SECTION I.

The SEA COASTS and ISLAND S.

ALCUTTA is the point I fhall fet out from, as well from its

being determined by feveral obfervations of longitude and latitude, as from its having a measured line of confiderable extent ftretching from it both to the east and weft. I shall first pursue the route weftward to the mouth of the Indus; and then return to Balafore, and go eastward to the entrance of the strait of Malacca.

Calcutta, the capital of the British poffeffions in India, as being the refidence of the General Council, has its citadel placed in latitude 22° 33' north; and in longitude, by a medium of the obfervations of four different gentlemen, 88° 28′ eaft from Greenwich *.

Balafore, situated about 101 geographical miles † from Calcutta, is the extreme point of the Bengal furvey on the SW; or on the quarter towards Madras. Col. Pearfe's return from the Carnatic, after the termination of the late war, afforded an opportunity of carrying a measured line from Madras to Balafore, which had long been a defideratum; as the exact pofitions of the intermediate stations of Mafulipatam, Vifagapatam, Ganjam, and Cattack, points on which many others eventually depended, were wanted and although there might be no great reason to suppose that Masulipatam and

All the latitudes mentioned in this work, being north of the Equator, and all the longitudes east of the meridian of Greenwich, I shall in future mention only the terms latitude and longitude, leaving the fpecies of each, to be understood,

+ I have made ufe of Geographic miles, or thofe of 60 to a degree, in the account of the conftruction of the map; and of British statute miles in giving the comparative extent of countries. They are diftinguifhed by G.. miles, and B. miles.

Vifagapatam were much out of place, in the former map, yet Ganjam and Cattack were doubtful. Col. Pearse's industry and attention have amply fupplied what was wanting, within this line. He directed the whole to be measured with a perambulator, and corrected each day's work, or at least, every confiderable interval, by obfervations of the latitude; and the general courfe being little more than 3 points from the meridian, the differences of latitude, were applicable to the correction of the distance thro' each particular interval and for a check on the whole, we had already in our poffeffion, obfervations of longitude repeatedly taken at Calcutta and Madras. The whole extent of Col. Pearfe's measured line, in road distance, was near 900 British miles; a work of no small labour.

The longitude of Fort William, the citadel of Calcutta, as abovesaid, taken at 88° 27′ 45′′*, from the medium of 4 observers; and that of Madras 80° 24′ 40′′ +, from the medium of 3 obfervers, gives a difference of meridians of 8 degrees, 3 minutes. It remains then, to compare with this, the difference of longitude found by Col. Pearfe's measured route, as communicated by Mr. Pringle in the map drawn by him, and sent to the East India House.

Balafore, by the survey, is 1°26′ 30′′ weft of Fort William, and must therefore be in 87° 1' 30". Col. Pearfe reckons it 1′ 15′′ more wefterly; but I adhere to the survey. From Balafore to Ganjam, in lat. 19° 22′, Col. Pearfe reckons 95 miles of westing, or i° 41′ 26′′, difference of longitude; which brings Ganjam in lon. 85° 20′ 4′′ ‡. And from Ganjam to Madras he made 5° 2′ 18′′ weft: whence the

Rev. Mr. Smith

* Hon. Thomas Howe

88033
8$ 28

Medium 88° 27′ 45′′

88 24
88 26

Mr. Magee
Capt. Ritchie

To which may be added the French obfervation at Ghyretty, which place is 1′east from Calcutta

88 29 80° 29'

80 24
80 21

Medium 80° 24′ 40′′

Mr. Mears's observation was 85° 17′ by ✪ and D, 1770.

C

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longitude of Madras, would be 80° 17 44 Here is found an exthe measurement giving so much cefs of about 7 minutes difference of longitude, more than the observations give. But in examining the map abovementioned, it appears that the difference of latitude between Ganjam and Madras by account, exceeded that by obfervation 8' 30"; and if this is to be imputed to excess of distance (which is highly probable) an excefs of longitude must also have taken place; and this error will amount to about 6′ 48′′; or nearly the difference in question. This trifling error of 7 minutes in a difference of meridians of 6 degrees and a half, to whatever it may be owing; whether to overmeasurement by the wheel; variation of the compass; defects in the inftruments; or errors in the obfervations of longitude; or partly to all these causes; is very immaterial, to general geography. The refult fhews, that we may confider the difference of meridians between the two places, as determined near enough for the pur.pofes of navigation, or general Geography.

I must not omit to mention that Capt. John Ritchie, by direction of the Bengal Government, in 1770 and 1771, took the bearings. and distances in a general way, from Madras to Balafore; and his refult came within one minute of the longitude by observation. But fome of his intervals were not well proportioned. His pofition of Mafulipatam, indeed came out only 1' to the east of Col. Pearfe's; but Vifagapatam was 7, and Ganjam 22′ more wefterly.

Although Col. Pearfe's route ferves to fix most of the principal places, on or near the coaft, yet oftentimes it deviated confiderably, and for a length of space, from the coaft; as between Balafore and Jagarnaut; and between Vifagapatam and Ongole. Thefe blanks are supplied from the materials of Capt. Ritchie, Major Stevens, Major Polier, Mr. Cotsford, and others.

First, from Balafore, to Point Palmiras. This was done by Capt. Ritchie, by a feries of triangles, formed by three furveying veffels; and corrected by obfervations of latitude. The refult, placed Point Palmiras, directly fouth of Balafore: that is, in lon.

87° 1′ 30′′; lat. 20° 44'. From Point Palmiras to Jagarnaut Pa1' goda, the coaft was traced in a more curfory manner; and accordingly, the bearing and distance between Balafore and Jagarnaut is very differently given by Col. Pearfe and Capt. Ritchie: the account of the former being only 54′ 30′′ difference of longitude; and that of the latter, 1° 16'. This very confiderable difference is too striking, not to be particularly noticed; and requires that some obfervations fhould be made with time-keepers, to ascertain the relative pofitions of Jagarnaut, Point Palmiras, and Balafore. Wherever the mistake may lie, it is of great importance to have it rectified for if Col. Pearfe's bearing be true (and there appears no reason to doubt it) there must be a very confiderable error in the courfe between Jagarnaut, and Balafore road, in Capt. Ritchie's chart.

The longitude of Cattack is fcarcely altered from what it was in the former map of India; where it was placed on the authority of Capt. Campbell, in lon. 86°. It is now in 86° 1′ 30′′; and its

latitude ftands as before.

From Jagarnaut to Ganjam, the particulars of the coast, are from Col. Pearse's map, collated with those of Ritchie's and Campbell's. From Ganjam to Poondy, is taken from the map of the Itchapour district; and Col. Pearfe's route on it, which may be traced from Ganjam to Bindi (near Poondy) furnishes the means of correcting the compass of that map, which was faulty in a very confiderable degree. Bindi ferves as a connecting point for the two maps; as Nauparah or Nowparah, a little farther to the S W. does for Pearse's, and Cridland's map of the Tickley district. The coaft between Poondy and Bimlepatam is sketched from Lieut. Cridland's map, from Major Polier's journal, and other MSS. From Bimlepatam to Vifagapatam is from Col. Pearse; and from thence to Coringa from a MS. map, compiled during Col. Forde's expedition to Mafulipatam, in 1759; collated with Capt. Ritchie's

map.

As there have been fome obfervations taken at Vifagapatam to ascertain the longitude, it is proper to take notice of them, and to compare the refult with the longitude deduced from Calcutta and Ganjam, by Col. Pearfe's line. This gives 107,1 miles of westing, or 1° 52′ 54′′ difference of longitude, from Ganjam to Visagapatam; from which if we deduct the proportion of the error in the diftance (see page 10) the true difference of longitude will be 1° 50′ 39′′; which taken from 85° 20′ 4′′, the longitude of Ganjam, leaves 83° 29′ 25′′ for that of Vifagapatam. But Col. Pearfe's obfervation was 84° 23′ 30′′ and Mr. Ruffel's 83° 21′ 30′′. Its latitude is 17° 42'.

From Coringa to Mafulipatam, the figure of the coaft is from Major Stevens, as Col. Pearfe's route goes far inland, by way of Rajamundry, Ellore, &c. and does not again approach the coast near enough to determine its pofition, till it comes to Vantipollam, near Ongole. These maps of Major Stevens's and of Col. Pearfe's join at the points of Siccacollum, on the bank of the Kistnah; at Rajamundry, and at Samulcota. These 2 maps differ confiderably in the extent between Siccacollum and Samulcota; Major Steven's giving 6 miles less than the other (error of diftance allowed) but, I believe, Major Stevens's diftance was measured, only between Siccacollum and Narfapour.

Mafulipatam has its pofition very fatisfactorily determined, by Major Stevens's measurement from Siccacollum, a place in Col.. Pearfe's map. It is 17,4 G. miles east; and 3,3 fouth of it; and comes out 48′ of longitude, east of Madras, or corrected (see again. page 10) 47'; its longitude being 81° 12'; lat. 16° 8' 30":

From Mafulipatam to Madras, the figure of the coaft, is generally from Capt. Ritchie, corrected in certain points by the land furvey, of Col. Pearfe. For as the latter came close to the coaft at Vantipollam, Carwaree, and Rameeapatam, it appeared that: Capt. Ritchie's chart required correction in the great bay between: the latter place and Point Divy. I found it neceffary alfo to reduce:

the