S42 Dr. Hamilton on the Plants of various Parts of Indian 



inountains, which, the further west I proceeded, rose to a 

 greater elevation, were more rocky, and communicated to their 

 vegetation more and more of the rigid and thorny nature of 

 that produced on the arid hills and mountains of Draveda, 

 Kamata, and Chera. 



Soon after the rainy season of 1813 commenced, I embarked 

 atChunar, and proceeded up the Ganges and Yamuna (Jomanes 

 Plinii) or Jumna to Agra; and thus had an opportunity of 

 examining the plants on the banks of these rivers, passing 

 along a portion of the ancient kingdom of Malava (Malwa) on 

 the east of the Yamuna river, near the Ken {Caitias Plinii) and 

 Chumbul rivers, and then proceeding through the centre of 

 the ancient kingdom of Kuru, which, in the earlier part of 

 the Hindu government, was the chief seat of power and glory, 

 restored to it afterwards by the Muhammedan conquest, and 

 only lateW restored to Angga by British valour and prudence ; 

 for in the time of Alexander, Angga was no doubt the chief 

 seat of Hindu power, as Palibothra seems to have been seated 

 opposite to Rajamahal, in Angga, although on the skirts of 

 Magadha, which in latter times was the great seal of authority. 



Before the end of the rainy season 1 returned down the 

 rivers, and ascending the Gagra, entered the district of Go- 

 rakhpur, forming a considerable portion of Cosala, the ter- 

 ritory of the powerful Family of the Sun, who reigned at 

 Oude (Ayndhiya). During the dry season 1813-14 I re- 

 mained in the district of Gorakhpur, where I made large ad- 

 ditions to my botanical observations, both fron) the forests of 

 the country, and from the neighbouring parts of Nepal, from 

 whence I procured many plants. 



When the rainy season commenced I again embarked, and 

 proceeded up the Ganges to Futehgar, where I had again an 

 opportunity of examining the vegetable productions of the 

 ancient kingdom of Kuru, through the centre of which the 

 Ganges passes ; for it includes both banks of the Ganges and 

 Yamuna, being bounded on the east by Kosala, and on the 

 west by Pangchala, now called the Punjab, or the country 

 watered by the five rivers joining the Indus from the north- 

 east. 



Having thus examined a considerable portion of the 

 Gangetic plain, always considered the proper seat of the Hindu 

 race, descended from a colony of civilised persons calling 

 themselves sons of Brahma, who in the earliest ages settled at 

 •Vithora [Betoor Rennell), and gradually extended their power 

 over what is now called Hindustan, I shall proceed to give 

 some general account of the vegetation of this fertile tract, 

 which, without any thing that can be called a hill, extends 



from 



