Coast of Malabar.} ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 177 



ou one side, and the other is on the banks of the S. entrance of the river, it 

 is thus by art made a very strong island* The entrance of the river is nar- 

 row for some little space above the tow n, when it widens by degrees, and 

 becomes large and spacious. 



The streets are straight ; the houses built of brick, and kept in excellent 

 order. The channels for the water are on each side the street, narrow and 

 deep ; the sides and bottom are covered with red tiles, each about 14 inches 

 square, and thick in proportion. The whole town is gravelled ; the streets 

 and squares are raised in the middle, and slope gently to the channels, so 

 that even in the rainy season the streets are clean and neat. 



On the N. side of the entrance of the river is a spacious green lawn, 

 more than a mile broad, which reaches along the banks of the river, opposite 

 to and above the town ; as the river is there very narrow, it serves as the 

 town ditch : it forms an esplanade, terminated by a thick and well-grown 

 wood of coco-nut and other trees. 



Cochin was transferred to the English by the Netherlands Government, 

 in 161 1, in exchange for the island of Banca. 



Trade. — The principal part of the commerce at Cochin Is in the hand* 

 of Jew merchants, several of whom are very rich. The port is frequented 

 by ships botind from Bengal to Bombay and other places to the N., as well 

 as the Portuguese ships from China, bound to Goa ; and a considerable 

 trade is carried on by the natives of India and Arabia. Here are sometimes 

 50 vessels from Surat, Bombay, Goa, Maugalore, Tellicherry, Onore, 

 Calicut, and other places on the coast, besides Arabs from Mocha, Judda. 

 and Muscat. By the vessels from Muscat, and places in the Red Sea, 

 are imported almonds, aloes, assaftetida, brimstone, cummin seed, dates, 

 gum Arabic, pearls, rose maloes, rose water, shark s'-fins, and salt. By 

 vessels from Bombay and the different ports to the N. are imported 

 arrack, cloths of sorts, cotton, castor oil, copper, cummin seed, grain, 

 ghee, iron, lead, medicines, opium, quicksilver, red lead, rice, saffron, 

 shawls, steel, tobacco, and wheat. From China and places to the E. are 

 imported alum, benjamin, camphire, cinnamon, cloves, China root, China- 

 ware, cinnabar, damtner, mace, nutmegs, sugar candy, silks, sago, teas, 

 and tutenague. 



The principal articles of export are the following, mostly produced on 

 the coast : — Coco-nuts, cassia, cardamums, coir, cowries, coculus indicus, 

 Columbo root, elephants' teeth, fish maws, ginger, pepper, sandal wood, 

 tamarinds, turmeric, teak wood, and wax. 



Vessels which do not draw more than 14 feet water, load and unload at 

 Mutton Cherry, 1 j mile from Cochin. 



M 



