m 



quently embark elephants here, planks being 

 laid for the transit of ihe^e animals, from the 

 deck of the xmsel to the shore. The intricacy 

 uf the channel— the neees-sity of a It^ading wind, 

 which, granting that thev abtain it, ships of the 

 line can only Jake advantage of at the la*il quar- 

 ter flood— the rapidity oft he c\irrent roiinrl the blidf 

 head ionds, and the flatness of the shores in the 

 %*icinity of the harbor— are all so many great and 

 serious obstacles in the way of the eastern coast 

 of Oojong Salang becoming a great mart for trade, 

 even under a milder and more enlightened go- 

 vernment than it at present possesses. 



The opposite coast of the Peninsula, from 

 Popra to l acopa, enibracmg an pxtent of about 

 thirty miles, has a very thin population scattered 

 over it, I here not being more than five or six vil- 

 lages, and ibcfje situated three or four mih s in- 

 land» having a belt of thick jungle interveniui,^ be- 

 tween them and the coast, as a proteciiou a^iainst 

 the incursions of the pirates, \v\u\ occasiouahy make 

 a descent for the purpose plunder, carrying oH' 

 such of the inhabilunts as have the mi-fortune to 

 fall into their hands, and selling them for slaves* 



The first of these villages is a 8mall one, called 

 Coocloi, containing but eight or nine houses, and 

 sitnateda mile and a half from Popra, and half- 

 way between that village and Bancey. This lat- 

 ter place was established many years ago bv a 

 Gentoo merchant from Madras, who employed 

 himself in building vessels at Pnpra, and drove 

 a considerable trade with the Coromandel coast. 

 Alihongh some ot his descendants are still there, 

 the place has declined much both in trade and 



