BEN 
Tented, on condition that the e.xclufive'frade fhould he in 
his hands; that it fhould only be brought by the people 
of Bengal; and that the boats laden with it fhould (top at 
the frontiers of his dominions. Thus have all thefe falfe 
religions, been introduced by the influence and for the ad¬ 
vantage of the priefls who teach, and of the kings who 
admit, them. Since this arrangement has taken, place, 
forty veflels from 500 to 600 tons burden each are annu¬ 
ally font from the Ganges to Afliam laden with fait, which 
yields 200 per cent, profit. They receive in payment a 
final! quantity of gold and diver, ivory, mufk, eagle-wopd, 
gum-lac, and a large quantity of ftlk. 
A dill more confiderable branch of commerce, which 
the Europeans at Bengal carry on with the red of India, 
is that of opium. Patna, fituated on the Upper Ganges, 
is the moft celebrated place in the world for the cultiva¬ 
tion of opium. The fields are covered with it. Befides 
what is carried into the inland parts, there are annually 
3000 or 4000 clteds exported, each weighing 300 pounds. 
It fells upon the fpot at the rate of from 24I. to 25I, a 
ched. Tiiis opium is not purified like that of Syria and 
Perfia, which we make ufe of in Europe; it is only a parte 
that has undergone no preparation, and has not a tenth 
part of the virtue of purified opium. The rich merchan- 
dife carried to Arabia is paid for entirely in gold and di¬ 
ver. Though this trade pafles through the hands of the 
Europeans, and is carried on under their protection, it is 
not entirely on their own account. The Moguls, indeed, 
who are ufually fatisfied with the places tlyey hold under 
the government, have feldom any concern in thefe expe¬ 
ditions; but the Armenians, who, lince the revolutions in 
Perfia, are fettled upon the banks of the Ganges, to which 
they formerly only made voyages, readily, throw their ca¬ 
pitals into this trade. The Indians employ ftill larger 
Turns in it. The impoflibility of enjoying their fortunes 
under an oppreffive government does not deter the natives 
of this country from labouring inceftantly to encreafe them. 
As they would run too great a rifle by engaging openly in 
trade, they are obliged to have recourfe to clandeftine me¬ 
thods. As foon as an European arrives, the Gentoos, 
who know mankind better than is commonly fuppofed, 
rtudy his character; and, if they find him frugal, aCVtve, 
and well-informed, off er to aft as his brokers and cafhiers, 
and lend or procure him.money upon bottomry, or at in- 
tereff. This inferert, which is ufually nine per cent, at 
leaft, is higher when he is under a neceflity of borrowing 
of the Cheyks, Thefe Cheyks are a.powerful family of 
Indians, who have, time immemorial, inhabited the banks 
of the Ganges. Their riches have long ago procured 
for them the management of the bank belonging to the 
court, the farming of the public revenue, and the direc¬ 
tion of the money, which they coin afrefli every year in 
order to receive annually the benefit ariling from.the mint. 
By uniting fo many advantages, they are enabled to lend 
the government 2,625,000!. or even 4,375,000)'. at a time. 
When the government finds it impoflible to refund tlie 
money, they are allowed'to indemnify themfelves by op- 
prefling the people. 
The Portuguefe, who firrt frequented this rich country, 
had the wildom to eftablifh themfelves at Chatigan, a port 
fituated upon the frontier of Arracan, not far from the 
moft eaftern part of tlie Ganges. The Dutch, who, with¬ 
out incurring the refentment of an enemy at that time fo 
formidable, and defirous of (haring in their good fortune, 
were engaged in fearching for a port which, without ob- 
rtruCting their plan, would expofc them the leaft to hof- 
til i ties. I11 1603, their attention was diredled to Bala fore ; 
and ail the companies, rather through imitation than in 
confequence of any well-concerted fclieme, followed their 
example. Experience taught them the propriety of fix¬ 
ing as near as poffible to the markets from whence they 
had their merebandife; and they failed up that branch of 
the Ganges which, feparating it (elf from the main liver 
at Mourcha above Caflimbuzar, falls into the fea near Ba- 
lafore under the name of the river Hu«h/y. The govern- 
Voi.. 41. No. 109. 
BEN 889 
meat of the country permitted them to ereCt warehoufe-# 
wherever there was plenty of manufactures, and to fortify 
themfelves upon this river. The Portuguefe had former¬ 
ly made Bandel, which is eighty, leagues from the mouth 
of the Ganges, and a quarter of a league above the Hugh- 
ly, the principal feat of their commerce. Their flag is 
ftill difplayed ; and there ate a few unhappy wretches re¬ 
maining there, who have forgotten their country alter ha¬ 
ving been forgotten by it. This faCtory has no other em¬ 
ployment than that of fupplying the Moors and the Eu¬ 
ropeans with miftreffes. 
I'lie exports from Bengal to Europe confift of mufk, 
gum-lac, nicaragua-wpod, pepper, cowries, and fome other 
articles of lefs importance brought thither from other pla¬ 
ces. Thofe that are the immediate produce of the coun¬ 
try are borax, falt-petre, fi lk-ft lifts, muffins, callicoes, and 
cottons. The Turn total of the purchafes made in Ben¬ 
gal by the European nations, amounted a few years ago to 
no more than 870,0001. One third, of this fum was paid 
in iron, lead, copper, woollens, and Dutch fpices: the re¬ 
mainder was difcharged in money. Since the Engiilh 
have made themfelves miufers of this rich country, its ex¬ 
ports have been increafed, and its imports diminifhed, be- 
caufe the conquerors have carried away'a-greater quantity 
of merciiandife, and pay for it out of the revenues they re¬ 
ceive from the country. There is reafon to believe, that 
this revolution in trade of Bengal has not arrived at its 
crifis, and that fooner or later it will be attended with more 
important confequences and efteCls. The fugar-cane has 
been lately cultivated in Bengal, and bids fair to become 
a valuable fource of commerce to this country. For-the 
hiftory of Bengal, and its conquelts by the Britifh, fee the t 
article Hindostan.' 
Bengal, J. [from Bengal in the Eaft Indies.] A fort of 
thin flight fluff, made of lilkand hair, for women’s apparel. 
BENGEVA'I, a town of Perfia, in the province of 
Seg’eftan : feventy-five miles fouth of Zareng. 
BENGHUR', a town of Perfia, in tire province of Ca¬ 
bal : thirty-two miles north of Cabal. 
BENG'LO, a mountain of Scotland, in the county of 
Perth, the higheft point of which is 3724 feet above the 
level of the fea : five miles north-eaft of Blaif Athol. 
BEN'GORE HEAD, a cape of Ireland, on the north 
coaft of the county, of Antrim : ten miles north-eaft Cole¬ 
raine. I.at. 55. 15. N. Ion. 6. 19. W. Greenwich. 
BENGUE'LA, a country of Africa, bounded 0:1 the 
north by Angola, on the eaft by the.country of Jaga, Oaf, 
fangi, on the fouth by Mataman, and on the vyeft bv the 
fea. Cape Negro forms its foil them boundaries, from 
whence mountains run northward, in which are contained 
the fprings of many rivers. The productions are nearly 
fimilar to thofe of Angola and Congo, one of the principal 
is Manioc; divers forts of palms are found; dates grow 
in great abundance ; the vines naturally form alleys and 
harbours ; caflia and tamarinds alfo flourifh : and, from 
the pumiditv-of the foil, they have two fruit-feafons in the 
year. The air of the country is exceedingly unwholefome, 
and is laid even to afteifl its produce, and taint the waters 
’of the rivers. Few Europeans care to venture on land, fo 
that we know -but little of the ftate of the country. Moft 
parts of the kingdom were once populous, but have fuf- 
fered much by frequent wars ; the chief towns are Old 
Benguela, St. Philip, or New Bengueia, and Man-ki- 
kondo, and Kafchil. Lat. 13. 30. to 15. 30. S. Ion. 30. to 
35. E..Ferro. 
Benguela (Old), a town of Africa, in the province 
fo c died, fituated on the fouth fide of a bay, to which it 
gives n,.me, near the Atlantic Ocean. Lat. 11.5. S. Ion. 
30. E. Ferro. 
Bkxguela (New), or St. Philip, a town in the coun¬ 
try of Benguela, on the north fide of a large bay, called 
by the Portuguefe, Bahia-das-vaccas, where the Portuguefe 
have a fettlement, and a governor relides, with a fmall 
garrifon. 
BEN GUI'SI, "or Bengasi, a feaport town of Africa, 
joR ic. 
