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XXXIV. Accovnl of the Discoveries made by (he Rev. Dr. 

 BudjAysANf in tite course of his Investigations undertaken 

 Irj Order of the Siipreme Gover7iment of Bengal. 



J. HE Rev. Dr. Buchanan, who lefl Bengal soine months 

 ago, with the view oF proceeding to Travancore, to inquire 

 into the state of the Syrian Christians, arrived in that coun- 

 try about the Ijeginning of November last, having travelled 

 from Calcutta to Cape Comorin by land. His highness the 

 rajah of Travancore was pleased to afford to Dr. Buchanan 

 the most liberal assistance in the prosecution of his in- 

 quiries. About the middle of November, Dr. Buchanan 

 proceeded from ihe sea-coast into the interior of the coun- 

 try, north-east from Ouilon, to visit the anticnt Syrian 

 churches, situated amongst the low hills at the bottom of 

 the high ghauts, which divide the Carnatic from Ma- 

 layala. The face of the country in general, m the vicinity 

 of the mountains, exhibits a varied scene of hill and dale, 

 and winding streams. These streams fall from the moun- 

 tains, and preserve the valleys in perpetual verdure. The 

 ■woods produce pepper, cardamoms, and cassia, or wild cin- 

 namon ; also frankincense and other aromatic gums. 

 What adds much to the grandeur of the scenery in this 

 country is, that the adjacent mountains of Travancore are 

 not barren, but are covered with teak forests, producing the 

 largest tiriiber in the world. 



The first view of the Christian churches in this seques- 

 tered region of Hindostan, connected with the idea of their 

 tranquil duration for so many agen, cannot fail to excite 

 pleasing emotions in the mind of the beholder. The form 

 of the oldest buildings is not unlike that of some of the old 

 parish churches in England; the style of building in both 

 being of Saracenic origin. They have sloping roofs, point- 

 ed arch windows, and buttresses supporting the walls. The 

 beams of the roof being exposed to view, are ornamented ; 

 and the cieling of the choir and altar is circular and fretted. 

 In the cathedral churches the shrines of the deceased bishop? 



