EASTERN HINDOOSTAN. 115 



fome ill-founded ftory, gave it full credit. Pitt was very much 

 hurt by the lines, and on his death-bed made a declaration that . 

 he bought it of a Brahmin for £. 20,400 ; that was not thought 

 fufficient, a farther vindication was given in his funeral fer- 

 mon. It is faid that >r. 80,000 had been offered for it by a pri- 

 vate perfon ; the price given by the Regent was ^. 135,000. 



The Emprefs of Rujfia had a flill larger gem, one of the 

 weight of 193 carats when cut. This had been the property 

 of an American, who fold it to Count Orloff for ^.104,166, and 

 the favorite bellowed it on his Imperial miftrefs. 



We now defcend out of Golconda, and crofling the Kijlnah Guntoor. 

 enter on a part of a new fovereignty, a fmall dillri6l called the 

 Guntoor, poffelTed in 1780 by Nizaju Ally^ fon to the famous 

 "Nizam al Muluc, whom I have before mentioned to have borne 

 io diftinguiflied and difloyal a part in the ruinous invafion of 

 Hindoojlan, hy Kouli Khan, in 1739. This was an unfortunate 

 interruption of our line of coaft, as it lies between us and what 

 are called the northern Circars, but this has lately been ceded 

 to us. It is now reckoned among the northern Circars, which 

 comprehends the Guntoor, Condappily, Ellore, Rajamundry, and 

 Cicacole, a narrow maritime tracft of vaft extent, and the great- 

 eft part running direct north by eaft. 



From Kijinah point the land turns a few miles to the north- 

 eaft, and finifhes with that of Divi, projecting from an ifle 

 formed by the river : This, with another point about fifty miles 

 diftant, makes a fine femilunar bay, a tract now divided between 

 Condapilly and Ellore. Almoft immediately within point Divi, 

 in the Circar Condapilly, lies MaJJulipatam, in Lat.i6' 8' 30 ', in Massulipatam. 

 the diftrict called by Ptolemy, Mejfolia. " From hence," fays 



Q 2 he. 



