The island of Ceylon has been adopted as a royal possession, in the government of which the Company have no share whatever. The whole of the civil establishment are appointed by the king; and the military receive their commissions from the secretary at war, independent of the Company’s chartered establishment. It generally happens, however, that some of the Madras battalions are on duty in the island; which has always been in a most perturbed state, especially since it came under our dominion. It is rather unusual for the Company’s ships to touch here, except when sent to Columbo with stores, or calling there on their way home for cargoes and passengers. None but very small vessels can pass between Ceylon and the Main, notwithstanding the great width of the channel, on account of that immense reef, intermixed with shoals, stretching across its northern part. This reef, called ‘Adam’s Bridge,’ is supposed to be formed by the summits of mountains, that, by some dreadful convulsion, were sunk below those waters, between which they originally formed a stupendous isthmus, like that of Darien, connecting Ceylon with the continent. Notwithstanding what has been said by many authors on the subject of ‘spicy gales,’ the expectation of meeting with perfumed breezes in this quarter should not be too much encouraged. After coasting the whole length, from Dondra-Head to Point Pedro, not one puff, conveying the idea of proximate ambrosia, ever reached my nose. It must, at the same time, be understood, that a certain terraceous scent, something like that resulting from rain in dusty weather, generally prevails within a certain distance of a windward shore; particularly where the country is well wooded. After passing to the northward of Ceylon, the navigation becomes more difficult; there being immense shoals stretching, in various directions, all the way from Tranquebar up to the mouths of the Ganges. It is generally opposite some short interval between these dangerous shallows, that our principal settlements are situated. Thus, Tranquebar, Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Negapatam, and some others, to the southward of Madras, enjoy a partial benefit in that instance; but, to the northward, our principal sea-ports are under very considerable disadvantages, arising from the great distance at which all vessels, with the exception of very small coasters, are obliged to lay out in an open road, subject to the fury of storms, and to the depredations of privateers, which seldom fail to take advantage of these localities, whenever the season may allow them to visit our shores. The shallows may easily be distinguished at a considerable distance: being composed of light, shifting sand, and acted upon by a strong current, the water above them appears discolored; assuming a dun, or yellow hue, sufficiently contrasted with the deeper parts, to enable the eye at once to trace their respective limits.