These debashes are generally men of property, and of some consequence among the natives, owing to their having at times so many purchases to make for those who arrive at Madras; but especially where the supplies necessary for a whole ship, or sometimes for a whole fleet, are in question. They all speak broken English, understanding far beyond what they can express in our language; they are servile to an extreme, and most completely trained in every money-making device. The provision brought on board usually consists of half-starved mutton, buffalo-beef, which might safely be classed with carrion, some tolerable fowls, with, eventually, a few ducks and geese, yams, biringals, capsicums, and other vegetable productions. Fish abound in the Roads, yet are rather scarce, and are very rarely brought on board: this is in a measure owing to the greater number of fishermen being private servants, who are obliged to supply their masters first. It is said, that the water-serpents, which abound in the Roads, and may be seen, in beautiful varieties, to rise, at all hours to the surface, destroy great quantities of the smaller kinds: this I can easily suppose to be true; but, having occasionally seen the catamarans returning from the offing, with immense loads of the best sorts, it would be difficult to convince me, that the scarcity of fish in the market, and on board the ships in the Roads, does not proceed from either the want of industry, or of regulation. Few people, taking all things into consideration, are more hospitable than the Europeans residing at Madras: where deficiency in that respect is supposed to exist, we may, by due consideration of peculiar circumstances, relating to the person, or to the place, always find some sufficient apology. Being so much frequented, and the number of European gentlemen resident on the spot being comparatively trifling, it cannot be expected they should keep open house, or indulge their friendly dispositions in the exercise of unlimited kindness. In fact, the expectations of those who visit Madras, on their way from Europe to India, are, for the chief part, rather too sanguine: they have heard much of Indian hospitality, and wonder at that disappointment which is purely the offspring of their own unreasonable anticipations. I know not of any situation where a letter of introduction is of more avail, or indeed more necessary, than this: but such letter should be addressed to some person resident at Madras; else it may be perfectly nugatory, in consequence of the immense expanse over which the civil servants, as well as the military, are scattered. A young gentleman taking out a dozen letters, may, on his arrival, find them entirely useless, in consequence of the parties being absent from the presidency.