212 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Cape Comarht to Madras. 



bear W. By this means the passage becomes easier to boats passing to and 

 from the shore. 



TRANQUEBAR, the principal settlement belonging to the Danes in 

 the East Indies, is in latitude 11° 1' N. and longitude 79° 55 ' E. The 

 town is upwards of two miles in circumference, the streets broad and straight, 

 and the houses very neat, the whole surrounded with a good stone wall, 

 having several bastions well provided with artillery. Before the gate that 

 leads into the country stands a fine citadel- The fort towards the sea is well- 

 built, and regular, remarkable for its extraordinary whiteness, being visible 

 at a great distance. The district belonging to the town is of considerable 

 extent, full of villages, many of them large and well-built, and the principal 

 one is thought to contain as many inhabitants as the town of Daneburgh, 

 and several mosques and pagodas. 



Trade. — The commerce here is trifling. The natives trade with the 

 coasts of Pegu, Sumatra, and other places. 



Coins. — Accounts are kept here in rix-dollars of 12 tanams; and also 

 in rupees of 8 fanams, each fanam equal to 80 cash. 



The rix-dollar is imaginary money, and 18 per cent, below the Danish 

 current rix-dollar; its value therefore is 37£d. 



The coins are silver rupees, double and single fanams, and copper dud us, 

 or cash. 



The value of the Tranquebar rupee will be 21 id. sterling \ as the coin- 

 age is so regulated, that 1302 are worth GOO old Spanish dollars, weighing 

 43 lbs. 7 oz. 2 dwts. troy. 



Star pagodas are worth about 34 fanams, and Spanish dollars from 

 19 to 21 fanams. 



Weight. — The maund weighs 68 lbs. Danish, or 74j-lbs. avoirdupois. 



DEVICOTTA. — This fort is situated on a small island just within the 

 entrance of Coleroon River, in latitude about 11° 22' N., which has within 

 its bar water sufficient for large ships. The fort is strong, and built 

 of brick. 



PORTO NOVO is in latitude about 11° 29' N. and longitude 79 n 49 E. 

 It was formerly a place of considerable trade, where the French and Dutch 

 had factories. Here is a river navigable only for small country vessels. Fresh 

 water is filled out of a tank a little way up this river ; but it is brackish, bad, 

 and apt to give the flux. The road of Porto Novo, by being sheltered to 

 the S. E. by the Coleroon Shoal, is by far the smoothest and safest on the 

 Coromandel shore. Here you may anchor in six fathoms, the flagstaff W. 

 \ N., 2 miles off-shore, and the southernmost of the Chalamharam pa- 

 godas S. W. 



