| Fort St. George "Diary and Consultation Book, 1727" (1930) |
p21 (consultation of 6 Feb 1727): "The Crop of Paddy having failed this year in the neighbouring country through want of the usual quantity of rain, and it being apprehended that rice will be dear and Difficult to be procured, in order therefore that the Garrison may be supplied, and at a Moderate rate,
ORDERED that the Export Warehousekeeper do purchase for their use, Fifty Garse of Rice, or an equivalent quantity of Paddy at the present Market price for Subsisting them a year to be Destributed to them at the rate of Five mercalls of Rice to each man Pr. mensem, that the Pay Master do Deduct payment for the same out of each man's pay monthly and that Money be now advanced the Import Warehousekeeper for purchasing the said Rice or Paddy." |
| "Correspondance du Conseil Supérieur de Pondichery et de la Compagnie ... 1726-1730" (Vol. 1, 1920) |
| p80 (25 Jan 1728; general report on activities in 1727): Vous devez connaitre qu'il est d'une extrème conséquence que le fort de Mahé et celui-ci soient pourvus de munitions de guerre et de grains pour la subsistance des garnisons. Nous sommes actuellement sans aucune provision de riz ni de blé, faute d'argent pour en acheter, et malheureusement dans une famine faute de pluies l'année dernière, la disette des grains a été gramde au sud et au nord de cette ville. Nous vous avons marqué par notre lettre de janvier 1727 le secours de riz que nous envoyâmes alors au gouverneur de Tranquebar qui était dans la disette où nous courons risque de tomber. La colonie n'a pas souffert parce qu'il y avait des provisions, et que nos magasins étaient fournis; nous avons fait vendre pout 1,500 ou 1,600 pagodes de riz de nos provisions qui commençait à se gâter parcequ'il était vieux, le surplus a servi à la garnison et se consomme journellement. Nous comptions le remplacer à la récolte de ce mois, mais la disette de grains dans le pays nous en empêche, et le manque d'argent fait qu'il n'est pas possible que nous en fassions venir du dehors. ... |
| William Logan, "Malabar" (vol. 1, 1887, reprinted 1951) |
| p215: "During the long period in which the Honourable Company occupied the factory at Tellicherry [= Thalassery], there is but one record of a real famine. It occurred in August—September of 1727. The factors’ diary record is as follows:- 'The country about us of late have greatly feared an extraordinary scarcity of rice," and it was accordingly resolved to impose the embargo, usual in those days, on exports of grain. Strict orders were issued "for not carrying any quantity out of our limits.' There was none to be had at Mangalore, the granary — and almost the sole one in those days — from which Malayalis drew their extra supplies of rice. The factors had information that parents were selling their children at Mangalore in order to obtain support for themselves. On examination of the factory store-houses, there was found to be bare provision for the place for one month, so an urgent requisition was sent to the Anjengo factors for supplies. On the 8th September, there was famine in the land and the record runs that the factory gates were daily besieged by people begging for support. There is no further record in the diary, and doubtless the worst symptoms disappeared" |
