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Article PENCILLINGS EROM THE SKETCH-BOOK OE A MA... ← Page 2 of 9 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Pencillings Erom The Sketch-Book Oe A Ma...
bule and pilasters are added , the entire fabric is invested with an air of ornate elegance and aristocratic pretension . As the morning advanced , and the sun shone brightly forth upon the then glaringlywhite fort , custom-house , and agency-houses on the beach , the eyes became perfectly dazzled . But to return to the John , which has yet to send ashore her passengers and freight .
At two miles' distance , is the long surf-beaten shore of Mull Land . "Whether in the early days of English arrivals in India those who were destined for a long period of service on the Madras side of India were distinguished from their brethrin in arms of
Bengal and Bombay by a peculiar gusto for Mulliga-tatmi—a compound word in the Malabar language , signifying , literally , pepperwater—I am not prepared to say ; nor , as we are known to have in oar time produced our fair share of fast men and geniuses , do I understand why ours should also have borne the designation of The Benighted Presidency . Neither can I enter too learnedly into
analogous reasons why he of the City of Palaces should be called a Holy Ing ? ( Hindustani for " "Who is there ? " ) , or the hero of our western presidency be termed a Duck ; however , so it is : Madras men are unexceptionably Mulls ; and we who were bound for Mull Land might now begin to pack and lock up all our traps for
transmissiqn ashore , for here was our allotted locality . But it w as needless for us cadets to be in too great a hurry . We were , according to the custom of the time , to wait till we were called for , having orders not to quit the vessel till a non-commissioned officer , specially appointed for the purpose , should arrive on board to receive us . Soon after dropping anchor , the booming of a gun from the ramparts of Eort St . George ushered in the day . This was
succeeded by another , fired from a man-of-war in the roads , and a most interesting scene gradually unfolded itself to our view . The first object claiming attention lay betwixt us and land : tremendous and rolling waves , in three and four lines , dashed on their foaming crests with an impetuosity and regularity most majestic , till thrown high on the shore , each leisurely receded , and was lost again in the general
mass ot waters . To our ielt hand rose , in battlementecl glory , X ± ort St . George , the Esplanade , or Hyde-park of the presidency , and many fine-looking mansions , amongst which appeared in graceful eminence the steeples of the churches . On our right was Black Town , the veritable Madras-Patnam , or native locale ; from which an odour was wafted to us of not the most gratifying kind to the nasal organs . But integrally , I gazed with curiosity and pleasure on this ,
to me , novel sight , the capital of Southern India . Now came off one of the " catamarans , " described in the preceding chapter , bearing a couple of natives , who brought with them an official letter from the Custom-house for the commander . Next , according to usage , an extremely smart-looking boat , which at a glance showed its title to attention , manned by six tars from the aforesaid ship of war . She carried a dashing and consequential young middy , who , in the plenitude of naval command ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Pencillings Erom The Sketch-Book Oe A Ma...
bule and pilasters are added , the entire fabric is invested with an air of ornate elegance and aristocratic pretension . As the morning advanced , and the sun shone brightly forth upon the then glaringlywhite fort , custom-house , and agency-houses on the beach , the eyes became perfectly dazzled . But to return to the John , which has yet to send ashore her passengers and freight .
At two miles' distance , is the long surf-beaten shore of Mull Land . "Whether in the early days of English arrivals in India those who were destined for a long period of service on the Madras side of India were distinguished from their brethrin in arms of
Bengal and Bombay by a peculiar gusto for Mulliga-tatmi—a compound word in the Malabar language , signifying , literally , pepperwater—I am not prepared to say ; nor , as we are known to have in oar time produced our fair share of fast men and geniuses , do I understand why ours should also have borne the designation of The Benighted Presidency . Neither can I enter too learnedly into
analogous reasons why he of the City of Palaces should be called a Holy Ing ? ( Hindustani for " "Who is there ? " ) , or the hero of our western presidency be termed a Duck ; however , so it is : Madras men are unexceptionably Mulls ; and we who were bound for Mull Land might now begin to pack and lock up all our traps for
transmissiqn ashore , for here was our allotted locality . But it w as needless for us cadets to be in too great a hurry . We were , according to the custom of the time , to wait till we were called for , having orders not to quit the vessel till a non-commissioned officer , specially appointed for the purpose , should arrive on board to receive us . Soon after dropping anchor , the booming of a gun from the ramparts of Eort St . George ushered in the day . This was
succeeded by another , fired from a man-of-war in the roads , and a most interesting scene gradually unfolded itself to our view . The first object claiming attention lay betwixt us and land : tremendous and rolling waves , in three and four lines , dashed on their foaming crests with an impetuosity and regularity most majestic , till thrown high on the shore , each leisurely receded , and was lost again in the general
mass ot waters . To our ielt hand rose , in battlementecl glory , X ± ort St . George , the Esplanade , or Hyde-park of the presidency , and many fine-looking mansions , amongst which appeared in graceful eminence the steeples of the churches . On our right was Black Town , the veritable Madras-Patnam , or native locale ; from which an odour was wafted to us of not the most gratifying kind to the nasal organs . But integrally , I gazed with curiosity and pleasure on this ,
to me , novel sight , the capital of Southern India . Now came off one of the " catamarans , " described in the preceding chapter , bearing a couple of natives , who brought with them an official letter from the Custom-house for the commander . Next , according to usage , an extremely smart-looking boat , which at a glance showed its title to attention , manned by six tars from the aforesaid ship of war . She carried a dashing and consequential young middy , who , in the plenitude of naval command ,