154 testard's villiany. [1693. 



to the Company, and part with it at a certain rate ; he to 

 . prevent^ poor La Haye, went immediately and carry 'd the 

 lump of Aniber-greece to the Governor, telling him after 

 what manner it came to his Hands. La Haye hearing this, 

 went likewise and made his Complaint, bnt the nnjnst 

 Judge, being prepar'd, and Self-interested, assur'd him 

 that lump of he knew not what, was no Amber-greece, 

 but a certain Gum of little or no value, and which he 

 knew by experience. La liaye^ reply'd, he had reserved 

 several pieces of it, to justifie the truth of what he 

 asserted, and tlierefore demanded Justice : What further 

 plainly shew'd it to be true Amber-greece, was, that certain 

 days after the Contest, the Gold-smith that purchas'd it for 

 Pitch, had been so unadvis'd as to offer 60 Crowns^ for the 

 pieces that remain'd, which we look'd upon as done by the 

 Governor's Order, who could now no longer dissemble his 

 sentiments. It appear'd by their Subtleties, that the greater 

 part of this Amber-greece had been melted, no body knowing 

 what to make of it, and that only a small piece remain'd, 

 which being produc'd, was adjudged to belong to the Gom- 

 pany, and sent to Batavia. He of our Companions that was 

 a Druggist,* and very Skillful in his profession, had learnt at 

 Bodrif/o that this lump was really Amber-greece, but he 

 dissembled what he knew, and pretended in spite of our 

 Suspicions that it was no such thing, out of hopes, I suppose, 

 that lie might one day have an opportunity to appropriate it 

 to himself. This was so much the greater Villany, in that 



1 In orig. : " il prevint le pauvre la llaye." 



2 In orig. : " Le Suppliant." 



3 Sixty crowns, soixante ecus. The crowns or ecus mentioned by 

 Leguat were rix-dollars. Computing these at bOd. modern money, the 

 value of 60 crowns would be £12 10s., the amount offered for the frag- 

 ments of the ambergris that remained. (See Theal's History of South 

 Africa^ vol. ii, Pref., and p. 122.) 



* Jean Testard, a druggist, a merchant's son of St. Quentin in 

 Picardy. (See ante, p. 6.) 



