Edward Dodsworth's Journal [‎27v] (59/74)

Content

Journal of the East India Company ships Merchant's Hope (in the text abbreviated as the Hope ), Hector , New Yeers Guifte [ New Year's Gift ] (often in the text abbreviated to the Gift ), and Sallomon by Edward Dodsworth, who travelled on the Gift and returned on the Hope , from England to Suratt [Surat] and back via Irlande [Ireland] between 25 February 1614 and 2 November 1615 (Commander and general of the voyage was Nicholas Downton of the Hector ).

Inscribed (folio 5): ‘A memoryall of our proseedings to Th'east Indyes anno domini 1614. Observed and gathered and also written by M[iste]r Edward Dodsworth who retourned in yt Hoped a[nn]o 1615’. It is possible that this copy of the journal was made not by Dodsworth but by a scribe for presentation to the East India Company.

The journal consists of monthly narrative entries (with notes in the margins) recording the following: navigational information; weather; sea conditions; the provisioning, ballasting, and maintenance of and repairs to the ship; contact with other British ships, country ships, Portuguese ships and Dutch ships; sightings of other vessels; references to the coasts sighted during the course; deaths of crew members and disease on the ships; transport of arms and soldiers; cargoes carried in general throughout the voyages; a total of the cargo and dispatches carried from Suratt [Surat] (folios 19, 20, 21); interactions with merchants and accounts of merchants coming aboard the ship; relations with inhabitants where the ships anchor, with details on the exchange of presents; descriptions of the trade situation in Socatora [Socotra] and Suratt [Surat]; relations with Portuguese merchants; references to factories in Agra and Biana; an expedition to Agra; a riot in Ahmadabad [Ahmedabad] and damages on the Hope (folios 26-27); conflict with the Portuguese in Swally/Sually [Suvali] (folios 27-28); a list of Portuguese ships (folio 29); and general remarks.The journal also includes drawings of plant leaves in the words of the notes and the titles around all the entries.

The journal includes transcriptions of letters, consultations and other items, including: a letter sent to the King of Socatora ( verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of folio 10); a letter from Nicholas Downton ( verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of folio 7) and other letters by the commission on behalf of the East India Company (folios 23-24, and 31); a reference to John Speed's Chronicle ( verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of folio 11); five consultations by the East India Company commission during the voyage (folios 14, 15, 18, 29).

In addition, the journal gives a list of the factors who have resided at Agra, Suratt [Surat], Bantam [Bantem], Baroche [Bharuch], Cambaya [Khambhat] and Brodera [Vadodara] (folio 18 verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. ).

The journal employs Old Style dates (Julian calendar).

The entries record the ship's arrival at the following places: 25 February 1613 [New Style 25 February 1614], Gravesende [Gravesend] ( recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of folio 6); 4 May 1614, the Downs ( recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of folio 6); 15 June 1614, Salldania/Saldania Baye [Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope] ( verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of folio 7); 6 August 1614, St Lawrence Iland [Madagascar] ( verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of folio 8); 23 August 1614, Moyella [Mohéli] (rector of folio 10); 9 September 1614, Socatora [Socotra] ( recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of folio 10); 12 October 1614, Bar of Suratt [Surat] ( verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of folio 12); 17 June 1615, Salldanya Baye [Saldanha Bay] ( recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of folio 30); 28 October 1615, Irlande ( verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of folio 27).

Extent and format

1 volume (31 folios)

Arrangement

The journal entries are recorded in chronological order from the front to the rear.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 35; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

A previous foliation sequence, bottom right corner, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in

English in Latin script

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