Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 376

206
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1933
had promised my freinds and could not goe back from it, for I was so hardly put to it to gett 300 pounds for Mrs. Wigmore that I was forsed to beg Mr. Lewis to spare it out of his. Be. sides, I can not imagein what it would signify, weither we were concerned or not, for I can not doe more then I have done or would doe if I had half the stock. I do not understand what you mean about the word honour, except you thought we had none and so you design'd to instill it into us. You tell us you have delt honourable by us, and I think (with very great reason) that we have delt honourable by you : for you are as much beholden to us for venturing our lives and working for you as we are for our imployments; for a laborour is allways worthy of his hire.
But put the case I bad not this employment. I should not fear of one in these parts if I had come out only a passenger, for thank God, I have freinds in a bundance in Madrass, Bengall and Surrat, in either of which places I should not want for an employ.
Now I will come to the freight and the idle words talkt at the Jerusalem Coffee house about getting 3000 pounds &c. Truely I think if I or Mr. Harris had say'd so, I do not think any harme in it. For suppose any of us did say he was in hopes of getting 3000 pounds commission &c., our saying so does not make it out that we do it. I wish we could with all my heart. And to tell you the truth, we do not want very much of it. And what then, tis' not all from England but a great deal from Madrass. But he that told you of it I thing [think] had little to doe; therefore an idle f[ellow). Before you had mistrusted us about the freight, I think you ought to have stayed till our accounts had been received, and then, if you found anything amiss, you ought to blame us and not before. I think it is a little barbarous usage. You write us a long storry about the Companeys supercargoe[8], what they do and what we ought to do, as if we were boys or not honest men. Your freight we have not wrong'd you one penny, but have brought all to account that we brought from England and whatever we had here in India, nay more then in strict justice to our selves we ought to have done. for we have brought to your creditt what we have received from passengers, tho' they made use of our cabins and drank of our wines all the voyage. And as for carring goods ourselves, I never carried less in my life, for the last voyage I had nothing except a few canes comeing back from Mallacca, and what we have gott with us now (the ship being freighted out), the Governor &c. Gentlemen allowed us to carry, and not one ounce more.
Doe you think that all the money we have in our hands we carry with us on the Bonita. No, we have orders to trade but little in hir, but to put it in severall bottoms for fear of a loss. Truely Gentlemon, you have been very smart upon us, which made me answer as smartly, especially to you two who I take to be my true freinds, and would prevent all suspecions or doubts that may lay upon you to our prejeduce.
Now I have discharged my fire, I am as coole as a militia muskett, therefore shall not thing [think] any more of the matter, but allways to act so that you never may have any complaint against us.
I hope you have sent your orders about our ship. Mr. Harris talks of goeing home the next year, and if God will give me life and good luck, two or three voyages more will send me after him.
I wrote you a long letter last year with a list of sundry things that I desired you to send me, which hope you have complyed with, and by severall shipps have sent you five half leaguers of arrack, which hope you have received, and severall things for Mr. Afflack. The rack, beleive, will last a great while, for I shall not meet such another oppertunity, I am