SUMATRA. 
Three years afterwards the king made a conqueft of the city of Qucda, ,$1^, 
on the Malayan coaft; and alfo of a place called Delhy on Sumatra, 
This laH bad been ilrongly fortified by the afliftance of the Portuguefc, 
and gave an opportunity of difplaying much fkill in the attack. Tren- 
ches were regularly opened before it, and a fiege carried on for fix wetrks, 
ere it fell.* In the fame year the king of Jorcan* fled for refuge to 
Malacca, with eighty fail of boats, having been expelled his dominions 
by the king of Acheen, The Portuguefe were not in a condition to af- 
ford him relief, being themfelves furroonded with enemies, and fearful 
of an attack from the Acbenefe more efpecially ; but the king was then 
making preparations again ft an iuvafion he heard was meditated by 
the viceroy of Goa, Reciprocal apprehenfions kept each party on the 
dc fen five, ^ 
The French being deiirous of participating in the commerce of 
Acheen^ w^hich all the European nations had formed great ideas of, and 
all found themfelves difappointed in ; fent out a fleet commanded by 
Beaulieu, which arrived in i6ai. He brought magnificent prcfents to 16*1. 
the king, but which did not content his infatiable avarice, and he em- 
ployed a variety of mean arts to draw from him further gifts* Beaulieu 
met alfo with many difficulties, and was forced to fubmit to much ex- 
tortion, in his endeavors to procure a loading of pepper, of which 
Acheen itfelf, as has been obferved, produced but little., The king in- 
formed him that he had fome time fince ordered all the plants to be 
deftroyed, not only becaufc the cultivation of them proved an- injury to 
more ufeful agriculture, but alfo lea ft their produce might tempt the 
Europeans to ferve him, as they had ferved the kings of Jacatra and 
Bantam. From this apprehenfion, he had lately been induced to expel 
* Beauiieu* 
* I am uucertaio what place h defigned by tMs tiame i perhaps a counny on the banks oF the 
Tjver Racan or Ircan. The time of die event would lead us to conclude that the kin^ of Jorcan 
was the fame who defended Delhy. 
^ Faria y Soufa, 
the 
