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culate among the amildars, and procure their anfwers for my information. I fhallfollow a fimilar plan, in the dominions immediately fubject to the Company. Thecountry toward the north-well being now in a very unfettled llate, owing to theinfurreflion of Dundia, 1 fhall defer my vifit to that quarter to the laft; with a viewof giving the collectors of Canara time to anfwer fuch queries as I may propofe to
them, after having vifited that province, which is the laft part of the Company’s
territory that I intend to furvey.
Chap. III .—From Seringapatam to Bangalore .
HAVING fxnilhed my bufinefs at Seringapatam , on the 6th of June 1800, I left itearly in the morning, and aflembled my people at a fmall village, named Gaynangur,which is fituated among the hills north from the river Cavery. The fields that areat prefent occupied having now been all ploughed, I obferve that a large proportionof the arable land is left wafte.
At Gaynangur there is much talc; but the laminae are not large enough to ferve -for glafs. It occupies the rents and fmall veins in an extenfive chain of quartz,which is in a Hate of decompofition, and of which fome parts are red, and fome
white. By digging deep, it is probable that larger pieces of the talc might be
found. The inhabitants are wonderfully ignorant of the mineral productions of their <country; for they did not know the limeftone nodules, fo common in this place,,when fliown to them in their own fields. All their lime comes from the city.
7th June. — I went to Mundium . Not above one-third of the arable land ap-pears to be now occupied.
The flight of locufts that I faw when I was here laft (p. 57), fettled at a villageto eaftward, and ate up all the young jola.
The rice land here is watered entirely from tanks or refervoirs; and the cultivationis never commenced till there be a fufficiency of water in the tank to enfure the crop.When the rains fet in early, and fill the tank timely, the farmers have yearly twocrops ; but when the early part of the feafon is dry they take a Hainu crop ofwull’ellu, udu, heffaru, or carlay; and afterwards, when the tank is filled, ploughfor a crop of Caru. rice.
8th June. — I went to Madura. Since the 4th inftant, when we had a heavyftorm of wind, rain, and thunder, the weather has been remarkably pleafant.The fun is in general clouded, and the temperature of the air like moderate fummer-weather in England.
The proportion of ground in aflual cultivation does not appear to exceed one-tenth part of the country. At Madura there is a very fiue refervoir, which indeedwaters more ground than the inhabitants can cultivate 5 for they are much reduced innumber. In Hyder’s time they .amounted to 250 houfes ; and they rofe to 400 in theearly part of the Sultan’s government. By the expeditions of Lord Cornwallis thehoufes funk to 250, and Tippoo ’s late oppreffions have reduced them to 100. Thepeople, however, feem to be much fatisfied with the proteblion they enjoy underthe Britilh forces, and are betaking themfelves with industry to the re-eftabliihment oftheir country.
Having procured a Sri Vailhnavam Brahman, efteemed a man of great learning, Iexamined him concerning the peculiarities of his feet; but with very little fatisfattion.However well thefe men may be inftructed in certain dogmas, and the art of difputa-tion, they are not qualified to,give any fatisfactory information concerning the
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