On the Maritime Commerce of Bengal. 333 



In No. 15 of the Appendix to the Report of the Com- 

 mittee of Accounts, published by the court of directors in 

 February 1793, we find an account of the prime cost of 

 all the cargoes purchased by the company in India for five 

 years, from 1786 to 1791 inclusive. We shall only state 

 the last year's investment for Bengal, or that provided for 

 1 790- ] , as we believe it has rather been increased since that 

 period ^ and we shall adopt that as the present amount of 

 the companv's exports from Bengal, being 99,11,598 cur- 

 rent rupees, or 1,06,00,109 current rupees, including com- 

 mercial charges at 6,88,511 current rupees. The private 

 trade laden on the company's ships by individuals is esti- 

 mated by the directors, on an average of three years prior 

 to 1793, at 300 tons, and valued in England at 694I. per 

 ton, making 208,200l., the prime cost of which may be 

 taken, on a conjectural estimate, at 15 lacks of current 

 rupees ; to this must be added the value of goods laden on 

 the privileged tonnage of the commanders and officers of 

 the company's ships. Fifty tons are allowed to each ship 

 of 755 tons and up^vards ; and a further privilege of 30 tons 

 is allowed, provided no goods ordered to be laden on the 

 company account are refused. We will suppose that 50 

 tons only are occupied ; and, estimating the number of 

 ships on an average of 15 per annum, give us 750 tons for 

 the whole privileged tonnage. It is to be remarked, that 

 all the ships which arrive at Bengal generally fill up their 

 privilege at this place, although they may be afterwards 

 destined to Madras, Bencoolen, or other ports in India; 

 and as ihe company have lately increased their tonna2;e to 

 this port, we presume the number of tons we have allowed 

 for privilege is less than what is really occupied*. This 

 tonnage we value at 3000 current rupees per ton, making 

 224- lack of current rupees, or about 15,000l. for each ship. 



Had we estimated the value of privileged tonnage at 

 20,000 1, per ship, we should probably have approached 

 nearer to tlie truth ; for it is the medium by which the 

 captains and officers remit home the proceeds of their out- 

 ward adventures; and thosfc who have no adventures bell 

 their privilege to others. 



•'Fourteen co'.npnny's ships sailed from Bengal in the season 17^5-4 fr 

 Madras, Iiencoijli.n, and I'.urop'j, und thret on a cruise tor the i/foi-C- 

 tion of tr^iie. in 171(4.-5 th': rrjuibcr dispatched Wos twcmv-thr'". in- 

 cludiii)/ thoic siiips that were employed as cruiiers, and txclusiv "t '^'X 

 •mall ships nut in the regular liat of the service, v-h'ch were icf- "ut to 

 be Uden with sugar. 



It 



