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APPENDIX A. 



AS ACCOUNT OT THE CONDITION OF THE COAST OP MADURA AND OE THE PEARL 

 FISHERIES THERE IN THE YEAR 1663, TRANSLATED FROM VALENTYN'S 

 " HI&TORr OF THE EAST INDIES", VOLUME V, PAGE 164. 



" 1663. Madura. — Under the Coasts of Madura are included the seven ports or harbours, 

 and the country of the Prince Ragonada Catta Theuver, commonly called the ' Teuver, ' with 

 whom we are on good terms. His contract, written on copper, is hereunto annexed. But we 

 consider a further description necessary of the Gulf between Ceylon and Manaar, and we shall 

 commence with the island Ramanacoil, which is in the inner Bay, and makes a narrow separa- 

 tion between the Continent of India on the one side and Adam's Bridge on the other, but the 

 passage, with the highest water towards the land is scarcely six feet deep. This passage is 

 called Pamben-aar, signifying, on account of its many windings and curlings, the ' Snake 

 River ' which gives the Theuver sufficient profit not only from the tax laid upon the Pass, but 

 also on account of the excursion over to the Island, on which there stands a very old pagoda 

 of their much revered idol Ramana, to honour whom people come from Hindostan, Orissa and 

 Bengal, from which circumstance it may well be imagined that a tolerable revenue is derived. 



"This said Teuver is subject and tributary to the Naick of Madura ; but since we have 

 entered into terms of alliance and friendship with him, he cares far less for the Naick than he 

 did previously ; but he greatly respects us, knowing that it is in our power to take this island of 

 Ramanacoil from him, and therefore we can always retain him to our interests, as a balance 

 against the great power of the Naick, although it is not by any means_requisite that we should 

 show any great deference to either the one or the other. 



" The western lands of the Theaver are situated next to Ramanacoil, farther eight or ten 

 miles in the Gulf, within which lie his principal places on the sea-coast, named Wedale Peri- 

 patnam, Killekare and Wallemoeke, over which we have no authority. But still farther to the 

 west follow By-paer, Bem-paer, Pattenemandoer, Tcetecoryn, Pondecail, Cailpatnam and 

 Manepaar, constituting the j' Seven Harbours,' all (excepting Cailpatnam, whose inhabitants 

 are principally Moors) being inhabited by Christian Parruas, and provided with commodious 

 churches. The number of these Christians consist at least of 20,000 families, maintaining 

 themselves chiefly by diving for chanks, catching fresh fish, and diving at the pearl-fisheries 

 when they take place, and which last employment gives them their chief profit, and causes them 

 to live comfortably. These Parrua Christians are all under the Government of the Honourable 

 Company, since the conquest of Tntucoryn, and they have readily submitted to our power on 

 account of the prompt justice which we afford them. The poorer classes are more especially 

 well satisfied with our Government. 



" Great care should always be taken to treat the people with justice and prudence, and to 

 place a mild and sensible person as their Captain, for they are, like all Malabars, of a capricious 

 temper and easily migrate if they are not well treated. We have used great efforts to bring 

 the people to our religion, but as long as the Naick of Madura, or his regent Barmiliappa Pulle 

 do not adopt a course different from their present one, and do not specially banish the Eomish 

 priests, we shall have little chance of attaining our object. 



" Pearl Fishery.— The whole of the inner gulf was always under the authority of the King 

 of Portugal, during the time of his possessing Ceylon and Tutucoryn, and on that account the 

 Portuguese always took to themselves the full empire of the sea, including the income of the 

 pearl-fishery, which is of some consequence, particularly when diving can take place on all the 

 banks at once, as used frequently to be the case ; but for some time the banks of Mannaar have 

 given no profit, although the revenue from them was once the most considerable, and it is now 

 fixed that they should be tried next March. But as there is some distinction with regard to the 

 Company's interests between the banks of Tutucoryn and those of Manaar, we must give a 

 farther account of them. Whenever the pearl-fishery is limited to Bempaer, Bypaer, and as far 

 a3 Tutucoryn, all the oysters must be brought ashore at the last place, the market being held 

 there and at Pondecayl, from which the Armane (as the Court of Madura is named) draws a 

 lar^e revenue. The Moors are, with our permission, allowed to fish also, but they are bound 

 to pay a large duty to the Company as may be seen in. the Report of M.M. Valckenberg and 

 Boesem. 



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