Twinings of London is a well-known brand of tea, now available all over India. The company was founded by Thomas Twining in 1706, and then remained with the family till well into the 20th Century, when it changed hands. A scion of the clan was another Thomas (1776 -1861), who opted for a life of travel, setting out at the age of 16 to India with a commission as a Writer for the East India Company (EIC). He travelled across the country, visiting Madras in 1792. He ended up as Judge in Santipore District, north of Calcutta. In 1805, he returned to England, becoming a Director of the EIC in 1810. Sometime in his retirement, he wrote an extensive account of his travels. This was published in 1893, and is now accessible as a free-for-download on the web.
On his ship docking at Madras Roads, catamarans manned by scantily-clad oarsmen came up. The chief of these had a conical cap, inside which were ‘despatches to the Captain and officers’. On board a more superior craft were men of a ‘higher order, handsomely dressed in white robes of muslin with turbans on their heads… They were, I was informed, dobashes or merchants, who came to make proposals… some on their own account, some on account of the European houses of business at Madras.’
In Madras, Twining stayed initially at the Fort, replacing his western attire with a ‘pair of large loose trousers made of the fine fabric of Madras called long-cloth. They were very thin and light, and descended to my feet, being tied around my waist by an elegant silk band made of delicate network, the long ends, which hung down before me, terminating with handsome tassels ingeniously worked with golden thread.’
While here, Twining called on Colonel Doveton, with whom two sons of Tipu Sultan were then being kept hostage. Mirza, the younger prince, particularly impressed him. Avoiding the horse carriages as a mode of conveyance, Twining got around entirely by palanquin, taking the advice of his friend and host, George Parry, a civil servant of Madras. He visited Dr. James Anderson at Nungambakkam, where the latter lived in the midst of his botanical garden, and his description of it gives a rare glimpse into what it contained. After breakfast, the host showed him around what is today Andersons, Moore and Pycrofts Gardens.
They were then a ‘wilderness of sweets’ — groves of ‘myrrh and flowering odours, numberless aromatic trees and shrubs, and flowers… the great and refreshing pummel-rose, something like an orange in its conformation and flavour, but larger than a melon, the strong jack-fruit, the delicate papaw, the luscious custard apple, the delicious and abundant mangoe in its choicest varieties, the Chinese leechee, and loquat, another fruit of China, grateful to the eye and taste.’
This area still has a number of trees. It would be interesting to know how many of the present ones are descendants of what Dr. Anderson planted.
