Quick conversion T. H April 13. 1647. Postscript All or most of the Gold mentioned herein as Duccats Knobs and Barres were melted and quoyned into Pagodies the coyne currant of Madrassapatan aforesaid before my comming thence T. H. T. H. abovesaid maketh Oath that the contents of this Attestation are in substance true Jurat 15. April 1647. R. A. The said T. H. was formerly sworne at the L. Bar. This Affidavit though very short and sparing according to the Parties owne expression is no whit unsuitable to the foregoing Agreement for C. and H. and all the 17. Strange stories being never before in India were made beleeve strange things as first No ships would come that yeare Mr. Courtens ship Loyalty comming thither about two moneths after Jo. M. Captain at Lisbone with Rupert That Joanna was such a very dangerous place whereas about two moneths after twenty two men of the said Companies were left ashore there by I. M. alias Mac O Neal commander of their ship John Ship Tho. and John Now called Sir J. M. one of Prince R. cheife Captaines late at Lisbone in Portugall which said twenty two men were all save one sound and well shortly after taken thence by one of Mr. Courtens ships and carried for India but the Gold was the maine businesse for after B. and O. had taken it in charge it was never more after delivered to C. nor any of the rest but possitively by D. and the rest upon all occasions and demands denied B. alledging his power to take the ship much more the Gold and D. allenging their Commissions not to save any of Mr. Courtens people from perishing with so much as a peece of bread Cruel Commissions O strange cruelty But from the Premises it is evident that this gold belonged properly to Mr. Courten and was absolutely by him intended for the supply and reliefe of his Trade at Acheen and in India The Golds proprietor and his plantation and discoverie of Madagascar Assada and the rest but the damage sustained by the deniall and unjust detaining thereof is almost incredible and not easily apprehended for that very year 1644. Losse incredible it prevented the return of four ships at least to my knowledge two from India and two or three from Acheen all upon Mr. Courtens owne account also caused the saile of about 300. tuns of goods at 40. per cent losse likewise a dead Charge of Customes Factors Trade and Plantation destroyed Factories at Carwar Raiapoore Rabagg Goa Acheen and elsewhere for divers years together to a very great Summe and utterly destroyed the Plantation of Madagascar by preventing recourse of shipping with supplies with many more damages and sad inconveniences besides losse of trade ever since so that computat computand 100000 li. 100000 li. personal losse besides National will not make good the personall and reall losse and damnification thereof to Mr. Courten ult Nationall as by this following Charge and the particulars therein exprest may plainly appear Dragon and Katherine Dutch and English damnifications and other Dutch damnifications added will amount the whole losse to 300000 li. The Charge The East-India Company Old or New or both together with their Factors now or late in East-India aforesaid especially R. B. Master and H. O. Merchant of their Ship Endeavour and F. D. their Agent at Madrassapatan and the rest are truly Chargeable and duely Responsible for principall and damage by their misdoings in India aforesaid To William Courten Esquire Son and Executor to Sir William Courten Knight deceased viz. TO sundry sorts of Barbary Gold valued at 9000 Barbary Duccats May 24 1644. which upon demand at Sea were delivered aboard the said Companies ship Endeavour by T.C. late Master and T. H. late Factour of the Ship little-Little-William of London be longing to the abovesaid William Courten Esquire to the said R. B. Master and Hen. O. Merchant and by them taken in Charge in or about the 24. of May 1644. And by the said Rob. and Hen. weighed with Rials of eight Spanish weighing Rials of eight 1544. and one quarter which with two Brasse-guns and interest and insurance added amounted at least to 5000 li. sterling All which the said B. and O. delivered to F. D. the said Companies Agent there at Madrassapatan c. which the said D. c. denied upon all demands detaining and converting the same to the said Companies use The proceed whereof was thence to Bantam then to Jambee and again to Bantam all duties deducted would amount at least to 60. per cent profit which makes 8000 li. and thence to England cent per cent ult Interest ever since amounts to 16000 li. 0 s. To charge of a Patamar or Footpost about forty dayes travell to and again to demand the same 2 li. 18 s. To charges also of Wal L. Factor horse and three men about six months or 180. dayes at Rials Eight one and halfe per die is 67 li. 10 s. principall to demand and protest for denying and detaining the same which according to custome there by account or the said Companies pollicies here by Insurance at 10 s. per Rial of Eight amounts to 135 li. 10 s. To fourteen days demourage of Ship Loyalty in Raiapore river to prepare against the Mallabars 150 li. afterward eighteen days at Goa 150 li. to attend for intelligence and prepare for Acheen and Madrassapatan to demand the same and upon intelligence afterwards sent to Persia principally for the same occasion and to meet there the said ship Endeavor reported gone thither and for other provisions and charges with Governours Merchants and others to obtain a fraight 600 li. 0 s. To ten months more provisions for the said ships voyage rialls of eight 800. at 10 s. per riall is 400 li. 10 s. To dead fraight and demourage ultr breach of Covenant demanded by the Owners 12000 li. 0 s. To five months and thirteen dayes demourage of ship Tho. and Jo. at 180 li. per month is 978 li. 0 s. To provisions for the said ship rials of eight 400. at 10 s. per riall is 200 li. 10 s. To losse in saile of 1260 Candees Feb. 27. 1644. Saltpeter to Capt. Jer. Blackman with other charges at two and a half Pagothies great per Candee is pag. 3150. valued per peece rial of eight 1 and 3 quarters is rials 5512 and a half at 10 s. per riall is 2756. li. 5 s. To Customes of Raiapore contracted with Mastapha Con. at 2500. pag. gr per an for six years losse is 6555 li. 10 s. To Pishcashes or gifts to the said Mastapha Con. and other Creditors to pacifie them rials of eight 400. is 200 li. 0 s. To charges of Factors and Factories at 2500 li. per an prevented imployment ever since 15000 li. 0 s. To charges of three ships to plant Madagascar Sun James Hester destroyed for want of supplies 12000 li. 0 s. To ship
Esquire Courten at the Cardinals-Hat near the Royal-Exchange in London drinking after Exchange-time as usually there came into our company divers other Merchants all unknown to me I beleeve not to Dtt. S. one of which was as by his discourse sometimes Factor in East-India for the Old Company and then lately come from thence who relating the severall passages and dangers he had passed in his voyage out and home and my selfe replying That I was upon Dtt. designe in service of the Worshipfull William Courten Esquire whose dayes God make ever happy his the said Factors reply was As a friend I tell it you proceed not in that imployment for it is most dangerous because the said Old East-India Company and the Dutch have Agreed together to injure the Esq either at Cape-good-hope or where else they shall meet with his ships to the effect of sinking burning or taking All which I the aforesaid R.H. doe affirme to be true as heard in the place aforesaid and by Oath will confirme the same when thereunto lawfully called In witnesse whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and year above written R. H. Jurat de veritat permiss 23. die Feb. 1646. J. P. This Affidavit made good since upon Oath in Chancery need no Commentary for it speaks very plain and fully to the whole businesse neither can any other construction be made thereof as proceeding from any particular Interest or by-respects but a friendly admonition of a known truth as both before and after by the said agreement of the said parties an their severall actions plainly appeared For the said East-India Company proceeded May 1643. Comp. 2 ships Hart and Hind and took occasion in May 1643. being the year following to visit the coast of Mallabar with two of their ships and there found at Anker in the road of Cannanore two Vessels a greater and a lesser belonging to Mamula Croe or Mahmet d' Croe King of Cannanore aforesaid and other merchants with whom Mr. Courtens Factors had good trade and correspondence Mahmet de Croe K. of Cannan c. having a Factory sometime there and another at Batticalla not far from thence wich a costly building of his owne The said two ships belonging to the said Mahmet de Croe being very rich in treasure of gold and silver Mallabar depredations 30 or 40000 li. 1 vessel 500 tun burthen and newly come from the Red-Sea were then and there both violently seized on by the Companies said two ships and so made reprisall killing and drowning some hundreds of their men without mercy as was reported and tooke from them in treasure thirty or forty thousand pound Sterling the most whereof belonged to Mamula Croe aforesaid which act not onely caused the losse of those Factories Trade and friendly correspondence in those parts Mâ—hmerd ' Groes demands but to this day the said Mamula Croe c. demands the said losse with damages from Mr. Courtens Factors then threatning them with utter destruction both by Sea and Land if they made not speedy satisfaction as by severall attestations and other expressions did plainly appear Moreover it was by the said Mallabars alleadged That because the Companies Factors and Factories were at such a distance therefore they could not attain their right from them but from Mr. Courtens living near or amongst them they might Mallabars plea. saying further that England is said to be a place of Justice where Mr. Courten may obtaine full right from the Company but how far they are mistaken hitherto both in that and the following five thousand pound principall which prejudiced M. Courten above forty thousand pound in one year I leave to those in Authority Mr. Courtens damage and others whom it may concerne to judge and consider And least this should not be a sufficient provocation Comp. ship Hopewel E. L Master in January following another of the said Companies ships seconded the said cruelties with other Massacres upon poore people in country Boats R. W. attest Dutch entered Mallabar c. trading too and fro upon the said coast of Mallabar as by another Attest may also appeare whereby they have constrained the Mallabars to desire the Dutch to reside at Cannanore and protect them against the English thereby hazarding the losse of that Trade to the further great prejudice of this Common-wealth the Dutch never there before Carwar now in danger but now seated neare Carwar wil also indanger that which is one and all the places enjoyed by any English in India fit for a Randezvouz In further prosecution of the foresaid Agreement or Covenant Combination or Conspiracy about two yeares after viz. in May 1644. Ship little William it so happened at Madagascar that R. B. Master of the said Companies ship Endeavour subtilly and surreptitiously got possession of about 5000. li. value in Barbary gold and two brasse Guns with seventeen men all saved by their great industry out of the ship Little William cast away beyond Cape bon Esperanze going to India upon Mr. Courtens imployment R. B. and F. D. monies detained demanded by messengers letters protests c. which said B. c. partly by false reports and partly by faire promises pretending then and afterwards at all times and places convenient he would assist them in the transport thereof to some of Mr. Courtens Factories in India or else to Acheen whither they were consign'd but being possest thereof intended nothing lesse but delivered the same at Madrassapatan to F. D. c. the said Companies chiefe Agent there and by them the same is detained to this day though often and lawfully demanded in India with much earnestnesse and extraordinary hazard and exceeding great charge by Sea and Land as appeares by many severall Letters Protests Messengers c. the said Companies Factors alwayes concealing the same in India for many months together Extraordinary charges and concealments of men and monies both men and monies from the knowledge of all Mr. Courtens Factors though but fifteen dayes journey by a Foot-post and upon the same continent converted the said monies to their own use for it seems they much wanted supplies and they so ordered and disposed of the men that but one of all the said seventeen ever yet appeared to tell any tales or tidings to Mr. Courten or any his Factors either in India or England that ever I heard of T. H. Factor no not so much as any word or writing from any one of them though it be reported that T. C. Mr. of the said ship William T C. no writings who had the principall charge thereof dyed in one of the said Companies ships homeward bound therefore let the judicious reader compare and consider all circumstances and then conclude how farre this concealement comes short of that of the Dragon and Katherine aforesaid This concealment compared with Dragon and Kitherine and how much inferiour for cruelty and damage
The fore-mentioned party one of the seventeen sundry years after being accidentally heard of an found out in London his Conscience seeming to accuse him being Purser and Factor of the said ship William in Office next to the aforesaid C. an perceiving Mr. Courten in a condition not to prosecute in Law was very unwilling to make any relation thereof T. H. unwillingnesse but afterwards was constrained thereto by an Order from the House of Lords and confirmed the same in Chancery which he said was done very sparingly and further said that if he should have spoken his knowledge therein freely it would have been a great shame and disgrace to the said Company Their bondage at Madrassapaton and that he could make such a discovery of that passage at Madrassapatan how they were kept in durance and that the said D. c. would not suffer them to goe from Acheen with their Gold c. although they had agreed with a Country Vessel or Junke at 40. l. for their passage or transport neither would they be suffered to write or travell by Land to Mr. Courtens Factories but were forced to submit to their pleasure and be at their dispose and the like being all seventeen strangers in India and never there before c. The said parties sparing Relation and Affidavit is as followeth To the Right Honourable the Lords assembled in Parliament The humble and true Attestation of T. H. Factor concerning East-India passages relating to 5000. l. in controversie between William Courten Esq and the old East-India Company THe 7th of May 1644. Ship Endeavour belonging to the East-India Company arrived in Augustine Bay upon the Island of St. Laurence at which time was resident upon the same place seventeen persons of Esq Courtens which through shipwrack had then lived there almost ninemoneths At the arriving of the foresaid Endeavour my selfe and six more went aboard at the same time the Mr. R. B. and the Merchant H. O. were going ashore upon our comming they stayed a little enquiring of us our disaster and then went away After which some of our company discoursing with theirs revealed concerning the saying of the Barbary Gold which newes was sent ashore to the foresaid Master and Merchant who presently returned aboard to have further knowledge and then went ashore againe to visite our Master T. C. unto whom they proferred passage with all his Company and what we had unto Joanna or their Factorie in India and that we might have from thence conveyance for our Gold unto the Esquires Factories per bils of Exchange or carried over land And they further informed us that we might expect ships out of England but there was small hopes for they had been a long time ready but were stopt by the Parliament that our Master Esquire Courten was failing Upon these resolutions our Master accepted of their loves for passage to Joanna After we had been at sea some five dayes Two months after M. Courtens ship arrived there the Master and Merchant of ship Endeavour desired of T. C. to see the Gold and know the quantity and likewise to peruse his Invoyce and his Bill of lading or else they would take no charge of the Gold The Gold taken in charge which desire was granted by the said T. C. who produce the Gold with Bill of lading and Invoyce the which they looked on and coppied out the Gold they weighed with rials of 8. and sealed them up together in baggs and put it into one of their Masters chests of money Before we came to Joanna False suggestions Joanna very healthful test 22. Companies men the Master and Merchant perswaded T. C. not remaine on Joanna because there was never any of our English that once lay ashore that lived and that upon arrivall at their Factory we should be accomodated with any thing for our further passage which perswasion T. C. received In our passage from Joanna to Madrassapatan R. B. Master of the said ship Endeavour Further enticements brought out his Commission upon the quarter deck and read it openly in the hearing of the said T. C. and divers others of the said C. his Company wherein the terme Interloper was often recited and being read he the said R. B. demanded of the said T. C. to see his Commission which was only Orders Companies Commissions scandal and large and Instructions by vertue of Letters Patents whereof the said B. tooke a Coppy and the said R. B. then told the said T. C. that by vertue of his Commission if he had met him at sea he had power to take him The second of July we arrived at one of the Companies Factories in Madrassapatan where being ashore T. C. requested the Companies Agent and Factors That according to their informations and promise that they would assist us for the transporting of the said Gold either by bill of Exchange or conveyance over Land unto some of the Esquires Factories the which they denied Master D. positive and often denials answering that the Country was up in armes and there was no safe passages We then requested the Agent and Councel to give us his Passe and let us have Servants and Guides and we would travell with it or else to make it over by bils of Exchange his answer againe was That he would not and that if we would have our Gold Companies Agreement and Commissions suitable that we should presently be gone out of their Fort for they were bound by Commission from their Imployers from assisting us if we were in need with so much as a peece of bread And he would not say he would send any after us but we should take what followed We also asked an English-man that had been formerly their Servant but then a Free-man that if he would entertaine us and the Gold in his house securely Peâ—fect durance with the gold and procure us a Convoy to passe over-land we would give him a large recompence his answer was That he did not dare to doe any such thing for by the English there he should be forced to fly and lose all he had Moreover H. O. Merchant of the Endeavour related unto me T. H. That they would never have gone from Augustine Bay without the Gold for if they had not had it by faire meanes per fas aut nefas they would have tooke it perforce whereby I conceive we might have continued upon the Island for all them if there had been no Gold Moreover after our arrivall at Madrassapatan aforesaid it was credibly reported and I doe verily beleeve it true That that Factory was in very great want of supplies the Factors disposing there formerly of their Gold chaines and Silver buttons to supply their great necessities As further also appeared in their journall Letter A. ending 5 August 1644. haying the said Gold therein entred and then ballansing their Accompts there was paid then to accompt of interest 4095. Pagothies