52 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
of the ocean, might have placed Ceylon at its present dis- 
tance from the continent. 
The Gnlph of Manaar, although too shallow to admit vessels 
of a large size, is not altogether useless for the purposes of 
commerce. Sloops, donies, and small vessels of various descrip- 
tions, convey goods by this passage from Madras and other 
places on the Coromandel coast direct to Colombo, instead 
of taking the circuitous outside passage, and rounding the 
island by Trincomalee and Point de Galle. This is called the 
Inner , or Paulk's Passage , from a Dutchman of that name, 
who first attempted it. Adam's bridge, indeed, frequently 
proves an insurmountable obstruction, and vessels are often 
obliged to unload or lighten at Manaar before they can make 
good their passage. It is common indeed to have large boats 
stationed here to receive the goods and convey them forward 
to Columbo ; so that the obstructions trade meets with here 
are similar to those which several large cities are subject to, 
of not being accessible to large vessels, but the articles of trade 
are obliged to be conveyed to them by lighters and small 
craft. The Dutch, notwithstanding these obstructions, found 
means to carry on a constant traffic by this passage between 
the western coast of Ceylon and their factories of Tutucoran, 
Vipar, Manapar, Ponicail, and Kilkerre. Coarse cloths and 
calicoes were the chief articles thus imported by the Dutch, 
and fn return they carried back areka and cocoa-nuts, betel- 
leaf, fruits, arrack, and coya, or cordage made from the 
