rienced General kept the whole power of Hyder Ally at bay,
and at all times was; fuperior in action to the multitudes of
the enemy, who were fbpported by a moft formidable train
of artillery, and immenfc bodies of cavalry.
A l i t t l e above this is the French fetdement of Chan-
demagore, and the ruins of the fort evince it to have been
confiderable. The fort was deftroyed by Commodore Wat-
fon in I'ygS, in a fevetc aCtion, which was particularly dif-
tinguifhed by the gallantry of Captain Speke, who loft his
fon on the quarter-deck of his own ihip during the engagement.
Near to this is the town of Chinfurah, the Dutch {et-
dement, on the banks of the river: this town is very diftin-
guiihable at a confiderable diftance, and has a handfome appearance.
It contains feveral good houfes,- and a church,
with a little mole projecting into the river. Chinfurah lies
nearly midway between Chandernagore and the old town of
Hoogly, which is now nearly in ruins, but poflefles many
veftjges of its former greatnefs. In the beginning of this century
it was the great mart for the export' trade of Bengal- to
Europe.. From, this place we pafs by Cxilna and Nuddea,
(both confiderable towns) in our way to Cutwa, which- was
made famous by the retreat of Aliverdy Cawn, in the face of
a. large Mahratta army , in May 1*742 . After pafling Plafly,
which has been already mentioned, is the great military flatten,
in Bengal, Burhampoor, where there are barracks dor
ten thoufand men ; and a little above is the ifland of Collim-
I N D I A. 43
buzar, in which is a factory belonging to the Englifti company,
where a commercial resident is coniftantly ftationed:
the gentleman then refident was Mr. S. Droz, whofe polite
attentions to. me I fhall always remember with pleafure. On
this ifland there is likewife 'a Dutch faCbory. At a Ihort diftance
from Coffimbuzar is the city of Moorlhedabad; where,
at the’ period of which I am fpeaking, refided Sir John
D ’Oyley, then engaged in a’ political department. The liberality
and attentions of this gentleman to every perfon travelling
this road axe well known; and in his houfe, I may
truly fay, reigned the very fpirit of old Englifli hofpitality.
From Moorfhedabad the Hoogly. riVer continues to Sooty,
where is the entrance into the Ganges.. From this place to
Monglieir it is' ufual to keep on the weftern iltdi;e, and nearly
all the way to Patna,1 unlefs a leading breeze from the fouth-
ward and «aft ward ftxould enable the boatmen to fleer as nearly
from point to point as the flioals will admit. . Every where
on either fide of the river there are cofieCbions of villages, and
the country is in high cultivation.
W hen the fleet arrived at the city of Patna the fliores
were lined with people-; tire, windows in the houfes on the
banks of the river were filled'; even the tops of the buildings
and every wall was crouded ; fo that when the GovernorGene-
ral went on fhore, it was fcarcely poflible to proceed, from
the multitude, which prefled on every fide, to falute him.
When he had.paflèd them, all appeared ftruck with the fim-
G 2