my journey had been long and fatiguing, I fhould have brought an order for a larger fum.

JUMBO is fituated on the fide of a hill, and contains two diftinct divifions, which are termed the upper and the lower towns. The bottom of the hill is washed by the river Rawee,* about forty or fifty yards broad, and fordable at most seasons of the year. Many water-mills ftand on its banks for grinding corn, which are conftructed in a neater manner than any I have feen in India, and were introduced by the Kashmirians, who have greatly improved as well as enriched this town. The short stay at Jumbo prevented me from procuring much fatisfactory information of its history, or the causes which have produced its important commerce, riches, and luxury for Jumbo, even in its decayed state, is a mart of the first note in this quarter of the country. Perhaps the collection of fuch materials would not have compenfated the labour of perufal, or afforded you that instruction which I ever wish to be the effect of my communications :- but fuch as I have procured, shall be genuinely laid before you.

PREVIOUSLY to Nadir Shah's invasion of India, the common road from Dehli to Kashmire, lay through Sirhend, Lahore, and Heerpour, the pafs of which is fully defcribed by Mr. Bernier, under the name of Bember. Since the inroad of the Perfians, Afghans, and the Mahrattas, but especially fince the period of the

* It falls into the Chinnaun.

Sicque conquefis, that track has been rendered unfafe to merchants, and is now difufed. This obftruction diverted the Kashmirian trade into the channel of Jumbo, which being shut up from the Punjab by a strong chain of mountains, difficult of access to cavalry, it has been preferred to the Lahore road, though the journey is tedious, and the expenfes of merchandize increafed :

RUNZEID DEVE, the father of the prefent chief of Jumbo, who defervedly acquired the character of a juft and wife ruler, largely contributed to the wealth and importance of Jumbo. Perceiving the benefits which would arife from the refidence of Mahometan merchants, he held out to them many encouragements, and obferved towards them a difinterefted and an honourable conduct. Negative virtues only are expected from an Afiatic defpot, and under. fuch a fanction his fubjects might deem themselves fortunate; but the chief of Jumbo went farther than the forbearance of injuries; he avowedly protected and indulged his people, particularly the Mahometans, to whom he allotted a certain quarter of the town, which was thence denominated Moghulpour; and that no reserve might appear in his treatment of them, a mofque was erected in the new colony; a liberality of difpofition the more confpicuous, and confering the greater honour on his memory, as it is the only inftance of the like toleration in this part of India, and as the Kashmirians who chiefly compofed his Mahometan fubjects, have been, fince their converfion, rigorous perfecutors of the Hindoos. He was fo defirous alfo of acquiring their confidence and esteem,

that

that when he has been riding through their quarter during the time of prayer, he never failed to ftop his horfe until the priest had concluded his ritual exclamations. The Hindoos once cornplained to this chief, that the public wells of the town were defiled by the veffels of the Mahometans, and defired that they might be restricted to the water of the river; but he abruptly dismissed the complaint, faying, that water was a pure element, designed for the general use of mankind, and could not be polluted by the touch of any class of people. An administration fo munificent and judicious, at the fame time that it enforced the refpect of his own fubjects, made Jumbo a place of extenfive commercial refort, where all descriptions of men experienced, in their perfons and property, a full fecurity.

THE articles of merchandize conftituting the trade of Jumbo, and Kashmire, are tranfported by men, ufually Kashmirians, whose burthens are heavy, two of them making the load of a strong mule, and the hire is fixed at the rate of four rupees for each carrier. The shauls, when exported from Kashmire, are packed in an oblong bale, containing a certain weight or quantity, which in the language of the country is termed a biddery, the outward covering of which is a buffalo or ox's hide, strongly sewed with leather thongs. As these packages are fuppofed to amount, with little variation, to a value long fince afcertained, they are feldom opened until conveyed to the deftined market. A Kashmirian porter carries a load as a foldier does his knap-fack, and when dif

pofed

pofed to reft, he places under it a ftick in the form of a crutch which fupports the load and affifts him also in walking. Two caufes are affigned for employing men only in this fervice: an agreement, it is faid arifing from a mutual jealoufy, has been made between the chiefs bordering on either fide of the river Chinnaun,* that no fixed bridge shall be constructed, or any boat stationed on that stream. The other caufe afcribed, which feems to be more forcible, is the ftupendous height and steepness of the intervening mountains, which renders the paffages dangerous, if not wholly impracticable, to either a horfe or mule.

Ir appears that Jumbo continued to increase its power and commerce until the year 1770, the period of Runzeid Deve's death, when one of his fons, the prefent chief, contrary to the intention and exprefs will of his father, feized on the government, put to death one of his brothers, the intended fucceffor, and imprifoned another; who having made his escape fought the protection of the Sicques. Pleafed in having obtained fo favourable a pretext for entering Jumbo, which they attempted in vain during the adminiftration of Runzeid Deve, the Sicques promifed to efpoufe the fugitive's caufe with vigour. A small sum had been annually exacted by them from Jumbo, but in a much less proportion than what was levied in the adjacent territories, The Sicques, indeed, aware of the refpectable ftate of the Jumbo force, and the ability

The fourth Punjab river from the eastward.

of

of the chief, were contented with the name of tribute.

The most

valuable divifion of the Jumbo diftricts, lay in the plain country, forming part of the northern Punjab; which, under pretence of affording affiitance to the perfon who lately fought their protection, a body of Sicques have laid wafte. They are now profecuting a vigorous war against the prefent chief, who through the defection of many of his people, driven by oppreffions to the party of his brother, became unable to make any effectual stand; and that his ill fortune might be complete, he called into his aid, a party of Sicque mercenaries, commanded by Mhah Sing, a powerful officer in that quarter, who has firmly established his authority at Jumbo, and has erected a fort at the south entrance of the principal pass leading into the Punjab. For defraying the expence incurred by the Sicque troops, the Jumbo chief has made rigorous demands on the native inhabitants of the city, and is now throwing an eye on the foreign merchants; who, dreading his difpofition and neceffities, have taken a general alarm. It was with much pleasure I faw the perfon on whom my bill was drawn, a man of a fair and honourable character, enjoying, amidst these diforders, a moderate fecurity. He seemed to have procured the favour of Mhah Sing, who, with other officers of the party, fupported him against the designs of the Rajah. The perfon entrusted with the government of the town of Jumbo, during the absence of the chief then in the field, was fo exact a counterpart of his master Ii

VOL. I.

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