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are governed by the civil laws, or by taste, custom, or fashion. Their dress, their food, the common intercourses of life, their marriages, and their professions, are all under the jurisdiction of religion.

Political Geography. Hindoostan is divided into a great number of separate and independent governments. The company of English merchants, trading to the East-Indies, has acquired possessions, which, in point of extent and population surpass the whole British empire in Europe. The Mogul empire being reduced to insignificance, the English may be considered as the ruling power in Hindoostan. The principal mass of the British possessions consists of the rich and populous provinces of Bahar and Bengal. The capital of British India is CALCUTTA, situated on a branch of the Ganges, 100 miles from the sea, but accessible by the largest merchant ships. It is supposed to contain half a million of people, who are a mixture of various nations. It is the residence of the governor general, of the courts of justice, and of the officers civil and military.

DELHI, the capital of the Mogul empire, was the most celebrated city of India, before it underwent the terrible devastation of the conqueror, Nadir Shah. It still possesses many remains of ancient grandeur and opulence.

INDIA BEYOND THE GANGES.

Boundaries and Extent. THIS peninsula is bounded by Thibet and China on the north; by China and the Chinese sea, east; south by the same sea and the straits of Malacca; west by Hindoostan, and the bay of Bengal. It lies between 1 and 30 degrees north latitude; 2000 miles long, and 1000 broad.

Divisions. India beyond the Ganges is naturally distributed into a number of separate and independent states; of which those that are best known will be briefly noticed

ASSAM

Is bounded west by Bengal and Bootan, north by Thibet, and southeast and south by Meckley. The river Bur

rampooter runs through the whole length of it. Its capi tal is Ghergon. The open parts are marked with population and tillage; the woods abound with elephants. The mountains are inhabited by a people called Nauaes, who go naked and eat dogs, cats, mice, locusts, &c. The other inhabitants of Assam have no fixed religion, or rules of life. They eat all flesh except human, even animals that die a natural death. They are enterprising, savage, vindictive, and fond of war. They have neither horses, asses, nor camels; but they are sometimes brought there from other countries. Asses they are fond of, but are so much afraid of a horse, that one trooper would put a hundred of them to flight. Assam lies between 26 and 28 degrees north latitude, and contains-2,000,000 inhabitants.

BIRMAN EMPIRE..

THE BIRMAN EMPIRE comprises the kingdoms of Ava and PEGU, and derives its name from the Birmahs, a warlike nation of the peninsula. The articles of commerce are rice, cotton, teek-timber, vastly superior to oak for ship building, on which the English East-India company greatly depend; aloes, spices, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, &c. They have mines of copper, lead, and silver. The climate is healthy, and the soil fertile. Their system of jurisprudence is replete with sound morality. Their laws are conscientionsly administered. When a man dies intestate, three fourths of his estate goes to his children born in wedlock. They burn their dead; but people of high distinction are embalmed, and kept six or eight weeks; honey is the principal ingredient used to preserve the body. The population of the empire is supposed to be 17,000,000. In the flat part of the country, which is liable to be overflowed, the houses are built upon stakes, and in time of inundations, the inhabitants communicate with each other by boats. Pegu was an independent kingdom, till 1751; when the king of Birmah made it a province. The or deal trial is common here by putting the head under wa ter, or the hand into hot oil, or melted lead. If the accuser fail he must suffer what is due to the guilty.

The capital of the empire is UMMARA POORA, on a branch of the Irawaddy, and not far from Ava, the ancient cap

ital, which, as well as Pegu, the former capital of the kingdom of Pegu, is abandoned to ruin.

SIAM.

THE kingdom of Siam is bounded north by China, east by Lads and Cambodia, south by the gulf of Siam, west by the bay of Bengal and Pegu; 550 miles in length, and 250 in breadth, though in some places not above 50. Siam and Malacca contain 1,900,000 inhabitants. It is a flat country, and in the rainy season is overflowed: for which reason most of the houses are built on pillars, and have no communication for some months but by boats. The government is despotic and the people poor. There are mines of gold, silver, tin and copper, and plenty of rice, cotton, aloes, benjamin, &c. The tame cattle are beeves, buffaloes, and bogs. The woods abound with elephants, rhinoceroses, leopards, and tigers. The inhabitants, both men and women, go almost naked, but the better sort wear rich garments. They are often mothers at twelve years of age. The king shows himself but once a year to the common people. He is proprietor of all the lands in the country, and keeps a numerous army, among which are 1000 elephants. Their temples and priests are very numerous. They have schools for the education of their children, and there is scarce any among them that cannot read and write. Siam, the capital of the kingdom, is on the Menan, near its mouth, in the gulf of Siam.

MALACCA

Is a peninsula and kingdom, bounded north by Siam, east by the ocean, and southwest by the straits of Malaeca; 600 miles long, and 200 broad. It produces few commodities for trade, except tin, and elephant's teeth; but there are many excellent fruits and roots. The religion of the natives has a mixture of Mahometanism; and they are addicted to juggling. The inland inhabitants are a savage, barbarous people, who take delight in doing mischief to their neighbors. The capital is MALACCA, a seaport on the straits of that name.

LAOS.

To the eastward of Siam and Ava is the kingdom of Laos; a flat country, surrounded by mountains and covered with forests. The large river Mecon crosses the whole region. The climate is temperate and healthful; the soil fertile and rich in mines. The king is an absolute, independent prince, and acknowledges no superior. The kingdom contains 3,000,000 souls.

CAMBODIA

LIES South of Laos, and, like that country, is inclosed by mountains, and fertilized by the large river Mecongum. Mines of gold and precious stones every where abound. In the forests are elephants, lions, and tigers. The soil produces abundance of corn, rice, and various medicinal drugs. The most peculiar product is Camboge. The inhabitants are not numerous; their religion is idolatry. CAMBODIA, the capital, is on the river Mecon.

COCHIN CHINA.

On the eastern coast of India is the kingdom of Cochin China, separated from Laos and Cambodia on the west by a range of mountains. The whole country is intersected by rivers. The climate is healthy. No country produces a greater variety of articles for commerce, such as spices, fruits, different sorts of wood, ivory, gold, silver, &e. The manners of the people closely resemble those of the Chinese. They are pagans.

PERSIA.

Boundaries, Extent, and Population. The kingdom of Persia is bounded north by Georgia, the Caspian sea, and Usbec Tartary, west by Turkey and Arabia, south by the gulfs of Persia and Ormus, and the Arabian sea, east by Hindoostan proper; 1220 miles from east to west, 900 from north to south. It has 22,000,000 inhabitants.

Rivers. The chief rivers are the Tigris and Amute

Climate and Productions. In the north and east parts it is mountainous and cold; in the middle and southeast parts, sandy and desert; in the south and west, level and fertile, though for several months very hot. The soil produces all sorts of pulse and corn, except oats and rye. In several places, naphtha, a sort of bitumen, rises out of the ground; and there are mines of gold, silver, iron, turcois stones, and salt; the two first are not worked, on account of the scarcity of wood. Among the excellent products of Persia, are dates, pistachionuts, and poppies that produce the finest opium. They have extensive plantations of mulberry trees for silk worms; and large flocks of sheep and goats. Their camels, horses, mules, asses, oxen, and buffaloes, are the best of their kind, and are indifferently used for carrying passengers or burdens, the horses excepted, which are only used for the saddle.

Manufactures. The principal manufactures are silks, satins, tabbies, taffetas, and silk mixed with cotton, or with camel's or goat's hair; brocades, gold tissues, and gold velvet, carpets, calicoes, camlets, &c. Their dying is preferred to any thing of the kind in Europe.

Civil and Political History. During the last century, Persia was desolated by competitors for the sovereignty. So late as 1807, there was a formidable insurrection against the Persian monarch, headed by Been Sing, a man of extraordinary enterprise and courage. The Persians are generally Mahometans, of the sect of Ali.

ISPAHAN, a celebrated city, is the capital of Persia. It contains 1,000,000 inhabitants. Shiras and Teflis are darge and populous cities.

ARABIA.

ARABIA is bounded on the west by the Red Sea, and the isthmus of Suez, northeast by the Euphrates, which divides it from the ancient Mesopotamia; east by the gulfs of Persia and Ormus; and south by the Indian o cean. On the north, this country runs up to an angle, about 100 miles east of Palmyra, which is not included in Arabia. It lies between 12 30 and 31 30 north latitude, extending 1800 miles in length, and 800 average breadth,

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