tract of fine country, compelled the Bri. tish government to send an adequate force for the reduction of his power, which was found to be considerable, and in connection with all the other tributary chieftains in the province.

The Mahrattas having been expelled, it soon became necessary to take some measures regarding the universal Hindoo pilgrimage resorting to Jagannath. The liberal and benevolent policy of the British government was the cause of a proclamation being issued, that the taxes and fines hitherto levied upon all descriptions of pilgrims, at numerous barriers established for that purpose by the Mahratta government, should be totally done away, and all Hindoos had full and free permission to approach the object of their religious veneration at all times and seasons without any restraint whatever. When this notice became promulgated and generally understood over the extended regious inhabited by Hindoos in various parts of India, they lost no time in endeavoring to benefit by it, and the multiudes that entered the province for that purpose, particularly as the festival of the Rutjatra approached, were immense. The first consequence thereof was experienced in a scarcity of food, which was severely felt over the whole provinces. The parts that suffered most were the towns and villages on the high road, to whom application was made for grain. Not being Fable to supply the demand, the importunity from very numerous famishing crowds soon became intolerable, added to the nuisance created by so many Hindoos performing the usual ablution after performing the calls of nature, spoiled all the water, and compelled the inhabitants to fly, pursued by voracious multitudes: the former obscured themselves in the woods, but the improvident pilgrims suffered severely, and the attention of government was soon excited to prevent the recurrence of so dreadful a disaster. In this measure originated the necessity of levying a sufficient impost upon all and every pilgrim proceeding to Jagannath, to defray that expense necessarily incurred to provide for their sustenance, and the maintenance of good order among them; for it never could be supposed that a Christian government would spontaneous

of a barbarous superstition among its subjects, any further than the feelings of humanity might dictate: and I apprehend this is the branch of revenue upon which the proprietors of East-India stock have received congratulations, from a well meant but mistaken zeal, in a late very respectable character, who happened to visit Jagannath soon after this assessment upon the pilgrims was established.

The extreme veneration of the Oreal Hindoo natives, together with all of that cast generally, for the religious character and person of the Rajah, rendered it a matter of some doubt in what manner to proceed on account of his unwarrantable and cruel proceedings, for although he was an infant, and the acts of his government were those of his ministers and officers, it was all done in his name. The Mahratta being a Hindoo government, they never hesitated at any time to adopt much the same policy towards this Rajah (as Bonaparte did to his holiness the Pope) seizing upon his temporal property in levying by force a heavy annual tribute, and realising from the temple the greatest possible pecuniary fines from the pilgrims, amounting altogether to a very considerable sum annually. The independent chieftains generally omitted to pay any tribute until called for, and generally withheld it until they had been worsted in battle, with the probable prospect of the loss of all their lands; then and then only were they induced to pay: and this was not unsatisfactory to the Mahratta lo- cal government in Cuttack, as it afforded an excuse to the Rajah of Berar, their immediate sovereign, for maintaining at a great expense a large military force; it encouraged military adventurers from all parts of India to seek for service in the province, serving with any party that would pay them most, and this led to the granting of lands, particularly to a colony of Sikhs, for military service. The Mahrattas had built a stone fort at Sarrunghur, about four miles to the S.W. of Cuttack, upon the skirts of the Jagannath Rajah's woods, to check the depredations committed by his subjects in that part of the country; but the situation was ill chosen, and being in many respects incomplete, it had never been occupied by the British troops: but

now it was thought advisable to establish a force in it sufficient to prevent an enemy taking possession, as well as to support any operations that might be adopted in that direction towards Koordah, the ancient name of the strong hold and residence of the Rajah. A force of not much less than seven thousand men, infantry and cavalry, regular and irregular, with a proportion of artillery, moved in various directions to attack the Rajal's army, very strongly posted in Koordahgür, and garrisoned as reported by not less than twenty thousand men, of which some were mercenaries and foreigners, mostly foot, 'with a small body of horse, but they were mostly composed of the Orea inha bitants, an athletic, hardy race, and if well attached, not deficient in resolution and personal bravery, using the matchlock gun, sword, and spear.

Koordalıgur, the residence of the Rajah, is situated about twenty miles S.W. of Cuttack; (but the extent of country under the immediate management of the Rajah is considerable: particularly among the woods and hilly country to the west, the limits probably have never been accurately ascertained). It is inclosed by a belt of impervious forest, perhaps to the depth of many miles, carefully trained to grow into a close mass of the most thorny thickets. The only avenues to the interior were through defiles strongly fortified: the principal entrance was from the eastward, communicating with the road leading to the town' of Peeply, and this was carefully strengthened; there were two other accessible entrances into this strong hold, one from the N.W. and the other from the west. To distract the attention of the enemy, it was thought advisable to make three separate attacks, the principal to be directed on the N.W. and west, which being little exposed to notice, and not so mach frequented from the wild countries still more to the westward, were not so much strengthened, and the mass of forest was not so deep. The route pursued by the troops was along the south bank of the Mahanuddy river, a country beautifully picturesque with hill and dale, the views on the river uncommonly fine. The enemy sometimes appeared in ambush, and their attack was more alarming than disastrous. In one part of the river they had mounted some small guns on a high

bank commanding the navigation, and cutting off the trade with Cuttack; the guns were soon removed, and the party Hed. The three attacks on the entrance into the wood were by agreement simultaneous, and all succeeded, after experiencing much resistance in penetrating through the depth of forest; but it terminated by opening into a beautiful vale of an oval form, about three miles long by two in width, the whole cultivated with a fine crop of rice nearly ready for reaping. It contained also a fine mango grove, and a neat village; but the Rajah resided upon a hill at the south end of the vale, the approach to which was strongly stoc kaded and fortified with several barriers and a well constructed stone wall inclosing a part of the summit of the hill, in which the Rajah and his family had very long resided with his principal officers and domestics. When the different columns of attack met in the vale, the encampment occupied a large part, and the Rajah's troops retired to the barriers at the foot of the hill fortress, some parties remaining without, who attempted to re-occupy the fortified entrances into the wood that had been forced and partly demolished, thereby attempting to inclose and cut off all communication with the force encamped within. A few alerts from our troops in the night soon disconcerted this plan of operations on the part of the enemy, and artillery being placed to command all the avenues leading to the hill fort, the range of the numerous garrison, reported to be about twenty thousand men, became much circumscribed. A deficiency of provision and other causes soon occasioned the multitude to disperse, for which they took opportunities in the night, until the number might be reduced to a garrison of about a thousand men.

After three weeks' operations, ascertaining the real strength of the works, which it was extremely difficult to discover, as no native could be induced to describe them, and from their complicated and irregular form, when partly described, were not easily intelligible. A large space was inclosed at the bottom of the hill with a ditch and rampart, very much covered by plantations of bamboo, the whole extent of which was occupied by parties using matchlocks and jingal guns, having an open clear space of about two hundred

yards extent around it; from this barrier parties issued in the night close up to the batteries. To discover the nature of the works upon the hill was impracticable until the outer barrier was forced; therefore, after some cannonading, the commander resolved to storm it in two places. The officer commanding the principal force, very gallantly leading, received a jinjal shot that struck and destroyed his gorget, and another that passed through his hat, without being much hurt. After a short conflict the troops penetrated, pursuing the Rajah's soldiers, who retired rapidly to the interior stockades, of which there 'were several, constructed on the slope of the hill, which was very steep. In forcing these works, the principal storming party was much exposed to a very heavy fire from works on the sides of the hill, but it was ill directed, till at length they gained the foot of the stone wall and gateway, leading into the body of the place on the summit of the hill. With great zeal and exertion a heavy iron twelve-pounder was drawn up to the gate, with the intention of forcing it, but a projecting stone wall entirely covered it, and was a great disappointment to this project; ladders were applied, but at this juncture the other party, that had been conducted by an unfrequented track to a place where the stone wall terminated in an unfinished manner on a precipitous part of the hill, met with little opposition, and at this place climbed up with great difficulty upon the top of the wall into the body of the place, and imme. diately proceeded to the gateway, from whence they drove the enemy and let the principal force in, when the whole proceeded to the Rajah's dwelling, from which he had recently fled with the garrison, through a gateway on the south side of the hill. The troops being much exhausted, were not able to pursue for more than a few mlies, and thus terminated the capture of Koordahgur; but such was the adherence of the natives to the Rajah's family, that to settle the country while he was at large was found impracticable. Several very active and well concerted projects to capture him and disperse the remainder of his adherents, though executed by very able and enterprising officers, did not succeed; but he became alarmed at a proclamation

issued for his apprehension, and at length opened a communication with an officer confidentially employed (proposing to surrender upon terms), who was dispatched without delay, and after a very arduous excursion into a remote and wild part of the country, received into his custody Muckund Deo, the young Rajah, then eighteen years of age, and conveyed him to camp, upon terms highly beneficial to his real interest and happiness, and quite satisfactory to the British government, who now found no difficulty in trauquillizing the whole province.

One chieftain who possessed the inundated unhealthy country on the sea-coast, near to Point Palmyras, the Rajah of Kunka, had worsted the Mahratta generals upon all attempts to subdue him; they having embarked troops and guns in large unwieldy flat-bottomed boats, almost unmanageable, in the vicinity of the sea, and in the mouths of the larger streams, their expeditions usually terminated in surrender to the Rajah's lighter vessels, that were narrow and very long, rowing one hundred oars, with their sides well barricaded to cover his men. They expertly and quickly moved round the Mahratta boats in all directions, moving out of the way of the fire of their guns, and killing their men with their matchlocks, until the whole were captured and barbarously carried into slavery; but few of their prisoners lived long, from the extremely unhealthy nature of the climate, in which only those could live who were born in it. The Mahrattas' dread of this chieftain and his country was very great.. The gun-brigs sent from Calcutta could navigate but few of these streams, at low water many being dry, and the Oreas were very expert in stockading the streams and throwing up cover, from which they could be enfiladed. The channels leading to the Rajah's strong hold were much obstructed, situated in one of the most unhealthy salt marshes that can be conceived. A well concerted enterprise captured some of the Rajah's boats, and then our troops

The inhabitants in the adjacent country as he passed came out and prostrated themselves on the ground in the most humble act of adoration, which added to the alarm and apprehension expressed by his relatives and adherents, rendered this service a matter requiring considerable management; and before the Rajah would consent much soothing conciliation was required.

proceeding in them, soon made their way to Kunkagur, when the chief came out and surrendered. Thus terminated the principal operations of the British troops in subduing this fine province, in March 1805; it was soon after this period put entirely under the authority of the civil power.

Cuttack is not surpassed in variety of soil and produce by any province under the British dominion in India; some parts of it are as yet probably unexplored and unknown. The soil on the sea-coast is mostly alluvial and soft loam, in some parts sandy. A very valuable manufacture in salt is carried on through its whole extent. A little removed from the sea, rice is produced, and generally cultivated over the whole province, in several different kinds, with many other species of grain and pulse, aromatic roots and spices, also some valuable dying drugs, the sugar-cane, and in the hilly country, Tudian corn and some wheat. The hills abound in a variety of granite, some of it a fine grained compact stone; some species of laminated shistus, from which good slate might be cut. In some parts iron ore is to be found, and from the beds of the mountain torrents gold dust is said to be collected; but all the produce of this extensive and fertile province is probably not ascertained. When the rivers filled with the periodical rains, large logs of various kinds of timber were brought down with the stream from a cousiderable distance; among them was soon recognised very good teak and other valuable timber, but the forests are extremely unhealthy, and can only be explored in the months of April and May, when the exhalations and forest ague are least noxious; but in some parts of the hills, the clove orange is produced in great perfec.

tion. The banks of the rivers, particularly contiguous to the hills, are very beautiful and picturesque; the Mahanuddy and Bitturny are the most considerable streams. The city of Cuttack was computed at that time to contain one hundred thousand inhabitants. It is situated between two branches of the Mahanuddy river, that diverge about three miles to the westward of the city, and in the rainy season nearly insulate it.

the

I shall now conclude with a few remarks on the climate, such as it was experienced in part of 1803, 1804, and part of 1805. The periodical rains did not commence so early as in Bengal, and were comparatively light until September, when the rivers swell and overdow their banks; clouds dispersed, and the weather became serene and settled in November. A mild winter was experienced till the end of January, but in no instance did I perceive the thermometer below 60° of Farenheit. In February and part of March, the most dense mists were very frequentin the morning, continuing until near noon, followed by clear and serene evenings and nights; hot winds prevail in April, May,' and June, and then the summer heats are very oppressive, and severely felt in tents and temporary habitations; but the nights are mostly cool, and this hot season is frequently refreshed by tremendous storms of thunder, lightning, and rain. Upon the whole, it was considered as a preferable climate for an European constitution, to the more humid atmosphere of Bengal, and certainly the aspect of many parts of the province much more interesting, the waters abounding with a great variety of sea and river fish, the champaign country, hills, and wilds with many varieties of game, including many of the most ferocious animals and serpents.

LETTER II.

ON ORIENTAL ARCHITECTURE.

Among the various styles of architecture that are found in diffe. rent parts of the world none is more worthy of attention than the oriental. Whether we view its gigantic efforts at Salsette, of an

antiquity which baffles all history or tradition, or the light and winning graces of the more modern Mussulman style, there is much to amuse the philosopher, and to instruct and refine the artist.

It is justly remarked by Cicero, that all the arts have a certain re

lation to each other, and one science frequently elucidates another. This will be equally true of the several modes or species of any particular art; and in a dissertation on Oriental Architecture occasional remarks on other styles will not be deemed intrusive, and more particularly as it respects the national Gothic, which, considered as its daughter or sister, although bred and brought to maturity in a distant clime, may be expected from their common origin to exhibit some common features.

A brief view of the supposed history of the art will illustrate its general principles and facilitate their application to a particular style.

The common opinion is that the first men dwelt in grottos in the rocks. The Cyclops, who must be considered as exhibiting the tradition of the earliest ages, dwelt according to Homer in horrible caverns.* The Cimmerians + who inhabited Greece and Italy are described by him under circumstances which may lead us to suppose them troglodytes. The heroes and demigods of antiquity are constantly represented as brought up in caverns. Pindar || represents Jason and Esculapius as educated in the hollows of rocks. Strabo¶ makes Dardanu's born in one. Pausanias says the Nymph who gave birth to Pyrrhus had a grotto for a dwelling. And thus it was in a similar abode that Homer composed his sublime poems. It is unnecessary to enlarge upon the immense habitations which according to Herodotus; Nicotris ** and Zamolzis ++ had contrived under ground. These recitals may appear exaggerated; but they disclose the real opinion of the ancients on the earliest dwellings of

Odyss. b. ix. ver. 86. † Ibid. b. xi. ver. 14. Strabo, b. v. p. 374. More probably the shores of the Euxine. Ed. Nem, od. iii. ver. 94. Book viii. p. 532. ** B. vii. ch. 5, p. 535. also b, ix. ch. 39, p. 784. tt B, ii. ch. 100, p. 148. B. iv. ch. 95, p. 324.

Where no such asylum was presented by nature, and man was compelled by necessity (that hard featured but benevolent mother) to exert his own ingenuity, his first effort would probably be with a few boughs of trees, or poles, ranging them circularly at the base and uniting them at the top, forming a sort of conical hut. This plastered over with clay or with other branches interwoven would form a tolerable security, and to this day the efforts of some of the most backward nations are of this' sort; and the cabins of the Irish are but little superior.

As the mind of man is ever naturally active, this hut would be gradually improved. By mutual assistance they would be able to The trunks of trees. manage

quadrangular form would then rudely suggest itself as more convenient. These trunks of trees. being placed perpendicularly as posts, with regular intervals, and other beams laid horizontally on the tops of them as lintels, would circumscribe the place of habitation in the middle. Upon these rested the beams of the ceiling, and an inclined roof being added you have the type of the Doric Temple. Leisure and attention' would continue to improve, and having accomplished the essentially useful, graceful proportion and decent ornament would gradually be added. Such and no better was the model, when, touched by the hand of genius, the post and lintel were transmuted into the column and entablature, and the wooden hut became a marble temple. Thus arose the Grecian Doric temple ; a composition which bears the authentic and characteristic marks of its legitimate: origin in wooden construction