Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

348

vifedly married one Mr. Solomon Lloyd, a fadftor, and the marriage was clandeftine,which was pofitively againft the ftatute law of Bombay, where no marriage is bindingbut when the governor’s confent is tacked to it. This law Sir John had got by heart,and unmarried the poor factor after confuinmation, and married her to his own fon;but the fecond marriage was attended with ill confequences, for, whilft her hufbandwas at China , one Coleman was ordered to teach her to write good, Englifh, but,neglecting thofe orders, he taught her fomething elfe, and was difcovered in thepracticing, by a watchful mother-in-law. The poor fchool-mafter was fent, inirons, on board a fhip for England j and the poor hutband’s head ached as long ashe lived.

Another piece of ill conduct was in forcing the Mocha frigate’s men on board, againfttheir wills, to proceed on a voyage to China , notwithstanding their juft complaintsagainft Edgecomb their captain, whom the mutineers ftiot in his cabin, and then turnedpirates, and infefced the llreights of Malacca, robbing and plundering all Ihips thatthey could overcome. Captain Elide, in the Dorrel, met her there in her paifage toChina , and had a fharp engagement with her, but got clear with the lofs of 16 menkilled, and fome wounded, which difabled the Dorrel fo, that flie proceeded no fartherthan Malacco.

And another fault of Sir John’s was in fuffering himfelf and his lady to be takenprifonerS at Swally, by the governor of Surat ’s order, when he might either have avoid-ed that difgrace by force or flight; but it was generally believed, that that was only apiece of policy to get to Surat , in order to employ his money, which he could do muchbetter there than at Bombay.

Sir Nicholas Waite fupplanted Sir John in the government of Bombay, and in theprefidency. He was a man of very loofe morals; and his bare-faced injuftices andprevarications irritated the inhabitants and foldiery of Bombay, that they feized him,and fent him prifoner for England. Though his reign was fhort, it was very perniciousto his mafters, as well as to particular merchants under his jurifditftion. But, to returnfrom this digreffion.

Bombay was governed by a deputy, fince the prelident was obliged to ftay at Surat .And of feven or eight hundred Englifh that inhabited before the war, there were notabove fixty left by the fword and plague, and Bombay, that was one of the pleafanteftplaces in India , was brought to be one of the moft difmal deferts ; but the fpirit of injuf-tice flill refided in it, for thofe who had ventured through the war and plague in de-fence of the illand, had not the liberty of returning home to their own country, norto raife their fortune by private trade, but all were continued preffed men in the RightHonourable Company’s fervice, without the hope of preferment, which made fomedifcontents.

And, even in the time of war, when ftrangers fhould have been encouraged tobring provifions on the illand, the Company’s taxes of five per cent, were ex a fledwith great feverity, for I have feen the Portuguefe fobjects bring twenty orthirty poultry to the market, and have had five of the bell taken for the cuftomof the reft. x

Chap.