A. D. 1689. ^45 



ing that way. Higher vip, at the town of Huguely, the Dutch have 

 a noble fort and fadory for the hke trade, and alfo for Bengal fluffs, 

 calico, cotton and muflin, for the European markets ; and opium, gin- 

 ger, long pepper, tobacco, &c. for the country trade. 



On the fame river too the French lately had a fort and factory. Here 

 hkewife, the Danes had formerly a fadory. Likewife, in the year 1723, 

 the late Oftend company had a fadory. 



At Huguely the great Mogul has a cuftom-houfe, and on that river 

 there is a vafl trade carried on for all kinds of India goods, backward 

 and forward ; and, belkles their ftaple goods before mentioned, they 

 trade in Huffs of herba *, aloes, opium, wax, laque, civet, indigo, canes, 

 fpices ; and alfo in fugar and rice, carried all over India in immenfe 

 quantities. This great kingdom of Bengal had its own monarchs till 

 the year 1582, when it was conquered by the mogul. It is one of the 

 fineft countries of all Afia, and is fa id to bring five millions flerling an- 

 nually into the mogul's treafury ; and is likewife obliged, on occafion, 

 to fupply him with 40,000 horfe, and 80,000 foot foldiers. 



The Portuguefe had once fundry fadories here, but have been long 

 fmce expelled by the moguls, for their rapacious and outrageous con- 

 dud. 



Higher up Huguely river, at Coflimbazar, the Englifla and Dutch 

 have their out-fadories ; as at Dacca, an ifland in the mofi; eafterly 

 branch of the Ganges ; and at Maldo on another branch of that vafl 

 river ; all depending on the before-mentioned principal and fortified 

 ones. The Englifh, Dutch, and French, have each a fadory at Balafore, 

 or Baffora, in the bay of Bengal, chiefly for taking in pilots to condud 

 them up the Ganges. At this time the Englifh company publifhed a 

 flate of their trade, fliipping, and forts, viz. ' ifl, that within feven years 



* paft they had built 16 great fhips, from 900 to 1300 tons each. 2dly, 

 ' that in lieu of Bantam, from whence they had been expelled, they 



* have ereded and garrilbned three forts in other parts of India, for the 

 ' pepper trade. 3dly, That they had now at fca, in India, and coming 

 ' home, eleven fhips and four permiflion fliips, whole cargoes amounted 

 ' to above L36o,ooo. 4thly, They had feven great fhips and fix per- 

 ' miffion ones, all for Coafl and Bay, whofe cargoes arnounted to near 

 ' L570,ooo. 5thly, They had feven fhips for China and the South feas, 

 ' whole cargoes amounted to near Li 00,000, befides about 30 other 

 ' fniall armed velTeis, conftantly remaining in India. 6thly, 1 hat they 

 ' have now remaining India goods unfold at home to the value of 

 ' L700,ooo. 7thly, That, by means of their ifle of Bombay, they 

 ' have brought thither the principal part of the trade of Surat ; where, 

 ' from 4,000 families, computed when the company firft took poflefhon 



* The rind of a certain tiee, which they drefs and draw out fo fine, that it works like filk, with 

 which, a:id ah'b witli cotton, it is woven. /I. 



