378 Hamilton’s account of the east indies*

left thumb end over the foremoft finger, and what they have to write Is Indented, orrather engraven into the leaf, but it does not pierce the leaf above half way through.And on two or three of thefe leaves they will write as much as we can on a fheet of/mall paper. All their records are written fo on leaves, and they are ftrung and rolledup in a fcroll, and hung fome time in fmoke and then locked up in their cabinets.And I have feeri fome fuch leaves fmoke-dried, that, they told me, were above 1000years old.

In anno 1703, about the middle of February, I called at Calecut in my way toSurat , and ftandhig into the road, I chanced to ftrike on fome of the ruins of thefunken town built by the Portugueze in former times. Whether that town was-fwallowed up by an earthquake, as fome affirm, or uffiether it was undermined by the feaI will not determine ; but fo it was, that in fix fathoms at the main malt, my fhip, whichdrew 21 feet water, fat fall a-fore the chefs-tree. The fea was fmooth, and in a fhorttime we got off without damage.

The unfortunate Captain Green, who was afterwards hanged in Scotland , came onboard of my fhip at fun-fet, very much overtaken with drink* and feveral of his mencame in the fame condition. He told me, that he had fome fmall arms, powder, footand glafs-ware to difpofe of, and afked me if I would take them off his hands at avery reafonable rate. I told him, that next morning I would fee them, and perhapsbe a merchant for them. He told me, that the arms and ammunition were whatwas left of a large quantity that he had brought from England, but had beenat Don Mafcherenas and Madagafcar, and had difpofed of the reft to goodadvantage, among the pirates, and had carried fome pirates from Don Mafcherenasto St. Mary’s.

I told him, that, in prudence, he ought to keep thefe as fecrets, left he might bebrought in trouble about them. He made but little account of my advice, and fodeparted.

About ten in the night his chief mate Mr. Mather came on board of my fhip, andfeemed to be very melancholy. Fie afked me, if I thought one of my mateswould be induced to go with Captain Green, that he might be cleared of hisfhip, and he would give that mate that would accept of his poll, a very confiderablegratuity. I told him, that fuch a good poll as he had on board the Worcefter wasnot eafiiy procured in India , for we feldom preferred ftrangers before we had a trialof them.

He burfl out in tears, and told me, he was afraid that he was undone. I afked hisreafon for his melancholy conjecture. Fie anfwered, that they had acted fuch things intheir voyage, that would certainly bring them to fhame and. pdnifhment, if theyfhould come to light; and he was affured, that fuch a company of drunkards as theircrew was compofed of, could keep no fecret, though the difcovery fhould provetheir own ruin. I told him, I was forry for his condition, and that I had heard-at Coiloan, that they had not a£ted prudently nor h'onefUy in relation to YomeMoors (hips they had vifited and plundered, and in finking a floop, with ten ortwelve Europeans in her, oil Coiloan. Fie afked me if that was known at Coiloan.I told him, that the people there made no fecret of it, but as long as you did themno harm, you are welcome to their trade. .Next day I went afhore, and metCaptain Green and his fupercargo Mr. Gallant, who had failed a voyage from Surat to Sindy with me. Before dinner-time they were both drunk, and Callant told me, thathe did not doubt of making the greatefi voyage that ever was made from England on