Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

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Taw, and would needs have him for a catamite. He threatened the father, that if he didnot fend him with good will, he would have him by force. The poor man had takenan houfe clofe by our ffiip, and immediately came with his fon on board, imploring myprotection, which I promifed him. He had not been half an hour on board, till aguard came in a boat to demand him. I would fuffer none to enter but the officer,and an interpreter for the Portugueze language. The officer told me his errand, and,in an huffing manner, threatened me, if I protected him. I made him no anfwer, buttaught him to leap into the river, and bid the interpreter tell the King, that, if he.offered the leaft violence to any that belonged to me, I would fire down his palace abouthis ears. He had never been contradicted before, much lefs threatened, and he fentfor his Orankays, to know if I was a King or no. They told him that I was on boardof my ffiip, and that I would prove a dangerous enemy, if provoked, and begged thatHis Majefty would remove to a village about twenty miles up the river, andftay till ourffiip was gone ; which favour he willingly granted us, and fo we traded with fome morefecurity, but were continually in arms for fear of a furprize.

He continued his infupportable tyranny and brutality for a year or two after I wasgone, and his mother, to try if he could be broke off that unnatural cuftom of converfewith males, perfuaded a beautiful young woman to vifit him, when he was a-bed, whichffie did, and allured him with her embraces ; but he was fo far from being pleafed withher converfation, that he called his black guard, and made them break both her arms,for offering to embrace his royal perfon. She cried, and faid it was by his mother’sorder ffie came, but that was no excufe.

Next morning he fent a guard to bring her father’s head, but he being an Orankaydid not care to part with it, fo the tyrant took a lance in his hand, and fware he wouldhave it; but, as he was entering at the door, the Orankay paffed a long lance through hisheart, and fo made an end of the beaft.

The kingdom was three years without a king, but inteftine difcords daily arifing, inanno 1700, they chofe another, a coufin-german to him that was killed. Iiis namewas Sultan Abdulla Gialil, a prince of great moderation and juftice, and governed wellfor eight or nine years, that he held the reins of government in his own hands. Tradefiourilhed all over his dominions, and he was beloved by all his fubjecis j but being ofa quiet difpofition, and a great bigot to the Mahometan religion, difpofed himfelf toprayer and hearing fermons, and left the management of his government to a youngerbrother, called Rajah Moudah, a covetous tyrannical prince. The King never came outof his palace, but devoted himfelf wholly to the company of priefts, who fed his mindwith their nonfenfe and cant, and his brother keeping fair with the priefts, came toopprefs the people, and keep the King ignorant. I had the honour to be acquaintedwith him before he was King, and had free accefs to him when he was King ; but hisbrother never buffered me to be alone with him, left I ffiould have difcovered fome ofhis evil practices, which I certainly had done, if I could have found an opportunity,and to have forewarned him of the danger he was falling into. In anno 1703 ,1 calledat Johore in my way to China , and he treated me very kindly, and made me a prefentof the illand of Sincapure; but I told him it could be of no ufe to a private perfon,though a proper place for a company to fettle a colony on, lying in the center of trade,and being accommodated with good rivers and fafe harbours, fo conveniently lituated,that all winds ferved ffiipping both to go out and come into thofe rivers. The foil isblack and fat; and the woods abound in good mails for ffiipping, and timber for build-ing. I have feen large beans growing wild in the woods, not inferior to the beftvol. viii. 3 l in