D e YI CO T T A .
to the city of Seringdpatam, feated in Lat. 120 31*45% Long. 76
46'45", hereafter not to be pafled in filence in our humble page.
From thence it flows from its moft northern height near Coon-
noor, and defcends from the Coorga country, from its origin at
the head o f the Gbauts. This upon the authority of Major
Dirom's map of the feat of war, in the year 1792. Mr. Orme
■was of the fame opinion, for he places the head of the river
within thirty miles of Mangalore *. The courfe from the head
to the fea, at its difcharge by the Coleroon branch, is about three
hundred and fifty miles.
Devicotta is a ftrong fort made of brick, feated at the extremity
o f the kingdom of Tanjore, on the banks of the Coleroon,
the largeft and moft northern branch o f the Delta. Within the
bar is depth of water fufficient for fhips of the greateft burden.
In 1749, it was in pofleflion*of its lawful mafter, the Rajah of
!Tanjore. The Engli/b, under Major Laurence, determined to
make themfelves matters of i t : the troops were pafled over the
rapid ftream, by the defperate means of a raft, in the face of
the enemy; Clive, then a lieutenant, at his own requeft, led on
the attack. The fort was foon forced, and the garrifon obliged
to fave themfelves by a hafty flight +. We had flattered our-
felves with forming that invaluable acquifition on this coaft into
a harbour, and got a ceflion of diftricft from the Rajab; bytt
the projea o f a port has been fince abandoned.
A f t e r pafling the Coleroon, we enter into the kingdom or
pabobfhip of the
-* Orme, i. 177. ' + Same, i. p. 112 fb n 6 ,
C a r n a t i «,
C a r n a t i c ,
A trait o f country, which within this century has been peculiarly
interefting to the Britifh nation, by the bloody contefts
between us and the French, for the fuperiority. This country
formed originally part of the great foubabjhip or vice-royalty
o f the Decan. This was made independent o f the Mogul by
the famous Nizam el Muluc : this vaft kingdom was, after his
death, greatly leflened by the conquefts o f the Mabrattas, by
our feizing the northern Circars, and by our beftowing on the
Nabob'of Arcot the country in queftion. Its prefent boundaries
are the Coleroon to the fouth, and the Gendegama to the
north, an extent, waihed by the fea, o f three hundred miles. I
may here point out to the reader the vaftnefs of the antient extent
of the Carnatic, of which, and its appendages, our ally,
Mahomed Ally, is the nabob. It is now reduced, but once comprehended
the whole country from the river Kijlma to Cape
Comorin *. At prefent it reaches as far as the extremity o f 7/-
nevelly, an extent of five hundred and feventy miles, reckoning
from the fouth o f the Guntoor Cir.car. Its breadth is in-
confiderable, from feventy-five to a hundred and~ twenty miles.
The whole coaft is deftitute of harbours; the {hipping are
obliged to lie at anchor, in the open roads, ufually in eight fathoms
water, and at about a mile, and a half diftant from land,
and larger fhips at two miles diftance, in ten or twelve fathoms: at
T he C a r n a t ic .
V o l . II.
* Rennet. Index, 376,
E twepty