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Barren Ifland, and the Rock on the eaft of Duncan's Paffage, are from the remarks of Capt. Juftice in 1771.

ISLAND of CEYLON.

IT happens that the ordinary tracks of British ships, to and from Ceylon, and the coaft of Coromandel, are not calculated for determining the relative pofitions of Point Pedro and Point Calymere, the approximating points of Ceylon and the continent of India. Hence it is, that we are fo ill informed, not only of their true fituations with respect to each other, but also with respect to the parallel of latitude under which they are fituated.

By my observations, Point Calymere (the fouthern extreme of Coromandel) lies in 10° 20' latitude. M. D'Apres places it 6 minutes more northwardly; and D'Anville 7 further fouth. The latitude of Point Pedro, is alfo variously reprefented by the above Geographers: I have taken it at 9° 53′.

In M. D'Apres I find the bearing and.diftance from Point Calymere to Point Pedro, to be E. 41 G. miles

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S. 37° 39.

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46.30 40

I had an opportunity in 1764, of determining the pofition of Cow Island from Tondi, very nearly. This I have placed in the map; and then I have traced off from M. D'Apres' chart, the coast between Cow Island and Point Pedro; by which means the latter bears from Point Calymere S 44 E.. E. distance 39 G.. miles.. I think there can be no great objection to this mode of fixing it. The means for determining the figure of Ceylon, may not, poffibly, be deemed quite fo fatisfactory.

Point

Point de Galle was found by Mr. Dalrymple's Time-Keeper *, to be about 2° 37′ of longitude to the eastward of Cape Comorin; and M. D'Apres reckons it 2° 41'. I have adopted Mr. Dalrymple's account, and placed Point de Galle in 80° 30'. Now the placing the two almost extreme points of the Ifland (Point de Galle and Point Pedro) according to their refpective differences of longitude from the parts of the continent nearest to each, and thofe longitudes differing confiderably from former charts, makes a difference of 18 minutes of longitude between the relative pofitions of Point de Galle and Point Pedro, in M. D'Apres' chart, and in mine. That is to fay, Point de Galle is 8 minutes to the east of Point Pedro by my account; and ten to the weft of it by M. D'Apres'. Anville places them nearly under the fame meridian.

M. D’

The positions of Ramiferam and Mantole Points, in respect to each other, differ widely in Major Stevens's chart, from former accounts for by lengthening Adam's bridge, Mantole point is thrown much farther eastward than usual.

All these circumftances taken together, occafion a difference in the form of the island of Ceylon, from what it appears in the late maps: the longest diameter of it in my map, being more inclined to the westward of the meridian, and the northern part much narrower; occafioned by my having followed Major Stevens's chart of Adam's bridge. At the wideft part, the island, in my map, is 4 miles wider than in D'Anville's; and 9 narrower than in D'Apres'.

For the particulars of the coaft, that part excepted which lies. between Mantole and Jaffnapatam, I have copied M. D'Apres; and for the inland part, M. D'Anville.

The Maldive and Laccadive itlands are copied from M. D'Apres.

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SECTION II.

The furveyed Tract on the fide of BENGAL, or that occupied by the Courfe of the GANGES, and its principal Branches, as far weft as the City of AGRA.

ΤΗ

HIS extenfive tract, which comprizes the foubahs of Bengal, Bahar, Allahabad, and Oude; a large portion of Agra and Delhi, and a small part of Oriffa, is bounded on the east by Assam, and the dominions of Ava; on the fouth east, by the gulph, or bay of Bengal; on the south west by an imaginary line drawn from the port of Balafore in Oriffa, to the city of Narwah; and on the west by another fuch line drawn from Narwah, through the city of Agra to Hurdwar, the place where the Ganges first enters the plains of Hindooftan. It is in length from the city of Agra, to the eastern confines of Bengal, upwards of 900 British miles ;. and in breadth from 360 to 240.

With respect to the particulars of this furvey, it is unneceffary to fay more than that the distances were measured, and that they accorded with the observations of latitude and longitude: with the former minutely, and with the latter fo nearly, that it was unneceffary to make any correction.

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Agra, by Claud Boudier's obfervation, is in 78° 29′
Calcutta, by the medium of four observations

88. 28

Difference of longitude by obfervation
By furvey

9. 59

9.58

3

Agra,,

Agra, then, appears to be the moft western point determined by the survey; and ferves as a common point of union between the furveys on the east, and the routes furnished by various MS. maps, and itineraries, on the north, fouth, and weft. By means of the furvey alfo, a number of points are ascertained, which ferve to fet off curfory furveys of roads both to the weft and fouth: fuch as Hurdwar and Ramgaut, on the north of Agra; and Ghod, Calpy, Chatterpour, Rewan, Burwa, and Balafore on thefouth.

As this tract contains the fite of the famous city of Palibothra (or Palimbothra) as well as thofe of Canoge*, and Gour, it may not be amiss to take fome notice of them: as alfo of fome of leffer note, such as Punduah, Tanda, Satgong, (or Satagong) and Sonergong all of which, (Palibothra excepted) are mentioned either in the Ayeneh Acbaree, or in Ferifhta.

The fituation of Palibothra has already exercifed the judgment of M. D'Anville, who places it on the fite of the prefent Allahabad, at the conflux of the Ganges and Jumna rivers. One principal circumstance on which he founds his opinion, is, that Palibothra is faid to have been fituated at the point of conflux of a very large river with the Ganges; a river of the third degree of magnitude amongst the Indian rivers: the other is, that the Jomanes river (Jumna) according to Pliny, traverfed the country of Palibothra.. M. D'Anville therefore concludes that the river which joined the Ganges at Palibothra, was the Jumna.

But Pliny, in another place, pofitively affigns for the fite of Palibothra, a spot 425 Roman miles below the conflux of the Ganges and Jumna: and alfo enumerates the particulars of the whole diftance between the Indus, and the mouth of the Ganges and altho' his proportions do not in all cafes correfpond with the map, yet it must be allowed that upon the whole, there is a degree of propor

* Or. Kinnoge.

tion

tion and confiftency, in his account of the refpective pofitions of places, that merits fome degree of confideration.

His diftances are thefe :

From Taxila or Tapila, on the Indus (most probably Attock) to the river Hydafpes (the modern Bebat)

To the Hyphafis (Setlege)

120 Roman miles.

To the Hefidrus, probably a branch of the
the 168
Caggar river

390*

the}

168

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To the Jomanes (Jumna) most probably' the part nearest to the Hyphafis

To the Ganges (the nearest part of which to that part of the Jumna juft mentioned, is about Moonygurry)

To Rhodopa

To Calinapaxa

To the conflux of the Jomanes and Ganges

(where Allahabad now ftands)

To Palibothra

To the mouth of the Ganges

112

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225

425

638

In order to ascertain Pliny's fcale, it will be neceffary to compare his distances with mine in fome known part of the above route, and none appears fitter for this purpose than the space between that part of the Jumna nearest to the ordinary route into Hindoostan, and its conflux with the Ganges. This distance in Pliny is 623 Roman miles, and on my map 354 G. miles: fo that of a Geographical mile is equal to a mile of Pliny's, reduced to horizontal distance or about by the windings of the road: agreeing nearly with a Roman mile, for which it was doubtless intended.

100

Now, taking this for a fcale, we fhall find that about 110 fuch miles will reach from the aforefaid part of the Jumna, to that

*This is 3900 in Pliny's account; but it is evidently a mistake of a cypher.

part

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