318 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CBYLON). [VoL. XVIII, 
House. If Your Majesty be pleased to cause your courtiers 
to reconsider the events a few years back they will read of 
Francois Caron, who on the 9th January, 1644, took the fort 
of Negombofrom the Portuguese after defeating the hosts of 
Don Antonia Macharetuan ^ and those of Don Antonio 
Mothagalvan. ^ Since that I have entered the service of the 
most Christian King of France and been entrusted with 
weighty undertakings. That it may still please the good God 
that everything will turn out well for the common good 
and to the service of Your Imperial Majesty, and that he 
will preserve your high and mighty person and your wide 
kingdom and give you victory over your enemies. Done 
on board my ship, in the Bay of Cochin, on the 29th 
December, 1667. 
" Sir, Your Majesty's most obedient Servant, 
''Francois Caron.'' 
Suspicions against Caron's loyalty to the French began to 
increase. On the 2nd January, 1670, the French deputed 
Heer Joubert to go to France to lay their grievances before 
the Directors there — the grievances being that Caron enriched 
himself at the expense of the Company. But when Joubert 
touched Madagascar on his way to France he was informed 
that Caron had made him his prisoner, but he arrived in 
France on board the ship " La Force " on the 10th September, 
1670. Caron was recalled to France, ostensibly to give the 
Directors the benefit of his experience in the trade to the 
East Indies, but in reality to answer the charges of Joubert. 
Having arrived in the Straits of Gibraltar he wanted to 
make the " river of Lisbon, " but his ship struck on a rock, 
and he was drowned and everything on board lost. His 
son, however, was saved. 
The above is a short summary of the doings of this remark- 
able man gathered from this rare book. What induced Caron 
to leave the Dutch and take service under the French is 
unknown to the present writer. 
