the death of Aurengzebe; and which were fufficient to defolate any country that did not produce almoft fpontaneously; and of course, where the deficiency of population is quickly replaced.

Within the tract difcuffed in the prefent fection, the principal cities are, Calcutta, Moorfhedabad, Patna, Dacca, Coffimbazar, Mauldah, and Hoogly, within the Bengal provinces: Benares, within the district of the fame name, under the British fovereignty: and Lucknow, Fyzabad, Oude, Jionpour, Allahabad, Bereilly, and Corah, fubject to the Nabob of Oude, our Ally: and Agra, late in the poffeffion of Nudjuff Cawn. Generally speaking, the description of one Indian city, is a defcription of all; they being all built on one plan, with exceeding narrow, confined, and crooked ftreets; with an incredible number of reservoirs and ponds, and a great many gardens, interfperfed. A few of the streets are paved with brick. The houses are variously built: fome of brick, others with mud, and a still greater proportion with bamboos and mats: and these different kinds of fabricks standing intermixed with each other, form a motley appearance: thofe of the latter kinds are invariably of one story, and covered with thatch. Thofe of brick, feldom exceed two floors, and have flat, terraced roofs. The two former claffes far outnumber the laft, which are often fo thinly scattered, that fires, which often happen, do not, fometimes, meet with the obstruction of a brick house through a whole street.

Calcutta, is in part, an exception to this rule of building; for there, the quarter inhabited by the English, is compofed entirely of brick buildings, many of which have more the appearance of palaces than of private houses: but the remainder of the city, and by much the greatest part, is built as I have defcribed the cities in general to be. Within thefe 20 or 25 years, Calcutta has been wonderfully improved both in appearance, and in the falubrity of its air for the streets have been properly drained, and the ponds filled up; thereby removing a vaft furface of ftagnant water, the exhalations from which were particularly hurtful. Calcutta is well

known to be the emporium of Bengal, and the feat of the Governor, General of India. It is a very extenfive and populous city, being fuppofed at prefent to contain at least 500,000 inhabitants. Its local fituation is not fortunate; for it has fome extenfive muddy lakes, and a vast foreft, clofe to it. It is remarkable, that the English have been more inattentive than other European nations, to the natural advantages of fituation, in their foreign fettlements. Calcutta is situated on the western arm of the Ganges, at about 100 miles from the fea; and the river is navigable up to the town, for the largest ships that vifit India. It is a modern city, having rifen on the fite of the village of Govindpour, about 90 years ago. It has a citadel, fuperior in every point, as it regards ftrength, and correctness of design, to any fortress in India: but on too extenfive a fcale to answer the ufeful purpofe intended, that of holding a poft in cafe of extremity; fince the number of troops required for a proper garrifon for it, could keep the field. It was begun immediately after the victory at Plaffey, which infured to the British, an unlimited influence in Bengal: and the intention of Clive was to render it as permanent as poffible, by fecuring a tenable post at all times. Clive, however, had no forefight of the vaft expence attending it, which perhaps may have been equal to two millions fterling.

Hoogly is a fmall, but ancient city on the fame river as Calcutta, though on the oppofite fide; and about 26 miles above it. In the time of the Mohamedan government, it was the Bunder or Port of the western arm of the Ganges; where the customs or duties on merchandife, were collected. The French, Dutch, Danes, and Portuguese, have each of them a town and factory on this part of the river, and between Hoogly and Calcutta; and all within the extent of 10 miles, along the river. The French fettlement of Chandernagore, and the Dutch one of Chinfura, are both very neat and pretty large towns; and each of them on a better fite than Calcutta.

Moorfhedabad, fituated alfo on the western arm of the Ganges which is there very low in the dry feason, is about 120 miles above Calcutta. It was the capital of the Bengal provinces until the establishment of the British power and even long after, it was the feat of the Collector general of the revenues; being a more centrical fituation than Calcutta. It is very large, but ill built; and in its plan fo very irregular, that it is difficult to estimate the quantity of ground it stands on. It is a modern city, and does not contain any magnificent buildings, either public or private: nor was it ever fortified except by an occafional rampart thrown up round it, on the Mahratta invafion in 1742 *. This city is now decaying, especially fince the removal of the Board of Revenue to Calcutta, in 1771.

Coffimbazar is a fmall city, nearly adjacent to Moorfhedabad, and was at all times the place of refidence of the different European factors; this being the centre of their trade.

Mauldah is a pretty neat city, not far removed from the north bank of the Ganges, and on a river that communicates with it. It arofe out of the ruins of Gour, which are in its neighbourhood. In point of general fituation, it is about 70 miles to the north of Moorfhedabad. This, as well as Coffimbazar, is a place of trade, and in particular produces much filk

Rajemal lies on the weft bank of the Ganges nearly in the parallel of Mauldah, and about 20 miles from it; at the foot of the chain of hills which projects into the river, at Siclygully and Terriagully. It is in a ruinous state, although the refidence of the Viceroy not 130 years ago; and has hardly the population of an ordinary market town, at present. Its fituation is romantic, but not pleafant for in Hindooftan, the hills and eminences being always covered with wood, that beautiful fwelling of the ground, which is fo justly admired in European landscapes, is loft; and the fancy is

See Introduction.

prefented

prefented at best with nothing beyond a wild fcene: which can only be relished by being contrafted with foft and beautiful ones. M. D'Anville confidered Rajemal as being feated at the head of the Delta of the Ganges; but it is more than 30 miles above it.

Dacca is situated in the eastern quarter of Bengal, and beyond the principal ftream of the Ganges, although a very capital branch of it runs under it. Few fituations are better calculated for an inland emporium of trade, than this; as the Dacca river communicates with all the other inland navigations; and that not by a circuitous, but by a direct communication: as may be feen by the plan of its environs, in the Bengal Atlas. It fucceeded Sonergong, as the provincial capital of this quarter; and is the third city of Bengal, in point of extent and population. It has a vast trade in muslins; and manufactures the most delicate ones, among those that are fo much fought after in Europe: and the cotton is produced within the province. Dacca has in its turn been the capital of Bengal: and that within the present century. There are the remains of a very strong fortress in it; and within these few years there was near it, a cannon of extraordinary weight and dimenfions*: but it has fince fallen into the river, together with the bank on which it refted.

Dacca is fituated about 100 miles above the mouth of the Ganges, and 180 by the road from Calcutta. The country round it lying low, and being always covered with verdure during the dry months,

As it may gratify the curiofity of fome of my readers, I have here inferted the dimenfions and weight of this gun. I took the meafures very carefully throughout, and calculated each part feparately. It was made of hammered iron; it being an immenfe tube formed of 14 bars, with rings of 2 or 3 inches wide driven over them, and hammered down into a smooth furface; so that its appearance was equal to that of the best executed piece of brafs ordnance, although its proportions were faulty.

The gun contained 234,413 cubic inches of wrought iron: and confequently weighed 64,814 pounds avoirdupoize: or about the weight of eleven 32 pounders. Weight of an iron fhot for the gun 465 pounds.

it

it is not fubject to fuch violent heats as Moorfhedabad, Patna, and other places,

Patna is the chief city of Bahar, and is a very extenfive and po pulous city, built along the fouthern bank of the Ganges, about 400 miles from Calcutta, and 500 from the mouth of the river. Having been often the feat of war, it is fortified in the Indian manner with a wall and a small citadel. It is a place of very confiderable trade. Most of the faltpetre imported by the East India Company, is manufactured within the province of Bahar. It is a very ancient city; and probably its modern name may be derived from Pataliputra, or Patelpoot-her; which we have fuppofed above to be the ancient Palibothra.

Benares is the chief city of the district commonly known by that name (and which consists of the circars of Benares, Jionpour, Chunar, and Gazypour) but is more celebrated as the ancient seat of Braminical learning, than on any other account; although it be a fine city, and very rich and populous, and the most compactly built of any. It is built along the north bank of the Ganges, and is distant from Calcutta, by the road, about 460 miles. Its ancient name was Kafi: but there are no notices concerning it, in the works of the ancient geographers. I think, if it had existed during the time of the Syrian Ambaffadors, Pliny would have noticed it, as he has done Methora (Matura) and Clifobara, which lay near the Juina river.

Allahabad is feated at the point of confluence of the two great rivers Ganges and Jumna, and fucceeded to Piyaug. Acbar founded the prefent city, which he intended as a place of arms, as its fituation is very important both as it refpects the navigation of the two rivers, and the country of the Doab, behind it. Allahabad is about 820 miles above the mouth of the Ganges, and 50 by land from Calcutta. It belongs to the Nabob of Oude, but its fortifications will hardly refift the battering of a field piece.

Luck