Indian Antiquary Vol 61

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

Page 361

DECEMBER, 1932)
THE SCATTERGOODS AND THE EAST INDIA COMPANY
189
(3) The Britannia, Captain John Powney commander, sailod fo: Siam on 24 Juno 1719 (Fort St. George Diary). Scattergood's interest in the ship dated from 1713 when ho consigned Rs. 646 to Captain Powney for an " adventure to Siam" (see p. 113).
(*) The Joseph, Captain William Keble commander, arrived at Fort St. George from Bussorah on 24 April 1719 and sailed for Pegu on 14 May (Fort St. George Diary).
(5) The transaction referred to appoars to be the transfer to Scattergood of a respondentia bond (found among the Papers) for 1,000 pagodas taken up by Hugh Campbell, free merchant, on the Prosperous, which arrived at Fort St. George from Surat on 8 June 1719 (Fort St. George Diary).
On 6 July Scattergood arrived at Malacca" after a tedious voyage" as he wrote to Thomas Harris, and here he remained until the 16th of the month. On 10 July there is a receipt by the Armenian Aratoon Lazaro for 2542 pagodas, in which sum Scattergood was interested in the ship Madano Saluto bound to Siam and afterwards to Surat. At Malacca he heard news which caused him to write the following letter to Captain Stephen Woodhouse of the Triplicane brigantine.
[92]
Mallacca,
July the 11th 1719. Captain Woodhouse, Sir,
I have received your letter and have dispatched this boat express to meet you to desire you to come away directly to this place without doeing anyching by the way, for the Government have heard of your being on the coast, and they suspect it is for tin,(') and they all here protest that if you touch any where by the way, you shall not stay one hour in this place, for you cannot doe anything but they will hear of it. Therefore pray, except you have a mind to ruin the concern and doe a prejudice to all the English, come away directly for this place : and if you should have done any thing, which I hope you have not, you must deny it.
The Government have heard of all Capt. Wallis his doeings,() and they all swear that if ever he comes here he shall not have any favour shewed him; and as for the people that went with him, they are all ruined and fled from hence. Therefore if the Government should ask you, when you arrive here, any question about Wallis, you must say that you was only a passenger aboard and sick at that time, and that you perswaded all you could to get Capt. Wallis away and did not know any thing of his business nor any people from hence concerned in that affaire.
When you arrive, I have recommended you to the Captain Chinaman and John de Matt() who will assist you all they can, and if they should send you any short voyage any where in the Streights,() then you may safely adventure, for they will not perswade you to any thing to their or your hurt.
I remaine your most humble servant
J. S.
(NOTES ON DOCUMFT No. 92.) (1) No instructions to Captrir Woodhonne have been found among the Papers, but see the extracts from his letter of December 1719, infra.
(2). I have found no record of any action of Captain Richard Wallis of the Success brigantine, which may have excited suspiction as to designs on tin.
(8) Chan Youngua and the Armenian Joao de Matt (or Mattos). (*) The Straits of Malacca, i.e., the Malay Peninsula.
From Malacca, on the day before his departure, 15 July, Scattergood wrote four letters. To Thomas Harris he explained that his delay at that place " was occasioned by selling twenty three ch.98ts of ophium which we could not deliver before. Mr. Harnage sold them for 260 rix dollars per chest, though if you have any to dispose of; you may sell them, if a small quantity,