306 Ramaswémui’s Account of the Island and Bridge of 
possibly be made, without leaving it in a state which would have shocked 
the ear of the English scholar. In the latter part, containing the account 
of his own bridges, where the subject-matter came home to his own business 
and bosom, and where, consequently, RAMaswAmi wrote with more ease 
and vigour, I did not find it necessary to make more than one correction, 
and that so trifling, that I may say the last part is presented to the reader in 
its original state. 
It may here be proper to point out the inaccuracies into which HamiLton 
has fallen in describing the falls of the Cadaver. The height of each fall is 
much underrated ; that of the Gangana Chuki being about three hundred 
and seventy feet, instead of from a hundred to a hundred and fifty feet ; 
and that of the Birra Chuki about four hundred and sixty feet, instead of 
a hundred feet, as stated by Hamitton. 
The Wellesley bridge at Seringapatam traverses the river in a winding 
direction. This tortuosity, it will be observed from a reference to the 
plans, is also the characteristic, in a much greater degree, of the bridges 
more recently constructed by RAmaswaAmi, who derived the idea from 
observing the line of the ancient ruins still standing in the bed of the river ; 
and, as he himself remarks, the manner in which his first bridge has stood 
against the severest floods, proves the excellence of the principle which he 
has adopted. 
(Signed) J. Lusutneton, 
Sec. Asiatic Department. 
Accorpiné to tradition, the island of Sivasamudram is the most holy 
of places: it has its situation in a forest, and was the residence of the seven 
Rishis (or patriarchal sages) during the Z'rétdyuga, the second or silver 
age of the world. It is said, that as these Réshis or Tapaswis were once 
performing their ceremonies, two serpents, named TacsHaca and VAsux1, 
apprehensive of the attack of Garup‘abnacavan (or the divine bird and 
vehicle of VisHnu), came to these Tapaswis for protection, who offering 
them an asylum, obtained a promise from one of the serpents, that named 
Vasux1, that the people who should in future come to this place should not 
be exposed to the venom of his species. VAsuxr having given this promise, 
the Tapaswis remained performing their devotions. It is said also that 
Gop appeared to VAsux1, and offered his protection upon the same promise ; 
