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76 BURHAMPORE 
my friend Colonel Patton. During dinner we had a chorus of jackals 
around the house. This, and the fox, are the only wild animals left 
in the island of Cossimbuzar : formerly it was very full of tigers 
and leopards, but the increase of population, and the rewards 
paid by the Company, have here completely exterminated them^ 
and much thinned them in other parts. Ten rupees are paid for the 
head of a full grown tiger, and five for a leopard, or tiger's cub. 
The premiums have already amounted to upwards of a lack and a 
half of rupees, and must be considered as money extremely well 
employed. 
At half past ten at night, attended by my servant, I proceeded on 
my journey. We found it difficult to procure bearers sufficient for 
the three palanquins ; Mr. Salt was therefore left to follow the next 
day, by taking up one set which remained on the road for that 
purpose. The bearers were so good, that I fell asleep before my 
arrival at Moorshedabad; I therefore passed it completely unseen. 
I felt the less regret, as it is tolerable only by the side of the river, 
and indeed no where of any great beauty. The Government was 
removed thither from Dacca by Jaffier Khan only in 1757, when 
he chose to watch the English ; and since that time the Nawaubs 
have never had sufficient tranquil prosperity to embellish their 
residence. I awoke with the earliest dawn, and examined the 
country as I proceeded. My road lay still in the Cossimbuzar island, 
which is perfectly flat, and one bed of sand. The annual overflow 
of the river leaves a deposit of mud, which, like that of the Nile, 
gives richness to this otherwise barren territory. I observed very 
excellent crops of wheat and barley, and occasionally plantations 
of Indigo. The paddy fields were now bare, and gave a very dis- 
