88 
VOYAGE OP THE POTOMAC. [December, 
CHAPTER VI. 
Particulars of the Seizure of the Ship Friendship by the Malays, and the Massacre 
of part of her Crew — Retaking of the Ship, and her Return to Salem — The Po- 
tomac's hospitable Reception at the Cape of Good Hope — Interchange of Civili- 
ties — Proceeds on her Cruise — Plan of Operations — St. Paul's Island — Arrival 
- on the Coast of Sumatra — Dangerous Navigation. 
As the Potomac was to proceed from Cape Town direct to the 
coast of Sumatra, and in order that the pohcy of our government 
in sending her thither may be fully understood, it will now be 
proper (and cannot fail to, be interesting) in this place to give a 
plain statement of the treachery and cruelty of the Malays, which 
called down upon their heads a severe, though unavoidable and 
just punishment. 
It appears that the ship Friendship, of Salem (Massachusetts), 
Captain Charles M. Endicott, arrived upon the coast of Sumatra 
in September, 1830, for the purpose of purchasing a cargo of 
pepper. Finding, the old crop nearly disposed of, he was com- 
pelled to wait the coming in of the new one, which generally be- 
gins to arrive from the interior about the last of April. In the 
meantime. Captain Endicott visited some of the other pepper 
ports on the adjacent coast, and succeeded in obtaining about two 
thousand pzcMZs (the picul of Sumatra being about 133i pounds), 
with which he returned to his former anchorage, off the town of 
Quallah-Battoo. 
In the latter part of January, 1831, he made a contract with 
the rajahs and principal merchants of the place for the comple- 
tion of his cargo, at a stated price per picul, which they agreed 
to furnish in fifteen days, all to be of the old crop. 
From this period up to the time of the assault upon the ship, 
the Malays had never betrayed the least signs of treachery. But 
Captain Endicott was too well acquainted with the reckless and 
treacherous character of these people, to be lulled into security; 
the usual vigilance was observed, and no boat was allowed to 
