concluded, the hour of retiring to rest (which is ten) is close at hand. Some, whom it suits, prefer having the dinner at three or four, with no tiffin, but tea or coffee again in the evening; which is thought by many to be much the best plan, and on this account,-that then we do not go to bed till a long time after the full meal, and therefore are likely to have sounder rest. And this may be true in some degree. It may indeed be as well, when the system of dining at the early

hour suits best, to adopt it. should never take what will

should never either eat or

But the truth is, we incommode us; we drink what we need He that takes no

be afraid to go to sleep with. more than appetite requires, may lie down safely enough, even the instant he has feasted; and therefore he who is a prudent man need not be afraid of the seven o'clock dinner.

It is a question not unfrequently adverted to; whether it be best, to drink at one meal only one kind of liquor, or to partake of a variety. There are some who say-Keep only to the one thing, whatever it is, and you need not be afraid of

going a considerable length; while there are others who contend, that you may just as safely take all and every thing that is presented. But the truth is, both parties are very wrong, there is, undoubtedly, much error of both sides; we know well that the man in good health absolutely requires no kind of liquor whatever-the system, naturally acting, stands in need of no such stimulus to keep it a-going. But as society has introduced the custom of taking certain beverages at meals, we must perhaps, while we continue to live in society, be content to depart a little from nature's strict rule, and concede in so far to the custom; yet, if we indulge beyond a certain length, even in one thing, we will certainly be injured by it. If we take up the idea, that so long as we keep by the one liquor we may drink deeply without fear, we lay down for ourselves a most erroneous and ruinous system; and on the other hand, when we indulge in variety, we are exposed to this great source of error, that we are apt even unawares to indulge too much. This seems to me to be the

great bane in the variety of our drinks, as well as our meats-that too much is presented to the palate too many things to entice are offered, and thus in truth, we eat and drink by far too liberally. I am satisfied that the various articles of a fashionable dinner, though not perhaps more liberally indulged in than we would indulge in those of a plainer one, will not be just so wholesome to the system as simpler fare; yet, if we only indulge in them till nature has said we have enough, I do not think we need at all fear the consequences. I am satisfied that he who drinks only Madeira, or claret, or beer (which seems now to have become the most favourite beverage of India) may not so soon feel injurious effects as he who takes all of them-the very mixture, it is true, of the different liquors may be pernicious; but, as I have said, I think it is more from the circumstance of the general drinker's being apt to go too far, that danger is to be apprehended; if the single drinker makes also free, why, he will suffer in time just about as much as the other. I certainly recommend

strongly the adherenee to one liquor; for it must be owned a multiplicity even in very small quantities, must be particularly injurious; and there is indeed no necessity for more; one serves all the purposes of society. But if we are ever induced to venture upon more, let us take care that we venture but a certain length. He perhaps that takes none does best; he that takes but little is surely next to him in prudence.

There is another very erroneous idea got amongst Europeans in India. There is not one in twenty of them that will drink pure water; they must either have a little brandy, or wine, or spirit of some kind or other in it; and it is enough almost to frighten some, to see a glass of pure water taken off at a draught. Now, the water seemed to me to be very good indeed, and therefore I was anxious to ascertain what was the cause for all this antipathy. But the majority could give no reason, except that water by itself was generally allowed to be injurious; and a few explained it to be the saltpetre with which

it is impregnated.

I do not know, indeed,

whether there really is saltpetre in combination with it or not; but saltpetre, in that quantity, I should think not such a mighty injurious article. And does the admixture of brandy take out the saltpetre, then? is this not just adding one injurious article to another? Oh! the brandy corrects it, ay—at all events it is not a disagreeable corrector, and whether it answers the purpose or not, it is taken without much disgust. I am convinced no one need be afraid to drink pure cold water when inclined, unless previously heated by exercise, or some other cause to forbid it; and I decidedly enter my protest against that habit of drinking so continually brandy and water, or brandy pamy as they call it. In a climate such as India, we naturally crave for a considerable quantity of fluid, and if we mix spirits always with what we drink, we must undoubtedly take what will sooner or later be hurtful; and let it be recollected, as has already been hinted at, that it is a thing which grows, that though we take it only from example, to be like others, at first, we