ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



477 



gal, Dehlj^Cabul, Lahoor, Multan, 

 and Malwa. 



Abulfazel commences his de- 

 scription with the soobah of Bengal, 

 which being the principal seat of 

 the British government in India, we 

 shall give a succinct account of the 

 most remarkable particulars noticed 

 by this oriental historian. — Bengal, 

 including Orissa, has the sea on the 

 east, is bounded by mountains on 

 the north and south, and on the west 

 joins to the soobah of Bahar. It is 

 situated in the second climate. The 

 air is very temperate. The perio- 

 dical rains commence in April, and 

 continue for somewhat more than 

 six months. In the beginning of 

 April, and sometimes earlier in the 

 southern parts of this soobah, there 

 are frequent storms of thunder and 

 lightning, wind and rain, from the 

 north-west quarter. These squalls 

 moderate the heat very much, and 

 they continue till the setting in of 

 the periodical rains, which overflow 

 the country in many parts. If the 

 rains break up early in September, 

 the weather is intensely hot, and 

 the inhabitants are very sickly. 



Bengal abounds with rivers, the 

 finest of which is the Gung, or 

 Ganges, whose source has never 

 been traced. From the northern 

 mountains, it runs through the 

 soubahs of Delhy, Agra, Allahabad, 

 and Bahar, into this province. Near 

 the town of Cazyhutta, in the sircar 

 of Barbuckabad, at which place 

 it is called Pudhawutty, it sends a 

 branch to the east, which empties 

 itself into the sea at Chittagong. 

 The main river in its course to the 

 southward, forms three streams the 

 Sirfutty, the Jown, and the Gung ; 

 which three streams, are collectively 

 called, in the Hindovee language, 

 Tirpunny, and they are all held in 



high veneration by the Hindoos — 

 The Gung, after having divided 

 into a thousand channels, joins the 

 sea at Satagong, and the Sirfutty 

 and Jown discharge themselves in 

 like manner. The learned amongst 

 the Hindooshavecomposed volumes 

 in praise of these waters, all parts 

 of which are said to be holy. The 

 great people have the water of the 

 Ganges brought to them from vast 

 distances, it being deemed neces- 

 sary in the performance of their 

 religious ceremonies. The water 

 of the Ganges has been celebrated 

 in all ages, not only for its sanctity, 

 but also on account of its sweetness, 

 lightness, and wholesomeness, and 

 because it does not become putrid 

 though kept for years. 



Most of the rivers of Bengal have 

 their banks cultivated with rice, of 

 which there are a variety of species. 

 The soil is so fertile in some places, 

 that a single grain of rice will yield 

 a measure of two or three seers. 

 Some landswill produce three crops 

 in a year. Vegetation is here so 

 quick, that as fast as the water rises, 

 the plants of rice grow above it, so 

 that the ear is never immersed. — 

 Men of experience affirm, that a 

 single stalk will grow six cubits in 

 one night. The food of the inha- 

 bitants is, for the most part, fish 

 and rice, wheat and barley not 

 being esteemed wholesome here ; 

 and they are extremely fond of salt, 

 which is scarce in some parts of 

 this soobah. 



Their houses are chiefly made of 

 bamboos, some of which, however, 

 wiU. cost five thousand rupees and 

 upwards, and are of a very long 

 duration. They travel chiefly by 

 water, especially in the rainy season. 

 They construct boats for war, bur- 

 den, and travelling. Particularly 



