•Hamilton’s account of the east indies-.

33 €

to the devil. Mr. Boucher ftill remains at Surat . I demand him, his wife, or child,children, family, and all Englishmen belonging to him, with their effects, that they be•delivered to me, and that he may not make his efcape from Surat .

“ V. Formerly fuch goods as we brought from the Malabar coaft, Mocha, andother parts, which were for Europe , and not to fell here, we had liberty to bring themafhore at Swally, to clean them, and fhip again, without paying cuftom ; but the go-vernor Cortalab Caun, in his time, forced us to pay cuftom for thofe goods. My de-mand is, that what he took more than the former cuftoms, may be reftored, and he donot the like again.

“ VI. Of late years we bring more money than formerly, which hath much en-riched the port, of which the governor did acquaint the King, who was pleafed to takeno more than 2 per cent, we paying no more for many years. Of late, the governorof Surat did write to the King, to make us pay 3 I per cent, for money as well asgoods, which has been a great prejudice to our trade. My defire is, that we may payno more than formerly, and that the former overplus may be repaid. Which exaitingsmade Salabat Caun over-rate our goods in the cuftom houfe, to our great damage.

“ VII. Formerly we never paid cuftom for apparel or provifions, but of late Sala-bat Caun forced us to pay cuftom for them. My defire is, that may be re-paid, and,for the future, no more trouble on that account.

“ VIII. When our goods came out of the country, if robbed by thieves, or other-wife, on the road, it is the King’s order, that the governors and officers make good alldamages, or elfe the King to fatisfy us himfelf. Few years fince our goods comingfrom Amadabant and Durrimgum, were robbed in the way to Surat . We have peti-tioned the governor of Surat for fatisfadiion, but never, obtained any. My defire is,that the King order fatisfacfion to be made for the lofs we fuftained, being great andconfiderable.

“ IX. Several of the natives are indebted to us, of whom • we can get no fatisfac-tion, having feveral times made complaints to the governors, where they refide, for theirafliftance, but, as yet, could have no redrefs from them. Our defire is, that all gover-nors and their officers may be affiftant to us in recovering .our debts.

“ X. We bring more treafure into the country than any other nation, which iscarried to the cuftom-houfe; when cleared from thence, we fend it to the mint to becoined; but the officers, for their own intereft, delay the coining, to the hindrance ofthe difpatching our bufinefs, for, if our-cafh was coined in time, we could have our in-veftments out of the country, and lade our fhips according to the monfoons or feafon ofthe year. Our requeft is, that, for the future, the coiners may not delay the coining,and that our treafure may be coined apart, for its more fpeedy performance.

“ XI. At the arrival of our fhips, when unladen, we carry our goods to the cuftom-houfe, where they are thrown up and down very carelefsly, where they are broken, da-damaged and ftolen. Our requeft is, that we may have a ware-houfe apart by that -ofthe Dutch, to put our goods in, that we may be no further fufferers; that when we dif-pofe of our goods, or fend them to our factory, that the cuftomer take account of theKing’s cuftoms clearing them without farther moleftafion.

“ XII. Formerly when we cleared our treafure, &c. goods from the cuftom-houfe,we ufed to make up the account of our cuftoms at the latter end of the year, and thenpaid it. Of late years, the officers of the.cuftom-houfe daily and monthly fend to ourbrok-T, demanding the cuftom ; for which reafon, we are forced to fee the officers notto affront our broker, which has been much to our prejudice. Our requeft is, thatihey demand not the cuftoms till the end of the year, as formerly accuftomary.

“ XIII. When