Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 375

MARCH, 1933 ]
THE SCATTERGOODS AND THE EAST INDIA COMPANY
205
[NOTES ON DOCUMENT No. 104.)
() See document No. 83. (?) See document No. 89, note (*). (3) Samuel Houblon, part owner of the Bonitu. (4) Silk from Hanoi.
To the Rev. George Lewis Scattergood also furnished a reply to the charges against him in much the same language as in his letter to Chamberlain. He stated that the stock of the Bonita was 100,000 pagodas,"half the Governors &c. gentlemen of Madrass and the other half ours," and after exculpating himself from the owners' attack he added
" What we shall doe the next year cannot as yet very well tell, till we hear from England (which hope will be very early or elne it will signify nothing) and be arrived at Madrass, our people's times will be out and then shall discharge them and goe on a new footing ... Mr. Pugh is (in) health, and hope he will doe very well. He is a good husband but a very bad merchant as yet, but time and experiance will overcome it. Ho shall not want neither for an employ. He is at present my secretary and hope in a little time to be my merchant.
. The news of this place is not much but what you will hear from every body that comes home. The present talk is about the Company's ship staying here a season whon tes and china ware enough to be had. They lay (As they talk) all the blame on the Madrass ships and say will write to the Com. paneys to prohibit them, which makes us very merry, when all the world knows that we do not prejudice them in tea, but in something else, for which they now stay. That comodity now is prodigious dear."
To Messrs. Affleck and Wendey, Scattergood did not mince his words regarding what he looked on as their ur just treatment of him.
[105]
[Canton, - November 1719.) To Messrs. Gilbert Afflack and James Wendey, Gentlemen,
Being gone to China on the Charlotta (to prepare matters) before the Europe ship's arri. vall, I could not tell what to write you from Madrass, but Mr. Harris bringing me one from our owners and another from Mr. Wendey to Mr. Harris and self, all full of complaints and advise, complaining of things that we had not done and advising us not to doe things that we never intended, both which letters I shall answer as fully as I can.
And first, you complain we left no invoice or accounts. All the accounts that could be left, or that we ever saw, was left with Mr. Chamberlayne. There could no regular account be left, not haveing brought matters to adjustment, nor could we make a right invoice tell after we were gon from the Maderas.
Next you complain that we had not acted as merchants in the matter above and had ased you but indeferently. As for merchants in the strictest sence, we cannot brag much of; but this I dare affirm, that you would have mett but with very few men that could haye manady'd your affairs better then us. As for useing you ill, it never inter'd in our thoughts, for we never had any reason that I know off.
Next, you wonder prodigiously to find we were not concerned in the Bonita, as if we had committed a vast crime. I do not know if you know of it or not before I went, but I spoke of it severall times, and I am sure Mr. Lewis knew it. I would have been gladly concerned, but a great freind of mine told me that they could spare me no more then so much, which I