THE ISLAND OF CEYLON, 
31 
CHAPTER II 
General description of Ceylon — The harbours — Monsoons — Climate 
— Rivers — Internal communications — Soil — General divisions — 
British dominions — Trincomalee — Malativoe — Jafnapatam — 
Manaar. 
The Island of Ceylon lies between 5° 40' and 10° 30' north 
latitude ; and between 79° and 82° east longitude. It is 
situated at the entrance of the bay of Bengal, by which it is 
bounded on the north. On the north-west it is separated 
from the Coromandel coast by the gulph of Manaar, a narrow 
strait full of shoals, and impassable by large ships. It is 
distant about sixty leagues from Cape Comerin, the southern 
point of the peninsula of India, which divides the Coromandel 
and Malabar coasts. Its circumference is computed to be about 
nine hundred miles ; and its length from Point Pedro at the 
northern extremity to Dondcrhead at the southern is about 
three hundred miles. Its breadth is very unequal, being in 
some parts only from forty to fifty miles, while in others it 
extends to sixty, seventy, and even one hundred. Towards 
the southern parts it is much broader than in the northern, 
and nearly resembles a ham in shape. The peninsula of Jaf- 
napatam has hence received from the Dutch the name of 
» 
Hamsheel , and Point Pedro they call Hamsheel Point. 
