House -Food of the Hindoos. narrow gallery covered by the slope of the roof, which projects over it; and which, as far as the gallery extends, is supported by pillars of brick or wood: the floor of this gallery is raised about thirty inches above the level of the street; and the porters, or bearers of palankeens, with the foot soldiers, named peons, who commonly hire themselves to noblemen, often lie down in this place. This entrance leads into a court, which is also surrounded by the former. On one side of the court is a large room, on a level with the floor of the gallery, open in front, and spread with mats and carpets covered with white cotton cloth, where the master of the house receives visits, and transacts business. From this court there are entrances by very small doors to the private apart ments. The art of painting is in a very imperfect state among the Hindoos, being perfectly ignorant of the rules of perspective. Their sculptures are likewise rude, like the Egyptian. The music of the Hindoos is but little known to Europeans. The jugglers are so expert, that many of the missionaries have ascribed their tricks to supernatural power; and even so late a traveller as Mr. Grose seems to be of not a very different opinion. The Hindoos are remarkable for their ingenuity in all kinds of handicraft; but their utensils are simple, and in many respects inconve nient. The principal article of food throughout all Hindoostan is rice, consequently the cultiva tion of it forms the great object of agriculture: in this the principal requisite is water; to pre 1805. May. Miserable Condition of the Ryots. 1905. vent a scarcity of which, a vast number of tanks May. and water courses are formed throughout the country. The Ryots, or people who cultivate the ground, are in many places in the most miserable situation, their only food being rice and pepper; for which they are obliged to endure all the inclemencies of a burning sun, and the inconveniencies that attend alternately wading in water, and walking with their bare feet on the ground, heated intensely by the solar rays. All this, however, they submit to with the ut most patience, and without making any complaint, excepting to be released from their sufferings by death; though even then their religion teaches them to hope for nothing more than what they call absorption into the essence of the Deity; a state almost synonymous with what we call annihilation. Negapatam. CHAP. XII. Sketches of the small Settlements on the Coromandel Coast-Negapatam-Tranquebar-Banian Tree-Masulipatam-Coringa-Golconda Minės--Vizagapatam -Jagrenaut Pagoda-Brahmins-Land and Sea Breezes on the Coast. 1805. On the 2d of June we left Madras, and embarked on board his Majesty's ship Howe, for June. Vizagapatam, where we arrived in three days: here I joined the Caroline, which ship, from this time till October, was employed on the Coromandel coast, in giving protection to the commerce of the country. The following are slight sketches of the principal places on this coast, where European ships touch at. 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 sugar-loaf peaks. From Calymere point the coast runs almost due north, (swelling out a little about midway), as far as the mouth of the Kistna river, in latitude 16° north. Negapatam is a very inconsiderable place of trade, but touched at frequently by ships for bullocks and stock. There is a considerable surf at this place, and Europeans should be very cautious how they go on shore in ships' boats. 1805. Banian Tree. Tranquebar, in lat. 11° N. the next place of June. note, belongs to the Danes, who first 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, that a Mr. Doige computed that ten thousand men might stand without incommoding themselves, allowing six men to a yard square! Several people 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 first. The arches which these different stocks make, are Gothic, and somewhat like the arches in Westminster-hall. Milton gives a beautiful description of this tree in the following lines: "There soon they chose The fig-tree, not that kind for fruit renown'd, From Kistna point the land turns a few miles to the northward, and finishes with that of Divi, projecting from an 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 Masulipatam-Coringa. lat. 16° 8' N. The coast is low, the bottom oozy, and the tide rises about four feet. It was anciently an emporium, famous for its commerce; being happy in a harbour capable of receiving ships of considerable burden, and the only one from Cape Comorin to this place, capable of receiving ships of three hundred tons. Its trade is chintz and painted cloth, i. e. calicoes its dies are famous all over India, produced from a plant called shaii, growing on the grounds overflowed by the spring tides. It is also famed all over India for its snuff of the most excellent flavour. The Coast and Bay ships touch here for cloths, &c. annually.-Vide Pennant's Views, vol. ii. This Coringa, a little settlement, originally French, is situated on the banks of the Godavery, and is a place of very little note. The country here is so low, that an inundation took place from the sea some twenty years ago, which destroyed upwards of ten thousand of the inhabitants. place is likely to become of considerable 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 construction of the kind between Bombay and Bengal. A bar of mud, however, lies across the entrance of the river, through which vessels are obliged to be dragged with immense force. The Albatross brig, and Wilhelmina frigate have already passed this muddy barrier; and it is believed that this obstruction is capable of being removed. Coringa bay is the only smooth water on the Coromandel coast in the S. W. monsoon; point Godavere projecting out to the southward, and breaking 1805. June. |