racter of their nation, from time immemorial, are ftill too vifible to be mistaken or overlooked. Though they have, no doubt, loft much of their original purity, and fimplicity of manners, thofe religious prejudices which kept them in a ftate of perpetual feparation from their conquerors, has tended to the prefervation of their originality of character, and all its correfpondent

virtues.

In the few diftricts which, fecured by their infignificancy, or the inacceffibility of their fituation, retained their independence: the original character ftill remains apparent. Such, till about the middle of the prefent century, was the fate of thofe, whofe territories were fituate along the mountains of Kummaoom.

The inhabitants of this lofty boundary of the rich and fertile province of Kuttaher, continued to enjoy the bleifings of independence and fecurity, till that province was brought under the fubjection of a bold and fuccefsful Rohilla adventurer, who eftablifhing himfelf, and his followers, in the poffeffion of Kuttaher (which from thenceforth bore the name of Robilcund) directed his arms toward the extirpation of thofe Rajahs, whofe vicinity excited his jealousy and alarmed his pride.

He fucceeded but too well in the execution of his unjust design, and did not fail to make the moft tyrannical ufe of the victory he had obtained. Some of thefe Chiefs he banished for ever from the long enjoyed feats of their anceftors; fome he removed to the other fide of the Ganges, and from the few he fuffered to remain, he ftipulated the payment of an annual tribute*, and the immediate depofit of an exorbitant fine.

*See Rohilla Hiftory.

The Rajah Zaarmilla, who will foon be introduced to the acquaintance of the reader, appears to have been defcended from one of thofe petty Sovereigns, who were obliged to put on the galling yoke of their unfeeling conqueror. He, however, must be fuppofed to have been among the number who were permitted to remain on their ancient territories, while the family of his friend and correfpondent Maandaara, appears to have been banished from the Province, and to have taken fhelter in the neighbourhood of Agra.

This fhort sketch, imperfect as it is, may ferve to give fome idea of the state of Hindoftan, not only when the Letters of the Rajah, which are now to be laid before the public, were written, but antecedent to that period. Adequate, however, to the purpose of elucidation, as it may be thought by fome readers, it may be cenfured by others, as a prefumptuous effort to wander out of that narrow and contracted path, which they have allotted to the female mind.

To obviate this objection, the writer hopes it will be fufficient to give a fuccinct account of the motives which led her to the examination of a fubject, at one time very univerfally talked of, but not often very thoroughly underfood. From her earlieft inftructors, the imbibed the idea, that toward a ftrict performance of the feveral duties of life, Ignorance was neither a neceffary, nor an ufeful auxiliary, but on the contrary, that he ought to view every new idea as an acquifition, and to feize, with avidity, every proper opportunity for making the acquirement.

In the retirement of a country life, it was from books alone that any degree of informa

tion was to be obtained; but when thefe fequeftered scenes were exchanged for the metropolis, opportunities for inftruction, of a nature ftill more pleafing, were prefented.

The affairs connected with the ftate of our dominions in India, were then the general topic of converfation. It was agreeable, from its novelty; and she had the peculiar advantage of hearing it difcuffed by thofe, who, from local knowledge, accurate information, and unbiaffed. judgment, were eminently qualified to render the difcuffion both interefting and inftructive. The names of the moft celebrated Orientalifts became familiar to her ear; a tafte for the productions of their writers was acquired; and, had it not been for a fatal event, which tranfformed the cheerful haunt of domeftic happinefs into the gloomy abode of forrow, and changed the energy of Hope into the liftlellness of defpondency, a competent knowledge of the language of the originals would likewife have been acquired. Time, at length, poured its balm into the wounds of affliction, and the mind by degrees, took pleasure in reverting to fubjects which were interwoven with the ideas of paft felicity. The letters of the Rajah were fought for, and the employment they afforded was found fo falutary, in beguiling the hours of folitude, and foothing the pain of thought, that the ftudy of them was refumed, as an ufeful relaxation, and, being brought to a conclufion, they are now prefented to the world, whofe decifion upon their merit, is looked forward to with timid hope, and determined refignation.

LETTERS

OF A

HINDOO RAJA H.

LETTER I.

Zaarmilla, Rajah of Almora, to Kifheen Neeay Maandaara, Zimeendar of Cumlore, in Rohilcund.

PRAISE to Ganefa! May the benign influence of the God of Wisdom*, beaming on the breaft of Maandaara, difpel those

* The God of Wisdom, a cuftomary introduction to the writings of the Hindoos. From feveral expreffions made ufe of by the Rajah in the course of his correfpondence, he appears to have been an adherent of the fect called in the northern parts of India Veeshnubukt, or Adorers of Veefhnu, the preferving Power.

clouds of wrath which have been engendered by mistake, and poured forth in the whirlwind of impetuofity.

I might juftly expoftulate upon the harfhnefs of thy expreffions; but I call to mind the goodness of thy heart, and they are effaced from my memory. We fhrink

from the fury of the King of Rivers, when his terror-ftriking voice threatens deftruction to the furrounding world; but when his filver waves return to the peaceful channel allotted to them by the adored Veeshnu, we forget our terrors, and contemplate with rapture the majestic grandeur of the facred ftream who rolls his bleffings to a thousand nations. And who would not prefer the cafual fury of the mighty Ganges to the apathetic dulnefs of the never moving pool?

The Angel of Truth, whofe dwelling is with Brahma, be my witness, that I have never been unmindful of the vows of friendfhip we fo folemnly exchanged over the ftill warm ashes of the venerable Pundit; who was the guide and inftructor of our tender years. Twice, in performance of that vow, have I effayed to fend the promised information, and twice have my intentions been fruftrated.

No fooner had the aufpicious arms of the fons of Mercy opened the long-obstructed