COCHIN, a sea-port and principal town of the above province. The city is of a semicircular form, and is about a mile and a half in circumference. It has three gates, and the streets are wide and commodious. The chief public buildings are the church, the governor's house, the barracks, and a public hotel. A fort was built at this place by Albuquerque in 1503, and it was the first possessed by the Portuguese in India. Cochin continued to increase and to flourish under their rule till the year 1663, when it was taken by the Dutch. During the period of their rule it was a place of very extensive commerce, and was inhabited not only by all sects of Christians, but by Hindus, Mahomedans, and Jews, who are all equally tolerated, and who traded with Arabia, Persia, Bengal, and the whole sea-coast of India. The trade carried on with Surat, Bombay, the coasts of Malabar and Canara, and also with Arabia, Canara, and the islands in the Eastern Seas, is still extensive. The imports consist chiefly of dates, almonds, pearls, gum-arabic, piece goods, cotton, opium, shawls, benzoin, camphor, cinnamon and spices, sugar-candy, tea, china, and silks. The exports are pepper, cardamums, teak wood, sandal wood, cocoa-nuts, coir, cordage, cassia, and fish-maws. The harbour is on the north side of the town, which stands on an island at the mouth of the Cali Caytang river. At this fort also ship-building is carried on to a considerable extent, and vessels are constructed both on European and Asiatic models. The ports in the Arabian and Persian Gulfs are also supplied from Cochin with the timber which they require for repairing their different craft. Cochin was taken possession of by the British in 1795, when war commenced with Holland, and it was finally ceded to the British by the treaty of 1814. It is 170 miles north-west from Cape Comorin. Long. 76. 8. E. Lat. 9. 57. N.