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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1908.
"Proposalls of voyageing to Tennasaree mads to Mr. Ambrose Salusbury, Metshlepatam, the €: dugust 1666.
Mr Ambrose Salusbury, Wee have often propounded to you your going to Tennassa.ree to secure the Companys Fraight of the Madrass Merchant, which may bee Judged to amount to 7 or 8000 pagotheas of which Mr. Deering yet never gave any Accompt, much less made any Returne of that, nor of 6000 and odd pagotheas New Mr. Chamber adventured on the Madrass Merchant, which hee hath turned over to the Company, besides other Considerable venture of other mens, which Sir Edward Winter endeavoaring to get all into his possession, Wee bave all the Reason that may bee to prevent it, as alsoe to Seize upon what may bee the[re] Remayneing of his, thereby to save our Masters as much indempnifyed as wee cann, hee haveing usurpt their authority and Seized on their Fort and estates, and keepes the Agent George Foxcroft, Etca, close Prysoners against all Law or Reason,15 wherefore wee desire you to give us a speedy answer in Writeing whither you will undertake the buisness and goe the voyadge or not, the Monzoone drawing nigh, that if you Refuse it, wee may have time to Consider of some other course, as alsoe that wee may give advice to our Freinds in the Bay of your Resolutions, whoe indeed have pitcht upon you as a fitting Person to send, Wee Remayne, Your assured Freinds, WM. JEARSEY; JOHN NICLAES.46
To this proposal Salisbury replied on the same day as follows:
"Mr. Salusburies Answer to the proposalls for his voyageing to Tanassaree, dated in Metchlepatam the 6th August 1666.
Mr. William Jearsey &ca., Respected Friends, That you have propounded my goeing to Tanassaree to secure the Companyes freight of the Madrass Merchant with the several adventures belonging to Mr. Chamber and other persons, I acknowledge. Yet, on the contrary, you never yet provided any conveighance, nor proposed any conditions, or what commission you would give. It is certaine it will bee an acceptable Service to prevent Sir Edward Winter his seizure on the Companyes Estate, haveing posest himselfe of your Fort and Interest at Madaras. For my owne part, shall ever give my assistance to advance the Companyes Interest and would now gladly proceed on this Imployment, were times peacable and other affaires setled, as they ought to bee in these parts. You know I have bin out of Imployment and lived at my owne expence upwards of two years, and now in this time of warr with the Dutch, upon soe short warning, it will bee much discouragement to goe the voyage upon one of the Country juncks, besides the underhand dealing that may bee used by Sir Edwards means, with bribes. &ca., of which hee will not bee spareing, and you not sending some Estate or Effects to doe the same cannot, in my apprehension, prove advantagious to the Company, and to returne and not doe the service I should and you may expect will redound to my great discreditt. Therefore, desire you to make choice of some person you shall approve of (as here are them both capable and willing to accept) and excuse, Your assured Friend, AMBROSE SALUSBURY."'47
This answer was probably partly dictated by the fear of incurring the enmity of Sir Edward Winter. At the same time Salisbury realized, what he hints at in the close of his letter, that, in the event of his failure to bring back a goodly haul from Tenasserim, his actions would be disavowed by Jearsey and his following, and he wonld thus be in a worse plight than he was already.
45 Sir Edward Winter was superseded as Agent, by George Foxcroft in 1665. Instead of resigning, Winter imprisoned his successor and kept him in confinement for three years.
46 Factory Records, Masulipatam, Vol. 5.
47 Factory Records, Masulipatam, Vol. 9.
