474 Hamilton’s account of the east indie*.

After a little paufe, the judge, by the interpreter, afked me what I had to fay toCollifon’s evidence. I anfwered, that I had little knowledge of him, but that he mightbe an honeft man, or otherwife, as his intereft led him. All continued mute for a littlefpace, and 1 broke the filence by defiring the judge to afk Collifon in what language Iheld that difcourfe with Oia Sennerat, which the judge did, and was anfwered, thathe did not well know, but that he believed it was in the Induftan language. I beggedthe judge to afk him if he underftood that language, and he did fo. Collifon, afterfome paufe, anfwered, “ No.” Then the judge afked him angrily, and with an air ofdifdain, how he could come in as evidence of words fpoken in a language that he didnot underftand, and he fimply faid, that he thought I had faid fo ; at which the wholecrowd gave an huzza, and clapped their hands, and feemed joyful. The judge repri-manded Oia Sennerat for putting him and the court to fo much trouble, and compli-mented me on my fafe delivery, and fo departed feemingly well fatisfied.

I had two Britilh gentlemen that accompanied me all the time of my trial. Onewas commander of a fmall fhip from Bengal, called Mr. Alexander Dalglifh, and oneMr. John Saunders, who was fecond fupercargo under me ; and when the judge came,fome executioners followed him with their inftruments of death, to put the fentence inexecution as foon as the judge pronounces it. Our debates held fo long, that it wasnear eight at night before we got home. Had I been cafl in my procefs, my head hadbeen a facrifice to my adverfary’s refentment, and my fhip and cargo to the much-injuredKing, and, to fum up all, my fhip’s company had been the King’s Haves. On myreturning home victorious, I had the congratulations of all my friends, particularly theChinefe merchants, whofe lives and eftates might have been endangered by the likevillainous informations.

My adverfaries being fhamefully difappointed in that project, had one more to trytheir fkill in, and that was to bring me in for piracy ; for, about four years before,Mr. Harrifon, then governor of Fort St. George, had fent a fhip to Amoy in China ,and fome China merchants having taken goods and money, to the amount of 20,000tayelsj or 6700I. flerling ; when the term of payment came, they eloped, and thefupercargoes could have no redrefs, which made them give orders to the captain of thefhip to make reprisals, which they did on a large jonk belonging to the Barkalong ofSiam ; which jonk they carried with them to Fort St. George, and which fact myadverfaries fixed on me, though, at that time, I was in Arabia or Perfia, which 1offered to prove by fome Mahometan merchants that faw me there ; but all that 1 couldalledge would have been ineffectual, if I had not accidentally found fome Chinefe whobelonged to the jonk when fhe was feized, and who knew both me and Captain Jones,who was the captor, and fo it never came to a trial.

It being high time for me to get from Siam at any rate, I applied myfelf to my judgefor his affiftance, and carried a prefent of four yards of fcarlet cloth, and fome piecesof Surat goods, to the value of 20I. in all. He received me very courteoufly, andpromifed me his affiftance, but would accept of none of my prefents. At laft, on myprefling him to take it, he accepted of the fcarlet cloth, but would not touch any of theSurat goods, though they were very fine in their kind ; but recommended me to twoofficers more, whom I muft addrefs to make my requeft be the eafier granted, and hetold me, that thofe Surat goods would ferve to make them my friends. I took hisadvice, and in three days had my clearance, for paying about 200I. for my fhip’ sjneafurage, (an impofition of Mr. Collet’s,) and fo I fell down to Bencock, where,according to the Siam cuftom, I was obliged to put my guns afhore, before I could goup to the city. I lay there four or five days before orders were fent to deliver my

5 guns,