i6o 



WESTERN HINDOOSTAN. 



COIMBOTORE 

 COUKTRY. 



CRA^•GA^"ORE. 



but the laft rufli with vaft violence through this great breach. 

 During the north-eaft Monfoons, fhips at fome diftance at fea, as 

 foon as they come within the openings, feel the fierce efFedl of 

 the wind, which pours on them with vaft fury, but before they 

 reach the line of the gap, and when they have paffed it, the 

 flilleft calm fucceeds. 



The river Paniani rifes frcMii the north-eaft in the Coimbotore 

 country, and paffes through the breach, and in the rainy feafon 

 •is navigable for fmall boats, to the foot of the Ghauts, Its fource 

 is from an elevated plain, fixty miks in extent, rifing fuddenly 

 out of the furrounding country like a vaft terrace, and faces the 

 great gap : Such are common in India, and are features almoft 

 peculiar to the country. 



TwENTY-iive miles fouth of Paniani is Cranganore^ the 

 northern frontier of the RajabJJjip of Travencore, When 

 Gama arrived on this coaft he was furprifed with a vifit of 

 certain deputies from that city, informing him, that they 

 were, like him, Chrijiians, and requefting to be taken under 

 the protedlion of his great mafter, Emmanuel. Gama received 

 them with the utmort affedlion, and afliired them, he fhould 

 recommend their interefts to the Por/z/oz/^ Admirals*, whom 

 he fliould leave on the coaft. After his departure, a quarrel 

 happened between them and the Zamorin. A Qiip loaden with 

 fpices was on its way from Calicut to Cranganore ; fuch was the 

 avarice of the Portuguefe, that they could not refift making it 

 a prize. The nephew of the Zamorin^ who was their warm 



* Oibrio, lib. I. p. 134. 



friend, 



