B E'NÎGA L.
The situation of this district exhibits a melancholy proof of different
facts-too frequently united, the great facility^ oBtamingifood,
and, atr’thelsame time, the wretched indigence of the,lower order of
inhabitants—
At'six o’clock-on the morning'of the 11th of'May, we departed'from
ClóqcKBahar, and travelled near the banks of the river flBoorsha,'for
upwards of three miles.' The land was low and -marshy-,^interspersed
with thick woods, and with many nullahs, or rivulets, having not mpre
than-three.feet depth of water.- .The whole face of$$|f country,was
dreary and unpleasant, being Thinly inhabited, and -sparing cultivated.
No animals appeared to enliven and; cheer the'SCene,.except,
here and there a solitary hargheela”, or maunukjosr°:^ph'6*vegêt»ion
was cohreef fhe ground being almostrevery where‘tldthed'with rafik
grass, reeds, and fern. We crossed Some creeks; -fohose'1 Water was
d u n deep? a rainy day would have- rendered! them’ absolutely JiiSife
fordable. We now entered the dreary region whieh divides the district
of Cooch Bahar, the present frontier of Bengal, from-,the cöunteyfcgf
Bootan, and which, from its inaptitude, to supply the wants^órffeci-
litate the functions, of human life, may be considered as appertaining
properly'to neither. Its extent, from the foot .of the chain Of mountains,
with which the'district or principality of Bootan commences, is
little less than twenty-five miles.
We passed through a wood called the Pistajar-wood, in which many
» A bird, the largest species of the crane kind, which feeds only on putrid flesh,
snakes, and frogs. It is commonly called by the English in Bengal, Adjutant.
• A water fowl of the crane species.
■ JfI|b|ge s.t- ;tre es hadbeenjafd) fellulyjot by means of‘the àxe,:but
ap^firc; aÿjlaliçtrjchat odfcsujmps were se‘eiir; oilievjakjj ride peeping
through thosjUnohsbrushvyiock loresf^-ihounds. I ho
oui) methoil^fi^Itllehgiumber1 m) pi ï&'tLçôïllCTo; I w as|anloi;uji4 , -is by
'f lp ^ I n the tfcesi.inarkQcJ’odAlqr'thi > pifipose.A eg^ationysj destroyed,
by bummg.tFLii» tiuuks l^JJ^hraugh tÿboin greffe in$t(nt st^fe to dry,
thet^|t^ib^yea®,ffi<ÿfir^is,^® ® |ipÿiê^' anAffiey^arê, burnt rill
•they fall (The load through,thisrioiesfityas n inhv^jmht.dnfiiitaratfemiy
^hollows ueye, e\ en filled;\\ ith Watci .. and ue> founeft ihey^issagc both
and|(bteig^r.qus. -jjf
it .Qurifollowers;çame up latoyd a\mgf bcCT^tb^fwIU fngl teued? in
parsing through;; the^Wood^
The.mohut, or^elephantydi.it ei u medadïap li^s coiJ$pnhftri;,
and the noise ui(L\'el^mence.of^lt\switte(i.ancei uid ackers, y$hdst
he «related the stoi y offris? adyentuics, plainly pro\uJ, thaDythouglrJip
had escaped the d ab g e^^É p f^o k yet v|hakéusp^tÿ:e,fears;; itvhafi
excited®.
i Near a sroalfyillage, which we j»î^é^in;bçr <&w
•some flusters of ^yildi.piiic-.apples. That, Lii’ey grejvç \yildtj tÉirih cqn-
dMon,and the- siMariooiin. whicRthhwfciibbMjMfelefi?.nie no 10om fa]
.doubt. It is a tyflLknown fyct^th^A%pfne^agpWis; nbfr-atnong the
indigenous*,fiuits^of.fndia^tbdugh at thj^ rime|riie?aSlre,i;sff abundant
iniJ^engal, as tpi J%^en|ttQ inarketiig^e îi|tæipsÿon-ia)gairIÿ and1,.in-the
d ï i a ^ ' H l S K g ogapcreheMKih iji,the proh thËyêlilelephant will
attack the tame one, smd« i f nor'destroy hph) be the im-ns, at least, ot uAttingl&is ic-
lease during, the conflict.