পাতা:বঙ্গদর্শন নবপর্যায় পঞ্চম খণ্ড.djvu/৫৮৪

দ্বাদশ সংখ্যা। ] সোনার বাংলা । @b" बां*ि८ब्रव्र छांब्र छैiछांबूनिcब्र७ व?७ लांब्र अह्नक श्रृं*ाजूदबाग्न बिरुद्ध डेरझथ कब्रिड्रांप्श्न । डिनि अषमङ हेशब ८बभप्भब क्षिब खेzल्लथ कब्रिब्र बनिबाइन cए, हेहांब्र छ्झनांउहाछांब्र शैहिाँ कांलांन नेिब्रा थांरक, তাতারদেশীয় ও অন্তান্ত বণিকেরাও ইহার ব্যবসায় করি থাকে। এই সমস্ত রেশম ७छब्राफ़ै, यां८ममांबांन ७ न्नब्रॉछे ७थळुङि ऋांटन अखर्ज७ कां*ौमबांखांब्र छ्हेtठ दि*झांछांब्र গাইট রেশমের রপ্তানী হয়। ওলন্দাজগণ প্রেরিত হয় এবং এতদ্দেশে তন্দ্রীরা বস্ত্রাদি ও নিৰ্ম্মিত হইয়া থাকে। কাশীম the sugar I have spoken of, and which may be placed in the list of valuable commodities, there is in Bengal such a quantity of cotton and silks, that the kingdom mav be called the common storehouse for those two kinds of merchandise, not οι Hindostan only, but of all the neighbouring kingdoms, and even of Europe. I have been sometimes amazed at the vast quantity of cotton cloths, of every sort, fine and coarse, white and coloured, which the IJutch alone export to different places, especially to Japan and Europe. The English, the Portuguese and the native merchants deal also in these articles to a considera'ile extent. The same may be said of the silks and silk stuffs of all sorts. It is not possible to conceive the quantity drawn cvery year from Bengal for the supply of the whole of the Mogul Empire, as far as ions and Cabul, and generally of all those soreign nations to which the cotton clbths are sent. The silks are no certainly so fine as those of Persia, Syria, Said and Baruth, but they are of a much lower price ; and I know sron indisputable authority, that, if they were well selected and wrought with care, they might be manufactured into most beautiful stuffs. The Dutch have sometimes seven or eight hundred natives employed in their silk factory at Kassem Bazar. The English and other merchants employ likewise a great number. Bengal is also the principal emporium for saltpetre. * * * Lastly, it is from this fruitful king lo n that the best gum-luc, opium, wax, civet, long pepper and various drugs, are obtained ; and butter yhich may appear to you an inconsiderable article, is in such plenty, that although it be a bulky article to export, yet it is sent by sea to numberless places. * * * * In describing the beauty of Bengal, it should be remarked that throughout a country extending nearly an hundred leagues in length, on both banks of the "Ganges, fgm Raja-Mahil to the sea, is an endless number of canals, cut from that,river with immense labour, for the conveyance of merchandise and of the water itself, which is reputed by the Indians to be superior to any in the world. These canals are lived on both sides with towns"and villages, thickly peopled with pagans ; and with extensive fields of rice, and other species of v: getables, mustard, sestme sor oil, and small mulberry trees, two or three French fect in height, for the food of silkworms. But the most striking and peculiar beauty of Bengal is the innumerable islands filling the vast Space between the two banks of the Ganges. in some places six or seven days' journey asunder. These islands vary in size, but are all extremely fertile, surrounded "th wood, and abounding in fruit trees, and pineapples, and covered with verdure; * th9asand canals run through them, stretching beyond the sight, and resembling "ng walks arched with trees.” (Bernicr's Travels in the Mogul Empire.)