de Gama was buried. We converted the edifice into an orthodox Protestant church, but have not been so successful with the Indian Catholics, who hold by the faith they learnt from the Portuguese, and are governed by their Padres, as the Hindus by their Brahmin priests. Passing through a square, carpeted with green sward and surrounded by trees, at a short distance is the cemetery, but it contains no mementoes of the past; the once white tombs had become black, and their epitaphs were undecipherable. Thence, in jompons with stalwart runners, to the Jewish quarter, which is at some distance from the native town.

The bazaar was full of dealers and labourers, many afflicted with elephantiasis the Cochin leg, as it is called in Malabar. Beyond it is the Rajah's palace, and further on, an isolated street occupied by the Jews. Settled on this coast for many centuries, preserving intact their nationality and forms of worship, they dwell apart from the numerous races that congregate around Cochin. Their street is divided midway, one section being occupied by the Jerusalem, the other by the black, Jews. Several white and pretty Rebeccas were visible peeping through their Venetian blinds. In youth these Jewesses are fair to look on. The synagogue, an ancient building, paved with white and blue tiles in landscape subjects, is surrounded by an interior gallery supported on brass pillars. Silver cases inclose the Books of the Law which are shown by the attendant priest. Services in the early morning and afternoon largely attended, and a strict

Isaac Van-Dielen, died the 29th December, Anno 1688, being aged thirty-two years, minus a few hours. And Lea Gertruda Van-Dielen, little daughter of both, died 11th November previous, aged three years, five months and seventeen days.'

'Here under rests the Honorable Herr Isaac Van-Dielen, Commander and Chief Officer of the Coast of Malabar, Canada and Vingorla. Died 25th December, in the evening, between 10 and 11 o'clock, being aged forty-one years, seven months and twenty days. Anno 1693.'

"And this appears to be the most recent :

"Here under rests for holy Resurrection the body of the deceased, well born, Herr Reinen Van-Harm, in life Senior Merchant, Second' (i.e., second in rank to the Governor-General of Patavia) ‘and Head Administrator of this Government. Born at Campen on the 12th December, 1734. Died the 16th March, 1789, aged fifty-four years, three months and four days.'"-Lawson's Cochin.

observance of the seventh day, prove a sincere devotion to their ancient faith. On the celebration of feasts, fasts, or festivals, the dresses worn are of rich materials and ancient fashions. The blacks have a separate synagogue, but the same ritual as the whites, who do not recognise them of their own pure caste. Several of them carrying fish and poultry for sale, were in the roads, tall, spare, clothed only round their loins, full bearded, and with unmistakably Hebrew features.*

Cochin would repay a longer stay than that of the two hours allotted. An Eurasian acquaintance had prepared a breakfast of mullet roes, fresh sardines, and Bass' beer, and disinterestedly recommended investments in cocoa plantations. Of incalculable value to the world at large from its numerous commercial products the cocoa palm is absolutely indispensable to the existence of man on the tropical coasts and islands of both hemispheres:

"Shelter, meat, clothing, trencher, drink and can,

Cable, boat, sail, mast, needle,- all in one.”

The houses are of the Dutch period, low-gabled, solidly-built, surrounded by gardens inclosed by thick walls, and each portico surmounted by a stone ball.

The Rajahs of Cochin, and a large proportion of their subjects are of the Niar caste. Succession is by the sister's son. The ladies remain in the homes of their fathers, select their husbands at pleasure, but never live with them, nor bring them home. All attributes of royalty surround the Rajah except power, which is vested in Government by a treaty entered into with the Honourable East India Company, Bahadur, in 1809, who engaged thereby "to

*"Without the townes and where the Portingals have no commandment the Jewes have free libertie to use their sects and ceremonies openlie, for there the Jewes have made and built very fair stone houses, and are rich merchants, and of the King of Cochin's nearest counsellers; there they have their synagogue, with their Hebrue Bible and Moses Lawe, which I have had in my hand; they are most white of colour, like men of Europe, and have many fair women.

“There are manie of them that came out of the country of Palestina and Jerusalem thither, and speake over all the Exchange verie perfect and good Spanish; they observe the Saboth day and other judiciall ceremonies, and hope for the Messias to come.”— Linschoten's Travels.

defend and protect the territories of the Rajah of Cochin against all enemies whomsoever." * The tribute paid for protecting them against themselves, is 20,000l. a year. Travancore, the adjoining state, pays 80,000l. for the same purpose. If approved by the

Resident, affairs are managed by the Rajah's Dewan, who is judge, minister, and treasurer rolled into one. These officers are some

*

Cost of administering the Feudatory Slates.-The forty-eight millions of people in the Feudatory States, and the seven millions of Berar and Mysore, which we administer in trust for the Nizam and the Maharajah, contribute nothing towards the general revenues of India. Their chiefs, who are guaranteed against insurrection and are interfered with only when disloyal or hopeless tyrants, draw their whole revenues from these fifty-five millions. The tribute which they pay under engagements is not equal to the cost of the political establishments maintained for their benefit. A very large portion of our military expenditure, to which these states contribute almost nothing, is necessitated by their existence. The "tributes and contributions from Native States in 1867-68, amounted to £689,286, as follows:

Government of India, Jeypoore, 40,000l.; Joudpore, 21,000l.; Odeypore, 29,0007.; Kotah, 39,0007. Mudras, Mysore, 245,000l.; Travancore, 80,0007.; Cochin, 20,0007. Bombay, Kattywar tribute, 54,000l.; the other contributors are numerous, but of sums under 20,0007., and amount to 161,286.; Total, 689,2867.—Annals of Indian Administration, 1867-68, Serampore, 1869.

times able men. When not so and affairs get into confusion, or the Government stipend is delayed, a collector puts matters to right, and adjusts the finances.

Our possession includes the town, but as it is the port of the territory, business is conducted and duties levied there. Coffee, the products of the coco palm, fish oil, and ginger are the principal exports.

The finest coffees are bought for Arabia, and until the ships are supplied and sail to the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, no business can be done by other traders. Then when Greek meets Greck there are hard fights between producers and exporters. The former are obstinate and impracticable. They consult their priests, who bind them before images to hold out for terms. From these engagements nothing will shake them, and unless some loophole of escape can be found for the dealer, the merchant has always to give in. Coffee, first brought from Abyssinia to Arabia* three hundred years ago, is said to have reached India one hundred years later. But in neither country was much attention paid to its cultivation until recent times, when it has become one of the necessaries of life. Even within the present century, the East India Company were the only British subjects entitled to trade with the Red Sea, and coffees for Europe, not forwarded overland, shipped at Mocha for Bombay, were thence transhipped to England. In 1803 an American vessel arrived at Mocha, raised the price from 38 dollars the bale, at which it had been stationary ten years, to 50 dollars, and took 8000 bales against 2000 purchased by the Company. Jonathan, as usual, pushing ahead, gave the first great impulse to the trade in coffee, which has since made such gigantic strides. Lord Valentia's travels give particulars of the American and English shipments. The former cost at its destination less than 77. the cwt., the latter more than 107.

* Coffee grows neither in Persia nor in India, where it is in no request; but the Hollanders drive a great trade in it, transporting it from Ormus into Persia as far as Great Tartary, from Balsara into Caldea, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and other provinces of Turkey. It was first found out by a Hermite, whose name was Sheck Siadeli, about twenty years ago, before which time it was never heard of in any author either ancient or modern. - Tuvernier's Travels, 1643.

Expenses, "breakage and leakage," transhipment and commissions at Bombay ate up the difference. Coffees raised in the Madras Presidency, of excellent quality are cleaned in establishments which afford occupation to numerous girls of the Niar caste, at Tellicherry, Cannanore, and Calicut, and are thence shipped to Europe.

The morning after leaving Cochin we rounded Cape Comorin and entered the Gulf of Manaar. Our chief landmark was a Hindoo Pagoda built on rocks near the shore, while crowds of fishermen standing on their canoes at sea, seemed to be walking on the water. We stopped off Tuticorin; in the distance were the tall chimneys of factories belonging to Bombay and Madras companies, by whom the cotton raised in the surrounding country is sorted, cleaned, pressed, packed, and shipped away. The passage between Ceylon and the mainland is closed, except to small craft, by the reef called Adam's Bridge, which bars the passage to the bay of Bengal, and obliges all vessels to make the détour round the coast of Ceylon. Some Suez Canal enterprise seems wanting here.

Next morning, the 12th January, we approached the celebrated island of gems. The sky was clouded, so the prospect was lost which it usually presents of distant peaks and rolling hills. At some distance to the right were seen the white walls of the Governor's palace, built by Sir Edward Barnes. Completed at a cost of 30,000l." then, in a paroxysm of economy, ordered to be dismantled, the building was disposed of for less than the cost of the window frames." * Rounding an old fort we were set on shore at a wooden pier. As this colony is not fiscally connected with its great neighbour, luggage was examined, a practice that, like quarantine, commends itself equally to civilised and barbarous nations. The hotels of Colombo, kept by Singhalese, are to be reprobated for everything but their curries. Opposite the "Royal" is the Post Office, the clerks in which work through the night. In the morning merchants drive up for their letters. Natives give way to Europeans, therefore the quickest plan is to go yourself. The

* Tennent's Ceylon.

K