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ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Coast of Malabar. 



Notwithstanding the Coast of Malabar may be considered the store- 

 house for Bombay, yet the demand for teak timber has so much increased, 

 that large quantities have been imported from Rangoon. 



PAN I AN I RIVER is in latitude 10° 36 N., and longitude 75° 58 E., 

 navigable only by small craft, the water being shoal. The town is scattered 

 over a sandy plain on the S. side of the river, and contains about 500 houses 

 belonging to the traders, with above 40 mosques, and upwards of 1000 huts 

 inhabited by the lower orders of people. It is very irregularly built ; but 

 many of the houses are two stories high, built of stone, and thatched with 

 coco-nut leaves. The huts are inhabited by boatmen and fishermen, 

 formerly Mucuas, a low cast of Hindoos ; but now they have all embraced 

 the faith of Mahomet. 



Near this place there is a remarkable gap in the mountains, called the 

 Ghauts, through which the N. E. monsoon blows in general stronger than on 

 any other part of the coast. 



Thade. — The merchants of this place have many trading boats, called 

 patamars, which on an average carry 50,000 coco-nuts, or 1000 mudies of 

 rice, equal to 500 Bengal bags of 2 maunds each; these frequent TelJicheny 

 and Calicut for supplies of such European and Bengal goods as are in request 

 on this part of the coast. Vaniam is also frequented by vessels from differ- 

 ent places on the coast. 



CHITWA is in latitude 10' 32 N., and longitude 76° 5 E., about 

 six miles S. S. E. from Paniani. The village stands on the N. side of a 

 river ; it is small, and a place of but little trade. Ships anchor off* this 

 place in 6 fathoms abreast the river, which is wide, but will only admit boats 

 or small vessels. 



CRANGANORE, or Aycotta River, is about 3 miles to the S. of 

 Chitwa ; it has a bar at its entrance, with 5 or G feet water on it, and 14 or 

 16 feet inside. The town is about three miles from the sea, in latitude 10* 

 11' N., and longitude 76° 15' E. 



COCHIN is situated in latitude 9 58 N., and longitude 76° 17' E., and 

 stands on the S. side of the entrance of the most considerable river on the 

 Coast of Malabar, which, like the other rivers, has a bar, navigable by ships 

 drawing 14 or 15 feet water. The channel is on the N. shore. There is at 

 times a surf on the bar; strangers ought therefore to be careful in running 

 for the river in their boats, as accidents have happened to persons crossing 

 the bar late in the evening. The common anchorage is in five to six fathoms, 

 with the flagstaff hearing E. N. E., about three miles offshore. 



The present town is small, being about a mile, or little more in 

 circuit ; and it is now completely fortified. As the town is close to the sea 



