Volume 1

Materials towards a statistical account of the town and island of Bombay in three volumes.

  • Bombay Presidency
Date:
1893-1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Materials towards a statistical account of the town and island of Bombay in three volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    226/522 (page 208)
    Chapter L History. Money and Stores to the Portuguese, 1739. 208 BOMBAY TOWN regard you have always shown to it. But seeing this place absolutely cannot preserve itself without succour from abroad^ and that I can obtain succour nowhere but from your Excellency, as well by reason of the mutual union betwixt our two nations, as of the interest your island has in our preservation considering the great and dangerous conse- quences that may result from our ruin, I must again importune your Excellency in the hopes that your generosity and good disposition will be against the losing this place and the capital of this province, whilst it lies so near a nation which in Europe maintains a strict friendship with us, and who do not want for means to ]3i’event a ruin of such importance. Your Excellency is not unapprised that in your island there are several vassals of this state who have taken refuge thither from several parts with effects to a considerable amount and have resided under your Government with what they had thus brought away, though the greatest part of it did not belong to them. Upon which matter, the senate of this city has been convened with the Prelates of our religious orders and private persons. Your ExcelleneyY letter was laid before them with proof of the want of necessaries to defend the place. Upon which it was unanimously agreed that recourse should be had to these refugees, and that extraordinary and even forcible means should be used with them. That, in the meantime, while these effects are thus withheld by persons taking refage under other jurisdictions, applications should be made to those governments, with request of their favour and assistance in raising a loan to the royal treasury. By copy enclosed of an Act of Council in the said senate, your Excellency will see it is agreeable to our rights and laws that vassals shall be obliged to furnish assistance to their king, and that his officers have lawful authority to oblige them to help. I am certainly informed that on your island the persons named in the accompanying list hold considerable effects, of which they are subject to render account as well because the effects do not belong to them as by reason of their vassalage. As this benefit to us cannot be obtained without your ExcellencyY favour and protection intervening to that effect knowing your particular desire to assist and favour our nation, I request that your Excellency will be pleased to permit or give leave for searching the houses of the persons named in the said list erivino’ order for all assistance and favour to the officers I send on this employment. Or that our end may be obtained with more ease! as well as with less noise, that your Excellency will be pleased to send for them before you, and order them to give a faithful account of what they have in their possession, that on discovery of the amount which must not be inconsiderable, it may be used as a pledge for payment of the ammunitions which the place is in want of, and which your Excellency tells me are ready on our paying the value or giving security for it. In this city on our using extraordinary measures, in virtue of the abovementioned Act of Council, we have discovered a small parcel of plate, which I likewise am determined to apply to the payment for ammunitions and warlike stores that your Excellency may grant me. But as the plate belongs to the churches, and that a considerable loss