It is perhaps impossible for an European to judge of the true genius or Indian poetry, or to enter, with the spirit of au Asiatic, into the productions of their bards. Tne superiority of the knowledge of the language, aided by many fabulous traditions which the natives consider as canonical, render them much more inclined to peruse, with enthusiasm, the works of their faVourite authors. Their painting, it must be confessed, bears little or no resemblance to nature ; and of their music perhaps no high encomium C111 he pronounced. Dr Buchanan re marks, that the music of the Nabut, or state band of the nabob of Arcot, is much superior to any thing he had ever heard among the 'lathes, and is not much harsher than our clarionet." The li•st and the most important of all arts is that of agriculture, and el% ilization calm have made hut very in considerabl• progress where it is not cultivated. Man kind have a powerful stimulus to employ every exertion, in order to increase the means of subsistent e. The de gree or exertion, however, which is actually made, de pends upon many adventitious circumstances, such as the climate, the soil, the spontaneous productions of the earth, &c. The progress of agriculture in the Carnatic has been very small, like that of every other country in India. It may he said to have been stationary for ages The soil in many places is fine, and, when the proper quantity of rain falls, requires very little labour to pro duce a most abundant crop. In others the soil is very indifferent. Rocks, or large detached masses of granite, are very common in many fields, even in those districts that are considered as the most fertile. in other place,, again, there are immense beds of granite, or of that rock decomposed into harsh coarse sand. Many of the hills are composed of the same substance, n hich alone ren ders cultivation totally impracticable. Front the intense ness of the heat of the climate, even the best and most favourable soils la quire a vcr y great quantity of water, in order to promote vegetation. Nature most common ly supplies abundance of this necessary manure in the rainy seasons, and in that case two crops are produced. If this be withheld, scarcity, and even famine, is the certain consequence. The natives, howet er, have at tempted to provide what is, in a small degree, a substi Lute for this invaluable blessing. Throughout the whole of India, what is called tanks, or reservoirs °Neater, have been formed. In Bengal, this is generally effected by digging ; but in the Carnatic, where the situation is more favourable, they shut up, with an artificial bank, au opening between two natural ridges of ground. Some of these tanks extend from seven to eight miles in length, and three in breadth); and are said to be sufficient to sup ply with water the lands of thirty-two villages for eigh teen months, should the rains fail. In the villages thus watered by Saymbrumbacum tank, there are 500e per sons employed in agriculture. But the bounty of Nature 'benders this seldom necessary. The water which is col lected is generally employed in the dry season, and let out in small streams, without the aid of machinery, as wanted for cultivation. The genial nature of the soil and climate, assisted by moisture, is all that is requisite to produce the most luxuriant crop. "When the water of a tank is exhausted before the rice of th• fields water ed by it is ripe, the crop must either perish, or they must use the yatant, or, as the English call it, the tacota. One acre and nearly one-fifth, require the constant la bour of four men to supply it with water for the cultiva tion of rice. The same number of men are able to wa te• three times the same quantity of gat den ground, because a smaller supply is required. \nen there is a necessity for watering by machinery, a deduction from the rent is gi ncrally allowed. The machines are exceed ingly rude, and discover vet v little enterprize or know ledge of the mechanical powers in those who have for ages employed them.
The instruments or husbandry arc of the same rude construction ; and were it not for the excellence of the soil and climate, they never could dress the ground so as to render it capable of producing it hat could indemnir; the labour bestowed upon it, or even support the labourer himself. It is not the want of an inventive genius, to which we ought to ascribe the small progress that they have made in improving the instruments employed by them. There are few inventions in the arts that have not been dictated by necessity, and have, either in imagi nation or in reality, been considered as contributing to that love of ease which is so natural to man. Every im plement of husbandry they make use of would be totally useless in a different region of the earth. The spade, hoe, harrow, and plough, are equally bad, and scarcely deserve the names. The great additional labour which thus devolves upon the husbandman is inconceivable ; but custom and ancient usage reconcile them to any thing.
In the Carnatic, the greater part of the Brahmans en gage in secular professions. Besides being officers of the revenue, and employed in administering justice, &c. they rent a great deal of land, but they never put their hand to the plough. Two unfortunate and miserable races of men are doomed to discharge this laborious duty. These are the Sudra and Panehum Bundum. The latter are by far the most hardy and laborious people of the country; and Hyder discovered his sagacity, when he sheaved them such particular marks of his preference, as to settle them in many parts of his dominions as far mers, and interdicted his subjects from calling them by any other name than that of cultivators. There are a few 1\Iussulmen who cultivate their farms by means of slaves, but they are not numerous in this part of Hin dostan. Some of the Sudra cast, who have acquired a little property by their industry, have also purchased slaves, whom they employ in agriculture ; but in gene ral their lands are cultivated with their own hands.
The staple grain of the country is rice. It forms the favourite beverage of the Ilindoos, whose religion for bids them the use of animal food ; and their agriculture is chiefly directed to its production. They bestow also considerable care on the cultivation of maize, the sugar cane, and cocoa-nut tree. The wheat that is raised, whether from the climate or injudicious treatment, or from both, scarcely deserves to be mentioned. The cotton-tree, however, is widely diffused, and in no part of India does it thrive better than on the dry coast of Co romandel.
The narrow policy of the proprietors of the ground has produced very injurious effects in many parts of India. Thus, when the tenant is unable to pay his rent, it is usual in Bengal to prevent the crops from being cut down. In the Carnatic, however, the custom is to col lect the grain in stacks, or heaps, after it has been thrash ed out in the field. To guard against embezzlement, several pieces of clay stamped with a seal, are then put on the surface of the heap ; and to prevent injury from the weather, it is thatched. The grain continues in these heaps till the cultivator is able to satisfy the renter, either by advancing money, or by dividing the produce. In every village a particular officer, called talliari, keeps watch at night, and is answerable for all that may he stolen. See Buchanan's Travels.
There arc no markets in the Carnatic, similar to the fairs or hauls of Bengal. The shopkeepers purchase what they have occasion for from the farmers and ma nufarturi rs, and retail the articles thus procured in the bazars, or towns. Jlilk, a favourite beverage, is sold in ad its different preparations by women on the road side.
The animals in the Carnatic are nearly the same as are to be found in the other countries of Hindostan. It would exceed our limits even to attempt an enutnera tion of them. These shall be noticed under the article INDIA.