Previous Page [Digital South Asia Library] Next Page

Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 16, p. 366.


Graphics file for this page
the bank of the Long Tank, over the Adyar by the Marmalong Bridge
(built in 1726 by Petrus Uscan, the most notable of the Armenians of
old Madras) to the Governor's country residence at Guindy and-the
cantonment of ST. THOMAS'S MOUNT; 9 miles from the Fort. Nearly
parallel to it, the shorter Mowbray's Road, with its fine banyan avenue,
leads to the Adyar Club, built. by Mowbray, the first Accountant
General; and at St. George's Cathedral it is crossed; by the Cathedral
Road and the Nangambaukam High Road. The latter ~of these runs
tip to the once fashionable quarter on the Poonamallee Road, while
the former leads eastwards to the Marina, a broad esplanade, built
in the governorship of Sir M. E. Grant Duff', which runs along the s'ea
front from the High Court to the suburb of St. Thomé, and has the -
makings of one of the finest thoroughfares in India.
The public buildings of Madras are more than usually handsome,,'
but this again is .a fact which the stranger is not likely-to perceive
immediately, for they are scattered. about in a manner that robs them
of all collective' effect. The Posi and Telegraph. Office 'and the new
Bank of Madras building are naturally near the haibour and the mer=-
cantile centre of the city, and so are the High- Court aid its Appendage
the Law College.. The Fort, the zone reserved round its and the
Cooum sewer have, however, prevented the erection of other public .
buildings near these facing the sea, so that -the next collection of them
is more than a mile away on the Marina south of the Cooum mouth.
This group consists of the Senate House, the beautiful office of th
Board of Revenue (formerly the -palace of the, l*awtl.-bs- of Arcot), an t
the Presidency College. Hidden in various iselated,sites throughout
the city are many other fine buildings, Government House; the
Banqueting.. Hall, built by the second ' bord Ckiiè ` in, r8oa; and con
taining portraits of -many-Governors of iMadr4s+;.,the iXluseum and
Connemara Library, the nucleus of whidb'4as 1th'e--old- Pântheo!";
St. George's Cathedral,-Ionic in style and finished vith the -polished
plaster-work that resembles marble; the MemoAal `hail; erected by
public subscription to commemorate the exdmption• çifl-Madras from
the horrors of the Mutiny; and others, which seen singly fail to arouse
enthusiasm, but grouped together or more favourably- situated would
make an impressive collection.
The earlier public buildings, of which, the Banqueting Hall and, the
Cathedral are instances, were built of brick cased with plaster moulded
into detail copied from the Italian and other Eurôpèan--schools. Since
' Of it he wrote, `: we, have. greatly, benefited Madras' b3 '.-turning the rather
dismal Beach of five years ago into one of the most beautiful promenades' in the world.
From old Sicillan recollections, I gave in 1887: to our new creaifon the name of the`
Marina; and I was not a Hale amused when, walking there cast. winter with the
Italian general Saletta, he suddenly said tome, 1104 se diraitâ,Paierme:"'
Previous Page To Table of Contents Next Page

Back to Imperial Gazetteer of India | Back to the DSAL Page