wars carried on by the different tribes between themselves, without any concern or interference of the sovereign. This form of government keeps every part of the country in a state of continaal tumult and ferment. The army of the king is estimated at 150,000 or 200,000 men, principally cavalry, but his ability to raise this number depends on the co-operation of the different tribes.

Character.] The Afghans are in general a stout, well made people, of a swarthy complexion, brave, generous and sincere. Hospitality is a virtue for which the nation is eminently distinguished. Not only a stranger, but the bitterest enemy, beneath the roof of an Afghan, is in perfect security. Yet with this courtesy and humanity, are combined almost universally habits of plunder and robbery. The extent of these practices varies among different tribes, and in those placed under the immediate eye of the sovereign they are much restrained; but in the heights of the Solimaun ridge of mountains the tribes are all robbers, and some of them little better than savages. The Tadschiks are the most cultivated part of the population, and pay as much attention to literature as the same race in Persia.

BELOOCHISTAN.

Situation and Extent.] Beloochistan is bounded N. by Cabul, E. by Hindoostan; S. by the Indian ocean; and W. by Persia. The area is estimated at $76,000 square miles.

Face of the Country.] Until the late visit of Mr. Pottinger this country had not been traversed by Europeans since the rash and perilous return of Alexander the Great. It appears to be cov ered with numerous rugged chains of mountains, separated from each other by sandy deserts. The mountains are very lofty, but do not bestow on the country their usual gift of fertilizing moisture. In a journey through the whole length of the country from east to west Mr. Pottinger never met a stream which would take a horse above the knee. The beds of mountain torrents are usually dry; but they are subject to the danger experienced by Alexander, of the water rushing down so suddenly and rapidly as to render escape difficult.

Inhabitants.] The number of the inhabitants is estimated at 3,000,000. They consist principally of two tribes, the Belooches and the Brahooes; but there are also a considerable number of Hindoos and Parsees in the large towns. The Belooches are honorable robbers; plunder, on a small scale, being held by them

in the utmost contempt; but they frequently make incursions into the neighboring countries, and rushing out at midnight upon devoted villages, set them on fire, and kill or carry off men, women, children and flocks. The Brahooes are a peacable, mild, honest and industrious race, inhabiting the mountainous districts, and subsisting chiefly on their flocks. Both these nations are divided into numerous tribes, under separate chiefs, most of whom acknowledge the sovereignty of a khan or king, who resides at Kelat. Some of the tribes, however, are subject to the king of Cabul.

Chief Towns.] Kelat, the capital, is a well built towns in lat. 29° 6' N. lon. 67° 57′ E. It contains the royal palace and about 4,000 houses and has a lively trade.

HINDOOSTAN.

Situation and Extent.] Hindoostan is bounded N. by Tibet; E. by Farther India; S. E. by the bay of Bengal; S. W. by the Indian ocean, and N. W. by the kingdom of Cabul. It has natural boundaries on all sides, viz. the Indus, the Himmaleh mountains, the bay of Bengal and the Indian ocean. It extends from 8° to

35 N. lat. and from 68° to 92° E. lon. The area is estimated at 1,020,000 geographical square miles.

Divisions.] Hindoostan is divided by Major Rennel into four parts. 1. Gangetic Hindoostan, or the part watered by the Ganges and its tributaries, lying in the N. E. 2. Sindetic Hindoosian, or the part watered by the Sinde or Indus, lying in the N. W. 3. Southern Hindoostan, or the part south of the river Kistna. 4. Central Hindoostan including all the country between the three first divisions. Each of these divisions is subdivided into several provinces, which are given in the following table, together with the state or sovereign to whom they belong.

The Afghans and several Hindoo and Seik chiefs.
Several Mahometan chiefs.

The rajahs of Odeypore, Jypore, Joudpore, and
several other Hindoo chiefs, some of whom are
Mahrattas.

The British, Mahrattas, and a number of in-
dependent petty chiefs.

The Mahrattas, and several other Hindoo chiefs.
The Mahrattas.

The Mahrattas and Nizam.

Gundwana, The Mahrattas and several other Hindoo chiefs.
Aurungabad, The Mahrattas and Nizam.

Hyderabad, Nizam.

Khandesh,

Central

Berar,

Hindoos

tan.

Nandere,

Nizam.

Orissa,

The British and Mahrattas.

Circars,

The British.

Bejapore,

The Mahrattas and Nizam.

Mysore,

The rajah of Mysore.

Cochin, The rajar of Cochin.

Travancore, The rajah of Travancore.

Southern

Hindoos

Canara,

The following is given by Mr. Hamilton as an estimate of the extent and population of the territories belonging to each of the Sovereign states or princes occupying this vast region.

Mountains.] 1. The lofty chain of the Himmaleh mountains stretches along the whole northern boundary, separating Hindoostan from Tibet. 2. The western Ghauts commence at Cape Comorin, the southern extremity of Hindoostan, and run along the western coast of the peninsula to the river Tuptee in lat. 21° N. They are generally between 3,000 and 4,000 feet high, and present towards the sea an abrupt and steep declivity. 3. The eastern Ghauts are a shorter range, commencing on the north side of the river Cavery, and running nearly parallel with the eastern or Coromandel coast to the river Kistna. They are in some places 3,000 feet high, and divide the province of the Carnatic into two parts, called the Carnatic Bala-ghaut (or above the Ghauts) and the Carnatic Payeen-ghaut (or below the Ghauts.) 4. The Vindhya mountains commence in the province of Bahar and run from east to west through the provinces of Allahabad and Malwah, separating the waters which run north into the Ganges from those which run south into the Nerbuddah.

Face of the Country.] The northern part of Hindoostan, included between the Himmaleh and Vindhya mountains, forms an immense plain, such as, under the rays of a tropical sun, is too often exposed to extensive aridity and desolation. It is preserved, however, from these evils by that mighty storehouse of waters contained in its great northern barrier of mountains. From every part of this chain vast floods are poured down, which spread their innumerable channels over the plains beneath. These streams, however, descending from the north, direct themselves either eastward to the Ganges, or westward to the Indus, and leave between the two rivers an extensive unwatered region, which forms a great sandy desert, approaching in its aspect to the most dreary parts of Arabia and Africa. Central Hindoostan is intersected by the Vindhya mountains, the western Ghauts and several inferior ranges proceeding from them. The country south of the Kistna, included between the western and eastern Ghauts, consists of a high table land, elevated 2,000 or 3,000 feet above the level of the sea.

Rivers.] The Ganges is the principal river. The source of this celebrated stream was for a long period involved in obscurity. A survey has, however, been recently made by order of the British Indian government, and it has been found to issue in a small stream, under the name of Bhagirathi, from under a mass of perpetual snow, accumulated on the southern side of the Himmaleh mountains, between 31° and 32° N. lat. and 78° and 79° E.

ton. In lat. 30° 9′ N. it receives the Alcananda, and the united stream, taking the name of the Ganges, pursues a southwesterly course for 30 or 40 miles, till it issues from the mountains at Hurdwar, where it turns to the S. E. and after receiving numerous tributaries, divides at Sooty, in lat. 24° 26' N. the smaller arm here again takes the name of the Bhagirathi, which the Hindoos are taught to believe has run unmixed from its source with the less sacred rivers, and passing by Calcutta, discharges itself into the bay of Bengal; while the larger stream continues its course under the name of Puddah, and after throwing off several branches receives the mighty Brahmaputra near the point where it discharges itself into the ocean. The lower part of the Delta of the Ganges, called the Sunderbunds, is an uninhabited country, overgrown with forests, and infested by tigers. The Ganges is computed to be 1500 miles in length, and at 500 miles from its mouth is, during the rainy season, 4 miles broad and 60 feet deep. Its principal tributaries are, 1. The Jumna, which rises in the Himmaleh mountains a little west of the sources of the Ganges, and after passing the cities of Delhi and Agra, receives the Chumbull, a great river, from the south, and falls into the Ganges at Allahabad. Its length may be estimated at 780 miles. 2. The Gogra, which rises in the Himmaleh mountains, and joins the Ganges near lat. 26° N. 3. The Brahmaputra or Burrampooter, which rises in Tibet on the north side of the Himmaleh mountains, near the sources of the Ganges, and after a long course to the east, turns to the west and afterwards to the south and joins the great eastern branch of the Ganges near its mouth.

The Indus or Scind is formed by two streams, one of which, called the Leh, rises on the N. side of the Himmaleh mountains, not far from the sources of the Ganges, and running in a N. W. direction meets the other branch near Leh or Luddack in lat. 36° N. The united stream taking a S. W. direction breaks through the mountains, and forming the western boundary of Hindoostan discharges itself by several mouths into the sea after a course of 1,300 miles. In lat. 28° 20′ N. it is joined by the five rivers of the Punjab, united into one stream, called the Punjnud. The longest of the five rivers is the Setledge, which rises on the N. side of the Himmaleh mountains near the sources of the Ganges and Brahmaputra.

The Nerbuddah rises in the province of Gundwaneh, and running in a westerly direction for 750 miles falls into the gulf of Cambay. The Tuptee or Taptee runs parallel with the Nerbuddah, and passing by Surat falls into the gulf of Cambay 12 miles below.

The Mahanuddy rises near the source of the Nerbuddah, and running in a S. E. direction discharges itself into the bay of Bengal through several mouths in about lat. 20° N. The Godavery rises in the Western Ghants about 70 miles N. E. of Bombay, and running in a S. E. direction for 800 miles, discharges itself by several mouths into the bay of Bengal between 16° and 17° N. lat. The Kistna or Krishna rises in the Western Ghauts and after