Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

34 1

which was in a great meafure beholden to their neighbours for fubftenance and fire-wood. The general took him up with fcurrilous language, calling him coward andfool, and bragg’d, that if Sedee Yacoup (which was the Mogul’s general’s name)fhould dare to come with his forces on Bombay, he would blow him off again withthe wind of his bum.

Cowards are generally ftout when dangers are at a diftance, and fo was our general,who had never l’een a fword drawn in anger, and confequently very ill acquaintedwith war ; and when it came to his door, none was ever fo confounded and dejectedas he was, as appeared by his conduct in that w'ar that he fo foolilhly brought on him-felf and his country.

Chap. XIX. — Gives an Account of the War of Bombay , between the Mogul and theEnglifh Eajl-lndia Company , with Aurengzeb* s Letters of Advice to the Governorof Bombay, on granting them a Peace and new Indulgences in Trade »

WHEN the news came to Sedee Yacoup, that his fleet, with his provifions of comand cloth, were feized and carried to Bombay, he fent a civil letter to our general todifcharge his fleet, protefting, that as he had not meddled in the affairs between himand the Suraters, he would continue neuter, unlefs he was forced to do otherwife ibut our general gave him an infolent anfwer, and the fleet was unladed at Bombay.

Sedee Yacoup fent again to defire the delivery of his fleet in fair terms, otherwifehe would be obliged to come with his army, and quarter on Bombay, where his pro-vifions were detained, and that if his fleet was not fet at liberty before the I ith ofFebruary, which was near at hand, he would certainly be on Bombay the 14: but ftillreceiving uncivil anfwers, he performed his promife to a tittle, for that very night helanded at a place called Souree (about four miles diftant from the main fort), with20,000 men at his back.

Our general’s fecurity had made him neglect providing for receiving fuch guefts,trufting to the reputation of his forces, who were greater then than ever they had beenbefore, or ever were fince that time, and he had finall fliips enough, had they beenplaced in proper places, that might certainly have hindered his landing, and forcedhim home again; but all thofe neceffary preparations were neglected, and the Sedeelanded at mid-night, and the redoubt where he landed, fired a great gun to give thealarm, and fo deferted their port, and the Sedee took poffeflion of it. At one inthe morning the caftle fired three guns to give the general alarm, which broughtfuch fear on thofe that lived fecurely in their houfes without the caftle, that the poorladies, both white and black, run half-naked to the fort, and only carried their children"With them ; but they were all obliged to wait without the wall, till day-light relieved them.

Next morning the Sedee marched to Mazagun, a fmall fort of 14 guns, and abouta random fhot diftant from the caftle. On the enemy’s approach, that fort thoughfituated on a point of rocks, where the fea defended three quarters of it, was aifodeferted in fuch precipitancy, that eight or ten chefts of treafure, which generally con-tain 1000 pounds each, and four chefts of new arms, were left behind, though thefeamen that were fent in boats to bring them off, preferred to carry them along withthem; but the commanding officer thought them not fit to be trufted with money anda rms, and fo they were left for a prefent to Sedee Yacoup, with fourteen cannon,two mortars, with fome powder, fhot and fhells: but why that treafure, and thofear nts and ammunition were depofited in Mazagun, few could account for, and the

feafons