Title
A Voyage to the East Indies: Page 61
Description
These Circumstances naturally give rise to the following Questions. Are these Troops sent to India for the good of the public service (in preference to any other Men), or to enrich private persons? Is not some Interest requisite to procure the appointment? Is it not cruel to sacrifice the deserving many for the undeserving few? etc. By an Unhappy misconduct betwixt the Captain and his Officers the Ship was in an uncomfortable Situation. The Chief Mate then under Suspension; the second Mate had been twice suspended during the Passage & requested to leave the Ship which was granted; the third Mate quite dissatisfied as was the whole Ship’s Company, which was now reduced to a small Number. Five Gentlemen were appointed to enquire into the Chief Mate’s Conduct but the Ship did not stay long enough to have it decided, wherefore he continued in Suspension till we should arrive at Bombay. We were ordered by the Governor and Council to sail with the Atlas and Bessborough to Pondicherry, there to take in a Battalion of Seapoys and proceed with them to Surat. The other Indiamen who came with us were order’d to their respective Ports in India except the Norfolk, who was to sail for England, in Company with the Ganges & Genl. Baker, in which Sr Thos. Rumbold (Governor) and his Family were going home; Sir Edward Vernon & a Captn of a Man of War, intended to sail in the Norfolk . . . . . [end page 61]
