Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 2).djvu/491

 *pany's cargo," or not appropriated by their agents, with goods and produce of their own.

Besides an ample supply of provisions to each ship, the commander had almost every luxury he could desire provided at the expense of the Company.[1] He was also allowed to import two pipes of Madeira wine, which were not reckoned as part of his allowance. The first mate, besides his proportions of freight and provisions, had as "indulgences" on each voyage twenty-four dozen of wine or beer, two firkins of butter, one hundredweight of cheese, one hundredweight of grocery, and four quarter cases of pickles. The second the same as the chief, except that his allowance of wine or beer was limited to twenty dozen; and the other officers in somewhat similar proportions. So that their appointments, if not so lucrative as that of the commanders, must have been very desirable and comfortable.

If such were the advantages of the officers in the maritime service of the Company, what must have been the gains of its civil servants in India, who appear not to have been limited or controlled to the same extent in their perquisites or trading privileges. No wonder that the Company, even with its vast monopoly, found itself frequently in difficulties, and obliged to seek, especially in the earlier portion of its career, the assistance of government. Indeed instances sometimes occurred when the commanders and officers, not having filled their allotted space with produce of their own, received for it from China not less than 50l. per ton as freight to