Dec. 1861.] Xarrikal or Cochin Mud Bank- 261 



" stretching formerly from beyond Allepey, to Porracaad (Porca), 

 " formed a good anchorage where ships in twenty fathoms (feet?) 

 " water, rode secure in all seasons, from the dangers of a sea (lee ?) 

 " shore." 



Lieutenant Arthur's account is no doubt vague, but on examin- 

 ing it by the translation of the voyages of the celebrated Dutch 

 Navigator Stavorinus it becomes apparent, that he had quoted in- 

 correctly, unaware that two mud banks existed south of Cochin 

 and one to the north. 



Stavorinus in 1777 stated the " Coast is safe and clear every - 

 " where along the Company's establishment, except at the mouth 

 "of the river of Cranganore where there is a reef, at the north 

 "side, which stretches out to sea, about three-quarters of a 

 " league : it is called the reef of Aycotia by our Navigators : be- 

 " fore Coylang (Quilon) there is a similar one but which does not 

 M extend half so far out. South of the abovementioned mouth of 

 " the river of Cranganore, there is a bay, formed by mud banks : 



likewise one not far from Porca, and another south of Cochin : 

 " the banks forming which extend full a league out to sea, and 

 " into which vessels may run with safety during the bad monsoon, 

 " and may lie in twenty, and less feet water, almost without an- 

 " chors or cables, in perfect security against the heavy seas, which 

 " then roll in upon this lee-shore, as they break their force upon 

 " the soft mud banks, and within them nothing but a slight mo- 

 " tion is perceived. ' 



From the foregoing it appears that a bay protected by mud 

 banks existed between the mouth of the Cranganoor river towards 

 Cochin in 1777 and then appears to have been well known. At 

 present, the same protected spot exists, but it is no longer a bay, 

 and for the following reason. Though the northern projection of 

 the coast at the mouth of the Cranganoor river, forming the north- 

 ern extremity of the " mud bay'' is still present ; the southern 

 projection,- or that between Narrikal and the mouth of the Cochin 

 river, is gone, having in fact been covered by the sea : (at this 

 place a church stood, which is now submerged) had it not been so, 

 a " mud bay" would still be present. It is curious that this law 

 of encroachments of the sea is now the rule on the Western Coast, 



