﻿]9? 



HINDUSTAN. 



HINDUSTAN. 



a considerable place, and carries on an extensive trade in cotton. 

 Etawth has also preserved a considerable population, but ia not other- 

 wise important. Zt«atnow,the capital of the kingdora of Oude, stands 

 on the right bank of the river Goomtee, in 26° 51' N. lat., 80° 50' 

 E. long. Lucknow became the residence of the court in 1775. It is 

 now one of the wealthiest cities of Hindustan, with a population 

 estimated at 300,000. Muttra is still a large town, and a sacred city, 

 to which great numbers of pilgrims annually resort. Hurdwar, 

 which is situated where the Ganges issues from the Himalaya Mouii- 

 taiuB, is a place of pilgrimage, and has a considerable commerce. 

 Serampoor, on the right bank of the Hoogly, about 12 miles above 

 Calcutta, in 22° 45' N. lat., 88° 26' E. long,, extends nearly a mile 

 along the river, but is of small width. The town is built in the 

 European manner. It belonged to the Danes, who sold it to the 

 British government some years ago. Serampoor has acquired some 

 celebrity as the principal place where the Protestant mission was 

 established about the close of last century. The mission has since 

 been removetl to Calcutta. The population is about 13,000. The 

 Danes obtained possession of Serampoor in 1676. Shahjehanpoor is 

 situated in 27° 54' N. lat, 79° 50' E. long., on the Ourruk, a quiet 

 winding stream. The town is large, and contains about 50,000 

 inhabitants. The houses are in good condition, and the bazaars show 

 activity and opulence ; but the mosques are mostly ruinous. There 

 is a castle at Shahjehanpoor. The town was founded by Shah Jehau. 

 The French settlement of Chaxdernagore is separately noticed. 



The states spread over the Oangetic plain are immediately subject 

 to the government of the British, with the exception of the kingdom 

 of Oude, which occupies that portion of the plain which extends, 

 between 80° and 82° E. long., from the banks of the Ganges to the 

 Himalaya Mountains. [OcDE.] The British possessions are annexed 

 to the presidency of Bengal and to the North-VVestern Provinces, and 

 now extend to the Beas, including the JuUindar Doab, and overlooking 

 the Hill States, as far as the Ca-tlunere territory. 



V. The Plain of the Indiu. — The Indus, called in its southern course 

 also the Sinde, rises on the table-land of Tibet, about 31° 20' N. lat, and 

 near 80° E. long. After a course of perhaps not less than 250 miles 

 on a table-land from 12,000 to 15,000 feet above the sea, it is joined 

 below Leh by a large river called the Shayuk. Little is known of the 

 Indus after its junction with the Shayuk till it issues from the Hima- 

 laya range a few miles east of Attock. Above Attock its course lies 

 due west, and it is joined by the river of Cabul, the only considerable 

 affluent which it receives from the west after it has left the mountains. 

 After leaving the high mountains above Attock, it continues its course 

 in a south-south-west direction for about 70 miles more between lower 

 ranges, till at 33° 7' N. lat it enters the great plain, keeping the 

 western side of the plain. The Hala Mountains, which run along the 

 eastern border of the table-land of Beloochistan, rise at a short distance 

 from it, in parts winiin a few miles. 



As soon as the Indus has left the mountains it divides into four 

 arms, which run with great bends, and sometimes unite but separate 

 again, so that the whole volume of its waters is seldom united in one 

 bed. South of 29° N. lat, near the small town of Mittun Cote, it is 

 joined on the east by the Chenaub, or united rivers of the Panjab, or 

 Punjaub, and changes its course to south-west It ia here 2000 yards 

 wide. It continues its south-west course to Bakkur, and then turning 

 to the south and south-south-east, it reaches Hyderabad, above which 

 town a branch separates from the main stream, and flows south-east 

 to the Runn, out of which it Bows by the wide ffistuary which 

 ■eparates the island of Cutch from the plains of Sinde. This asstuary 

 is called the Koree, and has 12 feet of water as far as Busts, but 

 farther inland it is not so deep. The western and principal branch 

 of the Indus divides again south of 25° N. lat. near jnrruck, and the 

 smaller or eastern branch loses also a great part of its waters before 

 it reaches the sea by the mouth called Sir. It is navigable however 

 as far as Gunda for vessels of 38 tons burden, and it is much navigated, 

 though the merchandise must be transferred into small river boats at 

 Qunda. Below Tatta, and about 60 miles from the sea, the principal 

 branch of the Indus separates again into two branches, of which the 

 ■mailer, called Buggaur, runs west, and the larger, the Sata, continues 

 in a south-south-west direction to the sea. The Sata is, after the 

 bifurcation, still 1000 yards across. It divides into seven arms before 

 it reaches the sea. The widest of its mouths, the Oora, is only acces- 

 sible to'small vessels on account of its shoals and rapid current. The 

 navigation of the Indus along the Delta is very dangerous. At a 

 distance of one mile and a half from the sea the main branch is only 

 12 to 16 feet deep. Farther from the shore are numerous sand-banks. 

 The spring-tides rise 9 feet in the mouths of the Ind us. In the river 

 the tide ascends only 75 miles, and is not perceptible at Tatta. 



The Indus receives only one great affluent in its extensive plain, but 

 this affluent unites all the rivers which drain the Panjab, or the Five 

 Rivers, the Pentapotamia of the Greeks. These five rivers, enumerated 

 from east to west, are the Sutlej, or Satadru (the Zaradrua of Ptole- 

 Duras), the Beeab, or Beas (the Hyphasis of Arrian), the Ravee (the 

 Hydraotes of Arriao), the Chenaub (the Acesines), and the Jhilum, or 

 Behut (the Hydaspes). The i^!u(^' has the longest course. It originates 

 on the table-land of 'Tibet. Its coune on the table-land, where it flows 

 in some measara parallel to the Indus, is more than 160 miles. So far 

 it flow* Doith-westk Changing its course to the south-west, it soon 



enters the Himalaya range, through which it runs in ci narrow valley, 

 with numerous bend^, more than 100 miles. It enters the plaiu near 

 Uopur, whence it flows due west past Ludiana as far as Hurree, where 

 it is joined by the Beas, 31° 10' N. lat, 75° 5' E. long. The Beas 

 originates in the Himalaya Mountains, traverses the mountain region 

 with two great bends to the south and north, and enters the plain 

 above Nadaun after a course of less than 100 miles. Hence it flows 

 west-south-west, gradually approaching the Sutlej until it joins it. 

 The uuited river then takes the name of Garra, or Gharra, and con- 

 tinuing to flow south-west unites with the Chenaub below Bhawul- 

 poor. The Ravee ri-ses in one of the parallel chains of the Himalayas 

 called the Santch Mountains. Its upper course is not long. Above 

 Kotoa, or Kothua, it enters the plain of the Paujab, where it flows 

 south-west pai'allel to the Beas and Garra, until it joins the Chenaub 

 at Fazilshah. The Chenaub rises in the Paralasa range of the Hima- 

 layas near the sources of the Beas, and runs for about 100 miles in 

 the mountain region to the north-west ; it afterwards turns gradually 

 to the west, passes the town of Kishtawar, and inclining by degrees 

 more to the south leaves the Himalaya Mountains above Jommu, after 

 a course of perhaps not much less than 200 miles. In the plain of the 

 Panjab its course is west-south-west till it has joined the Ravee, 

 when it declines to the south-south-west. The Chenaub is a very 

 large river. At Alknur, where it leaves the Himalayas, it is 200 yards 

 wide. At Ramnuggur, when at the lowest, it is 300 yards wide and 9 feet 

 deep. The Jhilum, or Behut, rises in the Tibet range of the Himalayas, 

 flows first north-north-west in a longitudinal valley of the mountain 

 region, traverses the lake of Wooler, and issues from the valley by the 

 naiTow valley of the Baramula pass. It then passes near Mozuiferabad, 

 up to which place its course ia to the west, and turns by a bold bend 

 to the south, in which direction it reaches the plain. Its course within 

 the range of the Himalayas exceeds 200 miles. The remainder of its 

 course, somewhat more than 100 miles, is mostly south till it joins 

 the Chenaub atTrimo below Jung. After the five rivers have united, 

 they still flow between 40 and 50 miles until they fall into the Indus 

 at Mittun Cote. The natives call the uuited river Chenaub, but in 

 the other countries of India it is known by the name of Punjund. 

 All the rivers of the Panjab are in general navigable up to the place 

 where they issue from the mountains, and the Indus itself is naviga- 

 ble to Attock, but above that place there is a whirlpool which cannot 

 be passed by boats. 



The northern portion of the plain of the Indus, the Panjab, Pun- 

 jaub, or coimtry of the Five Rivers, extends from the lower ranges of 

 the Himalaya Mountains to the confluence of the Chenaub with the 

 Indus, between 34° and 29° N. lat, and has the form of an isosceles 

 triangle, whose shortest line, or base, which is about 450 miles iu 

 length, lies along the Himalayas, and the equal sides, each about 600 

 miles, unite at the confluence of the Indus and Chenaub. Its surface 

 may be on an average about 1000 feet above the sea. This immense 

 tract of country contains very fertile and very sterile tracts. The 

 country along the foot of the Himalayas, and to a distance of about 

 100 miles from it, is well supplied with water, and has the advantage 

 of abundant rains, and a plentiful irrigation. A canal has recently 

 been constructed, and much improvement has taken place in the dis- 

 trict within the last two or three years. The JuUindar Doab, or country 

 between the Sutlej and the Beas, is very populous, and so likewise is 

 the Barri Doab, between the Beas and Ravee as far as Amritsir. Rice 

 is the principal object of agriculture all over the Paujab, but wheat 

 is also raised in sufficient quantity for the consumption. The sugar 

 caue is cultivated with great care. Wine and difibrent kinds of fruits 

 are produced in many places. Cattle are very numerous, though 

 commonly of small size. 



In Lahore the maximum of heat in July is 102°, and the minimum 

 in January 24°. In Moultan it seems to rise still higher; at other 

 places even to 110°. 



The principality of Lahore, formerly subject to the Raja of Lahore, 

 extended from 30° to 34° N. lat, and from 71° to 78° E. long. It 

 was divided from Sinde, on the south, by the territory of the Raja of 

 Moultan, extended northwards to Cashmere, and included, eastwards, 

 the JuUindar Doab and Kohistan, or the Hill States. Lahure, the 

 capital, is situated in 31° 36' N. lat, 74° 3' E. long., on the south 

 bank of the Ravee. It is a large city, surrounded by a wall, but the 

 streets are narrow, and the houses generally mean. There are several 

 remarkable buildings, among which are some handsome tombs. Thero 

 are numerous mosques, the domes and minarets of which give the 

 city at a distance an imposing appearance, which is not confirmed by 

 nearer inspection. The population ia stated to amount to 80,000. Ia 

 the principality of Lahore is situated the large town of Amuitsir, or 

 Umritair. Dera-Ohazc-Khan, is an important border town, situated 

 near the right bank of the Indus, in about 29° 58' N. lat., 70° 40' 

 E. long., which baa a population of about 25,000, and extensive manu- 

 factures of silk, cotton-cloth, and cutlery, with considerable commerce. 



Moultan, a large city, in 30° 12' N. lat, 71° 30' E. long., is situated 

 at a short distance from the left bank of the Chenaub. It ia a large 

 town, with a population of about 60,000, and was defended by a 

 citadel, strong walla, and other fortifications. It was taken by the 

 British on January 22nd, 1849. Along the left bank of the Garra is 

 Daoudpootra, or Bahwulpoor, which is subject to an independent 

 chief, or klian, who resides at the town of SalmvXpoor, on the Garra, 



