DECEMBER 1765. 
57 
putrey at Jugygupa, a few miles below Gwalpara. The Bed of this River is in 
general 200 yards broad, but its Waters are not navigable even for Pulwars during 
the driest part of the Year. As this River affords so short a Passage to the Boutan 
Mountains (it being less than 60 miles on a streight Line from the foot of the Moun- 
tains to Jugygupa), there is no doubt but that any Number of Firr Trees may be 
brought down by it, if a right understanding subsisted between our People & the 
Assamers ; as I have myself seen a large Firr Tree which floated down the River, after 
being washed down the Mountains by the Land Floods. 1 2 
Between Rangamatty & Gwalpara the Countrey is Hilly on both sides the River , 
& so full of Woods & Jungles that it is scarce penetrable, & I could see but two or 
three Villages the whole way. 
Gwalpara 1 is a small Village belonging to Measpara Purgana, & is situated on 
the South side of the great River in Latitude 26°-7' North & Longitude from Dacca 
o 0 -]^' East. The Factory lies on the side of a small woody Hill immediately to the 14 
Eastward of which the Keestrey, a small River from the Garrow Provinces, falls into 
the Baramputrey. 
The Assam Countrey begins from the Bonaash River on the North side the 
Baramputrey & one of their Chokeys 3 is placed directly opposite Gwalpara ; but on 
the South side the Bengali Provinces continue for upwards of 21 miles. The 
Countrey is very little cultivated in the neighbourhood of Gwalpara and Jugygupa. 4 * * * 8 
The Woods abound with several kinds of wild Animals, as Tygers, Rhinoceros, 
Buffalos, Elephants, &c., the tracks of which may be seen everywhere. 
I could not perceive that the Current of the Baramputrey was more rapid near 
Gwalpara &c. than it was 200 miles farther down, altho’ it is commonly reported 
otherwise : it is indeed rocky in some places, particularly between Rangamatty & 
Gwalpara; but in other respects the Navigation of this River appears to me to be 
full as easy as that of the Ganges. 
From the 2nd. to y e 6th. December employed in tracing the Baramputrey from 15 
Gwalpara to the Frontier of Assam on the Southern side. The distance by y e 
1 The timber trade has assumed large proportions since the Eastern Duars were taken over by the Government of 
India in 1866. 
2 Goalpara. Formerly one of the frontier outposts of the Muhammadans in Assam. The true latitude is 26 °-ii . 
A French Factory was established here in 1754 or 1755 by M. Chevalier, and on the fall of Chandernagore in 1757 he 
remained in the employ of some English gentlemen. In 1767 a M r - Eaval was appointed agent of the English in partner- 
ship with M. Chevalier I Bengal Past & Present, Vol. Ill, No. 2, p. 366). Buchanan Hamilton describes ‘ Goyalpara ’ in 
1809 as containing “ some good thatched houses, and a street of shops, which in such a country is considered as a kind 
of miracle, and the place is looked upon as a city of the utmost elegance. It is only, however, in its containing many 
distressed objects, and many profligate and vicious persons, that it resembles an European city; and, in proportion to 
its size, in these points it probably far excels any place west from the Cape of Good Hope ” (Martin, History, Vol. Ill, 
P- 477 )- 
8 Chokey. Hind. Chauki, a police station. Assam was an independent kingdom until 1825, when it was 
conquered by the British. 
+ One of the duties of the Muhammadan military officers in charge of the posts of Rangamati and Goalpara was 
to encourage the growth of jungle and reeds as a protection against the inroads of the Assamese (Hunter, Imp. Gaz. , 
Vol. V, p. 1 13). 
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