186 B. R Bran fill — Physiogrf'pJiical Notes on Tanjore, <^'c. [No. 4, 



There are some 50 or 60 different river channels, by which the Kaveri 

 water is distributed for irrigation, or for drainage over the whole extent of 

 the delta, the names of which being mostly derived from those of reigning 

 princes, should throw some light upon the history of the country, for there 

 are representatives of the old Pandiyan and Cholan dynasties, who reigned 

 before the 16th century, as well as of the Telugu Nayakans who super- 

 seded them, and possibly also of the Mahrattas whom the British Govern- 

 ment succeeded. There are thirteen tidal mouths of the Kaveri that enter 

 the sea and are more or less navigable for small boats. 



There has been little change in the principal river channels of 

 late years, due in a great measure to the conservative measures adopted 

 under the British Government, and to the great regulating works, con- 

 structed for keeping the floods under control. There must be a tendency 

 for the channels to silt up, as well as for the whole of the irrigated part of 

 the delta to rise, but there seems to be no apprehension at present of dan- 

 ger to the province from this source. 



Near the coast, and more particularly at the south-east corner of the 

 delta, towards Point Calimere (Kallimed), there are extensive salt-swamps, 

 with patches of jungle and desert. 



The Kodikarai salt-marsh covers nearly 100 square miles, being about 

 20 miles long east and west, and 5 miles wide north and south. It is 

 used as a vast salt-pan under Government supervision. The two highest 

 spring tides of May and June (called by the natives ' Chittrai Parvam', 

 * full -moon of April and May\ and Visakha Vellam, ''May — June flood'') 

 overflow the sea-wall and fill the swamp with brine, which is, in favourable 

 seasons, soon crystallized under the evaporation from the sun and the dry 

 west winds. The south-east and southerly breezes that prevail in May, 

 probably combine to make the spring tides of this season unusually high. 



A considerable degree of sanctity is locally attributed to Vedaran- 

 yam, (' Veda-foresf) and to Kodikarai (' Fromontory-shore'') from a tradi- 

 tion that here, as subsequently, at the Ramesvaram promontory, the mythic 

 hero Rama tried to make a causeway to Lanka, Ceylon. There is now 

 daily postal communication by open boat, between India and Ceylon at this 

 place. 



An impression exists that this sea, Palks Straits and Bay, is silting 

 up, but this process must be exceedingly slow, inasmuch as no large rivers 

 now discharge any large proportion of their silt into this receptacle. The 

 Vaigai (? Veghavati) outlet scarcely ever discharges, and as more irrigation 

 works are introduced, this proportion must diminish. 



Still this is to a great extent an inland sea surrounded by a sandy 

 shore from which the land-breezes and strong southerly and westerly winds 

 must bear some drift to deposit. Moreover, the northward beat of the surf 



