Palibothra must still have been situated within 44 miles of Patna. And as the people there have a tradition that Patna stands on, or near, the site of Patelpoot'her, it rather proves to me, either that there is an error crept into the copies of the itinerary; which notwithstanding, proves in generals as much as is required; or that the point of conflux of the Jumnah with the Ganges, has undergone a change. For although the point of conflux is not found in the very position in which it ought to be by the itinerary, yet Patna is nearer to the position assigned to Palibothra. It may appear to some, a violent way of reconciling disagreements, but it is no new thing for the rivers of India to change their course and place of confluence. I have in the account of the Ganges, &c. (See Appendix) taken occasion to observe that the Cosa river changed its place of confluence with the Ganges, which is now 45 miles higher up than it was. The Burrampooter has varied its course still more. And to come nearer to the site of Patna, the change in the conflux of the Soane, just now remarked: for the ancient bed of that river is yet traceable on the south of Patna: and seems to have led into the Ganges near Futwa. It would be unnecessary to enter so far into a discussion of these differences, had not Pliny assured us that the distances were measured; and that by order of Seleucus Nicator.

We may observe that Arrian does not mention the name Jomanes in his book, although he does that of Sonus. And if we had no other authority than that passage in Pliny, which exprefsly says that the Jomanes, a river which passes by Methora (probably Matura), runs into the Ganges by Palibothra, we must have supposed that this city was seated at the conflux of the two rivers. But the itinerary says that Palibothra was 425 miles below this conflux. Pliny must therefore have meant another river, different from the Jomanes.

Strabo gives the distance of Palibothra above the mouth of the Ganges at 6000 stadia; and though we cannot fix the exact length of the stade, we can collect enough to understand that 6000 stades

laid off from the mouth of the Ganges, would not reach far, if at all, beyond Patna.* Nor must we forget the passage of Arrian (in Indicis) in which Palibothra, the chief city of the Indians upon the Ganges, is said to lie towards the mouths of that river. But we ought not to omit, on the other hand, that Arrian quotes from Eratosthenes, the distance of Palibothra from the western extreme of India, which is said to be 10,000 stades, only: and that Ptolemy gives its latitude at 27°; both which particulars apply better to Canoge than to Patna. It is pofsible that both places may have been occasionally used as capitals of the Prasii, as we have known both Agra and Delhi to have been of Hindoostan in general, during the two last centuries.

Pliny's Palibothra, however, is clearly Patna: and it is probable that Strabo meant the same place, by the distance from the mouth of the Ganges.

Canoge, the ruins of which are at present of great extent, was, in an early part of the Christian æra, the capital of Hindoostan; or rather of the principal kingdom along the Ganges. It is now reduced to the size of a middling town. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges, near the place where the Calini river (or Callynuddi) joins it; and is pofsibly the place meant by Pliny for Calinipaxa. It is said to have been built more than 1000 years before our æra: and is mentioned in Ferishta as the capital of all Hindoostan, under the predecessor of Phoor, or Porus, who fought against Alexander. In point of extent and magnificence, Canoge answers perfectly to the description given of Palibothra; and in some respects to the local position given of it by Ptolemy and Eratosthenes, did not the above authorities assign it in a positive manner to Patna. The Indian histories are full of the accounts of its grandeur and populousnefs. In the sixth century it was said

See page 52, where 1050 to a degree is the proportion fixed on by M. D'Anville. + Latitude 27° 3', longitude 80° 13'.

Before Christ 326 years.

to contain 30,000 shops, in which betelnut was sold (which the Indians, almost universally, chew, as some Europeans do tobacco). In A. D. 1018, it was seized on by the Gaznian emperors: at which time, it gave its name to the kingdom, of which it was the capital.

Gour, called also Lucknouti, the ancient capital of Bengal, and supposed to be the Gangia regia of Ptolemy, stood on the left bank of the Ganges, about 25 miles below Rajemal.* It was the capital of Bengal 730 years before Christ, and was repaired and beautified by Acbar, who gave it the name of Jennuteabad ; which name, a part of the circar in which it was situated, still bears. According to Ferishta's account, the unwholesomeness of its air occasioned it to be deserted soon after; § and the seat of government was removed to Tanda, or Tanrah, a few miles higher up the river. No part of the site of ancient Gour is nearer to the present bank of the Ganges, than four miles and a half; and some parts of it, which were originally washed by that river, are now 12 miles from it. However, a small stream that communicates with the Ganges, now runs by its west side, and is navigable during the rainy season. On the east side, and in some places within two miles, it has the Mahanada river; which is always navigable, and communicates also with the Ganges.

Taking the extent of the ruins of Gour at the most reasonable calculation, it is not lefs than 15 miles in length (extending along the old bank of the Ganges), and from 2 to 3 in breadth. Several villages stand on part of its site: the remainder is either covered with thick forests, the habitations of tygers and other beasts of prey; or become arable land, whose soil is chiefly composed of brick-dust. The principal ruins are a mosque lined with black marble, elaborately wrought; and two gates of the citadel, which are strikingly

Latitude 24° 53', longitude 88° 14'.

+ Dow 1st. 6.

I A. D. 1575.

This is Fer shta's account; but some of its present inhabitants told me that it was deserted in consequence of a pestilence.

grand and lofty. These fabrics and some few others, appear to owe their duration to the nature of their materials, which are lefs marketable, and more difficult to separate, than those of the ordinary brick buildings; which have been, and continue to be, an article of merchandise; and are transported to Moorshedabad, Mauldah, and other places, for the purpose of building. These bricks are of the most solid texture of any I ever saw; and have preserved the sharpness of their edges, and smoothness of their surfaces, through a series of ages. The situation of Gour was highly convenient for the capital of Bengal and Bahar, as united under one government; being nearly centrical with respect to the populous parts of those provinces, and near the junction of the principal rivers that compose that extraordinary inland navigation, for which those provinces are famed: and moreover, secured by the Ganges and other rivers, on the only quarter from which Bengal has any cause for apprehension.

Tandah, or Tanrah (called sometimes Chawaspour Tanda, from the original name of the district in which it was situated), was for a short time in the reign of Shere Shaw, in about 1540, the capital of Bengal, and became the established capital under Acbar, in about 1580. It is situated very near to the site of Gour, on the road leading from it to Rajemal. There is little remaining of this place, save the rampart; nor do we know for certain when it was deserted. In 1659, it was the capital of Bengal, when that soubah was reduced under Aurungzebe: and Rajemal, Dacca, and Moorshedabad, appear to have successively become the capital, after Tanda. Pundua, or Purruah, mentioned as a royal residence in Bengal, in the year 1353, * is about 7 miles to the north of Mauldah, and 10 from the nearest part of Gour. Many of its ruins yet remain ; particularly the Addeenah mosque, and the pavement of a very long street, which lies in the line of the road leading from Mauldah to Dinagepour.

Dow 1st. 340.

Satgong, or Satagong, now an inconsiderable village on a small creek of the Hoogly river, about 4 miles to the north-west of Hoogly, was, in 1566, and probably later, a large commercial city, in which the European traders had their factories in Bengal. At that time, Satgong river was capable of bearing small vefsels; and I suspect, that its then course, after passing Satgong, was by way of Adaumpour, Omptah, and Tamlook; and that the river called the Old Ganges, was a part of its course, and received that name, while the circumstance of the change was fresh in the memory of the people. The appearance of the country between Satgong and Tamlook, countenances such an opinion.

Sonergong, or Sunnergaum, was a large city, and the provincial capital of the eastern division of Bengal, before Dacca was built; but it is now dwindled to a village. It is situated on one of the branches of the Burrampooter, about 13 miles south-east from Dacca; and was famous for a manufacture of fine cotton cloths.

In some ancient maps, and books of travels, we meet with a city named Bengalla; but no traces of such a place now exist. It is described as being near the eastern mouth of the Ganges: and I conceive that the site of it has been carried away by the river: as in my remembrance a vast tract of land has disappeared thereabouts. Bengalla, appears to have been in existence during the early part of the last century.

It does not fall within the compass of my design to describe all the principal cities of Hindoostan, which alone would require a large volume; but it may not be amifs to point out their general positions, and the relation in which they stand to the several provinces or states, in which they are situated. Most of the capital cities are already described as they were in the last century, in the books of travels of Thevenot, Bernier, Tavernier, P. de la Valle, &c. which are in every body's hands. Most of these cities have, I believe, very considerably declined since that time; owing to the almost continual wars and revolutions that have taken place since