1809.] 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
TOUR im HINDUSTAN, 
(Continued from vol. xxvii, p. 259.) 
N therainy season, boats pass close to 
the town of Baugilpore, by means of 
a. Nullah, which empties itself into the 
Ganges, at Colgong ; but during the dry 
weather they cannot approach nearer 
than four or five miles. Baugilpore is 
the capital of a district of the same name, 
famous for the manufacture of a kind of 
cotton cloths, well known in England by 
the name of vinghams. Government 
have a eivil establishment here of a pro- 
vincial Judge, a collector of the revenue, 
their assistants, clerks, &c. and the mili- 
tary establishment of hill-rangers, men- 
tioned before. The houses of the English 
gentlemen have a good appearance, and 
are in general pleasantly situated on 
commanding eminences ; the surrounding 
country is-very beautiful, particularly 
«bout Colyong ; clumps of trees agreea- 
bly diversitied, and separated by lawns of 
fine green turf, with lofty hills, and ex~ 
tensive forests in the back ground, havea 
very good effect, and brought to my 
recollection some parks 1 had seen in 
England. In the middie of the Nullah, 
a short distance above its confluence 
with the Ganges, and about one hundred 
yards from the shore, there is a large 
rock, or-rather island, elevated to the” 
height of fifty or sixty feet above the le- 
vel of the water, and crowned with large 
trees and bushes, which being evergreens, 
give ita very pleasing and picturesque 
appearance. During the periodical rains, 
the impetuosity of the current forces a 
passage over a low part, in the centre of 
the rock, which gives it the appearance 
of being two distinct islands. On my re- 
turn down the country, I had an oppor- 
tunity of seeing it in this state, and was 
much gratified with the view; the water 
rushed with irresistible foree and a 
thundering noise througl: the opening, 
and forming a cataract in its’ descent, 
foamed in circling eddies below. The 
base of the island is surrounded with 
sunken rocks, which render the naviga- 
tion extremely dangerous, particularly 
for heavy-laden boats going down the 
stream ; all prudent pilots will do well to 
hug the right hand shore, until they pass 
this perilous rock, when the navigation 
becomes again smooth and easy. A litile 
way below the mouth of the Nullah, at a 
place called Pointee, a bold promontory 
juts into the river, and from the summit 
affords a commanding prospect of the 
Ssuireunding country, rich in variegated 
Narrative of a recent Tour in India, 
147 
scenery, of hill, dale, and weodland; — 
while in front, the mighty Ganges ros int 
majesti¢ pride, and presents an expanse 
of water to the eye, that cannot certainly 
be equalled by any river inthe oid world, 
Nearly opposite to Poitee, it receives the 
tributary stream of the Cossah, (a river 
exceeding the Thames in magnitude,) 
which has its source in the mountams of 
Thibet, whence it takes a southerly 
course through Boutan,; and enters Ben- 
_gal, a little above Nautpore ; it increases 
in its progress through the rich and exten- 
sive province of Puineah, and by its 
communication with the Ganges, affords 
a safe and expeditious conveyance fer the 
various produce of those countries; par- 
ticularly for the large Saul and Sissvoe tim- 
bers, which are produced in immense 
quantities, in the exhaustless forests that 
bound our northern frontier. The woods 
about Colgopg abound in birds of the 
most beautiful and variegated coleurs, 
but they want the nch melody which 
characterizes the less gaudy plumage of 
the northern climates. 
Peacocks, parroquets, and pigeons, 
are found in nmmense numbers; the first 
are held in great veneration by the Hin- 
dus, and to kill one of them is a crime of 
the first magnitude; but the ether two 
are very destructive to taeir corn fields, 
and the cultivators are glad to see them 
destroyed, 
[ went to the top of the promontory 
before-rmentioned, and found there a- 
small temple, dedicated to one of the 
Hindu deities, but not a single votary or 
attendant Brahmin near. Wulule I was. 
contemplating the prospect that opened 
to iny view, I suddenly received a violent 
blow on my back, which almost felied ine 
to the ground; astonished at such a sa- 
lute, [ turned round to defend myself 
against a repetition, but could not per- 
ceive any onenearime. I had bardiv time 
to form a conjecture as to the cause, 
when I received another blow from a 
large stone, which sent me reeling agaist 
the wall of the temple; and immediately 
two grim-looking fellows, with hlack 
bushy beards, rushed out of a cavity in 
the side of the lull, about ten or a dozen 
paces from me, and attempted to seize 
me; but on finding that 1 was an Kurepe- 
an, which they had not at first perceived, 
owing to ny being dressed in the castume 
of the country, ‘and having suffered my 
whiskers to grow, ome of them ‘ex- 
claimed, with evident takens.of surprise 
and fear, **Fobahyeb Feringee ny.” 60 
Dear, be isan Guropean!’ Encsuraged by 
this 
