1868.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 265 



defeated in succession. Finally the Maharajah Pratapaditya sur- 

 rendered himself a prisoner, and was sent to Delhi in an iron cage. 

 He died at Benares on the way. 



The author shews that at the time of Pratapaditya, though parts 

 of the Sundarban were populated, a great portion was still wild and 

 uncultivated, and thinks, the vast progress in improvement was owing 

 to the great exertions of these princes ; and that the impetus given 

 by them, gave way with the imprisonment and death of the Maha- 

 rajah. Subsequently only the very best and most favorably placed 

 portions of the district were cultivated. In addition, the place was 

 exposed to predatory incursions of piratical Mugs, and even of Portu- 

 guese Buccaneers, — quite sufficient to scare away a timid and probably 

 disunited population. 



There remain yet to be considered the effects of a cyclone, and its 

 storm- waves. This occurred in Calcutta in 1737, when a wave 40 feet 

 higher than usual, came up. Such would have been sufficient to pro- 

 duce an almost total loss of life in the Sundarban, and its con- 

 sequent abandonment. 



The author thinks the true name is Sundarban, or beautiful forest, 

 as preferable to Sundriban, Soondree forest ; or Sundar band, beauti- 

 ful land or embankment ; or Somudro ban, the Sea Forest. He 

 thinks the name is of recent origin as applied to the entire district. 

 A record exists of many well-known places described as belonging 

 to zemindarees. 



The author concludes by briefly summing up his views, and stating 

 that the country suffered severely from the attacks of Mug pirates and 

 the Portuguese, who finally effected a footing in the country, and that 

 a terrific gale or Cyclone, probably that in A. D. 1737, accompanied by 

 a storm- wave, passed over that tract of conntry on the sea-board, now 

 known as the Sundarban, resulting in the most awful destruction of lives, 

 and devastation of properties, which caused the few remaining survi- 

 vors to totally abandon the place, and move northwards, where finding 

 sufficient surplus land for their habitation and cultivation, they 

 never returned to the south. — 



The President then invited discussion on the paper. 



The Rev. J. Long stated that when in Paris in 1848, Monsieur 

 Jomard, the head of the Geographical Department of the Bibliotheque 



