A little above the Fort is a temple: tradition states it to contain a chest, which cannot be opened, unless the party opening it lose his hand—four thieves having so suffered once in an attempt upon it. It is also recorded, that the deified giant Bhīm Singh, built the fortress of Chunar in one day, and rendered it impregnable. A native has just succeeded in crossing the river on a bundle of reeds; his clothes placed on the top of his head are safe from wet, and with one hand he paddles along. On the outskirts of the village is seen a remarkably ancient Banyan-tree, the Ficus Indica. In front of the tomb of a _Pīr_ (a Muhammadan saint), three followers of the prophet are at their devotions. A _Shāmiyāna_, or awning, screens the tomb from the sun and rain: the standards of Hussan and Hussein are displayed, and daily coloured lanterns are suspended from the top of high bamboos. THE PERSIAN WHEEL. A woman is sticking cakes of cow-dung on the wall to dry for fuel. This article, called _oplā_, is generally used by the poorer classes; 1280 cakes are sold for a rupee: when well prepared and dried it blazes like wood. On the right is a fine Persian wheel: the water is brought up in _gharas_, red earthen vessels fastened round its circumference; it is worked by two bullocks, and gives an abundant supply. A wheel of this sort is perhaps superior to any other method of drawing water. MIRZAPŪR. Mirzapūr is a military cantonment, famous for its beautiful ghāts, and noted for its carpet manufactory and cotton mart. Some remarkably picturesque Hindū temples are on the _ghāts_, with fine trees in the back ground. The cliff is abrupt, and the river is always crowded with vessels full of merchandise: steamers having plenty of cargo to land are generally detained here four or five hours. Mirzapūr is from Calcutta, _via_ Bhagirathī, 748 miles, and by dāk route, 455. The scene before you is very singular; it represents the finale of the _Kalī-pūjā_ festival: the goddess is seen on a platform in the boat in the foreground, covered by an awning, and adorned with flags: on the steps of the _ghāt_, a similar image is being put into a boat, and from every part of the city the worshippers are bringing forth the idols. One of the boats is towed by a _dinghī_, in which they are firing a _feu de joie_ from a matchlock. In the house of the Bengalī _babū_ you beheld a _nāch_, and the worship of the goddess Dūrga, a yellow woman, with ten arms. You have now before you another form of the same Hindū deity, under the name of Kalī, the black, the terrific. When this goddess is worshipped in the month of May, it is called the _Phuluharī_ festival, on account of the quantity of fruits and flowers offered to the idol at this particular season: animals are sacrificed in her honour, and jack fruit and mangoes are presented to her in that particular month.