formerly a celebrated city of Western India, and the capital of the Portuguese settlements in the East Indies, but now fast becoming a mass of deserted ruins. Its original grandeur may, however, be distinctly traced in its decay; the streets are straight, the houses regularly and handsomely built of stone in the European style, many of them large and magnificent, though now no longer inhabited. Among the public buildings are many noble churches, exhibiting specimens of architecture superior to anything attempted by Europeans in other parts of India, particularly the church and convent of St Augustin. Pangauam, which has supplanted the old city, is now the residence of the viceroy and of the chief Portuguese inhabitants, and the seat of the supreme court of judicature. The new town is connected with Goa by a stone causeway about 300 yards long. From this bridge it extends towards the harbour, but the site of Pangauam is said to be low and sandy, and its buildings poor and wretched. Algoada Point, which is in E. Long. 73° 57' 15", N. Lat. 15° 28' 18", forms the northern extremity of Goa Bay. It has a lighthouse and small fort on it; but the principal fort is situated close to the east on the S.E. side of the headland, where there is a well of excellent water, from which the shipping are supplied. Nostra Senhora de la Cabo, a large monastery, of a white appearance, is situated on the summit of the bluff point of land, about two miles and a half S.E. of Algoada, which forms the S. side of the bay. The common anchorage is abreast of Algoada Fort, the flag-staff bearing about north at half a mile distance from the shore. The bar at the entrance of the river is about two miles to the eastward of Algoada Point, having sixteen or eighteen feet on it at high-water of spring-tides. The bottom is hard and rocky; and the channel so winding and intricate, that a ship ought not to enter the river without a pilot. After the early part of May, when it is considered unsafe to remain at the anchorage in the roads, the Portuguese send their large ships, which cannot run into the river, to Marmagon Roads, four or five miles to the southward of Algoada Fort, where they are sheltered from the S.W. monsoon by mooring close under the N.E. side of that peninsula. The colonial settlement at Goa seems now to be almost abandoned by the mother country, and the inhabitants scarcely retain the national language or manners. The trade has also greatly fallen off, and the people are impoverished, so that the best families are reduced to gain a scanty subsistence by working at lace or muslin. Not more than three ships arrive from Portugal in the course of the year, and these generally proceed to the British settlements to complete their cargoes for Europe. The trade from Goa to China is carried on by one or two ships in the year, which are called China ships. These carry to Surat, and the ports to the northward, Chinese and European goods, and returning with cotton and other articles, call at Goa to complete their cargoes for China. They commence their trade at the most southern settlement, which is Ajengo, and thence they proceed to Cochin, Calicut, Tellicherry, and Mangalore, and then to Goa; at these different places they take in pepper, cardamoms, cassia lignea, and other articles, which they resell at their northern settlements, and complete the voyage within the year. A coasting trade is carried on in small vessels with the different ports on the coast, whence they return to Goa with produce, which forms the home cargoes of their ships. With Macao and the British settlements an inconsiderable trade is carried on; the imports consisting principally of piece goods, raw silk, grain, sugar, woollens, and a few European articles; whilst the exports are piece goods, betel-nut, hemp, and other articles of trifling amount. But Goa "the golden" exists no longer. Goa—where the aged Da Gama closed his glorious life—where the immortal Camoens sung and suffered—is now one vast and grassy tomb. And it seems as if its thin and gloomy population of priests and friars were spared only to chant requiems for its departed souls. During the sixteenth century, when its prosperity was at its highest, the Jesuits introduced themselves and established the Holy Tribunal; the home government became unsettled; the Mahratta power rose rapidly; pestilence broke out in the city; and thus, all these misfortunes conspiring, the downfall of the city was very much accelerated. The Inquisition was abolished in 1812 at the solicitation of the British government. In 1800 it was a city of churches, which the wealth of the province had been exhausted in erecting. At Goa the ancient specimens of architecture far excel anything that has been attempted in modern times in any other part of the East, both in taste and grandeur.

Goa was taken from its Hindu rajahs of Bijanagar by the Bhameese sovereigns of the Deccan. On the arrival of the Portuguese on the Malabar coast it was an opulent place, well fortified, and subject to Zabaim, a potent prince, from whom it was taken by the Portuguese general Albuquerque. It was retaken by the native prince, after which Godalming Albuquerque, having received reinforcements, again succeeded in 1510 in making himself master of the city after a bloody assault. He improved its defences, and constituted it the capital of all his conquests; and it has ever since remained in possession of the Portuguese, who during the sixteenth century extended their conquests, and obtained possession of numerous places on the sea-coasts of India. In the course of these operations they were involved in hostilities with the Mahrattas; and advancing inland, laid siege to the town of Pondah. Here they were surrounded by a large Mahratta force, and effected their retreat with great difficulty and serious loss. Having formed an alliance with Aurungzebe, they succeeded in repulsing the Mahrattas, with whom they at length concluded a peace. In 1518 the Portuguese power in India was at its height, and from this period it began to decline. The territory of Goa now extends from Lat. 14.54. to 15.45., and from Long. 73.45. to 74.26.; it is sixty-two miles in length from N. to S., and 40 in its greatest breadth, and contains an area of 1066 square miles. The population has been returned at 313,262. Of this number two-thirds are stated to be Christians of the Roman Catholic persuasion; but these are not under the direct jurisdiction of the Church of Rome, the throne of Portugal claiming the right of appointing its own bishop, and assuming the control and direction of the Catholic Church in its Indian possessions. The military force of the state of Goa consists of 3300 fighting men, of whom about 400 are Europeans. The revenues are estimated at L.71,920, an amount stated to be annually exceeded by the expenditure. The chief products are rice, pepper, coconuts, betel-nut, and salt, which latter article is manufactured to a very large extent. Besides Goa the only remaining Portuguese possessions in India consist of the unimportant settlements of Diu and Denaun. Goa is distant S. from Bombay 250 miles.