Chap.XXIII. Malabar and Coromandel. 
^55 
whom he treated very fplendidly for 14 
Days together i and after he had given 
them a fall view of his prodigious 
Wealth, confifting in moft fumpcuous 
Apparel, Silver, Gold, and Jewels, as 
alfo of his Wives, Concubines, and For- 
ces, both Horfe and Foot, he difraifs'd 
them very honourably, upon the news of 
Ittragio being on his march againfb us. 
Tht Naik being almoit arriv'd to the 
Age of Dotage, one Trinvingelaya (who 
had emafculated himfelf) was Admini- 
ftrator of the Kingdom, a cruel and bloo- 
dy-minded Perfon, very covetous and 
implacable in his Hatred, who by his 
Severity againft; Criminals had rendred 
the Country free from Robberies and 
pillages. This Jya or Adminiflrator 
General was very urgent with our Depu- 
tys to agree with him once for all for the 
yearly Sura of 1 800 Rixdollars in lieu of 
the Cuftoms, offering to us the Govern- 
ment of Tegnapatan^ the free Exercife of 
the Chriftian Religion, and full Power £0 
rebuild the ruin'd Caftle of the Portu- 
guefes. 
The Country hereabouts abounds in 
Rice, Salt, Fruits, and other Eatables j 
notwithftanding which, by reafon of the 
vaft number of the Inhabitants, they muft 
be fupply'dwith Provifions from abroad. 
Their chief Commodities to be export- 
ed are Linen and Woollen Stuffs, much 
in requeit among thofe of the Moluques^ 
Amhoyna^ Banda^ and other Malajan Pla- 
ces. But great care muft be taken thefe 
Stuffs agree with their Patterns, efpeciai- 
ly in the goodnefs of the Colour, wherein 
they are very deceitful. The Commo- 
dities imported and exchanged here are 
Nutmegs^ Mace^ Pepper^ Sandal-wood^ 
Chine fe Silks ^ Velvet Sattins^ emhroidePd 
and wrought Carpets of all forts of Colours, 
raw Silks ^ Patana Girdles^ Musky Cimaber^ 
Quick-filver^ (but no Porcellain or Chimfe 
Campher ) Braz.ain^ Tin, Lead, Copper, &c. 
From Tirepoplier you go over Poelezere, 
Sadrafpa= Poelemoer & Alembrue to Sadrafpatan^whQTQ 
the Dutch have a Faftory, and from thence 
Madrafpa- to Madrafpatan, otherwife Chimepatan, 
Mn. where thQEngli/h have the Fort of S.George, 
garifon'd with Topatz.es and Mijlkes, and 
from whence they fend their Ships every 
S.Thomas, Year, as well as from Surat, S. Thomcvs is a 
City belonging to the Portugueses, fituate 
in Maliapour, at 2 3 4. Degrees Northern 
Latitude, about a days Journy from Pali^ 
acatta ; but taken from them about 8 or 
p Years ago by the Moors. It is an antient 
trading City, their chief Traflick con- 
fifting in colour'd Stuffs, their Weavers 
here being famous throughout the 
as well as their Dyers: They are tranf- 
ported to Malaga, Java, the Moluques, 
Siam, Pegu, 5cc. The Excellency and 
Laftingnefs of their Dying are attribut- 
ed to a peculiar Quality in their Water, 
the Springs whereof arife out of very 
white fandy Ground, without the lealt 
mixture of Clay. 
Paliacatta, i. e, the Old Fort in the 
Malabar LangmgQ, is fcated at 13 Degr. 
22 Min. of Northern Latitude, 5 long 
Leagues from St. Thomas. About 6 
Leagues into the Country, in a direct Line 
from the Harbour of Paliacatta, you fee 
a ridg of high Mountains extending from 
South to North : On the Southern pare 
you fee an Interftice or Valley, where in 
antient Times ftood the Caflle of Rama 
Gertdorgon j m lieu whereof was after- 
wards built the Fort Geldria, where the 
Dutch Governour keeps his Refidence. 
It is not very large, yet fortified with 
fome Bulworks, fufficient to refill: the 
Power of the neighbouring Moors.. Mr, 
Anthony Pavilion, Gounfellor of the In- 
dies, had at that time his Refidence there, 
as Governour, after Mr. Cornelius Sj)eei- 
mah ; and the Garifon confifted of about 
80 or 90 men. The Road is very good at 
half a League from the Shore, where you 
may ride iafely at Anchor at 7 or 8 f a- 
thom Depth during the Southern Mouffon ; 
but not in the Northern MouJJoh, when 
the Waves breaking forth with great 
violence out of the Bay of Bengal and the 
Ganges againft this Shore, render An- 
chorage very dangerous. 
About 3 ^ Leagues from the Road is 
a certain Sand-bank, extending from the 
River into the Sea for a League together, 
where there is no Anchorage within 4 i 
S fathoms Wather. Two Leagues to 
the North is the Point of Sicerecourdi^ 
from whence jets out into the Sea a 
Sand-Ridg for above two Leagues and 
half, near which there is no fafe Ancho- 
rage within 6 i. or 7 fathoms Waten 
Near the Bar there is from 6 to 10 fa- 
thoms Water in the South MouJJon at 
high Tide; but the Boats or Lighters 
that carry the Merchandizes muft keep 
under the Southern Shoar, there being 
abundance of Shelves under the Northern 
Shoar. About a good Cannon-fhot with- 
in the mouth of the River, within reach 
of the Caftle, is a good Winter- Road for 
the Indian Ships. This River lies at 
leaft 5 Leagues to the North- Weft into 
the Country, by the City of Armagon 
and the Foreft of Sicerecourdi-, from 
whence Paliacatta is furniflied with Wood 
for Building and Fuel, whereof there is 
gr?at 
Baldtcm^ 
Paliacatcac 
TheVimdi 
Fart Gd' 
diia« 
The Ii.oai 
of Faiiaa 
catca. 
