appearance than jnio^t parts *'of the Malabar and Coromandel
fe a sts. "This I had an opportunity; in nearly
-every quarter, ~as( on my passage from Madras I almost completely
coasted round the island. All ^ the flat tracts- ’oil the
s.ea-shore are bounded py beautiful topes, ^ g ro v e s of'Tb'cda-
niit trees» white' the intermediate plain- is poy^rexl with rich
frplds of. lied; and "tire prospect usually terminates, ig ^ q p d s
which cover the sides, df thej]aouotaiq§, aild^ display a verdant
foliage through every season of Ahe' year.' 'jSSEh a. p u p p e t
has th e ' most pleasing effect on the " 'eye, 'a f t# hieing fatigued
With the shores of barren white, sand;-. Which ‘every .'wheile'
skirt the opposite continent. ’ ;
- The appearance of the eastern coast is bold.- and,' r-pplfy, and
a few fe e fso f rocks run out into tlie sea -on $}e4‘klbUth-§ast
between Point-de Galte and Bafegicolo. T h e deep jra&S ©0 the
eastern shores admits the -ab ro a ch of -the -tergpst, yesSpls; iq
safety; - and if that side of the island bh th e -fc t./fe p tile , its
other defects are amply compensated by the harbours f'fsTrm-,
comalee -and Batacolo. The north and 1north-wqst. -ebafcjd 'feS®
P(nnt P d d in T ^ Colambo is flat, and ,-every *Whfere;. n ile s^ d
with inlets o f- th e 's e a , 1 fresq«ently-d£ cohsidbrable magnitude.
rpho largest o f them .extends almost /.quite-i across' the’ island
from Mullipatti to Jafeapatam on the. northi-wpst p o in t. o f . the
island; and forms the-peninsula ^oT Ja&apatam.', -rSendfatfW
these inlets form small harbours; but so' fufti is that ■ coast- Qf
sand-hanks and .shallows, that it is impossible: fate Vf&fote Of a-
large size' -to approkch 'them. Small- ©raft, howevef, find stations
here- sufficiently convenient -and1 secure, except When the
imdnsbit^K previSl;- •. r,Ib i y -y-1
'* T he hitbiior of the island abounds with steep and lofty
mountains, covered withthickrfo rests, and full of almost impenetrable
- jungles.. s The1 woodsiand mountains Completely sur-.
jfemidrthe dominions;-of the Kirig-df, Candy, and seem destined
by nature “-to - defend' him (Jagaiosh-th®se foreign enemiefc, whose
superior, .skill ».and poweivhave : deprived diim^hf the flat and
Open tteacts^G|ii floe 'sea-r.coast. The- most lofty" -.range“' of mountains!
divide^'the- island nearly into' tw<Sb parts; ' and so completely
separates them from -each .other, '-that both-the climate
and- Reasons on eifMejw§idettare' essentially, ’different. These moun-
f&feiteaflse ’^saminkte”-' completely.? the effect'fef’dme K moUsoons,
whieh'-set in pbModicklly f^Om «opposite-“sides'-Wf them ;tfeb tMt?
not only the, opposite .sea-boast; 'but the Wholfe* country in the'
interior, suffer/ very liMet&oni thesb5‘storms. I
The :monsoons>:'in ,'}Ceylon^ar%fe e®nneeted - with, thoshf'dnv the
Coromandel and Malabar ’icoasts,? and very? 1 nea£lyy correspond'
with thefflii blit th^y set- i&^ctfuchv sootier on'^hh1 .western than
ifhe-eastern sidfe of. the island; On the west side; ,y here Colombo
lies, the rains-' prevail1 in the months of May; - Jhilfe,; and' July,
the season when-they are felt on-the Malabar coast. -This monsoon
is 'usually extremely Solent’ being”-accompanied»' with dreadful-
storms of thfinder and* lightning, .together. w ith .vail torrents of
rain,-add violent fSolijbhr'West winds.' During/its continuance, the
iferthem* parts Uofltlie island are -sfefy little'-affected, a'n'd are’ eVen
generally dry. In the^noMhs-' of October alid btovemfeetWhen
the Opposite ipohsoon sSfe>in< oh^thduCotemandelcokSt, it iS^he
north-: pf^Ce^iohf^ljlch-is- affected/ and s^atifcely any impression
.off it |s .felt in- »the southern parts, with- thdhe~k#lpfibh4 Of sbmest’
partial rains.
y/TliOSe .ah&nsodns pass slightly over dhfe interior, Und^'sehlpm
oeeaSion any-CQnsider-kbl^inGonvenience.t But 'this'‘p art of?'the.
I