nskrit word and probably _Comari_ was Polo's pronunciation.

At the beginning of the Portuguese era in India we hear of a small Kingdom
of COMORI, the prince of which had succeeded to the kingdom of Kaulam. And
this, as Dr. Caldwell points out, must have been the state which is now
called Travancore. Kumari has been confounded by some of the Arabian
Geographers, or their modern commentators, with _Kumar_, one of the
regions supplying aloes-wood, and which was apparently _Khmer_ or Kamboja.
(_Caldwell's Drav. Grammar_, p. 67; _Gildem._ 185; _Ram._ I. 333.)

The cut that we give is, as far as I know, the first genuine view of Cape
Comorin ever published.

[Mr. Talboys Wheeler, in his _History of India_, vol. iii. (p. 386), says
of this tract:

"The region derives its name from a temple which was erected there in
honour of Kumari, 'the Virgin'; the infant babe who had been exchanged for
Krishna, and ascended to heaven at the approach of Kansa." And in a note:

"Colonel Yule identifies Kumari with Durga. This is an error. The temple
of Kumari was erected by Krishna Raja of Narsinga, a zealous patron of the
Vaishnavas."

Mr. Wheeler quotes Faria y Souza, who refers the object of worship to what
is meant for this story (II. 394), but I presume from Mr. Wheeler's
mention of the builder of the temple, which does not occur in the
Portuguese history, that he has other information. The application of the
Virgin title connected with the name of the place, may probably have
varied with the ages, and, as there is no time to obtain other evidence, I
have removed the words which identified the _existing temple_ with that of
Durga. But my authority for identifying the _object of worship_, in whose
honour the pilgrims bathe monthly at Cape Comorin, with Durga, is the
excellent one of Dr. Caldwell. (See his _Dravidian Grammar_ as quoted in
the passage above.) Krishna Raja of whom Mr. Wheeler speaks, reigned after
the Portuguese were established in India, but it is not probable that the
Krishna stories of that class were even known in the Peninsula (or perhaps
anywhere else) in the time of the author of the _Periplus_, 1450 years
before; and 'tis as little likely that the locality owed its name to
Yasoda's Infant, as that it owed it to the Madonna in St. Francis Xavier's
Church that overlooks the Cape.

Fra Paolino, in his unsatisfactory way (_Viaggio_, p. 68), speaks of Cape
Comorin, "which the Indians call _Canyamuri_, _Virginis Pr