GALLS, POINT DE, is a town in the Island of Ceylon, being the third in point of size, built upon a long rocky promontory. The fort is about a mile and a half in circuit, and is situated upon a neck of land, and almost surrounded by the sea. The works are extensive and strong, but it is overlooked by some adjacent eminences. The rooms are large and bricked, the walls are thick, and the ceilings boarded. The houses in the fort are spacious and com fortably furnished. That of the commandant is very ex tensive. The Europeans live chiefly in the fort, but there are some good large houses built about it, and extending along the shore. to the southward. The Cingalese live in cottages and hamlets scattered about in all directions. The houses both in the town and at the harbour arc better than those of Trincomalee. The fort is garrisoned by two or three companies of Europeans, half a company of artille ry, and a native battalion. The numerous batteries in pletely command the approach by water. They are n the old fashioned style, elevated on walls. The harbour, par ticularly the outer road, is spacious, and, excepting in a south-west wind, the inner harbour is secure. The en trance to it is narrow. The part of the basin which is land-locked is very small, but it secures a landing free from surf, which, according to Lord Valentia, beats with prodigious violence on the rocks that form the extreme end of the peninsula. On one of these rocks is erected the
flag-staff, which therefore stands without the fort. A ca nal has been dug between the bay and a small river, for the purpose of conveying timber from the interior. It is, bowever, now in ruins. " We had here," says Lord Va lentia, " excellent yams, good sallading, and cucumbers. The fruits were bad, mangoes, guavas, custard apples, co coa nuts, varieties of oranges, sonic of which were black on the outside, and others the true mandarin, shaddocks, Scc. The mutton is indifferent ; but the beef, the poultry, the bread, and the fish are excellent. At Galle is a neat manufacture of tortoise shell." The coast and the sur rounding country is very mountainous. The greatest quan tity of rain falls between November and February. Ar rack, oil, pepper, cotton, and cardamons, are among its ex ports. East Long. 80° 20', and North Lat. 6° 4'. See Percival's Account of Ceylon, and Valentia's Travels, vol. j. p. 266.