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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ DECEMBER, 1932
If you go a China voyage and invest such your consignments in gold, you must be sure to bring the freight of that to the account of the owners, for otherwise they will be great sufferere, and you will not only receive your own commission but take that which no ways belongs to you, as you are not concern'd in the ship, which you ought to have been, and which we thought you had been till we adjusted matters here. As they have so honourably repos'd a trust and confidence in you, we doubt not but you will deal as honourably by them; and as they do not intend to abridge you of any of your just privileges, so we expect you will give no occasion for complaint.
(Signed) FRANS. CHAMBERLAYNE
GIL: AFFLECK Jas. WENDEY for GEORGE LEWIS
When Scattergood received the complaints of his conduct and the inferences regarding his loyalty to his employers, he was much incensed and replied with heat, as will be seen when the documents for the following year come to be considered, but while the ships bring. ing the unwelcome letters were still on the high seas he had reached Canton for the fourth time and was busy trading on his own account and on that of the freighters of the Bonita with his old friends the Chinese merchants "Chunqua, Pinkie, Cudgen, Comsha and Linqua," as his "Account Current" from September 1718 to February 1719 testifies.
By the Carnarvon and Hartford, two of the Company's ships, bound homo from Canton in November 1718, Scattergood wrote several letters. To Gilbert Affleck he sent his sword of steel inlaid wuth gold to be cleaned and "new mounted, to keep against I come home." To his aunt, Mrs. Farmerie, he wrote regarding the arrangements he had made for his uncle Roger,
[84) Honoured Aunt
I wrote you from Madrass giveing you an account of our safe arrivall there, every body in good health, meeting with no accident by the way (thank God). Arriving so late at Madrass and being obliged to goe away againe for this place in very few days, I could not so well provide for my uncle, but was oblidged to send him to Bengall, recommending him to one Mr. Williamson, the second man on that place and a particular friend, who has it in his power and I know will provide for him very well. I ordor'd Mr. Williams[o]n to let him have five hundred rupees of my money that is in his hands, to commence him as merchant, which if he will take care to be a good husband of it, I make noe doubt of his doeing well. I presume he has wrote you how all matters goe with him.
From Madrass to this place, thank God, had an extraordinary passage, but here being a great many ships, will make us stay late before can goe away, but yet hope to make a pretty good voyage.
By these ships I have sent you a dark color satin peice of silk made up in a night gown, the easier to gett it ashoare, and half a dozen grave (dark coloured) fanns, a double peice of fine plane muslin betwixt you and Aunt Scattergood, and half a dozen fanns for hir self. I have recommended them to one Mr. Afflack in London to gett them and send them to you at Lincolne.
Please to give my respects to sister (Burníston I call hir as yet, tho' hir name may be alter'd to hir great satisfaction) and tell hir I have sent hir likewise half a dozen fanns, which I hope she will receive and please hir.
I hope that you are all well and live merryly at Lincolne. Please to give my service to all freinds.
(Signed) J. S.