A MS. account of the country of the Rajpoots, and other provinces, on the fouth, and SW of Agra; together with a map, both of them by P. Wendell *, were of very great ufe in defcribing the geography of thofe parts. And to render the MS. more valuable, there has been added to it, Mr. James Anderson's account of the changes that have taken place fince that period, in confequence of Sindia's attacks, and negociations. The former was communicated by Col. Popham, and the latter by the Right Hon. Charles Greville. Mr. Dalrymple, to whom I made my acknowledgments. for the affistance afforded me, in the courfe of my former work, has, on the prefent occafion, not only procured for me every new material that fell under his notice, but inftructed me how to procure others, and to draw information from various fources, that I was before ignorant of. To his valuable, and perhaps unequalled, collection of MS. charts, and of voyages and travels, I have alfo had accefs, on all occafions: and I wish to be understood to speak with the utmost fincerity, when I fay, that without this affiftance, my performance must have been extremely imperfect: or in other words, that Mr. Dalrymple is intitled to the thanks of the public, in a pofitive degree; although my share of those thanks,, may be only comparative. They were compofed in the year 1779. Although Although the new tranflation of the AYIN ACBAREE may have in part fuperfeded the value of the extracts furnished me on the former occafion by Mr. Boughton Rouse, as the tranflation contains the whole subject in a connected form; and was alfo a task which none but a perfon who devoted his whole time to it, could effect; yet I am by no means unmindful of my former obligations to this Gentleman. I have borrowed largely from M. D'Apres' New Neptune Orientale, for the fea coafts and iflands: and alfo, though in a smaller degree, from M. D'Anville's maps of Asia and India published in 1751 and 1752. When it is confidered that this excellent Geographer had scarcely any materials to work on for the inland parts of India, but fome vague itineraries, and books of travels, one is really aftonished to find them fo well defcribed as they are. It is with regret that I find myself obliged to differ in opinion from him concerning some positions in ancient Geography : I mean, that of Palibothra, in particular; and fome few others. I have generally avoided all difquifitions of this kind, from a conviction of the general obscurity of the subject; and which even an intimate knowledge of the Indian languages would not enable me to clear up: for the fimilitude between ancient and modern names, is very fallacious, unless strongly corroborated by fituation." But we cannot well refuse our affent to the opinion that Ptole my meant the Suttuluz, or Setlege by the Zaradrus; the Rauvee by the Rhuadis, or Adaris; and the Jenaub, or Chunaub by the Sandabalis: because not only the names, but the positions have an affinity to each other. And yet this is a part of Ptolemy, which M. D'Anville difcredits the moft: but the reafon was, that he was not himself acquainted with the true names of the rivers. M. Buffy's marches in the Deccan afford data for fixing the positions of many capital places there; particularly Hydrabad, Aurungabad, Bifnagur, and Sanore. But still there are plans of fome of his marches wanting, which, could they be procured, would throw much light on the geography of the peninfula, and the Deccan: fuch as that from Pondicherry to Cuddapah, Adoni, and Hydrabad; that from Aurungabad to Nagpour; and the campaign towards Poonah. There are alfo exifting, itineraries kept by very intelligent people, who have travelled from Pondicherry, direct to Delhi; but I know not how to fet about procuring them. The public records at Goa, I am informed, contain a vast fund of geographical knowledge; and yet we are more in the dark, concerning the country on that fide of the peninfula, than we are with respect to the centre of the Deccan. Could the whole mafs of geographical matter that refpects India (much of which, is probably in the hands of people who are ignorant of its value) be collected, I make no no doubt but that very complete maps of the several provinces of it, might be constructed, on scales large enough for any ordinary purpose. It is intended by this Memoir to particularize the several authorities from whence the pofitions in the map are drawn; together with the manner of comparing them, in cafes where they difagreed: as alfo, the manner of combining them, when more than one circumftance was required to establish a position. By this means, the authority for each particular, may be known to those who have curiofity enough to enquire after it: and the defective parts being thus pointed out, fome future Geographer may be ftimulated to feek for better materials. It It may also tempt those who are already in poffeffion of fuch materials, when they are apprized of their use, to contribute them to the public ftock. Any communications of the kind will be thankfully received; and a proper ufe made of them. There will be found, at the end of the work, two diftinct Indexes; the one referring to the matter of the Memoir, the other to the names of countries and places in the map. The great waste of time occafioned by fearching after particular fituations, in maps of any extent, renders an index as neceffary an appendage to a large map, as to a large book. For an index will in the first inftance inform the reader whether the place fought after, be in the map, or not. If in the map, he is directed to it with as much facility, as to a paffage in a book, from an ordinary index. And if it be not there, although he may, indeed, blame the map for its deficiency, he must allow that it does not rob him of his time, by encouraging fruitless researches. There are alfo added, Tables of diftances between the principal cities and towns of Hindoostan; and a small map, which brings into one view the respective pofitions of all the places mentioned in the tables. As there does not exist at prefent, under any form whatsoever, a connected abstract of Indian history, it is a very difficult task for any reader, although poffeffed of inclination and leisure, to make himself acquainted with the principal events that form the groundwork of the hiftory of that country: and particularly those which laid the foundation of the British power there. The many valuable tracts on this fubject, that have appeared at different times, are fo disjointed in point of chronology, that no idea of general history can be obtained from them: nor can the chafms be readily filled up. I have therefore been tempted to compile a fort of chronological table of events, from the æra of the firft Mahomedan conquefts, to the final diffolution of the Mogul empire: and wish the reader to underftand, that what is offered to his perufal under that form, is intended as a mere sketch; and that, chiefly with a view to render fo dry and fo unentertaining a fubject as the geography of a country, fome |