Hamilton’s account of the east indies.
501
about that time to the aforefaid fupercargo, which aggravated his chagrin, and he toldthe captain, who was my friend, what troubles I had brought him and the reft into.The captain advifed him to confider what time might be fpent in contention ; and thatI, having the government on my fide, would certainly carry my point in fpite of all theoppofition they could make, and that it would be much better to comply in time thanto ftand out, and be forced to comply at laft.
He told the captain that he might do as he pleafed, but he was refolved to give himno orders on that head. The captain bade him look what was agreed on in charter-party ; where they found, that the commander of a company’s Ihip was to take nopalfengers on board of his Ihip on penalty of icol. for each pafienger, without a writtenorder from the Company’s agent where he ftiould happen to be; but where no agentwas, he was then at his liberty.
After a little deliberation, he bade the captain fpeak to me of the hardlhips theywould be under in carrying fuch a number of palfengers fo long a voyage, and to tryme, whether I would favour them in the number of the quota that they muft be obligedto carry : and the captain came to difcourfe me about it; and I agreed that Capt. Cock,his lieutenants, and feventeen more, ftiould have their paflage on board his Ihip toEngland, and that thofe feventeen Ihould be fuch as Captain Cock Ihould choofe, thatthe captain and his two lieutenants Ihould have Captain Hide’s table, they paying him20I. each for that favour, all which the captain confented to, and the fupercargo andI became friends again.
The other (ticklers foon complied, and took thirty fix each for their quota, and thereft I provided for, and they were as forward to work and obey my orders as my ownfeamen, though they were not fo on board of the other Surat (hip, where they werelike to mutiny for want of victuals, even before they went to fea, for the captain ofthat (hip pretended that he would allow them no victuals before they went to fea, andthe poor indigent fellows faded twenty four hours on that pretext. At laft hungercompelled them to make their complaint to me, and I furnifhed them with a (upper,.and bade them be eafy till next noon, and if there was no provifion made' for them,when the (hip’s company’s dinner was ready, to feize on it for their own ufe, and; letthe others (lay till more was dreft, which advice, they took to be very wholfome, andpunctually followed it.
The captain complained to me of the palfengers rudenefs. I told him, that theyonly followed my advice, for I could not fee what pleafure he could take in ftarvingpoor men, fince what they did eat was nothing out of his pockets, for I knew thecharges would be allowed in his accounts with his employers, and advifed him to treatthem civilly at fea, fince they being fuperior in number to his (hip’s company, mightmake them ufe force to obtain what they ought to have by fair means : nor was Iout in my conjefture, for at fea he put them to fo fmall an allowance, that theymutinied, and threatened to carry him and the (hip to Madagafcar, and deliver him tothe pirates.
About Chriftmas I broke up houfe-keeping, and paid houfe-rent for Captain Cockand his officers to remain in it a month after me, and knowing the fcarcity of moneyamong him and his family, I gave him a bag with 1000 Spanilh dollars for his fub-fiftence on his voyage to Europe , on. condition, that when he was in a capacity to payme, he would not forget to repay me. I gave his firft lieutenant 100 and the fecondlieutenant 50 of the fame pieces, but without provifion of repayment.
The captain made his acknowledgments in the mod emphatical words he could ex*prefs, imprecating vengeance to purfue him if he did not thankfully repay me with
good: