IP A N A R. 
cept during the monfoons. Adam's Bridge, or Rama’s 
Bridge, is formed by a line of fand-banks, which runs 
quite acrofs from Manar to-Ramiferam. It is an uni- 
fal opinion among the natives, that Ceylon was either the 
paradife in which the anceftor of the human race redded, 
or the fpot which he firft touched on being expelled 
from the celeftial paradife. Adam’s Bridge was, as they 
conceive, the way by which he paffed over to the conti¬ 
nent ; and fome of them imagine, that the Gulf of Ma- 
nar, like the Red Sea in fcripture-hiftory, clofed after him 
to prevent his return. It is, however, univerfally be¬ 
lieved, that Ceylon, at a diltant period, formed a part of 
the continent, and was feparated from it by fome great 
convulfion of nature. 
The Gulf of Manar, though too (hallow to admit vef- 
fels of large fize, is not altogether ufelefs for the purpofes 
of commerce. Sloops, doilies, and various fmall vefi'els, 
convey goods by this paflage from Madras and other 
places on the Coromandel coaft direclly to Columbo, in- 
ltead of rounding the illands by Tricomalee and Point de 
Galle. Notwithftanding the obftrudfions that occur in 
this paflage, the Dutch have found means to carry on a 
conftant traffic in this way between the weftern coaft of 
Ceylon and their factories of Tutucoran, Vipar, Manapar, 
Ponicail, and Kilkerre. Coarfe cloths and calicoes were 
the chief articles thus imported by the Dutch ; and in re¬ 
turn they carried back areca and cocoa-nuts, betel-leaf, 
fruits, arrack, and coya, or cordage, made from the cocoa- 
tree. All thefe places are now in poffeflion of the En- 
glifh, who may avail themfelves by the traffic which they 
afford. The fliort paflage from Ramiferam to Manar 
forms a fpeedy communication of intelligence to people 
of bufinefs; and government has boats Rationed here for 
thepurpofe of conveying the tapal, or letter-bags, between 
Ceylon and the continent. The Peons, a calt of people 
employed for this purpofe, travel at the rate of five miles 
an-hour, and they are relieved at certain ftages by freffi 
runners. They ufually go from Columbo to Manar, a 
diltance of 160 miles, in three days. Here they take boat, 
and crols over by Adam’s Bridge to Ramiferam, and then 
proceed along the Coromandel coaft to Madras. An ex- 
prefs will generally run from Columbo to Madras in eight 
days. 
The Dutch built a fort on the ifland of Manar, with 
a view to command the paflage and the communication 
■with the continent by Adam’s Bridge. It was princi¬ 
pally intended to prevent the fubjeCls of the king of 
Candy from fmuggling over any of the produce of the 
ifland, particularly l'piceries; and alfo to cut off all inter- 
courfe between that prince and thofe of the continent, 
by which he might have formed alliances dangerous to 
their interefts. The protection of the pearl-banks and 
pearl-fifiiery, which lie at no great diltance from this 
ifland, was alfo another object for conitructing a fort 
here. It alfo contributed confiderably to the revenues of 
government, as a ftation where certain duties are levied 
on the valt quantities of calicoes, coarfe muflins, cottons, 
and other articles, brought through this paflage to Co¬ 
lumbo by the Moors, Malabars,'and other inhabitants of 
the continent. Thefe circumftances are fufficiently im¬ 
portant in order to keep in this place a conftant garrifon, 
the expenfe of which is greatly overbalanced by its ad¬ 
vantages. The garrifon Rationed here conlifts only of a 
company of Malays or Sepoys, under the command of an 
European officer ; but, during the pearl-fifbe'ry, an addi¬ 
tional force is fent from Columbo. Lat 9. 6.N. Ion. 79. 
58. E. 
At Mantotte, near Manar, there are fome remains of 
antiquity. A Gentoo city is faid to have flood there, and 
to have been built by that harmlefs people, who took re¬ 
fuge here; the veftiges of the embankment of a tank, and 
a number brick ruins, ftill remain. 
About twelve miles from Manar lies the village of 
Arippo, where the civil and military officers, who attend 
the pearl-fifhery,refide during the feafon. This is tile only 
255 
place in the vicinily where good water can be procured 
Here is a chapel for thofe of the Roman-catholic perfua- 
fion, who confift chiefly of the Parawas and Malabars, 
reforting hither during the feafon of the pearl-fiffiery. 
Six miles foutli from Arippo lies the Bay of Condat- 
chy, where all the boats collect together for the pearl- 
fiffiery. The bay forms nearly a half-moon ; the beach 
which furrounds it is an extenfive fandy wafte, with only 
a few miferable huts fcattered along the fhore between the 
bay and the woods which fkirt the beach. Such is the 
appearance which this bay prefents at moft feafons of the 
year ; but during the fifliery the fcene is entirely reverfed. 
At that time the bay is crowded with fmall veffels, and the 
beach prefents an aftonilhing multitude of people from 
every quarter of India. Several thoulands of people of 
different colours, countries, calls, and occupations, con¬ 
tinually palling and repairing; vaft numbers of fmall tents 
and huts erefted on the Ihore, with the bazar or market¬ 
place before them; a multitude of boats returning in the 
afternoon from the pearl-banks; the anxious counte¬ 
nances of the boat-owners, while the boats are approach¬ 
ing the Ihore, and the eagernefs and avidity with which 
they run to them when arrived, in hopes of a rich cargo; 
the vafl number of jewellers, brokers, merchants, of all 
colours and all defcriptions, both natives and foreigners, 
who are occupied in fome way or other with the pearls, 
fome feparating and afforting them, others weighing and 
afcertaining their number and value, while others are 
hawking them about, or drilling and boring them for fu¬ 
ture ule—all thefe circumftances tend to imprefs the mind 
with the value and importance of that objeft, which can 
of itfelf create this fcene. The banks, where the filhery 
is carried on, extend feveral miles along the coaft from 
Manar fouthward of Arippo, Condatchy, and Pompa- 
ripo. The principal bank is oppofite to Condatchy., 
and lies out at fea about twenty miles. 
Thefirlt bufinefs, previous to the commencement of the 
filhery, is to furvey the different oyfter-banks, to afcertain 
the Rate of the oyfters, and to make a report on the fub- 
jedft to government. If the quantity is found to be fuffi- 
cient, and in a proper ftate of maturity, the particular 
banks to be filhed that year are put up for iale to the 
highelt bidder, and are ufually purchafed by a black mer¬ 
chant. Sometimes the government deems it more advan¬ 
tageous to filh the banks on its own account, and to dif- 
pofe of the pearls afterwards to the merchants. When 
this plan is adopted, boats are hired for the feafon on ac¬ 
count of government from different quarters, at a variable 
price, but ufually from five to eight hundred pagodas for 
each boat. When this plan was purfued, as it generally 
was by the Dutch, the governor and council of Ceylon 
claimed a certain per-centage on the value of the pearls; 
but, if the filhing of the banks was difpofed of by public 
fale, they bargained for a ftipulated fum to themfelves 
over and above what was paid on account of government. 
This perquifite was claimed on account of their trouble 
in furveying and valuing the banks. As it would not 
be expedient to filh the whole of the banks in one year, 
they are divided into three or four different portions, one 
portion of which is filhed annually in lucceffion. By this 
contrivance a fufficient interval is allowed for the oyfters 
to attain their proper growth ; and, as the portion firft ufed 
generally recovers its maturity by the time the Jaft por¬ 
tion has been filhed, the fifliery becomes almoft regularly 
annual. The oyfters are fuppofed to attain their com- 
pleteft ftate of maturity in feven years; for, if they be 
left too long, the pearls become fo large, and fo difagree- 
able to the fiihes, that they vomit them out of the (hell. 
The filhing-feafon commences in February, and ends 
about the 15th of April. The period allowed the mer¬ 
chant for filhing the banks is fix weeks, or at the moft two- 
months; but the interruptions that occur prevent the 
filhing-days from exceeding about thirty. In a bad fea- 
fon, the purchafer of the filhery is allowed a few days 
more as a -favour, The number of holidays obferved by 
perfons 
