COS IM BUZ AR«
S i l k .
M o t t e G i l l .
P l a s s e y .
quented pafiage from Calcutta into the main part o f the river;
but unfortunately is almoft dry from October to May.
A t the diftance of about two miles from that city is Cofmi-
buzar, a fmall town, but the center of trade o f all the European
fadtors; vaft quantities of raw filk is prepared here, and
great variety of piece-filk and handkerchiefs made, beiides
ftockings, gloves, and other articles, all knit by the men. The
filkworms are fed on a dwarf fpecies o f mulberry, the Morus
Indica o f Linnceus, the Babegarany, and Caju Befaar of Rumpb.
Amb. v. tab. v. and the Tinda Parva of Rheede, in Ray's Hiß.
PI. ii. 1569. I do not find a botanift to vindicate my putting
the fpecies naturalized in Europe among the trees of India.
In the neighborhood is Motte Gill, or the lake o f pearl, one of
the moil elegant Mahometan palaces, now the refidence of
an Engli/b faftor. It receives its title from the pellucid water of
the lake; that of the Ganges is fo muddy as to produce a fedi-
ment of one-fourth.
Below this town the channel paifes by PlaJJey, a fmall place,
immortalized by the glorious viftory obtained on June 22d, 1757,
by Colonel Clive over the army o f Surajab Dowlab, compofed
o f fifty thoufand foot, eighteen thoufand horfe, and fifty pieces
o f cannon, with a handful o f men ihort o f three thoufand two
hundred, o f which nine hundred were Europeans. He forced
the camp, and after a Well contefted fight, in which the faithful
general o f the Nabob Was ilain, drove the Indian army out
o f the field, and gave to the Eafl India Company the eventual
pofieffion of Hindooßan. I cannot pafs by this diftinguiihed
character without a ihort eulogy. No age produced an officer
„ equal
equal in intrepidity. Amidft the greateft dangers he retained
the moil wonderful coolnefs, but inftantly purfued his plan, or
changed it inftantaneoufly, according as the greatnefs of his genius
fuggefted, and the neceffity o f the moment required. His life
was full of fertility inrefources. His friends admit o f his foibles.
I will not raife motes in my own eyes to obftruit the beauty of
the imagery. I only am hurt by the fictitious treaty with Omi-
chund. The generous IVatfdn declined to participate in the
means. Others might have been ufed. Omicbund played the
part o f a double traitor, neither fide would have cenfured his
fate, and the fecret might have remained for ever fecure. He
died eventually of a broken heart; had his death been anticipated
a few days by any other means, where would have been
the crime f We were not always fo delicate 1 Political neceffity
has made many an honeft man a knave !
F bom PlaJJey, the branch o f the Ganges proceeds fouth, and
is foon augmented by the Adji, which rifes about a hundred and
fixty miles to the north-weft, and not far below their conflux it
meets the Jellinghy, a moft meandering branch o f the Ganges, Jeiunghy
which quits the parent ftream fixteen miles above Moorjhedabad, River-
and is another channel o f communication between the capital,
Calcutta, and the Ganges, and all the vaft internal navigation by
means of the numerous auxiliary rivers. Eleven, fays Mr.
Rennel, are of fuch magnitude, that moft of them equal the
Rhine, and none are inferior to the Thames. This begins at a
town called Jellinghy, which gives name to the branch almoft
to Hoogly; yet even this is unnavigable in certain periods, notwithftanding