482 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



one oF the ship's boats. The ship 

 foundered off Point Guadawar, 

 the ))roniont(>ry which t^eparates 

 the coast of Coiomandel from 

 that of Orissa ; and thence Mar- 

 tine and his men pioceeded in tlie 

 ship's boat to Calcutta, which 

 place they reached, after sur- 

 motititing many dangers and great 

 hardships. 



He wa3 received with much 

 kindness by the Bengal govern- 

 ment, and appointed a cornet of 

 cavalry, in whicii service he con- 

 tinued until he had risen by re- 

 gular succession to the rank of 

 captain in the line, when he got 

 a company of infantry. 



Shortly after this promotion, 

 he was employed by government 

 to .survey the north-east distiicts 

 of liengal, being an able drafts- 

 man, and in every lespect well 

 qnalilied for that purpose. When 

 he liad completed his journey to 

 the north-east district, he was 

 ?ent to Oude, in order to assist in 

 sui veying that i)ro\irice. While 

 employed in tiiis service, he re- 

 s\:\ed rhiellv at Lr.cknow, where 

 he amu^e.! himself in shov\ing his 

 i: geiiuit) in several branches of 

 mechaiii's, and his skill in gun- 

 nerv, wh ch gave the Nabob \'i/.ir 

 Sujah-ud-Do>\ tab so high a no- 

 tion of the value of his ser\ ices, 

 that he solicited and obtained per- 

 mission from the Goveinoi' and 

 council of Calcutta, to appoir.t 

 him superinteiulant of his artil- 

 lery park and aiseiial. Martine 

 was So well satisfied wi'h his ap- 

 ])oiituient, and with liis pio-p.cts 

 in the ser\ ice nf tlie Naiiob \'i7.ir, 

 that he Dropo^e:! to the G;.\ernor 

 and council, tf) i-elinquish ids 

 ])ay ar,d allowances in the Com- 

 pany's seivice on the ccmdition 



of his being permitj;ed to letain 

 his rank, and to continue in the 

 service of the Nabob Vizir. This 

 proposal was complied with ; and 

 from this his subsequent pros- 

 perity commenced. 



He was now admitted into 

 the confidence of the Vizir ; and 

 in the different changes which 

 took place in the councils of his 

 Highness, as well as in the various 

 negociations with the English go- 

 vernment, he was his secret ad- 

 visei ; he .-eldom however ap- 

 peared at the Durbar ; and he 

 never hild any oSiensdjle situa- 

 tion in the administration of the 

 Vizir's government; but theie is 

 reason to believe, that few mea- 

 sures of inipo? tance were adopted 

 without his advice being pre- 

 viously taken. Hence his influ- 

 ence at the court of Lucknow be- 

 came very consi<ierable, not only 

 with the Vizir, but with his mi- 

 nistt rs, and that influence was 

 the source of the mimense fortune 

 which he amassed. Besides a 

 large salary vviti: extensive per- 

 (piisites annex' d to it, he used to 

 receive from the Nabob frvcpient 

 presents of con.-iderahle value ; 

 and when any of the Nabob's mi- 

 nisters, or iitlier men of conse- 

 quence about the court, had any 

 particular measure to larry with 

 their master, or personal favour 

 to ask (if him, it was their cvistom 

 to go ])ii\ately to Martine, and 

 ob'ain his interest in then- cause, 

 which, if he was at times induced 

 to r' fuse, he to(d\ due caie to 

 Hit cure lor them ultimatelv, by 

 ohti means anti with adeijuate 

 comi)ensation 



During the reign of Asopii-ud- 

 Dowlah, father of the present 

 \'izir, Martine ma.de a consider- 

 able 



