CHAPTER XLI. TRANSACTIONS ON THE MALABAR COAST; SUFFERINGS OF THE BRITISH OFFICERS AND PRISONERS TAKEN BY TIPPOO SULTAUN; AND CONCLUDING VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO ENGLAND. 1784. VOL. IV. "Now swell on every side the steady sail, The lofty masts reclining to the gale; On full-spread wings the vessel springs away, And far behind it foams the ocean grey : Afar the lessening hills of India fly, And mix their dim blue summits with the sky. "Their foreign tale on Albion's shore to tell Inspires each bosom with a rapturous swell; And all their country rushes on the mind: CAMORNS' LUSIAD, by MICKLE. 2 A CONTENTS. Residence at Tellicherry-parties of pleasure-climate and healthy Mahomedans for Abyssinian slaves-melancholy fate of a young lady, and friendly tribute to her memory-dispatches for the General Elliot received from Bombay-paragraph in the Governor and Council's letter-cargo completed, and final dispatch for Europesail for Tellicherry-pass Calicut-anecdotes of Hyder Ally and Zamorine of Calicut-end of that dynasty-anchor at Chetwadeparture for Europe-reflections on that event, and the melancholy fate of former shipmates—particulars of the voyage from the Malabar coast to St. Helena-storms off the Cape-Camoen's Spirit of the Cape-arrival at St. Helena-additional anecdotes and descriptions of that island-Sargasso, or Grass-sea-flyingfish-terrific storm-arrival in England. CHAPTER XLI. WE continued a fortnight at Tellicherry to complete the cargo of pepper. Mr. Church, the chief of that settlement, was one of our oldest Bombay friends; and under his hospitable roof we passed our time as pleasantly as the painful intelligence daily received from Mangulore, and other parts of Tippoo Sultaun's dominions, would allow us. Our Tellicherry friends formed parties for us to Mahie, Durmapatam, and other places in its vicinity. The country is extremely pleasant for such excursions, and the weather at this season delightful. Indeed the climate of Tellicherry, in the latitude of 11° 47′′ north, is reckoned one of the finest in India; the land winds are generally moderate, the sea breezes cool and refreshing. A constant trade during the fair season, with vessels of all descriptions from different parts of India, renders this settlement very lively; while the number of civil servants, with the garrison officers and their families, beguile the rainy months in cheerful society and domestic enjoyments. During our stay my friends kindly procured me every possiblevariety in the natural history of this part of Malabar; among others |