THE 
MONTHLY 
MAGAZINE. 
MARCH 1, 1807. 
Ok Vor, 23. 
* As long as thofe who write ate ambitious of making Converts, and of giving to their Opinions2 Maximum of 
“ Tufluence and Celebrity, the moft extenfively circulated Mifcellany will repay with the greateit Effect the 
** Curiofity of thefe who read either for Amufement or Inftruction,” 
JOANSON. 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS, 
Tothe Editor of the Monthly Magazine.* 
SIR, 
TAKE the earliest opportunity to in- 
form you, that, foon atter my arrival 
at Madras, [ had the good fortune to 
meet with a triend who commands a 
country dhip beloaging to one of the ports 
on the Cordmandel coatt. 
ately gave me a birth, and I have accom- 
ge him hither to take in a cargo of 
pepper. The laft evening I had the plea- 
fure of {pending in your Company in Eng- 
kind, you made me prouufe to fend you 
a copy ef my Jourmal : but the places we 
touched at durmg our voyage outward, 
bave been fo often and fo minutely de- 
fcribed, that there remained nothing new 
to © Giamatti ern: 
I hope, however, that the Gall otinis 
account of this eiilevecitt will be foend 
to contain fome particulars that are not 
generally known im Europe. Itis founded 
either on actual obfervation, or on facts 
and details for which IJ am indebted to a 
gentleman of ditinguilhed abilities and 
high rank here. 
Palo-Pinz ang, to which. the Englith 
haye given the name of Prince of W ales? 
Iiland, is fituated at the entrance of the 
ttraits’ of Malacca, about a mile and a 
half from the coaft of Quirda, between 
5.7 and 5.25 of northern latitude. Its 
greatett extent from north to fouth is 
about eighteen miles; at the north end it 
is about: fifteen miles in breadth; but it 
decreafes towards the fouth to about 
eleven miles. 
The climate is very mild and healthy: 
for, notwithflanding its vicinity to the 
equator, itis never liable to the extremes 
ef heat and cold; feldom to violent and 
never to continued rains as are common 
on the coafts of Coromandel and Mala- 
bar. On the other hand it is frequently 
— 
* The public cannot fail to be gratified 
avith the new and important injormation con- 
tained in this valuable communication, and 
we have reafon to believe we hall be favoured 
with others fromm the fame intedligent corre+ 
eee at 
_ Monruty Mac, No. 154. 
He immedi- 
refrethed with agreeable and cooling 
fhewers. . The feafon of mof rain is from 
the beginning of October to the beginning 
of December, after the fetting in “of the 
nofth-eaft montoon: then-alfo is the 
greatett heat, but during the touth-wett 
montoons, this violence of which does not 
extend io far into the firaits of Malate as 
the air is cooled by a: delightful alterna- 
tion gf land and fea-breezes. While, from 
Quida to Juak Ceylon, the countries 
only one degree farther to the northward 
are under the influence ef the violent 
gales and deluges of rain, which mark the 
fetting-in and ‘clearing up ot the fouth- 
weil monfoons;: Prince of Wales’ Hand 
is bleffed with a ferene iky, and only now 
and then a day of moderate and light: 
rain, no more than is neceflary to invigo- 
rate and quicken veyetation. Thefe ad- 
vantazes render it a place equally fuited 
to European and Afiatic conftitutions. 
During a late excuriion into the country, 
a few hours ride frum Fort-Cornw: lis, 
brought our party to an elevation where 
the air is cooler hy fixteen to twenty de- 
grees. On thefe falubrious heights, Bu- 
yopean convalefcents find their heal Ith 
perfectly rettored in a few weeks; and ac- 
cordingly they are much trefor ted to by ins 
valids trom the other Enghih fettlements 
in India. «+ 
Almoft the whole of the northern part 
is mountainous, and covered with fine 
timber down tohigh-watermark. T hrough 
the centre run three ranges of hills and 
fine vallies between them ; {ome of which 
are eultivated with pepper and a variety 
t fruit-trees. About one half on the 
Tland is either level ground, or ot fo 
gentle an inclination, as i to admit 
of cultivation, Into the large weftern 
bay run two very fine rivulets of remark- 
ably googgwater; one of which is navi- 
gable for thips’ long-baats, two’ miles m- 
jand, and einpties itfelf into the harbour, 
about a mile to the fouthward of Fort- 
Cornwallis, Water is alf found in all 
the low parts by digging to the depth of 
only a few feet. 
‘Phe uncultivated parts are thickly co- 
©) yered 
