spread Brahminism with his conquests, and won the
hand of King Jannuk’s daughter, Seeta, by bending
her father’s how. These people are called Coles, a
middle-sized, strong, very dark, and black-haired race,
with thick bps: they have no occupation but collecting
iron from the soil, which occurs abundantly in nodules.
They eat flesh, whether that of animals killed by themselves,
or of those which have died a natural death ;
and tniy with Hindoos, but not with Mussulmen.
The hill-rangers, or Bhagulpore - rangers, aré all
natives of the Rajmahal hills, and form a local corps
maintained by the Company for the protection of the
district. For many years these people were engaged in
predatory excursions, which, owing to the nature of the
country, were checked with great difficulty. The plan
was therefore conceived, by an active magistrate in the
district, of embodying a portion into a military force,
for the protection of the country from invasions of their
own tribes; and this scheme has answered perfectly.
To me the most interesting object in Bhagulpore was
the Horticultural Gardens, whose origin and flourishing
condition are due to the activity and enterprise of the
late Major Napleton, commander of the hill-rangers.
The site is good, consisting of fifteen acres, that were,
four years ago, an indigo field, but now form a smiling
garden. About fifty men are employed ; and the
number of seeds and vegetables annually distributed is
very great. Of trees the most conspicuous are the
tamarind, Tecoma jasminoides, Erythrina, Adansonia,
Bombax, teak, banyan, peepul, Sissoo, Casuarina, Ter-
minalia, Melia, Bauhinia. Of introduced species there
are English and Chinese flat peaches (pruned to the
centre to let the sun in), Mangos of various sorts,
Eugenia Jambos, various Anonas, Litchi, Loquat and
Longan, oranges, Sapodilla ; apple, pear, both succeeding
tolerably ; various Cabool and Persian varieties of
fruit-trees; figs, grapes, guava, apricots, and jujube.
The grapes looked extremely well, but their management
requires great skill and care. They form a long
covered walk, with a row of plantains on the W. side,
to rUminisL the effects of the hot winds, but even with
this screen, the fruit on that side is inferior to that on
the opposite trellis. Easterly winds, again, being moist,
blight the vines and other plants, by favouring the
abundant increase of insects, and by causing the leaves
to curl and fall off ; and against this evil there is no
remedy. The white ant sometimes attacks the stems,
and is best checked by washing the roots with lime-
water, yellow arsenic, or tobacco-water. Numerous
Cerealia, and the varieties of cotton, sugar-cane, &c., all
thrive extremely well ; so do many of our English
vegetables. Cabbages, peas, and beans are much
injured by the caterpillars of a Pontia, like our English
“White;” raspberries, currants, and gooseberries will
not grow at all.
The manufacture of economic products is not
neglected. Excellent coffee is grown ; and arrow-root,
equal to the best West Indian, is prepared, at Is. 6d.
per bottle of twenty-four ounces,—about a fourth of
the price of that article in Calcutta.
In most respects the establishment is a model of
what such institutions ought to be in India ; not only