336 
MANAAR. 
the walls of stone, a wet ditch, and the whole in good repair. The 
garrison consists of above one hundred volunteers of the island, 
who turned out during the late disturbances, and not only defended 
their own little island, but passed over to attack the Candians. 
They were drawn out to receive me, and were a well-dressed body 
of men. Mr. Deane, the Judge, met me on landing, and conducted 
me about a quarter of a mile to his house. I had not only the usual 
misfortune of tom-toms and other horribly dissonant music, but 
also the compliment of white cloth, spread the whole way before 
me. As there were only five or six pieces, I was obliged to proceed 
very leisurely to give the men time to take them up behind me,' 
and replace them in front. The island of Manaar produces no grain, 
but has a great many cocoa-nut trees and palmyras. We had some 
good fruit and vegetables, but these are brought from Jaffnapatnam. 
It is considered as extremely unhealthy, for which I cannot well 
account, as the sea prevents the marshes from becoming stagnant. 
January 23. — At eight I proceeded to the beach with the same 
honours of white cloth, tom-toms, bag-pipes, kc. Four boats were 
ready, but extremely uncomfortable, as they had no wood laid at 
the bottom, and were in every respect ill found, though rather 
larger than those we had before. The price from this place to 
Ramiseram for a large boat is twenty-five dollars, and for the next 
size twenty dollars : they are not paid by the day, but for the job. 
I found there were but eight men and a tindal* to my boat, instead 
of twelve. We continued to go tip the Manaar straits, with the N.E. 
monsoon right against us ; which obliged the men to push the boats 
along with poles, and occasionally to hawl her. The channel con- 
* Pilot. 
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