ABSTRACT
Burnell's narrative, apart from the interest of his personal adventures, has several features of value, especially his descriptions of the Danish and Dutch settlements, and of Hugli, with its suburb of Bandel. The credit of detecting that it was in all probability the work of John Burnell belongs to Miss Anstey, who noticed the significance of the fact that Burnell was cashiered at Madras in May 1712 and that the author of the present narrative arrived in Bengal in November of the same year. When Burnell was dismissed from the service at Madras in May 1712, he had necessarily to decide upon his future course of action. Accordingly, after a stay in Calcutta of only four days, he proceeded by boat up the river to the Danish settlement at Gondalpara. His friend Courtney had given him letters of introduction to the Danish chief, and Burnell was received with much hospitality by that functionary.
