A VOYAGE TO BORNEO.

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they underftood it was to be in this world, neither could he beat that notion out oftheir heads. So that taking him for a falfe prophet and an impoftor, fince his wordsdid not prove according as they underftood them, they put the poor man to a moltcruel death, and demolifhed the church, which they looked upon as a decoy to cheatthem of ail their riches. Now had he ftayed among the Banjareens I doubt not but hemight have fucceeded in hisdefigns, and have converted the whole civilized part of thecountry : by which means and by the influence and power of thefe people, the gofpelmight have been more eafily propagated among that other barbarous favage nation.Neither was there lefs imprudence in endeavouring fo foon to perfuade them to partwith their riches, which they are fo fond of, to embellifh churches; for that could bedone in due time, when they were better inftructed in the principles of Chriftianifm.Nor do I fee what neceflity there was for fuch mighty ornaments more than the apoftlesrequired in the primitive times, among much more civilized and fenfible nations. Butno good ever comes of blind obftinate zeal.

There is but one mofque, or Mahometan church, in the town of Tatas, and is calledby them Mefajit. Every one that enters mull wafli his feet, and there hangs a piece oflinen at the door to wipe them dry. As to their manner of worfltip I can fay nothing,for they will fuffer none to enter but fuch as are of their own religion ; but I have heardthem at prayers fometimes all night long. They circumcife their children when they are■ about eight years of age, at which time the boys begin to cover their nakednefs ; butthe girls begin fooner, by reafon they are at that age generally marriageable.

We hired a large g'unting on the 6th of December, to carry on board a parcel ofpepper, that we had bought to complete our loading, together with our baggage andthe furniture of our houfe. Many perfons came to vifit us, and wilh us a happyvoyage, exprefling a general concern for our departure : for we had lived fo long andfo friendly with them, that we were in a manner naturalized there. Before our depar-ture, our old friend Cay Deponattee defired a private conference with us. He ac-quainted us, that the Sultan had enquired of him what he thought we were, whetherCompany’s ftiips or feparate traders ; faying, that he was fometimes jealous that wewere not what we pretended; that however, be it how it would, we had behaved our-felves very well, and had done nothing unfair, and therefore he Ihould be glad to feeus again. I then alked his opinion, whether he thought the Sultan would fuffer theCompany to'trade, in cafe they fent thither again. He anfwered, that he did not knowbut he might, provided proper perfons were fent, but that they had not yet forgot thelate ill treatment which they received from the Company’s fervants. After this wefell into fundry difcourfes in relation to the Company ; and I took no fmall pains togive a true idea of the honour, riches, and fair dealings of that honourable body. Ifound that their notions were very odd of them, believing them to be a body of peopleat variance with the government in England, in the fame manner as the Bvajos areagainft their Sultan. How they came by this notion I know not, unlefs it were put intheir heads by fome feparate traders that ufed to load there, during the time of theCompany’s fettlement; thinking by defaming them to eftablifh the better their ownuwereft. He told me likewife, that the barbarous behaviour of thofe fervants had con-rmed them in that opinion, but I perfuaded him as much as I could to the contrary.

Dn the icth, about noon, we departed out of town with colours flying and trumpetsoundmg, in the fame manner as we came in ; leaving a perfon behind as fecurity tille ve flul returned. That nighf we anchored in China river, and the next day by noonWe S ot fafe on board. On the 14th Mr. Becher, the chief fupercargo of my fhip, died

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