Chapter BENDY-TREE to BENJAMIN of B by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

only so, but place the City of Bengala it self…more South than Chatigam. Tho’ I confess a late French Geographer has put Bengala into his Catalogue of imaginary Cities…”—Ovington, 554.

BENGAL, s. This was also the designation of kind of piece-goods exported from that country to England, in the 17th century. But long before, among the Moors of Spain, a fine muslin seems to have been known as albangala, surviving in Spanish albengala. (See Dozy and Eng. s. v.) [What were called “Bengal Stripes” were striped ginghams brought first from Bengal and first made in Great Britain at Paisley. (Draper’s Dict. s. v.). So a particular kind of silk was known as “Bengal wound,” because it was “rolled in the rude and artless manner immemorially practised by the natives of that country.” (Milburn, in Watt, Econ. Dict. vi. pt. 3, 185.) See N.E.D. for examples of the use of the word as late as Lord Macaulay.]

1696.—“Tis granted that Bengals and stain’d Callicoes, and other East India Goods, do hinder the Consumption of Norwich stuffs.…”—Davenant, An Essay on the East India Trade, 31.

BENGALA, s. This is or was also applied in Portuguese to a sort of cane carried in the army by sergeants, &c. (Bluteau).

BENGALEE, n.p. A native of Bengal [Baboo]. In the following early occurrence in Portuguese, Bengala is used:

1552.—“In the defence of the bridge died three of the King’s captains and Tuam Bandam, to whose charge it was committed, a Bengali (Bengala) by nation, and a man sagacious and crafty in stratagems rather than a soldier (cavalheiro).”—Barros, II., vi. iii.

[1610.—“Bangasalys.” See quotation from Teixeira under BANKSHALL.]

A note to the Seir Mutaqherin quotes a Hindustani proverb: Bangali jan gali, Kashmiri bepiri, i.e. ‘The Bengalee is ever an entangler, the Cashmeeree without religion.’

[In modern Anglo-Indian parlance the title is often applied in provinces other than Bengal to officers from N. India. The following from Madras is a curious early instance of the same use of the word:—

[1699.—“Two Bengalles here of Council.” —Hedges, Diary, Hak. Soc. ii. cclxvii.]

BENIGHTED, THE, adj. An epithet applied by the denizens of the other Presidencies, in facetious disparagement to Madras. At Madras itself “all Carnatic fashion” is an habitual expression among older English-speaking natives, which appears to convey a similar idea. (See MADRAS, MULL.)

1860.—“…to ye Londe of St Thomé. It ys ane darke Londe, & ther dwellen ye Cimmerians whereof speketh Romerns Poeta in hys Odgsscia & to thys Daye thei clepen Jenebrosi, or De Benghted folke.” —Fragments of Sir J. Maundevile, from a MS. lately discovered.

BENJAMIN, BENZOIN, &c., s. A kind of incense, derived from the resin of the Styrax benzoin, Dryander, in Sumatra, and from an undetermined species in Siam. It got from the Arab traders the name luban- Jawi, i.e. ‘Java Frankincense,’ corrupted in the Middle Ages into such forms as we give. The first syllable of the Arabic term was doubtless taken as an article—lo bengioi, whence bengioi, benzoin, and so forth. This etymology is given correctly by De Orta, and by Valentijn, and suggested by Barbosa in the quotation below. Spanish forms are benjui, menjui; Modern Port. beijoim, beijuim; Ital. belzuino, &c. The terms Jawa, Jawi were applied by the Arabs to the Malay countries generally (especially Sumatra) and their products. (See Marco Polo, ii. 266; [Linschoten, Hak. Soc. ii. 96] and the first quotation here.)

c. 1350.—“After a voyage of 25 days we arrived at the Island of Jawa (here Sumatra) which gives its name to the Jawa incense (al-luan al-Jawi).”—Ibn Batuta, iv. 228.

1461.—“Have these things that I have written to thee next thy heart, and God grant that we may be always at peace. The presents (herewith): Benzoi, rotoli 30. Legno Aloë, rotoli 20. Due paja di tapeti…” —Letter from the Soldan of Egypt to the Doge Pasquale Malipiero, in the Lives of the Doges, Muratori, Rerum Italicarum Scriptores, xxii. col. 1170.

1498.—“Xarnauz…is from Calecut 50 days’ sail with a fair wind (see SARNAU) …in this land there is much beijoim, which costs iii cruzados the farazalla, and much aloee which costs xxv cruzados the farazalla” (see FRAZALA).—Roteiro da Viagem de V. da Gama, 109-110.

1516.—“Benjuy, each