Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 459

"Would fpend whole days in contemplating on the nature, fhape, and qualities of abutterfly or a fhellfifh, and left the management of the Company’s bufinefsto others aslittle capable as himfelf, fo every one but he was mailer.

Their factory was not half finifhed before they began to domineer over the natives,who paffed in their boats up and down the river, and very imprudently would needsfearch one of the King’s boats, who was carrying a lady of quality down the river,which fo provoked the King, that he fware revenge, and accordingly gathered anarmy, and Ihipped it on large praws, to execute his rage on the factory and {flipping thatlay on the river. The Company had two fhips, and there were two others that be-longed to private merchants, and I was pretty deeply concerned in one of them. Thefactory receiving advice of the King’s defign, and the preparations he had made, lefttheir factory, and went on board the {hipping, thinking themfelves more fecure on boardthan afhore. When all things were in a readinefs, the army came in the night, withabove 100 praws, and no lefs than 3000 defperate fellows. Some landed and burntthe fadtory and fortifications, while others attacked the {hips, which were prepared toreceive them. The Englifh had made faff nettings from the mizen to the foreIhrouds, about two fathoms high above the gunnel, that they might not be too fud-denly boarded by the enemy, and to have the opportunity of ufmg their blunder-buffes and lances, before the enemy could get on their decks. As foon as they inthe (hips faw the fleet approaching near them, they plied their guns with double roundand partridge, and made a great carnage, but all did not deter the aflfailants fromboarding, who when they got as high as the gun-wall or gunnel, were at a lofs howto get over the netting, and fo were killed with great eafe. Some got in at the headdoor of one. of the fhips, and killed feme Englifh in the fore-caftle, but they were foondeftroyed. The two great fhips, though in danger, beat off the enemy with finalllofs, but the little fhips were both burnt, with rnoft of their men, and one Dutch gentleman who was obliged to flee from Batavia in one of the finall veffels, was alfoburnt in her. Elis name was Eloogh Camber, and had been ambafiador to the Kingof Perfia.

I heard fome China men fay, who were there at the time of the engagement, thatthe Englifh killed (in two hours that the adtion was hot) above 1500 men, befidesmany wounded and maimed, but the Englifh were forced to be gone from their fet-tlement. The King thought his revenge had gone far enough in driving them fromtheir fettlement, and finding the lofs of the Englifh trade affected his revenue, he letall Englifh who traded to Johore and other circumjacent countries, know, that heWould ftill continue a free trade with the Englifh on the old footing, but would neverfuffer them, or any other nation, to build forts in his country. Several Englifh havebeer, there fince, and loaded pepper, and have been civilly treated ; and the Dutch fent a fhip from Batavia in anno 1712, to trade with them, but the natives refuted■commerce with them.

The inland country is very mountainous, but towards the fea very low and marfhy,occafioned by the great rains that continue about eight months in the year. It pro-duces rice, and many forts of fruits in great abundance. Pepper is peculiar to thecountries about Banjaar; and to the wefhvard about Succadaana, they have finalldiamonds, but their waters being inclined to be yellow, are not fo much in efteem asthofe of Goicondah.

The Englifh had formerly a fadtory at Succadaana, but why they left it I know not,unlefs it was for the unwholefoinenefs of the country^ yet in anno 1694, I-met-with aill ip from Fort St. George, bound to Succadaana, commanded by one Captain Gullock,

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