Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes:

The spelling, punctuation and hyphenation are as the original, with the exception of apparent typographical errors which have been corrected.

Italic text is denoted _thus_.

See further note at the end of the book.

THE OLD EAST INDIAMEN

BOOKS OF TRAVEL

_Demy 8vo. Cloth Bindings. All fully Illustrated_

THROUGH UNKNOWN NIGERIA
By JOHN R. RAPHAEL. 15s. net.

A WOMAN IN CHINA
By MARY GAUNT. 15s. net.

LIFE IN AN INDIAN OUTPOST
By Major CASSERLY. 12s. 6d. net.

CHINA REVOLUTIONISED
By J. S. THOMPSON. 12s. 6d. net.

NEW ZEALAND
By Dr MAX HERZ. 12s. 6d. net.

THE DIARY OF A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
By STANLEY PORTAL HYATT. 12s. 6d. net.

OFF THE MAIN TRACK
By STANLEY PORTAL HYATT. 12s. 6d. net.

WITH THE LOST LEGION IN NEW ZEALAND
By Colonel G. HAMILTON-BROWNE (“Maori Browne”). 12s. 6d. net.

A LOST LEGIONARY IN SOUTH AFRICA
By Colonel G. HAMILTON-BROWNE (“Maori Browne”). 12s. 6d. net.

SIAM
By PIERRE LOTI. 7s. 6d. net.

(By courtesy of Messrs. T. H. Parker Brothers)]

THE OLD EAST INDIAMEN

BY

E. KEBLE CHATTERTON

Lieutenant R.N.V.R.

_Author of “Sailing-Ships and their Story,”
“Down Channel in the ‘Vivette,’”
“Through Holland in the ‘Vivette,’”
“Ships and Ways of Other Days,” etc._

_ILLUSTRATED_

LONDON
T. WERNER LAURIE LTD.
8 ESSEX STREET, STRAND

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. THE MAGNETIC EAST 10

III. THE LURE OF NATIONS 18

IV. THE ROUTE TO THE EAST 31

V. THE FIRST EAST INDIA COMPANY 46

VI. CAPTAIN LANCASTER DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF 64

VII. THE BUILDING OF THE COMPANY’S SHIPS 77

VIII. PERILS AND ADVENTURES 91

IX. SHIPS AND TRADE 106

X. FREIGHTING THE EAST INDIAMEN 124

XI. EAST INDIAMEN AND THE ROYAL NAVY 138

XII. THE WAY THEY HAD IN THE COMPANY’S SERVICE 152

XIII. THE EAST INDIAMEN’S ENEMIES 166

XIV. SHIPS AND MEN 180

XV. AT SEA IN THE EAST INDIAMEN 198

XVI. CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 226

XVII. WAYS AND MEANS 248

XVIII. LIFE ON BOARD 265

XIX. THE COMPANY’S NAVAL SERVICE 281

XX. OFFENCE AND DEFENCE 291

XXI. THE “WARREN HASTINGS” AND THE “PIÉMONTAISE” 305

XXII. PIRATES AND FRENCH FRIGATES 316

XXIII. THE LAST OF THE OLD EAST INDIAMEN 329

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The East Indiaman _Thomas Coutts_ _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
The East India House 4

The Hon. East India Co.’s Ship _General Goddard_ with
H.M.S. _Sceptre_ and _Swallow_ capturing Dutch East
Indiamen off St Helena 12

The _Essex_ East Indiaman at anchor in Bombay Harbour 24

The East Indiaman _Kent_ 42

Dutch East Indiamen 54

The launch of the Hon. East India Co.’s Ship _Edinburgh_ 78

India House, the Sale Room 88

The Hon. East India Co.’s Ship _Bridgewater_ entering
Madras Roads 96

The _Halsewell_ East Indiaman 104

The _Seringapatam_ East Indiaman 120

A Barque Free-trader in the London Docks 130

The Press-Gang at Work 140

The East Indiaman _Swallow_ 182

Commodore Sir Nathaniel Dance 190

Repulse of Admiral Linois by the China Fleet under
Commodore Sir Nathaniel Dance 196

A view of the East India Docks in the early 19th Century 210

The _Thames_ East Indiaman 218

The _Windham_ East Indiaman sailing from St Helena 224

The _Jessie_ and _Eliza Jane_ in Table Bay, 1829 236

The _Alfred_ East Indiaman 242

The East Indiaman Cruiser _Panther_ in Suez Harbour 250

The East Indiaman _Triton_, rough sketch of stern 256

The East Indiaman _Earl Balcarres_ 262

Deck scene of the East Indiaman _Triton_ 266

The West Indiaman _Thetis_ 272

The _Kent_ East Indiaman on fire in the Bay of Biscay 276

The Cambria brig receiving the last boat-load from the
_Kent_ 282

The _Vernon_ East Indiaman 294

The _Sibella_ East Indiaman 306

The East Indiaman _Queen_ 318

The East Indiaman _Malabar_, built of wood in 1860 330

The _Blenheim_ East Indiaman 340