1823.] Proceedings of Public Societies. tSl 



shall get out, and draw or tow the taking exercise or air, this method will 



barge through ; ot, if more than one enahle them to keep pace with any 



man shall be requisite, he can be pedestrian, and out-distance him in a 



easily procured on such an occasion, short time, if desirous so to do ; as he 



As it is iuteniled to jilacc two sets of can, with ease, propel liimself forward 



machinery upon a barge, one forward, at the rate of five or six miles an hour. 



and the other aft, on passing a barge, 

 the foremost man must first take off 

 his axletree, and then the man who is 

 aft, who can steer at the same time 

 he works the paddles round. 



When applied to light carriages, 

 such as garden-chairs, or for persons 

 who have lost the use of their lower 

 extremities, so as to prevent them from 



and tliat, with less exertion, thaa 

 would have been necessary had he 

 been enabled to walk. For this pur- 

 pose, it can be used over the stones of 

 any paved town; and tiie unpaved 

 roads must be very bad indeed to 

 prevent it being used there. — i?e- 

 pertory. 



PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 



INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. 



AT a late sitting of this illustrious 

 body, the following oliscrvations 

 were read on tiie Geography and pre- 

 sent State of Hindostan. 



The name of Hindostan is but of 

 modern use ; it is a Persian word, 

 derived from Hindoo, black, aud 

 Sl'han, a place ; but it is now adopted 

 by the natives, as well as by foreign- 

 ers. In Mahometan writers, the term 

 represents the countries immediately 

 subject to the sovereigns of Delhi ; 

 which, in 1582, were divided into 

 eleven soubabies, or provinces ; most 

 of these have retained their primitive 

 geographical limits. Their names are 

 Lahore, Moultan, Ajmire, Delhi, 

 Agra, Allahabad, Bahar, Oude, Ben- 

 gal, Malwa, and Guzerat. A twelftii 

 division was formed of Cabul, and the 

 countries west of the Indus, including 

 Cachemire ; afterwards, three were 

 added of the conquests made in the 

 Dcccan, Berar, Candeish, and Ahmed- 

 nuggur, now known by the name of 

 Aurungabad. European geographers 

 generally comprise within Hindostan 

 ail tiie countries wherein (he religion 

 of the Hindoos prevails ; these consist 

 of four great divisions, Northern Hin- 

 dostan, Hindostan Proper, the Deccan, 

 and those parts uf India that lie south 

 of the Kinishna. This last division is 

 usually called the Peninsula, but is 

 more properly an equilateral triangle, 

 the northern litnit of wiiich towards 

 the Krishna forms the base, the 

 coasts of Coromandcl and Malaliar 

 the sides, and Cape C'oniorin the 

 summit. 



It does not appear that any of the 

 former coni|Ucri>r:i of Hinilust:in eni^ 



ployed native disciplined troops for 

 the defenceof their sovereignty, though 

 they had numerous tribes to hold in 

 subjection. If this seems hazardous 

 in theory, it has been found safe in. 

 practice ; with the English, the diffi- 

 culty is entirely theoretical. They 

 have another advantage over their 

 predecessors, that, there being two na- 

 tions, the JMahometans and Hindoos, 

 they may set one against the other ; 

 and, in time, raise up a third, at tho 

 expense of both. But no measures of 

 this nature have been in contempla- 

 tion, though their practicability may 

 be well inferred. 



Foreign conquerors will doubtless 

 favour their countrymen, and the 

 English government raise theirs to the 

 highest posts and appointments; but 

 numbers of the natives are admitted 

 into the army, aud put into the exer- 

 cise of civil power. Of enemies, the 

 latter have become friends; and, from 

 the consolidation of interests, though 

 different in colour, language, and 

 manners, the English possess a force 

 much superior in firnmess to that of 

 the Mahometan dynasties. 



On the whole, notwithstanding errors 

 and defects in public men and mea- 

 sures, a quick eye may readily disco- 

 ver, that the revolution which has 

 taken place is greatly to the profit of 

 the population at large, and (to tho 

 honour of the local administrations,) 

 that solid improvements in principles 

 and practice are ra[)idly advancing. 

 Protection has been ailorded against 

 foreign dci)rcdations, and internal 

 commotions; a double advantage, un- 

 known in Hindostan during the lapse 

 of many years. 



Should 



