THE SURVEY OF EASTERN INDIA.

Ix 1807, Dr. BUCHANAN was ordered by the East India Company to make a survey of the Bengal Presidency. The means allowed appear to have been ample ; and the instructions were very ex- tensive,—embracing the physical features and natural produc- tions of the country ; the numbers and condition of the inhabi- tants; their agriculture, arts, and implements ; their commerce, and all the other questions which influence the character and well- being of men. After being carried on for nine years, at an ex- pense of 30,000/., the survey was stopped in 1816, when only eight districts* were completed The inquiries of Mr. MONTGOMERY MARTIN at the India Mese for his Colonial Library, and other literary speculations, made him acquainted with these surveys; and the work before us consists of a selection from their pages, partly entire, partly abridged. When complete, it will consist of three volumes; and the first volume commences with Behar and Sbehsbed, diattiete whose Eastern boundary is the Ganges and whose Southern Bengal. The importance of a work of this kind must depend upon the im- portance which each individual reader attaches to it ; its use, upon the uses which he has for it. However executed, or relating to whatever place, it must be somewhat dry, if sufficieetly full : and the distance of the country, the little interest felt by the .Inslish public for the details of Indian affairs, and the length of tiom which has elapsed since the surveys were made, (though the unchanging nature of Oriental habits renders this circumstance 01 less intrinsic consequence than it would be in Europe,) will confine the attraction of Eastern India to old Indians, alwAh many persons with extensive libraries may deem its possession necessary to their completeness. The subjects embraced in the surveys, and their arrangement, will be best understood by a table of contents of one of the districts.

BOOR AND PATNA CITY DISTRICT.

CHAP. I.—Area, Soil, Topography, Rivers, Lakes and Marshes, Meteor°.

• se. IL—History, Antiquities, Temples, Ruins, &e.

2 CHAP. 111.—Topography ID Divisions, embracing the Houses, Population, Tetras, Villages, Icc.. CHAP. IV.—Inhabitants; their Social Classification and Manners, Diseases, Habitations, Food, Condition, Religion, Education, &c. CHAP. V. Natural Productions of the District of Behar and Patna, includ. ing the Animals, Bird., Insects, Fish, Plants, Minerals, &c. CHAT. Vt.—Agriculture, Cultivated Products, Rent of Land, &c.

Ewer. VIL—Arts, Commerce, Manufactures, Trades, Coins, Weights and Measures, Public Roads, Conveyances, &c.

, As regards the execution, the surveys are minute, and we dare say accurate; and the subdivisions of the leading branches clear . and sufficient. In those parts which require a knowledge of iltural science, the survey seems to fall short, because Dr. BUCHANAN and his assistants had not the requisite skill, or taste; but, as Mr. MARTIN has exercised a discretion in omitting or abridging, a judgment on a question touching the fulness of the original may not be altogether accurate. In a purely literary sense, the work is full of facts ; and the author seems to have possessed a plain homeliness of mind, which has imparted a cha- racter to his writings•' and both these circumstances render the book as readable as such productions can well be. The Doctor devoted a, ,iteryrkiatipsrable part of his survey to • theological exaMinatiptla ; and2, --41e•rooluntir MARTIN seems to have quoted these.partfs at letipia..• The following is a curious passage of this kind. - Mri.Metweetrr, however, thinks the collec- tions alluded to are now abolished : why did he not ascertain ?

PILGRIMS AT 0•TA..

The very lowest person, performing his devotions at one place, cannot spend

• Behar, Stathabad, nhasuleoor, Goruckpoor, Diosjepcor, Puraulyn, &unmoor, and Miami legs, including duties, than 3h rs. ;* timer who worship at two places cannot ' spend less than 5 rs. ; hut many spend 100 rs. The lowest rate of expense at - the thirty. right places is 30 re. ; and few there exceed 40 rs. The Bengalese, who worship at forty-five places, usually expend from 40 to 200 es. : some, however, spend as much as 500 IS. ; and some few great men have gone so far as 5,000 rs. Almost all the Mahrattas worship at the forty-five places, and . . several every year give 5,000 is. - while great chiefs expend 40 or even 50,000 rs.

siblv go through the forty-five places in less than fifteen days, and persons of 7 ,

I These expenses are exclusive of the charges of travelling, and of what is. exacted by numberless solicitations to which the pilgrims arc exposed. Every . one, so far as he is able, feeds the Bralerrins who attend. No person can pus- '

rank take from one to three months ; during which, from morninteatill night, they are not a moment free from the most clamorous solicitations of religious mendicants. from two hundred to three hundred of whom, begidee the priests, hover round the place with incredible diligence and importunity. Besides the - forty-five holy places to which a licence is necessary, there are besides several others which pay no duty to Goverument, but are much frequented, and never : witlient expense. When the votary has made his offerings and performed all his - ceremonies, the priest that attends him binds his thumbs together with a gar- land, and says that he will fine him on account of his ansestors. When the fine is paid, the Brahman unties the garland and ; declares that the ceremonies have been duly performed ; nor are the ceremonies considered as of any effect until this declaration has been made. Formerly it was the custom for the priest ta keep the votary's thumbs tied until he con- sented to give a stun that W3S considered adequate to his circemstanme; but G wernment bag declared that all contributions tnuat be voluntary; and the collector of the duty, or magistrate, will, on complaint, compel the priest to perform his duty, and to accept of whatever the votary pleases. People, however, lion) distant cuuntriee, who do not know our custom., are still orten uniell alitmed; of which, while on Preta Sila, I saw no less than two-in- stances, two decent Brahmans from Malwa applying to inc for maiatance : one

was stript even to the skin, and had his thumbs tie., ; the other way sitting in despair at the foot of the hill, the sum demanded being so exorbitant that he would not veuture to ascend.

How like is humanity all the world over I It is not only in India that " rich merchants" try to "squeeze" into a higher rank ; and the duellist effects the same result as the " known ferocity" of the Rajputs, &e.

The Ashraf are a kiod of gentry, and consist of the high cotes, both Mithamt- medan and Hindu; namely, Salmis, Pathans, Moguls' Brahmans, Kaliateis, Rajputs, Kayaethas, and all merchants pretending to be %%naves, autone whom are Included the Jainaa or Srastak. Some rich nterekants of low tribes endea. your to squeeze themselves into this rank ; Ltd although admitted by their poor neighbours, their claim is considered illegal. Although the Ashraf have abun- dance of pride and as little inclination to work as any other gentry, they have multiplied so enormously, that abstinence from manual labour is no longer prac- ticable; and by far the gieater part of them out only have lands which they cultivate on their own account by means of servants or slaves; but a very large propartion cultivate with their own hands. The poorest of them, however, ab- stain from acting as servants, and they only work on their own farm,. The profes- sion of a ploughman, on account of the labour which it exacts from the sacred ox, is by the Hindu considered abominable; and in order to shut) degradaaion in the ee'lion of their neighbours, even the Mohammedan Aaltral in general avoid tnis lalaour. In sonic places, however, the Rajputs, Pathatts, and mili- tary Brahmans naglect this precaution, and the known ferocity of their habits secures them the poetession of rank.

The followimz observation is curious; and something analo- e-ous to it Inav be found in Europe. The Germans, and the in- habitants of the British Isles, are Far less abstemious than the more Seuthern nations; y et they as undoubtedly excel them in the intellectual vigour anti stamina, and are more suceessful in the practical arts of life. This, we opine, is not a consequence of drinking, but the drinking is caused by the two circumstances of climate and constitution.

In the Appendix will be found an estimate of the extent to which the use of vat ions stimulating or narcotic aubetances is carried ; and it mast be observed, that on the whole three are more employed than towards the East, aid that the use of fermented and dietilled liquor, especially is muck inure general ; yet the people are evideutly more vigorous, fully as industi Mug, and by no means more inclined to crimes.

MAHOMETAN CONVERTS AND bRAIIMINIC•L COMPLAISANCE. .

Converts are occasionally made from the Pagans, especially by the purchase of slaves, who are treated with great kindness, as I have before mentioned ; hut this operation is now going on much more slowly than formerly, when the Mottlems possessed the governineut and an enormous income, a great part of which was diesipated on the means of propagating their faith. Still, however, there is reason to think, that within these twenty years a considerable increaer in the number of the .faithful has taken place. By the mere exettions of Fakineor other religious persona, very little has been or can be done ; but by the simple operations of purchase and procreation, any religion might iu a reaamiable time be ex:emit:if, and that without giving offence, a very large proportion of the natives being considered by the spiritual guides now in the cuuntty, as not worth the admission into their flocks. I do not think that, in a temporal view, this conversion would be attended with any advantage ; and whether or not in a spiritual sense It could be dour with propriety, I cannot presend .1.0 determine. The plan, however, eucceeded perfectly with the 31uhaminetlans,11m1, as far as I can learnt perhaps a half of all the faithful in these districts are deeeended of

Hindu fathers; while a very large proportion pf even the hi nks of Sahel:, Mogul. and Patuane, have had a frequent intermixture blood in the female line. So fir from having any objection to th ofeprbpagae thug religion, Raiz' Mitrajit, a Brahman, having had a son is nthanunats woman, has bred him up in that faith, and will probably leave him the larger part of his great estates. If any one may be surprised at this, and ask why a braltman did not lose caste by such an action, I reply, that a man who has Itaja Mitrajit's power, cannot loft caste; the Brahmans are too complaisant to commit such ail outrage.

DISADVANTAGES OF WEALTH.

Ia these diatricts the feet of the moribund are not put in the river, and the low and ignorant are allowed to the in their houses; but men of rank and learning turn their parents or children out of doors, when they think they are about to die. They are placed on a DM under every inclemency of the wea- ther, and some sacred herb (tulasi), or stone (salagram) is placed by them, while prayera are read, until they die. If the moribund is rich, before he bacomee totally senseless, there is put into his hand the tail of a cow, which be makes as the last offering to the Brahtnans ; but of course it is not every one that can afford such an offeting. Natural affection has in general struggled very bard against the barbarity of this exposure of the moribund: and &though no man can avoid the ceremany, the natives of rank, from frequent observation, have acquired a very great skill in marking the symptoms which immediately • Rupees, we presume. The value ea rupee is about two s'illliuge. precede dissolutiem, so that their kindred are very seldom exposed, especially in this district, until Lot only all hope of recovery, but until sensation is over. Where custom renders it necessary, that they should die with their feet in the river, and their house is at some distance, no doubt more suffering arises from the custom, and the conjecture cannot be so certain, because the kindred cannot wait for the last symptoms. In general, however, when any man is exposed to suffer long, the conduct of the kindred requires investigation ; for there can be no doubt, that occasionally, although very rarely, this custom has been applied to the most atrocious purposes.

The volume is illustrated by a variety of maps, plans of build- ings, end drawings of different kinds, selected front the originals attached to the surveys. Mr. MARTIN has also compiled several statistical tables; which occupy but little room, and will be found useful to inquirers into Indian affairs.