Madras

ma-dras', a city of British India. It is the capital of the province of that name. It was founded in 1639 by the English, who purchased a piece of ground for the erection of their first Indian trading post and a fort. Madras is the third city of India in commercial importance. The harbor is shallow and is exposed to the storms of the Bay of Bengal. Artificial breakwaters have remedied this difficulty to some extent. The city has grown rapidly. The government buildings make a fine show of solidity and prosperity. A university is maintained at government expense. The railroads of India take their time from the observatory. The productions of eastern Hindustan are marketed here. Teak, ebony, cotton, grain, indigo, coffee, tea, and dyestuffs are exported. The climate is exceedingly hot. The plantain, tamarind, mango, cocoanut, and other native fruits, as well as melons, are abundant. In 1900 the population of the city was 509,397.