22 



Journal of a Foj/age in the Indian Seas, [Aug. I, 



coaft alons; this part of Ceylon/cfpccially 

 clofe to the fliore,) much refcmbles the 

 En<rlj/h coaft between YanTiouth and Ipf- 

 Tvich, except that along this beach there 

 appear groves of the cocoa-nut tree, in- 

 teifperfed with Indian huts, or, as they 

 are called, bungulows. Behind tiiis the 

 fcencry is truly romantic ; the hills and 

 mountains rifins: in the wildell order, and 

 in the mofl fantaftic fliajjcs ; abrupt pre- 

 cipices, pleafant rallies, thick groves, 

 towering cliffs, and lofty mountains, all 

 intermingled in " regular confuilon," and 

 clothed in nature's moft verdant livery, 

 affording a delightful relief to the eye, fa- 

 tigued with the dull monotony of a long 

 fea-voyage. 



At da\-light on the 7th we found our- 

 felves clofe in with Trincomallec harbour; 

 but «s the laud-breeze was blowing frelh 

 tiff-fhore, it was mid-day before we an- 

 chored in Back Bay. The appearance of 

 tliis place is \ ery pleafant from the fea ; 

 the harbour is one of the mf ill capacious 

 in the world, and the furrounding country 

 is covered with trees of the molt luxuriant 

 foliage. Flag-ftaff Point, a promontory 

 that projefts into the fea, and ends in a 

 perpendicular precipice, forms a fine con- 

 traft with the fmootli CN|ianfe of ocean 

 below. Clofe to this rock wc anchored 

 for a few hours, in order to give intelli- 

 gence of the war to the fliips, and then 

 made fail for Madras. 



While paffing this day in fight of the 

 Danilh fcltlement of Trauquebar, we 

 captured a Trench fliip in ballaft, bound 

 to Cochin. She had not had intelligence 

 of the war, though Admiral Linois, it 

 feems, had been apprized of that event, 

 as he had made his efcapc from Pondi- 

 cherry roads fome time before our ar- 

 rival. 



The only thing that attraded our at- 

 tention on this coaft was an aiVemblage 

 of ruins called the Seven Pagodas, which 

 are fituated on a little hill of ftone that 

 rifes abruptly on the fca-lliore from the 

 furrounding plain. Nothing, however, 

 like lev en pagodas can be diftinguiihcd. 

 When viewed v\ith a good glals, one or 

 two only appear, apparently riling from 

 the veftiges of other buildings, the whole 

 having an antique and veneraiile caft. At 

 night the lightning was fre(|iient, and ex- 

 ceedingly vivid over tlie land : this is ge- 

 rally the cafe during the S.W. monfoon. 



On the morning of the 8th we came to 

 RHchor in Madras roads. 



The firft object that (irikes the Europe- 

 an on his arrival off INIadras is an exten- 

 live, beautiful, and very ftroug fort, built 



on the fea-fide, and containing handforac 

 fquares, ffrects, churches, barracks, and 

 other public buildings. To the right of 

 the fort, and at a little diftance from the 

 beach, there is a partial view of what is 

 called the Black Town, which takes its 

 name not from the hue of the houfes, but 

 from that of the inhabitants, moft of 

 whom are people of ci>lour. The town it- 

 felf has a very good appearance, the 

 houfes being built with jjorticoes and flat 

 roofs, while the chunam gives them a 

 marble look, and adds much to their 

 beauty. From among thefe the Hindoo 

 temples and the fpires of the iVrmeniaii 

 and Portugueze churches are feen flioot- 

 ing up to a confiderable iieiglit, and they 

 have altogether a very good effect. 



To the right of Black Town, and clofe 

 to the beach, nearly a mile to the nortli- 

 ward of the fort, there is a chain of build- 

 ings, which, from their magnificent a])- 

 pearance, might be taken for fome royal 

 refidence ; yet thefe are nothing more 

 than the rullom-houfe and the otiices of 

 fome of the Englilh merchants. Carry- 

 ing the eye to the left, or fouthward of 

 the fort, the government-lioufe prefents 

 itfelf, near the beach, and about a quarter 

 of a mile from the falutiug-battery. It 

 is compofed of two feparate buildings, 

 each of which is beautiful in itfelf; but; 

 the oblique tituation in which they ap- 

 pear to Hand with refpeft to the fort and 

 each other, is a coniiderable drawback 

 from the elTert of their perfpettivc view 

 from the roads. 



A little way to the fouthward of the 

 governincnt-houfe ftands the Nabob of 

 Arcot's palace, fo embedded in a grove of 

 trees, that very little of it can i)e feun 

 fnjm the fea. I'rom hence, tor five or 

 fix miles in every direction, the country 

 is Itudded with gentlemen's feats, called 

 " garden-houles," which, from their 

 marble-like porticoes and colonnades, 

 might at lirft be tiikcii for fo many Grcr 

 cian temples. 



As Ihips' boats never attempt to land 

 at this place, there are a number of thofe 

 of the country,called malVulah-boats, kept 

 by the government to attend on fuch ihips 

 as are lying in tlie roads. 1 here are ge- 

 nerally two for the ul'e of the men of war 

 to crofs thefurfto thelhip's boats, wliich 

 lie at a grapnel outlide. 



The maifulah-boats are of very rude 

 confiruttion ; fiat-bottomed, high, and 

 the planks fewed together by a fibrous 

 fubftancc, which gives the timbers great 

 play while crolling the furf. Tlioy arc 

 rov^ ed by eight or teu men, who, inlleacj 

 ' of 



