HINDO 
which is faid to extend a hundred feet; not improbable, 
when compared with that of the cat. Such is the nature 
of the animal, that, if difappointed in this firft and foie 
leap, he couches his.tail and retreats. See a correct por¬ 
trait of this animal, with its natural hiftory, under Felis, 
vol. vii. p. 296. 
But the reptiles or vipers of Hindooftan, are by far the 
molt dangerous and numerous of all the noxious tribes 
hi that extenfive region.; yet a little active animal called 
mangoofe, or ichneumon, a fpecies of Viverra, is more 
than a match for the ftouteft and molt deftruftive of thefe 
reptiles, and kills great numbers of them. For Engrav¬ 
ings of the Indian vipers, and their natural hiftory, fee the 
article Coluber, vol. iv. p. 794.-815. • 
To enumerate the various birds, fifties, and infects, of 
Hindooftan, would be a vain attempt. While the turkey 
is certainly a native of America, wild peacocks abound 
in Thibet and Ceylon ; our common fowl are alfo found 
in a Hate of nature in the jungles, whence they are-called 
jungle fowl. Hence it feems reafonable to conclude, that, 
as thefe animals have b^en diffuled over the civilized 
world from time immemorial, they muft have pafted from 
Hindooftan to Perlia, and from thence to the weftern coun¬ 
tries. 
The mineralogy of Hindooftan is diftinguifhed by the 
production of the richeft diamonds ; which are alio found 
in Brafil, but of inferior quality. See the article Dia¬ 
mond, vol. iv. p. 789. The other moft valuable precious 
ftones found here are the fapphire and the ruby, which 
laft occurs in Ceylon; the topaz, many curious tourma¬ 
lins, the beryl, the emerald, and the hyacinth. 
Among the metals, gold is found in the rivers which 
flow from the-mountains into the Ganges and Indusj 
but no gold-mines i'eem ey?r to have been known in Hin¬ 
dooftan ; which has rather been celebrated for attracting 
this metal in commerce from other countries. Silver 
feems rare in general throughout the oriental regions; 
and there is no indication of this mineral through all In¬ 
dia. Thunberg mentions iron-ore and plumbago among 
the minerals of Ceyloq ; but fays nothing of copper, 
which feems alfo little known in Hindooftan. 
In a country where Providence, with an unfparing 
hand, has bellowed ib many bleftlngs, it would be worfe 
than fenlelefs were the Engiilh not to improve, by every 
wife and politic meafure, the firm footing they have at 
length obtained upon this part of the Afiatic continent. 
Great, indeed, have been the ftruggies between France 
and England for fuperiority in this , part of the world, 
Which have finally lubfrded in favour of the Engiilh ; the 
French not having, at this time, (1809,) a fingle foot of 
domain upon the whole pen mill la. To fecure this firm 
eftablilhment, a confiderable Handing army, with an ade¬ 
quate navy, is maintained in Bengal; where the metro¬ 
polis of Britilh India, the city or Calcutta, begins to vie 
with Delhi itfelf, for magnificence of building, and ex¬ 
tent of population. The governor-general’s palace, 
which was erefted- under the immediate direction of the 
marquis of Wellefley in 1804, is a noble ftrufture; and 
ferves to manifeft the great fuperiority of the Greek and 
Roman architecture,, over that which has long prevailed 
in Hindooftan. Here too the Supreme Council difpenfes 
the mild influence of Engiilh jurisprudence, throughout 
the vaft territory acquired by the king of Great Britain ; 
juft as the ftomach diffufes to the remoteft and- fmallell 
extremities their due portion of the healthful aliment. 
By its equitable and impartial decifions, as well in cafes 
which refpeft natives as foreigners, the confidence and 
regard of the principal rajahs have in a great meafure 
been fecured ; and the veneration of the Hindoo people 
for the Engiilh government and laws, has, of late 
years, begun to extend itfelf throughout all the neigh¬ 
bouring provinces. 
But the ereftion of the governor-general’s palace, and 
the various other improvements of a public nature in Cal¬ 
cutta, by no means, redounded fo highly to the reputa- 
O S T A N. 183 
tion of the noble marquis, as the foundation and ereftion 
of a feminary of learning, which he denominated “ the 
College of Fort William in Bengal.” The indefatigable 
fir William Jones had planted the firft feeds for the growth 
of fcience and literature in Hindooftan, by eftablilhing 
on permanent ground, the Afiatic Literary Society, of* 
which he was the firft prefident; and the marquis of 
Wellefley was defirous of following up fo meritorious a 
difpofition for dilfeminating knowledge and learning in 
this highly-favoured portion of the eaftern world, by 
founding a college for the education of fuch ftudents as 
might hereafter be intended to fill oftenfible fituations in 
the civil departments of the Britifii government in India: 
a defign at once fplendid, politic, benignant,—and the re- 
fult ot genuine philanthropy. Here the firft objeft of the 
young ftudents was to acquire the languages and dialeCts 
of the country, and to make themfelves acquainted with- 
the laws, the manners, and cuftoms, of the people over 
whom they might hereafter exercife rule, on the very fcene 
of their future exertions, where every thing around them 
would tend to quicken them to diligence, and animate 
them to perfeverance. Thus, on their arrival in India, in~ 
ftead of immediately having fet before them examples of 
profligacy, of extortion, and of avarice, they wouid ferve 
their noviciate in a fituation in which their minds muft be 
imbued with fentiments of honour ; in which they would 
be taught to venerate the maxims of juftice, and to refpeft 
the fanftions of religion ; in which they would learn to 
cherifh liberal and enlarged views; and in which, in fhort, 
they would be formed to command the refpeft, and to fe¬ 
cure the attachment, of the people with whom they might 
be deftined to hold intercourf'e. Hence arifes at leali a- 
probability of their ilfuing forth with feelings calculated to 
render them anxious to promote,the glory and power of 
the mother-country, to fupport the reputation of the na¬ 
tional charafter, and to benefit the diftrifts entrufted to 
their adminiftration. By fuch plans of genuine policy, 
calculated to cement and fecure the friendfhip and regard 
ot the native Hindoos, the Britifii government may efta- 
bliflvits permanence for ages yet unborn; and hence mo¬ 
numents of Britifii genius, of wifdom, and juftice, may 
live and flourifli in thofe diftant regions, even when every 
trace of its political authority may have fhared the fate of 
all fublunary things. 
The various relations of the civil government, of the 
naval and military eftabliftim.ents, and of a moft exten¬ 
five commerce, have contributed to throw together in the 
grand capital of Britifh India, Calcutta, fuch a mixture 
of different nations, people, and manners, that the city 
prefents a moft pifturefque and interefting fcene. The 
fwarthy Hindoo, the fqualid Moor Or Mahometan,. con¬ 
trail with the open florid countenances of the Engiilh; 
while the fair and lovely faces of numerous European la¬ 
dies, who perpetually arrive in purfuit of a fortunate mar¬ 
ket, receive a foil from the dark Hindoo beauties, which 
considerably enhances their charms. 
All degrees of people in this great commercial city, as 
well its throughout the province of Bengal, and its depen¬ 
dencies, wear the afpeft of internal content and fatisfac- 
tion. All are allowed the free toleration of their religion ; 
and every innocent amufement is countenanced and en¬ 
couraged. The native Hindoos, in this quarter, are lefs re- 
fe-rved, and of a more cheerful and-free difpofition, than is 
obferved of thofe in the interior country. . Here they freely 
enjoy themfelves in their own inoffenfive way, and fpend 
a confiderable portion of their time in fmoking the hooka, 
or the fegar ; in which the Hindoo ladies, provided they 
are unmarried, are allowed to bear a part. So great is their 
propenfity for the luxury of tobacco, that l'ervants are 
kept for no other employment but to replenilh their pipes, 
and place them in order the moment they are wanted. The 
annexed- Engraving reprelents the felicity of a i'moking 
party; ftiows the conftruftion of their pipes, and exhibits 
fomewbat of the coftume of the province of Bengal. The 
lady is a Hindoo of high rank, and finifhed drefs. The 
' hooka 
