CALCUTTA, a city of Hindustan, capi tal of the presidency of Bengal, until 1912 capital of the British dominions in the East and seat of the supreme gov ernment, on the Hooghly river, an arm of the Ganges, about 100 miles N. of the Bay of Bengal. On approaching the city from the sea, it presents a mag nificent appearance, with its elegant villas on each side of the river, the gov ernment botanical gardens, its numer ous spires of churches and temples, and the strong and regular citadel of Fort William. This city extends along the bank of the Ganges for 6 miles, and has an average breadth of 2 miles. A handsome quay, the Strand, about 40 feet above low-water mark, embanks the river for about 3 miles, and is furnished with about 30 principal ghauts, or land ing-places. The river here is about a mile in width, and is crowded with ship ping. The European residents live mostly in the Chowringhee suburb of the city, and at Garden Reach, in beau tiful and detached villas. The citadel, or Fort William, is not only the strong est and most complete fortress in India, but also in the British dominions. Cal
cutta is popularly denominated the "City of Palaces," and this is not an overdrawn appellation. It is certainly replete with magnificent buildings, but, nevertheless, like all Eastern cities, it contains quarters, inhabited by the na tive people, which are dingy-looking and mean. Among the principal public edi fices are the Government House, Mint, Custom House, the Scotch, Portuguese, Greek, and American churches, the Courts of Justice, colleges, hospitals, etc. The environs of the city are very at tractive, and its market is admirably supplied with the choicest game, fruits, etc. European society here is gay and convivial; but a certain degree of for mality prevails, and the Brahminical in stitution of "caste" would appear to have communicated itself to all the ranks and classes of Europeans. Pop., including Howrah and suburbs, about 1,300,000.