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MEMORIES OF MADRAS

Office, "fairly reflect," in Mr. Foster's opinion, "all the information of importance which it is now possible to glean from the records of the East India Company."

It is an old story that on the East Coast of India, as well as elsewhere, the Dutch, in the early part of the seventeenth century, showed an enterprise in starting, and a skill in pushing trade that put their British rivals to the blush. The Dutch had founded a settlement at Pulicat, which obtained a large measure of prosperity while the English settlement at Masulipatam was struggling for existence ; and it was perceived by the factors at Masulipatam that their best course would be to follow the lead of the Dutch, and found a new settlement south of Masulipatam. Accord- ingly a mere patch of ground was acquired at Armagon — now called Durgarayapatnam — : only thirty-five miles north of Pulicat, and the most was made of it. The prospects which it presented were not brilliant ; but, as they were less gloomy than those offered at Masulipatam, what passed for the headquarters of the Company's service on the Coromandel Coast were transferred for a time to the new station. It was, however, soon realized that the anchorage at Armagon was poor ; that the port was exposed ; and that the settlers were underbid, and undersold by their Dutch neighbours.

It was then thought desirable to go farther afield ; and Mr. Francis Day embarked at Armagon, and proceeded farther down the Coast to search for what was wanted. At first — if what the Dutch factors at Pulicat reported to their official superiors at Batavia can be trusted — Day went to Pollecheree — now known as Pondicherry — and treated with the local Hindu authorities for ground whereon to build a settlement, failing which he negotiated for a site at Conimeer — now known as Kunimedu — thirteen miles north of Polle- cheree. Nothing, however, came of this. He then wended his way a little farther north ; and, by means which have yet to be ascertained, he not only made a friend of the Naik, Damarla Venkatadra — the " Lord General of Carnatica," and " Grand Vizier to the King of Vizianagar " — at Wandawas