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Madras.] ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 217 



which a road and several smaller passages lead through them to the St. 

 Thome Road. 



The Choultry Plain extends two miles to the W. of the enclosures which 

 hound the St.Thom£ Road, and terminates on the other side at a large body 

 of water called the Meliapour tank, behind which runs, with deep windings, 

 the Triplicane River. The road from the mount passes two miles and a 

 half under the mound of the tank, and at its issue into the Choultry Plain is 

 a kind of defile, formed by the mound on one side, and buildings with brick 

 enclosures on the other. 



As a heavy surf breaks high on the beach, the country boats are em- 

 ployed on all occasions where communication with the shore is requisite. 

 The boats belonging to ships in the roads frequently proceed to the back of 

 the surf, where they anchor on the outside of it, and wait for the boats from 

 the beach to carry on shore their passengers, &c. It frequently happens, 

 when the weather is unsettled, with a heavy swell rolling in, that the surf is 

 so high as to make it dangerous for any of the country boats to pass to or 

 from the shore ; when this is the case, a flag is displayed at the beach-house, 

 which stands near the landing-place, to caution aU persons on board ships 

 against landing, which should be carefully attended to ; for numerous lives 

 have been lost at different times through the temerity of Europeans proceed- 

 ing to pass through the surf, in defiance of the admonitory signal. 



The road is open to all winds, except those from the land, and there is 

 generally a heavy swell tumbling in from the sea, making ships roll and 

 labour excessively. Large ships generally moor in nine fathoms, with the 

 flagstaff W. N. W. about two miles from the shore. 



From the beginning of October to the end of December is considered 

 the most dangerous season to remain in Madras Roads, or at any other ports 

 on the Coast of Coromandel, being subject to hurricanes; but if a ship kept 

 in good condition for putting to sea on the first appearance of a gale, takes 

 advantage of the N. W. wind> which at the commencement of a hurricane 

 blows oft' the land for three or four hours, there is but little danger to be 

 apprehended ; yet many ships, by neglecting to put to sea, have been lost, 

 and their crews perished. 



The Government of Fort St. George, and the possessions under this 

 Presidency, are vested in a Governor and three Counsellors; vacancies 

 therein are to be supplied by the Court of Directors, the members of Council 

 being taken from the senior merchants, of twelve years' residence in India. 

 If the Court of Directors neglect to fill such stations within two months after 

 the notification of their vacancy, the King may appoint thereto, and such to 

 be recalled only by the King. The Court of Directors may make provisional 



