Chap. IX* between the Inhabitants of Great-Britanij W c « 9°7 
the Air with thick {linking Vapours, which the North- the great Credit and Praife of the Governor ; and when 
eaft Winds bring with them to Fort-William , that they the poor Hufband returned, he was forced to iubfmt to 
caufe a yearly Mortality. One Year I was there, and lofe his Mate under the Pain ot Flageiation : Yet he^ was 
there were reckoned in Augujt about 1200 Englijlo, home very fhy in taking Bribes, referring, thofe ; honeft bo As 
military, fome Servants to the Company, fome private who trafficked that way to the Difcretiori of his Wire and 
Merchants refiding in the Town, and fome Seamen be- Daughter, to make the beft Bargain they could about ^ ie 
longing to Shipping lying in the Town 1 and before the Sum to be paid, and to pay the Monty into then Hands. 
Beginning of January there were four hundred and fixty I could give many Inftances of the force of Biibery, both 
Burials regiflered in the Clerk’s Book of Mortality. here and dfewhere in India , but am loth to ruffle the Skin 
Mr. Channock chufing the Ground of the Colony where of old Sores. ^ _ 
it now is, reigned more abfolute than a Rajah, only he About fifty Yards from Fort William, hands the Church, 
wanted much of their Humanity ; for when any poor ig- built by the pious Charity of Merchantsrefidingthere, and the 
norant Native tranfgreffed his Laws, they were fure to Chriftian Benevolence of fea-farsng Men, whole Auairs 
undergo a fevere whipping for a Penalty ; and the Execution call them to trade there; but Minifters of the Gofpel oe- 
was generally done when he was at Dinner, or near his ing fubjedt to Mortality, very often yoiing Merchants ase 
Dining-room, that the Groans and Cries of the poor De~ obliged to officiate, and have a Salary of fifty Pounds per 
linquent ferved him for Mufick. Annum added to what the Company allows them for then 
The Country about being over-fpread with Paganifm, Pains, in reading Prayers and Sermons on Sundays. 
the Cuftom of Wives burning with their deceafed Huf- The Governor’s Houfe in the Fort, is the beft and 
bands is alfo praftifed. Before the Mogul s War, Mr. ffibft regular Piece of Architecture that I ever Law ^in In- 
Channock went one Time with his ordinary Guard of Sol- dia, and there are many convenient Lodgings for bailors 
diers, to fee a young Widow aft t hat tragical Cataftrophe ; and Writers within the Fort, and fome Store-houfes for 
but he was fo fmitten with the Widow’s Beauty, that he the Company’s Goods, and the Magazines for their Ara- 
fent his Guards to take her by Force from the Executi- munition. 
oners, and conduct her to his own Lodgings. They The Company has a pretty good Hofpita! at Calcuta, 
lived lovingly many Years, and had feverai Children; at where many go in to undergo the Pennance of Phyfick, 
length fhe died, after he had fettled in Calcuta. Butin- but few come out to give an account of its Operation, 
ftead of converting her to Chriftianity, die made him a The Company has alfo a pretty good Garden, that fur™ 
Profelite 10 Pag anifm, and the only Part of Chriftianity nifhes the Governor’s Table with Herbage, and Fruits, 
that was remarkable in him, was, burying her decently ; and fome Fifh-ponds to ferve his Kitchen with good Carp, 
and he built a Tomb over her, where, all his Life, after Calhops and Mullet. 
her Death, he kept the Anniverfary-day of her Death by Moll of the Inhabitants of Calcul a, that make any to- 
facrificing a Cock on her Tomb, after the Pagan Manner. lerable Figure, have the fame Advantages, and all forts 
This was, and is the common Report, and I have been of Provifions, both wild and tame, being plentiful, good 
credibly informed, both by Chriftians and Pagans, who and cheap, as well as Cloathing, make the Country very 
lived at Calcuta, under his Agency, that the Story was agreeable, notwithstanding the above-mentioned Inconve- 
reai’y Matter of Fa£h niencies that attend it. 
Fort William was built an irregular Tetragon of Brick On the other Side of the River are Docks made for re- 
and Mortar, called Puckah, which is a Compofition of pairing and fitting their Ships Bottoms, and a pretty good 
Brick-duft, Lime, Molaflls, and cut Hemp ; and when Garden belonging to the Armenians. That had been a 
it comes to be dry, is as hard and tougher than firm Stone better Place to have built their Fort and Town in, for 
or Brick, and the Town was built without Order, as the many Reafons; one is, that where it now ftands, the Af- 
Buiiders thought moll convenient for their own Affairs, ternoon Sun is full in the Fronts of the Houfes, and fmnes 
every one taking in what Ground beft pleafed them for hot in the Streets, that are both above and below the Fort, 
Gardening; fo that in moft Houles you muft pafs thro’ a whereas here the Sun would have fent its hot Rays on the 
Garden into the Houfe, the Eglijh Building near the Ri- Bmks of the Houfes, and the Fronts had been a good 
ver-fide, and the Natives within 1 and. Shade for the Streets. 
The Agency continued till the Year 1705, that the old Moft Gentlemen and Ladies in Bengal live both fplen- 
and new Companies united, and then it became a fpiit didly and pleafantly, the Forenoons being dedicated to 
Government, the old and new Companies Servants go- Bufinefs, and after Dinner to reft, and in the Evening to 
verning Week about, which made it more anarchical than recreate themfelves in Chaifes, or Palankins; in the Fields, 
regular. Sir Edward Littleton was Agent and Conful for or going to Gardens, or by Water in their Budgeroes, which 
the new Company at Hughly, when this Union of the a convenient Boat that goes fwiftly with the Force of 
Companies was made, and, then he was ordered to remove Oars; and on the River, fometimes there is the Dverfion 
his Fadory to Calcuta, and being of an indolent Indifpo- of Fifhing, or Fowling, or both, and before Night they 
fition, had let his Accounts with the Company run be- make friendly Vi fits to one another, when Pride or Con- 
hind ; he was fufpended, but lived at Calcutta till 1 707, tention do not fpoil Society, which too often they do 
•that he died there. He was the only Precedent, or Prefi- among the Ladies, as Difcord and Fad! ion do among the 
dent, in the Company’s Service, that loft an Eftate of Men ; and altho 5 the confcript Fathers of the Colony dif- 
feven hundred Pounds per Annum in fo profitable a Poft in agree in many Points among themfelves, yet they all 
their Service, agree in oppreffing Strangers, who are configned to them. 
This double-headed Government continued at Calcuta not fuffering them to buy or fell their Goods at the moft, 
till January 1709, that Mr. Welden arrived with the Com- advantageous Markets, but of the Governor and his Coun- 
pany’sComrniffion to fettle it at Bombay and Fort St. George, cil, who fix their own Prices, high or low, as feemerh 
which were under the Management of a Governor and beft to their Wifdom and Difcretion ; and it is a Crime 
Council, which thofe of the Direction in England took to hardly pardonable, for a private Merchant to go to Hv.ghly 
be a better way to promote their own Creatures, as well to inform himfelf of the current Prices of Goods, altho’ 
as their own Intereft. His Term of governing was very the Liberty of Buying and Selling is entirely taken from 
Lhort, and he took as fiiort a Way to be enriched by it, him before. 
by harraffing the People to fill his Coffers : There was one The Garrifon of Fort William generally confifts of two 
lingular Inftance of it. A poor Seaman had got a pretty or three hundred Soldiers, more lor conveying their Fleet 
Mujlic Wife, a little inclined, to Lewdnefs in her Huf- from Patana, with thqCompany’s Salt-petre, piece Goods; 
band s. Abfence. She entertained two Armenians , who raw Silk, and fome Qphium belonging to other Merchants, 
were, like to^ quarrel about ffiaring her Favours, which than for the Defence of the Fort : For, as the Company 
coming to the Governors Ears, he reprimanded them ; holds their Colony in Fee- tail of the Mogul, they need 
however, by the ftrong Perfuafion of five hundred Ru- not be afraid of any Enemies coming to difpoffefs them 5 
fees, paid m Hand by one of them, he awarded him to and if they ffiould at any Time quarrel ao-ain with the 
have the foie Right to her, and he carried her to Hughly, Mogul , his prohibiting his Subjects to trade with the Com- 
und bragged openly what his Purchafe had coft him, to pany would foon end the Quarrel 
There 
