Indian Antiquary Vol 47

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

Page 62

58
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
MARCH, 1918
Letter from Sir Edward Hughes to Sir Thomas Rumbold and Select Committee,
Fort St. George, dated Ship Superb in Madras Road, 5 March 1780.87 I yesterday received your letter of the 2nd Instant, informing me Monsieur Macey, late a Lieutenant in the French Service at Chandernagore, was serving as an officer on board the small Imperial Ship in this Road, and as his going from hence might be of prejudice to the Company's Affairs, requesting me to take measures to prevent his departure in that Ship.
I am now to acquaint You that, in consequence of your request to me, I ordered an Officer of the Squadron to demand Monsieur Macey of the Commander of the Imperial Ship as a Prisoner of War, and he is now on board the Superb, where he cannot be well accommodated, to wait your Determination for the future disposition of him.
Deposition of Louis Macé at Madras, dated 25 March 1780.88 Louis Macé, native of the Port of L'Orient in France, declares upon oath that at the time Chandernagore was taken by the English, the 17th July 1778, he was on board a Dutch Ship then at the Dutch Settlement on the River Hughley, called Barnagore (Bârânagar) that from that time he resided at Serampore, a Danish Settlement in Bengal, till the 27th August following, when he went on board ship and landed at the Danish Settlement o Tranquebar, where he resided for a considerable time till he engaged himself as a Marine Officer in the Service of the Imperial Asiatick Company of Trieste, having to that end, on the 27th of May 1779, taken the oath of allegiance to Her Imperial Royal Apostolick Majesty, Maria Theresa Empress Dowager Queen of Hungary, &c. &c. &c., which oath was administered to him by her Lieutenant Colonel, William Bolts, in consequence of the full powers granted to him by her said Majesty, under the seal of the Empire and under her own hand, dated at Vienna the 27th March 1776, which full powers the said William Bolts has caused to be shown to and read by this Deponent. And this Deponent further makes oath that he never was made a prisoner of war, or otherwise, in any part of the dominions of Great Britain. He deposes, moreover, that on the 5th of this Instant March, he, this Deponent, being then an Officer commanding on board the Imperial Ship le Comte Kolowrath in Madras Road, the Colours of Her said Imperial Majesty being then hoisted on board the said Ship, a boat came from the squadron now under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, with two officers armed on board the said ship, and by force took this Deponent and carried him on board the said Admiral's ship, called the Superb, at present in Madras Road, and he deposes that, not withstanding the representation which this Deponent made to the said officers of his situation as above, they replied they were obliged to carry him with them as they acted under the orders of the abovementioned Admiral. And this Deponent further deposes that he was kept a prisoner on board the said ship the Superb till he signed his Parole of honor89 not to leave the District of St. Thomé which is in the neighbourhood of Madras and the actual residence of the said Admiral. That in consequence of his said Parole, this Deponent went to St. Thomé, and to this moment continues, with the permission of the said Admiral, to remain at Madras without having been able to obtain his full liberty, notwithstanding many
8 Madras Select Committee Consultations (1780), LXIX, 325-S 26.
A Miscellaneous Letters Received, Vol. 69, No. 95. Another copy, differing slightly in the wording, is te found in Madras Select Committee Consultations (1780), LAXIX. 511-514.
# A copy of the Parole, date: 17 March 1780, is entered in Madras Select Committee Consulations (1780), LXIX. 428-429.