212 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 
[February, 
laws and collect the revenue, as well as to prevent traders from 
going into ports not approved of or licensed to trade. " We were 
frequently," says the captain, " on shore at Lamboan Hadjee, a mile 
or two from the vessel, with large quantities of pepper, which could 
not be got off till a late hour at night, but had no cause to cona- 
plain for the want of protection, or of having any of it stolen, 
though only one or two hands were left in charge of it. Several 
of the ship's company went back into the country as far as the 
settlements, and even to the mountains, either out of curiosity or 
to shoot hogs, which were very plenty ; and always met with the 
utmost civility and kindness from the natives. Probably if we 
had treated them," he continues, " as the Europeans are generally 
disposed to act towards the meaner castes of India, these privileges 
might not have been allowed, or at least would have been attended 
with more danger." From observations made during his stay, it 
was found that a trifle, with friendly manners, would always secure 
their friendship. He saw but little quarrelling among themselves ; 
robberies and other crimes were severely punished among them, 
and that too in the most summary manner. For theft, the criminal 
is secured to a kind of wooden cross, by order of the rajah, who 
constitutes the whole court, and "thrown into the water of a pit or 
some other dirty place, and is there held until strangled to death. 
There is no delay between trial and execution, no irons, no 
prisons ! ' - 
When the vessel was ready to depart, the rajah and many of 
his people came down to the beach, not as beggars, but with evi- 
dent signs of friendship, bringing and putting into the boats sugar- 
cane, a few fowls, cocoanuts, with other trifles ; and when a short 
distance from the shore, two six-pounders were fired from the 
rajah's fort in comphment to the captain. They had more pepper 
on the beach for sale, but as his accounts were closed he could 
not take it, and it seemed to be a matter of perfect indifference to 
them whether he did or not. 
Such is the interesting picture drawn by Dana of his visit 
among these people, in the year eighteen hundred and two. How 
much of human suffering had been prevented throughout agonized 
and bleeding India, had the early European voyagers to the east 
been governed by principles so just and so humane ! But while 
he noted the favourable incidents of his visit, he seems not to 
