populous and flourishing, and the capital of the district, but now nearly in ruins. MANGOSTEEN, a rich fruit'cultivated in the East Indian Archipelago, and esteemed far superior in flavour and beauty to the rest of the vegetable world.

MANILLAS, or PHILIPPINES, a number of islands in the Eastern Archipelago, lying between the fifth and nineteenth degrees of north latitude, due eastward from Cochin China. The principal are Luzon, Mindora, Samar, Salawan, and Mindanao. These islands are mountainous, and there are in them several volcanoes, particularly in Luzon, the largest of their number, which has suffered some severe earthquakes. The latest great eruption took place in 1814, and occasioned great devastation. They are exceedingly fertile, and yield all the ordinary productions of India; in addition to which they possess the bread-fruit tree, and also the edible birds' nests, or sea-slug, so much esteemed by the Chinese. Their domestic animals are also the same as in India, but they are believed to be free from tigers and other large wild beasts. There are mines of gold and iron, and abundance of excellent timber, much used for shipbuilding. The principal town is Manilla, in Luzon, situated in Lat. 14 deg. 38 min. N., Long. 120 deg. 50 min. E. This is the capital of the Spanish possessions, and contains about 175,000 inhabitants of all classes. These islands received the name of Philippines in honour of King Philip II. of Spain. By the English, they are more commonly styled the Manillas, from the name of the capital. Besides Europeans and Chinese, the inhabitants consist of a number of distinct tribes, the most considerable of which are the natives of Luzon, comprising both races, the brown and the negro. The natives of Manilla, of European descent, are considered much superior to the others

in intelligence, and are much employed in the country ships of India, being very active and clever sailors. The religion of the native inhabitants is principally Paganism. Some of the tribes, however, are Mahomedans, and the Romish religion has been introduced by the Spaniards. Several distinct dialects are current in the islands, the principal of which are the Tagala and the Bisayan, the former a written language. MANJEE, a steersman of a Ganges boat. His business is to steer, and to give directions regarding the several operations incident to the very numerous metamorphoses of circumstances in rivers perpetually changing their direction: thus, it is by no means uncommon to see a budgerow hoist and lower her sails, take to her oars, or to the trackrope, some scores of times during the course of a day's progress, just as the localities may render necessary. Whatever authority may be vested in a manjee, it is rare, however, to see one able to enforce his orders each of the crew has an opinion of his own; and, knowing that his services cannot be dispensed with, will, in most cases, adhere to his way of thinking, until peremptorily compelled by the master's interference, to submit to orders, or overcome by absolute force.

MAR, an abbreviation of " Marro," to beat (Hindostanee). When a servant has erred, and the weather is too hot to use superfluous syllables, Europeans are apt to give instruction to the proper authorities to "Mar" such

a one.

MARABOUT, a holy man. Applied to serious Mussulmans. MARAJAH, a Hindoo sovereign prince. MARTABAN, a town in India, in the country of Ava, situated on the northern side of the Paluen river, which divides the Burmese from the British territories. It belongs to the Burmese.

MASHA, a weight of fifteen grains troy. Used by native goldsmiths

and jewellers, and in the native evaluation by assay of the precious metals.

MASHALLAH! Persian. Praised be the Lord!

MASOOLAH BOATS. The construction of keeled boats being, in many respects, unsuitable to intercourse between the shipping and the shore at Madras, where the surf runs very high, a peculiar kind of country boat, adequate to the purposes of conveying goods and passengers to and fro with safety, is had recourse to. These vessels, called Masoolah boats, are generally of from forty to sixty tons burthen: they are made of plank, about two inches in thickness above, and three below, fastened together by means of coir (see COIR) passed through small holes pierced along the edges of the several planks, all around each: these planks appear as though sewed together with twine of the above description, and are fastened to battens and sleepers, answering for ribs and floor timbers. At the bottom, planks are laid in the opposite directions of those which form the vessel, and near the gunwales several thwarts are secured across, passing through the sides and being firmly pinned in. There is no deck, and the rudder consists of a large kind of oar, rigged out at the stern. At a little distance, the Masoolah boats look like rude imitations of English coal barges: they row from ten to sixteen oars, and when unladen make excellent speed, getting through the surf with amazing facility. As the boat approaches the shore. the boatmen watch the opportunity of a coming wave to pull the vessel on to the beach, where it is soon run up out of the reach of the next rolling wave. MASULIPATAM, a sea-port in India, in the district of Kondapilly, one of the Northern Circars, situated in Lat. 16 deg. 10 min. N., Long. 81 deg. 14 min. E. It is commonly called "Bundur," and also Muchlee

bundur. This has been a place of considerable commerce for many centuries, being mentioned as such by European travellers as far back as A.D. 1295. The surf here is less violent than on other parts of the coast, and the roads are therefore more convenient for shipping. Masulipatam is noted for chintzes, and other cotton manufactures, large quantities of which are exported to Persia; and also for snuff. MATCH-LOCK, a long musket, used by the Sikhs, the Arabs, the Persians, Rajpoots, &c. It differs from the musket in the method by which the powder in the pan is ignited, a lighted cotton rope attached to the hammer supplying the place of the steel and flint.

MATSAYA, in Hindoo Mythology, one of Vishnu's avatars; the first. In this avatar Vishnu is fabled to have assumed the form of a fish, to restore the lost Veda, which had been stolen from Brahma in his sleep by the demon Hayagriva. This and the two following avatars, seem to refer to the universal deluge. MATY, a servant-of-all-work in Southern India.

MAUN, a Persian measure, of about seven pounds and a half weight. MEEMI-KE-TALE, Human Oil. Oil said to have been extracted from the bodies of malefactors; who, being well fed for a month or more, previous to execution, for the purpose of increasing their fat, had large fires lighted under them while on the gibbet, and metal vessels placed to receive the drippings. This practice obtained under the government of the native Indian princes. MEERACHOR, Persian. Master of the horse literally, "lord of the stable." MEERASEENS, a particular kind of nautch woman (q. v.)

MEERGAH, a species of carp, abundant in the great rivers, and in all the waters connected with them. It rarely exceeds ten pounds in weight. MEERUT, a large and ancient town in India, in the province of Delhi,

about forty miles north-east from the city of Delhi, and one of the principal civil and military stations of the British. MEHAL, MAHL, MHAL, MAAL' MOHAUL, MEHAUL, MEHAAL MAL, Hindostanee. Places, districts, departments. Places or sources of revenue, particularly of a territorial nature: lands. This term should not, as is often the case, be confounded with mal, another Arabic word, to an incorrect ear, something like it in sound. Mehal denotes the places or lands yielding a revenue; but mal is the rent or revenue itself arising from the lands. See MAL.

MEHMAN-KANEH, a house in Persia for the reception of travellers, smaller than a caravanserai. MEHTUR, a word signifying in Hindostanee a prince, is the pariah of a domestic establishment, but has no small opinion of himself, and is wise enough to eat of the crumbs (a phrase including every good thing) which falls from his master's table. He sweeps the house, cleans out the bathing-room, and does all the dirty work in fact, as well as take care of a dog or two, if necessary; and is usually the happiest, and often the sprucest, and most prettily wived of all the domestics.

MEHTUR. In Persian this word signifies a groom.

MEHTURANEE, or METRANEE,

the sweeper's wife in an Indian household. She is more intelligent than the Ayah, and does the slop work of " my lady's chamber;" but is often, where there are no children, the only female on the establishment, in which case her wages are raised a rupee or so, and the arrangement answers very well. Where children are, then the women of both classes are multiplied in a concatenation accordingly.

MELA, a fair, occasioned generally by the great periodical religious assemblages of the Hindoos, at places like Hurdwar, Allahabad, &c., celebrated

for their holiness in connection with the Ganges. MENANCABOO, a city in the island of Sumatra, the capital in the state so named. It was in former times considered the chief city of Sumatra, and the seat of all Malay learning and religious authority. The state of Menancaboo constitutes the original country of the Malays, and is entirely peopled with them at the present time. The natives of this place are the most expert artists in the island, and are particularly famous for their gold and silver filagree work.

MENU, or MUNOO, the author of the Hindoo Institutes, or, as some allege, the compiler of the aphorisms of the Vedas. Menu is spoken of in the Purana, or Hindoo mythological poems, as the son of Brinha, and one of the progenitors of mankind. When a pedigree fails them, it is not unusual for the Hindoos to assign a Divine origin to any eminent man. MERU. The mythological mountain Meru, the Mienmo of the Burmese, and the Sineru of the Siamese, is termed by the Hindoos the navel of the world, and is their Olympus, the fabled residence of their deities. METAI, sweetmeat. The natives of

India are particularly fond of sweets compounded of sugar, butter, and flour. It is as much the régal of the lower orders as ale and beer are of the English vulgar. Confections of various kinds are in high favour with the upper classes of Indians also. MEWLEWYS, dancing dervises. They take their designation from the name of the founder of the sect. They are distinguished by the singularity of their mode of dancing, which has nothing in common with the other societies. They perform their exercises in bodies of nine, eleven, or thirteen persons. They first form a circle, and sing the first chapter of the Koran. The sheik (chief) then recites two prayers, which are immediately succeeded by the dance of the Mewlewys.

MIAKO, an inland town in the island Nipon, in the empire of Japan, is the second capital, or residence of the religious ruler of the kingdom. MIM-BASHEE, a Persian or Turkish colonel. Literally, commander of a thousand.

MIMBER, a pulpit in a mosque, whence the Moollahs lecture or read aloud chapters in the Koran. MINAH, a common bird of the magpie species, abounding in Western India; a foul feeder, a chatterer. Their

flesh is carrion.

MINARET, the turret or steeple of a mosque.

MIRZAPORE, a town in India, in the province of Allahabad, situated on the south side of the river Ganges, in Lat. 25 deg. 10 min. N., Long. 83 deg. 35 min. E., is a large and flourishing town, well built and populous, containing about 70,000 inhabitants, of a remarkably active and industrious character. It is a place of extensive inland trade, and the principal cotton mart of the province. It is noted for its manufactures of carpets, and various cotton fabrics.

MISSEE, a black stain, applied by Indian women to the eyes and to the teeth, made of the rust of iron and Kurra, compounded. It is, in fact, ink powder; for the kurra is a nut equally astringent with galls. The powder is rubbed on, or rather between, the teeth, and leaves a black stain, which is deemed by the natives both a preservation and an ornament to them. MOCUDDIM, Hindostanee. Placed before, antecedent, prior, foremost. Head ryot, or principal man in a village, who superintends the affairs of it, and, among other duties, collects the rents of government within his jurisdiction. The same officer is, in Bengal, called also Mundub, and in the Peninsula Goad, and Potail. In Bombay the term applies to the head of small bodies of servants and lascars.

MODELIARS. In Colombo there are nineteen native gentlemen who

have the honorary title of "Modeliars of the governor's gate," and eight Mohandirams, called "Mohandirams of the governor's gate." In the western province, attached to the government agents, are nineteen Modeliars, and seventy-one Mohandirams, besides four other head men. In the southern province are one Bas-nayaka Nilame, one Maha Modeliar, two Disaves, twenty Modeliars, twenty-eight Mohandirams, and twenty-three others, with various titles. In the northern province are seven Modeliars, fourteen Maniagars, 146 Odigars, four (called) Adigars, and twentyfour others, with various titles. In the eastern province are six Modeliars, one Mohandiram, three Wananiyas, seven Odigars, and one head Moorman. In the central province are the first and third Adigars, two Modeliars, fourteen Rate Mahatmayas, nineteen principals of witiaras, who have the title of Modeliars, six Disaves, and a few others, with various titles.

MOFUSSIL, a term applied to the Bengal and North-west provinces ; all the military cantonments and the residences appointed for civilians beyond the presidency being called mofussil stations. Individuals quartered in the provinces are styled mofussilites, but those who may have barbarised a little during their seclusion amid wilds and fastnesses, are styled par distinction "jungle wallahs." It is difficult to explain the precise meaning of the word wallah; it is usually translated "fellow;" but to the natives of India, who call indigo planters, "leal (blue) wallahs," camel drivers, "oonte wallahs," &c., it does not convey the idea which we attach to this expression in England. MOGREE, the Indian jasmine. The fragrance of this flower is very powerful. The nautch or dancing girls of the East are fond of decorating their persons with wreaths and festoons of mogree, which form a powerful antidote to the odour of the