SECTION II.

The furveyed Tract on the fide of BENGAL, or that occupied by the Courfe of the GANGES, and its principal Branches, as far weft as the City of AGRA.

T

HIS extenfive tract, which comprizes the foubahs of Bengal, Bahar, Allahabad, and Oude; a large portion of Agra and Delhi, and a small part of Oriffa, is bounded on the east, by Affam, and the dominions of Ava; on the fouth-eaft, by the gulf, or bay of Bengal; on the fouth-weft by an imaginary line drawn from the port of Balafore in Oriffa, to the city of Narwah ; on the west by another fuch 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 furvey, which was executed between the years 1763 and 1777, it is unneceffary 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 fo nearly, that it was unneceffary to

And Calpy on the river Jumnah, stands in the furvey in lon. 80° 4′ And by the Revd. Mr. Smith's obfervations

80

Agra,

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

As this tract contains the fite of the famous city of Palibothra (or Palimbothra) as well as thofe of Canoge (or Kinnoge) and Gour, it may not be amifs to take fome notice of them: as alfo of fome of leffer note, such as Punduah, Tanda, Satgong, (or Satagong) and Sonergong all of which, (Palibothra excepted) are mentioned either in the Ayin Acbaree. or in Ferifhta.

Pliny is the only one among the ancients (as far as I know) that affigns a particular spot for the fite of Palibothra; the rest only speaking generally of its fituation, and as it appears by a difcuffion of particulars, contradicting one another. All are agreed that it was fituated 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 fays that the Fomanes (Jumnah) entered the Ganges by Palibothra, between Methora and Clifobara* ; but it is equally true, that in another place, he mentions the conflux of the Ganges and Jomanes, and in the very next article fays that Palibothra is fituated 425 miles below that very point of conflux. Strabo does not give the name of the adjunct river.

Palibothra, was the capital of the Prafii, by the account of Megafthenes, who refided there; and was of very great dimensions,, * The different readings are Caryfobora, and Cyrisoberca.

being 80 Badia in length and 15 broad. If we reckon these meafures to produce 10 miles in length, and near two in width *, which for a European city, compactly built, would be reckoned enormous; yet it does not exceed the dimenfions of fome of the capital cities of the Indian foubahs or vice-royalties. The ruins of Gour in Bengal, are more extensive; that of ancient Delhi much more fo. The plans of the Indian cities contain a vaft proportion of gardens and reservoirs of water; and the houses of the common people confift of one floor only: of course, fewer people can be accommodated in the fame compafs of ground, as in an European city; and this may account for the enormous dimenfions of Afiatic

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 fite of Palibothra; it could hardly be doubted that fome very large city stood in the pofition affigned to it but I had always a doubt of its being the capital of the Prafii + vifited by Megafthenes. Late enquiries made on the spot, have, however, brought out this very interefting discovery, that a very large city, which anciently stood on or very near the fite of Patna, was named Patel poot-her (or Pataliputra, according to Sir William Jones) and that the river Soane, whofe confluence with the Ganges is now at Moneah, 22 miles above Patna, once joined it under the walls of Patelpoot-her. This name agrees fo nearly with Palibothra, and the intelligence altogether furnishes such positive kind of proof; that my former conjectures refpecting Canoge, muft all fall to the ground; notwithstanding that Canoge was unquestionably the capital of a large kingdom from very early times.

I confider the above information as too clear and pofitive 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 dimenfions will be about 9 B. miles in length, and 1 in width.

+ The empire of the Prafii feems to have included most of the tract through which the Ganges flows, after it enters the plains of Hindooftan.

exami

examination of Pliny's itinerary, is intended rather to fhew his great accuracy in geographical fubjects, than as a proof of the above pofition; although it may ferve that purpose alfo. Toufe 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 iti nerary, applicable to my purpofe, is as follows:

From Taxila or Tapila, on the Indus (probably near the fite of Attock) to the river Hydafpes (the modern Chelum) 120 Roman miles.

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 fhewn here, with that on the map; because the second article, namely, the distance from the Hydafpes to the Hyphafis, is obvioufly wrong, even if the text (which is very obfcure) is to be taken at 390: for it cannot be more than 220 ́ of Pliny's miles, unless the furveyor of Alexander's marches threw

Blackwall.

Taxila or Tapila, and the Indus, are mentioned as one and the fame 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 Hyphafis (or rather Hypafis) as I hope to prove fatisfactorily in my obfervations 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 queftion gives the length of the fame 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 fhort for the Roman mile of 1000 paces but the question in the present cafe, is not the actual distance, but the proportions of the intermediate parts of the road. The conflux of the Ganges and Jumna, 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 diftance were much wider of the truth, 20 years ago.

*

Palibothra, he places 425 miles, or fo many parts in 1063, of the distance from the conflux of the Jumna 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 prefent conflux; and this difference of 80 of Pliny's, or about 44 G. miles, however confiderable it may appear to those who expect nice coincidences in fuch matters as thefe; does not, in my idea, leffen the general authority of the itinerary: because if we admit only what is literally proved,

• M. D'Anville is of opinion that Pliny turned the Greek ftades into miles, at the rate of 8 to a mile; and thus accounts for their fhortnefs. M. D'Anville, who has gone deeply into the fubject, thinks that it requires 1050 itinerary ftades (of horizontal measure, I apprehend) to make a degree of a great circle. See his Eclairciffemens, page 5;.