are often kept from cultivating their fields during the fever season, June and July, a loss both to them and to government, nothing has yet been done to combat the scourge. Not a dresser is appointed to serve feverpatients, to say nothing of the establishment of hospitals. For education also nothing has yet been done. There are Schoolmasters attached to the Cutcherries, who teach Canarese reading and writing for two or three rupees per mensem, and at Mercara, a Brahman writer has been made Government Schoolmaster on a salary of Rupees 17-8 per mensem, who teaches as much English, as he knows himself, to a set of spiritless, idle scholars.* Who cares for poor little Coorg! Even Mr. Danby Seymour, the travelling Friend of India, has not deigned Coorg worthy of a visit. But the Lord takes care of the friendless and loves the lost. He has given His gospel to the long-forgotten people. If they listen to His word, a better day will come for them. They will be made spiritually free and happy, and will rise in intelligence and prosperity, whether Government aid them, or leave them, as hitherto, to themselves. The Government salaries their priests and pays for their idolatries, and, following the liberality of the Rajahs, pays also twenty rupees per mensem to a Roman Priest in a charge of congregation of 600 immigrants from the low country and their decendants, at Vírarájéndrapéte. SKETCII OF THE HISTORY OF COORG FROM THE RAJENDRA NA'MA. This work has been compiled under the superintendence of the Dodda Vírarája Vodea, whose name is still held in veneration among the Coorgs, although the more competent,respectable Indo-briton has lately been appointed. RA'JE'NDRANA'MA. ANCIENT HISTORY. 79 latter part of his life, especially, was a time of terror to his subjects and, no doubt, of intense misery to himself. I intend to furnish a short but complete epitome of the book, and to add a few pages, containing the history of the three last Coorg Rajahs, from the end of the Rájendra Náma to the conquest of the country by the East India Company. The ancient documents of the Coorg Dynasty would be of high interest, but the Mahommedans have been as hostile to books in India as they were in Egypt. All the Manuscripts, that belonged to the Rajahs were destroyed under Hyder and Tippu.* Vírarájendra Vodea, the son of Lingarájéndra Vodea, and grandson of Appájírája caused this book to be written in the year 1797, in order to preserve the history of the reigning family of Coorg, and the principality administered by them, the ancient records having been destroyed by the Musulman rulers of Mysore. It contains an account of Coorg during 175 years, and ends on the first Sunday of Magha in the 4909th year of the Kaliyuga, the year Nala, in the sixty year's Cycle, (from 1633 to June 1807). In the year 1633 (Kaliyuga 4734, Angírasa) Mudduraya, the son of Appájirája and grandson of Vírarája, reigned at Hàlèri (seven miles to the East or Mercara). Formerly Rajahs of this line had resided at Periapatna 14 miles from Fraserpett, on the road to Hoonsoor). The families of Hàléri and Periapatna lived in enmity. Muddurája's Queen, Dèvammàji, bore a son, Dodda Vírappa, with the hare-lip (Kaliyuga 4750 Hévalambi year). After Dodda Vírappa, Appàjiràja was born. after him Nandaràja Arasu. Dodda Vírappa married Muddammàji and Dèvammaji. (The Coorg Rajahs married every twelfth year afresh). His father, Mudduràja, built for him a palace and fortress at Mercara (Kaliyuga •If Vírarájendra's account be true. He may have purposely igBored the more ancient history of his family. 4783, Durmati) and appointed him his successor. Appàjiraja married Ràjammani and settled at Hàléri. Nandaràja married Nanjammani, and received Horamale for his estate. Mudduràja Vodea died in 1687 (Kaliyuga 4788 Akshaya). Dodda Vírappa, with the harelip, succeeded his father. He had a son named Appàjiràja, who married, and had a son of his Queen, whose name was Chikkavírappa Vodea. Appàji of Hàlèri had five sons. The eldest, Muddaya married Nanjammani, the second Lingaraja married Dèvambikegamma. The three others died. Muddaya had a son Appájiràja. To Lingaràja, Víraràjèndra Vodea was born at the full moon of the month of June 1763 (exactly on Friday, full moon of the month of A'shàdha, in the year Swabhànu, Kaliyuga 4865). This is the author and hero of the Ràjèndranàma. Nandaraja of Horamale had a son, Muddaya, whose son was Mallaya. Such was the state of things in Coorg, when Chikkadèva Vodeya of Mysore, Dodda Channammaji, the mother of Sómashèkara Nàyaka of Ikkèri, Dodda Sadashivarája of Sóde, Venkatadri Náyaka of Bélúr, Víravasurája of Cherkala lived and ruled their respective principalities: the country of Periapatna and of Kodagu (Coorg) were then one. The frontier of Mysore and Coorg passed between Uddúr in Coorg, and Kattemalalavadi in Mysore. Between these two principalities there was an ancient feud. Nanjunda was Raja of Periapatna. Some of his servants opened a treasonable correspondence with Chikkadéva Vodeya of Mysore. They invited him to send an army against Periapatna, when they promised to deliver the city. As soon as Nanjunda heard of the hostile preparations made in Mysore, he went to Mercara to engage the assistance of his kinsman Dodda Vírappa, leaving his son Vírarája in charge of the ca ANCIENT HISTORY. PERIAPATNA. 81 pital. Upon this the traitors sent word to Chikkadéva Vodeya, desiring him to use all possible dispatch in seizing Periapatna before succour came from Coorg. The Mysore force suddenly appeared before Periapatna; Vírarája saw defeat and disgrace before him. He was aware of the treachery among his own people. In despair he destroyed his family, sallied forth with a band of faithful soldiers agaist the hostile army, and perished on the field of battle. Periapatna fell into the hands of Chikkadéva Vodea. Dodda Vírappa had collected a force to succour Periapatna, but when he arrived near Siddhapur (on the way from Vírarájéndrapett to Periapatna) he received intelligence of the fall of his relative's capital. Being too weak to engage in a war with Mysore, he returned to Mercara. Nanjunda's heart broke, when he received the sad news of the sudden loss of his capital, his country, and his family. He retired to a spot on the banks of the Kàvéri, Nanjarájapattna, to spend the remainder of his days in exercises of devotion, leaving all he had to Dodda Vírappa. The latter built for him and endowed a Vírabhadra temple and another sanctuary, called Nanjundèshvara, and appointed a guard of seven hundred Coorgs to attend upon him. After Nanjunda's death a Basavamantapa was erected upon his grave. Chikkadèva Vodea now prepared for the conquest of Coorg. Dodda Vírappa put his eastern frontier in a state of defence. As this juncture Utta, the Kàryakári and Nàyaka (the chief officer, civil and military) of Beppunàdu went clandestinely to the Rajah of Kótangadi (in the Malayàlam) and invited him to fall into Coorg, while Dodda Vírappa took the field against the army of Mysore. He represented the Coorgs as disheartened, and said, many would join the standard of the invader. Upon these representations the Rajah of Kótangadi collected an army of 5000 Nairs, ascended the ghatts and formed a palisaded camp (stockade) at the village of Tómâra, No Coorg partisans, however, made their appearance. The Kótangadi Rajah charged Utta with treachery, but he said, "my friends have followed the Rajah to the eastward. As soon as the Mysoreans will have gained a battle, the Coorgs will disperse, and then my people will join us." The Rajah believed the lie and stayed. When Dodda Vírappa heard of the arrival of a hostile force from the Malayalam country, he despatched fifteen hundred men to Tómára, with orders to surround the Malayalam camp, and to guard the passes. His plan was first to beat the troops of Chikkadèva Vodea, and then to crush the smaller force of the Rajah of Kótangadi. The Mysore army advanced into Coorg by way of Balele, and encamped on the plain of Palupare. Before daybreak Dodda Vírappa attacked them, and slew 15,000 men with 77 officers; the rest fled back into Mysore. Immediately Dodda Vírappa marched to Tómara, forced the entrenched camp of Víravarma, and destroyed the Rajah and his army at one blow. After this conflict Dodda Vírappa reigned in peace for 18 years. He fortified the country in all directions by deep trenches and strong gates. After some time Chikkadeva Vodea invaded Bèlúr, the country of Venkatadri Nayaka. Dodda Vírappa, desirous of obtaining a share of the prey for himself, sent a force northward, and seized upon the Yélusàvira district. Venkatádri Nayaka was forced to retire before the superior power of the Rajah of Mysore, and took refuge in the Aigúr country, behind whose hills and fastnesses he was safe. Chikkadeva Vodea possessed himself of the country of Bélúr, and demanded the Yèlusávira district from the Rajah of Coorg. The latter replied, that he thought, he had as a good a right upon the Yélusàvira country, as Chikkadéva Vodea had upon Bèlùr. Hostilities thereupon recommenced. The Mysoreans took Hos |