T h e Pagoda of this deity is certainly of moft effential ufe to
mariners on this very low coaft: it appears from the fea to con-
fift of three great towers, one of which is much higher than
the other two: on the top of each is a great ball, ftuck on a
fpike, the emblem o f the deity. The fea off this land is deep,
but as it is not vifible till the ihip is almoft on ihore, the utility
as a land-mark is very great: the depth of water even near the
ihore, fays the Eaji India Pilot, is twelve fathoms.
A m o n g other Pagodas, a few leagues to the eaft is the Black
Pagoda, another land-mark; it is feated on the weftern branch
of the great river Mahanaddy, or Cattack, near the mouth.
About twenty-three miles diftant, near Point falfe, is the eaft-
ern difcharge : thefe form a fmall Delta. This river rifes at the
foot of the Lucknow hills, in Lat. 21° 14', Long..81° 21' eaft, and
after a winding courfe paffes by Cattack, about fifty miles from
the fea. The mouths were called by Ptolemy, flu v ii Adamantis
OJlia, the river itfelf the Adamas, from its being known in
that early time to be produitive o f diamonds, particularly in the
region called by that great geographer, Sahara. 1 am not
certain whether they were found in mines or by digging. In
‘Lavernier's time they were met with in the bed of the river.
Soumelpour, or Sumberpour, in Lat. 210 28', is in the neighborhood
o f the great fearch after thefe pretious ftones, of which he
gives, in p. 139, the following account: “ In this river they
M find the diamonds ; for after the great rains are over, which
“ is ufually in December, they ftay all January till the river is
“ clear, by reafon that by that time in fome places it is not
I above two foot deep, and in feveral places the fand lies above
“ the
. “ the water. About the end of January, or the beginning o f
“ February, there flock together, out of the great town, and fome
“ others adjoining, above eight thoufand perfons, men, women,
“ and children, that are able to work. They that are Ikilful
.“ know by the fands whether there be any diamonds or no,
“ when they find among the land little ftones like to thofe we
“ call Thunder ftones. They begin' to make iearch in the
M river from the town o f Sumbulpour, to the very mountains
“ from whence the river falls for fifty leagues together.”
A t Soorangur, about thirty miles north-weft of Sumbulpour,
is the burial place o f Alexander Elliot, Efq; I think elder brother
to Sir Gilbert Elliot, a deferved favorite o f Mr. Hajlings,
one who was allowed by general confent to have been the moft
amiable charaiter, and poffeffed o f the moft elevated fpirit that
ever dignified human nature. At this time the French intrigues
at the court of Poonab, added to their hopes of detaching the
affedtion of the Berar Rajah from the Englijh, endangered the
exiftence o f the Englijh empire to the higheft degree. To
preferve the alliance o f that prince, Mr. Hajlings fixed on
Mr. Elliot to be refident at the court o f Nagpour. Another accident
happened after he had left Bengal for that purpofe,
which caufed him to redouble his fpeed : M. Chevalier, late
governor of Chandernagore, had efcaped from thence, and was
purfuing the fame route before him. M. Chevalier was a per-
fon of firft rate abilities, and as warm in the intereft of his nation
as Mr. Elliot was in that of his own. He alfo was on his
way to Nagpour, and from thence intended to return to France',
where his great knowlege of the politics of India would have
enabled.