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SECTION II.

The surveyed Tract on the Side of BENGAL, or that occupied by the Course of the GANGES, and its principal Branches, as far West as the City of AGRA.

THIS

His extensive tract, which comprizes the soubahs of Bengal, Bahar, Allahabad, and Oude; a large portion of Agra and Delhi, and a small part of Orifsa, is bounded on the east by Afsam, and the dominions of Ava: on the south-east by the gulf, or bay of Bengal; on the south-west by an imaginary line drawn from the port of Balasore in Orifsa, to the city of Narwah; on the west by another such line drawn from Narwah, through the city of Agra, to Hurdwar, the place where the Ganges first enters the plains of Hindoostan; and on the north, by the first ridge of mountains towards Bootan. It is in length from the city of Agra, to the eastern confines of Bengal, upwards of 900 British miles; and in breadth from 360 to 240.

With respect to the particulars of this survey, which was executed between the years 1763 and 1777, it is unnecessary to say more than that the distances were measured, and that they accorded with the observations of latitude and longitude; with the former minutely, and with the latter so nearly, that it was unnecessary to make any correction.

Agra, by Claud Boudier's observation, is in
Calcutta, by the mean of four observations

Difference of longitude by observation
By survey

78° 29'

88 28

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And Calpy on the river Jumnah, stands in the survey in lon.. 80° 4′ And by the Rev. Mr. Smith's observations

80 o

Agra, then, appears to be the most western point determined by the survey; and serves as a common point of union between the surveys on the east, and the routes furnished by various MS. maps, and itineraries, on the north, south, and west. By means of the survey also, a number of points are ascertained, which serve to set off cursory surveys of roads, both to the west and south: such as Hurdwar and Ramgaut, on the north of Agra; and Gohud, Calpy, Chatterpour, Rewan, Burwa, and Balasore on the south.

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As this tract contains the site of the famous city of Palibothra (or Palimbothra), as well as those of Canoge (or Kinnoge), and Gour, may not be amifs to take some notice of them: as also of some of lefser note, such as Punduah, Tanda, Satgong (or Satagong), and Sonergong: all of which (Palibothra excepted) are mentioned either in the Ayin Acbaree, or in Ferishta.

Pliny is the only one among the ancients (as far as I know) that assigns a particular spot for the site of Palibothra; the rest only speaking generally of its situation, and as it appears by a discussion of particulars, contradicting one another. All are agreed that it was situated on the right bank of the Ganges (that is, intra Gangem), and at the confluence of a large river with it. This river was named Erranoboas according to Arrian (who had his intelligence from Megasthenes's journal), and was of the third degree of magnitude among the Indian rivers; and inferior to none but the Ganges and Indus. I cannot apply the name Erranoboas to any particular river. Pliny certainly says that the Jomanes (Jumnah) entered the Ganges by Palibothra, between Methora and Clisobara;* but it is equally true, that in another place he mentions the conflux of the Ganges and Jomanes, and in the very next article says that Palibothra is situated 425 miles below that very point of conflux. Strabo does not give the name of the adjunct river.

Palibothra was the capital of the Prasii, by the account of Megasthenes, who resided there; and was of very great dimensions; The different readings are Carysobora, and Cyrisoborca.

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being 80 stadia in length, and 15 broad. If we reckon these measures to produce 10 miles in length, and near 2 in width,* which for an European city, compactly built, would be reckoned enormous; yet it does not exceed the dimensions of some of the capital cities of the Indian soubahs or vice-royalties. The ruins of Gour in Bengal, are more extensive; that of ancient Delhi much more So. The plans of the Indian cities contain a vast proportion of gardens and reservoirs of water; and the houses of the common people consist of one floor only: of course, fewer people will be accommodated in the same compass of ground, in an Indian, than in an European city; and this may account for the enormous dimensions of Asiatic cities.

As Pliny's Indian itinerary (in Book VI.) enumerates the particulars of the whole distance between the Indus and the mouth of the Ganges; and particularizes the site of Palibothra; it could hardly be doubted that some very large city stood in the position afsigned to it: but I had always a doubt of its being the capital of the Prasii visited by Megasthenes. Late inquiries made on the spot, have, however, brought out this very interesting discovery, that a very large city, which anciently stood on or very near the site of Patna, was named Patelpoot'her (or Pataliputra, according to Sir William Jones), and that the river Soane, whose confluence with the Ganges is now at Moneah, 22 miles above Patna, once joined it under the walls of Patelpoot'her. This name agrees so nearly with Palibothra, and the intelligence altogether furnishes such positive kind of proof, that my former conjectures respecting Canoge must all fall to the ground: notwithstanding that Canoge was unquestionably the capital of a large kingdom from very early times.

I consider the above information as too clear and positive to require any proofs from ancient authors; and therefore the following

The olympic stade can hardly be taken at a furlong, but probably at 200 yards. Then the dimensions will be about 9 B. miles in length, and 1 in width.

The empire of the Prasii seems to have included most of the tract through which the Ganges flows, after it enters the plains of Hindoostan.

examination of Pliny's itinerary, is intended rather to shew his great accuracy in geographical subjects, than as a proof of the above position; although it may serve that purpose also. To use the words of a celebrated author, "Pliny's Natural History is one "of the greatest monuments of universal knowledge, and unwearied application, now extant in the world.”* That part of the itinerary, applicable to my purpose, is as follows:

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From Taxila or Tapila, on the Indus (probably near the site of Attock), to the river Hydaspes (the modern Jhy

lum)

To the Hyphasis (Beyab)

120 Roman miles.

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To the Hesudrus (probably the Setlege river) 168

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It must first be observed of this itinerary, that it furnishes no means of comparing the whole distance between the Indus and the mouth of the Ganges, as shewn here, with that on the map; because the second article, namely, the distance from the Hydaspes to the Hyphasis, is obviously wrong, even if the text (which is very obscure) is to be taken at 390: for it cannot be more than 220 of Pliny's miles, unless the surveyor of Alexander's marches threw

Blackwall.

+ Taxila or Tapila, and the Indus, are mentioned as one and the same place by Pliny: Ad flumen Indum et oppidum Taxila. Book VI.

Here we may remark, by the way, that if any capital city had stood at the conflux of these rivers, it is likely that Pliny would have taken notice of it.

into the account, the circuitous route to the city of Sangala, &c. after the Catheri or Cathei. So that the account, as far as it regards the whole distance, is vitiated; and we must therefore have recourse to parts. Taking therefore for granted, that the Beyah river is meant by the Hyphasis (or rather Hypasis), as I hope to prove satisfactorily, in my observations on Alexander's march; and measuring on the map, along the line of the great road from the Panjab country to the mouth of the Ganges, the distance will be about 1140 G. miles: and as the itinerary in question gives the length of the same interval at 2022 Roman miles, the proportion of one of Pliny's miles to a geographic mile, will be as 56 to 100, in horizontal distance; or about of a British mile in road distance. This is certainly too short for the Roman miles of 1000 paces;* but the question in the present case, is not the actual distance, but the proportions of the intermediate parts of the road. The conflux of the Ganges and Jumnah, on the map, is 990 of Pliny's miles from the Beyah, and 1032 above the mouth of the Ganges: and the itinerary makes the length of the first interval 959, the other 1063; that is, Pliny's account places the conflux too far down by 31 of his miles, or about 17 G. miles. Nor is this difference at all to be regarded in the general question: for our ideas of the distance were much wider of the truth 20 years ago.

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Palibothra he places 425 miles, or so many parts in 1063, of the distance from the conflux of the Jumnah to the mouth of the Ganges: and this is the point we are to attend to. Patna indeed, is only 345 of Pliny's miles below the present conflux; and this difference of 80 of Pliny's, or about 44 G. miles, however considerable it may appear to those who expect nice coincidences in such matters as these ; does not, in my idea, lessen the general authority of the itinerary: because, if we admit only what it literally proved,

* M. D'Anville is of opinion that Pliny turned the Greek stades into miles, at the rate of 8 to a mile; and thus accounts for their shortnefs. M. D'Anville, who has gone deeply into the subject, thinks that it requires 1050 itinerary stades (of horizontal measure, I apprehend) to make a degree of a great circle. See his Eclaircissemens, p. 55.

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