Letters from a young man in India to his sister; presumably the letters were copied by her; the volume is illustrated with pen and wash drawings, some colored. The author addresses his sister as "my dear Eliza": the correspondents may be James Forbes (1749-1819) and Elizabeth Dalton (1753-1812), and the volume may be related to his "Oriental Memoirs" (1813).The author describes in detail plant life, foods, birds, fish, lizards, beasts of burden, and insects. He then turns to a description of India's culture, including: weddings, funerals, dietary restrictions, grooming, music, military, criminal trials, clothing, trade, architecture, transportation, and the caste system. Includes descriptions of: snake charmers; ascetic practices of Brahmin priests as compared to those of Roman Catholic monks; vegetarian sects and animal care; the custom of widows' burning themselves alive on their husbands' pyres; the otherwise high regard for the souls of women in "Gentoo" religion. Frequent references to the East India Company and comparisons of India to his descriptions of Brazil from an earlier correspondence. The author quotes William Congreve and a Mr. Holwell.
