1711.—"On the arrival of a Europe ship, the Sea-Gate is always throng'd with People."—Lockyer, 27.
1781.—"Guthrie and Wordie take this method of acquainting the Public that they intend quitting the Europe Shop Business."—India Gazette, May 26.
1782.—"To be Sold, a magnificent Europe Chariot, finished in a most elegant manner, and peculiarly adapted to this Country."—Ibid. May 11.
c. 1817.—"Now the Europe shop into which Mrs. Browne and Mary went was a very large one, and full of all sorts of things. One side was set out with Europe caps and bonnets, ribbons, feathers, sashes, and what not."—Mrs. Sherwood's Stories, ed. 1873, 23.
1866.—"Mrs. Smart. Ah, Mr. Cholmondeley, I was called the Europe Angel."—The Dawk Bungalow, 219.
[1888.—"I took a 'European morning' after having had three days of going out before breakfast...."—Lady Dufferin, Viceregal Life, 371.]
EYSHAM, EHSHÂM, s. Ar. aḥshām, pl. of ḥashm, 'a train or retinue.' One of the military technicalities affected by Tippoo; and according to Kirkpatrick (Tippoo's Letters, App. p. cii.) applied to garrison troops. Miles explains it as "Irregular infantry with swords and matchlocks." (See his tr. of H. of Hydur Naik, p. 398, and tr. of H. of Tipú Sultan, p. 61). The term was used by the latter Moghuls (see Mr. Irvine below).
[1896.—"In the case of the Ahshām, or troops belonging to the infantry and artillery, we have a little more definite information under this head."—W. Irvine, Army of the Indian Moghuls, in J.R.A.S., July 1896, p. 528.]
F
FACTOR, s. Originally a commercial agent; the executive head of a factory. Till some 55 years ago the Factors formed the third of the four classes into which the covenanted civil servants of the Company were theoretically divided, viz. Senior Merchants, Junior Merchants, factors and writers. But these terms had long ceased to have any relation to the occupation of these officials, and even to have any application at all except in the nominal lists of the service. The titles, however, continue (through vis inertiae of administration in such matters) in the classified lists of the Civil Service for years after the abolition of the last vestige of the Company's trading character, and it is not till the publication of the E. I. Register for the first half of 1842 that they disappear from that official publication. In this the whole body appears without any classification; and in that for the second half of 1842 they are divided into six classes, first class, second class, &c., an arrangement which, with the omission of the 6th class, still continues. Possibly the expressions Factor, Factory, may have been adopted from the Portuguese Feitor, Feitoria. The formal authority for the classification of the civilians is quoted under 1675.
1582.—"The Factor and the Catuall having seen these parcels began to laugh thereat."—Castañeda, tr. by N. L., f. 46b.
1600.—"Capt. Middleton, John Havard, and Francis Barne, elected the three principal Factors. John Havard, being present, willingly accepted."—Sainsbury, i. 111.
c. 1610.—"Les Portugais de Malaca ont des commis et facteurs par toutes ces Isles pour le trafic."—Pyrard de Laval, ii. 106. [Hak. Soc. ii. 170].
1653.—"Feitor est vn terme Portugais signifiant vn Consul aux Indes."—De la Boullaye-le-Gouz, ed. 1657, p. 538.
1666.—"The Viceroy came to Cochin, and there received the news that Antonio de Sà, Factor (Fator) of Coulam, with all his officers, had been slain by the Moors."—Faria y Sousa, i. 35.
1675-6.—"For the advancement of our Apprentices, we direct that, after they have served the first five yeares, they shall have £10 per annum, for the last two yeares; and having served these two yeares, to be entertayned one year longer, as Writers, and have Writers' Sallary: and having served that yeare, to enter into ye degree of Factor, which otherwise would have been ten yeares. And knowing that a distinction of titles is, in many respects necessary, we do order that when the Apprentices have served their times, they be stiled Writers; and when the Writers have served their times, they be stiled Factors, and Factors having served their times to be stiled Merchants; and Merchants having served their times to be stiled Senior Merchants."—Ext. of Court's Letter in Bruce's Annals of the E.I. Co., ii. 374-5.
