Indian Antiquary Vol 32

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 47

JANUARY, 1903.)
THE ANDAMANS IN THE XVIIITH CENTURY.
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Sd. A Port favorable to Commerce, the present imports Amounting to upwards of 600,000 Spanish Dollars per annum.
4th. A place of refuge for your Merchants Ships, where they may refit and water, and be protected from the insults of the Enemy's ships.
5th. An Emporium so situated as to afford an easy approach from every part of India, from the Extremity of China to the Coast of Africa, where the Merchants of all nations may conveniently meet and exchange their Goods."
It is to be observed that, in the Statement of the Advantages of Prince of Walos Island Mr Light does not at all, seem to rest upon it as a Port of refreshment and refitment for the British Naries, which however are certainly the very first considerations with Government, for notwithstanding all the Commercial Advantages of Prince of Wales Island, it is probable it might be doubted whether it would Answer the purposes of Government to retain it for those ends alone at the continued expence it must cost, and the large Sum that must. necessarily be disbursed in Fortifications to render the possession secure, but the following Extract of a Letter from Commodore Rainier to the Governor General, which he permits me to make public use of, places this matter in so clear a light and is itself so weighty an authority that I should imagine no doubts will long exist of its being in every respect, a Port well calculated for Refreshment and refitment of Ships of War, and, as Commodore Rainier hoists his Flag in a Seventy four Gun Ship, of the greatest Draught of water in the Navy, and takes no notice of the want of water, on the Mud Flat, formerly mentioned, all ides of its danger has disappeared.
Extract of a Letter from Commodore Rainier to the Honble. the Governor General dated on board the Suffolk at Prince of Wales Island 31st December 1794.
" Thro' want of information I unluckily put into the South East Port of the Andamans [now Port Blair], but got Wood and Water, and did what I wanted to do, and am told that is full As much as I should have effected at North East Harbour, but the refreshment and means of repair at this place are obviously so superior to any thing of the kind at the Andamans exclusive of its Commercial Advantages that I am astonished it should ever have been doubted which to prefer."
In addition to this testimony I have to inform you that, while I was at Prince of Wales Island, the Honble. Companys Squadron under Commodore Mitchell, consisting of Five Ships, remained there a Month, and received Abundance of Refreshments, and that soon afterwards His Majesty's Ship Resistance, [? arrived] and was so well supplied that Captain Packenham assured me that he had never been in any Foreign Port where a Ship of war was so well and easily supplied with every desirable Article.
I will now beg leave to take notice that all those Articles of Refreshment have been produced and will be constantly produced in an encreased Ratio with the Commerce and resort of Merchant Ships, and that at no expence to Government, the Civil, Military and Naval Establishments, with the Public Buildings and Fortifications, being the only Expence that Government have been at. When this is contrasted with the refreshments that can be furnished at the Andamans which for want of the demand, Commerce, and a resort of Ships create, must probably be always scanty and uncertain, and entirely produced at the public Expence; it stands alone so high in the scale of comparison that there are few Advantages which can weigh against it. The defeat formerly supposed in Prince of Wales Island as a War Port Viz. the want of depth of Water in its Harbour, appears to be compleatly disproved and done away. It only now remains to consider the disadvantages which the situation is liable to, and these I will now state.
Prince of Walos Island Defecte. It is at a very considerable distance from any of the Company's other Possessions, so that it cannot very quickly be reinforced with Troops or supplied with Ammunition and stores.