Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 411

JULY, 1933]
THE SCATTERGOODS AND THE EAST INDIA COMPANY
amounts to fifty eight taels, six mace, and five canderins, each pagoda being reduced to a tael and one and a half mace(); and deducting the freightage, which was fifty one pagodas, with your Worship's permission, I make the sum of fifty eight taels six mace and five canderins; deducting from which eighteen taels, two mace and five canderins, which I gave the pilot who brought in the vessel, and I did not give him more than a half of what had been arranged with him; and deducting five taels for the lor[ch]a(5) that went to fetch your Worship, there remain thirty five taels and five mace, which, added to the forty for the wine, make seventy five taels and four mace, which I will deliver to the said Father as I have stated above, I remaining ever most obliged and grateful for the honours and favours I have received from your Worship, offering myself to serve you in all things, not only in this land, but wheresoever you may place your orders to serve you.
And what I now desire is that your Worship will send me some news of Europe, and to advise me for certain whether you are going to Madras, in order that I may cause to be delivered to you forty pans(6) of gold, belonging to Senor Luis de Madeiros, (7) which is the money I have already received, which I had no doubt about receiving after reading his letter and the orders presented from him, and there lacks but little for his account to be settled; and also I ask your Worship, if no ship is leaving Macao for the Coast,(8) to do me the favour of giving a passage in your company to the Reverend Father Joseph Pereira, who will give you a clearer report of the accounts, and for the moment I will trouble you no further, and I do but ask you to give many messages to those gentlemen my friends, whom I do not mention each by name to avoid tediousness. I only say to the Doctor(") that I will do very well(?), and I pray God to give your Worship good fortune in all your business, and to keep you and your household in safety many years, in all prosperity as I desire, &c.
Of your Worship the friend and servant
Macao 31 September 1721.
JOÃO TAVERES DE VELLES GUERRA.
241
[NOTES ON DOCUMENT No. 130.]
(1) See Document No. 122 and note (1). (2) Canton appears to be meant.
(3) Carboys, strong glass bottles protected by wicker.
(*) The writer seems to be reckoning the pagoda at more than its usual value at that date (75.), or the tael at a lower rate than its average of about 6s. 8d.
(5) Lorcha, a small vessel used in the China coasting trade. See Yule, Hobson-Jobson, B. v. Lorcha. (6) Port. pão, more commonly "shoe of gold." See note on document No. 16b.
(7) See note (9) on document No. 114.
(8) By "the Coast" Madras is meant.
(9) Duncan Monro and Andrew Pecheir were the two surgeons at Fort St. George at this date.
Besides the above letter there are others from Father Joseph Pereira, who was sick at Macao, from Father Guigue (or Guique) at Canton regarding silver brought for him by the Bonita from Madras, and from Father Antonio della Concepcion enclosing a list of drugs to be procured for him in Surat.
When next we hear of Scattergood in Canton in 1721, he was dealing with Captain Eustace Peacock of the Morrice for provisions for his ship and also for a hat and periwig. The account furnished by his attorneys of his affairs in their hands from January to October 1720 could not have reached him until the following year. This showed him heavily interested in the Ostend trade. A sum of £1,501 odd was invested in the House of Austria, with insurance and other charges amounting to £76. Bad debts contracted at Ostend by Messrs. Pennicott and Cock totalled £944. Against this, on the creditor side, are entries of £1,331 and £2,400 received from Pennicott and Cocks and Peter Jackson for goods sold at