Chap. V.] TRIXCOMALli:. 483 



The town is built oii tliu neck ot" ;i bold pL'iiiu.sula, 

 which stretches between the inner and outer liarboui's, 

 rising, at its southern extremity, into lofty precipices 

 covered to their summits with luxuriant forests ; and is 

 strengthened, at the narrow entrance of the inner har- 

 bour, by the batteries of Fort Ostenbm;g, rising one above 

 another for the defence of the port and arsenal. A 

 huge rock to seaward has been surmounted by the works 

 of Fort Frederick ; but it is commanded from the ad- 

 jacent heights ; and being situated three miles to the 

 northward of the dockyard and the mouth of the inner 

 harbom", it protects only the outer anchorage, and is 

 available solely as a jwint cVcqipui. Even now, and not- 

 withstanding their extent, the mihtary works are utterly 

 incommensm-ate with the importance of the position, and 

 Avould be found ineffectual for its protection in the event 

 of attack. 



Tiincomalie, though a place of great antiquity, de- 

 rived its ancient renown less from pohtical than from 

 rehgious associations. The Malabar invaders appear to 

 have adopted it as the site of one of their most cele- 

 brated shrines ; and a pagoda which stood upon the 

 lofty chff, now known as the " Saaniy Eock," and in- 

 cluded within the fortifications of Fort Frederick, was 

 the resort of pilgrims from all parts of India. With 

 this echfice, which is still spoken of as the " Temple of 

 a Thousand Columns," is connected one of the most 

 graceful of the Tamil legends. An oracle had de- 

 clared, that over the dominions of one of the kings of 

 the Dekkan impended a ])eril, which was only to be 

 averted by the sacrifice of his inlant daughter; who was, 

 in consequence, committed to the sea in an ark of sandal 

 wood. The child was wafted to the coast of Ceylon, 

 and landed south of Trincomahe, at a ])lace still known 

 by the name of Pannoa ^ or the "smiling infant," 



^ The districts at the soullicni ex- 

 tremity of BatticiiloM, ]*(uniO(i, and 

 PaiifiJtdiii, are so cidlcil t'loin the 



two Tamil words ^^ jxi/c/i-ttm/ni." tli 

 smilin;i-l)a])e. 



