Indian Antiquary Vol 47

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

Page 15

JANUARY, 1918]
AUSTRIA'S COMMERCIAL VENTURE IN INDIA
to advise us thereof immediately, and to represent to the Prince the enjury [sic] the Company will receive from such a breach of the privileges granted by his Ancestors to them.
Letter from the Court of Directors to the Council at Bombay, dated 7 May 1778.48
11
We approve your conduct relative to Mr Bolts and also the behaviour of our servants at Surat, as stated in your general letter of the 30th of November.
As we have not received the copy of Mr Bolts's letter, asserting a right to Delagoa in consequence of a grant said to have been made to Her Imperial Majesty, we cannot at present reply thereto. If that letter is not accompanied by any remarks of yours, you will not fail to state to us by the first opportunity, every circumstance attending the affair in question, with such information as may be procurable respecting the supposed grant of the country, the name and rank of the grantor, the time when granted, and likewise the particular authority by which Mr Bolts has ventured to remove the English Colours and to destroy the house mentioned in your letter.
Letter from the Council at Tellicherry to the Court of Directors, dated 9 May 1778.49
Mr William Bolts in the Austrian ship the Joseph and Theresa arrived at Billiapatam the 21st ultimo, with an intention of taking in pepper there. As this proceeding of Mr Bolts is an infringement of the Honble. Company's privileges of trade granted them by the Kings of Colastria, and that he might not plead ignorance thereof, we immediately wrote him a letter, acquainting him therewith, and which was sent by our linguist to Billiapatam, who was directed to gain all the information he could of Mr Bolts's proceedings in general, and that in case he should discover Mr Bolts soliciting an establishment in any part of the Prince's Dominions he was to advise us thereof immediately, and to represent to the Prince the injury the Company will receive from such a breach of the privileges granted by his ancestors; and as he persisted in trading in our districts after our having informed him of the Company's privileges, we thought it unnecessary to enter into a further discussion of them, and determined to leave the whole to the judgement of our Superiours.
While the Imperial Ship remained at Billiapatam there was landed from her at that place many chests of arms; after which she proceeded to Goa, where she will winter; Mr Bolts and other gentlemen belonging to the above ship remain at Billiapatam.
As we heard the Prince of Cherrika was at Cotiote [ Kottayam ] the 3rd instant, Mr Samuel Stedman was ordered to wait upon him to confer with him on the subject of Mr Bolts's views and proceedings: On Mr Stedman's return, he informed us that he represented to the Prince the injury the Company would receive by Mr Bolts having in particular an establishment in his country, and that we expected from the treaties between him and the Company that he would not grant it. Upon which the Prince gave Mr Stedman the strongest assurances that he would not of his own will grant Mr Bolts an establishment, who he acknowledged was endeavouring at one, but would throw every obstacle in his way to prevent it, tho' he believed Mr Bolts was going to the Nabob
48 Bombay Despatches, IV, 1450-1452.
40 Bombay Letters Red, VI, 56-58,