surf* or wave, that breaks upon it; and induces the necessity of using the boats of the country, to land in. These are of a singular construction, being formed without ribs, or keel; with flat bottoms, and having their planks sewed together; iron being totally excluded throughout the whole fabric. By this construction, they are rendered flexible enough to elude the effects of the violent shocks which they receive, by the dashing of the waves, or surf, on the beach: and which either oversets, or breaks to pieces, a boat of European construction. No port for large vefsels occurs between Trinkamaly and the Ganges: that is, in an extent of 15 degrees: so that the comparative proximity of the former, to Madras and Pondicherry, renders it a capital object, both to the English and French.

The Company's lands (or Jaghire) extend from Madras to the Pullicate lake, northward; and to Alemparvé, southwards: and westward, beyond Conjeveram: that is, about 108 B. miles along shore, and 47 inland; in the widest part. This whole tract hath had a regular survey: and Mr. Pringle, who surveyed the marches of the army under Sir Eyre Coote, during the war of 1780, has ascertained some interesting geographical positions, beyond it; and by this means extended very considerably, the dimensions of what may be called the surveyed tract: so that we are enabled, with a little adventitious help, to fill up, with tolerable accuracy, all the country between the parallel of Pullicate, northward, and Cuddalore, southward; bounded on the west, or inland side, by a line drawn from Cuddalore through Arnee, Velore, and Chittoor; and eastward by the sea. The whole of this tract is a triangular space of

* The reader will find in my friend Mr. Marsden's very excellent history of Sumatra, an account of the SURF: a phenomenon which I do not recollect ever to have seen discussed in a philosophical manner, in any former treatise. The account will be found in p. 28, to 33. The term Jaghire means generally, a grant of land from a sovereign to a subject, revocable at pleasure; but generally for a life rent. The Jaghire in question, is, I believe, understood to be held in perpetuity. It contains about 2440 square miles; and its revenue is reckoned at about 150,000l. per annum.

106 G. miles in length, by 70 wide. By means also of Mr. Pringle's bearings and measured routes, the positions of Portonovo, Sautgud, and Amboor, are obtained; which last may be considered as the most westerly point determined with accuracy, any where to the north of Tritchinopoly: and Amboor is only one-fourth of the whole distance across the peninsula. I cannot find that the road to Colar was measured, during the campaign of 1767.

Arcot is found to be nearer to Madras than was before supposed. I have fixed it by a series of triangles, by means of Wandiwash, Narnaveram, and Sholingur hills; and a base, furnished by the Jaghire map; at 56,6.G. miles, in horizontal distance, from Madras; and about 13' 30" south of its parallel; whence, its latitude will be 12° 51′ 30", lon. 79° 28′ 15′′. I do not know that its observed latitude is recorded any where. Mr. Pringle's map makes its distance from Madras 57,9; and M. D'Anville 58,2 in his MS. of positions: and another French MS. map, 59,1.

Arcot is reckoned the capital of the Carnatic; and must be a place of great antiquity, by its being taken notice of by Ptolemy. as the capital of the Sora; or Sora-mandalum: from whence corruptly Choro-mandel. It is a pretty large city, and its citadel is esteemed a place of some strength, for an Indian fortrefs. The defence which it made under CLIVE, in 1751, established the military fame of that illustrious nobleman; whose foibles exposed him to the attacks of enemies, who were better qualified to observe his defects, than to imitate him in the higher parts of his character: to which posterity will do ample justice, when it is placed beyond the reach of the envy of cotemporaries: and when his foibles will be as little remembered, as the malice of his enemies.

The position of Velore, is from Mr. Pringle's distance, corrected by the bearing of Sholingur hill. In his map of Coote's campaigns, he has given too much distance between Arcot and Velore; for it is 17 B. miles in the map, and only 15 by the road, in the tables. Also, between Conjeveramand Arcot, the road distance exceeds the

M m

horizontal distance, by three-fourths of a mile only, in 261⁄2 miles. These, I apprehend, are mistakes, occasioned by haste.

Velore is a post of great importance, commanding the great road leading into the Carnatic, from the valley of Vaniambaddy; and the directest route from the Mysore country. It consists of three strong forts, on as many hills; and is justly deemed impregnable to an Indian army. It is said to have been originally fortified by the Mahrattas, more than 200 years ago. Among other acts of generalship exhibited by Sir Eyre Coote, during the late war, the relief of this place, in the face of Hyder's whole army, may be reckoned a capital one. It is about go miles to the westward of

Madras.

Paliconda, had its bearing taken from Velore, and the distance between them, was measured. Amboor is determined by the distance from Paliconda, and the bearing of Coulasgur; which latter is determined by bearings from Velore and Arcot. The distances are obtained by means of Mr. Pringle's table of roads, with allowance for winding. Lastly, Sautgud is placed by angles taken at Amboor and Velore.

These, together with Col. Pearse's line, along the eastern coast of the peninsula, and those before taken notice of in the southern provinces (in Section I.) are all the measured lines that occur in these parts: together with one, and only one, observation of latitude; that is, at Chinna-Balabaram, about the middle between the two seas. This being the case, it will follow, that the various materials of which the geography of the tract in question is composed, can be no otherwise arranged, than by establishing as primary stations, such places as we have the best data for; and which have the greatest number of positions dependent on them: and this being done, to adapt the matter to the respective intervals, between these primary stations; which intervals must of course determine the scales and bearing lines of the several MS. maps, of which the materials are composed.

I shall attempt only to give an account of the manner of determining the principal of these stations, or points of connection; and that for the use of future geographers: to describe the whole, would lead me into unnecefsary prolixity. The primary points which it became necefsary to describe, in the account of the sea coast, were chiefly from actual measurement; as Tritchinopoly, Tanjore, Madura, Palicaudcherry: and I may now add, Coimbettore and Carroor: which are placed by measurement also. Arcot and Amboor, I have just mentioned; and Poliput and Chittoor, are the only remaining ones, that are established by survey.

Of those that remain to be determined, by tiresome discussion, and comparison; and in some cases by mere judgment, founded perhaps, on doubtful testimony; are Bangalore, Trinomalee, Darempoury, Dalmacherry, Gooty, Calastri, Sami-Ifsuram, Innaconda, Combam, Adoni, and Timerycotta. And of those furnished by Col. Pearse's march, are Nellore, Ongole, and Siccacollum.

Bangalore, as the first mentioned, is also the most important; as being in the centre of the peninsula, and having routes passing through it, in every direction. It is in itself, a place of great political importance, being a fortrefs of strength; and from situation, the bulwark of the Mysore country, towards Arcot. A variety of MS. maps of the country lying on the west of the Carnatic, and between it, and Seringapatam, have appeared: most of them, I believe, the offspring of the war of 1767-8, with Hyder Ally. One of a much later date, communicated by Mr. John Sulivan, contains the whole peninsula, south of the parallel of 15°; and is particularly valuable, on account of its having many routes and situations in Mysore, and Bednore; as well as in Tanjore and Madura. By its comprehensive nature, it furnishes an opportunity of proportioning the respective distances between Amboor, Bangalore, Seringapatam, Mangalore, and Bednore; as these places all appear in the same map, together with the routes from one to the other. It would require whole sheets to give an analysis of this, and the rest of the MSS. which

have been consulted on this subject; and therefore, I shall only state generally, that by the mean of the distance from Amboor to Bangalore, in four maps, it comes out to be 73,6 G. miles; (the variation among them, was six miles) and its parallel, according to the same method of proceeding, was 4' 10" south of Madras, or 13° o' 50". To this may be added, that Chinna-Balabaram, is by the mean of the same four maps, 23′ 40′′ to the north of the parallel of Bangalore: and the latitude of the former, which is fortunately preserved in the Lettres Edifiantes, being 13° 23′, confirms the general accuracy of the former result: this being only 1' 10" different from it; or 12° 59′ 20′′. Lastly, the interval on Mr. Sulivan's map, between Bangalore and Bednore, is 176 G. miles; and in mine, when Bangalore is placed, as above (73,6 from Amboor; and in lat. 13o) 172,5. And again, the distance between Bangalore and Mangalore in Mr. Sulivan's map, is 176,5; and in mine, 1694: that is, 74 different in one case, and 3 in the other. And this difference is to be accounted for, by our giving a different degree of width to the peninsula: Mr. Sulivan's map making it 15′ 15′′ wider than mine does, in the parallel we are speaking of. I have placed Bangalore in lat. 13o, and lon. 77° 37′ 10′′, according to the above data: and this capital point, or primary station, being fixed with so much succefs, both in latitude and longitude, gives some degree of confidence to all the positions round it: for almost every position between Col. Kelly's line on the south, and the Toombuddra river on the north; has, in its construction, a reference to Bangalore. It is the common point of union, in the centre of the peninsula, as Coimbettore is in the SW; and Tritchinopoly in the SE.

Before I proceed to the detail of the remaining primary stations, in the peninsula, I shall observe at once, that all the roads and positions of principal places in the Mysore and Bednore countries, on the west of Bangalore; and between Roydroog and the parallel of Tellicherry; were furnished by the said map of Mr. Sulivan's: and