1844.] Political Events in the Carnatic,/rom 1564 to 1687. 461 



history, politics and literature of the states and countries in which 

 their earlier settlements were situated. 



84. In pursuit of this useful species of knowledge, some of their 

 servants appear at least to have distinguished themselves by a perse- 

 verance not unsuitable to the prevailing habits of that nation ; and 

 the scientific works of Rumphius* and of Van Rheide, and the historical 

 works of Baldeus and Rogers derived from this source, will always 

 draw approbation. The first of these are more generally known, than 

 the humbler, though equally useful, labors of Valentynf and Havart, 

 who at this period cultivated a walk that furnishes the first specimens 

 from India of works, forming an useful basis and aid to modern^ spe- 

 culations on the political economy of these countries. 



85. Even in those tours which their servants occasionally made 

 from one factory to another, their journals convey a degree of informa- 

 tion that, not long since, was rare ; and would have been desirable 

 to the historian, the naturalist, or the geographer ; and which, there 

 is reason to suspect, was lately little known in England. 



86. The factories of the other European nations at this period 

 appear to have been of little importance. The Dutch commerce, not- 

 withstanding the sums expended in fortifying Negapatam, had fallen 

 into a mortal state of decay. The Dane3 at Tranquebar maintained a 

 doubtful and interrupted communication with their mother-country, 



* The Thesaurus of Rumphius, and the Hortus Malabaricus of Van Rheide contain extensive and 

 useful details of the Natural History of India. It appears that Van Rheide also extended his 

 enquiries to various other branches of useful knowledge. A classification of the 72 tribes of the 

 inhabitants of Malabar, prepared at his suggestion, lately came into my hands written in old Dutch : 

 the writer notices that it was prepared for Van Rheide. 



+ The work of Valentyn consists of 8 huge folio volumes, containing, among much rubbish, most 

 useful details of all the Dutch settlements and forts beyond the Cape of Good Hope. Among them is 

 an accountofthe history and state of Persia, and a History of the Mogul Emperors, with details not 

 known in England till Dow's work appeared in 1772. The work of Havart, published at Utrecht 

 in A. D. 1692, professes only to give a view of the rise and fall of the commerce of the Coast of Coro- 

 mandel : though loaded with the characters, epitaphs and eulogies of Company's servants, it yet 

 contains a faithful picture of the times, and a just account of the court and politics of Golconda at 

 a very interesting period immediately previous to this conquest. The visit of the king to Masuli- 

 patam, the account of Mr. Pitt's Embassy to Oolconda, and the notices of Sevajec, are curious ; and 

 the papers on the Indian manufacture of steel, and the account of assaying gold at the mint of 

 Pullicat, are useful. 



J The same sentiments and turn for cultivating a knowledge of political economy appear to have 

 prevailed still later, and gave rise to the establishment of au Asiatic Society at Batavia in A. D. 

 1780, in the eight Vols, of whose proceedings several very useful papers appear. 



3s 



