Indian Antiquary Vol 46

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 299

DECEMBER, 1917)
AUSTRIA'S COMMERCIAL VENTURE IN INDIA
285
those Ships, to which you will pay the most strict attention, and particularly to that respecting the Austrian Ship, the Joseph and Theresa, wbich has since arrived at Surat Bar. You will therefore not only avoid all commercial and other intercourse with these adventurers, but use all your influence and every other legal method to prevent any purchases being made at your Settlement or in the Neighbourhood of any article of investment for that Ship.
Letter from the Council at Surat to the Governor and Council
of Bombay, dated 17 October 1777.18 The Chief is informed that Mr Bolts has not yet been able to sell any part of his cargoe, the Rajah of Bownagur having absolutely forbid the merchants under his protection trading with him, but that he has landed at Gogo Musters ( samples ]'in hopes of disposing of it, and has sent to the Pundit10 of Amadavad, offering him a present of 25,000 Rs. annually in lieu of customs, provided he will permit him to establish a factory and carry on a trada there. Captain Lofthouse, when he went to the northward, got four men from his vessel, and we hear that Mr Bolts has purchased a small snow from the Portugueze, which they had bought here and sent over to Gogo.
Consultation at Bombay Castle, 29 October 1777.20 The President lays before Us Extract of a Letter from the Commander of an English Vessel at Delagoa to his Owners, by which we find Mr Bolts asserts a right to the Sovereignty of that Country by virtue of a Grant from the African King, and has in consequence thereof pulled down the English Colours by force and a house erected by the Captain for the purpose of carrying on his Trade. This Conduct We think excludes Mr Bolts from any right to the least Consideration from this Government and must be duly noticed to the Honble. Company.
Enclosures. 1. Extract of a letter from Captain John Cahill at De lagoa
to his Owners, dated 18 July 1777. This Letter goes by the Europe Ship that arrived here in March last, belonging to the Empress of Germany (Austria) and commanded by Mr. William Bolts, who is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Imperial Service. He has taken possession of Delagoa since his Arrival for her Imperial Majesty; he has left ten people here and many of his Guns.
Ono Mr Ryan, who came out on this Ship, is gone Passenger with Captain Burton to Bombay with an intent of freighting two Vessels for this place next Season. I hope you will cross him as much as possible, if you intend carrying on this Trade.
The enclosed is a Copy of a Letter from Mr Bolts to me after he made a Treaty with the Coffree [Kafiri, Kaffir, Caffre, native African] King named Copellat for some Ground, desiring I would haul down an English Jack, which I hoisted on shore of a Sunday on a House that I built. I would not comply with his request, as my Colours were hoisted before his. When he found me positive, he ordered his people to pull the House down and likewise the Colours.
18 Letters Received at Bombay, (1777), XLIII, 336.
29 Pandit, usually shortened to Pant, Martha title, here applied to the Maråthå Governor of Ahmadabad. 20 Pombay Public Consultations (1777), XLIV. 464, 478.477.
Al called in tho correspondence (infra) Mohaar Capell.