Hamilton’s account-of the east indies; .333.

council table, Mr. Petit fat in his place as fecond, and Mr. Boucher'in his'as fourth*When forae few paragn’phs were read, one was to difinifs thole gentlemen from theCompany’s fervice, and were forthwith ordered to withdraw, which accordingly theydid, and went to their new lodgings without the iaOiory. As foon as the council brokeup, Mr. Child fent orders to .confine them in their factory rooms; but word being ;brought that they were not in the factory, but their doors were locked, he gave orders,to break them open, and fecure all that was found in- them for him, efpecially their, pa-pers and books ; but they found nothing but a bed furniflied, and fome empty trunks.'When Mr. Child underftood that their effects and papers were removed, he raved likea mad man, but to no purpofe, fo he perpetrated their deftruction- by fraud; but theprofcribed being well beloved by the brokers, who were always of Mr. Child ’s cabinetcouncil, were timely advertifed of his plots, and prepared to counterplot him. He wasthe firft that bribed the Mogul’s governors to join- in villainy with a prefident; but ’tis>now a very common piece of policy at Surat , and has been often made ufe of againftthe Englilh Company, fince Mr. Child ’s time: however, for a fum of about 4000!.llerling, he got the governor of the town to ftretch his commiffion, in pretending to-diftribute juftice, which is only the Cadjee’s place to do. He got the governor to com-mand the two victims to meet at a garden near the town, and to deliver them up to thegeneral, who was there with a dozen grenadiers to receive them, and carry them on:board of a fliip that lay ready to tranfport them to Bombay, and there to feed on thebread of affliction is long as they lived. He had fuborned a gentleman to draw up-an account, wherein the delinquents were brought in debtors to the Company r 14,000rupees, or 14,250b fterling, and that gentleman fwore to the account. The two de-fendants being forewarned of the plot, had given bonds to their Mahometan andHeathen friends, for above double the fum that the honeft general demanded ; and itisTigainft their law to force any perfon out of the Mogul’s dominions, who is indebtedto his fubjefts ; but when Mr. Harris had fworn to the acc®unt, (for that was the gen-tleman’s name) the governor ordered the two gentlemen defendants to be put in irons,and to be delivered to Mr. Child ; but their friends protefted•againfi: their going, tillthey had fatisfied their creditors, and declared the governor liable to make good all thefums contained in their bonds, if by violence they were fent away. That proteft ftartledthe general and governor both, fo the gentlemen were delivered to their friends, andthe governor was no lofer by the general’s honefty : however, they could not live inquiet, fo Mr. Petit bought a fliip to go a trading, whilft Mr. Boucher went to the Mo-gul’s court, or rather his camp, to try if he could procure a phirmaund or charter tobe under the Mogul’s protection; but the Company’s money had crept into the fecre-tary of date’s purfe, which retarded Mr. Boucher’s affair fome time: but the general,being afraid of his fuccefs, fent a Banyan from Bombay to poifon Mr. Boucher. ThisBanyan being often about his tent, got acquainted with his cook, thinking him to bethe propereft perfon to make ufe of in that affair ; and, after fome difcourfes aboutGeneral Child and Mr. Boucher’s quarrel, he told the cook, that he had a commiffionfrom the general to fettle afalary on him during life, and the fum of 500 rupees inband, if he would poifon his mafter. The cook feemed to like the propofals, and bidthe Banyan bring him the poifon and the 500 rupees, and accordingly the next day hebid, and, on the delivery of the money, he gave him a paper with fome powder of■white arfenick to mix with his mafter’s rice, which is a common difh there. The cookgave him large promifes of performing what he would, and fo left him, and went tobis mafter with the bag of money and the paper of arfenick, and told him, that he hadnrade a bargain with General Child’s vakeel, or attorney, to poifon him, and told him