38 
JANUARY, FEBRUARY 1765. 
foggy till near n o’clock, & the rest of the day close & sultry. The 23rd. some 
Squalls from the NNW & a few flying Showers ; the 24th. 
f„ l md%rAiaL?“-7 ? w'. Isl “ d much Thunder & Lightning with Squalls & Rain from the 
NW & SW. 
The 25th. the Weather clearing up, left Rajabarry, & surveyed to y e North end 
of Amidabad Island (the Northmost of y e cluster) & afterwards proceeded to survey 
y e Islands. 
The 28th. finished y e survey of the Rajabarry Islands & put over to the North 
end of Mohunp r . Island, in order to survey the East side of the River from thence to 
Euckypour. 
The Islands abovementioned are in number 18 great & small, out of which 
37 number 8 only are inhabited. The length of the whole Range is about 13 miles, & 
the main Channell of the River (which is near a mile over) runs on the east side. It 
is worth remarking that the whole breadth of the River at & opposite Chiddypour is 
-j\ miles in y e dry Season. There are two good Channells for crossing the River 
between the Islands, one between Amidabad & Pomomarra, the other round y e north 
end of Shukypoura. 
The 29th. began the survey from Mohunpour downwards, & the next Evening 
came to the North side of the Niagonga or Panghia River. This River appears to 
be a branch of the Baramputrey, & near its conflux with y e Megna is more than § of 
a mile over. The Countrey on the North side of it consists mostly of clear Meadows 
which are entirely overflown in y e wet Season. 
Chaundpour 1 a small but remarkable Village lies on the South Bank of the 
Niagonga near the point of its conflux with the Megna. It is situated about 31 
miles from Dacca, 11 from Rajabarry, & 23 or 24 from Euckypour. Here the 
Country begins to be full of Betel Trees again, & continues so almost to Eucky- 
pour. 
38 February y" 2nd. surveyed to Havatya Creek about it miles below Chandpour, 
when hearing that Mr. Plaisted z was at Euckypour, I set out for that Place in hopes 
of getting from him some Materials for making a general Map of Bengali. Arrived 
at Euckypour in y e Evening. 
1 Ckandpur, now the terminus on the Meghna of the Assam-Bengal Railway. 
* Through the kindness of my friend the Rev d W. K. Firminger, Editor of ‘ Bengal, Past and Present’, I have been 
able to learn some particulars of the career of Mr. Bartholomew Plaisted. In 1745, being then Captain and Supercargo 
of the ship Kent, he was appointed ‘ Engineer and Surveyor ’ by the Council, and in 1747 prepared plans for the improve- 
ment of the defences of Old Fort William, his connection with which is fully set out in the late Dr. C. R. Wilson’s work 
‘ Old Fort William in Bengal.’ I11 a small book published by Plaisted in 1758, a Journal of his voyages from 
Calcutta to Bussora and thence across the desert to Aleppo and home (which Mr. Firminger lias kindly placed at my 
disposal), is included his Map of Bengal, with an “ Account of the countries, cities, and towns adjacent to Bengal” 
by “ a gentleman who resided there many years.” This map, which he states in the legend attached was “ collected 
from the best authorities,” is not, it must be confessed, much if at all superior to Van den Broucke’s map of 1660 in 
point of accuracy or detail, and he is not referred to by Rennell in the ‘ Memoir' as one of the authorities for his map 
of Hindoostan. From 1761 to 1765 Plaisted was employed in surveying the river and coasts near Chittagong, with 
a salary of Rs. 1,800 a year, increased in 1765 to the emoluments of a member of Council (Wilson, op. cit , Vol. II., 
pp. 162. 164, 165, 172, 174). In July 1767 he was surveying at ‘ I.uckypore ’ but died at Calcutta in October of the 
same year. 
[ 138 J 
