FUNERAL AT SEA. 7 with calms and contrary currents, which drove us quite out of our reckoning; fresh provisions and water became scarce, and the men were attacked by the scurvy: a distemper which was then very incidental to mariners in long voyages. It is various in its symptoms and progress; but is generally attended with heaviness, restlessness, swelled limbs, livid spots, and ulcerated gums: the last stage seems to be a total putrefaction; which soon carries off the unhappy sufferer. The scurvy baffles all the art of medicine; but if the patient is taken on shore, to breathe a pure air, and enjoy the refreshment of fruit and vegetables, he generally recovers. Before we experienced this happy change, many of the seamen, and more of the recruits for the army in India, fell a sacrifice to the malady; and we were often called upon to attend the awful ceremony of committing their remains to the deep. There is something peculiarly solemn and melancholy in a funeral of this kind, where the body is consigned to the fathomless abyss: but Faith anticipates that glorious morn, when the ransomed of the REDEEMER shall hear his voice, and the sea shall give up her dead! Except at the funeral ceremony, which was now so frequently performed, I never had an opportunity of seeing a ship's company assembled at public worship; it is a fine spectacle; every feeling mind must rejoice to behold the deck of a large vessel covered with her crew, in the humble attitude of devotion: surrounded by the boundless ocean, the foundation of their august temple; and the cerulean expanse of heaven, its magnificent canopy to see them in the midst of this unstable element, when separated from all their friends, 8 THE MALABAR COAST. adoring the universal friend and Father of the creation; who maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind; who raiseth the tempest ; and saith to the raging waves, "Peace! be still!" I am sorry to observe, that the solemnity of public worship is a duty too little attended to in these floating habitations, these worlds of wonder! Surely, in such a situation, it must be the highest gratification to offer the tribute of prayer and praise to the great JEHOVAH ; for the sea is his, and He made it! During the calms under the line the sea was smooth as glass; and every floating substance thrown overboard, remaining round the vessel, we were often obliged, in the cool of the evening, to lower the boats, and tow her to some distance. We continued six weeks in these sultry climates, with only now and then a light air to waft us gently on; our water also began to fail: we at last became almost spiritless from the languor occasioned by the enervating heat, and the dull uniformity of this part of our voyage. At length, after being disappointed by many deceitful appearances of imaginary shores, and when reduced to our last cask of water, the man at the mast-head saw land, and the coast of Malabar was soon discerned through the telescopes on deck; the powers of language fail to express the joy which thrilled in our hearts at this happy prospect; those only who have been in a similar situation can conceive it: favoured by a gentle breeze, we gradually approached the cocoanut groves, which seemed to rise from the ocean, on the low sandy shore, near the Dutch settlement of Cochin, where we anchored in the evening. The ship was soon surrounded by boats, laden with cattle, poultry, fruit, SETTLEMENT OF COCHIN. 9 and vegetables: this was indeed a most grateful visit to us all but especially to our poor invalids; who were immediately brought upon deck to enjoy the refreshing gales from the land, and partake of our delicious fare. The town of Cochin is pleasantly situated near the road, at the entrance of a broad river, surrounded by the low lands and cocoa-nut trees; beyond them are woody hills, and majestic mountains, forming a noble boundary to the landscape. We remained only two days at Cochin, and then sailed for Bombay, aided by the land and sea winds, which alternately prevail on the Malabar coast, after the breaking-up of the south-west monsoon: the former blows fresh during great part of the night, and gradually declines a few hours after sun rise; when the western breeze sets in from the ocean, and renders the navigation delightful. As the season advances towards the commencement of the ensuing monsoon, in the months of April and May, the north-west winds blow strong; and the ships sailing to the northward, no longer assisted by the land breezes, are obliged to stand further out to sea, to beat up against their powerful adversaries; and thus the passenger loses the beauties we daily enjoyed in this pleasant part of our voyage. From Cochin we proceeded along a diversified coast to Calicut; the celebrated emporium where Vasco de Gama landed after his perilous voyage round the Cape of Good Hope, in the first European vessel which ever navigated the Indian seas: it was then a place of great importance, now little more than a Malabar fishingtown, with four European factories. We did not anchor at Calicut, but arrived the next day at Tellicherry, a settlement belonging to the English, in a 10 HARBOUR AND CITY OF GOA. pleasant and healthy situation. From thence, sailing by a hilly tract of country, we came to Mangalore, then a principal sea-port of Hyder Ally Khaun; where, after procuring water and refreshments, we renewed our coasting voyage, and passing Onore, Mirjee, and some other places of little importance, we anchored in the beautiful harbour of Goa; a noble basin, surrounded by woody hills and fertile valleys, enriched by plantations of cocoa-nuts, and fields of rice: the prospect was embellished by numerous churches, convents, and villas; whose white aspect was finely contrasted with the dark mango and tamarind groves which embosomed them. This noble harbour is defended by the fortress of Alguarda: the city of Goa, founded like imperial Rome on many hills, and situated a few miles up a navigable river, presents some lovely scenery. It was the most magnificent of all the European settlements in India; and the churches, monasteries, and other public structures, indicate the former splendour of the capital of the Portugueze Asiatic establishments, the seat of the Inquisition, and the residence of the governor-general, the archbishop, judges, and other principal officers. This was the last place we touched at on the Malabar coast, and after sailing along the mountainous shores of the Concan, we anchored in Bombay harbour, exactly eleven months from the commencement of our voyage. RESIDENCE AT BOMBAY. 11 CHAPTER II. Residence at Bombay-Brief State of that Settlement in 1766— in India. A RESIDENCE of eighteen years on the island of Bombay, and several of its subordinate settlements, afforded me an opportunity of seeing a great deal of the western part of Hindostan; and I occasionally visited most of the principal places, from Ahmedabad, the capital of the northern province of Guzerat, to Anjengo, Untan the most southern factory on the coast of Malabar. I have already mentioned my arrival at Bombay in 1766; that establishment was then on a smaller scale than at present; especially in the military and revenue departments: the latter was always inadequate to the expenses; but the docks, fortifications, magazines, and storehouses, render it an object of national importance, both in a political and commercial point of view: the harbour is one of the finest in the world, accessible at all seasons, and affording a safe anchorage during the most tempestuous monsoons: the merchants carry on a trade with all the principal sea-ports and interior cities of the peninsula of India; and extend their commerce to the Persian and Arabian gulphs, the coast of Africa, Malacca, China, and the eastern islands. Bombay is situated in the latitude of 18° 50′ north, gám? |