EASTERN H I N D O O S T A N. 123 



extend to the raifing three thoufuiid men ; one of them, in a 

 former war, joined either the EngUJlj or French difputants about 

 their wrongful poffeffions with that number. All the people 

 of this part of India are Hindoos, and retain the old religion 

 with all its fuperftition : This makes the pagodas here much 

 more numerous than in any other part of the peninfula ; their 

 form too is diiterent, being chiefly buildings of a cylindrical or 

 round tower fliape, with their tops either pointed or truncated 

 at the fammit, and ornamented with fomething eccentrical, 

 but frequently with a round ball, ftuck on a fpike : this ball 

 feeras intended to reprefent the fun, an emblem of the deity of 

 the place ; fometimes two or more are united, fometimes they 

 are lingle. 



The Polygars of this country value themfelves highly on Polygars. 

 their antient defcent, and efteem themfelves the firft oi Hindoos 

 next to the Brahmins, and equal to the Raipoots. The diftri(5t 

 of each chieftain is generally about twenty fquare miles ; they 

 have rnany little towns and forts, befides ; they have here one 

 fort in the moft difficult part of the country, intended as the 

 laft retreat of the Polygar and all his blood. It is feated in the 

 center of the mountainous foreft, and acceffible only by a nar- 

 row winding path, of the width capable of receiving only three 

 men abreaft, and five miles in length, and every turning- 

 guarded by works. Mr. Ornie, ii. isS-) defcribes the fort. In 

 170, Ranzarao polTefTed that of Eobilee, in Chicacole, about Polygar of 



'-^'^ ^ ^ BOBILEE. 



140 miles to the N. W. of Vizigapatain : His neighbor, the 

 Rajah Vizeramrauze, wiflied his deri:ru<Slion, but was too cow- 

 ardly to attack hirn ; by feme plaufible arguments he per- 



R 2 fuaded 



