fiderable part of the general outline, and determine the proportions of fome of the principal members of it. But of the kind of materials, which without affecting the general proportions of the map, ferve the purpose of filling up the void spaces in it, there will be found very great abundance. In particular, Guzerat, and the Rajpoot provinces, have undergone very confiderable improvement; as well as the Panjab country and Sindy. The upper part of the courfe of the Ganges, to the cow's mouth, or cavern through which the Ganges paffes; and the course of the Gogra river to its fountains; are both inferted from the work of M. Bernoulli. In short, additions and corrections are diffeminated over the whole map: and in general, if we except the south part of Berar, the western part of the peninfula, and the countries bordering on the river Indus, and the Panjab, the map is filled up in fuch a degree, as to have no confiderable blanks in it. As Mr. Forfter's route from India to Ruffia furnished fome new ideas, and elucidated many former paffages, I judged it proper to exprefs his route to the Caspian sea, on a feparate map; and at the fame time to add to it, the countries contiguous to Hindoostan on the north and north-weft; fo as to include Samarcand, and the marches. of Alexander from the borders of the Cafpian fea to the river laxartes (the modern Sirr). In In the divifion of HINDOOSTAN into foubahs, &c. I have followed the mode adopted by the Emperor ACBAR, as it appears to me to be the most permanent one: for the ideas of the boundaries are not only impressed on the minds of the natives by tradition, but are also ascertained in the AYIN ACBAREE; a register of the highest authority. But for the lower parts of the DECCAN, and the peninfula in general, this ftandard being wanting, I had recourse to the best information I could get, which was not, indeed, of the most perfect kind: and therefore I directed my attention principally to the state of the modern divifions in those quarters, the impreffing a clear idea of which, is one principal aim of the work. It must be observed, that since the empire has been dismembered, a new divifion of its provinces has alfo taken place; by which means, some soubahs now form a part of the dominions of three or more Princes; and very few are preserved entire. These modern divifions are not only distinguished in the map by the names of the prefent poffeffors; but the colouring alfo is entirely employed in facilitating the diftinctions between them. So that the modern divifions appear, as it were, in the fore ground; and the ancient ones in the back ground; one illustrating and explaining the other. Confidering the vaft extent of India, and how little its interior parts have been vifited by Europeans, till the latter 6 latter part of the last century, it ought rather to furprise us that so much geographical matter fhould be collected during fo fhort a period; especially where fo little has been contributed towards it by the natives themselves, as in the present case. Indeed, we must not go much farther back than thirty-five years, for the matter that forms the basis of this Map. And it muft not be forgotten, that the East India Company have caused a mathematical furvey to be made, at their own expence, of a tract equal in extent to France and England taken together; befides. tracing the outline of near 2000 miles of fea coaft, anda. chain of islands in extent 500 miles more *. In general, I have acknowledged in the courfe of the Memoir, the affiftance that I have received from the different Gentlemen, who have obligingly furnished me Whatever charges may be imputable to the Managers for the Company, the neglect: of useful Science, however, is not among the number. The employing of Geographers, and furveying Pilots in India; and the providing of aftronomical inftruments, and the holding out of encouragement to fuch as fhould use them; indicate, at leaft, a fpirit fomewhat above the mere confideration of Gain: but above all, the eftablishment of an office at home, for the improvement of hydrography and navigation, and their judicious choice of a fuperintendant for it, reflects the highest honour on their administration; and ought to convince us, that in a free country, a body of fubjects may accomplish, what the State itfelf defpairs even to attempt. For, however surprising it may appear, it is nevertheless true, that the first maritime nation in the world, has no good chart to direct its fleets towards its own coafts: nor even a criterion. by which the public may be enabled to judge of the merit of any hydrographical production whatsoever. So that the foundings on the coast of Bengal, are better known than thofe in the British channel; of which, no tolerable chart exifts, even at this day. During the late war, an Eaft India fhip owed her fafety to the knowledge obtained from a chart of the mouths of the Ganges (made, and published by order of the Company). into one of which she escaped from two French cruifers, and afterwards came into the Hoogly river by the inland navigation. We had juft become mafters of the hydrography of America, when we loft the fovereignty of it. I hope no one will think omi-. nously of our Indian poffeffions from this circumftance: but even if he does, he may make himself easy on the fcore of Great Britain. with the materials, therein difcuffed. But there were other kinds of affiftance afforded, for which no opportunities for acknowledgement occurred; fuch as the furnishing of useful hints, and correcting of errors, into which I had unavoidably fallen, through ignorance of local circumftances, or hiftorical facts. The Gentlemen to whom I stand particularly indebted on this score, are, Mr. Francis Ruffell, Mr. David Anderfon, and Mr. James Anderson *; Capt. Jonathan Scott, Mr. Wilkins, Mr. Middleton, Col. Popham, and the late Col. Camac ; all of the Bengal establishment: Mr. Bensley, and Mr. Inglis, both of the East India Direction: Mr. John Sulivan of the Madras establishment, and Mr. Callander late of Bombay. To Lord Mulgrave I am indebted for a copy of Mr. Forster's route from Jummoo to the Cafpian sea: as well as for his Lordship's very ready communication of every fpecies of information that could be of fervice to the work in queftion. The routes of Mr. Smith, and of General Goddard, across the continent, from the Jumna river to Poonah and Surat, contain much useful matter; and have been the means of determining a number of geographical points. *To Mr. James Anderson, I am, in particular, indebted, for the account of the derivation of the term MAHRATTA, and for that of the ancestry of Sevajee: as alfo for the fubject matter of the notes that accompany thofe articles. And to him, and to his brother, Mr. David Anderson (each of whom, at differeut times, refided in a public Capacity with Madajee Sindia) I owe the most valuable part of the information, refpecting the geographical divifion of the Mahratta States, and their tributaries. A MS. A MS. account of the country of the Rajpoots, and other provinces, on the fouth, and SW of Agra; together with a map, both of them by P. Wendell were of very great ufe in defcribing the geography of those parts. And to render the MS. more valuable, there has been added to it, Mr. James Anderson's account of the changes that have taken place fince that period, in confequence of Sindia's attacks, and negociations. The former was communicated by Col. Popham, and the latter by the Right Hon. Charles Greville. Mr. Dalrymple, to whom I made my acknowledgments for the affiftance afforded me, in the courfe of my former work, has, on the prefent occafion, not only procured for me every new material that fell under his notice, but inftructed me how to procure others, and to draw information from various fources, that I was before ignorant of. To his valuable, and perhaps unequalled, collection of MS. charts, and of voyages and travels, I have alfo had accefs, on all occafions: and I wish to be understood to speak with the utmost fincerity, when I fay, that without this affistance, my performance must have been extremely imperfect: or in other words, that Mr. Dalrymple is intitled to the thanks of the public, in a positive degree; although my share of those thanks, may be only comparative. They were composed in the year 1779. Although |