SuR-ROU KD-
IK G S t a t e ;
NipaL
ufe Chlnefe or Tatarie: terms, or perhaps rather invented appellations
' at leaft equally ufelefs, as they are alike unknown the Hindoos (and
■ the natives. The names indeed throughout du Halde’s maps o f Tatar y
and Tibet are far too,numerous, a eircumftance ufual1 in the ©id invented
maps, in the firft' âgés of European geography, in vghidfe se^en
farms and huts were fometimes inferted. It is to*be «egretted.Jthat
Turner, in his journey, has not indicated the weftern limits o f Boqtan,
northé native reports cé^ermi^t|)é-''^^M^|]£t<^mtriesl O f î^ipal thçre
is a Ihort account by a Jefuit," whence, the maps might he fomewhat
improved ; that of Du Halde doling with Nialma, and fome names not
to. be found in the genuine jtceoimtâ^rfo that the Lamas appear to have
been flopped in their progrefs by the fnowy ridge, o f Himmala. The
recent account by Bernini bears that, in palhhg.theifro®tiw 'imb:Un|:^n8^
fuddenly appears the extenfive plain: of Nipal, ahput 2od miles; Inf cir-
cumference, refembling a vaft amphitheatre covered with populous
towns and villages. T o the north ofthe plain is tfife capital, -Qatm^ndu,
containing about eighteen thoufasd houfè, whiÆ -ihight: yield a-.pepu-
lation o f feventy or eighty thouïand. T o the S. W. (is Ledit Pat-tan,
where the author computes twenty-four thoufand houfes j .'this part of
the country bordering to the fouth on the fmall flat© of Ma.cwanpnr,
between Nipal, and Hindoftan. The third principal city ftand$;to;the
eaft o f the laft mentioned, and is called Batgan. Ti,mi jand. Çipoli
are alfo large, towns; and all thefe -naines being upknqwn to .{he
Lamas it is evident .that their progrefs was here impeded ; and
in the fouth and vrçeft of Tibet in particular deferves noiCtedjjL, Iii
Nipal there are two religious feâs, one a fchifm o f that o f Tibet,
th e . other Hindoo. The temples, by this account, are peculiarly
elegant, feeming to refemble thofe o f A v â or Siam. At Banga, a eâftle
three miles diftant from the city o f Lelit Pattan, is a temple o f furorifing
magiiificence, the great court being pàved with bluifh marble, inter-
fperfed with large flowers o f bronze. To the north of Catmandu is a
hill called Simbi, upon which are fome tombs of the Lamas of Tibet,
with inferiptions. By the Jefuit’s account the kingdom o f Nipal is
” A f- ReC 2. J07 Xïinfepjpe Bernini, who died, in, 17/3. His works were printed at fÜe-
r a t a in 1767.
ancient,
ancient, aùd ithe language peculiar but it has recently been injured b y
civil' wars, foftered by1 the king of Gorca. To«the w e fto f Nipal are
not lefs'-thanl'tWetity-four petty kingdoms,-' onfe^of which is Lamgi ;
anOt-her to the fouthfeljO^lleti'Thhut. The- king o f Go'rca has recéntly
effected the çonquteft of and o f the Ciiratas to-the eaft •„ and-other
kingdoms as far as the 'borders of Goch Bihar. Amidft thefe multifajt
rious names, there is not one' known tothe lamas and it appears* that
the'wide regions'of Tibet',* and 'its- dependencies, may.; be pronounced,
in this the beginning of the-nineteenth century, to be almoft utterly unknown.*
-
S urrounding
To the weft of Nipal theriftates: of: Gorca, andKemaoon.ou the G o -
gra, are arranged on.the- frontier's ofGangetic, Hindoftan-. ^ Of-tb&Çe
countries little is known : but it is to* be hoped that the Afialie Society
will fendlfeientific men to.- examine* them, with the remainder of Tibet
and -weftern' Titary. This attempt would merit the higheft applaufe | j
and the jealoufy o fth e Chmefé might perhapsftibhde üpon being in-
termed of the merely, feientific nature of-the defign, or b e a d e d by
difguife, or pretenfions to the Hindoo faiths for a Bramin might, travel
in any diteaion. Jn'the whole circle of-,geography there does, nof -re-s
main a ranged ofdifcovery fo- curious and rmportant. The tentre of
Africa can prefent little of general intereft ; while, that }©f,Afia may be
regarded as the, cradle o f nations which
whole ftemifphejre.-, .
Of 'Sirinagur, laid down in the- maps as the mpft .nqrtheyn frontier
country, an„ interefting, account has-recently -app^açed.^v ^ h o mountains
jjettweeia Hard war and the Wgbfefr y s^ a . are q f t e ji^
marl, though the‘rivulets roll down mafles of-qpake qu^rtZi&ndfgpau^
Forets ïo u n d ; and mapy aurions!vegetables delight ^he. e y e , ^
botanift. To the north is feen jhmloftkmhp.in
pafling in an extenfive line from eaft to ,weft. || This, rahge,,in%a4^f
being about fifteen miles,, as fuppofed, to.: tfm N f;o ft& l o w n o ^ M P ;
* The mifflonaries were cqnfined ta particulardiftrias,. '
materials of Caffiano in the Alphabetum Kbrtanum o f Glotgi, hnd the Let. Edjf tome r | . , witn
Aftley’s Colleaioh/vol. 4. and Phil.- Tianf. 68. Sep Rennell, ®u Halde’ 1Y* WT g - .
a flight account of his nxap of the country;,
** Af.Ref.vi. 30a. . ; • gurj
S t a te s .-
Sirinagur,