s not ascribed to some mythic king who
ruled in mythic times; it has no hoary ruins, too old to be historic
and too legendary to be inspiring. But Madras is old enough for its
records to be romantic, and at the same time is young enough for its
earliest accounts of itself to be--not unsatisfying fables, but
interesting fact. The story of Madras fills an absorbing page of
history, and the sights of Madras are well worthy of sympathetic
interest--especially on the part of those whose lines of life are cast
in the historic city itself or within the historic presidency of which
it is the capital.

In the following pages certain places and events have been briefly
described more than once with different details; any such repetitions
are due to the fact that the Story of Madras has been told in a series
of vignettes, appertaining to particular buildings or particular
conditions, and each vignette had to be complete in itself. It is
hoped that such repetitions will be of familiar interest, rather than
tedious.

In respect of the facts that are recorded, apart from general history,
I am indebted principally to the valuable Records of Fort St. George,
which the Madras Government have been publishing, volume by volume,
during several years, and which I have studied with interest since the
first volume appeared. Of other works that I have consulted, I must
specially mention Colonel Love's "Vestiges of Madras," which is a very
mine of information.

G.B.

MADRAS, 1921.

* * * * *

CONTENTS

PAGE
PREFACE v

CHAP.

I. BEFORE THE BEGINNING 1

II. THE BEGINNING 5

III. FORT ST. GEORGE 9

IV. DEVELOPMENT 18

V. 'THE WALL' 25

VI. EXPANSION 35

VII. OUTPOSTS 41

VIII. THE CHURCH IN THE FORT 47

IX. ROMAN CATHOLIC MADRAS 56

X. CHEPAUK PALACE 63

XI. GOVERNMENT HOUSE 69

XII. MADRAS AND THE SEA 78

XIII. THE STORY OF THE SCHOOLS 87

XIV. HERE AND THERE 101

XV. 'NO MEAN CITY' 111

* * * * *

ILLUSTRATIONS

CHEPAUK PALACE _Frontispiece_

PAGE

MAP OF MADR