Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 369

gold, whaever is received by the treafurer, is put into thofe chefts by the'e holes;and each cheft has four locks, and their keys are put in the hands of the rajah,the commiffioner of trade, the, chief judge and the treafurer; and when there isoccafion for money, none can be taken out without all thefe four be prefent, or theirdeputies.

In anno 1668, the prince came into the Dutch fort to pay a compliment to thecaptain. He had brought about 50 attendants with him. While the prince wascomplimenting the captain, the Malabars took the opportunity of the Dutch fecurity,and killed the fentinel at the gate; but the Dutch foldiers being all in their bar-racks, and their arms ready made, a feafonable fally, and drove the Malabars out,with the lofs of twenty of their number; and the Dutch fliut their gate. Thefort is large, and the governor’s lodgings at a good diftance from the gate, fo thatthe fray was over before either the prince or the Dutch captain knew any thingof the matter; and an officer bringing the news, the prince ordered a fearch to bemade for the ringleader, and being found, he fentenced him to be fmeared overwith honey, and made faff to a cocoa-nut tree in the fun till he died. Next mom--ing the fentence was put in execution. Thefe cocoa-nut trees producing a fweetliquor called toddy, bring vaft numbers of wafps and large red ants to drinkthe liquor. Thofe ants bite as painfully as the flinging of wafps. When the funbegins to be hot, they leave the top of the tree, and burrow in holes about theroot. In their paffage downward they fixed on the carcafe befmeared with thehonev, and foon burrowed in the fleffi. The poor mifcreant was three days inthat fenfible torment before he expired. The Dutch - captain begged every dayfor a pardon, or at leaf! for a milder or quicker death; but the prince wasinexorable.

In anno 1702 ,1 hired affiip called the Albermarle, infervice of the new eftabliffiedEaft-India Company, to ferve me three months and an half on a voyage from Surat to the Malabar coaft, and back; and having occafion to call at Cannanore , I ac-companied the captain of the fort and an Englifh factor from Tellicherry to the courtof Omnitree, fucceffor to the eldeft fon of the Samorin before mentioned, who diedin his voyage towards Mecca .

Captain Beawes, who commanded the Albermarle, accompanied us alfo, carryinga drum and two trumpets with us, to make" our compliment the more folemn. Thiswas a vifit paid him by all his tributaries and friends to wiffi him many happy years, itbeing his birth-day. We travelled eight or ten miles before we came to his palace,which was built with twigs, and covered with cadjans or cocoa-nut tree leaves woventogether. We were admitted to his prefence as foon as we arrived, in an open green,juft by his palace window, which looked into it, where fet his majefty, with his queen,and three or four of his children, pretty well grown up. We paid our complimenteach with a zequeen in gold, and a few grains of rice laid on it, and fo, by an inter-preter we had fome frivolous difcourfe. He treated us with toddy, fome plain-tains, and young cocoa-nuts; and then after an hour's ftay, we had audience of leave,and fo departed.

Omnitree himfelf was a man of a good afpecl, about forty years of age, of an olivecolour. His drefs was only a filk lungie or lcarf made fall by a girdle of gold plate,about his middle, that reached to his knees, with great jewels of mafly gold, fet withrubies, emeralds and pearl, hanging at his ears, but no ornament on his head, buta very beautiful head of hair hanging over his Ihoulders. His queen and daughterswere in the fame habit, only their hair was tied up behind. They were all naked above

vcl. viii. 3 £ thq-