seat of the chief Rajpoot principal- | ities of India. The inhabitants are Rajpoots, Jats, Bhatteeas, Bheels, and a small proportion of Mahomedans. AJMEER, formerly the capital of the province of Ajmeer, stands at the bottom of a fortified hill, in Lat. 26 deg. 31 min. N., Long. 74 deg. 28 min. E. This was once a large and opulent city, and occasionally the residence of the Emperor of Delhi. The English had a trading factory here in 1616. It was nearly ruined during the disorders which followed upon | the dissolution of the Mooghul empire, and the establishment of the Mahratta power; but since its transfer to the British in 1818, it has greatly improved, and is now a handsome town. At Nusserabad, fifteen miles from Ajmeer, is a British cantonment, and there is a British political agent in the town. AJUNTEE, in Lat. 20 deg. 34 min.

N., Lon. 75 deg. 56 min. E., is a large town, but not populous. In the neighbourhood are some excavations resembling those of Ellora. AKHBAR-NURVEES, news-writers, a class of men formerly employed at the native courts of India to record the proceedings of the princes and their ministers. The newspaper has almost superseded the functions of these court chroniclers. AKHERJAUT AURUNG, Hindos

tanee. Expenses of an aurung, or place where goods are manufactured. Charges for transporting salt to the place of sale; for weighmen, erection of storehouses, &c.

AKYAB, the principal military station of the British troops in Arracan. AL, an Indian plant, rising(when fit to be dug) less than a foot above ground, and having a ligneous root above eighteen inches in length, and of a bright yellow colour. It is grown only in the black soil, and receives no watering. It is an article of considerable traffic in the Dooab and to the south, and is used for dyeing the coarse red cloth called Kurwa.

66

ALEEKOOM SALAAM, “With you be peace!" the usual reply to the ordinary Mahometan salutation, “ Salaam Aleekoom." ALEEWAL, a village on the banks of the Sutlej, which has acquired celebrity from its contiguity to the scene of a great battle, in which Major General Sir Harry Smith, with a division of the army assembled under Lords Hardinge and Gough to oppose the Sikhs, in 1845, totally defeated an immensely superior body of the enemy's troops. ALEPPIE, in the province of Travancore, is on the Malabar coast, about midway between Cochin and Nuilon. It is the chief dépôt from which the Travancore government exports its pepper and timber.

AL HUM ID ILLAH! Thanks be to God! A Moslem ejaculation. ALIGURH, a strong fortress, situated about fifty miles to the north of Agra. In 1803 it was one of Dowlet Rao Scindia's principal strongholds, and was stormed by the British troops under Lord Lake. The town is called Coel. A regiment of Sepoys is quartered here, and there is a civil court of justice and a collector of revenue.

ALLAH, the name given by the Mahometans of all classes to the Almighty.

ALLAHABAD, a province of India, bounded on the north by Agra and Oude; east, Bahar; south, Bahar and Gonduana; west, Malwa and Agra. The divisions are Cawnpoor, Allahabad, Manikpoor, Juwanpoor, Benares, Mirzapoor, Bundulkhund, Rewa. It is watered by the rivers Goomtee, Ganges, Jumna, Tonse or Tunsa, Betwa, and numerous others. The Gogra flows along part of the northern frontier of the province, dividing it from Oude. This province is one of the richest and most productive in India. The surface of the districts adjacent to the Ganges and Jumna is level and very fertile. In Bundulkhund and Rewa, the country forms an elevated table land, occa

sionally mountainous and jungly,, and diversified with high hills; but for the greater part open and capable of being made very fruitful. The northern frontier of the Rewa country consists of an abrupt front of sandstone rock, rising perpendicularly from 200 to 300 feet from a sloping base. A large proportion of the water that falls during the rainy season on the table land of Rewa is precipitated over this rocky margin in numerous cataracts; amongst which those of the Beyhar and Tonsa rivers are of remarkable grandeur. The Beyhar cataract is one of the highest in the world, forming a single unbroken fall of 360 feet. Wheat, barley, rice, maize, and other grains, are the productions of this province, as well as opium, sugar, indigo, cotton, and flax; in the hilly districts are dyeing drugs and gums; chironja nut, catechu, and iron-diamonds, sometimes of large size, are found in the Punna district of Bundulkhund; and in the district of Benares there are extensive stone quarries. A great deal of alkali is also supplied from the country between the Goomtee and Ganges, from Kurra to Benares. The province has long been noted for its cotton fabrics, particularly muslins and brocades. Carpets are also manufactured, and coarse cumlies. The towns are Rusoolabad, Cawnpoor, Akberpoor, Futihpoor, Kurra, Shahzadabad, Allahabad, Manikpoor, Mahowl, Azimgur, Mow, Juwanpoor, Benares, Chunar, Ghazipoor, Mirzapoor, Dittea, Jhansee, Keeta, Banda, Kallinjer, Chutturpoor, Punna, Maltown, Hutta, Douree, and Rewa. By the Hindoos, Allahabad is named Bhat Prayaga, or, by way of distinction, as the largest and principal, simply Prayaga, and it is much resorted to by pilgrims; amongst whom suicide, by drowning themselves at the spot where the rivers unite, is a frequent practice. The word Prayaga means the confluence of any two or more sacred rivers.

ALLAHABAD, a city, and civil and military station in the province of Oude in Hindostan. It is situated. at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Jumna, 470 miles N. W. of Calcutta, in Long. 82 deg. E., Lat. 25 deg. 45 min. N. Allahabad was founded by the Emperor Acbar, who intended it as a defensive post; but the fortifications, of which remnants still exist, in spite of the subtle and undermining assaults of the Jumna's waters, could never have been of any importance. Allahabad is the seat of a superior court of justice, and it has been sometimes contemplated to convert it into the locale of the Supreme Government of India, a distinction for which it appears from its central position to be well adapted.

ALLAH HU AKBER! Persian. God is great!

ALLAH KEREEM! God is merciful! A Moslem expression. ALMORA. In the province of Kumaoon. It is situated in Lat. 29 deg. 35 min. N., Long. 79 deg. 44 min. E. It is the modern capital of the province, and the only place of any consequence in it. A regiment of Bengal infantry and a detachment of artillery are quartered here. At Almorah there are five bungalows, called sick bungalows, belonging to Government; these are kept in good repair, and are exclusively for the use of such officers as may go upon sick leave, who are furnished with one to live in, free of all cost, on application, through the executive officer, in whose charge they are, to the officer commanding. These sick houses are, of course, totally unfurnished. As to climate, Almorah is sufficiently cool and pleasant, and it is, unquestionably, a very healthy, renovating one. In regard to society, likewise, there is a sufficiency. Those who visit Almorah on leave, merely for their own pleasure, can always procure bungalows for hire to live in, there being more than are needed for the accommodation of

the officers of the regiment, and others permanently residing at the place, and the rent charged is extremely reasonable. The military cantonments are at the western extremity of, and close to, the city of Almorah. Prior to our invasion and conquest of Kumaon, Almorah was the place of residence of the Goorka Viceroy, who was appointed from Katmandoo; and previous to the Goorka invasion, it was the seat of government of the Rajahs of Kumaon. The town is built on the top of a ridge, running east and west, at an elevation of 5400 feet above the level of the sea. From the nature of its situation, the city of Almorah is principally composed of one long street of nearly a mile in length, though there are suburbs which extend down a long way on both sides of the hill. It is paved with stone throughout, and the houses are generally very good, none being under two stories, and many three and four stories high; the houses even of the poorest people are all built of stone, and have slated roofs, so that they are remarkably substantial. Indeed, those in the town of Almorah are unlike any thing one ever sees in the plains of India, and reminds the visitor of England, to a small town in which country Almorah has altogether a greater resemblance than to one in Hindostan. The officer commanding at Almorah has, also, the general command of all the troops in the district.

ALVAR, or ALWUR, is situated in Lat. 27 deg. 44 min. N., Lon. 76 deg. 32 min. E., at the base of a strongly fortified hill. It is the capital of the Macheree rajah's territories.

AMANUT DUFTER, an office in In

dia for deposits, or perhaps for recording the reports of Aumeens. AMAUN! A Persian cry for " Mercy!" AMBOOR, a town situated near the eastern hills of the Baramahal, about 120 miles westerly of Madras. It is

neat and well built, and manufactures large quantities of castor oil. On a mountain, at one side of the town, there was formerly a strong fort. AMBOYNA, a spice island in the Indian Ocean, Long. 12 deg. 70 min. E., Lat. 40 deg. S. Originally occupied by English and Dutch settlers; the latter expelled the former, but were in their turn driven out in 1796. It was subsequently ceded to the Dutch, in whose hands it now remains. AMEER, (or Emir,) a nobleman. The term is Asiatic and African. Its origin is Moslem.

AMEER UL OMRAH, noble of noble, lord of lords. AMHERST. See AVA. AMLAH, Hindostanee. Agents, officers; the officers of government collectively. A head of zemindary charges. N.B. It is sometimes written omlah, or umlah. ANAM. See COCHIN CHINA. ANARUSH (bromelia ananas), the pine-apple. As the name for this fruit is Persian, and there being no Sanscrit one, it is supposed to be an imported fruit in India, though common all over the country where the climate is not too severe for its growth in the open air; a greenhouse, hot-house, or cool-house for plants or fruits, being yet entirely unknown in India, even amongst Europeans. The common bazar pine of India is a very inferior fruit to the English hot-house pine, and even to those which have been raised with care and under shade (which they seem to prefer) in India. Those of the eastern islands are very far superior, the commonest Malay or Javanese anana being equal, it is said, to the best in India, except, perhaps, those of Goa and other Portuguese establishments on the western coast, where, as in the case of the mango and some other fruits, we still find traces of the care which the early Portuguese colonists bestowed on them. This is probably owing to peculiarities of soil and cli

mate, as well as care, though the Portuguese, like the Dutch, were good gardeners and paid attention to horticulture, which the English, hitherto, cannot be said to have done. It is said, and with much justice, that no fruit in India requires to be eaten more cautiously than this, both by new comers and old residents; it is accused, and with some considerable truth, of occasioning very severe and dangerous attacks of pseudo-cholera and dysentery. To the newly-arrived Europeans, especially of the lower orders, it is indeed a most tempting fruit, and its powerful acid and tough flesh may often make it dangerous to them. An exceedingly beautiful flax, of great fineness and strength, may be prepared from the leaves of this plant by simple maceration and beating. In the Philippine Islands dresses, equal to the finest muslin, are woven from it, and embroidered with extraordinary taste; and though expensive, they last for many years, being in duration, colour, and beauty, equal to fine Flanders lace. ANATHEE, an Indian word, signifying having no lord, master, or owner; from natha, a lord or master, with the primitive a prefixed. Old waste land; lands not cultivated within the memory of man.

ANDAMANS. In the Bay of Bengal, opposite to the Tenasserim coast, and a short distance from it, between Lat. 10 deg. 32 min. and 13 deg. 40 min. N., lie two islands, called the Andamans. The northernmost, or great Andaman, is about 140 miles in length by twenty in breadth. Though considered as only one, the great Andaman consists in reality of three islands, as it is divided in two places by very narrow straits. In the centre of the great Andaman is a mountain named Saddle Peak, about 2,400 feet high. The southernmost, or little Andaman, is about twenty-eight miles in length by seventeen in breadth. There are no rivers of any size. These islands pro

duce various kinds of wood, amongst which are ebony, red wood, damoner, bamboo, and rattans. The coasts abound with fish of every description. In the woods are a few kinds of birds and fowls, and the shores abound with a variety of beautiful shells. There are no other animals, with the exception of swine. Within the caverns and recesses of the rocks are found the edible birds' nests, so highly prized by the Chinese. The vegetable productions are few, and there are no cocoa-nut trees. The inhabitants of these islands are a very singular race, differing entirely not only from all the inhabitants of the neighbouring continent, but also from the natives of the Nicobar islands, though not a hundred miles distant. In appearance, they resemble a degenerate race of negroes, having woolly hair, flat noses, and thick lips. Their eyes are small and red, and their skin of a deep dull black. In stature they seldom exceed five feet, with large heads, high shoulders, protuberant bellies, and slender limbs. They go quite naked, their only covering being composed of a coat of mud, which they plaster all over their bodies, in order to protect themselves from the insects. Their heads and faces they paint with red ochre. They are an exceedingly savage and ignorant race, and have always evinced an inveterate hatred towards strangers, constantly rejecting all intercourse, and frequently attacking boats' crews landing for water. They do not appear ever to have made any attempt to cultivate the ground, but subsist upon what they can pick up and kill. They are armed with wooden spears, and bows and arrows, which they use with much dexterity. As far as can be ascertained, they have no distinct ideas of religion. They appear to pay some sort of adoration to the sun, and to spirits whom they suppose to rule over the woods, and waters, and mountains. They were formerly supposed to be cannibals,

that is, men who eat human flesh, but there is reason to believe that this is not the case. As far as is known of their language, it does not possess the least affinity with any spoken in India, or among the neighbouring islands. The total population is supposed not to exceed

2500.

ANJAR is situated in Lat. 23 deg.

3 min. N., Lon. 70 deg. 11 min. E., about ten miles from the Gulf of Kuch. It contains about 10,000 inhabitants, and is the principal town of the British district of Anjar. It was much injured in 1819 by the earthquake.

ANNA PUONA DEVI, a Hindoo household goddess, extensively worshipped by the Hindoos. Her name implies "the goddess who fills with food," and they believe that a sincere worshipper of her will never want rice. In the modern representations of this beneficent form of Parvati, she is described of a deep yellow colour, standing, or sitting on the lotus, or water-lily. She has two arms, and in one hand holds a spoon, in the other a dish.

ARCOT (Urkat) is situated on the south side of the river Palar, seventy miles south-westerly from Madras. This was the capital of the Carnatic under the government of the Mahomedan nabobs, and it is still a favourite place of residence with Mahomedan families. The fort was formerly large, and tolerably strong, but it is now in ruins. The celebrated Clive took it in 1751 with a small party of 200 European and 300 natives, although the garrison then consisted of 1100 men. The

ARGAUM, a village in the province of India, where the armies of Scindia and the Basla rajah were defeated in 1803 by the British troops, under the Duke of Wellington, then General Wellesley.

ARISTOO, the Persian pronunciation of Aristotle, whose works are highly esteemed among the Orientals. ARNEE is situated about twenty miles to the south of Vellore, in the province of Central, or Middle Carnatic. During the wars with Hyder Ali, this was a place of considerable consequence, and its fortress was Hyder's chief magazine. It is noted for its clever workmanship in cloths, which are held in great estimation by the natives of this part of Hindostan. ARRA. Vide BAHAR. ARRACAN. Arracan lies to the

south-east of Bengal, between Lat. 18 deg. and 21 deg. N., and is bounded on the north by the district of Chittagong, in the province of Bengal, from which it is separated by the river Nauf; east, by a chain of mountains dividing it from Ava; south, by the district of Bassein in Pegu; and west, by the Bay of Bengal. It is divided into the districts of Arracan, Ramree, Sandowy, and Cheduba. The district of Ramree is an island separated from the mainland by a narrow creek. Cheduba is also an island in the open sea, a few miles from the coast of Ramree. It is one of a small cluster, and is in length thirty miles, by