Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/75

M U R M U R 63 anhydrous muriatic acid or the compound nature of the ap parently elementary chlorine. It is interesting to note that it was in the course of the experiments made with the view of disproving Murray s conclusions that Davy discovered phosgen, the compound of carbonic oxide and chlorine. Murray wrote Elements of Chemistry, 2 vols. 8vo, Edinburgh, 1801 (fourth edition, 1816) ; Elements of Matcria Medica and Pharmacy, 2 vols. 8vo, 1804 (new edition, 1810) ; A System of Chemistry, 4 vols. 8vo, 1806 (fourth edition, 1818) ; and numerous papers in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Nicholson s Journal. MURRAY, SIB ROBERT (c. 1600-1673), one of the founders of the Royal Society, was the son of Sir Robert Murray of Craigie, Ayrshire, and was born about the be ginning of the 17th century. In early life he served for some years in the French army, and, winning the favour of Richelieu, he rose to the rank of colonel. On the outbreak of the civil war he returned to Scotland and was energetic in collecting recruits for the royal cause. The triumph of Cromwell compelled him for a time to return to France, but he took an active part in the Scottish insurrection in favour of Charles II. in 1650, and was named lord justice clerk and a privy councillor. These appointments, which on account of the overthrow of the royal cause proved to be at the time only nominal, were confirmed at the Restora tion in 1660. Soon after this event Sir Robert Murray began to take a prominent part in the deliberations of a club instituted in London for the discussion of natural science, or, as it was then called, the " new philosophy." When it was proposed to obtain a charter for the society he undertook to interest the king in the matter, the result being that on 15th July 1662 the club was incorporated by charter under the designation of the Royal Society. Sir Robert Murray was its first president, and during the remainder of his life exerted himself with great zeal and ability to extend its influence. He died in June 1673. MURREE, or MARRI, a sanatorium and hill station in the Rawal Pindi district, Punjab, is situated in 33 54 N. lat. and 73 26 E. long. It forms the great northern sanatorium for the Punjab, and is the ordinary summer resort of the local Government. The houses crown the summit and sides of an irregular ridge of the Murree hills, 7507 feet above sea-level, and command a magnificent view. The climate is admirably adapted to the constitution of Europeans ; the lowest recorded temperature is 21 Fahr., the highest 96. The resident population in 1868 was 2346 ; but in the height of the season it probably amounts to 12,000 or 14,000, numbers of visitors being attracted from Lahore, Rawal Pindi, Peshawar, and the plains generally. MURSHIDABAD, or MOORSHEDABAD, a district in the lieutenant-governorship of Bengal, lying between 23 43 and 24 52 N. lat. and 87 43 and 88 47 E. long., is bounded along its whole frontier from the extreme N". to the S.E. by the Ganges, separating it from the Nadiy/i and Rajshahf districts; on the S. byNadiyA and BardwAn the Jalangi river marking its boundary for a consider able distance ; and on the E. by Birbhiim and the Santal Parganas district. The area is 2141 square miles. The district is divided into two nearly equal portions by the Bhagirathi, the ancient channel of the Ganges, which flows due north and south. The tract to the west, known as the Rarh, consists of hard clay and nodular limestone. The general level is high, but interspersed with Ills or broad marshes and seamed by hill torrents. The Bagri or eastern half differs in no respect from the ordinary alluvial plains of eastern Bengal. There are few per manent swamps ; but the whole country is low-lying, and liable to annual inundation. In the north-west are a few small detached hillocks, said to be of basaltic formation. The river system is constituted by the Ganges or Padma, and its offshoots and tributaries the Bhagirathi, Bhairab, Sialmari, Jalangi, and Singa, the first mentioned being by far the most important river within Mur.shidabud, though only navigable during half the year. It is em banked along the entire length of its left bank. There are no canals in the district. The census of 1881 returned the population of the district at 1,226,790 (males 586,483, females 640,307), Hindus numbering 634,796, Mohammedans 589,957, native Christians 250, and aborigines 836. The population comprises Bengalis of the delta, hill tribes from Chutia Nagpur, and the peculiar Hindu castes of Behar, while the presence of the court has introduced Rajputs from the north-west for railway service or trade, Afghans and Persians from beyond the frontier, and a bodyguard of Habshis from the east coast of Africa. The six following towns contained in 1872 a imports marts of Azimganj and Jiaganj, situated opposite each other on the Bhagirathi, Bhagwangola and Dhulian on the Ganges, and the railway stations of Murarai and Nalhati. Sites of historical interest include the now deserted Kasimbazar, Badrihat, Rangamati, and the battlefield of Gheria. Rice constitutes the staple crop, the dman or winter rice being prevalent in the western half of the district, and the aus or early rice in the ^eastern. A second or cold weather crop of wheat, barley, and many varieties of oil-seeds and pulses is also grown in this latter tract, jute is but little grown, and the cultivation of indigo and of mulberry for silkworms is on the decline. There is little that is peculiar in the land tenures of the district beyond the r&mnAs or deer parks, held revenue - free by the nawab, and the cultivating tenure known as ut-bandi, according to which the peasant pays rent, not for his entire holding, but only for the land actually cultivated, the amount being determined by the nature of the crops grown, and being paid in kind. Silk is still manufactured, but the industry is rapidly losing its importance. At Murshidabad city and at Barhampur there are special industries of ivory-carving, bell-metal work, and gold and silver embroidery. The district is favourably situated for trade, both by river and rail. In 1876-77 the exports amounted to 1,020,124; the imports to 739,906. The principal exports consisted of rice, gram and pulses, wheat, silk, and indigo ; the principal imports of European piece goods, salt, and raw cotton. In 1881-82 the net revenue amounted to 1,803,828 rupees, of which 1,298,735 were derived from the land-tax. Education in 1876 was afforded by 506 schools, attended by 14,664 pupils. The special educational institutions are the Barhampur College, founded in 1853 ; the Nizamat College, limited to the education of the relatives of the nawab ; and the Nizamat free school in Murshidabad city. The climate does not differ from that common to Lower Bengal, except that it experiences to some extent the burning winds of Central India during the hot season. The average annual temperature is 78 "6 Fahr. In 1880-81 it was 59 82, and in 1881-82 it was 4776. The average annual rainfall is 54 30 inches. The district has a low standard of health. The stagnant pools formed by the Bhagirathi during the dry season constitute a perennial source of malaria, and cholera is rarely absent from the city and suburbs. Elephantiasis and hydrocele are also endemic. The history of the district centres round the city of Murshidabad, the latest Mohammedan capital of Bengal. In 1704 the nawab Murshid Kulia Khan changed the seat of government to the little town of Maksudabad, but when Ali Vardi Khan won the throne by conquest in 1740 he also adopted Murshidabad as his capital. The great family of Jagat Seth maintained their position as state bankers at Murshidabad from generation to generation. Even after the con quest of Bengal by the British, Murshidabad remained for some time the seat of administration. Warren Hastings removed the supreme civil and criminal courts to Calcutta in 1772, but in 1775 the latter court was brought back to Murshidabad again. In 1790, under Lord Cornwallis, both the entire revenue and judicial stafi s were ultimately fixed at Calcutta. MURSHIDABAD, principal city of the above district, is situated on the left bank of the Bhagirathi river, in 24 11 N". lat. and 88 18 E. long. Its importance has entirely departed since it ceased to be the capital of Bengal, and its population has steadily diminished. In 1872 the population was 46,182 (Hindus 27,211, Moham medans 18,824, Christians 38, "others" 109). It is still a great centre of trade and manufacture, and the Jain merchants of Murshidabad still rank as the wealthiest of their class in Bengal. Their dealings in gold and silver bullion are especially large, and some of their number almost monopolize the local traffic on the Brahmaputra as