ighteenth century travellers to India might break the
long voyage - a minimum of 4½ months - at the Cape
of Good Hope and the Island of Johanna (Anjuman Islands),
North of Madagascar. During the Mysore campaigns, the destination
for many was the beach at Madras, and we know from the Journal
of Clarinda Bruce, a Scot who travelled to India aboard
the 'Vansittart' in 1786, that talk of the notorious triple-wave
surf at Madras, and the accidents
it occasioned, often dominated conversations for the first
week of the voyage. As the boat neared Madras, the crew
prepared to paint it, 'to make an elegant entry into Madras
Roads,' and Clarinda Bruce describes how passengers excitedly
planned their disembarkation attire.
The Madras surf breaks first some 250-300 yards from the
shore, again at 100-150 yards distant, and finally at the
shore, accompanied by a tremendous roaring and foaming of
the sea. Large boats therefore anchored off-shore, and were
met by flat-bottomed masulah boats, approximately
16 ft. long and 7 ft. wide, made of broad planks bound together
with twisted coconut fibres. They were rowed by 8 or 10
people, with a navigator in the stern and also a man responsible
for baling out the water which inevitably seeped in between
the planks. To disguise this fact, the bottom of the boat
was covered with a thick layer, over 12" deep, of a plant
described as 'something like heath furze.' Catamarans, consisting
of nothing more than two or three tree trunks lashed together,
accompanied the masulah boats, the two men astride
them acting as the rescue- service in the event of accidents.
At the edge of the outer surf, the masulah boat crew
began yelling like demons, 'Yalee! Yalee!. Yalee!.' Pulling
with all their might, they shot through the three banks
of surf, and boats and passengers thudded onto the beach.
As the passengers disembarked, their feet sank ankle-deep
into burning hot sand, while a noisy crowd assailed them
offering transport, assistance, provisions and merchandise.
This was India. Clarinda Bruce's father, Col. Thomas Bruce
of the 23rd Battn. Native Infantry, was among the crowds
awaiting the 'Vansittart''s passengers. His daughter vividly
described their arrival in her journal: 'Capt. Lewis saluted
us and the whole Ship's Crew cheered us, you cannot think
what an affecting sight it was. We soon reached the beach,
which was crowded with thousands of people all gazing at
us on tip toe, and out-stretched necks. We were each of
us put into a Pallenkeen, and conveyed to Mr. Davidson's
house in the fort where....I was informed Mama was waiting
to receive me.'
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