1838.] 



Report on the Machenzic Manuscripts. 



21 



Account of the destruction of the place. 



The foundation of the town of Caveri-patnam is ascribed to an as- 

 trologer's advice; who, on calculating the nativity of a merchant, 

 named Vengada, prognosticated his attaining great wealth, by com- 

 merce; and, by the astrologer's advice, the foundations of a commercial 

 town were laid, and carried forward; the said astrologer directing the 

 people when to work at propitious hours. The town subsequently 

 became extremely wealthy ; so much so that ornamental parts of the 

 houses were made of gold and silver. There was not a beggar in the 

 place. In this state of things the god, disguised as a mendicant^ 

 passed through the town blowing a conch. The people, not used to 

 any thing of the kind, came to the doors ; and, being unaccustomed 

 to the usual mode of alms-giving, they offered to the mendicant, gold, 

 jewels, and the like. The god was displeased at not receiving rice; 

 and, as the document states, destroyed the mouth of the Caveri, and 

 with it the town : a part of w-hich is submerged by the sea. 



Some other matter follows, in which the writer, a servant of CoL 

 Mackenzie, seems to give his own opinion on the subject. The mat- 

 ters therein requiring notice are that a Brahman dug up great treasure 

 from a part of the site of the said town, which he used in the endow- 

 ment of a fane; that Amersingh a raja of Tanjore, by advice of his 

 minister had the site of the town partially explored, when blocks of 

 black stone, and other marks of a town, were discovered, but that the 

 search was discontinued; that in the Rayer's time about 400 years 

 ago, Tirumala-rayer erected many buildings on, or near, the site, with 

 fanes and the like matters, the said buildings being in Negapatam, Na- 

 gore, and the neighbourhood. 



Remark.— This paper was in a very confused state of transposition 

 in the book copied from ; causing considerable trouble to get it into 

 order. The document seems to me to be of more than ordinary conse- 

 quence. The observable points are : 



1. The existence of a very large and flourishing town at the an- 

 cient dehoueliure of the Caveri-visew 



2. The extensive commerce carried on by sea, gold dust being a 

 part of the commodities. 



3. The alteration of the former mouth of the Caveri ; the destruc- 

 tion of the town ; and the overwhelming of at least a part of it by the 

 sea. 



On each of these points a disquisition might be written. For the 

 present I leave each point noted only as a memorandum. Time and 

 circumstances permitting 1 have further remarks to offer. 



