Mss Eur Orme OV.12

pp. [i-iii]. Table of Contents. Arranged under Provinces.

1, pp. 1-10 (31.5 x 19.5 cm.). A brief account of the rise and progress of the Honble. East India Company’s privileges, together with their losses of them, and their present case as to Customs, February Anno 1684. Stated in 134. 96 to be the Original MS. It is there described as "Bengal from 1636." Re-copied in VII. 12. "Extracted from a Book entitled Fort St. George Letters received from the 28th of July 1687 to the 18th of February 1687/8." This paper ascribes the origin of the Kingly favour towards the English to Surgeon Gabriel Boughton, and contains a copy of the Parwana of 1680.

2, pp. 13-16 (32 x 20 cm). Abstracts of letters from Bengal 1676 to 1687. Copy. References to the up-country factories of Patna, Hugli, Malda (establishment of), Cossimbazar, Dacca and Rajmahal, the establishment of factories by the French, and the constant interference with trade by the Nawab and his officers.

3, pp. 17-23 (32 x 20 cm.). Fort St. George Copy Book of Letters received from the 28th July 1687 to the 18th February 1687-8. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 11. (1) Consultations at Higelie, 8th June 1687. Peace concluded with the Moorish general Abdul Samad. (2) Translate of a parwana from Navob Shawsta Cawn [Shaista Khan] received from Dacca the 21st July an. 1687. (3) Abstracts of letters to Bengal 21st December 1683- 20th December 1699. (4) Letter from Mr. Charnock, &c., Council of Bengal, dated at Little Tanna, August 26th 1687, to the Governor and Council of Fort St. George, to whom they were then subordinate. . (5) Letter from Mr. Charnock, &c., Council to the Governor and Council of Fort St. George, dated at Chuttanutti, 1st January 1687-8, asking advice as to whether Hugli may be abandoned and a new factory built.

4, pp. 25-51 (32 x 20 cm.), (1) p. 25. List of Books received from Bengal, concerning Mr. Surman's Embassy to the Mogul's Court, out of which some extracts have been taken. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 10. (2) pp. 29-46. Extracts from the Consultations held by Mr. Surman, &c., Council in the Negotiation of the Mogul's Court. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 6. (3) pp. 49-51. Extracts from the Fort William letters received from Mr. Surman at the Mogul's Court. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 6. N.B. See Dr. C. R. Wilson's Early Annals of the English in Bengal, Vol. II., Part II., The Surman Embassy.

5, pp. 53-65 (22.7 x 18.5, cm.). Remarkable events and circumstances in the Company's affairs at Bengal, from1685 August 29th to 1708 January 20th, extracted by me at the India House. Partly in Orme’s handwriting. Re-copied in VII.9.

6, p. 69 (22.5 x 18 cm.). Wrongs committed on the English by the Moguls' subjects from 1661 to 31st July 1683. In Orme's handwriting. Copied in VII.5.

7, pp. 70-72 (22.5 x 17.5 cm.). More extracts concerning Mr. Surman's Embassy and the Phirmaunds to May 30th 1716. In Orme's handwriting.

8, p. 73 (38 x 20.5 cm.) Consultations of Surman's Embassy from December 31st 1714 to 21st of January 1715. In Orme's handwriting.

9, pp. 75-77 (23.2 x 18 cm.). More extracts concerning the Embassy from January 1st 1714/15 to October 22nd 1715. In Orme's handwriting.

10, p. 79 (37.5 x 19.7 cm.) More extracts concerning the Embassy from July 7th 1715 to June 15th 1717. In Orme's handwriting.

11, pp. 81-87 (37.7 x.20 cm.) Phirmaund for Bengal, Behar and Orissa as obtained by the [Surman's] Embassy. In Orme's handwriting. This has been frequently printed. Re-copied in VII.7.

12, p. 89 (37.7 x 20 cm.). Return of Surman's Embassy with news and Jaffier Cawn of Bengal. In Orme's hand-writing. (Page 89 is repeated).

13, pp. 89 (bis)-95 (37.5 x 19.5 cm.). Abstracts of letters from Bengal, from January 18th 1741/2 to January 4th 1754. Copy. Refer chiefly to the invasions of Bengal by the Marathas. The English forced by the Nawab to pay heavy compensation for the capture of two Armenian ships.

14, p. 97 (20.3 x 16 cm.). Note, dated Berkley Square, 18 January 1768, from Mr. Edmund Maskelyne to Orme. Original. Copied in XIII. 60. Encloses No. 15 below.

15, pp. 99-103 (22.5 x 18 cm.). History of Job Channock taken from Sebram, an Indian Doctor, grandson to his Physician, Chunderseeker. In Maskelyne's handwriting. Copied in XIII.60. Printed as a note to the Historical Fragments, p. 281. See Diary of William Hedges, Vol. II. (Hakluyt Society, Publications. LXXV.), pp. xcvi-xcviii.

16, pp. 107-109 (32 x 20 cm.). Memorandums of a conversation with Edward Stephenson, Esq., who went in the Embassy to Furuckseer; taken on the same day I visited him, January 17th 1765. In Orme's handwriting. See XV. 2. States that in "Indostan" all land not held by the Hindu rajas is either khalsa or jagir, Muhammadans are subject only to the law of the Koran as interpreted by the Kadi, the tribute of the Rajas and Nawabs paid direct to the Diwan of the Mughal, the great power of this officer.

17, pp. 111-132 (23 x 18.5 cm.). Of a Vacqueel and English Resident at Delhi. Possibly Original. Copied in VI. 13 (4) and XIII.53. Probably by Captain Thomas Fenwicke.

18, pp. 135-153 (32 x 20 cm.). A Scheme or Project for the conquering of Bengal. Possibly Original but not signed. Copied in VI.11. In the Table of Contents this is stated to have been "written by Col. Scott in 1753."

19, pp. 155-172 (33 x 20.5 cm.). Account of the Jemmidarry of Calcutta written by me, R. O., for Mr. Robbins at Fort St. George. May 19th 1751. Original. Copied in I. 15. In 45 p.a. this paper is described as "Account of the Jemindarry of Calcutta as it was adminstered in 1752, composed by R. Orme at the request of Benjamin Robins at Fort St. David, May 1752." It describes the duties of the Zamindar or European Magistrate of Calcutta, and shows how much he was in the hands of his native assistant, who was commonly known as the Black Zamindar. From a letter dated 8 November 1754 in the India Office Records (Miscellaneous Letters received, Vol. 38) from Orme to Mr. John Payne, it would appear that this account was prepared for the' information of the latter. In the same volume there is a duplicate of this account (Vol. 38, No. 71 (a)).