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We first hear of Delhi, as the capital of Hindoostan, about the year 1200. It is reported to have been founded by Delu,* about 300 years before our æra; and I believe should properly be written Debly. Although a more extensive and populous city than Agra, it was not so well built. Shah Jehan, grandson of Acbar, and father of Aurungzebe, made this city his residence, 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: a practice very common in Hindoostan; to the utter confusion of historic records, and no less injustice to the original founders.

It is difficult to ascertain the true measure of extent of this city, which was said to contain, during the latter part of the last century, two millions of inhabitants. It is certain, that the account given by Bernier, who had good opportunities of being well informed, and who deserves the greatest credit for veracity, does not justify so high a calculation of its inhabitants. His account was indeed written in 1663, only four years after the accession of Aurungzebe: and it is well known that under his reign, both the empire and capital were greatly augmented. Bernier, I say, estimated the circumference of Delhi at three leagues only, reckoning what was within the fortifications; besides which, he describes several suburbs, but altogether, no extraordinary extent for a capital city in India. He describes Agra as being considerably larger. After the plunders and massacres that it has been subject to, since the decline and downfall of the Mogul empire, we may expect to be reduced very low and accordingly, it is spoken of by late travellers as a city of moderate extent; and even for an Indian city, very ill built.

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Claud Boudier found the latitude of Delhi to be 28° 37′; and its longitude 77° 40'. A MS. map communicated by my friend Mr. Hastings, and which includes some principal roads in the Dooab,

Ferishta. The Ayin Acbaree says that the ancient name of Delhi, was Inderput.

between Furruckabad, Matura, Anopesheer, and Delhi; gives 51 G. miles of westing from Anopesheer, the nearest point in the Bengal survey, to Delhi; and 16 of northing: and this agrees perfectly with the observation of longitude, and comes within one minute of the latitude. Delhi is also 40 computed cofses from Ramgaut, another point in the survey: but this would place it four miles further to the east than the observation gives. It is placed according to the result of the observation, and the distance from Anopesheer.

Beyond Delhi, westwards, there are no points determined mathematically, by which the length and direction of the routes can be ascertained with such exactness as on the east of this point: but we are left to rely either on the reports of computed distances; or of measured ones, where, for want of a knowledge of their inflexions, we can only approximate the quantity of the direct distance, by the application of a general rule, or canon. To the list of data, however, must be added the latitudes and longitudes of the tables of NASEREDDIN and ULUG BEIG; which although perfectly satisfactory, as they respect the whole interval between Syria and India, do not always agree in particulars. But we shall find them accord with the geographical construction, in a sufficient number of points, to satisfy the reader that there is no violent disagreement in the chain of positions.

Sirhind is the first capital point, beyond Delhi, that I have any good authority for placing. In point of general situation, it is about midway between Delhi and Lahore. By the favour of my friend Col. Polier, I am possessed of a map of the countries situated between the upper part of the course of the Ganges, and the rivers of Panjab; and between the northern hills, and the road leading from Delhi to Batnir. This map was constructed by an European gentleman, whose name I am unacquainted with: but Col. Polier afsures me that the routes between Delhi and Sirhind were drawn from the gentleman's own observations on the spot: and this part

is particularly distinguished from the rest, which were drawn on the authority of others: but which are, notwithstanding, the best of their kind, as far as I have had an opportunity of checking them. The scale is in cofses, of which the author allows 69,3* between Agra and Delhi; which interval, on the authority of Capt. Reynolds, I have taken at 98,3 G. miles of direct distance; and by this proportion, the cofses of the map are to be reckoned at 42,3 to a degree. (See page 5.)

In the map, the bearing of Sirhind from Delhi, is N 33° 15′ W; the distance 105† of the abovementioned cofses: by which Sirhind falls in lat. 30° 41′ 30′′; lon. 1° 34′ W from Delhi; or from Greenwich, 76° 6'. Its latitude is unluckily omitted in the printed copies of the Ayin Acbaree; but as a presumptive proof of the truth of its parallel, Shahabad, in the province of Sirhind, falls by construction in 30° 13′; and Thanasair (or Tannasar) in 30°; which are given at 30° 12', and 30° 10′, respectively, in the Ayin Acbaree. And what, moreover, I consider as an irrefragable proof of the general accuracy of the position, is, that Mustaphabad, which stands in Col. Polier's map at 42 cofses from Sirhind, towards Hurdwar, is by Bernoulli's account (Vol. I. p. 146, 147) 46 cofses from Hurdwar: by which the interval between Sirhind and Hurdwar should be 88 cofses: and it is actually 90 by the

construction.

Sirhind is a very ancient city; but like most of the Indian cities, has greatly declined. Between it and Delhi, are extensive plains, within which are situated the towns of Panniput, and Carnawl, famous for great battles, both in ancient and modern times. The reason of it is, obviously, the nature of the country; a vast plain,

* Thevenot says that there are 69 or 70 turrets (i. e. mile-stones) between the two places and indeed, the distance is ordinarily reckoned 70, to 71 cofses. Lieut. William Stewart, a gentleman of considerable merit, and whose ingenuity, perseverance, and zeal, are likely to promote the interests of geography, measured the road distance, and found it to .be 137 statute miles between Agra and Delhi. If 71 cofses were reckoned on the same road, each common cofs would be 1,94 B. miles, of road distance.

+ The computations vary from 99 to 105 cofses.

Near to Tannasar and the lake Koorkhet, places of Hindoo worship, is the scene of the

situated at the mouth of a pass: for such the country immediately on the west of Delhi may be considered to be, shut up by the mountainous and close country of Mewat and Agimere on the one hand, and by the Jumnah river on the other: and whether Delhi, Agra, or Canoge, was the capital, this was the road to it from Tartary and Persia, the original countries of the conquerors of Hindoostan.

The course of the Jumnah river, above Delhi, to the neighbourhood of the hills, is determined by Col. Polier's map; as are most of the positions in that part of the Dooab:* and they accord generally with the notices in Bernoulli. The site of the very ancient city of Husteenapour, is, by this map, and by the report of M. Bernoulli, near the western bank of the Ganges, 38 G. miles below Hurdwar, and on the north-east of Delhi. The Dooab appears to grow much narrower as it approaches the hills. Capt. Kirkpatrick informs us, that the province of Doon, or Down, occupies the space at the foot of the mountains that extend from the Ganges to the Jumnah; and that its length is only 20 cofses: that is, royal cofses of 2 B. miles, and upwards. Mr. Forster's route lay within the mountains, and his report corresponds nearly with this; so that 40 or 41 G. miles, in direct distance, is the utmost that can be allowed for the breadth of the Dooab, in this place and it being so much wider below, the course of the Jumnah within the mountains must be from NE to SW: and it is indeed highly probable, that it should run nearly at right angles with the line of direction of the mountains, as they rise above one another in a series of ridges; of which the highest appears to be the snowy one, lying behind Sirinagur. If the Jumnah springs from the south side of this ridge, its course would be limited to about 90 miles, from its source to its entry on the plains. It

war of the MAHA BARUT (an episode of which has been lately translated from the original Sanscrit, by Mr. Wilkins), so that this ground, which is not far from Carnawl and Panniput, has been the scene of war in all ages; poetically, as well as historically.

* See an explanation of the term Dooab, in the Introduction, page cxvi.

is singular that no notice should be taken of the place of its source, in the Ayin Acbaree; when those of the rivers of the Panjab are so particularly described. But the Panjab rivers all spring from the south-west of the snowy ridge: and may we not conclude from this silence, and from the bulk of the Jumnah where Mr. Forster crossed it (for he found it as wide as the Ganges, within the hills; and this he states to be 200 yards), that it really has a more distant source; for the Setlege at Bullauspour was only half the width of the Jumnah?

Between Carnawl and Sirhind, four streams, or rivers, cross the great road. Two of them are the Caggar (or Kenker), and the Sursooty (or Sereswatty), and the others have no names in the MS. maps. The first is taken notice of in the Ayin Acbaree, as one of the lesser streams in the soubah of Delhi; and as passing on the west of Tannasar, a celebrated place of Hindoo worship. The second passes between Umballa and Sirhind; and the rest between the two first-mentioned ones. It is probable, from circumstances, that there may be others, although deemed too insignificant to merit notice. All these streams run to the south, or south-west; and probably mix either with the Indus, or Puddar: though I formerly supposed them to run to the SE into the Jumnah. I had also, with M. D'Anville, supposed the Caggar to be the Hesudrus of Pliny; situated half way between the Hyphasis and Jomanes: but having now discovered the Beyah to be the river meant by the ancient Hyphasis, there can be no difficulty in pronouncing the Setlege, or Suttuluz, to be the Hesudrus; as it answers in point of proportional distance.

It appears from Ferishta (Dowe I. 329), that on the west of Sirhind, a small rivulet named Selima, ran to the south, towards Sunnam, or Soonam (a well-known place, about 60 miles to the SW of Sirhind): pofsibly this may be the same with the Jidger, often mentioned by Ferishta; and which may be referred to this quarter. And as Ferose drew a canal from the Setlege to the Jidger,

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