52 HINDOOSTAN. 



or the Blue River, and the Attock. Its whole course is about 1000 

 miles. 



In southern Hindoostan, the principal rivers are the Nerbudda, 

 which falls into the Indian Sea, after a course of about 700 miles, 

 and is considered as forming the northern boundary of the Deccan ; 

 the Godavery, which falls into the bay of Bengal, after a course of 

 nearly the same extent ': the Kistna or Kreeshna, which is the boun- 

 dary of the Deccan to the south ; and the Cavery or Cauvery, which 

 surrounds the city and island of Seringapatam. The two latter 

 rivers fall into the bay of Bengal, after a course of about 500 miles 

 each. 



Metals, minerals. ...The principal of the mineral productions of 

 Hindoostan is that most valuable of gems the diamond, which is found 

 chiefly in the provinces of Golconda and Visiapour, and also in that 

 of Bengal. Raolconda in Visiapour, and Gandicotta, are famed for 

 their mines, as is Coulour in Golconda. The diamond is generally 

 found in the narrow crevices of the rocks, loose, and never adherent 

 to the strong stratum. The miners make use of long iron rods, with 

 hooks at the ends, and with these they pick out the contents of the. 

 fissures, and wash them in tubs in order to discover the diamonds. 

 In Coulour they dig on a large plain to the depth of ten or fourteen 

 feet ; near sixty thousand people are employed, the men to dig, and the 

 women and children to carry the earth to the places in which it is to be 

 deposited before the search is made. Diamonds are also found in the 

 gravel or sand of rivers, washed out of their beds, and carried down 

 with the stream. The river Gonel, near Sumbulpour, is the most 

 noted for them. Many other precious stones are found in this coun- 

 try; but there seem to be no mines, either of gold or silver, though 

 particles of gold are found in some of the rivers in the northern parts 

 of Bengal. 



Climate, soil, agriculture. ...The winds in this climate gene- 

 rally blow for six months from the south, and six from the north. 

 April, May, and the beginning of June, are excessively hot, but re- 

 freshed by sea breezes: and in some dry seasons, the hurricanes, 

 which tear up the sands, and let them fall in dry showers, are ex- 

 cessively disagreeable. The English, and consequently the Europe- 

 ans in general, who arrive at Hindoostan, are commonly seized with 

 some illness, such as flux, or fever, in their different appearances j 

 but when properly treated, especially if the patients are abstemious, 

 they recover, and afterwards prove healthy. 



In the southern parts of Hindoostan, or what is called the Penin- 

 sula, the chain of mountains named the Gauts, running from north to 

 south, render it winter on one side of the peninsula, while it is sum- 

 mer on the other. About the end of June a south-west wind begins 

 to blow from the sea, on the coast of Malabar, which, with continual 

 rains, lasts four months, during which time all is serene upon the 

 coasts of Coromandel (the western and eastern coasts being so deno- 

 minated.) Towards the end of October the rainy season and the 

 change of the monsoons begin on the Coromandel coast, which being 

 destitute of good harbours, renders it extremely dangerous for ships 

 to remain there during that time ; and to this is owing the periodi- 

 cal returns or English shipping to Bombay, upon the Malabar coast. 

 The air is naturally hot upon this peninsula, but it is refreshed by 

 breezes, the wind altering every twelve hours ; that is, from midnight 

 tfi noon, it blows off the land, when it is tolerably hot, and during the 



