668 
Massula boats crossing it in various 
directions, form a very interesting pic- 
ture. 
Notwithstaadhis the great heat of the 
climate, the Pantheon at Madias exhibits, 
once a week, a brilliant assemblage of our 
fair country-women; who having bravely 
traversed an immense ocean, cheerfully 
reside on the sultry shores of Hindostan, 
to solace our countrymen during their long 
absence from their native isle! 
Tt is really a ple asing sight to behold 
this lovely group forming a most ‘singular 
contrast wath the swarthy attendants be- 
hind them. Besides this public assem- 
bly, there are frequent private ones; and 
the Hon. Basil Cochrane, whose hospita- 
ble doors are always open, gives a ball and 
supper once a week to the ladies and gen- 
tlemen of the settlement, the offjcers of 
the army, navy, &e. 
On. the 2d of June, I embarked for V}- 
zagapatam, where we arrived in three 
days. The following are hght sketches of 
the principal places on this coast, where 
European ships touch. 
All the coast from cape Comorin to 
Calymere point, and from thence to 
Godavery, is flat and sandy: this sort of 
appearance in some places runs far inland, 
and often insulates ‘naked rocks and su- 
gar-loaf peaks. From Calymere point 
the coast runs almost due north (swelling 
out a little about midway), as far as the 
mouth of the Kistua river, in latitude 16° 
north. 
Negapatam is a very inconsiderable 
place ‘of trade, but frequently touched at 
by ships for bullocks and stock. There is a 
considerable surf at this place, and Euro- 
peans shoule be very cautious how they 
go on shore in ships’ boats. ~ 
Tranquebar, in, latitude 11° north, is 
the next placeof note. {t belongs to.the 
Danes, who frst made a settlement here 
in 1617, and now carry on a flourishing 
‘trade in the manufactures of the country. 
Four miles distant from fort St. David, 
is the famous banian tree, or ficus Indica, 
under the shade of which, Mr. Ives 
says, a Mr. Doige computed that ten 
thousand men might stand without in- 
commoding themselves, allowing six men 
to a yard square! Several pecele have 
built houses under the arches, which have 
been formed by the limbs dropping down, 
which take root and become other trees 
united to the firsc. The arches which 
these different stocks make might be 
called Gothic, being somewhat hike those 
in-Westminster-hall. 
From Kistna point the land turns a few 
Journal of a Voyage in the Indian Seas. 
miles to the northward, and finishes 
with that of Divi, projecting from ai isle 
formed by the river; this, with another 
point about fifty miles distant, makes a 
fine semilunar bay, a tract now divided 
between Condapilly and Ellore. 
Almost immediately within point Divi, 
lies Masulipatam, in latitude 16° 8’ north, 
The coast is low, the bottum oozy, and 
the tide rises about four feet. It was an- 
ciently an emporium, famous for its com- 
merce; being happy ina harbour capa- 
ble or receiving ships of considerable bur- 
den, and the only one trom Cape Como- 
rin to this place capable of receiving ships 
of three hundred tons. 
Coringa is a small settlement, orginally 
French, situated on the banks of the 
Godavery, and a place of very little note. 
The country here is so low, that an inun- 
dation took place from the sea ‘about 
twenty years ago, which destroyed up- 
wards of ten thousand of the inhabitants. 
Coringa is likely to become of conside- 
rable importance, as a wet dock has been 
formed on the bank of the river capable 
of taking in our largest frigates; and is the 
only place of the kind between Bombay 
and Bengal. A bar of mud, however, 
lies a¢ross the entrance gf ‘the river, 
through which vessels are obliged to be 
drazged with immense force. 
Having thus given sketches of. the 
principal places on this coast, I shall 
conclude by observing that trom Coringa, - 
at the mouth of the Godavery, northward 
to Ganjain, the coast is, generally spea- 
king, mountaious; and again, from 
Coringa southward, low, flat, and sandy, - 
with a few exceptions, s ‘such as the Pul- 
heat hills, and some detached mounts 
about Madras, Sadras, &c. 
Ul health now forcing me to leave 
the ship, and having obtained a passage 
from Madras to Bengal, in the American 
brig Caravan, I arrived in the Ganges 
on the twenty-first of October, 1805. 
Th the short space of two years, I 
could perceive that Calcutta had in- 
creased in size: the Government-House 
was now completely finished and looked 
uncommonly well; but, the Marquis 
Cornwallis’s decease had spread an uli- 
versal gloom through all ranks of people 
in this settlement. 
This great Statesman and General 
died at the village of Gazeepour, situated 
on the banks of the Ganges, about six 
hundred miles above Calcutta ; and his 
remains were interred on the spot without 
pomp or cereinony by the few attendants 
who composed his suite. At the moment 
of 
