Cape Comorin to Madras,] ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



213 



Coins. — Accounts are kept in collums of paddy, or in chuckrums. The 

 collum is a measure which is between 70 and 80 quarts, but varies in differ- 

 ent parts. The medium price of a collum of paddy is 3\ gold, or 7 silver 

 fanams, about Is. 4d. sterling; so that 100,000 collums of paddy, at the 

 afore-mentioned price, will produce 15,555 star pagodas, 25 fanams. 



In the Tanjore country the star pagoda is valued at 45 Madras, or silver 

 fanams ; 1 chuckrum is equal to 20 Madras, or 10 gold fanams ; 2 chuck- 

 rums and 1 fanam are equal to 1 Porto Novo pagoda. 



The Porto Novo pagoda passes current at Madras for 37| Madras 

 fanams. 100 Porto Novo pagodas are reckoned 831 star pagodas, and 100 

 star pagodas equal to 120 Porto Novo pagodas. In the Company's accounts 

 the Porto Novo pagoda is reckoned at 36 fanams. 



CUDDALORE is about three leagues to the N. of Porto Novo, in 

 latitude 1 1° 43' N., and longitude 79° 50 E. The river is small, shut up 

 by a bar at the entrance, and navigable only by boats. The town extends 

 about three-quarters of a mile from N. to S., and about half a mile from E, 

 to W, Three of its sides are fortified : that to the sea is for the greater 

 part open ; but the river passing between Fort St. David and the town, 

 flows, just before it gains the sea, along the E. side of the town, of which, 

 whilst it washed the skirts on one hand, it was on the other separated from 

 the sea by a mound of sand, which the surf throws on the shore in most 

 parts of the coast. It is very populous, and a place of some trade. A little 

 above the town stands Trivada pagoda, which forms a citadel to a large 

 petlah, or town. The marks for anchorage are the (lagstafT N. W. and 

 Fort St. David N. N. W. off-shore about 1| mile. Fort St. David is about 

 a mile to the N. of Cuddalore. In this district are manufactured dimities, 

 and various descriptions of piece-goods. 



PONDICHERRY, in latitude 11° 56' N., and longitude 79° 54' E., is 

 built in a circular form on the borders of the sea, and strongly fortified. It 

 is divided into two parts, the Black Town and the White Town ; the latter 

 spreads along the sea-coast, and is again divided into two parts, the N. and 

 S. The tower bearing the flagstaff is in the middle, and separates the two 

 quarters. The Black Town is separated from the White by a ditch running 

 through the whole extent of Pondicherry ; it reaches to the ramparts, and 

 contains a population of nearly 80,000 souls, and a cathedral belonging to 

 the Jesuits. The White Town is very inconsiderable. Its length compre- 

 hends the whole front of the place on the sea-shore; but its width from the 

 shore to the ditch, which separates it from the Black Town, is not more 

 than 300 toises ; this space is filled with handsome houses, but few of them 



