2.50 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Madras to Bengal. 



islands, consbting of coir, coco-nuts, cowries, salt fish, tortoise-shell, &c, and 

 return in December, laden with broadcloth, coarse cottons, cutlery, hard- 

 ware, looking-glasses, rice, silk goods, sugar, tobacco, and other commodities, 

 the produce of Europe, India, and China. 



At Balasore, pilots are always ready to carry the shipping up the Hugh- 

 ley River. It sometimes happens that ships arriving in Balasore Roads have 

 to anchor, and send a boat on shore for a pilot ; but a boat should not 

 attempt to pass over the bar but at the last quarter flood, as in the first quar- 

 ter the sea breaks very high on it. In the fine season the pilot vessels are 

 generally met with as soon as Point Palmiras is doubled. Each nation has 

 its own ; nor is it proper to use them promiscuously, but give the preference 

 to those of your own nation. So many serious accidents have happened to 

 commanders who have trusted to strange pilots, that the greatest caution is 

 required in the choice of them. 



PIPLEY b about six leagues E. by N. from the entrance of Balasore 

 River. It is situated on the bonks of a river, and is known by a pagoda to 

 the W., and a thicket of trees very near it. Pipley was once the mart of this 

 country \ but the waters washing away a great part of the town, at the same 

 time that a dangerous bar was formed at the mouth of the river, the mer- 

 chants removed to Balasore. 



BENGAL. — The province of Bengal commences at Pipley River ; it 

 is intersected with two rivers, the Ganges and Burrampooter. The Ganges 

 is very unequal in width, varying from three-quarters of a mile to three 

 miles. About 500 miles from the sea, the channel is SO feet deep, when at 

 its lowest ; and it continues this depth to the sea, where the sudden expan- 

 sion of the stream deprives it of the force necessary to sweep away the banks 

 of sand and mud thrown across it by the strong S. winds ; so that the principal 

 branch of the Ganges cannot be entered by large vessels. About 300 miles 

 from the sea, reckoning the windings of the river, commences the head of 

 the Delta of the Ganges, or low country ; the two W. branches, named the 

 Cossimbuzar and Jellinghy rivers, unite, and form what is afterwards named 

 the Hughley, or Hoogley River, which is the port of Calcutta, and the only 

 branch of the Ganges that is navigable by large ships : this branch has a 

 much deeper outlet to the sea than the principal branch. 



That part of the Delta bordering on the sea, is composed of a labyrinth 

 of rivers and creeks, all of which are salt, except those that immediately 

 communicate with the principal arm of the Ganges. This tract is known 

 by the name of the Sunderbunds, and is completely enveloped in woods, 

 and infested with tigers. Here salt, in quantities equal to the whole con- 

 sumption of Bengal and its dependencies, is made, and transported with 



