HINDOOSTAN. 57 



furniture not very elegant, if we except the rich Persian carpets. The 

 grandeur of the palaces consists in baths and harams. The harams or 

 zenanas, that is the residences of the women, are removed from the 

 front of the house, and receive the light only from a square space in 

 the centre of the whole building. The apparel of the women is in- 

 conceivably rich ; they have jewels on their fingers and about their 

 neck, and also in their ears and nostrils, with bracelets on their wrists 

 and arms, and round their ancles. 



The Mahommedans, who, in Hindoostan, are called Moors, are of 

 Persian, Turkish, Arabic, and other extractions. They early began 3 

 in the reigns of the caliphs of Bagdad, to invade Hindoostan. They 

 penetrated as far as Delhi, which they made their capital. They set- 

 tled colonies in several places, whose descendants are called Tytans; 

 but their empire was overthrown by Tamerlane, who founded the Mogul 

 government, which still subsists. Those princes being strict Mahom- 

 medans, received under their protection all that professed the same 

 religion, and these being a brave active people, counterbalanced the 

 numbers of the natives. They introduced the division of provinces, 

 over which they appointed soubahs ; and those provinces, each of 

 which may be styled an empire, were subdivided into nabobships, each 

 nabob being immediately accountable to his soubah,whoin process of 

 time became almost independent of the emperor, or as he is called, 

 the Great Mogul, only paying him an annual tribute. The vast resort 

 of Persian and Tartar tribes has likewise strengthened the Mahom- 

 medan government; but it is observable that in two or three genera- 

 tions, the progeny of all those adventurers, who brought nothing with 

 them but their horses and their swords, degenerated into eastern in- 

 dolence and sensuality. 



The nobility and people of rank delight in hunting with the bow as 

 well as the gun, and olten train the leopards to the sport of the field. 

 They affect shady walks and cool fountains, like other people in hot 

 countries. They are fond of tumblers, mountebanks, and jugglers, 

 of rude music, both of wind and stringed instruments, and play at 

 cards in their private parties. 



The Persees, or Parsees, of Hindoostan, are originally the Gaurs, 

 described in Persia, but are a most industrious people, particularly 

 in weaving, and architecture of every kind. They pretend to be pos- 

 sessed of the works of Zoroaster, whom they call by various names. 

 They are known as paying divine adoration to fire, but it is said only 

 as an emblem of the divinity. 



Provinces, cities, chief towns, edifices.. ..Bengal, of all the 

 provinces of Hindoostan, is, perhaps, the most interesting to an Engr 

 lish reader. It is esteemed the storehouse of the East Indies. Its 

 fertility exceeds that of Egypt after being overflowed by the Nile s 

 and the produce of its soil consists of rice, sugar-canes, corn, sesa- 

 mum, small mulberry and other trees. Its calicoes, silks, saltpetre, 

 lakka, opium, wax, and civet, go all over the world : and provisions 

 here are in vast plenty, and incredibly cheap, especially pullets,, 

 ducks, and geese. The country is intersected by canals, cut from 

 the Ganges for the benefit of commerce, and extends near one hun- 

 dred leagues on each side of that river, and is full of cities, towns, 

 castles, and villages. 



In Bengal, the worship of the Gentoos is practised in its greatest 

 purity, and their sacred river , (Ganges) is in a manner lined with 

 :heir magnificent pagodas or temples. 



Vol. TI. " I 



