Near
Travancore Is The Famous Cape Comorin, The Southernmost Point Of The
Continent Of Indostan Or India On This Side The Ganges, In Lat.
7 deg.
30' N
[78]. at which place the coast of Malabar ends, being the fourth of
the nine districts into which I have divided the coast of Asia.
[Footnote 78: The latitude of Cape Comorin is 7 deg. 54' N, or nearly
so. - E.]
From Cape Comorin in the west to Cape Cincapura in the east, which is
the southernmost point of the Aurea Chersonesus or Malacca, the
distance is 400 leagues, within which line is contained the great bay of
Bengal, sometimes called the Sinus Gangeticus, because the river
Ganges falls into this bay in about the lat. of 22 deg. N. after watering
the kingdom of Bengal. This river discharges a prodigious quantity of
water, and is esteemed holy by the neighbouring nations, who believe
that its water conduces to their salvation when at the point of death,
and are carried therefore that they may die with their feet in its
water, by which means the king of Bengal derives a considerable revenue,
no one being allowed to bathe in that river without paying a certain
tax. This river has many mouths, the two most remarkable of which are
Satigan on the west and Chatigan[79] on the east, near 100 leagues from
each other, and here ends the fifth of the nine districts, which may
be divided into three subordinate parts. In the first place the kingdom
of Bisnagar[80] contains 200 leagues, and the following towns,
Tarancurii, Manapar, Vaipar, Trechendur, Caligrande, Charcacale,
Tucucurii, Benbar, Calicare, Beadala, Manancort, and Cannameira, giving
name to a cape which stretches out into the sea in lat. 10 deg. N.[81] then
Negapatnam, Hahor, Triminapatnam, Tragambar, Trimenava, Colororam,
Puducheira, Calapate, Connumeira, Sadraspatnam, and Meliapour, now
called St Thomas because the body of that apostle was found there. From
St Thomas to Palicata is 9 leagues, after which are Chiricole, Aremogan,
Caleturo, Caleciro, and Pentepolii, where the kingdom of Bisnagur ends
and that of Orixa begins. The second part of this district, or Orixa,
contains 120 leagues and reaches to Cape Palmiras, with these towns,
Penacote, Calingan, Visgapatan, Bimilepatan, Narsingapatan, Puacatan,
Caregare and others. Here begins the third part of this district, or the
kingdom of Bengal, the coast of which extends about 100 leagues.
[Footnote 79: The western branch of the Ganges is now called the Hoogly
River. Satigan in the text may have some reference to what is now called
Sagar roads or anchorage. Chatigan certainly means what is now called
Chitigong: But the most easterly mouth is properly that of the great
Barhampooter, or Bramah-putra River, long confounded among the mouths of
the Ganges. The breadth of the Sunderbunds, or Delta of the Ganges and
Barhampooter, is about 195 English miles. - E.]
[Footnote 80: The kingdom of Bisnagar in the text, appears to have
contained the entire Carnatic above and below the Gauts, with Mysore and
Golconda.
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