455 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIV, 
mences with the arrival in sight of Malda, on Thursday, April 
Prickman, 3rd. 
Fytche Nedham, the First Chief of Malda, had originally 
been selected in 1671 for Siam, but had been transferred to 
Fort St. George, and thence, in 1676, to Bengal, where, in 
November of that year, he had been appointed Second at Dacca 
by Streynsham Master. In October, 1678, he succeeded as 
Second at Balasor, Edward Littleton who had been promoted 
to be Chief of that place, and on the 21st of February he mar- 
ried Miss Ann Littleton, his Chief’s sister. 
Mr. Richard Trenchfield,* the Second, did not arrive till 
June 16th, when he accompanied Mrs. Nedham and Mrs. Mary 
Cole from Kasimbazar to Malda. ; 
e volume of old records we are concerned with exhibits, 
in a very lucid light, the condition of Bengal in the days when 
Shaistah Khan reigned at Dacca as Sibadar of Bengal. From 
the Diary we learn that Malda ‘‘is the Nabob’s Jaggeer and is 
rented of him by Hernaraine, Congoy of Bengall.’’ This state- 
all kinds was bound to make exactions sufficientte grievous in 
themselves, absolutely intolerable,5 and, by substituting the 
farmer for a lawfully constituted and responsible servant of 
rae. glish commenced their business at Malda in 1680 
in a hired house “of brick, but very much out of repair, and 
the rooms being for blackness and darkness more like dungeons 
SSE Sie ek FOE Nias eS ALS Meee ARMS MES DOES UC ee Pah ea an 
_ | See biographical notice. Temple: ii.339n. See also Yule: Hedges’ 
Diary, vol. II, pp. 290-2. Knighted in 1685 and died 1688. 
2 See biographical notice. mple: IT. 306n. In 1683, Littleton re- 
turned to England, having been dismissed for dealings with the ‘‘ inter- 
lopers.” In 1699 he came out as President of the New Company. Died 
; d p. 343. 
biographical notices, Temple: II. 284n. Yule: Hedges’ Diary, 
vol. ii, pp. 285-289. His first wife was a sister of the famous Chaplain 
in an ‘* Accompt of the Trade of Hugly,’”’ dated December 
15th, 1676, writes that as long as Hughli “ continued thus governed by the 
bine Soe au ET Y J pH aR EE? j against 
gers 
since t ear 1663 or thereabouts that Nabob Shasti Ckaun [Shaistah 
], the present kings came or Vice Roy of Bengale and 
obtained Hugly as part of Jaggere (or | him for his 
person), his servants being made soe far Governours as to receive all the 
oO receiv : 
rents, profitts, perquisites, fines, customs, etc., of the place, the Kings _ 
