What was to be done? Fearing that they
should have to remain in the same spot till
the next year's overflow, the people of the
ship sent the flat down to Dinapore, to
communicate with the resident engineer of that
place, who shortly afterwards went on a
visit to the scene of the disaster. He
thought it possible to launch the vessel by
means of placing her in a cradle on ways.
The captain coincided. They both went down
again to Dinapore. When there they wrote
to the authorities at Calcutta for permission
to attempt the enterprise. Permission soon
arrived, and they had power to proceed as
they thought best.

How I came to be mixed up in this
business:—In consequence of the above, I gave
up the charge of the Honourable
Company's steamer Soanso, to which, vessel
I had been attached for sixteen mouths,
and proceeded to the scene of action on
board the Honourable Company's "flat"
Soorena, in which boat I had been ordered
a passage to Damadapore. I took with me
twenty Lascars, some good Europe eight-inch
hawsers (or stout rope), purchase blocks, and
other apparatus, and I went for the
purpose of assisting in getting the Honourable
Company's steamer Megna afloat, which had
been left aground in the manner hereinbefore
stated, mentioned, and set down.

The flats are built expressly for this service,
by Maudsley, Field, and Son, the engineers in
London. Their shells are of iron plate; in
length they are about one hundred and twenty
feet, with fifteen feet beam, and depth of hold
about six feet. They are sharp at both ends,
with a good run abaft, and steer with a very
broad rudder, like the rudders of our barges
on the Thames. They are flat bottomed.
Beams are placed over the shell for the lower
deck, and stout wooden stanchions are fixed
upright all round the vessel. Over these
beams are placed for the upper deck. The
sides, instead of being flanked, are formed
of Venetian windows, one in each cabin, and
two in the dining cabin, which is in the centre
of the vessel, and extends from side to side.
There are glass windows, which can be put
in when required. They are always in use
during the wet and cold seasons, so that the
cabins are then made as warm as if the sides
were planked.

The flats are steered forward by a wheel,
the tiller ropes being led along the sides on
the upper deck. On the same deck are placed
cow-house, hen-coops, cook-house, &c. Finally,
each flat has three slight masts fixed in a trunk
to lower down when required, and carries
lug sails.

The steamers are constructed on nearly the
same plan; and these flats and steamers are,
in my opinion, very comfortable vessels; well
adapted to the purpose for which they are built.
When I left Calcutta some years ago, there
were six of each running between that place
and Allahabad, starting from Calcutta twice
a month, and several more were setting up in
the dockyard. They perform the passage
(which is about eight hundred miles, following
the course of the river) during the "freshes,"
in about twenty-eight or thirty days; and,
during the other parts of the year, when the
rapids are not so violent, in much less time.
They are officered by Englishmen, with a crew
of twelve Lascars. The steamers, in addition,
carry two engine-drivers, and four stokers.
The passage money is moderate, and the
accommodation to the public is very great;
for, by a native boat, it takes between two
and three months to go by water to
Allahabad. At the present time there are many
such vessels running over all the navigable
Indian rivers.

My journey to the scene of the disaster:—
At noon we started from the Bankshall
Ghaut, in tow of the steamer Jumna, and
proceeded down the river Hoogly, to go
vid the Sunderbunds (a tract of country
consisting of that part of the Delta of
the Ganges which borders on the sea),
between the main-land and the island of Sangor.
In this part of the Sunderbunds some of
the creeks are so narrow, that the paddle-
boxes brush the jungle on each side. Tigers
and alligators here abound, and many native
woodcutters are yearly carried off whilst at
work at a distance from their boats. Not
far from the place where we anchored, a
Lascar of one of the steamers was killed by a
tiger that swam off in the night from shore,
and scrambled up into the vessel. The man
had the watch in the forepart of the ship,
and went to sleep—so that I dare say the
occasion could be improved into a judgment
upon him. The poor fellow was destroyed
before any assistance could arrive; the
captain or mate—I forget which—being awake,
heard strange sounds on deck, jumped out
immediately, and whilst in the act of going
up the companion ladder, was struck down by
the paw of the invader. By that time,
however, the alarm had become general, the
tiger taking fright at the great outcry in the
ship, jumped overboard and swam safely
ashore.

We kept a good look out that night, and
the next morning at daylight we up anchor
and steamed on. It is customary always to
weigh at daylight and cast anchor at dusk, as
the navigation of the river, in many parts, is
very intricate; and fresh native pilots are
engaged at every station. The first station
we arrived at, after a few days, was
Commercolly. We also stopped and coaled, and
landed passengers at Rajmahal, Monghyr,
Patna, and Dinapore. At Dinapore is
stationed a European engineer, who always
comes on board the steamers to examine
their engines and take care that all is right.
When we arrived, however, he was gone up
to the Megna. After the due amount ot
steaming between low lands cultivated with
rice, cotton, and indigo, of which the sameness