A. D. 1661. ^o^ 



a place of trade, for which, as well as for the fecurity of our Mediter- 

 ranean commerce, it was very advantageoufly fituated *. 



King Charles at firft propofed to preferve Bombay and Salfet as part 

 of his royal domain, and therefor fent the earl of Marlborough thither 

 with five fliips of war and 500 foldiers. But he met with fo many dif- 

 ficulties from the Portuguele viceroy of Goa, 8cc. that after lofing many 

 men by ficknefs, &c. he did not get abfolute pofleflion of Bombay till 

 the year 1664, and even then not all the territory agreed to be yielded' 

 with it. It was foon after found, that the king's expenfe in maintain- 

 ing it greatly exceeded the profits of it, and that his people there un- 

 derfold the Englifh Eafl-lndia company's agents, whereby, and by vio- 

 lences committed on the natives by the king's foldiers. Sec. great con- 

 fufions were likely to enfue : thefe confiderations induced him to make 

 a grant in full property for ever of that port and territory to our Eaft- 

 India company, by charter dated 27th March 1668, to hold it in free 

 and common foccage of his imperial crown, on reimburfing the ex- 

 penfes of it, and paying an annualrent of Lio in gold on the 30th 

 September yearly, at the cuftomhoufe in London. It has been by de- 

 grees greatly improved by that and the prefent Eafl-lndia company, 

 both in flrength, commerce, and healthfulnefs, and fome fay, they late- 

 ly had 60,000 people on that ille of different nations under our com- 

 pany's protedion : though the Portuguefe had fcarcely looo people on 

 it. It is extremely well fituated for the trade of that extenfive coall, 

 and now enjoys a confiderable commerce. 



King Charles, by his commiffion under the great feal, now conflitut- 

 ed his brother the duke of York, the lord chancellor Clarendon, and 

 fundry other perfons of diflindion, to be the council of the royal fifhery 

 company of Great Britain and Ireland ; and mighty matters were ex- 

 peded from fo pompous a title : yet all came to nothing, though it mufl 

 be owned, that the king freely granted them all the immunities, and 

 even more, than were granted by the commonwealth in 1654; with 

 authority to fet up a lottery, and to have a voluntary coUedion in all 

 parifh churches. Moreover, all houfes of entertainment, as taverns, 

 inns, alehoufes, &c. were to be obliged to take one or more barrels of 

 herrings, at the ftated price of ^o/pev barrel ; and 2/6 per barrel was 

 to be paid to the flock of this company on all foreign-caught fifh im- 

 ported. 



1662. — The ftatute [13, 14 Car. II, c. 6] for enlarging and repair- 

 ing common highways, fo as they fiiould all be made 24 feet in 

 breadth, was become very necefiary, fmce the great increafe of carts, 

 waggons, &c. by the general increafe of our commerce. This ad, be- 

 ing only temporary, was revived and farther enforced by an ad [8, 9 



* See General Monk's opinion of this place, as noticed ijuder die year 1657. A. 



