VIZAGAPATAM
property. Mr. Dubois was sent to set the factory on its legs again. During his time the place was attacked and looted by 'thieves and poligars,' and the Company accordingly asked leave to fortify it. The new Chief was afterwards found guilty of frauds and errors and ' severall considerable wrongs done to the Hon. Company,' and in 1692 was dismissed and replaced by Mr. Simon Holcombe with Mr. Charles Barwell as Second in Council.
They had rather a stormy entry. They arrived by sea and were met at the landing-place by Mr. Dubois and others and conducted to the factory. On their entering this, one of the peons spat in the new Chief's face and abused him in language 'not fit to be mentioned;' whereon swords were drawn and some blood was spilt. Mr. Dubois and the others, being asked for their books and registers, brought Mr. Holcombe only 'a few torne old dirty papers, saying ye rest were lost and consumed by ye Mogull's people in the late unhappy times.'1[1] Mutual recriminations and other unpleasantnesses continue subsequently to fill many pages of the records. The head of the weavers also became contumacious, declining to sign his contracts when given the usual 'tasherilfs' (presents) and demanding in addition a coat with gold buttons and a gold bracelet. These latter were at length promised, as were also ' all further ceremonies of Honr,as fireing off Gruns &ca. and being carried to his house in ye Compa Pallankeen with ye Musick &ca. attendance.'
The records of 1693 2[2] mention a curious incident: —
'Rangarow, a neighbouring Raja [clearly the Rája of Bobbili], upon clearing a Tank in his Country found a vast Treasure buried in earthen pote with a small ps of Copper in each pot mentioning wt contained therein and by whom buried, by which it appeared to belong to ye ffamily of ye Sumberdues [the Rájas of Jeypore] and to be buried by y great grandfather of y present Raja, which has made a great contest between ye neighbouring Rajas and impeeded all commerce in those parts, Rangarow claiming its because took up in his Government and Sumberdue asserting a right to it by ye Copper plates with specific it to be buried by his ancestors who formerly had y Government of those parts. Ye event we must leave to time, but 'tis conjectured and not without reason yt upon ye- Sier Lascar's return from Metchlepatam he will soon decide ye matter to ye dissatisfaction of both Parties by condemning itt all to ye king's and his own p͏̄ticular Treasure.'
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