"ملخّص يحتوي على معلومات بشأن الاتصال الأول لشركة الهند الشرقية مع الجزيرة العربية التركية، طالما أمكن تتبع ذلك من سجلات حكومة بومباي، بالإضافة إلى أسماء العديد من المقيمين البريطانيين والوكلاء السياسيين الذين عُينوا في بغداد والبصرة في الفترة بين ١٦٤٦ و ١٨٤٦ ميلادي، وبمرافقة معلومات أخرى" [ظ‎‎٢‎٣] (٢٢٦/٤٨)

1G PRECIS OF INFORMATION REGARDING CONNECTION OF E. I, COMTY.
40. The following is an extract from the Surat Diary for the 9th
December 1728: —
" Imported the Fame frigate and Fort St. George galley from Surat. By the Fame
we received letters from Bussorah and Gombroon, dated the 12th and Slst October. The
former advises in substance what the Resident had before wrote to Gombroon, copy of
which was sent us by the Fort St. George galley, and further that, in the month of
August last, the Government seized upon his linguist and put him in irons on pretence
that he had taken upon himself to act as trustee to a deceased Armenian's estate
without an order, as usual, from the Gauzy. Mr. French, thinking himself affronted in
the person of his servant, thought fit to resent it by retiring with the rest of the
English on board the Brittannia, where he had not been long before the Captain
Bashaw sent him word that his servant was released, and desired he would come ashore
to receive him, but he insisted on his being delivered up aboard, which was accordingly
done, and the Captain Bashaw sent his second to invite him to his house. Mr. French
then went ashore, and the Bashaw gave him assurances of all the favor and protection
he could desire, and a phirmaund, that in case any of our servants for the future
commit any crimes we shall have the liberty of punishing them ourselves, and when
any disputes shall arise about debts or contracts with the country people the Gauzy
shall examine the affair in presence of our Resident, and in case he (the Resident) shall
think the sentence not equitable it shall not bind till the Bashaw, upon a fair hearing,
confirms it: so this affair ended much to our advantage. He advises further that the
boats from Bagdad not being arrived at the date of his letter, he fears he shall not be
able to despatch the Brittannia before the 1st December, but hopes to obtain a very
considerable freight for her before that time, and that late advices from Aleppo say
that war is likely to break out in Europe, as the King of Spain had renewed his preten
sions to Gibraltar and Port Mahon, supported therein by the Enperors of France and
Russia, and that the Dutch seem inclinable to stand neuter."
41. In the Diary for the 21st November 1731 allusion is made
to a letter having been writen on that day by the Bombay Government
to the Chief and factors at Goombroon, and the substance of that com
munication is at the same time given. The following extract therefrom
relates to the Company's affairs at Bussorah :—
" The phirmaund obtained by Mr. French from the Bashaw of Bussorah for the
English paying only 3 per cent, customs on all goods sold at that port will be highly
advantageous to private trade ; and as he has been at so large an expense in obtaining
it purely out of regard to the public good, we are willing to grant him all the relief we
can, and we direct them to order him to open a head on the Bussorah books of charges
in procuring a phirmaund in favor of the English trade, debiting it for the whole
amount of the expense, with the growing interest thereon ; and in that expense let be
included three thousand crus as a gratuity for Mr. French's trouble, and let him
credit the said account by account consulage for the consulage annually collected until
the prinicipal and interest is paid; by this means the debt contracted for procuring
the phirmaund becomes the Company's, and for their re-imbursement we direct an
additional duty of 1 per cent, be laid on all trade carried on by the English to the
Port of Bussorah, as well by the Company as private persons trading under their
protection, until the said sum in principal and interest thereon, according to the
custom of the place, is fully cleared, and no longer."
42. On the 30th August 1733 the Agent in Council at Gombroon
informed the Bombay Government that they had just received a letter
from the Resident at Bussorah containing the following intelligence :—
" The Grand Vizier had defeated Thomas Caun near Bagdad, and killed 50,000 men
on the spot; that the engagement lasted with great fury several hours, and that
the troops Thomas Caun left to blockade Bagdad were almost all cut off by a sally
made from the town by Ahmed Bashaw, a small parly excepted, with their General,
Mahomed Caun Bullouch; and that the Vizier had sent a Bashaw with a deachment of
horse to pursue Thomas Caun as far as Ahmadoon, and there to stay until further
orders. About a month before this news came, they had, they say, received Thomas
Caun's answer to Mr. Holmes' remonstrance and the Agent's letter, couched in very
complaisant terms, in which he sent an order to the Shawbunder and supravisors to