81 
Island of Manaar, 
to command the passage and the communication witii the continent 
by Adam’s bridge. It was principally intended to prevent the 
subjects of the King of Candy from smuggling over any of the 
produce of the island, particularly spiceries ; and also to cut off 
all intercourse between that prince and those of the continent, 
by which he might have been enabled to form alliances danger- 
ous to their interests. The protection of the pearl banks and 
pearl fishery, which lie at no great distance from this island, 
v/as also another principal object for erecting a fort here. It 
also contributed considerably to the revenues of government, as 
a station where certain duties were levied on the vast quantities 
of calicoes, coarse muslins, cottons, and other articles, brought 
through this passage to Columbo by the Moors, Malabars, and 
other inhabitants of the continent. 
These circumstances evidently render Manaar of sufficient 
importance to retain there a constant garrison ; and the expence 
of the troops hitherto found sufficient for this service has been 
greatly overbalanced by the advantages derived from it. In 
general the garrison stationed here consists only of a company 
of Malays or Sepoys, under the command of an European of- 
ficer, During the season of the pearl fishery an additional force 
is sent from Columbo. It was formerly a subaltern’s command, 
but it has been the policy of Governor North to appoint field 
officers to this and other stations. The chief trouble to the 
garrison here arises from collecting the taxes. This cannot 
always be done without compulsion ; and the exaction has even 
been sometimes openly resisted. In June 1800 , a body of the 
natives, on the taxes being demanded of them and the pay- 
ment about to be enforced, assembled before the fort in a tu- 
multuous manner, and seemed determined not to submit to the 
