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120
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[36]
To the Revd. James Wendey
[13 November 1713]
Sir, This serves only to acquaint you that I am still alive and drudging on to live, being lately come from Surratt and Madrass to this port, both places contributing in sending me a supercargoe here, so that now I belong to Bombay as much as to Madrass, by which you may see how stockes are decreased from the last place. However, I hope to make a good voyage, both for my imployers and myself, if the French don't run away with me, for I hear that there is some of them in our way.
[ JANUARY, 1932
I was mighty glad to meet with my old friend Fenwick. We often talk of our friends in England and drink their healths, in which number you may be asured you are included as one of the cheife.
As for Madrass news, I can not very well informe you, or at least not so well as you may hear from Padre Lewis, who goes home this year. I hope you received my letters by Mr. Beauvoir and have made up accounts with Sir George Mathews and paid off Mr. Wrights bill of exchange that I drew on him. I hope to continue comeing here one or two voyages more, which may enable me to enjoy your good companey in England.
In the interim I remain Your most humble and most oblidged Servant
[Unsigned]
P.S. By Mr. Fenwick have sent you 4 catties of good Bohee tea which I hope you will except off.
[NOTE ON DOCUMENT No. 36.]
My letters by Mr. Beauvoir. See document No. 22b.
Scattergood's letter of the same date to Osmond Beauvoir, his agent in England with the Rev. James Wendy, is much more detailed. The portions omitted have already appeared in Scattergood's letter to Harrison (Document No. 34).
[37]
MR. BEAUVOIR,
[13 November 1713]
Sir, I hope a few lines may not be a miss from the place you have so often been at, to the advantage of Madrass and yourself, to acquaint you how matters stand here. China this year has suffer'd mightily by famine, especially all the southern provences.... by which means all goods that we brought from Surratt were very low and the China commodities at a great price (except gold which is at one or two above touch doller silver), by reason no ship from Madrass this year for gold; and I believe they will hardly be able to send a ship with a large stock again, or at least in a great wile. I made a shift to squees out by the joynt interest of Bombay and Madrass and hope to make our employers about 30 per cent voyage, and had made more if our Surratt goods had sold better and could have gott copper,