Hamilton's account of the east indies.
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found out fome weak dotards, who, for oftentation, would go to the top of an hightower, and leap down where divers pointed weapons were placed in the fpot theywere to fall on, and among them they ended their filly lives. It is ftill in fo muchveneration, that I have known young and old Banyans go from Surat thither overland, out of devotion, which is computed to be 400 miles. The priefts fill brafs andcopper pots, made in the lhape of fhort-necked bottles, with Ganges water, whichthey confecrate and feal up, and fend thofe bottles, which contain about four Englilhgallons, all over India , to their benefactors, who make them good returns, for who-ever is walhed with that water juft before they expire, are wafhed as clean from theirfins as a new-born babe.
I have ventured fo far into this Terra Incognita on the Ganges , that I dare ventureno farther, but inuft vifit Dacca , which lies under the tropic of Cancer, on thebroadeft and eafternmolt branch of Ganges . The city is the largeft in Bengal, and itmanufactures cotton and filk the belt and cheapeft. The plenty and cheapnefs ofprovifions are incredible, and the country is full of inhabitants, but it breeds noneof tolerable courage, for five or fix armed men will chafe a thoufand: yet, about twocenturies ago, Dacca had its own kings, but when Jehan Guire, the King of Mogul,over-ran Bengal with a victorious army, a detachment of 20,000 men was fent downto Dacca , on whofe approach the poor King furrendered his kingdom, without oncedrawing his fword in its defence, and fo it eafily became annexed to the Mogul’sdominions.
That branch of the Ganges difembogues into the fea at Chittagoung, or, as thePortugueze call it, Xatigam, about 50 leagues below Dacca ; and this place confinesthe Mogul’s dominions to the eaftward. The diftance between Sagor, the wefternmoftchannel of the Ganges , and Xatigam the eafternmoft, is about 100 leagues, the maritimecoaft being divided into many final! illands made by the currents of the Ganges ; butvery few are inhabited, becaufe they are fo peftered with tigers, that there is jittlefafety for other inhabitants; and there are alfo many rhinocerofes on thofe illands, butthey are not fo dangerous neighbours as the tigers, yet, when provoked, they willaffault any living thing. Nature has endued him with two particular rarities out ofher ftores. One is a large horn placed on his nofe. The fecond is a coat of mail todefend him from the teeth or claws of other fierce animals. His tongue is alfo fome-what of a rarity, for, if he can but get any of his antagonifts down, he will lick themfo clean, that he leaves neither Ikin nor flelh to cover their bones ; but he is feldomknown to be an aggrelfor, except when he meets with an elephant; then he fharpenshis horn and aflaults, though he is much inferior to the elephant in bulk and ftrength,being no bigger than a very large ox, yet he often overcomes in fpite of the elephant’steeth.
Sundiva is an ifland four leagues diftant form the reft, and fo far it lies in the fea, itis about 20 leagues in circumference, and has three fathoms water within a mile ofthe Ihore, and it may ferve to fhelter final! Ihips from the raging feas, and winds ofthe fouth-weft monfoons. I was credibly informed by one that wintered there, that hebought 580 pound weight of rice for a rupee, or half a crown, eight geefe for thefame money, and fixty good tame poultry for the fame, and cloth is alfo incrediblycheap ; it is but thinly inhabited, but the people fimple and honeft.
The religion of Bengal by law eftablilhed, is Mahometan, yet for one Mahometanthere are above an hundred Pagans , and the publick offices and pofts of truft arefilled promifcuoufly with men of both perfuafions.
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