454 
MANGALORE. 
when exposed to the air becomes as hard as stone. It resembles 
brick in its appearance, but is more porous. It is much used for 
building houses, and even bridges have been formed of it, which 
stand perfectly well. At three o'clock Mr. Ravenshaw's own bearers 
met me at a small mosque and Mussulmaun burying-place, from 
which the descent to the town commences. On approaching it I 
was met by all Mr. Ravenshaw's peons, and soon afterwards by 
himself, who kindly conducted me to some large tents pitched in 
his garden for my reception, where I found a guard of sepoys, 
placed for my protection, by the commanding officer of the troops. 
Mangalorewas the only sea-port in the territories of Tippoo, and 
was accordingly much valued by him, although it had only sufficient 
depth of water on the bar for small vessels. He however contrived 
to get over it ships of five hundred tons, which he had built chiefly 
for the purpose of collecting his revenue from the numerous tribu- 
tary Rajahs who lived along the coast, and accumulated large sums 
by piracy. The harbour itself is deep, and of considerable extent: 
the bar operates as a protection to the numerous coasting-vessels, 
that now carry on the rapidly encreasing trade of the Mysore and 
Canara. No place has had more reason to rejoice at the change of 
masters than Mangalore, for trade is tenfold what it was under the 
Mussulmaun government. At present I understand, from Mr. 
Ravenshaw, that the exports amount to eleven lacs of rupees per 
annum, of which rice alone yields nine lacs, bearing a duty often 
per cent, without any detriment to the cultivator; and probably as 
Mysore encreases in prosperity, the produce will be much greater. 
The imports consist chiefly of cloths from Surat and its vicinity ; 
horses to mount the Company's cavalry at Madras ; a few drugs 
