South America - A General History And Collection Of Voyages And Travels - Volume 7 - By Robert Kerr
 -  But
large ships going for the eastern coast of India pass by the coast of
Coromandel, on the other side - Page 144
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But Large Ships Going For The Eastern Coast Of India Pass By The Coast Of Coromandel, On The Other Side Of This Gulf, Beside The Land Of _Chilao_[149], Which Is Between The Firm Land And The Isle Of Manaar.

On this voyage ships are sometimes lost, but they are empty, as ships going this way discharge their cargoes at _Periapatam_ into small flat-bottomed boats named _Tane_, which can run over any shoal without danger, as they always wait at Periapatam for fine weather.

On departing from Periapatam, the small ships and flat-bottomed boats go always together, and on arriving at the shoals about thirty-six miles from that place, they are forced through by the winds, which always blow so forcibly that they have no means of taking shelter during the passage. The flat boats go through safely; but if the small ships happen to miss the proper channel, they get fast on the shoals, by which many of them are lost. In coming back from the Indies, instead of this passage, they take the channel of Manaar, which has an ouze bottom, so that even in case of grounding they are generally got off again without damage. The reason of not using this passage on the outward voyage is, that the prevailing winds between Ceylon and Manaar frequently occasion that channel to have so little water that it cannot be navigated. From Cape Comorin to the island of Ceylon, the distance is 120 miles.

[Footnote 149: By this account of the matter, the land of _Chilao_ appears to be the island of Ramiseram, between which and the island of Manaar extends a reef of rocks called _Adams Bridge_. The deep channel is between Ramiseram and the point of _Tanitory_ on the Coromandel coast. - E.]

SECTION XI.

_Of the Island of Ceylon_

In my judgment, the island of Ceylon is a great deal larger than Cyprus. On the west side, facing India, is the city of Columba, the principal hold of the Portuguese, but without walls or enemies. In this city, which has a free port, dwells the lawful king of the whole island, who has become a Christian, and is maintained by the king of Portugal, having been deprived of his kingdom. The heathen king to whom this island formerly belonged was named _Madoni_, who had two sons named _Barbinas_ and _Ragine_. By acquiring the favour of the soldiers, the younger son Ragine usurped the kingdom, in prejudice of his father and elder brother, and became a great warrior. Formerly there were three kingdoms in this island. Those were, the kingdom of Cotta, with other dependent or conquered provinces: The kingdom of Candy, which had considerable power, and was allied to the Portuguese, the king being supposed a secret Christian: The third was the kingdom of _Gianisampatam_, or Jafnapatam. During thirteen years that _Ragine_ ruled over this island, he became a great tyrant.

The island of Ceylon produces fine cinnamon and abundance of pepper, with great quantities of _nuts_ and _aroche_[150]. They here make great quantities of _cayre_ of which ropes are manufactured, as formerly noticed.

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