Debly. Although a more extenfive and populous city than Agra, it was not fo well built. Shah Jehan, grandson of Acbar and father of Aurengzebe, made this city his refidence, and directed it to be called Shahjehanabad; and by this kind of vanity, it happens, that most of the Indian cities have a plurality of names: which occafions great confufion, when it becomes neceffary to trace any event to a high period of antiquity.

* Delhi, which is now fituated on the right, or western bank of the Jumna, anciently stood on the oppofite bank. Itis difficult to ascertain the true measure of extent of this city, which was faid to contain, during the latter part of the laft century, two millions of inhabitants. It is certain, that the account given by Bernier, who had good opportunities of being informed, and who deserves the greatest credit for veracity, does not justify fo high a calculation of its inhabitants. His account was indeed written in 1663, only four years after the acceffion of Aurengzebe: and it is well known that under his reign, both the empire and capital were greatly augmented. Bernier, I fay, estimated the circumference of Delhi, at three leagues only, reckoning what was within the fortifications; befides which, he defcribes feveral fuburbs, but altogether, no extraordinary extent for a capital city in India. He describes Agra as being confiderably larger. After the plunders and maffacres that it has been subject to, fince the decline and downfall of the Mogul empire, we may expect it to be reduced very low: and accordingly, it is fpoken of by late travellers as a city of moderate extent; and even for an Indian city, very ill built.

Claud Boudier found the latitude of Delhi. to be 28° 37′; and its longitude 77° 40'. A MS. map communicated by Mr. Haftings, and which includes fome principal roads in the Dooab, between Furruckabad, Matura, Anopefheer, and Delhi; gives 51 G. miles of wefting from Anopefheer, the nearest point in the furvey to Delhi; and 16 of northing: and this agrees perfectly with the obfervation of longitude, and comes within one minute of the latitude. Delhi is alfo 40 computed coffes from Ramgaut, another

point in the furvey; but this would place it 4 miles further to the east than the observation. It is placed according to the observation, and the distance from Anopesheer. Beyond Delhi, weftwards, there are no points determined mathematically, by which the length and direction of the route can be ascertained; except the computed diftances between places; and fome latitudes and longitudes, taken with little precision, if we may judge by a comparison of fome of the observations from the fame catalogue, with those taken by Eupeans. For instance, the latitude of Jionpour and Burhanpour are from 21 to 25 miles too far north, in the Ayin Acbaree; Oude, 35 too far north; and Delhi, 22 too far fouth. We have therefore little reason to suppose that any of the others are much nearer the truth; nor is there any rule to guess on which fide the error lies. The longitudes are still more vague; as for instance:

Here the medium of the difference is io minutes too little, in

In these places, although the longitudes in the map are not determined with precifion, we may still perceive that the Ayin Acbaree. is not exact. From fuch kind of materials, nothing very accurate can be expected: and therefore I have never had recourse to them. but in a very few cafes, where every other fpecies of information. has failed.

The construction of the geography of the tract spoken of in this fection, turns chiefly on eight primary ftations, or points; and which will be difcuffed in order: they are, Lahore, Sirhind, Moultan, Attock, Toulomba, Batnir, Jummoo, and Bullaufpour.

The first point beyond Delhi that I have any kind of data for fixing the pofition of, is Lahore, a capital city in the Panjab *, and formerly a royal refidence. I have feveral itineraries and memorandums of the road between the two places; but fome are defective through omiffions, and others too obfcure to be understood or followed. Tavernier, for inftance, omits a whole stage of 15 coffes, between Furridabad and Sultanpour; which added to his original number 191, make 206 coffes. John Steel in his itinerary (1614) reckons only 189: but though I cannot trace any omiflions in it, the account is confused and obscure; and therefore I have given it up. A map of the Panjab, obligingly communicated by Colonel John Murray, Commiffary General to the army in Bengal, gives the distance at 205 coffes, or 293 G. miles.

Tavernier's account corrected

Thevenot's

Murray's

206

200

205

The medium of which is 203; or, at 42 coffes to a degree, 291 G. miles. I have allowed 290, and taken its latitude at 31°; fo that its longitude will be 72° 47', or 4° 53' weft of Delhi. The Ayin Acbaree, makes the longitude 5o 16', or 23′ more. Its latitude is variously reprefented: by the Ayin Acbaree 31° 50'; by Thevenot, the fame; in an Indian table 31°; by a MS. itinerary + (dated 1662) 30° 30'; and by Col. Murray's map 31° 15'.

Panjab, or the country of the five rivers, is a natural divifion of the country contained between the 5 eastern branches of the Indus.

This itinerary was obligingly communicated by the late Mr. George Perry, and appears to have been kept by a miffionary who travelled from Delhi to Perfia, by way of the Panjab and Sindy. It should be observed, that all the latitudes in it are too far fouth. The latitude of Agra is fet down at 26° 45', though its true latitude is 27° 15′. And Moultan in 29° 32′, and Tatta in 24° 20′; which places are commonly taken at 29° 52′, and 24° 40'.

Lahore

Lahore is a very important point in this construction, as it regulates the pofitions of all the places between Delhi and the Indus; and therefore we have reafon to regret that we have no better authority for fixing it.

Lahore is a place of high antiquity, and was the refidence of the first Mahomedan conquerors of Hindoostan, before they had established themselves in the central parts of the country. It owed its modern improvements, however, to Humaioon, the father of Acbar, who made it his refidence during a part of his troublesome reign. Thevenot fays that, including the fuburbs, it was 3 leagues in length at that period: and, when he saw it, about the year 1665, the city itself was above a league in extent. Jehanguire, son of Acbar, allowed the Portuguese to build a church there; and fome of its furniture remained at the time of Thevenot's vifit.

The Rauvee (the ancient Hydraotes) on which it is fituated, is a noble river; and by its navigable course, has a communication with the Indus, and all its branches. The province, of which Lahore is the capital, is oftner named Panjab, than Lahore: however, Panjab being applied to a natural divifion of country, is applicable also, to part of Moultan. It is very extensive, and remarkably fertile; affording, in addition to all the neceffaries of life, wine, fugars, and cotton wool; the last of which supplied the manufactories of the province. There are alfo in the tract between the Indus and Chelum, (or Behut) falt mines, wonderfully productive; and affording fragments of rock falt, hard enough to be formed into veffels, &c. Gold (according to the Ayin Acbaree) was found in the channels of its rivers; and the fame is related of those of Kemaoon, which proceed from the fame ridge of mountains. Ice is brought from the northern mountains, to Lahore, and fold there all the year. The famous avenue of fhady trees, so much spoken of, by the early Indian travellers, began at Lahore, and extended to Agra, near 500 English miles. Lahore is now the capital of the Seiks,

a new

a new power, whofe name, even as a fect, was hardly known, until the rapid decline of the Mogul's empire, in the prefent century.

Sirhind is a city of great antiquity, and lies about midway between Delhi and Lahore. Tavernier reckons it 105 coffes from Delhi; and Steel, 99. I have placed it in its proportion of the whole distance between Delhi and Lahore, which is 103 coffes, or about 147 G. miles. G. miles. Col. Murray's map gives 108 coffes. Not having the latitude of Sirhind, and the line on which its parallel depends being near 300 miles in length, much must be left to chance, as to its accuracy. It happens, however, that no obstacles prefent themselves between Delhi and Lahore, to give any confiderable elbow or bend, to any part of the road (fee page 6); which is therefore, generally speaking, very straight; and only making a fmall bend northwards, in the neighbourhood of the Jumna river. Sirhind ftands in the map, in lat. 29° 55', lon. 75° 15'.

I find by Condamine's travels in Italy, that the art of weaving filk was brought back to Conftantinople in the fixteenth century, by the monks who returned from Sirhind (or Serinde according to him). For although the art was brought into western Europe, under the Roman Emperors, it had again been loft during the confufions that attended the fubverfion of the western empire.

It is worthy of remark, also, that Procopius takes notice, that filk was brought from Serinda, a country in India, in the time of Juftinian (in the fixth century). The reader is apprized, that filk, together with the Latin name of it, is understood to have been brought from Seres or Serica (a country of upper Afia, bordering on the NW of the Chinese wall). This was Pliny's idea: how just, I know not. The Ayin Acbaree takes no notice of any manufactures of filk at Sirhind: it only calls it à famous city (in the fixteenth century).

Between Delhi and Sirhind are very extenfive plains, within which are fituated the towns of Panniput, and Carnawl, famous for great battles, both in ancient and modern times. The reason