There are only three rivers in the Carnatic. properl) so called, which it is necessary to mention in this place. The Paliar runs past the cities of Venom, Arcot, Con jeveram, and Sadras. At the last mentioned place, it is extremely broad, and discharges itself into the sea. About the middle of October, when the winter com mences, and the rain pours down in torrents, it is some times half a mile broad, and flows with the utmost violence and impetuosity. The second, named the Chonenbar, falls into the sea on the south of Pondi cherry, after having united, not far from that city, with the Gingee. The third is called the Pannar, or the Golden River. It has its source in the Gauts, not far from Darampuri in Mysore, runs past Tricalore, and on the north of Cuddalore throws itself into the sea.
It is a singular circumstance, that the coast of the Carnatic forms nearly a straight line, and that it has ne port for shipping. It is also incommoded with a high and dangerous surf or wave, that breaks upon it, and induces the necessity of using the boats of the country to land in. These are called massoolah, and are of tt singular construction, being formed without ribs or keel, with flat bottoms, and having their planks sewed together, iron being totally excluded throughout the whole fabric. By this construction they are rendered flexible enough to elude the effects of the violent shocks which they receive, by the dashing of the waves, or surf on the beach, which either oversets or breaks to pieces a boat of European construction. The sides of these boats are raised remarkably high, and sewed together with the fibres of the cocoa-nut tree, and caulked with the same material. They are remarkably light, ant! are managed with great dexterity by the natives ; they are usually attended by two cattamarans or rafts, pad dled by one man each ; the intention of which is, that should the boat be overset by the violence of the surf, the persons in it may be preserved. No port for large vessels occurs between Trincomalee, on the cast side of Ceylon and the Ganges, which is an extent of 13 de grees.
The coast of Coromandel has, at a distance, the ap pearance of a green theatre, when the season is favour able. The seashore is covered with white sand ; and a multitude of beautiful shells arc occasionally to be seen. The land is covered to a considerable distance, with a great variety of trees, and particularly toat called by the Europeans the tcal Indian palm, or the cocoa-nut tree.
• The natives call it tenga, and make much use of it in embellishing their gardens. A great number of these are planted on the coast, interspersed with hamlets and villages, and afford a most delightful prospect to the spectator.
The maritime cities and towns of the Carnatic are Cuddalore, Pondicherry, Portonovo, Sadras, St Thomas, Madras, and Pullicate, and a few others of lesser note. Cuddalore is naturally a very strong situation, a circum stance of great importance formerly, when war was so frequently carried on in India, and would certainly have been more commodious for the British settlement than at the time that the French were in possession of Pondicherry. The Dutch formerly possessed the
towns of Portonovo, Sadras, and Pullicate ; but the valour of the British arms has wrested these from them, and rendered us independent of the rivalship of any European power on the eastern coast of India. St Thomas is from three to four miles to the southward of Madras, and here there was formerly a considerable Por tuguese settlement. Madras, or Fort St George, is close on the margin of the sea, and is the principal settlement of the British East India Company on the east side of the peninsula.
The nominal capital of the Carnatic is Arcot, the residence, or rather which was formerly the constant residence of the nabob of that name. From the depen dent state of its old possessor, and the obligations under which he lies to the British government, it has lost much of that splendour and luxury of a court, by which it had been so long distinguished. All the towns throughout the whole Carnatic, are exceedingly exposed to the attacks of an enemy's horse, from the level nature of the country. This has rendered it an object of indispen sible necessity to erect forts, and to improve the situation of the place, and in general to remedy the disadvantages of so dry, open, and unprotected a territory. Accord ingly the fortress at Madras, called Fort St George, is of very great strength ; including within it a regular, well built city. Upon any sudden incursion of the enemy, (as in 1780), the inhabitants of the country flock to these fortified places, and carry along with them their families, and what little property they can conveniently collect. The instances of the most excessive cruelty that have occurred in the Carnatic wars, have not been confined to its Mahomedan conquerors ; for so late as 1761, Pondicherry, the finest city in India, together with its citadel, was razed to the ground. From the complete subjugation of the native princes, and the ascendency of the British arms, it is not considered at present as of any importance to keep in constant repair any forts in the Carnatic, excepting those that are on the sea coast, or command some of the great roads leading into it. Thus the fortress of Arcot is in had repair, although the nabob maintains a garrison of his own troops in it ; whereas that of Vcllore, being a post of great impor tance, and the most direct route from the country of 'Mysore, is justly deemed impregnable to an Indian army.* It consists or three strong forts, on as many hills. That part of the Carnatic which more peculiarly belongs to the East India Company, is called Jaghire, a term which generally means, a grant of land from a sovereign to a subject revokable at pleasure, but in most instances for a life rent, neither of which apply to that under consideration. It contains 2440 square miles, and, according to Rennell, its revenue is reckoned at about 150,0001. per annum. This tract of country extends from Madras to the Pullicate lake northward ; and to Alamparue, southwards ; and westward, beyond Con jeyeram ; that is about 108 miles along shore, and 47 inland, in the widest part.