Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 61
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
________________
124
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MAROH, 1932
(3) John Brabourne was Chief of the factory at Anjengo, situated on the Malabar Coast, south of Quilon.
(5) The Sherbourne mentioned here was not the Company's ship, commanded by Captain Henry Cornwall (which was taken by the French in 1710 and subsequently released), but, like the Severne, was a privately owned vessel. The Sherbourne under Captain John Jones reached Fort St. George from Surat on 1 June 1714, and the Severne, with Michael Grey as supercargo, on 17 May (Fort St. George Diary, 1714).
(5) Captain Eustace Peacock had just returned from a successful voyage to Persia in the Somers, and Scattergood had cause for thinking the result "very extraordinary” since his own share in the venture was between 70 and 80 per cent. The ship sailed from Madras for England on 18 July 1714 (Fort St. George Diary).
() William Sterling, one of the supercargoes of the Somers. The other was George Wyche, with whom Scattergood was associated in the Amity's second voyage to China.
While Scattergood was making his way up the Malabar Coast in January February 1714, a letter was despatched to him by his attorney in London, Sir George Matthews, with an account of the trust he had undertaken after the voyage from Persia in 1708 (see pp. 57-61). Sir George was "very sorry to see the dismal accounts you give of the trade in gennerall in India " and hoped "now there is a peace with France " that it" will nott bee so precarious." By the account enclosed we find that Scattergood had received £1337. 105. on his "bottomree” of the London and that there had been purchased and sent out to him a "stringe of diamonds," a chest of French wine and a chest of beer.
Scattergood landed at Bombay some time in February 1714 and there found letters from Governor Edward Harrison, Thomas Frederick and the Madras owners of the Amity empowering him to make a second voyage in her if the Bombay owners were willing. These, as Scattergood wrote to Frederick in March, “not only send our ship but have hired the Duke of Cambridge [a Company's ship) for Amoy for 18,000 rupees for the whole voyage, the stock to be 100,000 rupees," shared by William Aislabie, Bernard Wyche, William Phipps and Scattergood, with an option to Thomas Frederick of 10,000 rupees.
From Bombay Scattergood made his way to Surat, where he found only low prices obtainable for his cargo, and whence he wrote a characteristic letter to his late colleague William Phipps.
[41.) Mr. Phipps, Sir,
This comes by Captain Peacock who can informe you what a dismall markett we are come too and what trouble I undergoe in this cursed place, which makes me weary of staying in India any longer. I designe this shall be my last voyage that I am now goeing. Yesterday I had all the merchants in the factory and they offerd me but 65 rupees for my quickBilver, 8 for tutenaugh and 51 for pepper ready money, and at the same time told me that if I had above 200 pecull of quicksilver and 1000 pecull of tutenaugh, they would not give me Bo much. I denied stiffly of haveing any more, so was forsed to turn them all away without comeing to any conclusion, but this morning mett again and was told by them all and other friends that they would offer the utmost of the markett and that after they had bought they would sell again to any body for an anna profitt per maund. So after abundance of trouble I sold for these following prices-800 maunds quicksilver, includeing our 20 pecull, for 72 rupees ; 4000 Do. tutenaugh for 9 r. 4 &.
all the pepper for .. 5:12 hartoll
.. 17:8 camphire .. 20 : ready money. gugar candy .. 37: cardimums .. 35 :
