"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٢‎٦] (١٧٨٢/٢٦٩)

Conduct of
gervants.
126
Ship was sometimes kept there for the defence of the Agency, as for example
the " Drake/'' which remained for this purpose for about twelve months
from July 1750, in consequence of disorders at Isfahan and in otherparts
of the country.' At the beginning of 1752 the Subahdar of the sepoys at
Bandar 'Abbas was "much out of order," and the Agent and Council
recommended that he should be relieved, as also the married sepoys, who,
as their pay was handed to their families at Bombay, were unable to live
on their rations, and in whose place bachelors would be preferred. lu
this year Lieutenant Wardman and a Sergeant returned to Bombay with a
detachment; a sergeant, two corporals and a gunsmith, all Europeans,
arrived ; and a midshipman was taken on shore from one of the Com-
pan/s ships. On the 25th July 1753, the Ensign in command having
died, the garrison at Bandar 'Abbas consisted of one Sergeant and one
corporal, who must have been Europeans, 24 Topass soldiers and 22
Bombay sepoys ; and there was also a European gunner who was inefficient,
being addicted to drink. In 1761 the "usual detachment of military"
were sent to Bandar 'Abbas in the " Drake," ketch ; but the Agent was
instructed not to land them except in an emergency, as experience had
shown that residence on shore was injurious to their health ; and he was
invited to consider whether sepoys might not be substituted for such of
them as were Europeans.
Malversation on the part of the Company's servants in the Gulf seems
to have been rare; but in 1747 grave irregularities came to the notice of
the Bombay Presidency, the culprits being Messrs. Pierson and Blander,
the Company's representatives at Isfahan. Attention uas first diawu
to their proceedings by a bill of exchange which they drew on Basrah
at the exorbitant premium of 50 per cent.; further investigation showed
that they had taken up locally sums amounting to Rs. 14,300, for w c
they had given bonds, some at 10 and some at 15 per cent, interest per
mensem; and they were found to have committed several other gross
irregularities and to have been " studiously fallacious in their accounts.
The case was complicated by conflicting orders sent to the Ban ar
'Abbas Agency from London and Bombay, and it dragged on until 17oU,
in which year Messrs. Graves and Dalrymple were sent to Isfahan
apparently to go into the matter on the spot, but were obliged^to
leave hurriedly, as we have seen, in consequence of an attack upoii
Factory. Towards the end of the year Pierson confessed bis gu| 1
Bandar 'Abbas before Mr. Graves and the Agent and Council, an ^
effects (" which, being only his wearing apparel and superfluous i
" ornaments, etc., will not amount to a quarter part of what they
" him answerable to the Hon'ble Company ") were secured and sent to
H