294- GANGETIG HINDOOSTAN. 



quented paffage from Calcutta into the main part of the river : 

 but unfortvinately is almoft dry from O&ober to May. 



CosiMBuzAR. At the diftance of about two miles from that city is Cof.in- 



buzar, a fmall town, but the center of trade of all the Euro- 



SiLK. pean fadors ; vaft quantities of raw hlk is prepared here, and 



great variety of piece -filk. and handkerchiefs made, befides 

 ftockings, gloves, and other articles, all knit by the men. The 

 fdkworms are fed on a dwarf fpecies of mulberry, the Morus 

 Indica of Linnaus, the Babeqarajiy, and Caju Befaar of Rumph. 

 Amb. V. tab. v. and the 'Tinda Parva of Rheede, in Rays Hijl. 

 PI. ii. 1569. I do not find a botanift to vindicate my putting 

 the fpecies naturalized in Europe among the trees of hid'ia. 



MotteGill. ^n the neighborhood is Motte Gill-, or the lake of pearl, one of 



the moft elegant Mahometan palaces, now the relidence of 

 an Englijh factor. It receives its title from the pellucid water of 

 :the lake; that of the Ganges is fo muddy as to produce a fedi- 

 ment of one-fourth. 



Plasse.y. Below this town the channel paffes by PlaJ'ey, a fmall place, 



immortalized by the glorious vivftory obtained on June 22d, 1757* 

 by Colonel Clive over the army of Surajah Dowlab, compofed 

 ef fifty thoufand foot, eighteen thoufand horfe, and fifty pieces 

 of cannon, with a handful of men fliort of three thoufand two 

 hundred, of which nine hundred were E.uropeans. He forced 

 the camp, and after a w'ell contefted fight, in which the faith- 

 ful general of the Nabob was flain, drove the Indian army out 

 of the field, and gave to the Eajl India Company the eventual 

 pofl^eflion of Wndoojian. I cannot pals by this diftinguiflied 

 charader without a fliort eulogy. No age produced an officer 



* equal 



