period of our'TÊSideiice ;* but the ability,1 and indefatigable
industry hq$ Dr. Buchanan have effected much, to which
the 'astronomical’‘labours'of Mr. Wood have eonsidetably
added. I câlcfnôt better do justice to the merits off theSC
gentlemen*,’ than by inserting the words of Mr . Dalrynlple
in a note on the subject.of Avargeographyufiu
; “ This part of Indian gebgraphy hasshithetto’Temained
“ in inexplicable1
“ been thrown on the ^sufgecè dii conâeBfuencfe 'oJf thè ®Me
“ bassy, of which this Work lays ' ah= account before' the
‘ ‘ Public, not only from the astronomical* dbservâtiorisî by
“ Ensign Thomas Wood, whieffdo him thë^^eitest credff,
“ but from the great mass df nativé ^eOgk|thy®^liich the
“ assiduous pains of Dr. Buchanan/ whn>àcC0B^ani®d the
“ Embassy in a medical capacity,1 hate accumulated TrOm
“ various persons.
“ These maps obtained by Dr. Buchanan • from- the
“ natives, although they elucidate ?tfe| geography / ^cannot
“ be considered as positive documents for the construc-
“ tion of an accurate map of :these countries, not being
“ laid down geometrically, nor having eteif'%t^iii*'af-
“ fixed ; indeed, it is hot certain that any of them were
“ meant to be laid down by an uniform scale ; the
4*;Won^e^.jis,t4liat'r^h.eRe.i should be any thing like uni-
: ? The, apphu^jif^Pjjeh respectable authority, cannot be
fynt»Maced>tby^dnyc, encomium of'-jrjmec. - I am, however,
happy in having, ,an opportunity, to aekjioydedge the able
and friendl^!assist’|iUiee1i i^hich I ;ree,e^y^ from these gen-
demehc/3gpfjthank.a,!^%)4.^ du$ft$t.,C!apftain Thomas,- commander
of the1 *$ffi-.Hqysefribr .his ehapnspect; and prudent
cOpduct. ip. jep^^jli^fing the; i»ha|^$rit$J#o£ Rangoon,
during the .time'that absent at Umnief ^pbora. gj j
| MajonR.ennelhiw^,^d^^A4fehie^^ev^er*ff6 l i j ; i^Yae
luable publications, t.QUl|Qse^who>;m^y^fqu^,^xtractsi;fi;6m
them, Ux illustrate -their^awni|^v.orks, ■ has hje,pnj|SroAg6^d,, as
to allow me tftiOppy from, his^ map -o,fi Hindost^n a part of
the* Begue .coast, , which wh. Ij^d not,ant opportunity' ojhob,-
servingi>. f
The representations *of th^gpstume .o^^ie^c^hftry, 1
am persuaded ■ ate as^faithful, as pe^i|?^h^4'ejinea^e,;i: the
native painters of India d.Q|^t.^pp^sess,igggjgJ^gg 1 ,
or>works of fancy <> they.; cannot invent ^ e^^ppihel-lish,
and-they *aa;e utte^ky,ignorant o€|pers.pen|^Y^s?^u®<>heydraw
figures and trace e,v e r y line. o£.^piptii^^,with a* laborious
exactness peculiar tophemselves :> the Plat© of.the, Kioum,