The greater part of Ilindostan Proper is so mach in tersected by navigable rivers, that canals seem scarcely necessary ; while, in the Decan, and the south of India, the surface is in general so very uneven, that they are al most impracticable. Nevertheless, this mode of internal communication was formerly not neglected in Hindostan Proper, though the canals were rather intended and used for the purpose of watering the country, than of conveying goods. The most celebrated were those made in the reign of Firoze II. It is doubtful whether they were ever com pleted; if they were, they would have united the Indus and the Ganges : for one of them was drawn from the Jumnah, near the northern hills, to the city of Hissar ; and the object of the other was to form a water communication between the Sutlege and the same town. The first canal, which seems to have been completed, was 1 I 4 geographi cal miles in length. It was repaired and first used to Delhi, in 1626, by Shah Jehan ; thus making its whele length 174 geographical miles. There is no precise or clear the part of the Sutlege from which the other canal was drawn. It is said to have been 100 miles long. Besides these main canals, there were several branches which united them in different parts, and in different directions. The design of Firoze was to fer tilize a vast tract of land very dry and sterile, and also to facilitate and increase inland navigation. In 1810, the British government cleansed and repaired the canal of Delhi, which, during the convulsions of the Mogul empire, had been almost wholly choked up. From Shahpoor, where the Ravey enters the plains, a canal was drawn from this river to Lahore, about 80 miles in length ; the object was to supply the city with water during the dry season. For the same purpose three other canals were drawn from the Ravey, near Shahpoor, to the south and east of Lahore. In the year 1803, a canal was made from the Black-town of Madras to the river •nnore. Its length is 10,560 yards; its greatest breadth at the top 40 feet ; and its greatest depth 12 feet. By means.of this canal, boats convey char coal and fire-wood, the produce the high land behind Pulicat, to Madras. The rivers of Tripapolore and the Panaur, which approach within about 1300 yards of each other near Fort St David, are joined by a canal, which runs nearly parallel to the sea, at the distance of about 1000 yards.
The eastern and western coasts of India differ in a very striking manner. The Malabar, or western coast• is high and bold, and possesses a few excellent small harbours, formed by insulated rocks and promontories. The Coro trandel, or eastern coast, is low, sandy, and full of shoals and banks, without a port of any kind ; the entrance to its small rivers being blocked up by the sand thrown in by the dreadful and dangerous surf, which beats against it at all seasons. Having given this general description of the two coasts, we shall commence a more detailed account of them at the north-west es:tremity of the western coast.
Cape :\lonze, which lies in the latitude of 55', and in the longitude of 46', is considered as the com mencement of the coast of Dindostan in this quarter. The bay of Corachie lies between this cape and the Indus. It admits vessels of 300 or 400 tons during the rainy season : the tide rises 12 feet. On the eastern side of the bay are six rocky islets. From Cape Monze to the Gulf of Cute!), it is called the coast of Sink. The Gulf of Cutch runs far inland towards the cast. The upper part is full of shoals, and is bounded by a low narrow plain, always over flowed during the rainy season. It is said to have a com
munication with the Run, already described. On the south shore of this gulf, the coast of Guzcrat begins. Be tween it and the Gulf of Cambay, it is rather high. The Gulf of Cambay is bounded by the coast of Guzerat on the west, and by that of Surat on the cast. It runs nearly 150 miles inland. Near to Cambay, which stands near the upper part of the Gulf, the tides run with extreme ra pidity, nearly at the rate of six miles an hour : at high water rise 40 feet, and at low water leave the Gulf dry, even for seven leagues below the town. Fifteen miles to the east of this town, the breadth of the Gulf is only six miles. It is here also completely dry at ebb tide ; but the bottom is covered with mud and quicksands, so as to ren der a passage across without a guide extremely danger ous. Both in the Gulfs of Cutch and Cambay, the bore or rush of the tide is nearly as rapid as that at the mouth of the Indus and Ganges. The depth of water in the Gulf of Cambay is supposed to have been gradually diminishing for upwards of two hundred years. The river Jumbaisier runs into the east side of the Gulf, to the south of Cam bay. On it stands a town of the same name. The Ner buddah also falls into this part of the Gulf. On it stands the town of Baroach. As we approach further to the south, to the coast of Surat, the coast becomes more le vel. The first sea-port that occurs is Surat, on the left bank of the Tuptec, about six leagues from the sea. This river, however, is so shallow at the town, that large vessels ace obliged to anchor at its mouth. During the south west monsoon this anchorage is dangerous ; but it is safe and commodious while the north-east and north-west winds blow. The coast between Surat and Cape St John continues so very low, that, during the prevalence of the south-west monsoon and high tides, it is inundated. There are several small rivers in this tract. From this cape to Bombay, a reef, lying three leagues off, stretches along. Bassein, a port in the province of Aurungab. 1 lies les oq a narrow strait, or rivulet, which separates it from the island of Salsette. Across the mouth of this there is a bar of sand, so that only small vessels can enter. Salsette, 18 miles long and 14 broad, was formerly divided from Bom bay by a strait six miles long, and about 200 yards across, which was occasionally fordable ; hut these islands arc now united by a causeway. Bombay is about 10 miles long, with an average breadth of three. This island, with Sal sette, Caranga, and Elephants, forms a most commo dious harbour. The tides rise higher here than in any harbour possessed by the English in their Indian settle ments. The usual height is 14 feet, but they sometimes rise to 17. Advantage has been taken of this circum stance, to construct docks large enough to build a 74 gun ship. We now enter on the coast of Concan, on which the first object of importance is a rocky promontory, joined to the continent by a narrow neck of sand, about one mile long and a quarter of a mile broad. On this pro montory stands Gheriah, formerly the capital of the cele brated pirate Anglia. A river of some magnitude runs from the Ghauts into the sea, on the north of this pro montory. About 30 miles to the south of Gheriah, lies Melunday or Malwan island, the principal abode of the pi rates who at present frequent this coast. To the south of it, 4 leagues off the coast of Bejapoor, lie a cluster of rocks, called the Vingorla, or burnt rocks. On the left hank of a navigable river, and about seven miles from the sea, stands the town of Goa. There is here a fine bay, .