Island of Manaar. 75 
led donies. The narrow sea which lies betwixt this side of 
the island and the continent is called the gulph of Manaar, 
from a small island which derives its name from the Malabar 
words ma?i, sand ; and car, river, lying oft' the coast of Cey- 
lon, about sixty miles south-west of Jafnapatam. 
Manaar is memorable in the ancient history of the Ciii- 
glese as being the place of refuge to Queen Donna Catharina, 
the last -scyon of the ancient royal race whose history we have 
already given. At that time Manaar was more flourishing 
than at present. The fort was small but strong, square, 'and 
regular. The city now consists of only a few tiled houses ; 
government offices, and some low huts inhabited by boat- 
men and fishermen. At low water the island of Manaar is 
divided from Ceylon by a small winding river; but, when 
the tide flows, this river appears as an arm of the sea, and 
is about three miles over. The Portuguese fleet, after beino^ 
beaten on the west coasts, made their escape through it,, as 
formerly the native governors had a way of occasionally caus- 
ing a flowing into it from the sand at Pambam. Manaar lies 
in 9 ° N. lat. is about 2^ 'German leagues in length and one 
in breadth, including a salt river. The fort is situated near 
the channel or strait which divides Manaar from Ceylon. 
There are besides seven villages in the island. At the extreme 
end, where you take boat for the coast of Coromandel, there 
are four or five churches for the natives and Malabar Chris- 
tians, besides that of Carcal „wffiich the Dutch use. The island 
is barren and sandy, with a few palmiras and cocoa-trees scat- 
tered here and there. The surrounding sea supplies abundance 
of fish. 
The passage from this island to Ramiseram on the Coro- 
I. 2 
I 
