limited to particular districts. Coarse muslins, in the shape of turbans, handkerchiefs, &c. are made in almost every province; and the northern parts of Benares afford both plain and flowered muslins, which are not ill adapted to common uses, though incapable of sustaining any competition with the beautiful and inimitable fabrics of Dhaka. Under the general appellation of calicoes, are included various sorts of cloth, to which no English names have been affixed. They are for the most part known in Europe by their Indian denominations. Khasas are fabricated in that part of Bengal which is situated north of the Ganges, between the Muhanŭnda and Ichamutēē rivers. Cloths, nearly similar in quality, and bearing the same name, are made near Tanda, in the vizir's dominions. Baftas are manufactured in the southwest corner of Bengal, near Lukshmee-pooru; and again, on the western frontier of Benares, in the neighbourhood of Allahabad; and also in the province of Véhar and in some other districts. Sanas are the chief fabric of Orissa; some are made in the districts of Médinēē-poorů; more are imported from the contiguous dominions of the Marhattas. A similar cloth, under the same denomination, is wrought in the eastern parts of the province of Benares. Garhas are the manufacture of Veerbhōōmee; still coarser cloths, denominated gezis and gezinas, are wove in almost every district, but especially in the Dooab. Other sorts of cloth, the names of which would be less familiar to an English reader, are found in various districts. It would be superfluous to complete the enumeration. Packthread is wove into sackcloth in many places; and, especially, on the northern frontier of Bengal proper; it is there employed as cloathing, by the mountaineers. A sort of canvas is made from cotton in the neighbourhood of Patna and of Chatiga; and flannel well wove but ill

fulled, is wrought at Patna and some other places. Blankets are made every where for common use. A coarse cotton cloth, dyed red with cheap materials, is very generally used: it is chiefly manufactured in the middle of the Dooab. Other sorts, dyed of various colours, but especially blue, are prepared for inland commerce, and for exportation by sea. Both fine and coarse calicoes receive a topical dying, with permanent and with fugitive colours, for common use as well as for exportation. The province of Benares, the city of Patna, and the neighbourhood of Calcutta, are the principal seats of this manufacture; concerning which we cannot omit to remark, that the making of chintz appears to be an original art in India, long since invented, and brought to so great a pitch of excellency, that the ingenuity of artists in Europe has hitherto added little improvement, but in the superior elegance of the patterns.-The arts of Europe, on the other hand, have been imitated in India, but without complete success; and some of the more ancient manufactures of the country are analogous to those, which have been now introduced from Europe. We allude to several sorts of cotton cloth. Dimities of various kinds and patterns, and cloths resembling diaper and damask linen, are now made at Dhaka, Patna, Tanda, and many other places. The neighbourhood of Moorshŭdŭbad is the chief seat of the manufacture of wove silk: tafeta, both plain and flowered, and many other sorts for inland commerce and for exportation, are made there, more abundantly than at any other place where silk is wove. Tissues, brocades, and ornamented gauzes are the manufacture of Benares. Plain gauzes, adapted to the uses of the country, are wove in the western and southern corner of Bengal. The weaving of mixed goods, made with silk and cotton, flourishes chiefly at Maldŭ, at Bhŭgŭlŭ-poorů,

and at some towns in the province of Burdwan. Filature silk, which may be considered as in an intermediate state, between the infancy of raw produce and the maturity of manufacture, has been already noticed. A considerable quantity is exported to the western parts of India; and much is sold at Mirza-poorů, a principal mart of Benares, and passes thence to the Marhatta dominions, and the centrical parts of Hindoost'han. The teser, or wild silk, is procured in abundance from countries bordering on Bengal, and from some provinces included within its limits. The wild silk worms are there found on several sorts of trees, which are common in the forests of Sylhet, Asam, and Dekhin. The cones are large, but sparingly covered with silks. In colour and lustre too, the silk is far inferior to that of the domesticated insect. But its cheapness renders it useful in the fabrication of coarse silks. The importation of it may be increased by encouragement; and a very large quantity may be exported in the raw state, at a very moderate rate. It might be used in Europe for the preparation of silk goods; and, mixed with wool or cotton, might form, as it now does in India, a beautiful and acceptable manufacture."

11th Class. From a shōōdrů and a female kshŭtriyŭ arose the Kurmŭkarus, or blacksmiths, who are not very numerous in populous villages there may be two or three families, but in some districts six or eight villages contain scarcely more than one. Under the super

intendance of a European, the Bengal blacksmith becomes a good workman, but every thing which is the offspring of his own genius alone, is clumsy and badly finished.

I hope the author will excuse the alterations made in the writing of the names in this article.

Amongst other articles, he makes arrows, bill-hooks, the spade-hoe, the axe, the farmer's weeding knife, the ploughshare, the sickle, a hook to lift up the corn while the oxen are treading it out; as well as nails, locks, keys, knives, chains, scissars, razors, cooking utensils, builders' and joiners' tools, instruments of war, &c. Very few of these shōōdrus are able to read.

12th Class. From a voishyŭ and a female kshůtriyŭ arose the Magŭdhus, viz. persons employed near the king to awake him in the morning, by announcing the hour, describing the beauties of the morning, lucky omens, and the evils of sloth; repeating the names of the gods, &c. They likewise precede the king in his journies, announcing his approach to the inhabitants of the towns and villages through which he is to pass.

13th Class. From a kshŭtriyŭ and a female bramhŭn arose the Malakarus, or sellers of flowers. They prepare the wedding crown for the bridegroom, as well as the lamps and the artificial flowers carried in the marriage procession.d The malakarus also make gun-pow. der and fire-works; work in gardens; sell flowers to the bramhuns for worship, and to others as ornaments for the neck, &c.

Another cast of people go two or three days' journey before the king, and command the inhabitants to clear and repair the way; a very necessary step this in a country where there are no public roads. "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth."

This crown is principally made with the stalk of a species of millingto. nia, covered with ornaments, and painted with various colours; the lamps are made of talk mineral, and the flowers, of millingtonia painted; they are fixed on rods.

Flowers, to be presented to images, are also plucked from the trees

14th, 15th, and 16th Classes. From a kshutriyŭ and a female brambun arose the Sootus, or charioteers, and from a voishyŭ and a female shōōdrů, the Tilees, and Tambōōlees, or shop-keepers. The latter cultivate and sell the pawn leaf.f

17th Class. From a kayŭst'hŭ and a female voishyŭ arose the Tukshŭkŭs, or joiners. The Hindoo joiners make gods, bedsteads, window frames, doors, boxes, seats, pillars for houses, &c. They also delineate idol figures on boards, and sometimes paint the image; some engage in masonry. Formerly the Hindoo joiners had neither rule, compass, nor even a gimblet, nor indeed did the most skilful possess more than ten articles of what composes a joiner's chest of tools; but they have now added

by the worshipper, or by his wife, or children, or servants. Persous plucking these flowers, or carrying them to temples, in small baskets, may be constantly seen in a morning as the traveller passes along.

f No person need be told, that the use of the betle-nut, with lime, the leaves of the betle vine, and the inspissated juice of a species of mimosa, is universal throughout India. Another variety of the betle-nut, which is much softer than the common şort, is chewed singly; or with cardamums, spices or tobacco; or with the same things which were first mentioned, but loose instead of being wrapped up in betle leaves. The common areca nut is the produce of Bengal; plantations of that beautiful palm tree are common throughout the lower parts of this province, and the nut is no inconsiderable object of inland commerce. The mimosa c'hadir (or catechu, if this barbarous name must be retained,) grows wild in almost every forest throughout India. Its inspissated juice (absurdly called terra japonica) is an import from ill cultivated districts into those which are better inhabited, and need not therefore be noticed in this place. The betle vine (a species of pepper) is cultivated throughout India; and its leaves are seldom transported to any considerable distance from the place of their growth: covered vineyards containing this plant, or artificial mounds on which they formerly stood, are to be seen in the precincts of almost every town or populous village. The culture is laborious, and is mostly the separate occupation of a particular tribe.-Mr. Colebrooke.