{acred places j and I was gratified extremely to obferve die
perfect accuracy in the Hmdófiaü *pi€tures which reprefent
them. The .annexed platé is frbrh an old pi&uie of one
which I met-with in- India. ; It may not be improper ;to remark,
while I am upon-this fubjedf, that when the Mogul
'government was in the plenitüdo Ofikspower, it was an object
with the Omralis, or-grèat Lords of die court, to hold
"éaptiVe in their zanaftahs even; hundreds Of females, ßolle&ed
from farióufc quarters of the empire, and particularly fo from
Caflimiie, a ebuntry famous for mé beauty of its women*.
From Rajemahcl the public road continues by the fide of the
river, at the foot of the hills, to the pafs of Sicri GuUy,
whence it enters the province of Bahar, This pafs, in the
time of die Hindoo and Mogul governments, was the commanding
entrance from Bähar into the kingdom of Bengal,
and was formerly fortified With a ftrong wall arid gate, the
iruins Of which yet remäiii. What muft; ihew the inutility
of filth fortifications, and the wifdom of the Britifli government
in fuffering them té go to decay, is thé eafe with which
I P P P M 5 för; in. the year 1742-3', -the whole Mah-
ratta army, .confifting b f fifty thoufand men,, under Bofchow
* I dmnot bót Sere ïhlèrvè, that, from ‘the etofe confinement of the Maho-
, medan.women,:_tbere reigns inthèzananahs a refined fpirit of intrigue Unknown
in Europe in theprefeat day,. Many aecounts-are to be found of fuch in the old
Spanifti novels, which may be accounteclfor from the Spaniardsjetaining cuftoms
and .prejudices eftablifhed among them By'tbeir Móorifh conquerors, long after
their expulfion in the'fifteenth Century.
TH E PASS o f SICRI GU I .l.Y from BEITGAI. e n te r in g in to th e P ro v in ce o f B AH