22.  The  Ittdependettt  States  are  Cashmere  *  I^epaul,  mi
Bhotan,  on  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Himalaya.  The  two
latter  are  wild  and  mountainous  districts,  inhabited  by  a
hardy  energetic  race,  superior  to  the  Hindoos  in  general
The  former  is  an  elevated  valley,  almost  severed  from  thereat
of  the  world  by  enclosing  highlands,  and  celebrated  in  proae
and  poetry  for  its  natural  beauty,  genial  climate,  and  textile
fabrics.  Slarely  are  rude  winds  and  storms  experienced ;  the
finest  fruits  and  flowers  are  produced ;  and  the  shawls  of
Cashmere  are  renowned  for  purity  of  colour  and  style  of  ex-
ecution. They  are  chiefly  made  near  its  capital,  Serinagufy
a  town  said  to  have  a  population  of  40,000.  Our  word  shawl
is  a  corruption  of  the  native  term  for  the  fabric,  duahchak*

23.  Five  small  detached  districts  form  the  /V^ncA  govern-
ment of  Pondicherry,  a  place  on  the  Coromandel  coast,  85
miles  south  of  Madras,  population  30,000 ;  and  the  Forif-
guese  retain  Goa^  on  the  western  seaboard,  once  a  splendid

•  By  a  recent  treaty  Cashmere  is  bound  to  present  six  shawls  annu-
ally to  Queen  Victoria,  and  is  so  far  tributary.
India.]  iirj>£P£:BrDSKT  states  ;  rssiroH  ssttlsmskts.    847


fieat  of  trade,  with  200,000  inhabitants,  now  decayed,  with  a
population  of  only  a  few  hundred ;  they  have  also  a  little
^settlement  in  Guzerat.
24.  The   following  are    some   travelling  distances  from
Calcutta : —


To

Miles.
Agra       ..
839

Allahabad.
544

Aracan

475

Ava        ..
1150

Bareilly

805

Benares

460

Bombay
Caubul  ..
1301

1761

Oandahar.
1781

To
Mooltan
Moorshedabad.
Mysore       .     ,
Nagpore     ..
Patoa         ..
Pondicherry.
Poonah       ..
Seringapatam  .  1170
Surat     .     .     .  1238


Miles.
