P u l l ic a t e .
tab. ccxcv. a native of India, was at firft miftaken for the true
plant, and much time, and many infects flung away : this is the
only indigenous Callus. The CaSlus opuntia is a native of South
America, imported into this country, and ufed as fences for any
purpofes.
T h e Mufcadel grape vine is planted at Bimlipatam, partly on
a rock, and has produced above feven hundred bunches of large
grapes o f a moft delicious flavor. Near Carr oar, in Coimbettore,
are lemons which grow twice as large as thofe in Portugal, and
grafted peach-trees are to be procured from Hyderabad: Man-
goftans from the Malaccas; Cacao from Manilla; and Camphor
from 'Japan.
T he fame patriotic gentlemen have extended their views to
fupply the moft diftant of our colonifts : they have entered into
correfpondence with the intelligent and gallant Robert Brook,
governor o f St. Helena, and engaged to fend to the inhabitants
o f his fea-girt reign, every tree or plant o f India, which may
contribute to their ufe, comfort, or luxury *.
A t the extremity o f the Jaghire of Madras ftands Pullicate,
a fmall Dutch fettlement, feated on the fouthern end of the
narrow beach or land which feparates the lake of the fame
name from the fea, like that of the Ctrejil bank near to Weymouth,
in our ifland; it is thirty-three miles long and eleven
broad, and has on it feveral iflands. The difcharges to the fea
are very fmall, like the mouths of fo many rivers ; it is therefore
probable that the lake was originally formed by the over*
The accounts of theie liberal tranfadtions are taken from Dodtor James sfnderftm’ s publications
at Madras.
¡* flowing
flowing of the fea on the low lands. Much o f the neighboring
country is covered with vaft forefts of bamboos.
I n t o the weftern fide of the lake falls a fmall namelefs river,
not worthy o f mention, did it not lead to the famous Pagoda
!Tripetti, the moft celebrated in the Deccan, feated on the top of
a mountain. The feaft of the deity to whom it is dedicated, is
annually celebrated in September, and the offerings made by the
concourfe o f pilgrims is fo great, that the Brahmins pay to government
an annual revenue o f fixty thoufand pagodas, which
the Nabob of Arcot had aifigned to the Englijh as a reimburfe-
ment of part o f the expences of the war. In 1753, Mahomet
Comaul, an adventurer of the time, determined to make him-
felf mafter o f this profitable place. He inftantly marched, but
was as foon followed by a party o f Englijh, and a large body of
troops fent by the Nabob: after two or three conflicts, Mahomet
was difmounted from his elephant, njade prifoner, and
had his head ftruck off as an example to other plunderers.
T he Pagodas, which are objefts of pilgrimage, are very numerous,
each of which has its peculiar deity,, and all: inhabited
by Brahmins, who take care to exalt to the devotees the virtues
o f the tutelar faint. It is a common practice o f H i n d o o s of
rank, on any difappointment or lofs, to vifit fuch a place.
Thus Colonel Clive, after he had outwitted the rafcally Omi-
chund, turned ghoftly father, and adv-ifed him to make a diftant
pilgrimage. He took the advice, but returned infane, for
he had left foul and treafure in poffeflion of the more wily European.
T he land from Madras bends with a flight curvature for a
confiderable way, and then finiihes in a fickle form, with its
O a point
T r i p e t t i Pa g
o d a .
Pilgrimages.