________________
JUNE, 1902.)
THE ANDAMANS IN THE XVIlITH CENTURY
273
1793. No. XLV.
Fort Willian 7th Ootober 1793. Read Letters from the Superintendent at the Andamans. To Edward Hay Esqr. Secretary to the Government.
Sir, - As I have understoood from the Military Auditor General to whom the accounts of the expences incurred at the Andamans, since the period of my being appointed to the Superintendance of that Settlement have been Submitted, that there are some charges for which there does not appear to be any authority in his Office, I have thought it best to prevent the Board being troubled with references, to give a more full explanation with the Accounts than I thought necessary when I gave them in, wbich will enable you to judge what further information it may be necessary for you to transmit to the Auditor General to enable him to Audit their Accounts which I am pretty Confident are Conformable to the Spirit of the instructions I have from time to time received from the Board.
The first Charge in my Account Current, is for Cash, advanced to Captain Blair, which he applied to me for, to enable him to pay up the Establishment to the period when I took Charge, this as a Contingent Charge should in Compliance with the Resolution of Council of the 18th Febry. Jast, have been accompanied with Captain Blair's Receipt as a Voucher, and an explanation, but which I did not think necessary to give as the transaction would appear in Captain Blair's Accounts.
The Second Article of charge is entirely of a Contingent Nature being for a great Variety of Small Articles, found absolutely Necessary for the Settlement, -as by the account of particulars, which I suppose is Sufficiently explanatory with this Bill it is not possible to furnish all the Vouchers as enjoined [by] the Resolution in Council as Many of the Articles furnished are of a trifling nature purchased in the Bazar for which there was no Bills, but I will beg you to call the Board's attention to this Resolution and to Request they will please to Consider whether an officers being required to declare upon honor, that the Charges he makes are just, does not preclude the necessity of a Voucher.
The Third Article is for advance of Pay to such Artificers and Labourers as I imagined could be conveyed in the Vessels that were at that period under dispatch towards completing the establishment then thought necessary - Many of these people it was found could not be taken with Safety on these Vessels, and were put on shore at Fultah, and were discharged by my directions on my finding from the lateness of the Season and the Inclemency of the Weather, that it would have been extremely inconvenient and imprudent to have encreased the Number of Settlers, the whole of these People therefore do not appear on the Returns as an encrease to the establishinent but only such as actually went - Nor will any pay be drawn for those till the Month of June, the period to which they are paid by this Advance, as there will appear on the Returns, a Beach Master and Assistant, and some Boat Lascars that were not authorised by the Board's Resolution of the 18th February it will be Necessary that the Auditor General be acquainted, that this encrease was by the Boards permission in consequence of my application pointing out the Necessity of such an Establishment.
The Fourth Charge is for my Pay and Batta which is consonant to the Standing Regulations of the Service.
The Sixth and Seventh Articles are the Pay abstracts of the Sepoy Detachment and of the Commissaries Establishment, which I have no doubt is according to the foris laid down by the Regulation.
l'he Eighth Article is for the Pay of Artificers and laborers from the 15th of February to the end of May - their Pay Rolls it will be observed are only for such people as I found at the Settle. ment and will not agree with the Monthly Return of People present, Many of whom will not begin to draw pay till the 1st of June as before remarked in Speaking of the 3rd Article of charge.
