33°

Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

had people enough to fill a chapel that was in the fort, for as fall as recruits carirefrom Britain , they died in Bombay, which got the ifland a bad name.

There were reckoned above 5000I. had been gathered towards building the church,but Sir John Child, when, he came to reign in Bombay, converted the money to hisown ufe, and never more was heard of it. The walls were built by his predecefforsto five yards high, and fo it continued till the year 1715, when Mr. Boone came to thechair, who fet about building of it, and, in five years time, finifhed it by his own bene-volence, and other gentlemen, who, by his perfuafions, were brought in to contribute.The Company alfo contributed fomething towards that pious end.

About the year '1674, Prefident Aungier, a gentleman well qualified for governing,came to the chair, and, leaving Surat to the management of deputies, came to Bombay,and re&ified many things that wereamifs, and brought the face of juftice to be un-veiled, which before lay hid in a fingle perfon’s breaft, who diftributed her favours ac-cording to the governor’s direction. He erected a formal court, where pleas werebrought in and debated ; but that method lafted but a few years, when Sir John Childcame to the chair the court was done. Mr. Aungier advifed the Company to enclofethe town from Dungeree to Mendham’s Point, for fecuring the trading people fromthe infults of their troublefome beggarly neighbours on the continent; but his pro-pofals were rejected, and that neceffary piece of work was referved for Mr. Boonealfo. And happy it was for the inhabitants that the town was fecured by a wall,otherwife Connajee Augarie would have haraffed them with continual infults fince hiswar with the Englifh began.

The name of Mr. Aungier is much revered by the ancient people of Surat and Bom-t bay to this day. His juftice and dexterity in managing affairs, got him fuch efteem,that the natives of thofe places made him the common arbitrator of their differences inpoint of traffick : nor was it ever known that any party receded from his award.

There are no dangers in going into Bombay Road, but one funk rock that liesabout half a league from the caftle. It is dry at low water, and has a channel withinit deep enough For the greateft fhips to pafs. I never heard of any damage done bythat rock, but to a fmall fhip called the Baden, which by carelefnefs, run on it at noon-day, and was loft.

in the year 1673, the Dutch Eaft India Company having an eye on Bombay, fent afquadron of fhips, with a little army, to try if they could take it in amongft their otherconquefts of India , but, on their landing, met with fo warm a reception, that they wereglad to get off with the iofs of two or three hundred of their men, and fo left the Eng-hfh, to the quiet poffeffion of it.

The governors proved tolerable good, till 1682, when Sir John Child fpoiled it. TheIndia Company knowing how to make ufe of King Charles’s neceffities, made himfome prefents of money, and he, in grateful acknowledgments, granted them power torob their fellow fubjefts in India ; but they ufed that power to their own deftruction,for Mr. Child’s pride and oppreffions grew fo intolerable, that even the gentlemen inthe Company’s fervice had not the free exercife of trade, and much lefs private mer-chants. And he, trampling on the eftablifhed laws of England, by advice of his name-lake who governed the Company in Europe , by imprifoning and murdering their fel-low fubjecfts, grew hateful to all.

In anno 1684, he made his brother-in-kw, Mr. Ward, his deputy of Bombay, whodefigned to fifh in troubled waters. Mr. Child being honoured with the title of baronet*by the powerful motive of the Company’s money to the King, he, at the fame time,

5 got