FROM AGRA TO OUJEIN. SQ 



bank, was overflowed, many houfes within it, and 

 whole villages in the neighbourhood, were Iwept away 

 by the torrent. But yet the lize of the ftream, and 

 the length of its courfe, the fource being only at the 

 diftance of fourteen cofs, feem unlike to furnifh wa- 

 ter enough to produce fo complete a revolution. 

 Therefore, we mull; conlider the change of its courfe, 

 in conformity to the tradition, rather as the effcdt 

 than the caule of that event. An earthquake appears 

 one of the moft probable caufes ; and the only objec- 

 tion to it is the entire ftate in which the walls are found. 

 They are laid to be found entire, but I am not able 

 from infpedlion to determine whether or not they arc 

 fo entire as to render the fuppofition of an earthquake 

 improbable. The only remaining caufe which I can 

 think of, is loofe earth or fand blown up by a violent 

 wind. We have inftances in Europe of whole parifhes 

 being buried by fuch an accident. The foil of the 

 province of Muluva, being a black vegetable mould, 

 is unfavourable to this fuppolition ; but even this, 

 when dry is very light, friable earth : and it may have 

 been greatly meliorated in fo long a period of ages. If 

 we might be allowed to call into our aid a tradition, 

 which, though difguifed in fable and abfurdity, has 

 probably a foundation in facft, it would be favourable 

 to this hypothelis. For none of the other caufes 

 would fo much refemble a fnower of earth as this ; and 

 fand driven by the wnid would naturally be accumu- 

 lated to the e;reatell heloht, on the towns, where the 

 buildmgs would reiift its farther progreis in*the hori- 

 zontal direction. 



The prefent city of Oujein is of an oblong form, 

 and about lix miles in circumference, furrounded by a 

 flone wall, with round towers. Within this fpace, 

 there is fome wafte ground, but the inhabited part oc- 

 cupies by far the greateft portion ; it is much crowded 

 with buildings, and very populous. The houfes are 

 built partly ot brick, partly of wood. But even of the 

 brick houfes, the frame is firft conftrudted of wood, 



C 4 and 



