Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

3 CI

in anno 1719, the plot of depofing the King was found out, and the Attamadoulet orvizier was deeply concerned .in it. He was Meriweys’, or Meir Mahouraud Shaw’sfather, the fon being then Chawn, or prince of Candahaar. The King was folacinghimfelf in a garden near the city of Ifpahan, when he was apprifed of the plot, whichwas to be executed the fame night it was difcovered. He immediately fent for theAttamadoulet, pretending bufmefs of importance about fome frontier provinces; andthe old gentleman not dreaming of the difcovery made, came to the King, who taxinghim with the plot, made no difficulty to confefs that it was of his own contrivance, tofave the country from ruin, which was inevitable, if he continued in fupinenefs, whichhad affedted him near 40 years, and there was no fign of amendment, notwithftandinghis remonftrances and admonitions all that while, and now that he was detetded, heknew the worft that could befall him, was to be facrificed for the good of his country,which he took to be rather glorious than difhonourable. The King ordered fome barsof iron to be heated, and his eyes kept open till the irons were gently moved near theeyes to dry up the moifture, which is the royal punifhment in Perfia, for difobedientor rebellious princes ; fo the old man being made blind, his treafure was feifed, but hispalace and gardens allowed him, and an allowance fuitable to his dignity. He had in gold'and diamonds, to the value of 800,000 tomaans or 2,400,000k fterling ; and fome faidhe had more in his fon’s cuftody: but how true thefe reports are, I am no properjudge, either to believe or rejedt; lint fome bars of his gold I faw at Gombroon .

Before this confpiracy of the Attamadoulet happened j the Mufkat Arabs came witha fleet, and landed 5 or 6000 men on Ormuze, and befieged the caltle ; but could nottake it in three months, and being tired with fatigue, they left it. But in anno 1720,Meriweys hearing how the King had ufed his father, made the whole province of Can-dahaar rebel, and wrote letters to the Chawn of Samachie to come into alliance withhim and his confederates the Ballowches and Ulbecks, who readily embraced his pro-pofition in hope of plunder. In 1721, Meriweys began his march, towards Ifpahan,with an army of 45,000, and paid honeftly for what his army had occafion for in hismarch, declaring, that he did not take arms for their hurt, or deftruciion, but to freePerfia from the folly and tyranny of a doating fool, who was incorrigible by fair means.The Ulbecks entered the provinces of Mufchet and Yefd, with 40,000, and added likerobbers. Another army of 40,000 went out of Samachie, and ravaged Erivan ; andthe Ballowches entered the province of Carmania, and plundered the country, and atlaft took the city. Then they marched towards Laar, and took the town, but not thefort: and there twelve Hollanders, who were fent from Gombroon to convey downfome treafure belonging to their company, behaved themfelves to admiration. TheyWere lodged in a Caravanferay, where the Ballowches came with about 300 to attackthem ; but they had a brave warm reception, and left about four fcore of their numberdead on the fpot, without the lofs of one Dutchman: but not thinking themfelves andtheir treafure fafe where they were, they defired admittance into the fort, which wasreadily granted, and there they aifo behaved themfelves fo well, that .the Ballowches :marched away without the booty they came fo far for. The Dutch llaid there abovea month, and in that time came a detachment of 4000 horie to plunder Gombroon .M r e heard of their defign about ten days before they came, and fo we and the Dutch .fortified our factories as well as poffibly we could, planting little falconets on the top°f our walls in fwivels, and beating out ports in our walls, to ply great guns, to fcourthe avenues to our factories. Mean while the Perfian governor fired guns everymght, to let the enemy -know he was a brave fellow : how'ever they had a mind tofee, and, on the 15th of December they appeared near the town, on a fwift march to-

iq. wards