63 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



[July 



The state of Covalam eighty-five years since. It was a wilderness. 

 There were four householders resident. Mya Sahib in the time of Sa- 

 datulla-lvhan, being one of his partisans, came hither, and formed the 

 neighbourhood into a Cushbah, building a fort and town. He fixed a 

 mint; built four ships; made post regulations, and called the place 

 Sadu-bunder, after the name of the Nabob. He died after governing 

 for seventeen years. In his time a European, named Ban-padi Doru, 



(Van dorp) came hither: he called a minister from St. Thome; 



and built a church. He formed a mint, and stamped money. He 

 went to Bengal, and did not return. The minister remained, and died 

 here. Another minister came from Cochin ; and, as the former church 

 was gone to decay, he began another one ; but was prevented finishing 

 it, by Hyder's irruption, on which account he went to the town (Ma- 

 dras). Mention of the diflferent Nabobs. In the {\me oi Anacerdki- 

 Khan, a partizan of his commenced the second fort, which Sheikh 

 Nizam Din completed. It was captured by the French. 



Fragment (without beginning) concerning the Saiva fane of Tiru- 

 Karzh-kundam near to Covelong. 



Parvati performed penance in the neighbourhood. Siva resided at 

 Veda-giri. When destroying the racshasas, he perspired ten milii ns 

 of drops, each of which became a Rudra (a destroyer). The Racshasas 

 being destroyed, these ten millions did penance in the south-east quar- 

 ter, and afterwards obtained beatification. There is some fable, in 

 connexion with which the name of Sura-guru Chacraverti, asking of 

 Mavalipuram is mentioned. 



The Vaishnavus destroyed the fane, and the legend, through hatred ; 

 in return for which the Saivas destroyed the Vaishnavas' fane. Since 

 that time there is no Vaishnava fane in this place. Siva here married 

 Parvati anew. In proof that Indra performed penance here, is 

 the fact that, once every five or six years, the hill is struck by lightning ; 

 yet the fane receives no damage. There is some fable about vultures, 

 as children of Cft.syaprt, whence the place derives its name. A Jaina 

 named Jppaji Nayanar, having been cured here of a disease, procured 

 some privileges for the place, from the Chingleput zillah, through a 

 sanction from the Nabob. Tatlacharyar, of the court of Crishna Rai/er, 

 built a tower and porch. Some other buildings are mentioned, and 

 the writing abruptly breaks off without conclusion. 



Observation.— Regretting the slate of the sections concerning 

 Covelong, it has nevertheless seemed to be advisable to have the 

 papers relating to the seven pagodas, and these fragments (in the 



