chap, xiv A LADY'S PUNISHMENT 39
When
this captain was about to return from Pulicat to Batavia, the wife of
the Governor of the former place, who was in league with Madame la
Générale in some private trade, believing that the captain was one of
her friends, begged him to ship secretly eight bales of very valuable
goods, and to take particular care that they were not wetted, in order
to convey them to Batavia ; this the captain promised to do, and he
placed the bales in a separate place.
On
his arrival at Batavia, he first went according to custom, to salute
the General and to hand him the letters belonging to the Company. The
General is in the habit of keeping the captains to dinner or to supper,
according to the hour of their arrival. Some Councillors of India are
always present on these occasions, to hear the news, and remain to dine
with the General.
At
the close of dinner the General asked the captain what news he had from
Pulicat, and if the Governor and his wife had not asked for anything to
be done for them. ' Nothing,' replied the captain coldly, ' except that
Madame, the Governor's wife, specially charged me with eight bales of
goods, articles of great value, asked me to keep a good eye on them, so
that they should not get damp, and to deliver them on my arrival into
the hands of Madame la Générale.' This unexpected reply much surprised
the General and those of the Council who were dining with him, and
still more Madame la Générale, to whom the Governor,1
turning, asked somewhat rudely if she carried on trade with the wife of
the Governor of Pulicat, which, according to the laws of the Company,
would have been criminal. Madame la Générale stoutly defended herself,
and protested that she knew nothing of what the captain had said. The
General then told the latter that he must be mistaken, and there and
then ordered the Fiscal to go and seize the bales, and expose them on
the quay to see if they would be claimed by any merchant. After they
had remained there for some days without any claimant appearing, they
were confiscated ; and thus, without scandal, the captain bad his
revenge for the ill treatment he had received at the hands of Madame la
Générale.*
1 J-GeneraV).
* The previous four paragraphs are omitted in the Recueil,
Flickr
Stumbleupon
Scribd