340 Dr. Hamilton 07i the Plants of various Parts (^ India, 



and in 1806 was appointed by the Court of Directors to make 

 a statistical survey of the territory under the presidency of 

 Fort WiUiam, usually in Europe called Bengal; hut containing 

 many extensive regions besides Bengal, taking that even in the 

 most extended sense of the INIogul province of the name ; for 

 in Hindu geography, A'anga, from whence Bengal is a cor- 

 ruption, is applied to only tiie eastern portion of the Delta of 

 the Ganges, as Ujiavanga is to the centre of this territory, and 

 Angga to its western limits. 



I commenced this survey after the rainy season of 1807, with 

 the English district of Dinagepore (Dinajpura), forming part 

 of the ancient kingdom of Matsiya, bounded by the MahaU'* 

 anda on the west, by the Korataiya (Latine Carat (ca) on the 

 east, by the mountains on the north, and by the Padma ov 

 eastern branch of the Ganges on the south. This district is 

 not very favourable lor the botanist, being in general highly cul- 

 tivated ; but its southern parts, especially round the ancient 

 city of Purua are woody, and yielded a considerable increase 

 to my collection. 



In spring 1808, having finished the survey of Dinage- 

 pore, I passed through the English district of Rungpur (Rang-^ 

 gapur), the Kamrupa of the ancient Hindus; and having 

 examined the north-eastern wastes of that territory, where! 

 added much to my botanical stores, I halted for the rainy sea- 

 son at Goyalpara (Latine Cioalpara). This place, situated at 

 the northern extremity of the mountainous district which 

 bounds the Gangetic plain on the east, afforded me most am-^ 

 pie employment as a botanist, producing a variety of beautiful 

 and rare plants, almost equal to that of Nepal; and, with my 

 Journeys to Ava and Chatigang, enabled me to form a proper 

 estimate of the vegetable productions of Farther India [ultra 

 Gangem), the China of the Hindus, and which I have already 

 described. 



With the fair weather of 1 808 I recommenced the survey 

 of the Rungpur district, where I found an excellent field for 

 a botanist, as it contains many wastes. As the rainy season 

 of 1809 approached, I retiretl to a house near the town of 

 Rungpur, and there continued in a situaticm not very favour- 

 able for a botanist, until 1 had time left only to convey me to 

 Purneah (Puraniya), before the fair weather of 1809 should 

 commence. 



The English jurisdiction of Purneah (Latine Pwran/o) forms 

 a part of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Mithila, with a small 

 portion of Angga around the ruins of Gaur; but my journey 

 during the dry season added little to my botanical stores. 

 This, however, was amply recompensed by my jstay, during the 



rainy 



