The Literary Selector.

The following Letter, written by the late Sir Thomas Munro to his Sister, is selected from his " Life, with Extracts from his Correspondence and Private Papers, by the Rev. G. R. Gleig,"

MY DEAR ERSKINE,

"Madras, 23d January, 1789.

Not a Scrap from you for almost two years; but my father, by sending me your fragment on Old Maids, has taken care to let me see that you are taken up with matters nearer home, than writing letters to me. Since reading this poem, I have often wished that you were transported for a few hours to my room, to be cured of your Western notions of Eastern luxury, to witness the forlorn condition of old bachelor Indian officers; and to give them also some comfort in a consolatory fragment. You seem to think that they live like those satraps that you have read of in plays; and that I in particular hold my state in prodigious splendour and magnificence- -that I never go abroad unless upon an elephant, surrounded with a crowd of slaves—that I am arrayed in silken robes, and that most of my time is spent in reclining on a sofa, listening to soft music, while I am fanned by my officious pages; or in dreaming, like Richard, under a canopy of state. But while you rejoice in my imaginary greatness, I am most likely stretched on a mat, instead of my real couch; and walking in an old coat, and a ragged shirt, in the noon day sun, instead of looking down from my elephant, invested in my royal garments. You may not believe me when I tell you, that I never experienced hunger or thirst, fatigue or poverty, till I came to India,—that since then, I have frequently met with the first three, and the last has been my constant companion. If you wish for proofs, here they are.-I was three years in India before I was master of any other pillow than a book or a cartridge-pouch; my bed was a piece of canvass, stretched on four cross sticks, whose only ornament was the great coat that I brought from England, which, by a lucky invention, I turned into a blanket in the cold weather, by thrusting my legs into the sleeves, and drawing the skirts over my head. In this situation I lay, like Fal

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staff in the basket,-hilt to point,—and very comfortable, I assure you, all but my feet; for the tailor not having foreseen the various uses to which this piece of dress might be applied,—had cut the cloth so short, that I never could, with all my ingenuity, bring both ends under cover; whatever I gained by drawing up my legs, I lost by exposing my neck; and I generally chose rather to cool my heels than my head. This bed served me till Alexander went last to Bengal, when he gave me an Europe camp-couch. On this great occasion, I bought a pillow and a carpet to lay under me, but the unfortunate curtains were condemned to make pillow-cases and towels; and now, for the first time in India, I laid my head on a pillow. But this was too much good fortune to bear with moderation; I began to grow proud, and resolved to live in great style for this purpose I bought two table-spoons, and two teaspoons, and another chair,-for I had but one before,—a table, and two table cloths. But my prosperity was of short duration, for, in less than three months, I lost three of my spoons, and one of my chairs was broken by one of John Napier's companions. This great blow reduced me to my original obscurity, from which all my attempts to emerge have hitherto proved in vain.

My dress has not been more splendid than my furniture. I have never been able to keep it all of a piece; it grows tattered in one quarter, while I am establishing funds to repair it in another; and my coat is in danger of losing the sleeves, while I am pulling it off to try on a new waistcoat.

My travelling expeditions have never been performed with much grandeur or ease. My only conveyance is an old horse, who is now so weak, that, in all my journeys, I am always obliged to walk two-thirds of the way; and if he were to die, I would give my kingdom for another, and find nobody to accept of my offer. Till I came here, I hardly knew what walking was. I have often walked from sunrise to sunset, without any other refreshment than a drink of water; and I have traversed on foot, in different directions, almost every part of the country, between Vizagapatam and Madura, a distance of eight hundred miles.

My house at Vellore consists of a hall and a bed-room. The former contains but one piece of furniture,—a table; but, on enter

ing the latter, you would see me at my writing-table, seated on my only chair, with the old couch behind me, adorned with a carpet and pillow on my right hand a chest of books, and on my left, two trunks; one for holding about a dozen changes of linen, and the other about half-a-dozen of plates, knives and forks, &c. This stock will be augmented on my return by a great acquisition, which I have made here,-six tea-spoons and a pair of candlesticks, bought at the sale of the furniture of a family going to Europe. I generally dine at home about three times in a month, and then my house looks very superb; every person on this occasion bringing his own chair and plate.

As I have already told you that I am not Aladdin with the wonderful lamp, and that, therefore, I keep neither pages, nor musicians, nor elephants, you may perhaps, after having had so particular an account of my possessions, wish to know in what manner I pass my leisure hours. How this was done some years ago, I

scarcely remember; but for the last two years that I have been at Vellore, I could relate the manner in which almost every hour was employed.

Seven was our breakfast hour, immediately after which I walked out generally alone; and though ten was my usual hour of returning, I often wandered about the fields till one: but when I adhered to the rules I had laid down for myself, I came home at ten and read Persian till one, when I dressed and went to dinner. Came back before three; sometimes slept half an hour sometimes not, and then wrote or talked Persian and Moors till sunset, when I went to the parade, from whence I set out with a party to visit the ladies, or to play cards at the commanding officer's. This engaged me till nine, when I went to supper or more frequently returned home without it, and read politics and nonsense till bed-time, which, according to the entertainment which I met with, happened some time between eleven and two. I should have mentioned fives as an amusement that occupied a great deal of my time. I seldom missed above two days in a week at this game, and always played two or three hours at a time, which were taken from my walks and Persian studies. Men are much more boyish in this country than in Europe, and, in spite of the sun, take, I believe, more exercise,

and are, however strange it may appear, better able to undergo fatigue, unless on some remarkably hot days. I never could make half the violent exertions at home that I have made here. My daily walks were usually from four to twelve miles, which I thought a good journey in Scotland. You see children of five or six years of age following the camp, and marching fifteen or sixteen miles a day with the same ease as their fathers.

I have almost as much local attachment to Vellore as to Northside; for it is situated in a delightful valley, containing all the varieties of meadows, groves, and rice-fields. On every side you see romantic hills, some near, some distant, continually assuming new forms as you advance or retire. All around you is classic ground in the history of this country; for almost every spot has been the residence of some powerful family, now reduced to misery by frequent revolutions, or the scene of some important action in former wars.

Not with more veneration should I visit the field of Marathon, or the capitol of the ancient Romans, than I tread on this hallowed ground; for, on sitting under a tree, and while listening to the disastrous tale of some noble Moorman, who relates to you the ruin of his fortune and his family, to contemplate by what strange vicissitudes you and he, who are both originally from the North of Asia, after a separation of so many ages, coming from the most opposite quarters, again meet in Hindoostan to contend with each other-this is to me wonderfully solemn and affecting."

EXTRACT FROM "THE WATER WITCH."

"We are spared the trouble," exclaimed the captain of the Coquette, "for look, the insolent has set a light himself, as if to invite us to follow! This temerity exceeds belief! To dare to trifle thus with one of the swiftest cruisers in the English fleet! See that every thing draws, gentlemen, and take a pull at all the sheets. Hail the tops, sir, and make sure that every thing is home." The order was succeeded by the voice of the officer of the watch, who inquired, as directed, if each sail was distended to the

utmost. Force was applied to some of the ropes, and then a general quiet succeeded to the momentary activity.

The brigantine had indeed shewed a light, as if in mockery of the attempt of the royal cruiser. Though secretly stung by this open contempt of their speed, the officers of the Coquette found themselves relieved from a painful and anxious duty. Before this beacon was seen, they were obliged to exert their senses to the utmost, in order to get occasional glimpses of the chase, while they now steered in confidence for the brilliant little spot that was gently rising and falling with the waves.

"I think we near him," half-whispered the eager captain, "for see, there is some design visible on the sides of the lantern, Hold! Ay, 'tis the face of a woman, as I live!”

"The men of the yawl report that the rover shews this symbol in many parts of his vessel, and we know he had the impudence to set it yesterday, in our presence even, on his ensign.'

"True true; take you the glass, Mr. Luff, and tell me if there be not a woman's face sketched in front of that light-we certainly near him fast-let there be silence fore and aft the ship. The rogues mistake our bearings."

"A saucy-looking jade as one might wish to see!" returned the lieutenant. "Her impudent laugh is visible to the naked eye.” "See all clear for laying him aboard! Get a party to throw on his decks, sir! I will lead them myself.”

These orders were given in an under tone, and rapidly. They were promptly obeyed. In the meam time, the Coquette continued to glide gently ahead, her sails thickening with the dew, and every breath of the heavy air acting with increased power on their surfaces. The boarders were stationed, orders were given for the most profound silence, and as the ship drew nearer to the light, even the officers were commanded not to stir. Ludlow stationed himself in the mizen channels, to cun the ship, and his directions were repeated to the quarter-master in a loud whisper.

"The night is so dark, we are certainly unseen!" observed the young man to his second in command, who stood at his elbow. "They have unaccountably mistaken our position. Observe how the face of the painting becomes more distinct-one can see even