Chap. I. Commodore R 
more. The fecond Sort are the Red, the third the Blue, 
and the fourth the Black. Thefe laft are by far the moft 
beautiful, and the moft efteemed, infomuch that they ftile 
them commonly Kings of the Birds of Paradife. On their 
Heads they have generally a Crown, or Tuft of Feathers, 
which they fuffer to lie flat, or raife it up at Pleafure, in 
the' fame manner with the Cadocus of India , which is a 
Bird entirely white, of the Size of an ordinary Pullet, with 
a yellow Crown upon its Head. I faw once, fays our Au- 
thor, at Bantam , one of thefe black Birds of Paradife , 
which was exquifitely beautiful, and which was a Prefent 
to the King. 
The fixth Government bellowed by the Company in 
the Indies , is that of the Cape of Good Hope. The Go- 
vernor is always one of the Counfellors of the Indies , and 
has a Council to affifc him in the Adminiftration of Af- 
Mairs, as the reft of the Governors have, who are appointed 
by the Company. The Cape is fituated on the Coaft of 
'Faffres, and is the moft Southern Point of the Continent 
of Africa. In the Year 1498, it was difcovered by Vaf 
quez de Gama ; and, in the Year 1653, ft was taken from 
the Portuguefe by the Dutch. It is juftly efteemed one of 
the moft important Places in the Hands of the Company ; 
though it is certain, that the Profits they draw from it, are 
not comparable to thofe which arife from fome of the Iflands 
in the Eafi Indies ; and formerly Things were in a worfe 
Situation, the Revenues arifing from that Settlement, fall- 
ing fhort of its Expence. Yet it would be impoffible for 
them to carry on their Trade to the Eafi Indies , if they 
were not poffefled of this Place ; becaufe, at the Cape, and 
only at the Cape, they can meet with frelh Water, and 
other Refrefhments, in their outward and homeward-bound 
Voyages, which are abfolutely requifite, efpecially for fuch 
as are eaten up with the Scurvy, who feldom fail to be re- 
covered by the Helps they meet with here. There is fuch 
an abundance of all forts of Provifions at the Cape, that, 
notwithftanding the vaft annual Demand for them, both 
by outward and homeward-bound Ships, yet there is never 
any Scarcity arifes ; but all Ships, that put in there, meet 
with the Succours they expebt, at a moderate Rate. 
Neither are the Refrefhments met with at the Cape con- 
fined to any particular Sort, as in moft other Places •, for 
here are Beef, Mutton, Fowl, Fruit, Herbs, Wine, and, in 
fhort, whatever is requifite either to recover the Sick on 
fhore, or to recruit the Ships Stores for the Maintenance of 
the Men at Sea. In order to have a juft Notion of the 
great Importance of this Place, it will be proper to obferve, 
that, in the Space of a Year, at leaft forty outward-bound 
Ships touch there from Holland alone ; and in thefe there 
cannot be lefs than 8 or 9000 People. The homeward- 
bound Ships from the Indies cannot be fewer, in the Space 
of a Year, than thirty-fix; and on board thefe there are 
ufually 3000 Souls, not to fpeak of foreign Veffels, that 
likewife put in here, and have alfo all kinds of Refrefhments 
furnifhed them freely, and at reafonable Prices. This muft 
appear very furprifing, when one attentively confiders what 
vaft Quantities of every fort of Refrefhments fuch nume- 
rous Fleets muft require. But this is not all, thefe Ships do 
not enter the Port, and fail again direbtly when they have 
received the Refrefhments of which they flood in need, but 
continue there for fome time ; infomuch that there are 
always Ships in the Road, except in the Months of May, 
June , and July , when the Road is dangerous, on account 
of the North-weft Wind, which blows with the utmoft Vio- 
lence during thefe three Months. 
The feventh and laft Government is that of Malacca ; 
which City is the Capital of a fmall Kingdom of the fame 
Name, the Inhabitants of which are called Malayans. The 
Governor here is a Merchant, and the Eftablifhment pretty 
much the fame with thofe in the other Governments. The 
Kingdom of Malacca makes the South Part of the Penin- 
fula of India beyond the Ganges , and is divided from the 
great Hand of Sumatra by a Streight, which bears the Name 
of the Str eights of Malacca. The Dutch conquered this 
Place from the Portuguefe in 1641, and have maintained 
themfelves in the Poffeffion of it ever fince. The City is 
large, and drives a great Trade, in confequence of its ex- 
cellent Situation, which renders it the Store-houfe and Ma- 
gazine : of all that Part of India. It is likewife the Rendef- 
Nume. 20. 
O G G E W E I S. 2_9| 
vous of all the homeward-bound Ships from Japan , who 
here make a Diftribution of their Merchandizes, and fend 
them, in different Affortments, to all the Company’s Set- 
tlements throughout the Indies. There is one great Incon- 
veniency at Malacca , and that is, the Scarcity of Provifions ; 
and even what is to be had confifts only of different kinds of 
Fifli. 
The Princes, who govern the adjacent Countries, are, as 
well as their Subjects, moft notorious Pirates, and difturb 
the Trade of the whole Indies., They are particularly Ene- 
mies to the Company, and lofe no Opportunity of doing 
her Subjects all the Mifchiefs in their Power. They have, 
however, met with feveral fevere Checks from the Portu- 
guefe , who were formerly eftabliftied here, as alfo from the 
Dutch , who have fucceeded them, which, by degrees, has 
fo broken their Power, that, at prefent, they are lefs able 
than ever to do Mifchief. Our Author tells us, that, fome 
Y ears before he wrote his Book, he had Orders to cruife in 
thofe Seas in a fmall Ship, mounted with fourteen Pieces 
of Cannon, in order to protebl the Trade from Pirates. He 
had not been long in his Station, before he met with one of 
thefe Corfairs ; but, before he could engage her, fhe was 
joined by two of her Conforts. This, however, did not hin- 
der him from attacking them. They made an obftinate 
Refiftance ; fo that the Fight continued for two Days, till, 
in the End, he funk two of them, and the third efcaped. 
On board one of thefe Veffels there were three Commanders, 
that were Brethren, who were taken up alive, and carried 
Prifoners to the Dutch Settlements, where they were ad- 
judged to lofe their Heads ; which, being fixed on long 
Poles, were fet up in Chiribon in the Ifland of Java, to ter- 
rify others from abling as they had done. 
The Inhabitants of Malacca are of a very dark Com- 
plexion ; but are briftc, abtive People, and, withal, great 
Robbers and Thieves. Some of them are Idolaters ; but, 
generally fpeaking, they are Mohammedans. It may not be 
amifs to add here the Manner in which the Dutch became 
Matters of this Place : They were informed, that great 
Difputes fubfifted between them and the King of Johore ; 
from which they immediately conceived Elopes of reducing 
it. With this View, they fitted out for the Streights of 
Malacca from Batavia a ftrong Fleet, with a great Body 
of Land-forces on board ; and at the fame time ftruck up 
an Alliance with the King of Johore , offenfive and defen- 
five, as long as the Sun and Moon gave Light to the 
World : On which, the King of Johore affifted the Dutch 
with 20,000 Men, and laid Siege to the Fort by Land, 
while the Dutch diftreffed it by Sea ; and yet, for all that 
the Fleet and Army could do, they could not have taken 
it by Force, but by reducing them by Famine ; which 
would have taken up a great deal of Time : So what they 
could not effebt by Force, they did by Fraud. They heard, 
that the Portuguefe Governor was a fordid, avaricious Fel- 
low, and much hated by the Garifon ; fo the Dutch , by fecret 
Conveyances, tampered with him by Letters, promifing 
him Mountains of Gold, if he would contribute towards 
their reducing the Fort. At length the Price was fet, and 
80,000 Pieces of Eight were to be the Reward of his Trea- 
chery ; and he was to be fafely tranfported to Batavia in 
their Fleet, and be made a free Denizen there : So he fent 
fecret Inftrubtions to th t Dutch to make anAttackon theEaft: 
Side of the Fort, and he would act his Part ; which was 
accordingly done. He then called a Council, and told them, 
he had a mind to circumvent the Dutch , by letting them 
come clofe to the Fort-walls, and then to fire brifldy on 
them from all Quarters, and deftroy them at once. So the 
Dutch made their Approaches without Moleftation, and 
placed their Ladders. The Garifon fent Meffage after Mef- 
fage, to acquaint the Governor of the Danger they were in 
for want of Orders to fire, and Tally out on th e Dutch, as 
was agreed in Council ; but he delayed fo long, till the 
Dutch got into the Fort, and drove the Guard from the 
Eaft Gate ; which they foon opened, to receive the reft of 
their Army, who, as foon as they were entered, gave Quar- 
ter to none that were in Arms ; and, marching towards the 
Governor’s Houfe, where he thought himfelf fecure by the 
Treaty, they forthwith difpatched him, to fave the 80,000 
Dollars. 
43 F 
The 
