Chap. II. to the EAST-INDIES. 
great Matter if a King enjoyed his Crown two Years, and if 
he did, it was with fo much Trouble and Dependance upon 
the Orankays, that nothing but the Title of his Dignity 
was left him. Things continued at this rate till the Ex- 
tinction of the ancient Royal Line, which happened about 
forty Years ago. 
Upon that the Orankays met, in order to chufe a King, 
but every one affeding the Dignity for himfelf, they could 
not agree upon the Matter, and refolved to decide it by 
Force. In this Ferment the Cady, or Great BiChop, by 
his Authority and Remonftrances, perfuaded them to liften 
to an Expedient that would remove all their Jealoufies 5 
namely, to put the Crown upon the Head of a certain 
Grankay, who in all thefe Divilions had not ftirred or af- 
fedted any thing for himfelf or his Family, but had lived 
in the Reputation of a wife, experienced Man, being then 
feventy Years of Age, and defcended of one of the nobleft 
Families in Achen . The Orankays accepted the Propofal, 
in regard it did not fink their refpedtive Pretenlions, fince 
they only entitled him to a Preference by reafon of his 
Age and Prudence. But after all, the old Nobleman de- 
fired to be excufecf, alledging that he had retired for fome 
time from the Affairs of the World, and defired to pafs the 
Remainder of his Life in Peace. Upon this the Orankays 
fell together by the Ears ; but at laft, finding that every 
thing run in Confufion, they endeavoured to threaten the 
old Orankay into an Acceptance of the Crown ; but both 
their Threats and Intreaties were equally ineffectual. 
At laft they came all in a Body to his Houfe, the Cady 
carrying the Crown, and one of the Orankays a naked 
Sword. There they reprefented to the old Gentleman that 
they could not poffibiy find any other Remedy for their pre- 
fent Calamity, but that of making him King : That as 
they had frequently importuned him to accept of the Crown, 
fo they came now once more to make the laft Offer, and 
that if he refufed it, they were determined to cut him off 
immediately, to prevent their infilling any longer on an 
ufelefs Expedient. The old Orankay finding himfelf in a 
Dilemma, told them, that tho’ he had firmly refolved to 
finifh his Days without the Difturbance of publick Affairs, 
yet fince nothing but his mounting the Throne could pre- 
vent a pernicious War, he accepted their Offer with this 
Provifo, that they fhould refpeCt him as a Father, and he 
fhould treat them as his Children, and they fhould receive 
his Correction as from the Hands of their own Father. This 
faid, they all thanked him, promifing not only to honour 
him as their Father, but to refpeCt him as their Sovereign 
Lord, and invefted him inftantiy with the Royal Dignity. 
45. After his Coronation he took Poffeffion of the Caftle, 
and invited all the Orankays to a Feaft upon an appointed 
Day, and made fuch vaft Preparations for their Reception, 
that the Orankays were ftruck with Admiration. The 
Orankays were drawn up in Order in a Court near the King’s 
Apartment, and conducted by the Chappes into a Hall ; 
but as every Man entered the Hall he was immediately 
feized, and dragged into another Court behind the Build- 
ings, where the King had caufed a deep Ditch to be dug, 
upon the Brink of which their Throats were cut, and then 
their Bodies were thrown into it. In the mean time the 
Mufick played, and nothing but Songs and Mirth was heard 
in the Hall ; and the Matter was carried on fo warmly, 
that one thoufand one hundred were cut off before thofe in 
the Rear could perceive any thing of the Matter ; at which 
Time the frnall Remainder flipped foftly out of the Caftle, 
without knowing diftinCtly the Occafion of their Miftruft 
till the next Day that the principal Orankays were miffing. 
The King having thus cut off all he fufpeCted, and for- 
tified himfelf with a good Body of Men in the Caftle, he 
publifhed a Declaration, fetting forth, that this great Exe- 
cution was neceflary for the Safety of his own Perfon and 
the State ; that as in former times the Orankays had made 
and dethroned many Kings at Pleafure, and extinguifhed 
the ancient Line, fo when they were at the Point of cut- 
ting one another’s Throats, they could find no other 
Remedy than that of making him King by Force, in 
order to ufe him as they did the former Kings upon 
Occafion ; that fince he was King he would not be expofed 
to the inconftant Humours of the Orankays, who, after 
they had maflacred him, would have relapfed into their for- 
1 47 
mer Animofities, and made the People fuffer by their Quar- 
rels ; and in fine, that all his Defign was to prelerve the 
general Peace, to reign in Equity, and execute fevere Ju~ 
ftice upon Offenders. 
After this Declaration, when he faw that no body ftirr&d, 
and none came near him to pay him their wonted Refpedts 
in the Caftle, he demolifhed all the Houfes of the executed 
Orankays, and lodged their Cannon, Arms and Goods in 
the Caftle. He prohibited any to build with Stone, or to 
have Cannon or lntrenchments about their Houfes ; he or- 
dered the Trenches that then were to be filled up, and the 
Stone Walls to be pulled down. He enjoined, that all 
their Houfes fhould be but one Story high, and their Walls 
be made of Mats, as they are at this Day. He conferred 
the Quality of Orankays upon his Favourites and Abettors* 
allowing them part of the Lands of the executed Lords* 
He put to Death the ancient Orankays, and thofe of the 
People that teftified any Difiike to his Conduct, infomuch 
that in the firft Year of his Reign he put to Death twenty 
thoufand Perfons, and in the fecond fome thoufands more. 
This Prince reigned a long time, and reduced the City 
to the Condition that it is now in. He ufed the Moorijb 
Merchants very unkindly, but was extream civil to the 
Englijh and Dutch , who fettled there in his Time. He , 
brought up this prefent King, who is the Son of his own 
Daughter, and for whom he had a particular Love. He 
died in the Year 1603, aged ninety-five Years, leaving be- 
hind him two Sons, who were already advanced in Years* 
To the eldeft of thefe he left the Kingdom of Achen , and 
all his Territories along the Coaft of Sumatra to the Weft- 
ward, and to the other the Kingdom of Pedir , with the 
Territories upon the Eaft Coaft of Sumatra . The two 
Princes were of too meek and humble a Temper for their 
Subjedts, fo that Murders, Robberies, Oppreffion, and an 
Infinity of Diforders, reigned in Achen for want of a fevere 
Execution of Juftice. The King of Achen happening to 
give fome flight Rebuke to his Nephew the prefent King, 
whom he entertained at his Court, the young Prince made 
his Efcape out of the Caftle, and fled to his Uncle the King 
of Pedir , who gave him a very kind Reception. The 
King of Achen defired his Brother to fend his Nephew to 
Achen ; but his Brother made Anfwer, that he would not 
offer Violence to a young Prince whom their Father had 
recommended to their Care. Upon this the two Brethren 
declared War one againft another, the Forces of Pedir 
being commanded by the Nephew, who is now King. In 
this War above fixty thoufand Men were killed between 
them, and the Nephew had oftentimes the Advantage i 
But at laft the Forces of Achen being more numerous, thofe 
of Pedir refufed to march. Upon which their King was 
obliged to deliver up his Nephew into the Hands of the 
King of Achen , who immediately put a ftrong Guard upon 
him, and laid him in Irons. 
Some time afterwards the Portuguese made a Defcenfi 
upon Achen , and carried the firft Turf Fort at the Entry of 
the River, but could not mafter the Stone one. In this 
Juncture the young Prince defired his Uncle would let him 
go and fight againft the Portuguese , remonftrating that he 
had better die in Battle with the Cafres (fo they call the 
Chriftians) than lie in Chains to no Purpofe. The King of 
Achen being at that Time in Confternation, releafed him, 
and fuffered him to go upon that Defign. The young 
Prince behaved himfelf with fo much Bravery in two or 
three Engagements with the Portuguese , that he acquired 
a great Reputation among the People of Achen . 
46. Upon this his Mother being an adtive ambitious 
Woman, formed a Defign of making him King of Achen ^ 
and furniffied him with large Sums of Money to be diftri* 
buted among the principal Orankays 5 with the fame View, 
the young Prince was very familiar in his Converfation, 
whatever he had was common to his Friends and Courtiers 5 
he refufed nothing that was alked of him ; in a Word, he 
ftiewed himfelf liberal to the Orankays, affable to the Rich, 
a Companion to thofe that profeflfed Arms, and extream. 
courteous to the common People. In the mean time the 
King of Achen died fuddenly ; at the Hour of his Death 
the young Prince gets into the Caftle, bribes the Guards, 
makes vaft Promifes to the Officers, advances a large Sum 
of Money to the Governor of the Caftle, diftributes Money 
among 
