The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c17.59

c17.59

The appropriation of a wreck no doubt caused great hardship to the poor owners, but the custom was shared by the English and the Portuguese with the Marathas and probably originated from prudential considerations to prevent fraud by unscrupulous shipowners. In 1678 a ship was wrecked very near the harbour of Bombay and part of the cargo was saved. The Bombay authorities took compassion on the poor merchants and solicited the permission of their superiors at Surat to restore to them what little of their property had been saved. The reply of the Surat Council not only explains the prevalent custom but places before us its justification. The Surat authorities permitted the suggested restoration after deducting the expenses incurred by the Company in saving the property from the wreck. But they observed that restoration of such property was ‘contrary to the custome of most nations in such cases and which not withstanding may appear severe and somewhat inhumane to add to those (that were too miserable before) a greater weight of unhappiness, yet this law was founded upon very high and prudent reasons, to prevent the severall abuses ill men employed upon shipping might otherwise undertake to act through some sinister ends of benefit acrewing to themselves by the willfull casting away of the ship.¹