CANANORE, CANA: RA, or COLANADA, a town and principality of Hindostan, lies at the bottom of a small bay on the coast of Malabar. It was very early possessed by the Portuguese, who, about the year 1605, obtained leave of the king of the country to build a fort, which they secured with a strong garrison. Having thus become a point of communication with Europe, and being well supplied by the adjoining country with abundance of rice, pepper, sugar, cardamoms, ginger, tamarinds, and other valuable commodities, it soon rose to be a populous and commer cial city ; and, about the middle of the 181.11 century, when it was under the power of the Dutch, who had establish ed a considerable factory at this place, nearly 200 vessels arrived annually in its harbour. In 1770, Cananore was sold by the Dutch, to the ancestors of the present reign mg family, for 100,000 rupees. It was afterwards seized by Tippoo Saih; but is now subject to the British, who, under General Abercrombie, took possession of the fort on the 17th of December 1790. The Biby, or lady of Cananore, however, who at present manages the affairs of the royal family, during the minority of her son, is still allowed to retain the nominal sovereignty of the dis trict. She pays an annual land-tax of 14,000 rupees to the Company, and is allowed to collect all the revenues, except the customs. Her territories on the continent are very small, extending no where above two miles from the town. The surface is, in general, high and uneven ; but it is all capable of cultivation, though a small part of it only is fitted for rice ground. She pos sesses also most of the Lacadive islands, which, however, are so wretchedly poor, that the tribute which she de rives from them is altogether trifling. 11cr principal resources arise from trade, which she carries on to a considerable extent in vessels of her own, with Arabia, Bengal, and Sumatra ; and " her commercial affairs are so well managed," says Dr Buchanan," that she will soon, it is said, recover the losses that she is alleged to have suffered from the rapacity of sonic British officers, du ring the wars of Malabar." The town of Cananorc
stretches about half a mile along the shore, and is de fended by a strong fortress, which was formerly consi dered impregnable, and several detached forts situated on every side. It is very narrow, except near the centre, where it runs a little way up into the land, and is termi nated by a battery, called Spice Fort. It contain.: seve ral very good houses, which arc possessed by Nahome tan merchants ; but its eastern extremity is chiefly in habited by fis'.crmen, and consists only of a group of miserable huts. The fortress stands a ?ittle south-west of the town, upon a promontory, which projects about a quarter of a mile into the sea. It has the complete com mand of the bay ; and since the province was ceded to the Company, has been considerably strengthened with works after the European fashion. The sea surrounds it on all sides, except on the north-west, where it is separated from the land by a deep ditch and strong for tifications. It contains the wharf, where vessels may lie with great safety during summer, but, in winter, it af fords very little security ; a hospital, the chief's house, the warehouses, and lodgings for the different officers of the Company. The house of the present Biby is very large, and is one of the best sultan's palaces in India. Cananore still possesses a flourishing trade, though its exports have been considerably diminished by the dis turbances of Cotiote ; and it employs from 25 to 30 ves sels. It is about 15 miles north-west from Tellicherry ; and lies in N. Lat. 11° 55', E. Long. 14'. See Bu chanan's Journey through Illysore, Efic. vol. ii. p. 553 ; Bartolomeo's Voyage, p. 144 ; and a plan of the town and fort, in the Oriental Repository, vol. i. (L)