THIS ifand becoming an object of notice from the battle fought on the etern coaft of it, between Sir Edward Hughes and M. de Suffren on the 12th of April, we fhall give a particular defcrip.

The natives are of the Gentoo religion, and they call their fovereign the King of Candy, from his capital, which is fituated nearly in the heart of the island. The inand parts are wholly in poffeffion of the Datives, but the Dutch were mafters of the fea coafts round the island, until Admiral Hughes took Trincamale.--When our feet under that great officer Admiral Watfon was there in April and May 1775,

Trincamale Bay and Harbour,

Are excellent for fhips to put into when
in diftrefs, and perhaps better for wood-
ing and watering a fquadron than any
harbour in India.
The harbour very

there are three kinds, the largest is called east monsoon. To avoid the dangers that the Tyger Royal, his fkin is of a yellow too frequently happen from the shifting of fandy colour, fhining and gloffy, with the monfoon, our fleets on the Coromanlong black ftripes, his head and mouth del coaft generally take fhelter in Trincavery large, eyes exceedingly lively, teeth male harbour. long and yellow, legs very thick, with furprizing tharp claws, and the tail perpetually in motion. The only one of this fort we ever faw in this country, was fhewn in a booth at the end of Blackman ftreet adjoining to St. George's Fields, about nine months ago. This fierce animal was as large as the largeft lion we have feen, feemingly much stronger, and extremely active and playful. The woods abound with venomous infects, and fnakes of an enormous length. Mr. Ives, in 1755, faw one that measured fifteen feet in length, and thirty inches in circumference; and a fpider as large as a toad, with brown hair upon it, and legs as thick as a large tobacco pipe, and more than four inches long. The fame gentleman killed a centipede which was more than feven inches long. A fcorpion was brought on board the fquadron, May 9th, which measured sight inches long from head to tail exclufive of the claws, and the fhell as hard as that of a crab.

The natives are the ftouteft Indians that Mr. Ives faw during fome years ftay in India. Their boats are hollowed trees, when fmall they are raifed upon, and have outriggers and fails.

The Caufe of the Monfoons.

There is a fpecies of winds obfervable in the Indian feas within the tropics, called by the failors monfoons, which during fix months of the year blow one way; and the remaining fix the other. The cause of them in general is this; when the fun approaches the northern tropic, there are feveral countries, Arabia, Perdia, India, &c. which become hotter, and reflect more heat, than the feas beyond the equator which the fun has left; the winds therefore instead of blowing from thence to the other parts under the equator, blow the contrary way; and when the fun leaves thofe countries and draws near the other tropic, the winds turn about and blow on the oppofite fide of the compafs. At the time of the shifting of thefe winds, the Indian feas are very fubject to tempefts, and navigation in them becomes very unfafe. On the coaft of Coromandel the north-caft monfoon blows from November to March or April, and fometimes to May, when the fouth-weft monfoon commences. Along this coaft the current generally fets with the wind, to the northward in the fouth weft moon foon, and to the fouthward is the north

much refembles that of Portsmouth, and is almoft quite land-locked, but this laft circumftance in fo hot a climate may be rather reckoned an inconveniency, as the free circulation of the fea breezes fo neceffary to refresh the men on board the fhips is greatly obftructed. The trade is very inconfiderable, the fole view of the Dutch in fortifying it, and feveral other bays and harbours, round the ifland, is to prevent other nations from fettling, or tradings with the natives.

Trincamale bay has feveral good watering places. In the harbour you are fe cure from every wind, the bottom is clear, there is good anchorage, 1000 fail of thips may be in it, and there are many convenient coves for careening fhips. There are alfo two wharfs which fhips of the line can lie at. Provifions are now scarcer and dearer than they were at the beginning of the laft war, when Admiral Watfon's fquadron put in there. The land round the harbour is remarkable, but very high. The harbour is on the north fide of the great bay, which is about feven miles from north to fouth, and about eight miles from east to weft: this bay has no foundings in the middle; the chief foundings are on the fouth fide, into which feveral rivers run, but none of them navigable but for boats. The point on which the fort ftands, is called Flag Staff Point, it is high, fteep, narrow, covered with trees, and ftretches into the fea about three quarters of a mile; it terminates in a point, breaking off fuddenly from its full height, perpendicularly to the sea, with a rock about the fize of a fhip's hull, in the fea, close to the point.On the top of the point is a lookout-houfe, where a flag is hoifted when the fhips are feen in the offing: by this Trincamale is known a great way at fea. To the northward of Flag Staff Point there is a spacious and fafe bay called Back bay, with a finooth fandy beach and rood landing every where. In the fouth-well mondon fhips lie fafe and fmooth in this bay, a clear fandy bottom, with good anchorage from feven to fifteen fathoms about a quarter of a mile to three quarters off fhore. entering the bay the rocks off Foul Point,

оп

or Cataris Point, must be avoided, by Batacaloe, by the coaft is 8 leagues difkeeping in 15 or 16 fathom water; this tant, the land low, but up in the country point is low, even and covered with trees; are fome very high mountains, one of when you are to the weftward of Norway which is called by navigators the Friar's land, as you run up the bay you have Hood: When the Friar's Hood bears no foundings. Ships entering the har- fouth-west half weft you are off Batacaloe. bour to fteer clear of fome dangerous rocks This place is known by the mouth of a fix feet under water, keep the white house small river which you cannot fee until you on Ofnaburgh Point two fails breadth o- are to the northward of it; it is very pen with Elephant fort point. The har- narrow, turns fhort round to the fouthhour's mouth is only two cable's length ward, and is parallel to the beach along or, with thirty fathoms water, each fhore.--When the Friar's Hood bears point fteep to, fo that you may go within fouth-weft, you may edge in towards afhip's length of either. Having paffed the shore, and anchor over against the rithe entrance you come into one of the ver, a mile off fhore in 7 or 8 fathoms fineft harbours in the world. In the mid-water. Several cocoa trees fcattered ade of it is York fhoal, rocks with only long fhore, facilitate the knowledge of five feet water on them. To avoid this this place. thoal keep Round Inland a fails breadth open with Ofnaburgh Point, till you bring the flag ftaff on Flag Staff Point upon the of the wood at the town; you may then run up towards the town and anchor where you please from 17 to 8 fathon.

gap

Providence Island.

The action between Sir Edward Hughes and the French fleet, on the 12th of April, was fought off this ifland. It is about eight leagues from it to Foul Point, or Cataris Point at the entrance of Trincamale bay. The courfe north north-weft, three quarters wet. The coaft is low and woody, and there is a fine fandy. beech all the way between them. By keeping 18 to 22 fathoms three or four miles off fhore, all danger is avoided.But the coaft from Providence Inland to Vendelo's bay, is exceeding foul ground, and bad anchoring, and the foundings fo irregular, that you thoal or deepen two or three fathoms at a caft. It is neceffary to keep an offing of two or three leagues in 20 and 24 fathoms, where you are clear of all danger. This ifland is a white rock, it may be easily known, it makes like the fail of a fampan, one of the country veffels. Some navigators say that the ground to the northward of it continues foul for five leagues, which is more than half way towards Trincamale. The foundings on the east coast of Ceylon are extremely irregular, from deep holes in maBy places; for from 20 fathoms you will fuddenly come into 400 fathoms; and fometimes when near the fhore in 7 or 8 fathoms, you will presently find yourself

in 40 fathoms.

Batacaloe,

Where Suffren refitted after the battle of
April 12, is about 20 leagues from Trin-
camale. Poawegern to the fouthward of
Hib. Mag. Jan. 1783.

From Point Pedro, the north point of Ceylon, to Point Callimere or Calliamedu, the first point on the Coromandel coaft, is 13 or 14 leagues; depth of water in this tract 9 or 10 fathoms. The Pagoda of Callimere in clear weather may be seen 5 or 6 leagues off. From Callimere to

the courfe is north 7 leagues and a half,
Nagapatnam,
there is good anchorage in the road in
feven fathoms; the river can only receive
fmall country veffels, and there is a bar
at the mouth, which in bad weather
makes the paffage even dangerous for
boats. From Negapatnam to

Tranquebar,

is about fix leagues; you keep along fhore

Danish fettlement in India; the town is in 6 or feven fathoms. This is the chief very neat, and the fort remarkable for it. exceeding whiteness, which they take care tial repair at Batacaloe, put in here in to keep fo. M. de Suffren, after a parJune laft; but it is faid the Danish governor would not permit him to remain long. Farther to the northward is

Porto Novo,

have a factory here. The river is small, an Indian town of great trade; the Dutch and is only navigable for fmall country veffels. The fresh water here is very bad, as feveral of our flccts have experienced, by its bringing on the flux. The road however is the smootheft and safeft of any little or no current in it, the bottom is on the coalt of the Coromandel; there is clear of danger, and there is good holding ground in 6 fathom water. Its smoothnefs is occafioned by the Koleroon fhoal to the fouth-eaft, which shelters it from

the great fwell that is found on every other part of this coaft. Suffren before he went to Tranquebar touched here.

с

The

(Continued from page 673 of our Appendix for 1782.)

NDA be HUNDA Saheb, made prisoner by city of Tritchanopoly in 1741, was esteem ed by them a prize of such importance, that they not only kept him under the ftrictest confinement, but rejected all the offers he made for his ranfom, as much inferior to what they imagined his wealth enabled him to pay. The richest prince in Indoftan never hesitates to plead poverty whenever money is to be paid; and Chunda Saheb, either unable or unwilling to fatisfy their exorbitant demands remained in his confinement, correfponding for fix years with his friends in different provinces, and fuggefting to them the means of inducing the Morattoes to fet him at liberty for a moderate fum.

The chiefs who were related to the former fucceflion of nabobs, which ended by the affaffination of young Seid Mahomed, retained their averfion to the reign of An'war-adean Khan; but they faw no one amongst themselves in the Carnatic endowed with fufficient power and reputation to attempt the recovery of the government into their own family. There exifted indeed at Vandewafh, a brother of Seid Mahomed, born after the death of their father, the nabob Subder Ally; but the infancy of this prince rendered him unfit to appear at the head of a confederacy and although Mortiz Ally, the governor of Velore, was a near relation to the former nabobs, and possessed a large domain with great treasures, yet his pulanimity rendered him incapable of Leading a dangerous enterprize, and the knowledge of his treacherous difpofition deftroyed all confidence in the engagements he might enter into. Of the reft, one had great reputation as generals, nor great power as princes; but, colleced under a proper head, their strength pight become formidable.

Chunda Saheb had made his way to the Ligheft offices of the government by the fervice of his fward, and was efteemed the ableft fold er that had of late years, appeared in the Carnatic. His contempt the fordid means by which moft of the Indian princes amafs treasures, had gain ed him the affections of the whole province; and an excellent understanding contributed to make his character univerfally revered. The rest of the chiefs therefore concurred in regarding him as the attest person to enter huto competition

with An'war-adean Khan for the nabobhip; but this teftimony of their deference for fome time only ferved to rivet his increafed their demands in proportion as fetters more strongly; for the Morattoes they found the character of their prisoner rifing in importance.

The wife and fon of Chunda Saheb had remained at Pondicherry from the time that he was carried away by the Morastoes; and the year after that event Mr. Dupleix arrived there, appointed governor-general of the French nation in India, He treated the family of Chunda Saheb, under his protection, with great respect; and by a frequent intercourse with the wife, very foon learnt the state of her hufband's affairs, and the difpofitions of his relations in the province. His fagacity diftinguished, in these latent principles of future convulfions, a poffibility of aggrandizing his nation in India, where many causes concurred to prevent their eftablishments from becoming fo eminently advantageous as he was ambitious of rendering them.

At

The English, established in Indoftan many years before the French had made any fettlement in the country, had confirmed in the natives a prepoffeffion in their favour, by the punctuality of their dealings, the goodness of the commodities they imported, and above all, by the great extent of their trade; and this fuperiority perpetually interrupted the progrefs of the French commerce. the fame time the affairs of all the European colonies were controuled by the Mogul government almoft as much as thofe of the natives themselves, who are fubject to the most defperate fway; for their trade was liable to the interruption of every great and petty officer through whose district or department it paffed; and in Bengal, where Mr. Dupleix bad refided for a long time, there never paffed a year in which the nabob did not extort large fums of money from each of the European fettlements :-garrifons were maintained, and other military expences incurred, which greatly diminished the profit of the trade; but fuch was the high opinion of the military strength of the Indian governments, that the European troops were never employed in opposition to the will of the prince of the country. At the same time all the manufactures of India proper for the markets of Europe had, from a long fucceffion of importations of filver, rifen fo much in price, and diminished fo much in the goodness of the fabric, that they afforded much less profit than in former times.The concurrence of these disadvantages

COR

convinced Mr. Dupleix that the trade of Indoftan was no longer worth the attention of France, nor indeed of any other nation in Europe. But difcovering the tomilitary character of the natives, and the perpetual diffentions of their rulers, he was led to imagine, that by joining fame of these competitors he might gain by conqueft more advantages than any ether European nation had hitherto defired from trade. He therefore determined to profecute this plan, by giving affitance to Cbunda Saheb.

Thefe ideas probably dictated thofe impediments which he flung in the way of Mr. de la Bourdonnais's operations, to prevent him from employing his troops, after the capture of Madrafs, in other parts of India; for at that time Mr. Du pleix held a conftant correfpondence with Chunda Saheb in his imprisonment, and they were concerting the means of accomplishing their mutual interefts. The meafure neceffary to be first carried into execution was the release of Chunda Saheb; and Mr. Dupleix guaranteeing the engagement, the Morattoes were at laft fatisfied with 700,000 rupees, and confented to furnish him with 3000 of their own tronps.

he commanded, and arrived just as the two armies was ready to engage. In this battle his courage and fkill were fo well feconded by the troops of Chitterdourg, that he obtained a complete victory :three thousand of the enemy's horfe, after the defeat, offered their fervice to him, whom he took into his pay, and likewife 2500 of the troops of his ally: fo that he was now at the head of 6000 men: but this force being still insufficient to attempt the conqueft of the Carnatic, he found refources in the confequences of other events, which had lately happened at Delhi, and in the government of the foubahfhip in the fouthern provinces.

With this force, and the spirit of an adventurer, be left Sattarah in the begining of the year 1748, intending to make conquefts wherever opportunity prefented itself, until he should acquire, by contributions, the treasures neceffary to maintain an army fufficient to attack the province of Arcot. He arrived, during the fiege of Pondicherry, on the western confines of the Carnatic, and found two Rajas at war: he fided with one of them, who, betrayed by some of his officers, was totally defeated in a general battle, in which it is faid that Chunda Saheb himfelf was taken prisoner, but that he was immediately released on producing a declaration from the king of the Morattoes, which enjoined all princes whomfoever to refpect his perfon, on pain of incurring the refentment of the whole Morattoe nation.The greateft part of Chunda Saheb's troops, were difperfed after this defeat, and he was left with only 300 men, when he received an invitation from the Rajah of Chitterdourg, to come to his affiftance, and take the command of his arty against the Raja of Bedrour. The territories of these two princes lay near the eaftern confines of the country of Canara, which extends along the coaft of Malabar between the rivers Alega and Cangerecora. Difafters could not deprefs the spirit of Chunda Saheb; be marched away, with the handful of men

The Great Mogul, Mahomed Schah, who had fuffered in 1739 the humiliation of laying his crown at the feet of Thamas Kouli Kan, by whom he was again reinftated in the monarchy of Indoftan, continued to govern the empire with so trembling a hand, that the principal officers of his court acted in their several deparments without controul: but the vizier Kimmerul-dien, who had held this office ever fince the acceffion of Mahomed, continued inviolably attached to his fovereign.None of the fubfequent events of the government of Delhi affect immediately the prefent object of our narrative, until the year 1748; when an army of Afghans, from Candahar, invaded the northern provinces, under the command of Ahmed the Abdalli, fo called from his tribe. This man was treasurer to Nadir Schab, when affaffinated on the 8th of June 1747, in Perfia; on which event he went off with all the treafure under his care, and in less than fix months etablished himself in the fovereignty of all the provinces of Indoftan ceded to the Perfians in 1739, and of as large a territory on the other fide of the mountains. Ahmed Schah, the eldest fon of Mahomed, with the vizier, marched againft the Abdalli; various encounters enfued with various fuccefs, and during a cannonade the vizier was flain by a ftraggling cannon ball, whilft at prayers in his tent. His death afflicted the emperor fo violently, that, after paffing the night in lamentations, he expired the next day fitting on his throne, in a fit brought on by the agony of his grief. The prince Ahmed, leaving the command of the army to Munsee the fon of the deceased vizier, immediately returned from the army to Delhi, and was acknowledged emperor without opposition, in the month of April 1748.

The death of Mahomed Schah was in a few months fucceeded by another of greater confequence to Indoftan; it was that of Nizam al-muluck, Soubah of the C 7

Decan,