Title
A Voyage to the East Indies: Page 51
Description
Madras lies in Lat___N Long___ & is the Capital of the English Settlements on the Coast of Coromandell. It is divided into the white Town or Fort, calld Fort St George, and the black Town. The White town is rather small, but, excellently fortified, built at a great Expence, regularly, & contains many good Houses. But few People reside constantly in it, almost every Gentleman having a Villa, about 2 or 3 Miles in the Country, which is beautifully open. Where they dine and spend their Evenings & return to their Business in the Fort in the Morning. Madras is situate on a low Coast, yet very dry & healthy, except at some seasons of the Year when the Land Winds blow. These winds are inconceivably hot & continue sometimes a Month, during which the People are in generall seized with inflammatory Complaints, which subside on the Appearance of the sea breezes. Whilst the Land Winds blow all the Tables, Brescares, Chairs, etc. in the settlement crack & fly to Pieces, the Furniture in general becomes rotten & they are obliged to have a kind of defence at their doors & windows con[?]res’d of Straw or some such substance which they keep continually wet. The black Town is large & populous; few europeans live in it except some who cannot afford the Expence of a House in the Fort, but it contains Gentoos, Portuguese & Armenians to a great Number. In some Parts the Streets are regular and clean, in [end page 51]
