Cochin- “ inhabited part -i^ioxirthe south-west coast, on a slip of
' “ ground rising gently to the-east, and contained between
-* ‘‘‘•it-he/bottom of a. semilunar bay, and ;tbe mountains on
“ tpachside of, it. Those mountains, at -a distance, appear
they formed ,two.distinet islands.- iThe southern
mountain is the highgstji-and is about fifteen hundred
‘yfeffebj Th eJowgr' grounds contain about two hundred
apses,. This small, but enchanting spot is -beautifully
i‘ diyepsij&edoyith neat housesrtemplep, clumps of trees,-
“ijsmaJU.h.Uloeks swelling from tbesplain, and richly de-
‘,|;eorated with shrubbery, and treesuf-various kinds;
among -which the elegant areca, rising like a JGnrm-
“ thian column, is eminently eonspieupiks. A^riM4’df
“ ‘clears-water, oozing from the smonntains, is contrived
“ to be^carried along'the upper ridges of the^vale'^ftom
“ whence-it is occasionally 'oonvhyed‘-t-hrdug|h- sluices'
- f-bfjar the pnrpose of watering th.e-riee^gEouods, and ap-
fhp§ared, thp then’in the dry season, fully snffici'ent-fbf
“ every purpose fop which it couldilt wanted.
• ‘ The houses, in general,- were; cleans and de^Spatfi a
f-‘ few were,:hnilt with stpne, and covered with stiiligSi -
■ * One, probably the mansion of the chief person ©f the
“ islands IvaSitnclpsed by a stone wail, and the approach
to it was through? gateway between two stone pillars.
11 The ho use was divided into a n umber of apartments,
of which the arrangement did not seem to want either
- taste or conyenieneels This building stood aftfcj head
lyfedithe principal village, which ’consisted of about
‘‘ thirty ^habitations iWiltrof wopdk,chiefly thp /bambeo. =
“ Behind they di-age?, jand om&ke;-side*efethe- hill, was ?
oaye-, ae^ssibieonly by one, ways through an irregular
“ rangf^Jyopksi Within.-t'heft&wehlb'Ut n&arrijfcs, mouth;
“ :waya> .small- tpmpfefrifeommandmg' a< view, of the whole
'•4Vyal,e< Severgko»%‘>temples- w“e%|jipspers8d oyer the
f‘f-plain, alLof whiph ;werev®peh infrbnt-',' with an olp-
jf nade^befpre tjifjn of-pound wppden ^illars©painted red
“ and varnished. The number b^hbysejss on the island
a‘f ,scarcely;effpeyded4%'t-yBehind every housbphut* imr
M »mediately in theppincipal vilfaggsT^frieibclosures of
“ sugar canes.. tofeedlii and other vcykhjjd'Utf g tw ii^ in
‘‘ fgfeat'duxuriandjjfeA T bd^ftountai n s i .w-e.re - covered Hvith
‘‘ tVerdnre, and seemed well calpuiatedtfop roaring. goat’s;
i ‘ ofwhigh'the island prodnoedsaifeWieh
1C Besidesthe principal bay, there,were. several sandy
“ inlets, with small patehes-,,yjof$jl8vek .ground «behind
“ them.. Bfiats^night easily land in any ofrtbesehnldty
‘ ‘ hut 3 communication,bptweendhefevby land, appeared
,tp be/A?Ple.dingiy diffipuljyif, not entirely- prevented,
“ by the isteep, and % rigged ridgegnwhiclt .separated them
“ from ga§h> o|b#ri On>tJris.a#bnimt!veryklight Wprks;
* ■ and a#; establishupriit of aTew-men,- ofily;- Would-be
d^Fii^urike for thmflefeneotof th^islahd>»,ajgi*eatupartEof
“ its coast haying been, as was, already? noticed', impjieg*
“ nably fortified by nature. The depthofsiwater in the bay