Page:Oriental Scenery — One Hundred and Fifty Views of the Architecture, Antiquities, and Landscape Scenery of Hindoostan.djvu/68

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Government House is within the Fort; here the business of the English East India Company is transacted, but the residence of the Governor is at the distance of a mile and a quarter from Madras.

The colonnade to the right leads down to the sea gate, where merchandize of various kinds is seen continually passing to and from the ships in the roads.

 

the road from Madras to St. Thomas's Mount is the Armenian Bridge, extended over the river Meilapoor; though narrow, it is, including its causeway, four hundred and ten yards, and has twenty-nine arches, perhaps not judiciously constructed, and at present of irregular dimensions, owing to the frequent repairs it has undergone in consequence of inundations. The distant building on an eminence called the Little Mount was formerly a convent in the occupation of respectable Roman Catholics; its present inhabitants however, though of the same faith, are few, and miserably poor.

 

Race Ground is between seven and eight miles from Madras, and near to St. Thomas's Mount, which in this view appears on the right of the Assembly Rooms. The races are supported by English gentlemen resident in Madras, and its neighbourhood. This amusement takes place in the cool season, when the ladies of the settlement are invited to a splendid ball.

 

is considered by engineers as a work of very great strength. This bridge leads into the Fort by the road from the Governor's garden house. The business of the English at Madras is chiefly transacted within the Fort; but in general the opulent have houses in the country a few miles from it, as the heat of the air within the Fort, owing to the quantity of masonry and closeness of the buildings, is found very oppressive.

 

Palace of Madura is said to be principally the work of Tremal Naig, Rajah of Madura; at least it may be supposed to have been repaired and beautified by him, who was an Hindoo prince of considerable power and wealth, as appears by the many edifices attributed to him in this neighbourhood. In this building appears a great mixture of the Hindoo and Mahommedan styles of architecture, a circumstance not so frequently occurring in this part of India, as on the banks of the Ganges.

Madura is in lat. 9° 50’ north, long. 78° 10’ east. About three hundred and seven miles from Madras.

The views of Madura were taken in the month of July, 1792. 