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by Capt. Drummond; but I cannot reconcile its situation to that parallel; as it cannot well be so near to Paniany. I have placed it in 10° 33′ 15′′.

Mangalore is the next place to Mount Dilla, in Capt. Huddart's table, and its longitude given is 74° 44'; lat. 12° 50'. For about 5 leagues to the NW of Mount Dilla, the form of the coast is taken from a French map in Mr. Dalrymple's collection; the rest of the coast to Mangalore, and from thence to Coondapour (or Basselore) in lat. 13° 36′, is little known as to particulars. A large river named Cangerecora, whose course is from the north-east, falls in about 4 miles to the north of Mount Dilla; previous to which, its course is parallel with the sea coast for about 11 miles, being separated only by a spit of sand. The forts of Nelisuram, Ramdilly, and Matteloy are situated on this river, which is joined by several other rivers, or streams, that descend from the Gaut Mountains; which in this part approach within 22 miles of the coast. I cannot help considering this Nelisuram, which is situated about 12 miles up the river, as the place meant by Nelcynda and Melcynda, by Pliny and Ptolemy; a place visited by the Egyptian and Roman ships.

We have been lately brought acquainted with the particulars of the coast between Barcelore and Meerzaw (or Merjee), by means of a map drawn by Capt. Reynolds, during the war which terminated so unfortunately for the British arms in 1783, in the Bednore country; to which this part of the coast is opposite. This map is drawn in a most masterly style, and contains near 60 G. miles of the coast; and extends inland to the foot of the Gauts, which here approach, in some places, within 6 miles of the sea, and are never more than 20 from it. It includes the positions of Bednore and Bilghey within the Gauts; and also, Onore, Batcole, and Coomtah on the coast. We are furnished with the means of joining this

portion of geography to the rest, by having the longitude of Pigeon Island determined by Capt. Huddart; and by the position of it in

respect of Fortified Island, near Onore. Pigeon Island is very small, and lies about 8 G. miles from the coast, and 15 from Onore,* and is in lat. 14° 1'. Its longitude is 74° 6' 30".

From Meerzaw to Cape Ramas in the neighbourhood of Goa, we are but ill informed concerning the particulars of the coast. Between these, are situated the port of Carwar, and the islands of Angedive; both of them better known to the English in the early period of their India trade, and before they were in pofsefsion of Bombay. Capt. Huddart fixed the longitude of Oyster Rock in the mouth of Carwar Bay, and also that of the Aguada Point and Castle, on the north side of the entrance of Goa Bay, or road. This he makes to be in 73° 34′ 30′′; and it is worthy of observation, that the city of Goa, which is 11′ 15′′ more to the eastward, and consequently in 73° 45′ 45′′ by the same account, was placed in the same position within a fraction of a minute, by the observation in the Con. de Temps; and which, for want of being better informed, I formerly disregarded. The positions of Cape Ramas, Angedive, and Carwar Points, are corrected in respect of Aguada, by a set of observations and bearings of the late Capt. Howe, whose attention to marine science was equal to his gallantry, and knowledge of the practical part of his profefsion. I have had occasion repeatedly to acknowledge the aids I have been furnished with, by means of his collection of Observations and Remarks, in the pofsefsion of Mr. Dalrymple.

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The figure of the island of Goa, and its environs, to the foot of the Gauts, is taken from a Portuguese MS. map of Mr. Dalrymple's. The latitude of Goa, and of the Aguada Castle, is 15° 28′ 20′′.

Goa, the capital of the Portuguese settlements in India, and the seat of a viceroy, is a very considerable city. It was first taken possession of by Albuquerque in 1510, and from a prince of Saracen extraction, according to Jarric.

* When Fortified Island bore E 2 N, distant 2 miles, Pigeon Island bore SW, and Hog Island SSE. Hog Island bears from Pigeon Island ES, distant about 7 miles.

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The coast between Goa and Bombay, near 220 G. miles, is little known to us in detail; nor indeed, was the general bearing of it known, until Capt. Huddart furnished us with his series of longitudes. By his account it appears, that this coast, although in the neighbourhood of our principal marine station and arsenal in India, was described in the charts, with an error of very near a whole point of the compafs, in bearing. Indeed the whole western coast of India has far too great an obliquity from the north towards the west, in all the former charts; my own not excepted.

Perhaps there are few coasts so much broken into small bays and harbours, and that at the same time have so straight a general outline. This multitude of small ports, uninterrupted view along shore, and elevated coast, favourable to distant vision, have fitted this coast for the seat of piracy; and the alternate land and sea breezes that prevail during a great part of the year, oblige vessels to navigate very near the shore. No wonder then, that Pliny should notice the depredations committed on the Roman East-India trade în his time; and although a temporary check has been given to them in our own, by the destruction of Angria's fleets, &c. yet we may expect that the practice will be continued, while commerce lasts. The pirates are protected by the shallowness of their ports, and the strength of the country within. And as pirates, they have greater natural advantages than those of Barbary, who being compelled to roam far from their coasts, have expensive outsets: here the prizes come to their own doors; and the cruisers may lie secure in port, until the prey is discovered.

The Vingorla Rocks in lat. 15° 52′ go", Capt. Huddart took the longitude of, next to Goa; and made it 73° 16' 30". These rocks lie about 6 or 7 miles off the shore, of which we know but few particulars, farther than that it is possessed by a piratical tribe named Malwaans. The principal ports hereabouts are Melundy or Sunderdoo, a fortified island about 10 miles to the NE by N of Vin

gorla Rocks, and reduced by Commodore James in 1765: also Rairee, Vingorla, and Newtya: which last I cannot help thinking is the Nitrias of Pliny, near which the pirates cruised for the Roman ships.

A Dutch MS. chart afsisted me in drawing the coast between Melundy and Antigherrya, an extent of about 70 G. miles. This chart was procured by Sir Joseph Banks for Mr. Dalrymple: and the tract comprised within it, contains the ports of Dewgur, Tamanah, Rajapour, Rampa, Antigherrya, and also Geriah, late the capital and principal port of Angria. This place was found by Capt. Huddart to be in lon. 73° 8'; and its latitude is 16° 37'. Between Antigherrya and Bombay, are the ports and islands of Zivagee, Dabul, Severndroog, Fort Victoria (or Bancoote), Sufferdam, Danda-Rajapour, Choule and Coolabba. At Victoria, the longitude was found to be 72° 54': latitude 17° 59'. The latitudes alone of several of these places, helped me to settle their positions, as the coast is nearly meridional; but I hardly expect to be free from mistakes, in fixing such a number of places, within so conand with so few aids.

fined a space,

Bombay, the principal port and settlement of the English in this quarter, is situated in lat. 18° 58', longitude by Mr. Howe's observations 72° 38'. I have placed it in 72° 40', or 2 minutes farther to the east, which was occasioned originally by a mistake, and which would have cost too much time to rectify, had I attempted it. Bombay is a small island, scarcely more than 7 miles in length, and very narrow, containing a very strong and capacious fortrefs, a large city, a dock-yard, and marine arsenal. It was ceded to the English in 1662, by the Portuguese, as part of the dower of the Queen of Charles II. On the NE it is separated by a narrow strait from Salsette, a fine island of about 15 miles square, and an acquisition from the Mahrattas in 1773. Bombay, Salsette, and the neighbouring shores of the Continent, form a large sound, in which are several other islands, particularly Caranjah and Elephanta; the

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latter being famous for its subterraneous temple, and both of them acquisitions from the Mahrattas.

Salsette has also its subterraneous temples, cut out of the live rock all of which appear to be monuments of a superstition anterior to that of the Hindoos.* On the east side of Salsette, and on the borders of the sound just mentioned, stands the fort of Tannah; probably on the site of the place of that name in the tables of Ulug Beig, &c. and on the opposite side of the sound, is. the mouth of the river of Callian, or Gallian; the ruins of which are noticed by Fryer, and are probably those of the Calliana of the Periplus Mar. Eryth. (See Orme's Hist. Frag.)

Basseen, a city and fortrefs of note, is situated on the point of the Continent opposite to the north end of Salsette. This place fell into the hands of the English, after a smart siege in 1780, but was restored to the Mahrattas, together with all the other conquests made on that side of India, at the peace of 1783, Salsette and the small islands excepted. Bafseen is situated in lat. 19° 19′, and under the same meridian as Bombay, as appears by the maps of that island and Salsette.

From Basseen to Surat, the surveyor with General Goddard's army, drew a measured line (as I am informed), and the result gave 9,5 G. miles of easting, or 10' of longitude, for the difference between Basseen and Surat; by which the latter should be in lon. 72° 50'. The difference of latitude N from Bafseen, was found to be 1° 52', which, added to 19° 19', gives 21° 11' for that of Surat. It is placed in 21° 10′ 30′′.

It is a great misfortune to geography, that no one observation of longitude should have been taken on the west of Bombay: by which default, we are precluded from correcting an extent of 7 degrees of longitude, along a coast that winds in such a variety of

* At Elora near Dowlatabad, more than 200 miles to the east of Salsette, are other temples cut out of the rock. For an account of these, see Thevenot: and for the former, Anquetil du Perron.

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