plans of which any modern architect might reasonably be proud.
The execution of the design was left to his subordinate, the road-making, bridge-building DeHavilland, who carried it out thoroughly and to the entire satisfaction of the promoters.
Colonel T. Fiott De Havilland belonged to a Guernsey family. He joined the Madras Engineers in 1792, and took part in the crushing of Tippoo, the Tiger. His name had been before the public in connexion with what the authorities were pleased to call a mutiny of the officers, a severe term which overstated the case. It was practically a protest on the part of the Company's military officers against certain existing conditions of their service, which they held to be unfair. They had petitioned the Government for redress, but in vain. One grievance which had for years weighed heavily upon all military men in the Company's service was the fact that they were not in the King's service, and were not therefore looked upon as officers at all by the officers of the King. Their anomalous position rendered them liable to supersession by younger men holding the King's commission. Another grievance was the deprivation of the Commander-in-Chief of his seat in council, whereby they considered that they as a body were no longer represented in the Government.
There were other matters which also required reformation; but to all appeals a deaf ear was turned, and when it was no longer possible to ignore their complaints, Government expressed its displeasure and demanded a pledge that no further proceedings would be taken. Needless to say the officers declined almost to a man to sign such a pledge, and their action was regarded as equivalent to a mutiny. Three hundred of the malcontents were arrested, deprived of their swords, and sent to Pondicherry, which was then in the hands of the English.
