It is very clear, from entries in the Court Minutes, that, in the absence of any method for preserving documents in the early years of the Company's existence, many were lent and not returned, and that, to such an extent as to attract the attention of the Court, who gave directions (3) in consequence of certain journals being wanted, that were then missing, that for the future the journals were to be first written in the Company's books before being lent to any one, and that none was to use them without the consent of the Committees. It is impossible to say to what particular journals reference was here made, as the number of missing documents has no doubt been largely increased since that time.
On the formation of the East India Company, Richard Hakluyt was appointed historiographer (4); their historical and geographical documents were subsequently placed in his custody, and he had charge of them until the date of his death in 1616. About four years later these journals came into the hands of the Reverend Samuel Purchas, having been made over to him for publication. Instead of printing them in extenso, Purchas resolved to epitomize his materials, and, in this form, he published them in four folio volumes, under the title Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas his Pilgrims. It seems doubtful whether most of these original journals were ever returned to the East India House, but, if they were, many of them have since been lost, and of others only fragments now exist. This is much to be regretted, as the earliest journals were the most important, and, in many cases, the only records of the proceedings of the Company's Agents abroad. Later on, much of this information is contained in letters received by the Court from their Captains and Factors in the East.
No proper provision appears to have been subsequently made for the safe custody of these journals, and, consequently, those that remain of these priceless records of the past are in many cases defective, and a still greater number are damaged by damp and decay.
MARINE RECORDS
Of the first expedition sent out by the East India Company no journals now exist. The first document of that nature extant in the records of this Office is a fragment of a journal, from the 31st July to the 4th August 1605, kept by an Officer on board the Ascension, one of the vessels that took part in the second expedition. There are no journals now existing of any of the vessels that took part in the 5th and 12th voyages, and there are only three journals amongst the records of this Office of the early joint stock voyages, vizt. two of the first voyage of the first joint stock, and one of the first voyage of the second joint stock. Subsequently to 1617 - the date of the last-mentioned voyage - the defects amongst these records are not so numerous, but whilst of the missing journals of the more recent voyages there do not exist any published copies (so far as is known) many of those previously to 1617 have been published, principally in an abbreviated form in the Hakluyt Society's Publications in Purchas his Pilgrims, or in Harris's Voyages.
Up to 1701 the accounts of voyages were kept in the shape of journals, on board the several Ships, but from 1702 (the date of the coalition between the two East India Companies), onwards, these were abandoned for Log books. The list of journals now extant is contained in Section 1 of the Marine Records, and that of Log books in Section II. The latter extend from 1702 to 1856. Amongst the Miscellaneous Marine Records will be found a quantity of information relative to appointments; proceedings of Committees; trade, correspondence in the Marine Department with the Governments in India; Lloyds Lists; the introduction of Steam Navigation &c. &c, particulars of which will be found in the separately printed list of Marine Records.
COURT MINUTES
Although the East India Company was not incorporated until the end of 1600, their records commence from the 22nd September 1599 with a statement of the names of those who subscribed towards the "venture in the pretended voyage to the East Indies".
The "Court Books", which contain the earliest records of the East India Company in this country, consist of Minutes of the Court in London, and extend continuously from 1599 to 1858-59, comprising in all 191 volumes. The books for the following years are, however, missing, viz., 10th August 1603 to 30th December 1606; February 1610 to January 1614; 17th November 1615 to 18th September 1617; 1st July 1629 to 1st July 1630; 17th July 1631 to 3rd July 1632, and 4th July 1637 to 4th July 1639. There are fourteen volumes of "Dissents" by Members of the Court of Directors; four volumes, extending from February 1764 to March 1811, are in original, and the remaining ten volumes, from 14th October 1807, to 1st September 1858, consist of copies only. Next come nineteen volumes of "General Court Minutes", extending from 1702 to 30th August 1858.
Following the "Court Books" of the East India Company, the "Council Minutes" of the Secretary of State for India in Council bring this series of records up to the present date. Duplicate copies of the first five volumes of these Minutes, ... [the next page was not transcribed] ...
RECORDS RELATING TO THE PORTUGUESE IN INDIA
But very few separate papers relating to the Portuguese in India have been found amongst the old East India Company's papers, but it is almost needless to remark that references to the Portuguese, and our struggles with them for supremacy in the East are scattered all through the older records, and occur, at intervals, amongst the more modern papers. Two separate entries on this subject will be found amongst the Miscellaneous Records. They are as follows:-
> Portuguese in India; disputes with the English regarding Bombay &c., 1661-1725; occupation of Portuguese settlement by British troops, 1788-1809; inquisition at Goa, and jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archbishop 1819. Mi ss: No. 60.
> American and Portuguese trade with India - 1794-1803. Mi ss: No. 439.
There also exists unique collection of copies of Portuguese Records at Lisbon and Evora, which were made under orders of the Secretary of State for India, and extend from the year 1500 to 1806. These have been bound and are as follows:-
. Documentos Remettidos da India ov Livros dos Moncoes - 1600-1697. Four volumes of these extending to 1619 have been printed in extenso. From documents of later date in this collection selections have been made, which have been copied, and these are bound in five volumes.
. Corpo Chronologica - 1500-1630. Two volumes.
. Gavetas Antigas - 1511-1711. One volume.
. Evora, Pombal and Cartas - 1572-1806. One volume.
. Conselko Ultramarino - 1793- Three volumes.
. Noticias da India - 1475-1750. Two Volumes.
. Cartas da Albuquerque - 1507-1615. One volume (printed).
The above have now been nearly all translated, and the translations bound up in volumes. Besides these the following publications which contain copies of Portuguese Records, not included in any of the foregoing series, have also been added to the collection of this Office.
. Collection of Engagements and Treaties of Peace between the Portuguese and Kings and Chiefs with whom they had relations in Asia and Eastern Africa - by J.F.J. Biker - 10 vols.
. O Chronista de Tissuary - by J.H. da Cunha Rivara. 4 vols.
. Archivo Portuguez Oriental. 6 vols.
RECORDS RELATING TO THE DUTCH IN INDIA
The documents relating to the Dutch in India, which were contained amongst the old Records of the East India Company are as follows:-
. A summary of events relating to the connection of the Dutch in the Eastern Seas.
. Treaties between the dates 1596 and 1864. Four volumes.
. Treaties with the Dutch 1787 and 1823-1824. Three volumes.
. Miscellaneous letters and documents, 1617-1824. Eight volumes.
. Disputes with the Dutch, 1750-1764. Seven volumes.
. Expedition against the Dutch Settlements in 1781.
. Claims of the Dutch, French and Danes, 1786. Four volumes.
. Capture of Dutch Settlements, 1795-1796.
. Mission to Achin - 1818-1819.
. Trade in the Eastern Archipelago - 1818-1820.
Besides the above, the collection of Records at this Office on the subject of the Dutch in the East has been considerably enriched by copies of documents in the State Archive at the Hague between the years 1600 and 1699, as follows:-
. Letters from India - 1600-1698. 1588 documents.
. Letters from the XVII to India - 1614-1699. 228 documents.
. Letters from the Governor General to various factories in the East - 1617-1690. 427 documents.
. Letters from the Camara at Amsterdam to the Governor General - 1642-1684. 13 documents.
The majority of these copies have already been received here from Holland and been bound. Translations are now being made of them, and with this work some fair progress has already been effected.
Besides the foregoing there are several volumes of published Dutch Records relating to the Indies which form part of the collection at this Office. They are as follows:-
. Collection of Proclamations relating to the Netherlands Indies - 1602-1811. Fifteen volumes of this work have been published, which brings it down to the year 1809.
. Instructions, Ordinancies and Regulations for the government of the Netherlands Indies, collected by Mr. P. Mijer - 1848.
. Daily Register kept at the Castle of Batavia, 1624-1669. Ten volumes.
. The Governors General and Commissaries General of the Netherlands Indies - 1610-1888.
. Documents for the history of the Dutch in the East. Collected by P.A. Tiele.
. Extracts from the Resolutions of the State of Holland and West Frisia, from 14th August 1760 to 18th March 1761.
RECORDS RELATING TO THE FRENCH IN INDIA
There is a separate collection of Records relating to the French in India, which has been made up from miscellaneous papers that formed part of the documents in the late East India Company's possession. These have been bound up in 14 volumes, and they extend in date from 1664 to 1813. Other references to the French will be found scattered through the various collections of Records, and particularly in the "East Indies Series", in 98 volumes, which comprises documents dated between the years 1748 and 1785.
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So far as I am aware no examination has been made of the papers in the French Archives relating to the connection of that nation with India, or to other subjects in which this Country would be interested; and no Calendar of French State Papers has as yet been published by the Public Record Office. Thus the information available with regard to the French in India is not nearly so complete as is the case with respect to the Portuguese and the Dutch in the East.
RECORDS RELATING TO INDIA IN THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
In the Public Record Office there are a number of documents relating to India and the East. A list of those contained in the Colonial Section is given in Appendix No. Of these the most important are those contained in the series labelled "East Indies". In the first volume will be found correspondence relative to Robert Shirley, in Persia; to Sir Thomas Rowe's Embassy to the Great Mogul; Letters from Richard Cocks, in Japan; controversies between the English and Dutch in India and the East &c. &c.
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VENETIAN RECORDS
The design of the Calendars of Venetian Records being to give an account of such materials for English history as exist in the several Archives in Venice, it cannot be expected that they will contain much relating to the Venetian trade with the East except in so far as it has a bearing on this Country and its trade. ...
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Doubtless many more records belonging to this class at one time existed, but losses from amongst these, as amongst others must have taken place on the occurrence of the three fires which occurred in the Dacal palace in 1483 and in 1574 and in 1577; but the principal losses occurred on the fall of the Republic, in 1797, during the confusion that followed the change of Government. In 1817 a decree was issued for the collection of all the scattered Records, wherever they were to be found, into the convent of the Frari, but it was not until 1847 that the general work of arrangement and classification was commenced on a plan originated by the late Abbote Cadorin according to which the Records were divided into four compartments vizt. political, judicial, commercial and territorial.
The Venetian trade was principally carried on by a fleet of trading vessels called the "Flanders galleys", which appear to have made their first voyage under the immediate auspices of the State in 1317. ...
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... These Flanders Galleys continued their voyages until 1532, after which date the Merchants of Venice sent their "rich argosies" at their own risk, and regulated their movements at their own pleasure.
Not very much relating to India, or the Eastern trade, appears in these volumes, the documents referred to being chiefly of a political character and no document is calendared unless it refers directly or indirectly to Great Britain, or pertains to English history or to Englishmen. Still there are many side references to events connected with the Indo-European trade which cannot fail to interest the historian. Thus we find references to spices shipped to England by Flanders galleys in 1395, 1402 and 1413 (Vol. 1. pp.36, 41, 54); of English ships loaded with spices and merchandise on their homeward voyage from the Levant being captured by a Spanish vessel, (Vol. 1. p. 121), and of ships being built in Holland for the King of Portugal, for the Calicut voyage (Vol. 1, p. 311). Also, at later dates are letters relating to the Portuguese and Spanish voyages to the East, and to the differences between the two nations relative to the possession of the Moluccas Islands (5). This series of Calendars, hitherto published, brings us only to the year 1591; they contain only casual references to India and the Indo-European trade, but much more information on these subjects would no doubt be obtained from the records classed as "Commercial" an examination of which would certainly result in filling up a comparative blank in the known history of that trade.
SPANISH RECORDS
Spain was much more directly interested in the Indo-European trade of more modern times than was Venice, and in that country therefore we must look for records on the subject from the commencement of the 16th century when Spanish vessels began their expeditions to the East, and more especially between the years 1580 and 1640 when Portugal and her possessions were subject to the Spanish Crown. ...
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MSS. IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM
The various collections of MSS. in the British Museum also contain many original records relating to the East. The several catalogues of these have similarly been referred to, and a list, forming Supplement No. , contains over six hundred references (some of them comprising many volumes, others only single documents) between the years 1494 and 1849. These also have been chronologically arranged.
FREDERICK CHARLES DANVERS, 1898
