296 



COOK S FIRST VOYAGE 



DEC, 



Company, came to an anchor in the Road. She was 

 bound from Madras to China, but having lost her 

 passage, put in here to wait for the next season. 

 The Phoenix, Captain Black, an English country 

 ship, from Bencoolen, also came to an anchor at this 

 place. 



In the afternoon of Christmas eve, the 24th, I took 

 leave of the Governor, and several of the principal 

 gentlemen of the place, with whom I had formed 

 connections, and from whom I received every possible 

 civility and assistance; but in the mean time an ac- 

 cident happened, which might have produced dis- 

 agreeable consequences. A seaman had run away 

 from one of the Dutch ships in the Road, and entered 

 on board of mine: the Captain had applied to the 

 Governor, to reclaim him as a subject of Holland, 

 and an order for that purpose was procured : this 

 order was brought to me soon after I returned from 

 my last visit, and I said, that if the man appeared to 

 be a Dutchman, he should certainly be delivered up. 

 Mr. Hicks commanded on board, and I gave the Dutch 

 officer an order to him, to deliver the man up under 

 that condition. I slept myself this night on shore, 

 and, in the morning, the Captain of the Dutch Com- 

 modore came and told me that he had carried my 

 order on board, but that the officer had refused to 

 deliver up the man, alleging, not only that he was 

 not a Dutchman, but that he was a subject of Great 

 Britain, born in Ireland; I replied, that the officer 

 had perfectly executed my orders, and that if the 

 man was an English subject, it could not be expected 

 that I should deliver him up. The Captain then 

 said, that he was just come from the Governor, to 

 demand the man of me in his name, as a subject of 

 Denmark, alleging, that he stood in the ship's books 

 as born at Elsineur. The claim of this man as a sub- 

 ject of Holland being now given up, I observed 

 to the Captain that there appeared to be some mis- 



