Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 3.djvu/88

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. m. FEB. a, 1917.

former Kindnesses, though never can doe itt to the full.

The 29 D. Mr Bagnall* departed for Hugly upp[on] the Pinnace Madras, f sup- pose he may bee at his voy[age] end before this ; wee expect letters dayly from him.

I am sorry to hear you are soe much troubled with the toothach. I have en- closed sent Mr Vincent's! receipt, which hope may give you ease, itt being praised by him for an excellent remedy.

The 6th present in the evening I was taken Extraordinary ill with A fever and A very great paine all over my bones, and the 7 A great looseness, but I praise God they have all [le]ft me though somewhat weake. My humble service to Mr Powell, my love and service to Mr Jones, not else I remaine

Your real Loving Freind

JOHN VICKERS

P.S. The Dr, Mr Bullivant || &cta desire to be remembred to you isdem. J. V.

Ballasore le 19 June 1669 [De]ar Friend

Since the above written I received yours of the 4 Instant, and am sorry that I should give you occasion to accuse me of forgetfullness of my friend, through my negligence in not takin[g] opertunityes of writing to you, in which I have not [to] my knowledge been wanting, except once, for if I mistake not, this is the 3d Cossitt^f that hath come to Cossumbaz[ar] and I never omitted but once, and that was Mr Bridges** his private Cossett, which I did not know of till 2 houres after he was gon, but I wonder very much that mine of the 23d of may should miscarry, but I shall enquire of Mr Vincent whether he put itt into the pacquett, for I delivered itt to him. The slippers you were pleased to send me I re- ceived, and retu[rne] you many thanks for them as allsoe fo[r] your former token ;

later.
 * William Bagnall, or Bagnold, will be noticed

t One of the Company's small vessels which

Ued on the HQgll River between Hugli and alasor.

J Matthias Vincent, then " Second " at Hugli, will be noticed later.

By " the Dr." Ralph Harwar, who arrived in India in 1669, appears to be meant. He will be noticed later.

I! Samuel Bullivant, another of Ed wards 's friends and contemporaries, will be noticed later.

^ Cossitt, Ar. kdsid, a foot-messenger.

factories in Bengal from 1668 to 1671, when he returned to England.
 * Shem Bridges was head of the Company's

you may very justly accuse me of un- gratefullness to A brother and friend that hav[e] not (after the receiving of soe many Kindnesses and token[s]) Comply ed with your desires, but as you are my friend, doe not Impute itt to any thing but the want of money, which if itt had not been I had sent you the sanoes* long since, if I could not have gotten A boyf soe soone. I shall use my utmost Endeavor to procure Mr Bulli- vants Comon prayer booke, but I dare not Speak to him soe suddainly after the receit off] your letter least he should mistrust itt is for [torn away] here is noe newes stirring at present, not els[e] my humble service to- Mr Powell

I remaine

Your real Loveing friend

JOHN VICKERS

Mr Bullivant &cta present their service to- you and Mr Jones. J. V. [Endorsed] To Mr Richard Edwards Merchant In Cossumbazar Received the 28th June

LETTER VI. John March to Richard Edwards.

(O.C. 3306.)

[John March was admitted into the Company'^ service as factor on Nov. 4, 1661. He seems to have proceeded direct to Bengal, where he was employed at Patna under Job Charnock until 1665. In June of that year, " through some distastedness in minde, he left the Factory, and tooke most he had with him and went for Decca." In 1667, and again in 1669, March represented the Company at the NawSb's Court at Dacca. Trouble had arisen between the Bengal Council and Malik Kasim, Governor of Hugh". This official took advantage of the alleged tampering with some boxes (shipped by the English for, and consigned to, the Nawab oi Bengal by William Blake) to impose numerous exactions upon the English and to obstruct their trade in every possible way. John March, with John Smith as his assistant in 1669, was deputed to appeal at the darftar(Court) of ShSistab Khan against these exactions, and also to settle other matters of dispute with the native authorities.

In their letter to the Company of Jan. 23, 1669, the Council at Fort St. George recom- mended March as "a very ingenious and knowing person ja. your businesse and hath

Bengal.
 * Sanoes, Hind, sdnu, cotton cloth, woven in

t "Boy." This widely used term for a non-European body servant is an instance of folk etymology, arising out of the name of the caste in Southern India (Telugu boyi, Tamil bovi) employed by the Europeans who first went there,, originally as palanquin bearers and then as household servants.