E/3/96 Letterbook 1706-1710
ff 275v-278
Orders and Instructions Given by us the Court of Directors of the United
Company of Merchants of England trading to the East Indies to Mr William
Barnes, Mr. Richard Wilmer and Mr. John Hill SupraCargo's of the Ship
Blenheim bound for Mocha in the Red Sea
Comments following buying orders:
 'If you find any other Commodities there that you judge proper for the Europe
Markett you may bring a small quantity for a Tryall only and herewith you have a
Procters Price Currant for your guidance.'
 Instructions on buying and storing coffee
 'In all your management of this Affair we must caution you to take all possible care
that you be not cheated, or disappointed of your goods the People you are to deal
with all being Subtill [sic] and Crafty who will be glad of an opportunity to over
reach and abuse you.'
 'After you have purchased your loading lay out the overplus of Stock in Coffee and
send it to Our General and Council at Bombay or to our President and Council at
Suratt or in want of Coffee send it in Specie by the best ship that offers for we
compute there will be some remains left if you sell our goods now laden and buy the
Cargo beforementiond to the best advantage.'
 'If you should not be able after your utmost endeavors to invest your Cargo at Mocha
in Coffee and the other goods befoemention'd and should want more than Thirty tons
or thereabouts of your lading you must then give the Captain orders to go to Bombay
and being arriv'd there to deliver the remainder of your Cargo univested at Mocha to
the General and Council .' Whilst in Surat or Bombay ship under orders of the
Councils there hopefully be given goods 'after the 10th of November Goods or no
Goods you must sail for England and the Captain must have his dispatches
accordingly' => but are convinced that won't be necessary: 'we must tell you we are
persuaded you will have no reall [sic] occasion to think of going thither if you use
that activety [sic] and diligence which we expect from you at Mocha for if you
should go thither we shall vehemently suspect it is for private respects and the hopes
of profit to your Selves'
ff289-291v
List of Goods to be provided at Chusan by the Supra Cargo's of the Rochester
n.d. But Instructions to Supra Cargos are dated 6 Jan 1710 ('1709')
On Fans (following on from the Samples list)
 'You must take great care That the Chineese make all the rivetts of the fanns looser
that they may play well and not so stiff as they generally are and that all the Paper of
the fans be of the finest sort and thin for the thick Paper proves Stubborn hinders the
playing and soon cracks in the Edges of the Folds.
 Let all the Ivory Sticks be made of Ivory all the way through the Fann and not pieced
with Cane within the Paper which never do well and may be discover'd by holding
them up against a Candle.
 It is found by experience that they Lacker or Jappan better at Chusan than at Canton
therefore be very curious in getting all the Lacquer'd or Japann'd fans don well and
by the best Workmen'
ff 291v-293
Silks







'Directions for the Severall Colours works and mixtures of the Silks, also about
the other Goods to be provided in China by the Supra Cargo's of the Rochester.'
4/11710 ('09)
shoot to be soft silk, and must be dry
'All Mazarine Blews Purple and Hair Colours are very lyable to spott in the Voyage
therefore we have wrote for no Mazarine blews or purple and we hereby forbid your
bringin any or buying any Silks with those Stripes in them or to be painted with thos
Colours.
The Chief Bulk of the Silks are White take care they be fo a Clean White and not of
a yellowish dirty Colour or of a Blewish White.
Take care the BlackTaffaties and Gorgerons be of a very good Balck fresh dyed and
as Glossy as the make and Silk will allow take care none be rotten.
All the Taffatyes must be 14 Nailes (?) wide and Thirty two yards long if double
pieces as we have wrote for. But if you can't get all double pieces the rest must be
Single.
All the printed flower'd and painted Goods must have Severall Pieces of the same
Pattern because of Lineing beds or other furniture The printing flowering and
painting left to the Chineese fancy in generall but avoid buying those pieces which
have a great orb or ovall in them and a large space about it all plain take care all the
printed and painted goods be well done gett all these if possible of forty to fifty yards
The Striped Taffatyes must be of severall sorts of stripes and Colours according to
the Chine fancyes.'
Copper
 Only Japanese Copper, not Cantonese one. Junan copper is a bit better than Canton
one
 'If by the Arrack and China Ware &c. the ship shall be sufficiently Stiffen'd and saild
worthy without the whole quantity we leave to your discretion to diminish part of the
forty tons order'd'
Raw Silk
 if any courser won't do, same as they got before would be fine.
 Only get the same goodness and the same pattern, all the rest is forbidden
Tea
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
Soya

'Tea is the commodity on which the Chief part of our expected profit on this Voyage
depends'
Chests are better than tubs for stowing, both must be made from well seasoned wood
that doesn't have a scent, try to get those of equal weight as possible, otherwise they
buyers will go all annoying and quarrelsome
If they can get more tea it would be fine, it'll make more of a profit 'than any other
Article in your Cargo'
to be true Jappan sort and the best of its kind
Arrack
 'the quantity of forty tons will help to Stiffen the Ship and if very good we reckon
will run to account be sure buy the best and take great care it be well put up and the
Casks tight to prevent leakage and deliver none at St.Helena to our council there.'
put marks on all goods
ff 298-305
Orders and instructions for John Skyrme, Hammond Elihu Gibbon, and John
Somers, Supercargoes of the Stringer bound for Canton (6 Jan 1710 '1709')
voyage = via Moka
 sell Stuff in Canton, buy Cantonese goods for Moka, sell those in Moka and buy goods
for GB there
ff 321-321v
'List of Goods to be provided at Fort St George &c for the Ships going out this
year 1709' (i.e. 1710)
ff 339-141
'List of Goods to be provided in the Bay by the Ships going out this Year 1709'
(1710) no date, but instructions date 9th Jan 1709, i.e. 1710
cf general letter with instructions (and possibly samples?)
notes at the end of the list:
 'We order and direct that all Sorts of the above mentioned Goods which usually have
Congee in them you take care they have as little of it as may be for it rotts and spoils
the usefullness of the Goods.
 We find you have not observ'd the directions formerly sent you so fully as you ought
in providing your Investments either as to quantities or qualityes of Goods order'd or
in the goods forbid to be sent which we expect be remedyed in future.'
Also: Persian instructions
ff. 375v-376v 'A list of Goods to be Provided att Bombay & the subordinate Factorys for the
Ships going out this year 1709/10' (not dated but general instructions are sent out
24th March 1709/10'
ff. 403-405
List of Goods to be provided in the Bay (no date, but preceding documents dated
5th July 1710, the one immediately following dated 7th July 1710
ff 408-408v
List of Goods to be provided at For St. George (no date but preceding letter to Fort
St. George = dated 7th July)