18th C Indian Ocean Voyages

The Lascars Embark

On 1 February 1755 a group of 25 South Asian lascars embarked on the Prince de Conti from Chandannagar.

All but two of them are listed in the rôle as matelot lascar1 earning a wage of 14.80 livres. This is on the low end of wages for sailors on the Prince de Conti, but it is not the lowest. Additionally, two of them are not listed as lascars at all. Although he was only 18 years old, Checsomous Roüma appears to have enjoyed some sort of status. He's listed as a sarangue2 with "off. mar" (officier marinier, or non-commissioned officer) and earned the whopping wage of 36 livres, which was the same as some of the ship's more senior officers (contremaitre, 2e maitre, 2e pilote, carpenter). The 40-year-old Checcande Samdy was also listed as an officier marinier, and his position was labelled tandel3. Yet he earned the same wage as the lascars, 14.80 livres.


Their names and ages were recorded as follows:
  1. Checsomous Roüma, 18
  2. Checchande Samdy, 40
  3. Yarmahemard Pantchou, 40
  4. Fakir Mahomet Badoulla, 23
  5. Badou Dinan, 25
  6. Goulamy Kam, 20
  7. Checmasoun Manou, 22
  8. Ada Toulla Daulat, 30
  9. Soucour Mahomet Jafer ("2nd Jafer"), 25
  10. Joseph Agoustin Colas, 35
  11. Moutajafar Jafer ("1st Jafer"), 60
  12. Beaujou Badoulla, 22
  13. Chacmandy Soucouro, 18
  14. Jasin Abas, 25
  15. Cauja Partap, 22
  16. Chacmondy Nebou, 25
  17. Kanmahemat Daud, 40
  18. Jamarmad Sakir, 30
  19. Boulaky Jaudy, 20
  20. Fatemahemat Sabourlo, 30
  21. Chec Biram Yas, 25
  22. Nobou Daucaury, 25
  23. Ynas Pissou, 30
  24. Aker Mahemat Nazer, 25
  25. Cauja Mahemat Jaroulla, 25

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1 According to the glossary in Sully-Santa Govindin's Les engagés indiens: île de la Réunion : XIXème siècle (1994), the term lascar designates an Indian sailor.
2 Ibid., sarangue refers to a crew master (or boatswain).
3 Ibid., tandel refers to the owner of a vessel.

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