Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

34o

not quite recovered. Or by what rule in policy could Sir Jofiah or Sir John Childthink to rob, murder and deftroy the Moguls fubjetls in one part of his dominions,and the Company to enjoy a free trade in the other parts ? or how they could expertthat he would Hand neuter ? let politicians anfwer them, and I will.proceed.

The general having fuch a number of great fhips on his hands, and little employ-ment for them, fent them to Mocha, Perfia and Bengal, where the Suraters had lenttheirs under the protection of his paffes. Captain Andrews in the Charles II . went toMocha, and fet up the King of England’s flag on his factory; and there he feized twoEnglifh fhips, one from England, called the Streights Merchant, commanded bycaptain Bear, and another belonging to Mr. Samuel White at Siam. She was com-manded by one Captain Wren, whom they killed in his cabin, becaufe he would notdeliver his fhip up voluntarily. There was but little of their cargoes on board of thefhips, fo they might as well have let them alone: However fuch doings difpleafed thegovernor and merchants of Mocha, and they had a defign to force Captain Andrewsto reftore the fhips, but he fufpeCting as much, fled on board, and left his coloursflying on his factory.

He foon after left Mocha, and carried his two prizes with him, and Mr. Clive,fuper-cargo of the Streights Merchant, got bills for his flock, payable at Grand Cairo,except about 60 bales of coffee that he carried with him to England, where it fold verywell, and the Company were obliged by the law to make good all the fhip’s cargo frorata, as thofe 60 bales fold for, which amounted to 32,000 pounds. The Briftol’scargo was alfo made good to her owners, with the fhip that was taken at Johanna bythe Phenix, which came to 60,000 pounds. And the Little Betty, that was alfo taken bythe Phenix, in her way to India , coll them 12,000 pounds, though fhe and her cargo werefold at Bombay for lefs than 600 pounds. The owner of that veffel was one Mr. Hafte-well, a Quaker, and a fubflantial merchant in London , who arrefled Captain Tyrrelgoing off the exchange. The captain proffered King James for bail, but the Quaker would not accept of him, but was content to accept of Sir Jofeph Herne who became bail.

The Charles, Casfar, and Royal James and Mary way-laid the Surat flapping, andbrought in fourteen fail to Bombay, where I faw them lying in anno 1688, and yetno war with the Mogul, only with the inhabitants of Surat , whom he threatened tohumble.

In October 1688, he went to Surat road, in the Royal James and Mary, with threeor four other fhips of countenance, to try if he could bully the governor, and frightenthe merchants into a compliance of lofing their eflates, but was difappointed in both.He flaid there tiil the beginning of January 1689, and then left Surat in a huff, andbrought all the Englifh fhips along with him, except the fhip Adventure, whom thePhenix had forced over the bar, when fhe was lying at the river’s mouth, taking in acargo for England, under the protection of Mr. Boucher’s Phirmaund, which was thegrievance complained of in the 28th article: However, her fupercargo dying, thefhips bottom was eaten up with worms in the river, and part of the cargo remained manyyears in Mr. Boucher’s polfeflion.

On the general’s paffage to Bombay, he met with a fleet of veffels that were carryingcorn to an army of the Mogul’s that lay at Dunder-rajah-pore, about 14 leagues to thelouthward of Bombay. That fleet he alfo feized, and carried to Bombay, thoughagainfl the opinion of mofl of his council. Before this feizurehe afked the opinion offoine fea-officers; and one Captain Hilder, being the eldeft, advifed him not to meddlewith the corn fleet, becaufe it would ftraiten the army, and force them to look abroadfor provifions, where it might .be belt procured, and perhaps might aiFecl Bombay

which,