268 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Dec 



coast of Lower Bengal was thus called from hugld, a weed used for 

 thatching houses. Bat he wrote two hundred years after Abulfazl, 

 in 1780. 



The second great cyclone occurred, according to Mr. Long, in 1680. 

 The third hurricane, known to me, took place in 1737, during which, 

 according to the Gentleman's Magazine of that year, the English 

 settlement of Oolgota [Calcutta] severely suffered. 



But'in 1737 the Sundarban was deserted. 



That the eastern part, at least, of the Sundarban was chiefly devast- 

 ated by the Mugs, is also asserted on Kennel's Map of Lower Bengal 

 of the year 1772, where the words " Depopulated by the Mugs" 

 are written over the tract between Long. 90° and 91°, south of Ba- 

 qirganj (Backergunje).* The name of Fringy Gaily fLong. 89° 25') 

 which on his map is given to one of the numerous branches of the 

 Ganges, clearly belongs the 'remains' of the Portuguese." — 



Babu Protab Chunder Ghose, Assistant Secretary, then read the 

 following note : — 



" As I have the supervision of the printing of a Historic Romance 

 in Bengali, which gives an account of Pratapaditya's dealings with the 

 Portuguese adventurers, I had occasion to look up some books, in 

 order to authenticate certain facts therein referred to. In my search for 

 them, I had to investigate the history of the Sundarban. The few 

 notes I have taken down in connection with the subject, I will read 

 out to you. 



The earliest mention of that portion of Lower Bengal which is now 

 known as the Sundarban, is in the Ramayana. It is in connection 

 with a legend relating to the origin of the river Ganges. How the 

 numerous sons of Sagara, one of the many universal monarchs of 

 ancient India, w^ere reduced to so many handsful of ashes by 

 Kapila's malediction, is known to every reader of the Ramayana. 

 How Bhagiratha, a mere boy of fifteen, by his devotion and prayer, 

 pleased the goddess Ganga to come down to earth, and how Ganga 

 divided herself into a hundred branches, before she entered the sea, 

 is likewise known. I may mention that the Sanscrit name for sea is 

 connected with the name of the universal king Sagara. 



* Vide also Col. Gastrell's Geographical and Statistical Report of the Dis- 

 tricts of Jessore, Fureedpore and Backergunje, Calcutta 1868, p. 25. 



