Droogs. 



EASTERN HINDOOSTAN. 73 



The My/ore country is an immenfe inclined plain, with an Face of the 

 tindulated furface, which, with little affiftance by dams, form 

 in the hollows, tanks, or receptacles for water, which is preferved 

 for the cattle, or for the paddy or rice fields, through which 

 it is condudled by fmall gutters ; but the principal grain of 

 the country is raggee, which requires no more moilture than 

 the falling of the monfoons. This plain is dotted with nu- 

 merous hills, which rife fuddenly from the furface ; they are 

 of different forms, and often cloathed with the perpetual ver- 

 dure of mango and other beautiful trees. Numbers arc forti- Hill fort?, or 

 fied on their fummits with a llrong fort, once the refidence of 

 the leffer Hindoo Rajahs before they were fwallowed up by the 

 various Mahometan conquefts. Many received by the con- 

 querors additional fortifications, which rendered them impreg- 

 nable to a native enemy : fuch are Save}^-droog, Outre-drooo-, 

 and variety of others, which proved eafy conquefts to the Britijb 

 commander. The celebrated Aorfios Petra was a fortrefs of 

 this nature. With what vaunting circumftances does the hif- 

 torian of the Macedonian hero defcribe this fingle conqueft ! 

 How lightly does the modeft record of the vi(5lor over the My- 

 forean kingdom touch on more numerous acquifitions of the 

 fame kind, poflibly of equal, perhaps of fuperior ftrength. 

 All thefe forts have their proper names, and moft of them with 

 the addition of Droogy i. e. a hill fort. Views of numbers are 

 given by Major ^//^;2 and Mr. Home^wYnch. convey a full idea of 

 the partial inacceflibility beftowed on them by nature, and the 

 additional difficulties created by art. To clear the country from 



Vol. II. L thefe 



