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them to come on board. We lay then with our Englilh colours flying, at which theywere much furprized, knowing how feverely they had ufed our countrymen, whenlaft among them. However, partly through fear, and partly through our kind invita-tion, they came on board. They were very poor-looked creatures, that had been atTomberneo, and were returning to Tatas. We exprefled all the civility imaginabletowards them, gave them fome fmall prefents, and defired that they would acquainttheir King or grandees in the country, that there were two Englifli Ihips come tobuy pepper of them ; that we were not come to quarrel, but to trade peaceably, andwould pay them very honeftly, and comply with all reafonable demands according towhat fliould be hereafter agreed on. They inquired whether we were Company Ihips,to which we did not readily anfwer them; but before we did, they proceeded and faid,that if we were, they, as friends, would advife us to depart the port forthwith, becaufetheir Sultan and their oran-cays, or great men, would by no means have any dealingswith us. We defigned to have fent our boat that night to their town called Tatas,which is about thirty miles above the place where we lay, that (he might arrive, thereby day-light the next morning ; but thofe perfons diffuaded us from it, alluring usthat we Ihould foon have news from their Sultan; and that fome of their men wouldnot fail to be down with us the next day. Then they took their leave of us, returningus many thanks for our prefents.
The next day came on board of us a boat, with one Cay Rouden Tacka, and CayChetra Uday, being meflengers from the King. We received them as civilly as pof-fible. The firft thing they inquired, was whether we were Company Ihips, or feparatetraders; that if the former, we need not wait for an anfwer, and that it would be ourbell way to be gone; defiring earneftly that what anfwer we fliould return them mightbe fincere; for that whatever we faid to them Ihould be told the Sultan. Finding noother method to introduce ourfelves, we were forced to allure them that.we were pri-vate traders, and came thither on our own account to buy pepper. This we did, be-lieving we might in time have a better opportunity of making our honourable mailersknown, and of exculing the heavy crimes laid on their former fervants, whofe illconduft had been the caufe of the factory's being deltroyed. They alked us why wecame thither rather than to any other place, fince our countrymen had fo grofsly abufedthem ? We anfwered, that we were Grangers to that affair; and that at firft we defignedto go to Pallambam ; but being informed that pepper was much cheaper here, wewere willing firft to try this market. They alfo inquired what number of men andguns we had, and call their eyes flily about to endeavour to guefs of what ftrength wewere ; for they are exceeding jealous of all Europeans.
Towards night they departed, and we gave them fome guns. They left two per-fons on board, with whom they defired that our linguift would come up to the townthe next day, to give anfwer to fuch other queltions as might be alked. We gave in-flrudions to our linguift to tell them, that we were two fmall feparate ftock-lhips;that we were informed at Batavia, that pepper was very cheap at this port, fo choferather to come hither than to Pallambam : we ordered him to learn on what conditionsthey would offer to trade with us, and who were the propereft perfons to apply to;to prefs a fpeedy meeting; and if they alked what we had to purchafe pepper with,to tell them Mexico pieces of eight, (for the pillar-dollars they will not take); togive them kind invitations to come on board ; to write down all queltions and anfwers:and if any thing of confequence Ihould be further alked, to give no aflurances or,anfwers of themfelves, but to plead ignorance, and to refer all to the merchants, (for
fo