of Manaar, almoft adjacent to the Ceylonefe fhore : the length is
about thirty miles, but the whole chain is frequently interfered
by narrow paffages, fo very ihallow, fays d’Apres, in his
Neptune Oriental, p. 85, as to be navigable only by the fmall
craft of the neighboring ihore, and that only in calm weather»
fo difturbed is the channel in gales by a dreadful furf. The
little veifels that wilh to make the paffage, go under Manaar,
where they muft unload, pay duty to the Dutch, get their vef-
fel dragged through the pafs, and take in their cargo on the
other fide. It is very probable, that this fucceifion of rocks
was part o f an ifthmus, which in very early times had united
Ceylon and the continent; for the water on each fide of this
chain, does not exceed thirteen or fourteen feet. Pliny, in the
paffage before cited, takes notice o f the green iih caft o f this
part of the channel, o f its being filled with ihrubs, that is, with
corals; and o f its being fo ihallow, that the rowers often
bruihed off the tops with their oars.
A d a m ’ s B r i d s e . T his chain o f rocks is called Adam's Bridge; the tradition is*
th at ou r common father, after his tranfgrefiion, was call down
from Paradife, and fe ll upon Ceylon; but that afterwards^
this bridge was made b y angels fo r him to pafs over to the
continent.
Manaar is, as the name implies, fandy. The little channel
is on the eaftern fide, and defended by a ftrong fort, garrifoned
with a hundred men, notwithftanding it is impaffable for any
veffels which draw more than four or five feet water. It had on
it feven churches, built by the Portuguefe. The natives were
converted by St. Francis de Xavier, and ftill continue profeflbrs
9 of
of Chrijlianity, notwithftanding they have labored under many
perfections.. The pearl muffel is found in great abundance on
this coaft, and the filhery has, at different times, been attended
with good fuccefs, fince the Dutch have become mailers.
Pliny fays, that the greateft plenty were found in his days on
the coafts o f Pabrobana, and Poidis, and Perimula, on the
peninfula o f Malacca.
A s p e c i e s o f Manati is certainly found here. Baldtzus, a M a n a t i ,
learned clergyman, who refided long in Ceylon, defcribes it
(■Churchill’s Coll.. iii. 793) fo exactly, that we cannot miftake
the animal he intended. “ Here is a peculiar fiih (properly
Iff a fea-calf) o f an amphibious nature ; the females have
breafts, and give fuck, and the flelh, when well boil’d, taftes
“ not unlike our fturgeon, and might eafily be miftaken for
“ veal.”
F rom Manaar is the very ihort paffage into the great
ifland of
C E r L O N,
known to the antients by the name o f Pabrobana. I will not Cbyiow.
attempt to expofe their miftakes in refpedl to extent, and fome
other particulars, as long as the identity o f the iile is afcer-
tained. Strabo mentions it in lib. xv. p. 1 0 1 3 , noticing the S t r a b o ’ s
aukwardnefs of the inhabitants in failing, and fitting their malls Account 0F-
in their veilels. Along the coafts are obferved various amphibious
animals, among w'hich he plainly includes Manati;. fome
he compares to oxen, others to horfes, and other land animals;
the Dugung, (D e Buffbn, xiii. 3 7 4 , tab. lvi.) may poflibly have
been