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HAMILTON3 ACCOUNT OF THE EAST INDIES.

the Portugueze, whofe river affords an harbour for fmall veffels. The town is forti-fied, and fo is an ifland on the fouth fide of the harbour, called Chaul Moar, which maybe known five or fix leagues off at fea, by a white church built on it. Chaul, in formertimes, was a noted place for trade, particularly for fine embroidered quilts ; but nowit is miferably poor.

Dande Rajapore lies feven leagues to the fouthward of Chaul, a town belonging tothe Sedee, who generally lies there with a fleet of the Mogul’s veffels and fhips of war,and an army of 30 or 40,000 men. This place affords a good harbour for hisfleet, and the country about feeds good numbers of black cattle, from whenceBombay is moftly fupplied, when they keep in good terms with the Sedee, other-wife he makes them feed on filh, which that ifland is plentifully ftored with 5 but nowworfe than before the Sedee’s war. There is a rock fortified by the Sevagee, thatlies within a league of the mouth of Dande Rajapore river, to the northward,and another as far to the fouthward, called the Whale, that fhews his back at lowwater.

Coaffing to the fouthward from Dande Rajapore, are feveral fmall rivers, andfilhing towns. Zeferdon is the beft, and two little iflands called Horney Coat, fortifiedand kept by the Sevagee. It lies five leagues to the northward of Dabul, which ftandsat the mouth of a large river, and, of old, was a place of trade, and where the Englifhonce had a factory.

There is an excellent harbour for flipping eight leagues to the fouthward ofDabul, called Sangufeer; but the country about being inhabited by raparees, it isnot frequented : nor is Rajapore, about feven leagues to the fouthward of Sangufeer,though it has the conveniency of one of the bell harbours in the world, and had for-merly both an Englilh and French factory fettled there; and the place where GeneralChild had his education, from ten years old to eighteen, under his uncle Mr. Good-Ihaw, who was chief there, and having betrayed fome of his uncle’s fecrets, inmaking ufe of the Company’s cafli in his own private trade, his uncle was cafliiered,and, before the nephew was come to four and twenty, he had the honour to fillhis chair.

About the year 1685, when Aurengzeb’s army was in Decan, in order to bring Seva-jee Rajah to fubmiflion, but could never do it, a fon of Aurengzeb, called Sheek Eck-bar, had contracted a friendfhip with the Rajah. His father having notice of it, dif-fembled his refentment, till he had, by fair promifes, enticed the Sevajee to come tohis camp on the public faith, but had a defign to have him cut off in his return fromthe camp. Sheek Eckbar forewarned him of his danger, while he was in the camp,which made the Rajah depart in the night, without taking a formal leave, which Aureng-zeb imputed to his fon’s advice to,the Rajah, and, to requite his fon, he had a mindto make his life atone for the Rajah’s, but defigned it to he taken from him by ftrata-gem ; wherefore, pretending more kindnefs than ordinary to his fon, he fent him a finehorfe, richly furnifhed, and a veil, which was very, rich and beautiful, but was poifon-ed by a perfumed powder. His fon, with great acknowledgements, received the pre-fent, but, being too well acquainted with his father’s fubtility, put not the veil on, butdeferred it to another time, that he might put it on with more folemnity; however, heordered it to be put on a Have, who died in a day or two after he put it on. On whichSheek Eckbar fled to Rajahpore, and took flapping, with a few attendants, for Mui-kat, where he was kindly received by two Englilh gentlemen, Meflieurs Bendal andStephens, ar.d they provided a veffel to carry him to Perfia, where he had a royal wel-

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