jan. — mar. 1858.] the Travancore Backwater, 



213 



it brought to us." This rude process of the early manufacture of 

 Indigo is, as the English Translator has remarked, pretty correct. 

 Indigo to a slight extent is still made at Quilon, though at the pre- 

 sent day the place is more famous for its lace manufactory. That 

 it was a place of bustling trade in early time is apparent from the 

 author above mentioned for he says, " Merchants resort thither 

 from various parts of the world such for instance as the kingdom 

 of Mahgi and Arabia, attracted by the great profits they obtain 

 both upon the merchandise they import, and upon their returning 

 cargoes. Many of the animals found here are different from those 

 of other parts. There are tigers entirely black, and various birds 

 of the parrot kind, some of them are white as snow, with the feet 

 and back red, others of a diminutive size, &c." The ' black tiger' 

 is the dark spotted cheetah found in the neighbouring jungles."— 

 Bartholomew, who wrote some 3 or 400 years later, alludes to the 

 commercial activity of Quilon. " In this city, there were formerly 

 a great many weaving looms as well as manufactures of cotton and 

 stone ware. Even at present the most ingenious artists reside at 

 Collom. Cotton, pepper, ginger and^ other kinds of merchandise 

 are carried hither by water, and deposited in ware houses . ' ' Proba- 

 bly Anjengo and subsequently Allepey eclipsed Quilon as a com- 

 mercial emporium. 



At one time a considerable force was maintained at Quilon in- 

 cluding a European Corps with artillery. The grave yard at 

 Tangencharey is filled with tombs of deceased officers and sol- 

 diersof a Queen's Regiment formerly stationed there. During the 

 troubles in 1809, an action was fought here between the Bri- 

 tish and Travancoreans. This took place under Colonel Chalmers, 

 then commanding the forces. He moved out to meet the ene- 

 my, who were approaching from the side of Tre van drum and 

 were commanded by the Dewan in person, amounting to nearly 

 30,000 men with 18 guns. The engagement which ensued was of 

 short duration. In less than five hours the insurgents were total- 

 ly defeated losing nearly all their artillery and leaving a large 

 number of slain on the ground. Such was the battle of Quilon.^ 



* The Nairs were again defeated here in a brilliant engagement by Colonels 

 Picton and Stewart, who dispersed and utterly disorganised the rebel force and 

 captured all their artillery in 1810. 



