2aa GANGETIC HINDOOSTAN. 



into the Ganges', and finally at Oiida Nulla, in a fituation which 

 was defended by vaft monntains, by fwamps, by the great 

 rivers, and by every artificial defence, protedted befides by a 

 hundred pieces of cannon. An army thus fituated might have 

 thought itfelf impregnable againft any enemy but famine. 

 Adams made his attack in the dead of night, on the mountain 

 fide, the part fuppofed to have been invulnerable. He forced 

 the entrenchments ; an incredible ilaughter enfiied, and as 

 many periflied by the facred waters of the river as fell by the 

 edge of the fword *. The whole country v>^as abandoned to us ; 

 the ftrong city of Mongheer fvuTendered in a few day;, and 

 Patnay the fcene of the malTacre, was taken by fiorm, and pof- 

 fibly multitudes of the innocent fuffered the punifhuien'^ ." to 

 the gnilty alTaflins. 



Patna is one of the great fubordinate refidences of the Eng- 

 iifh fince they made themfelves fovereigns oi Bahar. It carries 

 on a great trade in falt-petre, opium, fait, and tobacco. The 

 Salt-petr«. iwqx Sura, i.e. the Salt-petre river, is fo ftrongly impregnated 

 with that fait from the earth, as not to be drinkable, as is 

 the cafe with moft of the waters of the country. Moft of 

 the falt-petre imported by the Eaji India Company is ma- 

 nufa6tured in the province of Babar, from the earth, and alfa 

 in many other parts of India. Doitor Watfon, bifhop of 

 Landaff, gives an ample account of the procefs of making this 

 important article, and of the quantities exported into Europe, 

 which amounts annually to fome millions of pounds weight, 



* Mr. Jonathan Scott, vol. ii. p. 424. 



yet 



