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Surf boat landing European passengers at Madras [Chennai]

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Date

ca.1800

Description

Originally called 'Ship's boat arriving on beach, Madras'. This is not correct, it shows a local 'masula' surf boat bringing European passengers ashore there. Madras had no harbour, and all large ships - as here - had to lie in the offing with goods and passengers embarked and disembarked on the exposed beach through the surf, except in unusually calm weather. The traditional local surf boats were ideal for this purpose and there are many similar images of them plying this characteristic engagement with European shipping there, since Madras was one of the main destinations of the East India Company, and one of the principal ports of the British East Indies Squadron.

Image Licence

CC BY-NC-ND

Image Credit

Location

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Country

India

Medium

Watercolour