entertaining Diary for the benefit of modern readers, gives a vivid picture of one of these interloping parties he met with in the course of one of his journeys. The leader in making a ceremonial visit to the native court went richly habited in a dress of scarlet and lace. "The Englishmen in blew capps and coats edged with red all round with Blunderbusses went before his pallankeen; 80 peons before them, and 4 musicians playing on the Weights with 2 flags before him." "A gawdy shew and great noise add much to a public person's credit in this country," sapiently remarks the diarist by way of commentary.
A conspicuous member of the fraternity was Thomas Pitt, the progenitor of two of the greatest British statesmen, and himself a man who in later life won considerable distinction. Pitt was a born free lance. He had gauged to a nicety the foibles of the Oriental and he played upon them with a master hand during a career of almost unbroken prosperity extending from the year 1674 into the new century. The Directors, when they got to hear of him, as they soon did, sent out orders that he should be seized and imprisoned pending the arrival of a ship in which he could be dispatched to England. But Pitt was not the man to put his neck in a noose. He gave a wide berth to the Company's stations and outside their limits always had at his command a sufficient force for his personal defence. After some years successful trading, mostly with Persia, he seems to have landed at Madras, whether of set design or otherwise is not clear. He was haled before the Council there and is said on the occasion to have promised compliance with the Company's orders. But he was soon at his old work again, building up by successful trade a handsome fortune.
