The Story of a Trading Boat, 1793
By A. B. Da Cruz
Summary
Dr. S. N. Sen reconstructs a vivid picture of an eighteenth‑century merchant voyage by transcribing a series of letters written by André Bartolomeu da Cruz, a Portuguese sailor employed by the king of Cochin. In early 1793 Da Cruz was ordered to sail a trading boat along the east coast of India and Ceylon. Shortly after he set out, war was declared between England, Holland and France. The first letters come from Negapatam and Calcutta, where Da Cruz relays the alarming news that British and Dutch officials are preparing to blockade French shipping and seize contraband. He acts as both captain and intelligence‑gatherer, informing the Cochin court of military developments. Subsequent letters describe how wartime regulations alter his itinerary and cargo choices. English authorities at Madras urge him to avoid Tranquebar, carry no rice for fear it may be sold to the French, and obtain proper passes. Da Cruz adapts by visiting smaller ports such as Galle and Masulipatam, where he sells rice, cloth, tobacco and spices, purchases cash or local commodities, and prepares for changing winds. His correspondence illustrates the logistics of late‑eighteenth‑century Indian Ocean trade: the need for pilots, knowledge of monsoon patterns, negotiation with harbour masters and careful record‑keeping. Da Cruz is cautious and loyal; he refuses to risk conflict with French or Dutch ships and repeatedly asks the king for instructions. He also discusses personal matters, lamenting that his crew suffers from illness and that provisions are scarce. The article situates these letters in the wider context of Anglo‑French rivalry and Portuguese decline on the Malabar coast. By printing the text of the letters, Sen gives historians insight into the practical realities of maritime trade: prices, routes, customs dues, local politics and the delicate balance between commerce and diplomacy during a period of global war.
Conclusion
Through Da Cruz’s letters the reader gains a first‑hand account of how a single trading boat navigated international conflict and uncertain seas. The correspondence reveals the dependence of Indian merchants on European powers and shows that success in commerce required vigilance, adaptability and local knowledge. Sen’s article thus transforms routine log‑entries into a narrative that illuminates trade, politics and society on the eve of the modern colonial era.