Sherring, Matthew A.: The sacred city of the Hindus: an account of Benares in ancient and modern times (London, 1868)

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the Ganges, down the road leading towards the can-
tonments, thence making a detour as far as Durga-kund
until he again reaches the Ganges, he will at once be
convinced that the aspects of the city differ greatly
from one another. He will be especially struck by the
apparent newness and freshness of the houses on the
southern side, as compared with those on the northern
side; and his attention will be, or ought to be, power-
fully arrested by the venerable appearance of many of
the buildings on the cantonment road just alluded to,
and in its neighbourhood.

There is still a scattered population on the southern
bank of the Barna, living in small villages or hamlets;
and, to the north of the present city, between it and
the Barna, mausoleums, dargahs, mosques, and even
Hindu buildings, most of which are in ruins, are found
in abundance, showing that, as late as the Mohammedan
period, this portion of the city, now become its suburbs,
was possessed of considerable magnificence, and, indeed,
was. a favourite place of resort to its Mohammedan
rulers. The tendency of Benares to change its bound-
aries—for it shifts continually in a south-westerly direc-
tion—is well illustrated by the position of the three
fortresses which the Bajas of Benares have occupied
at various periods of its history. The oldest fort was
situated at Barna Sangam, or the confluence of the
Barna and the Ganges; and a few remains of it are
still standing. In its day it no doubt formed a part
of the city, and was its chief defence; but now it is
only a remote suburb, with a mere handful of people
in its immediate neighbourhood. The second in point