36 FRAUDS BY THE COMPANY'S OFFICERS book ii
which
should pay high duty to the Prince of the place where they are to be
loaded, as soon as they are on board, the purser and captain, who are
in league with the merchant, place on each the Company's mark, and
after reaching the store of the place where they have been landed with
the goods of the Company, they are removed at night in secret to the
house of the merchant.
These
people are able, moreover, to employ still another artifice. If the
merchant is a friend of the Commander he settles with him, and
pretending to have bought the bales of merchandise from the Company,
which is free from all custom, he is released by paying the 2 per
cent., the same as all those who have bought goods from the Company.1
The
following is the remedy which can check this irregularity. It is
necessary to establish in the principal factory a fiscal counsellor to
act in the name of the King and by his authority. He should be
independent of the General of the Company, in order that he may have
the right to keep an eye upon his actions as upon those of the least of
the officers.
A man of position is required for this post, who will be
resolute and watchful, and has under him a representative at
each factory. Each of these representatives, in the exercise
of his duties, should observe what is indicated in the following
articles :—As soon as he sees a vessel belonging to the Company
in the offing, he should go at once, or sometimes, according to
the season, he should wait till it has cast anchor. Then the
captain of the vessel should deliver no letter to any other
person, but should place all in the hands of the representative,
who will deliver those of the Company to the Commander.
He should take two or three person with him, who will remain
on the vessel until it is unloaded, to see that all that is landed
belongs to the Company. It is especially necessary that he
should take care that the people whom he takes with him do
not get drunk, for it often happens on these occasions that the
officers of the vessel purposely intoxicate them when they have
some contraband goods to send off the vessel, and secretly
convey them to the fishing boats which bring them fish and
other supplies ; this is done generally at night.
1 The preceding four paragraphs are omitted in the reprint of the Becueil.
