Trade of Madras. 427 



many readers with the idea that their representations were 

 most probably tinged somewhat with a colouring of romance ; 

 but, in view of our own experience at what is confessedly the 

 pleasantest season of the year, there can be at certain times 

 no description, however vividly sketched, but what must 

 lag behind the reality. 



There could hardly have been selected a more unsuitable 

 site for a city, than that of Madras, and it is only the circum- 

 stance that the entire Coromandel coast presents no more 

 eligible haven, as also the importance of the place as the 

 chief city of the Carnatic, which alone has a population of 

 5,000,000, that has enabled Madras to boast a population of 

 700,000 inhabitants, and a commerce of such magnitude that 

 6000 vessels, British and foreign, are annually* cleared inwards 

 and outwards, laden with upwards of 650,000 tons of produce 

 and goods of a total value of more than £8,000,000 sterling. 



The spot at which vessels anchor can by no stretch of terms 

 be called a roadstead, being in fact nothing but an open strip 

 of coast running nearly due north and south, so that during 

 the N.E. monsoons, the sea that sets in is something extra- 

 ordinary, and produces a tremendous surf. At no season of the 

 year is it practicable to reach the shore by ordinary ship-boats, 



* In the year 1857, the number of trading vessels was 6241, carrying 652, M6 

 tons merchandise, of which 1438 were square-sailed ships ; and 4803 native boats 

 and Chinese junks. The imports of goods and metals amounted to Ks. 40,503,826 

 (about ^4,050,000 in round numbers) ; the exports to Rs. 40,060,656 (about 

 ^4,000,000 in round nmnbers). We ai-e indebted to the kindness of Dr. Balfour for 

 a vai'iety of interesting statistical data, the information contained in which must be 

 transferred to the statistical portion of the Novara publications. 



