146 
ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OP INDIA. 
size of a hen’s egg in a horizontal direction, 
and with considerable violence, at the train. 
The stone was distinctly seen by the gentle- 
man in its progx’ess to the carriage in which 
he was seated, and, having attained its maxi- 
mum of velocity, it appeared, like Mahomet’s 
coffin, to be suspended in the air for a few 
seconds within a foot of the gentleman’s 
head. He seized hold of it, and h^e describes 
the sensation which he felt in doing so as 
somewhat similar to that which would be 
felt in grasping a stone, in a state of rest, 
suspended by a thread. — Bolton, Chronicle . — 
[This is easily accounted for ; both the train 
and the stone had attained the same velocity.} 
— Manchester Advertiser. 
NEW HYDROSTATIC ENGINE.— We 
have had an opportunity of examining the 
recent discovery made by the Rev. J. T. 
Porter, of the ’Close of this city, which he 
had named an hydrostatic-engine, and which. 
when brought to perfection, will in all pr<y* 
bability, vie with the astonishing power of 
steam. The principle upon which the en- 
gine acts is the well-known law of nature, 
“ the pressure of fluids.” The construc- 
tion of the apparatus is simple, consisting 
of four cylinders, two of which act as 
pumps the other two as working cylinders, 
each of them having proper pistons. The 
double-acting power (of the model) is put in 
motion by only 25 ounces of water, assisted 
by the lever. Some idea may be formed of 
the force of the pressure, when we say that 
with the stroke of one of the cylinders of 
the piston, an ash bough, an inch and a half 
in diameter, was broken with the greatest 
ease. The rev. gentleman is verg sanguine 
as to the ultimate success of his discovery, 
and affirms that a ship, laden with the usual 
freight, may take a trip to the East Indies 
and back, the engine requiring for its total 
supply not more than a half hogshead of 
spring- water . — Salisbury J ournal. 
EXTRA LIMITES, 
TOPOGRAPHY OF INDIA. 
COMPILED EROM VARIOUS WORKS AND MANUSCRIPTS 
BY THE EDITOR 
THE TOPOGRAPHY OF ARRACAN 
It is difficult to please every class of our readers, and being apprehensive 
that the historical portion of our Topography may be deemed irrelevant to a 
Medical Journal, we shall give this portion of our labours to the Scientific 
Journal, and that vyhich relates to 
Medical, 
ARRACAN. 
(Continued from page 334. J 
In their entertainments they have plenty of 
provisions; but then they are such as are 
neither pleasing t 9 the eye nor taste. They 
mix with their choicest dishes the flesh of rats, 
mice, serpents, and other loathsome animals. 
They never eat fish till it is in a state of corrup- 
tion, thinking it has the best relish when it 
stinks the most. They take of this putrid fish, 
after it has been dried in the sun, and, beating 
it into a consistency, make a kind of mustard 
of it, which they call sidol ; and this they strew 
over all their victuals. The better sort make use 
of the flesh of crabs, mixt with other ingre- 
dients : which not being so rotton as the other 
fish, is somewhat less intolerable. They 
serve up their meat in small dishes, one 
hundred or two at a time, that every body 
may meet with what he likes. Instead of 
bread they use rice, both parched and bruis- 
ed, or otherwise ordered in the flour * Their 
climate, situation, diseases, &c. to th® 
usual drink is water, or a liquor called au%e, 
which is the juice of a tree much like the 
palm: and taken from it by incision, in the 
same manner as in the other peninsula of 
India*. 
The people of Arrahan have an aversion to 
appear moral even which they look on as 
something low; and therefore hire the Du tefe 
sailors, or any strangers, to be quilty of 
every indecency with their females. 
The courtshi p begins by little presents and 
interviews ; and when matters are concluded, 
the parties confirm their engagements before 
the idol, in presence of their parents : the 
Talipoin (or priest), of whose sect they are, 
performing certain ceremonies besides. On 
these occasions there are presents made of pre- 
cious stones to the bride : fire-works and 
feasts are prepared, accompanied with 
music and dancing. The men are allowed. 
OviiigU ubi 8upr- 
* Sebouten, p. 231, 
