180G.] 



to Madras, Bengal, China ^ 5sc., i^c. 



23 



«f conimou oars, ufe long pieces of bam- 

 boo, to the exticmities of which eat- tied 

 finall oval pieces of boards. With one 

 of thefe oaj-s hifiied to tiie Itern th« boat 

 is fleered, tl:e man flandins; upon a little 

 platform or quarlcr-deck raifed abaft, be- 

 fore and below which is tiie feat for the 

 paflengers. The luggage, &c., is (lowed 

 on a parcel of brufliwood that lies in the 

 bottom of the boat, which is generally fo 

 leaky, that a boy is conflantly baling out 

 the Water. The jnen are ]5erfettly naked, 

 except a fmall piece of rag tied round 

 their loins. In pulling towards the Ihore 

 they finu; a fong, whofe harlhnefs to the 

 European ear no word? can defcribe. 



As the furf at this fettlenient is per- 

 haps the greatell in the world, there 

 fcarcely paffesi a monfoon without the 

 lofs of feveral lives : the fettlers are 

 tiierefore very avcrfe to croiling it. In 

 common weather there are only two or 

 three dillintt furfs, the outermofl of which 

 is the largeft and inoft dangerous ; but in 

 bad weather, and efpecially at the break- 

 ing up of the monfoons, the furf has been 

 known to break as far out as where the 

 ftiips lie at anchor. 



It is very intcrefting to fee thefe maffu- 

 lah-boats, witii the men lying on their 

 oars, on the very verge of the furf, wait- 

 ing, and carefully watching, till a very 

 large one lias broke clofe to them, when 

 they immeiliately pull in with all their 

 might, and with a united concert of vocal 

 mulic that rivals the war-hoop of the 

 American lavages. By tliefe means they 

 generally l■ontri^ e to pafs the place where 

 the outer furf breaks in the interval be- 

 tween two furfs, and then the dan- 

 ger is over. This however was not the 

 cafe the fn-ft time we went allioie, for 

 the malliilah-men pulhing in too foon, a 

 tremendous fwell took us forward with 

 amazing rapidity, and the inftantit broke 

 beneatli us the boat broached to, and we 

 were innnediatc-ly overwhebned in the 

 furf. When its .age had a little fubfided, 

 we found the boat nearly full of water, but 

 Itill on her bottom. Two or three of the 

 men who had been thrown from their 

 feats overboard, inllantly regained them, 

 and fortunately got the boat's head round 

 before the next furf overtook us, which 

 olheiwife mud have upfetns. 



It has been a queftion- whetlier the 

 greater danger conlifts in going on fliore 

 or coming olf. I am inclined to think the 

 former is nioft dansjerous ; though boats 

 are frequently loll in both operations. In 

 going towards the (liorc, thefe accidents 

 geijtraily happen by tiie broachiiig-to of 



the boat ; and in coming off, by a lai-ge 

 furf curling in over the bows of the boat, 

 and fvvamping or Having her. At thefe 

 periods there are generally catamarans 

 attending the maiVulali-boats, which are 

 frequently the means of favmg the lives 

 of Europeans, for which they get medals, 

 of which they are not a little proud. This 

 veifel (if it dcferves that name,) is coni- 

 pofed merely of three pieces of \v(«)d, tea 

 or tvvelve feet in length, and lallicd toge- 

 ther with pieces of rope : the middle- 

 piece is the largeft, and fomewhat lower 

 in the water than the other two : on this 

 the catamaran-men lit on their heels. 

 Their paddles are pieces of llit baml)oo, 

 three or four feet in length ; and thus 

 cquip|)cd they dalh through the furf", 

 which fomethnes upfets the catamaraa 

 end over end ; but they ioon mount it 

 again, having llrings fallened to the tim- 

 bers tied round their wrifts, fo that they 

 can never be thrown to any difiance. 



On reaching the ihore the (tranger is 

 embarraifed by the crowds of dubalhes, 

 cooleys, fervants, &c., &c., that furround 

 him, exhibiting their certificates, and fo- 

 liciting permilfion to " attend on MaJ~ 

 J'u." If he gets off the beach in a quar- 

 ter of an hour, he may think himfelf for- 

 tunate ; and as he generally has occafion 

 to repair to the bazars in queft of linen, 

 light clothes, 6:c., &.C., his palankeen is 

 attended by a fcore fellows, who at each 

 Ihop wrangle, and often fight about the 

 profits. It is indifpeufably necefliary to 

 have a dubalh, who tranfatts all bufuiefs 

 in the bazars, &c., and who takes fpecial 

 care that no perfon but hiinfelf fliali 

 cheat you, which, though only a negative 

 advantage, is of two evils the leail. 



We were able at this time of vifiting 

 IMadras to make but few excuiiions round 

 the environs of the town ; but we were 

 muchpleafed with the appearance of the 

 garden-houfes on the Mount-road ; and 

 above all, with the gay affeniblage of our 

 lair countrywomen, who every evening 

 fportcd their elegant figures and brilliant 

 equipages while taking tiie air on this 

 public promenade. We went through 

 curiolity to the Nabob's palace, but wer» ^ 

 denied admittance ; there being an or- 

 der by the Governor in Council that no 

 European iliall attempt to pafs into the 

 faid palace on pain of being fent to Eu- 

 rope. This puniibment (if it may be 

 called one,) we were told was ailually in- 

 flicted on a gentleman who had the raih- 

 nefs to difobey the order ; when fome 

 wag wrote in large characters on the pa- 

 luLt-gate — '* I'/it i«-uj/ to Europe." 



It 



