MADRAS (called by the natives Chennapatanam, " the city of Chennappa," an Indian prince), a maritime city of British India, capital of the government of the same name, is situated on the Coromandel coast, the western shore of the bay of Bengal, in lat. 13° 5' north. No commercial center of equal size and importance is so unfortunate in its site. The roadstead is open to every wind excep,t that from the w., and in the case of a sud den gale, vessels are obliged to run for the open sea. 'Ile city is not built on a naviga ble river; the soil of the vicinity is but moderately productive; and during the hot months the thermometer, even in a well-appointed room, rises to 96°. In calm weather the surf breaks 300 ft. from the shore, and its wave is 3 ft. in height; during a storm, it breaks 1000 ft. from shore, with a wave 14 ft. high, and at such a time any attempt to land, even in the boats of the natives built for this purpose, is most dangerous. The seasons are distinctively marked by the monsoons, the n.e. lasting from October to Feb ruary and the s.w. from May to October. The foree of the latter, however, is so much broken by the Ghats that its influence is hardly felt. During the hot months, the cli mate of Madras is pleasantly modified by a sea-breeze, called by the residents " the doc tor," which sets in at noon and lasts till night. The city, with its suburbs, which are nine in number, extends along the coast for 9 miles, and has an average breadth of 3.1 miles. On the coast, and midNvay between the n. and s. extrernities of the city, is fort St. George, strongly fortified, and garrisoned usually by a regiment of European troops and two companies of artillery; there are also, however, three regiments of native infantry generally stationed here. Within the fort are comprised the council-house and a number of civil and military offices. The district of Black TOWLI, n. from the fort, lies low, in some places being only 6 in. above sea-level at spring-tides. It is defended, like the fort, from the encroachments of the sea by a strong stone bulwark. In Black Town are the seven wells, the water of which, filtered through a bed of fine sand, is exceedingly pure and wholesome. The principal buildings and institutions are govern ment house, a handsome edifice, though much inferior to the similar establishments in Czticutta, and even iu Bombay; the light-house, to the n. of the fort, 128 ft. above Sea:
level, and having a light, said to be one of the most brilliant in the world; the Scotch church of St. Andrew, founded in 1818, a stately and beautiful edifice; the university, with European professors, and numerous teachers, both European and native, and con taining a valuable museum and a library; St. George's cathedral, from which a magnifi cent view of the city and its vicinity may be obtained, and containing several monu ments by Chantrey (including one of bishop Heber), and some figures by Flaxrnan. There are also military male and female orphan asylums, a medical school, a branch of the royal Asiatic society, the Madras polytechnic institution, the government observatory, a mint, the churches of numerous Christian denominations, and the Madras club, to which members of the Bengal and Bombay clubs are admitted as honorary members. Madras stucco, or aunam, is largely employed in the decoration of public buildings. When laid upon walls, pillars, etc., dried and polished, it has the appearance of the finest Parian marble. The first British settlement on this coast was at Armagon, 60 in. n. of Madras; but the scat of the present fort being granted by a native prince in 1639, a removal took place, and the nucleus of the present city was at once formed. Madras is now the residence of the government of the presidency, including the governor, the members of council, etc., and of the judges of the supreme court. The tables of Europeans in this city are supplied with beef, niutton, and many other ironic luxuries. Pop. '71, 397,552 of whom about 20,000 are Europeans, and the great body of the remainder Hindus. The chief articles of export are rice, cotton, hides, skins, and espe cially coffee. The value of the exports from the Madras ports in 1876 was X4,548,830. The imports for the same year amounted in value to X2,038,330. Madras has tele graphic communication with England, and therefore America; and, in 1871, cables con necting it with Hong-Kong were laid. Madras has railway communication with Bombay, Calcutta, and consequently with the main system of Indian lines.