Footnotes

The following account of this transaction is given by Captain Alexander Hamilton, who travelled among the East Indies between the years 1688 and 1723. “The Dutch were building the fort of Chetwa, and the Zamorin got “some of his men under the disguise of labourers to be employed by them, “and to take an opportunity of surprising the Dutch. The two lieutenants “who had the overseeing of the work were one evening diverting themselves “with a game at tables in a guard room about half a mile from the fort. “They had let some of their soldiers go straggling about, and the disguised “natives took the opportunity to kill the sentinels, signal to the ambuscade, “and take the half built fort. One of the lieutenants in attempting to retake “it was killed; the other, thinking it impracticable to attack greater forces “within than he had without, embarked for Cochin with his men. I was for- “tuned to be at Cochin when he and his men arrived, and by a Court Martial “he was sentenced to be shot, which sentence I saw executed. The Zamorin “caused the English flag to be hoisted, and the fort was destroyed."—TRANS. † A pagger appears to be a small fortified village or hamlet.

The capital of the kingdom of Cananore, called also Colanada, lies in the latitude of 11° 50’, and is distinguished by the same name. The whole surrounding district, which extends towards the north, as far as Mount Delly, is inhabited by the Molandis, who live merely by piracy. These sea-robbers are mentioned by Pliny, Arrian, Ptolemy, and other ancient authors. They unite themselves to other pirates, who reside on the Angedib islands, near Goa, and capture all the small vessels, which sail from Goa to Cochin. The huts in which their wives and children live, stand on the eastern side of Mount Delly. This mountain, which forms a cape or head-land, lies in the latitude of 12° 5’; and here Malabar or Malayala, properly so called, ends."—Voyage to E. Indies.

Anjengo or Angintenga, a corruption of the two Tamil words unjee taynkul or five cocoa trees, was for many years an English factory and a place of some note in former days. It is now desolate and deserted. The ruins of the Portuguese Church and fort, still exist. Orme, the Historian, was born at Anjengo. For further accounts of this interesting spot see Forbes’ Oriental Memoirs, and Abbé Raynal’s History of the Indies.—H. D.

In 1602 the Dutch East India Company was formed by the amalgamation of several different companies into one united body. The members were invested with authority to conclude peace or make war with Oriental potentates, to build forts and garrison them according to discretion. For many years this new Company acquired considerable authority and power in the East. Its commercial relations were very extensive, and for its better protection the Company despatched a fleet of fourteen vessels, as a support to their numerous colonies. It was not long before they came in contact with their jealous rivals the Portuguese, and the hostile fleets of both nations frequently encountered each other in the Indian seas. It was not till after many conflicts that the superiority of the Dutch was maintained. In less than half a century they had taken or destroyed upwards of 300 Portuguese vessels, and thus made themselves masters of the sea. Upon the destruction of the maritime power of the Portuguese, the Dutch found no difficulty in attacking and capturing their settlements on land, and the booty of military stores and ammunition which they seized in their several conquests, turned greatly to their advantage, as the magazines and fortresses contained everything necessary both for themselves and the prosecution of their commercial projects. Such was the origin of the great prosperity of the Dutch East India Company. Last, after the lapse of a hundred and fifty years, the Company began to decline owing to many concurring circumstances, chiefly from the speculation and avarice of the Government and merchants, and partially from the innumerable wars in which they became engaged. Settlement after settlement becoming a prey to internal faction, or the attack of the natives, fell from their grasp, and the English soon supplanted a power which was unable to maintain itself either by land or sea.—H. D.

A Dutch coin, equal to about a penny. † A Dutch shilling is worth about six stivers. “They write on the leaves of wild cocoa trees, cut of the breadth of two inches, and two hands long: of these they lay together as many as they think fit, and put a small stick through them on the top, which done they fasten the stick or both ends to the leaves with packthread;—each of these leaves is called ola."-From John Menhoff’s Remarkable Voyages and Travels into the best provinces of the West and East Indies. NOTE.—The East Indian community which is here alluded to has undoubtedly undergone a great change since the days of our Author, consisting of numerous families in all parts of the country most of whom are of high respectability and usefulness. The term Topass has fallen into disuse, but it is singular enough that to the present day, the Europeans in India invariably call ‘boy’ whenever they require their servant, East Indian or Native. H. D.

The Colony of white Jews residing apart in the midst of the native population is a very remarkable fact. Their number at present is about 300. They are very poor. According to their own statement, their ancestors were refugees from Palestine A. D. 68; when 10,000 Jewish families came and settled on the coast of Malabar, and dispersed themselves in various parts of the country. In all probability this number has been greatly exaggerated; and one thousand would be nearer the mark. A full account of the Syrians and Jews will be found in the “Christian Researches” of Claudius Buchanan, who made many successful discoveries in Cochin, of Syriac and Hebrew M. S. S. of the Pentateuch and other parts of the Scriptures, now preserved in the University Library at Cambridge. See also, Wilson’s Lands of the Bible.—H. D.

It appears certain that the brahmins were the original possessors of the country, and that their sway ended about 68 B. C. Subsequently the monarchy became elective and continued so for about 400 years, the term of 12 years being allotted for the reign of each prince. On the death of Cheruma Perumal, the last of these elective kings, the country was divided among his sons; and from them the reigning rajahs claim their descent.

M. Eustathius de Lannoy was a military adventurer in the rajah of Travancore’s service. He constructed the fort of Oodeagherry, where his tomb may still be seen in the ruined chapel inside the fort, now over-grown with jungle. It bears this inscription :— “Hic jacet Eustathius Benedictus de Lannoy qui tanquam dux generalis militiæ Travancotidis præfuit ac per annos XXXVII fermé summâ felicitate regi inserviit, cui omnia regna ex Caiamcolum usque ad Cochin vi armorum ac terrore subjecit. Vixit annos LXII menses V et mortuus est die 1 Junii MDCCLXXVII. [*]: Hooker and Thomson’s Introductory Essay to the Indian Flora.