Islāmābād alias Chātgāon (Chittagong), from ancient times, has been a large town, and its environs are forests of trees. It is south-east of Murshidabad on the seacoast, and in ancient times it was a large port. The traders of every country— especially the ships of the Christians— used to frequent it. But at present, since Calcutta is a large port, all other ports of Bengal have fallen into decay. It is said that ships which founder in other parts of the sea re-appear in front of Chittagong; it rests with the nar­rator to prove this. The ebb and flow of the sea occurs also here. And the fighting-cocks of that tract are well known.

Sarkār Baglā was also a fort on the seacoast, and around it was a forest of trees. And the ebb and flow of the sea also occurs there, similarly to what occurs at other places on the senside and in the environs of Calcutta. In the twenty-ninth year of the acces­sion to the throne of Emperor Akbar, one hour of the day was remaining, when a strange flood occurred, in consequence of which the whole town was submerged. The Rajāh of that town, getting on a boat, escaped. For five hours the fury of the storm, and lightning and thunder, and tumult of the sea lasted. Two laks of human beings and cattle were engulfed in the sea of annihilation.

Rāngpūr and Ghorāghāt.— Here silk is produced, and Tangan ponies, coming from the mountains of Bhutān, sell. A fruit called Latkan of the size of walnuts, and with the taste of pome­granates, and containing three seeds, grows there.

Sarkār Mahmūdābād was a fort, and in its environs were rivers. In the period when Sher Shāh conquered Bengal, a num­ber of elephants belonging to the Rājah of that place escaped into the jungles; ever since which elephants are to be obtained in those jungles. And pepper also grows in those parts.

Bārbakābād. A good stuff called Gangājal is manufactured there, and large oranges also thrive there.

Sarkār Bāzūhā is a forest of trees, these being trees of ebony which are used in construction of buildings and boats. And mines of iron are also found in that tract.

Sarkār Silhat is a mountainous region, woollen shields are very well made there; they are famous for their beauty through­out the empire of Hindūstān. And delicious fruits— such as oranges, &c., are obtained. And the China-root is also procured from that tract, and the aloes-wood abounds in its mountains. It is said that in the last month of the rainy season, the ‘ūd tree is felled and is left in water and exposed to the air, then whatever shoots forth is utilised, and what decays is thrown away. A kind of small bird called Banraj, which is black in colour, and has red eyes and long tail, and parti-coloured, pretty, and long wings, is easily snared and tamed there. It catches the note of every animal that it hears. Similarly, Shīrganj is the name of another bird; it is not different from Banrāj in any way, except in this that the legs and the beak of Shīrganj are red. Both these are flesh-eaters, and prey on small birds like sparrows, &c.

Large cows, able to carry heavy loads, and large goats, and large fighting-cocks are bred there.

Sarkār Madāran, is on the southern limit of the kingdom of Bengal. There is a mine of small diamond there.

Akbarnāgar alias Rājmahal, is on the banks of the Ganges. Formerly it was a large and populous city. And a Faujdār of rank, on behalf of the Nāzim of Bengal, resided there. At present it is in complete dilapidation and ruin.

The town of Māldah* is on the banks of the river Mahānauda. At a distance of three karoh towards the north, is situate holy Pandūah,* which contains the sacred shrine of Haẓrat Makh­dūm Shāh Jalāl Tabrīz* (May God sanctify his shrine!) and the sacred mausoleum of Haẓrat Nūr Qutubu-l-‘Ālam Bangāli* (May God illuminate his tomb!), which are places of pilgrimage for the people, and resorts of the indigent and the afflicted, and are channels of various boons. For instance, every traveller and beggar who arrives there, and stops therein the night, is not allowed to cook his food for three meals. The servants there supply him from the public store-house, either with cooked food, or with rice, pulse, salt, oil, meat and tobacco, according to his position in life. And every year in the month of Shab-i-barāt or Zīlhajh, whichever of these months falls in the dry season, a fair attended by a large number of people is held, so much so that laks of people from distances of fifteen and twenty days’ journey, such as Hūghli, Silhat and Jahāngirnagar, &c., come and congre­gate, and benefit by pilgrimage. And in Māldah and in its environs, good silk-stuff as well as a kind of cotton-stuff of the sort of muslin is manufactured. Plenty of silk-worms are found in its environs, and raw silk is turned out. And for a period of time, the factory of the English Company has been fixed on the other side of the Mahānanda. They buy cotton and silk piece-goods, made to order of the chiefs of the English Company, who make advances of money in the shape of bai ‘sallam. Raw silk is also manufactured in the factory. And since two or three years, an indigo-factory has been erected, close to the above factory. The Company manufactures and purchases indigo, loads it on ships, and exports it to its own country. Similarly, close to the ruins of Gaur, in the village of Goāmālti, another masonry-built factory has been erected; at it also indigo is manufactured. Although a description of the town of Māldah was not necessary, yet as since two years my master, Mr. George Udney (May his fortune always last) has been holding here the office of the Chief of the Factory of the Company, and also since in this place this humble servant has been engaged in the composition and compilation of this book, the above narrative has been given.*