152 Proceedings of 



Should this vast territory, acquired 

 ill a manner so unexpected, be re- 

 stored to its ancient masters, it would 

 transfer the subjects, now enjoying a 

 liiofound peace, 1o tl)e sanguinary 

 dissensions of greedy adventurers, and 

 most evidently counteract many pro- 

 jected ameliorations. These never 

 originate with the Hindoos; for experi- 

 ence proves, that, when any have been 

 raised to high ofiices of state, the 

 power thus delegated, for the purpose 

 of experiment, has been of little ad- 

 vantage to the community. 



These general truths will be adopted 

 by calm and impartial observers, 

 whatcveropinion they may entcrtiiinof 

 the conduct of individuals. Principles 

 of commiseration and even justice re- 

 quire that so many millions, living 

 under British protection, with many 

 circumstances discriminating tlicm 

 from other Asiatic states, should not be 

 abandoned to tiie many disorders, con- 

 Tulsions, and casualties, to whicii Ihey 

 have been exposed, through a long 

 succession of ages. 



There is every reason to think, that 

 the Hindoos were, in very remote 

 ages, a commercial people, as, in the 

 first book of their Sacred Laws, which, 

 according lo them, was revealed by 

 Menu millions of years ago, there is a 

 curious passage relative to the legal 

 interest of money, and to the rate of 

 exchange, in different cases, with par- 

 ticular provisos for transa(-lions con- 

 liected with sea-faring concerns. The 

 three great articles of general exporta- 

 tion from India, for the Greeks and 

 Romans, were spices, pearls and pre- 

 cious stones, and silk. The ancient 

 importations were, woollen stuffs of 

 light fabric, linen cloth, certain pre- 

 cious stones, and aromatics unknown 

 in the country, coral, storax, glass 

 vessels, wines of Italy, Greece, and 

 Arabia^ copper and tin. That of 

 money, also, was very considerable ; 

 and, from the natives selling much, 

 and purchasing little, the balance has 

 been ever in their favour. It is be- 

 lieved that immense riches are lost to 

 the country, from the habit of hoarding 

 and burying their treasures, which is 

 common in Ilindostan, and from 

 dying without revealing them. In 

 later ages, cotton stulls have been the 

 principal article of export ; but the 

 demand for these is considerably 

 'diminished, from the perfection they 

 liave attained in Europe. 



The empire of superstition is rapidly 

 1 



Public Societies. [March J, 



declining in British India, and a sur- 

 jrt-ising moral change has been in pro- 

 gress during the administration of the 

 Marquess of Hastings. The effect of 

 seven native presses, constantly at 

 wotk in Calcutta, has been to, triumph 

 over many inveterate abuses, oper- 

 ating powerfully in reforms of various 

 kinds. During the last festival of 

 Jaggernaut, the pilgrims present were 

 so few as to be unable to drag the car, 

 nor could any devotee be persuaded, 

 by the brachmins, to sacrifice himself 

 to the idol. The priesthood are for 

 removing the ralii to a more centjal 

 situation, from an apprehension that, 

 without such removal, the bigotry of 

 thirty centuries will disappear. A 

 large portion of the population of 

 Bengal are receiving the rudiments of 

 !)n improved education, from thousands 

 of elementary works that are circu- 

 lating through the empire. Hindoo 

 women, against whom widowhood and 

 burning alive are denounced for learn- 

 ing the alphabet, and who nmst not 

 read the Veda under pain of death, 

 place their daughters at the puMic 

 schools. The celebrated Hindoo re- 

 former, Ramraohun Roy, has long- 

 held public montiily meetings at Cal- 

 cutta, wherein the tenets of their reli- 

 gion are freely discussed, and the cru- 

 elties which it sanctions are exposed 

 and reprobated. 



Statistic Documents, from which an 

 approximative idea may he formed of the 

 ]£a:tent and Population of the States of 

 Hiiidostan, as they existed in 1820. 

 British Possessions. — Bengal, Bahar 

 and Benares, iidiabitants, 39,000,000. 

 Square miles, 162^,000; augmentation, 

 since 1795, inhab. 18,000^000, sq. ni. 

 148,000; Gurwal, Kumaou, and the 

 country between the Sutiiledge an<i 

 the Jumna, inhab. 500,000; sq. ni. 

 18,000 ; under the presidency of Ben- 

 gal, inhab. 57,500,000; of Madras, 

 inhab. 15,000,000, sq. m. 154,000; of 

 Bombay, inhab. 2,500,000, sq. m. 

 11,000; territories of the Deccan, &c. 

 acquired since 1815, and not united 

 to any presidency, inhab. 8,000,000, 

 sq. m. 60,000. 



Allies and Tributaries cf the English. 

 —The Nirzam, inhab. 10,000,000, sq. 

 m. 06,000 ; the Rajah of Napour, inhab. 

 3,000,000, sq. m. 70,000 ; the King of 

 Oude, inhab. 3,000,000, sq. m. 20,000; 

 the Guicowar, inhab. 2,000,000, sq. m, 

 18,000; the Rajah of Mysore, inhab. 

 3,000,000, sq. in. 17,000 ; the Rajah of 

 Sattarah, inhab. 1,500,COO, sq. m, 

 11,000; 



