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VOL. XXV NO. 4, June 1-15, 2015
An early American connection
As recorded in the Journal of the Belisarius, 1799-1800
By Dudley L. Pickman

Arrived at Madras after a passage of 111 days from Salem (MassaClusetts). Distance run per log, this passage, 14,240 miles.

Belisarius of Salem, attributed to Guiseppi Fedi, Italy, c. 1797. Dudley Pickman sailed as supercargo of the Belisarius, owned by the Crowninshield family, on the voyage to Madras in 1799. (Peabody Essex Museum. Gift of G.S. Silsbee, 1898.)

On arriving at Madras, the Government Boat comes along-side. The officers come on board and receive such information as is required, respecting the vessel, cargo, passengers, etc. and on their return and report, a boat is sent off. No person is permitted to land before this is done, nor before the ship is brought to the proper anchoring ground, opposite the Custom House. On landing, report is made at the Custom House.

Madras (called by the natives, Chilli-patam) is the capital settlment of the English on the Coast of Coromandel. It consists properly of two towns – Fort St. George and the Black Town. In the Fort, which contains a regular built town, are all the offices of government (except the Custom House), the stores of the European merchants, etc. In the Black Town live the natives. All Government orders issued from Fort St. George – and the Europeans generally use the same, instead of Madras.

Madras... is a place of large trade, which is carried on from hence to all parts of India – to Europe and America. There were 50 to 70 vessels here, loading and unloading, all the time of our stay. Many of them were small, and very few belonged here.

Rice is brought in large quantities from Bengal, some China goods from Canton, pepper from Sumatra, and European goods and liquors direct from England and Maderia in the (British East India) Company and India ships. The principal exports are in piece goods, at Madras, Pulicat, and Ventepollam handkerchiefs, blue guineas, camboys or checks, nicanies or stripes, punjum cloths (white) etc. Pepper, spices, sugar, etc. imported from other parts of India are some-times re-exported. The finest goods of India are manufactured in the neighbourhood of Madras, and exported from thence, such as long cloth, isery (izarrees), handkerchiefs of different kinds, and book muslin... In quality the manufactures of Madras far exceed those of Bengal.

Fort St. George is a handsome brick fortification. It appears very strong, but is probably too much extended to make as able a defence as might otherwise be done. It contains a regular built town, containing several houses, many stores, shops etc. besides an English Church, the Government offices, and accommodations for the troops. The buildings (are) of brick, generally lofty and spacious. No black is permitted to go into the Fort in a palanquin; they must walk in from the gates. All the European merchants have their stores in the Fort. They generally live a few miles from the Fort in the country.

The town outside the Fort is called the Black Town. It is irregularly built. The streets are narrow and unpaved, many of them dirty, though not very generally so. The habitations of the poorest class of natives are made of mats – are about thirty or forty feet circumference and six or eight feet high – the door three or four feet by two. They cook in them – the smoke going out between the mats. In one of these dwells a whole family; there are but a small proportion who live thus miserably. Many have low one story houses, built of brick and plastered outside. The rich natives have large, handsome houses, with considerable gardens adjoining. One which costs 6,000 pounds sterling was not thought extravagant for a man not in the first class of wealth. The Portuguese and Armenians who live in Black Town have generally handsome houses, some of them three stories. They are all of brick or stone, and are built as airy as possible. The second story contains the drawing and dining rooms.

The natives are very dark, with coarse black hair, which grows to a considerable length. They are employed by the Europeans in every capacity, from the lowest menial servants to head dubashes, where they have almost the entire direction of their business with the natives. As writers and accountants, they are very neat and correct. They are employed in all counting houses and public offices, but generally are overseen by an European bookkeeper. (Excerpted from Yankee India American Commercial and Cultural Encounters with India in the Age of Sail 1784-1860 by Susan S Bean)

(To be concluded)

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