Its sharpness would be delicious here.
"And now, as you have done, if you will come and sit in the veranda of my room, we will smoke a cigar and have something cool to drink; and I will answer, as well as I can, the questions you've asked me about the state of things here." When they had seated themselves in the extremely comfortable cane chairs, in a veranda facing the sea, and had lit their cigars, their friend began: "Madras isn't much of a place, now; but you should have seen it before the French had it.

Our chiefs think of nothing but trade, and care nothing how squalid and miserable is the place in which they make money.

The French have larger ideas.

They transformed this place; cleared away that portion of the native town which surrounded the factory and fort, made wide roads, formed an esplanade, improved and strengthened the fortifications, forbade the natives to throw all their rubbish and offal on the beach; and made, in fact, a decent place of it.

We hardly knew it when we came back, and whatever the Company may have thought, we were thoroughly grateful for the French occupation.
"One good result, too, is that our quarters have been greatly improved; for not only did the French build several new houses, but at present all the big men, the council and so on, are still living at Fort Saint David, which is still the seat of administration.