Page:A Bengal Atlas- Containing Maps of the Theatre of War and Commerce on that side of Hindoostan.djvu/3

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ADVERTISEMENT.

THE Intent of publishing the Maps of Bengal, &c. under the present Form, was to render them portable to those who travel over that extensive Country. A large Map is exceedingly incommodious in travelling, either by Land or Water: And if divided, without a proper Regard being had to the natural Divisions of the Country, much Confusion is likely to ensue for Want of a clear Idea of the relative Positions of the several Parts. I have endeavoured to avoid this Evil, by taking for the Boundaries of my Divisions, either some noted River, Road, or Chain of Hills; without regarding the disproportionate Sizes, or irregular Figures of the Tracts contained in the several Maps. In the Lower Part of Bengal, where a Multitude of Rivers and Creeks intersect the Country in almost every Direction, I have cast the two Divisions with a View to render the general Geography of the inland Navigation as distinct as possible. Accordingly, the first Map comprizes the whole southern Navigation; or that between Calcutta, Moorshedabad, Dacca, Luckipour, Chittigong, and Tiperah respectively: the other contains the midland and eastern Navigation; or that between Moorshedabad, Dacca, Mauldah, Seebgunge, Silhet, and Tiperah. Each of the other Six Divisions contains such a Tract, as by its Situation and natural Boundaries, will comprehend the probable Extent of the Seat of War[1] in that particular Part of the Country.

The Bengal Provinces lying on the West of the Calcutta and Cossimbuzar Rivers, and South of the Ganges, compose Two of these Divisions; of which the one lies on the North, the other on the South of the River Adji.

The northern Provinces of Bengal compose another Division, which includes also the Bootan Frontier.

The two Divisions of Bahar formed by the Course of the Ganges, have each a separate Map; that on the North includes the Hills of Mocaum-

  1. The Scale of these Maps is confessedly much too narrow for Military Purposes; but must suffice until the Provincial Maps can be engraved: and as these cannot be contained in less than Eighteen Sheets of Imperial Paper, the Time of their Publication must necessarily be very remote.

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