Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 11

JANUARY, 1928) EMBASSY OF SIR WILLIAM NORRIS, Br, TO AURANGZEB
the satirical comments on the ambassador's actions so characteristic of the great "interloper." This volume, together with the whole set of Thomas Pitt Papers, was purchased by the Museum authorities from J. Tomlinson on April 26, 1859. The latter MS. (31,302). is most important as it contains copies of the Ambassador's Commission, Instructions and Covenants, together with other important documents relating to the embassy. This MS. was bought from C. Blaker on December 11, 1880 with other manuscripts. Neither of these vendors appears to have been a dealer or a bookseller. There are in these Additional MSS. letters, copies of which are also to be found in the Surat Factory Records and Original Correspondence. Careful comparison therefore is necessary to avoid repetitions ; while the wording and language of the documents are often misleading, rendering close consideration very necessary.
Sir William Norris mentioned in his will, and in the declaration dictated on his deathbed to Thomas Harlowin, his treasurer, that he had left six volumes in his own handwriting of "Journalls of transactions and observations from the time of his Excellency's leaving England to the 14th of September" [1702). According to this statement two volumes of the Journal are missing. Two of the four extant volumes are preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, among the manuscripts of the Rawlinson Collection (c. 912 and c. 913). These were acquired by Dr. Rawlinson at Lord Halifax's sale in 1715. The first volume begins with Sir William's arrival at Porto Novo Road, September 12, 1699, and ends on May 1, 1700; and the second volume begins on December 10, 1700 with his arrival at Surat, and errds on April 23, 1701, when he was at Parnella. There is a gap of just over seven months in the journal, which covers the period while Sir William Norris was at Masulipatam, and includes the voyage to Surat. Another gap of nearly five months occurs from the time of his arrival at Parnella till he settled in his camp at the Emperor's "leschar." These blanks, however, do not break the thread of the narrative, as they are covered by Sir William's letters to the Council at Surat and to the Court of Directors, which letters contain detailed accounts of current events. Mr. Macray, who compiled the catalogue of the Rawlinson MSS., mentioned that Rawlinson inserted a loose slip of paper saying, "Norris was not the author of this journal." This dubious assertion challenges criticism, for either Dr. Rawlinson did not find time to examine the volumes carefully, or possibly he could not read them on account of the illegible handwriting, which requires the assistance of an expert to decipher it.
The other two volumes of the Journal marked V, VI (C.O. 77/50-51) preserved at the Public Record Office, London, cover the period of Sir William's negotiations at the Mughal Court, his return to Surat, with transactions there, and his sailing for England. Of these, vol. V commences September 26, 1701, when he was at his “Camp in the Emperours Leschar neare Macanangur", and ends on March 12, 1701/2 on his return to Surat ; and vol. VI commences March 13, 1701 /2 and ends September 14, 1702. These volumes of journals are bound in vellum, and vol. V bears the arms of the English East India Company on both sides. There is nothing known at the Public Record Office concerning the acquisition of these manuscripts. It may, however, be of interest to readers to learn that in the superseded printed list of Colonial Office records of 1876 a footnote to the East India Correspondence states that the two volumes in question, with others, “were received from the State Paper Office."
There is also a fragment of Sir William's Journal at the India Office (in vol. 0. C. 54) which records events from the time of his departure from England, on January 5, 1698-9, to the middle of March of the same year, whilst he was visiting the Cape de Verde Islands.
These Journals possess great historical value. Not only do they give a full account of daily events and of matters concerning the embassy, but they contribute much to our knowledge of domestic life at the Mughal Court. If the two missing volumes of the Journals could be traced they would no doubt materially add to the value of the records, but so far all attempts to discover them in any of the public archives of Great Britain have failed. It is difficult to conjecture at this distance of time how they disappeared. Sir William Foster