most plentiful part of the season,-no less than twenty may be bought
fora rupee,-about the value of'half a crown.-
.. The. first plants of this-fruit that grew in Hindostan, were brought
into lndia,in the. reign, of .the Emperor Akbar, by the priests of the
ffoftugueze mission, who at that period eagerly pursued every, method
they could devise to ingratiate themselves with^he court; indeed
they had so far succeeded, that they began to flatter themselves with
having gained a complete ascendency .over the-inquisitive, and liberal
mind of their patron, and that he was even about to become a convert
to their faith; be this as it may, of all their services,:>perhaps, this |
delicious gift may deservedly be deemed not the least .valuable; the
fruits of which-have spread so far, and proved so edjensive
utility, as well as so permanent in their duration. A part -ofotke- original
stock, that is, some plants derived from it in di^.dpscent, .was
pnmyJ nnt- tn me in the garden of Moorteza» Zemani, ab^ePhhJwh^,
they first grew. The Ayeen Akbari mentions both the time and? man--
ner of their introduction; and 1 consider it as an additjonal-eyid^ce
of their having been derived from one original- stock, that- they arp
called, iff every: part of India which I have visit^pby, thnusame :com>-
moff name of ananas. To account for their appearance in an .obscure
village on the borders of Gooch Bahar, we must have recourse -to an
fevent in the reign of the Emperor Aurungzebe, when the General
Moiizzum Khawn commanded an army employed in the, reduction
Of these districts, which had not before submitted to the Mogul dominion.
In the prosecution of his designs he was detained a considerable
time in this neighbourhood, during which, among the other
choice fruits which he receivied from the far greater distance of Cabool
and .Cashmeer, pine-apples1 made- Ettpart-iof' his supply; and hencp, in
all probability, they are ’indebted for-tHe1 'fcit’iioduc’tion of-pine-apples
into ithe province -of ’Bahar.- ■ ^Thaiflthe^iar^ uot’xömm’on, may he assumed
as another proof of (his supposition; for po person in the least
acquainted, with”tHepa^afeter”of the Bengalees, who look upon these
‘creatures,as a rac^ffifiiriiih^infeisor to themselves, could for a moment
entertain the idea5 of their torpid,'apathy being roused to -transplant,
from ever so .short .a distahce;',tev^fffii|?el'ega'nt'i©xiU'ryll I doubt, indeed,
whether the inhabitants ofJCadcfr Bahar know itsrns'e, or that jfe'is even,
growing ’Under, theiffe.et
>%lErpm this neighbourhood Moiizzum Khawn advanced with his a>rmy
tt> ^attempt the Vonquesli of Assam. .Against- artillery:, and the foivai-
dable array With which this .expedition Wjas'oquippeds-fthe wretched
and feeble Assamees ioould make no resjsjta|iee.' Theifftdjjms and-iheir
strongholds foil ■ aft^r'p%hSp.|hei'., -in raSpid-^SCfips ston, ant®' 1he hands of
the victorious army, whose‘progress was obstructed by no other imde-
diments than those which .arose oftpm '(he natUäBe’iof’ithe .catot-r-y,''ahd
the riyers in their way, tjsotö.jhey /arrived ’:at .Ghergongp-bherseat of
government, and capital of Assam. Here., then- they* ®omsidesredf the
expedition as.entirely accomplished, and their smogess-complete. Accordingly,
while -tjiey sat d^WP .P9± maJcgpthcir various arrangements,
and were occupied in the distribution of nfhO%y|h.el standard of the
prophet was displayed in holy triumph, ;and proclamations were -read,
taking formal'^pb'Mession of m|l-*|-ij|gdom ■ in'Jj^Rndme, and by the
authority, .of the Great Mogul., Jh proclamations, the high attri