Indian Antiquary Vol 61

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

Page 349

DECEMBER, 1932] THE SCATTERGOODS AND THE EAST INDIA COMPANY
177
ready when called for. We send you this by the Bonita, Captain Harry, whose owners, Messrs. Scattergood and Harris are on board her, desiring you to lade the said wines on her. Take care they be very good. Consign them by invoice and bill of lading to the President and Council for all the English affairs at Fort St. George in the East Indies for account and risco of the United Company of merchants of England trading to the East Indies.
Pray take care the cask be very good and tight, the heads of an equal and sufficient strength and the whole substantial to prevent leakage, and for their better security we have sent six hundred and sixty hoops to be put six on each pipe, vizt., two at each end and one on each side of the bouge [the protuberant part of the cask] and the remaining sixty to pay the duty in specie if the Government demand it at ten per cent; if not, sell them for us. [Here follow directions about the transmission of invoices of the wine to be sent to Fort St. George and London.]
East India House, London,
[Signed]
27th January 1717 [1718]
THOMAS WOOLLEY, Secretary.
The following extracts from letters written at the time show the excitement created by the secret departure of the Bonita.
[79]
Francis Chamberlain to Scattergood and Harris, dated 27 January 1717/18.
"This I hope will finde you safe arrived att Portsmouth, and will serve to acquaint you Mr. Walley has notice of your departure and seames very much surprised att itt, and says Mr. Harris had promised him to call on him this day. He has an account from......Deal that your ship was there and concludes you are gon thether, and has directed his packitt accordingly, which no doubt will be returned him......so I can assure you he thinks himself affronted and no dout but on Wensday will to the Court insinuate all he can...... butt I think it for the best and am very glad nobody has informed him you are gon to Portsmouth. The ship I dout not will be there before you, where wish you a quick dispatch, tho am afraid the weather should change."
Laurence Lane to Scattergood and Harris dated 27 January 1717/8.
"I write this in hopes it will find you both well after so great a fatigue in travelling this weather. You'l be surprised when I tell you in what consternation abundance of acquaintance were in at the Coffee House yesterday to hear of so suddain departure, some designing to write to Portsmouth, others Deall. As for my part, I knew nothing of the matter more than hearing what was said.
Some were of opinion there was something of business to be done by going to Portsmouth, or why did you not go to Deal? My answer was this, that you, having so many friends here, [it] was likely some of 'em would meet you a little way out of Town, or follow on the road, which has been the practice frequently among the Indians, and making great show on the road and at all places where they go thro' which has not been well taken; and as to my part, I thought it very prudent to amuse people by talking of going one ways and afterwards going another; so much for Coffee House news.
Tis very extraordinary to think that after so many civilitys shown by you two gentlemen to our good secretary that he should act as he has done this night, which is as follows:
In the evening he was calling about him to collect the invoyces and other papers which he designed to send by your ship, in such a manner as if all people were his slaves, an air, tho a very impudent one, he often assumes; and after he had wrote a short letter to Fort St. George to acquaint the Governor and Councill the reason of his writing, which was only