O f t h e T u r k
e y .
C a p e R a m a s .
K in g d o m o f
C ' a n h a r a .
life cut on the fides, which Mr. Franklin * fays is admirably
executed. Legend fays that the body was found fifty years after
his death, uncorrupted, on the fpot he died, and by them conveyed
to this city. To difbelieve the account would he highly,
penal, and a crime worthy of the notice o f the holy office.
I h e r e mention a zoological anecdote, to difprove the opinion
that very refpedted friend, Mr. Barrington, had taken up, that
the turkey was a native o f Hindoojian; (fee his Mifcellanies,
p. 133). In the Memoirs of Jehangir t we are told, that they
were firft feen at Goa, introduced by the Portuguefe, and bought
by Mocurreb Kban, embafiador o f Jebangtr, as a curiofity
neither he or his mafter ever had feen before.
A f e w leagues fouth of Goa is Cape Ramas. Between Cape
Ramas and Carwar, in Lat. 15% begins the province of Canhara,
the cis-gbautian part o f Bednore, which extends along the coaft
two hundred arid thirty miles, and ends at mount Dilla. Before
Ayder Alii made himfelf mafter of this important trail, it was
little known; its numerous forefts, its precipitous chains of
mountains, and the inhabitants, a wild race, under Polygars who
never before had fubmitted to any yoke. At the partition
treaty, at Seringapatam, this whole province was left to Tippoo.
This, fays Mr. Rennel, is to be lamented, but unhappily we
could not retain it, as we had our full ihare without this af-
fumption X- In thefe parts that precipitous range comes within
* Travels, 20.
f P. 25; tranflated by Francis Gladwin, Efq.
| See Mr. R e n n e l ’ s Memoir on the Map of the Peninfula of India, p. 31 j a moft
valuable explanation of the Partition Treaty.
fix
fix miles o f the fea, but is never more diftant than twenty.
Below the Cape is Carwar Bay, with a town of the fame name C arw a r B a y .
at the bottom, on a river capable of receiving Ihips o f three
hundred tons. The F.nglijh had a failory here in the latter end
o f the laft century. In our prefent war with Tippoo Sqib (while
I write this) Carwar was wrefted from him by a detachment of
our army, under Major Sarforious. All the interior part is an
immenfe foreft, which extends far to the fouth. It is full of
animals, both the deftruitive, and thofe which are of the ven-
ifon kind, and other obje£ts o f food. Tigers, and ajl the pan-
tfaerine tribe, and jackals fwarm there; as do great variety of
elegant antelopes and deer; wild cattle, boars, and various of
the feathered tribe.
T h e B u f f a l o , Hiß. Sjfadr. i. N° 9, is very frequent in this B uffalo,
country, and chiefly in a ftate o f nature, and is a chace permitted
to every one. It is fond o f wallowing in the mud, and
will fwim over the broadeft rivers. It is often feen during the
inundations to dive ten or twelve feet deep, to force up with its
horns the aquatic plants, and eat them fwimming. It is a very
fierce animal, and will with its vaft horns crulh to pieces any
perfon whom it attacks; the horns have been known to grow
to the length o f ten feet each.
N e a r to the bay o f Carwar, clofe to the coaft, are the fmall Isles of A n.
ifles of Anchedive, important in former times for being the place CHEDIVZ-
where Cabral, Albuquerque, and other illuftrious commanders
were ufed to put in to refit their ihips and refreih their crews
after long voyages, or repulfes in their attacks of feme o f the
more powerful enemies. The brave Almeyda built near the
Q 2 ihore