Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 481

entrufted them with the guard of his own perfon and the garrifon, and then taking theopportunity, of the night, ; when all the Englilh were in their beds, who lodged in thefort, they inhumanly murder.ed them all. There was fome noife made by thofe thatwere awake, which a few who lodged without the fort, hearing, took the alarm and fledto the fea fide, where kind Providence directed them to a boat ready fitted with oarsand fails, which they embarked in, and put oft' from the fhore, and they were nota hone’s throw off, when the bloody villains on the fliore were in queft of them that werein the boat; with much fatigue, hunger, and third; in failing, and rowing above 100leagues, they got to fome place of the King of Johore ’s dominions, where they weretreated with humanity. The reverend and ingenious Doctor Pound was one ofthofe that efcaped, and Mr. Solomon Lloyd (an old acquaintance of mine) wasanother.

There were two harbours, or anchoring places at Pullo-condore, but neither of themgood. One at the north-eaft end, they were forced to ufe in the fouth-weft mon-loons, the other on the weft-fide for the north-eaft winds, the bottom of which isrocky, anti therefore dangerous for lofing anchors and cables, yet that was the placechofen to build their fort on; but fince a factory was thought neceffary to be fettled onthat coaft, I wonder why they chofe thefe iflands, rather than Quadrole which Imentioned before;

The city of Cambodia is reckoned to lie 100 leagues up from the bar, and the riverfilled with low iflands and land banks. The country of Laos is about 40 leagues fartherup, but what navigation is ufed above the city of Cambodia , is done by fmall rowingveffels, and the river being one of the longeft in.the world, employs great,numbersof thofe rowing boats.

Chap. XLIX. —- Treats of Cottchin-China and Tonquin ; their Religion , Laws , and

Cujloms.

COU'CHIN-CHINA is only divided from Cambodia by the river, which in fomeplaces is three leagues'broad. It is a country/ar larger than Cambodia , and muchricher, and the inhabitants more courageous and hardier for enduring fatigues in labouror war, than the Cambodians , but are not fo converfable and civil to ftrangers. TheCouchin-Chinefe draw one half of the cuftoms and taxes railed in Cambodia by com-merce and merchandizing, but they give little encouragement for ftrangers to tradewith them. Their country abounding'in gold, raw filk, and drugs, they bring them,to Cambodia, to difpofe of there,' except what they fend yearly to Canton in China ;and I have feen fome of their jonks trading at Johore and Batavia.

Tneir religion is Pagan after the China way, worlhipping the fame gods, after thelame manner as the Chinefe do. Their laws are fevere and bloody for crimes oftreafon; for not only the guilty perfon fuffers a painful death, but the relations within thehounds of confanguinity fuffer death alfo. Their cities and towns are divided intoWardlhips, and at the ends of each ftreet are railed gates, placed to confine each wardwithin its own limits. Thefe gates are Ihut and locked every night, fo that they haveuo communication by night; but if a fire breaks out in one of the wards, its whole inha-bitants are cut off, except the women and children.

There are but few Chriftians tolerated in Couchin-China , yet there was (and perhapsis) a French prieft in great efteem among them, but it is capital for any other priedto be found in their country. This Frenchman kept a correfpondence by writing, with•Mr. Ciflie, biihop of Siam , and he having a relation of the danger Chriftian priefts' vol. via 3 <5 were