Indian Antiquary Vol 60

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

Page 296

TILE INDIAN ANTIQUIRY
MAY, 1931
appear to have been preserved, but from "General Letters” dated 14 October 1712 (Despatches to England, 1711-14, pp. 44, 80) sent to the Company, a clear account of the affair can be obtained :
Para. 35. “On the 27th of August wee dispatch'd the Marlborough for Bengall with seventy two chests containing five hundred and four thousand rupees [and] one hundred twenty one baleg of oallicoes.
Para. 221. "On the 5th instant arrived ship Marlbro Captain Matthew Martin and acquaints us that on the 4th ulto, he mett off the False Point of Palmeras with three French ships, two of fifty to sixty guns and one of twenty six or thereabouts; when he first saw them they were so farr seperated from each other that he did not take them to be enemies, though his ship was prudently made ready for defence; the biggest ship and the little one gott well up with him about noon, and severall broadsides were exchang'd, till a fresh gale springing up, the Marlbro had the advantage of sailing, but so very little, that they chas'd her all that day and the two following allmost as farr as Bimlepatam, and on the 7th in the morning she lost them in a squall of wind and rain, and made the best of her way hither, because they spread themselves in such a manner, that she could not gett to the northward of them, without being tore to peices, and if they had chased her into Ballasore road, she must have run a shoar for want of a Pilot or been taken; we have unladen the treasure that was on board her, and wait to here further advices of the enemy before she proceeds: Captain Martin requested us in behalf of his ships Company, to give them a gratuity of two per cent upon the cargo, according to Act of Parliament, for the defence of it, which we think is an affair more proper to come before Your Honours when the ship returns, which was the answer we gave him."
The Company's comment on the encounter was as follows (Letter to Fort St. George dated 13 January 1713, Despatches from England, 1713-14) :
Para. 24. “We were extreamly pleased to read the account of Captain Martin's good conduct in extricating himself from the French in his way down to Ballasore as well for the general benefit of all concerned in the ship as for our owń large stock aboard and the disappointment of the enemy. When it pleases God he returns to us, we shall not be wanting in a suitable encouragement to him and his men, which you did well in letting him know you would leave to us, as you also did in sending him in company of the Dartmouth &ca.ships dispatcht by you till they were out of the Ponticherry track."
A storm happening (Para. 4 of document No. 25 above). The General Letter from Fort St. George, noted above, comments thus on the storm :
Para. 220. "On the 4th instant we bad a sort of monsoon, in which severall ships lost their anchors and putt to sea; by good providence it did not last long, but two ships foundered at an anchor... one small vessel was cast away near Sadrass ; which is all the damage we hear of, except that the vast rains which fell at the Fort St. David in the same storm have intirely laid all our bounds under water, and washed down some of the works."
Chenapatnam and Recovery. Tbe Chinnapatnam, Senr. Calacto Commander, sailed for Manila on 24 March 1712 (Fort St. George Diary), and the Recovery, Captain Joseph Beale Commander, sailed for Bengal on 17 September 1712, but the Diary does not chronicle their return on 8 October.
Mannutche. Nicolas Manneci, the "Pepys of India." See W. Irvine, Storia do Major, Indian Texts Series.
It seems probable, as will be explained later, that it was during his enforced delay in Madras, after making his final preparations for his voyage to Surat, that Scattergood acquir. ed the interesting contemporary accounts of Divi Island and of Junkceylon found among his papers. Therefore, before following the St. Andrew up the Malabar Coast and recording