Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 513

feeing the people’s difpofition to mutiny, took a large crucifix on his fhoulder, andinvited all who were true Catholick Chriftians to follow Jefus Chrift’s banner, andafford fuccour and afliftance to Chrift’s perfecuted flock.

The citizens came thronging after the prieft and crucifix, well armed, and theyinarched direftly to the Viceroy’s palace. His guards all deferted him on fight of theprieft and crucifix, and he and a few of his domeftics fired fome fmall arms, and killedfome and wounded others, which fo enraged the multitude, that they rufhed furiouflyup flairs, and fhot him dead. His fon was governor of a caftle a little way from the city,and he hearing that his father was in danger, came with his garrifon to refcue him, butbeing killed before the afliftance came, the citizens complimented him, and defired himto return to his poft, for they had nothing to lay to his charge; but he refufed, and fvvorehe would be avenged on his father’s murderers, and beginning to ufe violence onthofenext to him his men deferted him, and he foon fell a facrifice to his own folly. Therewere above a million and a half of Spanifh dollars found in his treafury, out of whichthofe whom he had unjuftly robbed were reimburfed.

It is about 120 leagues from fouth to north, and the fouth end is about 100 leaguesin breadth. It breeds good, hardy, fmall horfes, and, if it were in the hands of fomeInduftrious nation, it is able to furnifh good materials to build a good commerce with ;but the Spaniards are rich, lazy, and proud, and rather difcourage than improve trade,or to engage the natives to be civil and induftrious.

The next ifland of note is Formofa ; but there are feveral fmall iflands between it andLuconia, which belong to China , though of no great account, and becaufe they are flatand low, they are called the Bafhee Iflands.

Formofa is a noble ifland, and produces many valuable commodities, as well for thefuftenance of mankind as for pleafure and luxury. It affords plenty of gold, raw filk,fine white fugar, fugar candy, and copper finer than in China , but coarfer than in Ja-pon, and feveral drugs, as gallingal, China root, &c. Before the Tartars fubdued it, ithad kings of its own, but tributary to China . The natives differ much from theneighbouring people of China and Luconia, both in phifiognomy and make. Thevare of a low ftature, with a large head and forehead, hollow-eyed, and the cheek-bonevery high, a large mouth, and a fhort flat chin, with little or no beard on it, long-jawed,and a fmall long neck, their body fhort and fquare, their arms and legs long, fmalland ill fhaped, their feet long, and broad at the toes, and generally they are baker-kneed.The Englifh and Dutch had their factories there ; but about the year 1678, when allFokien had fubmitted to the Tartars , they were ordered to withdraw their factoriesfrom Tey won, a fmall ifland clofe to the great one, on v'hich their factories ftood. TheEnglifli obeyed, and removed over to Amoy, but the Dutch received fupplies fromBatavia, and endured a long fiege, but were at laft forced to fubmit, though they foldtheir factory and many of their men’s lives pretty dear, for the Tartars loft above 5000men in reducing it. It is now wholly under the Tartars, and the chungtock of Fokien has the fuperintendency of it.

When it was tributary to China , about the year 1650, there was a ftrange diftemperraged on the ifland for three years together, for molt of the virgins between twelveand eighteen years of age, had a trick of hanging themfelves, infomuch that very fewmaidens were left on the ifland, nor could any remedy be found to prevent it, beforean old China man found one out, and addreffed himfelf to the king, defiring him tomake a trial of hanging all thofe that hanged themfelves privately up by one leg onthe fides of high-ways, for paffengers to gaze on. The King took his counlel,. and

vol. viii. 3 u - hanged