INDIA BEYOND THE GANGES, 83 



one of the sources of the revenue : twelve thousand, or, according to 

 some writers, twenty thousand persons are employed in searching for 

 it. Elephants are very numerous in the extensive forests of this coun* 

 try, where six or seven hundred may be taken in a year. 



Assam is the kingdom of a rajah who resides at Ghergong, the 

 capital. This city is encompassed with a bound hedge of bamboos, 

 and has four gates. The rajah's palace is surrounded by a causey 

 planted on each side with a close hedge of bamboos, which serves in- 

 stead of a wall ; and on the outside there is a ditch which is always 

 full of water. The rajah's seat is adorned with lattice work and carv- 

 ing; and within and without are placed plates of brass so well polish- 

 ed that when the rays of the sun strike upon them they shine like 

 mirrors. It is an ascertained fact that 3000 carpenters, and 12,000 

 labourers were constantly employed in this work during two years 

 before it was finished. When the rajah sits in this chamber or tra- 

 vels, instead of drums and trumpets they beat the dhol and dand. The 

 latter is a round and thick instrument made of copper, and is certain- 

 ly the same as the drum, which it was customary in the time of the 

 ancient kings to beat in battle and marches.* 



The people of Assam are said to be a base, unprincipled nation, 

 who have no fixed religion, though they have some Bramins among 

 them. They abstain from no kinds of meat, but even eat animals that 

 have died a natural death. They are, however a stout and brave race, 

 and have repeatedly resisted with success the invasions of the Mo- 

 guls. They display considerable skill in embroidering with flowers, 

 and in weaving velvet, and particularly a kind of silk. Great quanti- 

 ties of gunpowder are made in this kingdom, the soil abounding with 

 nitre, and it is even pretended that the composition of it, and the use 

 of fire-arms and artillery were the invention of this country ; an argu- 

 ment for which supposition has been drawn from the code of Gen too 

 laws, in which the use of weapons of fire is prohibited ; but what tnese 

 were does not appear to be distinctly known. It is certain, however, 

 that they have artillery and are very skilful in the use of it. 



Of Meckley little is known but that it is a country abounding with 

 extensive forests It lies to the south of Assam, and extends to the 

 frontiers of China. It is now subject to the Birman empire. 



Aracax or Reccax lie3 to the south of Meckley, and was formerly 

 governed by twelve princes, subject to the chief king, who resided in 

 his capital. His palace was very large, and contained, as we are told, 

 seven idols cast in gold, of two inches thick, each of a man's height, 

 and covered with diamonds and other precious stones. The country 

 produces great quantities of rice, cocoa nuts, bananas, oranges, and 

 many other kinds of excellent fruits ; but the elephants, buffaloes, 

 and tigers are said to be so numerous that many parts of it are unin- 

 habited. The capital, Aracan, stands on a river of the same name, 

 which runs through the city. The inhabitants are idolaters, worship- 

 ing images of baked clay. The women are tolerably fair, but the 

 longest ears are reckoned the most beautiful, and in these they wear 

 many rings. At present Aracan makes a part of the empire of Ava, 

 having been conquered by Minderagee, the present sovereign of that 

 country, in 1783. Pegu is about 300 English miles in length, and 200 

 in breadth. Its capital, Pegu, on a river of the same name, was, about 

 f he year 1600, one of the largest and most splendid and populous 



* Pennant's View of Hindoostan, yoI. ii. p. 360. 



