Chapter CONFIRMED to CONICOPOLY of C by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

CONGO-BUNDER, CONG, n.p. Kung bandar; a port formerly of some consequence and trade, on the north shore of the Persian Gulf, about 100 m. west of Gombroon. The Portuguese had a factory here for a good many years after their expulsion from Ormus, and under treaty with Persia, made in 1625, had a right of pearl-fishing at Bahrein and a claim to half of the customs of Cong. These claims seem to have been gradually disregarded, and to have had no effect after about 1670, though the Portuguese would appear to have still kept up some pretext of monopoly of rights there in 1677 (see Chardin, ed. 1735, i. 348, and Bruce’s Annals of the E.I.C., iii. 393). Some confusion is created by the circumstance that there is another place on the same coast, called Kongun, which possessed a good many vessels up to 1859, when it was destroyed by a neighbouring chief (see Stiffe’s P. Gulf Pilot, 128). And this place is indicated by A. Hamilton (below) as the great mart for Bahrein pearls, which Fryer and others assign to what is evidently Cong.

1652.—“Near to the place where the Euphrates falls from Balsara [see BALSORA] into the Sea, there is a little Island, where the Barques generally come to an Anchor. … There we stay’d four days, whence to Bandar-Congo it is 14 days Sail. … This place would be a far better habitation for the Merchants than Ormus, where it is very unwholsom and dangerous to live. But that which hinders the Trade from Bandar- Congo is, because the Road to Lar is so bad. … The 30th, we hir’d a Vessel for Bander-Abassi, and after 3 or 4 hours Sailing we put into a Village … in the Island of Keckmishe” (see KISHM).—Tavernier, E.T. i. 94.

1653.—“Congue est vne petite ville fort agreable sur le sein Persique à trois journées du Bandar Abbassi tirant à l’Ouest dominée par le Schah … les Portugais y ont vn Feitour (see FACTOR) qui prend la moitié de la Doüane, et donne la permission aux barques de nauiger, en luy payant vn certain droit, parceque toutes ces mers sont tributaires de la generalité de Mascati, qui est à l’entrée du sein Persique. … Cette ville est peuplée d’Arabes, de Parsis et d’Indous qui ont leur Pagodes et leur Saincts hors la ville.”—De la Boullaye-le-Gouz, ed. 1657, p. 284.

1677.—“A Voyage to Congo for Pearl.— Two days after our Arrival at Gombroon, I went to Congo. … At noon we came to Bassatu (see BASSADORE), an old ruined Town of the Portugals, fronting Congo … Congo is something better built than Gombroon, and has some small Advantage of the Air” (Then goes off about pearls).—Fryer, 320.

1683.—“One Haggerston taken by ye said President into his Service, was run away with a considerable quantity of Gold and Pearle, to ye amount of 30,000 Rupees, intrusted to him at Bussera (see BALSORA) and Cong, to bring to Surrat, to save Freight and Custom.”—Hedges, Diary, i. 96 seq.

1685.—“May 27.—This afternoon it pleased God to bring us in safety to Cong Road. I went ashore immediately to Mr. Brough’s house (Supra Cargo of ye Siam Merchant), and lay there all night.”—Ibid. i. 202.

1727.—“Congoun stands on the South side of a large River, and makes a pretty good figure in Trade; for most of the Pearl that are caught at Bareen, on the Arabian Side, are brought hither for a Market, and many fine Horses are sent thence to India, where they generally sell well. … The next maritim town, down the Gulf, is Cong, where the Portuguese lately had a Factory, but of no great Figure in Trade, tho’ that Town has a small Trade with Banyans and Moors from India.” (Here the first place is Kongun, the second one Kung).—A. Hamilton, i. 92 seq.; [ed. 1744].

CONICOPOLY, s. Literally ‘Account-Man,’ from Tam. kanakka, ‘account’ or ‘writing,’ and pillai, ‘child’ or ‘person.’ [“The Kanakar are usually addressed as ‘Pillay,’ a title of respect common to them and the agricultural and shepherd castes” (Madras Man. ii. 229).] In Madras, a native clerk or writer, [in particular a shipping clerk. The corresponding Tel. term is Curnum].

1544.—“Due eò tecum … domesticos tuos; pueros et aliquem Conacapulam qui norit scribere, cujus manu exaratas relinquere posses in quovis loco precationes a Pueris et aliis Catechumenis ediscendas.”—Scti. Franc. Xavier, Epist., pp. 160 seq.

1584.—“So you must appoint in each village or station fitting teachers and Canacopoly, as we have already arranged, and these must assemble the children every day at a certain time and place, and teach and drive into them the elements of reading and religion.”—Ditto, in Coleridge’s L. of him, ii. 24.

1578.—“At Tanor in Malabar I was acquainted with a Nayre Canacopóla, a writer in the Camara del Rey at Tanor … who every day used to eat to the weight of 5 drachms (of opium), which he would take in my presence.”—A costa, Tractado, 415.

c. 1580.—“One came who worked as a clerk, and said he was a poor canaquapolle, who had nothing to give.”—Primor e Honra, & c., f.