ABSTRACT

IN 1639 Mr. Day obtained leave from a Hindu prince, the Naik, "out of our spetiale Love and favour to the English to build a fort and Castle in or about Madraspatam " which long South Indian name the English soon shortened to Madras. The official reasons for the choice of this site, as conveyed to the Surat Council, were that it provided "excellent long Cloath and better cheape by 20 per cent than anywhere else" which inspired the Surat Council to "hope of a new nimble and most cheape Plantation". But the gossip-loving Hamilton believed that "the Gentleman who received his Orders to build a Fort on that Coast, chose that Place . . . because he had a Mistress at St. Thome he was so enamoured of that made him build there, that their Interviews might be the more frequent and uninterrupted ". Apart from Mr. Day's convenience, the proximity of St. Thome was generally considered a nuisance by the senior factors—

not in respect of any hurt the Potugalls can doe the ffort but because of the many idlers, both men and women, who frequent the ffort so much that divers of the English Souldiers are married; which must necessarily be tolerated, or the Hotshots will take liberty otherwise to Coole themselves.

And even if Hamilton's story of Mr. Day's mistress in St. Thome be an exaggeration there was little of the Puritan about Mr. Day.

"'Tis no strange thing," said Captain Trumball, "for Mr. Day to be drunke. Drinkeinge with Moores and Persians at Ballisara hee soe disguised himself in theire presence that they

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49sent him away in a Pallankeene out of which he fell by the way. . . . And another tyme hee made himselfe soe drunke he Rann into the Sea."