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From Dr. Francis Buchanan. 



My dear Smith, Bassaria, March 3, 1805. 



I was favoured a few days ago with yours of the 

 17th of May, 1801. During a great part of the 

 years 1800 and 1801, I was employed by the Go- 

 vernor-general in investigating the state of agricul- 

 ture, commerce, and arts, in the dominions of the 

 late Tippoo sultaun. I had just returned to Calcutta 

 w T ith a considerable collection, and had commenced 

 to arrange my papers, when I received an order to 

 proceed to Patna, and join the resident going to 

 the court of Nepal. I am now busy in digesting 

 the journal of my proceedings during the trip to 

 Mysoor. 



Nepal is a country extending south from the snowy 

 mountains called Himaleh bv Major Rennell, 

 but Emodu Ghiry in the Sanscrit, and no doubt 

 the Emodus of the ancients. Its southern boun- 

 dary is the territory belonging to the English, so 

 that its breadth from north to south is not great; 

 but on the west it includes what Rennell calls Al- 

 morah, and on the east what he calls Morung. 

 About sixty years ago this great extent of country 

 was subject to a number of petty chiefs, who all 

 soon after were subdued by Pritty Narain, rajah 

 of Gorka. Dissensions have lately broken out in 

 this ill-united kingdom and turbulent unprincipled 

 people ; and the principal persons of the reigning 

 family have been obliged to take shelter in the Com- 

 pany's dominions. Although cruelly afraid of Eu- 



