748 The E X P E D IF 10 N of Commodore Beaulieu Book I. 
among the principal Orankays, and threatens the Cady, who 
fcrupled to crown him. 
In fine, he managed the Intrigue fo happily, that he 
was proclaimed King that very Night, to the great Joy of 
all the People who had conceived great Plopes of his Libe- 
rality, Courtefy and Familiarity, as well as his Valour. 
Pedir being twelve Miles from Achen, the King of that Place 
was quickly acquainted with his Brother’s Death, and came 
the next Day to receive the Inveftiture of his Patrimony ; 
but as he approached the Cattle with a final! Retinue, he 
fell into the Hands of his Nephew the King of Achen , 
who, forgetting his former Favours, kept him a Month Pri- 
foner in the Cattle, and then, pretending to fend him to a 
more agreeable Retreat, at a Diftance from the City caufed 
his Throat to be cut by the Way. Thofe who put the 
Crown upon his Head were not better ufed ; for he began 
with the Maraja, or Governor of the Cattle, who had taken 
moft of his Money, and ended with thofe that received the 
laft. In a Year’s Time they found a great Alteration •, for 
inftead of being humane, he was very cruel. Inftead of 
Liberality, he difplayed an extream Avarice, and his fami- 
liar, meek Temper, became auftere and inexorable. 
In fine, he has iked more Blood than his Grandfather 
did in his whole Reign. He has difpeopled the whole Ter- 
ritory of Achen , and drained not only the Natives, but the 
Foreigners that refide there, of all their Money. It is true, 
he endeavoured to re-people this City with his Conquefts, 
or rather Ravages (properly fpeaking) for having ruined 
the Kingdoms of J or, Dehly , Pah an, Queda, and Pera , he 
tranfported from thence to Achen about twenty-two thou- 
fand Perfons *, but at prefent there are fcarce one thoufand 
five hundred of them left : So that this Policy ferved rather 
for an Inftance of his Cruelty, than any other thing ; for 
the People being brought naked to Achen , and allowed not 
a Grain of Rice for their Maintenance, died of Hunger in 
the Streets. Hitherto this King hath been fuccefsful in all 
his Enterprizes, infomuch that fome take him for a 
Sorcerer. 
For my part I regard him as a Man of great Judg- 
ment, one that undertakes nothing rafhly, or unfeafon- 
ably, but after a mature Deliberation, and upon very pro- 
bable Conjunctures. He never affaulted one of his Neigh- 
bours but when they were reduced to fome Extremity. 
All his Preparatory Meafures are incomprehenfible, till the 
Defign is put in Execution •, for he never afks or receives 
Advice oAny, and being invefted with an abfolute Autho- 
rity, his Commands are immediately put in Execution ; fo 
that all this may be done without the Afliftance of Devils. 
Befides, I have often heard that Sorcerers are poor, forry 
Wretches j but I am certain that this King is by far greater 
and richer than any of his Neighbours. 
47. February the 3d we were in Sight of the Bland of 
Montabay , the 5th we came to an inhabited Ifle that lies 
between Najfaw and Montabay •, the 6th we patted between 
Najfaw and another Bland not marked in the Charts. This 
Channel is four or five Leagues broad j all thefe Blands lie 
very low, whereas the oppofite Coaft of Sumatra is very 
high and confpicuous. I would advife all Sailors rather 
to put into Sumatra , than into any of thefe little Blands 
for the former is peopled all along the Shore with Perfons 
acquainted with the Converfation of Strangers, whereas the 
Inhabitants of thefe are barbarous Savages, that have no 
Communication with any other People, and confequently 
not to be trufted. 
April the 20th, in 33 0 30' Latitude, the Needle varying 
7 0 45' North- Weft, we defcried a fmooth and uniform, but 
rocky Coaft, upon which we flood to Sea, and next Day 
encountered a violent Storm, that lafted to the 23d of May ; 
the 1 ft we perceived the Land between Cape Auguilles and 
Cape Falfo , and on the 5th we came to an Anchor in Fable- 
Bay ; our ftck Men did not recover at this Place as I ex- 
pected, either by reafon of that extream Cold, or becaufe 
I could not take in fuch frefh Provifions as I had a Mind 
to, there being fome Dutch Ships in the Bay that I mif- 
trnfted. I believe the Cold was the great Caufe of it ; for 
all the Dutch Sick died as well as mine. The Wind con- 
tinued at Weft- North- Weft from my firft Arrival in this 
Bay to the 24th, that I weighed Anchor, and patting 
by the North-Eaft, was becalmed within Cannon Shot. 
The 30th we fet Sail, the Wind at South-South-Eaft. 
On the 2 1 ft of June we defcried St. Helena , about fifteen 
Leagues Weft- North- Weft of us : Next Day I came to an 
Anchor over-againft it, and fent our fick Men on Shore, 
who were fomething benefited by the Air. This is a very- 
convenient Place for the refrefhing Men, not only in re- 
gard to the Temperance of the Air, but by reafon of the 
Plenty of young Kids and Hogs, the Facility of coming at 
good Water, the Conveniency of Fifhing in the Road, and 
upon the Shore, the Abundance of Oranges and Citrons, 
which are excellent Remedies againft the Scurvy, befides 
feveral good Herbs, fuch as Purflain, a fort of Tarragon, 
in large Quantities, fome Fenugreek, Tobacco, and the 
Herb Mayoe : Not to mention the Partridges, Pigeons, 
and, as fome fay, Oxen, that this Eland abounds with ; 
for though the Country be mountainous, and very fteep, and 
the Grafs withered-like, yet on the Top there’s a great deal 
of Moifture, and there is not a Valley without a Brook 
or Rivulet, the greateft of which runs in the large Valley, 
where a large Chapel is built, though it is not above a hun- 
dred and fifty Paces broad, and one thoufand long. At 
the End of this Valley there’s a ragged Cleft Ridge of Rocks, 
upon which there falls down a Stream of Water from a very 
high Mountain, infomuch that it is beat as final! as Rain 
before it falls. This Ifle lies in 16 0 South Latitude, the 
Needle varying 43' North-Eaft, and always has the 
Wind South- Eaft. 
48. On the 1 6th of July we faw the Ifle of AJcenJbon, 
about twelve Leagues North-Eaft of us. It is very high, 
and its Anchorage lies over-againft a fandy Creek. This 
Eland has neither Wood, nor Frefh- Water, nor any 
Herbs, being nothing but a hard Rock ; yet it affords 
fome Hogs, and a great many Fowls, fuch as can live 
without Frefh- Water, upon the Rocks, and in the Road 
it has abundance of Fifli and Tortoife. Its Circumference 
may make about eight Leagues, which is as much as that 
of St. Helena's. It lies in 8° S. Lat. After we had croffed 
the Equinoctial , we had fuch Calms and drizling 
Rains that moft of our Men were feized with Dropfies 
and Tumours, upon which there enfued great Mortality 
in the Ship. 
Augufi the 6th the Calms and drizling Rains continu- 
ing, there came a fudden Whirl- wind that lafted for two 
Minutes, and broke all our Sails, carrying the Main-Top- 
Sail quite off. The next Day we faw fome Swallows and 
Butterflies, which fignified that we were near Land. The 
13th we faw an Eland to the North, in 16° Lat. which 
we knew to be Saint Nicholas , one of the Cape-Verd 
Elands. The 16th we made the Ifle of Saint Vincent , 
and call Anchor at five Fathom Water. The 17th I fent 
my fick Men afhore, who were very numerous, and in a 
forry Condition ; but, when they came upon Land, they 
recovered a-pace. 
49. The ordinary Anchorage of this Eland lies in iy° 
id Lat. the Needle varying z° 15' N. E. It affords at 
this Seafon great Plenty of Tortoifes, which they call Free- 
Tortoifes, and are diftinguifhed from the others they call 
Cohouanes, by the Smoothnefs, Plainnefs, and green Co- 
lour of the Shell, the Largenefs of their Body, and the 
Smallnefs of their Head, and the Form of their Snout, 
which refembles the Teeth of a Saw. The Flefh of thefe 
eat as well as that of a young Heifer, and fome of them 
are fo large that they weigh 300 Pound. They come out 
in the Night-Time, and lay their Eggs upon the Sand, 
which they bury a Foot deep. Thofe who have a Mind 
to catch them watch them at that Time, and getting be- 
hind them turn them upon their Back ; after which they 
cannot turn themfelves to get upon their Feet, and fo lie 
there till the Morning. Moft of them have 2 50 Eggs 
flielled, and as many unfhelled in their Bellies, which are 
very good. 
In this Eland we met with an Herb that in fome mea- 
lin' e refembles Spinnage, but it is infinitely better we 
ufed it both in Sallad and Soup, and both it and the 
Tortoife-flefh kept our Bellies open, and cured our Men of 
great Dropfies, without any other Purgation in eight 
Days, which perhaps could not be cured in France in a 
Month? 
4 . 
