HAMILTON**! ACCOUNT OF THE LAST INDIES.

33 *

got the commiffion of general, which puffed him up fo, that he contemned all lawshuman and divine. The military gentlemen, who had made contracts in England fortheir falaries, though paid at 20 per cent. Iois, yet to drew himfelf a good occonomiftfor his mailer’s interells, feat his deputy orders to reduce their pay to 30 per cent,lefs than it was before, though it was l'o fmall, that they could hardly bring both endsto bear at the month’s end. That hard pill the fons of IVIars could not fwallow, andfo bent their minds on a revolution: and having come to fome knowledge of Mr.Ward’s tampering with the Sevajee to land on the iiland, they detected fome letters ofhis to that purpofe, which gave them a ground for a revolt. The Sevajee indeed fenta fleet of 80 fail of fmall velfels to land on the back bay which faces the ocean; but,on their trying to land fome forces, they were warmly repulfed, and loll many of theirmen, which made them draw olf again in confufion, and Mr. Ward, being confrontedwith his own letters, and having little to fay in his own defence, was made a prifoner ;and General Child’s faction was fent to Surat to him. The illanders, taking the go-vernment of the iiland into their own hands, chole captain Kegwine major of the mi-litary, to fuperintend military affairs, and one captain Thorburn to overfee the civil.

General Child foon difpatched letters to England, and gave an account of the rebel-lion, and King Charles difpatched a frigate, called the Phcenix, for India , to demand.the rellitution of the iiland, and put it again into the Company’s hands. They arrivedat Bombay, in September 1685, and Ihewed the King’s orders, with a full pardon to allwho yielded obedience, which unanimoully the illanders did ; but, for their own fecu-rity, drew up fome articles to be figned by general Child and captain Tyrrel, whocommanded the Phcenix, one of which articles was, that any perfon that had a mind togo for England, Ihould have free liberty, and a paffage on board the Company’s {hip-ping, which being agreed to and figned, captain Kegwine took his paffage on board thefirfl Ihip; but Thorburn being a married man, and having a fmall eltate, as well as afamily on the iiland, could not fo eafily remove, but trailed to the adl of grace, and thetreaty they had made.

After general Child had gotten the reins of government again into his hands, hebecame more infupportabie than ever. He erected a court of inquifition, and madean old Greek, one captain Garey, judge, who had condemned a man to be hanged ona Tuefday, and the man fullered according to fentence ; but, on Friday after, the poordead fellow was ordered to be called before the court* but he would not comply withthe orders.

Captain Thorburn was the firlt that felt the weight of Mr. Child’s difpieafure. Hegot fome fellows to fvvear him out of his little eilate, who brought in forged bonds foriums borrowed from one King, whom he never had any dealings with, and found wit-neffes to attell them. All that Thorburn had, was too little to pay the fums, for whichhis eltate was taken from him, and himfelf put in prilon, without the penniffion of oneHave to attend or ferve him in prifon. His own wife was not permitted to vifit him,which hard ufage brought him into a violent fever, that foon put an end to his life.About two days before he died, the goaler acquainted his lady of his danger, and Ihe,with two fmall children, went to the general, and, on their knees, begged that a doftormight be permitted to vifit her hulband, but he was inexorable, and would allow nofilch favour, only granted her leave to be in prifon with him till he died, and Ihe Hayedbut one day and a part of a night till he expired. When the tragedy was oter, Ihewas going home to her diilreifed family, but found her Haves and children removedmto a little out-houfe of hers, and the doors of her dwelling-houfe Ihut againft her.i he lady had two fillers married on the iiland, and Ihe, hoping to find relief from them,

u u 2 went