The Imperial (Austro) Asiatic Society. 9 



out to the best advantage the money realized by tlie sale of 

 the merchandise consigned to him. The Empress Maria 

 Theresa rewarded Proli for services already rendered, as 

 also for those w^hich he undertook to perform in the estab- 

 lishment of trading-exchanges in Trieste and Bruges, for the 

 sup23ort of the over-sea commerce of the Austrian and Belgian 

 provinces, by raising him to the dignity of Count. 



The ship Joseph and Theresa, bound for the east coast of 

 Africa, as also for the shores of Malabar, Coromandel, and 

 Bengal, set sail from Leghorn in September, 1776, with a 

 crew of 155 men. Unfavourable winds compelled Bolts to 

 make the Brazilian coast, in order to take in fresh stores. 

 Thence he lay a course for Delagoa Bay, on the S.E. coast of 

 Africa, oj^posite the island of Madagascar, on which, on 30th 

 March, 1777, he was so unfortunate as to get stranded, when 

 he was compelled to start a portion of his cargo overboard. 

 Bolts, however, turned to excellent account his stay on this 

 coast, having pm-chased from two African kings, named 

 Mohaar Capell, and Chibauraan Matola, a site of ground on 

 both banks of the river Masoumo, and, at a total expenditure 

 of 126,267 florins (about £12,600), in which was included 

 the cost of constructing the necessary vessels, founded a 

 factory, for whose protection he also erected two small forts, 

 which he furnished with cannon, and named after his two 

 illustrious patrons, Joseph and Theresa. 



After a more protracted stay on the coast of Malabar, 

 where he purchased from the Nabob, tlie celebrated Hyder 



