DACCA. There aro two towns of this name, one Dacca Jalalpur to the north of Ballargunj, and Dacca proper, between Dacca Jalalpur and the Megna river. The latter givi ita name to the whole district, which is ono uniform level of rich alluvial soil, annually inundatAxl by the overflow of the great rivers. The villages aro built upon mounds of earth artificially raised above the flood. During the rainy season, this tract presents the appear ance of a continuous sheet of green paddy cultiva tion, through which boats sail to and fro. The chief ineans of communication at all times of the year is by water. The bordering rivers aro the Ganges or Padzna, the Jamuna or Brahmaputra, and the Megna. The city of Dacca is situated on the north bank of the Buriganga river, in lat. 23' 43' N., and long. 90° 25' 25" E. The town extends along the bank of tho river for a distance of nearly 4 miles, and inland, towards the north, for about 1+ mile. The ruins of the capitals and palaces of the Bhuiya rajas lie scattered throughout Eastern Bengal, along the line of the Brahtnaputra valley ; and their memory is still cherished in the house hold tales of the Hindu peasantry. The Maho medans first entered Bengal in 1203 A.D. ; and two most celebrated of their viceroys are Mir Jumla, the general of Aurangzeb, who failed disastrously in his expedition to Assam, and the nephew of the Nur Jahan Begum, Shaista Khan, who broke the power of the Portuguese, and annexed Chittagong to the Moghul empire. Dacca has numerous Hindu temples aud ma.ny 3fahomedan mosques for the large Musalman population, with churches and schools of the various Christian sects. The Roman Catholics are under the spiritual guidance of priests from Goa and elsewhere, with churches of their own and old Portuguese names. Formerly they used to intermarry with the natives, but of late years they seek alliances amongst their own people. Their complexions are very dark, and their customs semi-oriental.; but they supply Cal cutta with excellent domestics. The English, tho French, and the Dutch had established factories about the middle of the 16th century, when the city waa visited by the French traveller Tavernier. Cotton,jute,and safflower may be considered staples of the district. The indigenou.s cotton has long been cultivated along tho banks of the 3legna from Feringybazar to Edilpore in Bakarganj, a distance of about forty miles ; on the banks of the Brahma putrn creek (the ancient channel of the river of the same name), and along the Luekia and Banar.
It presents different shades of quality, the finest of which is named photi, and is tho material of Nvhich the delicate Dacca muslins are woven. It is described by Roxburgh as differing from the common herbaceous cotton plant of Bengal in several particulars, but chiefly in having a longer, finer, and softer fibre than it. Three pieces of muslin, made to be presented to the Prince of Wales, measured each 20 yards by 1 yard, and weighed 3f ounces. Next to fine muslins and embroidered fabrics, silver filagree work is that for which Dacca is most celebrated. This art is also practised in great perfection at Cuttack, and in Sumatra and China. The articles usually made at Dacca are ladies' ornameuts, such as bracelets, earrings, brooches, chains, necklaces, etc., and tho attar-dans and small boxes for natives. Tho design best adapted for displaying the delicate work of filagree is that of a leaf. The apparatus used in tho art is exceedingly simple, consisting merely of a few small crucibles, a piece of bamboo for a blow-pipe, small hammers for flattening the wire, and sets of forceps for inter twisting it. The drawing of silver and gold (i.e. silver wire covered with gold), used as thread in embroidery, is extensively carried on here. Benares is also celebrated for this art. There are several varieties of silver and gold thread (badla) made at Dacca, as kalabatoon for the embroidery of muslins and silks, goshoo for caps, and cover ing the handles of chauris ; sulinah for turbans, slippers, and hookah - snakes; and boolun for gold lace and brocades. Some of it is dmwn almost as fine as a hair. In the time of Aurangzeb a quantity of this article was made yearly for the court at Dehli. A hundred sticks covered with it, and plain gold and silver badla to the amount of 22000 in value, appear among the items com posing the mulboos khas nuzr, which was annually sent to the emperor. Shawls, violins, shell orna ments,and idolsare largelymanufactured. Amongst Mahomedans, the name of Dacca was Jahangir nagar.—Dr. Taylor.