to that of providing for the defence of the country, should the Government of India encourage them.

Supposing Calcutta connected with the North-West Provinces by a railroad, and who shall estimate the probable amount of the land, now unproductive, in whole or in part, which would then, under the hand of the cultivator, become prolific in consequence of the ready means of transport offered for its produce? Again, if such a railway were constructed, would either Seik or Nepaulese dare to beard the British authorities, knowing that the punishment would follow the offence with almost as much rapidity as the limbs

obey the impulse of the will? These are Government questions, and their importance cannot fail to be felt both in India and at home.

In claiming for Indian railways encouragement from the State, we do not refer to the indirect encouragement of mere permission or protection; we mean direct pecuniary encouragement. We should discourage such a course in England. There the people are both able and ready to carry out the great works required, and individual enterprize will secure all that is conducive to national benefit. In such a country as Great Britain, the less the governors dothe less they are felt and heard of, the better. To introduce the agency of Government here would be a departure from the character of our free institutions, and an approach to that state of things, unhappily prevailing in too many continental states, where the Government is every thing, the people nothing; where the latter, so far from being in any degree self-governed, can scarcely perform any act but under the surveillance and direction of the police, and are not even entrusted with the choice of their own religion or the education of their own children. But we need not say that the circumstances of India are widely different, and that in that country Government is compelled to interfere in many things which in countries differently circumstanced are wisely left to the people. If Government abstain from the actual support of railways in India, there is reason to fear an indefinite postponement of their introduction; or what would be nearly as bad, a commencement followed by a sudden and longprotracted check. Government should secure, in the first instance at least, that the work should be done, and well done. There should be no beginning and breaking off from failure of funds, or because the projectors, having made their market, had disappeared, and given way to others hoping to play the same game, but disappointed. In timeperhaps in a short time-direct interference might become unnecessary; but at present, while the business is altogether experimental, we are persuaded that it cannot safely be withheld.

"WONDERS will never cease;" and further, there will never be wanting believers in any description of wonder which any person may choose to put forward with a grave face and a confident manner.

Indian jugglers are famous throughout the world; but they must look to their reputation, for Englishmen are among them who threaten to put all their achievements to shame, and take the bread out of their mouths. We do not know whether the reader will anticipate that these intruders belong to the sublime sect of Mesmerists, but such is the fact. Mesmerism has reached India, and in a country where a vast majority of the inhabitants receive with solemn acquiescence all the extravagances of Hindoo mythology, it may be said to have found an appropriate soil.

We do not know the precise extent to which the claims of Mesmerism have been pushed in this country, but in India they proceed very far indeed. Not only are patients mesmerized there as here by "twiddling their thumbs," and other processes of the like nature, but, according to the chief professor of the new science in India (whom, from a motive of ten. derness, we will not name), they are "entranced or made delirious" (these are his words), first, "by drinking mesmerized water; secondly, through a wall; thirdly, at a great distance; fourthly, by regarding them (the patients) stea

dily." To the first of these modes of entrancement or delirium creation, namely the drinking of mesmerized water, should have been added-or by drinking water not mesmerized. In India, however, as in England, it appears that some professional men are wicked enough or stupid enough to doubt-blind, brutal, prejudiced bigots that they are, for such we know are all men who oppose the march of quackery. The editor of the Indian Journal of Medical and Physical Science is one of these, and having been invited to a display of mesmeric power, he had the impertinence to interfere in a way which produced some very awkward result. The effect of the mesmerized water was about to be exhibited, and as this we presume constitutes one of the great triumphs of the science, the meditated performance was preceded by a scene of extraordinary, though very appropriate, solemnity-appropriate we mean to what ought to have followed, but not exactly to what did follow. The means by which that which was meant to be "sublime" was converted into the "ridiculous" may be best explained in the words of that very unpersuadable person, the sceptical editor aforesaid. It is only necessary to premise that the place of action was a convict hospital, and that the visitor had previously been shewn many alleged marvellous effects of mesmerism, to not one of which did he yield credence.

Dr. Esdaile (says the medical journalist) purposed to exhibit to us his latest great discovery in this occult science, the power of inducing the mesmeric phenomena by the agency of mesmerised water, which he described as most extraordinary.

The previous experiments having in a great measure convinced us that the actors were one and all impostors, and that the reputed phenomena could not bear the ordeal of a strict inquiry; in order to confirm or remove these impressions, we requested permission to try the effects of plain water upon the patients to be subjected to these experiments.

Two prisoners who had been submitted successively, on many previous occasions, to this test, were brought and placed at our disposal; the one was an elderly, tall, powerful man, the other a young and short one; the former had acquired a character as one of the most notorious dacoits in the district, and had less of a stern than venerable appearance, from a long white beard; the other was a low caste Hindoo: we have applied unsuccessfully to the doctor for their names. They were desired to sit down in the verandah, and we retired into an inner apartment, when the doctor ordered all but ourselves to be excluded, and there lectured us on the tremendous power this discovery gave the mesmerist over the rest of the communityso tremendous, indeed, that he considered it a duty he owed society not to communicate the process of endowing the most innocent of all beverages with this virtue, rendering it one of the most potent for nefarious purposes, and the same feeling induced him to beseech us not to publish the means of mesmerising water to the public, and we were besought even to exclude our professional brethren from the secret process he was about to divulge to us.

These injunctions to secrecy and endeavours of the doctor to wrap the subject up in mystery, only tended to confirm our unbelief, and made us more desirous of putting to an incontrovertible test the truth of this so-called science. We therefore begged the doctor, in lieu of conferring these miraculous powers upon us, to permit us to essay our own unaided efforts with unmesmerised water, to which he readily assented.

Two cups of plain water were put into Dr. Bedford's hands, who gave one to each of the prisoners, whom he undertook to watch, while we accompanied Dr. Esdaile into a long apartment, where there was a great number of prisoners assembled, for the purpose of selecting some untried subjects for his test. We had not been away above five minutes, when we returned and found the old man lying stretched on his back, with his eyes closed, and apparently uncon scious, which Dr. Bedford intimated he had become in about three minutes from the time of drinking the water; the younger prisoner continued to sit looking at his more aged companion, seemingly uninfluenced by the draught of water he had taken. The carbonate of ammonia was applied to the nostrils of the elder prisoner; the exhibition of feeling its influence he successfully resisted for some time, though evidently not insensible to it; but at length he turned away his head from the bottle, though he continued apparently unconscious and cataleptic, retaining his arms raised and placed perpendicularly to his body for some time, but decidedly not so long as greatly to fatigue this old offender.

The second prisoner, to whom a cup of plain water had been given at the same time, on seeing the application of the carbonate of ammonia (probably mistaking the object intended) dropped off on a sudden into the same apparently unconscious state. This, however, only rendered him a fit subject for Dr. Brander's application, who gave him as

strong a dose as he could, by retaining the bottle to his nose; when, wishing to escape from its further infliction, though he would neither open his eyes nor return to consciousness, he fairly turned round, resting his nose on the ground so as effectually to prevent the appli cation of the bottle to his nostrils: by this manoeuvre, though he effectually escaped this test of his sensibility, he was subjected to another. He was tickled in the armpit, and, though he succeeded in concealing any indication of feeling by his features, he moved bis elbow backwards and forwards as any one does who is susceptible of the influence of, and subjected to, titillation.

Dr. Esdaile then proposed to give us a third prisoner, who had not been so often brought under the influence of the mesmerized water. We gave him a cup of plain water, which he drank off; in five minutes he fell into what was pronounced the mesmerie sleep, in which state he was permitted to remain undisturbed, and continued so during the rest of the scene.

The whole three prisoners to whom plain water had been given. presented as perfect a cataleptic condition as any of those who had been previously treated by the prescribed and orthodox manipu lations.

Thus it is established, that simple water will produce all the effects of mesmerized water, and if it fail, that the application of carbonate of ammonia will put a patient to sleep at

once.

We need scarcely say, that the experiments with plain water and carbonate of ammonia wrought no change in the opinion of the mesmeric champion. In fact, it seems only to have added to his conviction of the truth of his science. He admits the facts stated of the men who were cheated into the belief that they were drinking mesmerized water, and he says, I had no doubt about the reality of their condition, and still believe that they were 'bona fide' asleep; the possibility of which I had anticipated. They rolled away to get rid of the fumes of ammonia, and shewed all the natural indications of annoyance; and having done this, it was of no use to sham sleep any longer, but they slept on, and could not be roused. From this I infer, that their sleep was neither natural nor assumed. If it had been the former, they would not have got up to get rid of their annoyances; if the latter, they would not have persevered after being detected in their imposture; therefore, in my estimation, the sleep was unnatural, and partook of the mesmeric character." It is quite clear that reasoning and experiment are altogether useless in the case of one who will believe in spite of both. The hardihood of the performers in persisting in their imposture after detection is actually adduced as a proof that they were not impostors ! What can be done with a man like this?

Among the novelties of mesmerism (novel to us at least) is the discovery of mesmerizing at second hand. The process of manipulation, like other manual acts, is now carried on by a master and a number of journeymen; the latter taking the hard work, while their principal, after the expiration of his apprenticeship, confines himself to the duty of superintendence. We must not doubt that the process described below is very efficient; but that portion of it resorted to "if total insensibility is desired," seems more energetic than delicate; and in presenting it to our readers, we assure them in perfect good faith, that the description is actually written by a medical man.

Would the most imaginative of my readers ever think of the fol lowing process as the means of making people insensible to pain through their imagination? A Bengal cooly, or pariah, comes before me with a disease requiring a surgical operation: I never say a word to him, because I cannot, but desire my hospital attendants to mesmerize him. He is ordered to lie down and shut his eyes, and for an hour or hours they pass their hands slowly along the most sensitive parts of the body, exhaling their breath upon the patient, and larding him with their sweat, if total insensibility is desired; and this they do in relays for a fortnight together, perhaps, before any effect is produced. A few minutes, or half an hour, sometimes, will suffice; but it is hard work all the time, and the least imaginative process I can imagine, and is what all must undergo who wish to become practical mesmerizers to the extent of producing coma frequently. My learned brethren yesterday reaped

PRINCE SEYD HILAL, son of the Imaum of Muscat, paid a visit on Monday, Oct. 27th, to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. After being conducted through the various departments, his highness partook of an elegant déjeuner at the residence of Lord Bloomfield, and then proceeded to the Common, where three troops of Royal Horse Artillery, previously assembled there, under the command of Colonel Dyneley, c.B., performed a variety of exercises. The rapidity of the firing, the celerity of the movements, and the correctness of the evolutions, appeared to gratify the prince exceedingly.

EAST-INDIA MAILS.-Southampton, Oct. 29.-The Oriental Company's steam-ship Great Liverpool, Capt. McLeod, arrived at the Motherbank at ten A.M. this day, with East-India and China mails, which were landed at two o'clock, and immediately forwarded to London by a special train. She left Alexandria on the 19th inst, Malta on the 18th, and Gibraltar on the 24th. She has a full cargo, and fifty passengers, who are expected to be released from quarantine on Friday Several men-of-war belonging to his Highness Mahomet Ali were lying at Alexandria. Her Majesty's brig Fantome, and the American frigate Plymouth, were at Malta. Times, Oct. 30. REMARKABLE FACTS. When Dwarkanauth Tagore was in Wales the other day, the Cymreigyddion committee presented an address to him, and as it was thought more appropriate that it should be interpreted in Hindostanee, a young man named David Williams, eighteen years of age, was produced for that purpose. David Williams, said the Rev. Mr. Price, the spokesman of the committee, "knew the tongue spoken amongst the Himalaya. Mountains, having been confined there several years, and was on the sanguinary field of the Punjaub which gained to us the province of Scinde!" If Mr. Price has been rightly reported, his historical knowledge is woefully at fault. We are

not aware that a single drop of blood has been shed by the British in the Punjaub, and we cannot see how battles fought there would have given us possession of the country of the Ameers.-English Gentleman.

INDIAN SARCOPHAGUS. A curious Indian sarcophagus was last week landed from the Sharnon, from Beirout. The sarcophagus is cut from solid blocks of statuary marble, comprising the lid and the lower lid and the lower chest, in which the body has been deposited. The lid is slightly sloped from the centre, or roof-shaped; the under part resembles a massive chest, on a slight pedestal. The whole is but roughly cut, having small chisel-marks over the entire surface. The work is, however, ornamented with some taste, and the general effect is good. There are rams' heads at the four angles of the lid or cover, and two buils' heads upon the front, and one in the centre of each end, the spaces between being filled up with something like serpents pendant in festoons from each of the more prominent ornaments.

THE ORIENTAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY. - An application has been made to her Majesty in Council by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company for a supplemental charter, in order to enable the company to establish lines of communication with any port or place in Spain or Portugal, and with any other port on the Mediterranean Sea, whether for the purpose of communicating with the East Indies, Ceylon, or otherwise, being bound to carry the public mails to any one or more of such places. The application has been referred to the Board

of Trade.

Sir James Emerson Tennent arrived at Alexandria on the 7th ultimo, by the Great Liverpool, on his way to Ceylon, but will remain some short time in Egypt to visit the upper country, and also, as it is rumoured, to endeavour to make some final arrangement with the viceroy respecting the transit of the English mails and passengers through Egypt.

PRESENT TO HER MAJESTY.-The Bombay, a large East-Indiaman, has brought a splendid cargo, of the estimated value of 250,000l., including four beautiful Arabian horses, which, together with their housings, of an extraordinary, unique, and gor. geous descripiion, valued at 1,000l. per horse, are forwarded as a present to her Majesty, by Sir Jumsetjee Jejeebhoy. They were

OCT. 25.-Indian, Payne, Launceston; Princess Royal, Perkins, Bengal.-27. Anne Mary, Faulkner, Bombay; Levant, Lane, Bombay.-28. Felicity, McDonald, Singapore; Argaum, Tait, Bengal ; Queen, Hutton, Penang and Singapore; Ariel, Douglas, Singapore. -29. Ann Carr, Winn, New South Wales; Salem, Milford, Bombay; Llewellyn, Weatherly, Madras; Arab, Coultas, Bengal; Rachel, Scott, Bombay; Parkfield, Whiteside, New South Wales; Guisachan, Leigh, Manilla.-30. Buteshire, Currie, Bengal; Hortensia, Storey, Cape.-31. Earl Grey, Molison, China.-Nov. 1. Sterling, May, Bengal; Alexander, Primrose, Bombay.-3. Clarendon, Grant, Cocas Islands and Mauritius; Poragon, Plank, Maulmain and Mauritius; Wigeon, Capes, China and Mauritius; Cygnet, Balston, Port Philip; Gloucester, Beard, Madras.

DEPARTURES.

From the DoWNS.-OCT. 25. West Indian, Bews, South Seas; James, Napier, Cape.-27. Isabella Blyth, Paddle, Mauritius.-31. Pacific, Barnes, Hartlepool and Aden; Lydford, Stayner, Bombay; London, Harries, Aden; Mona, Sayers, Algoa Bay.-Nov. 1. Royal Alice, Hopper, Calcutta; Aden, Waddell, Hobart Town.-2. Palestine, Lidderdale, Sydney.

From LIVEBPOOL.-OCT. 23. Isabella, Gray, Singapore.-24. Emma, Hartley, Singapore; Lintin, Gillman, Calcutta; Mary Sparks, Bushby, Bombay.-25. Nith, Graham, Calcutta.-28. Mary White, Tucker, Sydney; Jeremiah Garnett, Davies, Shanghae. -29. Lawrence, Salmon, Singapore; Duke of York, Proudfoot, Calcutta.-30. William Ackers, Newby, Shanghae; Orpheus, Niell, Batavia; Jumna, Kerr and Ellen, Worrall, Calcutta.-31. New Margaret. Ager, Shanghae; Triton, Ord, Calcutta; Colonist, Cowman, Ceylon and Madras; Ingleborough, Rae, Calcutta.-Nov. 1. Undaunted, Ritchie, Calcutta; Sapphire, Miller, Hobart Town.-2. Alexander Baning, Wilson, Calcutta.

From the CLYDE.-OCT. 22. Coroman del, Fletcher, Bombay.25. Isabella, M'Neilage, Batavia and Singapore.

VESSELS SPOKEN WITH.

John Wickliffe, Daley, London to Madras, 10 Sept. Westmoreland, Brigstock, London to Madras, 17 Sept. lat. 8 deg, N. long. 24 deg. W.

Isle of Wight, Ratsey, London to Mauritius, Sept. 11, lat, 3 deg. N. long. 21 deg. W.

London, Shuttleworth, London to Calcutta, Sept. 17, lat. 24 deg. N. long. 21 deg. W.

Tasmania, Black, Kingstown to Hobart Town, Sept. 20, lat. 12 deg. N. long. 20 deg. W.

Sibella, Coleman, London to Mauritius and Ceylon, lat. 10 deg. N. long. 24 deg. W.

Rosebud, Winn, London to Algoa Bay, Aug. 10, lat. 4 deg. N. long. 19 deg. W.

Marmion, Fletcher, Liverpool to China, Sept. 18, lat. 10 deg. N. long. 24 deg. W.

Adelaide, Ellis, London to Launceston, Sept. 18, lat. 11 deg. N. long. 23 deg. W.

Martin Luther, Hutton, London to Madras, Sept. 12, lat. 5:40 deg. N. long. 21 deg. W.

Owen Glendower, Robertson, London to Bombay, Sept. 13, lat. 1 deg. S. long. 15 deg. W.

Emily, Greaves, London to Bombay, Sept. 20, lat. 10.57 deg. N. long. 24 deg. W.

Vernon, Voss, London to Madras, Sept. 16, lat. 11:30 deg. N. long. 26 W.

True Briton, Consitt, London to Madras, Sept. 17, lat. 10:40 deg. N. long. 25 deg. W.

Neptune, Ferris, Cork to Bombay, Aug. 20. lat. 23 deg. S. long. 32 deg. W.

Lady Kennaway, Cartar, London to Madras, Sept. 16, lat. 12 deg. N. long. 23 deg. W.

Windsor, Triscott, London to Calcutta, Oct. 15, lat. 47-30 deg. N long. 12:36 deg. W.

Hindostan, Bowen, London to Ceylon, Sept. 18, lat. 10 deg. S. long. 18 deg. W.

Harebell, Eales, London to Mauritius, Sept. 15, lat. 10 deg. N. long. 24 deg. W.

PASSENGERS DEPARTED.

Per steamer Duke of Cornwall, from Southampton, on the 3rd inst. to Malta, and from thence to Alexandria per Iberia.

For MALTA.-Mrs. Lane, Miss Cousins, and Messrs. Currey, and T. R. Bennett.

For ALEXANDRIA.-Lieut. Kay, Lieut. col. and Mrs. Capon, Miss Pierce, Col. and Mrs. Martin, Capt. and Mrs. Bellasis, Miss Cunningham, Mrs. Unwin, Mrs. Melville, Miss Reid (to embark at Malta), Sir R. Oliver and servant, and Messrs. E. Beamish, Jefferson, C. Nasmyth, R. Cumming, Wright, Cleverley, G. Anderson, Bagshawe, T. H. Sandford, Corbet, Henderson, Battiscombe, Hislop, J. Connon, Glen, and Reid (to embark at Malta).

DOMESTIC. BIRTHS.

Oct. 23. The wife of Patrick Black, M.D. of Bedford-square, d. 24. The lady of Capt. Glegg, E.I.C.'s service, d. at Gayfieldsquare, Edinburgh.

Nov. 1. The wife of Alexander Colvin, Esq. s. at Clarendon-place, Hyde-park-gardens.

MARRIAGES.

Oct. 23. Alfred Sola, Esq. to Anna Amelia Barton, daughter of the late Lieut. col. Arthur Warde, 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry, at St. Pancras.

30. Lieut. Arthur George Garland, 4th Madras Light Cavalry, to Anna Bertha, daughter of Robert Williams, Esq. M.D., at St. George's, Bloomsbury.

DEATHS.

Oct. 19. Lieut. col. Henry William Hodges, Madras Army; at Aix-la-Chapelle.

20. Elizabeth relict of the late Major general Cooke, H. E. I. C.'s Service, at Heavitree, near Exeter.

28. Sir Matthew J. Tierney, Bart., M.D., at 3, Pavilion-parade, Brighton, aged 69.

29. Caroline Mary, wife of Onley Savill Onley, Esq., at Stistedhall, Essex, aged 49.

30. Capt. Henry Hardy, late of the Hon. E. I. C.'s Service, at No. 8, Tavistock-street, Bedford-square.

Chairman-Sir GEORGE LARPENT. Bart. (Messrs. Cockerell and Co.) Deputy-Chairman-BAZET D. COLVIN, Esq. (Messrs. Crawford Colvin and Co.)

R. Gurney Barclay, Esq. (Messrs. Barclay, Brothers, and Co.)
Joseph Baxendale, Esq.

Alexander Beattie, Esq. (Messrs Beattie and Co.)
Robert Bird, Esq., late of the Bengal Civil Service

C. D. Bruce, Esq. (Messrs. Fletcher, Alexander, and Co.)

Sir John Campbell, K.C.H., Deputy-Chairman of the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company

John Cattley, Esq., Chairman of the London Dock Company

Major-General Caulfield, C.B., late of the Hon. East India Company's Service T. S. Kelsall, Esq. (Messrs Kelsall and Co.)

John Pascal Larkins, Esq., formerly of the Bengal Civil Service, and President of the Marine Board

Captain Alexander Nairne, formerly of the Hon. East India Company's Service
Edward Howley Palmer, Esq. (Messrs. Palmer, Mackillop, Dent, and Co.
Thomas Campbell Robertson, Esq., late Governor of the north-western pro-
vince of India

William Scott, Esq., late of Madras (Messrs, Scott, Bell, and Co.)
John Stewart, Esq., late of Bombay.

Managing Director-R. Macdonald Stephenson, Esq.
Auditors-R. F. Gower, Esq. (Messrs. Gower, Nephews, and Co.); Captain Far-
quharson, R.N.; and Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, Bart.
Bankers-Messrs. Glyn, Hallifax, Mills, and Co.
Solicitors-Messrs. Freshfield.

Consulting Engineers-J. M. Rendel, Esq., F.R.S.
Secretary-D. I. Noad, Esq.
Offices-Broad-street-buildings.

At a Board of Directors of this Company, held at these offices the 22nd day of October, 1845,

It was unanimously resolved, 1. That the East-India Railway Company was formed in the spring of this year, after many months of preliminary discussion and communication with official authorities, for the purpose of carrying out the views and objects of the projectors in the introduction of railways into India.

2. That the promoters of the undertaking abstained from adopting any measures towards the formation of a company until they had satisfied themselves of the disposition of the Government of India to support the undertaking by pecuniary aid in some shape, on which basis this Company was accordingly established, its object being (as stated in the prospectus) to execute the line of railway which should be selected by Government, with the ulterior extensions and developments consequent upon it.

3. That in furtherance of these views, the Managing Director of this Company proceeded to Calcutta in the month of July last, accompanied by a staff of surveyors, for the purpose of making the necessary surveys, obtaining the requisite information, and of ascertaining the views of the local Government, prior to the final arrangements for commencing operations.

4. That the information obtained in the course of several years of preliminary inquiry, inclined the projectors to the belief that, subject to any unforseen circumstances, the line from Calcutta to the north-western provinces, by Mirzapore, was the most needed by India, and most calculated to yield a profitable return for investment of capital, and it was therefore that line which was advocated in the first communication with the Government, the selection being left to the Government,

5. That subsequent to the formation of this Company, various projects have been announced to the public for constructing railroads in Western India, some of them forming part and portion of the scheme of the East-Indian Railway Company, and to which the surveys and the operations of the Committee in Calcutta may possibly at this moment be directed as an important feature in the design of Government.

6. That under these circumstances it appears to this Board to be their imperative duty in the interest of this Company, to adopt such measures as will have the effect of securing to the Company the benefit of their original scheme in its full integrity.

7. That with this view, and in order to prove to the Government of India their full means of carrying out any arrangements which it may be disposed to make with this Company for the construction of railways on an extended scale (in the event of its being essential to the scheme of the Government so to commence), it is desirable that the capital of this Company should be increased to 10,000,000l., by the issue of new shares.

8. That 120,000 shares of 501, each be created, on which a deposit of 5s. will be forthwith payable; that of this number 80,000 shares be distributed rateably among the approved holders of the scrip already issued, in the proportion of one new for one old share; and that the remaining shares, subject to the necessary allotment to the new directors, be reserved to be disposed of hereafter, as may be found advantageous for the interests of the undertaking.

9. That these resolutions be advertised in the daily newspapers, for the information of the proprietors and the public.

GEORGE LARPENT, Chairman.

In conformity with the above arrangement, it is requested that all holders of scrip desirous of availing themselves of the above provisions, do send in their scrip on or before the 20th November next, accompanied by an application addressed to the secretary, in the following form:

To the Provisional Committee of the East Indian Railway Company. Gentlemen,-I hand you herewith_scrip (or banker's receipt for deposit on) shares in the East-Indian Railway Company, in respect of which I request you will allot to me my proportion of the new issue of shares, and I hereby agree to pay the deposit of 5s. per share upon the same, and to sign such deeds as may be required in respect of such new issue.

Date....

Name in full.........
Signature

Profession or occupation
Residence

All holders of scrip in Great Britain failing to lodge their scrip as above requested will be considered as not desirous of accepting any additional allotment, but an extension of time will be allowed to holders of scrip in India. By order of the Board, D. I. NOAD, Sec.

8, Broad-street-Buildings, October 24, 1845.

WITH

OR VARY THE SAME.

PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE.

Major-General MARTIN WHITE, Bengal Army, Bath.
Major-General MORGAN, of the Bombay Army, Singleton House, Torquay.
Lieutenant-Colonel PEREIRA, of the Bengal Army, Elms, Taplow, near
Maidenhead.

Lieutenant-Colonel W. SPILLER, Fern Acres, by Gerard's Cross, Bucks,
Director of the Oriental Bank.

S. G. BONHAM, Esq., late Governor of Singapore, Oriental Club,

F. O. WELLS, Esq., of the Bengal Civil Service, 22, Montague Square.
G. GUNNING CAMPBELL, Esq., late of the Bengal Establishment, 37,
Montague Square.

Major HENRY PELHAM BURN, of the Bengal Army, Oriental Club.
Major CADOGAN, late of the 22nd Light Dragoons, 15, St. James's
Place.

R. W. MAXWELL, Esq., late of the Bengal Civil Service, Middleton Hall, Uphall, Edinburgh.

WILLIAM VANSITTART, Esq., Bengal Civil Service, 1, Halkin Street West, Belgrave Square.

B. BURT, Esq., late of the Bengal Army, Oriental Club.

B. S. JONES, Esq., late Assistant Secretary to the India Board of Control, St. John's Wood.

Sir WILLIAM CHAYTER, Bart., Clervoux Castle, Darlington.

Sir WILLIAM MAGNEY, Bart.

G. G. GRANT, Esq., of Limepotts and Edinburgh.
WILLIAM BURGE, Esq., Q.C.

WILLIAM NASH, Esq.

Captain P. A. REYNOLDS (of the firm of Grindlay and Co.), 23, Sussex Gardens, Hyde Park.

Captain HUTCHINSON, R.N., Bedford,

GEORGE ADAM, Esq., late of Bombay, merchant, Cornhill.
Captain BASDEN, R.N., Elms, Taplow, near Maidenhead.

Captain E. J. PRATT, 16th Lancers, Somerfield Terrace, Maidstone.
ROBERT RAWLINS, Esq., Bere Hill House, Whitchurch, Hants.
CHARLES STANLEY, Esq., Sheffield.

RICHARD HARTLEY KENNEDY, Esq., 10, Manchester Square, Director of the Oriental Bank.

HARRY BORRADAILE, Esq., late Bombay Civil Service, Ham, Surrey. Captain C. W. REYNOLDS, 16th Lancers, Maidstone,

Captain CHARLES CAMPBELL, Bengal Army.

Captain HITCHINS, 43, Queen Anne Street, Cavendish Square.

(With power to add to their number.)

BANKERS.

Messrs. SMITH, PAYNE, and SMITHS.-Messrs. MASTERMAN, PETERS, and Co.-Messrs. SAPTE, BANBURY, and Co.

SOLICITORS.

Messrs. HODGSON, CONCANEN, and NOYES, 5, Lincoln's-Inn Fields.

This Company has been formed for the important object of constructing a railway between the large and opulent cities of Delhi, Agra, and Allahabad, and for extending the same to Mirzapore and Benares, with branches to Meerut and other places.

The line will be about 400 miles in length; in its course it is intended that it shall embrace the whole of the large towns and districts comprised in the rich and fertile country of the Doab; and it will, at the same time, form a connecting link between all the great military stations in Upper India.

Its ultimate extension to Mirzapore will, in conjunction with the projected line from Calcutta, complete a great trunk railway from the seat of Government to the north-western frontier.

The Directors of the East-India Company, deeply impressed with the importance of the political and commercial advantages to be derived from the introduction of railway communication into India, have already deputed an eminent engineer to that country, for the purpose of making the necessary surveys and reports,-and they have, with their usual enlightened policy, pledged themselves to afford the fullest encouragement and support to undertakings of this nature, to be carried into execution by means of private enterprize and capital.

It is at the outset proposed to commence this railway at Allahabad (at present the entrepôt for the passenger and commercial traffic by means of the steamboats on the Ganges), and to form a great trunk line from that city to Cawnpore, Agra, and Delhi; but, as the completion of comparatively short lines is the best mode of introducing railways into any country, it is proposed to begin by a line from Allahabad to Cawnpore, or from Agra to Delhi, and to proceed upon this principle till the junction of the places included in the regis tered description is effected.

From the peculiarly favourable nature of the country through which it will pass, the facilities for the construction of this work are so great, that it may with confidence be asserted the cost will be much below the average estimate for any railway in India. There are no engineering difficulties of any kind to be surmounted; the country is not subject to inundations, and no costly

impediments present themselves to its formation. The laud will be of easy attainment, labour is cheap, and can be procured to an unlimited extent, and there is an abundant supply of timber.

Above Allahabad, the numerous shoals and sand-banks present, during the greater portion of the year, an insurmountable barrier to the extension of steam navigation upon the Ganges; and the only mode at present in use in the upper provinces for the conveyance of merchandize and stores is by the slow and expensive process of land carriage, over the badly constructed roads of the country.

This railway will, consequently, from the reduced cost of transport, at once absorb the whole of the existing traffic of the country, and experience at home places it beyond a doubt that, when it is completed, a vast amount of new traffic will be rapidly called into existence.

An investigation of the official returns clearly demonstrates that a greatly increased demand for all kinds of British manufactures will immediately arise in the upper provinces of India and the neighbouring states, from facility of transit; whilst it will simultaneously lead to a development of the natural resources of a country teeming with mineral wealth and the richest agricultural productions.

Amongst the advantages to be derived from the construction of this railway, it must not escape attention that it will conduce to the easy and cheap conveyance of agricultural produce, and thereby equalize the prices in the neighbourhood of the different places which it connects. It will open the granaries of Mirzapoor and the rich and productive lands of the Doab and Oude to the populous cities of the north-west_provinces, and render the recurrence of the high prices of grain at Agra and Delhi in 1837-38, and the consequent famine, next to impossible. Had a railway, such as is now proposed, been in existence in the years just named, upwards of 100,000 lives would have been saved, and the railway been hailed as a blessing by a famishing population. Of grain there was plenty in the country, and the means of paying for it,-facility of carriage alone was wanting.

The increased fertility and produce of the country, arising from the great Doab Canal, now under construction by Government, will find ready and profitable markets by means of this railway. The cotton of Calpee and Agra, and the indigo and other dyes produced in the north-west provinces, will be brought to Allahabad on their way to the coast in a few hours, instead of being laden in boats of bad construction, to be navigated on tedious and diffiThe insurance of mercult rivers, a journey of several weeks' duration. chandize and property from Agra to Allahabad by the river route, in consequence of the danger and difficulty of the navigation, is as high as from Calcutta to England: the distance in the one case being 300 miles, in the latter 15,000 miles.

The return upon the capital to be invested in this undertaking may, from the traffic of merchandize and produce alone, be fairly assumed to exceed the ordinary per centage in India; and although it might be somewhat difficult to form an approximate estimate of the amount which will be derived from passenger traffic, it is by no means unreasonable to suppose that, as the native mind gradually becomes familiarized with the prominent advantages which it imparts, the receipts on this account will hereafter be materially augmented; when, however, in addition to this, it is considered that the Government will immediately avail itself of the advantages which this railway will present for the economical and rapid conveyance of the mails, for the removal of troops and baggage, and for the transport of the large and increasing amount of military stores, which are annually sent to the upper provinces, there is the strongest reason for believing that the return to the shareholders will considerably exceed that amount.

A comprehensive statement of the objects for which the Company has been formed has been transmitted to the chief secretary to the Government of India, preparatory to an application being made for an Act of the Legislative Council to empower the Company to carry out its plans; and similar papers have also been forwarded to the secretary to the Governor of the NorthWestern Provinces at Agra.

Copies of these documents, together with full information respecting this Company, have been sent in to the secretary of the Hon. Court of East-India Directors in London.

It is intended to take immediate steps for obtaining a survey of the line, the expenses of which, and the other necessary disbursements of the Company connected with its general management, will be defrayed out of the first deposits of five shillings per share; and should the shareholders, or any of them, on such preliminary survey being submitted to them, determine not further to prosecute the work, the deposits of five shillings per share will be returned to them, after deducting their proportion of such expenses; and a clause will be inserted in the subscribers' agreement, limiting the liability of each shareholder to the amount of his deposits, until by resolutions of the shareholders at a general meeting it shall be determined to subscribe further for prosecuting the objects of the Company. The subscription contract will also contain powers enabling the Directors to apply for a Charter of Incorporation, or Act of Parliament; and until the same shall be obtained, the affairs of this Company shall be under the control of the Committee of Management, to whom power is given to allot the shares, and to apply the funds of the Company in payment of the expenses incurred in its formation and necessary surveys.

Power will be applied for in the Act-and in the meantime is hereby given to the Committee of Management-to raise an additional capital, to abandon any part of the line, to make branch lines, or enter into arrangements with any other company or companies, and also to nominate the first directors and officers of the Company.