736 Ehe E X P E D IE 10 N of Commodore Beaulieu Book I. 
tied him to a Poft beat him foundly, and made him pay 
more than he had got in my Service to get clear. 
On the 5th of May I could have had Pepper enough for 
eight Taels and a Quarter in Gold, which, as Rials went 
then, came to thirty-feven Rials and an half ; fo that the 
Lofs upon Rials was unfufferable. Another Mifchance that 
galled me mightily was, that their Mas, or Gold Coin, is 
often clipped by the Chinefe , and that there are a great 
many of a falfe Coin ; for at Achen they are fo nice, that 
that if the Edge be but any ways fhrunk or broke, they 
will not meddle with it ; fo that in the Payment of any Sum 
they will return a third Part, or a half. However, I 
bargained with one Man for three hundred Bahars at thirty- 
eight Rials the Bahar. The Chapman I dealt with called 
himfelf Xerif Nepuen of Jefus Chriji \ he was a Mohamme- 
dan, and a great Doftor in the Law of Mohammed: He 
bore the Character of a Prophet, and came to this Place to 
make fome Remonftrances to the King of Achen , who was 
fo little moved with his Remonftrances, that he ordered 
him to keep within Doors, and not to meddle with his De- 
portment, fo that the Oracle was ftruek dumb all of a 
fudden. 
j When I came to have my Pepper weighed,, the Prophet 
alledged that I bargained with him for thirty-nine Rials, 
and offered to appeal to the Broker * but I told him round- 
ly, that I had promifed no more than thirty-eight, and 
that my Word was as much to be taken as either his or his 
Broker’s. After fomc wrangling he yielded ; but when we 
had weighed about one thoufand two hundred Bahars, I 
began to perceive fome black Sand among the Pepper, and 
returned it ; he pleaded for his Excufe, that fome of his 
Domefticks had mixed Sand with the Pepper without his 
Knowledge, and though I might have done him an Injury,, 
in regard that the King of Achen cuts off their Hands and 
Feet, without any Mercy, who are found guilty of that 
Trick j yet confidering his Credit upon the Place, I was 
willing to overlook it. After that we continued to weigh 
till I obferved the Pepper wet-, upon which I flopped, and 
would have no more, alledging only that his Houfe was 
faulty, and that fome Rain had fallen upon the Pepper. 
What for a Dotftor or Prophet this may be I cannot tell ; 
but both he and moft of his Followers feem to place their 
Goodnefs in cheating a Chriftian, efpecially about Achen. 
29. On the 22d one of our Men wafhing himfelf by the 
Ship’s Side, had all the flefhy Part of his Leg, and both 
his Hands bit off by a great Fifh, or Sea-Calf, which the 
Potugueze call Tiburou, and immediately expired. By 
this Time the Pepper was become very fcarce ; for not only 
the King continued to buy, contrary to his Promife, but 
an Knglijh Veffel that lately arrived from Surat, laden 
with Cotton-Cloth,., trucked their whole Cargoe for Pep- 
per, not to mention the Butch and Englijh upon the Place, 
who having the Advantage of Gold and Commodities 
vendible in that Country, ftill bought it up underhand. 
June the 4th there happened a great Fire in the City,, 
which, in an Hour’s Time, confumed two hundred and fixty 
Houfes ; and the King caufed the Women in whofe Houfe 
it began to be impaled alive. On the 10th I had Audi- 
ence of the King, and represented,, that fince the Pepper 
was become very fcarce and dear, I wanted to be gone* 
and prayed that he would allow me to buy three or four 
hundred Bahars a tTicom* The King replied, that I might 
have fome more of his, which he had fold me at a lower 
Rate than any Body elfe. I told him that his Pepper was 
lb dear, and the Lofs upon it would be fo great, that, if 
l offered to take it at his Rates, it would difcourage the 
French from coming again to kifs his Hands. His Ma- 
jefty replied, that the French might hereafter make a more: 
profitable Voyage, by bringing Gold, or Commodities 
vendible in the Country, that being infinitely more valuable 
to him than Silver, which he efteemed no more than Dirt. 
As for the Bufinefs of Ticow he made me no. Anfwer, 
neither durft the Interpreter remind him of it, becaufe he. 
found he did not like the Motion. However, I repre- 
fen tecl to him, that fince I had no more Bufinefs in that 
FI ace, I hoped he would give me Leave to be gone : Up- 
on which he laid,, foe would firft write a Leter to. the King 
of France. 
On the 15th we had a violent Storm of Wind and Rain 
from S. W. and W. S. W. commonly for three Days be- 
fore and three Days after the New-Moon and Full-Moon, 
We had heavy Rains and Floods, that fwelled the Ri- 
ver mightily, together with violent Gufts of Wind called 
Samatra. The 19th one of my Merchants died of an un- 
common fort of a Diftemper, who, in my Opinion, was 
poifoned by the Butch. In this Place we loft fourteen 
Men, moft of whom were feized with a violent Vomiting 
and the Bloody- Flux, which no Remedy could flop. In 
earned:, this Climate is fo much hotter than France , that 
one can fcarce avoid Sicknefs at firft : But a regular Diet 
goes a great Way, if not in preventing, at leaft in abating 
the Sicknefs. For my part, I eat little or no Roaft-meat, 
but moftly Fifh, and drank Cider, or, for want of that, 
fair Water firft boiled and then cooled. But the unwary 
Sailors filled their Bellies with Beef, and drank a great deal 
of Arrack befides other Liquors, and when they were out 
of Order, drank Water and flept with their Stomachs, 
expofed to the Air ; by which means the Stomach being 
at once overcharged. Vomitings and Fluxes enfued. The ' 
Cure for this Diftemper is to be let blood, and take fome 
cooling Medicines, and to abftain from Meat, Wine, and 
Arrack. 
The 27th the King fent his Letter for the King of 
France to our Houfe, with a great deal of Splendor, the 
Letter being carried upon a great Elephant by one of the 
principal Orankays,. after which followed three of the 
principal Officers of the Houfe upon another Elephant, 
with all the Officers of the Afendague on Foot. Before 
the Elephant went four Drums, and four Trumpets, and 
four large Umbrellas furrounded it. But all this Splendor 
was to my Coft j for I was obliged to fatisfy not only the 
principal Orankay, who brought the Letter, but all thofe 
who accompanied him. The Letter was carried in a filver 
Bafon in a red velvet Bag, with gold Strings, being written 
it the Achen Language in Letters of Gold, upon very 
fmooth Paper, with feveral Gildings and Colourings round 
it* The Form of it was thus : 
“ The Letter of the Grand Siri Sultan , Subduer 
sc and Conqueror, by God’s Affiftance, of feveral King- 
“ doms, King of Achen , and, by the Divine Favour, of 
“ all the Countries that lie to the Eaft and Weft ; to the 
“ Eaftward the Kingdom, Territories, and Sovereignties 
te of Behli , the Kingdom of Ichor, with its Lordfhips 
“ and Territories ; the Kingdom of Paham , the King- 
“ dom of Queda r and the Kingdom of Pera , with their 
<c Lands and Seignories. To the Weftward the King- 
44 dom and Territory of Priaman, the Kingdom and Ter- 
c< ritorv of Eicow , the Kingdom and Territory of 
* PaJJuruma , to be delivered to the Great and Puiflant 
« King of France . May the King of France know, that 
44 the Letter he fent me by Commodore Beaulieu was de- 
44 Jivered, and that I have feen all that Was written in it, 
V And forafmuch as he recommended the faid Admiral* 
“ I have done him a great deal of Honour, both in the 
44 Matters of Traffick, and in allowing him the Quality 
44 and Rank of my principal Gentlemen. As for the Of- 
44 fer made me, in cafe I have any Bufinefs in France , I 
64 fend a Memorial by the faid Commodore, to ffiew how 
44 much 1 efteenx it j faying, further, that if God bring. 
64 this Letter fafe to hand, I expebf an Anfwer by the 
44 Ships that fhall come to trade in this Place, which to 
44 me will be a great Satisfaction. So I pray God pre- 
44 ferve the States of the King of France. And fince God 
44 hath made us Kings in this World, it feems reafonable 
44 we ihould live in Friendihip, and correfpond one with 
44 another. For a Token of Friendihip I fend eight Ba- 
44 hars of Pepper, which is the Product of this Country. 
44 God preferve the illuftrious Perfon of the King of 
44 France .” Given in the Month Raab (or June) in the 
Year 1030. 
On the 28th my Goldfmith afked Leave to ftay at 
Achen , promifing to find, another to fupply his Place that 
would be more ferviceable than himfelf ; and though he 
could not find one according to his Promife, yet, confi- 
dering 
/ 
