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and the quantity of land represented in it, is about equal to one half of Europe. It is contained in four large sheets, which may either be joined together for the purpose of bringing the whole into one point of view, or bound up separately, in an Atlas; as may fuit the fancy or convenience of the purchaser.

By the aid of a series of observations of latitude and longitude, taken by Capt. Huddart, along the Malabar coaft, or western coaft of India, the form of the peninfula, &c. is now brought very near to the truth: and the eastern coaft, by the obfervations of Col. Pearse, is much improved, in the diftribution of its parts, although its general form has undergone but little alteration. A measured line has alfo been drawn from the Bengal provinces to Nagpour, in the very centre of India: which has not only established an important geographical point, in a part where it was moft wanted; but has been the means of furnishing a great deal of matter, towards filling up the vacant intervals on three fides of that point. Laftly, the war with Hyder Ally and Tippoo Sultan, his fucceffor, has produced much new geographical matter, in various parts of the peninfula, by the marches of the different armies, and their detachments; particularly that of Col. Fullarton, in the fouthern provinces and Coimbettore. These are the moft material acquifitions to the prefent map, as they, in effect regulate a confiderable

fiderable part of the general outline, and determine the proportions of fome of the principal members of it. But of the kind of materials, which without affecting the general proportions of the map, ferve the purpose of filling up the void spaces in it, there will be found very great abundance. In particular, Guzerat, and the Rajpoot provinces, have undergone very confiderable improvement; as well as the Panjab country and Sindy. The upper part of the courfe of the Ganges, to the cow's mouth, or cavern through which the Ganges paffes; and the course of the Gogra river to its fountains; are both inferted from the work of M. Bernoulli. In fhort, additions and corrections are diffeminated over the whole map: and in general, if we except the fouth part of Berar, the western part of the peninfula, and the countries bordering on the river Indus, and the Panjab, the map is filled up in fuch a degree, as to have no confiderable blanks in it.

As Mr. Forfter's route from India to Ruffia furnished fome new ideas, and elucidated many former paffages, I judged it proper to exprefs his route to the Cafpian sea, on a separate map; and at the fame time to add to it, the countries contiguous to Hindooftan on the north and north-weft; so as to include Samarcand, and the marches of Alexander from the borders of the Cafpian fea to the river laxartes (the modern Sirr).

In the divifion of HINDOOSTAN into foubahs, &c. I have followed the mode adopted by the Emperor ACBAR, as it appears to me to be the most permanent one: for the ideas of the boundaries are not only impreffed on the minds of the natives by tradition, but are also ascertained in the AYIN ACBAREE; a register of the highest authority. But for the lower parts of the DECCAN, and the peninfula in general, this ftandard being wanting, I had recourse to the beft information I could get, which was not, indeed, of the most perfect kind: and therefore I directed my attention principally to the state of the modern divifions in thofe quarters, the impreffing a clear idea of which, is one principal aim of the work.

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It must be observed, that fince the empire has been dismembered, a new divifion of its provinces has alfo taken place; by which means, some soubahs now form a part of the dominions of three or more Princes; and very few are preserved entire. These modern divifions are not only distinguished in the map by the names of the prefent poffeffors; but the colouring also is entirely employed in facilitating the diftinctions between them. So that the modern divifions appear, as it were, in the fore ground; and the ancient ones in the back ground; one illuftrating and explaining the other.

Confidering the vast extent of India, and how little its interior parts have been vifited by Europeans, till the 6 latter

latter part of the laft century, it ought rather to furprise us that so much geographical matter fhould be collected during fo fhort a period; efpecially where fo little has been contributed towards it by the natives themfelves, as in the present cafe. Indeed, we must not go much farther back than thirty-five years, for the matter that forins the bafis of this Map. And it muft not be forgotten, that the Eaft India Company have caufed a mathematical furvey to be made, at their own expence, of a tract equal in extent to France and England taken together; befides tracing the outline of near 2000 miles of fea coaft, and a chain of iflands in extent 500 miles more ".

In general, I have acknowledged in the courfe of the Memoir, the affiftance that I have received from the different Gentlemen, who have obligingly furnished me

* Whatever charges may be imputable to the Managers for the Company, the neglect of useful Science, however, is not among the number. The employing of Geographers, and furveying Pilots in India; and the providing of aftronomical inftruments, and the holding out of encouragement to fuch as fhould ufe them; indicate, at leaft, a spirit fomewhat above the mere confideration of Gain: but above all, the establishment of an office at home, for the improvement of hydrography and navigation, and their judicious choice of a fuperintendant for it, reflects the highest honour on their administration; and ought to convince us, that in a free country, a body of fubjects may accomplish, what the State itself defpairs even to attempt. For, however furprifing it may appear, it is nevertheless true, that the first maritime nation in the world, has no good chart to direct its fleets towards its own coafts: nor even a criterion by which the public may be enabled to judge of the merit of any hydrographical production whatfoever. So that the foundings on the coaft of Bengal, are better known than those in the British channel; of which, no tolerable chart exifts, even at this day. During the late war, an Eaft India fhip owed her fafety to the knowledge obtained from a chart of the mouths of the Ganges (made, and published by order of the Company) into one of which the escaped from two French cruifers, and afterwards came into the Hoogly river by the inland navigation. We had juft become mafters of the hydrography of America, when we loft the fovereignty of it. I hope no one will think ominously of our Indian poffeffions from this circumftance: but even if he does, he may make himself eafy on the score of Great Britain.

with the materials, therein difcuffed. But there were other kinds of affiftance afforded, for which no opportunities for acknowledgement occurred; fuch as the furnishing of useful hints, and correcting of errors, into which I had unavoidably fallen, through ignorance of local circumftances, or hiftorical facts. The Gentlemen to whom I ftand particularly indebted on this fcore, are, Mr. Francis Ruffell, Mr. David Anderson, and Mr. James Anderson*; Capt. Jonathan Scott, Mr. Wilkins, Mr. Middleton, Col. Popham, and the late Col. Camac ; all of the Bengal establishment: Mr. Benfley, and Mr. Inglis, both of the Eaft India Direction: Mr. John Sulivan of the Madras establishment, and Mr. Callander late of Bombay.

To Lord Mulgrave I am indebted for a copy of Mr. Forster's route from Jummoo to the Caspian fea: as well as for his Lordship's very ready communication of every fpecies of information that could be of service to the work in question.

The routes of Mr. Smith, and of General Goddard, acrofs the continent, from the Jumna river to Poonah and Surat, contain much ufeful matter; and have been the means of determining a number of geographical points.

*To Mr. James Anderson, I am, in particular, indebted, for the account of the derivation of the term MAHRATTA, and for that of the ancestry of Sevajee: as also for the fubject matter of the notes that accompany thofe articles. And to him, and to his brother, Mr. David Anderfon (each of whom, at differeut times, refided in a public Capacity with Madajee Sindia) I owe the most valuable part of the information, respecting the geographical divifion of the Mahratta States, and their tributaries.

A MS.

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