1782.—"Ainsi un Européen est tout ce que les Indiens connoissent de plus méprisable; ils le nomment Parangui, nom qu'ils donnèrent aux Portugais, lorsque ceux-ci abordèrent dans leur pays, et c'est un terme qui marque le souverain mépris qu'ils ont pour toutes les nations de l'Europe."—Sonnerat, i. 102.
1791.—"... il demande à la passer (la nuit) dans un des logemens de la pagoda; mais on lui refusa d'y coucher, à cause qu'il étoit frangui."—B. de St. Pierre, Chaumière Indienne, 21.
1794.—"Feringee. The name given by the natives of the Decan to Europeans in general, but generally understood by the English to be confined to the Portuguese."—Moor's Narrative, 504.
[1820.—"In the southern quarter (of Backergunje) there still exist several original Portuguese colonies.... They are a meagre, puny, imbecile race, blacker than the natives, who hold them in the utmost contempt, and designate them by the appellation of Caula Ferenghies, or black Europeans."—Hamilton, Descr. of Hindostan, i. 133; for an account of the Feringhis of Sibpur, see Beveridge, Bākarganj, 110.]
1824.—"'Now Hajji,' said the ambassador.... 'The Franks are composed of many, many nations. As fast as I hear of one hog, another begins to grunt, and then another and another, until I find that there is a whole herd of them.'"—Hajji Baba, ed. 1835, p. 432.
1825.—"Europeans, too, are very little known here, and I heard the children continually calling out to us, as we passed through the villages, 'Feringhee, ue Feringhee!'"—Heber, ii. 43.
1828.—"Mr. Elphinstone adds in a note that in India it is a positive affront to call an Englishman a Feringhee."—Life of E. ii. 207.
c. 1861.—
"There goes my lord the Feringhee, who talks so civil and bland,
But raves like a soul in Jehannum if I don't quite understand—
He begins by calling me Sahib, and ends by calling me fool...."
Sir A. C. Lyall, The Old Pindaree.
The Tibetans are said to have corrupted Firinghee into Pelong (or Philin). But Jaeschke disputes this origin of Pelong.
FIRMAUN, s. Pers. farmān, 'an order, patent, or passport,' der. from farmūdan, 'to order.' Sir T. Roe below calls it firma, as if suggestive of the Italian for 'signature.'
[1602.—"They said that he had a Firmao of the Grand Turk to go overland to the Kingdom of (Portugal)...."—Couto, Dec. viii. ch. 15.]
1606.—"We made our journey having a Firman (Firmão) of safe conduct from the same Soltan of Shiraz."—Gouvea, f. 140b.
[1614.—"But if possible, bring their chaps, their Firms, for what they say or promise."—Foster, Letters, ii. 28.]
1616.—"Then I moued him for his favour for an English Factory to be resident in the Towne, which hee willingly granted, and gave present order to the Buxy to draw a Firma ... for their residence."—Sir T. Roe, in Purchas, i. 541; [Hak. Soc. i. 93; also see i. 47].
1648.—"The 21st April the Bassa sent me a Firman or Letter of credentials to all his lords and Governors."—T. Van den Broecke, 32.
1673.—"Our Usage by the Pharmaund (or charters) granted successively from their Emperors, is kind enough, but the better because our Naval Power curbs them."—Fryer, 115.
1683.—"They (the English) complain, and not without a Cause; they having a Phirmaund, and Hodgee Sophee Caun's Perwannas thereon, in their hands, which cleared them thereof; and to pay Custome now they will not consent, but will rather withdraw their trading. Wherefore their desire is that for 3,000 rup. Piscash (as they paid formerly at Hugly) and 2,000 r. more yearly on account of Jidgea, which they are willing to pay, they may on that condition have a grant to be Custome Free."—Nabob's Letter to Vizier (MS.), in Hedges' Diary, July 18; [Hak. Soc. i. 101].
1689.—"... by her came Bengal Peons who brought in several letters and a firmaun from the new Nabob of Bengal."—Wheeler, i. 213.
c. 1690.—"Now we may see the Mogul's Stile in his Phirmaund to be sent to Surat, as it stands translated by the Company's Interpreter."—A. Hamilton, i. 227; [ed. 1744, i. 230].
FISCAL, s. Dutch Fiscaal; used in Ceylon for 'Sheriff'; a relic of the Dutch rule in the island. [It was also used in the Dutch settlements in Bengal (see quotation from Hedges, below). "In Malabar the Fiscal was a Dutch Superintendent of Police, Justice of the Peace and Attorney General in criminal cases. The office and title of Fiscal was retained in British Cochin till 1860, when the designation was changed into Tahsildar and Sub-Magistrate."—(Logan, Malabar, iii. Gloss. s.v.)]
