43£ Hamilton’s account op the east indies*

hide it. The captain feeing his knife in the poor native’s hand, took it from him, andbellowed fome kicks and blows on him for his ill manners, which was very ill taken,for all in general Ihewed they were dilfatisfied with the action ; and the fliipwreckedmen could obferve contentions arifmg between thofe who were their benefactors inbringing them to their ifland, and others who were not concerned in it: however, next•day as the captain w T as fitting under a tree at dinner, there came about a dozen ofnatives towards him, and faluted him on every fide with a Ihower of darts made ofheavy hard wood, with their points hardened in the fire, and fo he expired in a moment.How far they had a mind to purfue their refentment, I know not, but their benefactorskept guard about their houfe till next day, and then prefented them with two canoes,and fitted them with out-leagers to keep them from overturning, and put fome waterin pots, fome cocoa-nuts and dry-fifh, and pointed to them to be immediately gone,which they did. Being fixteen in company, they divided equally, and fleered their-courfe for Jonkceyloan, but in the way one of the boats loft her out-leager, and drownedall her crew 7 , the reft arrived fafe, and I carried them afterwards to Matchulipatam.

Ning and Goury are two fine fmooth iflands, well inhabited, and plentifully furnilhedwith feveral forts of good fifii, hogs, and poultry, but they have no horfes, cows, Iheep,nor goats, nor wild beafts of any fort, but monkeys. They have no rice nor pulfe, fo•that the kernel of cocoa-nuts, yams, and potatoes, ferves them for bread.

Along the north end of the eaftmoft of the two iflands, are good foundings from ten toeight fathoms, fand, about two miles off"the Ihore. The people come thronging on boardin their canoes, and bring hogs, fowl, cocks, fifli, frelh, falted and dried yams, the beft Iever tailed, potatoes, parrots, and monkeys, to barter for old hatchets, fword-blades, andthick pieces of iron-hoops, to make defenfive weapons againft their common difturbersand implacable enemies the Andemaners ; and tobacco they are very greedy of; fora leaf of tobacco, if pretty large, they will give a cock ; for three feet of an iron hoop,a large hog, and for one foot in length, a pig. They all fpeak a little broken Portu-gueze, but what religious worlhip they ufe, I could not learn.

The ifland Somerera lies about eight leagues to the northward of Ning and Goury,and is well inhabited by the number of villages that fliew themfelves as we fail along itsfhores. The people, like thofe of Ning and Goury, are very courteous, and bring theproduct of their ifland aboard of Ihips to exchange for the aforementioned commodities.Silver nor gold they neither have nor care for, fo the root of all evil can never fendout branches of mifery, or bear fruit to poifon their happinefs. The mens’ clothing is& bit of firing round their middle, and about a foot and an half of cloth fix inches broad,tucked before and behind within that line. The women have a petticoat from thenavel to the knee, and their hair dole lhaved ; but the men have the hair left on theupper part of the head, and below the crown, but cut fo Ihort that it hardly comes totheir ears.

The fouthward duller of the Nicobars is mountainous, and the people partake of itsunpolilhed nature, being more uncivil and furly than thofe to the northward. Theiriflands produce the fame neceffaries as the others do.

Quedah is the next place of note' on the continent to the fouthward, and is honouredwith the title of a kingdom, though both ftnall and poor. The town, which bears thefame name, Hands on the banks of a fmall navigable river, deep, but narrow, about 50miles from the fea, and the King relides in it, but fhews no marks of grandeur, befidesarbitrary governing.

Their religion is Mahometan, much mixed with Paganifm. The people are deceitful,covetous, and crueL It was many years tributary to Siam, but in their long Pegu war,

S 11