Vestiges of a Fort in Covelong.
I quote below the description from the plaque put up by Fisherman’s Cove hotel.
” The Legend
In the 18th century, the Dutch founded a trading settlement here and named it Goblon. Like the British at Madras, the French at Pondicherry, and the Danes at Tranquebar, all originally trading settlements on the Coromandel Coast, the Dutch erected a fort at Covelong. This Dutch settlement did not survive the ravages of time and nothing of this Fort remains. Only a small building possibly an armoury or gun powder ryagazine still stands near our hotel.
In 1744-49, the Nawab of Arcot built a Fort at Covelong and named it Saadt Bandar. In 1750 a year after the fort was built it changed hands. A French ship anchored off Covelong. hoisting signals of distress. The Indians went on board to be told that many of the sailors had died of scurvy and that the survivors should be allowed to land. This was permitted. At the dead of night, thirty Frenchmen who had only feigned illness and who had surreptitiously carried arms ashore, rose and overpowered their benefactors.
Two years later in 1752, the Fort faced an English siege. Its garrison comprised of 50 Frenchmen and 300 Indian sepoys. Their rag-tag besiegers were as one of their own commanders put it. “the refuse of the vilest employments in London”. The man at the helm was a clerk turned soldier-Robert Clive- who was later to preside over the destinies of the Indian subcontinent. After two setbacks, Clive rallied his men to take over the Fort. Covelong was thus a player in the Carnatic wars when European powers jockeyed for influence and power and a trading interest on the Coromandel Coast.”
So the Dutch, the Nawab, the French and Englishmen all had their reign in this small strip of land near Madras.
Madras Nalla Madras. A photo blog on Madras, that is Chennai 