Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

439

fhip on the rocks, but the people got a fmall anchor and an halfer out, and broughther afloat again, but as foon as the anchor was weighed, they run her once more on theLocks, and fhe having a little motion, a rock worked itfelf through her bottom, andthere fhe was loft without hopes or defign of being recovered, and with her ended theScots Eaft India Company’s intereft in India . Whether the fhip was loft by ignoranceor defign, I will not judge, but, in my opinion, it w T as by defign, for, as I heard after-wards, the captain and fupercargoes had taken up round funis on the bottom of thefhip, and took that method to pay their debts. I came to Malacca about the beginningof Auguft, and found the fecond fupercargo in the ill ftate I have already mentioned,with the purfer and the fupercargo’s writer, and eleven men more, who could not getpaffages to countries where they might get employment. I had then a great fhip anda fmall one under my command, fo I entered them all on board my fhips in the fameports they had on board the Speedwell, and I entered on a fcheme with the fecondfupercargo to carry the Scots Company’s effects on board my great fhip to Scotland ,but the firft fupercargo, who was, before my arrival, gone to China , and had no mindever to fee his native country again, broke our meafures by rambling through India with his mafter’s ftock. What the Scots Company’s cargo was I did not fee; butthe fupercargoes had a chert: of glafs-ware in their own private adventure, thenioft obfcenely fhameful that ever I faw or heard of among merchants. They werePriapufes of a large fize, with a fcrotum big enough to hold an Englifh pint of liquor,either to addrefs the god Bacchus, or the goddefs Venus, as feemed beft to theirvotaries.

I profecuted my voyage to Surat , and left the Scots fupercargoes to purfue their'mafter’s intereft in getting their affairs in readinefs to get a cargo for Europe , to becarried on board my fhip according to an agreement made between the fecond fuper-cargo and me ; but, inftead of putting affairs in readinefs, he embarraffed them, lentfome of his mafter’s ftock to fome infolvent merchants in Amoy in China , and let outfeme on the bottom of the fhip he took his paffage on board of, and. though that fhipwas ordered by the owners and freighters back to Surat diredtly, a young gentleman,a fupercargo, went with her to Bengal, and from thence to Perfia, where the fhip wasfeized by the owner’s orders and lent to Surat , w'here I met with the firft fupercargohalf dead with vexation for his folly, in keeping fuch a ftock two years and an halfwithout the leaft improvement: and what was left in China , was in danger of everbeing recovered, though it was afterwards.

At Surat the chief fupercargo grew very weak, and finding he had' not long to ftayin this world, had a mind to fettle his affairs here before he went to the other, fo oneday he fent for me, to advife him what he fhould do with his mafter’s effects, if hertiould die. I afked him if his accounts were brought forward, and he told me theywere, and defired, that I would take all into my poffeflion, and be accountable to theScots Company, and to remit it home to them, according to the orders they wouldfend me about it, but I excufed myfelf, and would not meddle in their affairs on fuchweak terms; but I advifed him to lodge his books and effects in the hands of oneMr. Bernard Weyche, whom I took to be art honeft and induftrious. gentleman ; and fohe did, and then he died.

He was a gentleman of a very courteous behaviour, and underftood a fmall fwordexcellently well, but not much verfed in merchandife or foreign commerce. Thefecond was a very good furgeon, and was mafter of the French language, but under- -ftood nothing in accounts. The captain, who ftaid on board of my fhip above twelvemonths, had been bred in his youth a driver of cattle from the Highlands of Scotland