Hamilton’s account ot the east inimes.

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When the monfoons were over, the fquadron put to fea, and put into Bombay, totry if the church had confidered on the obedience due to the King of Portugal ’s or-ders, or if they had a mind to draw the arms of England, as well as their Sovereign’s,upon them. . Some of them had not forgot what damages Spain and Portugal had fuf-tained by the Englifh fleet in Cromwell’s time, advifed the church to obey the King,letting forth the miferies they fliould be brought into in cafe of non-compliance. Atlength their holy zeal abated, and they were content to admit of a treaty, but, beforethe treaty was concluded, Sir Abraham died, and one Mr. Humphrey Cook, who wasnext in commiflion, continued the treaty, and articled that the inhabitants fliould enjoytheir lands and religion under the King of England, but forgot to infert the royaltiesappending on Bombay, which reached as far as Verfua on Salfet, which omiffion hasbeen a bone of contention for both parties ever fmce.

Mr. Cook, according to the treaty, took pofleflion of the ifland, in the King’s name,and forthwith began to fortify regularly, and, to fave charges of building an houfe forthe governor, built a fort round an old fquare houfe, which ferved the Portuguese fora place of retreat, when they were difturbed by their enemies, till forces could be fentfrom other places to relieve them.

After the fort was lined out, and the foundations laid, Sir Gervas Lucas arrivedfrom England with two fliips, but affairs being fettled before he came, did not flay atBombay longer than January 1666, and left the government of the ifland in the handsof Mr. Cook and his council, the prefidency for the then company, refiding at Surat .Their trade flourifhed, and increafed wonderfully ; but, after the fort was finifhed, theKing finding, that the charge of keeping Bombay in his own hands would not turn toaccount, the revenues being fo very inconfiderable, he made it over to the Eaft IndiaCompany in fee tail, which continues fo till this tiine.

In building the fort where it is, Mr. Cook Ihewed his want of fldll in architecture,where a proper and convenient fituation ought to be well confidered, for it is built on.a point of rocks that jets into the fea, where there are no fprings of frefh water, and itHands within 800 paces of an hill, called Dungeree, that overlooks it, and an enemymight much incommode it from that hill, as we found by experience in anno 1689,when the Mogul fent an army on Bombay. As for the magnitude, figure, and mate-rials of the fort, there is no fault to be found in them, for it is a regular tetragon, wholeoutward polygon is about 500 paces, and it is built of a good hard Hone, and it canmount above 100 pieces of cannon; and that is all that is commendable in it: but hadit been built about 500 paces more to the fouthward, on a more acute point of rocks,called Mendam’s Point, it had been much better on feveral accounts. Firlt, it had beenmuch nearer the road for protecting the fhipping there, it had been farther off Dunge-ree hill, it would have had a fpring of pretty good water, which ferved the hofpital thatwas afterwards built there, and the fliipping had been better fecured that lay in thelittle bay between the point where the fort now Hands, and Mendham’s Point.

They went about building feveral other little forts and fconces in convenient places,to hinder an invafion, if any of their neighbours Ihould have attempted one. At Ma-zagun there was one, at Souree one, at Sian one, at Mahim one, and Worlee had one,and fome great guns mounted on each of them. Notwithflanding the company was atfo much charge in building of forts, they had no thoughts of building a church, formany years after Sir George Oxendon began to build one, and charitable collectionswere gathered for that ufe; but when Sir George died, piety grew fick, and the build-ing of churches was grown unfafhionable. Indeed it was a long while before the iflandvol. vin, u u had