54 EASTERN HINDOOSTAN. 



obliged me with the fight of his drawings. I anticipate from 

 thera the knowlege of MahabaHpirr, and hope it will not long 

 be denied to the public at large. 

 MtLiAPoi'R, OR About thirty miles to the north of Sadras flood the antient 

 St. 1 HOME. Maliarpha, and the Mellapour of the more modern Indians. At 

 the time it came into the pofleffion of the Portuguefe^ it was quite 

 in ruins, but had been the emporium of Soro-mandalam. The 

 new-comers changed the name to that of San Thome, from the 

 St. Thomas difcovery they had made that St.Thomas had fufFered martyr- 

 M.-iRTVh.ED. ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^jg place, in a cave at the lefier mount ftill called af- 



ter his name. He had fled from his perfecutors, was dif- 

 covered there, and transfixed with the lance of a Brah7nin\ 

 his body was buried in old Meliapour., and is laid to haye been 

 found amidft the magnificent ruins in 1517. Marco Polo, who 

 fet out on his travels in 1269, reports that he was informed that 

 the body was depofited in a chapel in that city. It was difco- 

 vered on the fearch made after it in 1522, when the bones were 

 found, and the lance by which he was flain. Thefe holy re- 

 mains were carried to Goa, where they were interred with 

 much refpedt. 

 Pretekdfd Two pretended evidences of the reality of the miffion were 



iai-d to have been difcovered in the year 1533 : one was a plate 

 of iron, tlie other a piece of marble, with letters cut on each in 

 fome unknown language. Thefe were decyphered by certain 

 Brahmins of Narjinga, and found to give the important hiftory. 

 Jt was to this place that the bifliop of Sherborn was fent by our 

 great king Alfred, and returned loaded with rich gifts of fpices 

 and pearls. The Portugueje rebuilt the city with great magni- 

 9 ficence,. 



