other by a plank bridge. The members of the club were merchants,
brokers, public service men and sundry. It was quite a nice sort of
place, in some respects similar to the Bombay Club, and was managed by
Colonel Abbott, father of the late F.H. Abbott, Superintendent of the
Horticultural Gardens, Alipur.

[Illustration: _Photo. by Bourne & Shepherd_ Grand Hotel.]

[Illustration: The five houses in Chowinghee that formed the nucleus
of the Grand Hotel.]

[Illustration: _Photo by Johnston & Hoffmann_. W. Leslie & Co's
premises, Chowinghee]

[Illustration: W. Leslie & Co.'s premises, Chowringhee _Photo, by
Johnston & Hoffmann, Calcutta_.]

It carried on for some considerable time after my arrival, but
eventually there was a split in the cabinet and it was wound up. The
houses were afterwards, I think, let out in residential flats and
boarding houses, and at one time No. 16 was converted into the Royal
Hotel by Mr. Jack Andrews, former proprietor of old Spence's Hotel;
they were finally acquired by Mrs. Monk. Mr. Stephen purchased from
Mrs. Monk the whole of the houses herein mentioned and all the
property attached thereto, and proceeded gradually to develop them
into the very handsome-looking structure which now adorns the city
under the style of the Grand Hotel. On the spot where the dining-room
stands used to be an open air skating rink run as a private club. It
was rather small, but we had some very enjoyable evenings. Of course
all the members except myself have long since disappeared. I remember