372 



Account of the Province of Rdmnad* 



[APRIt 



upwards of two hundred years ago, by Mogiiava Ragunatha Setupatti, 

 who, at the same time, constructed the largeVeservoir, or artificial lake, 

 that lies on the N. W. side. About two hundred yards from the gate 

 stands the chieftain's palace, which is a spacious Gothic structure, sur- 

 rounded by a high wall, within whose cincture is seen a great number 

 of apartments, some of two and others of three stories high, whose fronts 

 and portals exhibit some taste, according to the Carnatic style of archi- 

 tecture. In the grand hall, called Ramalinga Velasam, the chieftain, 

 his wives, and his ancestors, are represented in a highly embellished 

 manner ; and, among a variety of other paintings and gildings, finely- 

 varnished, is a painting of the battle between the rajas of Tanjore and 

 Ramnad, which happened in the year 1770. In the outer court, at the 

 grand entrance, is the chieftain's kachahri;* on the south side, in the 

 outer court, are large stables for elephants ; and, on the north side, 

 stables for horses. On the north-east bank of the reservoir is a small 

 and beautiful Protestant church, with a burial-ground adjoining it, as 

 also a vestry-house. A few yards from the western bank of the reser- 

 voir is the burning-place of the chieftain and his ancestors, where seve- 

 ral grand tombs are erected to the memory of the latter. On the north 

 side, between the walls of the fort and the reservoir, is a high cavalier, 

 raised with earth, which commands an extensive and delightful pros- 

 pect of the surrounding plains. A Roman Catholic chapel, which was 

 built by Colonel Martinez, in the year 17^9, stands near the south-east 

 angle of the fort, and nearly in the centre stands a small Hindu temple. 

 The principal streets, which are few, are wide and airy ; 'the others, 

 which are numerous, are irregular and narrow. The houses are mostly 

 thatched roofs. 



The town of Ramnad is situated east of the fortress, from the gate of 

 which a wide street leads, with two grand' rows of bazars, regularly 

 built. Here a market is held every Wednesday, when the people, from 

 a distance of fifteen or twenty miles, bring in cotton, grain, and other 

 provisions for sale. The town, and its suburbs, including Letchmapu- 

 ram (a village situated to the north), are about three miles in cir- 

 cumference. At the east end of the bazars, where a road inter- 

 sects, crossing north and south, are several detached houses, with 

 gardens surrounding them, and a small mosque. These separate 

 one part of the town from the other. There are, also, two oi three 

 other mosques, which, though not conspicuous, are by no means in- 

 elegant. Upon the whole, the streets are narrow and ill-contrivecl ; 

 the houses are moderately well built, and are upwards of two thou- 

 sand three hundred in number ; and the population exceeds eight 

 thousand seven hundred souls, consisting of Musalmans, Brahmans ? 



* A hall of justice, an office* 



